《Summoning the Holy Sword》


 Chapter 1 End of the Legend

    Dark clouds shrouded the sky, followed by the darkness and chaos that descended upon the earth. The spiral stone stairwell, bloody corpses, armories, weapons �� everything was so chaotic and bleak, carrying the scent of death and danger.


    Rhode took a deep breath, but he wasn''t able to taste the cold and bloody air. After all, it was just a game. He shook his head and turned to look at his comrades who were sitting on the ground not far from him. Right now, they were resting quietly, restoring their own strength and repairing their own weapons. On the surface, it was no different from the usual day, but Rhode knew that this fight was clearly not as easy as before.


    "How many survived?"


    He asked in a low voice.


    Hearing this question, his comrades looked at each other. Then a thin mage stood up.


    "Guild leader, reporting! There are ninety-six people left. The Void Dragon Dungeon is even more dangerous than we imagined. A lot of our brothers are still left behind in the previous trap. Luckily we still have a diverse number of classes left."


    "That''s good."


    Rhode nodded. He did not say anything else, so the others also went silent.


    If it were an ordinary guild, they would have lost their courage long ago and would have fallen into disorder. After all, what they were about to face was the most powerful, most terrible, and one of the game''s most elite bosses, the unconquered Void Dragon. It was the final boss of the Third Chapter in Dragon Soul Continent Online. At the moment, it was known as the most terrible existence. Facing such a fight, ordinary guilds needed to organize at least ten parties to challenge it. But now, Rhode''s guild was only left with ninety-six people, which was clearly not enough. Still, there was not even the slightest panic in their eyes, only calmness, confidence, and trust.


    The person that they trusted with their avatars'' lives was currently standing not far from the stairwell in front of them. He looked up to the sky with a face full of fortitude. A cold scar could be found on his brow, which left people awestruck. A shining magical armor covered his mighty body as if it was a mighty bulwark that would never fall.


    Of course, it was not because of his dignified outward appearance that had made others trust the man in front of them. No matter how strong he looked, it was only an avatar design, and the scar on his brow was just a cosmetic item.


    The real factors were the countless achievements and prestigious titles behind him.


    First player to rank top of all professional players.


    First player to be acknowledged as the top player of the most difficult playable class, ''Spirit Swordsman.''


    Since the First Chapter of ''Dragon Soul Continent Online: The Coming Darkness'', he had led the guild by solely relying on his own ability. His frightening degree of familiarity towards other classes had helped him sweep three quarterly leaderboards and defeat all the bosses in the first kill as the leader of the guild. All of his dungeon videos would be reproduced by numerous players. He was worshiped as the holy teacher, and he was the Dragon Soul Continent''s No. 1 guild leader �� Rhode.


    He had personally conquered ''The Coming Darkness'', and paved the way to the Second Chapter, ''The Turbulent Era''. Then, he conquered the ''The Turbulent Era'', and had arrived to ''The Void Trial''. And now, he would once again use his own hands to end ''The Void Trial''. However, the new era would no longer be opened by him alone.


    How many years has it been?


    Rhode shifted his gaze from the distant shining thunderbolts in the sea of clouds and asked himself.


    Since the death of his sister, he had been in the Dragon Soul Continent for seven years, and in the past seven years, in order to force himself to forget the pain of the past, he repeatedly set many impossible goals for himself and had reached it again and again. At that time, it had brought him great excitement and glory, which slowly lessened the deep pain in his heart.


    However, it was going to stop here.


    A month ago, Rhode''s parents had traveled abroad. Unfortunately, their plane flew into a hurricane and crashed, killing both of them instantly. Rhode had been unable to remember what the call he received was about, and how he had felt back then when he heard the news. Now, he had made the decision to leave the game and return to real life. This was not just for his own parents, but also for his own sake. He himself was very clear that it was time for him to change.


    "Lea... leader?"


    A timid voice sounded, interrupting his flashback. He looked up and saw that there was a timid female mage that had raised her hand from the crowd, her eyes were shining towards him.


    "Are...are you really going to leave?"


    "Yes."


    Rhode nodded. Then he began to control his own complicated emotions. He shook his head and looked at his companions; these were all his memories and achievements for seven years, they were comrades that had been fighting with him for the past seven years. However, soon, he would eventually leave them. Although it was only in the game, even with a small hand gesture, he could feel what others wanted to do to some extent. After removing the game helmet and going back to reality, it seemed like he would not be able to recognize them.


    "My resume was sent yesterday. I hope that I can find a company that will take me in."


    "If I received the guild leader''s resume, I will arrange you directly as a manager of the department, just rest assured!"


    A knight waved the sword in his hand. His words had also livened up the previous dull atmosphere and made everyone laugh.


    "Thank you for your kindness. Unfortunately, I did not write my game experience on my resume. As you know, our guild has many enemies. If my resume were to be received by people from another guild, then my life would be over."


    Rhode also smiled and answered. After that, he coughed with a serious expression.


    "I think we all know just how we have overcome these past years."


    Hearing him, the people that had laughed just now closed their mouths and began to listen to his words.


    "We also know that in the forums, there are a lot of people who accuse us and say that we undermine the balance of the game, monopolize all the boss first kills, and made the word ''competition'' lose its meaning�� Frankly, they''re not wrong, but��"


    Rhode suddenly clenched his fist and swung it forcefully.


    "But this is what we do! We are the strongest guild, we are the strongest party! We have the strength! Then we have to do it, to rob it! The other guilds are not strong enough, therefore it''s their own problem for being defeated. If their strength was enough, they should''ve been able to contend with us. Us monopolizing the boss first kill is not by relying on orthodox methods, position or the flattery from the game company. What we rely on is our own strength! We never give up, we never admit defeat, we will never slack, so what we have now is what we deserve. It is just that simple."


    Rhode paused and then continued.


    "I love this guild. I will also miss the time we have spent the past the seven years together, but in this world, all good things will come to an end. I need to go to find my purpose in life, but I will never forget everyone, neither will I forget the guild, which carries my most painful memories, but also my happiest ones. I will always remember Starlight forever."


    Rhode said while pointing on his head.


    "A lot of people said that if I left the guild, the guild will not be able to persist on. I know that there are a lot of guilds that heard about me leaving and are now busy sharpening their weapon to break our guild after I leave. However, they have underestimated us. Dragon Soul Continent Online is not a game with only me in it. I cannot establish the guild myself. I cannot create a party myself, and it is impossible for me to take the boss first kill by myself. That is why I hope that after I leave, all of you can give those people the reason why this guild is so strong..."


    "Because we have the ability �� the ability to take our guild to the first rank with our own strength!"


    "Yes!"


    "No problem, leader!"


    "Leave it to us. When the time calls for it, we will give those idiots a perfect answer!"


    "Very good."


    Hearing everyone''s answer, Rhode nodded, and then he turned to the right side of the crowd.


    "Old Liu."


    After hearing Rhode voice, the thin mage walked out of the crowd and came to his side. Rhode looked at the mage in front of him quietly for a moment, then took out his guild token and placed it in his hands.


    [System Notice: Transferring Guild Leadership, Transferring Party Leadership]


    "The next era is yours."


    Rhode let go of his hand. His voice was very calm, without the slightest change.


    "No problem, Rhode."


    The mage nodded, but soon, he spoke again.


    "Well, as the new guild leader and as the party leader, I order you to lead everyone one last time."


    "Old Liu?"


    Hearing this answer, Rhode could not help but frown. The thin mage only smiled and patted Rhode''s shoulder.


    "You are the one who started this era, and you are the one who supposed to end it too, Rhode. This is how it should be."


    "..."


    Rhode went silent; he looked towards his companions who were not far away. At that moment, they were ready and were waiting for his orders as usual.


    Then Rhode raised his sword, pointing it to the front.


    "Get ready!!"


    As expected, the Void Dragon is extremely strong


    Rhode had fought against almost all the higher level BOSSES in the Dragon Soul Continent and even included the other setups in the Dragon Soul Continent, but none of them was as troublesome as the Void Dragon in front of him. Its attack pattern was more complex, almost random. Its damage was several times higher than ordinary bosses. Needless to say that its speed, response, and even defense were all S-class level.


    Huff...! What a difficult opponent to conquer...


    Rhode held his sword and clenched his teeth, watching the monster in front of him. The fight had reached its peak, and he was the only survivor. But even so, Rhode''s HP was almost empty; the flashing red alert on his retinas continuously reminded him that his vitality had reached the limit.


    So what if it is the Void Dragon?


    As they looked at each other''s HP, it can be seen that the dragon''s eyes were filled with hatred. Suddenly, Rhode had a very strange feeling; he seemed to be able to feel the dragon''s emotions. As the game''s most powerful and undefeated boss, it now actually fell into such a situation, it must have felt really bad.


    Then, I''ll go with you.


    Thinking of it, Rhode raised his left hand.


    Accompanied by a bird''s cry, Rhode''s sword suddenly burst out a blazing flame. It morphed into a soaring Fire Bird, with its head overturned, it rushed towards the Void Dragon. Facing a head-on attack from Rhode, the Void Dragon roared menacingly. It raised its forepaws high and smashed forward.


    "!!!"


    Suddenly, Rhode felt his body shake violently. A strong power was building up as the Fire Bird cried out in sorrow and vanished immediately. But before it disappeared, it created a strong explosion that successfully connected with the Void Dragon. The Void Dragon that was originally waving its claw failed because of the explosion and its claw was abruptly torn apart.


    After a while, an empty door opened.


    Rhode bit his teeth. The flashing red alert was now in an even deeper shade of red, reminding him that the damage he suffered had reached the critical point. However, it was not within his control anymore. This was the last chance; he would either win or perish trying. He raised the sword in his hand, rushing forward. But the Void Dragon also managed to recover. It growled and once again tried to thrust down its claw. At the same time, Rhode also threw out the sword in his hand.


    Thunderbolt, activate!


    The sword turned into a bright light, piercing the dragon''s chest. Rhode was completely focused looking at it�� looking at the light that pierced through the Void Dragon''s claw which tore through the dragon''s body scales easily.


    The Void Dragon roared in agony; after that, a huge dragon claw smashed into Rhode''s body.


    The red in front of him had warped his entire field of vision, Rhode could no longer anything in front of him, but in the corner, the system prompt could be seen clearly as usual.


    [Congratulations to the Starlight Guild that has obtained the first BOSS kill in the Void Dragon Dungeon. An eternal evil has been wiped out.]


    [The character has received fatal damage and will soon die]


    It''s finally over.


    As he observed the system prompt, Rhode exposed a pleasant smile.


    And at this time, suddenly, a bright light beamed above him, warping him to the usual respawn platform.


    At that moment, a pure white light shot up and penetrated the dark sky, dispersing the dark, lingering clouds.


    The players who had already respawned quickly rushed towards the respawning platform. Even the other players around the world who were furious that Starlight had once again broken the record came. All of them stared at the platform quietly, waiting for Rhode to appear.


    But at the top of their screens, a system announcement flashed.


    [System Notice: Player ''Rhode'' went offline]


    A legendary player that had conquered the three eras disappeared just like that.

 Chapter 2 New Journey

    The wind blew through the canyon and set off waves to the prairie.


    The wild cows that were bowing to eat the green grass looked up towards the sky. There, a ten-meter long wooden merchant ship was floating in the air. The ship moved forward slowly as the sail bellied with the wind.


    "No matter how you see it, this scenery sure is a magnificent one."


    A middle-aged man in leather armor stood next to the deck, looking down at the endless grassland and its beauty.


    "For us merchants, this is also a rare opportunity."


    Standing next to the middle-aged man was a slightly overweight merchant. He had a weird curly hair and was wearing a merchant''s robe. His small eyes were slightly narrowed as if he was planning something while gazing at the scenery in front of him. Looking at him, it was as if he was thinking that the beautiful scenery in front of him could be sold.


    "If it were not for this thing, I am afraid we won''t be able to move the goods into the central area this quickly. To be honest, I always opposed the idea of opening a market, but now it seems that my choice was correct."


    "Please forgive me for being frank, but if you do not choose a wider route, even if we went from here, although it will save more time, the degree of danger will also increase. I heard that the other side is not quiet, and I think you have also listened to the captain''s reminder that it seems there were Wind Serpents around here recently, what if..."


    The man''s face darkened. He turned his head, shifting his sight to somewhere not far from the mountains. Towering peaks blocked his line of sight, making him unable to see what was behind. But he could faintly perceive that the distant sky was not pure blue, and there was a touch of cloudy darkness.


    That''s not the world they should get involved with.


    "Do not worry, how can there be so many ifs? Money comes from danger. This is the reason why I spend so much money to hire you! Only a few serpents, is that not it?"


    The merchant stretched out his hand and patted the man''s shoulder.


    "Yes, what about the condition of the young man we saved? Is he still alive?"


    "Lize has bandaged his wound, and now he is sleeping. His condition supposedly will not be life-threatening."


    "That''s good."


    Hearing the man''s answer, the merchant nodded with satisfaction, but then he quickly frowned.


    "But what kind of wound is that from? Looking at the wound, it seems like it was from a big lizard, but is there anything like that in the north of Paphield?"


    "I do not know, Lord, but it''s supposedly a very ferocious beast. I hope we do not run into them."


    While talking, the man''s eyes subconsciously swept the entrance of the cabin, then he turned his head again, looking forward.


    -


    Rhode opened his eyes.


    W-what happened?


    He stared at the ceiling; his brain was dizzy. He remembered that he had been leading his team to fight the most powerful boss in the Dragon Soul Continent, the Void Dragon, and had successfully gotten the first kill. He was sure that he had got the achievement and system prompt, but then, the Void Dragon''s last attack also took his life away.


    According to his plan, Rhode should''ve respawned and then he would log out. But the moment he was killed by the Void Dragon, his whole vision immediately become dark, as if he was forced to log off. Then he lost his consciousness.


    How can this be? Did I encounter a bug in the game?


    Rhode could barely turn his head, but he still managed to catch a glimpse of the blue azure sky and white clouds outside.


    Where is he? What''s this place? What happened? Is he dreaming? Or is he still in the game? At least he was sure that this place wasn''t his small rental apartment. Doubts immediately flooded his mind.


    Then, Rhode frowned and tried to get up.


    "Ugh!"


    Suddenly, he felt an acute pain from his chest. He bit his lips and stopped moving. He found that his left shoulder and chest had been completely wrapped by a bandage. Although he did not know what happened, judging from the blood stain that permeated it, it seemed that his injury was quite severe.


    This is definitely not a game.


    Rhode was undoubtedly certain of this. He knew that although the current technology was quite advanced, and as the world''s first virtual reality game, Dragon Soul Continent Online had also used a lot of high-tech technology, but according to the rules, it was impossible for the player to experience pain. The reason was so that people could distinguish between reality and the game. Also, for the sake of the players, they had to reduce the pain threshold. If the player was injured, instead of pain, the game would reduce the player''s speed and use red color to block the player''s line of sight. It was done so to warn and remind them, rather than the real simulation of pain. When the virtual reality simulation technology first appeared in the world, it had caused a lot of controversies. Dragon Soul Continent''s operating company naturally knew it too.


    Rhode lowered his head and looked at his right hand. Its shape was not like his character from the game; his body was not that full of muscle nor was it mighty. On the contrary, the arm in front of him was small and thin. Since he had almost never exposed himself to the sunlight, his skin was a little bit pale. This was definitely his own body; he was sure of it.


    However, how did he get hurt? Was this place a hospital? Rhode scanned his surroundings; the whole room looked like a cabin��no lights, no phone, no call bell. A wooden table, two chairs and a fixed cabinet on the wall were the only things in the room. He did not know why, but he felt like he had seen this somewhere.


    While he was studying the room carefully, the door suddenly opened.


    A blonde girl wearing a white robe entered the room. She looked at Rhode who was half-sitting in surprise, with her eyes wide open.


    "You have woken up? That''s great!!"


    The girl did not speak Chinese or English, but he seemed to be able to clearly understand it. He could not help but feel a little bit surprised because he knew the language too.


    This is the Nimus language, one of the official language in the Dragon Soul Continent!


    "How are you feeling?"


    However, the girl did not care about Rhode''s expression. She quickly went to his side, carefully checking his left shoulder and chest.


    "Your injury is really serious. Frankly, I was worried whether you would survive or not..."


    "This is��"


    He frowned but did not know what to say. He turned his head, looking at the mirror next to the wall where a clear reflection of his face could be seen. It was indeed his face, no doubt about it, but it was not supposed to appear here.


    "Did you forget?"


    The blonde girl curiously blinked her eyes, her twin tails following her movement. Her blue eyes were clear and transparent, exuding a cheerful disposition.


    "Two days ago, you fell in the middle of the Paphield Plains and suffered a very serious injury. If it was not because of the Silver Libra''s merchant guild floating ship passing by, I am afraid it would be even worse. I do not know what kind of monster you fought against, but the left side of your body received a very serious injury. It can be really dangerous."


    Wait, left shoulder...


    Rhode froze in surprise for a moment. He immediately thought about the last battle with the Void Dragon before, wasn''t it his left shoulder that was attacked? But it was his game avatar that was injured, and there was supposed to be no connection to the player itself, right? But now, the one who got injured was him?


    Although the situation in front of him was a mess, Rhode still quickly calmed down. As the top player and the world strongest guild leader, he had a strong mentality, and in the middle of the conversation with the blonde girl in front of him, he had also learned about his current situation. He was seriously injured in the Paphield Plains, and Silver Libra Merchant Guild floating ship happened to pass by, so they saved him. According to what the blonde girl had said, his condition was pretty bad, but his ability to recover was pretty good.


    "My name is Lize Noir, I am a member of the Crescent Star mercenary group. I am a Cleric. You can just call me Lize."


    The girl straightforwardly introduced herself to Rhode.


    "I''m Rhode Alander."


    Even though he still could not completely sort out the situation, he hesitated for a moment, but he still told her his ID from the game.


    "I am an adventurer from the Eastern Plains."


    "So you are an adventurer, that was why you were alone in the vast mountain."


    After hearing Rhode''s answer, Lize did not feel surprised because, in this continent, there were many adventurers who liked to explore alone, so Rhode''s identity was not much of a problem.


    "But what kind of thing did you fight with actually? How did you get such a serious injury? I remember that there should be no high leveled monsters in particular in the plains."


    Hearing her inquiry, Rhode showed a bitter smile. What could he say? Should he say that he was injured because he fought one of the five creator dragons, the Void Dragon?


    "I did not see what it was because I was attacked at night. There were a lot of them and they were very quick. I think that maybe they were things from ''the other side''."


    "I understand."


    Although Rhode did not elaborate, Lize seemed to know what it was and nodded. By then, she had also finished checking at Rhode''s wound, so she stood up.


    "You have not eaten for two days, so you must be hungry. Please wait. I will get some food for you to eat. Ah, yes, I would like to report this matter to my leader, I think he will come to see you soon."


    Having said that, she nodded towards him politely and then left the room.

 Chapter 3 Holy Sword Card Deck

    "Sigh."


    Finally, Rhode was able to take a deep breath, then he laid down on the bed once again.


    After chatting with Lize, he confirmed that this place was indeed Dragon Soul Continent. But it was not in the era that he was in before �� it was far more distant�� the Twilight Era. If this timeline was compared to the game, it was supposed to be when Dragon Soul Continent Online was in its open beta testing period.


    How did I arrive here?


    Rhode sighed, then shook his head, no longer wanting to think about these strange and mysterious things. In any case, he was already here, and this fact couldn''t change. So what was he going to do next?


    First of all, Rhode decided to try what he could do for now. Soon, after giving a thought, a clear and familiar system prompts showed up in front of him. It showed his current status and attributes:


    [Rhode Alander]


    [Level 1


    Race: Mixed Race (??)


    Talent: Locked


    Racial Reward: Locked


    Racial Characteristics: Locked


    Class: Summoning Swordsman (Hero)


    Class Skills: Summon (Rank E)


    Special Swordsmanship: Moon Shadow Swordsmanship (Rank E) (Available Skills - Blade of Destruction)


    Other Classes: Alchemist (Expertise in Mysterious Creation)


    Special Skills: Shaping (Rank E)]


    This was the very ordinary yet unusual Character Status screen. But when he saw the first line, Rhode almost shouted out loud.


    Mixed race? Why am I a mixed race?!


    In the Dragon Soul Continent, the meaning of the so-called mixed race was no different to the one on Earth. The mixed race here was born with the marriage between humans and other races. Rhode was very sure that he was a human, and even in the game, his role was also human. But why did his Character Status show that he was a mixed race? And it was also followed by question marks which meant that his other half-blood had not yet awakened. The racial bonuses and characteristics were also still locked. It meant that to unlock it, he must understand what kind of blood he had first in order to awaken the power within him.


    For Rhode, this could be considered a concern because, usually, the race reward was automatically provided after creating the character. For example, the human race bonuses were able to shorten the time in learning skills, immunity to poison, enhanced reputation and many others. But now, he would be unable to get these bonuses and characteristics until he awakened it.


    But it wasn''t surprising either since he also found new additions to his essential skills like Swordsmanship and Alchemy. Because he had not forgotten his Swordsmanship and Alchemy skills that he had learned, it was displayed below his status, but the color was dark. It meant he did not have the required ability and level to learn and use them. However, he did not really have to worry about it. As long as he could raise his ability, he would be able to use those skills once again. Of course, the skill rank was also reduced to the lowest rank, which was E, rather than SS Rank.


    However, Rhode did not care about those little things because what he valued the most was not the rank, but their sources. Many of those Swordsmanships were difficult to learn. Not only did he need to raise his level and stats, he also needed to complete chain quests, increase his reputation and find hidden items. To finish those, he would need a lot of money, time, and luck. In the game, it was only in the last year in Dragon Soul Continent that he managed to completely build his own character, thereby having the confidence to challenge the Void Dragon.


    Unfortunately, everything had its own ups and downs. Even though his Swordsmanship had no problems, he quickly found out that his experience, level, and rank were all gone, and the most important thing that he had lost was the most crucial to the existence of a Spirit Swordsman�� his Summoned Spirits.


    In the Dragon Soul Continent, the Spirit Swordsman was a class with many dilemmas. In the beginning, when it was officially launched, it had garnered everyone''s attention since it was an exclusive class. But after the official release of the class, because a Spirit Swordsman needed to cultivate both magic and Swordsmanship, both of them had totally different sub-stats, as well as the complexity of coordination with the Summoned Spirit. There was also the class knowledge gaining process, which meant that the player needed to play the class in all three aspects to know the class well. That was why this class was such a huge disappointment.


    The Spirit Swordsman''s ''summon'' and the Mage''s ''summon'' appeared to be the same, but in fact, both of them were very different. A Mage''s ''summon'' consumed their own power to open a portal for the creature to enter the world, and control things by using magic. However, the Spirit Swordsman''s ''summon'' was different. They did not have the power to open a portal, because their power came from the world itself, and one of their abilities enabled them to awaken the soul from mysterious and historical relics. They could even make a contract and seal them for their own use.


    Although it did sound very strong, it was still too bothersome. In fact, many players had been confused by the skills. They thought that by buying cheap ancient relics from the merchants, they could use the summoning skill to awaken the soul of those things and make a contract, effortlessly gaining an artifact.


    Unfortunately, no matter how easy they thought it was, the truth still hurt. Not to mention, only high-level summoners could awaken the soul from ancient relics, and as a spirit, they had lost their material form, so their power was also much weaker than before. For example, the artifact that Rhode had used in Dragon Soul Continent Online, the "Dragon King''s Wrath", was the only thing that he was able to awaken the soul from, and it was also when he had achieved the highest level.


    There were three methods to obtain a summoned spirit. The first was by awakening and condensing the soul from dead magical creatures and turning it into a summoned spirit. But its stats would change based on the owner''s stats, the environment, and other factors. For example, if a Spirit Swordsman killed a Fire Snake to obtain its soul, but the soul was summoned in snowy weather or the snake had been killed by equipment with the Dark Element, it would be really difficult to find out about the summoned spirit stats. If it was a Hydra, then it would be much better if it had the Dark Element. However, if it was only an ordinary weak monster with a conflicting element, then it would be better just to cry.


    The second method to obtain a summoned spirit was to defeat non-human creatures and fulfill certain conditions. Afterward, one can make a contract and seal them up as a summoned spirit. This was a more simple method, but it was also more dangerous since non-human creatures had their own will and conscious, which meant that they could resist the summoner''s order and act according to their own judgment. Of course, this method would not be welcomed by anyone since they would not want to summon something that created trouble.


    As for the last method, it was by activating the special skill called ''Soul Awakening'' at Level 10 and awaken a soul by fusing a certain number of spirits to produce a new higher level spirit. With this method, the player can control the summoned spirit to a certain extent. As long as the player was familiar with the fused summoned spirit''s characteristics, race, and stats, the player can easily tell the fusion result. But this kind of method was way too risky and might also be disappointing because the level of the new summoned spirit was unknown. When two high-level spirits were fused, it might result in a Level 1 summoned spirit; it might also result in an even higher level spirit or even a useless spirit. If it was the former, it was still okay since the level could be raised, but if it were the latter, then it would be better to just delete it.


    The summoned spirit''s experience gain was shared with its owner. This was also one of the reasons why a Spirit Swordsman was far slower in leveling than other classes. For the others, they could just level up by themselves, but a Spirit Swordsman must share their experience to level up their summoned spirit so that they could evolve. But from the first point, one should know that a summoned spirit''s evolution was affected by the environment, its owner''s attributes and other external factors. Sometimes, the result of the evolution was not necessarily what the owner had expected.


    Because of its disappointing characteristic, it had turned from the ''Most Popular'' class into one of the ''10 Most Disappointing Classes'' in the Dragon Soul Continent official website. There were even people who regarded those who had chosen this class as newbies, or rookies that were cheated on by the introduction and CGI announcement, or players that only played for fun or even gambling addicts, and the last ones were people like...Rhode.


    From a simple, regular player, he had turned into a legendary phenomenon. Using this troublesome class, the Spirit Swordsman, Rhode had taken 1st place on numerous servers and had even continuously conquered the three eras. How were the other players supposed to feel?


    Most other players did not like those kinds of random methods because it would make them feel like the result was not within their grasp. But it was precisely because of that, Rhode felt really happy because it was challenging. This was also the reason why he had chosen this class. In fact, in his long gaming career, he had also experienced many of those ''disappointments'', but he never gave up because only by conquering those difficulties would it make him more satisfied.


    But now, his seven years of training dozens of high-level spirits were gone, just like that. Although on the back of his right hand, the mysterious summoning circle still existed, he could not feel his summoned spirits'' existence anymore. It was no surprise though since his body was no longer the same as the game.


    But...


    Rhode reached out his hand, touched his chest pocket, and quickly found a card.


    It was a white card. Painted above it was a thorn circling a pure white longsword. The sword was engraved with a complex carving. There were beautiful wings beside it; just looking at it gave a kind of pleasant feeling. At the four corners of the card, there were four different symbols. On the upper right corner, there was a white semi-circle; on the upper left corner, there was a small X written. Below, on the lower right and left corner, there were two small numbers written ��3. Behind it, there was a line of mysterious elegant text emerging on the surface.


    [The 10th Eternal Holy Sword: Star Mark, No stats, Available for Fusion�� No matter how long time has passed, it is still unable to bury its dazzling brilliance.]


    It''s actually still here!


    Looking at the card in his hand, Rhode was slightly surprised for a moment. This was a Summon Card Deck, and he was also very familiar with this card. This rare card was something that he had obtained when he joined the official game event. At that time, he has led his guild and won the combined-server 1st place for two consecutive quarters. To honor him as the strongest top player, the game company had gifted him this card. Of course, this kind of card was often sold in the game shop, but for him, it was a waste of money to buy such things that were good-looking but useless. That was why he kept this card with him. When he received it, he treated it like a lifesaver and always kept it by his side since it did not really take up much space.


    Originally, there was nothing special about it except it was a limited edition card. But now, a weak light was emitting from the surface of the card and shining on his hand.


    Should I give it a try?


    Rhode hesitated for a second. After that, his right hand tightly gripped the card. The magic circle on his right hand shone, blue magic lines spread out, running through all his fingers. Suddenly, the white card burst out a dazzling white light, and turned into tiny specks of dust, completely disappearing into the thin air.


    At this moment, a system prompt appeared before him.


    [1/10 of Eternal Deck has been obtained, The 10th Rank Eternal Holy Sword, Star Mark]


    "Sigh..."


    Looking at the system prompt, Rhode could not help but sigh. He did not know why this card had a summoning function in this world, while it was useless previously. In the game, before reaching Level 15, finding a +2 to all stats weapon was very difficult, and the ''Star Mark'' sword had +3 to all stats, which was sufficient to help him cover his current weakness. In addition, it was also available for fusion which meant that as long as he was able to find a spirit that suited him, he could add it to his own. He needed the power of ''Soul Awakening'' to use the special skill. That was why this weapon was still inferior compared to other ordinary weapons. But based on its attack power, this weapon was considered as a rare and powerful equipment.


    However, it was really difficult for him to feel excited right now because he still felt strange about being involved in this kind of situation.


    Is this a game? Or reality? If it''s a reality then how can I go back?


    Knock. At this moment, a knocking sound was heard.


    Rhode looked up and saw a middle-aged man walking inside. He wore an adventurer''s leather armor, with bright red hair which was casually combed back. Looking at Rhode, the man smiled.


    "Hello Sir, I am the leader of the Crescent Star mercenary group, Carter."

 Chapter 4 Attack

    "Hello, Mr. Carter."


    Rhode looked up, greeted the man in front of him and smiled.


    "Thank you for your help."


    "No worries. It''s not a problem."


    Carter had a strong and tall body with casually combed bright red hair. From his characteristics, he should be born in the northwest of Lygatto. A long and a short sword quietly hung on both sides of his waist, and his angular faces revealed his fortitude and scrutiny. From his appearance, clearly he wasn''t some ordinary mercenary.


    While Rhode observed the man in front him, Carter too quietly looked at him.


    With Rhode''s appearance, it was easy to conclude that he was some arrogant young noble. His thin physique, pale skin, girly face, and attire. No matter how one looked at him, the man still did not look like an adventurer. He was more of a rich second generation young master.


    However, Carter believed that this young man was not as simple as he appeared to be because of the mysterious circle on his right hand. As a Cleric, Lize could detect a trace of magic from the mysterious circle which meant that he did not lie. But based on Carter''s years of experience, it was rare to see someone directly embed magic in their own body. From this point, he suspected that this man wasn''t someone simple.


    Previously, from their brief conversation, Carter could feel that this young man was neither arrogant nor humble; his expression was very calm. Carter heard from Lize that even though he had just awakened from a coma in a mere ten minutes, he was able to grasp his current situation. Judging from this, he was sure that Rhode was far stronger than those arrogant young nobles.


    "I heard that you came from the Eastern Plains."


    "Yes."


    Rhode nodded his head.


    "So where were you going?"


    "I''m just traveling around."


    Rhode shrugged his shoulders.


    "I am an adventurer; adventuring freely is part of my life. Of course, please rest assured. I will not bring you any trouble."


    "That''s good."


    Since Rhode was being honest, there was no need for him to ask more. They were currently on a mission; naturally, they did not want to add any more trouble. So after saying a few words like ''get a rest'', he decided not to say anything anymore and left. After all, he was a leader of a mercenary group. There were a lot of things for him to do; he could not waste his time here.


    After a while, Rhode became quite bored. However, it was still enjoyable when Lize brought food for him. Even though it was only ordinary bread and meat that Rhode had eaten countless times in the game, still, that was just ''fake'' eating and was only for restoring HP and MP. Also, it was tasteless and could only fill the stomach. However, now he was personally experiencing how it actually tasted; it could be considered a good experience.


    He had to admit, the taste really didn''t live up to the item description...


    "How do you feel? Does the wound still hurt?"


    The blonde girl sitting beside Rhode had a worried and serious expression. Her eyes had a slightly worried look as her gaze fell on his shoulder. She just could not bear to look at it.


    "It''s alright now."


    Rhode said while moving his left hand. The pain from his sternum was not as bad as before. At first, it was even difficult for him to breathe, but now, it had become much better.


    "That''s good."


    Hearing Rhode''s answer, Lize''s nervous expression relaxed a lot.


    "But you still have to rest. It will be a lot better after arriving at Deep Stone City. Maybe you can recover faster there."


    The girl said earnestly. Although the person lying in front of her was no more than a stranger that she just met, looking at her expression, it was apparent that she did not care about those things.


    "Thank you."


    "You''re welcome. It''s what I''m supposed to do."


    Then, she stood up. Her blonde, fluffy hair followed along with her movements. It swayed left and right, giving others a playful and lively feeling.


    "Then..."


    Before she could finish, the ship suddenly shook violently.


    She lost balance and almost fell to the bed. Fortunately, she managed to stretch out her hand at the last minute and held on to the bedside. They looked into each other''s eyes, before quickly averting their eyes.


    The floating ship sailed due to the wind; the sky was not like the ocean where there were reefs and whirlpools. However, it did not necessarily mean there was no danger. The situation right now was obviously not normal.


    "I''ll go out and see what''s going on. Please stay in the room and rest."


    Lize said in a low voice. She immediately turned around and left. After closing the door, Rhode couldn''t help but stare at the leaving figure. He was speechless. Given that he looked older than her, was it still necessary to use this kind of child-coaxing tone with him?


    But in the next moment, a shadow could be seen flying from outside the window. Rhode''s expression suddenly turned serious. He turned his head slightly and stared at the window. Soon, there were three, four green figures flying from outside. At the same time, a low roar could be heard.


    "Hiss����"


    When he heard this sound, Rhode''s heart sank.


    They were in a big trouble!


    At the moment, the deck has already turned into chaos.


    "I did not expect that we would encounter these damn things."


    The red-haired mercenary leader was holding a sword, standing in the forefront. With a grave expression, he looked at those green figures flying around the floating ship. Their appearance was that of a long, winged snake, about one meter in length. Although their lean figure gave people a delicate feeling, when they exposed their big mouth, rows of sharp fangs could be seen. In a short time, Carter had concluded what they were.


    Wind Serpents.


    "It seems like we broke into the serpent territory."


    The fat merchant was hiding beside the mercenary leader. With a pale face, he wiped the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief.


    "Damn that cunning Picco. I knew it! I just knew there must be a problem since that bastard was willing to tell me such a route with such a small compensation! That murderous b*stard! After I go back I must let him know how powerful I am!! "


    "Let''s talk after we get out from here!"


    Carter interrupted the fat merchant''s hysterical screaming. Looking around, there were hundreds of Wind Serpents that had surrounded the merchant. At first, he thought that by launching a volley of bolts he could scare off this group of monsters. But the Wind Serpents'' unrelenting nature was really beyond his imagination �� or it could be said that their comrade''s death had inspired them to be fiercer.


    At this moment, they had already occupied the outer deck and begun to move inward. The mercenaries already threw aside their crossbows and unsheathed their melee weapons to engage their foes in close combat.


    "You! Go and hide inside. Tell the captain that we must leave here as soon as possible!"


    Carter used the back of his hand to push the fat merchant towards the captain''s deck, then he took two steps forward and swiftly swung the sword in his hand to cut down the Wind Serpent that rushed up to him. But soon, two more Wind Serpents replaced its dead comrade.


    We don''t have enough men!


    Carter could not help but frown. He swept his gaze across the deck and saw that there were only six people left and they were the ones he had brought with him on this mission. Although the merchant ship itself had guards, their experience was not enough. In fact, after the first wave of attacks, the number of guards had decreased down to one-third. Looking at their panicked expressions, he knew that they could not hold on much longer. Carter''s face hardened at the sight of those hideous monsters.


    It was not like he did not have the experience of facing Wind Serpent. But it was his first time to face this many Wind Serpents at once, making him feel slightly nervous. He once again took a step forward. His body flexibly moved, creating a half circle. Then he thrust the sword in his hands to the side, cutting into the Wind Serpent''s body. The Wind Serpent fell to the ground in a bloody mess, and after a few loud roars, it turned into a dead corpse.


    Carter looked up and subconsciously swept the surroundings. Then, his heart suddenly jumped.


    "Lize! Be careful!"


    The girl was unable to react for a second.


    Healing one of the poisoned mercenaries had excessively consumed her power and made her almost lose her consciousness. Even though she had rushed into the deck only for a few minutes ago, she had healed a lot of injured people. As the only Cleric in the group, Lize, of course, had to take this responsibility.


    After hearing Carter''s warning, she turned her head.


    What she saw then was a big mouth with two sharp fangs.


    At that moment, she could only stand frozen. Looking at the Wind Serpent in front of her, she could not think and did not know how to react. In front of her, she could clearly see the cold, sharp, and shining fangs. Even the flesh inside could be seen, and a clear stench could be smelt.


    Then, a hand suddenly stretched from behind, seized her back and pulled her back in the nick of time.

 Chapter 5 Fierce Battle

    The Wind Serpent bit into empty air.


    It would''ve succeeded if Rhode had not suddenly shown up from behind.


    "Mr. Rhode?"


    Lize, who had barely escaped the Wind Serpent attack, lifted her head in surprise. She was shocked to find Rhode standing behind her. Currently, she was leaning on his arms. Perhaps, it was because she was frightened that her entire body felt weak and powerless. She wanted to stand up, but her legs felt powerless, so she sat down instead.


    "Lize!"


    Seeing that Lize had escaped from death, Carter was relieved. But soon, his heart tensed up again. Because at this moment, the Wind Serpent from before had turned around. It was flapping its wings, intending to attack again.


    Damn!


    He gripped his sword and ran to Lize, hoping that he would make it. But no matter how hard he ran, he was unable to catch up.


    Looking at the Wind Serpent, the girl could not help but hold her the breath. She wanted to do something, but she did not know what to do. As a Cleric, she couldn''t use a weapon. So what should she do then?


    "Leave it to me."


    Just when Lize fell into panic, she could hear Rhode''s voice from behind. Then, she saw Rhode taking half-a-step forward, blocking her from harm.


    Does he intend to go against the Wind Serpent?


    Lize was confused, yet she still noticed Rhode extend his right hand. Suddenly, Lize noticed the mark on his right hand. It was a complex, beautiful magic circle. Magic lines were spreading out, running to each of his fingers. Then a translucent, card-like thing emerged from the center of his palm.


    Then, Rhode clenched his hand tightly.


    A dazzling, white light suddenly emerged.


    An invisible magic had lifted the seal, turning into a visible air and spreading to the surrounding. The first Wind Serpent that had attacked was screaming and flapping its wings. It was trying to keep up the balance from the turbulence. But before it could take further action, a dazzling light suddenly burst through the air. It slashed the Wind Serpents body and sent it flying.


    "Sigh��"


    Rhode let out a sigh. At that moment, the dazzling light had already dissipated�� replaced by a very beautiful, transparent, pure white sword that appeared in his right hand. He waved the Star Mark Sword in his hand, scattering the remaining specks of light. It was a really fascinating scene.


    He did not notice that, at the moment, all the other people had been completely astonished. Lize sat on the ground blankly, looking at the man standing in front of her unbelievably. Carter also slowed down his pace, looking at Rhode''s eyes with shock in his eyes. Although he suspected that Rhode was not an ordinary person, he had never thought that he would be so ''extraordinary''.


    Although she was still sitting on the ground, Lize still could not help enjoying the sight of that pure sword in front of her. It was a thin sword engraved with simple patterns, emitting a faint light around it. It could be seen with the naked eye that the little light particles were beautiful like magic. Moreover, the folded wings on it made it look exquisite, even the pieces of its feathers were clearly visible. Although girls usually would not be so interested in weaponry, this sword was far beyond the usual weapons. Calling it a work of art was also not excessive.


    Lize was purely appreciating it, but Carter was different. As an experienced adventurer, Carter swore that he had never seen such a strange thing. In fact, when Rhode called out his weapon, Carter was stunned. Although he had seen some mages'' summons, they usually used a crystal as a medium. They also need to cast a spell beforehand and after that, a few ugly monsters would be summoned. But being able to summon weapons? He really never did see such a scene.


    Although Carter was not sure what the thing in Rhode''s hand was, he could be sure that this kind of magic weapon could not be used by normal people. Someone who was eligible to use this kind of weapon must be a noble or an extraordinary person. Seeing the beautiful wings on the sword, Carter could not help but frown. He was certainly sure that in this continent, the angels were a very noble race. Most of them were prominent, or they were backing up some important groups. Just like the ruler of the Munn Kingdom, Lydia Paphield Mila Frederica that ascended the throne three years ago was also an angel. Even though the young man in front of him had yet not revealed his true identity, but Carter could be sure that based on that weapon, Rhode and those nobles must have some kind of connection.


    As these thoughts flashed in Carter''s mind, he had already arrived beside the two.


    "Are you okay?"


    "I- I''m fine."


    Lize''s little face was somewhat pale. It was not because she was a coward. After all, it was just because of the situation. If Rhode did not pull her back in time, she would be already dead. The fear of barely escaping from death was definitely not something an ordinary person could understand.


    After determining that Lize was not hurt, Carter immediately turned to look at Rhode who stood beside him.


    "Mr. Rhode, are you alright?"


    Rhode nodded his head, indicating that he was okay. Although the left side of his body still felt some pain, it did not affect his fighting. On the contrary, more than himself, he was more concerned about another thing.


    "What are you guys going to do?"


    The Wind Serpents around them kept increasing. Although the floating ship had accelerated to its top speed, they still could not get rid of most of the Wind Serpent attacks. Their situation had not improved; on the contrary, it was getting worse.


    "We intend to fight until we get out of their territory. Before that, we can only keep going."


    If it was on land, Carter might have some other ways. The problem now was that he was in the air. Besides this idea, he did not have any good solution to solve the current problem.


    After speaking, the young man in front of him frowned.


    "Too late, Mr. Carter."


    "Oh?"


    "The Wind Serpents are absolutely superior in this area. Even if you speed up, we still have no way to leave in time before the floating ship collapses."


    "Really?"


    Carter was not stupid. The reason he had made that decision was because he was unfamiliar with this area. After Rhode stopped talking, he immediately understood the seriousness of the matter.


    "So what should we do?"


    "Land immediately."


    Rhode almost did not hesitate to give the answer. Then he reached out his hand and pointed to the side.


    "Then we rush to that side."


    Carter looked at the direction Rhode had pointed towards. His eyes flew open wide as if he''d been completely shocked.


    "Did you mean that we should rush to the Twilight Forest?"


    "If you want to get rid of the Wind Serpents, this is our only way, and..."


    Saying until here, Rhode looked around.


    "Our time is running out."


    The situation was indeed worsening.


    The Wind Serpents'' didn''t only have sharp teeth, but their corrosive venom was highly dangerous as well. Moreover, Wind Serpents were sly. Once their head-on attacks failed, they would immediately change their goals. Now, there were a lot of Wind Serpents shattering the glass and going into the cabin. Facing that kind of situation, everyone simply could not resist. Although the narrow space on the cabin limited their flexibility, their threat had not been reduced. It was precisely because of this that the cabin''s current situation was a total mess. Smoke even started billowing out of the ship.


    The situation is really bad!


    Carter turned around immediately. Meanwhile, Rhode held his sword and blocked the front of the gap.


    "Hiss!!"


    A Wind Serpent flew from the right, opening its jaws wide to attack Rhode. But when it rushed over, Rhode just stepped to the left. He held his sword and smashed it into the Wind Serpent''s chin. The impact sent the Wind Serpent flying away and at the same time, also blocked the other Wind Serpents from spraying out the venom. Then Rhode quickly turned around; his silvery hand was emitting a light which accurately blocked another Wind Serpent''s attack attempt from his back. While it lost its balance, he thrust his sword forward, completely ended that poor Wind Serpent''s life.


    But the Wind Serpent attacks did not stop there. The smell of blood had stimulated them. When Rhode was trying to remove the dead Wind Serpent''s body from his sword, numerous Wind Serpents rushed to him. They came wave after wave. It looked like a green cloud from a distance, but also looked like an unknown monster that could devour him at any moment.


    "Mr. Rhode!"


    After dispersing a venom from a mercenary, Lize turned around and saw Rhode as she subconsciously called out to him.


    An acidic stream of liquid sprayed out like rain, targeting towards Rhode. If he got hit, it would mean death.


    But at this time, Rhode suddenly moved back.


    The acid missed him, dripping on the deck. It created a little bit of smoke, and the corrosion sizzled out a small hole. Almost at the same time, a group of Wind Serpents was rushing to him. Taking any chances they had to destroy this dangerous man in front of them.


    If it were any other ordinary person, perhaps they would''ve frozen in fear. However, Rhode was calm. He held his sword in his right hand and thrust forward.


    Blade of Destruction, Activate.


    A white light suddenly rushed towards the group of the Wind Serpent. One became two, two became four��the slashes were like a razor, moving fast and piercing every one of the Wind Serpents. A powerful air swept through the deck through as if there was a giant, invisible hand pulling them apart, ruthlessly tearing their body apart. In a few seconds, the green cloud was completely shredded by the dazzling light, leaving only pieces of flesh and blood.


    At that moment, everyone held their breath.

 Chapter 6 Critical

    The Wind Serpents'' attacks slowly dwindled. The chaos, anger, screams, and shouting turned into silence. Everyone looked towards Rhode''s direction, speechless.


    For a moment, almost everyone thought Rhode was dead. Never had they imagined that someone could escape from the Wind Serpents'' encirclement. Of course, high-leveled mercenaries or knights with donned with full body armor might be able to withstand it, but Rhode did not look like a veteran at all. Besides his white sword, he did not have any other protective equipment.


    He did it.


    Lize, Carter and the rest of the crew could not help but stare at the young man unbelievably.


    Just who is he?


    No one knew if it was because of Rhode''s attack or other reasons, but those Wind Serpents who were still trying to attack the floating ship began to scatter and back down. For some time, the whole deck was quiet. Only the sound of the breeze could be heard. The mercenaries were shocked by Rhode''s performance, but Rhode did not seem to care what they thought of him. On the contrary, when he looked at those pile of corpses, deep down in his heart, he felt quite good.


    Wind Serpents were among the many low-level monsters. Their individual strength was not particularly great since they relied on their huge numbers to win. Rhode''s class, the Spirit Swordsman was a solo-oriented class but had a low attack power. The reason why everything went smoothly was because of Star Mark that gave him an additional +3 to all stats. So when he held the sword, the monster''s danger level dropped from red to green. Thus, eliminating the entire group of Wing Serpents wasn''t some amazing feat.


    Still, Rhode felt that something was off; based on his experience, Star Mark shouldn''t be that overpowered. According to his original estimation, Blade of Destruction should have just injured the Wind Serpents badly, and he had prepared a backup plan in case things turn awry. He never thought that the Blade of Destruction could kill all the monsters.


    Was his stats as a human not calculated properly?


    Thinking of this, Rhode subconsciously opened the Character Status window. He didn''t know what to check as his race was still unknown, hence, his stats were also hidden. But luckily, he gained 1900 EXP in this battle.


    I can gain EXP? Wow, that''s surprising...!


    While he was checking his gains, the ohers thought that he was just staring at the pile of corpses.


    Suddenly, Rhode felt a strange presence. It wasn''t a person, but more of a dangerous one.


    Where are the Wing Serpents?


    This thought flashed through Rhode''s mind. He seemed to think about something and then hurriedly turned his head and shouted.


    He immediately realized that something was wrong and quickly turned his head to shout.


    "Everybody, be careful...!"


    And at this time, the floating ship suddenly shook.


    The violent shake made a lot of people fall to the ground. There were even two people with bad luck that did not have time to stabilize themselves and they slipped and fell off the ship.


    Then, the front deck cracked open, followed by a huge Wind Serpent''s head that suddenly appeared.


    "Be careful, it is the Wind Serpent Lord!"


    At this time, Carter finally appeared. He shouted and rushed towards the huge Wind Serpent. The other mercenaries also quickly stood up. Although they had been injured, they still clenched their teeth and followed their leader to attack the monster.


    However, Rhode''s action was faster than them��


    He lowered his body, a line of system prompts immediately appeared before him.


    [EXP 1900/200, Level up! Received 1 Skill Point, Level 2]


    [EXP 1700/400, Level up! Received 2 Skill Points, Level 3]


    [EXP 1300/600, received 3 Skill Points, Level 4]


    [EXP 800/1000, received 4 Skill Points, Level 5]


    [Used 1 Skill Point to enhance the moon shadow Swordsmanship 1/3, Rank E]


    [Used 1 Skill Point to enhance the moon shadow Swordsmanship 2/3, Rank E]


    [Used 1 Skill Point to enhance the moon shadow Swordsmanship 3/3, Rank E]


    [Used 1 Skill Point to enhance the moon shadow Swordsmanship 1/4, Rank D. Shadow Flash has been unlocked]


    Activate.


    Rhode jumped into the sky.


    Everyone thought they were hallucinating. They saw the young man who was originally standing on the ground suddenly turn into a black shadow, like a sharp knife thrusting forward, and even the huge Wind Serpent Lord could not react.


    Rhode raised his sword and thrust his sword into the Wind Serpent Lord''s copper bell-like eyes.


    "Blade of Destruction!"


    Facing the incoming sword attack, the first reaction of the Wind Serpent Lord was to dodge. But after increasing the level of Moon Shadow Swordsmanship to Rank D, the Blade of Destruction''s power had increased to another level. A myriad of white flashes coalesced at the tip of the sword.


    One, two, three...


    At first, the Wind Serpent Lord''s tough scales managed to withstand the attack. But even with its Master rank of defense, it fell by the twentieth slash. Then Rhode''s sword easily tore apart its scales, flesh, and blood, piercing into its body. Although the Wind Serpent Lord''s body was huge, Rhode knew where to find the weak point in its body. With his exquisite control, his slash did not spread like before but instead focusing on its neck.


    "������!!"


    The Wind Serpent Lord let out a sharp scream and fell down to the deck. But even so, it still did not give up on attacking. Although the left part of its neck had turned into flesh and blood, the Wind Serpent Lord still raised its head and stared at Rhode. Then it suddenly opened its mouth.


    Rhode dodged, once again turning into a shadow and withdrew to the back. Still, a vile venom bullet shot towards him directly, almost grazing him. As Rhode had dodged it, the venom landed into the rear of the mast instead. In no time, the poison corroded through the mast and the originally thick mast melted in a few seconds.


    As expected of a BOSS monster.


    According to Rhode''s game experience, the average Wind Serpent was at level 3 and the Lord was at level 10. Looking at the BOSS monster in front of him, he judged that its level should not exceed 10. With his current level and with Carter and the mercenaries'' attracting some of its attention, defeating this boss should not be too difficult.


    But judging from that attack before, he had found out that it was not a normal Lord-class monster, but an Elite BOSS type. Because if it was just a normal Lord-class boss, then the attack just now was supposed to have sliced its wings apart. But even though he had already tried his best, he only could leave deep visible scars.


    "Attack its wings, remember to distance yourself from its mouth and attack from the side!"


    Rhode instructed Carter and other mercenaries while fighting the Wind Serpent Lord. Even though he was a Spirit Swordsman and not the tank, but looking at the current situation, it seemed like that there were no people that had the experience to face the Wind Serpent.


    In the game, if a group died while fighting the Wind Serpents, replaying was possible. But here, Rhode could not take that risk. The wound that was beginning to heal had begun to hurt again; it was tearing him apart. If he did die here, he wouldn''t know whether to laugh or to cry anymore.


    Although he was still at level 5, to Rhode, as long as his opponent did not exceed level 15, he still had the confidence to win. After all, in the Dragon Soul Continent, there were three classes that leveled up primarily by killing monsters: Mages, Rangers �� and lastly �� Spirit Swordsmen.


    Mages were known for their unpredictable magic, rangers were known for their kiting power that attacked from an ultra-long distance, and Spirit Swordsmen used a large armada to defeat their enemies. For these three classes, even if the difference in levels was over five, or even if the opponent was an Elite BOSS with a ten level difference, it was still an easy matter.


    Even so, these three classes were flawed. Mages without magic were standing targets, even a group of low-level monsters could beat them. Rangers in close-range combat were just tragic. Spirit Swordsmen attack patterns were too random and their moves were too complex and impossible to follow. These were the reasons why these three classes could not really steamroll around the map solo. This game mechanic was intentionally designed for Dragon Soul Continent, to make it more realistic. To risk it yourself and go for the unusual way, or to take a steady step forward... The players are able to decide their own destiny.


    The level 10 Wind Serpent Lord Elite BOSS in front of him was injured because of Star Mark. The Wind Serpent''s defense was only about level 6 or 7 so that was why Rhode did not hesitate to be more aggressive. However, the Wind Serpent Lord''s offensive power...


    "Swoosh!!"


    The violent wind shook the ground.


    Rhode was startled; he quickly dodged backward, barely making it in time. The Wind Serpent Lord''s wings failed to connect with its intended target and smashed into the deck, creating a large hole.


    As expected from a Level 10 Elite BOSS attack.


    Rhode wiped out the cold sweat off his forehead. Now he was only level 5 without any equipment other than his sword. If he was hit by that attack, he definitely wouldn''t survive. He was also worried about Carter and the others.


    The good news was that he did the most damage to the BOSS, so it mostly only focused on him. The bad news was that being eyed by this kind of high-level BOSS... for a non-tank class like him, the pressure was incredibly immense...


    30% of his Soul Power was left. He began to feel a little bit weak. Even though he had already expected that the fight would be difficult, its power was really too overwhelming. He needed someone to help him draw its attention so he could attack from behind. With his current stats, dodging the Wind Serpent Lord''s attack was simply impossible. On the other hand, he needed to use the Blade of Destruction skill to inflict some damage and kill it in the shortest possible time.


    But now it seemed that it wouldn''t be easy.


    The floating ship was slowly landing, but under the siege of the Wind Serpent Lord, the ship kept shaking as if it was facing a huge storm. Two mercenaries had fallen off the ship and it was almost impossible for them to be alive. Carter was still trying to drive away the Wind Serpent Lord. He was moving with his sword, attacking the Wind Serpent Lord flexibly at different angles, but it was still no use. If it was not because of Lize who was casting a healing spell from behind, the mercenaries wouldn''t be able to survive until now.


    I must think of a way. Otherwise, before we can even land, we will all be killed by this damned Wind Serpent Lord.


    Thinking until here, Rhode bit his lips.


    The Wind Serpent Lord did not stop attacking; its wings keep flapping widely on the deck. Its two claws were gripping the edge of the ship tightly. Although the attack Rhode had inflicted on it had given it a considerable amount of damage, but as a Lord-class monster, it certainly would not fall just because of this minor injury. On the contrary, the cunning Wind Serpent Lord seemed to be aware of its opponent''s weaknesses. Its two sharp claws gripped the hull of the floating ship tightly and shook it forcefully.


    Although the floating ship''s hull was strong, due to the battle with the Wind Serpents previously, it had been battered badly. Now, coupled with the violent winds around the ship, it had begun to distort. Several cracks appeared on the deck, followed by a crisp sound of wood splintering.


    "Oh Holy Soul save me..!"


    Curled up in the corner of the captain''s room, the fat merchant stared at the terrible Wind Serpent Lord outside. But because of his nervousness and fear, his voice had become somewhat distorted.


    "That damned Richard!! Don''t let me see you or else I will kill you! Giving me this kind of route, it''s practically murder!" Speaking up until here, the fat merchant suddenly shuddered in terror and looked at the captain beside him.


    "And you! Why didn''t you remind me of such a terrible thing!?"


    The captain did not reply. At this moment he was clenching at the rudder, focusing his attention on the front. But inside his heart, he was cursing that fatty. Before setting off, he had clearly reminded him that by taking this route, they may provoke the Wind Serpents, but this fatty just brushed it off like it was nothing.


    Good, when something happens, you actually blame me! If I had known, I would not have taken this job even if you killed me!

 Chapter 7 Falling

    The situation was bad.


    Whether Rhode or Carter, at this moment, both of them had the same thought.


    The Wind Serpent Lord is a really difficult opponent.


    Perhaps the ship would be destroyed before we can even land!


    "Hmph!"


    Carter shot forward, thrusting his swords straight at its huge claws. However, before he could reach, the Wind Serpent Lord suddenly opened its mouth. Carter could taste the stench of its breath pervading his sense of smell. Before he could react, the attack had already arrived towards him.


    Carter tried to dodge, but he didn''t expect that the Wind Serpent Lord would release its grip on the hull to attack him. He did not have the time to dodge, so he used his sword to block it. Even so, he was still sent flying a few meters away, hitting the mast of the ship.


    We can''t go on like this.


    Rhode frowned and shifted his gaze to the anxious girl that stood not far from him.


    "Lize, I need your help."


    "Ah?"


    "I will draw its attention, and when it attacks me, I hope you can cast a shield for me!"


    "Sure!"


    Lize nodded without hesitation. She gripped her hands tightly and a bright soft light appeared on her body. When Rhode saw this, he did not say anything; he turned his head and started to thrust forward.


    Blade of Destruction!


    A dazzling bright light once again streaked through the air. This time, he did not focus the light on the tip of the sword; instead, he let the light scatter to attack, so the power seemed weaker than before. It wasn''t able to pierce the hard scales, but the scattered attack made some visible bloodstains throughout its wings which made the Wind Serpent Lord shriek in pain.


    "Hiss!!!"


    The Wind Serpent Lord was startled. It quickly turned its head; a burning flame could be seen in those pair of bright red eyes, tightly staring at the young man on the deck as it once again opened its mouth, rushing to attack Rhode.


    The Wind Serpent Lord moved quickly. In the blink of an eye, Rhode could already see it appearing to the top of him opening its bloody red mouth. It made Rhode quite nervous since it was a risky endeavor. He deliberately did not use Shadow Flash to maintain a slow speed just to lure the Wind Serpent Lord to make a move. Even though it would be more dangerous, but when the opponent was attacking in full power, its weakness would also be more visible����this was the chance that Rhode wanted to seize.


    The Wind Serpent Lord opened its mouth in front of him. It only needed half a second to swallow that pesky human whole, but it wasn''t able to do it.


    At that moment, a faint, dazzling white, egg-shaped light barrier suddenly appeared around Rhode''s body, blocking the Wind Serpent Lord''s fangs. The Wind Serpent''s movement slowed, it then used more force to crush the barrier, but it only managed to bite air.


    Rhode had already activated Shadow Flash.


    Like a phantom, he dodged the Wind Serpent''s fangs. Then, he raised the white sword in his hand and slit across the Wind Serpent Lord''s throat.


    That was its weakest point. Previously, it had shrunk back its neck, making it difficult to attack. But now that it completely gave up on defense, it unintentionally revealed its weakest point.


    "������!!!"


    A sharp shriek rang throughout the ship. The Wind Serpent Lord looked upwards as if it had been shocked by electricity. From its throat, dirty blood sprayed out, covering the entire deck with red. Its body gradually became weak and fell heavily on the deck, lifeless.


    After its death, Rhode something dark green expanding in front of him.


    "Boom!!!"


    Suddenly, he felt the hull tremble and his body was thrown into the air. The next moment, his vision turned dark, completely losing consciousness.


    When he woke up again, he could only feel the cold wind blowing.


    "What happened..."


    The first thing he saw was a beautiful night sky. Unlike the city, the night here was clear. The soft moonlight shone down as the shadow of each leaf were mapped on the ground. Not only was the night sky filled with stars, it also had interconnecting lines. They were linked together, spreading throughout the night sky.


    This was one of the special characteristics of the Dragon Soul Continent. According to an ancient legend, this place used to be chaotic and desolate. But then the Five Creator Dragons came along and used their bodies to create the sky and all things on Earth from nothingness. In order to suppress the chaos, the Five Creator Dragons sacrificed their bodies to shape the world and left their soul in order to protect the world.


    Each soul had its own unique form: just like the sky Rhode was looking at just now. It represented the region under the Light Dragon''s protection. Its unique characteristic was the presence of light even in the night. On the flip side, the Dark Dragon''s soul completely blocked the light. It didn''t matter whether it was day or not, there would always be eternal darkness.


    It was also because of this that the species distribution in this continent had their own rules. In the region under the Light Dragon, lush green grass could grow bountifully. As for the Dark Dragon''s region, one can only see the shadow of plants. Of course, this unique characteristic also applied to the distribution of the various races in this continent. Humans were usually under the protection of the Light Dragon, so were the elves and angels. As for the undead, vampires, incubi, and other dark races were, of course, people under the Country of Darkness.


    This continent had no god. To put it bluntly, the beings that they worshipped were the Five Creator Dragons. Similarly, it also included the Dragon Soul Holder.


    In this continent, each soul had their own Soul of Existence, the Five Creator Dragons were no exception, and their Soul of Existence was usually hidden in a person''s body. It made that person able to wield the same power as the dragon to provide its respective unique characteristic to the region. For example, if chaos is a ''virus,'' then Dragon Soul''s ability would be the ''firewall,'' and the Dragon Soul Holder''s role is the CPU. As long as the CPU is still able to operate, then the firewall would not fail and will remain strong enough to resist the influence of the chaos from the outside world. Thus, these Dragon Soul Holders were viewed as the heir of the Dragon Soul.


    But these things meant nothing to Rhode.


    Rhode slowly stood up. A violent pain swept through his body, especially his left chest injury, which seemed to be more serious than before. Before, he was barely able to move his left hand and now, he could not move it at all; even moving his fingers would cause a stinging pain.


    But he felt relieved; this meant that his left hand was still there. If he could not feel anything��that would be a bigger problem.


    Looking up to the sky, Rhode discovered the wreckage of the floating ship. Around him were tall trees, meaning that he was in the forest.


    Rhode understood what happened after collecting his thoughts. Though he managed to kill the Wind Serpent Lord, the ship couldn''t maintain its aerial ability as it had received too much damage.


    Right now, the forest was bathed in silence; even the sound of insects could not be heard. Rhode scanned his surroundings and found many corpses; humans and Wind Serpents alike. And not far from him, a petite figure lay motionlessly on the ground.


    "Lize!"


    Rhode came to the girl''s side, lowering his body to check the situation. Luckily, although the girl was pale, both of her hands were still clenched tightly, and her breath was steady. When Rhode called out to her, she opened her eyes after a while.


    "What...what happened..."


    Lize opened up her eye, blinking at the man in front of her.


    "Am I still alive?"


    "Yes."


    Seeing that Lize had answered him, he felt slightly relieved. She slowly stood up, shook her head, and bit her lips; apparently, she wasn''t fully recovered, but to her, there were more important things she needed to do.


    "Where is everyone? How about leader?"


    "..."


    Rhode did not answer, but it from his expression, she had guessed what happened.


    "Impossible ... Crete! Charles! Leader!"


    She rushed towards bodies of the fallen mercenaries, desperately calling out their names, but no one responded. However, Lize did not give up; she lowered her body, carefully checking the mercenary in front of her. After making sure that the person had truly passed, she did not cry, but only bit her lips and ran to the next person.


    However, her efforts were in vain. She couldn''t do anything when they were dead.


    A terrifying thought gnawed her mind, but she chose to ignore it and cling on to whatever hope she had left. It was until when she saw Carter''s figure that she finally broke down.


    The previously spirited mercenary leader had turned into a cold, dead body. His lower half was stuck in a gap on the deck, and a broken splinter had penetrated his lower abdomen.


    "Lea...Leader..."


    Lize''s knees gave way as she stared blankly at her leader''s corpse. The ever so tiny flame of hope she had been grasping on, was completely extinguished. Eventually, she lowered her head and covered her face with both of her hands. No words were spoken, but only a heart-wrenching cry of a woman filled the quiet night sky.


    Rhode gazed at her trembling shoulders helplessly. Now, all he could do was to stand silently behind her and not say anything.


    Before the battle, he did not care anything about life and death, but when he saw the dead bodies surrounding him, a complicated feeling overwhelmed him. It wasn''t as though he hadn''t seen a dead body before in the game, but that was merely a simulation. Moreover, there were ways to resurrect the ''dead bodies'' in the game. However, what he was witnessing now wasn''t a game. Dead people stay dead, and death meant the end of the road.


    At that moment, Rhode somehow recalled the night from seven years ago when he could only helplessly watch death devour the ones he loved without having the power to stop it.


    After a while, just as he was about to say something to comfort Lize, a sudden call for help broke the silence.

 Chapter 8 After the Shipwreck

    Matt sat awkwardly next to the bonfire. His face showed a helpless and depressed expression. He wanted to get angry but could not.


    Meanwhile, Rhode was quietly leaning against a tree with his eyes closed. Lize was silently preparing for food; although her expression was calm, her swollen eyes revealed everything.


    The fat merchant was lucky because he was the only other survivor besides Rhode and Lize. As a merchant, he traveled frequently, so he had some life-saving magic props. Before the ship fell, he had taken out his protective pendant, which then displayed its miraculous ability; that was why his injury was lighter than the other two.


    Rhode''s injury from before had not yet healed. Because of the battle before and after falling down from the ship, his injury had gotten a lot worse. Lize was also the same. As she was rather distressed earlier, she wasn''t aware that her right arm had been dislocated, and her leg was also injured. She only found out about it after everything had ended. As for the fat merchant, other than a few scratches and dizziness, he was absolutely fine.


    If Rhode was a ''normal'' person, this kind of injury would be enough to keep him bedridden for several months. Luckily, Lize was a Cleric and healing was her primary job. With her healing spells, his injury had closed up, but Rhode still needed some time to rest to fully recover. The presence of a Cleric was quite a blessing as the previous battle could''ve left him disabled or dead. After the crash, Rhode somehow managed to keep all of his limbs intact, other than the fact that he could not move his damaged muscles, everything else was normal. Lize was surprised as she hadn''t thought that his body would be this strong.


    It wasn''t only Lize who was shocked, Rhode himself was startled. Even though he knew that he had mixed blood, he didn''t think that it would be that abnormal. He was injured before, then participated in an intense battle, and finally thrown out of the sky afterward. And he was still able to move...?


    It can''t be that my hidden race is a Barbarian... right?


    But there was still one thing that bothered him. The reason he was aware of his own body condition was because he knew his own stats. Even though he was still unsure what his other bloodline was, but half of his blood was supposed to be human.


    However, Lize was also very strange; she was just a delicate girl and even a non-combat Cleric. She was supposed to be dead already judging from the previous situation. If it was him, of course, he would have survived because his physical body wasn''t of a human. But why was she able to survive? It can''t be that she got lucky.


    The question floated in Rhode''s mind for a while, it was not until when he found a trace of gold hidden within Lize''s beautiful blue eyes that he finally concluded that the reason she survived wasn''t because of luck.


    "Umm... Mr. Rhode?"


    Matt rubbed his hands, with his chubby face revealing a fawning smile.


    "What do you think we should do next?"


    After rescuing Matt, the trio split up and searched the wreckage of the entire floating ship separately, but did not manage to find any other survivors. In order to avoid her comrades'' bodies from being eaten by the wild beasts inside the forest, Lize had asked for them to be cremated. Even though Matt felt pained to see his valuable materials go to waste, looking at Lize''s gloomy little face and Rhode''s indifferent attitude, he had to change his mind, and with a distressed look on his face, he burnt the floating ship to ashes. That expression he had on his face was as though his family had died.


    They rested in the forest for a day to recover. While they did not face any more trouble after the Wind Serpents'' attack, the fat merchant still felt terrified. Before, he still believed that Wind Serpents were nothing to worry about, but now, he had totally changed his mind... those rumors were actually true!


    Those people said that we might encounter the Wind Serpents on this route...and we really did! I also heard that in the Silver Moon forest, there were man-eating wolves and weird scary birds! We won''t encounter those too, right?!


    The fat merchant''s forehead was full of sweat. Even though he was a long-time merchant, he did not have adventuring experiences. Looking at the forest that was surrounded by bushes and trees, the fat merchant''s leg couldn''t help but tremble. A while ago, he heard about the guard mentioning something about poisonous snakes, wolves and many other terrifying things. All of it suddenly flashed through his mind, making him even more frightened.


    Moreover, his only life-saving treasure was already unusable. In this situation, he had no choice but to rely on others.


    Lize was out of the question. Firstly, he had seen this girl when he hired her. In his opinion, she was very obedient but did not have her own judgment. Moreover, she was a non-combat type. If something were to happen, it would be too for her late to save him. So he decided to depend on Rhode. Even though he had no experience in fighting, Rhode''s previous performance was quite eye-catching.


    As for Lize, she was still wallowing in the grief of losing her comrades.


    "Do not worry, Mr. Matt."


    Looking at the fat merchant''s nervous expression, Rhode nodded his head. Even though the other person was quite vulgar, Rhode did not really hate him since if it were not for the fat merchant ordering the ship to stop, he would not be able to survive. So he still somehow left a good impression on Rhode.


    "I am very familiar with this Silver Moon forest. In this area, it is unlikely to encounter any dangerous existence. You can rest assured."


    What Rhode had said just now was not groundless. Inside the game, the northern Paphield Plains was a place where newbies gathered, so he was definitely familiar with the monster distribution at this place. In the plain, the most threatening existence was the Wind Serpents. Their large numbers had become a nightmare for many melee professions and non-solo players.


    In the Silver Moon forest, the most dangerous existence was the Silver Wolf, but unlike the Wind Serpents that relied on their overwhelming numbers, the Silver Wolf usually attacked alone and was, therefore, easier to deal with. Moreover, after killing the Wind Serpent Lord, Rhode had gained 3000 EXP and leveled up to eight. The newbie area highest level monster was supposedly at level 10. So as long as they did not encounter the rare Lord-class monster, they would be just fine.


    "That''s good, that''s good..."


    Hearing Rhode''s reassurance, Matt subconsciously let out a sigh of relief He took out his handkerchief to wipe the sweat on his forehead. After that, he opened his mouth wide and let out a yawn. Because of his nervousness, he was not able to have a good sleep these past few days; even the sound of the wind blowing would be like a wolf''s howl to him. It could be seen just how jittery he was. But now that he had decided to trust Rhode, he became more relaxed and decided not to worry about anything anymore. He curled up next to the bonfire and closed his eyes, falling into a deep sleep.


    After ascertaining that the merchant had already fallen asleep, Rhode, who had been quietly sitting next to the bonfire, stood up and walked into the forest.

 Chapter 9 Ten of the Strongest Spirit Decks, Wind Elemental Card

    Rhode, of course, did not mean to leave the fat merchant alone. The reason he left was to look for some loots.


    In the previous battle, Rhode had gained a lot of EXP, but he did not get too much loot. To players, those things in the floating ship wreckage were all treasures, and since a lot of people died, there must be some treasures hidden in their bodies. But in the end, he gave up on that idea. No matter what, they had saved his life. It would be shameful if he took their belongings now that they were dead.


    Even though loot was important, the most important thing Rhode had obtained was another thing. It was something that he held on his hand at the moment��a black ore. According to the Dragon Soul Continent''s archives, this ore is a condensation of dead souls which would eventually form into a Soul Core. It had strong magic power and had many usages. It could be used as a gemstone for socketing weaponry or dissolved into the weapon itself to create a Soul Weapon. To Mages, Soul Cores were an excellent weapon-crafting material. Moreover, the Soul Core drop rate was very low. That was why their price was astronomical in the Dragon Soul Continent. And to a Spirit Swordsman, it was an irreplaceable existence.


    Because the Soul Core was a treasure that was needed to awaken a spirit.


    Right now, Rhode was deep inside the forest. He lifted his right hand; it could be seen that the Soul Core that was quietly sitting on his hand was emitting a dark aura. Surrounded by the silence, the gentle breeze swept through the leaves, and the moonlight glistened through the falling leaves. After that, the magic circle on Rhode''s hand started shining. Then, the system prompt appeared in front of him.


    [The Soul Core has been contaminated. Do you want it to be purified?]


    "Purify."


    Soon, a dazzling light burst out once again. Streams of magical lines were spreading to each of his fingers, including the Soul Core in his palm. With the help of the sacred power, the previous black mist around the Soul Core quickly melted and disappeared. It finally showed its original appearance�� it was translucent and emitting blue light as if the egg-shaped gemstone was trembling and struggling to break out of the shell.


    [The Soul Core has been purified. Do you want to awaken it?]


    "Awaken."


    After that, the blue egg-shaped gemstone trembled even harder. And with a light ''crack'', it instantly broke; blue, magical lines fanned out, spinning fast and turning into a card form, then it quietly lay onto his palm.


    A cool and comfortable feeling came over Rhode''s body. He could not help but feel startled, but at this time, he also learned about what kind of existence he had made a contract with. He took out his deck and saw a green, Spirit Bird soaring in the sky.


    The upper right corner was a blue semicircle (representing the card attribute), while the upper left corner had a V word written on it. As for the two lower corners, there were two small numbers written as ''2.'' Rhode flipped the card, and soon, a line of text emerged on the surface.


    [The Soaring Spirit Bird (Wind Element): Flying Unit, Available for Fusion. Attack: 10% chance to trigger paralysis effect, has no effect on the enemy with magic protection. Special Skill: Phantom Wind (This skill range only affect flying units)]


    [1/10 of Sky Deck has been collected, The Soaring Spirit Bird]


    My luck sure is good...


    Rhode could not help but laugh. A flying-type spirit was one of the important ones for a Spirit Swordsman. Moreover, the wind element could easily penetrate through non-magic associated items, meaning that it rendered ordinary defensive equipment useless. It also had 30 meters of effective range and a special skill. At least now he could guarantee their safety; even if they accidentally met some wild boss, he still had the confidence to win.


    However, the most depressing point was his stats. Until now, his STR, VIT, AGI, INT, and other stats were still hidden, which made him feel uneasy somehow. This was his true body, but now it had changed beyond the ordinary. He was sure that his stats were above a normal human, but the feeling of not knowing his own body''s physical condition felt unnerving at times. When you thought that you were going to die, but you didn''t�� that would be a nice misunderstanding. But when you thought that you won''t die, and then you died, that would be the end of the story. And since he did not know, he could only walk this path by relying on his own experience.


    After the fight with the Wind Serpent Lord, he had some clue about his stats. After all, the Wind Serpent Lord''s information as a BOSS was something he had studied in detail before. From the previous battle, it can be said that his Strength stat should be roughly around the same as a typical Swordsman, and his Vitality was also quite high. Since he transmigrated to this world, although he experienced several crises, his body appeared to be able to soak quite an amount of damage. At this time, he couldn''t really find a Mage to give him a buff to check his stats.


    Suddenly, he heard a sound coming from the trees. Rhode frowned and he put down his right hand. The light on the magic circle disappeared and the card then disappeared into thin air. After being sealed as a card and confirming the relationship with the owner, the sealed card would no longer appear in the form of an entity; it would quietly sleep in the Spirit Swordsman''s magic circle called the ''Ten of the Strongest Spirit Decks'', where it would wait for its owner to wake and use them.


    The two cards that were already sealed in his deck was at Sixth Circle, which means they were the lowest rank of the ''King Spirit''�� the difference was only that ''Star Mark'' had no element, while the ''Spirit Bird'' had a wind element.


    Rhode did not intend to expose his ability in front of other people just yet. Although it had long been known in the game that the Spirit Swordsman was an exclusive job and had once existed in the distant past of Dragon Soul Continent, the players were the only inheritors of this job. They set foot on the journey to look for the glory of this once heroic career. But of course, this all was just bullsh*it from the character introduction, but judging from Lize''s and Matt''s reaction, it was clear that they did not know about this job. Thus, it was not really convenient to say anything. Moreover, maintaining a certain sense of mystery was not exactly a bad thing for him.


    When Rhode turned around, he saw Lize walked out from the trees.


    "Lize? Why are you out here?"


    "Ah... No, it''s nothing, Mr. Rhode."


    Lize shook her head, feeling somewhat uneasy.


    "That...I just want to ask about your injury... Is there something I can do..."


    As she spoke, her voice kept getting softer and softer. Both of her hand were clutching the hem of her clothes.


    In fact, it was not only Rhode who had noticed Lize''s abnormality. Matt could also notice it because he was a merchant and had traveled quite a bit, so he had a good eye for detail. The reason Rhode could see through her was because he had the experience of being the first guild leader in Dragon Soul Continent Online. One must understand that a game is quite different from reality because people tend to hide behind the avatar they created, so they must be a lot warier than in real life.


    In the game, to unify his guild, Rhode must possess a keen eyesight for detail since most of the players were playing to have fun and not as a responsibility. If he wanted them to keep setting new records and obtain success, it would be very difficult if someone did not have a good grasp of it. Therefore, as the guild leader, it was very important for Rhode to observe his comrades'' emotions and inner thoughts.


    And now, it was very clear that Lize needed someone to rely on and so she felt somewhat uneasy about it. Rhode could see that she had received a harsh blow to her emotions because not only her comrades had left her, but there was also the anxiety and fear for her own future.


    He had been observing her since the previous battle and thought that she did a pretty good job as a Cleric. She could cast healing spells on her comrades in the shortest possible time and also quickly disperse their debuffs. Lastly, when she cast a barrier on him, it was done perfectly on time. For a supporting class like hers, this kind of reaction time was quite outstanding indeed. Moreover, even in face of danger, she was still full of confidence and could clearly cast her spells accurately without hesitation.


    However, the trembling girl before him had completely lost her previous self-confidence and there was only one reason for that.

 Chapter 10 Departure

    Rhode sighed when he looked at the girl in front of him.


    "Lize, the person you''re supposed to worry about is yourself. You''ve not gotten even a little rest since last night."


    Hearing the word ''last night,'' she shivered as if she had once again recalled that incident. Nevertheless, she still stubbornly bit her lips and shook her head.


    "No... I..."


    Slap!!


    Lize hadn''t finished speaking when Rhode suddenly raised his hand and slapped her face.


    What the heck?!


    Holding her red cheeks, Lize stared wide-eyed at Rhode in disbelief and shock. But the young man just watched her.


    "I know how you feel." He said expressionlessly.


    Hearing him speak with a quiet and indifferent tone, anger immediately out-broke from her heart. She put down her hand and clenched her fist. Just as she was about to flare up in anger, Rhode''s next sentence completely drenched her from head to toe.


    "You feel that you''re guilty to have survived just because you were born different. As a mixed race��or should I say, angel��that kind of thinking does not seem to be correct though."


    "!!"


    Lize was completely stunned. She gasped in shock and took a few steps backward until her back was against a tree. But even so, she chose not to say anything for a while.


    How did he find out?!


    No, that''s impossible.


    I''ve never told him before��even in my mercenary group, the people who knew about my race were only a few...


    "How do you..."


    "Your eyes."


    Rhode pointed out his finger to his eyes.


    "Your irises exudes a golden light��a clear sign of a ''messenger,'' and also a special trait unique only to angels. However, you are different from the pure-blooded angels... The reason why the golden light is slightly dimmer is because of your mixed human blood, right?"


    The girl did not speak.


    Although there was no answer, Rhode had confirmed that he hit the mark. The girl standing in front of him was indeed a half-angel. In fact, he had already observed Lize for a while.


    As a top player, in his long-term game career, Rhode had long familiarized himself with the existing equipment and used it to determine the opponent''s attributes. This allowed him to develop the most appropriate tactics in the boss battle in the shortest possible time and also enables him to make preemptive strikes in PvP battles. It could be said keen observation skills were mandatory to all of the senior players.


    When he was rescued, he began to consciously observe her and soon became aware of her true identity. Although she was a half-angel, the angel''s powerful healing ability and the ability to resist injury did not disappear, which was one of the main reasons why Lize could survive after being thrown out from the floating ship.


    Lize must''ve been aware of this; that was why she was so depressed.


    "That was why I said I know how you feel."


    Rhodes shrugged his shoulders.


    "You know the reason why you survived. It was not because of luck, but because of the difference between you and the others. That is why you cannot accept it... If you could, you''d rather wish that you were just an ordinary human and died together with your comrades."


    "...."


    Lize lowered her head, her hands clutching her skirt.


    "But that is not something you can decide."


    Looking at her slightly trembling shoulders, Rhode''s tone soothed.


    "You cannot decide your own birth, neither can you stop the things that had already happened. It is all beyond your limit. Don''t regret something that you can''t control."


    "Then..."


    Lize finally spoke.


    "...What should I do?"


    "This is your path. You should decide it yourself."


    Hearing this sentence, Lize was silent for a moment, then she looked up.


    "I understand. Thank you, Mr. Rhode."


    "You are welcome."


    "...However, that slap was really painful ..."


    Although there was some ''violence'' in the process, in the end, Lize had finally let go of the shadow of her self-blame and the pain of losing her comrades. On the next day when the sun rose, Lize had completely moved on from, her face replaced with her usual warm smile. This caught Matt by surprise, who did not know what happened. He constantly shifted his gaze between the two of them, and then finally turned his direction towards Rhode, smiling wryly at him. As for its meaning, no one really knew.


    However, before the fat merchant could finish satiating his curiosity, Rhode''s words immediately made his heart sink into the abyss.


    "I think it is time for us to depart."


    Depart?


    Those words set off all the alarms in him. His content face and casual burping all disappeared; he just remembered that he was not in his warm, comfortable room, but inside the forest with endless danger...


    Right, we were not here for a vacation. That damned Wind Serpent and that damned captain... Just forget it, saying this now is meaningless. The most important thing is... how do we get out of this damned forest?


    Thinking of this, Matt quickly stared at Rhode. Since this young man said he had a way, then he must have got a plan. After all, they were still stuck deep in the mountains. One wrong step and they might be lost forever, not to mention that there were so many beasts lurking around. How would they escape from them? Survival skills were essential knowledge to traverse the wilderness. They had to really pay attention to the little details. If he died here because of his own negligence, then he would have lost everything he had worked hard for in his life.


    Holding this idea, Matt forcefully slapped his face. His sleepiness disappeared as he carefully watched as Rhode stand up from the ground, casually pat the dirt off his leg and casually stretching his arms before gesturing to him and Lize to move.


    "Let''s go."


    ��


    "... Wait, Mr. Rhode. Please wait!"


    The fat merchant suddenly jumped off the rock he sat on.


    "Where are we going?"


    "Northeast, there is a small town there. As long we arrive there, our next journey will be a lot easier."


    "Is there no need to pay any special attention?"


    "No, there is no need."


    It wasn''t surprising that he said that. After all, in the Dragon Soul Continent, this was the place where the newbies gathered. All the areas of the Paphield Region had been explored by the players.


    Near the beginning of the game, many players intentionally went to isolated places and explored dangerous areas that were difficult to reach��trying their best to obtain the game''s legendary artifacts. Once they had those magic weapons, they would be invincible and would unite the continent...


    But of course, the reality is always cruel.


    Although the players'' tireless efforts had indeed led them to find some rare, decently stat weapons, unfortunately, no one could claim that they achieved the: ''With this artifact, the world is mine'' kind of item.


    After all, those items were just too rare.


    To Matt, this place was full of danger, and every step was like betting his own life. But to Rhode, this place was like as his own backyard.


    In the game, as a guild leader, he had helped countless groups of newbies to grind 1levels here. The places with high or low monster population, what kind of quest was suitable for which job, what kind of attributes were needed to train more effectively, etc... He was extremely familiar with these things, so even though he was thrown in the middle of nowhere, he could still find his way around.


    As for Matt? Rhode had already done so many escort quests to protect a merchant in the game. Perhaps even a thousand times at least. So what''s the difference between then and now?


    Hearing Rhode answer, Matt''s chubby face immediately turned into a frozen eggplant that had wither up. He absolutely did not know why Rhode was so confident.


    The fat merchant began to regret the decision he made. After thinking to himself for a while, he seemed to recall that the young man was seriously injured on the mountain before...


    If he wasn''t injured, then perhaps his words would be more persuasive... But the fact that he had been injured in this very forest... by saying something like this, isn''t he courting death?


    Though there was a little regret in his heart, this was the so-called ''riding a tiger to the south''; for him, there was no other way. He couldn''t help but clench his teeth and follow the two of them towards the depths of the forest.


    Under the bright sunshine, Silver Forest was terribly quiet. The sunlight permeated through the gaps of the leaves, illuminating some spots on the ground. There were sounds of chirping birds, and in the grass, traces of hares could be seen. The scenery in front of them seemed peaceful, therefore, the previously nervous fat merchant gradually relaxed and was no longer as suspicious and restless as before.


    Rhode walked in the front. Although walking in a forest without road was not easy, but seeing his figure making his way through the vines and plants, it was difficult to imagine he was seriously injured before.


    He was followed by Lize, whose speed was also fast; it was clear that she had been accustomed to this field of action and life. Although wearing a long dress wasn''t the best for forest trekking, Lize still followed Rhode''s pace and walked closely behind him. From time to time, she also reminded the fat merchant to be careful.


    The more they went in depth, the more surprised Lize became.


    It seemed that the direction Rhode took was quite random since he did not choose to go straight, sometimes he even turned left and right. Occasionally, he even went around in circles. But she had noticed that the forest that was quite dense before, slowly turned into a flat road, as if it were hidden in the forest, waiting for people to find its existence.


    Lize had once heard the leader speak of it before; it was a high-level skill. After all, for ordinary people, it was difficult for them to find their way in the forest. Only those who lived in the harmony with the elves and often went to explore the mountains were able to master this skill. She had previously witnessed this skill once. At that time, her team was lost in the forest, and the elf that was sent to help them did not use the usual road in the forest, instead, the elf chose a completely opposite direction. Back then, Lize was also very worried, but in the end, they managed to get out of the forest without a hitch. It was also at that time that her leader told her about this skill, however...


    Looking at Rhode''s back, Lize felt a little puzzled. According to the leader, that skill could only be used by experienced elves and Rangers. Elves were able to communicate with nature, but there was no way for people like her to use this skill. But Rhode did it so easily. He did not even stop to interact with nature, which was proof that he was not an elf, but... looking at him, he did not seem to be a Ranger either?


    Even though she barely met any Rangers, she knew that their main weapon was a bow. However, up until now, Rhode had never used a bow.


    Who is he actually?


    Right now, Lize was getting even more puzzled.


    Rhode suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    Through the shrubbery, he could clearly see a lake from afar. That place was the center of the Silver Moon Forest��the Moonlight Lake. In the game, this place was regarded as one of the field camp destinations.


    "Great!"


    Looking at the clear lake, Matt subconsciously licked his chapped lips. Even though this incident had not happened for too long, but to the usually pampered merchant, these days were extremely difficult. Looking at the resting place in front of him, he immediately took a big step forward. Just when he was about to move, Rhode placed his hand on his shoulder.


    The fat merchant was puzzled. He looked at the young man, but Rhode did not say anything. Rhode extended his finger, made a ''no'' gesture, and pointed to the front. Then Matt looked at the direction Rhode pointed to and his face suddenly turned extremely pale.


    In the shadow of the lake, a giant Silver Wolf was quietly resting there with its eyes closed.Meaning: Constantly killing monsters for experience points

 Chapter 11 Finding a Way Through the Fores

    Since Matt was a traveling merchant, he had unquestionably seen a wolf before, but he could swear to the Five Creator Dragons that he had never seen such a humongous wolf.


    It was almost as tall as a man, and its thick fur gleamed with a silver light. Right now, it was sleeping while enjoying the warm afternoon sun. Its tail was swinging back and forth, appearing extremely carefree. Lize had already contained her breathing, following Rhode quietly from behind. As a mercenary, she knew just how frightening and dangerous those beasts were. She was not as nervous as the fat merchant who did not even dare to breathe, but she still looked at Rhode, waiting for his order.


    The Silver Wolf, Moon Soul, was a level 10 Elite Beast. Even though it was not classified as a BOSS, it was still very troublesome.


    In Dragon Soul Continent Online, monsters were classified into 3 types: Wild Beast, Giant Beast, and Demonic Beast. A Wild Beast was just an ordinary beast monster while Giant Beasts were the Wild Beasts who had lived for a long period of time or had been stimulated by external factors and evolved. They were dangerous and ferocious. Once they had awakened their soul, they would turn into a Demonic Beast. At that time, it would be more difficult to fight them since they would not fight just by using their own body anymore.


    Although the Silver Wolf''s level was below the Wind Serpent Lord and killing it wasn''t that hard, but��


    Rhode subconsciously glanced at the two following him.


    If it was still game, he would not mind killing it to gain more EXP and materials. However, this wasn''t a game, and there were only the three of them. Lize was a cleric, so she didn''t have the power to protect herself and Matt... was even more vulnerable. Since this was the case, it was better to do nothing.


    Rhode made a gesture and pointed towards another direction. Since Moonlight Lake was big, there was no need for him to expend unnecessary energy. Looking at his gesture, Lize and Matt looked at each other and followed him with the intention to leave. It was a pity that lady luck wasn''t on their side.


    Kacha! When the fat merchant turned around, he suddenly slipped and fell to the ground, crushing a branch under his body.


    At this point, Rhode immediately rushed back and lifted his right hand. Soon, a bird''s whistle resounded in the air and a green figure appeared from his hand, rushing to the other two.


    Boom!! Accompanied by the sound of the impact, a low howl came from behind. Lize and Matt turned around and were surprised to find that the giant Silver Wolf that was previously far from them had already approached them from behind. But suddenly, its huge body was flung to the ground as if it had been hit by an external force.


    After that, a shadow flashed past.


    When Matt fell, Rhode already had a bad feeling. After all, in the Silver Moon forest, the Silver Wolf''s perception was third highest among the monsters. Luckily, he had encountered this kind of troublesome situation before because of stupid NPCs.


    Although Rhode''s perception was not as high as being able to lock the Giant Wolf''s movements, but based on his familiarity towards the Silver Wolf, he could immediately make a judgment. He knew that the resting Silver Wolf was unlikely to attack them immediately but was already aware of their presence. Based on its characteristics, it would most likely wait until dark to attack them.


    Meanwhile, Rhode judged that it was probably better to take the initiative to attack first based on his experience.


    He was right.


    The Moon Soul did not expect that the other side would be so fast to attack. Facing the Spirit Bird''s attack, it managed to react, but it was still too slow. The Spirit Bird''s attack landed on its body, smashing it flying a distance away.


    The Giant Wolf laid on the ground, but before it could recover from the impact, Rhode had already arrived beside it in a flash. He then stretched out his right hand.


    "Cage!" (Elf Language: Transform)


    The Spirit Bird flew back to his hand, transformed into a card, and the color instantly turned from green to white. Rhode did not need to look at it; he flipped his hand while holding the card with force, and thrust forward at the Moon Soul.


    At this moment, the white card pierced the Moon Soul''s right leg, nailing it to the ground. Then, a pure white sword appeared in Rhode''s hand.


    "������ !!!"


    The Silver Wolf made a painful howl. It opened its eyes and stared ferociously at the hateful human in front of it. When it tried to stand up, it lost its balance and stumbled.


    Rhode then prepared for his second attack.


    He studied the Silver Wolf''s movement. One of those Elite Beast''s special characteristics was their incredible speed. If he could not overcome its speed, this battle would turn into a bitter struggle. Right now, Rhode had already broken one of its legs, causing it to be unable to fully utilize its mobility. Hence, the next step would be much easier.


    Though its leg was broken, the Silver Wolf did not panic. It stared at the target in front of it and when Rhode''s sword was about to pierce again, it raised its paws at Rhode.


    But Rhode had already expected the Silver Wolf''s counterattack. He flipped his right hand and successfully wounded the Silver Wolf''s paw, turning it into a bloody mess. After spending a moment to wince in pain, the next thing it saw was a dazzling sharp edge thrusting towards it.


    Critical hit!


    Blade of Destruction easily tore apart its scale-like fur.


    Accompanied with a painful cry, the Silver Wolf''s body flew into the air, hit a small tree and fell to the ground. Half of its body had been torn into a bloody mess, even its internal organs could be seen slowly flowing out.


    It was truly a gruesome scene. Even Rhode who was planning to give the last blow could not help but frown. After all, in the game, a critical hit was only shown by a number and was not as explicit as it was right now. Even though he already expected this as he had seen it before during the battle with the Wind Serpent Lord, it still felt disgusting.


    After being hit by the Spirit Bird and Rhode''s attack, the wolf had reached its limit. The previously threatening howl slowly turned into a whine. It tried to get up, but Rhode did not give any opportunity. He took up Star Mark and pierced its head, decisively taking its life.


    The fight might''ve seemed long, but in fact, it only lasted a minute or two. Lize and Matt only managed to catch a glimpse of the wolf being knocked to the ground, and after that, Rhode was already finishing its life by the tree.


    Both of them were shocked. They knew that the Silver Wolf wasn''t an easy foe to deal with. Lize was thinking that even if her mercenary group was here, it would still be slightly tough for them to kill it. But looking at Rhode performance, no matter how she saw it, it didn''t look like he was killing a wolf. Instead, it looked no different than him killing a chicken!


    As for the fat merchant, the feeling he had right now was even more complicated. When he fell on the ground, he had already almost said his last prayers. Of course, he understood what it meant and was terrified that the Silver Wolf would be aware of his presence. Though he had guessed the process, he would not have been able to expect the outcome. The Silver Wolf was indeed fully aware of their presence, but it still tragically turned into a corpse before it could satisfy its appetite.


    Though the danger had been removed, the fat merchant was still frightened. He looked at the young man not too far away from him uneasily. He knew this had happened because of him. What if Rhode decided to leave him here?


    If it was the usual situation, he would not have to worry about this kind of thing as he had guards protecting him that he''d hired with money. However, it was different now; this young man was not his guard nor his mercenary. His relationship with him was that of equals; if he wasn''t happy, he could just leave him here. If that happened, he would be finished!


    "This... I... I am not..."


    The fat merchant broke out in cold sweat. He licked his lips, intending to say something, but no words came out. At this time, he saw that Rhode had stood up again, then he turned around and looked calmly at him.


    "Be careful when walking."


    Other than nodding, the fat merchant was unable to do anything else...

 Chapter 12 The Lingering Shadow

    Rhode''s initial plan was to take a break in the vicinity of the Moonlight Lake before continuing their journey. But after encountering the Silver Wolf, he had to change his plan since the smell of blood from the Silver Wolf''s corpse was likely to lead to more unnecessary trouble.


    Rhode picked a relatively flat high ground near Moonlight Lake to set up camp before the sun went down.


    After dinner, Rhode once again stood guard. Though it was straining its body, there was no other choice as he was the most familiar with Silver Moon Forest.


    The fat merchant Matt volunteered to help, but when he saw how Rhode and Lize stared at his rotund body, he could already guess their answer. Thus, he could only sit by the side and grieve over his body in boredom.


    Meanwhile, Lize didn''t remain idle. She knelt beside Rhode, resting both her hands on his left shoulder.


    Of course, Lize was not idle. Right now, she was kneeling beside Rhode, putting her hands on his left shoulder.


    "Aliy-Mia." (Dragon Language: Heal)


    As she chanted, streams of light emerged from her palms, which slowly and gently wrapped around Rhode''s body.


    In the Dragon Soul Continent, magic casters generally adopted dragon tongue to cast spells since 70% of the spells known to humans came from the dragons. As for the other 30%, they were from the angels, elves, demons, and undead.


    The oldest ancestors in Dragon Soul Continent were conceived from the Five Creator Dragons, so they naturally inherited the dragon''s talent in magic and longevity. To show their respect, the oldest ancestors classified the various regions in the continent as three different countries named after the dragons: The Country of Darkness (Dark Dragon), Country of Light (Light Dragon), and the Country of Law (Trial Dragon). As time passed, no matter what political system the country took, the highest position would always be the person who inherited the Dragon Soul. Angels were in second place, followed by elves, demons undead, non-humans, and the last were humans.


    Of course, as the political system in every country was different, the race composition of each country wasn''t the same. As a monarchy, the Country of Darkness had a relatively strict caste system; there was no place for humanity to be among the upper caste. Meanwhile, the Country of Light practiced constitutional democracy��half of the high-level members of the parliament were all humans.


    Country of Law was ruled by angels, elves, and human beings equally; their numbers were quite balanced since each race occupied one third. This is because of the religious centralism system in the country; they believed in the Way of Balance. For them, equality is perfect.


    Rhode was well aware of the situation on the continent. He knew what would happen next, which made him quite worried. In the game, players were just players. If they did not want to play, they could just log out by taking off their VR helmet. However, his current situation was different. He had become a part of the continent. Then what should he do when facing the inevitable disaster?


    "Mr. Rhode..."


    "Mr. Rhode!?"


    "What''s up?"


    Lize''s voice roused Rhode from his deep thought. He looked up and saw the girl in front of him. After that time, Lize had finally regained her usual demeanor. Though her brows occasionally revealed a trace of anxiety, compared to the ''end of the world, going to suicide anytime'' gloomy expression from before, it was much better.


    "It''s just that..."


    Lize shook her head, carefully looking at Matt who was sitting beside the bonfire while counting something from his pocket with a pained expression as if being bitten by a snake. She lowered her voice, and said with a serious look:


    "Before...during the fight with the Wind Serpent, I felt something."


    "Oh?"


    Hearing her, Rhode creased his brow.


    "What?"


    "I felt a tiny dark element aura from the Wind Serpent Lord''s body"


    Lize bit her lower lip.


    "But the aura was very weak, unlike something that the dark monsters usually had... Mr. Rhode, the Wind Serpent should not be a dark creature, right?"


    "Of course not, the Wind Serpent belongs to the wind element, and definitely has nothing to do with the dark element, but��


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes, I''m sure."


    On hearing Lize''s confident answer, he could not help but fall into deep thought. Of course, he knew what had happened in the history of the Dragon Soul Continent: the Wind Serpents would continuously attack the merchant ships, leaving them with a massive loss. When the Country of Light investigated this matter, they discovered that it was actually manipulated and instructed by the nomads from the disputed areas in the border of Southern Paphield that was under the Country of Darkness. Not too long after, the Country of Light sent their troops to attack the area and they carried out the expulsion by massacring the inhabitants. In response to this action, the Country of Darkness sent troops to attack the Country of Light''s garrison and recovered the piece of land that they had claimed as their own. This event set off the spark between the two countries.


    These series of events occurred during the beta period when Rhode and other players were busy familiarizing themselves with the new environment, system, and upgrades, so he did not really dig too much in-depth of what had happened. After the end of the beta period, when the game had officially launched, the war between the Country of Light and the Country of Darkness was already in motion. As for what actually happened, the players could only speculate.


    There were some conspiracy theories, though. Some people thought that the Country of Light was trying to recover its territory but it turned into a tragedy, some people also thought that the Country of Darkness was deliberately provoking the Country of Light and initiated a war to expand its territory. Many people had also thought that the Country of Darkness had been eyeing the Country of Light for some time and it was their problem since they did not take care of the matter properly. Of course, the players had no position to say anything; it was just their own personal speculation to try and figure it out what had happened.


    Rhode believed that some of them were right. The border of the Southern Paphield was rich in crystal mines. To any country, that was an important resource. There was no reason for the Country of Light to let go of that territory. And the Country of Darkness had a very powerful ruler in that era. In the midst of the war, even famous players were still unable to gain an advantage over him. There was even a rumor that he was not an NPC, but a player that was part of the game company.


    Still, many players were disappointed with the Country of Light''s parliament decisions. There were many idiotic orders that led to many complaints from the players. In the end, the Country of Light had provoked some to use the Country of Darkness as an excuse to go against the Country of Light.


    Lize''s hunch was quite reliable. As a creature of the light, an angel was very sensitive to dark elemental auras. Since she inherited half of its blood, her perception shouldn''t be far off. This meant that the Wind Serpent attack on the merchant ship was indeed premeditated by the Country of Darkness. Were they trying to provoke the Country of Light to launch an all-out attack?


    Things don''t seem to be that simple.


    "Lize, do not tell anyone what you just told me."


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode."


    Hearing Rhode''s answer, she nodded. Then placed her hand on his back, carefully checking on his injury as her pale face revealed a trace of a smile.


    "Your injury is almost healed. If nothing bad happens, you will be fully recovered in about five to six days."


    "Thank you."


    Rhode nodded his head a little, showing his gratitude, then he bowed his head to look at his own system information.


    His HP gradually turned green. If he were to lie still for a few days, he would be fully recovered. But there were still a lot of things he needed to do.


    What should I do first?


    Rhode frowned and fell deep into thought��


    Meanwhile, the location where the floating ship had crashed, two shadows could be seen slowly walking into the forest.


    "Is that the ship?"


    The first man asked coldly. He was donned in full white, with a beautifully streamlined armor. There was a glittering gold pattern carved above it. If Rhode was here, he would be able to recognize the symbol on it. It was the emblem of the Border Defence Force from the Country of Light.


    The other man behind was wrapped in a black cloak all over his body. His appearance could not be seen. Facing the man''s inquiry, he could only nod.


    "They killed my messenger."


    The hoarse voice echoed through the forest night, giving a very cold feeling.


    "To be killed by such a group of dirty and incapable mercenaries, it seems like your pet really is incompetent."


    "Isn''t this also because of you?!"


    The black-cloaked man''s suddenly shouted.


    "If you gave me higher leveled creatures such as Commander level... or a Master level lords, I will not use these low-level creatures!"


    "What a joke, Commander level?"


    The man snorted coldly.


    "Who do you think we are? We are only responsible for providing resources. If we do everything ourselves, why should we even need you?"


    Then the man paused and reduced his tone.


    "How long will it take to recoup the losses?"


    "At least half a month. Do you think it''s easy to find a Wind Serpent that can be manipulated?"


    "Ten days, we will double the reward."


    Noticing that the other party was apparently dissatisfied, his face darkened. He reached his hand and took out a purse, then threw it over.


    The purse fell to the ground, and a sound of gold could be heard. The black-cloaked man lowered his body, stretched out his hand, and opened the purse, then immediately closed it.


    "Well, ten days. It is a deal."


    "I hope you understand that this matter cannot be known by others."


    "Of course I understand... Right, judging by the situation of the ship, it seems that three mice have run away. Do you want me to help to clean them up?"


    "No need."


    The man waved his hand.


    "I have my own way."


    Hearing his answer, the black-cloaked man coldly laughed.


    "Well, then I''ll see what you have."


    A thick fog appeared and wrapped around the black-cloaked man. After that, he disappeared. Looking at this, the other man''s face revealed a trace of disgust.


    "That greedy undead! One day, even your bones will turn into ash!"


    After snorting once more, the man turned around. With a thoughtful look, he swept around the surrounding forest. He put one of his hand on the hilt and another one on his mouth and blew a loud whistle.


    Soon, a Griffin hovered down from the sky and landed on the ground. At the same time, three silhouettes from the depths of the forest quietly surfaced. The man looked at them, but soon turned his body around to mount the Griffin.


    "Go look for the other three mice and kill them."


    He ordered in an indifferent tone.

 Chapter 13 The Ring of Will

    Shadows were streaking through the forest. They would separate from time to time, then reassemble again.


    "Have you noticed?"


    "There are traces from the east side. It''s likely to be the targets. Based on the time, it should be from a day ago at most."


    "They sure are quick..."


    "Continue our action and pay attention to the opponent. Since they could get rid of the Wind Serpent Lord, we should not underestimate them."


    "Yes!"


    After the three men finished talking, they once again transformed into black shadows and moved into the depths of the forest. Their movements were silent; not even the birds were disturbed.


    After the shadows had left, a green bird that had been quietly sitting on the branches flapped its wings and flew high.


    "There''s someone following us?"


    Hearing the report from the Spirit Bird, Rhode''s face somewhat turned gloomy. At this time, the translucent green Spirit Bird was quietly sitting on his shoulder, shaking its head and stretching its wings from time to time, as if it was no different from an ordinary bird. Only its translucent body and the glorious aura around it were able to show its surreal characteristic.


    Summoning the Spirit Bird to monitor the situation was something he thought of along the way. When a group of players intended to gather a party for an adventure, they usually teamed up with a Thief, Ranger or other classes that could scout danger ahead.


    Rhode had no option like that now, so he could only use the Spirit Bird to recon the area. Luckily, not only did the Spirit Bird have a dominant advantage in its sight, it could also sense other people''s presence as its soul was well-attuned with nature.


    Initially, he did so only as insurance in case something happened after killing the level 10 Silver Wolf. Never would he had thought that he would encounter a greater problem instead.


    Although the Spirit Bird couldn''t show what his opponent physically looked like, judging from the moving blob of light, he felt somewhat uneasy looking at the opponent''s speed. Since they could run freely at that kind of speed, they could either be Rangers, Rogues, or other similar classes. Anyway, it should be an agility-based class.


    Moreover, the opponent moved in order. It was difficult to believe that they were just ordinary adventurers.


    Are they just passing by? Or are they specifically coming for them?


    Rhode did not dare to take the risk. It was better if they came straightforwardly, but the ''lurking in the dark'' kind of classes was the most difficult to deal with. Moreover, what Lize had reminded him kept making him think that this matter was quite strange. If these guys were hostile towards them, then the situation would be difficult to imagine.


    But, looking at Lize beside him, his eyes couldn''t help but brighten up.


    He had an idea.


    "Mr. Rhode, where do we go next?"


    Lize asked while handing the kettle to the fat merchant who was sweating profusely beside her. Even though Rhode did not ask her to, the one who had been taking care of the fat merchant was her. According to Lize, her mercenary group was given a job to protect this merchant. Even if she was alone, as long as the mission had not yet been completed, she would continue to do it.


    Matt was naturally very grateful for it, but looking at him gasping for breath, Rhode was afraid that he would probably pass out if they continue to walk.


    "Mr... Rhode, I...I am.... very exhausted, let''s... rest for a while!"


    The moment Rhode stopped, Matt had already sat down, held onto his bag, took out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat on his face. He rubbed it until his face turned shiny like a big lightbulb under the sunlight.


    "Holy, Holy Soul bless me... I have not... walked... walked... for several years...*cough*"


    The fat merchant was unable to breathe properly; he coughed for a few times until the fat on his face started jittering. After a few minutes, he finally recovered.


    "We have been walk...walking for so far, I thought...I thought that I was going to die!"


    "Let''s rest for five minutes."


    Rhode looked at the sky while calculating the next destination and the required time. After that, he issued a command. Hearing his words, the fat merchant who was sitting on the floor immediately cried, and then rested on the ground. Lize sat gracefully next to a rock.


    After the battle with the Silver Wolf, they did not encounter any danger. With the Spirit Bird''s help, Rhode had avoided a lot of dangerous areas. Though it meant that he also lost some of the opportunity to get some precious equipment, he was not distressed. Because, in this world, there were no other players, and ordinary adventurers would not suddenly overturn the mountains and the forest. So it was not too late to grab it after safely bringing them back. However...


    Rhode looked up towards a place not far from the mountains, then he stood up.


    "Lize."


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode. What can I help you with?"


    "I''m going to check the road ahead. After you finish resting in five minutes, take Matt and go uphill. See that piece of white stone? Go there, and walk towards its shadow. There, you will find an abandoned mountain. Both of you will wait there; I''ll follow after a while."


    Lize raised her head, looking at the direction Rhode had pointed and soon found the white stone on the hillside. She turned again to look at Rhode, puzzled as to why he knew about it. But when she opened her mouth, she decided not to ask. After traveling for a few days, she had found out that this man in front was worth relying on. Even though she did not know what he wanted, she still nodded her head, then watched him as he turned away.


    Rhode, of course, had his own plan. That stone was the entrance to Zenar Mountain. It used to be an excellent trade route. The ancestors of the Northern area were poor, so they used their whole life to dig a tunnel through the mountains so they could connect the plains with other areas of the road. It had its moment of glory, but with the development and utilization of the wind magic, the air passage was, of course, safer to go through. That was why this trade route was gradually abandoned, and those people who worked and lived here had already abandoned their homes and left to find a better life. That was why this place had become barren land.


    The progress of civilization will always make something that once was a miracle turn meaningless, no matter which world he was in.


    But Rhode did not travel to this world to comprehend the philosophies of life.


    He stopped in his tracks. At that moment, a barren land laid before his eyes.


    As well as corpses.


    Those bones were almost buried by the dust. Broken armors and corroded weapons were scattered on the ground. These were the corpses of a mercenary group called ''Tiger Fangs''. During their adventure, they had suffered a bandit attack and died here. Back in the game, Rhode needed to receive the quest from the mercenary guild, and then investigate their final mission according to the clues that were given. After that, he would need to follow the mark on the map all the way here and finish the quest by bringing them the letter and treasure. It was a game, after all, so it was necessary for them to follow those steps. But even so, many veterans did not follow such a stringent rule. They would rather take the letter and treasure first, then bring it to the mercenary guild. Wasn''t it also the same? Not only did it save more time, but it was also more convenient. Since they could save those few steps, then why not?


    But, the reason why Rhode was here was not to save those few steps...


    He went to the depths of the battlefield and saw a skeleton lying on the edge of the hillside. It was wearing a steel armor that had long been corroded, and there was a dark, rusty, iron sword beside it. That was Rhode''s goal. Those were also the bones of the mercenary group leader.


    Walking towards the remains, he lowered his body and stretched out his hand. Soon, a mercenary badge could be seen. This was the keepsake of ''Tiger Fangs'' mercenary group and also the item needed to complete the quest. Rhode carefully put it in his pocket and then looked down again. He quickly found what he wanted.


    It was something that was worn by the skeleton, a dirty ring.


    Rhode carefully took out the ring. On the surface, it looked like this ring was useless and no different from a scrap of metal in a pile of garbage. But the system prompt in front of him showed a totally different thing.


    [Black Iron Ring. Unidentified. Contains magic fluctuations]


    "Resonance."


    Rhode closed his eyes, holding the ring in his right hand. The previous weak magic fluctuations became clearer. When he opened his eyes again, the item on his right hand was not a scrap of metal anymore. On the contrary, a dark ring carved with a simple pattern was lying quietly on his hand.


    [The Ring of Will has been identified. Can activate a shield for 5 minutes. Immunity against mental (MEN) attacks. Cooldown: 3 days]


    Nice.


    Rhode wore the ring on his right hand, feeling relieved. After he looked around for a moment, he did not find any other valuable things, so he turned back and returned to the hillside.


    Rhode could clearly see Lize and Matt were struggling towards the white stone''s direction. The fat merchant had no mountain climbing experience and was trembling behind Lize. Looking at his face, it seemed that if Lize wasn''t a female, he would have cried and asked her to carry him up.


    That good-for-nothing...


    Rhode shook his head helplessly. Just as he was planning to reunite with them again, his heart suddenly froze upon hearing the Spirit Bird''s report.


    "������!"


    Rhode was startled. He quickly dashed towards the forest and soon, he saw three shadows flying out.


    Bad!

 Chapter 14 Fog Ruins

    The three black-clothed men stopped looking for traces because they already found their target when they spotted the two shadows on the hillside. They glanced at each other and quickly rushed towards the direction of the target.


    They were quick, but Rhode was not slow either.


    He dashed through the hillside and whistled. The Spirit Bird flying in the sky acted as if it had heard some kind of instruction; it fluttered down and rushed towards the three black-clothed men.


    "����!!"


    Facing the sudden ambush from the Spirit Bird, the three people did not panic. They quickly set a formation to counterattack: the person that was holding daggers in both hands rushed toward the Spirit Bird, and the other two people kept advancing towards Lize and Matt. Clearly, they were very professional. They wouldn''t stop just because of such a minor attack.


    Indeed, if their opponent was just an ordinary bird, it would be very difficult to stop them.


    Unfortunately, the Spirit Bird was not an ordinary bird.


    The Spirit Bird didn''t intend to dodge the man with dual daggers. Instead, it increased its speed and drove right into the man. The previously conceited expression of the man turned fearful the next moment because he could clearly see the bird penetrating through his sword right.


    Elemental creature!


    The black-clothed man was shocked. He quickly turned his body around and tried to dodge its attack. But even so, the Spirit Bird successfully injured his shoulder. He felt his body instantly froze and almost lost his consciousness. He tried to balance his body, but still heavily fell to the ground. He even lost the grip of the daggers on his hand.


    The other two were the same. When the Spirit Bird passed by them, they did not concern themselves with it. However, soon, a cold breeze blew towards them. They only felt their body turn numb, and couldn''t help but pause for a moment.


    Even though the numbness dispersed quickly, because of that delay, Lize and Matt managed to reach the white stone. Upon seeing this, one of the black-clothed men frowned. He made a gesture and pulled out a crossbow from his waist.


    "W- what happened!"


    Matt finally made it to the white stone with Lize''s help. He was extremely tired and his whole body was half-paralyzed. He put his hand next to the stone wall while taking a deep breath, then, just as he was about to grumble. Suddenly, a thin shadow flashed by and at the very next moment, an arrow was embedded into the wall beside him.


    "Waa!"


    Matt quickly lowered his head. Lize''s body also subconsciously shrank back, but she did not forget to grab the fat merchant and push him to cover.


    "We have to hurry."


    Rhode said while looking at the three shadows on the mountain not far from him. At this point, Rhode had also kept up with Matt and Lize.


    "They... who are they? What happened? Why are they attacking us?"


    "Probably Rogues."


    Rhode was able to catch a glimpse of their clothes, which was a common outfit for a Rogue. Most Rogues wore similar clothing. As to who had sent them, it could only be known after they were killed.


    Rhode currently didn''t have the strength kill them. Even with the Spirit Bird''s ability, he could only stall them for a few seconds. It wasn''t that their resistance towards elemental creatures high, but it was because that his current level was far too low.


    "Maybe you would like to ask them why they attacked. Perhaps they would be kind enough to tell you before killing you."


    Even though it was rare for Rhode to make a joke, the merchant couldn''t bring himself to laugh. He knew that those Rogues weren''t people to be messed with. If he fell into their hands, he would most certainly die.


    Matt''s face was pale from all the running, but no matter how tired he was, he still forced himself to follow Rhode into the hidden passage behind the white stone.


    Zenar Mountain''s trading route used to be bustling with activity and was wide enough to cater for two carriages side by side. However, as time passed, rocks from the top of the mountain rolled down and obstructed most of the trading route, causing it to become rough and narrow.


    Still, the trio quickly made their way forward without stopping. Rhode looked behind from time to time, and he realized that he was running out of time. If it wasn''t for the terrain, perhaps they would''ve been surrounded already.


    "Mr. Rhode, it''s a dead end!"


    Lize''s voice made Rhode quickly turn his head. The road ahead had been completely blocked by rocks.


    As expected.


    Rhode shook his head. He thought that the game wanted to force the players to take the route that had been designed, so they purposely led them towards this direction. But now it seemed that it was not the case. Well, whatever, that was not his original intent anyway.


    "Turn right."


    "Right?"


    Hearing Rhode''s command, both of them were surprised for a moment. Then they looked at the right side of the passage and hesitated for a while.


    Although the main passage was blocked, there was still a path to the left. The weird thing was, the sky was obviously clear on the left path, but the passage on the right side was foggy and creepy. Just looking at it gave them the shivers, but Rhode actually wanted them to go there?


    "Hurry up, or it will be too late."


    Due to Rhode''s urging, the two of them quickly walked into the foggy passage, and soon, their shadows were completely concealed by the fog.


    Seeing that both of them had walked into it, Rhode felt relieved. He looked back again and then stretched out his right hand.


    "Cage!"


    A white card emerged from his palm. After that, the exquisite white sword appeared once again. Then, while gripping his sword, he rushed towards the cliff.


    A bright light flew out from the sword and hit the loosened rocks above the cliff. Boom! Huge chunks of rocks and earth rolled down, blocking the passage completely. When the three black-clothed men finally caught up, Rhode''s figure had already disappeared behind the fallen rocks.


    "Damn it!"


    One of the black-clothed men gnashed his teeth and cursed. The way ahead had been completely blocked by the rocks and they simply could not pass. Moreover, the impact had led to a chain reaction, and now the whole place was shaking. If they tried to follow the trio, the situation would dangerous for them.


    "What should we do?"


    "There is no other way."


    One black-clothed man stared at the passage that had been completely blocked off.


    "We can only go back and report to the captain and send people to monitor all the villages around the area. They''re intending to escape from behind. I did not expect these guys to be so smart."


    "Elemental creature�� Is one of them a Mage?"


    "It seems like so, but from my observation, there appears to be no Mage among them."


    While the both of them exchanged glances, the last of the black-clothed men that had been silently observing the traces left on the mountain finally spoke,


    "But there is a very strong Swordsman among them."


    Having said that, the black-clothed man turned away.


    "Let''s go. These three targets are not simple, but it isn''t as though all is lost. Pass my order! Immediately monitor the surrounding villages and towns, I believe they will not stay in this mountain for long."


    As for Rhode and the others, the danger had not yet lifted.


    "What... is this place?"


    The fat merchant looked blankly in front of him. He thought that after traveling for so many years, he had already seen many things, but the experiences from these past few days had told him that there were still many things he didn''t know yet about this world.


    After passing the foggy passage, the scene in front of them was a barren, abandoned town. The whole town was surrounded by thick fog, and everything was hazy. Even if he looked at the sky, he could only see a greyish sky. The sky was dull and nothing like before as if they were in a different region.


    "This place is called the Fog Ruins."


    Rhode replied as he strode from behind.


    "As long as we pass through here, we can reach the port of Araga, and then we will be able to leave."


    "But is it... dangerous?"


    Except for a blind person, no one would think that this place was peaceful.


    "Of course it''s dangerous."


    Rhode did not state it clearly but the Fog Ruins was one of the five-man player dungeons in the game and was also the players'' first dungeon. It wasn''t difficult, but it was not completely easy either. To complete with just the three of them would be a challenge. After all, Rhode was only at level 8, and Lize was only at level 6. As for the merchant, whose combat power isn''t even at level 5, Rhode did not even count him in. So the conclusion was basically: One level 8 Spirit Swordsman and one support class NPC was going to conquer a level 10, five-man dungeon. If this had happened in-game, people would have thought that he was stupid.


    But he isn''t stupid. In fact, he just thought of this risky idea when he looked at Lize. If not, he would not have chosen this option. And it seemed that this route was indeed the safest route for them after considering the overall risk.


    "Everything will be fine if you follow my command. So..."


    Rhode paused, turned his head around and faced the blonde girl in front of him.


    "Lize, I''m counting on you."

 Chapter 15 Two Peoples Raid

    "Me?"


    Lize''s eyes widened in disbelief; even Matt, who was standing beside her, was also surprised.


    Everyone in Dragon Soul Continent knew that the Cleric was a job similar to pharmacists, doctors, and nurses. They were basically a supporting class and their job was to bandage wounds, heal injuries, cast protective shields, and remove poison-like effects. As for fighting in the front line? That kind of thing was unheard of!


    "That''s right."


    Rhode nodded his head. When he entered this place, it seemed that he had once again turned into that guild leader who commanded his team to conquer a dungeon.


    "You must listen to my command. It does not require a particularly complex skill, but you need to be more responsive and aware of the surroundings. When you have familiarized yourself with it, it won''t be difficult anymore... How many times can you use ''Holy Radiance''?"


    Although he had already guessed her level, when he was healed by her, it was still better for him to confirm it just to be sure.


    "I am an Outer Circle 7th Layer Cleric. As for Holy Radiance... I can only use it once a day, and it lasts for a day...if my Soul Power consumption is not too much."


    Non-combat casters'' classification was different from the combat type. Besides the level, they also differed in the Soul Power level such as Outer Circle, Middle Circle, and Inner Circle. The Outer Circle had a total of ten layers, Middle Circle had 7 Layers, and Inner Circle had 3 Layers. This was because casters believed that their Soul Power came from the depths of their own soul. In general, from their point of view, the soul was an existence of three mutually reinforcing circles, the deeper the caster could understand their own soul, the more powerful they would be. And since Lize''s strength had reached the Outer Circle 7th Layer, it meant that she was about to break into the Middle Circle.


    It was very rare for level 6 Cleric to reach Middle Circle. So Rhode was even more confident of his choice after confirming her ability.


    "Alright. Remember, from now on, you don''t have to use Healing Light on me no matter how injured I am. Pay more attention to Mr. Matt. Give him a barrier if there is any danger�� do you understand?"


    "... I understand, Mr. Rhode."


    Though she did not understand some words Rhode used, she still understood what he meant, so she nodded.


    "Mr. Matt, how long will our food supplies last?"


    "About three to four days."


    While holding the travel bag, the fat merchant thought for a while then answered with a saddened face.


    "But if we save up more food..."


    "It is a good chance for you to lose weight now."


    If Rhode had said it while laughing, Matt might have thought that he was just joking, but Rhode''s expression was very calm; it did not look like he was joking. This made him fall into a dilemma. He held onto the travel bag, intending to say something. However, Rhode had already turned around to face Lize and commanded her:


    "Cast Holy Radiance now and show me."


    "Ok."


    Lize slightly nodded, then she stretched out her hand and closed her eyes.


    Soon, a soft light slowly emerged from her palm and spread in all directions. It was unclear if it was an illusion, but the fat merchant found that the light somehow caused the fog to retreat and vanish slowly.


    Then, he rubbed his eyes in disbelief and saw that the fog around them had really disappeared. Previously, they could only see a vague shadow of some of the ruins, but now, they could clearly see the nearby incomplete walls and houses. This made them feel slightly more relieved. After all, having a clear line of sight was always better.


    "I''ll be the vanguard. Lize, you follow behind me, and Mr. Matt, you''ll be the last one. Don''t walk too far from us �� and no matter what happens, do not act alone."


    The ruins were eerily silent.


    The Holy Radiance had dispersed the fog, but it did not disperse the ominous aura. Under Rhode''s lead, everyone slowly moved forward. But soon, Rhode gave a hand signal, instructing them to stop walking.


    If his memory served him right, he was almost close to the first wave of monsters'' spawning location.


    Sure enough, it did not take long for them to see a weak light in the distance. It was blinking like a torch.


    "W-what is that?"


    Matt instantly tensed up.


    "That''s a Will-o-Wisp."


    Rhode stretched out his right hand and Star Mark appeared in his hands.


    "Be careful, they will not come near us if we do not provoke them."


    Just as Rhode stopped talking, the fog in front of them suddenly shriveled up, then three strange creatures appeared.


    Their figure was like a human''s, but their whole body was enveloped by thick fog. Only the three pairs of bright eyes on their head confirmed that they were not part of the fog.


    "Lize, cast Healing Light on the first one."


    Healing Light?


    Hearing his command, a trace of doubt crossed her mind. It was a healing spell, why should she cast it on a monster? But this question only lasted a second. Right after that, Lize raised her right hand and cast Healing Light on the monster in front of her.


    As a Cleric, Lize''s skill was quite good. Healing Light was a long-range spell; it was not difficult to cast as long as she was able to clearly determine the target''s location. To Lize, it was an easy task but right now her opponent was a foe, not her comrade. It made her hesitate a bit, but she soon completed the spell.


    A white light immediately emerged from the air, then it wrapped around the Will-o-Wisp. According to its original effect, Healing Light was supposed to restore health; it could even make people feel energized. It was the basic foundation of the cleric''s magic.


    But surprisingly, the Will-o-Wisp had a reaction contrary to what she had thought. After being hit by Healing Light, it made a loud sound as if it was screaming; even she could hear it clearly in the distance. The previously humanoid fog monster bent down and trembled as if it was hit by something. The fog that wrapped around its body fell apart as though the sun shone and melted the ice. The shockedLize subconsciously lowered her head and looked at her hand. She could not believe that she had released such a lethal spell.


    Looking at the Will-o-Wisp, Rhode''s reaction was very calm. He knew that the light produced from Healing Light was of the Holy Element which was the nemesis of the Will-o-Wisp. Moreover, Lize was a half-angel, and the Holy Elemental power from an angel''s bloodline was clearly different from humans in terms of quality. To make it simple, if a human cast Healing Light, it would be akin to pouring hot water on the Will-o-Wisp, but if an angel was the one who cast the spell, it would be like pouring a high concentration of sulfuric acid into its open mouth. Alas, Lize was just a half-angel. If she had a pure bloodline, the Will-o-Wisp would have long turned into ashes.


    Lize did not understand how the healing spell could result in such an effect. But the players from Dragon Soul Continent knew why. From their point of view, the name ''Healing Light'' was just a deceptive name for Holy Elemental magic. Since the effect of the spell was a healing spell on living things, it was more convenient to call it Healing Light, but it did not mean that it only worked like that. In the Dragon Soul Continent''s earlier days, there was even a joke about this among the players.


    A Necromancer''s most tragic fate was to encounter a group of undead. Because a Necromancer''s spells were basically of the Dark Element, and using them to attack an undead that had the same elemental composition would only result in a healing effect rather than destroying them. It had also broken the fantasy of the players who had chosen a Necromancer as their job and thought they could create an undead army and become invincible. So they had to learn other elemental spells to ensure that they could kill other undead monsters.


    Comparing their basic characteristics, a Necromancer and a Cleric were almost similar; they mostly lived based on their own capacity and could not cause harm to the environment. They would only shine when they encountered the opposing element. But a Necromancer was a lot more likely to encounter the living than the undead.


    As for Clerics, when they encountered the undead, they could temporarily change their playstyle from the supporting class to one of the more offensive types. But before that, the probability of encountering an undead was much lower than Necromancers encountering the living.


    Now, it was time for the Cleric to shine.


    "Attack the other two behind it!"


    Rhode commanded her while dashing towards the Will-o-Wisp in front of him.


    "Yes!"


    A delicate yet sonorous sound rang from behind.

 Chapter 16 Ruin Depths

    "Sigh��"


    Looking at the dust-covered ground, Rhode wiped the sweat on his forehead, feeling a little tired. Along the way, they had encountered about fifteen or sixteen Will-o-Wisps. If they were a five-man party, it would have been easy, but right now, there was only one person with combat ability other than Rhode. So, there was no way to conquer it like the usual dungeon raid like before. He couldn''t find a tank to help hold the aggro while everyone else would attack. Thus, he could only act as the bait and ask Lize to weaken the enemy with Healing Light before finishing it off himself as fast as possible. The Will-o-Wisp was at least a level 10 Elite monster, so even when its defense was weakened, it was still difficult to deal with. To make a critical hit, not only must he use Star Mark on his hand, he also needed to attack its vital points.


    After all, Rhode wasn''t an NPC. Even in the game, to make such a high demand for the attack would consume a lot of energy. Not to mention that Rhode was using his true body right now. If it was in the game, he could still replay if he failed. But if he failed here, that would be the end of his life.


    To Rhode, this kind of pressure was really hard to bear. He raised his head, looking at the fog that surrounded the ruins. And after making sure that there were no more monsters, he felt relieved.


    "Mr. Rhode, how about we take a break for a while?"


    Lize looked at Rhode with worry in her eyes. As a Cleric, she did not really understand what Rhode was trying to do, but she was able to feel his current pressure.


    "Not now..."


    Rhode shook his head. Although he had cleared the monsters here, he always like there was something dangerous watching him. He studied his surroundings carefully, but still couldn''t figure out the where it was. According to his memories, they should not have reached the BOSS area, so there shouldn''t be an overly dangerous encounter yet. Moreover, he was very familiar with the monsters here, all of them should have been cleaned up already.


    So where is this feeling coming from...?


    Rhode looked around again, but he could not find anything abnormal. At that moment, the fat merchant suddenly screamed.


    "Ah!!"


    "What happened?"


    Rhode and Lize hurriedly turned around and saw Matt''s pale face. One of his hands was holding the bag, while the other one was slightly trembling, pointing towards the fog behind them.


    "Just now, there was a black shadow over there..."


    "Black shadow?"


    Lize looked at the direction Matt had pointed towards, but beside the dim light emitting from the fog, nothing else could be seen.


    "No way..."


    "Get on the ground!!"


    At that moment, something flashed through Rhode''s mind; he finally understood what he was feeling previously. Then he shouted while pushing down Lize''s head down, forcing her to crouch.


    "Swoosh!"


    Almost at the same time, a black shadow flashed through the air. Rhode could feel a cold claw brushing past his head, leaving quite a painful feeling.


    Damn it!


    Rhode''s heart immediately sank. He finally realized what was that ''Black shadow.'' It was a Gargoyle!


    In the legends, the Fog Ruins was once a lively and glorious town, but after the trade route was abandoned a Mage moved here to save his loved ones. He decided to study the forbidden death magic in this abandoned town. In the end, his spell failed, and the Mage also died. But the death magic did not stop there; it created a thick fog and hordes of undead monster.


    In this dungeon, the most dangerous creature was the Gargoyle that was left to protect the Mage''s belongings. It was a level 15 Rare Elite monster!


    If it was in the game, Rhode would have been very happy because the Rare Elite monster was��well, very rare. Even if he ran to the dungeon a few times, it was still almost impossible to see it even once. However, he couldn''t feel happy now since his opponent was a level 15 monster and even a flying one on top of it. Not only could it move flexibly, but it was also on a totally different level from the Will-o-Wisp because Lize''s Healing Light had no effect on it. Moreover, the Gargoyle''s body was extremely hard, an ordinary attack could only cause a scratch. This was definitely going to be a bitter struggle!


    In the game, Rhode had run the Fog Ruins dungeon for more than thirty times but he still had never seen the Gargoyle, so he almost forgot about it. Now that he entered the dungeon with his true body for the first time but he already encountered it?


    Is this considered good luck or bad luck?


    However, Rhode no longer had time to complain because the danger was right ahead.


    A head-on attack was useless since his level was less than 10. Challenging a level 15 monster was an almost impossible thing to do. Even with Star Mark, his attack was still limited.


    "Quickly run!"


    He commanded without hesitation, then he grabbed Lize''s hand while running.


    "Follow me! Lower your head and whatever you do, do not look up!"


    It was impossible to escape now. The only way right now was to find the Gargoyle''s controller device and destroy it. Even though it was technically possible to escape from its attacking range, but looking at his team now, there was no one that could attract its attention without getting hurt. If only there was a Ranger or a Thief...


    Lize and Matt kept their head down and ran forward. The fog around them also began surging. It was clear that their actions had also attracted the Will-o-Wisps'' attention; now there were even four or five Will-o-Wisps rushing towards them.


    "Lize, cast Healing Light! Do not stop!"


    "Yes!"


    Although casting the spell while running was not easy for her, but she still tried her best and stretched out her hand. Soon, streams of white lights swirled through the air and landed on a Will-o-Wisp, after which, Rhode quickly stabbed it with his sword. Then, with a scream, it turned into ashes and disappeared. A system prompt suddenly flashed in front of Rhode.


    [EXP 1900/1800, Level Up, Level 8]


    Unfortunately, there was no time for him to care about system prompts at this time because more Will-o-Wisps had appeared. Although their momentum had slowed slightly because of Healing Light, their advantageous numbers made up for this gap.


    Compared to the Will-o-Wisps, the Gargoyle did not care about Healing Light at all. Although the Gargoyle was also a Dark Elemental creature, as the Mage''s Guardian, the Gargoyle''s outer body was made of stone, enabling it to resist most low-leveled spells. After it had failed its attack previously, it had immediately identified the target and chased after the three of them while waiting for the chance to attack. Rather than an undead who attacked based on instinct, an undead who had an AI was indeed more difficult to deal with.


    "Ah!"


    Suddenly, Matt lost his balance and fell to the ground. The Gargoyle had been waiting for an opportunity to attack and immediately flew down. Its two sharp front claws were rushing to pierce the fat merchant. When Matt turned around, the only thing he could see was the shadow of it trying to tear his body apart.


    "Oh God..."


    Right at that moment, a faint golden light emerged from the air and blocked the Gargoyle sharp claws. After that, the light from the sword scattered and hit the Will-o-Wisps surrounding them. Followed by a loud flap, the Gargoyle flew back and crashed into a group of Will-o-Wisps. At that moment, Lize pulled the fat merchant up who thought that he was about to meet his family in the underworld and continued to run.


    "Here!"


    After avoiding the Will-o-Wisps'' "encirclement", he raised his head and finally found his goal. It was an abandoned church, the place where the Mage did his experiments. According to his memory, the controller should be there.


    But this place was, of course, difficult to enter.


    When Rhode ran to the church entrance, he only saw darkness. He immediately activated Shadow Flash and dodged��at his previous position a second ago was another Gargoyle sitting on the ground, its claws were dug deep in the ground, crushing the green stone which he had once stood on.


    "Tch!"


    Rhode cursed. At the same time, he quickly swept a glance and found that the Gargoyles on both sides of the church entrance had been missing. Of course, he could imagine where did they go.


    He actually encountered two in one run. It seems like he won the lottery today.


    "Both of you, quickly go inside and find the controller!"


    He faced the Gargoyle while shouting at Lize and Matt.


    "Those Will-o-Wisps won''t pursue the both of you; I will face the two of them. You guys take this opportunity and immediately go in. Find the control device, and then destroy it. Be careful of traps."


    "But ... Mr. Rhode you..."


    "This is an order!"


    Rhode interrupted Lize coldly. He held Star Mark and slashed forward. A white light instantly appeared on its edge, causing the Gargoyles to scream as they flew up, escaping Rhode''s attack. But by doing so, they also opened the road leading to the church.


    "Quick, go!"

 Chapter 17 Unlocking The Talent Tree

    Metal and stone clashed against each other, igniting a bright spark.


    "Ugh!"


    Rhode retreated a few steps back. The huge impact caused his sword to tremble, producing violent waves that traveled from his arms to his upper body.


    As expected, a level 15 Gargoyle was an opponent not to be taken lightly �� especially when there were two. Gargoyles were unique because of their intelligence. Normally, that was something that he''d worry about, but because of said intelligence, the AI made less threatening movements out of caution. It was especially so after it was attacked by the Blade of Destruction. When Rhode''s sword emitted a white light, the Gargoyle immediately screamed and flew back. As for the other one, even though it had not been hit, it also became hesitant, giving Rhode a chance to breathe.


    But it was only for a moment.


    Rhode held Star Mark firmly in his hand as he studied the hovering Gargoyles. Then, he clenched his teeth and poised himself. Although the two Gargoyles were afraid of his Blade of Destruction, he discerned that the both of them wouldn''t let go of him that easily. Even though they were in a stalemate right now, it wouldn''t last much longer. When he leveled up, he had raised his Moon Shadow Swordsmanship into Rank D 4/4, which in turn reduced the Soul Power consumption of the Blade of Destruction. Still, it would be a problem if it was frequently used. Besides, this wasn''t even the final battle; Rhode knew that he had to save some of his strength in case something went wrong. And since he was the only combatant amongst the three, if he used up all of his power, the situation would turn grave.


    The two Gargoyles did not continue to stare at him. On the contrary, they flew back and forth as they extended their claws to attack Rhode, only pulling back once they found that he had the intention to fight back. This kind of never-ending battle required a lot of stamina, but since the two Gargoyles'' were made from alchemy, it was not a problem for them at all. However, it wasn''t the same for Rhode.


    Sweat slowly trickled down his forehead. His body had been in a defensive position for an extended period of time and he knew that he would gradually become exhausted. But Rhode wasn''t able to retreat. He knew that with his current ability, it was almost impossible to defeat two Gargoyles, and that was why his only hope was Lize. However��


    It seemed like I forgot to remind them to pay attention to the protection circle?


    After pondering for a moment, he shrugged and switched his focus to the Gargoyles in front of him.


    It''s not THAT dangerous anyway.


    -


    Suddenly, Matt yelped in pain.


    "Ah!!"


    He fell to the ground and his whole body twitched non-stop.


    "I''m going to die! Help! Help!"


    "You''re just stunned Mr. Matt... You''re not going to die because of that."


    Lize was flipping over the things on the dusty and cobwebbed table, most of it was just debris that had been already been eroded. She casually cast Healing Light at Matt without looking and continued to search again.


    Although most of the mages would cast a lot of protective spells to protect their secrets, this church had been forgotten for a long period of time. Thus, the power of the protective circle had weakened about 70%-80%, so it was not particularly dangerous.


    As a half-angel, Lize''s magic resistance was quite strong, so these weakened protective circles didn''t really affect her. Under her influence, those circles that were supposed to trigger fire and lightning only created a flicker before disappearing. However, the poor Mr. Matt had helped these traps to regain back some of their self-confidence. Since he was just an ordinary person and had no magic resistance, his reaction made the protective circle seem threatening.


    "This... this place is awful..." The man muttered while observing his surroundings.


    Matt then removed the dust from his clothes before standing up again.


    In the dark church, the only light that illuminated the darkness was the ''Holy Radiance'' that Lize had cast. But this only made Matt more frightened because he could clearly detect the locations of the strange magic circles. Moreover, the light also revealed ominous piles of bones which were scattered on the black floor. This scene was enough to make his legs weak. And as if that wasn''t scary enough, when he saw the bloodstains on the wall, he almost ran away in fright. If it wasn''t because of Lize''s calm demeanor that made him feel embarrassed as a man, and because of the Gargoyles at the entrance that was even more dangerous, most likely he would have already run away long ago.


    But now he could only grit his teeth and cling to Lize to find something called the ''Controller Device'' which he had never seen before.


    This place is so damned messy... how can one even find an object?


    He complained in his mind, but when he noticed Lize''s seriousness, he decided not to express his view verbally and continued to survey the surroundings.


    Meanwhile, Rhode''s situation wasn''t getting any better.


    "������!"


    The Gargoyles shrieked and attacked Rhode. But he made a quick movement as he sidestepped and dodged its attack once again. This time, the Gargoyles did not retreat like before. One Gargoyle spun around and whipped its tail at Rhode.


    This is bad!


    When saw the attack, his heart sunk. It was too late for him to dodge so all he could do was to raise his sword to parry the attack.


    Rhode''s reaction was fast, but the Gargoyles weren''t slow either. When he felt the vibrations through his sword, he was already sent flying into the air. Rhode rolled on the ground several times before stopping. The clash caused his hands to tremble uncontrollably.


    "Ugh!"


    Rhode''s body was shaking as he got up. He felt dizzy and weak with half his body totally numb. If he had not gripped his sword tight, he would have already lost it. At that moment, as he was beginning to regain clarity, a creepy sound echoed in his ears.


    "Hiss..."


    Cold breath trickled down his back. He hoped that he could escape the opponent by falling to the ground, but when he raised his head up, he discovered three Will-o-Wisps approaching him slowly.


    While the Gargoyle did not deal him much damage, instead, it had thrown him out of the church barrier entrance area. Due to the invisible barrier, the Will-o-Wisps were unable to enter the church, however, they still lingered around the edges, relying on their instincts while waiting for an opportunity to attack.


    And now, the opportunity finally came.


    Of course, Rhode did not intend to let them do as they please. Facing the encirclement, he clenched his teeth and decided not hold anything back. Lifting up his sword, a hallowed light emerged and shot forward.


    As the white light burst out and spread around the battlefield, one of them landed heavily on one of the Will-o-Wisp, shredding apart its protection. After which, he fluidly followed up with an attack, thrusting his sword into its core. While the unlucky Will-o-Wisp screamed and slowly turned to dust, Rhode had already passed through its body and landed inside the barrier.


    What should I do next?


    While Rhode was thinking about his next course of action, the system prompt suddenly appeared, startling him for a moment.


    [EXP 4000/1800, Level up! Talent Tree Unlocked, Level 8]


    I''m already at Level 10? But I remember that I was only at Level 8 when I entered Fog Ruins...


    Rhode froze for a moment as he tried to recall what happened. He seemed to remember that the system prompt told him that his EXP was already enough to level up even before he met the Gargoyle, but he did not notice at that time. But now, it seemed as if his EXP was enough for him to level up again. This wasn''t too surprising, after all, in this dungeon, almost all of the EXP was earned by him. Moreover, his level was low, killing monsters above his level allowed him to gain a lot of bonuses. That was why reaching level 10 was very normal. The only strange thing was... how did the EXP work when he was clearly living in the real world?


    But now wasn''t the time to worry about these minor matters. Rhode quickly opened his attribute table and made his choice since this might be his only chance to gain a quick advantage.


    [EXP 4000/1800, Level up! Talent Tree Unlocked, Level 8]


    [EXP 2200/2000, Level up! Talent Tree Unlocked, received 1 Skill Point, Level 9]


    [EXP 200/2500, Talent Tree Unlocked, received 2 Skill Points, Level 10]


    [Do you want to activate the Talent System? ]


    "Activate!"


    In less than a second, the Talent System branched out three sets of talents.


    In the Dragon Soul Continent, when the player reached level 10, each job was given a choice of three different set of talents. They could only choose one as their main, and another as secondary to compliment their main talent. The effectiveness of the talent was based on how many Skill Points the player allocated. In the beginning, many players were confused because they could only obtain 1 Skill Point whenever they leveled up. The Talent Tree, Swordsmanship, as well as spells, needed Skill Points to level up. So, in the beginning, they could only allocate a limited amount of Skill Points. Fortunately, when the players reached the intermediate areas, they would be able to use the ''Awaken Scroll'' to finish some high-level quests and obtain additional Skill Points.


    Rhode''s Spirit Swordsman class had three different kinds of talents���� ''Summoning Master'', ''Soul Messenger'' and ''Hell Lord''.


    For ''Summoning Master'', when leveled to a certain level, it could increase the number of summoning spirits. Players chose the ''Soul Messenger'' to strengthen their awakening spirit power. As for ''Hell Lord'', when a non-human lifeform is killed, it had a special power to convert the corpse into a summoning spirit based on a certain percentage. Of course, the conversion is limited to undead attributes.


    It can be said that every talent had their own pros and cons, ''Summoning Master'' relied on numbers to win, ''Soul Messenger'' focused on quality, but beasts were rare to find and so were Soul Cores. ''Hell Lord'' was also a good option. If it was an ordinary person, they would have been hesitant as to which talent to give up. But for Rhode, it wasn''t a problem since he had played the Spirit Swordsman class for seven years. He had already memorized all the skills and even held the de facto title of the ''Walking Library,'' which was given by the players who respected his knowledge.


    Even in the game, almost two-thirds of the entire player base chose this job because they want to build their character using Rhode''s character as their class guide. That was why it was difficult for new players to decide their talents.


    But Rhode was different, once he saw his Talent Tree, he immediately made his decision.

 Chapter 18 Summoning Master

    The first rule of how to play a Spirit Swordsman was to absolutely not attack alone at any point in time.


    [Used 1 Skill Point to enhance the Moon Shadow Swordsmanship 1/5, Rank C����Moonbeams Unlocked]


    [Used 1 Skill Point to assign talent ���� Summoning Master]


    [Summoning Master First Talent has been unlocked:


    Soul Resonance (Every 10 levels, the character''s summoned spirit capacity will increase)


    Telepathy (Share your thoughts with the summoned creatures, increase the telepathy active time duration)


    Integration (Dual Spirit Fusion)]


    [Received Permanent Skill: Soul Resonance LV1 (Every 10 levels, the character''s summoned spirit capacity will increase +1)]


    [Summoned Spirit Capacity +1]


    When the last line of the system prompt disappeared, Rhode came across a huge shadow. However, he didn''t retreat in shock. On the contrary, he raised his sword and thrust forward.


    Swoosh!


    A green shadow quickly flew out from the sword and shot towards the Gargoyle.


    It was the Spirit Bird.


    The fact that he was unable to summon two creatures at once was his current weakness. Alas, unfortunately, Star Mark was also considered to be one of his summoned weapons.


    The Spirit Swordsman class was almost similar to an ordinary Swordsman. They could also choose to equip a ''normal'' weapon, but Rhode decided not to. Even though he had considered using a normal weapon instead, he could not bear to give up Star Mark''s attribute bonus. And because of that, he was able to easily eliminate higher-leveled monsters which provided him with many benefits, such as additional EXP. On the flip side, he was unable to fight with his ''summoned creatures,'' making him look like a full-fledged Swordsman.


    This caused Rhode to feel really uncomfortable, but he couldn''t help it. If he summoned the Spirit Bird, then he would need to give up Star Mark. But this way, his future battles would be more troublesome. Even though he could summon creatures, his class was still ''Swordsman'' and not ''Mage''. He couldn''t act like the mages who stayed at the back.


    However, if he wanted to use Star Mark, he must give up on the Spirit Bird and fight like an ordinary Swordsman. That wasn''t an suitable option either.


    The Spirit Swordsman class had a big weakness when compared to the ''genuine'' Swordsman class. It was the class penalty ������ All the Swordsmanship rank -1.


    This meant that if a genuine Swordsman achieved the highest rank of SSS, the maximum a Spirit Swordsman could reach was only the SS rank, no matter how much effort they put in. Moreover, in the beginning, both classes starting point were different. A Swordsman started with Rank D, but Rhode, as a Spirit Swordsman, started with Rank E. That was the difference.


    It could be said that until now, Rhode was fighting really hard. If it wasn''t because of the Star Mark and his deep knowledge of the Dragon Soul Continent, he would have been very miserable. Even more so because he''d been familiar with his summoned creatures and fighting style. It made him feel extremely pressured.


    And now, after choosing the ''Summoning Master'' talent, his the weight on his shoulders had finally been reduced.


    Yes, though the Spirit Swordsman lacked a strong attacking power, they were not the type that would just run up to monsters and mindlessly attack things.


    As the Spirit Bird flew forward, the Gargoyle could not react in time. It could feel a magic power from its opponent, but his AI could not figure out what was this thing in front of it. But it still identified the other side as an enemy, so it attacked with its claw.


    But at this time the Gargoyle missed.


    When the claws finally met its foe, the Spirit Bird suddenly disappeared into a puff of smoke. The air that spread within its claw drifted away in the wind, leaving no trace behind. Not giving any chance for the Gargoyle to react, Rhode rushed forward, holding the sword in his hand tightly as he swung it down.


    A silver moon appeared from his sword as it flew through its target.


    This was the Moon Shadow Swordsmanship 3rd Skill ���� Moonbeams.


    Although it was the same as the Blade of Destruction since the attack was condensed from the sword aura. But the effect was completely different ������ the Blade of Destruction created a light that pierced forward. Even though it was strong, but the AOE was too small which made it very easy to dodge. But Moonbeams was different, the crescent moon-shaped attack had a large area of effect, it was very difficult to dodge.


    As expected, facing the incoming sword light, the Gargoyle flapped its wings frantically, trying to escape its opponent attack. But it was too slow, and the light pierced its right wing. The Gargoyle trembled violently and began to lose altitude.


    But Rhode wasn''t done yet. When it attempted to maintain its balance, Rhode took another two steps forward and waved his left hand, making a strange hand gesture.


    The Spirit Bird which previously transformed into a gust of wind arrived from the Gargoyle''s rear and froze its body once again. Followed by a tweeting sound, the wind smashed directly into the Gargoyle''s back. The collision made a powerful impact which sent the Gargoyle flying away. This made the Gargoyle even angrier as it started to scream loudly. But Rhode did not wait for it to express its anger as he drove a shimmering light into the Gargoyle.


    One.. two... three!


    The Blade of Destruction accurately and continuously pierce the Gargoyle''s right wing. Even it was made of rock, it still could not withstand a series of continuous attack on the same spot. Cracks spread through its wings and with a snapping sound, the wing completely shattered. The Gargoyle that lost its wing screamed hysterically as it fell to the ground. When it smashed onto the floor, it created a small crater in the bluish stone asphalt.


    Relying on numbers to win as well as combining quantity and quality was the Spirit Swordsman''s fighting style.


    Rhode finally reunited with his old fighting style. In fact, if he was holding a normal weapon right now, when he activated his ''Summoning Master'' talent he could summon two creatures to attack. At that time, not to mention rare elite monsters, even if it was a boss monster, he would surely kill it.


    Unfortunately, this world had no ''ifs''. Reality was harsh. He did not have a second spirit to summon.


    That was why he gave up this idea and retreated immediately.


    Because at this time, the second Gargoyle was already rushing over towards his direction.


    Perhaps when it saw its comrade being attacked, it rushed over as fast as it could. As for Rhode, since he could now summon the Spirit Bird, he did not intend to fight it head-on. Instead, he raised his head to stare at the monster that had once made him so miserable and then blew a whistle. A strong wind quickly blocked the black shadow that was trying to attack him, throwing the Gargoyle off its flight trajectory as it fell and rolled several times onto the ground, only stopping when it smashed into the wall of the church.


    Of course, Rhode would not miss such a good opportunity to retaliate.


    Under his command, a green whirlwind gathered from below. The Spirit Bird then stretched its wings and attacked its enemy once again.


    In a blink of an eye, he switched from defense to offense.


    The Gargoyles, who previously had aerial superiority, were now grounded. Rhode who was previously under a lot of pressure managed to turn the tide. He deliberately made the Spirit Bird separate the two Gargoyles so that they could maintain the ''2 vs 1'' battle and made sure that the other one had no way to come to rescue its comrade.


    Although the situation had turned for the better, Rhode was still unable to continue the next battle. The recent clash consumed more than half of his current Soul Power. In the game, once you level up, your avatar will automatically replenish to the maximum. But of course, reality wasn''t like that. When he leveled up to level 10 and unlock the talent tree, his Soul Power did not change at all.


    If he just relied on his remaining Soul Power, he definitely wouldn''t be able to destroy the two Gargoyles. Since he had already consumed a lot of his power, he must ensure to avoid the ''power outage'' condition. After all, the level gap between them was simply too large. The Gargoyle''s defense was naturally very strong. Even with the Blade of Destruction, he could only destroy one of its wings which did not really damage them to the point of death. But since he almost consumed all of his power and there was still one more Gargoyle he had to face alone ���� even an idiot would know what the outcome would be.


    Right now the only thing he could do was to buy some time until Lize and Matt found the ''Controller Device''


    Otherwise, the tables would turn upon him again.


    "������!"


    Though one of its wings was destroyed, it still did not lose its threatening gaze. It crawled on the ground as if it was a dark giant dog and attacked like a goblin. This was the frightening part of alchemy creature. If someone thought that all they could do was fly around and attack, then they''ll be sorely mistaken.


    Luckily, Rhode understood their behavior very well. He wasn''t the newbie who believed that once they lost their ability to fly, the Gargoyles would be as good as dead. But the fact still remains it still reduced some of his pressure as he did not need to worry about air attacks any longer.


    A black shadow suddenly appeared behind him, it was trying to sneak attack him from behind. But he was prepared. Rhode sidestepped and blocked the attack with his sword. At the same time, he stretched his right hand and made a hand gesture. After recognizing the gesture, the Spirit Bird flew towards him and blocked the other Gargoyle that was trying to launch another attack from above.


    The Spirit Bird level was low and it could not really cause much damage to the rare elite monster. But as an elemental creature, it was not a difficult task to parry an attack.


    As time passed, Rhode''s heart beat faster and faster as he felt increasingly anxious. His body started to become sluggish, unable to keep up with his techniques. His vitality and Soul Power was running dry. Up till now, there was still no movement coming from the church.


    Could it be that they had not found the controller device?


    Swoosh!!


    He heard a sharp sound of wind slicing through the air beside him. Rhode was caught off guard which made him feel slightly surprised. He immediately threw his body to the side and activated his shadow flash, but due to him being slightly careless, he lost his balance and the skill automatically disengaged.


    His Soul Power almost ran out!


    Rhode''s heart sank. Right now he could not think of anything anymore. He quickly spun around and swung his sword forward. The pure white sword clashed with the Gargoyle''s claw, igniting a loud, screeching sound like metal scratching against each other. The Gargoyle quickly retreated after it failed its ambush but Rhode was too exhausted to chase after it.


    Just at this moment, a voice sounded from behind.


    "Mr. Rhode! We''ve found it!!"

 Chapter 19 The Gargoyles Hear

    "Mr. Rhode! We''ve found it!"


    Hearing this voice, Rhode immediately looked back and saw Matt happily standing at the church entrance. He was holding a beautiful statue. It was the statue of Two Gargoyles in a curled up position, their eyes were made of ruby, vaguely emitting a trace of dark red luster.


    That''s the controller device!


    Matt''s action caught the attention of the two Gargoyles. As alchemy creatures, they certainly knew what that statue was. Therefore, the two Gargoyles immediately shifted their attention towards Matt.


    "Aaah!"


    Discovering that the two terrifying monsters were shooting after him, Matt couldn''t help but scream. He wanted to run far away, but at that moment, Rhode yelled at him.


    "Throw it over!"


    Matt paused for a while when he heard Rhode''s voice, and then he glanced towards the two Gargoyles advancing towards him. He had no qualms about their ability to shatter him to pieces, but still, he steeled his mind and threw the black statue.


    The fat merchant''s throwing accuracy was awful. When he threw it across, while it still it flew in an arc, the direction that he threw towards was totally opposite from his intended target. It can be said that he wasn''t even throwing it to Rhode, rather, he threw it toward the two Gargoyles instead.


    If anyone was watching this scene at the moment, they would believe that Matt was helping the two Gargoyles instead of Rhode. The two Gargoyles were surprised for a moment as they stared at the gift that was being delivered to them. But they still stretched out their claws to grab that little statue.


    Just as they thought that they were about to succeed, a breeze suddenly sped beside them. It was the invisible Spirit Bird! It shot through the air and snatched the statue before the Gargoyles could react.


    This move from Rhode was his final attempt at whatever strength he had left. Then, he stored his sword and made a snap with his right hand.


    The Spirit Bird homed back towards Rhode when it heard the sound. The two Gargoyles also stopped midway and immediately locked their sights in Rhode''s direction again.


    "Swoosh!!"


    The Gargoyle that was on the ground spun its body and flicked its tail towards the Spirit Bird. While the impact didn''t cause much damage, it still distorted the wind element that formed its existence.


    However, the Spirit Bird did not give up and kept trying to increase its speed. It flapped its wings vigorously and flew towards Rhode''s direction.


    But things did not go as expected.


    Suddenly, a claw appeared from the sky, smashing through the Spirit Bird''s body. The distorted wind elements could no longer maintain its form and turned back to its original appearance, drifting away in the wind. The black statue that the Spirit Bird carried flew a distance because of the impact. In an instant, two large shadows appeared from behind. They stretched their claws and opened their mouth, trying to reach out to the statue ������ only to find out that it had fallen into Rhode''s hands.


    [Obtained The Gargoyle''s Controller Device, Identified]


    [Command������]


    "Aig" (ED: The command to stop)


    Rhode spoke in a low voice and the hostile Gargoyles stopped abruptly. The bright light on the Gargoyles bodies gradually turned dim and the incandescent red light on the Gargoyles also disappeared in an instant. Two large shadows flew past Rhode and crashed towards the ground.


    Boom!!! Followed by a tremor, the Gargoyles that had lost their power, turned back into a statue. Right now, they were quietly sitting near Rhode. After losing their magic power, they were not as violent as before. Their remains scattered on the ground.


    "Sigh..."


    Rhode could finally breathe. At this moment, he felt that he had no energy left. And because of the overconsumption of Soul Power, he lost his strength to stand. Even his right hand that was holding on the statue felt powerless. But on the surface, he still wore a calm expression on his face and stood firm. He then put the statue in his pocket.


    "Mr. Rhode!"


    Lize and Matt ran towards him and stared at him with a worried and anxious expression.


    "Are you okay!?"


    "I''m okay."


    Rhode took a deep breath. Right now, he truly wanted to sit down and rest for a while. In the game, Soul Power overconsumption would also affect the character movements. But to directly feel that kind of sensation on his real body was indeed too much. He could not fall yet.


    Fortunately, after scanning the surrounding fog, he found no more Will-o-Wisps in the vicinity. It appeared as though they had given up and moved away.


    Nevertheless, while it did not mean that they had given up entirely, it was still good news. Rhode did not have the habit of expressing his emotions explicitly. As the team leader, he must always be calm and not panic just because of trivial things. If he screamed and yelled every time he encountered difficulties, then surely his subordinates wouldn''t treat him seriously. Although the current Rhode was no longer the guild leader of thousands of players, this habit of his still affected him.


    Due to his calm demeanor, it gave Lize and Matt some relief. After all, when they were still looking for the controller device, they were extremely anxious about the situation outside. Lize was trying very hard, but in the case of item identification, Matt was apparently better than her. Finally, they found this little statue placed in the corner of some room. They had to admit; their timing was impeccable. If any of them were late by just a little, maybe the current situation would be completely different.


    Initially, Rhode planned to pass through the Fog Ruins quickly. But because of the two Gargoyles, he had to change his mind. After all, facing those two statues had almost wholly consumed his power. If he did not rest, then the next battle would be more dangerous. Thus, Rhode finally decided to sleep in the church for one night and continue on the next day. He did not have to worry about any ambushes because, back in the game, this church was used by players to rest and organize loots, so there shouldn''t be any significant problems.


    Despite being utterly terrified of the dark and creepy church, but as always... Matt did not have the right to go against Rhode''s decision.


    The sky was getting dark.


    A thick fog surrounded the church. Peering through the window, nothing could be seen at all. Three people sat in the center of the church. Abandoned and rotting wood from the benches and tables had turned into firewood. The fire lit up the dark sky, creating warmth for the trio. A cold wind was still blowing from the broken windows and cracks in the wall, producing a weird sensation of hot and cold.


    Lize carefully stretched out her hand and removed the bandage from Rhode''s chest. Her brow slightly twitched when she saw the state of his injury.


    "Your wound opened up again, Mr. Rhode."


    "I know."


    Rhode nodded and did not say anything. In fact, this wasn''t the first time. After all, along the way, he was always the one fighting in front. Even though he did spare a thought about his injury, he already tried his best to avoid using his left hand. But since he had encountered many life-threatening situations, he really could not help it. Therefore, this made his wound flare up. According to Lize, his injury was supposed to heal in two or three days. But because of what happened, it seemed that he needed about ten more days or so to recover.


    Lize could not complain about his situation because this happened because of them. Thus, the only thing she could do was to help Rhode change into a clean bandage to avoid infection. Fortunately, before leaving the floating ship, as a Cleric, she brought some of first aid materials.


    When she removed the bandage, she saw a deep gash on his chest. Matt took a deep breath when he inspected the wound. He even touched his own chest with a lingering fear. There were deep, black claw marks on his chest and other minor scratches everywhere else. Because of the fierce battle with the Gargoyle earlier, many scars were torn open. The oozing bright red blood even mixed with the dark blood clots, just by looking at it could make ordinary people shiver.


    Lize took out her handkerchief and poured some water from the pot. Then, she pressed it on Rhode''s chest, which made his body subconsciously twitch. Even Matt could not bear looking at it, so he turned his head around, not wanting to see again.


    "S-sorry, does it hurt?"


    "It''s okay."


    Lize asked in a panic. Rhode shook his head. Although he did feel some pain, it was still tolerable.


    Once she heard his answer, she also felt relieved and continued to wipe his wound. At the same time, she even began to secretly observe the young man in front of her.


    Frankly speaking, since the first time they met, he only gave her a very ordinary impression. Since he was charming and his skin was also very white, she thought that he was a noble. But, his attitude was not like the usual young nobles she had seen, which was why she could accept him. But at that time, she had never looked at him seriously. After all, a man that looked like a woman, the first impression he gave was, ''weak''.


    But since then, Lize''s view slowly changed.


    He was different from the usual young noble; his power was extraordinary, he was even stronger than his leader. His character was calm, and following him made people feel at ease. Even if the situation was dangerous, he wouldn''t panic. Unlike his appearance, he was a tough man.


    Lize knew just how severe his injury was. Since she was a Cleric, she had treated many kinds of injuries before. Men that fought fiercely on the battlefield would also yell when she treated their wounds. But from the start, Rhode had never spoken a word of complaint. Not only that, he even fought with such a massive injury...


    Lize''s hand suddenly stopped.


    What am I thinking about? This is so messed up.


    The girl shook her head and pushed her thoughts to the back of her head. After that, she continued doing her job.


    Rhode didn''t notice Lize''s strange act. Right now, he was focusing his attention on his right hand which held two pieces of glowing, dark-red gems.


    It was the loot from the battle before, the Gargoyle''s heart.

 Chapter 20 Holy Sword Level Upgrade

    The Gargoyle was one of the top picked guardians for a Mage. This was only because Mages could utilize its usefulness as much as possible. Although the Gargoyle was a useful guardian, it was a colossal waste merely to use it as a shield. As such, other than its primary use, a lot of Mages also like to use it as a safety box.


    And these two Gargoyles were just the same.


    Rhode found a lot of good things. As a level 15 rare elite, the Gargoyle''s ''loots'' were worthy of their rarity. In addition to precious gems, crystal and gold coins, Rhode also found three kinds of magical equipment.


    [Ice Talisman [Elite Item]: When attacked, can automatically trigger an ice shield, able to resist 50 to 150 damage and immune to water attacks]


    [Oath Keeper [Excellent Item]: Increase the caster +5 spell power, + 5 spell resistance.]


    [Ring of Fog [Excellent Item]: Every 10 days could activate "Ethereal Body", lasts for half an hour.]


    All of these were great equipment. If sold to the auction house, it would provide a lot of money.


    Unfortunately, these equipment were meant for casters.


    In the end, Rhode gave these pieces of equipment to Lize. As a Cleric, even though she was a non-combat class, these equipment were still useful to her. He gave her the Ice Talisman and the Oath Keeper but kept the Ring of Fog for himself. In the game, this ring helped a lot of players to solo a dungeon, so he unreservedly kept the ring for himself.


    But Lize was delightfully surprised when she received two rare equipment by doing almost nothing. One must understand that usually within a mercenary group, even though when they adventured as a group, most of these loots were given to the mercenary leader to be sold. The money earned from it would be used to maintain the operation of the entire mercenary group. The action of transferring equipment directly to group members was rarely seen.


    From this, the difference between NPC and player could be seen. As a living, breathing person of this world, the mercenary''s ultimate goal was to earn money to live. So, when they found a piece of equipment, they wouldn''t use it for themselves. In fact, many small mercenary groups rarely picked up difficult missions. However, in the player point of view, they were merely doing some third-rate task since all they wanted to do was to make money to survive. Those who were eligible to acquire these magic equipment were those highly respected, powerful individuals within the group. As for those who were not strong enough? They could only drool while looking at it.


    But players were different. When they entered this world, their goal was to become better and stronger, acquire good gear, gain more experience, increase reputations, and upgrade their character. Those were their goals. To these players, magic equipment wasn''t considered to be very rare, and so they wouldn''t worry if they wore it casually ������ They could even sell it after they had found better equipment.


    Just like these three pieces of equipment. To Rhode, these things were simply level 10~15 equipment. Once he over-leveled the equipment, it would be useless. Even though the Ice Talisman was quite good, Rhode did not need it. If he could procure a Water Elemental spirit, then he could also get the same advantage such as being immune to water attacks. So these ''low-level'' equipment wasn''t a big deal to him. Unless it was the legendary or ancient level equipment such as ''Sky Sword'' or ''Saint''s Heart'', then maybe he would reconsider.


    But to Lize, these three pieces of equipment were considered to be very ''high-level''. Even a mercenary group leader only equipped three to five magic equipment. Mages require slightly more gear. But, as a supporting class, it was tough for her to have a share of the loot. From her class position standpoint, it was unnecessary for her to have it. But right now, as a small mercenary group''s Cleric, she actually received two rare magic equipment?


    It made Lize doubt whether she was dreaming or not.


    But compared to Lize, Matt was more surprised.


    As a traveling merchant, he understood just how precious one magic equipment was. Specifically these magic equipment. From Matt''s point of view, even if the items were auctioned in the most prosperous North Carolina port, it might worth at least two to three thousands gold coins. But Rhode actually gave it casually to Lize. He was so calm as if he was handing out a piece of bread. It was also not an act of calmness where the main point was to leave a good impression. But instead, he was truthfully calm ������ meaning that Rhode honestly did not care about these magic equipment at all.


    Without a doubt, this was something that an average person could not do. In his life, Matt dealt with many kinds of people, mercenaries, and nobles. Even for them, these magic equipment were extremely precious. Very few people could throw these equipment out like what Rhode did.


    So what does this mean?


    This meant that in Rhode''s point of view, these magic equipment were simply not worth mentioning. This also reflects on his extraordinary identity.


    If Matt only thought of Rhode as an ordinary member of a noble on the continent before, then now would have begun to relate him to those high nobles or royal families. Because only those kind of people had the capital to look down on magic equipment ������ Just like a man with innumerable wealth, he wouldn''t care about this little money. But this ''little money'' could be something an ordinary person wouldn''t be able to earn in their entire life.


    Just the thought of this made the fat merchant excited. As a minor figure among the merchants, he did not have the opportunity to meet with high nobles often. Usually, high nobles had their own personal backings. They wouldn''t really bother to look at merchants like him. But now was his chance! If he could grasp it, then maybe there would be hope.


    While these thoughts flashed through his mind, he suddenly remembered about his failed attempt at throwing the statue just now. Even if this young man did not complain, he could understand that his actions until now didn''t prove himself to be worth any value to Rhode. He could only sigh when he thought of this.


    Rhode truly didn''t bother about those three pieces of equipment. What he considered precious was the two gems on his palm, the Gargoyle''s Heart.


    Artificial soul condensation medium.


    Saying it like this might sound a bit complicated. But from a player point of view, if the Gargoyle was a robot, then the Gargoyle''s Heart was the CPU chip.


    It was extremely valuable.


    In the Dragon Soul Continent, life alchemy was a very high-level skill. Only God had the ability to create souls. Even a Mage could not violate this rule, and thus, creating an artificial soul was their last resort. It was precisely because of this��a complete artificial soul core was incredibly rare and not every Mage could use it. But for Mages, artificial life alchemy was one of the highest goals in their life. It was like men who were tall, handsome and wealthy. They still must own a sports car to be able to prove their value.


    Most Mages keep it close to them. It was rarely circulated in the market, and manufacturing of the artificial soul core was also very rare. Naturally, the price was very high. If sold in the normal auction, it would worth more than ten thousand gold coins, and probably even higher in the black market. Based on the color quality, the best artificial soul could even sell in millions, which was enough to buy a piece of small territory.


    Not to mention, Mages were usually very rich.


    But Rhode did not care about the money. His years of experience as a player had taught him that money could be earned gradually. But no matter how much money one could make, it would still never be enough.


    Because there were things that even money couldn''t buy.


    For example, another function of the Gargoyle''s Heart.


    Force level upgrade and summoned spirit evolution +1


    The summoned spirit''s experience was shared with the holder. Usually in the battle, if Rhode earned 1000 EXP, in truth he will only receive 700. The other 300 EXP will be given to the summon spirit. Even though 30% of the EXP didn''t seem like much, but it meant that the more EXP he got, the more it would be deducted.


    This was another reason why the Spirit Swordsman class was more difficult to level up than the other classes. Let''s say Rhode took another class. If he was a level 8 player and he received a five-man dungeon clear EXP, his level should rise to approximately level 12 or 13. But in contrast to the Spirit Swordsman, because of the Green Bird and Star Mark, he would just level up to 10 instead.


    As for his summoning item...


    [The 10th Rank Eternal Holy Sword: Star Mark, No attributes, Available for Fusion������no matter how long time has passed, still unable to bury its dazzling brilliance. LV:5, the victory glory ahead, sharp edge characteristic]


    A summoned spirit highest level was 10. After reaching Level 10, they could evolve. After evolving, not only would they change form, but their level cap would increase by 10 again. The Gargoyle''s Heart could force a summon spirit to skip 10 levels and then evolve once. This way, not only he could save up more EXP, but it could also reduce the leveling time.


    What things could money not buy?


    Time could not be bought with money.


    Rhode did not know the level limit for the Star Mark. But according to his experience, the level of summoning card deck that positioned at the end of the deck was usually not too high, and three evolutions were the limit. If he fused it with the two Gargoyle''s Heart on his hand, then at least when he fought the same level monster, the sword wouldn''t rob his experience anymore because of the forced upgrade.


    But��


    Rhode fell into deep thought. This Holy Sword card was unique. When he got it from the B&M Company''s director, he clearly told him that in this world, there''s only one of this card. At that time, Rhode didn''t really bother about the details, but thinking of it now, he felt a bit strange.


    Only one?


    But didn''t the system prompt explicitly informed him that he only acquired 1/10 of the eternal deck? Then how did it became the only one? So how about the remaining nine?


    Nevertheless, this deck did not even exist in the game because it was just a souvenir in reality. In the Dragon Soul Continent history, he had never heard about this sword. This could not be hidden from the game since he got this deck when he had won the game championship. Because his guild was called the Starlight Guild, the company had specially designed this deck of cards for him as a prize and memento. This kind of rushed product was impossible to enter the game system.


    But no matter what, he would still try it.


    Rhode stretched his right hand and held one of the gems in his hand. In an instant, a line of system prompt appeared in front of him.


    [The Gargoyle''s Heart was detected (Magic Item), do you want to use it? ]


    Use.


    Rhode made an answer in his heart.


    Followed by Rhode''s answer, the magic circle on his right hand immediately emerge a small magic light. After that, the dark red gem broke into tiny shards which disappeared under this light. Soon, a new information appeared in front of him.


    [Target? ]


    Star Mark.


    Rhodes lowered his head and replied in his heart.


    [Target - Star Mark - Forced Evolution]


    [Level upgrade finished]


    [Evolve? ]


    Yes.


    The white card once again appeared on his hand, the light emitting from it made Lize and Matt curiously stare at it.


    At the same time, lines of system prompt appeared in front of him.


    [Evolution has finished]


    [The 10th Rank Eternal Holy Sword: Star Mark, No attributes, Available for Fusion������no matter how long time has passed, it''s still unable to bury its dazzling brilliance. LV:10,


    The Victory Road Ahead: Sharp Edge


    White Wings to Protect: Winged Guardian


    Holy Light to Disperse the Darkness: Star Piercing]


    [Attached skills: Sharp Edge Technique, Winged Guardian, Star Piercing. Each skill can be used three times per day]


    Not bad!


    Looking at these system prompts, Rhode nodded his head. Star Mark had three special skills, and these skills were directly attached to the weapon. It means that when he used these skills, it wouldn''t consume his Soul Power. Three times per day for each skill each was also considered to be top grade. These skills would surely be useful in the next battle.


    But the next system prompt caught him off guard.


    [Magic condensation detected]

 Chapter 21 The Secret of Fog Ruins

    Magic condensation?


    Rhode was slightly surprised, he played the Spirit Swordsman profession for seven years and had seen many strange situations. But he was sure that he never encountered this kind of situation.


    The so-called magic condensation refers to the player''s compatibility with the long-term used summon spirit. They would ''nurture'' the summon spirit in the evolution process. According to the game, it meant that when they evolved too fast, it would result in excessive magic condensation ������ In other words, it would turn into a piece of equipment.


    On the other hand, when the player reached a high compatibility rating with the summon spirit, it would give them a surprise...


    But this wasn''t something realistic for most of the time. Firstly, the equipment level from summoned spirit wasn''t often high, and secondly, these equipment were an illusion created by Spirit Swordsmen only. If it was thrown away, it would just disappear into nothingness. As a result, it could not be traded or given away, so it as good as ''half valueless.''


    Rhode wasn''t surprised when his summon spirit condensed. After all, this sword had been with him up until now. But what made him surprised was ������ wasn''t the holy sword supposed to be a piece of equipment?


    Usually, only creatures with self-consciousness would have the characteristics of magic condensation?


    What''s going on?


    Unmistakably, the holy sword wasn''t a living creature.


    Rhode fell deep into thought for a moment, but he couldn''t make a concrete decision because the system prompt did not let him confirm anything. It merely told him what was happening, nothing more. The golden texts then disappeared as quickly as it appeared. He looked down at his hand, realizing that the deck of cards on his palm also disappeared somehow.


    Lize and Matt stared at each other but did not say anything. In fact, they were not very clear about Rhode''s identity. Even though it looked as if he was a swordsman, but besides his sword skills, he also did a lot of things that were unlike swordsmen.


    But the two of them did not ask. Lize was an adventurer, of course, she knew that many swordsmen had their own unique abilities and legacies. On the other hand, Matt was very sure that Rhode was one of the descendants of an ancient clan, since only they would have this kind of extraordinary presence.


    Although he could feel that Lize and Matt were staring at him, but he didn''t feel the need explain. As a guild leader, he was very clear that he did not have to say and do unnecessary things. He remembered that when those players on the internet started a war of words, it would become incredibly intense. The moment you said one word wrong, the opponent would seize the opportunity to turn the tables.


    This was particularly important when Rhode became the first guild leader. As the saying goes, great winds blow upon high hills. His enemies would take his every word and action to their advantage. The more you explain, the more loopholes would appear, it was better to say nothing and let them misunderstand. He took back his card and began to sort out his other items.


    Mages were usually rich.


    Not only did Lize and Matt find the Gargoyle''s controller device in the church, but they also found a small pile of precious gems and magic crystals which had lost its magic. Rhode took all of these items since his other profession was an alchemist, those things were still useful to him.


    What surprised him further was Lize finding a diary on the desk. It recorded the mage''s life after coming to this small town.


    This aroused Rhode''s interest. Even as a player, he was very clear about the Fog Ruins dungeon ins and outs. But it was his first time looking at it from an NPC point of view.


    Most of the diary''s content became unreadable due to the passage of time, but there were still some records left.


    The year of Saints, the 5th of the month of Thunder.


    I succeeded! By sacrificing countless innocent lives, I finally saw her shadow in the middle of the magic circle. She smiled at me. It was the same gentle smile, I was so excited that I called out to her, but she was not able to hear my response. The spell was not complete, but I already have some hope since my idea is indeed correct!


    The year of Saints, the 15th of the month of Thunder.


    Praise the Holy Spirit! I finally got to see her again. I''ve attained enough power to conquer all things! By bringing back the dead soul, she finally could see me! I could touch her and feel her warm body, she hugged me and called out my name. At that moment, I feel that everything that I have done was all worth it. Ah... my love, Hina, she was still as gentle, beautiful, and caring as when she was still alive.


    I was in a dilemma, but I still determined to confess, I told her about what I have done. But she forgave me. She was still the same as before, she smiled and forgave me. At that time, I felt like life was so beautiful, even the sun outside was splendid. I decided to take her away from here and live a normal life. I won''t come into contact with evil anymore, nor will I use magic again. We will move to a remote mountain village, get married, have children, and die like ordinary people.


    I do not know whether I deserve this happiness, but I will strive to fight, hope Holy Spirit bless me.


    The year of Saints, the 3rd of the month of Blasphemy.


    That isn''t Hina. I have this...feeling... Even though her appearance and memories were all the same, I have the feeling that wasn''t her. When I told her about my plan, she just smiled and agreed. It was so strange, while she was a smart girl, she was also assertive. She did not usually listen to me.


    I was suspicious. What if there was any problem in the spell?


    Why didn''t she doubt my words?


    I want to test it again, to confirm if my hunch is correct. Holy Spirit, bless me, I hope that I am wrong...


    The year of Saints, the 4th of the month of Blasphemy.


    Holy spirit above, why did such things happen!


    That wasn''t Hina! She was just a monster in Hina''s body! I told her that I would kill people for her. Whether it was elderly, children, or women. I said that she alone wasn''t enough, I need other women besides her. If it truly was her, then she would absolutely disagree! But what surprised me was that she only sat quietly on the bed. She smiled and listened to me then softly said yes!


    This is impossible! This is not her! This is not the person of my memories! What is she? What is she? What is she? The writings began to turn messy.


    The year of saints, the 9th of the month of Blasphemy.


    May the holy spirit forgive my ignorance.


    This... perhaps is my punishment for violating the law. Since I wanted to reverse life and death from the soul that was long gone. But I''ve failed, and this is my punishment. That thing was not Hina. It simply did not have a human soul, it was just an empty shell. It was living by instinct and snooped the depths of my soul... I wanted to kill it, but I could not, it eventually sucked all of my strength...


    I''m going to die; I have no power to stop it.


    Be it so... Hina, since you could not come to my side, then let me cross the river of darkness to find you��


    May the holy spirit be able to accept my sinful soul ��


    The diary was written until here; the remaining part was left blank. Rhode closed the diary and shook his head.


    It seems like this mage was indeed in love just as the rumor said... But if he chose to commit suicide earlier, many people would not have perished��


    But something was bothering him. It quickly flashed through his mind without any warning.


    What was wrong?


    Rhode frowned and deliberated for a long time. But he still did not get the answer. However, he quickly put the matter behind, closed his eyes and soon fell into a deep sleep.


    This was just a small part of their journey. The three rested for a night in the abandoned church and made their way towards the depths of Fog Ruins once again on the next day.


    "Swoosh!"


    A dazzling white light flashed, followed by the screams of will-o-wisps.


    Compared to before, the evolved Star Mark became more beautiful. A beautiful and delicate hollow pattern engraved itself on the blade of the white sword. The pure white wings on it began to spread. A thin, silver line circled the sword handle. It resembled more like a work of art rather than weaponry. This sword should not appear on the battlefield, but in a museum or treasury instead.


    "What a fantastic masterpiece."


    Staring at the shining sword on Rhode''s hand, Matt couldn''t help but praise it.


    "Please forgive me, Mr. Rhode. I have been working as a merchant for so many years, but I have never seen such a beautiful weapon ..."


    Matt said while narrowing his two small eyes.


    "Were you possibly..."


    Rhode waved his hand suddenly, but it wasn''t to answer Matt question. He focused on the path ahead and replied.


    "We''ve almost arrived."


    "What?"


    Upon hearing this sentence, Matt and Lize immediately glanced upwards, following Rhode''s gaze. Soon, they noticed a plaza full of clustered weeds. To the side, two broken giant wooden doors flickered under the shrouded fog.


    "As long as we pass through this door, we would reach the entrance of Araga mountain. And after that, we can exit the mountain."


    As soon as he said this, Rhode felt slightly relieved. After all, ever since he awoke on this world, he had always been on high tension. Although players found adventures to be a very enjoyable thing, if they were seriously injured and full of pressure, then even the players wouldn''t be too motivated.


    Not to mention that this wasn''t a game. He could not go offline to drink or play mahjong anytime as he pleased.


    But before that, there were still difficult challenges that he needed to overcome.


    Rhode frowned, carefully scrutinizing the fog in front him. He held his hand up, hinting at the two people behind him to be careful.


    "What''s the problem, Mr. Rhode?" Noticing Rhode''s hand gesture, Lize reacted quickly and walked closer to him.


    "Be careful. The battle isn''t over. We have yet to conquer the most troublesome BOSS."


    "...BOSS?"


    "Umm... I mean monster."


    Rhode shook his head. He was already accustomed to the gaming terminology, and could not change this habit in a short time. But apparently right now was not the time to care about this little detail. He took a deep breath and turned his head around, looking at Lize and Matt.


    "Do you guys know the origins of the Fog Ruins?"


    Hearing Rhode''s question, both of them were surprised for a moment then shook their heads.


    "It was a bustling town before. But after the air passage opened, this place gradually became desolated ���� After that, there was a mage that arrived here, trying to find his dead lover. He conjured a forbidden magic experiment but ultimately failed in the end."


    Rhode has stopped and scanned the fog that has shrouded the town.


    "From that moment on, it became a ghost town."


    "Then Mr. Rhode, the monster that you meant was..."


    Matt brows furrowed. He thought that the two Gargoyles from before was already the most difficult monster, but there was actually something more terrible than that?


    "Shadow."


    The word that came from Rhode''s mouth sounded insignificant. But the way he spoke that name made the two shiver.


    "This monster was born from the mage''s failed final experiment. It was the most terrible monster. If we were not careful, then all of us might die here."


    "Is it very powerful, Mr. Rhode?"


    Even though she was confused as to why Rhode knew about this, but to Lize, the most important thing was the current situation. Unexpectedly, Rhode shook his head.


    "Frankly, it isn''t strong. Its offense and defense are weak and almost the same as Will-o-wisp."


    "Then..."


    Hearing Rhode''s explanation, Lize was a bit confused. If it was almost the same as Will-o-wisp, how could this thing be dangerous?


    "Because the Shadow has a special skill."


    Rhode hesitated, but finally decided to say it.


    "It can look into the depth of your heart and turn into someone that you''re familiar with. If you can''t wake up from the nightmare and steel your faith, then you will die."


    Rhode wasn''t very sure when he explained to the two. In the game, this boss would only appear when all of the adventurer party gathered. It would then pick one of the players'' avatar to confuse the other players.


    When the players first encountered the boss, they found it very troublesome, and a lot of parties perished. But very quickly, some players managed to find the way to deal with it. They realized that the Shadow''s strength was actually low. Other than copying the player appearance, it wasn''t particularly dangerous.


    This meant that if only one player faced it in battle, then it could simply copy his only opponent. Of course, a one-on-one battle was nothing complicated. So, after the way to defeat Shadow was discovered, many players use it as a training dummy to practice ''solo bossing''�� It was such a tragedy.


    But��


    What was this feeling that hounded him since just now?


    Rhode frowned. His instinct told him that things weren''t that simple, but he could not figure it out at the moment.


    The fog started to thicken.


    Even the maximum power of the holy light could not be able to penetrate through this ocean of fog easily.


    Rhode stopped abruptly.


    He could feel their worried expressions. But this was the most efficient way, and also the only way.


    "Swoosh!"


    A sharp white edge appeared out of thin air. The clouds churned but soon returning to normal. Then the clouds started swirling around Rhode as it pushed everything out of its area, leaving Rhode alone in the center.


    The air became dank and heavy.


    It''s coming.


    Rhode began to restore his spirit by moving his fingers. The Ring of Will that he wore released a cooling sensation that made him calmer. He understood his opponent power, attributes, even its attack pattern and attacking range. Rhode thought it would be nothing difficult...


    But perhaps not so.


    A silhouette began to appear from inside the fog. Followed by its appearance, the surrounding air also became restless. The constant flowing fog reflected the silhouette that was moving indefinitely. It looked extremely bizarre. Suddenly, a burst fragrance flooded the air, mixed with a peculiar scent.


    That was a smell of disinfectant.


    Rhode sharpened his gaze. He thought that this smell was somewhat familiar, but he did not have the time to think. The fog in front of him suddenly dispersed, revealing the presence that was hiding inside.


    Rhode immediately froze. He stared at the silhouette in front of him with eyes wide open in disbelief. His mind just blanked out. Sealed memories sleeping within him flashed through his mind at this moment and resounded intensely at his heart.

 Chapter 22 Person From the Dream

    Rhode was back in the past again.


    The monotonous, crackling voice through the PA announcement1, the dreary snow-white ceiling, the nostalgic and revolting scent of disinfectant, the bustling doctors and nurses, the faint sorrowful cries of people all seemed too surreal. A burning, numbing sensation wrapped around his body, causing him unable to move.


    Turning his head to the side, he discovered a slim figure quietly laying on the bed with her eyes closed. Her sleeping expression was ever so tranquil as if a beauty from a fairytale. At that moment, it was as if she was completely isolated from the rest of the world.


    Slowly, the busy crowd had begun to disperse. Leaving only two figures kneeling on the bed, sobbing.


    The PA announcements became sporadic, and his paresthesia gradually faded away. But he couldn''t bring himself to be happy. All he could do was to stare at that figure and wait for the inevitable truth to arrive.


    Eventually, he heard a loud wail, and then the hospital ward turned deathly quiet.


    At that moment, Rhode thought that his heart stopped beating.


    It had been ages since he felt this tearing feeling in his heart. Now, he felt it once again.


    Standing in front of him, was a young girl.


    She had dark and shiny long hair which fell down her shoulders like an angel. A hospital gown wrapped around her thin, and fragile body which made her look like she was going to break at any moment. She had an almost-identical face as Rhode. But contrary to her bleak appearance, her black, bright and round eyes emitted an indomitable personality as she stared as Rhode.


    Despite having an identical appearance, their personalities were entirely different. Rhode always sported a serious expression. He was the calm and bold man. But the girl was feminine and perfect in every aspect. No matter who was it, they would think that she was the ''dream girl''. Smart, beautiful, gentle and pleasant.


    "Brother..." The young girl stretched out her right hand and a trace of doubt flashed across her face.


    "Where is this place? Why are you here?"


    "..."


    Rhode opened his mouth, but no words came out. At the same time, the unconscious self within him started to dissolve his uneasiness in his heart. He didn''t know why, but he felt that he did not have to be on guard in front of her. I mean, she is his sister, right?


    No. Something is wrong!


    Rhode suddenly woke up from his stupor.


    His sister was long gone. This woman couldn''t be his sister!


    It just did not match with his memories!


    Rhode felt a chill down to his spine. In the game, he never encountered such a situation. When he thought about deeper into the matter, he realized that his uneasiness might have been born from the game content background description and the subtle contradiction between the player''s own experience.


    Of course, NPCs in the game could never sneak into a player''s memories to use those experiences against other players. But the situation now was different! He was no longer in the virtual world, meaning that there will be changes!


    Rhode calmed himself down and he watched the girl in front of him silently.


    What should I do?


    In the game, the Shadow was supposed to turn into the player''s reflection. That was the reason why he could directly cut it down without hesitation. But now? The person that stood in front of him was not his reflection, but his sister''s. It made Rhode hesitate. Although his brain told him that the person in front of him was just a virtual image, the girl in front of him was too real; it was too difficult to treat her as an illusion.


    "Brother?"


    The girl took a step forward and stretched her right hand.


    "Why won''t you say anything?"


    When her shadow moved, Rhode felt his surroundings slowly turn into darkness, and the surrounding air also felt heavier which rendered him panting for air. He opened his mouth, but the oxygen that went into his lungs were as cold as ice.


    The darkness spread as quickly as a drop of ink falling into the water. In an instant, a fog wrapped around Rhode.


    "Mr. Rhode should be okay right?"


    Standing in the distance, Matt observed the swirling fog with a worried expression. He held on to the bag tightly. His eyes kept darted left and right continuously, studying at the fog that turned from white to black. Even Matt could see there was something wrong with it.


    "..."


    Lize did not respond to Matt question. She clenched her hands and put it in front of her chest.


    At that moment, she truly wanted to rush in and check Rhode''s situation. Since she was a veteran, she knew that something went wrong. But in the end, she bit down the impulse to rush in as Rhode''s words rang in her mind.


    "No matter what, absolutely do not come near me. Even if you manage to see my shadow, unless I walk to you, both of you are not allowed to move. The Shadow is very cunning and dangerous. I can''t afford both of you to encounter any danger. To be honest, it will just endanger me further if any of you take any rash action."


    When they heard Rhode speak like that to them with his cold and expressionless face, they felt hurt. Lize''s was startled by his sharp words, but as a professional mercenary, she understood the reason why he said so. After all, this was a life and death matter.


    Lize sighed and kept her silence, but her hands clenched tight.


    Meanwhile, inside the dark fog, the girl stretched out her hands and hugged Rhode''s neck.


    "Why won''t you say anything?"


    The girl''s smile was still as sweet as before. So many years had passed, but her smile was still as gentle as a spring breeze. She had always been so.


    Rhode took a step back unconsciously. He could even feel her body temperature. With her face was so close, he couldn''t help but reminisce the memories seven years ago. At that time, she also behaved similarly; she sat on the bed, hugging him while he flustered and told her stories about the things that happened outside.


    "Let''s talk about the things that happened outside like before okay? How did you come here? What is this place?"


    Her voice was gentle and went straight into the Rhode''s heart.


    Looking at her, Rhode suddenly smiled.


    If Lize saw him right now, then she would be stunned silly. Ever since Rhode came into this world, he had never smiled before. But now, he actually laughed.


    And after seeing Rhode''s expression, the girl''s smile became more intense.


    "Brother..."


    But this time, her words didn''t finish.


    A white edge had burst through the darkness in a blink of an eye and pierced through her body.


    "������!!!"


    She suddenly screamed. Her body began to twist and quickly retreated. Followed by her movements, the fog started to recede.


    "Sigh��"


    Rhode took a deep breath and shut his eyes, but the smile on his face did not change. When Rhode raised his hand, he could see the dark ring on his index finger emitting a magic light.


    "Thank you very much to let me dream such a happy moment once again."


    Staring at the girl in front of him, he switched back to his ''indifferent'' tone.


    "But I''m sorry, I''m in a hurry," Rhode whispered, but his hands did not stop. In fact, when the girl retreated, he already released his Moonbeams, and it flew directly to its target.


    Because of her injury, she simply could not escape this blow. When she tried to dodge to the left, her chest and shoulder got punctured by Rhode''s attack. For ordinary people, this kind of injuries would be enough to kill someone or put them in a near-death state. But clearly, this girl in front of him was not an ordinary person.


    The girl gave a desperate scream, causing the black fog to swirl and coagulate a fog barrier in front of her. At the same time, Rhode''s sword also rushed forward.


    "Bang !!"


    The black fog barrier shook and became visibly thinner, but it managed to block Rhode''s attack. When she noticed this, the girl''s eyes revealed a trace of relief ������ But the very next moment, her expression changed from relief to fear.


    One, two, three.


    The fog barrier that managed to withstand one Moonbeam after another crumbled after the fourth slash. It penetrated the fog barrier with ease and ruthlessly pierced the girl''s body. This time, the already gravely injured girl was unable to dodge that attack. She screamed then fell to the ground.


    Rhode walked in front of her.


    He was very familiar with the monster like the Shadow. Since its strength was not strong, it used its skills to copy the player ability. So it was a bit troublesome.


    But since it snooped into Rhode''s heart to look for someone to copy, it had indeed made him suffer quite a loss. The Shadow itself also lost the power as it was in the game. Since it was a boss that used by players to practice ''solo bossing,'' when it lost its only advantage, it basically turned into nothing but a punching bag.


    But Rhode''s heart also felt quite heavy. Luckily he activated the Ring of Will on time. Otherwise, he did not know what would happen to him. It was not a strong monster, but the words that it spoke, struck deep into his heart. Every question it asked made his heart waver, it even made him even doubt himself. Fortunately, he encountered such a boss before. As a result, he had a slight immunity to its honey trap. If it was other people, then they truly might fall into the trap.


    From this point, it could be seen that the Shadow was indeed a very dangerous monster. But this kind of monster had a big weakness which was their low HP.


    At this moment, the shadow that was lying on the floor lost its appearance. The girl''s face was twisted and her facial features were blurred. Whenever she opened her mouth only darkness could be seen. Even her limbs had disappeared without a trace. Staring at Rhode who was slowly walking forward, the Shadow shook in fear. Then it opened its mouth again and screamed.


    "������!!!"


    The violent attack which was invisible to the naked eye flew in the air. But it turned into a breeze without any threat before the transparent barrier around Rhode.


    The Ring of Will''s protection was not something that could be underestimated.


    After discovering that its attack was useless, it screamed again. It desperately tried retreat. But before it could get back to the fog, it saw Rhode''s sword once again. Rhode''s body flashed, in a blink of an eye he appeared beside the Shadow and pierced it again.


    A white edge pierced through the Shadow''s body. It screamed because of the intense pain. Its mouth was left wide open, and its eyes turned dark and empty. Such a deformed face looked extremely revolting.


    But for Rhode, he was relieved. Since it used his sister''s appearance previously, he still had some lingering hesitation. However, now that its face reverted back to its twisted figure, all forms hesitation had been lost.


    By this time, the Shadow launched its final death throes as it stretched out its right hand and whipped it towards Rhode.


    But Rhode had already expected this attack. Just as the Shadow extended its hand, he sidestepped and dodged the attack before activating Shadow Flash to rush forward.


    The Shadow did not have time to react. It held its left hand in front of itself in attempt to block, but unfortunately, it was too late.


    Star Piercer, activate.


    The sword edge emitted a star-shaped light. It pierced through the darkness and brightened the surroundings. In an instant, the fog that encompassed Rhode was divided into two as if a hot knife through butter. When the light reached its peak, the shining blade hacked downwards.


    "������������!!!"


    The Shadow split into two and finally stopped struggling. Its body twitched slightly before suddenly shrinking. Then, it converged into a tiny ball of light which danced around in the air, causing the thick fog to recede further. The light then dissipated into the air as though nothing was there in the first place.


    It was until he saw this phenomenon did Rhode finally put down his sword.A public address system is a set of electrical equipment which allows someone''s voice, or music, to be heard throughout a large building or area. The abbreviation PA is also used.

 Chapter 23 Riverwood Town

    The fog dispersed.


    The town that had been sealed for years finally appeared under the sun once again. Followed by the death of the Shadow, the will-o-wisp that had been pestering them also disappeared.


    Rhode put away his sword. His eyes focused on the pile of white dust on the ground where the body of Shadow used to be. It shone brightly under the sun. He went silent for a moment before lowering down his body to pick up a translucent, milky white gem.


    Soul Core.


    A Soul Core dropping from a boss-level monster was not at all surprising. After all, boss-level monsters itself had powerful magic. The power that they accumulated over time made condensing a Soul Core simpler for them than a regular demonic beast.


    But Rhode did not waste too much time on these things. He just quickly picked it up and turned around. Then with heavy steps, he trudged towards the plaza entrance. Even though he did not consume much soul power in the previous battle, he somehow felt tired mentally. While he did not express it on his face, his heavy steps reflected his fatigue.


    Looking at Rhode''s figure, Lize and Matt let out deep sighs of relief. They rushed forward and asked about his situation. Unfortunately, Rhode''s mood wasn''t good, so he merely answered with few words and ended the conversation.


    Both Lize and Matt glanced at each other. They realized that he wasn''t feeling well and didn''t want to chat. Even though they did not know what happened, it was clear that Rhode did not want to talk about it.


    Lize was a smart girl, and Matt was a merchant. They did not continue to ask about this matter anymore.


    In fact, the fight with the Shadow wasn''t their primary concern right now... because soon, they would finally leave this ghostly place!


    From the time when the floating ship crashed, until the time they came out from the mountain, only three days had passed. But because of all the hardship they went through, the three days felt like ten days. Dangerous forests, surprise attacks, strange towns, what more could they take?


    It was precisely because of this, when they saw the small town on the foot of the mountain, Lize and Matt felt incredibly excited. Even the usually calm Rhode also revealed a relieved expression.


    Riverwood Town was situated at the foot of Paphield Mountain. It was a peaceful place because it was located on the border. Back in the game, this place was near the Twilight Forest and was regarded as a newbie gathering place. As such, Rhode spent a lot of time here, so he was quite familiar with the surroundings. He could even casually call out the names of most of the NPCs here. But now, when he walked down the quiet street, discovering the NPCs turning into living people still gave him a weird sensation.


    While there were still plenty of things that needed to be done, right now, a soft bed and delicious food was their top priority. After having a meal at the town''s local tavern, they immediately dived into bed and went to sleep.


    When Rhode opened his eyes, the sun was already high up, signifying that it was noon.


    The sun rays were soft and warm. It shone through the wooden windows and the light scattered on the floor.


    "Sigh..."


    Rhode sighed. He reached out his hand stared at his battle scars. His left chest still had a slight pain. That pain caused him to return to reality.


    This isn''t a dream.


    For the first time, he felt the harsh reality of the world.


    The chaotic and dangerous battles felt surreal. Many times when he woke up, he thought that he was only dreaming. Previously, he used his gamer self to repress the reality of the situation; the monsters were simply just illusions to him. But now, when he fought the series of dangerous battles, he slowly started to understand the harsh reality of this world.


    What should I do from here on?


    *Knock knock*


    A soft knock on the door disrupted Rhode''s train of thought. He raised his head and spoke in a soft voice, "Come in."


    The door opened slowly, revealing a blonde girl who walked in with a clean bandage and a pot of water in her hands. Noticing that Rhode was already up, a lively smile appeared on her face.


    "How''s your body, Mr. Rhode?"


    "It''s okay, no issues."


    Acknowledging her concern, he nodded politely. Even though his response wasn''t too friendly, Lize was already accustomed to it. She smiled gently and did not say anything more. Then she came to Rhode''s side and then began to replace his bandage.


    Rhode looked at her and smiled bitterly in his heart. The truth was - he truly wanted to be kinder towards her. It wasn''t that he was trying to put on a poker face on purpose, doing these kinds of things were just troublesome for someone of his age.


    But there was no way for him to change so quickly. His habits were deep into his personality. Back in the past, when he was young, his classmates used to make fun of his face and call him ''sissy'' because his face was similar to his sister. As a male, it obviously damaged his ego.


    Since then, Rhode had always been very conscious about his appearance. When he entered the Dragon Soul Continent, he did not select the advanced ''scan registration'' technology, but instead, he chose to create his avatar manually. At that time, he was still young and immature, so he just sculpted it as he pleased. In the end, he modeled himself with a cold expression to emphasize his masculinity.


    This was his ''chuunibyou1'' phase that everyone went through before. As he got older, he didn''t care about these ''little issues'' any longer, but it still shaped into a habit that he found it hard to break away from.


    In addition, when he became the strongest guild leader in Dragon Soul Continent, he had to manage his emotions well. This cold and collected personality was already deeply rooted within him.


    The stinging pain on his wound brought him back to the present. He observed the girl that gently wiped his chest and remembered something.


    "Lize."


    "What''s the matter, Mr. Rhode?"


    "What are you going to do next?"


    Hearing Rhode''s question, she could not help widen her eyes in surprise. Her hands also stopped.


    She sighed and lowered her head helplessly. "Frankly, I am not too sure."


    "How about your comrade? Do you have a place to go back to?"


    "Even if I go back, I would be the only one left..."


    Speaking up to this point, her tone lowered to a whisper.


    "...And the mercenary group is going to be disbanded."


    So that was it.


    Hearing Lize''s story, he finally understood her situation.


    In the Dragon Soul Continent, mercenary groups were divided into three levels. The lowest level was a small mercenary group consisting mostly five or six adventurers, up to no more than ten people. These kinds of groups mostly consist of non-bonded members. Anybody could create a group, as long as they register themselves legally.


    The next level was the large mercenary group. Their member count must be above ten. Large mercenary groups were unable to disband whenever they wanted to, unlike small mercenary groups. They must submit formal copies of their identities and report to the Mercenary Association. They can also receive help from the Mercenary Association or even own their own stronghold.


    The highest level was the mercenary guild. It required them to have more than a hundred members. These mercenary guilds were powerful. They owned strongholds and fortresses. Even officials or the merchant association must respect them. Huge, influential mercenary guilds often own their domain and city.


    Classification of the mercenary groups was not simply divided by strength and prestige; their missions was also different. A small mercenary group had no way to receive a mercenary guild level of the mission. The Mercenary Association would directly reject the proposal. Even if they manage to complete the mission somehow, it would not be recognized. Of course, realistically, a small mercenary group wouldn''t have the resources or the strength to complete a mercenary guild level commission.


    Despite having plenty advantages over smaller groups, the larger the group, they had more stress and management issues they had to deal with. Every year, the Mercenary Association would conduct an assessment based on an appropriate mission''s danger level. If they did not perform well enough after a year, then even large mercenary guilds would be forced to downgrade its rank while small mercenary groups would be disbanded.


    Because of this, Lize was depressed. There were only ten people in her group, so it was considered to be medium-sized. But due to the mission, their group of ten was reduced to one. Even the leader had perished. There was no way to maintain their status as a mercenary group.


    Even though she still had some time left before the yearly assessment, she did not have the ability to complete it. Moreover, she was a non-combat class. It was not like she could do it even if she wanted it. Based on this situation, the only choice she had was to disband. As a cleric, a dedicated supportive class, it wouldn''t be difficult for her to join other mercenary groups.


    But Lize didn''t want to leave.


    "You don''t want to leave?"


    She firmly nodded towards Rhode.


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode. After all, they were the ones who sheltered me. My relationship with them was akin to family... I-I really don''t want this group to disband." Her eyes started to redden as she spoke, but she clenched her teeth and continued, "They all have left. At least...at least I want to prove my gratitude towards them with my actions..."


    "But looking at the situation, if you cannot find enough people then your mercenary group will disband in no time."


    "...Yes"


    Lize did not avoid reality. She knew exactly where the problem lies. But, she did not plan to give up.


    "But, I do not want to give up. Just like what you said to me before. Since I am alive, I must do something meaningful. Even though I still do not know to what extent I can achieve. But, I still want to try."


    Seeing her firm expression, Rhode suddenly thought of an idea. He went silent for a moment and said, "Since that''s the case, I have a suggestion."


    "What''s your suggestion, Mr. Rhode?"


    Lize quickly raised her head and looked at him nervously. Although she only knew him for a few days. But his knowledge and strength left a deep impression on her.


    Whether it was the Wind Snake, Silver Wolf, or the will-o-wisp. Those were things that she never saw before. She was certain that most of the mercenaries also never seen such monsters before. But Rhode was familiar with their weaknesses and habits which was simply unimaginable.


    She was not like Matt, who was nosy as he tried to guess Rhode''s real identity. Between adventurers, these things were not necessary. As long as one was powerful, then it was enough.


    Even though Lize already made mental preparations, but the very next thing Rhode said, rendered her speechless.


    "If you don''t mind, give me your mercenary group."Chuunibyou (���) is a derrogative colloquial term in the Japanese language used to describe a person which manifests delusional behavior, particularly thinking that one has special powers that no other person has.

 Chapter 24 Small Conflic

    Matt swore to the heavens that he had never tasted such a delicious breakfast since he was born.


    Although it was just ordinary white bread, beef, and vegetable soup placed on an old wooden table. But compared to dried meat and cold water from a few days ago, the meal they had right now was almost comparable to the sumptuous dishes from the palace.


    "Praise the great Holy Spirit, thank the Holy Spirit for giving us food..."


    This was maybe one of the most earnest prayers before meals from Matt. But before he finished expressing his gratitude, suddenly a voice called out to him.


    "I did not expect that you were a believer."


    Matt quickly opened his eyes. He saw Rhode and Lize walking down the stairs and sat in front of him. His face was still as indifferent as before. He not could tell if Rhode was being sarcastic or not. Thus, the fat merchant could only show an embarrassed smile.


    "This... I always have a certain gratitude towards food. There is no relation between being a believer or not..."


    His voice slowly drifted off. It was obvious that the fat merchant did not intend to prolong this boring topic, so he quickly changed the topic.


    "What are you guys planning to do after this?"


    However, Rhode did not answer immediately. He ordered two breakfast and asked a question out of nowhere, "How about you, Mr. Matt?"


    "Me?"


    Matt was caught slightly off guard, and he gloomily shrugged his shoulders.


    "For me, I will go to the Deep Stone City to apologize to the recipient. Then I must compensate for their loss. Sigh, what lousy luck! Not only did I lose all the goods, but I also need to pay a large sum of money. My luck is really not so good..."


    "So sorry..."


    Lize revealed an apologetic face. After all, her mercenary group was responsible for protecting the merchant and his goods. But now the products had been lost. It could be said that they did not do a good job. Although to many people, these matters would be labeled as ''just an accident''. But as a responsible person, Lize did not want to accept it like that.


    "No no no! It''s not your fault, Ms. Lize. I am also at fault."


    Perhaps it was because he had returned to the safety of civilization, Matt subconsciously revealed his merchant side.


    "If I knew that such thing would happen, I would never have done it. Sigh, but now it''s already too late. It was thanks to both of you that I can sit here and not become the dinner of those terrible beasts in the forest."


    He stopped talking and showed a rare sincere smile. He reached out his hand and took out two purses.


    "This is the reward for both of you. Ms. Lize, thank you for saving my life for several times. If it was not because of you, I am afraid that I wouldn''t be sitting in front of you now."


    "No no no. This is what I am supposed to do. After all, we have taken your money..."


    Looking at the purse, Lize hurriedly stood up and shook her head vigorously. But Matt was an old slippery fellow. He did not wait for Lize to finish her sentence. Then, he turned around and look at Rhode.


    "Mr. Rhode, especially you... Frankly, if not because of you, the both of us would not be able to escape from Twilight Forest. I know that for high noble like you, this amount of money might not mean much, But please take it as a token of our gratitude."


    "You don''t have to be so polite, Mr. Matt."


    Rhode looked at the purse but did not reach out and take it.


    "You have also saved my life. If you did not order to stop the boat, I am afraid I''d long be residing inside a beast stomach. So about the money... I think you can take it back.."


    "This��"


    Matt felt a bit awkward. It was alright if it was just Lize. But against Rhode, he could not merely wave it away. In fact, this money was not only for repayment for service and gratitude. Instead, he wanted to increase their relationship with each other. Even though Matt wanted Rhode to accept, but he did not dare to force him since it might cause Rhode to be dissatisfied with him. As a merchant, he had dealt with a lot of nobles before, so he knew that nobles truly regarded their reputation, dignity, and position - especially the very talented young ones. Their self-esteem was high and some of them were even eccentric. Thus, he did not dare to force him like what he did to Lize. He revealed an embarrassed smile before taking out a small silver badge.


    "Since Mr. Rhode said so, then I will no longer force you. But I hope you accept this badge. This is a keepsake from the Silver Libra Merchant Guild. Although our guild is not powerful in the Dragon Soul Continent. But it can be considered quite prominent. If you need my help in the future, please do tell me and I will do my best."


    This time, Rhode did not refuse Matt good intention. In fact, he had been waiting for it.


    Rhode understood how these merchants usually think. In their opinion, money was above all else. Including their own life. The reason he took out the money was only to repay his life-saving grace. But he knew that after he took the money, they would be on even grounds.


    This was not what Rhode wanted to achieve. He had his own goal, and to accomplish this goal, he would need some help. Matt''s Merchant Guild was of course not some large organization. But since it was a merchant guild, it had important information between the trade network that Rhode could not acquire by himself. After considering for a moment, it was more beneficial to his future to let them owe something to him right now.


    Matt, of course, did not think that Rhode would think like this. His mind was filled with the preconceived notion that Rhode was a high noble with a strong family backing. For people like Rhode, why would he even try to curry favor with a small fry like him? It was Matt that should try to curry favor with Rhode instead.


    This was a beautiful misunderstanding.


    Of course, Rhode did not mind allowing this misunderstanding continue.


    After that, the three people began to chat about some boring topics and then discussed the current plan. What made Matt glad was because Rhode and Lize also planned to travel to Deep Stone City. It wasn''t strange for her to go there because her mercenary group establishment''s home was in Deep Stone City. This was one of the reasons why Carter took the job to escort Matt because they headed for the same location. But Matt was surprised with Rhode''s decision. When he heard that Rhode joined Lize''s mercenary group, he was shocked and speechless for a moment.


    It was not as if Matt did not understand Lize''s situation. Choosing a mercenary group was not his business, but he was still puzzled why would he join a declining group. However, it was not something he should worry about since he had already given enough money to her. As a cleric, she would face no problem with moving to another mercenary group. If she still had nowhere to go, then he would gladly welcome her to his guild. Since her profession was highly sought after, it was not a bad thing for Matt to accept her.


    But he never thought that this soft, weak, timid girl actually planned to settle everything by herself!


    That would be a challenging and dangerous thing to do.


    Matt wanted to give her some advice, but seeing Rhode beside her, he did not dare to say much. In his point of view, Rhode was joining the mercenary group for fun. Since he had the power, money, and status, it was completely different with an ordinary mercenary.


    Perhaps...maybe it was also because of Lize? Taking a closer look, she is quite cute and pretty��


    Of course, Matt did not dare to voice out his thoughts. Since he was an outsider, he had no reason or position to pry into Rhode''s personal matters. That was why he only reminded her to seek him if she encountered any difficulties. If saving her mercenary group was something in his power, he would definitely try to help. After all, many things had happened and he concluded that befriending her wasn''t a bad idea.


    After having their breakfast, they decided their next goal. Matt and Lize went their separate ways. Matt searched for a carriage to Deep Stone City while Lize prepped the supplies for the three of them. It was different from the time in the Twilight Forest; now they could make proper preparation.


    Both of them were busy doing their own things, and only Rhode was idle. Even though Lize told him to have a good rest, but apparently Rhode did not intend to do that. After he finished his meal, he went out for a stroll.


    Walking in the quiet town, looking at the scenery before him, Rhode could not help but feel a hint of warmth in his heart. In the game, this place was a newbie gathering ground. The bustling of adventurers could be seen everywhere. They were either shouting for party quests or was selling equipment. Based on Rhode''s memories, this town was actually very lively and crowded. But now without the players, all that was left was a quiet and serene town.


    But soon, that silence was broken.


    The noise came from the corner of the street. Rhode looked up and saw the roadside carriage. Four people were in a fierce quarrel. One of them was a young man wearing beautiful clothes with two swordsman dressing like guards standing in front of him. The other was no one else but Matt. He just left the hotel not long ago.


    What happened?


    Rhode frowned and then walked towards the four.


    "Don''t you think that you are something just by having some stinky money. Our Lord was giving you face!"


    "That''s right; you are just a merchant. Don''t be shameless!"


    "Bullsh*t. What Lord? Just a third-rate aristocrat, you think us merchants are good to bully?"


    "Hey, you dead fatty. I think you are tired of living!!"


    The quarrel was getting heated. Rhode did not make a sound, he looked around and patted Matt''s shoulder.


    "What''s the matter? Mr. Matt?"


    "Who is it? Even if you look for help... Ah !! Mr. Rhode!"


    Matt who was busily swearing finally turned his head around and saw Rhode. His expression immediately changed from the Siberian blizzard into a tropical rainforest sunshine.


    "You came in the right moment..."


    Indeed, he deserved to be a merchant. After seeing Rhode, Matt''s attitude immediately changed 180 degrees. His expression right now was different with that domineering fatty from before. But Matt obviously knew the current problem. He did not wait for Rhode to ask and blurted out everything that happened in a flash.


    The matter wasn''t complicated. It was just that after leaving the hotel, Matt quickly found a carriage. He successfully negotiated the price and the other side also agreed. When Matt was about to leave, three men suddenly appeared and said that they also wanted to rent the carriage. Because they were very arrogant, it caused Matt to be angry. Originally, Matt would approach the matter peacefully. But because he had bad luck for these days and even lost a shipment of goods, his mood was already awful. Now that someone provoked him, he just flared up.


    Riverwood Town was just a small town. It only had one carriage. Matt wanted to leave a good impression on Rhode, so he did not want to give up the transport. But the other side also seemed urgent. They would not give in no matter what. Even the two impatient guards began to resort to force. They thought that by revealing their swords, the merchant would immediately concede. But they never expected that it would make the merchant even angrier.


    I have seen wild wolves, wild ghosts, and other scarier monsters in these few days. Why would I be afraid of two small guards?


    In the end, both sides were in a stalemate. No one refused to give up.


    So that was it.


    After listening to Matt about what happened, Rhode nodded, indicating that he understood.


    But all of a sudden, one of the guards unsheathed his sword and pointed it towards Rhode.


    "Who are you?! You dare to poke in our business?!"

 Chapter 25 Dispute

    "Who are you?! You dare to poke in our business?"


    The shout echoed through the quiet town. Rhode narrowed his eyes. But Matt who was standing beside him felt weak and fell to the ground.


    What a brave fellow!


    He knew just how powerful Rhode actually was. He could see the difference between Rhode and the two guards. It was practically heaven and earth. It would only need few minutes to defeat those two. Even though killing people in this small town was impossible, but with Rhode''s identity, if someone angered him, killing one or two people wasn''t a big deal.


    Although the law on Dragon Soul Continent was very strict, the class difference was also equally strict. If a civilian or slave murdered people, it would be a death penalty. But if it was those young nobles, unless it was low-class noble, no one cared if they killed people.


    Putting aside the fact whether Rhode was an easygoing man or not, Matt wasn''t clear because he rarely smiled and he always displayed a calm and indifferent expression. But whenever he spoke, there was always some kind of pressure. It may seem as if he was joking, but perhaps it was a threat. Generally speaking, he was just a young man in his twenties. No matter how calm and stable he was, he should still be somewhat outgoing. But Rhode was always quiet, and people were not able to figure out what he was thinking. However, one thing that Matt understood clearly about Rhode was, he wasn''t a young man that would endure insults with no reason behind it.


    As such, Matt was initially surprised because Rhode did not get angry. He just glanced at the two and turned to speak to Matt.


    "Mr. Matt, we should get going."


    "Okay, Mr. Rhode."


    Matt''s heart was lifted. Even though he did not see Rhode''s ferocious side, but him ignoring the other two insects made his day. He immediately spoke loudly and told the coachman to move the carriage.


    "Get ready! We are going."


    "Wait."


    At this time, the young man that had not said anything until now suddenly spoke.


    "This carriage, I want it."


    "We have already paid the money, you..."


    Matt began to argue but was interrupted by Rhode.


    "Mr. Matt, it''s getting late."


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode. I''ll go now."


    Rhode was not willing to waste his time in this pointless war of words. Even if there was no reason, somehow people still wanted to fan the flames. They could spread rumors, reverse black and white, exaggerate facts. He''d just waste his time if he entangled himself in useless conflict. In the game, even unfair equipment distribution would waste one to two hours among players. As a guild leader, he''d often encountered things like this. If he personally settled these issues one by one, then he was the big idiot. That was why he always ignored these meaningless wars of words.


    But this action of his was seen as cowardice in the eyes of the three men. They did not know what was the relationship between Rhode and the fatty merchant, however, since they walked off without giving them a glance, naturally, they would feel mad. The young man''s face sank and he took out a bag of coins before throwing it in front of the coachman.


    "Fifty gold coins. I want it this carriage!"


    "This..."


    The coachman''s face showed some difficulty when he saw the gold. Fifty gold coins wasn''t a small amount to someone of his caliber. But the problem was that he had already agreed with the other party and taken the fee. The villagers in this town were simple, honest people, so he would not go back on his word so easily. But he also wasn''t stupid. Those three men were people he obviously couldn''t afford to offend lest he may get beaten to death without even knowing why he died.


    "Hey! What are you doing! Quickly get ready and go."


    After Rhode appeared, Matt suddenly became confident and took the carriage intending to leave.


    The guard''s face finally turned cold.


    "Stop it!"


    After shouting, the two guards raised their sword and tried to attack Matt.


    But they did not succeed.


    "������!!"


    A sudden chirp rang out.


    Followed by a breeze, a green bird flapped its wings and flew towards the two guards. When they noticed the strange bird, their face started to change. They attempted to swat the bird away, but the Spirit Bird speed was faster than them. When its wings flapped, a breeze hit the other two and sent them flying away.


    "Elemental creature?"


    Staring at the Spirit Bird that was sitting on Rhode''s shoulder, the young man''s face suddenly changed.


    He never thought that he would encounter such a troublesome opponent.


    Was the opponent actually a mage?


    He thought for a moment before suddenly realizing something wrong. He knew how mages summoned monsters, but they usually need to cast a spell. However, the man called Rhode in front of him dressed like a young noble, so how could he be a mage? Not to mention the fact that he didn''t even chant.


    It seemed like the opponent was not someone ordinary.


    After thinking carefully, the man decided to withdraw. After all, he was only accompanying his family''s young miss to play around in the mountains. He did not want to anger any important people. He was just a small guard, protecting young miss was his primary concern. If he provoked someone he shouldn''t have and ended up implicating young miss in the process then he''d be dead anyway when he went back.


    His face began to ease up, and he waved his hand to signal the two guards to stand down.


    "Sorry to disturb both of you."


    He came forward and shifted to more respectful tone.


    "On behalf of my two guards, let me apologize to the two of you. They...they were too reckless and offended you. I hope that the two of you won''t mind them."


    "It''s not a big deal," Rhode answered.


    He did not continue to say anything more and turned around, waving his hand, signaling Matt to prepare and leave. When the man watched them leave, he grew increasingly anxious. The young miss promised master and mistress that she would not secretly go out and play anymore. If they could not get back to the town in time and they found out the young miss yet to get back, they were going to be angry. And if the young miss got scolded, she would definitely blame him...He initially thought that in the small suburb town like this, they would not encounter any problem. But he did not expect such a person would suddenly appear��


    Still, he could not help try and remedy the situation as much as he could.


    "Pl-Please wait. I still have something to ask." the young man asked politely.


    "What is it?"


    When the prideful guy lowered himself to speak so politely to Rhode, Matt felt somewhat gleeful.


    So this was the feeling of being under the protection of a person with power and influence...


    At first, he was planning to curse more, but when he saw Rhode not saying anything, he decided to forget about it. The man could also see that Rhode didn''t even put them in his sights. If still decided to not going to let the carriage pass, then it would make Rhode unhappy. So he decided not to say anything anymore and directly ask Rhode.


    "This..."


    The young man looked at the carriage and thought for a while.


    "Yes, if the two of you don''t mind, I hope we can go together."


    Together?


    Matt and Rhode could not help but glance at each other.


    "Yes. Judging by your looks, your destination it must also be Deep Stone City, right? We also have important things to do there, so we must go back as soon as possible. I apologize if I offended the two of you on impulse. But... It is really urgent, so..."


    This time he did not take out his money anymore. He already knew that the fatty''s identity was a leader of a Merchant Association. But that wasn''t important since it was just a small merchant association, and the nobles don''t care much about them.


    But Rhode was different. Usually, nobles were not strong, but this young man finished the two guards in one move. Even though the two of them were not considered powerful, but comparing them to the average noble, it was considered to be sufficient. To be able to subtly pressure them using such a strange move...Who knew what his background was?


    Moreover, the merchant was so respectful towards him, it was obvious it was a superior-subordinate relationship. He might be a high noble. It was better not to mess with these kinds of people. Luckily, looking at Rhode, he did not seem to bother about his rudeness from before. If he encountered a petty person, then it would be big trouble.


    "But our carriage can only fit four people...and we still have one more companion."


    Matt furrowed his brows. He was already reluctant to bring these guys along. Just by looking at them made his mood turn sour. But since Rhode did not mind, he could not refuse. Even though this carriage was rented by Matt, since he wanted to get closer to Rhode, he did not mind Rhode making the decision. Moreover, he was supposed to be a man of virtue, Matt could not directly refuse it. Since it appeared like they were nobles, he was already content enough by swearing at them before. He would be labeled as uncivil if he kept pushing on this matter.


    "There''s no problem. Only one of us will ride this carriage, and the rest will ride a horse."


    Upon noticing that the other side was being amiable, he was also pleased. The reason he needed to rent a carriage was because of the young miss. If not because of her, then riding the horse back to the city would be faster.


    "This..."


    Matt did not answer and glanced at Rhode to make the final call.


    But it was clear that he did not bother about small matters like this.


    As long as it wasn''t troublesome, he did not mind if one more person tagged along. So he just nodded and said."Well, we''ll meet at the town entrance in 15 minutes. If you guys do not arrive on time... then it''s not my problem anymore."


    Since Rhode did not mind, Matt could only nod and agree.


    "Please rest assured, we will definitely make it."


    15 minutes wasn''t that long, and the first one to arrive was Lize.


    "Ah, Mr. Rhode, Mr. Matt!"


    Holding a travel bag, Lize''s face lit up and ran to both of them.


    Lize had a gentle aura around her; perhaps it was because she was a half angel, even if she stood quietly by the side, it would still give people a lively and cheerful sensation. The way she spoke also matched with her appearance. Rhode didn''t dislike this girl at all. In fact, it wasn''t a bad thing having someone like her in the group to liven up the atmosphere. As a former guild leader, Rhode knew how vital a harmonious group was.


    From a certain point of view, mercenaries and players were quite similar. Quest, adventure, exploration, battle; it took a lot of time and effort to do all of these. Under constant pressure from fighting, over time, if the group did not communicate well, it might cause internal conflicts.


    Whenever he looked at the blonde girl before him, she reminded him of a female mage in his guild, ''Canary.'' Not only her skill was top-tier, but as her name suggests, she was a talkative girl. She loved to joke around and gossip about the latest happenings to everyone. The way she articulated her stories was also very exaggerated. She could even turn ordinary, mundane things into something that would make everyone laugh.


    At one point in time, when the whole guild was at the Wasteland Cemetery dungeon, they faced continuous physical and psychological pressure. Rhode made use of her talent and asked her about interesting things, and she would gladly whip up a playful story which made everybody laugh. It made the pressure on them lessen a great deal as long she was around. In that dungeon, many players had better equipment and higher levels than them, but they still lost in the end due to the prolonged pressure on them.


    Furthermore, online games were still games at its core; and cannot be mistaken for reality. Many people have various problems in real life that gave them stress; thus, they play games to relax instead. Many players in Rhode''s guild had stress in real life as well as in the game, but they did not avoid playing games. On the contrary, they would allocate some online time to listen to the female mage''s funny antics to relax. They could feel their burden decrease. In the end, they won the control over the Wasteland Cemetery. Though the female mage wasn''t the strongest player in the group, from a certain point of view, she was indubitably an irreplaceable part of the team.


    The girl in front of him also gave the same ''lively feeling''. But she was not as talkative as the female mage; but instead, she was loyal and calm. Whenever people look at her face, it would make them relax.


    "I''m ready. Are we going right now?"


    "Wait for a while; someone else is coming with us."


    "Heading in the same direction?"


    Lize asked curiously. Her ponytail swayed, following her head movement. She did not continue to ask and took out a black cloak from the bag instead.


    "That''s... Mr. Rhode?"


    "What''s the matter?"


    "This, please accept it."


    Lize spoke with a tinge of red on her face. She lowered her head and handed over the cloak.


    "This is ..."


    Looking at cloak, Rhode was surprised for a moment.


    "...The wind currents in the mountains are very strong, and the night is cold. Your injury had not healed yet, if you catch a cold... you are going to get sick. It will be very bad for your body. So, I bought a cloak to keep out the cold. It is made from deerskin, breathable and very comfortable. Please accept it... "


    Lize lowered her head, causing Rhode to be unable to see her face. But he was aware that her voice was slightly trembling. He did not say anything and took the cloak.


    "Thank you for your kindness."


    "You''re welcome. This is something that should be done."


    Looking up, Lize exposed a brilliant smile. Her bright expression made the merchant that has been standing aside quite surprised. He had known this girl far longer than Rhode, but he never saw her smile like this. But��


    The fat merchant first looked at Lize, and then he looked at Rhode.


    It seemed like something good might happen.


    Meanwhile, while Matt was enjoying the sight in front of him, suddenly a high-pitched voice screeched.


    "Who is the b*stard that took my carriage?!"

 Chapter 26 Helen

    Everyone turned their attention towards the voice. They noticed a seventeen-year-old girl not far away from the street walking towards them. She was draped in a noble''s dress with white gloves. Her short, brown hair fell upon her shoulders. From afar, she resembled a young mistress from a noble family.


    Unfortunately, her dress did not accentuate her body line. It could be said that the girl''s body was too big for her dress. The dress wrapped tightly around her swollen body which made her looked ridiculous. The most eye-catching part was her fat chin, which wobbled with every step she made.


    Beside her was the young man from before. His forehead was covered in sweat as he whispered frantically to her. As for the other two guards, they lowered their heads helplessly as they followed behind the girl and the young man. There was a bright handprint on their faces.


    "So, which b*stard dared to covet my carriage?" The girl yelled as she walked towards them.


    She panted as she shouted, but she did not wait for a reply and stared directly at the coachman.


    "You are not allowed to take these people away! Do you hear me!? This is an order!"


    "How can you do this!"


    Listening to her outrageous command, Lize couldn''t hold it in any longer.


    "We''ve already rented this carriage, how can you..."


    "Shut up. Who do you think you are! You dare to speak to me with that tone!?"


    The oversized girl was mad and interrupted Lize. Then, she lifted her hand and pointed to the three of them.


    "Just you wait! You guys dare to provoke my family, watch and see how I..."


    The girl hadn''t finished when Rhode suddenly lifted up his arm and snapped his fingers.


    "....!!"


    There was a sudden silence. The girl''s mouth no longer made any sound. She widened her eyes and gripped her neck tightly. The expression on her face turned to horror when she realized she couldn''t speak.


    On Rhode''s shoulder, the Spirit Bird stared at her and emitted a magic light.


    "Young miss! Are you okay! Young miss!!"


    "...��!!!"


    The man frantically dashed over after noticing the girl was choking. However, when he got closer, he crashed into a transparent wall and fell to the ground.


    "...!! ...!!"


    The girl''s body began to tremble. Her limbs spasmed awkwardly, her mouth began to enlarge disproportionately, and her eyes seemed as if it would pop out any moment.


    "...M-Mr. Rhode?"


    Lize felt somewhat uneasy. Although she did not know what exactly happened, she could guess that this should be related to Rhode.


    In fact, Rhode did not do anything at all. Since the Spirit Bird was a wind elemental spirit, it could somehow manipulate the air around it. The only thing Rhode did was seal the air around her. If his opponent was an adventurer, it might be quite tricky to pull this off, but using it on an ordinary person without any power was simple.


    "...!!!"


    Rhode finally signaled the Spirit Bird to stop when the girl almost lost her consciousness.


    "Poof!"


    The next moment, the girl fell to the ground. She slumped to the ground like a broken puppet, her face was devoid of blood, and she panted non-stop. The expression on her face was of fear and confusion.


    "Young miss! Young miss! Are you okay!"


    The man got up quickly and rushed to her side. In his heart, he was exhilarated because he made the right choice to not argue with Rhode. If he did something like this to him, he wouldn''t even know how he died!


    "Cough... cough..." The girl coughed violently.


    When she was finally able to catch her breath, she raised her head with difficulty and pointed at Rhode.


    "You, what are you doing! Ben, Kill him! Quickly kill him! Qui..."


    Unfortunately, she could not finish her sentence. Because at this time, the Spirit Bird that was resting on Rhode''s shoulder locked her in its sights again. The girl''s face immediately paled, and at the same time, she started rolling on the ground, seemingly unable to speak a word.


    "P-Please! Please let her go, Sir! Miss Helen is young and ignorant, please forgive her..."


    "I prefer my peace and tranquility."


    Rhode only replied one sentence before returning to the carriage. Lize felt sorry for the young girl on the ground. After hesitating for a moment, she followed Rhode to the carriage. Only Matt revealed a gleeful expression, and he leisurely strolled to the carriage while humming.


    With a worried expression, Lize glanced at the suffering girl and asked Rhode. "Mr. Rhode, is it alright to leave her like this?"


    She wasn''t offended by the rude girl at all. After all, it had already been a long time since she''d joined the mercenary life. Throughout her journey, she''d seen many kinds of people. Some people looked down on others, and some people found pleasure in harassing others. In the beginning, she also grew mad when she faced these people, but after becoming a veteran after many years, she learned how to control her emotions.


    "I heard that they came from the Deep Stone City. Wouldn''t it be troublesome if we provoked these nobles?"


    "You''re wrong, Miss Lize."


    Matt grunted and disagreed.


    "Do you know who is Mr. Rhode? Third-rate nobles like them are not even worthy in his eyes. Moreover, that vulgar woman lacked basic courtesy. We can just simply ignore them."


    "Hold up."


    Rhode gazed at the sky outside the window.


    "We will move off at the appointed time. If they do not arrive on time, then it will have nothing to do with me. Since I have already agreed, I will not take back my words."


    Matt did not say anything anymore when he heard Rhode''s decision. He just merely sat by the side and grumbled to himself. It seemed that his hatred towards them was quite deep.


    In a few minutes, someone opened the carriage door. It was the girl from before. Her face was still as pale as snow. She kept glancing at Rhode who was sitting on the chair with lingering fear as she constantly bit her lips. Clearly, she did not want to sit in an enclosed area with her aggressor, especially when her guard''s captain, Ben sternly reminded her not to offend that man. He emphasized that Rhode was able to kill all of them without much effort. When she heard that, her heart nearly jumped out. In her eyes, Rhode was a devil, and she wanted to run far, far away as fast as possible...


    But when she remembered that her father was arriving in three days, she could only yield. Since this small town had no extra carriage, it would take at least two days to reach Deep Stone City on foot. If she missed this carriage, her family would discover that she snuck out to play and she would be in deep trouble with her father. While Helen was thinking of this, she couldn''t help but be reminded of her father''s words, who left an overwhelming fear in her heart. Thus, she could only resign to her fate and ride the carriage.


    This young miss was too spoiled. She never encountered any kind of hardships like this before. Whenever she intended to voice her thoughts, her mouth would open slightly, but she would close it immediately as she was too afraid to lose face. In the end, she gave up and sat gloomily in the carriage. It was embarrassing, but she had no choice. The expression on her face right now might even cause people to pity her if they didn''t know what happened!


    However, Matt secretly glanced at her and snickered in his heart. Merchants and nobles were not people of the same path. Even though both sides were cooperating, but they still secretly looked down on one another. Nobles believed that merchants were money faced while merchants thought that nobles were snobs. Now that this foolish noble appeared before him, he could finally vent his frustrations on her mentally. Of course, he would rather be vocal about his thoughts, but since Rhode was beside him, he could not mock her and drive her out of the carriage.


    "Hello, My name is Lize Noir. May I ask what''s your name?"


    Lize thought that the atmosphere in the carriage was becoming awkward, so she attempted to break the ice. In her eyes, compared to other nobles, this fat young miss slightly better.


    "...M-My name is Helen Keller." Her voice was almost as loud as a squeak.


    She secretly glanced at Rhode in fear of his ''black magic.'' Not once in her life was she subjected to such torture. She honestly thought that she was going to die, and not only once, but twice��


    Did I hear wrong?


    "Helen Keller?"


    Lize was surprised for a moment when she heard this name. She paused briefly, and suddenly she recalled something important.


    "...Keller? Do you belong to that Keller family who owns the Nalander Mine?"


    "Yes, yes! Do you know us?"


    Helen immediately became excited when she found out that someone recognized her family. She wanted to say more, but once she was aware of Rhode''s presence again, she quickly lowered her voice.


    "Yes. Our mercenary group is located in the Deep Stone City. We had heard about the famous Keller family before. I remembered that your family began its ascent with ore mining, and finally flourished into one of the famous big families in the Deep Stone City within mere decades."


    "Of course! My Dad is amazing."


    A woman''s mood changes as fast as the weather. Once the topic shifted to her father, Helen immediately chatted endlessly with Lize. The constraints and tension from before disappeared completely. Although she still faced a slight apprehension due to Rhode''s presence, it was still a lot better compared to before. Previously, it was as if she was trafficking illegal goods.


    Of course, Rhode and Matt weren''t interested in the topics they discussed. But they were still slightly surprised.


    It wasn''t because of the story; rather, they were surprised that Lize could actually manage to chat with Helen.


    Even if chatting seemed easy and anyone could do it, in fact, conversation in itself had its own techniques. Firstly, the topic must catch the other''s interest. Secondly, the other must speak out of their own accord. Thirdly, the conversation must continue to flow. These three things were not easy. Rhode had met plenty of women, even if the woman was as beautiful as a goddess, but if the moment they opened their mouth and it turns people off, in the end, having a pretty face would be useless. If both parties had different interests, there would be nothing to talk about.


    In this world, there were plenty of mercenaries that could hold a conversation with nobles. But no matter what, nobles would still display their overbearing attitude. This was because most of the things that the mercenaries experienced were things that nobles never experienced before. An example would be a boss of a company speaking with his staff about a discounted product for their customers. The truth was, the employees simply do not care! It wasn''t as if they would get the discounted products anyway.


    The gap between them was too large. A topic that is interesting to mercenaries will not necessarily be exciting to nobles.


    But now, Lize could actually converse with Helen freely about the daily life of nobles. As a mercenary, this can be said to be something new and exciting to Lize. In her life, she would never have the chance to participate in those noblewomen activities such as dancing, afternoon tea, and other things of etiquette.


    They can even discuss about the ''Rose Tea''...


    Rhode creased his brows. Was Lize''s identity not simple?


    Most of the angels from Dragon Soul Continent belong to the upper class, and half-angels wasn''t too far from it.


    But if she was someone of the upper class, how could she become a mercenary? Strange...


    As he mused to himself, he observed Lize who was beside him. At this moment, he suddenly had the urge to find out the truth.

 Chapter 27 Behind The Balance

    A thick aroma wafted from the black tea, filling the luxurious room with a calming scent. However, it could not diffuse the icy cold atmosphere inside the room.


    "Mr. Claytor, I can''t agree to your condition."


    The middle-aged man firmly disagreed as he placed down the cup on the table.


    "The situation within the mines are stable. Increasing the price by a substantial amount right now is an irrational endeavor. As a member of the Association, I, without a doubt, seek to do my very best for the benefit of the Association. But regarding this matter, I won''t be of much help. I hope you can understand ."


    "Please relax, Mr. Keller." The soign��e man who sat leisurely on the couch curled his lips coldly.


    "The 30% increment in ore prices had already been approved by the Association. As a member of the Association, you must abide by the rules."


    "But that isn''t reasonable!"


    Keller frowned.


    "Right now, there isn''t any shortage of minerals. We cannot arbitrarily raise the price without giving a rational answer. And as such, Mr. Claytor, from the start of our discussion up until now, I have not received a satisfactory reason to increase the price from your mouth. You can''t expect me to agree to this outrageous request by merely invoking the Association''s authority. At the very least, give me an adequate reason for me to do it. Moreover, if the Golden City were to discover such a thing..."


    "... Even if ''that person'' realized what was happening, she wouldn''t be able to do anything to us."


    The moment he mentioned the Golden City, Claytor''s face darkened.


    "Mr. Keller... the reason I, the vice leader of the Association, directly addressed you regarding this matter was because you controlled 85% of the mines in Deep Stone City. But I hope you can visualize the bigger picture, Mr. Keller. What you think you have right now, is a drop in the ocean when compared to the entire Paphield Region."


    "No matter what you say, if you cannot give me a reasonable explanation, then I cannot accept the Association''s proposal." Keller then stood up and continued, "Since that''s the case, then I''m sorry. I don''t think we have anything else to discuss."


    Having said what he wanted to say, Keller gave a slight bow and turned away.


    "Please wait, Mr. Keller." Claytor''s face darkened once again.


    "Seeing that I have no way of changing your mind, then you''ve left me with no further choice. The truth is, I don''t want to do this, but since we came to this point, you can''t really blame me..."


    "What are you going to do?"


    The moment he heard Claytor''s subtle threat, Keller''s face hardened.


    "If you refuse this proposal, then the Association has the right to revoke your ownership over all your mines to ensure that they can operate stably and normally."


    "The Association does not have this authority!"


    Keller smashed his fist on the table.


    "The Deep Stone City''s mine is the property of OUR Keller family. It has no any relation to the Association. Surely you don''t mean to steal it openly, right?!"


    "Of course we will not -openly steal- it."


    Claytor narrowed his eyes and revealed a sinister smile.


    "Of course, the Association will pay for the acquisition of the Keller Family''s mines for five thousand gold coins... What do you think about the price?"


    Five thousand?


    Keller almost fainted when he heard the preposterous offer. Keller family owned four mines, and their total revenue was in the hundreds of thousands. This b*stard actually intended to purchase all of his mines with a meager five thousand gold coins? That amount couldn''t even buy a pit! Were they idiots?! Or did they have other intentions?


    As the head of the family, Keller naturally did not think that the Association was a fool. A trace of doubt flashed across his face as he stared at the Association''s vice president. The fact that he could become the Merchant Association''s vice president demonstrates that he had the ability.


    When the Association headquarters summoned him, Keller already felt that something was amiss. The ore market had been stable throughout the year, and the surrounding countries did not encounter any disasters recently. If they were to raise the prices by 30% suddenly, not only would the Keller family cause a predicament for themselves, but it would adversely affect the market in the surrounding countries as well. This was a delicate situation. Ore trade was one of the most important sources of income for them.


    If it was another person, he might have taken those words as a joke. But Keller was unquestionably certain if ''that person'' in the Golden City were to discover this matter, every merchant was going to die. ''That person'' wasn''t a kind-hearted being. Although everyone had to die someday, but perishing by her hand was the worst kind of death.


    What is this? The Merchant Association suddenly intend to inflate the price of ores? Do they think that they can escape from ''that person''s'' detection?


    When he thought of the consequences, Keller''s back felt cold. He immediately recollected his memories of the horrors five years ago. An entire country was massacred, all because of the nobles who refused to sign ''that person''s'' proposal. In the end, 30% of the nobles lost their lives.


    Keller would consider himself as a hardcore merchant by blood, but even someone like him who''d loved money so much, felt utterly terrified when faced with her wrath. To make matters even worse, when he thought that her massacre would cause public unrest and create turmoil throughout the country, never could he have imagined that after two months, everything would be back to normal as though nothing happened.


    -


    Rhode did not sleep. On the contrary, he secretly organized his stats. Back then, because everything was in a rush, he had forgotten to organize it. Keeping track of one''s stats was a necessity, thus, when he was finally able to settle down, he could peacefully do what he wished to do.


    In the previous battle, he began to realize that even though this body was his own, but his ability was completely different from before. This was because, in real life, he wouldn''t be able to dodge and parry as quickly when compared to before.


    Strength was the first major difference. Based on the previous battle, he understood that his strength was higher than the average man in this world. Back in the Dragon Soul Continent, the strength value of NPCs were roughly 4~5. This number could be considered high for ordinary people. If their strength stat hovered around 6~8, they would have the ability to wield a heavy sword single-handedly. Rhode''s strength was between 6~8. While he did not attempt to wield a heavy sword, judging from the previous battle, it shouldn''t be a problem to do so.


    Next was his vitality. It was something that he did not worry at all. Ordinary humans had around 5~8, elves were 4~6, dwarves and orcs were mostly between 7~10, and the highest vitality belonged to the angels and demons, which hovered around 15~20 points. While evaluating his injuries from previous battles, Rhode concluded that his vitality should be between 10~15. This kind of absurd distribution of stats does not belong to a human''s body. It was practically monstrous. After all, he''d been assaulted by the Void Dragon before, but he still managed to survive until now.


    As for his agility, he was unmistakably faster than an average person, but his agility was still lacking when compared to the elves. In the Dragon Soul Continent, elves boasted the highest agility, which was between 10~15 points. Rhode''s agility was higher than an ordinary human who had around 5~6 points; thus, his agility should be 7~10.


    The intelligence stat was the most difficult stat to judge. After the battle with the Shadow, he could finally grasp the basis of this stat. He recalled the game information regarding the Shadow''s attack level and how much Intelligence he needed to resist it. Based on his speculations, his stat should have barely passed the requirements, which would mean that he had around 8~9. Comparing to an ordinary person, he would still be slightly higher, but he was definitely lower than those powerful NPCs. Rhode knew that his stats would continue to increase in the future, so he did not worry about it.


    Last was the senses. The stat seemed to work completely different from the game. Previously in the Dragon Soul Continent, when one increases their senses stat, it would enhance their hearing ability, and it also provides a radar which could pinpoint dangerous entities ahead with a red dot. However, in this current world, senses worked in a totally different manner. When Rhode closed his eyes, he could still ''see'' his surroundings, as though he had a pair of invisible eyes. With a thought, he could alter the distance by zooming in and out, just like a black and white infra-red camera. Rhode used his battle with the silver wolf to calculate his senses stat and concluded that it should be at 6~7, it was lower than elves which were roughly 9~10 but still higher than ordinary people at 3~4.


    After analyzing all these information, he could estimate his overall stats:


    Strength: 6~8


    Vitality: 10~15


    Agility: 7~10


    Intelligence: 8~9


    Senses: 6~7


    If an ordinary human were to look at these stats, they would be shocked silly. Overall, all of his stats were higher than a default human character. Never in his life had he seen any characters with such high stats at level 10. One had to be reminded that Rhode''s nickname was the ''walking library''; thus, he knew the starting stats of every profession at the back of his hand.


    That was the exact reason why Rhode felt puzzled over his stats. He clearly surpassed the human race''s stats but was still slightly lower than other races. Even after he organized his stats, he still could not figure out what kind of mixed blood he possessed.


    Typically, a mixed race would inherit both of their parent''s blood. Take Lize for example; her stats were similar to an ordinary human except for her Intelligence and agility. Even her soul power was of the angel-tier.


    Right now, Rhode''s level was low. Except for his enormous strength, his other stats were obviously beyond ordinary humans but was still below the initial stats of other races. When he realized that his initial stats were already so high, then what would happen when he awakened his other bloodline? That would mean that his stats would at least double! Moreover, his stats would still rise as he leveled up!


    If such a monstrous race existed in this world, wouldn''t the players have abused it long ago?


    Rhode attempted to deduce his own race.


    Could it be a vampire? Or was it an angel or demon?


    These races faced the same kind of restriction. Although they could increase their stats drastically, the condition to trigger these effects were reliant on their surrounding environment. Furthermore, the stat gain was a temporary thing. For example, a vampire would gain an enormous amount of stats during a full moon, but the stats would drop back to its initial number once the full moon ended. Rhode''s stats were always stable and would never fluctuate; thus, these races were out of the question.


    So, what race was it exactly?


    Rhode fell into contemplation for a while, but even after racking his brain, he still did not acquire any logical conclusion. He shook his head helplessly and sighed.


    In any case, this race should be stable. If he found out that it was half angel of half demon, he''d be doomed if he visited an area which would cut his stats in half.


    After he decided to stop mulling over this matter, he chose to get some shut-eye. But the moment before he closed his eyes, he caught a strange movement.


    *Rustle!*


    From the bushes, a tiny, rustling sound could be heard.

 Chapter 28 The Trouble Comes

    Under the thicket, Orlando frowned when he noticed that the guards had their heads lowered down.


    "Are you certain that''s the carriage?" He whispered to the person beside him.


    "Yes, my lord. We had been following them since their arrival in Riverwood Town. You can rest assured that Ms. Helen of the Keller family is indeed in this carriage."


    "Then explain to me why does the number of people in the carriage seem to be inconsistent with your initial report?"


    "My lord, the other three are travelers on the carriage. Although we aren''t clear on their identities, they should be unrelated to the Keller family, and their strength isn''t anything spectacular."


    "Very well then. Remind the rest to be on guard and ready to attack. Failure is unacceptable."


    Orlando did not continue speaking after that. Once he received intel about Helen''s departure from the city, he was overjoyed. They finally had the opportunity to capture her alive. To Orlando, this task wasn''t difficult at all.


    "Yes, my lord."


    The man turned around and quickly disappeared into the foliage. Occasionally, Orlando would raise his head out from the bush and peek at the carriage, but this time, the carriage door swung open and a young man emerged from the carriage.


    That''s him?


    Orlando furrowed his brows. He couldn''t understand why he felt that something bad was going to happen.


    Rhode walked out from the carriage.


    Under the light, the distant forest appeared darker than usual. He glanced in the direction of the noise, and his face turned serious.


    Some people are hiding there.


    Truth to be told, when he discovered that he was being spied on, the first suspects that came to his mind were those people in the Twilight Forest. But after thinking carefully, if it were those people, then he wouldn''t be able to detect them this easily. After all, the spy was an advanced profession. No matter how high his initial attributes were, it can''t be compared to an advanced profession. The only possibility he could think of was that they were careless.


    After walking out of the carriage, Rhode confirmed his speculation. Since his senses could lock on their location without any difficulty, it revealed that the ambush wasn''t orchestrated by a spy - or another high-level profession at the very least.


    Nevertheless, it was still a bizarre situation. Ever since Rhode appeared in this world, he had not provoked anyone on purpose. Perhaps the target wasn''t him?


    "What happened, Mr.Rhode?"


    The moment Rhode stepped out of the carriage, Lize opened her eyes. As a veteran mercenary, she had developed an inherent nature to upkeep a certain level of vigilance.


    "Just some rats," replied Rhode coolly.


    Lize was faintly surprised at Rhode''s calm voice.


    "Was it those people that chased after us before?"


    Rhode shook his head. "No, these people don''t appear to be targeting us."


    Lize was surprised, but before she could reply Rhode, a guard came up to both of them and asked,


    "Hello, Sir. What''s the matter?"


    After traveling for a day, Rhode naturally recognized the guard captain of Ms. Helen''s garrison, which was Ben. Even though a skilled individual should hold the appointment of guard captain, it was clear that Ben wasn''t very skilled. According to the standards of this world, he would be rated as a Level 7 swordsman who had just ranked up from apprentice swordsman. The reason why he managed to grasp this position was because of his family, which had served the Keller family loyally for many years. As such, rather than fulfilling the role as a guard to the young miss, it could be said that he was her follower instead.


    To Ben, Rhode was a figure of respect. Although his first impression of Rhode was negative because of his beautiful face, which led him to the conclusion that he was a playboy, Rhode''s display of strength left him utterly speechless. At his age, it was common knowledge that most young nobles couldn''t even wield a sword, not to mention fighting with it. However, Rhode sent two guards flying through the air empty-handedly. It didn''t matter how he did it, but this young man''s power was beyond his imagination. Even after living in Deep Stone City for 20 years, apart from the young heir from the Felix family, he had never seen such a skilled person like Rhode.


    Deep in their hearts, every man dreamed of being strong and powerful. And Ben, without a doubt, was no exception to this. In the Dragon Soul Continent, only the strong were respected. Thus, although he wasn''t happy because of the dispute with Rhode, after experiencing Rhode''s overwhelming power, his attitude immediately changed and became respectful.


    Facing Ben''s courteous behavior, Rhode just waved his hand to beckon him to stop talking. Within the thick foliage, he could sense seven people lurking around in the vicinity.


    Two on the left, right, and front. One at the rear.


    Rhode easily revealed their ambush positions. However, he had some difficulty tracking the movements of the person at the rear. His movements were somewhat erratic, as though he might disappear any moment. As for the others, he could effortlessly pinpoint their locations when they were on the move.


    It seems like that person at the rear is the strongest among the seven.


    Rhode pondered for a moment, and suddenly, an idea struck him.


    "Get your people to retreat."


    "Pardon?"


    Ben heard Rhode''s words loud and clear, but he could not react in time before Rhode unsheathed his sword.


    The Star Mark appeared.


    A divine, white light pierced through the dark sky and an attack formed as a crescent moon, descended from the light. Ben felt a beam of light passing through him before permeating the depths of the dark forest. In a split of a second, the leaves from the surrounding trees churned violently as though a whirlwind swept past the area.


    The two poor men clothed in a black cloak didn''t anticipate the enemy to launch a pre-emptive attack. When they regained their clarity, it was already too late as the Moonbeams swept past their frozen bodies.


    Like the gentleness of a spring''s breeze, the Moonbeams passed through them noiselessly and disappeared into the depths of the forest.


    Two shadows fell back into the bushes like a puppet whose strings had been cut.


    A deafening silence fell over the forest. Orlando, who was lurking at the rear, was stunned speechless by the attack.


    Their opponent was an advanced swordsman!?


    Someone who was able to condensate sword energy to launch an attack was not easy to deal with. Usually, people who used this kind of skill were someone of high standing - someone powerful enough to enter the advanced stage. An example was the nobles from those large families. It didn''t matter which one was it, no matter what, it wasn''t someone that they could afford to provoke.


    Multiple scenarios flashed through Orlando''s mind as he racked his brain to find the best solution to this problem. He really wanted to slaughter the man who gave him the false intel. That man even dared to tell him that their strength was ''nothing spectacular.''


    What the heck? Nothing spectacular?! My *ss is spectacular. Telling me that an advanced swordsman isn''t anything I should be concerned with?


    It wasn''t that Orlando was exaggerating, after all, in the Dragon Soul Continent, NPCs and players were fundamentally different. When an NPC hits Level 10, they would unlock their Level 10 skills. But players were different. They could use skill points to improve their skill proficiency. If a Level 10 player worked extremely hard, they could attain advanced proficiency. There were even some hardcore players who had achieved advanced proficiency and master level skills altogether. Now, it was widely known that the higher the level of the skill, the more power it would consume. That was why, when people managed to obtain a master level skill but did not have enough power to use it, they would make an absolute fool out of themselves.


    The sudden deviation of the situation caused Orlando''s original plan to crumble. His original plan was to send his people to kill the three weak guards and kidnap Ms. Helen before leaving without a trace. However now, even before he was able to make a move, he had already lost two of his men. To make matters worse, his opponent was an advanced swordsman. Despite not being weak himself, but he had yet to reach the advanced level threshold. Thus, his opponent''s actions made him break out in cold sweat.


    But...


    "Ahh, whatever! I''m going to fight!!"


    Orlando bit his lip and put two fingers in his mouth, blowing a long, whistling sound.


    Immediately after that, various shadows jumped out from the bushes and dashed past the carriage!


    "Protect the young miss!" Ben shouted at his men.


    Though he was taken aback by Rhode''s odd command, after realizing what was happening, Ben acted at once. He yelled orders while unsheathing his sword and the two other guards rushed towards the carriage at full speed. Lize didn''t hesitate as she responded quickly by casting a shield to protect those three guards.


    *Swoosh*


    Lize''s protective shield enveloped the three men. Not long after she cast the shield, five to six arrows flew from the bushes and struck the defenseless guards. However, before the arrows could penetrate their bodies, once it touched the golden protective shield, the projectile immediately lost its acceleration and fell to the ground.


    "En Garde! Be careful of the hidden archers!"


    Ben was nervous even though he shouted loudly. This was the first time Ben had encountered an enemy ambush in the wilderness. Most of the time, Ms. Helen was always at the Deep Stone City, so he was never afraid that something like this might happen. At the moment he traveled outside the city, he unexpectedly encountered this kind of situation. Such bad luck!


    However, complaining about his current plight was a meaningless act. He glared at the black-cloaked assailants who was rushing towards him.


    Ben clenched his teeth and yelled as he charged towards them as well.

 Chapter 29 Undercurren

    The situation turned chaotic in an instant.


    As they say, an idiot comrade does you more harm than a powerful enemy.


    From Rhode''s perspective, these attackers were akin to cannon fodder. Even if was a 1vs4 battle, he would still have the confidence to win. But as for Ben and his guards, they neither had the experience nor the ability to deal with the surprise attack. The two other guards yelled as they waved their swords at the black-cloaked men, entangling with them in a melee faceoff. Frankly, the presence of the guards made the situation slightly more challenging for Rhode.


    But, in the end, it still wasn''t a problem for him.


    *Swoosh!*


    His white sword flashed across the night sky. Rhode activated his Shadow Flash and slashed at a black-cloaked man nearby. He flipped his sword and hacked in a downward arc. A fountain of blood sprayed from the black cloaked man''s neck, and the body soon fell to the ground silently.


    By the time the corpse''s body touched the ground, Rhode had already withdrawn and left. He stretched out his left hand and a green card appeared on his palm. Rhode then clenched his fist and shattered the card.


    "������!!!"


    A chirping sound echoed through the forest, followed by streaks of green light flashing in the night sky. It transformed into a beam and rushed forward.


    The men didn''t expect that Rhode would kill them without hesitation. When the beam of light flashed past them, they were subconsciously stunned for a moment, but before they could react, a violent storm engulfed them, followed by the whistling sound.


    "Whoa!!"


    "Ahhh!"


    The four victims that were caught in the storm screamed in horror. They staggered and were forced to separate into two sides. Rhode didn''t waste any time. He transformed into a shadow and swooped in for the kill.


    Compared to professional thieves, rangers or spies, Rhode''s stealth ability can''t be considered top notch, but it was more than sufficient to deal with enemies of this level. His victims weren''t fortunate though. By the time the raging storm ceased, three black-cloaked men had already collapsed to the ground, dead. Without confirming his kills, Rhode''s shadow suddenly flashed and appeared before the guards.


    Rhode waved his hand.


    "Don''t waste time here. Go protect the carriage."


    "Ah, yes!!"


    After being reminded by Rhode, Ben suddenly recalled his purpose here on this trip and quickly signaled his men to run back to the carriage.


    Once the guards ran off, Rhode finally felt the movement of the shadow at the rear.


    -


    This was the best opportunity for Orlando.


    After sending his subordinates out, Orlando had prepared to make a move, but never did he expect Rhode''s strength to exceed his expectations once again. Even four Level 10 swordsmen could not endure his attacks. Fortunately, they still played their role, and now, it was time for him to take the stage!


    When Rhode killed the three men, Orlando had already emerged from the bushes and ran past the carriage. After observing the battle from before, he could finally grasp his opponent''s strength. Other than the young swordsman, the other three guards were all useless as he expected. The Cleric wasn''t inexperienced, but ultimately it was still a non-combat profession. As long he was quick enough, he could kidnap Ms. Helen and use her as a hostage to turn the tables on them.


    "Who''s there!"


    As a thief that was almost at the advanced level, Orlando''s speed wasn''t slow. Apart from Rhode''s keen senses, the only other person who noticed him was Lize. She quickly cast a shield on herself in reflex, but Orlando''s target wasn''t her, so he dashed past her and closed in on the carriage.


    "Help!!!"


    In an instant, Helen''s scream rang out from the carriage.


    Helen had already woken up long ago when the battle started, but she wasn''t clear of the situation outside. Lize had merely reminded her to lock the door and hide inside without making a sound. That was why Helen crouched down at a corner of the carriage and covered her ears. Once the battle commenced, the sounds of weapons clashing, deathly throes and voices of rage, all scared her out of her wits. One had to realize that this was her first time facing this kind of situation, and her being locked in a carriage without any way of checking on the surroundings only further intensified her confusion, which eventually added to her fear.


    Suddenly, without any warning, a shadow appeared in the carriage, and she couldn''t help but scream in terror. Yet, before she could react, the man had already covered her mouth and carried her out from the carriage.


    At this time, Rhode had already led the others to surround him.


    "Don''t come near me!" Orlando spoke in a low voice as he took out his dagger and placed it against Helen''s neck.


    His left arm grabbed onto Helen''s waist tightly and stared at Rhode with vigilance in his eyes. After realizing that she''d been taken as a hostage, Helen''s fear slowly caused her go into shock, so she could only stand rigidly like a statue.


    "Let go of the young miss!!"


    Once they saw her being taken captive, Ben and the other two guards understood that they had made a grave mistake. If they had not foolishly rushed forward, how could the young miss be taken as a hostage that easily? Now that Helen''s life was at the mercy of the enemy, what should they do?


    "Hmph."


    When he found out that the crowd finally stopped advancing, the pressure within Orlando''s heart lifted slightly. Next, he would move to the next step of his plan. As long he had Helen as a hostage, he could easily escape into the forest and throw these guys off his trail. However...


    There was a problem.


    Damn this fatty. She''s so goddamn heavy. How many pounds does she actually weigh? Weren''t rich, noble ladies supposed to be slim and light?


    They''re supposed to look like that cleric over there. How can this Helen appear like a pig! It is really tough to drag her around. Is she even the daughter of the Keller family?


    After dragging her a distance, Orlando had some thoughts of giving up. He''d never expected her to be so fat. When he received his mission to capture the daughter of the Keller family, he didn''t think much of it. It was assumed that it would be another weak noble daughter of a wealthy family.


    However, in the end, things always didn''t go as planned. In fact, when he dragged her out from the carriage, he already felt something was amiss. The thing on his arm that he had been grabbing... wasn''t a human!


    It was a f*cking brick!


    "S-S-Save me!! Ben!!! You b*st*rd, what are you doing over there! Quick come and save me!"


    At that moment, Helen suddenly broke out of her stupor and started to react as she cried for help. But before she could finish her sentence, she could feel a cold, steel dagger on her neck.


    "Shut up, fatty! Otherwise, I will take your life!!" Orlando snapped angrily.


    Helen instantly shut her mouth in panic once she heard those threatening words. All her pressure and stress seemed to rise up to her puffed up face and watching her round eyes starting to water, it somehow appeared quite interesting.


    "D-d-dear Sir!"


    Ben was extremely tense. He hurriedly strode to Rhode side and begged him to help.


    "Please help me out... Please rescue the young miss from him! Miss Helen is the last descendant of the Keller family, if she died..."


    Rhode waved his hand and gestured for him to stop. As for Ben''s next words, Rhode was already clear what he was implying.


    Ben saw this as a negative sign, and he tried to rack his brain while begging Rhode.


    Orlando did not understand the meaning behind Rhode''s gesture, but at the very next moment, a green light flashed through him.


    This is bad!


    Orlando''s first thought was to dodge, but the very next second, he felt an invisible force crashing into Helen who was standing beside him. In reflex, she bent her body downwards in pain.


    "Ahh!!"


    Under Rhode''s command, the Spirit Bird collided with Helen. Even though the blow wasn''t too heavy, it was definitely not light either. Right now, she was suffering terrible pain, and at this point in time, she did not think about the dagger as she subconsciously bent down her body.


    Orlando''s eyes were quick to follow her movement and it caused him to be startled for a moment. After all, his contract wasn''t to kill her. The order from above was to capture her alive. What made him doubly shocked was that Rhode did not hesitate to do so, as if he did not worry about her death at all.


    He reacted to Helen''s subconscious reflex by shifting his dagger, so that the blade wouldn''t kill her. After that, he made another action to position his dagger to her neck once again.


    But he wasn''t able to achieve his goal.


    A faint, golden barrier appeared suddenly and blocked Orlando''s action.


    Protection Shield?!


    Orlando grimaced as he raised his head and glanced towards the cleric. His forehead was filled with sweat because he knew that he was in trouble.


    And at this moment, Rhode made his move.

 Chapter 30 Asking Casually

    The party only caught a glimpse of Rhode raising his hand, and in the next moment, his body immediately disappeared. The unsheathing of the white sword broke the silence, piercing through Orlando''s right hand.


    Such speed!


    Facing Rhode''s surprise attack, Orlando was shocked. He thought that he had mentally prepared to receive the attack, but experiencing the attack himself was a completely different feeling from observing it. He could feel his vision was starting to blur when the sword pierced through his hand.


    Due to this sudden attack, he could only retreat and temporarily forget about kidnapping Helen. As for his mission, he had no expectations of completing it now. The gap between him and Rhode was too far apart, so he could only attempt to escape. Thus, Orlando immediately twisted his body and jumped into the bushes.


    But Rhode did not intend to let him off.


    Upon noticing Orlando''s retreating figure, a grin flashed across his face as he rushed forward.


    A brilliant light erupted from his sword and spilled towards Orlando as if it was ready to attack from the start.


    However, there was something different with Rhode''s attack. His Blade of Destruction did not directly chase toward his target, but it shifted slightly upward. It appeared as though he missed and Ben, Lize, and Matt revealed a puzzled look on their faces.


    However, what happened the next moment surprised all of them.


    Because at this time, Orlando suddenly jumped into the path towards the Blade of Destruction.


    In truth, when he decided to jump, he already had a bad premonition. For thieves, these movements were akin to their bread and butter. Usually, when they retreated, they would instinctively execute an escape technique. That was why Rhode could exploit his knowledge to predict which direction Orlando would escape to. On the other hand, Orlando had jumped out from the frying pan, into the fire.


    When Orlando finally figured out Rhode''s attack trajectory, it was already too late. He tried to alter his direction in mid-air, but it was to no avail.


    Due to his ''generous and selfless cooperation,'' the Blade of Destruction managed to puncture his right shoulder successfully. The disheveled thief only had the time to emit a crisp scream before being flung towards the nearby bushes because of the impact.


    Rhode shifted his sword downwards and walked towards Orlando.


    "Ugh... Ah..."


    Lying in the bushes, he could only grit his teeth while enduring the pain from his shoulder and back. When he heard the approaching footsteps, he attempted to escape but did not have the time to recover before a sword pierced through his wounded right hand.


    "Ahhhh!!!" Orlando screamed.


    Rhode was still calm as usual as if it was nothing which doubly assured everyone that this young man wasn''t ordinary.


    However, Rhode did not think himself as a mindless, cruel being. He did not deliberately try to torture Orlando; it was just that it was an of his old habit in the game. Back in the game, some players used despicable and shameless ways of attacking. The more professional they were, the more vicious their attacks. Furthermore, they were not afraid of getting hurt in the game. Thus, the only way to prevent them from escaping or logging out was to keep them in constant combat mode. Because of this, Rhode instinctively employed the same exact tactic to an escaping individual by nailing his sword into the opponent''s hand, preventing them from logging out.


    But the moment he heard Orlando''s shrill voice, he was reminded again that this wasn''t a game ������ However, it did not matter anyway.


    Rhode walked to the side of the black-cloaked man and stretched out his hand, slowly retracting the sword out from Orlando''s hand.


    "Aaa... Aaa!!!!!"


    At this moment, Orlando was in extreme pain. The burning sensation on his right hand went past his pain tolerance level and began to twitch. His left hand wasn''t able to stop Rhode, and could only slam it continuously on the ground to alleviate the pain. Looking at this scene, the others couldn''t help but shiver. Even though they were not the ones facing this torture, but watching Orlando suffer made them terrified.


    Lize stood from afar, silently observing the indifferent Rhode. A trace of complex emotions flashed in her eyes. She once again recalled the words that he said to her at the hotel.


    I did not say this to repay your live-saving grace. Since I have brought you guys back safely, I already do not owe anything, and you too. I can only tell you I have my own purpose and it was not to repay you. I need strength, that was the reason I made this proposal. I can assure you that in less than two years, I can transform your mercenary group into a strong mercenary guild. But I would also like to remind you that I will use some means that you might find difficult to accept. So I hope that you can consider clearly. If you are willing to accept my proposal, then you must mentally prepare for what is to come. Because I will not allow anyone to hinder me or block me from achieving my goal. I have my own reason, but you do not need to know it now... I can understand your feelings, so I will not force you to agree, but I will still remind you the consequences of your promise ���� Since it would most likely exceed the range you could accept.


    At that time, Lize could not fully understand what Rhode was trying to say, but she was still shocked by his words. Ultimately, she was still relieved that Rhode decided to speak to her about his future methods. Although it might sound rather unacceptable, it was more convincing than if he would merely assure her that everything would be alright. At least she knew that there was something for Rhode, after all, everyone is driven by their own motives. However, she still did not understand what he saw in her mercenary group which was almost disbanded, but since he didn''t want to explain, then she would not take the initiative to ask.


    At this moment, after observing the scene, Lize''s heart began to loosen up. Previously when Rhode attacked Helen, she was still quite uncertain. Not mentioning about herself, even Ben and the others did not see it coming. The reason why she cast protection shield over Helen was purely based on her instincts, not because she was trying to cooperate with Rhode. But from this battle, she could finally understand what Rhode was trying to do.


    In her mind, as long she recruited members and finish the mission, then she would be able to maintain the mercenary group. But was it really that simple? Lize was already a veteran mercenary, she understood how merciless the world was, and everybody would do anything to survive. The Crescent Bow mercenary group was once considered to be a medium-sized group, but now it had turned into this. Moreover, she was the only one who personally witnessed how this guild declined.


    Can I do it? Rebuilding the mercenary group?


    Lize immediately answered her own question.


    I can''t.


    Even the previous leader, Carter, who was usually easy-going, had his cold and firm side. It wasn''t that she was unable to do it, rather, she just did not want to force herself to become what she wasn''t.


    Her sight once again fell upon Rhode.


    He did not tell her what he wanted to achieve. But his expression was firm, without a trace of confusion or doubt.


    How about herself? For her own dreams and goals, what would she do?


    While Lize was deciding her future, Rhode leisurely removed his sword and flicked it to a side, removing the blood stains on his sword. As for the black-cloaked man, he was busy rolling on the floor in pain.


    "I think you should have anticipated what I want to ask, but just in case you forgot, it''s still better for me to remind you." Rhode said with a nonchalant look on his face,"So... who are you? And what are you trying to achieve?"


    "Ugh...ugh..."


    Orlando''s body curled up, the pain from his right hand made it difficult to complete a sentence. With much difficulty, he looked up and watched the young man in front of him. How could he have such bad luck to provoke this kind of person?


    "I... I... I am..."


    The fear of his enemy combined with his physical pain had already worn out his caution. Right now, he already lost the power to resist and could only answer Rhode''s question. As much as he tried, he couldn''t finish his sentence because of the searing pain from his right hand. But Rhode took this action of his in another perspective.


    "Oh... you do not wish to say? Nevermind then, I''m not really interested anyway."


    Orlando immediately panicked, and a sudden surge of adrenaline overtook his sense of pain.


    "I, I work for vice president Claytor!!"


    If he chose to die unyieldingly, then he could still accept it, but if he was killed because he wasn''t able to finish a sentence then it was totally unfair... He did not want to die so fast.


    "Vice president Claytor?"


    Hearing this name, Rhode''s sword stopped its descent.


    "Merchant Association?"


    "Yes, it is."


    "What is your purpose?"


    "Kid, kidnap Miss Helen. I only know these..."


    The Star Mark was on Orlando''s face, and the cold blade on his skin made him subconsciously swallow his saliva. Now, he had completely lost all hope, and he could only wish that the young man would show some leniency.


    At that moment, when he saw Rhode nodded his head and said, "I know."


    Orlando suddenly felt a cold sensation on his neck. His vision began to spin and darkness completely engulfed his world.


    After unsheathing his sword, he turned around and returned to the carriage. Due to his seemingly cold and heartless actions, the stares from the party were completely different from before. Helen sat beside her guards and stared at Rhode with a complex expression. After a while, Ben coughed and walked forward to address Rhode.


    "This... thank you for helping, Sir."


    Although Rhode''s actions and the word ''help'' weren''t too similar, the end result was good for him after all.


    "No worries, it''s nothing difficult."


    Rhode nodded and did not say anything more. On the contrary, Ben was hesitating, but after a moment he opened his mouth and asked.


    "Excuse me... if I may ask, what was their identity?"


    "They said they were sent by the Vice President, Mr. Claytor to kidnap Miss Helen."


    "What?!"


    Ben was shocked. He had been working as a family guard for so long, so he understood this kind of things.


    "You mean that the Merchant Association sent these people?"


    "He said so. But I don''t really care if it was a lie."


    Rhode waved his hand and turned away.


    "I was just asking him casually."

 Chapter 31 Deep Stone City

    As one of the busiest cities in the Northern Paphield, the Deep Stone City had a distinct characteristic that differs from the other cities. Owing to the deep pit under the town, Deep Stone City was originally a small town, but after a number of natural resources were discovered and excavated from the pit, it was converted to a bustling mining town. As such, the entire Deep Stone City was built above the pit.


    If one observed the layout of Deep Stone City from above, the town was like an obverse wall decoration on top of the conical pit; it looked small and inconspicuous. But the interior of the town made it an impressive city. The road''s width fits at least four carriages, and those small holes from afar that people assumed were caves, were actually big caverns that housed people. In Deep Stone City, every house, shape, and object complemented each other to form a visual experience that each visitor would remember distinctly.


    Similarly to other cities, Deep Stone City also had its own public segregation, which was divided from the top to the bottommost of the town. The noble district was located at the top, where the nobles could enjoy the sun and bathe in the cool, fresh river and generally live a comfortable life. Next was the commercial district and the residential district, which occupied the three layers below the noble''s district. Lastly, the lowest layer was the slums; not only the people there lived in perpetual darkness, but there was also a shortage of basic necessities. There were even rumors that the devils could casually make a meal out of someone in the depths of the dark pits. Only desperate people or specialized miners would enter the dark pits of the town.


    "Deep Stone City..."


    As Matt walked down from the carriage, his expression tensed up. He stood on the roadside while staring at the darkness not too far in front of him. A vast, colossal pit stretched from end to end, and Matt couldn''t help but let out a sigh.


    "Although I have visited many times, every time I see the city, I just can''t help but gasp. Holy Spirit bless me, I really cannot believe that someone could actually dig out such a huge and bottomless pit."


    Matt licked his lips in awe and turned towards Rhode who was standing beside him before continuing, "Mr. Rhode, have you heard that in this city, even the oldest miners don''t know what''s inside this huge pit. It is truly a mysterious and wonderful thing. I mean, after all, it was them who dug the pit, right? But in the end, even they do not know what was inside. Hard to imagine, isn''t it?"


    "Indeed so."


    Rhode nodded, but he did not continue to say anything. Unlike Matt, of course, he knew what was at the bottom. It was one of the Top 10 Secrets of the Dragon Soul Continent. For ordinary people, perhaps they would not dare to take the risk to find out. But players did not care about death. If they could solve the mystery, then it won''t matter even if they died a hundred times.


    However, sometimes the price isn''t worth the trouble.


    After entering the city, the first impression the party received was silence. Contrary to their expectations of a bustling mining hub, every inch of the town around them was quiet, and the only thing that broke the silence was clinking of iron when the carriage rolled forward.


    Unlike Matt, Rhode wasn''t fascinated by the magnificence of this mining town. He only looked up towards the blue sky, his eyes gazing at the mountains in the distance. As though his vision could pierce through the rocks, he saw the Golden City Castle resting on Fairy Lake and also the person who lived inside... It was ''that person,''...that slender, charming, yet strong figure.


    Suddenly, Rhode seemed to have returned to the time where the last rays of sunlight crept on the blood-stained hills. Under the dimming evening sun, a person donned in a gorgeous armor was kneeling on the ground with a hundred thousand army standing at the front of her.


    The blood-stained, crimson sunset traced her silhouette. When she lowered her head, her usual gleaming, well-groomed golden hair had lost its grandeur as it swept in the wind messily, and the breeze caused the broken feathers on her pure, white wings to lightly sway. However, there was no hesitation in her eyes as she turned towards Rhode. Her pale lips slightly parted, revealing a brilliant smile.


    "Is that so... very well..."


    She whispered to herself, and then closed her eyes.


    Suddenly, everything was shrouded in darkness.


    For a second time in his life, Rhode found his goal. And at that moment, he firmly decided to give up his free player identity and create a guild. With that shift in mindset, he began to change the entire game world. Eventually, he succeeded in altering the three eras using his own two hands. But he wasn''t satisfied because, in the depths of his heart, there was a trace of regret.


    He thought he had lost all hope to make up for it.


    But now, a new chance to make amends had appeared.


    Rhode knew what would happen to this continent. It would be an unprecedented catastrophe for all living beings. Even now, as everything appeared to be quiet and serene, he knew that this was just the calm before the storm. Short and fragile, like treading on thin ice, this peace might be destroyed at any time, and only chaos awaits.


    However, Rhode wasn''t in a hurry. He knew that it was useless to be anxious. From this point in time, if everything went according to the history he knew, then there would still be roughly one to two years of stability. It was enough time to complete his preparations. After that, he had to consider how to survive in the calamity.


    If he could, he wouldn''t use this risky method, but he understood how terrible the calamity was, and the whole Dragon Soul Continent would not be able to escape the catastrophe. It would be better if he made some measures in advance before facing it.


    Returning to the present, Rhode pulled his cloak and hid his face. No matter if it was the real or virtual world, his facial appearance would easily stir up trouble. Thus, it was better if he avoided it completely.


    "Mr. Rhode."


    At this time, Ben brought his two men and the fatty young miss to his side. Perhaps, it was because he returned to his territory, his attitude was more confident than before.


    "It''s all thanks to you that we could arrive back in time."


    Rhode''s eyes then swept across the people behind Ben.


    "She should be okay, right?"


    He casually noticed the paleness on her face.


    Upon hearing Rhode''s inquiry, Ben could only reveal a helpless smile.


    "The young miss is alright. It''s just that she''s still in shock. Ms. Lize had already healed her, so there''s no problem physically."


    Ben then hesitated for a moment, but he still raised his head and continued, "That... Do you have time right now? The young miss would like you to visit her house to repay your life-saving grace..."


    "I still have something to do, so I won''t trouble you any further."


    Rhode shook his head as he turned down Ben''s invitation.


    "It''s not a big deal."


    "It''s that so..."


    Hearing Rhode answer in this manner, Ben felt awkward. Helen, who was standing behind him also felt disappointed, but no one caught sight of her expression.


    Although his might wasn''t something noteworthy, as a guard captain, his skill with words was decent. Since Rhode had clearly drawn the line, he did not try to force it any further and eventually revealed a relaxed expression. Despite not having spent much time with Rhode, the pressure he felt wasn''t light whenever he was with him. He trembled all day, afraid that he might say something wrong. Now that the source of his pressure was on the verge of leaving, of course, he wouldn''t dig his own grave by forcing Rhode to stay.


    "Since that''s the case, then I wish you a pleasant journey. When I return, I will report this matter to Master. I believe that Master will certainly be thankful for your help."


    After finishing his sentence, Ben and the fatty young miss quickly departed. It wasn''t until the distance between them were quite far would Helen then once again turn her head to look at Rhode. Then she showed an angered expression out of nowhere.


    "You stupid man. Didn''t you say that you will bring him back home and tell Dad to punish him?!"


    "Young miss, now is not the time to speak such nonsense."


    Facing this stubborn girl, Ben could only force himself to smile.


    "You and I certainly know just how strong that man is. What if something happened to us if we annoy him?"


    "But he dared to hit me!"


    Helen stomped her feet furiously and clenched her teeth. She did not dare to get angry in front of Rhode, but now after he left, she could not keep it in anymore.


    "Even my father had never hit me before!"


    Ben could only helplessly shake his head at Helen''s words. He did not want to be involved with Rhode anymore. Even though he wasn''t clear about the difference in strength between Rhode and the Keller family, he did not want to create any trouble intentionally. Even if the young miss was unhappy, he wouldn''t do anything about it.


    "Well, I''ll make sure that I will finish him next time."


    She stared fiercely at Rhode while announcing her displeasure. At the same time, it was as though Rhode heard what she said, and he turned his head to stare back at her. Helen''s face immediately paled and subconsciously cover her mouth. Ben also quickly turned around and walked forward.


    "It''s time to go, young miss. If we aren''t back before Master arrives home, then there will be more trouble."


    "Ah, uh, yes, yes."


    Hearing this statement, Helen also nodded in agreement. She still had a lingering fear towards Rhode. Once she noticed that he had turned away, she slowly calmed down and quickly walked away.


    "Mr. Rhode, we have arrived."


    Upon hearing Lize''s reminder, Rhode immediately turned around and saw Lize nervously standing in front of him. After a moment, he opened his mouth and asked, "This is your last chance, Lize. You can choose to refuse."


    "No, Mr. Rhode."


    However, Lize firmly shook her head and returned his gaze with a complicated emotion.


    "I have been thinking for a long time. I know that I am not a suitable candidate, and I understand that I am very naive regarding this aspect. I realize that I have no experience, nor do I know what to do. But what I know is that without virtue, courage, and faith, I won''t be able to achieve my goal. If you can help me achieve my dream, then I will not refuse your offer."


    Her eyes were firm and clear, without a trace of hesitation. But Rhode did not back down.


    "I think you''ve already seen my way of handling things and I want to know what do you think."


    "Eh?"


    Lize was caught off-guard facing Rhode''s unexpected question and she immediately lower her head.


    "I��"


    "Just be frank."


    Although it appeared that Rhode was a few years older than Lize, at the moment, Lize could feel an intense pressure while standing in front of Rhode. It was just like the pressure that she had felt from the mercenary leader and her father.


    "I... I do not know."


    Eventually, Lize shook her head.


    "I really do not know, Mr. Rhode. I can tell you very sincerely that your method is totally different than what I have imagined. But... at least I don''t hate it."


    "I understand."


    When he heard Lize''s answer, Rhode nodded his head in satisfaction. He stretched out his right hand and placed it on Lize''s shoulder.


    "I will not let you down," Rhode said coolly.

 Chapter 32 Mercenary Association

    Matt parted with the duo after bidding a quick farewell. When Matt finally distanced himself away from Rhode, his smiling face slowly warped into a grimace. He appeared as if he''d just suffered a great deal and was looking for revenge. After all, he was going to meet with his creditors after he had lost much of his cargo.


    However, Rhode still reminded him not to reveal the truth about how the cargo ship had crashed. Since they were secretly tracked, and if the enemy was still seeking them out, it wouldn''t be a good choice to look for trouble. But Rhode kept this a secret from Matt because he felt that it was unnecessary to inform him. Moreover, it wouldn''t help the situation even if he revealed the matter to Matt. So in the end, Matt agreed to keep silent about this matter. Having been in the merchant industry for many years, he knew the pros and cons of doing so. Even if Rhode didn''t remind him, he would still choose not to talk about this matter anywhere.


    After parting with Matt, Rhode made his way to the Mercenary Association branch in Deep Stone City with Lize as his guide.


    As a cross-continental organization, the Mercenary Association had branches in every major city. They were responsible for issuing missions to mercenaries, recording the completion of the missions, and also even responsible for the recruitment and employment of mercenaries. They were also the ones who had the authority to upgrade or downgrade mercenary groups.


    The Deep Stone City Mercenary Association was located in the first layer of the pit. A distinct, engraved symbol on the wall that represented the Mercenary Association can be seen from afar. Even the rough marble door frame and the flag just outside the branch were unusually eye-catching. However, the thick, heavy wooden door which was carved with intricate patterns could not contain the rowdy sounds from inside.


    When Rhode and Lize entered the Mercenary Association building, the very first thing they noticed was a wide, dome-shaped hall. Sunlight permeated from the holes above, illuminating the white, stone floor. Many mercenaries were sitting around round, wooden tables, whispering and chatting to themselves. There were also some who hid in the corners who chose to stay silent.


    The appearance of the duo did not cause much attention. Among the people that noticed, many of them just raised their head for a glance before resuming whatever they were doing. However, not all of them were like that. Not long after entering, a woman equipped with a leather armor raised her arm and waved to them, while her longbow in her other hand swayed from side to side.


    "Hey, Lize. Long time no see!"


    "Sister Shauna!"


    A look of delight flashed across Lize''s face as she exposed a smile. She quickly walked towards to the woman''s side.


    "It has been a long time! How are you?"


    "I''m alright. Recently, we acquired plenty of loot after killing the gnolls. Now we''re discussing how to distribute it." Shauna replied with a bright smile.


    After Lize greeted her, more and more people turned and nodded towards them with smiles on their faces. It appeared as though the mercenaries here were quite familiar with Shauna.


    "Congratulations..."


    Lize''s heart couldn''t help but beat faster, but her smile was also stiff. She was no stranger to this scene. Every time she completed a commission with Carter and everyone else, they would sit together and bicker with each other. That was once her everyday life, but now those people had already left her forever.


    "What happened? Lize? You don''t seem to be happy?"


    Although Shauna appeared to be a happy-go-lucky person, it was clear that she had a woman''s attentive side as well. Upon noticing a change in Lize''s emotion, she instantly knew that something was wrong. She knit her brows in puzzlement and looked towards Rhode who was standing her behind Lize.


    "What happened to you? Who is the guy behind you? I never saw him before?"


    "Leader... he..."


    When Lize mentioned Carter, her face paled. Words couldn''t seem to exit her mouth. It was only after a few seconds later when Lize seemed to be able to gather the determination to speak about it.


    "We... we have failed the mission. Except for me... Everyone else is gone."


    The moment she said this, silence suddenly fell upon the group. Even the smile on Shauna''s face also disappeared.


    "Failed?"


    "Yes, we encountered a little accident..."


    Lize shook her head. Apparently, she did not want to say much regarding this matter. So he quickly changed the topic and introduced Rhode to everyone.


    "This is Mr. Rhode Alander. He is my life-saver. Otherwise, I am afraid that you''ll not be seeing me here today."


    "Ah, is that so..."


    Once Lize finished introducing Rhode, Shauna couldn''t help but glance at Rhode curiously, whose body was wrapped up in a cloak. After that, she reached out her hand.


    "Hello, I am Shauna, the leader of the Red Hawk mercenary group. Thank you for saving my friend."


    Rhode stretched out his hand and returned the gesture. And then he replied in low voice.


    "No worries. I was just passing by."


    This made Shauna even more curious, and she started to stare intently at Rhode, non-verbally implying that she wanted to see his real appearance. But alas, Rhode had no intention to bring down his hood, and she didn''t want to force it as well, so she could only turn her attention back to Lize.


    "So, this time you came to..."


    "Yes, I came to the Association to report the failure, and also... the things that happened to leader..."


    "I understand."


    Shauna sighed as she rubbed Lize''s head.


    "Don''t blame yourself too much. This is our job. Sooner or later, such a day will come for all of us. The fact that you are alive would be their greatest consolation. Remember, if you encounter any difficulty, you can always come visit us. Even though we, the Red Hawk mercenary group is just a small group, but as long as it is something we can help, we will never decline."


    "Thank you..."


    Hearing Shauna''s consoling words, Lize finally revealed a smile. However, a young swordsman that was sitting near Shauna suddenly jumped up and shattered the emotional mood.


    "Yes, Lize. Don''t be too sad. Ah, how about you join our mercenary group? We are missing a..."


    "Barney!"


    Shauna shouted coldly, interrupting the young swordsman''s words.


    "What are you saying, is now the time to say such kind of things? Shut up and sit down!"


    "But big sis...."


    "Shut up!"


    Because of Shauna''s seriousness in her tone, the young swordsman unwillingly retreated and sat back down. Shauna turned around once again towards Lize.


    "Lize, please do not mind what Barney said. You are free to choose your own path."


    "It''s okay, sister Shauna."


    Lize did not put the young swordsman''s words to heart.


    "I have already decided that I will not disband the mercenary group."


    "Lize?"


    Shauna was stunned for a moment. When she finally came through, Rhode and Lize had already made their way towards the depths of the hall. It made Shauna slightly awkward when she watched the two of them leave. After a while, she sat down and sighed for a moment, but suddenly without notice, she turned and stared fiercely at the young swordsman beside her.


    "Don''t speak nonsense! If you still dare to talk nonsense, be careful if I tear off your mouth!!"


    In the center of the hall, people were standing next to the huge stone. The majority of the constant, clamorous chatter also came from this area. In order to receive a mission, mercenaries had to shout loudly to get attention from people. There were also plenty of mercenaries who were discussing their remuneration and conditions with the employer.


    Under the Lize''s lead, Rhode arrived at a counter. A 50-year-old man lay sleepily on the table. It was unknown how he could even manage to get a bit of shut-eye with this banter surrounding him.


    "Uncle Hank?"


    Lize spoke in a low voice while walking towards the front of the man. But apparently her voice could not rival the noise, so Lize had to raise her voice while knocking on the counter.


    When he heard the knock, the man finally awoke. He rubbed his eyes drowsily and glanced at his visitors.


    "Who is it? Can''t you see that I was sleeping so comfortably... Such a shame... I just found a good woman in my dream..."


    Having not finished his sentence yet, the man eventually noticed that it was Lize who was standing in front of him. He immediately closed his mouth and exposed an embarrassing smile.


    "Ah, I thought who was it, so it''s actually Lize! Why have you come to see me today?"


    "Yes, I have something to talk with the president, it is about our mercenary group..."


    "Mercenary group?"


    Hank was dumbfounded when he heard Lize''s answer.


    "What about the mercenary group? Where is Carter?"


    Lize did not answer Hank''s question directly and went silent for a moment. Then, she slowly revealed a silver badge from her hand. After seeing the badge, Hank''s sleepy expression immediately vanished and was replaced by a serious and tense expression.


    "I will immediately inform the president."


    Hank immediately broke into a run.

 Chapter 33 Mercenary Assessmen

    Rhode sat on a chair, observing the old man behind the desk. He knew who he was. Moby Daimler, Deep Stone City''s Mercenary Association president. Back in the game, almost every player would somehow be acquainted with this man if they wanted mercenary licenses from him. Furthermore, he would be responsible for teaching the players'' practical skills.


    If a player had high reputation points, he would hand out certain rewards to them. So, to the players, this old man was quite a popular NPC.


    However, Moby Daimler''s character was obstinate, and also sometimes quite a blockhead. Of course, in this world, the people view him as someone who adhered to his belief, but to the player, he was just a stubborn old man.


    But whether he was stubborn or not, it did not matter to Rhode.


    "Lize, you have my deepest condolence about the matter..."


    The old man then looked down at his desk, and said with his unique calm and slow tone, "Carter is a good kid. I watched him grow up, and I''m very sad about his loss," the old man shook his head and paused for a moment to sigh, "but this is a mercenary''s life; we work for money, and we all know that we might die. From the moment we accepted this way of life, we had acknowledged the risks involved... Now, tell me, what have you truly come to me for?"


    "I... I want the mercenary group to carry on, Sir."


    Lize shivered in nervousness. Both her hands slowly turned pale as she clutched the hem of her dress tightly.


    "I know it will be difficult, but I have made the decision... Mr. Rhode will be appointed as the new leader, and I believe that under his leadership, this mercenary group can continue to prosper."


    "... a wonderful idea, Lize."


    The old man sighed.


    "But you do understand that this will be a gamble. Will you hang the fate of the entire mercenary group on an unfamiliar person? Can you afford to shoulder the consequences of that venture?"


    "I certainly understand the risks involved, Mr. President, sir. But... I choose to believe in my judgment. My only wish is to watch my mercenary group prosper, but I know that I do not have the ability to do so. Therefore, I can only choose to believe in someone who can bring me hope."


    Lize gracefully lifted up her head and gazed firmly into the old man''s eyes. The old man slightly narrowed his eyes and returned Lize''s gaze. After a while, he said, "In any case, I hope that you can consider the risks involved. After all..."


    The old man was unable to finish his sentence before being suddenly interrupted by Rhode.


    "Perhaps, you should ask my opinion, Sir."


    Upon hearing Rhode''s bold words, the old man''s eyes revealed a trace of uncertainty. His eyes started to scan this man carefully whose body was fully wrapped in a cloak.


    "Kid, when an elder speaks, you should be polite."


    "If you put it that way, then I think it is quite rude to ignore the existence of others deliberately."


    Rhode retaliated without hesitation nor fear. In the game, the president NPC was an extremely resolute and steadfast character. He despised spineless cowards. That was why Rhode spoke so straightforwardly as he wanted to compare the difference between the old man from the game and this old man in front of him.


    "Let''s not dwell on unrelated matters. Moving on to the main point, I understand that the mercenary group quota is limited, and every mercenary group that can hit the quota is required to experience some kind of hardship."


    "Am I right, Mr. President?" Rhode said coolly.


    "Moreover... I also understand that if this information spreads out to the people, not only will the Mercenary Association''s reputation be damaged, but you''ll also trigger the combined dissatisfaction and ridicule from other mercenaries. You needn''t waste your time beating around the bush about these matters, Mr. President."


    "Good lad!" The old man couldn''t help but express his shock.


    Almost immediately, the lazy demeanor expressed by the old man vanished without a trace.


    "Since you understand what I meant, I''ll just be frank with you. As you''ve said earlier, every mercenary group has their own quota, and it is through their own perseverance and effort that they manage to clear the tasks required of them. No matter who you are, it is impossible for you to change the way of how the Mercenary Association operates. I''m incredibly saddened by the loss of Carter and the rest of his team, but I cannot break the Mercenary Association''s regulation."


    Rhode leisurely leaned back against the chair as he slowly picked up the teacup.


    "But you also do not hold the power to disband the mercenary group either," said Rhode casually as he stirred the black tea in the teacup, which was already cold.


    Without waiting for a reply, Rhode continued, "According to the Mercenary Association''s regulation: Only within the winter recess period, those mercenary groups who did not reach the specified level would be forced to disband. Also, the Association has no right to intervene in the internal affairs of the group."


    Upon hearing Rhode''s well-thought rebuttal, the old president frowned in silence.


    "I did not expect that you were that familiar with our regulations..." the old president voice trailed off, but the next moment, his taut expression suddenly relaxed.


    "Indeed, we do not have this power. But, as the president of the Mercenary Association of the Deep Stone City branch, I am responsible for every mercenary. And the most crucial aspect here... is your identity as an adventurer. We cannot possibly allow a person who has yet to be assessed by mercenaries to lead a mercenary group. "


    "Mr. President!"


    Lize couldn''t sit still any longer when she heard this. She immediately shot up and opened her mouth to say something. But to her surprise, Rhode shook his head, stretched out his arm and held her shoulder. Then he slowly stood up with a calm expression.


    "This means that if I pass the assessment, you''ll agree?


    "That goes without saying, lad."


    The old president also stood up.


    "Do not forget, this is the Mercenary Association''s territory. People who are qualified to stand on these grounds are only mercenaries."


    "Very well." Rhode nodded. His heart relaxed a lot. Until now, the old president''s reactions were not beyond his expectations.


    "So, if I asked to be assessed right now, there shouldn''t be any issues, right?"


    The room turned silent.


    Both of the old president''s eyes widened as he studied this young man in front of him carefully. Even he could sense the self-confidence from the young man''s tone, but he did not know where that confidence came from.


    This kid... does he even know what is he getting himself into? Since he understood the regulations well, I''m certain that he knows the standard of the test. While it isn''t particularly difficult, it isn''t a cakewalk either.


    Is this kid being reckless? Or does he truly have the strength?


    In his heart, the president shook his head. From his appearance, the young lad who was fully wrapped in a cloak didn''t appear to emit any signs of power. However, since the lad was willing to take on the assessment, he couldn''t say no. It would be the best if he could pressure him to quit, but if that didn''t work... then he''ll think about it later.


    Once he made up his decision in his mind, the old president didn''t speak any further, and he gave a smile to Rhode. He reached out and picked up a small hammer which he gently swung it against a bell on the desk. Soon, an attendant entered the room.


    "What''s the matter, Mr. President?"


    "Is the training field empty right now?" he questioned the attendant while maintaining the smile on his face.


    "Yes, Sir."


    "Very well. Inform Sereck that someone is here to take on the mercenary assessment."


    "... Yessir."


    When Sereck''s name was mentioned, a trace of surprise flashed in the attendant''s eyes. However, the expression in his eyes didn''t linger, and he quickly lowered his head before leaving the room in a hurry.


    Lize, on the other hand, openly expressed her shock and she quickly made her way towards the president.


    "Mr. President! You can''t...! Mr. Sereck is..."


    "Kid, this isn''t something you should worry yourself with." The old president waved his hand and interrupted Lize. Then he turned his head slightly, glanced towards Rhode and said, "Since this young gentleman volunteered to take on the mercenary assessment, naturally, I will grant him the opportunity."


    "But��"


    Lize wanted to say something, but this time, it was Rhode who interrupted her.


    "Do not worry, Lize. There will be no problem."


    Rhode reached out to grab a loose end of his hood and pulled it across his face, utilizing the shadow to cover his mouth. Under the hood, Rhode''s lips curved into a smile.


    "After all, this is a rare opportunity to duel with the ''Light Swordsman''."


    When the old president heard Sereck''s nickname, he couldn''t help but widen his eyes in shock. However, since things had already turned out this way, it was unnecessary for him to say anything more. Although he found this young man''s attitude peculiar, as a veteran with decades of experience, his confidence wouldn''t be shaken that easily.


    "Good... since you have the courage, I''d like to see how you will pass this assessment!" The old president snorted coldly.


    "I assure that you''ll not be disappointed. But before that, I hope you can give me 10 minutes to prepare myself."


    "Of course, that''s not a problem."


    The old president didn''t find anything odd with Rhode''s request; rather, it''ll be odd if he didn''t ask for preparation time as it was such an impromptu decision.


    Once again, he gently swung the tiny hammer on the bell and summoned several attendants.1


    "Escort the gentleman and the lady to the waiting room. Start the mercenary assessment in 10 minutes."


    The attendants glanced towards Rhode in surprise.


    "Is 10 minutes enough?"


    "It''s enough."


    -


    The Mercenary Association waiting room wasn''t anything luxurious; instead, it was slightly chilly. Other than the wooden furniture, there were wall decorations made up of swords and shields. Suits of armor were lined up neatly in the corner as well.


    Rhode waved his hand, gesturing the attendant to excuse himself before entering the room and locking it.


    "Mr. Rhode, this is too risky!"


    Lize finally voiced out her concerns to Rhode.


    "Mr. Sereck is a famous warrior in Deep Stone City. The president is deliberately making it difficult for you. This..."


    "You don''t have to worry, Lize. I have already expected this outcome."


    Rhode shook his head. He had already guessed it from the start. After all, in the game, that old man would always make it difficult for the players when they wanted to create a mercenary group. Not only would they have to gather reputation points, they would also need to undergo many difficult quests. As for right now, since he wanted to take a shortcut, of course, that old geezer wouldn''t make it easy for him.


    Furthermore, Sereck wasn''t a stranger to Rhode. He was a powerful warrior in Deep Stone City, and he was also a master swordsman that inherited ''Light Swordsmanship''. What made this ''Light Swordsmanship'' so special was that it had light magic interweaved into sword skills. By itself, the level of swordsmanship was merely average, and it was just considered to be middle-classed to players. During this period, if Rhode''s memory wasn''t wrong, Sereck''s level should be at 40.


    With such a vast difference in level, it was practically impossible for Rhode to win.


    However, this was only assessment, not a life and death battle.


    Rhode decided to conclude his thoughts and took out the Soul Core he obtained from the Shadow.


    Its appearance was different from the Wind Serpent Lord''s Soul Core. The Shadow''s Soul Core was pure white, and a layer of fog surrounded it. If one stared at it closely, it would resemble a carefully crafted artwork. Rhode glanced at his surroundings before making his way towards a brazier.


    Upon reaching, he closed his eyes and stretched out his right hand.


    Once again, the summoning circle appeared on his palm, followed by the system prompt which also emerged before him clearly.


    [The Soul Core has been contaminated, Do you want it to be purified?]


    "Purify."


    Followed by Rhode''s voice, the fog surrounding the Soul Core began to thicken as it swirled rapidly around the core.


    This mystical scene left Lize stupefied. But she still managed to close her mouth and not make a sound. Despite not knowing what he was doing, she knew that he wasn''t to be disturbed at this moment.


    As the fog around the Soul Core became increasingly thick, it created a billow of clouds which rolled in the center of his palm. This phenomenon continued as it spun faster and faster, forming a whirlpool of fog. Slowly, red streaks of light appeared within the eye of the storm, and it gradually snowballed, consuming the remaining fog, turning the entire spectacle into a bright, red cloud. The fiery cloud then started to congeal, and it finally transformed into a crimson card which levitated on top of Rhode''s palm.


    [The Flame Killer (Fire Attribute): Ground Unit, Available for Fusion, Attack 10% chance to trigger burning effect, Special Skill ������ Fire Breath (Born from the flame and die in flame. Bring its enemies eternal pain and destruction)


    [1/10 of Red Lotus Deck collected, The Flame Killer]


    But it wasn''t done yet, because, at this very moment, Rhode took out the Gargoyle''s Heart from his pocket.


    Use the Gargoyle''s Heart.


    [Target? ]


    The Flame Killer.


    Rhode spoke in his head.


    [Target - The Flame Killer - Forced Evolution]


    [Level upgrade finished]


    [Evolve? ]


    Yes.


    The bright, crimson card started rotating once again. A resplendent flame crept around the card, and then it slowly faded.


    Rhode then grabbed the card and studied the information written on it.


    A picture of a fiery hound was painted on the front side of the card. At the top corner, a red circle with the letters "VI" were printed on it. As for the bottom corners of the card, two numbers, 5 and 3 represented the summoning spirit''s attack and defense respectively.


    When he flipped over the card, it displayed the card details.


    [The Flame Killer (Fire Attribute): Ground Unit, Available for Fusion, Attack: 10% chance to trigger burning effect, Special Skill ������ Fire Breath (Born forth from flame, and perishes in flames. Inflicts a calamity by delivering catastrophic destruction to lay them in eternal rest.) LV 10


    Received the flame baptism: the Flame Guardian.


    Fire Breath: Hot enough to melt steel, and no one will be able to get in its way,


    Born forth from flame; perishes in flames. Explosive Type.]


    Pretty good.


    Comparing it to the Spirit Bird''s meager attack and defense power, which was at the level of ordinary creatures, the Flame Killer''s attack was much better and it even reached Giant Beast level. Still, though its defense was low, Rhode believed that with the innate fire element, the card still had its uses.


    After analyzing, Rhode kept the card, turned around and faced towards a dazed Lize.


    "I''m ready, let''s go."Raws did not mention additional attendants in the room, so I added this line. Otherwise, it would seem as if several attendants appeared out of nowhere.

 Chapter 34 Tes

    Currently, the Mercenary Association''s training field was filled with people. When they heard that there was someone who wanted to challenge Sereck, they all came flocking in droves. It wasn''t always the case though, as normally, people wouldn''t be very interested in the usual mercenary assessment.


    ''Light Swordsman'' Sereck, was one of the legendary figures of Deep Stone City. Every mercenary held him in high regard. Though he rarely conducts assessments personally, this time, upon the order of the president, he had to do it. This event sparked the curiosity of the mercenaries as they gathered in the corner of the training field.


    Naturally, as mercenaries, all of them had already completed their mercenary assessment, which was in actuality, a very straightforward process. The Association would appoint a recognized mercenary to assess the newbie, and as long he or she received the recognition of the veteran, then they would pass. But as for someone as distinguished as Sereck? Even many of these veterans had never seen Sereck conduct an assessment personally. Thus, they were incredibly curious about the ''newbie'' that had the qualifications to receive Sereck''s personal evaluation.


    The first one who entered the training field was the ''Light Swordsman'', Sereck.


    Clad in a white, leather armor with a golden lion mark imprinted on the chestguard, he appeared out of the shadows in his signature golden hair, which was combed backward neatly. When he displayed his gentle, yet confident smile on his face, an astounding wave of cheers echoed among the surrounding mercenaries. It really wasn''t surprising because Sereck had a high reputation within Deep Stone City.


    "I''ll leave it to you, old buddy."


    The Mercenary Association''s president came to Sereck''s side and smiled as he patted his shoulder.


    "Don''t worry Moby." Sereck returned the president''s friendly gesture with an elegant smile. But still, he couldn''t help but inquire about his opponent.


    "It''s a rare occurrence seeing you this agitated, which youngster had done it?"


    "An ungrateful little devil."


    The old president grunted coldly.


    "I see. Very well then. Then I will make him understand that our mercenaries aren''t easy to mess with!"


    Meanwhile, Rhode and Lize finally arrived at the training field after being guided by the attendant. When the crowd noticed them, they gave the duo a puzzled look. Compared to Sereck''s entrance, the difference in reception was glaringly apparent.


    "Big sister, Isn''t that Lize?


    At that moment, Barney who was within the crowd suddenly exclaimed. Shauna, who was standing beside him, frowned when she noticed Rhode and Lize but she still kept her silence.


    "Isn''t it that guy from before? Is he the one to be assessed today?"


    The mercenaries who saw the duo from before started gossiping to one another.


    "Where did that guy came from? He could actually force the President to summon Sereck?"


    "He even tries to maintain the air of mystery around him with that cloak. From a glance, I can tell that he''s not a good person."


    "What is he? Looking at his appearance, is he a mage?"


    "No way. He didn''t even bring a wand. Can you see what he is holding.... eh? EH!!?? Isn''t that our usual sparring sword!?"


    Even both the president and Sereck was somewhat surprised when they noticed Rhode''s choice of weapon. The sparring sword was a piece of common equipment provided by the Association, and certainly not a weapon that mercenaries would use in an assessment of this caliber. Most mercenaries would prefer to use their own weapons just for the fact that they were more familiar with it. Even if they wanted to use a common sword, they would still use something more comfortable, and not this sparring sword which had no modification at all.


    Did he intend to wield this sword to fight Sereck?


    When everyone was busy discussing that matter, Rhode had already walked up to the Sereck and the old president. He briefly paid his respects to both of them and pulled his hood.


    "I''m ready. The two of you can start anytime."


    "Are you going to use this sword to challenge me?" Sereck frowned and said.


    Since it was rare for him to conduct an assessment, he didn''t particularly have any ill feelings about Rhode. But if the opponent used ordinary weapons to fight, then it would be meaningless even if he won.


    "Young man, don''t be pressured, do what you need to do. It is only a sparring match and we hope to assess your real strength and level. The outcome is not important."


    "We think alike, Mr. Sereck."


    Rhode was still calmly holding the sword in his hand.


    "So, please don''t mind about my choice of weapon... Since I also wish to experience the might of the Light Swordsman."


    "Very well then."


    Since Rhode had made his decision, Sereck''s face also turned serious. In the beginning, he thought that it would be unfair if he used a magic sword against an ordinary weapon, but since Rhode took the initiative to affirm him of his own choice, then he had no more qualms about etiquette.


    Sereck nodded lightly and glanced towards the president. It wasn''t until now that he finally understood why his old buddy got mad with this kid.


    But who is he?


    Sereck didn''t think much, he shook his head and unsheathed his sword.


    "Bring it on!" His low voice echoed throughout the training grounds.


    Rhode didn''t say anything as he pulled out his sword slowly while carefully observing the Light Sword on Sereck''s hand. In an instant, Rhode leaned his body forward and disappeared as he activated his shadow flash.


    Swordsmanship skill?


    When Sereck analyzed Rhode''s skill, he was slightly surprised, but he quickly calmed himself down and activated his own skill. The sword in his hand suddenly shattered into countless shards of light which rained down towards Rhode.


    Since it was only an assessment, Sereck did not use the full power of his attack. No matter how skilled Rhode was, he assumed that Rhode wouldn''t be able to withstand this attack. Light Swordsmanship''s skills were very fast, and to escape from the myriad of light shards wasn''t an easy feat.


    However, Rhode totally destroyed his expectations. Jumping and dashing from side to side, Rhode nimbly dodged the shards as he slowly closed the distance.


    This isn''t possible!


    It was as though Rhode recognized that this attack was used to confuse the enemy.


    Now, Rhode''s decisiveness and comprehension made Sereck''s facial expression change visibly. He was utterly shocked.


    But what he did not know was that Rhode was familiar with his skills. Even though there was a vast difference between Rhode and Sereck''s level, Rhode was completely aware of the Light Swordsmanship''s attack range. While this move might work against those newer mercenaries, but to him, it was still somewhat lacking.


    While Sereck was being surprised continuously, Rhode managed to close in, and he lunged forward with his Moon Shadow Swordsmanship. The Light and Moon Shadow Swordsmanship were total opposites, the former was akin to sunlight, shining brilliantly and forcing those nearby to yield, while the latter was more of a shadow, lurking in the dark, waiting for the prime opportunity to strike.


    So fast!


    Noticing the shadow that suddenly appeared beside him, Sereck''s eyes widened and hastily changed the direction of his attacks. His magic sword revealed a glorious light, drowning the shadow which attacked him.


    Naturally, Rhode failed to penetrate his defenses. That goes without saying because, with a 30 level gap, it would be akin to defeating an elephant as an ant. If Sereck used his full power, Rhode would be sent flying out of the training grounds long ago. That was why, when facing Sereck''s counter-attack, Rhode immediately retreated and stabilized himself with his sword.


    Dodging once would be considered as luck, but twice...? Sereck started to doubt this young man who was draped in a cloak. Was he someone he knew? If not, how could someone be so familiar with his swordsmanship?


    However, as an experienced veteran, Sereck soon discovered that Rhode tried to avoid direct contact with him. Since that was the case, he retracted all the light shards back into his sword and began to attack him head-on.


    Once again, Sereck miscalculated. Although he was pretty confident in his speed, Rhode still managed to slip out of his fingers constantly and retreat when they fought.


    After clashing for three to four times, the surrounding dumbstruck mercenaries began to murmur to each other.


    "Big sister, Mr. Sereck sword is so fast, but why it can''t it hit that guy?" Barney subconsciously asked with a shocked expression.


    He had simulated in his mind that if he was in Rhode''s position, he wouldn''t even be able to escape from the first attack and would immediately surrender after that. But this odd young man could escape Sereck''s attack three times and he didn''t even receive a single injury! Does it mean that this guy is also a sword master?


    It wasn''t only Barney who thought this way, the rest of the other mercenaries were equally dumbfounded. They simply did not understand how could that guy dodge Mr. Sereck''s astonishingly fast attacks.


    The old president''s expression turned grim because he knew what was wrong.


    While Sereck''s Light Swordsmanship was indubitably fast as the word ''light'' suggests, but the crux of the problem was that only the sword skills were fast, and not the person. To a common person, as long as one witnessed fast swordsmanship, they would assume that the person using it would be equally as fast. However, the fact was that these two were completely different.


    The old president also realized that the young man was using his own speed to dodge Sereck''s attacks. It was also apparent that he understood the characteristics of Light Swordsmanship. This made him furrow his brows as he tried to guess about Rhode''s origin. Sereck had never left Deep Stone City in 30 years, and the people that fought with him were only a handful. So where did this strange young man originate from?


    Meanwhile, both Sereck and Rhode had already clashed numerous times. Rhode was still maintaining his strategy of avoiding direct contact while Sereck''s facial expression finally began to relax, but not to the point of losing its seriousness.


    "You''re really fast. You''ll become a promising thief one day." Sereck smiled and said in a depressed tone when Rhode dodged his attack once again.


    "Thanks for the compliment, but I''m a swordsman."


    Rhode''s voice was indifferent; his face was hidden behind the hood so no one could see his expression.


    "Then show me some swordsmanship, lad."


    Sereck raised his sword and pointed towards Rhode. He had decided to take it up a notch. Not because Rhode managed dodged his attacks countless of times, but it was because he was curious. He wanted to see if this young man in front of him still had something up his sleeve.


    "As you wish."


    Just at this time, Rhode finally moved.


    A faint light started to congeal at the tip of his sword. And in an instant, followed by an eruption of light, a beam shaped as a crescent moon emerged from the sword.


    Sword energy condensation?


    Looking at this, Sereck''s face became tense. Then he shouted, "Very good!" and rushed forward while holding his sword.


    A barrier of light emerged as it welcomed the crescent moon which came towards it. At this moment, Sereck the sword master, displayed his full power. A violent wave exploded out from his sword. Even the mercenaries watching from the sidelines had to take a few steps back. And when Rhode''s silver crescent moon finally clashed with Sereck''s sword light, it disappeared without a trace.


    Not bad.


    Although it made Rhode''s attack seem like child''s play, Sereck was pleasantly surprised as he nodded his head in satisfaction. This man in front of him is so young, yet he is able to condensate sword energy. Also, from the previous clashes, he knew that this kid could fight wisely. Sereck even thought that it''d be a pity to have such a young promising talent to become a mercenary. He glanced towards the old man on the sidelines, thinking whether to make this young man his disciple. After all, a rare talent such as this man doesn''t grow on trees.


    "������!!!"


    Suddenly a chirping sound could be heard, and he saw the surrounding mercenaries displaying a surprised expression.


    What happened?!


    He quickly turned his attention back towards Rhode. But at this time, Sereck was shocked to find a green figure passing through his light barrier towards him!

 Chapter 35 The Assessment Resul

    What the...


    Sereck''s heart skipped a beat. When he repeatedly questioned himself whether if there was anything wrong with the barrier, he finally realized that the only possibility the green light could enter unhindered was if it exploited that small gap. Sereck sighed and raised his sword to receive the blow, and when the Spirit Bird finally collided, a raging storm arose.


    "Boom!!!"


    Violent winds shook the ground, and the surrounding mercenaries who were unable to withstand the intense storm began to retreat. Even though the Spirit Bird''s attack power wasn''t high, its wind attribute shouldn''t be underestimated. Sereck narrowed his eyes and swung his sword, tearing apart the violent wind with a brilliant light. However, what he saw next wasn''t Rhode.


    Rhode flipped his left hand and a red card materialized out of thin air which fell to his palm. In a swift motion, he gripped the card and threw it forward.


    "������!"


    Followed by a tearing sound, the red card tore apart. An intense, raging fire immediately swept the ground with a violent pressure emitting in all directions, causing the surrounding temperature to ascend abruptly. At that very moment, a ferocious roar rang out as a fiery hound appeared before Rhode. It immediately unveiled its claws and fangs as it dashed towards Sereck, and Rhode, as though in harmony with the Flame Killer, immediately activated his Shadow Flash before slashing forward with his sword.


    "What the heck is that!"


    Observing the unbelievable scene that was unfolding, all of the surrounding mercenaries rushed to the front to get a firsthand view of this spectacle and they couldn''t help but feel surprised. Even those veterans that had experienced countless of battles felt their blood rushing towards their head at this astonishing scene.


    Sereck was no different.


    But unlike those mercenaries on the sidelines, time was a luxury that Sereck didn''t have. When an unknown factor appeared in mid-battle, he can only put all his attention on the crisis unfolding in front of him. While he had a feeling that the appearance of the hound wouldn''t be life-threatening, but as a sword master, being forced into a corner with a large number of spectators looking at him would be a shameful act. Because of that reasoning, he chose to take the attack head-on. Sereck snorted coldly and took on a defensive stance, fully welcoming Rhode''s attack.


    A brilliant barrier of light appeared once again, abruptly parrying the hound''s direct attack. However, this act of deterrence wouldn''t be able to stop the Flame Killer. Sereck''s attack only merely slowed down its advance, and it suddenly jumped to the side before lunging towards Sereck with its mouth wide open.


    "Boom!!!!"


    The hound cast a Fire Breath, causing a wave of scorching flames to envelop Sereck, burning everything nearby to cinders. Sereck didn''t hesitate any longer, as someone with a high status such as himself, his public image was as important as his life. If he was defeated right now by a random stranger whose face was hidden, then he might as well drop his decades of prestige into the mud. Thus, starting from this moment, Sereck finally treated Rhode as a true opponent.


    Akin to a dying brilliance of a setting sun, in a blink of an eye, orange flames lit up the skies, and as quick as its emergence, the last of the embers came and went in a flash.


    But it was enough...


    The flame finally disappeared.


    No signs of flames could be seen on the scorched ground. The spectators only managed to catch a glimpse of a flash of light, and then in the very next moment, it instantly disappeared. With the exception of the ashes and smoke that lingered in the air, everything else completely disappeared.


    It''s coming!


    Rhode furrowed his brows. He knew that Sereck was serious now.


    But that was his intention since the beginning.


    Even though Sereck was able to defend against the Flame Killer''s attack, but he wasn''t able to dodge Rhode and the Spirit Bird. Rhode also didn''t plan to retreat as he lunged forward with his sword.


    Blade of Destruction, ACTIVATE!


    "������!"


    A splendorous light emerged from the ashes, rushing towards Sereck. Under the orders of Rhode, the Spirit Bird curved in an arc and flanked towards Sereck''s right while the hound who had failed to penetrate his defense, retreated towards the left and prepared a collaborative attack with the Spirit Bird.


    The Flame Killer then launched a Fire Breath once again, followed by a deadly swipe from its claw.


    The scene was almost magical, like a fantasy.


    The mercenaries along the sidelines had their jaws agape, unable to speak a word. Not one of them had seen such a way of fighting, nor have they ever seen the Light Swordsman fight at full force.


    If it were any other ordinary mercenary, Rhode''s tri-pronged attack would undoubtedly render them helpless if they didn''t rush towards Rhode first, but Sereck''s choice was different.


    The first thing he attacked wasn''t Rhode.


    When Sereck raised his sword, it was as if time slowed down, and when he swung down his sword towards the hound, his sword appeared to fall incredibly gently, but seemingly impossible to dodge.


    The Flame Killer roared in agony as he felt as though a heavy hammer smashed into its head. The sword in Sereck''s hand fluidly changed its direction again and sealed the Spirit Bird''s attack. And when the Spirit Bird fell to the ground, Sereck had already changed the course of his sword once again to face the oncoming Blade of Destruction.


    Each moment was somehow very short, but it was also very long. Almost everyone saw what happened, but they were also unable to see it clearly. It was as if the scene before them was just a dream.


    However, Rhode did not stop.


    Within the tempest of light, he could feel a massive impact on the sword he was holding. In an instant, his body shook as though his internal organs shifted, and his HP bar plunged to orange from a healthy green. At this moment, his sword could no longer withstand the overwhelming impact and shattered into pieces.


    Sereck immediately attacked, and a light appeared on his sword, rushing towards Rhode''s chest.


    However, Rhode didn''t panic. He held up his right hand and paused for a moment before suddenly making a gripping gesture.


    "Woo������!!!"


    The black hound howled and rushed forward. Its whole body immolated in flames as it unhesitatingly made its way towards Sereck. In retaliation, Sereck snorted and swiped his hand. Following that gesture, a brilliant light split the black hound into two.


    But it wasn''t the end yet.


    Born forth from the flame, and perishes in flames.


    Sereck felt a huge energy emitting from the tip of his sword. His eyes widened, but it was already too late for him to react.


    The hound which split into two pieces, began to turn bright red. It continued roaring and rolled towards Sereck, and finally, its flame resistant body couldn''t contain the fiery energy within and imploded.


    At this very moment, a red card materialized on Rhode''s palm and he gripped it without hesitation.


    "Clang!!!!"


    A pair of white wings appeared out of thin air, shielding Rhode and blocking the flames.


    When the fire and ashes finally scattered, it revealed two silhouettes close to one another.


    Sereck stopped moving, the gap between his sword and Rhode''s chest was only a few inches, but there was a thin barrier of angelic wings in between his sword and Rhode''s body. At the same time, Rhode''s sword stopped next to Sereck''s neck.


    "Elemental creatures, magic weapon, and swordsmanship mastery."


    After a long time, Sereck finally broke the silence.


    "Not bad, young man. You did great."


    "Thank you for your compliment."


    Rhode nodded slightly and removed the sword from Sereck''s neck. Then he made a hand gesture to recall the Spirit Bird, which soon arrived and perched on his shoulder quietly.


    "You''re welcome. It had been a long time since I had so much fun."


    Sereck revealed a rare soft smile as he expertly sheathed his sword.


    "What is your name?"


    "Rhode. Rhode Alander."


    Rhode replied Sereck calmly.


    "Rhode! What a great name! I like you, boy! In the Deep Stone City, you''re the first one to make me suffer a loss!"


    Sereck patted Rhode''s shoulder and laughed.


    In response to Sereck''s hearty reply, Rhode only slightly nodded to express his thanks. Then he turned towards the old man who was standing on the sidelines with an ugly expression.


    "So, old man, did I pass the mercenary assessment?"


    "This��"


    Moby revealed a rather ugly expression. In fact, when he saw Rhode''s skill, he already expected this outcome. However, this little devil still chose to ask him about the assessment directly. He could not accept this result and helplessly looked towards Sereck, non-verbally indicating for his assistance.


    Facing the old president''s gaze, Sereck smiled cunningly and winked.


    "Frankly, with your talent, being a mercenary is a waste... However, since this is your choice, it''s not my place to say anything else. However, with regards to the assessment, in my opinion, you''ve passed!"

 Chapter 36 Mercenary Group System Unlocked

    As for the mercenaries, this battle had been an eye-opener for them.


    While Rhode''s method of winning wasn''t ethical, it wasn''t a fair fight from the beginning anyway, since their level gap was like the sky and the ocean. Moreover, mercenaries weren''t chivalrous knights; the winners always reign supreme over the losers.


    From that day onwards, Rhode and Sereck''s intense battle became a hot topic. Sereck''s name had been famous for many years, but few witnessed his true power. Therefore, over time the mercenaries started to think that it was just a facade. However, after this battle, those thoughts were erased from their minds.


    Apart from Sereck, Rhode''s mysteriousness went up another notch. How can he, as a swordsman, summon two odd elemental spirits? Supposedly, only mages were able to that, but without a single chant? That was way too absurd. Therefore, the talk of the town was how Rhode managed to do what he did. Some people said it was a unique summoning spell, while some others insisted that he made use of a magic item. After all, this young man managed to use such a powerful magic weapon at the end of the battle, which implied that his identity was something extraordinary.


    What made them even happier was that this powerful young man wanted to join in the ranks of mercenaries. From that day onwards, it meant that he would be a full-fledged mercenary. And at this moment, many mercenary groups were discussing on how could they recruit this young and powerful talent. While the results of the battle tilted towards Rhode''s side at the end, but they knew of the level gap between both of them, and if it were a life-or-death battle, who knew who would emerge victorious? But since Rhode was able to push the usually calm Sereck to a corner, it was enough to prove his ability. Furthermore, he was still very young, and his future will be promising.


    Meanwhile, Rhode and Lize had already returned to the president''s room. A smiling man stood beside the old president, facing towards Rhode and Lize.


    "Since you''ve already passed the assessment, from this day on, you are a mercenary. Congratulations."


    Even though he was congratulating Rhode, the old president''s smile was stiff and fake, obviously displaying his displeasure about this matter.


    "As for the mercenary rules and regulations, I think you already understood it clearly, so I won''t waste my breath on it." The old president said unhappily.


    Rhode did not say anything since he knew Moby''s personality. Anyway, since he had achieved his goal, he didn''t care what the old president said as it had nothing to do with himself. Letting the elders vent their anger wasn''t a big deal.


    When the old president finally calmed down, he reached out his hand and fished out a scroll from a drawer. Moby glanced towards Lize who was sitting behind Rhode and noticed a calm look on her face. However, he still could spot a trace of slight displeasure from her expression. It wasn''t because she had lingering worries about Rhode and Sereck''s battle, but rather, it was because that the cloak she made for Rhode was torn and tattered after the fight. He had only worn it once, and yet it was already in this state. This made Lize''s heart quite distressed.


    A woman''s mind is mysterious indeed.


    "Lize... I admit that this kid is strong... but I still have to inform you that your decision is reckless. Individual strength is different from a whole mercenary group. Take a look at Sereck and Marl. No doubt that they''re strong, but they are still part of a mercenary group because strength in numbers is far greater than a lone ranger." The old president sighed and glanced towards Rhode. "There''s no problem with this lad''s strength, but a mercenary group is not something that can be sustained by two people. Even though there''s some time till the winter assessment, but I''m not certain if you''ll be able to solve this problem by that time."


    "I understand, Mr. President, sir."


    Lize nodded. As a member of a mercenary group, she knew the difficulty of what was to come. But she didn''t have the capabilities to do what needs to be done. If they wanted to survive, the most important issue to settle was the lack of members, which meant that she had to recruit more people. However, reliable new members were not easy to find, and the commander''s position might be shaken if the management was not done right.


    Even if Lize was a veteran of mercenary life, but she was still far too young, and she held a non-combat profession. It would be difficult to suppress anyone if they tried to overthrow her authority. On the other hand, Rhode was very strong, and a lot of mercenaries had observed his overwhelming might. However, he was a new mercenary and him being the leader would only create turbulence rather than stability.


    Since it was her own mercenary group, Lize had her own values and ideals of how the group should develop. Many mercenary groups performed well in the beginning, but they fell to the temptation of underhanded means to gain funds, such as assassination. There were even more groups that lowered their heads and worked directly under nobility to collect taxes. These were no longer mercenaries, but thugs instead.


    Of course, Lize didn''t want her mercenary group to become like those vile and cowardly groups. But she was weak. Even with Rhode''s support, if everyone refused to work under both of them, then everything would just become a fantasy.


    "But it is pointless to say such things now."


    Discovering the determination in her eyes, the old president no longer said anything and picked up the brush before staring at Rhode.


    "Well, you''ve achieved your goal. According to the rules, when a group leader is replaced, the new leader is qualified to change the group name. Do you want to change it now?"


    "Starlight." Rhode responded almost immediately without hesitation.


    After hearing the answer, the old president nodded his head. He bent down, wrote the name on the scroll, lifted the seal stamp next to him and pushed down hard. Next, he spun the scroll around towards Rhode.


    "Press your fingerprint on it or sign your name."


    "No problem."


    When Rhode looked at the scroll, he couldn''t help but feel a wave of nostalgia rushing up his head. The scroll was somewhat familiar, but wasn''t identical. Back in the game, it appeared as an application form, but now, the old parchment felt slightly more immersive and had a historical feel to it. Rhode glanced towards Lize, and after receiving her approval, he took a deep breath before signing his name on the scroll.


    "Ding!"


    Suddenly, a sound rang in Rhode''s head and soon, a system prompt appeared before him.


    [Mercenary group leader position obtained; Mercenary Group System unlocked]


    Rhode glanced at it for a moment before shifting his gaze away. Slowly, he was getting accustomed to the weird, unscientific system prompts. Since these things already happened, thinking about it further would be meaningless. Therefore, his expression did not change much and he pushed the scroll back after signing.


    After taking the scroll, the old man face revealed a smile, but faded soon after.


    "Well, I''d hope to see your exploits in the future, lad."


    "I don��t think you will be disappointed."


    "I hope so..."


    "But... there is one thing I want to remind both of you. Some spies from the Country of Light had arrived in the city. Although I do not know what they''re after, I suggest that you do not to mess with these people. "


    "I understand."


    After hearing the old president''s reminder, Rhode knitted his brows and frowned.


    It''s coming.


    After the two people left the room, the old president gave a bitter smile. He sat down and turned towards to his old buddy beside him.


    "Old thing, what do you think about this kid? I doubt that he was sent by above."


    "You mean the Golden City?"


    Sereck exposed a helpless smile.


    "I don��t think so. If Lize was speaking the truth, then she and this lad should have met accidentally."


    "But if it''s not an accident, then this kid wanted to form a mercenary group..."


    "Of course, I know."


    This time, Sereck did not deny the old president��s judgment.


    "Not only he possesses a magical weapon, but his strength is also good. And his appearance is quite... beautiful? Frankly, his features did match with ''that person''s'' aesthetic taste, so I can understand your thought. But if there really was such a person, then there would be news from the Golden City."


    "After all, you and I know ''that person''s'' personality, if he was her subordinate, then she would absolutely not hide him until now. And... that unusual way of fighting, I''ve never seen it before." Sereck sighed.


    "It wasn''t a summoning skill?"


    The old president expression immediately became serious after hearing his sigh.


    "Of course not. Both of us have experience with mages, and I''m pretty sure you had seen summoners before, right?"


    "Definitely. But I had never really understood those deeper issues about mages."


    "That''s why you are a mercenary, old friend. Go read some books."


    "Well, let''s not talk about this topic anymore."


    When he heard Sereck''s friendly mocking tone, the old president face turned red.


    "I leave this lad to you, Sereck. Pay some attention to him. A few days ago those b*stards from the Country of Light secretly came to this city; I think they are up to something. At this time, such a strange kid also appeared all of sudden... We do not want to get involved in whatever trouble that is brewing... at the very least, the Mercenary Association doesn''t want to."


    "Don''t worry."


    Sereck nodded with a serious expression.


    "I''ll not let them give us trouble."

 Chapter 37 Cyril’s Haunted House

    Name: Starlight


    Size: Small


    Leader: Rhode Alander


    Members: 1


    Stronghold: None


    Level: 1


    Reputation: Obscure


    Room Facilities: Training Room (Unbuildable), Bedroom (Unbuildable), Hall (Unbuildable), Towers (Locked), Library (Locked), Alchemy Room (Locked), Smithing Room (Locked)...


    Looking at the system prompt before him, Rhode felt helpless. It was much lower than the starting point back in the game. When a player formed a guild, the system would determine whether the players would have reached the qualification through the application request, and then gift a stronghold to them at the same time. However, the stronghold wasn''t even mentioned here.


    After thinking about it, naturally, it was because, in the game, the players were required to complete many tasks to be qualified to apply for a group. And right now, he only paid a small price in return for this mercenary group. To make himself feel better, Rhode recalled that in the original Dragon Soul Continent, NPC mercenary groups owned very few strongholds, so it wasn''t too surprising...


    But because it was urgent, Rhode needed to purchase a stronghold for his mercenary group as a base.


    Of course, this meant that he needed money. But fortunately, this was not something entirely impossible for him.


    A knocking sound rang from the door, and Lize walked into the room. After resting for a night with clean clothes, she felt more energized. Once her eyes locked with Rhode''s, she greeted him with a sweet smile on her face.


    "Mr. Rhode, I''m ready."


    "Well okay then, let''s go," Rhode said calmly, and he stood up, walking out of the door.


    Lize stared at him, puzzled. Then she hurriedly followed behind him.


    Lize could not understand Rhode''s decision. Although she did not agree,  she did not object it either. Because before talking about that problem, they still have one more thing to deal with Li Jie for the idea of Rod is completely ignorant, although she did not agree, there is no objection. Because before the practical problems, there is a more practical problem to deal with, which was they lack money.


    (To Winnie: Please check this paragraph above and change it when you go through the chapters. I have no idea who is Rod and Li Jie.)


    After pooling the total amount of money acquired from the Fog Ruins and Matt''s remuneration, they had at least a thousand gold coins. Furthermore, Rhode had her sell some gems and crystals to the shops in Deep Stone City for two thousand five hundred gold coins, but she knew that it was still not enough to buy a house in the noble district. Even the houses at the corners of the noble district had an astronomical price. Who could even earn that amount of money to buy it?


    However, right now, Rhode was walking towards the noble districts with a confident expression. This piqued Lize''s curiosity.


    How can Rhode use this measly sum of coins to buy a house here in this district? It can''t be that he is trying to rob right?


    Recalling Rhode''s past actions, this possibility didn''t seem too far-fetched.


    -


    Top area, southwest corner.


    Compared to the elegant, well-maintained villas along the way, the mansion in front of them was a total disaster. The bricks that formed the structure of the mansion were thoroughly corroded, and long, thick weeds crept along the outer walls. Apparently, this mansion had seen its better days. The once magnificent courtyard was now littered with garbage and feces of wild animals. Even the skies surrounding the mansion seemed rather gloomy.


    And as if that wasn''t enough, out of a sudden, a cold wind blew, accompanied by a complementary howl from wild dogs. Lize couldn''t help but shiver at this scene.


    The moment they entered the courtyard, she could sense the distinct change in atmosphere when compared to the exterior of the mansion. Just outside the mansion, the streets were clean and maintained, but the courtyard... was unnaturally cold, messy and dead. If one could measure the change of scenery in meters, then, perhaps it would be comparable to the distance from heaven to hell.


    "Mr.. Mr. Rhode... are you really planning to buy t-this house?"


    Lize subconsciously wrapped her arms around her body and stuttered in a low voice.


    Rhode shook his head.


    "It isn''t a just plan."


    "Because I have already bought it."


    "..."


    "..."


    Suddenly, an awkward silence fell upon the duo as they stared at each other.


    One second, two seconds, three seconds.


    "What?!!"


    Lize broke the silence. Her mind reeled in shock and her eyes snapped wide open as she subconsciously rejected what she heard. If it were any other person, she would''ve thought that they''d be joking. But this was Rhode, and she knew that she heard his words correctly.


    "You... you said that you''ve already bought it?"


    "Yes, they only asked me for 500 gold coins, it was really a good deal."


    "500 gold coins!"


    Hearing this insane deal, Lize paused for a moment, then, as though she understood something surprising, she immediately covered her mouth in shock.


    "This is Cyril''s Haunted House!?"


    In Deep Stone City, the infamous Cyril''s Haunted House was a name that almost no one would want to speak of. Everybody knew it, but no one wanted to speak of it.


    The Cyril family used to be a third-rate noble family in Deep Stone City. Unlike other families, the Cyril family''s humble beginning began from art sculptures. The family head was Martin Cyril. He had an unimaginable talent in sculpting, especially sculpting the human body. All of his artworks were all lifelike and vivid. And him being recognized as the master sculptor in Deep Stone City wasn''t any myth.


    But it all changed because of a mysterious rock.


    When Martin was 29 years old, he acquired a piece of white rock that he discovered from Deep Stone City''s mine. While the details were not known, the master sculptor brought back this rock to his house to create his newest masterpiece.


    At first, the people didn''t care much about it. After all, as a master sculptor, he had his own pursuits in life. However, after some time, nobles began to be curious about what kind of art he could create from that rock. In the beginning, Martin''s work cycle wasn''t anything odd, and he would often lock himself in the room for a week, busying himself with the rock. This was when people started becoming excited about his next masterpiece.


    But then, from that point on, strange things started to happen.


    Cyril family maids began to disappear one after another, and no one knew what happened As a noble family, the Cyril family could afford to send a lot of people to find the missing people, but surprisingly, those people too, disappeared.


    As time passed, not only the maids disappeared, other nearby people started disappearing too. It caused the nobles to panic. And not long after, a huge, major event befell the Cyril family. Martin Cyril''s wife and daughter disappeared.


    At this point, the people forgot about the masterpiece that Martin was working on and burst into his workroom, hoping that he had a solution to this problem. But alas, a horrific scene greeted them. They saw broken limbs scattered everywhere, and Martin''s wife and daughter weren''t spared either. Their remains were hanging from the ceiling while the master sculptor sat in the middle of the room, stroking a sculpture of a woman beside him.


    The next thing that happened was very simple.


    Martin was promptly apprehended, and he admitted that he had killed all those missing women. But he believed that their death was justified because it was for the perfection of art. By sacrificing their lives, they had performed a noble act, and it was worthy of respect.


    Any sane person wouldn''t be satisfied with his explanation and Deep Stone City sentenced him to death. But what happened next was incredibly surprising. After receiving his sentence, he somehow escaped the prison and turned mad. In order to catch him, the Deep Stone City garrison, mercenary association, and some nobles sent people to hunt him down. However, they did not anticipate that the weak master sculptor could actually slaughter dozens of advanced warriors and hundreds of soldiers. In the end, Martin succumbed to death after overextending his stamina in his workroom.


    This tragedy shocked the entire Deep Stone City. Many people believed that the rock contained magic and tempted the master sculptor into becoming a murderous devil. And that very rock, which was carefully guarded by the city guards, mysteriously disappeared on the second day of Martin''s death.


    For a period, the whole Deep Stone City became unstable. A large number of Cyril family sculptures were smashed and destroyed. After that, the matter was gradually forgotten as time passed. But it was a pity that even after his death, he still attracted the attention of others.


    The first victim was a noble family that had a good relationship with the Cyril family, and they came to take care of the property. However, after a month, all of them were found dead in the dining room, and in front of the corpses were decaying food that hadn''t been touched by anyone for a long time.


    Two years later, a second victim was struck. A wealthy merchant moved out from the city and migrated here. To assimilate into the upper society in the quickest way possible, he disregarded advice from others and bought this property. His ending was no better than the people from before. Half a month later, the wealthy merchant and all of his servants were found dead, hanging themselves from the ceiling. It was just as though they were happy going to heaven together.


    The connection between these two terrible events caused people to avoid this haunted house. Even the Deep Stone City was helpless about this. And because of that, they had put the lowest price for it. Needless to say, 500 gold coins for such a large house was a terrific bargain, so, some people still gathered the courage to purchase it.


    This time, the house owner was smarter, not only did he spend money to refurbish the house, but he also spent money to hire a team of strong mercenaries to guard the house.


    But this time, it was even more unfortunate. The house owner didn''t even last until the second day. Not a glimpse of light shone out of the house ever since then.


    Of course, no one was even going to confirm the result since it was already clear as day.


    Naturally, Lize had heard this since she was a resident of Deep Stone City for many years. So now that Rhode actually bought this house, she couldn''t help but shiver in fright.


    "M-Mr. Rhode, do you know what this place is? This place is h-..."


    "Of course I know." Rhode waved his hand and interrupted her.


    Not only did he know what happened before, but he also knew what would happen after. This was a place where the hidden boss was located. Back in the game, Cyril''s Haunted House was one of his first few hidden quests. Therefore, he could still remember the questline vividly. However, now, it was different from before as he had enough preparation to beat this hidden boss.


    "Don��t worry; it��s just a house. Moreover�� I have made enough preparations for what is to come."


    Rhode and Lize walked through the disordered courtyard and reached the entrance of the house. Through the slits of the decaying door, the darkness inside could be seen clearly. Rhode stretched out his hand and placed it on the door, then he turned his head and looked at Lize who had a nervous expression on her face.


    "Are you ready?"

 Chapter 38 Shadow In The Haunted House

    "What did you say?!"


    The old president stood up abruptly.


    "That little devil brought Lize to Cyril��s Haunted House??"


    "I, too, just received the news, old buddy."


    Sereck made a withered smile and said, "At first, I wanted to look for them and ask about their plans. But they''re long gone by then. Not long after then I learned that they went to the City Hall to buy Cyril''s property."


    "Needless to say, after seeing his courageous move, I was very optimistic about his future."


    "Nonsense! Simply nonsense!"


    The old president slammed the table.


    "That place isn''t some casual area that they can visit. Immediately pull them back!"


    Sereck shook his head. "It''s too late. They''re already inside."


    But soon, a smile emerged from his face.


    "But thinking about it, old friend, why are you so anxious? Didn''t you hate people who broke mercenary rules? Isn''t it for the better now if both of them disappeared. Their mercenary group would be immediately disbanded and you''ll gain one more slot. Why bother with them now?"


    "That is that, and this is this!"


    The old president frowned. Apparently, he was very dissatisfied.


    "That kid had just been appointed as a guild leader, but the first action he took didn''t have the responsibility of his members in mind. Sereck, hurry to the haunted house. Perhaps it isn''t too late to salvage the situation."


    "Do not be so nervous, old friend, maybe things are not as bad as you think," Sereck said calmly.


    The old president revealed a puzzled expression.


    "What do you mean?"


    After so many years with Sereck, the old president understood that he wasn''t a ruthless character. Since he said those words, he must have realized something.


    "...Nothing."


    After neglecting the president''s curiosity on purpose, Sereck shrugged and spread out his hands, revealing an elegant smile.


    "You had never fought him before, so you might not understand him. But I��m different�� Perhaps... this young man may even create a miracle. Since he dared to buy the mansion, he definitely had a plan to resolve that haunted house issue. As for us, we just have to watch quietly on the sidelines."


    "Also, what did you say to Lize...? That this is a gamble? Yes. This is a gamble, so we also have to gamble on him. If Rhode could solve this mystery curse, then it is a good thing for us. I believe that he has the ability to do so."


    "Hmph. It''s just the pride of young people." The old president snorted in disdain.


    "Just because he revealed his extraordinary power and now he thinks he is invincible. There are many of such fools, and he isn''t any different."


    But Sereck merely grinned and countered, "But there are also many geniuses."


    "Whether this kid is a fool or a genius, we currently don��t know, but I think that it will all be revealed soon."


    The old president rolled his eyes. "I just think that it is too�� exaggerated."


    "Frankly... if it weren''t for the fact that you''d never left Deep Stone City for decades, I would really doubt that you didn''t have any relation to this kid since you care for him so much."


    "...And I''d love to have anything to do with him." Sereck sighed.


    "I''m getting old... Although I did not feel like this yesterday, but after those events... sigh..."


    Sereck shifted his gaze upwards and sighed once more.


    "Thinking back, what did I do when I was at his age? Now, look at this group of children... Don''t you feel that we can''t keep up with the time anymore?"


    "But history will still have our place."


    The old president played with his pen in his hand as he spoke.


    "Young people have their own glory, and we also have our own pride. And now is not the time for you to feel old... Alright, since you believe in him so much, then I won''t interfere anymore. But, if there''s still no movement in three days, then you must be ready to take people to collect their corpses."


    -


    In the gloomy corridor, the rotting wooden planks creaked under heavy pressure.


    Although right now, the current state of the house was in total chaos, but once upon a time, it was an elegant and gorgeous estate with dark red velvet carpets, intricate sculptures, and brilliant crystalline chandeliers.


    However, as the saying goes: time washes away everything. In this case, time slowly destroyed the splendor of the house.


    The cold wind sifted through the fractures in the glass windows and ruffled the curtains. A huge chandelier sprawled on the floor, with its crystals strewn all over the room. And on the walls, the once beautiful paintings were covered in blemishes and cobwebs.


    While the scene looked aesthetically unpleasing, it certainly checked all the boxes of a haunted house theme.


    -


    Crash.


    Rhode smacked his hands together to rid the residue dust on his sleeve after he threw a rotted wooden table at his feet, to the side.


    Like a frightened rabbit, Lize jumped once she heard the noise and turned around to stare at Rhode with a pale face.


    "W-What are you doing, Mr. Rhode?"


    "Cleaning up."


    He made a hand gesture and signaled the Spirit Bird to conjure a strong wind to sweep the dust that had been accumulating throughout the years.


    Rhode then faced towards Lize with his usual indifferent expression and said, "After all, no one had lived in this ghostly place for a few years. It''s time to throw away these things... As a mercenary group stronghold, we don''t require a decor like those noble houses; it''s so much trouble, just a simple decor would do. Ah, but this carpet quality is not bad, we can keep it, what do you think?"


    "Si, sir!"


    Lize almost cried when she saw Rhode acting like he just bought a new house and came to decorate the layout.


    The pressure on Lize wasn''t little. After all, she heard nasty rumors about this haunted house. This house had claimed the lives of many young women and soldiers, and as a result, her inner danger perception was constantly on high alert. Even a slight rustle of the curtain could startle her. This couldn''t be blamed on her though. Despite facing death multiple times in the face, she hadn''t fought against an enemy that couldn''t be seen.


    Rhode obviously noticed her alarmed expression, but he did not say anything. He recalled that the first time he came here, he also acted like her, carefully examining every corner of the house since he was afraid that a monster would suddenly appear out of nowhere. But at that time, even Rhode did not expect that the danger would come at the most unexpected moment. But now, he was familiar with the quest process and was quite disappointed that he''d once felt terribly afraid of it. After all, it was his first time being that dreadfully frightened.


    Even though he said he was ''cleaning'', but it was nothing more than a facade. Although he had already received the deed of the land from the city hall, his mercenary group system didn''t recognize the stronghold. This meant that they had not completed the requirements, which was to clear this haunted house. That was why he brought Lize here to help him as she was the best candidate with her holy skills. And since his only subordinate was Lize, he had to somehow find a way to train her to keep up with his speed. However, Lize wasn''t a player, and thus, he couldn''t blatantly say things like: ''C''mere, let''s complete this quest together and level up.'' One must realize that NPCs in the game leveled up differently from the player. As such, Rhode had no choice but to trick this poor girl to come here with him.


    The sun finally went down.


    Darkness crept in and shrouded the skies. Now, the already-dark house was even darker. Only the fireplace in the center of the hall emitted a source of light.


    "Mr. Rhode, I think we should go back. We can still clean up tomorrow."


    Lize felt increasingly uncomfortable the darker the house became. It wasn''t a physical feeling, but rather it was an instinctive sense of danger.


    "No need. Let us just take a break here, since this is our stronghold."


    He was very clear about her uncomfortable feeling right now. When he entered this area he received a system prompt ���� Entered the evil domain.


    To the beings belonging to the light, evil and darkness was their biggest foe. The eternal opposition between good and evil clearly drawn the line between the two sides. This means that if one entered the domain of the opposition, an absolute pressure would bear down upon them. And right now, since Lize was in the evil domain, she would feel oppressed by the surroundings and would feel uneasy. After all, she was a half angel, half human, so at least she was still able to maintain this state.


    It''s almost time.


    Once he confirmed the quest trigger from his memories, he reached out his hand and summoned a bright red card quietly.


    Clang...!


    And finally, at this time, a loud cry rang out.

 Chapter 39 Quest Activate

    Clang�� Clang�� Clang��


    It was a bell sound.


    The sound echoed in the dark. It was as though it rang deeply in the hearts of people. Rhode stood up and scanned his surroundings meticulously, and at the same time, he clenched the card on his palm.


    "Lize."


    "Ah, yes!"


    "Do you still remember what we did in that town before?"


    "I remember!"


    Once she recalled her previous encounter, Lize immediately remembered what she was supposed to do. Her body posture was firm as she illuminated the air around them with a warm, light ball. And as though something reacted to the holy light, a strong wind suddenly blew, causing the embers to scatter in all directions.


    "Mr. Rhode, is this enemy something similar to what we fought back then?"


    "Its characteristics are somewhat similar."


    "..."


    Hearing Rhode''s indifferent reply, Lize''s heart finally became a lot calmer. If it were in the past, she would undoubtedly be unable to keep her composure. However, after gaining experience from the battle in the Fog Ruins, she was elated that she found out that her ability could gain the upper hand with those terrifying monsters. After all, ever since forever, her role was to stand behind the frontlines, unable to help directly.


    But now, it was all different. Under special circumstances, she could participate in battles as well and not just rely on the protection of her team. This gave Lize a staggering amount of confidence. Thus, once she heard Rhode mention about Fog Ruins, her fear of this haunted house reduced somewhat.


    Since Rhode mentioned about it, then he must have a way!


    Subconsciously, Lize began to trust and rely on Rhode who she had just known not too long ago.


    The battle already started.


    Rhode raised his vigilance. He swept his gaze carefully at his surroundings, but without any warning, in a quick motion, he flipped his right hand. The Star Mark appeared on Rhode''s hand, and he immediately sliced towards the darkness without any hesitation. In a fluid motion, he followed up by throwing out his sword. Suddenly, a scorching wave of flames formed at the position of his sword, which soon unveiled a black hound covered in flames.


    The Flame Killer.


    The fire hound immediately went into its battle stance. It arched its body towards the back and gripped the ground tightly with its claws. The Flame Killer then gave a low roar. As an elemental creature, it had a keen sense of danger, which in turn, responded with a growl instinctively.


    "Lize, cast a shield over yourself. Remember, if you encounter any danger, the first thing you must do is to use a healing spell... I think you know how to do that."


    "Yes, sir."


    After being reassured with his confidence, Lize quickly calmed down. Rhode nodded his head slightly with satisfaction. With his keen observation, he felt that this girl was almost perfect in her meticulous nature, but it was a pity that she had no definite goal. So when he issued a command to Lize, her personality immediately changed, and she wasn''t the scared and frightened girl from before.


    "Follow me."


    Rhode turned around and walked towards the hall.


    There was a deathly silence along the exterior corridor.


    A chilling wind blew continuously through the broken windows. The frame kept slamming against the window sill, causing eerie echoes throughout the house.


    At the first glance, nothing seemed to be different.


    However, some nasty beings were already in motion.


    Rhode noticed a shadow moving, and it finally hid in a corner. The Flame Killer also growled in excitement. From behind its razor-sharp canine teeth, an intense light gathered in its throat, and tiny licks of flame flickered around its mouth.


    Suddenly, a human sculpture that was missing half of its body appeared out of the darkness and flew towards him, as if something hurled it.


    It''s coming!


    Facing this attack, Rhode flicked his sword towards the incoming sculpture, slicing it cleanly into two.


    Boom!


    The sculpture broke apart when it landed on the floor. At the same time, Lize felt a shiver down her spine.


    She subconsciously turned around and discovered a bluish human figure on the steps of the stairs.


    These were evil spirits that existed on this continent. A tragic soul that couldn''t leave the world because an evil source of power had tainted them. They were nothing more than a former husk of its previous self, possessing no sentience, but only deep hatred towards the living. And of course, as a Spirit Master, Lize certainly had considerable knowledge of them.


    Now that she had been through the Fog Ruins, she had even more confidence to deal with this evil spirit. Thus, she formed her own strategy in her mind before attacking the evil spirit unhesitantly.


    However, just before she could take action, Rhode stretched out his arm towards Lize''s shoulder.


    "Mr. Rhode?"


    Sensing Rhode''s odd behavior, she turned around with surprise in her eyes.


    "There is a better way, Lize."


    Facing Lize''s doubtful gaze, Rhode''s expression maintained its tranquility. He lowered his head and whispered something to Lize. When she heard what he said, slowly, her expression turned from doubt, to surprise, and finally to joy.


    "I will try my best Mr. Rhode.


    "Very good, then leave the rest to me."


    More than a dozen of evil spirits appeared and surrounded the duo. Their ethereal forms floated in the air as they stretched out their arms and screamed. They rushed over with the intention to tear apart their living bodies.


    However, their rash actions were futile.


    To the side, the black hound that had been dying for battle, leaped and launched a sea of flames from its terrifying jaws towards the evil spirits.


    The ultimate weakness of undead creatures was the holy element, but closely following that was the fire element. In this battle, Rhode possessed both of them. That was the reason why he wasn''t afraid of challenging this quest. If it was only by himself, he would surely not play with his life with a measly 500 gold coins.


    When faced with Fire Breath, the evil spirits screamed in agony. Their ethereal bodies were immune to physical attacks, but it was useless against magical attacks. Soon, two to three spirits disappeared as they died to the fire elemental attack. Fire Breath had no way to discern its targets and resulted in the furniture being caught in the flames as well.


    The evil spirits formation began to weaken, and at this time, Rhode activated Shadow Flash.


    In a flash, as though he was a swallow flying over the fence, a dull shadow passed through the wall of flames unhindered. Before the evil spirits could even react, a white sword had already penetrated through their cores. One by one, they fell like flies.


    Swoosh.


    An evil spirit that attempted to block the attack was sliced into two like a hot knife through butter. Soon, the rest of the evil spirits somehow managed to comprehend that he wasn''t a foe to be trifled with and they retreated with great haste. They flew towards the wall and disappeared.


    The stairs then began to shake.


    A rusty armor suddenly made a creaking sound. It slowly raised a gigantic sword over its head and smashed down towards Rhode.


    But before it could even pull the attack off, the black hound noticed and preemptively sprayed its flame towards the armor.


    [EXP 360/2500]


    Not enough.


    Rhode glanced at the prompt with the side of his eyes and found that his experience gain was too slow. It was far below the time at Twilight Forest. But it was no mystery why. Since these evil spirits weren''t elite monsters, he could easily kill a dozen of them. Thus, naturally the experience wouldn''t be worth much. But to Rhode, there was more important things to be done.


    Rhode saw his system prompt and found that his experience increased too slow, it was far beyond the time at the Twilight Forest. But it was no wonder. After all, these evil spirits were not elite monsters and he could easily kill a dozen, so naturally, the experience wasn''t worth that much... But to Rhode, there were more important things that he needed to do.


    He turned his head and stared at the girl on the stairs.


    Rhode could hear the screams of the evil spirits clearly.


    Observing the cold and dead figure, Lize raised her right hand as she recalled Rhode''s words from before.


    "The healing light''s usage isn''t only for healing wounds. Remember: Condense, overlap, and compress. Then cast it. I believe that you can do it."


    Condense��


    She could sense the sacred power coalescing by her own will and slowly reaching its peak. According to the process, she could already cast the healing light, but she did not do so.


    Overlap��


    The sacred power continued to condense and fluctuate. She realized that after reaching a certain point, the concentration gradually became effortless.


    Compress...


    Once the two types of sacred powers began to merge, Lize''s spirit power was already hitting the limit. Her palms were trembling and her expression was as though she couldn''t keep it in any longer.


    At this time, some evil spirits managed to use the delayed casting time to rush to her side.


    When Lize regained consciousness, an evil spirit with hollow eyes brimming with deep hatred suddenly appeared before her. She subconsciously took half a step back and the energy on her hands vanished because of her fear. At that moment, a sword emerged from behind and pierced through the evil spirit.


    "Again," Rhode said with a calm tone.


    "Yes."


    Lize bit her lips and raised her hand once again. Learning from her failed experience, she quickly condensed the energy between her hands. Staring at the evil spirit from afar, Lize clenched her teeth and reached forward with her right hand.


    Swoosh!


    A brilliant light appeared from thin air. The beam that was as thick as a pillar, engulfed the evil spirits in an area of attack and before those spirits could react, they turned to ashes.


    "Eh?"


    Lize retracted her hand and watched what happened before her with surprise. Of course, she knew that the healing spell could damage undead creatures, but she didn''t expect that it was THAT powerful.


    Holy soul bless me...


    Can this even be called a healing spell? The power completely overwhelms the temple bishop''s Hammer of Trial.


    However, before she could even switch her expression from shock to joy, Rhode''s calm words was like a cold bucket of water splashed across her face as he pulled her back to reality


    "Keep up the work. This is just the beginning."

 Chapter 40 The Undead

    This battle was somewhat odd. It was dark and silent, yet intense.


    From the exterior, no one could tell that an intense battle was raging within. The indication that a battle was happening were the sporadic flashes of light leaking out the windows.


    The Star Mark curved in an arc.


    Whoosh


    Countless of decaying wood flew in all directions whenever the white sword hacked down. And after every slash, a bright, red flame would soon follow as it incinerated the evil spirits. As much as they tried to escape through the walls, they still couldn''t outrun the sea of flames and were eventually swallowed. Besides the leftover burn marks, not even a piece of slag was left behind.


    Rhode and the Flame Killer''s teamwork steadily improved as they battled the evil spirits. He used this quest not only to temper Lize''s skill, but also to build his teamwork with his summoning spirit. After all, the summoning spirit that he possessed had various variations, and the three cards in his deck right now were cards that he had never obtained before in the game. While he did have experience with similar cards, ultimately, the characteristics were still different, so he still had to do trial and error to find out the most efficient way. The battle with Sereck was a good example. If he was familiar with the Flame Killer''s personality and character, the match probably wouldn''t have ended as a draw, but a win instead.


    However, although there weren''t any ''ifs'' in this world, it didn''t mean that there was no way to make up for it either.


    Rhode retrieved his sword and retreated. This sudden change in behavior caused the evil spirits to swarm over. However, how can it be that easy to overcome Rhode? The moment he retreated, the black hound switched positions with him and launched a breath of fire towards the evil spirits.


    One covered while one retreated. Their timing was impeccable.


    And once again, the flame swept over and engulfed the evil spirits. These low-level evil spirits who were even weaker than the will-o-wisps were ideal opponents for practice.


    Lize''s face was tense. Her right arm was constantly in motion as she cast light beams one after another. Whenever the holy rays poured from the heavens, multiple evil spirits would wither and perish. Indeed, this Spirit Master was a fast learner. Within less than an hour, she was already able to master it. Now, she even attempted to alter the strength and speed of the skill...


    Rhode knew that this method of casting was somewhat unorthodox. Although the skill itself didn''t differentiate between good or evil, but the element still had to correspond with the spell used. For example, just like a stone, as long it has the title ''stone'' in it, it will be a meaning object that existed in the world. Spells were the same, while it had its own mysterious definition and letters, water spells were still water spells, and ice spells were ice spells. If one treated water and ice as one, or vice versa, then the result wouldn''t be favorable.


    Lize was at such a stage. Since she wasn''t at level 10 yet, she didn''t have the means to learn the holy spell ''Sword of Judgment''. However, that didn''t mean that it was impossible to cast. Since she had an half-angel bloodline, it could make up for her other half which would weaken her holy power. And furthermore, it was beneficial for her to adapt to the attack rhythm as soon as possible.


    "Keep focusing on the rhythm of the spell. The enemy''s speed isn''t fast, but you still have to pay attention to your own safety. Some undead monsters possess long-range abilities..." Rhode said calmly without looking at Lize, and suddenly, his eyes flashed to the side, "For example... the one on the left!"


    He tugged Lize''s collar abruptly and pulled her to safety. Less than a second later, a fiendish green light sped by her previous position and smashed into the wall nearby. After confirming that she didn''t sustain any injuries, she looked towards the source of the attack and discovered a few skeletons holding bows and arrows aiming towards them.


    The eerie and desolate, empty eye sockets lit up in the darkness like fireflies in the night.


    As expected, it''s coming.


    Rhode clenched his sword tightly. If it were just mere evil spirits that dwelled in this haunted mansion, it would be impossible for them to last so long. Deep Stone City didn''t lack any strong warriors. Even the ''Light Swordsman'' could singlehandedly slaughter these mindless monsters. Thus, this mansion undoubtedly housed something much more mysterious, and terrifying. Now, the actual battle had just begun.


    "Lize, cast your shield above now!" Rhode shouted suddenly. He raised his sword above his head and pointed his left hand towards the front. Upon receiving Rhode''s command, the Flame Killer rushed forward immediately and broke past the barricade of evil spirits before landing right in the middle of the skeleton archers.


    Fwee...


    The greenish arrow shot out once again. But it was deflected off the protective shield that Lize cast.


    Rhode shifted his stance and used his sword to parry the evil spirits circling them.


    Suddenly, he reached out, grabbed Lize''s hand and said, "Let''s move. Don''t forget to re-cast your shield over yourself." Before she could even reply, he immediately pulled her out of the encirclement and ran out towards the left side of the stairs.


    The skeleton archers didn''t possess much threat in melee attacks. Before they could launch a counterattack, the black hound had already rushed towards their flanks and tore their formation apart with its ferocious claws. Those fortunate ones who managed to escape the first wave of attacks immediately suffered from a sea of flames.


    Third floor.


    When Rhode reached the third floor, he could faintly hear the clashes between the skeleton archers and his black hound. Occasionally, a roar would shake the entire mansion. Rhode knew that the black hound wouldn''t last much longer against the myriad of archers. However, since it didn''t matter because he could quickly resummon it after its death as long he had enough soul power, he didn''t worry too much.


    "S-sir, it can''t be that you''re thinking of burning down this place, right?" Lize asked with a worried expression.


    Rhode glanced at her oddly, "No, I''m not planning to tear down this place. After all, this is our stronghold..."


    After saying that, he raised his sword and swung it in a downward arc.


    Clang! His sword collided with something tremendously heavy, causing Rhode''s sword to bend at an awkward angle before being forcibly rammed into the wall. Although the thin, wooden wall cushioned the impact, Rhode still lost his balance.


    "Now!" Rhode shouted to Lize who was hiding behind him and she immediately stretched out her hand, casting another light beam.


    The beam swiftly landed on the new undead monsters, but compared to the evil spirits from before, the vitality of these undead were clearly superior. After receiving the full brunt of the attack from Lize, they merely took a few steps back. At the same time, the area surrounding them was lit up by the attack.


    Finally, they could make out the features of their foes.


    A decaying skeleton that had a gaping hole in its abdomen appeared before them. The undead towered almost at two meters high; rotting flesh hung at the edges. It wore a damaged armor while wielding a sword that was severely chipped. Although it was stronger than the evil spirits, it still couldn''t help but retreat several steps. After all, the holy element was not something an undead could resist.


    "This is..." Lize stared at the monster with a disgusted face.


    "This is a zombie... I will initiate the attack. Pay attention to both sides."


    Rhode arched his body downwards and jumped nimbly towards the nearest handrail. While in the air, he twisted his body and dipped his sword downwards, generating the momentum which caused his body to spin, violently slashing towards the giant zombie''s chest.


    When Rhode''s attack was about to reach the zombie, a sword suddenly appeared from the darkness and parried it. The zombie didn''t waste time and used the opportunity to launch a crazed attack towards Rhode. It opened both of its palms and rushed forward. A normal human definitely wouldn''t use this kind of self-harming move, but for an undead, it didn''t feel any pain so these sort of attacks were terrifyingly dangerous.


    However, Rhode''s demeanor didn''t change the slightest. He flipped over his right palm and a ripple effect formed by rays of light emerged from the sword.


    Sharp Edge Technique, activate!


    Just when the zombie was about to grab Rhode, his sword gleamed and split the left shoulder of the zombie cleanly. With the buff on his sword, his strikes became even more deadly. It didn''t matter if it was dry skin or thick bones, his sword would slice through all of them easily. Another slash came in quick succession and sliced the entire left arm off as easily as though it was paper.


    The sword appeared once again as it hacked down towards Rhode.


    At the rear, Lize''s expression tensed up. When the zombie attempted its first sword attack on Rhode, she had detected this malicious intention lingering in the shadows. Before she could speak to him, the sword was already beside Rhode and in a few seconds, that sword would cut Rhode''s head off.


    But Rhode pulled off an unexpected move.


    Instead of dodging the sword by retreating, he leaned his body towards the source of the attack as though he lost his balance. The sword which followed its intended trajectory, missed its target and slashed at empty space.


    The body emitted a putrid stench, and Rhode couldn''t help but gag slightly. But soon, he managed to regain his composure and rammed his shoulder into the decaying body before raising his sword to his front.


    A brilliant light emerged from the tip of his sword, and he drew a beautiful crescent moon as he swung his sword gracefully downwards. However, while it may seem harmless, the attack was nothing less than fatal.


    The undead body finally stopped moving. Dark lines slowly appeared on the body where Rhode had cut.


    "Sigh..."


    Rhode stood on the top of the giant undead carcass as he patted the dust and decaying matter off his shoulder. Back in the game, he couldn''t experience - nor did he want to experience this foul stench. But since this was the real world now, he could finally understand why the description of the zombie was ''zombies had a strong stench.'' He was even thinking of discarding this set of clothes that he wore today.


    "Let''s continue to move on."

 Chapter 41 Beautiful Nightmare

    The situation wasn''t good.


    The evil spirits on the first floor were low-level monsters, but the undead was on another level altogether. Although they were dead, they still retained their fighting instinct. On the exterior, their rotting, decaying bodies might seem fragile, but it still could withstand a full blast of holy energy. This forced Rhode and Lize to utilize the most common formation: Two at the front and one at the back. Rhode and the Flame Killer acted as the vanguard while Lize stayed at the back to cast supportive skills. At this point of time, Lize no longer retained selfish thoughts about taking part in the battle anymore.


    Rhode had almost arrived at his destination.


    He scrutinized the patterns on the wall and compared it to his memories. At the same time, he waved his sword and tore through the undead''s defense. As an intense light spread out, it pierced through the decaying bodies mercilessly, pinning their bodies to the wall on the side.


    While he continued to move forward, at the back, Lize creased her brows together in annoyance.


    The undead who blocked their path did not only consist of mercenary corpses, but there were also undead servants and even undead children! All of these were the previous victims of this cursed house, and because they were under an evil spell, they were reanimated and forced to do evil acts.


    "What kind of horrible being would do something terrible like this?" Lize clenched her teeth in anger as she muttered under her breath.


    "Every vile being is capable of doing something evil. This is no exception," Rhode answered without looking at her. He concentrated on cutting down the undead in front of him while his other hand resummoned the Flame Killer.


    "But this is too much!"


    Suddenly, an undead wearing a maid uniform that appeared out of nowhere, it opened its horrifying mouth and rushed towards Rhode.


    Slash!


    "The original source of power came from humans," Rhode said while piercing the undead''s forehead with Star Mark. Then he swung his sword to his side and continued, "No matter what''s the motives, the result won''t change."


    "And that''s why, when you made a decision, you also have to face the consequences."


    "Eh?"


    Lize was stunned for a moment. She never thought that Rhode would say such a thing. But before she could reply, something cold and heavy fell suddenly latched onto her shoulders.


    "Ah!!"


    The pain caused her to scream loudly. When she turned around, her entire body immediately stiffened.


    Her terror-filled eyes locked with the empty sockets of an undead child on her back. The grey, decaying undead being opened its mouth, releasing a putrid stench of rotting meat. Its two tiny hands had clamped on her shoulders like a cat.


    When it realized that Lize had discovered its presence, it quickly climbed up and targeted Lize''s neck. At this time, a white flash of light streaked past the undead child, causing it to pause for a moment before falling to the floor, headless. The body that lost its head swiftly disintegrated into dust and disappeared in a crack on the floor.


    "����������"


    Lize stared at the ground blankly for a few seconds. She didn''t arouse until Rhode called out to her.


    "Be careful."


    "Ah, yes!"


    After the sudden adrenaline rush, Lize felt a stinging pain on her shoulder. She hastily removed the poison from her body and recast a shield over herself once again. However, she still felt that something was off.


    No more enemies?


    Staring at her front, she realized that the zombies surrounding them had already turned into dust, and the scene was eerily quiet.


    "What happened...?"


    "It seems like that the enemy is thinking of another strategy to deal with us."


    Rhode flicked his sword to the side and turned to Lize. When he spotted the wound, he frowned a little.


    "How is it?"


    "I-it''s okay. It''s nothing much..."


    Lize stood up and replied in a low voice. The scene from before had caused some shock to her, and she had yet to recover from it.


    "Let me see." Rhode insisted as he eyed the edges of the wound before lowering himself towards her. However, he did not forget that he was in enemy territory, so he signaled the Flame Killer to be alert for any movement.


    "No.. really...! It''s nothing...!"


    Lize started to panic. She subconsciously wrapped her arms around her shoulder and shook her head vigorously.


    "Let. Me. See."


    Rhode was indifferent to her rejection and repeated himself again.


    "..."


    Lize went silent for a moment before deciding to put down her hand.


    The wounded areas were easily spotted as there were ten blood stained holes on her back which contrasted against her white robe. Dark, red blood slowly oozed out from the wound and trickled downwards.


    Rhode then wasted no time as he tore off her outer garments surrounding the wound.


    "Have you removed the poison?"


    "Yes, there should be no problem."


    "That''s good."


    Rhode nodded and did not continue to say anything. He took out a bottle on his waist and began to dress the wound.


    "������ !!!"


    A sharp sensation came over her and Lize bit her lower lip in an attempt to alleviate the pain. When she looked up and saw Rhode focusing on bandaging her wound, her heart felt extremely complex.


    "Mr. Rhode..."


    "Yes?"


    "This... I''m very sorry about before... I didn''t pay attention..."


    "Do not apologize to me. It''s not like I was the one injured."


    "Uh..."


    Lize was speechless before she suddenly burst out laughing.


    "So, sorry, I..."


    "As I said, do not apologize to me."


    "Ah, yes, right..." Lize said with a gentle laugh.


    She finally found out the problem. She smiled and did not continue to say anything as she quietly observed at the man before her.


    What kind of person is he?


    Lize had questioned this herself countless of times. Before she became a mercenary, she had seen a lot of people. And after becoming a mercenary, she had met even more. But after so long, she had not discovered one that was similar to Rhode. He was just a little bit older than herself, but he was full of confidence and never doubted his own words. Sometimes, he was even overbearing, but how did she trust him so much? Of course, this man isn''t even romantic; he rarely smiled, which made him very boring��


    "Alright."


    Rhode''s words cause Lize to recover from her surprise and to her surprise, she realized that her injury was already cleanly dressed.


    "Try to move your shoulder. Is there any problem?"


    "It''s okay if I don''t move it too much..."


    As a Spirit Master, naturally, she knew how to take care of herself. If it weren''t because that the wound was located in a difficult place, she wouldn''t need to bother Rhode to help her.


    "Very good."


    Rhode nodded and stood up.


    "Be prepared. We will continue to move soon. We don''t have much time to waste."


    From the previous battle, the undead realized that Rhode was very strong and no longer appeared needlessly. Everything was quiet, but the two of them knew that this was the calm before the storm. He calculated based on his experience on clearing quests, and Lize relied on her experience as a mercenary as well as her angel instinct. Soon, they arrived at a door; it was the only object that was still clean and intact in the house. And in a dilapidated house with cobwebs and debris all over, without a doubt, there was something strange about this door. However, Rhode easily recognized this place. It was Cyril''s sculpting room, the beginning of everything.


    "There''s something inside..."


    Lize swallowed her saliva nervously. She felt her shoulder stiffen. A dense and suffocating aura of evil escaped from the gap beneath the door. This was her first time experiencing such a thick aura that could almost be felt physically.


    Rhode opened the door slowly.


    And what they saw next, rendered them entirely speechless.


    If they wanted to use a single word to describe this... scene, what could they use?


    Evil? Filthy? Dirty?


    That wasn''t it.


    The feeling that came from this room was ������ holy.


    A white world appeared before them. Everything was clean and seemingly sanctified. Gorgeous, white pillars supported the domed shape interior, and rays of moonlight shone through the hole in the ceiling. And under that moonlight, a statue stood in tranquility.


    It was a woman.


    She was naked, her hand was covering her body, and her hair was long. It had a beautiful unworldly face; its meticulously crafted facial features, a touch of playfulness in its beautiful smile, anyone who saw her at first glance would not hesitate to think that this was the most beautiful work of art.


    "So beautiful..."


    Even Lize could not help but praise it. At this moment, the evil atmosphere, the strange undead, all seemed to be unimportant and what only matters was the existence of the statue. She had an uncontrollable impulse to walk forward and admire the statue close-up, but Rhode quickly grabbed her shoulder.


    "Ah."


    When she was pulled suddenly, she felt surprised and slightly annoyed, but it also managed to bring back her clarity. At the same time, Rhode whistled and gestured forward. The Flame Killer rushed towards the statue immediately without hesitation, and when it got close, it unleashed its terrifying claws and teeth.


    But alas, it wasn''t enough.


    "Swoosh!!"


    Multiple slender arms suddenly appeared from the walls and floor and wrapped around the Flame Killer''s body and limbs.


    "Woo!!"


    The black hound struggled with all its might. It even tried to bite the arm that wrapped around its front paw, but the slender arms did not wait for the black hound to retaliate before quickly tearing apart its trapped foe. Upon death, the black hound''s explosive characteristics activated once again.


    "Boom!!!"


    A massive pillar of fire filled in the room, and at the same time, a sharp cry resounded from the sky!

 Chapter 42 Slaughter

    "AHH������!!!"


    The whole room shook violently when a terrifying screech pierced the air. It was as though a hundred of people screamed at the same time. The white tiles on the floor began to tear apart because of the explosion. It was until then that Lize realized why the room was entirely white �� the ''tiles'' were made out of bones that compressed against each other till no gaps could be seen!


    A chill ran down Lize''s spine. If not for Rhode''s timely reminder, she could imagine herself entering this horrifying room and who knew what would happen to her after that?


    Lize subconsciously turned towards Rhode who was standing beside her, his arms folded and his face indifferent as usual.


    How did he know...?


    Rhode felt her surprised gaze, but he eventually chose not to explain himself. Telling her that he had died here once, and resurrected again wouldn''t be a wise choice... right?


    Now wasn''t the time to think about such things.


    "Lize, get ready to attack."


    Once the sea of white bones retreated, the black and dirty stone floor revealed itself. The atmosphere of the room changed drastically, and the previous dream-like beautiful ambiance disappeared. However, the statue still stood beautifully, its holiness and purity weren''t affected at all even after all that happened.


    But there was no time to appreciate this beautiful disaster. He gave Lize specific instructions and rushed headfirst into the room. While he was running towards the center of the room, he thrust his arm forward, and in his palm, a bright red card materialized once again, turning into a sea of flames which enveloped his whole body.


    "������!!!"


    Countless of bony arms shot towards Rhode, but before it could reach him, the flames surrounding him lashed out and deflected all of the arms. The Flame Killer''s anger was apparent. Even though summoned spirits do not experience true death, but the pain they felt was still genuine.


    While each individual bone arm didn''t carry a high attack power, they made up for their shortcoming with sheer numbers. Rhode didn''t have any ranged area of attack spells, and Lize''s spells just didn''t have enough power to cause significant damage. Even though they could still eventually wear this foe down by attacking and retreating carefully, but they wouldn''t be able to sustain their consumption of soul power.


    Thus, Rhode had no choice but to utilize a rather odd and unorthodox strategy �� throwing the Flame Killer like a grenade and resurrecting it! Then he would just rinse and repeat the process.


    The poor black hound. Its pitiful, heartwrenching whimpers fell on deaf ears and could only helplessly obey its master.


    Clang!


    Rhode helped block an attack that was heading for the black hound. But it wasn''t because he had good intentions, but instead, he wanted to inch closer so he could throw the black hound deeper.


    Sure enough, once he got closer, the massive number of bone arms quickly forced Rhode to take a defensive stance. Facing the countless arms head-on wasn''t a smart choice, thus, Rhode retreated decisively and ''intentionally'' left his summoned spirit behind.


    Any idiot would realize that this was a trap. Fortunately, these bone arms appeared to be boneheaded as well. They foolishly grabbed at the pitiful hound and dragged it back with them.


    Boom!!!


    Without hesitation, the arms tore the black hound apart and it blew up once again. This time, the sea of bones fell to the floor due to the impact. The white bones now were charred black, and some were even broken into thousands of fragments.


    Rhode flipped his palm again and summoned the red card.


    Luckily there was no way for the spirit to reject him. When the black hound appeared, it stared at Rhode with dead eyes. A great resentment filled its heart, and it lost its vicious demeanor from before. If not for the soulbound contract between the both of them, this poor ''living grenade'' would immediately turn around and dash off without hesitation.


    The ''cool'' Rhode was yet again indifferent towards the black hound''s apparent resentment, and he just whistled, indicating it to continue moving forward.


    And so, the battle started again.


    Surely, if the undead had brains, it would''ve already decayed. Thus, it didn''t question why did something that was supposed to be dead, didn''t stay dead. Facing the black hound that rushed towards them again, they just tore it apart like before without hesitation and tasted the explosion repeatedly. The Flame Killer''s explosion on death wasn''t something that can be blocked easily. After multiple explosions, the sea of bones decreased by a good 30%. It was up to this point when they decided to fill this sudden gap, but little did they expect that Rhode had already quietly crept near them.


    Since Rhode had completed this quest before, naturally, he knew where the problem was. The sea of bones was just a distraction and the real enemy was the holy statue at the center.


    "Lize, shield!" Rhode shouted towards Lize who was standing further back.


    Soon, a golden light wrapped around Rhode''s body. This action caused the bone arms to target him, but Rhode was ready as he welcomed them with the sword in his hand.


    Slash!


    With a flash, Rhode tore the bones apart. Then, as a follow-up, Rhode activated his Shadow Flash and leaped to the sky.


    While Rhode''s speed multiplied several times after activating Shadow Flash, it still could not totally negate the danger he was facing. When they came in a large number, speed wasn''t a problem for them. Soon, many arms trailed behind Rhode, most of them missed him, but some still managed hit the shield which resulted in their fingertips being injured.


    Lize then made her move.


    Raising both of her hands, pillars of holy light fell from the skies and crushed the bone arms that tried to block Rhode''s path. Bits and pieces of bone matter fell onto the floor.


    Although it wasn''t a genuine spell, since Lize had a faint bloodline of an angel, it still could be cast. As though burned by fire, the sea of bones began to tremble and screamed in a fury. Soon, these bones formed into a ''stream'' and speared towards the entrance where Lize was standing.


    Meanwhile, Rhode began to lose speed.


    After all, he wasn''t an angel. Even though Shadow Flash was able to increase his speed, it still had a time limit. Moreover, gravity was a constant, and it bore down on him continually, limiting his movement. Clearly, uncle Newton was not satisfied with him wanted to use him as an example to give a memorable lesson.


    The bone arms were beneath him, and Rhode who had lost the momentum to cross the barrier of bones to reach the statue was in dire straits. If he fell into the sea of bones, it would be the end of his life.


    But Rhode had another plan up his sleeve.


    He reached out his arm and grasp onto a green card which materialized on his palm.


    The Spirit Bird.


    After appearing, the bird immediately circled Rhode, generating a wind current that prevented him from falling. Then he clenched his teeth and continued to push forward.


    This one move grasped the victory. When he jumped again, he managed to reach the top of the sculpture. Looking at the white and smooth statue before him, he felt pity. Then he shook his head and split the statue down from the middle.


    But things did not go as smooth as he had expected.


    Swoosh!!


    When the sword was about to land on the statue, countless of bones suddenly shot towards him from below. However, in an instant, a pair of wings appeared in front of him and blocked the attack.


    Clang clang clang!!!


    The wings began to glow, and the shining bright feathers slowly fell off one by one as they floated off in the air. Now, the gap between Rhode''s sword and the statue was less than a meter.


    Swoosh!!!


    A gust of wind suddenly swept past.


    Rhode only saw a black shadow passing through him, and the next thing he felt was a massive impact on his flank. He could not maintain his balance anymore as he flew towards the wall at the side. Lize was momentarily dazed, she tried to move forward to help Rhode but she felt a sharp pain on her shoulder, forcing her to step back.


    "Mr. Rhode!"


    "Hmph.."


    Rhode snorted and pressed his body against the wall to stand up. He could feel pain all over his body. But at this time, the unknown wind once again swept past him.


    Relying on his seven years of gaming experience, Rhode turned his head and saw what had hit him previously.


    It was an extended tailbone, lifted high, like a snake coiling the statue. After being attacked twice, the bones became cautious and combined into a sharp tail.


    Five meters...


    Rhode calculated in his mind for a moment and came up with an idea.


    At this time, the undead seemed to have lost its patience. Once again, the bones gathered and speared towards Rhode who was still leaning on the wall. In an instant, Rhode''s position was filled with bones and Rhode was nowhere to be seen in the sea of white.


    "Mr. Rhode!"


    Lize almost fainted and her mind blanked out. She didn''t know what to do next. Rhode''s confidence brought her this far, even if she knew that it was dangerous, but Rhode seemed to defy all kind of common sense. However, when Rhode''s position was compromised, she realized that the gap between their abilities was simply too far apart. Even right now, as she fell into thought, she didn''t even realize that the bones were approaching her rapidly.


    The sea of bones surged forward towards Lize and would reach her in a few seconds. However, deep in the midst of all the bones, a dim light shone.


    Surrounded by a solid cage of bones, Rhode slashed frantically in all directions, causing the cage to tremble and crack. The sea of bones gathered and rushed forward again in an attempt to crush the enemy once and for all.


    But this time, they failed.


    The sea of bones was split into two. The turbulent waves caused by the impact blew the bone matter in all directions. However, the undead didn''t give up and kept roaring. At this moment, Rhode raised his sword, and a brilliant light shone at the tip of his sword like a dazzling star.


    Rhode took a half step forward, with his right hand thrusting forward.


    As though the undead was aware of the danger, the sea of bones formed a wall and rushed towards Rhode. The tail of bones moved as well, piercing towards Rhode''s head.


    He put his hands down and dodged.


    Swoosh.


    The cold and sharp bones once again passed through him. But this time, there was no impact.


    Because at the same time, the sea of bones had crashed to the floor. The wall of bones skidded for about two meters before finally stopping at Rhode''s feet.


    Rhode looked up towards the statue. The formerly beautiful statue now had a sword protruding from its head.


    Soon, cracks began to spread throughout the statue. At the same time, a system prompt appeared before him.


    [Stronghold unlocked]


    Snap!


    Followed by a loud, cracking sound, the sea of bones tore apart.

 Chapter 43 Stronghold Obtained

    It was finally over.


    Rhode sighed. Right now, his legs felt weak and could no longer stand stably. In the end, all the continuous summoning and darting around consumed a lot of his soul power and stamina which left him extremely drained. He leaned on the wall for a moment before walking over to the remains of the statue which had turned into a pile wrecked marble and cement. Then, he reached out and picked up his sword and an odd rock from the rubble. It was an egg-like oval-shaped rock with a murky grey color. If one didn''t observe carefully, it would seem no different than those roadside pebbles. But Rhode knew that this stone was the primary cause of the tragedy here.


    Soul Binding Stone. An extremely rare mineral that was found in hell. It had the ability to absorb the soul of the living and influence their mind. Usually, it was utilized by the devils to manipulate humans and was considered to be quite valuable, even to the devils. Under normal circumstances, the chances of discovering this rock was almost zero. Even for a master level mage, finding it was an extremely difficult, arduous task.


    To Rhode, this rock still had a significant role - Soul Imprison.


    That was the main factor why the stone was sold at an astronomical price back in the game. It could imprison the soul of a creature that had been killed by the player, and return it to its the original state. In other words, this was a treasure that could create a Soul Core.


    The Soul Binding Stone was even rarer than the Soul Core, which was the reason why it wasn''t as well known as the Soul Core. Only after the invasion of hell event would the players discover the existence of the Soul Binding Stone Soon, this gem became very popular in the continent and became a necessity for mages and summoning swordsmen.


    Now, thinking back to the event, Deep Stone City was indeed one of the few frontline bases which were occupied by devil army. At that time, it seemed that there was nothing odd about it, but now, as he held the Soul Binding Stone in his hand, he could not help but muse over this matter. Apparently, this rock that was ''accidentally dug out'', ultimately hinted towards the players that the mine in Deep Stone City had some kind of connection to hell.


    But now wasn''t the time to think of this matter yet. The invasion of hell event was triggered by the destruction of the Dragon Soul Continent. Right now, the continent was still peaceful, and the dragon soul power did not seem to have any problem. Thinking about that world-altering event right now was pointless. Thus, Rhode stopped his train of thoughts and picked the rock up before stuffing it into his bag. Then he went on looking for more loot.


    However, it was a pity that Rhode''s luck wasn''t at its best. As much as he searched, he couldn''t locate the Master Sculptor Cyril''s dagger, ''Sorrowful Lament.'' It was a half-legendary magic weapon. Not only was its attack high, but it had a passive chance of imbuing poison and curse in every attack. For a swordsman or a thief, this magic artifact was a good choice, but unfortunately, even when he overturned the entire mansion, all he could find was a magic necklace.


    Rhode sighed and said nothing. He just shrugged his shoulder helplessly and accepted his loss. After all, he was a Summoning Swordsman, and the randomness of spirit fusion or obtaining items were far higher than other classes. That was why he didn''t linger on lamenting about his luck this time. He just needed to count his blessings and concern himself about the BOSS attack patterns and mechanics instead. I mean, he still had to continue to ''play'' right?


    In the forum, there was a saying: "There is no useless spell, only useless mages." From Rhode''s point of view, this sentence could be used for other classes as well. There was no useless equipment, only useless players. In the end, the mind itself determined the technique. Even premium players (pay-to-win) had to learn how to play first before they could rise to the top.


    Lize, who was standing at the entrance also felt weak and sat on the ground.


    It wasn''t her first time experiencing a fierce battle, but this battle was really carved deeply into her mind because this was the first time that she won a battle by manipulating the enemy''s aggressive nature.


    When she was faced with the sea of bones at the last minute, Lize''s heartbeat raced astronomically. She kept casting a barrier on herself and attacked the bone arms which shot towards her in all directions with her fastest speed to date. This was the first time she made such a fierce offensive, although did it seem more like an instinctive resistance in the end. Even when the battle ended, her heart kept beating rapidly as she could not recover from this excitement. Never in her life so far did she experience such tension and excitement on the battlefield.


    The girl clenched her fists and stared at her own two hands. Right now, her hands were trembling and felt powerless. However, besides fatigue, she felt a trace of satisfaction.


    She succeeded.


    A new day dawned upon the world.


    When the sun rose, rays of light permeated through the windows and shone into the house. The formerly gloomy and dark house lost its eerie atmosphere from before. Even the weeds outside no longer looked sinister and seemed more energized.


    While they were both exhausted, things still had to be done. Rhode gathered whatever strength he had left to send Lize back to the Mercenary Association to get rest and handle the procedures at the same time. Lize naturally had no objections to that.


    After she left, Rhode was relieved, and he opened the mercenary group system while leaning against the wall.


    After confirming that he had acquired the house, the mercenary group system finally revealed the complete map of the old house with the exception of the basement. This house had three floors, and the whole building was T-shaped if reversed. The main building had a hall, guest rooms, study, bedroom and many others. At the back, there were even servant quarters.


    Rhode certainly did not intend to use this design. After all, the current model resembled a noble''s house rather than a mercenary group stronghold. Moreover, typically, mercenaries came from the lower castes and had a bad relationship with the upper nobility. If the stronghold was made as luxurious as a noble''s house, then it would certainly give a sense of exclusion, which was unfavorable for development. Thus, Rhode made his own construction program.


    But before that, he still needed to experiment the difference between the mercenary group system in reality, and in the game.


    After last night''s chaos, 35% of the stronghold had been destroyed. The map before him revealed a yellow highlight, and a part of the collapsed floor was shown in a red color. This meant that the system suggested repairing this segment first.


    Rhode selected the ''repair'' option. Then, another system prompt immediately appeared,


    [Repair Stronghold?]


    Yes.


    [Completely repairing stronghold will need 15000 gold coins. Repair?]


    Seeing this line, Rhode furrowed his brows and did not hesitate to choose ''no''. Soon, another system prompt once again appeared.


    [Please choose the repair type ������ repair the house, repair the furniture, or complete repair. ]


    Repair the house.


    [Repairing housing will consume 500 gold coins, continue?]


    Continue.


    Rhode''s heart dropped, then the system prompt before him immediately disappeared.


    A golden light flashed before him, then it quickly expanded into a grid and encompassed the ground, walls, and ceilings. After that, everything changed.


    Worn and damaged walls were repaired in an instant, and the decaying furniture also disappeared. In a blink of an eye, the hall that was previously full of garbage, was wholly renovated. There were no more holes in the floor. The decorations and furniture had also disappeared, leaving only a sword and shield decoration on the wall that gave off a clean look.


    In less than five minutes, the old, dilapidated house had changed entirely. Cracks in the wall could no longer be seen, weeds were all plucked clean, and the wooden staircase was brand new. Looking at this drastic change, the whole stronghold had a different feel from before. The previous shabby, decadent look was replaced with a glorious sensation.


    On the wall, a dark flag hung down. There was a cross-shaped star symbol on it. It was the mercenary group''s flag.


    Very nice!


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction, It seems that at least the system here worked the same as the game. For him, this was enough. But the only pity was that he spent a lot of money just to repair the housing. Rhode''s fat wallet has begun to slim down.


    But Rhode did not care much about the money. After he understood the construction system functions and rules, he repaired the hall, study room, and bedroom. Although the mercenary group size was still too small, and he could only build level 1 rooms, Rhode still spent about 700 to 800 gold coins. When Rhode finally repaired the whole house, just 370 gold coins remained from the initial 2500 gold coins.


    As the saying goes, spend money like water. This saying was totally relevant right now.


    But looking at the new information before him, he was delighted.


    Name: Starlight


    Size: small


    Leader: Rhode Alander


    Members: 1


    Stronghold: 1 (Medium)


    Level: 1


    Reputation: Obscure


    Facilities: Hall (LV: 1 mood increased by 5%), Study room (LV: 1, can investigate the information from mercenary group members), bedroom (LV: 1 physical recovery increased by 5%).


    Done.


    After looking at all the information, Rhode sighed in relief. He closed his eyes and slumped onto a wooden chair next to him, his index finger gently knocking against the handrails. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes, and a determined expression appeared on his face.


    Good. Things are going as planned.

 Chapter 44 Early Developmen

    Things progressed smoothly. After Lize was returned from the Mercenary Association, she was stunned after noticing the new stronghold. She stood anxiously in front of the entrance while holding the supplies that she had just bought, not daring to come in. If it were not for Rhode, who found her rooted to the ground in a daze, Lize would''ve probably stood there until night came.


    Seeing the changes, naturally, she had some doubts. Although Rhode said that he would tidy up things, just by common sense, anyone would have assumed that he''d just cleaned up the broken furniture, and not deliver a complete makeover. Clearly, Rhode did not want to explain much, so she did not ask further. After she went through a lot of things, she began to trust him unconditionally. Even though what he did was odd, but since Rhode was a very mysterious person, so there was nothing strange.


    And Lize believed that one day he would tell her everything.


    Rhode heard from her about the situation in the Mercenary Association. That old man was left speechless once she recounted the story that happened. It was apparent that he did not expect the both of them to conquer the haunted house. On the other hand, Sereck took their side. He even gave some advice to Rhode, reminding him that he should be more careful to avoid unnecessary trouble.


    Rhode''s heart felt warm about Sereck''s kind and genuine reminder. While Haunted House had a bad reputation, Deep Stone City still did not send its top-tier fighters to conquer it. For a Master Swordsman like Sereck, he could easily subdue the undead. But the reason he did not do so was not that the enemy was stronger than him, but instead, it was because of some other external factors.


    In the end, this place was situated at the highest district and belonged to the nobles, which would certainly spell trouble for them if they interceded needlessly. Once the greedy nobles discovered that the haunted house was no longer cursed, matters would become incredibly troublesome. After all, 500 gold coins for a large mansion was utterly absurd, even calling it a bargain was an understatement. Naturally, some people would have sinister intentions to take the house back. As the saying goes, there was no free lunch in this world.


    Rhode knew about this matter, but he was curious as to why Sereck would remind him of such things since both of them was not even close... Was it because of the battle from before that made Sereck fond of him?


    But these were matters that weren''t of a high priority now. The current challenge was how to further develop his mercenary group.


    Rhode highlighted the first problem: Manpower.


    A mercenary group consisting of only two people was certainly impossible. Indeed, by relying on Rhode''s familiarity with this area, he would be able to complete the mission easily. But if there weren''t enough members, then it was no way for him to make a competent team. Based on his current strength, he could only kill undead creatures efficiently. If he fought against living creatures, it would be much more troublesome. As for the usual mercenary commission such as escorting, transporting, and others, with his current member count, no one would dare to entrust these jobs to him.


    However, what kind of men he should hire? At least the price must be reasonable... With this amount of money currently, he should be able to employ about one or two mercenaries. As the saying goes, use the best steel to make the knife''s edge. If he chose the wrong personnel, then it would be too late for him to cry.


    He creased his brows as he sat in the study room quietly. The room had plenty of open spaces. Other than a desk, few chairs and a bookshelf, there was nothing else. Although it looked quite shabby, right now, he could only accept it.


    After closing the book on his hand, Rhode fell into deep into thought.


    8th Month, the year of glory ������ was half a year later. The Country of Light, after investigating some matters, they declared that the Country of Darkness was the perpetrator behind the floating ship attack on the border. Then they quickly sent their troops and occupied Mount Solacen. There, they controlled the inhabitants, claiming that those men were the culprits behind the ambush. After that, they were promptly arrested and executed.


    Two months later, the Country of Darkness''s army made a response and took back Mount Solacen, and the Country of Light''s army was annihilated.


    An all-out war broke out.


    The Munn Kingdom was the first line of defense against the Country of Darkness, and also the place that Rhode resided. In truth, the calamity could be avoided, but the Country of Light issued a decree, preventing them from surrendering.


    That battle was the very first time that players suffered many casualties. When besieging the Munn Kingdom, the Country of Darkness sent powerful military forces. Vampires, skeleton mages, and other terrifying creatures that reached level 80. The average level of players were only level 40 to 50. Thus, the outcome was disastrous. Although some players organized various parties to try to and defend their land, it was useless in the face of the sheer level difference of the Darkness army. At that moment, the Country of Light''s council made a very shocking decision ������ They declared that the Munn Kingdom was in treacherous collusion with the enemy country and sent troops to invade the Munn Kingdom.


    This crushed any hope the Munn Kingdom had left. Realizing that it was fighting a futile battle for survival, the kingdom finally began to retreat. And at that time, the King of the kingdom, Lydia Paphield Mila Frederica, made a shocking decision. She sent her personal elite corps, the ''Purple Lily'', to escort the players and citizens to retreat to the Trisfia Port.


    Rhode still vividly remembered the scene from back then. They stood beside the refugees, and almost every player was gritting their teeth in humiliation while staring at the burning land before them. While being overthrown by some NPCs already made them furiously mad, the betrayal from the Country of Light was the icing on the cake.


    The players began hurling insults to quench their resentment. Their wide range of explicit vocabularies began surfacing: ''F*ck GM!! How dare you toy with us?!'', ''Die you stupid game company!'' and ''I want to kill those group of b*stards from the council!'' were common sentences from the players. While the players were cussing their hearts out, the Munn Kingdom''s inhabitants departed in a hurry.


    But only one person stayed.


    As an angel, she singlehandedly withstood the Country of Darkness relentless assault until the last ship from Trisfia Port left, then she finally closed her eyes to rest for eternity. Unto the last moment, she carried her oath to the grave ������ ''I will always stand behind my people and shield them from the storm, whether they were willing or not, was of minor consequence.''


    Soon, the players'' anger couldn''t be contained any longer and broke loose like water bursting out from a dam.


    Rhode could distinctly recall the time where hundreds of thousands of players leaving the official game forum in retaliation. Many claimed that this was against the will of the players and used many ways to express their resentment. Some player guilds even began to rebel by taking revenge through sabotaging the Country of Light''s army and murdering their NPCs. After these consecutive events, Rhode began to take this game seriously. He gathered the players with similar hatred towards the Country of Light and was able to form the Starlight Guild. Half of the players wanted to regain their dignity as players while the other half wanted to show the developers by boycotting the game. All in all, they wanted to vent their anger and somehow take revenge for their loss.


    And they succeeded.


    Under Rhode''s command, Starlight grew stronger each day. They were able to sweep through the Country of Light and utterly demolish the Country of Light''s council. After that, they sharpened their blades and went for the country that started this whole mess��the Country of Darkness. In the end, they succeeded and even conquered one of the Creator Dragons, the Dark Dragon. The Starlight Guild then rose to the fame as the game''s most powerful guild.


    While everybody was celebrating, Rhode basked in a dull melancholy, and a tiny voice constantly rang within Rhode''s heart.


    At that time, if I had this power, would I be able to change everything?


    He didn''t know the answer, but deep inside, he understood��


    He understood that time wouldn''t rewind itself. It was delusional for him to believe that he could start over.


    ...That was what he had believed, until he arrived to this world.


    Now that Rhode finally found an opportunity to change this fate, he wouldn''t waste it by ''playing casually.'' He didn''t want to experience that feeling of helplessness from before. Whether as a refugee or player, he would never allow himself to suffer from that kind of humiliation once again.


    Rhode had thought of visiting the Golden City after leaving Dusk Forest. But after hearing about Lize''s plight, he changed his mind. Since he could form a guild powerful enough to contend against Hell''s devils and destroy both countries of Light and Darkness, he was confident that he could do it again. Even killing the Void Dragon wasn''t an impossible task in the future.


    He still had one and a half year of time. While it wasn''t a long time, it wasn''t short either.


    And now, he had already acquired the Mercenary Association acknowledgment and a stronghold. He could finally start to rebuild his glory from before. This time, he wasn''t going to feel the shame from before, this was something he absolutely could not tolerate.


    Since everything was going on the right track, it was time for him to begin preparations.


    Admiring Deep Stone City''s scenery from the window, Rhode began to recall those NPCs attributes and skills. Then an idea struck him.


    "Lize."


    He stood up and knocked on the desk. Soon, the girl who was seemingly engrossed in a book, heard his call and stood up immediately.


    "Let''s go to the Mercenary Association."


    The Mercenary Association was as lively as usual. Mercenaries were sitting in the hall, drinking and chatting at the various tables. More people were queuing in front of the hall to accept and hand in commissions.


    Rhode quickly found his mercenary group name on the stone slabs of all the mercenaries group in Paphield area. The total number of mercenary groups on the stone slab was 32, and Starlight was ranked the last with an eye-catching number beside it, 0.


    Lize felt somewhat helpless when she saw the ranking. Although she had already seen it yesterday, but to think that her mercenary group which was previously around the middle, fell to the bottom of the list overnight, wasn''t a pleasant thought to have.


    She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down and said, "Sir, we are now ranked last. 0 points... Even other mercenary groups have five points at the very least. We must think of some way."


    "I know."


    Rhode nodded in response and looked up. Then he saw another name ���� Red Hawk. If he remembered correctly, the Red Hawk leader was a friend of Lize. It seemed like they were doing quite well, ranked at the 21st. They belong to the standard level, without any merit, which was not too low and not too high.


    The reason Rhode arrived here today was not because of them. He glanced at the other side of the hall.


    The arrangement of the Mercenary Association was distinct. The left side of the hall was the place occupied by mercenary groups, and the right was the place for those idle and unorganized mercenaries to hang out. These people do not have a mercenary group and could only wait here while taking on some common missions, or wait for a mercenary group to recruit them. Because of that, this place was much quieter than the left side.


    Rhode and Lize''s appearance caused a lot of heads to turn. A group of rowdy mercenaries whistled loudly and greeted the both of them uncouthly. Rhode ignored the idiots who couldn''t even recognize his gender, whereas, for Lize, it was just another day for her. She gave a smile as a courtesy, and did not respond. She knew that these mercenaries were actually bored, and wanted to find some fun. Whether she met their greetings with anger or happiness, they still accomplished their goal. Thus, it was better to just ignore them, lest attracting unnecessary trouble.


    Rhode turned his head towards the corner and walked over...


    The cup of wine was as sweet as usual...


    The old man put down the glass in his hand while forcefully holding his slightly trembling right hand. He leaned against the chair, looking at the ground. He was once the member of Wind Glory mercenary group. At that time he was very confident, brave, and energized. For countless of times, he dreamed that someday he was going to be a mercenary group leader. To lead his men to go on an adventure was his hope and his dream.


    But after this injury, everything changed for the worse.


    He had lost the strength from before, and those who had worshiped him before, also abandoned him. And what was he now? The youngster who had a limitless future, was now a poor old man who could not do anything besides drinking alcohol. Thinking about this, he could not help but sigh again. He looked up and glanced at the group of youngsters around him. They were too young and still dreaming. Adventure, beauty, money, fame... what were those? Everything was meaningless once they lost something to rely on, then what would become of them?


    The old man reached out his hand and touched his right eye that was covered by an eye patch. Then he raised his glass signaling the bartender for another cup.


    At this time, he noticed two people sitting beside him.


    "Mr. Walker? Mr. Didar Walker?"

 Chapter 45 Old Walker’s Hear

    "Yes, I am," Old Walker briefly turned around and discovered a good-looking young man sitting in front of him, though he had never met this person before, the young lady behind him was someone he faintly recognized. "...and you are?" He asked Rhode with a passive tone.


    "I''m Rhode Alander, leader of Starlight Mercenary Group."


    "Starlight?" Old Walker squinted his eyes as he tried to scrutinize the young lad in front of him in his drunken state. "Ahh... yes..." After a moment, his eyes twinkled slightly. He seemed to had recalled something and nodded his head, "Yes... the one who accepted Silver Libra''s-"


    Suddenly he paused with his mouth slightly open, and the old man quietly raised his glass towards the blonde girl next to Rhode.


    "You''re that Spirit Master... Oh, don''t take it too hard. This is how mercenaries live, rain or shine, we don''t even know when our time is up..."


    "Mr. Walker, we''re here to find you. We need your help."


    "...Oh?" With only a somewhat dissatisfied tone, the old man didn''t pay much significance to Rhode''s interruption.


    His eyes locked with Rhode''s.


    "Yes, so, what is it?"


    "I wish to recruit you to my mercenary group." Rhode didn''t bother to mince his words and got the point without delay.


    For a moment, the old man''s eyes widened, but it quickly changed laughter.


    "...Pfft, hahahahahaha."


    It was as if he heard the joke of the century. He couldn''t help but smack the table a few times which caused some wine in the glass to spill to the floor. Lize was surprised at the old man''s sudden reaction. On the other hand, Rhode maintained his calm. He even had the time to wave his hand, gesturing to the bartender for two more glasses of wine.


    Even after the bartender left, the old man was still tearing at the tips of his eyes. He gasped like a broken fan before he finally leaned back on his chair.


    "I did not hear you wrong, right? Lad, you actually want me to join your mercenary group?"


    "Is there a problem?" Rhode frowned.


    "Of course."


    The old man finally became serious. He sobered up, and his eyes turned sharp, looking towards the young man.


    "Do you think that because I''m old, that you assumed that I''m senile? I would like to ask you a question, how many people are there currently in your mercenary group?


    "Two."


    Rhode quickly answered without hesitation.


    "That''s it."


    The old man clasped both of his hands.


    "Two people? Mercenary group? How do you even going to take a commission? It won''t be long before the end of the spring, and now your Starlight Mercenary Group''s point is zero. Let''s put aside the fact that you''ve failed a commission before, no one would pass over a commission to a two-man mercenary group... and frankly, it''s not something that both of you can complete." The old man sighed folded his arms. "Even if I''m old, I''m not confused. Youngster, I''ve lived here for decades, and I know what occurred here daily. Sorry, but I''m not going to join your sinking ship." Old Walker said grimly.


    This caused Lize''s mouth to twitch. Meanwhile, Rhode calmly waited for him to finish.


    "Mr. Walker, what are you afraid of?"


    "... What do you mean?"


    "I just want to know what are you afraid of."


    His tone was indifferent, but his voice revealed a trace of ridicule.


    "Indeed, I admit that our situation is quite bad. Our mercenary group might be disbanded at the end of the year, but ..."


    Rhodes stretched out a finger.


    "Even if it did disband, it is something that will happen a year later, right? Who cares if we fail? Either we end up dead, or we disband. This is the way of life for an ordinary mercenary. How about you? Look at yourself now; even if we disband, you can just stroll back here and continue to live like this. Or are you actually afraid of death?


    The old man''s face darkened. "Don''t think that you can provoke me with those words, lad."


    "For so many years, I''ve seen many kinds of people. I am not afraid of death, but I do not like being deceived. Both of you will surely fail, and naturally, I wouldn''t want any part of it."


    "Sounds like a nice excuse." Rhode clapped his hands, mocking him sarcastically.


    "When you abandoned Wind Glory, did you use this same excuse?"


    "Bam!!!"


    Hearing Rhode''s words, the old man expression changed. He slammed the table angrily, startling the poor Lize.


    "They abandoned me! You little b*stard, since you do not know anything at all, don''t go flapping your gums as if you do!"


    As usual, Rhode kept up his nonchalant demeanor, "Acting like a victim; everyone can do it too." Then he merely shrugged at the old man and continued, "but what qualifications do you have to complain? Grievance? When they gave you the opportunity, what did you do? Look at yourself now, living out life like a wounded jackal, afraid of moving out from your nest. You are afraid. Face it; you''ve lost your confidence, so now you don''t dare to face anything unknown. Is that it?"


    "Swoosh!"


    A cold dagger flew rapidly and stopped right before Rhode''s throat.


    "Shut your trap, youngster." The old man face darkened even further, "You aren''t qualified to talk to me like that."


    "That ''s what I should say to you. Seems like I''ve hit the mark, eh?"


    Rhode didn''t care about the old man''s threat. He vividly recalled the old man''s background. Back in the game, he was a rare high-cost NPC in Deep Stone City. His attributes were good, but it did not mean that his IQ would be good too. In fact, on his personal quest to ''find the past glory'', the old man''s conduct was considered as idiotic by many players. In that quest, his mercenary group was ambushed by demonic beasts. After hearing the grave news, this old man decided to go rescue them, and naturally, the player needed to help him too.


    However, players were very unhappy with his wishy-washy behavior because he was just as long-winded as a woman! A matter that could be settled within minutes became hours. And a simple matter that could be easily concluded, became unnecessarily complicated. Many times, he would stop to think about matters such as: ''Should I go or not..? Would they be happy to see him...?'' Things like this made the 56-year-old man resemble a fussy old lady. It caused anxiety to some players, who wanted nothing but to strangle him to death.


    And because of his indecisiveness, his comrades ended up as wild beast food. It wasn''t until that incident when the old man finally reflected on his mistakes and went mad. He later perished with the wild beasts in the quest ''return of the prodigal son''.


    This questline was labeled as complete trash to the players. On the tedious escort quest, the old man wasted three to four hours by being indecisive. In the end, the players were caught in an encirclement of wild beasts. From that point on, they did not respect that old man any longer and only needed two words to describe him while pointing with their middle finger.


    Rhode was also one of them.


    But it was also because of this quest that made him aware of what happened with Old Walker. His companions gave him ample patience and time, but the old man still wallowed in his past. Just like a turtle that hid in its shell, he was oblivious to his comrades'' goodwill and refused to learn from his mistakes. Even though he repented in the end, these kind of stories were only a novelty in books or dramas, in reality, no one wished for these things to happen.


    Repent my *ss, in the end, didn''t you die? The people you wanted to save had died, and then you also died. What a pointless death!


    Primarily, Rhode said these harsh things because he wanted to provoke him. To deal with ''scaredy cats'' such as this old man, one must force him into a corner; else, he would definitely stay inside his own little world.


    The other half was because he wanted to take revenge on this old man. When he took the quest back in the game, it made his life miserable, and venting his anger in the game was useless. Thus, with the living person in front of him right now, why not kill two birds with one stone?


    "At least I dared to face challenges head-on, unlike some coward who could only stick his head into the ground."


    After saying his piece, Rhode stood up, fished out a few silver coins and placed it on the table.


    "I''ll give you a day to think about it. If you agree, you can come to Cyril''s Haunted House to find me. By tomorrow, if I don''t find you, then we''ll never see each other again."


    Rhode turned away. Lize who was surprised, also quickly stood up and followed Rhode out.


    After the two left, Old Walker sat down again. He clenched his teeth, and his hands trembled in anger. Then he sighed and buried his head deep in his arms, not speaking a word.

 Chapter 46 Four Star Mission

    After meeting Old Walker, Rhode did not leave the Mercenary Association immediately. After all, their mercenary group still lacked a main tank and damage dealers. If he could hire a warrior or any defensive class, then Rhode''s next quest would be a lot easier. Unfortunately, this time, he could not find the mercenaries he desired. Those classes that usually stand in the front line were rare. Usually, only soldiers would choose that class, because, after all, who fancied getting constantly hit? Moreover, the majority of the tankers were also taken by larger groups. Thus, it was challenging to locate them, let alone hire them. Rhode and Lize had circled the hall for a while and chatted with a few swordsman. However, they did not meet Rhode''s requirements and naturally all of them were eliminated.


    Rhode gave up for today. He began to shift his focus to think about how to increase their power. Deep Stone City didn''t have much to offer left. Moreover, Rhode didn''t have much money. And even if he had, he had to consider how the mercenaries would feel about joining a declining group. Some might even take advantage of their status and act bossy. Thus, he simply threw the idea of recruitment aside for now, because in front of him there were more important things to do,


    First was his mercenary group points.


    Lize was right. The most important thing right now was to increase their points to avoid the disbandment in winter. That should be the highest priority ������ and is certainly something that Rhode must pay most attention to. At least... they should not get another zero.


    Completing missions was one way to acquire mercenary group points. So far, there are two categories of missions:


    Missions issued by clients, where the client would give the rewards upon completion, and missions managed by the Mercenary Association based on the client specification.


    The Mercenary Association would give rewards based on the difficulty level of the mission. Missions that were managed by the Association would also provide mercenary group points.


    In the Mercenary Association, mission level is divided into six levels. Regular missions and 1-5 Star-Ranked missions. The ''1-5'' refers to the difficulty rating system. Rewards also may differ among missions, and challenging missions usually had a stricter time limit.


    Small mercenary groups were only allowed to take on Regular missions, or perhaps even 1 to 2 Star-Ranked missions. Completing Regular missions would net them 1 point when completed, 1 Star-Ranked mission would be 2 points, and 2 Star-Ranked missions were worth 3 points so on and so forth. While the small mercenary groups were limited to Regular missions and 1 to 2 Star-Ranked missions, medium-sized mercenary groups could take on 2 to 4 Star-Ranked missions. However, that didn''t mean that medium-sized groups were restricted to 2 to 4 Star-Ranked tasks, but even if they cleared lower ranked missions, they wouldn''t receive any points anyway. It was the same for mercenary guilds. They could only obtain rewards from 3 to 5 Star-Ranked missions.


    The Mercenary Association created these rules, and mercenaries were prohibited from breaking them. This means that even if a small or medium mercenary group somehow manages to complete a 5 Star-Ranked mission, they would not be given points. But the possibility of that happening was almost zero since 5 Star-Ranked missions were all extremely dangerous, even for mercenary guilds.


    With such a condition, many mercenary groups also had their methods of farming points. Groups such as the Blue Collar Mercenary Group diligently completed the lowest level missions, ensuring that their points were enough to avoid disbandment. Other mercenary groups and guilds had a choice as well, whether to play it big, or play it safe, was totally up to them.


    Rhode chose to play it big. After all, his member count was way too low right now. Even if he were to diligently completed low-level tasks, the points would increase too slowly. As they say, three fists are no match for four hands. No matter what, their numerical disadvantage was not something that could be denied. Since they have no way to secure the stability, then he could only complete high-level missions to get as many points as possible.


    When Rhode handed over the ''Pavel Cemetery'' mission to Uncle Hank, the old man''s face paled as he stared at him as though he saw a ghost.


    "Are you sure you''re going to take this mission young man?"


    Old Hank rubbed his glasses, then seriously looked at Rhode.


    "This is a four-star mission. Even large, well-geared mercenary groups can''t say that they would return safely."


    Then, the old man frowned and knocked his knuckles on the table.


    "It''s not like this old man is trying to scare you lad, but before you, the Blue Valley and Black Lion Mercenary Group had accepted this mission. All of them were veteran mercenaries, but what was the result? They received very heavy casualties. And even the leader almost lost his life. Those people had sent dozens of people but still failed in the end, and you guys..." the old man put his elbow on the table and pinched his brows, continuing, "...you guys want to complete it with TWO people? Being young and brave is a good thing, but..."


    "I think there is nothing that I should reconsider."


    Rhode didn''t mind Old Hank''s skepticism. The standard of ''strong'' among NPCs and ''strong'' amongst players were totally different, literally ''worlds apart'' if one would add. Thus, it was useless to compare between the two. The reason why Rhode chose this mission was that of its high points and rewards.


    A necromancer named Pavel lived in an abandoned cemetery which was situated in the northern part of the mountain. The mission was to kill that necromancer and his minions. As long as he could bring Pavel''s head, the mission would be complete.


    Of course, Rhode had his own plans of completing this mission. Besides the level and points, it was also because the card deck he had right now. Frankly, based on his current strength, he could only defeat undead creatures at best. As for fighting bandits, it would just be more troublesome. But the thing was, that necromancer called Pavel was holding onto a skill book.


    Rumors said that this necromancer Pavel was once a respected bishop, later, because of some worldly affairs, he had fallen as a necromancer. He held a holy book called ''Book of Holiness,'' and it was Rhode''s primary goal. Because what written there was a Spirit Master skill.


    Now, it is necessary to explain the level upgrade difference between the players'' and the NPCs in Dragon Soul Continent.


    The player advantage was obvious from all aspects. Because of skill points, they could upgrade their skill level whenever they wanted. When Rhode was at level 10, he could already possess a level 34 NPC skill. But NPCs couldn''t do that. Other than geniuses and royalty, most of the NPCs used their skills that they acquired from leveling. If a comparison was made based on this, it was clear who was superior.


    On the other hand, the advantage NPCs had was that their talent classification was different from the player. Many NPC classes had their talent tree integrated with one another, and they were free to choose. This made a lot of players quite envious because the player''s talent tree was separated and because of the skill limitation, they could not choose what they wanted, unlike NPCs. Moreover, many talents were exclusive to NPCs only.


    Other than that, the gap between the player and NPC was too big. Players could easily upgrade their levels through experience, as for NPCs, level upgrading was like a nightmare. If they wanted to level up, there were only two ways. The first one was: if the player and NPC had a high intimacy level, then the NPC would issue a quest which must be completed by the player in order to upgrade that NPC''s level. Another way was to give the NPC a skill book; there was no restriction, and they did not need to reach a particular level to learn it. Thus, even a level 5 NPC could learn a level 10 skill which would immediately bring their level to 10.


    But of course, that would take some time.


    If he could obtain that book, then there should be nothing to worry about Lize reaching level 40. Moreover, the ''Book of Holiness'' also taught many damage spells, these could make up for her weak offensive skills and become a full-fledged clergy that could fight on the front lines. Moreover, in the face of the inevitable war with Country of Darkness, teaching his mercenary group members to fight against undead creatures was a plus.


    If it wasn''t because of that, why would Rhode want to hang around the undead all day long? He was a living person that had no interest in the dead. In fact, if he could hire a mage, even a mage apprentice would also be useful. But unfortunately, mages were even rarer than Spirit Masters. Most of them never ventured far out from their house, let alone becoming a mercenary.


    "I have decided, Uncle Hank. Please rest assured that we will complete the task."


    "Hope so."


    Seeing that he was unable to persuade Rhode, Uncle Hank sighed helplessly and shook his head. He wrote something on the paper on his table and nodded to Rhode.


    "Well, Mr. Rhode, your mission has been registered. When you''ve completed the mission, just bring the token back as requested, once identified and confirmed we will give you the reward."


    "I understand."


    Rhode nodded and walked away. When his figure disappeared into the crowd, Uncle Hank shook his head in disappointment.


    "That youngster is too reckless. Does he even know how difficult this mission is? Sigh... I don''t really know what to say anymore. Such a pity... He looked so young... but...."


    While speaking to himself, Hank picked up the jug beside him sluggishly.


    Then suddenly from behind, a clear bright voice rang out.


    "What was stupid? Mr. Hank?"


    "Ah, young miss!"


    Upon hearing this voice, Hank''s body jolted up. He put down the jug on his hand embarrassingly and turned around to look at the person behind him while showing a trace of a bitter smile.


    "Young miss, how do you have time visit me... I thought..."


    "I''m the one asking you! What about the thing that I told you to do?"


    "This..."


    Facing this demanding young miss, Old Hank''s forehead drenched in sweat. He took out his handkerchief and wiped his face as he tried to make an excuse. "This... I am currently trying. You also saw it yourself, miss. These guys are mostly average. So far I have not found the right one yet, so..."


    "So that''s why." A beautiful voice sounded like the birds chirping in the early morning. She paused for a while and continued, "Then what happened just now?"


    "Oh, that kid."


    Old Hank''s expression immediately changed and began to sigh.


    "That guy was overestimating himself. Miss, you''ve got to hear this...."


    As though he finally found something else to complain about, Old Hank quickly shifted the discussion to Rhode who had recently registered a 4 Star-Ranked mission. Of course, he exaggerated the story of how Rhode presented himself. But as a member of the Mercenary Association, he could not explicitly declare that they would certainly perish as the mercenaries were very sensitive to this kind of words. Since it was their job scope to deal with dangerous tasks, if he said things such as cursing him to die, then he truly had no conscience.


    "Is that so."


    After listening to Old Hank''s complaint, she smiled.


    "That is interesting... A mercenary group with only two people dared to take on a 4 Star-Ranked mission. It really is odd, isn''t it?"


    "Yes, and I heard that Sereck was really fond of this guy. I really do not know which part that Sereck would fancy about him..."


    "Uncle Hank."


    Old Hank was suddenly interrupted halfway by the girl.


    "I have something that I hope you can help, but I don''t know whether you were willing?"


    "Yes, as long as it''s within my ability, there''s certainly no problem."


    "Well, then..."


    But after he heard that girl''s demand, Old Hank''s face turned green.

 Chapter 47 New Member Joining

    A chilly wind swept through the prairie, producing a breezy sound. Once again, the sun rose on the horizon, indicating the arrival of a new day.


    "Haa..."


    Lize opened her eyes slowly.


    The first thing she saw was the pale golden rays of early morning light which spilled into the room from the half-opened window. She instinctively moved her hand towards her eyes to shield against the sun as she blinked and squinted at the leaves just outside the window. Her soft and fluffy bed emitted a scent of fragrance which made her reluctant to leave her idyllic retreat to the dream world. But after a while, as her consciousness began to strengthen, she narrowed her eyes and sat upright while hugging a pillow in her arms, subtly resisting the notion of getting up.


    Finally, she had her own home.


    Looking at the plain, yet homely room before her, she could not help but feel a sense of warmth inside her heart. Never had she imagined that one day, she would have a place to settle down like this, but now it had finally become a reality. This meant that she did not have to live in that shabby guest room or the taverns in the future. She did not have to worry about where to put her favorite things anymore. Now that she had her very own room, she was incredibly satisfied on the inside.


    On the night when she was first introduced to her room, she immediately ran to the bedside, jumped, and landed flat on the bed, rolling side-to-side over and over again. Due to her excitement, she could not fall asleep that night. And that was just the beginning. These days, she began to savor this place even more. She started to immerse herself in this room fully. The already spotless room was being cleaned by her again, and she also picked a few flowers which she placed in a vase to decorate the room.


    "Alright... time to get up!"


    Lize raised both of her hands, stretched her waist, and undressed. After taking a warm bath, she walked out from the room. In the stronghold, she was responsible for the cleaning. Of course, having her own home wasn''t all sunshine and bunnies. Unlike the tavern, she had to prepare her own food and wash the dishes all by herself. Although Rhode wanted to hire several servants to help with the household chores, he didn''t have enough money for that luxury at the moment, therefore he could only live and adapt for now.


    Whether it was her being a good mood or not, after waking up, she felt exceptionally rejuvenated despite yesterday being an extremely tiring day.


    Speaking of Rhode, what was he doing?


    After tidying her clothes, she made her way to Rhode''s bedroom and knocked on the door gently.


    "Mr. Rhode?"


    There was no answer.


    Isn''t he in?


    Lize was puzzled and knocked the door again, but there was still no response.


    The next moment, she heard the sound of a bird chirping from the window.


    After being continually exposed to Rhode''s summoned spirits, naturally, she had already familiarized herself to the sound of the Spirit Bird. Thus, when she recognized that familiar sound, she hurriedly made her way to the window and looked down. And as expected, Rhode was there.


    A figure stood quietly in the garden. When he stretched his right hand forward, a small bird flew and landed on his arm. Wherever the bird flew, a turbulent storm surged behind it. Sometimes, a deep crack would appear on the ground which was full of weeds.


    When the Spirit Bird lifted off, Rhode made a gesture with his hands, and in the next moment, the invisible turbulence that trailed behind the Spirit Bird ignited into flames. As the bird soared, it drew a sphere of fire in the air and swiftly darted towards Rhode. When Rhode was about to be swallowed by the sea of flames, it suddenly subsided and turned into a brilliant, white sword.


    "Swoosh!!!"


    A burst of sword energy rushed past and cut the falling leaves.


    Under the breeze, they danced melodiously, and upon the flames; they were scorched.


    Three meters around Rhode had turned into a barren land.


    "Mr. Rhode."


    When she saw Rhode put away his sword, Lize opened her mouth and called out to him.


    "Lize?"


    Hearing that soft voice, Rhode looked up and nodded in return.


    "Good morning."


    "Good morning, Sir."


    After greeting him, she felt a little bit awkward. According to the rule, she should call him ''Leader,'' but they were almost the same age, so she felt quite embarrassed. Moreover, in Lize''s heart, her leader was Carter. That was why she still could not call Rhode ''Leader'' right now. Luckily, Rhode did not seem to care about this minor matters like this. After she apologized to him, he accepted her reasoning.


    Really, he was the definition of a perfect man.


    Looking at Rhode, her heart could not help but thump. Young, handsome, calm and steady. He ticked all the qualities of a woman''s dream man. Moreover, he was also hard working. Of course, she had to admit that he could be domineering sometimes, but that just added his charms.


    If only she could...


    When her thoughts began to trail off, Lize quickly shook her head. After that, she saw Rhode coming over.


    "Mr. Rhode, is that old man really coming?"


    Perhaps, in order to cover up her embarrassment, she attempted to change the topic. Although she was a long-time citizen in Deep Stone City, she had never imagined that this old man held such an unusual background. Clearly, Rhode knew about it beforehand, and since she already accustomed to his secretiveness, she did not ask further.


    Rhode grabbed a towel hanging on the side and wiped the sweat from his forehead, "I don''t know." He shrugged ambiguously. "I''ve done everything that I could. The rest is up to him, if he has a tiny bit of determination left, then I think he will come. But if not, then he won''t come. Of course, with or without him, our plan wouldn''t change."


    Rhode''s words were as straightforward and calm as usual. He was not going to let anyone doubt or refute his words.


    "Lize, I hope that you are ready. Pavel Cemetery is a very dangerous place; and if it''s only the two of, the danger level will be quite high. The situation will be trickier than the Fog Ruins."


    "Yes, I understand, Mr. Rhode. I will get ready."


    "Very well. Then I will head back first. As for breakfast... I''ll have the usual."


    "Okay."


    After they started living in the stronghold, Rhode and Lize''s living habits seemed different from before. Perhaps it was because they lack money, Rhode did not construct a dining room. Thus, the both of them had their meals in Rhode''s study room. Now, they were totally accustomed to it. Have to say, habits are really terrifying.


    As Lize quickly made her way to cook breakfast, Rhode returned to his study room on the second floor and began to plan for their next move.


    Even if he was labeled as the ''walking library'' before, Rhode could not entirely remember the details for every single quest. Right now, he tried to recall the dangers that might occur in Pavel Cemetery and record it down. Next, he would think of the counter to that dangerous situation. If he was lucky then it would be a three-man quest, but if not, then he had to plan for a backup. Of course, a two or three man quest would mean that he had to change a lot of tactics as compared to when he was a player.


    Since he could become the No.1 Guild Leader in the Dragon Soul Continent, Rhode did not only rely on his talent alone. Hard work, good observation, time management and foresight was critical to success. When an opposing guild was still figuring out what to do against a BOSS, Rhode had already finished the quest with his guildmates. That was the difference between them.


    ''It''s all about the details!''


    That was Rhode''s policy. Success and defeat hinged on the details of the plan.


    When Rhode deep in thought, a knocking sound came from the front door.


    "Who is it?"


    Although the knocking sound came from the first floor, Rhode''s senses had reached a degree that he could clearly catch what was happening downstairs. When he noticed that someone was at the front door, he eventually put down the pen in his hand and walked out of his room.


    Did the Old Walker finally break his curse after thinking over? Coming here that early? That is certainly unexpected.


    However, the one who actually knocked on his door was not that fallen old mercenary, but Hank from the Mercenary Association!


    What is he doing here?


    Rhode stared at Uncle Hank''s awkward and embarrassed smile. After that, he glanced at the person behind him. He discovered that the person who was wrapped in a cloak behind Uncle Hank was a woman.


    What''s going on?


    "Uncle Hank, are you looking for me?"


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode. This... Can I talk inside?"


    "Of course."


    Rhode nodded his head and welcomed the both of them in.


    From Uncle Hank''s expression, it was apparent that he was surprised after discovering the luxurious hall in front of him. In fact, before coming, he had assumed that their two-man stronghold must be quite shabby. But looking at the spacious hall which was clean and tidy, he couldn''t help but widen his eyes. It was totally different from his imagination and looked at Rhode surprisingly. Although Old Hank never entered the Haunted House before, he knew that it had been abandoned for many years, there were even a lot of people that died here. It was utterly impossible for a dilapidated house to look like this!


    How did this young man do it?


    Old Hank was finally intrigued by Rhode''s mysteriousness. Having worked at the Mercenary Association for so many years, this was the first time he had seen someone like Rhode. From just his appearance, he was no different than many other men, but looking at him now, it appeared that his judgment was wrong.


    "What business do you have with me, Uncle Hank?"


    After inviting the two of them in, Rhode opened his mouth and asked. At the same time, he also glanced at the girl beside him. He was sure that the this 18 or 19 year-old-girl was related Hank''s sudden visitation.


    Sure enough, he was right. Hank revealed an awkward smile and said, "It''s like this, Mr. Rhode. This young miss... wants to join your mercenary group."

 Chapter 48 Queen of Mercenary

    "This young miss�� wants to join your mercenary group."


    After Old Hank''s introduction, Rhode glanced at the girl next to him, who took off her cloak and revealed her true face.


    It was a girl that appeared to be about 16 to 17 years old.


    She had beautiful facial features. Her snow-like, white hair looked particularly eye-catching. A lovely pair of wine-red eyes gave Rhode a curious look. Rhode could recognize that she was a noble from her demeanor. With an overt display of self-confidence and pride, it was no wonder that he could conclude that she wasn''t someone ordinary. Moreover, she possessed a beautiful collar with intricate patterns carved on it.


    "This young miss is��"


    Rhode frowned. He hoped that nothing unexpected would occur.


    "Hello, Mr. Rhode Alander."


    The girl stretched out her hand. She smiled and said


    "I am Marlene Senia. As you have heard, I hope to enter your mercenary group. I hope you will give me the opportunity."


    "Marlene Senia?"


    Hearing the girl said her name, Rhode was dumbfounded and showed a trace of surprise.


    Marlene Senia was a familiar name to Rhode; this character was quite famous among the players, she even had a nickname: ''Queen of Mercenaries''. Rumors said that this girl was a mage genius. When she was 19 years old, she broke through the inner circle, which was the final bottleneck of a mage. Then, she formed a mercenary group ''Free Ring'', and recruited many young girls from the Munn Kingdom who were geniuses in their own right. But among the players, this girl was not too likable because she has a strange habit, which was ������ she hated men.


    The game did not bother to hide it. Free Ring Mercenary Group was an exclusive group for females, and no males were allowed to join. Even if they paid a large amount of money, the male players wouldn''t be able to hire any one of them. This made many players unhappy and began to dislike this woman. Thus, for most players, they did not really have a high evaluation of this woman called the ''Queen of Mercenaries.''


    Although she wasn''t well-liked among male players, Marlene''s storyline was the typical ''hero''s ending''. When faced with the Country of Darkness''s attack, she and her comrades withstood the enemy''s siege for three days and three nights in Golden City. Finally, when they were inevitably overwhelmed by enemy forces, they cast a forbidden spell which caused all of them to perish along with the enemy. They sacrificed themselves to protect the country. From this point on, her courage and valor became well known.


    Rhode had heard her name before, but as a male, he had never met this girl in person before. Therefore, when he found out that this girl was actually in Deep Stone City and wanted to join his mercenary group, Rhode''s eyes widened in surprise.


    Didn''t she hate men? Why would she take the initiative to seek him? Did she think that he is a woman? These strange things shouldn''t be happening!


    As he watched Marlene who stretched out her right hand for a handshake, Rhode continued to deduce this irregularity in his mind.


    Perhaps its a person with the same name? It can''t be her, right? She said that her family name was Senia, and looking at her appearance, she DOES indeed look like a noble... But ������ the Senia family is located far away in Golden City! Why was this young miss, who was supposed to attend the Royal Magic Academy, here in Deep Stone City? Was she summoned to the countryside?


    "I have heard your name, Ms. Senia."


    Rhode replied tactfully and shook her hand. He did not know much about the legend in front of him, just like other players. But he still understood the general situation.


    "I apologize if this seems sudden, but... shouldn''t you be in the academy right now...?"


    Marlene and Hank''s eyes flickered at his seemingly casual comment.


    However, Marlene felt that Rhode was interesting because he recognized her identity. This means that the rumor of Rhode being a noble was actually true. Hank was equally surprised, never had he thought that Rhode had a connection with the nobles. And now, Rhode finally ''revealed'' his noble identity.


    "So, it''s like this..."


    After confirming that Rhode was also one of her ''own'' kind, she began to show modesty and controlled her pride.


    "My teacher said that once my power passed a certain level. If I want to continue improving, I have to experience actual battles. That''s why I came here to ask Uncle Sereck to give me the opportunity to train here."


    So, it was connected to Sereck after all.


    Rhode finally realized the reason. The Senia family sent her here because of that Master Swordsman. But before that, there was still something that needed to be confirmed.


    "Ms. Marlene."


    Rhode took back his hand, and his face turned serious.


    "Since it was Uncle Hank who introduced you to me, I think you should have a grasp on our current plight beforehand. Frankly, we lack members. And even more especially so now, since we took on a four-star mission. If any mishap were to happen, we might be disbanded. Knowing this, are you still willing to bet your life and join my mercenary group?"


    Facing Rhode''s question, Marlene raised her chin slightly and revealed a confident and cunning grin.


    "Of course I understand what you mean, Mr. Rhode. But I think that it is a good thing for me. Moreover, as a middle circle mage, I am very confident about my strength."


    So this is a good thing for her?


    Hearing her answer, Rhode could not help but to shoot a glance at Old Hank. Although she was the infamous ''Queen of Mercenaries'' in the game, he had never come in direct contact with her before. From his first impression, this girl was very independent and possessed a strong pride. However, the words she spoke previously made him a bit puzzled. He did not understand why a person like her would say that joining a declining mercenary group was a good thing?


    Uncle Hank was aware of the meaning behind Rhode''s glance, but he was unable to explain his suffering. He was very clear about Marlene''s identity and influence. As a young noble, she didn''t lack the strength, but a mercenary wasn''t all about strength. Experience and willpower played a critical role in the mercenary life as well. Even though she was a powerful mage who doesn''t hesitate to kill her enemies on the battlefield, in the end, she was still a woman. If she was drugged and thrown onto a bed by some evil men, then even being a powerful mage would be useless, right? That was why Old Hank had always been very careful. If something happened to the young miss, then he would be put in a very difficult situation.


    Her nobility-bred arrogance also made a lot of mercenaries quite uncomfortable. Old Hank tried his best to introduce her to several mercenary groups, but in the end, the other side always rejected, giving excuses such as ''having enough members.'' After all, the status between nobles and ordinary people were worlds apart, and the mercenaries did not necessarily trust nobility.


    Marlene wasn''t stupid, she, of course, knew the reason why those people did not accept her. But her pride would prevent her from lowering her status and follow those guys.


    Therefore, Rhode''s appearance lit a glimmer of hope within her.


    Rumors said that Rhode was also a noble. If that was the case, then presumably, he should be better than those uneducated mercenaries. Moreover, this mercenary group had only two members; they certainly did not have enough members. If they whip up an excuse saying that they already have enough people, then wouldn''t it be a total brazen lie?


    Rhode did not understand what Marlene meant, but Old Hank knew what she was trying to do. This made him helpless. Before coming here, he tried to persuade this proud young miss numerous times, saying that the Starlight Mercenary Group was not the best choice for her. They lacked members, and the mission was too dangerous. Moreover, right now they were living in the infamous Cyril''s Haunted House. But alas, no matter how much he tried to reason, this young miss still did not listen to him. This confirmed Old Hank''s belief of how proud and stubborn nobles could be. Rhode was one clear example, and this young miss was also the same. Birds of the same feather flock together. Such a troublesome bunch!


    If he could, Old Hank wanted to report this matter to Sereck and let him deal with it. Presumably, Sereck would not allow Marlene to undertake such danger, but unfortunately, he was not in the Mercenary Association these two days, so he could not find him. Marlene was smart and took advantage of this period when Sereck wasn''t in to force Old Hank to listen to her order.


    Heavens! This kind of thing... why did you do it...


    Old Hank could already imagine Sereck''s expression when he comes back and hears about the decision made by Marlene. What kind of face would he show?


    This was the sorrow of pitiful people like him.


    Rhode did not understand Hank''s grief-stricken inner monologue, nor would he want to know it anyway. It was a miracle for a mage to take the initiative to come and find him. Even if Old Hank disagreed, he would just ignore him and recruit the future ''Queen of Mercenaries'' to his group.


    But before that, he still needed to clear up a certain matter.


    "I can accept you to the group. Ms. Marlene."


    Rhode''s expression became serious.


    "But I have some conditions."


    "Please speak."


    Hearing Rhode words, Marlene''s eyes flashed a trace of surprise. She came here to acquire some real combat experience, but she did not expect that after she arriving in Deep Stone City, she became a caged canary instead. This caused Marlene to be quite unhappy. Thus, after hearing about Rhode and his mercenary group, Marlene found out that this was a perfect opportunity to escape from the cage.


    Now it seemed that she had succeeded.


    "First of all, since you''ve joined the mercenary group, then you will be considered to be one of my subordinates."


    Rhode lifted up one finger.


    "As a subordinate, you must unconditionally obey my command. During missions, without my permission, you are prohibited from doing anything. Even if you want to go to the toilet, you must also report to me in advance."


    "You!��"


    Hearing this, Marlene expression changed slightly. But before she could say anything else, Rhode lifted up another finger.


    "Second, although you have joined our mercenary group, we are not familiar with each other. As such, I do not think that you can fully cooperate with us, so in the battle, you must completely obey my instructions. You must do what I command you to do. If I wanted you to stand your ground, even if the enemy is before you, you are not allowed to move!"


    Rhode put down his hand.


    "These are my conditions. If you can accept, then I welcome you to join my mercenary group."


    "And what if I don''t?"


    At this moment, Marlene''s face was dark. She clenched her teeth and asked in low voice.


    "I''ll have you leave immediately."


    Rhode did not hesitate in his reply.


    "I needn''t emphasize further about the difficulty of this mission. If you are unable to do as I say, then we are most likely to die there. So, I must lower the possibility of accidents. If you put us in a difficult situation, then for us, leaving you is a necessary choice."


    When Rhode finished his explanation, the atmosphere inside the hall suddenly tensed up.

 Chapter 49 Old Acquaintances

    Marlene expression turned cold. Since her birth, she had never been treated like that. She was a rare magic genius in the family, whether it was her parents, family, or even the teachers in the magic academy, they had always been polite to her. With her ability and status, she always held her head up high, never needing to compromise with others. But she still followed her family training regime and never slacked off.


    When she heard Rhode''s first requirement, although somewhat unwilling, she still could accept. But the second requirement was something that she definitely couldn''t compromise!


    Marlene was always confident about her strength. She started training as young as 6 years old, and now 10 years had already passed. In all her life up till now, she hadn''t failed to live up to expectations. Even now, when she experienced a bottleneck after entering the middle circle, she wasn''t worried. Just as her teacher explained, at the moment, what she lacked wasn''t knowledge, but actual combat experience. As for her talent in understanding the concepts of magic, there wasn''t much difference between her and the teacher.


    And now, Rhode just denied her ten years of effort!


    Absolutely unacceptable!


    "Mr. Rhode, I can tolerate the first condition, but I can''t accept the second!"


    Marlene raised her head proudly, staring straight at Rhode without wavering. Looking at her stubbornness, Rhode frowned but did not say anything.


    On the side, Old Hank prayed that she would give up.


    Please fail, fail, fail, then nothing will happen...


    "Why?" Rhode asked.


    "Because you don''t know what am I capable of!"


    Marlene declared confidently. Since this was the first time they met, she was certain that he didn''t know how talented she was. Based on the information she got from Uncle Hank, she knew that he was a swordsman and not a mage. So how could he understand the intricate nature of mages and spells? If they were of the same class, perhaps she would respect him slightly more, but as a swordsman, he wouldn''t be able to offer her any help.


    Marlene clenched her teeth. She wanted to stand up and curse Rhode. But in the end, she maintained her composure and bottled her anger. After all, her opponent did not show any signs of anxiousness; if she lost her temper, then it would reflect poorly on the Senia family''s prestige.


    Suddenly, Rhode stood up. A trace of joy appeared on Old Hank''s face. Perhaps this youngster couldn''t take it any further. Thank god. Now, if only this youngster could curse ruthlessly so that the young miss would leave Deep Stone City, that would be for the best... Therefore, Old Hank prepared to stand up with Rhode to act as a mediator. However, Rhode''s next sentence almost made Old Hank faint.


    "Then, let''s try it."


    "No problem!"


    Marlene simply stood up and agreed after hearing his challenge. Both of them failed to notice Old Hank''s face turning from black to purple and purple to black. The colors on his face flashed too quickly as if it didn''t know which color was better for the situation right now.


    At this time, a voice sounded from the stairs.


    "Mr. Rhode, I have already prepared the breakfast. What are you..."


    Lize walked down from the stairs and discovered the two extra people in the hall. At first, she was mildly surprised to see Old Hank, but when her gaze fell onto Marleen, she immediately gasped.


    "You are... Marlene?" Lize asked in disbelief.


    "Lize!?"


    Marlene looked back at Lize. After realizing that it was really Lize, her expression eased and turned into a warm smile.


    "Lize! Is it really you? I never expected that I would meet you here! Where did you go? How did you end up in Deep Stone City? Are you okay?"


    The composed girl from before finally showed her cheerful and lively nature. Marlene ran towards Lize and held her hands in excitement. She began bombarding Lize with questions. Facing Marlene friendly attitude, Lize felt a little bit awkward and stole a glance at Rhode as if she was worried about something.


    They both know each other?


    Rhode was surprised. He thought that he was the mysterious one, but it seems as though Lize had many things hidden from him as well. Her being a half angel? Information that only nobility should know? And now she was even acquainted with Marlene Senia?


    Judging by how Marleen greeted Lize, surely her position wouldn''t be low. Otherwise, Marlene would not be that friendly to her.


    So who is she actually?


    "I''m fine, Marlene."


    Lize felt Rhode''s questioning gaze on her and she quickly let go of Marleen''s hands in a panic. Then, she quickly changed the topic.


    "Why are you here? Shouldn''t you be in the Golden City...?"


    "I''ve entered the middle circle stage. Teacher said that to improve further, I will need to travel and gain some real combat experience." Marleen explained proudly. "Yesterday, I heard that this mercenary group was lacking members, so I came to see if I can join... How about you Lize? Why are you here?"


    "I...After that happened, I have always been here."


    Lize spoke in a low voice, as if she was afraid that Rhode might hear it. But she quickly changed her expression and asked Marleen.


    "Are you really going to join the mercenary group? Marlene, this is not a game, this time our mission is going to be very dangerous..."


    "I have decided, I must join this mercenary group."


    This time, Marlene gave up the unpleasant feeling between Rhode and her. At this moment, she only thought of her long lost best friend. How could she leave her behind? But Rhode immediately doused her flames of enthusiasm.


    "Don''t make a decision too quickly, Ms. Marlene. You have not passed my test yet."


    Marlene''s face turned serious again when she heard Rhode.


    "Of course. I will not run away. Moreover, I also want to see how strong you are."


    "No problem."


    Rhode always preferred direct methods and did not like dragging things for too long. He could tell that Marlene was also a decisive person. After agreeing to the duel, they did not waste any more words. Rhode led the group to the garden outside, and after all this time, Lize didn''t know what was going on.


    "I won''t show any mercy."


    Marlene said softly. After that, her demeanor immediately changed. She had turned into the Marlene of the Senia family, and not the Marlene that was cheerful in front of Lize.


    The luxurious purple robe accentuated her curvy figure, a flowery trim on her collar and cuffs revealed her family''s identity. With a ruby wand in her hand, she took up a combat stance. Meanwhile, Rhode was staring dejectedly at the ground.


    Elemental Mage, Middle Circle Level 7. According to the player level, she was supposed to be level 15...


    Rhode completely read her from head to toe with just a glance. The ruby wand on her hand had an imbued fire element, and her robe had several protective magic circles which meant that it could trigger an auto-defense mechanism without her actively casting a defensive spell. From this point and coupled with his first impression towards her, Rhode already guessed her fighting style.


    That was to be expected as a former leader of the No.1 guild. Rhode had done countless of PKs in his gaming life, and this wasn''t any different. Furthermore, players were many times more difficult as they could move as they chose, but on the contrary, NPCs could only react based on the equipment they had. Thus, Rhode had completely predicted what attacks she would make later on.


    Meanwhile, as Rhode completed his plan for this duel, Marlene had troubles finding an opening.


    That was because Rhode, who was standing before her, did not move at all. He did not equip any weapon, nor take any combat stance. He was simply standing still at his own leisure.


    This action made Marleen hesitate slightly. It wasn''t because she hadn''t fought in a duel before, but this kind of casual behavior in a duel... However, the young miss was still genius of this era. Even though she did not know what Rhode was trying to pull off, she decisively ended her hesitation. No matter what the opponent was trying to do, as long as she put her mind to it, she would definitely win!


    "Migcl!" (Flame)


    Followed by a chant, she took half a step forward and raised the wand on her hand. Flames appeared on the tip of the gem and shot towards Rhode. Wherever the fire passed, the surrounding temperature would rise, it even caused the ground to be scorched black. The weeds immediately turned into ashes. As the temperature was too high, it instantly charred the vegetation.


    The flame consumed Rhode''s figure and the two people who were watching this scene screamed in surprise. On the other hand, Marlene was sulking because she could felt that she did not hit the target! She had failed!


    But a genius was indeed a genius.


    After noticing that something was wrong, she immediately gripped her wand and struck it towards the ground.


    "Jir!" (Storm)


    A violent whirlwind arose from beneath her feet. The air condensed into a series of razor-sharp wind blades. That wasn''t all, the temperature within the eye of the storm dipped drastically, forming icicles which spun within the whirlwind.


    As he observed Marlene''s performance, Rhode could not help but shake his head and sigh. In the game, the mage was one of the top classes in regards to DPS. He never thought that in reality, it was also as strong. Marlene''s level was higher than Rhode by only five, but her attack damage could be considered to be almost twice of Rhode''s.


    Among the players, there was a saying. When a mage is PK-ing, even if he didn''t know the position of the enemy, as long as the mage cast all his available spells, he could at least kill something.


    That was how strong and terrifying mages were.


    But to Rhode, although he found Marlene''s damage to be excellent, her casting was full of loopholes. Apparently, she did not know what she was doing right now. In fact, when she was attacking, Rhode had already used Shadow Flash and snuck behind her. However, she still stood her ground. Even though realized that something was amiss and reacted quickly by casting storm to avoid being ambushed by him, but if she couldn''t find the source of the threat, casting a skill blindly would cause the opposite effect.


    Rhode flipped his right hand and shot forward.

 Chapter 50 Expectation vs. Reality

    A green card materialized and transformed into the Spirit Bird which flew towards Marleen''s flank. The girl was completely oblivious to the attack. Her faith in her storm guard was absolute, and she figured that if he attacked, she would immediately counter-attack.


    Screech! Alas... due to her ignorance and overreliance on her spells, when a cry suddenly echoed from behind, she was dumbfounded.


    What happened? What''s it?


    She subconsciously turned around to check, but when she did, a huge gust of wind slammed into her.


    "Boom!!"


    The storm guard could indeed block most of the damage, but unfortunately, Rhode had used the most simple and most efficient way to counter it. For a creature of the wind, even if faced a raging hurricane, it would be nothing more than like a fish swimming in the sea.


    As she was caught unprepared, the girl fell to the ground, unable to breathe. All of a sudden, the intricate formations on Marleen''s robe began to glow, and a solid, translucent crystal barrier formed around her, allowing her to breathe once again. Once she caught her breath, she immediately attempted to get up, but the moment her head turned, she discovered Rhode standing beside her.


    What?! When did he appear there?


    Marlene was startled, but she still forced herself to remain calm. She raised her wand and tried to cast another spell, but this time, Rhode didn''t give her a chance to do it.


    The girl''s magic isn''t bad per se... but she still lacked the necessary experience.


    After observing how she retaliated against the Spirit Bird, he intended to stop fighting with her. During the battle, she ignored an incoming attack just to ensure that Rhode''s figure didn''t leave her sights. This indicated that her battle awareness was amateurish. Thus, if that was the case, then he did not mind defeating her to teach her.


    Rhode grinned to himself. Then, he lifted his right hand.


    The green card that was on his palm swiftly turned red.


    The whirlwind also changed color at the same time.


    Marleen''s eyes widened in shock. This phenomenon seemed to have surpassed her expectations. In a blink of an eye, a bright crimson flame melded with the wind and spun furiously as it crashed into the crystal barrier. The solid barrier shook violently under the enormous impact.


    Craaaack. Spiderweb-like fractures began to appear on the barrier. Marleen knew that it wouldn''t last much longer and decided to counter-attack. But she was slightly too late. A black hound suddenly emerged from the fiery hurricane and slammed into the barrier with its ferocious claws.


    Bang!!


    Finally, the low-level barrier couldn''t absorb any more damage and broke into countless of tiny fragments. Then, the black hound flashed its terrifyingly sharp teeth before rushing towards her.


    This time, she was genuinely frightened.


    Since the beginning of the battle, she wasn''t able to turn the tides on him even for a second. Rhode''s movements were always beyond her expectations, and she could not predict what he would do next. While she had some experience in dueling back in the academy, when she faced Rhode, all her previous experiences were worthless.


    It was paramount for mages'' to keep a distance from melee combatants to ensure their safety before launching attacks.


    Hmph. I need to protect myself before attacking?


    Use my most powerful spell at the start of the battle to cause damage to intimidate the enemy?


    Of course, I know that! But, how do I accomplish that now!!


    Marlene almost collapsed in the face of the terrifying beast. At this point, only her arrogant pride kept her from succumbing to fear and confusion. She subconsciously raised her hand and pointed at the ferocious beast who was dashing towards her.


    "Jir!"


    A whirlwind condensed on the ruby on her wand and shot forward. Watching the attack approach at high speed, the Flame Killer stopped abruptly. It roared loudly, and then it retreated. This gave Marleen a brief moment of respite as she heaved a sigh of relief and raised her wand towards Rhode.


    This time, the card on Rhode''s hand turned white,


    It was shining brilliantly.


    Marlene felt her wrist turn cold, she immediately lost focus and glanced down at her wrist. After that, her entire body shivered.


    The formerly gorgeous and splendid robe had been shredded, revealing her snow-like skin. However, what made her terrified was the blood that was oozing out from her forearm.


    It hurts...


    That was Marlene''s first thoughts; then her mind started to spin out of control.


    ...I''m injured?


    Am I hurt?


    She blanked out. All she could only think of was the blood flowing down her wrist. As for the defense strategy that she had devised to counter Rhode? All of them were tossed into the drain. She even subconsciously cast her wand to the side and gripped her wrist tightly. What about the fight? What about the duel? She didn''t care! In her eyes, her injured arm was the most important!


    How did I get injured?


    Why am I injured?


    What should I do?!


    Marlene could be described as a resilient flower, but in the end, she still resided in a greenhouse. Naturally, a genius like her would be filled with confidence and self-discipline. She had never encountered any major setbacks in her life... at least not until now.


    Suddenly, the cold feeling of steel dragged her sorry self back to reality. She looked to the front, and the first thing she reflected in her eyes was a white, shining sword.


    "Swoosh!!"


    The Star Mark flew past Marleen and stabbed into the ground, mere inches away from her neck.


    At this moment, Marlene was akin to a puppet with their strings cut. Her legs felt soft and she kneeled down onto the floor. Her eyes were hollow as she stared blankly at the sky.


    "The ability to combine multiple elements into magic means that your understanding towards magic spells is quite profound."


    Rhode indifferent voice echoed in the garden. He spoke while raising his right hand and soon, the white card from his palm disappeared, following with the white sword which pierced the ground beside Marlene.


    "But in actual combat, this is the result. If you perform the same way in missions, then I will give up on you. Lize, treat the wounds and bring her up for a rest. It seems that she unable to get a hold of herself for a moment."


    "Ah, yes!"


    Lize who had been worried sick, quickly ran over to treat Marlene''s wound after hearing Rhode''s command. Marlene appeared as if she had lost her soul, staring blankly while sitting on the ground and not saying anything.


    Looking at her pitiful state, Rhode frowned but did not say unnecessary. He was quite confident of her mental condition. After all, in the future, she would be known as the ''Queen of Mercenaries''. As for the rest, it is up to her. If she continued to act like an arrogant brat, then the group would surely be destroyed. Rhode certainly knew that he was not interested in sending himself off.


    It was just as he said. Marlene indeed had a profound understanding of the magic itself, but it wasn''t very useful in actual combat, which was a common problem for many people, including the players. It was just like conquering a dungeon, everyone could read the dungeon strategy guide, and the boss weakness would be revealed. But in the actual fight, what use would it be?


    If things happened based on what had been written down, then that''ll be for the best, but what if there was an accident? Let''s say that the monsters were killed earlier than expected, and the boss appeared before they could get into position. When that happens, if the situation was not handled properly, the group might be wiped out!


    Rhode believed that if the battle went as she has expected, then she would surely perform as well as those legendary figures in history. Unfortunately, fights, in reality, was unlike CG animations. Under an unexpected situation, her mind immediately became unstable, and that was a significant problem.


    After Lize left with Marleen, he went back into the house. Old Hank''s face was clearly different. He never thought that Rhode was actually that strong. That girl was the famous magical genius of Golden City. She had defeated many people with just one move. Moreover, he did not expect that this young man would be that ruthless! He actually injured the beautiful young miss.


    Right now, Old Hank was feeling rather bitter. He sighed as he looked helplessly at Rhode''s back and then at Marlene, who was being lifted up by Lize.


    A while later.


    Marlene silently stared out of the window, her eyes still somewhat vacant.


    After all that had happened, Lize brought her to a room where she could finally relax. This was the most massive blow in her life so far. It was just like a famous idol who was being suddenly slapped to the ground and kicked in the face.


    Rhode''s words repeatedly rang in her mind. Although she could not accept it, she had no way to refute it. While she could blame her loss on Rhode''s unorthodox fighting style, but she knew that if it were truly a life-and-death battle, there would only be a single person standing - the winner. If Rhode were her enemy, then she would be dead by now. How can a dead person complain if someone''s fighting style was weird and crafty?


    "How do you feel Marlene?"


    Lize put a cup of hot tea in front of Marlene and asked in low voice.


    "I''m feeling better. Thanks, Lize."


    Marlene reluctantly exposed a stiff smile. While she was happy that she could meed an old friend here, but under these circumstances, she couldn''t help but feel slightly awkward. The impact of this duel weighed heavy on her. It wasn''t as if she hadn''t lost before, but there had never been a time where she lost in such an embarrassing manner before. Moreover, the duels with her teacher were very civilized, and would she rarely notice any blood during the spar... Marlene shook her head dejectedly. She found that she was too weak.


    "Frankly, I took things too lightly."


    She sighed.


    "I thought that it wouldn''t be too difficult to finish these mercenary commissions with my strength. But... now I know that I can''t even fight properly. Obviously, in my mind, I knew that I had to execute my drills, but my body did not move as I wanted to. In the end, I don''t know what should I do."


    Marlene exposed a bitter smile as she explained.


    "I used to laugh at those incompetent people. But looking at it right now, comparing me to them, there''s not so much difference, right?"


    "That isn''t the case, Marlene."


    Lize stood up and held her hand. Her eyes focused on the girl in front of her.


    "Actual battles and what we imagine actual battles to be are vastly different. I was also the same once. Marlene. Before joining the mercenary group, I was also full of unrealistic dreams; I believed that I could rely on my ability to heal every single one of their injuries. They helped me when I needed them and so I wanted to be able to help them."


    Lize''s eyes flashed a trace of sadness.


    "But when I participated in my first real battle, when I saw real flesh and blood, I was almost scared to death. In fact, I did not have the time to treat everyone. There were too many people being seriously injured. Although the leader did not directly blame me, I could sense their disappointment in their eyes. I know that they needed my help, and I had the ability to help them. But I took a step back at the most critical moment... The leader told me that everyone would face such a test without exception. After that, I also kept working hard and finally..."


    "I know..."


    Marlene looked down; her beautiful eyes revealed a trace of complicated feelings.


    "I understand what you mean Lize, it was just like what he said. If I did the same things as I did now on the mission, no wonder he would not want me. But..."


    Marleen clenched her fists.


    "I still wanted to try. I know that my experience is limited. I also understand that the things that I was proud of, is useless for my improvement. But I won''t run away like a coward because I am Marlene Senia! I am born with my family''s pride and glory! I absolutely won''t allow myself to retreat, no matter how difficult and hard it will be, I will bite the bullet and continue moving forward. I have decided."


    "Family''s glory..."


    Her face turned bitter as she murmured these words to herself. Marlene figured that something was wrong. She quickly raised her head and looking at Lize.


    "By the way, Lize. You have not told me why you are here as a mercenary? Why did you leave the Golden City? At that time, I was absent, so I didn''t know what happened. When I returned, you were already gone. I had been looking for you for a long time ever since... Why did you leave?"


    After hearing Marlene''s question, Lize''s expression turned somber. She bit her lower lips and answered, "Because it was the decision of the family council."


    "You were expelled?!"


    Hearing that term ''Family Council'', Marlene suddenly stood up. She stared at the girl who sat beside her in surprise and anger.


    "How could those old geezers do that! They actually dared to drive you out? Did Mr. Drekman not stop them?


    "Father agreed the Council''s opinion."


    "This��"


    Hearing that sentence, Marlene didn''t know what else to say.


    "...how can he..."


    "It''s not surprising."


    Lize smiled and shook her head. She stretched out her hand, playing with her golden ponytail.


    "Right now, I am not called Lize Calante Belgrade any longer. Lize Noir�� That''s my name now.


    "That group of self-righteous old geezers!"


    Marlene raised her eyebrows coldly and sat down again. Then she looked at Lize with concern.


    "Then, you..."


    "Just like now."


    Lize replied softly.


    "I will stay in this mercenary group. It is part of my life now. Although it is very dangerous, but for me, it isn''t something bad. Mr. Rhode promised me that he would revive the mercenary group. I think that this is better and more meaningful job than me wearing an expensive dress while attending the banquets, isn''t it?"


    Marlene was surprised at the calm girl, who revealed a gentle smile. But still, her mind felt somewhat complicated.


    That little girl who liked to cry from before... now has now grown up... eh?

 Chapter 51 One More Person

    The cold night wind blew.


    Rhode stood on the balcony on the second floor, quietly watching the beautiful scenery of Deep Stone City before him. Along the edges of the mines, lights formed into bright lines which flickered in the dark sky like fireflies in the night. A calming trickle from a nearby creek, together with the gentle breeze that could be heard from afar, seemingly formed a whole new world.


    Rhode felt that his existence in this world was becoming increasingly realistic.


    "Thump, thump."


    A gentle pair of footsteps came from behind, but Rhode didn''t need to look back to know who it was. The person also did not say anything and stood quietly by Rhode''s side, bathing in the cool night. After some time, Marlene''s voice sounded in Rhode''s ear.


    "I''ve heard about you from Lize, thank you."


    "I did not do anything worthy of your thanks," Rhode said coolly.


    "You saved Lize. This act itself is a very important matter to me."


    Marlene reached out her hand and flicked her long hair. Then, she glanced at Rhode''s broad back.


    "She is my only friend. Our friendship was the same in the past, and there''s no difference now. If she died..." Marlene trailed off, but Rhode could understand what she was trying to say.


    "Do you know about Lize''s past?"


    "If she wants to tell me, she''ll take the initiative to do so."


    Rhode did not answer her question directly, he just shrugged and gave a vague answer. When she discovered Rhode''s point, Marlene found herself unable to reply immediately. She quietly watched Rhode and clenched her teeth. Although Lize told her that Rhode was an easygoing person, Marlene just couldn''t understand how was he easy to get along with...


    "...I have decided, Mr. Rhode. I agree to your conditions. I would like to stay."


    "Oh?"


    Hearing Marlene''s answer, Rhode turned around.


    "Have you truly decided on it?"


    Marlene proudly raised her head and replied, "Yes."


    Although she had lost miserably, she managed to grasp her own weaknesses. She believed that perhaps Rhode wouldn''t be able to give her the best suggestions, but at least someone could point out her mistakes.


    Now that she had made her decision, she wouldn''t go back on her words. That was her pride.


    "Well."


    Rhode didn''t speak any fanciful words and nodded slightly.


    "Are you still hurt?"


    "��It''s alright."


    When she suddenly heard him ask this, Marlene''s calm expression had a slight change. Subconsciously, she held her wrist. The wound wasn''t anything serious, and after receiving Lize''s treatment, not even a scab was left. But this injury still left a knot in her heart. Just by thinking of it, it was as though she could still feel the pain.


    "But you had a chance to beat me."


    Marleen was shocked. These unexpected words took Marleen by surprise, and she raised her head to look at him.


    "Your injury wasn''t serious. If you had the willpower to fight back when you''re injured, then even if you failed in the end, it wouldn''t be as quick as before. Just a minor injury and you completely gave up fighting. If this were a real life or death battle, this action is akin to giving yourself a death sentence."


    Marlene''s face turned red when she heard Rhode point out her mistakes. After that, she slowly recalled the fight with Rhode and found out that what he said was true. Though defeating the youth was almost impossible, but at least she wouldn''t have lost so miserably. It was just as he said, it was a life or death battle, she would be dead."


    "I understand. Thank you, Mr. Rhode."


    "No problem, I just merely said it casually."


    After hesitating for a while, she asked again.


    "Mr. Rhode, I heard that... you came from the Eastern Hill."


    "Yes, what''s the problem?"


    "No... I just want to ..."


    The girl opened her mouth but did not finish her sentence.


    "Never mind, I''ll take my leave. Good night, Mr. Rhode."


    It should be impossible, according to the information, that family had long been extinct.


    Marlene shook her head and away that thought. Then, she bid her farewell by lifting the hem of her skirt slightly and bowing.


    Suddenly, a loud voice broke the still of the night, frightening her for a moment.


    "Hey, you damned kid! Where are you!? I''m coming in!!"


    Rhode walked to the entrance and saw Old Walker standing there impatiently. This time, the old man''s lazy and decadent attitude from before was gone, his ragged clothes were replaced with a piece of old, but clean leather armor. A thick wooden bow and quiver full of arrows were neatly placed on his back. It was as if he had a total makeover and his entire body seemed to be radiating with energy. Only his face still had an expression of as though someone owed him a living.


    "I thought you wouldn''t come, Mr. Walker."


    Although Old Walker''s face clearly displayed his dissatisfaction, Rhode turned a blind eye to it. He strolled to the side of Old Walker and glanced at him, and then nodded.


    "You still had 20 minutes... Well anyway, welcome to my humble abode. From today onward, you are a regular member of the mercenary group."


    "Don''t be too proud, boy." Discerning that Rhode was trying to put on airs, Old Walker coldly snorted and replied, "I want to see how badly an arrogant guy like you would fail. Hmph, at that time I will mock you endlessly so that an ungrateful brat like you will experience the cruel reality!"


    Rhode kept his calm and remained silent. This made the old man furious. Then, as though finding something to mock Rhode, he caught the dissatisfied gaze of Marleen by the side. His mouth twitched.


    "Who is this chick? Is she your woman? Not bad, it''s just that her face is a little bit ugly..."


    "You��!!"


    Marlene immediately flared up. Ever since the start, when she heard Old Walker''s loud voice, she had already classified him as those ''rude men.'' And now that rude man was insulting her? This wasn''t something a noble young miss like her could tolerate.


    "What a rude man! I am..."


    "This is Miss Marlene, an old acquaintance of Lize who will join our mercenary group for the time being."


    It was clear that Rhode did not intend to let Marlene vent her anger. Before Marlene spoke, he waved his hand and interrupted them. Then he reached out his hand and made a welcoming gesture.


    "So, Mr. Walker, it''s already late today. I will prepare a room for you. Have a good rest. Tomorrow we will start early to go to Pavel Cemetery."


    "Of course, no problem, kid. You think I was..." The Old Walker blabbered half way before actually registering what Rhode had said, "...wait!!"


    He stared at Rhode in surprise. Then he jumped like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.


    "Pavel Cemetery? What are we going to do in that ghostly place? You have already selected that damn mission?"


    "Of course."


    Hearing Old Walker''s question, Rhode raised his brow.


    "You crazy kid!! You actually took this mission! Why didn''t you tell me beforehand!"


    "Simple. First, when we went to find you, I had yet to accept this mission. Second, even if we had accepted it, you were not a member of our mercenary group yet, I didn''t think that it''s necessary to tell you."


    "You you you��"


    Old Walker pointed at Rhode furiously, his hand slightly trembling in anger.


    "You actually fooled me! I quit!"


    "Do as you please."


    Rhode did not even bat his eyes as he faced Old Walker''s temper head on. He knew that the old man was actually a masochist. If he did not teach him a lesson, he would definitely not follow his command in the future. That was why, in the first place, he did not bother to be courteous with him. Moreover, even if this old man left the group, it wouldn''t affect his plans by a large margin. Since he had already drafted a plan to challenge the cemetery with a minimum of two people, and furthermore, now he had Marlene''s presence in the group, so even if Old Walker failed to appear, it didn''t really matter.


    "It''s not surprising for a coward to go back on his words."


    "You...you..."


    Old Walker felt his blood boiling and almost fainted. At this time, Marlene who was standing at the door also chuckled, looking playfully at Rhode.


    As Rhode always wore an indifferent expression, Marlene thought that he must be a taciturn person. But when she came in contact with him, she discovered that he actually spoke a lot, and sometimes his words were hurtful. His age might not be much older compared to her, but whenever she stood next to him, she always felt like he was a towering giant. Never had she felt this way before about people who were around her age.


    Or perhaps he was an exception?


    After staring at Rhode for a moment, Old Walker finally gave up. He put down his hand and turned his head.


    "Well, kid, you win. I''d like to see how badly you will die. I will go with you, but if I feel that something is off, I will immediately run away! I may be old, but I still don''t want to put this old life of mine in the hands of a reckless kid like you!"


    "No problem."


    Rhode shrugged nonchalantly.


    "If you can do it, then I have no opinion."


    What does he mean?


    He was confused and surprised at the same time. What did he mean?

 Chapter 52 Shortcu

    Pavel Cemetery was situated at the northeastern mountain area outside of Deep Stone City. It was once a prosperous small mining area, but the mining techniques were not entirely developed at that time and landslides occurred from time to time. In the end, Many miners were killed and wounded, and the dead were buried under the earth, never to be found again. As time passed, the area turned into a cemetery. Later, Bishop Pavel raised funds to build a proper cemetery, and as thanks for his charitable activities, the place was thereby named as Pavel Cemetery.


    But nothing was ever certain in this world. The once venerable Bishop turned into an infamous necromancer, and the cemetery naturally became his territory. Many people had wondered how did this happen, but Rhode found it uninteresting. Against his enemies �� kill or catch them, then loot as fast as possible. As of the perpetrator''s motive? It could be investigated slowly after that. It''s better to not do something that would waste time though.


    Not before long, the well-maintained road they were traveling on disappeared. The only remaining traces of the road was a few pieces of cracked slate. Mountainous trails were difficult to traverse, but for Rhode, the most annoying thing wasn''t that, but instead, it was the old man who was nagging from behind.


    "I say, kid, what do you mean by taking us to this ghastly place?"


    Old Walker complained incessantly as he stared at the surface of the steep mountain.


    "Pavel Cemetery is on the other side of the mountain. If you are lost, I don''t mind showing you the direction."


    "Thanks for your goodwill."


    As he was walking at the front, Rhode did not bother to turn back and refused Old Walker''s ''proposal'' sarcastically.


    "I think this way is better."


    Better?


    Hearing Rhode''s answer, Old Walker almost fainted. He looked at the road before him and compared it to the road at the foot of the mountain. Which route is better? Does it even need to be discussed?


    Although he felt dissatisfied, he still suppressed his anger and followed behind. Rhode told Old Walker about the same conditions he gave to Marleen. If he did not wholly obey his command, he would immediately leave him here to die. Although he wasn''t sure whether Rhode was being serious or not, Old Walker eventually decided not to take the risk.


    Rhode wore an ordinary leather armor and walked at the front while Lize and Marlene followed closely behind. The steep mountain trail did not cause too much problem for Rhode and Lize; even Marlene did not seem to be troubled by it. Although she wasn''t accustomed to climbing mountains, with additional support from her magic, it wasn''t that difficult.


    They were almost there.


    Around the corner, the mountain path was growing narrower and more dangerous. But Rhode had his own plans. He compared the landscape before him to the ones in his memories, then he nodded.


    In fact, since the beginning, he didn''t plan to attack the enemy territory directly. Pavel Cemetery was a somewhat unique dungeon as half of the territory was located on the surface and half of it was beneath the earth, to put it more precisely, it was within the mines. If they attacked directly from the front with only four people, they would exhaust themselves to death by fighting the regular undead mobs before facing the boss. As for completing the quest, it would turn into a joke.


    That was why he did not attack head-on because he had a better plan.


    Players could be described as the most diligent yet laziest people in the world. They were diligent because their passion for adventure was much higher than the people from this world. Whether it was a pit, river, or gully, players would spend their time to explore every nook and cranny of the dungeon in hope to find some precious treasure or artifact to increase their strength. From this point, it could be said that even the most greedy bandits could not be compared to them.


    As for their laziness �� they would simply seek out for shortcuts when faced with longwinded questlines. Those ''shortcuts'' even included exploiting of game bugs. The players would try their best to complete everything within the shortest possible time. Frankly, the players just didn''t like to follow the order arranged for them and rather forge their own path.


    That was exactly what Rhode was doing now.


    The reason why he did not choose the road on the foot of the mountain was that he knew of a hidden entrance in the mountain precipice above. There was a small, deep hole leading into the Pavel Cemetery. This hole used to be a mining tunnel for miners to exit the pit. If Rhode used this hidden path, he could easily enter Pavel Cemetery and shorten his journey by nearly half.


    -


    Around the edges of the mountain precipice, the cold wind grew gotten stronger.


    "It''s here."


    A distance away from him was a hole not more than two meters in diameter. Rhode nodded in satisfaction as he walked to the edge of the hole and peered down. However, all he could see was nothing but darkness.


    "Wait, kid... what are you trying to do? You want us to jump down this hole?"


    "Yes, this is hole connected to a tunnel. From here, we can shorten half of the distance."


    "What a joke!"


    Old Walker snorted in dissatisfaction.


    "How do you know that this hole leads to a tunnel, kid? If we went down and fell into the middle of those damn monsters then what should we do? Furthermore, even if we killed that accursed necromancer then how do we escape?"


    "Stupid."


    Rhode did not answer, but clearly, Marlene did not agree with him.


    "Don''t you know the relationship between the undead and necromancer? They rely on the necromancer''s magic to maintain the existence of their bodies. Once we kill the necromancer, then the undead would turn to a useless pile of corpses. This is basic knowledge... are you really a mercenary?"


    "I am a mercenary, not a mage."


    After being ridiculed by Marlene, Old Walker immediately backed down and grumbled to himself.


    "Who knows what kind of abnormal thoughts you eccentric mages have?"


    "Abnormal?! You ignorant��"


    "I''ll go first."


    Rhode decisively ended the minor dispute before it turned into something big.


    "Next up would be Lize, then Marlene, then you, Walker. Since you are a veteran, I think you don''t need my help." Rhode said, and then he disappeared into the hole.


    A chilly breeze swept past. Although the depth was about four to five meters, with the help of Spirit Bird, Rhode landed on the ground smoothly.


    "Swoosh!"


    Suddenly, a bright light appeared on Rhode''s palm and illuminated the dark passage. Rhode a took step forward carefully, and after determining that there was no danger ahead, he finally relaxed. At the same time, the other three also followed him and jumped.


    Lize and Marlene easily used their magic to make them float down. While Old Walker couldn''t use magic, since he was once a veteran ranger, this kind of height was not difficult for him.


    "Let''s move."


    Rhode spoke in a low voice and assumed the vanguard position.


    Inside the old tunnel, only their footsteps could be heard in the darkness. Lize, as usual, assumed the role from Rhode as the ''lighthouse'' and summoned the holy light to illuminate the way for the four. According to Rhode''s instruction, Marlene walked beside Lize to help her reduce the possibility of an ambush. Old Walker followed closely behind the rest of the group because it was a relatively dangerous and critical position. If the enemy attacked from their rear, it would become quite dangerous. It required an experienced veteran to protect them from behind. Since Marlene and Lize clearly could not bear the burden, the position of rearguard was left to Old Walker.


    The dirt shifted under their feet as they walked.


    Under the illumination of the holy light, the abandoned rusted tools, old mining carts, corrosive holes on the wooden columns, and spider webs were finally exposed. From time to time, a breeze would sweep through the tunnel.


    Suddenly, a perilous scent drifted in the air.


    "Lize."


    At the end of the tunnel, Rhode scanned the seemingly empty mining pit before him. Then, he quickly made a hand gesture. When Lize saw this, she hastily brought her pace to a halt and silently cast a barrier on the four of them. Old Walker who was rather careless at first also began to unsheath the dagger on his waist; his two dilated pupils were darting corner to corner with vigilance. Then, he crouched down in attempt to catch any sound of movement in their immediate surroundings. Although this old mercenary had been complaining and irritating them all the way, right now he revealed his professional nature.


    Marleen did not react until she saw the rest of them assuming a cautious stance. She immediately gripped the wand in her hand, awaiting further orders. However, instead of scanning the area, her eyes focused on Rhode''s back. Even if the enemy was in front of her, she could not fight without his permission. Although this condition was harsh, after her initial failure, Marlene was not really against it anymore. The four then slowly made their way towards the mining pit.


    One step... two steps... three steps...


    "Crack!"


    Suddenly, a withered arm extended out from the ground and rushed towards the four of them. Facing this sudden assault, Rhode, who was already prepared from the beginning immediately waved his sword. The swordlight sliced through the darkness. Following with a sharp whistling screech, the withered arm was cleanly cut into two. Then, all of a sudden, the ground shook vigorously, and countless of withered arms flew into the air. At the same time, dark, desiccated bodies crawled out from the ground.


    "Marlene, Ice!"


    "Ah? Okay!"


    Hearing Rhode''s sudden command, Marlene was stunned for a moment. Then she hurriedly raised her wand and pointed it towards the ground.


    "Caicy!" (Frost)


    An icy white mist swirled at the tip of the wand which slowly engulfed the surrounding air. The temperature began to dip drastically; ice particles even started appearing in the air. The undead was clearly affected by the fluctuation in temperature and its movements stalled to a crawl. At this time, a fiery, bright flame emerged from Rhode''s sword.


    "Woo...!!"


    Within the burning flames, the black hound emerged once again. It growled at the frosted enemy before it, and under Rhode''s command, it rushed forward, its baring its sharp fangs and claws.


    "Marleen! Thunderstorm!"


    Acknowledging Rhode''s command, Marlene nodded and raised her right hand. Soon, electrical sparks crackled around her fingers, and in a blink of an eye, bolts of lightning shot out towards the undead. The thunderstorm roasted the undead creatures, and the impact launched their limbs into the sky. Soon, before area before them was empty once again.


    "This..."


    Marlene stared at the scene before her in disbelief. Although she knew that her magical power was strong, she never thought that she was able to beat that many undead creatures! What made her even more ecstatic was that she merely cast two spells �� and those were low-level spells to boot! Since they did not need a long casting time, the damage shouldn''t be THAT significant. Even more so, she could not believe that... she actually could attack that fluidly?


    Fluid and quick casting is a critical skill for a mage. If they could cast faster, they could grasp the initiative to usurp control of the battlefield. But it was easier said than done. Mages had to memorize hundreds of different spells. To be able to cycle through the spells fluidly and cast quickly at the same time was no easy feat. Only when the mage enters the Soul Circle stage and acquired a better control of their ability would they then be able to cast faster and smoother.


    But still, Rhode''s ability to command was simply exquisite and beyond her expectations.


    Who is he actually?


    Marlene could not help but stare at Rhode. While it was true that he had a deep understanding towards magic, she too, had it as well. But in the heat of the battle, she wasn''t able to choose the fastest nor the most powerful from her sizeable repertoire of spells without hesitation. Not many people could do something like that.


    Is he also a mage?


    If Rhode heard Marlene''s inner thoughts, he would definitely shake his head. Never would he have thought that studying magic was that difficult and troublesome in this world. The reason he could command Marlene to use those spells was because, back in the game, the players would usually choose to use several large-scale AOE spells when fighting against a group of mobs, and he only casually chose one of those spells. As for the principle of magic combination? He wasn''t interested in understanding those boring things at all.


    The battle ended in five minutes.


    Under the blanket of ice, the undead creatures were frozen solid and were unable to show any further threat. They were absolutely overwhelmed by Marleen''s spell. After a while, Rhode scanned around once more. When he ascertained that there were no more threats, he put down his sword and made a hand gesture.


    "Clean the battlefield."


    Lize and Old Walker nodded and immediately dispersed. On the other hand, Marlene revealed a confused expression. Clearly, she did not understand what Rhode meant.


    "Clean the battlefield?"


    "Yes."


    Rhode said plainly and went beside a body that had been completely torn apart, leaving only the bones and fragments behind. He reached out his hand and began to search for something.


    "Check to see if there are any good things in these bodies and then hand it to me."


    "T-t-touch the corpse?!!"


    Marlene''s face immediately paled.

 Chapter 53 Screw Up

    The young girl had a dream.


    Famous heroes armed with legendary weapons were slaughtering the evil monsters barring their path. Eventually, they achieved an overwhelming victory over the BOSS and received immeasurable honor and their fame spread across the lands �� however, in the end, a dream was just a dream. It didn''t explain how the heroes toiled to pick up every single loot from the remains of the monsters to gather enough resources for the next fight.


    Reality is cruel.


    As she stared at Rhode and the others who were stripping down the rotten corpses, a few gold coins amongst other strange things appeared from the bodies. Marlene could only stand beside them with a dark expression and protest.


    "This is blasphemy towards the deceased!"


    Unfortunately, her righteous objection fell on deaf ears.


    "You must be kidding."


    Rhode sneered as he grabbed a few gold coins that fell on the ground and stuffed it in his pocket.


    "We are mercenaries, and they are our enemies. Naturally, we have to pick up what we deserve. And... about the matter of ''blasphemy towards the deceased,'' I would think that the necromancer had already done it once, so I guess the dead wouldn''t mind if we did it again."


    "Irrational! Lize! Come talk some sense into him! What are yo��"


    When Marleen turned around and saw Lize carefully retrieving a silver necklace on the corpse''s neck, she couldn''t bear to continue her sentence.


    "Ah, this..."


    Lize''s face turned red and smiled awkwardly. It was not that she did not understand what Marlene was thinking. After all, when she first joined the mercenary group, she also made a huge ruckus. But now, well...


    "Our mercenary group''s income is very limited, so..."


    While Lize sounded rather sorry and the red tinge on her face revealed her embarrassment, her fingers didn''t slow down one bit as she looted the corpse.


    "But, we will receive a reward once the mission is done, right?"


    "Do you think that kind of money is enough for us? Missy?" This time, it was Old Walker who spoke out.


    Unlike Lize, Old Walker totally resembled a graverobber. If he wanted a ring, he would yank the entire arm of the corpse. Then he whipped out a knife from his pocket and sliced into the corpse''s skull, digging out a large piece of corpse oil. Looking at this scene made Marlene want to puke out yesterday''s dinner.


    "Every time we complete a mission, we only earn a hundred gold coins, and sometimes, even fewer. This kid''s mercenary group only has a few members, that''s why the lack of funds doesn''t really show. But ordinary mercenary groups have at least ten members. Everyone fought with their lives on the line just for a mere ten gold coins. But what can this measly amount do? We have to maintain our weapons and armors, and we also need to eat and drink. Do you think that we don''t require money to do all of these? Moreover, we will only receive the reward once we complete the mission. What if we fail? You want us to suffer from cold and hunger?"


    Marlene couldn''t find any words to refute Old Walker, so she stood idly to a side and stared at the three people looting the corpses with enthusiasm. Once the trio was done clearing out the bodies, they continued as though nothing happened.


    After that incident, they encountered many ambushes later on, but under Rhode''s steady leadership, they waded through the storm without major issues. While they only numbered four people, Old Walker had a vast plethora of experience, Lize could easily restrain the undead, and Marlene''s AOE spells were able to make easy work of the undead.


    As they delved deeper into the mines, the air became increasingly dank and heavy. The darkness seemed to erode and eat away at Lize''s holy light. Rhode was at the vanguard. He clutched the Star Mark tightly as he scanned the shadows before him vigilantly. Based on his conjecture, he believed that the necromancer was already alerted to their presence.


    After all, they''d killed so many undead along the way. Surely the necromancer would be aware that something was wrong when he lost contact with that many undead. If Rhode had enough members, he wouldn''t mind sauntering to BOSS room and challenge the necromancer head-on, however, he only had three people with him right now, and furthermore, in this world, there was no such thing as resurrection.


    Rhode put down his left hand, signaling the other three behind him to stop. He scanned the surroundings once more and spoke to them softly, "We are close to the necromancer. I will lay the strategy out now, remember, you need to recall what I say here because I cannot always give commands to all of you in the battle. If you forget... then well... I don''t think that I''ll even have to hand out punishments as a dead body won''t be able to receive them anyway."


    The three of them immediately raised their guard when they heard that the final battle was close. Moreover, when they heard Rhode''s usual indifferent voice, it somehow lifted their morale. Along the way, Marlene had received plenty of valuable advice from following Rhode''s command. Although she had already possessed skill and experience back when she was training in the academy, under Rhode''s command, she could finally comprehend the true meaning behind those skills. When she cast the spell according to what he said, she suddenly realized that something she had studied before was supposed to be used like that. This made her stop doubting Rhode''s words and began to follow his commands obediently.


    As for Old Walker, although he was still unsatisfied with Rhode... at least he did not want to be the revolutionary martyr.


    "Lize."


    Rhode faced the cleric behind him since she held the most important role in this battle.


    "I will be responsible for tying that guy down. First, you must remember to stack extra layers of barrier to the others. Unless I ask you to, you are not allowed to waste your power on me. The necromancer has a strong defense, so Marlene will be responsible for breaking its protective shield. Remember, only launch your destructive spells afterward when the shield is down. Otherwise, it would only be a waste of power."


    "Yes, I understand, Mr. Rhode." Lize nodded her head.


    Seeing that Lize had understood her role, he turned his head and looked at Marlene.


    "Miss Marlene, as I said earlier, your job is to remove the protective shield from the necromancer. With your prowess, it shouldn''t be too difficult. If there''s anything beyond your ability, then quickly inform me, and I''ll solve it. While I attract the necromancer''s attention, it won''t entirely give up on attacking you. That''s why when you are casting your spells, you need to pay attention to your surroundings. Prioritize killing any undead you meet before fighting the necromancer. And lastly, you are not to engage the necromancer until I say so."


    "Alright, no problem. Leave it to me."


    After witnessing Rhode''s judgment on the battlefield, Marlene''s answer became more confident.


    Once Rhode received her verbal acknowledgment, he turned to Old Walker.


    "Mr. Walker, your job is straightforward. There is a gem on the necromancer''s forehead �� it''s quite obvious, so you shouldn''t miss it. Your role is to shoot that gem when the necromancer is preparing to cast a magic spell. Even with your strength, it still will be difficult to break that gem. But do not fret, all you have to do is to delay him from casting a spell. Also, I hope that you can take care of these two girls, if there is any unexpected danger, please do remind them."


    Rhode spoke quite a bit, but Old Walker did not respond. On the contrary, he frowned.


    "Youngster, there seems to be a sound coming from that side."


    Old Walker raised his hand and pointed towards a tunnel.


    "Over there?"


    Rhode''s eyes traced the direction where Old Walker had pointed to, and his face darkened.


    At this moment, they were standing at a fork. One passage led to the necromancer, the other was a dead end, behind them was where Rhode and the others came from, and the last one was the tunnel which Old Walker pointed to. This tunnel was connected to the main entrance, that means that if they did not enter via ''Rhode''s shortcut,'' then they were supposed to come from this passage.


    And right now, Old Walker was saying that there was movement from that tunnel.


    Rhode signaled everyone to keep silent and then closed his eyes. Soon, he could hear the faint sound of weapons clashing from the other side. It was clear that there was fighting going on, and it appeared that both of them had the same goal.


    What should he do next?


    Rhode frowned and looked at the other three behind him. The necromancer wasn''t hard to beat, but with only four people, they would need to spend a considerable amount of time. During that time, they did not know what might happen. If they were stabbed in the back in the middle of a struggle, then it would be very bothersome.


    People who played online games all knew that there was an unspoken taboo about kill stealing a BOSS. If it was an instanced dungeon, then it wouldn''t be so bad, but a mission BOSS like this one... was really hard to say. After all, a wild BOSS was like a public transport �� as long anyone saw it nearby, anyone could ride it. In the game, the BOSS could still respawn after a period of time, but what if there was only one BOSS...?


    A river of blood would be an understatement to describe the horror... even a landscape full of bloody corpses wasn''t enough.


    As the first guild leader in the game, and also someone who held the title of the legendary Firstblood, indubitably, Rhode would be extremely familiar with these things. He immediately gave up on hunting the necromancer and planned to welcome the uninvited guest, but...


    Rhode turned his head and looked at the three people behind him.


    Lize was in a panic; she understood that encountering people at this time was not a good thing. On the other hand, Marlene was indifferent to this, but it was no surprise as she had never been a mercenary before. As for a veteran like Old Walker, his understanding of this matter was something that goes without saying. If he didn''t understand, then why would he remind Rhode in the first place?


    Now... what should I do? Should I go greet those guys?


    "Let''s go there and see."


    Not long later, Rhode came to a conclusion. If the opponents were strong, then he would use the darkness to his advantage and strike down these people before the situation could turn awry. If they were already on the verge of dying, then he''d just watch them die. Either way, he definitely must witness their disappearance.


    The battle wasn''t too far away, but contrary to their expectations, the "newcomer''s" situation was already quite dire by the time Rhode and his team arrived. In fact, they were already on the verge of falling apart.


    The newcomers were also in the mine. Waves of undead creatures assaulted the center of the room where the ''living people'' were, attempting to stop these intruders from entering their grounds. Although the ''newcomers'' had more manpower than Rhode, their overall battle strength was much lower than Rhode and his team. But it was no surprise as Rhode had already scanned their formation and he shook his head.


    Three swordsmen, two thieves, and one tank.


    In one glance, Rhode saw through the weakness in their formation. Melee classes were indeed threatening in close quarters combat, but in a place filled with undead, all they could become was their dinner. The undead were creatures void of fear and death. As long as the melee combatant wasn''t over-leveled, it wouldn''t be much threat towards them. And these mercenaries here were below level ten; they were even unable to use sword energy condensation. That being said, having able to fight until here could be said to be a considerable feat.


    This is as far as they will go.


    A thief was attacked by an undead, he flipped his hand and stabbed the opponent''s throat. His move was fast and agile; if it were a living person then they would have long been dead. But for the undead, this was clearly not enough. The undead raised its hand and slammed downwards.


    "Woah!!!"


    The poor thief who was unable to dodge in time was sent flying a distance before smashing into the ground. Without giving him any time recover, a pair of cold, shriveled hands grabbed his limbs.


    "Aaaaaaa!!!"


    Followed by a shrill scream, blood flowed out from undead''s mouth, and the thief moved no more.


    With the death of a comrade, their formation began to falter. The pressure of missing one comrade grew on the remaining survivors. Suddenly, a brilliant pillar of flame burst out from a group of undead, killing a large number of them and buying the group some time. Then, a red-haired woman staggered out from the fire, her face was pale and her whole body was covered in blood. Even her leather armor was full of blood and holes.


    After looking at that woman, Lize was surprised.


    "Sister Shauna!!"


    Right at this moment, when Rhode heard Lize''s cry, Rhode made his decision.


    "Marlene, get ready."


    Author:


    PS: Today I was decorating the wallpaper and the other areas, that''s why I got back home a little bit late and updated quite late. There''s still more at night. Yes, that''s the case...


    PS2: The background wall was really expensive, a wall was about two thousand...

 Chapter 54 Joint Action

    "Haa!"


    Once more, she repelled the undead with her sword. Shauna then took a step back and breathed deeply. The wound on her shoulder began to numb; even her arms gradually lost feeling. However, the undead around them kept increasing which made her feel discouraged.


    Will I die here?


    She bit her lips which made her feel some pain, but it still could not drown her inner pressure and despair. She thought that she had already fully prepared for this mission, but when she led her group to enter this place, she found that she was too naive.


    As a four Star-Ranked mission, the Pavel Cemetery was going to be anything but easy. They were just like a drop in the vast ocean of endless undead; it was a matter of time before their inevitable death. While she led her men to repel the undead''s assault one after another, their losses were too just too great. Up till now, their group had lost about five to six members, and the rest were mostly injured. In this kind of situation, how long can they last?


    It wasn''t as though she didn''t consider retreating, but in the end, she still chose to shoulder her losses and go on. Right now, she was already too far in and was unable to retreat. The only option they had was to press on and kill the necromancer.


    However, Shauna knew that it was an impossible task. If they had so much trouble fighting against these regular undead, how were they supposed to defeat the necromancer?


    Shauna wasn''t the only one who thought that way; even her men had lost hope defeating these horrifying undead. The only thing keeping them from giving up was their will to survive.


    But that was their limit.


    "Oh no!"


    A putrid stench suddenly raided her nostrils; then she felt an unexpected impact on her arm which caused her to lose her grip on her sword. The flame on the ground also dissipated. Taking advantage of her weakened state, an undead flung open its arms and launched itself towards her.


    Her mind went blank.


    At this moment, Shauna''s heart sank. As a veteran, she certainly knew what the consequences of blanking out in the middle of a battle. Now she can only face the consequences of her carelessness �� death.


    Fortunately, the grim reaper passed by her.


    The moment Shauna closed her eyes, a dazzling light appeared in the air above her. It slammed down onto the undead, and it fell to the floor as though a giant hammer had smashed into it.


    Then, followed by another brilliant light, a tremendous explosion rocked the earth.


    "Boom"!


    In a blink of an eye, the terrifying undead who plagued the mercenaries completely turned to ash. The mercenaries were shocked as they stared at the few people standing at the opposite tunnel.


    "Sister Shauna, are you okay?!"


    Sensing that the danger had been dispelled, Lize quickly ran towards the injured red-haired lady. Marlene, who had finished casting the spell, proudly flicked her illustrious long hair to the back. Then she smiled confidently at Rhode, apparently hinting him to praise her.


    How''s that? See? I''ve done a wonderful job, haven''t I?


    Facing Marlene''s gesture, he was rendered quite speechless... As expected from the honor student who followed 5 Stresses, 4 Beauties, 3 Loves. I clearly meant to finish all of them... Ah, just forget about it. After all, when he issued the order, he did not consider the possibility of Lize recognizing these people. Right now, he felt somewhat lucky that Marlene had an ''honor student'' mindset, and not of a players'' or there would be problems...


    "It''s the Red Hawk..."


    Looking at the red-haired female swordsman, Old Walker muttered to himself. He and Rhode glanced at each other and both of them have the same thoughts.


    "Lize?"


    After barely escaping from death, Shauna did not have time to celebrate as she was shocked to see the person in front of her.


    "Why are you in this place?"


    "I came to complete a mission."


    Lize answered as she lowered her body in front of Shauna. Then, she stretched out her hand and summoned a faint light. The wounds on the red-haired female swordsman quickly healed, even the poison from the undead completely disappeared.


    That was the importance of Spirit Master in a party. Although some mercenaries did learn minor healing spells, it definitely couldn''t be compared to a full-fledged Spirit Master. Mercenary groups would never slight the importance of protecting the Spirit Master in a party. Moreover, the number of Spirit Masters were low as many of them were not interested in being an adventurer. Which was why, other than the Spirit Masters who traveled with the church, there were only those Spirit Masters like Lize who chose to be an adventurer for no clear reason.


    After treating Shauna''s injury, Lize stood up and walked towards the others. In this battle, Shauna and her subordinates were all injured, some of them even were incapacitated. If their injuries were not treated in time, they might become the brothers and sisters of those things they had been fighting just now.


    Shauna stopped looking at Lize and diverted her attention to Rhode and the others. She quickly stood up and smiled while reaching out her hand.


    "Thank you for your help."


    "You''re welcome."


    Holding Shauna''s hand, Rhode indifferently replied in one sentence.


    "It seems like this is the second time that I''ve thanked you."


    Shauna put down her hand and studied Rhode with a surprised and curious expression. Even though she only saw him twice and was not very familiar with each other. She knew that he had saved Lize, and then he dueled against Sereck to pass the Mercenary Assessment. Indeed, he is strong, but it seems like... this man isn''t that simple?


    Shauna then looked at two people behind him. First, she spotted Marlene who was wearing a luxurious magic robe, which made Shauna gasp in shock for a moment. Mages were even rarer than Spirit Masters, how could one appear here? And... standing next to her, wasn''t that Old Walker who loved to drink alcohol at the Mercenary Association every day?


    How did these people associate themselves with one another?


    Shauna couldn''t help but turn around and look at Lize, then she turned back and squinted her eyes at Rhode.


    "Excuse me, you guys are...?"


    "We are here to complete the mission."


    Rhode answered straightforwardly.


    "Same goes for me."


    "Only the four of you?"


    "That''s right."


    If it was any other day, then Shauna might assume that Rhode was joking. Pavel Cemetery was a perilous place, a lot of mercenaries suffered losses here. If only the four of them survived, then it might sound about right. But that did not seem to be the case. After all, Rhode and the others didn''t appear to be miserable and judging from their clothing, it did not look like they had been attacked.


    Then is this man actually saying the truth?


    Shauna blinked her eyes in surprise. In any case, she still could not believe it. They had only four people, yet they could enter the depths unharmed? And with such ease? How can this be? Is this young man really that strong?


    When the red-haired female swordsman was busy scrutinizing Rhode, Lize, who had finished treating the injured, went back to Rhode''s side and said something to Marlene in a low voice. The two of them seemed to be whispering about something. But Shauna no longer paid any attention to them, because at this time, Rhode broke the silence.


    "What are you going to do next?"


    "Next?"


    When she heard Rhode''s question, Shauna broke from her stupor. Finally, she was aware of the current situation.


    They were in the middle of a mission.


    And this young man was also on a mission.


    That means...


    Shauna immediately felt that things have become a bit tricky.


    In general, an accident like this sometimes happens during a mission. Since there were a lot of missions available, and before it was completed, anybody could take it. So, a clash like this happened quite often. If encountered with such a situation, mercenary groups with a good relationship with each other would either choose to withdraw or propose a joint action. If the relationship was slightly worse, they would directly fight to determine the outcome.


    So now, which one do we have to choose?


    Shauna erased the thought of fighting with each other since the other side had rescued them. It also meant that they did not have malicious intent. However, if she were to withdraw, how could she answer to her dead comrades? She had taken so much effort to reach this point, so how could she retreat? But... Shauna knew that with their current strength, defeating the necromancer was just a fleeting dream.


    "If you don''t mind, I hope we can cooperate."


    Eventually, Shauna bit her teeth and made this suggestion.


    "We do not need points or rewards. In fact, we came here just for a sword. According to the report, it was in the necromancer''s hands. We hope to join hands with you. As long as we can acquire the sword, then we can give up the rest of the rewards."


    A sword?


    Rhode was faintly surprised.


    He did not remember that there was a sword in the cemetery.


    Did I forget something?


    Or is there any other reason?


    Rhode frowned and thought for a moment, but he still couldn''t think of anything, so he decided to ask her directly.


    "Miss Shauna, I don''t remember that the association released this mission."


    "We received a private commission."


    Shauna shook her head and replied.


    So... that was the case...


    Hearing her answer, the Rhode''s doubt was finally cleared. Thus, he did not say anything more and nodded his head.


    "I can promise you, but I have a condition."


    The red-haired female swordsman revealed a bright expression but still nervously asked.


    "What is your condition?"


    "Very simple."


    Rhode made a gesture.


    "In the next battle, you must listen to my command."

 Chapter 55 Battle in Cemetery

    Rhode''s overwhelming charisma and confidence rendered Shauna completely speechless. As the saying goes, give him an inch, and he''ll take a mile. Shauna assumed that they were merely in a cooperation-relationship, but when Rhode delivered those overbearing words, wasn''t it the same as demanding them to be his subordinates?


    Though everyone else revealed a different reaction in response to Rhode''s exclamation.


    Old Walker placed his hands on his chest, watching the fun that was about to ensue from the sidelines. During the arduous journey, he had witnessed and personally acknowledged Rhode''s capability in commanding others. He could tell that Rhode''s knowledge and resilience were top notch. It was a pity that his only flaw was his sharp tongue. If he said one, then it''ll be one. If he said two, then must be two. He will not give others the opportunity to refute him. Rhode made it clear to Shauna and her team that they were too weak, and he did not believe in them. It was better to leave everything to him.


    Although there was nothing wrong with his sentence, the way he said it was just like a slap in the face...


    Compared to Old Walker who preferred to watch the scene unfold from the side, Marleen genuinely thought that it was only natural that Shauna should concede her party to Rhode. She did not understand how things work between mercenaries, but she knew that with only four of them, they were able to reach the depths without breaking a sweat. It wasn''t like Shauna and the others. Though they had more manpower, they still fell into such a tragic state. Thus, wasn''t following Rhode''s commands the most logical thing to do? As for their numerical advantage...? Eh... mages had never considered numbers as an advantage.


    Lize, on the other hand, felt rather awkward. She was the only one who was well acquainted with Shauna''s team. And right now, her friends suddenly turned into subordinates. Furthermore, Rhode''s straightforwardness didn''t leave them with a speck of face. This left Lize confused about her next action. Nevertheless, she wasn''t stupid, and at this time, she understood that it was better for her to stay silent.


    As an experienced mercenary group leader, Shauna knew she had to respond quickly, and she looked at Rhode before her. However, she still remained quite hesitant.


    The truth was simple; she didn''t want to agree with this condition! Since both of them were from two different groups, and her people might be employed as meat shields. But recognizing Rhode''s determined attitude, he made it clear that there was no room for compromise. If she did not agree right here and now, then the next road might lead to a dead end.


    When Shauna fell in deep thought, a voice sounded beside her.


    "Hmph, why should we listen to your command! Bis sis, don''t listen to him! We have more people than them; it should be them who needs help from us!"


    A young mercenary donning a leather armor and a two-handed sword jumped out from the rear. Then he glared at Rhode unhappily.


    "Barney, it''s not your place to speak."


    Hearing the outburst of this young mercenary, Shauna began having a headache. She waved her hand, indicating him to stop. But it was clear that the young mercenary named Barney did not intend to stay silent there.


    "But, big sis, this guy, he is too much... He just made it clear that we were going to be their meat shields and they will just snatch the rewards later! This kind of despicable person, we..."


    "Despicable person?"


    Rhode wasn''t mad, but Marlene on the other hand, couldn''t hold her rage in anymore, and she flared up.


    "So that''s how mercenaries treat their benefactors?! If it weren''t for us, you''ve already died in this ghastly place!"


    "Even without you guys, we can still survive!"


    Barney clenched his teeth and answered. Marlene snorted coldly and lifted her chin, no longer looking at him. In her opinion, as a noble, she did not need to waste her precious saliva in a mouth fight with an uncouth mercenary like him.


    Marlene''s arrogance angered the young mercenary. He spat on the floor and opened his mouth to say something. However, Shauna finally became angry.


    "Shut your mouth, Barney! If I hear one more word from you, you can help yourself to leave the group."


    "Big sis..."


    Looking at the furious Shauna, Barney felt extremely wronged.


    Who cares if they''re a noble?


    It took so much effort to get to this place, and yet these despicable people were trying to use us as meat shields?


    Pui!


    We mercenaries also have our own pride, how we can we just let trample all over us?


    Maybe big sister is afraid of these nobles, but I''m not!


    Even though they have power and money, I will still fight with them with whatever I have until the end!


    "I agree to your request."


    Shauna finally made her decision. After all, the undead were too difficult for their group. Furthermore, she was also still pondering on how to beat that damned necromancer. Since this young man is confident, then it would be the best to leave it to him.


    "I need everyone to follow my commands unconditionally."


    After receiving Shauna''s acknowledgment, Rhode began to speak again as he stared at the mercenaries behind her with his usual calm expression.


    "If you obey my commands, I assure you that I will try my best to keep your lives intact. Otherwise... your life will be irrelevant to me."


    When he paused his speech, Rhode studied the young mercenaries'' expressions behind the red-haired female swordsman.


    "If there''s anyone who is not willing to listen to my command, you can stand up now. I don''t want any trouble in the battle."


    "Hmph!"


    Barney was aware that Rhode was eyeballing him. Thus, he merely snorted and refused to move. In his opinion, this cunning noble was trying to use the threat of death to split the team. So, he would definitely not leave. Once he found sufficient evidence of the young noble''s scheme, he might be able to stop it.


    No matter what you want to do, I won''t let you succeed!


    The young man clenched his fist and swore secretly to himself.


    -


    Ever since the addition of Shauna''s team, the group''s clear speed became evidently faster. Soon, they found themselves at the bottom of the underground cemetery.


    "Boom! Boom Boom!"


    Followed by streaks of lightning, many undead creatures were sent flying, and their fragments soon fell to the ground, no longer presenting any threat.


    Indeed, they are strong...


    As she stared at the young mage, who wielded her wand as easily as breathing, and the young noble Rhode, who calmly commanded at the front, Shauna''s initial doubts began to diminish. The combination of the powerhouse Marleen and Rhode''s flawless command was the epitome of perfection. Those undead who once caused Shauna and her team to struggle for survival were wiped out as easily as sneezing.


    There is no doubt, they ARE strong...


    Shauna couldn''t help but stare at the black hound following behind Rhode. While she was present on the day of the mercenary assessment, witnessing Rhode''s prowess firsthand in a dungeon was always clearer than being a mere spectator.


    "We''re about to arrive."


    Unlike the distracted Shauna, Rhode never stopped focusing on his opponents. After clearing out another wave of undead, he scanned his surroundings vigilantly. Then, he whipped out a ring from his pocket and wore it on his finger. The Soul Binding Stone which he obtained from the haunted house was engraved on the tip of the ring. Rhode had cut the stone into three parts which he inserted into a silver ring he had bought. While his alchemy skill was rather lacking, he could still do something basic such as this.


    The size of the Soul Binding Stone could decide the level of the soul it could bind. For example, a small stone was unable to bind a strong soul, but if the stone was too big and the soul was small, then it would be a waste. Right now, the size was just right. And the reason why Rhode brought out his Soul Binding Stone right now was clearly that of one thing.


    Swoosh!!


    A dense fog billowed out of nowhere, clouding the sights of everyone.


    When the smoke dispersed, a moment of eerie silence fell upon the group. Suddenly, a black shadow emerged from the ground, swiftly rushing towards them. If it were before, then everyone would be surprised by this sudden attack. But Rhode had already made the necessary preparations, thus, the enemy''s ambush failed to harm the group. Marleen was chanting furiously; she conjured a whirlwind which engulfed the team and barred the black shadow from entering.


    A pile of bones slowly formed into a sharp silhouette.


    "Hehehe..."


    At the same time, a cold and crisp sound echoed from all directions, followed by an aura of evilness and death.


    "I truly did not expect that you could break into my chamber..."


    "The Necromancer!"


    Shauna growled in a low voice; then she raised her sword. Shortly after, a crimson flame emerged from her sword which soon engulfed her blade with fire. This fire attribute magic weapon was something she looted from a long time ago. It was called the Burning Blade.


    "Listen to my commands, and don''t forget my words from before."


    Compared to Shauna''s tense expression as though she was facing her eternal nemesis, Rhode was clearly much calmer. He held the Star Mark on his hand and narrowed his eyes to scrutinize each changing detail in his surrounding. The darkness became increasingly thick; it was like an invisible, heavy curtain that shrouded everyone within. As their world plunged into pitch darkness, nobody knew for certain where the next attack might come from.


    However, only Rhode knew what was going to happen.


    He majestically raised his sword over his head.


    In the next moment, everyone discovered that Rhode''s sword was emitting a brilliant light which pierced through the darkness like a lighthouse in the night.


    Akin to an opening of a stage play, the curtain of darkness suddenly parted, and a Necromancer who was wearing a black robe miserably retreated to the back. In his hand, he held a gruesome looking staff formed with bones. Right now, he stared at Rhode with a surprised expression.


    How did this young man see through his art of darkness?


    But how could Rhode give the necromancer time to find out the answer? In the next second, Rhode raised his sword once more and slashed downward.


    "Follow the plan!"

 Chapter 56 Like A Pig...

    The Necromancer snorted coldly at Rhode''s incoming attack. A wall of bones formed before him and it blocked Rhode''s sword attack. At this time, Shauna and other mercenaries moved according to Rhode''s command and positioned themselves in a triangular formation surrounding the Necromancer.


    "Hmph, such petty tricks."


    Although the Necromancer couldn''t retreat any further, clearly he didn''t regard Shauna and the others as threats. He snorted coldly, causing an intense glow to flare up within its empty eye sockets as he gripped his staff and strafed to the side, swinging his weapon in a sideways arc.


    Typically, mages were weak in their physical attacks, but the Necromancer was an exception. After losing its mortal body, it obtained a power far beyond humans. Facing the Necromancer''s incoming attack, Shauna instinctively held her weapon up to block but little did she expect that the impact was akin to a barbarian waving a huge stick. Shauna''s body trembled violently under the immense pressure. If her reaction was a tad bit slower and didn''t swiftly retreat after the initial blow, then she might have been already thrown towards the ceiling.


    "Don''t clash with it head-on, keep your distance and don''t stop attacking!"


    Rhode discovered Shauna''s miserable state and frowned before reminding her once again. After hearing his voice, Shauna and the other mercenaries immediately regained some of their spirits before surrounding the Necromancer, launching periodic mid-to-long range attacks. Since the Necromancer possessed abnormal physical and combat prowess, he was able to tie Rhode down with a wall of bones while swinging his staff like a club on his other hand. An intense ember burned from deep within his bottomless sockets, emanating a chill aura of danger.


    But that was all it could do.


    After dodging the relentless assaults, the Necromancer sneered and raised its left hand, conjuring an eerie ball of negative energy at the tip of its bony finger. Then it slowly pointed outwards, waiting for the right moment to launch it...


    However, at this moment, he felt that something was amiss when its wall of bones suddenly trembled.


    Bang!! A raging storm surged in when the solid wall of bones collapsed like a bunch of building blocks falling apart. At the same time, a flash of light reflected off the white bones, creating a white, straight line which pierced right into Necromancer''s forehead.


    Damn, how could this happen!


    The Necromancer was shocked. The negative energy that it had painstakingly condensed instantly dissipated. At this moment, it discovered a whirlwind emerging from under its feet and quickly dodged it along with an attack from Rhode. At the corner of its eye sockets, it found a young girl adorning a luxurious magic robe holding a wand which emitted a crimson light.


    "Damn, my spell was nullified?!"


    The Necromancer''s expression sank. It had assumed that Marleen was just another mage apprentice, which was why her presence didn''t bother it too much. But now that it discovered its magic had been nullified, it realized that her power was far beyond any apprentice, rather, it was certain that she had entered the middle circle! It was impossible to nullify its protective magic with this vast gap in levels between them, but since she could do it...


    These thoughts crossed the Necromancer''s mind in a flash. Then, in no time, it found a way to counter her. The staff that it was holding on suddenly fell to the ground and disappeared.


    Only Rhode caught this subtle action.


    "Walker, Lize, pay attention to the surrounding!"


    Rhode put down his sword and shouted towards the two. Then, at the very next moment, the ground suddenly rose.


    "Boom!!!"


    Numerous heavily armed undead clawed out from the crevices caused by the quake. Many of them held old, broken weapons and were bellowing in a fury. Though their pace was slow, their unwavering stance and superior numbers surrounded every one of the mercenaries. Rhode thought that this move was indeed a right choice. Fortunately, he had already reminded his men, if not, all of them would be running around like headless chickens. Now, each mercenary scattered around the battlefield to kill the spawned undead. Two mercenaries from Red Hawk immediately guarded Lize and Marleen''s front and flank. In response, Lize cast a protective shield on everyone. As for Marleen, she wasn''t the slightest bit worried about the situation as she pointed her wand towards the Necromancer while murmuring a spell to analyze the protective spells on its body.


    This battle was a race against time.


    "Tch!"


    When the Necromancer realized that panic didn''t settle in as it had expected, it scoffed in contempt. It retreated once more and dodged two attacks at the same time. Since these attacks were so weak, it did not care about those who launched it. Even if it landed on its body, it wouldn''t inflict any injuries. However, what made it anxious was the black-haired man before him. No matter what it did, that man was able to derive a counterattack. It was just odd... how did this young man who appeared to have a girlish face, have such familiarity with its fighting style?


    "Swoosh!"


    Rhode could care less what the Necromancer thought about him. He swung his sword and shot forward once more. When his sword collided with the bone staff, a spark ignited at the point of contact. Then, at the very next moment, he discovered lines of magic surfacing in the air which scattered soon after.


    "I did it!"


    Discovering this phenomenon, Rhode''s resolve became firm. Meanwhile, the Necromancer''s expression darkened. It retreated once again while raising his the staff on his hand.


    At the same time, Marlene aimed at the Necromancer''s body with her wand.


    A bright, dazzling white light condensed on the tip of her ruby wand which soon shot forward. In a flash, the spell successfully collided with the Necromancer.


    "Boom!!!"


    An intense surge of heatwaves burst out from the point of impact. Even Rhode couldn''t help but take a few steps back. The temperature within the room soared up. At this moment, the Necromancer''s anguished roar sounded out from within the flames.


    "Damn bastard!! ALL OF YOU WILL PAY!!"


    The protective spell which encompassed the Necromancer had been lifted. It no longer maintained its lofty demeanor and sank into a crazed state of fury. Almost instantaneously, it conjured five to six sharp bone spears around it and shot them towards Marleen in retaliation. But before the bone spears could pierce into Marleen''s body, a Shield Warrior intercepted its trajectory and raised his colossal, steel tower shield before slamming it downwards to the ground, protecting Marleen to his rear.


    Boom!! Followed by the sound of the metal screeching, it appeared that some of the sharp spears had broken into countless fragments. However, due to the terrifying force of acceleration, the Shield Warrior also fell to the ground.


    Damn it.


    Waving his two-handed sword, Barney fought the undead at the front. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Rhode''s figure fighting against the Necromancer. Never did he imagine that Rhode was this strong, and the scene that he saw seemed to reflect his thoughts. The Necromancer ran berserk, and under its crushing blows, that nasty noble and his big sis barely managed to avoid its attacks. If this situation went on, they might not be able to win!


    Barney cut down one undead after another. Looking back, he saw Shauna''s ''miserable'' state, and that cunning noble was hiding behind the Necromancer, as though having no intention of helping her.


    See, I was right. That guy planned on using us at meat shields, and would reap the rewards by himself! Damnit! I won''t let him have his way!


    Barney decided on his next course of action. He turned his body and raised his sword, charging towards the Necromancer.


    "Go die, you evil monster!!"


    Barney shouted while waving his sword, but he did not expect that Shauna who was supposedly ''in dire straits,'' suddenly changed position and arrived in front of him.


    The sound of swords could be heard.


    Discovering the threat behind her, Shauna was surprised. Under Rhode''s command, both her and her comrade finally managed to switch position to guard against the Necromancer''s counterattack. After it went berserk, the Necromancer had used a lot of its power and was currently exhausted. Just one more push and they would win this battle. But Shauna did not expect that another person was attacking behind her?!


    Right now, the red-haired female swordsman had no opportunity to back down, the only thing she could do was to clench her teeth and stand her ground. But at this time, the Necromancer used the opportunity while Shauna was confused to target her. It bent his finger while chanted a spell and sneered.


    "Bang!!"


    "Aaa!!!"


    Shauna, who was distracted, was unable to dodge the Necromancer''s attack. A sharp bone spear penetrated through her left shoulder, and the massive inertia sent her body flying before finally falling to the ground.


    The Necromancer who had finally gotten the upper hand also did not plan to linger and turned around to escape.


    "Damn it!!"


    Looking at the scene before him, Rhode cursed inside. He flipped his right hand and a red card appeared.


    "Marlene, use your full power to attack it!!"


    Rhode yelled at the top of his voice and threw the red card on his hand. Soon the Flame Killer appeared and rushed towards the enemy who was about to flee. A red shadow flashed in the dark and a violent explosion sounded, followed by the Necromancer''s roar which spread towards all directions.


    Damn it, as expected, the protective spell wasn''t completely lifted.


    The summoned spirit had not made contact with the protective spell and was already sent back home. Rhode immediately rushed past the black smoke.


    The Necromancer''s state wasn''t good either. Right now, it had already fallen into a miserable state; its protective spell had been reduced by 70-80%. That was the reason why the Necromancer could not completely block the Flame Killer self-destruction. The robe it wore had been blown up and was in tatters, even its bone staff was in a complete mangled mess.


    "Cursed mankind!!"


    Looking at Rhode who rushed towards it, the Necromancer clenched its teeth and cursed. It raised both of its hands and aimed towards Rhode.


    A crimson ball of light flew straight to Rhode''s position. However, Rhode didn''t choose to dodge, rather, he held his sword forward and continued on.


    He''s a dead man!


    Watching how Rhode disregarded his defense and rushed towards it, the Necromancer exposed a confident smile. In his opinion, this young man was going to die soon.


    But soon, the smile on his face turned into fear.


    A translucent pair of wings appeared before Rhode. Soft, white feathers scattered in the wind; it was such a fantasy-like scene.


    The Necromancer had no time to appreciate the beauty. Because the negative ball of red energy also turned into a breeze and disappeared.


    "You are..."


    The Necromancer opened its mouth, but at the same time, Rhode''s sword pierced right through it.

 Chapter 57 Unlucky Barney

    Rhode stood up.


    The necromancer who had acted all high and mighty laid before him as a corpse once more.


    But Rhode wasn''t smiling. His face was dark and gloomy while he stared at his left hand.


    While the Angel''s Wings was able to block most of the negative energy, in the end, the level gap was just too big. Currently, his left hand had become a sickening green color, and a tingling discomfort spread to the rest of the body.


    If it weren''t for his abnormal stats, then perhaps his arm would end up being fractured.


    "Sigh..."


    Rhode sighed, then he focused on the ring on his finger. The original white luster on the stone had dulled considerably. With careful observation, he noticed that the darkness within appeared to have a self-consciousness as it swirled steadily.


    The soul binding succeeded.


    Though there were some unexpected events during the process, he still managed to procure his objective. However...


    Just thinking of the previous mishap made him furious. He was absolutely confident about this mission when he chose it. The reason why Pavel Cemetery was a four Star-Ranked mission was not due to the difficulty of the BOSS, but rather, the negative energy that the undead passively emitted was naturally effective against living beings. Before the invasion, the peaceful era under the Light Dragon''s reign didn''t expose its people to fighting the undead. As such, their experience fighting the living dead was almost nil. NPCs were unlike players, who could restart the battle once more by respawning if they died in battle. This was the reason why the Mercenary Association regarded missions involving the undead as a higher tier compared to others.


    But as for Rhode''s opinion, since he had a Spirit Master in the party, he knew that her positive energy would be a natural counter against the undead. Furthermore, with Marleen as the recent ''talented'' addition to the team, his chances of victory soared over 90%. That was if she obeyed his orders, of course. The positive development in the tunnels reinforced Rhode''s opinion as the undead easily overwhelmed melee combatants but were felled in droves when faced with magic. So, judging by all of these advantages, it was just a matter of time before their victory was assured, but he did not expect...


    Rhode shook his head and kept the Soul Binding Stone before turning around.


    He walked towards the crowd when he realized the situation was becoming rather troubling.


    Lize treated the heavily injured Shauna who was lying on the floor while the fool that caused this entire debacle watched at the side. Old Walker was cleaning the battlefield, and Marleen stood beside him with a cold expression on her face. Even the Red Hawk mercenaries didn''t look too good when they anxiously surrounded Shauna, worried about her injury.


    "I''m sorry, Leader... I''m sorry, Leader!! I wasn''t trying to..."


    Barney knelt beside Shauna with a pale face; he could sense that the others were staring at him with anger. This kind of situation hadn''t happened to him before and it made him frightened and wronged. Obviously, he felt that it was unfair that Rhode was made party leader and his comrades were all dragged into a bitter struggle while Rhode merely stood behind. Therefore, he was trying to help, why were these people mad at him? Didn''t they realize how dangerous the situation was back then?


    While Barney was in distraught, he discovered footsteps behind him and found the ''culprit'' walking towards him.


    Barney felt his blood boil inside. His Leader was injured for the sake of the group but apparently, Rhode did not care.


    The nobility is a bunch of cold-blooded snakes!


    With that as his basis for his anger, Barney immediately jumped up and stretched his finger at Rhode, cursing him openly.


    "IT''S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!!! If not because of your--"


    Before Barney could finish, a fist flew towards him.


    "Bang!!!"


    Rhode punched the young man''s face mercilessly. Barney screamed as he fell to the ground and rolled a distance while grabbing onto the side of his face. Then, he glared icily at the man standing before him, completely oblivious to his bleeding nose.


    "Why didn''t you follow my command?"


    Rhode''s voice was calm, but everyone was shocked; even Lize who was in the middle of bandaging Shauna''s injury.


    Because Rhode actually laughed!


    The people who were acquainted with Rhode knew that he had a beautiful face, but he was always serious and never smiled. Many people thought it was a pity, even Old Walker joked about it, saying that if he smiled more, perhaps he could bewitch people.


    But now, Rhode really laughed, and it was the bewitching kind of laughter. However, everyone somehow felt a chill down their spine.


    "Answer me."


    Rhode shifted his arm, smiling while walking towards Barney. Next, he lifted his left foot and stomped hard on Barney''s chest, forcing him back to the ground.


    "Ugh!!!"


    "I remember, before the start of the battle, I''ve made it clear we are responsible for surrounding the Necromancer. Without my command, no one was allowed to act... Are you stupid? Or do you have a problem with hearing?"


    "....Bullsh*t."


    Facing Rhode who had a condescending smile on his face, Barney instinctively felt dread as though he was coiled up by a python. But he still did not succumb to his fear and spat at Rhode''s feet instead.


    "Don''t think that I didn''t notice how you hid behind the Necromancer. You want us to be your meat shields? How can I listen to your commands? Or are you saying that you didn''t hide on purpose? Everyone here had seen your cowardly acts, right Henry?!"


    Henry was a swordsman who fought beside Shauna. At first, Barney thought that Henry would back him up, but he never expected him to tilt his head and avoid his gaze.


    In fact, Henry was somewhat dissatisfied because Barney ruined their flawless plan. Although they appeared miserable, as long they followed Rhode''s command correctly, they would be able to dodge the Necromancer''s attack. These instructions mid-battle were extremely crucial for mercenaries. But in the end, at the direst moment, it was screwed by this damn kid!


    It was akin to two people trying to tango. They put in countless hours in practicing and finally grasped the rhythm, but it just took a single drunk to appear to destroy everything.


    No matter what, anyone would certainly be unhappy if those kind of things happened.


    But because Barney was his comrade, he did not say anything. Even though that was the case, he still didn''t stop Rhode from venting his anger.


    "Hen, Henry..."


    Seeing how his comrade reacted, Barney clenched his teeth. In his mind, he didn''t think that his comrade was dissatisfied with him. On the contrary, he thought that he must be afraid of that noble!


    So that''s why he didn''t say anything...


    But I''m different!! I will not yield and I will never give up!


    "Hmph, say whatever you like. I am absolutely not- AHHHHHH!"


    Barney wasn''t able to finish before a sharp sword pierced through his palm. The sudden pain made him swallow his words and replaced it with a yell. Then, Rhode pulled out the sword and kicked the young man at his waist, flinging him a distance before finally losing consciousness.


    Hearing the mournful screams from Barney, Marleen couldn''t help but tremble. She recalled what Rhode said when she came to look for him. At that time, she did not put Rhode in her eyes, but fortunately, after that duel, she never doubted Rhode''s strength again. If she maintained her previous haughty attitude, then the one who laid on the floor right now would be her.


    Recalling that duel, Marlene was sure that Rhode would not show any mercy.


    After kicking the lights out of Barney, Rhode clasped his hands and removed the smile on his face. He ignored the surprised and frightened expressions from the people around him.


    "Clean the battlefield."


    This time, Rhode received a bumper harvest. Since the Necromancer had made his home in the Pavel Cemetery for many years, naturally he had plenty of hidden treasures. After scavenging for a while, a large bag full of magic crystals, gems and plants laid before him. Of course, Rhode also attained what he came here for.


    He lowered his body and fished out an old, dusty holy grimoire from a wooden box. He nodded in satisfaction and turned his head towards Lize.


    "Mr. Rhode, what''s the matter?"


    Realizing Rhode''s intention, Lize ran over in a hurry. Her expression was a bit complicated as she wanted to treat Barney''s wounds, but Rhode said ''leave him be.'' So she could only awkwardly leave him behind. Frankly, Lize was quite unhappy with Barney''s performance as well, but as a Spirit Master, she could not disregard the lives of others just because of her personal preferences.


    "This is for you."


    "This is..."


    Lize received the Holy Book which Rhode handed over and flipped a few pages curiously. Then her expression immediately lit up when she realized the value of the book.


    "Is this the Holy Book?"


    "Yes."


    Rhode patted the girl''s shoulder.


    "With your power, I believe that learning the spells on it should be no problem. Good luck."


    "Of course! I will work hard! Thank you, Mr. Rhode!"


    Embracing the Holy Book, Lize exposed a broad smile. Of course, she knew its worth. In the church, only a selected number of people were qualified to learn about high-level spells. Typically, Spirit Masters were only allowed to learn basic spells, from here, one could infer the value of the Holy Book which recorded high-level spells. Lize was confident that as long as she could learn half of it, then her strength would increase further.


    At the same time, Marlene walked towards the both of them. But compared to Lize, who was overjoyed from receiving the Holy Book, her expression was absolutely mortified. Because just now, Rhode told her to take care of the Necromancer''s corpse. This is undoubtedly a challenging test for Marlene as she had never done such a thing before. Although Marlene voiced a protest in the name of righteousness, facing Rhode''s ''since you are also one of the members of the mercenary group, then you also must follow the command'' argument, this genius young mage could only surrender and execute the command while holding her breath.


    "I have finished the task, Mr. Rhode."


    "Oh?"


    Hearing Marlene''s words, Rhode looked at her with a slight surprise.


    "Did you find anything good?"


    "Everything is here."


    Facing Rhode''s question, Marlene made a robotic reply, then she stretched out her hands, handing out the equipment that she found.


    But she did not think that Rhode wouldn''t take it immediately. On the contrary, he quietly stared at a ring on her hands and did not speak for a while.


    "Mr. Rhode?"


    Seeing Rhode''s reaction, Marlene reminded him again. Rhode finally responded and nodded his head.


    "Yes, I know... You''ve worked hard."


    Rhode said while looking at her.


    How lucky was this young miss... she could even find the legendary Dark Soul Ring...

 Chapter 58 The Other side of the Board

    The early morning star peeked over the horizon once more, casting a radiant ray of gold as it sprinkled through the window which fell upon the white, polished marble floor. A warm light filtered through the girl''s thin eyelids and she narrowed her eyes for a brief moment. Her body slouched comfortably on the soft couch while enjoying the afternoon leisure time.


    Just outside the window, a river rippled along with the gentle breeze. The lush, green branches swayed, followed by a calm, rustling hymn. A gorgeous crystal chandelier refracted a magical light, which spilled a royal palette of colors onto the golden walls encompassing the grand hall; a beautiful painting hung on the wall, perfectly matched with an exquisitely crafted sculpture. Just standing there emanated the sensation of an art paradise.


    The intricately carved door of a Nine-Winged Bird quietly creaked open, and a noblewoman donning a formal gown quickly walked past the red carpet before half-kneeling at the girl who laid on the couch.


    "Your Highness."


    "Yes?"


    Acknowledging the noblewoman before her, the young girl''s eyelashes fluttered open slowly, her green eyes giving off a lazy and playful look. The brilliant rays which shone through the windows were akin to a silky fabric which wrapped around her beautiful and charming figure, accentuating her slim figure. A pair of white, slender legs hung down from the couch nonchalantly, which was rather seductive. Her golden, lustrous hair reflected the rays of the sun, appearing extremely appealing as though it was a crown.


    "What is it, Carol?"


    "Everything is ready as per your orders; the Merchant Association''s side has been processed. By your command, we ca-"


    The woman suddenly stopped speaking and snapped her mouth shut. This was because she saw the girl in front of her close her eyes again. Based on her understanding of Her Highness, she decided to stop and wait for her command.


    "Decaying plant matter are really disgusting," she said. Her eyes were closed as she reached out her hands, gently stroking a black cat which curled up lazily on her lap, "but they provide the necessary nutrients for the new saplings to grow into beautiful flowers. Halting the growth process of beautiful lives isn''t something I fancy."


    "I see, Your Highness."


    Although her words appeared rather incoherent, the woman could still understand the underlying meaning of her words. She nodded in reply, but her face revealed a complex expression.


    "... from the recent report, the Paphield area," she hesitated for a moment before continuing, "...there appears to be a rat from the council."


    "Let them be."


    The girl stopped stroking the black cat and sighed.


    "My cute subordinates should know what to do. The ruler and her subjects should have this kind of tacit understanding. Qualified underlings will understand what I mean. Only flowers that weathered the storm are eligible to accept my favor, I believe they know what to do."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    When the girl heard her docile answer, she exposed a brilliant smile.


    "After working so hard, I believe you must be exhausted. How about accompanying me for a cup of tea? This is a fresh red tea that I just acquired recently; I think it should suit your taste."


    "Thank you, Your Highness."


    "Carol, you are too humble... But that''s the reason why I''m so fond of you. Come now, don''t just stand there, how about you come closer to me?"


    "Your Highness..."


    -


    The wind grew stronger.


    Rhode felt relieved when he returned to the safety of Deep Stone City.


    On the way back, they did not encounter any interference. Just like what Marleen had said, the undead were only able to maintain their existence because of the Necromancer''s energy. Now that it was dead, naturally the undead returned to dust where it originally belonged.


    The mission was a success. Rhode finally created his much needed Soul Core, Lize acquired her Holy Book, and Old Walker looted a cloak which could resist elemental attacks.


    As for the distribution of the Dark Soul Ring, Rhode and Marleen had contrasting opinions.


    In the Dragon Soul Continent, the definition of ''Rare Items'' were generally divided into two categories. The first was the item itself was rare, and contained a rare skill. And the second was an item that could increase the effectiveness of the item itself. Rhode''s sword, Star Mark, belonged to the latter while the Dark Soul Ring belonged to the former. Nevertheless, both of them were categorized as ''Rare Items'' and the Dark Soul Ring possessed a considerably valued skill, even to the players.


    [ Shadow Mist: The item holder can create a dark fog AOE. When inside, the item holder can move as and when he wanted, granting a passive ''Stealth'' ability. The effect will be lost once the holder is damaged. ]


    Another way of describing this skill was: granting a limited dimensional space to move in. In the game, this ring was an incredibly rare accessory. Since the granted ability wasn''t limited to their class, the item was highly sought after by non-mage classes. This is because they did not possess skills that could move quickly and the Shadow Mist was a way to counter that deficiency. Its utility didn''t only limit to ambushing; if the holder was under attack, then it could help by concealing the holder to aid him to escape. The only drawback was its limited effective AOE. But for most players who spent the majority of their time adventuring, it was only but a minor issue.


    Although it was an extremely rare and useful item, Rhode did not monopolize it all for himself. He slowly explained the function of the Dark Soul Ring to Marleen and then asked her if she needed it.


    But never did he expect Marleen to actually express disdain! Her reason was simple. Firstly, she was a middle circle mage and possessed a plethora of life-saving spells. And secondly, she felt that Shadow Mist wasn''t as exceptional as Rhode described it to be. In the battle, when Necromancer utilized the exact same skill to conceal itself, Rhode still found him easily with his sword. She believed that it was best to not bet her life on something that was untrustworthy. Thus, Rhode took the ring.


    ...Really?


    He did not know what to say about the players who were willing to spend astronomical amounts of money to purchase this rare accessory that had been deemed ''untrustworthy'' by an NPC.


    He wondered what kind of expression they would make.


    "Thanks for your help, Mr. Rhode."


    Shauna''s countenance was apparently much better than before. Although the Necromancer''s attack was lethal, since this red-haired female swordsman was a veteran, she managed to dodge the attack in the nick of time, and ended up with an injured shoulder. With Lize''s healing and proper rest, fully recovering wouldn''t be a problem.


    However, as a whole, the Red Hawk mercenary group received heavy losses when compared to Rhode''s group. They turned the Pavel Cemetery upside down, but they were still unable to find the sword they were searching for. This made Shauna extremely depressed. However, it was just as Rhode expected since he could remember clearly that the drops from Pavel Cemetery were all related to the magic classes and never heard of a hidden quest involving a sword.


    Previously, when he heard the mission description from Shauna, he assumed that it was an NPC exclusive quest, and players were not eligible to participate. But judging from the situation right now, it seemed that something was indeed fishy...


    "Miss Shauna, are you sure that your client is looking for a sword?"


    "Yes."


    She sighed and shook her head helplessly.


    "He said that it was their family''s heirloom and that Pavel stole it. Thus, he requested me to find it. Based on the agreement, he paid us 150 gold coins as a deposit, so I doubt that it''ll be a fake mission. But now, since I can''t find the sword, I don''t know what to do..."


    It was no wonder Shauna didn''t doubt the credibility of the mission, because according to the rules, the deposit received when undertaking the commision would not be returned. In other words, regardless of success or failure, the money would still be taken away. In many cases, clients paying a small deposit could be considered as a symbolic meaning. Nevertheless, they would still pay the remaining sum after the mission completion. Since her client offered her 150 gold coins as a deposit, it was almost equivalent to finishing a three Star-Ranked mission. It was such a huge boon, no wonder Shauna didn''t doubt the legitimacy of her client. After all, who would throw that amount of money just for fun?


    But lamenting over it right now was pointless. The sword that Shauna had to find was an ancient sword. It was a sword that also existed in the game, but these swords were primarily used for decorations. Since she couldn''t find it, her mission was a failure, and she lost many comrades in the process. Thus, she was in quite a foul mood, so she promptly bade farewell to Rhode and the others, and she trudged towards the Mercenary Association with whats left of her group following behind her. Only Barney, that idiot, was being carried by the Shield Warrior. That poor little guy had not yet woken from his coma. But if Rhode didn''t guess wrong, he wouldn''t wake up anymore.


    When Shauna and the others finally disappeared around the corner, Rhode''s eyes turned cold.


    "They were deceived," Rhode said.


    "Eh?"


    Hearing those words, Lize widened her eyes in surprise. Even Old Walker frowned.


    "What is it, boy? You said they were being deceived? Why is that?"


    "Simple."


    Rhode shrugged.


    "If it was just as the client said," Rhode''s eyes narrowed as he spoke, "then why would he entrust everything to a mercenary on something as significant as his family heirloom? Furthermore, he didn''t even appear once."


    Rhode said as he deduced the situation calmly.


    "Yes."


    Marlene nodded and agreed.


    "For us nobles, family heirlooms are the spirit of the family. It can be said that it is the measurement of the family''s honor and glory. If the heirloom is lost, then as a member of the family, it is their responsibility to find it as soon as possible. If the Senia''s family heirloom was misplaced or stolen by someone, not only would I ask a mercenary for help, but I will also follow them. Only the family''s bloodline should regain the glory by personally retrieving the heirloom. If someone else, for instance, a mercenary, retrieves the heirloom, then it would stain the honor of any prestigious family. I don''t believe someone who has a family heirloom to be a nouveau riche. As what Mr. Rhode had said, there must be a problem."


    "W-what problem?"


    Hearing this detailed explanation by Marleen, Lize expression immediately tensed up. After all, Shauna was her good friend, and now she discovered that she might be in danger, so of course she could not calm down.


    "I don''t know."


    Rhode shook his head, then he looked up, staring at the Deep Stone City before him.


    "...but I may have a clue."

 Chapter 59 An Invitation from the Keller Family

    The odd circumstances which befell the Red Hawk mercenary group caused Rhode to harbor some doubts and became increasingly vigilant. Although on the exterior it appeared to be an accident, he felt that something was amiss. Just as Shauna had mentioned, that person gave her a whopping 150 gold coins as a deposit. That sum of money was a little too much for just some random fun.


    Undoubtedly, there was something happening behind the scenes.


    Rhode weighed the consequences in his mind, and in the end, he refused to allow Lize to gather information from Red Hawk. Since Barney caused a rift between both of their mercenary groups, Rhode didn''t intend to cross the line and requested Old Walker to return to the Mercenary Association, assuming back his ''old-self.''


    "When you return to the association, help me to watch out for any abnormal movement," Rhode said to Old Walker while sitting behind an old wooden desk in the study while writing something on a paper.


    "Notify me immediately if there''s anything particularly strange. Then, if possible, find a tank for me."


    "Tank? Never heard of it."


    Rhode reached out his hand and smacked his forehead. Then, he quickly corrected his sentence.


    "Err... find someone who can hold the front when in crisis."


    "Remember, we require no more than two people. Although at the moment, we lack members, the aspect we need to improve on is our teamwork."


    "Someone who can hold the front...?"


    Hearing Rhode''s request, Old Walker stroked his beardless chin and fell deep into thought.


    "Hmm... I have some people in mind. But kid, I think should be prepared to spend quite a bit."


    "How much?"


    Rhode raised his head and looked at the old man who was sitting in front of him.


    "300 gold coins."


    Old Walker grinned.


    "That much?"


    Rhode frowned. The gold reward for completing Pavel Cemetery was only 500 coins. Now, Old Walker said that he needed more than half of it which left Rhode slightly puzzled. Typically, recruiting a mercenary didn''t require that much money. A decent mercenary was only worth roughly 100 gold coins. There were even mercenaries who didn''t want money to join a group. For example, Marleen and Old Walker. Old Walker only wanted 50 coins while Marleen was only interested in gaining experience. But now, Old Walker wanted 300 gold to recruit people?


    Old Walker smiled wryly at Rhode''s reaction. Ever since he joined the mercenary group, Rhode always kept this sarcastic attitude towards him. So, he wanted to somehow let him taste a little of his own medicine. Of course, he wouldn''t explicitly express his intent since he was already part of the group, but hehe... when gains are involved, spending money is inevitable.


    "Sure."


    But to his dismay, even though Rhode expressed shock at first, he neither became mad nor unhappy. Instead, he pulled open a drawer and grabbed a bag of gold before throwing it casually on the table.


    "Here is 500 gold coins. Take it."


    "Eh?"


    Seeing this, Old Walker''s face turned stiff.


    "Hey, boy, isn''t this our payment? You''re just giving it to me just like that?"


    Rhode shrugged, "It doesn''t matter either way. At the moment, we don''t need to use the money. Since you require it, then just take it with you."


    He didn''t even bat an eyelid when he threw the bag of coins. To Old Walker, 500 gold coins was a considerable sum of money, but as for Rhode, 500 was just a mere drop in the ocean. Back in the game when he was a guild leader, managing millions of gold coins was a daily affair. Thus, these measly 500 coins weren''t enough for him to feel heartache. Frankly, he was more worried that Old Walker would hesitate to spend. If that happened, he would deduct from his share of the payment.


    If only Old Walker knew what Rhode was thinking right now... he would immediately reconsider his suggestion without a doubt. Unfortunately, reading other people''s mind wasn''t his forte.


    Thus, Old Walker''s impression of Rhode improved because he saw this as an act of generosity.


    "Don''t worry, boy."


    Old Walker picked up the bag with a solemn expression.


    "I promise that I will bring back a suitable candidate that will satisfy you."


    Old Walker bowed and exposed a subtle smile.


    "I will ensure that your money is well spent."


    "I hope so."


    As Rhode''s attention was focused on the paper, he did not notice Old Walker''s odd smile. After a moment of silence, Rhode put down the pen and looked up at Old Walker.


    "Is there anything else?"


    "Yes, I would like to ask; when will we accept another mission?"


    "I''ve already accepted one. We''ll head out two days later."


    "Two days?"


    Old Walker frowned.


    "Then when will I have the time to gather information?"


    "Only Marleen and I will be on this mission."


    Rhode shook his head and replied.


    "Lize needs time to study her new spell, and you also have your things to do. That''s why only both of us will go." Rhode glanced at the young lady sitting in the corner reading a book. "Worry not, we are merely heading for Twilight Forest to pick up some alchemical plants. A simple two Star-Ranked mission."


    Marleen, who was aware of Rhode''s glance, exposed a proud smile in response. This haughty act made Rhode shake his head helplessly and sigh inwardly.


    Frankly, Rhode wasn''t planning to bring Marleen along. He wanted to head out by himself and dig out some decent equipment which were hidden within the Twilight Forest. However, Marleen found out about this matter and insisted on tagging along. Since her priority here was to gain experience, she wanted to get out of Deep Stone City as much as possible. Facing Marleen''s demand, Rhode eventually agreed to take her along. No matter what happened before, she was now a member of his mercenary group, plus her strength as a middle circle mage would be useful if something went awry along the way.


    "Okay, I understand."


    Old Walker nodded his head and stood up.


    "Then I will prepare my own matters and observe the situation within the association. I''ll be at that place if you wish to find me."


    Once he finished his sentence, Old Walker turned and walked away. But right at that moment as he was about to leave, a knock came from the door.


    It was Lize. She opened the door and walked towards Rhode, handing him an envelope.


    "Mr. Rhode, this was sent by the Keller family."


    There was a trace of confusion on her face when she passed the letter to Rhode. The engravings on the letter were beautiful. The gold symbol of their family emblem revealed the identity and status of the sender.


    "The Keller family?"


    Rhode was puzzled and furrowed his brow. Then, he reached out and took the letter from her.


    "Do we know these guys?"


    Hearing Rhode''s question, Lize stared blankly at Rhode.


    "Umm...Mr. Rhode, have you forgotten?"


    "What?"


    "When we were returning to Deep Stone City from the Twilight Forest, you''ve saved a lady..."


    "No impression."


    Rhode replied decisively. Judging by his expression, he clearly forgot about the matter. Lize was stunned, but she swallowed her saliva and decided not to say anything. After all, both of them weren''t exactly on best terms and thought that after that incident, there wouldn''t be any further communication. Unexpectedly, the Keller family actually took the initiative to contact Rhode. She didn''t know what they intended to do.


    "The head of Keller family invited me to a dinner party to thank me for saving her daughter."


    Rhode read the content out loud and put the letter on the table.


    "So... who is going to go with me?"


    Old Walker was the first to reject. He walked out of the room and waved his hand at Rhode.


    "Drink tea with a group of boring noblemen? Count me out. I will head out first, kid. Rest assured that I will complete the mission you assigned me to."


    "I, I also...."


    Lize said hesitantly, exposing awkward smile. Then she quietly took a few steps back.


    "I''m learning that new spell recently, and I think ... I can''t make it.


    "Marlene?"


    Seeing that Old Walker and Lize weren''t interested in going, Rhode turned his attention to the last person in the room. Marleen contemplated for a moment before nodding her head.


    "Though I''m not exactly interested... but I guess its good to relax occasionally. Come Lize! Let''s go together."


    "Eh? But I..."


    "Spells aren''t something you can learn within a day. Moreover, you''ve not participated in a tea party in ages."


    "This ... I..."


    Due to Marleen''s pestering, Lize''s face flushed red, and she quickly glanced at Rhode. When she saw that he didn''t say anything, she felt slightly relieved and nodded her head.

 Chapter 60 Late Night Banque

    "Pa!"


    A vase crashed onto the floor, shattering into countless fragments.


    "Why did you invite that b*stard, Daddy!?"


    Helen stood in the living room, glaring at Keller who looked solemn.


    "Now isn''t the time to throw a tantrum."


    Looking at his daughter''s swelled face, Keller sighed. But expression immediately hardened again.


    "In any case, someone else saved your life. At least you need to say something, have you forgot everything that I''ve taught you before?"


    Keller raised his voice considerably, causing Helen to shrink back slightly. But once she realized her own cowardice, she stood back up straight again.


    "I don''t care. Anyway, I hate that guy! I will never thank him even if you kill me!"


    "You...! You spoilt...!"


    He pointed his finger at his rebellious daughter and shook with anger. He couldn''t figure out why his usually docile girl would suddenly become so stubborn.


    "Go back to your room. NOW! Tonight, little lady, you''re grounded!"


    "I''m not going anywhere! Hmph!!"


    Helen stomped her stubby feet fiercely and turned around, leaving the room in a huff. Keller watched as his daughter''s figure disappear behind the door, then, he sat back on his chair and gave a huge sigh. At this moment, it was as though his face aged another ten years.


    He was exhausted.


    "Master..."


    Ben walked up to Keller''s side softly and bowed respectfully. He looked at his Master''s worn expression and hesitated for a while before asking, "About Miss..."


    "Keep an eye on her. For tonight, don''t let her out of the room."


    Keller waved his hand and sighed once more. He pinched his brows with one hand while impatiently gesturing Ben to get out of the room with the other.


    Keller waved his hand, then sighed. He was holding his forehead while impatiently waved his hand.


    "Just... just go back. I''m tired, and I want to rest. Report to me when the gentleman arrives, I will personally welcome him."


    "Yes."


    After receiving Keller''s order, Ben immediately left. Keller closed his eyes for a long time and said nothing. Right now, the pressure on him was too much for him to handle. Not only family matters weighed down on him, but the Merchant Association was also a problem. When they tried to kidnap his daughter to threaten him, he resolved to draw the line with the Merchant Association. Never would he have thought that those guys with only money in their brains would suddenly become so bold. But ever since he firmed his resolve, he decided not to associate with them anymore. For safety reasons, he even ordered Helen not to go out, or at least until the matter concluded. Surely he''d expected that Helen would be extremely displeased about being grounded, but still, as the head of the family, he had to be responsible for everyone.


    Keller had a feeling that something was wrong these few days, but he was unable able to figure it out. Although there was no activity in the Golden City yet, Keller knew that once that girl made her move, it


    meant that his position as head of the family would be over.


    Keller shook his head to throw these negative emotions and thoughts out of his head. Since he couldn''t figure it out, then he wouldn''t think about it anymore. This time, the dinner party would be graced with the presence of the Mercenary Association''s President and the Duke. He must grasp this opportunity to discuss with them about this issue in depth as it was of utmost importance. Furthermore, he couldn''t afford to wait until the last minute to solve it.


    Initially, Keller did not intend to reveal certain matters since it was the Merchant Association''s internal problem, but after the attempted kidnap of his daughter, he felt that something was amiss. If it were just an ordinary commercial dispute, they wouldn''t have exerted such an extreme method to force him to comply.


    No matter what, it was still better to have some sort of preparation.


    Thinking up to this point, Keller couldn''t help but recall the young man who saved his daughter''s life. Although Deep Stone City was a small town, finding one single person still wasn''t an easy task. However, Rhode, in particular, was somewhat infamous, thus, investigating information about him wasn''t as tricky as Keller thought it would be.


    Once he stepped into Deep Stone City, he was immediately assessed by the legendary Sereck and won. After that, he managed to become a leader of a mercenary group with only two people. Then, he spent his money to purchase the ill-famed Cyril''s Haunted House. Furthermore, according to rumors, the young man''s appearance was absolutely beautiful. Frankly, if not because of the fact that his feats were nigh impossible based on his circumstances, then it''ll be hard to believe whether he was actually trying to attract attention or not.


    Astonishingly, this young man had led his ''mini'' mercenary group to subdue the Necromancer in Pavel Cemetery which was a four Star-Ranked mission. Even though many people doubted the legitimacy of the mission props, the Mercenary Association''s staff affirmed the people that the Necromancer''s head and staff were the real deal.


    Rhode didn''t realize that he was the focal point of many people currently. The fact that he could lead a few people to complete such a dangerous mission meant that he must be someone extraordinary. Mercenaries were also humans. Naturally, they wished to work for the strong as they often put their life on the balance.


    So, who is this young man?


    What kind of person is he?


    Keller closed his eyes and mused to himself.


    -


    When the night fell, the quiet environment soon began to brighten up.


    A chandelier refracted countless of lights as many luxurious carriages moved back and forth. Now was the best time for nobles to interact with one another. Whether if it was a formal or informal banquet, they were here to enjoy themselves.


    And so, tonight''s banquet became extremely lively.


    "This place could actually house these many people?"


    The Old President walked down from the carriage, muttering unhappily while observing the nobles donned in fancy clothing.


    "Whenever I come here, it feels as though I''m entering a market. Hearing thousands of ducklings yapping in my eardrums is extremely upsetting!"


    "Well, old friend, Mr. Keller rarely invites us. Don''t be a grumpy old man."


    Compared to the Mercenary Association''s President who wore a casual outfit, Sereck was dressed more elegantly. The Deep Stone City''s celebrity absolutely resembled a nobleman with his stunning attire. On his waist, his iconic magic sword hung loosely.


    "That man is just trying to stir up problems."


    Ignoring the dissatisfied eyes from the attendant, the Old President entered the grand hall, then, he took out his pipe and tapped on the door.


    "If not, why did he become low profile? See, even Klautz that wily old fox came. It seems like there''s a really huge problem."


    "Maybe. I heard that something happened to the Merchant Association, but... if that was the only problem, he wouldn''t look for us, the Mercenary Association, nor Klautz to help him solve whatever issue he is facing. What do you think is the problem?"


    "I''m not interested in these troublesome things. If there''s someone who dares to look for trouble, I will just hammer him to death, don''t you think so?"


    "That may not be right, since..."


    Sereck hadn''t finished his sentence before the door opened once again.


    The noisy hall suddenly became quiet.


    For these nobles, there were only a few things that could attract their attention. But now, they''ve completely shifted their focus to the three new faces who walked down the hallway.


    Rhode was naturally at the front. He wore a dark set of clothes, emphasizing his pale skin and thin body shape which made him appear like a frail child. His dark, long hair fell onto his shoulders, and his eye-catching face combined with his usual cold expression was giving off a strange charm.


    Following behind him were two ladies who were equally dazzling.


    Marlene''s dress wasn''t much different from the usual; she was still in her luxurious robe which perfectly matched her movements. Her ruby wand by her side emitted an elegant aura.


    Meanwhile, compared to the other two, Lize''s dress was more modest. She was in a sparkling white dress, as though she was a white lily which aroused love and affection from people.


    Everyone in this hall were outstanding individuals, but these three newcomers still stood out with their unique aura which drew the attention of so many people. Soon, some groups began to whisper and gossip.


    "Hmph... It looks like the banquet was a little better than I thought."


    Marlene completely ignored the crowd around her and looked around.


    "M-Marlene, that''s too rude."


    Lize stretched out her hand and pulled Marlene''s sleeve gently.


    "You don''t have to mind it Lize, just relax."


    However, Marlene apparently did not take Lize''s advice seriously.


    "We''re here to have some fun. Moreover, this lady is willing to participate in this low-class banquet; it''s already enough to give him face."


    Just after Marlene ended, a well-dressed middle-aged man with a staunch face entered the hall. After noticing Rhode and the others, his eyes lit up and quickly made his way towards them.


    "Hello, Mr. Rhode... I am Clayor Keller. I''ve heard about you from my daughter and hoped that we could meet since then. Right now, my wish is fulfilled. On behalf of the Keller family, I welcome you to this banquet."


    "Don''t be modest, Mr. Claytor. It''s my pleasure to receive your invitation."


    Facing the middle-aged man before him, Rhode replied in neither humble nor overbearing attitude. While he obviously wasn''t a noble, he participated in similar events back in the game. Though he didn''t personally experience it, he saw it many times. Back in the game, he could recall at least two or three typical noble dialogues.


    Hearing Rhode answer, Claytor displayed a pleasant smile. Then, he switched his attention to the people behind Rhode.


    "You don''t have to be that polite, Mr. Rhode. These two people are...?"


    "Greetings," Marlene took half a step forward and slightly raised the hem of her skirt, "My name is Marlene Senia, very pleased to see you, dear Mr. Claytor Keller."


    "Senia?"


    Hearing Marlene''s answer, Claytor was stunned for a moment. His face immediately flashed a trace of surprise and looked at Rhode.


    Is this man associated with the people from the Senia family?


    What is his identity?

 Chapter 61 Unexpected Gues

    Keller felt that Rhode''s identity was too confusing. Originally, he wasn''t interested in Rhode''s background because even the nobility had classifications within their circles. As long one had the money, one could purchase a low-class title and enter the ring of nobles. Furthermore, from his gathered intel, he discovered that Rhode hailed from the Eastern Plain, a place that was independent and closed off to the rest of the world. That was why Keller didn''t really care about his history. But now it seems like he must change his view on this matter. In any case, having a relationship with the Senia family wasn''t something that can be easily achieved by ordinary nobles. The Senia family''s influence spread wide across the continent. While the Keller family could be considered to be rich, but compared to the Sena family, it was just like a small boat in an ocean.


    Of course, Keller heard of Marlene Senia, the rare and rising genius mage of the century. At such a young age, the young lady managed to reach the middle circle rank. Her future was limitless. There were even rumors saying that she had the chance to join the Royal Magic Guard.


    And this once-in-a-century magic genius was actually standing behind Rhode?


    Was she implying that Rhode''s identity was higher than her?


    If Marlene could hear Keller''s inner monologue right now, she would immediately throw a few fireballs at him so he could sober up. The reason why Marlene stood behind Rhode was so that she could conveniently whisper to Lize. As for her status... at least Marlene would assume that her status was higher than everyone else in the banquet.


    Keller, who didn''t know the real reason why Marlene was at the back, became even more respectful as he ushered them to their seats. His actions sparked curiosity from many guests. Since the Keller family was considered a first-class family in Deep Stone City, they rarely saw him lower himself. So, this respectful act from Keller garnered even more curious stares towards Rhode.


    Whether it was on purpose or not, Keller arranged Rhode to sit beside Sereck. Noticing Rhode and the others approaching him, the Swordmaster smiled and stood up.


    "Hello, Mr. Rhode, I did not expect to meet you here."


    "Hello, Mr. Sereck."


    Rhode shook hands with Sereck and nodded.


    "If it weren''t for Mr. Keller''s invitation, I would not have had the chance to come here."


    "Ah? Is that so."


    Hearing Rhode''s answer, Sereck smiled and said nothing. After that, he looked at Marlene with a complicated expression.


    "I already heard the news from Hank. Missy, your decision was too..."


    "I don''t think that my decision was wrong, Uncle Sereck."


    Marlene proudly raised her chin.


    "You also know the reason why I''m here. Father sent me to learn and gain experience, but I was just being locked inside the house, which I did not see any benefit to it. I think Mr. Rhode can help me, so I decided to join his mercenary group. In the end, we''ve succeeded in completing a mission. It''s perfect, isn''t it?"


    "If something happened to you, I don''t know how to explain it to your father."


    Sereck shook his head, but Marlene clearly didn''t care.


    "I made the decision myself, so, naturally, I will explain it to my father."


    She replied with a slight dissatisfaction in her tone, then she pulled Lize''s hand and left.


    "Sigh... This young miss is really too stubborn..."


    Watching Marlene silhouette disappear into the crowd, Sereck sighed and turned around to look at Rhode.


    "I''ll leave that kid in your hands, Mr. Rhode. I hope that you can take good care of her. She has the ability, but she is far too arrogant. It''s no surprise though as she possessed both power and talent. But in this world, having power and talent isn''t everything. If she goes on like this, I''m afraid she will suffer setbacks in the future."


    Sereck stopped for a while, then he scooted over to Rhode and whispered something in his ear.


    "By the way, we''ve received a strange report. A spy from the Country of Light was looking for a black-haired young man who uses strange summoned spirits."


    Rhode frowned slightly but did not reply.


    "Do you have problems with them?" Sereck continued.


    Sereck''s tone maintained its steadiness; there was nothing strange about it. But his eyes were carefully scrutinizing Rhode, trying to detect any faint movement on his face.


    But Rhode merely shook his head and shrugged.


    "I don''t know, Mr. Sereck."


    Rhode narrowed his eyes and gave an ambiguous answer.


    "I did not think that I''ve done something that could spark someone else''s concern."


    Sereck maintained his silence for a moment. Then he smiled and patted Rhode''s shoulder.


    "I understand. Don''t worry. This is not the Country of Light. Those bastards wouldn''t dare to do something in the open as it would bring nothing but trouble to them. However, no matter what is your problem with the Country of Light, I hope you won''t involve Marlene in it since her identity is quite sensitive. Although the conflicts between the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Light isn''t something new, it''s better if you refrain from stirring the hornets'' nest."


    Hearing Sereck''s assuring words, Rhode secretly made a deep sigh. The complicated conflict between the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Light was something that had been going on for many years. Although on the surface, the two countries were in a temporary alliance, the history between the two goes quite deep. This was because of something that happened a long time ago.


    Even though the Country of Light was a country in name, but it was more of a coalition than a country. When it was founded, the first generation Light Dragon formed a parliament which had 13 lords as its members. Since the Light Dragon didn''t agree with the totalitarianism proposed by the Country of Darkness, the Light Dragon chose a different path. It gave up all its rights on state affairs to the parliament, and any problems would be settled using a collective voting decision.


    However, the Munn Kingdom was an exception.


    The Kingdom''s ruling structure was fundamentally different from the Country of Light. And because of this, the tension between both countries increased even further. Furthermore, to make matters worse, the Munn Kingdom''s geographical location was superb. Situated around the borders of the Country of Light, the Kingdom''s trade network spanned into many directions. They had ample lakes and rivers for basic needs as well as for trade. Surrounding their domain, magic crystals and minerals were abundant, which made the nearby countries jealous of their wealth.


    Of course, the Country of Light was no exception. Throughout the years, they''d been increasingly envious of the Kingdom''s natural abundance. Thus, on the exterior, they tried to improve ties between the countries, but inwardly, they loathed the Munn Kingdom''s achievements and assumed that the Munn Kingdom was employing the Country of Darkness''s tyrannical ways of ruling which would eventually drag the whole kingdom into the abyss. Therefore the Country of Light looked down on the Kingdom and criticized them from time to time. In their opinion, they were colluding with the Country of Darkness by trading with them, and their country was the ''savior'' who would vanquish the ''evil'' from the Country of Darkness.


    As for the Munn Kingdom, they felt that they were innocent. Neither did they steal, force, nor trick anyone. There was no reason for the Country of Light to despise them so much. Is it their fault for living in prosperity?


    Thus, the Munn Kingdom''s impression of the Country of Light plummetted. Furthermore, they disliked how the Country of Light acted as the ''savior of the world,'' and anything they said was law while dismissing the view of other countries.


    In the shadows, the Country of Light coveted the Munn Kingdom''s territory and wealth. They continuously lashed out conspiracies in an attempt to pull this ''disobedient'' leader off the throne so they could easily absorb their land into the Country of Light''s territory in the name of ''glory and freedom.''


    And this was the reason why there was so much tension between the two countries, though most of them were privately resolved. That was why, in Sereck''s opinion, it wasn''t too much to ask for.


    But only Rhode who experienced the future, understood that the Country of Light was playing dangerously with fire.


    -


    Elegant music played in the background.


    After thanking Sereck, Rhode walked towards the window and stared out at the night sky, holding a wine glass between his fingers.


    Many times during the conversation, he thought of just revealing the truth about the Country of Light''s nefarious plans to Sereck. He could easily pinpoint the current problems as well as solutions to safeguard for the future. But in the end, he did not say anything to Sereck. After all, explaining to someone that you could read the future was something extremely tedious to begin with, and even so, he needed substantial evidence to back his claims. So, in the end, what was the point of saying it? It would only bring trouble to himself.


    "Mr. Rhode?"


    At this time, Lize''s voice suddenly sounded from behind. She walked towards him and blinked with worry in her eyes.


    "What happened? You don''t seem to be well."


    "Well, something happened."


    Rhode sipped the glass of wine on his hand, enjoying the sweet, lingering taste. But it wasn''t enough to drown the thoughts in his mind.


    "Remember those guys that we met in the Twilight Forest? After speaking with Sereck, it seems like those guys followed us here."


    "Eh?!"


    Hearing this shocking revelation, Lize immediately paled. Judging by the way she clenched her fists ever so tightly, clearly, she was extremely surprised.


    "Who are those guys and why are they coming here?"


    "According to Sereck, they are most likely to be spies from Country of Light."


    Rhode snorted coldly.


    If he could rank the most hated things in this world, the Country of Light would take the first place. While the actual perpetrator of the entire war was the Country of Darkness, being betrayed by your so-called ally was an absolute disgrace.


    Rhode''s current strength was insufficient to challenge the Country of Light, but since they sent some appetizers to help him warm up, he would gladly take up on their offer.


    Then the music stopped suddenly.


    Rhode and Lize turned around at the same time and discovered that many other people did the same.


    At the entrance, a young man donning a white robe held a black cane and stood confidently with a broad curve on his lips. There was an air of superiority surrounding him, and behind him, two Keller family guards appeared quite miserable.


    "Mr. Billy."


    The atmosphere turned awkward. Keller sifted through the crowd in a hurry, and when he saw the man, he displayed a slightly shocked expression on his face before promptly welcoming him.


    "I didn''t expect you to come. Please forgive me for not greeting you."


    "You don''t have to apologize to me, Mr. Claytor."


    The young man called Billy laughed and raised his hand. Though his voice wasn''t loud, it still echoed throughout the now-silent hall.


    "I''m just doing this on impulse; I suddenly felt like visiting, so I hope you don''t blame me for coming here uninvited."


    "You''re too kind."


    The smile on Keller''s face didn''t fade a bit, as a family whose roots originated from merchants, smiling was a crucial skill.


    "I was so worried that Mr. Billy would think that this banquet was too shabby and refused to visit. It''s me who''s at fault."


    "Who is that guy?"


    Looking at that young man, Rhode frowned. He did not remember someone with that appearance or status in Deep Stone City.


    "He''s the special envoy from Country of Light."


    Hearing Rhode''s question, a noble who stood beside him answered. From his tone, it was clear that he too wasn''t pleased with the appearance of this so-called ''special envoy.''


    "It was a week since his arrival in Deep Stone City. I don''t know what is his purpose here, but his presence meant that the Country of Light is up to no good again."


    A special envoy from the Country of Light?


    Rhode and Lize looked at each other. Clearly, they''ve never heard of such a character.


    "You don''t have to be modest, Mr. Keller. The truth, I came here because of a person."


    The young man displayed a splendid smile; he turned around and walked towards the crowd before gently holding up a someone''s hand.


    "Beautiful lady, we''ve finally met."


    "Bang!"


    Rhode''s wine wasn''t finished, but it''s all sprayed out. Lize who was standing beside him also immediately covered her mouth in shock when she saw the young man standing before Marlene.


    Right now, Marlene''s face''s also turned pale.

 Chapter 62 Duel? Sorry

    "Mr. Clinton."


    Marlene coldly retrieved her hands from his grasp.


    "We''re not that familiar with each other. Please uphold your dignity."


    "Tsk, tsk," the young man curled his lips and clicked his tongue, then he replied, "that''s where you''re wrong, Marlene."


    Despite receiving a direct refusal, the young man did not retreat; rather, he became increasingly bold.


    "Our family are close friends, am I right? When we were kids, our parents have been��"


    "That was a long time ago."


    Marlene interrupted him coldly.


    "Since your family migrated to the Country of Light, any sort of relationship we had is now void. Please mind your conduct. Don''t act like a ruffian who likes to chase after skirts. It is very much impolite."


    "Marlene..." Billy sighed, "it was just a few years since we last met, when did you become so stubborn?"


    Even though he spoke these words, his proud smile on his face didn''t fade one bit.


    "As they say, men struggle upwards, and water flows downwards. The reason why our Clinton family did what we did was so we could live a better life. Now, we are in a free land, enjoying unprecedented peace and tranquility. We never have to worry about encountering any disturbances... don''t you think that''s wonderful, Marlene? The elders'' era has already passed, we now live in the present, and we are the ones who will craft the future. Aren''t you curious about the world, the TRUE reality of it...? You are still young, do not be bound by tradition or lies. If you wish so, I can give you a tour around the Country of Light, perhaps you would change your point of view then."


    "...Traitor." Marlene glared at the man with disgust in her eyes. She no longer hid her repulsion towards this proud man and said, "I''m not interested in someone who abandoned their dignity to become a watchdog. You can leave now, Mr. Clinton. I hope that we will never meet again."


    "You''re wrong again, Marlene."


    However, it was clear that Billy''s face was thicker than Marlene had imagined. Even though many people were looking at him with strange expressions, he spoke to Marlene as if they were the only two people in the hall.


    He revealed a brilliant smile and continued, "How can it count as abandoning my dignity? Don''t we all live under the protection of the Light Dragon? Moreover, don''t we have a common enemy? Why are you hostile towards the Country of Light? We are fighting for the sake of all of us... we shouldn''t be treated like traitors. It''s unfair to us."


    The young man eloquently projected emotional words effortlessly. However, Marlene wasn''t moved at all. She maintained her cold expression and glared at him in disdain, as though watching a clown.


    "This place doesn''t welcome the likes of you, Mr. Clinton. If you choose to ignore the words that I''ve said, then..."


    The young genius mage suddenly raised her wand and pointed towards him.


    "Then I will have to make you leave with a more direct method."


    Billy''s face finally revealed a stiff expression with the appearance of her wand. His mouth twitched slightly, but soon he recovered his usual composure.


    "Ah..." he shook his head in dismay, "you''ve really changed. Marlene. You weren''t like this when we were younger. What made you change this drastically? Oh, right... I heard that you''re together with a man. Where is he? Did he run away after seeing me?"


    "You!!"


    Marlene was extremely furious. She clenched her teeth and prepared to curse him. As she was about to do so, suddenly, a calm voice sounded from within the crowd.


    "I''ve heard that people from the Country of Light are well-versed at speaking nonsense. Today, I''ve managed to grace myself with the presence of the real deal, truly, as they say, knowing a man by reputation is not as good as meeting face-to-face."


    Rhode emerged from the crowd and walked towards Billy.


    "Esteemed young sir, you are wrong."


    Even when faced with Rhode''s ridicule, Billy''s elegant demeanor didn''t change at all.


    "Is that so?"


    Rhode studied the man in front of him and nodded his head with satisfaction.


    "Hmm... it does appear that you are indeed a patriotic person. I apologize for my rude behavior."


    "Mr. Rhode..!"


    Marlene was displeased with Rhode''s stance and opened her mouth to voice her complaints, but she was interrupted by Billy.


    "Oh ho... it looks like you''re a sharp one to be able to understand my underlying reason. I''ve done everything for the sake of my country, but unfortunately..." Billy paused for a moment and turned his head, glancing at Marlene, "unfortunately not everyone can understand that."


    "Well, I can understand you."


    Rhode expressed himself as though he could sympathize with Billy''s situation which made his impression of Rhode improve. Frankly, when he heard that Marlene attended a banquet with a man, he was quite mad and even intended to make things difficult for him. But now that he realized that this man was intelligent enough to understand him, his anger dissipated slightly. Since his opponent was willing to play nice, he would give him some face. However, unfortunately, Rhode''s next sentence immediately caused his face to turn pale.


    "This is the so-called survival of the fittest, eh? Keep the good and take out the trash. To help the Munn Kingdom prosper, you took the initiative to leave by your own accord. Not everyone can make these kinds of patriotic sacrifices for the country. I really do admire your selfless mindset."


    "Pfft!"


    "Haha..."


    The nobles weren''t fools. Naturally, they understood what Rhode meant. Right after Rhode finished, a few of them were already on the verge of laughter. Many nobles present at the banquet secretly loathed that man from the Country of Light, but since he was a special envoy, they did not dare to speak out their complaints. Now that Rhode spoke their mind, it made them somewhat happy. Even Marlene''s tense expression relaxed slightly. She looked at Rhode and smiled to herself. With her identity, she had interacted with many people with high statuses of the same age, but none of them were as smart or as calm as Rhode. Furthermore, Rhode looked attractive, and he was also powerful; in other words �� a perfect man, only if he would smile more often.


    As much as she tried to hide it, Billy still noticed Marlene''s subtle giggle. And when he recalled that ever since he arrived, she had never given him as much as a smile, he boiled on the inside.


    Furthermore, this man simply said a few words, and she smiled just like that?


    "Good, good! Since that''s the case...!"


    Billy raised his voice and pointed his cane towards Rhode. A hint of anger was apparent in his tone.


    "I hereby challenge you to a duel!"


    "Duel?"


    When that word left Billy''s mouth, everyone was surprised. Keller who was watching from the side also began to grow anxious; he did not want to have any disputes in a banquet that he hosted. Before he could say anything, Rhode already spoke up.


    "Duel? A duel should always have a wager, am I right?"


    "This lady."


    Billy stretched out his hand and pointed at Marlene.


    "If I win, then I want you to leave her. From then on, she is mine. If you win, then I will give up on her. What do you think of this condition?"


    "Is that so... I understand," Rhode nodded his head and continued, "then I refuse."


    "Very good... since you''ve accepted, then... WHAT? Y-you refuse?"


    Not only was Billy stunned speechless, but even the other nobles gasped in shock when they heard Rhode''s reply. Refusing a duel was akin to throwing away a noble''s honor!


    "Why do you refuse?! Are you afraid of me?"


    "As expected. Possessing low IQ is the worst."


    Rhode gave a long sigh as he looked ''endearingly'' towards Billy like how a teacher looks an underperforming student.


    "I want to remind you that Ms. Marlene is not an item. She neither belongs to me, nor to you. So even if you win, will Ms. Marlene follow you obediently?" Rhode sneered, "I''ll repeat myself once more; she''s not an item that belongs to anyone, so I don''t have the power to make that decision for her. If she desires to go with you, then I won''t stop her."


    Rhode glanced at Marlene and saw her proudly raising her head. Then, she walked towards Rhode''s side and lifted her wand at Billy.


    "That''s right, Mr. Clinton. I, Marlene Sena, don''t belong to anyone but myself. No one can order me to stay or leave. If you want to take me, then you can come try and get me."


    At this moment, Marlene was obviously extremely angry. Her magic robe emitted a magical light, even the ruby on her wand grew increasingly brighter.


    "You��"


    He saw that Marlene was actually getting serious. He could sense an immeasurable amount of magic power flowing in that petite-looking body. If he forced her, then there''s no doubt that she''d really try to kill him.


    "Using force against a lady isn''t gentlemanly, Mr. Clinton."


    Although Billy looked rather pitiful, Rhode wasn''t going to let him off that easily. In his opinion, anyone from the Country of Light was to be beaten to death.


    "Well, if you truly intend to fight, then I don''t mind accompanying you."


    "Count me in, kid."


    This time, Sereck walked out from the crowd.


    "You must remember that you''re in Deep Stone City, a direct territory under the Munn Kingdom. If you want to fight here, I do hope you consider the consequences."


    "Sereck..."


    Once Sereck became involved in this matter, Billy realized that the situation was beginning to spiral out of control. He wasn''t stupid. The people here refrained from causing a scene because of his special identity as an envoy. But if he blatantly disrespected the people further, perhaps he might be thrown out. There were many envoys, losing one of them wasn''t much of a problem...


    "It seems that I''ve gone too far. I will take my leave then."


    Billy said as he clenched his teeth in anger. Then, he turned around and left.


    Once Billy was gone, Marlene finally put down her wand and smiled at Rhode.


    "Thank you, Mr. Rhode. Because of you, we got rid of that nasty guy."


    "No problem, I''m also not fond of those group of idiots."


    Rhode waved his hand, causing Marlene to chuckle. Then both of them raised the wine glass in their hands.


    "So, to celebrate our victory, you won''t mind if I offer you a toast, hm?


    "Of course I don''t mind."


    -


    The banquet went on as usual. Just outside the building, Billy got onto a carriage, his face was all red and was extremely upset.


    "I''m sorry, Sir."


    At this moment, the arrogant man had turned meek as he lowered his head towards the other person inside the carriage.


    "I failed to complete your request to make that man move."


    "Not an issue, Mr. Clinton."


    On the other side of the carriage, the person who was hiding in the darkness chuckled.


    "We still have a chance; whether it is you, or me."


    Then he raised his head and stared at the night sky.


    "We will achieve our goal."

 Chapter 63 Together With Him

    After everything was over, the banquet once again resumed its festivities. Because of Rhode''s bold actions, those nobles who were previously doubtful of him gradually changed their attitudes. Since the relationship between the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Light was irreconcilable, and Rhode mocked the envoy to the extent of driving him away, the nobles slowly regarded Rhode as one of their own. After all, as the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.


    Having an acquaintance with Sereck and Marlene also reinforced Rhode''s reputation. One of them was a famous swordmaster in Deep Stone City, and the other was the only heir of the Senia family as well as a genius mage. With them acknowledging Rhode, it implied that he had the qualifications to stand toe-to-toe with them.


    From now on, the people who would make things difficult for him would decrease since no one was stupid enough to create trouble with the behemoths.


    Thus, from time to time, nobles would offer a toast to Rhode and made small talk with him. He could also sense many furtive glances from the rich ladies who were hoping to spend a night with him. This act of self-indulgence wasn''t uncommon within the nobility as lots of rich ladies loved to meet handsome men and enjoy a good time with them. It was similar to a man who likes to boast about a one-night stand with a beauty.


    Unfortunately, before these ladies could approach Rhode for a chat, Marlene''s cold eyes shot down their resolve even before it began.


    "Shameless."


    Another girl in a beautiful dress blushed before turning away. Marlene snorted and lifted up a wine glass, sipping a mouthful of it. As a noble, Marlene knew what they were scheming.


    "I say... Miss Marlene, are you asking me for a drink? Or to be my bodyguard?"


    As Rhode was right beside Marlene, he could obviously see what she was doing. Frankly, he wasn''t a stranger to these things. Before the transmigration, Rhode had a few girlfriends, but nothing memorable came out from his relationships. Rhode dumped some of them after realizing their true nature, and some felt pressure because Rhode was more beautiful than them and chose to leave.


    Therefore Rhode was quite open-minded about these things. If the other was willing, he did not mind to enjoy the pleasure. Alas, at this moment, even though two beautiful women were sitting beside him... as they say, the fox preys farthest from home. Rhode did not have the faintest intention towards them. The benefit of a one-night stand was that there wasno-strings-attached after that.


    "What? Are you interested in those kinds of women?"


    Marlene said as she raised her chin and pointed to the side. The group of wealthy ladies immediately jumped in fright after noticing Marlene glaring at them. Then they quickly dispersed and disappeared.


    "At least you should give me a choice to choose."


    "...Really shallow."


    Marlene stared at Rhode coldly, but he didn''t seem to mind it at all.


    "Marlene... it''s not good to be like that. After all, this is Mr. Rhode''s personal life..."


    Sensing the atmosphere turning awkward, Lize, who sat opposite Rhode quickly tried to mediate the matter.


    "What? Are you saying that I must let this man do as he pleases? Lize, you cannot be too tolerating, otherwise, after you''re married, you''ll be taken advantage of by the man!"


    "Ge, get married?!"


    Lize was shocked. She secretly glanced at Rhode beside her. Then, her face turned beet red because she choked on the wine that she was unknowingly drinking.


    "Cough cough... isn''t it a little too early to be speaking about these things? I..."


    "What are you talking about? Last year, I was urged by my father about marriage. Hmph. Luckily there were no eligible men at that moment, otherwise..." Marlene then realized something and said, "ah, but I think you don''t care about these matters right now."


    Then she looked at Lize in envy and nodded.


    "It seems like living here isn''t too bad. At least everything can be decided on your own... unlike me."


    Marlene felt that she had said too much, so she shook her head and became quiet.


    The atmosphere turned heavy, but just a moment later, Rhode broke the silence and said, "Ah right, Marlene, I have something to tell you."


    "What''s up? If it''s about those shallow women from just now, I''m not going to hear it."


    "It''s about our mission."


    Marlene immediately turned around and looked at Rhode.


    "What is it?"


    Unlike the other ladies, Rhode wasn''t frightened when Marlene stared at him. Her eyes were sometimes very oppressive, full of confidence and pride. But it didn''t affect him in the least.


    "I think it''s better for me to go alone."


    "Why?"


    Marlene frowned slightly. Although her time with Rhode wasn''t long, she knew that he would rarely change his mind. If she remembered it correctly, it was her first time hearing him take back his own words.


    "I think you''ve heard from Lize about our first meeting."


    Marlene nodded and tilted her head slightly. Although Rhode instructed Lize not to mention about the incident in the floating ship to anyone, Marlene was Lize''s close friend and a member of the mercenary group, so, she managed to hear about the matter.


    "As I''ve said, the incident before is related to the Country of Light. Moreover, Sereck had just informed me that their spies were looking for my information. I feel that when I leave for this mission, they would definitely look for trouble with me."


    "So you don''t intend to let me get involved in this matter."


    "Your identity isn''t suitable for this mission. This matter is also quite dangerous. For the sake of reputation, they are willing to do anything to accomplish their goal. Ms. Marlene, when they attacked the merchant ship, you weren''t there. Therefore this matter is unrelated to you and is unlikely that they will involve you."


    "What about Lize?"


    Marlene furrowed her brows and asked.


    "Well, since she''ll be in Deep Stone City, there''s nothing much to worry about. The Country of Light wouldn''t be stupid enough to move in the open. Furthermore, I''ve prepared security within the stronghold. As long she doesn''t totally disregard safety, it should be fine."


    Rhode wasn''t concerned about safety as he had full control over the stronghold''s security system. If someone tried to invade the stronghold, he would immediately receive system prompts, and the intruder would encounter a certain degree of resistance from the stronghold itself.


    "As for Lize..."


    Rhode looked at the other girl who sat beside him.


    "After I leave, you will live in the mercenary association for the moment. I will request for Sereck to look after the both of you."


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode.


    Lize was a little sad as she had to leave her home. She wanted to go with him, but the number of spells she knew was too little. Moreover, the bulk of her spells were the holy element which meant that it was only useful against undead. Going on the mission with Rhode would burden him instead of helping.


    "Then, as for Ms. Marlene..."


    After getting Lize''s answer, Rhode turned around. But his words have yet finished, Marlene already made her answer.


    "I refuse."


    "Eh?"


    "Although this matter is not related to me, as a part of Senia family, escaping the problem is not my style and..." Marlene suddenly narrowed her eyes, saying "This is the Munn Kingdom, our country. If those Light scums want to scheme something here, they need to ask for our permission. Mr. Rhode, I hope that I can help you. Just like how you helped me, now it''s my turn to return the favor. You are strong, but the enemy isn''t only one person. I am a middle circle mage, so I can well-versed in fighting a large number of people. At least, I hope you will consider my proposal."


    After hearing her out, Rhode closed his eyes to think.


    Marlene did make some sense. If his enemies wanted to attack him when he entered Twilight Forest, most likely they would have to employ an ambush. While he could solve it by himself, Marlene could wipe them clean with much less effort.


    If Rhode didn''t know to what extent how dangerous this mission was, he would have never considered bringing Marlene along. But now, he was actually very clear of the situation, so if there was an extra pair of hands to help, then... why not?


    "Sure, I agree to your request."


    In the end, Rhode nodded.


    "But I believe you know my condition."


    "I understand that I must obey your command. After all, I don''t want to lose my life just because of my boring pride."


    "Then..."


    Rhode stretched out his hand.


    "Welcome aboard once more."


    "I hope we will work well together."


    Marlene shook Rhode''s hand firmly with a confident smile.


    But the two didn''t notice that Lize was staring at them with a complicated expression. Her delicate hands clutched onto the hem of her skirt tightly as she bit her lower lip.


    I want to be strong...

 Chapter 64 Entering The Mountain

    The brilliant rays of the sun permeated through the gaps between the canopy.


    Rhode stopped in his tracks; he stared at the hilly dirt path in front of him for a moment, then he turned back and looked at the girl who was gasping for air behind him.


    "Ms. Marlene, can you move a bit faster?"


    "W-wait a minute... let me... catch my breath..."


    Marlene''s present state was a mess. With mud, twigs, and leaves sticking onto her robe as well as with a face full of sweat, she''d lost all of her previously elegant features. If someone saw her pitiful state right now, they''d have thought that she''d just came back from a war. But in fact, she was only climbing a hill.


    "I... never thought... that it was... going to be this tiring..."


    She took heavy breaths with each step as she slowly staggered up the hilly road. The enthusiasm that she displayed before had completely vanished. When Rhode saw her like this, he started to regret his decision to bring her along. After all, he wasn''t here to fool around. Physical strength wasn''t a mage''s forte; clearly he''d forgotten about this point.


    During the previous mission, Marlene didn''t fall into such a miserable state because she used her magic to float up against the steep mountainous slopes. However, as the elevation here was much gentler, she refused to use her magic and insisted to walk. And that was how she ended up exhausted.


    At the beginning of the climb, she was energetic since it was her first time exploring the wild without anyone guarding her. This newfound freedom in adventuring made her even more enthusiastic than Rhode.


    Alas, enthusiasm wasn''t something that could be eaten and converted into energy.


    Therefore, her enthusiasm gradually waned and turned into anguish.


    Rough roads, thorny shrubs, thickets of grass... observing nature from afar was nice and all, but walking through it was another story altogether. And to make matters worse, even wanting to take a rest was a chore. According to Rhode, she must carefully scan the surroundings just in case a poisonous snake lurked nearby.


    Thank the Holy Soul. At least I am given enough time to write my epitaph.


    Marlene was already extremely tired and dizzy. She even felt that this was worse than studying a ton of magic law books in the Magic Tower.


    "I really don''t know how Lize adapted to this lifestyle."


    In the end, Marlene chose not to sit on the ground. Instead, she leaned against a tree trunk to catch her breath.


    "She must have suffered... back then she was such a crybaby."


    "Nothing is impossible."


    Rhode gave a casual remark as he compared a nearby mountain with the one in his ''game memory.'' Then, he rested his hand on the scabbard of a magnificent looking sword on his waist, the Blood Tears. This sword was given as a gift of appreciation from Claytor. It was apparent that the Keller family was very grateful towards Rhode when they presented him with this magic grade weapon.


    Compared to Star Mark, the appearance of Blood Tears resembled those swords from the Middle Ages. It had a dark, crimson hue along with a rare spell that coincided with its name. Whenever the sword contacts with blood, it would gradually become sharper and more durable. Weapons that could grow in strength were rare and highly sought after.


    Rhode accepted the gift unreservedly. While Star Mark was still his favorite, it occupied one summoning slot, which he felt was quite a waste. The Summoning Swordman''s Magic Circle that Rhode possessed was the ''Ten Strongest Spirit Deck.'' Within the Magic Circle, he can decide what Core Card he wanted to use for each deck. For example, in an army, if the player was the commander and the summoned spirits were the soldiers, then the ''Core Card'' would be the platoon leader. Once the Core is set, the summoned spirits can be materialized as an entity without consuming soul power. If their power runs out, then they will temporarily return to the Magic Circle to ''charge up'' before materializing once more.


    For the Summoning Swordsman class, deciding what Core Card to use was crucial and should be done with care, as once the Core was set, it couldn''t be changed unless the player chooses to delete it. That was the reason why Rhode hadn''t decided on Star Mark''s Core yet, since its current level was fairly low. If he found a better card in the future, then everything would be too late.


    Rhode had made an error once before, so he wouldn''t be stupid enough to repeat it one more time.


    Marlene continued. "But, she somehow appears... strange."


    "Really?"


    Rhode was surprised for a moment.


    Lize was strange? How come he did not feel so?


    "Hmm... how do I put it..."


    Marlene frowned for a moment as she pondered on how to describe it to Rhode, but in the end, she didn''t know how to phrase it.


    "I can''t really say, but I feel that she''s different from before. Moreover... nevermind."


    Marlene recalled the time when she was about to leave with Rhode on this mission. Lize held her hand tightly and hesitated as if she wanted to say something, but after a while, she didn''t say anything and left. As a woman, she could feel that Lize was jealous and worried at the same time. But Marlene did not know the reason why.


    Was it because she wanted to tag along, so she got mad? But the Lize she knew wasn''t that kind of person...


    Marlene suddenly straightened up.


    A magical wave surged in the air, sending a direct signal to her body which caused her to react immediately.


    Rhode also noticed Marlene''s body twitching slightly.


    "What happened?"


    "Someone is coming."


    Marlene turned her head and gazed at the mountain below which was hidden behind a thick foliage.


    "My sigil detected people marching towards our direction. One... two... three. Three people. But there''s a chance that there might be more..."


    "Let''s get ready to move forward."


    Rhode loosened the grip on his sword.


    "Do it as planned."


    "Got it."


    Marlene acknowledged his order and raised her wand towards a tree beside her. Soon, a bright, mysterious sigil appeared and penetrated into the trunk.


    "Let''s continue."


    "Why don''t we just ambush them and kill those group of nasty people?"


    Marlene simply threw out the question on her mind. In her opinion, those guys weren''t tough. If Rhode and herself combined strength, they could easily dispatch them. So why should they be afraid of being caught being these people? It was something that she didn''t understand.


    "Simple. Because this place is not too far from the Deep Stone City."


    Rhode answered her question without hesitation.


    "If we engage them now, those guys will immediately send some signal for reinforcements. By then, we will lose our advantage. However, now they are unaware that we have intel of their locations. Letting these guys continue to follow us is a better option for now because we can lead them deeper without alarming them. Even if they realize that something is wrong, it''ll take too long for their reinforcements to aid them. So, rather than finishing them off here, we can keep track of their movements without worrying about an ambush."


    "I see..."


    Marlene nodded and no longer said anything regarding the plan. She could guess what Rhode planned for them. But still, she was rather annoyed with the sweat trickling down her face.


    "But if you''re just looking for magic herbs, do we need to walk this far in?"


    They had been trekking the mountain since morning and Marlene was already dead tired. She didn''t understand why they had to enter so deep into the forest when there were other spots closer to the edges.


    "Indeed we don''t. If we are looking for magic herbs, we won''t need to go this deep in. But, coincidentally, I''ve found some treasure maps which points to the Twilight Forest. If we can find it, it''ll be a boon to our group."


    Rhode''s expression was indifferent as usual. It didn''t appear as though he was lying, and since Marlene trusted his judgment, she stopped being skeptical about everything he did.


    "Treasure?"


    Marlene''s eyes sparkled for a moment. She couldn''t imagine what kind of treasures would be buried here. Those fantasy adventure stories that she had been reading made her slightly less skeptical about these things. After all, instead of going to some underground cemetery, a treasure hunt sounded much closer to her ''adventure fantasy.''


    "Then which direction shall we head next?"


    "North."


    Rhode pointed to the front.

 Chapter 65 Rock of Lamen

    "There''s nothing strange about their movements so far." A black-cloaked man spoke as he carefully observed the tracks on the ground.


    "Everything is going as planned," another black-cloaked man replied, feeling somewhat wary, "but, why do I feel that everything is going too well?"


    The men were fully wrapped in a black cloth, and other than their eyes, everything else was concealed. Even their voices were suppressed. And whether they were male or female? No one could tell.


    "According to our intel, this young man has an extremely cautious personality. Why isn''t he alert now?"


    "That''s not surprising, I mean, after all, there''s a beautiful woman beside him..." One of the black-cloaked men joked in a low voice.


    The other three men chuckled. But they soon contained their laughter and began whispering again.


    "We should do as instructed. Let''s wait for them until they''ve within the depths of the forest, then we attack. Remember! We must do this cleanly."


    "What about that woman?"


    "Capture her alive whenever possible. Whether we knock her out, drug her or whatever, as long we retrieve her alive. However, if we fail, we must silence her. A mage is a tough opponent to handle. All of you must be careful."


    The men nodded in acknowledgment. Of course, they knew how difficult it was to handle a mage. If they were determined to escape, almost no one could stop them.


    "Eh?"


    Suddenly, one of the men detected a slight movement nearby. He swiftly made a hand gesture to the rest and slowly unsheathed a dagger by his waist. Step by step, he trod lightly towards a cluster of bushes. The others behind him immediately crouched followed him with weapons drawn. Then, in a flash, the black-cloaked man nearest to the bush suddenly thrust his dagger forward.


    Swoosh! The bush shook, and a frightened squirrel shot out, crashing into a nearby tree before frantically climbing up the trunk. For a moment, it turned back and stared nervously at these humans before disappearing into the canopy.


    When the men realized that it was a false alarm, they merely glanced at each other, not speaking a word. Then, they jumped into the bushes, disappearing from sight.


    Meanwhile, Marlene was in a gully, stamping her foot in anger.


    "Argh!" Marlene gnarled as she held her clenched fists in the air. "These guys are simply too rude! Just they wait..."


    Rhode did not like to be tailed by someone. But since he allowed himself to be followed, naturally he needed to find a way to track them back. This is the so-called ''cycle''.


    Thus, after reaching the Rock of Lament, Rhode did not attempt to look for treasure just yet; instead, he requested Marlene to devise a method to counter the black-cloaked men''s reconnaissance. His primary goal was to figure out their intentions in detail. Secondly, he wanted Marlene to realize that things weren''t as simple as it seemed.


    At first, Marlene didn''t put these people in her eyes. She was a pure blooded noble from an influential family. As such, for most of her life, she was only exposed to the ''brighter'' side, and regarding the other side of the spectrum, she wasn''t very knowledgeable. In her opinion, these black-cloaked men were no more than sneaky thieves. So, when Rhode suddenly asked her to check the bushes, she complained incessantly.


    But after checking carefully, she found several shadows hiding in the bushes. Marlene''s face immediately paled, but her pride prevented her from saying anything. While she was proud, she wasn''t stupid.


    As a mage, she knew that being attacked from behind was one of her weaknesses. In a full-fledged battle, she would''ve cast a shield over herself beforehand so that she wouldn''t have to worry about stray arrows or backstabbing. Mages'' weren''t able to protect themselves 24/7 �� that would be ridiculously overpowered.


    If she was caught unprepared when walking past the bushes, the result would be disastrous. Thus, as soon she saw these black-cloaked men, she stopped disregarding them and took them seriously.


    Rhode carefully watched her and nodded satisfyingly. Since the beginning, he had already noted the strength of their foes. Based on level alone, they were much higher than him because as they were at the advanced level. Fortunately, their surveillance route and secret techniques were precisely the same as what Rhode had remembered it to be, giving him more confidence to finish these guys off.


    On the surface, both Marlene and Rhode appeared somewhat passive. However, in the shadows, a great deal of movement was taking place. No matter how weak or powerful those men were, Rhode needed to find them first before they could attack. Therefore, as the one choosing the location of the ambush, Rhode had the advantage.


    And during the process of finding the men, Rhode discovered an something interesting.


    "An adorable familiar, you have," Rhode said, with a faint curve on his lips, uncertain whether he was praising Marlene or being sarcastic. And in the meantime, a squirrel scuttled onto her shoulders.


    "Frankly, I thought a mage''s familiar would be more unique."


    "Unique?" Marlene raised her brows and glared at Rhode.


    "You think that my familiar is as weird-looking as your summoned spirits? This little one is my baby! If it weren''t for us traveling so far out, I definitely wouldn''t have brought it here."


    The poor and innocent summoned spirits were suddenly being thrown into the fire...


    Rhode sighed and shook his head. He stared at the squirrel sitting on Marlene''s shoulder. It was using its small teeth to nibble on a nut.


    From a female''s point of view, cute is justice. Rhode clearly comprehended this ''fact'' since he had led a guild before. Many female players in his guild didn''t choose their pet based on their skills, talent, income or combat power. Rather, they close the ones who were beautiful, lovely, and charming. It appears as though no matter which world he resided in, women always had this side in them...


    "Let''s go."


    In the gully, overgrown bushes and shrubs spread onto the rocky walls. Whenever a gust of wind blew through, loose soil and dead leaves would fly all over the place.


    "Can we really find a treasure here, Mr. Rhode?" Marlene complained, with one hand raised to her front, blocking the leaves from striking her face.


    "How can this deserted place house a treasure?"


    "''Deserted'' is precisely the reason why a treasure can be found here, Ms. Marlene."


    Rhode walked into the shadows and observed his surroundings thoroughly.


    "Do you know why this place is called the Rock of Lament?"


    Marlene shook her head. She wasn''t a native Deep Stone City citizen, how could she possibly know about this?


    "Long ago, there was a bandit camp built nearby. At that time, Deep Stone City hasn''t existed yet, and all the mines were monopolized by large merchant conglomerates. Not only did these merchants exploit the miners, but they also did not pay them wages or give them adequate provisions. In the end, the bandits killed the merchants and returned the money to the needy."


    Marlene''s mouth twitched ever so slightly. As much as she hated ruthless nobles, she knew that it was the job for nobles to handle these situations. No matter what was the reason, for ordinary citizens to take up arms and fight for their own justice wasn''t something that would make her feel happy.


    With Rhode''s acute perception, he obviously noticed Marlene''s reaction, but he chose not to say anything. When he came to this world and interacted with the people, he found out that their culture and beliefs were vastly different from his. For example, just like now, if he told this story to the people of his world, most likely they would applaud and praise the people for their courage to fight against the strong. But it was different in this world.


    While Marlene wasn''t against this matter, she also did not think that it was something worthy of praise. Since she was a noble, her opinion differed from the common people. She had been raised to maintain a strong sense of noblesse oblige as well as to uphold their dignity. So, when hearing such a story, Marlene couldn''t accept it completely.


    For the citizens of a lower caste, they did not mind if the protagonist of the story was a thief or a bandit, as long as someone could solve their difficulties, they were a hero in their eyes.


    Rhode did not intend to correct Marlene''s ideology, and neither did he have the interest to change her point of view.


    He began to recall the original description of the quest and continued, "in time, the bandits became famous among the people, which made the wealthy merchants jealous. Eventually, they retaliated and rallied the soldiers to surround the bandit camp. Although the bandits were outnumbered, their spirits did not waver. They fought against the soldiers courageously and perished with dignity. Later that night, after the soldiers left, the people mourned for the death of their heroes and erected a tombstone. Thus, because of that, this place is called the Rock of Lament."


    "What a wonderful story... what happened to those guys after that?"


    "I do not know."


    Rhode simply shook his head, the quest description only introduced the situation, and did not mention anything like, "if you want to know what happened afterwards, read the next chapter."


    "It was a wonderful story."


    Marlene nodded her head, but she sounded a bit complicated.


    "But, Mr. Rhode, according to what you''ve said, those guys, after all, are just bandits. They are a group of criminals, how could they leave any treasures?


    "Well, Marlene, let me ask you a question. Why is the Senia family so strong? Is it only because of fame?"


    "Of course not," Marlene replied snappily.


    She did not like how Rhode stated it so bluntly.


    "We, the Senia family, are not the kind that only possesses a glorified past. Hmph, if only you knew, Lize is the real��"


    Marlene suddenly covered her mouth. Then, she felt slightly guilty while looking at Rhode. After discovering that there was no change in Rhode''s expression, she felt relieved. At the same time, she secretly shook her head,


    Lize... it''s better if you openly reveal your situation to Mr. Rhode. Otherwise, not only you will have to be careful, even I have to pay attention all the time. This feeling is quite troublesome.


    "These bandits are the same," Rhode said indifferently, as though he didn''t hear what she said.


    She didn''t know whether did he actually hear it, or just pretending not to.


    He continued, "don''t you find it odd that they had the ability to contend against the merchants in the first place? After all, most people wouldn''t dare to risk their lives to become bandits. Since they could obtain that amount of strength, they must have a someone backing them. If we can follow up on this point and investigate further, maybe we can find an unexpected harvest."


    Rhode began to insert some half-truths into his narrative. Back in the game, many hidden quests derived from rumors, legends or even stories. Players were a sensitive bunch about this part because it was a virtual reality game. Therefore, the logic shouldn''t be too far off from the ones in the real world. Any sentence contained within the game could be a trigger for a hidden quest.


    In the game, the Rock of Lament questline activated when a player heard a bard singing a song in a tavern. The player''s purpose of visiting the tavern was to seek an adventure, so they waited for the bard to sing to activate the quest.


    Of course, Marlene was unable to relate to it �� which was exactly why she was presently staring at Rhode with her eyes wide open. She was shocked at Rhode''s ability to perceive information from a story. Marlene felt that the more time she spent with this man, the more she thought that he was becoming increasingly unfathomable. Could it be that nothing in this world was difficult to him?


    Who is he actually?


    Marlene''s curiosity grew once more.


    "It''s here."


    At this moment, Rhode stopped in front of a cave. He carefully examined the mouth of the dark cave and went inside. Marlene hesitated for a while, but she still picked up her skirt and followed behind.


    The duo lit up their torches, illuminating the dim tunnel. The only sounds they could hear were the echoes of their footsteps. Occasionally, a drop of water would fall to the ground, producing a crisp, tapping sound. Just from a brief scan, there was nothing peculiar about this underground cave.


    Not long after entering, Marlene, who was in the rear, suddenly screamed as she jumped forward.


    "Aah!"


    "What happened?"


    Rhode swiftly turned around and looked at her.


    "I-I felt like someone touched me from behind," Marlene said while she trembled slightly, clearly embarrassed by her sudden outcry.


    "Touched you?"


    Before he turned back to the front, Rhode thought of several possible reasons. But never would he had believed that it would be the most unrealistic one. He lifted his torch and waved it behind Marlene.


    "There''s no one."


    "O-or maybe I am mistaken?"


    Marlene also turned around, her face was flushed, and she did not know what else to say.


    Rhode did not mind her. Soon, both of them continued walking. But after three steps, Marlene''s voice sounded again.


    "Aahh!"


    "Eh?"


    Rhode turned around again, failing to discover anyone behind her. But this time, he realized that Marlene''s face was incredibly pale. Her whole body began to tremble vigorously as though she''d seen a ghost.


    "N-no, this isn''t right... there''s something...! I don''t know what it is, but I know it touched my back... Rhode, h-help me! What... what is it tha��"


    Before Marlene could finish, Rhode discovered fur-like mandibles stretching towards her neck.


    "Don''t move!"


    Whoosh! He swiftly waved his sword past her collar, quickly pinning the perpetrator to the wall. At that moment, both of them finally saw its actual appearance.


    It was a palm-sized spider!


    Although the spider''s sternum was cleanly pierced through, it still desperately tried to twist its body to escape. Brown-colored blood spurted out from the wound, and it sprayed out a white thread from between its chelicerae as though it was in severe pain.


    The sight of it was truly disgusting.


    While Rhode had encountered much more revolting beings than this, his rare indifferent expression changed slightly. He flicked his sword slightly, and the spider was immediately torn into pieces.


    "Sigh..."


    After getting rid of the spider, he finally felt relieved.


    "Ms. Marlene, are you hurt? How do you fee��"


    Rhode was interrupted when a soft, fragrant body flew into his arms.


    "..." Rhode was speechless.


    "Sobs..."


    Marlene clung to Rhode tightly as she buried her head in his arms. Although he couldn''t see her expression, he could hear her sobbing faintly.


    Was this missy actually crying?


    Rhode knit his brows together in confusion. Then he stretched out his left hand and patted her shoulder.


    Surprisingly, the young maiden did not react. Her arms remained hooked around Rhode''s body. He had to admit; those two soft buns were really tempting.


    "Ms. Marlene? Everything is alright now."


    "Sobs...sobs... I-is that thing really dead? O-on my back, there''s no more terrible monster? Mr. Rhode, please help me check, did that terrible monster leave something on my back?"


    Rhode scrutinized Marlene''s back with the torch. All he could see was a clean and tidy robe without any markings.


    "There''s nothing, Ms. Marlene."


    Once she heard his reassuring words, Marlene finally felt relieved. Then, she raised her head and quickly wiped her eyes. She suddenly remembered something, so she gave him an embarrassed smile and said, "I-I have something to do, I will come back very soon, okay?"


    "... Of course, no problem, be careful."


    Her meekness was somewhat refreshing from the usual. Rhode didn''t know what was going through her mind right now, so he could only watch as she swiftly ran over to a corner, acting suspiciously. Soon, the torch in the corner moved once again, and when she came back, she was totally refreshed.


    However, not only did her expression return to normal, the usual luxurious robe that she always wore... also changed?


    "Ms. Marlene?"


    "Eh? It''s alright. I''m sorry for acting so unprofessionally, Mr. Rhode. I panicked and slipped up... I''m okay now, let''s get going."


    "That goes without saying, but I have a question."


    "What is it?"


    "Are you actually...afraid of spiders?"


    "Oh... ha ha ha ha ha..." Marlene forced a laugh when she heard Rhode''s question.


    "What are you saying, Mr. Rhode. You are so funny, do you know that? How can this lady be afraid of those black, rough, fur-like, eight-legged creeps? It''s impossible. I was just a little shocked and slipped up, that''s all. Those kinds of useless insects only know how to scare people with its tiny jaws. I''m totally not afraid at all!"


    Sounds like she really is afraid...

 Chapter 66 Behind The Rumors

    After the entire fiasco, the duo continued forward. But Marlene clearly didn''t let her guard down. Not only did she cast a shield over herself, but she also stuck close to Rhode as much as possible, using her right hand to pinch his the hem of his clothes. Her pupils darted left and right continuously, seeking out any sudden movements. With this level of surveillance, perhaps not even the cloaked men could avoid her.


    "Mr. Rhode, is it really here?" Marlene asked after she inhaled deeply, breathing in the cold, chilly air which sent a shiver down her spine.


    As they went deeper into the cave, the ground became increasingly colder. Rhode was also fairly curious since he had never completed this quest before. At that time, he was completely focused on unearthing the potential of the Summoning Swordsman, so he was hesitant to activate this quest.


    The reason why he knew so much about the Rock of Lament was because he read about another player''s adventure on the forum. That player posted screenshots of his experiences as well as the loot he obtained at the end of the quest. His intention was mainly to show off, and many people ended up taking the bait. Before him, no one thought that listening to the bard would grant them a hidden quest, so after this incident, it spawned a revelation among many players to use similar tactics to seek out other hidden quests.


    The situation right now was the same as what he has remembered in the forum post. But at that time, the player wrote, "After I walked through the cave for a while..."


    ...It ended there.


    So... how long is ''a while''?


    Only god knows.


    In any case, it shouldn''t be too long. Otherwise, that player wouldn''t write it as ''a while.''


    Damn it! It was a mistake not to research more about this questline.


    Just as he said those words, a few moments later, the two of them finally noticed a change in scenery.


    A bright light shone into their eyes as they left the narrow cave.


    They found themselves in a wide, underground cave. Stalactites formed on the ceiling, and an occasional drop of water would fall off the tip. The wet solid cave wall also reflected the sun rays which permeated into the cave through several holes from the top. There were even some plants in the corners that tried to stretch its tendrils towards the light.


    "It''s beautiful..."


    Rhode had seen plenty of underground caverns, so he wasn''t surprised. As for Marlene, it was her first time witnessing such a sight. It wasn''t as scary and dark as she imagined, it could be even described as charming and beautiful.


    Marlene was completely immersed in this magnificent display of the power of nature. Meanwhile, Rhode shifted his gaze on a huge rock.


    This rock matched exactly to what Rhode had seen in the forum post.


    A huge inverted stalactite was carved into a smooth rock and many names were etched on it. It was the names of the bandits who had been killed. After their deaths, they were buried here, under the tombstone raised by the common people.


    "They lurked in the nights and perished in the darkness, but they have brought us light."


    Rhode muttered the inscription above the tombstone, then he bowed his head and glanced behind the rock.


    A long time had passed, and the graves lost its original appearance. If it weren''t because of those small mounds that were neatly arranged in a row, almost no one would think that this was a gravesite.


    "What should I do next, Mr. Rhode? You wouldn''t ask me to become a graverobber, right?" Marlene asked Rhode worriedly. No matter what, digging up graves wasn''t a noble thing to do.


    "Let''s split up and check the area."


    Naturally, Rhode already found the location of the treasure since he could recall the contents of the screenshots by the player quite vividly. But he wasn''t silly enough to directly saunter to the treasure location and dig it up because that would indubitably trip Marlene''s suspicion. He didn''t want to create additional headaches for himself, so he decided to play it out naturally.


    Marlene was relieved when she heard that Rhode wasn''t going to order her to dig up the graves. She nodded her head and took the left side of the cave while Rhode searched the right. Up to this point,


    everything was the same as the forum post, even so, Rhode couldn''t help but wonder that if there would be any kind of divergence from the game.


    But when he saw a dust-covered chest made out of bronze in the corner, Rhode finally felt relieved.


    He walked towards the chest and lowered his body, studying the object before him.


    Due to the power of time, the chest''s surface had begun to weather. Rhode gently reached out and swept the dust off the lid. Then he skillfully patted several seemingly random spots with his right hand to confirm that it wasn''t boobytrapped. After that, he held the lid and opened it.


    Creak... Dust flew everywhere when he lifted up the lid as its aged hinges made a sad wail. After blowing the dust off the objects, his heart immediately jumped with joy.


    Inside the chest were the weapons left behind by the bandits. Most of them had rusted beyond belief and already failed the test of time. However, there were a few which glittered amongst the others, as though they were brand new. This was a characteristic of magic equipment.


    [Broken Fang (Dagger), Magic Equipment (Excellent), when attacking the target, it can trigger a chance of paralysis for 3 seconds]


    [Forest Walker (Longbow), Magic Equipment (Excellent), by consuming Soul Power, it can activate the Hawkeye effect for 1 hour. ]


    [Rock Hearts (Shield), Magic Equipment (Rare), when attacked, there''s a chance of triggering Steel Body and absorb 4000 damage, resistance to magic attacks increased by 10%]


    [Wild Wolf Oath (Sword), Magic Equipment (Excellent), when attacking the target, it can trigger chance of Bleeding, damage increased by 30%]


    In the chest, Rhode found four types of magic equipment. He even found a spatial bag which made him incredibly happy. Spatial bags were very expensive and rare to find. In the game, all players automatically had one, but now he realized that it was a luxury to have one.


    After the incident in the floating ship, he asked Matt about this issue. At first, he intended to order one from Matt, but Matt told him that the spatial bags belonged mostly to mages. Since space magic were high-level spells, perhaps most ordinary people wouldn''t be able to get it in their entire lifetime.


    Even as a traveling merchant, Matt had no way to acquire a spatial bag. Maybe only four to five people in Deep Stone City had one. Rhode just knew that Sereck and Marlene both had one each. Alas, the missy took things too easily. She thought that their journey here wouldn''t be long and didn''t bring it. Marlene''s robe had a similar function, but it could not carry as much as a spatial bag.


    Rhode had been craving for it ever since he arrived to this world. Back in the game, players would throw away their low-leveled 10-grid spatial bag because nobody wanted to buy it. But now, not even a 4-grid spatial bag for newbies could be found. It was such a tragedy...


    Although he suspected that the loot here would be quite decent, it actually went past his expectations! To put it simply, he had planned to hunt for similar equipment, but that was only in the next dungeon. However, now he could get them all without fighting any enemy! Perhaps this was the reason why hidden quests were so attractive. Unlike ordinary quests, hidden quests tested the player''s wisdom and observation.


    Rhode immediately stored all the loot he found in the spatial bag without any reservations. After cleaning out the entire chest, he spotted a piece of cloth hidden at the bottom. A trace of excitement flashed in his eyes and quickly grabbed it.


    On the surface, this piece of cloth appeared rather unappealing. Its dull grey colors made it seem like it was dirty. But at this moment, Rhode knew that this was the reason why the forum post went viral on the internet.


    [Shadow Messenger (Cloak), Magic Equipment (Mysterious), wearing it can conceal your presence by 70%, Stealth passive effect]


    This cloak was the first Mysterious-tier equipment he discovered in this world. This piece of equipment was a must-have for spies, thieves, assassins or rangers. In the game''s auction house, the price of it reached 25 gold coins, and it had not been reduced ever since. Besides Ancient-tier types of magic equipment, there would be nothing better for these subterfuge classes.


    Furthermore, there were only ten of these cloaks in the entire Dragon Soul Continent. It once belonged to an assassin faction with a long history. Only one player managed to acquire this cloak without passing the test set by the assassins. The rest of them had to kill monsters and go through rigorous questlines to obtain it, but still, they did not succeed in the end.


    And right now, this legendary artifact finally fell into his grasp.


    It was a pity that he wasn''t from the thief class, this factor alone made the value of the cloak significantly diminish, but it was still better than nothing.


    While Rhode was busy looting, Marlene, who was at the other side of the cave, stared at a strange part of the wall curiously.


    "What''s this?" She murmured to herself.


    The wall that she was looking at was wrapped in vines, concealing whatever that was within completely. However, Marlene felt that there was something strange in it, so, she carefully raised her wand and cast a spell to untangle the vines.


    When the vines parted, the first thing she saw was a face.


    "Ah!"


    Marlene subconsciously screamed and waved her wand back and forth. After a while, she realized that it was only a sculpture.


    The sculpture portrayed a dignified man in full plate armor holding a sword in his hand. Although it was quite worn, the sculpture itself was fully intact, and it emitted a faint characteristic of courage.


    "This... isn''t this a statue from the Fassicarl Era?"


    Marlene''s curiosity was piqued. She walked forward and examined the sculpture. Then she reached out and touched its face.


    And at that moment, Rhode''s voice sounded out, "What happened, Marlene? What did you find?"


    "Eh?"


    Marlene was surprised for a moment when she heard Rhode calling her. The moment she turned around, a sound suddenly came out from the sculpture. Both of them were startled because they realized that the sculpture''s face was actually shrinking back and its eyes were shining! Then, the sculpture spun around, slicing the vines with its sword.


    "What the... Marlene! Be careful! Come here!"


    Rhode was equally shocked because he didn''t remember any of this in the forum post. And this was obviously a natural cave, how can there be a sculpture here?


    However, he had no time to put his thoughts together and he quickly pulled Marlene behind him before unsheathing his sword.


    Holy Soul above... it should not be those damned alchemy creatures again, right?


    However, contrary to Rhode''s expectation, the sculpture did not intend to attack. It put back its sword and went silent.


    A moment later, a low sound echoed in the cave.


    Rumble... The stone wall next to the sculpture suddenly began to shake. Then it shifted diagonally, revealing a three-meter high passage.


    "..."


    Rhode and Marlene glanced at each other, speechless.


    How did things turn out like this?

 Chapter 67 Another Cave

    "..."


    "...."


    The passage to their front was in pitch darkness. Not even a speck of light could be seen from within.


    Both Rhode and Marlene stared speechlessly at the entrance of the ''new cave.''


    "So, Marlene, what did you do?" Rhode took the initiative to break the silence.


    "I-I did not do anything," Marlene said with a slight panic in her voice.


    Her expression genuinely revealed that she didn''t know what happened.


    Frankly, it was shocking to Rhode as well.


    He was pretty confident that there weren''t any posts about a hidden cave behind a sculpture. If there was something like this back in the game, it would''ve gone viral already. However, there remained another possibility �� the player actually found the entrance, but since there was nothing, he didn''t bother to spread the word.


    But no matter how much he looked at the entrance, he couldn''t think of a reason why someone would craft such a deliberate mechanism just for fun.


    Even if it killed him, he would still trust his intuition. A secret passage and a trap appearing hand-in-hand? There is only one way to find out the answer.


    Go in and explore.


    But still, he couldn''t help but feel slightly hesitant. If it were back in the game, he would immediately dive in without delay. But now, his situation was different; he no longer had a ''respawn'' if he died. Moreover, he had no intel of this unknown passage. What if there were many traps or monsters inside? That would certainly spell trouble for him.


    Nevertheless, it wasn''t an impossible task for Rhode.


    "Marlene," Rhode said softly, with a trace of resolution in his voice. "Stand guard at the entrance. I''ll go in and scout. If I do not appear within twenty minutes or if you hear an explosion, you need to leave this place immediately. Understood?"


    In the end, Rhode made a decision. He unsheathed his sword and swung it casually, causing a red card to materialize out of thin air.


    Roar! A dark hound appeared beside him.


    ''''How can I do that!" Marlene shook her head and disagreed.


    Then she furrowed her brows and said, "Do you want me to escape by myself? If I do something like that, how can I explain to Lize afterwards? Moreover, my Senia family is no coward..."


    Rhode waved his hand to interrupt Marlene, "It''s not the matter of courage, Ms. Marlene. We don''t know what lies within that cave. What if something happens and both of us got trapped inside? If one of us stays outside, then if something happens, there is still hope."


    "That''s true... but..." Marlene had mixed feelings over this matter and was frowning, but suddenly, she clenched her teeth and shouted. "I have an idea!"


    "An idea?" Rhode turned to Marlene and looked at her in surprise.


    "I-I have my family''s heirloom. It is a type of magic equipment."


    When Rhode suddenly stared at her, Marlene blushed slightly and stammered.


    "No matter what kind of danger I face, as long as I''m willing, I can teleport out from any space at any moment to the Senia estate. Moreover, this can be used by a maximum of two people at the same time. As long you hold my hand, we can leave together at any moment, so you don''t have to worry."


    At first, Marlene''s voice was like a squeak, but it gradually shifted back to her usual tone. Rhode was fairly surprised with what she said and stood speechless for a while.


    He knew that mages had a vast array of life-saving skills and equipment, and since Marlene was the only heir to the Senia family, no matter what, he believed that she must possess some kind of trump card. But never would he have thought that she would reveal plainly it to him in this manner. One must realize that this kind of equipment or skill must be kept as an absolute secret. Until the last breath, it was something that must not be told to anyone. But now... she...


    "T-That''s why I insist to go with you, Mr. Rhode."


    Marlene didn''t know why she suddenly lost her courage again when Rhode stared at her, but apparently, she still insisted on coming along.


    "Although it might be dangerous, as a mage, I have many ways to protect myself. If the situation gets out of hand, I can immediately leave this place. Isn''t that reassuring enough?"


    After listening to Marlene''s reasoning, Rhode pondered to himself in silence. Frankly, he didn''t wish for her to follow him. His current character wasn''t the same as before. Back then, if the gods barred his way, he would kill the gods, and if the Buddhas hindered his path, he would slaughter the Buddhas! But right now, he was a puny level 10. Even defeating a few advanced thieves would require him to plan thoroughly. Was it safe if he went inside alone?


    Rhode didn''t know.


    So, in the end, he agreed.


    "Ok." Rhode nodded, "but I do hope you can protect yourself."


    Since Marlene had a way to escape, he decided to trust her. At least the probability of surviving would be higher.


    "Of course!"


    -


    There was no light source inside the cave.


    Initially, Rhode was extremely cautious because based on his experiences, secret passages usually hosted many kinds of deadly traps. For example, a pressure plate trap. If he accidentally stepped on the wrong slate, it might set off a series of irreversible outcomes.


    Unexpectedly, the secret passage was on level ground. And with the help of the torch, he noticed beautiful carvings on both sides of the wall.


    "These are murals from Fascarl era, Mr. Rhode." Marlene was concentrating on examining a beautiful sculpture on the wall at the moment.


    She could not help but feel amazed at how intricate the designs were. Most mages were well educated. Naturally, they had read about these historical stories before. However, Rhode clearly didn''t care about that. He was currently expending all his energy on detecting traps... but it looks like there was no indication of any at all.


    "Be careful and hold my hand tightly." Rhode grabbed her hand as they made their way deeper. And not far in front of him was the Flame Killer which was responsible for being the ''trap trigger.'' After all, a dead summoned spirit can be summoned again. Moreover, this pitiful canine had already died more than twice, so what if it died once more? It should just get used to it.


    The poor Flame Killer had a different opinion though. Unfortunately, it did not have the rights to disagree.


    The black hound jumped in the air from time to time according to Rhode''s command. There was a ring of fire circling around its body, creating a much-needed illumination for the dark passage.


    After walking for a distance, Rhode began to sense something odd. He couldn''t tell what exactly it was, but it kept nagging him at the back of his head.


    Why would a secret passage appear here? What can we find here?


    Currently, Rhode was in the ''player mode'' thought process and wasn''t paying attention to his surroundings. Marlene was also no longer observing the surrounding murals. On the contrary, her head was lowered as she stared at her hand which was held by Rhode. She didn''t know whether it was because of the heat, but she knew that her face was burning.


    Suddenly, the Flame Killer stopped moving. Then it circled the ground two times and ran forward.


    "What happened?"


    Rhode''s heart tightened. He didn''t stop the black hound. Instead, he took a step forward and stood in front of Marlene with his sword raised. Then, he scanned each and every detail around him.


    But after a while, nothing happened.


    Rhode frowned. Up until now, he was constantly on the alert, and it was straining his senses. If there were monsters or traps in this passage, he wouldn''t feel weary as it was something familiar to him. But he found nothing so far... and that was too strange. Of course, since he had already made it this far, he didn''t intend to retreat.


    -


    Finally, the duo made their way out of the narrow passage and found themselves at a stone stairway leading deeper underground. The Flame Killer wasn''t too far away from them. When it noticed that its master had arrived, it arched its body and roared at the perpetual darkness below.


    "Ms. Marlene, do you have any spells that be used as light?"


    Rhode held the torch nearer to the stairway, but he still could not see what was down there. For safety reasons, he decided to use another approach. However, after a while, Marlene still did not respond. Her head was still lowered, staring blankly at her hand.


    "Ms. Marlene?"


    "Eh?"


    Rhode called out to her once more and she finally recovered from her stupor.


    "O-oh oh... Light magic right? I have it, please wait." Marlene said with a flush on her face.


    She immediately loosened her hand from Rhode''s grip in a hurry and closed her eyes. After a chant, a bright luminous sphere floated on her palm. The light emitted from the sphere ate away the darkness and illuminated the entire area.


    And the scene that appeared before them left the duo in disbelief.

 Chapter 68 The Lost Palace

    It was a ruin.


    At first glance, the whole underground cave appeared cube-shaped. A gorgeous palace rested in the center. A moat filled with water surrounded the palace as though it was guarding it. The only way out of here was the stairway that the duo found previously.


    "What in the world is this place...?"


    Marlene stared speechlessly at the scene. Rhode fared slightly better because he had experienced much more than her. Compared to how Marlene reacted, Rhode stood still and silently recalled his knowledge about the origin of this ruin.


    Although the two were considered the brightest amongst the youths, they were not omniscient beings after all. Rhode''s knowledge was from the game, and Marlene''s forte was magic. None of them were well-versed in archaeology. If there was a scholar with them, then perhaps he could figure out their location.


    "Did you find any clues?"


    Rhode calmed down. He waved his hand and signaled the black hound to scout ahead while they followed a distance behind. Nevertheless, Rhode didn''t drop his guard even the slightest bit as he constantly swept his eyes over his surroundings.


    The whole palace emitted a luxurious atmosphere. The pillars were intricately carved, and it appeared completely intact as though it was just built. A magic sphere was floating in the air. Under its brilliance, the shadows slowly melted away.


    There were no corpse, no furniture, and no weapons.


    Empty.


    That was the first impression Rhode had when he toured the place.


    In fact, the ''ruins'' can''t even be considered as ruins as they were largely intact without any blemishes. Strangely though, the place housed no everyday objects other than staircases, pillars, and sculptures.


    Back in the game, Rhode had seen almost a thousand types of ruins. Although each of them was unique in their own way, at least they had weapons, armors or broken furniture lying around. All of them had traces of living activity of one kind of another. But this place is different. Everything was... seemingly dead. It was as if the entire area was devoid of life. Even the surrounding moat water didn''t make a sound when it flowed.


    "This place sure is strange."


    Rhode put down his sword and walked to a nearby pillar. His eyes scrutinized the complex text and patterns carved into the stone. Unfortunately, he couldn''t find any clue about their situation. Just a little behind Rhode, Marlene was doing the same thing as well, but she actually found a clue faster than Rhode.


    "I think it was built during the Fascarl Kingdom''s era, Mr. Rhode."


    The Fascarl Kingdom was a mysterious kingdom at the beginning of the Creation Era. Despite being one of the strongest kingdoms at that time, it suddenly disappeared one day. Even in the historical records had only a few manuscripts about this kingdom.


    The strange thing was how a country as powerful as they suddenly disappear in a puff of smoke. And no matter how hard the people searched, the Fascarl Kingdom''s relics and ruins were nowhere to be found. Not even the Country of Light and Darkness had found the remains of the Fascarl Kingdom.


    Regardless any country''s wealth of knowledge, no one had the records of the Fascarl Kingdom even though the name of ''Fascarl'' derived from a dragon spell in the Ancient Era.


    A country that was this mysterious should contain valuable equipment.


    "But there appears to be nothing in this place..."


    With the help of the magic light, Rhode could see the end of the palace.


    No treasure chest. No swords. No nothing. Only a lonely stone altar stood erect which made Rhode somehow feel sorry for it.


    Just beside the altar were two knight sculptures. They wore a full plate armor with swords lifted towards the sky. It looked as though they were welcoming visitors as well as displaying their strength.


    "Since there''s nothing here, we should leave."


    Rhode was the type who wouldn''t leave empty-handed, but this place was just too strange, and it made Rhode feel uneasy. If he died in the game, he still could resurrect. But he couldn''t do that now, so he felt that if there was nothing worth spending time on, then retreating would be the best option.


    Marlene was slightly discontented with Rhode''s unfounded wariness, but she still followed his order and kept silent. When she stood up and planned to leave, at this moment, her squirrel familiar appeared from the darkness and ran towards her, squeaking frantically. Marlene''s expression immediately changed.


    "Mr. Rhode, they are here!"


    F*ck it!


    Rhode cursed inwardly but still maintained his calm exterior. He had predicted that those black-cloaked men would follow them into the cave. Frankly, it was the best place to bury them once he killed them since no one would know. Alas, their timing was unfavorable. If everything went according to plan, there wouldn''t be a problem, but now they had accidentally uncovered an unknown ruin which was a hidden factor that Rhode didn''t anticipate!


    Rhode turned his head and confirmed that there were no other exits. He guessed that those men were as clueless about this place. After all, only an omniscient being would know about the area that he hadn''t explored yet.


    "Ms. Marlene."


    Rhode drafted a plan in his mind. He grabbed Marlene''s hand, pulled her towards him and whispered in her ear, "I have a plan that requires your cooperation..."


    -


    A group of shadows appeared from the darkness, stopping for a moment before a cave entrance.


    They glanced at each other silently and made a signal with their fingers.


    The target is close.


    Get into position.


    Then, the black-cloaked men dashed into the cave.


    Unlike Marlene who had spent her time gawking at the beautiful underground scenery, the men had no time for that. When they exited the narrow tunnels and discovered the large underground cavern, they pushed their bodies onto the walls and shuffled forward while hiding in the shadows.


    After searching for a while, they did not find anyone.


    It didn''t look like there were other entrances. Did they fly away?


    That was absolutely impossible.


    Soon, they found the hidden passage behind the sculpture. It wasn''t surprising at all since they were all professionals, and they weren''t as hesitant as Rhode as danger was in their job scope.


    But they still remained vigilant. They left two men behind to guard the entrance while the other three went inside the hidden passage to locate their target.


    Those guys are a bit tricky...


    Rhode, who was also lurking in the shadows, felt a headache when he observed the black-cloaked men''s movement. He wasn''t worried about being discovered by the enemy as he wasn''t new to this. In the game, he was often chased by assassins and thieves. If he could not do something like this, he would''ve died a hundred thousand times already. For insurance, he also activated the Shadow Messenger. This magic equipment definitely deserved its reputation. After using it, his body blended into the surroundings. Even if one carefully examined his location, it would still be difficult to find him.


    Rhode was confident in his abilities. Not only he had the Shadow Messenger, he also wore the Dark Soul ring.


    In PVP, both equipment and skills were equally important.


    In a fraction of a second, Rhode disappeared into the darkness without a trace.


    The three black-cloaked men walked past Rhode without detecting his presence. They also didn''t know that Rhode had already unsheathed his sword while emitting a killing intent.


    Hmph! I''ll let you know who is the one being hunted here!


    Although he had the advantage, Rhode didn''t choose to act rashly. Based on the triangular formation they moved in, he knew that any one of them could easily support each other if something were to happen. If one of them suffered an attack, the other two would react and counterattack. Unless Rhode could kill the three at the same time, attacking now wasn''t the best approach.


    Furthermore, his current-self didn''t have the strength to contend against all three of them together.


    Thus, Rhode remained patient as he knew what the men were thinking as well as what were they going to do.


    Quietly lurking behind them, he waited for an opportunity to strike.


    A while later, the three black-cloaked men finally passed through the passage and discovered the stone stairwell.


    However, unlike Marlene, they didn''t have a spell to light up the darkness below. As such, when they saw a faint light flickering in the distance, it immediately caught their attention.


    Ever so carefully, the men slowly crept down the stairway. And soon enough, they saw Marlene who was holding a torch and standing beside a pillar.


    A good opportunity!

 Chapter 69 Whos The Hunter

    An idea flashed in the minds of the three black-cloaked men.


    Who wouldn''t relish this godsent opportunity? A solo girl surrounded by darkness and currently preoccupied with something else... Even if she were a mage, she wouldn''t be able to escape once they made a move.


    However...


    The three men scanned their surroundings with a slight frown on their faces, clearly a little worried about an ambush. They weren''t here for on a stroll and had to be vigilant. But after contemplating for a moment, they concluded there shouldn''t be much risk if they acted now.


    Nevertheless, they were still rather puzzled. Why was this woman unguarded? Where was their ''primary assassination target?''


    If he had died, the female mage wouldn''t be so calm. Did he leave her here alone and venture deeper inside?


    The three men glanced at each other and made hand gestures to communicate with one another. In the end, they couldn''t think of anything else more possible than what they had already discussed. Based on their intel, this young man was quite skilled, so it wasn''t surprising if he was confident about his strength and left the female mage here as he explored the ruins. While they couldn''t see far in the darkness, they could at least make out a faint outline of a torch burning in the distance.


    The leader of the black-cloaked men went silent. A moment later, he raised his head, revealing a pair of eyes gazing with resolution. He slowly lifted his right arm and swung it downwards in an arc.


    Begin operation!


    The other men dashed into the darkness stealthily once they received their orders.


    Their well-honed killing intent began to surface.


    -


    Marlene stared at the intricately carved patterns on the pillar in front of her. She wasn''t studying those patterns; rather, her head kept ringing with the words Rhode had delivered to her before leaving.


    Those people will undoubtedly try to attack you. I will need you to act naturally and pretend that you don''t know anything. Do not worry; I have a way of stopping them. Rest assured Marlene, I will not allow you to get hurt.


    Rhode appeared to be 100% reliable when he reassured her, but to be totally cool about being the bait was completely rubbish. Therefore she could not resist secretly glancing at her surroundings once in a while.


    Meanwhile, under the flickering light, a shadow shifted from time to time. If Marlene observed carefully, she would realize that someone was lurking nearby.


    The pressure on her wasn''t light at all. It was especially so when she heard the methods from Rhode about how they were going to deal with her. Her heart froze. Death was enough to cause fear in people. If was far better off being dead than to imagine what they were going to do with her after being captured.


    Frankly, Marlene had considered summoning her magic sphere to brighten the area so she could see where the enemy was hiding. But in the end, she swallowed her fear and chose to believe in Rhode.


    What an unreasonable man!


    When she thought of herself putting total trust in a man, Marlene suddenly felt like she was becoming stupid. Why did she have to believe him? Why must her life dance in the palm of his hand? Was it because he convinced her? Or was it because of other reasons...


    Even when facing her father, Marlene was never THAT obedient. So why did she listen to his every word? Somehow, before this man, every word he spoke was something that she was unable to oppose.


    Is it because of the duel before? That shouldn''t be it.


    Although he is the first man to injure me, I''m not a weak woman who would become obedient once scared, right?


    Marlene shook her head repeatedly, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t get him out of her mind.


    Then she berated herself inwardly. "Don''t think about him anymore!"


    Thus, in order to take her mind off him, she began to focus on deciphering the meaning of the ancient symbols on the pillar.


    A woman mind is really complicated...


    "....chosen knight��to protect the world��"


    Her white and slender fingers traced the mysterious carvings, carefully examining the ancient symbols before her as she murmured to herself.


    "....the source of power...came from...soul contract...under the void..."


    Her voice became softer as her expression became increasingly focused.


    Marlene completely neglected the danger around her.


    -


    A chance!


    The black-cloaked men snorted coldly. As professionals, they did not make any rash moves. They knew that their opponent was a mage �� and a genius one at that. Therefore, if they weren''t 100% confident about capturing her, attacking her and losing their stealth advantage was a silly move.


    Initially, they discovered that she was quite cautious, so they refrained from making a move. But they could''ve never suspected that her cautiousness was because she was anticipating their arrival. Instead, they thought that it wasn''t strange for a young girl such as her to be entirely calm in a dark cavern �� and furthermore, she was all alone. Now that she gradually immersed herself in deciphering the weird symbols on the pillars, they finally had the opportunity to close the distance.


    One of the black-cloaked men stretched out his hand and pulled out a cloth. Then, he lowered his body and crawled towards her slowly.


    Unfortunately, it didn''t go as well he planned.


    A sharp, scarlet blade pierced through his throat noiselessly. The man''s eyes widened in horror as he almost lost consciousness. He gripped his neck and attempted to shout for his comrades, but he found that he could only open his mouth and wriggle his tongue wordlessly. At this moment, a cold metallic blade opened a gap in his body.


    After that, darkness shrouded his entire world.


    The body that had lost its vitality slumped to the floor, but before it touched the ground, Rhode grabbed it and gently laid it down. Then, Rhode gave a quick glance at his surroundings and quickly retreated.


    Shadows swallowed his silhouette.


    -


    It''s been a while, why hasn''t he made a move yet?


    The man who was hiding behind the pillar frowned to himself. He stared at Marlene''s defenseless back and felt a bit annoyed. Based on their plan, one was responsible for the attack while the others were supposed to back him up if something went awry. But now, judging at how much time had passed, shouldn''t he had made his move?


    Or did something happened to him?


    Perhaps it was intuition or instinct. The man turned around to inspect his surroundings.


    But the only thing he saw was a red flash.


    "������"


    Bright, red blood sprayed from his neck, and he collapsed immediately. Once again, Rhode quickly shot forward to support the body and slowly laid the corpse on the floor. If anyone observed Rhode''s swift actions right now, no one would have imagined that he was a swordsman.


    Number two is down.


    Once he confirmed that he obtained EXP, he prepared to retreat once again.


    But suddenly, a swishing sound came from behind.


    Rhode instinctively rolled to the side. He felt a cold sensation on his left shoulder when a black shadow shot past him.


    As expected of a professional.


    Rhode clenched his teeth to endure the searing pain on his left shoulder. He wanted to quickly get rid of the three of them so he could move on to the other two guarding the entrance. If everything went smoothly, they could''ve easily gone home after this. Unfortunately, the opponent did not give him that opportunity.


    When the first attack failed, the black shadow didn''t attack Rhode again; instead, he turned around and directly rushed towards Marlene.


    Rhode quickly stood up and crushed a green card in his palm, summoning the Spirit Bird who immediately shot towards the last black-cloaked man.


    All of these events happened in a flash. Even when Rhode got injured by the enemy''s attack, Marlene did not discover anything wrong. But once the black-cloaked man gave up hiding, it was too late. Marlene turned around hastily and saw a dagger thrusting towards her. The gap between her assailant and herself was less than half a meter!


    Marlene''s protective garments activated their defensive spells, but she didn''t expect that the man could easily penetrate it as though he was cutting a cake.


    However, the very next moment, the only thing Marlene could hear was an explosion.


    Boom!! A wind blast produced by the Spirit Bird hit squarely on the man''s back. It was like an invisible fist punching the enemy, launching his body towards the ground.


    Rhode sighed.


    When he saw the man rushing towards Marlene, he already knew that his smooth sailing plan had come to an end. Obviously, this man was aware that his strength was able to pierce through Marlene''s protective spells. He made the right choice to launch an attack instead of relying on her protective spells.


    And it seemed like his decision was indeed correct.


    But now wasn''t the time to feel relieved.


    Marlene dashed to Rhode''s side, and at the same time, the black-cloaked man slowly stood up. Although it appeared as though the Spirit Bird''s attack created a large impact, the damage wasn''t fatal at all. Moreover, the man was an advanced level assailant. Killing him wasn''t that easy.


    Rhode''s left hand shielded Marlene while his right lifted the sword.


    At the same time, the black-cloaked man also whipped out a knife and a dagger, emitting a thick killing intent from his eyes.

 Chapter 70 Dilemma

    Both of them went silent.


    Rhode stood in front of Marlene, raising his sword and groaning inwardly. He was afraid of facing advanced level enemies. The fact that they were of an advanced level meant that their level was beyond the average human''s standard and that they had officially entered a superhuman state. Although spies were not known for their strength, it did not prevent them from being powerful. Not to mention, a spy''s speed was extremely fast: most people wouldn''t be able to react to it. Moreover... it was a human this time. It would have been better if the enemy was only an alchemical creature who had a little bit of wisdom.


    But now, there was no use regretting it.


    "Marlene, always pay attention. Don''t give him any chance to attack, understand?"


    "I will try."


    Upon hearing Rhode''s command, Marlene, who was always brimming with confidence, also became cautious. She had never seen such speed��plus the enemy could even get rid of her magic protective shield. This made Marlene sense danger. She took a step back and calmed down before raising her wand.


    At that moment, the spy also made a move.


    So fast!


    In a blink of an eye, Rhode could see the dagger had already arrived in front of him. He was surprised and turned his sword around to block the dagger in front of him.


    But then, he felt a huge force surge from the sword which sent him flying a few meters back, causing him to heavily fall to the ground. Even though the attack had dealt a very heavy blow, he still clenched his teeth and stood up. He brandished the sword in his hand and once again blocked the spy''s dagger.


    Boom!!


    Rhode''s body lost its balance and genuflected on the ground while the magic equipment in his hand issued a hoarse sound like a longbow.


    Is he a barbarian or a spy!?


    One of Rhode''s hands was holding the sword''s hilt while the other hand was holding the sword''s body. He groaned inwardly.


    This guy is really difficult to handle. His speed and strength are far beyond mine. If not for my experience, I would already be a goner.


    "Eh?"


    Looking at Rhode''s miserable state, the spy was puzzled.


    He was not underestimating Rhode. From the moment his two subordinates were killed in silence, he had seen that the young man was brave and had fighting experience. Rhode actually could feel his presence and dodged his surprise attack. This meant that the young man was not easy to deal with. That was why he was at a loss when his first attack failed and decided to leave the outcome to fate.


    He never imagined that this young man''s performance was completely beyond his imagination once he attacked again.


    He actually was incapable of blocking his attack?


    Looking at the young man who was resisting his attack, the spy was puzzled. Naturally, he knew a person who was not even able to block his attack definitely was not an advanced level. But how did a swordsman who had yet to enter the advanced level kill his two subordinates in silence? It was just too strange.


    Generally, a person''s combat experience and strength were bound to each other. When a person has a lot of combat experience, his or her strength would also be powerful. But although this person had a lot of combat experience, his strength was very weak. Why was that? The black-cloaked spy of course did not know that Rhode had gotten his combat experience from a totally different world. As a spy, being cautious was his nature. Since something was out of the ordinary and his enemy was acting so decisive and resolute, the scene before him might be fake. That''s why he needed to be careful to not get caught in the trap, or it would be troublesome.


    Thinking of this, the black-cloaked spy could not help but use less of his strength.


    Aware of it, Rhode quickly reacted. Although he did not know why would the spy do something like that, he couldn''t afford to let this opportunity slip away! Opportunity only knocks once.


    He stretched out his left hand and directed it towards the sword.


    A bright, red flame suddenly appeared from Rhode''s hand and rushed towards the spy. Followed by the sound of a roar, the black hound once again appeared out of the flame, opening his mouth and rushing forward.


    "What the hell is that thing!!"


    Looking at the flame before him burning relentlessly, the spy was stunned. He quickly retreated to escape the flame attack. But the Flame Killer did not wait until the spy recovered from his surprise, appearing out of thin air and opening his mouth. His sharp, white fangs had also made the spy secretly stunned. But as an advanced spy, he still wasn''t at the point of being afraid of this thing. Facing the black hound, the spy only coldly snorted. He waved his hand and two bright lights flashed through and slashed the Flame Killer body.


    The spy moved his hand, intending to dodge the black hound corpse. His choice was correct, but he had only taken the Flame Killer''s characteristics into account...


    Boom!!!


    A violent explosion ignited from the ground. Bright red flames emitted smoke and spread around; even the palace began to shake in its entirety. The spy miserably retreated, no longer as calm as before and his eyes even showed a little panic.


    As expected! This young man is indeed strange!


    He threw away the dagger that had already melted in his left hand and clenched his teeth. He had never seen such a strange summoning spirit spell. It could be directly launched without any chanting and preparation. Moreover, the summoned spirit could produce such a result?


    Is this the power of some kind of magic equipment, or his own ability?


    While the spy was busy speculating, a sharp light pierced the smoke and fly towards him.


    It was a pure white sword!


    "Damn!"


    The black-cloaked spy had been through countless battles. He knew the situation he was facing had turned adverse as his opponent attacked him mercilessly. Moreover, Rhode''s strange way of fighting also made things even more difficult. He brandished the dagger in his hand and threw it to block the incoming sword, then quickly backed down. Right now, the spy had given up on the offensive and temporarily focused on defending and retreating. There was still time; after all, it was impossible for them to stay here for long!


    But at this moment, an unexpected occurrence happened once again.


    When his dagger was thrown to block the sword, the sword suddenly transformed into a green, translucent bird. It floated in the air, then circled and rushed towards him.


    What the f*ck is that thing!!


    Even if he had gone through countless battles, he was completely stunned because the scene that presented itself before him was beyond normal. A summoning spirit that was able to explode, then a bird that was able to turn into sword? Or a sword that was able to turn into bird? Holy soul bless me, can it get even weirder?


    Although he was getting very depressed, he did not show it. This was because he could clearly see that not far from the bird, Rhode''s figure had passed through the smoke and rushed towards him with a sword.


    "Hmph!!"


    At this point, the spy no longer hesitated. His left hand drew a dagger from his waist and threw it at the Spirit Bird while his right hand clutched another dagger in front of his chest. After the confrontation from before, he had learned a lesson. If the bird he summoned was also able to explode like the hound from before, then would he not be very unlucky?


    As expected.


    Rhode was joyful when he saw the spy''s reaction. When the spy retreated, Rhode was a little bit puzzled about him not taking the opportunity to kill him. Rhode thought that he liked to play with his prey. But now he finally understood: the truth was that the opponent was afraid of him!


    Or to be exact, the opponent was afraid of how he fought.


    With this in mind, Rhode immediately made a decision. After all, opportunity only knocks once. Since the opponent did not understand how he fought, he definitely had his considerations. In this world, there was no Summoning Swordsman, so they naturally did not have the experience of fighting one. It resulted in his constant hesitation. But it was definitely a good opportunity for Rhode: if the enemy had him figured out, then Rhode''s death was only the matter of time.


    Rhode was also not stupid; since the spy was very wary of him, he would not attack him directly. Rhode stopped and threw the red sword in his hand forward.


    A light pierced through the darkness and flew forward.


    What is he doing!?


    Looking at Rhode''s sword, the spy immediately threw the dagger in his hand.


    Sword condensation, separate attack! He''s clearly an advanced swordsman! I was deceived!! Look at his act, I almost fell into his trap!


    With this in mind, the black-cloaked spy broke out in sweat.


    Does this young man have a hobby of playing with his prey?


    His speculation was the exact same as Rhode had thought of him a minute before.


    Such a beautiful misunderstanding.


    Facing the sword condensation, the black-cloaked spy went as far as blocking it with his bare hands. He jumped back to escape the attack, but the sound he heard after that had made his blood run cold.


    Swoosh!!!


    Because at this moment, Marlene had finally locked onto her target. She raised her wand and pointed it to the front!


    Invisible wind blades appeared out of thin air and flew towards the target.


    "Hum!!!"


    A deep grunt sounded.


    Although the black-cloaked spy''s skill was not bad, his speed was limited as a human. He tried his best to dodge Rhode''s surprise attack. Facing Marlene''s wind blade, he no longer had the power to resist; the only thing he could do was roll on the ground and desperately try to dodge it. Even so, he was still hit by some blades.


    When he stood up, his body was already covered in wounds. Even the black veil on his face had fallen off to the ground.


    "Eh?"


    After clearly looking at the spy face, Marlene was dumbfounded.


    Because what hidden behind the black veil was actually a girl''s face.


    Currently, her pure white face wore a livid expression. Her blue eyes were burning in anger, unwilling to accept that her true appearance had been exposed. The spy no longer thought of retreating. She shouted and, holding a dagger, rushed towards Marlene!


    "Marlene, attack!"


    Although she had heard Rhode''s command, and her magic had also gathered in the center of her wand, she was unable to raise her wand when she saw the girl in front of her. It was as if her short wand weighed a thousand kilograms that she could not lift.


    That was a girl almost the same age as her! Do I really have to kill her?


    This thought flashed through her mind and made her lose her concentration. In these few moments, Marlene had lost the best opportunity.


    "Die!!"


    Like a leopard, the black-cloaked spy had appeared in front of Marlene, shouting loudly while lifting her dagger.


    "Damn it!"


    Seeing the scene before him, Rhode clenched his teeth. He did not run towards them, and instead took a step back.


    Next, the darkness engulfed his shadow.


    "Ah..."


    The girl''s angry roar and the cold wind the dagger brought jolted Marlene to her senses. Although she tried to focus her attention, she saw that the grim reaper''s scythe was already before her.


    Waiting to take her life.


    "������!!!"


    At this moment, Marlene''s blood ran cold. She closed her eyes while tightly holding the wand in her hand. Her mind was completely blank.


    Am I going to die?


    That was Marlene''s only thought at the moment.


    The dagger had fallen to the ground and pierced through the shield, followed by flesh and blood.


    "Rip!"


    But Marlene could not feel any pain.


    Am I dead already?


    She opened her eyes in surprise. The first thing that appeared before her was a big hand and a sharp, cold dagger that had penetrated the hand.


    There was only one owner of the hand.


    "Mr. Rhode!"


    "Hmph!!"


    Rhode''s one hand was blocking the spy''s attack. He coldly snorted and waved his other hand that was holding a sword.


    The girl''s expression was unwilling and angry and her eyes bloodshot. Then, a crescent moon-shaped light flashed by her and her head fell heavily to the ground. The body that had lost its balance also fell to the ground. Bright red blood was spraying out from the neck, and the corpse did not stop twitching. The body looked like a dead fish, struggling to live with no more hope.


    "Sigh..."


    Only when he saw the enemy fall was Rhode finally relieved. He kneeled to the ground while clenching his teeth. Then he pulled the dagger out from his hand forcefully. After that he turned around and angrily stared at Marlene.


    "I told you to attack, why didn''t you move!"


    "..."


    Marlene staggered.


    She had never seen Rhode angry. In the past, Rhode''s expression was mostly calm, and at most he just frowned his brow and snorted. But this time, he was clearly very mad; his beautiful face looked somewhat ferocious, and his two eyes reflected coldness as they pierced towards her.


    "Say it!"


    "I-I''m sorry..."


    Marlene felt that she was really useless, and facing Rhode''s anger, she was speechless. If she followed Rhode''s order at that time, then she would not have faced any danger. But she lost her focus and was unable to make any response. No matter what, it was her fault, and this had made her feel a deep frustration, a feeling that she hadn''t felt for a long time.


    "I... It''s all my fault..."


    Marlene lowered her head.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Rhode. I shouldn''t have dozed off..."


    "It''s not like I don''t know what you were thinking. But you have to know, at this kind of time, if you hesitate you might lose your life!"


    As for Marlene''s apology, Rhode did not verbally accept it, but neither did he verbally reject it.


    "Fortunately, I am prepared, but what if it was Lize? What if the enemy''s target was Lize? The moment you hesitated was enough for you to hold her dead body to cry for a lifetime!"


    "..."


    Marlene shrunk her body and could not say anything.


    "...Since you know that you''re wrong, I will be meting out punishment. You will accept it, right?"


    "Of course, Mr. Rhode. What do you want me to do!?"


    Upon seeing Rhode give her an opportunity to mend her faults, Marlene hurriedly looked up and asked. But the next thing Rhode did was give her a sword.


    "Use this sword and behead those two corpses, then burn them."


    "Eh?"


    "If you are not used to killing people, then you can first kill dead people as practice."


    To Marlene, it was indeed a very difficult to do. She hesitantly looking at the sword that Rhode given to her. She trembled while reaching out for it. In the end, she clenched her teeth and took it over.


    "I hope that you can remember. If you don''t kill them, then the head that is now on on the ground would be yours or your friend''s... I hope that you remember this point."


    Seeing Marlene take the sword and walk towards the two corpses, Rhode finally sighed. He leaned to the pillar and sat down while clenching his teeth. I have to say that it really hurts. The dagger was piercing through his palm. The intense pain was really hard to endure, and moreover the dagger was coated with highly poisonous toxins...


    Fortunately, my vitality is high.


    Rhode raised his left hand and saw a shocking dark-green color in the middle of his palm. He took a deep breath. He had seen the system information indicate that he had completely resisted the toxins. If not, he would not be so stupid as to waste his time to teach Marlene how to kill. Instead, he would have cleared the toxins.


    But neither Rhode or Marlene noticed that the blood dripping on Rhode''s left hand had fallen into the slate. But it did not dry like ordinary blood. On the contrary, the blood seemed to have a life of its own. It flowed to the sides of the palace lake and quietly spread forward.


    Shrouded in the darkness, a place where no one could see, an invisible force had attracted the blood. It flowed upstream, ascended the stairs, pillars, and finally in the altar, it condensed and converged...


    "M-Mr. Rhode, I''m done."


    At this time, Marlene had also completed Rhode''s command. Her face was pale, it could be seen that it was a hard blow to her. But Rhode did not say anything. He looked at the three corpses not far before him and stood up, then nodded towards Marlene.


    "Well done. Make a preparation to leave this ghostly place; there are still two people outside, and we must finish them. Remember, do not do the same mistake..."


    "Ah!!!"


    Rhode did not finish his sentence. The scream from afar had interrupted him.


    What happened?


    Rhode vigilantly looked towards the source of the voice: it should be from the secret passage. Were two other spies killed? What was happening?


    "Be careful, let''s go!"


    He no longer cared about bandaging his wound; Rhode immediately pulled Marlene and planned to leave. They had not gone far when suddenly a golden light flashed.


    A mysterious and strange character appeared out of thin air, forming an indestructible wall that sealed all the passages. At the same time, Rhode saw that the two statues on both sides of the pillar were emitting magic light!


    What the f*ck is happening...


    As if they were replying Rhode''s thoughts, the statues turned towards Rhode and raised their swords!


    After that, a deep voice sounded in the air.


    "Descendents of the Guardian Knight, have you finally come to accept the test?"


    Test?


    Rhode and Marlene glanced at each other.


    What test?


    "I-I read some information from the pillars just now, Mr. Rhode," Marlene stammered.


    "It seems like this place was used for a knight to pass a test. They came here to train, then when they were acknowledged, they would be given a title of guardian... I don''t know what are they guarding, but it seems precious..."


    "No matter what are they guarding, it has nothing to do with us."


    The pain in Rhode''s left hand was excruciating. Lize was not here, so it could not be taken care of. Although Rhode had bandaged himself, but it was barely better than not treating the wound. It seemed that this was a hidden quest, but with Rhode''s current condition, he was not interested in challenging it. He was injured and had wasted quite a lot of power battling with the spies from before. Not to mention, he had used the Dark Soul ring. In this kind of situation, no matter what test, he would have to refuse it.


    "I''m sorry, we went the wrong way," Rhode said while patting Marlene''s shoulder. "Let''s go."


    But no voice replied Rhode''s answer. It only paused, then continued to say.


    "As long as you are able to defeat the divinity, then you will take over their power and responsibility before inheriting the title of guardian."


    ...Isn''t this a real world? Can''t it be humanized? Must it be done like computer game graphics?


    Even though he was criticizing, but Rhode also knew that this voice was probably left by damn predecessors and it was useless to talk with it.


    "Marlene, activate your magic equipment. Let''s go," he said, holding Marlene''s hand.


    "Sure, Mr. Rhode."


    After she listened to Rhode''s words, she nodded her head and closed her eyes. She stretched out her right hand and placed it in front of her chest. Soon, a white light appeared and wrapped them inside... But then, it suddenly dissipated and returned to nothingness.


    "The space is sealed! Mr. Rhode, this space is being sealed!"


    Marlene became nervous, uneasily lifting her wand and vigilantly looking at the surroundings, not knowing what to do. At the same time, the voice rang once again.


    "Accept the trial, Descendents of the Guardian."


    Following the voice, the two statues pressed forward. Each statue held a sword in one hand, with the other reaching out.


    Wait, wait, this gesture is...


    Rhode''s expression changed.


    As if it was replying Rhode''s thoughts, a mysterious magic circle suddenly appeared from the hand of the statues. The two then began slowly rotating in the air.


    Next, the statues growled and held up a card!


    "Whoa!!"


    The dust whirled around in the air, and two statues resembling cheetahs appeared from the ground, surrounding Rhode and Marlene. With widened eyes, they stared at Rhode intently.

 Chapter 71 The Holy Sword Resonance

    "..."


    Rhode didn''t know how to react when he saw what was happening.


    Goddamn!


    There were two Stone Statues roughly two meters tall. Rhode clenched his teeth and took a deep breath. He knew right away that this palace was somehow connected to his Summoning Swordsman class.


    According to the legends, the Summoning Swordsman was an ancient mythological class. When the player chose this class, he or she would be labeled as its only successor that appeared on the continent once again.


    Wasn''t the class description and prologue meant to give the player a false sense of superiority, thinking that their chosen class was the ''one and only'' unique class?


    Now, it was hinted that the Summoning Swordsman class wasn''t created specifically for the player, but it was actually connected to the Fascarl Kingdom.


    Though currently, it wasn''t the time to be thinking about these things.


    "Mr. Rhode!"


    Marlene''s voice sounded behind him. When he turned his head, he realized that a golden barrier had divided the both of them.


    Marlene stood at the other end of the barrier, staring at Rhode with uncertainty in her eyes.


    Ah... so it is a solo test... What a waste. I can''t even bring a helper along.


    Rhode didn''t dwell too much on it since it was meaningless to spend his time deliberating on the inevitable. The only thing he was concerned about was how to get out of this place alive.


    Four against one? Do you want to bully me with numbers?


    "Hmph." Rhode snorted inwardly.


    He took half a step forward while raising a sword in his right arm. At that very moment, strands of light streamed down from the sword''s hilt to his hand, then to his entire body, and finally down to his legs. A beautiful formation expanded below Rhode. Floating around him was a green and red card, seemingly intertwining both elements of wind and fire.


    "������!!"


    The Flame Killer and Spirit Bird made a majestic opening scene. Both of them roared to flaunt their strength at the two Stone Cheetahs.


    But that wasn''t all.


    When he completed the Pavel Cemetery dungeon, the EXP he received took him straight to level 10; just a tad bit would enable him to level up once more. After killing the three black-cloaked men, the EXP he received was pretty good, especially the leader who appeared quite young. Altogether, he earned 2000 EXP for killing them, and it brought him directly to level 12. Two levels in one go.


    It might seem as though killing them was quite profitable, but...


    Rhode glanced at the wound on his left hand and sighed.


    He wasn''t able to easily shrug off that kind of injury.


    [EXP 6000/2500, Level Up, Talent Tree Unlocked, Level 10]


    Level up!


    Rhode immediately wanted to make a choice, but the next system prompt shocked him.


    [EXP 3500/3000, Level Up, Talent Tree Unlocked, Received 2 Skill Points, Level 11]


    [EXP 500/4000, Talent Tree Unlocked, Received 4 Skill Points, Level 12]


    Obtained 2 Skill Points?


    Rhode wanted to rub his eyes. He thought that he was dreaming, but the fact was that the system wouldn''t lie. Indeed there was a ''2'' in front of him.


    Huh?


    If I remember correctly, players only get 1 point per level. Why did I get 2?


    Did the system change? Or is there a bug?


    Although his mind was filled with doubts, Rhode didn''t hesitate to add his newly obtained Skill Points. What happened later can be discussed afterwards. But if he died now, he would lose any chance to do anything. So no matter what, if these 4 Skill Points were real, then he should just use it!


    [Used 1 Skill Point to level up. Soul Resonance LV2 (Every 10 levels, the character''s max number of Summoning Spirits will increase +1)]


    [Used 1 Skill Point to level up. Soul Resonance LV3 (Every 10 levels, the character''s max number of Summoning Spirits will increase +1)]


    [Summoning Spirit +3]


    [Available Summoning Spirit 4]


    [Used 1 Skill Point. Summoning Master First Talent has been unlocked: Integration LV1 (Fusion of two Spirits to create a new Summoning Spirit, will consume 1 Spirit)]


    [Received Permanent Skill: Integration LV1]


    [Used 1 Skill Point to level up. Integration LV2 (When using Soul Core, it will not consume the Spirit)]


    [Soul Core detected. Use Integration?]


    Rhode stretched out his left arm.


    In his hand, he held the Soul Core he obtained from the Necromancer. A dark fog swirled around the fragile gem.


    "Fusion!"


    Followed by his shout, the formation below him shone even brighter than before. Both the Spirit Bird and Flame Killer turned into cards once more and spun around Rhode. As the cards slowly closed into the center, at the same time, the Soul Core began to tremble. A black fog appeared and condensed into an astral object. The two cards attracted to one another as though they were magnets, and once they got close enough, it suddenly collided.


    Swoosh!! A dense fog billowed and engulfed Rhode. Marlene was shocked when she witnessed this scene. Even the Stone Statues and the Stone Cheetahs also revealed some form of vigilance.


    A while later, a black card appeared inside the fog. It slowly descended onto Rhode''s palm. Above the card was an image of a Centaur Knight which donned a heavy, black-colored chest plate. On its head, it wore a fitting black helmet which hid its glowing red eyes. And in its arms, it held a sharp pike.


    [Obtained Army of Abyss 1/5, Soul Hunter Knight]


    [Soul Hunter Knight (Dark Element): Available for Fusion. Attack has a Corrosion Effect. Special Skill ���� Charge (Pressing forward without looking back is the fate of a Centaur) LV5.


    Received the baptism of Wind and Fire. Inherited the elemental characteristics.


    Weak attacks are unable to penetrate its armor, Heavy Armor Type]


    [Offense: 3, Defense: 4]


    Nice!


    Holding the card in his hand, Rhode felt a wave of assurance surging through his body.


    And now...


    When he was about to begin the battle, suddenly another system prompt appeared.


    [Magic condensation completed, your sword has begun to resonate. A Soul Core will soon be absorbed.]


    What is it doing?


    Looking at the information on his system prompt, Rhode frowned. Although he had already acquired several Summoning Spirits, he still wasn''t quite sure about the mechanics of the Holy Sword Deck. Previously, when he forced the deck to level up, the system prompt had informed him about magic condensation and he chose to ignore it. But he didn''t even summon it right now, why would the prompt appear on its own? Why did it want to absorb the Soul Core?


    Rhode understood that protesting was futile, so he decided to not think about it anymore. Anyway, the Summoning Swordsman class had always been a troublesome profession. He was absolutely certain about that.


    The Soul Core on Rhode''s hand was destroyed and turned to dust. A white card suddenly appeared on his palm.


    [Please Select Swordsmanship Binding]


    What the hell is happening?


    If this had happened in the game, he would definitely record all of this information down and post it on the forums so everyone could analyze it together. But now he was obviously unable to do so. Moreover, the system didn''t even give him the chance to choose ''No.'' So, should he answer ''Yes,'' ''Ok,'' or ''Sure''?


    He had no choice in this apparently.


    [Swordsmanship Binding: Moon Shadow Swordsmanship]


    Rhode cursed inwardly, but he still chose the Moon Shadow Swordsmanship since it was the best out of the bunch.


    However, the next prompt made him slightly happier.


    [Swordsmanship Binding completed, please choose ''Yes'' or ''No''...]


    Without hesitation, Rhode chose ''Yes.''


    At that very moment, a light appeared.


    The fog which shrouded Rhode previously was split apart by the light. In fact, it shone so brightly that Marlene was forced to close her eyes. A moment later, the light disappeared and everything returned to normal. When Marlene opened her eyes, she couldn''t help but stare wide-eyed at the scene before her.


    Rhode was still standing motionlessly at the same place. On his left was the black hound, and on his right was the two meters tall pike-wielding Centaur Knight. And as usual, the Spirit Bird perched on Rhode''s shoulder, focusing its sharp gaze to the front.


    But there was an additional figure amongst the summoned spirits.


    A young, petite figure stood next to the Centaur Knight.


    It was a girl, an angel, to be precise.


    Her long and lustrous white hair fell upon her shoulders, accentuating her delicate and beautiful face. She wore a Valkyrie-esque helmet, and her deep, blue eyes emitted a cool aura. She was also donned in an intricately carved ornate armor which emitted a faint white glow, and the white wings on her back flapped ever so slowly as she slowly descended to the ground. In all, her appearance was just like a sword that left its sheath; sharp, yet beautiful.


    She single-handedly raised her sword with an indifferent expression on her face.


    "10th Ranked, Eternal Holy Sword, Star Mark heeds your call, Master."


    "Very good."


    When Rhode laid his eyes on her, he couldn''t help but feel amazed.


    But he still managed to hide his astonishment and nodded his head to acknowledge her. Then he lifted the sword in his hand and pointed forward.


    "Well then, time to get started!"

 Chapter 72 Trial vs. Glory

    It was an unfair battle.


    And it stayed that way from the beginning until the end.


    "������!!!"


    The Stone Cheetah rushed forward and pressed Flame Killer to the ground. The black hound retaliated by wrapping the enemy with the flames on its body, constraining the Stone Cheetah''s movements. The other Stone Cheetah took the opportunity to attack the black hound from the side, but before it could sink its razor sharp teeth into the black hound''s flesh, a violent whirlwind came crashing down from the sky, flinging the heavy Stone Cheetah a distance away.


    After watching the cheetah slowly getting up, the Spirit Bird stopped attacking and observed it attentively with its eagle-like eyes. Apparently, it knew that it had successfully garnered the attention of the Stone Cheetah when it saw the two gleaming pupils of hatred. However, a split second later, a large shadow enveloped the cheetah''s body.


    The Centaur Knight trampled forward and snapped the Stone Cheetah''s head. Its left hand gripped a heavy golden shield, while its right held a long pike.


    Meanwhile...


    Shik! The stone sword issued a sharp screech when it slammed against the floor.


    Rhode had sidestepped the Stone Statue''s attack, and at the same time, he slit a shallow gash on his left palm with his sword.


    Blood smeared onto the blade, causing the crimson tinge on his sword to increase in intensity.


    For a moment, the Stone Statue stopped attacking Rhode, instead, it held its sword close to brace itself for an attack. When Rhode had dodged its attack, the white-haired angel launched a surprise attack from behind. She swiftly closed the distance and slashed downwards like a falling meteor.


    As her white wings fluttered gracefully in the wind, the heavy Stone Statue''s sword began crumbling from the impact. At the same time, a bloodied blade appeared from behind, piercing straight into the Stone Statue''s body. Immediately, the statue''s movements turned sluggish, and before it could pull away from Rhode''s sword, a silver light landed on its torso.


    Boom!!! Its body couldn''t endure any further and exploded into pieces, scattering everywhere.


    On the other side, the Centaur Knight''s pike had pierced through the other statue''s torso. The relentless assaults from the Stone Statue weren''t able to hurt the Centaur Knight other than leaving a few white scratches on its black armor.


    Marlene was stunned silly. Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped. From her perspective, these kinds of battles would only happen in myths or legends. The king''s trustworthy subordinates surrounded him, lifting their sword up high and rushing into battle without fear. They crushed any foe who stood in their path. If there were a hundred, they would kill a hundred; if there were a thousand, they would slaughter a thousand! Right now, although the enemy wasn''t a thousand-man army, still, Rhode being the central command of his spirits gave an aura of an indomitable king.


    However, that was just a perspective from an outsider. In reality, Rhode was feeling quite frantic. He summoned four spirits so that he could end the battle as soon as possible and couldn''t maintain it for long. His first phase of attacks was successful in destroying one Stone Statue and one Stone Cheetah. Now, he wanted to commence phase two.


    At the same time, the remaining Stone Statue waved his weapon and commanded the Stone Cheetah to attack Rhode.


    But Rhode was faster.


    Upon receiving Rhode''s command, the Centaur Knight howled and went into a rage. It galloped towards the Stone Cheetah with Rhode, Flame Killer, and the white-haired angel following closely behind.


    They looked like as though they were unstoppable.


    However, Rhode knew that he had overdrawn his strength. He must quickly end this battle otherwise it would put him in dire straits. While he did not know what was the real purpose of this trial, according to his experiences in the game, his decision shouldn''t be far off.


    Screeeech! An ear-piercing sound echoed.


    Rhode suddenly found out that his path was blocked by another four Stone Statues that appeared out of nowhere. Several Stone Cheetahs were circling them as well, biding their time for the right moment to attack.


    Rhode didn''t waste his time to think of the reason and chose to speak with his sword. The Flame Killer took to the front and rushed recklessly towards the group of Stone Statues. Its body was riddled full of holes in no time, sparking off an explosion which temporarily created a gap in the enemy''s formation.


    This gap was enough for Rhode and the others.


    The Centaur Knight dashed forward and spun his massive pike, smashing it into any foe that barred its path. Due to the explosion and the impact from the Centaur Knight''s swing, one of the Stone Statue lost its balance. At the same time, the Centaur Knight lunged its pike towards a Stone Cheetah that tried to launch an attack from the air.


    "Finish them!" Rhode yelled as he ran past the Centaur Knight. After recognizing Rhode''s orders, the Centaur Knight raised its pike and beat it onto its shield with an immense force as it swept its eyes at any nearby foe. The Spirit Bird was still circling in the air, producing whirlwinds which smashed into unsuspecting statues.


    Stone fragments scattered everywhere.


    From the beginning of the battle until now, only three minutes had passed. Rhode felt his stamina being drained rapidly. When he abandoned the Flame Killer, he was already extremely spent. Moreover, after allowing his sword to absorb blood, even though his attacks became more lethal, the excessive blood loss caused his face turn deathly pale. His limbs even began to tremble; it was definitely not a good sign.


    Bang! Rhode took a step backward after blocking an attack. The invincible sword that could even cut through stone finally met its foe. An ear-piercing sound once again echoed in the air. This time, he has finally found his target.


    It was the massive Stone Statue that he had met before. It was clear that the material on its body was vastly different from the others.


    Rhode was in trouble.


    The Stone Statue before him was much larger than the other Stone Statues. Fortunately, it wasn''t holding a weapon. However, its presence was still an issue because its huge frame blocked two-thirds of the door behind it.


    Anyway, no matter what, this guy wouldn''t be easy to deal with.


    "Show me your Glory! Successor!"


    Only the ghosts know what you are saying.


    Rhode grieved inwardly, but he didn''t forget to signal the white-haired angel to come to his side. He knew that this BOSS wasn''t something that could be overcome with brute force. It must have its own condition or weaknesses. If he faced a magic immune BOSS with a God-Tier magic spell, it would still deal no damage. On the other hand, if he used a wooden stick, he might be able to defeat it easily. Since the statue didn''t attack immediately and even spoke to him, Rhode concluded that this BOSS couldn''t be defeated through battle.


    "Glory! Successor!"


    The giant stone sculpture''s voice echoed throughout the palace, causing a slight headache.


    Glory? What glory?


    Rhode''s brain began to work. He recollected every detail about the Summoning Swordsman class. History, walkthroughs, quests... but he still couldn''t locate the so-called Glory. In the game, the information about the Summoning Swordsman class wasn''t plentiful. The players were more interested in the adventure rather than the story.


    When all these thoughts were flooding his brain, the white-haired angel took half-a-step forward.


    "Dear Guardian, I''m here to reveal my master''s Glory!"


    Followed by her words, her body suddenly emanated a soft light. Her two wings spread over a gorgeous magic circle. Then she began to float upwards, but the very next moment, a light flashed, and her figure instantly disappeared. What was left was a white sword bathed in a holy aura.


    Star Mark.


    This was the ''Glory''?


    Rhode stared curiously at the sword that was floating before him. His heart felt strange; a humanlike lifeform turning into a sword wasn''t something you see every day.


    In the end, Rhode still reached out his hand and grabbed the hilt.


    Mellow, cold and smooth, seemed to be no different than before. If he did not personally witness it, he would not believe that such a weapon could turn into a person.


    While holding the sword, Rhode thought to himself.


    What is my Glory?


    Why is this sword my Glory?


    Wait... does the Glory this guy refer to...


    A spark lit in his eyes. Rhode no longer hesitated. He raised his sword and pointed towards the gigantic Stone Statue.


    Yes...! How could''ve I missed it?


    It''s my past Glory!


    The Glory that I''ve fought for and was acknowledged for!


    ... My past Glory.


    MY FORMER GLORY!


    At that very moment, a light shot out from the sword and flew into the Stone Statue''s forehead, disappearing without a trace.


    "���������� !!!"


    After the light entered its body, the huge statue began to collapse. Soon, its body turned to dust and disappeared into the air.


    At the same time, a system prompt appeared before Rhode.

 Chapter 73 Inside The Ruins

    [Trial Successful. Obtained the Holy Symbol of the Guardian ��Recover the lost Glory, recreate the Glory of the past]


    The system prompt was easy to understand, but for it to appear now was kind of weird.


    Rhode, of course, knew what his Glory was. Especially considering that it was derived from his own effort. The series of trials he had to go through to attain the title of the most powerful Summoning Swordsman was no easy feat. He had to participate in a PVP championship with over ten thousand other players competing against each other via dueling. Everybody knew how the story went from then on; Rhode emerged victoriously and was crowned the title of the Top Summoning Swordsman in the entire Dragon Soul Continent.


    Now, it seemed that the current quest was pushing him on the path to attain his past Glory once again.


    But it was strange; he knew he wasn''t in the game world any longer. There were no players, no game company, and unquestionably no global PVP championships. It was akin to being transmigrated to the Tang Dynasty era and then receiving a quest to win an F1 racing cup.


    Rhode had seen the Holy Symbol of the Guardian before. In the game, many other classes had something similar to the Holy Symbol that he possessed. Mages had their magic circle, swordsmen had the Symbol of Bravery, Knights had the Code of Chivalry, and Clerics had the Holy Heart. Even Thieves and Rangers had a Magic Tattoo. These items were only obtainable after a test. The Summoning Swordsman class also had their own Magic Tattoo, but it wasn''t equivalent to the Holy Symbol of the Guardian, instead, it was more like a Soul Contract than anything else.


    Two lines of silver and black intertwined with each other, forming a complex, yet beautiful pattern on his hand. The pattern then linked with the summoning circle on his palm. When Rhode willed it, the pattern hid under his skin, concealing itself from sight.


    [Holy Symbol of the Guardian (Recovered the Heart of Honor)


    Heart of Honor: All Summoning Spirits consumption is reduced by a third; the duration of summons increases by a third (Mine Honor is my Life) ]


    (ED: CN direct translation is Glory is my Life, but I think Shakespeare''s quote feels better in this context.)


    It''s done!


    Rhode finally felt relieved. He slumped on the ground and reverted the holy sword back into a card. Currently, Rhode was extremely spent; his face was incredibly pale as he had lost a significant amount of blood. The bloody gash on his hand already formed a scab. Indeed, Blood Tears was an extraordinary weapon, as long it absorbs enough blood, it could display a shocking amount of power.


    ...Though it''d be better if he didn''t have to use his own blood.


    "Mr. Rhode!"


    Once the trial ended, the barrier that blocked out Marlene had shattered. During the fight, all she could do was anxiously watch Rhode battle against overwhelming odds, so now that the barrier had been destroyed, she quickly ran over to Rhode.


    "You''re injured?!" Marlene screamed out of concern when she saw Rhode''s lacerated palm which was full of blood and flesh.


    Rhode waved away her worry and said, "Just a minor wound."


    He tried to stand up, but after losing so much blood, he lost his balance and fell back to the ground. Fortunately, Marlene caught his arm in time and supported him from the side.


    Seeing him in such a weakened state, Marlene furrowed her brow and said softly, "You should rest. There are no more enemies around. After you recover, we can proceed on."


    Facing her insistence, he did not say anything else. His excessive blood loss and overconsumption of Soul Power had weakened him greatly. It wasn''t a good choice if he forced himself to walk, thus, with Marlene''s help, he settled against a nearby pillar to restore his strength.


    While Rhode was resting, Marlene wasn''t idling. She fished out several crystalline gems and placed it beside Rhode before softly chanting a spell. Soon, a translucent hexagonal prism appeared and enveloped both of them.


    "This is an intermediate protective spell," Marlene explained with her head slightly lowered, apparently aware of Rhode''s gaze on her. "It can recover injury and strength to a certain extent. I-I think that you should take a good rest after going through so much. This is the Senia family''s heirloom; it isn''t something that anyone can break..."


    Marlene''s voice was trembling slightly when she spoke. From the two days they had spent traveling to the Rock of Lament, Rhode had constantly kept his vigilance. Once there was a bit of movement, he would react immediately. From time to time, he would command her to check on the men following them. Frankly, this made her extremely worn out as she had to sleep on the cold hard ground. The rough, jagged stones and the smell of bushes made her miss her fluffy bed in Golden City. She just wanted to lie around and not do anything; however, she knew that what she was experiencing was nothing but trivial when compared to Rhode.


    On the surface, it appeared that everything had gone according to Rhode''s plan. If there was a problem, he was there to solve it. But after traveling with him, Marlene understood how much effort he needed to put in to guarantee his success.


    It could be said that she was quite similar to Rhode. Since young, she had many prestigious titles labeled after her such as, ''Pride of the Senia family'', ''Magic Academy Genius'', ''Magic Fairy''. From the perspective of outsiders, she was the genius that could memorize any kind of spell in one sitting, and her understanding of Soul Power was far more profound than anyone else. But they did not see how much effort she had to expend behind the scenes. When the other kids were playing outside, she sat in a room with piles of ancient books surrounding her. While the other young ladies were attending a banquet, she was alone in a cold, underground room practicing her spells over and over again.


    Even when it was bedtime for the children, she would be busy practicing social etiquettes in front of a mirror. The latest example would be her current plight. At the moment, the nobles back in her hometown were practicing horse riding. As for her, she had to face several dangerous situations in this forest with Rhode.


    Many people were envious of her. Naturally, accepted all the envy. She was proud of her talent and her ability because she was willing to work hard for it.


    On the other hand, Marlene would not allow anyone to look down on her. In her opinion, if her hard work were demeaned by those who only knew how to play or complain all day long, it would simply be an insult to her.


    That was precisely the reason why Marlene could understand Rhode. Even when he reprimanded her, she would accept his opinion and keep silent because she knew that the man in front of her was smarter, more talented and more hardworking than her. Since she couldn''t accept anyone trampling on her effort, naturally she wouldn''t neglect other people''s effort.


    Of course, neither did Rhode know what Marlene was thinking about, nor did he want to guess. Back then, when he was young and innocent, he had tried to simulate his ex-girlfriends thoughts. When she broke up with him, he was confused. He thought that he knew what she was thinking. Then his imagination started to go wild. Did she lose interest? Did she find another man? Were they not suitable for one another?


    It was only until later when he found out the truth. The reason why she broke up with him was that he attracted a lot of attention from his looks, making her feel incredibly pressured. And for the average modern women of today, having a boyfriend that was more beautiful than them was nothing worth envying.


    From that moment on, Rhode no longer cared about these things. Since Marlene had guaranteed their safety, he did not say anything else and closed his eyes to begin recuperating. Moreover, according to his knowledge, it was indeed a strong barrier.


    Although the pillar was cold and hard, he did not mind at all.


    "Mr. Rhode," a soft whisper entered his ears.


    Rhode opened his eyes and turned towards Marlene. He saw her laying his cloak on the floor. Then he noticed that she was looking at him hesitantly.


    Marlene''s body froze for a moment when she felt his gaze.


    T-that''s right... this is n-nothing more than repaying my gratitude to him.


    He was hurt because of me, as a member of the Senia family, I must compensate for it, and be proud of it.


    Mmm, yes, yes! That''s right. That must be it!


    "...If you don''t mind... you can lie here..."


    Marlene gently patted the top of her thighs; her face was so red as if she was squeezing out blood.


    "I-I think you can rest better like this. It''s healthier than leaning on the cold pillar. An...and your hand is hurt, although I didn''t help you in the battle, the least I can do is to help you treat it. My healing spell is not as good as Lize, but as a mage, I still know some basic spells..."


    "May I?" Rhode nodded and replied after a while.


    When Marlene saw him nod, she immediately stared at him and made a firm expression as though she was willing to do anything.


    "Of, of course! N-no problem! This little act simply doesn''t count as anything!"


    "Okay then, sure."


    He did not wait for Marlene to say anything else. He rested his head on her lap and closed his eyes. Because of Rhode''s sudden move, Marlene''s body turned stiff for a moment. When she recovered, he had already fallen into deep sleep.


    "...how rude!" Marlene glared at the young man who was sleeping soundly on her lap.


    After a while, she shook her head and sighed. Then she carefully took Rhode''s left hand and placed it on her own.


    Using her other free hand, she conjured a spell that brightened up the surroundings. When she saw his injury clearly under the light, she gasped once again. Other than his thumb, all of his other fingers were broken; his blood flowed down his arm, dripping onto the floor.


    "It''s actually quite serious..."


    She knew that Rhode''s wound wasn''t light, but now that she could study it closely, she could not help but tremble. With great care, she slowly took out her handkerchief and gently wiped the blood.


    As a mage, Marlene had learned some basic first-aid skills, but she had never used them before because she rarely got hurt. And even if anyone she knew got injured, they wouldn''t be in a near-death state... at least that was the case for most of the time.


    However, currently, as she realized her clumsiness in bandaging, she couldn''t help but scold herself. If only she had learned how to bandage by looking at it Lize...


    When she stared at Rhode''s finger right now, it totally resembled a carrot.


    Ahh...if only Lize were here...


    Marlene''s body suddenly stiffened.


    Marlene did not know why, but when she recalled Lize''s figure, deep down her heart, she felt a trace of annoyance. Why was she behaving like that? Lize was her best friend, and she was a cleric. If she were here, she would have easily taken care of Rhode''s wound. Marlene did not know why, but when she imagined Lize healing Rhode''s wound, she felt unhappy.


    Is it because that I''m too tired these few days?


    She frowned and pondered to herself. In the end, she could not find the answer, so she decided to put aside this matter and continue to bandage Rhode''s injury.


    In the ruins, only a magic light moved back and forth in silence...

 Chapter 74 Back to Deep Stone City

    Rhode opened his eyes.


    He had no choice but to admit that it was probably the best sleep he got after leaving Deep Stone City. The feeling of letting everything go and focus on relaxing was indeed quite addictive; it was particularly so when he had a comfortable and fluffy ''pillow'' under his head which emitted a light fragrance.


    After waking up, the first thing Rhode saw was Marlene''s sleeping face. Her exhaustion was quite evident. She leaned against the pillar, eyes closed, with her hands on her knees. The light spell that she previously cast had already dispersed, and only the orange glow from the torch was left.


    Rhode slowly sat up, but when he pushed his left hand against the floor, he realized that the sensation was quite peculiar. Subconsciously, he turned his head and looked at his hand. When he noticed the five ''carrots'' which was supposed to be his fingers, he became utterly speechless.


    As expected of a noble young lady...


    Rhode sighed and shook his head helplessly.


    He proceeded on to remove the bandage and discovered that the gash on his palm was almost fully healed. Whatever his race was, the self-healing ability was off the charts. If he were an ordinary human, perhaps this gash wouldn''t recover even if he gave it two weeks.


    At this moment, Marlene''s eyelashes fluttered.


    "Mmm..."


    She made a soft groan and opened her eyes. Both her and Rhode''s eyes connected.


    Rhode chose not to avoid her eyes and returned her gaze. After interacting with her for the past few days, he had discovered some interesting thing about her. For example, she had low blood pressure.


    For a mage, lightheadedness wasn''t a good thing.


    Frankly, when Rhode first found out about this, he was quite shocked. He wanted to wake Marlene up from her dream, but she hugged him tightly in her arms. Although she appeared quite fragile on the outside, Rhode knew how powerful her spells were. If it weren''t for her being stuck in a dream, most likely she would''ve blasted him to death already. Furthermore, what was even more frightening was that she didn''t remember anything about it!


    (ED: I rearranged a few paragraphs so that you guys can understand better. But IMO, it''s still quite confusing in the original TL and raws. What does it have to do with low blood pressure lol? I''m just guessing that the author is referring to lightheadedness, one of the symptoms of low blood pressure.)


    From that moment on, Rhode decided to keep a distance from her �� especially before she woke up.


    Even now, both her eyes were blank, as though she was under hypnotism. She resembled an obedient doll, and in addition to her exquisite face, her current state could easily drive a male to act on their primal instincts.


    But Rhode knew, that if anybody did that, they''d be dead in the next moment.


    Because, the very next moment, her body began to sway like a pendulum.


    One.


    Two.


    Three.


    A short, stifled scream left her mouth.


    "Ahhh!" Marlene''s formerly sleepy eyes snapped open when she noticed Rhode staring at her. "M-Mr. Rhode, are you awake already?"


    Seems like she''s finally awake.


    "Good morning, Ms. Marlene."


    Rhode waved his hand to greet her.


    "It looks like you had a nice dream."


    "Well... I did not have much sleep last night," Marlene replied helplessly.


    She swept her gaze around the area, but she then realized that it was underground, so she wasn''t able to tell the time.


    Marlene attempted to stand up, but her legs felt numb and she fell to the floor with a bump. "Ah, so painful��"


    "Get ready to move out. We are returning to Deep Stone City."


    "Okay..." Marlene lowered her head when she replied, apparently she was still quite embarrassed.


    She stood up once again and made her way to the crystalline gem before picking it up and shoving into her storage. Suddenly, Marlene thought of something. She walked towards Rhode and took out a few objects from her pocket.


    "That''s right, these things..."


    "What are these?"


    "According to you, it would be referred to as ''loots.''"


    She''d finally reverted to her usual self.


    "I found these things on those assassins. I think it might be useful to you..."


    "Eh?" Rhode was slightly shocked; he knew that she hated dealing with corpses and recalled that she previously claimed that she wouldn''t do it ever again.


    But what was this?


    It wasn''t Marlene''s style to retract what she had said, or did the young lady had a change in attitude?


    Marlene appeared to be oblivious to Rhode''s doubt. Whether did she notice or deliberately disregard it, no one knew but her. She merely took out all that she found and handed it to Rhode with an ''it''s all yours'' expression.


    Ah, what an arrogant lady.


    Rhode sighed to himself inwardly and chose to keep silent as he received the items Marlene had looted.


    Although Marlene hated to do it, she was still quite a decisive lady. Once she set her mind to it, she would accomplish the task meticulously. From the bodies of the three dead men, Marlene discovered four Magic Equipment. Most of them were fairly ordinary, which increased Sense and Intelligence. Rhode felt that it was better than nothing. Since the mercenary group was in its infant stage, these Magic Equipment could still be used or sold for money.


    However, one Magic equipment attracted his attention. It was the dagger that the female assassin previously used. It had a passive attribute that could penetrate middle-tier protection magic. Moreover, it also possessed an innate paralysis poison attribute. The weaponsmithing was also rather exquisitely done; its blade was tempered with an iron-gold alloy which made it a perfect weapon to kill.


    Unfortunately, Rhode''s current roster had no thief, and his swordsmanship didn''t allow him to fight with a dagger. It was a bit wasted, but according to his estimation, if he auctioned this dagger on the black market, he would surely be able to gain a significant amount of money. But he was worried that if he revealed this dagger to the public, it might bring him unnecessary trouble.


    After checking his acquired loot, Rhode nodded in satisfaction and shoved it into his spatial bag.


    Their quest was finally done.


    When they were leaving, Rhode discovered the bodies of the two unlucky men who guarded the entrance. After Rhode and Marlene left the secret passage, the stone entrance automatically closed and the sculpture returned to its original place.


    If he had a choice, Rhode wouldn''t want to come back to this place ever again.


    The duo dragged their exhausted bodies back to Deep Stone City. When they reached the city gates, it was already two days later in the evening. They immediately made their way to the Mercenary Association to submit the mission to Old Hank. After handing over the magic herbs, Rhode also passed the badge which he had found in the Twilight Forest. Now that Starlight had completed three missions, their rank rose to the 6th from the bottom.


    Well, at least he finally managed to escape the last place.


    "Kid, you did a good job." Old Hank patted Rhode''s shoulder in a friendly manner.


    "In only half a month, you managed to complete three missions and earned yourself five points. I really need to get those group of lazy mercenaries to learn from you. Hmph, if they don''t work hard, they can only cry when they get disbanded!"


    "It''s nothing." Rhode shook his head.


    He really did not focus on mundane matters. On the contrary, he was more worried about other things.


    "How''s Lize? She did not encounter any trouble, right?"


    "Lize is well behaved... It isn''t really a problem, but..." Old Hank frowned as his words trailed off.


    After a while, he continued, "I don''t know what happened recently, but all she did was lock herself in her room, claiming that she was learning new spells. Her daily meals were personally delivered by me, otherwise, I''m afraid that she might even forget to eat. I don''t know why she is working so hard... she''s still young and has much time to learn. Wouldn''t it be a waste if she hurts her body in the process? Kid, help me persuade her. She will only listen to you."


    "Okay, no problem."


    Rhode nodded his head. He also did not wish Lize to fall ill because of her excessive training. Her ability only allowed her to heal physical wounds; if she fell sick, it would be troublesome.


    Rhode waved to Old Hank and turned to Marlene beside him.


    "Let''s go."


    "Okay..."


    Marlene revealed a complicated expression, but she quickly slapped her face gently with both hands to freshen herself up.


    When both of them was about to leave the Mercenary Association, suddenly a voice sounded from behind.


    "Hey boy, you''re finally back!"


    They turned towards the source of the voice and saw Old Walker''s flushed face as he walked out from the crowd.


    "I thought that the wolves had already eaten you guys. But looking at both of you now, it seems like you guys have worked hard!"


    "Mr. Walker," Rhode frowned and asked, "why are you here?"


    "Me?"


    Old Walker took out a jug of liquor from his waist and drank a mouthful of it. Then he narrowed his eyes and smiled while looking at the man before him.


    "Thank me, boy. I''ve got the person that you are looking for!"

 Chapter 75 Good Deal?

    Old Walker strolled towards Rhode and made a gesture to the bartender who immediately whipped up a large pint of cold beer. Old Walker grabbed the handle and gulped down in one go, wiping his mouth satisfyingly as he grinned at Rhode.


    "It''s done. The person you asked me to hire is waiting in our stronghold. Shall we go back and have a look? It cost us 300 gold coins... it''s quite expensive..."


    "I hope that the person you''ve recruited will meet my requirements," said Rhode as took back the money from Old Walker. "otherwise, I will cut your wage to make up for the loss."


    "W-what?! Hold on," Old Walker''s expression stiffened, "I did not hear you say anything about that back then!"


    Rhode shrugged as though it had nothing to do with him."You didn''t ask, so I didn''t mention."


    Then he stuffed the money back into his pocket, ignoring Old Walker''s contorting expression.


    "You actually dare to deceive me!"


    "I did not deceive you, Mr. Walker," said Rhode nonchalantly.


    "If the person you''ve recruited met my requirements, you shouldn''t be worried. Or�� are you playing with me?"


    "O-of course not."


    Old Walker stroked his beard angrily when Rhode accused him of not doing his job properly and chose to keep silent in the end. Indeed, if he was confident, he did not have to be afraid! However, the expression that he had, made him look like he had done something wrong!


    When Old Walker thought of this, he shifted his gaze to Marlene who was silently spectating the drama. Since he already knew that she wouldn''t back him up, it was useless for him to say anything else.


    "Anyway, I''m quite confident that I''ve found the one you''re looking for. Don''t look down on my age, I''m no fool. You can verify it for yourself if you wish."


    "Alright, that''s good. Let''s find Lize and return home."


    Rhode didn''t dwell on the topic any longer; he nodded his head and turning around.


    The place that Lize temporarily resided in was just an average guesthouse in the Mercenary Association. According to Old Hank, she had shut herself in the room to practice her spells. In fact, she was so hardworking that even when Rhode''s entourage arrived at her door, they could hear her muttering some kind of spell.


    Rhode raised his hand to stop Old Walker from disturbing her. Once he heard no sound from behind the door, he knocked on the door twice.


    "Who is it?"


    "It''s me, Lize."


    "Eh?!! Mr. R-Rhode! Please wait, I''m coming!!"


    When she recognized Rhode''s voice, the pitch on the other side of the door immediately went one octave higher. After that, a myriad of sounds of multiple objects moving began to escape from behind the door; the wooden floor even trembled slightly as though an earthquake was occurring.


    The chaos only lasted for five minutes. Soon, the door slowly creaked open which revealed Lize''s beaming face, though some traces of sweat on her forehead were evident.


    "W-welcome back, Mr. Rhode and Marlene."


    Lize frolicked towards Marlene and held her hand in hers.


    "It''s great that you guys finally are back. I''ve been extremely worried! Is everything alright? Did anything bad happen? "


    Lize began bombarding both Rhode and Marlene with questions, the worry on her face was evident. Marlene, however, revealed an unnatural expression, though Lize didn''t seem to be aware of it. Her face was filled with joy as her worries were all swept away in one go.


    Back then, after Rhode embarked on the mission with Marlene, Lize discovered that she couldn''t sleep in peace. The constant worry in her heart prevented her from relaxing. Therefore, when she finally saw Rhode and Marlene unharmed, a huge load seemed to have left her chest. Although Rhode did tell her not to worry, she knew that the enemies were from the Country of Light. So how could she rest easy when she clearly understood what kind of power they had?


    "Everything went as planned." Rhode nodded and smiled. "...But now isn''t the time to talk about that. I will explain the details once we return to the stronghold. Go and pack your belongings for now."


    "Okay!"


    Lize nodded and made her way towards the bedroom to pack her belongings.


    It felt quite odd; she had been living in this guesthouse for as long as she could remember, but now that she owned her own home, staying here wasn''t as enjoyable as before. Although there were room service and three meals a day, she couldn''t comprehend why she longed for her own home. Therefore now that she could finally return home, her joy-filled face was even more jubilant than before. She quickly packed her belongings and exited the Mercenary Association with Rhode.


    Currently, it was late in the night, and the streets were no longer crowded. Instead, the only people on the streets were soldiers who were patrolling the area on their horses.


    While strolling down the road, Rhode inquired about Lize''s progress since he was also curious how much she could pick up.


    "I''m still trying! Mr. Rhode, as long you give me enough time, I can definitely learn the Arrow of Light!"


    Lize spoke with confidence when she described her progress. Studying spells weren''t easy; let alone having a breakthrough. Frankly speaking, Lize wasn''t weak. However, the lack of spells and skills suppressed her true potential. By learning more spells, Rhode was confident that her overall strength would breakthrough to the next level.


    However, noticing her excited expression, he felt that it would be better not to tell her.


    "Being hardworking is a good trait to have, but you still need to pay attention to your body. It can become dangerous if you''re too rash. To become a good caster, you must learn how to keep calm. Take it easy; learn one step at a time." said Rhode, then he raised his brow and gazed into Lize''s eyes. "I''ve heard from Uncle Hank that you didn''t step out of the room for a few days because of studying. Although your perseverance is commendable, it doesn''t necessarily mean that it''s a good thing. You must understand that your position in the mercenary group is irreplaceable as a supporter."


    "...Yes." Lize''s excitement dimmed and she immediately lowered her head. Marlene quickly ran to her side to comfort her.


    "Mr. Rhode is right, Lize. You cannot be anxious when learning spells, let alone Spirit magic. I can feel your resolve, but I believe that if you can calm down, it will be only a matter of time before mastering it. Take it easy, Mr. Rhode is thinking of your health."


    "Yes, I understand. I was too excited. Thank you, Marlene." Lize smiled helplessly.


    "No problem, but..." Marlene returned Lize''s smile and then shifted her gaze to Rhode.


    "Mr. Rhode, have you learned magic before?" she asked curiously.


    "Of course not. But even as a swordsman, one cannot learn swordsmanship when anxious. I assumed mages must also be the same. Anyway, just be careful. Don''t get too carried away otherwise the end could be tragic." Rhode answered her question indifferently.


    He certainly hadn''t learned swordsmanship before. As a player, they could just learn any skill by adding skill points. That was why they didn''t need to feel wary about being carried away. The reason why Rhode cautioned Lize to be careful was because he wanted her to be safe, and also he had received a quest about a similar incident.


    At that time, a female mage NPC was so incredibly desperate to breakthrough that she took the risk to practice a high-level summoning skill which ultimately backfired, causing her to summon an uncontrollable tentacle monster. What happened later... one could just imagine.


    If it happened to a stranger, Rhode wouldn''t mind feasting his eyes on it. But if it happened to someone he knew, then it would be a completely different matter altogether.


    They chatted until the entrance of the stronghold. Under the moonlight, they saw someone standing by the door, as if enjoying the night breeze. Noticing the group approaching, the unknown person waved towards them.


    "Ah, old man, you''re finally back!"


    "Pfft!"


    Marlene and Lize tried to stifle their laughter, but they failed in the end.


    Old Walker face turned pale. He glared at the unknown person and shouted. "How many times do I have to tell you, brat! Don''t call me old man!"


    "You can call Anne ''brat,'' then why can''t Anne call you old man?"


    (ED: The unknown person is speaking in 3rd person.)


    Everyone finally saw the appearance of the unknown person who had her hands on her hip.


    Just by the door, was an energetic young girl with a charming face and golden, curly hair. Her eyes were lavishly green; and her long, slender legs were slightly leaning to a side. Back in Rhode''s world, this girl could''ve easily been an idol or a celebrity.


    The only thing that didn''t match her appearance was a golden shield which was at least a meter in height. At one glance, Rhode could tell that it was the Shield Warrior''s standard gear, the Charge Shield. It was a rather unique piece of equipment as its main body was divided into two different sections.


    In most situations, the Shield Warrior would fight with the two parts attached. They would slip their arms between the enarmes to hold the shield in place. When faced with certain dangerous circumstances, they could activate a trigger near the enarmes and divide the shield into two parts, extending the base row further downwards. Additionally, a golden pole extruded out at the bottommost base point which granted the Shield Warrior the ability to dig the shield into the ground, giving them a chance to hold their position.


    (ED: Enarmes is the strap at the rear of the shield. The Base Row is the lowest section of the shield.)


    As a whole, it had a delicate structure, so the Shield Warrior must combine other regular shields to increase its defense. Otherwise, once the inside mechanisms receive damage, it wouldn''t be able to function until repaired.


    However, Rhode also knew that the Charge Shield was classified as the fifth most heaviest equipment in the whole of Dragon Soul Continent. Most people wouldn''t be able to hold it as the shield''s weight could rival two-handed swords. Even for the players, if they didn''t choose the Barbarian or Dwarf race, it would almost be impossible for them to lift it up.


    When Rhode saw the girl waving her shield around singlehandedly, it made him wonder if that shield was just a fake.


    "Old Walker? Is this the person you''re talking about?"


    Rhode''s face remained indifferent, but his question still showed revealed his attitude towards this matter.


    "Who else can it be, kid?"


    Old Walker immediately stopped arguing with the young girl and stood beside her, facing toward Rhode''s direction.


    "Don''t judge a book by its cover. Let me tell you; this girl right here is strong. If it weren''t because of the money, eh... you wouldn''t be able to recruit her."


    "...Oh? Then I want to hear how strong she is... And, why didn''t you find a man?"


    "Hehehe." Old Walker grinned mischievously and walked towards Rhode, whispering in his ear.


    "Simple. Do you think it''s easy to look for a Shield Warrior? If you could find it easily, then you wouldn''t ask me to do it, right? And as for her gender.... heheh..., since you''re a young man... what do you think?" Old Walker''s grin widened, then he shook his head slightly and said, "You don''t have to thank me. Since we''re both men, I can understand. Just look at her appearance, the money didn''t go to waste, right?"


    "..."


    Rhode immediately walked forward and ignored Old Walker. Before Rhode could say anything, the girl jumped towards him.


    When she was right before him, her actual height was revealed in all its glory. Rhode was 180cm tall and couldn''t be considered as short. On the other hand, Marlene and Lize only reached half of his head, but this girl �� this girl was almost as tall as him!


    The girl stretched out her hand for a handshake and said, "Are you the leader of this mercenary group? You look very young! Pleased to meet you, big sister!"


    The air immediately turned frigid.

 Chapter 76 The Beginning of a Mercenary Group

    People who associated with Rhode would undoubtedly know this one thing about him.


    He absolutely hated to be mistaken for a woman.


    After having interacted with Rhode for a period of time, Lize was naturally informed of his reverse scale. As for Marlene, after some time, she eventually realized as well. Even Old Walker did not dare to joke about it, because he knew that it was a boundary that he shouldn''t cross.


    And now, this unfamiliar girl had called him ''big sister'' in a casual tone.


    The icy-cold air made the three shiver.


    "... I beg your pardon, Miss," said Rhode softly, "but I''m a guy."


    Surprisingly, Rhode didn''t blow up like they had thought he would. Instead, he just shook her hand.


    The girl was equally surprised. "A guy?"


    She began to inspect Rhode carefully while maintaining an innocent smile on her face.


    Then she patted Rhode''s shoulder and said, "Big brother, I didn''t see that coming! You''re too beautiful."


    The faces of the trio paled further. The girl had progressed deeper into the land of no return when she called him ''beautiful.''


    "Miss��"


    "Anne. Anne Georgia. You can just call me Anne, big brother." The girl called Anne introduced herself.


    "Then, Anne��" Rhode placed his hand on his forehead and paused for a while before continuing, "Although I''ve instructed Old Walker to recruit you, I''ve yet to accept you as a formal member of my mercenary group. First, you must pass my best, and only then would you be able to join. Otherwise..."


    Rhode turned his head slowly and glanced at Old Walker who began to shrink back.


    "I will cut his wages to make up for the loss."


    "No problem!"


    Whether or not the girl heard him, or perhaps did not plan to hear him, she immediately agreed to Rhode''s conditions. Then she tapped the shield on her hand gleefully, revealing a confident smile on her face.


    "Anne will accept no matter what kind of test it is!"


    "Very well."


    Rhode nodded, then he turned around and glared coldly at Old Walker once more whose face became increasingly paler.


    "Then, Mr. Walker, you don''t mind helping me, right? This is an order, by the way."


    "..."


    The old man rolled his eyes.


    Since it is an order, why bother even asking me in the first place?


    Rhode''s test was simple. He asked Anne to protect Old Walker for a period of time. She would pass the test as long as she could hold out until the end. Of course, Rhode had his own reasons for doing this.


    After arriving to this world, Rhode noticed that a lot of skills had subtle differences as compared to the game. For example, the tanking class. In the game, as long as the player used Taunt, the monsters would obediently follow them to their deaths. However, in this world, it wasn''t as easy as before. Even low-leveled monsters would be drawn towards the person who dealt the most damage, and that didn''t include beings of higher intelligence.


    A good example would be the fight with the Necromancer. Rhode attempted to get the Red Hawk''s tank to draw the Necromancer''s attention. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, the Necromancer wouldn''t even look at him. Instead, the Necromancer focused on Rhode. Rhode didn''t deal the most damage, nor was the most threatening in that battle... This meant that reality was somewhat different from the game although it did share some similarities.


    Therefore he concluded that a tanking class in this world wouldn''t be as effective as before. No matter if it was in current times or back in the game, a tank''s job was to focus on defense. In the game, the tank could taunt the monsters so that he or she would receive damage instead of the team. However, currently, the tank could only act in a defensive role. This meant that they must have good reaction speed, good defensive capabilities and the ability to adapt to situations Otherwise, no tank would be able to live after their first few encounters.


    And this was exactly what Rhode wanted to test.


    "Hey, kid! You ordered me as a pretext to settle the grudge!!"


    Old Walker face was pale. But Rhode had clearly made his decision, and no one could say no.


    "This is a very fair arrangement, Mr. Walker. This young lady was chosen by you, so you must believe in her strength. You should just relax and let her do her job."


    "Don''t think that you can deceive me by using those sugar-coated words! Your wicked kid!"


    Old Walker waved his fist angrily at Rhode, but in the end, he still shifted his gaze nervously to Anne who was standing in front of him with the shield on her right arm.


    "Little brat, I''m leaving my life in your hand, you must protect me!"


    "Rest assured, old man. There would be no problem. Probably."


    "What?! Probably?! You better take back that word since I trust you this much!"


    However, Rhode did not wait for Old Walker to finish complaining and made the first move.


    He stretched out his arm and materialized three cards before him. The cards floated mysteriously in the air, and a summoning formation expanded below Rhode. In an instant, the Centaur Knight, Flame Killer and the Spirit Bird appeared at the same time.


    "That was so cool! What are they?"


    Anne stared at Rhode in disbelief; her widened eyes almost gave Old Walker a heart attack.


    "Brat! Don''t get distracted! That fellow only knows petty tricks. Jus focus! Don''t touch that black dog; it can explode!"


    "You have three minutes. As long you can hold out for three minutes and prevent Old Walker from getting injured, you''ll pass the test."


    After his explanation, Rhode glanced at Marlene and said,"Help me count."


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode."


    Marlene nodded and fished out a pocket watch. Then, Rhode snapped his fingers, signifying the start of the test.


    "Attack."


    "��������!!"


    The three spirits immediately rushed forward upon receiving Rhode''s command.


    As usual, in the vanguard, was the brave Flame Killer. After self-detonating so many times, it appeared to have developed some kind of masochistic personality. The poor dog now had an excited expression on its face when it faced its death. If the Flame Killer were a human, then it would probably be best to send him to see a psychiatrist.


    Meanwhile, the girl who had been smiling throughout finally withdrew her grin and became serious. She bent her body and placed the shield in front of her, adopting a standard blocking stance. Then, followed by a ''clang,'' multiple sharp hooks jolted out from both sides of the shield, reflecting a cold, hard light. The black hound acted as though it hadn''t seen it and rushed forward menacingly.


    Anne made a warcry and propelled herself forward, charging towards the black hound like a train.


    The massive shield that weighed more than 10kg was swung with one arm as if it was light as a feather. However, the impact sound proved that the shield was indeed heavy. The Flame Killer didn''t expect that the opponent would be so agile, and it was soon sent flying. It whined in agony as it soared through the air, and when it finally landed on the ground, it made a heartwrenching yelp.


    At the same time, the Centaur Knight already made its way in front of her.


    It swiftly lunged its pike forward, but before its weapon could collide with Anne''s shield, she suddenly tilted her body and avoided the Centaur Knight''s attack. Anne did a spin and followed up with a bash, which smashed into the Centaur Knight''s flank as it was launching its pike towards Old Walker, causing it to stagger. The impact also caused the Centaur Knight''s pike to miss its target.


    Although the immediate danger had been removed, Anne didn''t lose focus. On the contrary, after disarming the Centaur Knight, she immediately pulled her shield downwards and plunged it into the ground.


    Kacha! The whole shield transformed; it expanded and wrapped around her body. At the same time, the Centaur Knight, who also possessed a shield in its other arm, used it to bash against Anne''s bulwark.


    Bang!! A deep sound caused their heart to jump slightly. The impact caused the Centaur Knight to take a few steps back. Meanwhile, the girl also backed off. But unlike the Centaur Knight, she had a different agenda.


    The Spirit Bird who had been hovering in the air finally swept down.


    As a wind elemental summon, the agility of the other two Spirits couldn''t be compared to it. Only a flash of light could be seen shooting towards Old Walker.


    This is the end.


    Upon discovering the Spirit Bird shooting to his location, Old Walker knew that something bad was going to happen, but he wasn''t able to stop it. After all, the Spirit Bird was way too fast; even if he wanted to react, it was impossible. At this moment, Old Walker was already crying inwardly.


    Are my wages going to be cut?


    Suddenly, Anne appeared and grabbed Old Walker''s collar, pulling him to the ground. Then she used her shield to block his front.


    Old Walker had no time to react; at the very next second, he realized that he was lying on the floor. However, this action caused the Spirit Bird to lose its target, though it did not immediately give up. Instead, it whistled and conjured a whirlwind to crash into the shield.


    "Boom!!"


    Woah!!


    Old Walker felt a huge impact coming from the other side of the shield. The vibrations caused by the impact eventually traversed through the shield, to Anne, and finally to himself. The poor old man felt like a piece of flattened meatloaf as his breath was constantly being taken away. When he wanted to cry for help, he suddenly felt his body lighten. At that moment, he realized that the girl had already jumped up.


    Time seemed to slow down. The girl was suspended in the air, her face dead serious. She faced the three summoned spirits and stretched out her left hand, revealing the secondary shield embedded in the Charge Shield.


    Woo!! The sharp blades on the shield began rotating at high speeds, then it soon formed a whirlwind barrier which completely blocked the three summoning spirits.


    Looking at this scene, Rhode frowned. Then he unsheathed his sword and rushed forward.


    A light flashed, the silver sword pierced through the night sky and straight towards the whirlwind.


    Boom!!


    Followed by a loud burst, the sword also stopped moving.


    Old Walker took a few steps back and plopped to the floor, the fright on his face was evident. Just next to him was a deep crevice with lingering traces of sword condensation.


    In front of him, the girl still held her shield up, but he was shocked when he discovered the scars on her body.


    At the same time, Marlene raised her pocket watch.


    The three minutes was up.


    "Not bad, Ms. Anne."


    Rhode put away his sword.


    "I have a rough grasp on your strength. Frankly, you''ve already met my requirements. But this is just a test, I hope to witness your performance in actual combat."


    "Don''t worry, big brother."


    The girl put away her shield, and the energetic smile on her face emerged once again.


    "I will not let you down!!"


    "I hope so."


    He nodded and turned his attention to Lize.


    "Lize, let her choose a room. Marlene, you can go to rest. As for you..."


    Followed by a pause, Rhode stared at Old Walker who was getting up from the ground.


    "Mr. Walker, come to the study room later. I wish to hear your recruitment process."

 Chapter 77 A Big Net Quietly Spreading

    When Old Walker entered the study room, Rhode turned to him and asked, "So, what really happened?"


    "What? What happened?"


    Old Walker was a little bit confused at Rhode''s sudden question.


    "Haven''t you mention before that a Shield Warrior was hard to find? But you easily hired one with money?"


    Rhode sat behind the desk and knocked the table with his fingers.


    "Aren''t you going to give me a report?


    "Oh, so that''s what you want."


    Old Walker finally understood what Rhode meant. He sighed and sat down on a chair.


    "To tell you the truth, I brought her from the Mark White mercenary group."


    "Mark White?"


    Hearing this name, Rhode frowned.


    "Isn''t that Deep Stone City''s third-ranked mercenary group? How did you get her to join us?"


    "It went like this..."


    Old Walker began to explain how he recruited her. At the end of the report, Rhode finally understood why that girl called Anne would be willing to join them.


    To put it simply, the whole matter was related to Mark White''s internal power struggles.


    In their previous mission, the leader of the mercenary group was mortally wounded and did not survive the journey back. Naturally, they had to elect a new leader, so the two vice-leaders who were the next in line for the position ended up competing against each other. As each vice-leader had their respective faction within the mercenary group, the competition between the two became rather messy.


    Anne was caught up in the internal struggle and wasn''t happy about it. She was an orphan adopted by the former leader and was inexplicably close to him. Now that he had passed, Anne trembled in fury when she found out that the members fought against themselves instead of respecting their deceased leader. Even when she had attempted countless times to mediate the matter between the two factions, it proved to be mostly fruitless. Thus, after some time, she gave up on persuading them.


    Perhaps because she was picked up by the leader when she was young, she developed a similar straightforward nature. As the saying goes, what the eye doesn''t see, the heart doesn''t grieve. Since they weren''t listening to her, it didn''t mean that she couldn''t hide from them. That was precisely why she decided to leave the mercenary group.


    Even if Anne was the deceased leader''s daughter, she had the right to leave whenever she wanted. Mercenary groups had no power to force a member to stay. While the relationship between mercenaries and mercenary groups were somewhat similar to staffs and their companies, in the Dragon Soul Continent, there was no contract to bind their members down.


    Even that being said, typical mercenaries would stay in the group forever unless something major cropped up such being dissolved or being wiped-out in a dungeon.


    After all, the risk of death while running solo was much higher. And at times, leaving a mercenary group was equivalent to betrayal, making them less desired by others group. Therefore, it a bold move by Anne when she decided to quit the group,


    In her case, even if Anne wanted to stay, the two vice-leaders did not want her, just because she belonged to the former leader''s faction. Such was life. Despite being a young, talented lass that had an unfathomable gift as a Shield Warrior, the two vice-leaders could not disregard her influence, especially so after she grows up. They were afraid. Afraid of her gathering her supporters and overthrowing their leadership. Yet, if a prominent figure such as her were to quit without warning, many people were going to gossip. Thus, they came up with a simple solution: if someone could afford her for three hundred gold coins, that person could take her away.


    Three hundred gold coins wasn''t a small sum for mercenary groups. They need the money to feed its members as well as maintain certain group functions. While the total rewards awarded after completing a mission wasn''t little, the leader still had to distribute the money among its members, leaving each individual with an even smaller portion.


    And even if the larger mercenary groups could afford it, those groups would be aware of the internal conflicts of the Mark White mercenary group. Regardless of who is the leader in the future, Anne wouldn''t be able to stay for long.


    Most large mercenary groups were associated in one way or another. Unless there was a bone-deep hatred, they wouldn''t want to make an enemy out of each other just because of one person. It just wasn''t worth it.


    Although Anne''s ability was nothing less than excellent, large mercenary groups often didn''t lack manpower. The addition of one Shield Warrior to their team couldn''t increase their combined strength significantly enough to warrant getting involved in Mark White''s internal struggles.


    Of course, the enemies of Mark White mercenary group also wanted to purchase Anne so they can take revenge. Unfortunately, Mark White''s enemies were also Anne''s, even though she was currently at odds with the mercenary group, she still wouldn''t betray them by joining the enemy.


    Lastly, there were those wealthy nobles who wanted to claim her as their concubine or escort.


    Anne wasn''t stupid enough to accept the proposal of these people. Other than mercenary groups, she wouldn''t agree to join anything else.


    During this incident, many groups exchanged information with each other. Naturally, Old Walker caught on the news as well, and he immediately recalled Rhode''s intention to recruit someone who could hold their ground.


    Anne appeared to be satisfied with Old Walker''s invitation. A small mercenary group meant less pressure and less troubling situations. Since other larger mercenary groups didn''t want her, she also didn''t want to join them.


    Anne was tired from the constant power struggle in Mark White; instead of thinking of complicated matters, she just wanted to live an ordinary mercenary life and complete missions to pass the time.


    -


    "So that''s what happened."


    After hearing Old Walker explanation, Rhode nodded with satisfaction.


    "Then, let''s talk about proper business... The thing that I asked you to investigate... How is it?"


    "Well, the situation sure is a little bit strange, kid."


    Old Walker immediately tensed up.


    "Following your orders, I''ve investigated 32 mercenary groups, and you know what I found? Other than their current mission, all of their previous missions were all connected to dead spirits, and furthermore, all of them started at the same time!"


    "All of the missions were accepted by them?"


    "No, not all."


    Old Walker shook his head and waved his hand.


    "All the mercenaries understood how difficult it was to deal with the undead. Other than those larger mercenary groups, no one would be stupid enough to risk their lives. Based on what I''ve heard, these missions were entrusted by someone who had offered a large sum of money, so the mercenaries agreed to take the mission."


    "How about now? What''s the situation?"


    "Only five mercenary groups came back alive. But most of them had suffered heavy casualties... similar to Red Hawk''s situation. Hence, many of them are lacking manpower right now. I''ve also heard that many couldn''t even complete the mission, leaving a deep wound on their morale."


    "Do you know about the specific location and content of their mission? Additionally, is there any information on their client?"


    "This... I''m not too sure, kid."


    Old Walker helplessly spread his hands.


    "What you''ve requested are all secrets. They wouldn''t tell me even if I asked. But I believe that the Mercenary Association would have some record as these missions must be approved by the association. Anyway, the entire situation is really a mess. Usually, no one would offer so much money even if the mission involves eliminating the undead. Makes me wonder what is happening..."


    "I can only speculate for now."


    Rhode sat on the chair and pondered while tapping on the desk lightly. For sure, things weren''t quite as expected. Rhode tried to recall what happened in the game and suddenly he thought of something.


    Right! At one time, many players from the Country of Light suddenly appeared here. If Rhode wasn''t mistaken, they came here to complete a very rewarding quest, but about the quest content...


    Rhode began to frown.


    So that was the case...! Rhode appeared to have remembered crucial, but he still had to continue the investigation to conclude his speculation.


    "One thing is for sure, all these things are connected to one another. I will drop by the Mercenary Association tomorrow to look for some clues."


    "Mercenary Association?"


    Old Walker raised his brow.


    "You want to deal with those guys? Don''t blame me for not telling you but their lips are tightly shut. It''s not going to be easy for you to gather information from them."


    "I know what to do."


    Rhode shook his head, then he closed his eyes and continued to think.


    "Your next assignment is to find out what they are doing. Also, check for any unfamiliar mercenary groups that recently visited Deep Stone City."


    "Unfamiliar mercenary groups? Those appear every single day. Deep Stone City is a big city. Isn''t it very normal to attract new groups?"


    "Indeed you are right. It is normal. But if many groups appear in a short period of time, then it''s not normal."


    "Do you mean..."


    Following Rhode''s sentence, Old Walker''s face changed. He wasn''t stupid; there were many strange things that Rhode asked him to investigate, so he had naturally formed his own speculation about the matter. But of course, he did not know who dared to do something like this.


    "There''s someone plotting against the mercenary groups in Deep Stone City? Kid, do you have any evidence of this?"


    Looking at Old Walker''s serious expression, Rhode rolled his eyes.


    How could he have any news? If he were a regular joe, Rhode would''ve only felt that something strange was going on and not bother to take any action.


    However, Rhode was a transmigrator. He knew what was going to happen in the future, which was why he was extremely vigilant towards ''odd happenings''.


    "When I have news, I''ll naturally inform you about it."

 Chapter 78 The Enemy is in The Light, While Ism in The Dark

    There''s nothing better than one''s home.


    That was the first thought that came into Rhode''s mind when he opened his eyes. It was currently morning, and the sun had already risen on the horizon, sending a bright, warm ray of light through the window, signifying that a brand new day had begun.


    Although it had only been one day since his return, Rhode didn''t choose to relax but instead, he sprung up from his bed, changed, and went to the back garden to practice swordsmanship. It was a habit from the game that he couldn''t easily forget. After logging in, he would search for a place to warm up and once done, he would find other things to occupy his time. This daily routine improved his basic statuses and increased his agility in battle. Therefore, after transmigrating, he still brought his habit along with him. At the very least, his routine would bring a sense of familiarity and put him at ease.


    The stronghold was peaceful in the morning. On the third floor, Rhode occupied the largest room in the stronghold which was the study and his bedroom combined. As for the female mercenaries, all of them lived fairly comfortably in the guestrooms on the second floor. Only Old Walker slept on the first floor in the servant''s room �� but of course, this was only a temporary arrangement. Rhode wasn''t satisfied with the current accommodations, but since they were low on cash, it couldn''t be helped.


    When Rhode was walking down the stairs, he could hear a lively voice calling out to him.


    "Ah leader, good morning! You woke up so early."


    It was that one girl who would dare to talk to him in that manner.


    "Aren''t you the same?"


    Rhode shook his head and glanced at Anne who was standing by the balcony.


    "I say, Miss Anne. Are you heading out with that kind of attire?"


    "Hm?"


    Tracing Rhode''s gaze, Anne looked down at her clothes in curiosity. Right now, she wasn''t wearing the light armor she wore last night. Instead, only a thin undergarment covered her slender body which ''proudly'' emphasized her upper half. When the wind blew, Rhode could vaguely catch a glimpse of pink through the translucent cloth Anne wore right now.


    "Hmm? It''s fine, isn''t it? After all, it''s cool and refreshing having dressed like this."


    As the girl spoke, she raised her arms and stretched her waist, revealing even more tender skin under the thin cloth. Rhode had to admit, Anne''s figure was certainly ideal. She had the necessary curves while still being slender at the same time. Furthermore, her lazy demeanor could be somewhat tempting for certain individuals.


    "Isn''t it a little bit too refreshing...?"


    About B+...


    Rhode''s eyes fell on her chest and immediately made an evaluation, a second later, he quickly shrugged and said, "After all, this is a mercenary group. I hope you can mind yourself."


    "Ah... that''s boring! Back when Anne was still in Mark White, father would ask me to do the same. Now that Anne is here, leader is telling me the same thing."


    Anne twitched her mouth in dissatisfaction.


    Then she added, "Men sure are weird. Leader, Anne clearly didn''t strip. But if she did, will guys be excited about it? For Anne, even if a man is naked, Anne wouldn''t feel excited at all."


    "..."


    Black lines stretched on Rhode''s forehead. When he first saw her, Rhode guessed that things wouldn''t be simple, but now he was convinced that Old Walker had given him a big headache.


    At that moment, a savior finally appeared.


    "Hm...Ms. Anne? You''ve woken up? I heard Mr. Rhode''s voice..."


    While rubbing her eyes, Lize yawned as she staggered sleepily out of the room. When she saw Anne''s clothing, Lize''s eyes immediately snapped wide open.


    "A-A-Anne! What are you doing?!"


    "Eh? Anne was only going out to get some fresh morning air?"


    "You''ll catch a cold like this! That''s not right, why didn''t you wear any clothes?"


    "But Anne is wearing clothes? You see, you see, isn''t this clothes?"


    "Waaaa, don''t lift it up!! Mr. Rhode is here! Please behave!"


    "But Anne is behaving? It isn''t as though Anne is naked. This layer of clothes shouldn''t be a problem, right? Only seeing beyond this layer of clothes is the problem, right?"


    "That''s not it!! M-Mr. Rhode, please leave. Ms. Anne, come with me, you absolutely cannot go out like this!!"


    "Eh...But it''s very comfortable like this..."


    "No means no!!"


    After staring at Anne who was being unwillingly pulled back into the room by Lize, he turned his head away, sighing. Anyway, he was lucky enough to witness such a ''beautiful scenery'' in the early morning.


    Rhode had to admit; she was indeed a unique individual. She had a cheerful, lively, energetic and straightforward disposition but was also someone who had close to zero social awareness. If she wanted to do something, she would just do it her way and would not think of how other people would perceive her. To put it nicely, she could be described as a bold and steadfast individual. On the flip side, she was someone who acts before thinking. Rhode finally understood why the two vice-leaders from Mark White wanted to kick her out...


    Marlene and Lize also quickly realized this point.


    After the ''incident'' in the morning, everyone finally gathered to have breakfast. When Rhode and Lize were the only inhabitants of the stronghold, they could eat casually but now that there were more people, Rhode had to tidy up the table to have breakfast.


    Old Walker took on Lize''s duty of cooking three meals a day and surprisingly, his cooking was actually good! It was so good that Marlene even praised the food he made. Of course, everything would be perfect if he would stop drinking beer at every meal.


    "All of you can have a rest for today," Rhode said and began discussing today''s schedule while holding a piece of steaming hot bread in his hand.


    "I need to go to the Mercenary Association to gather information. You guys can do whatever you like but just don''t create unnecessary trouble. If anyone of you wishes to go out, please bring someone along with you."


    "Mercenary Association?"


    Marlene raised her brow as she picked up her handkerchief to wipe her mouth.


    "Something happened?" she said.


    Rhode shook his head. Even he wasn''t too sure about what was happening, but it would still be good to give Sereck and the others a heads up.


    "I cannot say anything for now. I''m just going to check the situation."


    "Do you want me to follow you, Mr. Rhode?"


    "There''s no need. You must be tired after traveling together with me for so many days. You don''t have to go today."


    "....Mr. Rhode."


    This time, Lize raised her hand timidly.


    "Do we need to prepare for anything?"


    "We will depart in two or three days; you can just prepare for that."


    "Okay, I understand."


    When everyone was busy discussing, Anne, who sat quietly among the ladies, suddenly interrupted.


    "Big sister Marlene, Big sister Lize, Anne feels that this is quite weird. Why don''t you guys call leader as leader?"


    "Eh?"


    Both Marlene and Lize were caught off guard for a moment.


    "In Anne''s former mercenary group, everyone called the leader as leader. Why are both sisters calling the leader by his name?"


    "This..."


    Both of them displayed an awkward expression, even Old Walker who was sitting beside also felt somewhat uncomfortable and raised his pint to cover up his expression. However, Rhode helped them out from their unspeakable dilemma.


    "All of them have their own reasons. Marlene is only temporarily joining our group. As for Lize, I''m sure she has her own reasoning. Moreover, I don''t really mind what you call me. It isn''t mandatory to call me leader, so feel free to call me anything you like."


    "So it''s like that..."


    Anne blinked her beautiful green eyes and took another curious glance at everyone. Then, she did not say anything else and once again focused on the food before her.


    Lize, Marlene and Old Walker finally felt relieved, but they still had a hint of complexity in their eyes.


    At this moment, there was a knock on the door.


    Lize quickly stood up and got the door. She spoke with the people outside in a low voice for a few moments before accepting a letter. Then she returned to the table with an odd expression.


    "What happened Lize? Did something happen?"


    Marlene asked curiously when she saw Lize''s expression. Lize passed the letter over and said, "Mr. Rhode, it''s an invitation from the Mercenary Association. Mr. President and Sereck want to see you; they hope that you can go there to solve a dispute."


    "Dispute?"


    Rhode felt a little bit strange. How could there be any dispute between him and Mercenary Association?


    "It''s like this..."


    Lize''s current expression became even more strange, she looked at Marlene with worry, and then back to Rhode.


    "According to the messenger, Mr. Clinton from the Country of Light approached the Mercenary Association and claimed that you had killed his subordinates. He asked us to give an explanation and compensate his loss.."


    "That''s simply outrageous!"


    Before Lize could finish, Marlene slammed the table and stood up in anger.


    "Those group of bastards... it was clearly them who had sent people to assassinate us in the forest. Hah. Now they''re twisting the truth! Must we stay still and give up our lives to satisfy them?"


    Then Marlene turned around and stared at Rhode with anger in her eyes.


    "Mr. Rhode! Let''s go to the Mercenary Association together! I want that bastard to understand that our Munn Kingdom isn''t that easy to be bullied!"


    "Enough. Marlene, don''t get too worked up."


    Rhode was unexpectedly calm. He reached out and took the letter from Lize, carefully scrutinizing the contents. After reading, he shoved the letter into his pocket and stood up.


    "Go and have a rest. I''ll go to the Mercenary Association by myself. I think there must be some kind of misunderstanding."


    "Misunderstanding?!"


    Marlene sneered.


    "Mr. Rhode, how can it be a misunderstanding? Isn''t it obvious? The people of the Country of Light have refused to let this matter go..."


    "I have a different opinion about it."


    Rhode waved his hand and dismissed Marlene''s complaint.


    "We''ve never done such a thing, that''s why there must be some kind of misunderstanding. Clinton accused us of doing it, but I still don''t know what is he talking about."


    "..."


    Everyone was speechless.


    All of them stared at Rhode who was as calm as a cucumber, acting as if nothing happened.


    (ED: Anne is adorable.)

 Chapter 79 A Small Warning

    A lingering chatter droned on and on.


    Peter stretched his body and distanced himself from the parchments in front of him. When he took off his glasses, he noticed his vision growing slightly blurry. But this was good for him... At least he did not have to see those annoying faces otherwise it would be difficult to imagine how he could continue.


    "Silence, silence!!"


    A deep voice sounded and drowned the noise.


    "Please, everyone. We''re not gathered here to quarrel."


    A man who wore a luxurious robe stood up and spread his hands.


    "In recent months, there had been a string of continuous attacks on cargo ships near the border areas which caused not only the dissatisfaction of the Merchant Association but also a rapid increase in price in the Country of Light. We must develop a countermeasure as soon as possible!"


    "What else can we do?"


    Another person put down the parchments in his hand and helplessly spread his arms.


    "We have already sent out an investigation group, but we still have not received a clear report of the situation. We need to find out what is going on in order to catch the culprit behind it."


    "It takes time. After all, we only have a few clues so we need to continue to investigate."


    "There''s no time! The price increase is drastically affecting our public support. We must think of a way to reverse this situation right now or the whole country will fall into chaos soon."


    What''s the point of saying that? You''ve might as well say nothing.


    Peter pressed his palm against his forehead and sighed. They had been meeting every day, but they weren''t able to find a solution. At this moment, a dark figure stood up.


    "I have something to say."


    Borde.


    Hearing this voice, Old Peter suddenly grew interested. He quickly grabbed his glasses and readied the quill pen in his hand.


    Borde was in his forties. His thick lips and golden hair meticulously combed to the back gave off a dignified feeling. Dressed in a simple black jacket, he stepped towards the podium, causing the noisy parliament hall to quiet down.


    "I think this discussion is a waste of time. We should not be thinking how to solve it. No matter how we deliberate, we have to accept what already happened. Right now as we speak, the commodity price is still increasing. While the difference isn''t big, it is still making the people unhappy. Haven''t you guys heard?"


    Borde proceeded to point towards the window.


    "That''s right. That''s the sound of protest. We''ve been entrusted with a heavy responsibility �� we cannot let them down now. While I agree that we still have to continue to investigate the attacks, our priority should be to stabilize the price to avoid further turmoil. This is what we''re supposed to do!"


    "But how do we do that, Mr. Borde?"


    Hearing a parliament member inquire, Mr. Borde smiled.


    "We can ask the Munn Kingdom for help. Let them solve our current shortage and re-stabilizing the market price."


    "I object!"


    "I also object!"


    Someone immediately stood up and expressed their opposition.


    "Our relationship with them is the same as before. There had been no response from the Munn Kingdom after such a long time. That simply means that they do not want to help us! If we take the initiative to request aid from them, they might use this as a foothold to force us to make future concessions and compromise!"


    "That''s right! That tyrant of a dictator... I don''t believe that woman would be kind enough to help us without benefits."


    "Why would she bother about whether we live or die? She''s an evil being that wouldn''t hesitate to kill her own people as long as she can stabilize her reign. How can this kind of person be an angel? It''s just difficult to imagine. I object to this proposal, Mr. Borde. Our Country of Light''s thrives on liberalism, I absolutely refuse to bow down to evil."


    "Nevertheless, no matter what, the Munn Kingdom is ultimately still our ally."


    Facing the majority opposition, Borde waved his arm passionately.


    "We have no other option. The other countries neither have enough resources nor the ability to help us. We should send our messenger to express our goodwill to her Miss Lydia as soon as possible. As long as they are willing to trade with us with low rates, we can let them decide the requirements of the proposal. I hope everyone here can understand where I am coming from. Right now, our petty squabbles will put nothing on the table, and I''m sure you don''t need me to remind all of you about the forecasted results of next year''s election if we do nothing about this matter... I think all of you should understand what I''m saying."


    Hearing this, those who opposed Borde''s views appeared to quieten down. They looked at each other helplessly, seemingly unable to reply with anything constructive. However, there were still people who voiced out their opinion.


    "But... but what happens if the people found out that we requested assistance from the Munn Kingdom? If this spreads, we will receive quite a heavy blow as well..."


    "I think all of you needn''t worry regarding this point."


    Borde pressed his hands down.


    "The people are mainly worried about the increasing prices. As long as we don''t talk about it, no one would know where the food and goods came from. Bowing down to the Munn Kingdom isn''t something to be proud of, but for sake of the people of our country, we must relinquish our pride."


    Borde paused for a moment.


    "They didn''t know about our matters before, so naturally they aren''t going to find out about this one now."


    When the parliament members heard this, the anxiety in their eyes finally dissipated and was replaced by happiness. Indeed, this matter had bogged them down for so long; hence it was natural that they felt relieved. These members of parliament undoubtedly knew that as long as they could appease the public''s anger, they would be able to clinch next year''s election.


    As for face? What''s that? Can that be eaten?


    "Then, Mr. Borde, the matter regarding the messenger..."


    "I will go in person."


    Borde puffed out his chest and said confidently, "I will show our parliament''s greatest sincerity to Miss Lydia."


    Then Borde held his head up towards the front.


    "I hope the parliament will grant me this approval."


    Facing Borde''s resolution, the old man who was sitting on the top did not speak for a while. Then he sighed. After scanning the room briefly, he reluctantly nodded his head.


    "I accept your request, the parliament will vote for it at the next meeting."


    That old thing.


    All the parliament members thought the same thing and glanced at the old man in disdain. He was already so old, how long did he want to stay in that position? Damn, if it wasn''t for him, how could have the parliament become this passive?


    Hmph. It looks like he''s going to be pulled down on the next election. By that time...


    As many of the members thought of this, they still maintained their attention on the man who stood confidently at the podium.


    It might be the arrival of a new era.


    -


    At this moment, in the distant Deep Stone City, another scene was going on in the Mercenary Association.


    "That damned bastard!!"


    The mercenaries were surprised to see Billy. His face was pale as he slammed the door behind him. He stomped through the hall and left the Mercenary Association before entering a luxurious carriage just outside the building.


    "What''s the matter?"


    A man who was hiding in the shadow asked.


    "That guy denied everything."


    Billy spread out his arms helplessly.


    "Although I''ve have done it according to your request and showed every evidence and magical projection that could prove that he was the murderer, he wasn''t moved at all and said that it was something that we fabricated!!"


    Recalling Rhode''s calm expression, Billy gnashed his teeth in anger. He really wanted to cut off Rhode''s head by himself. He spent so much time, said so many words, and even revealed the evidence, but that guy actually reversed all of it.


    "What''s the Mercenary Association''s response?"


    "They said that they will continue to investigate."

 Chapter 80 Requesting Reinforcements

    Old President and Sereck weren''t dumb. Naturally they wouldn''t want to be entangled in the hot mess between the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Light. Meanwhile, they were also grateful to Rhode for providing them the information regarding the mercenary groups and the undead. As they kept a record of commissions, they came to the exact conclusion as Old Walker, stating that it was truly an unusual occurrence.


    The Mercenary Association could ignore the problem between the two countries, but they could not disregard the danger before them. As the highest-ranking members of the Mercenary Association, the President and Sereck had already caught a whiff of matters even before Rhode''s warning. It was especially obvious when several mercenary groups came back with severe casualties.


    "Looks like something is lurking in the shadows."


    Putting down a parchment on his hand, Sereck''s expression darkened.


    "Something like this actually happened... I really did not expect it. If I knew it earlier, I would''ve stayed."


    "It''s too late to regret it now, old friend."


    The Old President sighed and rolled his eyes towards Rhode.


    "What do you think about it?"


    "Perhaps it''s because those undead creatures are valuable?"


    Rhode was clearly ignoring him, causing the Old President to roll his eyes again. He sighed deeply in his heart, questioning himself why he even bothered asking Rhode anyway.


    "The commissioners came from different regions. The only thing they have in common is that they''re all not locals..."


    Reading the record on his hands, Sereck expression became slightly more stern.


    "I can''t tell if it''s a conspiracy or not from the information we''ve gotten so far, but even for a coincidence it''s slightly unbelievable."


    Knock knock knock!


    At this moment, a rapid knocking sound suddenly came from behind the door and broke the dull atmosphere in the room. The three of them glanced over, and the Old President''s expression turned solemn.


    "Come in."


    "M-Mr. President!"


    The door pushed open and a mercenary drenched in blood rushed in with Old Hank following closely behind. From his clothing, it can be said that he resembled a thief.


    "What happened?!" The President abruptly sprang up and asked.


    The bloodied mercenary appeared using all his remaining strength to stand before the President, and it was evident that he couldn''t hold on for much longer.


    "S-Sir, our mission failed... I finally managed to escape... Please, please send reinforcements to help my comrades..."


    "You are..."


    Sereck quickly walked towards the mercenary. After carefully looking at him he said, "Aren''t you Chad from the ''Victorious Wine'' mercenary group? What happened to you?"


    "We, we accepted a commission to the Silent Ridge. But, we didn''t expect so many undead there... The vice-leader had already died and our leader barely saved our lives. However, they are being surrounded by undead right now as we speak... I don''t know how long they can hold on..."


    "What the heck? Silent Plateau?!"


    Sereck no longer remained calm after hearing this.


    "That''s a five Star-Ranked mission! Your mercenary group isn''t qualified to take this mission!"


    "We, we know... But our mission was only to search for an item within the outer borders... so we thought that it wasn''t going to be dangerous. Who knew that..."


    "Forget it; there''s no use saying these now."


    Sereck sighed.


    "Hank, take him to receive treatment immediately. I will think of a solution with the President."


    "Yes, Sir Sereck."


    Old Hank agreed and carried the mercenary back. When the mercenary left, Sereck shook his head.


    "Foolish! How can they be that stupid! They actually dared to venture into Silent Plateau? That place is the Country of Darkness''s border. Bunch of fools... just because of money they dared to disregard their lives."


    "What should we do now?"


    "Since they requested for reinforcements, we must help them. This is the responsibility of our Mercenary Association. Even if it was a casual group, as long as they''ve formally registered with us, they will be protected under our wing."


    "But..."


    The President''s old face revealed a troubled expression.


    "Firstly, let''s not even mention how dangerous that place is. Even if we wanted reinforcements, there are only a few available mercenary groups left in Deep Stone City. Both of us know that they''ve just returned from a devastating defeat. Requesting reinforcements from them is practically impossible."


    "So... should I go alone?"


    "Don''t joke, old friend."


    The President immediately shook his head.


    "What''s the use if you go there alone? This is a five Star-Ranked mission! Yes, you are a master swordsman and you can guarantee your own life... but can you also bring the others back safely?"


    "..."


    Sereck did not answer.


    He was clear of his own strength. Much of his talent lies within his swordsmanship, so he wasn''t good at commanding mercenary groups. Going there to kill the undead wasn''t an issue, but killing the undead while bringing a group of injured people back... Hahaha, gotta be kidding...


    At this time, a voice sounded.


    "I think you have forgotten that there''s still a mercenary group without any injuries."


    "Hm?"


    President and Sereck immediately turned towards Rhode who had remained silent for the whole time. Right now he was crossing his arms while leaning against the chair, quietly watching them.


    "You mean Starlight?"


    The Old President shook his head and laughed.


    "Kid... your mercenary group only possess five or six members right now... Even if you have twice or trice of that, Silent Plateau isn''t a place for your level. Don''t make things even more troublesome."


    "That''s your opinion, not mine, old man."


    Rhode didn''t back down. Instead, he moved his body to get more comfortable.


    "I have confidence in my subordinates, and believe me �� my familiarity with Silent Plateau is far more than you can imagine..."


    "Oh?"


    Both of them were stunned momentarily, then the Old President laughed and opened his mouth to say something. However, Sereck stopped him. He walked towards Rhode and carefully scrutinized the young man.


    "Are you sure you can handle it?"


    "I never take on a mission that I''m not sure of. Moreover, you''re coming with me right? I have no doubts of your strength."


    Rhode stood up.


    "I have two conditions, however."


    "What conditions?" The Old President was puzzled.


    Rhode whipped out one finger.


    "First, you must look for four clerics for me. There must be some within the Association, right?"


    "There is, but..."


    The Old President frowned and stared at Rhode suspiciously. He didn''t understand what he was going to do with four clerics.


    "What do you need them for? You should realize that those kids do not have much adventuring experience since they are mainly responsible for the Association''s internal first-aid department. Let me inform you �� they do not know any offensive spells. Don''t expect them to help you kill the undead."


    "That is my problem. You only have to wait for me to bring them back safely. You have my word. Now, I want to know whether you agree to this condition."


    "Sure."


    The old President didn''t hesitate long before agreeing to Rhode''s condition. Anyway, it wasn''t a big deal, and he was also curious why would he ask for four clerics.


    "I''ll get them to prepare. After that, they''ll follow Sereck to join you guys. What about the second condition?"


    "The second condition is simple."


    Rhode held out another finger.


    "I want to know how many points I can get after this mission."


    The Old President''s face finally turned green.


    "You greedy bastard! You can actually speak of this condition at this kind of time?!"


    "That''s exactly why I must talk about the conditions with you, old man."


    Rhode put down his right hand and shrugged.


    "After all, this is also a mission and we are risking our lives... Isn''t some kind of compensation appropriate?"


    In the end, the President agreed to Rhode''s conditions. Old President could choose to bargain further, but he knew that this matter was urgent and thus relented to Rhode''s conditions.


    If Starlight could complete the mission and come back safely, the Mercenary Association would give them a five Star-Ranked mission reward together with gold coins and some magic equipment.


    The reward can''t be said to be abundant, but also can''t be said to be meager for a five Star-Ranked mission.


    After everything, they finally agreed to prepare to move out the next day at dawn. Rhode promptly left the Mercenary Association after the discussion.


    "I really don''t know what you are thinking!"


    The Old President was in a huff as he slumped in his chair angrily, giving a dissatisfied look at Sereck who returned his glare with a smile.


    "Do you really think that kid is telling the truth? I think that he''s just uttering nonsense. Is the Silent Plateau a resort where he can choose to come and go as he wishes? He even said that he is familiar with it? Nonsense!"


    "I don''t think so."


    Sereck smiled bitterly and shook his head.


    "You must recognize his achievements as well. When the kid had just established his mercenary group, he immediately took on Pavel Cemetery and came back without any casualties while saving the Red Hawk mercenary group in the process. That young lad said that he is familiar with the undead... is it really a coincidence? He even felled the Necromancer who had lived for so many years."


    "What are you trying to say Sereck?"


    "I''m not trying to say anything..."


    Sereck turned his head and gazed out the window.


    "I just think that young man is a fascinating fellow..."

 Chapter 81 Heading Towards Silent Highland 6000 Words

    Before the sun rose on the second day, Rhode arrived at the Deep Stone City''s entrance with his group. Sereck, who was equipped with his usual leather armor and magic sword, was even earlier than him. At this moment, Sereck indeed resembled a mercenary. Upon seeing Rhode''s arrival, Sereck stepped forward and waved at them.


    "You''re just on time."


    Sereck nodded in satisfaction. Then, he swept his gaze over Lize, Marlene and Old Walker. His eyes stopped upon resting on Anne, who made him surprised for a moment. Though he quickly recovered and greeted everyone with a smile.


    "Looks like you''re ready."


    "Yeah."


    Rhode answered calmly.


    While the group might seem calm and collected, when Rhode dropped the bomb on them last night, everyone expressed their shock differently.


    Lize felt worried for the safety of the group, naturally.


    Marlene was full of spirit as she didn''t know where Silent Plateau was.


    Old Walker complained that Rhode was seeking death.


    And Anne had no opinions on the matter as she had only been freeloading so far. Thus, her reaction was as though they were about to go on a field trip.


    "What about the people I requested for?"


    "They''re here."


    Sereck waved his arm and four young girls came from behind him. The oldest among them was about twenty-five years old, and the youngest was approximately around Lize''s age.


    Contrary to the veteran mercenaries, these four Clerics explicitly revealed their fear on their faces. It was not surprising as not many Clerics would be willing to follow a mercenary group out into the wilderness. Lize was a special exception indeed.


    "All of them can cast healing spells and Barrier. Well, lad, I must remind you that they belong to the Mercenary Association. Although my old friend forced himself to agree to your request, it doesn''t mean that you can send them to their deaths. I will make it clear right now �� if anything happens to these children, I will leave with them immediately. As for the journey afterward, you can only rely on yourself."


    "Not a problem."


    Hearing Sereck''s reminder, Rhode didn''t say anything else and thanked him. Then he made his way towards the four Clerics who looked at him with skepticism and uneasiness. Frankly, they didn''t want to go, but as a member of the Mercenary Association, they must obey their orders.


    In some ways, Clerics were more fragile than mages.


    "I think you guys should be aware where we are heading to." Rhode ignored their gazes and spoke calmly, "You should know that it''s incredibly dangerous there and you might die. However, as long as you follow my command, you will be safe."


    Rhode spread out his hands.


    "Please remember to follow my command. If I tell you to do something, just do it and believe in the results. If you do as I say, you will not encounter any danger. I understand that right now, it''s my word against yours, but the facts will soon prove my credibility. As such, I don''t want anyone to disobey my command no matter what situation arises. I hope that none of you will do something that would make me unhappy."


    Rhode paused for a moment and swept his gaze over the four Clerics who had various expressions.


    "I will leave you to Lize. If you have any questions, you can ask her. I know that some of you might be superior to her in strength, but with regards to teamwork and adventuring, neither one of you can hold a candle to her. If you don''t want to suffer, then you''d better listen to her instructions."


    Rhode said no more and he signaled everyone to begin moving. Meanwhile, Sereck made his way towards Rhode with a bitter smile.


    "Honestly... aren''t you a little too harsh on these ladies?"


    "I''m not interested in currying their favor."


    Rhode shrugged and shook his head.


    "We''re here to carry out the mission. This is neither a field trip nor a blind date, so I don''t have time to care whether they like me or not �� I only need them to follow my command, that''s all. In any case, I will have nothing to do with them once we complete this mission."


    "Nothing is for certain." Sereck smiled."The way you talk is somewhat like an army officer."


    "Is that so?"


    Hearing that comparison, Rhode frowned.


    "That''s right, that kind of determination and decisiveness when facing a mission... Well, in my opinion, an ordinary mercenary won''t have such a skill."


    Rhode didn''t reply as he turned around and walked to the carriage.


    Silent Plateau wasn''t a place near Deep Stone City; furthermore, there were people in the group who weren''t accustomed to adventuring. Hence, Sereck arranged a caravan to be used for transportation. The caravan had six wheels and required eight horses to pull them forward. Since the Mercenary Association wasn''t as strict as the army, caravans like this were often used as transportation for members of the Association.


    Although there were strong offshore winds in Silent Plateau, the Mercenary Association forbid them from using a floating ship to travel there. The reason was simple. Firstly, because of the recent attacks on merchants, floating ships were wide open targets. Secondly, that place had no port and Rhode and his entourage had no experience in jumping from high altitudes. This world had no parachute, and even if they landed safely, they might be eaten by an undead instead.


    Dying before accomplishing anything wasn''t something worth boasting.


    Thus, while a caravan might be slower, but it was far safer than the floating ship.


    Unfortunately, things do not always go as planned.


    The road to Silent Plateau wasn''t fun �� it was riddled with bumps and weeds as almost no one would dare to travel to this haunted place. Even Lize and Old Walker who were seasoned mercenaries could not take it, not to mention Marlene and the other four Clerics. They no longer cared about their image as they crawled out of the caravan and puked. Though oddly enough, Anne had a calm expression as she slept alone in the corner of the caravan.


    According to their original plan, after reaching Silent Plateau, all of them would get off and move out immediately. Alas, everyone was currently blue in their faces, and their legs felt like jelly. They hadn''t even encountered their first enemy... but were already on their fours. Rhode and Sereck had no choice but to rest for half a day before setting off.


    "I hope that those guys can hold on until we arrive."


    Rhode whispered to himself as he stared at the ominous clouds above the dark, eerie forest.


    Night had already fallen, but the forest was abnormally still �� not even a single animal sound could be heard from within.


    Rhode knew what was ahead �� it was nothing else but the aura of death. He really hoped that those people could hold on until they arrived.


    But Rhode did not put much faith in their ability to survive as he had experienced plenty of similar quests back in the game. Most of the time, NPCs would succumb to death before their reinforcement arrive, which was truly a depressing matter considering how much effort Rhode had to put in to fight his way to the rescue location.


    "No need to worry."


    Sereck was more optimistic than Rhode.


    "I know the leader of Victorious Wine. He is a vigilant young man; he won''t die that easily. Even if his chance of survival is close to zero, we still have to try since we are all part of the Mercenary Association."


    Responsibility.


    Rhode didn''t reply Sereck. The Mercenary Association appeared to be a strong organization on the surface, and they were highly-regarded among mercenary groups. However, it didn''t mean that they had the power to forcefully disband a mercenary group to enhance their status. Power and responsibility always came hand-in-hand. The mercenaries would listen to the Mercenary Association''s orders, and in turn, the Mercenary Association would aid the mercenaries whenever needed.


    Requesting for reinforcement was one such perk members of the Mercenary Association had. Whether they were alive or dead, once the Mercenary Association receives their request, they will send people to their rescue.


    This display of reliability proved to the far stronger than any contract; in fact, the reason why most mercenary groups dared to explore was also because of this.


    Trust was priceless.


    "I... I can''t go on anymore, Lize."


    Marlene sagged against the tree. Her legs wobbled like jelly, and her head was spinning uncontrollably. A nauseous sensation took over her body; it felt even worse than the magic plant she had accidentally eaten. She tilted her head upwards to suppress the vomit rushing up to her throat while Lize quickly cast a spell to alleviate her condition.


    "Bear with it Marlene. Take a deep breath and rest for a while."


    "Take a deep...urghh...!!!"


    Marlene''s body suddenly arched and her throat convulsed uncontrollably.


    ...It seemed like she had barfed last night''s dinner.


    The other Clerics fared no better than Marlene. Fortunately, they were blessed with healing spells. However, they still appeared to be haggard as they lay on the ground, exhausted. If anyone saw their plight right now, they would''ve thought that they had encountered an undead attack.


    "Yawn..."


    Only one person was totally unaffected by the ride.


    Anne.


    She yawned as she climbed down from the caravan and proceeded to stretch her stiff body. After stretching, she looked strangely at the people eyeing her and found that all the girls were staring daggers at her.


    So unfair...


    Then she turned towards Rhode and said, "Ah, leader, have we arrived? When should we start?"


    "Three hours from now. Let them rest for a little bit."


    Facing the girl who had hopped over to him energetically, Rhode quickly pointed towards the base camp and replied.


    "You also should go eat something and take a rest. After that, we will start our mission. Don''t forget your duty."


    "Of course~ Rest assured leader. When Anne is here, there will be no problem!"


    After answering him, Anne hummed her way to base camp and whipped out a few pieces of meat from the bag to eat by the campfire. Comparing this girl who had plenty of energy to spare to the half-dead Marlene and gang, it was quite... a contrast.


    "I didn''t expect you to recruit her."


    Sereck took two cups of hot water and sat beside Rhode. At the same time, he handed one over.


    "It looks like you have something up your sleeves."


    "You know Anne?"


    Rhode took the cup Sereck offered to him and asked casually.


    "I have met her a few times before. While her personality is indeed quite troublesome, her ability is top-notch. Don''t judge her by how easy-going appears to be, because when she gets serious, that girl can be really powerful."


    "I think so too."


    He hadn''t interact with Anne often, but looking at her performance from the recruitment test, he could clearly see that her ability was unique, and...


    "Do you know about her past?"


    With that petite body, Anne was able to pick up a shield in one hand and throw it with ease. Rhode couldn''t help but frown. He thought that his Vitality and Strength stat was already considered fairly high, but to pick up a shield that weighed dozens of kilograms was definitely not an easy feat. In fact, before coming here, Rhode had given Anne the Rock Heart Shield which he acquired from the Rock of Lament to add some additional impact to her attacks. And that shield certainly wasn''t something light.


    Anne was so ecstatic after receiving the magic shield that she even rushed over and kissed him. This made Rhode smile bitterly, but since her personality was like this, he could only leave it at that.


    "I can''t say for certain, but I do know that the Mark White mercenary group found her on the mountain. At that time, she was only one or two years old, and she lived together with a wild beast. That old fellow brought her out and fostered her. It sure as hell wasn''t an easy thing... I recalled that she would bite anyone who touched her and that old fellow was bitten numerous times by her. "


    "Frankly, a lot of people told him to sell this girl, after all, there was no use in keeping her. But that old fellow was stubborn and insisted on keeping her. Eventually, he taught her how to talk, write and learn like a human. Perhaps at that point, he already thought of her as his own daughter. The child gradually grew to resemble more like a human, but her personality...well, I''ve heard everything that happened to Mark White and leaving was a good thing. This child''s strength is insanely strong, we''ve suspected that she was of a Barbarian descent, but..."


    Then, Sereck smiled.


    "I have never seen such a slender Barbarian in my life before. Even if she''s a dwarf, she''s a little too tall. Furthermore, she''s also quite a beauty."


    Sereck paused, and his expression suddenly turned serious.


    "Alright, enough of the chit-chat, let''s get back to the real topic. I want to know how you will bring us into the Silent Plateau safely. You said that you are very familiar with this place... I don''t know whether it is true or not, but I believe in you. As your comrade, I want to know your plan."


    "Of course, that''s not a problem."


    Rhode raised his head and revealed an expression of unprecedented self-confidence.


    It wasn''t just a false front; he truly had the experience to back his confidence. Back in the game, the Silent Plateau was a troublesome dungeon. Many players even called it the ''Holy Land of Guild Extermination,'' and anyone who stepped into the area would face death. This was why everyone skipped this dungeon because according to many, the loots weren''t lucrative either. Since the dungeon was difficult, yet its rewards were miserable, no player would want to run it at all.


    As the King of First Kill in the game, Rhode had undoubtedly completed this dungeon and created a popular formation among the players called the ''9+1 formation.''


    The ''9+1 formation'' consisted of nine Clerics and a player with huge AoE attacks. In the dungeon, Rhode would protect the Clerics who used their holy spells to suppress the undead.


    After that, the Silent Plateau that was once hailed as the ''Holy Land of Guild Extermination'' became a place for Clerics to farm experience. Since they were only a supporting class, it was difficult for them to level up besides going to dungeons with other players or clearing Silent Plateau with the ''9+1 formation.'' Therefore, the dungeon became a Cleric''s primary leveling spot. Whether they were aspiring to be PKers or PvE players, as long as they could complete Silent Plateau smoothly, they could be considered to have mastered their class in skill and experience.


    As the guild leader, Rhode would often bring his Clerics to level up and practice in the dungeon. As for himself, he could probably walk through this place with his eyes closed.


    There was another matter which was somewhat interesting. At one time, he brought some Clerics to clear the dungeon, and at the final stage, the BOSS somehow didn''t appear. This left him no choice but to leave the dungeon to reset. After this incident spread, a lot of players said that the BOSS had been killed by Rhode far too many times and was scared to appear.


    That was why although Silent Plateau was feared by many, Rhode had nothing to be afraid of.


    This time, Rhode had brought five Clerics which clearly wasn''t sufficient for the ''9+1 formation'', but he wasn''t worried at all. After all, he was the one who developed this formation, so he knows the ins-and-outs of it at the back of his hand. Furthermore, the Mercenary Association wouldn''t provide him with eight or nine Clerics, so four was adequate. Lize had an angel bloodline and could fill two slots in the formation and Marlene had AoE spells, so that was not a problem.


    Lastly, Sereck also participated in this mission. A level 40 Swordmaster was enough to fill the remaining gap.


    Thus, Rhode was extremely confident.


    "For this mission, the Clerics will be our main source of damage."


    "Clerics?"


    Sereck couldn''t help but feel slightly surprised.


    "Although I have anticipated this... but lad, you have to understand that a Cleric isn''t a Soul Knight. They do not possess offensive spells, and furthermore, these people have no combat experience. Do you really want to push them to face the undead?"


    Rhode shook his head.


    "There''s no need for them to enter the frontlines. It''s better for them to attack from the rear."


    "So I hope Mr. Sereck can join them in the rear and protect them. Our pressure will surely lessen if you''re there. However, I''m still slightly worried as you''ve said that they had never been in a battle before."


    "Our pressure will lessen?"


    Sereck was confused. He visited the Silent Plateau before and understood that the undead would endlessly rush them in waves. Even he, as a Master Swordsman would have difficulty facing the undead horde. So how can this young man say that their pressure will lessen if he went to the rear?


    Perhaps he''s not afraid of the undead?


    Is he bluffing? Or does he really have a way?


    Suddenly, as Sereck was deep in thought, Old Walker''s silhouette appeared from the forest with a grim expression.


    "I have found the tracks they left behind."


    He walked to Rhode and said in low voice.

 Chapter 82 Entering Silent Plateau

    Everyone finally recovered after resting for a while and began their journey into the forest.


    The forest was dead silent; not even the sound of crickets could be heard.


    As the group made their way into the dense foliage, their shadows quickly blended into the darkness. Most of the light couldn''t permeate through the leaves, shrouding the whole area in darkness.


    Since this area was in between the Country of Light and the Country of Darkness, it was considered the darkest place among the people from the Country of Light.


    "There''s someone over there!"


    One of the Clerics was startled and quickly pointed towards a direction. Not too far from them, a pale face silently watched them.


    "Ignore them, let''s continue moving."


    Rhode didn''t bother to turn his head and continued to press forward. However, a lingering fear caused the Cleric to hesitate.


    "But those evil spirits... they..."


    "If you don''t bother them, they won''t bother you."


    At this moment, Rhode felt like he was bringing along a bunch of noobs. Every time they witness something scary, they would scream. Especially those female players... though their expression varied among the first-timers. Some were indifferent, some were calm, some screamed their head off, and some just froze in fear. Rhode had seen them all. In the beginning, Rhode was kind enough to give them advice, but after several batches of newbies, he finally got tired of it.


    They were just scaring themselves; if they could be distracted by these things, what would happen when they enter the inner areas of Silent Plateau? Wouldn''t they have a seizure and fall to the ground?


    "B-but..."


    Seeing how Rhode nonchalantly dismissed her fears, the Cleric felt offended. From her perspective, evil spirits were the bane of the living. Since Rhode had the numerical advantage right now, why won''t he give the command to attack? And now, as they walked deeper into the forest, the number of evil spirits began to increase. The evil spirits lurked in the shadows, flashing from one tree to another as they observed the group of humans with its dead eyes.


    As they went advanced deeper into the forest, the number of evil spirits kept increasing. Even Marlene, Lize, and Old Walker couldn''t help but feel nervous. They kept a constant watch on their surroundings in case an evil spirit would suddenly rush out and eat them. The four Clerics almost couldn''t walk, if it wasn''t because of Rhode''s quick pace and the fact that they didn''t want to be left behind, perhaps they would''ve already stopped walking in fear.


    Only Rhode and Sereck remained calm. Rhode was confident that the evil spirits wouldn''t attack them. Even though their numbers might appear intimidating, it was just a mask to hide their weakness. If no one provoked them, they wouldn''t attack. Nevertheless, they would still become aggressive and prey on those who couldn''t bear the pressure.


    However, Rhode still assigned Sereck to the rear as a contingency plan. If any of the Clerics decided to flee in terror, at least Sereck could prevent them from committing suicide.


    Though in the end, none of them were as cowardly as Rhode thought. Yes, they were scared, but throughout the journey, none of them chose to run away. Rhode was slightly impressed and his admiration for them rose. Perhaps it was due to their class which made their mental fortitude somewhat higher than casual players since they had seen real dead bodies before. For players, they might appear confident and brave when speaking about the deceased, but when faced with a real dead body in front of them? They were no better than the other next to them.


    Alright, at least right now we won''t have this problem.


    Rhode swung his scabbard to clear the overhanging branches, revealing a magical scene in front of everyone.


    The dense forest was akin to a thick curtain that blocked the backdrop of the stage. Now that the curtain had finally been drawn, everything was laid bare for all to see.


    A vast prairie stretched out from end to end. Worn-out weapons and rotting equipment could be seen sprawling on the wide, open ground in the tall grass.


    A long time ago, this place had been a tragic battlefield. The Country of Light and Darkness competed and fought for this prairie for two hundred years. In this long and arduous period, countless of people perished, and their blood nourished the prairie''s soil. However, even after death, their presence did not vanish completely.


    Whether they were the living or the dead, no one knew. Even the upper echelons of both the Country of Light and Darkness could not answer this question. In this wide open prairie, the souls of the dead were summoned once again as they wandered the land, fighting each other for all eternity.


    And that was the current situation that Rhode was observing right now.


    On the surface, it appeared like the prairie was empty, but in the distance, there was a light that would flash at certain intervals which lit up the darkness momentarily. One can imagine it as a ballroom with the lights turned off �� whenever the light was turned on, it would sweep through the dark and reveal shadows of people clashing, shouting and killing each other.


    Just at the front of Rhode was a shadow of a warrior whose body resembled an arrow pincushion. It crawled towards Rhode, slowly revealing its skeletal face that was devoid of flesh and somehow managed to produce an expression that clearly reflected its anger.


    Suddenly, the warrior gripped its sword and dashed towards Rhode, swinging it downwards at frightening speeds. But as soon as it arrived right in front of Rhode, the light went off, and so did the shadow.


    It was as if everything was just a show.


    That was the most troublesome and challenging part of Silent Plateau. The undead would appear at random, unpredictable points in time and if the undead did not disappear, their attacks must be blocked. What would happen if the light suddenly chose to shine in the middle of the group?


    They would just run...


    In this place, the Mage spell Black Curtain was useless. The darkness here wasn''t an ordinary kind of darkness; it was even different from the Country of Darkness. The dark in this place had combined with the light and completely turned into another element; it simply couldn''t be described just how strange it was.


    Then what should they do? To a lot of players, it wasn''t a complicated thing.


    The best way to avoid being passive was to take the initiative.


    "Lize, Holy Light."


    Rhode gestured towards Lize.


    A magical ball of Holy Light immediately appeared on her palm and illuminated the surroundings.


    The warrior who previously tried to attack Rhode once again appeared, but before he could swing its sword down, Rhode used the pommel of his sword to smash the warrior''s skeletal body, causing it to crash to the ground and break into pieces. Then, pieces turned into dust and disappeared with the wind.


    "All of you should be aware of the dangers of this place by now."


    Rhode turned around and addressed the people behind him. Lize and the other mercenaries turned serious. They weren''t fools; they understood Rhode''s intent of showing them the dangers of the Silent Plateau. They thought that even if was a heavily-armed mercenary group, they would probably think twice before coming here.


    "Well, I have good news. All of you don''t have to worry about the random appearance of that odd light because I can assure that from this moment on, the enemy will appear from everywhere!"


    Rhode didn''t turn his head as his sword made a quick motion. A silver arc flashed in the darkness and sliced an undead into two.


    "Which is why I need all of you to focus. Old Walker, you must pay close attention to the rear. Marlene, Lize, I need both of you to occupy the left and right side respectively. Anne, it''s your job to protect them. Remember, do not stop moving! This place houses countless of undead, and as long as we can pass this prairie, we will win. Do all of you understand?"


    "Yes, leader~!"


    Anne was relaxed as usual. She smiled and waved her hand playfully as she answered Rhode''s command. Her behavior made the others think that this young miss did not understand the gravity of the situation.


    Especially those Clerics �� initially, they thought that they could rely on the Shield Warrior for protection, but after looking at her behavior, it wasn''t surprising why they were beginning to feel like Anne wasn''t reliable.


    If it weren''t for Sereck, perhaps they would''ve already ran away.


    "Follow me."


    Rhode took a step forward.


    The very next second, something terrifying happened.


    The light which penetrated the darkness. Hundreds of undead who were clashing with one another appeared once more. After being exposed to the light, as though as they had been rehearsing for this moment, all of them screamed in unison and rushed towards Rhode''s group at the same time!


    This is it.


    Sereck''s expression drastically changed when he watched this scene unfold. Previously, when he had a trial in this place, the incident that left the greatest impression on him was this �� the countless of undead that emerged endlessly from the darkness.


    When looking at a vast army, though it may seem slightly hopeless, at least they could use their eyes to estimate how many people were there. However, in this ghastly place, one can never see the end of the waves of undead, and can only fight until they were exhausted. It was also because of this that many people weren''t able to endure.


    There''s nothing scarier than the feeling of hopelessness.


    Then how would Rhode deal with it?


    Sereck couldn''t wait to see it. He focused on defending the rear while periodically glancing at the battle to the front. He wanted to see what Rhode would do to ''lessen the pressure.''


    When Sereck''s eyes fell upon Rhode, he was surprised as Rhode wasn''t feeling nervous at all!


    "Lize, cast Divine Brilliance to the front."


    Rhode calmly pointed towards a direction.


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode!"


    While wielding the Holy Light on her left hand, Lize stretched out her right arm, and soon a divine beam of light dropped from the heavens and enveloped the undead inside.


    "The same goes with all of you. Cast Divine Brilliance at the same place."


    The four Clerics was slightly taken aback when Rhode suddenly addressed them. Still, they followed his command meticulously and lifted their arms to cast Divine Brilliance.


    A few beams of divine light enveloped the undead, causing their movement speed and reaction time to drop further. By the time when all the Clerics finally cast Divine Brilliance, the undead''s movement was akin to an old grandma, seemingly unable to move as though trapped in a swamp.


    "Marlene, Chain Lightning."


    A crackle emerged from her fingertips, and in a blink of an eye, it shot toward the undead horde.


    At first it was a single, faint arc of lightning, but when it hit its first victim, the lightning forked and struck a few undead that were close by. The lightning continued to spread from one undead to another, and soon, the whole battlefield dazzled in a brilliant light. After a series of explosions, hundreds of undead fell to the ground and stopped moving.


    "What...?"


    Marlene was shocked when she saw how potent her spell was. She looked at her finger absentmindedly as she tilted her head in disbelief. Chain Lightning was one of the lowest-level spells �� each lightning arc didn''t pack much power, and after forking to the next target, the damage of the spell would diminish slightly. Marlene initially thought that Rhode would''ve asked her to use a more powerful spell, but look at the situation now... she honestly doubted whether she was fighting a horde of undead or a horde of scarecrows.


    Is such a way even possible?


    Sereck, who was at the rear, also felt surprised. He knew that high-leveled Clerics and Soul Knights could use their spells to destroy the undead, but how could low-leveled Clerics do the same?


    Hmm... That isn''t right...


    A high-leveled Cleric''s Hammer of Judgement or the Soul Knight''s Light of Sanction would destroy the undead within seconds, but all these low-leveled Clerics could do was slow its movement. However, it was sufficient.


    Sereck could not help but glance at Rhode.


    How did this young man figure out this method?


    It wasn''t only Sereck who was caught off guard. In fact, the four Clerics also felt pleasantly surprised! They reacted in the same way as Lize had when she first realized that her power could significantly influence the undead. Some of them even stared at their hands in doubt.


    Unfortunately, Rhode didn''t give them the time for them to slap themselves to check whether it was real or not.


    "Now you know what you can do. Let''s continue moving."


    Facing the countless of undead that once again appeared under the light, Rhode raised his sword and pointed forward.


    (ED: Healing Spell -> Divine Brilliance)

 Chapter 83 Change

    A fiery blaze roared past.


    Then, an explosion erupted among the undead, sending waves of searing heat spreading in all directions. Anything the flame touched instantly turned to ash.


    Marlene retrieved her hand; she could not remember how many undead she had already annihilated. However, never in her life had she been so exhilarated when casting a spell. Every wave of her of her hand would eradicate hundreds of undead. It gave her that awesome sensation of ''I can destroy anything!'' She had seen her teacher wield the same kind of power, but the magic she used were high-level spells that Marlene couldn''t cast. Now, Marlene was basking in the same sensation as her teacher; the only difference was that she was using a basic low-level spell.


    Meanwhile, other than Marlene, the other Clerics also immersed in their role. Under Rhode''s guidance, they launched Divine Brilliance one after another, sweeping its Holy Light to every corner and weakening the undead. Marlene, Rhode, and Sereck would then take advantage of their vulnerability to kill.


    Old Walker stood in the middle of the group and shouted in several directions from time to time, pre-empting the group of which direction the undead was approaching from.


    Anne also revealed her reliable side.


    At the corner of her eye, she saw several skeleton archers launching a volley of Bluefire arrows towards them.


    Anne swiftly reacted.


    The shield on her right hand extended as she dashed to one of the Cleric''s side. She lifted her shield in a timely manner and blocked some of the Bluefire arrows. Then, she spun around, twisted her body and threw her shield into the air.


    The large, thick shield spun in the air, circling into the sky in an arc which swept away most of the arrows which were falling towards them. After that, the shield automatically circled back to Anne, who caught it easily with her right hand. The huge impact only made her lose a balance slightly.


    Rhode didn''t summon his spirits. In this place, the undead''s strength relied heavily on their numbers; their individual strength was nothing at all. But if it was ''him'' before, he might have to struggle quite bitterly here. Now, with the help of everyone, things have gotten much easier. After being suppressed by the Holy Element, the undead were as good as chicken sent to the slaughter. As they say, why use a sword to kill a chicken? Rhode didn''t plan to waste his precious Soul Power on small fries.


    Anywho, how did that Victorious Wine leader cross this treacherous path with his group?


    If not because of him receiving the exact location from the survivor, he might think that he was bragging. If it was just a lone thief, perhaps it might not be too difficult to leave this place, but bringing a group of people? That was a whole different matter altogether. Still, Rhode thought that those were plainly lucky to be able to cross this place.


    Unfortunately, good luck couldn''t always stay with them.


    "To the left!"


    Rhode took out his sword and pointed in that direction. Everyone immediately turned around. He didn''t pick the shortest straight line between two points because he knew that this prairie was a battlefield, and in the center, there were stronger types of undead. No, it wasn''t just those skeleton archers or death knights, Rhode was referring to the spirits that had turned into magical beasts! Rhode didn''t want to provoke these creatures unnecessarily which was why he chose to circle around the center. That way, he had a lower chance of attracting the beast''s attention.


    No one spoke, even Sereck. Everyone quickly turned around, Anne switched her position from left to the right while the Clerics also moved to another location under Lize''s leadership. During the change of formation, the Clerics had to suspend casting Divine Brilliance temporarily, causing the Holy Element to diminish slightly. At this moment, a horde of undead rushed over from the darkness and pounced on the group.


    A sword flashed in the darkness.


    The flash of light formed a wall of swords, and when the undead clashed into the wall, all of them completely stopped moving. When the light disappeared, what was left on the ground were incomplete corpses.


    Sereck''s mouth twitched as he retrieved his sword.


    His admiration of Rhode grew even further. He had no choice but to admit, Rhode was much younger than him, yet he could command the mercenaries to fight with such efficiency with his experience. In the beginning, he thought he was going to utilize the same method again to deal with the undead, but halfway through, his way of fighting changed all of a sudden.


    Sereck thought that Rhode would yell at the Clerics to cast Divine Brilliance, but he was wrong. Instead, he dived right into the horde and dealt with the stronger undead which could pose a threat to the Clerics, leaving the less threatening ones to the rest.


    It wasn''t as though Sereck hadn''t thought of it; rather, it was that he couldn''t make such a brilliant decision and micromanage his assets in the midst of the battle. Unlike him, Rhode seemed to be familiar with every class. He made the right decisions and commands at the right time. Thus, the group could understand his orders loud and clear. Sereck could even feel the dissatisfaction from the Clerics gradually fade away as they tried their best to complete their role.


    Now, they were already two-thirds through their journey.


    "Hey, the four of you. How long more can you hold out?"


    Rhode said as he stared at the dark forest that was in the near distance.


    "I can still cast at least four more Divine Brilliance."


    "Probably three more times?"


    "I still can cast four to five times."


    Hearing their answer, Rhode frowned. The speed was too slow. It was no surprise though, after all, there were only five Clerics... that number was clearly insufficient to overwhelm the countless undead.


    "Everyone gather! We''re going to rush in! Pay close attention to your surroundings �� Anne, prioritize the Clerics, don''t let any of them fall behind. The four of you! Wait for my command and watch where I ask you to aim Divine Brilliance. Now... three, two, one... RUN!"


    Upon hearing ''run,'' everyone quickly sprinted and followed Rhode as closely as possible.


    After the Holy Element field dispersed, the undead which were formerly suppressed, suddenly regained their agility and immediately chased after them. They rushed towards Rhode''s group in all directions. A few of the Clerics couldn''t keep up and looked back at the undead who were quickly catching up. Fortunately, Lize and Old Walker kept an eye on them, so they weren''t left behind.


    "NOW!! RELEASE!"


    A white flash of light swept around the undead horde four to five times consecutively. The undead which were nearby were forced back by Rhode. His sword sliced off an undead warrior''s head that was blocking his way, then he flipped his sword and swung it forward. Followed by a sharp, whirring sound, a silver light emerged from Rhode''s sword which enveloped the battlefield in an instant. In a blink of an eye, a large number of undead were immediately shredded, leaving a huge, blank space in the middle of the battlefield.


    Meanwhile, Marlene''s spell was finally complete. A condensed magic phenomenon gathered around the tip of her wand; at first it flashed, then it soon formed into a terrifying hurricane.


    The hurricane cleared another huge bunch of undead that barred their path. For a moment, the undead could only stare at the terrifying magic torrent which suddenly appeared. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Rhode finally made their way to the edge of the prairie �� which was the meeting point.


    "Enter the forest, quick!"


    Rhode stopped and pointed towards the dense forest. While the darkness within the forest didn''t appear safe, it was at least much better than being chased by waves of undead.


    However, not everyone had Rhode''s stamina and speed.


    "Ah!"


    A Cleric slipped and fell to the ground. When the another Cleric saw her fall, she also quickly stopped advancing and moved back to help her. But she didn''t expect that her legs would give way as well. From the very beginning, these Clerics weren''t suited for extreme physical activities. Having walked for such a long time and facing several hours of high-intensity battles, these Clerics were already at their limits.


    "Quickly!! Get up!"


    Sereck who was following close behind them hastily turned around and formed a sword barrier which blocked the undead from advancing. He didn''t have any other way to deal with the endless undead while protecting the four Clerics.


    "I-I can''t stand up!!"


    The Cleric who fell shouted in a trembling voice and began to cry. She could see that the undead were almost upon her, and although her survival instincts told her to stand, fear ultimately caused her legs to disobey her will. The girl panicked and used her hands to force herself to crawl forward. She wanted to get away from the undead even just by a little bit...


    At this moment, a rotten hand suddenly emerged from the ground and caught her leg. In another direction, the undead finally broke the barrier and dashed forward.


    "No!!"


    When the two of them screamed, a shadow suddenly appeared.


    Anne dashed forward like a cheetah. She expanded her shield and smashed into the undead like a train. Meanwhile, on the other side, a red sword pierced through the darkness and cut in a straight line. The hand which held the Cleric was immediately sliced in half. At the same time, Rhode''s voice bellowed.


    "Lize, remove the spell!"


    The white light immediately disappeared.


    Everything turned into darkness.


    The undead also disappeared.


    "Sigh..."


    Since the beginning, everything had gone smoothly... until now. Still, Rhode felt relieved. He lowered his sword and looked around.


    "Are you guys okay? Is anyone injured?"


    "W-We''re okay."


    The two girls that had almost died were trembling as they held each other tightly. They had never been so close to death before; it was as though they would die once they closed their eyes.


    "Anne?"


    "Anne is very energetic! There''s no problem!"


    "Mr. Sereck?"


    "I''m fine, I''m not injured."


    "Can the both of you stand up?"


    "Umm..."


    Although the darkness hid their expressions, judging from their hesitant voice, Rhode could already guess the answer.


    Really troublesome.


    "Mr. Sereck, you and I will take care of one."


    "Okay."


    Saying until here, Rhode bent his body to carry one of the girls. This made her startled, but Rhode didn''t care.


    "We must leave this place immediately. The journey ahead is still long... we can''t afford to delay any longer."

 Chapter 84 A Helping Hand

    Everyone was dead tired after entering the forest. However, Rhode didn''t allow them to stop and rest. Instead, he carried the Cleric who couldn''t walk all the way until he found a spring. It was only until then did he let everyone take a breather.


    "Haa...!!"


    Finally! They were allowed to relax. Many of them slumped to the ground, refusing to move an inch. Old Walker whistled in a low voice as he sat on a rock to relax.


    Sereck and Anne were the only two who were unaffected by fatigue. Both of them stared silently at their surroundings and at that one person who was running back and forth to distribute rations from time to time.


    "How much longer do you need before you can recover your power?"


    Rhode asked as he sat on a rock next to the Clerics. Since this wasn''t a game, their HP and SP couldn''t be replenished by merely sitting around, eating bread and drinking water. Soul Power was something that came from one''s soul; perhaps it can be said to be similar to stamina. However, the only difference compared to stamina was that if one runs out of Soul Power, one could face permanent disablement �� or even death.


    In the game, once the SP was low, the character''s stats would drop by half and if they couldn''t find a place to restore their SP, well, they would soon become a non-combat liability.


    In his current world, Rhode found out that it followed the same law. That was why casters like Marlene and Lize rarely used their Soul Power. They knew that once they couldn''t keep up with loss of Soul Power, they were going to die.


    "W-we need a-at least half an hour..."


    Rhode frowned. That was too slow! One must realize that this place was nowhere safer than the battlefield from before. He didn''t voice it out as he wanted to keep the morale strong, but he knew that the evil spirits in this place were different from the ones before. They would lurk in the shadows and attack at any moment. Their spirit characteristic made them difficult to catch, and the group would need the help of Clerics �� especially Lize''s Holy Light to hunt them efficiently. Alas, at this moment, Lize was leaning on Marlene''s shoulder with her eyes closed. Rhode knew that she wouldn''t be able to recover in a short period.


    With so many delays... can those people still be saved?


    Sereck caught Rhode frowning to himself.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Rhode raised his head and saw the Swordsmaster smiling at him.


    "I''m just a little bit worried that we wasted too much time."


    Rhode shook his head.


    "Wasted?"


    Hearing him say that, Sereck couldn''t help but break into a fit of laughter. Then he shook his head helplessly at the young man and remained silent for a moment. He just didn''t know what to say at that moment!


    In his opinion, what Rhode did was already perfect. From the time after entering Silent Plateau until now, their group didn''t even take more than four hours. Even the battle on the prairie can be said to reflect his exemplary performance. There were neither any casualties nor injuries... only a bunch of tired people. Perhaps no one in the whole of Deep Stone City could match Rhode''s skills in commanding.


    When he saw Rhode frown, he thought that he was worried about some big problem. But in fact he was just disappointed because the group''s progress was too slow?


    If word of this spread out, many mercenary group leaders would ashamed of themselves...


    "I think that what you''ve done is already quite good."


    Sereck didn''t know what was Rhode thinking about, so he smiled and tried to console Rhode by patting him on the shoulder.


    "Even when I''m alone, it''s basically impossible for me to reach this place in such a short time. The fact that you can bring all of them here safely proves how strong you are as a mercenary group leader. At least in Deep Stone City, I''ve not seen one as reliable as you. But what makes me curious is..."


    Sereck narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the young man in front of him.


    "When did you figure out that the Cleric''s Divine Brilliance could weaken the undead? It shouldn''t be something that you''ve just thought of recently right?"


    "When I was in the Eastern Plains, I''ve fought countless of the undead. As you already may know, in some situations, people have no choice but to try various ways to try and survive."


    Rhode conjured a lie without batting an eyelid. But not all of his words were without basis. The Eastern Plain was situated along the border of the Country of Darkness. Though it might be the most secluded place in the Munn Kingdom, the conflict against the Country of Darkness never stopped. Due to the harsh nature and survival conditions, that place gave birth to a special class �� Soul Hunter.


    These warriors grew up in the Eastern Plain and can be said to have acquired a multitude of experiences when dealing with the undead. Stories told that when they first wield a sword, their first kill would be an undead. The battle between them lasted for a century, but both sides remained at a deadlock. Eventually, everything was solved in private, so the conflict didn''t blow out of proportions.


    Sereck nodded. He didn''t doubt Rhode''s explanation since he knew Rhode''s background. Instead, he was curious about why someone like him would leave that secluded place. Everyone in the Munn Kingdom knew that the Eastern Plains were a mysterious and solitary bunch. They didn''t trade with other towns, and it was difficult for an outsider to enter their territory. They just stayed in their land and minded their own business, not caring about the outside world.


    Sometimes Sereck wondered whether Rhode was that kind of person, but seeing it now with his own eyes, he realized that Rhode and the people of the Eastern Plain in his imagination had a vast discrepancy.


    "I''ve heard rumors of the brave warriors of the Eastern Plain who battled against the undead day and night. Seeing one in person now... seems like the rumors are true."


    Sereck was smart and chose to not linger on this topic any further. He shrugged and scanned the surroundings once more.


    "This isn''t a safe place."


    Clearly, the Swordmaster could sense danger lurking in the forest.


    "I know, but we can''t do anything about it."


    Rhode furrowed his brows. Honestly, he didn''t want to reveal too much of his power because that generally wasn''t a good thing. But now it appeared that he had no choice as the group''s overall strength was at an all-time low.


    Using Holy Element power is the easiest to deal with this situation, then...


    Rhode stood up.


    "Where are you going?"


    "I''m going to find a friend; I will come back right away.''''


    Sereck didn''t ask further as he knew that Rhode didn''t plan to explain anything. As a Swordmaster, he admired Rhode''s attitude.


    Old Walker, Marlene and the rest also planned to stand up and follow him, but Rhode quickly stopped them, gesturing them to sit down. Then he told them that he had something to do and will come back shortly.


    After watching Rhode leave, some people had doubts in their hearts, but they still obeyed his command and rested. After spending so much time with Rhode, they began to trust him unconditionally. That was why they followed his command without a word.


    Rhode scanned his surroundings in the nearby forest. Once he confirmed that no one else was around, he stretched out his right hand.


    A summoning circle formed on his palm and a white card floated down slowly before him. Suddenly, the card transformed into a beautiful sword that floated in the air.


    [The Holy Sword has been detected. Transform to human form?]


    Yes.


    Rhode nodded. Then, the beautiful angelic sword shone brilliantly. White rays of light shot in all directions and dimmed almost immediately after. The particles of light swirled into a vortex and formed a beautiful girl once again.


    "Master, I''ve answered your summoning."


    The beautiful girl half-knelt on the ground before Rhode, and her right hand held her sword that was firmly stabbed into the ground. She then gazed into Rhode''s eyes solemnly. Her eyes were crystal clear, and a faint golden light reflected off her irises, giving off a slightly seductive charm.


    (ED: No idea why it would be seductive...)


    Contrary to Lize, this girl was a true pure-blooded angel.


    "Stand up, don''t act on ceremony."


    He wasn''t accustomed to the girl kneeling before him. Although there were multitudes of female spirits among the vast sea of summoned spirits, most common female summoned spirits were Water and Wind Spirits �� who, by the way, were very popular among players.


    However no matter what form they took, in essence, they were still spirits. It was the first time that Rhode saw a summoned spirit taking the form of a sword that could transform into a girl. When he thought of it this way, he couldn''t help but feel slightly odd.


    "In the next battle, I will require your help."


    Since he summoned her, he didn''t have to be modest.


    "You should be able to feel the undead aura nearby. These guys are quite troublesome. Do you think you will die?"


    "I will not, Master."


    Hearing Rhode''s inquiry, the angelic girl smiled and nodded.


    "I''m a very pure existence, that''s why I''m not afraid of death. As long as you can maintain your power, I will continue to exist."


    "That''s good."


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction.


    "I''ll bring you out after a while. Remember, from now on you are..."


    "... do you have a name?"


    Rhode found out that he didn''t seem to know whether she had a name or not.


    "I do, Master."


    The girl saluted with her right hand over her chest.


    "I''m the 10th Eternal Holy Sword, Star Mark. While I''m in my human form, you can call me Celia."


    "Well Celia, you must remember that you must not reveal your true identity in front of other people. If you have any questions, you can just ask me. Do you understand?"


    "I understand, Master."


    Rhode nodded and turned around, heading back to the spring.


    When he reached the spring, everyone had more or less rested.


    "Eh, boy, where did you go?"


    Old Walker slipped his jug of wine onto his waist and asked curiously. When he saw the heavily-armored girl behind Rhode, he froze immediately.


    "...Mr. Rhode?"


    Lize was also surprised. She quickly stood up and scanned the new girl from head to toe curiously. The same went for the others in the group. It wasn''t surprising though, not only did Rhode bring back a girl out of nowhere. That said girl also sported a large pair of wings on her back. It was as though implying she was an angel...


    It was common knowledge that angels were noble creatures within this continent. Most of them held high ranks �� even the lowest-level angels had high statuses among common people. In the remote Deep Stone City, not even the City Lord had seen an angel before. But what now? Rhode just went out for a stroll and brought an angel back?


    Who is she?


    Sereck''s mind was filled with countless questions.

 Chapter 85 Land Of Fear

    "Introduce yourself."


    Rhode ignored the strange stares from everyone and gestured to Celia to introduce herself. She held her sword in her right hand and made a knight''s bow.


    "I am Celia, Master''s subordinate."


    After that, the girl raised her head and kept silent as if her duty was complete.


    But everyone was still shocked by her short self-introduction.


    Master''s subordinate.


    While the girl didn''t explicitly reveal who the Master was, everyone knew just by looking at her behavior. Their gaze slowly turned towards Rhode.


    Angels were noble creatures who were far above them in status �� who would''ve thought that one would actually call a human ''Master?''


    Who is this young man?


    "Mr. Rhode, erm..."


    Lize hadn''t figured out what was going on. On the other hand, Marlene frowned and stared at Celia. She could vividly remember Rhode summoning her at the underground ruins, and now she appeared again.


    As she thought of this, she looked at Rhode with a complicated expression. On the other hand, Rhode seemed to have figured out what she was thinking, so he nodded to her in response. Even though he didn''t say anything, Marlene understood what he meant.


    "We will move out now. Our pace will be almost equivalent prior to our journey here."


    When Rhode thought of this order, he had already planned to not entertain any questions.


    Soon he began to issue commands and assign each individual their respective tasks.


    "As we now have Celia, rest assured that her power is sufficient to protect all of you. Anne, your role is to work together with Celia. The fighting style of angels differs quite a bit to humans, so I hope you can quickly adapt to Celia''s attack patterns. If you are unable to do so, please do let me know, do you understand?"


    "Yes, Anne understands!"


    Anne, as always, raised her hand to show that she had clearly understood. Still, she stared curiously at Celia. Apparently, she was fairly intrigued with this young woman with wings.


    "Since everyone is ready now, let''s make a move."


    When Rhode clapped his hands, everyone quickly got to their feet and assembled into formation before marching off into the depths of the forest.


    "Lad, you''re growing more and more mysterious each second."


    Sereck''s lips curled upwards as he whispered to Rhode.


    "If I could, I''d rather be inconspicuous."


    Rhode replied calmly at Sereck''s attempt to test him and turned around to the front. When Sereck saw that, he went silent smiled wryly to himself. Eventually, he took out his weapon and followed behind Rhode.


    -


    "������!"


    Sharp screams tore apart the stillness of the forest. Countless white shadows phased through the trees; their eyes were pitch black and burning with hatred. They stretched out their long, slender arms, trying to grasp at the living entities before them. From a distance, they could sniff the foul stench of humans, and the way they clawed at these people appeared incredibly desperate as though they had lost something precious.


    Then, a brilliant light flashed.


    The angel blocked the evil spirits, and after sampling the bane of their existence right before them, they quickly retreated in fear. Celia''s beautiful face showed no emotion as she grasped her sword which was engraved in ancient Holy symbols. She waved her sword mercilessly and sliced the evil spirits into half, completely erasing their already meager existence.


    Rhode could tell that there were a lot of people staring at Celia. It was no surprise though since he appeared to have just casually gone for a stroll and brought back an angel with him. It would be even stranger if no one paid any attention to her.


    Even though Celia was the center of attention right now, she didn''t seem to be affected by it at all. She just plainly followed her orders given by Rhode.


    Sereck stopped looking at her.


    As a Swordmaster, he had seen his fair share in life. This woman was definitely a real angel and not some illusion that was projected by the undead. Although there were rumors about high-level undead disguising themselves as angels, they could not replicate the Holy Aura surrounding Celia.


    The calm and comfortable aura that soothed the mind was proof that Celia was an angel. However, what Sereck found most interesting was the swordsmanship that she used. Judging from her consecutive attacks, he noticed that the swordsmanship she used was the same as that young man.


    It seems like there''s some sort of relationship between them.


    A moment later, Old Walker suddenly stopped and called out to Rhode, "Boy, hold up."


    Old Walker bent his body and pressed his hand on the ground. After a while, he stood up and faced Rhode.


    "There''s a human trail here. About seven to eight people traveling to the north. And judging from the freshness of these traces... I would say approximately no more than three days."


    When everyone heard Old Walker''s analysis, they were thrilled. Finding human tracks in this dense forest was like looking for a needle in a haystack. If not because of his experience as a Ranger, most likely they would''ve traveled around in circles for days.


    Contrary to the others, Rhode wasn''t excited at all. After hearing Old Walker''s report, his expression immediately turned dark.


    "Are you sure it''s north?"


    "Well... yes, I''m sure. It seems like they were being chased by something fast... and their group is a little bit disordered, but it seems..."


    Old Walker walked around once again and replied with confidence.


    "It seems like no one got left behind."


    Rhode didn''t answer. He stared at the path towards the north. Under the veil of darkness, nothing but shadows could be seen in that direction. Even the Holy Light couldn''t penetrate that far out. However, Rhode could easily guess what was in that direction. Withered forest, dark cave, and...


    "Sigh... there''s a path to heaven, but they chose the entrance to hell instead."


    Rhode immediately thought of giving up; he wanted to turn around and tell everyone to pack up to go home to sleep. But he knew that it was only his fantasy. This world wasn''t a game anymore, and he had no way to escape the harsh reality. Thus, he could only bite the bullet and continue moving on.


    "Everyone follow me. Our next journey will be extremely difficult. Don''t fall behind!"


    After addressing his group, Rhode looked at Celia.


    "Go check the situation ahead, but don''t stray too far."


    "Understood, Master."


    Something changed within the dark forest.


    Even the slowest-witted person would be aware of this change. If the lush forest from before was silent, then the forest now was dead and creepy. The bushy trees were replaced with thin, withered trees and their twisted branches grew in awkward angles, creating a rather creepy form. When one stared closer at it, it was like an arm of a person that was struggling for help.


    Celia walked in the front, the boundless darkness didn''t affect her the least. She didn''t care about anything else other than to complete her Master''s command.


    Suddenly, she made a quick movement.


    When she turned around, a huge shadow fell from the sky. Although she reacted in time and lifted her sword to block, apparently there was a gap in strength between her and the shadow. She could only hold her ground for less than a second before being sent flying in the air.


    "Miss Celia!!"


    Lize screamed. At that moment, as if it heard her voice, that huge shadow turned around and looked at her with coldly. After locking her gaze with that terrifying shadow, Lize couldn''t speak another word as though some invisible force was constricting her body.


    "Clerics! Cast Divine Brilliance now! Sereck, guard the rear, these things are very troublesome!"


    Rhode wasn''t surprised at the ambush. He raised his sword and commanded his group while rushing forward. When Rhode finished giving his orders, he was already at the huge shadow''s side.


    "������!!"


    As if it could sense the threat before it, the huge shadow lifted its arm and smashed downwards. However, Rhode was already a step ahead of it. The very moment its arm came smashing down, Rhode retreated to the back.


    The huge shadow''s hand smashed into the ground and shook the earth.


    At this time, the Holy Light finally revealed the monster''s true appearance. When everyone including Sereck saw what it looked like, they couldn''t help but hold their breath.


    "Holy Soul bless me! What the hell is that!?"


    The huge shadow was actually a Giant Baby.


    Its shape was almost the same as any ordinary baby. Bald head, two big beady eyes and the fats on its naked body made it look quite obese. However, the creepy part was that it had a sea-green colored skin and various scars on its body. If it was an ordinary baby, clearly it should have died.


    But, it was alive.


    It seemed to have absorbed all the evil aura surrounding this place, which turned the small, fragile infant into a three-meter terrifying monster. It rumbled as it turned around; the eyes that had lost its luster reflected the shadows of everyone. When the Giant Dead Baby opened its mouth, there were no teeth at all, but what came out next was a low roar.


    "Mooomm.... Moooooommm..."


    Hearing that deep, eerie voice, every female in the group felt their hair stand on end. They shivered in fear and fright. Even the undead or the evil spirits didn''t break their resolve, but one roar from this Giant Dead Baby caused them to hold on to each other in terror. Anne who was usually carefree and smiling also had a grim expression on her face.


    Damn, I knew this would happen.


    Rhode studied everyone''s expression and frowned. However, he didn''t stop moving. By the time the Giant Dead Baby''s fist hammered the ground, he had already activated his Shadow Flash. The sword in his hand reflected a red light and pierced towards the Giant Dead Baby''s neck.


    The putrid-looking skin was harder than steel. Even though Rhode had used all his strength to attack, it only created a small wound. The injured Giant Dead Baby screamed like a child who was bullied and used its hands to catch Rhode.


    "Old Walker, use Fire Arrow and target its eyes. As for the others, hurry up and cast Divine Brilliance, what are you guys waiting for!"


    Rhode shouted angrily and woke the others up from their stupor. The old Ranger quickly retrieved a bow and arrow from his back and lit the tip of the arrow in flames. He pulled back the bow and shot it towards the Giant Dead Baby, piercing its eyes with pinpoint accuracy.


    "Ouch!"


    The sudden intense pain caused the monster to fall to the ground. At that moment, a concentrated holy pillar of light fell from the sky and crashed into the monster''s body, causing it to writhe in agony. It struggled to lift both of its hands in an attempt to resist, but Rhode''s Blade of Destruction had already pierced through its head. Disgusting dark liquid splashed out from the wound and fell onto the ground, creating a wisp of smoke whenever it touched something. Finally, the angel appeared once more to deal the finishing blow. Her sword thrust into the Giant Dead Baby''s heart with full force.


    A wave of holy flames emerged from the sword and enveloped the monster''s entire body. In a blink of an eye, it turned into ashes.


    At that moment, several low roars echoed from their surroundings.


    Soon, a few huge shadows slowly emerged from the darkness.

 Chapter 86 Breaking Through The Encirclemen

    "Gather into ring formation now!"


    (ED: See Igel (hedgehog) formation.)


    After hearing the multiple roars, Rhode immediately tensed up.


    "Anne, take the left side! Extend your shield and hold your ground! Marlene, support the right with your level 5 Ice Shield now! Sereck, the rear is yours. No matter what, you cannot let them pass through!"


    "Clerics, prepare to cast Guardian Shield �� I want four charges in three seconds! Lize you are to cast Divine Brilliance in the center of the formation and Old Walker, you are responsible for filling in the gaps if there are any."


    "Understood!"


    Everyone responded in unison after receiving their orders.


    Anne took two steps forward and released her the latch on her shield. A crisp sound echoed, and the boss that covered the exterior of her shield slid down, revealing a sharp, metal drill. The heavy shield then smashed into the ground, producing a muffled impact and causing Anne''s body to crouch. She pulled a short metal handle within the concave side of the shield and suddenly, multiple razor-sharp spikes shot out from the shield''s exterior. Now the entire surface appeared like a hedgehog.


    On the opposite side of Anne, Marlene was equally serious. She lifted her wand in an unfamiliar way and chanted. A thick ice wall emerged and stacked over each other layer by layer. Then, as if the spell reached its climax, Marlene chanted louder, causing sharp icicles to protrude from the ground towards the front like spears.


    Celia spread her wings and flew towards Rhode. It was unknown when, but now she wielded a sword in both hands. Her face was chilly, and her pupils shone even more brilliantly than before.


    Sereck didn''t appear as tense as Anne and Marlene. After hearing Rhode''s command, he didn''t move at all, but if one carefully observed his expression, it was clear that he was dead serious. He narrowed his eyes at the monsters, and the hand that was holding the hilt of his sword began to slowly move...


    A splendorous golden light flashed.


    Meanwhile, the Clerics eventually finished casting Guardian Shield and a circular holy barrier wrapped the four of them. Lize also began casting while focusing her attention on the man before her.


    The low roars were getting louder and nearer.


    "We cannot afford to fail. No matter what you see, don''t panic! You absolutely cannot fall out of formation!"


    At this point in time, all Rhode could do was to remind them. This place was the most troublesome area of Silent Plateau, and frankly, newbies shouldn''t be here. If it wasn''t because of their inexperience, perhaps this place could still prove to be suitable for training, but anyway, he couldn''t expect a group of preschoolers to take a postgraduate examination, right?


    The huge shadowy figures were getting closer. Their appearances were slightly similar to the Giant Dead Baby from before, but their movement was much quicker than its predecessor. Soon, they appeared from in between the dead trees. Marlene clutched her wand tightly and didn''t dare to breathe. Their disgusting rotting skin filled the cold air with a foul stench which made the group gag... it was indeed a brutal punishment.


    "Ignore them, don''t track their movements."


    Rhode didn''t need to look back to know that the group was trying to study the monsters'' movements.


    "Just focus what''s in front of you. Our area of exposure is minimal so they don''t have many opportunities to engage us. Don''t lose your focus; just deal with anything in front of you and leave the rest to the others. Mr. Sereck, I will need you to support both sides because we don''t have enough people. I believe that wouldn''t be too much of a problem for you."


    "I''ll try my best."


    The sword of light appeared once more and shone magnificently in the darkness.


    The shadows were getting increasingly faster �� it was almost impossible to predict their movement now. However, everyone still focused on their immediate front, including the four Clerics. Rhode had already instructed them to cast Guardian Shield whenever necessary.


    "Fu...fu..."


    Followed by a heavy breathing sound, the huge shadowy figures vanished.


    A sudden silence fell upon the group. In a blink of an eye, the creepy sounds disappeared as though nothing was there in the first place. However, the prevailing rotten stench still lingered in the air, albeit getting stronger every second.


    "Ten, nine, eight, seven..."


    Rhode was counting in his mind. He lifted his sword and stared intently at the empty space before him.


    "Three, two, one... Lize, cast Divine Brilliance now!!"


    Upon receiving his command, Lize quickly raised her arm. She immediately cast the spell that she had prepared beforehand. The Holy Element burst out into a bright light, enveloping everyone inside. A warm aura dispersed the eerieness from before. And at this moment, a pleasant sensation filled all of their five senses.


    The black shadows suddenly rushed out.


    As anticipated, when the shadows rushed towards them, Lize''s Divine Brilliance had already covered everyone inside and at the same time illuminated the surroundings. When the shadows touched the light, the Holy Element caused them to suffer.


    They still tried their best to break in, but it can be seen that they were struggling against their greatest weakness.


    While it was insufficient to kill them, the group felt that it was enough.


    Sereck snorted and waved his sword, summoning a rain of swords which pierced through the darkness. The ''light show'' was as dazzling as lightning. His swordsmanship had always been like this �� flashy. Regardless of its damage, Sereck''s skills were always pleasing to the eye.


    One of the Giant Dead Baby closed its fist and threw a punch the spiky shield.


    If it was a living creature, perhaps the pain would''ve caused it to retreat. But as an undead, it could not feel pain and thus, it wasn''t much of an obstacle. The Giant Dead Baby shook its body and raised its right fist once again.


    But this time, Anne stretched her feet and kicked the bottom of the shield with full force.


    The part of the shield which was buried in the ground flipped upwards. At the same time, sand and dirt flew up into the air, temporarily creating a mini smokescreen. Because of that, the Giant Dead Baby''s sight was blocked. Then, taking advantage of its momentary blindness, Anne pressed the switch on her shield again.


    "������!!!"


    A violent surge of air swirled at the edge of the shield. The thick, metal drill flew into the air and pierced the Giant Dead Baby''s head.


    Boom!! The headless monster finally lost its strength. Its body swayed to the left and fell to the ground, never to move again.


    Marlene raised the wand in her hand.


    Like a river flowing forward, a thick layer of ice quickly spread outwards from her feet. A weakened Giant Dead Baby who was already under the effects of Divine Brilliance stepped onto the cold, slippery ice and fell to the ground.


    The layer of ice broke and turned into many sharp icicles which pierced the Giant Dead Baby''s body. Before the monster could touch Marlene, its whole body had already been riddled with countless holes which had sapped its remaining life. Its blank face stared at the girl, unknown whether it was smiling or angry. Facing this terrifyingly gruesome monster, Marlene had a calm expression on her face unlike before. She lifted her wand and cast a spell that was condensed at the center of the ruby.


    "Airy, ari!"


    A flame enveloped the Giant Dead Baby''s body, swallowing its lamenting wail and everything else with it.


    As the black shadow fell from the sky, Celia was already prepared as she raised her sword.


    This time, she didn''t get blown away like before; instead, a sacred symbol formed into a shield which blocked every attack the enemy made. The Giant Dead Baby that fell from the sky pounded on the shield but wasn''t able to penetrate her defense no matter how hard it tried.


    Rhode took out his sword and swiped his left palm on the blade of his sword.


    Once it absorbed his blood, a red light glowed brilliantly and the smell of blood made the undead go crazy. They roared again and increased the intensity of their attacks. Even the Guardian Shield could no longer maintain its form and began to distort.


    Celia withdrew her barrier and retreated. It wasn''t because that she couldn''t hold on, rather...


    Blade of Destruction shot out from Celia''s side and collided with the undead. The powerful impact caused them to back off. While their disgusting skin appeared tattered and torn with blood and scars, to the undead, it wasn''t a big deal. It rolled its eyes and issued an evil snicker.


    But then it suddenly froze.


    A silver moon-shaped arc slashed through its neck and disappeared in the darkness.


    In the sky, the angel was holding her sword, her expression devoid of any emotions.


    Everything went back to silence.


    "They''ve temporarily retreated."


    Rhode recovered his sword and wiped the blood on his hand. Rhode expression didn''t change for the better.


    "Continue moving forward. Hopefully we can find those idiots before we encounter another one of their surprise attacks."

 Chapter 87 Assemble

    Not long after the undead retreated, Old Walker finally found a new clue.


    "They left a trace!"


    Old Walker and Sereck became excited once they saw a strange marking engraved on a nearby tree trunk.


    "They''re nearby... I think they should be over there!"


    Old Walker pointed towards a dark cave not far away from them. Even if Old Walker didn''t point out to them the similar symbols engraved on the cave surface, everyone could guess what happened from the undead corpses scattered at the entrance. A messy trail of footprints also revealed that there was some human activity though it was evident that something wasn''t right.


    "Let''s go."


    Rhode didn''t want to linger in this forest for too long so he quickly beckoned his group to move. While the journey had been fairly smooth sailing so far, they were only about two-thirds through Silent Plateau. They still had one-third more to travel once they rescued the mercenary group.


    However, other than Sereck, everyone else appeared to be exhausted. The short rest from before couldn''t recover much of their strength. Looking at their status right now, Rhode felt like they were similar to those NPCs that didn''t want to hinder the player and would sacrifice their lives to help pave the way to conquer the final boss.


    Rhode certainly didn''t want things to turn out like that. Attempting to fight the final boss alone without teammates was just suicidal. Thus, he quickly prompted the group to follow closely behind him as he entered the dark cave.


    Woosh! When Rhode entered the cave, all of a sudden, a dagger flashed in the darkness and ruthlessly lunged towards Rhode''s neck. Clearly that attack was meant to kill.


    If it were anyone else, perhaps their life would end right there without any resistance. Unfortunately, the hidden assailant didn''t know that Rhode was different. As the top player in Dragon Soul Continent, Rhode often encountered sneak attacks from PKers. As such, the moment the hidden assailant attacked, his automatic reflexes kicked in.


    He used his sword to parry the dagger and counterattacked immediately. The hidden assailant was slightly surprised that its attack was seen through and quickly attempted to retreat, but Rhode didn''t give it a chance to do so as he thrust his sword towards the direction of the dagger, stopping directly before its throat.


    "Stop! Rhode, it''s an ally."


    Sereck quickly stopped Rhode when he recognized the dagger. Lize ran forward and illuminated the cave with Holy Light.


    Finally, Rhode could see the appearance of his assailant.


    Half of her face was covered in a black mask. Her tight, black leather armor accentuated her slim figure and emphasized her well-endowed chest which moved up and down due to her ragged breathing. Her long ears trembled as her eyes focused on the sword at her neck.


    It was a half-elf.


    "Are you the member of Victorious Wine mercenary group?"


    Rhode retrieved his sword and asked emotionlessly as if the person who attacked him wasn''t her.


    "Yes, I''m a member of Victorious Wine. Are you guys from the Mercenary Association?"


    "That''s right."


    Sereck walked forward.


    "I am Sereck. We''ve received a reinforcement request from one of your members and rushed here as fast as we could. It seems like we''ve arrived on time."


    "Y-you are Mr. Sereck!"


    The half-elf girl''s eyes lit up.


    "You guys really came! Great!! Quickly save my comrades!!"


    She grabbed Sereck''s hand and pulled him towards the depths of the cave.


    "We followed our leader''s orders to flee here..."


    As she led the way, she briefed the group about their current plight.


    "Initially, our leader didn''t plan to enter the depths of Silent Plateau because we know how treacherous this place was. But when we were at the outer borders, we were attacked and surrounded by the undead. We decided to flee �� but by the time we realized, we were already in the depths. Although we did try to break through the waves of undead, we never succeeded. So... we had no choice but to venture deeper to look for a way out."


    "Well, you know the rest of the story. Many of us got injured and our leader had to send someone to ask for help. Fortunately, you guys arrived so quickly... otherwise..."


    You guys sure know how to choose the most dangerous place.


    Rhode frowned and thought to himself.


    "Who is it?"


    When everyone arrived at the end of the cave, a deep voice echoed.


    "It''s me. The people from Mercenary Association have arrived!"


    "What?!"


    That deep voice immediately went one octave higher.


    "They actually came?! Quick, quick bring them in!!"


    Soon, a deep, rumbling sound shook the cave slightly. A boulder at the end of the cave rolled to the side, revealing a hidden passage. At the same time, a tall and muscular man came out from the entrance. When his eyes met Sereck and the others, his face lit up with joy.


    "Mr. Sereck? I didn''t expect you to come here personally. We are eternally grateful..."


    "Don''t mention it. It''s something that the Mercenary Association should do."


    Sereck waved his hand and smiled while turning towards Rhode.


    "If you want to thank someone, thank him. We wouldn''t be here if not for him."


    "Eh?"


    The man was slightly taken aback when he heard what Sereck said. He stared curiously at Rhode for a moment before shifting his attention back to Sereck. He thought that Rhode was merely Sereck''s subordinate... but that didn''t appear to be the case now...


    After a while, he stopped trying to analyze Rhode and invited the group in.


    "Everyone quickly come in. It''s dangerous outside. Those undead are seriously tough opponents."


    For a mercenary group to be named Victorious Wine, one would think of their exceptional fortune. Unfortunately, its members didn''t seem to be blessed by its name. After entering the tunnel, the scene before them caused Rhode''s group to take a deep breath.


    Five to six people were heavily injured and were leaning against the wall of the cave. They were covered with blood and scars �� some of their wounds even had rotting flesh dangling out! Continuous groans of pain filled the cave, but when they saw Rhode and the others enter, a spark of hope lit in their eyes.


    "Lize."


    Rhode didn''t need to say much. Lize and the four Clerics understood their roles. They hastily rushed towards the mercenaries and began to heal their injuries.


    "I''m Kudla, the leader of the Victorious Wine mercenary group."


    The muscular man used his superhuman strength to shift the boulder back in place before walking forward and politely bowing.


    "On behalf of my mercenary group, I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. Frankly, I didn''t think that we could survive until now. Mr. Sereck, thank you..."


    Then the man called Kudla turned towards Rhode.


    "...and he is?"


    Kudla couldn''t help but study the young man in front of him. From Sereck''s previous explanation, it was this young man who was the one that saved them. Who was he?


    "He''s the leader of Starlight. I think you might''ve heard his name before?"


    "He''s the leader of ''Starlight'' mercenary group, I think you have heard about him before."


    Sereck smiled and introduced him. After hearing Sereck''s introduction, Kudla showed a surprised expression.


    "He is the rumored... But... Why..."


    "The Mercenary Association lacks manpower at the moment."


    Before Kudla could finish, Sereck filled in the blanks. His face also turned dark.


    "You might not be aware but every mercenary group in Deep Stone City were sent to destroy the undead though none of them succeeded. Five to six mercenary groups returned, but they faced multiple casualties. Other than that, there''s no news about other groups."


    "How could this happen!!"


    Kudla was shocked.


    "I thought..."


    "The Mercenary Association is currently investigating about the commissions and commissioners. What kind of commission did you guys get?"


    "We were tasked to retrieve a keepsake of a traveler."


    Sensing the seriousness of the matter, Kudla''s expression also turned solemn.


    "I heard that a traveler died at the outer borders of Silent Plateau. The commissioner claimed to be the older brother of the traveler and he was worried because his brother didn''t come back, so he asked us to look for him. I disagreed initially, but the person appeared to be very sincere. He even gave us a deposit of three hundred gold coins..."


    That last sentence was the key point.


    "Was he from Deep Stone City?"


    Sereck asked.


    Kudla went silent for a moment before shaking his head.


    "No, from what I''ve heard, he seemed to be from the South... Anyway, he certainly not a person from the Paphield Region. He also said that he often traveled and didn''t live here for long."


    As expected.


    Sereck and Rhode exchanged a glance; both of them understood what each other mean.


    It seemed like Victorious Wine was also one of the victims. That traveler''s keepsake was also fictitious �� similar to Red Hawk trying to find a sword that didn''t exist. In the end, it was just an excuse to deceive them to go to high-risk areas. But, taking into account that they must''ve spent hundreds of gold coins to do this... how could they be so generous?


    What are they trying to do?

 Chapter 88 Resting In The Cave

    Accompanied by Rhode and Sereck arrival, the member of ''Victorious Wine'' mercenary group finally relieved. In fact, after they asked for reinforcement, they only thing they could do was to wait. But in this world there''s no phone satellite, although mage could communicate from the distance, but it surely wasn''t something that a small mercenary group could afford. They didn''t even know whether the person that they have sent could escape from Silent Highland safely. Sometimes, they would look at the darkness before them, they would even somewhat hopeless, Thinking perhaps the person that they have sent was unable to escape and fell in the corner of the darkness. Then what''s the point for them to live? It''s only increasing the pain.


    But when they were lifting their sword trying to commit suicide, they could not suppress the human instinct to live on their heart. Maybe the person that they sent has successfully escaped from here and people from Mercenary Association were rushing here. If that''s the case, as long as they persist, there''s still hope!


    For them who were in danger, these few days was an unimaginable torment. Survival and death, hope and despair. Every time they opened their eyes, they couldn''t wait for them to come, to prove that they did exist. Day by day, the food supplies were decreasing, these people were suffering even more. In the Silent Highland where everything were undead creatures, beside corpse they couldn''t find anything to eat. Even if they went crazy and eat the corpse, those corpses that have already rotten, deteriorated, and smelly could only push them into death even closer and not extending their live.


    They were already at their limit, if Rhode didn''t appear maybe they have already went crazy because of despair and pain of losing.


    Fortunately, this possibility has been eliminated.


    Under the spirit masters treatment, the mercenaries injuries were soon healed. After eating the food they have brought, the mercenaries could finally relax on the ground and had a good dream. Different from before, because of the suffering and darkness, they wasn''t even sure whether they would have the opportunity to wake up.


    Those exhausted Spirit Masters too, finally have the opportunity to rest. After all beside Lize, all of them has no adventuring experience. Although they have rested for a few times before, but these spirit master weren''t able to be calm, they were always worried about those terrible undead creatures would come from somewhere. In addition, Rhode has always been asking them to hurry up, that''s why they didn''t have time to adjust their composure. Until now, after they gave treatment to the injured, the finally were able to relax.


    Marlene was a lot better than these Spirit Master. Although after arriving in Silent Highland she also contributed a lot, but it was still not as much compared to those Spirit Masters.Compared to those Spirit Masters who were ''physically and mentally exhausted'', she was only a bit tired because she strained herself too much. Right now she was sitting on the corner of the bonfire, eating food while talking with Lize in low voice. Anne who was energetic before also came beside the two of them and slept. Looking at her peaceful sleeping face really did made people doubt how her brain works.


    Old Walker wasn''t together with these girls. He sat on the other side on the corner, drinking his wine while looking at the bonfire before him in a daze, didn''t know what was he thinking about.


    It''s really a group of strange people.


    Looking at the people before him, Kudla couldn''t help but wonder. Frankly, he never seen a mercenary group that has such a strange member constitution. According to the general mercenary group, melee occupation like swordsmen, thieves, ranger, and warriors were the most important role. On the contrary, there''s a lot of mage and spirit master. Firstly, these occupation were very rare and difficult to be found. Secondly, no matter mage or spirit master, they wouldn''t like to be mixed with each other. Because mages were noble and didn''t want to reduce their worth by hanging out with those vulgar people. Moreover, mages were confident in their own intelligent, even they forced themselves to follow mercenary group, they would still want to have the authority to command and the latter was because of their own identity restrictions, it was difficult for them to move together with a mercenary group. After all, spirit masters couldn''t use much skill to protect themselves. If the whole team was in crisis, they would be the first one to collapse.


    This was also the reason why many dangerous mission related to undead creatures in Mercenary Association were all located in Silent Highland. Undead creatures were not afraid of death and injury, they were nemesis to melee occupation. Like a police who couldn''t stop zombies attack with firearms, it could be imagined what the result would be when this mercenary group used a normal weapon to face those endless undead creatures.


    Although ranger could attack undead creatures from long range, but a creature that has long been dead wouldn''t care less being shot by one or two arrow right?


    On the other hand, looking at Rhode''s mercenary group could be said was varied. Mage, spirit master, swordsman, range, shield warrior, looking at it, it didn''t seem to look like a mercenary group. Not to mention...


    Kudla looked at the girl who closed her eyes while standing beside Rhode. The white wings behind her was like a beautiful cloak.


    An angel.


    Kudla could swear by holy soul that he has never seen an angel who joined a mercenary group. At first, he thought that the angel girl was Sereck''s acquaintance. Since Sereck''s has a high status and was one of the important person in Deep Stone City''s Mercenary Association. To a small mercenary group, it''s not strange for an important person to be mysterious and unpredictable. But when he looked at Celia who politely called Rhode as '' Master, this barbarian mixed race who dared to fight with those terrible undead almost fell to the ground.


    Who is this young man actually?


    Kudla didn''t know and tried to ask Sereck ambiguously. But this master swordsman didn''t give him an answer, making him felt that Rhode was getting more and more mysterious.


    However, no matter what he still need to thank him, and...


    Thinking until here, Kudle stood up and walked towards Rhode.


    "Mr. Rhode, I''m very grateful that you participated in this rescuing operation. I am here to show you my utmost respect for you and your mercenary group."


    Although this appearance was big and tall, but hearing Kudla''s speech, it clearly shown that this barbarian also has a cautious side. Also he kept remembering Sereck''s warning, to not to mention anything about Rhode''s face, or else... it would be difficult to guess what will happen next.


    It''s also not difficult for Kudla to understand what Sereck meant. Just when the first time he saw Rhode, he was also shocked, but now...


    "We, ''Victorious Wine'' won''t forget the help that your mercenary group has given to me. Please rest assured, after we go back we will definitely give you enough compensation... For brothers who have sacrifice for us, we won''t let them die in vain!"


    What is this guy talking about?


    Rhode looked up and felt puzzled looking at the man before him. He completely didn''t understand what was he talking about. At the same time, Sereck smiled and spoke.


    "You are wrong, Kudla. To tell you the truth, from entering Silent Highland until now, there''s no one got left behind. Don''t underestimate his commanding skill. Frankly, in my opinion, you can''t be compared to him. That''s why don''t curse him by saying something like sacrifice and die in vain. Be careful, he might turn against you."


    There''s no one died?!


    Hearing until here, Kudla was shocked. This time looking at Rhode, his eyes was full of fear. No wonder, what kind of place was Silent Highland, all the mercenaries clearly knew it. Let alone small mercenary group, even if it''s a fully armed Mercenary Association, they would still have to made mental preparation in case someone died.


    But now, Sereck actually told him that no one injured and died!


    How does this young man do it!?


    If it''s someone else who said this, Kudla might not be able to believe it. But hearing it from Sereck''s mouth who was one of the strongest people in Mercenary Association, of course there''s a credibility in it. Thinking until here, Kudla was panic. After all, he was also a mercenary leader, the knew the taboo between mercenaries. Speaking something like that in front of others was clearly not a good thing.


    "I''m sorry, I..."


    "You don''t have to apologize to me, Mr. Kudla."


    Rhode calmly stopped Kudla''s alibi. He really didn''t care about those small things, moreover he didn''t do it on purpose, he didn''t really mind it.


    "But I have my own condition."


    "Please say, Mr. Rhode."


    Hearing Rhode has changed his tone, Kudla also relieved and exposed a warm smile.


    "Just as Sereck has said, I can ensure everyone to get out safely from Silent Highland. But I have my own condition, I know that you''re also a mercenary leader, but frankly I didn''t believe in your commanding skill. So my condition is, before we leave I want all of you, including yourself to obey my command unconditionally. If you can promise me this one thing, I can ensure that everyone of you will safely get out of here. But if you''re unable to do so..."


    Saying until here, Rhode paused and looked at Kudla''s face that began to darkens.


    "Then, to protect everyone, I have to make some sacrifice."


    He believe that Kudla must be able to understand what he meant.


    Of course, after hearing this words, Kudla expression kept changing. At first it turned blue, then it turned red. He clenched his fist then let it go, and once again clenched it. Currently, there''s no more smiling expression in this barbarian''s face. He gloomily and silently looked at the young man who was younger than him by almost twenty years.


    The truth, he couldn''t accept what Rhode has just said. He thought that there''s no problem in his commanding skill, or else he wouldn''t be able to keep his people to persist until now in this Silent Highland? But thinking thoroughly, he also admitted that Rhode''s words weren''t wrong. After all, if he could bring everyone here without any casualties, it has clearly proven this young man commanding ability. Although taking into account of Sereck''s strength as master swordsman, but his help would still be limited, as a qualified mercenary group leader, Kudla clearly understood that part. Sereck was just only one person and couldn''t take care many aspect of a mercenary group.


    Then what should he do?


    "I understand, I will tell it to my subordinates."


    In the end, Kudla nodded, turned around and leave. The politeness and respectfulness from before has been gone at this moment.


    "You shouldn''t have treated him like that, Rhode."


    Looking at Kudla''s figure, Sereck bitterly smiled and shook his head.


    "I''m just talking about the inevitable thing."


    Rhode didn''t look back and gave an answer. The reason he was this rude was because this matter couldn''t be discussed and another reason was because Rhode was not happy with this Kudla. If it wasn''t because of he brought his mercenary group to come into this dangerous place, they could complete the mission easier and faster in the first place. But now... thinking until here, Rhode couldn''t help but be angry. Although strictly speaking it has nothing to do with Kudla, after all it''s his first time coming to Silent Highland, so he didn''t know which place was dangerous and which was not. However, to him, ignorance was never a good excuse. Not to mention there''s no slightest psychological burden in his anger... In the game, Rhode already experienced it before, as long as someone caused danger to his mercenary group, then whether they did it voluntary or forced, intentional or unintentional, good or malicious, regardless of their motives, the result still wouldn''t change.


    Since the result wouldn''t change, then his explanation to him was meaningless.


    Just suck it up and move on has never been his style.


    Hearing Rhode''s answer, Sereck didn''t continue to say anything. Since he was from Mercenary Association, it''s not good for him to get entangled between two mercenary groups. Moreover this young man was prideful and confidence, he wouldn''t let anyone to doubt this part of him.


    This made Sereck felt somewhat familiar but unfamiliar. Familiar, because he saw a strong commander that this kind of persistence. It was actually a necessary cycle, only people who believe in themselves would be able to persist until the end and wasn''t affected by one to make a decision. Although sometimes it might not be a correct decision, but it''s still a very authoritative move.


    Unfamiliar was because he never saw any young man who did that. They either arrogant or ignorant, and didn''t even know what was fear. This made them showed a blinded self-confidence, and this fake self confidence could made people confused at first. It''s just like a paper made tiger, when they''re on the real combat, they would show their real character.


    However, Rhode was different. From him, Sereck could feel an aura that could only be felt from a real commander. If he knew that Rhode was once the strongest guild leader in the game, maybe he would understand why Rhode would have that kind of aura, confident, and persistence.


    After replying Sereck''s words, Rhode didn''t say anything more because right now he has a more important thing to do.


    Silent Highland as a high level dungeon, although the equipment looted from it was a bit too shabby, but there''s a lot exp point to gain. After he brought everyone passed through the light and dark battlefield and blocked those undead creatures attack, the experience Rhode gained has made him broke through level 15.


    To Rhode, it''s a very good news. At the same time he also got another system prompt.


    After he passed through level 15, the system finally prompted him that he has met the second sealed swordsmanship requirement and it''s unlocked.


    PS: There will be more upgrade later. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) please vote, monthly vote. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 89 Swordsmanship: Starfall

    Rhode didn''t think that he lost much even after transmigrating to this world. Other than his inventory and swordsmanship skills, he somehow managed to salvage the rest such as his memories and the holy card deck which was now mostly a memento.


    Rhode couldn''t retain his swordsmanship because he lost the prerequisite stats to use them. However, he felt that it was fine because he knew how to obtain them back. Some were learned through accumulating reputation points, some were found in ancient ruins, and some rarer skills even needed to fulfill certain conditions before he could learn them. But after adventuring for several years in the game, he could pinpoint the location and requirements of most swordsmanship skills.


    Nevertheless, no matter whether the skill was hard or easy to learn, Rhode knew that the hardest part was always the beginning. And since now he had the opportunity to reduce the time to learn, naturally he would be elated. Now all he had to do was work hard to reach the prerequisites of the skill and he would unlock the skill.


    Of course, as a former player, Rhode could vividly recall the prerequisite conditions to unlock the skill. Unfortunately, there was a major problem.


    He couldn''t check his stats.


    Rhode hadn''t unlocked his bloodline so all of his stats were in ''?'' Before reaching level 10, he could still roughly guess his stats, but after unlocking the talent tree, his stats had been increasing with his level which he eventually lost track of. This was because each race had a different stat growth rate and thus, he had to leave everything up to fate to give him a matching swordsmanship skill.


    The skill that Rhode wanted to obtain was ''Dark Dance.'' As the name suggests, the skill was a stealth-type swordsmanship. It would drastically reduce the user''s presence while amplifying their damage and critical chance at the same time.


    As the Summoning Swordsman class was somewhat a hybrid, Rhode would preferably refrain from fighting head-on with other pure melee classes especially if they were much higher level than him. So, Dark Dance would fit him perfectly. The only downside of this skill was that it required high dexterity. The skill originated from fallen elves as an evil technique, so it naturally inherited elven characteristics. Without having a nimble body, learning this swordsmanship skill would be a fleeting dream.


    Alas, it was a pity that it didn''t go as he wished.


    The swordsmanship Rhode obtained was not the ''Dark Dance'' he was looking for, but instead it was ''Starfall.''


    Rhode stared at his newfound skill; frankly, he was feeling quite depressed. While it was true that he named his mercenary group as Starlight, it didn''t mean that he wanted to attract words beginning with ''Star.'' Well, nevertheless a skill was still a skill.


    As a rare swordsmanship skill, Starfall eclipsed Moon Shadow in both strength and value since the latter was a basic swordsmanship skill.


    Other than that, there was one more thing Rhode couldn''t understand. Every time he leveled up, he always received two Skill Points. Previously in the ruins, as he was busy in the middle of a battle, he didn''t think much of it. But now he still couldn''t find an answer even after thinking for half a day.


    In the game, he had overheard that someone managed to obtain a random bloodline that could increase stats and Skill Points when leveling up. So all he could do now was to assume that his mysterious bloodline would be somewhat related to that ''random bloodline'' that person mentioned.


    He faced the system prompt before him.


    Without the slightest hesitation, Rhode used the Skill Points. A familiar system prompt appeared once again.


    [Used 1 skill point, ''Starfall Swordsmanship'' unlocked, rank E ���� Special skill: Wrath of Judgement]


    After receiving this information, Rhode felt a warm feeling emerging from his chest which quickly spread to his entire body. Then another prompt appeared before him.


    [Wrath of Judgement: Using the sword as the instrument of death, guide the power of the soul so that the enemy will tremble before your wrath �� the power of absolute destruction...]


    Rhode clenched his hand in glee, and his eyes flashed a trace of confidence.


    Everything went smoothly.


    As for the other five skill points, Rhode chose to keep it. Suddenly, he thought of something. If everything went as smoothly as this, maybe he could make another attempt...


    But Rhode didn''t have that much time because there was trouble in front of him.


    He didn''t know when, but everyone finally recovered. The mercenaries who had been covered in injuries were totally healed and the Clerics who were exhausted had also regained their stamina. While they wanted to stay in the safety of the cave, the rational part of their mind told them that was just a delusion.


    In the end, they still have to leave.


    Although reluctant, Kudla kept his word. He gathered his members and instructed them to follow Rhode''s orders. While Rhode could tell that he didn''t obtain their 100% cooperation, they still respected Kudla enough to keep quiet and follow his orders.


    Still, there were always one or two black sheep.


    "I disagree."


    A clear, sharp sound echoed in the cave. A female walked out from the crowd; apparently it was the thief that was almost killed by Rhode from before.


    Even though her face was hidden behind a black mask, it still couldn''t conceal the doubt in her eyes.


    "Leader, I think you''ve done well so far. Everyone here is still surviving because of your leadership, but now you want to leave our lives in the hand of a stranger? I will not agree! I will only believe in my leader."


    "That''s your problem."


    Rhode didn''t even raise his head.


    "Whether you agree or not doesn''t matter. If you want to escape this place safely, follow my orders. I''ve already faced so much trouble just to come here and I don''t intend to bring a bunch of corpses back. I don''t wish to see my hard work in vain. So whether you protest or not, it won''t affect my decision."


    "You... Mr, Sereck, are you also..."


    Hearing Rhode''s answer, the girl clenched her teeth. She looked to Sereck for help, but he only revealed a wry smile.


    "I''m sorry, but I think it''s better like this. Just as Rhode had said, we can''t afford to fail after the amount of effort taken to get here. Since we''ve found you, we will help escort you back to Deep Stone City. Since Kudla had requested us for help, it means that he is unable to bring all of you back safely. Otherwise, why would you seek us out for help?


    "..."


    She was speechless for a moment. Indeed it was so. If Kudla had the power to bring them back safely, why would they need the Mercenary Association for help?


    "B-but we don''t know this man..."


    "You guys don''t believe in our leader!"


    Suddenly, another voice interrupted the girl. The mercenaries turned and found out that the voice belonged to Anne who was quietly standing by the side. Contrary to her usual joyous expression, her face was now ice cold.


    "Anne believes in our leader. If leader says he can bring all of you out safely, he definitely can do it. Since you guys can''t do it yourselves, then stop wasting time alright?"


    "What did you say?!"


    The thief was angered as she jumped and revealed two gleaming daggers in her hands.


    "Are you looking down on us?"


    "Anne is just telling the truth since you can''t see it even if it is right before your eyes!"


    Anne snorted coldly and raised her chin. The shield on her hand immediately glowed when she took a battle stance.


    "If you don''t believe me, then go ahead and try!"


    As the conflict was about to reach its peak, like a bucket of ice water Rhode''s cold voice drenched the two heated women.


    "Both of you shut up and stop."


    Rhode''s voice wasn''t loud, but somehow after hearing it both of them couldn''t help but tremble. Anne pouted and retrieved her shield. Since her opponent also put away her daggers, Anne also chose to stop.


    "I''ll say it one more time."


    Rhode''s hand pressed against his forehead.


    "This matter is already decided. All of you don''t have the rights to refuse. I won''t use Mr. Sereck to pressure you, but do understand that Mr. Kudla and I already agreed on this. If there''s someone who is still unsatisfied with this decision, you can go look for Mr. Kudla. We can''t afford to waste any more time right now, and if both of you do similar things in the future, then I will leave you behind to join the undead family."


    "..."


    The atmosphere was tense, but fortunately no one else objected to Rhode''s authority. Finally he could move on to the next step.


    Both Sereck and Kudla had suggested to return using their path from before. But Rhode''s plan was different.


    "That''s a foolish decision."


    Rhode said coolly.


    "Why?"


    Sereck stared at Rhode, puzzled.


    "It''s true that we''re already familiar with that path, and if we returned from there we would be faster..."


    Rhode then shook his head.


    "... however, we won''t be able to pass through the prairie again."


    "But when we came..."


    "It''s different from before."


    Rhode thought that Sereck''s skill with his sword was outstanding, but as for his other aspects, he was still lacking in various areas.


    Rhode waved his hand and explained to him patiently.


    "Previously, I had carefully arranged our numbers before setting out and five Clerics were already barely enough to support the group. Now that we have another six, our formation would surely expand. This means that we have more ground to protect with the same number of Clerics. If they run out of stamina halfway, it would spell death."


    "So that''s why."


    Sereck''s eyes lit up after understanding Rhode''s point. Kudla who was standing quietly by the side also nodded his head as if he was thinking of something. Then he asked doubtfully, "So what should we do next?"


    Facing his doubt, Rhode answered without hesitation.


    "Continue to move forward."


    "What?!"


    Both Sereck or Kudla were shocked. They looked at Rhode in disbelief wondering if they heard him wrong.


    Oh Holy Soul... just to travel here was already so dangerous. Why would this young man want to press forward instead...? Why...?

 Chapter 90 Move Forward To Retrea

    After noticing the doubt on their faces, Rhode quickly explained, "We simply don''t have sufficient strength to go back that way."


    "Each undead by itself isn''t a problem, but it gets tricky when they rush in a horde. Since our group got bigger, we have to increase our protection radius and that would mean that we have to face more enemies. If we press forward, although the strength of each undead would rise, at least we won''t have to deal with a large number like before. Moreover, high-level undead tends to roam alone and rarely work together which gives us a better chance of survival."


    "But some high-level undead have the power to command low-level undead..."


    Apparently Sereck knew quite a bit about the undead.


    "Don''t worry, that won''t happen."


    Rhode held his sword and drew a simple map on the ground. First, he drew a circle and then followed by a line.


    "We are here. Fortunately, this place is considered to be the along the borders so we should be able to leave quickly as long we speed up a little. Then we will pass through here..." Rhode pointed at the line near the border and continued, "then we will arrive at another area of the plateau. There''s a valley here and as long as we pass through this valley, we can leave this place."


    "How do you know?"


    Kudla couldn''t contain his curiosity. He stared at the young man before him thinking that he might just be uttering nonsense.


    "Because I''ve visited this place before."


    As usual, Rhode didn''t elaborate further and merely replied Kudla monotonously.


    "There are two kinds of undead in the valley. The first one is the Giant Skeleton... I think that most of you can guess what it looks like by its name. It is a giant frame of bones that possess monstrous strength. What it lacks in agility is made up for by its strength."


    "It has a unique ability to self-destruct at critical moments. Even if the battle seems like it''s over, don''t assume that you''ve already won. The numerous bones on its body can attack you even if separated from the main body. It has a weakness though �� there is a Soul Fire hidden within its skull, so as long as we crush the skull, we can defeat the monster. The Giant Skeleton doesn''t possess high intelligence, if we work together and dodge its attacks, we should be able to defeat it."


    Rhode explained the strengths and weaknesses of the Giant Skeleton in a clear manner. Sereck and Kudla nodded their head after understanding how to deal with it.


    "Next, near the end of the valley is the Death Knight''s territory."


    Rhode used his sword to draw another circle.


    "The Death Knight is incredibly powerful. You can imagine its strength to be similar to Mr. Sereck. Also, as Mr. Sereck had mentioned previously, it is a high-level undead that has the ability to command low-level undead. The minions that he will command are those Giant Skeletons."


    Rhode''s hand stop moving.


    "Which is why we must clear all the Giant Skeletons as soon as possible. Although the Giant Skeletons cannot telepathically alert the Death Knight even if it were attacked, if the battle becomes too loud and the Death Knight picks up the scent of us... then even a fool will understand that is a problem."


    Kudla was slightly surprised and couldn''t help but agree with Rhode''s strategy. At first, he thought that Rhode was too young to be a commander, but now after hearing his detailed breakdown of the monsters and how to defeat them, all of his previous doubts washed away entirely.


    Rhode revealed a way of instructing the group that he had never seen before. First, he would explain what kind of attacks the enemy would make and teach the group how to counter these attacks. It was so detailed that he even stated the type of skill needed to be used. What was even more admirable was his intricate grasp of these skills and seemingly immaculate knowledge of it.


    In this area, Kudla knew right away that he wasn''t of Rhode''s caliber because he knew no other mercenary group leader utilized this method of command. At most, a regular mercenary group leader would just give the order to attack, defend or retreat and Kudla had firmly believed that was the way to command a mercenary group. He thought that the tricky part of commanding would be the mercenary leader''s reaction speed and his subordinates'' tacit understanding of each other. However, Rhode opened a new world to him.


    Kudla was shocked. It was simply unimaginable.


    Each mercenary had a different skill level, and their fighting style wasn''t the same. Thus, it was almost impossible for the commander to teach them what to do individually...


    Without a doubt, if Kudla were a player, he wouldn''t be making a mountain out of a molehill. As Rhode had said before �� prior to fighting any BOSS, every player will have to make their necessary preparations.


    "Well, that should be it."


    Rhode clapped his hands.


    Back in the game, after his briefing, Rhode would usually add something like this: "If you don''t pay attention, I''m gonna directly kick you out later." But since he wasn''t playing a game right now, even if something went wrong, there would be no chance for redemption.


    Rhode had no interest in arguing with dead people.


    After finishing his discussion with Sereck and Kudla, Rhode gathered everyone and explained what kind of danger they would face as well as administer their individual responsibilities. This time, the formation was slightly different. Rhode, Celia, and Sereck would lead the main offense while Anne would be responsible for protecting the Clerics. As for the mercenaries, they didn''t bear any heavy responsibilities because Rhode wasn''t familiar with them. Instead, he arranged for them to guard the rear together with Kudla since he was already briefed on how to deal with the Giant Skeletons. Rhode saw that he was a smart person, so there shouldn''t be any problems.


    However, there were two significant changes this time.


    "What about me? Do I not have to attack?"


    Marlene frowned.


    "Your large area of effect spells will cause a great disturbance to the surroundings. Our objective is to finish the battle in the shortest possible time without drawing much attention to us."


    "I see..."


    After hearing Rhode''s explanation, Marlene nodded. Then, after a moment, she added, "If that''s the case, why not let me cast Silence? That way, I can prevent the enemy from hearing anything."


    Rhode was subtly surprised for a moment.


    "You can cast Silence?"


    "Of course!"


    Marlene nodded as if the sun had always been rising from the east.


    "Aren''t you an Elemental Mage?"


    "I''m proficient in elemental spells, but I''m also fairly well-versed in illusory and arcane spells."


    "..."


    Rhode stared at Marlene who proudly raised her head. Rhode finally understood why the people called her a rare magical genius of a hundred years... No wonder many players complained about not being able to defeat her. This young miss was simply a copy of a BOSS in the making.


    "Kid, I know what you want me to do..."


    Old Walker fondled his chin and revealed a complicated expression. His previous role was to scout and detect enemies from afar. To put it bluntly, he didn''t participate in battles at all. However, Rhode decided that he needed to contribute his strength this time.


    "You want me to attract that monster''s attention, aren''t they very sensitive?"


    "That''s right."


    Rhode nodded.


    "But don''t worry, I will tell you what to do."


    As for both Anne and Lize, their role didn''t change much. He didn''t even have to tell Lize what to do and merely asked her to master the attack rhythm. Not only was the upcoming battle a test, but it was an excellent opportunity to gain more experience. Lize had been rather consistent in combat, so he didn''t have to worry about her.


    Rhode didn''t have to say much to Anne as well. But he finally understood why the vice-leader of Mark White wanted to find an opportunity to kick her out. The way she expressed her thoughts was too direct. Most of the mercenaries were glaring at her right now, let alone the half-elf thief who would''ve killed her if she had the chance.


    Still, under this tense atmosphere, Anne had the guts to continue humming a song as though nothing was wrong, albeit unintentionally. Have to say... she truly deserved to be called a tank. The way she pulled and held the aggro was top-notch.


    After pushing away the boulder, a cold wind blew in and made everyone shiver.


    "Let''s go."


    Rhode said coolly as he walked out from the cave with everyone following closely behind him.


    Perhaps lady luck was blessing them as they didn''t encounter an ambush when leaving the withered forest. When they finally left the forest, everyone felt relieved, but before they could relax, they immediately fell upon a new hurdle.


    Boom! Boom! Lize immediately snuffed the Holy Light. They were now at the edge of a cliff, quietly looking down at a huge shadow that was moving back and forth in the valley. Everyone could feel a chill when they saw the monster.


    Giant Skeleton.


    As their name suggested, they were giants without flesh. They towered over three meters tall, and their skeletal structure didn''t seem weak and brittle at all. But all they did was mindlessly wander around the valley, only turning its huge head to look around from time to time. Inside its empty sockets was the Soul Fire that gave it life. It shone like a small sun, emitting a green light that swept around the valley like a lighthouse.


    Facing such a powerful enemy, can they really win?


    No one had the confidence.


    "Okay, listen to me closely."


    Rhode took a deep breath and lowered his voice. He turned around and gestured to Old Walker.


    Old Walker quickly bent down and came forward. Two shadows quietly stepped towards a huge boulder near the valley.


    "See that?"


    Rhode pointed towards the Giant Skeleton not too far away from him. It wielded an enormous bone club as it sauntered back and forth. Old Walker traced the area where Rhode pointed to and nodded.


    "Shoot the arrow there. Remember, don''t at shoot it, but near it. About five meters away from it."


    "Yes."


    Old Walker nodded. Then he pulled his bow and aimed towards the target with intense concentration. Everyone else couldn''t help but hold their breath while watching him.


    When the Giant Skeleton looked back and walked towards the other side of the valley, Rhode shouted.


    "Now!"

 Chapter 91 Giant Skeleton

    Whoosh! The arrow shot whizzed through the air and collided into a pile of stones not far from the Giant Skeleton. The minute sound made by the arrow caused the Giant Skeleton to turn around and investigate the disturbance. Its fearsome, empty eyes emitted a dazzling light and shone at the pile of stones.


    Holy Soul... what a quick reaction!


    Old Walker swallowed his saliva subconsciously. He thought he had already mentally prepared himself but the Giant Skeleton''s reaction speed still overwhelmed his expectations.


    How can such a giant frame of bones have such a keen sense? That''s just too terrifying!


    Just as he was about to take a deep breath, Rhode''s low voice sounded beside him.


    "Retreat."


    Both of them slowly traced back ten steps. Then, following Rhode''s orders once more, Old Walker shot another arrow which hit another area.


    The Giant Skeleton lumbered forward to the noise.


    From afar, it seemed as if its movements were tremendously slow, but it only looked that way because of its massive body size. In just a few steps the Giant Skeleton already arrived close to the group. It opened its mouth and revealed the terrifying boundless darkness within. Then, it leaned over and scanned the surroundings with its two fiery eyes.


    Rhode raised a finger.


    That was the signal.


    Marlene raised her wand and a gray light shot out in a straight line towards the Giant Skeleton. Within less than a second, the gray light formed a hemispheric barrier which enveloped the Giant Skeleton like a bird trapped in a cage. The barrier then flashed for a moment before disappearing into thin air. However, a thin line remained connected between Marlene''s wand and the Giant Skeleton. In a blink of an eye, everything went deathly silent.


    "We have 30 seconds!"


    Marlene gripped her wand tightly while channeling the magic spell. She then quickly reminded the group of the duration of Silence. For such a massive monster like this, 30 seconds was already her limit.


    But 30 seconds was more than enough for Rhode, Celia, and Sereck to reach the Giant Skeleton.


    "������!!!"


    The Giant Skeleton''s acute senses immediately picked up the enemy and raised its head. Its intense gaze met the angel''s Holy Aura which made it furious. In a flash, it raised its giant club and roared at its eternal nemesis.


    As though wielding a toy hammer, the Giant Skeleton swung its bone club and pulverized a few large boulders near the cliff. Some loose rocks rolled off the precipice and smashed to the ground below without creating any sound. It was quite a strange occurrence... somewhat like watching a mime perform.


    Celia swung her silver sword to meet the Giant Skeleton''s club. Although no sound came from the clash, the many sparks revealed the intensity of the battle. Initially, the Giant Skeleton''s immense strength caused the angel to stagger, but she quickly used her wings to unleash a jet stream which propelled her forward, leading to a stalemate. Clearly, the Giant Skeleton wasn''t going to give up as it took a step forward and lifted its club to launch another attack. It just wanted to pummel this small insect to death as soon as possible.


    But it was unable to do so.


    A rotating blade sliced at the giant''s arm, forcing its attack trajectory to tilt and miss Celia by a hair''s breadth. Although the strong wind still caused her to stumble, at least she escaped from being crushed. Then, the Giant Skeleton shifted its attention to Rhode who suddenly appeared at its feet.


    "��������!!!"


    This provocation made the Giant Skeleton even more furious. As the Death Knight''s minion, it clearly wasn''t a creature with high intelligence. The purpose of its existence was to destroy life which could grant it a brief respite after each kill. However, after such a long time, nothing of that had happened. This made the Giant Skeleton angrier and desperate. Now that it had finally found an opportunity to vent its anger and hatred, it would stop at nothing until either itself or its foes were dead.


    The Giant Skeleton lifted up its club once more, ready to turn Rhode into minced meat. Sensing an incoming attack, Rhode retreated a few steps back to dodge.


    Meanwhile, a pillar of Holy Light fell from the sky and wrapped the Giant Skeleton.


    Lize lifted both of her hands. She bit her lip nervously as she concentrated on her spell. Just beside her were the other Clerics who were also casting Divine Brilliance to weaken the Giant Skeleton.


    Marlene was still holding the same position. She clenched her wand in slight displeasure as she couldn''t help the group with anything else. According to the plan, she wasn''t allowed to use any powerful elemental spells because the impact might attract other undead. It was quite a distasteful position for her.


    "20 seconds!"


    The Giant Skeleton''s club smashed into the ground, propelling pieces of stones and debris in all directions. Some stray debris managed to hit Rhode''s body.


    Rhode could dodge it, but he didn''t as he was charging an attack. Sword energy began to condense around him when he consumed his Soul Power. After a moment, Rhode took half-a-step forward and raised his right hand before slashing down with all his might.


    On the surface, the attack appeared rather ordinary, but when the sword was in mid-arc, the tip suddenly lit up. When his sword touched the ground, the brilliant light that condensed at the tip suddenly burst out. The flat ground immediately split apart as though a giant sword divided the earth. Everyone was shocked at the light which instantaneously spread to their immediate surroundings.


    That was the new Swordsmanship skill in ''Starfall'' �� Fury Trial.


    Compared to Moon Shadow and Dark Dance which utilized intelligence and agility respectively, Starfall was a Swordsmanship based on pure strength. Starfall didn''t boast flashy or quick moves, but instead, it flaunts its raw destructive power. Even though the Giant Skeleton''s strength was nothing to laugh about, Rhode was confident that this skill would be able to contend with it.


    The Giant Skeleton who was in the midst of an attack couldn''t block the incoming strike. Its massive body lost its balance and tipped backward, but before it could regain its footing, another light already aimed towards its unprotected torso.


    Silence swallowed all sources of sound. And at this moment, the Giant Skeleton''s body was no longer intact. After the violent attack, its ribcage cracked and the rest of the bones shook as though it would break at any moment. It appeared that they were on the verge of victory, but Rhode knew that this was the most dangerous moment.


    "10 seconds!"


    "Sereck!"


    Sereck, who was hiding, finally appeared after making his preparations. His entire body turned into light and rushed forward �� his sword in his hand burst out with glorious brilliant circles which shot towards the Giant Skeleton. Both Celia and Rhode followed up and attacked, sending two crescent moon slashes towards the Giant Skeleton.


    When it detected the aura of the Swordmaster, the Giant Skeleton reacted. It instinctively stretched out its left hand in an attempt to block the attack but failed miserably.


    A full-power attack from a level 40 Master Swordsman wasn''t something that could be easily blocked by a mid-level undead. In fact, Sereck''s sword had not even touched the Giant Skeleton''s hand and it was already showing signs of disintegration. The next moment, Sereck''s sword pierced through its mouth.


    In a blink of an eye, the giant''s skull blew into pieces. Everything from the lower jaw to the chin was missing, and the rest of the skull was filled with cracks. The Soul Fire flickered as if it was about to do something, but at that moment, another crescent moon slash passed through it and completely extinguished the flame.


    Followed by the loss of its life source, the massive body crashed down to the ground the same time Marlene''s Silence spell ended.

 Chapter 92 The Melancholy of Anne Georgia

    After defeating a few Giant Skeletons, the group slowed down even more.


    During the briefing, Rhode had warned them that they were rushing against time and had to hurry up, so everyone assumed that they would be running all over the place defeating enemy after enemy then moving on to the next.


    But that wasn''t the case.


    The whole group moved as slow as a turtle. Whenever they took three steps forward, they would take two steps back. It was painfully slow �� even slower than taking a casual jog in the forest. But when encountering an enemy, Rhode would suddenly speed up and kill them as fast as lightning, roughly finishing the fight within thirty seconds before quickly hiding and repeat the process on the next enemy once more.


    To be honest, these kinds of guerrilla tactics weren''t well-received by some in the group �� it could even be said to be downright embarrassing.


    "Hmph."


    The half-elf snorted in disdain when she saw Rhode stop abruptly and proceeded to sneak around like a criminal.


    "Just look at that man creeping around. That''s so not impressive. Leader is obviously much more honorable than him."


    "Anne thinks that you''re full of nonsense."


    Of course, Anne had a differing opinion.


    "If not because of Anne''s leader, with your inadequate abilities, it would be impossible for you to defeat these Giant Skeletons.


    "Hmph. It''s not like I would''ve followed this stupid plan to come here in the first place."


    The half-elf couldn''t care less about Anne''s retort.


    "If our leader was in charge of the group, we would''ve gotten out of here already."


    "Since you think of it that way, you don''t have to follow Anne and the rest."


    Anne''s lips curled, her eyes cold.


    "You only know how to flap your lips. If you guys had the ability to escape by yourselves, your leader wouldn''t have chosen to follow my leader''s command."


    "Don''t joke around. Our leader is only following him because you guys heeded our distress call. We aren''t ungrateful brats."


    The half-elf turned around in a huff, refusing to speak any more. She stared at the dark, eerie valley which brought an unknown chill to her but even so, she refused to look at the person beside her.


    "Hmph..."


    Anne didn''t want to stop though. She glared at the half-elf and took a deep breath.


    "So for the sake of pride, you will even abandon your life. Such foolishness. You really deserved to be trapped here."


    "You!!!"


    That string of words somehow caused the half-elf to snap. She couldn''t keep her calm any longer and glared angrily at Anne. Anne, however, also didn''t back down and returned the favor.


    Anne still maintained a smile on her face, but the half-elf thought it was terrifying. She felt her face turn cold as though the one staring at her wasn''t a human but a dangerous beast instead.


    Suddenly, the face before her warped into a shape of a ferocious monster with razor-sharp fangs. The half-elf immediately grabbed her dagger out of instinct, but luckily her rationality told her that it wasn''t smart to make a move at this time.


    "What are you guys doing!"


    Marlene''s voice broke the tense atmosphere. She stopped walking and turned towards the two girls behind her.


    In some ways, Marlene acted as the mercenary group''s vice-leader. She would take care of matters that Rhode couldn''t afford to waste time on. While Lize and Old Walker were also senior members of the group, one of them didn''t dare to take charge and the other just didn''t have the patience to manage the group.


    Since Marlene saw the hostile atmosphere between the two girls behind her, she certainly couldn''t sit idly.


    Marlene shifted her gaze to the mercenaries next to them who appeared as though nothing had happened. Indeed, it was the right decision for them not to poke their noses into places that they didn''t belong as both groups ultimately walked a different path.


    "Sister Marlene, she..."


    "We are in a dangerous situation right now."


    Marlene interrupted Anne. While she wasn''t exactly close to Anne, she could somewhat figure out Anne''s peculiar train of thought.


    Usually, when normal people interact, it is because they have something in common or their personality matches with one another. Even if they can''t get along, at least they will choose to maintain a reasonably passive relationship. Marlene is a good example. Even if the man in front of her is as ugly as a pig, if he were her friend or relative, she would still display a polite smile. That was how ''mature'' people conversed with one another.


    Anne, however, was totally different. She didn''t care whether her actions would bring her any benefit or not. She simply chose her friends based on instinct... like an animal. To put it cutely, like a puppy, it would wag its tail at a person it fancied even if he or she didn''t give it any food. On the flip side, it would bark at the people it disliked even if it were the owner who fed it every day.


    What a headache...


    This was the reason why Marlene didn''t bother to persuade the both of them to stop quarreling because it was pointless. Besides, she was more concerned about other more important things right now...


    "Whether you guys like it or not, we''ve already come this far and there''s no turning back. We have to keep moving forward, so I hope both of you can focus on the task at hand."


    Without saying anything else, Marlene turned her head to the front and continued walking. The displeasure on the half-elf''s face was evident, but she still chose to keep silent as she was dealing with a Mage. In this continent, Mages were a dangerous group of people that shouldn''t be provoked. Rather than to put herself at unnecessary risk, it was better for her to shut up.


    Rhode didn''t notice the small dispute. Right now, he was busy hiding behind a boulder as he studied the area before him with a gloomy expression.


    They had already spent five hours clearing the Giant Skeletons one by one and the sky was still dark. There was no difference between day and night along the borders between the Country of Darkness and Light as the whole region was mostly in perpetual darkness. But that wasn''t why Rhode frowned.


    Right now, there were two Giant Skeletons left in the valley who were fairly close to each other.


    Previously, Rhode could successfully lure the Giant Skeletons one at the time because they were far apart, but these two were different. Like gatekeepers, one stood on the left and one on the right with their backs facing one another. Although the two Giant Skeletons still did wander off a little from their positions, they still weren''t far apart enough for Rhode to employ the same tactic as before.


    This was difficult.


    Even though the group was fairly well-versed in fighting Giant Skeletons by now, facing two at the same time was a different scenario altogether.


    If it were only two Giant Skeletons... then perhaps it was still possible. With Marlene in the rear utilizing her powerful magic ability supporting him and Celia, he could see himself taking down one Giant Skeleton. Then Sereck could take on the other and everything would be fine and dandy, but...


    Unfortunately, the reality wasn''t that simple.


    Rhode knew what was behind that valley...


    The Death Knight.


    He knew for sure that if Marlene cast a magic spell at this distance, the Death Knight would immediately detect it. High-level undead were exceptionally sensitive towards surges of magical energy, which was why even if they used Silence, it would be impossible to escape detection.


    Judging from the past battles with single Giant Skeletons, Rhode knew that the group wouldn''t be able to finish off those two Giant Skeletons in time before the Death Knight arrived. Besides, even if they could deal with the two skeletons in time, they still had to confront the Death Knight immediately afterward without a rest.


    Frankly, Rhode was very reluctant to confront the Death Knight directly. Although its level was lower than Sereck, it was merely a five to six level difference. This gap was simply negligible when the battle was between humans and undead monsters.


    For example, even if a knife stabbed into the torso of the Death Knight, nothing much would happen. But what would happen if Sereck was the one being stabbed by the knife?


    It would be best if he''d quickly penned down his last words to the woman he loved throughout his life.


    Rhode''s original plan was to get Sereck to hold the Death Knight''s attention while the others escape, then he and Sereck would quickly leave afterward once everyone safely exited Silent Plateau. Once they left the area, the Death Knight wouldn''t be able to follow them. This method was way safer than attempting to defeat the Death Knight.


    However, no matter how hard he tried, he knew his plan was clearly going to fail. If the Death Knight came to them instead, then based on the terrain, the new plan would be called ''one man hold back a thousand man army,'' and that ''one man'' would be referring to the Death Knight.


    They were in a narrow valley right now, which meant that the Death Knight would totally bottleneck their way forward if it were drawn here. But Rhode didn''t have an alternative; he couldn''t forcefully proceed, yet it was also impossible for him to turn back.


    What to do?


    It wasn''t as if there wasn''t a way out, After defeating the Giant Skeletons, all he had to do was to use a bait to lure the Death Knight so that the rest could escape. As long as that person could hold on, Rhode and Sereck would immediately rush back and fight the Death Knight together, at that point, everything would be just as planned.


    But who will be able to it?


    Rhode turned around and looked at the group.


    Both Marlene and Lize were casters, so asking them to be bait was equivalent to sending them to die. Sereck possessed the most strength; thus, his role was to deal with one of the Giant Skeletons. Even so, it would be difficult to say whether he could defeat the Giant Skeleton before the arrival of the Death Knight. In previous battles, Rhode and Celia helped him to divert the monster''s attention and Sereck would deal the final blow, but now he will have no one to help him, so he had to figure it out by himself.


    Old Walker? Kudla and his mercenaries?


    What a joke. These guys can''t even block ordinary undead. To ask them to tank the Death Knight was simply sending them to their deaths. Furthermore, Rhode''s objective was to bring them back safely, if they died here then why would he even bother coming here in the first place.


    Then...


    Rhode went silent for a moment; then he waved his hand to the back.


    "Anne, come here."


    "Leader, what''s the matter?"


    Hearing his call, Anne immediately ran towards him. Her two beady eyes focused only on him, the only thing missing right now was a tail wagging behind her...


    Ahh, she does really look like...


    "I have a plan."


    Rhode said as he walked closer towards Anne. Then, he lowered his body and whispered. After a while, he raised his head and looked at her with seriousness.


    "Do you understand the gravity of what I''ve said? Are you willing to take on this duty?"


    "Of course!"


    Anne did not hesitate and nodded quickly.


    "I will do anything leader ask me to do."


    If it was the usual, Rhode wouldn''t have bothered to say anything more, but this time, perhaps because of the severity of the situation, he frowned and said, "The Death Knight is about level 35. It has a strength close to a Commander. If you think that this is too much for you, please let me know now and I won''t have you take on this risk. If you can''t handle this but still insist on going, the risk will be even larger."


    "I understand, leader."


    Anne nodded.


    "But I believe this is the reason why I am here �� because I''m confident."


    "..."


    Looking at her clear eyes, Rhode went silent. He studied the girl before him for a while but still didn''t understand where she got that confidence from.


    Rhode wasn''t good at woman psychology. Besides, he had only interacted with her for only a few days.


    But still, that was no reason to send her off to die.


    In the game, if the party''s tank died, then so be it. They could easily resurrect later and have another go again. In this continent, everything changed. There were no second chances. Rhode didn''t want to send her out, but now it looked like there were no other choice.


    Meanwhile, Lize and Marlene observed the two of them quietly at a distance. They were feeling uneasy because they didn''t know what Rhode was whispering about. But since Rhode didn''t attack, they knew that there were some changes to the plan.


    "I will finish it as soon as possible. But before that, you need to hold on."


    Rhode patted Anne''s shoulder.


    In the face of the possibility of death, the girl revealed her usual energetic smile.


    "No worries, leader, I''ll be fine."

 Chapter 93 Double Kill!

    After receiving Anne''s ''consent,'' Rhode called the rest and briefed them on the current plan. Once they heard what Rhode was planning to do, everyone was surprised.


    "Why am I not the one to take on this dangerous task?"


    Naturally, Sereck questioned.


    "You''ll have to face the Giant Skeleton alone which is already quite different from before."


    Rhode shook his head and answered Sereck before shifting his gaze to Marlene.


    "Ms. Marlene, you won''t have to use Silence anymore since the Death Knight will notice us anyway. For the upcoming battle, I will require you to use your offensive spells on the Giant Skeletons. They have quite a decent amount of magic resistance, but I believe you will have your way to deal with it."


    "I will try my best!"


    Unknowingly, Marlene clenched her fist and raised her voice. The pressure on her was indeed quite significant; not only would the battle be difficult, but also...


    Her thoughts trailed off as she turned her head to glance at the group of people before resting her eyes on Anne.


    "Lize, once the two Giant Skeletons are down, we will need to find Anne immediately and assist her. This is of utmost importance."


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode. I will try my best."


    Lize clenched her fist tightly and nodded.


    "Mr. Rhode, what about us?"


    Standing behind Rhode, Kudla couldn''t help but ask.


    "We also can..."


    "Our mission is to save you guys. Now, we are only one step away from mission success; therefore I cannot let you take this risk. Moreover, someone needs to protect the Clerics. If you guys take part in the battle, who are they going to depend on for protection?"


    Kudla was at a loss. He looked at the nervous Clerics beside him and immediately knew that they wouldn''t be able to make it to the exit without help. He was also unsure whether he would be able to delay the Death Knight. According to Rhode, the Death Knight was almost as strong as Sereck and it was a high-level undead that was on the verge of the Commander level. Kudla felt pretty certain that he wouldn''t be able to block a full-strength attack from a monster like that. So, he quietly nodded his head and gestured towards his mercenary group.


    "Alright, everyone! Get into your positions!"


    Rhode clapped his hands and shouted. Then, he glanced at Celia who was beside him.


    "After defeating the enemy, fly over immediately. Remember you must protect Anne at all cost. Do not let anything happen to her."


    "Understood, Master."


    If Anne died, no one would be able to resurrect her, but if a summoned spirit died, Rhode could still resummon it later. If not because of Celia''s passive ability that was incredibly useful to help kill Giant Skeletons, Rhode would rather send Celia to delay the Death Knight instead of Anne.


    Sending Anne was the best decision Rhode could make based on their current situation. Even though Rhode had a rough gauge on her strength due to the test he had given her, their time together was simply too short for him to realize the true extent of her power. Therefore, all he could do now was trust her as she was the only person that had the highest chance of succeeding.


    The spark to start the battle was no different from before.


    Old Walker shot an arrow and lured the two Giant Skeletons as per normal. Both of the monsters lumbered slowly towards the noise. This wasn''t a good sign because it confirmed Rhode''s fears.


    Although Rhode wanted to keep using this tactic to lure these two Giant Skeletons as far as possible, as if detecting something was wrong, the monsters suddenly stopped.


    Once Rhode saw this, he knew that it was time to begin. He clenched his teeth and shouted.


    "Move!!"


    Marlene raised her wand and shot a spell at one of the Giant Skeleton''s skull. The very next moment, grey, tumultuous clouds formed above the skeletons.


    The battle-starved Marlene who had held back for the past five hours finally released all her pent-up frustrations with a humongous lightning bolt that fell from the sky.


    Craaack! Countless streaks of lightning came crashing down onto the helpless Giant Skeletons. The sound of the electrostatic discharges caused a few people to tremble, and the ground shook along with the thunderous impact. For the sake of her comrades and victory, Marlene didn''t hold back her power. She depleted most of her Soul Power for that one single destructive spell.


    As a result, the Giant Skeletons that were caught unprepared appeared to be under significant pressure.


    Even if they had flesh no more, they still had a decent resistance towards magic. But it wasn''t unlimited. After ten seconds, the Giant Skeleton''s body began to crack under the immense pressure of mother nature.


    One after another, bolts of lightning assaulted the two Giant Skeletons. It roared loudly in pain and anger, but it was futile as they were still trapped within Marlene''s ''thunderbolt prison.''


    More... just a little bit more!!


    Everyone stared at the miserable monsters that were being pounded by millions of volts of electricity again and again. They clenched their fist and silently prayed that everything would go smoothly like this until its death, but unfortunately, that was only their wishful thinking.


    The thick gray clouds suddenly dispersed. Marlene''s arms slumped down, her face pale. At the moment, she was leaning against a tree with her face full of sweat; she found out that both of her hands were trembling uncontrollably and wasn''t able to lift them up. She might be a magical genius, but there was still a limit to her power after all. The spell she cast consumed a lot of Soul Power, and to channel it for such a long duration was already an incredible feat.


    Sssss!


    Wisps of smoke trails rose up into the air. Their bones were filled with fractures and covered in a thick layer of soot, but they were clearly still standing.


    "Damn it!"


    Rhode cursed under his breath. A trace of disappointment flashed across his face; but as an experienced leader, he knew it was pointless to complain.


    He swung his sword and pointed forward.


    "Go!"


    Immediately after saying that, he shot forward with Celia towards the leftmost Giant Skeleton. Meanwhile, Sereck also made a move on the rightmost Giant Skeleton.


    Before it could recover, the duo was already before the Giant Skeleton. One holy sword and one crimson sword slashed down in concert one after the other.


    As Celia had wings, her flying speed was faster than Rhode. She reached before him and swung her sword at the Giant Skeleton. As the Giant Skeleton hadn''t recovered fully from the lightning attack, it didn''t think much and used its hands to block. This time, Celia wasn''t thrown back by the impact; instead, she ignited her sword with holy flames and burned the Giant Skeleton''s hand.


    At the same time, Rhode arrived from behind!


    Celia waved her silver sword and sliced off the Giant Skeleton''s right leg. After losing its support, it roared angrily and fell to the ground. However, that didn''t mean that it gave up, on the contrary, the moment it fell to the ground, all its bones scattered everywhere on the floor.


    F*ck!


    Rhode cursed again. From his countless experiences, he knew what was coming up. Unfortunately, the one thing he wished not to happen was about to become a reality.


    Rhode clenched his teeth and held out his palm. A red card materialized and flew out, forming into the flaming black hound who immediately rushed towards the skull.


    Suddenly, the scattered bone fragments that were idle a moment ago began to swirl rapidly around the skull. After a while, it formed a huge whirlpool in the air, creating an impenetrable fortress that blocked Rhode''s attack.


    Rhode waved his sword and sent a Blade of Destruction towards the whirlpool. However, the light was eventually swallowed and disappeared without a trace. Meanwhile, Celia fluttered her wings and tried to enter from above, but when she was halfway through, the spinning bone fragments blocked her way forward.


    This is going to be troublesome...


    Rhode panted as he stared at the whirlpool of bones before him. The only thing he could do now was to wait.


    Then, a sudden dazzling light fell from the sky and crashed into the whirlpool. Due to the impact, the bones shook violently, and together with a loud roar, a faint explosion surfaced from inside the bone fortress. Soon, the bones began to slow and several fragments were strewn to the ground. Apparently, the black hound had used its self-destruct on the skull which took out half of its face. The Soul Fire in its remaining half was evidently dimmer than before.


    Although Marlene''s spell couldn''t destroy the Giant Skeleton, the damage that it had done was considerable. At this moment, it finally had shown its effectiveness.


    "Celia!"


    The angel rushed forward without hesitation. While in mid-air, her sword transformed into a silver light and pierced through the Giant Skeleton''s skull. The surrounding bone fragments finally fell to the ground and stopped moving once its life source was destroyed.


    Rhode didn''t bother to watch Celia finish off the monster because he had already rushed towards the other side in with full speed. Sereck was in the same situation as he, fighting the Giant Skeleton''s whirlpool defense. Rhode knew that they were already running late on time, so he had to finish it fast!


    But he was still too late.


    "Hiss������!!"


    Suddenly, there was a sharp, resounding neigh of a horse in the distance.


    Rhode froze.


    The Death Knight has arrived!

 Chapter 94 Anne Georgia’s Determination

    Darian slowly opened his eyes.


    Dark skies and white fog surrounded him. The Death Knight silently scanned the area as he caressed his horse''s mane below him. Nightmare, his horse, felt his touch and neighed softly in response.


    It was said that an undead''s world was colorless. When they chose to abandon their fleshy husk and enter eternal life, they also forsook their ability to witness the beautiful world. No matter how brilliant or extravagant the color was, it was only black and white in the eyes of an undead. Also, this was the reason why the undead were always so bloodthirsty and aggressive. In their eyes, nothing was worth remembering or cherishing anymore �� only death and destruction could give them the feeling of superiority.


    Darian was once a knight belonging to the border army of the Country of Darkness. He had violated the military rules and was forced to flee the country before settling down in this desolate valley.


    For two hundred years he had been wandering around this valley. To most humans, this was a very long time, but Darian knew that with regards to other ''immortal'' undead, two centuries was nothing but a fleeting moment.


    It was still too early for him to go back to the Country of Darkness. If he went back now, he would''ve probably gotten himself a death sentence.


    Must I stay in this desolate place forever?


    In the beginning, Darian asked himself this question repeatedly. But after a while, he found himself no longer caring about these trivial matters anymore. Ever since becoming an undead, his human desires slowly faded away, and so did his flesh. His concept of time, loneliness, and needs completely disappeared. From a certain point of view, the undead were like puppets with consciousness.


    Darian was an exception though; he still retained some of his human emotions which was why he was able to violate the order from his superiors.


    Darian trembled slightly.


    He could sense the aura of his subordinates, the Giant Skeletons, weaken. It was an unusual situation that had never happened before ever since he stepped into the Silent Plateau. These Giant Skeletons didn''t originate from the Country of Darkness, instead, Darian tamed the ''native species'' of undead after arriving here. Although their strength wasn''t even one-tenth of the Skeleton Guards in the Country of Darkness, he was confident that no one would be able to rival them in this desolate place.


    But now, something was wrong.


    A surge of magical energy spread in the air.


    Darian turned around and saw thunderbolts falling from the sky.


    Someone is attacking!!


    Darian immediately turned vigilant. He picked up his lance and a giant shield by the side before shutting the visor over his face. Then, he pulled Nightmare''s reins and steered it towards the battlefield.


    As a high-level undead with consciousness, he could easily detect the chaotic magical surges in the air. Just like a raging tidal wave in the ocean, it smashed into his dormant heart that had been dead since a long time ago.


    Huh, a Mage? A middle-circle Mage? Were they people sent by the Country of Darkness to kill me?


    An alarm rang in his mind, but it soon disappeared. He was just a minor figure in the army who didn''t know any military secret. The Country of Darkness wouldn''t send an assassin just to kill someone like him.


    Then there are the undead mages, but they wouldn''t have this kind of power...


    It''s the aura of the living...


    Is it an adventurer?


    Darian felt somewhat nervous, but at the same time, he was feeling eager. As an undead, he derived satisfaction from slaying the living �� watching their flame of life gradually fade away brought him joy and happiness comparable to living beings giving birth to a new life.


    Darian was no exception.


    Nightmare began to gallop towards the direction of the disturbance.


    It''s coming!!


    Anne stood in the middle of the valley with a focused expression. The little figure''s eyes met the gaze of the monster in the darkness. For someone who even smiled in the face of danger, Anne sported a serious expression.


    It wasn''t because she was afraid; rather, the aura of the dead always brought an uncomfortable sensation to the living.


    She knew that she could no longer escape.


    With her shield in her hand, she stood upright and steadfast.


    As Marlene had guessed; Anne wasn''t uninterested in relationships, but the way she determined friend or foe was solely based on her instinct. After the death of her old leader, her mercenary group made her very unhappy. What people didn''t know was that Anne actually didn''t mind a change in leadership, she just wanted a place to stay that made her feel happy. When the old leader was there, everyone in Mark White seemed to like her and cared for her. They were able to tolerate her behavior and problems, so Anne was also willing to work hard to guard her happy life. In every single battle, she would put in her 100% and stand bravely at the front. This way, she would receive praises at the end of the mission, and for Anne, that was more than enough.


    But after the passing of her old leader, the entire mercenary group seemed to change. The happy days from before gradually disappeared as the people who used to smile at her distanced themselves. The older mercenaries who had nurtured her told her to grant the old leader''s unfulfilled wish.


    But Anne didn''t understand! The old leader left peacefully, how could there be any unfulfilled wish?


    What did these people actually want? Anne was clueless.


    What she knew was the previous lively and warm home had now turned into a cold and broken place that she didn''t like.


    She also didn''t think that the old leader wanted her to do anything, so she decided to leave. And in the end, she arrived at Rhode''s Starlight mercenary group.


    Starlight had the same atmosphere as her old Mark White mercenary group. While Rhode''s face was always one-toned, the way he talked still made her feel some warmth. It was the same as the old Mark White �� she would always get scolded by the old leader, but she knew that he didn''t hate her at all.


    Being with Marlene and Lize also put her at ease. The two sisters were older than her but they didn''t have the ''fake'' aura that she felt from the many female mercenaries in Mark White. It was something that Anne couldn''t understand at all.


    In all, she was glad that everyone was genuine and didn''t exclude her from anything. No one distanced themselves from her, and nothing was complicated. Everything would be fine as long as long as she does well in her mission. Anne cherished this kind of life.


    So, it was natural that she didn''t want to lose it once again.


    When Rhode called her out and asked her to take on this heavy responsibility, she didn''t hesitate at all and quickly agreed.


    Not only did she want to preserve her current lifestyle, she also wanted to protect everyone �� and Anne was confident that she could do so.


    Even after attending Rhode''s earlier briefing, she still didn''t understand what a Commander level monster or non-Commander level monster was. But when she heard the ground tremble and the sound of the incoming hooves, Anne knew that it was a dangerous foe.


    But she didn''t feel afraid at all. She only felt her blood pump rapidly like a raging inferno.


    She lifted the shield up and formed a fist with her left hand. Then she hammered her shield multiple times.


    Boom... boom... boom...


    War drum?


    Darian was surprised for a moment when he heard the sound, but at the same time, he also saw a flame of life burning before him.


    The Death Knight felt that this light was a little too dazzling, and he discovered that the drum sound was also being emitted from there!


    You want to challenge me? Interesting!


    The Death Knight couldn''t help but sneer. He pointed his lance forward and shouted.


    Nightmare recognized its Master''s command and immediately accelerated. In a fraction of a second, only four burning hoove marks were left on the ground; the rider and the horse were nowhere to be seen!


    Darian leaned over and aimed his lance at the flame of life which was still at the same location. At this point, he couldn''t help but imagine how it would look like after being pierced by his attack... the expression of despair and suffering would be extremely tasty...


    Anne also noticed that the enemy suddenly accelerated and immediately reacted by extending her shield. The long metal drill flew forward while countless sharp spikes appeared on the surface of her shield. This time, she didn''t bury the shield in the ground like before, instead, she actively dashed forward to attack!


    Darian saw what she did, and he couldn''t help but feel excited. His lance aimed directly at Anne''s shield as he rushed forward.


    Come!!!

 Chapter 95 Anne Georgia’s Wavering

    The Giant Skeleton fell before Rhode.


    Sereck stood up, relieved. With his strength, defeating a Giant Skeleton wasn''t too difficult, but to kill it within the time limit was another story. If he was at Legendary, perhaps he would be able to disintegrate the Giant Skeleton with one wave of his sword.


    Done!


    Rhode confirmed its death when he received his EXP points. He once again appreciated the usefulness of the system prompt. As long as he had this, it was almost impossible for an enemy to fake its death before him. But he had no time to celebrate as...


    Boom...boom boom...boom!


    At that moment, a deep drumming sound came from afar and broke the silence.


    War drums!?


    Rhode was shocked.


    He was really shocked.


    What is Anne doing?! That wasn''t in his plan!!


    Many believed that duels could only be held between knights because they naturally associated them with honor and glory; but in fact, not only knights had those traits.


    Because there was a class that could rival their prestige!


    The Shield Warrior!


    Swords and shields were always opposite each other, like how offense and defense were eternal nemeses.


    The war drum was a signal that a Shield Warrior would declare when they requested a duel with a knight. Rhode remembered that he had seen a battle record a long time ago in the game. It was a brilliant battle between a large country and a small country. The former had a sizable cavalry while the latter had no horses and no weaponry. Out of desperation, the weaker country built a barricade layer after layer to buy time for their final confrontation. They had no weapons, but at least they could use this barricade to slow the invaders down.


    The two armies finally collided; the larger country''s army was spirited and overconfident as their heavy armor shook the battlefield. And as for the weaker country? They hid behind their construct, trembling in fear as they waited for the calvary to clash with their defenses.


    Pale-faced and frightened, no one believed that they would survive.


    But suddenly, out of nowhere, a drum sound echoed.


    Boom, boom boom...


    The low and deep sound reverberated around the battlefield, penetrating into the hearts of the frightened men. Those fearful souls who heard this sound suddenly felt calm and began to knock their shields according to the beat of the war drums. As time passed, they beat increasingly louder... and soon, without them realizing, their expressions turned from fear to confidence.


    That fateful day, when the resounding beat of the war drum reached its peak, was the first time the invincible calvary felt overwhelmed. It was as though the tiny blockade in front of them transformed into a towering bulwark.


    After that battle, the Shield Warrior became a selectable class in the game. The war drum became an iconic trait of the Shield Warrior and, at the same time, also the knight''s humiliation.


    There was no offense they could not stop once they displayed their shield on the battlefield! No matter if it was a Mage or a powerful Ranger, they could only rely on the sturdy fortress, aka the Shield Warrior, to defend their front.


    Buuuut... no offense that could be stopped...eh? Right now it had completely turned into a joke.


    Ever since then, the knights and the Shield Warriors had become eternal nemeses. The knights thought that Shield Warriors were wrongfully dishonoring them �� and that was precisely why the Shield Warriors felt gleeful as they had broken the legend of the ''Undefeatable Knights.''


    To put it nicely, the war drum behaved like a sort of taunt towards the knights as well as an indication of a duel.


    But in the game, the inhabitants took it as...


    "Hey you, knight brat. Your shield grandpa is here. Come and see if your huge toothpick can break through grandpa''s shield?"


    It''s an intolerable insult to any knight.


    Thus, when Rhode heard the drum war, he was surprised!


    What was Anne trying to do? That was a direct declaration of war! He clearly instructed her to hold her ground against the Death Knight, but right now she was actually provoking him...


    Damn it!


    Rhode quickly gave Celia an order by telepathy. Then he quickly turned around to face the others.


    "Kudla, lead your group to the exit immediately. Follow the direction I''ve told you previously. Move!"


    He then shifted his gaze to Lize, beckoning her with his hand.


    "Lize, come with me!"


    Rhode no longer wasted any more time and threw out a black card. Soon, a centaur appeared out of thin air, causing the mercenaries to gasp in surprise as Rhode had never shown his summoning ability along the way.


    Rhode ignore them as he had more important matters to attend to right now. In a swift motion, he mounted the centaur and pulled Lize behind him. Fortunately, the Centaur Knight''s back was broad enough for two of them. Then, he patted the centaur''s shoulder and signaled it to move at full speed.


    Sereck, who was by the side, was equally surprised. He didn''t ask anything unnecessary and followed Rhode closely behind.


    "Mr. Rhode, what happened?"


    Lize asked with a hint of anxiety in her voice. She had never been in such close contact with Rhode. Her rational mind told her that Rhode wasn''t trying to take advantage of her and that probably something dire had happened, but she couldn''t help but turn red slightly.


    "That fool...!!"


    Rhode didn''t answer her. Instead, he frowned and creased his brows.


    By doing so, Anne would undoubtedly attract the Death Knight''s attention, but it was equivalent to a death wish. She could just pester him with regular attacks... and that would be more than sufficient... so why would she make this kind of decision?!


    A Shield Warrior''s honor?


    Rhode refused to think that Anne would care about that. It was just that her personality was far too skewed for him to believe that she would care for something such as honor or pride. But why would she make this move?


    Since this was her first official mission after entering the mercenary group, Rhode didn''t think that she would regard Starlight as her home yet. Perhaps if she was a senior member of the group, then maybe he could understand why she would make this move.


    This was completely irrational!


    Though mercenaries acted on orders, they weren''t soldiers. A soldier''s primary objective was to follow orders; even it meant their death. But mercenaries weren''t the same. They could choose not to follow orders based on their thinking!


    After a short while on the centaur''s back, Rhode finally saw what was happening.


    Anne clenched her teeth; her usual smile had disappeared, replaced with a serious expression. She was holding up her golden shield that was embedded with Rock Heart. Needless to say, Rock Heart was handy for absorbing damage.


    In front of her, the Death Knight held his lance while glaring at the center of the shield. Countless sparks scattered around as he threw lunges at the shield one after another.


    Celia, who had already arrived, didn''t choose to attack. Instead, she floated in the air as she watched the battle.


    "F*ck it!"


    Rhode cursed. Of course he knew what Anne was trying to do. It was the most frightening skill of a Shield Warrior ������ Reverse Block!


    To put it simply, when a Shield Warrior used the skill, he or she would spin around and entangle with the enemy''s weapon, forcing them to fight one-on-one. If the enemy wanted to withdraw their weapon, they would be pushed forward and sucked towards the front of the shield.


    That was how she could maintain her aggro with the Death Knight. According to the players, it was a skill used to mock others, and it was also a skill where it was extremely difficult to break out from.


    It was a skill that defies the law of physics. Rhode also didn''t understand how it worked, but every class was afraid of getting entangled with this move. Once this move was used, the battle would only end when either one fell.


    That was why Celia didn''t make a move. Though the Death Knight was being thoroughly engaged and wasn''t vigilant of its surroundings, she could indeed inflict heavy damage on it if she attacked right now. But her attack might also affect Anne who was concentrating on her opponent. If she lost concentration, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    "W-wha��"


    Lize was stunned when she saw them fight. It was as if time had stopped; the way they were still moving was eccentric. She really didn''t know what to say.


    "Lize."


    At that moment, Rhode spoke with a gloomy face.


    "I will count later. When my count reaches ''one,'' you must cast barrier on Anne and heal her at the same time."


    "Yes, I understand."


    Lize nervously clenched her fist and bit her lip.


    After speaking to Lize, Rhode took out his sword and narrowed his eyes, focusing on the Death Knight''s most vulnerable location. Rhode knew that both of them were competing in endurance and concentration. With the Death Knight''s perception, he should be able to notice him. If he lost his focus, Anne''s winning chance would be higher. After all, having someone stare at your most vulnerable part wasn''t a pleasant thing.


    Meanwhile, Sereck finally arrived. He looked at what was happening and was equally dumbstruck. But soon, the Swordmaster immediately calmed down. He held his sword and began to study the Death Knight carefully. Apparently, he has the same idea as Rhode.


    Kudla and the others continued to run out from the valley. When he looked at the battle, his expression also changed. Still, he didn''t stop running. Instead, he made a hand gesture and signaled his subordinates to lead the Clerics to run to the other side quickly. According to Rhode, as long as they get out from that area, that they would leave the border and Silent Plateau.


    But time was something they lacked.


    Rhode''s expression darkened. He could see that Anne''s hand was trembling and her face was drenched sweat. She could no longer keep up anymore. It was no surprise though��after all, her opponent was a Death Knight! If it was any other ordinary Shield Warrior, perhaps he or she would''ve already been sent to heaven. But Anne was able to hold for so long before showing signs of losing; it was already considered to be quite good!


    Unfortunately, no matter how well she did in the process, she still eventually lost.


    Right now, Rhode wasn''t thinking about how to win. He was thinking about the current biggest problem, which was how to protect Anne''s life!


    Clang!! Suddenly, the frozen time finally returned to normal.


    The shield on Anne''s hand was flung aside, and the very next moment, a sharp lance lunged towards her body at frightening speeds.

 Chapter 96 Anne Georgia’s Transformation

    The moment the Death Knight sent the shield flying, Rhode, Sereck, and Celia had already made their move.


    The trio had plenty of fighting experience. They wouldn''t wait for Anne to lose before beginning their attack. In fact, they had already approximately estimated how long she could hold before losing.


    They dashed towards the Death Knight in different directions, aiming their weapons towards its weak spots.


    Facing three opponents at the same time wasn''t something easy even for the Death Knight. However, as an undead, he had a natural home ground advantage which he unhesitatingly utilized.


    Darian''s right hand held out his lance to the front, and at the same time, he waved his left hand and blocked Celia''s attack. As for the other two, Darian ignored them, giving both a chance to slash his shoulder and abdomen.


    Celia''s attack was naturally imbued with the Holy Element; Darian turned his head and noticed that a silver flame was burning on his left arm. However, he easily shook it off and threw the residue sparks towards Rhode and Sereck.


    The both of them intended to take advantage of this moment and critically injure the Death Knight, but they couldn''t help retreat when the Death Knight counterattacked.


    That was the most troublesome part of the undead; they didn''t feel pain. If Darian were a living creature, even if he didn''t die, he would have at least became disabled. But to a Death Knight, an attack of this caliber was only enough to leave scars on his body.


    While the Death Knight repelled the three attackers, at the same time, his right arm thrust his lance towards Anne as if it was a different entity altogether.


    The sharp tip shot through the air and lunged towards Anne''s body. A golden barrier appeared before her, but it only lasted less than two seconds before shattering apart.


    A silver light silently passed through her body.


    "Anne!!"


    Lize almost fainted when she saw Anne impaled by the lance. Anne curled her body while her legs began to fall to the ground as though she had no strength left to stand.


    However...


    "Hmm...?"


    The Death Knight narrowed his eyes and glanced towards the fallen Shield Warrior. That was the first time he lost focus to look at a living creature that was apparently supposed to be dying.


    The next moment, a dazzling bright light shot up into the sky, penetrating through the layers of dark clouds.


    Anne wasn''t kneeling on the ground.


    Instead, both of her hands were grabbing onto the tip of the lance as blood streamed down her arm and face. She lifted her head slowly and stared at the Death Knight with resolution in her eyes, even the smile that she always had was now back on her face.


    "I finally caught you."


    "What!?"


    The Death Knight tried to retrieve his lance, but he realized that it wouldn''t budge an inch. He was shocked; he even thought that the person before him wasn''t human. Even after using all his strength, he couldn''t cause her to move.


    Meanwhile, Rhode didn''t have time to admire her courage. Any slightest hesitation on his part might cause Anne''s effort to go down the drain. When the Death Knight was distracted, he activated Shadow Flash and appeared beside the undead. The bloodied sword in his hand soared through the air and slashed towards the Death Knight''s chest.


    The Death Knight sensed that this move was dangerous, so he decisively abandoned his main weapon and unsheathed a sword on his waist to parry the incoming attack.


    Clang!! Sparks flew all over the place. Faced with the immense strength of the Death Knight, Rhode was sent flying and only stopped after rolling on the ground. However, even though his attack failed, there were no panic or uneasiness in his eyes. On the contrary, he had a smirk on his face when he saw the Death Knight''s left shoulder. While he hadn''t been able to mortally wound the Death Knight, he still managed to leave quite a deep gash on it.


    "Damn you living creature! I will make you taste eternal..."


    Before the Death Knight could finish, Sereck made his move!


    After losing strength in one of its arms, the Death Knight couldn''t entirely block the next attack.


    A torrent of swords fell from the sky like lightning bolts. However, Sereck wasn''t a fool, he knew that though the Death Knight had lost a little of its strength, he still couldn''t be underestimated.


    Thus, before the rain of swords landed on the Death Knight, he condensed them into one thick bolt of lightning before thrusting it out.


    Sereck''s moves had always been flashy. These moves were highly effective on creatures that were easily prone to fear, like humans. But when facing against undead who were often resistant against fear, flashy moves were mostly meaningless. To put it simply; it was akin to showing a blind man a Van Gogh painting.


    The Death Knight reacted quickly by lifting his sword to block the lightning bolt. He could feel the feedback from resisting the attack, which meant that he successfully directed most of the damage away from his body. Then, as long as he could...


    A terrifyingly huge tear appeared on the chest of the Death Knight.


    Darian stared at his chest, and at the sword that was burning with holy flames. Then, he raised his head and looked at Sereck''s attack that he had blocked. Though it was too late, he had finally realized what happened.


    First, this cunning living creature was just a decoy.


    Second, he forgot about the angel.


    Third, he is finished...


    The silver flame on his chest suddenly burst into an inferno. The Death Knight tried to open his mouth to let out the final throes of his existence, but the fire had already engulfed most of his vocal cords.


    Darian then laid to rest for all eternity.


    The silver flame spread to the sky, even the clouds were shining brightly under its light.


    However, Lize wasn''t in the mood to watch this beautiful scene. When the Death Knight gave up his lance, Lize already ignored the danger and dashed to Anne''s side. Although she already prepared her heart, Lize still couldn''t help but hold her breath.


    Anne had already fallen to the ground. After the Death Knight gave up his weapon, she had no more strength to harass him. The thick lance left a shocking injury on her abdomen. When Lize arrived beside her, she saw Anne clenching her teeth while she pulled out the terrifying weapon that was lodged in her body.


    Puff! The lance was finally out, but it was followed by a huge wave of blood that gushed out from the wound. Anne bit her lips and reached out her trembling hand in an attempt to plug the wound.


    "Anne!! Don''t move, quickly lie down!!"


    Lize screamed when she saw Anne trying to move. She immediately cast several healing spells on her, but it somehow didn''t seem to work. One hand was pressed against her wound, while the other supported her body. Then, out of a sudden, a roar escaped from her mouth.


    From Lize''s perspective, it was only natural as the pain must be unbearable. She ignored it and continued casting healing spells on her.


    However, Anne''s body was starting to lean towards the side. It didn''t seem like she was disturbed by the pain; instead, it was as though she was desperately trying to flee.


    "Don''t...come...near��"


    Anne growled, but the intense pain made her unable to continue. Even her voice subconsciously distorted.


    "Don''t...co...he..a..Big sis...go..go aw��"


    Her right hand clenched tightly onto the dirt.


    "Go, go away, quick, qu,qui!!"


    "Anne?"


    At that moment, Lize finally realized that Anne was acting strangely. She raised her head to look, but at that moment, Anne used whatever strength she had left to push her away.


    "Get away from me!!"


    "Wuaaa!!"


    Lize, who was caught off guard didn''t stand against Anne full power. She flew quite a distance and fell to the ground.


    "That hurts��"


    Lize was in a daze. She couldn''t even figure out what was happening. Wasn''t she helping Anne to cure her wounds? Why is she here? That''s right? Anne?


    Lize quickly lifted her head. After that, what she saw caused her to be dumbstruck.


    Anne crawled on the ground, her body trembling. She didn''t know whether she was imagining things but Lize saw that Anne started to grow in size.


    It wasn''t her imagination.


    Her beautiful green pupils changed, replaced with a green slit reflected the moonlight and brought an indescribable coldness. Anne kept staring at Lize like this, then she looked up to the sky and opened her mouth.


    "Aaaa��������"


    Followed by a cry, her armor ripped apart; her face began to change, and a layer of fur grew on her naked body. After a moment, what was left of her was a three-meter-long black giant wolf!


    It stood up and looked up at the sky.


    "Woo������!!"


    The sudden howl echoed throughout the valley, giving everyone a terrible shock.

 Chapter 97 Anne Georgia’s Secre

    "Woo������!!"


    Looking at this scene, whether it was Lize who hasn��t yet stood up, or Marlene who was watching on the side, or Celia and Sereck who had just pulled out their weapon from the Death Knight dead body. Even Kudla and the others were all stunned.


    Rhode was also not an exception. He stood up and stared at the giant wolf that was wailing in the wilderness; he was shocked.


    Right at this moment, he found out Anne��s real identity.


    Half beast!


    Like an angel and human, human and elf, demon and mixed human breed, they all would produce offspring. A high-level demonic beast was also the same; they could transform into a human form to copulate with humans and give birth to the next generation. For races like the half angel, half-elf, or half demon that could be readily accepted by people, the half beast was considered to be a very rare race. Since demonic beasts and human were different, only high-level demonic beasts were able to transform into a human.


    Comparing it using the phrase from Rhode''s native country, it could be said that an animal needs to cultivate at least thousand years to able to transform into human form. High-level demonic beast were very rare and strong. Even an ordinary level 40 swordmaster like Sereck was nothing to a high-level demonic beast; it doesn''t matter if there��s ten of him, it will still be nothing. Not to mention, although they could transform into a human, their real body remained as a wild beast. Unless they lived in the human society for a long time, it basically wouldn��t choose a human as a mate. Like a house dog, no matter how good it was to its master when it is aroused, it would still look for another dog�� Hmm, but this example somehow isn''t too appropriate.


    It wasn��t like Rhode never seen a half beast. In the game, some strong warriors belong to half beast race. But beside her incredible strength, there��s nothing different about Anne. That��s why Rhode didn��t think about it, but now, what should he do?


    Staring at the giant black wolf, Rhode��s heart sank.


    "This is... really unexpected��"


    Sereck also took a deep breath and came to Rhode��s side.


    "This fellow actually hid this kind of secret. What should we do now?"


    What should we do?


    Rhode frowned but didn��t answer. He was currently thinking about his knowledge regarding half beasts to solve the situation. According to his experience, the reason Anne transformed was that she was heavily injured and could no longer maintain her human form. This also meant that she has completely lost her consciousness and only beast part of her was left.


    Then��


    Rhode shook his head, he stopped thinking and sighed.


    "Leave it to me."


    He waved his hand then walked towards the giant black wolf.


    "Mr. Rhode?"


    Seeing his action, Marlene and Lize subconsciously called out to him. Frankly, right now they were feeling rather complicated since it��s hard for them to accept that the girl that has been living with them for these few days could suddenly turn into a wolf. Although as a mage, it wasn��t like Marlene didn��t know about this kind of thing, but reading it in a book and actually witnessing it using her own eyes were totally different. Not to mention, it was someone that had been interacting with her for quite some time��


    Right now Marlene was looking at the giant black wolf, and her heart was feeling complicated. She didn��t know what Rhode was trying to do. But she knew that there is no place for a half beast in human society. Although logically speaking, they came from noble birth, whether it��s half angel, half-elf, or even half demon, they still appeared in human form and they were born that way. However, the other half of a half beast was a real demonic beast. Judging from the strength, anyone who was born half beast were stronger than other races, but maybe because of how the human mind works, they couldn��t fully accept half beasts even though they could accept other mixed races.


    Marlene has read in quite a lot of book that people who were born half beast usually live just like a human being before their identity was found out. But once their identity was exposed, they were rejected. Some of them were even caught and beaten to death or burned to death��


    What will Rhode do?


    Watching Rhode walking towards the giant black wolf, Marlene didn��t know what to say or what to do. Although the time she has spent with Anne wasn��t long, she didn��t hate Anne at all. Moreover, in the Magic Academy, there were a lot of half beast; hence, she wouldn��t feel unfamiliar or fearful towards it. However�� she didn��t know what kind of decision would Rhode make.


    She didn��t think that Rhode would kill Anne because of fear. But now, facing this giant black wolf, what will he do?


    As if aware of Rhode��s arrival, the giant black wolf stood up and stared vigilantly at him. In its glittering green eyes, there was not even the slightest friendliness.


    Ahh... this will be troublesome.


    Aware of the black wolf eyes, Rhode frowned. He was sure that Anne��s consciousness was still ��sleeping�� the Anne before him completely move based on her instinct. If he could, he didn��t want to take this risk, but Anne has risked her life to protect them, she sacrificed herself to protect all of the people here. It wasn''t something to be entirely proud of... she did not follow his command and acted on her own.


    But now��


    Rhode shook his head and didn��t say anything more.


    "Lize, cast a healing spell on me later."


    Rhode didn��t turn back and gave a strange command to Lize. After that, he walked in front of the black wolf and stretched his right hand.


    "����!"


    As if following its instinct, the black wolf opened its mouth and bit Rhode��s hand.


    This sudden change made Sereck expression turn grim, even the angel gloomily gripped the sword in her hand. Lize was shocked, she bit her lips to force herself not to scream.


    So heartless!


    Feeling the pain from his hand, Rhode clenched his teeth. He could feel the giant wolf��s sharp fang pierce through his hand. If it used more power, maybe his whole hand might even tear apart! But he didn��t back down or make any sudden movements. He was betting, betting whether Anne would think of them as the enemy or not.


    If Anne was an intelligent person, then Rhode definitely wouldn��t bet on it. This is because most smart people like to hide their feelings. Except for themselves, no one would know what were they thinking. Imagine if this kind of people lost their sanity, it isn''t strange if they dared to do anything. But Anne was different; she always lived her life by her instinct, Rhode could feel that she was genuinely fond of Lize, Marlene, and himself. So, this kind of feeling might be connected to her instinct�� It would be better if it��s like that because if not, he would just hit her until she loses her consciousness. Since no matter what, there��s no way for him to kill her.


    Because she already did so much to this mercenary group.


    Rhode endured the pain, he reached out his other hand and patted the black wolf head.


    "������!!!"


    Feeling Rhode��s movement, the black wolf roared. But soon, it narrowed its eyes and began to loosen its jaws that tightly clenched on Rhode''s hand.


    It��s working!


    Feeling the change in black wolf''s attitude, Rhode was relieved. He was still softly patting the black wolf head; then he moved his hand down to touch its face and its nose. The black wolf didn��t dodge his touch, on the contrary, it nuzzled Rhode��s fingers affectionately. Then it carefully opened its mouth and backed down. It stretched out its tongue to lick the wound on Rhode��s hand, it tilted its head and stared at him uneasily, then it slowly sat on the ground. He didn��t know whether it was trying to apologize or was afraid, but when Rhode stroke its head continuously, it satisfyingly shook its head, closed its eyes and finally fell into a deep sleep.


    Soon, the huge body shrunk down, the thick fur and tail also slowly disappeared. After a while, a naked woman appeared before Rhode, but now the wound was no longer there and she was sleeping soundly.


    "Sigh��"


    Until now, Rhode finally relieved. He put down his right hand and turned back looking at Lize who was walking towards him in a hurry.


    "Please heal me."


    After going through this unexpected accident, everyone finally relieved.


    The Death Knight had been killed and there were no undead creatures left. Only after getting out of here would it be considered a victory. The only thing that made Rhode depressed was the Death Knight��s equipment. Although the Death Knight had multiple good pieces of equipment, for example, the ��Curse Ring�� could add a poison effect or the ��Death Gaze�� that allowed the holder to possess night vision. Unfortunately, these equipment had been contaminated by evil, when Celia used her holy flame, they were already burned into ashes. Looking at the messy corpse, Rhode was simply helpless. Even so, he still tried to be optimistic and asked Marlene to clean the battlefield, hoping that her lucky hand could bring something��


    Have to say, Marlene��s hands were really lucky. It seemed a bit wrong to say it like this, but she actually found a space bag from the Death Knight armor. As a magical item, naturally, it wouldn��t get burnt by the holy flame. It��s also the only thing that Rhode obtained, as for the stuff inside, Rhode didn��t plan to open it in front of everyone, since it wasn''t too late to check it after they went back.


    After that, Rhode, Lize, and the others gathered with everyone. When they walked towards Kudla, a shadow stepped out from the crowd and blocked in front of Rhode.


    "What does that mean!"


    "The half-elf girl glared at Rhode angrily.


    "What do you mean by what does that mean?"


    Facing the girl inquiry, Rhode replied expressionlessly.


    "That woman!"


    The half-elf stretched out her hand and pointed towards Anne who was covered in a cloak while sleeping soundly behind Old Walker��s back.


    "You actually employed a mixed half beast to protect us, what are you doing! Don��t you know, that b*st*rd was very dangerous?! What if the beast inside of her attacked us, you definitely did this on purpose!"


    Upon hearing her accusations, Lize''s and Marlene''s face darkened. Behind the half-elf girl, those spirit master from the Mercenary Association also showed unhappy expression. Although they only interacted with Anne for a short time, along the way, it had been Anne who was protecting them. Although her identity as a half beast did shock them a little, but these spirit masters didn''t think that it was something that couldn''t be accepted. That was why when they heard the half-elf girl insult their savior in front of them, they were feeling miserable. Sereck and Old Walker also turned serious and looked at the half-elf girl in dissatisfaction.


    "Hey, you!"


    Even Kudla also grunted awkwardly. Not only him, but the mercenaries beside him were also the same. No matter what, Anne was their lifesaver, and having half beast in their group was their own problem. Why do you even bother to bring that up?


    "Dangerous?"


    Rhode didn��t say anything. Instead, it was Marlene who coldly snorted. At first, she didn��t want to bother with herself with these boorish mercenaries but hearing the elf girl words; she couldn��t help but become angry.


    "If it weren��t for Anne, you wouldn��t be able to walk here safely. Not only you aren��t thankful; you are even blaming us? Boorish people like you make me want to throw up."


    "You�� don��t you think that I will be afraid of you just because you��re a mage."


    Facing Marlene��s insults, the half-elf girl stood frozen but soon recovered.


    "Moreover, she didn''t really do anything; she just hid behind like a coward. What was she doing? Hmph, I think this b*st*rd just��"


    Rhode didn''t let the half-elf girl finish her sentence when he punched her in the face.


    Naturally, since she did not expect an attack, she was sent to the flying to the ground, but Rhode didn��t wait for her to say anything. Rhode followed up with a kick to her stomach causing the half-elf girl to curl up in a ball as a subconscious reflex and began to throw up. Rhode finally stopped and patted his hands emotionlessly. This made Kudla couldn��t help but feel awkward.


    "Mr. Rhode��"


    "Because she kept insulting my subordinate, I��m not happy. That��s why I wanted to hit her, but now I have hit her, I��m happy. Now we��re all even, that��s why you don��t have to apologize to me, or else I will think that I owe you something."


    Rhode interrupted Kudla. After finishing what he wanted to say, he turned around and walked towards his comrades.


    "The mission is complete. We should leave this ghostly place."


    (Author: To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) Please vote, monthly vote. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 98 Sign Of Chaos

    When they arrived in Deep Stone City once again, Kudla and his subordinates felt as if they had been cut off from the outside world for ages. When they curled up in Silent Highland''s narrow cave, no one would have thought that they would once again see this familiar scene. Some of the surviving mercenaries burst into tears, sobbing and lying on the ground.


    Kudla only dozed off for a while; then he felt frustrated and depressed. On the way back, there have been two or three subordinates that spoke with him privately; they were trying to leave the mercenary group and quit being a mercenary. It''s something often happened in a mercenary group. Mercenaries were still humans; if they were put near death situations regularly, naturally some would fear for their future. This time they were lucky because the reinforcement from Mercenary Association made it in time. But how about next time? And the next?


    It''s not surprising for them to succumb to fear. Although Kudla tried many methods to keep them, it didn''t seem to be working out anymore. What worried him was the number of mercenaries in his group. It was decreasing faster than the replenishment rate. After this incident, some people chose to leave. This meant that there were only three to four people left. Not to mention, Kudla also found out that even among them, there were some people who thought of quitting too...


    The problem before Kudla wasn''t only the lack of people in the mercenary group, but it was whether the whole team could continue to exist.


    Unfortunately, for now, he didn''t have any practical way to stop all of this.


    "Sigh..."


    Kudla sighed and lifted his head, observing Rhode and Marlene discussing something privately. Their eyes were looking towards the carriage where the half-beast girl was resting at.


    Thinking until here, Kudla could not help but glare at the half-elf girl behind him. This time, he was very clear about Rhode and his mercenary group''s ability. Although the number of members was rather limited, according to Kudla''s experience, under Rhode''s command, the power that these people had displayed could rival two fully armed mercenary group. Kudla who was dissatisfied in the beginning also begun to admire him, although he still doubted as for why Rhode had such rich experiences and such a skilled commanding ability, at least he knew that this young man was powerful.


    If it was before, he still hoped to be able to discuss with Rhode to let his defeated mercenaries join his group. But now, even that last trace of hope was shattered, because the matter regarding Anne, the atmosphere between them had been reduced to the freezing point.


    Along the way back, it was clear that Rhode was ignoring them as if they didn''t exist. That mage girl was even more terrible; she would even glare at him and his subordinates. Anyone could see that she was quite offended, even that gentle spirit master was also cold towards them. Kudla had requested to have a chat several times but was still politely rebuked.


    What made him worry the most wasn''t Rhode and his group, but rather it was Sereck and the other spirit masters from the Mercenary Association who were fairly dissatisfied towards them. One must realize that the Mercenary Association was an essential organization to them. Once blacklisted, their future days would be miserable.


    Thinking about it carefully, another reason they were trying to quit was also because of this.


    "Leader Kudla."


    When Kudla helplessly sighed, Sereck came before him with a serious expression.


    "Rhode and I will return to the Mercenary Association since the mission is completed and all of you have safely returned. Right now all of you can go back to rest, but I hope to receive the detailed report tomorrow morning, I think it won''t be difficult for you."


    "Yes, Mr. Sereck!"


    Kudla nervously replied. After hearing his reply, the swordmaster expression eased. Then he looked at the people behind Kudla and smiled wryly while shaking his head.


    "You''ve also suffered a great loss this time. Forget about it, I won''t say anything more, but Mr. Kudla, I hope you can restrain your own mercenaries. After all, we, the Mercenary Association spent a lot of effort to find someone to help you, but now the relationship between the rescued and the rescuer... made the Mercenary Association feel awkward. Frankly, Mr. Kudla, I hope to see your sincerity, I think it''s something necessary for a mercenary group."


    "Yes, Sir, I understand what you mean. I will definitely deal with this problem!"


    Kudla naturally understood that Sereck was dissatisfied and immediately made an answer. After accepting his answer, Sereck nodded satisfyingly and turned around to leave.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Rhode finished speaking with Marlene. According to the process, after they completed the mission, everyone should return to the Mercenary Association to accept the President''s rewards. But since Anne was still sleeping, Lize wanted to stay by her side. Moreover, Marlene didn''t care about a mercenary''s glory, which was why she was uninterested in the reward. For some reason, Old Walker apparently didn''t intend to go to the Mercenary Association to accept the rewards, for him, it''s better for him to take a rest.


    That was why Rhode had let them go back to recover and followed Sereck by himself.


    As for Celia, after they left the Silent Highland, Rhode withdrew her back and told the others that she left after completing the mission. It wasn''t because that the summoning spirit had a time limit, but rather it was because Rhode''s soul power wasn''t enough to sustain her manifestation permanently...


    But before they left, Marlene pulled him aside, asking him about Anne. As a mage, she knew the fate that would befall Anne after exposing her identity. Right now she was worried because once people spread her true identity, the people from Deep Stone City would ask them to expel her from the mercenary group. Marlene was quite careful about things like this.


    But Rhode didn''t think as much as Marlene, he comforted Marlene and told her that people''s opinion about half beasts wasn''t as strong as other places in border cities. Especially in Deep Stone City, as long as Anne didn''t make any trouble, no one would do something to her. Moreover, if something did happen to her, he could ask the Mercenary Association to intervene, as long as Anne wasn''t in the wrong.


    After hearing Rhode''s answer, Marlene finally calmed down, then she got into the carriage and left with the others. Without a doubt, it seemed like this girl resembled more and more like a vice leader...


    "Mr. Rhode?"


    When Rhode looked at the carriage that was getting further away, a voice sounded beside him. Rhode turned around and saw a beautiful girl standing there. She fidgeted with her hands as she raised her head and stole glances at him. After meeting Rhode''s eyes, she once again lowered her head.


    "Is there any problem?"


    Facing Rhode''s question, the girl hesitated for a moment. She trembled and backed down, then Rhode discovered a few spirit masters not far away, smiling at the girl in front of him. The girl turned around briefly, and as if she regained her strength after looking at her comrades, she turned back to Rhode and bravely lifted her head. Bits of her face was still flushing red.


    "It''s... It''s like this, that...before in the Silent Highland, you rescued us from those terrible undeads. I haven''t yet to say thank you, and it''s really rude...that...so I''m very grateful that you saved me..."


    Saying until here, the girl once again lowered her head.


    Looking at the girl who was embarrassed, Rhode couldn''t help but sigh. It seemed that it was because of the difference of life experience between them, even though they''re both spirit masters, and Lize sometimes was also weak, at least she wasn''t timid. But this girl absolutely looked like a greenhouse flower... the two of them really couldn''t be compared.


    "You don''t have to thank me."


    Rhode waved his hand.


    "I just did what I should have done. Moreover, if you want to say thanks, Anne should be the one that should accept it,"


    "I understand what you mean, Sir."


    Hearing Rhode''s reply, the girl smiled. It seemed as if she wasn''t as nervous as before.


    "I have discussed it with the others. After Anne wakes up, we will go to see her. No matter what, she had done so much for us, and all of us have to thank her for that."


    Saying until here, the girl paused for a moment before continuing to speak slightly shyly.


    "That... Mr. Rhode, regarding Ms. Anne, all of us were quite shocked, but we can assure you that we are not afraid of Ms. Anne because of this! We are spirit masters, so we must heal any type of patients, that''s why we are very clear that half beasts aren''t as terrible as the legend said. And... If you need our help in the future, please call us at any time. As long as we can be any help, we definitely won��t decline."


    The girl flushed and bowed towards Rhode, then spun around and ran back to her comrades. At this time, Sereck smiled wryly and appeared before Rhode.


    "Having good looks is great and all, but I have to tell you that the spirit masters from our Mercenary Association cannot be taken away as you wish, or else that old fellow definitely won''t let you off."


    Upon hearing Sereck joke, Rhode rolled his eyes at him, shrugged his shoulder then shook his head.


    "If it''s truly mine, then I wouldn''t let it be taken away by anyone. If it''s not mine, then even if I want it, I still won''t have it. I don''t really care about it, Mr. Sereck."


    "If those kids heard what you said it''ll definitely cause a misunderstanding. Anyway, let''s drop the nonsense, don''t we have more important things to do?"


    From the exterior, the Mercenary Association seemed to be no different from the usual.


    But when Rhode and Sereck walked into the hall, they immediately found that the atmosphere within the Association changed dramatically.


    At this moment, the lively hall was no longer crowded. Those mercenaries that sat in front of the table were no longer as energetic as usual. They were either sighing or drinking liquor. When they discovered the presence of Rhode and Sereck, they only looked up and bowed their head, seemingly lifeless.


    Rhode and Sereck glanced at each other, although they didn''t say anything, both of them could understand what they were thinking.


    The matter had become more serious.


    They wanted to get confirmation from the Old President.


    "We looked into it, but it was too late."


    Sitting behind the desk, the Old President seemed a little older than usual, the liveliness from before has disappeared.


    "Since then, I''ve sent an urgent notice to all of the mercenary groups, informing them that there was a problem and requested them to stop every mission, of course, without incurring penalties. But we were still too late. Of the 32 mercenary groups, including ''Victorious Wine,'' 21 mercenary groups had a significant reduction in members, 3 mercenary groups were dissolved. And as for the last 5 mercenary groups... there is still no news on the situation according to the members that stayed behind, but I think they''re a hopeless cause. Now in the entire Paphield area, including your Starlight mercenary group, there is only four mercenary group left that didn''t suffer any loss."


    Old President frowned and his face turned serious as he delivered the bad news.


    "According to the news report, this time... it''s a big disaster. Ever since the Deep Stone City Mercenary Association was built, until now, there had been no such situation! This really... Sigh...!!"


    Saying until here, the Old President face turned gloomy. Clearly, the situation was not good for him.


    "What''s their benefit from deliberately trying to ruin us?"


    Sereck stroked the beard on his chin, spoke and muttered.


    Rhode didn''t answer his question; he almost grasped as to why the Deep Stone City would encounter an attack from Country of Darkness. But now there''s no use saying these, it was impossible for Sereck and the Old President to believe him. He didn''t care about it though; many people thought that they could only stop the enemy as long as they could find the motive. On the other hand, Rhode knew that obstructing the enemy and finding the motive afterward wasn''t too late... Like the story in many novels, where the prisoners couldn''t be identified because there''s no motive was only an exaggeration. Of course, Rhode wasn''t interested in following along these two to add the artistry.


    "What happened to those 21 mercenary groups?"


    Rhode asked quietly.


    "Half of them united themselves to form a new mercenary group. Some of them hadn''t given up yet and planned to recruit more people. No matter what, vacancies in these 32 mercenary groups were inevitable,"


    "What will happen to these vacancies?"


    "According to the rules, we must bring forward a few names from the existing mercenary group to fill the vacancy. And the other mercenary group is also having a hard time, frankly..."


    At this time, suddenly there''s a knock on the door, interrupting the Old President. His face turned even darker, but even so, he still resisted his temper and spoke.


    "Come in."


    A young man aged around 27 years old walked in.


    He was wearing a red armor that emitted a weak magic light; it was evident that the armor price was extraordinary. A green sword and a black dagger hung around his waist. His handsome face showed a confident and proud smile. He narrowed his eyes and showed a trace of calmness.


    The young man walked in towards the three people in the room. He was surprised for a moment, but still smiled and came before the Old President before respectfully bowing and handing him a scroll on his hand.


    "Dear President, I represent the ''Jade Tears'' mercenary group. I am applying for my group, and this is our draft."


    "Oh?"


    Hearing the man''s words, the Old President took the scroll from his hand and took a look at it. He nodded before taking out the quill pen beside him to sign his name on it.


    "Yes, there''s no problem. The Mercenary Association will now officially recognize the ''Jade Tears'' regrouping. From now on, you can recover your identity as a mercenary group. I hope you can work according to mercenary rules and not doing anything that will ruin our reputation."


    "Please rest assured, Mr. President. We will try our best."


    Saying until here, the man respectfully bowed towards him, then turned around to look at Sereck with a serious expression.


    "It''s my pleasure to see Mr. Sereck. I never thought that I could see you here. If you have the time, please come to the ''Jade Tears'' mercenary group to have a look. Right now, our mercenary group is very depressed; if you could appear in front of them, I think their spirits would rejuvenate again."


    "I will consider your invitation."


    As for his words, Sereck only nodded and didn''t say anything. The man also seemed to be unaffected by it. He then turned around to look at Rhode, thinking for a moment before warmly reaching out his hand to him.


    "You must be Mr. Rhode, that rumored mercenary group leader that went to the Silent Highland to assist in the rescue operation. It''s nice to meet you, my name is..."


    "Mr. Frank Chelis."


    Rhode stood up to shake his hand. Rhode was emotionless, in contradiction with the man face that smiled warmly.


    "It is rather surprising to see the third heir of the dignified Chelis family here. Aren''t you suppose to stay in Barce, what are you doing here in Deep Stone City? I remember that your family is famous for business, since when they were interested in mercenaries?"


    Hearing that last sentence, the man expression changed!


    (Author: To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) Please vote, monthly vote. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 99 Where The Heart Belong

    Frank could swear that he had never seen this man before. Since Rhode''s physical features were very distinctive, it''s impossible for someone to forget after seeing him once. But he actually mentioned about his identity, this made his body shivered somehow.


    How did he know about my identity?


    In Chelis family, I was someone without any status.


    Even in Barce''s noble circle, only a few people knew about my name.


    So how did this young man find out?


    Although he was secretly shocked, Frank quickly recovered his smile and replied as if nothing has happened.


    "I never thought Mr. Rhode recognized a nobody like me. It is really surprising."


    "There''s nothing surprising. Barce isn''t too far from my homeland, I have seen you a few times, but it seemed that Mr. Frank has forgotten. It''s no wonder, since we have never really interacted much before, but..."


    Rhode expression was still as cold as usual, but his eyes flashed a trace of ridicule.


    "The noble circle is really small, isn''t it?"


    "Indeed it is, Mr. Rhode."


    Hearing Rhode''s words, Frank was a bit skeptical. He inquired some things about Rhode, so he knew that he came from the Eastern Plain. Although that place was indeed not too far from Chelis family in Barce, that place was well known for being isolated. Even the Munn Kingdom wasn''t familiar with that area, let alone Barce. Although the nobles from both sides have some kind of interaction, it only happened a few times. Indeed, he has seen some noble from the Eastern Plain, but... there''s no such person?


    However, at this moment Frank wasn''t only puzzled, but also a little bit anxious. He has always liked to be low key, so he was slightly in a panic. After all, Rhode didn''t hesitate to expose his identity, which made Frank very disturbed. He could even feel the suspicion from the Old President and Sereck. But now, there''s no way to escape anymore.


    So, he could only continue to maintain his bitter smile and replied.


    "I also didn''t expect it. In fact, my father told me to travel to expand my knowledge, and I have been learning swordsmanship since young because I have some talent in it, that''s why I joined a mercenary group to gain some experience. But I never expected that something like this happened recently... to maintain my mercenary group, I can''t help but doing this."


    "A noble heir wants to become a mercenary?"


    Rhode looked curiously at him.


    "Mr. Chelis won''t agree of such a thing, right? After all...."


    "I also didn''t intend to ask for my father consent. I know that you mercenaries don''t have a good impression towards nobles, but from many days of interaction with the others, I can feel that being a mercenary isn''t as bad as the rumors. I have a deep relationship with my comrades, to help them, I will even disobey my father''s order."


    "So that''s why."


    Rhode nodded, and he let go of Frank''s hand.


    "I hope you can succeed."


    "Thank you for your blessing, Mr. Rhode. I also wish your mercenary group all the best."


    Frank nodded towards Rhode. Then he turned around to leave.


    "Do you know him?"


    After the door closed, the Old President frowned and stared suspiciously at Rhode.


    "I saw him before from afar. I knew him, but he didn''t know me."


    Rhode directly replied and pretended he didn''t care, then asked.


    "But I never thought that he would come here to be a mercenary."


    "He has already been here for a year."


    The Old President said.


    "Back then when I saw that noble, at first, I didn��t want to accept him. But this fellow was such a smooth talker and smooth talking was also his strength which isn''t bad. That��s why on the mercenary assessment I recommended him to ��Jade Tears.�� I''ve heard positive news about him. In the battle with undead creatures, both the Jade Tears leader and vice leader was injured badly, right now he handles the entire mercenary group. From the looks of it, he did quite well."


    One year ago?


    So they have deliberately planned this for such a long time...


    Hmph, the Country of Light is sure playing big.


    After hearing the Old President introduction, Rhode frowned, but he no longer continued speaking. Clearly, the Old President was already spent, since many things had happened in the Association. He, as the leader, would be very busy.


    "Ok, that''s enough. Youngster, do you still have any business with me? If not then please leave, I��m tired and want to rest."


    "Wait, Mr. President. About the reward for this mission�� According to the agreement, as long as I can bring everyone back safely, you would double my reward. Now that I brought everyone back safe and sound, my subordinate was wounded in the process; you should show some sincerity, right?"


    "You...you... Sigh..."


    "As you can see, right now we have a big problem in Association. Can��t you even wait for a while? Are you in a hurry to buy a coffin or something?"


    "This is this, and that is that. Of course, I know about the Association''s situation, but it��s not an excuse for you to reject rewarding me. According to the agreement, please give the reward to me."


    "You greedy b*stard!!!"


    At that moment, the Old President��s angry roar echoed through the entire Deep Stone City.


    Anne opened her eyes.


    She stared blankly at the white ceiling and turned around to look at the window. It was already evening. The night is almost upon the city. A tiny flame burning on the candle wick gently swayed as it brought a warm and peaceful feeling to the room.


    "I��"


    Anne woke up and shook her head. The soft bed, decorated room, smell of weeds and flowers filled the air. This gave some clarity to her previously muddled mind.


    "That��s right�� I was fighting with the Death Knight, and then I��"


    Thinking about this, the healthy colors on her face drained and turned pale, as if she suddenly thought of something terrifying. She couldn��t help but shake uncontrollably.


    I-I, I... transformed...?


    ...In front of leader?


    In front of sisters?


    I really, I really did that?


    "Knock knock knock."


    The sudden knocking sound gave Anne a shock, and she subconsciously screamed.


    "Who is that?!"


    "It��s me, Lize. You finally woke up? Anne?"


    Followed by this sentence, Lize brought a hot soup and walked into the room. Looking at Anne��s face, she relieved.


    "Great! You finally woke up! How are you feeling? You''ve been unconscious for almost two days and must be very hungry. This soup was made by Uncle Walker, I think it might suit your taste."


    Having said that, Lize placed the bowl on the table. It was clear that Anne was not as energetic as usual. On the contrary, she held on tightly to the edges of the blanket to hide her body and face. Only revealing her blinking eyes that were filled with uncertainty.


    "Sis, sister�� are you not afraid?"


    "Eh?"


    Hearing Anne��s question, Lize curiously turned around to look at Anne.


    "I, I transformed, right?"


    But, Anne ignored Lize eyes completely, she only stammered and spoke in a timid voice.


    "Didn��t I transformed into that? Sister? Everyone was definitely frightened, I...I��"


    "Half beast, right?"


    Hearing those words, Anne��s shivered again. Her hands clamped harder on the sheet and lowered her head. She didn��t even dare to look at Lize. Right now, she was feeling anxious because she didn��t know what to do. It was her fault; she should have revealed it to everyone from the start. But she didn��t have the courage because the old leader told her to keep her identity a secret. The reactions of the people in her former mercenary group after she transformed was etched into her mind for eternity. Everyone displayed faces of fear and hate. Now that it happened again, how would Sister Lize, and Leader react?


    Do they no longer want me? Do they want to kick me out?


    When Anne''s thoughts began to wander off, a hand suddenly rubbed her head. Softly stroking her hair.


    "You stupid girl."


    Lize stroke her head softly as she gently smiled while looking at the girl who was trembling in fear in front of her. When facing the Death Knight, she didn��t even quiver, looking at her now, it was as if the world was coming to an end.


    "Frankly, everyone was quite shocked. But they weren''t afraid. Marlene, Rhode, and me, we all weren��t afraid. Don��t think about such nonsense anymore, you''d successfully blocked such a dangerous enemy to save us, we must even thank you, why would we be afraid of you?"


    "Sister Lize��"


    Anne lifted her head and gazed at Lize; her beautiful green eyes shone radiantly as if they could pierce through a person��s heart. Lize didn��t dodge her eyes as she looked at her with warmth. After a moment, Anne once again revealed her pure and energetic smile. She then quickly threw herself into Lize��s embrace.


    "I like you all the most!"


    "An, Anne?"


    Watching how Anne hugged her, Lize couldn��t help but smile. If Anne had a tail right now, rather than resembling a wolf, her tail would wag like she was a...


    "But, Anne, you must prepare yourself."


    "Eh?"


    Anne stopped moving when she heard Lize''s sudden change in tone.


    "You have gone against Mr. Rhode��s command. This made him very angry, on the way back he kept insisting that he wanted to punish you. That��s why you must make mental preparations; you must know that Mr. Rhode��s punishment is very scary.


    "This, this��"


    Hearing Lize��s words, Anne revealed an awkward expression. When she wanted to think of an excuse, a sound of protest emitted from her stomach.


    "Growl��"


    (Author: For monthly vote, the new book has ranked in top 6, go!~~~) (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) Please vote, monthly vote. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

 Chapter 100 How To Use The Skill Poin

    Everyone was happy when Anne woke up, and Rhode was no exception.


    However, them being happy didn''t mean that Anne wouldn''t have to suffer the consequences of her actions. Though they had successfully killed the Death Knight, Anne still disobeyed Rhode''s order. After pondering for a while, Rhode decided to punish her by locking her in a dark room for three days.


    While it might seem quite barbaric of him to do that, Rhode wasn''t going to allow disobedience to become a habit in his guild. Anne stared at him with puppy eyes hoping that he would change his decision, but Rhode wouldn''t budge an inch.


    Back in the game, players violate orders for many reasons because even if they failed and died, they could still respawn and come back for round two.


    Anne is different.


    As an NPC, once dead, it''s game over. Yes, although she did manage to do her job and held the aggro well, in the end, she was seriously injured. If it wasn''t because of her half-beast bloodline, perhaps she would''ve been already dead. Rhode would absolutely refrain from these measures unless they were left with no other choice.


    So what if everything turned out to be okay? If everybody started to do things on their own accord then what''s the point of being a leader?


    Both Lize and Old Walker tried to plead for mercy on Anne''s behalf. Even the usually stern Marlene also hoped that Rhode would rethink this matter. In the end, Rhode still held firm to his stance.


    Fortunately, Rhode gave a little slack to her. Though he forbade Anne to go out, others could still visit her so she wouldn''t be too lonely. Still, for someone with a personality like Anne, not being able to gaze at the clouds and lie back on the soft grass while enjoying the warm sun, it was quite a cruel punishment.


    After returning from Silent Plateau, Starlight entered a temporary resting period. The other mercenary groups were the same. They had received heavy casualties and thus needed to recuperate before they could begin accepting missions once more.


    But the news that garnered the most attention was Starlight jumping straight to the third position in the ranking. After successfully completing Silent Plateau, Starlight obtained a total of nine points, placing them just below Burning Blade and Dark Fang who didn''t suffer any losses from the previous mission.


    The top two mercenary groups, Burning Blade and Dark Fang, were no stranger to the mercenaries in the Paphield Region. Both were well-known strong mercenary groups who competed for the promotion to a guild.


    No one would think that instead of the two behemoths, someone else would claim victory over a mission as tough as Silent Plateau. Moreover, the mission was completed by a group of five people, which was quite a ridiculous number to challenge such a difficult mission.


    If Starlight jumped to the top position just because of this single mission, perhaps the people wouldn''t have been so shocked. After all, Starlight could have rented help and the result might not prove their true ability. But if one studied their past achievements, he or she would realize that they had been creating miracles one after another.


    Cleanup Pavel Cemetery - 3 points


    Novice mission, Collect Magical Plants - 1 point


    Rescue mission in Silent Plateau - 5 points


    Out of these three missions, two of them were related to the undead and were considered high-risk missions. However, Starlight managed to complete it twice without suffering any casualties.


    Many other mercenary groups accepted less dangerous missions compared to Starlight, but they still suffered heavy losses. Let alone completing their mission, being able to come back alive was already considered lucky enough.


    Rumors of Starlight spread like wildfire; it even suppressed the gossip over the two other famous groups. It was no surprise though. Burning Blade and Dark Fang had a long track record and had already completed a lot of missions, so they were able to maintain their position. If they''d participated in the mission, perhaps the outcome would be hard to predict.


    On the other hand, even though Starlight were few in numbers, they still took the initiative to complete the rescue mission. Thus, in the eyes of many, the felt that Starlight was stronger than the two large mercenary groups.


    But Rhode didn''t bother with these trivialities. After dealing with Anne, he locked himself in a room and began drawing something on paper. Currently, he was on an incredibly important mission �� planning how to use his Skill Points.


    Skill Points are essential to the existence of the player, even more so than EXP or equipment. This is because Skill Points could not only unlock and upgrade the Talent Tree, it could also increase the proficiency of various skills.


    Each class had three different Talent Trees, and each route required at least 35~37 Skill Points to max it out fully. But that didn''t mean that once the player was done with their Talent Tree, there would be nothing left to add. Remaining Skill Points will be used in upgrading the proficiency of various skills.


    There are three ways to increase the proficiency of skills. The most common way was to use the skill often. After using it around a hundred to a thousand times, the proficiency of that skill would increase.


    Another way was to find a skill book that was related to the skill and read it.


    The last way was to use Skill Points to increase the proficiency directly.


    Players would find the first method a waste of time. The second method was still rather time-consuming, after all, the skill book itself was a rare drop. Moreover, advanced-level skill books were almost as rare as Ancient-grade equipment. So, many players found the third method way more convenient. After leveling up, they would obtain one Skill Point which they could use it however they wished.


    How about the players who wanted to increase their proficiency with their own ability? Yes, it''s totally possible. Look at Sereck. Right now, his proficiency is at Rank A. If the player is willing to put in several years of practice for a single skill, it''s not impossible to master that skill without Skill Points. But which player on Earth would have the patience to practice a single skill for a few years?


    Yet, almost every skill required a large number a Skill Points to max. For example, if Rhode wanted to max out his Moon Shadow Swordsmanship to Rank M (the highest level), he would have to gather at least 25 Skill Points to do so. Therefore, just to level one skill to the maximum would allow the player to finish an entire route in the Talent Tree.


    This system was quite harsh towards Summoning Swordsmen as their initial skill level was one lower than the pure classes. That means that a Summoning Swordsman would need to waste one more Skill Point for every skill. It''s definitely something not worth boasting about.


    In Dragon Soul Continent Online, after the player reaches the level cap, the game would award them with 100 bonus Skill Points. Taking special quests, props, and equipment into consideration, the total number of Skill Points that an ordinary player would receive in their playthrough would amount between 200 to 300. However, Rhode had around 500 Skill Points. That was one of the reasons why he could stand at the top. The more Skill Points he had, the more skills he could enhance and therefore perform much better than other players. Whether it was back then or now, this rule didn''t change.


    When Rhode defeated the Death Knight, his level shot up to 16 because the Death Knight was a BOSS far above his level, obtaining 7 Skill Points.


    Rhode assigned five points to Soul Resonance and Integration in his Talent Tree. Then, he intended to enhance his Moon Shadow Swordsmanship and Starfall Swordsmanship which was Rank C and Rank E respectively. As for his remaining five points, he would save it for later.


    If it all goes as planned, before reaching level 100, he would have 190 Skill Points.


    But, that was still a long way to go, and what he must worry about was the problem before him right now.


    Rhode stopped moving the pen in his hand.


    If any player saw what he had written, their eyes would most likely pop out of their sockets. On the paper, Rhode drew a relationship diagram of the whole Summoning Swordsman''s Talent Tree, the number of Skill Points that Rhode needed for his current Swordsmanship, his talents, and his skills. Without a computer, he could only refer to his memories, and Rhode had perfectly displayed that information. He really lived up to his name as the Walking Library.


    What should I add?


    He focused on analyzing the data before him.


    If it were any other player who received a sudden amount of rewards, their first reaction would be to enhance all their Talents. Initially, Rhode wanted to do that too, but when he slowly pondered to himself... is there really a need to do it?


    One will have to realize that this wasn''t a game anymore. If it was still back in Dragon Soul Continent Online, Rhode could think based on a player''s mindset because it would give him an edge in PvP. However, now he had no need to do so. The people here do not know what Skill Points and proficiency were. They were not even informed about the Summoning Swordsman''s class. Since they had no idea of these things, Rhode couldn''t plan his skills by using a player mindset.


    Hmm... should I add all into one route? But it will be quite wasteful as I don''t have enough to max it out...


    Rhode didn''t consider adding Swordsmanship yet because he hadn''t unlocked the Swordsmanship that he wanted.


    So what should he do?


    First, he had to consider what he wanted to achieve. Rhode really wanted to level up fast since there wasn''t much time left. He needed to farm EXP points effectively.


    Suddenly, a spark of inspiration flashed in his eyes; he recalled something from long ago in the forums. A player was asking him about increasing the Talent of the Summoning Swordsman class. While the player did lay out a rather creative approach to adding points, but at that time, because of restrictions, he didn''t succeed. Rhode also didn''t recommend him to do it, but now, in this world, his method might be possible...


    "If he could combine the quality with the quantity..."


    Rhode leaned against his chair and closed his eyes. The Talent System appeared before him, and he focused his attention on the Talent just next to ''Summoning Master'' which was ''Soul Messenger.''


    The first level of Soul Messenger:


    [Spirit Armor (When the summoned spirit is active, it will receive protection from Spirit Armor. Increases defense stats by 10%,20%,30%)]


    [Three In One (When there is one or more summoned spirit active, the spirit attribute increase by 5%, 10%)]


    [Shadow Follower (Allow the summoner to have the same attributes as the spirit. Increases attack stats by 30%,60%,90%)]


    Alright, I''ve decided!


    Rhode took a deep breath. He opened his eyes and went through the data before him once again. Then, he calmed down and stretched out his hand to open the Talent Tree that floated in front of him. Soon, the system prompt appeared.


    [Used 1 Skill Point to unlock the Talent that had been selected ������ Soul Messenger]


    Rhode suddenly felt that his body shaking violently inside. After that, a surge of heat spread throughout his entire body.


    [Unlocked Soul Messenger first level of talent: Spirit Armor LV1 (When the summoned spirit is active, it receive protection from Spirit Armor. Increases defense attributes by 10%)]


    [Obtained skill: Spirit Armor LV1]


    [Used 1 Skill Point to level up Spirit Armor LV2 (When the summoned spirit is active, it receive protection from Spirit Armor. increases defense stats by 20%)]


    [Used 1 Skill Point to level up Spirit Armor LV3 (When the summoned spirit is active, it receive protection from Spirit Armor. increases defense stats by 30%)]


    Good!


    Rhode clenched his fist in joy. But, things didn''t stop here.


    [Unlocked Soul Messenger first level of talent: Shadow Follower LV1 (Allow the summoner to have the same attributes as the spirit. Increases attack stats by 30%,60%,90%)]


    [Obtained skill: Shadow Follower LV1 ]


    [Used 1 Skill Point to level up Shadow Follower LV2 (Allow the summoner to have the same attributes as the spirit. Increases attack stats by 60%)]


    [Used 1 Skill Point to level up Shadow Follower LV3 (Allow the summoner to have the same attributes as the spirit. Increases attack stats by 90%)]


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief when everything was done. He stood up and stared at his right hand. After that, a thought flashed through his mind, and soon a black card appeared before him.


    Swoosh!! The card on his hand was crushed and turned into a dark fog. It swirled around his finger and enveloped Rhode in a blink of an eye. Then, when Rhode opened his eyes, a strange red light glowed in his irises.


    A huge dark lance appeared on his right hand and on his left, a black card that he has never seen before appeared. At the same time, a transparent blue barrier surrounded Rhode.


    [Activate Skill: Spirit Armor LV3]


    [Activate Skill: Shadow Follower LV3]


    [Elemental protection, heavy-armor type]


    Done!


    Looking at the system prompt, Rhode pumped his fist.


    He once again upgraded himself successfully.


    At that moment, a series of footsteps could be heard from outside.


    Hearing the sound, Rhode expression changed. The dark fog and Spirit Armor were dispelled immediately. Then, Rhode sat down. Before he could clean up the scattered documents on the floor, a knock sounded at the door.


    "Come in."


    The door slowly opened, Old Walker stepped inside and glanced around the room that looked as if a typhoon had just ended. He was surprised, but didn''t say anything. He walked towards Rhode and nodded.


    "Kid, remember the things that you''ve asked me to investigate? I''ve got results."

 Chapter 101 Increase In Strength

    "Oh?"


    Rhode raised his brow.


    Then, he leaned back against the chair, crossed his hands and waited for the old ranger to speak.


    This is about the investigation of the Jade Tears mercenary group. I found out that they are expanding rather aggressively and their new leader had tried to recruit members from other mercenary groups. I would say that his offer is quite enticing, and coupled with the fact that recently many groups faced a near wipeout, those groups that were planning to dissolve agreed to merge with Jade Tears."


    "What is the current strength of their group?" Rhode asked.


    Old Walker frowned and pondered for a while before saying, "Right now, Jade Tears has roughly around 30 mercenaries. From that number, they can already be considered as a large mercenary group."


    "How about the class distribution?"


    "Almost the same as other mercenary groups. Most of them are the ordinary Swordsman, Thief, Ranger you would find in mercenary groups��ah yes, and also a few Shield Warriors. Since many of their members are survivors from the previous undead mission, many of them are quite formidable. Perhaps if they carry on like this, it wouldn''t take long for them to rise up again."


    "I see... so that''s it..."


    Rhode changed his sitting posture, his fingers against his chin, pondering silently for a while. Then he once again asked.


    "What about that second thing that I asked you to do?"


    "That... is difficult, kid."


    When Rhode mentioned this, Old Walker frowned and his expression turned ugly.


    "Honestly, some groups are rather interested in your request, but they some aren''t too enthusiastic at the same time. The ones that weren''t interested wanted to stand independently on their two feet. It''s already a miracle that they didn''t kick me out the door. I''d told you, kid. It''s only natural for people to ignore your request. You can''t even find enough manpower for your group, and you want to swallow a group that is bigger than yours?"


    "Sigh... and as for those who wanted to join you... I believe they have ulterior motives. It is already quite widely known that Jade Tears mercenary group offered a tempting sum to those who were willing to merge with them. That''s why I believe that the mercenary groups who chose us over Jade Tears have something up their sleeves."


    Though Old Walker tried to advise Rhode, his judgment was quite baseless.


    Yes, the money Rhode offered can''t be compared to Jade Tears, but in some ways, Starlight was more promising than Jade Tears. Not only did they have a genius Mage, they also had a Cleric. Not to mention that Rhode''s strength couldn''t be underestimated.


    The recent mission to Silent Plateau highlighted Rhode''s strength. At first, many people thought that Rhode relied on Sereck to complete the mission, but after Victorious Wine confirmed that Rhode was actually the head of the operation and even spearheaded the defeat of the Death Knight, many of their doubts died down.


    Moreover, there was even a rumor that Rhode had an angel under him��


    While nobles were uncommon, the people still managed to catch a glimpse of them from time to time, but they had never seen a noble with an angel as a subordinate...


    Think about this: Starlight had a strong leader and a noble status. They even had an accomplished Mage and a Cleric to heal when in times of need. This lineup would make missions a lot easier than having a bunch of melee classes fumbling around in dark dungeons.Moreover, Rhode was also close to the Mercenary Association��even Sereck admired him.


    And now that this mercenary group was actually recruiting?


    What would the people choose? Money, or connections?


    This is a matter of perspectives.


    "You don''t have to tell me about this, I know."


    Rhode shook his head then frowned. It looked like everything didn''t proceed smoothly��


    "So no one wants to talk with us?"


    "There is, but I think you won''t be interested."


    This time, Old Walker answered decisively.


    "Oh?"


    Rhode expression changed.


    "Tell me?"


    Old Walker didn''t answer immediately. Instead, he grinned and revealed a strange smile.


    "This group isn''t alien to you since you''re their lifesaver..." Old Walker said.


    "Red Hawk. It''s the Red Hawk mercenary group belonging to Shauna. I think you should know what happened to them previously in Pavel Cemetery. Many of them died, some of them quit, and now Red Hawk is left with only four people including Shauna. Seeing that there was no point, she thought of disbanding the mercenary group. That''s why I talked I talked to her and asked for a chat. It appears that she''s rather interested in negotiating with you."


    "No problem."


    Rhode nodded.


    "We can schedule the time if she wants to negotiate. Is there anyone else?"


    "Well, other mercenary groups didn''t have much to say. But some people from Mark White came to look for me and hoped that I could help them. It looks like after Anne left, Mark White had finally elected their new leader and have begun purging the opposition. I think that those people who looked for me wanted to follow Anne. I trust these people, but it might be a waste of resources."


    "How many people?"


    "A small group of four people, three males, one female. Their leader is Edward. I think it''s better to ask Anne directly since she knows them better."


    "I understand, I will ask Anne about this matter. But I still hope that you can look for some information regarding these people. At the same time, I want you to find out what is happening to Mark White mercenary group."


    "No problem, kid."


    Old Walker gladly agreed. But after that, he touched his beard and looked at Rhode curiously.


    "But kid, why do you suddenly want to recruit people at this time? Is it because of the recent situation? Also, why do you want me to keep an eye on that Jade Tears mercenary group? Did their leader piss you off or something?"


    Rhode didn''t answer immediately.


    He turned around to look outside the window before saying,


    "Mr. Walker."


    "Yes? What?"


    "When you encounter a young wild beast, will you kill it right away? Or wait for it to grow up, eat people, and then kill it? "


    "Uhh..."


    Old Walker hesitated a while before answering,


    "Of course I would finish it before it has the opportunity to grow up. Otherwise, wouldn''t it be too late if it ate people already?"


    "That''s right."


    Rhode stood up and walked to the window.


    "It''s too late to kill it after it had killed someone. What I''m trying to say is that it''s better to take preventive measures."


    "But kid, how would you know if the beast will kill people?"


    Looking at Rhode''s back, Old Walker scratched his head, thinking that this young man''s reasoning was really too strange.


    "Maybe it won''t... but it''s always better to take preventive measures."


    Rhode turned around and looked at Old Walker.


    "Mr. Walker, I need you to help me with one more thing."


    "Again?"


    Old Walker immediately rolled his eyes.


    "I say, kid. I''m a mercenary, not your attendant. Why must I always do everything! Do I have to help you change a diaper next time? I''m telling you, I''m a mercenary, not your lackey. If you have something, go ask for Lize, that girl would definitely follow you, even if you asked her to warm your bed, I believe she wouldn''t decline."


    "Help me look for people that are well-informed, neat and smart. I think that this shouldn''t be difficult for you with your connections in Deep Stone City."


    "I will give you some money, spend it as you see fit. Get that person to keep an eye on Jade Tears. I want to know what they did, and what they intend to do��especially information about their leader. They need to tidy up the information and pass it to me discreetly. Of course, I don''t need to remind you that I don''t want anyone finding out about it."


    "Hey! Kid! Did you not hear what I said?! I said that I''m not your attendant, go ask someone else!"


    "Here is 500 gold coins."


    Rhode said as he grabbed a purse and threw it on the table.


    "Spend it however you like, I won''t deduct it from your pay."


    "You..."


    Old Walker glared at Rhode. After a while, he sighed and shoved the purse into his pocket.


    "Sure, sure. I don''t know what kind of curse I possess to have a leader like you. I will help you to find these people, but if the money isn''t enough, I will ask you for it."


    "If only the money is ''not enough''."


    Old Walker didn''t intend to continue to bother him. He stood up, glared at Rhode and turned around to leave. But when Old Walker reached the door, he thought of something and quickly turned around.


    "Ah, I almost forgot. When I went to Mercenary Association, I was instructed to deliver a message. Three days later, the Mercenary Association will hold an emergency meeting. All the mercenary group leaders must participate. I have already delivered the message, don''t blame me if you forget."


    Afte saying his piece, Old Walker pulled the door and walked out.


    Rhode sat on the chair silently and stared emotionlessly at Old Walker''s figure disappearing down the hallway.


    "At least learn how to close the door, Mr. Walker."

 Chapter 102 Blasting Fuse

    Amidst the fatigue from the matters of her group, Shauna was still energetic as usual.


    "Hello, Mr. Rhode."


    Shauna greeted Rhode with a smile.


    "Frankly, I thought I was dreaming when I heard about you from Old Walker."


    "I''m also quite surprised to see you."


    Rhode nodded and replied as he shook Shauna''s hand.


    "Never thought that I would get a response from your group."


    Shauna smiled helplessly. Her emotions were slightly shaken, but she soon stabilized herself and gestured towards the three other people behind her.


    "There''s no need to introduce them. Henry, Martin and Levi... right?"


    Rhode recalled their names and briefly recited them.


    The three were surprised as they had only fought together once, yet Rhode could still remember their names.


    "You actually still remember us, Mr. Rhode."


    The Swordsman named Henry smiled and said.


    Henry was present during the battle in Pavel Cemetery. He was convinced of Rhode''s strength when he witnessed how he commanded and defeated the Necromancer. That was the reason why he actively supported this meeting.


    "Of course I remember."


    "But I think the person that left a deep impression on me isn''t here?"


    Shauna and the others smiled awkwardly as they knew who Rhode was referring to. Luckily, that matter had already been solved, otherwise, Shauna wouldn''t be able to meet Rhode at all.


    "If you are referring to Barney... you don''t have to look for him anymore because he had already left our mercenary group."


    "Oh?"


    Rhode was slightly surprised.


    "That''s quite unexpected. He left the group? Why?"


    Shauna was already prepared for this question, so she gestured Rhode to sit down and began to explain.


    "Before we met Old Walker, we received an invitation from Jade Tears. Barney was quite interested in the invitation, but the four of us weren''t keen on accepting it. Thus, we could only let him follow the path that he wants and removed him from the group."


    However, Shauna only stated half of the truth. After the battle in Pavel Cemetery, Red Hawk had received heavy casualties, so Shauna''s position as leader was inevitably shaken. Being a female mercenary already left her at a disadvantage, and now, coupled with the heavy losses under her leadership, her position began to falter.


    Shauna had planned to recuperate before initiating the recruitment process, but she didn''t expect her subordinates to betray her during the downtime. Barney made his stand blatantly obvious. He even visited Shauna privately, requesting her to pass him the position as mercenary leader.


    Barney promised that he would evolve the mercenary group, but Shauna could understand what was Barney thinking about. Naturally, she rejected his proposal, causing Barney to seeth in anger.


    Purely based on her female instincts, she quickly concluded that he intended to sell the group to Jade Tears for a large sum of money. However, after the incident in Pavel Cemetery, she felt wary of people who offered something that was too good to be true.


    Thus, after ending their relationship, Barney and his followers left Red Hawk for Jade Tears. That was why only four members remained. Of course, this made Shauna incredibly furious, but when Old Walker visited her, it was as though a bright light dispersed the dark, gloomy clouds over her.


    However, since this was a private matter, Shauna didn''t plan to bring it up during the negotiations. Rhode also wasn''t very keen on internal conflicts, so both of them quickly shifted to the main point of the negotiation.


    "Frankly speaking,"


    Rhode stretched out his hand to grab a glass of wine on the table.


    "Your strength is quite lacking... I don''t know if you can handle the upcoming battles."


    "I... understand."


    Shauna had already made mental preparations to be rejected. She knew that she couldn''t possibly compare to a Mage like Marlene in dealing damage, nor could she compare in soaking up hits like Anne.


    There were four people left in Red Hawk. Shauna and Henry were both Swordsmen, Martin was a Shield Warrior and lastly, the Barbarian, Levi.


    If they were ranked accordingly by their power level, Shauna held the first place. The other three were more or less the same. But Shauna knew that even though she might be regarded the top in her mercenary group, when faced against a group like Rhode''s, she was nothing but a small fry.


    If that was the case, what kind of jobs would he assign her group to if they merged?


    Shauna felt a little uneasy thinking about this. However, Rhode soon eased her worries.


    "I think you are aware that Starlight is still quite small. Thus, when we head out for a mission, no one would be present to guard our stronghold. This matter has been on my mind for a while, so if you''re fine with guarding the stronghold, I will welcome you with open arms."


    Shauna and the others didn''t answer hastily. They sipped a few mouthfuls of wine and pondered for a while.


    After a moment, Shauna narrowed her brows and said.


    "I really appreciate your trust, but�� isn''t that responsibility a little too heavy for us?"


    While at first glance, it might seem that guarding the stronghold was a mindless job and probably one of the least important roles among the others, but it was actually the opposite. One must realize that the stronghold was the core of any mercenary group. Only members who were trustworthy were allowed to guard the stronghold while their leader was out. Thus, Shauna''s concerns weren''t unfounded. Though she might have relations with Lize, it wasn''t a good enough reason for Rhode to fully trust them. Weren''t they afraid that they might take advantage of the situation while Rhode wasn''t in?


    But contrary to her expectations, Rhode didn''t seem to show any worry.


    "I''ve already said that we are lacking in manpower. And since you''re honest enough to remind me of such matters, I believe you wouldn''t do such a thing. Furthermore, this important responsibility will be shared with other mercenaries other than you three in the time to come. When that time comes, they will be under you. I''m sure that you''ll be able to handle them as you already have experience as a mercenary group leader.


    "..."


    Shauna wanted to speak, but she hesitated in the end.


    If she hadn''t met Rhode before, she would''ve thought that he was joking. Rhode had just offered her one of the most critical roles in a mercenary group. However, what did she do to deserve such a position? Besides, she hadn''t even joined Starlight yet!


    For a while, the red-haired female mercenary pondered deeply.


    Rhode, on the other hand, merely kept silent and waited for Shauna to decide. It wasn''t that he was oblivious to her concerns, but because of the system prompt, he had a method to observe his stronghold any time he wished. In other words, if Shauna were to do something bad, Rhode would be alerted immediately and could activate the security system to imprison everyone inside.


    Thus, he didn''t have to worry about anyone trying to destroy the stronghold from inside. Instead, he was more worried about people attacking from external sources. Although the stronghold''s defenses were difficult to breach, if someone were to attack the stronghold continuously without anyone to stop them, the situation would turn dire. It would be meaningless to activate the security system if there was no one guarding inside.


    Shauna''s Red Hawk mercenary group might not be the best option for him, but right now, it was the most feasible method.


    "I understand."


    After confirming Rhode''s offer, Shauna turned towards her remaining members and discussed the matter with a serious expression.


    Then, a while later, she turned back to Rhode and said,


    "Since Mr. Rhode displayed his trust in us, then we can''t possibly decline your benevolence. We can assure you that we will do our best to defend the stronghold!"


    Upon hearing Shauna''s reply, Rhode nodded, satisfied with her choice. Then, he stood up and shook her hand.


    "Well then, let me be the first to welcome you to Starlight."


    Once both sides reached an agreement, the remaining details were not difficult to settle. Soon, they reached a consensus on compensation and salary.


    Each month, Shauna and the other three would receive ten gold coins. While it was less than they that got previously, it was still a generous pay considering their low-risk job. On the other hand, if Shauna or any other were to neglect their duty and cause the mercenary group to suffer a loss, they would have to compensate with their personal funds. There was no objection to this clause as it was logical. Now, the final step was for Shauna to send in their letter for disbandment to the Mercenary Association and report that they were joining Starlight right after.


    When it was time to sign her name on the disbandment form, Shauna still showed signs of hesitation. After all, it had been several years since she had formed Red Hawk. She had done so to prove that she didn''t need to rely on men to be strong. She worked doubly hard to create a name for her mercenary group, but in the end, reality still slapped her in the face.


    Shauna''s hand that was holding the pen suddenly stopped moving. She lifted her head and looked at Rhode who stood beside her.


    Will this man be different from the others?


    He managed to attract Lize, so he must have something that compels others to follow him. But... what does she see in him?


    Still, thinking about this right now is pointless.


    After a while, Shauna bit her lower lip and signed her name on the paper.


    From that moment on, Red Hawk was officially disbanded.


    When Shauna exited the Mercenary Association, it can be seen that she appeared tired, but her expression was still rather calm.


    "You''re my leader now, Mr. Rhode."


    Shauna smiled wryly and patted on Rhode''s shoulder.


    "After packing up, come to my stronghold and I will show you around. You should already be aware of its location by now."


    "Of course."


    After speaking with Rhode, Shauna turned around to leave, but at that time, a familiar voice sounded nearby.


    "Big sister? Why are you here?"


    When she heard this voice, Shauna''s expression changed. Rhode also frowned and turned around.


    A young man walked towards her, wearing a brand new leather armor. His eyes widened when he saw the red-haired woman.


    "Big sister? What are you doing here? Are you taking a mission?"


    "That''s none of your business, Barney."


    The woman''s former smile disappeared and was replaced by a cold expression.


    "I-I''m only asking..."


    Barney''s mouth twitched when he heard her cold remark. Then he shifted his dissatisfaction to Rhode nearby.


    "Big sister, why are you together with this... guy?"


    "None of your business, Barney."


    Shauna repeated herself coldly.


    "You''re not part of Red Hawk now, why do you even bother? Moreover, Red Hawk is already disbanded. I''m now a member of Starlight."


    "What!?"


    Barney jumped, startled like a cat whose tail was stepped on.


    "Big sister, are you saying that you disbanded Red Hawk because you want to join this b*stard''s mercenary group? How can you do something like that?! How can you give up on Red Hawk, I..."


    "Shut up!! You are no longer a member of Red Hawk. You don''t have any rights to tell me what to do!"


    "...Have no rights?"


    Barney''s expression turned dark.


    "You always say things like that... telling me that I have no rights to do anything. Didn''t I just state the truth?! It is you who refused to hear it! Even when I was still in the mercenary group, you always shut me up by saying that I have no rights. Now that I''m not a member any longer, you still tell me that I can''t speak my mind? In fact, it is actually you who no longer have the rights to tell me what to say!"


    Barney then reached out his hand and pointed towards Rhode.


    "I will say this now. This b*stard''s dirt broke mercenary group is nothing compared to Jade Tears. Am I right, everyone?"


    "Yes!"


    "Yeah!"


    The people that had followed Barney started chiming in.


    "How can anyone want to join a trashy mercenary group like Starlight?"


    "Hey... maybe that guy used his beauty to seduce people? Look at his face, doesn''t he resemble a sissy?"


    "Hahaha! He does really look like a sissy! Perhaps he might even be a woman in disguise! Is it because that she''s too flat chested so she decided to dress as a man? Hahaha, that''s too funny. Anyway, a flat chested woman in bed is still a woman, someone like her..."


    Before that man could finish, a bright red light flashed past his head. In a fraction of a second, half of his head flew into the sky followed by his brain matter splattering all over the place. His body was still halfway maintaining a vulgar pose, but after convulsing a few times, it dropped to the floor with a thud.


    Dead silence.


    Everyone was in shock. All of them stared at the dead body in disbelief.


    "Only level 5? Hmph, even the EXP he gave is only 5. What a noob."


    Rhode spun his sword a few times and flicked away the ''dirtied blood'' on his blade. Then, he coldly curled his lips into a smirk and stared at the rest, sending chills down their spine.


    "Y-you, what are you doing!!"


    Barney finally reacted. He stopped staring at the dead body and pointed a finger angrily at Rhode. But at the same time, he subconsciously backed a few steps away from him. It wasn''t until he was reunited with the rest of his followers was he then finally relieved.


    "You dared to kill a person in public!! Do you know that he''s a member of the Jade Tears mercenary group?! Doing something like this is the same as declaring war!"


    "Killed a person?"


    Rhode glanced at the dead body and tilted his head, smiling coldly.


    "I can only see a dead dog. I don''t see any person here that you speak of... including you."


    Rhode then lowered his head slightly and stared at Barney menacingly with his one side of his lips still curled upwards.


    "For the sake of the peace and stability of this world, and as a respectful resident of this city, I have a duty to put down stray dogs that might infect others with their... contagious diseases."


    Rhode slowly walked towards Barney.


    "And as for you... perhaps you''ve forgotten the pain from before, Mr. Barney? Since my gift was so easily disregarded, do you think that I should give you something to remember me by��permanently?"


    "Ah...ah��."


    Barney''s heart thumped harder at every step Rhode took and found himself frozen in fear. Although he had more people than Rhode, he didn''t feel safe at all. From his perspective, the cold light gleaming in that man''s eyes was like a monster that could gobble him up without breaking a sweat.


    "M-m-mov..."


    His teeth chattered as though something struck his throat. It was clearly only two simple words, but he didn''t know why he was unable to say it.


    Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!


    Rhode was getting nearer and nearer. Barney could feel his previous injury that was already completely healed starting to hurt again.


    Droplets of sweat trickled down his forehead, but he was still unable to move.


    Am I going to die like this?


    Swoosh!


    Suddenly, a black shadow emerged from Rhode''s back. With a quick motion, a sharp dagger deftly shot towards Rhode''s rear.


    The moment the dagger arrived behind him, he suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind the assailant. Her hands suddenly became numb and she lost control of her dagger which fell to the ground soon after.


    Bad!


    Realizing that her attack had failed, she planned to retreat. But before she could do so, the very next second, she found herself pinned against the wall with her neck grabbed tightly.


    "That''s already the second time. Looks like there''s another one who didn''t learn their lesson."


    He glared mercilessly at the half-elf girl who struggled against the wall.


    "I didn''t think that you''d also join Jade Tears. It looks like that mercenary group is full of trash. They basically accept anything."


    "Ugh..ugh��"


    Both of her legs kicked against the wall, reaching out her hands in an attempt to pry open Rhode''s vice-like grip. On the other hand, Rhode didn''t budge an inch. Instead, he turned around and shot a glare at Barney.


    "Is she your comrade? Maybe I should start with her?"


    "S�� stop!! Let her go!"


    As though his words had woke him up, Barney suddenly had a surge of momentary courage and whipped out his sword, pointing the tip towards Rhode.


    "Quick, let her go! Otherwise, I won''t hold back!"


    "A man must learn to talk less and do more."


    Rhode smiled coldly at Barney''s ''threat.'' His fingers slowly clamped tighter on her neck, causing the girl to gasp for air. Her strength also seemed to dwindle as her legs which was previously actively kicking against the wall began turning limp.


    "Everyone! Go!!"


    Noticing that the situation was turning bad, Barney hesitated no longer. He waved his sword and gave the order to attack. Once they heard his command, the other mercenaries also took out their swords and rushed towards Rhode.


    Then, at that moment, a deep voice boomed.


    "Everyone, STOP!!!"

 Chapter 103 Acciden

    Barney and his crew were shocked by the voice and quickly put down their weapons before turning around.


    Rhode frowned, but his grip didn''t loosen the slightest.


    "What''s happening?!"


    A man who wore a stunning magic armor appeared from the crowd which gathered to see what was happening. It was Frank, the leader of Jade Tears mercenary group. When he saw that the troublemaker was Rhode, a flash of coldness shone in his eyes, but it soon disappeared.


    "Mr. Rhode, please release her. No matter what happened, what you are doing now is a provocation to my Jade Tears mercenary group."


    "What if I don''t let her go?"


    Rhode loosened his grip slightly, allowing the half-elf girl to breathe again. However, she still had no strength to move, just like a puppet under Rhode''s control.


    "If you''re smart, let her go. That would be the best outcome for the both of us."


    Both of them stared at each other intensely, unwilling to back down. The bustling crowd, who gathered to watch the commotion also began to quieten down.


    "Alright, sure."


    Rhode pondered for a while and nodded. Then, he waved his hand and threw the pitiful half-elf girl to the ground while she screamed. Soon, some Jade Tears mercenaries came to carry her to safety.


    "Leader, that guy, he��"


    "I know."


    Frank held his hand up and stopped Barney from speaking. He glared at Rhode coldly as he slowly shifted his hands to the sword by his waist.


    "Mr. Rhode, although I don''t know what actually happened here, isn''t it enough since you''ve already killed one of my men?"


    "Well, for a start, stop contradicting yourself. You just mentioned that you didn''t know what happened here, so why are you telling me that what I''ve done is too much?"


    Rhode maintained his terrifying smile. The sword in his hand gleamed in the sun with killing intent.


    "Perhaps you can give me an explanation?"


    "Sorry, I''m not interested in doing that. Moreover... I''m not done with that man over there."


    Rhode lifted his sword and pointed it towards Barney.


    "I''ve already given my word that I''m going to bequeath him a gift that he will not forget. Are you going to stand in my way, Mr. Frank?"


    "... Mr. Rhode. I hope you understand the implications of what you are doing."


    Frank''s face turned darker.


    "What you''re doing now is declaring war with Jade Tears."


    "Declaring war?"


    Hearing Frank''s response, Rhode smiled.


    "If I''m not mistaken, what you meant was... you''re attempting to wage war against Starlight?"


    Rhode lowered his voice until it was almost inaudible, but anyone who heard him felt a chill down their spine.


    "And since that''s your true intention..."


    Rhode slowly lifted the sword in his hand.


    "Then I won''t hold back!"


    Shadow Flash, activate!


    A shadow flickered, followed by a bright red sword light piercing straight towards Frank''s heart. Meanwhile, Frank also yelled and pulled out his swords to parry the attack.


    Clang... clang... clang!!


    Numerous sparks flew out each time the swords clashed. Both sides took a few steps back and stared at each other for a moment. And as if it was a planned performance, the two of them suddenly rushed forward again at the same time.


    Frank swung his swords and lunged at Rhode''s vitals. In response, Rhode spun his sword around and blocked the attack to his chest. At that moment, Frank discovered that Rhode threw something with his left hand. Three cards of different colors flew out.


    "����!!"


    In a blink of an eye, a dark fog filled the air and enveloped the two men within.


    What''s happening?!


    Frank had no time to react. A black spear suddenly appeared from within the fog and pierced at him.


    What the heck is that?!


    Frank was startled. He quickly retreated to dodge the spear, but before he could relax, a black hound covered in flames appeared from the fog, roaring and rushing towards him.


    "Damn it!!"


    Frank''s expression darkened. He crossed his swords to block the attack reaching for his chest, and when the black hound was just before him, Frank''s body split into three illusions, slashing at the black hound consecutively. The black hound was immediately split into several pieces, and at that moment, the flames within its body burst out.


    Boom!! The explosion turned the ground to glass, mercilessly sweeping out everything around it. Even the surroundings became hazy as the air filled with dust. After this, anyone who is tasked with cleaning this place would probably curse and swear.


    Meanwhile, Frank was in quite a sorry state. He rolled on the ground a distance away from the explosion; his beautiful clothes were now incredibly dirty. Even if he tried to wash it, it would probably take a long time.


    However, there was a much more imminent threat than his dirty clothes.


    A holy flame split the dust cloud apart. The angel girl turned into a flash of lightning and shot towards Frank. Her white wings shone even under the cloudy sky. No matter how much dirt landed on her, the holy flames would keep her clean and pure.


    Angel!?


    When he saw Celia, Frank''s eyes narrowed. He stared helplessly at the sword that was almost on him. Then, he stretched out his hand and held onto a beautiful pendant on his neck.


    The next moment, he crushed the pendant.


    The holy sword pierced through his body, but it didn''t cause him any harm. With the power of a magic equipment, Frank escaped from being mortally wounded and fled the danger area.


    But that didn''t mean that Rhode was done.


    The sound of hooves echoed from behind.


    Frank, who had already spent all his concentration on the angel, didn''t have time to dodge the attack that came from his rear. The Centaur Knight lifted its shield and bashed onto Frank''s face, sending him flying towards Rhode. At the same time, a red sword glowed brightly and scattered into a thousand fragments, shooting towards Frank.


    Is it the end?


    As he stared helplessly at the attack coming for him, his heart sank. He had just begun his journey, was he going to die without accomplishing anything?


    I am not willing, I am not willing!


    "Stay your hand!"


    Accompanied by an old voice, a mysterious rune barrier appeared and blocked the fragments. Rhode narrowed his eyes when he heard this voice. He flipped his hand and a card reappeared on his palm which quickly disappeared into thin air.


    A gust of wind blew away the dust.


    Everyone could finally see the scene before them.


    The street was now full of holes. Rhode stood quietly by himself, staring at Frank emotionlessly. As for Frank, he was lying unconsciously on the ground.


    An old man wearing a white robe stood beside Frank.


    Space Barrier... an inner circle Mage.


    Rhode clenched the sword on his hand.


    A big fish was finally lured out.


    "Young man, you''ve gone too far."


    The old man looked at Frank''s wound before studying Rhode. Facing his gaze, Rhode looked at him without the slightest fear.


    "I don''t think I have done anything excessive."


    Rhode said while putting down his sword. At the same time, Sereck and the Old President walked out from the crowd anxiously. Since such a big thing happened outside, there was no way they didn''t notice. It was just that Rhode moved too fast and they didn''t have the time to stop it. Seeing the situation finally eased down, the two of them quickly stood forward.


    "Stop it! Are you crazy? You actually dare to make a fuss in front of Mercenary Association''s entrance! Do you even still put mercenaries as people in your eyes!?"


    "Old man, I''m also a mercenary."


    "You�� alright enough, cut the b*llshit, I will carefully investigate what was happening here! Wait here. Before I clear up the mess, you are not allowed to go anywhere!"


    "I''m not planning to go anywhere."


    Rhode shrugged.


    "It''s just that Mr. Frank''s Jade Tears was declaring war on me. I only agreed to his request, it''s that simple, isn''t it?"


    "Don''t falsely accuse people and talk nonsense!"


    Barney heard Rhode''s voice and quickly spoke out.


    "You clearly were the one who killed our men first and now you''re trying to alter the facts? Mr. President, this b*stard..."


    "That''s right, I actually forgot something important."


    A sword flashed.


    Barney''s suddenly stopped speaking and his voice immediately turned into grief.


    "Aaaahhhhh!! My ear! My ear!!!"


    He stretched out his hand and held his left ear that was already gone. Only blood flowed out from in between the gaps of his fingers.


    "Let''s go Shauna. The show is over."


    Rhode said without even turning back. The girl was dumbstruck. Before she could react, Rhode had already left.


    Such a pity, it was a very good opportunity to kill a dangerous rebel��


    But�� the there''s always another opportunity.

 Chapter 104 The Group of Four People

    The investigation results came out in less than half a day. Not surprising though, since the whole fiasco took part in front of the Mercenary Association, and with the numerous onlookers witnessing it, they had no choice but to put in extra effort in the investigation.


    Sereck had a headache. He wanted to persuade Rhode to reconcile with Jade Tears, but he didn''t expect that the Rhode who had been relatively easy to talk to actually ignore him. He couldn''t understand why this young man''s attitude suddenly took a turn without any warning.


    Meanwhile, the Jade Tears mercenary group were unexpectedly calm. Though many mercenaries were furious, since their leader was injured and currently unconscious, they were unsure of what to do. If their leader, who was much stronger than them, still lost to Rhode, what could they do?


    As for Rhode, he was lamenting about not being able to kill Frank.


    He knew clearly what role Frank would play in the future. If he could get rid of Frank now, the Country of Light would be unable to create trouble in Deep Stone City for at least one more year.


    With that one year, he could reinforce Deep Stone City with enough measures to resist the Country of Light.


    However, Rhode''s plan failed. According to Old Walker, he only needed to rest a month to heal. Rhode felt that it was too short.


    Still, he managed to succeed in provoking the hostilities between both parties as planned...


    In fact, when Rhode realized that Frank was the leader of the Jade Tears mercenary group, he had been trying to find ways to create conflicts. In the future, he would inevitably launch an attack against Jade Tears to counter the internal invasion from the Country of Light. If he did that without reason, the opponent would definitely be suspicious of Rhode. Even though Rhode knew what the Country of Light was planning to do, he didn''t want to reveal to others just yet.


    Rhode decided that the safest way to conceal his intentions was to act hostile to Jade Tears. As the rivalry between mercenary groups was uncommon, he could disrupt their plans on purpose without being found out.


    If the Country of Light found out that Rhode somehow discovered their plans, they would use many methods to try and silence him. However, if it were only something like a dispute between mercenary groups, they wouldn''t risk exposing themselves for a mere conjecture.


    It''s just like a fight between two yakuza gangs. It''s very normal for them to fight. If one of them dispatched the CIA or FBI to help one side, then the other party would definitely become suspicious.


    The woman sitting at the top of Golden City was no fool. That was why the Country of Light had been treading lightly around her.


    Initially, Rhode was thinking hard on how to provoke Jade Tears without being it being too forced. But he had never thought that Barney would be thoughtful to deliver himself on a platter.


    After this clash, Rhode felt certain that he didn''t have to worry about the relationship turning harmonious.


    However, there was one thing that went beyond his expectations �� the attitude of the other mercenary groups.


    Normally, uninvolved groups would usually be indifferent to these kinds of fights between mercenary groups. But surprisingly, many mercenary groups revealed their support and ridiculed the Jade Tears mercenary group.


    This made Rhode a little surprised, but after thinking about it, he understood why they behaved this way.


    After all, nearly two-thirds of the thirty-two mercenary groups in Paphield received heavy losses. However, during this time, Jade Tears actually flaunted their money and poached mercenaries. It was like putting salt on one''s wound.


    If Jade Tears was like Starlight who managed to come back from Silent Plateau without any casualties successfully, perhaps their stance on the matter might be different. However, Jade Tears weren''t strong like Starlight. Moreover, they used their money to poach mercenaries which made a lot of groups unhappy.


    No matter where one went, a show-off would always be shunned.


    Many criticisms against Jade Tears floated in taverns and inns as many mercenary groups drowned their worries in liquor. They had no choice but to complain privately as the strength of Jade Tears rose quickly to a first-class mercenary group just by numbers alone while their groups were unable to recover.


    However, they didn''t think that Starlight would suddenly appear and beat up Jade Tears. This left them extremely satisfied. There was actually someone who was willing to help clean up the trash, so they didn''t mind supporting them from behind. Even though Rhode understood that verbal support had little to no significance, at least it wasn''t totally useless. It made clear to the Mercenary Association that the reputation of Jade Tears was falling. And that was more than enough for Rhode since they would take this point into account when dealing with Jade Tears in the future.


    But that wasn''t the most important matter right now.


    "Is it... here?"


    The girl looked up; her beautiful face revealed an uneasy expression. She clenched her cloak tightly, looking at the massive house before her. Beside her, a young man who was also wrapped in a cloak patted the girl''s head to comfort her.


    "Lapis, don''t worry. I believe there won''t be a problem."


    "Um...umm."


    Although she nodded her head, her expression didn''t relax the slightest. Looking at her current appearance, the young man beside her couldn''t help but smile wryly; then he glanced at his other two comrades. Clearly, they were also nervous.


    These four people were almost the same age, and they were wearing mercenary clothes. A man and a woman in front looked like a pair of siblings. The brother was carrying an old wooden longbow and five or six flying knives hanged from the belt on his waist. The green cloak wrapped around his head and body, only leaving his chin pointing out, looking very much like a Ranger''s outfit. While the girl beside him dressed just like him, she didn''t possess a Ranger vibe, unlike her brother.


    She was holding his hand looking around uneasily; she resembled more like a child who had run away from home.


    The other two behind them was a Swordsman wearing heavy armor while the other was a Thief who yawned while kneeling on the ground.


    Although each one had a different expression, they were all looking at the old mansion before them.


    These four were newcomers who wanted to join Starlight. Before, they belonged to Mark White and were also Anne''s subordinates.


    At that moment, these four people were feeling complicated.


    Mark White was their first mercenary group. Before that, they didn''t have much adventuring experience, that was why they were often excluded after joining the mercenary group. It was Anne who helped them and brought them into her clique until they gradually got used to mercenary life. Initially, they thought the days would go on just like this, but they were taken by surprise by the old leader sudden death and what happened afterward. The fight for leadership also made Anne distressed and confused, making them worry about her. But as newcomers, they didn''t have the authority to speak their views openly; they could only slowly see how the group eventually abandoned Anne.


    Later, once the dispute ended, the newly appointed leader began cleaning up the former leader''s forces and transferred them into other mercenary groups. This included the four standing by the door right now.


    Eventually, they found Old Walker through an acquaintance. Since they couldn''t stay at Mark White any longer, they decided to move in with Anne.


    However, they still unsure what would happen to them once they joined Starlight. They investigated some matters regarding Starlight and while most of them were good, such issues such as killing the Jade Tears mercenary made them feel slightly uneasy. What if their new leader was cruel and tyrannical?


    But since they had no choice after being kicked out of Mark White, and also out of concern for Anne, they could only leave it up to fate.


    When the four of them arrived at the entrance, a red-haired mercenary walked forward. She looked at the four of them with a stern expression, her right hand was holding a sword, blocking their way.


    "Who are you guys? What are you doing at Starlight''s stronghold?"


    "Erm...."


    Shauna was only older than them by a few years, but since she had the demeanor of a former mercenary leader, the authority in her voice was still there. Not to mention that the people that appeared before her were newbies who at most had only a year of experience.


    Discovering Shauna''s sharp gaze, the girl who was wearing a cloak quickly hid behind her brother''s back. Her brother coughed lightly and lifted his head up.


    "Sorry, miss, but we are��"


    "Aren''t you Shauna, the leader of Red Hawk!?"


    Before he could finish, the Ranger suddenly exclaimed with shock in her voice when she saw at Shauna.


    "You guys are��"


    Shauna looked at them curiously and asked.


    "We are Anne''s former subordinates. We came here to��"


    "Ahh... so it''s you guys."


    Shauna nodded her head after confirming their identities. She put down her hand which was resting on her sword and turned around towards the mansion.


    "Follow me."


    Under Shauna''s lead, the four of them entered the mansion and the interior of the mansion before them caused them to gasp in surprise.


    The reason why Rhode''s mercenary group was famous because their stronghold was formerly Cyril''s Haunted House. As the name suggested, the house was famous for being ''haunted.''


    This was why the four thought that the house would be old and eerie. But what they saw blew their expectations away. Instead of cobwebs and broken furniture, what they saw were clean courtyards and comfy sofas. While it can''t be said to be overly luxurious, at least it was tidy. No one would believe that this place was the famous legendary haunted house.


    "Ms. Shauna."


    Looking at the red-haired girl figure, the Ranger hesitated for a moment but still chose to ask.


    "Why... are you in Starlight?"


    "Because Red Hawk has already been disbanded."


    Shauna shrugged while answering the Ranger''s question. Although she answered it casually, there was still a trace of helplessness. After all, it was a mercenary group that she put her blood, sweat, and tears into it. Now that it was gone, of course she felt unwilling.


    The four of them caught the slight helplessness in her voice, so they stopped asking. The girl also secretly glared at her own brother; clearly, she was blaming her brother for what he should say and what he shouldn''t say. After being glared by his sister, the Ranger could only shake his head. In the end, he still decided to bite the bullet and change the topic.


    "Ms. Shauna. What kind of person is Starlight''s leader?"


    Shauna stopped walking. The other four who were following behind her also stopped in their tracks. They stared at the red-haired girl curiously, waiting for her to speak. After a moment, Shauna turned around, but contrary to what they expected. She was actually smiling! What does that mean?


    "Umm�� describing Mr. Rhode is hard. That''s because even I haven''t interacted with him for long. But I have one advice for all of you."


    "Please speak."


    The four of them quickly became nervous.


    "Firstly, Mr. Rhode is almost the same age as us. But definitely don''t look down on him, he''s very capable... Also, please note that he rarely smiles, and one more thing, don''t mention anything about his face in front of him�� This is very important��the importance is tied to the existence of your life."


    "..."


    The four of them couldn''t help but gulp in nervousness. Even the smile on the Thief''s face gradually disappeared.


    "Does the leader look scary?"


    The girl who kept hiding behind her brother''s back couldn''t help but ask. It seemed like whether young or old, a female always cared about appearance.


    "It''s not like that."


    Shauna smiled wryly and waved her hand. After thinking for a while, she still didn''t know how to explain it to everyone.


    "Anyway�� I hope that you guys remember this, he is a man. Don''t be mistaken by his looks."


    After saying her piece, Shauna opened the door.


    "Please come in. Mr. Rhode is waiting."

 Chapter 105 Another Surprise

    Rhode looked at the four mercenaries standing nervously in front of him. Although Old Walker did remind him that they were newbies, he didn''t expect them to be that nervous.


    "Hel, Hello, Mr.��Rhode."


    The Ranger finally understood why Shauna reminded them that Rhode was a man. Honestly, if Shauna didn''t inform him beforehand, it would be difficult for him not to call Rhode a ''beautiful young miss.''


    Once he did that, it would be the end of him.


    "Welcome, Anne informed me about the four of you."


    Rhode nodded towards them as a greeting.


    The Ranger stood straight and began to introduce themselves.


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode. We are Ms. Anne''s subordinates. I am Randolf Cary, and this is my sister Lapis, we''re both Rangers. The one who is wearing heavy armor is Andon, and the one beside him is Joey, although he looks like that�� he''s a trustworthy thief."


    "I know."


    Rhode said after Randolf introduced the others.


    "Anne''s testimony of the four of you is quite high, but I still need to witness your performance personally. I''m going to conduct a trial for the four of you; as long you can pass, I will permit you to fight alongside the rest of us in the frontlines. However, if you are unable to pass, I will assign you to some other task. Alright, you can prepare as and when you wish from now."


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode."


    Randolf finally felt relieved. Rhode was just as expressionless as Shauna had said, but at least his tone wasn''t cold.


    "Mr. Rhode, is Ms. Anne here? It''s been so long since we saw her��"


    Randolf asked curiously.


    "Anne?"


    Rhode went silent for a while, then he nodded.


    "I can bring you guys to see her. But you must understand that she''s in the middle of a punishment, so she can''t go outside."


    Punishment?


    They glanced at each other nervously.


    What kind of punishment did Anne get?


    Why did she get punished?


    It wasn''t difficult to imagine why she was punished. Back in Mark White, Anne was often penalized because spoke her mind and always did things at her own leisure. Therefore she often caused trouble in the group, but all of these were small matters since the old leader could cover up for her. However, once the old leader died, the trouble she caused went out of hand and was often punished for it.


    Randolf thought that perhaps Anne would behave better in a newer environment, but it seemed like that was not the case...


    What did Anne do to make Rhode angry?


    Is she okay?


    At that moment, these kinds of thoughts crossed their mind.


    All of them were worried about Anne''s situation. They imagined her being imprisoned in a cold and dark underground cellar. If she was treated like that, how could they possibly stay in this mercenary group in peace?


    But they were left dumbstruck when Rhode opened the door.


    Both of her hands were tucked in as she sat on the edge of the bed, bored. When she heard the door open saw Rhode, the girl immediately bounced up and ran towards Rhode.


    "Ah, leader, you finally came! Is it time for me to go out now???"


    Randolf and the others stared at the girl with their mouths wide open. If she had a tail right now, there''s no doubt that it would be wagging intensely.


    Still, Rhode seemed unaffected by her natural charm. He pointed at the clock and said, almost emotionlessly.


    "No, 12 pm tonight."


    Eh, that''s... punishment?


    "Anyway, your friends came to see you."


    Rhode lightly caressed Anne''s head and pointed to the people behind him. Anne popped her head to the left and saw the four mercenaries behind Rhode staring blankly at her.


    "Ah, Randolf, Lapis, you guys finally came!"


    "Sister Anne!"


    Lapis who was hiding behind her brother''s back rushed and hugged Anne. Anne rubbed her head and smiled just like Rhode before.


    "Lapis is still a scaredy cat like always~ You cannot continue to be like that, okay? You are a mercenary now! If you''re not brave enough, you''ll be laughed at by others!"


    "I-I''m not scared! I''m just nervous!"


    The girl quickly raised her head and tried to defend herself, but her face still flushed red.


    "Ms. Anne, I''m happy to meet you once again."


    Randolf and the other two also walked towards Anne and greeted her.


    As for Rhode, he had already made himself scarce. Clearly, he was giving them privacy for their reunion.


    "Randolf, Andon, Joey. You guys look like you''re doing well."


    Looking at the three of them, Anne laughed and said. But then her tone suddenly turned serious.


    "But, in Starlight, don''t call me Ms. Anne anymore. I''m just an ordinary mercenary here, so just directly call my name in the future. You must remember that this mercenary group belongs to Mr. Rhode. Don''t get it wrong now, okay?! Otherwise, I''ll get really mad!"


    The four of them was mildly surprised because Anne rarely got serious.


    "Of course, Mi�� no, Anne."


    "Ah, Sister Anne, what actually did you do to get punished? Did that person bully you?"


    Lapis raised her head and asked curiously.


    "It''s not that serious..."


    Anne''s expression turned awkward when she heard Lapis'' question. The four of them looked at her strangely. They had followed Anne for a year, so it could be said that they understood her relatively well. Even when dealing with the old leader, when Anne was at fault, she rarely acknowledges it. However, she was actually hesitating now!


    "It''s just that... I didn''t follow my leader''s command in our previous mission. That''s why leader is furious and told me to reflect on my mistake. I don''t understand what exactly he wants, but that was what I was told to do. Hmph! Leader is too strict!"


    Looking at the girl who sat on the bed twitching her mouth dissatisfyingly, the four looked at each other and smiled wryly. They never knew that Anne had this side of her. She had always been so unafraid of everything. What did Rhode do to cause Anne to turn so docile?


    Since they couldn''t find the answer to this question, they proceeded to the training field in the courtyard, with Lize leading them, of course. In the beginning, they viewed Rhode as tyrannical and powerful, but now they saw him as friendly and mysterious. They were relieved when they found out that Rhode was rather caring towards his subordinates.


    When they reached the training field, they saw Rhode and Marlene standing next to each other.


    "That''s the four?"


    Marlene frowned, evidently dissatisfied with their bearing.


    "Frankly, they don''t look like they can fight well."


    "It''s okay as long as they have the potential."


    Rhode shook his head.


    "With our current situation, it is impossible for us to hire people with powerful abilities. Since we lack manpower, they will have to suffice. Moreover, it''s not like they''re totally powerless; with training, I think that these guys still can make it."


    After saying that, Rhode walked towards the four of them. In their eyes, Rhode saw hesitation, uneasiness, and expectation. It made him reminiscence of the game days when he brought newbies on a mission just after forming Starlight. At this moment, these four mercenaries somehow resembled those players.


    Well, since it''s like that, he would just test them using the same way.


    "The test is simple. As long as you can injure my summoned spirit, it means you win. You can do whatever you want; I just want to see your real strength."


    Rhode said as he took a step backward. Then, a black card appeared on his palm.


    Without waiting for them to react, a huge Centaur Knight rose from the fog. It lowered its head and gazed at everyone with its bloodshot red eyes before roaring menacingly.


    What is that? Where did it come from?


    They were shocked at the sudden appearance of a monster. But before they could say anything, Rhode snapped his fingers and spoke.


    "The test begins now."


    "������!!!"


    The Centaur Knight roared. It lifted the spear on its hand high and swung it in a downward arc.


    "Not good!"


    Randolf quickly rolled to the ground to dodge the Centaur''s vertical attack. Then he promptly equipped the bow from his back and drew an arrow, aiming towards the Centaur Knight.


    "Everyone, prepare for battle formation, Lapis!"


    "Yes, brother!!"


    Lapis who was hiding behind stretched out her hand to take an object from her body and threw it forward.


    "Eh?"


    Both Rhode and Marlene raised their brows at the same time. They saw her throw two small glass bottles with a translucent liquid inside. When the bottles hit the floor, it broke into many tiny fragments and the liquid inside blended together. Then, out of a sudden, the liquid that seemed harmless turned into a sharp blade made out of ice and shot forward!


    At that moment, Marlene who was standing by the side spoke with surprise in her voice.


    "Ice Potion?"


    "Elemental Fusion�� It''s alchemy."


    Rhode said.


    He, too, was looking at that girl in surprise.


    Did he unknowingly pick up a treasure again?

 Chapter 106 Fake?

    The ice didn''t hinder the Centaur Knight''s movements at all; it merely raised its shield and blocked the shards.


    Facing the Centaur Knight''s unstoppable charge, the heavily-armored Swordsman was also forced back.


    But the moment he turned around retreated a few steps back, his fate was already decided.


    The heavily-armored Swordsman lifted his sword, intending to counterattack. Suddenly, a towering shadow loomed over him. When he looked over his shoulders, he saw the Centaur Knight''s huge body just a few centimeters away from his face!


    Sh*t!!


    That was the last thing he could remember saying before his mind was sent into a whirl. The Centaur Knight smashed its shield into his chest and sent him flying, landing on the ground a few moments later. All he could do now was moan in agony while clutching his stomach.


    He was out of the battle.


    "Andon!"


    The Ranger who was about to attack apparently didn''t expect that his comrade to fall in one hit. As a result, he panicked and released an arrow towards the Centaur Knight before quickly backing off. Their original plan was to let the Swordsman hold the Centaur Knight''s attention while the other three would find opportunities to attack. Alas, the plan hadn''t lasted ten seconds before it shattered. The Ranger wasn''t ready for such a drastic change in the plan at its initial stages, so he could only back off and think of other options.


    At that moment, the Thief who had been concealing himself also made his move.


    If he knew that Andon would fail so miserably, he would''ve hesitated and retreated like the Ranger. But it was too late as, by the time he attacked, Andon had already been knocked out. In a blink of an eye, his outcome was decided.


    An intense wave of pain swept through the Thief''s body. The Centaur Knight kicked backward using its two hind legs, stamping two black hoof prints on his chest. After that, the Thief was no different from the Swordsman and was left groaning on the ground.


    If the Centaur Knight hadn''t held back its strength, perhaps his ribcage would already have been shattered.


    With two down, the Centaur Knight now shifted his attention to Randolf and rushed towards him.


    "Lapis!"


    Randolf quickly pulled his bow and yelled. He shot another arrow towards the Centaur Knight''s chest, but its armor deflected it easily. The girl who Randolf shouted at recovered from her shock and grabbed another flask before throwing it onto the ground in front of Randolf.


    On the surface, nothing seemed to have changed. But when the Centaur Knight galloped near Randolf, its huge body halted abruptly and tilted forward. Because of the inertia, the Centaur Knight ended in an awkward position; its two front hooves were stuck in the ground as though it was made out of mud. It began struggling wildly, but its legs sunk deeper into the ground the more it tried to move.


    "That is indeed Elemental Fusion."


    Marlene said as she propped her chin with her fingers. She stared at the girl curiously with a glimmer of delight.


    "That''s strange... since she has already learned about Elemental Fusion, why would she use such elementary spells?"


    When Rhode caught Marlene talking to herself, he chose to stay silent. He was also paying close attention to the girl named Lapis. As for the matter Marlene was thinking about, Rhode naturally knew her doubts.


    Typically, when someone manages to reach the level of Elemental Fusion, it means that his or her ability is comparable to that of a full-fledged Alchemist. Alchemists were able to produce magic items and cast low-tier spells via concoction, but Lapis hadn''t shown any magic instruments nor used any low-tier spells. All she did was imitate apprentice-level spells. Although her spells were passable, other than in training, there was no point for her to store these spells in flasks as they could be learned easily.


    The purpose of alchemy was to make complicated things easier, but all Lapis was doing was making it more complicated.


    As for the level of this alchemy, not only could Marlene passively ignore it, it could also be blocked by Lize''s barrier. Rather than wasting time to concoct the spells into a flask, wasn''t it better to use her Ranger skills?


    When the two of them were still trying to figure out her intentions, the battle had already been decided.


    Although they took the Centaur Knight by surprise, Randolf still didn''t manage to win. When the Centaur Knight realized that it couldn''t leave the trap, it hurled its spear at Randolf when he least expected it. As Randolf was in the midst of nocking his arrow, he didn''t manage to react in time and was the third person to be sent flying.


    Lapis, being the last one standing, knew that her brother was in a difficult position. She once again tried to attack the enemy by using alchemy, but her performance made Rhode and Marlene sigh at the same time.


    The Centaur Knight caught sight of her movements and tossed its shield towards her. With an ear-piercing screech, the shield shot past her head. Lapis immediately lost her courage and squatted down with her hands on above her head. Apparently, she forgot what she was supposed to do.


    A group of newbies.


    From the beginning to the end, it took no less than thirty seconds for the Centaur Knight to wipe the floor with them. Rhode shook his head in disappointment. Frankly, this standard was even worse than the newbie players.


    Ask them to go on a mission with him with this standard?


    Impossible.


    Rhode then recalled his summoned spirit.


    From Rhode''s gloomy expression, the four of them knew that their performance was unsatisfactory.


    "To be honest... your performance is far below my requirements."


    Rhode didn''t coat his words in sugar. This caused their already de-spirited expressions to turn even worse. However, they knew that what Rhode said was a fact.


    "But, I will give you another chance. In the following days, I will teach you how to improving using your own strength. If you can successfully improve, you may have the opportunity to become a formal member of my mercenary group. But if you fail, then I''m sorry..."


    Rhode spread out his palms.


    "You can only be servants here."


    The four of them were shocked and lifted their heads to look at Rhode. Randolf opened his mouth, but no words came out from it. They weren''t supposed to be treated like this, still, Randolf could tell that their performance was truly substandard.


    In the past, they could still get away with their level of skill because Anne was there as the backbone of the team. But now, she had left, and they found themselves unable to function properly as a team when faced with a strong opponent.


    Can they still be considered mercenaries?


    While Randolf sunk deep into thought, Rhode''s voice brought him back to reality.


    "Your answer?"


    "Yes, Sir!"


    Randolf quickly stood up and lifted his head.


    "We assure you that we will comply with your request."


    "I hope so."


    Randolf''s answer didn''t assure Rhode at all.


    Luckily Shauna had warned them about Rhode''s lack of emotions otherwise Randolf would think that he didn''t care at all. But Rhode''s attitude still left him somewhat frustrated. Perhaps they wouldn''t be this uneasy in his presence if he could at least give a smile,


    "But I have one more question regarding Lapis."


    Hearing this, Randolf immediately tensed. Lapis was still holding onto her brother''s sleeve, carefully watching the young man who was only older than him by a few years. Although Rhode was aware that both of them were nervous, he didn''t plan to stop and continued to speak.


    "I can see that she''s at the level of Elemental Fusion. But why didn''t she use magic instruments? It wouldn''t be difficult for her to concoct low-tier spells. What''s the purpose for spending effort crafting elementary spells?"


    "Yes...umm"


    Randolf''s expression eased up a little after understanding Rhode''s intentions. It wasn''t a strange question as Mark White had asked them the exact same thing during their recruitment.


    "Lapis isn''t very talented. She likes alchemy and had been always able to comprehend every theory since young, but somehow, she hit a bottleneck and was unable to improve since. Yes, she has the ability to perform Elemental Fusion, but she can''t concoct higher-tier potions..."


    "Wait."


    Rhode face turned strange and stopped Randolf from continuing. By the side, Marlene expression also turned weird.


    "You mean that... she can comprehend every subject in alchemy? From mysterious creations, potions to construction? All of it?"


    "Y..Yes, Sir."


    This time, Lapis answered personally, albeit timidly.


    "I, when I learned alchemy, I thought that every alchemy subject must be studied together, so I..."


    "..."


    Rhode and Marlene glanced at each other, speechless. They finally understood why she did that.


    Just like a person who studied foreign languages, they would usually study one language at the time. But for Lapis, she chose to it learn all at once. That was why her performance and ability differed so much. Elemental Fusion was indeed the basics of alchemy, but more than often people would only excel in one division of it. If she majored in mysterious creation, her Elemental Fusion would be to create magic instruments. If she majored in potion-making, her Elemental Fusion would be concocting potions. And if she majored in construction, her Elemental Fusion would be used as a core to enhance magical constructs.


    Different divisions had different outcomes, but this greedy girl wanted to eat everything all together.


    Maybe this is the so-called saying that ignorant people have no fear.


    But what struck Rhode and Marlene speechless was her ability to learn all three divisions. Typically, an ordinary person could only dedicate their entire life to one division. Even if they were greedy and wanted to learn one more, they had no time.


    Even the superhumanly player couldn''t escape from this limitation. When a player chose a division, it would consume 1 Skill Point. If they wanted to unlock another division, they would need to use 5 Skill Points. These Skill Points could directly level a single division to 6. Therefore, using so many Skill Points to do something like this was just plain wasteful. Moreover, every division had a different set of skills and knowledge requirements. Even the most bored player who wanted to become the king of alchemy couldn''t do it without dedicating around five years to it.


    At least from what Rhode remembered, from his many years of playing Dragon Soul Continent Online, he had never seen someone who was successful in learning all three divisions in alchemy.


    But now there was actually a weird person before him that managed to do so, at least in the theory part.


    Is she a genius or not?


    At that moment, Rhode felt utterly helpless. He had the urge to pat her shoulder and give her this advice:


    Kid... that''s enough. Just... delete your character and replay.

 Chapter 107 Mercenary Joint Meeting

    Of course, Rhode was kidding. There isn''t a way for her to delete her character since this world isn''t a game.


    Rhode and Marlene pitied her. She had the talent, but she didn''t have a proper tutor to guide her the way to study alchemy. Perhaps if she had, she would be one of the next alchemy geniuses on the continent.


    But Rhode didn''t plan to give on up her just like that. Since Lapis had already joined Starlight, he could still try and salvage what he could. Although Lapis did what no player could do, it wasn''t all that surprising as NPCs had different characteristics from players. Rhode turned towards Marlene and looked at her. Just like that young genius mage beside him who excelled in ''all forms of magic.''


    "It''s impossible, Mr. Rhode."


    Marlene said, as though she read Rhode''s mind.


    "While I did learn how to concoct potions, I''m not too sure about the other two divisions. Even if you want me to teach her, I can''t teach something I don''t know."


    After all, being a genius doesn''t mean that she''s omnipotent.


    "Just give it a try."


    Rhode understood Marlene''s difficulties as his class had a similar problem. One of the skill requirements for the Summoning Swordsman class was also mysterious creation.


    Marlene had a look of bewilderment on her face; her usual confidence was nowhere to be seen. Rhode knew that he shouldn''t force things to progress quickly so he didn''t require her to complete the task if she couldn''t. It''s just that he didn''t have anyone else who had more knowledge of magic than her, thus he could only give it a try.


    After hiring the four of them, Rhode told Old Walker to halt the recruitment.


    With the addition of Shauna, Randolf, Lapis and the others, Starlight had met the minimum requirements of 12 members. It took some time, but Rhode finally did it.


    Although there were no geniuses among the new recruits, Rhode didn''t worry about it. These mercenaries were still young and had enough time to train. Rhode was once the leader of a massive guild, so he had plenty of experience in developing newbies. As long as he had enough time, he was certain that he could bring them up to a similar standard to that of a regular player. While he couldn''t guarantee that he could train them up to a level similar to Marlene, at least they would be self-sufficient when going for missions.


    Now that''s settled, Rhode still had one more thing to do.


    Attending the Mercenary Association Joint Meeting.


    When Rhode arrived at the Mercenary Association, it was already dusk.


    "Hello, Mr. Rhode."


    The mercenary who was responsible for greeting the guests promptly paid his respect to Rhode and politely ushered him inside. When he entered the hall, he found that the Mercenary Association looked different than the usual.


    The tables and chairs the mercenaries sat on were gone; the only traces of furniture was the 32 chairs placed in a circle at the center of the hall. Many people had already arrived, making the large hall seem somewhat crowded.


    Some were discussing something quietly while others quarreled openly. And among them, some people were unhappy, while others were coldly watching by the side.


    These people were Paphield Region''s 32 mercenary group leaders. At this moment, all of them were assembled together.


    Rhode''s arrival caused many people to stop talking as they shifted their attention to the appearance of the rising star. Ever since Starlight was formed, it was a group that didn''t shy away from controversy. From how it was created, to where its stronghold was located and to the attractive rewards from the missions they received. Moreover, the recent conflict between Starlight and Jade Tears also sparked another wave of controversy among the mercenary groups. These events put Starlight in the limelight, and the mercenary group leaders were curious about who this mysterious young man was.


    Under the attendant''s lead, Rhode finally made it to his seat and sat down. The chairs were arranged according to the rank of the mercenary group, and the Starlight mercenary group''s seat was the second to the left, which was the third-ranked seat.


    Some people were unhappy with Rhode occupying the third rank, but before they could display their dissatisfaction, the Old President slammed his hammer down and silenced the crowd.


    "Enough! Since everyone is now present, I now declare the commencement of the Mercenary Joint Meeting."


    All the leaders immediately stopped speaking and gazed at the old man in anticipation.


    This old man has such high prestige? That''s unexpected.


    Rhode sat on the chair with his arms crossed, looking at the Old President in amusement. He didn''t stare too long before glancing around to look at the other leaders since some of them might be his future allies or foes.


    Rhode was familiar with three of them, though. The person sitting in the first seat was a Swordsman who wielded a two-handed sword, ''Flame'' Hiller. He spent twenty years to bring his mercenary group to the top. He also obtained the ''Flame Spirit Blessing'' which was an artifact envied by many players.


    It was even said that the massive two-handed blade on his back was made out of pure fire elemental condensation. Once the blade touches something, its temperature would shoot up to the point of melting anything around it.


    Contrary to the fiery sword that appeared tyrannical, its master, ''Flame'' Hiller, was a calm and brave man. Hiller''s luck wasn''t that good. During the past two decades, he upgraded his mercenary group to a guild several times, but they quickly relegated back into a mercenary group in the very same year. Still, though Burning Blade couldn''t be compared to a mercenary guild, among the mercenary groups, it''s still first in its class.


    Sitting next to Hiller was ''Shadow'' Shawn, the leader of the second-ranked ''Dark Fang.'' He wore a white mask with a black cloak covering his entire body. It was rumored that he used to be a Rogue in one of the northern countries, but because of a mistake, he fled to Deep Stone City and took refuge there. Compared to orthodox mercenary groups like Burning Blade, Dark Fang was more of a society for Thieves and Assassins. The way they trained was based on subterfuge and hidden weapons. This made the mercenary group popular among dexterity-based classes like Rangers and Thieves.


    However, Shawn didn''t seem interested in promoting his mercenary group into a guild. He led Dark Fang for many years, and each year he consistently held the second rank, but never the first. Because of this, Dark Fang being referred to as the ''Eternal No.2'' was an open secret. But after some time, this nickname of theirs faded away.


    Just next to Rhode was the leader of Anne''s former mercenary group, Mark White. He stared at Rhode with open animosity as Starlight had overtaken their position as third. Moreover, Rhode had ''bought over'' some former Mark White members. Although it was a fair trade, the presence of their ex-members still made them feel slightly uncomfortable.


    Just when Rhode stopped studying the appearances of all the leaders, the Old President also completed his boring opening speech. After that, he coughed and tapped the hammer on his hand.


    "As you all should know, the recent incidents have caused considerable damage to all mercenary groups in Paphield. This meeting is to decide what happens next. Now, I''m going to announce the final decision determined by the Mercenary Association as we''ve discussed earlier."


    Many mercenary group leaders were surprised. Even the leader of Burning Blade frowned. If the Mercenary Association made the final decision, the mercenary groups wouldn''t be able to defy it unless they wanted to go rogue.


    "The Mercenary Association has decided that because of the complexity of this incident, we will postpone the assessment to ensure that every mercenary group has enough time to rebuild. During this period, the Association will not release any missions and also forbid any mercenary groups to receive missions in private. If you violate this rule and undertake a mission, the Mercenary Association will not be liable for your loss and will not compensate you in any way."


    Once the Old President finished, the quiet hall turned rowdy. Then, a man suddenly jumped up from his chair and yelled.


    "I object!!"

 Chapter 108 Opposition

    Everyone looked towards the voice in surprise. Even Rhode felt curious and opened his eyes to see who dared to oppose the Mercenary Association''s decision.


    Many people thought that it was Jade Tears because they took advantage of the situation to ''steal'' people from other groups. However, the one who opposed the decision was actually the mercenary group ranked second from the last, Mad Dog.


    What are they trying to do?


    Many mercenary groups glared at them silently.


    Mad Dog was also one of the mercenary groups which suffered heavy casualties from the recent incident. They shouldn''t be opposing this decision. If the Mercenary Association decided to amend its decision, weak mercenary groups like Mad Dog would suffer even more. So why did they oppose it?


    "Hmph."


    Shawn, who sat beside Rhode, snorted in disdain. The voice that reverberated from behind the mask was deep and cold.


    Hiller''s eyes were closed and didn''t react, giving people the impression that he didn''t care.


    As for Rhode, he suspected that something was fishy. He turned and glanced at the representative for Jade Tears who wasn''t sitting too far from him.


    Frank was still unconscious and bedridden for a month and a half, so he wasn''t able to attend the meeting. Instead, they sent the vice-leader to represent Jade Tears. Rhode was no stranger to this man. Back in the game, both Frank and his vice-leader were like accomplices in action and Rhode often met both of them together. It was a pity that he wasn''t there when Frank challenged Rhode though; if he could kill either one of them, it can be considered a victory for Rhode.


    Hmm, then what about now?


    Rhode rolled his eyes and began to think of how to get rid of him openly in this meeting��


    The vice-leader of Jade Tears sat on his seat with a blank expression on his face as if nothing concerned him at all. However, Rhode knew that Jade Tears had something to do with this.


    Everyone knew that Jade Tears was loaded with money. Mad Dog mercenary group was clearly bribed. It wasn''t surprising though since mercenaries needed money to live and wealth was the foundation of their existence. This was especially so for lower-ranked mercenary groups who had no history, no pride, and no dignity. As long the money was enough, they could crawl on their knees and lick the shoes of their ''benefactor.''


    Perhaps Jade Tears had gotten a whiff of the Mercenary Association''s decision from their hidden sources and paid some low-ranked mercenary group to become their ''spokesperson.'' For those groups, regardless whether the Mercenary Association made this decision or not, they were unlikely to get any benefit from it.


    Let''s take Mad Dog''s situation for example. Their rank was currently at the second from the last, even if the meeting didn''t happen, they couldn''t escape from being dissolved sooner or later. Rather than wait for the inevitable, wasn''t it better to receive money before disbanding?


    This scheme was indeed quite clever since Jade Tears figured out that they weren''t welcome in the mercenary group''s circle. Even so, they knew that they couldn''t publically oppose the decision made by the Mercenary Association as that would give everyone another reason to hate them. Moreover, not only would they receive the hate, the Mercenary Association wouldn''t change their decision.


    Now, with the ''help'' of other groups, Jade Tears successfully created an internal conflict within the circle of mercenary groups.


    Just as Rhode had predicted, when Mad Dog''s leader stood up to oppose, another three mercenary group leaders stood up simultaneously. And of course, they were all from the lower ranks.


    "We also disagree with Mercenary Association''s decision."


    "That''s right; it''s too unfair! Too unreasonable!"


    Inevitably, these words would spark arguments from the other side.


    "What the heck are you saying? Is there something wrong with your brain? You only have a few people in your group yet you want to resume the missions? Bullsh*t!!"


    "We just want to protect the Mercenary Association''s tradition! Ever since the beginning, there had never been a point in time where we stopped giving out missions. Indeed, this time we''re unlucky, but it''s a problem we have to overcome ourselves. Isn''t this situation due to our incompetence? Look at Starlight; they had lacked in members when they first registered as a mercenary group, but look at them now! If we are going to follow the rules strictly, shouldn''t Starlight need to wait for enough people before calculating the points?"


    Once Starlight was mentioned, the crowd''s rage immediately diminished. Many took the chance to turn towards Rhode, waiting for his reaction.


    F*ck those Jade Tears scum, I knew those b*stards were up to something.


    Rhode snorted deep down inside his heart. He understood that Jade Tears was trying to drag him out. If they couldn''t press him using force, they would use underhanded tactics such as this to enact revenge.


    "Kid, don''t you have anything to say?"


    The Old President said sternly. Rhode guessed that the old man must be grinning over his misfortune under that cold expression. He must be feeling so very happy now that he might even live until a hundred years old.


    But Rhode didn''t plan to satisfy that old man''s desires.


    "Nothing much. It''s just as Mr.IdontKnowHisName said," Rhode shrugged and answered with a distinct mocking tone.


    "We are indeed strong, but we are still part of the Mercenary Association so we will thoroughly comply with the Mercenary Association''s decision."


    Everyone''s expression eased a little when they heard Rhode''s words. Although Jade Tears was the largest suspect who also benefited the most from this situation, it was all just conjecture and without evidence. It was completely different from Starlight which didn''t have enough members but still succeeded in pulling off many incredible feats. Before the incident, they had already completed dangerous missions one after another. So if the Mercenary Association didn''t give all the mercenary groups a break, won''t Starlight dominate the entire scene?


    Now that Rhode had shown that Starlight was willing to comply with the Mercenary Association''s decision, that meant that Starlight wouldn''t be able to complete any high points mission the next month which could be said to be unfavorable to them. However, this made the other mercenary leaders look upon them more positively as they understood that Rhode wasn''t going to use this opportunity to beat them while they were in recovery mode, which was more than enough for them.


    (ED: Evidence has shown that he''d already beat most of them even if they were in full strength, please.)


    Everyone now turned to the two men seated in the higher ranked seat.


    Despite the Mercenary Association holding full authority and prestige over mercenary leaders, it didn''t mean that every mercenary leader must follow their decision. Sometimes, to protect their own group, mercenary leaders would oppose the decision made by the Mercenary Association. According to the regulation, the only ones who had the right to reject the Mercenary Association''s decision were the three highest ranked mercenary group leaders!


    Rhode had declared his stance. Then what about Burning Blade and Dark Fang?


    Hiller finally opened his eyes. While looking at Rhode, he said.


    "Burning Blade agrees with the Mercenary Association''s decision."


    As for Shawn, he was as quiet as usual. But from his slight nod, it seems like this man also agreed to the Mercenary Association''s decision.


    Since the three highest ranked mercenary leaders didn''t have any objection, naturally the lower ranked ones also didn''t have any complaints. Only those guys who were bribed tried their best to protest but to no avail. In the end, the Old President swung his hammer down to end all the objections and delivered the final verdict.


    "For thirty days starting from tomorrow, the Mercenary Association will henceforth stop issuing any missions. Until the verdict is lifted, all mercenary groups are strictly prohibited from taking any private commissions. If anyone violates this regulation, their points will be promptly deducted."


    Although most have expected this outcome, what the Old President said afterward gave them a shock.


    "Also from now on, each mercenary group member must be a registered resident in the Paphield Region and must have experience of more than a year. After the month ends, the Mercenary Association will inspect each mercenary group. If anyone is found violating this rule, that person will be evicted from the mercenary group immediately."


    Many mercenary group leaders glanced at each other. They were confused about the meaning behind this bizarre regulation. To put it simply, the Mercenary Association will only allow citizens of the Paphield Region to join mercenary groups.


    (ED: Welp, I think there''s an error here. Rhode would be expelled from Starlight if that were the case.)


    Before, the Mercenary Association didn''t interfere with this kind of thing as long as the member was already registered in the Mercenary Association. However, the Mercenary Association in Deep Stone City actually came up with this bizarre rule. Why would they do that?


    Rhode understood why. It seemed like Sereck and the Old President have realized the graveness of this matter.


    After announcing their verdict, the Old President no longer cared about anyone protesting regarding this point. Then the Old President brought up the next agenda.


    "Subsequently, we, the Mercenary Association, will make a resolution regarding the conflict between Jade Tears and Starlight a few days ago."


    Everyone started murmuring to each other after hearing these words.

 Chapter 109 Fight Until The End!

    It looks like everyone was eager to gossip judging by their expressions. It seems as though they cared about this problem more than the life and death of their mercenary group.


    The man who was emotionlessly sitting on the chair immediately shot an exciting look at the Old President.


    On the opposite side, Rhode rested on his chair lazily. Looking at his relaxed expression, it seemed that he didn''t even put the Old President in his eyes.


    That stinky kid!


    The Old President almost verbally blurted out his displeasure. He thought that Rhode would at least care for the matters relating to his mercenary group and wanted to wipe off that placid look on his beautifully emotionless face. But on the contrary, it made him angry instead.


    Hmph. There''s still plenty of time for us to settle this later, kid!


    The Old President glared fiercely at Rhode, but he suppressed his anger and continued his speech.


    "According to our investigations, we have enough evidence to prove that Jade Tears is the instigator of the matter. However, Starlight''s leader clearly overreacted. So we have made a decision what to do with the both of them. But before I reveal the decision, I want to ask if the both of you have anything to add."


    At that moment, the man who had stayed silent from the start finally stood up.


    "The Jade Tears mercenary group can''t tolerate this act of provocation. Until the leader of Starlight is willing to apologize, there will be no peaceful resolution between the two of us."


    After those words were said, everyone felt shocked. Then, they turned their curious gazes to Rhode.


    Rhode didn''t disappoint their expectations. He opened his eyes and glanced at the man before revealing a gentle smile. From the others'' perspective, however, this smile gave them a chill as though they''ve dipped in freezing water.


    "I will pay back any grudges ten times fold. Anyone who insults me will get punished accordingly. For a group that collects trash as members should be regarded as trash instead of being allowed to attend this meeting."


    The atmosphere immediately tensed.


    Everyone looked at each other. They didn''t expect that Jade Tears would be so daring in front of the Mercenary Association. Rhode was also being unyielding and he even blatantly said that he intended to destroy Jade Tears. This meant that both mercenary groups have declared war against each other.


    The crowd finally realized that matter had become big!


    There''re plenty of mercenary groups who didn''t get along with each other, but if they lost their lives because of disputes like these with no clear reason or benefit, it''s just not worth it.


    However, Jade Tear''s leader had been left bedridden by Rhode. Surely they wouldn''t accept their leader being beaten up and their group being ridiculed because of their bribes? If they chose to bow their heads now, wouldn''t they become a laughingstock in the future? By that time, even if Rhode didn''t do anything, Jade Tears would probably be too embarrassed to stay here.


    What Rhode had did made everyone feel a little scared. Yes, he was insulted, and as a man, they empathized him. However, even if he got angry, he shouldn''t kill an entire group just because of anger, right? That''s tyranny!


    If it were anyone else who claimed what Rhode had said, everyone would only think that they were merely venting their anger. But recalling Starlight''s recent achievements, Rhode defeated them in front of the Mercenary Association''s entrance. So it does indeed show that he had the strength to back his words.


    What should they do?


    Although the times they lived in weren''t lawless, ordinary laws did not apply to mercenaries. If a mercenary killed an ordinary citizen, they would be dealt with the law, but if a mercenary killed another mercenary, the decision would be left to the Mercenary Association to decide.


    However, its effectiveness was hard to say. Of course, if what both parties had done were too much, the Mercenary Association could also give a punishment similar to life imprisonment, or even capital punishment. But such a situation was rare.


    And this time, both of their positions were rather special.


    Rhode and Frank were nobles, except one of them was from the Eastern Plains, Munn Kingdom, and the other one was a noble from Barce Dominion, Country of Light. It can be said that this fight wasn''t only a collision between two mercenary groups, it may even rise to fight between noble and noble, or even turn into an ''international issue'' between the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Light!


    Everyone waited for the Mercenary Association''s decision.


    No matter what decision they made, it definitely would benefit only one side. The Mercenary Association wouldn''t be able to punish them too severely, so wouldn''t they cause trouble again soon?


    Rhode had killed someone in public, so Klautz, the Duke of Deep Stone City, already sent people to investigate the matter. If they continued to make trouble��


    Anyway, Old President and Sereck were puzzled. In their opinion, Rhode was a very stubborn individual. But this was the first time that he mercilessly attempted to kill someone. Although they suspected Jade Tears was up to something, it was only a conjecture, after all. But it seems like Rhode would kill 99 people than to let one escape.


    Old President could never tell what Rhode was thinking. However, he was sure that he was standing on the Munn Kingdom''s side. Still, his actions were sometimes inexplicable. When he met Frank for the first time, he easily exposed his identity and then actually killed someone in broad daylight without hesitation. If it wasn''t for that mysterious old man who suddenly appeared, Frank would''ve definitely have died that day.


    It wasn''t as though Jade Tears was innocent. After the incident, Old President sent out people to investigate the mysterious old man who saved Frank but couldn''t find any traces of him as if he didn''t exist at all.


    Since both Jade Tears and Starlight were acting very strangely, there must be something happening behind it!


    The Old President sighed and said.


    "According to the Mercenary Association regulations, Jade Tears mercenary group started the provocation first. Their punishment will be two points deduction and a fine of one thousand gold coins. Starlight mercenary group�� though have their reasons, �� leader Rhode still killed someone in public and gave a bad public image. Their punishment will be two points deduction and a fine of one thousand five hundred gold coins. From this moment on, both sides are strictly prohibited from resuming the conflict or similar reoccurring incidents. Otherwise, the Mercenary Association will dissolve the mercenary group!"


    Everyone was surprised.


    It seemed like the Mercenary Association gave them quite a heavy punishment.


    But, will Jade Tears and Starlight let this matter go?


    Looking at Jade Tear''s vice-leader gloomy expression and Rhode''s impassive face, even the Old President didn''t believe that this matter would end just like that.


    Both sides were silent and that made the everyone worried. The punishment handed to them wasn''t light. If a similar incident happened, they would be forced to disband and to a mercenary group, that was the worst outcome.


    They wouldn''t continue to fight�� right?


    So, the mercenary joint meeting finally ended. Everyone left with different opinions about the situation. Although many things happened during the meeting, most mercenaries were satisfied with the outcome. At least they were given enough time to recover and bolster their strength before taking on missions again. And as for those mercenary groups that didn''t receive heavy casualties, this was the best chance for them to take a rest.


    Rhode also had a similar plan.


    The 30-day prohibition didn''t only benefit other mercenary groups, but was also an excellent opportunity for Rhode to develop his ability.


    He wanted to take advantage of the time to train all the newcomers until they reached his requirements. If they were better than expected, then that would be the best outcome.


    So, after returning to the stronghold, he immediately gathered everyone and told them to prepare for training. In three days, they were going to the Twilight Forest!

 Chapter 110 The So Called Training

    Twilight Forest.


    Lize had mixed feelings about this place.


    Although they weren''t there for a mission, Lize still couldn''t relax. The forest brought back bad memories from before. Whenever she walked on the grass, she remembered the deaths of her previous leader and her comrades somewhere within the forest. It was a terrible feeling.


    It''s no surprise though since it was her first time experiencing a complete wipe. She slung her bag over her shoulders as she walked silently behind the group, her mind preoccupied with the past ordeal.


    Even Marlene, the only one who had a good relationship with Lize besides Rhode, was unable to comfort her because she was also preoccupied with something at the moment. The genius Mage was looking rather dull as she dragged her feet next to Lize. Clearly, her mind was wandering somewhere else, and the culprit that made her like this was no one else but the new Ranger Alchemist Lapis, who was not too far away from her.


    After that day, Marlene agreed to Rhode''s request and tried to teach Lapis about ''standard'' alchemy. At first, Marlene didn''t think that it would be difficult, but oh my, she was so wrong.


    Although she didn''t study mysterious creation and construction, at least she knew how to concoct potions. As long as she can teach her on that topic, it shouldn''t be much of a problem.


    However, when she discussed with Lapis about potions�� she finally realized that she wasn''t omnipotent. Even though Marlene was confident about her knowledge regarding the topic, Lapis was just too abnormal. Her knowledge regarding alchemy was far beyond ordinary people''s comprehension.


    Here''s a simpler way to describe their conversation:


    "Lapis, after we grind an apple into juice, it will still retain its rich nutrients. Then, after altering some stuff, we can create a relaxing and energetic effect��"


    "But Sister Marlene, after cutting the apple into pieces, we can also use for beauty purposes��"


    "Now, Lapis. We''re not talking about beauty. The main point is about the juice��"


    "But why can''t we use it for beauty purposes after making it into juice?"


    "��"


    That''s just how Lapis'' mind works. Marlene decided to give up after bearing with her for two days. Being the genius she was, Marlene rarely puts down her pride. But in the end, she told Rhode that she wanted to quit being her instructor. Rhode could not force Marlene to do something against her wishes, so he could only give in to her request.


    As for Lapis, Marlene wasn''t sure how her future would be. She acknowledged that Lapis'' way of thinking was unique and different from the Magic Academy''s teaching style, yet it was also Lapis'' greatest weakness.


    One must realize that alchemy knowledge had been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. It took countless Alchemists to form an effective learning system. Lapis was unable to enjoy the benefits of this learning system and had to create her own path in alchemy. If one division already took hundreds of years to master, what about all three divisions?


    Rhode felt differently; he came from the modern world, so he knew that there were many individuals with unique gifts. He read many novels where the main characters were oddballs, and yet they still succeeded in the end. Maybe Lapis was the same?


    Still, it didn''t matter even if Lapis failed. Rhode had already made preparations to let Lapis become a maid in the stronghold. At least she would be pleasing to the eye and Rhode wouldn''t have completely wasted his money he had spent on training her.


    "Sister Lize, are you okay?"


    Anne, who was as cheery as always, came to find out that Lize was in low spirits.


    Lize raised her head and smiled bitterly. Despite the scenery of Twilight Forest in spring to be beautiful, Lize was in no mood to enjoy it. She knew that she was acting strange, but she couldn''t control her emotions.


    "Nothing, it just that I''m not feeling very well."


    Lize didn''t explain further. She didn''t want to bring her past up. But�� why can''t she let it go?


    Even Lize herself didn''t know the reason why.


    "Hmm��"


    Hearing Lize''s vague answer, Anne stared at her for a while and once again revealed her energetic smile.


    "Although Anne doesn''t know what happened to sister, Anne still think it''s better for sister to be happy. Otherwise, the people who care about you will be sad too. If you''re happy, everyone will be happy too, isn''t that a lot better?"


    Anne didn''t say anything more and ran to the back in high spirits. Lize looked at the girl who skipped away with complicated feelings. She stretched out her hand to touch her face.


    "�� Those people who care about me�� will be sad too�� is that right?"


    She said to herself.


    Then she lifted her head to look at the sky through the gap between the leaves.


    Everyone arrived at the destination before the sun went down.


    The site was a clearing along the borders of Twilight Forest and Paphield. A warm and gentle breeze rustled the grass on the flat ground, giving off an aura of tranquility.


    Shauna and her subordinates quickly began to set up camp. They were extremely proficient; in a mere ten minutes, they''ve already managed to set up a decent base camp.


    Their base camp was established on a hill with a nearby creek flowing downwards into the forest on both sides. Old Walker and Randolf demonstrated their Ranger skills by setting up many traps around the base camp. Although it was supposed to be a ''leisure'' trip, it was still better to be safe than sorry.


    While they were setting up traps, they managed to catch some wild rabbits escaping from a hawk. So, it seems like they were going to have meat for their next meal.


    The whole journey was rather relaxing from their departure until now. But after indulging themselves in a delicious rabbit stew for dinner, Rhode reminded them that they weren''t here for recreation.


    "This is the training schedule."


    Rhode said while handing pieces of paper to Shauna, Randolf, and the rest. While they were reading the content, Rhode opened his mouth and continued,


    "All of you should know what this is. My first requirement of you is to master these skills. Of course, they are not difficult, and you''ve already probably heard of these skills, but my requirements are stricter."


    "Sir, this is��"


    At that moment, Randolf and the rest had just finished reading the contents of the paper. They were surprised and looked at Rhode unbelievably.


    Randolf''s eyes widened in shock. What was on the paper right now, were the various skills belonging to Rangers. The skills were arranged in a manner that was unfamiliar to him. Based on the skill''s duration and cooldown, the paper informed him what are the first skills should be used, followed by the second skill, and then the last skill. Moreover, it also showed him which combination of skills to use in different kinds of situations!


    However, if a player were to see this piece of paper, they wouldn''t be as surprised as Randolf and the rest. If they were a being a burden in the game, they would''ve opened their browser and searched on the web on ''How to get the highest DPS'' �� and what they found would be what Randolf was looking at right now.


    (ED: In MMORPG terms: Skill chaining/skill combos/skill trains or I believe more commonly known as skill rotations.)


    That was the training method Rhode had thought of.


    Previously, Rhode had asked Randolf and the rest of their learned skills. Of course, as NPCs, they won''t have any ''player abilities'' so they weren''t as strong as the players. But if he gave them a good skill rotation to use, he could still create a perfect attack plan.


    That was indeed Rhode''s purpose.


    Since these newbies can''t figure it out on their own, he should teach them step-by-step on how to use their skills efficiently. No matter how stupid they were, after reading this detailed ''skill guide,'' they should be able to improve themselves significantly.


    If they are still unable to perform well�� at that time, he would consider to let Randolf wear the maid outfit and stand in front of the entrance of the stronghold.


    Frankly speaking, in terms of battle experience, Randolf and the rest were complete newbies. But they were still mercenaries who''ve passed the assessment, so they must at least have some insight on their own skills.


    Randolf and the rest were pleasantly surprised to find that Rhode had given them such a valuable gift. One must realize that it was no easy feat to produce something such as this without years of experience, and if they aspire to reach Rhode''s level of competency, they would have to sacrifice many years of their life to gain experience.


    The difference between the experienced and the inexperienced was akin to day and night. When comparing two Swordsmen using the same skill, if one of them had years of experience while the other was a newbie, the way they used the same skill would result in a completely different outcome.


    So, now that Rhode developed a skill rotation for them that maximized their DPS, they were extremely ecstatic.


    Thus, the way that Randolf and the rest stared at Rhode somehow turned into admiration.


    How does he have the knowledge of so many skills?!

 Chapter 111 Flame of Revenge

    Inside a dark room.


    An oppressive atmosphere made everyone unable to breathe.


    "That b*stard said that?!"


    Frank clutched the bed while gritting his teeth. His formerly handsome face was now warped and distorted.


    "Yes, Sir."


    A man quietly stood beside the bed with his head bowed down.


    "Good, very good��"


    Frank gnashed his teeth and said to himself. Then, he shook his fist and slammed it onto the bed.


    "That b*stard thinks he''s something! Hmph! He''s just a low-ranked noble of a barbarian country. How dare he oppose me!"


    The man shivered as his master bellowed in anger.


    As an attendant who had followed Frank since he was young, he naturally knew of Frank''s past. In Barce, although he was the third successor of the top family, he had never received his family''s respect. Frank didn''t receive recognition because he wasn''t as outstanding as his two other brothers. His mother was frail and couldn''t even fight for her own authority in the family, so how could she possibly help her son?


    After a huge conflict between him and his family, Frank chose to leave. From then on, he swore to himself that he must succeed before going back to claim what was his. To achieve his goal, he forced himself to endure any humiliation and bitterness along the way. In the end, he managed to grasp a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and as long as he can complete his task, he will be able to return to his hometown with his head lifted high.


    When that time came, he can do whatever he wanted without worrying about his two brothers. His mother who had always been looked down upon didn''t have to suffer like a servant anymore.


    That was why he had to come to Deep Stone City and work with these mercenaries.


    Similar to most people from the Country of Light, Frank held a deep animosity towards the Munn Kingdom. In his opinion, the Munn Kingdom was full of cowards. They sold their soul just for money. These people were like a Ganon of leeches who had no future or hope. Just like the beggars on the street, they blindly followed the person who threw them the most money, pretending to be deaf, mute or whatever they needed to become to acquire wealth. Pitiful.


    However, for the sake of his future, he had no choice but to live with these spineless cowards. On the exterior, he worked hard to mingle with these people, but within the depths of his heart, Frank never felt anything else but contempt towards them. From his perspective, they were nothing more than tools that he had to use to pave the way to success.


    According to the plan, he had to acquire Jade Tears mercenary group, which he promptly did and Frank saw himself completing the task within one year as long as everything went smoothly��


    But here came someone called Rhode who suddenly appeared out nowhere and destroyed his hopes and dreams.


    Frank had never been so close to death as he had been back then. Although he had already worked as a mercenary for close to a year and encountered many dangerous situations, it was not as terrifying as his confrontation with Rhode.


    Luckily, he managed to live.


    If that person didn''t happen to be beside him, he would''ve already been a corpse.


    The thought of his death caused his body to shiver once more. However, he began to be suspicious of something.


    That man�� Rhode�� why would he want to kill me so eagerly? Is it because of the declaration of war? That can''t be right�� isn''t he overreacting?


    Doesn''t he fear the backlash he will receive from the other mercenary groups if he kills me? Or is he just batsh*t crazy?


    Still, the information that I received from Clinton tells me that he isn''t a simple person. According to Clinton, he sent his subordinates to kill Rhode, but they ended up being killed by him instead.


    Perhaps�� he found out about my mission��?


    When he thought the about the possibility of his mission being leaked, Frank couldn''t help but feel a chill down his spine.


    Does that mean that he had already figured out their plan so he decided to counterattack first?


    "What''s the situation in Deep Stone City? Is there any new information regarding Klautz?"


    "The Mercenary Association only gave that notice?"


    "Yes."


    Frank frowned after receiving his subordinate''s report. If that man discovered his plan, Deep Stone City should be making its move. Or were they waiting for him to make a mistake? On the other hand, there was also the possibility that he was overthinking it.


    In any case, the Mercenary Association''s new regulation would cause difficulty in implementing the next stage of his plan.


    What should he do?


    "Send some people to contact Wolf''s Den and report the current situation to them."


    "Yes."


    After acknowledging Frank''s command, the man straightened his body and planned to leave. But at this moment, Frank once again called him up.


    "That''s right, is there any news about Starlight?"


    "They have left Deep Stone City."


    "Eh?"


    Frank raised his brow.


    "Do you know where are they going?"


    "According to the report, they are heading for Twilight Forest. But as for what are they doing there�� I don''t know."


    "Twilight Forest? Wait, I remember��"


    A trace of joy flashed past Frank''s eyes. After that, he forced himself up and looked at his subordinates.


    "Look for Clinton and tell him that Starlight is in Twilight Forest�� and I want��"


    The last few words were almost inaudible, but the intent was clear from the malicious look on his face.


    Meanwhile, Rhode had just begun his ''Basic Training'' for Randolf and the rest.


    Rhode didn''t give them a divine book that would instantly give them cheat-like abilities, but it was still handy for them to improve their strength.


    In this era, skill training was still quite vanilla. Although they could learn techniques from the instructor, the ability to combine the skills was another issue altogether. This is because everyone''s character and fighting style were different. Thus, the way the instructor teaches also varies.


    Everyone was unique; what one would consider perfect could be insufficient to another. Due to that, people would travel far and wide to experience real battles. During that journey, they would gradually master the skill and develop their personalized fighting style. That was the main reason why adventurers must travel as fighting experience from training and life-or-death battles were entirely different.


    Perhaps after a few years Randolf and the others would master their skills and develop their fighting style, but Rhode couldn''t wait that long for them. Judging from the skill level of these guys right now, it was more likely for them to die at the start of the journey than being successful.


    The paper that he passed to Randolf and the rest were ''entry-level'' strategies that he developed with the input of millions of players.


    Although it was only ''entry-level,'' it recorded all the basics on how and when to use the skills. In Dragon Soul Continent Online, if a player wanted to play well, many veterans would tell them to look at a guidebook for beginners. If they understood the concepts and principles well, conquering most dungeons shouldn''t be an issue.


    If skills were a language, it would be considered as a word. And when combined, these words would form sentences with meaning. If one desired to turn these words into fluid sentences with excellent vocabulary, that would be the same as the challenges of using high-leveled skills.


    To put it in context, Randolf and the rest were just like children who''d just begun studying the language and were unable to spell out the words to express themselves. So, how do we teach children languages? By getting them to repeat them over and over again until they understand it of course.


    As long as they were able to learn these words, in time, they would be able to form their own sentences. As for whether they could completely utilize the meaning of the words�� it was something that Rhode hadn''t thought of it yet. Anyway, let''s just study it first!


    And then that''s where the tragedy began.


    Rhode didn''t give them an explanation on why were they doing this as they didn''t require to know the reason. As long as they could read and regurgitate the theory into action, they would naturally understand the reason later on. In Rhode''s opinion, this method of training was way better than bringing a group of newbies to enter a dungeon.


    The next morning, a strange scene was happening in Starlight''s base camp.


    Randolf lowered his body and jumped up. At the same time, he pulled his bow and aimed towards the tree in front of him. After shooting, he didn''t pause and immediately did a roll backwards. In a quick motion, his left hand nocked another arrow and pulled on the string once again.


    As for the heavily armored Swordsman, Andon kept repeating a monotonous set of movements with his sword and shield.


    Forward, retreat, swing the sword, block, turn around, swing the sword again.


    He repeated the notion again and again under the hot sun, drenching his entire forehead with sweat. Still, his eyes maintained its focus and stared at the empty space in front of him as though a dangerous enemy was waiting to strike him.


    Joey was no better. No longer had he had a relaxing smile on his face. At that moment, he was frowning as he dashed around nimbly while wielding his dagger.


    "I say, kid. Does this method really work?"


    Old Walker said with worry as he looked at the three men training and continued.


    "The actual battlefield is ever-changing. How can they expect to use these set of movements for every scenario? If the enemy didn''t fight like that, wouldn''t they be finished?"


    "I don''t care how they fight, but they must do as their told. This is my requirement."


    Old Walker almost passed out when he heard Rhode''s answer. Then he rolled his eyes and shifted his gaze away from Rhode, clearly dissatisfied with his response.


    "Ah�� that''s enough, kid. I''d like to see what you can come up with. It''ll be weird if there''s no issue with this inflexible way of fighting."


    "That''s my problem, not yours, Walker. What about the things I asked you to do previously?"


    Old Walker shot a glare at him and stood up.


    "Well, I''ve found some places fitting the requirements that you''ve mentioned. I''ve also gathered some information since those guys aren''t difficult to handle�� but do you really intend to��"


    Old Walker cut off his speech. When he saw the look in Rhode''s eyes, he already knew his answer. He shrugged and didn''t bother continuing.


    "Anyway, just take it like I didn''t say anything. But kid, Lize is in a bad mood these days, if you have the time, you should look for her. You should know morale is a big issue for every mercenary group, especially so for serious individuals like Lize��"


    Old Walker stood up and put his hand on Rhode''s shoulder before turning around to leave. He believed that he didn''t have to finish what he had to say because he understood that Rhode wasn''t the dense type of man.


    Rhode didn''t reply. He only shifted his gaze towards the base camp.


    There, three beautiful girls in the mercenary group were leisurely having fun.


    Rhode didn''t assign any tasks for the three women. After interacting with them for a while, Rhode understood the characteristics of their techniques. Lize was precise; the way she managed her cooldowns was better than players. Rhode was sure that even if the strongest Cleric player, Thousand-hand Guanyin, transmigrated to this world, she would be no better than Lize regarding this aspect.


    Marlene wasn''t as precise as Lize, but her talent for being proficient in the whole magic system was also something that could be compared to most high-leveled players. Even if Rhode wanted to assign training for her, it would be impossible. While he was familiar with Mage spells, ultimately he wasn''t a Mage, so there were things he wouldn''t completely understand.


    As a ''regular'' genius, Marlene comprehension towards a variety of combat skills was quite good. In Pavel Cemetery, Rhode didn''t have to spell out what she should do, and Marlene would understand what he wanted. She was slowly changing, and Rhode could see that.


    If Marlene was the ''academical type,'' Anne would totally be the ''practical type.'' Rhode could feel the wildness in her. Violent, unique, irregular, and unstable, but could create an unexpected result. Anne''s ability to think on the spot and react was superb. So, he didn''t think that there was much to teach her.


    As for the pitiful men who hadn''t met Rhode''s expectations, they trained hard around the base camp.


    The world out there isn''t kind. Only failure awaits if one doesn''t succeed.


    Then, Rhode stood up and walked towards the hillside.

 Chapter 112 Core Card

    The three girls noticed that Rhode was walking towards them and lifted their heads in response.


    In all honesty, they were Starlight''s trump cards because Starlight lacked experienced mercenaries and they were all beautiful females nonetheless.


    Some mercenary groups got jealous when they saw the three capable yet beautiful women. They even secretly called them prostitutes when the three were together.


    Of course, these things could only be spoken secretly; no one would dare to publically denounce Starlight when they heard news of Rhode beating up Jade Tears into such a miserable state.


    Still, it didn''t prevent them from being jealous of Starlight.


    Among the three women, Lize was the adorable type. Her white Cleric robes matched with her luscious golden hair made her look like a delicate lily. Although she was smiling right now, a trace of gloominess still hid deep within.


    Marlene was as prideful as always. She placed her hand on her knee while her white, long hair waved around as she moved. Her crimson red eyes emitted a beautiful gleam, just like a flower that grew on a mountain; hard to reach, but incredibly beautiful.


    Anne was much bolder than the lot of them. Even if someone were to scribble the word ''bold'' on their head, they still can''t possibly rival Anne in revealing her innocence to the world.


    Anne yawned as she lay flat on the grass and enjoyed the warm sunshine. Her golden hair was tied up in a ponytail, emitting a youthful and wild charm. Contrasting against Lize''s and Marlene''s conservativeness, Anne seemed to prefer to show off her figure. The armor she wore right now was tight-fitting and emphasized her slim waist. With her vivacious personality, who knew if she intentionally picked this set of revealing attire.


    Randolf and the rest were almost immune to Anne''s outfit as they were already used to it. On the other hand, Shauna''s subordinates eyes glued onto Anne. This made Shauna angry, and she scolded them for being a group of good-for-nothings that couldn''t control their inner desires.


    Honestly speaking, Shauna can be considered to be a beauty herself. While she wasn''t as striking when compared with the other three, a strong and mature woman like her did attract plenty of men.


    If Rhode were an ugly, lecherous fatty, perhaps everyone would''ve called him a lewd b*stard. But even though they knew that he recruited many beautiful women into Starlight, no one called Rhode lewd. So why was that?


    The reason was simple. It was because of his appearance! His looks weren''t far off from the rest of them. Saying that he was lewd? Wasn''t it better for him to buy a mirror to look at himself if he''d ever felt lustful?


    While many were busy with training, the three women chatted about a variety of topics�� well, actually it was only Marlene and Lize who was having a chat. At the side, Anne''s blissful facial expression revealed that she was having a pleasant dream.


    "Ah, Mr. Rhode."


    Lize quickly stood up. Marlene also smiled and nodded.


    "How do you feel?"


    Rhode asked Lize.


    "It''s slightly weird�� the last time we came to Twilight Forest was for a mission and didn''t have time to take in the scenery. This is my first time coming here without taking on any mission."


    Lize said with a smile as her gaze fell upon the sea of trees not far from her.


    "It''s really beautiful. I recall that I was so nervous that my head started to spin when I first took on a mission here. At that time, leader and the others would laugh at me��"


    Lize stopped speaking and gazed at the forest silently. She knew she shouldn''t say these things, but she couldn''t help but think of it.


    Looking at her gloomy expression, Rhode frowned. It''s not like he didn''t notice her mood, but her painful memories weren''t something that could be erased easily.


    If it was a problem in battle, Rhode might be able to think of a solution, but this was a psychological problem, and Rhode''s ability to guess what people were thinking was as good as the average person next to him.


    Lize looked fine on the outside, but deep inside there was a scar that no Cleric could heal. If a similar accident were to occur, perhaps this scar might once again open up and bring a greater injury to her mental state.


    "I will go and check on everyone."


    Lize seemed to have noticed something, so she made a faint smile and made her way to the others. Rhode stared at her leaving figure and was lost in thought.


    "Seems like that accident left a deep scar."


    Marlene, who had been quiet for a while, finally opened her mouth.


    "Indeed��"


    Rhode nodded.


    "Do you have a plan, Mr. Rhode?"


    "For now? No."


    "Since its something hard to bring up, we can only act according to circumstances. Marlene, can you inform me if anything happens to her?"


    "No problem, leave it to me, Mr. Rhode."


    Marlene had no reason to reject as Lize was her best friend. Even if she was a genius Mage, she was no psychiatrist either. Other than staying beside her, there was nothing she could do.


    Rhode nodded. Then he walked towards a stream by the hillside.


    Marlene frowned when she saw Rhode''s figure. She felt that it was familiar.


    Ah, yes�� it was just like in Silent Plateau. He went into the forest and summoned an angel, right?


    But what was he doing now? Was he going to summon someone again?


    Marlene fell deep into thought for a while before shaking her head. Rhode had too many secrets. It was no point for her to pry his secrets. She believed that he would tell them the truth when the time came.


    But when she looked at where Rhode was heading to, she couldn''t help but think about the underground palace. The Fascarl era buildings�� the strange statues and the trial��


    Is he really��?


    Suddenly, her eyes flashed a trace of shock. She didn''t realize that her heart was beating really fast. An unbelievable thought just hit her. If it''s just like she thought, then Rhode is��


    She shook her head and threw away the frightening idea.


    At that moment, Anne, who was supposed to be sleeping, quietly opened her eyes and peeked at Marlene. Her beautiful and refined face was currently flushed red.


    Rhode felt that this forest was somewhat fated with him.


    He walked towards a dense thicket, and after making sure that there was no one around, he took out a small Soul Core. It was the second Soul Binding Stone. Inside the stone was the soul of the Death Knight that he previously defeated. Frankly, Rhode didn''t expect to bind its soul since he was actually trying to avoid the fight. However, Anne''s stubbornness altered the plan. So, Rhode changed his mind and took out the Soul Binding Stone to seal the Death Knight''s soul.


    Unlike the Necromancer, the Death Knight''s soul wasn''t pure black; it was grey. Rhode couldn''t help but feel nervous when he saw the swirling fog.


    The Death Knight was a monster above level 30 and he was currently only level 15. He wasn''t even half of its level. A Soul Core from a higher level monster would enable him to summon a high-level spirit. All he had to do now was to suppress its instability to the lowest.


    High-level cards were very rare. In the game, the majority of the Summoning Swordsmen players had to fuse three high-level cards to get it. Of course, if one obtained a high-level Soul Core, he or she might acquire a high-level card as well though the success rate of obtaining one was much lower than fusing three cards.


    Rhode hoped that the level 30 Soul Core wouldn''t turn out to be trash. After thinking for a while, Rhode finally made the decision to go for it.


    "�� Sigh."


    Rhode took a deep breath as he stared at the foggy Soul Core in his hand.Once again, he scanned his surroundings to make sure that no one would disturb him. Then, he closed his eyes and began.


    Soon, a stream of mysterious lights appeared from his hand. Like a river of water, it flowed from his body to the ground. After that, with Rhode as the center, it formed into a huge and majestic magic circle!


    Then, a deck of cards floated in the air; they were hovering inside the circle, all of them shining with a different kind of light.


    At that moment, Rhode lifted his right hand to present the Soul Core to the deck.


    This was a method he thought of. Rather than letting the Soul Core form itself, it was better to place it into a card he had. By doing so, he can obtain a higher success rate of getting high-level spirits. That was his conclusion after countless trials and error and research from the forums.


    And now, he finally got the opportunity to experience it.


    As if aware of the Soul Core, the deck began shining with a mysterious light. The Soul Core began to change color as though it was communicating with the deck. The Soul Core flickered and changed colors rapidly from white to black, to red, and to green. The colors started to change faster until Rhode''s eyes couldn''t keep up with it.


    But suddenly, Rhode''s expression changed.


    He found out that something wasn''t right.


    The Soul Core on his palm began to tremble, and the magic circle also began to distort.


    What happened? He had never encountered this kind of situation before.


    Rhode calmed down and kept his doubts in his heart. He tried to suppress the magic circle, but he didn''t expect the feedback was getting even more violent and the formerly stable magic circle exploded with a powerful force.


    Crack.


    When the Soul Core on his palm broke, his body suddenly felt extremely painful.


    There was only darkness before him; he lost consciousness.

 Chapter 113 Loss and Gain

    "Rho�� de��"


    It''s dark.


    "�� Rhode��"


    A faint voice rang in his mind. The pain was intense as though someone pierced a hole in his brain. It couldn''t help but made him feel disgusted and wanted to throw up.


    "�� Mr.Rhode��!!"


    The fuzzy voice suddenly became clear, after that a warm light tore down the darkness.


    Rhode opened his eyes.


    The first thing he saw was Lize''s worried expression.


    "Mr. Rhode, are you okay! What happened?"


    Me? Injured?


    Rhode shook his head trying to regain his consciousness. He held onto the tree and slowly got up. After that, he looked at his surroundings. He could see that Marlene was standing beside him with expression. Although she didn''t look as worried as Lize, she still couldn''t hide the concern in her eyes.


    "After I felt a surging wave of magical energy, I quickly ran here and saw you lying on the ground. What�� did you do? The area around you is completely devastated."


    What did I do?


    Rhode looked around with a strange expression. He could see that the originally quiet forest was in a mess now. The trees that filled the forest were dead and dried leaves were falling like snowflakes. The grasses have also dried up, it was as though this place had totally turned into a lifeless desert!


    What�� happened?


    Rhode was shocked. He had never seen such a thing happening before. Also, if one thought logically, it was impossible for this kind of thing to happen. As a Summoning Swordsman, he had summoned spirits for countless times. Back when he was still level 50, he had awakened a level 80 Soul Core and there was no backlash like this. So how did such an event happen?


    "Mr. Rhode? Are you okay? How do you feel? Are you injured?"


    Lize''s series of questions woke Rhode from his reverie. He quickly opened his attributes information and was dumbfounded.


    He found out that his EXP points had reset to zero!


    He had about 5000 EXP points left after defeating the Death Knight and just a little more he could''ve leveled up to 17. But Rhode found his 5000 EXP points missing! Where did they go?!


    The series of events left him even more confused. He had never encountered this kind of thing in the game. Could it be that he hit a bug? If it was the game, he would''ve easily concluded it as such�� but what about now?


    Rhode''s face darkened. It was strange enough for a system prompt to appear in reality, but since he couldn''t understand what caused it to appear, he just threw the thought to the back of his mind. No matter whether he liked it or not, it had already happened.


    However, what occurred now made him feel quite uneasy. If it was a system bug in the game, he could request for support from a GM. But what about now? If the bug originated from his body, who should he look for an explanation?


    Did he have to write ''Pls fix the bug'' on a sign and wave it around in the middle of the street?


    ��


    "Mr. Rhode?"


    The flickering expressions on Rhode''s face made Lize and Marlene a little bit uneasy.


    "Are you okay? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?"


    "Mr. Rhode, if there''s any problem, I think it''s better for you to tell it to us��"


    "No�� there''s nothing wrong with my body."


    Rhode finally recovered and waved his hand. He was certain that there were no issues physiologically, and based on what he could see, there seems to be no problem with the system. His attributes were normal and his level was still the same. If there was nothing wrong with his skills, talents, and level, why did his 5000 EXP disappear suddenly?


    As he was thinking over the matter, Rhode suddenly thought of something.


    Why did he collapse?


    What was he doing before that?


    That''s right! What happened to my card?


    Rhode''s heart sank. After that, he stretched out his right hand.


    With a mere thought, a bright red card appeared on top of his palm. Rhode''s eyes widened in shock when he saw the card. In the upper corner of the card, there was a large ''I'' symbol on it. An exquisite flower engraving outlined the edges of the card like a creeping flame. This made the card look rather ancient and mysterious. However, what puzzled Rhode was the deep red color in the center of the card that supposedly was the icon of the summoned creature.


    It''s empty��?


    What''s going on?


    Did I summon air?


    He frowned and flipped the card over. Soon, a line of text appeared.


    [2/10 of Red Lotus Deck has been collected, Gillian]


    [Gillian (Fire Commander Attribute): Lord Commander Level, Not Available for Fusion]


    [Elemental Domination. Able to burn through anything.]


    [Special Skill ������ Red Lotus (Causes a sensation that burns as passionately as a flame. Strong enough to cause the entire world to turn mad.)]


    [Fire Manipulation (Every element would turn into its Passion)]


    [Lord Level Control (Can summon low-level spirits in the deck without limit)]


    [Red Lotus (Not yet complete)]


    [Warning: The card level exceeds the current commanding limit. Each time the card is summoned, the holder will lose five percent of their EXP.]


    [System prompt Summoned number: 1]


    So that''s it.


    Rhode finally felt relieved after looking at the system prompt. His 5000 EXP didn''t disappear due to a bug. Instead, it was consumed by this card.


    Rhode felt that the loss of EXP was reasonable as the card was above his expectations.


    A Commander Level Spirit!


    Those three words were enough to make him feel like what he had done was all worth it.


    The so-called Commander Level Spirit was a term that humans used to determine a magical beast''s level.


    After becoming a magical beast, the creature would possess elemental power. According to the ranking, the magical beast would fall into three levels: Special, Master, and Commander.


    Special Level Spirits referred to magical beasts who possessed power but is unable to use it freely. For example, a lightning element cat would constantly generate electricity through instinct as it moves. These beasts were often newly promoted and considered the less dangerous type of magical beast. Rhode''s Flame Killer is one such example of a Special Level Spirit.


    Master Level Spirits could manipulate and control its power according to its wishes. This kind of magical beast is troublesome to handle because they possess a certain level of intelligence. Combined with its natural talent, it would prove to be a dangerous foe to most adventurers.


    If a Master Level Spirit was considered to be dangerous, then a Commander Level Spirit would be every adventurer''s nightmare. Commander Level Spirits had the power to command the elements. They were apex magical beasts that ruled over the other living creatures and what was even more frightening was that they could be considered as the five elements proxy in the entire continent.


    Not only were they able to bend the elements at their will, they could also manipulate the elements to forcibly alter a low-level creature''s elemental property.


    This meant that if the target had ice elemental properties, but hadn''t reached Commander Level, a Commander Level Fire Elemental Spirit could replace the ice element with fire. Sometimes they could even burn the opponent into ashes in a blink of an eye.


    Back in the game, there were only five players that had a Commander Level Spirit, and they were all above level 80. Even Rhode''s Starlight only managed to obtain a pyrrhic victory after waging war against them. So a summon restriction was totally reasonable for a card that could summon a Commander Level Fire Spirit.


    The strength of Commander Level Spirits was not exaggerated. If it weren''t for the restriction, perhaps Rhode could''ve conquered the entire Munn Kingdom. Not to mention a city as tiny as Deep Stone City. It would be completely pulverized into nothingness in a blink of an eye.


    However, Rhode was confused because he had battled against the five different elemental Commander Level Spirits before and the Commander Level Fire Elemental Spirit was supposed to be ''Ragris.'' So where did this Commander Level Fire Elemental Spirit ''Gillian'' come from?


    He had the sudden urge to summon this spirit and test how it worked, but he had no choice but to suppress his curiosity as he couldn''t afford to waste another 5000 EXP just to satisfy his cravings.


    If he wasted another 5000 EXP points, he would be forced to downgrade a level.


    Rhode couldn''t help but put the card back. After pacifying Lize and Marlene, he finally left.


    However, before he had the time to slowly think about the card, Old Walker quickly approached him when he was nearing the base camp.


    "Kid, I''ve found something."


    The old ranger said with a serious expression.

 Chapter 114 Behind The Ambush

    To Old Walker, Rhode was a very contradictory existence.


    Usually, he''s always firm, stubborn, even sometimes quite tough, violent, mad, and even brave enough to kill people in front of Mercenary Association. In Mercenary Joint Meeting he didn''t even try to conceal his intention of wanting to destroy a mercenary group. This made Rhode looked like a madman, but on the other hand he was also cautious, even a little timid. This time, they traveled to the Twilight Forest and Rhode asked Old Walker to explore the surrounding to see whether if there were any anomalies around them. Clearly, this time they didn''t come here to complete a mission.


    Old Walker also knew that it was reasonable for Rhode to worry since he completely antagonized Jade Tears during the joint meeting. In Deep Stone City, Rhode had no need to be cautious as the Mercenary Association was watching them, but it was hard to say the same when they were in Twilight Forest. If Jade Tears secretly decides to launch a surprise attack, all of them could die here. Even if the Mercenary Association wanted to investigate, they wouldn''t be able to find concrete evidence.


    That was why Rhode asked them to stay alert. Old Walker couldn''t help but admire this part of him and felt relieved because Rhode''s actions proved that he wasn''t a reckless b*stard that only cared for himself. If he created enmity with Jade Tears just because he felt like it, it meant that Rhode was just another scum who acted on instinct without thinking of the consequences. If he was truly like that, then things could really be very troublesome.


    But Rhode didn''t only remind him verbally, he even specifically pointed out several directions to him, so he could be more cautious. This made Old Walker surprised. He couldn''t understand how a person in his early twenties could be so skilled in underhanded tactics.


    And something really happened from the direction Rhode previously mentioned.


    "There."


    While hiding in the bushes, Old Walker pointed towards the faint black spot from afar and said to Rhode. Rhode looked towards the direction and after a while, he spoke.


    "How many people are there?"


    "About six to seven people."


    "Have they discovered us?"


    "I think they followed the tracks we left behind."


    Old Walker said confidently.


    Since tracking and counter-tracking was a Ranger''s ability, if he couldn''t even do that properly then it was better for him to retire and go back home.


    "How about other directions?"


    "There''s no other movement for now."


    Old Walker looked at Rhode as he spoke.


    "What are you planning to do?"


    "What am I planning to do?"


    Hearing Old Walker inquires, Rhode only snorted and answered in an ''as a matter of fact'' tone.


    "Of course I''ll kill all of them. Since they all dare to come here I definitely won''t let them go back."


    Saying until here, Rhode stopped.


    "I need your help. Inform Shauna and Randolf to increase their vigilance. Furthermore, tell Randolf to set traps five meters around the base camp."


    Old Walker was surprised.


    "Just the two of us? How about the others��"


    "They don''t have to know."


    Rhode shook his head. He wasn''t planning to let the newbies join the battle. Firstly, they were not strong enough and secondly, Rhode hadn''t trusted them yet.


    One has to realize that battles between two mercenary groups were different from killing monsters. Most people would feel guilty after killing another human. Perhaps after facing many different trials and dangers would they gradually accept it, but it didn''t mean that they would enjoy it. Moreover, they were still in the ''prohibition period'' set by the Mercenary Association, so he didn''t wish to see a time bomb within his group.


    "That''s why this matter is only known by you and me."


    "I will stay here and observe their movements. You can go ahead and look for Marlene and Shauna. In addition to informing them, I need you to observe other areas. I''m quite certain that Jade Tears wouldn''t be stupid enough to think that these people were enough to finish us. I suspect that they are planning something so I''ll leave the scouting to you."


    "No problem."


    Hearing Rhode has assigned him the task, Old Walker nodded solemnly.


    "I will go now."


    Night fell.


    A bright flame lit up the base camp. From afar, one could catch a whiff of a wonderful fragrant aroma arising from a large pot.


    The mercenaries who had been tired all day couldn''t help but drool when they saw the delicious meal. However, they couldn''t help but contain their urges when they saw the person sitting on the rock at the edge of the base camp.


    Lize was feeling under the weather.


    Her gloomy expression wasn''t due to the previous incident, rather, it was because Rhode hadn''t shown up yet. Back in the afternoon, Old Walker had relayed Rhode''s words to her informing that he wouldn''t be back tonight because he had something to do. He even asked Marlene and Shauna to increase their vigilance and also sent an unexpected person to join their camp...


    Lize lifted her head and looked at a lonely figure.


    The angel girl sat silently on a rock. Her white wings softly fluttered in the night breeze as though she enjoyed basking in the moonlight. Both of her eyes were closed and her face was equally emotionless. She appeared like a sharp sword, giving people a feeling of coldness.


    She was familiar with the people who had joined the fight in Silent Plateau and knew that the angel girl was one of Rhode''s subordinates. But as for Shauna and Randolf who had yet to meet the angel girl, they felt incredible shock when they first caught sight of Celia.


    Angels were noble beings who rarely ventured outside. However, a distinguished being such as Celia was actually a subordinate of Rhode and was commanded to protect them. They couldn''t help but feel shocked.


    Because of this, many people who acted unscrupulously before calmed down. Although Celia didn''t seem to bother the humans around her, they couldn''t help but feel an invisible pressure on them as though they were a bunch of crooks.


    Legends said that angels were the messengers of the five dragons. Although that era had long passed, the legend still left a deep impression on the people.


    Still, the mercenaries were mostly baffled over why a noble angel such as her was under Rhode.


    Randolf and the other newbies couldn''t help but feel slightly scared. Even Shauna who had interacted with Rhode before also felt shocked. She knew that Rhode was a noble, but she didn''t expect that he would be able to recruit an angel as a subordinate.


    Just who is this man...?


    At that moment, not only were they stunned, they were also feeling relieved of their choice to join Starlight. Although in theory, joining Jade Tears would be more rewarding, but following this unpredictable young man was proving to be more promising.


    It just that, different from others, towards Celia, Lize always felt a little bit puzzled.


    Lize felt that this girl named Celia showed up too suddenly. She had never heard Rhode mention that he had an angel as a subordinate. So Lize was very curious about her origins.


    Where did she come from?


    Who is she?


    In the mercenary group, only Marlene knew about Celia''s real identity but she wasn''t a blabbermouth. She knew that Rhode didn''t want to spread this matter so she didn''t tell the others about it. This matter could be considered as a tiny secret between them...


    As for Anne, she was as energetic as always. When she saw Celia again she ran towards her and held the angel''s hand. Moreover, she even dared to touch Celia''s wings. Many people were shocked and even afraid that the noble angel would get angry, but fortunately, the angel didn''t seem to mind.


    Lize sliced a few pieces of tender grilled hare meat and offered it to Celia.


    "Ms. Celia."


    Hearing someone calling her name, she opened her eyes and turned around. She saw Lize standing beside evidently feeling quite uneasy while handing the plate towards her.


    "That�� are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?"


    "I''m not hungry."


    Celia shook her head and quickly answered. This made Lize feel a little bit awkward. She stood beside Celia just like that, not knowing what to say. Before, Lize only did it on a whim because she suddenly wanted to talk and understand her better. However, she didn''t think that things would turn out this awkward��


    While Lize was in a dilemma, Celia suddenly opened her eyes again and stared at Lize.


    "I can feel my bloodline run in your veins��"


    "Eh?"


    Lize couldn''t help but gasp and take a step back. She lifted her head and looked at Celia, waiting for her to continue.


    Unexpectedly, after saying those words Celia once again closed her eyes to enjoy her ''moon-bathing'' as if their conversation has ended just like that.


    "..."


    This made Lize want to cry.

 Chapter 115 Slaughter in The Dark

    Rhode didn''t know what happened at the base camp because he had more important things to handle.


    Lurking in the bushes, Rhode vigilantly watched the base camp not far from him. It had to be said that the Jade Tears mercenary group really had done a full preparation. They followed the trace that Rhode and others left behind along the way. They patiently trailed them from far behind; had Rhode not been well prepared from the start to let Old Walker check the key location where they might appear, the group might have successfully passed through them. And if that happened, things were going to get troublesome.


    Although he was determined to kill all these worms, Rhode didn''t attack immediately. He spent the whole afternoon circling the Jade Tears mercenary group. After he made sure that there was no other reinforcement, he was finally relieved.


    Rhode was no stranger to this kind of battle. Although the Jade Tears mercenary group was fully prepared, it was still far inferior to the other players. In the game, when attacking the enemy, a player would use any means to face them. Especially in large guilds like Rhode''s, they would very easily become the target of others. It was common for guilds to sneak up, scheme, and even lose decorum against others. Rhode had also been ambushed by others and set up ambushes himself too. After engaging in many years of battle with other players, he had become familiar with these tactics.


    But still, after the catharsis of meeting players that were a combination of personalities that were dirty, shameless, and held sinister intent, the Jade Tears mercenary group''s ambush was like a woman that was undressed with not a single piece of cloth to cover her. With only a little bit force, she would immediately fall to their schemes.


    Originally, Rhode worried that the Jade Tears would also use dirty tricks, but now it seemed that he had worried too much. The Jade Tears didn''t even expect that they would be found out��they just dispatched some scouts to patrol outside from time to time. If they were seen by others, they would only think that those people came to the forest just to adventure.


    Rhode had lost interest towards these guys. Since they were from the Jade Tears mercenary group, they definitely needed to be killed. The more people dead, the less troublesome it would be in the future. Not only that, if their mercenary group dwindled without a battle, it would deter the other mercenary groups as well. If he could completely finish the Jade Tears using this method, he wouldn''t mind at all.


    The night was getting dark.


    To prevent arousing suspicion, the Jade Tears mercenary group didn''t light any bonfire. The surroundings gradually became quiet, with only the sound of insects echoing from time to time, as if the night was playing a lullaby.


    It was time to move.


    Rhode gestured towards Old Walker, who was beside him. Their figures disappeared in the darkness like that of two poisonous snakes.


    Bell walked out of the tent where the cold wind was blowing. "Damn it."


    Feeling the chill, Bell cursed in low voice. If not for the generous reward, he definitely wouldn''t have come to this haunted place to suffer.


    Bell''s heart was filled with dissatisfaction, but he didn''t say anything. As an old Jade Tears mercenary group member, he had long been swayed by Frank''s money. In his opinion, there was nothing more important than money in the world. With money, you could have position, authority, and women. Without money, you would not have anything. Money, he believed, was the supreme existence in this world.


    Precisely because of this, he had become Frank''s henchmen.


    Bell didn''t know what Frank wanted to do; he only cared about how much money he could earn. So when Frank sent him and his men to Twilight Forest in order to destroy the Starlight mercenary group, Bell didn''t hesitate and immediately agreed. For no other reason than seeing a bag of gold coins on his desk, the warrior made this kind of decision.


    After glancing around the tent and making sure that those fools didn''t notice him, Bell slowly walked to the edge of the base camp. Soon, he could see the female ranger that he assigned to guard the area. At this moment, she was bored, yawning while leaning on the tree. Seeing Bell arrival, the girl didn''t look surprised. To the contrary, she smiled at him.


    Bell smiled back and walked to her side. He couldn''t wait to reach out to explore beneath her leather armor. He began kneading the two soft, plump peaks on her body. This female ranger had joined Bell''s group after being hired by Frank. When he saw her for the first time, he was already attracted by her. After spending a huge sum of money, this woman who originally intended to act prudish immediately fell to his knees and become his intimate companion on the bed. The reason he sneaked out from the tent was to kill some time due to boredom. After all, in this era, it was the only night activity which was mentally and physically a joy without having to waste too much time.


    What Rhode said about the Jade Tears mercenary group being a group of trash wasn''t necessarily considered wrong, as a person bought by money had no loyalty at all. Naturally, their morals and integrity didn''t exist. Frank himself also knew that his men had no other use beside adding more number to his mercenary group''s strength. Maybe that''s also the reason why they followed him quietly from behind like a thief.


    "Hehehe, it seems that you really cannot wait anymore..."


    "Leader, you have finally come, I''ve been waiting for you."


    Facing Bell''s teasing, the girl smiled and walked forward. She pushed her voluptuous chest towards his, then reached her hands towards his neck and kissed him on the lips.


    "Uu...mmm..."


    Bell reached out to pinch her chest, then chuckled. Facing the man before her, the woman showed a tempting expression: she lightly smiled and took the initiative to get closer to Bell''s arms. She didn''t hide her attitude, smiled, then stretched out both of her hands. Facing the temptation, Bell also didn''t plan to retreat. He revealed his manhood and couldn''t wait to hug the woman. Then the sound of growls and excitement echoed.


    Rhode quietly lurked in the bushes, holding his breath while watching the intense movement from the two people before him. Although faced with such an unexpected scene, he didn''t feel embarrassed. He was only surprised, but immediately calmed down. He didn''t attack immediately, instead enjoying the "Moment of Bliss" before him.


    Completely unaware that they were being watched, their movements were getting even more intense. Perhaps, it was because it was even more exciting to do it in the wilderness. They were slowly being intoxicated in it and even began to roar and moan in low voice. As the proverb says, a moment of bliss is worth a thousand pieces of gold. If they didn''t enjoy this beautiful night, then there might be no more chance to do it.


    In fact, it was indeed too late already.


    Because at this time, Rhode gracefully jumped out of the grass like a cat.


    His red sword quietly pierced through Bell''s chest and the woman''s throat, holding them against the tree.


    "������!!"


    Death always came suddenly��just like that.


    Bell instantly stopped shaking and the woman horrifyingly opened her eyes wide. There was not even a slightest hint of anger in their eyes. On their body, yellow liquid mixed with spurts of white, flowing down and falling on the grass. It emitted a disgusting smell.


    Rhode pulled back his sword and the bodies that lost their support fell to the ground, breathless.


    But to Rhode, it seemed as though nothing had happened. He only glanced around, then once again slinked into the darkness without a trace.


    At this moment, the base camp was all silent inside.


    Old Walker set down the dagger in his hand. Under his feet lay a man whose neck had been slitted. His eyes were wide open, looking at the starry sky before him. It looked like he wasn''t even aware of what was happening. Maybe he also had no need to be aware anymore.


    "How was it?" Rhode walked out from the bushes and whispered.


    "I finished the people over there, how about you, kid?"


    "It was easier than expected. I never thought I would see a pair of wild couple there. They didn''t even notice my existence. It looks like the Jade Tears mercenary group is just as unskilled as I thought they were."


    Rhode stopped speaking. He looked at the base camp with serious expression, then gestured. "Leave the rest to me."


    When the only survivor had woken from his deep sleep, Rhode and Old Walker''s cold faces appeared before him.


    "Who are you!?"


    After clearly looking at the two people before him, he immediately jumped up. At the same time, he quickly reached out and touched his side. But he no longer had any weapon. Instead, he suddenly felt an intense pain.


    "Whoa!!!"


    The red sword mercilessly pierced through his arm and set him against the ground. His scream echoed through the forest. The birds that had originally fallen into deep sleep were immediately startled awake after hearing the scream. They fluttered their wings and flew towards the sky.


    "He-HELP!!"


    "I think it''s better for you to save some energy, Mr. whose name I don''t know."


    Facing the man who was trying to struggle, Rhode was still as relaxed and calm as usual. He pulled a chair and sat before that man.


    "Your comrades have died; only you are left. If your performance is good, then I might consider letting you live. If your performance is not good enough..."


    Rhode didn''t finish, but the meaning behind his words was already clear enough.


    At this moment, the man no longer tried to resist. He only held his arm while nodding his head. He was not stupid; he screamed very loudly, but no one came to check on him. That probably meant that everyone had already died. No one��including him��wished to welcome their own death.


    "Very good."


    Seeing that the man had nodded, Rhode clapped his hand in satisfaction. Then, he moved closer towards the man, his eyes showing a trace of coldness.


    "Then, next... I have some questions to ask you... I hope you can answer them truthfully."

 Chapter 116 Rivalry

    "Psst."


    The blood-stained sword pierced through the man''s head and a trace of fear flashed through his eyes, but his expression then turned empty.


    Rhode stood up and swung the blood-stained sword. After that, he looked at the surrounding forest with serious expression.


    What that man said and what he thought were almost exactly the same. The Jade Tears mercenary group didn''t just send one unit here. According to that unlucky worm, this time the Jade Tears mercenary group sent two-thirds of their forces. They were divided into three units to follow and attack Starlight when necessary. Strictly speaking, the team that Rhode attacked wasn''t even considered as a combat unit. They were only responsible for reconnaissance. According to the Jade Tears mercenary group arrangement, some were responsible for scouting while the combat unit was supposed to surround their target. The last unit disappeared just after they entered the Twilight Forest; they were reinforcement, but the man Rhode asked didn''t know where they were located.


    Originally, these two units shouldn''t have been too far from each other because if something happened, it would be easier for them to back each other up. However, the situation was completely the opposite. According to the report, the person that led the main force was someone that just recently joined the Jade Tears, and Bell wasn''t willing to follow the command of such a person. That was why after they entered the Twilight Forest, two sides became hostile towards each other, so Bell took his own unit and left. Clearly, they weren''t planning to meet each other anymore. In Bell''s opinion, he only needed to wait until right before the attack began and then send people to notify the main group. If not for him, it was basically impossible for all those fools to find their target all the way out here!


    Although Rhode knew from the beginning that the Jade Tears was a group of trash, their extent of trashiness really made Rhode quite surprised. He even began to wonder whether the opponent was deliberately acting weak to lure himself into falsification. Otherwise, didn''t that mean that their move was very suicidal?


    What caught Rhode''s attention wasn''t where the main force whose location remained unknown was, but the reinforcements.


    No one lived in the Twilight Forest and the only things that passed by were floating airships. Naturally, thieves and bandits didn''t exist, since they didn''t have wings to fly and snatch goods. That was why from another point of view, it could be said that the Twilight Forest was deserted. Perhaps, there would be some adventurers at times, but no normal people would choose to live here for long. However, to actually seek reinforcements in the forest? Were they planning to talk with those wild beast or something?


    As for Rhode''s understanding towards Frank, he believed that Frank wasn''t an extremely stupid person. Most likely, the so-called reinforcement was the real main force of this attack and these mercenaries were just a pretense. Else, they wouldn''t need to wait until the reinforcement arrived to attack.


    Although Rhode still wanted to ask about it, the man was only a subordinate and didn''t know much about the details of the actual situation. Perhaps the captain would know, but unfortunately he had already died in the woman''s arms. Until then, Rhode didn''t realized that the man he had easily killed before was the leader of the unit. Holy soul bless, he thought that man was just a normal lonely mercenary looking for fun.


    "What should we do now, kid? Should we finish those guys?"


    "Just the two of us?"


    Rhode shook his head. There were more than 20 people in the main force; although they could both retreat safely after going, they still couldn''t guarantee that the enemy wouldn''t be startled. Rhode definitely didn''t want to wake up a sleeping wolf. His policy was to do it clean or do nothing, and he didn''t intend to do anything halfway.


    In the end, Rhode made the decision to temporarily retreat.


    In any case, without scouts, it would be difficult for them to find him. According to that unlucky worm, the two groups didn''t didn''t exchange any information. It was likely that the opponent wouldn''t be aware of the problem. As long as they could finish everything before the other side found out, the situation was still very favorable to them.


    Of course, Rhode left Old Walker behind and let him investigate the direction that captive has told them for precautionary reasons. The poor old ranger had run all night long following Rhode; he just wanted to go back and sleep alone but was instead ordered to stay behind in the forest to suffer. This made the old ranger impulsively want to make a flipping table gesture, but facing his complaint, Rhode didn''t even say anything and simply left. The poor old ranger was stunned for a moment, and in the end he just shook his head and sighed. After that, he continued to do the task assigned to him.


    When Rhode returned back to the base camp, it was almost dawn.


    After hearing from Celia that nothing happened, Rhode took her back. Although she had now reached level 15, his soul power was about the same as lower ranked mage. To maintain Celia''s existence, he needed to spend 30 soul power per hour, which was a huge price to pay. This was also the reason that he chose to temporarily retreat. After maintaining Celia for a night, he had spent nearly a third of his soul power. In such condition, he certainly couldn''t risk himself.


    After greeting Shauna who was in charge of the night watch, he informed the other mercenaries that they were going to start a new training. After that, he walked back to his own tent wearily and quickly fell into a deep sleep.


    When Rhode woke up the next day, it was already midday.


    Outside the tents, the mercenaries that heard the command had finished the preparation. They put out the fire, recovered the trap, and turned everything back to normal. Marlene and the others looked a little bit bored at the moment. Looking at the beautiful girl who was enjoying the scenery, the others also didn''t object to letting her enjoy this rare vacation.


    "Sir, everything is ready."


    Seeing that Rhode has came out, Shauna hurriedly walked to welcome him. In this moment, her attitude was more respectful than before. Before, she called him "leader" just out of obligation. After looking at Celia, she no longer had that kind of thought. It was just natural to call him "Sir," since he could even make an angel his subordinate.


    Rhode also realized that the other newcomers also showed similar changes. Their tones and attitudes were more respectful, and there was a trace of awe in their eyes when looking at him. Even Lapis who was always cautious towards him and always hid behind her brother back had begun to act like a fanatic fan, looking at him with worshipping eyes.


    Of course to Rhode, that was a good thing. He used to have to pretend to be a noble by relying on his knowledge, the way he talked, and his demeanor. But now, he seemed to have nailed his noble status. There would be no person who would doubt him. After all, would any ordinary person have an angel as a subordinate? It was basically impossible!


    On the contrary, Lize''s attitude was rather weird. Several times when she tried to talk to him, she seemed to have something to say. Although Rhode asked whether she had any problem, she only shook her head. Facing this kind of Lize, Rhode didn''t know what to do, so he could only let her be.


    Rhode obviously was very familiar with the Twilight Forest. Not too long after they left the base camp, Rhode brought them to a valley.


    "I think all of you are already familiar with the training before."


    Facing Rhode''s question, the mercenaries nodded. Since Rhode''s training program wasn''t too complicated, they could already use those skills in the first place; it was just that they never expected those skills could be used in such a way. Now, they had memorized those combinations. Next, they just needed to see how well they mastered it.


    "Very well."


    They nodded and Rhode also didn''t say anything more and waved his hand, pointing towards the valley ahead.


    "This is the second part of training. The content is very simple. I want all of you to enter this valley. At the end of the valley, there is a clear spring and an ice stone that can only be found there. I want you to bring back those stones to me after entering the valley. Of course, I''m not afraid to tell all of you that there''s some wild beast that resides inside the valley. They will attack any enemy that invades their area without permission. Be careful, the time limit is 3 hours. I hope you can get back here before dinner. Now, go!"


    Although the mercenaries were a bit panicked and felt overwhelmed after Rhode issued his order, they bit the bullet and entered the valley. Soon, their shadows disappeared into the forest. Only Rhode, Anne, Lize, Marlene, and Lapis were left standing outside. Seeing that her brother''s figure had disappeared, Lapis was a little bit worried, but she knew that based on her current strength, it was impossible for her to join them, so she could only patiently waiting outside.


    Lize also anxiously looked at the valley, and walking towards Rhode, she asked, "Will there really be no problem, Mr. Rhode?"


    Anne sat in the big tree beside Rhode, and nibbling the apple in her hand, she asked, "Does Anne need to help them?"


    "No need.''''


    Faced with their inquiries, Rhode shook his head. Since he dared to bring those newbies here, he must have already thought about it. This was one of the newbie group quest. Although it was a group quest, but the number of the monsters weren''t too many; there were only wild wolves, dogs, and such. It was basically not too dangerous��at least compared to formal dungeons, the danger level of this group quest was a lot lower. If those newbies couldn''t even get away from this level of danger, then Rhode would really consider whether or not they were really suited to join his mercenary group.


    "It''s not too dangerous inside, so there should be no problem. It''s said that even a lion will push its own cubs to the abyss and let them climb on their own. If they can''t even pass this kind of test, then it is useless to let them stay."


    "Leader�� That''s a lion and its own cubs��"


    Facing Anne''s grin, Rhode''s face was still emotionless. "In my hometown, there''s a saying: once a teacher always a teacher. I already can be considered as their half teacher," Rhode calmly answered.

 Chapter 117 Encounter in the Fores

    "Ugh��!!"


    The fierce, wild wolf rushed forward. The hidden trap in the bush activated and trapped its paw, but the wild wolf didn''t back down. To the contrary, it roared and kept rushing forward, its sharp claws passing through Randolf and the others, heavily scratching the ground.


    Randolf rolled to the side to dodge the attack and then shot an arrow towards it.


    The wild wolf that had already been trapped simply couldn''t escape as the arrow flew towards it. It struggled to dodge, but the arrow still shot its leg. This made the wild wolf feel even more pain and it stopped struggling, opening its mouth to vent its anger. However, a second arrow that easily pierced through its head completely sealed the incoming howl.


    "Haa��"


    After pulling the Fire Blade out from the last wolf''s body, Shauna wiped the sweat off her forehead then turned around.


    "Is everyone okay?"


    "There''s no problem."


    "I''m okay."


    Faced with Shauna''s question, everyone raised their hands to show that they were safe. After making sure that everything was normal, Shauna nodded. She continued to lead them inside. As Rhode had expected, this test wasn''t too difficult for them. Even without the skills that Rhode had just taught them, they still could deal with the wild beasts just by relying on their ability. However, they knew that the reason they came here wasn''t to finish a mission, but to improve their skills and standard. If they were just going to muddle along, they definitely wouldn''t succeed.


    Randolf reached out to remove the claws from the dead wolf to make an exquisite metal clip. Looking at Andon and Joey, he could see traces of joy and surprise on their face.


    At first, their attacks didn''t seem strong because their training opponent was just the air, but in a real battle, it was completely different. After they gradually began to get familiar with the pace of the battle, they also began to realize their improvement. Before, they were thinking similarly to Old Walker: worrying about whether this kind of training could be used in real battles. After all, even newbie mercenaries knew the ever-changing situation in the real battles. It was impossible for everything to go according to plan, so they were also a little bit puzzled. But after they did it, they finally found the effectiveness of the skill Rhode has taught.


    Indeed, real battles were ever changing and couldn''t be predicted, but by using the skills Rhode taught them, they basically didn''t have to think about how to deal with the opponent because the opponent wouldn''t have the time to react.


    Although their professions and skills learned from Rhode differed, everyone finally noticed a similarity after battling for a while. The skills Rhode had imparted allowed chaining without being easily disrupted. At the same time, it was also dangerous. Whether it was a thief who could move as fast as lightning, a swordsman, or even heavy swordsman, it was all the same. When they attacked, the next attack would make the enemy completely powerless to fight back, regardless of whether they were in a defensive or healing position. That way, they minimized the risk of being attacked back in the fight. This feeling also made them feel excited and thrilled.


    They thought that overwhelming and high pressure attacks could only be done by highly skilled people. But they never expected that they could actually do the same thing. The wild wolves and dogs in the bushes and forest turned into their practicing target. Although the wild beasts were not easy not deal with at first, now the mercenaries beat them until they couldn''t get up, which made them feel satisfied from the bottom of their hearts. Even later, the beasts didn''t even dare provoke them again. But these mercenaries didn''t stop until there; they were like goblins that began to look for enemies.


    However, Shauna quickly stopped their reckless act. Before the departure, Rhode told them that the skill he taught them was only a basic combination skill. Even though it was effective, it was not invincible. Currently, he only hoped that they could master those skills to develop their own attack power instead of just relying on it like an amulet. If they kept on doing that, it would be very dangerous.


    Shauna obviously understood what Rhode meant. Indeed, although this combination could improve their strength, but it still wasn''t completely reliable. The reason their actions looked so mighty was because the enemy wasn''t strong. If they encountered a stronger enemy, then no matter how perfect their skill combo, the opponent would still be able to send them flying into the heavens. After all, the level gap was already very clear, and strength couldn''t be replaced just by using these skills.


    As a former mercenary leader, Shauna was very sensitive towards the changes in the team. When she saw that everyone was overly high, she immediately threw cold water at them to wake them up.


    "Be serious. We haven''t yet passed the test, so don''t get too excited. Stay vigilant: the end is already in the front!"


    After hearing Shauna''s shouts, the others were finally awake. They reassembled and walked forward under Shauna''s leadership.


    Soon, without feeling any pressure, they came towards the spring that Rhode mentioned. The spring was located under the cliff, and the water looked very clear and transparent. Inside, there were transparent gems reflecting the sunlight. They were Ice Stones, a low grade stone produced inside water. It was also the reason Rhode chose this place. Not only he could let his subordinates train, but he could also collect the stones for Lapis''s alchemy material. If he could kill two birds with one stone, then why not?


    As a mercenary, Shauna had collected this stuff before. She took out a jug from her waist and poured out the water inside. After that, she told the others to take the jug and pour the water and stones inside together. After filling two large jugs and making sure that there was no problem, Shauna gestured for everyone to leave.


    "Wait!" Suddenly, Randolf yelled. He frowned and twitched his nose.


    "There''s the smell of blood here."


    "Smell of blood?"


    Everyone was surprised for a moment. After that they immediately took out their weapons and formed a circle back-to-back to watch the surroundings. After the crazy killings from before, the wild beasts were already completely scared and didn''t dare look for more trouble. That was why no one got attacked when they arrived at the spring. Did a boss finally appear?


    Feeling uneasy, they were trying to calm down and listen to the surrounding sounds closely. Shortly afterwards, a low voice was heard through the wind.


    "Ughh..aaa��"


    "There''s someone!"


    Shauna immediately jumped and ran to where the voice located while holding her sword. The others also followed from behind. Soon, in the bushes not far from them, they found an injured mercenary.


    He looked like a swordsman, but there''s no weapon inside his sheath and his body was covered in wounds. Judging from the heavy injuries on his back, it looked like the mercenary had fallen from the cliff. If not because of the thick bushes, most likely he would have already become a wild beast''s meal.


    "What should we do, Big Sis?


    The mercenaries that surrounded the man were all worried. They quickly looked at Shauna. After all, she was the current commander of the team.


    Faced with their inquiries, Shauna didn''t answer immediately, but took a closer look at the mercenary. After looking at the badge on his chest, Shauna''s eyes lighten up.


    "Bring him back. Maybe Lize could save him."


    Shauna no longer hesitated and quickly gave an answer. After that, another person walked forward and carefully carried the injured man for the journey back.


    Shauna silently stared at everyone''s back, then lowered her head to look at the badge in her hand.


    It was exactly the badge that she took from that mercenary.


    They could only imagine just how surprised Rhode was when they brought back an injured person from the forest. He wasn''t clear on what happened: why did they bring a person back, instead of what he had asked for? However, Rhode still told Lize to heal that man. After that, he walked towards Shauna and asked.


    "What happened? Who is he?"


    "I''m also unclear."


    Facing Rhode''s question, Shauna shook her head.


    ''''We followed your instructions and arrived at the spring. We found him nearby, and it seems that he had experienced a very violent battle. If it''s not because of his luck, he wouldn''t be alive until now. And�� I found this on his body."


    Shauna stretched out her hand and gave Rhode the badge.


    After he took the badge, Rhode''s eyes narrowed.


    It was a red-colored badge. On the top, there was a round, burning flame symbol and in the center, a blade as if born from flame.


    Rhode was familiar with this badge. A few days ago, he had seen something similar at the Mercenary Joint Meeting.


    It was "Burning Blade" mercenary group symbol.

 Chapter 118 Burning Blade in Danger

    Looking at the symbol on his hand, Rhode was lost in thought.


    He was familiar with the Burning Blade; it was a long-established, strong, well-loved, and well-respected mercenary group. Although they were always in the middle of leveling up and down between mercenary guild and mercenary group, it could be seen from their member turnover rate, that the Burning Blade was a very attractive mercenary group. Their leader, Hiller, was also not bad; he was very calm, brave, and smart. From what Rhode remembered, it was Hiller who brought his men, bravely trying to "bring order out of chaos." Unfortunately, they were only a single force. In the end, they still disappeared in the sea of people.


    However, that would be a story told in the afterword. Now, what Rhode cared most about was whether or not the injured mercenary really was a Burning Blade mercenary group member. If he was, then why was he in such a bad condition? Since the Burning Blade was that strong, there should be nothing here in Twilight Forest that could threaten them. He even brought his own Starlight to come here for vacation. But the Burning Blade actually encountered trouble?


    The first thought that flashed through his mind was that the Jade Tears that attacked the Burning Blade. However, he quickly erased the thought due to the message Old Walker had sent via the Spirit Bird. The Jade Tears weren''t yet moving and didn''t seem to be in a hurry either. Rhode''s group looked like they had came here for vacation, but the group of people that were suppose to come kill them were actually the ones who came here for vacation. It seemed like they didn''t give a sh*t about him. They were just a bunch of trash that took money without working. Indeed, a professional person wouldn''t betray their own mercenary group because of money, right?


    Moreover, the Burning Blade was strong; even if there were ten Jade Tears, they still couldn''t be compared to the Burning Blade. So, would they even dare attack the Burning Blade? Weren''t they afraid that if they offended the Burning Blade mercenary group, they might get flatten to the ground? Although the Mercenary Association had prohibited the fight, if one of the top three mercenary groups wanted to completely destroy the Jade Tears mercenary group, then even the heavenly king wouldn''t be able to protect them. Frank also wasn''t a fool; why would he made such a mistake?


    He was holding onto the badge while thinking, but in the end, he still couldn''t think of anything. According to the current situation, it might be because the Burning Blade''s mercenary came here for an adventure, accidentally encountered something, and then fell from the cliff. That sounded more logical. As for what actually happened, he still needed to wait until the injured person woke up.


    Rhode quickly commanded everyone to take a break. He had a bad feeling about this deep within his heart; he knew the reason why, but Rhode was still very cautious and once again contacted Old Walker via the Spirit Bird. From the news he had gotten, it seemed that the Jade Tears mercenary group still didn''t have any movement.


    It seemed the danger wasn''t from them.


    Then, where did the dangerous feeling come from?


    Rhode didn''t get the answer immediately as he had hoped. Although the mercenary still managed to escape death, it was only because of Lize''s healing spell. According to Lize, he was still injured very badly and wouldn''t be awake anytime soon. Besides waiting, there was nothing else he could do.


    Of course, he could only hope that nothing bad had happened. There was already enough trouble recently.


    But life was always like this; the more you wish for something not to happen, the more it will happen.


    Looking at Lize who was standing before him, his head couldn''t help but start hurting.


    "You want to ask about Celia?"


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode."


    Lize tilted her head, feeling curious.


    "I was really curious about the relationship between the two of you. Is she really your subordinate? And why have I never heard about it before?"


    "��"


    Rhode scratched his head, not knowing to answer. He was not a magician that never dated a woman before. Whenever a woman mentioned another woman, it usually wasn''t good.


    At first, he hoped that the other two woman would take the opportunity to stand up and help him, but he was disappointed.


    Anne was sleeping on the soft grasses as always. It seemed like there was nothing in her life beside eating, drinking, and having fun. Marlene also seemed to have been infected with the same disease with Lize. Her hands were holding her cheeks while dozing off, and Rhode didn''t know what she was thinking of.


    In any case, there was no reinforcement.


    "She really is my subordinate." Rhode really didn''t lie. From another point of view, summoning spirits were indeed his subordinates. "Well�� because of a lot of things that happened before, she decided to look after me and help me. It''s just like that."


    Rhode was very clear: when talking with a woman, he must be vague and shouldn''t explain the meaning too clearly. Men were sometimes too logical and wanted to explain everything clearly. However, in a woman''s opinion, that would make it seem like he was either underestimating her intelligence or else feeling guilty. Since they both weren''t stupid, the matter was already obvious enough and he didn''t have to explain it in details like asking her why did she have to use a skirt and such, right?


    This was the difference between men and women. For men, they would need a very detailed and clear explanation even if it had happened in the past. That was why men couldn''t understand why women still kept pestering them even though they had explained so clearly. However, it was different for women. Especially it was regarding another woman. Since he could even clearly remember the nail polish that she wore and the reason she came here, then if it not because he cared about the woman, why would he remember that much?


    He wouldn''t repeat his mistake from when he was young�� It was really a life lesson.


    As expected, after hearing Rhode''s answer, Lize nodded. She seemed to have understood what Rhode meant.


    Done.


    Although she still seemed confused, she didn''t continue to ask. Rhode finally felt relieved. Even though he didn''t know what Lize thought about his answer, since she accepted it, he knew didn''t have to continue thinking about this problem. In this world, it was happier to know less.


    At this time, a painful sound echoed.


    "Ugh��"


    "He''s awake!"


    After hearing the sound, Lize quickly turned around and ran towards the tent. Rhode''s expression turned serious as he followed her. When he arrived at the tent, he saw that the mercenary was gulping a lot of water right after he woke up. It looked like he almost died in the desert and finally found an oasis to satiate his thirst. Lize was sitting beside him, carefully holding the water bag to avoid any trouble.


    "Ah��"


    After drinking half of the water bag, the mercenary sighed deeply. After that, he turned around and look at Rhode.


    "Thank you, thank you for saving me. If not for you guys, I might have already��"


    "No problem, it''s what we''re supposed to do."


    Rhode waved his hand and stopped his words. After that he stretched out his hand to hand over the badge.


    "This is yours, right�� I''m really curious, as a member of the Burning Blade, how could you be so badly injured here?"


    "This��"


    Looking at the badge, that mercenary was surprised for a moment. After that, he seemed to have remembered something and suddenly jumped up.


    "That''s right, we encountered an attack! Damn it!! I need to go back quickly, ah��"


    But just when he woke up, he could felt an intense pain in his body. His face turned green and sweat fell from his forehead. It could be seen just how severe his injury was. Lize quickly held him and helped him lie down once more.


    "You cannot move; you have suffered a very heavy injury which hasn''t fully healed yet��"


    "But but I cannot waste my time here. I need to quickly go back to the Mercenary Association and ask for their help�� Damn it��"


    "Did something happen to the Burning Blade?"


    After hearing what he said, Rhode frowned. It seems like it was just as he expected. However, Rhode was still very curious. In Twilight Forest, what could injure such a strong mercenary group until they asked for the Mercenary Association for help?


    "That''s right, Lil��Mister."


    After carefully looking at Rhode, the man quickly corrected his sentence, lest trouble befall him.


    "If I remember correctly, you are the Starlight mercenary group leader, right?"


    "That''s right, it''s me." Although the sentence from before made Rhode frown, since he managed to quickly rephrase it, Rhode would just pretend that he heard nothing. "Can you tell me what happened? If you need, I think I can help you."


    "It''s like this��"


    After hearing until here, or maybe because he knew that he was badly injured and unable to finish his mission, he could only sigh and quickly started to explain what happened.


    After the Mercenary Joint Meeting has ended, Hiller brought his mercenary group to the Twilight Forest. First, because it was on to their way back to Lightwind City, and second, because he has the same idea as Rhode. He wanted to train his subordinates. Although the prohibition was one month, as a mercenary, it was important to keep fighting from time to time.


    At first, things went pretty smoothly. However, something suddenly happened, and the Burning Blade entered Wind Snake territory and was attacked. In the beginning, they didn''t really care about the Wind Snake, since it was a magical creatures that was often seen. But the things that happened next were beyond their expectations, and the Wind Snakes kept increasing. When they realized it was that bad, they had already been surrounded by the Wind Snakes.


    Since it was difficult to escape from that situation, Hiller decided to send a small group to break out of the Wind Snake encirclement and look for help.


    However, their luck wasn''t very good. No matter how weak ants are, but hundreds or even thousands of them was enough to make people die. Same goes for the Wind Snake; although they managed to break the Wind Snake encirclement, but they were still heavily injured. As the last survivor, this mercenary fell off the cliff when the Wind Snakes chased after him. Luckily, he was saved and survived.


    "Encircled by the Wind Snakes?"


    After hearing it, Rhode found it somewhat unbelievable. A group of Wind Snakes numbered only in the hundreds; it might be strong enough to attack a small mercenary group. But it wasn''t supposed to be strong enough to attack a fully-armed mercenary group, right?


    "How much do they number?"


    Upon hearing this question, the mercenary that was originally calm exposed a frightened expression.


    "Thousands! It''s thousands of them!"


    After hearing this, Rhode''s heart sank.


    He lifted his head to look at Lize. At this moment, she was clenching her hand as if she thought about something and glanced towards Rhode.


    It seemed that they guessed it.

 Chapter 119 Hidden Nightmare

    Under the dark night, the girl was blankly looking at the world.


    There was no one in that bleak, withered ground. There only seemed to be a ''tsktsk'' sound echoing through the air, giving people goosebumps.


    "Mr. Rhode? Marlene?"


    Lize hesitantly took a step forward. She called on her comrade names in low voice, but she didn''t hear any reply. Where was this? Why was she here? Lize didn''t know the answer. She could only feel her heart beating fast and her breath getting unstable��


    A drop of icy raindrops fell from the sky and onto her face.


    It was raining?


    Lize subconsciously touched the icy raindrops on her face. When she spread her hands, she found that her finger was covered with a bright red color. When she lifted her head to look up at the sky, she was stunned.


    Above her, Marlene was looking at her with her wide eyes. Her body was being torn apart. Countless Wind Snakes were tearing her body apart with their sharp fangs. Marlene was hanging up in the sky like a broken puppet. Her hands were dangling and blood was flowing down from her fingertips, slowly dripping to the ground. Beside her, only Rhode''s head was left. His head was pierced by the Wind Snake''s sharp fangs and the light in his eyes were long gone. At that moment, Lize found out that the things that were blocking the sky weren''t clouds, but a pile of Wind Snakes. They didn''t stop fluttering their wings while greed and desire glittered in their green eyes. The darkness before her seemed endless.


    The sound of the fluttering wings gave off a heavy pressure.


    "Marlene!! Mr. Rhode!!"


    Lize shouted out loud. The feelings of fear and sadness pierced through her heart. Her body trembled, even the scene before her became blurry. The Wind Snakes that were enjoying their meal seemed to hear her shouts. They screamed and rushed toward her like a locust. It was too late for her to lift her right hand. In the next moments, she felt their sharp fangs pierce through her throat��


    She opened her eyes.


    She was blankly staring at the tent in front of her and finally recovered. She turned around and saw Marlene was sleeping beside her. From her smile, it could be seen that she had a good dream.


    "It''s a nightmare�� It''s only a nightmare��"


    Lize was relieved. She finally realized that both of her hands couldn''t stop trembling. The things that happened in her dream were too real; even now, she could still remember the faces, the blood. It was really disgusting��


    "Ugh��!!"


    Thinking until here, Lize felt an irreducible nausea. She quickly covered her mouth and went outside the tent. She crawled next to the gully and vomited.


    "Uaghh��"


    Crawling on top of the stones, her body felt weak. She couldn''t stop trembling. The cold wind blew and made her shiver like a rabbit feeling cold. Even so, she was still unable to forget the nightmare from before. It seemed so real. She subconsciously touched her throat and the scene of her throat being pierced by the sharp fangs once again flashed through her mind.


    "Ugh��"


    Lize looked down.


    Why did it turn out to be like this? Didn''t I get over it? I should feel okay, Mr. Rhode also said that I''ll be okay. But I also don''t know why�� It''s only a dream, Lize, cheer up. That kind of thing won''t happen again. You must remember, don''t be afraid, don''t be afraid��


    Lize tightly held her hands and didn''t stop talking to herself. However, her body was trembling even more; the coldness had pierced through her body. Her body that was breaking in cold sweat at first had completely turned numb, no longer listening to her command. At the same time, she felt really tired. She closed her eyes and fell into sleep��


    At this time, a voice suddenly pulled her back to reality.


    "Sister Lize, what happened?"


    Lize lifted her head. She saw that Lapis was pulling her cloak, carefully walking out of the tent while looking at her. When she saw her, she seemed surprised, so she quickly got out from the tent and ran towards Lize.


    "Sister Lize, what happened? Are you okay? Should I call��"


    Halfway, Lapis paused. The one who was responsible for healing in the group was Lize, but now that Lize was the one sick, Lapis didn''t know who should she look for�� She couldn''t ask Lize to take care of Lize, right?


    "There''s no need," Lize said, pulling Lapis''s hand. She bitterly smiled and shook her head.


    "I had a nightmare and felt a bit tired�� Can I sleep with you?"


    Originally Lize planned to sleep in her own tent, but when she thought about Marlene, she immediately changed her mind. She wouldn''t be able to forget her nightmare after seeing Marlene again. She also didn''t want to wake Marlene up and make her worry, since this was Lize''s problem.


    "Of course, there''s no problem!"


    After hearing Lize''s request, Lapis agreed without hesitation. After that she carried Lize and carefully brought her into her tent.


    Unlike the others, Lapis''s tent only had one resident. It wasn''t because she wanted to be special like Rhode, but as an alchemist, a quiet environment was very important to her. At this moment, a pile of alchemical tools were neatly placed next to the wooden plate in Lapis''s tent. There was a dark, green liquid rolling inside and it emitted a strange, pungent taste.


    "Why haven''t you slept yet?"


    "Leader told me that I must finish these things."


    Hearing Lize''s question, Lapis''s expression turned bitter and she helplessly answered. Hearing her answer, Lize smiled. Of course, she also knew why Lapis had such a tragedy. During the daytime, Rhode brought Shauna and others to find magical herbs in the forest. After that, he gave all the herbs and a certain formula to Lapis. Rhode wanted her to make a potion based on the formula. Although Lapis still wanted to argue some more with Rhode, he coldly told her to "stop blabbering and do what I told you to" and scared her back. At this moment, she could only do what Rhode told her to, and she didn''t even know what that was. Rhode didn''t want to explain it to her and only wanted her to do what he asked for. As for the rest, he didn''t seem to care.


    Although Lapis felt that the leader was a little bit tyrannical, she has no other option, right?


    She could only bite the bullet and agree. Since no matter what, the others already contributed to the mercenary group. Only she didn''t do anything. This made her feel a little bit guilty. Naturally, Lapis felt happy that she could finally contribute something to the group now.


    "Come, Sister Lize. This is an herbal tea; it should make you feel better."


    Lapis handed a cup of tea to Lize. Lize took the tea while looking at the warm tent before her. It made her body and mind felt a lot better now.


    "Thank you, Lapis. But�� do you also look like this when you''re in the tent?"


    Looking at the girl before her, Lize couldn''t help but feel curious. Although it was in the tent, Lapis kept her cloak on. It seemed that she didn''t plan to take it off; and not only her, her brother also did the same. Frankly, Lize had been curious about it for a long time.


    "I have long since been used to this kind of appearance. Anyway, Sister Lize, are you really okay?"


    Seeing Lize drink the warm hot tea cozily, Lapis uneasily asked once again. However, this time Lize bitterly smiled and shook her head.


    "It''s really nothing, Lapis. I had a nightmare�� It''s a nightmare that I don''t want to remember and talk about anymore."


    "Oh��"


    After hearing what Lize said, Lapis seemed to understand and nodded. She didn''t clearly understand what Lize meant, but she knew since Lize didn''t want to talk about it, then it was better for her not to ask again. After that, she no longer said anything and turned around to sit in front of the wooden plate and continued to make her potion.


    That''s right, it''s only a dream��


    Sitting beside her, looking at Lapis''s figure, Lize gradually closed her eyes and felt extremely drowsy. After that, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.


    Lize didn''t realize that when she was asleep, Lapis, who was busy making a potion, turned around and secretly glanced at her. She carefully walked towards Lize and covered her with a blanket. After that, looking at Lize''s pale and calm face, Lapis hesitated for a moment, reached into her pocket, and took out a greenish-white magic badge and put it on Lize''s forehead.


    A green, comfortable light quickly emitted from the badge and warped around Lize''s body. After a moment, the light gradually faded. Lize''s originally stiff expression became a lot calmer. On the contrary, it was Lapis who frowned. She tightly clenched both of her hands, timidly and secretly glanced at Lize, then she looked outside the tent.


    "It''s better if I tell leader about this��"


    Lapis said to herself. She turned around and walked out from the tent.

 Chapter 120 Saving Hiller’s Soldiers 1

    "There''s such a thing?"


    Rhode thought for a moment, then he lifted his head to look at Lapis, who kept pulling her hood and wrapped her whole body inside her cloak. Whenever he looked at Lapis, he really wanted to complain as to why she was afraid of him: did she think that he might eat her?


    But now was not the time to complain.


    "I got it. You can go back now. Remember, don''t forget to finish your task."


    "Yes, leader."


    After hearing Rhode''s words, Lapis sighed deeply. She ran away from Rhode''s tent like a criminal. Looking at her panicked figure, Rhode helplessly sighed but said nothing. He had nothing to say.


    Lize''s condition was just as he had expected. There were some things that one couldn''t easily get over. Although Lize had tried her best, in the end, she still couldn''t walk out from the shadow of her heart. It was not strange, since even though Lize thought she had tried her best, she was still subconsciously was avoiding everything. Now, when she could no longer avoid it, she could no longer suppress the problem in her heart. Although Marlene said that she could help her, Rhode didn''t think Marlene could because Marlene had never experienced it before. So of course she wouldn''t understand how Lize felt. Rhode thought that one of the worst things in the world was when someone who had never experienced the same thing said "I understand your feeling" to another person with a sympathetic tone. It was basically b*llsh*t since they never experienced it. How could they still say that they understood?


    But the help that Rhode could give her was also very limited. He knew that this kind of thing couldn''t be solved by relying on others. If Lize herself couldn''t pass this ridge, then no one would be able to help her. Rhode also understand that it was extremely difficult to make Lize pass the ridge by herself.


    However to him, there was still a very good opportunity before him.


    After knowing that the Burning Blade mercenary group had encountered a danger, Rhode quickly decided to help them. Although it was dangerous, but it was a good opportunity to train his subordinates. Moreover, after the floating ship incident, Rhode had been suspicious that the Wind Snakes were being controlled. It was too unusual for the Burning Blade to be attacked at this kind of time. Probably, they encountered the person who controlled the Wind Snake and got encircled in it. Or else, an ordinary Wind Snake group wouldn''t reach thousands or millions. If that was the case, then to Rhode, it was the best opportunity for revenge. He wouldn''t let go of someone that had injured him that easily.


    When Rhode had just transmigrated to this world and was heavily injured, he could still break through the opponent encirclement and had escaped. Now, Rhode was no longer as "weak" as before. He would level up soon, and he was confident that he has enough strength to finish those guys. In addition, he still had a trump card��


    After resting for a day, Lapis finally finished the task Rhode gave to her. With two dark circles under her eyes, she handed a bag full of potions to Rhode. Originally, the pitiful Lapis had planned to sleep after that, but she didn''t expect that immediately after Rhode took the potions, he told them to depart. Facing this tragedy, Lapis couldn''t help but follow the others and bitterly continue the journey.


    On the other hand, Lize seemed to have forgotten about what happened last night. At this moment, she was walking beside Lapis while restoring her energy and comforting her. It seemed that she was no different than usual.


    "I never thought that Uncle would be in trouble��"


    Following Rhode from behind, Anne was still as carefree as usual. She was munching on an apple that she plucked out from nowhere and said, "You knew him?"


    Hearing Anne''s words, Marlene curiously asked while holding the magic wand in her hand.


    "I''m not sure how to say it. I met him a few times before with the old leader. He was a very taciturn fellow; he had a flat expression and didn''t even speak for the entire day. I remember when I first met him, he only said ''Ehn'' to answer his subordinates. Honestly, at that time, I thought that he was a mute."


    Anne laughed.


    "It just that Uncle is very amazing. I think he''s almost the same as the leader? He''s also very very strong, especially his sword. Yes, it''s really too much. Moreover, he''s the type that won''t show any mercy to women just like leader�� Yes, I think leader will be very compatible with him?"


    "Haa��" Hearing Anne''s answer, Marlene glanced at Rhode with a complicated look in her eyes but said nothing.


    After that, Rhode rejected the request that mercenary had asked of him. The mercenary wanted him to ask for the Mercenary Association for help. But in Rhode''s opinion, it would just be a waste of time. When they got out of the Twilight Forest and went to look for reinforcements from the Mercenary Association, perhaps the Burning Blade mercenary group would already become history. Since Wind Snakes were a low level monster and a lot easier to deal with than undead creatures, Rhode quickly decided to let that mercenary to lead them to the Burning Blade mercenary group''s location and try to save them.


    Although the mercenary doubted and hesitated for a while, he also knew that if he went back to look for the Mercenary Association''s help, it would definitely be too late. It was better to let them try it. Since Rhode had also saved "Victorious Wine" in Silent Highland, he was supposed to be strong.


    After hurrying up for the whole day, Rhode and others finally arrived at the location.


    "It''s, it''s here."


    Pointing to the forest not far before him, the mercenary wiped his sweat and helplessly said.


    "Leader and others are trapped inside, if we don''t hurry then��"


    In fact, even without him mentioning it, everyone else also noticed the strange scene in the forest.


    Numerous Wine Snakes formed a neat formation and shrouded the sky above the forest like a cloud. They were circling around from time to time, then flew up again. From the surroundings, it could be seen that a lot of Wind Snakes were spreading around and watching.


    As expected, they were being controlled by someone.


    Looking at this scene, Rhode could fully affirm that it wasn''t a natural disaster but a man-made one. This was done by a contracted mage who could manipulate a group of monsters by controlling the leader''s soul. It was almost the same as a Summoning Swordsman, since they also relied on numbers to win. What differentiated them from the Summoning Swordsman was that they couldn''t use their ability freely. Controlling tens of thousands of Wind Snakes like this could only be done in the wild, and they also had to ensure that the contracted monster didn''t die. Else, not only the monster would no longer obey the contracted mage, but might also hurt the mage back.


    "It''s a contracted mage."


    Marlene quickly noticed. She frowned slightly and look a little bit troubled.


    "Can we find him? Since he can control such a huge number of monsters, maybe he has reached the third middle circle, and the monster he controlled was probably at the commander level."


    "It''s useless even if we found him. It won''t do us any good."


    Rhode shook his head and rejected Marlene''s idea. Although there was an iron law��before shooting people, first shoot the horse and before capturing the thief, capture the King��it still depends on the situation. Since there were so many Wind Snakes, if they couldn''t attack first, then they would be cornered by the Wind Snakes, and Rhode didn''t want that to happen.


    "Our main goal is to assemble with the Burning Blade first. With Hiller''s help, it will be easier to deal with those guys. We must also get ready; when it gets dark, we''ll start to move."


    It had to be said that Hiller was really a very wise person. Being surrounded by such a large number of snakes, he could actually still think calmly and brought his subordinates to the thick bushes to resist the enemy''s attack. It was a difficult decision because once people saw the number of Wind Snakes, they would usually be too afraid to do anything.


    It seemed like the number 1 mercenary group in the Paphield area really lived up to its name.


    As soon as he gave the command, Rhode glanced at Lize. At this time, she was expressionless and only quietly sitting next to him. There was a complicated look in her eyes while looking at the Wind Snakes not far from her. Rhode didn''t specifically go to comfort her; he understood that if Lize could rely on herself to get over it, then it would be better,


    The night fell.


    Under Rhode''s command, the mercenaries that were prepared long ago set out immediately. They were lurking in the forest and slowly moving forward with the help of the bushes and leaves to block the Wind Snakes from seeing them. At the beginning, things went pretty smoothly. The Wind Snakes that were floating in the air never thought of going into the forest to inspect. In their opinion, those narrow spaces were very dangerous and made it difficult to move. That was why they always move in the plains. Forests full of leaves and bushes definitely weren''t the best choice for them.


    However, very soon. everyone encountered danger.


    As they went deeper, the number of Wind Snakes also increased. They didn''t come to attack Rhode; on the contrary, they were here to attack the enemies that they should have destroyed.


    "Things cannot go on like this Mr. Rhode."


    Marlene held the wand and frowned. Hearing the fluttering wings and roaring sound not far from the forest, Marlene uneasily said, "Although according to the book, Wind Snakes have very poor sight in the dark, they are still very sensitive to sound. In such a big forest, we��"


    "Don''t worry, I have already made the preparation."


    Rhode took four bottles of potion out from his pocket. After that he handed it to Shauna, Anne, and Randolf.


    "Open it."


    After hearing Rhode''s command, the three of them quickly opened the bottles. Soon, an unpleasant and pungent stench filled their surroundings.

 Chapter 121 Saving Hiller’s Soldiers 2

    The pungent stench from the bottle quickly spread to the surroundings, which made many people frown and cover their nose. After all, the smell was really too strong; even Anne who was usually laughing leisurely was currently fanning her face with bitter expression. Apparently even she couldn''t stand this kind of smell.


    On the opposite, Lapis, the "culprit," looked indifferent. The smell didn''t seem to have any impact on her. After all, she was an alchemist; she made potions all day long. She could even bear smells more horrible than this. In her opinion, this had only reached an the appetizer level.


    Marlene was a bit pale at this moment. However, the reason wasn''t because of this pungent stench. She reached out with her finger and closed her eyes. After a moment, she frowned. She glanced at Rhode with surprised and uneasy expression.


    "This is a gas element precipitation!"


    As a mage, and a talented one, Marlene could easily feel the elemental wave in the surroundings. From the moment that strange smell spread, she could already feel the original active gas element precipitate and sink. It was just like children who were suddenly getting scolded by the adult while originally playing and having fun��they would sit down on the ground, quiet and motionlessly in a disconsolate manner.


    As a mage, of course Marlene knew what that meant. For the gas element to suddenly precipitate, it means that the associated spells would be difficult to cast. Her favorite storm shield''s power would be greatly reduced, even assuming she could cast it. The relationship between magic and elements was like workers and factory. If the workers worked in full swing, the factory would naturally be able to generate a powerful energy. But if the workers worked swinging one by one, then it would naturally be impossible to create any threat.


    However, at that moment, Marlene was exceptionally surprised because element precipitation was a very rare potion effect and most alchemists simply couldn''t made it. However, Rhode seemed very familiar with it. After all, it was him who gave Lapis the recipe. Marlene wrote the recipe according to what Rhode had said; the quantities of the recipe''s ingredients were so detailed��even to its gram. Even a potion master like Marlene didn''t know the exact effect of this potion even after getting the recipe. She could only vaguely judge that based on the magical herbs in it, the potion would create a wide-range smoke.


    But right now, Marlene was really surprised. She couldn''t understand how Rhode got this recipe and how he could remember it so well. He was not an alchemist; he shouldn''t be able to understand these kinds of things. Moreover, this element precipitation potion was very rare.


    Is he really��


    Marlene clenched her fist and placed it on her chest. She could feel her heart beating really fast.


    At this time, the strange smell gradually filled the air and a strange scene suddenly appeared before them.


    The Wind Snakes that were originally flying around in the forest suddenly wailed and fell to the ground as if they were hit by a huge boulder. Some Wind Snakes that were lucky enough to escape that catastrophe were running around as if they saw a ghost. They were screaming and desperately flew away. They didn''t even care if their wings and body were scratched by sharp branches. They just kept flapping their wings swiftly to get away from the forest in fear.


    In a blink of an eye, the forest became empty; beside the Wind Snakes that fell to the ground and kept crying out in despair, there was no other sound.


    "Hmph!" Looking at the scene before him, Rhode coldly snorted.


    He was familiar with this scene. In the game, many part-time alchemists killed the monster like that. Wind Snakes weren''t like birds that were born with a body suitable for flying in the sky. The reason why they could fly in the air wasn''t because they had wings; it was because they had a special ability as a gas elemental creature. They could use their skill to fly freely in the sky. If the sky was the ocean, then the Wind Snakes were like the boats that were floating on it.


    But now, after completely suppressing the gas element by using a precipitation potion, the ocean had turned into a dry pond. Without water, fish could only helplessly struggle. This was the exact portrayal of what happened to the Wind Snakes before them right now.


    They were just a group of stupid monsters that hadn''t even reached level 5, and before, they actually made me look so pitiful. If I don''t take my revenge, then my name isn''t Rhode!


    Rhode stomped on a Wind Snake that was still struggling. Below, the Wind Snake kept screaming and making shrill sound, but Rhode didn''t seem to be bothered by it. He used his full force and crushed the Wind Snake into meatloaf. After that, he turned around and issued a command.


    "The potion effect won''t last too long! Speed up and get going!"


    Hearing Rhode''s order, the mercenaries wore a different expression on their faces and quickly began to get going. They followed Rhode and continued to walk into the forest under the Burning Blade mercenary group''s survivor''s lead.


    No one noticed that Lize''s face had turned pale while looking at the sky.


    The dense leaves were blocking the starry sky, and sharp, hoarse cry of the Wind Snakes could be heard everywhere. It made her immediately remember the nightmare she had last night. The darkness-shrouded everything, the endless group of Wind Snakes, and��


    Lize couldn''t help but shiver.


    That was just a nightmare, that''s right, it was just a nightmare��


    Just then, a hand patted her shoulder.


    "Sister Lize."


    "Ah!!"


    Lize, who was frightened, subconsciously jumped up and turned around. Only then, she saw that Anne was standing beside her. The girl who only knew how to eat and sleep everyday curiously looked at her. Her pair of clear, emerald eyes reflected Lize''s frightened and uneasy expression.


    "Are you okay? Do you feel uncomfortable?"


    "No, I just�� dozed off a little��"


    Lize also didn''t know how to explain. In the end, she only said so.


    "Hmm��"


    After she listened to Lize''s answer, Anne carefully looked at her for a while then revealed her usual lively smile once again.


    "When we fight, Sister must stand behind Anne, alright? Anne will definitely protect Sister!"


    "Ah�� Hm, I know, thank you, Anne."


    Facing Lize''s panicked answer, Anne no longer said anything. She only smiled and patted Lize''s shoulder. After that, she energetically jumped forward. Looking at Anne''s figure, Lize couldn''t help but sigh. Then, she stretched out her hand and slapped her cheeks forcefully.


    That''s right, now is not the time to doze off. I need to work hard!


    Thinking until here, she took a deep breath. After that, she clenched both of her hands and looked at the front with a serious expression. The originally chaotic pace had become steadier.


    Swoosh!!


    A red light flashed through and broke the darkness like a fire dragon. The poor Wind Snakes that rushed towards the front didn''t manage to dodge in time. They were swept into the beam and turned into ashes in a blink of an eye.


    "How''s the situation?"


    Hiller looked at the dark forest and asked without turning his head.


    "Very bad, Leader. Two-thirds of the people are heavily injured, five people among them are in bad condition and seem to be poisoned. Although we have tried our best�� the number of survivors will be difficult to say."


    "Is that so."


    Hearing his subordinate''s reply, Hiller''s expression didn''t change. He held a giant, burning swords in each of his hands while coldly watching the surroundings. The Wind Snakes that lost their companions were no longer as aggressive as before. This also gave an opportunity for Hiller to rest. But clearly, this experienced mercenary leader didn''t take things lightly because he knew that the situation wasn''t very good.


    Hiller''s mercenary group was attacked by Wind Snakes on their second day in the Twilight Forest. At first, they didn''t really think highly of those Wind Snakes, since the Burning Blade was a first-class mercenary group, and those kind of monsters simply weren''t even qualified to threaten them.


    However, as time passed, the number of Wind Snakes also increased. Hiller finally noticed that the situation wasn''t the same as he had imagined and how unusual it seemed. He made the decision and led his men to the forest. After that, the situation that developed was even more strange. In general, after entering into the forest, the Wind Snakes would choose to retreat. However, this time they didn''t leave as usual. On the contrary, the Wind Snakes completely surrounded the forest, encircled them, and kept attacking them day and night.


    Since Hiller was no fool, he also realized that the Wind Snakes were being controlled and manipulated by someone.


    The next battle has validated his speculation.


    "Tell everyone to prepare; we will try it one more time."


    Hiller lifted the giant swords in his hands. The burning flame followed his movement and once again began raging up.


    "We have to broke the encirclement as soon as possible!"


    "�� Yes, leader."


    After receiving Hiller''s order, his men didn''t feel the slightest hesitation. Although they were being attacked and some of them were injured, as long as it was the leader''s order, they would follow it without hesitation. That''s why after hearing Hiller''s command, his subordinate didn''t hesitate the slightest and directly told his companion about the order.


    At the same time, a scream sounded.


    What happened? Did those Wind Snakes start to attack?


    The sudden changes immediately aroused Hiller''s attention. He quickly looked at the surroundings in vigilance, but to his surprise, what he saw wasn''t a scene of Wind Snakes rushing towards him. On the contrary, the Wind Snakes were retreating in panic and rushing to leave the forest.


    What happened?


    Hiller hadn''t yet grasped the situation when he smelled a pungent stench. After that, he saw some people walk out of the forest before him.


    "I''m happy to see that you guys are still alive," the young man who stood at the front said.

 Chapter 122 Saving Hiller’s Soldiers 3

    Hiller put down the weapon in his hand because he had identified the two men who were walking in front of the group. The first man was the one that he had dispatched to seek the Mercenary Association''s assistance and the other was the Starlight mercenary group leader, Rhode.


    Why was he here?


    Hiller''s first thought was that Mercenary Association had received their reinforcement request and sent Starlight over. However, he quickly erased that speculation because the time was too short. He has sent his people a day ago; no matter how fast, it was still impossible for them to arrive at Deep Stone City and ask for reinforcements. But Hiller didn''t say anything and put down his sword while looking at his subordinates with interrogating face. He knew that his mercenary would definitely gave him a complete answer.


    "It''s like this, leader." After looking at Hiller, the mercenary hastily said. "When we left, we were attacked by a group of Wind Snake. We didn''t have the time to escape, including me�� Fortunately, Mr. Rhode''s Starlight mercenary group happened to be there and saved me. After hearing our circumstances, they volunteered to help us��"


    After listening to his subordinate explanation, Hiller slowly looked toward Rhode. He extended his hand and heavily patted his shoulder. "Thank you."


    These two words completely explained Hiller''s feelings in this moment.


    Since they were in the middle of escaping, naturally they wouldn''t have the time to drink and talk to get to know more about each other. Soon, Lize and Lapis were sent to help heal the injured and disinfect the poisoned. At this kind of time, the benefit of having spirit masters could clearly be seen. Although huge mercenary groups like the Burning Blade also had spirit masters, Hiller usually didn''t bring them on a mission, given their characteristics. It was both to protect the mercenary group''s valuable assets and prevent danger in these kinds of emergency situations.


    While Lize and others were treating the wounded, Rhode began to discuss the problem with Hiller. Or to be exact, Rhode was discussing with Hiller''s adjutant because in many cases, Hiller rarely spoke. His adjutant would have to help to convey his meaning. Except saying yes, Hiller would only occasionally shake his head to say no, and didn''t seem to be planning to talk at all.


    If Rhode''s expression was like an iceberg that couldn''t be melted, then Hiller''s silence was like a-thousand-year-old rock. He only stood quietly while aging and almost never expressed his own opinion. But even so, people still couldn''t ignore his existence.


    "We also tried to break the Wind Snake''s encirclement and did succeeded several times, but ultimately still failed in the end. The Wind Snakes were not that difficult to deal with, but they have a commander-level lord, which is really troublesome."


    "Was there many commander-level lords?" Rhode asked sharply.


    "Yes." The adjutant nodded.


    "There were a total three Wind Snake Lords. No matter where we went, they would block us and�� We were occasionally attacked by magic. I think there is someone manipulating the Wind Snakes from behind�� No matter what, his purpose is to trap us here. Although we don''t know who exactly the opponent is, but he seems to be a very dangerous guy." Having said those words, the adjutant looked up at Hiller, to which Hiller slightly nodded.


    "By using a gas element precipitation potion, ordinary Wind Snakes shouldn''t be able to get close to us. The abnormal changes in the Wind Snakes must be caused by the Wind Snake Lords. I think those guys should be on their way here at this moment. That''s why we must immediately move and leave this place."


    Rhode opened his bag and took out four bottles of potion. "These are for you. To use it, just open the cap and hold it in your hand. The element precipitation will make ordinary Wind Snakes unable to come close. As for the Wind Snake Lords, although they are a little bit trickier, without help from groups of Wind Snake group, it shouldn''t be too hard to finish them with our ability. The only trouble is that mage��"


    Rhode frowned. It''s not like he didn''t think of the possibility that the opponent had noticed them and was trying to kill all of them here. Although the idea was very commendable, it didn''t mean that he would willingly became the sacrifice of this conspiracy.


    "Do you have information regarding his level?"


    "This��"


    The adjutant glanced at Hiller and uneasily said.


    "We are not mages, so we don''t really understand these things. But I can only say that the first time, we were sent back by a tornado, and the second time, there was a lightning bolt barrier that spread to the surroundings. These two times made us very terrified. We also tried again several times, but we never encountered any magic after that since we were already exhausted and blocked by the Wind Snake Lords."


    "We don''t have much time now." Hearing this, Rhode thought for a moment.


    "Get ready to fight, we will move on right away. What do you think, Mr. Hiller?"


    "Sure."


    Hearing Rhode''s inquiry, Hiller stood up and replied shortly, though with a determined tone. After that, he patted Rhode''s shoulder, then pointed toward the mercenaries behind him and made a hand gesture.


    "�� What leader mean is, we''ll all listen to you." Have to say, translating was really tiring.


    "I hope we won''t need this messy communication during the battle."


    Faced with Hiller''s attitude, Rhode helplessly rolled his eyes.


    Soon, under the crowd''s urge, the Burning Blade mercenary group quickly packed their luggage and dragged their weary bodies to follow Rhode on the way back.


    The black-robed mage opened his eyes. "Interesting."


    He quietly floating in the night sky, looking at the forest from afar. As a mage, it was basic to not expose himself to danger. It was especially for a contracted mage because contracted mages mostly only learned how to tame boss-level monster, so their magic level was a lot lower than that of average mages. Although the black-robed mage was considered strong, he was still reluctant to take the risk. He relied more on his skill in commanding rather than brute force��that was kind of thing better left to his subordinates. In his opinion, if a mage was already forced to the point that he couldn''t help but face the opponent up front, then it meant that he had already completely lost.


    That was why unless it was the last resort, he definitely wouldn''t expose himself.


    At this moment, with the power of his magic spell, the black-cloaked mage could clearly see what happened from afar.


    "Those barbaric idiots actually didn''t lose. It''s really beyond my expectations. And uninvited guests has broke in�� Hm?"


    Through the manipulated object''s eyes, the black-cloaked mage carefully looked at Rhode, then he closed his eyes and pondered.


    "Speaking of it, that guy looks a little familiar. Ah, that''s right, yesterday Frank asked me to�� the target seemed to be that guy. Really unexpected that he actually take the initiative and come here by himself!"


    The mage talked to himself, madly laughing, and lifted his right hand. He seemed to be muttering something. After hearing the spell he had casted, the surrounding Wind Snakes once again issued sharp cries, then rushed forward in union!


    "Get ready, go!!"


    The group of Wind Snakes didn''t seem to affect Rhode. On the contrary, facing these terrifying monster, he was rather calm. After that, he took the potion from before and threw it aside. Soon, a pungent stench spread around and made people wanted to throw up,


    The original advancing Wind Snake completely lost their previous demeanor. They fell to the ground one by one like a meteor. The Wind Snakes that lost their gas elemental support were unable to control themselves. They rushed towards sharp branches and splitted into two without mercy.


    "Marlene!"


    Upon hearing Rhode''s order, Marlene was already prepared and immediately raised her wand. Soon, a brilliant lightning bolt flew out from her wand and swiftly flew toward the group of Wind Snakes. Followed by the continuous sound of explosions, the stench of blood from the Wind Snakes also spread around the forest. Mixed with the pungent stench from before, it was really disgusting.


    "Oh?"


    Noticing that his attack failed, the black-cloaked mage frowned. He closed his eyes, then revealed a trace of joy on his face.


    "I didn''t see that coming; there''s actually a person who could think of such tactics. Not bad, it seems that this kid is smarter than those barbaric idiots. Then next�� how will you deal with this?"


    After mumbling by himself, the black cloak mage put his finger inside his mouth and whistled. Then��


    "������!!"


    Sharp, loud roar echoed. Three huge, six to seven meter-long white Wind Snakes suddenly appeared from the clouds. Their red eyes were full of killing intent and anger. They quickly fluttered their wings and rushed forward.


    "They''re lords! Be careful!"


    Hearing the sharp and loud roar, Rhode hurriedly raised his sword and quickly reminded others. At the same time, the three huge figure hovered down and blocked the path in front of them.


    Boom!!


    The powerful force overwhelmed even the oldest trees. With a gentle toss of a Wind Snake Lord''s tails, dozens of trees were sheared off. They hissed, then lower their heads, preparing to attack their prey.


    At this moment, Rhode finally issued an order.


    "Attack!"

 Chapter 123 Saving Hiller’s Soldiers 4

    "Hiss����!!"


    Followed by the hissing sound, the Wind Snake Lord lurked in the forest like a fish. Although the gas element precipitation potion had affected them to a certain degree, but it didn''t reach a lethal effect like it did to ordinary Wind Snakes. On the contrary, after they noticed the precipitation of the surrounding gas element, the Wind Snake Lords became furious and tossed their tails while roaring. In a blink of an eye, a huge tree was cut down and sent rolling toward the crowd. However, before it hit them, a fire dragon fell from the sky, transforming the tree into ashes.


    Hiller held a giant sword and stood beside Rhode.


    "What should I do?"


    "Just focus on the attack."


    Rhode answered without hesitation and quickly signalled the crowd behind him.


    The first one to move was Anne.


    She leapt to the front of other mercenaries like a cheetah. Her step was very light, as if the heavy golden shield in her hand didn''t seem to exist. In the next moment, Anne stretched the shield on her hand and sharp blades emerged out and rotated around. But this time, she didn''t throw it out. Instead, she grabbed the handle and pulled it open. The intricate gold shield was divided into two layers, inside and outside. It suddenly slid to two sides, like a blooming flowers slowly stretching out its petals. The Rock Heart that was embedded in the center of the shield expanded and rotated rapidly. When everything was over, the shield in Anne''s hand already turned into a giant the size of a round dining table that could envelope two Annes.


    After that, Anne crouched down and swung the shield with force.


    The rotating shield flew across the dark forest, occasionally reflecting a cold light. The Wind Snake Lords noticed the threat and quickly stopped. They moved to the side to dodge the shield blade that had torn through countless leaves and branches, leaving them looking like broken bamboo.


    However, Rhode had already started to attack.


    A little star-shaped light condensed from the Broken Blade and flew across the night sky. After Rhode has leveled up, the Broken Blade became more powerful and more threatening. If the previous Broken Blade was like a laser beam, then now the rotating light made it look more like a meteor shower that pierced through the night.


    It was followed by Marlene, who was indeed a rare magical genius. Although she had only experienced a few missions with Rhode, her performance was like that of someone who had been cooperating with him for few years. After casting the spell with dragon language, the red ruby on her wand turned into a transparent white color. The temperature in the air had also decreased. The wand passed through the sky and brought about a faint white mist. After the fog dissipated, hundreds of icicles condensed into long swords and floated beside her. With a light step, Marlene jumped forward.


    The others also didn''t stop moving, and the Burning Blade mercenary group quickly went onwards. The rangers raised their longbow and aimed at the eyes of the Wind Snake Lord. Thieves who were skilled in poisoned flying knives threw their flying knives toward their targets. The swordsmen went around the perilous spot and arrived at the monster''s side and began attacking. They were stopping another Wind Snake Lord from approaching.


    The Burning Blade mercenary group finally demonstrated their strength as a strong mercenary group. Even if the leader didn''t give them a clear command, they still could perform they own duty clearly, without the slightest hesitation.


    The Wind Snake that had just escaped from Anne''s flying shield attack didn''t expect that the following attacks would be so violent. The shining meteor easily penetrated its thin wings and relentlessly tore them apart, creating bloody wounds after bloody wounds.


    The injured Wind Snake Lord immediately crashed to the ground. Originally, it was relying on its wings to compensate for the lack of a gas element and support its own body. However, now that its wings was injured, it was just like a damaged aircraft. Since there was no way for it to land, its only choice was to fall down.


    The Wind Snake Lord was struggling to lift its head up, but it had not yet expressed its anger when hundreds of swords floated into the air and quickly flew towards it in three different directions. In a blink of an eye, the ice swords tire the Wind Snake Lord''s body apart.


    As an elemental creature, the Wind Snake Lord''s resistance to magic wasn''t low, but it still depended on the attributes. If Marlene used the wind element, then the situation would already have turned into chaos. As a mage, naturally Marlene knew the most important thing when facing an elemental creature. Although ice swords weren''t the best option for restraining a Wind Snake Lord, but it was still enough to limit its action.


    As expected, the Wind Snake Lord was unable to move in time and the continuous explosion was enough to stagger it. Since it had a resistance to magic, Marlene''s ice swords were only like mosquito bites. However, no one could stand being bitten by hundreds of mosquito at the same time.


    At this moment, Hiller rushed forward and lifted the Fire Blade in his hand up high. The flame on the blade became more and more exuberant��as if it were a small sun��and then he swung it down.


    "������!!"


    The scorching flame on the blade easily cut through the Wind Snake Lord''s proud scales. Blood sprayed out and the Wind Snake Lord screamed in pain. It immediately looked up and opened its mouth to reveal sharp fangs, immediately rushing down. This was the Wind Snake Lord''s best move. It could move extremely fast by suppressing its muscles. Many people would neglect this part after they almost succeeded in defeating the Wind Snake Lord and turned into its delicious dinner.


    Of course, it was impossible for Hiller to neglect this part.


    His action could be considered very fast. After the sword hit the Wind Snake Lord, Hiller immediately jumped back to block the attack with his sword. However, even if he had calculated the movement in advance, the Wind Snake Lord''s sharp fangs still stabbed into Hiller''s giant blade. The red flame started burning, followed by a pungent smell.


    Hiller''s body shook slightly the moment the Wind Snake Lord''s fangs collided with his blade and the Wind Snake Lord sprayed out its venom. Fortunately, the Fire Blade vaporized the venom in time, but that didn''t mean that no harm was done.


    A strange, black fog wrapped Hiller inside, and the deadly gas that emerged out was so disgusting and it could even kill a frail person. At this time, the Wind Snake Lord repeated its attack, since the previous attack had succeeded. It shrank its neck once again and rushed down.


    However, at this moment, the Wind Snake Lord lifted its head quickly, its force so immense that it toppled many of the surrounding firm branches. But it didn''t seem to care about it, and instead turned its head to angrily look to the side in pain.


    Rhode, who didn''t know what had arrived beside the Wind Snake Lord, withdrew his sword. The attack almost cut off the Wind Snake Lord''s wing and left a shocking wound on it. The Wind Snake Lord that was attacking furiously glared at him. Soon, the air around the Wind Snake Lord rapidly rotated and turned into sharp sword aimed at Rhode. Waiting for the moment while Rhode jumped to dodge its attack, the Wind Snake Lord once again shrunk its head as if he wanted to tear this damned prey into pieces.


    It didn''t see that when Rhode was jumping, he threw something with his right hand. It could only see that Rhode''s figure flashed before him. Following its instinct, the Wind Snake Lord quickly chomped down and the feeling of blood and minced meat in its mouth made it feel joyous.


    But this joy lasted less than half a minute.


    An intense pain broke out in his mouth, and the intense air tore at its mouth and tongue. Currently, its teeth was breaking apart, and when it opened its mouth, the Wind Snake Lord was no longer as fierce as before. After being fatally injured, it began to desperately retreat, trying to escape the godforsaken place. Although an invisible force was still holding onto its body firmly, the force was still powerless in the face of survival instinct.


    The Wind Snake Lord was retreating while using its natural force to create a wind barrier. The only thing it wanted to do now was to leave this place. Even it had forgotten that the sound that echoed in its brain couldn''t be easily ignored.


    Precisely because of that, the Wind Snake Lord didn''t notice a small uplift on the ground that was aimed toward it and easily broke through the wind barrier toward the Wind Snake Lord.


    When it finally realized the changing in the ground, it was already too late.


    The sharp rock already pierced through the ground and penetrated through the Wind Snake Lord''s body like a skewer. The element opposition had reached its limit, and the Wind Snake Lord''s struggles and screams still wouldn''t change its fate. Its tail swept around and toppled the surrounding trees. Blood sprayed out from its wounds. Following the Wind Snake Lord''s intense movement, it left a trail of white smoke on the ground. A moment later, the exhausted Wind Snake Lord finally stopped moving. Its body was pierced just like that and it was no longer breathing.


    "Sigh��"


    Marlene was relieved. She put down her wand and immediately turned around to look at the other side.


    The battle with the Wind Snake Lords was easier than they expected because Rhode and Hiller''s collaboration compensated for each other''s weaknesses. Rhode''s Starlight mercenary group was stronger in one-on-one combat, but weak in group combat, while Hiller''s Burning Blade mercenary group was exactly the opposite. Although among them, there was no one besides Hiller that was particularly outstanding in combat ability, neither of the two wished to face two Wind Snake Lords at the same time even if they were in a different environment. Rhode was worried about being overwhelmed by the opponent''s number because he only had a few people, and Hiller was afraid of collapsing because of his group''s weak average strength.


    But now, the collaboration between the Starlight and Burning Blade mercenary groups made up for each other''s disadvantage. When Anne, Marlene, and Rhode joined, their strength could no longer could be contested by Level 25 Wind Snake Lords. On the other hand, the increase in the number of the mercenaries also made Lize''s group healing spell more useful. While Rhode was focused on attacking his target, Lize kept casting her spell so that the mercenaries facing the other Wind Snake Lord wouldn''t collapse. When Rhode assembled with the other mercenaries, the outcome of the battle was already tilted to the extreme.


    The black-cloaked mage opened his eyes.


    He knew what was going on. To the caster, the moment the soul connection broke off wasn''t just like seeing his first girlfriend embracing another rich man without hesitation, but also led to an unimaginable anger. However, as a powerful mage, he calmed down and gently stroked the Wind Snake Lord below him, expressionless.


    He knew the reason why the Wind Snake Lords he sent lost. In a gas precipitation environment, they were unable to react effectively, which was very deadly to a Wind Snake Lord. Now, he had to wait.


    He believed that a suitable time would soon come.

 Chapter 124 Saving Hiller’s Soldiers 5

    Hiller put down his sword and looked at Rhode, who was standing not far from him. Rhode was looking at the Wind Snake Lord corpse below him, thinking about something Hiller didn''t know.


    Frankly, he didn''t really have a good or bad impression of the Starlight mercenary group.


    When he first found out about its existence, he only thought that it was unbelievable. But it was only to that extent, and he didn''t really care about them anymore. It had been so many years since he first became a mercenary; he had seen a lot of things and so he didn''t really feel strange about it. This kind of thing could happen anywhere. New mercenary, new leader; no matter what, it wasn''t his problem.


    After meeting Rhode for the first time in the Mercenary Joint Meeting, Hiller became quite curious about the handsome young man. It wasn''t because of his appearance, but rather because of his attitude. During the Mercenary Joint Meeting, Rhode said that he wanted to destroy the Jade Tears mercenary group, but the way he said it didn''t make it seem like he held a deep hatred toward them. It was purely because of contemp, just like a person standing high above and looking at the ants below him. He just felt angry because those ants were blocking the way.


    He didn''t even seem to think about them as a human beings.


    Hiller didn''t know why did he felt like that. In general, he thought he was supposed to feel that Rhode was a cruel guy��his heart already distorted and a man without common sense. However, he didn''t feel like that toward Rhode. Rhode was smart, rational, calm, and composed. Rhode had also chosen to save him, which meant that he didn''t lack any positive characteristic that a human was supposed to have.


    But his attitude was still the same.


    Hiller could feel the way that Rhode look at him. Beside calmness, there was a trace of admiration in his eyes. But it wasn''t an admiration toward a human being. To the contrary, the way Rhode looked at Hiller was like someone looking at a painting or a legendary sculpture.


    Who is this young man?


    Rhode didn''t know what Hiller was thinking about right now. After fighting hand in hand with Hiller, it had reminisce him about his previous life as a player. During those times, he would also accept this kind of quest, battle together with an NPC, gain EXP points, level up, complete quest, obtain equipment, and receive rewards. It really never got old.


    Now, it seemed like he had gone back to those days.


    "Two Wind Snake Lords."


    Rhode looked at the battlefield, and there was a slight disappointment in his calmness.


    "It''s one less that what they said, and the mage didn''t appear either."


    "I think he''s going to show up soon." Holding the wand on her hand, Marlene''s face turned gloomy. "Although it''s only a little, I can feel the magic wave. He should be monitoring us�� This is clearly not a good sign, Mr. Rhode. Even though I cannot make an accurate judgement, I think the opponent''s magic level is higher than mine. It''s going to be troublesome."


    "How many bottles of the precipitation potion do we have left?"


    "Eight bottles; they can only support us for an hour at most." Lize quickly checked the inventory and answered.


    One hour.


    Rhode lifted his head to look at the sky. The Wind Snake group was still surrounding them from afar and didn''t seem like it was planning to retreat. That meant that even though they still could persevere for one hour, it would still be useless.


    "What should we do next? Leader?"


    Anne held the gold shield in her hand, her face covered in blood and overwhelmed with fright. But she looked like her energetic self and stared at the other mercenaries who sat on the ground in silence. During the battle, Randolf and others didn''t instantly use the skills they learned from training with Rhode. When facing this kind of enemy, they seemed to have just forgotten about the skills they learned and reverted back to their usual fighting style. Naturally, the outcome was just as he has expected. If not for Shauna''s command and management, the current strength of Starlight members would have decreased.


    Lapis''s performance was even worse. At first, she gathered her courage to fight, but when a Wind Snake Lord''s tail passed by above her, the pitiful girl immediately screamed and squatted down while protecting her head. She stayed in that position until the battle ended. Although this form of self defense seemed extremely weak, it did still managed to hold. While mercenaries were lying on the ground because they were injured by the Wind Snake Lord''s counterattack, she actually lasted until the end of the battle without injury.


    However, that didn''t mean it cost her nothing. Because she squatted for too long, right now she was unable to stand up��


    "Call Hiller here, we have to discuss about the next battle." After thinking for a while, Rhode made a decision.


    "What, lure him out?"


    Hearing Rhode''s words, Hiller''s adjutant immediately blurted out. Hiller also frowned. Although he didn''t say anything, the way he looked at Rhode clearly showed his bewilderment.


    "That''s right." Rhode nodded and quickly explained. "There''s isn''t much precipitation potion left. To protect this many people, it will only last for one hour. Within one hour, it''s impossible for us to get away from here. But, if we wait until we used up the precipitation potion, things will get very troublesome. During that time, the mage who was hiding from us will use the same tactic to trap us here. That''s why we must lure him out and force him to confront us. If we can finish him, then we will be done."


    "But mage rarely fight upfront." The adjutant said while looking at Marlene, whose eyes were closed.


    "Moreover, since there are only eight precipitation potion left, then couldn''t we leave before we used them up? Or, we can make more of it��"


    "The material has been used up." Rhode shrugged. "And there''s no time to make these potion anymore, but�� This is exactly what I''m going to say."


    "What do you mean by that?"


    Hearing Rhode''s words, the adjutant was surprised.


    "Very easy, even though we know that we only have eight bottles of precipitation potion left, the opponent doesn''t know about it. We could pretend to keep using the potion to face the Wind Snakes. At that time he will inevitably come out himself. My idea is very simple. First, we will be using the potion''s effect to keep moving forward to show him that we''re not in any panic. Then, we will rest to show that we have the power to make that potion anytime. By doing so, he will inevitably came out personally since Wind Snakes are afraid of gas element precipitation. But as a contracted mage, it''s not a big deal for him. As long as we can successfully lure him out to fight us, it means we have succeeded halfway. Next, we will just have to finish him."


    "But�� What if��"


    "Then we will inevitably die." Rhode of course knew what he meant.


    "But if we use up the precipitation potion, our fate will be almost the same. That''s why at least, we need take the initiative since many mages are��" Speaking until here, Rhode looked at Marlene and then continued talking. "Conceited and think that their intelligence can see through any scheme. I think�� we can do something about this."


    "But, but��"


    Hearing until here, the adjutant stood up, but he didn''t manage to finish his words and was stopped by Hiller. This serious and calm man looked at Rhode for a moment then nodded. "�� Let''s do it."


    It really was a dejected translation and helpless explanation.


    The black-cloaked mage quickly noticed his target began to move.


    However, it was different from what he had expected. They didn''t try to leave the forest in rush. To the contrary, their movement was strict and disciplined, but also not too fast. It seemed like they were walking toward the Twilight Forest outer border. What happened? Weren''t they afraid of being surrounded by Wind Snakes?


    Seeing this scene, the black-cloaked mage frowned. He began to regret underestimating the opponen, which caused him to lose two Wind Snake Lords. But since he still had his trump card, there was no problem in losing some small fries: at least he was able to see their strength. Among them, there should be no one with enough ability to threaten him. The same with the mage girl that he noticed before. Although the girl had entered a middle circle at such a young age, which made him quite surprised, she was still lacking a lot compared to him.


    However��


    Thinking until here, the black-cloaked mage narrowed his eyes. The girl was very talented and made him felt quite threatened. He spent almost 50 years to finally achieve his current strength; that girl was only about 17 or 18, but has already in the middle circle. If he didn''t finish her now, there might be another strong warrior in this country in the future. To him, it was definitely not good news.


    He needed finish her now before she grew up.


    Thinking until here, the black-cloaked mage clenched both of his fists and gradually condensed his magic.


    The mercenaries carefully moved forward under the two leaders'' command.


    Although they were puzzled as to why they didn''t leave this ghostly place immediately, they didn''t ask and only quietly followed from behind, carefully looking at the surroundings while recovering their energy.


    At this moment, Rhode was walking beside Marlene. "Are you really unable to find out the opponent level?"


    "It''s very difficult, Mr. Rhode. I can only be sure that the opponent is a lot stronger than me. His control toward elemental magic is also higher than mine. I''m unable to accurately pinpoint his strength. Except in an upfront battle, it''s going to be a very difficult thing to do."


    It was going to be troublesome.


    Rhode frowned. He was not afraid of the opponent since if he couldn''t finish the mage, he could just summon Qilian to solve the problem. It was just that Rhode didn''t want to use this method because summoning the card require too much sacrifice; it would be better to save it for later.


    At first Rhode still hoped that he could solve the problem by relying on his own strength, but it seemed that the current situation wasn''t too good.


    Although they defeated the Death Knight, which was a strong opponent, it was an upfront battle, so as long as they had enough people and enough strength, it wasn''t difficult. However, mages was different��they were sly and feared. They have many methods to keep their life; except in the case of a deadly strike, they would still be able to completely escape. The only subordinate that Rhode could set for battle was Marlene. But although she was a genius, but she wasn''t ultimately a warrior. Marlene was still lacking experience in this kind of confrontation.


    Then what should he do? Should he use Qilian?


    Let see how the situation turns out.


    Thinking until here, Rhode lifted his head to look at the sky once more. His expression suddenly turned serious. He quickly held onto Marlene and rolled to the side.


    "Be careful!"


    At the same time, a thunderbolt hit straight down from the gloomy dark clouds, to the spot where Marlene stood just now.

 Chapter 125 Red Lotus Feast 1

    "I''m sorry, Mr. Rhode. I can''t do this��"


    Marlene clenched her hands while looking at the man beside her who was listening to her reply with a pained expression. She could feel a trace of unwillingness in her heart. She was not a self-centered person; although she had been called as a genius for more than ten years, she learned the fact that there was always someone else better than her. Indeed, she was talented and capable. However, they were different compared with strength. Perhaps it was because of her age, so there was no one who could surpass level. But if it was the entire continent, there were a lot of mages who were still stronger than her. There was no way she could request having an opponent the same age as her; it was just not being realistic.


    That was why Marlene was never ashamed to admit her deficiencies. However, this time she felt unwilling. Based on her sensitivity toward elemental reaction, she seemed to be able to catch the magic residual that the opponent left. With just one more step, she could already determine just how strong the opponent was. After going through many battles, she clearly understood just how important it was to find out about the enemy''s strength beforehand. If she did it after the battle started, there wouldn''t be enough time and it would be too late already.


    But she just couldn''t do it; that mage''s controlling magic level was below hers, but he had more experience than her. She tried many times, but she was unable to figure anything out. She knew that the opponent''s level was higher than hers, but she couldn''t find out to what extent. It was just like looking at the moon in a foggy sky.


    If I''m just a little bit stronger��


    Thinking until here, Marlene dozed off.


    Because of that, she didn''t notice the huge magic wave that quietly condensed above her.


    Boom!!


    An earth-wrecking sound echoed in her ears.


    The cold touch behind her back brought Marlene back to reality. The first thing he saw was Rhode who was tightly clinging to her, which made her flushed. However, at the next moment, after looking at the circling dark clouds in the sky, Marlene''s expression changed.


    She hurriedly extended her hand and the wand in her hand flashed. Soon, a polygonal barrier appeared and completely covered her.


    "Everyone scatter! Rangers and thieves stay in place, everyone else is responsible for defense!"


    Rhode had no time to ask anything; he quickly rolled and climbed up. At the same time, he gave commands to the others: what happened completely beyond his expectations. He didn''t think that the mage would actually be so impatient as to immediately attack himself. Originally, Rhode thought that he would patiently lurk in the dark. But, he actually attacked so quickly and��


    Thinking until here, Rhode was puzzled and glanced towards Marlene.


    Instead of walking in front of the group, they were walking near the center of the group. They weren''t supposed to be attacked. Rhode was aware of a mage''s weaknesses: they were good at large scale attacks, but it would be more difficult for them facing a group attack. That was why, in general, before a mage launched an attack, they would usually cast a protection spell for themselves. They would attack the main lead after finishing the small fries. This was also the reason why Rhode didn''t expect that the mage to attack him in the first place. He thought that the mage would choose to launch attack from the middle or the rear, then launched an attack on a large scale and leisurely finish the others. He didn''t expect that he would actually attack Marlene.


    Although taking into account that there was only one mage in his group, and if the enemy was able to finish her first, then the next move would be easier, Rhode still found it strange. A mage that could control a group of Wind Snakes and encircle the Burning Blade mercenary group for a few days actually lost his patience just because of their sudden appearance?


    It seemed that the matter wasn''t that simple.


    At this moment, a thunderbolt heavily hit the ground. Apparently, the mercenaries had already prepared well. After they heard Rhode''s command, they quickly scattered and hid themselves in the terrain. Although this might gave them some pressure when facing the Wind Snakes, if they assembled together, there might be a chance to catch the mage. There were only a few newbies here, so most of them knew these theories.


    Rhode pulled Marlene and Anne brought Lize to hide behind two boulders. Thunderbolts kept falling beside them, mixed with an earth-wrecking sound and shining light that almost completely blinded everyone''s eyes. The soil on the ground had collapsed under the impact of the thunderbolt, the trees fell to the ground, and the remains were covered with flames and smoke.


    For some times, it was as if the end of the world was about to come.


    This was the true strength of a mage.


    Luckily, this thunderstorm didn''t last long and ended in about two to three minutes. However, Rhode and others didn''t have time to relax when they suddenly heard a bursting sound from the air getting closer!


    "Mr. Hiller, follow the original plan!"


    Through the forest barrier, Rhode immediately could see the figure who was floating in the sky. A mage could only cast a magic spell in a place that he could see and the distance between them was Rhode''s only advantage. But even after the culprit showed himself, it still didn''t mean that he was easy to deal with. Looking at the Wind Snake that he sat on, it could clearly be seen that things weren''t quite so simple.


    After hearing Rhode''s words, Hiller also ordered the others to quickly make a defensive preparation to face the upcoming Wind Snakes. This time, they didn''t immediately use the gas element precipitation potion. This was what Rhode had planned: if they used it from the beginning, then the mage would likely retreat and defeating him afterwards would be more difficult. The plan was to use their own strength first to withstand the Wind Snake''s attack; after the mage realized that they could no longer use the power of the potion, he would likely to take further action. If they could take advantage of the sudden outbreak at that time, maybe there was a possibility of defeating him.


    This was a war between mages.


    Marlene was wrapped in the protection spell. She stood up and solemnly look at the sky. She was muttering an ancient spell; at the same time, the mage who was sitting on top of the Wind Snake also clenched his fists. Now, the magic once again condensed and turned into a roaring Thunder Snake.


    Then, the black-cloaked mage pressed down his hands. At the same time, Marlene heavily pressed her wand to the ground.


    The condensed Thunder Snake opened its mouth and aimed towards her. At the same time, the ice crystal on Marlene''s wand also began to surge and condensed into an Ice Eagle that spread its wings.


    Two sides once again collided.


    An explosive sound echoed in the air. For some times, even space seemed to be distorted because of the different elements in their magics. The ice crystals scattered around, turned into snow, and fell to the ground. It somehow looked beautiful.


    However, both sides didn''t stop attacking.


    Marlene lightly muttered and a few flame-burning tornadoes came to the surface. They pierced the clouds and roared toward the black-cloaked mage. However, this time, he didn''t wait for her to react; the Wind Snake suddenly opened its mouth and screamed. The next moment, the whistling storm turned into a surging wave, forming a barrier that was several meters tall.


    Both sides instantly met each other.


    But this time, Marlene''s expression changed.


    When the storm barrier which stood upright like a wall came in contact with the flame tornado, it completely engulfed its power. The terrible force was enough to conquer a city, dissolve it by an intangible energy, and then reintegrated the energy into a barrier. Marlene could feel a surging wave reverse towards her; she couldn''t help but back down a few steps to stabilize her stature. However, the originally shining gem had already turned dull; clearly, that mysterious force has caused quite a huge damage.


    It was master level lord!


    This thought flashed through Marlene''s mind. She couldn''t help but be surprised. Of course she knew what it meant to face a master level Wind Snake Lord: the opponent could freely control anything that was related to the wind element. Which meant that she could no longer use wind magic to injure the opponent, or else who knew what might happen to her if she casted that spell.


    Facing the enemy that was floating in the air, if she didn''t use wind element magic, then how was she supposed to deal with it?


    The mage didn''t wait until Marlene thought of the answer, and a thunderbolt emerged from that wind barrier once again and flew toward Marlene. Although she quickly reacted, she only managed to lift her wand when the thunderbolt arrived in front of her. The protective shield was broken, finally reaching its limit this and getting crushed like porcelain. It completely collapsed and the thunderbolt was rushing forward in a flash. It almost succeeded until a golden barrier appeared and blocked it.


    Boom!!


    Regardless of whether the enemy was successfully destroyed or not, even though the thunderbolt was blocked, it still created a violent explosion. Among the flames, Marlene''s figure flew back and fell heavily on the ground. Soon, one hand held her shoulder, and then warm light wrapped around her body and healed her wound.


    Lize squatted down beside Marlene. Her expression was very serious; in front of her, Anne was lifting the shield up high while focusing on looking at the person that was floating in the air.


    "This really is unexpected��"


    Looking at the four girls before him, the black-cloaked mage snorted. He glanced toward the Wind Snakes that followed his order and began to attack, but those vermin were blocking the snakes'' advancement. But this was nothing; they''ll be dead sooner or later��it was just a matter of time. However, the most important thing right now was to kill this mage.


    Although they only have fought for a few strikes, the black-cloaked mage had already seen through Marlene''s strength. Based on her current age, it was really unexpected for her controlling and reacting ability to reach that kind of extent. The black-cloaked mage had never seen such a frightening kid. Right now, he had completely given up the idea of bringing her back to become a servant. He was planning to kill all of them. After all, with such a talented kid like her, even if he controlled her sometimes, it would still difficult to ensure that no problem would arise in the future.


    It was clearly an unwise decision to plant the seeds of a future calamity when women were abundant in the world.


    Thinking until here, the black-cloaked mage narrowed his eyes. He patted the Wind Snake Lord''s head and carefully looking at the people blocking the path in front of him.


    Wait. Where did the man dressed in all black go?


    Suddenly, a light piercing sound echoed from his back.


    In the next moment, Rhode held onto a red sword aimed at the black cloaked mage''s heart.

 Chapter 126 Red Lotus Feast 2

    The black-cloaked mage couldn''t react in time, but that didn''t mean that was he going to die. When Rhode''s sharp sword almost reached him, the Wind Snake Lord under the black-cloaked mage swung its tail violently aimed it toward Rhode!


    Facing the Wind Snake Lord''s counterattack, Rhode quickly reacted. Without hesitation, he had given up on the "first blood" attack that had almost succeeded and managed to dodge the Wind Snake''s tail. If the tail hit him, then the "first blood" would be him.


    At this moment, the black-cloaked mage turned around and coldly glared at Rhode.


    This was not strange. After all, the black-cloaked mage was floating in the air. In this kind of situation, it was very unlikely for anyone to attack him from behind. That was why he only casted a protection arrow and a magic protection spell and didn''t really make any preparation for a direct confrontation. Since a mage''s soul power was very precious, it was better to save it up. If it''s a battle on the ground, he definitely wouldn''t do that. However, he was floating in the air, which was why the black cloaked mage didn''t think about it.


    But it seemed like he should change his mind.


    The black-cloaked mage quickly retreated, and the Wind Snake Lord blocked Rhode. A mage wouldn''t choose to fight a swordsman in an upfront battle. It definitely wasn''t a good choice at anytime.


    How did he fly here?


    The black-cloaked mage narrowed his eyes and carefully look at Rhode. After that, he quickly turned his gaze on the transparent wings behind him.


    What''s that?


    This sudden find made the black cloaked mage felt a little bit strange. Angel? Angels aren''t supposed to have transparent wings? And the wings were a little bit too small; it didn''t seem like an angel''s, more like a bird''s. It seemed to be a magic equipment, but he couldn''t trace any magic wave when he used it.


    "Tch!"


    Just when the black-cloaked mage cautiously and carefully looked at Rhode, Rhode was still holding the sword on his hand and secretly cried in his heart. By relying on the Shadow Follower skill on Soul Messenger, he combined himself with the Spirit Bird and gained the ability to fly in the air.


    Originally, Rhode intended to take advantage of the time when the black-cloaked mage fought with Marlene and deal him a fatal blow. Since mages weren''t good at close combat and they were also lacking in resistance��in the game terms, it could be said that they had low HP. That was why in Rhode''s opinion, if he could finish the mage now, then he would be greatly injured and easier to deal with later.


    However, it was a pity that even a wise man could make mistake.


    Rhode glared at the Wind Serpent Lord before him and clenched his teeth. That Wind Serpent was on a totally different level with the other two Wind Serpents from before. A Master Level Wind Serpent Lord, it''s really troublesome and�� Thinking until here, Rhode couldn''t help but look at Marlene who was lying on the ground not far from him. He didn''t know her situation right now, but it seemed that he could no longer depend on her.


    "Marlene! Cheer up!!"


    "I��"


    Marlene forced herself to sit down, but her whole body felt powerless and weak. On the surface, the collision didn''t look serious, but in truth, the collision between powerful magics at that moment turned the soul power inside her body into confused state. Right now, she couldn''t even use any magic to adjust the power inside her, let alone consider attacking.


    "Damn, that guy is pretty though, I have to help him."


    Marlene held her wand and felt a trace of disappointment in her heart. She looked at the sky and saw three fuzzy figures was confronting each other. Of course she knew Rhode''s plan and knew what her position was supposed to be in his plan, but now it seemed that his plan has failed�� Then does he still have another way?


    Marlene also didn''t know.


    But soon, she noticed that a hand was holding onto her body.


    "Don''t move first, Marlene. Your current condition is not too good."


    Lize shook her head and stopped Marlene''s action. Then she also looked up towards the sky.


    "I think, I can try to do it."


    "You?"


    Hearing Lize''s words, Marlene was surprised. As if she suddenly thought of something, her eyes widened.


    "You want to use that? But you still can''t control it properly! Lize, you can''t do that; you''re also a caster, you must also understand the risk of using a skill that you are still unable to control! If Mr. Rhode is here, he will definitely stop you from doing so!"


    "But now he''s not here, and we have no other choice." Lize said while turning her head to look at the forest not far from them.


    There, under Hiller and Shauna''s command, the mercenaries were fighting against the Wind Serpents. The gas precipitation potion effect had begun to weaken and some of the Wind Serpents also began to come near them. It was still unknown for how long that they could resist.


    "I will never let my nightmare come true; I will protect everyone. I definitely can do it!"


    "You can''t! Anne, stop her!"


    "Anne, I need your help. I hope you can protect us when I''m casting the spell."


    "No, Anne! Stop her, it''s suicidal!"


    "Eh?"


    Anne looked at Marlene''s worried expression and Lize''s serious expression. She showed some hesitation. Since it was her first time facing this kind of thing, Anne didn''t know who should she listen to.


    "Anne, believe in me."


    Lize placed both of her hands in front of her chest and her expression was very serious.


    "Do you still remember the battle between you and the Death Knight in Silent Highland? I''m also the same; I just want to protect everyone. I don''t want anyone to get hurt and I can do this. Believe in me, I''m not risking my life��I''m sure that I can do this. Now is the best opportunity to do so, or else, it''s hard to say what''s going to happen next."


    "�� Alright, Sister Lize."


    Hearing until here, Anne finally nodded and lifted her shield.


    "I will protect the both of you. Hang in there!"


    At this moment, Rhode once again fought with the Wind Serpent Lord.


    The Wind Serpent''s tail swung pass through Rhode. Violent airflow made him lose his balance and the Wind Serpent Lord''s sharp teeth suddenly appeared beside him. Just a bite was enough to turn his body into pieces. At this moment, the Spirit Bird "agile" characteristic finally came into use. When the Wind Serpent Lord was biting down, Rhode''s figure suddenly turned into a green straight line and quickly flew back, escaping from the Death God. However, that was not the end; after noticing that its attack has failed, the Wind Serpent suddenly widened its eyes and glared at Rhode. After that Rhode suddenly felt his body became heavy. The Spirit Bird that was originally attached to himself was being mercilessly forced to get out from his body by a powerful force. Then, it transformed back into a card and disappeared in the air.


    Not good!


    Rhode''s heart sank; he had looked out for this move since the very beginning. Since the opponent was a Master Level Lord, this meant that it had an absolute control over the wind element. The Spirit Bird itself was an wind element creature; it was impossible for it defy a Master Level Lord. Originally, he intended to retreat immediately once his attack had failed and wait, but it seemed that the opponent''s movement was even faster that what he had imagined. According to the previous attack, Rhode had also almost figured out the level of the black-cloaked mage controlling the Wind Serpent.


    A contracted mage that was able to make a contract with Master Level Wind Serpent Lord meant that he was at least a Level 50 Grand Mage!


    Thinking until here, Rhode couldn''t help but secretly curse at heart. Those b*stards from the Country of Light really are generous; they actually brought a Level 50 middle circle mage that could become a Magic Association agent in small city to become a thief here. It seemed like the Country of Light really want to finish their lives!


    But now was not the time for him to complain. After he lost the Spirit Bird''s help, Rhode no longer had the ability to fly and immediately turned back to his human form. He landed down, following the gravity; at the same time, Rhode caught a trace of bright light in his eyes and countless thunderbolts appeared from the sky, aiming toward him.


    That guy sure is fast. Ah, I don''t care anymore!


    Thinking until here, Rhode quickly made up his mind. He instantly stretched his left hand and a summoning circle appeared in the air; the Holy Sword card once again appeared in his hand, and he took it and clenched it with force.


    After that, a white, soft hand caught him.


    Celia fluttered her wings and slowed down Rhode''s fall. She didn''t look up and quickly stretched out her wings. She leaned to protect Rhode by shielding him with her body. After that, a thunderbolt struck down and hit her body.


    Boom boom boom!!


    Followed by the earth-wrecking sound, sparks were igniting and broke her white wings. Her body seemed to tremble like a small boat struck by a stormy sea, but she still clenched her teeth and suffered the thunderbolt''s continuous attack.


    "Angel?!"


    Looking at this scene, the black-cloaked mage was taken aback and his movement became slower. He didn''t know where did the angel suddenly came from. As a Country of Light''s inhabitant, he naturally knew that angels had a noble position in the mainland. If others knew that he did killed an angel, he would definitely be finished!


    The black-cloaked man shook his head and put aside his hesitation. There was no use regretting it now. Since he started it, it would be just fine as long as he could kill the people here so he wouldn''t have to be afraid of being exposed! This angel also didn''t look strong; it didn''t seem like it''d be difficult to get her!


    This matter couldn''t be delayed, so the mage moved immediately.


    Thinking until here, the black-cloaked mage immediately raised his hand, once again wanting to control his power and deal a fatal blow on the target.


    At this moment, a dazzling gold light suddenly appeared and caught his attention.


    When the black-cloaked mage turned his head around, he saw a gorgeous, dazzling light beam.

 Chapter 127 Red Lotus Feast 3

    Lize spread out her hands.


    A white holy light condensed in her hands and flowed in a way she had never experienced before.


    Currently, the holy power that used to flow like a clear spring was showing a fierce side it had never showed before. The power was surging forward from Lize''s hand like a wild horse that was struggling to get out of its shackles. Right now, Lize was biting her lips firmly, trying to control the power for her own use. However, it wasn''t easy; as a Cleric, she had always been biased toward supporting power rather than offensive power, so she was naturally lacking in experience. It was just like a man who usually drove a classic car, but was suddenly given an F1 car��it was impossible for him to be good at driving it.


    But Lize was still resisting. Sometimes she could even feel that it was not her who was manipulating the spell, but rather the spell that was manipulating her. It was just like a greedy beast that sucked on her strength for its own use. She felt her body begin to get tired and even her strength somewhat subsided. But she still resisted. She didn''t want the nightmare to become a reality; no matter what, she wouldn''t accept that kind of future! As long as she was still here, then she would never allow herself to be powerless and just watch her comrades die one by one just like before!


    This is my mercenary group; I will protect it no matter what!


    The power was getting stronger and the resistance more violent.


    Lize still persevered and she slowly moved her hands to hold the power. She secretly mumbled the ancient spell and the dragon language could be heard. The language was strangling the power that was out of order forcefully, making it to listen to her order. Lize looked up towards the sky.


    Countless golden beams burst out from her hands. They spun around and aimed toward different directions. A dazzling light shrouded everyone for a moment, even the sun in the sky had temporarily lost its color


    "Holy Verdict!?"


    Looking at the scene before him, the black-cloaked mage''s expression changed. Although mages and clerics could both be classified as a caster, the energy that they controlled was different. While cleric attack spells didn''t vary in complexity like a mage''s spell, in terms of penetrating power, it was even more terrifying than mage''s. He was confident on blocking Marlene''s magic by using his own magic, but when facing Lize''s spiritual power, he couldn''t help but get serious and carefully deal with it.


    The black-cloaked mage quickly reacted. He lifted his left hand and thunderbolts appeared from his fingers, expanding and connecting to form a net. It was aiming toward the golden beam.


    Soon, two sides collided.


    The continuous golden beam hit the thunder wall and a burst of explosions sounded. With the flashing thunderbolts and explosion, the entire sky looked as if it was torn. It was a very frightening scene.


    After casting the spell, Lize fell to the ground. The offensive spell was far beyond her ability, depleting almost all of the energy in her body. If not because the half-angel blood that ran through her veins, she might have been unconscious already.


    Anne hurriedly held onto Lize''s body and brought her to Marlene''s side. At the same time, a thunderbolt struck down from the sky. Fortunately, Anne had long been prepared. She quickly pulled Lize back and placed the shield in front to protect the three of them. At the same time, the stone hard surface quickly covered her skin, and in a blink of an eye it completely wrapped around her and turned her into a perfect statue.


    Boom!!!


    The thunderbolt hit the fine gold shield heavily. A huge force shook her body, but she still clenched her teeth and persevered. But it was not without any sacrifice. The stone-hard surface that had covered her skin before had been completely shattered to withstand that impact. If she did it again, most likely she would not be able to hold it anymore.


    At this moment, a hand patted her shoulder


    "You did well, Anne."


    Anne turned her head in surprise, then she realized that Rhode has come to her side. He looked pitiful, but his expression remained calm as usual.


    "Leave it to me."


    Hearing Rhode''s words, Anne didn''t refute. She quickly retreated to take care of Lize and Marlene. From the distance, it could be seen that the mercenaries could no longer hold on anymore. They began to act on the defensive, and there was someone who turned around and shouted toward them, but what they said couldn''t be heard clearly. Another pungent smell spread out, meaning that the mercenaries had already started using the next four gas precipitation potions.


    Rhode looked toward the sky and the smoke gradually disappeared. The black-cloaked mage and the Wind Snake Lord once again appeared.


    Rhode frowned.


    Honestly, Rhode didn''t want to use his trump card unless it was necessary, because first, it costs EXP points, and second, his information regarding the card wasn''t clear. He didn''t want to use a power he didn''t fully understand, but it seemed that he had to do it now.


    Rhode made this decision after realizing the black-cloaked mage''s true strength when he failed in his surprise attack. Indeed, a Level 50 Mage really was hard to deal with. Although the contracted mage''s offensive powers weren''t as strong as an elemental or arcane mage''s, it also depended on the opponent. If Rhode was on the same level as him, then he definitely would have already beaten him, but the gap between them forced Rhode to change his mind. This battle was just like a battle between Level 80 Cleric and Level 10 Warrior. Even if the cleric didn''t use any skills, a stick would be enough to kill that fully armed warrior. This was the difference between them. Since Rhode couldn''t make up for the gap, it meant that the battle had ended.


    This is the only way.


    Thinking until here, Rhode extended his hand and soon, a red card slowly rotated and emerged in his hand.


    Following the appearance of the red card, the surrounding temperature gradually began to rise��


    A sword light flashed.


    The Wind Snake screamed as it turn to ashes in the flames. Hiller put down the sword in his hand and took a few steps back to take a breath. He subconsciously turned around, but he had not yet received Rhode''s signal. What happened? Did Rhode encounter any trouble? Or�� Thinking until here, Hiller shook his head. It''s meaningless to think about that now. The only thing I can do is to lead my men to counterattack.


    Hiller reached to take out the precipitation potion. He didn''t know why, but the Wind Snakes had begun to adapt to their current environment. In the beginning, only a few lucky ones could break through, but now their number kept increasing and it could be seen that they were not stupid. After they noticed that the melee attack was ineffective, they began to spray out their venom from afar. It was really troublesome��


    A burning, hot wind blew through from behind.


    Hiller couldn''t help but tremble when the air passed him; he could even feel as if he was leaning back against a stove.


    After that, the flame that burned on his blade began to weaken.


    What happened?


    Looking at the blade in his hand, Hiller was surprised. This elemental weapon had been following him for so many years and he had never seen such thing happen before. This blade was made of a complete fire element; as long as there was a fire element in the air, it would never be destroyed. But what''s going on now?


    What happened?


    Hiller wasn''t the only one thinking about this question; at this moment, the black-cloaked mage who was floating in the air also thought the exact same thing.


    The smokes from the explosions dissipated, and the black-cloaked mage easily saw the bugs who were standing below him. Clearly, they no longer had any more tricks up their sleeves. Although he still couldn''t figure out how that strange young man could float in the air, apparently the young man didn''t expect the Wind Snake Lord to have the ability to expel lower level wind elements. This Wind Snake Lord was something that he obtained through difficulty and couldn''t be compared to the previous two wastrels.


    Well, it''s game over.


    The black-cloaked mage raised his right hand and pointed to the crowd. Energy began to condense between his fingers; as long as he wanted it, the energy would turn into a strong thunderbolt and completely destroy the bugs in front of him.


    Just then, he saw the black-haired young man also raised his right hand, and a hot wind suddenly flashed in a blink of an eye.


    At this moment, the black-cloaked mage was surprised that he couldn''t cast the spell that he had prepared to do so!


    It was as if it had been sealed by something and couldn''t be launched.


    What happened?


    Is it the young man who sealed his spell? How could this be?


    The black-cloaked mage began to sweat out, and he looked at Rhode with puzzled expression. It was impossible; that young man definitely couldn''t have such a power. If he could really seal the mage''s spells, then the mage would probably be dead by now. What is he trying to do?


    The black-cloaked mage carefully observed him curiously. After that, he finally noticed.


    Red-colored force was rotating in the air with Rhode as its center. It was just like a red smoke condensed into a whirlwind and moving closer to the center.


    There was no powerful magic.


    There was also no terrifying roar.


    But the black-cloaked mage didn''t know why he felt such fear; it was as if he was standing beneath a cliff while watching boulders fall down. He couldn''t even move, as if there was a big hand somewhere that firmly grasped his body. It was useless no matter how much he struggled.


    At the same time, Rhode tightly grabbed the card in his hand.


    Following his movement, the red smoke started to draw in and assemble together.


    A bright red lotus flame rose to the sky.

 Chapter 128 Red Lotus Feast 4

    At that moment, it was as if the world had lost its color.


    Everyone in the battlefield couldn''t help but turn around to look at the red flame pillar that rose to the sky and penetrated the clouds. The violent Wind Snakes were trembling and retreating back, not daring to come near.


    The flame pillar appeared and disappeared so quickly that everyone felt as if a light had briefly flashed. In the next moment, the huge flame pillar disappeared without a trace, and it was replaced by a person who floated above Rhode.


    It was a girl.


    Or, to be exact, it was an existence enough to make everyone stunned and hold their breath.


    She had flawless, porcelain white skin, a small nose, pink lips that gently tilted up, a smile with a touch of temptation, and two large, sparkling eyes gave people a playful and cute feeling. Her pale, pink hair was tied back in a ponytail with a blue bow that reached down to her foot. The outer red robe and inner white robe went down from her shoulder. Her slender neck, lovely doll-like shoulder, and plump, round chest showed off her cleavage. Just looking at her was enough to make men feel excited.


    The sides of the robe were completely cut off from the waist, boldly exposed her beautiful, slender legs. The black stocking and knee-length skirt were really eye-catching.


    She was like a contradiction between innocence and seduction. She looked as if she didn''t know anything about the world, but she actually revealed her allure. Any men who saw her couldn''t help but want to be on top of her and ravage her body to fulfill their unparalleled pleasure and their desire to conquer.


    However, the brown, fluffy ears and tail on her body exposed her identity as not being human.


    "Master finally summoned me; do you know how long I''ve been waiting?"


    When everyone had not yet recovered from her sudden appearance, she chuckled and rushed down. She affectionately hugged Rhode from behind.


    "Master, shouldn''t you summon me at the start? If you did so, there''d be no way for that trash to toss you around like this. Please rest assured; since I have come, I won''t let this trash hurt you anymore! Please wait and enjoy how I deal with this group of trash! I will let these guys know the result of annoying Master. They will taste eternal pain in the Red Lotus Flame. Fufufu��"


    After saying this, she chuckled and didn''t wait for Rhode to react, flying up to the black-cloaked mage''s side. The smile on her face was enough to seduce a man, but the words that came out from her mouth were completely different from her expression.


    "So, are you ready to atone for your rude behaviour, incompetent trash? Such a low creature like you actually dares to hurt my beloved master. I think it''s time to let you know just how painful the anger of the Red Lotus Flame is��"


    "You, what are you!"


    The black-cloaked man was terrified, trembling as if the person who stood before him wasn''t a girl, but a very terrifying beast, The light that reflected from her eyes as she glared at him made the black-cloaked mage feel scared. After he reacted, he quickly backed down and lifted his right hand in anger.


    "Finish her! Wind Snake Lord, hear my command! Attack!"


    "������!!"


    Unexpectedly, the Wind Snake Lord that he originally contracted and was supposed to listen to his order shivered and curled up. The violence from before had disappeared and was replaced by fear. Facing such a strong opponent, it was the instinctive reaction of the weak.


    "Attack, I command you to attack!"


    Seeing the Wind Snake Lord anomaly, the black-cloaked mage couldn''t help but be surprised for a moment. But he still didn''t give up and slowly backed down while continuing to use the power of his contract and forced the Wind Snake to obey his command.


    "Ha�� a."


    The girl narrowed her eyes and looked at the black-cloaked mage like she was watching a boring drama.


    "Low class is low, even lower than an animal�� However, this might be the interesting part of a human. Well, I grant you the qualification to fight me and use your meaningless power to make a final struggle. Perhaps this will be more interesting, no?"


    She lightly laughed and quickly backed down. After that, the pressure that enveloped the black-cloaked mage and Wind Snake Lord disappeared.


    "Attack!!"


    After noticing that the pressure on his body was reduced, the black-cloaked mage immediately issued an order. He didn''t know whether it was because his will had completely controlled the Wind Snake, or if it was a instinctive resistance when facing death, but after hearing the black-cloaked mage''s order, the Wind Snake Lord opened its mouth and rushed toward the girl. Under its call, the Wind Snakes that were responsible for attacking the mercenaries immediately changed direction. Since the effect of the precipitation potion had disappeared, they once again overwhelmed the situation, enveloped the sky, screamed from all directions and rushed toward the girl.


    They opened their mouths, exposing their sharp fangs, screaming one after another. Not only the Wind Snake Lord, but even the Wind Snake group was in fear. It was their biological instinct to resist the strong! This was their final struggle!


    After a while, thousands of Wind Snakes crossed the mercenaries'' defense line and escaped from the dangerous, precipitated area. They rushed toward the girl who was floating in the sky. At this moment, the black-cloaked mage began to chant his spell. Followed by a roar, dark clouds began to rotate rapidly and lightning kept flashing, showing off its powerful force.


    "Holy soul bless��"


    The scene before them couldn''t help but affect everyone''s emotion. Lize subconsciously covered her mouth; it was just like the nightmare she had last night��the Wind Snakes would tear them into pieces. Marlene couldn''t help but tremble, though not because she was afraid. It was because of the powerful magic in the surrounding.


    "This, how''s this possible, such a powerful force��"


    Rhode stood on the ground and frowned, carefully observing the girl who floated in the air. Although he completely believed in the Commander Level Lord''s strength, her performance didn''t look reliable. But at the same time, Rhode was also curious. How would she eliminate those guys?


    "Ah�� really boring." Facing this group of terrifying Wind Snakes, the girl boredly yawned. After that, she flipped her left hand and pulled a piece of paper from nowhere, grabbing it with her right hand. A pen suddenly appeared. The girl looked down began to concentrate on writing on the paper.


    "Since trash can fight to this extent, I won''t play with you guys anymore�� Just die."


    Saying until here, the pen in her hand fell on the paper.


    At this moment, suddenly a few strange things happened.


    Three beautiful magic runes appeared and wrapped around her, constantly rotating. However, this time, the Wind Snake group also reached her.


    In the next moment, everyone witnessed an unforgettable scene.


    Fireballs.


    Countless fireballs were fired out from the magic runes and aimed toward all direction. The sky was filled with red flames, spreading around like a storm and swallowing all the Wind Snakes around it.


    Facing this attack, the Wind Snakes could only scream and flap their wings, trying to turn around to escape this terrible hell. But the fireballs didn''t wait until they moved, smashing into the Wind Snakes and turning them into ashes.


    In just one round, almost half of the Wind Snakes were completely engulfed in the Red Lotus Flame. The rest of them no longer planned on continuing the attack; the only thing they could do was to leave this terrible hell.


    However, a cry stopped their movement.


    Perhaps because it was aware that its death was coming, the Wind Snake Lord fluttered its wings, screamed, and rushed over. The whirlwind beside it turned into a violent tornado shield. The tornado shield rushed to cover up the sky full of fireballs. It was its pride as a Lord; it had to die in the battle with the enemy!


    However, facing the Wind Snake Lord''s counterattack, the girl who was writing something on the paper just glanced at it and once again turned her head.


    "Such a desperate struggle."


    At this time, the runes changed once again.


    The runes that were firing out fireballs from before suddenly fired out a light beam. It was aiming toward the distance, forming into fireballs, and then exploding. It was a very beautiful scene. From afar, it looked like glittering fireworks in the sky. Sometimes, the mercenaries on the ground even looked happy and relaxed, almost forgetting that they were in the middle of a battlefield.


    But the Wind Snakes didn''t have much leisure. Every fireball explosion would only bring more fire. Facing such a crazy attack, the only thing they could do was to hide and escape. The wind barrier on the Wind Snake gradually weakened. The fireballs continuously exploded; it was just a matter of time before the Wind Snake Lord''s wind barrier would collapse. Although it tried very hard to set off a storm, under such a splendid attack, there was no way for it to set off even the slightest wind.


    To end this, the girl only wrote a sentence.


    "Let''s stop here."


    The fireballs stopped.


    The previously hot temperature dropped back to normal.


    "Just die!"


    At this moment, the black-cloaked mage was finally ready for his attack. Followed by his shouts, thick clouds gradually covered the sky, and a huge thunderbolt flashed down toward the girl.


    It was a success!


    Looking at the girl who looked defenseless, the black-cloaked mage felt joyful. This was his most powerful spell; the power could even destroy half a city. As a contracted mage, the black-cloaked mage knew his weakness, so he modified this spell to be fiercer and more violent. Facing such a powerful spell, even a Grand Mage needed to get serious, but the opponent actually dared look down on him. This time, she was dead!


    However, the next scene left him completely stunned.


    The thunderbolt indeed flashed down, but it didn''t hit the target. The girl didn''t dodge it, or even try to escape from it. The thunderbolt just stopped beside her.


    That''s right, it was as if the time had stopped. It just stopped beside her. Such powerful attack like a fierce beast had now become a obedient lamb without any resistance.


    "How''s that possible?"


    The black-cloaked mage panicked and looked back down. The scene before him didn''t make any sense.


    How did she do it?


    How did she do it?


    It''s impossible, no one could take control of that spell so easily. No one��


    Thinking until here, the black cloaked mage seemed to be realize something. He turned around and looked at her ears and tail.


    "I-it can''t be��"


    "A trash with only this kind of strength shouldn''t even bother to annoy Master."


    The girl didn''t even lift her head and just waved her hand. After that, the thunderbolt suddenly turned its direction and aimed toward the black-cloaked mage.


    "No!!!"


    Facing the incoming thunderbolt, the black cloaked mage who was in despair desperately flew back. But it was still too late.


    The thunderbolt pierced through his body, and followed by the incoming flame, everything was completely devoured.


    After a moment, there was nothing left beside the girl.


    There were only pieces of dust that fell to the ground like a snow.


    That was all that was left.


    Everything was over.

 Chapter 129 A Womans Secre

    It was too frightening.


    Looking at the sky full of snow-like dust, Rhode couldn''t help but feel a chill down his spine. Although he knew that a Commander Level Lord was very strong, this overwhelming power still made him surprised. Although he had never fought similar opponents before, the Spirit Swordsman would usually take advantage of numbers, speed, and outbreak. That''s why he was better in a fast-paced battle. Rhode had only seen this kind of magnificent battle scene, and that had left a deep impression of a very OP boss battle.


    Now, he finally experienced seeing such a powerful force again.


    Beside him, Lize, Marlene, and Anne could only stare at the sky. They were at a loss. Even Rhode, who had experienced countless battles couldn''t help but feel surprised at the scene before him, not to mention these "newbies" who had never seen a Commander Level Lord battle.


    "Fufufu��"


    At this moment, followed by a laughing sound, the girl leisurely passed through the sky, accompanied by the glimpse of red line streaking behind her and came toward Rhode. Both of her hands were placed behind her back, and she stood straight and proudly looked at Rhode.


    "How is it, Master? Are you satisfied with what I did?"


    "Not bad."


    Rhode only nodded when facing this summoned spirit. At the same time, he curiously observed her. He didn''t know why he felt that this girl was a little bit different from his other summoned spirits. Compared to Celia, she was more aggressive and uncontrollable. The summoned spirits that Rhode had previously summoned all of had their own conscious, but they only move according to Rhode''s command. Just take the tragic self-explosion of the hound: at first, it wasn''t willing to follow Rhode''s command to die and was just like any person that was being threatened by a gun from behind to go onto the battlefield. Now, it actually very actively sacrificed itself once summoned; it seemed like long term brainwashing under high pressure was really effective.


    But they acted completely different from the girl. They accepted Rhode''s command unconditionally; but for the girl, Rhode was suddenly unsure if she would do the same.


    In the game, he never had the experience of summoning a Commander Level Lord. Frankly, there was also no other player who did. Even though there were cases where a summoned spirit betrayed a contracted mage because the summoner''s level and soul power weren''t sufficient, it was still quite stable for spirit swordsman.


    After hearing Rhode''s answer, the girl smiled wider.


    "Then, can I ask for a reward?"


    "Reward?"


    Rhode hadn''t yet reacted when she suddenly extended her hand and held Rhode''s shoulder. After that, her soft body tightly pressed toward Rhode.


    In the next moment, Rhode could feel a cold, gentle, and seductive touch on his lips. Her soft tongue easily penetrated inside and wrapped around Rhode''s tongue. The sweet fragrance on her body suddenly got stronger and Rhode could feel a burning hot saliva flowing from her mouth and spreading into his entire body. This made his whole body feel hot at that moment.


    After awhile, she finally let him go. She smiled at Rhode, sticking out her tongue to lick her lips.


    At this moment, the other three girls beside Rhode were completely frozen.


    Marlene was staring at both of them. Her face was flushed. Lize was also surprised, her mouth was wide open, but she didn''t know what to say. Anne covered her eyes with her hands, but she secretly peeked at this scene from a gap between her fingers.


    "What does this mean?"


    Rhode rubbed his lips and felt confused. It wasn''t that he had no kissing experience, but it was his first time being forcefully snatched. His body was still burning hot, as if he still could feel the soft body that was pressed against his. In this kind of situation, a man with low self-control might have already rushed toward her right now.


    Fortunately, Rhode''s expression only changed and frowned while he looked at her.


    After seeing Rhode''s expression, she showed a grateful expression and smiled. She placed her finger on her lips and playfully smiled.


    "This is my reward, and this is to celebrate our reunion. Master, it''s been a long time."


    Reunion?


    After hearing this word, Rhode was stunned. He frowned and carefully looked at the girl before him and once again confirmed that he had never seen the girl before.


    "I''ve never seen you before."


    "Bubu����!"


    Hearing Rhode''s reply, she only lifted both of her hands and made an ''x'' gesture in front of him.


    "That answer is wrong. Master, as a man, after seeing such a beautiful girl like me, you should at least pretend or something. Answering me shortly like that really hurt me. Just now, my affection toward you has begun to drop like a stock; if you don''t take any measure, it will be too late already."


    "Ah? Really, then��"


    Facing her jokes, Rhode seemed to want to say something, but afterward, he suddenly stopped and raised his head in surprise.


    "You��"


    Seeing his surprised look, the girl once again exposed a proud smile.


    "Haven''t I said it clearly? This is my reunion with Master. Finally, we can meet each other in real world."


    Saying until here, she once again lifted her finger and placed in on her lips.


    "I know what Master is thinking, but right now I still cannot answer that question. Although I''m your summoned spirit, I still have the authority to stay silent, right?"


    "Not answering, it means�� you know what''s happening?"


    After glancing towards the people beside him, Rhode lowered his voice.


    "That''s right."


    Facing Rhode''s question, the girl firmly nodded.


    "However, Master doesn''t have to know these things�� Master just has to do what he wants to do. There''s no difference between usual. And��"


    Saying until here, the girl paused.


    "�� Wait until the time comes, and I will definitely tell Master about this. But before that, please be patient, okay? An impatient man isn''t well-loved by women."


    Hearing this words, Rhode clenched his hand, then quickly let it go.


    "Then, at least tell me your name, Miss."


    "Naturally."


    The girl proudly lifted her head while wagging her fluffy red tail.


    "My name is Gillian. I used to be Master''s most loyal companion. I hope Master won''t forget about this, then��"


    Saying until here, Gillian stopped, After that, she looked at the other three girls who stood behind Rhode, then winked at Rhode.


    "I don''t have much time. I hope next time I can spend the time more leisurely. It seems like the days you spent here are not bad; you''ve found three women in such a short time. Although they''re not as good as me, they still look qualified to fulfill Master''s desire. Yes.. but I suggest you should quickly have a taste of them. Woman are just like dessert; they will expire if you neglect it for too long. Of course, if they like to be neglected, I have no comment."


    "�� I will remember."


    Facing Gillian''s sly smile, Rhode helplessly pressed his forehead. Facing this summoned spirit that always said unexpected things made Rhode''s head hurt.


    "Very well, then please accept this."


    After getting Rhode''s reply, Gillian satisfiedly smiled. After that, she spread out her hands and handed out a letter to Rhode.


    "This��"


    Rhode curiously took the letter. The letter was folded and sealed from the outside with a heart shaped wax seal that looked extremely eye-catching.


    "This is a love letter. The interaction between a man and woman should start gradually. Although I want to write more, but I don''t have enough time and could only make use the time from before to write something. I can guarantee that the content is filled with all my heart. It just that, Master, I''m incapable, so please look after me. I look forward to your response the next time we meet."


    "Haa��"


    Holding the love letter on his hand, Rhode was completely speechless. It wasn''t like he hadn''t seen the way Gillian fought from before; it was just that he thought that it was her unusual way of fighting. In the end, she actually wrote a love letter for him?


    The black-cloaked mage and Wind Serpent Lord''s death were really to unjustified��


    "Time is running out, so I''ll stop here."


    Gillian once again spread out red air to the surroundings. She smiled and lifted her hands, and then she looked towards the three girls beside Rhode.


    "Then, I''ll leave now everyone. I hope you guys can be Master''s right hand. See you again!"


    "Ah�� okay�� see you��"


    "Pfft!"


    Hearing until here, Rhode almost spat out blood. Facing Gillian''s goodbye, those three girls only stood frozen and waved their hands. After that, Gillian''s laughing sound completely disappeared and she turned back into a red card that silently floated in the sky, which disappeared after a moment.


    "��"


    The surrounding turned silent. After a while, Anne finally recovered, curiously looking up at Rhode who pressed his hand against his forehead, who wasn''t standing far from her. She didn''t know what was he thinking about.


    "Leader?"


    "Yes?"


    "What did that girl mean?"


    "��"

 Chapter 130 An Unusual Situation

    Rhode of course wasn''t stupid enough to explain Gillian''s last words since he still didn''t want to die yet. Now, Rhode finally found out a very important piece of information. It was something Gillian had told him from before. Rhode noticed that she wasn''t so simple because from the way she talk and the words she used, it seemed like she wasn''t a part of this world. Or else, she wouldn''t use words that only people from his world would understand.


    Not only that, from Gillian''s words, she also seemed to know the game system Rhode used. Rhode was certain that the strange summoned spirit didn''t just know that. She said that he finally reunited with her in this world. That meant that, in the game, he had met her before?


    Rhode still couldn''t understand it.


    As a spirit swordsman, Rhode was naturally familiar with his own summoned spirits. When talking about fire elemental creatures, the summoned spirit that he liked the most was the Heavenly Phoenix. However, Gillian didn''t seem to have flying unit summoned spirit characteristics, and she also didn''t look like the Efreet or Lava Lizard kind of monster. In any case, he thought about all of the fire spirits that he used before, but none matched with Gillian''s characteristics. Although other spirit swordsmen had also summoned female fire spirits before, from the picture they have shared online, they looked completely like elemental creatures and none had Gillian''s beast characteristic.


    Usually, every summoned spirit was unique, and the spirits that were summoned by Spirit Swordsmen also varied. From the flying unit fire spirits, there were Fire Birds, Fire Eagles, Fire Serpents, and others. That was why, to a Spirit Swordsman, their every summon was a gamble because they never knew if the spirit they summoned was actually the one they wanted. For example, a Spirit Swordsman could want a flying unit creature, but actually get a water unit or earth unit spirit. Even if he was a little bit lucky and got a flying unit fire spirit, its race still had to be identified. The huge difference between a Fire Bird and a Phoenix couldn''t be easily bridged.


    Because of that, there was no way for a Spirit Swordsman in their entire lives to summon the same spirit twice.


    The same goes for the spirits that Rhode had summoned previously; none were spirits Rhode had used before. Their attributes might be similar, but they were still completely different. The same with Gillian; Rhode could be sure that he never owned such a strong spirit before, r else there was no way he didn''t have any impression toward it.


    However, the fact that she knew him also didn''t seem to be a lie�� or it could be said this kind of lie was meaningless. Rhode was very confident about his memories. If he had seen it, then he definitely had seen it. If he had never seen it, then he had definitely never seen it. He wasn''t like some men, who will lost themselves after being bewitched by a beautiful girl. They couldn''t even answer how much is 1+1 was; how could they remember whether they met her or not? But since the beautiful girl said so, they definitely had met before.


    And from the previous conversation, Rhode could be sure that Gillian knew that he wasn''t the type that could be seduced easily. If she said such a blatant lie, then it meant that she was underestimating his intelligence.


    But��


    Rhode shook his head. Since he couldn''t figure it out, it was useless to think about it anymore. She was in his hand; he could just ask her later.


    Of course, this didn''t mean that he had nothing to do.


    Or it could be said that he was at a huge loss.


    Although summoning a Commander Level Lord indeed easily solved all his problem, he couldn''t help sighing after looking at his status. There really was no free meal in any world.


    The EXP points gained from killing a Master Level Lord and Level 50 Mage could level him up to Level 20 or even more. But what made him feel unhappy was that he got nothing beside the EXP points from killing those few Wind Serpents earlier. This meant that the biggest EXP points were all being eaten by Gillian!


    She didn''t even leave a little to him!


    Not only that, Rhode couldn''t even take any loots. Whether it was the black-cloaked mage or the Wind Serpents, they all turned into dust in the battle from before; there wasn''t even the tiniest bit of nail left, not to mention loots.


    But, facing this kind of situation, Rhode could only helplessly accept the fact. The only thing he wanted was to keep living. As for EXP points and such, it was good if he had it, but if he didn''t, then there was no other choice. Since no matter what, it was enough as long as they lived.


    After resting for a while, everyone continued their journey.


    As a leader of a large mercenary group, Hiller smartly didn''t ask Rhode any questions regarding the previous battle. All of them saw the magnificent scene from before, and as mercenaries that faced the Wind Serpents, they of course knew just how strong they were. Hiller knew that every person had their own secrets, and since Rhode didn''t plan to say, he also wouldn''t ask. No matter what, Rhode saved them, and that was already enough. Not only that, he also told his subordinates not to continue investigating the matter regarding the Starlight mercenary group. This action of Hiller''s also left a good impression on Rhode.


    The next journey went very smoothly.


    Originally, Rhode planned to kill the remaining members of the Jade Tears mercenary group, but before he could, Old Walker hurriedly reported that the Jade Tears mercenary group members were all wiped out.


    According to Old Walker, he had followed Rhode''s original plan to observe their movement. However, fireballs suddenly fell from the sky and the entire mercenary group was wiped out in that flame. This scene made Old Walker feel a chill down to his spine; he hid behind and looked as those mercenaries died tragically and didn''t know what he should do. After the fire dissipated, he walked closer to investigate, but everything already turned into ashes and there was nothing left.


    Rhode, of course, knew what happened. Now he finally knew where those fireballs went.


    From this, it could be clearly seen that a Commander Level Lord card deck was indeed different from other cards. Other cards were only conscious once they were summoned, and in the remaining time they usually just slept inside the card. However, Gillian was different; she knew what was happening outside. Or else, there was no way she would do such a thing. It had to be said that there was a thousand miles of distance between the battlefield where Rhode was and the place the Jade Tears mercenary group was located.


    However, from this matter, Rhode started to understand Gillian''s personality. Her appearance looked innocent and harmless, but her actions were unambiguous, decisive, and well thought out. Of course�� her personality still gave him quite some headache.


    After summoning her, the remaining summoning time became zero. According to the system prompt, this card was currently in a cooldown period. If Rhode wanted to summon Gillian again, he had to \ wait until the cooldown period ended.


    Or sacrifice his EXP points to summon it.


    But after looking at the cooldown period, his entire face almost turned green.


    Three months!


    This card need to cool down for three months!


    Not only that, Rhode just found out that the cooldown period would carry over if he was forced to summon it during the cooldown period. Not only did he have to sacrifice his EXP points to summon it, even after summoning it, the cooldown period would become six months from three months. If he continuously summoned her three times, the card would be sealed for one year.


    After seeing the system prompt, Rhode somehow felt that he had fallen into a trap. It really was such a disappointment that he never saw this kind of summoned spirit before. However, considering her terrifying power as a Fire Element Commander Level Lord and his level, which was only about 15 or 16, Rhode could only helplessly shrug his shoulder and accept this fate. Originally, he planned to select her as part of his core card deck, but now it seemed that he wouldn''t be able to. There were complicated requirements to create a core card deck; not only did he have to get the summoned spirit''s approval, he would also need a large number of expensive magic materials to unlock the core card position. Rhode wanted to wait until he reached Level 20, since there was an opportunity to select a summoned spirit as the core card deck for free, but he needed to wait for some time in order to do this. After all, there was no way for him to select a summoned spirit that he couldn''t summon as the core card. Although it was also okay to force summon it once he reached level 20, but after falling into this card''s "trap," Rhode became very clear that things weren''t as easy as he had thought. If at that time he did so, there might be other trouble that would await him.


    That was why it was better for him to wait patiently and make the decision after seeing the situation afterwards.


    When Rhode arrived back at Deep Stone City, the entire city was shaken.


    The news regarding the Burning Blade mercenary group''s attack had already spread out, and the entire Mercenary Association was in shock. It had to be said that the Mercenary Association was badly battered because of continuous problems that happened recently. Originally, they still hoped that the three top mercenary groups could help them to stabilize the situation. Unfortunately, the Burning Blade mercenary group was suddenly attacked and they received very heavy casualties. For a while, everyone was worried. The Burning Blade mercenary group was the strongest mercenary group in Paphield area, but they actually also got attacked. So who would be spared?


    The Old President and Sereck quickly investigated the situation with Rhode and Hiller. Both of them also explained the situation that happened. However, Rhode didn''t talk about the relationship between the black-cloaked mage and the Jade Tears mercenary group, only ambiguously saying that the black-cloaked mage controlled a very strong Wind Serpent Lord and might be connected to the trade passage attack that happened recently.


    This point was enough to catch the Old President''s attention. Although Rhode had no evidence (since everything was burned by Gillian), Hiller''s support gave his words a little more credibility. After all, unlike Rhode, Hiller had been in Paphield area for so many years and during his time here, he had built up a good reputation. Since he also said so, it would definitely right. The Old President told them with serious expression that he would report to the administrative officer and leave this matter to him.


    At this moment, in a luxurious room in Deep Stone City, there was a different scene.


    Clang!!


    An exquisite teapot was thrown to the floor, its fragments scattering on the floor. The entire room was in a mess, but the person that stood on the center of the room didn''t care about that matter.


    "How did this happen!"


    Frank''s expression was gloomy, and his fist heavily hit the desk. Not far from him, a mercenary silently stood there. He was one of the small group members that entered the Twilight Forest. He was responsible for contacting the black-cloaked mage and was the only survivor of this incident.


    "Burning Blade wasn''t destroyed, Starlight still exists, but our people all died? How could this happen?!"


    "E-everything that I told you is the truth, Master!"


    After hearing Frank''s shouts, the mercenary hurriedly explained.


    "We indeed have delivered your words, and that person also agreed to our request, but after that he never came back. Not only that, everyone also died, and according to the information from the Burning Blade, it seemed that person also��"


    Bang!


    Frank''s fist once again hit the desk, the extreme pain making his expression somewhat distorted. However, he wasn''t thinking about that right now. His body was trembling and fear was spread all over his body.


    He messed up!


    He messed up everything!!


    Originally, he wanted to use this opportunity to destroy these two strong opponents, but he never thought that everything was occur completely beyond his expectations. How could this happen? According to his investigation, the strength of the two mercenary groups strength definitely rendered them unable to confront a Level 3 middle circle mage! How could they block his attack and kill him?


    Thinking until here, Frank shivered.


    He could already imagine his end.


    Unauthorized commands that led them to suffer such a heavy loss, Frank was certain that once this matter reached the Hawk Nest''s ear, he would definitely die!


    What should he do? What should he do to change all of this?


    The current Frank had fallen into coldness and despair.

 Chapter 131 The Tip of an Iceberg

    As a royal mage, Amund had lost count just how many times he had entered this glorious palace.


    The smooth marble floor was clean enough to see even his own reflection. Hid surroundings were decorated with a luxurious crystal chandelier. The bright and soft lights gave off a warm and comfortable feeling. A hint of aroma spread around, bringing a warm and peaceful atmosphere. The thick wooden door from behind slowly closed and echoed a deep sound. However, Amund didn''t show the slightest nervous expression. He smiled, then tidied up his red robe while walking toward the young maiden who was lying on the velvet sofa and slightly bowed his head.


    "Your Highness."


    "Hello, Amund." Lydia lazily lied down with her eyes half closed while looking at the elderly in front of her and smiled. "I hope you don''t blame me for calling you here when you''re busy."


    "Not at all, Your Highness."


    Amund lifted his head and gently looked at her.


    "As someone who has been serving the royal family for generations, I certainly won''t refuse your invitation."


    "Very well. If I had delayed an important schedule, I would feel very uneasy." The girl said while slowly sitting up.


    White, flawless, perfect skin that wasn''t supposed to exist in this word was revealed under the chiffon. Six wings also slowly appeared behind her back, giving off a holy atmosphere to this palace. Looking at her expression, Amund only shook his head and wryly smiled. He was already accustomed to her easygoingness. Before she succeeded in her position as the Grand Duke and was still his student, Amund had also reminded her several times to pay more attention to her demeanor. But she clearly had a different opinion about that.


    "Sir Amund, my beauty has blended in together with the beauty of this world. It''s a sin to hide this kind of beauty. Since I never do anything wrong, then shouldn''t I show myself in dignity? Since my existence can make the world a more beautiful place, why should I refuse to show off myself?"


    If others said these words, then they would really sounds extremely arrogant, but hearing if from her mouth, it sounded just natural. She was always full of confidence and proud, not allowing anyone to change her views.


    Of course, the outside world didn''t have a good evaluation toward her. Loose, cruel, and such words were the most common adjectives to describe her, but even so, she still followed her own path and didn''t care about such rumors. Perhaps it was because of that she was able to succeed.


    "Then, what''s the matter for you to summon me here?"


    "It''s like this." She sat on the sofa and grinned, both of her hands placed on her cheeks while looking at the white-bearded old mage before her. "The thing that I''ve asked you to do; the situation has changed."


    "Oh?"


    Hearing until here, Amund was a little surprised, but he didn''t question her immediately. He was looking at Lydia and waiting for her to say something. He knew clearly that Lydia was a thoughtful person. Although she usually looked relaxed, if people took her as a simple-minded and relaxed person, they usually would die miserably.


    Amund still remembered one of the events that took place when Lydia was 12 years old and she had just succeeded in her position as a Grand Duke for two years. Her reign was still unstable, and the old general suddenly resigned because of an illness, leading to the vacancy of the holder of the country''s military power. For many people, it was the best chance for them to gain that power. If one could grasp military power, it meant that one was likely to become the shadow ruler of the entire Munn Kingdom. After all, Lydia was still a 12-year-old girl at that time, and no one believed that a 12-year-old girl could lead a country well especially in military and political aspects. Of course, at that time, there were a lot of people who wanted to control her so they could gain the power and the ability to bring the most beautiful girls on the entire continent into one room. No one would miss that kind of opportunity.


    In the end, the position was placed on the two East and West border Military Commanders. At that time, many people thought that it was the western Military Commander who would likely obtain this position because he defeated numerous of outer race that had tried to invade the country. On the other hand, the eastern Military Commander never did anything. Because of that many people thought that the western Military Commander was certainly to get this position due to his many actions.


    However, the result was completely beyond their expectation. When they were called back to be officially appoint the General, Lydia, who had been staying silent suddenly made a shocking decision. Not only did she appoint the eastern Military Commander as the General, at the same time, she also put the western Military Commander into prison under the accusation of harming the royal family.


    After this thing happened, everyone was in an uproar. Many people simply did not expect that the situation would change 180 degrees. There were people who thought that it was unjustified, people who protested, and people who opposed it. They thought that although this girl was young, but her thirst toward power was extremely heavy. She was worried that the western Military Commander might make her position unstable, which was why she made a move first. However, Lydia remained silent even after hearing these protests��until a month later.


    A month later, the result of the trial made everyone shocked. The reason that the Western Military Commander had so much military power over the years was because he was deliberately provoking the outer races army from time to time and then killed them in order to gain military power. But because of this, the danger from the outer races had been eliminated. However, because of the continuous war, the inhabitants of the western Border were living in poverty. Although the war was fought by the military, the inhabitants were also affected. On the contrary, the eastern Border region had always been peaceful. The inhabitants there lived in harmony with people outside the Kingdom. Since there was no such thing as war, naturally there was no way for the eastern Military Commander to earn any military merit. Precisely because of this reason, the eastern Military Commander was always at the bottom of any honor rolls.


    Until then, Lydia, who had been travelling all around to enjoy the scenery outside, finally showed up.


    At the same time, the result of the trial was issued. All the officers in the entire western border close to the western Military commander was apprehended, and those who had previously accused Lydia for being unjust were also included. In just 10 days, a total of 580 people��including nobles and military officers��were arrested and all executed.


    When they were sentenced to death, the successors to their positions had already been decided.


    From that day onward, no one dare to look down on this violent girl who like to enjoy beautiful things.


    Naturally, Amund knew about the Munn Kingdom''s current situation. Precisely because of this, Lydia had personally appointed him to take care of this matter. However, now she suddenly said things were like that�� Was it because there was change in the situation?


    "You guessed right, Amund."


    As if Lydia had guessed his thought, she smiled and replied.


    "From the information I got, the danger has already been eliminated."


    "Eh?"


    Hearing until here, the Old Mage was surprised for a moment and then frowned.


    "Do you mean��"


    "This is the report that I received this morning."


    Lydia said then stretched out her hand and handed an exquisite, flower-patterned letter to him. After that, she took a cup of the black tea that circulated a sweet fragrance from her desk. Then, she narrowed her eyes and sipped it.


    The old mage bowed, then opened the letter. He carefully began to read the information on it. Although his expression didn''t change, the sudden sharpness in his eyes showed his surprised reaction. Then, he put down the letter in his hand and looked at her once more.


    "What do you think, Amund?"


    "If this is a joke, then please let me laugh at it." The old mage wryly smiled then shook his head, but his expression didn''t seem to be that of one smiling.


    "If this is a fact�� then I can only say that it''s too unbelievable."


    "Unknown things are the most fantastic things in this world."


    Facing the old mage''s awe, Lydia only showed her enjoyment.


    "When you opened a door, you will never know what''s hidden inside. This is the most interesting part. I love unknown things like this the most. It will make me nervous and happy, which, to me, is a must. Originally I thought that my cute little subordinates would take care of this matter, but I never thought that they actually gave me such a pleasant surprise."


    "But��"


    The old mage wasn''t as optimistic as Lydia. He rubbed his long beard with serious expression.


    "Forgive me for being direct, Your Highness. However, I didn''t think that an ordinary mercenary group would be able to defeat a Level 3 inner circle mage. Even if it were me, I would still need to use some effort to do it. I think there''s something behind this��"


    "I understand what you mean, Amund." Lydia stretched out her hand and stopped his words.


    "This is the reason why I called you here�� I believe that the report from my cute little subordinates is correct, and they also brought some evidence for us. I think you also noticed that there''s a person�� central to this matter."


    "The young man called Rhode Alander?" Hearing until here, the old mage thought for a while and quickly asked.


    "That''s right; according to the report, it''s not the first time he saved mercenary groups from the Paphield area and destroyed their plans. In addition, he also wiped out the Jade Tears mercenary group. If we put everything together, I don''t think it''s accidental. According to this report, this man only arrived in Deep Stone City for a month, but the plan that the Country of Light has made with a whole year of effort has been completely destroyed. I think it''s quite a blow to that old man from Association who''s very impatient."


    Saying until here, Lydia stopped talking then smiled.


    "About his identity�� is it true?"


    "I have asked the Eastern Plain regarding this matter, but they kept their silence as usual. However, this isn''t important; the most important thing is that this young man seems to know their plan and trying to destroy it. I don''t care about where he came from. Since he was able to bring me such a great pleasure, then I think he won''t be our enemy."


    "Then, you mean��"


    Saying until here, the old mage already somewhat guessed the reason she called him here.


    "I hope you can go to Deep Stone City together with me to investigate this young man in secret. It''s better to see him up close. After all, this man is willing to help our Munn Kingdom. As the ruler, I think I need to pay my respect to him. And��"


    Saying until here, Lydia clapped her hands and showed a very beautiful smile full of desire.


    "I heard that he''s a very beautiful person. If that''s the truth, then it would be a pity if I cannot add him to my collection, right?"

 Chapter 132 Waiting at Ease, While the Enemy is Exhausted

    "Achoo!" Rhode rubbed his nose.


    "Are you okay, leader? Are you sick?"


    Although she was sitting in the chair, Anne wasn''t relaxed for even a second. She kept moving left and right while curiously looking at Rhode, who was sitting behind the desk.


    "Do you need Anne''s help?"


    "There''s no need; I think it''s because there''s someone who''s having me in their thoughts�� It definitely wasn''t something good."


    Rhode shrugged his shoulder and easily brought up this topic.


    Although everyone managed to escape from that damned mage, it didn''t mean that no one was injured. As a human, Marlene received a very heavy injury. Perhaps it was because the duel between the black-cloaked mage from before. Not long after the battle ended, she collapsed to the ground. According to Lize, she was hurt because of the shock caused by the magic power. Because of that, after they went back to the Deep Stone City, Marlene always stayed on her room to rest and rarely get up from her bed.


    After they went back to the Deep Stone City, Lize, who''s half angel, and Anne, who''s half beast, were also injured. However, their mixed blood helped them to recover quickly. As expected, there was no end to comparisons, only misery�� Fortunately, Marlene was still in a deep sleep, or else there was no way to tell what kind of reaction she might have made.


    Shauna and the other mercenaries also received heavy injuries, but they were all flesh wounds and not considered serious, so Rhode didn''t really care about it. The only pleasant surprise he received after the battle with the Wind Serpent was noticing the improved skill of Randolf and the others. It seemed that that bunch of people needed to face danger first to be able to improve.


    Rhode, who had been fighting constantly, also felt a little bit tired. Although he was a mercenary group leader, he definitely wasn''t the leader of the Mercenary Association''s reinforcement group. He had saved many mercenary groups and he was almost fed up. He couldn''t just keep honing his combat skills, right? Occasionally practicing skills in life would also prove to be very interesting, right?


    The Jade Tears mercenary group no longer had any movements after that incident. Rhode already asked Old Walker to investigate it. Although that old man was old, he was unlike normal old men in being able to resist loneliness. Whenever he had time, he always visited the tavern to drink and hang out, which was why it was better for him to make use of it. At least, it was better than letting him crawling on the table while having a nice dream.


    However, there was no news from the Mercenary Association lately. Every mercenary group was busy on recruiting and resting. Rhode knew that this wasn''t the end, but rather a new beginning. If they didn''t gather enough members by the time assessments came, then their upcoming days wouldn''t be too good.


    Because of the Mercenary Association''s prohibition, the tavern that had always been crowded had become a lot more relaxed. The Mercenary Association didn''t allow mercenary groups to recruit outside help. People who usually hung out around the tavern and wished to join a mercenary group finally found a ray of hope: to become a regular. To a mercenary group that had been driven to the corner, right now, the significance of the quantity of members was far greater than the quality. As long as one could kill a chicken, they could already became a full-fledged mercenary.


    It was chaos.


    Rhode lifted his head to look at the window. The dark clouds looked repressed and there were also some changes in the top area. It seemed like there was a problem between nobles recently, but it wasn''t something he should ponder. Right now, he was thinking about the next problem that might occur.


    It was an accidental gain for him to meet the black-cloaked mage and finished him off, but also because of that, the Country of Light''s plan had also been destroyed. As least, in Paphield area, their plan had also failed. However, because of his understanding toward the pig members of the Association who only knew how to eat, sleep, and talk sh*t, Rhode was sure that they wouldn''t just let this go. There was definitely a new challenge awaiting him.


    When that time came, what should he do?


    Rhode frowned and lightly knocked the desk. This time, the matter was quite serious. Starlight most likely had been seen eyes by the Country of Light. If he couldn''t think of any way, then it would definitely be troublesome.


    Rhode thought that it''s impossible for the Country of Light to take a large action now. This incident definitely had caught the Golden City''s attention. Grand Duke Lydia had never been a person that could be provoked; even if the Country of Light dared to look for more trouble, at the very least, they would consider whether their decision might affect their future plan. Since Rhode clearly knew the reason that the Country of Light was making a move on the Munn Kingdom wasn''t as simple as giving them a lesson for being too arrogant. Politics were all about interest; the same with war. No one would do free labor if there was no interest. Although the people from Country of Light kept talking about freedom, liberalism, and power, if they couldn''t see the real gold and silver, then they wouldn''t actually care whether those words should be spread throughout the world or not.


    However, that didn''t mean that there was no way.


    In fact, when he gathered people to join him, Rhode had already thought of the same thing. But because of this sudden incident, his plan was postponed. When everything turned back to normal, Rhode would once again add it into his schedule.


    He was planning to increase the group''s soft power.


    To a mercenary group, hard power meant the number of people and their combat power. Having both of these was already enough for a mercenary group. However, to a player, it wasn''t enough. They needed soft power and support. There were a lot of things that need to be improved in this area. For example, potions, money, equipment, and information. All of those fell into soft power category.


    In this continent, the mercenary group that was created by NPCs didn''t have to think about this issue since they were more accustomed to selling the equipments they had gotten in an adventure. Once they received the payment, they would buy the things they wanted. But to a player, this was definitely not a good way to deal with it. A player''s mercenary group had a clear role for every person. There was someone responsible for forging and repair, someone for collecting materials and make potions, and someone for selling goods and exchanging it for profits. In this way, they could reduce the waste and shorten the time required, also bringing in profits to the mercenary group. Because the mercenary group would have a lot of expenses once it expanded, if they couldn''t prepare it in advance, then when that time came, things would be hard.


    This was how the mercenary guild survived. After mercenary groups leveled up into mercenary guilds, the increased size and structure no longer made them able to reap the profits in the way they did before. At this kind of time, the leader of the mercenary guild must make a decision: either choose a strong Trade Association to fund the guild or choose a powerful noble for backing.


    To use a modern metaphor to describe it, the nobles and merchants were buying their shares in the mercenary guild to obtain authority. Through their funding, the mercenary guild would be able to operate normally, but they also had to obey the order of whoever was funding them. After all, mercenary guilds were considered strong combat forces. If this kind of force wasn''t linked to formal channels or the location they were in, then it would be dangerous for the manager of the territory.


    Rhode didn''t want his mercenary group to become a plaything for others once it became a guild. He didn''t have any interest in getting involved in the struggle between money and power. To those merchants and nobles, having authority in mercenary guild wasn''t a simple matter; it was like owning a private army. Naturally, if a battle occured, they would inevitably sacrifice their mercenary guild to make sure they won.


    Even if the sacrifice was human lives, who'' would care?


    So becoming economically independent was very important to Rhode. Unlike those NPCs, Rhode was more familiar with various missions and commissions. That was why he could assure his win as soon as possible. If so, he could use his spare time to increase the mercenary group''s soft power. Being independent economically was very important.


    Knock knock knock!


    The door sounded. Rhode turned around and saw Lapis pulling her cloak tightly and nervously entered the room. To her, this was already considered a courageous move. Before, she even had to go in together with her brother.


    "Are-are you looking for me, leader?"


    The girl said in low voice, both of her hands twisting the cloak hem uneasily. Anne curiously looked at her as though she was considering something.


    "That''s right."


    Rhode nodded and gestured for her to sit down. The poor girl walked toward the chair with some hesitation. She was holding the chair and slowly sat down, as if she was going to be sold at the black market soon.


    "It''s like this."


    Rhode decided to ignore Lapis''s nervousness in the name of her self-protection. He had tried to comfort her before, and told her to not be scared. In the end, she quickly jumped away like a rabbit whose tail had been stepped on and ran away as if she had seen a wolf. From that moment on, Rhode had given up on this stupid idea.


    "I think that you know that you aren''t strong enough to take risks and fight."


    "��"


    Facing Rhode''s words, Lapis lowered her head silently and kept holding onto her cloak tightly. After that, she loosened up, then tightly held onto it once again.


    "That''s why I plan to give you a new job."


    Rhode opened his hand and handed a piece of paper to Lapis.


    "This��"


    The girl curiously look up to read the content, her expression showing a little doubt.


    "As you can see, this is a recipe for lower level potion."


    Rhode shrugged.


    "Your next job is to create a potion according to the content above it. What do you think of this job?"

 Chapter 133 Change

    The angel''s wings were fluttering and slowly landed in the beautiful garden. She hurriedly lifted up her head and looked at the surroundings, before helplessly sighing, then stomped her feet on the ground.


    "Celt, are you here?"


    "What''s up, Grandia?"


    A white-robed girl walked out of the garden. She was holding a white wand in her hand while curiously looking at the messenger who was hovering above the ground.


    "Has Her Highness Lydia come here? I''m looking for her. The Country of Light has sent their messenger here, hoping to negotiate the matter about the increasing trade flows. I wanted to report this to Her Highness first, but in the end I couldn''t find her. She only left a message ''don''t look for me'' in the study room�� but this kind of thing doesn''t count, right!"


    "Ah, so it''s like that��"


    After hearing it, the girl frowned and thought for a while, before exposing a gentle smile.


    "But I think you shouldn''t have to worry about it. I heard that yesterday evening, Her Highness and Grand Mage Amund left the Golden City�� I think her habit of collecting has broken out once again"


    "Again?"


    Hearing until here, the angel maiden pressed her forehead and wryly smiled.


    People who were close to Lydia knew about this habit of her. Her Highness like to collect beautiful things. Not only flowers, artwork, or animals, humans were also included. However, the way she "judged" beauty was different compared to other people. Her Highness didn''t just like beautiful appearances. She was more fascinated by those with a dazzling craft, clever mind, or bright soul and strong will. Once she found this kind of prey, she would definitely use any means to bring that person beside her to become her subordinates. It was her way of saying "since I''m the ruler of this Kingdom, every beautiful thing in here should belong to me."


    In fact, two-thirds of Lydia''s closest subordinates were all "captured" by her because of this reason.


    "Her Highness always does whatever she wants; that''s why people like us are suffering."


    She took a deep breath. Then, the angel spread her wings and once again flew into the sky.


    "There are still two more years; Her Highness''s coming-of-age ceremony has almost come. I hope she can find a man and get married, then maybe she would even be a little more restrained�� I really do not get it; there are a lot of outstanding men around her, but how come there isn''t a single one who confessed to her?"


    Hearing the angel girl complain, the woman only laughed and used her finger to point at her.


    "Isn''t it because you kept scaring them away?"


    "I never did such a thing!"


    Hearing until here, the beautiful angel flushed red, then quickly frowned and refuted her words.


    "We''re only guarding her Highness. If they were really serious about Her Highness, then they should be able to pass this kind of challenge easily! If they don''t even have this kind of courage, how can they make Her Highness happy? We won''t allow the incident that happened with the predecessor to happen once again!"


    The atmosphere suddenly became tense, but the angel girl quickly noticed that she had made a slip of the tongue, then closed her mouth and bitterly smiled.


    "Since Her Highness isn''t here, then I won''t waste more time�� Her Highness also knows about this matter and doesn''t seem to forget about it, rather wanting to avoid it deliberately�� In that case, we also won''t look for trouble. I''ll report this matter to Miss Milla and ask her to deal with this. After all, this is not the first time she''s done that."


    After saying that in a hurry, as if she was hiding something, the angel girl spread out her wings. She turned into bright light and disappeared in the blue sky.


    The white-robed girl looked at the angel figure that quickly disappeared. After awhile, she turned back and went inside the garden, looking at the girl who was hiding behind the bushes.


    Rhode wiped his hands and looked at the room before him.


    Originally, this room was an empty room, but he asked for this room to be modified after he gave an order to Lapis. He also bought some tools and materials for alchemy. He wanted to create an alchemical room. At first, he wanted to use the game''s system, since there was also an automated alchemical room in the mercenary group system. Unfortunately, Rhode''s mercenary group''s level was still too low at Level 1. Although it had changed from "Unknown" to "Small Reputation," there didn''t seem to be any difference.


    It was more convenient to make it using the system, but Rhode didn''t mind using his own money to create one. In just one day, the potion room was completed.


    Unexpectedly, Lapis also seemed to agree with Rhode''s suggestion. After all, she didn''t really have any combat strength, and also seemed uninterested in battle. She always prefered peace over war. This point could be seen from her instinctive reaction when she was attacked; she didn''t show any resistance and could only go with the flow. Rhode really suspected that if there was a man who pushed her down in bed, Lapis wouldn''t be able to do anything beside crying or shouting.


    But if it were Marlene or Anne instead, then that man would definitely be in trouble��


    Since it was her innate characteristic, Rhode couldn''t force her to change it. That''s why Rhode could only seek a second option and brought out the best in her through alchemy. At least no matter the result, Lapis''s performance could be considered unique in this field. That''s why it was better for him to at least try and see what happened. If she could do it, then it was definitely best, but if she couldn''t, Rhode would consider making her dress in maid outfit and learn how to clean and make tea��


    Even so, Rhode still had somewhat confidence in her. From the potion that she created in Twilight Forest, Rhode could see that her alchemical skill wasn''t bad. The reason that she always failed before was because her broad knowledge affected her way of thinking. She knew the effect of those magic herbs and materials, which was why she was always hesitant and then failed. However, the materials that were used to make precipitation potion were things that she had never seen before. In addition, she also didn''t understand the recipe Rhode had given her. When she didn''t have anything on her mind and created the potion, both the effect and duration of the potion were not bad at all.


    As the saying goes, the half-filled bottle will spill, while the full bottle remains still. The current Lapis was also like this; her brain was too full of knowledge of the three different subjects in alchemy. Thus, when she did any one thing, her brain subconsciously also thought about the steps in the other two subjects. It was just like trying to use chemistry to solve math problems, or use english ABCs to solve physics. Naturally, the result wouldn''t be good.


    Since Rhode couldn''t fill her bottle up, the least Rhode could do was to keep it empty to make sure it wouldn''t spill. That was why he decide to train Lapis into a skilled worker and not researcher. She didn''t have to know the characteristic or the effect of the materials. She only had to follow the steps and complete it well. As for the other things, she didn''t have to think about it.


    Randolf and the others also agreed to Rhode''s suggestion. He was also worried about his sister, knowing that she was not the type that could adventure outside. Although she was forced to become a ranger, her performance was useless. This problem gave Randolf enough headache, and since Rhode was willing to have her do a job with no danger, he naturally agreed to it.


    Rhode also wasn''t stingy about their pay. Every month, they would give 10 percent of the total profits from adventuring as Lapis''s rewards. That was not a small sum of money. Numerous mercenaries only got 15 percent or 20 percent of profits every mission. If there were more members, then the percentage would be smaller. However, Lapis only had to sit in the house and do her work. She could already get so much money, which could be considered quite good already.


    However, it didn''t mean that Lapis would be relaxed.


    At this moment, Lapis crawled toward the table, focusing on making the potion according to the recipe that Rhode had given. It was the same as the element precipitation potion from before; these potion recipes were also uncommon. But it was made through a method that Lapis wasn''t familiar with, so it prevented her from thinking it was too complicated. She just had to follow the recipe''s steps and make it.


    The potion recipe that Rhode gave her wasn''t the type that could often be seen in the market. In the Dragon Soul Continent, players had to explore these recipe since the recipe in the system needed a lot of materials and the success rate wasn''t too high. To cautious and stingy players, it was definitely not the best choice. Therefore, many players would choose to study recipes and find ways to get the most out of it by using the least amount of material.


    Of course, these kinds of improved potions were usually strictly kept by large guilds that were managed by players. As the No.1 Guild Leader in the Dragon Soul Continent, he was of course familiar with them.


    After making sure that Lapis was okay, Rhode left the potion room and entered the hall. Then, he saw Anne and Lize''s figures.


    Right now, both of them didn''t seem to be communicating with each other. One of them was sitting in the chair while turning left and right, and another one was quietly staring outside the window peacefully. Randolf and others were currently training in the garden to familiarize themselves with the skills that Rhode had taught them. The sound of colliding weapons echoed throughout the windows, giving off the feeling of harmony and serenity.


    How long will this moment last?


    Looking at artistic scene before him, Rhode''s mind couldn''t help but drift.


    After a year, wars will enveloped this continent. When that time comes, will they still able to enjoy this kind of life?


    Thinking until here, Rhode couldn''t help but bitterly smile.


    What was the point thinking of this now?


    Wasn''t he is trying his best to make sure that day wouldn''t happen? To make sure that he wouldn''t run away pitifully, spending the rest of his days in battle? The reason he was trying his best now was to let this kind of life continue and prolong the time until the chaos arrived Of course, it would be better if that day wouldn''t come.


    Creak.


    At this moment, the door slowly opened and Old Walker, who smelled of alcohol, walked in. He looked around the hall and quickly came beside Rhode while ignoring Anne and Lize''s glances and in a serious tone, he said, "Kid, the Jade Tears mercenary group has begun to make their move."

 Chapter 134 Underground

    As a mineral city, the Deep Stone City had many different kinds of mines. Part of them were located in the Deep Stone City''s lower area. It was dark there and without light; even the soldiers who maintained law and order in the city rarely went there. Only miners and those who didn''t have the money to buy a house above lived there. They had no choice but to live in this endless darkness, rely on the sewage water that flowed from the top area, and inhabit the same place as both animals and plants.


    In this other world, there was no light.


    "Are you sure it''s here?" After going down, Rhode could feel unfriendly gazes from the surrounding darkness. He ignored the eyes of those people, pulling up his cloak to hide his appearance.


    "I''m sure, kid." Old Walker rubbed his nose with a serious expression.


    "According to the information I got from the Mercenary Association, these two days, the Jade Tears mercenary group often went here. Not only that, but guess what? Every time those people came here, their strength suddenly increased! In the tavern, I encountered a kid. He was just trash in his previous mercenary group, but now he actually has strength equivalent to an ordinary mercenary! It''s simply a joke!"


    "Was it him who told you this?" Hearing until here, Rhode frowned.


    "Of course not." Old Walker shook his head.


    "This kid came to the tavern to show off his strength. I asked him how he did, but he didn''t tell me. Even if I bought five bottles of rum to make that kid drunk and tell me the answer, I still don''t think he would have told me. Walker, me, I''m no idiot. Since I couldn''t get the answer from him, I directly asked my old buddy in the tavern. Guess what? After that woman got my 2 gold coins, she secretly told me where did he got it. That''s why I''ve always said that women were troublesome, and it would be better not to offend any of them. But since it''s not us, I don''t really care. After I got this clue, I asked my old friend to help me find information regarding this matter. After that, I found out that a lot of Jade Tears mercenary group members came to the mine below. Every time, they always came secretively. No one knew what they were going to do, but the people here have their own rules. Since the Jade Tears didn''t bother them, they also wouldn''t trouble the Jade Tears. Everyone acts like nothing happened.


    "Did Mercenary Association know about this matter?"


    "There''s no way those old folks would know about it."


    Hearing Rhode''s question, Old Walker twitched his mouth. "Kid, you have to know that we are mercenaries and not miners. Even if we were given the money, we still wouldn''t come to this dark and eerie place."


    "What about mercenaries? Are they amazing or what? You old thing!"


    At this time, a loud sound echoed.


    Rhode turned around and saw a dwarf wearing armor walk forward. His hand was holding a torch while he glared at Old Walker while straightening his beard.


    "It seems that you have forgotten about the things that happened before. The stone is up there; I don''t mind giving you one more lesson about the underground rules."


    "Enough, Barf. I didn''t come here to hear you complain." Old Walker walked forward and smiled. He patted the dwarf''s shoulder, then slipped a gold coin into his hand.


    "If I had time, I''d treat you a glass of wine, but I am quite busy now, you see��"


    "Drink wine?"


    Hearing this, the dwarf angrily glared at Old Walker for a moment. After that, he held his beard as if he were moved by this suggestion, but in the end, he still shook his head hesitantly.


    "Just forget about it. I''m not used to living above. The sturdy cave here is my home. The stone is above; if I didn''t tie the iron ball to my leg, I''m afraid I would also go up there some day! Enough! Enough blabber, aren''t you guys in hurry? Follow me!"


    Saying until here, after the dwarf received the gold goin, he turned around and walked toward the direction where he came from. Rhode and Old Walker glanced at each other, then followed behind him, ready to enter the cave.


    "Be careful here. Here isn''t a place where people like you can come and go easily." While walking, the dwarf didn''t forget to remind the both of them.


    "Have to know, the caves here have been dug since the time of my great great great great grandfather. No one knows how many caves are here! Even us, the people who are born, live, and die here only knew the mostly used caves. As for the others, we are also unclear. That''s why, without anyone leading, it''s best not to wander around carelessly. There are many people who have died here because they lost their way!"


    This time, Rhode didn''t ignore the dwarf''s words. In fact, he also clearly knew this matter.


    In the game, the Deep Stone City cave was considered a death end for many players. Before, there were a lot of players who lost their way and couldn''t return. Just how complex was this place? There was a player who wanted to find out the truth. He brought hundreds of directional signs called magic symbols and food supplies when he entered the underground. In the end, he couldn''t find the dead end even after walking for three whole days and nights. Have to know, three days and nights in real life was about ten or more days in the game.


    There were only two choice for players who lost their way here: the first one was to use the teleportation crystal to go back to town, and the second one was to die in the hand of an underground monster, and respawn.


    However, in reality, there was no crystal teleportation and Rhode also didn''t want to try to respawn here since it seemed impossible.


    This was one of the reasons why Rhode rejected Anne and Lize''s request to tag along. He was quite familiar with this place, so even if he lost his way, he still could find a way back if he didn''t wander too far. But if he brought two people who were completely unfamiliar with this place, if he ever lost one of them, Rhode couldn''t guarantee that he would be able to find her.


    In addition, Rhode thought that they weren''t suitable to do this kind of thing. The reason Rhode came here was to "knock down the enemy as much as possible," according to the players'' saying.


    What did it mean to knock down the enemy as much as possible?


    Of course, it meant to completely killing all of the enemy.


    In the game, killing a player would lead to EXP points and equipment being deducted. If it was accumulated, then the damage resulted would heavily affect even a big guild. However, here, Rhode didn''t have to bother killing them until they reached the starting level. Just one death and everything would be finished.


    The Jade Tears mercenary group lost half of its members in the Twilight Forest. Right now, it hasn''t recovered yet, but if he didn''t grasp this opportunity to completely destroy them, he would feel really sorry for himself.


    He didn''t have the hobby of feeding a tiger that would later harm him. He didn''t want to keep guard against an enemy when his mercenary group was still developing. Especially mercenary groups like the Jade Tears, who had publicity become his enemy.


    Even if Rhode could do it, Lize definitely couldn''t. Anne also didn''t look like that kind of person, and Marlene was still resting. It wasn''t just because she was feeling unwell; even if she wasn''t injured, Rhode still wouldn''t ask for her help. Such a proud girl definitely wouldn''t like this kind of method.


    That''s why it was better for him to do it himself.


    The dwarf kept mumbling while bringing them deep inside the cave. Soon, they reached the end. Then, the dwarf pointed toward the cave beside them, made a prohibition gesture, and extinguished the torch in his hand.


    "Alright, I think those guys will come here after a while. From here, you guys can already see them. However, I hope the two of you won''t make any ruckus. We aren''t like the people up there who love to fight."


    Rhode didn''t care about the dwarf''s words. He only walked to the corner and hid himself in the dark. With the help of the dim light in the cave, he looked at the deserted mines.


    As expected, in about ten minutes, people wearing black robes appeared before him.


    From their equipment, it could be seen that they were indeed mercenaries. An ordinary miner wouldn''t brought that much equipment to this kind of place. These people were wearing black cloaks to hide their appearance. Under the lead of the person who walked in front of them, they slowly entered the cave while vigilantly looking at their surroundings.


    What made Rhode feel weird was that they didn''t make any sound while walking. It was really too strange; they brought that much equipment, but their footsteps were still as light as a cat''s. It was clearly not normal.


    Thinking until here, Rhode carefully observed these people. At this moment, one of them seemed to have noticed Rhode''s gaze and looked toward Rhode''s direction.


    However, he couldn''t find anything. After curiously looking at his direction, that person only coldly snorted and walked forward to follow his comrades.


    Only Rhode noticed that when that black-robed man turned around, there was a trace of red light in his eyes.


    The three of them silently hid behind the cave. After a while, the dwarf once again lit the torch.


    "Alright, as you both have seen, it''s these guys."


    "Do you know where they went?"


    "It''s not difficult to find out." Hearing Rhode''s question, the dwarf proudly answered.


    "To the people underground, the footprints that you surface people leave are as obvious as camel poop. However, the place they went is extremely weird. They seemed to have found a passage that leads deep inside the cave. Frankly, that place has been deserted for decades; even I have never gone there. However, these people easily come and go from that place. It''s indeed really strange."


    Hearing until here, Rhode only stayed silent. After that, he took a deep breath, turned around, and said, "I will check the situation; you guys can go back now."


    "Hey, kid, are you sure you''re okay going alone?" Hearing until here, Old Walker showed a worried expression. "Do you want Barf to accompany you? Or maybe I can be some help for you."


    "It''s okay; there''s no need."


    Rhode politely declined Old Walker''s request. As player who once fought the guild who tried to kill him in this underground cave, he was experienced in tracking footsteps and could be compared to the dwarf who was born here and lived here.


    "Just leave it to me, Old Walker. You have something more important to do�� I hope you can go back to the stronghold and tell Shauna to increase the security and send somebody else to keep an eye on the Jade Tears mercenary group''s movement. I think those guys will most likely do something out of desperation. If they attack us, you must immediately asked for Sereck''s help. I help them so many times; it''s time for them to repay us."


    "Alright, I got it." After hearing Rhode''s words, Old Walked hesitated for a while. After that, he nodded and agreed. "But, kid, you must be careful, it''s not safe here."


    "Just rest assured."


    Perhaps because it was dark here, Old Walker couldn''t clearly see that Rhode was smiling, but he could hear the coldness in Rhode''s tone.


    "I guarantee that I won''t leave any trouble behind."

 Chapter 135 Ghost in the Shadow

    Frank had never felt so unlucky before.


    He was an ambitious man and always wanted to be successful. After working so hard, he finally reached the final stage of his plan but was completely ruined at the most crucial point.


    Frank couldn''t believe how a person could hold such a power.


    When Frank first saw Rhode, he didn''t put him in his eyes at all. While he still bothered to investigate on Starlight when it had first established, he didn''t think that this man who ''appeared out of nowhere'' would pose a threat to him. Still, he was rather surprised when he found out from Clinton about Rhode being a survivor of the floating ship attack who also escaped the assassins sent by the Country of Light.


    However, he was only �� just surprised �� and that was it. He believed that Rhode wouldn''t be able to guess the series of events that was going happen.


    When Clinton failed to assassinate Rhode, Frank didn''t seem to care. On the contrary, he felt happy. After all, Clinton was a traitor �� even if his reason was for money, women or authority, betraying one''s country was considered something despicable.


    Alas, Frank had no idea that he would fall into the same hole as Clinton.


    Holy Soul!!


    He swore to the Five Dragon Creators that he had never seen Rhode before. Even until now he didn''t know why Rhode was hostile to him when they first met. If it wasn''t because of that mage who saved him, perhaps he would''ve already died.


    From that moment on, he decided to pay more attention to Rhode and it was also then when he began harboring doubts.


    Did he know their plan or not?


    But from the information that he gathered so far, it seemed unlikely for that to happen. This situation left Frank in a dilemma. Why did that young man hold a grudge against his mercenary group? Was it purely because of his personality? Or did he discover the Country of Light''s plan to kill him? But no matter what the reason was, Frank couldn''t afford to let Rhode roam free any longer. That was why he sent his men and that Mage as a backup just in case something unexpected occurred. Since he also received information that the Burning Blade was also nearby, he thought that it would be better if he could kill two birds with one stone.


    Frank thought that his plan was foolproof and impossible to break, but reality brutally slapped him on the face and sent him to straight hell.


    After sending out his men, Frank waited patiently for the good news. He was certain that they would''ve successfully wiped out Starlight and Burning Blade. This shocking event would throw the Paphield Region into chaos which he would surely take advantage of. Such a flawless plan�� no doubt that the Association would praise him for his conduct. All he had to do was wait for that day to come!


    Unfortunately, the ''good news'' that Frank was eagerly waiting for was the news of his subordinates'' death. Even the Mage wasn''t spared.


    It was just like a man who got drunk and had sex with a woman. But after waking up the next morning, he immediately found out that the woman he slept with was incredibly hideous. Such was a tragedy.


    That wasn''t all; Frank also received a hint of the Association''s displeasure. While they hadn''t issued a new official order to him yet, he was certain that even if he could survive their wrath, he wouldn''t be sought after anymore.


    However, he wasn''t willing to give up just like that. Even until now he still couldn''t fathom how Rhode managed to figure out his plan. It was a total mystery; it did appear that Rhode held a deep grudge towards him, but other than the provocation in front of the Mercenary Association, Rhode hadn''t taken the initiative to cause trouble for them. Wasn''t that strange? His way of taking revenge was too much!


    Frank didn''t linger on that thought much longer. At this point, whether Rhode knew his plan or not wasn''t important. Since he had already killed that Mage, the result was clear as day. He must figure out a way to kill that young man and destroy his mercenary group. After that, he would think of another way to disrupt the Paphield Region. Frank believed that if he succeeded, he would be able to ''atone for his mistake and even if the association felt displeased about his initial performance, at least he would''ve some results to leverage on.


    Frank suddenly felt motivated; for the sake of this glimmer of hope, he was willing to do anything.


    He was now standing inside a deep cave. Then he frowned and stared at his subordinates with a gloomy expression.


    They were in a spacious mining shaft. From the rusty tools, corroded wooden planks and a few charred minecarts, it was clear that this mine had been long abandoned. But compared to other similar mine shafts, there was a layer of white fog lingering in the air.


    It was an odd phenomenon; why would there be white fog deep in a mining shaft?


    Frank totally disregarded it and brought his men deeper inside. When the thin, white fog drifted past the men, it made them feel burning hot��


    Hot?


    The torch lit up the darkness. But other than the light from the fire, there was something in the darkness peeping at the men.


    Frank suddenly felt his body burning. The blood inside his body began to speed up as his heart beat incredibly faster. It was as though something was calling out to them inside the deep mining shaft��


    And it was indeed so.


    After turning around a corner, the men discovered a wide and tall cavern filled with white fog. When they surveyed the cave, they found a beautiful statue near a wall. This exquisitely crafted statue clearly was out of place �� it was something that one wouldn''t expect to find deep inside one of the mining tunnels. And anyone who lay their gaze on it would feel a chill down their spine as if there was a strong evil aura staring into their soul.


    Frank walked forward.


    As if responding to his movement, the thick fog split into two, revealing a path to a ladder and something�� stranger.


    A circular stone fountain.


    Towering in the middle of the fountain was a ferocious beast with a pair of wings. A clear stream of water trickled down from its opened mouth into the basin. But what was odd was that the water produced no sound when it dripped down, instead, a wisp of white fog emitted from the basin whenever the water touched the stone floor.


    Frank didn''t appear to be surprised. His whole year had been a living hell for him, but that didn''t mean that he sat down and twiddled his thumbs doing nothing but sulk. When was scouring the underground cave, he coincidentally found out this secret place.


    He walked towards the fountain slowly and bowed his head. Then, he stretched his head to touch the clear water and drank it.


    At the same time, he began to feel some kind of power burning inside his body �� just like a volcano that was about to erupt.


    Frank shut his mouth tight and clenched his teeth. The powerful force spread throughout his body, and when he couldn''t bear it any longer, a deep roar escaped from his throat.


    "Kekekeke��"


    It felt as if something was hammering his head. Frank bent his waist and appeared to dip his head into the water. However, he managed to stop and slowly straightened his body.


    When he turned around, Frank returned to his usual cold self.


    "It''s done, now it''s your turn."


    He said to the mercenaries behind him.


    Suddenly, a trace of red flashed in his irises.


    No one answered him.


    No one asked anything. They behaved like souless puppets. The mercenaries followed Frank''s order unconditionally and queued before the fountain.


    Each mercenary extended their tongue and licked the clear water.


    At this moment, the mercenaries who drank the water repeated the same roar as Frank, and a similar red light appeared in their eyes.


    "Yes, just like this��"


    Frank smiled coldly as he stared at the mercenaries before him. He clenched his fists and felt an immense power surging inside his body.


    "I will not fail this time."

 Chapter 136 Triggering Missions

    It was never a difficult task for Rhode to find members of the Jade Tears Mercenary Group. He carefully followed the trail left behind by them. As for him being all alone in the tunnel, it wasn''t anything new to him. Rhode had tracked countless of times and his current situation brought back many of his old memories.


    It was not long after the Starlight Guild was formed when Rhode offended a powerful player guild of that time. Rhode had killed many of their players, thus it was natural that Rhode was on their most wanted list. Eventually, that player guild mustered almost all of their strength and manpower to trap Rhode within the tunnels to try and capture him.


    However, in the end they did not succeed. Over a hundred elite players were separated as Rhode cunningly led them into his own scheme. In the end, the guild lost more than half of its members and had no choice but to retreat in shame. Of course, he wouldn''t let them go that easily. Once Rhode went back to the surface, his newly formed Starlight Guild crippled the player guild and forced them to disband.


    As he made his way along this desolate mining tunnel, it brought back some nostalgic feelings to Rhode, as if he was facing that player guild once again.The "nostalgic" feeling didn''t linger for too long. As he made progress in the tunnels, his expression turned solemn.


    It wasn''t because he lost his way, but rather he realized that the direction that those men were heading towards was all but too familiar.


    Returning to the old place was definitely not a good sign.


    "Could it be that these guys��"


    Rhode frowned as he squatted down at a corner of the mining tunnel. He examined the footprints on the ground and shifted his gaze to the front. The light from the torches seemed to be getting dimmer as it melded into the darkness ahead of him. However, Rhode was still able to sense the dangerous atmosphere hidden within the darkness.


    Rhode held his breath and he gripped his Crimson Blade as he quietly followed the path ahead of him.


    Soon enough, he spotted a mercenary guarding the mine road entrance.Rhode remembered that he had seen this mercenary before. He was one of those men that was led by that idiot during the fight in front of the Mercenary Association. He should be glad that he had luck on his side that day; otherwise, he wouldn''t have lived until now.


    The mercenary was wearing an old leather armor, leaning slightly on the wall while looking at his surroundings sluggishly, seemingly with no sense of caution at all.


    "Let''s see if he is just as I observed."


    Thinking of this, Rhode stepped forward.


    Just as the torch flickered and the shadows briefly engulfed the entrance, Rhode pressed his body softly on the wall and quietly sneaked in. The cloak that Rhode was wearing could camouflage itself to its surroundings by distorting and refracting light. It was more than enough to hide Rhode''s body. Not to mention that he was also borrowing the element of darkness and the big boulders from the environment to conceal himself as he slowly crept towards the mercenary.


    This cloak that Rhode received in the Rock of Lament was finally put to good use.The mercenary did not notice Rhode. His eyes were only scanning around lazily without any intention of spotting an intruder. Well, it wasn''t as if he could be blamed. Even those highly trained knights had times when they lost focus, not to mention these lazy bums.


    "Now!"


    Just as the mercenary lazily drooped his head, Rhode struck out!


    Rhode removed his cloak with one hand and leaped into the air as he swung the Burning Blade in a downward arc, straight towards the mercenary''s skull.


    Facing Rhode''s sudden attack, the mercenary hastily raised his head and took a large step backward while quickly unsheathing his dagger and swinging it upwards with the intention of creating distance between him and the unknown attacker.


    His reaction was indeed fast!


    But Rhode was way faster.


    The mercenary was merely able to move his head and didn''t even have the time to open his mouth when the Crimson Blade pierced through his skull. His body smashed against the wall, and his dagger was flung to a side. Before it hit the ground, Rhode dashed and grabbed it before shamelessly storing it.


    The mercenary''s corpse slid down along the wall like a tattered balloon. His eyes were still wide open, maintaining the shocked expression during the surprise attack. Fresh blood slowly oozed out from his eyes, forehead, and nose.


    When Rhode pulled out his sword from the mercenary''s skull, his face changed slightly and pierced the corpse as quick as lightning.


    "��!!"


    This time, the corpse started to vibrate vigorously, and at the same time, there were snake-like movements underneath the skin as if there were dozens of vile snakes slithering. Many marks started to exudate from the corpse with shock and agitation. Rhode clenched his teeth together as he continued pinning the corpse against the wall. After a while, the corpse slowly returned to its peaceful state and Rhode finally let out a breath of relief. Rhode then began to withdraw his sword from the body again. This time, however, instead of the usual red human blood, disgusting green slimy fluid seeped out of the wound.


    Rhode frowned as he observed the blood stains on his sword.


    This meant trouble.


    In fact, Rhode did not drop his guard even after he hacked his sword into the mercenary''s skull. One major reason was that he did not receive any experience points in his system prompt. Just this abnormally itself warned Rhode to remain vigilant. Although this was the reality, Rhode knew that as long he killed anything, he would receive experience points regardless whether they are monsters, alchemy creatures, or humans.


    And previously, after he made a move that would have killed the mercenary, Rhode did not receive any prompt which could only mean that the man wasn''t dead!


    But based on the situation, this shouldn''t have happened..?


    Rhode''s expression turned gloomy at this though. He considered himself to be a "walking library" since he was once the best player in the game, so he knew what was coming up as much as he refused to believe it. Only one factor could lead to this situation. Within this mining tunnel, only that goddamn mission would carry such an unusual feature.


    And this was the mission that he was most unwilling to even touch.


    "This is big trouble��."


    Rhode let out a low sigh as he sliced open the corpse''s clothes with his sword. Underneath the skin of the body were disturbing, deep scars that were squeezed to form a shape of a roaring mouth.


    "Ding��!"


    At this moment, suddenly a crisp voice sounded in Rhode''s brain, followed by a prompt that appeared before him.


    [You have discovered an evil being. They breathe darkness and are struggling within the shadows, trying to return to this world �� Mission triggered >]


    Rhode was dumbfounded.


    Ever since he came to this world, this was the first time he received a mission via the system prompt. Originally, Rhode thought that the system missions did not exist in this world. Previously, he led his mercenary group to complete so many tasks, but the system had never displayed any prompts like [You have received this mission] or [You have completed this mission]. This was why Rhode thought that this world and the game had distinct differences �� But what does this even mean? He had already decided to assume that there were indeed differences between game and reality, but what was this? It was as if the system just wanted to mess with him.


    However, Rhode didn''t feel pissed. He was actually very familiar with >. This wasn''t a mission that he could receive from an NPC, but could only be triggered by a series of coincidences. Of course, one would not be able to receive any rewards or equipment from any NPC after completing, but rather, one would be able to receive special rewards such as dynamic skills, experience points or even skill points. So far, as it seems, the system did not change anything related to the rewards. After opening the > mission, Rhode saw that the rewards are identical to what he remembered from the game. Completion of this mission will allocate 5000 experience points, 3 skill points and an undisclosed special random reward to Rhode.


    Is this a game or reality?


    Rhode felt confused and irritated.


    As a player, naturally, he had completed this mission. Therefore, Rhode obviously knew how troublesome this mission was. As a matter of fact, there was a point where he just wanted to drop everything and just escape to the surface. Although he accepted this mission, he could choose not to finish it. At most, he could just cancel this mission since there was no penalty for canceling missions.But Rhode couldn''t do it.


    If it was really the Jade Tears Mercenary Group who caused the activation of >, then this spells catastrophe for the Starlight Mercenary Group and Deep Stone City. Considering his relationship with Jade Tears Mercenary Group, Rhode doesn''t believe that those guys would be kind-hearted enough to not put himself and the Starlight Mercenary Group in their number one rank of their "to destroy" list.


    A dangerous bud must be nipped before it was allowed to grow.


    Once the > advances into its next phase > or >, then it would be too late for regrets.


    Once he made his decision, Rhode stretched out his right hand.


    Almost immediately, a white card spun and appeared on his palm.

 Chapter 137 Mission Begins!

    Celia stood before Rhode. Her usual cold and expressionless face was nowhere to be seen. Instead, this time, her face was filled with fury and anger. Rhode folded his arms as he stared at his own summoned spirit �� And before he could give her any instructions, she immediately drew her sword in an arc and sliced the mercenary''s corpse. Holy silver flames flared as it burned the poor bastard''s corpse into nothingness.


    Although the holy flame was powerful, it produced no smoke nor ashes in its wake. This could be considered an extremely environmentally friendly product��


    "I haven''t even told you to do anything yet?"


    "I''m very sorry, Master."


    Celia tilted her head down slightly, both of her hands were still gripping onto her sword tightly."I sensed a malicious presence and I couldn''t stand it any longer, so��"


    "�� Forget it."


    Rhode waved his hand and stopped Celia''s apology. He wasn''t affected by her action at all.


    "Do you feel confident facing these things?"


    After hearing Rhode''s question, Celia went silent for a moment. Afterwards, her expression gradually sank and a conflicted expression appeared on her face.


    "Regarding this�� Master, I am�� sorry. I''m unsure��"


    "..."


    Rhode stared helplessly at Celia, unsure of how to continue.


    And, at this moment, a crisp laughter could be heard.


    "Huhuhu�� Seems like Master is in trouble, maybe I could help?"


    "Gillian?"


    Hearing her voice, Rhode frowned slightly and felt surprised.


    "Why did you appear? I did not��"


    "You are just merely unable to summon me, but this doesn''t mean that I am unable to communicate with you. Master, did you forget? I am a core card. As long as I want to, I can communicate with you anytime. Yes�� This is the same logic as making friends online with video call. We can see and hear each other, but if you want to do something to me then I''m sorry��"


    "That''s enough. I am not going to discuss this with you now."


    Realizing that Gillian was purposely trying to go off topic, Rhode quickly tried to steer it back to the main issue at hand. He didn''t specifically try to find out information about core cards because most of the special features basically have no much use �� After all, a game is just a game and Artificial Intelligence is just AI, especially the AI of such core cards. It was rare enough to even for them to speak to their master.


    Generally, only when players got into missions which involves a deck of cards, or somehow manage to kill some special creature and fulfill certain conditions, the core cards would only then appear and remind players that there is something worthy of his or her concern. For Gillian to go off topic on her own accord was indeed rare.


    "Don''t tell me this mission is related to you��"


    Rhode frowned and asked. It couldn''t be helped for him to have such thoughts, after all, this was the first mission he received in this world. Gillian, who had always been in silent, suddenly communicated with him on her own accord. This was a very weird event. Moreover, considering what Gillian said previously, it implied that she knew what was this whole game system was about. Rhode couldn''t help but suspect if this was all part of the plan by this summoned spirit.


    "Although I can very well understand Master''s thoughts, but I am really sorry, you should be very clear on the triggering of random tasks. This isn''t my doing. Well�� you can think of me this way �� An in-game assistant! You see, every time you receive a mission, the assistant will always intimately inform you of important details and data. Now this responsibility has fallen to me!~"


    Gillian was determined and oddly excited, it seemed like she liked being an assistant. As if this job comes with a lot of future prospects.


    "Well�� okay then."


    Rhode nodded helplessly. He still felt that this blabbering summoned spirit was unreliable. But at this point of time, he needed her assistance.


    "I wish to know the danger level of this mission in relative to our combat power, and also, how many people are in there."


    After listening to Rhode''s questions, Gillian went silent for a moment as if in contemplation and then almost immediately replied afterwards: "Yellow Alert Level 3! As for the amount of people�� I''m sorry, Master. I am not a radar. Such a cheating ability, I do not have it~"


    "Only level 3?"


    Upon hearing Gillian''s quick yet cheeky reply, Rhode felt that something wasn''t right. Missions with yellow alert meant that the difficulty wasn''t very high. This level of danger might pose some difficulty to solo players, but with a 2 or 3 man party, it would be a walk in the park. Rhode could remember clearly that when he was level 35, this mission was blaring bright red warnings in his face which represents the highest danger level.


    Realizing the change in Rhode''s expression, Gillian giggled.


    "At that time, that was a game, whereas this is reality, Master. Times have changed~"


    An AI assistant�� discussing with me about reality and fantasy? That sounds absurd in itself.


    Rhode kept his thoughts to himself and stopped speaking to Gillian. He then turned over to look at Celia. This angelic girl had returned to her usual cold attitude, and seemed to be oblivious to the discussion between Gillian and Rhode. However, he couldn''t blame her. Maybe this ought to be the normal reaction.


    "Follow me. I have a plan."


    Rhode gestured towards Celia. He decided to give the mission a shot as he had enough confidence in himself. He didn''t feel that Gillian would lie to him on purpose, and this random mission was indeed triggered by him, which meant that it could be accomplished within his abilities. Moreover, Gillian also reminded him that he was very clear of the triggering of random tasks.


    The mercenaries dragged their feet, walking out unsteadily from the mining tunnel.


    Something was amiss about them this time. At this moment, the mercenaries seemed as if they had finished some heavy lifting. They were panting profusely and their footsteps appeared to be unstable. If these mercenaries weren''t men, others might even misunderstand them to have done something unspeakable inside.


    Frank led the group with heavy steps as if his body was inflicted with paralysis. This sensation was enough to make someone go crazy. It was as though countless of worms were squirming in their blood vessels and could not do anything to relieve the pain. A few mercenaries who could not bear the pain dug their fingernails into their own skin and ripped it out. Muscles and bones weren''t spared either and some even grabbed their heads in agony as they screamed to their death.


    Frank was very clear on this. As long he could withstand this torment, he would be able to receive boundless power. His current strength was already 2 times stronger than before. Frank had absolute confidence, whether it was Rhode, Sereck or the mercenary group leaders of the two most powerful mercenary groups, he had the confidence to dominate them with this power.


    Frank grit his teeth and forced himself forward as he muttered under his breath, "Damn bastards! Just wait till then, I will show you what is REAL pain."


    Rhode''s image flashed through his mind. He smirked as he imagined the expression of despair on Rhode''s face once he had thoroughly humiliated him with his power. Didn''t that guy look like a woman? I will get some men to gang-rape him, and at that time, I will see if he is still able to smile!


    Frank could feel a pleasurable sensation spreading throughout his body as he maintained his malicious thoughts. Even the painful sensation seemed to have lessened.


    He smiled coldly and gazed at his front. Then his expression swiftly changed.


    There was no one there.


    "Where is he?"


    Frank frowned as he scanned the entrance. He couldn''t find the sentry that he sent to guard this place.


    Maybe that bastard went off slacking?


    "Dag!?"


    When Frank screamed the sentry''s name, it startled the mercenaries behind him and they stopped their steps. They lifted their heads slowly, but there were no signs of self-consciousness in their eyes. Their eyes were totally devoid of any life as if their spirits had already left their bodies.


    Frank''s voice echoed throughout the tunnel, but no response could be heard. Only deafening silence.


    "Go search around!"


    Frank started to feel like things were amiss after not getting any response. He turned around and gave a hand signal to his mercenaries. The mercenaries drew their weapons and ran, searching every corner. They weren''t afraid of getting lost within the mines as they seemed to have obtained an ability after drinking the weird spring water. The ability gave them the knowledge of the entire terrain, even more so than those who worked here all their lives.


    Looking at his men frantically searching for the missing sentry, Frank leaned against the wall and gaze coldly into the pitch black tunnel. He unknowingly clenched both of his fists as a bout of uncertainty and danger slowly flooded his thoughts.


    What the hell is happening?


    Why did my sentry disappear?


    Could it be a dangerous underground creature? No, there shouldn''t be any here.


    Could it be that someone attacked him?


    But no one else knows that they were here. Frank felt that he had been diligent enough in keeping this secret, moreover, his mercenaries were like him, no longer worthless trash. Their abilities could be as strong as those elite members, so how was it possible that he could have been murdered and not give any response or distress call?


    "Ahh��!"


    Just as Frank was evaluating this peculiar case, a shriek echoed from deep within the tunnel.


    What happened!?


    Frank was startled as his eyes suddenly turned bright red. He drew his weapon and approached the tunnel, moving towards the sound of the scream.

 Chapter 138 Defeat Them All

    Frank and his men reached the ''crime scene'' at the same time.


    Calling it a ''crime scene'' wasn''t entirely appropriate either as nobody noticed any corpses or traces of battles along the way. There was nothing at all!


    It was unnerving.


    Nobody believed that the loud scream was an illusion. After a quick headcount, they confirmed that they were short of 1 person.


    With such a obvious outcome, something must be wrong with Frank if he didn''t realize the problem by now.


    "Continue to find him."


    He didn''t have any intention to give up that easily. Instead, lifted up his arm and clenched his fist in the air.


    "Form groups of three. If there''s any attack, report to me immediately!"


    None of them defied his orders. They nodded and spread out to search for traces of their comrade.


    However, no one noticed that inside in the tunnel, Rhode was quietly hiding and peeking out within a crevice that looked like a gap in an alley and attentively catching on to every movement.


    "Hmm, it seems like these guys aren''t too bad."


    Rhode silently nodded to himself. Once the mercenaries scattered, he carefully slipped out from between the gap.


    "This style of battling is meaningless, Master."


    Celia followed closely behind Rhode and gave her view of the situation with a serious expression.


    "Such a sneaky victory will not bring us a glory!"


    "So, what do you suggest then?" Rhode spoke without looking back as he leaned on the wall attentively, scanning both directions to ensure no one was around.


    "We should fight them face to face with dignity!"


    Celia held up her sword in front of her with both of her hands, maintaining the staunch, yet somehow saintlike demeanour.


    "What? Are you stupid?"


    The one who answered Celia wasn''t Rhode, but it was Gillian instead.


    "Haven''t you realized that these guys are abnormal?" Gillian continued.


    "Master''s strength is far below them. Only when we take such approaches then we can achieve victory and accomplish the mission! Will you take responsibility if we end up being surrounded by them after engaging them face to face? Can you please use your brain? Or did all the nutrients end up in that chest and wings of yours. It is fine if you fall in battle because you can revive, but if something irreversible occured to Master, what do you intend to do?"


    Celia''s expression changed after listening to Gillian''s counter.


    "This�� I will not let this happen!! I will give my all for my Master!"


    "Hmph, if the world can be conquered by your words alone, then I can help master conquer the entire universe." The cheeky female voice echoed in Celia''s head once again, giving her no chance of a comeback.


    "As long you give your best? �� Okay, okay little bird with wings, now is not the time to fill your head with your own distorted knighthood view of willpower. Focusing on the battle is your duty. Remember that you are a summoned spirit. Live up to it, just like those dogs who stick with their owners till death! Don''t mess up this situation, stupid!"


    Celia remain silent as she knew deep down that Gillian was right, albeit her being slightly disrespectful with her words. However, even if she wanted to rebut, she couldn''t because Gillian''s rank was much higher than hers! Unlike Gillian, Celia was only a normal battle angel, whereas Gillian was an elemental lord. Although the both of them did not belong to the same deck, this hierarchical relationship was distinct.


    Celia remained quiet as she gripped onto her sword, following behind Rhode without a word. To act as an assassin who sneakily hid in the darkness wasn''t her forte when she was a knight that often battled face-to-face.


    Soon enough, Rhode spotted his target.


    Three mercenaries were walking slowly in the tunnel with burning torches in their hand, carefully scanning the surroundings as if they were looking for something. None of the mercenaries seemed to be shouting for their comrade''s name, therefore it was quite clear that the notion was meaningless, and that the missing comrade did not mean much to them. They were more concerned about their own safety �� If not they wouldn''t have left their homes to become a mercenary for money.


    At this moment, the three mercenaries were focusing their attention on the front and their immediate sides. Rhode, who was behind them, closed the distance between them rapidly.


    1 step�� 2 steps�� 3 steps��


    Rhode matched the pace of his steps with that of the men''s footsteps. Once the time was right, Rhode stood up from his crouched stance and gestured towards Celia with a hand signal. Although she was dissatisfied with his choice of engagement, she was indubitably still very dedicated to him. After spotting his hand signal, Celia did not hold anything back as she spread out her wings in a split second. She raised her sword high and flew towards the three poor souls.


    The sound of the air splitting from her wings immediately attracted the three mercenaries. They swiftly spun around and could only gasp in horror.


    Upon receiving their commands from Frank, the three mercenaries had mentally prepared themselves to meet creatures that lived in the darkness. However, never would they had imagined they would encounter an armoured, holy angel flying towards them with a sword in her hands. The holy aura from her wings exploded with white light as she left a trail of snow-like feathers floating down behind her, causing them to fall into a dreamy illusion.


    The three mercenaries truly believed that they were in a dream.


    This isn''t the surface. Why is there an angel here?


    Before they could receive an answer, Celia swung her sword in a clean line and created an inferno of silver-whitish flame in her wake, filling the path with holy flames.


    Actually, the holy flames weren''t actually glaring, it could be said that it seemed gentle and soothing. However, it was a totally different feeling after the flames broke out. In a split second, the three mercenaries felt as if they were gazing at the sun. All they could see was pure, deafening whiteness. That wasn''t the end, while the sacred flames burned within them, it unconsciously dragged out their deepest intrinsic desire for anger and hatred.


    As the holy flames swept past the mercenaries, it did not cause much physical damage to them. Their skin was scorched badly, but they were still able to grit their teeth and unsheath their weapons.


    Although they were still blinded by the flames, they were incomparable to their previous strength. They had powers that could guarantee to protect themselves from sneak attacks even though they could not see.


    The mercenaries adopted a defensive posture as they expected the angel to follow up with an attack. But contrary to their expectation, she merely landed and retreated.


    Before she landed, Rhode had already appeared from the shadows.


    With his sword in his right hand, he gazed straight at his target. He lifted up his left hand and placed it on the blade of the sword. Rhode then pulled his sword to the right, drawing fresh blood that coated the blade. Once the Crimson Blade absorbed the blood, it started to shine magnificently.


    Rhode lowered his body and sprung into the air with his sword, his stance poised beautifully in the air, like an immemorial painting. Once his sword reached its peak, he swung down with all his might, drawing a perfect glowing arc that flew out from the Crimson Blade.


    The man and the angel''s switch between offense and defense were incredibly well timed. While he was in the air and ready to strike, Celia was in the front. When he unleashed his sword attack, Celia perfectly matched the timing and sidestepped backward, allowing the glowing arc to fly mere inches above her head, toward the enemies.


    The three mercenaries totally didn''t anticipate this.


    When they laid eyes on Celia, they started charging towards her. But they didn''t expect that their own actions brought them closer to death.


    The glowing, bloody red arc came crashing down as it caught them by surprise, however, they did not succumb to panic nor fear, but instead, they revealed ferocious smiles on their faces.


    The three mercenaries roared and raised their weapons.


    Dark smoke-like energy erupted from their body, engulfing their entire being as if they were lit on fire. Accompanied by this enigmatic flame, the temperature dipped drastically and started to release a putrid smell.


    The dark flames enveloped their weapons as they clashed with Rhode''s attack.


    Bam!


    The impact of the collision resounded in the narrow tunnel. The sand, stones and boulders all started falling and vibrating.


    It was at this moment when their ferocious smile on their faces turned into one of indescribable fear.


    They were confident that their own power could easily stop the enemy''s attack. But, everything changed after they experienced Rhode''s attack.


    Who says that we are trash? We don''t give a damn about such weak attacks!


    This notion only lasted in their mind for merely a second. When they finally realized that this arc of Rhode did not disappear after the collision, it was too late.


    When the glowing arc collided with the black flames, it suddenly split and formed dozens of small blades. These small blades then quickly spun around the mercenaries, condensing into a strong whirlwind while trapping them within a sea of blades. The sharp blades easily sliced their flesh, leaving them with open wounds.


    That wasn''t all, now it was Celia''s turn to strike!


    The battle angel was totally impervious to the whirlwind. She raised her sword and flew directly in front of the mercenaries. She swung her sword, cleaving one poor mercenary in half as the sacred flames burnt his body into nothingness.


    The other two tried to escape, but Celia wouldn''t allow that to happen. She gripped her sword and gathered the sacred flame at the tip of her sword. Then she swung her sword sideways, causing both of the mercenaries to be completely consumed by the sacred flames. Not long after, they finally breathed their last as they lay on the ground without any movement.


    "Master, there are people coming from the front, left and back! The one behind is the nearest, the one on the left is the furthest!" Gillian''s cheeky voice once again echoed inside Rhode''s ears from behind.


    He nodded with satisfaction and immediately beckoned to Celia with his left hand. Both of them quickly disappeared into the darkness, leaving no traces behind.


    The true battle had yet to unfold.

 Chapter 139 Frank’s Countermeasures

    Without a doubt, Gillian, the in-game assistant was pretty useful. Although she was unable to display her powers, at least she was still able to assist in other ways. She could observe his environments and would lessen Rhode''s burden.


    Of course. This was only limited to the immediate surroundings. There was no way for her to see or hear a thousand miles.


    For Gillian, this was more than enough. She wasn''t a human, however, her senses were much better than a human. In this narrow and dark tunnel, she could easily detect the enemy distance, direction, speed and quantity with her ability.


    Rhode was unable to do this himself, of course. But his ability to focus was top notch. Although his actions were fast, each movement he made all contained his elaborate planning and preparation.


    >. This particular mission was always triggered by players unknowingly. When they explored the underground mine, the players would randomly meet a crazy, and aggressive shorty. After killing him, the player would then detect some abnormality within the corpse, triggering a mission. Players would then bring these abnormal pieces of information back to the surface. After speaking to various mine workers, churches, and the Mercenary Association, they would discover a secret.


    Deep within the mines, there was a shaft that led directly to hell. This ancient shaft was situated there eons ago, long before the Deep Stone City was built. Because of the shaft, the entire terrain around the mines became a haven for demons and devils, who attracted humans inside. In the end, justice eventually triumphs over evil and the shaft was re-sealed.


    However, the evil ritual sites within did not disappear after the sealing of the shaft. Many years later, some greedy humans were naturally attracted to the ores within the mines and had long forsaken the warnings in the legends. They raised their excavating tools and dug into the sealed shaft. That shorty was one of those workers. He accidentally managed to discover the evil ritual site and drank the unholy spring water.


    Once humans drank the water, they would obtain a boost in their strength, but that would fade as time passed. When that happens, it would cause an irresistible urge to drink it again to maintain their strength. It was quite similar to drug addiction, one could never give up the lust for power once one experiences it. Losing the power would be unbearable for them.


    After the mission was activated, the Mercenary Association in Deep Stone City would collaborate to form a strong investigation team to locate and seal the place once again.


    From then on, the mission had a time limit. If the players were able to destroy the site within the time limit, then they would be awarded generously with plenty of experience points, rewards and equipment. However, if they failed to complete it, the consequence would be disastrous.


    A third of the people living underneath Deep Stone City would be lured by the shorty to taste the power of the spring water and they would transform into frightening devils soon after. These people would receive the Demon Lord''s beckon and proceed on to unseal the shaft. The investigation party and the players would be the targets of these devils.


    Within the narrow tunnels, countless of demonic creatures would overwhelm their prey. At this point, the investigation party and the players could still work together to destroy these creatures. If they were unable to succeed, the mission would then move on to its ''third'' phase. The investigation team would be completely wiped out and the demonic beings would proceed on to the surface, occupying the whole of Deep Stone city.


    The mission was ignored by many players because the time limit was a hidden factor. Many players received a notice saying: "Finish this mission quickly, if not there will be undesirable consequences." As this was ''just another mission'' to many players who had already played countless of other similar games, there were few who took this warning seriously.


    Furthermore, during investigations, there were many troublesome sub-missions that seemed like a waste of time. Therefore, many players gave up after noticing the amount of effort required to complete it. They would rather use this time to gain some levels. Why would they coop themselves in such a creepy place?


    Fortunately it was just a game. Players who died could be resurrected. If it was reality, who knew how many courageous men would had lost their lives to complete this mission.


    Rhode was able to complete this mission due to luck. After finishing the mission ''Demonic Shadows of the Haunted House'', he had been prompted on other hidden missions. And also at that time, he did not know why players ignored this mission.


    The demons went on a rampage on the surface and killed humans in Deep Stone City. Not long after, the matter was escalated to such a high level that it sparked off retaliation from Golden City. As Rhode got caught in the middle of this incident, he became curious and decided to participate. Eventually, he accomplished the mission successfully.


    That was why Rhode was very clear of this situation. These mercenaries that were under the "buff" from the unholy spring water should be roughly around level 20. Their current innate element would be demonic. Thus, Celia a pure battle angel, who had the holy element would weaken them significantly. That was why Rhode chose this battle strategy: Firstly, command Celia to weaken enemies through a sneak attack and he will keep them busy with his own sword skills. Secondly, Celia would take advantage of the opportunity to follow up with an attack. Although she faced the risk of getting hit by Rhode''s sword attack, ultimately she was still a summoned spirit which could be re-summoned again using spiritual energy.


    Those mercenaries definitely don''t take death as easily as Celia because they only have one life.


    Rhode''s timing was perfect.


    Once Rhode and Celia retreated into the darkness, the other mercenaries rushed over to the scene, their eyes red with fury. It was obvious that they were filled with hatred. All of them emitted a murderous intent, coupled together with the pain in their bodies and the pressure of the baffling deaths of their comrades transformed into hatred. They couldn''t wait to find the culprits and teach them a lesson.


    However, reality was cruel. What they could only recognize were the aftermath of the battle. The ceiling of the tunnel was falling apart, but there were nothing left of their fallen comrades.


    The mercenaries yelled in anger and fear. How could they even fight a battle if they couldn''t even find any traces of the murderer? Should they leave this place and come back later?


    As for revenge for their fallen comrades? They were barely acquaintances. Even remembering their name was considered to be good enough.


    Thus, at this critical juncture, it was better to rely on oneself.


    After a while, some of the mercenaries that had managed calmed down slightly suggested to leave the place.


    However, Frank rejected this suggestion.


    Frank had his own thoughts about the situation. It seemed as if this mysterious assailant wasn''t as strong as he thought. Only during a one on one situation would this assailant be able to finish them off cleanly. But against three enemies, the assailant evidently could not do it in total silence. This meant that his ability was limited.


    "Oh? Seemed like they aren''t that dumb." Rhode''s eyes widened slightly when he saw five fully armored mercenaries joining in the search.


    Frank''s response to the situation was simple. He merely changed from a three-man team to a five-man team. That was all.


    However, this spelled trouble for Rhode.


    Rhode''s goal was not to just kill these bastards �� If it was only this, he wouldn''t even need Celia''s help. He could do it himself. However what Rhode wanted to accomplish is to "Kill these enemies swiftly and cleanly in the shortest time."


    In order to do this, he couldn''t do it alone.


    These five men did not exceed Rhode''s expectations. Of course. He could kill them without any problem. However, he could not guarantee that he could kill them off cleanly and leave without triggering suspicions.


    Even if Rhode decided to separate them using certain means, these five mercenaries were "intimately" sticking really closely to each other. Rhode suspected that their initial response towards an attack was to avoid confrontation and back off to call for reinforcements. If that happened, his plans would be voided.


    Concealment was Rhode''s top priority. Although the psychological pressure on these mercenaries was at its peak because they did not know the amount nor species of enemies they were facing, the unknown would always be the largest source of fear. The less they knew, the better for Rhode. But once Rhode reveals himself, all the mysteriousness he built up since the start of the battle would be for nothing, and from then on it would be much harder for Rhode to handle them.


    "Should we attack, Master?"


    Celia followed closely behind Rhode''s back and whispered.


    Rhode considered for a moment before eventually shaking his head.


    "Let us observe first."


    As he spoke, he retreated further into the tunnel silently.


    With regards to the familiarity of the terrain, Rhode was not in a way any inferior to these mercenaries. He had memorized every path, tunnel and dead end. And after surveying the enemy, he now understood their deployment strategy. The Jade Tear mercenary group split themselves into three groups. Each group consists of five mercenaries. After covering a certain amount of distance, they would report back their status by shouting to their comrades before continuing the search.


    This is troublesome.


    But Rhode did not consider giving up at all. Giving up was more dangerous than trying. In the underground, he still had the ability to stop these guys. However, if they somehow made it to the surface, chasing and hunting them one after another once they split up is going to a problem. If he let any one of them escape, who knows when will they come back for revenge?


    Finishing them off once and for all was the only solution.


    But what can I do in this situation?


    Rhode knitted his brows as he deliberated for a solution.


    Just as he couldn''t think of anything, Gillian''s voice echoed in his mind.


    "Master, I don''t think you have to worry too much about these trash. They are just a bunch of walking trash. So why worry? If it was me, I would just fight them and finish them all at once!"


    �� All at once?


    All of a sudden, an idea struck his mind.


    Maybe I could try��

 Chapter 140 Kill Them!

    Gillian''s crude remarks gave Rhode an idea.


    An idea that he didn''t consider feasible.


    That wasn''t odd. In previous battles, Rhode acted based on his experience when it was still a game, thus, he subconsciously didn''t put much effort to think of new ideas.


    He turned his head upwards towards the ceiling of the tunnel and noticed the decaying wooden beams supporting the entire tunnel. It seemed as if it would collapse if someone just shouted at the top of their voice. All the dust and sand leaked out from the earth above.


    Previously, in the game, Rhode had never paid attention to these elements before since they were just special effects and ambiance, only being there for the player to immerse themselves in the game. For example, a mouth-savoring fruit couldn''t fill the stomach because it was never real, to begin with.


    However, now it was different.


    And this allowed Rhode to envision an idea he would have never thought of before.


    "Celia, I have a plan��" Rhode whispered with a serious expression on his face.


    The innocent battle angel didn''t know why but it at that moment it seemed as if his deep, black pupils shone with mischief and hope.


    "�� and that''s how we do it. Understood?"


    Rhode''s explanation of plan wasn''t too long-winded. He explained it within a few sentences. Celia wasn''t an idiot either, she nodded her head when she caught onto the plan. Although she may be stubborn, her brain wasn''t bad. She felt like it was slightly odd because Rhode suddenly came up with a random idea, but does it even matter?


    This was nothing compared to the other tasks from Rhode.


    "I understand. Master" Celia immediately agreed with Rhode''s plan without any objections.


    Meanwhile, the mercenaries were anxiously checking their surroundings for sneak attacks.


    They followed Frank''s plan to scan the tunnels, but after a long time, they couldn''t even spot a shadow of the perpetrator. This situation made them keep up their guard 100% of the time and caused them to be slightly irritated with Frank''s ambiguous command. Although they listened to him due to many reasons, these mercenaries originally had lazy attitudes. Tolerating it for a while was alright, but forever? No way.


    The seeds that Rhode planted finally started to sprout. His plan was starting to bear fruit.


    "You gave us a command to find this threat, but we have no idea how many there are, whether they are female or male, human or non-human. How do you expect us to find something we don''t even know?" The mercenaries couldn''t hold it in any longer and roared at Frank.


    Frank frowned.


    The man knew that borrowing this "mysterious" power had repercussions. So he knew how his men were feeling. But he didn''t care. His men defeating the mysterious enemy? That never crossed his mind at all. He clearly knew the standard of his men. Even though the Jade Tears Mercenary Group seemed to be labeled as a "strong" mercenary group. Mass recruitment had caused unhappiness among his senior mercenaries because they felt that Frank was trying to maintain power by pushing out the old and welcoming the new.


    The new recruits were naturally lacking potential, which angered the senior mercenaries even further. The situation was like: when you are used to living in your house, then one fine day, multiple guests barged into the room, smoking, and drinking without manners or qualities, destroying the warmth of the home and leaving a terrible feeling at the end.


    As a result, many proper senior mercenaries chose to quit, leaving behind those fresh and green mercenaries. On the record, they have more manpower, but overall less battle strength.


    Frank did not stop them from leaving. Rather, he couldn''t wait for it to happen. He was very clear that his mission to Deep Stone city wasn''t to build up a righteous mercenary group. Those with a high sense of responsibility and ethics were better off somewhere else. After all, his plans were to create chaos in the Paphield Plains, and it wouldn''t be successful if he relied on those righteous seniors.


    No matter what they fought for, this place was still their homeland, and they wouldn''t just stand to one side while all hell breaks loose. Only these new fresh idiots and trash don''t give a damn about these things. To them, the most important things were money, beer, and women. Therefore these people were the most suitable to carry out Frank''s plan.


    This was the main reason why Frank would even bother rallying up these mercenaries to attack the Starlight Mercenary group. If it was any other group, they would definitely be suspicious or even betray the leader. Frank''s mercenaries just happily discussed about the beauties in the Starlight Mercenary Group and fantasized about making them their playthings after defeating them. Righteousness and rules? They threw it out the window.


    And that was the reason why they were bait. No matter their combat strength, they were still mere baits. As long as the fish takes the bait, what comes after, he would be able to settle it.


    No matter how much of these trash died, Frank doesn''t a damn �� At most he could just replenish them by recruiting.


    The mercenaries were totally unaware of how Frank regarded them, but they appeared to have reached their limit.


    "Damn it, I quit!" One of them punched the wall heavily and grunted.


    "We didn''t even find anything after searching for so long! Why the hell are we still here? Are we here to dig gold? I''ve had enough!"


    Every one of the mercenaries kept their silence, as if wordlessly agreeing with him.


    At this moment, a white figure flashed.


    "Who''s there?!"


    Despite having bad human qualities, they were still mercenaries after all. Moreover, the white figure was just too darn obvious in the dark and narrow tunnel. They immediately swore as they ran towards the figure while unsheathing their weapons.


    They were stunned at what they saw.


    In front of them was a floating angelic beauty, expressionless and cold. It was Celia. As an angel, she sensed the filth in their souls. The impurity within them was almost suffocating, thus, Celia would never have a good impression of them.


    But this time, Celia held back and didn''t strike them down. Instead, she glanced at everyone and spun around, flying off into the distance.


    "Chase her!!"


    A sudden shout awakened them from their stupor. They raised their weapons in the air and chased the angel. The thunderous sound of them beating their weapons together reverberated along the narrow tunnel, finally venting their anger that they had stored for so long.


    The mercenaries weren''t afraid of losing sight of Celia. She wasn''t flying incredibly fast, and the shining holy aura that emitted from her wings brightened the whole tunnel like a firefly in the night. Moreover, they were getting excited because they realized that the angel was actually flying towards their companions!


    Soon enough, another group of mercenaries arrived to the front and blocked the path. Witnessing this, Celia was surprised. She immediately changed direction and flew to another tunnel. The mercenaries, however, weren''t in the least bit worried because there were more people waiting for her in that direction as well!


    Eventually, the mercenaries managed to trap the angel in the tunnel.


    One group closed off her front and the other two groups obstructed her escape from the back. Now, once they created a blockade, they could finally feast their lecherous eyes on the angel. Even if the holy aura surrounding Celia made them slightly uncomfortable, they were still captivated by her beauty. Especially when she was trapped alone, without any room for escape, the mercenaries were compelled to fulfill their sexual desires.


    So what if you''re a highly regarded angel? Now you''re trapped underground with us! Where can you run to?


    Heh heh heh. We will let you taste our might after we capture you!


    Fantasizing about the pleasures that yet to come, the mercenaries could feel their crotches twitching in eagerness.


    If they could force the angel to the ground and rape her, even death would be worth it!


    Celia could sense the insidious thoughts of the mercenaries. She frowned and flew into the nearest tunnel she could find.


    This time, the mercenaries didn''t rush to chase her because they knew that it was a dead end.


    This time, you got nowhere to hide, Missy.


    The mercenaries smiled lewdly and walked in.


    They were right. Soon, they saw the helpless angelic woman at the end of the tunnel.


    Although she was in danger now, but her expression did not change at all. She stared coldly at the humans in front of her, her sword in her hands were in position for an attack.


    "You can give up now, Missy."


    One of them stood in front and laughed cheekily. His greedy eyes were darting up and down, sexually violating this woman in front of him.


    "You made us spend so much time to find you�� Get over here! Come with us! You wouldn''t want us to harm you, right? If you come with us, I can''t guarantee you will come out unharmed."


    Celia did not reply.


    She quietly lifted her head and gazed beyond the crowd and into the other end of the tunnel �� Rhode was already creeping in quietly, blocking the exit. He felt Celia''s gaze and gave a slight nod.


    Rhode raised his sword.


    Spiritual energy started rising up from his sword. It gathered quickly at the tip of the blade, forming a shining ball of light. And at this moment, the mercenary at the back felt something was amiss and spun around. However�� it was too late.


    Rhode swung his sword downwards, smashing it onto the ground.


    Bam!


    The ball of light had disappeared, but the ground where the sword struck was in chaos. A large, circular imprint appeared on the floor as if a gigantic hammer smashed onto the ground. Spider web-like cracks spread towards all directions, causing the decaying supporting beams to tremble. Finally, it could not withstand the impact any longer, and the earth above came crashing down. Within a few seconds, the whole tunnel was buried under sand and stone. Thick dust and sand filled the air, blinding everyone momentarily.


    "What are you doing!!" The mercenary that spotted Rhode bellowed.


    He attempted to attack Rhode, but at Rhode already retreated to the back. A huge chunk of mud and rock came crashing down, thoroughly separating them.


    "What the hell happened?!"


    All the other mercenaries turned around to face this "accident", but what they saw was a cave in.


    "Damn it! We are trapped!"


    "This was a trap!! Damn that angel��"


    The mercenaries turned back to the angel, but Celia was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a hound with flames all over its body took her place and it charged towards them.


    "What is this goddamn thing?!"


    The mercenaries that stood in the front raised his sword as he struck towards the Black Hound.


    When the blades sliced into the Black Hound''s body, they felt no resistance at all.


    And at the very next moment, a bright red flame erupted��!

 Chapter 141 Dancing with the Demons

    The crisp system prompt sounded in his mind.


    Standing at the end of the caved-in tunnel, Rhode smiled as he enjoyed the constant prompting of the system and checked how much experience points he gained. These demonized mercenaries brought loads of experience points. Just 15 of them earned Rhode nearly 8000 points.


    "So then, only one more left," Rhode mumbled to himself as he turned around.


    A blur silhouette of a human figure could be seen walking towards him.


    Frank furrowed his brows.


    Sharp, agonizing screams echoed in his mind. These were the screams when one would make when they experience death. The death cries of his men kept flowing into his mind one after another as they died.


    He stopped in his tracks and rubbed his nose.


    Frank had no idea why he rubbed his nose, but after his group of idiots went silent, he suddenly felt tranquility. The hatred, anger, intents, happiness, and even pain seemed to have disappeared.


    He lifted his head and met Rhode''s gaze at the end of the tunnel. An unfamiliar, yet familiar existence stood in front of him, blocking his way.


    "So it''s you again, Mr. Rhode?" Frank asked rhetorically, with unnatural calmness in his voice.


    Even he was surprised with his own composure. He thought he would be overwhelmed with hate, followed by cursing and words of humiliation when he met the man. But at this moment, Frank realized that he didn''t really care anymore. It felt as though as if he was a kid that wanted to play with other kids, but when he was given the chance to play, he turned his back and walked away from it.


    Play? What play? What''s left to play?


    Frank was unsure that if the current state of unnatural tranquility was a reflection of hopelessness and despair. In any case, he felt that he hadn''t experienced this feeling in the past 10 years of his life. It was either anger, fear, anxiousness or pain. Comparing to those emotions, this actually felt great.


    When there''s no hope, there will be no disappointment. When there''s no goal, there will not be any effort. When there''s no effort, there will be no regrets.


    While thinking of this, something deep within Frank''s soul started to stir. He couldn''t find the will to subdue it any longer.


    "Long time no see, or should I say this is only our second meeting?"


    Frank shrugged his shoulders and sighed. He replied with a light tone, as if speaking to a friend.


    "But you always bring me surprises, right?"


    Rhode frowned.


    Frank''s calm reply took Rhode by surprise. Rhode thought that this man standing in front of him would be more like his usual f*ked up self, teasing women like a hooligan, not accomplishing anything much in life. But instead, Frank was just standing there calmly. Rhode didn''t fancy surprises, but he didn''t mind Frank''s attitude too much.


    Inside the gaming world, players who lie and do suspicious things to deter others'' judgment were uncommon. Rhode had long cultivated this good habit �� As long as he does what he thought was right, what others do doesn''t matter to him.


    That was why he did not reply Frank. Instead, he drew his sword and returned his gaze. Even without the help of Gillian, he could already sense the strong energy from hell. The demonic energy gradually emitted from Frank''s skin pores, forming a turbid vapor that slowly enveloped his body; inciting a nauseating sensation to people nearby.


    "I''ve always been curious."


    "Why are you always blocking my path��?" Frank glanced upwards for a moment and questioned, as if speaking to himself, "Actually, I don''t really care anymore. You''ve succeeded again, and I have failed. This time, I''ve got nowhere to escape."


    Rhode lifted up his sword.


    "If you have any last words, I might be able to help you pass it."


    The Crimson Blade started gleaming.


    "There is no need. I have nothing to say to anyone." Frank shook his head.


    Suddenly, a deafening silence fell over the entire tunnel.


    In an instant, a sharp whistling wind whizzed past.


    Rhode let his body drop forward as he transformed into a dark shadow and lunged forward. He then drew up his sword, pointed the tip towards Frank and tilted the blade. Countless of blades erupted from the sword, delivering consecutive flashes towards the target in front.


    Responding to his sudden attack, Frank merely unsheathed his weapon and swung it in a clean vertical motion. Darkness exploded out from his sword, forming a shape of a whip which silently and easily swallowed the endless blades.


    Tch������!


    Rhode switched to a defensive stance and blocked the whip formed by darkness. The whip was extremely flexible, as if it was a snake. The clash between the blade and whip produced a loud screeching shockwave that sent reverberations throughout the tunnel.


    The very next moment, Rhode suddenly struck out with his left hand.


    A Spirit Bird flew out from his hand, followed by a series whistling as it tore through the air. Frank frowned slightly when he saw this attack. He instantly pulled back his whip, transformed it into a huge net and tossed it out towards the Spirit Bird in one fluid motion.


    Frank didn''t notice the glowing summoning circle on the back of Rhode''s hand.


    Just as the net fell upon its prey, the Spirit Bird suddenly disappeared. Instantly, a bright shooting star appeared from within the net and transformed into a sword that released a brilliant ray of holy light. The holy light easily cut through holes in the net, moving towards Frank''s heart unhindered.


    "Hmph!"


    Frank didn''t panic when he saw the transformation, instead, he leaped backward and evaded the attack. He then defended himself with both his swords in front of him, barely scraping through. This kind of circus show meant nothing to him. As long as he put in more force, he could easily smack Rhode''s sword away. He wondered what other styles could this young man come up with��


    Rhode did not expect such light resistance from Frank when they clashed, but he still felt a strong pressure.


    A huge shadow suddenly appeared in mid-air. The moment Celia transformed back into her angelic form, she spread her magnificent wings and swung her swords on both hands, striking downwards. Holy silver whitish brightness covered her whole body as she put her entire might in her attack.


    A wrong analysis of the situation was the beginning of a tragedy.


    Frank totally didn''t expect this angel to suddenly appear in front of him. Just as he felt the strong pressure from her and tried to make adjustments, it was too late.


    Celia easily broke Frank''s guard with her swords. When she was one step away from destroying this detestable being, Rhode rushed towards Frank''s flank to assist Celia in finishing him off,


    However, they were one step too late.


    Facing both Celia and Rhode''s sword attacks, Frank''s eyes flashed a creepy red light, Afterwards, his whole body violently turned into a dark fog, dodging backward. And once again returned to human form after reaching the corner.


    "What a strong assistant you got there."


    He lifted his head as he spoke calmly. His face was expressionless as he stared blankly at the two of them.


    "To be honest, you surprised me. I have never heard of anyone using an angel to be his servant. Not even those experienced faggots in the mercenary association dared to do so even if they had the chance. But you actually have gotten yourself a beautiful angel woman. You make me envious�� but this makes me lose with injustice."


    "Master. There''s something wrong with him! Don''t delay any longer! We must finish him off before he transforms into the second stage!"


    Gillian''s tone suddenly turned stern, unlike her usual casual self.


    Rhode frowned without saying a word. Of course, he wanted to kill him off too, but this narrow tunnel restricted his potential. Not to mention, this whole area was so fragile, even Rhode couldn''t use his full power to kill him like the incident in front of the Mercenary Association. And this man was indeed acting strangely. According to Rhode''s understanding of him, this man was not diligent enough to see through his plans.


    Rhode lifted his sword again and struck forward.


    Clink��!


    The narrow tunnel could at most allow three people walking in a row. But this situation wasn''t just a 2 versus 1. Although Rhode did not summon his spirits, Frank suddenly erupted with darkness power that followed his movements, and with that darkness, he summoned four to five little ugly creatures.


    "Imps!"


    Celia''s expression changed after seeing those little creatures. She ferociously flapped her wings. A white curtain following her wings fell upon them and formed a six-sided barrier, blocking those fireballs that were thrown by the imps who were squeaking like monkeys.


    The small fireballs dissipated quickly after hitting the barrier. At this moment the angel fumed.


    "You actually received such strong powers from hell? As a human, why did you go to the dark side!"


    "Stop your crap, just finish him up. We can slowly question this after we get his corpse!"


    As if reacting to Gillian''s rage, Rhode struck out again.


    The slashing motion of Crimson Blade created a gust of wind.


    The blade energy cleaved those imps into half, followed by shots of starlight that passed through their body easily, returning those beings who don''t belong to this world back to their homeland. Frank wasn''t upset at all, instead, he just smiled. Then he dashed forward with his sword and clashed with the Crimson Blade. Dazzling flashes sparked in between both of them. Facing such an assault, Celia had no choice but to retreat.


    But Rhode had other cards up his sleeve. Once again, he raised his left hand and materialized a black card within his palm, forming a small shield that blocked Frank''s attack.


    Then another huge shadow galloped out of the point of summoning, causing the wind to blast out.


    Frank''s sword was tossed to a side from the impact of the Centaur Knight''s shield. It then continued to charge towards Frank as it used its shield to smash his body. Frank flew a distance and crashed into a wall. Before Frank''s body could even fall to the ground, Rhode and Celia''s swords had already found its target. It pierced through his body, pinning him to the wall.


    "Bam!"


    The follow-up attack from the Centaur Knight smashed the man''s skull. Fresh blood scattered along with bits of brain matter.


    No matter how you look at it, Frank couldn''t have survived.


    But Rhode and Celia''s expression didn''t drop their guard a single bit.


    "Careful, Master! This guy is going to transform!"


    Along with Gillian''s warning, Frank''s body suddenly turned into dust. The dust then formed a whirlwind that manifested into a human body nearby.


    "Do you two really think that I would fall for the same attack twice? How foolish��"


    Frank said calmly as ever. But his features were nothing near peaceful. Every inch of muscles began to twitch on their own and his skin started to crack bit by bit like old linen. The insides of his body revealed muscles that were not blood colored, instead, they were pitch black scales. Tubes of blood vessels bulged from under his skin, pumping strong blood and energy. Frank''s skull started to swell like a big rubber ball, even his voice turned much deeper.


    "But this makes it interesting. If you want to kill me, then try it with all your might."


    Transform complete.


    His human form was nowhere to be seen. What stood in front of Rhode was a gigantic fly blocking the whole tunnel. It opened its mouth and let out loud hisses. Two disgusting apposition eyes appeared on the sides of his head, emitting green reflections from its lenses. Thick, sturdy black hairs protruded from between the slits of the hard scales. The four front claws had sharp nails and a number of tentacle arms protruded out from the anus.


    The putrid smell dispersed all around the underground mine was enough to suffocate a person.


    "Demon��!"


    Celia started flapping her wings vigorously. Thankfully, due to her strong aura, she wasn''t affected by the filthy evil.


    "Oh no, seemed like we played it big this time, Master."


    Since she was referring to something serious, Gillian''s tone didn''t sound one bit energetic.


    "He had been totally eroded by the demonic hell and is not that idiot from before. This guy here is the real puppet of the Demon Lord. He lost all his compassion�� Hah, Master, this man must have hated you so much that he chose to allow the Demon Lord to erode his soul just for revenge �� This Boss will not be easy to defeat~"


    "Of course I know."


    Rhode readied his sword and stared at the abomination that had lost all of its human appearance.


    "He is nothing but a puppet �� If that''s truly the case, we should have a better way of dealing with him."


    Rhode took a step back, grabbing his sword with both hands, he twisted his body and dashed past Frank. At the same time he un-summoned his Centaur Knight, to prevent it from being the target of the monster.


    "Let''s move!"


    Rhode''s sudden feint stunned Frank. Frank reacted with a high pitch screech and in an instance, a mass of dark fog erupted from his gruesome body, spreading in all directions.


    "It''s the breath of hell. Master, you''ll be in big trouble if you get engulfed by it. That monster can freely change his position. Please do not fight with him, or we will all be dead!"


    Rhode noticed the danger within the black fog even without Gillian''s reminder. Of course, he knew what Frank had become. If he had a choice, he wouldn''t want to face such a monster, but now he seemed to not have any other choice.


    Rhode continued dashing into the deep parts of the tunnel without turning back. The black fog was slowly catching up from behind, engulfing the dim light originally on the torches. Celia spread her wings to defend Rhode''s back. But her white perfect shield of light wasn''t able to deflect much. Although water could extinguish flames, if you pour a bucket of water into a volcano, it would be futile.


    "We have to find the ritual altar and destroy the link between hell and this world!"


    After hearing Gillian''s warning, Rhode immediately changed his direction and jumped into the split road on his right. The dark fog did not stop in time and continued flowing forward. But soon enough, the fog started to branch out as it expanded to fill the other tunnel, but still flowing towards Rhode. Condensed darkness spread on both sides of the tunnel, followed by squeaky sounds which transformed into Imps. They squeaked like mice, chasing closely behind Rhode. They ignited their fireballs and threw towards Rhode but to no avail. Celia easily negated their attacks.


    Shing!


    The sword blade flashed.


    Dazzling silver-whitish brightness flashed and once again defeated those obstacles in front of their eyes. Frank''s body emerged within the dark fog. Taking large steps, chasing closely.


    "Come on, kill me. Just come and kill me like how you killed them. Quick. Didn''t you come here for this?"


    Frank''s voice was as deep as usual, but was mixed with panic and craziness this time. Facing such an enemy, Rhode had no intention to reply him. He could only try his best to escape from the dark fog attack, and at the same time using the complicated terrain to distance himself away from the monster.


    This wasn''t an easy feat.


    The dark fog could flow into any corner, filling any gap. And Rhode''s only way to avoid it was to run faster than it moved. Once he contacts with the fog, not only he will be affected by the hellish energy, Frank would also be able to give a direct attack. The only fortunate thing was, without the help of the dark fog, Frank''s transformed body could never ever catch up Rhode''s speed.


    But this didn''t mean that Rhode and company are having a good time. From the start, Rhode and Celia attempted to counter-attack to slow down Frank''s speed, but Frank seemed to be invulnerable, no matter how much damage he soaked, it couldn''t stop him. Rhode even tried summoning the Black Hound, hoping that it could create some trouble for Frank, but it was of no use.


    "This is crazy!"


    Once again, Rhode evaded Frank''s attack from within the dark fog. Gillian who had been silent, finally snapped.


    "This monster is under the effects of the breath of hell, we will not be able to hurt him. It''s is as good as invulnerability! We have to cut the connection! Master!"


    "How far away are we from the ritual altar?"


    "Right ahead!"


    Rhode concentrated on the tunnel in front of his eyes and leaped. Under his body, the dark fog washed through like flood waters. Dozens of dark tentacles stretched from within into the air, trying to capture their prey and drag it into the evil quagmire.


    Silver-whitish flames erupted and instantly destroyed the tentacles.


    "Master, please be careful!"


    Celia flew in the air, hugging Rhode tightly from the back as she dashed forward. Both of them fell and rolled on the ground. Then they swiftly sprung up and continued running. Not far behind, a deep banging sound could be heard. Crushed sand started falling from the ceiling, even the ground started to vibrate lightly.


    Frank once again appeared at the edge of the dark fog. He expanded his huge mouth, roared and stretched out his forelimb.


    At the same time, Rhode finally spotted a strange fountain.


    That was his target!


    Now''s the chance!


    "Celia!"


    Celia heard Rhode''s yell and immediately flew at fast as she could, raising her sword high up above the fountain. And at that moment, the angel''s holy, bright and dazzling light shone on the fountain, the surrounding fog and darkness started to rattle in agony. They let out silent screams, and escaped to the corner, avoiding their nemesis.


    "No! Stop it!"


    Frank could no longer keep his cool and shot out from his protective dark fog. He roared and dashed to the front, attempting to stop Celia.


    At this crucial moment, Rhode appeared in front of him. Gritting his teeth, he raised his sword high up.


    Brilliant bright light streamed upwards along the sword blade and converged at the tip.


    Rhode readied his offensive stance and slashed down with all his might.


    Both Rhode and Celia yelled in unison as they delivered their powerful attacks. Celia''s sword finally pierced the sculpture on the fountain.


    Holy flames erupted and devoured everything!

 Chapter 142 Mission Rewards

    The ground trembled.


    Cracks spread out from the middle of the fountain and the clear spring water turned turbid and slimy, it even released an incredibly pungent stench. The silver-white flames mercilessly rolled over, quickly cleansing all the filth.


    Scorching steam started to emit from the gaps, the escaping air made screeching noises.


    Everything had ended.


    "Hu��"


    Rhode breathed through his mouth and fanned his nose from the stench. The violent trembling began to show signs of stopping, and in front of him, Frank''s body had already become a puddle of nasty-looking water.


    Once the shaking stopped, the underground mine which seemed to be collapsing, regained its earthly tranquility. Rhode lifted up his head and observed his surroundings, noticing cracks, broken rocks and strewn sand all around the underground mine. The fountain that Celia wrecked was also in pieces.


    Then at that moment, a familiar system prompt appeared in front of Rhode once again.


    [Mission > completed. 8000 EXP gained. 3 Skill Points awarded. Random reward��.]


    Accompanied by the system prompt, an obscure card immediately appeared in the air and spun slowly in front of Rhode. At first, it resembled the back of a mirror, but slowly it became clearer and clearer and eventually transformed into a pitch-black card, quietly floating in Rhode''s eyes.


    Is this the random reward?


    Rhode frowned as he reached out his hand to grab the card.


    The card appeared to be pitch black in the front. Dark aura swirled at the top of the card where a large "iii" text was located at. This represented the status of the card. Instead, Rhode focused on the bottom of the card instead. He spotted two values, 1 and 10. These numbers defined the offensive and defensive ability of the card respectively.


    He immediately realized this was a defensive card.


    Seems like I''m in luck.


    Rhode nodded with satisfaction. His stash of cards lacked a defensive card. In Rhode''s collection, the strongest card was of course "Gillian". Both her offense and defense points were more than 20, but Rhode couldn''t help but feel disappointed when his ace card had limited summons. As of now, the only defense cards he could afford were Celia and Centaur Knight. However, their defense wasn''t very high. They could only withstand average or slightly superior enemies. Against very powerful opponents? They wouldn''t be able to last.


    A card with an initial 10 points for the defence was considered very good. In the game, a monster''s strength was represented by the amount of offense and defense points:


    1~4 points �� Normal beasts;


    5~8 points �� Behemoths;


    9~12 points �� Monsters;


    13~16 points �� Elites;


    17 points & above �� Lords


    While the initial attributes don''t specifically dictate the future potential of the summoned spirit, there are some spirits with high growth potential that had the chance to gain several levels at once when obtaining the same amount EXP. Whereas there are some spirits looked great in the beginning, but after evolution, their growth scaled badly.


    In Rhode''s deck, other than Gillian, the Star Mark sword current attributes were 9 in offense and 7 in defense. It fully displayed the high growth potential of an angel. As for the Spirit Bird, its growth rate was disappointing. Although it was one of first few spirits that spent the most time with Rhode in this world, both its attributes were just at a measly 4 points, even at level 9. This was solely because of the lack of experience in its future battles. Apart from using its "Shadow Follower" skill which provided a buff that allowed Rhode to fly, it had no other usage.


    Comparing to the Spirit Bird, the Black Hold''s attributes seemed to be more outstanding. Maybe it was because of Rhode''s frequent usage as a bomb during battle. After gaining lots of EXP, it had reached level 16, increasing its original 5 offense and 3 defense points to 7 and 3. The growth in offense points seemed great, but its defense was equally weak. Rhode was satisfied with its low defense, though. Besides, who would use a bomb that wouldn''t explode when thrown?


    As a new member of Rhode''s deck, the Centaur Knight had a minimal increment in its attributes. Currently, it was level 8 and the attributes merely increased to 6 offense and 5 defense points only. Rhode''s deck was painfully obvious that it focused mainly towards offense. Despite owning two defense cards, they were still more attack-oriented compared to other purely defensive cards.


    The new card had the lowest offense, but its defense was only second to Gillian. 10 defense points meant that it could take more than one full attack from a Death Knight, or even Sereck, without dying. This brought Rhode unimaginable benefits.


    Anne did her job well. All the pressure on her considered to be overwhelming. When the Starlight Guild grows bigger, the pressure on Shield Warriors would grow as well. On top of that, this role required talent and experience, not to mention it was the most dangerous job. Rhode couldn''t foresee himself meeting another genius Shield Warrior like Anne anytime soon, not to mention she was with a half beast descent, and was unafraid of death.


    Compared to Anne, a summoned spirit seemed much more convenient. It could appear and disappear as he wished. Even if the spirit falls in battle, re-summoning wasn''t too difficult.


    Rhode flipped over the card. Details of this card were clearly written on the back.


    [Received Abyss Corps 2/5, Nether Tentacles]


    [Nether Tentacles(Dark Element Attributes): Ground-type non-fusion spirit, Skill �� Binding (Prey that fall into the trap will be disarmed, unable to retaliate) level 9.


    Triggers self-healing if damage received is not over its limit. Recovery characteristic.


    Hidden trap in darkness will not be discovered. Shadow characteristic.


    Upon approaching prey, certain chance to limit prey''s movement. Paralysis characteristic]


    [Offence: 1, Defence: 10]


    Hmm�� Pretty good.


    Rhode nodded with satisfaction. He knew these data were merely data. In order to truly understand it, he needed to test it��


    Rhode lifted his head and glanced silently at the angel.


    "Celia, give this new card a test."


    "Yes, Master."


    After Rhode''s command, Celia nodded her head and drew her sword. She took two steps back and gestured to Rhode. After confirming Celia was ready, Rhode lifted his hand and summoned the Nether Tentacles.


    Nothing seemed to happen.


    For a moment, nothing happened. Then without any notice, Rhode''s shadow suddenly grew longer. If Rhode wasn''t in control of his card, then perhaps he would miss this creepy incident.


    Seemed like its concealment was indeed good.


    "Can you feel it?"


    Celia frowned and tilted her head slightly at Rhode''s question. She then carefully observed Rhode''s surroundings and shook her head lightly.


    "I''m sorry, Master. I only can feel something is amiss�� but I can''t detect the exact location where."


    "Excellent."


    After hearing Celia''s answer, Rhode nodded with satisfaction. "Attack me without mercy."


    "Yes."


    Celia raised her sword without hesitation and struck towards Rhode. The silver-whitish brilliance burst out from her sword, filling the area with white light��


    When Celia''s sword was about to hit Rhode, the shadow from beneath his feet immediately extended and formed a semi-circle shaped chasm in front of him. Countless of pitch-black tentacles shot out from within and flew toward Celia, blocking her attack.


    The tentacles were as thick as a human arm, about 2 meters long. It created the impression of two huge-like earthworms popping out from the ground. The movement of these tentacles would shock anyone if they weren''t prepared.


    Despite being slightly surprised by the sudden appearance, she was able to calm herself down quickly and attempted to slash the tentacles apart. The tentacles moved as if it reacted to Celia''s attack. Once they locked their sights on her, it split and flew in all directions, rapidly closing towards Celia.


    Celia''s ability wasn''t weak either. Her sword sliced several tentacles apart, but it didn''t seem to be effective as new tentacles immediately took its place, it could be said to be as thick as a forest. Because of this, Celia appeared to be struggling slightly against the endless grove of dense tentacles.


    Seems like it''s working well.


    Rhode thought to himself. The Nether Tentacles had strong defenses and there were no problems with blocking attacks. Moreover, with it being 3 meters wide and 2 meters tall in diameter and height, normal attacks wouldn''t threaten it much. With Rhode''s exquisite control, this "tentacle wall" could cover the length of a basketball court in the least. It could also provide defense within 180 degrees. Based on this "experiment", the tentacles flexibility would give opponents surprising threats��


    "Yes! That''s the way! Bind her! Strip her off!!" Gillian cheered gleefully with a slight smirk on her face.


    This shocked Rhode as he went deep in thought. He subconsciously turned back to the fight and the sight almost gave him a nosebleed.


    He was unsure when did Celia manage to get herself caught within the tentacles. Her sword was already on the side. Both of her hands were tied up high with her long, slender legs spread wide apart. The smooth tentacles were slowly slithering up the gaps in her armor and went into her skirt, executing a skillful removal of the maiden''s armor. Of course, during this period of time, Celia was struggling to escape as she flapped her wings with all her might. Unfortunately, the tentacles were like a spider web, binding her even tighter when she struggled. Now, almost half of Celia''s armor had already been removed, revealing her thin inner clothes that emphasized her curvaceous body. A slight tinge of pink could almost be seen from the front.


    Celia blushed with embarrassment. She tried to yell, but could only make muffled sounds as a tentacle shoved itself into her mouth.


    "...!!��!!"


    The squirming body of the angel maiden gave off the temptation of innocence and lust. Her slim waist and the torn clothes gave everyone a visual feast��


    "Yes! Right there, take it down! Use more strength! Just a little more!"


    Gillian''s fearless goading triggered a reaction from Rhode. He quickly made a hand gesture and those tentacles binding Celia disappeared in an instant, returning to Rhode''s shadow. As for the angel maiden who fell hard to the ground, she hastily recovered and grabbed her fallen armor, re-equipping all of them completely.


    "I- I''m really sorry, Master, I��"


    "No, you did well��"


    Rhode paused for a moment, not knowing what to say. So he coughed and decided to change the topic.


    "Now that the mission is complete, let''s pack up and leave."


    "Yes, Master. I''ll go now."


    Maybe Celia thought her actions were too embarrassing, so she hurriedly but rigorously bowed to Rhode. She then turned around and left quickly. Looking at her back view, Rhode shrugged his shoulders and let out a sigh.


    "Such a pity. Just needed that little bit more." Gillian said with genuine disappointment in her voice.


    "But Master, this card seemed to be a good choice isn''t it?"


    "Yes indeed."


    Rhode nodded solemnly. "With this card, I can relax a little on my defense."


    "Not only that, there''s other benefits aren''t it? Hehe~" Gillian giggled as she teased Rhode.


    For some reason, Rhode felt that Gillian was exceptionally happy.


    "Master, don''t you feel excited at all? Tentacles are men''s fantasy, aren''t they~?"

 Chapter 143 Recovery Period

    For the sake of safety, Rhode eventually decided to destroy the tunnel connecting to the altar. Back when it was a game, the choices you make may end up with a different ending. However, just in case, Rhode still chose to be cautious. After Celia surveyed the surroundings and confirmed that there were no leftover traces of demons, Rhode detonated the entire whole underground mine and escaped from the tunnel, secretly returning to surface. With the exception of Old Walker, no one knew what Rhode had done. In fact, even Old Walker didn''t know much. As for the residents of the underground, the explosion was merely "just another collapse", which was not unusual to them.


    However, for the next few days, Deep Stone City was rowdy. The cause of this uproar wasn''t because of the collapse of the underground mine, but rather, it was something that affected all of Paphield''s mercenaries.


    Two days after the collapse of the mine, the Mercenary Association announced that the Jade Tears Mercenary Group would be disbanding.


    The piece of news spread like wildfire.


    No one could predict that such an ambitious mercenary group which had ran several successful mass recruitment campaigns would suddenly choose to disband. This way of disbanding was used only when the mercenary group had too little members! Once the Mercenary Association tended their application for disbandment, there was no going back for the Jade Tears Mercenary Group!


    Many people speculated what happened to the Jade Tears Mercenary Group for it to take such a drastic turn within half a month.


    Many of them quickly found the answer.


    After all, within the circle of mercenaries, much of the news weren''t secret at all. Even if they most of it were rumors, the information was still reliable to a certain extent. Not to mention that the disbanding of a mercenary group was such a big matter.


    Therefore, soon enough, they found out that the Jade Tears Mercenary Group sent out two-thirds of their strength into the Twilight Forest for an unknown reason. The outcome was obvious. Those mercenaries sent to the forest did not return. The angered leader, Frank, then brought his remaining members to who knows where. No members remained after that.


    As a result, the original, buzzing mercenary group was left with only a few newbies and no others. Frank''s disappearance also led the Jade Tears Mercenary Group into confusion and disarray.


    Initially, they followed a plan made by Frank, who gave them a sum of money for recruitment. But now that he was gone, his men naturally had no source of income. Once they lost their core incentive, the mercenaries didn''t want to stay any longer. They felt cheated and demanded reparations for their work, and threatened to leave. Well, they couldn''t be blamed. The situation was the same as you landing yourself a job from a career fair, and after working for a month, you realized that the company had declared for bankruptcy without you knowing. Moreover, your boss also went missing, together with your payment for the month. Who could tolerate all of this?


    Frank knew the importance of the unholy spring water. So he only brought along the best he could find in his group. After Rhode blew up the mines, there was no second in command to take over the Jade Tears Mercenary Group. The remaining mercenaries panicked and raged; eventually opting to apply for disbandment.


    Furthermore, according to the rules stated by the Mercenary Association: after a mercenary group disbands, a certain sum of money will be distributed to the leftover members. Obviously, that was their goal.


    Even if they couldn''t squeeze any money out from the Mercenary Association, they could sell the mercenary group for money. Considering the name and the leftover equipment in the group, it wasn''t surprising that it could be sold.


    The outsiders felt slightly emotional about what happened to the Jade Tears Mercenary group. But they soon turned their focus to another very important factor: How did the majority of its members and the leader go missing suddenly?


    That was the main question. Of course, no one was dumb enough to assume that the "missing" from the official announcement meant literally missing. No one would believe 40 or so fully grown men who had varying experiences as mercenaries to get lost in a forest that mostly everyone was familiar with. If one actually believes that, then there must be a problem with their intellect.


    Many people were certain that they got killed.


    But�� killed by who?


    Naturally, Rhode and his Starlight Mercenary Group were the number one suspects.


    The reason was simple. He had enough reason to do it. Besides, during the previous Mercenary Association meeting, every mercenary group leader heard it for themselves that Rhode wanted the Jade Tears Mercenary Group to completely vanish. At that moment everyone thought this young man was just boasting, so they did not take it too seriously. But now that Jade Tears Mercenary Group was facing complete disbandment, they suddenly realized �� Did that kid meant it for real?


    That wasn''t all, according to the rumors spread from internal circles with the Mercenary Association, after the group sent its application to disband, the association sent people to investigate on the Jade Tears Mercenary Group members. According to them, it proved to be true that Frank sent a large group of people to the Twilight Forest. It was confirmed that they were sent to deal with the Starlight Mercenary Group. But they did not return thereafter. Frank was angered when he heard the news and from that day onwards, he started behaving suspiciously; only bringing his strongest members out in the morning and only return late at night. And finally, they also went missing.


    The Mercenary Association also sent people to interrogate Rhode. Of course, Rhode reacted as if he knew nothing. This caused the association to feel helpless. Moreover, leader Hiller from the Burning Blade Mercenary Group stood up for Rhode. Thus, the Mercenary Association could do nothing about Rhode anymore without concrete evidence. They returned to the headquarters without any results. Because of these chain of events, the association made an official announcement which accepted the notion for disbandment if Frank did not appear within a month.


    After the official announcement, many mercenaries could not help but sigh. Times change too quickly. They thought that the rise of the Jade Tears Mercenary Group would be the scariest future opponent, but instead, they became a shooting star in the sky. Just like that, when they brought much commotion within the mercenary groups, they suddenly went out without a trace.


    Because of this incident, the mercenaries realized that there was an even deadlier presence than the Jade Tears Mercenary Group.


    Rhode.


    For Rhode to be able to destroy the Jade Tears Mercenary Group wasn''t much of a surprise. What made people shocked was the fact that he finished them off so cleanly and without attracting much commotion to himself. Many mercenary groups felt fear deep in their bones. Usually, any confrontation of mercenary groups would leave some sort of evidence. But this time, they couldn''t even find a clue. There were no corpses, no evidence, nothing.


    Just how strong was this young man that had the power to remove a whole mercenary group without leaving any traces behind?


    As they thought of this, many mercenary groups started to understand how fearful the up and coming Starlight Mercenary Group.


    The last thing they wanted was to end up like Jade Tears Mercenary Group.


    Mercenary group leaders weren''t stupid people. The knew that although plenty of mercenaries come from poor backgrounds, there were actually some rich mercenaries hidden amongst them. They had the time and money to seek thrill and adventure so they became mercenaries. Relying on their hidden funding, they were able to support themselves as mercenaries. One could only see how much money they spent to destroy a moderately powerful group such as the Jade Tears Mercenary group. Rhode''s Starlight Mercenary Group was currently ranked third; Hiller of the Burning Blade Mercenary group clearly supported Rhode. That meant that Rhode''s group wouldn''t have many foreseeable conflicts between the top three groups.


    Usually, there will be a conflict between the top three groups because they were the ones closest to being able to promote to a guild status. However, in Paphield Plain, the situation seemed a bit odd. The Burning Blade group had been moving up and down the ranking for a few years. And after years of struggling, they seemed to accept the fact that they were not able to upgrade themselves to a mercenary guild anytime soon. The second in command, nicknamed "forever number two", was the Dark Fang Mercenary Group. As the name suggests, it had no intention for the number one spot. Originally, the mercenaries thought that both of those big names would go head to head against the Starlight Mercenary Group, but on the contrary, Hiller''s friendliness towards Rhode destroyed their expectation.


    Maintaining a good relationship with the top mercenary group and legendary figure Sereck from the Mercenary Association was already considered to be a great feat. But the powerful Starlight Mercenary Group could even make dozens of people go "missing"��


    Currently, the Starlight Mercenary Group became the number one group that everyone in Papheild Plain wanted to avoid. They commanded their men to keep a distance from the Starlight Mercenary Group and not start any fight with their members. Taking extra caution to not speak about Rhode''s his girly features. This was because due to unreliable news, this may be the main reason why Rhode destroyed Jade Tears Mercenary Group.


    If just one insult could negate all your hard work building up the mercenary group, not even the greatest idiot would do it.


    Nevertheless, they didn''t intend to gang up on Starlight Mercenary Group either. Jade Tears Mercenary Group lured people by throwing money, causing some people to dislike them. But Rhode''s group didn''t display any unruly attitude at all! Instead, they actually helped other mercenary groups many times. This left good impressions of themselves amongst the other mercenary groups. If you think of it logically, who would like to work with bastards that take advantage of situations when there is someone who prefers to save others from all kinds of danger. If they maintain good relations with the Starlight Mercenary Group, they might even receive their help in the future. As for the Jade Tears Mercenary Group, when any accidents happen, those bastards definitely wouldn''t help, but rather take advantage of them.


    Rhode was aware of how the others felt about him, but he chose to remain quiet. These things would surely bring him plenty of benefits in the future. Mercenaries liked to battle ruthlessly, but Rhode had no intention to waste his time on those meaningless fights. Now that he had shown his mercenary groups'' capabilities, the other mercenary groups wouldn''t dare to mess with them.


    However, if Rhode was to nitpick something, it would be that lucky Barney and the half-assed Elve who managed to survive.


    Despite feeling slightly irritated as he could not finish off those annoying fellows, but to him, they were just little bugs that didn''t require attention.The first thing after returning to the Mercenary Association was to focus on his leveling problems.


    After finishing off Frank and his minions, adding together the experience he obtained from completing the mission, Rhode finally achieved level 18. Just two more levels and he could reach job advancement. Currently, he had 9 Skill Points. He stored 2 when he was level 16. Gained another 4 of them after leveling up twice. And lastly, the 3 skill points awarded for completing the mission was like a cherry on top of the cake. This was a huge harvest.


    But how to use these Skill Points?


    Rhode couldn''t decide!

 Chapter 144 Basic Preparations

    If Rhode only possessed one talent tree, then this wouldn''t be much of a problem. But he had to decide between two unique talent trees, thus, he was in a dilemma. His Summoning Master tree had [Soul Resonance lvl 3] and [Integration lvl 2]. Whereas for the Soul Messenger tree, it consisted of [Spirit Armor lvl 3] and [Shadow Follower lvl 3].


    The Summoning Master''s second stage consisted of three skills, [Soul Hourglass], [Inner Gate] and [Forced Awakening].


    [Soul Hourglass] could be used to increase the duration of summoned spirits by more than half, whereas [Inner Gate] could slightly boost the chances of summoning an additional summoned spirit whenever the player summoned one. [Forced Awakening] was Rhode''s favorite passive skill. It gives the player a certain chance for a defeated summoned spirit to revive with 100% HP. Thus, it saves the summoner''s spiritual energy. On the flip side, the chances were only merely up to 5%. Having such a low rate of success was understandable, if not, Rhode could keep reviving his self-exploding dog which would be too overpowered.


    Next, there were four talents in the second stage of Soul Messenger. [Sacrificial Spirit], [Path of the King], [Infinite Sentiments], and [Heritage Seal]. Rhode had a hard time deciding on these four skills. [Sacrificial Spirit]''s effect was to sacrifice a summoned spirit and transfer its powers to another card. For example, if Rhode sacrificed his Black Hound and transferred its powers to the Star Mark Sword, then it''s offense 7 and defense 3 value will stack on Celia and her stats will instantly increase to offense 16 and defense 9. However, the downside to this skill was that it could only stack once and the duration wasn''t that long. Even if this skill was maxed out, it could only last for 5 seconds.


    [Path of the King] and [Infinite Sentiments] represented the special characteristics of the Soul Messenger. [Path of the King] could decrease the amount of spiritual energy required to summon a summoned spirit up to one third. As for [Infinite Sentiments], it could expand Rhode''s spiritual energy. After activating [Infinite Sentiments], Rhode''s spiritual energy would increase by an additional 20% everytime he levels up. Although this increment couldn''t be compared to a mage, but wasn''t considered too bad as he was a swordsman.


    [Heritage Seal] was used to fuse spirits. After activating this skill, it fuses two spirits into a new card, the new card will inherit skills of both sacrificed cards. The maximum inherited count would be three skills. In the beginning, the inheritance would be random, but once maxed out, players will be able to choose the remaining two skills.


    The [Soul Hourglass] required 3 Skill Points. [Inner Gate] and [Forced Awakening] require 1 skill point each. [Sacrificial Spirit] and [Path of the King] required 3 Skill Points. And lastly [Infinite Sentiments] and [Heritage Seal] required 2 Skill Points. This meant that a total of 15 Skill Points would be required for both second stages of the talent trees. Currently, Rhode only had 9 Skill Points, and all these skills were really precious to him.


    After shutting himself in his study room for the whole night, Rhode eventually made his decision.


    Considering that he didn''t learn any suitable sword skills, he decided to focus all skill points on the talent trees. In the end, he maxed out [Soul Hourglass], [Forced Awakening], [Path of the King] and [Infinite Sentiments].


    As for Rhode''s decision, without a doubt, they came with reasoning.


    Followed by the disbanding of the Jade Tears Mercenary Group, Rhode confirmed that the Country of Light''s conspiracy in Paphield Plain was totally broken. Especially after the death of the Black Cloaked Mage, the blocked business road would once again be lively. This was good news for the Munn Kingdom, but a bad one for the Country of Light. As for Rhode, as long as it was anything that could cause trouble for the Country of Light, he would be glad to do them.


    This meant that Rhode won''t need to spend too much energy on fights. Once the 1 month rest period set by the Mercenary Association was up, all the mercenary groups would be ready for an explosive beginning. Naturally, Rhode was no exception. His goal was simple; snatch the highest points before winter and promote Starlight Mercenary Group to a Guild status.


    Currently, there were four guilds within the Munn Kingdom. They were each allocated their own distinct territories. If Rhode could successfully promote his Starlight Mercenary Group, then he could become the unofficial leader of this ''Chaos area''.


    Rhode was very clear on the current situation of Munn Kingdom. After the ''cataclysm'' happened a few years ago, the opposition which was parliament-inclined was weakened, and the King''s party held on strongly to the authorities. However, some opposition parties weren''t completely destroyed as Lydia had always been patiently waiting for the opportunity to get rid of the scourges. As the Country of Light started to infiltrate the Munn Kingdom again, the opposition also resurged. Two of the four main guilds in the Munn Kingdom were the lackeys of the opposition.


    On the surface, guilds maintained an impression as a third-party organization, but they actually carry heavy influence within the region. Although the number of members in guilds were not considered too massive, various countries actually believed that they are a force to be reckoned with. If the alignment of thieves or killer guilds were considered to be the black forces; the archon, guards, and army would be considered to be the white forces �� And the guilds would be the grey forces.


    Their influence was strong, and at many times, they assisted those people in power by doing shady things that they couldn''t carry out as well as those matters that require a significant amount of manpower but unable deploy the official army so as to reduce suspicion. And as for rewards, these people would send money or give them authority. Currently, there were four big guilds under the Munn Kingdom, two of them belonged to Casablanca region''s Farian Family and Clanno region''s Sapphire City. Both of them supported the King''s Party. And the other two were Warsaw''s Merchants Association and Tajgar''s Northern League. Both of them were the reinforcements for oppositions.


    Of course. Rhode supported the King''s Party. He hoped to receive the assistance of Golden City as well as receiving a certain degree of independence. Besides, this was actually a shortcut to become rich. After all, the players in the game knew that once you set up a guild, as long as you could improve your relationship with the King''s Party, then you would trigger a mission. After completing this mission, you would be able to immediately become a leader of a territory.


    Initially, that was how Rhode''s territory came about. After the Munn Kingdom was destroyed, he led the Starlight Guild to improve their relationship with the Country of Law. He eventually received rights to the "Chaos Area" and went on to receive his own territory. These territories were mainly located in areas with little human population. Although it was "his territory", it still relied on the country who had the rights to expand the territory. However, the income control, setting of law and army recruitment, all of that were decided solely by the territory leader.


    It wasn''t purely just a setting in the game. In fact, these territories that made up the Country of Light''s parliament was established the same way. They used to be a strong force that had a close relationship with the Country of Light''s parliament, and they moved on to various territories to expand their land. It was > who gave them authority to control those areas. They were members of the Country of Light''s parliament in name, but they were already considered to be an independent country.


    That fueled Rhode''s intention to promote his mercenary group as soon as possible and establish relationships with the Golden City in order to obtain the expansion rights to the "Chaos Area". The moment he received his rights, he could quickly use his experience and abilities to expand his territory and prepare his forces for the imminent battle.


    Rhode knew without a doubt that this wouldn''t be an easy feat. The Chaos Area was a dangerous territory that wasn''t under the Dragon Soul''s protection. The weather was unpredictable and dangerous monsters roamed the land. To completely eradicate and cleanse the land from monsters would not be easy. For normal humans, it wasn''t even worth discussing. Trained armies couldn''t even occupy the area without suffering heavily.


    And that was why > only allowed organizations with high individual or family strength to receive the right to expand. If the level of strength wasn''t met, then going to such a place would only be suicide.


    Of course, a normal country wouldn''t send their entire army just to expand the land. That would be a waste of resources and it doesn''t guarantee great reaps. So they rather chose to send those families or guild. If they succeed, then everything would be great. And if they fail, those people weren''t theirs to begin with. Moreover, it would cause their potential opponents to lose power as well. So, why not?


    Once people get into their comfort zone, they wouldn''t want to risk much anymore. The various countries under the protection of the Light Dragon Soul weren''t similar to their past selves. They no longer carry any interest in unknown territories. They only hoped to receive benefits while using others to do their work.


    But as for Rhode, expansion was definitely necessary.


    And he was very confident in doing so.


    Rhode had a multitude of experiences in expanding territory. He knew which territory carried rich resources, had the best strategic location, and the best area to recruit. He also knew how to get rid of the chaos and awaken the sleeping Dragon Soul energy.


    As long as he had a chance, Rhode would do it.


    But if he wasn''t able to promote his mercenary group into a guild soon, then everything would only be a nice dream.


    Thus, Rhode finally decided. He focused on maxing out skills that focused on PVE so as to achieve the best results within the shortest time, because he knew that the Mercenary Association had a rule �� Once a mercenary group was able to receive 150 and above points within half a year, the Mercenary Association could make an exception to promote to a guild status even before the winter season.


    150 points.


    That required at least a group to embark on about 50 normal missions and 30 dangerous missions.


    To those average mercenary groups that were only able to complete 2 to 3 normal missions within a month, this was indeed an insurmountable moat.


    But as for players that treated missions as their livelihood, it wasn''t too difficult.


    Of course, Rhode was very clear about the limitations since he was a player. He was already used to grinding mission after mission non-stop. But this doesn''t mean that the rest would be able to keep up him. So, in order to push his men to the maximum, Rhode borrowed his experience leading a guild in the game and quickly came up with a corresponding solution.

 Chapter 145 Internal Reform

    Shauna knocked on the door and heard Rhode''s voice calling her to enter.


    "Come in."


    The red-haired female mercenary hesitated a little before pushing the door open and entered the room.


    "Master, you were looking for me?"


    "Yeah."


    Rhode nodded briefly. The red-haired female mercenary swept her gaze around the room and noticed she wasn''t the only one being called for. Old Walker, Lize, Anne, and Randolf were already sitting by the side, focused on a piece of paper on their hands.


    "Ever since our time spent in the Twilight Forest, I have been tracking your performances."


    Rhode glanced at Shauna and handed a piece of paper to her.


    "Now I can be sure that all of you here have the qualifications to join my mercenary group. So then�� this is the last step. Carefully look through it."


    Shauna curiously reached out for the paper in Rhode''s hand. "This is��"


    She carefully read through and furrowed her beautiful eyebrows.


    "What is this?" asked Shauna as she lifted her head to look at Rhode.


    "This is a contract."


    Rhode remained expressionless and spoke seriously.


    "As long as you have read all the conditions and accepted them, then you can proceed to sign on them."


    "Contract?"


    "That''s right. This will bring us a lot of help."


    Rhode said, seemingly confident in his tone.


    This was the method that Rhode had thought of.


    He did not utilize much of his previous playing experience to think of this method. Instead, before making this decision, Rhode spent a lot of effort in observing other mercenary groups. Afterward, he found out a problem that he hadn''t realize when he was in the game.


    Even though mercenaries and soldiers were somewhat similar because their primary duty was to fight, both were totally different vocations. A soldier must follow the commander''s orders. For example, if an army was being pursued by a monster. If the commander ordered them to be bait, they had to follow the instructions whether the liked it or not. Whereas mercenaries would not do anything that puts their lives at unnecessary risk. Sure, they might earn money for being in the group, but if they lose their lives in the process, how would they be able to spend their wealth?


    Also, there is another very important point to mention. Mercenaries are afraid to get injured. They don''t care about superficial wounds, but when it comes to breaking a leg or blinding an eye, then they would be worried about their future in the mercenary group. If these accidents befall upon those senior and old mercenaries, it wouldn''t be as bad as they could still stay and contribute to matters that require their experience. But for those young guns, they would either be kicked out, or isolated from participating in missions, unable to collect any income.


    This caused the mercenaries to subconsciously put themselves first and it resulted in them not giving their 100%. From the few times when they rescued other mercenary groups, Rhode observed that even though when the opponents didn''t seem to be that dangerous, his mercenaries did not put in their best effort to turn the battle around. Only when the mercenaries realize that if they don''t go all in, they would lose, and at that point, it might already be too late.


    This reminded Rhode that players weren''t afraid of death. Therefore, in the game, he could give orders without any pressures. He wasn''t afraid of his men not following instructions. But now it was vastly different. Currently, they did not have situations that require them to put their lives on the line, but if these incidents happen, and if the mercenaries decide to disobey orders, it would be too late. Not even crying could help save the situation.


    Jade Tears mercenary group''s plight was the perfect reminder for Rhode. The mercenaries had unstable income. Players farmed money and bought equipment because they did not have any stress in the game; purely because they just to show off. But the mercenaries'' money was for their own living. In order to live, they need to do everything they can. Look at the Jade Tears mercenary group, they actually sold their mercenary group for the sake of money. What''s there that they can''t do?


    Besides, Rhode also found out that mercenary groups seldom recruit and kick members. Unless one of them committed an unforgivable crime or grave mistake, they would almost be guaranteed to stay. This way of living allowed those people to give minimal effort. They just wanted to peacefully pass their days and finish simple missions.


    When there were no competitions, there will be no pressure. No wonder these mercenary groups could only complete 2 to 3 missions.


    These people weren''t permitted in Rhode''s group. He didn''t want his men to be like that because it would be a huge obstacle to the growth and development of the mercenary group.


    However, Rhode was always good at coming up with countermeasures. Rhode, being the guild leader of the strongest guild in the hugely popular online game, Dragon Soul Continent, was very familiar with all the different jobs the players could change into.


    The contract that Rhode drafted was the result of all the experience that he accumulated in the game as well as observing the current world.


    In the contract, Rhode clearly stated each mercenary''s duties and deadlines. According to the contract, they could go on for years and after the years are up, he would re-evaluate their value in order to extend the contract. If these mercenaries were unable to meet Rhode''s expectations within 3 years, then they will be brutally kicked out of the mercenary group. If they met his expectations, they can continue to stay. Moreover, if they manage to extend their contract 3 times, they will earn the rights to have a lifetime membership within the mercenary group.


    Of course, in this contract, Rhode naturally addressed the main problem that mercenaries were most concerned about. If there were any wounded during missions, the mercenary group will pass them a certain amount of compensation. Every month onwards they would receive a fixed reward even if they didn''t participate in any missions. When the mercenary recovered from their injury, he or she will be assigned a new duty within the mercenary group.


    And it was clearly indicated in the contract that if they outperformed themselves and reach the set targets every year, they would receive attractive rewards as well as an increase in their remunerations.


    Using this method, he could prevent his men from being as laid back as before �� And at least some pressure would be unavoidable. This would definitely erase some problems within the mercenary groups such as the uneven distributions of loots. Rhode heard of these problems from Shauna and Anne when they were grumbling about their past experiences within other mercenary groups. Loot distribution was always difficult to strike a balance. Thus, now everything was written in black and white, so it could at least remove some unhappiness caused by the perception of unfairness.


    But Rhode wasn''t dumb. Although he liked to poach members from other mercenary groups, he wouldn''t want others to do the same to him. In order to prevent this, he added a clause on liquidated damages in the contract �� If any mercenary wanted to leave the mercenary group before the contract end date or headhunted by another mercenary group, he or she needs to pay the penalty first before further discussions.


    Although there were laws in the Dragon Soul Continent, they weren''t perfect. In this game, the laws respected and supported contracts. However, there were no classifications. In other words, as long as both parties agree and sign the contract, then even if the content was to agree to prostitution or arranged marriage, they will still be protected under the law. Once violated, it would be "defaulted" as punishment. And until then, either party can bring the contract to seek justice and it will be enforced. The defaulted party would be captured and serve jail time.


    Although there were no technologies to identify other people identities in the Dragon Soul Continent, which was similar to the real world. People do not have to worry about forged contracts due to the power of magic. If anyone thinks that they could resist the strength of the ''mysterious power of magic'' then they could give it a shot. The consequence of forging a contract is capital punishment


    Rhode thought long and hard before arriving at his current solution. The only way to increase the mercenary group''s cohesion and strength would be this.


    As for contract deadlines, Lize received an ''unlimited'' deadline. Rhode trusted her feelings for the Starlight mercenary group. And not to mention that she was the senior of the mercenary group, so she definitely wouldn''t quit.


    One rank below her was Anne, who received the second-longest contract. Rhode was quite optimistic with this Shield Warrior and he was confident that she would remain in the group. Anne''s contract was five years, but her default penalty was also really harsh �� Fifty thousand gold coins. With this amount, let''s not even mention about mercenary groups, even the four biggest mercenary guilds wouldn''t be able to pay that sum.


    The rest of the team received a three years contract with a more lenient default penalty. The highest penalty was only thousand gold coins.


    Indeed, this method was a refreshing idea. Lize didn''t have any opinions on her contract. She didn''t have any intentions to leave anyway. Also, as a cleric, she played a crucial role in the mercenary group. Not only that, she had always been very serious in her duties, so she wouldn''t be too worried about herself violating anything.


    Anne seemed like she didn''t have many opinions about this as well. She had always been carefree, so regarding such matters, she didn''t care too much. After inquiring some details with Rhode about the "as long as she performed well then she could stay", she signed her name without any hesitation. For Anne, it seemed as if as long as she could stay here, even if it were to sell herself, she would be fine with it��


    Initially, Old Walker had some hesitation, but he eventually agreed. Besides, this old man clearly understood that he could only remain active for a few more years, so the contract conditions were more beneficial to him than disadvantageous.


    The one who took the contract most seriously was Shauna. After all, she was once a mercenary group leader. The moment she glanced through the contract, she knew that this was going to affect the future of the mercenary group. Even though there were similar such contracts in the Merchants Association, nobody ever thought of implementing it on mercenary groups. Now that Rhode pioneered the usage of these mercenary contracts, it seemed to be quite shocking. She didn''t sign immediately, but instead turned to Rhode and highlighted points that she needed to discuss with her companions. She couldn''t be blamed, besides, to implement contracts within a mercenary group was a first which had never occurred before.


    Randolf was left with no choice. Lapis also received a rather agreeable contract, so other than signing, he had no other choices. These newbies had the most pressure as they weren''t as experienced as the Shauna and others. Also, they weren''t like Anne, a genius. If they don''t give their best, they would be a living joke if they were kicked out of the mercenary group.


    However, not everyone received their contracts.


    Knock Knock Knock��


    Just after Rhode sent the rest of the members away, hurried footsteps could be heard coming from the hallway. Marlene barged into the room.


    "Mr. Rhode! Why don''t I have a contract too?!"

 Chapter 146 Follow your Hear

    Facing the impulsive Marlene, Rhode could only sigh in helplessness.


    Rhode didn''t have the intention to sign a contract with Marlene from the very beginning. Although this missy had lots of positive results, contributions, and could even be considered a vice leader from a certain perspective, Rhode was very clear that it was impossible to keep Marlene.


    The reason was simple. She''s Marlene Senia.


    To nobles, their surname was more important than the first name.


    Frankly, this situation felt like a daughter of a rich family working in a fast food restaurant. If she worked for only a short few months, the boss wouldn''t have any objections and may even help her gain more experience. But if she decided to work for many years �� none of the bosses would be able to accept it.


    Moreover, Marlene''s role in the mercenary group was different from the rest. Neither would she get a share of the mission rewards, nor did she actually care about it. Her motivation was to acquire real-life experiences and nothing more. Although Marlene performed well in terms of commanding and reassuring the team, those actions weren''t for material benefit,s but just purely her daily behavior as a noble. Sometimes when Rhode was too busy, Marlene would take over the command temporarily.


    As an assistant, Marlene was very competent. However, as a mercenary, she was simply no good. As such, Rhode had never considered drafting Marlene a mercenary contract.


    Of course, he could still choose to use the contract to tie this genius mage by his side. However, Rhode was very clear the consequences of doing this. Although the law would still protect all him based on the contract, the Senia Family wouldn''t give a damn about such things. If he manages to stir their ire, it wouldn''t be a good thing for Rhode. Moreover, the Senia Family was the backbone of the King''s Party, so Rhode didn''t see the need to invite potential trouble for himself.


    "I think you should be very clear about your identity, Marlene. You''re a mage; not a mercenary."


    As he said this, Rhode gestured for her to calm down.


    "Besides, your Senia Family will not agree to this. Regarding the contract''s content, I''m pretty sure you''ve already seen it. You, as a successor of the Senia Family, will you be able to accept?"


    Marlene''s face changed and slumped on the chair as if she lost her energy.


    Without a doubt, she was very aware that if she was just ''Marlene'', there wouldn''t be any complications. But if she had to decide as ''Marlene Senia'' then it would be very difficult.


    Rhode knew this all along, so he didn''t consider drafting her contract from the start. But by doing so, it was equal to not giving her a choice to choose between the mercenary group or her own family. And knowing Marlene, Rhode knew she definitely wouldn''t choose the former. Marlene was a reasonable person who had been under strict education since young, and priority of matters had been clear-cut to her. Under this situation, she wouldn''t let her emotions make the decision.


    Instead of making both parties awkward, it''d be better to not mention about the contract. But Rhode could understand well why Marlene was questioning herself not receiving a contract. After all, she''d been in Starlight for such a long time, and had naturally developed some feelings here. Now that Rhode had given everyone a contract and left her out, so of course she would have some complaints. It was normal.


    Rhode wasn''t sure himself how long could Marlene stay within the mercenary group. But he knew that the duration wouldn''t be too long. Honestly, to have a genius mage by his side would lessen the burden by a lot. If possible, he hoped to find a few other real mages through Marlene to join the Starlight mercenary group. The level requirement wasn''t too high as Rhode believed that those acquaintances of Marlene shouldn''t be too weak. Since this rich missy was a very proud person to begin with, she wouldn''t mix around with those ''ordinary'' folk. Hence, the people whom she recognized as capable shouldn''t be a problem.


    But Rhode did not intend to mind about these things as it wasn''t the time yet. He believed that when it''s time for Marlene to leave, she would also think of this problem since she was a very responsible person.


    Contrary to his expectations, Marlene''s reaction gave Rhode a huge surprise.


    She sat on the chair silently for a long time. And when she finally lifted her head, she said something that gave Rhode a shock.


    "So that means, if my family allows me to stay then I''ll receive a contract like�� Lize?"


    "This��"


    Rhode was stunned speechless for a moment. Never did he expect Marlene to care so much about this matter. It just doesn''t seem to be beneficial for her.


    "Things aren''t as simple as you think. Miss Marlene."


    Rhode decided to come clean and speak the truth once and for all.


    "After spending a considerable amount of time with us, you should understand the nature of being a mercenary. I can tell that you don''t have interest in being a mercenary apart from going on adventures. So, I don''t think she should sign this contract as this would bring no benefits to both of us."


    "I�� I am aware of this."


    Marlene nodded with unwillingness.


    "But�� I still hope to receive the same treatment as Lize. Besides��"


    Marlene suddenly realized she may have said something wrong and quickly shut her mouth. Rhode started to suspect something after hearing her words.


    He realized that Marlene had been mentioning Lize since the beginning of the conversation as if it wasn''t fair to only issue a contract to Lize and not to her. Marlene should be very clear about Lize''s status in this mercenary group so why would she carry such childish thoughts?


    Something''s not right.


    "Anyway��"


    Under Rhode''s gaze, Marlene coughed awkwardly and her face blushed slightly.


    "I can understand what you mean, Mr. Rhode. But no matter what''s the reason, I contributed plenty to the Starlight mercenary group too, therefore I should have the rights to receive similar treatment. As for my family, you can rest assured. I think they wouldn''t be too affected by this matter. No matter what, I hope I can become the most special one in here."


    "�� I will consider."


    In the end, facing Marlene''s persistence, Rhode eventually nodded his head.


    "Hu��"


    After returning to her room, Marlene leaned onto the door as she let out a long sigh. She placed her hand on her chest and felt her heart pumping really fast.


    As a smart woman, Marlene was well aware that she was behaving a little unreasonably since she knew Rhode meant well for her. But for some unknown reason, when she witnessed Lize''s and Anne''s excited expressions when they were discussing their future-deciding contract, she felt a little upset. The feeling of being outcasted made her feel uncomfortable.


    Being outcasted wasn''t anything unfamiliar to her though. Even more so as she was the successor of an influential family, and as a genius mage. Other people whose status, wealth and titles that weren''t as good as her, hid from her. Those people whose talent and abilities that weren''t as good as her, outcasted her. But these matters didn''t affect Marlene. She didn''t feel outcasted. Rather, she felt that this proved that she had succeeded.


    However, when she joined the Starlight mercenary group, Marlene''s thoughts regarding this matter slowly eroded away.


    She got along well with everyone here. Lize, Anne, and the others. Although she didn''t regard the other mercenaries as friends, they bonded better than her classmates in elite schools. The mercenaries weren''t too bothered about her family and identity. They treated her well purely due to her abilities which made Marlene feel satisfied. She felt that her decision to join the Starlight mercenary group was the best decision ever.


    Nevertheless, she could understand Rhode''s reasons for not giving her a contract, but even so, she still hoped that she could be treated the same as the rest. Marlene clearly understood that human relationships were built on common interactions. Now that she was comfortable here, naturally, she didn''t hope to leave.


    But Marlene clearly knew that these were all excuses.


    And her main reason was��


    Marlene quickly shook her head and threw those annoying thoughts to the back of her mind. She then took in a deep breath and calmed down. Later, the maiden took out a badge from her pocket and placed it on the table. She softly chanted a verse after closing her eyes.


    The mosaic gem on the badge started shining, then, it released a gentle light which formed an illusionary human silhouette resembling a man of his fifties. He stood upright and swept all his hair back with a comb. A trimmed black robe revealed the man''s tall and huge body. His hand held a white staff, gazing sternly at the maiden directly in front of him.


    At the same time, a deep majestic voice sounded.


    "It''s been a while, my child."


    "Yes, long time no see, Dad. You still look great as always."


    Marlene lifted the hem of her skirt lightly and bowed towards the man.


    "You too, my child. I''m glad to see you full of energy."


    The man revealed a slightly warm smile. Although the smile was not obvious, Marlene could feel the care and warmth from within.


    "I heard from Mr. Sereck that you''ve joined a pretty interesting mercenary group. So now that you''ve contacted me, is there any matter?"


    "You''re right, Dad."


    Marlene cleared her throat with a slight cough and proudly said.


    "The reason why I contacted you was that I have two matters to report to you."


    "Oh? What about them?"


    "The first matter. Regarding my current progress, Dad, I can confidently say that I have breakthrough the middle circle''s 6th layer and almost reaching the 5th."


    "Oh?!"


    The man''s expression revealed a shocking and happy expression.


    "So quick? Seems like you''re doing well my child. But you have to remember to be humble in the path of magic. Although you''ve improved considerably in such a short time, you must remember not to be arrogant or rash. Building the solid foundation is also important."


    "Yes, Dad. I will remember it in my heart."


    Marlene bowed deeply. She was already conditioned to her father''s advice. In the beginning, she felt that he was being naggy, but as she matured, she understood that this was just an act of love.


    "So then, what''s the second matter? You have given me good news so far, let''s hope the next one wouldn''t disappoint."


    "No, it''s nothing like that, Dad. I think you''ll be very excited about the second matter."


    Marlene lifted her head with a little flush across her face, but in between her brows were strong emotions that couldn''t be spoken.


    "I can confidently say that I have already found the destined King of my life. The knight that our Senia Family have always been waiting for!"

 Chapter 147 An Invitation

    Rhode didn''t put much thought into Marlene''s peculiar behavior. He vaguely sensed that something wasn''t quite right when she emphasized ''Lize'' numerous times, but in the end, he thought that it was only because she and Lize didn''t receive fair treatment in regards to the contract.


    Frankly, it wasn''t difficult for him to draft Marlene a contract. Rhode had already decided that if the Senia Family had no objections, he''d draft her a temporary contract without any qualms. The contract consisted of special rules that were different from the other mercenaries. There wouldn''t be any deadline so Marlene could leave the mercenary group anytime she wished. In other words, the contract didn''t bind her to the mandatory rules. Instead, it was just a way to console her.


    However, Rhode didn''t spend too much time dwelling on her contract because he had something more important to deal with �� an invitation from Klautz.


    Rhode couldn''t be considered to be either familiar or unfamiliar with this person.


    Not only was Klatuz the owner of Deep Stone City, but he also held the position of administrative officer of the Paphield Region. Klautz was undoubtedly a very influential man. And in fact, he was a role model for many officers within the Munn Kingdom. Although he wasn''t popular amongst the general populace, he still managed to obtain his title by possessing impressive talents.


    So how did it turn out this way?


    It was mostly due to the Munn Kingdom''s Grand Duchess Lydia and her unique hobby �� her obsession to collect talents and shape them from a rough gemstone into a sparkling jewel. According to Lydia, the whole country was a large jewel case, and her, as the owner, naturally had to gather all the most beautiful gems together.


    On the other hand, Lydia hated any rocks that hid within those shiny gems.


    Contrary to her angelic appearance, her personality was quite the opposite. While she wouldn''t immediately discard the rocks within her jewel case, mediocre fellows would be stripped off their titles and turned into civilians. And that was when she was being lenient. If she found out that her aesthetic sense had been tarnished, it would be straight to the guillotine.


    This was one of the main reasons why there were disputes after Lydia stepped into power. Within the country, the King''s Party had the most influence, but as long as there were other parties involved, they would require representatives to fight for their self-benefits.


    Compared to those with capabilities and ambitions, timid people were much easier to manipulate. And as for Lydia, her hobby was to get rid of the dust in the jewel case. However, in the eyes of the other families, Lydia''s actions were akin to her wanting everything to herself and would hunt all those who opposed her view.


    No matter how much talent and ambition the people had, their primary goal must be to serve the country, and must also be in line with the goals of the King''s Party. If they allowed those wealthy families and merchant associations to join forces and run rampant, it''d be hard to say that they wouldn''t have any designs for a coup d''��tat.


    Klautz kept a low profile; he was cautious, sly, careful and supported liberalism. Although his name wasn''t well-known amongst the citizens in the Paphield Region, many merchants and mercenaries were clear of his abilities.


    One could say that Klautz''s governing methods were incredibly clever. He knew that directly managing the people wouldn''t be the wisest choice. Instead, if he managed the organizations that were in close proximity with the ordinary citizens, his influence would naturally spread them. This was a top-down management style, and it seemed that he did well.


    But this didn''t mean that he didn''t have any flaws. Rhode was aware of his biggest weakness: his cautious nature. Sometimes, it could be a boon as it enabled him to make calm and rational decisions during stressful situations. However, it also brought him significant headaches when he took too long to make a decision, eventually causing the situation to go out of control.


    Back in the game, the Country of Light had launched a sudden attack on Deep Stone City, leading to widespread chaos amongst the populace.


    Rhode felt that he should quickly remove the source of problems. But Klautz had always been too cautious. He hoped to utilize the chaos within this period to conduct an investigation on rival forces to clear them all out in one sweep. However, he did not expect that things had already spun out of his control. Since he decided to force his way in, it was already too late to turn back. Meanwhile, the Country of Light began its attack, and the problem escalated into a huge diplomatic uproar. This time, it just wasn''t simply within Klautz control as an administrative officer anymore. In the end, he was sabotaged by Country of Light. Although Lydia didn''t punish him, this officer lost confidence and chose to resign on his own accord.


    Back to reality �� Rhode was familiar with this administrative officer, but he didn''t know why he was invited. In this world, they had not spoken to each other before.


    Rhode had initially thought that Klautz invited him because of the recent commotion he caused. During the Mercenary Association''s meeting, Rhode heard that Klautz had sent people to show his displeasure about the matter.


    After stepping into the living room, he realized that all of his speculations were wrong.


    The people that sat on the sofa were all familiar faces.


    Not only Sereck was present, but also the Keller Family''s patriarch was as well. Noticing Rhode''s arrival, both of them were surprised, but still politely greeted him. Although Rhode couldn''t compare to them in social status, his relationship with the both of them was considered to be decent.


    Just as Rhode sat down, Sereck asked curiously, "You''ve received the invitation too?"


    Rhode replied with a slight nod and started to frown.


    "Both of you were invited by Mr. Klautz?"


    "That''s right."


    This time, it was the patriarch of the Keller Family who answered. He placed his teacup down with a gloomy expression.


    "We are here after receiving Mr. Klautz''s invitation. Although we are not sure why, but I think it could be due to��"


    Before Keller could finish his sentence, the huge door creaked open, and a short man draped in Chinese clothes slowly walked in. Rhode, Sereck, and Keller stood up after noticing his arrival.


    Based on his appearance, this man could be said to resemble a crook. However, his manners brought an unspeakable sense of character, which was this man''s unique charm. Although his features were unlikeable, friendliness and warmth could be felt from his smile.


    "Please, have a seat."


    Klautz slowly walked to the middle of the living room and gestured at the seats at the same time. All three of them sat down as they stared at the city owner in front of them.


    "I know that all of you have limited time, so I don''t want to waste your time."


    Klautz coughed softly. He lifted his head and turned his attention to Keller and Sereck.


    "Recently there were rather strange incidents happening in Paphield Region�� I think all of you must have felt it�� the ore prices of the whole Paphield Region soared up by 30%. This created an impact on the rest of the industries in this region, however, our ores exportation didn''t fall�� is that right? Mr. Keller?"


    "That''s right, Mr. Klautz."


    Keller nodded and replied calmly, "I can guarantee that the exportation of ores had been very stable within Deep Stone City. There weren''t any major problems. The nearby regions did not have any surge in demand for ores, so the hike in price was indeed strange."


    "Not only that�� recently the mercenary groups in the Paphield Region had been facing problems right?"


    Klautz then glanced at Sereck.


    "I''ve heard from the Mercenary Association''s report�� This is indeed a very tough problem for you mercenaries, but things aren''t as simple as they seem, because according to my investigations, there are other problems hidden within." Sereck raised his brows at Klautz''s claim and urged him to continue with his eyes, "Recently, many mercenaries came to this region, but their time spent here wasn''t long. They left soon after. Although this is normal for the inflow and outflow of mercenaries, to have such a bizarre scale of flow within a short period of time is very, very strange. I believe there must be some other reason."


    "Do you mean there were other reasons behind this?"


    Sereck was surprised after hearing Klautz''s deduction of the matter.


    "So�� what you meant was��"


    "This question shouldn''t be answered by me."


    Klautz laughed and shook his head. Next, he turned his head towards Rhode who was silently sitting down.


    "Perhaps Mr. Rhode would have a better explanation?"

 Chapter 148 A Quiet War

    Upon receiving Klautz''s hint, Sereck and Keller turned their attention to the dark-haired young man. Rhode kept silent; his expression remained unchanged as if he didn''t hear what Klautz said.


    "Since Mr. Rhode isn''t willing to speak, then let me do it."


    Klautz didn''t force Rhode even though he kept quiet. He laughed and looked over at Keller who was sitting beside him.


    "Mr. Keller, recently the Merchant Association was a little overboard. I''ve already given a warning on this matter, but these people seemed not to have any sense of remorse. Instead, they suspected that the ore prices had been deliberately lowered all along, damaging their benefits. Which is why I believe that these people would do such a thing." Klautz spoke with a gloomy tone, whereas Keller had a grave expression on his face.


    Rhode lifted his teacup and stared into the swirling red tea. On the outside, it appeared that Rhode wasn''t concerned about Klautz''s words, but actually, he already recognized the reason behind this matter.


    In the Munn Kingdom, merchants do not have a high standing. They could earn a lot of money and reputation in many ways, but they lack the opportunities to increase their forces. The ruling class of the Munn Kingdom had always been strict on trades between countries especially salt, ores and even more stringent on essential commodities such as rice grains so they could balance the price fluctuation of the goods.


    Of course, doing it this way would be beneficial for the stabilization of the whole country, but this reflected a loss of business for the merchants. The merchant''s true nature was always about chasing benefits at lower costs. Although under the Munn Kingdom, they indeed had many advantages, the moment the law penalized their revenue even by the slightest, it caused much unhappiness among the merchants.


    Furthermore, the merchants'' rights in freedom of speech was also an issue that they cared a lot about. In the Munn Kingdom, the royal family was the highest of all beings, their words were final. They wouldn''t allow big merchant associations to threaten their rights with monopolization of the trade market. So once any merchant associations attempted to threaten the royal family''s reign with such methods, to the royal family it meant �� death. Pigs that they had fed well, the time has finally come for them to be killed and eaten.


    As a result, merchants in the Munn Kingdom were very clear about this. If you run an honest business for a living, then it''s all good. But if you ever threaten the royal families'' authority and power, then you are dead.


    Under such circumstances, many merchants tried to complain or even threaten the Munn Kingdom, thinking that the Munn Kingdom was a tyrant. If this went on, in the long run, who would dare to do business with them? But even when facing these threats, the Munn Kingdom never bothered at all. The Munn Kingdom was situated in a strategic geographical location, where it forced the majority of the traffic for trades to go through them. It was full of affordable and excellent products. If you don''t wish to earn money, that doesn''t mean that others wouldn''t. If you think the venture is dangerous, there will always be someone trying to steal this opportunity in your place to get rich �� Chasing benefits were the characteristics of merchants. Morals and justice had never been a thing of their concern.


    And in fact, the merchants of Munn Kingdom hoped that they could receive VIP treatment similar those large merchant associations in the Country of Light. In the Country of Light, the Parliament members and the large merchant associations had a very close relationship. Members of Parliament borrowed the merchant associations'' money and manpower to increase their influence. And the merchants would benefit from their share of political resources. As a result, the merchant associations within Country of Light had substantial power, some of them even had higher statuses than the lords of the territories.


    This had once created much jealousy within the Merchant Union of the Munn Kingdom. They had suggested many times and hoped for the Munn Kingdom to lax on their regulations. However, after Lydia''s brutal method of hanging merchants who constantly rebelled at the square outside of Golden City, no one was stupid enough to mention this topic again.


    After all, even though it was the merchant''s priority to earn money. But if you lose your life, how could you make money?


    "I had already given them written warnings, requesting them to lower the ore prices back to acceptable range within three days. If not, I will consider taking some actions to force the price down."


    Klautz sighed.


    "I''ve contacted other merchant associations within the region and guaranteed a small difference as compensation to them. However, they will need to maintain their product pricing. I don''t wish to see any problem arising from this, besides, due to an attack on the commercial road from before, our exportation route isn''t as stable as before��"


    Klautz glanced over at Rhode and smiled.


    "It''s all thanks to you, Mr. Rhode. If this goes on, it''d be hard to say what will become of the Paphield Region��"


    Rhode drank a sip of the red tea calmly and continued to remain silent. But Klautz didn''t mind at all. Rhode gave everyone an impression that he didn''t like to speak but in fact, only Sereck and a few others who were close to him, knew that he actually spoke a lot behind his expressionless face.


    Rhode had no idea why Klautz kept bringing up this topic, but he could roughly guess the reason. However, this didn''t mean that he was willing to do as Klautz decided. No matter what, the fact that Klautz had invited him to this secret meeting suggested that Klautz actually realized something was wrong, and even if Klautz decided not to be truthful about it, then Rhode naturally wouldn''t be dumb enough to raise it up.


    "�� But I think that the Merchant Union would most likely reject my request."


    Klautz''s tone suddenly turned emotional.


    "This made me very disappointed. Mr. Keller, I know that all along the Keller family had been managing their mining business well and spent a long time in Deep Stone City. I also trust your reputation. I''m not sure if�� you would like to broaden your business?"


    Keller''s eyes widened. He slowly placed the teacup on the table with a stiff expression.


    Keller wasn''t stupid. Of course, he knew what he meant. Obviously, if the Merchant Union didn''t consider accepting Klautz''s suggestion, then three days later, the one sitting at the top would be him!


    And now, Klautz''s suggestion meant that Klautz was hinting for him to get ready and take over immediately.


    Keller couldn''t help but feel a shiver down his spine. It was evident why Klautz would even make this suggestion. He must have investigated the previous incident and discovered Keller''s conflict with the Merchant Union which eventually led him to make this decision.


    Keller was glad about his initial decision. Although he had long heard about Golden City''s reputation, to be so unscrupulous was definitely out of his expectations. If he gave in and agreed to work under the Merchant Union, then the person that would be replacing him would already be sitting here right now.


    Now that they had reached this stage, what would happen to his family?


    Keller felt the chills. Right now, he couldn''t care less about Sereck or Rhode watching the show by the side. He stood up and answered firmly.


    "Please be assured, Mr. Klautz. I will make the appropriate preparations."


    "Good."


    After hearing Keller''s answer, Klautz laughed and turned his head towards Sereck and Rhode.


    "So, the next thing I want to discuss concerns both of you �� Especially regarding the problems of Jade Tears mercenary group."


    "If it is like that, then I have nothing to comment."


    Rhode placed the teacup on the table.


    "I only did what I was supposed to do, that''s all."


    After hearing Rhode''s reply, Klautz''s eyes brightened, revealing his smile once again.


    "I understand what you meant, Mr. Rhode. But I have something to tell you�� Just two days ago, the Country of Light''s envoy, Clinton, had returned to his country. Before he left, he proposed a diplomatic protest��"


    "Hmph." Rhode, Sereck, and Keller couldn''t help but snort.


    Clinton used to be a citizen of the Munn Kingdom. Not only did he become a traitor, he merely became a guard dog for that few years and actually represented his owner to propose a diplomatic protest?


    Traitors were never fancied anywhere.


    "He felt that the Jade Tears mercenary group''s dissolution and Frank''s accidental disappearance were related to you. Besides, Frank was a family member of a reputable family in the Country of Light, so this matter wouldn''t end so easily. Judging from his nature, it wouldn''t be long for Country of Light to officially demand to investigate on you and your mercenary group."


    Interesting.


    Rhode frowned as he finally understood why Klautz invited him here.


    "This is a totally baseless accusation. I think I wouldn''t need to be bothered by something that doesn''t exist."


    Rhode replied confidently as if the poor soul who died at his blade was a total stranger.


    "Great! Young men should have such aggression."


    Klautz laughed heartily and slapped Rhode''s shoulders.


    "But you shouldn''t be too worried. After all, this is an internal affair of the Munn Kingdom. There will be a limit as to how much the Country of Light can get involved in. Besides, this is Paphield, not that rat nest, Barce. If they want to cause trouble in my territory, they''ll have to ask if I''m agreeable to it first. Well, no matter what, you did great��"


    Klautz stopped for a moment and lifted his head and stared at Rhode.


    "But I have a request, I hope you''ll hear me out."


    Rhode went silent for a moment and said, "Yes, what is it regarding?"


    After receiving Rhode''s prompt reply, Klautz''s expression turned grim immediately.


    "The situation is like this��"


    "Recently, according to reports from my men, a village near Lauderdale Range had been attacked by undead creatures."


    "Undead creatures?"


    Sereck exclaimed.


    "That''s right."


    Klautz nodded affirmatively.


    "Although I did not witness it first hand, according to my messenger, the undead creatures were like ghosts who will appear every night and cause severe harm to the villagers. Although I did send the local troops to assist, there were little to no success. Therefore, I wish to hire the help of professionals. Compared to the other mercenary groups, Starlight mercenary group had performed outstandingly well against undead creatures. Also, recently many of Paphield Region''s mercenary groups had suffered heavy losses, so I can''t find anyone else more qualified than you at the moment. I hope I can enlist your help."


    Klautz then shifted his gaze towards Sereck.


    "Mr. Sereck. I am aware of the ban set out by the Mercenary Association. However, as an administrative officer, I''m afraid I cannot wait any longer. Besides, those villagers were being attacked by undead creatures. If we had to wait for the rest period to be over, it would be too late. Besides, I''m pretty sure you understand that our church forces aren''t strong, if not they wouldn''t be tortured by the undead creatures for so long."


    "Alright, I understand. Mr. Klautz."


    Sereck hurriedly agreed.


    "Since it is the command of the administrative officer, we, the Mercenary Association will definitely make exceptions. Please rest assured on this."


    "Remunerations will be given by Deep Stone City, which we believe will satisfy everyone. And as for compensation, I can prepay half of the remunerations and the remaining half will be given once everyone returns from the mission. What do you think?"


    Facing Klautz''s request, Rhode didn''t immediately answer. He finished his red tea in one gulp and laid back on the sofa with his arms crossed, narrowing his eyes as he weighed the matter.

 Chapter 149 To High Cliff Village

    "High Cliff Village?"


    Everyone was surprised once they heard this name.


    "The villagers were attacked by undead creatures?"


    Marlene frowned and thought for a while.


    "If the undead creatures were in their ghost form, then there''s a high possibility that it was due to a Hell Rift. Or�� it could be some creatures affected by the dark energy, in which it could get thorny."


    Although Marlene''s primary concern wasn''t wrong, the rest were more concerned on another matter.


    "Sir, have you accepted the request?"


    Shauna''s expression dulled as she asked with uncertainty.


    "Anne hates that place, can I don''t go��"


    The carefree maiden who was sitting on the chair, pouted and shown her displeasure.


    "Mr. Rhode, I feel that this�� isn''t a good choice."


    "Lize?"


    If anyone rejected this matter based on their reasons, it didn''t really matter that much. But if it was from Lize�� even Marlene was slightly startled. She couldn''t understand why Lize, as a cleric, would reject this mission? Could it be that she missed out the part where Rhode mentioned that the undead creatures attacked the people there? Why would she question Rhode''s decision about accepting that mission?


    "Why would you think of it this way? According to Mr. Klautz''s explanations, the people there are struggling right now. Since they were seeking help and we have accepted it, shouldn''t we give our best to complete it?"


    "Even if you said so��"


    Lize''s expression turned gloomy as she glanced at Rhode. She didn''t know how she could explain her reasons. Just as she was hesitating, Rhode came to her rescue.


    "Alright, look at it this way. Deep down, we know that all of us have no interest in High Cliff Village because that place has a bad reputation within all the mercenaries."


    "Bad reputation?"


    "Yes, Missy."


    Old Walker nodded.


    "Everyone in that village are sly, cruel, selfish bastards. They only know how to take advantage of others. We mercenaries had already been made used by them for so many times. Because of the natural geographical location of High Cliff Village, it was along one of the common trading routes, so was slightly troublesome. They would often seek help from Mercenary Association, hoping to get rid of wild monsters or bandits. But almost every single time when we accomplish our mission, these bastards will find excuses or ways not to give us the remunerations. Those people are just scums!"


    "That''s right! Anne helped them once by defeating a group of Kobolds. And what did those people say to Anne?! They said that Anne was too small and didn''t look like a mercenary! They even suspected that Anne lied to them. In the end, they didn''t pay Anne the money! Anne hates the people over there! If possible, Anne wouldn''t want to see them again!"


    Anne gritted her teeth and swung her little fists. From her angry expression, everyone could see how much she hated that place.


    "And the worst part was, we couldn''t do anything about this."


    Shauna joined in.


    "If there were conflicts between mercenaries, then it''s still under control because eventually, we would seek help from Mercenary Association to settle the issue. However those people are ordinary civilians, and if we wanted to get even with them, they could report us to the garrisons, and we would have to go to jail."


    "Me�� too�� Last time, my leader and I even helped the High Cliff Village get rid of the bandits, but in the end, they said that those bandits were people of the village and even threatened to say that we purposely killed the villagers. In the end, not only did my leader not receive the reward, but he had to pay compensations instead�� just because we couldn''t prove that those bandits weren''t people of the village��"


    Lize lowered her head. Even though no one could see her expression clearly, but judging from the way she clenched her fists, the maiden was unquestionably enraged.


    "And that''s why, Missy, those villagers in High Cliff Village are simply worse than the bandits. Even bandits talk about feelings, where they take turns to gang-rape women. If it''s those bastards�� hmph..! I think they would even rape their own daughter by themselves. Many mercenaries hope everyone from that village dies! And isn''t this a good opportunity? Kid, don''t accept this mission, just let them die, and you will be the idol of all mercenaries in Paphield Region!"


    "��. Mr. Rhode, is it really that bad?"


    Marlene purposely neglected Old Walker''s insults and asked with doubt.


    "It''s even worse than what you imagined, by a thousand times."


    Rhode answered swiftly. The bad reputation of High Cliff Village wasn''t only amongst the NPCs. Even in the game, they were too. The missions they gave were troublesome and time wasting. After finishing the task, they wouldn''t acknowledge it and not only that, even when the players wanted to teach them a lesson, they would immediately turn to the village guards. When the low-leveled players faced these highly skilled guards, they could only retreat with unwillingness.


    However, after the players managed to grow to higher levels, they would find the opportunity to revisit this place and slaughter everyone time and time again. No matter young or old, humans or animals, they would leave nothing behind.


    If the Parliament was considered hateful, then the High Cliff Villagers would be utterly disgusting.


    "�� If that''s the case, should we still accept it?"


    Even though Marlene had not met such disgusting people before, the happy-go-lucky Anne and the kindhearted Lize had already expressed their resentments, so she felt that this wasn''t a good choice.


    But Rhode simply nodded his head.


    "Why not? No matter what, our remuneration is guaranteed by the Deep Stone City''s owner, Klautz. We don''t have to worry about those scums finding excuses. Besides, don''t you all have any interest to see how those scums are suffering right now? Just imagine �� those poor sods kneeling and begging in front of you for help, won''t it feel great?"


    "This��"


    "Of course it will feel great. Anne is going crazy just thinking about it!"


    The young girl shouted with both her arms in the air as if celebrating in a parade carnival.


    "I hope they will apologize to my previous leader and atone for their impolite behavior, but��"


    "�� but that will not be an easy task. Yes, we know that, kid." Old Walker finished Lize''s uncompleted sentence.


    "Those bastards are like mice. Once you give them some slack, they would worm right through your kindness. You want them to listen to you obediently? That wouldn''t be an easy task��"


    "Don''t worry about these matters. You guys just need to do what you are supposed to do, that''s all."


    Rhode waved his hand to stop Old Walker from continuing.


    "For the next step, leave it to Marlene and me."


    "Me?"


    Hearing her name, Marlene pointed at herself with her index finger.


    "What do I need to do, Mr. Rhode?"


    Marlene was rather worried. She knew everyone had a bad impression of that village and Rhode didn''t seem to have a positive attitude towards them too. This made Marlene secretly worried. She tried to guess if Rhode was about to use her magic to intimidate those villagers. Although they may be disgusting people, to Marlene, such intimidation acts would damage her identity and her family''s honor �� Rhode shouldn''t intend for her to do that, right?


    Contrary to her expectation to her curious question, Rhode put his index finger on his lip. From the maiden''s expression, Rhode already guessed her what she was thinking, but he didn''t intend to reveal it.


    "Not to worry, Miss Marlene. We''ll see later. Even if I don''t ask you to, perhaps you would have done the same."


    After saying that, Rhode clapped his hands.


    "Alright, all of you go and get prepared. Randolf, get Lapis here. I need her to provide the potions for this mission."


    "Yes, Sir!"


    After hearing Rhode''s command, Randolf bowed respectfully and immediately left. Everyone else didn''t say much after realizing there''s no other way to change Rhode''s mind and swiftly proceeded to prepare their equipment. Just when everyone was dispersing, Rhode stopped Marlene who was also about to leave.


    "Oh yes, Miss Marlene. This is for you."


    Rhode placed a piece of paper on the table.


    "This is��"


    Marlene quickly walked up front and grabbed the piece of paper.


    "This is the contract that you wanted. Due to your special conditions, I''ve given you an unlimited deadline, similar to Lize. The only difference would be, you can choose to leave anytime and there will be no termination penalty. At the same time, I hope you understand that this contract doesn''t represent a membership of my mercenary group, but rather, you are my assistant in adventures and battle�� what do you think of this condition?"


    Marlene was stunned and a red blush started to flush on her face and began to stutter a little.


    "T-This�� Mr. Rhode."


    "Hmm?"


    "If I did not misunderstand you�� what you meant was�� this contract doesn''t require me to become a mercenary, but to become your assistant in battle?"


    "That''s right."


    "S-So�� Can I take it as��"


    As Marlene stuttered, she unconsciously stretched out her hand and played with her shoulder-length hair.


    "W-What you meant was�� I can stay by your side for as long as I wish?"


    "��"

 Chapter 150 On The Way

    The skies turned gloomy.


    A chilly wind blew through the forest, sending chills down their spines.


    "Kid, seems like it would be raining soon."


    Old Walker sharpened his gaze as he carefully observed the thick clouds above his head. Rhode nodded towards Old Walker and stopped. He glanced at the path leading deep into the mountains, but it seemed to be devoid of human traces.


    "How much longer before we reach our destination?"


    Old Walker went into thought for a moment before replying, "Maybe�� another half a day to a days'' time?"


    "It''s getting too late to continue. Get Shauna and the rest to search for nearby shelters."


    "Okay."


    Once he heard Rhode''s decision, Old Walker turned around to whistle at everyone and made a hand signal which only mercenaries could understand. Shauna immediately brought Randolf and the rest away, in search of a suitable shelter and also to collect ingredients for tonight''s meal. The others that had nothing to do were just to rest by the side.


    This was one of the few changes that Rhode made in the mercenary group. Usually, the mercenaries wouldn''t search and pick magic herbs without being asked. Other than those herbs that could temporarily heal wounds, others were useless to them. But now Rhode requested them to pick up any magic herbs once they found any. Besides, they have an alchemist who could specially refine them. With Lapis, these were put to good use. As long as these herbs were refined into potions, not only it could be used for healing, but it could be sold for extra money as well. The only shortcoming was that the material sources and types were too limited. However, Rhode believed that as time passed, it wouldn''t become a problem.


    Rhode strictly distributed a set of potions to every mercenary �� Three bottles of flaming agents, two bottles of healing agents and one bottle of defense agent. The flaming agent could be smeared on their blades to imbue fire elemental damage to their weapons while engulfing it in flames. This was because it would be advantageous towards undead creatures. As for the defense agent, it could generate a semi-translucent shield of wind in front of the user that helps to block attacks.


    While the grade of the ingredients they could find wasn''t of high quality, the effects of these potions were still in high demand. The rarity of these potions was enough to make the mercenaries excited. In the market, potions were luxuries which most of the mercenaries wouldn''t be able to afford.


    Even for Shauna, who was a mercenary group leader before, could only watch from afar and admire these costly items. Ordinary mercenaries might even require to spend their life savings to purchase these precious potions and would only bear to use it in true life and death situations. And now? They actually received so many bottles without spending a single cent.


    To most people, this sounded exactly like a dream come true. In truth, their ''work'' was the spent time picking up random herbs that they usually ignored in their daily life.


    Therefore, everyone immediately dispersed and searched for herbs in the hot and humid forest. Of course, there wouldn''t be many rare magic herbs near areas populated with humans. Currently, Rhode didn''t have the luxury to hire an exclusive team whose job was just to pick herbs, so he could only live with what he had.


    If possible, Rhode hoped that Marlene could produce magic scrolls. Unfortunately, the thing was, this missy did not imagine herself doing hard labor when she stepped out from her comfortable home. Thus, she lacked the materials and equipment to craft the scrolls. The pricing of scroll crafting materials was extremely high in the market, and Rhode wasn''t financially ready to splurge yet, so he could only sigh.


    Rhode turned towards the three maidens happily chatting by the side.


    Anne was being hyperactive, as usual. Now that he thought of it, during the period where they could not perform missions, Anne seemed to be in a hibernation state like a bear, always displaying signs of sleepiness. And the moment she receives this new mission, the young maiden immediately displayed her endless energy. She stood in front of Marlene and Lize, gesturing wildly with her hands while looking almost hysterical as if debating about an exciting topic.


    Whereas for Lize, her demeanor seemed to have changed slightly. After the battle with the Black Cloaked Mage, she became much happier than before. Rhode didn''t know what exactly happened to her, but he was glad that she changed for the better. To an adventurer, a positive mindset was crucial to survival. Now that Lize overcame her fears, it was certainly a good thing.


    As for Marlene, she sat elegantly by the side. Just like the good old days, she revealed a beautiful and gentle smile while listening to the two having a conversation. Despite having a similar age as her peers, her attitude and temperament gave off a feeling of maturity.


    What made Rhode suspicious was Marlene informing him that the Senia Family agreed to her request and allowed her to stay. Unless there were any urgent matters, she could choose not to leave. This surprised Rhode, and no matter how much he thought of it, he couldn''t understand why the Senia Family made such a decision. Since he couldn''t understand, he decided just to let it be. Because no matter what, with such a reliable assistant by his side, it would only be beneficial.


    Shauna was quick. Before the rain started to pour, she found a cave not far from the main path. After scouting the area, ensuring that there were no wild creatures or traces of bandits, everyone gathered in the cave. And before they could settle down, heavy rain started falling��


    "Hu��"


    Smoke started rising in the cave, dispersing the thick, chilly sensation from the storm. Old Walker prepared delicious broths for everyone to resist the cold in advance which made everyone feel much better after a hard day of work. Everyone sat around the bonfire and began to chatter. Some of them also started maintaining their weapons and equipment by the side in preparation for the upcoming battle.


    This scene warmed Rhode''s heart and brought back some old memories. In the game, players would not stop and take shelter even in the midst of a storm. But before facing the final boss battle, they would also gather around and chat before heading to fight the final battle.


    Rhode felt that everything right now seem a little far away.


    He didn''t belong to this world.


    While it could be said that he is very familiar with this world, Rhode wasn''t considered to a hardcore player. He would rather spend more of his time discussing about new handphones with his closest buddies, talk about politics, latest music trends or even grumble about how bad their day jobs were or how the property prices plummeted overnight.


    That should be his life.


    But now��


    Rhode shook his head and shut his eyes as he reminisced his previous life.


    We always have to change.


    Rhode sighed at this thought.


    And at this moment, he suddenly heard a crisp bell ringing.


    Clink��


    Rhode opened his eyes and looked out of the cave. As the light from the bonfire shone on the silhouette, it eventually revealed a skinny little figure at the entrance. The figure held a long wooden stick with a bent tip. Hanging from the tip was a golden bell which released a dull brilliance under the glow of the flames. And right behind that little figure, 5 to 6 lambs could be vaguely seen.


    As the garrison chief, Shauna quickly went up to the figure and spoke a few words. Afterwards, the red-haired mercenary turned her head around and reported to Rhode.


    "Sir, it''s a shepherd. She wants to take shelter here, should we let her in?"


    "Please come in."


    After hearing Shauna''s report, Rhode didn''t feel like he should say much. So he nodded lightly and eventually turned his head away from Shauna.


    After all, this cave was quite spacious, so just another human and few lambs wouldn''t be much of a problem.


    Shauna didn''t delay as she quickly invited the shepherd in, allowing everyone to finally see her face.


    She wore an oversized white cloak that was obviously too large for her size. It covered the whole of her tiny body. From her stature, this shepherd may only be slightly younger than Anne. Perhaps 12 to 13 years old. Her pale and thin arms that gripped onto the wooden stick looked almost like a skeleton. Facing the mercenaries, the shepherd cleverly bowed to express her gratitude. She skillfully drove the lambs into the deeper part of the cave and proceeded to sit down.


    "You will get a cold sitting there, why not sit by the bonfire with us?"


    Lize noticed the shepherd''s thin figure and invited her.


    The shepherd curiously raised her head and glanced at everyone with hesitation in her eyes. She slowly stood up and walked to the side of the bonfire to take a seat while Lize smiled by the side and gave her a bowl of hot soup.


    "Here, have some to warm your body."


    This time, the shepherd gestured with her hand to reject her offer.


    "Don''t have to be shy. Wouldn''t it be bad if you catch a cold?"


    Marlene tried to help convince the shepherd. In fact, everyone could see her body shaking uncontrollably under that oversized cloak.


    This was clearly a sign of hypothermia.


    "��"


    However, the little girl continued to shake her head to reject their offer.


    At this moment, Anne, being herself, playfully peeked under the cloak out of curiosity. Suddenly, she screamed and jumped back.


    "Leader, you gotta see this! This is too much!"

 Chapter 151 Spirits Of the Rainy Nigh

    What happened?


    Rhode frowned upon hearing Anne''s scream while the other mercenaries also turned around.


    "What''s wrong Anne?"


    "Leader�� This child. She�� She��"


    Anne stammered and pointed hesitantly at the girl before her eyes. Lize and Marlene couldn''t take it any longer as they lifted up the hood of the cloak to take a peek at her. Then, they sulked immediately.


    "This is too much!"


    Marlene stood up in a rage while Lize was stupefied.


    "This�� This��"


    Borrowing the radiance from the bonfire, Rhode managed to get a close look at the face hidden in the darkness. He was also taken aback.


    Dark, lavender colored hair covered the girl''s forehead and right eye while a leather mask covered her lower facial features. It was wrapped around her head and tightly bounded by strips of leather to the back of her head. Small breathing holes were cut from the mask, allowing her to breathe and speak. And if one looked carefully enough, the bottom of the mask was bound to a hard collar, chained securely with a lock, preventing anyone from taking the mask off.


    Is this a new torture method?


    Rhode frowned and finally understood the girls'' reactions to this disgusting matter. After witnessing a small child receiving such physical abuse, who wouldn''t be enraged?


    "What happened?"


    "This is terrible! Which bastard did this?!"


    At this moment, the rest of the mercenaries started surrounding her. They looked at the girl with shock, not knowing what to say. Shauna frowned and turned over to Randolf, who was standing by the side.


    "Randolf, go get a dagger. We''ll see if we can remove this thing."


    "Yes, I''ll go now."


    After hearing Shauna''s command, Randolf nodded and just when he was about to turn, the little girl grabbed his clothes by the edge and frantically waved her hand. She pointed to her mask and shook her head.


    "What do you mean?"


    Facing the little girl''s odd behavior, everyone didn''t know what to do. Even Marlene was also unsure.


    "You mean�� this mask�� you can''t remove it?"


    "��"


    The little girl nodded affirmatively, pointed at her mask and shook her head again. Maybe it was due to her being startled suddenly, her breathing started to quicken and began to cough. She bent over and covered her mouth with one hand while letting out deep coughs. Her whole body shook as if she was a small boat at sea stranded in a storm, waiting to capsize at any time.


    "Let me see."


    Lize hurried over and cupped the little girl''s hands. Soon enough, warm white lights shone and covered the little girl''s body. The little girl slowly calmed down and raised her head and stared at Lize with grateful eyes. She slowly glanced around at everyone and when she saw Rhode, her eyes widened. Her body shook slightly, as if attempting to convey something but eventually fell right into Lize''s arms instead, closing her eyes.


    "How is she?"


    Marlene asked out of concern while Lize shook her head and sighed.


    "She''s okay; she''s just a little weak now. Maybe letting her rest is a good choice, but��"


    Lize''s voice trailed off while looking at the little girl.


    "When I used my healing just now, I realized her body is really weak. She probably didn''t have anything to eat for a long time�� but that isn''t the worse news. She''d been inflicted with a deadly disease which can''t be cured in a short period of time. "


    "Then why did she come out even though she was so weak?"


    Anne''s face was in disbelief. Not only that, the rest of the mercenaries were also unable to understand. Their reaction wasn''t weird considering that an ill person should be resting. Even if there were any difficulties, it was no excuse to be working under this kind of weather. Furthermore, the leather mask on her face was incredibly suspicious. If it was to cover up her injuries, then why would it even need to seal up her mouth and nose. It made it seem like it was a sort of punishment. She''s only a little girl, what could she have done to receive such an ordeal? Not to mention this was just plain cruelty, not even murderers or bandits would receive such a treatment.


    "This isn''t a problem that we should concern ourselves with."


    At this moment, Rhode finally spoke.


    "Shauna, go start another fire inside and boil some hot water. Lize, Marlene, Anne. This child will be under your care. After the water is boiled, use it to wipe her body. With her skin damp from the rain, she can''t possibly go to sleep this way. As for those lambs�� I think they shouldn''t pose much problem with the help of the rest. We can save the questions for later. Shauna, you are dismissed from sentry duty tonight, leave it to Old Walker. You just need to be by this little girl''s side tonight. And the rest of you will have a rest as per normal."


    Since Rhode had given his orders, everyone silently agreed without objection. According to Rhode''s command, everyone went back to their regular duties. Old Walker replaced Shauna as the sentry while the other mercenaries went back to their spots in the cave. Some of them started to discuss about the recent matter while slowly falling asleep.


    Marlene led Lize and Anne to a new fireplace in the depths of the cave to clean the little girl''s body with warm water. That wasn''t all, Marlene meticulously used her magic to create a sand wall to form a divider �� No matter what, there will always be a difference between male and female.


    When all of these ended, it was already late at night.


    After being healed by Lize''s, the little girl fell into deep sleep. Marlene and Anne laid down nearby and closed their eyes to rest. They were already tired from a day of journeying, now that this happened; naturally, they couldn''t hold it much longer. Shauna sat by the side, quietly staring at the kindling as it crackled by the fireplace.


    "Mr. Rhode, are you not going to sleep?"


    Rhode turned his head and around and saw Lize standing behind him with the little girl''s cloak in her hands with the intention of drying it with the heat.


    "I''ll be sleeping soon. How is she?"


    "Worse than I imagined��"


    Lize couldn''t help but frown. When she wanted to clean the little girl, her scrawny body shocked her. Lize noticed many bruises on the body, and based on experience, she knew that those were bruises caused by punches and blunt impact. Not only Lize, but even Marlene and Anne couldn''t imagine just how cruel anyone could be to abuse such a weak little girl. Furthermore, Lize also found out that these injuries didn''t only happen once. Even Marlene with her steady and gentle demeanor, swore that she would utterly roast those abusers into cinders.


    "Her body condition is terrible. Also�� her ailment seemed to be difficult to heal. I have tried my best but to no much avail."


    "I see��"


    Rhode nodded emotionlessly and lightly tapped on Lize''s shoulder.


    "You have an early rest too. We will be reaching the High Cliff Village tomorrow. Maybe this girl is one of the villagers there��"


    Rhode wasn''t sure himself. He wasn''t unfamiliar with High Cliff Village, but he couldn''t remember there was such an NPC. The way she dressed was simply too eye-catching. No players would have missed her. However, from the start of the game until the very last day, there were no news or rumors regarding her which left Rhode scratching his head. He tried his best recall the series of quests he had to finish in High Cliff Village, but there was nothing.


    In truth, there may be subtle changes within the game. Some NPC may choose to leave or disappear and anyway, during this period of the game, it was only the beta phase. Even players might not be able to reach the High Cliff Village. If this girl was an NPC that only appeared in the beta phase, then spotting her in the official release was not possible either.


    Or maybe, something went wrong?


    "I understand, Mr. Rhode."


    Lize nodded and hesitated briefly and eventually asked Rhode a question out of curiosity.


    "But, Mr. Rhode�� you seem to be familiar with such situations?"


    "I had handled such similar situations before, so I am already used to it."


    Rhode frowned upon hearing Lize''s question and casually answered her.


    "But that was a long time ago��"


    Rhode sighed and turned his head towards the mouth of the cave.


    The rain was still pouring, growing increasingly louder and louder as if competing with each other.


    "Ultimately, there''s nothing much to say. You should go and get some rest."


    "Yes�� Mr. Rhode."


    Lize paused momentarily. She firmly believed that she felt a sense of yearning in Rhode''s eyes. But, she didn''t ask any further and simply nodded before quietly taking her leave.

 Chapter 152 Reached the High Cliff

    The rain stopped around midnight and the mercenaries could finally continue their journey under the fresh air and warm sunlight. The refreshing morning put everyone in a much better mood. The mercenaries packed up their stuff and moved on after having breakfast.


    The little girl they met yesterday was following not far behind at the back of the group. She was wearing her usual clothes. Her dainty wooden stick waved from left to right as she herded the lambs. After the little girl woke up, Rhode managed to find out that she was indeed a villager from High Cliff Village, but there were no further details. Due to the leather mask, the little girl had a hard time speaking. She could only communicate by nodding and shaking her head. This way of communication doesn''t allow complicated words to be understood, so Rhode decided to bring this little girl back to High Cliff VIllage and find out what truly happened.


    If it wasn''t for Lize''s healing, the little girl who hadn''t ate for the whole day wouldn''t even have the strength to stand. Even so, she still politely and determinedly rejected the kind help from the mercenaries and continued to drive the flock of lambs while gritting her teeth. She was very experienced in doing it�� at least the lambs were obediently following by her side.


    Even as the mercenaries walked, the topic never left the little girl. After all, although these people participated in many adventures, they had never seen such odd incidents.


    "What a poor child. Why would she receive such treatment?"


    "Could she be under a curse?"


    "Don''t joke about it. If it was a curse, do you think Miss Lize will not feel it? She said it was only an illness."


    "Could she be disfigured so she purposely hid it? I''ve seen a lady in the city who covered herself with a cloth every day after a major burn scar on her face."


    "That''s just for concealment I guess. Haven''t you seen the collar and chains on the little girl''s neck? This obviously is an act of torture."


    "But who will do such a thing? Any normal human wouldn''t be this cruel��"


    "You already said ''normal human'', how could you include those scums of High Cliff Village?"


    Hearing their comrade''s answer, one of the mercenaries replied with disdain, and the other mercenaries ended their conversation on this topic.


    To be honest, they didn''t wish to go to High Cliff Village. In fact, Shauna and Old Walker''s attitude represented the mercenaries'' attitudes �� If possible, they would rather wish those people to die to the undead creatures than to help them. After all, these people had a bad reputation and everyone in the mercenary group, except Marlene, had experiences with them before.


    To many people, the villagers of High Cliff Village were just a bunch of scum who could do anything for money. Their wicked name was widely known, and none of the mercenaries were willing to provide service for them. But these people were so shameless that they would even beg and cry for mercenaries'' help in the Mercenary Association. Every one of them yelled and wept so pathetically but once the mercenaries turned soft on them, those scums turned their back and chased them out of the village.


    The mercenaries filled with hatred and anger couldn''t do anything because within High Cliff Village there was a guard captain from a nearby region. The moment the mercenaries and villagers had conflicts, they would immediately complain to him. Although the mercenaries were naturally rash, they could only conduct "legal business." If they were caught by the guards and thrown into jail, they wouldn''t have an opportunity to earn money afterward.


    And this time they agreed to go alongside Rhode, partly was due to the rich remunerations offered by Deep Stone City''s owner, Klautz.


    Just half of the remuneration for each mercenary was around a dozen of gold coins. Since the officials were the ones giving money this time and had no chance of bilking, they wouldn''t mind showing their "professional ethics" �� As long it was for money, everyone would be helpful.


    Of course. On the other hand, they were curious on what Rhode would do to those villagers in High Cliff Village. Although they had not spent much time with Rhode, these mercenaries were aware of Rhode''s temperament. Cold, cruel and no mercy. If he could kill somebody in front of the Mercenary Association due to an insult then no one could guarantee that those scums could get away safely from him later �� In fact, to most of the mercenaries, they appeared not to have witnessed this young man''s good temper before.


    And because of this, you could say that half of their motivation comes from Rhode''s attitude and the other half came from the reward. They don''t give a damn about saving those people��


    "Mr. Rhode, that poor child��"


    Walking beside Rhode, Lize continued to turn around to care for the little girl struggling to keep up from the back. Although most of them slowed down their pace to make it easier for her, most of them were already adults, so they were fast when it comes to walking. Although the little girl tried hard to follow behind, due to her short legs and lack of energy she was always panting throughout the rocky path back to the village. But even so, she never turned to them for help. Lize had been rejected many times when she tried to offer assistance.


    "She''s a strong child, but�� for her, this is too tiring."


    Marlene stared at the little girl''s figure with admiration in her eyes. Her approach was different from Lize. She was highly appreciative of the little girl''s will. Even though she understood that there was a tough journey ahead, but she still chose not to rely on others. Marlene displayed her respect by admiring her efforts and chose not to destroy this little girl''s determination.


    "She appears to fancy the leader." With both hands behind her back, Anne did a stretch as she spoke.


    She wasn''t wrong though. In the crowd, what the little girl cared the most about was Rhode. She periodically glanced at the young man without any reason. Of course, this wasn''t considered too weird for anyone. Besides, Rhode was a man with attractive and beautiful feminine features. Just this reason was enough for people to stare at him. Rhode was well aware of this, but he didn''t mention anything about it.


    "I can sense an obscure evil energy from within the child''s body."


    At this moment, an angelic voice echoed behind Rhode''s ears.


    When no one was looking, Rhode summoned Celia in the morning. Since their target for this mission was the undead creatures, as an angel''s natural enemy, Celia would gladly slaughter these vile beings in battle. Also, Rhode hoped to use this opportunity to teach those scums of High Cliff Village a lesson about humbleness and humanity.


    As for Celia''s sudden appearance, the mercenaries weren''t surprised at all. After the battle in the Twilight forest, they knew their leader always had an angel on guard by his side, so they didn''t felt anything odd.


    "Evil energy?"


    Marlene heard the ominous words and frowned.


    "Bloodline? Or curse?"


    "I''m not too sure. But it seemed that this child hadn''t realized it herself. Maybe it hasn''t awakened yet."


    Celia spoke with a soft voice as she swept a glance at the little girl.


    "But the energy is weak. There shouldn''t be any negative impact on the surroundings."


    "Maybe this was the reason why she wore a mask?"


    Anne curiously scratched her head and asked with a frown.


    "Anne didn''t think the little girl as someone who will do bad things."


    "Many people are like this. The unknown will cause fear, which is very normal."


    Marlene continued and said.


    "But this is indeed too much�� even if we judge by what Miss Celia had said, we still can''t verify anything. We can only wait until we reach the High Cliff Village and investigate to find out what is really happening."


    As Marlene spoke, High Cliff Village finally appeared before everyone.


    High Cliff Village was a small village located within a moderately deep mountain range. From just one look at it, this town was no different from others. A wooden fence surrounded hundreds of little houses with a clear stream of water flowing from top to bottom causing the windmill to turn slowly under the water flow. Kids were playing happily, and villagers were harvesting crops. It was a prosperous and harmonious scene.


    "Tch!"


    Most of the mercenaries let out distasteful grunts.


    "All of you, hold it!"


    Soon enough, the mercenaries stopped by the militia guarding the village entrance. They held weapons in their hands and looked down at everyone in disdain.


    "All of you are�� mercenaries?"


    "That''s right."


    Rhode stepped forward and nodded lightly.


    "We received a request from City owner Klautz to get rid of undead creatures. Are there any problems?"


    "You guys should have arrived earlier! Why are you so late?!"


    Looking at Rhode, the militia captain who stood in the front, growled and swung his weapon.


    "Do you all know how troublesome those undead creatures were? We were overwhelmed! Damn it, seems like mercenaries are just a bunch of bastards who only work for money. If there isn''t any money involved then you guys wouldn''t have any sympathy towards us eh? Get the hell in! I will say this first. This path is a business avenue, so all of you barbaric mercenaries don''t create any trouble for me! If not�� when the garrisons get involved, you all should know the consequences."


    "Tch!"


    Hearing the militia captain blabber, one of the mercenaries coldly spit. The militia captain immediately widened his eyes.


    "Why, do you have any objections? Let me tell you, if it wasn''t for the situation now, we wouldn''t even beg the administrative officer for help. All of you should be glad even to be here, so what objections do you have? The lot of you better listen carefully. Do not create trouble. Finish your job and scram. If you break anything or start nonsense during your mission, then don''t blame us if we complain to the administrative officer! By then, all of you can dream about getting your reward!"


    The militia captain who spouted everything didn''t realize that Rhode''s gaze turned ice cold. The captain then drew his sword and as if examining prisoners, walked closer to the mercenary group. When his sight fell on the last girl at the back, his face immediately turned ugly.


    "You little slut! Where have you been skiving!"


    He growled and took big steps forward. Witnessing the terror approaching, the little girl''s body shook instinctively. She held her thin wooden stick firmly, standing on the same spot with trembling legs.


    Suddenly, an extended arm blocked his from moving an inch farther.

 Chapter 153 A Fool’s Delusion

    "Hold up. Where do you think you''re going?"


    Marlene stretched her hand out with an expression as cold as ice.


    "And who are you supposed to be?"


    The militia captain stared at the maiden with a frown.


    "That''s none of your business. Buzz off, woman. This is something between me and that little slut!"


    As the militia captain yelled, he attempted to push Marlene away with his arm. Then, he threw his fist toward the little girl standing just behind Marlene.


    At that moment, he heard a cold, threatening growl.


    "Back off!"


    As soon as he heard those words, he suddenly felt a mighty gust. Before he had any chance to react, the wind had already lifted him off the ground, and like a cannonball that left the chamber, he shot and smashed into a wooden door at the village entrance. The thin wooden door couldn''t withstand the impact and immediately shattered.


    "Woman! What do you think you are doing!"


    His men started unsheathing their weapons, but before they were able to display their rage, countless of ''sword icicles'' fell from the sky and pierced into the ground just beside them. Their blazing fighting spirit was extinguished immediately.


    "Absolutely. Rude."


    Marlene gripped her staff and walked out from the mass. She glared coldly at the militias who were all stunned at the scene, and her eyes revealed a clear sense of disgust.


    "Mere pheasants�� Not only did you not answer my question, but you also tried to lay your hands on me. How dare you!"


    The whole place fell into a deafening silence, only the chilling echo of the young lady could be heard ringing throughout their ears. Those children who were playing far away ran back home with fear. The villagers gathered around but didn''t know what to do. They looked at the ice-cold swords pierced at the gateway and the militia captain who was moaning on what remains of the door. They had never encountered such a thing and were completely confused.


    A few brave young men were about to step up and protest, but as Marlene''s sharp eyes swept over them, they quickly froze and lowered their heads as if a sharp knife was against their throats.


    Not only the villagers, but the mercenaries were also stunned. They didn''t spend much time with Marlene previously. Marlene had always treated them with a peaceful demeanor, and that was why they thought the maiden was a gentle person. But now, the maiden''s eyes were filled with aggression, and it completely subverted their views. They had never seen Marlene''s arrogant side. The maiden slightly lifted her chin and stared down at the villagers as if they were a bunch of ants.


    And that was why I said this to you earlier. "By then, even if I don''t ask you to, perhaps you would have done the same."


    Rhode smiled inwardly. He was the one who interacted with Marlene first, so he knew how arrogant this missy was. Do not be blinded by her friendly appearance. She would only treat those of equal status well. As for others, although she wouldn''t show her displeasure in her eyes, she''d just treat them as usual unless they provoked her. To be able to handle people peacefully and not bully them, were the right behavior for the nobles. Of course. If she accepted their personality then there wouldn''t be any problem. But, if she didn''t accept them�� She wouldn''t see the need to accommodate them.


    And now, regarding the villagers who weren''t willing to accept her, Marlene didn''t need to be polite to them.


    At this moment, an old man hurriedly ran over with a soldier dressed in ornate gold armor. Judging from his equipment, he should be someone of some status.


    "What''s happening? What''s happening?!"


    The old man separated the crowd and quickly saw the disturbance at the village entrance. He angrily waved his wooden stick around and stared at Rhode''s group.


    "Are, are you people trying to rebel? As mercenaries, how dare you lay your hands on civilians. What do you people want!"


    The old man pointed his bony finger at Rhode. At this moment, Rhode took a step forward and stopped Marlene.


    "We didn''t intentionally cause any trouble. Instead, it was these violent militias that were rude. As nobles, we weren''t able to tolerate such actions�� Or maybe, you don''t respect the nobles at all?"


    Rhode shrugged.


    "N-Nobles?"


    The old man subconsciously took a few steps back and scanned Rhode.


    "Aren''t you people mercenaries?"


    "That''s right. We are mercenaries, but we are also nobles. Is there a problem with that? If it wasn''t for Sir Klautz''s request, we wouldn''t even come to such a poor area. I thought I would at least witness minimal friendliness, but never did I expect to get treated this way�� I''m sure you know what''s the consequences for disrespecting nobles. Right, old sir?"


    After hearing Rhode, the mercenaries were surprised and immediately reacted.


    Yes, that''s right, this mercenary group leader wasn''t an ordinary man. Both that maiden and him were born nobles! How could I forget such an important matter?


    The mercenaries felt excited as they watched the villagers fading off with pale expressions.


    The Munn Kingdom was a very hierarchical country. Although on the outside, all levels could peacefully get along, however, it was much stricter than it seems. For example, without the permission of nobles, civilians could never touch any part of a noble, they could never talk to a noble, and even never raise their head to look at a noble. These are the privilege of nobles since their identities are above the common rabble and are distinguished people in their own rights, naturally, they must be higher than the rest.


    Of course, if any civilian broke any rules, the nobles have the authority to punish for being disrespectful. The severity of the punishment varies from light to heavy. Heavy punishment could lead to hanging while light punishment might just be a dozen of whips. Although the nobles didn''t mind these rules too much in their daily lives, just like Rhode and Marlene, they don''t usually care, but when it comes to situations like these, the rules come in handy.


    "T-This, this��"


    The old man stuttered and couldn''t finish his sentence. He didn''t believe Rhode''s words but the truth seemed to be telling him otherwise. Rhode wasn''t wearing the iconic leather armor that usually signifies them as a mercenary, but instead, he was draped in a long, black cloak with a bright red sword hanging on the side of his waist. He had the features of a wealthy son who was out to play. And for Marlene, there was no need to mention her noble identity. Just by the staff that the maiden held, it made the old man feel uneasy �� In some situations, a mage could be harder to deal with than a noble.


    Why did this happen? I thought Sir Klautz ordered a group of mercenaries to help but why did they turn out to be trouble?


    The old man gripped on his stick uneasily, not knowing what to say at the moment.


    "Village chief, don''t be afraid of them!"


    And at this moment, a young man finally jumped out and stood in front of Rhode without any fear, staring straight into his eyes.


    "Don''t believe his lies. These mercenaries are lying! How will real nobles come and do dirty low-line business? They must be imposters!"


    Facing the young man''s impulsive glare, Rhode returned his gaze with coldness in his eyes.


    "You dare to stare at me without my permission? Impertinence. I will give you ONE last chance to apologize for your boorish behavior. Now. Kneel. And beg for forgiveness."


    "Hmph�� Dream on!"


    The young man raised his head and stared at Rhode with contempt.


    "You think I would listen t- �� ahhhhhhh!!"


    The young man was in the midst of finishing his sentence when suddenly, a bright red light flashed. Two slash wounds appeared on his knees. The young man screamed and kneeled on the ground in reflex as he lost strength in his knees.


    "I said. Kneel."


    Rhode stared contemptuously at the young man without any expression. His blade absorbed the fresh blood and started to release a dazzling gleam.


    "You�� dream o-��"


    The young man supported his body with his arms and lifted his head slowly. He stared at Rhode with unyieldingness in his eyes and gritted his teeth as the pain was unbearable.


    But his struggles were all for naught. Soon enough, another sword blade flashed, and the young man''s hands immediately lost strength causing him to plummet head first to the ground.


    "Argh!!"


    Rhode put his right foot on the young man''s head and coldly swept his gaze at rest of the villagers. Those who caught his attention turned pale and lowered their head in fear.


    "I''ll repeat my words once more. We are here, by request from Sir Klautz, to solve your request for the elimination of the undead creatures. In other words, we are your saviors and I hope you can treat your saviors with the utmost respect. Do you understand me? As the civilians, and the ''rescued'', I hope you can understand your current plight and place. Don''t make me remind you again."


    Rhode then turned and faced the soldier beside the village chief. He noticed a "guard" mark on the soldier''s armor.


    "Especially you, mister. I hope you don''t make any unnecessary movements. If not, I will inform Mr. Delano with regrets that he needs to change his guard captain."


    "Stop watching and move! Don''t block their path!"


    The soldier in armor quickly understood what he should do. As a guard captain, he was familiar with nobles as he often dealt with them, unlike these villagers. And he dropped all suspicious of Rhode''s identity, especially when he had correctly named his immediate boss'' name. After serving the military for so many years, he had seen many brainless colleagues offending nobles and lost their lives as a result. He didn''t want to be one of them.


    That was why, after he dispersed the villagers, the guard captain immediately ran towards Rhode with a smile.


    "Sir, Madam. I''m very sorry that both of you witnessed such a mess. I can guarantee to both of you that this was all an accident, just an accident��"


    "Alright, I have no time to listen to your crap."


    Rhode gestured with his hand and broke the guard captain''s sentence.


    "We need somewhere to rest. Remember to clean up the place first. Also, since we are here to carry out a mission, go and get those villagers here, I need to ask them about the undead creatures incident. Hopefully, those scums wouldn''t be dumb enough to lie. And one last thing��"


    Rhode pointed to the little girl who was looking at himself uneasily.


    "I hope you can get someone to explain to me, what happened to that girl?"


    "That girl? Are you referring to Christie?!"


    The guard captain sulked.


    "Sir, how did you know her? She''s a devil''s child!"

 Chapter 154 Struggles of Life

    Listening to the stuttering explanation of the guard captain, Rhode finally understood the little girl''s life experience.


    She was indeed a resident who was born and raised in High Cliff Village. However, her birth wasn''t a result of love but was a result of a horrible story from more than ten years ago. A long time ago, there was a beautiful, well-known young lady in this village. Many young men had crushes on her, but she would reject them all. And after she had slowly grown older to an age suitable for marriage, her parents started to worry and hurried their daughter to find a good man. But, her answer gave them a huge shock.


    "I already have someone who I love."


    Everyone was stunned. They were very clear of her life. She usually didn''t even leave the village and had rejected the confessions from every men in the village. Logically speaking, she shouldn''t have anyone that she loved. Her parents didn''t believe her words and demanded her for the man''s name, but the obedient young lady resisted their inquiries time and time again. Feeling helpless, her parents could only lock her up in her room and not let her leave.


    But after this happened, odd things started happening.


    Although they locked their daughter up in her room, every time when night fell, their daughter would suddenly disappear without any trace. Initially, they thought their daughter had left home in anger and hurriedly activated the whole village to search for her. However, they didn''t manage even to find a trace of her. Just as they dragged their tired bodies back home, they found their daughter sleeping quietly on her bed, appearing as suddenly as she disappeared, as if she didn''t leave before. And when they woke up their daughter, she would say that she had been sleeping all these while without leaving the room.


    Both parents thought they might have made a mistake. However, the same incident kept repeating itself which made them panic. In the end, they requested the guidance of a respected bishop to check on her, and after the bishop''s careful examination, he said something that frightened everyone.


    This maiden had been possessed by a devil!


    This result shocked many people. Never could they imagine how this maiden managed to be possessed by a devil. But no matter what, they helplessly begged the bishop to help them drive the devil away from the maiden''s body.


    But what happened afterward, nobody knew.


    The only thing they knew was, the very next morning, the villagers once again gathered in the front door of the maiden''s home. The whole house was coated in pitch black as if been burnt down by flames. At the side of the house laid the horrifying corpses of the bishop and the two elderly. The maiden''s body covered by fresh blood, quietly sleeping between the bodies.


    The villagers didn''t know what to do. When the maiden woke up, she started to bite anyone she saw, just like a crazy wild dog. The villagers could only choose to lock her up in the cellar while thinking of a better solution.


    But ever since this day, maiden''s stomach started to grow bigger and bigger.


    She was pregnant.


    After three months, the maiden gave birth to a baby girl. However, the maiden had already expended all her life energy. After the villagers came to the cellar after hearing the cries of a baby, they witnessed the maiden''s stinking, rotted and pitch black corpse.


    Of course, no one wished to adopt this baby. They were afraid to end up like that old elderly couple. In the beginning, they chose to leave the baby in the deep mountains and let her die on her own. But odd things started to happen again. The next day, as they opened their doors, they would discover the baby in the middle of the square, alive.


    This made the villagers fearful, and they wished to kill her. But they were afraid of getting the curse after doing so. Everyone pushed the responsibility around, but no one was willing to do it. They had seen the terrifying scene of the old couple''s death, so nobody hoped to end up the same.


    Eventually, the village chief stood out and adopted this baby.


    As the little girl grew up, the villagers'' fear did not dissipate but was intensified instead. Nobody taught her how to write, but was able to write beautiful words. Her voice was crisp and sweet but would occasionally blabber some unknown language. This deepened the villagers'' fear of this monster. They treated her as a disaster and made her stay in an abandoned wine cellar. At the same time, they wouldn''t allow their children to come into contact with the little girl. In their eyes, one of these days, this little girl would become like her mother.


    "I see."


    Rhode frowned when he listened to the explanation. Marlene and Anne were also stunned by the story. Marlene, as a mage, naturally expressed disdain and anger to the ignorance of the villagers. And as for Anne, she could understand the feelings of the little girl ---- just like herself, she was abandoned in the mountains by others and grew up with beasts. She angrily puffed her cheeks and stared at the guard captain with her sharp, beast-like eyes. The guard captain didn''t dare to look them in the eye and lowered his head as he stared at the ground. On the side, Lize cupped her hands and placed them on her chest. She lowered her head and started to quietly pray.


    "So, what''s with the mask on her face?"


    The guard captain paused to think for a while and continued, "About this�� this�� I heard from the village chief. This girl was weird. She had been saying baffling things that could not be understood. Like, "You''re the next target" or something like that�� then that person would find themselves to be under the attack of the undead. Everyone felt it was her doing, so they made a mask and bound it on her face, preventing her from speaking. After doing so, no undead creature would attack us."


    "So it was useless in the end, wasn''t it?"


    Marlene stopped the guard captain''s words abruptly.


    "If that was the ''solution'', we wouldn''t be needed here, right?"


    Marlene sneered. Facing her sarcastic remark, the guard captain didn''t have anything better to say. He could only smile and lowered his head.


    "In other words, that mask was just to stop her from speaking? Are there other meaning to it?"


    "No, nothing else��"


    "Okay, I understand now."


    "So then��" Rhode nodded and stretched out his hand, "Key."


    "Eh?"


    After hearing Rhode''s orders, the guard captain and village chief were surprised.


    "Didn''t you hear me? Give me the key. One of you should have the keys to the mask."


    "It''s with me, but Sir, if we get cursed by��"


    "That''s your concern, not mine. Now, hand the key over."


    Rhode''s eyes turned cold.


    "Or maybe I''ll just retrieve it from your corpse."


    It was a direct threat.


    The village chief''s body shivered a little as he quickly reached into his pocket and respectfully gave a small copper key to Rhode. Rhode received the key and passed it to Marlene.


    "Remove the mask from the little girl and get her something to eat."


    Following Rhode''s orders, the village chief led them to a pub that Rhode designated as the mercenaries resting point. At the same time, the little girl tagged along behind the group. After witnessing how the villagers treated her, no matter if it was Rhode or the three maidens, no one was willing to let her out of their sights.


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode."


    Marlene took the key and hurriedly stood up. She nodded to Rhode and quickly beckoned the little girl to follow. Anne and Lize accompanied her out. Since there was an opportunity to avoid those irritating villagers, naturally they would choose to back off.


    In an instant, the entire pub hall was deserted with the exception of Rhode and Celia. He was sitting on the chair nonchalantly while Celia silently stood behind him. In front of him, stood an old man filled with sweat, and a guard captain who was looking towards the floor.


    After noticing the angel standing behind Rhode, their doubts about Rhode''s identity were washed away. Her pristine, white wings spread open, shining brilliantly under the sunlight that peeked through the windows, releasing a radiant aura.


    "Now we can talk about the undead creatures�� or maybe, you have other matters?"


    Rhode looked at the village chief expressionlessly.


    "This��"


    Hearing Rhode''s question, the old man shivered and raised his head a little to look at Rhode. He lowered his head again and gritted his teeth before speaking, albeit having a slight stutter in his voice.


    "T-This�� dear Sir, please forgive my rudeness�� May I ask, where did you come from?"


    "The Northern Mountains."


    Rhode casually answered and frowned, showing a slightly irritated look on his face.


    "Is there any problem?"


    "N-No no no, no problem at all."


    The old man once again lowered his head, and hurriedly continued, "Just�� that�� did any of your family members visited here before?"


    "No."


    Rhode shot down his inquiry, his tone obviously reflecting his impatience and irrelevance to the issues at hand. He thought the old man''s questions were silly.


    "Is this all you want to ask?"


    "Yes, I am very sorry��"


    The old man wiped his sweat and took a few steps back, indirectly signifying that his turn to speak was over. Rhode observed him for a while and turned his head toward the guard captain.


    "Next, let''s talk about the undead creatures."


    The guard captain began his explanations.

 Chapter 155 Shadow of the Pas

    "Kacha."


    Accompanied by a crisp sound, the collar that was bound tightly to the girl''s neck was finally fell to the floor. Lize carefully removed the leather mask from her face.


    "Don''t worry; nothing will harm you here."


    The girl''s eyes revealed fear and anxiety. Lize displayed a reassuring smile while Anne couldn''t wait to serve the piping hot food.


    "Let me! Let me! This is an apple pie~ I haven''t eaten such nice food for a long time! Come, have a taste."


    "No, Anne. She''d been hungry for far too long. She needs to drink some water to warm herself up first. If she eats something now, it will hurt her body."


    Holding a cup of warm water filled with droplets of honey, Marlene tried to move one step ahead of Anne. She stirred the drink with a spoon and passed it over to the little girl.


    "Slowly drink, don''t rush it."


    The little girl sat on the bed blankly, observing everything in front of her, not knowing what reaction she should make. Since birth, she had never been treated so gently before. As soon as she could remember things, all she remembered was torture, hate, abuse and everyone she met wanted her dead. They never showed her what a smile looked like, only hate and fear. Just like tossing away a piece of rubbish.


    The little girl was already used to such treatment. Maybe in her world, love and care were nonexistent. When Lize and the rest appeared, they did not scold her, kick her or hurt her in any way. It was because of this that she felt a sense of uncertainty. She feared not knowing what to do. It was strange at first, but warm at the same time.


    "..."


    Crystal clear tears started falling from her eyes, slowly trickling down to the ground.


    "Ah, why did you cry. Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"


    "Gosh, was the drink too hot?"


    The three maidens started panicking. Marlene started to blow the teacup, trying to bring down the temperature. Anne quickly put down the hot apple pie and squatted in front of the girl, not knowing what to do. While Lize took a handkerchief and lightly wiped the tears from her face.


    "Don''t cry�� slowly, let us know what''s wrong�� eh?"


    Just as Lize was cleaning the little girl''s tears, she suddenly let out a soft and surprised cry. She stared blankly at the little girl''s face.


    "What''s wrong? Lize?"


    Anne and Marlene turned around out of curiosity to glance at the face of the little girl.


    This was the first time they saw her face.


    Due to an extended period of malnutrition, the little girl''s face was thin. Heartbreakingly pale white face. Her delicate features were as if it was a beautiful artwork sculptured by an artist. She had light pink lips and a pair of lake-like clear eyes. The most prominent feature was her achromatic eyes. Her left eye had a normal blue shine, but her right eye that hid behind her long fringe was shining like a purple gem.


    But the three of them weren''t too concerned about them. Rather, they were concerned about her looks; she appeared to be somewhat familiar to them.


    "This face�� have I seen it somewhere?"


    "�� Anne too, finds it so familiar��"


    Anne twirled her hair and closed her eyes while pressing her petite eyebrows together. Then she suddenly punched downwards with her small fist.


    "Yes! Isn''t she the leader''s��"


    Anne suddenly stopped. The three of them looked at each other, not know what to say at all.


    That''s right, no matter how you look at the little girl, other than the hair and eye color, she resembled exactly like Rhode. The only thing different was that she''s younger than Rhode by quite a margin. And between her eyebrows didn''t have the cold feel like Rhode; instead, she was filled with a cuddly charm. Even the three of them as females, couldn''t help but want to hug the little girl in their arms and gently care for her.


    But�� what''s with this similarity?


    Lize, Marlene, and Anne looked at each other in confusion. Although Lize and Rhode knew each other the longest, even she never heard Rhode speak about his family members. Naturally, Anne and Marlene wouldn''t have known too.


    "So what now?"


    Marlene frowned and asked.


    "This�� maybe we can get Mr. Rhode to see for himself?"


    Lize spoke with uncertainty. It isn''t common to meet your doppelg?nger every day; thus, naturally, she wouldn''t know what to do other than inform the leader. The first time they looked at the girl, they suspected if Rhode and she were related. However, Rhode didn''t seem to recognize her at the cave. This made the three of them full of doubt but didn''t know what to say.


    "Let''s call Mr. Rhode here, besides��"


    Marlene stopped and eventually sighed.


    "Anne, could you get Mr. Rhode here?"


    "Sure, Anne will go now."


    After hearing Marlene''s question, Anne immediately jumped up and burst out of the room.


    Meanwhile, Rhode finished listening to the village chief''s report on the undead creatures.


    The villagers indeed did meet with some troublesome matters. Those undead creatures will appear once it hits midnight. They would float within the village and find their prey. The village resistance was insignificant and the villagers had no choice but to remove late-night guard duties. And when you thought that matters couldn''t be worse, rumors started to spread, and it started to deter merchants from using this business route. It caused the villagers to lose their primary source of income. Despite inviting help from those acolytes from churches, but their strength was limited and eventually failed.


    After ''interviewing'' the village chief, Rhode confirmed the undead''s identity ---- the Spectre. They were ghosts who were once human, awakened from dark magic pollution and then manipulated by an invisible evil entity. Rhode also confirmed their identities ---- Spectre. And just like what Marlene had predicted, the main reason may be due to a hell chasm somewhere within the village which polluted the dead spirits, converting them into Spectres.


    The Spectre''s most prominent feature would be belonging to the category of ''non-physical creatures.'' Other than magical and elemental weapons, other types of weapons will not be able to threaten them at all. They would only pass through their bodies and not deal any damage. Not only that, Spectres could easily phase through walls, in other words, they could attack from anywhere. This wasn''t something any ordinary militia could handle.


    On the other hand, the Spectre''s level wasn''t very high. Most of them were merely over level ten. Periodically, some elites that were over level twenty would appear, but they wouldn''t exceed level thirty, which was their limit. However, with Celia around, Rhode believed they wouldn''t be the true troublesome foes.


    The upcoming battle with the Spectres'' could be treated as training. Although its attacking power isn''t high, their sudden, omnidirectional ways of striking would be a good test for the mercenaries. Of course, to Rhode, as long as he had the holy sword in hand, even a hundred Spectres could be easily dispatched by him alone. However this time, he intended to use this as a live training session for his mercenaries. So after listening to the village chief''s explanations, Rhode decided to observe the battle by the side. His only duty was to be in charge of drinking tea.


    "I''ve understood the situation. But how I will handle the upcoming issues is all up to myself. You have no rights to ask. My only promise to you is that we will remove all the undead creatures. But I hope that you can restrain your group of idiots. If I meet anyone who tries to provoke my glory, I won''t be able to guarantee their life."


    Rhode easily made another threat, and stood up after sending the sweaty old man and guard captain out of the pub. Initially, Rhode intended to explore the surroundings, but this village made him lose all interest in sightseeing. Just as Rhode was deciding what he should do next, he saw Anne hurriedly dashing down the stairs.


    "Ah, Leader, you''re still here! Great!"


    "What happened?"


    Rhode asked, wondering what was it that made Anne fluster like this. But to his surprise, Anne did not answer his question immediately as she just stared at him in a daze. After some time, Rhode woke her up with a clap.


    "Hmm�� Anne isn''t too sure��" Anne tilted her head as she scanned Rhode''s features from top to bottom.


    "Leader, Sister Marlene wants you to see for yourself."


    "?"


    Facing Anne''s attitude, a huge question mark appeared in Rhode''s brain. He had never seen this straightforward maiden this hesitant in her words before. But he didn''t overthink and followed Anne up the stairs to the guest room on the second floor.


    "Ah, Mr. Rhode."


    Noticing Rhode''s arrival, Marlene and Lize hurriedly stood up. Rhode looked at the two maidens and frowned. He could sense the awkwardness from both of their expressions. This surprised Rhode, and after confirming that the three of them didn''t have a quarrel, he asked.


    "What happened?"


    "This��"


    Facing Rhode''s question, the three maidens exchanged looks at each other. It wasn''t long before Lize finally bit the bullet and stepped out.


    "Mr. Rhode, we would like you to look at her."


    "Her? What''s wrong with her?"


    Rhode asked curiously. He turned his head towards the little girl who was slowly sipping a teacup by the bed edge.


    The moment he had a clear view of her face, Rhode felt the blood in his body stop flowing.

 Chapter 156 Past Memories 2 Chapters in 1

    For one moment, Rhode thought that his eyes were playing tricks on him until he pinched his palm to confirm that this wasn''t a dream. Looking at the girl, Rhode held his breath and closed his eyes. After a while, he finally calmed himself down and walked towards the little girl slowly. He bent down to her eye level and looked at her carefully.


    Facing Rhode''s actions, the little girl seemed a little startled. Both of her hands gripped the teacup tightly but, she didn''t seem like she wanted to escape. Instead, when Rhode was examining her, she returned his gaze curiously at this young and unfamiliar man. She was equally doubtful as to why this person had the exact same face as hers.


    "Hi there, young lady. I am Rhode Alander. Can you tell me your name?"


    Rhode''s tone was incredibly gentle. Even his usual cold expression seemed to have disappeared.


    Upon noticing this expression of Rhode''s, the three maidens widened their eyes in disbelief. After spending so much time with Rhode, this was the first time he''d revealed such an expression. A far cry from the feeling of an icy cold, sturdy, yet reliable Rhode from before.


    But right now, the atmosphere surrounding Rhode seemed to be very warm and gentle. Just like the first rays of light from the morning sun, unconditionally embracing anything with comfort and warmth. If Rhode previously gave others an impression of "Cold as ice", then right now they would have treated her as the gentle, beautiful and kind princess. (TL: Yes, it''s princess, not prince) To complete this fairytale-esque scene, maybe a fully armored knight should appear and kneel down on the spot while presenting his long sword to show his passion and loyalty.


    "No wonder he was always expressionless��"


    Looking at this scene, Marlene, Lize and Anne started having many different thoughts. Under normal circumstances, Rhode could easily be mistaken as a female. Although as a man, gentleness may not be the only thing that they lack. But, when a handsome man reveals his gentle side, compared to a beautiful man showing his tender side, the sensation is entirely different.


    (ED: Handsome referring to masculine men; while beautiful refers to ''Bishoujo'' looking men with feminine features.)


    If a handsome man''s gentle smile could make those maidens go completely crazy, then the smile that Rhode had on his face could make anyone let go of all fears and safely dive right into the warmth within.


    Of course, from a bystander point of view, this scene looked exactly like a conversation between a pair of sisters.


    "��"


    Probably attracted by Rhode''s tone and expression, the little girl dropped her guard. She raised her head slightly and opened her tiny lips, attempting to say something. But she as if remembered something terrible, she quickly shut her mouth.


    "Don''t worry."


    Noticing the little girl''s expression, Rhode smiled and touched her hair.


    "You don''t have to be afraid of cursing me. It''s not your fault. Trust me, you wouldn''t curse anyone. Talk to me. Tell me your name. Okay?"


    "�� Christie��"


    The little girl dropped her shoulders and lifted her face. She said softly while looking right at Rhode.


    "You have a nice name."


    After hearing the little girl''s answer, Rhode gently nodded.


    "So, Christie, I hope you can stay here for the time being to have some food and drinks. You can have a good sleep later, and once you''ve woken up the next day, I have something important to tell you�� is that okay?"


    "�� Okay��"


    Christie slightly nodded. Rhode didn''t say much after receiving her answer. He just smiled and rubbed the little girl''s head gently. Just when Rhode was about to stand up and walk away, the little girl reached out to the corner of his clothes. She tugged lightly and raised her head. Deep within, her achromatic eyes were filled with care and expectations that probably the little girl didn''t know it herself.


    "�� Name��"


    "Hmm?"


    "�� Can you say it again�� your name��"


    Hearing the little girl''s question, Rhode was surprised and once again revealed his smile.


    "Sure. I am Rhode Alander. Call me Rhode will do."


    "�� Rhode��"


    The little girl soft repeated this name. As if receiving a precious treasure, she wanted to keep it deep within her memories. After a moment, the little girl revealed a beautiful wholehearted smile ---- A smile that signified receiving the most precious prize in the world.


    "Hu��"


    After exiting the room, Rhode quickly kept his smile and returned to his usual cold self. Marlene and Anne felt that it was a pity��


    Afterwards, Rhode left Christie with Lize. Afterall, the maiden was a Cleric and when it comes to caring for others, she''s very reliable. In order not to disturb the patient, Marlene and Anne chose to leave even though they wanted to stay. They knew that more people might cause messy situations, so they left in the end.


    But the doubts in their mind didn''t disappear.


    "Leader. What relationship do you have with the little girl?"


    Anne couldn''t hold it any longer and ask out of curiosity.


    "We shouldn''t be related at all."


    Rhode frowned upon hearing Anne and quickly made up an answer.


    But this answer didn''t satisfy both of them.


    "But�� Both of you look so alike��"


    Marlene used a more subtle term. In fact, it was an understatement to call them ''similar''. Especially when both of them stood face to face, no matter how everyone saw it, Christie was just a Rhode that was ten years younger. To say that both of them have no relations, not even Marlene would believe that. Although, logically speaking , Rhode who originated from the Northern Mountains shouldn''t have any relationship with this small village within the Paphield Region, but the existence of Christie didn''t support this logic at all.


    "Just as the saying goes. In this world, there will be at least three people who look exactly like you. So it isn''t weird."


    Rhode seemed to be very calm.


    "�� Could it be Leader''s long lost sister?"


    Anne asked, but she didn''t notice that it caused Rhode''s expression to darken slightly when her question reminded him of his past.


    "�� I do indeed have a sister. But it is a pity; she wasn''t lost."


    "Leader, you have a sister?"


    Hearing this, the curious Anne spoke a little louder. Even Marlene started focusing on the conversation as Rhode had never mentioned his personal life before.


    "That''s right. If she''s still alive, then maybe��"


    "Ah��"


    Rhode shrugged his shoulders. Although he didn''t continue, but both of them understood his words and started to quieten�� the atmosphere turned awkward suddenly. Rhode stared at the scenery out of the window with his hands behind his back. Anne and Marlene didn''t know what to say. After a moment, Anne bit the bullet and clapped her hands and said.


    "Lea-Leader must have loved his sister."


    "No, it''s the opposite."


    To their surprise was, Rhode straightforwardly shook his head and interrupted Anne.


    "To be honest, I hated her from the start."


    "Eh?"


    Anne and Marlene were surprised.


    "Wh-Why?"


    Marlene couldn''t hold it anymore. Although she had been taught not to invade other''s privacy, this maiden felt that his answer was too strange.


    But Rhode didn''t reply immediately. Instead, he raised his head, glanced at the maidens and turned back to the window.


    "�� Have both of you seen twins before?" Rhode said with slight melancholy in his voice.


    "Eh? Twins�� Yes."


    "Anne had seen a few times too��"


    Rhode kept surprising them again and again. Marlene and Anne almost couldn''t keep up the pace.


    "Normally between twins, many sisters or brothers look similar. However, if its a male and a female, they might look alike, but it can''t possibly be exactly identical�� Right?"


    "This�� As you said, it''s actually true��"


    Marlene seemed to have understood something. As for Anne, she looked around left and right, full of confusion.


    Rhode nodded and said, "This is a normal situation. I wouldn''t mention the specific principles because you wouldn''t understand. All in all, you just need to know that usually twins who looked alike basically are the same gender. But for twins with different gender, their looks will never be the same ---- this is based on a general theory. Whereas my sister and I are just freaks that are an exception to that theory.


    "��"


    Marlene and Anne exchanged looks. They didn''t understand what Rhode had said and felt a weird mixture of emotions.


    "Not sure where went wrong or there was a problem with the genetics. In other words, our birth was entirely a special case. And this didn''t bring us any benefits either. Maybe we have violated the laws of nature, so my sister was born two times weaker than normal humans. She couldn''t even leave her room. Once she contracted a disease, even the smallest of all disease could turn into something serious."


    "It sounds tough��"


    Marlene softly mumbled. Although she had never read something similar in books, according to Rhode''s explanation, she could imagine how scary things could turn out.


    "But, wasn''t your sister very pitiful? Why did Leader still hate her?"


    Anne frowned and asked. Rhode sighed after hearing her question.


    "Indeed. If it''s just like this, then I wouldn''t have hated her. But�� between us, there was an explicit connection."


    "Connection?"


    "That''s right."


    Rhode nodded.


    "To cut the long story short, she and I�� can feel each other''s physical pain. If I get hurt, she will feel it too, if she gets sick, I will also fall sick��"


    Halfway when Rhode was speaking, he pushed the window open with his right hand.


    "So at that time, I hated her. Even though she''s the bedridden one, but our parents would stop me from going out to play with friends. I would get reprimanded if I sneaked out. And even though it was her who got herself sick, I had to also rest on the bed like a patient. And this face of mine��"


    Rhode coldly laughed softly.


    "For a female, this face wouldn''t be considered inferior. But a pity, I am a man. I don''t have any interest in this face. I had enough of being treated as a cute girl or getting laughed at for looking like a woman�� To be honest, I had thoughts that ---- if it weren''t for her, then I wouldn''t be like this. If she''s not around, then I wouldn''t have to suffer too."


    Rhode''s voice sounded calm without emotions. But hearing his explanation, Marlene and Anne could feel the complicated feelings hidden deep within his tone.


    "Afterwards�� we had a huge quarrel. She could only cry and apologize to me for the hardship she''d caused for me�� After all we are still siblings, so in the end, I tried to accept everything and hoped that we could come up with a solution that could be accepted by both of us. I started to take care and spend time with her, but a pity�� her body condition was too weak. Our parents knew that she wouldn''t live more than 14 years after she was born. And indeed, her body conditions deteriorated. Her organs started to fail, and there was no way to prevent it. Eventually��"


    Rhode closed his mouth as he looked out of the window, at the leaves swaying in the wind.


    The rustling sound of wind blowing through the trees brought a gentle and calm atmosphere.


    Everything seemed so similar, just like that day.


    Bright sunlight spilled through the window. The green trees on the outside were so vivid that no one could look at them directly. But alas, just separated by a wall, lay the veil of the shadow of death. He could only lie helplessly on the bed, staring at the busy doctors and crying parents by the side, unable to offer any help. He couldn''t be like them, be by his sister''s side to accompany her. Yet, he was the one who could truly feel her pain and hopelessness.


    What an irony.


    Eventually, she left.


    And the nightmare that had been troubling Rhode finally ended.


    To Rhode, this wasn''t the ending he wished.


    He got what he wanted, but lost something more important.


    "Mr. Rhode, that girl��"


    "I know."


    Rhode interrupted Marlene without turning back.


    "She isn''t my sister even though we look the same. She is herself, and she will never replace that part of my heart. I will not treat her as a substitute. But, I admit. I wish to do something for her��"


    Rhode suddenly turned around and looked at both of them.


    "Don''t you two want to do the same?"


    Hearing Rhode''s answer, both of them nodded. Indeed, even though they didn''t have such complex backstory with the girl, just based on the little girl''s life experiences were enough for them to lend her a helping hand. Marlene let out a sigh of relief and at the same time blushed. She was worried that Rhode would treat Christie as a substitute for his sister. Although Rhode said that he hated his own sister, but after the change of attitude, Marlene could sense that Rhode cared dearly for his sister. This made her feel uncertain. If Rhode treated Christie as his sister, Marlene thought that it wouldn''t be a good thing. As a noble, Marlene had seen many unimaginable things, and even though this was his personal matters, she felt that it was right to remind him.


    But now it seemed that Rhode was more aware than she thought so she didn''t say much more.


    Of course, to say this didn''t impact him at all was a total lie. Rhode was very clear on this. Besides, both of them looked identical and Christie was also as weak as her sister. Not only that, the difference in their age would only lead both of them to have a sibling-like relationship. However, to Rhode, Christie is just Christie and not his sister. In the whole world, there will never be two identical leaves. Even if the exterior looked exactly the same, the inner would never ever be.


    If Rhode''s heart was a hostel, then his choice now was not to open his sister''s room and allow Christie to enter. Instead, he continued to seal this room and opened another door for Christie��


    Everyone is unique.


    "Alright."


    Rhode kept his thoughts and returned to his original self.


    "Both of you can go and rest now. We will prepare our battle tonight. As for Christie, leave it to Lize for now."


    Anne and Marlene nodded and returned to their rooms. Rhode went silent for a moment then slowly walked down the stairs.


    "Ah, Sir, you finally arrived."


    Just as Rhode walked down the stairs, an anxious voice sounded. Rhode lifted his head and saw Randolf standing in the middle of the hall, full of anxiousness and uncertainty.


    "What happened? Did those villagers decide to find trouble with us?"


    As he spoke, his right arm subconsciously rested on the hilt of his sword.


    "Ah, no, Sir, those villagers didn''t do anything to us."


    Noticing Rhode''s actions, Randolf quickly denied.


    "It''s like this; Miss Celia found something. Hope you can take a look."


    "Oh?"


    Rhode''s brows twitched. A while back, he had ordered Celia to search for any traces on the spawn of undead creatures. After all, it''s in the morning now, and the angel''s energy was at her peak condition to detect nearby evil beings. No matter if it''s the hell chasm, dark ritual or other sources, more or less, there would be some kind of trace. And now that it seemed that Celia had found something?


    "Bring me there."


    Rhode didn''t hesitate and ordered quickly.


    Under Randolf''s lead, Rhode reached a big pit located not far from the village. This place seemed to be a quarry. According to the guard captain that tagged along, this place had been abandoned since a long time ago.


    "Master."


    From the middle of the quarry, Celia spread her wings and flew to Rhode swiftly after noticing his arrival. She lightly bowed.


    Rhode observed the barren stones filled with overgrown fauna and asked softly, "Are there any findings?"


    "Yes, please come with me."


    Celia quickly turned around and led Rhode to where she stood from before. Afterwards, the angel stretched her right arm and pointed downwards.


    "Please look."


    "Hmm?"


    Looking at the direction of Celia''s finger, Rhode was surprised, and his expression turned gloomy all of a sudden.


    Deep within the bottom of the pit lay piles of bones and blood stains. All of them had odd shapes, from human bones to animal bones. On the surface, this looked like a non-hygienic qualified slaughterhouse. Pitch black, dried blood painted the ground like a shadow. Scattered around the bones were buzzing flies. The air was mixed with a strange odor, extremely disgusting.


    Rhode didn''t focus on those, but instead, he turned his attention on a circular ritual site in the middle of the pile of bones.


    "Summoning ritual."


    Celia said softly, with hatred and a sense of justice.


    "Master, this was an act of the devil."


    The angel maiden spoke, her voice turning cold.

 Chapter 157 Summoning Ritual

    Within the Dragon Soul Continent, the ongoing story content always revolved around the devils attempting to destroy humans. They seek to turn this beautiful world into a scary, bloody and dark world like theirs. While lurking in the darkness, they tempt humans with their deceptive words and irresistible rewards. Once they fall into temptation, the devils would immediately gain a foothold to spread destruction and despair.


    When there''s light, there will be darkness; similarly to justice and evil. Some may choose to defend the world as a protector, and some may choose to watch the world burn.


    The Summoning Ritual was a byproduct of people who wanted to watch the destruction and chaos of the world. The ritual would tear down the nine layers of space between hell and earth using spiritual energy, forming a spatial tunnel for the devils to pass through freely into the world.


    The devil''s world could support their existence was because the power of Light was dim, however, in the Dragon Soul Continent, the power of the Light Dragon Soul was abnormally strong. Thus, the devils could only control and manipulate people from afar. This was why, under the Dark Dragon''s soul, the temptation of power it offered allowed the aristocracy to lead fulfilling lives.


    To summarize everything in an unrealistic scenario, if a devil steps into the world through a Summoning Ritual, it would be akin to a newbie player who''d just finished his character creation, seeking a fulfilling adventure in an unknown world. But just before entering the tutorial village, a BOSS monster suddenly fell from the sky and crushed him, thoroughly ending his adventure. Any sane player who met such a situation would smash his keyboard in anger and complain about the balance of this game!


    That was the exact situation the devils'' faced. After several attempts, they gave up on utilizing brute force to enter the Dragon Soul Continent. Instead, they devised a plan so they could benefit from it without doing the work themselves. Soon, they found many foolish humans who appeared to be passionate about destroying the world in many various ways. Of course, in terms of techniques, they were a far cry from the devils, but with regards to passion and dedication, the humans'' willpower surpassed their expectations. This prompted the devils to change their methods of attacking. Since these stupid humans wanted to cause chaos and destruction by themselves, why not aid them while watching from the sidelines?


    Because of the shift in strategy, the Summoning Ritual that was originally used to ferry the devils across also changed in its usage. Now, the followers of the devils could send pure spirits through the tunnel. They would receive praises from their masters and receive strong buffs. It was a win-win situation for the devils as they could receive sweet tasting, pure souls and they didn''t need to risk their lives in doing so. It was certainly worthy of a celebration for them.


    And so, this very Summoning Ritual was right in front of their eyes.


    "In other words, there is a devil worshipper here?" Rhode said as he focused his attention on the ritual site.


    The bloodstains seem to be fresh which meant that someone had used it quite recently.


    "That certainly should be the case."


    Celia turned her head and stared at the village surrounded by the forest. She gripped her sword with both hands, revealing a serious expression.


    "This will not be a simple mission, Master. I suspect someone there is responsible for this."


    "Hopefully they won''t get too crazy��" Rhode replied as he turned to Celia, saying, "by the way, how''s the situation in the village?"


    "I can''t sense any malicious aura from the majority of the town. Other than some residual dark energy from the cellar area, there is nothing else."


    "Check it again." Rhode went silent for a moment, and after a while, he said, "�� Check the graveyard and the forest up north. Since there is a devil worshipper here, I don''t believe he would be untraceable. I will be in charge of checking the village again. Now, go."


    "Understood, Master."


    Hearing Rhode''s order, Celia nodded. She swiftly expanded her wings and flew into the air. When the angel maiden was finally out of sight, Rhode gestured to Randolf and the others.


    "Follow me. We have something urgent to do."


    The bustling village suddenly turned oddly quiet. Due to Rhode''s initial arrogance, the villagers had naturally treated them as unwelcomed guests. Even though this was so, they couldn''t take advantage of them. Besides, no matter what, with the presence of an angel and a mage, it didn''t take a genius to understand that Rhode''s group weren''t people to be messed with. Thus, they could only resign to their fate and curse to themselves behind locked doors.


    Rhode felt no pressure at all when faced with such treatment. He didn''t even give a damn about the villagers, especially after Christie''s incident. Although she wasn''t his biological sister, to discover a girl who looked exactly like his her getting tortured made Rhode really upset. He even felt that he was being gracious for not setting this whole village on fire.


    Hmph. Just a bunch of NPCs. Yet they think they are humans.


    -


    "This feels great."


    Joey rubbed his hands looking excited while walking behind Rhode down the empty street. He witnessed how those arrogant villagers yielded to Rhode''s might and didn''t dare to retaliate. After all, the last time he was here, he had been shooed and was even scolded by the kids. But right now, those arrogant villagers were finally put in their place, making him feel quite pleased.


    "Leader, you are totally awesome! I''ve never imagined that these bunch of trash would lower their heads and tuck their tails. Haha! It feels so oddly satisfying to see the embarrassed side of them."


    "Okay, Joey. Cut the crap."


    Randolf frowned and interrupted his comrade. He knew this friend of his had always been careless and whimsical. But no matter what, he was in front of their leader and Rhode had always been portraying a cold image which worried Randolf. He knew that Rhode was a very strict man who didn''t allow anyone to challenge his rights. Under normal circumstances, he was easy to get along with, but once angered, don''t expect him to go light.


    However, to his astonishment, he didn''t expect that Rhode would actually entertain Joey''s crap.


    "Strength and status are the prerequisite to ensure dignity. If you mercenaries can kill a few of the brainless idiots here and get others not to find trouble with you, then I guarantee you that next time, other brainless idiots will worship you like their ancestors. The prerequisite is not to allow the villagers to turn the tables. If not, everything will be over."


    "No wonder you''re the leader! Such brilliant words!"


    Hearing Rhode''s response, the thief revealed a grin. As a mercenary, he knew precisely how crucial it was to suck up to the leader. However, Rhode didn''t usually hang out with them, so now that there was a good chance, they naturally wouldn''t give it up.


    "With enough power, you receive rights. With rights, you control power. This is the same no matter where you go."


    Rhode reflected inwardly. When he passed a wooden house, he suddenly halted and stared at it for a moment. It was located near the edge of the village square which seemed nothing out of the ordinary as it was quite similar to other houses, but Rhode could sense an unnerving aura emitting from within.


    "What is that place?" asked Rhode.


    "Hmm��" Randolf lifted his head and observed the wooden house and said, "that seems like a warehouse."


    Rhode frowned and walked to the door before knocking lightly.


    No one answered.


    "Seems like there''s no one, Sir. Do you want me to��"


    Before Joey could offer to display his thief skills, Rhode punched the door with his fist. The fragile door broke instantly, and the impact echoed throughout the square. However, no villagers dared to come out to check.


    Rhode casually walked into the wooden house as if it was his own. The thief looked around the house cautiously and only relaxed after he confirmed it was safe.


    "I didn''t know our leader was so violent�� but that felt great! I''ve never tried breaking in by smashing doors before!"


    "Urgh. Just shut up!"


    Randolf held his forehead and sighed helplessly. He stared into Joey''s eyes and followed behind Rhode.


    Inside the room, large buckets littered on the ground. They were stacked neatly side by side and scent of vegetables and wine could be smelt from within. Sunlight entered from the dirty windows which brightened the whole warehouse, revealing the dust that was floating everywhere.


    There was nothing.


    Rhode slowly scoured the house but didn''t discover anything. However, the troubling sensation in his heart didn''t disappear. Instead, it grew stronger.


    A burst of rapid footsteps sounded near the entrance interrupted Rhode''s train of thoughts. He lifted his head and saw the old village chief with a bitter expression.


    "Sir Rhode, what are you doing? If you want to enter, you can just inform me��"


    The village chief grumbled while wiping his sweat. However, Rhode didn''t intend to take his grumble to heart. He gave up the virtue of ''respecting elders'' and straightforwardly pointed to the staircases which led underground.


    "That''s the cellar?"


    "Yes Sir, that''s where Christie lives��"


    Hearing the village chief''s answer, Rhode nodded and walked down the stairs.


    A chilly air blew from within.


    Even under the dim light, Rhode could still easily see the entire cellar clearly. Dry stacked walls supported the entire cellar. And in a dark corner, Rhode discovered a dirty small wooden bed. The colors of the bedsheet were already washed out, and he also found torn clothes placed nearly by the side. But judging from the wrinkles on the clothing, it was evident that the clothes were unable to dry fully.


    Other than that, there were no signs of human habitation in this cellar.


    "S-Sir, you''d better come up soon. It''s damp and cold down there�� It is harmful to your body��"


    "Randolf."


    Rhode ignored the village chief''s words. He hooked his finger and beckoned the ranger to come forward. Randolf quickly made his way towards Rhode with a curious expression.


    "Inform the rest to gather at the square tonight. We are going start soon. Make sure to rest up. " Rhode paused for a moment, and after a while, he said, "�� and, bring Christie along."

 Chapter 158 Late-night Haunting

    The last ray of sunlight disappeared below the horizon. Deep darkness enveloped the entire village.


    Usually, during this time, the villagers would have ended their daily tasks and visit the pub for leisure. Chatting, enjoying the food and alcohol to spend some time after a hard day of work. Afterwards, they would return home after getting drunk and dive straight into bed. Once the next day arrives, they would repeat that action, and that''s how they lived their days in a village.


    However, it was a pity that they can''t enjoy it today. The pub was taken over by the "evil, irritating and terrifying" mercenary group, so they didn''t have the chance to drown their weary souls in beer. Moreover, early that evening, they received an indirect threat from a mercenary that was sent by that arrogant noble, ''suggesting'' that they should stay indoors for their own safety or else they ''might'' end up as bait for the undead creatures.


    The villagers could only curse and swear behind the backs of those damn mercenaries and stay home obediently. Although some brave souls thought of challenging the curfew, they were reminded of the moaning guy lying helplessly in bed ---- If they didn''t wish to face the same consequences, then it''s better to stay out of trouble.


    And right now, the members of the Starlight Mercenary Group had already gathered at the square. They started to form a circle around a huge teepee campfire. The flames lit up the square, allowing everyone to see each other clearly. Celia quietly stood in the middle, with both hands on the sword hilt while her eyes were closed. The rest of them gathered together and carefully observed their surroundings. Although the undead creatures were troublesome beings, these people were accustomed to living this kind of dangerous life with Rhode. Besides, with the companionship of an angel, everyone felt emboldened.


    "Devil worshipper?"


    Marlene opened her eyes slightly wider, revealing some confusion.


    "Never did I expect them to appear in such a small village. That''s really odd."


    "Is it really that odd?"


    "Yes, it is. I had a few encounters with the church handling the devil worshipper during my schooling days in the magic academy. According to logic, the devil worshipper should hide in big cities because a bigger population meant that it was easier for them to escape undetected while able to cause grievous harm. To a devil, chaos, death, and demolition were what they wished for the most. A small village like this, to be honest, even if it burned down, the devils wouldn''t spare a glance at it."


    "In normal circumstances, that''s indeed correct."


    Rhode shrugged his shoulders.


    "However if there''s something that the devils wanted from here, then it''s another matter."


    "You mean��"


    Marlene slightly shocked after hearing Rhode''s reply. She immediately turned her head to the uncertain and quiet little girl sitting beside Lize.


    "She�� attracted the devil''s attention? Although this little girl has traces of devil descent, since there are countless of half devils around in this world, I doubt the devils would only pay attention to her?"


    "As for this, I''m not too sure."


    Rhode shook his head as he didn''t know much of this.


    "However today, I sensed a faint evil presence from where she lived. That presence didn''t belong to Christie. Although Celia thought that the presence was left behind by Christie unknowingly, I felt that it wasn''t the case. Besides, I have sufficient reasons to prove this point."


    After completing his sentence, Rhode opened his arms.


    "According to the intelligence we received, it isn''t odd that this village got attacked by undead creatures every night. Yet, from the description by the village chief, I realized that there must be a large number of undead creatures, which is very odd. Because, if they want to offer sacrifices to the devils, then the safest way should be through carrying it out privately. Once the matter escalates, it will attract the attention of governors easily; which is why we''re here. Moreover, if they truly wanted to offer sacrifices to the devil, they shouldn''t have created so many undead creatures. After all, there are much more benefits if they offered the spirits to the devils."


    "This indeed makes sense��"


    Marlene couldn''t help but nod in agreement. Afterwards, she curiously stole a glance at Rhode. Although she had spent a lot of time together with Rhode and had already gotten used to his vast knowledge, at this moment, Marlene felt that Rhode had reached an omniscient level. Regarding matters of the devils, even the mages and clerics with higher rankings could not be certain sometimes. But Rhode had given her an ''always-ready'' sensation as if he could immediately give you an answer no matter what you asked him.


    Of course, Marlene didn''t know that Rhode had been granted the title of ''walking library''. And to him, the Dragon Soul Continent had no secrets. The devils were no exception.


    "But if that''s the truth, why wasn''t Christie kept in captivity?"


    Marlene was doubtful.


    "And they could also send her away anytime right?"


    "There''s not enough time."


    Rhode shook his head.


    "The reason why they created so many undead creatures was to expand the hell chasm. Obviously, the devils ordered them to capture the victim alive, if not, Christie definitely wouldn''t have lived til now. As for keeping her in captivity, there is no need for that. In fact, Christie''s previous way of life was almost equivalent to being a captive. She had nowhere to escape. Rather than taking unnecessary actions and attract suspicions from others, they''re better off maintaining the current situations. Only when the chasm is open, then they would start to capture her for real."


    "What a poor child."


    After hearing Rhode''s explanation, Marlene looked over to Christie. Christie was wrapped in a thick blanket, she raised her head and stared at the starry sky. Her frail appearance made everyone want to give her a warm hug.


    "Since the devils are targeting her�� Mr. Rhode, the reason you brought her here was to bait them right?"


    "That''s right."


    Rhode simply nodded.


    "If that devil worshipper is a villager, then he knows that Christie is under my protection. Even using his ass to think, he can also guess that I wouldn''t give her up even if he said ''I will be offering this girl to the devil as a gift, please show mercy to me''. Not to mention, Christie and I look the same, anyone who sees us will definitely have this thought. So, I think he will change his mind and find trouble with me instead. Rather than leaving Christie in the pub to be captured by someone, why not keep her by my side. I don''t believe that worshipper has the patience to wait. Although this is only my guess, it''s better than it coming true."


    "I understand what you mean, Mr. Rhode."


    Marlene went silent for a moment and quickly understood Rhode''s thoughts. Afterwards, she didn''t say anything but quietly held onto her staff, waiting for the battle to begin.


    Minutes and seconds passed.


    The skies slowly turned dark. The lights within the village had started to extinguish. Soon enough, the serenity of silence became the main melody of the village. The mercenaries began to warm up to prevent any mishaps in battle. They checked their potions and polished their weapons. Even Lize had started to pray softly. It was only Anne who''d laid flat on her shield by the campfire in a deep sleep. Judging by her looks, she intended to sleep till morning.


    Rhode raised his head and gazed at the moon.


    The night sky under the Light Dragon''s Soul was always colorful. But for some reason, Rhode felt that the aura tonight was a little dull. Suddenly, a sharp, cold wind blew which caused the flames to dance. In an instant, the surrounding lights became much dimmer than before.


    "�� Ah��"


    At this moment, Christie suddenly exclaimed. Her eyes snapped wide open with shock as she shot up and looked around in confusion.


    "What''s wrong?" Marlene frowned and asked.


    The little girl''s odd behavior attracted the mercenaries'' attention.


    "�� Someone�� there''s someone�� calling for me��"


    The little girl''s eyes scanned the faraway darkness in fear and spoke softly. Her body was started to shiver, and her voice stuttered.


    "�� A voice�� a voice that I have never heard before�� it is so�� sinister�� makes me uncomfortable��"


    "Hu!"


    At this moment, Anne suddenly woke and jumped. She instantly picked up her shield and observed the surroundings.


    "Something''s here!"


    "Everyone get ready!!"


    Rhode shouted and gave a command. The mercenaries quickly got into position and picked up their weapons and potions, observing the surroundings warily. The darkness remained the same, but the air had an ill-boding chill to it. Celia also raised her sword, engulfing it with a silver-white flame. Marlene spun her staff, causing magical energy to concentrate on the tip, emitting pure and brilliant light. Lize studied the surroundings seriously. Both her hands were flowing with holy energy as she charged a spell to its maximum power.


    "I can sense it, Mr. Rhode. The evil aura is spreading. Something is coming!"


    At this moment, from the area where the light from the fire couldn''t reach, something in the darkness started to move towards them.

 Chapter 159 Midnight Battle

    The currents of the wind could be heard, becoming louder and louder.


    The whistling of the night wind suddenly grew violent. Mournful cries could be heard vaguely within. And the shabby door couldn''t stop shaking under the strong wind.


    "Activate buffs!"


    Rhode quickly gave an order. But his mercenaries gave him a confused expression when they heard the unfamiliar command. Rhode helplessly slapped his forehead and rephrased himself.


    "Use the potions. The potions! Lize, get ready. Marlene, protection!"


    Once they understood, the mercenaries skillfully retrieved a tube filled with a red, sticky substance from their belt pouches. They smeared the concoction over their weapons and gave a casual swing. It caused a similar phenomenon to the breaking of the sound barrier as their equipment immediately started immolating with a blue and magical flame. The flames twirled upward, emitting a strong aura. And at this moment, Lize raised her slowly staff, causing several empowered shields to cover the mercenaries. Marlene then gripped her staff tightly and smashed it down towards the ground. Almost immediately, mysterious runes appeared and expanded in a circular pattern quickly with Lize''s staff as its epicenter. The runes then formed a three-layered magic array with the runes on top being almost invisible to the eye.


    Rhode and Anne stood within the circle, protecting the frightened Christie. Before the battle, Rhode told the mercenaries that this battle with the undead creatures was a test for their battle abilities. As such, he would only step in when it was necessary. As for Marlene, Lize, Celia, and Shauna, each of them were responsible for the attack and defense from their respective zones. Rhode purposely chose this setup as he wanted to check out their commanding and reaction abilities.


    In fact, facing the pressure of the incoming undead, all four of them had different commanding styles.


    Shauna, who had the most experience, was the first to complete the formation. She made use of the most common tactic. Shauna made her men form two squads, one squad for defense while the other would seek an opportunity to attack. With a balance between offense and defense, she found that this was the most reliable way to destroy the enemy.


    Celia''s ''tactic'' leaned towards solo-killing. She stood in front of the team like a Goddess of War, with both hands gripping the sword. Her majestic white wings spanned out, giving an illusion of superiority and grandeur. And her battle style was distinct. She would handle the elite monsters while leaving the rest to deal with the leftovers.


    Compared to two battle-hardened veterans, Marlene''s method of fighting was entirely different. She didn''t choose to command a group nor engage in the frontlines. Marlene decided to use the conventional way of battling as a mage - adopting the position as the rear guard. This way, she could make use of the frontlines to buy her time so she could charge and unleash large area-of-effect spells upon the undead without harassment from the undead.


    Lize''s performance was the most disappointing amongst the three of them. She didn''t know how to command mercenaries efficiently, so she eventually gave a few simple commands and allowed the mercenaries to do as they deemed. Afterwards, she would join the rear to buff and provide healing. Lize wasn''t dumb. She certainly understood that her battle abilities could not be compared to the rest. Thus, she brought her men and hunkered down in the defense circle. Her simple strategy was to use Marlene and Celia as shields to protect herself and so as to allow her more time to engage in healing and defensive duties. Although she didn''t have much talent in commanding in battles, this maiden did understand her role in a battle. She acknowledged that her duties weren''t about destroying enemies, but to withdraw to the defensive zone. And as long as her side wasn''t broken through, then it''s enough. The rest could be left to Celia, Marlene and the remainder of the mercenaries to handle.


    And right now the mercenaries were oddly serious. No matter what, this was the first mission after they signed the contract. According to Rhode''s explanation, their performances would directly impact their future daily remunerations, which would explicitly affect their life within to the mercenary group. In the past, the mercenaries had never encountered contracts. Now that the pressure on them was higher, they had already secretly decided to perform well in this mission. If Rhode recognized their efforts, then it would be considered a success.


    At this moment, the undead finally appeared.


    Translucent bodies, releasing slight spirit presence, their empty eye sockets were filled with eerie darkness. The spirits floating above the ground opened their abnormally huge mouths as they charged forward while screaming. They stretched out their limbs, trying to grab everyone in front of them. Although the undead lacked basic intelligence, their hatred towards the living was enough for them to act out in subconsciousness.


    "Evil dead, return to nothingness!"


    Celia shouted and swung her long sword towards the dead soul that charged at her.


    The sword that burned with holy flames sliced into the undead''s body like a hot knife through butter. Almost immediately, the holy fire erupted and devoured its prey. It didn''t end there. The fire startled to rage as it spread apart like ignited oil. Once the flame licks another undead, it would engulf them in a ball of fire almost instantaneously. Soon, the battlefield on Celia''s side appeared to be a firestorm of holy flames. The undead that were caught in the firestorm screamed and retreated, using their frail limbs to beat their bodies in an attempt to extinguish the silver-white flames. However, Celia did not give them any chances to recuperate. She howled as she spread her wings, dashing and slicing through the horde of undead, leaving a trail of holy light in her wake.


    On the other side, Marlene''s battle was equally exciting.


    "-Aliya!"


    The maiden''s chant echoed with magical energy, causing bits of magic particles to begin coalescing on her fingertips. Beams of magic energy then shot out quickly from Marlene''s fingers like a rainstorm as it accurately pierced the undead that were clashing with the mercenaries. Before the undead could react, Marlene was already beginning to cast her next wave of spells. She caressed the gem on her staff and recited a few magical commands, causing those runes that were hidden in the ground to activate suddenly. Flame pillars shot up as high as 2 meters, burning the undead to a crisp.


    "Stay within the magical barrier, don''t move forward!"


    Marlene frowned and stopped the mercenaries who intended to charge out to attack. She forced them to return to the inner defensive zone. At the same time, she glanced at the gap to the side and frowned. In an instant, ice shards formed into a shape of a sword and flashed towards the undead like lightning who were attempting to sneak in from the side.


    On the other side, Marlene shouted loudly for her men to guard the front.


    "Beware of their hands. Be careful. Don''t force it, dummies!"


    While she was yelling commands, Marlene dodged an attack from an undead. She held onto a sword and swung horizontally. The sword sliced through the undead body easily, forcing it to scream and attempted to escape. But at this moment, the other mercenaries immediately followed up with swords of their own, piercing through its body. The undead finally gave up struggling. It twisted its body and screamed in both pain or relief as it turned into ashes.


    Everything is going well.


    Facing this battle, Rhode nodded his head with satisfaction. These mercenaries went through a certain period of training and also the battle in the Twilight Forest, so they naturally became more familiar with one another. Their teamwork seemed to be much smoother than before. Even Lize''s team defense was also sturdy as a mountain. Despite comprehending her shortcoming, she chose the most effective method that she knew to best display her combat effectiveness. She wholeheartedly committed to the defense of the mercenaries while weakening the offense of the undead. Also, with the periodic help from Marlene and Celia, there wasn''t much problem.


    Rhode observed the battle with satisfaction and nodded. He caressed Christie''s hair and scanned the surrounding darkness at the same time. Rhode confirmed that this wave of undead was only to prod their strength. If the enemies noticed something wrong, they would immediately retreat. The number of undead was limited after all.


    In his system prompt, Rhode could see lines and lines of experience appearing and disappearing in his eyes. These undead brought little EXP, just merely over tens. Frankly, though, it was better than nothing. He silently counted the amount.


    25��27��29��30�� About there!


    Indeed, just when Rhode counted to 35, the undead who were fiercely attacking stopped suddenly and quickly retreated, disappearing into the darkness in a blink of an eye.


    "��"


    All of a sudden, the fierce battle turned quiet. The mercenaries stared at each other.


    What happened?


    Why did the undead run away?


    Did they realize they have failed?


    What is going on?


    "Get ready, trouble''s here!"


    Rhode reminded his bewildered mercenaries to stay alert, but before they could react, a scream sounded.

 Chapter 160 One Choice

    "Ah----!!!"


    A sudden, shrill scream caused the mercenaries to panic slightly. They quickly turned their heads to glance at each other, trying to find the poor soul that met their demise. But a while a while, to their surprise, the mercenaries found out that none of them were missing.


    So then, where did that scream came from?


    They started to scan their surroundings cautiously. Rhode frowned and turned his attention to the nearby little residences of the villagers.


    It served as a reminder to them that there were other people around. The village which had fallen into darkness and silence previously, suddenly awoke. Under the chilly night, a mixture of painful screams, high pitch screams, angry growls and sharp sorrows could be heard vaguely. This confused the mercenaries even more. They looked towards Rhode, hesitant of their next course of action. At this moment, even idiots would recognize that the undead were targeting the villagers now.


    What should we do?


    Rhode only stood in the center of the defensive zone and observed the surrounding village; his stoic expression revealed that he didn''t actually care about what was happening to the villagers.


    "Sir, those people��"


    After a brief moment of silence, Randolf finally couldn''t take it anymore and spoke. But before he could complete his sentence, Rhode gestured with his hand to interrupt him.


    "I know. Let them be."


    "Let them be?"


    "The undead''s target isn''t the village, don''t be fooled. And don''t forget our mission��"


    "Our mission is to take them down. Don''t get tricked by them."


    "But, those villagers��"


    Shauna also said with hesitation.


    "No matter what, the villagers are still outsiders. I don''t wish my men to return as lifeless zombies. Compared to all of you, it''s much easier for me to cut those guys up into pieces."


    Rhode''s casual answer left all the mercenaries stunned. Their jaws hanged loose, thinking how odd can their mercenary group leader''s attitude be. Of course, most of the people here were veterans. Thus, they were able to understand Rhode''s meaning. The undead''s ''strategy'' was clear. After they realized that they couldn''t break through the mercenaries'' defense, they decided to divert their attention to force the mercenaries to scatter their defense. And once the mercenaries scattered, they would be easier to be dealt with. If Rhode sent some of his men to check on the situation, maybe the undead already prepared to ambush them. If so, it would be a huge loss for Rhode''s team.


    On the other hand, if Rhode used his elites to help the villagers, then his current defensive position would be compromised. In other words, no matter the choice, there is a high chance of falling into the enemies'' trap. This tactic was commonly used by bandits, especially when mercenaries were required to escort merchants through dangerous routes. If the bandits weren''t able to penetrate their defenses, then they would use more underhanded means such as holding family members captive to force the mercenaries apart. Once the defensive line broke, they would charge in and eliminate the weaker members.


    Rhode was 80 to 90% sure that his enemies were coming for Christie. The little girl was too weak for them to escape while fighting against the undead. Celia and Rhode were the strongest members of the group, and if he went into battle himself, he couldn''t oversee the entire operation. In the case of an emergency, he did not have enough trust in the other three maidens to command the mercenaries individually. However��


    "Master, I''ll go check it out."


    Celia turned around and reported softly to Rhode.


    "You don''t have to worry about me��"


    "��"


    After hearing Celia''s request, Rhode went silent for a moment. Afterwards, he tapped on Anne''s shoulder, indicating that he wanted her to protect Christie. He walked out from the circle to Celia''s side and drew his sword from his waist area.


    Rhode''s expression turned solemn and said, "You have five minutes." Then, he spoke softly, "If you''re not back after five minutes, I will summon you back by force."


    "Yes, Master."


    Celia answered softly and hurriedly spread her wings, flew into the night skies.


    "Mr. Rhode."


    Looking at the angel maiden who flew away, Marlene was a little uncertain.


    "Will Miss Celia be okay by herself? What if there''s big trouble��"


    "I only sent her to check on the situation. Not for her to resolve the issue."


    "But��" Lize said timidly.


    "Our mission is to protect the village��"


    "No, Lize."


    Rhode shook his head gently.


    "Our mission is to get rid of the undead creatures. Don''t be mistaken. Our duties do not cover the protection of the village. Strictly speaking, their lives and deaths got nothing to do with me, and whether I will rescue them or not, will depend on my mood. But a pity, until now, my mood isn''t too good."


    "What he means is that those baddies in this village aren''t worth to be protected."


    Anne grumbled while swinging her little fist around.


    "Anyway even if we rescue them, they would turn around to blame us. After all, these people don''t understand what gratitude is, so they''re better off dead!"


    "Alright, this isn''t the problem that all of you should be concerned about."


    As if detected something, Rhode readied his hand and a crimson blade slashed a bright light in the air.


    "We have company, again."


    "��"


    Along with Rhode''s words, deep growls sounded within the darkness. Dozens of dark figures stood up on the roof of houses surrounding the square. Wrinkled skin, lifeless eyes, holding onto broken weapons, some bones could be seen in the rotting bodies, releasing a putrid smell.


    "Everyone, get ready to carry out our second strategy."


    Rhode raised his sword and commanded.


    And at this moment, accompanied by the monstrous-like growls, the ghouls jumped right toward them.


    ---


    Celia spread her majestic wings and flew in the night skies. Borrowing the brilliance of her aura, she quickly spotted the source of chaos. In front of a little house, many villagers collapsed in a pool of blood, and beside them were shivering militias gripping on the flame torches as if it was their last lifeline.


    "What happened?"


    The angel maiden landed gracefully and questioned.


    "Those damned undead!! They attacked Beck and even captured their son!"


    One of the militia waved his flaming torch angrily. Because angels were highly regarded, he didn''t reprimand her directly he still displayed a strong sense of unhappiness in his voice and expression.


    "What are those mercenaries doing, aren''t they here to protect us?"


    "That''s right, that''s right. So what in the world is going on!"


    "My son, my son��!!!"


    Many cries of terror and uncertainty flooded the village.


    Facing the chaotic situation, Celia didn''t comment much. She scanned the surroundings briefly, and as if sensed something, she began to frown slightly.


    "Immediately run. Now. Hurry up."


    Celia quickly gave an order to the mass.


    "Why do we need to listen to you? We are going to find that child because he''s definitely alive! Not sure what those damn undead will do to them. If we don''t go��"


    Before the militia finished his sentence, at this moment, Celia opened her eyes wide and swung her sword forward with her right hand. The overflowing holy flames started erupting in all directions, with Celia as the core. This sudden change shocked all the villagers that they screamed and raised their hands in the air, attempted to defend themselves from the holy flames.


    But the silver flames didn''t cause them any harm. Instead, the fire felt like a gentle wind blowing past their bodies. And at the same time, the undead spirit hidden in the darkness screamed and revealed their original identity. It quickly flew away to avoid the silver flame, and at the same time, it growled angrily.


    "��"


    Celia stared coldly into the undead in front of her. The villagers were also stunned and stared at the undead that unknowingly appeared beside them. Their mind went blank, not knowing what to do.


    "Ah�� ah�� ah��"


    And at this moment, a deep and sinister voice sounded.


    "I''ve already locked on the position of my prey�� but to my surprise�� an angel? This is a big harvest. Your soul must be so beautiful. My master will definitely reward me hugely!"


    "�� So you are the depraved devil worshipper?"


    Celia raised her sword and retracted her wings. She observed the surroundings attentively, but the voice suddenly laughed, as if he felt that was a stupid question.


    "I am not depraved, Miss Angel. You angels will never understand humans�� but this isn''t weird. We humans have our thinking and goals�� I don''t treat this as ''depraved''�� "


    "Maybe I should put it this way. This is my battle for hope. For this, I don''t mind using my soul as a transaction just for the person who is more important than my own soul. I think, Miss Angel, you wouldn''t understand my thinking."


    "�� I don''t intend to understand."


    Celia replied coldly.


    "Besides, under the brilliance of the dragon soul, no matter what ambitions you or your master have; eventually everything will turn to nothingness ---- because those are things that aren''t supposed to be in this world."


    "Well said. But it has got nothing on me."


    The voice paused, before continuing with a sarcastic tone.


    "But since you''re here, then we can just cut the chatter�� I have my job to do. As for these children�� they will properly serve you, so you''d better not leave okay Miss Angel. If not, today will be the end for these innocent people ---- So then, how many of these people can you save?"

 Chapter 161 A Gamble

    "Idiot."


    Rhode sneered after listening to the devil worshipper.


    As a summoner, as long as Rhode was willing, he could feel, see and hear whatever his summoned spirits sensed. Naturally, the things that Celia heard were heard by him as well. Regarding the devil worshipper''s arrogance, Rhode did not have much time and interest to comment, but he understood what it was thinking. Under normal circumstances, the devil''s worshipper method would be considered effective, but it was too bad he was facing Rhode. Celia then received a command to ''maintain and delay it'' and Rhode returned to focus on the problem in his area.


    The ghouls had physical bodies; this frightened the mercenaries in the beginning. Their solid body was impervious to any direct attack, and the rotting, rancid appearance was obviously much more disturbing than the translucent undead. Initially, this caused the mercenaries to hesitate slightly and suffer some injuries, however luckily Marlene and Lize used magic in time to turn the tide.


    "Hee-ahhh!"


    Shauna shouted and parried the attack from the Ghoul. The rusty sword appeared weak and brittle but the power that came with it caused the red-haired mercenary to struggle a little. She cursed under her breath and quickly retreated backward. At the same time, she twisted the rusty sword and swept it off from her. Before the ghoul could react, she managed to cut into the ghoul. Her sharp sword left a deep gash on the chest of the ghoul. Disgusting, dark green, fluid gushed out from within, emitting a pungent smell. If this was a human, they would be long dead. However, wound like this to a corpse that had already died was meaningless. The ghoul merely slowed down in its movement by the attack, but the burning flames from the sword blade managed to stop it from moving. Suddenly, a flaming dagger flew from the side and pierced the ghoul''s brain easily. The flames suddenly turned violent, and in a blink of an eye, the whole of Ghoul''s head turned into a huge fireball. The ghoul finally dropped its weapon, took a couple of steps forward and collapsed on the ground.


    Shauna let out a long sigh of relief. She glanced at Joey by the side. The thief cheekily gave a thumbs up to the red-haired mercenary.


    "Thanks for that."


    "You''re welcome."


    Joey smiled. Then he drew out two more daggers and turned back to the front.


    "I didn''t think that these guys would be so weak. I used to think they''re pretty strong."


    "They''re indeed pretty strong."


    Shauna looked down at the potion pocketed at her waist. She was different from the newbies like Joey, Shauna had once led her men to battle undead creatures, so she knew how strong they were. Just like the sword attack from before, if it happened previously, it wouldn''t be of any use. The reason why they could damage the undead was because of the effects of the potion. If it''s not for these mysterious and odd concoctions, the situation probably wouldn''t be this relaxing.


    However��


    "We are still far from Leader and the rest."


    Shauna raised her head and looked at Rhode.


    Different from the mercenaries who required boosts from potions, Rhode didn''t use any potions to boost flames on his weapon. But this doesn''t mean he couldn''t eliminate the undead creatures. In fact, after Rhode entered the battlegrounds, the undead creatures immediately started to retreat and fall apart in front of his eyes. As Shauna raised her head and looked towards Rhode, she saw him raising his sword and slashing downwards.


    Although his sword didn''t touch his enemies, the ghouls were constantly crushed by a gigantic hammer that fell from the skies. In an instant, they turned into a pile of mashed meat. Even those undead creatures in the rear faced the same impact. The powerful impact caused the ground to splinter and crack. The shockwave swept the slower moving undead creatures and threw high up in the air. When they landed on the ground, the already damaged corpse smashed into pieces, scattering their body parts around.


    You could say that Rhode alone covered more than half of the efforts placed by the whole defensive line. The mercenaries that followed behind had nothing to do. But they didn''t dare to slack off because Rhode issued them a command to assist in defending Lize and Shauna, in order to make sure they were fine.


    As for Marlene''s side��


    A deafening roar resounded.


    The dazzling light twitching on Marlene''s right index finger smashed the into darkness suddenly. An afterimage connected the ghouls'' bodies, just like an electric snake that slithered amongst the undead creatures. Afterwards, the ''electric snake'' erupted, sweeping the undead creatures off their feet. They flew up into the sky, their scattered limbs and bodies carried sparks as they fell to the ground. From a distance, it appeared like a meteor shower.


    Those mercenaries who stood in front of Marlene turned pale. They looked at one another and subconsciously moved backward ---- right now they weren''t sure to stay closer or away from the maiden behind her.


    Seemed like she''s doing fine.


    Rhode nodded his head and looked into the middle of the defense circle. He saw Anne with her shield raised as she guarded Christie. Anne kept her guard up and observed the surroundings, just in case the enemies ambush them.


    Everything is going as planned.


    After scanning through the whole defense circle, Rhode revealed an icy cold smile towards the darkness in front of his eyes.


    Summoning undead monsters wasn''t an easy job. No matter if it were the ghouls or normal undead, if there was a necromancer, then Rhode wouldn''t have used this method to destroy the undead army. After all, the necromancer''s powers belonged to themselves. As long as the necromancer wished, then he could create any amount as he pleased.


    But the devil worshipper was different. To put it simply, they were just ''errand boys'' for the devils.They gain favor from their masters when they do their deeds for them. The undead creatures were the same. The devil worshipper had to place the spirit and corpse on the summoning ritual. Then, through a ritual, they had to "request" the devil to help turn these corpses into undead monsters. If the devil was in a good mood, everything would be fine. But if the devil was in a bad mood, rejecting their worshipper''s suggestion was a small matter. If they liked, the devil might even turn the devil worshipers themselves into undead monsters on a whim.


    That was why Rhode wasn''t a bit worried that the devil worshipper wouldn''t appear. If he wasn''t mistaken, the devil worshipper would use the powers of the undead monsters to expand the hell chasm and send Christie straight to hell. This means that the more undead monsters he loses, the harder for him to reach his goal. Now, the devil worshipper lost more than 50% of its forces while Rhode did have any casualty. Rhode suspected that the devil worshipper would explode in rage once he finds out that he lost so much without gaining anything at all.


    Rhode guessed it right.


    "Damn it! Damn it all!"


    At this moment, a shadow hidden at the corner started to curse and swear. He looked at Rhode in front of him with abnormal rage in his eyes.


    Just as Rhode had predicted, this worshipper was already thoroughly enraged.


    He couldn''t be blamed for such reactions. Afterall, everything that happened was out of his expectations.


    Frankly speaking, when Rhode brought his mercenaries to this village, he didn''t give a damn about these children. As a devout devil worshipper, he would naturally give priority to the execution of his master''s commands. Thus, even though his blatant actions attracted the attention of the humans, to him, it wasn''t considered a bad thing. Rather, he felt that these innocent mercenaries came at the right time to fill his void. If he could kill all of them, all of his monsters would rise up in power and he would complete his objective at the same time.


    But Rhode''s performance was out of his expectations. Not only did he bring an angel, but he also brought his master''s target. This made him very nervous. And he could clearly see the similarities between Rhode and the girl which made him very doubtful if Rhode and the girl had no relations.


    Even so, his master''s errand must still be achieved no matter what. That was why he chose to continue attacking even though it costs him his monsters. At the same time, he deliberately diverged his forces to attack the villagers with the aim to weaken Rhode''s forces.


    Of course, he understood that these mercenaries were strong. Destroying them required a lot of effort. But the higher the risk, the sweeter the rewards. Everyone knew this logic.


    Initially, he intended to merely observe the situation. But Rhode sent out Celia, which forced him to take his chances --- The angel''s spirit and body was considered one of the best offerings. If he could kill this angel and offer her to his master, then sacrificing all his undead monsters would be worth it. If he succeeded, he could even be his master''s number favorite and receive an enormous reward.


    When he thought about this, he finally gave in to temptation.


    But it seemed that the situation wasn''t as perfect as he thought��

 Chapter 162 Forced to the Corner

    Since the beginning of the battle, the devil worshipper believed that the situation would develop just as he anticipated. The angel would be surrounded; the mercenaries would split up their force. According to his plans, Rhode would have to step in to either help his men or the angel.


    The angel, despite her not being a high-ranked among angels, to the common men, she was recognized as a divine being. He didn''t believe that the human noble would leave the angel to die alone; not to mention that she was a beauty as well.


    Thus, the devil worshipper attempted to split Rhode and the angel when he situated his undead in two different ambush areas.


    Indeed, Celia''s situation wasn''t very rosy. Despite having a natural resistance against the undead, ultimately, she only possessed two arms. The hordes of undead were relentless in their numbers as they carried out their master''s command to assault the helpless militias. This forced Celia to constantly dart from one place to another to defend the villagers. At first, the situation was still manageable, but after some time, she gradually started to pant as she used up her stamina. If this continued, then Celia would unquestionably fall into his hands.


    Rhode''s movements also gave him a headache. He couldn''t figure out what Rhode was thinking. The mercenaries on Rhode''s side were calm as they pushed back his ghouls. By now, the devil worshipper had no choice but to acknowledge the prowess of the mercenaries. This kind of quality backup from Klautz was unexpected as he thought that his actions would only cause Klautz to send a small team to investigate. But now, it obviously doesn''t seem like this was the case.


    Another thing that made him confused was why did Rhode not help the angel? Does he even care about the angel at all? Or is this all part of his plan?


    The devil worshipper just couldn''t make heads or tails of this situation, but he had no choice but to adapt to it. Rhode''s mercenaries were really beyond his expectations, especially that mage that conjured lightning from her fingertips. Even from a distance, he could feel goosebumps on his skin when the lightning snake arced across the night sky. He imagined that even if Rhode went over to help the angel, the destructive power Marlene possessed could be enough to hold the lines.


    Of course, he knew that once a mage runs out of energy, she would be a dead weight. But that means that his undead monsters had to last long enough for her to exhaust her strength. However, that was the crux of his problem - he simply didn''t have enough undead to fight a prolonged battle!


    He couldn''t wait any longer!


    When he finished deliberating, he gritted his teeth together. The devil worshipper wasn''t as confident as before, but he hoped that he could still win.


    At least��


    At least if he could capture or kill the angel, there will still be hope!


    He quickly turned his attention towards the angel who was protecting the villagers and revealed an evil smile.


    So be it, that''s my target. Let''s end it here!


    He stretched his hand out from his black robe and gestured in the air. Soon, a maroon symbol appeared as it floated in the air and immediately disappeared the next moment.


    His undead count suddenly increased.


    Celia swung her sword and once again, splitting the undead into half. She frowned and retreated back to the militias. Although the militia fought bravely against the undead, their weapons couldn''t fatally damage the undead because they did not have the potion. The undead that were injured by the mercenaries regained their confidence as they disregarded the militia''s weapons and merely phase through them. They extended their claws and pierced into the militia''s bodies, causing icy cold energy to spread rapidly within and extinguish their flame of life.


    In an instant, three militia''s turned into corpses and the remaining five finally gave up on trying to attack the undead. Instead, they began to hide behind the angel obediently. The militias weren''t trained to fight undead as they only hunted wild wolves and boars. Now that three of their comrades fell so quickly in front of them, their courage hit rock bottom. It can be said that they were already lucky that they didn''t faint on the spot.


    Celia felt her pressure gradually increase.


    She swung her sword and got rid of the undead by her side. But these undead began to become more cunning. They started to target the militias instead of her, forcing the angel to shift positions rapidly.


    "Hyah!"


    Another undead retreated as it dodged the brilliant holy light. Celia didn''t intend to let it escape her. She dashed forward, with her sword ignited in holy fire as she lunged towards the undead. Silver flames erupted from the sword, piercing accurately through the undead that were in her path. They screamed as they perished while turning into dust that floated into nothingness.


    "Hu�� hu��"


    Celia stabbed her sword into the ground as she took deep breaths. Then she retreated two steps and raised her sword again to indicate her battle readiness. She was reaching her limit, and she knew that she wouldn''t be able to last much longer. The waves of undead seemed to be neverending. Thinking of this, Celia frowned but didn''t say anything.


    "Hey, hey, what are you doing. Quickly kill them!"


    Those militias immediately panicked after Celia stopped attacking.


    "If you don''t kill them, we will be dead. Hurry, don''t just stand there. We beg you, Miss Angel. Save us. We don''t want to die here��"


    Hearing the screams of the militia, Celia took a deep breath, but she didn''t say anything. Instead, at this moment, the evil voice once again echoed.


    "Heh heh heh. I''m sorry, but this time all of you will die here�� Give up, my cute little prey��"


    Accompanied by an evil laughter, a chilling wind started to blow once again. The undead that seemed to be scattered around began to diverge towards Celia.


    "Hmph!"


    The silver-white flames formed a defensive shield in front of Celia. When the angel raised her sword, suddenly, a long, pitch black claw extended from within the horde of undead. It shattered the shield instantly and smashed on the angel maiden''s chest!


    In an instant, cold and evil energy spread all the way from that arm right into Celia''s body. The angel maiden gave a painful scream and flew backward from the impact. Her white feathers scattered in the skies.


    "Heh heh heh��"


    Afterwards, a man draped in a black robe walked out from the horde. He let out evil and sinister laughter and raised his head to look to the front.


    "Beautiful angel, it seems like I got you finally��"


    He didn''t finish his sentence.


    Because at this moment, Celia suddenly disappeared from his sight.


    What?! What happened?


    The man in black robe yelled in anger and quickly scanned his surroundings. Not a hint of the angel could be seen.


    What happened?


    Did she escape?


    How was it possible?


    "������!!!"


    As the man in the black robe was flustering, suddenly, horrified cries from the ghouls could be heard through telepathy. When he turned around, the scene in front of him shocked him.


    In the skies just above the square, the angel spread her magnificent wings. She raised her long sword and tilted her body downwards, with silver-white fire lingering on her sword.


    And what is happening now?!!


    This absurdity stunned the man in the black robe. He stared blankly at the square while he heard the screams of his ghouls, not knowing how to react.


    How was this possible?


    Why did that heavily injured angel suddenly appeared there?


    How did she appear there?


    Just what in the world is happening now?


    The man''s brain flooded with questions, but he couldn''t find the time for the answers. Instead, he could only grit his teeth and boil in rage.


    He knew that he had no choice left. He had used his ace card.


    Is this how it ends?


    Thinking of this, the fires of anger within him flared, but what came afterward was fear and uncertainty.


    If I fail�� And if master knows that I fail�� then he will��


    "Go to hell!"


    He turned around and glared at the remaining militias. Soon enough, they were surrounded by the undead. They collapsed and died after a few pathetic screams. And after temporarily venting his anger, the man in black robe took a deep breath to regain his composure. Then he raised his hand and pointed to the front.


    "Master''s great emissary, I need your help now! Go, destroy those enemies that are trying to hinder Master. Bring back a glorious victory�� in the name of hell, I command you to attack!"


    Suddenly, the surrounding darkness started to crack. A huge humanoid creature slowly emerged from the crack. Then it opened its mouth and let out an ear-piercing screech as it flew towards the square.

 Chapter 163 Shadow Devil

    "��!!!"


    Christie started breathing intensely.


    Her chest tightened as she held on tightly to her cloak, but she still could not withstand the dark energy that emitted from the crack. It wasn''t just the mere ''chill'' air from the cellar; instead, it was a bone-chilling sensation. Even though the massive gold shield blocked her vision in front of her, but Christie seemed to notice the shadow of death stretching for her. The inaudible scream in her ear became louder and louder; obviously, it carried a grudge and evil intents towards the girl.


    Her body started to shiver uncontrollably. She unconsciously took a few steps back until Anne held her down by her shoulder. Christie lifted her head with uncertainty in her eyes. On Anna''s face, she could only notice her cheeky smile and beautiful eyes.


    "Don''t worry, with Leader around, everything will be okay. These things can''t be compared to what Leader can achieve."


    Anne grinned and rustled Christie''s hair.


    And at this moment, a 3-meter tall shadow arrived at the square.


    "It''s the Shadow Devil! Everyone spread out! Lize, Marlene, grab its attention! The rest, take care of the ghouls and undead! Don''t forget your potions!"


    When he noticed the Shadow Devil, Rhode''s expression turned grim, but he still immediately gave out commands without delay. The mercenaries quickly scattered and used their potions. After a while, a light wind barrier appeared by their side. Lize recast the holy shield on the mercenaries, forming a gentle light.


    As for Marlene, she quickly changed her position. She waved her staff, forming a ripple in the air. Afterwards, the ripple gradually solidified in the air and condensed into a magic shield. Marlene yelled loudly, causing the runes on the ground to once again erupt with fire.


    But contrary to Marlene''s expectations, the Shadow Devil didn''t retreat like the undead when faced with her spells. Instead, it stood up straight and extended it''s right hand, smashing downwards.


    The Shadow Devil''s pitch black long claws suddenly extended outwards, passing through the fire pillars, lashing towards Marlene.


    If it were the ''newbie'' Marlene who had entered the mercenary group recently, she would have obediently stared at death in her face. Thankfully, after the long hours of training, she was no longer the newbie that would be frightened when an attack came close. The maiden dodged the claws as it smashed the ground, leaving a deep crater.


    "Don''t use fire elemental spells; this thing is immune to fire!"


    Rhode told Marlene as he dashed to her front and guarded. Although he still maintained his calm expression, the appearance of the Shadow Devil caused Rhode to be slightly startled.


    The Shadow Devil isn''t comparable to those lowly undead. They were born on the second floor of hell, and belonged to the emissary of the devil. These Shadow Devils were extremely strong on the earth''s surface even though they weren''t so in hell. Since they were borne through the flames of hell, naturally, their fire resistance would be abnormally high.


    "Use water elemental spells. Create some distance between it. It has troublesome claws that can extend. Don''t fight it head-on."


    "Yes! Mr. Rhode!"


    After hearing Rhode''s warning, Marlene nodded her head and took two steps back. To a mage, keeping a distance with the enemy was something fundamental. Right now, she knew that her distance between the Shadow Devil and her wasn''t sufficient.


    "Celia!"


    After informing Marlene, Rhode immediately raised his sword and pointed forward. The angel maiden quickly spread her wings and spun into a dazzling meteor, striking towards its target.


    "Damn it! What the hell?!"


    The man in the black robe was furious.


    He had made enough mistakes tonight.


    Since the start, all of his plans were foiled one by one. Rhode''s mercenaries kept outperforming his expectations. And when he thought that he had enough power, the battle angel evaded his fatal attack using some abnormal movement skill. No matter what, he assumed that to dodge his attack, the angel must have used up a great deal of energy. While he didn''t know how she could escape, at least the damage that he dealt wasn''t in vain.


    Dreams are beautiful, yet reality is cruel. The harsh reality was like a slap to his face. Celia''s valorous figure spun into a whirlwind and smashed into him once�� twice�� trice��


    The black robed man had an intense desire to look up into the sky and scream ''HEAVENS, THIS IS UNFAIR!''. He did not know whether to laugh or cry. O Holy Spirits, you must be freaking kidding me!!


    From a certain perspective, he was actually right.


    Previously, Celia was indeed fatally injured by the Shadow Devil''s claw attack. But Rhode, who always maintained contact with Celia, merely unsummoned her and re-summoned��


    Despite being life forms, summoned spirits were different from contract spirits. The latter lived on other planes of life. A mage''s contract spell would only open a passageway and drag out the contract spirit to help them in battle. But summoned spirits were entirely different. Fundamentally, a summoned spirit was just a card. Let''s take Celia as an example. Her defense is 7, so if a monster with an attacking power of 8 were to hit her, then according to the system, Celia''s defense would reduce to -1. This will force her to return to her card form, and she would be injured. However, if the enemy were to attack with a power of 7 or below, as long as Celia''s defense point doesn''t dip into the negatives, Rhode could just simply withdraw her and re-summon her again, returning her to her original stats.


    That Shadow Devil incident was the same. Celia wasn''t instantly killed, so when she was re-summoned, she didn''t need time to recover from her injuries. Thus, the angel maiden was full of vigor again as she attacked mercilessly.


    The poor black-robed man didn''t know this, unfortunately. He could only cry when he saw the graceful figure soar through the night skies wholly unharmed. He knew that he already lost; badly, in fact. From the start, he was like a gambler who stepped into an unknown ring. He had already lost his money, but he didn''t want to give up. Still, it was a pity that he already lost his rights to regret. All he could do was to clench his teeth and go all-out.


    "Damn it, damn it!!"


    The black robed man growled loudly. He knew that its over. Even if he withdrew all his undead creatures, it would be impossible to recuperate his losses. The Shadow Devil was a reward that he received after serving his devil master for 20 years. He could only summon it once. If it was not for the temptation of capturing an angel, he would not have summoned it at all.


    "No�� it''s not over��"


    His whole body shook in fear just by imagining how his devil master was going to punish him after delivering this news. He was a cornered rat. Since that was the case��


    Thinking of this, he lifted his head and looked at the girl who was protected by Anne in the square from far away.


    "Christie�� Come, to my side!"


    The man yelled fiercely. Afterwards, he stretched out both of his hands and conjured two dark-colored flames in his palms. In a blink of an eye, the flames suddenly grew and engulfed him until not even his body could be seen.


    Meanwhile, the situation didn''t change much even after the Shadow Devil appeared.


    As Celia claimed aerial superiority in the night sky, the perfect conditioned angel kept the Shadow Devil at bay. It howled at the figure flying in front of him angrily and attempted to swat her away by swinging his arms. This time, Celia was well prepared. She calmly flapped her wings and dodged the attack. The moment when the Shadow Devil missed its attack, the echo of wind followed by dozens of icy cold swords flew towards it. The Shadow Devil howled and extended its arms to the front. Instantly, a mist-like shadow erupted from his hands and the icy swords melted to nothingness.


    Although Marlene''s attack didn''t damage the Shadow Devil, it succeeded in slowing its movements. And at this moment, Lize attacked.

 Chapter 164 Finally Ended

    After the battle in Twilight Forest, Lize had a deeper understanding of her control in spiritual energy. Also with Marlene''s guidance, she could finally manipulate spirit energy to attack��


    Undoubtedly, as a support type Cleric, her attack skills were quite limited. Therefore, her attack skills aren''t meant to deal much damage. This was something inevitable. After all, the cleric class isn''t known for its attacking power.


    If they can''t forge a sharp blade with good steel, then what''s the point? Clerics just simply weren''t similar to mages who could conjure dozens of wind blades. If the significance of the attack didn''t matter, it would be better if they did not attempt to attack at all, lest they injure themselves in the process.


    As Marlene harassed the Shadow Devil, Lize found an opportunity to finish casting her skills. Eventually, she lifted her slowly hands and held them in front of her.


    The holy barrier surrounding the mercenaries started to withdraw from the mercenaries; a brilliant light congealed on her palms in front of her. Then, a bright golden beam shot out from Lize''s palm, landing directly onto the Shadow Devil. The Shadow Devil who was being harassed by Marlene couldn''t react fast enough to defend itself against Lize''s attack. It could only stare at the beam and await its fate, hoping that its defense would withstand the beam.


    But it is a pity; it was a wish that meant to be broken.


    The shadowy mist which was able to devour the icy swords couldn''t handle the beam. Perhaps the water element and the dark element was like using a tangible object to resist an intangible one, causing it to be ineffective. But the beam of light was the eternal natural enemy of darkness. Thus, the result was obvious.


    The Shadow Devil could only watch as the beam pierced through the shadow mist, utterly shattering the mist to bits, followed by its shoulder. After the initial blast, accompanied by a burning sensation, the hole in the Shadow Devil''s right shoulder immediately melted. Since it was a creature formed by darkness, with a mixture of a corporeal body and an immaterial form, Lize''s beam of light made it suffer so severely that it howled in rage. It quickly raised its head and focused its attention on the woman that was emitting unbearable holiness from head to toe.


    KILL! KILL HER!


    Pain and hatred overwhelmed the Shadow Devil''s senses and made itself forget its most threatening enemy.


    Celia didn''t give up this chance.


    The moment the Shadow Devil diverted its attention, Celia immediately stopped her probing attacks and struck with all her might with her sword. Before the Shadow Devil could react, the silver-white flames on the sword had already sliced right through its body, leaving a deep and dark gash. The Shadow Devil slanted to the side and instinctively attempted to swat this irritating glittering bug away. But out of its expectations, Celia didn''t bother dodging. Instead, in the face of its enormous claw, Celia tilted her sword and swept forward!


    The silver-white sword drew a perfect and elegant arc.


    The angel maiden spun her body around and beat her wings as she circled the Shadow Devil to dodge the claw. And the next moment, her sword slashed through the Shadow Devil''s wrist without any restriction. It wasn''t long before the wrist separated from its arm, disappearing into nothingness.


    Done deal��


    Rhode turned his attention away from the Shadow Devil, not bothering about it anymore since he had already informed Lize on the Shadow Devil''s weakness and attacking style. Moreover, Marlene and Celia seemed to be collaborating well together. If a Shadow Devil with full HP was considered a threat, then right now, with a hole in the shoulder and a missing hand, the threat lessened a great deal. As long as the three of them don''t put their guard down, taking it down wouldn''t be any issue.


    And the surrounding mercenaries didn''t seem to have any problems. Even though some received injuries after losing the holy barrier, but currently no one was in critical condition. Despite fighting the most challenging battle yet, it wasn''t an impossible feat as they would just hang on till the end.


    As for that guy��


    Rhode''s right hand rested on the hilt of his sword by his waist. He narrowed his eyes and focused on the battle. The battleground was in a mess but he didn''t let his guard down. The Shadow Devil and the surrounding undead monsters weren''t posing any significant threat any longer. Now, the most prominent problem lies with the man behind the curtain. Since the start of the battle, Rhode treated this man as an ordinary devil worshipper. But right now, his opinion changed. This man''s danger level increased by two levels in his heart. A devil worshipper who could control a Shadow Devil was considered to be trusted by the Devil. After all, not all Devils would be so generous to send their own kind to the surface.


    And since he could receive a Shadow Devil, maybe the Devil had bestowed him other abilities.


    Not to mention, Rhode didn''t neglect his goal. The core of this battle wasn''t to destroy the undead creatures nor to defeat the Shadow Devil, but it was to protect Christie. And up until now, the undead monsters and the Shadow Devil were almost finished. Since Rhode had yet to weed out the mastermind, it could suggest he already lost all hope. But the thing that worried Rhode the most now was if he would use extreme measures since he had nothing to lose anymore. In the past, Rhode had met countless of monsters who were forced into a corner; they ended up transforming three times.


    The shadow shook.


    "Anne, protect Christie! Beware of the shadow!"


    Rhode commanded while extending his right hand. Suddenly, a pitch black card spun and appeared on his palm. Rhode gripped and turned the card over and it immediately vanished into thin air.


    "Shadow?!"


    Anne was startled. In front of her were distorted shadows, nothing out of the ordinary. But at this moment, Anne finally displayed her acute battle sense. She quickly raised her steel shield and revealed the little girl under the bright flames. Under the flames, the shadows retreated like the tide. Afterwards, Anne turned around and saw a pair of huge hands burning with black flames, coming for her face.


    "Heyah!"


    Anne yelled and raised her shield. A pair of burning hands smashed into the shield and released a deep impact. The man in black robe emerged from within and rebounded backward, whereas Anne''s body didn''t even budge. After blocking the ambush, she immediately rotated her shield, and in a blink of an eye, sharp teeth from within the shield, shot out.


    Before the man could do anything, dozens of tentacles suddenly appeared beneath and instantly bind him up tightly.


    This sudden ambush panicked the man. He retaliated by twisting his body in an attempt to free himself. However, soon enough, the man realized that it was a meaningless struggle. At the same time, Rhode appeared in front of him with a smile. A crimson colored sword in his hand shone under the flames.


    "It''s over."


    Rhode stared at the man in the black robe and spoke coldly.


    And at this moment, as if answering his sentence, the Shadow Devil let out a miserable howl. Under the attacks of the holy duo, it vanished into nothingness.


    Hearing his Shadow Devil''s death cry, the man in black robes frantically tried to untangle himself from the tentacles'' binds. Pitch black flames exploded from his body and burned downwards along the tentacles. However, even so, those black tentacles didn''t stop their movement. They followed Rhode''s command and bound the man''s hands and legs tightly, limiting all of his movements. No matter what, the tentacles had a defense as high as level 10. On top of that, it was a creature of the dark element. Using attacks of the same element was a big mistake��


    In the end, it was Rhode who caused the man to stop resisting.


    In the face of the dark flames, Rhode frowned and pierced the man''s palm. This sharp and intense pain caused the man to scream miserably and also stopped his meaningless struggles. His scream sent chills down the spines of the mercenaries. However, Christie who was hiding behind Anne revealed a shocked expression after hearing the voice.


    Not only her, but even Rhode slightly frowned.


    "I didn''t expect that�� Although I had already suspected�� and that the culprit was always between us. But�� this was still an unpleasant find."


    As Rhode spoke, he pointed his sword towards the man and used the tip to remove the man''s hood. Soon enough, an old, withered face appeared in their eyes.


    "Am I right, Village Chief?"


    ---


    [ Rhode''s attributes, skills, and talents so far]


    Rhode. Alander (Lv:18)


    Race: Mixed (Unknown)


    Talent: Summoning Master


    First Stage: Soul Resonance LV3 / Integration LV2 / Call of the Soul LV0


    Second Stage: Soul Hourglass LV3 / Inner Gate LV0 / Forced Awakening LV1


    Talent: Soul Messenger


    First Stage: Spirit Armor LV3 / Shadow Follower LV3 /


    Second Stage: Sacrifical Spirit LV0 / Path of the King LV3 / Infinite Sentiments LV2 / Heritage Seal LV0


    Race reward: Locked


    Race Characteristics: Locked


    Job: Spirit Swordsman (Hero)


    Special Swordsmanship:


    Moon Shadow Swordsmanship (Rank C) (Available Skills - Blade of Destruction - Shadow Flash - Moonbeams)


    Starfall Swordsmanship (Rank E) (Fury Trial)


    Ten of the Strongest Spirit Decks


    Crown: (Control, Governance, King)


    Wisdom: (Creation, Analyze, Soul)


    Empathy: (Construct, Coordination, Balance)


    Kindness: (Cure, Repose, Gentle)


    Strictness: (Follow, Sanction, Law)


    [Army of Abyss 2/ 5 - Number 3, Nether Tentacles. Number 5, Soul Hunter Knight]


    Beauty: (Elegance, Sensual, Hearken)


    Victory: (Eternal, Stable, Exorbitant)


    [Eternal Deck 1/10 - Number 10, Star Mark]


    Radiance: (Dignity, Glory, Honor)


    Basis: (Hard work, Solid, Determination)


    Kingdom: (Element, Synthesis, Substance)


    [Sky Deck 1/10 - Number 5, Spirit Bird]


    [Red Lotus Deck 2/10 - Number 1, Gillian. Number 6, Flame Killer]

 Chapter 165 Christies Secre

    Under the bright light in the square, everyone could clearly witness the village head''s face swollen with bulging blood vessels. It spread out on his face akin to a spider web. After discovering the abomination of a face, Anne couldn''t help but scream and took two steps back, protecting the little girl behind her back. Everyone could comprehend that this old man wasn''t normal. Not to mention the black tattoo-like odd symbols that appeared on his neck.


    It was the imprint of a devil.


    "��"


    When he heard Rhode call him out, the old village chief remained silent and stared coldly at the man in front of him. He then rotated his eyes to observe the surroundings.


    "I''m sure you are very clear about your situation now," Rhode said emotionlessly.


    He drew his sword along the village head''s neck. The cold blade sent chills down the old man''s spine, but he continued to clench his teeth, refusing to speak. Perhaps, he had nothing left to say? Or did he feel that there was no use in saying anything?


    "If you have nothing to say�� I do."


    Rhode wasn''t surprised at all with the village chief''s reaction as he shrugged his shoulders and sighed. Afterwards, he gave an odd but firm command.


    "Get your monsters to stand down."


    "Hahaha��"


    Upon hearing Rhode''s command, the old man finally laughed with a hint of ridicule in his voice. Soon enough, the old man shook his head and clicked his tongue subtly. Although he didn''t directly respond to Rhode''s threat, his actions could be regarded as an answer as the undead creatures became increasingly aggressive in their attacks.


    "Of course I know what you''re thinking."


    Although this action was akin to slapping Rhode''s face, he didn''t get mad. Instead, the corner of his mouth raised and revealed a hint of laughter.


    "Since I''ve reached this point, and I have no more aces up my sleeve, why not just grab as many people as I can to go down with me?" Rhode spoke the man''s inner thoughts out loud with ridicule in his tone.


    Then he laughed and continued, "That''s what you want me to think? Hmph. Dream on. You still carry that slim hope that your filthy monsters would break the encirclement and rescue you. I think you should know that is just your idealized perspective of the situation. You should clearly recognize the severity of your position. If that Shadow Devil was still around, perhaps you would have a minuscule chance of survival�� But it''s a pity, you''ve already lost your only chance. So, I''ll say it once again. Dream. on."


    Hearing the words "Shadow Devil", the old man was stunned, but he kept the smirk on his face. He sized up to the man with a serious gaze despite having no intention to speak. However, to Rhode, it wasn''t any difficult for him to make someone speak.


    "But I think you aren''t afraid of death either. As a person who sold his soul to the devil, even if you die, your spirit will never return to earth, but instead, you will descend to hell as a servant for your master. However, I am indeed curious�� where did you the courage and motivation to do this? I''m sure you''ve realized that the Devil has no sympathy towards losers, or do you think he would generously console you and not turn you into a petri dish for bugs?"


    Rhode spoke with a steady tone, mixed with some sincereness. However, the old man opened his eyes wide in shock and stared at the young man with fear and suspicion for the first time. He didn''t expect this person to understand the devils so much. Who exactly is this person? Not even a devil worshipper would have information about all these. He only got to know the devil''s secrets after fighting for his master for 40 over years, so how did this young man get all these insider information?


    Could it be that he was also a devil worshipper? There''s a possibility of that. After all, even in hell, the devils didn''t necessarily like one another. Besides, this mission was critical to master that there''s no guarantee that the other devils wouldn''t be up to no good. But soon enough, the old man denied this thought. A devil worshipper wouldn''t have an angel as an assistant. If this ever happened, it is either that the devil had gone mad or the angel''s intelligence quota had a negative score.


    So, could he be�� a Spirit Knight?!


    The old man''s face paled instantly with this thought.


    The Spirit Knight was the strongest military force within the Church. They did not participate in battles between mortals as their focus was on expelling and exterminating those spirits who fell into the depths of darkness. The reputation of Spirit Knights wasn''t significant to most humans because they were seclusive and had no impact on the lives of ordinary people. They wouldn''t maintain social security, nor protect their land. They would hide in the shadows and wipe out every evil being secretly and swiftly. As a result, their name wasn''t well known. But within the ranks of the evil devil worshippers, the Spirit Knights'' name was even more frightening than the devils. The Spirit Knights had an abundance of knowledge about the devils. Not only that, it was rumored that mighty Spirit Knights often had help from the gods.


    The old man suddenly realized his guess might be the truth. In the end, an average mercenary wouldn''t know all these secrets. Just look at that dumb maiden at his side. Her silly expression just showed that she couldn''t understand what the young man was talking about.


    Finally, he felt a sense of fear.


    Rhode''s sharp eyes noticed the change in the old man''s expression. That was the reason why he had purposely said all these. Now that the old man had fallen into his trap, he could move on to his next step. In fact, Rhode''s understanding on the devils was way more than what the old man understood. Before killing the Void Dragon, Rhode led his men through the depths of hell to seek for godly equipment. A solid foundation always guarantees a victory.


    And this gave Rhode even more confidence to face anything. After all, in the game, the most powerful enemy he faced was the five creator dragons, but the chances of meeting them were minimal. The Country of Darkness led by the Dark Dragon was powerful. Those idiots of the Country of Light council, in the name of ''eliminating conflicts'', sent the Dragon of Light to the Country of Darkness. In the end, not only did it result in the Dark Dragon''s strength increasing, it also caused the light dragon soul which encompassed the Country of Light''s skies to disappear entirely. And the Country of Light was decimated by the Dark Dragon soon after. Rhode used this opportunity to finish off the council and led his men to the Country of Darkness. As a result, the Dark Dragon was baited and eventually killed after a tough fight.


    That was why Rhode wasn''t worried about the Judgement & Ruling Twin Dragons. These two dragon souls had always been guarding their Country of Law''s without causing trouble. The life and death of others had nothing to do with them; thus, Rhode couldn''t find a reason to get rid of them, so he left them alone. Immediately after the demise of the Dark Dragon, a new chapter began. The Void Dragon led its army to destroy the whole continent. And this was the only time a creator dragon soul declared war on the players.


    And according to the ranking in the game, the strongest in the Dragon Soul Continent was the heir of the five dragons which created the eras. The next would be the second level of each class. They were the 3 Archangels, 5 Elemental Lords, 4 Legendary Generals and the 6 Devil Wardens respectively. The 3 Archangels belonged to the Light Dragon soul, the 5 Elemental Lords were in a neutral position, the 4 Legendary Generals were 4 army chiefs that commanded the Dark Dragon army, and the 6 Devil Wardens were the guardians of the linkage between hell and earth.


    And as for Rhode, he had killed an Archangel, the 3 Elemental Lords, all the 4 Legendary Generals, and although the 6 Devil Wardens didn''t have any conflicts with Rhode, to hunt equipment, Rhode brought his men continuously into the devil''s blockade, straight into hell.


    Rhode shook his head and threw these memories to the back of his head. He eventually studied the old man with a funny expression, slowly admiring his face which quickly changed between red, pale white and green. That was the first time Rhode had seen a person''s face transform so many times.


    "Although I think you may be very passionate to return to hell, but actually leaving you behind may be a good option. As a devil worshipper, you must have heard of the ''Song of the Appease'', am I right?"


    "N-No!!!"


    Upon hearing the familiar term, the old man suddenly screamed. Because what Rhode had just said, was the most terrifying punishment to all devil worshippers.


    In the world of Dragon Soul Continent, whether it was humans, angels or other races, after they die, their souls would return to earth, fall into deep sleep, and slowly blend into the world. Just like water that evaporated, begone without a trace. And this was the most frightening point for the devil worshipper. In fact, many of them tried to escape this consequence, so they turned to the devils for help. If they became a devil worshipper, and once they die, their souls will not disperse but will go to hell. Although this was a root of pain in many legends, these devil worshippers thought otherwise. Those were just the ending for some dumb humans who got lied to by the devil. However they''re different, there''s someone behind their back! And once they entered hell, they will continue to serve their respective master. Maybe one day he could grasp a chance to be an actual devil and also become one of them who controlled others from behind the curtains. There were some devil worshippers which succeeded previously, so that meant they had the chance too right?


    To the devil worshipper, this was considered immortality, which was the most important hope for them. But angels were able to destroy this dream through the ''Song of the Appease''. The song would forcefully seal their souls and blend them into the world.


    This was never tolerable for any devil worshipper because that meant all their hard work would be for naught. Why did they do the things they do? To give up their human dignity, feelings, and everything just for this? Didn''t they do this to gain immortality? Now that I have worked hard for so many years, you want to make them all go to waste?


    No one could take this blow.


    The old man finally stopped resisting, his expression dulled as his head drooped and looked to the ground after realizing he had no way out.


    "�� Ask what you want. Kid��"


    "You can make your creatures retreat now. To tell you the truth, although they aren''t strong, they are very annoying."


    Rhode observed the surroundings and noticed that his men were almost at their limits. Although after killing the Shadow Devil, Marlene, Celia and Lize once again got into the battle, most of the mercenaries were starting to show signs of fatigue after battling the undead monsters for so long.


    This time, the old man no longer resisted. He opened his mouth and let out a weird, hurried and low shout. Upon hearing, the undead creatures quickly returned to darkness and disappeared.


    "Good. It seems like we will have a good time working together."


    Although the old man acted obediently, Rhode still kept the smile on his face and looked even more intimidating. Christie who had been hiding behind Anne finally relaxed a little and loosened her grip on Anne''s clothes. Although the smile on Rhode''s face looked pleasant, the little girl felt scared instead. Although Rhode had a stern face, the little girl thought he looked much kinder previously.


    "I hope you can seriously answer my every question."


    Rhode put down his sword.


    "Firstly, I hope you can tell me, why did you want to capture Christie."


    Upon hearing Rhode''s question, Christie opened her eyes wide with surprise and blinked rapidly at the old man in astonishment. Previously, Rhode only told her that he was worried that she might face danger at night, so he brought her here. Now she just realized that she was the target all along.


    "��"


    This time, the old man''s expression sunk. He knew he had failed badly. Previously, the old man thought Rhode didn''t know his true intentions, but through his question, the old man realized that Rhode already knew what he wanted to do�� Thinking of this, the old man clenched his teeth before giving out a hopeless sigh.


    "This is my master''s order. If it''s not for his order, do you think I will want to raise this girl?"


    Upon hearing his answer, Rhode frowned.


    Rhode suddenly had an awful feeling. Previously when he discovered about Christie''s life experiences, he heard that no one wanted to adopt her when she was still a baby. Eventually, the village head took her in and brought her up. Initially, he thought that was the responsibility of the village chief. Now he realized things weren''t as simple as he thought.


    "Your master made you adopt Christie?"


    Could it be the devil behind this village chief, had something to do with Christie?

 Chapter 166 Peace of Mind

    Thinking about this problem, Rhode felt that it was a little bit tricky. If that demon really had any relationship with Christie, then it definitely wouldn''t let go of the girl. If that was so, then that might result in a problem in the future. In fact, until now he still didn''t know why the demon wanted to catch Christie. There was a lot of other prey beside just her and the demon could easily catch any of them. However, it said that it wanted to catch Christie alive, meaning that it would put her into prison�� Dragon Soul above, even an ordinary strong man couldn''t stand the prison environment, not to mention Christie''s weak body. It wouldn''t be able to withstand the cold air since it might put her life into danger at anytime. The smell of the miasma in the prison could even make people poisoned to death.


    Unless she had a secret that he didn''t know of.


    "Yes."


    Many thoughts flashed through Rhode''s mind. However, the elder didn''t know about it, so he only nodded and answered. The elder had begun to let it go since it seemed like Rhode already knew his plan. If so, it would meaningless even if he continued to lie. Perhaps, if he told the truth, then Rhode would be more lenient to him. That''s right, since we arrived at the prison, Master also wouldn''t know about what I''ve done.


    "Master told me to foster that child."


    Saying until here, the elder raised his head and looked at the girl who hid behind Anne''s back.


    "Frankly, after that tragedy befell their family, I thought that this girl was most likely the offering. Her blood had been corrupted with the dark force. I thought that Master would definitely take an interest in her, and he guessed right. After Master heard my report, he was interested in her and told me to foster her and sent her to the prison afterward. After I took this mission, I tried my best to complete it, but I still failed in the end��"


    "Then why did you do something like this to her?"


    At this moment, the others walked forward. After the undead creatures left, the mercenaries were also relieved. They kept looking at the surrounding vigilantly, and some of them were curiously walking toward that elder. Frankly, after finding out that the Village Elder was the real culprit, these mercenaries were just as shocked as Rhode was. In their opinion, it was no wonder all of the people in this village seemed to be wicked.


    After hearing the elder''s answer, Marlene frowned and asked.


    "Your Master wanted you to foster her, but her condition is very weak and you didn''t seem to take care of her properly. Wouldn''t you be afraid if something were to happen to her?"


    "Hehehe��"


    Hearing Marlene''s question, the elder only smiled wickedly. He looked at the blonde-haired girl and look back toward everyone.


    "As expected of the wisdom of a mortal, always so stupid and short-sighted�� How can you understand our faith? Our ideal? That''s right, according to your understanding, after I got the order from Master, I was supposed to foster this girl and take care of her properly. But that''s only the self-righteous delusion of fools like you who live under the sunlight. I don''t want to bring her up with a personality full of hope. To Master, souls full of despair, hate, fear, and tragedy are the most delicious. That''s why I purposely let her be hit, abused, and humiliated by those fools. It was all to make her feel despair, to let her hate everything in this world including the sunlight and warmth. When that time came, she would surrender herself to the darkness and become Master''s�� hehehe�� Ah, that''s right; there''s also one thing I want to make clear. I didn''t purposely make her body weak��she was born with a weak body. Frankly, sometimes I worried that she might die. But what made me shocked was that she actually managed to persevere and live until now�� It can be considered as a miracle."


    Saying until here, the elder stopped talking, but there was a trace of disgust in the way these people saw him. When they looked that this elder, they couldn''t help but want to hit him. Anne''s face became gloomy, and she moved her finger and threateningly pointed at the elder. It seemed that she didn''t plan to respect the old at all. Marlene also lifted up her wand and coldly snorted. She lifted up her head, but it didn''t seem like she wanted to glance at the elder for a second time. Right now, Lize held Christie tightly in her embrace, as if by doing that, she would be able to protect her from any harm.


    "It''s you who''s the foolish one, fallen evil." At this moment, Celia opened her mouth.


    "Although this girl''s body is corrupted with darkness, her soul isn''t corrupted because of that. Not only has your evil plan failed, she also won''t sink into this kind of evil. You and your Master will receive the divine punishment! People like you can only live in the eternal abyss and be on the receiving end of painful torture!!"


    "Enough, Celia. Stop it." Rhode stopped her indignant remarks. After that, he walked forward, looked at the elder, then nodded.


    "It seems that you''re very cooperative�� Hmm, then I will ask you my last question. About Christie''s mother; did she really look like Christie? Also, about the demon in her�� do you still have something that you want to add?"


    "No." This time, the elder shook his head.


    "Although she''s also a beautiful girl, she''s definitely different from Christie. About the demon in her, I have nothing to say. At that time, I didn''t know what happened to her. That''s why I never saw the so-called demon existence. In fact, when I saw you for the first time I was very surprised�� Who are you actually? Why do you look exactly like that young girl?"


    "It''s something that you don''t have to know." Clearly, Rhode didn''t want to exchange information. But at this moment, a timid sound suddenly echoed.


    "�� Can I ask you a question?"


    Everyone looked toward the source of the voice and saw Christie who was standing beside Anne. Her hand was clenched tightly in front of her chest and she looked at the elder who was being tied up with a complex emotion. Hearing this voice, there was a trace of strangeness in the elder eyes, after which he coldly laughed.


    "What question?"


    "I�� I want to know��"


    The girl clenched her hand and her body was trembling, but her eyes were firm. Looking at her expression, Rhode frowned. He wanted to say something but still gave up and shook his head in the end.


    "The reason you raised me is just because��"


    "That''s right, it''s only because of Master''s order."


    The elder coldly stopped her words.


    "If it''s not because of Master, do you think I would still raise you by my side? Hmph, the blood in your veins has been cursed; you were never destined to have a bright future. Obediently accept Master''s calling is what you were supposed to do. Now is also the same; don''t forget about the things that you hated! You are the child of death. You definitely cannot give others a bright future! Because there''s only despair and suffering in your whole life! You��"


    "Enough!"


    Hearing until here, Shauna stopped the elder''s cursing. She looked towards the elder in despise and took out her sword. "Master, we don''t have to keep hearing this evil demon follower''s nonsense. Let''s just kill him here!"


    Hearing Shauna complain, Rhode nodded his head. "Since you have answered my questions, then I''ll stop here�� Next��"


    Saying until here, Rhode looked at Celia.


    "Celia, I''ll leave this to you. You should know how we usually take care of evil demon followers."


    "Of course, Master."


    Hearing Rhode''s words, the angel walked toward the elder and lifted her sword up high and spread her wings. Soon, a gentle ray fell from the sky, and followed by the tip of her sword, it fell toward the elder.


    "Wait, you cannot do this!!" Aware of what Celia was trying to do, the elder face turned gloomy. He tried his best to struggle while looking at Rhode.


    "We agreed; you can''t take back your words!"


    "Really surprised me."


    Facing the elder''s anger and criticism, Rhode only shrugged his shoulder expressionlessly.


    "I don''t remember agreeing to anything. I only told you not to forget that I have my own way of handling you, but I never said what kind of way. You have misunderstood me; please don''t create anymore trouble."


    "You, you��"


    The elder hadn''t finished his words because at this moment, Nepheran Tentacle blocked his mouth under Rhode''s order. The elder could only issue a "uuu" sound. and it wasn''t clear what that meant. At this moment, Celia began to chant. A clear, beautiful melody echoed in the night sky. At the moment the light fell from the sky, the melody was also getting clearer and wrapped the elder in it.


    Rhode enjoyed this view. After that, he heard a small sound beside him.


    "No matter what, thank you�� for raising me."


    Rhode looked down and saw Christie''s clear eyes. Her eyes were moist, and there was a trace of complex emotion in it.


    He said nothing and extended his hand to pat her head. Christie also followed his gesture and fell into his embrace. She turned around and buried her head inside Rhode''s body because she didn''t want to see this scene anymore.


    The melody was getting clearer, the light also brighter. In that moment, everyone couldn''t help but close their eyes.


    When they opened their eyes, everything was already empty.

 Chapter 167 Leaving High Cliff

    "What�� did you say?"


    The Captain of the Guard''s face turned pale. After a while, he curiously asked.


    "I thought you clearly heard what I said." Rhode put down the teacup in his hand and said leisurely.


    "You mean�� the Elder, the Village Chief, is the mastermind behind those undead creatures? The reason our village got attacked is also because of him?" The Captain of the Guard looked at him unbelievably and shook his head.


    "Sorry, I still can''t believe it."


    "Whether you believe it or not, it''s not my problem." Rhode waved his hand and stopped him from arguing.


    "I only told you what happened last night. You just have to listen to it; as for whether you believe in it or not, it''s your problem. I can''t afford to waste time here to explain it to you. Understand? You don''t have the right to ask me; you just have to listen and that''s it."


    "Woah��"


    Standing in front of the entrance, Anne was peeking inside while holding her breath. After that, she quietly turned around and showed a frightened expression. "Leader is very frightening. He didn''t even leave him any face."


    "It''s because he''s really angry." Marlene moved the wand in her hand answered in disapproval. Clearly, she didn''t have any good impression toward the villagers who had been suffering in the tavern hall. However, it still made the other mercenaries surprised. Although Rhode was usually cold, he was still courteous. But now, he wasn''t courteous at all and even sounded somewhat overbearing, completely not caring about other people''s opinion.


    "But�� but��"


    Because there was an example of another idiot before, the villagers only felt shocked and angry, but were unable to raise their heads to refute him. In their opinion, they definitely wouldn''t believe the words of the man in front of them. How would the respected Village Chief be connected to those undead creatures? Most likely, this man was purposely looking for an excuse to kill the Village Chief, so he told this kind of lie. That''s right, it''s a lie! But��


    Even if they knew this man wasn''t going to tell the truth, when they saw the sword strapped on Rhode''s waist, they couldn''t help but swallow their feeling of dissatisfaction. They held in their anger and bowed their heads in silence. This was their only gesture of disapproval and the only thing that they could do right now.


    "Finally shut up? Very good. I believe a sword wins over a mouth�� It''s not a good thing to waste time talking about a pointless topic." Rhode stopped moving. He narrowed his eyes and coldly looked at the villagers. "That''s right, about this matter, I will report it to the church and ask them to investigate and purify this place. I think it''s a must."


    "What?!" Hearing until here, those villagers who stayed silent raised their head and looked at Rhode in fear. They started to panic, but Rhode didn''t care. "But, but Sir. Didn''t you say before that the undead creatures have been completely destroyed��"


    "Indeed, I said that." Rhode nodded.


    "It''s just for insurance. In case something happens, I still need to report it to the church. No matter what, the Village Chief was an evil demon follower. He''s been hiding this fact for so many years, and there''s no guarantee that there''s no helper among the villagers. Just in case, before I left, I asked the guard to seal the entire village until the investigation was finished�� Do you have any problem about that?"


    "Mr. Rhode�� No, sir, I don''t think we have to do that."


    Hearing this words, the Captain Guard expression turned bad and other villagers also became uneasy and looked at him pleadingly. Of course they understood what Rhode meant by that, but it''s the most unacceptable heavy price for them.


    The evil demon follower reputation was very bad to the people up there, everyone would avoid them. Not to mention if the entire village became a evil demon follower. If it''s like that, then no one would no longer care about the real truth and would only think that the entire village were all evil demon follower. This kind of thing was just like plague. If Rhode did report them to the church and the rumors about them spread, then the whole High Cliff Village was definitely done for. Until then, even there''s no evil demon follower in the village, those merchant still wouldn''t come here to trade. No one would also buy the goods from them, and perhaps they wouldn''t even interact with them anymore. If that time comes, then High Cliff Village was definitely done for.


    In fact, the reason they thought Christie was a disaster was because of the incident that happened to her. From that onwards many people rarely trade with them. This all happen because of that girl who''s being possessed by a demon. When Rhode mentioned about it, they immediately remembered the incident that happened previously.


    However, the only thing different before was that they still have a room to maneuver, since the one who''s being tempted by the demon was an ordinary person. But what can they say now? According to what Rhode have said, the Village Chief Elder have died and people who have died definitely wouldn''t argue. But if he did crawl back from his grave it''s indeed a problem��


    Thinking until here, the villager already forgotten about their anger. Have to know this problem was related to the survival of the village! If they didn''t do anything to stop Rhode, then High Cliff Village is finished!


    "Si, Sir, I think, I think we don''t have to do that." The Captain of the Guard rubbed the sweat on his forehead and said. He was also afraid that this matter would be known. If this matter spread around, then he, as a person who was born in the village, would be suspected by the people. Many people were eyeing his position as the Captain of the Guard. If those people knew about this matter, then not only would he not be able to keep his position, but he could only go back to the village to sell sweet potatoes!


    "I can guarantee that all the villagers here are nice. They wouldn''t interact with any demon, I��" Seeing that Rhode didn''t show any emotion, the Captain of the Guard only swallowed his saliva and stopped talking. He hesitated for a while and wanted to continue, but Rhode started to speak.


    "Frankly, I don''t want this matter to be troublesome. If I report this matter to the church, I also must be investigated. Of course, it''s better to reduce the trouble. But�� my mercenaries this time received a very heavy casualties��" He strongly stressed the word "casualties" on purpose. But he really did received very heavy casualties. There were five mercenaries who were injured, and the magic potion decreased by two-thirds. Not to mention the broken weapons and armories. The casualties were very heavy, weren''t they? Especially for Rhode''s mercenary group, which only had about 10 members.


    "I understand, Mr. Rhode." Hearing Rhode''s words, the Captain of the Guard was relieved, then nodded his head. "Since you and your subordinates have protected our village, we will of course show our gratitude. Of course, I can guarantee it, but how about this��"


    The Captain Guard hadn''t finished his words yet when he saw Rhode raising five fingers. He hesitated for a bit and tried to ask. "Fifty?"


    "��" Rhode coldly snorted and didn''t say anything.


    "Five hundred? �� Is it?��"


    "Ten thousand." Rhode said. After hearing Rhode''s words, the Captain of the Guard and the villagers seemed to be surprised.


    "You, this, this is impossible! We don''t have that much money!"


    "It''s supposed to be 5000, but since you guys didn''t want to give the money, I can''t help but double it," Rhode said, then took back his hand and leisurely sat in the chair while looking at everyone who broke into sweat.


    "Enough, make your decision. I hope none of you will make a stupid decision that will make you unhappy."


    Yes, we shouldn''t make a decision that will make you unhappy. The Captain of the Guard secretly cursed him, but didn''t say anything. Facing Rhode''s cold glare, the only thing he could do was to lower his head to hide his emotion.


    In the end, the villagers couldn''t help but to agree to Rhode''s condition. They collected 5000 gold coins. Frankly, they were unwilling to give up this sum since the village wasn''t crowded with merchants like before. These 5000 gold coins were accumulated throughout the years. But now, it was actually being taken away by him with just one sentence. No one wanted this to happen, but what could they do? Point a gun at him?


    Because of that, when Rhode''s mercenary group left, the villagers didn''t bid farewell to them. They only talked behind the mercenaries'' backs and didn''t even glance at them. Their gesture showed their anger and dissatisfaction. Rhode clearly didn''t care about that. He was already happy enough after receiving the money. He knew that his reputation in this village won''t be so good and he would be leaving an enmity. But who cared? Didn''t he still get what he wanted?


    As the saying went, take the money to do things. Since he already took the villagers'' money away, he wouldn''t report it to the church. However, he already decided that after going back to Deep Stone City, he would report this matter to Klautz "truthfully." He would hand Klautz the thing that he got from the Village Chief Elder after the battle and he believed that Klautz would make a wise judgement.


    It didn''t mean that he broke their promise, right?


    But after leaving High Cliff Village, something still happened.


    Truthfully, Rhode hoped that Christie would leave the village and go with him. She had also accepted his invitation. Frankly, she didn''t have any good memories toward the village since the people there didn''t really treat her nicely. Moreover, in the Starlight mercenary group, whether it was Rhode, Marlene, Anne, or Lize, everyone liked her. This made Christie feel warmth that she had never felt before. That was why she didn''t have the slightest hesitation when Rhode asked her to leave with them, because at least living with him wouldn''t be as bad as living with the villagers.


    But even so, when they left the village, Christie still felt somewhat reluctant. No matter what, she had been living in this place for ten years. If she left with a stranger, she wouldn''t be sure about her own future. Now in Christie''s heart, there was a trace of regret. If not because of her, such things wouldn''t have happened, right? Was she really a disaster? She turned around while silently looking at the village.


    "You don''t have to care about it." Rhode could understand her feeling. He stretched his hand and patted her head. After that, he lowered down his body and focused on looking at her.


    "Remember, Christie, this is not your responsibility, so don''t feel responsible towards it. What happened to him was caused by his own wrongdoings, not because of your existence."


    "En��" Seeing that Rhode was trying to make her feel better, she exposed a smile. "I know, Rhode�� Thank you��"


    She softly said. Her voice sounded as clear as the wind. At the same time, she caught Rhode''s finger with a little force while pulling at his clothes.


    "Their relationship sure is good." Looking at Rhode and Christie, Anne''s mouth twitched and she complained.


    "Leader is not fair. I''ve joined the mercenary group for a long time, but you''ve never smiled for me!"


    "Me too. Since the moment I know him, he''s never smiled to me��"


    Lize said with dissatisfaction, then she stretched her hand to touch her face.


    He slapped me though��


    Marlene''s expression also looked complicated. She looked to the left, then looked to the right. In the end, she sighed and helplessly gave up.


    At this moment, she saw a boy suddenly run over them. He brought a rock and cruelly threw it toward Christie.


    "Get out, you demon!" Facing the boy''s sudden attack, everyone was surprised. Christie turned around and saw a rock flying toward her. She screamed in fear and closed her eyes instinctively.


    However, she didn''t feel any pain like usual. To the contrary, she only heard a shrill scream, and when she opened her eyes, she saw that the boy was crying on the ground, half of his face full of rock fragments. A woman screamed, rushed toward that boy, and hugged him.


    At this moment, Rhode stood in front of Christie. "Enough, let''s go."


    He said towards Christie. Rhode didn''t even look back to see the mother and son behind him, even though their hateful and angered eyes pierced his back.

 Chapter 168 The Incoming Sacred Glory

    When Rhode brought his subordinates to leave High Cliff Village, there was another scene in the Deep Stone City castle.


    The Administrative Officer of Paphield Area and Lord of Deep Stone City, Klautz, lowered his head, his face green while looking at the ground. The holy power around him into a gentle breeze similar to a spring wind, but gave off a completely different feeling to Klautz.


    "I haven''t been in Deep Stone City for such a long time," Lydia said softly. She was enveloped in light, looking outside the window to see Deep Stone City''s scenery. "It''s still as beautiful as before, nature''s masterpiece combined with human wisdom and hard work. Such a perfect combination. Nothing can be compared with this, don''t you think so? Sir Klautz?"


    "Just as you said, Your Highness." While answering her question, Klautz rubbed the sweat on his forehead.


    Right now, his heart wasn''t as calm as his appearance. It was no wonder that the moment Her Highness and the Grand Mage suddenly appeared in his residence, his heart almost stopped. If it weren''t for the many hardships he had experienced and the fact he was considered as an important person, he would have been scared to death already.


    Klautz couldn''t be blamed for being too overly sensitive, because Lydia rarely left the Golden City. She usually would send her subordinates to handle sensitive regions. From this point, it could be seen that the trust Lydia had in her subordinates could be considered an unusual indulgence. To the contrary, for her subordinates, her trust wasn''t only motivation, but also pressure. They could fail or made a mistake, but Lydia wouldn''t allow them to fall into despair or change their own aesthetic value. Before, Lydia had sent a brave warrior to govern the Western area, but in the end, that brave warrior fell due to the Merchant Association''s sugar-coated bullet. The rumor said that Lydia was very disappointed about this matter and very clearly expressed it.


    Even if this matter had already passed for many years, whenever Klautz remembered that incident, he couldn''t help but feet a chill down to his spine. He hoped that he would never receive encounter such a situation again.


    As an Administrative Officer, Klautz believed that he had never done anything to violate her aesthetics value. But he could not be sure that he had never done anything so serious to make her come here herself. No matter how he thought, he couldn''t think of the reason behind why she came to Paphield area. Is it because the sudden increase in price caused by the Merchant Association? But this kind of small thing wasn''t enough to make Her Highness Lydia to come here personally, right?


    Even though he was curious, he wasn''t as stupid as to ask this question. He only welcomed Lydia while speculating the reason she had came here.


    "Humans are a miracle of this world. Among them, there will be some who glitter and even their existence will attract my attention."


    Lydia smiled and turned around, walking away from the window to sit on the sofa. She wore a luxurious and elegant long robe. The quality was top notch and even accentuated her body line. Her six wings kept fluttering and turned the entire living room into a fairy tale.


    Grand Mage Amund silently sat beside her and wryly smile. He didn''t say anything and also didn''t have to say anything. Originally, he didn''t agree with Lydia going to Paphield area at this kind of time. Although they did it in secret and no one know about it, Her Highness had always been high profile since she was young, and it seemed that no matter couldn''t be hidden for too long�� Anyway, let just see what''ll happen.


    "Sir Klautz."


    "Ah, yes! May I help you, Your Highness?"


    "I heard that some interesting thing started to happen in Paphield area."


    She lazily leaned into the sofa while crossing her hands. She smiled and looked like a child that couldn''t wait to hear an interesting story.


    "Although I have received the report, a stiff rigid record like that can''t represent anything. How about you report it to me once again?"


    "This��"


    Hearing until here, Klautz wryly smiled. He almost understood the reason Lydia came here. "I understand, Your Highness. But please don''t be angry because my proficiency in story-telling isn''t too good."


    "If the story itself is wonderful enough, I don''t care about the storyteller proficiency; I only care about the level of wonderfulness." As for Klautz''s answer, Lydia only smiled. "If it''s really an interesting story, then no matter who tells it, it will still be wonderful."


    Hearing Lydia''s answer, Klautz no longer thought over this and lightly coughed. After that he straightened his posture and looked at her with serious expression. "This story started from two months ago��"


    Klautz began to talk.


    Two days had passed since Rhode brought his subordinates back to Deep Stone City.


    Because of the addition of Christie in their group, Rhode didn''t lead his group like usual. Although the mercenaries had no problem in following him, Christie''s body couldn''t withstand walking for such a long time. According to Lize''s examination, Christie''s body was very weak. Living in such an icy cold cellar had affected her body, and she also often received beatings from the villagers, making her body grow even weaker. Not only was her right hand fractured, but it seemed that it had never been healed properly. It was already a miracle that she could continue to move her right hand, but it was impossible for her to carry heavy things.


    This made the other mercenaries even angrier. Anne was so mad that she lifted up her shield and planned to go back to destroy that ghostly place. Even Marlene, who didn''t express her anger intensely, also began to regret. Why hadn''t she casted a massive destruction spell in the village that night, in the name of annihilating the undead creature�� but now it''s already too late.


    On the other hand, Rhode was calm. When he received Lize''s report, he only asked some questions about Christie and asked her to rest properly. Luckily, even though the injury was difficult to heal, to a Cleric it was nothing. As long as she could find some people who were good at healing to help Lize, then these injury wouldn''t be a trouble.


    However, Lize was powerless about Christie''s body condition. Although a healing spell could heal injuries and wounds, it didn''t have the ability to turn a weak body strong. Else us Cleric also wouldn''t be that weak too��


    But despite this matter, all of the mercenaries seemed to be happy since Rhode divided the money that he had "cheated" from the High Cliff villagers to them. It''s extremely surprising for them to get this unexpected fortune and Rhode also fulfilled their contract very strictly. Those who exerted more power got about 50 to 60 gold coins, and those who did less work only got about 20 to 30. Right, no less than twenty or thirty.


    Now they alone could get the reward of an entire mercenary group, and it was only as their extra bonus. When they got back to Deep Stone City and turned over their mission, they could get more rewards. This made them feel that they made a correct choice, and they also cherished this kind of opportunity. They were very clear that this mercenary group was unlike other groups, which they could stay forever. If they didn''t work hard enough, they might be unable to stay in here anymore. They didn''t want that to happen, and hoped that they could stay here forever.


    After finishing this mission, many mercenaries swore that they needed to try harder in their hearts. Because they could already see the reward they got from working hard. It wasn''t just 10 gold coins. If they continued to stay in the Starlight mercenary group, not only that they could beat the enemy easily, but they would also get treatment unimaginable by other mercenaries. Just think over it! Magic potions! That kind of thing was considered as treasure, but every person here had about 5 to 6 bottles. Did any of other mercenaries have this kind of opportunity?


    None of these things could be bought by money!


    Rhode had also noticed their mood. After he entered Deep Stone City, he ordered them to leave and rest. This made them even happier and they shouted "long live." They held onto a bag full of money and entered the tavern. However, Lize and others didn''t go to rest, as they were worried about Christie''s condition and wanted to talk about other things after she had settled.


    Rhode also agreed to their decision.


    But when they arrived at the stronghold, there were someone blocking on their way.


    "Hey, kid, you''re finally back." Old Walker, who was responsible for protecting the stronghold, immediately rushed to Rhode and blocked their way.


    "I''ve waited for such a long time; how come you guys took so long? Hm? Who''s that girl?"


    "I''ll tell you afterwards." Rhode waved his hand and blocked Old Walker''s sight of Christie.


    "What happened?"


    "I also don''t know about the entire story, but yesterday Sereck was looking for you and said that he had something to talk to you about�� you see��"


    "I''ll go now." Hearing until here, Rhode nodded his head. He didn''t care about why was Sereck looking for him. The reason he quickly agreed was because he remember the Cleric in the Mercenary Association. If Rhode could get her help, then it would be good for treating Christie''s injuries.


    Thinking until here, Rhode said nothing and quickly agreed.

 Chapter 169 Challenge

    When Rhode once again arrived at the Mercenary Association, the place was already starting to get crowded. Although it was still a little bit deserted, it was a lot better than before. After the Mercenary Association got information of Rhode''s arrival, they immediately greeted him and brought him to the waiting room. They respectfully told him to wait for a while and then left. Right now, Rhode was leisurely looking at the surroundings. After a while, he saw the Old President and Sereck happily walk toward him.


    Looking at the "warm smile" from the both of them, Rhode frowned.


    He was really suspicious.


    However, he said nothing and relaxedly drank his tea as usual, nodding to the both of them. Both of them seemed not to care about it and kept smiling at him. They sat in front of him and the Old President glanced at Sereck. Sereck helplessly shrugged his shoulder then looked at Rhode and said, "You finally come, kid. Judging from your face, it seems that your mission has gone smoothly? Very well."


    "It''s alright." Rhode shrugged his shoulder and put down the tea cup in his hand, looking up. Both of them looked expressionless, and it seemed like both of them had something to ask of him. Else, judging from the Old President''s temper, there would be no way he would let Sereck praise him. His first reaction would probably be complaining about whatever Rhode did, saying that it made the entire Deep Stone City became not peaceful. Else, he would hold a grudge toward everything that he had done and then signalled Sereck to tell Rhode the reason the he had called him here. Now what? "Why are you two looking for me?"


    "Hm�� it''s like this." Hearing Rhode''s question, Sereck stayed silent for a while, after which he rubbed his hands while looking at the Old President then said. "Starlight''s point have reached��12 right?"


    "If the point from the previous missions are counted there, then that''s right." Hearing Sereck''s question, Rhode frowned. He thought that the two of them might call him because there was a mission or something. Did he guess wrong? Were they worried about his mercenary group?


    "It''s not even the early summer, but you guys have already achieved 12 points. Have you ever thought about your next plan if this keeps going on?"


    His next plan? Hearing until here, Rhode was surprised, but his expression didn''t change. "I think both of you clearly know my next plan. As the leader or Mercenary Association, I think both of you know that the No.1 ranked mercenary group can be promoted to an ordinary guild."


    "That''s right." Hearing Rhode''s words, Sereck nodded and smiled. "Then do you think based on Starlight''s current strength, your mercenary group will be able to stabilize your position as a guild?"


    "This is my problem, not yours, Mr. Sereck." Rhode frowned, seeming to know where this topic was going.


    "I think you guys can just get straight to the point. As a member of Mercenary Association, do both of you need to worry about any mercenary group that''s upgraded into a guild?"


    What Rhode said was the truth. Usually, the relationship between the Mercenary Association and a mercenary guild was just like boss and subordinate, but it wasn''t as clearly shown as the relationship between the Mercenary Association and a mercenary group since mercenary guilds had their own power, stronghold, and could even get outside support. That was why they often didn''t obey the Mercenary Association''s order. It was a bit like the relationship between the official league organizations and clubs; usually, small clubs had to act according the official league organization, but to the contrary, strong clubs could make the official league organization act according to what they want��


    Of course, at first, the Mercenary Association wouldn''t be happy about it and even deliberately try to find fault and not let mercenary groups upgrade into mercenary guild. Unfortunately, the Dragon Soul Continent wasn''t like earth, where if one''s was wronged, they could continue the matter in the court. Because mercenary groups couldn''t accept this fact, they got violent with the Mercenary Association and created an organization to oppose the Mercenary Association. This chaos continued for several years until the death of thousands of mercenaries. It could already be considered a small scale war. The chaos had also alerted people who held authority in the Dragon Soul Continent. In the end, under their mediation, the Mercenary Association choose to concess. From that moment on, the Mercenary Association and mercenary guilds were no longer hostile toward each other, but they no longer had any relationship with each other. Until a mercenary group reached a qualified level, they could report to the Mercenary Association and followed their procedure; after the documents had been stamped by the Mercenary Association, they were no longer related with each other. You do what you have to do, I do what I have to do.


    That''s why Rhode was very surprised when the Old President of Mercenary Association worroed so much about it. From what he had experienced, the Mercenary Association wasn''t really that friendly to him.


    "Enough! Kid!" When Sereck seemed like he wanted to explain, the Old President couldn''t stand it anymore and heavily hit the table. "Anyway, there''s nothing to hide now, so I''ll tell you directly. Before, we just got news from the Munn Headquarter Mercenary Association because our Paphield region didn''t have a stable mercenary guild in the last two years. Under the current Headquarter Mercenary Association''s Head, Mr. Drake, other branches have requested the association to cancel our regional mercenary guild quota and distribute the quota to them!"


    Hearing until here, Rhode frowned. "Did the Headquarter agreed?"


    "Of course they wouldn''t agree that fast, since the current Munn Kingdom only has five regions and there''s one Mercenary Association per region. The same goes for mercenary guild quotas. Suddenly asking for the regional mercenary guild quota to be abolished isn''t a small thing, so the HQ wouldn''t agree so quickly." Sereck finally found a room to explain and said. "But it''s also a fact that our area isn''t stable. In these few years, our situation hasn''t been too good and is a lot worse than that of other regions. Frankly, the top 5 mercenary group in other regions could all be No. 1 here�� so that has led to their dissatisfaction. That''s why the HQ was considering this request."


    "Then, do you have any other way?" Rhode was finally worried about this matter. It had to be said that if the mercenary guild in the Paphield area was abolished, all of his hard work would turn into nothing. However, he still didn''t understand how this matter was connected to him.


    "Although the HQ hasn''t made any decision, they are considering this matter. We also received their last ultimatum. We of the Paphield region must send a representative to attend the Midsummer Festival Competition in two months. If we can get a good mark, then the HQ will keep our quota. But if we can''t, then��"


    The so-called Midsummer Festival Competition was the contest held by the Mercenary Association in the third month of each summer. Mercenaries display their strength to all participating in this festival. The Mercenary Association also displayed their strength through this event. Outstanding mercenaries can not only get huge rewards, but may even win the favor of powerful authorities. For the mercenaries, it was also a good opportunity to show themselves.


    "But from what I remember, the Midsummer Festival can only be attended by mercenary guilds, right?" Rhode curiously asked. The Midsummer Festival was divided into three parts, and the two most important parts were the battle between mercenary guilds, including group and a 1v1 battle. Idle mercenaries could only attend the last part, which was a field game. Honestly, every year, the Midsummer Festival was an event for the five regions to display their strength, while the stronger mercenary guilds could earn more support. Weaker mercenary guilds could only serve as the stepping stone of the strong. With maximum of 20 people in each group, in the 1vs1 battle, each group could send out 5 people. Although this competition was a good opportunity for mercenary guilds to display their strength, no one wished to sustain any damage. So the scale of the competition wasn''t to big. But even so, mercenary guilds were still elite groups, and would still be hard to face.


    Because of that, it could be seen that HQ was really planning to take out the Paphield region mercenary guild quota, since they didn''t have any group that was qualified as a mercenary guild. How could they even participate in the competition? It was just like asking a handicapped person to participate in track and field competition. It was simply bullsh*t.


    "I already said so, but those damned sons of a b*tch!!" Having said that, the Old President suddenly jumped up and waved his hands in anger. "Those sons of a b*tch! They actually gave us ''special permission'' to send a mercenary group to join this competition! Saying that our Paphield mercenary groups and mercenary guild don''t really differ much�� Those scoundrels! Dragon Soul above, I hope those motherf*ckers will shut their mouth!"


    After the Old President finished venting, he sat back and glared at Rhode as if he was his mortal enemy. "Since those stupid fools underestimate us, we also don''t have to be courteous. It''s you, kid, go and finish those b*stards who only know how to hide behind the tent. Let them see our power!"


    Seeing the angry Old President, Rhode didn''t show any expression. He extended out his hand to pour tea for himself. After that, he took a cookie and put it in his mouth then asked, "Why me? Aren''t Burning Blade or Dark Fang more suitable than me?"


    "Hiller won''t do." The Old President sighed and shook his head.


    "Don''t you know what kind of situation the Burning Blades are in? Hiller, those fellows are also strange. He''s pretty energetic when he leads a mercenary group, but when he upgraded into a mercenary guild, he immediately wilted even though his mercenary group still maintained ots mercenary guild standard. However, he can''t do this kind of thing. It''s not like we never looked for them, but those guys knew that they couldn''t do it and so he rejected our request. As for Shawn, don''t even bring him up. I can''t even found him.. Sigh, although it''s not difficult to look for them, guessing from his temper, he definitely isn''t interested."


    Having said that, the Old President stopped and look at Rhode.


    "That''s why I can only depend on you now. Starlight''s performance isn''t bad at all, whether it''s in the Silent Highland or Twilight Forest, your performance is always very exceptional. Your commanding skill is also above Hiller''s, and you know the situation in our Papheld area. It''s already lucky enough for the other mercenary groups to be alive, much less the fact that they can help or not. Don''t show me your expressionless face; it''s not like this competition has no merits for you. If your performance is good, then your mercenary group would be upgraded into a mercenary guild immediately. You''ll be even more famous! Other mercenary groups need to struggle for many years, but you will only need months to achieve that position. What do you think? You must be happy inside, right!"


    "Everything has to be done in order, step by step. I still know this principle, Old Man." Rhode drank the tea in his hand to cleanup the cookies crumbs in his mouth then said. Honestly, he was indeed interested with it. If the Old President was telling the truth, then he didn''t have to try that hard to accumulate points. Especially since the prohibition was about a month, it would be really bothersome. However, he still showed his emotionless face. Since he was requesting his help, at least Rhode needed to con him something.


    Rhode''s way of thinking was just like that of a typical player. Every mission had to have a benefit. If ordinary missions weren''t enough, then take the bonus mission. If the bonus mission wasn''t enough, then take the hidden mission. In short, a player will squeeze out every layer of oil until the last copper was pulled out; else, they wouldn''t give up. In the Dragon Soul Continent, missions also work like that. There was a commission entrusted to players by a father to rescue the son he had lost in the mountains. For most online games, after the player sends the child back, the NPC will say thank you and pay for it, and the player will accept the reward and the task is completed. But there are in fact many hidden parts. If you could just nicely describe how difficult was it to find that child in such a dangerous environment, then the NPC will increase your reward. If the player still thinks that it wasn''t enough, they could show off their strength and tell the NPC that their lives were a lot more valuable than their money. Doing so, the player would be able to accept their family heirloom. In just a mission like that, if the player tried harder, then they would be able to get unexpected rewards and equipment.


    He already did this once in High Cliff Village, and he didn''t mind doing it again. "Our members are limited, and the time left isn''t much. Not only are we a mercenary group, but facing the mercenary guild from different regions will be really difficult."


    "Of course I know this." The Old President waved his hand. "That''s why the Mercenary Association will aide you. Whether it''s equipment or a person, just tell me what you want!"


    "Really?!"


    "Of cour��" Before the Old President wanted to say "of course," but after looking at Rhode''s face, he immediately stopped. The Old President remembered that the kid had been asking him for some requirements! "If it''s within our Mercenary Association''s strength, then it''s no problem!"


    "Then, I want some people and some magic equipment. There''s no problem, right?"


    "It depends on the person and the equipment, kid." The Old President laughed. After interacting with Rhode for sometime, he thought that he had begun to understand Rhode''s greedy personality. "If you said that you wanted Sereck, then keep dreaming. This competition will be supervised by the Mercenary Association HQ, so don''t be too much. Be careful; they won''t let you succeed."


    "I don''t plan on letting Sereck join me. I only need some idle mercenaries." Rhode shrugged. "I need two smiths and four clerics�� Yes, those girls that have accompanied me to the Silent Highland before. That''s right, I need to tell you this first. I''m not borrowing them; they will be permanent members. There should be no problem with this point, right?"


    "What do you need them for?" Hearing Rhode''s request, the Old President was surprised. "I heard about the previous situation from Sereck, but kid, this time we''re not facing undead creatures."


    "Of course I know, but that''s not the reason I want them." Rhode stretched out his hands and made a gesture. "And, I want some magic materials, including ore and woods. Of course, I hope that the Mercenary Association will show me some sincerity. Provide it for free�� since I don''t have that much money to buy those things."


    "�� Alright, no problem, I agree as long as it''s not too much." The Old President took a very deep breath, reminding himself to be patient. Just think of his words as fart. Be careful not to give him any opportunity�� Although the Old President had already made a mental preparation, Rhode''s requests still left him a little bit shocked.


    "That''s right, I want to confirm. Is is considered as a mission from Mercenary Association?"

 Chapter 170 Sending the Goods Over

    Rhode closed the door and tidied up his clothes, turning around to look at Sereck. Sereck looked at Rhode and smiled bitterly. Behind the door, a person''s angry shouts and smashing sounds could be heard.


    "Don''t you think that''s too much, Rhode?" Sereck shook his head.


    "No matter what, this��"


    "Well, Mr. Sereck, you don''t have to play the victim here. I know that the Mercenary Association doesn''t really care about this." Rhode waved his hand. "My request isn''t too much, right? Even the President accepted it. I think it''s also not much of a burden for you. Indeed, if the HQ abolished the quota for a mercenary guild in the Paphield area, it will be troublesome, but it''s not really too serious right��"


    Although this matter was really serious in reality, but Rhode still acted as if he didn''t really care much about it. Letting the opponent know his limit in the middle of negotiation wasn''t really something smart.


    "Alright, I won''t say anymore." Seeing Rhode''s firm attitude, Sereck also didn''t continue to say anything. "About the people that you requested for, I will help you ask them. But I need to tell you first that I cannot make the decision: they will decide it for themselves. That''s right, since yours member still aren''t enough, do you have any other plan?"


    "Let''s just see what will happen." About this problem, Rhode still hadn''t found a way to solve it. There weren''t many talented NPCs in Deep Stone City, and especially ones that could be hired by a player. In the Paphield area, there were some NPCs who weren''t too bad, but to make them follow him wasn''t going to be easy. In the game, a player must complete the quest from an NPC to make the NPC follow the player and the time spent on the quest also wasn''t short. Especially in reality now, just how much time did he need to waste? Even looking for the NPC itself was already a problem. Now, he only had 2 months time; not only did he need to recruit people, he also needed to train them. Just like in a PVP battle, the player need to go through more than ten battles to become familiar with it. It was basically impossible for a newly joined member to get familiar with the entire group immediately. Fortunately, the skills they used weren''t complicated like a player''s, which was very complicated as everyone''s skill and talent was different. This would at least give him the advantage of being able to judge the opponent in the battle.


    "If you don''t mind, I can help you find some other mercenaries. They were forcefully dissolved before, and are now is still in the prohibition period, but haven''t found any suitable members yet. I don''t think they''re not too bad; actually, they''re quite strong. If you want, I can help you contact them."


    "No problem, but I need those four Clerics now."


    "Now?" Hearing Rhode''s answer, Sereck was a bit surprised. He carefully observed him then said. "Mr. Rhode, forgive me for saying this, but the girls in our Mercenary Association are still very pure; I hope you won''t think about anything improper. About this matter, I can''t help you out, you know? Moreover, the girls around you should already be enough, right?"


    "I need them to help me heal someone." Rhode didn''t want to say more to Sereck, so he directly stated his purpose. "She has a very heavy injury and it''s difficult for Lize to heal her alone, so I hope they also can examine her."


    "Oh?" Hearing until here, Sereck was a little bit surprised, after which he quickly nodded without hesitation. "No problem, I''ll let them prepare and go now."


    The four Clerics didn''t reject his invitation. After the previous battle, they already had a good impression of him. After Rhode said he needed their help, they quickly agreed. They packed their belongings and followed Rhode to the Starlight stronghold.


    Just like the other Starlight members, the four girls were surprised after seeing Christie. They thought that Christie and Rhode had some sort of relationship. However, as a Cleric from Mercenary Association, they behaved professionally and didn''t ask Rhode any questions. Quickly, they began to help heal Christie with Lize.


    "Christie is going to be okay, right?" Standing in front of the entrance, Marlene uneasily looked at Christie while tightly clenching her hand by the wooden door. She frowned and said.


    "There should be no problem." Rhode didn''t say anything more and only frowned. He began to think about some things. Honestly, the Old President really brought him a big problem. In his opinion, in the entire Starlight mercenary group, the only one qualified to fight with a mercenary guild''s elite group was Marlene. But she still lacked experience. Mercenaries weren''t like knights, who cared more about their pride more than their life. Some of them would show an embarrassing part of their body in order to attract the opponent''s attention. Rhode could be sure that if Marlene''s opponent suddenly took off his pants in front of her, Marlene definitely wouldn''t know what to do.


    As for Lize, although she was considered an elite in support, she was still lacking experience in battle. This was the reason why Lize''s personality was a bit soft. Moreover, it was also difficult for a Cleric to win a PVP battle��


    Anne''s quality and talent weren''t bad, but as a defender, she wouldn''t be able to utilize her role as defender in a PVP battle. Shauna had enough experience, but due to the gap in strength, she couldn''t really do much. As for Randolf and Joey�� Sigh, those two. Even though it had just been two years since they became mercenaries and they could beat a group of undead creatures, it was still impossible for them to beat an elite group with just ten years of experience.


    Thinking until here, Rhode felt that it was impossible for him to win the Midsummer Festival competition with the people around him. Although there was no problem for him, with these subordinates, he would still lose�� Should he look for a mission to fight some mountain bandits to let them experience the cruel side of humans?


    If not, then Rhode could only rely on himself to solve these problem. The summoned spirits could still be of some help. But it still made Rhode quite disappointed with his own teammates because he had worked very hard to create the mercenary group and didn''t only do it for show. If it was only for that, he wouldn''t have created it in the first place.


    On the other hand, this matter was also a test for him. If the mercenary group could cross swords with figures at the level of elites, it would be very favorable for their growth. Rhode didn''t want them to show off their skills; it was best to pretend to be a pig to prey on a tiger. There was no problem in them losing a little in the beginning; as long as they gathered enough experience, there would still be a chance to get back in the future.


    "You seem to be troubled, Mr. Rhode." Marlene looked at Rhode with a worried expression. She hesitated for a little then said.


    "A little. We will face a big problem after this�� but saying it right now is meaningless. I will prepare for everything. Don''t you want to go to rest, Ms. Marlene?"


    "There''s no need." Hearing Rhode''s inquiry, Marlene only shook her head. She turned around and continued to look toward the wooden door.


    "I''ll wait here."


    "Where''s Anne?"


    "She''s in the kitchen. She said that she wanted to cook something delicious for Christie, but I think she''ll help herself first��"


    When the two of them were talking, Shauna walked toward them, paid respect to Rhode, and then said. "Report, Sir. Mr. Sereck has arrived with three people."


    "Eh?" Hearing Shauna''s report, Rhode curiously frowned.


    "Who?"


    "They''re all leaders of a mercenary group. According to Sereck, they seemed to want to join your mercenary group."


    "Is that so��" Hearing until here, Rhode nodded and patted Marlene on the shoulder. After that, he followed Shauna downstairs.


    When they arrived at the hall, Rhode could see Sereck with three fully-armored men.


    One of the men attracted Rhode''s attention.


    He was burly and almost 2 meters tall. From afar, he looked like an iron tower. His skin was tan and he had a bright smile. He was laughing loudly with Sereck beside him, unlike the other two men beside him. He was wearing a heavy armor, and behind him was a huge, two-handed sword. He was chatting with Sereck happily, as if he didn''t care about what would happen next.


    The other two mercenaries also has their own unique characteristics. One of them was aplump middle-aged man, listening to Sereck and the other mercenary''s conversation. His white face looked more like a merchant than a mercenary. But even so, Rhode could tell his true strength from the fluttering dagger in his fingers. The other had a serious expression on his face. His posture was straight and he was looking forward. It could be seen that he was of military origin and had received formal military training.


    It seemed Sereck really put in a lot of effort.


    Thinking until here, Rhode''s eyes narrowed. He was calculating something inside his heart.

 Chapter 171 Three Swordsmen

    It was just as Rhode had guessed; these three people were brought by Sereck to join his mercenary group. Their situation actually wasn''t considered rare in the Paphield area. When the prohibition was announced, some mercenary groups received very heavy casualties and couldn''t help but disband. Shauna''s Red Hawk was also one of them, but it didn''t mean that all mercenary group suffering had ended. They were trying to persevere, but in the end they couldn''t help but to give in. These three people weren''t an exception.


    "I don''t think you recognize them, but it''s no wonder considering that they usually aren''t here. This time, were it not because of the emergency, they also wouldn''t come here�� Let me introduce you to them."


    While saying this, Sereck reached out his hand and made a gesture toward the tall man who was talking with him. "This is the Coyote mercenary group leader, Obertan."


    "Yo, hello, Mr. Rhode." Hearing that Sereck has introduced him, the huge man stood up and waved his hand toward Rhode. His voice was loud and earth-wrecking, and even Rhode''s heart almost jumped out. However, his emotionless face brought a good advantage. Although he almost got heart attack after hearing that earth-wrecking voice, Rhode''s face was still calm as usual. He only nodded and greeted him.


    At this moment, the plump fatty also gave him a friendly smile, taking off his hat and putting it in front of his chest. After that, he bowed toward Rhode.


    "Hello, Mr. Rhode. I''m the Lynx mercenary group leader, Kavos. I''ve heard of you; it''s my pleasure meeting you in person. Honestly, you and your mercenary group is very famous in our Paphield region. Especially when you brought your mercenary group to Silent Highland to save our fellow mercenaries from undead creatures. I''m really impressed by it��"


    "Enough enough, Kavos. Shut up." Hearing that this fatty had begun to chatter, Sereck quickly shut his mouth up and coughed. Then he look at the last person.


    "This is the Condor mercenary group''s leader, Derick.


    After Sereck introduced him, this man who was surrounded by sharp air suddenly stood up and nodded to Rhode.


    "Hello."


    Rhode also nodded back. At the same time he was also pondering, since no matter what, these three people were too similar. Judging from their appearance��


    "Just as you''ve guessed, Rhode." Looking at Rhode expression, Sereck already knew what Rhode was thinking about, so he immediately gave him the answer.


    "The three of them are brothers; it''s weird right, hahaha. Three brothers established three different mercenary groups and reached this point�� You guys are just too pathetic."


    "You cannot blame us for this, Mr. Sereck." Facing Sereck''s ridicule, Kavos, who looked like a merchant, only shook his head helplessly.


    "Everyone tried their best. It''s just that our luck is too bad. You don''t have to speak so sarcastically, right. Hehe, since we��"


    "Enough enough, I''m not here to talk bullsh*t with you." Sereck waved his hand and no longer pay attention to Kavos, but looked toward Rhode.


    "I''ll leave the three of them in your care. These people were my subordinates once, so I have faith in the three of them. Obertan is a very remarkable two-handed swordsman. Although Kavos is a little talkative, he''s a good thief. As for Derick�� you''ve already seen that he''s a very serious person. I think the three of them are suitable for your mercenary group. Of course, not only them, but also their subordinates."


    "I understand, Mr. Sereck." Having said that, Rhode didn''t reply immediately. To the contrary, he made an eye contact with Sereck and implicitly asked whether he had told them about the mercenary guild matter. But Sereck''s expression showed his denial��clearly, he knew that this matter couldn''t be talked about casually. If it was known by other mercenary groups that the quota of a mercenary guild in the Paphield region was going to be abolished, they would definitely go mad.


    Those mercenary groups weren''t considered too strong, always ranking behind Burning Blade and Dark Fang. They could barely create a threat either. But it was two different things. Just like famous universities: they have a quota for new students from various regions. Each year, thousands of candidates desperately study to achieve that quota. Although they also know that the probability was less than one-thousandth, whatever the outcome, there was still a hope, right?


    If right now they directly told them that the university wouldn''t accept anymore candidates��


    Without thinking hard, the association would already be able to guess what might happen. Originally, they already received a very huge blow because of the continuous incidents that happened in the Paphield region. If they rubbed salt into their wounds, then a big problem would definitely occur�� The mercenaries definitely wouldn''t continue to stay in a hopeless place like this.


    Naturally, the Old President and Sereck were hiding this news. They only talked about this matter with the top three mercenary groups. But Hiller was unable to accept this heavy responsibility and Shawn clearly didn''t want to do it either. RIght now, the only person who could do it was Rhode.


    "Then, you guys can slowly get to know each other. I''ll leave first."


    While Rhode dozed off for a few moments, Sereck left. Rhode only noticed when Sereck finally left. He walked toward the three people and waved his hand, then sat down again.


    "Then�� nice to meet the three of you." Rhode was silent, but in the end, he still chose the direct approach.


    "But I hope you guys can answer me this question. Why did the three of you choose to join my mercenary group?"


    "It''s like this, Mr. Rhode." Hearing Rhode''s question, the three of them weren''t surprised. They glanced toward each other before finally Kavon spoke. He clasped his hands, showed his warm smile, and said, "It''s not strange for you to doubt this matter, but we have our own reasons��


    "You might not know that your Starlight mercenary group shook the entire Paphield area and became a discussion topic for many mercenaries. I''m not afraid to tell you the truth: there''s only a few strong mercenary group in the Paphield area, and people like us can only pick up the remains left by them. But because this kind of incident suddenly happened, no one''s life was good. Not to mention that the Dark Fang mercenary group is always secretive and mysterious, totally different from us. And although the Burning Blade mercenary group is strong, but they have a lot of problems�� and they have a lot of members, so I don''t think they would even consider us. However, your Starlight mercenary group is different. Frankly, in our opinion, Starlight is stronger than Burning Blade. You don''t have to refute it; this is a fact. You saved them once in the Twilight Forest, right? As the saying goes, people walk toward higher positions. Every mercenary always hopes to join a strong mercenary group for benefits. Moreover, unlike Burning Blade, you don''t have many members. Of course, I don''t mean to say it''s a problem, but I think numbers also play a big part in a mercenary group. Although your strength is strong enough to face many problems, if you received more help, it would be a lot easier for you, right? That''s why we think if we could join Starlight, then we can at least help you regarding this��"


    "I understand what you mean." Hearing until here, Rhode nodded. Of course he knew what Kavos meant. Indeed, no matter how strong Starlight was, it wasn''t invincible. Sometimes, lot of members were needed. The Burning Blade mercenary group always maintained the first place position for so many years, so to them, numbers weren''t a problem. That was why even if they joined Burning Blade, they wouldn''t be treated well. However, Starlight was different; although they were stronger than Burning Blade, their numbers were too little. It was just like a legendary swordmaster; no matter how strong he was, he would not be be able to split the earth in half. It was also impossible for him to cook and wash by himself�� He still needed support in those parts.


    That''s why they thought by joining Starlight, they at least wouldn''t be treated as badly as they would in Burning Blade since they didn''t really care about numbers, but��


    "But, are you guys qualified to do so?" Rhode''s words made the three of them surprised, but he didn''t stop there and continued to speak. "Indeed, we''re still lacking in numbers, but we haven''t reached the limit�� Since Mr. Sereck recommended you guys, I believe that you must have reached a certain standard, but whether it reaches my standard��"


    Having said that, Rhode spread his hands and coldly looked at the three of them. "It''s still uncertain."


    Rhode understood what Kavos was trying to achieve. Mercenaries were just as sly as merchants. From the first time, his enthusiastic and blunt speeches were all directed to himself. This made people think that they were sincere, or at the very least, not nonsense. It was smarter than people who said meaningless nonsense like "I admire Starlight" or "I think you''re the greatest mercenary commander here."


    However, he naturally couldn''t follow along smoothly. If they wanted to join his mercenary group, then they must have the strength to do so. He needed to let them know who the real master was here. Only he could decide whether they could join or not; it wouldn''t happen just because they were lobbying.


    If Rhode just agreed after hearing their words, it would leave an impression of him being too soft and easily be moved. A weak leader wasn''t suited to be a leader. Even though what they said was right, he still had to interrupt it and gave them a new direction.


    "This��" Hearing until here, Kavos''s expression changed. He glanced toward his two brothers, and the huge man stopped smiling just now, clearly dissatisfied with Rhode while the other man stayed silent. Rhode didn''t know what he was thinking about.


    "Since the three of you are very familiar with my mercenary group, then you must know about a rule here." Seeing that he had the upper hand right now, Rhode didn''t plan to give it up, wanting to control the situation, and started to put pressure on them.


    Hearing until here, Kavos expression turned serious and nodded.


    Starlight''s weird contract had spread among mercenaries. Rhode didn''t plan to hide it since the beginning. For insurance, another copy of the contract was kept by the Mercenary Association. Since this matter was known to the Mercenary Association, of course mercenaries knew about it too and everyone was shocked by it.


    Rhode''s approach had led to two different opinions in the mercenary groups in the Paphield region. One said that it was considered traditional desecration and lacked respect for mercenaries, treating them as goods and slaves, not human beings. It was just too inhumane for their existence to be symbolized by a contract, and if their performance wasn''t good, they would be expelled. Once a mercenary joined a mercenary group, the mercenary group would be their home, so how could they not guard their home properly? What Rhode did was too inhumane and wouldn''t be welcomed by anyone.


    On the other hand, the other side was very supportive of Rhode''s behavior. They thought this method would help stimulate a mercenary''s passion, and the content of the contract could easily solve many troubles that often happened in a mercenary group, such as loot distribution and what happened if a mercenary was injured. Before, everyone had their own idea, and the result of this trivial matter could make the entire mercenary group feel uncomfortable. With a contract, written in black and white, more contribution would be awarded with more reward. The contract itself was known by everyone, so they didn''t have to worry about who out of the force took more. They didn''t have to worry about someone going back on their words. This was a lot better than bickering on their own. After all, they still valued the contract and this form of agreement because they could rely on the mercenary group to make money. Going back on their own words could be said the biggest taboo in the mercenary circle.


    When Rhode reminded them about this matter, the three of them knew that the important part was coming.


    "Mr. Sereck trusts you guys, but I don''t trust you guys. I trust Sereck, but my trust isn''t unconditional." Having said that, Rhode reached out two fingers on his right hand.


    "I hope you guys can sign a contract. The contract valid for two years and I can renew your contract when it expires if your performance satisfies me. Like everyone else, if you can successfully renew the contract three times, you can stay in this mercenary group forever. I will give you a copy of the specific terms in the contract. I hope you can give me a reply after you discuss it."


    Having said that, Rhode stood up and looked at the three of them. Now, he finally had full control of the situation.


    "I hope we can have a satisfying beginning."

 Chapter 172 Gillians Suggestion

    In the end, Kavos and the others brought the contract Rhode had given them and left. Beside the yearly term of the contract, almost everything was the same as with other mercenary groups. Of course, Rhode wasn''t expecting them to agree to it immediately. When Kavos left, he asked for Rhode''s permission to bring the contract back so he could discuss with his subordinates and see whether they wanted to accept or not. They made this kind of decision because they saw that the terms written in the contract were indeed fair. After reading it carefully, they admitted that it was a very persuasive contract and not a slave contract as they had previously imagined. If Rhode could fulfill the terms in the contract, then they also wouldn''t mind it.


    Unfortunately, Rhode had forgotten about these pitiful men after they left because he had more important things to do.


    Healing Christie took a longer time than he had expected. Although Lize told him before that her condition was very bad and it would take a lot of time to heal her, Rhode didn''t expect even that with five high level Clerics, it would still take about an entire day. Until late afternoon, after the sun went down, Lize and the four other clerics finally walked out from the room full of sweat.


    The girl''s injury was a lot more severe than they had thought.


    The other four Clerics told him that even though her injury had been healed, with her weak condition, it was still easy for her to get sick. However, her condition was already much better than before. Rhode showed his gratitude to the four of them and told Lize to bring them to get a meal and rest. After that, he entered Christie''s room.


    Her room was located beside Rhode''s room; she was the second person to live in the 3rd floor. Although Rhode wanted Christie to live with Anne, Marlene, and Lize, because of what happened afterward she was very attached to him and didn''t want to leave him. Because it was useless to persuade her, Rhode could only accept it. Although Christie was very weak, she firmly held onto her will; even if Rhode and Anne have persuaded her, she still wouldn''t want to change her mind. She only pulled at Rhode''s clothes and silently looked at him��


    Rhode was helpless and could only let her do what she wanted to.


    From that moment on, Rhode finally began to worry. He felt uneasy for her to stay in the guest room alone. Perhaps he needed someone to take care of her. Of course, those mercenaries couldn''t do that. They didn''t have time, but Rhode had planned it from the beginning. That was also the reason why Rhode asked for the Clerics from the Mercenary Association. He didn''t plan on asking them to fight in front line with Lize, but his mercenary group did lack support. Since he had interacted with them before in the Silent Highland and they also seemed quite nice, it wouldn''t be difficult to select one of them to take care of Christie. Although he would be more assured with Lize, she couldn''t keep staying in the stronghold. When she left for a mission, he needed to find someone to replace Lize''s position.


    Rhode calmed his mind and walked inside the room.


    Soon, he saw the girl who asleep in the bed.


    Compared with before, her face looked a lot better. Her pale face had become rosy and her breath a lot steadier. Previously, she kept coughing non-stop. It seemed that the medical expertise in this world wasn''t too bad. If it was on Earth, with Christie''s previous condition, she would have to stay in the hospital for at a year or two to recover. Even if she was healed, she would still have to consume medicine everyday and spend her life in bed��just like his sister.


    Rhode shook his head and threw away his thought. When he came beside Christie and looked at her, he reached out his hand to tidy up her long hair. Frankly, looking at the girl who looked the same as him, Rhode didn''t know how to face her. He only stood there and looked at her silently. It was enough for him to look at her sleeping face.


    "Aiya, such a cute looking girl."


    At this time, a high pitched voice suddenly echoed from Rhode''s ear. It didn''t wake Christie up. Hearing this sudden voice, Rhode didn''t seem to be surprised.


    "What do you think, Gillian?"


    "Me?"


    Hearing Rhode''s question the Fire Elemental Commander spirit shrugged. She smiled and answered, "Isn''t this good, Master? She''s a very very very cute girl and she definitely will grow into a very beautiful person just like you. Ah, that''s not right; she''ll be more welcomed than you. Look at her: gentle, well behaved, and cute. Ah�� it makes people wanted to hold her tight and protect her. I''ve decided, Master! When you summon me again I''ll protect her and no one will be able to stop me!"


    "You know I''m not talking about that."


    Rhode patted her shoulder and pulled Gillian, who sounded extremely happy, back into reality.


    "Her body�� do you have any way?"


    Christie''s body condition didn''t become better. According to those Clerics, because she lived in a bad environment, her body condition had deteriorated and they couldn''t do anything about it. They only suggested for her to rest and drink medicine to improve her health and nourish her body. However, this was only a temporary solution to the problem. For him, this approach was obviously not enough.


    "Eh? You really hope to save her, Master? It''s really a pity; in my opinion, a sickly person is cute�� Hm, but since you want me to say the truth then I can only say sorry�� I can''t. Since I am a Fire Elemental Commander, I can do anything with the fire attributes, but I can''t do anything about others. Moreover, this kid doesn''t belong to the fire attributes, which is why unfortunately, I can''t help."


    "Then you mean, there''s someone who could help?" Hearing Gillian answer, Rhode frowned, but Gillian didn''t seem to be sure in answering his question.


    "About this matter, I''m not certain, Master. Humans are the most complicated creature in this world, so maybe a normal human wouldn''t be able to do it. Not to mention, Christie was born with weak body and it''s not due to a curse or magic. With this kind of body, we also can''t help it. If it''s a curse, perhaps I''ll be able to help, but�� hm�� from what I''ve seen, if we want to heal her completely, I am afraid we can only go to the three archangels. Maybe they will have a solution. Since their race interacts with humans the most, even resurrecting the dead won''t be a problem for them, I think. However, Christie''s body contains dark power; it may also be a bad thing to ask for their help. Or you can look for the vampire that''s part of the four legendary generals; they have always liked to turn humans into undead creatures. If Little Christie became an undead creatures, then her body wouldn''t be sickly anymore."


    "Are there any normal methods?"


    Hearing Gillian''s answer, Rhode shook his head. Of course he didn''t want to use that kind of method since it won''t be good for Christie.


    "If there''s no choice, you can also look for the five Elemental Commanders that command the five elements, since they control all of the elements in this world. They might be able to interfere with her body condition to some extent."


    Having said that, Gillian clearly looked helpless.


    "Or, I think the best choice is to look for the five Dragon Creators. Since they''re the one that created this world, they might be able to do something about their own creation. Didn''t you beat them once in the game? Just beat them again and put a collar on them. I don''t think they would refuse your request."


    "If it''s just as easy as you''ve said, then I wouldn''t be suffering so much now."


    Rhode lifted his head and took a deep breath. The girl before him seemed to have felt something and echoed a sound. After that, she turned her body around and fell into a deep sleep once again.


    "But�� Master, I don''t think you have to be that worried. Perhaps nothing will happen to Little Christie. My intuition said so, Master. You have to believe in a woman''s intuition! I can guarantee that nothing will happen!"


    "If woman''s intuition is useful, then no lottery winners would be men."


    After Rhode uttered his sarcastic words, Gillian once again disappeared. Rhode couldn''t help but to shake his head. Right now, he was already completely speechless facing this Elemental Commander. She suddenly appeared, then disappeared. Rhode already decided that until he reached Level 20, he needed to think of a way to pull her out to avoid her scared him in the middle of the night. It was definitely not a good experience.


    But�� her suggestion wasn''t too bad.


    "Archangel, right��?


    Rhode muttered and looked out the window. It was dark, but there was a trace of light twinkling from afar��


    Perhaps, he really had to work harder.

 Chapter 173 The Future Plan

    Kavos and his brothers moved fast. On the morning of the third day, they brought their subordinates to register in the stronghold. After everyone signed the contract, Rhode arranged their rooms. Although their numbers still weren''t considered a lot, they still had about 25 people. It took an entire day for him to resolve everything. Unlike before, Rhode completely separated their rooms. The original stronghold was an upside down T-shape. There was a three-story old building in front of it. In the center, the straight main building extended backward. Rhode had also made some adjustments according to its shape. On the first floor, most of the rooms were public facilities, such as weapon rooms, halls, and lounges. It was the common standard for a stronghold. Even those mercenaries were surprised when they actually saw a small blacksmith''s workshop. According to what Rhode had said, as members of this mercenary group, they could use this room freely to maintain and repair their own weapons and equipment. This was naturally good for them.


    About the rooms, Rhode also had made some adjustments. Rhode arranged it according to their sex. The male mercenaries were assigned to the first and second floor on the left side of the main building and the female mercenaries were assigned on the second and third floor on the right side of the main building. Although their numbers were quite a lot, because this estate was originally owned by a large family��not to mention the servant rooms��it could still fit about thirty to forty people in.


    None of this was a problem, but Kavos and the others'' positions were a little bit awkward for Rhode.


    In theory, they were all his subordinates. However, their position was a little bit hard to say because Kavos and his brothers had subordinates of decent strength, threatening Shauna''s position. She knew that her subordinates'' strength was mediocre, not to mention Randolf and others (they needed to be trained for quite some time). At first, they thought if they kept going on like this, there wouldn''t be any problem for them to keep staying here. But suddenly, a lot of veterans suddenly came. Shauna couldn''t help but felt uneasy. She knew that she couldn''t compare her strength to them, but she wasn''t willing to let them walk over her pride. After all, mercenary groups arranged wages according to position; of course, the one who joined first was in higher position. But it still depended on their reputation, position, and strength. Starlight was a newly established mercenary group, so no one was familiar with each other. The most trusted and influential people here would be Lize, Marlene, and Anne. Lize could already be considered a real veteran; her time in this mercenary group was even longer than Rhode''s. The next one was Marlene; even though she came later, her position as a mage and her identity could guarantee her position in this mercenary group. Lastly, Anne, as a shield warrior, was the most concerned and supportive person in the group since she played the role of a life saver.


    That''s why the Starlight mercenary group structure was quite weird. Rhode was on the top, while below him was Lize, Marlene, and Anne. Although Shauna and Old Walker joined the mercenary group for not to long, they gained Rhode''s trust, so they''re placed in third. As for Randolf and the others, as newcomers, they''re placed last.


    However, unlike other mercenary groups, Lize and Anne didn''t seem to care about their authority. And although Marlene issued an order in Rhode''s stead, it was only temporary because she didn''t really care about it. That''s why Shauna lived very well in Starlight. The second-in-command ladies didn''t have their own subordinates while she led the rest of the Starlight mercenaries. On the surface, her role was important in Starlight.


    But now facing Kavos, Obertan, and Derick''s existence, she needed to work hard so she wouldn''t fall to the fourth level. If that happened, her life wouldn''t be as good as it had been before.


    Of course, as a woman, Shauna also knew others method to help her maintain her position, but she didn''t plan to do so. Firstly, it was because she had a very high pride as a female mercenary; else, she wouldn''t have chosen to create her own mercenary group independently in the first place. Secondly, she didn''t think that kind of method would work on Rhode, since he already had enough beautiful women around him. In addition, he was also very beautiful. Yes, in this area, Shauna didn''t have any advantage.


    In Shauna''s opinion, a mercenary group authority was just like a pyramid, but in Rhode''s opinion, it was more like concentric circles with him at the center. The people who were nearest to the center were more trustworthy to him.


    That was why, from his point of view, Shauna was definitely more trustworthy than Kavos. Indeed, they were stronger, but sometimes stronger meant more demand. They might be not satisfied with their current position and wanted. From the previous conversation with Kavos, Rhode was aware that they wanted more.


    However, Rhode absolutely wouldn''t allow anyone to ask for more when he didn''t want it.


    In online games, the power struggle in a player guild was also very troubling. Some people had the ability, but were not interested in management. Some people have the ability, and demand high status and power. And some people have no ability, but still intend to look for trouble to achieve a status��


    The reason Rhode could turn Starlight from small guild into an invincible top guild, gain achievements, and defeat bosses for so many years was because he had a lot of talented subordinates. Otherwise, he definitely wouldn''t be able to do it alone. However, when selecting his members, Rhode had his personal considerations. As for other things, he could let others take care of them. But in some things, he had to do it on his own, and this showed his demeanor as a leader. This couldn''t be achieved by only strength and equipment.


    As for Shauna''s doubts, he quickly gave an answer. Shauna would still be in charge of leading her subordinates and staying at the stronghold, but Rhode would also add several people from the newly recruited mercenaries to enhance her strength. They couldn''t stop guarding the stronghold just because of a shortage of manpower. Just like before when they went to High Cliff Village, Rhode only left Old Walker and Lapis to guard the stronghold. Fortunately, the Jade Tears mercenary group had been destroyed by them, or else he would have worried that they would send some bullies to make trouble. What they did already made enough trouble for him.


    Now they had enough members, Rhode didn''t want to bring people who were responsible to guard the stronghold to complete the mission. He wanted Shauna to focus on her own work. As for Kavos and others, they would follow him to complete missions. Through this, Rhode would be able to judge whether they were trustworthy or not and trustworthy to what extent.


    After getting Rhode''s reply, Shauna was finally relieved. She turned around and walked away to continue her job. She wasn''t stupid; of course, she understood what Rhode had meant. Those newly appointed mercenaries would be assessed by her. Since they were old veterans from other mercenary groups, they might have their own small circle. The reason Rhode gave this job to her was to see whether she could solve this problem by herself. If she could do it, naturally she would be able to keep her position.


    If she couldn''t��


    Shauna, of course, understood what would happen, but she was willing to take on this challenge because she thought that she had the strength to do so,


    On the other hand, Rhode had also made a change to the structure. He chose someone to be his vice leader. Of course, the vice leader wasn''t responsible for scheming behind the scenes, but dealt with trivial matters and relaying his younger brother''s orders. Although this position looked unimportant, it was absolutely optional. Even if mercenary groups weren''t as strict as the military, when battling, they still needed someone who would relay the order.


    Rhode''s decision was very interesting. He appointed Randolf to be his vice leader.


    This meant that when the mercenary group started battling, whether it was Kavos or those people who were once a leader or those veterans, everyone had to receive orders from a newbie who had only been a mercenary for two years.


    ��


    Rhode used this to remind them who the boss was here.


    After he finished managing all of this, Rhode finally had the leisure to see the current mercenary group situation.


    While the mercenaries were busy adapting to the new environment, Rhode sat in the study room and dozed off while reading the book in front of him.


    It wasn''t an adventure book or a secret manual, but to Rhode, this book was very important because it had a very important function. It could investigate the information of his subordinates to a certain extent.


    Previously, Rhode didn''t really care about its functions, but facing the upcoming Midsummer Festival in two months, he needed to understand his subordinates'' current situation.


    The current stronghold was level 1, which was why everyone''s information wasn''t complete. Rhode could only see their race, talent, special characteristic, and state of health; as for the rest, everything was hidden. Followed by the stronghold level upgrade, Rhode would be able to see their normal information and even their hidden talent and such. At that time, Rhode would be able to assign a regime for them based on their hidden talent so they would improve significantly.


    Now, what appeared on the book was Lize''s information.


    Lize Noir


    Race: Mixed Race (God)


    Talent Reward: Excellent physique, learning talent


    Talent Penalty: Attribute reduction in evil territory


    Job: Cleric


    Hidden Attribute: ??


    Divine Knowledge: LV4


    Other Job: Pharmacist


    Proficiency: ??


    Physical Condition: Healthy


    Although this information looked simple, it was still quite useful. He was already familiar with Lize''s attributes in the first place, which was why he didn''t feel strange when he read her information. Thinking until here, Rhode thought for a moment and flipped to the next page. More information appeared before him, displaying the information of the person on his mind.


    Marlene Senia


    Race: Human


    Talent Reward: Learning talent, high affinity with element


    Talent Penalty: Low resistance toward illness and poison


    Job: Mage


    Hidden Attribute: Five Elements, ??


    Magic Level: 6th Layer Middle Circle


    Other Job: Alchemist


    Proficiency: ??


    Physical Condition: Healthy


    "Oh?"


    Seeing this, Rhode was quite surprised. He had noticed that Marlene had improved, but he only just realized that her improvement was really quite fast. Of course, it was still according to an NPC speed. For players, it could only be considered average, but taking into account that Marlene wasn''t a player and was unable to distribute skill points to level up, yet the fact she could still reach player level standard, meant she could be considered a genius.


    Having seen this, Rhode frowned. In his opinion, Marlene was very powerful. Should he train her like a player? But from the previous battle, Rhode had noticed that the NPCs in the game had two weaknesses; they had too few skills and too few offensive moves, which was the same in reality. Marlene had enough talent and her leveling speed was also fast, but if she could learn more offensive skills, it would be a lot better for her.


    After all, what she mostly learned theory from the professors in the Magic Academy, while on the other hand, players were exploring mostly pure, practical skills. Although the players commonly thought that Palm Ice Sword + Lightning Chain was a mage''s most powerful combo, they also wouldn''t mind using three continuous fireballs. As long as the situation was right, they could use any of them. However, Marlene was too focused on academic theories; her bad habits as a top student were exposed here. Delicate and stable combat skill, but lack of flexibility because she pursued a perfect performance. It was nothing but a regime. During the battle with the mercenary group, the moves that Marlene used were just those several moves. Even though Rhode had reminded her to be more flexible, she only made some changes on surface and not in depth changes.


    Rhode knew that it wasn''t that Marlene didn''t want to change, but that she had no idea how to change. It was no wonder; thousands of players had to discuss on the web for several years to finally get fighting techniques. It would be too monstrous if she could think about it alone.


    However, Rhode felt that Marlene could work harder because he hoped she could use her skills to lead the team, but the only problem was that he couldn''t bet everything on her. Although he didn''t say it, but he was very clear that Marlene wouldn''t stay in Starlight forever.


    Thinking until here, Rhode shrugged his shoulder and tossed aside the troubles. After that, he reached out his hand to flip another page.


    At this time, he suddenly heard a sound, and a system prompt immediately appeared before him.


    [System Prompt: Your mercenary group has reached the requirement to level up. Do you wish to accept the leveling-up quest?]

 Chapter 174 Stronghold Level Up Ques

    Seeing this system prompt, Rhode was surprised. After a while, he finally reacted.


    His stronghold had reached the requirement to level up?


    Thinking until here, Rhode put down the book in his hand and quickly looked at his mercenary group information.


    Name: Starlight


    Size: Small


    Leader: Rhode Alander


    Members: 42 people


    Stronghold: 1 (medium)


    Level: 1


    Reputation: Regional Level


    Facilities: Hall (LV: 1), Study (LV: 1), Bedroom (LV: 1)


    Unexpectedly, his mercenary group''s reputation had spread out really quickly.


    Seeing his Regional Level reputation, Rhode could not believe it, but after thinking about it carefully, he no longer thought so. Right now, his Starlight mercenary group was indeed very famous in the Paphield region. After all, the things he did had spread among mercenaries, and it was no wonder his mercenary group''s reputation would increase that quickly. In fact, Rhodes had not thought about it in the beginning since he thought that he needed to complete as many missions as possible to reach a higher reputation like he did in the game before. However, it seemed that reality and in-game were really quite different.


    Thinking until here, Rhode accepted the level-up quest and carefully read the content.


    The quest itself wasn''t too complicated: it only asked Rhode to go to a mountain in the central Paphield region, look for a Mystery Ball, and bring it back. After that, his stronghold would automatically level up.


    This quest wasn''t too difficult, but Rhode thought that it was a little bit fishy.


    He had completed many level-up quests in the past but he had never encountered such a thing. He knew that the Mystery Ball was an artifact. However, most were used for structural purposes and supplied magic guides for science and technology. It wasn''t related to mercenary groups at all. In the game, mercenary groups were able to upgrade when they had reached the number of people and reputation required. After that, a system prompt would appear. If the leader had enough money and material, then he would be able to level up immediately. Those quest were only decoration and has never been too much of an importance.


    But right now, if he didn''t complete the quest, he would be unable to level up? I''ve never heard of such thing.


    Having such a doubt on his mind, Rhode carefully observed the quest once again. The location was in Black Pine Ruins of the central Paphield region. He had gone there a few times in the game before. It was an ordinary dungeon; the only special thing about that place was that it was necessary to visit if a player wanted to change their job into Alchemist or obtain some alchemical material. The Mystery Ball was one of the equipments that showed up there, but Rhode could swear that he had never found the object to be related with leveling strongholds.


    But now, they''re actually related to each other.


    He couldn''t really do anything about it. He hesitated for a while, but still accepted the quest in the end.


    The truth was that Rhode didn''t really want to accept this quest because it had a time limit. He needed to finish it within half a month; the time was too tight for him. He didn''t want to waste his time looking for an artifact, but in the end, he still accepted the quest. Because the reward after finishing that quest was that he would be able to build a training field in the stronghold.


    The training field introduction said that it would be able to "simulate real environment, combat training, and increase movement speed." He immediately decided to do the quest. If he really got it, then after he built the training field, he would be able to conduct more standardized and systematic training for his subordinates and their strength would improve further, which was essential for Rhode.


    But this time, Rhode didn''t plan to bring his mercenaries with him. Since this quest was secret, he didn''t want many people to go with him. Rhode decided that since it was a Level 10 dungeon and he had already reached Level 18, it would be no problem for him to go by himself based on his current strength as a Spirit Swordsman. Of course, for insurance, Rhode also decided to bring someone along. As for those newly recruited mercenary groups, it would be better for them to stay here so they could adapt to their new environment. Although the place was quite far from the Deep Stone City, since Rhode had defeated that black-cloaked mage, the air passage from Deep Stone City toward other area was no longer attacked, so it was open once again. By riding the floating ship, he would be able to reach his destination within half a day. With his current strength, it would only take him three to four days to go back; it wouldn''t waste too much time.


    "�� Rhode�� it''s already noon, let''s eat together��"


    "Alright, I''m coming now." Seeing the girl''s figure, Rhode wryly smiled. He stood up, walked toward Christie, and they left together.


    After they arrived at Deep Stone City, Christie didn''t have to work too hard like before. In any case, with her current physical condition, it would be impossible for her to do heavy work. Before, the people in High Cliff Village didn''t treat her as a human; as long as she could do it, they would make her do everything. They even made her carry a sack of wheat. Could you even imagine a weak girl like Christie carrying a sack of wheat almost as big as her, dragging it forward, and stopping from time to time to cough?


    Lize and others, of course, didn''t want her to do those kind of things. From their point of view, since Christie had finally escaped from her suffering, she should have lived like an ordinary girl and enjoy her life. However, Christie, who was living in poverty since young, didn''t think so. She thought that she couldn''t enjoy her life unconditionally; since she had been given such a beautiful life and everyone loved her so much, she needed to do something to repay them and shouldn''t take it for granted.


    However, her condition was really too bad. Even if she was only cleaning the room, it would still make people worry. In the end, Marlene found a job where Christie didn''t have to work; it was to call Rhode when it was time to eat or ask him when he would like a cup of tea or when he would like to sleep��


    This job was no different than a maid''s, but different from a maid''s. Christie didn''t have to do any physical work like serving tea or cleaning�� Her body was really too weak and would need time to heal gradually. She spent most of her time resting in the room and only left the room to eat, sleep, ask Rhode how was he doing, and say goodnight.


    Rhode quickly arrived in the dining room on the second floor while holding Christie''s hand. Marlene and Anne had already prepared everything and were only waiting for their arrival.


    Seeing Rhode, everyone greeted him, and then they started to enjoy the feast on the table.


    At this moment, Rhode suddenly spoke up with the decision he had made. "I''ll be going out these two days; I''ll leave the mercenary group to you guys."


    "Going out?" Hearing Rhode''s words, Marlene, who was holding bread, suddenly frowned.


    "Go where, Mr. Rhode? Should we��"


    "There''s no need." Rhode shook his head.


    "I''m going to Central Paphield to do something. I can''t explain in detail, but this matter is related with our mercenary group stronghold. I want to adjust it and I found the method, so I want to try it."


    "Do you really have to go?" Lize curiously asked while pouring fragrant soup for Christie.


    "Mr. Rhode, recently there are newly recruited members in our mercenary group. If you''re not here�� I''m afraid there will be problems."


    "Those guys won''t look for our trouble." Rhode shook his head. Those mercenaries didn''t dare look for trouble; if they did anything, then it wouldn''t be good for Sereck, who introduced them here. Moreover, Kavos guaranteed him before that his subordinates were trustworthy�� Hopefully what they''ve said was right.


    Thinking until here, Rhode looked up toward Marlene. "Marlene, these few days, I''ll leave the mercenary group to you. If anything happens, don''t panic��just wait for me. If it''s too troublesome, you can just solve it yourself. I believe in your judgement."


    Hearing Rhode''s words, Marlene stopped moving and nodded with serious expression. "I understand, Mr. Rhode. Rest assured, I guarantee nothing will happen."


    "Very well." After hearing Marlene''s answer, Rhode nodded in satisfaction. After that, he looked at the golden-haired girl who was sitting on the chair with her legs crossed, while eating the food before her without reservation.


    "Anne?"


    "Hm? Whaht? Loeawder? U�� u��!!!"


    The girl was busily eating when Rhode called her name. She quickly looked up and answered, but she had forgotten about the food stuffed in her mouth and choked. The poor girl quickly put away the food in her hands. At the same time, Lize quickly stood up and patted her back. Christie also quickly brought a glass of water before her.


    "Big Sister Anne, be careful, drink water��"


    "U�� Pu..A!!!"


    She finally recovered and took the water that Christie handed to her. After drinking a mouthful of water, she rubbed her mouth and looked at Rhode. "Leader, what can I help you?"


    Hearing Anne''s question, Rhode reached out his hands and placed it on his forehead then said, "This time, you will come with me. You have nothing to do anyways, right?"

 Chapter 175 Before Departure

    "Let Anne go?"


    Hearing Rhode mention her name, Anne curiously leaned her head to the side. After thinking for a while, she nodded.


    "No problem, Leader. Anne will follow you wherever you go."


    After saying it, Anne went back to focusing on the food before her and began to eat again. It seemed that she didn''t care about what Rhode told her to do; she''d do it anyways. As for why Rhode chose her, what were they going to do? It didn''t seem to have anything to do with her? If she had the time to think about the answer, it would be better spent eating the bread before her.


    "Do you want me to go with you too, Mr. Rhode?" Lize and Marlene glanced at each other, then both of them said.


    "There''s no need."


    Rhode shook his head. The Black Pine ruins weren''t that troublesome anyways and there''s also no undead creatures. Lize, as a Cleric, didn''t have to go with him; it would be too much of a waste. At first, Rhode didn''t plan to bring Anne along; it was just that he couldn''t bring the Mystery Ball back by himself. Although judging from its name, it didn''t seem too big, but ping pong balls were also balls, as were basketballs and the moon�� Rhode didn''t think that he would have the power to lift up a moon. Originally, in the game, to take the Mystery Ball, one would need a barbarian class character. However, Rhode didn''t have any barbarians as his subordinates, but Anne, as a half beast, was also not bad�� at least she was a lot stronger than him.


    "I hope these few days you guys can take care of Christie. She just arrived here, so there must be a lot of things she isn''t accustomed to yet. Since you guys are girls, you must be understand her more than me."


    "Alright." Hearing until here, Lize hesitated for a while then agreed. She wasn''t too worried with Rhode''s arrangement. In fact, Lize also wished that she could stay by Christie''s side. However, it seemed that she wasn''t well accustomed to her current environment, so she kept some distance from them. Christie was only relieved when Rhode was by her side, but with Rhode''s words, Lize finally could justifiably get closer to Christie.


    "When are you guys going to depart?" Marlene looked at Anne, who didn''t seem to care about anything beside eating, and asked the question in her stead.


    "Next morning. Later, I will ask Randolf to buy two ship tickets. If there''s any information from the Administrative Officer, just directly tell him that I''m not here. Just say it after I get back."


    These few days, Rhode reported the matter about High Cliff Village to Klautz. But as for what Klautz was going to do, or wanted to do, it wasn''t his problem. Since the mission was completed, even if the people in High Cliff Village were wailing to ask for help, it was still their own problem, although most likely they wouldn''t even dare to complain.


    "I understand." Hearing Rhode''s answer, Marlene nodded. At this time, Rhode suddenly saw Christie who was holding the water jug while looking at him uneasily. There was a trace of attachment and unwillingness in her eyes.


    "�� Rhode�� are you going?"


    "I''m only going for a while to do something." Facing Christie''s uneasiness, Rhode only showed a warm smile to assure her then said.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll be back in few days."


    "�� Ok��"


    Hearing Rhode''s answer, Christie nodded and no longer said anything. In truth, she was also feeling very complicated. In High Cliff Village, she never encountered anything good. She had been accustomed to that kind of life and wouldn''t even think anything about it. If there were no expectations, there would be no disappointment. Since she had never expected the villagers to treat her nicely, then she also wouldn''t resent them for beating her up. The same went with the Village Head; although she was brought up and supported by him during her hardest times, the Village Head had never cared about her and always treated her as air. Even she herself had accepted this kind of life, although in other people''s opinion, this kind of life was full of suffering. But to Christie, who was accustomed to it, it was nothing. This was just like a person who was born in the freezing cold and snow; if people from a warm place went there, they would certainly be freeze to death, but to the people born there, they were already accustomed to the cold. Beside it being a little bit troublesome, it wasn''t really much of a problem.


    However, now, she felt a little bit painful.


    Indeed, everyone treated her nicely here. But the nicer they were, the more afraid she became. Since birth, she has never felt such warmth. She understood cold and suffering more than anyone in the Starlight mercenary group. Christie knew just how cruel a person could become; she also knew what would happen to her if those people came to hate her. This made her worried and afraid. Right now, Lize, Anne, and Marlene were very gentle toward her, but she had never felt this kind of warmth. The gentler they were, the more afraid she became. She was afraid that they might leave her someday. She wouldn''t be able to accept that blow.


    Other people might not care about this kind of worry, but to Christie, it was a must. Many people were born in warm environments, under parental protection, and with a circle of friends. Of course, they would experienced various struggles in the future, but because they had the privilege to feel such warmth, they were born with goodwill. It was different from Christie, who was hated, cursed, and despised ever since she was born and abused and beaten up. If it were other people, they might have lost hope toward this world full of hatred. However, Christie could still maintain her pure heart; it was already very rare��


    That''s why every time Lize and others were gentle toward her, and she had to respond to them and couldn''t help but think about her worries. Her instinct for self-defense made her hesitant about the friendly hands other people stretched out to her. She feared that she might suffer if she took that hand. If that were the case, it would be better for her to distance herself from the beginning so it wouldn''t hurt that much��


    Only in front of Rhode, Christie didn''t have such thoughts. As long as she saw him, she felt that the worry and problem in her heart disappeared. She didn''t know why, but she wasn''t cautious toward this person who was born with the same appearance as her. It was as if staying by his side was very comfortable, and she wouldn''t think about anything weird beside him. She felt really comfortable.


    Because of that, Christie didn''t want Rhode to leave. But because of what happened to her, she was more mature than many of her peers, so she knew that she couldn''t be selfish this time. She nodded and said nothing, but her gloomy expression showed her feelings.


    Rhode could see her current expression and felt a dilemma. However, he didn''t say anything; emotion and intellect were two different things. In the future, he might even have to be out longer than this, so Christie couldn''t stay by his side forever. Her body condition also didn''t allow her to travel far��


    Although he felt sorry for her, he also had no better way and could only do so.


    In the next morning, Rhode took Anne to the port that was located in Deep Stone City.


    On the surface, it seemed to be no different from any other port. A ship docked there, and thick, long ropes were tied to the ship and pillars to maintain its balance. A gangway connected the ship and port while workers carried the goods, such as ore, to the ship. They were holding the cargo or pushing the wagon toward the ship. The carriages were parked on the other side and they were waiting for the vegetables, fruits, and other goods that brought down from the ship.


    It looked no different from another city''s bustling trade ports��if the fact that it was built on the hillside was ignored.


    In the game, Rhode was once amazed with this magnificent scene, but he didn''t think it was strange. Since no matter how real, it was still only data. What was strange with sending things flying in the sky or floating in the sea? But in reality, when he looked at the crowded port, looking at the floating ships come and go in the air, he felt that it was really incredible. Just by looking at the ship that was floating in midair without any machine or power to maintain it. There was only a rope tied into it. It was really too unreliable; what if the ship actually fell off?


    He looked at the floating ships not far from him and shook his head. After that, he pulled his cloak to hide his appearance. He didn''t want to attract any unwanted attention on his journey, so he decided to be low-profile. He knew just how much trouble his face might bring to him. Since he was young, the teacher and his peers always treated him like a girl. When he arrived in the game world, it was finally a lot more pleasant. He chose a burly male character so he didn''t have to be worry about getting treated like a girl. This was one of the reason why he really liked the Dragon Soul Continent. At least in the game, no one would mistake him for a girl��


    In the end, he was still back in the square one. It was really tragic��


    "Ah, leader, Anne has found our ship!"


    Anne carried her fine gold shield and jumped around Rhode. She stretched out her hand and pointed toward a ship not far from them. Rhode looked toward the direction Anne pointed and saw a two-story ship floating in the port, its flag embroidered with a golden wing pattern. After Rhode looked at the pattern, he lowered his head and saw the same pattern on his ticket.


    This was it.

 Chapter 176 Fly Air

    Gustav shrugged his neck while standing on the deck. He was watching the crowd in the port not far before him.


    In fact, the weather was not too cold, but the position of the floating ship determined that it needed to float in a high altitude, which was why the temperature was relatively low. But even so, Gustav was still energetic, although his mood wasn''t very good.


    Because the trade route had been attacked before, the route toward Deep Stone City was closed for a long period of time, which was very depressing for ship owners. They relied on the ship to live, and now the trade route was closed, it cut off their income. They also didn''t dare sneak out like sea merchants did. It had to be said that the sky was a lot wider than the sea, but the sky was also clean and empty. If anyone saw a ship that broke the rule, the news would definitely spread out by the second day.


    The direction of waves and the flow rate was regular in the sea, so there were only a few routes that could be used. If one wanted to use a different route, he wouldn''t be treated like a hero, but rather a fool. When a ship lost wind support, it wouldn''t have the power to continue stay in the sky like an airplane. It would go back to where it belonged.


    However, now it was better. The prohibition had been lifted, so they finally regained the opportunity to work again, but for this ship owner, his luck wasn''t that good.


    Originally his Fly Air relied on short haul route customers. He was only responsible for flight in the Paphield area and couldn''t be compared to those big merchants. Since the floating ship''s speed was quite fast and it was also relatively safe, his business had always been considered pretty good.


    But because the floating ships were attacked, Gustav''s business was obviously harder than before. The merchants who only transported goods might not have cared about this. After all, goods were inanimate objects, different from people. The previous attack still left trauma in their hearts, and they were afraid of encountering similar incidents. Therefore, although the prohibition ban had been lifted, his old guests didn''t come back. After all, they still value their lives, and for them, it was better to wait until the situation was really safe.


    That''s why Gustav''s income wasn''t as good as before. Just like last time, there were only 20 guests on his ship. Fortunately, six of them choose the first class cabin. At least it still gave him some profit. If everyone choose economy class, then he would estimately incur losses instead.


    While Gustav was shrugging his neck complaining about his bad days in his heart, he saw two people walk toward him.


    The person in front of him seemed to be a man, but his entire body was hidden behind a cloak, so Gustav was unable to see his appearance. Behind him was a girl wearing a white leather armor. The youthful, energetic aura around her attracted people''s attention. It wasn''t only because of her slender figure, her legs, or her face, but because of the huge golden shield behind her. An average person definitely couldn''t lift such a heavy shield.


    Although the relationship between these two seemed quirky, Gustav wasn''t surprised by it. He had been in this line of business for a long time, and he knew that curiosity killed the cat. That was why he didn''t inquire much about it and warmly greeted them.


    "Hello, dear guests. Welcome to Fly Air. I''m the Captain, Gustav." Having said that, Gustav bowed down his head and saw that the man was handing over two tickets. This caused Gustav''s attitude to become even more attentive. It had to be said that they were two first class tickets.


    "Welcome onboard, distinguished guest."


    After receiving the tickets and confirming it, Gustav immediately welcomed the two of them warmly. Rich men were a good source of income, and as a shipowner and a merchant, Gustav knew what he should do next. Seeing these two big shots, naturally, he became more enthusiastic.


    "Welcome to Fly Air! This ship is one of the best ships in Paphield. It''s safe, comfortable, and reliable, I assure you. The wave won''t affect the ship and you won''t experience any bumping during your journey."


    Seeing Gustav talk big, the blonde girl was surprised for a moment and glanced at him, which made the captain felt quite proud, but the man''s reaction made him feel a little disappointed. He didn''t seem to care about this matter and didn''t seem to want to talk much to him. Aware of that, Gustav no longer wasted time and brought them to the cabin.


    Unlike ships in the sea, floating ships in the sky paid more attention to the lower deck design due to the beautiful scenery beneath the ship, good air, and large space. Fly Air wasn''t a very big ship, but it was all encompassing and its environment was still very good.


    After entering the cabin, Rhode felt relieved. He took off his cloak and carefully observed the cabin.


    He had to admit that the design here was indeed very fresh; even Rhode who came from the advanced scientific and technological civilization of Earth couldn''t help but praise the breathtaking view before him.


    The first class cabin was located in the forefront below the hull, where half of the front was covered with thick, crystal glass. Through the glass, the passengers could clearly see the beautiful scenery in the front and the bottom. Soft and comfortable sofas were placed in the center, surrounded by green plants. They were firmly tied to the wall, and it brought a pleasant, green touch to the environment. In the cupboard, there was a bottle of wine and fresh fruits. Even though Rhode had been in floating ships in the game, unfortunately, those foods couldn''t be eaten. However, now he finally had the chance to enjoy it.


    "Yahoo����!"


    While Rhode was looking at the surroundings, Anne suddenly shouted and threw herself against the sofa, moving back and forth. She placed her shield on the shelf in the corner after entering the room. She wasn''t interested in the beautiful scenery before her. She only had three interests in life: eat, play, and sleep.


    Now, she was steadfastly implementing her life goals.


    "It''s really soft and comfortable." Lying on the sofa, she buried her head into the soft and comfortable cushion. Like a cat, she narrowed her eyes. It seemed like she wanted to lie there for a lifetime and didn''t seem to have any intention of getting up.


    Rhode didn''t know why he unconsciously remembered a dog wagging its tail when he saw Anne like this, relaxedly sleeping in the sofa�� Ah, or was a wolf more accurate?


    However, Rhode didn''t say anything more. According to the plan, they will reach Deep Stone City in central Paphield. After that, they''ll live there for a night and then depart to the Black Pine Ruins in the morning. This wasn''t too difficult for him; it was just that the time was longer than he had expected. He also had just learnt about the approximate time after he asked the captain before he left. It was only an approximate because even Gustav himself couldn''t be sure; the floating ship wasn''t an airplane, so it didn''t have its own power or machine and could only rely on the wind. Sometimes the wind was faster, and sometimes it was slower. These days the wind speed was nothing to speak of, so if nothing happened, they would reach their destination by dusk, and the evening by the latest.


    Since Rhode didn''t expect this coming, it seemed that the return time might have to get extended��


    After briefly looking at the surrounding, Rhode sat on the sofa beside Anne and began to concentrate on enjoying the view outside the window. Anne narrowed her eyes, comfortably lying next to him, but unlike Rhode, she was obviously uninterested in the scenery outside the window. It was already evident in less than five minutes: Anne issued an intoxicated sound��


    When Rhode turned around, Anne had already fallen asleep. She was smiling sweetly, her blonde hair covering her cheeks, and she curled up her body, making her chest looked even more obvious��


    Thinking until here, Rhode helplessly shook his head and sighed. He couldn''t understand just how this girl could sleep just like that. Before they arrived, he had just pulled her out of bed. In addition, after eating dinner last night, she also immediately went to sleep. She had been asleep for more than ten hours already��


    Looking at her now, it seemed like she didn''t get enough sleep.


    Seeing Anne who was happily sleeping, Rhode said nothing. He only shrugged and covered her body with his cloak, then sat back down on the sofa to appreciate the scenery outside. Suddenly, Rhode had a very strange feeling. At this moment, he noticed something. Anne, who was asleep, also moved her body, but she didn''t wake up.


    What happened?


    Rhode frowned, trying to figure out the hunch that flashed by him, but couldn''t figure anything out. There seemed to be nothing strange happening on the floating ship.


    Was he just being oversensitive?


    Thinking until here, Rhode nodded and sat back to the sofa.


    Soon, followed by the slight quake, the scenery before him also shook up, signalling that the floating ship had begun to depart.


    He didn''t realise that at this moment, on the ladder not far from him, two figures were walking down. One of them, a girl with a petite-figure, took off her hat and looked at the room not far away from her with excitement.


    "Sir Amund, the information you got isn''t wrong right."


    "Of course, Your Highness. Although I don''t know the reason, but I''m sure he''s on this ship."


    "Very well."


    Hearing the white-bearded old man answer, the young girl lightly smiled and covered her mouth. She rolled her eyes and revealed a cunning expression.


    "This is our chance, isn''t it?"

 Chapter 177 Strange Premonition

    Until the ship finally landed, Rhode felt a strange feeling.


    He didn''t know why, but he had a bad feeling ever since the floating ship departed. It was different from a life or death situation��it felt more like the uneasiness a student felt due to the anxiety of maybe having a pop quiz tomorrow.


    Rhode wasn''t a person who believed in intuition. He prefered to obtain information by analyzing the status quo. He believed that so-called intuition was simply nonsense. The reason why human reacted to this was merely because their brain was unconsciously analyzing past memories and coming to the conclusion. For example, a person who once saw an airplane suddenly explode would inadvertently scanned an airplane''s wings before boarding it. If there was a damaged, even if he didn''t notice it, his brain would reach the conclusion that the airplane might be dangerous, and so the body responded by reminding the brain that there''s danger. If he carefully recalled the circumstances, he might have been able to find the source of this feeling. However, the body''s response was not necessarily correct. Solely relying on intuition was a very dangerous thing. After all, intuition was a judgement people made unconsciously and was not the result of rational thinking.


    That''s why, unlike Anne, Rhode only used his intuition as a reference when making a judgement rather than relying on it entirely. He thought that there might have been something wrong with the ship or they might encounter a sudden attack just like before. But it was completely different from what Rhode has imagined. The Fly Air was sailing smoothly, without any potential threats or attacks. The wind was fast, and the sun hadn''t gone down yet when they arrived. No matter from what point of view, this was definitely considered smooth sailing.


    However, where did the inexplicable uneasiness come from?


    He turned around to look at the Fly Air before him and shook his head, trying to toss this matter aside. Human beings were intelligent creatures; they should rely on their intelligence to find the answer rather than relying on unclear instincts to live. However, not everyone would agree with him.


    "Leader, Anne is hungry��"


    Standing on Rhode''s side, Anne looked at him pitifully while pulling at his clothes. She blinked, showing a begging look.


    "�� If I remember correctly, you just ate two hours ago, right?"


    Rhode lost his appetite whenever he remembered that meal. He had never expected that seeing a person eat would be that disgusting. It wasn''t not because the way Anne ate was unpleasing to the eye. Her way of eating was indeed a little bold, but it was almost the same as other mercenaries. However, the amount she ate was totally unbearable. The first class cabin came with unlimited food, so Anne didn''t have to limit her intake like she usually did in the stronghold. However, Rhode did underestimate her stomach; while Anne was eating steak, Rhode had also felt a little bit hungry, but when she ate the 30th plate, then 31st plate, Rhode finally couldn''t take it anymore�� He looked at the huge pile of bones and the plates beside her. There had seemed to be about 20 pieces of grilled meat steak there. Rhode couldn''t help but shifted his gaze toward the scenery outside. When he imagined such a pile of food was brought into his stomach, he couldn''t help but want to vomit�� According to the earthly way of saying it, he was scared to eat.


    Looking at Anne now, beside being speechless, he also thought about the feast from two hours ago. It was better not to think about it anymore; if he thought about it once more, he might not be able to eat his dinner.


    "But��"


    Anne knew, but she still bit her finger and look at him pitifully.


    "You''ve eaten a total of 50 steaks; where have they gone to?"


    Having said that, Rhode looked at her slender, flat belly. He asked this question with a very scientific attitude. Those weren''t small dumplings��they were palm-sized steaks��. There wasn''t the slightest sign of fat on her belly; did it work like a Doraemon 4D Pocket?


    More importantly, she was still hungry?


    Seeing the way Rhode looked at her, Anne only stuck her tongue out. She no longer said anything, but clearly hadn''t given up yet.


    However, Rhode didn''t seem to want to answer her question anymore.


    "Let''s find an inn now and depart in the next morning."


    Although Deep Stone City was located in central Paphield, it was not a lively town. On the contrary, it was a quiet and remote place. The products here weren''t too good; the only thing worth mentioning was their wine. Looking for an inn in this kind of quiet, small city wasn''t too difficult.


    When Rhode entered a tavern, it was really crowded inside. The people who finished working were sitting at a table, enjoying the food and wine. Commoners sat in the corner laughing loudly while the adventurers sat on the counter while whispering to each other.


    Rhode and Anne arrival''s attracted the attention of many people. Most people didn''t focused on Rhode, who was wrapped in a cloak. Instead, they seemed to enjoy Anne''s arrival. After seeing this beautiful girl, there was a hint of a smile on their faces. They raised their glasses and invited her to drink. There were even people whistling nearby, trying to get her attention.


    If it were Marlene, she would have already taught them a lesson for being disrespectful toward her. As for Lize, she would have acted like she didn''t hear anything and try to escape from this situation as soon as possible. However, Anne, apparently, was different from them. Seeing the strangers who welcomed her, she responded very enthusiastically, just like an idol participating in a fan meeting.


    "Yeah�� Hello everyone, hahaha. Anne''s name? Anne''s name is Anne. Uncle, you want to invite Anne for a drink? Hahaha, you can''t, the sun hasn''t even set yet; drinking is no good��"


    Following Rhode all the way to the counter, Anne looked very familiar with the people around her and chatted for a while. The people were also entertained by her and laughed. Of course, they didn''t actually have any bad intentions from the start; they were just simply drinking and having fun. Moreover, these people were also unthreatening to her. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have reacted this way.


    Soon, two seats in front of the counter were reserved for them. Rhode sat and politely greeted the adventurer beside him by nodding his head, then smoothly placed a gold coin on the counter.


    "Two rooms, two more glasses of wine, and lastly��" Having said that, Rhode looked toward Anne, who stood not far from him, and shook his head. "Give that young lady a dinner."


    "Okay sir, please wait!"


    After taking out the gold coin, the owner showed a warm smile. He greeted Rhode attentively and quickly leave. Anne had also come to Rhode''s side. She sat down and smiled, then she stretched her left hand to put the gold shield down on the ground.


    Boom!


    The ground shook, the sound making the entire tavern quiet for a moment. People looked at each other, not knowing where the sound came from. The adventures who intended to take this opportunity to strike up a conversation with this beautiful girl immediately turned around and ran away. They were not blind, of course; they could see the fine gold shield beside her. They definitely wouldn''t be able to move that thing, but the girl in front of them single-handedly placed it beside her�� Right now, they knew what it meant for no rose to come without thorns.


    Seeing their reactions, Rhode only laughed in his heart. He wasn''t the kind of person who like to attract attention, but clearly, Anne was good at dealing with this kind of situation. If it were Marlene, she might have argued with them. Since she was a noble, she would feel disgusted with commoners trying to flirt with her, which made her think that they actually regarded her as one of the tavern''s dancers. That would be very insulting to her. However, Anne obviously didn''t think so; she always felt that it wasn''t a bad thing for everyone to be friendly with each other. She had always been a friendly and fun person, and also liked to take part in others conversation. Her action would often reduce potential enemies to them, and seeing that those guests didn''t look at them with scrutinizing attitude like before, it meant that Anne''s approach was very effective.


    "The wine is coming." The owner''s attitude was also very friendly, since they both paid satisfactorily and didn''t cause any trouble.


    Seeing the sweet, fragrant toast and honey in front of her, Anne screamed excitedly and stretched out her hands immediately. Rhode could only look at her eat and feel helpless about it. He picked up a glass of sweet wine and drank it, then said, "Owner, I want to ask you a question."


    "Can I help you?" The owner busily picked up the remaining jugs from other guests while responding to Rhode''s question.


    "It''s like this." Having said that, Rhode paused to consider his wording, then continued. "As you''ve seen, we are both adventurers. Currently, we''re planning to go to the Black Pine Ruins; do you have any suggestions for us?"


    "Black Pine Ruins?" Hearing Rhode''s words, the owner frowned and rubbed his chin. After thinking for a while he nodded and said, "Hm�� It''s been so long since someone went to the Black Pine Ruins. I don''t really know the exact situation, but I heard that two days ago, there was a mercenary group that went there."


    "Oh?" Hearing until here, Rhode furrowed his brow.


    "Mercenary group? Do you which mercenary group?"


    "I''m not sure about that, but they''re not from here. They came from White Mountain City, far from here." The owner spread out his hands, shook his head helplessly, smiled, and apologized to Rhode. "I''m sorry I couldn''t answer your question, but please be careful. Because I served them before, and they didn''t look like good people. The girl beside you is very beautiful, and I''m afraid it will lead to trouble should you run into them."


    "I''ll be careful; thank you for your reminder." Hearing the owner''s words, Rhode nodded and finished his glass of wine.


    "I hope you can prepare more food for this young lady and give us hot water. We''ve been journeying for an entire day, so we want to have a bath��"


    "Of course! No problem, dear distinguished guest. We assure you that we''ll give you the best service."


    Hearing Rhode''s order, the owner straightened his chest and said proudly. Rhode also no longer said anything. He stood up and planned to leave, when he suddenly saw a young adventurer walking toward him, warmly smiling.


    "I''m sorry; I''ve overheard your conversation just now. You want to go to Black Pine Ruins?"


    "That''s right."


    "Then��" Hearing Rhode''s answer, the young man smiled with excitement.


    "Do you want to go with us?"

 Chapter 178 Newbie’s Invitation

    "Together?"


    Hearing his words, Rhode was a little bit surprised. He looked at the young man carefully.


    He looked a little bit younger than him, probably younger than 20 years old. He had a young, energetic face, and the equipment he was wearing looked of exquisite workmanship, but didn''t look practical. He carried a small shield behind him, and an ordinary iron sword hung on his waist. They looked quite good on him.


    "You��"


    "Ah, I forget to introduce myself." Facing Rhode''s question, the young man apologetically laughed while holding his fluffy hair and said, "My name is Mitchel, and I''m the leader of the Divine Shining Shield mercenary group. These two days, we''re planning to go to the Black Pine Ruins and just now we happened to overheard your conversation from before�� I don''t mean anything bad; I only think it would be safer and better if there were more people. If you''re interested��"


    The young man''s words hadn''t yet finished, because at this moment, a guest already laughed at him. "What, are you trying to achieve your adventurer''s dream again, Mitchel? The Black Pine Forest isn''t a place where people like you can go; just go back and tell your dad about it. Be careful not to let him hit you again!"


    "Hahaha!" After hearing that guest''s words, others also started to laugh and ridiculed Mitchel. However, the young man didn''t seem to get mad. To the contrary, he only showed a helpless expression and no longer said anything.


    After hearing the other''s ridicules, Rhode finally knew this young man''s identity. He was the Stone City''s mayor son and could be considered as a rich second generation. However, this young man like adventuring more and brought his friends to create a small mercenary group. He had been running around here and there all day long. Of course, among his subordinates, there were only a few real adventurers; most of them were Stone City officials and merchants'' sons. The mercenary group formed by them wasn''t for monetary needs; it was because of their love toward adventure. It was no different than other rich second generations who went racing because they had nothing to do. However their actions were at least more beneficial for Deep Stone City since they drove out wild beasts that came occasionally. They sounded quite promising.


    Frankly, Rhode was also surprised by their mercenary group name��Divine Shining Shield. It really sounded powerful and domineering and left an impression on people��


    However Rhode knew that the more powerful the name sounded, the more useless the group was�� Just like the player guild names in Dragon Soul Continent; the Top 10 Guilds on the leaderboards all sounded ordinary. From ''Starlight'' to ''New Moon Knight'', ''Tornado'' to ''Evil Shadow,'' none of them sounded too powerful or domineering, but were still quite strong. On the contrary, guilds called ''Overlord'', ''Eternal Legend'', and such were all useless and had no achievements. In fact, when players had nothing to do, they often talked about why the top guild names mostly sounded common, but domineering guild names had always been unable to develop. The final conclusion was that people wasted too much time focusing on the name. It was just like a writer who spent hundreds and thousands words to write a syllabus, racial settings, and continent structure, but couldn''t even write proper text.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Mitchel. I have my own plans when going to the Black Pine Ruins. I don''t want to be disturbed, and I cannot guarantee that our goal won''t clash��"


    Rhode naturally decisively refused this kind young man. He saw this young man was actually quite young and didn''t know how to hide his thoughts. From time to time, he secretly looked at Anne beside him and flushed. He was totally a newbie.


    Rhode, of course, didn''t want to waste time on him. He wasn''t going to the Black Pine Ruins to play, which was why he rejected him.


    This young man showed a disappointed expression, but he quickly cheered up and nodded his toward Rhode. "Is that so�� then I''m so sorry to bother you two. I hope you have a pleasant journey."


    He politely bowed to Rhode while looking at Anne, who was busily eating her honey toast, and left in disappointment.


    Looking at the young man''s back, Rhode frowned.


    Mitchel wasn''t a bad person, but he was too naive. Could that kind of people survive among mercenaries? It had to be said that legendary adventures were only legends; there was always a difference between reality and dream.


    Thinking until here, Rhode couldn''t help but look at Anne. After interacting with her for some times, he found that Anne wasn''t actually stupid and was very clever, but liked to act confused. In other words, Anne wasn''t like most smart people who liked to prove themselves. Most of the time, she was too lazy to bother about those things. She had been living among mercenaries since childhood, so she would certainly be more understanding toward them.


    Then how would Anne think about it?


    Thinking until here, Rhode shook his head and no longer said anything. He focused back on thinking about the mercenary group that the owner had mentioned. According to the owner''s statement, the mercenary group came here two days ago. It was a very strange thing, because the Mercenary Association hadn''t yet lifted the prohibition.


    Logically speaking, most mercenary groups should be in the middle of recuperation since they wouldn''t get any points for finishing missions and might even be punished for violating the prohibition. After all, who dared look for trouble with the Mercenary Association?


    Of course, it wasn''t his problem, since he wasn''t a member of the Association. Who cared about them? However, they still went to the Black Pine Ruins. This made Rhode couldn''t help but frown. What were they doing there? What if they had the goal as him? Rhode would never give up the opportunity before him and give it to others. If they were aiming for the same thing as him, then it would be really troublesome��


    If there was no other choice, he wouldn''t mind to use other methods to take back what should belong to him.


    Or to put it differently, make them belong to him.


    He had used this method in the game many times before, so Rhode didn''t think there was anything wrong with using the same method here.


    However, Rhode thought that he still had to talk to Anne about this. After all, this wasn''t something good, but Rhode also didn''t think it was something bad. Mercenaries were the same as players; no one would act noble since it didn''t make any sense. But in this case, he needed to at least communicate it with Anne first so she could make some mental preparation. Otherwise, when he suddenly asked her to steal things�� she certainly wouldn''t agree to it.


    After an entire day''s exhaustion, Rhode decided to take a comfortable hot shower first before going to Anne''s room. He knocked on the door and soon, Anne responded.


    "Who''s there?"


    "It''s me, Rhode." Rhode lightly coughed and answered. "About our mission; I have a plan that I want to talk with you about."


    "Leader? Okay, please come in."


    Hearing Anne''s answer, Rhode opened the door and closed it. After that, he turned around and wanted to say something, but didn''t say anything in the end. He only helplessly looked at the view before him and placed his hand to his forehead.


    "�� Anne?"


    "Yes?"


    "�� Won''t you catch a cold like this?"


    At this moment, Rhode looked at Anne, who was eating an apple on the bed. But this wasn''t the point. The biggest problem was that the girl before him was naked��totally naked. Her golden hair was damp; she had clearly just finished showering. But now, it seemed like she didn''t care about any of that.


    "Rest assured, leader. Anne won''t catch a cold." Hearing Rhode''s words, Anne also seemed to have absolutely no idea. She straightened her body and answered. At the same time, she proudly raised her head and shook her upper body.


    "Before in the forest, Anne always did this and never caught a cold. I think here is the same; really, wearing clothes is just too much of a hassle. It''s better to take them off."


    Followed by Anne''s movement, her plump chest also shook from time to time as if it were trying to show its existence.


    "No matter what, you''re still a girl."


    Rhode stretched out his hand and pulled up the bed sheet to use it to cover her body.


    "It''s better for you to be reserved in front of a man; it will be more attractive. If you''re seen by others like this, you never know what will happen."


    "Anne won''t do that." Anne pulled down the bed sheet that was covering her body and showed a dissatisfied expression then complained. "Anne isn''t that kind of person. Anne is only assured because it''s leader. If it''s another man, even if they want to see Anne, Anne still wouldn''t let them see it."


    Hearing Anne''s answer, Rhode frowned. "Oh? Why I can? I will say this first; if you think that I lack the threat of being a man, I don''t mind showing it to make you understand the facts."


    However, Anne didn''t seem to be embarrassed after hearing Rhode''s words. To the contrary, she only smiled seductively. "Fufufu, if it''s leader, Anne can accept it completely."


    The girl laughed while looking at Rhode who stood not far from her. The bed sheet slid down from her body, revealing her white skin. Anne''s eyes saw a trace of Rhode''s wild side.


    Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room became strange.

 Chapter 179 Too Inexperienced

    Rhode frowned and walked toward Anne.


    Anne only smiled and straightened her body, looking up at Rhode.


    Rhode said nothing and quickly stretched out his hand to touch her face. Feeling Rhode''s touch, Anne closed her eyes. After that Rhode''s hand gradually went down, and Anne was breathing harder. After that, she suddenly screamed and put both of her hands in front of her chest at the same time.


    "Leader, it hurts!"


    "This is punishment."


    Facing Anne''s complain, Rhode only waved his hands and smiled. He laughed at Anne, seeing her gloomily rub her chest. Just now, he ruthlessly pinched it, making it swell.


    "A little girl like you is too inexperienced to learn this kind of thing." Rhode said while looking at her body. Hmm�� that''s right, she''s still too young.


    "Ah�� I failed."


    Anne twitched her mouth, rubbed her chest, and complained while taking the clothes beside her.


    "This is totally different from what they said, really�� infuriating��"


    "They?"


    Hearing this word, Rhode curiously asked. The reason he didn''t make a move on Anne was because he was no longer young and had dated a few times before. That''s why his reaction wasn''t like a man who had never even touched a woman''s hand before and forgot himself when he saw a woman''s body. Moreover, even if he wanted it, he still wouldn''t look to Anne. But he might have wanted to play for a bit if it were an unknown girl in front of him. Although Anne was still young, but her body growth wasn''t bad at all; her skin was delicate and smooth, really soft to touch, and she definitely could become a good sex partner. If she''s wasn''t his subordinate.


    It was a taboo for him, just as how a rabbit doesn''t foul its own hole because the pleasure of a one night stand was in fact due to not knowing each other. After doing the deed, everyone would be busy and wouldn''t interact with the other. It didn''t matter if someone was married or not, since you didn''t care about who they were. However, if he did it with the people beside him, it would be very troublesome. Previously, he had done such things; after he broke up with his second girlfriend, he was looking for one night stand partner for fun. In the end, after they both went to a hotel, the girl was actually his ex-girlfriend''s best friend and also his classmate�� It was really really awkward.


    In the end, every time they met he would felt very awkward�� How did that even happen��


    That''s why facing Anne''s seduction, although he was interested, he didn''t follow his instinct and immediately rush to her. Actually, he quite liked her, but their relationship hadn''t yet reached that extent yet. To be responsible when he didn''t have any feeling for her was too bothersome. Rhode didn''t wish to be troubled just for a one time pleasure; he had seen a lot of incidents like this��


    And another reason why he didn''t make a move was, as a man who had experienced a lot of things, Anne''s action seemed too fishy. In general, when a woman took the initiative to bring up this matter, she must have showed her passion no matter little or large. However, Rhode couldn''t feel the "passion" from her. To the contrary, he only felt an ambiguous feeling from her.


    That''s why he was sure the reason Anne did it wasn''t to invite him to have sex.


    No matter what, he was an adult; if he toyed with a girl who wasn''t even 16 yet, then he would die in embarrassment. And after hearing Anne''s words, he could confirm that there was be something behind it.


    "Who are they?"


    "It''s our comrades from the Mark White mercenary group."


    Anne didn''t care about the way Rhode looked at her and just continued to put on her clothes. She jumped down from the bed and yawned, then answered.


    "They said, if Anne really really liked a man, Anne must do something like this. If Anne did so, that man would become Anne''s and he would listen to Anne obediently. At first, Anne thought this method would work�� but hmph��"


    "��"


    Rhode shook his head and no longer said anything. Luckily, he was already suspicious of it, or else he would have embarrassed himself to death��


    "Then, what do you want me to do?"


    "Eh?"


    "The reason you did something like that before was so I''d listen to you right? Then tell me, what do you want?"


    "This��"


    Hearing Rhode''s words, Anne uneasily rolled her eyes, trying to escape from Rhode''s sight. She looked toward the window, trying to change the topic. However, Rhode kept looking at her, so she couldn''t help but give up. She raised her head and smiled like a dog who was waiting for its owner to give its food.


    "Anne heard that the bread with berry jam here is very good�� That''s why�� Leader��"


    "�� Just for this?"


    "It''s very delicious! Leader, will you buy it for Anne? Will you? Anne will let you see everything!"


    "��"


    What could he say?


    He said nothing.


    In the end, because Rhode had seen "everything", he had to grant her wish. At the same time, he warned her not to do something like this anymore. After she agreed and they dealt with this unimportant things, Rhode told her about his plan. However, clearly, the fragrant berry jam bread took all of her concentration. Rhode had to waste a lot of time to make her understand his plan. After hearing it, Anne didn''t oppose it and wasn''t too bothered by it.


    "No problem, leader. I will do anything leader asks me to do."


    After saying it, her attitude turned back to usual. Nothing changed.


    Since Rhode achieved his purpose, he didn''t say anything more. In fact, he was already troubled enough by Anne. Perhaps, it was because she was raised as a beast since young, she totally lacked some common knowledge about this world. It had to be said that even the most common girl absolutely wouldn''t think about showing her body in front of a man just for a few slices of bread. However, Anne didn''t seem to care about this. Although her adoptive father had taught her about shame, she was only reserved in public. For example, when they went for a mission and there were a lot of men, she never jumped into the river to take a bath naked or something. However, those rules didn''t seem to work very well, especially in front of people she trusted and loved. Rhode had been hearing Marlene''s complain that she couldn''t get a hold of Anne. Anne was always running around naked in the room. What if she was seen by the men?


    This problem couldn''t be solved by words. Fortunately, Anne had thought about it to some extent, so Rhode didn''t say anything more. After saying about the matter regarding the Black Pine Ruins, he left to his own room.


    "Whoa��"


    And only then did Anne heave a long sigh of relief. Following that, she hugged the bread and went back to bed.


    She looked blankly at the ceiling while eating the bread in her hands.


    Although Anne got what she wanted, she didn''t know why she was still thinking about something else.


    It was Rhode''s touch from before.


    Like Rhode had expected, Anne wasn''t really sure what would happen between a man and woman. She had curiously asked people in the mercenary group, but most of them only smiled at her and said that she''d understand it when she grew up. In the mercenary group, the big sister also taught her many strange tricks; as long as she did according to what they said, those man would obediently listen to her words��but on one condition: that man must be the man who she liked very much.


    Anne couldn''t understand and was also uninterested in it. She had an instinct that it was dangerous for her; especially those men who were looking at her as if they wanted to eat her. It made her feel really uncomfortable. The reason she did something like this today was totally accidental; Anne was only accustomed to being naked inside her own room and Rhode happened to visit her. Originally, she intended to wear her clothes first, but she didn''t know why she suddenly remembered her comrades'' suggestion, so she immediately did it.


    Of course, the final result was totally different from what she had imagined. Rhode didn''t obediently listen to her order after seeing her body just like they said. However Anne found something new�� For the first time in her life, Rhode made her feel something she had never felt before. There''s seemed to be magic in Rhode''s hand; it brought an extraordinary comfort. She immediately felt weak after she was touched by him, and there was an inexplicable feeling that sprouted inside her heart. Although she didn''t know what it was, but she was really looking forward to its next development.


    Unfortunately�� it hurt.


    Thinking until here, Anne couldn''t help but stretched out her hand to rub her chest. Although she also felt comfortable touching herself, when Rhode touched her, it felt ticklish and hot.


    If she could let him touch him again, it would certainly be very comfortable��


    Anne looked at the ceiling before her and fell into deep thought.

 Chapter 180 Unexpected Turn

    If Rhode knew what Anne thought, then he would definitely have regretted flirting with her last night and should have just directly slapped her because it would be more effective. Luckily, he didn''t know what was Anne thinking about because after he woke up, she acted the same as her usual self, giggling around. There didn''t seem to be anything different. That''s why Rhode also no longer cared about that problem; he was more worried about the next problem. Rhode and Anne immediately left the inn when the sun rose to avoid any unwanted attention and walked toward the Black Pine Ruins.


    The ancient Black Pine Ruins was located in the depths of Black Pine Forest. Previously, it was a huge palace, but after some time had passed, most of it became buried underground, so it was remote and dangerous. Normal people wouldn''t go there, although logically, there was no problem for Rhode to conquer this place by himself.


    It was as if there were no one who came before him.


    The mercenary group that the owner mentioned to him last night made him feel troubled. It had been a few days. Although the owner said that he didn''t see them come back, who knew what might have happened? What if they were still in the Black Pine Ruins? What if they found the thing they wanted and left? No one knew what happened. That''s why Rhode could only do his best. However, according to his understanding, they shouldn''t have found the Mystery Ball because the stronghold quest could still be completed and there didn''t seem to be any change. That''s why there should be no problem�� But since this wasn''t a game, who knew?


    Rhode was familiar with the Black Pine Ruins, so he quickly brought Anne to Black Pine Forest and arrived in its depths. Soon, they saw the ruins that were almost buried underground.


    There was a huge tiled boulder, incomplete ruins, a palace entrance, and a cave hole. In the ground, there was a statue that was half buried in the ground and couldn''t be seen clearly. Everything was so memorable and familiar that standing before these ruins, Rhode felt nostalgic. It was as if he had arrived back in the game world. He was even suspicious of whether he was dreaming or had transmigrated back into the game.


    "Hey, who are you?!"


    When Rhode and Anne planned to enter the ruins, two, three mercenaries suddenly appeared. They were holding swords and looked at them vigilantly with a heavy killing intent.


    "This place has been sealed by our Diamond Mercenary Group temporarily, and no one can enter. If you guys wanted to adventure, it''s better to change the place."


    It''s really nostalgic��


    Looking at these mercenaries, Rhode couldn''t help but sigh. In the game, there was a player guild that sealed the place to train and would drive away other players. It seemed that humans really were common biological creatures.


    However�� Diamond Mercenary Group?


    Rhode thought for a while and realized where the problem lied. There was no mercenary group with that name in the Paphield region. Were they not local?


    Thinking until here, Rhode couldn''t help but be more vigilant. "Diamond Mercenary Group? I have never heard of it�� You guys aren''t from the Paphield region, right?"


    "So what?"


    Hearing Rhode''s question, they only snorted since they didn''t see him eye-to-eye. They were 60 people in total, and the opponent was only two. They actually dared talk nonsense in front of them; it seemed that the pair didn''t want to live for very long!


    "What does this have to do with you? Kid, I advise you to go away from this place; there''s nothing good comes from making us mad!"


    Hearing them vent their anger, Anne only smiled and shook her head. After that, she looked at Rhode. According to her understanding of Rhode, he would definitely stand still. Especially after hearing his plan last night, although she was focusing on the bread, but she could still clearly hear what Rhode was saying. That''s why hearing the opponent provocation, she had already made preparation and was just waiting for Rhode''s signal.


    Unexpectedly, Rhode wasn''t mad. To the contrary, he only nodded and left. This made Anne, who had prepared for battle, confused, but she didn''t show it and left with Rhode. Although she didn''t know what he was going to do, she was already used to trusting him unconditionally.


    "Really is strange." After they left the Black Pine Ruins, Rhode stopped walking for a while and muttered to himself. "Diamond Mercenary Group? I''ve never heard of this name�� Anne, have you heard of it?"


    "Anne also�� ah!!" Saying halfway, the girl suddenly remembered something and clapped her hands. "Anne remember! There seemed to be a mercenary group with this name. A few years ago, they came to Anne''s former mercenary group to talk about something. Although Anne didn''t know what it was about, that mercenary group was called the Diamond Mercenary Group."


    "Oh?" Hearing Anne''s answer, a light flashed through Rhode''s eyes.


    "Do you know where they came from?"


    "Hm��" Hearing Rhode''s question, Anne didn''t answer immediately. She frowned and thought for a while, then answered in hesitation. "I cannot remember it well; I only know that they came from a weird place. Its name is very complicated, I cannot pronounce it�� It seems to be called��"


    "Leilakala?"


    "Yes yes, it''s that Leila..ah, I bit my tongue." Annie shut her mouth and looked quite pitiful. However, Rhode didn''t have the mood to comfort her anymore, because after hearing Anne''s answer, his heart sank.


    That place definitely wasn''t good.


    As everyone knew that in Munn Kingdom, there were five region. Three regions were part of the King''s party; in their opinion, if there were no nobles, then they wouldn''t be the current Munn Kingdom. They thought that the Country of Light was the Munn Kingdom''s biggest threat. Marlene''s Senia family was part of the King''s party, and they were very hostile toward the Country of Light. The animosity between the two sides had lasted for centuries and had escalated from hatred into conviction.


    To the contrary, the two other regions were supporters of the parliament. In their opinion, the Munn Kingdom shouldn''t oppose the Country of Light, since no matter what, both countries came from the same source and were both Light Dragon supporters. It doesn''t make sense for them to oppose each other; they should listen to the Country of Light''s suggestion and ease the relationship between two countries�� Just like Clinton who appeared in the Deep Stone City before, they didn''t take the Country of Light as threats, but future friends. They thought that the reason the relationship between the two countries became strained wasn''t because of the Country of Light, but because of the Munn Kingdom. If they could repent their wrongdoings, then things wouldn''t have escalated to that extent


    Of course, the relationship between them had been like Mars colliding with Earth. The King''s party thought that the parliament was the traitor who sold their country and the parliament thought that the King''s party was too stubborn; because of past hatred, they couldn''t see the problem before them�� The relationship between them was just like fire and water��it was not only reflected in politics, but even in commercial industries, civil society, and mercenary groups.


    If what Anne remembered was right, then that mercenary group came from the parliament area.


    What were they doing here?


    Thinking until here, Rhode couldn''t help but be curious. Due to the difference in philosophy between the two parties, they were generally unwilling to go into each other''s area. After all, they would be treated as traitors. That''s why even if something happened to their mercenary group here, or if they mysteriously disappeared, no one would say anything. Although the parliament''s party might protest, the Paphield region would never care for their protest. They represent two completely different political interest, so there wouldn''t be any good as a result of succumbing to each other under such collision.


    Leilakala was the parliament fanatic supporter area; there was one time they even declared independence from Munn Kingdom and was willing to become part of the Country of Light. However, it was all talks and no action. After Lydia sent her army to run several laps there and hung the idiot who clamored for independence behind the tail of a horse to parade on streets, no one actually dared to say anything in person.


    That''s why the people there didn''t have a good impression toward the Munn Kingdom''s ruler, but now they actually came to Paphield?


    It was too strange.


    Thinking of this, Rhode made a decision. He had only intended to take the Mystery Ball and leave, but now it seemed like it was necessary for him to find out what they were going to do in Paphield. He had finally managed to get rid of the people the Country of Light had sent here, and enjoy some leisure time. Naturally, he didn''t want the people who were league with the Country of Light to look for trouble here. Since the mercenary group in the Paphield region was in a prohibition period, they didn''t have the time and energy to manage this. But since he had encountered them, it was impossible for him to sit idly.


    "Follow me, Anne."

 Chapter 181 Move Forward

    In Rhode''s eyes, the Diamond Mercenary Group didn''t even meet the professional standard for site-clearance. They only blocked the entrance and sent people to patrol around; this was also considered site clearance to them. However, this kind of site clearance was totally meaningless to a player. They knew that although these ruins looked huge, there were only a few entrances. As long as they could find a place to block it from inside, outsiders wouldn''t be able to come in. Of course, if they wanted to be more evil, they would act weak in front of the enemy and deliberately place a gap in their formation and lure others in, then finish them��


    Compared to players, the Diamond Mercenary Group could only be considered as fierce but inexperienced soldiers��


    Rhode didn''t have to waste much time to bypass their guard line. Soon, he found another entrance to the ruins. There were six entrances to the Black Pine Ruins in total, and they were located in the periphery. This place was just like a strange labyrinth, but its center wasn''t located in the deepest part of ruins like any other labyrinth. At the center of the ruins, the six entrances represented six different labyrinths. Although the bosses and monsters weren''t much different in these six labyrinths, their centers weren''t linked to each other. In the game, players could even get an achievement by reaching the core as quickly as possible.


    The Mystery Ball was located at the core.


    That''s why Rhode didn''t have to worry about being bothered by the mercenaries. As long his pace was fast enough, he believed that he could complete the quest before those idiots reached the core.


    It didn''t take too long for Rhode to enter the underground passage. He was sure that the mercenaries absolutely never walked this passage before because the Goblin under his feet used the remainder of its life to tell him that it had been a long time since people used this passage��


    "Let''s go!"


    Although the mournful cry of the Goblin echoed through the empty underground ruins, Rhode didn''t have to worry about it being heard by others. He was extremely familiar with the labyrinth. These six labyrinths were completely unrelated with each other. Even if the Diamond Mercenary Group heard a scream, they would still be unable to come here and see what happened. Rhode also doubted they would do it because it was a taboo for adventurers to scatter themselves in a dangerous place like this. Even players rarely did that; except when they needed a person to scout and explore the threats ahead, they would never choose to leave the group. The reason players did that was because they would still be able to respawn and tell their companions what happened and what he saw, but here, death didn''t come with that privilege��


    As a low level dungeon, the Black Pine Ruins weren''t too dangerous. The most common monster here was those short, ugly Goblins. The troublesome ones were the Four Clawed Lizards; they were more than four meters long, with heavy scales on its back, and spat venom. The last one was the Golems; they were rarely seen and were the guardians of these ruins. Although they lost their master, they still protected this place in silence. They were also the most threatening opponent in these ruins.


    However Rhode was confident in defeating them. He even hoped to encounter them. It would be even better if he could get some Gargoyle''s Hearts like he did before in the Fog Ruins. Of course, the most important thing was still the Mystery Ball. If he couldn''t get it, everything he did until now would be useless. Although the Diamond Mercenary Group arrived before Rhode, he wasn''t worried about this. After spending so much time in this world, he already knew how the mercenaries here worked; their efficiency was absolutely not high.


    If he didn''t have much time, he would make it up using speed. It was just like competing for the dungeon record.


    Unfortunately, wishes were called wishes precisely because they weren''t easy to grant.


    Cold light flashed.


    The Goblins wielded wooden sticks and retreated. Cold light rolled up like a storm from Rhode''s sword, just like layers of whirlwinds, tearing them apart one by one. The blood spurted onto the wall, emitting a stenchy smell.


    When Rhode stopped his sword''s movement, the Goblins also hit the wall and they were paralyzed like a doll that was hit by by a van and no longer moved.


    Rhode put down the sword in his hand and walked forward with the help of the flame. The Goblins no longer attacked as bravely as before; they were secretly hiding in fear of this terrible, fierce god. They looked like they lost the will to fight and only wanted to escape from here.


    However, Rhode didn''t let them go because of this.


    He glanced at the dark hallway and swung his right hand. A dark card flew out of his hand, and the huge body of a Centaur Knight appeared and howled, rushing forward like a heavy tank.


    Creak!!


    "Aa!!!"


    Followed by chaotic screams, the passage shook for a while, but Rhode didn''t pay any attention to it and only glanced at the scene before him, which was the increasing of his EXP points. It meant that the troubles had been mostly exterminated . After that, he immediately rushed forward again.


    Anne was carrying her fine gold shield while following Rhode from behind. However, she was no longer laughing and joking like before. She bit her lips and looked very pitiful. Although the monsters here weren''t a problem for her, after entering the ruins, most of them were wiped out by Rhode. She was only responsible for following him from behind. She wasn''t used to this because Rhode moved too fast.


    Mercenaries were usually cautious during missions��even those who were already familiar with the places. When facing enemies, they were also very cautious. They would take a break after the fight finished and then move on.


    However Anne had never seen speed like Rhode''s. Before, he had led the mercenary group on missions several times, but although his speed wasn''t too slow, it was also still within an ordinary range. But this time, Rhode''s performance completely exceeded Anne''s expectation.


    Just like the previous battle that happened in the middle of the underground passage; there were about eight Goblins blocking their way. Anne thought she was supposed to come forward to block their attack first and ensure that those Goblins wouldn''t rush to them. Then, Rhode would wait for an opportunity to finish them all. She didn''t expect that Rhode was even faster than what she had imagined. When facing those Goblins, Rhode didn''t stop and just kept rushing forward. Anne only heard him coldly snort after he stopped for a moment. A sword flashed and whirlwind filled up the entire passage. The Goblins fell to the ground, he stopped, and then continued to run forward. When Rhode moved forward, he glanced to the side and summoned the Centaur Knight. After that, he continued to look forward and speed up again.


    Throughout the process, Rhode didn''t stop at all. He only slowed down his pace from running to walking. When he made sure there were no threats around, he immediately accelerated his speed in an instant and continued to move.


    This pace made Anne a little bit panicked. She didn''t have any problem keeping up with him, but she had never tried running like this. It was as if they came here not for an adventure, but to escape. It was just like there was a terrible monster behind them; if they slowed down even a bit, they would be swallowed whole by the monster.


    Usually, Rhode never showed this side of him. What made Anne even more curious was that he wasn''t nervous even the slightest when he did all of this. He was still indifferent as usual; there was no panic or hesitation on his face. Anne could only saw an absolute confidence and the enjoyment of the challenge.


    She suddenly felt that Rhode was actually quite fascinating like this.


    Rhode slowed down.


    He looked down to compare the scene before him with his memories. Facing the three-way fork before him, he chose the left side without hesitation. At the same time, when he turned, a huge figure jumped down from the ceiling above. It roared and rushed toward him.


    Four Clawed Lizard!


    Facing the huge monster before him, Rhode still didn''t plan to stop. He didn''t even looked above and just kept looking at the front. Until that monster arrived on top of him, Rhode suddenly swung the sword that was hanging beside him, and red blood spurted out in the darkness. It gave off a strange feeling. After that, Rhode fiercely moved to the left, dodging the dripping blood from the Four Clawed Lizard and continuing to move forward. The Four Clawed Lizard hadn''t even showed its final struggle when it heavily fell to the ground and was no longer breathing.


    At this moment, Rhode had already gone far. He didn''t even looked back to see whether his enemy was still alive or not.


    The reason Rhode had such confidence was because his level was high enough and he was confident in the power of his sword.


    The reason he rarely summoned Star Mark was because the Blood Tears that Mr. Keller had given to him was really good. It wasn''t a magical weapon with a permanent magical effect, but it had the effect of becoming sharper when it absorbed more blood.


    Judging from its special effect, any player would know that it was a very good artifact. However, Rhode rarely had time to improve it because most of the missions he took were related to undead creatures, so it couldn''t absorb much blood. However, today, it finally showed its effectiveness. There were a lot of living enemy along the way, so it helped the Blood Tears to increase its sharpness. Although it was exaggerating to say that it was able to cut down anything it touched, it was at least good enough to cut down some monsters.


    Just take the Four Clawed Lizard that launched a surprise attack on him before as an example. Usually, it would take more than one strike for Rhode to kill it, but just now, when cutting it, Rhode felt as if he was cutting through a layer of thick butter and not a thick-scaled monster. The sharp blade pierced through its scales, bones, and muscles. However, it still felt light and there was almost no feeling.


    This was certainly a good thing for him. The stronger the weapon meant the more he could save up on soul power.


    "������!!"


    At this moment, Rhode suddenly heard a noise from the front. He furrowed his brows and remembered those arrogant guys with outdated equipment who might be waiting for him ahead. However, Rhode wasn''t hesitant because of this. To the contrary, he lowered his body, turned around, and leapt to the corner. The sword in his hand was already ready to attack.


    However, this time Rhode didn''t directly attack like before. Instead, he stopped for the first time. Then, he looked at the scene before him with a puzzled gaze.


    The place was a very spacious stone hall and looked no different than the rest of the ruins. Just as Rhode had expected, there were a dozen Goblins waving their weapons back and forth, but the only difference was that they weren''t blocking Rhode''s road, but surrounding the two people standing by the wall.


    Two people?


    Seeing this scene, Rhode couldn''t help but feel surprised.


    How could anyone be here?

 Chapter 182 The Familiar Stranger

    Rhode had always thought that there would be no one here because all the way here, there were no signs of battle at all. That was why he was sure that no one had walked that path before. However, it seemed now that his judgement had been overturned since right now, there were two people before him.


    "Leader? What happened?"


    While Rhode was surprised, Anne walked toward him while carrying the shield behind her. Although usually she always looked sleepy and careless, she had sensitive reactions in battle. When she saw Rhode stop walking, she could immediately see that there was some trouble ahead. That was why she quickly prepared for battle. When Anne saw the scene before her, she was also very surprised.


    Under the dark magic light, Rhode couldn''t clearly see the appearance of the two people in front of him. They seemed to be one male, one female��a young girl and an old man. They were currently being surrounded and seemed to be at loss. The Goblins were waving around the weapons in their hands while the girl held a sharp dagger in her hands. However, it didn''t seem to be any use.


    What are they doing?


    Rhode hesitated for a while then shook his head. He didn''t know what was happening, but no matter what, he couldn''t just let them die before him. That was why Rhode quickly raised his sword and attacked the Goblins that seemed to be very happy, moving back and forth as if they were intoxicated.


    "Anne, go protect them." After saying this, Rhode activated Shadow Flash and quickly killed the Goblins.


    To those Goblins, Rhode''s arrival was just like the beginning of a nightmare. Glittering sword light instantly sent them into the air, precisely ending their lives. At first, the Goblins didn''t seem to know what was happening, so they panicked. Only when their comrades'' corpses fell onto the ground did they wake up from their dream and quickly run away. However, they were still unable to change their fate and a crescent moon-shaped light penetrated their body, completely stopping their screams.


    At this moment, Rhode put down his sword and looked at the two people before him.


    Neither seemed to be an adventurer.


    The young girl was wearing glasses and her golden hair fell over her shoulders. She looked very quiet and was wearing an ordinary travel robe. She was holding nothing besides the dagger in her hand. Standing behind her, the old man dressed almost the same as her, the only difference was, he''s holding a stick. It seemed to be for his self protection.


    "You are��"


    Looking at the two people before him, Rhode frowned. Their sudden appearance really made him puzzled and the way they dressed didn''t make it seem like they were here for an adventure. This place was considered very dangerous and usually normal people wouldn''t came here. But these two actually walked passed the Goblins and Four Clawed Lizard "defenselessly" and arrived here. It really didn''t make any sense�� This place wasn''t too far from the core.


    Not only that, what made Rhode even more puzzled was that those two people looked very familiar. It felt like he had seen them somewhere before. This familiar feeling really made him perplexed. When he met them, he had almost called out their names, but he didn''t do so because he didn''t know whether he should do so.


    Who are they?


    The girl before him wasn''t a beauty, but she looked elegant and quiet, with a pair of big eyes gave her a dexterous and lovely feeling. Rhode was sure that he had never seen her before, and the same went for the old man behind her. However, they looked very familiar.


    "You are��" Rather than guessing, it was better to ask them directly.


    "Thank you for your help." Hearing Rhode''s question, the girl thanked him and bowed. "My name is Alice. This is my teacher, Fabran. We are wandering scholars and we came here to investigate something. Unexpectedly, we encountered those Goblins and were really surprised."


    "Scholar?" Hearing her introduction, Rhode once again observed them. Indeed, they did look like scholars. He had also encountered similar things in the game, but his inner doubts did not disappear.


    "In such a dangerous place? Didn''t you guys encounter any trouble?"


    "We''re quite confidence in that." Facing Rhode''s question, she smiled, took out a compass, then showed it to them.


    "We have this. Through it, we can find out about those evil, terrible monsters in advance and avoid them�� It was always smooth since the beginning, but we don''t know why when we came to this hall, those Goblins suddenly rushed over as if they found something, and so we were trapped��"


    Having said that, the girl showed a troubled expression. Rhode glanced at Anne with weird expression. Of course, they knew the reason why those Goblins rushed toward here; it must be caused by his attacks from before, and the two accidentally encountered them�� If she was telling the truth, then it was Rhode who put them in a dangerous position!


    "This is a very dangerous place." Rhode decisively tossed this matter aside since he had a more important thing to do. "I suggest you to leave this place earlier because these ruin aren''t as simple as you think. Those monsters have already been eradicated by us; you can directly leave from here."


    Having said that Rhode nodded toward them.


    "Then, I''m going to leave first." Having said that, Rhode signalled Anne to leave. However, at this moment, that girl called out to him.


    "That�� please wait, Sir."


    "Is there a problem?" Hearing the girl''s voice, Rhode stopped his step, turned around, and asked. He looked at her expression carefully, and suddenly he had a hunch that this girl would show him an apologetic smile, after which she would ask to go together with them.


    At this moment, seeing Rhode, the girl showed an apologetic smile and asked. "Excuse me�� but can we go together with you?"


    What''s going on?


    His doubts were getting stronger. He could swear to the heavens that he had never seen this girl before, but his consciousness didn''t think so. From the first time he saw this girl, he felt that she was very familiar; whether what she was going to do or say, he seemed to be able to guess it beforehand�� It was too illogical, right? Rhode recalled the list of hundreds of NPCs in the Paphield region in his mind, but he was 100 percent sure that he had never seen this girl called ''Alice''.


    But why did he feel that this girl was very familiar?


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t bring you guys together with us." Rhode couldn''t find the reason, but he didn''t plan to bring them with him either. "We have something we want to do here. We''re very sorry, but we don''t have the time to do such an unnecessary thing."


    Rhode once again shook his head and rejected her. He hadn''t yet figured out the uneasiness in his heart, which was why there was no way he would bring these two people along. Although on the surface, there''s nothing strange and they both also looked defenseless, he didn''t want to take any risks. There were so many examples of this kind-hearted behavior leading to a bad ending in the game. There were even players that helped NPCs who had experienced hardships and difficulties in the labyrinth until they reached the destination, but in the end, the seemingly harmless NPC would transform into a hidden boss. Rhode was not willing to waste time on such things; it was just increasing unnecessary danger.


    Hearing Rhode''s words, the old man behind him snorted as if he were dissatisfied with his answer. However, the girl still smiled and asked. "Please don''t say something like that, Sir. From the way you dressed�� you guys are supposed to be adventurers, right. How about I give you some reward? And�� I can guarantee that I''ll just follow along from behind and won''t cause any trouble. How about it?"


    Having said that, the girl smiled and lifted her head. He didn''t know whether he saw it incorrectly or not, but at that moment, there seemed to be a golden light in her eyes.

 Chapter 183 The Guardian Golem

    In the end, Rhode didn''t agree to her request. Although her performance looked very sincere, but Rhode still felt that something was off. Especially the familiar, intriguing feeling she gave off. If it were only once or twice, he might have thought he was wrong, but everytime he was able to predict what she wanted to do in advance from the expression she made. This feeling was obviously weird to him. In fact, this was also very normal. Those who were very familiar with each other, such as friends and relatives could understand each other''s emotions and actions. That was normal because they had been together for a long time, so there would be such a tacit understanding. However, Rhode had never had this kind of feeling with strangers, which just made him feel uncomfortable. Just to be safe, Rhode still rejected her request and quickly turned around toward Anne and left. He didn''t even give them the opportunity and time to ask again.


    "He''s such a strange person."


    When Rhode and Anne''s figures disappeared, the girl finally spoke again. She was still smiling like before, as if the one who was rejected wasn''t her.


    "What do you think he''s worried about? Teacher Amund?"


    "I can''t tell." The old man shook his head while calmly observing his surroundings.


    "Maybe he was worried, or maybe he thought it would be too troublesome."


    "I don''t think so." The girl smiled and shook her head. She stretched out her finger and held it against her chin while slowly narrowing her eyes. After a while, she suddenly spoke. "He knew me well."


    "Your High�� young miss?" Hearing her words, the old man was surprised. He widened his eyes and wanted to say something. But at that moment, the girl waved her hand, hinting at him not to talk.


    "I can feel that he knows me well; even when I talked to him before, I also had the same feeling. Although I have heard stories about him from many people, it was still my first time meeting him in person�� It''s really intriguing, isn''t it? I have never encountered this kind of thing before. It''s really interesting�� It''s right for me to come here��" Having said that, the girl fell into deep thought. "What do you think, Teacher Amund?"


    "Have to say, the feeling he gave off when meeting him in person was different from what I''ve heard." Hearing the girl inquiries, the old man''s expression turned serious. "Before I met him, I thought he was a very confident and arrogant person�� However, at least based on our previous meeting, he wasn''t such a person��or maybe he hadn''t showed that part of him�� I agree with your opinion, young miss. I think they aren''t here for an adventure; else, they wouldn''t be in such hurry. Usually an adventurer wouldn''t reject this kind of small request. Moreover, from the information that we got, this young man doesn''t seem to be that kind of person."


    "That''s why I don''t understand why they would reject us." In the end, the old man spread out his hands, frowned, and said.


    "Teacher Amund, have you heard about the Prismatic Gem?"


    "This��"


    "It''s a very beautiful gem. Under the sunlight, it refracts light which consist a variety of usually vivid colors. It''s only one gem, but it shows unpredictable color from different perspectives, which is the most intriguing part of the gem. I just think that Rhode is getting more and more interesting. There''s a lot of mystery in him�� Yes, I''m very happy about it."


    Having said that, the girl couldn''t help but lick her lips. Seeing this scene, the old man only helplessly sighed and shook his head.


    "Then, what are we going to do next, young miss?"


    "Although quiet appreciation is also a form of etiquette, I''d prefer to be able to have the gem myself so I can fully appreciate its light."


    Having said that, the girl smiled with determination. Following her movement, the empty air behind her suddenly formed into six glittering wings, its light illuminating the entire hall. The previous dirty, dark hall suddenly became brighter and purer.


    "I heard that there are a lot of interesting things here. Teacher Amund, do you mind showing them to me?"


    Faced with the girl''s request, the old man helplessly shook his head. He knew that this student of his well; he knew it was her bad habit again because she often said��only light that can shine brilliantly under the darkness''s oppression can be considered as the most beautiful and dazzling light.


    That was why he no longer said anything. He only shook his head and raised the plain, wooden stick in his hand.


    In the blink of an eye, that plain wooden stick transformed into a black, shiny magic staff with a golden outline. The gem on it exuded a brilliant, magic light. Later, the old man muttered a few words, then placed the staff on the ground.


    It was calm, as if nothing had happened..


    But when the light shone, their figures disappeared.


    Rhode slowed down his step.


    He curiously turned around and glanced behind. Just now, his heart shuddered as if it had noticed something. But his heart wasn''t beating any faster, so there wasn''t supposed to be any danger. To the contrary, his heart became calmer as if something he had been waiting for suddenly appeared.


    What the heck is happening?


    Rhode shook his head. Since he met those two, he felt kind of weird somehow, but didn''t know why. But now, he no longer thought about that. After running for some time, whether it was him or Anne, they were both already tired. Rhode felt that his energy had run low (since there was no such thing in the game) and although Anne still had a lot of energy, she couldn''t follow this kind of pace for too long. That was why before they reached their destination, Rhode decided to rest for a while so they could face their next opponent in perfect condition.


    At this moment, a low roar suddenly echoed in his ear.


    Hearing this sound, Rhode stopped without hesitation and made a hand gesture for Anne to stop too. Then, he pulled out his sword and looked at the surroundings with a darkened expression.


    Upon seeing Rhode''s gesture, Anne hurriedly stopped. She lifted up her shield to protect Rhode''s back, and at the same time, she observed the surroundings. It was a very spacious hall with dark and cold walls just like before. The only thing difference was that the deeper they went, they would see something similar to a metal pipe embedded in the wall. The pipes were more than a meter wide and Annie had knocked it previously out of curiosity. It seemed to be hollow and empty inside. Where they were now was the same. Other than the two thick metal pipes which were embedded in the walls were four dark, deep holes that had spiderwebs hanging from their corners. They looked like underground water pipes; however, Rhode kept vigilant, staring at the black hole in front of him, while holding his sword.


    Just then, four brass balls suddenly rolled out from the pipe. They fell heavily on the ground, colliding with the hard bluestone and issuing a loud sound.


    "Be careful!"


    Rhode lifted up his sword with a serious expression. He vigilantly looked at the brass balls and reminded Anne at the same time.


    "Do you still remember the things I told you before? Don''t fight with this thing. It''s powerful. Attack its head and beware of its lower part. Understand?"


    "Yes, Leader." Hearing Rhode''s reminder, Anne nodded. At this moment, the brass balls that rolled out from the pipe suddenly changed. They rolled around, then suddenly flared.


    "Waa!" Seeing this scene, Anne couldn''t help but screamed in surprise.


    Because at this moment, the brass balls suddenly split up. Afterwards, a metal golem appeared from each one. They stretched out both of their hands and dazzling, sharp blades appeared. There was a trace of magic light in its hollow eyes. Although its body looked weak because it was made from metal, looking at the magic runes on it, it clearly wasn''t so.


    They were the guardians of these ruins.


    "Warning. Unidentified intruders detected. Please leave, otherwise all the intruders shall be eradicated."


    "Warning. Here is the central core area. Unauthorized access is not allowed."


    The lower part of a metal golem slowly moved and walked forward. They surrounded Rhode and Anne at the same time, and repeated the same warning in the same flat tone. There didn''t seem to be any threat in their words. However, no one would treat it as a joke, since no one would like to be surrounded by four lifeless creatures.


    But Rhode had a different target.


    Facing the four golem encirclement, he didn''t seem to be nervous. Their average level was only about 15, while he was currently at level 18. One-on-one might be easy, but 1v4 would be troublesome. However, he didn''t care about that. To the contrary, he was looking at the dazzling red gem at the center of each golem.


    If he could get all four artificial soul gems, he would be able to evolve his summoned spirits four times. To him, this was the best loot in this battle. Compared to this, all the remaining loot in these ruins were only so-so.


    "Be careful, don''t break the gem on its body."


    He took a deep breath and didn''t forget to remind Anne about this. If she accidentally broke one, he definitely would cry.


    At this moment, the guardian golem finally attacked them.

 Chapter 184 One After Another

    The metal claw rushed over, followed by the whistling wind.


    Rhode dodged to the side and escaped from the golem''s attack. He swung his sword toward the opponent''s head. Although chopping off its head wouldn''t deal a fatal blow, it was still the golem''s control centre. The Gargoyle''s Heart provided the energy for driving the gear while the magic runes on its head could be used to adjust this force. If he could attack this part, the golem body would move like sports car with broken brakes; in other words, it would be completely finished.


    Rhode''s counterattack was fast, but he still didn''t succeed.


    When Rhode''s sword made contact, the golem suddenly shrugged and transformed back into a brass ball. It rolled to the side at the same time and escaped from Rhode''s attack. However, Rhode''s sword didn''t stop there. To the contrary, he took the advantage of the empty space to shift his position, escaping from another golem''s attack. At the same time, he lowered his sword and heavily knocked the brass ball''s outer shell.


    Clang!!!


    Anne retreated back. Her eyes widened and she looked at the two golems before her in disbelief.


    Maybe because the guardian golem''s body looked fragile, unlike Rhode, Anne didn''t choose to dodge when she was attacked. She thought that the golem wouldn''t be too powerful, and as a shield warrior, it was also difficult for her to dodge here and there like a swordsman��


    That was why when she saw the two golems rush toward her, her first reaction was to lift her shield. Anne simply thought that if she could block their attack, it wouldn''t be difficult for her to finish them off using the shield.


    However, when the two golems heavily collided with the shield, Anne realized that things were completely different from what she had thought.


    The Rock Heart on her shield was instantly activated due to the huge force. A layer of stone-like barrier stretched over Anne''s body in a blink of an eye, forming a solid shield. Anne could be considered as an experienced warrior. After she noticed these changes, she immediately retreated and escaped from the powerful force. Not only that, Anne bit her lips, trying to supress the numbness from the impact of the shield��


    But that was just an accident.


    Anne soon made a counterattack.


    She shouted, then grabbed the shield with both hands and pushed forward. The reason that Anne retreated before was because she had underestimated the golem''s strength so she was unable to push back. If she was serious, even the two golems'' combined strength wouldn''t be a match for her. They were quickly pushed away, and Anne took advantage of the situation and turned the shield vertically from side to side. With strong surge, it directly hit the opponent.


    If they were human, seeing Anne''s aggressive attack, they would have long been scared and clueless. Unfortunately, Anne''s opponents weren''t humans, but two golems.


    Facing Anne''s attack, the two golems didn''t push their way forward. Instead, they shrugged their body and transformed back into a brass ball, quickly rolling back. Anne didn''t expect that they would transform, so her attack direction was a little bit too high. The strong surging power only passed by and didn''t hit the golems. But at this moment, the two brass balls that were rolling back suddenly jumped up and bounced back off the corner wall. They passed through the air, rushing toward Anne. Not only that, the two balls were blooming in the air like flowers. They unfolded their hard, metal limbs, and the sharp metal blades in their hands looked extremely menacing.


    Bad!


    Seeing this scene, Anne was surprised. She didn''t expect that these seemingly weak things were so flexible and so difficult to deal with. Now her center of gravity had completely deviated, and she simply couldn''t turn around quickly. Although Anne''s strength was very powerful, she still couldn''t defy the laws of physics. Fortunately, Anne was currently covered with a thick layer of stone armor. At least it would ensure that she wouldn''t be seriously injured.


    Anne intended to close her eyes to withstand the attack when suddenly a figure stood before her and blocked the attack. The sword danced around like a whirlwind in the air, rushing toward the guardian golems.


    Rhode had been watching Anne for a long time.


    As a veteran dungeon clearer, he was clear on how to deal with those two. The best way to deal with such a tricky enemy was to attack their weak points. But they also knew that he knew their weak points. Although they lacked brains, the people who made them were not idiots. It was certainly impossible for them to devote so much effort just for people to easily destroy them. So they also spent a lot of time designing the golems to protect their weaknesses.


    The guardian golem has two weaknesses: the head and the artificial soul gem on its chest. Neither of these two were easy to deal with, and the guardian golems weren''t humans, so they had no neck��their heads were located in between the shoulders. The heavy metal shoulder armor protected the head very well. Not to mention, the artificial soul gem in the center. Layers of stacked metal armor protected it nicely; under normal circumstances, it would be unlikely for him to have the opportunity to attack the core.


    That''s why he could only wait until they gave up their defenses and launched a full scale attack. If they did, Rhode was sure that he would be able to seize the opportunity.


    Finally, he caught it.


    The guardian golem that had completely unfolded its body didn''t expect something to happen halfway. It tried to use the heavy metal armor to block Rhode''s attack. However, Rhode had finally found such a good opportunity; how could he let it pass?


    The red, sharp sword was thrusted into the gap before the guardian golem managed to close the gap. It easily pierced through the guardian golem''s head. There was no slight hesitation in Rhode''s sword. He moved his right hand, flipped his sword, and strained the gap like a venomous snake. Followed by this movement, the guardian golem''s head was lifted high and sent flying in the air. But Rhode''s attack didn''t stop there. He flipped his hand back down. Red light appeared and created an L-shaped trajectory, shooting toward another guardian golem beside him.


    At the same time, the guardian golem had transformed back into a brass ball. It looked flawless without any gaps, except for the long sword piercing it. Unfortunately, it only looked fine.


    In the next moment, the golem suddenly collapsed, crashing to the ground and turning into a pile of debris.


    Although the whole process seemed long, it only took about 10 seconds. Anne only saw that Rhode suddenly appeared and light flashed by. Afterwards, the golem completely collapsed, and another one had crashed down, turning into a pile of debris. She didn''t feel happy about Rhode''s performance; suddenly, she could felt a dangerous aura. As a shield warrior, she was sensitive toward this kind of thing. She hurriedly turned around and lifted her shield to block in front of Rhode. At the same time, the guardian golem that was originally entangled with Rhode, but was "abandoned," suddenly rushed toward him.


    Boom!!


    A huge impact once again came through, but this time Anne had already made preparation in advance, so the attack wasn''t effective. To the contrary, she shouted, holding the shield in her hands and forcefully waving it to the left. This was called learning from mistakes. In the previous battle, Anne was unable to do anything, but this time, she wouldn''t give them any opportunity. She grabbed the guardian golem that collided with her shield and immediately launched a counterattack at the same time.


    Before, I couldn''t hit you because you ran fast. Now you come to me, there''s no way I can''t hit you again.


    And the reality was the same as Anne had thought.


    The guardian golem was finally unable to escape Anne''s attack in a dashing manner like its other two companions. It was sent flying by the shield and not only that, it also hit its other companion behind like a cannonball. The two metal golems heavily hit the wall, turning into a pile of junk.


    When Anne was serious, two mere magical creatures wouldn''t be a match for her.


    Seeing this scene, Rhode was secretly shocked. He knew that Anne was strong, but he didn''t think that she could even smash the golem apart just by relying on her strength�� Although those golems were old, they were still quite good; it was difficult to injure them using his sword. Unexpectedly, Anne could directly smash it with her shield��


    Before Rhode could speak, a low sound once again echoed.

 Chapter 185 A Be

    Ooo��!


    This time, followed by a deep roar, the ground shook. At the same time, white billows of smoke also emerged from the pipes. For quite awhile, the entire room was filled with smoke and a choking smell. Anne narrowed her eyes. She covered her mouth while fanning away the smoke around her. Rhode also quickly backed down, but as he retreated, he threw the green card in his left hand forward. The Spirit Bird who hadn''t shown up for a long time appeared from thin air and soared in the air. It flapped its wings to raise a whirlwind from the ground to clear the smoke.


    Shortly after, the smoke dispersed and the ground stopped shaking as the deep roar disappeared. Everything had returned to its peaceful state. However, Rhode didn''t think so. He looked at the passageway before him, and shortly after, an image appeared in his mind. It was a white, wide room. In the center, there was a tall, huge golem quietly standing there. Its eyes emanated a faint blue light while electric current constantly flowed throughout its body. The storm was setting and the dangerous aura had gotten thicker.


    Rhode shifted his gaze away and pondered for a moment. Then, he shook his head and sat on the ground.


    "Let''s get some rest, Anne."


    She nodded and sat down. She had began to feel tired after all the battles. It wasn''t physical, but rather spiritual. Although Anne was accustomed to concentrating in defense, it was a whole different matter compared to running a marathon. As a veteran who had experienced many adventures, of course, Anne wasn''t behave like a nervous rookie due to the sudden changes �� Being overly cautious might kill her. If they didn''t take a break when they could, they would be too tensed for the upcoming battles and commit mistakes. No one would be able to take care of their corpses if they were dead��


    Although this place was apparently strange, there were no dangers ahead. Since that was the case, it was meaningless for them to be overly cautious. Not to mention, Anne also trusted Rhode a lot. Since Rhode was confident that there was no lurking dangers, there were no reasons for her to doubt him.


    Rhode drank up and felt his strength restoring. He thought that it was fine to treat this quest like a usual dungeon in the game �� Where there would be some pressure on the time limit at most. This was why he only kept killing the monsters along the way and didn''t loot their corpses. He could leave the loots to after the battle since the corpses wouldn''t disappear. However, he had forgotten to consider that he would also be exerting physical power rather than mere brainpower. But, this was not a problem for him as long as the rhythm in battle was well controlled.


    Rhode stood up to observe his surroundings. Then, he walked toward the pile of broken golems and started searching. His target was very clear: the Gargoyle''s Heart. This was the best reward that he could get from this ruin. As a level 10 dungeon, the equipment here was basically useless to him. Even though he could take them back for his mercenary group, it would only be a waste of space to him. However, the mercenaries wouldn''t want to waste them at all. On the contrary, these things were meaningless apart from being sold to make some money.


    To him, it could still be considered pretty good.


    Because Rhode was really careful when attacking the two Guardian Golems, the Gargoyle''s Heart was still intact. However, the two Guardian Golem that Anne had destroyed really made him worried. Her brutal fighting style simply couldn''t guarantee the intactness of Gargoyle''s Heart. After looking for it for a long time, Rhode eventually found three intact Gargoyle''s Hearts, as well as one broken piece that turned into a half.


    Although it wasn''t not fully collected, it was still a very good result for Rhode. The next question he needed to consider was which card should he choose for the three Gargoyle''s Hearts. He knew that the next opponent wasn''t easy to deal with. Although it was only a level 10 dungeon boss, its characteristics were very troublesome for a Spirit Swordsman.


    Core Guardian.


    It was created to guard the Sphere of Mystery. Unlike those mass piles of junk, the Core Guardian had very strong defense and offense, meaning that they had a high physical resistance and magic resistance. It flaw was that it only had a single skill attack, which also depended on how it was used it. The siege hammer only sloshed back and forth��no wonder people would look down on it.


    One of the most common methods players used to conquer this labyrinth was by using lightning magic attribute. Because it was said that although the core guardian had a high resistance toward fire, water and earth, its resistance towards lightning was only so-so. Although it was not its weakness, it was at least more effective and lethal compared to other magical and physical attacks.


    However, Rhode didn''t have a lightning attribute summon spirit. Celia was a light attribute and Nether Tentacles and the Centaur Knight were dark attributes. It was impossible for him to summon Gillian��the Flame Killer also had a fire attribute. The only one that could get close to it was the Spirit Bird, but it only had a wind attribute and wasn''t related to lightning attribute at all.


    But Rhode''s only hope for now was the Spirit Bird. When it leveled up, it might be able to gain the lightning attribute. Then, it would be easier for him to finish off the core guardian. However, it would be too much of a disappointment if nothing happened once it leveled up. Not only did he have to waste a Gargoyle''s Heart, he also wouldn''t gain anything�� This kind of thing often happened to the Spirit Swordsman. Rhode had never used the Spirit Bird card before, so he didn''t know what would happen once it leveled up. It''s said that even sparrows could turn into phoenixes. But in many Spirit Swordsman cases, such a thing rarely happened. To the contrary, the situation where phoenixes shed off its feather and turned into hens were more often seen��


    After thinking for a moment, Rhode made his decision. In any case, the Spirit Bird was also a wind element card; at least it''s success rate was a lot higher than the Flame Killer. Although the fire elemental attribute magic also has a chance to gain a lightning attribute, the probability was too small and it would be a gamble. If his memory served him right, there were only five fire spirits that could gain the lightning attribute.


    In 7 years, there were only five spirits that were successful among hundreds of thousands of players.


    Those successful players really should have tried buying lottery tickets.


    Rhode wasn''t interested in the lottery, so he quickly made a decision. He put the other two Gargoyle''s Hearts into his spatial bag and one remained in his hand. Soon, a system prompt appeared before him.


    [The Gargoyle''s Heart was detected (Magic Item). Do you want to use it? ]


    Yes.


    The dark red gem was broken and disappeared under faint light. Seeing Rhode''s action, Anne was suddenly in high spirits. She curiously looked at the card floating in Rhode''s hand. It was her first time seeing Rhode do something like that; naturally, she was very curious about it. But judging from Rhode''s serious expression, she knew that it was a crucial moment, which was why she didn''t ask any questions even though she was curious.


    [Target? ]


    Spirit Bird.


    [Target - Spirit Bird - Forced Evolution]


    [Level upgrade completed]


    [Evolve?]


    Yes.


    Rhode answered. At this moment, the green card that represented the Spirit Bird was floating in his hand. Dark red light circled around it and the card rotated in the air, absorbing the red light. When all the light from the Gargoyle''s Heart had been absorbed, it suddenly burst out a dazzling light, then quietly floated back into Rhode''s hand.


    [Sky Deck Fifth Place: Soaring Spirit Bird. Light & Wind Elemental Attributes. Can be fused �� The child of wind who soars in the sky. Level: 15. Fury spirit of the skies. Ariel Properties.


    A spirit fused with the wind.


    Messenger of the storm. Lightning Properties]


    Nailed it!


    After seeing the last sentence, Rhode felt relieved and relaxed a lot. He was even felt happy that he had successfully gone through this. This painful joy could only be tasted by a Spirit Swordsman. As for other jobs, they would never be able to understand why Spirit Swordsmans thought of upgrading spirits as playing Russian roulette�� For Spirit Swordsmans, the thrill was everywhere. They didn''t only feel the thrill from adventure and killing monsters, they even also felt the thrill when upgrading spirit levels. From this point, it could be seen that the Spirit Swordsman job wasn''t as boring as a Knight or Shield Warrior�� However, it was another thing to say whether this special feature was welcomed by the people.


    But��


    Rhode noticed something strange. He scanned the description and puckered his brows.


    Light & Wind attribute.


    What''s going on?

 Chapter 186 Core Guardian

    For Rhode, this information wasn''t difficult to understand. It explained that the summoned spirit consisted of both Light and Wind element which meant that this would increase its resistance against those elements. However, this wasn''t a common occurrence. The Spirit Bird was a Wind elemental creature which had no relations to the Light. It was like a Microtus having a family with an eagle.


    The only possible reason that he could think of was, during the process of evolving, the spirit got affected by external elements. If those elements were strong enough, it could be enough to input certain new elemental attributes to it.


    However, Rhode couldn''t accept this as an answer. Instead, he became further confused.


    The Black Pine Ruins were the remains of a mysterious heritage, a place with consisting of ''magic'' and golems. The ''magic'' itself had no attributes, whereas the golems were inanimate matter, which couldn''t possibly affect the summoned spirits. Although it was underground and the Earth element attribute might perhaps have a higher influence, but due to the contradiction of Wind and Earth elements, it wasn''t plausible for a summoned spirit to inherit those attributes. But the problem was that the Light element wasn''t even found here.


    Rhode traced back his memory to the maze until now, but he still couldn''t recall discovering any vestiges of the Light element. To affect a summoned spirit''s attribute, not any ordinary ''Light'' will do, instead, it required a considerable amount of Light element influence. For example, the Light element in Temples or Churches.


    Rhode eventually shook his head as he was certain that he didn''t pass by any Church, nor did he come across any altar. And he couldn''t remember if there were any rare objects or monsters with the Light element.


    How is this even possible��


    In the end, Rhode decided to not think about it anymore. No matter where it came from, at least he benefited from it because his Spirit Bird would be able to defend against a larger variety of attacks from different elements. Rhode clenched his fist.


    Ka!


    A crack sounded from his palm, and a large bird appeared in front of Rhode. The tiny Spirit Bird vanished and was substituted by a blue, translucent bird that spanned at least two meters long. It casually flapped its wings, causing some of its long feathers to fall to the ground. Its sharp eyes blinked a few times as it stared at its master. Not only did its body size increase, but a newly coated white trim covered the edges of its wings. That was the evidence of the Light element in itself.


    "��!"


    The Spirit Bird gave out a mild chirp and rubbed its head against Rhode, and he caressed its head in response. The Spirit Bird seemed to be very satisfied with its master''s touch. It shook its body and raised its head to chirp, then it once again turned into its card form, disappearing into the air.


    "Wow��"


    Anne who had been watching at the side suddenly returned to her senses. She opened her eyes wide and looked at Rhode with curiosity and excitement. When the Spirit Bird disappeared, Anne shouted gleefully and hurriedly made her way towards Rhode like a little kid who saw an ice-cream van.


    "Leader! Was that a spirit too? What a beautiful bird, can we raise it?"


    "It''s a spirit for battle and not as a pet."


    Rhode casually answered Anne''s brainlessly enthusiastic question. However, Anne didn''t seem to let this opportunity slide that easily. She pranced around Rhode, asking all kinds of silly questions. But it couldn''t be helped. Rhode''s style of fighting had always been a hot topic within the mercenary group. Regardless whether they were new or old mercenaries, they had never seen such an odd battle style or a class like the Spirit Swordsman.


    Unlike Marlene, no matter how strong, in the end, she was still a mage and only can be a mage. But Rhode was different. He used his superb swordsmanship to prove he was a powerful swordsman, and he was also able to use summoning skills that only summoners could use. This was a mystery to them. Some even suspected that Rhode borrowed the help of magical equipment. But they eventually denied these suspicions as magic equipment could never summon so many different spirits��


    That was what they concluded before they knew that Gillian and Celia were also summoned spirits.


    Rhode was not interested in entertaining Anne, and since she appeared so energetic, he chose to proceed forward. Although she didn''t receive an answer, she didn''t seem to have any regrets. She maintained her enthusiasm and followed Rhode, anticipating Rhode''s elegant form in battle later.


    "Leader, will you use it in battle? Anne really really wants to see it. Can I touch it?"


    "You''d better take care of yourself. The next enemy isn''t as easy as you think."


    Rhode cut off Anne''s enthusiasm with a straight response, and he began observing his surroundings cautiously.


    "Let''s go. Something doesn''t feel quite right here."


    Rhode turned and left with Anne hurriedly following behind.


    Both of them quickly disappeared into the tunnels, and the whole area returned to its former state. But not long after, two human shadows suddenly appeared around the corner.


    "Did you see that? Amund?"


    The woman narrowed her eyes and stared at the position where Rhode previously stood.


    "Such beautiful art. How did he do that? Summoning skills?"


    "I''m not so sure, Miss. But it doesn''t seem to be summoning skills, at least not those by the ordinary summoners."


    The old man had a dubious expression on his face as he shook his head.


    "Frankly speaking, I have never seen such mysterious techniques. From the flow of magical energy, this should belong to a unique type of summoning system, but I can''t analyze its source. The only thing I can be sure of is that this technique is ancient."


    "Oh? That''s amusing."


    The woman opened her eyes in surprise; she turned her head and glanced at where Rhode had gone. There were traces of greediness in her eyes.


    "Beautiful appearance, mysterious attitude, unique techniques�� You are tempting me to add you to my collection, Mr. Rhode. I can guarantee, you will become the most special little gem in all of my collections�� Everything in this country belongs to me, and that includes you. So then, what else are you gonna show us?"


    Rhode had chills down his spine.


    An odd sensation suddenly came over him which sent a chill throughout his body. He subconsciously turned behind but could only see a dark, empty alley. No incoming monsters nor any signs of abnormality.


    After spending a while in the underground, it was unavoidable to be oversensitive.


    We should get this over and done with, so we can get some fresh air.


    Rhode finally reached the end of the tunnel. He gestured to Anne to get ready, and at the same time he took a deep breath and slowly pushed the stone door.


    Brilliant rays started leaking out from in between the widening gaps; it was so bright that Rhode had to close his eyes.


    A spacious hall covered with polished white stones greeted them.


    An arc-shaped dome dangled above. The glittering fluorite lamp emitted a light which illuminated the entire hall. Thick, solid columns carved with floral patterns were organized in a series, and a firm brass pipe joined the columns together. At the left and right sections of the hall, there were multiple brass pipes with their dark entrances facing the hall. They appeared to be like other ordinary pipes, but for Anne wouldn''t let her guard down at all as she was ambushed previously.


    But the most conspicuous object was a massive metal golem that blocked the passage in front of them.


    It appeared to be at least two meters tall. It had two thick arms at its waist. Although its legs weren''t long, it appeared to be totally sturdy. Different from the Guardian Golems, it had a thick and sturdy deck. Didn''t seem to have any weaknesses.


    "Beware of its offense."


    Rhode reminded Anne softly.


    "It is very slow, but you need to mind your corners. Although this thing looks like a human, you can''t treat it as one. Its waist and limbs can be rotated freely and attack in any direction it wants. Also, pay attention to those brass pipes. I think you must know what these things are for. Once the Core Guardian shifts into battle mode, those irritating Guardian Golems will come through the pipes. I will handle the Core Guardian, and you''ll deal with the Guardian Golems. Remember, although these things are nimble, once they appear, they will commence an activation process, so immediately destroy them the moment you see them. Don''t worry. This place isn''t used for a long time, so the amount of Guardian Golems wouldn''t be too much for you to handle."


    Rhode took his time to explain to Anne about the mechanics of this battle.


    "Oh yeah, one more thing," Rhode continued,"you''ve got to notice its movements, once the Core Guardian releases white steam from its body, I need you to stay away or run as far as possible immediately. At the same time, get into a defensive stance. Understood?"


    "I understand, Leader."


    After receiving Rhode''s guidance, Anne became silent. She nodded her head after understanding his explanation. Then, she took out her shield and pulled something, soon enough, along with the sound of machines, the gold shield once again changed shape. Anne took a deep breath and grabbed her shield.


    "I''m ready." Anne nodded solemnly.


    "Good, let''s go!"


    Rhode drew his sword and dashed towards the massive golem.


    "��!"


    When the duo entered the hall, the golem appeared to have detected their presence. The formerly dull eyes suddenly flickered and it released a puff of steam out from all over its body.


    Its enormous body moved. Then, it raised its arms and smashed toward Rhode!


    The battle begins!

 Chapter 187 Lightning Strikes

    Rhode immediately dodged the Core Guardian''s attack by tipping his toes and jumping backward. The enormous golem''s punch brushed past him and smashed into the ground, creating a massive crater. The aftermath wasn''t pretty. It was as though the earth sank down a few inches and the flying debris managed to graze Rhode''s body and face, causing a slight pain on his skin.


    However, Rhode didn''t bother about such minor matters. As he retreated, he gripped his sword firmly and slashed downwards in a single motion. When he confirmed that the golem was successfully staggered, he used this chance to roll backward before extending his left hand.


    "������!!"


    Accompanied by a crisp cry, a flurry of whirlwinds erupted beside Rhode. The Spirit Bird appeared behind him, spread its wings and stared at the enemy. Rhode unhesitatingly rushed forward with his sword with the Spirit Bird following closely behind him.


    It was as though the golem ignored the existence of the Spirit Bird, it continued to rumble forward and punch out once more. The Spirit Bird darted forward without the intention to dodge and met the Core Guardian face to face. It was kind of surprising though; one would imagine that such a body with a large surface area would be clumsy and slow. The Core Guardian''s movement was almost absurd for its size.


    If any logical person saw the Spirit Bird charge head first towards that massive incoming fist, they would shake their heads. But reality was always unpredictable, and the punch simply phased through its body. Following that, a sudden massive electrical explosion occurred at the point of impact.


    "Bam!!"


    A deafening, thunderous roar echoed throughout the small room which numbed Rhode and Anne''s ears. The Core Guardian tumbled a few steps back; its hard, metal body glinted with the color of lightning and sparks began emitting out from beneath its exterior shell. When the Spirit phased through the Core Guardian''s body, it delivered an intense shockwave which paralyzed its foe momentarily.


    But of course, the Core Guardian wouldn''t fall just like this.


    "��Chi!!"


    Followed by a sharp, piercing sound, a massive cloud of white steam billowed out from the golem''s body. The Core Guardian then raised its left arm, clenched its fist, and spun its torso 180 degrees. In an instant, it''s left arm pointed towards its flank and locked onto the Spirit Bird. Just by looking at this, the Core Guardian''s intention was obvious.


    However, how can the Spirit Bird be an easy target? After delivering its payload, it immediately glided in an arc in an attempt to dodge the incoming ''rocket arm''. The Spirit Bird who barely grazed past the ''rocket arm,'' apparently became agitated. It let out a high pitched screech, and a bluish electric charge discharged from its body. The electricity took the form of a whip and lashed out towards the golem, causing streaks of charred metal on the Guardian''s outer shell.


    The Spirit Bird can''t be considered to be in the same league as before. In terms of battle strength, it couldn''t be compared to Celia or the other summoned spirits, but a mere Core Guardian posed no major problem for it. The Spirit Bird was already at level 15, and the Core Guardian was only level 14 or 15. Thus, due to its unique innate wind element attributes, the Core Guardian had a hard time following its movements. On the flip side, the Spirit Bird was also unable to burst the Core Guardian down with heavy attacks. While the electric element could damage the Core Guardian, it still wasn''t very effective as it wasn''t its weakness. If both of them continued this method of fighting, then a long battle was inevitable.


    Rhode wasn''t worried. He summoned the Spirit Bird solely because he wanted to lock the Core Guardian''s movements while dealing some damage to it. He would step onto the stage next to end the battle.


    He was a Spirit Swordsman, not a mage that summons minions. This meant that his spirits would work in his favor forever, and not on their own.


    Rhode held his sword in front of his chest on his right hand, then he stretched his left arm out, and in an instant, a pitch black card appeared. Rhode crushed the card without hesitation.


    A black mist suddenly enveloped Rhode''s body, and a vague image of the Centaur Knight appeared. A translucent barrier then covered Rhode as he merged into the center of the Centaur Knight.


    And at this moment, Rhode darted forward.


    While the Spirit Bird was distracting the Core Guardian, Rhode utilized this opportunity to launch a surprise attack using his Shadow Flash. His body slowly became one with the shadows, and he closed the distance between him and the Core Guardian within moments. Rhode then raised his sword, and along with this movement, the illusory Centaur Knight also raised its spear at the same time, matching Rhode''s timing impeccably.


    They struck forward.


    "Clang!!!"


    The massive impact generated by the clash caused Rhode''s heart to tremble. The Core Guardian''s fate wasn''t pretty either. Its enormous body was sent flying to the back and crashed into a wall, creating a deep hole. Collapsing dust and gravel filled the entire room. However, though it seemed as though Rhode won the clash, he didn''t follow up with an attack; instead, he hastily dug his feet into the ground and held his sword upright in front of him.


    At the same time, the illusory Centaur Knight matched Rhode''s stance perfectly; its long spear and shield came crashing down as it blocked Rhode''s front.


    "Hu!!!''


    The moment Rhode finished setting up his defensive stance, a pitch black object flew out from the hole where the Core Guardian crashed into. The projectile''s speed was incredibly quick, and if Rhode didn''t switch to a defensive stance, who knew what would have happened.


    It was the very same fist that was used against the Spirit Bird previously.


    A long steel chain connected its fists to its arm. That was the difference between humans and golems. Golems weren''t living objects; this meant that they could use any part of their bodies as a weapon. Many humans fell into the assumption that golems were similar to humans. Perhaps it was because they appeared similar to the human''s anatomy? Or due to their inexperience?


    But Rhode wasn''t on that list. He was very familiar with golems and their tactics, as well as methods of how to defeat them.


    It wasn''t that the ''rocket arm'' attack was weak, but rather, it was because Rhode wasn''t fighting alone anymore. After activating his ''Shadow Follower'' skill and fusing with the Centaur Knight, Rhode obtained the abilities of the terrifying four-legged demihuman; thus, Rhode could take on the attack head-on.


    After discovering that its attack failed, the Core Guardian immediately withdrew its fist and rejoined it to its body. And at that moment, the Spirit Bird whipped up a whirlwind again and clashed with the Core Guardian.


    Meanwhile, Anne wasn''t having an easy time either. While she received Rhode''s recommendation, she knew that she still lacked experience about golems. Since the start, Anne was able to defeat Guardian Golems, but she slowly grew weary. Moreover, Rhode''s battle was ever-changing, and she couldn''t keep up with their movements. And sometimes, his battle would block her field of vision, which caused her to miss the enemy who was rolling out of the pipeline. But when she finally noticed their presence, the Guardian Golems already began to attack.


    "Heyah!!"


    Anne screamed and swung her shield downwards at the enemy. The sharp, metal edge of the shield pierced through the Guardian Golem''s outer shell. These Guardian Golems didn''t have the opportunity to display their skills before being thoroughly smashed to pieces. Suddenly, she felt a blast of wind at her rear.


    Anne realized what was happening without looking. Since the beginning, these Guardian Golems had only appeared one at the time, so she had an easy time dealing with them alone. But now, the spawning rate was unpredictable. Sometimes they would appear in twos or even threes, and in some extreme cases, they wouldn''t appear at all.


    She didn''t choose to dodge. Instead, she released the grip on the back of her shield and slipped around it nimbly like a cat, switching from the back to the front. A split second later, the Guardian Golem''s sharp blades landed on the golden shield, causing a screeching sound. Anne gripped her shield with both hands, waiting for the Guardian Golems to move into her attacking range. Once she confirmed her targets, she swung her shield upwards, smashing the golems into the air. Before they could regain their stability, the heavy shield once again landed on them from the skies.


    "Boom!!!"


    Metallic bits scattered everywhere. The once aggressive Guardian Golems were now broken into pieces under the golden shield, posing no threat.


    "Hu��"


    Anne finally caught her breath and lifted her head towards Rhode''s direction.


    Over there, Rhode''s battle with the Core Guardian finally reached its climax.

 Chapter 188 End of the Battle

    A series of lightning struck one after another.


    Maintaining its aerial superiority, the Spirit Bird struck downwards, and together with its elemental attacks, it phased through the Core Guardian''s body, dealing constant damage over time. Meanwhile, Rhode utilized his flexible body and agility to maneuver around the Core Guardian while borrowing the strength of the Centaur Knight to launch attacks. The Core Guardian''s movements started to slow down under the two-pronged attack from Rhode and the Spirit Bird. Although its attack power was high, golems were still golems. They still lacked the necessary thought process. Back in the game, this BOSS was considered to be one of the best to defeat among the average mercenary groups. The strategy was simple: Two close combat players would keep the Guardian Golems at bay while the healers would tend to their wounds. But then who would fight the boss?


    Two mages. Yes, two mages who were supposedly doomed in close combat.


    And their strategy was simple. One of them will attack with spells, triggering the Core Guardian to counter-attack. At the same time, another mage will stand to the back and release another spell. Even if the spell didn''t deal much damage, the Core Guardian would still turn its head over to attack and abandon its previous target.


    Comparing to the usual BOSSES that targeted the player who dealt the most damage or accrued the most aggro, the Core Guardian would only recognize the enemy who attacked the last. It seemed rather brainless, but this was indeed the behavior of a golem. When the BOSS was new, many mercenary groups who weren''t aware of this characteristic, died many times. However, after they realized the strategy, the golems became easy targets. After all, these golems were man-made without any intelligence at all.


    And right now, Rhode was employing the exact technique. Using his Spirit Bird as a diversion, it was as though there were two mages releasing spells. As he was a swordsman, he needed to cover more distance to in order to deal damage to the Core Guardian. His speed wasn''t exactly slow because he had ''Shadow Flash. Occasionally, he would still get hit, but with the Centaur Knight tanking the damage, Rhode didn''t sustain much damage.


    The Spirit Bird continued to harass the Core Guardian. Lightning bolts from its wings fell onto the Core Guardian''s body. Despite not dealing much damage, but as long there was some damage then it would be fine.


    In actuality, the design of the Core Guardian wasn''t really a mistake. The massive golem had a strong defense, and regular attacks couldn''t harm it. Low-level knights couldn''t even leave a trace of a mark on its thick metallic armor. Earth, Fire and Water elemental spells were harmless to it; only the Electric element could deal some damage.


    Looking from this angle, actually, this design was quite appropriate. After all, not many enemies could threaten the Core Guardian, so as long as it defeated the enemy that could harm it, then the rest of them wouldn''t pose any problems to it.


    But the flaws in this design was apparent.


    And now was the time.


    Rhode could feel that his attack was much more relaxed now as compared to previously when his sword slashed on the Core Guardian''s armor. The resistance he felt now was much lesser, and not only that, he also realized that the Core Guardian''s movements were failing. The Spirit Bird''s continuous lightning strikes eventually disrupted the golem''s magical transmission within its body. It''s no wonder though, as lightning strikes could cause immense damage and for the Core Guardian to withstand the lightning damage from the Spirit Bird for so long only to receive a minor malfunction, was already pretty impressive.


    But all of that would end now.


    Once he confirmed the malfunction, Rhode immediately released a series of attacks. The sword on his hand transformed into various sword blades striking towards the Core Guardian''s body. The dramatic impact pressurized the Core Guardian''s body to lean on one side. It retaliated with a punch at Rhode. In reflex, Rhode leaped backward and swiftly dodged the attack. Just as the Core Guardian decided to rush in and follow up with another attack, the Spirit Bird dove downwards and struck with electricity to remind the enemy of its presence.


    "Bam!!"


    Once again, the Spirit Bird phased through its body, and the Core Guardian finally stopped moving. The magical light in its eyes suddenly dimmed, but it quickly recovered to its original state. Rhode knew what was happening. The Core Guardian couldn''t endure it anymore after the continuous attacks from before. The metallic armor on its exterior had started to reveal fractures caused by the collaboration between Rhode and the Spirit Bird. The solid metallic deck finally caved in and revealed a complicated internal frame. Its movement slowed down gradually and began stuttering.


    If Rhode kept up his attacks, he would surely be able to defeat the Core Guardian.


    But Rhode didn''t want to drag any longer. It wasn''t that couldn''t see Anne''s situation, but he couldn''t extend his help. In other words, the fact that Rhode could solely focus on the Core Guardian was all due to Anne''s assistance in keeping the other Guardian Golems busy. If the Guardian Golems attacked him instead, then he wouldn''t know if he could settle this Core Guardian as easily.


    That was why Rhode didn''t want to wait any longer. Anne was already having a hard time. Rhode needed more time to increase his chances of defeating the Core Guardian, if the Guardian Golem managed to slip pass Anne, then it would spell trouble.


    Rhode made his decision.


    "������!!"


    The Spirit Bird spread its wings and dove downwards. The Core Guardian once again retaliated with both fists but to no avail. Luckily, the Core Guardian didn''t possess intelligence and feelings, if not, perhaps it would have been angered to death.


    "Bam!!"


    Once more, the Spirit Bird phased through the Core Guardian''s body, bringing the lightning along with it as it sent reverberations in the air as well as the ground. The Core Guardian unexpectedly stopped its every movement. But now, the Spirit Bird didn''t return to its original position, but instead, it flew towards Rhode.


    And at that very moment, Rhode extended his right arm, swinging it to the side.


    The illusionary Centaur Knight on his back disappeared. Rhode raised his sword and pointed towards the Spirit Bird that was flying back to him.


    When the Crimson Blade and the Spirit Bird came into contact, there was a blinding light.


    A whirlwind rose from the ground alongside Rhode. The Spirit Bird disappeared, and only the Crimson Blade remained on Rhode''s hand.Electrified sparks enveloped the entire blade, forming long electrical currents that were as thick as fingers. The way it moved was similar to snakes, as it slithered up and down the sword.


    Rhode grabbed the sword by the hilt and focused on the enemy in front.


    In the next second, bright lights flashed through the air, shooting towards the exposed interior of the Core Guardian.


    "!!!"


    As if it detected the enemy''s all-out attack, the Core Guardian raised its arms to block for the first time. Not only that, it released a massive amount of steam. Along with the steam, the Core Guardian''s metal armor suddenly changed positions, forming a defensive shield to guard against Rhode''s attack.


    But at this time, the blade had already reached the front of the golem.


    The sword on Rhode''s hand continued to strike forward. A series of flashes discharged from the blade, producing a blinding light. Finally, it connected with the Core Guardian''s body and the raging lightning attacks surged around the metallic body. Accompanied by an explosion, its armor was blown off.


    And due to this, the Core Guardian''s movement stopped entirely. To Rhode, this was enough.


    The sword that was blazing with electricity pierced through the golem''s armor and struck into its body.


    The Core Guardian went silent.


    Afterwards, a massive amount of white steam was released from its body.


    Now''s the chance!


    Rhode was clear what was going to happen next. He retreated quickly and ran towards Anne.


    "Anne, get down! Raise your shield!"


    Rhode quickly shouted towards Anne and rushed to her side. The white steam suddenly increased in density, and the sound was becoming increasingly deafening. Not much time was left! Rhode grabbed Anne''s head and forced her to duck, barely avoiding a nearby Guardian Golem''s attack.


    "Raise your shield!! Now, quick!"


    "Ah, yes!!" Anne was still trying to register what was happening, quickly responded.


    She hastily raised her shield and covered both of them. At the same time, a Guardian Golem''s attack came from above. At this point, Anne was totally confused but she still obeyed Rhode''s orders.


    And suddenly, there was a loud bang!

 Chapter 189 Arrived the Mystery Hall

    Silence.


    Rhode stood up and rubbed his ears as he glanced over at the formerly tidy room that was now tattered with broken stones and debris everywhere. Long cracks filled the entire room. The stone columns on both sides were badly deformed. Even the solid, metal pipes were twisted and raised at an odd angle.


    "Woah�� I can''t believe I survived this."


    Rhode observed his surroundings and took a deep breath. The Core Guardian''s self-destruct mechanic was the only life-threatening skill that he feared. According to the game manual, the damage dealt by this skill was fixed; the damage received was determined by the player''s level. So when facing the Core Guardian, it was either to kill it off quickly, or weaken it and prepare for the self-destruct. Since Rhode''s level wasn''t enough to defeat the Core Guardian in a few strokes, he could only choose to defend against the explosion. Fortunately, it seemed that everything went well.


    The ringing sound in his ears caused him to be temporarily deaf. Rhode glanced down and discovered Anne who was trying to stand up while using her shield as support. She rubbed her ears and seemed to be saying something, but Rhode couldn''t make anything out of it.


    "�� as�� it ended, Leader?"


    Bits and pieces could be heard, but as Rhode''s hearing gradually recovered, he could finally understand what she was saying.


    "It ended."


    Rhode picked up his weapon while answering Anne''s question. Luckily his Crimson Blade wasn''t damaged at all even though the explosion was powerful. It seemed like this magical weapon had an excellent quality. The area where the Core Guardian formerly stood already had an enormous crater underneath. Within the hole were all charred metals, or at least that was what it appeared as.


    Rhode knew that these ''scrap metals'' were precious. As a magical creature handed down from ancient times, the Core Guardian was produced from high-quality magical metals. If these ''scraps'' could be brought back to recycle, it could be converted to high-grade materials to craft great magical weapons.


    But, alas, it was a pity that Rhode didn''t have any artisan at his side that could craft magical weapons. Although he ''recruited'' some people from the Mercenary Association, all of them were ordinary blacksmiths. None of them had skills to create magical weapons. But that was normal since not many people could produce magical weapons or equipment, and if there were any, they would probably be under the scrutiny of others.


    "What a waste."


    Looking at all the scattered magical metals, Rhode could only sigh. As a player, he knew how useful these items were. If he had some players in his mercenary group that focused on weaponsmithing or armorsmithing, then he could use the materials to create magical equipment to improve their overall strength. He could even evolve Anne''s gold shield into an elemental shield. But it was a pity that reality wasn''t as giving as he thought. Eventually, he chose to give up this thought helplessly. Although Lapis was an Alchemist of 3 types, in this aspect, Rhode didn''t have many expectations from her.


    "Let''s go."


    Rhode gestured to Anne. He didn''t forget that they were rushing for time and the items here could still be recovered later. Unlike the games, these items will not disappear after some time. But if the Sphere of Mystery was seized, then it would be a waste.


    The entrance into the Mystery Hall was located behind the Core Guardian. In contrast to the previous room, this place seemed rather neat. Rhode extended his hand and pushed the pitch black stone door.


    The door appeared to be made of an unknown material which brought an icy cold sensation to Rhode''s fingers. But Rhode didn''t have the time to question because soon enough his attention was attracted by the scene in front of his eyes.


    Contrary to the room before, this place was very dark. In this spherical room, blue lights hung on the wall as it blinked like a slow flowing river. Starting from the top, the lights flickered on and off as it converged to the center.


    In that seemingly magical place, a metal ball a size of the human head floated in the air quietly. It gradually released a glow, as though responding to the surrounding magic lights. As the blue light grew intense, the metal ball turned darker. And as the surrounding lights dimmed, the ball became brighter. It was akin to a pumping heart.


    Sphere of Mystery.


    Looking at the round, metallic ball, Rhode took a deep breath. It was a relic of ancient times. Primarily, it was used to condense magic and in turn, provide powers to the wielder. You can treat it as some sort of CPU of a vehicle. Rituals and magic ruins that ran on magical powers required it, even huge golems and forging workshops needed it too.


    The Sphere of Mystery varied in sizes. The largest and the most ancient sphere was located in the ''City within Myriad City'', Mage Alliance''s Central City Odyssey. That Sphere of Mystery itself was as massive as a castle. It possessed extraordinary powers; it could even levitate a city with tens of thousands of people at high altitude.


    Those kinds of spheres usually belonged to large organizations. As an ancient heritage of magic, every Sphere of Mystery carried various abilities. Some could change or affect the surroundings, whereas some could strengthen or weaken an individual or group. Some of them could even influence the equipment by providing additional elements during crafting, and some could change the geological environment or even build a castle out of thin air.


    These Spheres of Mystery were the most important crystal in ancient civilization. In the Dragon Soul Continent, the Sphere of Mystery was the invention from the top-ranked Alchemist players. Not only did they require much effort to create, but also many dungeon blueprints must be unearthed. Rhode''s Starlight Guild triumphed in the Dragon Soul Continent for so many years, but he had only created three Spheres of Mystery!


    But a pity, in the end, they lacked that little bit.


    Brilliant civilization fell, and the manufacturing method for the Sphere of Mystery was lost entirely. Even the usage method was only discovered after hundreds of years later within the legacy books. Of course, since the start, these ancient relics were bombarded with people snatching them and even started many fights. However, later on, as the discovery of these spheres increased, the conflicts gradually decreased. Those powerful Spheres of Mystery were split among large organizations, forces, or countries. Only the smaller spheres were left to be fought for. However, most of the people had already started to lose interest in them. If there weren''t any hint to activate this thing, then it would just be a rare ball that could glow. And every Sphere of Mystery required different rituals in order to be activated. So where can they find the rituals?


    Even if it''s a six core CPU, if you install a 32-bit WIN, it wouldn''t have any effect.


    Rhode wasn''t sure if the Diamond Mercenary Group was aware of the Sphere of Mystery, because, in the game, players didn''t mention anything related to it while exploring the ruins. It was only suggested that this place was an ancient ruin with many creatures, along with some old legends could put any kid to sleep.


    When he discovered that the Sphere of Mystery was still around, Rhode finally heaved a sigh of relief. He walked towards it and stretched his hand out to pick it up.


    Rhode felt hopeless. This damn thing, although it looked rather small, it was heavy as hell. Almost 100kg. Rhode used all his might but he couldn''t shift it no matter what. Eventually, he let go and gestured to Anne helplessly.


    "You do it, Anne. Be careful."


    "Yes, Leader."


    The maiden who was scanning her surroundings heard Rhode''s call and quickly walked towards the center of the room. She tilted her head and looked at the Sphere of Mystery curiously.


    How did this small, round ball cause such an expression on his face?


    However, the maiden quickly extended her hands and attempted to lift it.


    When Anne tried to lift the Sphere of Mystery, her expression suddenly changed. The maiden opened her eyes wide while feeling slightly surprised as she stared at this little thing in front of her.


    This time, it was Rhode who was admiring her helpless expression��


    Never did Anne thought that this little thing would be so heavy. Anne was always proud of her strength, and she was confident that she could lift it with one hand. But now, as if the ball challenged her guts, she unhesitatingly placed both hands and gripped it tightly.


    "�� Aaah!!"


    Although Anne attempted to put on a tough front and lift it as though she wasn''t putting much effort, her intense grunts revealed otherwise. But even so, Rhode didn''t underestimate her.


    And at this moment, Rhode''s expression slightly dulled. Anne''s expression as well. She frowned and turned her head towards the entrance.


    Messy footsteps echoed from the opposite tunnel. Afterwards, a dozen of fully armored mercenaries rushed out.

 Chapter 190 Conflic

    When the armored mercenaries appeared, Rhode immediately shifted his body in front of Anne. The mercenaries didn''t seem to realize the situation after rushing in with their heads low. And once they spotted Rhode and Anne, they drew their weapons with caution. Thus, both sides went into a deadlock.


    Rhode reacted calmly. He knew where these people came from. The Black Pine Ruins had six mazes, and there were naturally six tunnels. Judging from the direction where the mercenaries came from, they must have entered from the ''front'' door, whereas Rhode entered from the ''back'' door.


    These mercenaries stared blankly at the duo, totally unaware of what happened. They originally thought that they were the only adventurers within the ruins, but now it looked like things didn''t develop as they imagined. Instead, the situation appeared to be heading in a direction they didn''t fancy.


    "What? What happened?"


    As both sides were in a deadlock, a deep voice sounded. Subsequently, behind the mercenaries, a burly man geared in full heavy armor stepped out from the back. When he spotted Rhode and Anne, the man was slightly surprised. Immediately. his expression changed into a frown.


    "Who are the two of you."


    "That''s none of your business."


    Rhode raised his sword and answered casually. The man clucked coldly after hearing Rhode''s nonchalant response. Apparently, he wasn''t pleased with this arrogant young man. He let out a cough, and all the mercenaries immediately fanned out and surrounded the duo.


    "I don''t care who are you, kid," The man said with a cold tone. "I will give you one chance now to put down that thing so both of two might have a chance of survival. If not, you two can stay here forever." As though they knew what he was going to say, the mercenaries pointed their weapons at the duo, poised for attack.


    "Ha."


    A soft chuckle escaped from Rhode''s curved lips.


    Rhode revealed an attractive smile in the eerie Mystery Hall, the magic lights which shone from his back, drew a brilliant silhouette around his body. Rhode didn''t seem to notice the gaze from everyone and merely continued to smile while sizing up the man in front of him with a contemptuous expression.


    "I''m afraid I didn''t get what you just said. Your Nimus Language was so terrible that I couldn''t understand your intent. If you can hide your barbaric expression, then maybe I can force myself to understand you."


    As a veteran player of the Dragon Soul Continent, Rhode was very much familiarized with all the people from various regions. He knew what people from each region like or dislike.


    To the people from Leilakala region, the one thing that they hated the most was when someone treated them as barbarians, and the second most hated thing was when someone accused them of their incoherent language. When the people from Leilakala region speak, their accents were very heavy, which not many could understand. And it was like a taboo to them, just like when someone stuttered, the more you laugh and make fun of them, the more they will stutter. Leilakala people hated anyone who claimed that their Nimus Language was terrible because this made them seem like they claimed to be very good themselves, but were actually villagers who walked out of the wild.


    Rhode''s insult was ingenious and killed two birds with one stone. Two of the most obnoxious things that the Leilakala people hated came together at once.


    Indeed, after hearing Rhode''s insult, not only did that man''s face turn black, even the mercenaries staring at Rhode started to boil in anger. But in his eyes, they were nothing. Rhode felt no threat whatsoever from these shrimps. He didn''t even consider these people as human, so what were they?


    Enemies and EXP.


    Since sooner or later these walking EXPs will belong to himself, so why would he need to bother who these people were? Rhode decided not to care about them and started the insulting. This way, it made things convenient for everyone. I will kill you fast, and all of you will die fast, so it makes it easier for everyone, right?


    After coming to this world, Rhode had killed many people. But unexpectedly, he felt that there weren''t any obstacles in killing people. From many online novels that he read, many main characters had cold feet after killing somebody, but Rhode didn''t harbor such thoughts before. Perhaps because Dragon Soul Continent was incredibly realistic, he got used to such killings. Now that he had entered this world, deep inside his heart, maybe he treated this as an enhanced version of the game that came with extra features such as increased pain, terrifying screams, and corpses with special effects.


    Many novels would try to justify the main character raising his weapon and killing someone by having a flashback: This man also had family and friends, wife and children. If I killed him, then this man also had a family, had friends, children and wife. If I killed him, then wouldn''t his close ones be utterly devastated? Would their life be the same again?


    But to Rhode, he had never carried such thoughts. In the game, who would be so bored as to think of the NPC''s past that he was going to kill?


    If Rhode returned to earth, maybe he will immediately be in the headlines for: ''University student obsessed with online game confuses reality with games, and has no remorse for killing people. A new generation of education once again prominently highlighted the lack of institutional reform. Urgent reflections needed.''


    But there were no ''ifs'' in this world, so this topic wouldn''t be possible.


    "Then let''s fight!" The man commanded his men to fulfill their duties, whereas Rhode imagined that his EXP bar was already increasing rapidly. But alas, this man didn''t react to how Rhode expected him to. Instead, the man gestured for his men to calm down.


    From the start, the man was furious when he spoke to Rhode, but as a mercenary leader, of course, he wasn''t some brainless idiot. So soon enough, the man realized something odd.


    Where did these two come from?


    The man understood the situation on his side. The two of them definitely didn''t get ahead of them after breaking the seal. For this mission''s sake, he had already set up a comprehensive plan, with many people stabilizing the rear. If they received any ambush, then he would have definitely heard the news. But up until now, he wasn''t notified of any changes. So that would mean that these two arrived from another route. If not, it wouldn''t be possible as they had rushed over here immediately after defeating the Guardian Golems.


    So those two of them came from another tunnel?


    This conclusion was logical. And after seeing the six huge doors in the Mystery Hall, the man felt he should be right. Previously his men had notified him that there were several entrances, just that these areas weren''t too safe, so he decided to choose the most reliable route.


    If it''s really like this, then things were going to be troublesome.


    Thinking of this, the man looked over to Rhode and Anne. He noticed visible battle scars on them which explained that they might have fought their way through. If that''s the case, then he will need to re-evaluate both of their abilities. He brought over sixty people, and he lost almost half of them in order to reach this place, so what were they going to do? Were the two of them the remaining of a mercenary group? Or did the two of them began this adventure from the start? The man felt it was the latter because Rhode and Anne seemed very relaxed, and didn''t appear like they had lost any comrades.


    If it''s the latter, then the two of them must be incredibly powerful.


    "I am the Diamond Mercenary Group''s leader, Carmen."


    Thinking of this, the man started to introduce himself.


    "Diamond Mercenary Group from Leilakala? No wonder I couldn''t understand anything you''re saying."


    Rhode''s insults didn''t go easy despite the man''s mannered introduction.


    "But to be frank, that name is kind of vulgar. No wonder you guys were only left with money��"


    Carmen clenched his fists in anger. He couldn''t wait to land a punch on this pretty boy''s face. But in the end, he tolerated Rhode''s taunts as his mission was of highest priority right now. To mercenaries, missions were prioritized over personal feelings. This was their professional ethics.


    "I am Deep Stone City''s Starlight Mercenary Group''s leader, Rhode."


    Rhode raised his head slightly and said. He looked at Carmen as if a rich man was peering down on a beggar.


    "I hope you can remember my name. Don''t forget it. Mr. Carmen."


    "Ha."


    Anne suddenly laughed. She didn''t understand much of this language confrontation, but she knew that Rhode had always been mocking the man. Anne was already used to such remarks like, "You, this bastard��" or "I''ll kill you!". Compared to those typical antagonistic lines, Rhode''s newest insults was packed with freshness.


    Anne''s laughter brought a lot of hatred in the mercenaries. Already a few of them started waving their weapons and stared at their leader, expecting the command to kill this arrogant little white face and to let them taste their strength!


    "Mr. Rhode."


    Carmen decisively disregarded Rhode''s provocation. He was equally furious, but deep inside, his senses warned him to remain calm as Rhode was acting too abnormally. They were only two people. Even after being trapped in an encirclement by his men, this young man didn''t seem to comprehend the danger and continued to provoke him repeatedly as if he was not afraid of death. If this was only his reaction, then maybe this young man had a screw loose somewhere. But since this maiden tagging behind the young man was also indifferent to the situation, then that explained everything.


    Are they really that strong, or are they just trying to deceive us?


    Carmen decided not to entangled himself with this question and got to the main point.


    "We are entrusted to complete a mission."


    He pointed to the Sphere of Mystery on Anne''s hands.


    "We spent a lot of time to reach here just for this little thing. If possible, I hope you can hand it over to us. I guarantee, we Diamond Mercenary Group will certainly repay you generously."


    Carmen took out a money bag and showed it to Rhode. Even though it wasn''t that bright, but Rhode could see clearly that the bag contained gold coins and diamonds.


    "If you could pass that little thing to us, then all of these are yours."


    Rhode laughed at Carmen''s words. He softly shook his head and placed his right hand on his waist ---- this motion immediately made everyone tense.


    "Just that little amount of money and you wish to buy this Sphere of Mystery? Mr. Carmen, do you think I''m an idiot?"


    Rhode shrugged his shoulders.


    "I''m sorry. This thing is mine, and I will not give it to anyone. If you want it, then come and get it."


    Rhode abruptly stretched his hand and opened his spatial bag.


    "Anne."


    Hearing Rhode''s command, Anne immediately tossed the Sphere of Mystery into the spatial bag.


    "Capture them! Get that sphere!"


    The negotiations broke down. Carmen couldn''t tolerate this white devil any longer. He drew his weapon and immediately gave a command.


    The mercenaries who had been stomaching their anger finally shouted and raised their weapon while charging towards Rhode and Anne.


    And at the same time, the spatial bag in Rhode''s hand suddenly expanded and swallowed the Sphere of Mystery.


    The room that was illuminated with magical lights suddenly fell into total darkness.

 Chapter 191 Massacre

    When the curtain of darkness fell, it didn''t cause the veteran mercenaries to panic. All of them had rich battle experiences, and such situations weren''t uncommon. Other than the instinct to pause for a moment to gather their bearings, these mercenaries didn''t stop their advancement and continued on the same path. They were clear of their positions and knew that they had the numerical superiority over their enemies, which bolstered their confidence. They lit their torches quickly without hesitation and charged forward, desiring nothing more but to rip apart the duo and retrieve their target.


    Clang clang clang!


    Multiple swords were clashing against each other in the darkness. And when the Diamond Mercenary Group''s mercenaries lit their torches, the darkness finally parted as a flickering orange glow filled the room. However, what they discovered next gave them a terrible shock. Although these mercenaries believed much in their own abilities, they still couldn''t believe what they saw.


    Rhode stood in front of Anne. His sword was on his right hand, and his foot was resting on a pile of corpses. Anne had her golden shield raised at the rear, the blood below her seemed to have formed a river mixed with seven to eight corpses. From this, it was easy to deduce who killed the men. The corpses that still somewhat resembled as humans were undoubtedly slaughtered by Rhode, while those who appeared as ''half-split scarecrows'' with their heads completely squashed, was clearly done in by Anne. Shield Warriors weren''t an exclusively defensive class, they had their offensive skills as well, which could be equally lethal.


    But this wasn''t the true shocker.


    Instead, it was Celia and the Centaur Knight.


    The angel held a magnificent silver sword in her hand; her white feathered wings slowly spanned out as she stared straight at her enemies. On the right, the Centaur Knight poised majestically with its shield and spear on the ready. The red gleam between the gaps in its heavily armored helmet grew brighter as each second passed.


    Angel?!


    Carmen opened his eyes wide. That wasn''t all, the other mercenaries also glanced at each other, not knowing what to do.


    They didn''t even have the mood to guess where the angel came from, because this angel had already left them speechless!


    In the region under the Light Dragon Soul, the angels had a very high rank. Not only due to their race and bloodline, but because of their peerless battle strength and political powers. Of course, in Country of Light, due to the existence of a parliament system, the angels'' political power was slightly weakened. But in the Munn Kingdom, the angels were unquestionably ranked the highest within the hierarchy.


    It wasn''t only because the Munn Kingdom''s King belonged to one of the 3 Archangels, but the angel race themselves had a strong influence. They loved peace; they were also kind and passionate. Although sometimes arrogant, they never crossed the line of evil. On top of that, the angels were mostly born beautiful, which could easily gain the likes of most people. Thus, the angel race symbolized justice and kindness. Therefore no matter who, as long as one dared to go against an angel, they would be treated as a heretic.


    Just like Lydia, although the Munn Kingdom''s King sat the throne and killed many people after that, no one felt that she was in the wrong. Before she killed a person, she would list their offenses. And because Lydia''s identity wasn''t human, but an Archangel, it gave her justifications for her judgment. At least with her status as an Archangel, most of the people wouldn''t suspect her.


    Of course, this was only because it happened in the Munn Kingdom where the angels'' reputation had already rooted deeply in the hearts of the citizens. If it was the Country of Light, then the angels wouldn''t possess such strong influence.


    That was the reason why the mercenaries started to waver. It was an open secret that they work for money as a professional occupation, and not as bandits who would do anything for money. Some of the mercenaries even started to worry that the angel would punish them�� Although Rhode had provoked them from the start, but with an angel by his side, it was no wonder that the mercenaries entertained such a thought of: ''Actually we were the ones at fault.''.


    Carmen''s hesitation was also related to this.


    Although he had guts, even if he gave a command for his men to kill this angel, it was certain that these guys would never dare to do it. Even himself included.


    However, Carmen didn''t hesitate for too long because Rhode had ''nonchalantly'' freed him from his indecisiveness.


    "Go."


    He gave a simple command and followed up with his sword. At the same time, the Centaur Knight, Celia, and Anne also charged towards their enemies.


    Rhode''s sudden decisiveness threw the mercenaries'' thoughts into disarray. But now they needn''t consider whether to battle with the angel or not because Rhode and his men had come to them instead!


    No one would choose to die without a fight. Since the enemies were attacking, then we should also fight! As for the repercussions of killing an angel? What should we do? This matter will be left for later!


    The mercenaries didn''t have much choice and could only force themselves to rush into battle.


    But soon they realized that the enemies were of a different tier altogether.


    Rhode was the first to cross swords with the enemies, but the first to explode with vigor was Anne. After hearing Rhode''s command, Anne dashed in and tossed her golden shield to the front. The massive bulwark shot forward and spun towards the mercenaries.


    In the face of their impending doom, the mercenaries attempted to scatter to dodge.


    Alas, it was a pity that the Mystery Hall wasn''t large enough for dozens of people to freely move around. The mercenaries were already standing side by side with one another, and now everyone clashed with each other. Some of them ran forward, some backward and some even raised their weapons in a fluster, attempted to block the strike.


    The shield smashed into its first unfortunate victim, the sword which was raised in an attempt to defend, snapped in half like a twig. After that, the shield sunk deep into his body, causing him to be sent flying backward. That wasn''t the end though, the gaps on the shield suddenly clicked open and sharp knives shot outwards, tearing the mercenary''s body apart.


    "Oahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"


    A painful scream echoed through the small room, and many of them felt chills.


    But that was only the beginning of the horror. Anne tugged the chain in her hand forcefully, causing the shield and the mercenary on top of it to instantly turn into a fleshy war hammer while she swept it towards the surrounding mercenaries.


    Silver light flashed.


    The sword which was engulfed with holy flames easily blocked the mercenaries'' attacks. Facing the pale and shaking young swordsmen, Celia frowned. Deep down in her heart, she slightly disapproved Rhode''s behavior because bullying didn''t suit an angel''s nature. However, Celia wasn''t a real angel to begin with, as she was a being from an evolved weapon spirit. Her true nature was actually a weapon ������ and a purpose for a weapon was to battle.


    The angel cleaved her sword downwards without hesitation. In an instant, the young swordsman''s chest was sliced open. Along with that attack, silver-white flames erupted from within and scattered towards both sides which forced the other mercenaries away.


    "Oahhh!!"


    A sharp spear pierced through a mercenary''s torso, the impact pinned him to the wall. Contrary to how Celia behaved, the Centaur Knight didn''t feel any remorse as it smashed its left arm into the men who were trying to escape. Only a deep thump could be heard after two human figures landed on the floor, motionless.


    "T-This�� monster!!"


    One of the mercenaries screamed and raised his ax. Using the momentum, he gathered all his might to cleave the Centaur Knight. The great ax successfully contacted with the Centaur Knight''s body, but it didn''t seem to cause any damage at all. Instead, a light blue hexagon suddenly shone on its body. Rhode''s previously activated passive skill, ''Spirit Armor '' played its role and formed a defensive barrier which deflected the enemy''s attack. Not only did the great ax warrior fail to follow up, but it also fastened his pace to death.


    The Centaur Knight swung its right hand at the ax warrior and threw aside the corpse that was impaled on its spear. Next, it used its left hand to grab the enemy''s ax and struck forward. The poor mercenary could only feel a powerful force landing on his head before he realized that he was already on the floor. As he tried to raise his head to see what was coming, he only managed to discover a pair of black hooves coming towards him.


    "Ah��"


    Before he could even scream, this poor soul''s head was crushed by the Centaur Knight like a watermelon.


    Traumatized by the scene, the other mercenaries couldn''t help but take a few steps back.


    The Centaur Knight that came from the Army of Abyss certainly wouldn''t have any sympathy for their enemies. It turned its head, and the red gleam between its helmet grew brighter. A second later, the Centaur Knight transformed into a whirlwind and rushed to the terrified enemies.


    This wasn''t a battle anymore, but a one-sided massacre.

 Chapter 192 A Trap

    Carmen didn''t have it easy either.


    His men were utterly suppressed by Celia, Anne, and the Centaur Knight. And he was no different. Although he was significantly stronger than his men, to make it to this room, he had still lost half of them while Rhode made it here with only Anne and himself. The difference in the gap of strength was wholly apparent.


    Since the beginning, Carmen dismissed Rhode as a mere pretty boy and wasn''t fearful of him. But after the first clash, Carmen immediately removed this thought from his head. The impact he felt from Rhode''s sword was as though waves in a stormy sea came crashing onto his pathetic fishing boat. If it weren''t for Carmen''s rich battle experiences, he would have already died under Rhode''s blade.


    He had already gave up fighting Rhode in a direct clash in and joined with his mercenaries to attempt to take Rhode down with numbers. Carmen truly didn''t expect to kick such a hard rock in such a deserted place. Meeting a random duo in a cave that was supposedly a secret? What are the chances! And the other party''s strength was even stronger than theirs. Now Carmen only had two choices. First, he could admit his failure and immediately flee to as quickly as possible. Or, by any chance, he could capture this young man as a hostage and end the fight. This way, he could still accomplish his mission.


    Instinctively, Carmen wanted to escape. He believed that even if he retreated, his men wouldn''t have rejected because the other party had the help of an angel, which was a significant factor that they couldn''t ignore. But the idea of obtaining immeasurable rewards after completing this mission clouded his rationality and survival instinct. Carmen couldn''t bear to give up and go back empty handed like this. High-risks yielded large rewards. He already fought so hard and lost many good men just for this? How could he just surrender and escape?


    Thus, Carmen wasn''t ready to give up just yet. While Rhode''s strength was clearly superior, it wasn''t at the point of absolute suppression yet. Judging from the way Rhode dodged within the crowd proved that he wasn''t strong enough to take on a whole group single-handedly. Therefore, if he could seize the opportunity and strike when the young man wasn''t noticing, then he could still have a slim chance of prevailing. Also, he had neither heard of Rhode''s name nor his mercenary group before. This proved further that they were just a small mercenary group from the Paphield Region and if he offended them, he wouldn''t be worried that they would come back for revenge. Unless they were troublesome like the Burning Blade Mercenary Group or Dark Fang Mercenary Group, then they needn''t be too careful.


    Thinking of this, Carmen regained his some of his confidence. If everything proceeded according to plan, then even sacrificing more people would be worth it. As long as he could accomplish this mission, even if his mercenary group fell apart, he could still use the rewards to rebuild an even stronger mercenary group!


    Rhode''s stance shook slightly as he parried an imminent strike from a nearby mercenary. He swung his Crimson Blade in front of himself and formed a defensive barrier to defend against the continuous attacks. But Rhode had yet to go on a killing spree. Instead, he silently observed for an opportunity to sweep them all in one go.


    The reason why didn''t Rhode display his real power just yet was to mislead his foes to believe that he wasn''t all that powerful. In the face of overwhelming strength, people would naturally flee when they discovered that they didn''t even possess a slim chance of victory. Thus, Rhode tried to search for an opportunity to wipe them out all at once.


    Thus, no one noticed that he was slowly inching toward the route of retreat for the Diamond Mercenary Group. As long as he successfully blocked it, then these people are doomed.


    Just a little more.


    Rhode shifted his body ever so slightly and dodged a thief''s backstab skill within a hair''s breadth. He immediately used this chance to take two steps back quickly and appeared somewhat desperate, which aroused the excitement of the mercenaries. Compared to the other three, the mercenaries didn''t fear this white-skinned sissy. Rhode didn''t appear strong, yet he was extremely arrogant. Ever since he made those insults, every single one of the mercenaries wanted to tear him limb from limb, and now that the lamb had come for the slaughter, they were elated with anticipation.


    "Heyah!!"


    A nearby mercenary couldn''t hold in his excitement any longer and struck forward with his sword.


    This time, Rhode finally put his scheme in motion.


    He was in position.


    Rhode didn''t attempt to dodge the attack. Instead, a brilliant light erupted from the tip of the Crimson Blade!


    Advanced Swordsman!!


    The bright light immediately blinded the surrounding mercenaries. Previously, Rhode didn''t display his skills and had only defended while dodging attacks with ordinary methods. Sometimes he would use the ''Shadow Flash'' to dodge more threatening attacks, but it still gave the mercenaries the impression that ''this kid can only escape and do nothing''. But now, they finally witnessed the tip of the iceberg of Rhode''s true power.


    In an instant, various thoughts swirled into their minds. However, unknowingly, their perception of fear was secondary to their astonishment.


    How is this possible? If this kid had the powers of an Advanced Swordsman, he could massacre us all from the start. So why did he become purposely deceive us with that poor performance?


    But no one would be able to answer that question, as right now, the time for Rhode to make his move had arrived.


    Facing the mercenary that charged towards him, Rhode casually swung his sword horizontally. The mercenary had no chance to change his direction and could only watch in dread as the blade of death approached him. The next moment, he felt a faint sensation on his neck, and then his vision went pitch black.


    Just as the mercenary''s corpse landed on the ground, Rhode dashed through the void in a blink of an eye and appeared in front of the passage entrance. The two mercenaries who guarded the entrance with the torches on their hands could only stare blankly at him, not knowing how this man appeared before them.


    Carmen was the first to react. As soon as he spotted Rhode standing at the entrance, he knew something bad was going to happen.


    So that''s why!!


    "Go forth, kill him, quick, everyone!!!"


    Carmen pointed his weapon towards the entrance and commanded his men to kill Rhode. Meanwhile, Rhode responded by extended his arm, and a pitch black card manifested on his palm, floating gracefully.


    "Fuu!!"


    As the card disappeared, the mercenaries could feel an eerie chill in the wind that blew across their feet which made them pause momentarily. When they resumed their assault, a cold and peculiar sensation from their lower limbs utterly frightened the mercenaries. They looked down and immediately turned pale in horror.


    "Oh my god, what is this!!"


    Under the mercenaries'' feet were countless of dense, pitch black tentacles appearing from their shadows. The tentacles slithered like snakes, entangling their legs and bodies. At the same time, it slowly extending their reach above.


    "Damn it. What is this!! Get lost!"


    "Help!! What the hell is this thing!!"


    The sudden appearance of the tentacles brought horror and shock to the mercenaries, causing them to lose their cool. They lifted their weapons and slashed the tentacles on the ground. However, not even Celia could easily break the defense of these tentacles, so what more could these mercenaries do? Soon enough, the mercenaries lost their weapons and mobility.


    The greatest fear in humanity was the unknown. And this ghastly creature seemed like something that came out from nightmares. As a result, all of them forgot about Rhode''s presence, including Carmen.


    But this didn''t mean that Rhode stopped.


    The trap had been completed. Next, it was Rhode''s showtime. Right now, everyone in the Diamond Mercenary Group had lost their ability to battle and had nowhere to run.


    No one noticed Rhode lifting his sword. On the Crimson Blade, spiritual energy started to congeal along the edges of the blade, forming a layer of pure white mist.


    Once the skill was ready, Rhode narrowed his eyes and slashed his sword forward.


    The brilliant sword light then transformed into a meteor as it shot straight towards them.

 Chapter 193 Imperfect Ending

    Blades of light flashed.


    The spiritual energy reached its peak. Akin to the Grim Reaper''s scythe of death, the sword reaped downwards. The mercenaries could only stare blindly with no way out. They watched in fear and trepidation, struggling helplessly before their impending death. Then, everything went silent. As death swept through, their corpses fell in droves like harvested wheat.


    Carmen stared blankly at the bloody massacre, losing any thoughts of resisting. He was regretting ever so badly.


    How did this happen?


    Why did things turn out this way?


    He asked himself. But what did he need to understand? He had already failed and this place appeared to be his grave.


    Those were Carmen''s final thoughts. Then a bright golden light pierced his body and tore his chest apart.


    Rhode let out a sigh of relief.


    He put down his sword and felt slightly giddy. To utterly destroy the enemies at one go, Rhode had spent all of his remaining spiritual energy. At this moment, he was running on reserves in order to support the summoned spirits. But Rhode wasn''t the least bit worried as all remaining threats had been cleansed.


    Or perhaps that was just what he thought.


    A bright, golden beam swiftly shot towards him.


    Rhode suddenly tensed up, lifted his head and looked ahead. And at that moment, an arrow that appeared to be enveloped in a bright golden light flew towards his chest. His sword that absorbed all of Rhode''s spiritual energy wasn''t enough to defend against it. And soon enough, that shimmering golden arrow had already arrived at his chest.


    Rhode felt a sudden chill all over his body.


    Time seemed to have stopped at this moment. He stared right at the arrow, watching as it flew towards his chest.


    But Rhode did not panic at all.


    All his PK experiences with many other players came into good use. Although Rhode wasn''t thinking of anything now, with just his instinct, he raised his sword in front of himself and at the same time, retracting his left hand and drew a dark colored card on his chest.


    The Centaur Knight''s figure instantly disappeared and reappeared in front of Rhode. Everything took less than a second, and for Rhode, this was the fastest he could achieve just by relying on his instinct.


    And at this moment, the golden arrow pierced through the Centaur Knight''s image and smashed into the Crimson Blade.


    "!!!"


    Rhode felt his body tremble as if an invisible pair of gigantic hands were tearing his body and soul apart. Everything turned white. His teeth collided with the drastic impact and spread to his chest. At one point in time, he even thought that he was already dead. As much as he tried to, he couldn''t feel anything at all. All he could do was to hold that sword in front of him with his dear life. Then he blacked out.


    After an unknown period of time, Rhode began to rouse.


    His obscured, and blurred vision gradually became clearer and Rhode finally saw the ceiling of the Mystery Hall once again. He noticed that the previously mystical and beautiful room had turned into a pile of debris. Those mysterious runes carved on the walls faded and appeared as broken tiles.


    What happened?


    Rhode shook his head and tried to stand up. He groaned and crumbled back down. The pain in his chest didn''t allow him to move recklessly. Rhode guessed that he had many broken ribs.


    That wasn''t all; he realized that his right hand was twisted at a weird angle. His clothes were torn and ragged. From the tips of his fingers to his elbows, all his skin had been separated, revealing his flesh and blood. When faced with such an overwhelming force, this could even be considered normal.


    When Rhode turned his head to survey his surroundings, he was shocked that he wasn''t lying on the ground, but instead, he was pinned to the wall. This caused Rhode to gulp in fear. He knew that the impact had flung him to the wall, but if it weren''t for his mixed race that strengthened his physique, he''d undoubtedly be turned into a bloody mess on the wall. After all, Rhode didn''t have the confidence to survive after getting run over by a huge truck.


    Corpses were strewn everywhere. No mercenaries survived. Anne was on the other end of the room. Her undulating chest meant the maiden was still alive, but just passed out. Celia and the Centaur Knight had disappeared long ago, which was pretty reasonable since the summoner lost consciousness, the summoned beings would also vanish.


    What in the world happened?


    Rhode started clearing his mind. He glanced at his waist, and to his relief, he discovered that his spatial bag was still safely attached. There weren''t any mercenaries left. Rhode frowned as he couldn''t understand what had just happened. He did consider the possibilities that this was the doings of some mercenaries. Although they didn''t possess such might, with the help of magical equipment, they pull off something like this. But considering their capabilities, the probability of that happening was just too low. Besides, if the enemy could easily overpower his sword, then it would mean that he had somehow survived. But now, there was nothing. He didn''t detect any surviving mercenaries, and he wasn''t taken captive or locked up, which proved this possibility didn''t exist.


    So perhaps they had triggered some hidden traps?


    Rhode shook his head and felt like this guess was also illogical. He was very familiar with this place and knew that there were no traps. And on the other hand, if there really were any traps, then it would be to protect the Sphere of Mystery from being taken. Nothing happened when he kept it, but only activated later? If it weren''t for the Diamond Mercenary Group, they would''ve already left. Could it be that they assumed that people would stay here just to get hit by the trap? Was this trap naturally stupid?


    One of the only reasons that Rhode accepted was the possibility that someone else stalked them and seized the chance to murder him. This was the only logical guess because Rhode had always been alert all the way and did not detect anyone following. If the other party could hide from his detection, it means that they were stronger than him. For a stronger being failing to kill him during an ambush, Rhode was considered lucky.


    However, the results in front of his eyes didn''t support his thoughts. If the other party harbored such thoughts, then he should already be dead by now. If the enemy immediately left afterward, then perhaps the least he could do was to check if his target was dead��


    Besides, for some reason, Rhode felt that the attacker didn''t have the intention to kill himself.


    Then what did this mean?


    Rhode mused for a while and shook his head, deciding to put this thought on hold for now. There was no point thinking about it anymore. And at this moment, he heard a groan. Anne, who was slightly disheveled, slowly stood up.


    "Argh�� what exactly happened here��" She shook her head and stumbled for a little before glancing at the wounded man at the end of the room."Ah! Leader!!"


    Anne, who recovered from her daze quickly discovered that it was Rhode. She leaped towards Rhode''s side with an extremely shocked expression.


    "Are you okay?!" Anne asked in a panic.


    Ever since she arrived at Starlight Mercenary Group, she had never seen Rhode injured before. This scene brought a considerable shock to the maiden. However, she quickly raised her shield and guarded Rhode''s front, silently observing the surroundings.


    "There isn''t anyone around. I think we''re safe."


    Rhode stopped Anne and glanced at the surroundings again. There was really nothing.


    As time passed, the severe wounds recovered quickly, and soon enough, he could move again. While stumbling slightly, Rhode eventually made his way to the middle of the hall. After thinking for a while, he shook his head. He still couldn''t understand what exactly happened. But at least he was positive that they were safe at the moment.


    "Let''s go, Anne. Don''t forget the loot while heading back."


    After a moment, both of them disappeared from the Hall of Mystery. The place returned to its tranquil state, albeit slightly morbid with the dozens of corpses on the ground.


    And suddenly, a bright light shone out from nowhere.


    "I still don''t get it, Miss. Why did you suddenly attack him?"


    The old man appeared out of nowhere while stroking his long white beard and asked curiously.


    "Because I had the sudden urge to."


    Accompanied by a laughter, a lady also appeared soon after. She avoided the corpses delicately, as if dancing. On her face, she had a gentle and joyful smile.


    "True beauty is defined by how well they can survive in any circumstances. Although fragile, a glass-like artwork deserves mercy, but they usually lack admirable qualities. To answer your question, it was because I suddenly had the urge to see how the flower-like gem could live up to the test."


    "Haa��"


    Facing the maiden''s response, the old man sighed and held his right hand to his forehead.


    "So you used your ''Holy Arrow'' on him? Miss, not that I want to nag, but if it was any other normal human being, they would have already been in pieces�� If this man also�� what do you intend to do?"


    "I''m someone who knows what''s important, Teacher."


    The lady laughed cheekily and gracefully twisted her body before jumping to the center of the Mystery Hall.


    "If he can''t pass my test, then that''s too bad. Although it is a pity for me to lose a precious collection�� but the brilliance that bloomed right at the moment when I lost that precious object�� would be kept forever in my memory�� not a bad trade, isn''t it, Teacher?"


    "��"


    The old man had nothing else to say. He grabbed his wooden staff and looked to the center of the Mystery Hall.


    "But is this fine? To let them have the Sphere of Mystery?"


    "What''s there not to be fine? Those who strive for success are bound to be rewarded."


    The lady stopped moving and observed the corpses on the floor. She frowned slightly and revealed a slight sense of disapproval.


    "But it''s another matter for failures. To think the remunerations and rewards blinded them, and to steal such a precious Sphere of Mystery to the Country of Light, was enough to punish them for treason. But since Mr. Rhode had carried out the punishment on my behalf, then I have nothing to complain."


    The lady hummed a light tune. Later, silver, holy flames immediately erupted from under her feet. In an instant, the whole Mystery Hall transformed into a burning sea. When the fire disappeared, there nothing left.

 Chapter 194 Returned to the Stronghold

    It was three days later when Rhode and Anne returned to Deep Stone City.


    Indeed, the self-recovery ability of Rhode''s bloodline was clearly powerful. His body was full of mortal wounds when he first left the ruins. When he woke up the second day, more than half had recovered. And by the third day, they were totally unnoticeable. Rhode decided not to delay any longer and hurried his way back with Anne. Back to Deep Stone City, of course, he warned Anne not to mention about this incident. It was still a mystery regarding the ambush on Rhode at the Black Pine Ruins. And he was sure he wasn''t the only unlucky one because after leaving the ruins, he risked returning to the main entrance of the ruins. The mercenaries corpses were nowhere to be seen. But from the remnant energies, he managed to deduce that their corpses were eliminated by the same type of energy that was launched at him.


    But up till now, Rhode still wasn''t sure if it was due to luck that he was able to survive.


    When he was recuperating, Rhode used to time and analyzed the Ball of Mystery. With the help of the system, he quickly identified how to use it. To put it simply, it could re-enact the user''s memories, and create a space to materialize them. The people within the space would be stripped of their differences in equipment levels and dropped to the same level. Engaging in training within this space could quickly improve the levels and familiarities of abilities. Obviously, this was a tool used during ancient times for training and was useful for Rhode. Initially, before he traveled to the Black Pine Ruins, he had planned to complete his base missions in order to build a training facility for his group so that they had the needed practice for the festival competition in two months time. And now with the Sphere of Mystery, he can accomplish his goals even quicker.


    Although he was still rather doubtful about this, after returning to Deep Stone City, Rhode immediately put this thought away for now.


    "Leader?"


    Noticing Rhode''s return, Shauna immediately ran forward. She looked at Rhode with slight surprise and revealed a welcoming smile.


    "Welcome back Leader, Miss Anne."


    "Thank you, Shauna. I brought something great for all of you."


    Rhode greeted the red-haired mercenary and nodded his head. It was noon, and the courtyard was peaceful. Other than the patrolling mercenaries, there was nobody else. Everything seemed tranquil and perfect, without any problems.


    "During the period of my departure, were there any matters that need my attention?"


    Rhode asked casually as he walked alongside Shauna. The red-haired mercenary''s expression became serious when replying his question.


    "No problems, Leader. Everything is well. The newly-joined mercenaries are still adapting to the environment. But I feel they still performed rather adequately. Besides, they were also satisfied with this place and didn''t have any objections." Just when she wanted to end her report, her eye''s twinkled as she remembered something," Ah.. yes! One more thing. The matter that you suggested had already been completed. Their reactions were great, and everyone liked it."


    Before Rhode departed, he suggested a method to keep everyone''s hands full and as well as to increase their cohesion within the Starlight Mercenary Group.


    A well-known problem among mercenary groups was their emblem. Every mercenary group had their unique symbol to ensure that everyone within could recognize each other''s identity. And it was no different for Starlight Mercenary Group. Their emblem consisted of a four-edged star within an oval-shaped halo. But Rhode didn''t purely treat it only as an emblem, instead, he reformed it based on the experiences he got in the game. The ordinary mercenaries could only wear a basic version of the emblem. Whereas for the mercenaries with higher authorities, they were allowed to modify their emblems to display their individualistic traits. For example, Rhode affixed a sword with a pair of wings right in the middle. As for Anne, she added a shield behind the four-edged star. For Lize, she put wings around the halo. And lastly, for Marlene, four main elements of Wind, Water, Fire, and Earth were located on each corner of the star.


    According to Rhode''s statement, as long as the regular mercenaries work hard in doing their part, then they could receive a unique emblem of their own. Of course, it wasn''t just for aesthetics These special emblems came with a certain amount of magical energy. This aroused the passion of many mercenaries. After announcing this rule, Shauna often heard discussions from the mercenaries regarding their future badge designs, which showed how much they looked forward to getting them.


    To such reactions, Rhode was very relaxed. Although there were some who couldn''t understand the meaning behind this arrangement when he first mentioned it, Rhode understood how far humans would go for something to boost their ego. Taking the game of Dragon Soul Continent as an example, there was a quest item called ''Clock of Summoning''. Players could use it to summon three ghost maids by his side. Of course, the ghost maids were different from summoned spirits. They weren''t able to attack enemies, and could only help players to tidy their inventories or discover hidden ores or magic herbs. All in all, there just wasn''t much use for them. That mission was unusually lengthy and complicated which made it impossible to complete without at least ten days. Even the rewards at the end of the quest were mediocre at best. Moreover, the ghost maids that the players'' summoned were random. However, many players still finished it. They had to spend so much time to acquire a decoration that could only last for an hour with a three days cooldown. What for?


    Of course it was to flaunt their achievements in public. All the newbies would be staring at them with admiration and worship, asking, "What are they? Where did you get them? That''s so cool." This ego-hunting bunch limit themselves to items alone; even life skills were also the same. Some of them wasted so much time to achieve a life skill that brought little to no benefit for his class such as to change the color of his armor or to splash a few words on his cape. All of these were just to attract the attention of others. Vanity existed all the same no matter in which world, or which race. Not to mention, if it carried magical elements, then that would be an even more valuable reward.


    From Shauna''s briefing about matters that happened in his absence, Rhode found out that even though no missions could be taken up due to the Mercenary Association''s temporary ban, those mercenaries weren''t lazing around all day. Marlene had arranged some of them to pick magic herbs and hunt by the edges of Twilight Forest. The magic herbs were meant for Lapis to have a more extensive stock of supplies for her alchemistry. At the same time, the mercenaries were able to maintain their form and receive certain remunerations at the same time. Whereas for the three mercenary group leaders, they were also tactful. It seemed that Rhode had successfully played the boss when they met for the first time. At least there weren''t any grumbling from any of them.


    While Rhode and Shauna were discussing, all the mercenaries gathered at the front door. The moment when Rhode opened the door and walked into the hall, he saw a black figure dashing towards him.


    "�� Rhode��!"


    Christie opened her arms while running down the stairs. She smiled and dived right into Rhode''s arms. Rhode revealed a gentle smile and embraced her while intimately caressing her hair. It seemed that Christie had recovered much during this period, which could be discerned from her energetic voice and redder face.


    "�� You are back. Is everything okay?"


    "I''m fine, Christie."


    While caressing her hair gently and looking at her, Rhode replied with a smile. He was unsure why, but as long as it''s Christie, Rhode would naturally drop his usual aloof image and turn into a ''normal person''. It was a pity that only Christie could enjoy this special treatment.


    "Are you okay? Are you used to living here already?"


    "Yup."


    Christie nodded her head really hard. She held her palms together and revealed a delighted smile.


    "It''s comfortable here. The bed is soft, and there''s also nice warm food. The older sisters treat me very well too��"


    Everyone around felt glad as Christie sounded cheerful. This little girl seemed to have a very unusual charm. She could convey her feelings to anyone very directly and everyone would be infected by them, revealing their smiles from the bottom of their hearts. However, some of them didn''t limit to only smiles��


    "Ayah�� Anne is back too, Christie!"


    Anne ran and jumped to the little girl and gave her a huge hug.


    "Anne brought some presents back too. Some really really cute presents~ I''m sure it will suit you a lot."


    Rhode shrugged while looking at the playful duo. Later, he turned his head to the front and saw Marlene and Lize walking over towards him.


    "You''re finally back, Mr. Rhode. Got anything good?"


    "Of course."


    Rhode answered firmly to Marlene''s question. He then gestured to both of them.


    "And I also brought a gift for the two of you�� come to the basement with Anne later on. Oh yes, get Joey and Randolf too."


    "Eh?"


    The two maidens looked at each other curiously, not knowing what was Rhode up to��

 Chapter 195 Training Begins

    [Mission completed. Stronghold successfully upgraded. Available room types increased. Probe in intelligence increased.]


    Rhode nodded his head while reading the system prompt. He lifted his head and glanced across the cold and gloomy basement. This place used to be a cellar for the nobles to store fine wines, and now it was just another ordinary empty room. Rhode summoned his system prompt and reviewed the construction menu.


    [Build --- Training Ground (LV1). Confirm to build?]


    Yes.


    [Building the Training Ground requires 300 gold coin and Sphere of Mystery. Continue?]


    Continue.


    Rhode answered while looking at the Sphere of Mystery floating by his side.


    A golden light shone once again.


    It was similar to the time when Rhode repaired this building; the golden light radiated from his hand as it formed a web across the entire room. It quickly analyzed the whole basement and transformed into an intangible material. Along with it, the damp, cold and narrow basement suddenly changed drastically.


    Rumble.


    The basement started to expand and rise rapidly. Solid, blue slabs coated the moist surface. The shabby rocks on the walls quickly transformed into a fireplace. With that, the flames from the fireplace drove the chilly cold away from the basement and brought warmth. In the corner, wooden and realistic human-shaped targets erected. And in the center, an exquisite sculpture emerged from the ground. The figure resembled a swordsman with a sword in one hand, and the other on its chest. The Sphere of Mystery beside Rhode quietly floated to the palm of the sculpture. From where Rhode stood, he could discern some intricacies from within the complicated and mysterious patterns on the sculpture. The whole statue was a small scale formation that could utilize the Sphere of Mystery''s mysterious energy.


    It seems like everything is going well.


    Rhode nodded to himself with satisfaction. And at that moment, someone knocked on the door behind him.


    "Come in."


    Rhode replied without turning back. The wooden door opened and everyone entered. When they noticed the change, all of them suddenly became speechless.


    "What happened here?"


    Marlene was the first to recover. She stared suspiciously at this large training ground. Her memory of this place was vastly different from what it was right now. Previously, when Marlene was appointed to manage the mercenary group, she made a thorough check on every corner of this stronghold. Based on her memories, this should be an empty cellar. But now, what was this?


    An illusion spell?


    The maiden shook her head. As a Mage, she knew casting such illusions wasn''t easy. Moreover, Rhode had never showcased this side of him. And furthermore, the objects that she observed didn''t seem to have the slight blurriness that an illusion spell would surely have. Marlene extended her hand and placed it on the wall. The sensation from the dry wood correctly informed her that everything was real.


    "Just a little trick."


    Rhode didn''t want to reveal anything at the moment. In fact, even if he did reveal his methods, where would he start to explain it? He shook his head inwardly and turned towards the group. There were five members present. Anne, Marlene, Lize, Joey and Randolf. These were the main candidates that Rhode had chosen for the mid-summer festival. According to the festival rules, regardless of group battles or individual battles, every guild was allowed to send only five members and one substitute. After all, this festival only lasted for a few days, and the guilds wouldn''t be too happy if it dragged on for too long.


    "I think all of you know that we are going to represent Paphield Region to participate in the mid-summer festival."


    Everyone nodded in unison.


    "All of you here will participate in this competition with me."


    Although they were already mentally prepared, to hear it directly from Rhode, Anne and Lize couldn''t help but feel excited. The mid-summer festival competition can be considered a grand stage that only mercenaries of Munn Kingdom could step on. A small mercenary group''s biggest dream was to be accepted and cheered on by others. Marlene had an indifferent reaction as compared to the others. As an heir of the Senia family, she had once participated the mid-summer festival with her family. But at that time, she went as one of the audience.


    "But��"


    Just when everyone was getting pumped, Rhode changed his tone.


    "To be honest, based on your current strength, none of you are qualified for this competition. I can guarantee that if all of you entered right now, it will be a guaranteed loss."


    Rhode''s straightforward analysis of their current status was like a wet blanket, completely dousing the flames in their hearts. However, they quickly recollected themselves and stole glances at one another. The joy and anticipation of entering the competition turned into embarrassment and insecurity. After all, deep within, all of them understood the strength of the mercenaries taking part in the mid-summer festival competition. If it easy to be champion, how could it be a fleeting dream for most mercenaries?


    But the sad truth was that their strengths were indeed insufficient to step up onto that stage. Otherwise, they wouldn''t still be in this small little mercenary group.


    "Has anyone seen the mid-summer festival competition?"


    Other than Marlene, everyone else shook their head. Rhode shot Marlene a look and asked.


    "How far do you think you will go if you''re up there?"


    "Me?"


    Marlene frowned and grabbed her staff while considering her answer. After hesitating a while, she spoke with a bit of uncertainty, "I''m not too sure�� The semifinals�� maybe?"


    Hearing Marlene''s answer, the other four took in deep breaths. Regarding individual strength, Marlene was unmistakably one of the strongest amongst them. But even she didn''t have the confidence to reach the semifinals. This would most likely mean danger for the rest of them.


    Rhode tapped on the sculpture next to him and casually said, "So you heard her. I need all of you to strengthen up."


    For some unknown reason, all of them seemed to sense that Rhode was rejoicing in their misfortune.


    "And now there is a good way to train. I found a Sphere of Mystery during my latest adventure. It can provide a decent training experience, so I will prepare a few enemies for all of you��"


    "Sphere of Mystery?"


    Marlene cried out in surprise. She quickly walked to the front of the sculpture and examined the floating sphere. Her expression slightly changed.


    "This is a�� mirage?"


    "You know about this?"


    Rhode frowned at Marlene''s question and asked with surprise. Marlene nodded.


    "During my school days, there were similar Spheres of Mystery, where the mirage could produce a training ground and it could even utilize the holder''s memories to search for an opponent�� I had practiced in there before, but�� Mr. Rhode, how were able to find this thing too?"


    "Just some luck."


    Of course, Rhode wouldn''t speak the truth. He shrugged his shoulders and turned towards everyone.


    "So then, are all of you ready?"


    Although most of them couldn''t understand the conversation between the two, they eventually nodded and got ready. Once Rhode saw that they were prepared, he activated the Sphere of Mystery.


    Dazzling rays of light erupted from the floating sphere. The blinding radiance forced everyone to shut their eyes, and when they reopened their eyes, the scene gave them a huge shock.


    The training ground from before had disappeared entirely and was replaced with a vast, empty, white space. It seemed to stretch to infinity. As everyone looked around and observed this strange place, Rhode''s voice sounded once again.


    "In here, your equipment will not have any effects. You can only rely on your own battle techniques. But rest assured, your opponents will have an equal level as you so you wouldn''t be overwhelmed. But on the other hand��"


    Rhode stopped speaking for a moment and shrugged his shoulders while glancing over at the five.


    "Perhaps all of you would feel the difference in skill quicker this way."


    As Rhode finished, he snapped his finger.


    "Boom."


    Five human figures gradually walked over from nowhere. Everyone stared at them in confusion.


    Those were five adventurers, or maybe could say they look like five adventurers.


    There were two males and three females. Ranger, thief, tank, cleric, and mage respectively. Apparently, they were explicitly chosen from each of their classes. But to everyone, these randomly appeared opponents seemed to be dressed rather oddly.


    A male ranger stood to the leftmost. He had a warm smile but was outlandish. He was obviously a man, but he had stud earrings on his ears, and even his nose had a weird nose ring. On his back, there was a black longbow made out of wood. Another two blades were sheathed at his waist.


    The thief standing beside the ranger was more taciturn. A white mask covered his entire face, and his black caped clothes made him stand out like a sore thumb in this infinite white space. He remained half-squatted, quietly staring at the five.


    Standing in the middle was a very sexy female. She seemed to be around twenty over years of age. She held the same golden shield as Anne and had colorful hair which was exceptionally strange. Not only that, she had black earphones in both of her ears as though she was listening to something.


    Compared to the three of them who seemed to have a certain spunk, the remaining two were less eye-catching.


    The female mage standing opposite Marlene seemed to be the same age as her. She was equipped with a decent blue gown and a staff. A young and inexperienced looking face displayed a sense of kindness. She also had a lively smile, and anyone who met her for the first time would probably think well of her.


    As for Lize''s opponent, it left her at her wits'' ends. Because standing in front of her, was a little girl who could even possibly be younger than Christie. She placed both hands on her hips and stared proudly at Lize. Even though she was obviously smaller and younger than Lize, she had an attitude of a lady boss�� which left Lize not knowing how to react.


    We finally meet again��


    All sorts of feeling welled up in Rhode''s heart when he saw these people again. His gaze was warm as he felt the reminiscent sentiments bubbling inside him.


    Driss, Blade King, Hot Cigarette Chick, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum.


    The five of them were once the core forces of Starlight Guild and were Rhode''s friends. He thought that he would never have the chance to meet them again, but never did he expect to be reunited in this manner.


    However, Rhode was clear that the five of them was only a projection from his memories and they didn''t have any self-awareness nor soul. Just an empty shell.


    But Rhode quickly recovered from his nostalgia. He pointed towards the five adventurers and spoke to the rest, "They are your opponents. 1 versus 1. Let me see what you got."


    Rhode said with a smiling expression.


    "I hope that all of you wouldn''t lose too badly."

 Chapter 196 Painful Polishing

    Once again, everything suddenly became white. Along with the deactivation of the mirage, everyone returned to the real world.


    However, none of them could stand up on their feet.


    "Haa�� Haa��"


    Randolf laid flat on his back, stared at the ceiling while taking in big mouthfuls of breaths. He was extremely exhausted, not only physically, but also spiritually. During his battle, Randolf didn''t have any upper hand at all. And not only that, the opponent countered his every move. Although in the mirage, both he and his opponent had the same level, in other words, the opponent had the same stats as Randolf himself, but he still couldn''t gain the upper hand no matter how hard he struggled. This young ranger felt a deep sense of frustration, not knowing what''s better to do.


    Joey sat on the ground gloomily while wiping the sweat from his forehead and grumbled. It was as if he was considering something and regretting something at the same time. But no one could hear what he was mumbling about.


    Anne leaned against the wall. Her shield that was always by her side had already been tossed aside while she closed her eyes and panted deeply. She didn''t even have the time to ponder on the battle. The most important mission now was for Anne to recover her physical strength.


    Marlene kneeled on the ground, gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. Her body couldn''t stop shaking. It was unknown if it was due to her excessive efforts or because she had to accept her shocking defeat. And by her side, Lize looked utterly lost. She didn''t know what to do and could only stare blankly.


    In the mirage, everyone faced unprecedented defeat. Although the opponents'' levels were suppressed to match their own, there wasn''t any chance for a victory. Even if they used the same techniques against them, they would fail with no way of knowing how.


    "If any of you are unable to take this blow, you can choose to withdraw."


    "�� To be frank, I''m utterly amazed, Mr. Rhode��"


    Marlene collapsed to the ground and took out a towel to wipe the sweat from her forehead. Then, she lifted her head towards Rhode, her eyes filled with astonishment.


    "Who exactly were they? That lady''s techniques were completely foreign to me, and she was so ingenious and formidable. I was called a genius by others�� but it seems to me that the lady is the true genius. What''s her name? Why didn''t I hear of such a person in the Mage Association before?"


    It was no wonder that Marlene would ask so anxiously. When Marlene was sparing with the lady, from the start, Marlene had let her guard down after witnessing the friendly smile displayed from the lady. Thus, Marlene didn''t treat her as a formidable enemy.


    But after their fight, Marlene finally discovered the hidden strength that the harmless looking lady hid. Under her continuous assault, Marlene didn''t even have a chance to counter and was immediately defeated. Marlene thought that she had belittled her opponent too much. But even after she turned serious and concentrated in the battle, the result was still the same. No matter how well prepared Marlene was, as long as the maiden attacked, Marlene would immediately get hit without any chance to react. Marlene could only hopelessly watch herself get caught by the opponent''s spells. This wasn''t the first time Marlene encountered such experiences. She had experienced them from Grand Mages before, where their strengths were profound and had a more extensive array of magical spells. However, this lady didn''t have any specialty. Also, compared to Marlene, this lady only specializes in Wind and Fire elements. Her spells were also lesser than Marlene''s, but even so, Marlene didn''t stand a chance.


    "Me�� Me too��"


    Lize answered with a shaky voice. She had never seen a cleric with such mighty strength. That girl seemed to be much younger than her, but her massive yet quick attacks caused Lize to think that she was fighting against a mage, and not a cleric. She had no idea how this little girl managed to do it. Lize had once trained in a church, but even the Bishops didn''t possess such tremendous power.


    Anne didn''t fare any better. Maybe due to her bloodline, her energy was stronger than the opponent, but the battle didn''t end up any sweeter than Marlene or Lize. The battle techniques used by the opponent broke every one of her expectations. She could never understand how a shield warrior could launch attacks as fast as a swordsman. And even though both of them were using golden shields, that woman had so many other ways to utilize it. Anne thought that she was already familiar with her weapon, but now she discovered she was far from it.


    Compared to the girls, Randolf and Joey weren''t as devastated by their defeat. Since Anne and Lize were veteran adventurers for a long time, and Marlene was a genius from magic school, they could be considered to have accumulated countless of experiences and confidence. However, Joey and Randolf were new mercenaries, and the first thing they would think of was: ''Those people were so strong!'' They would not have similar thoughts with the three maidens like: ''How was it possible they were this strong?".


    "They were my comrades and companions."


    Rhode answered to Marlene''s question and paused for a moment.


    "Last time."


    "Last time?"


    Marlene stared blankly at Rhode''s vague answer.


    "That''s right."


    Rhode slightly nodded.


    "But they are already gone from this world."


    This sentence was indeed true to a certain extent. They weren''t in this world anymore.


    "We adventured deep into the east and faced an accident right at the end�� They had left this world, and I''m the only one left here. So it isn''t anything strange if you hadn''t heard of your opponent in the Mage Association before. In your terms, that would mean she was just a wild Mage."


    Although what Rhode said was neither true or false, he was actually right. However, all these happened back in the game, so naturally, he wouldn''t tell it to Marlene.


    "Adventure?"


    Marlene frowned. She was smart. Thus, she could easily deduce the opponents'' true strength. Even though they were battling with the same stats as them, but those people should be much stronger, so how would they even get into trouble during the adventure? But the last part of Rhode''s answer left her mouth gaping. Such a powerhouse was actually self-taught without proper systemized magical education? How was this possible? If a wild mage could have such power, who was the real genius?


    "Mr. Rhode, the area that all of you went to was��"


    "The Deepest Labyrinth."


    Rhode casually said the Void Dragon''s dungeon''s name. And this answer made everyone took in a deep breath.


    Known to everyone, one of the forbidden regions within Dragon Soul Continent was the Deepest Labyrinth. It was practically on the top of the list. That area forbade any entrance to anyone. Anyone who entered wouldn''t make it out alive. Even the strongest didn''t dare to adventure there, yet Rhode and his men dared to. Just based on this, they were considered much more courageous than most of the elites.


    And Lize suddenly realized why Rhode was hurt back then.


    Although Rhode didn''t explicitly state it, they had more or less guessed it. These young geniuses that possessed immense strength were confident in challenging the ''Deepest Labyrinth,'' yet they had failed with only Rhode surviving. Based on the skill that they previously displayed, if their original strength was much stronger, it wasn''t weird for them to go on the most dangerous adventure.


    But at the same time, Marlene felt that it was a great pity. If those people were still alive, they could very well be the new legends of this continent��


    If it were in the past, Marlene would still doubt Rhode having such powerful strength, but that notion completely faded away now. The mirage could completely reconstruct one''s memories, so these people clearly existed in Rhode''s mind and not purely imagination. To be able to lead such a strong team into the most dangerous region and come out alive, Marlene had no doubts about Rhode''s strength and leadership.


    Not to mention, in her heart, she had another point to prove her stand.


    But�� compared to them, she was too weak.


    Thinking of this, the trio''s hearts sank. Regardless if it was Marlene, Lize, or Anne, they had once considered that they could be of help to Rhode by being alongside him. But now it seemed otherwise, as compared to those companions from before, they were absolutely useless. Although Rhode had never grumbled about this, they wouldn''t ignore the truth. They were far from the level where they could fight alongside Rhode.


    That was the hard truth. In a normal adventure, Rhode seldom chose to fight alongside them. Most of the time, he would give out commands and fight the enemy one on one whenever a dangerous situation occurred. However, now that they discovered the difference in skill, it seemed like he felt that their strength wasn''t enough to help him during times of peril.


    Rhode didn''t deny this thought. He stood by the side and observed everyone''s expression. He knew he was strict on these people. The top ten most outstanding men he had in Starlight Guild had at least level 60 equipment sets, and none of the BOSSes below the second tier could threaten them at all. Even in PK, they greatly surpassed the other players. In the last three years, during the official competition, the first to the sixth place belonged to the Starlight Guild. And the guild battles to determine the champion would always include the five of them. Rhode led his guild to glory, and no one could challenge his status.


    To the natives of this gaming world, this goal was indeed too far away. To put it bluntly, even if the players were naked without any equipment or weapons, if the NPCs could manage even to touch a hair on their head, they would be considered very powerful within the ranks of the NPCs.


    Of course, Rhode knew what impact this would bring to his men. But he chose to quietly observe. After all, in future battles, they would need to build a robust mental resistance, and defeat was a good way to hone it. They must be able to withstand failures and embrace them to become stronger. Even though they weren''t players, but Rhode thought that they could also learn a few things. Although talent trees and skill points were non-existent, skills and reflex could be sharpened. This was the most important part. Like Rhode, even though he started again from scratch and lost all his godlike equipment, he used his skills and knowledge which eventually worked out well. So now, the five of them would need to figure it out themselves.


    "I''ll say it once more. If you think that you can''t handle the pressure, you can choose to withdraw."


    Rhode repeated himself. The five of them looked at each other and eventually shook their head.


    "I�� I think I can do it. Mr. Rhode."


    Marlene stood up while gritting her teeth.


    "That lady was indeed powerful, but isn''t that what I need? Please do not forget why I am here in the first place."


    "Me, Me too��"


    Lize raised her hand.


    "I''m not afraid of such challenges, Mr. Rhode. I can do it."


    "Anne wouldn''t give up."


    Anne clenched her fist and waved it. Her eyes revealed some excitement.


    "Anne had never met such a powerful opponent before, so how can I choose to give up."


    "Us too, Leader."


    Randolf and Joey stood up and answered firmly.


    "Good."


    Rhode nodded approvingly.


    "From tomorrow onwards, all of you better be prepared for special training."

 Chapter 197 Hellish Training

    You lose some; you win some. Christie understood this meaning.


    Now she could finally follow Rhode around Deep Stone City. Out of concern, refrained from sending her out alone. And in fact, after many years of torture and sadness, the little girl was vigilant against crowds. While she hoped to broaden her horizon, she was afraid of getting hurt. And only by Rhode''s side would she feel strong enough to do so.


    And now, she''d done it.


    Bright rays of sunlight illuminated the busy streets of the market. It was noon, and everyone was working hard to begin their daily chores. The sellers were advertising their products and greeting the customers. Rhode held Christie''s tiny hand as they strolled along the busy market street of Deep Stone City.


    The duo wore a cloak to cover their faces before heading out to prevent unnecessary trouble. This short ''trip'' was actually something enjoyable for Rhode, but of course, the main reason was to purchase some of the things that Christie loved. To be frank, Rhode had no idea how to resolve the issue of boredom for Christie. If the two of them had met on Earth, Rhode could still find some activities for her to keep her mind off things, such as browsing the internet or reading a book. But alas, in this world, leisure activities and entertainment were sorely lacking. Most of their entertainment consisted of the city''s night-life, which was definitely something Rhode wouldn''t allow her to experience at her age.


    The little girl stuck to Rhode''s side while she tightly gripped his hand. At the same time, she didn''t forget to sate her curiosity by gawking at the nearby buildings as well as the little bits and oddities around the Deep Stone Market. For a person who had lived in a small village all her life, she felt that Deep Stone City was simply too unbelievable! From the buildings on the top of the rock walls to the endless pit down below, Christie didn''t let any minor attraction slip from her sight. Even the faraway harbor wasn''t any less attractive than the marketplace that she was currently at.


    Her only regret was that the older sisters who treated her very well weren''t able to accompany her on this sightseeing trip. Ever since Rhode''s return, Christie had seldom seen Lize and the rest around. Every day, they would leave their rooms with a complex expression, and would only return in the evening with pale faces. Sometimes, they were too tired and simply skipped their dinner.


    "What are the older sisters doing?"


    Christie asked Rhode curiously. But Rhode''s answer was much vaguer than she imagined.


    "They want to be stronger."


    Christie didn''t understand the meaning of this sentence. But since Rhode said it, so it shouldn''t be wrong�� but still, she wanted to know what were the sisters really doing.


    Thinking of this, Christie turned her head towards the direction of their stronghold.


    -


    "Ahhhh!"


    Marlene let out a huge sigh and leaned against the wall. Her forehead was full of sweat. To the side of her, Lize didn''t look any better. As for Anne, she sprawled on the ground, spreading her limbs in all directions. Not far away from them were Randolf and Joey who were even more pathetic. They weren''t even able to keep their consciousness alive.


    In front of the three maidens stood the illusionary figures which Rhode had summoned from his memories. The illusory figures can last for a long time within the mirage, and could even act on the summoner''s interests. So without the need of physically being there, he only needed Marlene to activate the Sphere of Mystery and everyone would be brought into the mirage for training.


    "No, this is unacceptable."


    Marlene shook her head, bit her lips and faced forward. A maiden dressed in a blue gown was still smiling at her as if she met an old friend. But Marlene could never forget the scene where she was utterly defeated within three short seconds.


    Marlene gritted her teeth in frustration when the previous battle flashed in her memories once more. Luckily, Marlene had always maintained her well-disciplined disposition, which prevented her prideful self from crumbling due to failure. If she were arrogant and self-satisfied with the title of ''genius'', then Marlene would have already found a place to hang herself, as this blow to her ego was too huge for her.


    While her self-control was strong, it didn''t help Marlene''s abilities to improve. No matter how well she was prepared for the battle, she would totally falter under the opponent''s attack and taste the bitter fruit of defeat within the next five seconds. And furthermore, her opponent displayed magical skills that far exceeded her knowledge.


    She knew that the key to victory was to exploit the fact that her opponent only specialized in Wind and Fire, whereas for her, she had a total of five elements at her disposal. Since that was the case, her opponent shouldn''t have much variety in her skills, so she concluded that once she understood the casting pattern, she could attempt to counterattack.


    After a consecutive series of losses, Marlene''s perseverance paid off and managed to memorize her opponent''s skill rotation. Just as Marlene had imagined, her opponent''s spells were limited.


    But even with that knowledge, Marlene wasn''t able to clinch a victory.


    This was because Marlene had forgotten an important point. In an actual battle, the number of skills one had wasn''t the most important deciding factor. Instead, the critical timing and appropriate use of skills were of higher importance.


    True, her opponent was indeed only specialized in Wind and Fire, but because of that, she didn''t have to choose from a broad repertoire of spells and could just use them as it is. But as for Marlene, she had too many different elemental spells to choose from, and she didn''t know which one to use for each differing situation, thus, confusing herself in the end. Although Marlene''s hard work managed to allow her to defend herself against the first attack, she would be blown away the very next second.


    Stay calm, calm�� think of Mr. Rhode''s advice��


    Biting her lips, Marlene once again thought of Rhode''s advice. He would gather them every night and debrief them regarding the battle techniques and insights. These were very useful, especially to the mercenaries who lacked battle experiences.


    "I think that all of you had a glimpse of their battle styles, and I believe some of you may have already discovered the secrets in their techniques. Using the timing to ensure that there aren''t any loopholes in their attacks, and also to attack continuously without stopping. But of course, when we discuss about attack or defense, these terms are seen as a means to an end. In battle, he who controls the battlefield is king. Thus, there are two core terms which you must understand, control and anti-control. If you can control your opponent''s movements, then the next clash wouldn''t be too difficult. However, if you get controlled by them instead, then you will feel the results yourselves."


    Control��


    Marlene mumbled to herself. She could obviously understand the meaning of this word. However, the truth remained the same, even if she attacked or defended from the start, she felt the battle didn''t proceed as she intended. She was like a boat going against the waves, losing control under the storm and inevitably falling into a perilous situation.


    Thinking of this, Marlene frowned. She realized that she had a misconception. Right until now, she had been focusing on how to prevent and break the opponent''s rotation of spells. But instead, these were only strategies in battle. Even if she could try stopping her opponent''s attack once, she wouldn''t be able for the other as she hadn''t turned the tide of the battle in her favor. Her countermeasures were still within her opponent''s calculations. Therefore, her initial resistance didn''t mean much to the outcome of the battle.


    In other words, she shouldn''t focus on how to defend and counterattack, but she should think of how to break the control of the opponent, and turn it to her favor?


    But if she used this method, didn''t it mean that she needed to defend and resist against the opponent''s aggression too?


    Between these two, what were the differences?


    Unlike Marlene who was frowning and deep in thought, Lize quietly remembered the battle techniques she studied from the little girl. She could cast the same skills as the little girl and was clear of the theory. But Lize had never used these skills offensively, and now, she was akin to a traveler who had just discovered the new continent, greedily observing the unknown creatures.


    Although they went through similar training, the five of them had different views towards it. Randolf and Joey were newbies, so they didn''t have their personalized styles or determination. Therefore they hoped to learn how to fight by observing strong opponents. As for Marlene, she had possessed sufficient spells, and now she needed to know how to utilize them to their full potential. Anne wished she could improve herself by battling such strong opponents. Whereas for Lize, she was still considering and understanding the connotation of the techniques.


    Rhode didn''t expect them to defeat their opponents since these people were the top ten players in the gaming world. Even if Lize and the rest carried a certain amount of talent, but to obtain the same level of strength in such a short period was clearly impossible. But this wasn''t his only motive. He hoped that Marlene and the rest could derive the best battle techniques for themselves. These experiences would be extremely beneficial for their future growth. Learning step-by-step had its merits indeed. Just like Marlene, with her abilities, she wouldn''t have any problems bullying some underground giant, but if a nine-headed serpent appeared, then she would immediately be at a loss. It wasn''t only because of her unfamiliarity with the monster, but also because of her lack of battle experiences with beings that were stronger than herself.


    Right now, Rhode was training them mentally and physically to fight superior opponents. In the upcoming mid-summer festival, they would meet powerful enemies�� or at least it would be considered powerful in their point of view.


    If they didn''t have necessary preparation against stronger opponents, then no matter how familiar they were with their skills or techniques, they would fail miserably when it came to the actual fight,


    The only factor which made Rhode worried was their lack of time. The mid-summer festival was only two months away, and after these few days, the ban by the Mercenary Association would be lifted. At that time, they would re-invest their time into the missions. While Rhode didn''t need to acquire more points to ensure that his mercenary group would promote to a guild, but he still needed some missions to rally his men. Those newly joined mercenaries didn''t get to know himself too well, and the only way to bond the mercenary group together was in battle.


    But this means that he would need to pick a dangerous mission. Humans tend to fight for themselves when they''re relaxed, and only when life-threatening situations occur would they fight alongside each other. Rhode didn''t intend to find some ordinary mission to polish the group, so, in his mind, he thought of selecting a mission that wasn''t too far away, yet slightly dangerous. Furthermore, if the mercenaries witnessed his abilities firsthand, then they would grow to trust him more.


    But as Rhode mused about this matter, his train of thoughts was interrupted by Christie.


    Rhode lowered his head and looked at Christie who pulled onto the hem of his garment.


    "What''s wrong, Christie?"


    "�� Rhode�� What''s that?"


    The little girl asked curiously while extending her hand and pointed to the front.

 Chapter 198 Brilliant Colors

    Rhode turned around and looked at the direction that Christie was pointing.


    Both of them had walked to the middle of the market, stopping at a circular flight of stairs. This location was a designated section of the market for shop owners or customers alike to take a break. However, since it was still noon, most of the citizens were still hard at work, leaving only a few people at the resting area. A few children and elderly were sitting and chatting by the side while small street performers There were also street performers preparing for their next act.


    Christie pointed to a man that was wearing a green overall with a feather on top of his hat. He was sitting on a chair and drawing on a white canvas in front of him.


    "That''s an artist."


    Rhode identified the man with a single glance.


    "They are here to draw sceneries and human portraits. And if anyone likes their art, then they would request to purchase them. Of course, if these artists found someone intriguing to draw, then they wouldn''t hesitate to take the initiative to ask��"


    Rhode frowned as he explained. In fact, he had been approached by artists several times when he passed the market. And of course, Rhode didn''t comply. As these people were only ordinary civilians, he didn''t want to be put into a situation where he had to kill them with his sword. If it weren''t for Christie being with him today, he would''ve just avoided this place.


    "What''s the matter? Are you interested?"


    He knew he couldn''t avoid it since Christie''s eyes were already beaming with curiosity.


    "Sigh�� then let''s go."


    Rhode sighed and held the little girl''s hand before walking to the artist.


    "Oh! Greetings to both of you, it''s a pleasant day today."


    The artist immediately sprang up upon Rhode and Christie''s arrival. He exaggeratedly but passionately bowed towards them. His unusual and overstated tone was as if he was singing, but was severely out of tune.


    "May I know how I could be of help to both of you? If it''s for a portrait, I guarantee to give my 200% passion, so please rest assured. I, Francisco, am a well-known professional of Deep Stone City, and I have reasonable pricing. Just five silver coins. Five silver coins is all I humbly request, and I can draw you a beautiful portrait of your esteemed self. Customer satisfaction guaranteed! If you''re unhappy with the outcome, then you can refund it for free!"


    "�� Sir�� Are all these hand-drawn?"


    Christie didn''t seem to have any reactions to the self-proclaimed artist''s exaggerated words. Her attention was solely focused on the art pieces displayed. It was Deep Stone City''s mountain scenery. Other than his bragging, the art that this artist produced was indeed something. Some of the other artists in Deep Stone City were so terrible that Rhode couldn''t even make out what they were drawing. Did it resemble an alien or human? The answer was neither. Furthermore, Rhode''s standard of art wasn''t THAT high. As long he could understand what they were drawing, then that was good enough. Thus, for those abstract pieces, he would rather leave it to the professionals to debate.


    "Of course, my lady."


    His eyes studied his potential customers, and judging from the laced cloak she wore; he concluded that this girl in front of him should be one of the daughters that belonged to a particular noble family who slipped out to play.


    "All these artwork were drawn by me. If you are interested, please feel free to appreciate them."


    Christie hesitated at Francisco''s warm invitation and eventually chose to stay behind Rhode''s back. She held onto Rhode''s hand as she curiously peeked from the sides. As she admired the landscape and humans on the canvas, she remained silent in thought. Meanwhile, Rhode kept quiet while he caressed her hair gently and waited for her next decision.


    But he soon discovered that Christie was concentrating on a portrait drawing by the side. The portrait was depicted a little girl and her mother. The mother was carrying her child, and both of them revealed a warm smile. This artist''s piece was indeed on point. He was able to invoke the emotions of others through his drawing. However, he wasn''t sure if it was the same for Christie.


    And at this moment, Christie finally spoke.


    "�� Sir�� Can you please draw a portrait of myself?"


    "That''s not a problem, my lady."


    Having acquired a new customer, Francisco passionately moved up a step and quickly placed a fresh sheet of white canvas on his easel. Next, he politely gestured to Christie to come closer.


    "Please stand here."


    "I�� I need to stand there?"


    Hearing the artist''s request, Christie opened her eyes wide with surprise. She grabbed onto Rhode''s clothes with uncertainty. Hearing her question, Francisco laughed as he felt this little girl was too interesting. Could it be that she doesn''t know what to do?


    "Yes, of course, my lady. I need to have a good look at you so I can draw you. How am I suppose to draw if you are wrapped up in your cloak? I can''t possibly draw you like that."


    Francisco explained to Christie while smiling and waving his carbon pen. However, the little girl still seemed to possess some lingering hesitation and looked at the crowd with uncertainty. Rhode had already read Christie''s thoughts and knew that Christie absolutely wanted a portrait, but she felt uneasy in crowded places. Now that it was bustling with noise and excitement, he could imagine the amount of attention she would receive after removing her cloak. For Christie, it was torture.


    "Don''t worry, Christie."


    Rhode tapped on her little shoulders lightly and consoled her.


    "Go ahead. I will be by your side to protect you. Don''t worry; no one will do anything to you."


    "��"


    Christie finally nodded after listening to Rhode''s comforting words. She stayed silent for a moment before summoning enough courage to walk forward. But before she took her third step, the little girl suddenly stopped walking. She stared at the portrait once again and turned around, pulling on the hem of Rhode''s clothes.


    "�� Rhode��"


    "Yes, Christie?"


    "Can you do it with me?"


    "��"


    Hearing Christie''s request, Rhode''s heart dropped. He suddenly realized he had jumped deep into this pit that he dug for himself��


    In any case, Christie was a girl, and people would say: ''What a beautiful and sweet looking little girl!'' Which, in her case, was a compliment for a female.


    But for himself?


    ''What a beautiful and sweet looking man��?"


    Thinking of this, Rhode had the urge to draw his sword and kill anyone who said that.


    If it was anyone else who requested Rhode for this, he would never comply. But as for Christie, Rhode could never reject her. Similarly, just like Christie could only truly be at ease with Rhode by her side. So, Rhode could choose to reject everyone else, but he definitely couldn''t reject Christie. He didn''t know why it was this way, just like how Christie didn''t understand why she would be fondly attached to Rhode. Perhaps the similar appearance might be one of the reasons, but there was probably another deeper connection between them which they themselves can''t understand yet.


    In the end, agreed to Christie''s request.


    Rhode''s worries were indeed reasonable. After removing his cloak, both of them received quite a lot of attention. The elderly and children that were resting on the stairs started flocking over curiously. Even the workers who were busy also noticed the crowd surrounding Rhode, which piqued their curiosity. After all, it was no surprise as both of them were beautiful, and looked almost identical.


    After Francisco saw both of their faces, he was also inexplicably over the moon. As an artist, of course, he wished to retain beautiful things. Francisco wanted to compliment both of them again, but Rhode''s deathly gaze brought him back from fantasy.


    As everyone stood in a circle and watched, Christie became increasingly nervous. She inched closer to Rhode''s side and clung tightly to his clothes with both hands. Rhode stroked the girl''s long hair, and at the same time, shot daggers at the surroundings with his cold gaze. It proved useful, as some people within the crowd started moving away. Although Rhode didn''t like his face, his special features were actually useful for making announcements. All the bullies and rogues knew about the incident when Rhode killed someone outside the Mercenary Association. Due to his distinctive facial features, everyone could recognize him.


    After dispersing the crowd, Rhode and Christie finally could relax for a while. Francisco also started to display his artistic flair as his fingers flicked left and right on the canvas with incredible speed.


    Francisco''s speed wasn''t slow at all, which was to be expected because he did this for a living. If he needed a few hours to complete a portrait, then it would be questionable if any model would want to stand there for that long. Also, Rhode''s killer eyes subtly forced this artist to increase his speed to ensure his customer''s satisfaction. Francisco didn''t think that this was a bad deal either. He felt lucky that both of them had outstanding traits, unlike his other customers who required necessary touchups which took up some time.


    So, without letting both of them wait for too long, Francisco quickly finished his artwork.


    "Both of you, please enjoy."


    Rhode took the canvas and carefully examined it. He had to admit that this artist was well versed in his profession. He captured a very sensitive motion between the two of them as the theme of his art. On the canvas, Rhode was caressing Christie''s hair gently with his head lowered, revealing a warm smile. Whereas the little girl lifted her head, both of her hands were clinging to Rhode''s clothes, and her slightly dilated eyes were filled with intentions to never part with him. Anyone who viewed this portrait would lament to the harmonious and beautiful relationship between the two of them. Even Rhode who had experience with photoshopped pictures on the internet exclaimed in admiration after looking at the final product.


    "The time is limited, so this was all I can do."


    Francisco revealed a helpless smile.


    "If you would grant me the pleasure, I wish to spend more time to touch up on��"


    "That''s not necessary. This is good enough."


    Looking at the portrait in his hands, Rhode nodded his head with satisfaction. Later, he handed it to Christie and tossed a gold coin over to Francisco. Francisco, who was shocked at the gold coin on his palm, tried to bite it with his teeth as if he couldn''t believe his eyes. Then he exposed an excited, smiling face.


    "Thank you for your kindness, my esteemed customer. You are too kind. To be honest, I had actually decided not to charge a fee. As an artist, to preserve eternal beauty is my pride. It is my honor for you to give me this chance, and I��"


    Rhode nodded his head without any interest to listen to what he had to say and immediately pulled up his cloak with the intention of leaving. However, suddenly, a female voice sounded out.


    "Never did I expect to see such a beautiful little girl here."


    Followed by this voice, a woman who was exceptionally well-dressed, appeared in front of Rhode and Christie. She smiled as she looked at the little girl and extended her hand.


    "Come, little one, let this older sister take a good look at you."


    Facing the woman''s extended hand, Christie was a little terrified. She moved back and shrunk her lower body. And at this moment, Rhode grabbed onto the woman''s wrist.

 Chapter 199 Old Walker’s advice

    "Mister, what are you doing?"


    The woman didn''t have any change in expression even when Rhode grabbed her wrist. When Rhode noticed her smiling expression despite exerting force, his eyes immediately narrowed and increased the strength of his grip.


    "Oh�� So you recognize that I am a ''Mister''."


    "Yes�� of course, Mister."


    Not just anyone could resist Rhode''s strength when he displayed his power. The woman''s expression gradually sank and painfully forced a smile. To alleviate some pain, she leaned her body against the youth and smiled while raising up her chest. A white and ample chest bulged from the small crack in between her collar. However, instead of focusing on her chest, Rhode discovered something worth his attention. It was a silver ivory necklace hanging on her chest.


    The woman struggled to free her hand and said, "I only wanted to take a closer look at this little lady here. She''s indeed adorable, isn''t she?"


    She turned to Christie once again, but this time, she didn''t dare to attempt to touch her. Instead, she took a few steps back. She revealed a discontented face at Rhode as if she was furious towards his ungentlemanly behaviour. But that expression only lasted for but a moment before she shrugged her shoulders and gave a soft laugh.


    "You don''t need to be tense, Mister. I am nothing but just a normal woman. That is no way to treat a lady. But I admit I was kind of rude, so�� I will take my leave."


    After finishing her sentence, the woman smiled lightly, nodded towards Christie, and departed. Rhode gave a glance at the woman''s retreating figure before lowering his head and discovering a slip of paper in his hand.


    "�� Rhode��?"


    Christie''s tiny voice sounded in Rhode''s ear. She dubiously raised her head and eyed him. Rhode didn''t respond immediately and simply kept the slip of paper. Then, he looked back at Christie and revealed a gentle smiling face.


    "Christie, do you have anywhere else you want to go?"


    It was already evening when Rhode had brought Christie back to their stronghold.


    It was a rare opportunity for them to be able to take a break. Christie spent most of her time recovering and seldom head out. The furthest she went was the path at the stronghold''s garden. Whereas for Rhode, he spent most of his time on building the mercenary group and working on missions. Thus, this trip was a great way for both of them to take a break from their usual routine. However, compared to the energetic Christie, Rhode seemed to be rather exhausted. After all, as a male, shopping clearly wasn''t their list of interesting things to do. But for a female, a hobby such as shopping had already blended into their soul and blood. Christie was no different.


    But to prevent the little girl from falling sick, Rhode decided to return to the stronghold. Though, emotionally, Christie was feeling great, but her body wasn''t able to support a prolonged exercise. Thus, she had no choice but to head back to rest.


    After sending Christie to her room, Rhode made his way to the lounge on the first floor with the intention to relax. After a full day of shopping, Christie was physically tired while Rhode was mentally drained. No matter how much he looked like a woman, he still couldn''t understand the source of passion that women have for shopping. Was there any meaning to window shopping? In other words, if there isn''t any intention to buy, why go shopping in the first place?


    Rhode couldn''t find the answer to this question.


    However, when Rhode stepped into the lounge, he unexpectedly met someone.


    "Yo, kid."


    Old Walker sat by the table beside the window. Noticing Rhode''s arrival, he waved to him.


    "You''re back?"


    "Yes, I''m back."


    Rhode scanned the room. Originally, this room was a recreational room for nobles, but now, the room was empty save for the few tables and wine buckets in the corners. Usually, there would be more mercenaries in the room, but since the ban wasn''t uplifted yet, many of them went out.


    "�� Never did I imagine that the mercenary group would grow to such large numbers. We already have so many members��"


    Old Walker sipped on the fine liquor and stared out of the window.


    "At that time, when you and Lize invited me to join, so many mercenaries mocked the both of you. Heh�� a 3-man mercenary group? Who would have thought?" Old Walker laughed. "I was the same as those mercenaries as well. I also wished for your failure. Ah.. but alas, you disappointed me��."


    Old Walker''s voice suddenly trailed off, and he lifted his wine cup.


    "Kid, what exactly do you want to achieve? I had been a mercenary all my life and seen many kinds of people. Someone of your caliber would have high aspirations and lofty goals. I believe that the reason why you built this mercenary group isn''t merely for seeking thrills in adventures right?"


    "��"


    Rhode didn''t answer. He simply shrugged his shoulders and waved his hand.


    "Of course I have my plans, old man."


    As they say, ''not to reciprocate is against etiquette.'' Since Old Walker had always called him a ''kid'' every time they spoke, then Rhode wouldn''t mind calling him "old man".


    "You just need to sit tight and watch. Since you are already so old, it''s hard to change anything now anyway, isn''t it?" Rhode smirked.


    "Tch."


    Old Walker groaned at Rhode''s playful remark. But then his face suddenly became serious.


    "�� I don''t care what you want to do. But you need to be mentally prepared that not everyone would think or act like you. Your great ambitions may only be a burden to them�� I hope you can remember this point, mercenaries�� are sometimes�� only mercenaries after all."


    Old Walker''s face turned gloomy. He lowered and shook his head while sighing. Then he stood up and walked towards the wine buckets by the wall. Rhode''s eyes tracked the aged man without saying anything.


    "I had such an experience once."


    While he filled his wine cup, Old Walker said.


    "At that time I was so full of mettle, and thought that I was omnipotent. I wanted to increase our power ever so badly." Old Walker said with deep nostalgia in his eyes. He looked at the ceiling and continued, "Our prestige would ring throughout the ages, we would be richer than kings, and even the bards would sing our feats for eternity."


    "My close comrades and I had once thought this way, but, the truth was otherwise. Not everyone was interested in this future of mine. They didn''t care about money nor fame. They didn''t wish to risk their lives entering dangerous areas in order to guard the peace of mankind. In the eyes of death, they chose to cower. They had no desire to battle against the fiendish devils and rotting undead in icy cold regions underneath the earth. Many would eventually die without any reputation, and even worse, their bodies couldn''t even find peace as they had a chance of reanimating as undead. Thus, the bulk of them chose to bring money back to their hometown and live a comfortable life. I had once felt betrayed, but now it seems like I was the one that was too ridiculous��"


    The old man forced a smile but his voice was filled with bitterness.


    Rhode sunk into silence after hearing the old man''s words. He had never considered this question before. But now, the old man''s words drove Rhode into contemplation.


    What was the mercenary group''s future going to be?


    If everything were smooth sailing, after the mid-summer festival, Rhode''s mercenary group would be promoted to a guild. This would be one of the biggest dreams a mercenary could ever have. No matter if it was Lize or Anne, they were working hard towards their goal. But what comes after? Would they idle their lives away?


    Rhode certainly didn''t wish for that to happen. To become a guild wasn''t the end, but the start of everything. Eventually, his goal was to acquire a territory and build a force strong enough to resist against the Country of Light and Darkness as well as the following battles after that. Previously, Rhode felt that this wasn''t difficult, after all, he had already experienced the calamity once, so he wouldn''t lose the second time. But Old Walker''s timely reminder made Rhode realize that he had subconsciously assumed the ideology of players to be similar as NPCs.


    Players would never have issues with being fed up. Once they discover new missions and dungeons, they would try to conquer it. Furthermore, owning territory in a game was one of the important end-game milestones for most players, and they would probably explode with excitement once attained. The acquiring of items through hard work, managing guild resources and gaining prestige from difficult quests were all powerful sources of motivation which drove the player forward in the game. But as for NPCs, their motivation to battle was far different as compared to players. The most significant reason was that NPCs only had one life, whereas players could just revive again and again. Because of this, the NPCs valued their life over anything else.


    Rhode knew a lot of Old Walker''s history, but those were only widely known information. Initially, Rhode thought Old Walker was depressed because of his injury. But after hearing this story, he realized that Old Walker was already disappointed with his companions before he had gotten injured.


    He used justice and glory to motivate his companions, but it seemed that these imaginary things didn''t appeal to them. Meanwhile, Rhode intended to use equipment and power to lure in mercenaries. Will his method work?


    It was as though you and your companions had just cleared a bandit camp and received a fortune that was enough to last a lifetime. Later, you received news that there was an evil dragon which dropped legendary equipment and weapons. And if you defeated it, everyone would hail you as heroes to the kingdom.


    So what would the NPCs choose?


    If it were the players, without a doubt, they would choose to slay the dragon.


    As for the NPCs? Would they really want to challenge the dragon knowing fully that they might perish? After receiving ample resources to live a peaceful life, would they continue to choose to fight? No one could confirm this. But Rhode was clear that once the war started, no one could escape.


    Despite knowing what the future holds, nobody would believe him if he told them. Just like now, most of the people living in Deep Stone City were satisfied with their peace. They had no idea that Country of Light and Darkness would start a war soon and Country of Darkness would target the Munn Kingdom as their first stepping stone. Peace is like a soap bubble, beautiful, yet fragile. Just a light nudge would destroy everything. However, the majority would choose to remain in this soap bubble, not willing to face the truth.


    "Thanks for your advice, old man."


    Rhode stood up as he realized that he might need to re-consider this point.


    "You''re welcome, kid. Anyway, I was merely grumbling, and that''s all I can say about these matters. It''s up to you if you wish to heed them or not. I''m already an old man, so I don''t care much anymore. Who knows how much longer this old life of mine can last?"


    After downing another cup, Old Walker returned to his peaceful self. He wiped his mouth and stared at the youth who was leaving.


    "What? Are you still heading out at this hour?"


    "I''m going on a trip to Glorious Star. When Marlene and the rest return from their training, help me inform them that they do not need to wait for me tonight."


    "Glorious Star?"


    Hearing Rhode''s reply, the old man was stunned, but he soon he revealed a sly smile.


    "Heh heh heh kid, you finally couldn''t hold it any longer eh? The chicks there are splendid. As I said before, as men, how can we not go there for a good time? That is the best place in Deep Stone City. Every day, you have so many beautiful girls by your side, but you can only look at them. I must hand it to you. You successfully held in your urges until now. Go on, kid, I will cover up for you. If Miss Lize and the other girls asked, I will tell them that you went to do something important!"


    Rhode shook his head when he heard his teasing.


    However, it wasn''t like he was lying. Like what Old Walker had said, he was indeed about to do something important.

 Chapter 200 A Warning from Dark Fang

    In the Dragon Soul Continent, there wasn''t much ''entertainment'' for the people at dusk. When evening fell, nobles would usually pass the time in a drinking party, mingling and laughing throughout the night. Whereas for the commoners, they could only afford the cheaper beer in pubs. Those with wives would spend time at home, and as for the bachelors, their only choice was to find night services from brothels.


    Glorious Star was one of the many venues to provide warmth for these bachelors. But it differed from most other low-class brothels, as the place largely serves rich customers. Their furnishings and decorations were grand and proper. And from the exterior, you''d never guess that this was a place for ''dirty businesses'', but rather a high-class inn instead.


    Back in the game, players also visited such venues. Of course, the bulk of them held filthy motives when doing so. Some of the brazen ones unabashedly slapped their money on the table and gestured to the waitress, telling them to ''give them your best one.'' And after receiving the money, the NPC would bring the player to the ''special VIP room'' upstairs.


    For the players, the first time was like a thrilling rollercoaster experience. All sorts of nasty deeds ran through their minds. Despite being unsure of how VR NPCs would offer them their ''special services'', but even if they couldn''t physically touch them, lap dances or stripteases would be adequate �� for the sake of the experience, of course. Furthermore, since this was just a game, they needn''t worry about authorities raiding the venues.


    Once they arrived at the much anticipated ''special VIP room,'' they would immediately close the door, sit down on the couch, face a stage with a curtain drawn, and wait for the show to start in excitement.


    Thump, thump, thump. Akin to a rollercoaster ride at its peak, their heartbeats raced with anticipation. But, alas, when the curtain fell, what greeted them was a huge naked river crab, which stood in the middle of the stage, waving its claws side-to-side towards the player��


    Of course, the players were left dumbstruck. All their hopes and expectations, though filthy, were dashed. Naturally, they didn''t let the matter drop just like that, and they immediately took to official forums to rant. However to their dismay, the official reply they received from the game company was, "Due to the law and legislation, we cannot��."


    Since the developers said that it was so�� what else could the players say? They could only give up and forget about it.


    Though afterward, the game company expressed their goodwill by compensating the players with a treasure chest monster instead of a river crab, but to the players, it just wasn''t the same��


    As Rhode stood at the entrance of the Glorious Star, he couldn''t help but reminisce the interesting event in the past. But that was in the game, and the game company HAD to replace the women with stripteasing river crabs or else they would face legal backlash. Presently, the world was real, and he needn''t worry about meeting the river crab in the ''special VIP room'' �� but nevertheless, the purpose of this visit wasn''t to make up for the ''loss of content'' in the game.


    "Greetings, esteemed Sir."


    A woman quickly walked up to him. It was that lady from the market earlier this morning. Rhode''s outfit wasn''t any different from before, with his cloak still concealing his face. The woman''s appearance differed slightly though. She wore lighter makeup and adorned a gorgeous evening dress, which further emphasized her delicate waistline and beauty. Seeing Rhode''s arrival, the woman smiled and bowed politely to him. Rhode gave a slight nod to return the gesture.


    "Please come with me."


    Without saying anything else, the woman spun around gracefully and led Rhode into the building. This well-dressed woman appeared to possess a high status in this place. When they entered through the front door, the guard glanced at the sword sheathed on Rhode''s waist and tried to stop him. However, when the woman coughed, the guard immediately retracted his hand. Clearly, this woman''s identity wasn''t ordinary.


    However, Rhode didn''t think much about it because he wasn''t here to meet her.


    After entering the building, he realized that the lights were fairly dim. Paired with a soft melody in the background, the lighting created an oddly warm atmosphere. Rhode didn''t linger for long and left after stealing some glances at the nearby rooms. It was clear that this place wasn''t the average low-class brothel, not all the rooms had naked female dancers flirting with men with the doors wide open.


    Rhode had initially thought that the woman would take him to the ''special VIP room.'' He didn''t expect her to lead him to a dark corner of the lounge. After her job was done, she left the room in a hurry.


    Rhode casually scanned his surroundings before finally resting his eyes on a man sitting on a couch in front of him.


    "Greetings, Mr. Shawn." Rhode sat down on a couch opposite the man.


    "Well met, Mr. Rhode."


    ''Shadow'' Shawn, the leader of the Dark Fang mercenary group. He donned a similar outfit to Rhode, with the only prominent difference being his pale white mask, which reflected the glow of the candelabrum on the table. Shawn made a casual nod as an acknowledgment to Rhode''s greeting, but Rhode wasn''t too mindful of that.


    "To be honest, I was quite surprised to receive your invitation. But I''d hoped that you would have better standards in selecting your messenger, and also not to trouble my men," Rhode said as he crossed his legs.


    He didn''t feel any pressure when faced with this cold-hearted killer. He casually reached for the burgundy glass cup and poured himself a drink. At the same time, he grumbled with discontent, which was clearly audible to Shawn. However, Shawn merely smiled and shook his head.


    "Salina is my assistant, and sometimes, she tends to be slightly cranky. As a killer, this is something unacceptable. I think it''s time to change this shortcoming of hers�� As for her offending your people, I formally apologize, Mr. Rhode."


    "You don''t have to apologize; I was just saying."


    Rhode gestured with his hand and leaned back against the soft couch, looking the man with caution and curiosity. He had made no contact with Dark Fang mercenary group before, and neither did they have any past conflict with him. So why did Shawn take the initiative to look for him?


    "Let us go straight to the point�� Mr. Shawn. What exactly did you find me for?"


    Shawn didn''t immediately answer. Instead, he remained silent for a moment, and said, "Mr. Rhode, if I recall correctly, you and your mercenary group will be attending the mid-summer festival in two months time."


    "That''s right."


    Rhode nodded. He wasn''t surprised that Shawn was aware of this. After all, the Mercenary Association had approached the top three mercenary group leaders on this. However, Hiller had rejected, and Shawn intentionally avoided them after hearing about it. Now that he had personally sought out Rhode to discuss on this, what did he want?


    "So then, I hope you will be mindful of someone called Carody."


    "Carody?"


    Rhode frowned. He swiftly searched his memory for this person.


    "Carody Custer?"


    "You know of him?"


    Shawn was slightly awed with Rhode''s broad knowledge. Although the mask had concealed his expression, his somewhat raised tone in contrast to his usual deep voice betrayed him. However, Rhode didn''t elaborate further and simply shrugged.


    "If you are referring to the Carody that led the ''Black Blade'' secret troops under the Country of Light parliament, then yes, I have heard of his name."


    "Heard of?"


    Shawn stared at Rhode; his eyes revealed a mocking expression. After a moment, he sneered.


    "So much for ''secret troops'' eh? If a mercenary of Munn Kingdom could negligently discover the name of the commander of the parliament''s secret troops, then it seems like those old bastards who can only fight with their tongues are really useless. Humph, but it''s fine. Since you know his identity, then you should catch my drift, Mr. Rhode."


    "If I''m not mistaken, you mean that Carody will appear in the mid-summer festival?" Rhode questioned as raised his eyebrows in suspicions, "But Mr. Shawn, what has this got to do with me?"


    "I''m not too sure about the exact details, Mr. Rhode. According to a report that I received a few days ago, the Country of Light had already prepared the ''Black Blade'' in attempt to strike you down during the mid-summer festival�� Clearly, you must have had somehow foiled the plans of those good for nothing idiots."


    "During mid-summer festival?"


    Rhode''s expression sunk but his tone remained calm.


    "Yes, and according to the intelligence I received, he will disguise as a mercenary of a certain guild, and stage a ''death by accident'' during the competition. This way he wouldn''t need to be investigated and receive punishments, and furthermore, he wouldn''t attract the attention of Munn, nor damage the bilateral relations between both countries�� Even though I feel that there''s already nothing much to sustain both countries'' relationships��."


    "I appreciate your reminder, Mr. Shawn."


    Rhode didn''t make any expression, but deep inside him, he had already memorized this information to heart. Rhode wasn''t surprised with the intel that Shawn provided, as it was true that Rhode had utterly destroyed all the preparations set in Paphield Region by the Country of Light. Whether it was for revenge, or to silence him from revealing their secret, the parliament would never let him go easily. It seems like Rhode''s prediction was on point. The Country of Light couldn''t tolerate him any longer.


    The Black Blade was only one of the secret forces of the parliament. Frankly, they weren''t strong. According to the level system back in the game, most of its members were between level 30 to 40, and Carody''s level was similar to Sereck. If it were way before, Rhode would have unquestionably lost to Carody. But now, although he couldn''t say that he would guarantee a victory, as long he was well prepared, Carody wouldn''t be a threat to his life.


    However��


    "Mr. Shawn, while I appreciate your timely reminder, I think the purpose of you inviting me here shouldn''t be just reminding me of this simple matter."


    "That''s for sure."


    The killer nodded slightly and admitted to Rhode''s conjecture. Then, without warning, his voice suddenly turned deep, unveiling his icy-cold killer intent.


    "I have a request�� Mr. Rhode. Once you meet him at the mid-summer festival, I hope will show no mercy. If you can successfully kill him, then I can guarantee you that, we the Dark Fang, will unconditionally fulfill a wish of yours�� any wish that you want."


    Hearing this, Rhode was unexpectedly surprised.

 Chapter 201 Negotiations with Dark Fang

    Rhode remained calm as he assessed the masked killer in front of him with a stoic expression.


    "Mr. Shawn, I''m not a curious person." Rhode shook his head, "But even so, I need to ask you this question �� since you are willing to pay such a big price, why not do it yourself?"


    Shawn paused for a while; then he answered with resent in his voice, "�� Because I''m unable to get near him."


    "Magic is a very troublesome thing. I think you of all people should understand this point, considering that you have a mage in your group. Carody is terrified of my revenge, so he acquired a unique magical item which would alert him to my presence once I get near him. It''s not as though I hadn''t tried, but I failed every single time. So��"


    "So you hope I could do it for you."


    Rhode didn''t hate it even though Shawn intended to use him. While he wasn''t interested in the grudge between Shawn and Carody, since Carody belonged to the Country of Light, then killing him would only bring him additional benefits. And doing so makes him feel good�� Yes, that was the most important reason to Rhode.


    Rhode respected his opponents, but not traitors. He could still endure the Country of Darkness''s invasion, but he would never accept the cowardly Country of Light''s surrender. During the battle between the two countries, the Country of Light gave up shortly and offered compensation to the Country of Darkness. But the wealth they had wasn''t enough to stop the Country of Darkness from invading, and in the end, they decided to give up the Light Dragon in order to protect themselves. According to their reasoning, they felt that the neverending fight between light and darkness was an issue, thus, they wanted to end it once and for all by handing over the Light Dragon.


    What is this? Is this what a human with average intelligence would do?


    At the birth of the nations, the first Light Dragon elected the parliament and gave them the authority to run the country while she would lay low. According to her, this was a country built by her people, so they should decide which direction to move toward to. As long they bear the heavy responsibility of developing a nation, their country would prosper in both peace and security.


    The Dark Dragon thought otherwise. He felt that he, as one of the five creator dragons, and as the leader of the Country of Darkness, should bear the duty of guiding his people towards the future. In his eyes, these mortals were too shortsighted and childish. They could only see in the present, and not the future. If they were to lead a country, then one day, they would eventually lose themselves in the ocean of time. Therefore, the Dark Dragon felt that the Light Dragon''s decision to pass the authority to her people was a cowardly and timid move.


    Of course, this was just a clash of ideology and there weren''t any contradictions that couldn''t be harmonized. According to the internet about the five creator dragons, they were harsh with their words, but they never moved against each other using physical means.


    However, as time passed year after year, the Dragon Soul''s successor changed from one to another, and their ideology began to shift as well. The Country of Light and Dark had countless of conflicts in the meantime. As the Country of Light saw how powerful the Country of Darkness came to be, they grew terrified. They were afraid that one day, the successor of the Light Dragon''s soul would be like the Dark Dragon''s successor, who stole back the authority from its people.


    Because of fear, they began sowing their treacherous seeds of evil. Using their authority, they started to brainwash the local populace about the unimportance of the Light Dragon''s impact on their country and the continent. Thus, in the present, most citizens didn''t know what the Light Dragon signified and how vital its presence was to the land. At most, they knew that the sky was the symbol of the Light Dragon, no one knew what was going to happen after losing it.


    Meanwhile, the Country of Darkness emphasized the importance of necessity and existence of the Dragon Soul to its people, explaining to them the reason why they could live peacefully on this continent. Because of the Dragon Soul''s power, it was able to regulate the chaos energy which restored order to the world. Of course, the Country of Light loathed it and refuted this belief. They thought that the Dark Dragon wanted to utilize propaganda to strengthen itself, so it purposely proclaimed that to claim its rights to dictate over the country.


    On the other hand, the successors of the Light Dragon didn''t have any power nor authority. To put it nicely, they were like flowers in the greenhouse �� but realistically, they were like pets who were raised by the parliament, only to be summoned when needed.


    Later on, Lydia''s method of ruling the Munn Kingdom made the Country of Light fearful. They were afraid that their people would admire their way of ruling, and request for the Country of Light to reform so that the Light Dragon would recover its power. If that happened, their hard work and effort to brainwash the populace would be undermined.


    This made Rhode suspicious. He speculated that the reason why the parliament would use such an idiotic rationale to justify the surrender of the Light Dragon was due to a pact with the Country of Darkness. The Country of Darkness might have offered to give these parliament members their rightful authority after obtaining part of Country of Light''s domain. These old geezers from the parliament held no regrets in selling their dignity and glory of the country to cling on to their seats.


    When players accepted the quest to defend against the Dark Dragon''s invasion, even when they completed their quest, the fate of the country was already sealed. However, after Rhode''s guild destroyed the Country of Light''s parliament and led the players to rebel against the Country of Darkness, the Player Alliance immediately displayed unexpected unobstructed progress without interference from the remnants of the parliament. They reached all the way to the heart of the Country of Darkness and eventually wiped out everyone.


    There were only two possibilities to this situation. First, either the parliament was too incompetent, which would only increase the burden on the players, or they had purposely used up their strength just to favor the future leader.


    If it was the former, it wouldn''t be that bad, but if it was the latter, then it was unforgivable.


    In other words �� the parliament must die.


    So, with regards to Shawn''s request, Rhode approved it. He was even grateful for Shawn''s warning, Although Rhode was already prepared for the Country of Light, if someone were to provide additional information about his enemies, that would be better than wading through the river and groping at stones all by himself, wasn''t it?


    "I understand what you meant now."


    Rhode''s expression remained the same despite agreeing with Shawn. After all, the other party was requesting for help, and if he seemed to be overly passionate, he might be taken advantage of next time. To Rhode, this was a mission. And since it was a mission, he should squeeze every single drop out of it, which suited his identity.


    Rhode''s stance on the matter caught the attention of Shawn. Frankly, ever since the two of them met, Shawn felt that this young man was becoming increasingly mysterious. At the Mercenary Association meeting, Rhode displayed the strategic side of him. However, Shawn was very clear that this young man was a steadfast man under the veil of arrogance. Now it seemed that his steadiness had gone a step further beyond Shawn''s initial judgment. Even so, Rhode wasn''t the least bit worried, and not a sign of worry was on his face. As a killer, Shawn was an expert in examining the expressions of people, so he could verify that when he mentioned the Country of Light, Rhode''s calmness wasn''t fake and was genuine.


    Of course, the killer didn''t know that Rhode had already wiped out the whole of Country of Light back in the game. So, naturally, Rhode didn''t experience much shock when mentioned about these things.


    Shawn was certain of what Rhode was thinking, so he didn''t hesitate to extend his arm. In a flash, a black dagger appeared on his palm.


    "Mr. Rhode, this is my ''Black Ivory''." Shawn said as he placed the dagger on the table, "It served me for many years and has always been a deadly weapon. I''ll give it to you now as a deposit�� and furthermore, I guarantee that in the future, if you require intelligence reports, we the ''Dark Fang,'' will provide this service to you for free."


    Rhode nodded.


    Although Dark Fang was just a mercenary group, they seem to resemble a hitman organization. The fact that they could gather secret intel from the Country of Light proved their strength in this field. If Rhode could acquire their help, then it would naturally be an advantage for the Starlight guild in the future.


    However, Rhode''s ambition didn''t stop here. But he knew that some things shouldn''t be brought to light now.


    "I hope we will have a pleasant cooperation."


    Rhode said as he extended his right arm.


    Shawn glanced at Rhode''s outstretched arm and calmly shook on it.


    "Yes�� of course. Pleasant cooperation."

 Chapter 202 Second Phase of Training

    The matter of Carody was put to a side. It just wasn''t important enough to think about for Rhode right now. Instead, the training for Marlene and the others'' were more crucial as the festival was arriving soon. Rhode wondered if after the few days if hellish training would be enough for them to study the attack patterns. While he didn''t expect them to be able to comprehend the patterns fully, but at least they would gain some valuable experiences. In any case, skill mastery could be honed over time. Therefore, Rhode felt that it was time to proceed on to the second phase!


    It was another day at the training grounds. When everybody arrived, to their surprise, they discovered Rhode standing in front of them.


    "I have seen all your performances these few days, well done," said Rhode who hadn''t appeared for a seemingly long period of time.


    When they heard Rhode compliment them, their expressions became awkward. They didn''t feel like they made any significant improvements worthy of praise.


    How was this ''well done'' when they were still battered black and blue every single day like a newbie?


    "I guess that all of you have already learned something regarding battles," Rhode ignored their expressions and continued speaking, "So now we are going to enter the second phase."


    Everyone looked at each other curiously and saw excitement, confusion, anticipation, and worry in their eyes. They had barely made it in the first phase, and how would the second phase even look like?


    However, Rhode didn''t intend to explain to everyone just yet. Instead, he activated the Sphere of Mystery and within the white space, the five human figures appeared once again.


    "Today we''ll spice it up a little."


    As Rhode spoke, he walked towards the side and pointed towards Joey.


    "Joey."


    "Yes, Leader. Here!"


    The young thief immediately ran towards Rhode excitedly upon hearing his name.


    "What do you need me to do?"


    "I will change your opponent today. You''ll face her."


    He pointed towards the dainty and mischievous little girl.


    Everyone was shocked momentarily.


    A cleric?


    It was common knowledge that a spellcasting class would be at a disadvantage when fighting against a thief class. If the little girl had better stats than Joey, then perhaps she would win, but now that both sides were equal in strength, how could she dodge Joey''s agile attacks?


    Rhode remained nonchalant at everyone''s dubious gazes. He made the rest watch by the side and announced the start of the battle.


    "Begin fight!"


    Joey did not understand Rhode''s underlying motive, but he still obeyed and switched to his concealment mode. But at this moment, his eyes suddenly widened in shock. It wasn''t only him that was surprised, even Randolf by the side exclaimed.


    How could Joey''s companion not know how his concealment skill worked? Joey was at passable thief at best, that was all. However, when Joey cast his concealment skill, it felt incredibly smooth! It was totally unlike the previous time he saw it! Just a little bit more and perhaps he would be able to reach the peak of the thief class.


    Joey''s ridiculous rate of improvement was naturally due to his daily training. Each time he was beaten badly, he grasped and modified his movement technique. As the illusory figures were too tough to beat, he didn''t realize that his strength was improving drastically. However, Rhode who monitored each and every one of them closely, was clear of their rate of growth. If he were to create a growth chart using their data, it would be an upwards trend graph.


    While they might not be able to level up when utilizing the Sphere of Mystery to train, but the vivid improvement to their mastery of skills was impeccable. Rhode had successfully trained these NPCs as real players! It didn''t matter if the level was slightly low. As long one had a firm foundation in skill mastery, levels would come easily later. Rhode always emphasized that it was essential to master the skill as early as possible.


    It was akin to a sports athlete who hid weights on his calves during practice runs. And after the removal of these limitations on the competition day, their speed and endurance would shoot through the roof!


    This was precisely what happened to Joey. Back then, when he was faced with the overwhelming pressure from his opponent, he hadn''t realized his own development. Now, Joey knew that he was no longer his old self. The techniques and skills that had been rather taxing to cast could be accomplished as easily as breathing.


    An opening!


    Joey switched his stance and circled towards the rear of the cleric. The petite little girl glanced at her surroundings, seemingly incapable of detecting the thief''s concealment. All she did was cast a barrier over herself and stood still.


    "Is he going to be okay?"


    Lize whispered as she observed the situation quietly. She couldn''t see where Joey was and didn''t know how he would attack. If it were her in the little girl''s position right now, she wouldn''t have done much better. For a cleric, casting a barrier over herself wasn''t anything new, after all, that skill was the bread and butter of any cleric in battle. However, what skill comes next? What kind of ability would be effective against a thief''s ambush?


    The girl stood in the same spot and played with her fingers. She didn''t attack just like when she was facing Lize. Is it because she was unable to detect Joey? Or did she have other reasons?


    However, Joey didn''t have to worry about such problems. He suddenly appeared behind the girl''s back and drove his dagger towards her!


    Ding!! Along with a clear and crisp sound, the girl''s barrier flashed and vanished. Joey played out various situations in his mind and was elated that it was going as planned! Then he drew the dagger on his other hand and swiftly slashed over!


    But a sudden movement shocked everyone.


    A dazzling radiance exploded in Joey''s face and obstructed his vision. However, this young thief''s reaction was superb. He knew that this was her diversionary tactic. He decided not to retreat as he was aware that Clerics do not have weapons and the one that should be escaping was her. In his mind, he concluded that this move was to probe him and create distance between the two of them. Thus, he refused to fall for the bait and pressed on his assault.


    But at this moment, Joey suddenly felt a solid resistance on his left hand.


    "Ding!"


    What happened?


    Facing this weird response, Joey was momentarily distracted. Could it be that this girl had cast another barrier? However, he forcibly cut off his hesitation and launched another attack. But this time, he clearly knew he was blocked.


    Impossible! Did she actually just cast another defensive barrier in mere seconds?


    Doubts began to grow in his mind as he continued probing. He didn''t believe that this girl would be powerful enough to capture his attack intervals and cast a barrier every single time. And even if she had done it, what''s the point? Casting a barrier required high spiritual energy, and not to mention casting two consecutively in such a short period of time? Will she even be capable of standing later?


    After the blinding radiance scattered, the young thief''s eyes widened at the scene in front of him in disbelief.


    The girl stood in front of him, not budging an inch. She didn''t cast another barrier like what Joey had guessed. Instead, this girl was chanting a powerful spell softly. From the radiance coagulating on her hand, it appeared that a spell was being prepared for a long time.


    How is this possible! I''ve been attacking her continuously, how is she able to continue casting her spell?


    Joey was startled. He launched another attack once again, but this time, he saw his dagger crashing into the barrier and bouncing off. It wasn''t until now when Joey finally realized that a circular golden barrier had completely enveloped him.


    "Defense Wall!"


    Lize screamed when she saw what happened.


    Defense Wall was the advanced version of Defense Shield. Its defensive abilities were a lot stronger, but it had a weakness. It could not freely follow the caster around. Also, as its name suggests, it created a wall to protect the people inside while obstructing outside attacks. But the people inside wouldn''t be able to launch an attack outside the wall as well. Lize had learned this skill, but she didn''t often use it. This skill was only used in emergencies where the party was facing an imminent wipe. After all, there were too many limitations and its usage occupied a different role in battle as compared to Defense Shield.


    But now, this girl did something that Lize had never thought off. She actually cast the Defense Wall onto the opponent!


    What''s going on?


    Before Lize could comprehend fully, the spell had completed consolidating. And at the same time, the little girl removed the barrier from the Defense Wall.


    A series of bright and colorful magical flashes flourished, and as a thief without high defensive abilities, there was only one ending��


    As Joey blasted away, everyone became dead silent. Rhode lifted his head and scrutinized for a moment, and then he extended his arm.


    "Next up, Marlene. You''ll face her."


    Rhode pointed his finger towards the Shield Warrior.

 Chapter 203 Be the Deviser

    In the end, it the outcome was as expected.


    None of them could clinch a victory even though Rhode had picked new opponents for them and arranged for them to have the upper hand due to their classes. While it was true that everyone had improved tremendously and felt the incredulous change at the start of the battle, but once their opponent retaliated, their initial euphoria quickly turned into sorrow and defeat.


    This time, Rhode arranged a one versus one fight and the rest would observe from the sidelines. This gave them a third-person perspective over the battle. Rhode wanted them to generate ideas by watching how the superior players played. In the past, they could only focus on their opponent in front of them. But now, by observing as a third party, they could expand their knowledge of various classes and hopefully create new techniques for themselves.


    Obviously, Rhode didn''t do this to torture them. So after every three matches, he would wave his hand to stop and gather everyone.


    "Okay, I have a question. What do you think of their attacking style?"


    The five of them frowned at Rhode''s question. After thinking for a moment, eventually, Marlene was the first to answer, albeit hesitantly.


    "They�� seemed to like attacking. A lot."


    Marlene wasn''t wrong. Especially today, after the observations, all of them realized the five figures seem to possess a crazy level of passion in offensive play. Even a support class like the Cleric, she even dared to use ''Defense Wall'' to trap her opponent. From this, they could discern how extreme these group of people would go regarding taking the offensive. It wasn''t only the cleric. Marlene''s battle with the Shield Warrior was also the same.


    As a mage, one would think that she would have a natural advantage over the Shield Warrior, but alas, little did she expect that the ''Shield Warrior'' would totally abandon her defense and used the shield for offense instead. This left Marlene dumbstruck. For a moment, she forgot to release the spells from her hand, and by the time she snapped back, it was too late as her opponent already entered her proximity. The shield smashed her away and then��


    ... then there was nothing more after that.


    "That''s right."


    Rhode nodded at Marlene''s answer.


    "What views do all of you have on this?"


    "This��"


    This time, it was Lize who raised her hand.


    "I don''t think that what they did was orthodox, Mr. Rhode. Their attacks were too wild and were ignored their defense. If they were countered, wouldn''t that be-"


    "The question is, would THEY be able to counterattack?"


    Rhode''s reply immediately made Lize swallow her words. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Indeed, the opponents appeared to attack fearlessly, and in theory, there are many risks hidden within this battle style. Even Marlene and the others could discover it and wanted to take advantage of it. However, before they could conceive of any method to counter, their opponents had already rained blows on them until they were beaten black and blue.


    And what''s the reason for that? Was it the unfamiliarity with the opponent''s attack pattern? The classes may be different, however, the five figures'' attacking styles were similar. After training for many days, they were accustomed to that behavior. But this time around, the figures waited for them to begin attacking and didn''t immediately strike the instant they started fighting. This was an opportunity for Marlene and the rest to get a hold of the rhythm. Otherwise, if they were to talk about strength, both sides had equal strength. If any single one of the illusory figures had superior strength, then all it needed was to sneeze, and the five of them would just fall over.


    But why did they not have any solutions to their opponents'' crazy attacks? Even if they knew their opponents'' weaknesses, they still lost so easily. What exactly was the reason? No one knew why. In the past, they had an excuse because they did not know their opponent''s weaknesses. Now that their style, strengths, and weaknesses were all laid bare in front of them, but why couldn''t they grasp the situation?


    "This is the content of the second phase. All of you have to learn this �� Be the deviser." Rhode pointed to himself as he spoke. "There is no perfect style in this world, and there are flaws in every one of them. If you focus on attack, others would say your defense is weak. If you focus on defense, then others would say you are too passive. Sereck''s weakness in his swordsmanship is glaringly apparent as well. His fanciful swordsmanship is gorgeous, but lack strength. In theory, he would be as good as finished if he faces an opponent who has a barbarous attacking style. But what''s the point of saying all these? Isn''t he still a Swordsmaster?"


    Everyone sweated while listening to his explanation. Sereck was a representative of Deep Stone City, but he turned out to be so useless and pathetic coming out of Rhode''s mouth��


    "The reason why you fail is not only solely on mastery of skills, but also in your thoughts."


    Rhode stared coldly at his people.


    "You subconsciously believed in defending against the opponent''s attack first and follow up with an attack later. You wanted to excel in both aspects, but that''s impossible because of your individual traits. Some of you love to defend, and some of you don''t. Not everyone can be an all-rounded warrior!" Rhode explained. "Not only that, you did not exhibit your specialties and instead continuously revealed your weaknesses. It''s no wonder all of you kept losing."


    So that''s why!


    Marlene''s eyes brightened after hearing Rhode''s explanation. She finally understood why she couldn''t control the rhythm of the battle and was always led by the nose. They just have to attack; only knowing how to attack, and love to attack. They didn''t have much choice and could any do as they wished. But what about Marlene? She can attack and also defend. But should she attack? Or defend? Marlene didn''t have a clear goal. She''ll defend when the opponent attack, and she''ll attack when the opponents stop attacking. This way, the rhythm of the battle would naturally be led by the opponent. As she didn''t possess a personal battle style, she wasn''t sure and didn''t know what she should do. In a fierce battle, even a second of such hesitation could decide the outcome.


    "In my hometown, there is an idiom, ''to foster strength and avoid weaknesses.'' In other words, you need to display your specialties and keep away from your shortcomings �� just like those fellows," He said while pointing towards the five figures. "Indeed, you would think that their frenzied attacks would weaken their defenses, and would be deadly if their opponents strike back. But as you can see, under their attacks, you didn''t have any chance to counterattack, so why did you even think of attacking their weaknesses? A theory would remain as a theory, which anyone could debate about. But the truth isn''t as simple as by speaking based on theory only."


    Rhode stopped speaking, he noticed everyone''s pensive expressions and nodded his head with satisfaction.


    "You should understand what I''m trying to say. Remember, be the deviser. The battle style that you chose may have flaws, but that''s okay. In theory, there are no battle styles that don''t have any weaknesses; even the godly Archangels can be defeated. So, don''t mind what the others say, remember what you should do, trust your decision, don''t waver and hesitate, and it will be enough."


    It wasn''t illogical for Rhode to have such information. After all, he had seen many players struggling with this dilemma. Some people had their own special talents and traits, however, under the constant negativity of other people, they eventually gave up.


    Just like this projection of ''Mini Bubble Gum'' standing in front of Rhode. Since the inception of her character, she knew she wanted to choose the cleric job for PKing. Everyone doubted the cleric''s battle abilities. Some of them even analyzed the data of cooldown, damage range, and spells. Some asserted that it was impossible based on their personal experiences in using a cleric to PK. In the beginning, ''Mini Bubble Gum'' had indeed lost many times in a row.


    Many players began started expressing their views on how clerics were not suitable for PK, and how the gaming company had never designed this job with the intention of possessing battle skills. If it were any other player, they would have already given up much earlier on. But since she was still a girl in her rebellious stage, the more they resisted, the more she wanted to prove herself. Rhode also supported her by giving her recommendations based on his experience. In the end, ''Mini Bubble Gum'' created the most popular battle tactic of all Clerics, the ''Double Boom'''' tactic. Eventually, her PK rankings shot through the roof and secured a spot in the Top 10 Hall Of Fame, and was the only Cleric in the Top 50 PK rankings.


    This story was the prime example of how other opinions were just opinions, and at the end of the day, the one with the final say would be the person herself.


    Rhode didn''t intend for them to have the same desire for offensive tactics. He just wanted them to experience themselves through this method the importance of persevering in their own style. If they were to do what everyone says, and not have their own style, then when it comes to the real fight, they would eventually still lose. Just like what Marlene had thought, it was impossible to gain victory if they were to react according to what their opponents do.


    One lucky thing was, this wasn''t like the game. In the game, many people would criticise and discuss others'' decisions which would create tremendous pressure and may cause one to give up on their path. In other words, the only opponents that Marlene and the rest had to face were their inner selves. If they can overcome this tribulation and decide on their battle style, then that would be a big success for them.


    After saying all that was needed, Rhode turned around and left the training ground. He gave the remaining time to the group to ponder and understand their abilities. Rhode did all that he could and the next part would rely on their own comprehension. Rhode believed that if all of them understood the point he was trying to make, then at least they wouldn''t be defeated by their opponents in mere seconds. As long as they could do this, they were considered to have passed the test.


    But Rhode didn''t relax due to this. As the days passed, he began to grow busy.


    -


    And the ban from the Mercenary Association finally ended.

 Chapter 204 Blackrock Depths

    With the lifting of the ban, the mercenary groups sprang to business. Their objectives were more or less the same �� begin warming up its members, and at the same time, commence missions to receive remunerations. Rhode''s Starlight was no different, naturally. Starlight functioned rather clandestinely because Rhode didn''t need to follow the points system in order to elevate to guild status. But Rhode still required to strengthen and polish his mercenary groups'' aggregation through various missions. Furthermore, he also needed the remunerations to maintain the operation cost. After all, money doesn''t simply fall from the skies, even for him. Since his mercenary group had grown in size, Starlight''s financial reserves began to dip.


    Thus, Rhode concluded that it''d be better to accept hard, yet less life-threatening missions, and at the same time, having high remunerations. But his requirements were slightly too demanding��


    "Why do I feel like it''s rowdier in here than before?"


    Rhode frowned as he stood in the hall of the Mercenary Association while looking at the clamorous crowd. The place was literally in chaos. Waves of mercenaries crammed at the mission notice board, trying their best to seek out missions or requests that their group can accomplish. But this kind of scene wasn''t surprising at all. After all, many of these mercenary groups had been financially starved so severely due to the ban that they couldn''t afford to waste any more time.


    But due to the previous incident, the mercenary groups had begun to follow the rules. They avoided dangerous missions and places that they weren''t supposed to go. They accepted ordinary missions with low danger levels, and some even confirmed many times with the requestor that they wouldn''t need to visit dangerous areas. Most of them accepted 2 Star-Ranked missions, leaving the 3 Star-Ranked missions mostly untouched.


    That was good news for Rhode as no one would be snatching business from him. Now, he only needed to consider which mission amongst them would be most beneficial for his mercenary group.


    Rhode had stopped considering missions that involved undead creatures because of the increase in numbers. Previously, as he had lesser people, his clerics could cover all of them with their holy spells. In this scenario, having an increase of members wasn''t necessarily a good thing. So, this time, Rhode decided to accept normal missions.


    "Hmm?"


    But at this time, Rhode was sidetracked by a note embedded with golden edges. On the paper, there was a clear, golden scale.


    The church logo?


    The churches in Dragon Soul Continent were different, unlike the ones in reality. They did not worship any specific deity, but instead, chose to protect their beliefs and laws. In the Dragon Soul Continent, no matter whether the area was under the Dark or Light Dragon, every church belonged to the Country of Law''s Twin Dragons. The church preached kindness, elimination of evil, respect for each other, and justice. Furthermore, they were responsible for expelling the devils and notarization throughout the continent. Since olden times, the churches in Dragon Soul Continent acted similarly as notary offices. No matter if it was trading among merchants, or the political exchanges between nobles, or even the conditions laid out between countries, the church supervised all of them. Therefore, as long as the church signed the pact, usually, nobody would need to worry about renouncing promises.


    The Country of Law wasn''t like Earth, where they borrowed religious influence to affect politics. Perhaps it was because of the status of the one who ruled over the church �� who was one of the five creator dragons, and they were very much respected everywhere. Moreover, the Country of Law had never intervened with conflicts involving other countries. In the game, this neutral stand by the Country of Law had once aroused the Country of Light parliament''s displeasure when they did not intervene when the Country of Darkness invaded the Country of Light. And in response to their cries of help, the Country of Law stated that they didn''t feel that the Country of Darkness was evil, so they didn''t attack them.


    In fact, the Country of Law''s definition of evil was vastly different from what the common people thought it as. From the people''s perspective, killing was evil, but in the eyes of the Country of Law and churches, taking a life of another was only considered a crime which did not have any connection to evil. In their teachings, evil was referred to as destroying order and bringing chaos. Thus, when the Country of Darkness invaded the Country of Light, they continued to rule their own territory as the order was still apparent, not taking any action. Only when a country desecrates law and order would the Country of Law retaliate.


    Other than maintaining social order, the Country of Law focused its efforts primarily on cleansing non-orderly regions. They often sent bishops and knights to chaotic zones to help the people defend and get through the threat, and at the same time, spreading their doctrines on building social order. Eliminating chaos was the most important goal of the Country of Law and its churches.


    During the game''s mid-point, when players developed their individual territories, the Country of Law would always provide them assistance. Rhode was no different. He managed to receive his territory with the help of the Country of Law and its churches. Therefore, he always had a favorable impression of them. And if this were still the game, the Country of Law would undoubtedly be ranked top three among the most popular forces.


    Because of this, when Rhode saw the churches'' announcement, he read the note thoroughly while revealing an engrossed expression.


    The request wasn''t very complicated. The church requested the mercenary group to head down to the Blackrock Depths to search for a missing ancient holy relic. It was said that the relic belonged to the church''s legacy which somehow went missing in the Blackrock Depths due to unknown reasons. Now, the church posted a request on the notice board in hope to recover it.


    But�� the Blackrock Depths��?


    Rhode frowned upon when the name rang in his mind. He completed this mission before, and the church was always ever so generous with their remunerations. Although there was some danger involved, it wasn''t to the extent of life-and-death. Referring back to Rhode''s requirements, this mission seemed to suit him a lot, but the only problem was��


    Thinking about this, Rhode turned over and asked Marlene who was standing beside him in a soft voice.


    "Miss Marlene, do you know how to craft Fire-type scrolls?"


    "Fire-type scrolls?"


    Marlene was slightly taken aback by Rhode''s sudden question. She pondered for a moment and nodded her head.


    "If it is a low-level scroll for blasting flames, I have no problem. But I don''t have any tools at the moment, so it may take a while to craft them."


    "How long do you need to craft one?" Rhode asked almost immediately.


    Marlene sank into thought for a moment before answering Rhode, "Erm�� roughly three hours.".


    After hearing Marlene''s answer, Rhode remained silent as if considering something. A while later, he shook his head.


    "We shall see. If there''s not enough time, we can purchase them. We need around a hundred��"


    "But that would be very costly. and there''s no guarantee that we can find them."


    Marlene shook her head. As a mage, she knew how much the scrolls were worth. In the market, the cheapest magical scrolls also required at least a dozens of gold. And that wasn''t all, as there weren'' many mages who would sell magical scrolls, the quantity was very scarce. A big city like the Golden City might have more of them, but Marlene didn''t feel like there would be that many magical scrolls in a small city like Deep Stone City.


    "No matter what, we shall see the situation first."


    Rhode shook his head as he brought Marlene to the counter and tapped lightly on the table. In no time at all, Old Hank ran out and displayed a warm smile to the two of them.


    "Why, isn''t this Mr. Rhode and Miss Marlene? Are you two here for the missions as well?"


    "Something like that. It seems like you guys are very busy."


    Rhode glanced around while speaking. The mercenaries were shouting and screaming as the secretaries toiled and recorded their accepted missions and mercenary group names.


    "Yes, we are currently swamped. But this is great too as it has been a while since we had a crowd like this. This is what the Mercenary Association should be like."


    The busy Old Hank appeared as though he was rushing for time, so he stopped his casual chat with Rhode and went straight to the point, "So, Mr. Rhode. Which mission does your Starlight group intend to take up?"


    "I would like to know more about that mission."


    Rhode pointed to the golden note on the notice board.


    "A three Star-Ranked mission? You people in Starlight are truly competent. No one even dares to take up a three Star-Ranked mission, and there you go, taking one as your first mission after the lifting of the ban�� buuuuut�� then again, this isn''t your first time taking a three Star-Ranked mission." Old Hank nagged and lifted his head towards the notice board. "I can''t help but recall the time when you guys came and took on a three Star-Ranked mission for the first time. To be honest, we thought that you guys were just throwing your lives away��"


    Old Hank yapped endlessly. A while later, he finally realized which mission Rhode referring to. "Oh�� So you wanted to attempt the church''s request?"


    "That''s right."


    Rhode nodded his head.


    "When did this request appear? Had any other mercenary groups accept this?"


    "This mission�� hmm��"


    Old Hank frowned and tried to recall if anyone had taken it.


    "It should be within the past few days. There shouldn''t be anybody else who had accepted it."


    I see��


    Rhode went silent after hearing Old Hank''s answer. But at this moment, a hand suddenly stretched from the side and slammed on the table.


    "Uncle Hank, I''ll take this mission."


    A voice sounded.

 Chapter 205 Rebel of a Nonentity

    Barney lowered his head as he walked out of the room. He clenched both his fists and stared at the scroll on his hand. He had a tough time acquiring this roll of paper.


    "How was it?"


    A half-elf maiden, who was waiting outside, asked the young swordsman when he stepped out. Barney nodded at her excitedly. The half-elf maiden revealed a gentle and relaxed smile in response.


    "I didn''t expect that we actually succeeded."


    "Yeah��"


    Barney nodded his head and stared at the scroll on his hand as if he couldn''t believe that it was real. He had waited a long time for this day, but even now, he still felt that it was a dream.


    "We really succeeded�� and from now on, the Jade Tears Mercenary Group belongs to us!"


    Thinking of this, Barney felt a wave of excitement coming over him. They had been waiting so long for the arrival of this day.


    After the disappearance of their ex-leader Frank, the Jade Tears Mercenary Group fell into unimaginable chaos. The remaining mercenaries didn''t know what to do. They were mercenaries who were cast aside by their previous mercenary groups, and even Frank refused to trust them fully. Of course, this was also the main reason how these people were able to survive. Had Frank entrusted them with hunting down Rhode in the underground mine then they''d be long dead.


    Since they had lost the only person who could restrain them, the mercenaries naturally started to make a scene and even requested for the disbandment of the mercenary group in attempt to obtain that final bit of money for themselves. The Mercenary Association accepted their request. If Frank didn''t appear, they would disband the Jade Tears Mercenary Group.


    However, not everyone chose to give up.


    Barney was one of them. Due to the conflict he had with Rhode, Frank ranked him rather low in the group. But as a talented swordsman, his strength was actually quite strong. He was different from the other mercenaries. Barney joined Jade Tears Mercenary Group with hopes of succeeding in life, and thus, he was very much resentful against the disbandment of the mercenary group. He felt that they should rely on themselves to revive the group rather than to leave it in the hands of a sly, arrogant bastard.


    So, even when faced with the terrible fate of imminent disbandment, Barney didn''t choose to give up. He relied on his reputation within the mercenary group to band all the other confused and upset mercenaries together.


    "All of you had once left under the mocking of others for the sake of doing better than those who mocked you. If all of you give up now, then you will always be under their feet!"


    Under the encouragement of Barney, many of them were emotionally affected. Indeed, they had previously left their mercenary groups for the sake of doing better. But what happened now? If the Jade Tears Mercenary Group disbanded, they would become unemployed.


    They could imagine the amount of mocking and teasing they would receive if they met their past comrades.


    Based on Frank''s impression, Barney''s behavior was considered rash. However, Barney was respected by the mercenaries as a heroic figure. Rhode had mocked the Jade Tears Mercenary Group on many different occasions, and not only that, but he also avoided punishment for killing their comrades by using the identity of a noble. As a result, none of the members of the Jade Tears Mercenary Group liked Rhode.


    At one point in time, Barney stood up for them and lost an ear to Rhode. Ever since then, he had become a heroic figure in their hearts. To them, Rhode represented the nobles who were highly arrogant, proud, prideful and evil. Yet Barney represented them to fight against him fearlessly. On top of that, he was even willing to reform the whole mercenary group! These noble acts finally gained the trust of many mercenaries.


    It wasn''t as if accusations such as ''Barney being too young and thus not suitable to lead a mercenary group as leader'' never happened before, but they were mostly denied. Young? That little noble from Starlight Mercenary Group was equally young, yet he could lead an incomplete mercenary group to this size, so why can''t we? So what if we''re young? Maybe one day, Barney could become stronger than that damned noble, and our Jade Tears Mercenary Group will become the strongest Guild in Paphield Region. If that sissy little noble could do it, then we can too!


    However, the journey wasn''t all smooth sailing. As the proverb says, speaking is like splashing of water. Of course, the Mercenary Association wouldn''t easily allow Jade Tears Mercenary Group to retract their disbandment application. In fact, the association hoped for this mercenary group to be disbanded as they created many of the previous incidents. And furthermore, this mercenary group was considered to be the enemy of civilians. Hence, they truly yearned to disband this mercenary group to give themselves more peaceful days.


    However, Barney was extremely determined to revive the group, and eventually, the Mercenary Association could only delay and temporarily halt the disbandment process. But they had certain conditions �� they needed to complete at least two of the two stars missions in the next month to prove their worth. At the same time, they had to guarantee they wouldn''t start fights against other mercenary groups. Once any of these conditions were breached, the Mercenary Association would disband Jade Tears Mercenary Group with immediate effect.


    Of course, Barney wasn''t too happy. After all, the previous conflict was instigated by another group. Even if their side retaliated rather uncivilly, the fact remained that Rhode did kill someone. Apparently, the Mercenary Association chose to defend the other party��


    None of these nobles were any good.


    But not everything was bad news. Barney received assistance from someone that he had never expected to receive help from, and to him, it made him extremely happy.


    Now, everything was going as planned.


    Looking at the scroll on his hand, Barney fell deep into thought. However, suddenly a familiar voice echoed from the front.


    "Miss Marlene, what do you think?"


    Barney and the half-elf girl were instantly stunned when they heard the familiar voice. They quickly turned their heads and discovered Rhode who was standing nearby. He was speaking softly to the maiden dressed in a gown, with their heads turned towards the notice board.


    "It''s him, Barney��"


    The half-elf maiden lowered her voice as she spoke frightenedly, and at the same time, she tugged onto Barney''s shirt. After that battle, the half-elf maiden had never dared to be arrogant. Never had she faced death so closely before. Rhode was a formidable enemy, and just his hand was enough to break her neck as if she was a little chick without any resistance. The huge gap in strength brought fear into the half-elf maiden when she stared at Rhode''s back. She hid behind Barney to avoid Rhode from noticing her and finding trouble. Rhode was more than capable of doing such things.


    However, unlike the half-elf maiden, Barney didn''t think of leaving just yet. Instead, he made a gesture quietly and eavesdropped on the two of them. Soon, Rhode and Marlene left. When their figures had disappeared into the crowd, the half-elf maiden finally relaxed.


    "Barney, let''s go, don''t stay here anymore��"


    "Did you manage to hear them?"


    Barney asked, and the half-elf maiden nodded her head.


    "Yes, I heard��"


    The half-elves naturally had an acute sense of hearing, and besides, Rhode and Marlene weren''t actually whispering either, so she was able to overhear their conversation. However, she didn''t understand why Barney would ask her this question at such a moment.


    "�� I think we can take this mission."


    "Eh?"


    The half-elf maiden surprised for a moment and cried out in shock.


    "Barney, what are you talking about, are you crazy?"


    "I''m not crazy!"


    Barney waved his hand and interrupted the maiden.


    "I think this is a good chance. You know, now that the Mercenary Association requires us to prove our worth, we should show those people that we are capable and let them know we aren''t weak. And if we can snatch this mission before Starlight does, and even complete it, it would mean so much to us! You should know how our mercenaries always hated that damn bastard and his mercenary group. Since they elected me as their new leader, if I don''t do something, the Jade Tears Mercenary Group would be doomed!"


    "But we can still choose other missions��"


    The half-elf maiden shook her head and disagreed with Barney.


    "Now our priority is to rebuild the mercenary group and not act rashly, Barney. Did you forget about Leader Frank''s incident? What if that scary noble do the same to us, then what should we do? Barney, you don''t need to do this. We can complete the requirements set by the Mercenary Association, then slowly settle other matters. Also, since Starlight wants to do that particular mission, we may not even be capable of completing it too��"


    "You don''t have to worry about this. You and I heard what he said. He required Fire-type scrolls for Blackrock Depths, which proved that they would be useful there. I think, our new supporter would be able to sponsor us enough money to purchase those scrolls. Don''t forget the reason why the supporter chose us. If we show good results, then that person would help our mercenary group to become even stronger. Also, just think about it, if I announced to others that I had successfully snatched a mission from Starlight, and even complete it, wouldn''t you think of that as a considerable feat?


    "�� you''re indeed right, but��"


    The half-elf maiden bit her lips hearing Barney''s words. She understood what he meant, and as his companion, the half-elf maiden was very clear why the Jade Tears Mercenary Group had a new supporter in providing them with financial assistance. However, she was still afraid. Every time she thought of Rhode, the half-elf maiden would tremble in fear. She absolutely would not dare to stand close or provoke that man. Barney''s idea was indeed logical, but wouldn''t he be afraid of that man secretly planning for revenge?


    "I''m still worried��"


    "Fear is normal. But we still have to face our fears with courage." Barney looked at the maiden and coaxed. Then he reached for his ear. "I''m also afraid, but I will never avoid it. I know what you are worried about. Relax, I will not lead all of you into danger. Besides, this mission isn''t too difficult. It is only a three Star-Ranked mission. Although, we, the Jade Tears has inadequate members, but it would still be enough for this mission."


    "��"


    The half-elf maiden didn''t answer immediately. She went silent for a moment and said, "I''m not sure if I should agree with this unnecessary risk, Barney. Why not we do it this way, if they accepted the mission, then we would give up. And if they don''t accept the mission, then we will do it, how about that?"


    "No problem!"


    Barney smiled excitedly. He held the maiden''s hand and led her into the crowd. Soon enough, he saw Rhode and Marlene speaking to Old Hank.


    "When did this request appear? Had any other mercenary groups accept this?"


    "This mission�� hmm��"


    Old Hank frowned and tried to recall if anyone had taken it.


    "It should be within the past few days. There shouldn''t be anybody else who had accepted it."


    Now''s the chance!


    Barney immediately stormed up and slammed his hand on the table despite the half-elf maiden''s resistance.


    "Uncle Hank, I''ll take this mission."

 Chapter 206 Ten Days Be

    It is him?


    Rhode''s brows went up, and he stared at the young man who interrupted him. Marlene was clearly unhappy. While she wasn''t present when Rhode and the Jade Tears Mercenary Group had their conflicts, she still wasn''t too pleased with someone blatantly snatching their mission right in front of their noses. This was akin to an uncivilized person jumping the queue at other peoples'' expense. She already held some prejudice against mercenaries, and now Barney''s actions reinforced her belief.


    "We''ve not left the counter yet, and you want to snatch our mission? That''s just plain rude. Do you not comprehend basic social etiquette?"


    The half-elf maiden''s face began to darken when she heard Marlene''s apparent displeasure. She tugged at Barney''s arm, trying to stop him from doing any more harm. However, Barney learned from his previous mistakes. This time, he didn''t reply and locked his eyes with Old Hank with a solemn expression.


    "Uncle Hank, you should know the rules. In the Mercenary Association, any unaccepted missions will be available for everyone. Now, I act on behalf of the leader of the Jade Tears Mercenary Group to accept this mission. That shouldn''t be any problem? Right?"


    "This��"


    Old Hank revealed a troubled expression when faced with Barney''s inquiry. He looked at Barney, then at Rhode, and then back at Barney. Unlike Marlene, Hank had witnessed the battle by the entrance of the Mercenary Association. Now that the two of them had once again clashed heads, Hank immediately tensed up. He glanced over to Rhode, hoping that this young man wouldn''t act impulsively again. If history repeated itself, it wouldn''t be good news for the Mercenary Association. Fortunately, Rhode seemed to be pretty calm with no signs of irritation on his face. However, even so, who could understand Rhode''s true intentions behind that expressionless face?


    "Uncle Hank."


    Barney reminded Old Hank as he hadn''t responded for a while.


    "This mission is legally ours, am I right?"


    "You��!"


    Marlene was infuriated at this moment. But Rhode suddenly restrained her from blowing up with a hand gesture. He turned around and sized the two of them.


    When Rhode''s gaze landed on her, the half-elf maiden shivered slightly. She bit her lips and lowered her head downwards, avoiding his frightening eyes. As for Barney, he boldly lifted his head and welcomed Rhode''s stare fearlessly. However, Rhode wasn''t interested in a staring contest. He went silent for a moment and let out a soft hum.


    "Judging by what I see�� aren''t you being a little too overly confident?"


    "It''s not up to you to decide whether we can complete the mission or not."


    Barney responded firmly. As for Rhode, he merely shrugged.


    "Seems like you do not agree with my opinion and you''ve already decided to take this mission?"


    "Of course, Mr. Rhode."


    Barney replied instantly without any hesitation.


    "But I don''t have any intentions of giving up this mission."


    Old Hank and the half-elf maiden immediately tensed up when they heard this sentence from Rhode. Barney gritted his teeth, and his right hand slowly traced his sword hilt. But luckily, it seemed that Rhode had no intention to fight. Instead, it appeared as though his mood was rather good.


    "It''s pointless for both of us to debate over this. So why don''t we make a bet?"


    "�� What bet?"


    "I don''t trust that your mercenary group can complete this mission. So I suggest that we both accept this mission at the same time."


    Rhode spoke as though he was addressing the filth of humanity. This angered them, but they knew if they were to lose their temper, the consequences were dire. They swallowed their ego and waited for Rhode to continue.


    "With my sympathy for the weak, I will give you ten days. After these ten days, if you do not return by then, I would assume that all of you had died and failed the mission. From that point on, my mercenary group and I will then enter the Blackrock Depths to complete the mission. What do you think of my proposal?"


    Everybody had differing opinions on Rhode''s proposal. Marlene remained quiet, but she felt like this was an unnecessary bet. The half-elf maiden appeared to had given up as she didn''t know what was waiting within the Blackrock Depths. As for Old Hank, he trembled in fear as he watched the invisible sparks clashing between the both of them, fearing that a fight may break out anytime.


    "That''s fine."


    After a moment of consideration, Barney nodded.


    "But, I have one condition," Barney added.


    "Oh? One condition?"


    Rhode''s brows raised slightly, and then he nodded.


    "Okay, tell me what condition?"


    "To guarantee the fairness of this bet, I hope the Mercenary Association would send someone to act as witness�� After we enter the underground tunnels, the Mercenary Association should guard the entrance to prevent any unnecessary distractions."


    The half-elf maiden let out a long sigh as she understood what Barney meant. The truth was, the mercenary groups could indeed seek such assistance from the Mercenary Association. Barney was worried that Rhode would mess with them from the shadows, so he set these conditions to deter Rhode. But ultimately, he wasn''t the one who controls the Mercenary Association, so all he could do was attempt to request for aid. With the Mercenary Association behind him, Rhode shouldn''t be able to do anything. If any news about Rhode''s unscrupulous behavior spread, it wouldn''t be a good thing for him.


    "No problem."


    Rhode agreed to Barney''s conditions immediately. Then he turned around and waved to both of them.


    "Okay then, that''s settled then. I hope that you guys won''t disappoint me. Let''s go, Marlene."


    Marlene frowned, but she heard Rhode''s beckon, so she gave an unwilling stare to the two fellows before leaving.


    Barney finally let out a long sigh of relief and lifted his sweaty palm off the sword hilt. The half-elf maiden also felt a wave of pressure leaving her body as if she had just been released from the depths of hell.


    "You were too reckless, Barney."


    "But it''s useful, isn''t it?"


    Barney revealed a confident smile in response to the half-elf maiden''s grumbling which made the maiden''s face blush a little.


    This move from Barney was indeed commendable. Borrowing the powers of the Mercenary Association could indeed reduce the threat. However, the half-elf maiden was very clear that now wasn''t the time to time to relax as they had many other matters to attend to.


    "What should we do next?"


    "I will find the supporter and report the recent development. I think he should be very willing to support us financially in this mission. Go back and inform the rest about Blackrock Depths. We can''t possibly enter without any knowledge of that place. Also, get two of them to spy on Starlight Mercenary Group. If they make any suspicious movements, immediately notify me. I don''t believe that man would give up just like that."


    "Alright, I understand. I''ll go now."


    Hearing Barney''s firm command, the half-elf maiden finally relaxed. She was finally convinced that this young man wasn''t the same reckless man that she used to know.


    Meanwhile, Rhode and Marlene also engaged in their own conversation after leaving the Mercenary Association.


    "I can''t believe that you actually agreed to their conditions, Mr. Rhode."


    Marlene seemed to be still quite dissatisfied with the whole event before, but Rhode didn''t appear to take it too seriously.


    "Don''t worry, Marlene. It''s better this way since we have more time to prepare for it. Everything will continue as planned, and you will be in charge of purchasing the Fire-type scrolls. As much as possible, please. And�� I can use this time to gather Lize and the rest to revise their form�� How''s your progress?"


    "I think we are on the right track, Mr. Rhode."


    Even since then, Marlene and the rest had finally understood the point Rhode was trying to make. They began to craft their own personalized battle style while blending their thoughts and techniques into the actual battle. Although the progress was a little slow, at least they understood what to do.


    "Good, this mission will test all of you, so I hope that you will be ready. Oh, and Marlene, if you possess any Fire-type magic equipment, I advise you to bring them along. This mission isn''t as straightforward as you think.


    "I will try my best, but�� Mr. Rhode. Aren''t you worried at all? If that group can complete the mission?"


    "It''s fine."


    Rhode dismissed the possibility of them completing the mission.


    "Even if they completed the mission, it would be totally meaningless."


    He answered.

 Chapter 207 Stand out from the Masses

    After two days, Rhode sent Randolf to find Kavos and his brothers. These three men had already returned to the stronghold with their troops, but Rhode didn''t give them any further command which left them quite worried. So, after finally receiving Rhode''s beckon, they hurriedly abided.


    Walking into the room, the three of them saw Rhode sitting by his desk, scribbling something unusual on a piece of paper. Beside him was Christie, who was quietly reading a book. When Christie spotted the three men, she quickly put her book down and greeted them with a polite bow. Kavos, Obertan, and Derick bowed back in response. However, Rhode didn''t react as though they had never entered the room. The three former mercenary leaders stood in the center of the room rigidly as they shifted their feet slightly, not knowing what to do. The atmosphere turned a little awkward, and after Christie greeted the three men, she hugged her book and sat on the chair again.


    Rhode finally lifted his head.


    "Have a seat."


    He gestured. The three men let out a sigh of relief and sat on the chairs in front of Rhode.


    "How was it? The matter that I instructed all of you to do?"


    "It''s doing great, Leader."


    Kavos immediately followed up. Amongst the trio, he was the most long-winded of them all, but in his presentation, he had spoken of some matters which made Rhode quite happy. Rhode had no choice but to put on a cold demeanor in front of the three so they would understand their position and rank. Furthermore, it was also considered payback for their hotheaded behavior. Kavos, on the other hand, didn''t mind to lower himself.


    "According to your instructions, we have collected these magical herbs. This is the herb list��"


    Kavos handed a paper over, but Rhode left it as it was on the table. Apparently, he wasn''t too mindful about such trivial matters.


    "Since all of you are back, let us speak of proper business next."


    Kavos and his brothers immediately sat up straight. They weren''t dummies. Along with the removal of the Mercenary Association''s ban, many mercenary groups had already started to accept missions. For a powerful mercenary group like Starlight, there''s no reason for them not to accept any missions. So would they be of use this time?


    Kavos and his brothers had once believed that their mercenary groups would be in a cooperative relationship with Starlight. However, Rhode plainly revealed the truth and said that it was an annexation. And since then, all of them were considered Rhode''s members and had no special treatment compared to the rest. If Kavos and the rest were in their youth, they would have torn Rhode''s arrogant face into pieces. However, each one of them was way past their energetic days, and the long years spent being mercenaries taught them to remain calm in such situations. It wasn''t scary to do wrong, and as long as you accept the wrong, you''ll have the chance to correct it. The scary thing was to make mistakes over and over until the end of your life.


    After considering their options, Kavos and the rest realized that they were probably not the best bet within Starlight''s ranks. Come to think of it, Rhode could complete high-level missions with insufficient members, and he could even complete them almost perfectly. Furthermore, he had a close circle of members that had been by his side ever since the beginning, so they wouldn''t face any major issues with teamwork and trust. In other words, if you had trustworthy brothers or sisters in the mercenary group, do you think that new members would be of equal importance?


    Because of this reason, the three men stopped harping over this issue, Instead, when their men grumbled about Rhode''s negligence towards them, the three men took the initiative to step up and consoled them. After all, Rhode had clearly informed them about their attitude; only an idiot would choose to go against him.


    And now as they saw it, Rhode intended to delegate them some work which proved that Rhode still somewhat valued them.


    Meanwhile, Rhode didn''t know what was going through the mind of these three men, and neither did he care.


    "Two days ago, I had accepted a request from the church. I believe you may already hear of this."


    Rhode''s bet with Barney had already spread everywhere in Deep Stone City.


    "The reason I summoned all of you here was for this matter. After the next few days, we will head to Blackrock Depths. I need you to get prepared. Since we''ll be attempting various missions together, I hope that you''ll take the initiative to strengthen yourselves. From today onwards, the Training Ground is officially open for you. If you have nothing better to do, for the sake of the three of you, I hope that you will show me the right attitude."


    "�� Kavos." Rhode singled out the man in the middle.


    "Yes, Leader?"


    Kavos''s posture stiffened immediately.


    "These people�� including your brothers, are all under your care. You will be responsible for any issues. I will split your team into two groups, one for defense and the other for offense. Go and think about how to accomplish that�� and don''t disappoint me."


    "Yes, Leader, I guarantee that there won''t be any problems."


    Kavos finally could put his heart to rest after hearing Rhode''s instructions. Now that Rhode willingly assigned him to be in charge of his mercenaries, it proved that they had been finally recognized. And for the next step�� if they were able to grasp it, then all would be well.


    "Very well."


    Rhode nodded and extended his arm, pointing to the side.


    "�� However, with your current equipment, I''m honestly worried if you can even complete the first part of the mission. So, I''ve prepared something for you as remunerations for completing my order."


    Their eyes traced the direction Rhode pointed to. The three brothers immediately discovered two humongous wooden chests which laid to the corner of the room. Surprisingly, the chests appeared rather plain, which left the three brothers confused. They glanced at each other for a moment, but they eventually followed Rhode''s instructions and opened the chests. What they saw next left them completely bewildered.


    The two unseemingly unremarkable chests contained various refined equipment and weapons. There were helmets, leather armors, heavy armors, long swords, bows, and shields. Everything was sparkly as though it was brand new. And if it weren''t for the slightly irregular shape, Kavos would have thought that these were stolen from some warehouse.


    And that was just the tip of the iceberg. From the feeble magical radiance resonating from within the pile, it appeared that there were even magical weapons!


    Oh my Lord, am I dreaming?


    Kavos pinched his thigh secretly and picked up a dagger with his trembling fingers. He examined the dagger slowly and soon noticed a green shimmer on the blade. Clearly, that was a trait of a magical weapon.


    Kavos wasn''t the only one in shock. Even Obertan and Derick''s expressions changed. They quickly lowered their bodies and dug through the mountain of equipment while stealing a glance towards Rhode occasionally. How did he manage to get his hands on these exquisite armors and weapons?


    If Anne was present, she''d most definitely be able to answer the mercenary''s inner doubt. That was because all of these were brought back by Anne from the Black Pine Ruins!


    Although the mysterious assailant ambushed Rhode, he didn''t give up the loot. By Rhode''s logic, since the attacker could easily inflict so much damage in a short period of time, then it shouldn''t take much effort for them to kill him. Yet, the attacker chose not to, which meant that they had no intention to kill him. Thus, rather than running away with their tails between their legs, why not retrieve all the loot since they had already spent so much time here?


    This was exactly why Rhode instructed Anne to dump all the equipment from the dead mercenaries into his spatial bag. Furthermore, even before that final fight, he had looted magical weapons from the goblins. Even though they were low-level monsters, it didn''t mean that they wouldn''t drop equipment!


    Alas, it was a pity that Anne didn''t have Marlene''s golden touch. She could only pick out the average equipment, while the rare and uncommon loot were all destroyed in battle as expected��


    Of course, for Rhode who was already close to level 20, these lowly magical weapons that came with unique attributes such as ''Sharp,'' ''+1 Poison Element,'' or ''Bleed'' were no longer necessary to him. From a player''s perspective, these weapons would only be sold to merchants for money. But to these NPCs, the weapons can only be a blessing to them. These three poor brothers had disbanded their mercenary group because of financial problems; thus, when they saw this ''generous'' offer from Rhode, their eyes gleamed with awe.


    "Thank you Leader for your gift!"


    Kavos stood up straight; then he bowed deeply and respectfully to Rhode. Likewise for Obertan and Derick.


    "I guarantee I won''t disappoint you!"


    "You don''t have to thank me."


    Rhode gestured for him to stop. Although he didn''t mind giving items out freely like this, he had to agree that the Diamond Mercenary Group did indeed have some pretty neat gear. While the equipment they dropped wasn''t in the ranks of magical gear, but they were still a grade above average. And since they had ''kindly offered'' their gear to Rhode, naturally he would accept the offer with open arms.


    "As I''ve said, these are your remunerations. After spending so much time picking magic herbs in Twilight Forest, naturally, you will receive your rightful rewards, right?"


    Although Rhode spoke in a casual tone, Kavos knew better. The value of these magic herbs they collected wouldn''t be able to match the price of a magical dagger.


    However, before Kavos could pay his respects, Rhode dropped another bomb on them.


    "Ah�� right. Get your men ready to claim some potions from Lapis. Each of you will receive five incendiary agents and healing potions. These are for your own personal use; I don''t wish to see anyone selling them. Understood?"


    Magical potions!?


    I-is this for real?


    Kavos became overly excited and almost passed out. Of course, he had heard from Shauna about Rhode granting them magical potions before, but Kavos had always been dubious on this matter. Now, after experiencing it for himself, he didn''t know how to react. After so many years of leading his mercenary group, he had never heard of such generosity. Which mercenary group would really give their members so many magical equipment and potions? Oh lord, not even those huge guilds would do it!


    "No answer?"


    Kavos immediately snapped back from his shock and subconsciously nodded his head.


    "Yes, Leader!! I guarantee you that there will not be any problems!"


    Finally, it wasn''t until now when the three brothers realize that joining Starlight was absolutely the right choice.


    The three brothers left with two huge wooden chests, returning the room to its previous peacefulness. Rhode sighed and leaned back against the chair. At this moment, a pair of delicate, tiny hands delivered a small cup of warm tea to Rhode.


    "�� Rhode�� are you tired?"


    "A little."


    Regarding Christie''s concern, Rhode revealed a gentle smile. He extended his hand and stroked Christie''s hair. Christie balled up like a kitten, happily squinting her sparkling eyes at Rhode. When he saw her adorable smile, Rhode felt some stress leave his body.


    Is this what it feels like being brother and sister?


    Thinking of this, Rhode subconsciously fell into nostalgia. His real sister had always been living in the hospital and never been by his side like Christie. Rhode couldn''t differentiate the contrast between the relationship of siblings and ordinary couples. He recalled that he had friends who were like that in high school. That pair never left each other''s'' side, and Rhode had always been curious why they wouldn''t be sick of each other. Naturally, Rhode attempted to ask, but his friends didn''t give him a logical reply, so Rhode left it hanging there.


    In the end, Rhode began to tease the pair as their names had almost the same pronunciation.


    Yulian and Yulian. Truly interesting names. (TL notes: Different Chinese characters for ''lian,'' but spoken with the same pronunciation.)


    Thinking back about his past, Rhode couldn''t help but smile, and at this moment, a strange sentence suddenly sounded in his ear.


    "Lai, ya, Beiramiterhafura."


    "Christie?"


    Rhode turned his head over and saw Christie covering her mouth in shame. Facing Rhode''s puzzled look, the little girl shook her head vigorously.


    "I, I don''t know�� Rhode�� these words�� I would speak of them randomly and I don''t know what it means�� Did I say something bad?"


    "Don''t worry, Christie."


    Rhode shook his head, after hearing Christie''s uneasy explanations. He remembered the time when he was interrogating the village chief; he had once mentioned that Christie would something speak words that no one could understand. Now, it seemed to be true.


    "Don''t worry, Christie. You didn''t say anything bad."


    Rhode consoled Christie in a soothing voice, and when she heard his comforting words, Christie started to relax.


    But��


    That was the Abyss Language.


    Rhode patted Christie''s head. Although he didn''t reveal his emotions explicitly, in his heart, he was somewhat dubious.


    The Abyss Language. It was a language that came from deep within hell. A language used by the devils. In the Dragon Soul Continent, other than devil worshippers, mages, and the almighty churches, no one else knew this language. As for Christie, she obviously hadn''t learned this language before, and not only that, based on the intelligence gathered in High Cliff Village, Christie was denied of education, but she was still able to write and even read some of the books in Rhode''s room. While she still couldn''t read some profound sentences, it was still quite a feat!


    However, this was indeed a bizarre case.


    And what bugged Rhode the most, was the words that Christie spoke.


    ''Beware the undiscovered nightmares laid within the depths.''


    How did she know about this?

 Chapter 208 Fiends and Tentacles

    (ED: Warning: NSFW near the end. *insert lenny face here*)A putrid smell arose from the depths of the dimly lit underground cave.


    What''s happening?


    With a torch raised, Barney felt jittery when he led his men deeper into the caverns.


    It had been five days since they entered the Blackrock Depths.


    However, unexpectedly, they hadn''t met any enemies so far �� no, rather, it was more like they couldn''t detect the enemies. The underground caverns weren''t the same as the tunnels they traversed before, where the Goblins and Earth Protoplasms continually harassed them. Now, everything appeared to be avoiding them like a plague as though the mercenaries were the only living creatures in this underground world.


    "Barney, do you want to stop and rest for a moment?"


    The half-elf maiden walked up to Barney and asked softly. Then, she turned around and glanced over to the mercenaries behind.


    "Everyone�� Everyone seemed to be worried."


    "I know."


    Barney was a little unhappy hearing the half-elf maiden''s words, but he quickly let out a sigh.


    "Sorry, I was just��"


    "I know�� but this isn''t the solution, Barney. We are certainly within the Blackrock Depths. We are not lost, but why can''t we see anything?"


    Whenever she used her innate elf vision, she could see clearly in the dark unlike ordinary humans. But even so, she could only detect randomly strewn debris and some aged bone dust. After spending five long days in the caverns, these obviously weren''t the things they had come here for. Other than discovering some underground residences, there was nothing else of interest to the group.


    Barney wasn''t dense. He knew that these caverns must contain something valuable. Before entering Blackrock Depths, he had sent scouts to scour the area, and it was truly an extremely dangerous place. All the legends, rumors and warnings further proved this point. Besides, the reason why the church requested for help was that this place posed a certain degree of danger. Rhode wouldn''t have valued this mission if not for its rewards.


    Although Barney possessed a burning hatred for Rhode, he had to admit that Rhode was incredibly powerful. And even with that strength, Rhode still hesitated to accept this mission.


    But the problem now was, where were the threats?


    It was quiet to the point where it was terrifying. The lack of danger made Barney increasingly nervous, and this panicky sensation wasn''t a good feeling at all. Initially, he thought that this place would be littered with monsters, thus, he instructed his people to buy a bunch of Fire elemental scrolls. But there weren''t any monsters for him to use these scrolls on at all!


    The half-elf maiden didn''t know what to do either. Her sharp senses weren''t useful in this situation. They were simply walking on the only path forward, but somehow, they were still lost. If this situation kept up, then who knows what would happen?


    "Oi, leader!"


    Finally, a mercenary from the rear couldn''t bear the silence any longer.


    "How much longer do we have to walk for!"


    Barney frowned and remained silent. Unquestionably, he understood the unhappiness from his men. During the initial preparation for the mission, he boosted their morale by enticing them with fame and fortune. However, after so many days of aimless walking, their adrenaline finally died down, and dissent became apparent. Even veterans wouldn''t be able to tolerate wasting time like this. Not to mention that these people can''t be considered close to the cream of the crop �� frankly, it was a miracle that they only rebelled at this stage.


    "Hmm? What''s that smell?"


    And at this moment, a pleasant aroma blew past their noses.


    The mercenaries looked at one another curiously while their noses twitched.


    "It smells so good�� is there something up ahead?"


    "Quick, let''s go!"


    In a regular situation, most mercenaries would hate it when any sudden or peculiar situation occur during a mission. But at this moment, facing anything would be better than dying of boredom. With his torch in his left hand, Barney cautiously moved his right hand onto his sword''s hilt and inched forward slowly.


    After turning the corner, soon enough, they entered a spacious room.


    Oddly, without the need of the torch, they could see everything clearly. It wasn''t because they developed the same innate ability as the half-elf, but instead, it was a radiance emitted from a ''light'' source.


    In the seven meters wide open cave, a vast forest expanded unhindered because of the strange light. The green leaves on the trees swayed in the wind while its luscious crimson fruits dangled from the branches, causing a distinctive aroma to drift towards their direction. And underneath the trees, a beautiful garden laid bare in all its splendor, bringing vibrant colors to the otherwise dull cave.


    What is this? Why is something like this here?


    Barney scrutinized these strange trees. He felt suspicious over this whole situation. It wasn''t logical at all. There was neither water nor sunlight, therefore it was impossible for vegetation to thrive here. However, before he could put all his thoughts together, some of his mercenaries already ran and plucked the fruits.


    "Ohhh man�� this smells so good��"


    The fruit had a bright, crimson red exterior; also, it was shaped like a banana but much thicker. After peeling its skin, a sugary scent flooded their sense of smell which caused them to swallow their saliva.


    "I can''t take it anymore, let me take a bite!"


    Soon enough, a mercenary bit into the bright red fruit. And at this moment, Barney immediately reacted.


    "Wait! Don''t eat! This situation is too strange!"


    "Strange? What''s strange?"


    Some mercenaries stopped, but most of them ignored him and ate as much as they could. The ones that managed to control their urges also thought that this place was too good to be true. However, as more of them ate the fruits, the fragrance became increasingly thicker, and soon enough, even the mercenaries who had previously refrained from eating fell into temptation. The strong-willed ones still wandered around, carefully observing the rest.


    "What do you think?"


    Barney held his forehead helplessly and asked the half-elf maiden.


    "I�� I don''t know, Barney."


    The half-elf maiden shook her head.


    "This situation is too bizarre�� How do I put it��? They don''t feel like vegetation at all��"


    "Forget it."


    Barney lost all his mood and interrupted the maiden with a wave.


    "Search the surroundings. This is the deepest part of the cave. I don''t believe that there''s nothing here. There must be something that we''ve missed!"


    "Okay, Barney, I��"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!''


    Before they could finish their conversation, they were interrupted by a shrill scream. Barney and the half-elf maiden jumped slightly in shock and immediately turned towards the voice. Then, an unbelievable scene unfolded in front of them.


    The mercenaries who consumed the fruits had collapsed on the ground, moaning painfully. They struggled and rolled on the ground, tearing out their skins and letting out excruciating screams. Suddenly, the trees overhead shook slightly, and the crimson fruits peeled open, revealing the soft mesh within. Then, it fell to the ground and began to rapidly crawl towards the fallen mercenaries before forcefully invading their orifices.


    For a moment, those who were still conscious were stunned speechless by this freakshow. As the leader, Barney was the first to react.


    "Everyone unleash your Fire elemental scrolls! Burn them!!"


    As he spoke, he unfurled the scroll and unleashed a wave of flames towards the trees. The other mercenaries recovered from their daze and quickly did the same. Soon enough, a blaze engulfed the nearby trees, drawing the attention of the fruit fiends. They spun around and crawled towards the mercenaries with an unbelievable speed. Two mercenaries unknowingly stepped on the fiends who quickly pulled them to the ground. The fiends then crawled into their mouths, causing their bodies started to twist and turn from within.


    "Q-quickly retreat! Go!!"


    Barney unfurled a Firewall scroll and yelled at the mercenaries to retreat using the wall of flames as cover. The half-elf maiden followed closely behind while displaying a terrified expression on her face.


    "Barney, there''s too many of them!!"


    "Escape to that tunnel over there and blockade it with our Firewall scrolls, if we do it well, we can block these heinous things from advancing!"


    Barney yelled at the top of his voice while gesturing towards a nearby tunnel.


    At this point, he finally understood why Rhode needed so many Fire elemental scrolls. But there was nothing more he could do then to escape with the half-elf maiden and the remaining mercenaries.


    The ground began to shake.


    The earth under them creased as though something pinched the ground. Then, the fiends utilized their element to advance towards the mercenaries undetected by digging under the wall of flames.


    Suddenly, a tentacle appeared from beneath the ground and shot towards the half-elf maiden, successfully latching onto her leg.


    "Ahhhhh!!!"


    She screamed in terror when she felt a slimy sensation on her leg. Barney hurriedly turned around when he heard her scream. But at that moment, dozens of tentacles broke out from the ground, binding the maiden tightly as they lifted her up into the air.


    "Barney, save me, save me!! Save me ah!!"


    The half-elf maiden struggled with all her might, but she still couldn''t escape. Instead, the tentacles became even tighter when she resisted. At this point, her clothes were already torn into pieces, revealing her soft, snow-like skin. The tentacles then squirmed and tightened around her four limbs, slowly squeezing out the air from her lungs.


    Barney saw this and hesitated for a moment, but he decided to continue running towards the tunnel.


    "Barney, save me�� save me��"


    The half-elf maiden began to gasp for air as her consciousness blurred. She struggled to extend her hand towards the direction that Barney fled to, and at that moment, two thick tentacles slithered up her thighs and under her skirt. The maiden''s face immediately paled as she struggled furiously.


    "N-No, no!! Stop!! Stop ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh��!!"


    The half-elf''s heartwrenching cry turned into a painful scream. In her abdomen, two thick bulges twisted and turned unceasingly. The maiden''s body shook intensely when the tentacles entered. Her body bobbed up and down in the air as she gagged continuously when another thick tentacle penetrated her mouth. The maiden''s eyes rolled back and her body trembled violently. Sounds of gooey liquid and flesh pounding together echoed throughout the cave.


    "Arg�� arh�� ah��"


    Suddenly, the tentacles became increasingly aggressive in its movements and vibrated violently for a moment before finally flinging the half-elf maiden''s body side-to-side like a toy.


    "������!!"


    A wave of heat suddenly erupted from within her body. For a brief moment, her eyes opened wide in shock as her body arched upwards, then her eyes rolled back before a series of convulsions wrecked her body. She let out choking sounds as the tentacles quickly retreated from her body, leaving a trail of white, gooey liquid which shot out from between her legs. At this moment, the maiden slumped lifelessly from one of the tentacles; her clothes totally torn apart and strewn everywhere.


    The earth raised once again.


    A huge chunk of meat appeared underneath. It grabbed the maiden into its body with its tentacle and ravished her body violently once more.


    "Damn it!! Why did this happen!!"


    Barney released another Firewall scroll without turning his head back. He gritted his teeth with a blank mind.


    How did this happen? Why? Why? What on earth is that thing?!


    Ahhhh! It''s pointless to think now! I have to leave this place immediately! As long as I can survive��


    A cold sensation brushed past Barney''s neck.


    Is it water?


    The young man glanced upwards in confusion, but that puzzled expression soon turned into horror.

 Chapter 209 Blackrock Depths Continued

    The Blackrock Depths entrance was situated within an underground mining cavern in the northern side of Deep Stone City. Legend told that a long time ago, it was the historical remains of a Dwarven Kingdom. However, in the eyes of everyone now, it was merely a large cave. Rhode led his men towards the entrance of the underground tunnel and saw two men dressed like mercenaries leaning lazily on a table with one elbow. They were playing cards and drinking beer, clearly not interested in doing their duty.


    When Rhode let out a soft cough, their ears perked up and turned their heads sharply towards the sound.


    "Mr. Rhode! Y-you''ve arrived�� we are��"


    One of the mercenaries quickly addressed Rhode nervously.


    "I''m here to follow up on our bet. Have they returned to the surface?"


    Rhode pointed to the underground entrance, and the two mercenaries looked at each other awkwardly and shook their heads.


    "No, they haven''t, Mr. Rhode. We can assure you that no one came out."


    "Alright, so can I go in now?"


    "Yes Mr. Rhode, as you wish."


    The mercenaries let out a sigh of relief. One of them swiftly retrieved a key from his pocket and opened the steel gates to the underground tunnel. Then, he waved a torch in an arc, confirming the status of the route and then nodded towards Rhode.


    "Mr. Rhode, since they aren''t back yet, according to the rules, you can enter."


    "Good. It''d been tough for you guys these days."


    Rhode walked to the front of the mercenaries and tapped on their shoulders. Later, he fished out two gold coins and planted them sneakily into their palms. The mercenaries lit up in joy. Although guarding the entrance was a relaxing job, doing absolutely nothing was just incredibly boring. Rhode''s arrival meant that they could end their monotonous duties and report back to the association.


    "You''re welcome, Mr. Rhode. We are just following orders. Do you need our help for anything else? If there is, please let us know."


    After receiving a generous tip, the mercenaries'' became incredibly passionate. They swiftly tidied the cards and swept the beers off the table. However, Rhode didn''t have any requests for them. Sensing his intention, as though their thoughts were in synchronization, both of them stopped talking at the same time and left immediately after packing up their stuff.


    When the two men were out of sight, Rhode turned back and scanned his group.


    Marlene, Anne, and Lize were standing by his side. Behind them were Joey, Randolf, and Kavos. The other mercenaries split themselves into two teams, quietly lining up behind the trio appropriately. Only Kavos knew how difficult his men were when Rhode instructed them to look for magic herbs in Twilight Forest. From their perspective, this order was akin to slapping their faces; if it was only gathering herbs, why would he employ mercenaries to do that? He should just get himself an alchemist.


    However, when Kavos and his brothers unveiled the wooden chest filled with equipment bestowed by Rhode, the mercenaries'' attitudes instantaneously flipped 180 degrees. Never in their mercenary life had they seen a group so generous. Exquisitely crafted equipment? Magical weapons? Where on the continent would they find such a reward for picking up magic herbs? Previously, they could only drool while looking at these equipment from afar, but now they could actually get a hold of one!


    Generous people were always popular no matter the era. Rhode''s ''benevolence'' instantly transformed the views of the mercenaries. Initially, when the mercenaries joined Starlight, they had an inkling that Rhode was arrogant and cruel. After all, his ''fearful name'' had spread far and wide. But now, at least if he was arrogant or cruel, at least he was a generous boss.


    But that wasn''t the end of their jubilance; Kavos dropped another bomb on them just like what Rhode did to him �� their rights to retrieve magical potions!


    Magical potions! If the mercenaries could only dream of these luxurious gear in their dreams, then these magical potions belonged to an even higher tier! Now that these things were already in their possession, they couldn''t feel anything less than joy.


    If the previous impression of Rhode was ''favorable'', then now it would be ''worship.'' A leader that could provide such expensive equipment and magical potions would be a leader worth fighting for.


    If Rhode could prove his abilities in leading the mercenaries, then they wouldn''t mind formally accepting him.


    Of course, Rhode didn''t know what was going on in their minds, but he didn''t care either way. Since the mercenaries were willing to listen to his command, then all is well. Now that his group had grown rather big, it appeared rather impressive, but under the veil, it was much easier for the situation to turn chaotic. Starlight used to be lacking members, but under pressure, everyone still cooperated hand-in-hand to work things out. Now that they''ve expanded, even though the weight on each individual decreased, who knows if they could perform as splendidly as before?


    Back in the game, guilds were the same. When there were lesser members, cooperation was much simpler. But once they grew in size, small issues could snowball into more significant problems. Thus, if the mercenaries were at least willing to listen to his commands, it would certainly be enough.


    "I think that all of you must be anxious for battle."


    Rhode flicked his finger towards the fully-armored mercenaries.


    "And I know all of you are curious why we''re here. But I can tell you now if you are willing to abide by my orders adequately, then I guarantee your safe return. The situation in Blackrock Depths is complicated, and the only aspect of this operation I can reveal thus far is that all of you must be prepared to handle some thorny situations �� if I were to describe it using an example, think of it as a poisonous fiend that has the ability to fly. I think all of you should know how to react."


    The mercenaries nodded in response. They weren''t newbies like Randolf. After being in this trade for so many years, they''d been through numerous similar situations. So Rhode needed only to remind them, and they would know what to do.


    "Marlene."


    Rhode called and turned to Marlene.


    "I need you to keep the Flame Shield up at all times like Lize had done. Prioritize yourself first before the rest of the group. This journey will be a long and arduous one, and we will face multiple dangerous situations. Both you and Lize should prepare yourselves mentally and distribute your spiritual energies reasonably."


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode."


    Hearing Rhode''s reminder, both of them nodded in response. Ever since they had followed Rhode, they knew that as long as he reminded them of something, it wouldn''t be redundant and will be crucial to the mission''s success. Thus, any information they received from Rhode would be treated of the highest importance.


    "Ok, let''s go."


    Rhode turned back towards the steel gate and walked into the underground tunnel.


    -


    Inside the dark tunnel, there was only silence.


    Rhode led the group at the front while Lize maintained her Holy Radiance at the rear. Beside her was Marlene, Anne, and also Celia. As per usual, Rhode would summon Celia for assistance. At this moment, she walked beside Rhode, furling her wings, not minding the mercenaries'' gazes from the back.


    "��!"


    Far away in the tunnel, a faint sound echoed.


    Hearing this sound, Rhode clenched his fist into a ball.


    It worked!


    Previously, the reason why Rhode agreed to Barney''s conditions wasn''t solely because of conflicts of interest, in fact, when Rhode discovered this mission, his head throbbed incessantly over something troublesome �� the characteristics of this dungeon. Compared to the mechanics of a regular dungeon, the Blackrock Depths was a somewhat unique experience. The first group to enter would trigger the sleeping BOSS and the monsters, and then the following group who entered would be able to clear the dungeon as per normal.


    This setting caused a wave of unhappiness amongst the players who felt that this feature was unmeaningful. However, there were still some that felt that this was a reasonable development because it created an unexpected variable to an otherwise unremarkable dungeon. They felt that it was exciting because a BOSS wouldn''t appear every single time they triggered the instance which would be more challenging and realistic.


    While not everyone agreed to this setting, there was nothing much that could be done as this was how the dungeon was established.


    So, afterward, once they understood the mechanics, the players devised their own strategies to tackle this dungeon. By how you say? By stripping of course! They would strip down to their underwear and force the BOSS to spawn, get killed, respawn and then re-enter with their full gear on. There was another option though, �� kill the boss through brute force. If the player were highly skilled and had extremely good gear, it would otherwise be nigh impossible to kill the BOSS in the first run.


    During the first run, when the BOSS was summoned, monsters would appear from the rear of the BOSS, and if one weren''t powerful enough, there would be no way of defeating the BOSS and its monsters.


    This was exactly the reason why Rhode hesitated to pick up this mission. He couldn''t possibly send his men to their grave, and the method to overpower the BOSS with overwhelming strength was out of the question as well.


    However, Barney''s intervention resolved Rhode''s dilemma. Since the other party handed itself on a platter, then Rhode wouldn''t mind taking up their offer. Not to mention that he had already warned Barney. Alas, he didn''t listen to his advice and since that was the case, what else could Rhode say?


    The only worry that lingered within Rhode''s mind was Barney being unable to trigger the BOSS, but from the sound of it, it seemed like he had successfully awakened it.


    "Everyone, get ready for battle."


    Rhode quickly raised his hand and gave a command.

 Chapter 210 Moving Deeper

    The mercenaries quickly acknowledged Rhode''s command and coated the flaming agent onto their weapons. Then, they made a flicking motion which ignited the agent, lighting their weapons ablaze. Soon enough, a series of flames brightened the dim tunnel.


    Rhode made a subtle gesture and the group of mercenaries quickly gathered in a circle with him in the center. Marlene readied her wand and narrowed her eyes with a solemn expression. It seemed like after the training, their standards had indeed improved by leaps and bounds, but��


    "Don''t just blindly look to the front, don''t forget to look above you as well."


    Rhode''s indifferent voice echoed in the tunnel. The mercenaries felt his mocking tone and raised the torch above their heads.


    Perhaps it was due to their pride or whatever other reasons, the mercenaries didn''t immediately scream when they saw the horrors that lingered on the ceiling. Marlene and Lize couldn''t help but cup their mouths to stifle their scream.


    "Wha-what are those things!"


    "Wahhh!"


    Even the experienced mercenaries were shocked, and some of them stumbled backward.


    "These eggs have been dormant for quite some time."


    Celia''s first sentence made everyone slightly relieved. However, her following sentence caused them to freeze in terror.


    "But they''ve been fertilized about four to five days ago."


    Four to five days��!


    The mercenaries looked at each other after hearing the news. Once again, they lifted up their heads to count how many eggs were there, but after a minute, they began to despair. There were just too many of them.


    Meanwhile, it was obvious that Celia didn''t care about the mental state of the mercenaries.


    She turned towards Rhode and said, "These are Blogg eggs, master."


    "Blogg?"


    Marlene repeated the word in shock and turned towards Rhode.


    "Aren''t Bloggs the devils that resided in the Nine Layers of Hell? How did it appear here?"


    "The devils can sometimes breach the boundary. It isn''t rare for it to happen."


    Celia explained to Marlene calmly while slowly unsheathing her sword. Then a silver flame suddenly emerged from the blade, blinding the mercenaries momentarily and flooding the entire tunnel with a brilliant light.


    "Judging by the condition of these eggs, the devil must have been sealed for many years, only to be awakened recently. Master, I think��"


    "Celia, that''s enough. Analyzing the situation isn''t your job."


    Rhode waved his hand to interrupt Celia who respectfully lowered the sword in her hand and folded her wings obediently. The newer mercenaries were bewildered as most of them never interacted with an angel before. When they first saw Celia, they panicked slightly, not knowing what to do. Furthermore, they weren''t exactly on best terms with angels. Although the senior mercenaries had preempted them about Rhode''s association with the Celia, the newbies didn''t seem to believe them. Instead, they speculated that both of them must be in some sort of companion relationship rather than a master-slave contract. But it was clear as day now; Celia''s docile behavior was unlike the haughty battle angel they had expected her to be.


    "Si-sir."


    Kavos swallowed his saliva and tiptoed to Rhode''s side. Although he didn''t catch on fully what Celia had said to Rhode, he was absolutely certain that he heard the word ''devil.'' To ordinary humans, this word was a taboo.


    "Ar-Are we gonna fight a devil?"


    "Maybe."


    Rhode replied as he turned his head and stared deeper into the tunnel.


    His expression was calm, albeit too calm for comfort. If it weren''t for the interactions with him a few days back, Kavos would have concluded that his leader was an expressionless man. He even suspected that this leader of his knew what was going to happen.


    "Why do you ask? Are you afraid?"


    "Mercenaries only desire for money; even if we have to wade through the depths of hell, we will still go for it!"


    Kavos focused his thoughts and regained his composure once he realized that the rest of the mercenaries didn''t have any reaction to Rhode''s question. After all, the senior mercenaries in Starlight had already experienced the terrifying Wind Serpents, dauntless undead, and other frightening creatures. Compared to that, a devil that had been slumbering for centuries was just a piece of cake. Kavos'' band of newcomers were obviously shaken, so he had to cough to conceal his awkwardness and surprise.


    "I was just but a little surprised, sir."


    "Good," Rhode said. Then he turned away and extended his right hand outwards before swinging it towards the ground.


    Scorching flames erupted from nowhere which soon formed a silhouette of a huge, black hound. Just before this mission, Rhode used another Gargoyle''s Heart on the hound, causing it to level up once more. In the past, the hound was just a large dog, but now, it finally lived up to its name as the Flame Killer. It was at least a meter in height, with fiery wisps emanating from its jaws each time it breathed, and it had a string of embers as its mane, spanning from the top of its head all the way to the end of its tail. The black hound had transformed entirely into a monstrous figure.


    Alas, despite its fearsome appearance, its defense was still just as abysmal as before.


    Rhode''s eyelid twitched when he saw the size of this hound. Based on the mass of its humongous body, its self-detonation ability should rival a medium-sized missile by now. If he had a better choice, he would never summon it in a narrow tunnel. It was akin to placing a walking time bomb by his side.


    Rhode snapped his fingers and the black hound immediately shook its body vigorously. At the same time, a circle of flames erupted and enveloped everyone in it. Other than the well-prepared Rhode, and Anne, Marlene and Lize who had a defensive shield up, the rest of the mercenaries felt a singe on their skin. Instinctively, the attempted to avoid the flames, but they quickly realized that they were in a different world.


    Their surroundings didn''t change much, however, now everything they viewed had a strange red tint to it. Just below their feet, a circular formation of flames rotated on the ground, releasing a mild stench of burning meat.


    "I guess most of you already realized what we are fighting against now," Rhode said.


    The mercenaries raised their weapons and nodded. Some of them were still evidently hesitant, but at least they didn''t have the intention to retreat.


    That''s the way.


    Rhode nodded his head in satisfaction before turning to the front once more.


    "Let''s press on then."


    The attack from the devil was far stronger than what most mercenaries could imagine.


    When the group entered the deeper areas, they discovered gruesome beings they had never seen before.


    -


    A palm-sized, flesh-colored fiend flapped its oddly shaped bat wings, shooting towards them while making a high-pitched screeching sound. However, the air in front of it erupted for no apparent reason. They twisted and turned their bodies to defend themselves, and at this moment, the mercenaries made their killing moves. When their sharp blades contacted with the soft, fleshy skin, they were faintly surprised how delicate their bodies were. They half expected some sort of solid resistance from the monster, but instead, they split it into half easily like a hot knife through butter. But its death was as disgusting as its appearance. When it died, it vanished into a puddle of murky water, releasing a pungent smell.


    Joey and Randolf began to display their enhanced skills. After the rigorous training in the mirage, they had finally managed to get the hang of their jobs. Marlene and Lize weren''t weak either. They were looking forward to an actual battle to showcase their newfound abilities. However, those thoughts immediately vanished when Rhode placed a carcass in front of them.


    "Look carefully."


    Rhode lifted the burnt corpse of the fiend without any hesitation. It had six claws, quite similar to how a human hand looks like after peeling off the skin. In the middle of the ''palm,'' there was a slit which opened and closed by itself, and if one looked closer into the hole, they would discover countless of tentacles crawling within.


    "If you reencounter them, remember that they will attack your face and try to stick these things in your orifices, suck out your brain matter and then lay eggs into your emptied skull. By the time you open your eyes again, your body will be a host to these fiends and fall under their complete control." Rhode explained indifferently, ignoring the paling faces of Marlene and Lize. "So I advice you to stay in a relatively safe location and only attack when I need you to."


    After Rhode''s detailed analysis of the fiend, the tunnel fell into silence. From now on, no mercenary harbored any intention to take part in fights unnecessarily.


    After subsequent battles with fiends, the mercenaries began to adapt to their attack pattern. That was the power of adaptability in humans. When facing the unknown, feeling anxious was a natural reaction. But when accustomed to it, it wouldn''t be frightening anymore.


    "Careful! On your left!"


    Kavos plunged his dual daggers into a fiend that flew towards him. Then in a fluid motion, he pulled back one of the mercenaries who nearly stepped out of the ring of fire. Behind them, the black hound stood quietly in the center of the circle. Kavos and his men knew that it was due to this hound that they were able to fight with ease. Although he didn''t know how it was done, it was clear that it protected his men. Whenever the fiends touched the flames, their movement slowed and were easily caught off guard. If not for the hound, Kavos wasn''t sure if he and his men could surely defeat these monsters.


    Now, with the help of the black hound, all he had to do was to command his men to stay in the ring and slay the monsters when they entered.


    Slowly, the teamwork between the mercenaries grew better and better. They covered each other and worked together toward a common goal. The hectic shifting from one point to another wasn''t because they had never faced such monsters before, but it was Rhode who constantly kept them on the move with his sudden commands. When they were busy fighting, Rhode would suddenly order them to an unseemingly inconspicuous location to regroup to welcome another batch of enemies coming from another direction.


    "Damn!"


    A mercenary grumbled as he needed to shift to another battlefield. He smacked away a monster flying towards him and glanced secretly at Rhode. Although he was unhappy about the order, he had no choice but to acknowledge that Rhode did well as a mercenary leader. In battle, Rhode would always lead the group at the vanguard, slaughtering the monsters with his sword. Compared to the mercenaries, Rhode was much more efficient. After every attack he made, a group of monsters would fall to the ground.


    While Rhode''s commands weren''t the most pleasant to hear, to the mercenaries who were already acclimated to screaming and swearing, his mocking tone only pricked their pride.


    Still, they could hardly tolerate Rhode''s ''reckless'' commands. Mostly it was the newbie mercenaries who were dissatisfied, but they still followed his orders without showing any external form of resistance. No matter what, the payoff was still worth it, and while his orders might be unreasonable, at least he didn''t send them over to die.


    "Seems to be going well." Rhode nodded to himself. While the mercenaries threw secret glances at Rhode, Rhode eyeballed them at the same time, observing and studying their movements.


    During this mission, he could clearly notice the improvement in teamwork as compared to before. However, it wasn''t an ideal situation for him. It was human nature to prefer familiar faces. If this went on, the mercenary group would inevitably split into two groups. That was the reason why Rhode always kept them on their toes, mixing them with each other so that they can learn how to support different people during fights. Once the mercenaries realize that they can trust each other wholeheartedly, that would be a step in the right direction.


    And that was exactly what Rhode was doing. He separated the mercenaries who had good relations with one another and forced them into another group, mixing the newbies and the seniors. Fortunately, Kavos was able to understand Rhode''s intention, so he lectured his mercenaries on Rhode''s behalf.


    Meanwhile, Marlene and Lize took cover behind Anne''s shield and Celia was, as usual, taking charge of one side of the battle by herself. Each swing from her sword brought a wave of intense silver flames which roasted the fiends in front of her into ashes. Her pure, white wings didn''t seem to be soiled in the least, maintaining its radiant shine.


    After a while, Rhode realized that the movement of these fiends grew increasingly erratic and their screeches were getting louder as though they were upset.


    Everything was progressing as expected.


    Suddenly, he raised his sword high and hacked downwards.


    Light emerged from his sword, forming an arc in the air. At that very moment, a huge tentacle shot out from the darkness towards him.


    Slash! The light sliced the tentacle into two. Black-colored blood spewed out, releasing a horrid stench which filled the entire tunnel. Then a deep, menacing growl shook the earth, causing the rest of the fiends to retreat into the darkness.


    The mercenaries didn''t panic. On the contrary, they quickly assumed their defensive positions in a rather calm manner. They all knew that the main dish had arrived. Celia ran towards Rhode''s side with both of her hands on the hilt of her sword.


    Suddenly Rhode called out to Marlene.


    The young mage immediately made her way to Rhode when she heard her name.


    "Wait for Celia and my watch my signal. Then, release the ice swords. Remember, you must freeze it."


    And at that moment, a colossal shadow emerged from the darkness.

 Chapter 211 Parasites

    Boom�� boom�� boom��


    Each step felt like a steel hammer pounding at their hearts. The mercenaries held their breath and stared at the black silhouette until the light completely revealed it.


    "Oh Holy Soul��"


    The moment Kavos saw the figure, he lost all sense and left his jaw agape. He was terrified to the extent that his daggers almost fell to the ground. Luckily, Kavos realized what was happening and regained his composure.


    In front of them was a huge, fat and bloated abomination.


    It appeared to have some features of a human �� and perhaps it used to be a human, but at the moment, it was just a corpse decayed beyond recognition. Under its skin were bulging ''balloons'' filled with fluids. Its massive head was squeezed between its shoulders with no neck in sight and its face was so crammed with fat that even the eyes couldn''t be located.


    Marlene extended her arm and quickly put it down. She wanted to hold her neck and push the vomit back into her stomach. However, she realized that doing this would create an opposing reaction, so she immediately stopped. Lize held her mouth and retreated to the back of the crowd. Anne didn''t change her expression, but she still clenched her fist into a ball. It appeared that even Anne couldn''t tolerate such things.


    "Parasite."


    Only Rhode remained the same. From his usual calm voice, it was as though this revolting piece of flesh didn''t exist.


    "It looks like the brave adventurers from before have become part of the nest. Keep your distance and beware of the tentacles."


    Rhode raised his sword and pointed forward. All ten of the Parasite''s fingers transformed into soft, flexible tentacles, lashing left to right continuously, crashing on the rock walls. On each tentacle, there were rows of small teeth, and even if they hadn''t fought with them before, the mercenaries knew these small teeth weren''t for having a meal��


    "��!!"


    The Parasite opened its mouth and roared. No one knew if it was suffering in pain or was it just purely enraged by instinct. However, it didn''t affect Rhode. As the parasite roared, Rhode took this opportunity to dash forward with the battle angel Celia following closely behind. Her swords were raised high, and soon enough, a silver flame erupted from her blade.


    The Parasite retaliated by lashing one of its arms at the duo. As a devil-type, it definitely couldn''t tolerate the bright holy radiance that Celia emitted naturally.


    Its hatred brought some sort of grievance �� if the abomination could complain, then it would probably scream at these people to leave him alone.


    Can''t you see I''m deep underground to avoid this damnable light? Why can''t you people spare a thought for me before bringing that thing here?


    Isn''t this considered bullying?


    Of course, Rhode and Celia didn''t bother about its feelings. The tentacle shot towards Rhode at frightening speeds, but Rhode, who managed to dodge it, followed up by crushing a green card that materialized in his palm. The Spirit Bird made its iconic cry as it pierced through the air.


    At the same time, a lightning-fast attack struck from above Rhode, but he quickly parried the attack with his Crimson Blade. Before the Parasite could attack again, a bolt of lightning smashed into its body, causing it to retreat a few steps back in panic. Positive and negative energy always contradicted one another, so Celia was well-prepared for this. When facing the numerous tentacles, the angel had to just cast a small defensive barrier to guarantee her safety.


    However, the other mercenaries were having a hard time.


    Those tentacles that missed its target ended up being a stray attack which disrupted the mercenaries at the rear. The mercenaries weren''t as strong as Rhode or Celia, and furthermore, they were inexperienced against fighting this foe. Should they rush up to attack? Or should they focus on defending?


    The indecisive mercenaries took a few steps back. At this moment, Anne finally stepped into battle. Although Rhode''s orders were to protect Marlene and Lize, as a Shield Warrior, Anne carried out her duties flawlessly. She quickly barreled to the front and expanded her golden shield, protecting the mercenaries to the rear.


    "Bang!!"


    The tentacles that struck the shield rebounded backward. Similar to the fiends, once the tentacles entered the ring of fire, the exterior flesh immediately charred. However, they weren''t as weak as the fiends. While the damage dealt was quite noticeable, it did not stop lashing out at the mercenaries.


    "You bunch of idiots, MOVE!"


    Kavos reacted quickly and rushed forward with his daggers. Swish! He slashed at a tentacle but his attack wasn''t powerful enough to sever it.


    Kavos then drew back the corners of his mouth and attempted to try again. However, at this time, a silent figure suddenly appeared in his field of vision. Another pair of burning daggers moved so quickly that it transformed into a furious blaze. Kavos only saw a flash, and suddenly the tentacle retreated in a hurry. The tentacle was gravely injured, and Kavos knew it definitely wasn''t him that did it.


    He blinked his eyes in shock and saw a young man with a wide smile waving to him before disappearing into the shadows. His movements were as swift as the wind, and each strike was as fluid as the flowing river. Kavos recalled that this young man''s name was Joey. If he remembered correctly, this lad was a newbie who had only recently became a mercenary for less than two years. But judging from the speed and precision from Joey''s attack, Kavos couldn''t believe that it came from a newbie. As a thief, he could naturally see it wasn''t an easy feat. At least in this area, Kavos didn''t feel that this Joey fellow was any weaker than himself. Moreover, his movements seemed to be much more flexible than himself�� and he was much younger��


    Where did Rhode find so many young and capable talents?


    Before joining Starlight, his men had discussed the various young talents from time to time, especially the genius mage, Marlene. In the whole of the Paphield Region, none of the mercenary groups had a mage to work for them, yet Rhode managed to hire one. Considering that this genius mage was from the renowned Senia family, to be able to fight alongside the heir of a legendary and powerful family was like a dream that shouldn''t have existed. A delicate daughter of a noble family should be obediently sitting in a luxurious room, sipping on high-grade tea�� and not fighting in a dark tunnel with other mercenaries.


    But he had to admit; this young lady did very well.


    But the more the truth seemed this way, Kavos felt even more suspicious. He couldn''t figure out why the heir of a renowned family line would be spending her days mixing around with the mercenaries. Though he heard that she would only be here temporarily, according to Kavos'' understanding and experience with noble families, this ''temporary period'' seemed rather too long. Especially when linked to Rhode''s identity, he suspected if the motive of this young man was to build a mercenary group that was simple and pure.


    However, Kavos didn''t have the time to consider this topic right now. At that moment, the other mercenaries lifted their weapons and dashed towards the tentacles, striking them to the ground, forcing it to retreat. They switched between attack and defense to wear down the tentacles. Rhode didn''t expect much from these mercenaries since with their current capabilities, they just wouldn''t be able to confront the monster head on without receiving injuries. So all they did now was to stay within the ring of fire and defend.


    But this method worked.


    After receiving a barrage of attacks from the mercenaries, the Parasite decided to stop attacking, and it used its tentacles to block the attacks by Rhode and Celia. That bright lightning and the holy flames were the banes of its existence. The Parasite had initially thought that destroying these few insects wouldn''t be difficult, but it finally realized that it lost its advantage. Even there was a difference in strength, Rhode and Celia were still able to cause damage to its body.


    The Parasite released a thunderous roar of pain and anger. Then, it opened its mouth and spat out a greenish goo while lashing its tentacles at the duo.


    Rhode was familiar with the Parasite''s attack patterns, so he didn''t allow himself to get caught by not sticking too close to its body. He knew how many fiends were hidden underneath its twisted body. Though it had ''humanly features,'' frankly, it was more of an aircraft carrier than anything. Thousands of fiends squirmed underneath its skin which was why it appeared as though its muscles were bulging and twitching by itself. Rhode knew that the Parasite would release the barrage of fiends if he got too close.


    Therefore Celia and Rhode chose to assault the Parasite while keeping a reasonable distance.


    The many tentacles grazed past him by mere inches numerous times. He didn''t turn back although he heard screams from the back as those weren''t the sounds of fear or panic. It appeared as though the mercenaries were doing a fairly good job, but Rhode knew that it was only temporary. He had to seize the moment to finish this monster. After all, humans had a limit to their stamina while the devils could go on for days. Despite humans generally being a fragile race, they also have their good traits, and that was their tenacity. Thus, Rhode decided to pick up the pace.


    Once again, he evaded the Parasite''s attack, but this time, Rhode didn''t retreat like before. Instead, he took a step forward and lunged his sword towards the monster''s body. The sword burst out with an intense light, causing an explosion on impact. The Parasite''s body stopped moving for a moment; then, the broken skin began to crawl back into position, replacing the gaping hole with countless of mini tentacles. Suddenly, Celia, who was behind Rhode, followed up by piercing the Parasite with her sword.


    Celia''s body, which was fully composed of the holy element, appeared to be the Parasite''s living nightmare. When Rhode''s attack broke the Parasite''s exterior defensive layer, Celia drilled her holy sword through the gaping hole before it could close up. The Parasite roared in anger, but Celia ignored it. She clenched her teeth as she grasped the hilt of her sword with her other hand and pulled it sideways with all her might. The gaping hole became a huge, long gash which stretched from its left shoulder to the right waist. A trail of silver flames released from the sword consumed the monsters within, preventing the tentacles from restoring its body.


    Once he saw this, Rhode abruptly raised his hand.


    "Everyone back off!" Marlene yelled at the top of her voice.


    She had been carefully observing Rhode''s movement for this moment. Soon enough, the mercenaries opened up a path of the mage. And at this time, the young mage raised her wand and chanted a mysterious incantation. Suddenly, the air surrounding her dropped to subzero temperatures. A myriad of icy swords formed out of nowhere as it revolved around Marlene, who unhesitatingly shot them towards the Parasite.


    "!!!"


    The icy swords pierced into the Parasite''s body, aggravating its wounds. An icy chill spread out from the swords, enveloping the Parasite with a thick layer of frost. It immediately stopped its moving and its numerous tentacles fell heavily to the ground. The chill continued to seep into the wounds that Celia had torn open, freezing any tentacles that still could move.


    This was Rhode''s plan to tackle the Parasite. Although he could defeat it by using a more destructive approach, he knew that the enclosed environment would not take kindly to explosions. Furthermore, in the game, if the Parasite blew up, the players would receive an undesirable ''Parasite'' debuff. Not only would it lower their attributes, but it could also even take their life. If they couldn''t remove the debuff on time, the only result would be death.


    Thus, only by using a method to freeze it would be the best solution for this situation. For this matter, Rhode didn''t have any choice but to rely on Marlene as he didn''t own any spirits of the Water element.


    He raised his sword and slashed downwards.


    The bright radiance of his sword released immediately. It transformed into a massive hammer which smashed squarely onto the Parasite''s frozen body. The Parasite''s body cracked and fell to the ground. Dozens of frozen tentacles spilled out like a river and before it could prove to be a threat, Celia''s holy flames had turned them all to ashes.


    Good, everything went as planned.


    Rhode withdrew his sword as he gazed further down the dark tunnel.


    If things went smoothly like this, it would only be a matter of time before completing their mission.


    "Is it done, master?" Celia asked.


    After engulfing the corpse with her silver flames, she folded back her wings and strode to Rhode''s side. The rest of the mercenaries began to walk up to the corpse and examine the remains of the monster. Some of them even wondered how did they defeat this terrifying monstrosity.


    "That''s right," Rhode nodded. "At least for now."

 Chapter 212 Battle in the Nest 1

    Splat.


    "That''s the thirteenth one."


    Rhode kept his sword and glanced at the dead Parasite. Then, he eyed his mercenaries and studied the state of their bodies.


    Hmm�� around two thirds?


    "Let''s take a break."


    Rhode motioned them to sit down, and all the mercenaries immediately plopped onto the ground. He was pleased that they didn''t return to their usual companions even though they were tired. All of them sat with each other and discussed the previous battle. Although their newfound cohesiveness was worthy of praise, Rhode chose not to say anything.


    His stance towards his mercenaries was clear. He chose a rather harsh way of managing his mercenaries as he knew that humans would naturally perform better under heavy stress. In this case, he wanted them to strengthen their bonds, which they did in an incredibly short period of time. Rhode even planned not to let them rest if they couldn''t raise their weapons, and only when they had mentally or physically broken down would he stop.


    Under such pressure, the mercenaries had no time to consider minor problems between the different cliques. They took in deep breaths and slumped on the ground, grumbling to the other nearby mercenaries.


    Rhode didn''t want them to be too familiar with one another because it might cause him a headache one day if they decided to rise against him together. Basically, he wanted a balance between fear and respect, which was what he was looking at right now. This made him quite satisfied.


    A mercenary group leader must not be overly amiable or understanding, and neither must they be unfriendly or rude. Rhode recalled a time where a lot of players left his guild because he was too cold. Since everyone was a player, he didn''t have a reason to display his arrogance. However, Rhode was clear that a leader cannot lead with only kindness as a trait. When others begin to realize that you''re not much different from themselves, significant problems will start occurring.


    Kavos sat by the side, gazing at Rhode. The young, black-haired man sat quietly in the corner. Flames from campfire illuminated his slender frame. While he physically sat near the mercenaries, they felt like as though he was far away. As an ex-mercenary group leader, Kavos understood why Rhode did this because his brother Derick was the same. Initially, when Derick formed a mercenary group after the army ceased its operations, Kavos didn''t feel that his reserved brother would be able to do a good job. He felt that Derick wasn''t as skilled as him in soft skills and he wasn''t as passionate as Obertan who could rely on his charm to control troublemakers. However, Derick still managed to succeed.


    Although he wasn''t well-liked amongst his members in the beginning, his stern attitude which he cultivated from the army eventually gained the recognition of the mercenaries. However, Kavos was clear that Rhode wasn''t such a person. This experienced thief sensed the emotions that Rhode had been revealing time to time. It was arrogance, prideful and determined faith. One can forget about affecting his views on anything. That perpetually expressionless face kept all emotions within and would only reveal a smile in front of the little girl with the same face as him.


    When Kavos met both Rhode and Christie, he was stunned. It was especially so when Rhode displayed a brilliant smile that easily rivaled the most beautiful flower in the continent, though he had to quickly change his thoughts because he remembered that this man hated anyone who treated him as the opposite gender.


    Fortunately, Rhode did not appear in crowded areas with Christie�� if not, who knew what would happen?


    -


    Almost there��


    Rhode calculated the journey. They had spent five days in Blackrock Depths. Coincidentally, Rhode already predicted there would be certain situations, so he had given his men enough time to prepare for this. However, despite all the predictions and preparations, injuries were still unavoidable. Two mercenaries had already paid with their lives for their carelessness. The Parasite also infected five to six others. Luckily, Lize and Celia were there to rescue them. However, it would be hard to say if they wouldn''t be traumatized by the method Celia used to dig out the worms from their bodies.


    At this moment, most mercenaries had already recovered from their fatigue. They whispered curiously and looked to the direction of Rhode with worry in their eyes. Some quick-witted mercenaries had discovered that the amount of rest time equaled to the difficulty level of the upcoming monsters. If the monsters were strong, Rhode would let them rest longer, but if the monsters were weak, then they would be like the donkeys whipped by the merchants. These few days they were already used to Rhode''s instructions, and now, they realized that their break had obviously been much longer than before.


    Soon, more of them began to suspect something was wrong and seemed to discuss with themselves. No one dared to ask Rhode about it. Some of the mercenaries turned their heads towards the few maidens sitting with Rhode. They were the only ones allowed to sit in Rhode''s vicinity. Therefore, no mercenaries dared to get closer to them. After all, these beautiful ladies had a unique charm of their own, like brightly lit lamps in the night. When they were fighting the monsters, the mercenaries realized that the maidens weren''t anywhere safer than themselves. Anne''s passionate and outgoing characteristic touched some of their hearts.


    However, Marlene''s sharp gaze was like a sword hanging near their necks. Her cold expression was enough to stop those mercenaries from getting close to her and made them consider if it was worth it. They didn''t wish to get hurt by playing this stupid game��


    The only one they could talk to was the gentle cleric who healed their wounds. Even if they feigned injuries, she wouldn''t get mad. But Celia would intervene sometimes and stare at those mercenaries with her piercing gaze.


    In other words, the four ladies were like a bunch of thorny roses. Beautifully dangerous. If you hug them, you''ll get pricked. But even if you retreat, somehow, something would draw you back to them.


    Perhaps some outsiders might even envy these mercenaries who had the chance to party with such beautiful women in a dark cave. But little did they know that this was nothing like those erotic fantasies in their heads. It could even be considered mental torture.


    Frankly, when the mercenaries saw the four women together with Rhode, they didn''t feel a speck of jealousy. Rather, they felt that it would only cause unnecessary trouble if they associated with them.


    "All right, get up."


    Under all of their gazes, Rhode clapped his hands and stood up. The mercenaries quickly got up along with him. These few days, they had gotten used to this motion. Their leader was extremely cautious, before every battle, he would give out critical life-saving pointers. They had to admit, compared to a leader that gave vague reminders such as ''All of you be careful'', ''beware your back'', Rhode''s pointers were much more helpful in staying alive.


    "We''ll get busy soon. I hope that everyone is ready. I''ve given you ample time to rest because the next battle will be incredibly tough. And how tough you say? All I can answer is that it will require you to utilize what you''ve learned so far."


    The mercenaries immediately paled. After a few days of experiencing the command of this young leader, they were somewhat desensitized to his odd way of describing the danger. The way he warned them was as though he had been to this place before. But still, the things that he told them brought fear to the mercenaries.


    They subconsciously checked their reserves and found that they weren''t fully stocked. At most, they had only two more bottles of flaming agents. However, they still had an ample number of healing potions left. They understood the usefulness of the flaming agents, but it was useless against those crawling worms on the ground.


    "Marlene."


    Rhode signaled to the young mage who stood up and walked towards him. Then, Rhode made his way to the mercenaries and gave them a few scrolls. Meanwhile, Marlene was quite unhappy because the number of Fire-type scrolls she purchased wasn''t what she expected. While she still did manage to acquire a decent amount, she realized that someone had bought the rest of them. This unexpected event forced her to sit in front of a desk and craft the scrolls herself. Oh lord, since 13 years old, this maiden had already stopped doing such mundane things that only apprentices would do.


    Fortunately, time didn''t wear off her ability to craft scrolls. She could still vividly recall how to draft the formations and diagrams needed for the scroll, but that didn''t make Marlene any happier.


    "In the upcoming battle, all of you will need these magical scrolls." After confirming that everyone had received a scroll, Rhode continued, "The way to use them is simple. Tear off the seal and throw it out. But everyone must listen to my command and not act on your own unless you have to�� Kavos, I will leave you in charge. This time, our defense circle will be larger so we may not be able to handle every corner and there may be leaks. I need you to be well prepared."


    "Yes, Leader."


    Kavos nodded.


    "Marlene," Rhode looked towards Marlene by his side and said, "Since you''re considered quite experienced now, I don''t think I need to clarify much. Still, I need you to be aware of threats from underground. If you suddenly feel the earth tremble, you must leave that area! It is the same for the rest of you. Anne, your priority is to protect Marlene, the rest is secondary. And lastly, Lize, you''ll need to use your abilities this time."


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode. I understand."


    Lize stood up and answered firmly. Everyone had significant growth from the time spent in the mirage. Lize was no different. No matter where she went, she''ll never forget those techniques. Previously, Lize always played the role of a support, but now, she finally had the chance to display her true battle abilities.


    "Very well, let''s move."


    Rhode spoke indifferently as though it was any other ordinary adventure.


    However, when the group reached a deep, empty cave, they began to regret not having Rhode give them some pep talk to boost their morale. At least in such circumstances, they hoped that someone would provide them with courage and encouragement.


    In the dark underground, a bright radiance flashed. A thick stench of blood filled every corner of the room. Even the soil on the ground was moist and disgusting. Marlene realized that Rhode''s warning wasn''t necessary because as soon she stepped on the dirt, it shook slightly as if it was alive.


    Whether Rhode had warned her or not, Marlene was certain that she didn''t like this mushy feeling at all.


    Suddenly, something trembled in the distance.


    A towering, giant hunk of flesh stood upright. Due to the light emitted from the group, everyone could quickly identify the abomination. Countless tentacles flew across the air, and not far away from the body were Parasites. They appeared much larger and more threatening than the Parasites the mercenaries previously encountered. These beings were once humans that had transformed into a monster because of the fiends.


    However, the most frightening part of the massive chunk of flesh was its core. In the middle of the squirming tentacles, there was a section filled with pale, churning liquids that periodically dripped to the floor.


    "Oh my god!"


    Lize immediately cupped her mouth to stop herself from screaming. Marlene merely frowned, not saying anything else. However, the way she gripped her wand revealed her unstable emotions. Anne was the most psychologically affected one. She let out a cry and quickly hid behind the crowd. And as for Celia, she remained the same as always. Her sword was lifted, ready to vanquish the evil before her.


    The corpse entangled in the sea of tentacles made the four women react adversely. It was the half-elf maiden.


    Her four limbs were completely hidden behind the chunk of flesh and her round eyes were soulless as she stared into open space. A tentacle was forcefully stuffed into her mouth, wriggling grotesquely as it pumped gallons of liquids into her. Compared to her slender frame, her stomach area was unnaturally bloated, and within her belly, something appeared to be moving. From time to time, several tentacles entered between the legs of the half-elf maiden. Once the tentacles retracted, pale fluids would gush out, followed by white, tiny eggs slipping out onto the ground. Then, the eggs would sink into the rotten flesh on the ground and fuse into a bulging vessel, pumping nutrients to the main body. Then once more, the tentacles repeated the vicious cycle.


    "Such�� wretched evilness�� unforgivable!"


    Everyone shuddered in fear and disgust. Compared to the loathe that the male mercenaries had for the evil being, the four women had a more profound understanding of the half-elf maiden''s agony.


    "No time for chit-chat. Time to move!"


    Rhode''s reassuring voice woke everyone from their stupor. And at this time, they heard a familiar squeaking sound �� hundreds of fiends suddenly emerged from the darkness, leaping towards them.

 Chapter 213 Battle in the Nest 2

    The mercenaries were no longer unfamiliar with these fiends. The fiends had sharp claws and were able to fly at high speeds. Their only flaw was their fragile bodies which couldn''t withstand attacks from the mercenaries. After adventuring through the tunnels for five days, the mercenaries were already familiar with these damn things. Therefore, when these creatures suddenly rushed towards them, the mercenaries instinctively grabbed the flaming agent on their waist and threw it on the ground. Once the bottle broke, and when the agent made contact with the air, a wall of flames immediately engulfed the earth, following with a mini explosion.


    The blast caused a sudden heat wave to surge towards the mercenaries, burning some of their clothes. However, compared to them, the fiends were less fortunate. Some of them weren''t able to stop in time and flew into the flames. The lucky ones managed to use the momentum to bypass the wall of flames without receiving significant damage, but eventually, they met their doom at the hands of the mercenaries on the other side.


    The extreme temperature caused discomfort to the mercenaries, but it was even worse for the monsters. A nearby Parasite thrashed its tentacles violently and rushed towards the intruders, garnering the attention of a few other Parasites along the way. While their fat and fleshy bodies were much slower than the fiends, their strength was incomparable. They could unreservedly puncture holes in the wall of flames without receiving much backlash. Frankly, if the mercenaries had long ranged weaponry, they could obliterate the Parasites before they reached the flames. Alas, it was a pity that the raging wall of fire was like a double-edged sword. It could obstruct the aggressive attacks from the monsters, but it also hindered their field of view. Thus, they weren''t able to launch long ranged attacks on these Parasites.


    However, that didn''t mean that others would have the same problem.


    Rhode and Celia flew over the wall.


    The group of mercenaries was already familiar with the duo''s method of fighting, and this situation was no different. Besides, they didn''t even know how Rhode succeeded in bypassing the wall of flames. Both figures merely appeared alongside the wall and then suddenly disappeared.


    "Come with me!"


    Rhode burst through the wall of flames with a sword on his right hand, then, he lifted his left arm forward, materializing a green card on his palm which he soon crushed unhesitatingly. In less than a second, a pair of translucent wings began to bud on Rhode''s back, rapidly increasing in size as he shot towards the fiends in front of him. When he took the third step, his toes pushed his body into the air as if he was as light as a feather. And at the same time, Celia flapped her wings and followed him closely. She held her sword with both hands, releasing a silver flame to repel the incoming monsters. Both of them flew to where the Parasites were.


    "������!!"


    The Parasites roared aggressively. They quickly opened their mouths and shot out numerous tentacles coated with a toxic liquid towards Rhode. But at right this moment, Rhode''s body suddenly became translucent as he transformed into an ethereal form, and the poisonous tentacles phased through him without causing any harm. Then, Rhode used the opportunity to perform a leap which quickly propelled him towards the flank of one of the Parasites before hacking down his sword.


    The razor-sharp Crimson Blade sliced through the Parasite''s rotten flesh effortlessly, and when the blade was halfway through the body, a condensed light erupted from the sword, tearing a one-meter hole in the Parasite. From the gaping hole, dozens of smaller fiends scrambled to escape, gnashing their tiny rows of knife-like teeth at anything they could grasp. But they were quickly consumed by the brilliant silver flames radiating from Celia, generating a spark of beauty in this dark and evil space.


    Rhode ignored the incapacitated Parasites as he knew that these injuries were just flesh wounds. Other than temporarily halting their progress, there was nothing else to it.


    Within a few minutes, most of the Parasites were more or less lying on the floor, unable to move. They squirmed on the ground as they attempted to regenerate their wounds while the giant chunk of flesh frequently ordered them to move forward.


    That''s the last one.


    Rhode somersaulted in the air before landing neatly on the ground. Then he shifted his attention to the last mobile Parasite. However, this Parasite was somewhat more intelligent as it didn''t instinctively charge towards Rhode. Instead, it took a step back and protected its body by using its two humongous arms. Rhode''s eyes widened in surprise at this change in behavior.


    This development caused Rhode''s usual strategy to fail. However, as an experienced player, of course, he knew alternatives to counter this turtling Parasite. Rhode quickly raised his arm again and materialized a black card.


    As though descending from the heavens, the Centaur Knight came rumbling down from the mid-air, crushing the Parasite''s arms with its iron hooves. At the same time, Rhode veered to the left to avoid crashing into the Centaur Knight. The Parasite had no idea that such an attack was possible. It attempted to react to the sudden development, but all it could do was to protect its chest which was to no avail.


    When the Parasite finally collapsed to the ground, Rhode had already withdrawn his card. From a small gap in the fleshy walls of the disabled Parasite, Rhode discovered a face stuck to a chunk of flesh �� Barney.


    Whatever left of the ''courageous'' swordsman was only an empty husk for the fiends to invade. There were visible gashes on his face which were filled with countless small tentacles, wriggling under his skin like fishes swimming in the sea.


    However, Rhode wasn''t surprised at all. He grabbed a small bag that hung from the Parasite and leaped into the air, seemingly disappearing into thin air. In Rhode''s point of view, he had never regarded that man as an obstacle before. Not now, not before, and clearly not in the future.


    Meanwhile, within the wall of flames, the battle was equally as intense.


    "��!!"


    Marlene lifted her wand up high, conjuring a pillar of fire which erupted from the ground, causing the battlefield to turn chaotic. Under the searing heat, the disgusting fiends turned into ashes. But before Marlene could catch her breath, the ground suddenly trembled. She immediately recalled Rhode''s warning and swiftly jumped to the side, not forgetting to yell at the nearby mercenaries at the same time. Right after the words left her mouth, a sharp thorn impaled the space where she previously stood. If Marlene were just a second slower, she would have been directly pierced through.


    "Evil being!"


    Marlene stopped and glared at the fleshy thorn and its enormous eye that was blinking at her. She quickly raised her wand and chanted furiously. Suddenly, a thick tentacle swiped down from above, attempting to remove this insolent human from its sights.


    However, a flash of lightning stopped it from advancing any further. Icy swords appeared out of thin air and pierced into the tentacle. Like shards of glass through the bare human skin, the swords easily sank deep into the tentacle, causing it to freeze at an alarming rate. Then, several earth spikes burst out from the soil and destroyed the freezing tentacle.


    Regarding technique, Marlene had much more to learn. But when it came to battle awareness and personal style, Marlene''s abilities were not far from the ''mentor'' in the mirage.


    Randolf raised his bow and aimed.


    Whenever the Parasites entered the wall of flames, their bodies caught fire quickly. But they still used their fat and bulky frame to open a path for its allies. Alas, whenever any of them decided to pass the wall, a volley of arrows greeted them ''courteously.''


    The blazing arrow tips tore through the air, piercing between Parasite''s eyes as well as their wounded spots. Fire was the best element against Parasites which were overloaded with fats and oil. Within a few seconds, the flames spread from in between their eyes, then to their head, and lastly through their veins. Thus, under their rough skin, a fire appeared to be burning them inside out. After a while, when the trapped heat had nowhere to escape, the Parasites would then fall backward explode.


    "Oh, sh*t!"


    A nearby mercenary got caught in the blast and flew a considerable distance before rolling on the ground to a stop. Before anything else, he quickly got up and removed the mini tentacles writhing on his clothes, but when he turned around, a terrifyingly enormous blood-dripping mouth appeared in front of him. The mercenary''s expression sank as he closed his eyes, accepting his imminent death�� but suddenly, a golden shield encompassed his entire body!


    Lize had a grim expression on her face as she raised both hands in the air. An illuminated golden halo condensed on her hands, causing the tentacles to retreat after smashing onto her shield. The monsters screeched under the blinding light, and with a wave of Lize''s right arm, a sanctified holy aura burst out, liquifying every fiend into a puddle of black, pungent water. Just like snow in the summer.


    "Hu��"


    Lize closed her eyes and exhaled a breath of relief. Unlike mages, clerics received a certain amount of power without the need for enchantment. In the mirage, both Lize and Marlene realized this, but compared to Marlene who went down the path of a destructive mage, Lize decided not to follow her ''mentor.'' She took half a step back into the protection of the mercenaries and cast another layer of protection over the mercenaries.


    "Hell yeah!!"


    A heavy shield smashed onto the ground, turning the scrambling fiends into minced meat. Anne lifted her golden shield in the air and extended the corners by at least twice, revealing the Heart of Rock embedded deep within. Then, she flipped her hand over and gripped the enarmes tightly. Razor sharp blades shot out from between the gaps in her shield, and at the same time, she threw it into the air like a boomerang.


    The spinning shield created a tiny vortex wherever it went as it sucked the palm-sized fiends towards it. As much as they tried to resist the pulling force by flapping their wings, eventually, they were pulled into it and minced into pieces like boats attempting to outrun a hurricane. When the shield finally returned to Anne, the blood dripping off the edges made her look extremely indomitable.


    -


    After getting rid of the last obstacle, Celia and Rhode finally arrived in front of the colossal chunk of flesh. It wasn''t until now that they had the chance of witnessing its true appearance.


    Countless of squirming tentacles under the filthy, rotting meat wriggled endlessly. The many hideous eyes observed the dark surroundings for its foes, and at the base of the towering chunk of flesh were eggs the size of cantaloupe melons which was surrounded by bulging vessels that greedily absorbed the nutrients within.


    "Remember your duties, Celia."


    The battle angel nodded as Rhode reminded her softly. She clutched her sword while gritting her teeth.


    Before the battle, Rhode and Celia exchanged opinions about the relic. The holy relic which belonged to the church was hidden within this creature''s body. In the past, the relic used its divine energy to seal this creature, however, the previous pack of idiots roused it from its slumber, causing the seal to vanish and the holy relic lost its power. Therefore, Rhode decided to tear the devil''s body apart using brute force and search for the location of the holy relic before getting Celia to trigger it with her holy energy which would ultimately reseal the devil. And once the seal is active, Rhode could easily defeat this devil.


    This strategy was only possible because of the existence of Celia. He didn''t have many men who possessed the holy element and Lize was unsuitable, so he could solely depend on Celia. Fortunately, Celia was a summoned spirit. If any unexpected incident occurred, she could still ''survive'' through resummoning. As a Summoning Swordsman, Rhode always had a way of communicating with his spirits, and if anything went wrong, Rhode would immediately summon Celia again, just like what he did in High Cliff Village.


    After reminding Celia, Rhode swiftly drew his sword and plunged it deep into the ground. Suddenly, a series of violent shockwaves erupted with Rhode as the epicenter. Many of the delicate eggs were defenseless against this force and began to shatter. Furthermore, the underdeveloped fiends within instinctively crawled out �� but only to meet their demise shortly after.


    "������!!"


    The devil let out an enraged roar after realizing the death of its kin. The tentacles which were previously working on transmitting the nutrients began to rise from the ground and shot towards them at ridiculous speeds. However, Celia and Rhode were already prepared for its attacks long before destroying the eggs and had already flown off the ground. The attack wasn''t even close.


    However, that didn''t mean that the devil would give up. It swiftly released another dozen tentacles from its body towards Rhode and Celia.


    Tch.


    Rhode frowned when he saw the smelly flesh-colored tentacle.


    You think you''re the only one with that many limbs?


    Rhode snorted coldly, and a black card flew out when he waved his hand.


    Soon, countless of black tendrils emerged from the shadows and bound itself on the flesh-colored tentacles attacking Rhode and Celia, forcing them down to the ground. The devil then summoned more tentacles while facing this unwelcomed guest �� but how could it exterminate its own shadow?


    At this moment, Rhode sped downwards with incredible speed.


    The Crimson Blade started releasing a brilliant light. For a normal human to search for the relic within the devil''s body was like finding a needle in a haystack, but as for Rhode who had completed this mission many times before, it was a walk in the park. He had already detected the presence of the holy relic, so the next thing he had to do was to expose it completely.


    Blade of Destruction, activate.


    A blinding radiance radiated from the Crimson Blade as Rhode drilled his sword towards his target. The sword tore through the air and collided with the devil like a meteor. Then, a long screeching sound echoed throughout the cave, followed by the sound of flesh tearing apart. Rhode''s attack punctured the hard, exterior surface of the devil, revealing a more vulnerable flesh trembling within.


    Final attack!


    The intense light coalesced on the blade reached its peak, and Fury Trial, under the guidance of Rhode''s intent, began vibrating violently like a wild beast attempting to escape its cage. At this moment, a pale figure blocked Rhode''s path.


    The half-elf maiden whose limbs were tied up, lifelessly opened her mouth, seeking for the young man''s help.


    "Help me�� I don''t want to die��"


    "Mmmph��!!!!"


    A tentacle suddenly emerged from within the maiden''s mouth and shot towards Rhode, but it soon vanished under the tremendous power of the sword light.


    Rhode swung his sword without the slightest hesitation.


    The sword which was already glowing terrifyingly bright, erupted as it pierced into the half-elf maiden''s skull. Then, Rhode mercilessly lunged his sword into the wound that he caused earlier, and almost instantaneously, an extremely black, blood clot appeared, contrasting against the brilliant light from his blade.


    "Throw the scrolls! NOW!"


    Rhode yelled at the top of his voice, and at the same time, he emptied the small bag that he took from Barney. More than ten Fire-type scrolls fell out. Then, he unhesitatingly threw them all towards the blood clot after removing the seals on the scrolls.


    All of the mercenaries immediately complied with Rhode''s command. They unsealed their scrolls and threw them towards the ray of light. Suddenly, the bloody flesh carpet, the eggs, and tentacles all ignited in flames at the same time. Marlene quickly cast a fire resistant shield with Lize to protect the mercenaries from the lack of oxygen and the scorching heat waves within the enclosed cave.


    The devil''s fleshy exterior began to melt, just like a soap bar returning to its liquid state. The murky blood and mournful cries intertwined; its sound was enough to cause everyone to tremble in fear.


    Meanwhile, Rhode finally found the object he had been looking for. Although it flashed for a mere second, it wasn''t enough to escape from Rhode''s eyes.


    "Celia!"


    The battle angel shot down and sped into the devil''s body following Rhode''s coordinates.

 Chapter 214 Battle in the Nest End

    The battle angel shot forward.


    The devil sank into silence for a moment; then it suddenly made an ear-piercing shriek. Its screech was loud enough to send anyone to a daze as though thousands of spirits were burning in within the flames of hell. The towering chunk of flesh began to tremble violently, and it soon exploded, revealing a vestige of the holy relic within.


    "NOW!"


    Rhode yelled as he unhesitatingly summoned the Flame Killer. Before the poor hound could understand what was going on, Rhode gave it a ''generous'' kick on its butt, sending the Flame Killer into the mouth of the wailing devil. Rhode quickly retreated and flapped his wings backward.


    "������!!!"


    And at this moment, a terrifying explosion shook the entire cave.


    A bright, surging column of flames shot into the air from the insides of the devil''s mouth. The earth quaked as the cavern walls began to lose its stability. Huge stalactites came crashing down, causing a thick layer of soil to rise into the air.


    Cough��


    Rhode finally landed on the ground with filth smeared on his face and a layer of soil rested on his head. Although he was protected by the Spirit Bird''s wind element, after all, there was a limit to what humans could withstand. In the face of such a powerful explosion, even Rhode wouldn''t dare take it head-on. Fortunately, the mercenaries were much further away, and they didn''t suffer many injuries. Of course, Marlene and Lize played a huge role in protecting them with their spells.


    Rhode casually waved his hand, summoning a gust of wind to clear the dust cloud. The tragic state of the devil could finally be seen.


    The bloody flesh carpet had disappeared, and at a distance, they discovered the collapsed devil lying motionlessly on the floor. Its wretched appearance resembled a crushed watermelon. It was an incredibly disgusting sight. The Flame Killer''s explosion had created a gaping hole in the ceiling of the cave, drilling a clean shaft straight to surface. Sunlight permeated through the newly formed opening, bringing a positive vibe to the living.


    However, Rhode was slightly shocked when he found that he underestimated the power of the hound''s explosion after its advancement. If it wasn''t for the devil''s natural resistance against fire, and its thick walls of flesh containing a majority of the force, perhaps the mercenaries wouldn''t be walking right now. The underground cave was at least 100 meters below the surface�� and to be able to puncture a hole all the way upwards was simply absurd.


    Rhode sighed inwardly when he thought of this. Then, he withdrew his wings and walked towards the devil''s corpse.


    The devil no longer possessed any of its natural resistance after its death. Its body rapidly liquefied into a puddle of murky water and dried up soon after. Apart from a lingering stench, nothing was left to prove its existence.


    Rhode scanned the corpse and found something that caught his attention.


    There were two equipment that wasn''t damaged by the explosion. One of them was a scepter carved with golden flowers, and the other was a fist-sized Spirit Core.


    Not bad��


    Rhode studied both equipments after picking them up. A surge of holy elemental energy churned from within the scepter. Legend told that this scepter once belonged to an archbishop who sealed the devil and was considered one of the secret treasures'' of the church. If he gave it to Lize, her stats would increase substantially. However, Rhode didn''t want to get on the bad side of the church just yet as he still considered the possibilities of collaborating with them. Furthermore, Rhode was aware the scepter was named ''Princess'', a type of weapon that carried self-consciousness. It could judge the holder if they were genuine. If not, the scepter would rebel against the holder.


    Back in the game, some players obtained this scepter by justifying themselves as ''the last hit.'' Most of them were clerics who were allowed by their party members to deal the final blow to the devil. According to the game mechanics, only the person who administered the finishing blow could use the scepter. Currently, Lize was too weak and didn''t have enough strength to kill it with an attack, so it was almost impossible for her to obtain it.


    In any case, Rhode was more excited in the other ''free gift'' that came alongside the scepter �� the Spirit Core. This core originated from hell and was an exclusive item; it was even rare even to the Gods. Moreover, it was an excellent treasure for all Spirit Swordsmen. The Spirit Core had attributes that passively boosted the summoned spirits and also provide active buffs to them. This Spirit Core could even guarantee a 100% chance of summoning a high-level spirit!


    Alas, the spirit summoned would most likely be a Dark elemental.


    Rhode didn''t intend to use the Spirit Core at the moment so he kept it in his spatial bag. Although the battle had ended, from the dreadful appearances of the mercenaries, Rhode didn''t feel happy at all. The previous battle had given them a trauma, especially so after the catastrophic explosion which rocked the cave like a cradle. For a split second, they thought that this would be their final burial grounds.


    The mercenaries froze in their steps. Their fingers turned pale after gripping their weapons ever so tightly. Most of them had blank expressions as they stared at the burnt chunk of flesh, dying fiends and the cracks in the walls.


    Even the carefree Anne also supported herself by leaning against her shield, inhaling deeply. She had expanded most of her energy in the battle. Marlene and Lize weren''t better off as they sat by a rock formation, exhausted beyond belief.


    Lize took the initiative to ask, "Is it over, Mr. Rhode?"


    "Yes. It''s over."


    Rhode nodded slowly as everyone glanced over to their leader. Then he lifted the scepter up high.


    "With this scepter, our mission is complete!"


    There was an awkward silence for a moment after that. The mercenaries looked at each other blankly, not knowing what emotion to display.


    Huh, we completed the mission?


    Did we really kill our way into Blackrock Depths and defeat a devil?


    They couldn''t believe it.


    Many mercenaries began shivering when they thought of this. Ever since they entered the BlackRock Depths, they had been ''blessed'' with Rhode''s meticulous orders and continuously faced life-threatening battles one after another. Their mental capacity had been strained time and again without having much time to recover, so now that they''ve finally beaten the last BOSS, like an overdrawn bowstring, their taut minds snapped.


    We actually defeated the devil!!


    In all of Dragon Soul Continent, legends regarded the devils as the most terrifying beings that invaded their lands below ground. They lurked in the dark underworld, always ready to crush the humans on the surface. Normal humans could only dream of defeating one of them. Only those in the legendary figures from the stories were capable of killing these devils.


    And now, we did it?


    "Yeah!!"


    "We did it!!!"


    The mercenaries finally exploded in joy. Many of them whistled and screamed to express their excitement. Defeating a devil was an incredible honor, even if they did nothing for the rest of their lives, just this mission alone would give them enough substance to brag.


    A wave of euphoria swept past the entire group of mercenaries. Even Marlene who had always displayed a cold expression was no exception. She stood quietly by the side, gazing at the rejoicing mercenaries warmly with an unnoticeable smile on her face. While Marlene hadn''t placed them in her eyes before, but after fighting so many battles with them, it was impossible not to develop any connection to them.


    Despite the insistence of many mercenaries to carry the devil''s corpse back home as trophies, Lize and Celia stopped them from doing so. (Author Notes: Celia was withdrawn before the explosion and was resummoned later.)


    After all, although it was dead, these things once belonged to the devil which could affect one''s spirit if careless. As for the fiends, even though they were small, but they were extremely resilient. If any unborn fiend escaped to the surface, it would be a huge problem.


    In order to prevent any accidents from happening, the angel engulfed the mercenaries with the Flames of Inquisition. Although it was slightly uncomfortable, the holy element within the flames could purge all remaining traces of the devil.


    "Never in my lifetime would I have expected to defeat a devil," Kavos said softly as sat on a rock, gazing up at the hole in the ceiling. As a veteran mercenary, he had killed countless of people, beasts, and even monsters. But a devil? Oh divines, this term wasn''t in his dictionary of ''possible missions'' at all.


    "Yes, our leader is awesome," Joey said cheekily as he squeezed over to Kavos.


    "Honestly, I don''t know how even to start fighting this thing. Normally I would''ve just ran for my life��"


    "Me too."


    Kavos smiled and nodded.


    Although many people were injured, it was nothing compared to the mission''s difficulty. Usually, if bandits ambushed them, they would lose at least a quarter of their men. And that kind of scenario was totally incomparable to fighting a devil. Losing an entire mercenary group wouldn''t be surprising.


    "Come. Cheers to our wise leader."


    Kavos smiled and reached out to his bottle of liquor on his waist while Joey fished out a metal cup from his pocket.


    "That''s right. Cheers to the leader! Although he forbids us to drink alcohol during a mission, since it already ended, we can drink, right?" Joey laughed and said, "Damn, if only leader could be softer on the inside just like his appearance�� haha! I''m famished after working so hard. Even though it''s not time to feast right now, a little drink should be fine eh?"


    "What are both of you prattling on about?"


    At this moment, Rhode''s voice sounded behind. Joey''s expression froze but when he slowly turned his head around, he maintained a passionate smiling face.


    "It''s nothing, leader. We were just amazed by how well you commanded us."


    "Oh��"


    Rhode nodded, and then he extended his arm without any expression. Joey glanced at the direction that Rhode pointed to and had chills down his spine. He stared blankly at a charred fiend that was clearly dead for some time.


    "Sir, this��"


    "Aren''t you hungry? This is for you; you can even eat it right now. Try it; it''s chicken flavored. Crispy too."


    Joey stared at the ''crispy chicken'' with an ashen complexion. Gulp. He swallowed his saliva and gathered his courage to touch it. The moment his finger felt the fiend, for unknown reasons, its body suddenly twitched.


    "Ahhh!!"


    Joey withdrew his hand at lightning speed and sprang back like a spring, disappearing into the crowd.


    "Sorry, leader, I was wrong!!"


    Rhode shrugged when he saw the Joey ''running for his life'', and then he shifted his attention to Kavos. Kavos was slightly more refined; his rigid face still managed to bear a smile and he slowly stood up.


    "I''m sorry, Sir, I will go attend to my guys�� Those group of b*stards are too careless; I''d worry if they create any trouble while celebrating��"


    Kavos turned around and quickly left.


    Rhode stared at Kavos as he disappearing into the crowd then, he lowered his head and looked at the fiend on his hand. Once again, he confirmed that he had no talent in making jokes.


    After this brief interlude, the mercenaries swiftly cleaned up the battlefield. Frankly, there wasn''t much to do. Almost everything here had been contaminated by an evil aura and couldn''t be brought out. Meanwhile, Celia used her holy flames to purify the grounds once more. Although there were no loot for the mercenaries, they weren''t upset one bit. After all, the remuneration from the church would be more than enough. After signing the contract, the mercenaries had no reason to bicker about their rightful claim of the loot. Furthermore, the fact that they defeated a devil was an absolutely memorable event to them. Thus, without any grumbling, they quickly made their way back to the stronghold.


    After two days, the Starlight Mercenary group finally returned to the surface, and upon reaching the Mercenary Association, Rhode handed the scepter to the church who had been waiting anxiously.


    "Thank you for your help, dear Sir." A female sister expressed her thanks gracefully.


    Draped in a full white gown which only revealed her delicate face, she carefully accepted the scepter and bowed courteously.


    "May the blessings of the divines be forever with you, brave warrior. No matter what challenges you face in the future, I hope you will be able to find your rightful path."


    Rhode nodded and placed his right hand on his chest, slightly bending over.


    "The rapid river would eventually flow towards the right stream, and the storms would never deceive my eyes. I am deeply honored to receive such fair blessings. May there be an everlasting order for all living things."


    The sister widened her eyes with astonishment. Then, after a few moments, she revealed a gentle and cordial smile.


    "Please forgive my rudeness, Sir. I almost believed that it was a real Holy Knight standing in front of me."


    "The honor is mine, leader of order."


    Rhode didn''t have to think much when replying to the sister. Back in the game, Rhode interacted with the Country of Law''s churches for most of his time, so he was extremely well-versed with their conversations and etiquette. Although these few short sentences wouldn''t bring him any material benefits, it was enough to leave a good impression on the church.


    After bidding goodbye, Rhode left the Mercenary Association and immediately saw Lize when he stepped out of the main entrance.


    "Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Rhode. Did everything go well?"


    "Everything is good."


    Rhode wasn''t surprised with Lize''s concern since she was a cleric and could be considered to belong to the church.


    "Where are the rest?"


    "After receiving their rewards, everyone left on their own business. Marlene said she wanted to buy some tonics�� Are we heading back to the stronghold now?"


    "No."


    Rhode shook his head, which surprised Lize.


    "You head back first. I''ll need to go find someone."


    Rhode extended his hand and examined a ring he found in Barney''s bag. Initially, Rhode didn''t intend to bring this broken thing back, but he realized something that reminded himself of something important.


    "How surprising. They were actually involved in this?"

 Chapter 215 Rhode’s visi

    Sunshine filtered through the window, spilling onto a quaint wooden table, bringing a hint of warmth to the room. A man focused on a document in his hand as he sat on the chair, revealing a broad smile.


    This was an excellent opportunity for Keller.


    Eventually, the Merchant Association rejected Klautz''s request to lower the ore prices, restoring the original state of the market. After which, everything went smoothly. The Association and Vice President led their men to arrest at least 50 association members in the name of ''deliberately damaging the order of business.'' And that led to the end of the negotiation, which only lasted three hours. Keller stood on the sidelines, witnessing the city guards arresting the spoiled merchants. Surprisingly, it included the President''s secretary, deputy executive, and the Merchant Association''s representative.


    Keller felt a chill when he saw through the entire process. Apparently, Klautz had infiltrated the Merchant Association and received the support from the opposition party. Although most high ranking members had been arrested, there wasn''t much difference yet. This was somewhat hard to explain because the influence was still present during the negotiations.


    Keller was afraid that this might happen. The President assumed that by holding on to the whole region''s business lifeline, they had the rights to request. But he overlooked one important point �� no one was able to replace it.


    It was the same for himself.


    Keller shuddered at this thought.


    Because of this incident, the Keller family secured an advantageous position, moreover, they benefited quite a bit from it financially. As a reward, Keller was assigned as the provisional President of the Merchant Association in the Paphield Region. Keller understood that if he did a good job, by this year''s end, he would be promoted to the ''real'' President. Previously, during Klautz''s reign, he overheard that the government officials appeared to have interest in appointing Deep Stone City as the central business network. If that were the case, then the Keller family would have a smooth sailing future.


    Of course, the prerequisite was for him not to make any wrong choices.


    Keller knew he wasn''t an ambitious person. He was fully aware the reason why Klautz appointed him. If he made the slightest mistake, then he would expect his wooden door to be pushed down by guards.


    This wasn''t the future Keller wanted for his family and himself. The consequence for betrayal in the Munn Kingdom was capital punishment. But of course, depending on the severity of the crime, there was a possibility of keeping the corpse together.


    Knock knock.


    When Keller was still a daze, a series of knocks sounded on the door, surprising him slightly. Somehow, when he lifted his head, he was strangely relieved that it wasn''t a scene of fully armored guards charging in to arrest him. Keller forced a smile and shook his head.


    I''m overthinking things.


    "Come in." Keller tidied his clothes and said.


    A housekeeper walked into his room and bowed politely.


    "Sir, someone wishes to seek your presence."


    "Oh?"


    Keller frowned. It was still during his working hours, and he didn''t wish to be disturbed by anyone.


    "Who is it?"


    "He introduced himself as the leader of Starlight Mercenary Group, Mr. Rhode Alander."


    "Mr. Rhode?"


    Keller was surprised when he heard Rhode''s name.


    "What does he need to find me for?"


    It wasn''t odd for Keller to feel slightly dubious. Although the two of them did have some interactions with each other before, they can''t be considered to be close. And as a mercenary group leader, Rhode didn''t seem to have any reason to visit him.


    "I''m not too sure, Sir."


    The old housekeeper didn''t know how to answer to Keller''s question.


    "He only said that he had something he wanted to verify with you. Do you wish for me to ask him to leave, Sir?"


    "It''s alright."


    Keller shook his head and stood up. No matter what, Rhode was an influential figure in Deep Stone City, especially so among mercenary groups. Keller knew that Rhode was a noble, and his group also housed the only heir of the Senia family. Thus, no one dared to belittle this man. Moreover, he realized that Rhode was an intelligent and determined man. In fact, Rhode seemed to know about everything regarding the recent series of events in Deep Stone City. Whether it was the Jade Tears mercenary group or other matters, this young man appeared to be everywhere. Keller even had a feeling that Rhode originated from Golden City, but according to Klautz, that wasn''t possible.


    This young man was full of mystery.


    Although he wasn''t sure why Rhode wanted to seek his audience, based on the young man''s personality, something must be up.


    However, he wasn''t sure if it was going to be good or bad news.


    "Bring me to him."


    Keller followed the old housekeeper into the living room. Then he found a figure standing in a corner, appreciating a suit of armor. Keller''s body tensed for a moment when seeing Rhode. He calmed himself down before walking up with a smile.


    "Welcome, Mr. Rhode. What brings you here today?"


    "Hi, Mr. Keller. It''s been some time."


    Rhode shifted his attention towards Keller. Keller revealed a warm smile and extended his hand, ushering Rhode to sit. The servant quickly served a cup of hot tea. Rhode''s teacup was on the table, apparently untouched.


    "I didn''t expect you to look for me. What''s the matter?"


    After settling down, Keller asked Rhode, "I didn''t expect you to look for me. What''s the matter?"


    Rhode slightly nodded without hesitation.


    "I''m here to verify something with you, Mr. Keller."


    "Oh?"


    Keller made a surprised expression and gestured for the housekeeper to leave the room.


    "So�� What does Mr. Rhode want to verify with me?"


    Rhode narrowed his eyes. He leaned back on the couch and stroked the Crimson Blade on his lap. For some reason, Keller felt a chill whenever Rhode''s slender fingers touched the sword as if the blade was at his throat.


    However, Keller endured and sipped his tea to force that odd sensation down his throat.


    "It''s like this," Rhode said in a soft voice, "previously, I made a bet with a tiresome person. Regarding that matter, is Mr. Keller aware?"


    Keller felt the surrounding temperature drop.


    "This�� I heard from time to time."


    Keller was distracted for a moment and answered in a fluster. The matter of Rhode and Barney''s bet was blown out of proportions by the common people. And even Keller, who was incredibly busy during this period, caught hold of this matter. However, wasn''t that something involving the Mercenary Association? What did it have to do with himself?


    "Things have developed to a stage where I can''t hide it from you any longer, Mr. Keller." Rhode crossed his arms and said. "Before my trip into Blackrock Depths, I needed to purchase a significant amount of Fire-type scrolls. However, my men found that a vast amount had been purchased by someone else."


    A spark flashed in Rhode''s eyes as he curled his lips imperceptibly. He continued, "So, poor Marlene had to spend many days toiling to create enough scrolls for our mission. It''s all thanks to her efforts that we can safely return to the surface. It''s always good to have a mage by your side, am I right?"


    "That''s�� for sure, Mr. Rhode."


    Keller answered hesitatingly. Up until now, he still couldn''t figure out the link of the matter to himself? Scrolls? We deal with ores. Magical products had nothing to do with us.


    "However, when we looted the battlefield, I''ve found many scrolls originating from Deep Stone City. And furthermore, I''ve found this��"


    Rhode fished out a ring and placed it on the table in between them. Keller''s face instantly paled.


    "Mr. Keller. If I recall correctly, your family is in the mining industry�� have you now decided to expand your business to magical products? I''ve confirmed with various shops that this imprint belonged to the Keller family. I hope to receive an explanation for this."


    Rhode leaned back on the couch with his eyes slightly closed, carefully scrutinizing the man in front of him.


    At this point, Keller''s face was totally drained.


    Of course he knew where this ring came from! It was his own daughter''s ring!


    Keller finally realized the problem.

 Chapter 216 The Keller Family’s Decision

    Although from the surface, Rhode could be sure that there wouldn''t be much of a problem because even if those flame reels were really purchased by the Keller family, they still couldn''t explain anything. However, Keller was clear that the problem didn''t lie there. More importantly, if it was really as Rhode had said, it would only be a matter of time before the Keller family and the Jade Tears mercenary group got involved with each other, which was something that Keller didn''t wish to see.


    The reason was very simple: the Jade Tears mercenary group''s identity wasn''t ordinary.


    If it was another mercenary group, Keller wouldn''t be worried about what Rhode had said since it was normal for the Merchant Association to support a mercenary group. If the reason Rhode looked for trouble was just to complain like a child, then he wouldn''t take it seriously, but it was different if things turned out to be related to Jade Tears. As everyone knew, the Jade Tears mercenary group had once been ruled by the son of a noble from the Country of Light��Frank. According to the continuous incidents that happened previously, Keller even heard that this mercenary group was related to the floating ship incident from before; they were most likely spies sent by the Country of Light. Such speculation was spreading among the upper echelons, which was why Klautz sent people to ask a few questions while Rhode almost killed Frank on the street. As for the sudden disappearance of Frank and his followers, although the public seemed to know what happened, the mercenary Association and Deep Stone City officials only kept a strange silence. Keller was not stupid; from their attitude it could be seen that the Jade Tears had most likely done something to provoke trouble. It was possible that those rumors were true. If the Jade Tears hadn''t disappeared all of sudden, then most likely they would have been called out by the city guards and brought out to the Town Square to be beheaded in public.


    But since they disappeared now, things were better. This could be seen from this incident with Rhode. Originally, even if there was a bet on both sides, the Mercenary Association would still have to confirm it to ensure the Jade Tears mercenary group wasn''t being victimized. However, this time, they actually even omitted the necessary procedures, clearly making complete preparation for the Jade Tears mercenary group''s disappearance. Of course, the Mercenary Association who had always been working based on mercenary interests and could not possibly give Rhode any privilege just because of his identity. The reason was because they needed to make the Jade Tears disappear.


    If the Keller family got involved with the Jade Tears mercenary group, then the matter would only get worse. Thinking until here, Keller broke into a cold sweat. It would be dangerous if the young man before him thought that he did it on purpose to trouble him. From Rhode''s actions, it could be seen that he was from the King''s party. He had also heard Klautz mentioned Rhode''s name recently, and the upper echelons from Golden City seemed to take some interest to him. It could be said that this young man was surely on the road to success. He was only an ordinary merchant. If he offended this promising young man, nothing good would come from it. Moreover, what would they think if Klautz or other people knew about this? The Keller family had been interacting with the Country of Light in private?! Holy spirit above, if such a thing really happened, then the Keller family would be finished! If it were just like usual, people might not mind it, but this topic was currently very sensitive. Although it wasn''t widely circulated, many people from the upper echelons knew that the Country of Light would likely plot something to incite riots in the Paphield area. If news got out that the Keller family and the Country of Light were privately involved with each other, then wouldn''t he basically be looking for death?


    When the time came, not only would his own future be finished, but the entire family would be completely destroyed��


    Thinking until here, beads of sweat dropped from Keller''s face until Rhode''s voice pulled him back to the reality. "I''m still waiting for your explanation, Mr. Keller."


    "T-this, I think I can explain it to you."


    Keller rubbed the sweat on his forehead. Currently, his face was pale, but he was also feeling fortunate that Rhode had looked for him. It seemed like he hadn''t yet spread the words, or else, he would have already been finished once Rhode told this matter to Klautz. Even if he wasn''t finished, nothing good would happen to him as a result. After all, before he had hinted that Marlene was feeling miserable about this matter. If they knew the culprit behind this problem was actually the Keller family, then who knew what might they do them..


    "To tell you the truth, this ring is my daughter''s��"


    "Oh?" Hearing this answer, Rhode frowned and he immediately remembered the fat pig-like woman. "So?"


    "So�� So�� I''m sorry, please wait for a moment, I''ll call her right away." Having said that, Keller picked up the bell on the table and shook it.


    Soon, the old housekeeper quickly walked into the room. But before he asked Keller what he could do for him, the former shouted angrily.


    "Immediately bring Helen here, no matter where is she. Bring her here immediately, now!"


    "Yes, master!" Seeing Keller''s pale expression, the old housekeeper quickly followed the order and left. Keller finally felt relieved, leaning on the sofa while wiping the sweat on his forehead. He looked at the dark-haired man before him, but he didn''t know what to say. Facing Keller, Rhode didn''t speak and only leisurely tasted the black tea and snack in front of him. He looked more like a guest than trouble.


    "This�� Mr. Rhode, please forgive me for presuming about this matter, about this��"


    "I haven''t told anyone yet." Rhode put down the cup. "I''m just a little curious, after all. In my mind, your family does not seem like the type to oppose the Kingdom��"


    "This is, of course, Mr. Rhode. We, the Keller family, are forever loyal to the Munn Kingdom, and it will never change. I can swear here by the name of my soul that it is absolutely impossible for me to betray the kingdom."


    Even though he didn''t say it clearly, but from Rhode''s words, his speculation was eighty to ninety percent certain�� It was really troublesome!


    He didn''t know to what extent Rhode would believe in himself because no matter what, he would just be giving excuses. In fact, as the head of the family, Keller knew to a certain extent what his daughter was doing. It was because of the recent business handover that he thought it would be a good thing to let his daughter learn about investing and supporting the mercenary group. After all, it was important for the Merchant Association to have experience with mercenary groups, but he didn''t expect that just because he didn''t ask about it, the matter would turn out like this!


    Holy spirit above! There were so many mercenary groups in Deep Stone City; why would she get involved with the damned Jade Tears!


    "Father, are you looking for me?" At this moment, Helen walked toward the living room, led by the housekeeper. She glanced to the side and soon, she saw Rhode. Helen''s fat face immediately darkened, but she didn''t make a ruckus in front of her father and only lowered her head while walking toward Keller. On the other side, Keller looked at his daughter and signaled for the housekeeper to leave.


    When the housekeeper left and closed the door, he coldly asked, "What are you doing these few days?"


    "I�� I''m not doing anything."


    "Nothing?" Hearing her answer, Keller frowned. He pointed toward the ring on the table and asked.


    "Then what about this ring!?"


    Hearing his father''s question, Helen curiously looked toward the direction her father pointed and immediately shouted after seeing it. "Ah!! This is the keepsake I gave to Barney. How come it''s here!?"


    Having said that, Helen immediately jumped up, looking at Rhode. "It''s you, isn''t it! It must be you who killed them right! It''s you! I know it, you��"


    "Shut up!" Hearing until here, Keller no longer said anything and slapped Helen while fiercely glaring at her. A crisp sound sounded. She immediately stopped cursing and looked at her father, feeling confused.


    "Father, why did you hit me, what did I do wrong!?"


    "You dare ask me what you did wrong? Why did you got involved with Jade Tears?! Tell me, why did you got involved with them!"


    "I�� I��"


    Hearing Helen''s explanation intermittently, Rhode and Keller finally understood the things that happened. Helen originally did intend to invest in a mercenary group, but at that time she did not know about the existence of the Jade Tears. She heard about them from her servants. The Jade Tears''s tragic story touched her, so she sent someone to meet Barney and was moved by his sincerity. Eventually, Helen agreed to support the Jade Tears mercenary group. Of course, she had her own little plan. Because of the previous conflict between her and Rhode, she hated him very much. Although objectively speaking, Rhode had protected her from being abducted, but his rude behavior was too unacceptable for her. Later, she complained about this matter to her father. Instead of punishing Rhode and teaching him a lesson, he even gave the family heirloom to him. This made Helen felt very angry. Originally, if she hadn''t heard news about Rhode so often, she would have forget him after a long time. However, because news of Rhode had been spreading in Deep Stone City, Helen was forced to listen frequently. This made her feel even more disgusted, especially when she heard those people praising Rhode. So she chose to support the Jade Tears mercenary group in order to oppose Starlight and Rhode.


    Of course, at that time, she had a romantic delusion. She wanted the Jade Tears to grow into the most powerful mercenary group in the Paphield area under her support while Starlight could only work hard in the shadows. She wanted her father to praise her and hand the entire Trader Association to her�� For this reason, Helen followed Barney''s idea to put the magic reel and sweep out all of the stock in the market. In her opinion, if she could make trouble for Rhode''s Starlight, then it would be the best.


    It was a pity that she could only daydream.


    "You�� you��"


    Hearing his daughter explanation, Keller was very angry and didn''t know what to say. That incident had passed for some time now, so he thought that Helen no longer cared about it anymore. No matter what, Rhode had kindly saved her life. Even if he was rude, did she have to hold this grudge for so long?


    On the other hand, Rhode was very open-minded about this matter. He often saw such narrow-minded women. He once had a classmate who held a grudge for half a year just because her boyfriend glanced at another woman. That was why he thought that this kind of thing was just normal.


    "Immediately go back to your room! You are not allowed to go out until you realize your mistake!"


    While Rhode was dozing off, Keller already made his decision. He slapped his daughter a few times then called out the guard. He wanted them to bring Helen who had flown into rage back to the room and locked her up. No matter what the reason is, she was not allowed go out. The fatty girl kept screaming until she was gone. Keller was finally relieved and sat back on the sofa.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Rhode. It''s my fault for such thing to happen."


    "You don''t have to apologize to me, Mr. Keller." Rhode frowned, but his expression didn''t change the slightest. "Everyone makes mistakes, right?"


    "Right." Hearing Rhode''s words, Keller finally felt relieved. He smiled and rubbed his hands. "Then�� although this matter was caused by my daughter, I will of course not run from the responsibility. My daughter''s action has caused damage your mercenary group, so our Keller family will surely compensate for it."


    Of course, both sides knew that this was not true. Helen''s actions did not really cause any real damage to Rhode and the others; both knew it was just an excuse that Keller made to make sure Rhode would stay silent about this matter. This was equivalent to the "sealing fee," used to ensure the peace of the Keller family.


    Rhode naturally had no objections to this. Strictly speaking, this was indeed the reason he came here.


    As a player, if he didn''t maximize the benefits of the quest, could he still be called a player?


    "Since Mr. Keller said so��"


    Rhode crossed his hands and leaned against the sofa while narrowing his eyes.


    "Then, I have a request ��"

 Chapter 217 Advancing Soon

    Keller sure showed enough sincerity.


    Looking at the dark stone in his hand, Rhode gasped. It seemed like his guess was indeed correct. He had assumed that this newly appointed president of the Merchant Association naturally did not want to hand over this position to other people. In fact, when he discovered that the Keller family and the Jade Tears mercenary group were related, Rhode felt very puzzled. He remembered clearly that later in the game, the Keller family would be of important stature in Deep Stone City, and they were also loyalists to the King''s party. Rhode had also completed a quest to protect the Keller family caravan that was sending out weapons from the Country of Light to the Munn Kingdom. Why would they suddenly support the Country of Light? Was the Keller family actually planning something big behind?


    Now that things were finally clear, Rhode finally felt relieved. This matter was not actually done by Keller himself, so he didn''t care too much about this. Of course, he still stayed vigilant and didn''t completely trust Keller''s words. As the saying went, all merchants were sly; if they weren''t sly, then they weren''t a merchant. There was no way for a merchant to tell the truth. But as long as Keller stood on the right side, Rhode wouldn''t mind it. After all, it wasn''t something he needed to worry about in this moment.


    One of his demands was that he wanted a shop under the Keller''s family name. Although the Keller family did mining business, they also had many other related industries. This time, Rhode had asked for the Keller family''s shop that forged and sold magic weapons. Though Keller couldn''t bear letting it go, he still agreed. In any case, mining ores was the Keller''s family main business, and forging weaponry was just a side industry. He himself also very clear the reason why that shop could forge magic weapons wasn''t because they had the craftsmans; instead, it was due to the forging table that had been handed down from a long time ago. When a weapon was forged on that forging table under the moonlight, the weapon would turn into a magic weapon. Keller had sent his men to investigate this forging table before, but the investigation yielded no result. On the surface, there was nothing special about this forging table beside looking a little bit old, but the magic weapons that were forged on this table were created with different magic effects. The strongest magical effect would occur when the weapon was forged on the full moon. To the contrary, when the weapon was forged on the new moon, there wouldn''t be any magical effects on the weapon. In fact, Rhode''s Blood Tears was also forged from it. It was rumored to be forged by a skilled and powerful blacksmith in ancient times under the blood moon that only appeared once every five hundred years��


    And that was what Rhode wanted.


    Although the loss of this forging table made Keller felt somewhat distressed, thinking about his entire family future, he could only comply with Rhode''s request. Of course, Rhode also did not intend to leave the forging table there. When he returned to the stronghold, he would bring it with him. Keller had never moved the table before because he was afraid of damaging it, but to Rhode, it wasn''t a problem at all.


    In addition, Rhode also made another request. He hoped to obtain the black stone owned by the Keller family.


    Hearing Rhode''s request, Keller did not hesitate and agreed. Compared to the complimentary magical effect of the forging table, the black stone owned by the Keller family was only something that they accidentally found in the mining pit. Because of its strange shape, they decided to keep it as a memento. There was nothing special about it; they only used it to commemorate the ancestors of the Keller family up until now. If Rhode wanted it, there was no problem giving it to him. Of course, Keller also curiously asked about what Rhode was planning to do with this stone, but Rhode''s answer made him feel a little bit surprised. Rhode said he just thought the stone looked good, so he wanted to take it back to make it into a statue��


    Based on his instinct as a merchant, Keller always felt that Rhode wasn''t telling the truth. However, there didn''t seem to be any conspiracy in his actions. Even if Keller made an excuse and rejected him, Rhode still wouldn''t seem to care about it. That''s why Keller eventually no longer thought about it and agreed to Rhode''s request.


    But Keller didn''t know that Rhode had been aiming for this stone ever since he walked across the Keller''s family treasury. As for the forging table that contained the magical effect? It was only complimentary stuff because from the first time Rhode saw the stone, he recognized its true identity. It wasn''t an ordinary stone. It was an item that could make players go crazy. It was the Heart of Spirit!


    It was just like how wood could be formed from petroleum through distillation; the Heart of Spirit was formed from an evil Soul Core. However, their uses were slightly different. The Soul Core was used to awaken a summoned spirit, while the Heart of Spirit could no longer be used to awaken a spirit because the inherent, revitalized soul power inside it would turn stagnant after hundreds of thousands years. But it had another special ability: by drawing upon the stagnant, inherent power inside it, one would be able to increase their strength. In other words, it would increase a player''s EXP.


    In the Blackrock Depth before, the low-level monster''s Soul Core was only as big as one''s fist. However, the Heart of Spirit that he found in the Keller''s house was even larger than one''s head. It was conceivable that this Heart of Spirit was definitely sourced from a high-level evil spirit such as the Demon General or even the Archdemon. One of the biggest battles between demons and humans happened in Deep Stone City, and many demons died in human hands. It was very rare to see a Heart of Spirit in such an intact state. In the game, a Heart of Spirit costed about a thousand gold coins, and a huge one like this might have costed about ten times more.


    The stone must contain quite a lot of EXP points.


    When he conquered the Blackrock Depth, Rhode had already broken through to Level 19, but he didn''t plan to level up until the moment he found this stone.


    Even though there seemed to only be a one level gap between Level 19 and Level 20, there was, in fact, a huge difference between them.


    In the Dragon Soul Continent, levels was strictly divided. No matter which job the player was, they had to follow the same rules. Level 1-10 was Apprenticeship level; most players on this level were ordinary rookies and newcomers. Randolf and Joey, who had both just joined a mercenary group, belonged to this level. Level 10-20 was the official entrance to all jobs. The moment players advanced 10 levels, they embarked on the path of a Professional. The regular mercenaries on the entire Dragon Soul Continent were basically at this level. In Rhode''s mercenary group, Shauna, Lize, Anne, Old Walker, and other mercenaries were within this range. In the Dragon Soul Continent, it was the average level of the majority of people under the Light Dragon.


    Level 20-40 was considered a big leap. This was the so-called "Advanced" level to the people of Dragon Soul Continent. When entering this phase, a swordsman would be able to use a sword energy that was similar to soul condensation, or even a higher level magic that exclusively linked to their job. Of course, the result would be calculated based on their level and skill proficiency. As NPCs of the Dragon Soul Continent, certainly, they did not have a cheat-like ability like a player''s allocation of skill points.


    In Starlight, the only person who had reached this level was Marlene. However, her lack of experience hindered her from making good use of her full power. It was just like a newbie who spent money to obtain godlike equipment. It didn''t mean that the newbie''s strength would become godlike too. Fortunately, after the training in the Mirage, now Marlene had the skills and experience to match up with her strength. At least Rhode wouldn''t have to worry about the time in the game when he saw a Knight��a DPS character��becoming a tank��


    Most of the people in this phase were considered as elites. Even in small places, they could have gotten a very high position in a mercenary group. Usually, the leader and vice leader of a mercenary group were around these levels.


    Level 40-60 belonged to the Master levels; this was also a limit that ordinary human races could not reach. Sereck belonged to this category; he was a Level 40 Sword Master. Of course, his level was still considered low. In a remote area such as Deep Stone City, he had an incomparable prestige. However, in the Golden City, Sereck''s level was no more than that of a Royal Guard Captain. In many places, people with this level were regarded as very influential people. Most of them held a great authority, and some of them became the follower of an old veteran. Certainly, from a human''s point of view, there were indeed quite a few people who had reached the Master level, but the numbers were still far lower compared to mixed race, such as elves and angels who had a long lifespan.


    Level 60-80 was Legendary level. It was very rare to find someone at that level in the continent. Most of them were the core of large forces, and some even became legendary figures. They lived humbly in secrecy, and it was very difficult to meet them.


    Needless to say, beside the Great Level 100 Five Creators Dragon, there were also the three Archangels, five Elemental Lords, four Legendary Generals, and six Devils who could reach above Level 80. Even the Archdemons were only about Level 70; they simply could not reach a higher level.


    For Rhode, reaching Level 20 not only meant that he would formally become an elite, but it also represented a very important change. In the game, every time players reached a certain level, they would be allowed to enhance their swordsmanship, attributes, or talents. If he chose to enhance his swordsmanship, then when he leveled up, his swordsmanship would increase +1 by default; the same would happen should he choose attributes or talents.


    In the game, the player had a total of four opportunities to enhance their status. This was not a trivial matter because each choice could affect a player''s growth. If not properly selected, it would negatively impact the next battle.


    Rhode was not bewildered by this matter since he had made his choice already, but there was one thing that made him hesitate. When he became an Advanced Spirit Swordsman, he would receive a free reward: to designate a card and chose it as the Core Card of the Ten Strongest Spirit Deck.


    As a Core Card, the designated summon spirit would be able to stay by his side without limited time. It would be able to absorb magic by itself to maintain its existence. The summoner would only have to supply the spirit with magic supplies if the spirit was heavily injured. Not only that, the Core Card could also use its magic power to summon cards with the same element.


    Right now, Rhode only had two options: Celia or Gillian.


    They both had their own strengths and weaknesses. Celia was his most commonly used card and had followed him for the longest time. If he chose her as the Core Card, then he would not have to waste his soul power to summon her anymore.


    As for Gillian, she was extremely strong, but her summoning frequency was limited. Rhode did not only value Gillian''s strength, but also her experiences and intelligence. It bothered him that currently, his Starlight mercenary group did not have a military advisor to help him think and solve problems. Anne''s careless personality was not suited for this job. And although Marlene understood his objectives very well, it did not mean that she agreed to it due to her {spiritual cleanliness" that had formed from years of her being a noble. As for Lize, it was even more impossible; if it were a melee combat, she might be able to handle it, but if the situation had developed into a private confrontation, such as slandering, poaching, and conspiracies, there was no way for her to handle it.


    However, Gillian was different. After interacting with her for some time now, Rhode found that he really liked her way of thinking. Just like himself, she solved problems through a player''s point of view and was adaptable to evil means. If he could summon her, then no matter what happened in the future, he would not have to do things secretly like a thief, just like the previous incident with Frank. It was still okay doing it once or twice, but the pressure would be too much if he could only rely on himself continuously.


    It did not mean that there were no other cons in summoning her out. Since her level was really high, there would be a penalty for summoning a spirit beyond his level. Previously, Rhode had suffered a great loss after summoning her once. This time he would have to consider how to thoroughly avoid similar problems from happening. Before, the penalty was only deducting some EXP points, but what if he became weak in other attributes? That would make him cry to death.


    Then, what should he do?


    Looking at the summoning circle in his hand, Rhode fell into deep thought��


    Translator''s Note: The Core Card of the Ten Strongest Spirit Deck and Core Card in the group deck are different. In the group deck, the one ranked first is automatically selected as the deck''s Core Card. However, the Core Card of the Ten Strongest Spirit Deck is chosen by the player and the summoned spirit''s rank didn''t matter. In other words, the Core Card in the group deck is the Captain, while the Core Card of the Ten Strongest Spirit Deck is the General Commander.

 Chapter 218 One-thirds of the Real Rhode

    "�� Rhode, are you okay��?"


    Looking at the tightly closed door, Christie asked with a worried expression. She worriedly looked at the cold food that seemed to be untouched.


    "I am also a little bit worried��"


    Lize walked forward and took the food. At the same time, she felt uneasy. Ever since Rhode came back, he had locked himself up in the room and refused to meet anyone. He said that he had found some inspiration from the previous battles and needed to meditate, so he hoped that he would not be disturbed by anyone. That was why he ordered the mercenaries to rest for a few days. He also assigned Marlene to bring the magical forging table back to the stronghold. Rhode locked himself up in the study room for the entire day. No matter how many times Christie called him, he did not answer. He didn''t even eat; no one knew what he was actually doing inside.


    "Is it really okay, Marlene?"


    "I think it is okay, you don''t have to worry."


    Compared to Christie and Lize, Marlene was clearly a lot calmer.


    "If you suddenly think of an idea, you will rush to figure it out. I think Mr. Rhode is feeling like this right now. I have also experienced the same thing. At first, I was unable to comprehend the magic principles no matter how much I tried, but suddenly I came up with an idea. At that time, I immediately put down everything in my hands to start think and rearrange the information in my mind. When I finally understood the magic principles, it was already the morning of the third day. It was only then did I realized that I had not eaten for two whole days. I hadn''t even move from my desk. However, it was still worth the effort."


    "Oh my, you did not even move from your desk for two days? Anne definitely cannot withstand that." Hearing Marlene''s words, Anne gasped in surprise. She was restlessly swaying on the chair back and forth while talking to Marlene.


    "I want leader to play around with Anne though��"


    "Stop being spoiled; don''t forget��we have a very important mission. It''s almost the Midsummer Festival, so we must continue getting stronger. If you have time to play around, isn''t that time better spent practicing?"


    "Anne just wants to rest a little��"


    Feeling Marlene''s glare, Anne''s lips twitched and she complained. Marlene helplessly shook her head, unable to handle Anne anymore. Soon, Marlene decided to forget about this matter and walked towars Christie. She squatted down and gently said.


    "Christie, I can guarantee that nothing will happen to Rhode. You must take care of your health. If you got sick, then he would definitely be very sad. You don''t want him to be sad, right?"


    Christie quickly shook her head. Seeing this, Marlene smiled and softly rustled her hair.


    "Then go to rest now. It is already late. I will call you if something happens."


    "�� Okay�� then�� Goodnight, big sisters��" Hearing Marlene''s words, Christie nodded and bowed to the three of them. After that, she went back to her own room.


    "Sigh��" Lize was finally felt relieved. "Such a good girl."


    "That''s right." Marlene nodded, but she no longer said anything else. Although she looked calm, there was a trace of concern in the way she looked at Rhode''s bedroom door because even she did not know what Rhode was actually doing.


    "Sigh��"


    At this moment, inside the dark room, Rhode took a deep breath. The black stone in his hands had already turned into dust and was scattered around the floor. The faint white light around his body gradually disappeared. He opened his eyes, trying to look at the numbers before him. He nodded.


    Although Rhode had made a mental preparation, the effect of the Heart of Spirit still made him surprised. He had gotten was nearly hundreds of thousands of EXP points. If everything went smoothly, he could be sure that he would immediately reach Level 23! From Level 18 to Level 23, he would be able to level up 5 times straight. It was definitely something that he did not expect.


    However, he actually did it.


    This time his luck was quite good.


    [Received 10 skill points]


    [Advanced level detected, available for enhancing. Please select]


    Enhance��


    Looking at the system prompt, Rhode frowned. He stood up and withdrew his sword. The red sword was currently floating in the air, shining brightly before turning back again to normal after a few seconds.


    His speed would be very fast enough if he enhanced his swordsmanship��


    Thinking until here, Rhode clenched his teeth and looked at his attributes. However, beside the familiar (??) nothing could be seen. It seemed that he would not be able to see his attributes before he figured out his mixed blood.


    Even so, let''s just try it!


    Rhode looked at the system prompt and quickly issued an order.


    Select advanced enhancement.


    [Please select��]


    "Attributes." Rhode closed his eyes and answered.


    [Please select the attribute that you wish to enhance��]


    This was his last opportunity, if his guess was right, then he would be able to succeed.


    "Agility."


    After Rhode said it, he felt as if he could not breathe. He kept looking at the system prompt before him. If his guess was right, then there was hope!


    [�� Agility enhancement completed�� Checking��]


    [System checking�� Attribute has reached the specified requirements. Swordsmanship unlocked: Dark Dance]


    Success!


    Looking at the system prompt before him, Rhode clenched his fist with excitement. Dark Dance was a legendary swordsmanship skill that had been passed down for thousands of years. It was also the swordsmanship that Rhode frequently used in the game. Although he could also use Moon Shadow and Starfall, there was still some difference between them. As a Spirit Swordsman, Rhode had always focused on speed. A melee swordsmanship skill like Starfall was not something he would usually use. If not because he did not have enough attributes and was unable to unlock Dark Dance, then he would have tried to long ago. Although the Spirit Swordsman was also a Swordsman, it was totally different from a knight in shining armor. Spirit Swordsmans were an all-in-one job. Before starting melee attacks, they needed to ensure that the attack would not affect their summoned magic. As for defense, Rhode did not have to worry about it. If he combined himself with the Centaur Knight or the Nether Tentacle, he would get as much protection as he needed, so he did not really need to add another defensive equipment. Such equipment would only be a burden for a Spirit Swordsman.


    Now, Rhode was betting with his EXP points. His initial AGI shouldn''t be too low, so every 3 levels he unlocked after Level 20 should give him two points to his AGI attribute value, which was why he was able to unlock Dark Dance''s AGI requirements. It seemed that he had won his bet.


    [Used 1 skill point. "Dark Dance Swordsmanship" unlocked, Rank E. Special skill: Dead Soul Blade]


    [Used 3 skill points to level up the Dark Dance Swordsmanship 4/4, Rank D. Special skill: Storm Slaughter]


    [Used 5 skill points to level up the Dark Dance Swordsmanship 5/5, Rank C. Special skill: Thousands Shadow (Passive Skill)]


    Seeing this system prompt, Rhode immediately felt a chill in his spine. The dark power was flowing through his body. Soon, the information regarding those three special skills appeared on his mind.


    [The blade of the dead will quietly seize the life of those who are weak.]


    [The darkness will turn into storms and engulf everything that stands in the way.]


    [Everything is illusory; you are not where you are.]


    Very good.


    Looking at those familiar skills, Rhode nodded in satisfaction. He rubbed his hands and couldn''t wait to test his current strength. Dark Dance Swordsmanship had always been one of the best skills he used to maintain his fame. With this swordsmanship, he would finally be able to regain 1?3 of his real power and become invincible once again.


    Although it still was not perfect, this was only the beginning, right?


    He restrained himself from getting too excited. He took a deep breath and calmly looked at the front. The system prompt was still there. It was going to show the last information, which was also the most important step.


    [Level upgrade completed. Advanced Spirit Swordsman��]


    Followed by this system prompt, the summoning circle on Rhode''s hand shone. It emitted a bright light and spread around his body. On the ground, a huge summoning circle appeared, shiny rapidly. It seemed to represent the Ten Strongest Spirit Deck and soon, numerous cards flew out from it. They circled and floating around Rhode, emitting colorful lights while quietly waiting to be summoned by him. This was the last step, and also the most important step for Rhode.


    Soon, another system prompt appeared.


    [Reward Available - Core Card]


    [Please select the designated Core Card]


    Looking at the system prompt, Rhode hesitated for a moment, but eventually reached out for the bright red card in front of him.

 Chapter 219 Five Women for a Drama

    When Rhode touched the bright red card, hot flames surged out like a wave. They spread around the surrounding and quickly engulfed the room. Suddenly, an explosion sounded and the flames broke out from the window. In a few seconds, the entire room had completely changed.


    When the flame dispersed, Gillian appeared before Rhode.


    "Master, long time no see��!"


    The girl waved her hands. At the same time, she was shaking her ears and tail. Her beautiful face revealed a warm smile. Any man who saw her right now would definitely become intoxicated. However, Rhode''s face was still expressionless as usual. He only waved his hand to get rid of the smoke in front of him.


    Everything went smoothly.


    Even if Gillian was an Elemental Lord, she was still a card. According to the rules, there was no level restriction in selecting a designated Core Card, which was why there should be no problem in selecting her. But it did not mean that everything was perfect. There were still some restrictions. Although Gillian had received the Core Card power, her rank would be suppressed to Rhode''s level. Gillian could only slowly recover her strength as Rhode leveled up and enhanced his strength. Of course, she could still regain her original strength, but Rhode would need to pay the price, and even then, she could only regain her powers temporarily. Everything was still the same as before. To summon her, Rhode still had to pay a price. Fortunately, the restriction only sealed her power and not her IQ, which was enough for him.


    However��


    "Gillian."


    "What''s the matter? Master?"


    "Do you have to create this much ruckus when you show up?"


    Rhode looked at the surroundings. Everything in the study room had been blown up by the fire, including the desk and chairs. Only the ashes were left on the floor. When he asked this question, Gillian only shook her ears and innocently smiled.


    "This is, of course, Master. As a Fire Elemental Lord, I should start some fireworks to match my identity when I appear, right?"


    "�� It also means you did it on purpose, right?"


    "Of course, Master!"


    Facing Rhode''s cold question, she proudly replied. Gillian continuously swung her tail back and forth, as if she had accomplished an important mission and very proud of it. Seeing Gillian''s reaction, Rhode was speechless. Then, he reached out his hand and pinched her ears.


    "Aw! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts��!!"


    When Marlene and the others arrived, they only saw Gillian screaming at Rhode, who was mercilessly punishing her.


    "Mr. Rho, Rhode?"


    Looking at the girl who suddenly appeared in Rhode''s room, Marlene and the others felt uneasy. They looked at Gillian but did not know what to say. They were familiar with her since the scene back in the Twilight Forest was very unforgettable. A Level 50 Mage was easily turned into ashes and nothing was left of him. It was the first time the three of them saw what was called absolute power. The mage who almost killed them was easily crushed by this girl as if he was nothing but an insect. From that moment on, Gillian''s character as a strong and frightening being was deeply etched into their minds.


    However, looking at the scene before them�� Gillian was screaming, begging for forgiveness, even almost crying.


    "I think you guys still remember her."


    Rhode completely ignored the three people staring at him. He let go of Gillian''s ear and started to introduce her to everyone.


    "She''s Gillian, my subordinate. From today on, she will join our Starlight mercenary group and fight alongside all of you."


    "Eh?"


    Hearing this, Marlene''s body hardened. The only person who clearly understood Gillian''s real strength was Marlene. Marlene knew that she was an existence who could even make a Grandmaster Mage tremble. She was at least at the Legendary level. Such a strong person would actually fight alongside them? Was this a total joke?!


    "Ah!!"


    Before Marlene could react, Gillian happily jumped toward them and hugged Christie who had appeared and quietly looked at Gillian without anyone realizing.


    "Aaa, how soft, how cute. I''ve always wanted to hug her. She really looks like a doll. I can''t hold it anymore�� Master, can I have her?"


    "Certainly not."


    Rhode coldly replied and tightly grabbed Gillian''s collar, forcefully separated her from Christie, who just stood still because she did not know how to react. When Christie was finally separated from Gillian, she immediately ran toward Lize and hid behind her. She only showed her head while looking at Gillian in fear.


    "Ah�� so cute, just like a bunny��"


    Looking at Christie, Gillian''s eyes once again lit up. But, before she made her move, Rhode immediately stopped her from trying to create trauma in Christie''s heart again.


    "Lize, go and arrange a room for her."


    "Ah, yes, Mr. Rhode."


    When Lize heard her name, she finally nodded as if she had just awoken from a dream. However, hearing Rhode''s words, Gillian''s mouth in dissatisfaction.


    "There''s no need for that, I can just sleep together with Master! To tell you the truth, my skill in bed is MAX. Don''t you want to try it?"


    Hearing Gillian''s words, Rhode said nothing and waved his hand. Seeing his gesture, Gillian''s joyful expression disappeared, replaced with sadness and uneasiness. She tightly clenched her hands and put it on her chest while looking at Rhode with an uneasy expression.


    "Master, you really don''t want to? This�� I��"


    "This is my decision."


    Although her grieved expression was enough to make people feel heartbroken, Rhode did not fall into her trap. No matter how perfect her acting was, Rhode could still see her true intentions by looking at the wagging tail behind her. She was a wild beast, after all.


    "Or should I build a kennel for you?"


    "There''s no need. Although we''re relatives, there''s still a difference."


    Hearing Rhode''s words, the grievance on Gillian''s face immediately disappeared and turned into a warm smile. She quickly jumped toward Lize and held her arm intimately.


    "Then, let''s go, Little Lize. I hope you can be a good housekeeper and provide me with a good room. I don''t want a room that is too far from Master''s; the third floor is alright. That way, it will be more convenient for me to sneak into Master''s room at night. Ah, that''s right, it will be better if there''s no one living below. I don''t want to hear any noise. Bothering people who are sleeping isn''t good, isn''t it?"


    "Ah?? Yes�� Please, come with me."


    Lize had never encountered such an unusual person before. Lize was completely ordered around by Gillian, blankly following her and leaving the study. When they left, Rhode helplessly sighed and turned around toward Marlene.


    "Marlene, help me look for someone to tidy up this room and rearrange the furniture."


    "Alright, Mr. Rhode." Hearing Rhode''s order, Marlene quickly responded. But soon, she showed a hesitant expression.


    "That�� that girl she��"


    "Yes?"


    "No, nothing."


    Seeing Rhode''s eyes, Marlene hesitated for a while and decided not to ask in the end. From their previous conversations, it could be seen that they were very close and had long gone past the relationship between master and subordinate. In fact, it was also strange that a person of a Legendary level would be Rhode''s subordinate. In her opinion, Gillian''s identity was not as simple as Rhode''s subordinate. She might also be Rhode''s lover.


    Marlene''s guess was not illogical because even though she had followed Rhode for a long time, Rhode had never advanced with any intimate movements to any of them. He had always been polite and maintained a distance with women most of the time. It was really unimaginable seeing Rhode pinch a woman by the ear and even speak mercilessly to her. However, Rhode actually did that.


    This situation was not uncommon among the nobles. Many of them worked together in their own interests, arranging marriages between their descendants Although it was very rare to see a person who held such enormous strength like Gillian, it wasn''t uncommon. If Rhode''s identity was just as Marlene had guessed, then it would not be weird for Rhode to have such a powerful subordinate around him.


    But if that were the case, what should she do?


    Thinking until here, Marlene was shocked. However, she quickly calmed down and revealed a serious expression.


    "If there''s nothing else, I will excuse myself then, Mr. Rhode. I need at least two days to fix up this room according to your requests. Meanwhile, I will look for someone to arrange a new room for you."


    Having said that, Marlene bowed and left without hesitation.


    What happened?


    Seeing Marlene''s figure, Rhode was surprised. It was not that he wasn''t aware of the change in her mood, but he just did not know the reason why. At first, he still wanted to ask, but he actually didn''t even have the chance to because she directly left.


    "Haa!!!"


    Just when Rhode was feeling puzzled, Anne, who had been silent this entire time, suddenly sound relieved and fell onto the ground. She sneakily turned her head around toward the corridor and patted her chest.


    "Huft�� Finally, it ended. It really scared Anne."


    "What happened, Anne?"


    Until then, Rhode finally realized that Anne was being strange. Gillian''s personality was quite similar to Anne''s, so he thought that they would get along quite well. However, he did not expect Anne to stay silent and not even dare to breathe around Gillian. Right now, Anne didn''t look like she had just seen a comrade, but rather a God of Death instead.


    "Anne also did not know what happened."


    Hearing Rhode''s question, Anne shook her head and stood up. Her legs were slightly shaking, and she was clearly still frightened.


    "When I saw Sister Gillian, it was as if Anne was being glared at by a frightening wild beast and almost eaten. Anne was really afraid and did not even dare to make a sound. It''s really weird, Anne also doesn''t know what actually happened�� Anyway, Anne only felt really scared; it would be better if Anne did not defy Sister Gillian."


    "Oh?"


    Hearing Anne''s answer, Rhode frowned. However, he wasn''t surprised since Anne was a half beast, and Gillian was also a beast. Considering that she had a strong aura, she naturally also exerted an absolute pressure to similar races. It was no wonder Anne could sense her strength since she was instinctively sensitive and her race was also similar to Gillian''s. It was just a little bit surprising that it would be this obvious.


    However, Anne''s response was completely different.


    "�� But�� Christie does not seem to be afraid of Sister Gillian��" She raised her hand timidly and said. After pausing for a while, she hesitated for a moment and continued her speech. "�� And�� I think Sister Gillian is very familiar. I think I have seen her appearance somewhere��"


    What''s going on?


    Hearing until here, Rhode was getting even more confused.


    It seemed that Gillian''s appearance had brought them a much bigger surprise than he had expected.

 Chapter 220 Using His Own Way...

    "Master, your current strength is still too far off of your plan."


    Gillian held a cup of hot black tea while she sat on the sofa leisurely, moving back and forth. Was no one of the beast race able to sit in the chair obediently? Not just Anne��right now, Gillian was also swinging her body left and right like a daruma doll.


    "With your current strength, it will be difficult for you to face the group of idiots sent by the Country of Light, let alone face the Four Great Generals."


    "I know."


    Although Gillian''s words were quite sharp, Rhode did not mind. To the contrary, he was very happy. Because this was the first time he could share his plan completely ever since he transmigrated here. Since Gillian was once his subordinate, she understood what was would happen to this world. She wouldn''t be like Marlene and others who thought he was just having a nightmare. In other words, even if the Country of Darkness''s invasion could prove his prophecy right, it did not necessarily mean that his subordinates would worship him because the matter was simply too strange. One step out of line and it would lead to suspicion and restlessness. However, there was no pressure when he spoke with Gillian because he was able to speak freely and did not have to think much about how to explain his thoughts. He just had to say what was on his mind.


    It was really relaxing to him.


    "And I think we can''t just rely on a few magic weapons for the Midsummer Festival. Also, do you really believe that Old Dwarf?"


    The Old Dwarf Gillian mentioned was the person who currently responsible for the blacksmith shop. If he brought the forging table to the stronghold, then that blacksmith shop would turn into an ordinary shop. For Rhode, it was also a way for his Starlight mercenary group to make money. Originally, the blacksmith shop was selling weapons to make money; then, they handed over most of their income to the Keller family to get their fixed remuneration. Now that Rhode had taken over the shop, the blacksmith shop only needed to hand over half of the money to the mercenary group and the rest could be distributed among them. Rhode gave the blacksmiths a contract similar to the one he have his mercenaries; that way, they would be very enthusiastic.


    Of course, there was also someone who disagreed. As the former owner of the blacksmith''s shop, he was very displeased at Rhode, who was trying to take away the magical forging table without authorization and change the way they distributed the income. He even refused to sign the contract agreement. Rhode simply drove him out and went to find Old Walker, hoping that he could provide him with a respected and capable blacksmith to deal with the affairs here.


    Old Walker also did not disappoint him and quickly recommended a person Rhode was familiar with. It was Barf, the dwarf who he had met when he followed the Jade Tears mercenary group deep undergound. Based on what Old Walker had said, Barf was a famous blacksmith from Deep Stone City and had taught many students. There were a lot of blacksmiths in the Paphield region who were taught by him. His dream was to have his own blacksmith shop. However, because the people on the surface had a deep prejudice against dwarves, they did not think dwarves were qualified to be leaders despite being good blacksmiths. They would be greatly respected if they were just an ordinary blacksmith, but as the owner? No way.


    The continuous failure made Barf feel frustrated, which was why he decided to return underground and never mentioned the matter again. So when Old Walker heard Rhode''s request, he quickly recommended Barf to manage the shop.


    As a player, he was not racist like the NPCs here. He did not care whether Barf was a dwarf, goblin, or even Dark Elf as long as he could work, so he quickly accepted Old Walker''s offer and told him to persuade Mr. Barf. There was nothing that couldn''t be solved with money.


    Rhode felt that it had been a very wise decision to recruit Old Walker. It was very easy to find who he wanted through him since he was a well-connected NPC character in Deep Stone City. As an old mercenary, Old Walker had lived here for decades, so he was very familiar with everything and everyone here. The biggest reason as to why Rhode chose him was because Old Walker was able to provide the human resources he wanted, so he did not have to waste time and look for people by himself like before.


    "Although he''s not trustworthy, I think he is still relatively good compared to other humans."


    "I knew you would say that."


    Hearing Rhode''s answer, Gillian''s lips twitched. Soon, she revealed a warm smile.


    "I also have to admit that the dwarves'' are indeed amazing at forging. Since you are interfering, do you intend to maximize his potential, Master?"


    "Do you have an idea of how to?" Rhode''s eyes narrowed. Gillian proudly grinned while looking at the man before her.


    "Very simple. There''s a type of equipment that can help you mass-produce in a short period of time and improve your own strength. You must have heard of it before, Master?��"


    "You mean, a Composition Adornment?" Rhode''s eyes lit up when he heard it, but he quickly shook his head. "But it was something that appeared later in the game during the Devil''s War."


    Composition Adornments were a type of mass production magical equipment that appeared later in the game. It was a metal armor made of ancient craftsmanship and could be shrunk and expanded. The Composition Adornment could be attached to the user''s arm like a shield, so it did not occupy any space. In the battle, it could expand into full body armor in a very short time, transforming the user into a fully armed warrior. The Composition Adornment itself did not have any attributes; it would change based on the user''s weapon and would be able to increase the user''s strength, defense, and agility. In the Devil''s War, the Composition Adornment was the basic equipment of players and NPCs. Without it, it would have been very difficult for them to fight against the Devil''s Army. In the game, when a player''s forging and archeology skill reached a certain level, they would learn the formula and be able to create their own, unique Composition Adornment. However, the Composition Adornment only appeared later in the game when Country of Light and Country of Darkness were destroyed. That was why Rhode did not keep it in mind.


    But now, Gillian actually had a different opinion about it.


    "Of course, but you should also know that there has always a process from discovery to research to large-scale production. You should also remember that the Composition Adornment wasn''t national research, but rather found by the archaeologists�� and now, we have a very good opportunity to find it."


    Gillian smiled as she said this, and putting down a notice, she smiled.


    "This��"


    "A group of scholars is hiring guards. They were going to the Unicorn Peak for research. Master, this is a three-star mission, and��" Having said that, Gillian narrowed her eyes fiercely. "These scholars come from Ophenia."


    "The country that produced the Composition Adornment?"


    Hearing Gillian''s words, Rhode frowned. He took the notice and read it carefully. After that, he closed his eyes and thought for a while.


    "�� What do you think?"


    "It may or may not be a coincidence. However, I don''t think we need to worry about that. If it''s as we expect, then we just have to steal it, right? Your mercenary group has a high success rate in completing missions, there should be no problem with failing once or twice, right? Or��"


    Having said that, Gillian pointed a finger while revealing a charming smile.


    "We can complete the mission, but deliberately undermine their research results. After all, to those four-glasses idiots, mercenaries are just a group of barbaric people who won''t understand what they''re saying, right?


    "But the Composition Adornment is a magical equipment from an ancient era, the text��"


    "Please leave it to me, Master. This is not a problem."


    "If we get exposed?"


    "I think this is also not a problem ��" Hearing Rhode''s question, Gillian slightly laughed. "A group of weak scholars died inside a ruin to satisfy their curious minds. They did not listen to the mercenaries. That will be a reasonable alibi. With Master''s ability, I believe you will be able to act according to this script perfectly."


    "Very well."


    When he heard this, Rhode no longer said anything. He picked up the notice on the table and put it in his pocket.


    "Now, we can go and visit those commissioners�� I hope they won''t let me down."

 Chapter 221 Potential ...Prey

    Soon, Rhode met those scholars from Ophenia in the Mercenary Association.


    They were a little different from what Rhode had imagined. The robes they wore were simple and easy to move in, unlike the usual floor-length long robes that were used by old scholars, which made the wearer prone to tripping. Those scholars were wearing a wide-brimmed hat, carrying a variety of props behind them. There was an axe and shovel among other similar props, but they were not used for fighting an enemy. Instead, they were used to dig for and record information in the ruins. If not because of the frameless glasses that they wore, people might actually mistake them for adventurers.


    The atmosphere of their meeting could be said to be quite good. Rhode used a cordial approach to communicate with the leader of the Ophenian scholars. He even showed his enthusiasm, which was very rare. Rhode actually did not do it on purpose; after all, in the game, Ophenia was quite popular with players just like the Munn Kingdom.


    The Munn Kingdom was popular with the players because of the generous and beautiful ruler. However, the reason for Ophenian popularity was quite the opposite. The players did not really like the country, but they liked the things inside it. They were looking at Ophenia like a hungry wolf looking at a lonely fat lamb. They were truly feeling happy from the bottom of their heart.


    As a small country that was part of the Country of Light Union, Openia was neither rich nor poor. Most of the people in this country were scholars who were studying about artifacts and the truth of history. They were digging and exploring the remains in all parts of the continent; then, they would bring back what they had acquired to their own country. As a small country, their military forces were not strong, but the reason they were still able to survive until now was precisely because of the knowledge and precious treasures that they acquired.


    In the game, Ophenia was the country craftsmanship class players were most concerned with Ophenia had the most top production formulas and ancient knowledge in the entire Light Dragon area. Usually, craftsmanship class players would try to get these formulas. However, it was necessary to join the Ophenian forces and get a high reputation in Ophenia in order to have an access to those rare formulas.


    For the players, behaving in such manner was totally a waste of time, so most of them usually chose another way, which was by looting.


    It was well-known that every Ophenian scholars had their own unique formula. Although it was more favorable to complete the quest they were given and then took formulas as the reward, it was quicker and easier to kill directly and steal the formula. Most scholars had a lot of guards around, but for players, those NPCs meant nothing.


    In the Dragon Soul Continent, the players often killed Ophenians and stole their formulas. However, doing so might reduce their reputation and make them unable to enter the Ophenian capital to buy materials and formulas. However, to a player from a powerful guild, they did not care about those guards who were trying to stop them from entering the city.


    One of them was Rhode''s Starlight mercenary guild.


    In the game, he had led his subordinates to Twilight City, the capital of Ophenia, four times for looting. The first time was when he had just acquired the stronghold; he decided to launch an attack to secure his guild. At that time, Rhode took the advantage of the King''s Expedition. He launched a surprise attack on Twilight City and obtained an artifact, which was a crystalline artillery design from the treasury.


    The second time, Rhode attempted to loot the capital that had just been rebuilt. At that time, he stole an ancient formula to create a Gold Golem from the King''s body. The third time, which was also the last loot before he took his subordinates to the Abyssal Hell, Rhode decided to go to Ophenia to strengthen his mercenary group''s power. That time, he had chosen the City of Thousand Books and Rhode''s harvest there was very abundant. From the Princess and Queen bodies, he had stolen the core control of an ancient, large-scale conversion array. This brought the Starlight''s strength to the next level.


    Looking at it now, there was a bloody history between Rhode and Ophenia�� The first time, he looted the Country''s treasury. The second time, he killed their King. The third time, he killed their Princess and Queen��


    For poor Ophenia, as a small country, there was no way to punish Rhode''s Starlight. Since they were even able to destroy the Country of Light, why would they care about a vassal state like Ophenia?


    The importance of the country was not known until the Devil''s War broke out. They invented the Composition Adornment and used it to block the Devil''s attack. Of course, because of their hatred toward Starlight, they rejected Starlight''s purchase of the Composition Adornment. At that time, many players had laughed at Starlight, saying that they deserved it. Other guilds had actually also looted Ophenia, but no one had been as merciless as Starlight. The Composition Adornment was a very important equipment for the Devil''s War; at that time, they thought that Starlight would lose their members eventually and it would be a very good opportunity to suppress them�� However, they did not expect that was actually the beginning of Ophenia''s last tragedy.


    It was totally a waste of time to revert the reputation back, so it was only natural for Rhode to decide to kill them again. This time, he brought his subordinates to surround the entirety of Ophenia. He occupied the Composition Adornment factory and stopped the production. After this incident, the people who joined Starlight kept increasing and its position did not falter just because the Ophenians had declined to cooperate with them. To the contrary, their position had become steady.


    However, it was a pity that the Composition Adornment design was lost and could not be found. Or else, Rhode would not waste his time to track it down since he was able to remember it. Although many players said that Starlight was even crueler than robbers, they could not do anything about it anyway.


    "Well, it''s a deal then, Mr. Rhode."


    The elder of Ophenia paid respect toward him. Rhode only nodded and took the coin purse.


    "No problem, I already received the deposit, so of course I will serve you. Please wait for two days. I will send some people to prepare the necessary travel items. Before departure, I will ask someone to contact you. Before that, please wait here for a moment."


    "Can it be faster?"


    Hearing Rhode''s answer, a man asked anxiously, but the elder coldly snorted, telling him to shut up.


    "I will try."


    Rhode lowered his head to look at the ground. He clearly knew what those Ophenians were thinking about; just like many highly educated and highly intellectual people, most of them looked down upon labor workers, let alone mercenaries who risked their lives to make money. To those Ophenians, knowledge was their weapon, and wisdom was their feet. Although they indeed accomplished considerable success in this regard, they generally lacked masculinity like many other intellectuals. Many people said that intellectual people looked down on barbaric people because they were too hot-headed. However, as a man who had conquered countless forces in the Dragon Soul Continent, he thought that the barbaric people who lived in this continent were harder to deal with than the seemingly knowledgeable people. If one invaded their territory, they would risk their lives to fight. Rhode understood this principle because he had experienced it before. But Ophenians thought their own life was the most important. As for country�� Well, there were countless countries in this continent, recorded since the dawn of time. The destruction of old reigns and the birth of new nations. It was the wheel of history; the country could be rebuilt, but how about life? Even if their country had been destroyed, didn''t they still live in this land?


    Because of that, Ophenia had a weak offense. At first, they fiercely resisted, but when they noticed that the sacrifice was not comparable to what would be earned, they were not as firm anymore. This was the reason Rhode was able to loot their country so many times�� According to his assessment, they seemed to become stupid after digging too many artifacts.


    However, the reason Rhode lowered his head was not because he wanted to escape from their sights. Instead, he was trying to suppress himself from killing the people here. It was not because he was mad, but his instinct told him to do so. There were about 20 Ophenian scholars before him��that meant a lot of ancient formulas and materials.


    Thinking until here, even his saliva almost flowed out.


    Fortunately, he had very good self-control and made the correct correspondence and judgment. He suppressed the impulse to kill this group of fat lambs and loot them on the spot.


    However, after leaving the Mercenary Association, he began to consider one thing.


    This time�� should I just kill all of them?


    Alive or dead, it was a really difficult and painful decision to make.

 Chapter 222 Lapis’s Reques

    It was precisely because of this reason, Rhode decided to exclude Marlene, Lize, and Anne when he announced the participants of this mission. Although the three of them could increase the group''s combat effectiveness, it would be difficult for Rhode to kill Ophenians that way. The girls were extremely clever, so they might notice that something was off. In order to prevent that kind of thing from happening, Rhode decided to exclude them from this mission. Of course, he was not going to tell them the truth; he told them that they needed to train more for the Midsummer Festival. Hearing Rhode''s excuse, Marlene and the others did not feel suspicious and agreed. Of course, Randolf and Joey also did not participate in this mission for the same reason. To the contrary, he brought along Shauna, Kavos, and their subordinates. This time, he still could not bring Kavos''s team because it might give them the misconception that their status had been elevated. That was why Rhode decided to split Shauna''s team into two and brought half of them to the Unicorn Peak in order to balance the forces. In the Blackrock Depth, Kavos''s team had gradually merged into the mercenary group, but it was still not enough. If he could not maintain the pressure, soon they would go back to their former state and all of his hard work would be in vain. The trip to the Blackrock Depth would also be a waste.


    However, not everything went as Rhode has planned.


    Because this time, Lapis suddenly looked for him and asked him to bring her to the Unicorn Peak.


    Rhode had almost forgotten that Lapis was an alchemist. Her job was somewhat similar to an archeologist to some extent. But he did not understand why did she chose to go to Unicon Peak. If she wanted to go to ancient ruins, why didn''t she say anything when they went to the Black Pine Ruins and Blackrock Depth?


    However, Lapis didn''t answer Rhode''s question. She only said that she wanted to find something in the Unicorn Peak and that it would be helpful for her alchemy. As for the thing that she was looking for, she refused to say what it was. It was very rare to see this girl, who had always been afraid to fight, this determined. Although Rhode''s question had troubled her, she still stayed resolute and refused to disclose the specific content.


    This made Rhode feel somewhat curious. He knew that it was not strange for people to have their own secrets, but if Lapis acted like this, it was definitely something out of the ordinary. Perhaps, it could be her personal quest. If that was so, then it would not be a bad thing to let her come along. Lapis definitely placed second to last last in the mercenary group��even the Ophenian scholars seemed to be stronger than her. If something happened, he could use Lapis as an excuse to give up on those fellows and let them face the danger alone. After all, to mercenaries, their own comrades were also very important, right?


    Even if something actually happened to those pitiful Ophenians, no one would be able to blame him.


    From this point of view, it could be seen that Lapis was indeed a good excuse.


    That''s why Rhode decided to agree to her request. This time, the participants of the mission were Gillian, Lapis, Shauna''s team, and Kavos''s team. All of them would be led by Rhode. As for the stronghold''s safety, Rhode left it in Marlene''s care.


    These few days, Gillian had also gotten friendly with the group. She was outgoing, beautiful, and welcomed by everyone. Even though as a Fire Elemental Lord, Gillian was quite proud, she actually got along well with the other mercenaries. In just a few days, Gillian''s reputation almost exceeded Anne''s, Marlene''s, Lize''s, and the other old members''.


    The only thing that differed her from the other three was that she never actually fought together with them and as a mercenary, although they appreciated her beauty, they did not really think of her as a comrade. They would only acknowledge her as a comrade when she fought alongside them.


    And this mission was the best opportunity for Gillian to get acknowledged by them.


    Rhode''s actions were fast. On the third day, the fully armed mercenaries were ready to walk toward the city gate. Not long after, they finally met the Ophenian scholars. Although the sun had just rose, the Ophenians already came prepared and seemed ready to set out. Soon, the Ophenian elder quickly greeted them.


    "You finally came, Mr. Rhode."


    "I hope I was not late."


    Rhode looked up at the sky. He nodded and greeted back the elder. The elder quickly nodded back, then shifted his sight toward Gillian who stood beside him and was surprised. Clearly, no matter who saw Gillian, they were all attracted to her. However, the elder did not lose his composure because of this. He only looked at Gillian''s ears and tail for a moment.


    "Then, shall we go now?"


    "Yes, of course." Rhode made a hand gesture. "Please rest assured, we will protect all of you."


    "Hey, did you see it?"


    When Rhode was talking to the elder, the other scholars were curiously gossiping and busily whispering from behind.


    "What''s with that girl? Don''t you think she''s a half-beast?"


    "It doesn''t seem so�� According to the record, aren''t half-beasts supposed to be just like a human? It was said that they only transform when they are stimulated by something."


    "But how do you explain her ears and tail?"


    "Perhaps they''re just accessories? I''ve heard that people from some remote places practice such weird behavior��"


    "But it looks real."


    "Ehem! Enough talking."


    When everyone was busy coming up with their own theories, a person walked forward. He stopped and quietly warned them.


    "Don''t forget; they are the people who will protect us. According to information from the Grandmaster, this mercenary group is very strong. We have to rely on them to complete the mission. Don''t cause any troubles, understand? Don''t interfere with their personal affairs and just do the things you''re supposed to do."


    Hearing his words, the other scholars quickly shut up. After that, they followed the mercenaries and walked out from the city.


    "Huft��"


    Lapis finally felt relieved when they left the city. She uneasily looked around, but she was only able to see crowds. She should be safe here�� Thinking of it, she could not help but feel relieved. She relaxed her fingers and looked up toward Rhode.


    If leader knew the truth, would he be mad at me? He is such a serious person; if he knew that I was hiding something from him��


    "Lapis?"


    "Ah!"


    Gillian suddenly appeared behind Lapis and scared her off. She quickly pulled her cloak to cover her face. After that, she took a few steps back, anxiously looking at Gillian.


    "Miss, Miss Gillian! What''s the matter?"


    "Nothing, it''s just that you seem to be distracted, so I''m curious."


    Hearing Lapis''s question, Gillian playfully smiled. She came closer and gazed at her. She did not know why, when looking at Gillian she could not help but feel dizzy as if she were seeing a bottomless whirlpool that would devour her completely.


    "Lapis, do you have anything in mind? Just tell me; I promise I won''t tell anyone."


    "I�� I''m only worried that��"


    Hearing Gillian''s enchanting voice, Lapis answered with hesitation. However, she only said that when she suddenly regained her senses. She quickly backed down while pulling down her cloak.


    "I, I, I''m sorry, Sister Gillian. It''s nothing; I''m just a little bit nervous�� I, I''ll leave first."


    After saying that, Lapis did not wait until Gillian replied and quickly went back to the crowd. Gillian looked at her as she disappeared. After that, she narrowed her eyes, and looking at the distant forest, she quickly went back to Rhode''s side and smiled.


    "Master?"


    "Yes? What''s the matter, Gillian?"


    "What do you plan to do with that elf?" Gillian casually asked. As for her sudden inquiry, Rhode did not seem to be surprised by it; it was clear that he had long been aware of this matter.


    "It depends on her." Rhode said while looking at the road ahead. "I believe this will be a good opportunity."


    He closed his eyes. "No matter what you see, just pretend you didn''t. Understand?"


    "Of course, Master, I understand." Gillian laughed and no longer said anything.


    At this moment, in the distant forest, a man wearing camouflage cloak slowly stood up, carefully observing the mercenaries in front of him through the gaps between leaves. He reached out his hand, and soon a bird flew from the air and sat on it.


    Then a hoarse voice sounded.


    "Inform everyone that the Oriole has appeared."

 Chapter 223 Ambush in the Nigh

    Lunar year, the 15th of the month of fire moon.


    It was the 76th day.


    Today, the weather was very gloomy and everyone looked so down. Leader did not force us to continue; instead, he found a place for us to rest. Honestly, I was very nervous because I was afraid that I might arouse leader''s suspicion. I really don''t know how to explain it to him. That was why every time everyone was resting, I was really afraid that leader would look for me. I know that leader is a very good person in spite of his serious face. But I still didn''t tell him the truth because this is our family''s curse and I don''t want to involve others in, including Brother Randolf. However, I''m a little bit worried about how long can I kept this secret. I''m also really scared of Sister Gillian. Every time she looks at me, I felt as if she can see through me, as if she knows my true identity and my cursed bloodline. I keep telling myself not to have such wishful thinking since many years have passed. No one should remember our existence, except for the hunters that lived in the forest.


    I know it''s very despicable of me. When I heard that leader was going to the Unicorn Peak, I immediately thought of an idea. I wanted to use his power to complete the thing I should have done. This might be the so-called "taking advantage of someone"; I have also regretted this decision and I feel worried and very uneasy. However, I still have to do it in the end because this was my destiny. I have already decided. When everything ends, I will tell everything to the leader. I hope that he will forgive me�� I hope the holy spirit will forgive my egoism.


    We have almost arrived at the Unicorn Peak.


    I can already vaguely hear that they are calling me from afar, ]waiting for me, waiting for everything to come to an end.


    The hunters are also getting closer and closer. I have to do it before they find me�� This was Father''s last wish and the dream of our entire tribe.


    "Haa��"


    The cold wind blew through the tent gap. The girl couldn''t help but keep trembling. She tightened her cloak and anxiously looked around. The sky was already dark, and it was relatively cold outside��even the bonfire swayed in wind. Occasionally, the sound of insects around the forest could be heard. It was already late, so the Ophenians had returned to their tents, leaving the mercenaries guarding outside. The mountain wasn''t safe since it was full of bandits and wild beasts. Although Lapis was also the member of the mercenary group, she didn''t have to stay have to be on nightwatch. Even though Lapis wasn''t a caster like Lize and Marlene and needed rest, the potions she created, including the low-grade ones, were very useful for the mercenaries. To many of them, it was enough to save their lives whenever they were in danger. Because of this, a lot of mercenaries respected her and didn''t say anything even though she wasn''t on guard.


    Of course, from another point of view, it was not too reassuring to let her stay on guard.


    "Ah, Lapis, are you sleeping?"


    Suddenly a voice sounded from outside the tent. Lapis couldn''t help but be surprised at the sound of this voice. She immediately hid her diary and stood up.


    "Sister Gillian?"


    "Hihihi, I knew it, you haven''t slept."


    After hearing Lapis''s reply, Gillian entered the tent. She dressed seductively as usual. It was as if the icy cold weather didn''t leave any marks on her white skin. Gillian proudly raised her right hand. She was holding a wine jug and two wooden cups.


    "How about it; do you want some? It''s really cold here, so be careful not to catch a cold."


    �� What she said didn''t really sound too convincing.


    Looking at Gillian''s shoulder, Lapis opened her mouth, trying to say something. But in the end, she said nothing. She had always been timid and not good at communicating. In the Mark White mercenary group, Lapis had no other friends beside Randolf, Anne, and some others because she had never actually interacted much. Moreover, she wasn''t strong, so she had always been a hindrance to her comrades. That''s why in the Mark White mercenary group, Lapis didn''t have many friends; there''s no one who liked her except for Randolf, Anne, and a few others.


    She thought that she was going to experience the same thing when she first came to Starlight. Afterward, she found out that she was wrong. Because of Rhode, she didn''t have to risk her life fighting every day. She just had to stay in her room and do what she liked. Not only that, the other mercenaries also never laughed at her or scolded her like in her previous mercenary group. To the contrary, they were very nice and showed respect toward her. She was no longer a hindrance here��


    Lapis really loved her current life. She felt really reassured in Starlight. Everything there was comfortable. There were people who liked her��even loved her��and she didn''t have to go on a dangerous mission to risk her life�� If she could, she really hoped to stay forever.


    Thinking until here, she dozed off a little. But she quickly recovered and took the wooden cups. Gillian slightly laughed while sitting before her. Then, she placed the jug in her hands on the bonfire. Soon, a fragrant smell spread around and the room was filled with the scent of wine.


    "Where is the leader?" Holding a cup in her hand, Lapis curiously asked. She looked at Gillian, feeling a little bit uneasy and puzzled�� She seemed to be looking for a topic.


    "Master wanted to be alone for a while, so he told me to get out." Hearing Lapis''s question, Gillian''s mouth twitched.


    "It''s the truth; Master is a very ruthless person. Because the weather is very cold, I thought of warming his bed. But he actually rejected me mercilessly, and I''m really hurt by it. A man can just never understand a woman''s heart, right, Lapis?"


    "Eh?"


    Hearing Gillian''s answer, Lapis was totally speechless. She lightly coughed, awkwardly. She had no clue how to answer Gillian''s question. However, it didn''t seem like Gillian cared about it either. She just skimmed the subject slightly, then reached out to pick up the jug. Lapis was looking at Gillian as she poured wine into her cup. Seeing the liquid, Lapis hesitated for a moment, then cautiously sipped it.


    The hot liquid instantly dispersed the cold air around her body. She closed her eyes comfortably; she could also feel the coldness in her body being expelled. When she put down the wooden cup in her hand, Gillian''s beautiful face suddenly appeared before her.


    "Ms. Gillian!"


    The sudden intimidation made Lapis shrink backward as she distanced herself from Gillian.


    However, Gillian didn''t stop, still looking at Lapis carefully.


    "Well�� you''re a very cute child. Why do you wrap yourself this tight? Isn''t it a waste of beauty? Beauty is a woman''s weapon. It''s only effective when shown. If you hide it, it will make a lot of people cry."


    "I, I''m not used to being looked at��" Lapis said, subconsciously tightening her cloak again, just like a child rebelling against her parents. "You don''t have to worry, Sister Gillian. There''s nothing wrong about it. I''m accustomed to such a life. I think I don''t need to change anything."


    "What a pity."


    Upon hearing Lapis''s reply, Gillian took a step back and drank the wine in her cup in a very elegant pose. Then she turned her head again to look at the girl in front of her.


    "It''s really a pity; I didn''t expect you to lack this much confidence. Really is such a pity; back then your perfect tribe was very proud and confident��"


    "Eh?!" When Lapis heard this sentence, her body immediately became stiff.


    The heat around her body seemed to have disappeared completely, replaced with extreme coldness, as if she were in an ice cave. Lapis blankly gazed at Gillian and didn''t know what to say. After a while, she forced herself to smile a very awkward smile. It was even less natural than a smile carved by a rookie craftsman on a statue.


    "I, I do not understand what you mean�� Sister Gillian, I''m just an ordinary mercenary. I don''t know what you mean by perfect tribe��"


    Hearing her answer, Gillian only gazed at her silently. When Lapis became restless because of this, she laughed.


    "Actually, I only said it casually. I suddenly remembered that such a legendary tribe once existed. They were very proud and confident. Personally, I think it''s a very admirable trait; don''t you think so, Ms. Lapis?"


    "Is, is that so��"


    Seeing Gillian''s reaction, Lapis couldn''t cope any longer. She replied carefully, not knowing what more to say. Suddenly, a sharp scream broke the silence in the camp.


    "Aaa��������!!"

 Chapter 224 Druid

    A scream broke the silent night. Lapis''s body couldn''t help but tremble. When she stood up, Gillian had already made her move.


    Burning flame suddenly broke out from her body. It spread around them and the surging flame formed into a shield, blocking in front of them.


    Followed by a cracking sound, a dozen arrows flew across the night sky, but completely disappeared before the flame shield.


    This time, the other mercenaries also reacted. They quickly took out their crossbows and arrows while hiding in the shadows of the surrounding buildings. They stayed vigilant while looking at Gillian, who didn''t seem to panic even the slightest. She was still leisurely standing in the center of the camp and the surging flame around her destroyed any threats that stood before her.


    Although she had lost her original power, as a Fire Elemental Lord, she was still able to manipulate the flame element. She was unable to display large-scale destruction spells, but she had no problem using a simple elemental spell.


    "Holy spirit above��"


    Seeing the girl who was covered in flame, the mercenaries couldn''t help but be shocked. Fortunately, all of them had gone through the battle in Blackrock Depth, so they were already immune toward any strange and mysterious things like this. In addition, Gillian''s appearance was different from ordinary people, so when people saw her do something like this, they were not too frightened and surprised.


    However, right now wasn''t the best time for them to discuss her.


    Gillian frowned while looking at the surrounding forest and waved her right hand. Followed by her motion, a flame appeared out of thin air and burned the trees. Soon, the fire spread wider. Under the firelight, the mercenaries could see a few shadows jump out from the trees, trying to escape.


    "Attack!!"


    After seeing the enemy, the mercenaries no longer hesitated. They quickly attacked the shadows that tried to escape the fire with their bow and arrows. Soon, a few arrows hit those shadows, but they were surprised to see that those shadows didn''t fall. Instead, although they looked pitiful, they were still able to escape into the forest.


    "Stop, don''t chase after them!"


    Seeing those fellows were trying to escape, some of the mercenaries couldn''t hold the urge to chase them. However, they were quickly stopped by Shauna and Kavos. As their leaders, they understood that they shouldn''t chase after them because they were not familiar with the area around here. Rushing to attack would only lead to disaster. When they intended to make further orders, howls from the beasts suddenly echoed from the depths of the forest.


    "!!!"


    This sudden howl made the mercenaries surprised. When Lapis heard it, her body couldn''t help but tremble.


    Had they caught up with them? Holy spirit above!! How are they this fast!?


    "Gaah��������!"


    As Lapis dozed off, a chirp echoed from the sky. Followed by the sound, dozens of birds appeared from the sky and attacked the mercenaries. They didn''t expect that they would be attacked by so many wild beasts, so they lost their focus for a moment. They swung their swords around, trying to expel those birds. The mercenaries kept moving closer and closer to each other, using their comrades help to gain an advantage. Of course, they didn''t forget about those scholars. Some of the mercenaries already protected them. They swung around the burning tree branches, trying to drive away birds and force them to leave. However, it was strange; those birds didn''t seem to plan on leaving. They continued to move forward even though they were already injured by the flame.


    "What''s wrong with these damned things?"


    Kavos waved around his burning long sword and cut a small falcon. It seemed that it hadn''t yet matured. But it kept struggling to flap its wings to attack as if Kavos had killed its father or something.


    "Be careful, it seems like they are being controlled."


    Beside them, Shauna wiped the sweat on her forehead while commanding the mercenaries to defend. She looked at the surroundings uneasily, and after that, her expression darkened.


    Where did Rhode go?


    After observing carefully, it seemed that Rhode hadn''t been here since the enemy attacked. Where did he go? Why wasn''t he in the camp base? Did something happen to him? But where''s he now? Shauna had been pondering these questions for a while, but she quickly threw aside those thoughts because they finally got rid of those birds. However, they didn''t yet get the chance to breathe when a deep vibration sounded.


    Buzz.


    "No way!"


    Hearing this sound, Shauna and Kavos''s expressions immediately changed.


    It was just as they guessed. Soon, they saw a layer of gray-black "fog" coming from the forest. But none of them actually thought of it as mist because they quickly saw through their true appearance. It was a large group of wasps!!


    Holy spirit, please protect us��


    Seeing the group of wasps, the mercenaries subconsciously held their breath. They were holding the burning tree branches while clenching their teeth, desperately trying to drive away the wasps that were getting near them. However, they knew deep down that their actions were meaningless.


    If their enemy was a beast, then their method might somehow work, but now they were facing a group of small insects. What to do?


    Soon, the mercenaries no longer had to think about that question anymore.


    "A bunch of fools."


    Seeing the mercenaries who were trying to block the wasps'' attack, Gillian frowned. She and Lapis were also surrounded by the wasps. However, the wasps weren''t able to break through Gillian''s fire shield. Seeing those wasps clearly under the firelight was definitely not a fascinating scene.


    "Then, let''s end it here. I''m sorry, I''m not going to play with you guys anymore."


    Having said that, Gillian clapped her hands.


    The fire burned even more violently.


    A fire dragon suddenly appeared from the fire shield and roared toward the mercenaries who were surrounded. The mighty fire dragon moved like a surging wave and quickly filled the entire camp. Soon, those wasps disappeared under the boiling air and high temperatures.


    "Haa��"


    The mercenaries finally felt relieved. But when they looked around, they finally noticed something.


    Where was Rhode?


    The attack failed.


    Hidden in the depths of the forest, a man wearing a camo cloak looked at the bright camp. He frowned as he saw the mercenaries who seemed harmless. He thought that the mercenaries would be easy to deal with. But now it seemed that he was wrong. Especially the girl with fox ears and tail��her power to manipulate fire even made him tremble. He was sure that she was not using any spell. Judging from her appearance, it seemed that the fire was a part of her, blending with her in harmony.


    Why did such an existence exist in that corrupted and contaminated world?


    He frowned and didn''t know what to do. He originally thought that he had the upper hands, but now the situation didn''t go as planned. Thinking until here he couldn''t help but bite his lips. It seemed this time, he was too anxious. After seeing the Oriole, he became a little bit nervous. After this attack, the mercenaries would definitely be more prepared. It would be difficult to attack them again.


    He had no other choice; now, the only thing he could do was retreat.


    Thinking until here, he turned around, planning to leave. But he immediately stopped after taking a step.


    At this moment, Rhode was already leisurely standing before him, watching him.


    "Is your business finally done, sir? So now, can you answer my questions? Seeing your passionate hospitality toward us, I think I must also do something in return."


    Rhode said expressionlessly, while gently swinging the sword in his hand.


    The bright red sword''s light immediately pierced the darkness.

 Chapter 225 Let’s Fight!

    A man wearing a camo cloak stood up. His face was gloomy, and he subconsciously backed down a few steps, vigilantly watching Rhode, who suddenly appeared behind him. He didn''t know since when Rhode had been standing behind him, so he felt a little bit uneasy. At this moment, Rhode didn''t even move at all. He only looked at that man silently, as if what the man did didn''t concern him at all.


    Rhode looked at the enemy and slightly narrowed his eyes.


    Druid.


    In the game, druids weren''t as good as they were described in fantasy novels. In the Dragon Soul Continent, Druids were a group of an extreme fanatical environmentalists. They thought that the only way for human beings to survive was by going back to nature. Of course, there was no problem about that. However, the way that they implemented their visions were very heinous. Druids seldom wore and used clothing and props that were handcrafted by humans. They usually wore camo cloaks and used their fists and teeth to attack. They could command beasts and insects to fight for them and drove away threats that might do harm to nature.


    To the people in Dragon Soul Continent, Druid were no better than bandits. Or, it was a little bit wrong to describe it that way because they were a little different. At least bandits attacked people to steal treasures and women. However, the reason Druids attacked people was only because they thought that humans defiled their nature, and they wanted humans to know the greatness of nature. They worked hard so humanity would be able to understand that nothing could defy the power of nature.


    To some people, their actions were totally meaningless.


    But it didn''t mean that they should be underestimated.


    "��������!!"


    The man suddenly echoed a roar that didn''t sound like a human. He bowed down and waved out his hands forward as if it were a sharp claw. After that, he slowly retreated and began to circle around Rhode just like a wolf waiting for an opportunity to kill the prey. He twitched his nose, carefully observing the enemy before him. It could be seen that the enemy was a very young man, but his actions made him felt a little bit puzzled. Rhode wasn''t panicked or afraid, not even angry or hasty. He was calm and his breath was stable. His black eyes reflected darkness deeper than the abyss.


    The enemy was a little bit troublesome.


    Thinking until here, the Druid clenched his teeth and roared toward Rhode.


    In response, Rhode lifted up his sword.


    The moment the Druid saw the sword, he squinted his eyes. There was a trace of hatred and disgust when he looked at it. Druids hated these kind of props. In their opinion, because of people''s self-ignorant desire, they plundered the stone from the earth''s embrace and made the stones lose their original form. What they did was an unforgivable sin. In the past, when enemies waved around that weapon, he would use his both hands to eliminate those who dared to desecrate the earth due to anger. But now�� there was another thing he could do besides getting angry. Thinking until here, he quickly calmed down and walked to the side. However, Rhode didn''t stop, raising his Red Tears sword and pointing it toward that man while slowly walking to the left.


    Then he slowed down his movement.


    At the same time, the Druid noticed that he had lost the target because Rhode had suddenly transformed into an ethereal spirit, or perhaps a shadow illusion, to make others confused as to where he was. Although his eyes were telling him that it was nothing more than an illusion, his brain immediately sent a contradictory signal.


    This made the Druid felt a little bit puzzled. He stopped and clenched his teeth. The sudden intense pain made his originally confused brain became a lot clearer. He quickly calmed down and looked at Rhode carefully. But no matter what, he still couldn''t grasp Rhode''s location. Not only that, he also felt a surge of adrenaline. It had been a long time since he felt like that, but his body still remembered and subconsciously reacted. His heart started beating faster and faster, and the air around him also got heavier and made him unable to breathe. His muscles tightened as if it were warning him, instinctively telling him that there''s a threat ahead.


    It''s death threat.


    "!!!"


    At this time, he finally made a move.


    He roared like a wolf and then three to four wolves rushed there from the depths of the forest. They were waving their sharp claws and showed their fangs, trying to attack Rhode, who only stood still.


    But Rhode suddenly moved.


    The Druid thought that the scene before him was just too unbelievable. Rhode was defenseless when facing the wolves. After all, Rhode was more focused on fighting with him. He was pretty sure about that because he could feel Rhode''s sharp glare. The strong, barbaric, and absolute sense of oppression made the Druid felt overwhelmed. That was why he had to attack first in order to break this suffocating pressure.


    Sure enough, the atmosphere around him suddenly loosened.


    However, before the Druid recover from the excitement of being alive, he soon saw an unforgettable scene.


    Rhode''s expression didn''t change the slightest as he faced the wolves, only swinging his sword. With the Druid''s talent, he was able to clearly saw the tip of Rhode''s bright red sword getting sharper and sharper, followed by Rhode''s movements. But he hadn''t yet seen it carefully yet Rhode''s figure suddenly disappeared.


    No, it might be incorrect to say that he had disappeared. Because when Rhode stepped forward, he suddenly appeared behind the wild wolf and pierced his sword forward.


    Unfortunately, the sword wasn''t able to pierce through the wolf because the wolf had instinctively sensed the incoming danger and decided to back down. It turned its body around, trying to dodge Rhode''s attack. However, it failed to escape and gradually lost its strength. It fell to the ground and was unable to get up again.


    When Rhode pierced it, he didn''t even look at it. To the contrary, he smoothly moved forward like the stream.


    And he suddenly appeared in front of the wolf that was the farthest from him.


    What on earth happened?


    The Druid blankly stared at Rhode, who didn''t even hesitate to split the wolf''s head apart. Rhode once again disappeared when the blood spurted out from the wolf. However, the next scene couldn''t help but made the Druid''s heart sink. He knew everything that Rhode had done was very abnormal; he had never seen such a weird fighting style before. Before the first attack, Rhode was originally in front of the wolf, but just after he stepped forward, he suddenly appeared behind the wolf. It didn''t look like the wolf was attacking him. It looked as if he was attacking the wolf.


    The things that Rhode did next were even more confusing to the Druid. Not only did Rhode use a strange method to kill the first wolf, but he already appeared in front of the second wolf, which was very far from him, in a blink of an eye just after the first wolf fell into the ground. It seemed as if he has teleported. Wolves, who were the hunter of the forest, couldn''t even react and turned into Rhode''s prey.


    What on earth did that young man just do?


    Thinking until here, the Druid subconsciously felt fearful. When he saw another wolf fal to the ground as it passed by Rhode, the Druid could swear to the Holy Spirit above that Rhode hadn''t even touched the wolf yet. Rhode''s sword only grazed the wolf and didn''t even cut it.


    Is it magic?


    This thought quickly flashed by him, but then he shook his head, trying to deny it. As a slave of nature, he was able to feel even the slightest magical fluctuation, but he couldn''t sense anything in Rhode''s movement. That''s meant that that black-haired young man was relying on his own swordsmanship skill to achieve it.


    But�� could this kind of thing be done by a human?


    If Rhode could hear the Druid''s thought, then he definitely would comfort him and say, indeed, it wasn''t done by a human.


    The Dark Dance swordsmanship was handed down by Dark Elves who lived underground and were close to the Devil. Their fighting skill far exceeded the people who lived on the surface. The harsh, underground environment forced them to bring out their full potential. The Dark Dance was created because of it.


    The Dark Elves condensated their thousand years of lives and experiences. In the game, the only skill that could reach the S-Rank was Dark Dance Swordsmanship, and its critical damage was also above A-Rank. It relied on fast speed to kill the enemy. However, it had a high requirement for AGI and only a few people could learn it. The Dark Dance swordsmanship wasn''t without flaws; the fast speed was likely to increase the body''s burden, and the holder also needed high flexibility to do it. Because of it, the holder was unable to wear heavy armor, or else it would be difficult to execute it.


    Rhode was extremely happy at this moment.


    Along the way, he had been eager to find someone to practice with. Unfortunately, the mercenaries weren''t strong enough, and the Dark Dance swordsmanship was a vicious killing move. If this was in the mirage, Rhoe might try to do it. However, he didn''t want to kill someone outside, so he could only be patient.


    It had to be said that this feeling was indescribable, like someone who had won a lottery worth five million and wanted to show it off to everyone so they became jealous, but was also personally worried to expose the power. This example really portrayed how he felt right now.


    Finally, there was someone for him to practice against.


    Thinking until here, Rhode couldn''t help but snort coldly. At this moment, the last wolf had also fallen to the ground and lost its life.


    However, they were only appetizers; the main course was yet to come.


    Swoosh.


    Whirlwind passed by.


    Rhode moved back.


    Rhode backed down, and his body suddenly moved to the side. When he turned around to dodge, a huge fist brushed past him and heavily hit the ground. Followed by the dull crashing noise, Rhode could feel the huge force extending down to the ground and even made his legs felt numb. Although the Druid''s first attack failed, he still didn''t plan to stop. He slowly stood up and looked at the young man not far from him.


    Now, the Druid''s camo cloak had already transformed into a golden armor. His fists were almost the size of basketballs. This was a Druid''s special skill. By using soul power, they could temporarily borrow the "great gift from nature". Of course, this was only their own opinion. Through the information from the Dragon Soul Continent''s researchers, these damn environmentalists were just using variations on magic spells.


    This matter didn''t concern Rhode at all.


    "Very good!"


    Rhode, who had just dodged the Druid''s attack, didn''t panic or became serious. Instead, he clenched his fists and shouted.


    Rhode could feel that his swordsmanship had gotten even more proficient after this battle. At first, he hadn''t yet familiarized himself with the Dark Dance swordsmanship. But apparently, he recovered a lot under this strong pressure.


    If that''s so, sorry to trouble you, but please be my sandbag.


    Rhode lifted his sword. At the same time, the Druid also swung his fists and rushed toward Rhode. However, unlike the first attack, this time, he made sufficient preparation. He threw a punch while shouting, and a wave surged with a rapid current sweeping through. The force was strong enough to make the trees around the forest tumble down. However, it was still unable to hit Rhode. In fact, when he attacked Rhode, Rhode had once again dodged it using that strange skill. This made the Druid felt really puzzled because he obviously was about to hit the enemy, but at that moment Rhode moved forward. He only felt his vision become blurry, and then suddenly, his fist fell on the wall heavily and dust came out from it.


    Not only that, at the same time, a bright red light flashed.


    Rhode had arrived beside the Druid, quickly swinging the sword in his hand to cut the Druid''s right hand! Facing this sudden attack, the Druid quickly retreated to dodge Rhode''s sword. When the Druid thought that he had dodged, a feeling of pain flared from his wrist.


    What happened?


    The Druid instinctively moved his right hand and realized that it was numb! He looked down, but there were no injuries. His hand was still intact and there was no injury, but his hand felt dead as if it were being cut by something, leaving only the outer shell.


    It''s him!


    The Druid lifted his head and looked forward in surprise, but there was no one there.


    "What''s going on? Can''t you fight anymore? Really disappointing."


    At this moment, Rhode''s voice suddenly echoed from the Druid''s right side and shocked him. He widened his eyes, fiercely glaring at the man before him.


    The Druid finally understood that Rhode wasn''t an opponent he could handle.


    "Don''t be modest. Please use your full power; otherwise you will die here, Mr. Druid."


    Rhode''s tone was flat like that a tour guide who showed no enthusiasm while making a presentation to the tourist. However, upon hearing it, the Druid felt chill down to his heart. He knew that he couldn''t do anything anymore.

 Chapter 226 Fast!

    "The situation has changed."


    A man who was hiding in the depths of the forest frowned as he looked at the fiery hills from the distance. He was wearing a leopard skin robe. He leaned his body into the bushes, hiding like a wild beast ready to attack its prey.


    "Brown Bear hasn''t come back yet. According to our plan, he should have assembled with us here."


    "Did something happen to him?"


    Besides him, a naked woman, who only used shells to cover her body parts, stood up. She wore a feather cloak that drifted along in the cold night wind. It looked as if she didn''t feel cold at all.


    "Our friend didn''t come back."


    Standing on the other side was a man covered in wolf''s skin. He wore a huge, dried up wolf skeleton on his head. He looked like a terrible, huge black wolf. They were one of the Druids in the forest, and Oriole was also part of them. According to their original plan, they were supposed to lure these people into the depths of the forest. After that, they would separate their forces into two. The first force would use the a familiar path and their Druid power to save their comrades while the other force took the opportunity to go to the camp and capture Oriole. But now it seemed like there were some changes. Some time had passed, but they still didn''t get any sign from Brown Bear.


    Did something happen to him?


    The man reached out his hand to pat the wild wolves, who were crawling on the ground. Then he sniffed and frowned.


    "There''s the smell of blood��"


    As the man said that, a roar suddenly sounded from the depths of the forest, proving his bad premonition.


    "��������!!"


    "Not good!"


    Hearing this sound, the three of them showed serious expressions. At the same time, the wolves also got up and rushed toward the source of this sound. Those three Druids looked worried as they glanced toward each other.


    The Brown Bear was in a big trouble.


    Thinking until here, the three of them quickly went into the forest.


    In the dark forest, fire reflected through the leaves gaps. Mottled black spots interacted with the shadowy light, forming a hellish nightmare scenery. The three of them followed the wolf''s footsteps, staggered through the forest without stop. The thorns, shrubs, even vines, and slippery moss on the ground didn''t impede them from moving forward. They rushed forward through the gaps like the wind in the woods, fast and gentle.


    When the three of them were about to reach their destination, the wolf howling suddenly stopped. The forest that originally echoed some noises immediately turned silent. This made the three of them subconsciously stop walking. They knew that it wasn''t a good omen. As their companions, these wolves were very brave and clever. If they found the target or if they were in danger, the wolves would howl differently to inform them. But now, the howl suddenly stopped, it''s as if someone had strangled their throats and didn''t even give them a chance to struggle.


    What should they do now? Just move on?


    Seeing the dark forest before them, they felt a little bit uneasy. Before they could make any decision, the shrubs in front of them shook. They saw a sturdy man running out from there. He seemed to be in a panic; the cloak he was wearing now become tattered. He held his right hand while running.


    "Brown Bear!?"


    Seeing that man, the three of them shouted. Looking at the man in front them, they were surprised. Was he still the strong Brown Bear they knew? How did he turn to this? What happened? Although the three of them were curious about what happened, Brown Bear clearly didn''t have time to explain. Instead, when Brown Bear saw them, he seemed very surprised and frightened. He didn''t seem to care about his right hand anymore and shouted.


    "Be careful, quickly run��������!!"


    At the same time, a subtle wind passed through.


    Brown Bear no longer hesitated. He rolled to the ground and dodged the critical attack that almost hit him. But that didn''t mean he escaped unscathed. Soon, Brown Bear shouted, then collapsed on the ground, unable to move.


    A shadow passed through the leaves and arrived beside the Brown Bear. From afar, a dark-haired young man holding a sword appeared before them, quietly observing.


    As expected, there were more.


    Looking at those strangely dressed people, Rhode didn''t seem to be surprised. It wasn''t his first time fighting with the Druids, so he understood how they fought pretty well. In fact, since the beginning, he had been looking out for these guys from the sidelines. His judgment appeared to be correct.


    The three of them were the same as that man��they looked defenseless and didn''t carry any weapon. But Rhode wouldn''t underestimate them just because of this. Druids didn''t have to fight with any weapon because their own body was a weapon and Rhode understood that clearly.


    "You bastard!"


    Seeing Brown Bear fell to the round, the female Druid standing in the front could no longer bear it anymore. She loudly cursed, then stretched out her hands, jumping toward Rhode like a giant bird. Her sharp nails were aiming toward Rhode''s eyes. Seeing it almost hit Rhode, the female Druid smiled.


    Rhode moved his body.


    The red sword moved down with Rhode, but bounced back up like a compressed spring. A dazzling bright red light shone in the dark sky and aimed toward the female Druid''s shoulder.


    The female Druid wasn''t wary of Rhode''s attack because it looked strange. She never expected someone to actually able to attack like that. She fell into a panic. Facing the sword that almost hit her, the only thing she could do was to go back into a defensive form. She held both of her arms, changing the center of gravity and dodging Rhode attack. However, at this moment, the female Druid could hear Brown Bear shouting in horror.


    "Be careful! Stay away from him!"


    The icy cold sword fell into the female Druid''s shoulder, tearing up a bloody wound on her body. Followed by her scream, she fell to the ground trembling as she lost her balance. She was holding her shoulder. She could feel an incomparable cold on her own shoulder. In a blink of an eye, her skin turned purple as if it had gotten a frostbite!


    Although her situation was very dangerous, the Brown Bear didn''t have any time to care about her, because from the very start, he wasn''t warning her.


    The other two stopped.


    They looked at Rhode, who stood not far behind the female Druid, and didn''t know what to say. Unlike her, the two of them could clearly see what was happening. Facing the female Druid''s attack, the black-haired man flashed forward like a leaf blown by the wind and his sword quickly pierced the female Druid''s body. Soon that "dry leaf" passed through her just like that and fell to the ground.


    At first, when the female Druid attacked, they thought of helping her. However, Brown Bear''s warning made them stop. Now seeing this strange black-haired man before them, they could only feel a chill down their spine. Not going forward was really the right choice.


    Not bad.


    Rhode ignored their frightened eyes and swung down his long sword. The blood dripping down the sword immediately scattered down and fell to the ground.


    As a Dark Elf swordsmanship, Dark Dance was one of the most powerful swordsmanships in the darkness; it was a killing technique that pushed speed to the limit. Thousand Shadow used the Dark Elf''s unique walking skill to counteract the reactionary force in full speed to the greatest extent. It allowed the holder to make an instantaneous change in full speed from 90 degrees to 180 degrees without too much impact. As for the Dead Soul Blade, it could use condensed soul power to form a surreal soul sword. Its strongest feature was that it was impossible to dodge unless one was familiar with this technique. No one would expect that the weapon they faced was able to lengthen in a single moment. That misjudgment could be fatal in a battle. Not to mention, that while the Dead Soul Blade wouldn''t do any harm to the human body, but it would deal great damage to one''s soul. For vulnerable souls, this invisible blade was a deadly killer; for a tougher soul, it still affected them equally. Only those who had stronger soul power than the Dead Soul Sword''s user could resist the attack.


    And now, these two moves could be said to have refreshed Rhode''s memory.


    Next came Dark Dance''s critical moves��


    Rhode lifted his sword and pointed it straight ahead. As if the air had been solidified in a moment before a huge tsunami approached, everything turned into a dead silence.


    Storm Slaughter, activate.

 Chapter 227 Storm Slaughter

    The four of them didn''t know what Rhode was going to do, but clearly, it wasn''t something good. The surrounding air became heavy, making it a little hard to breathe. An invisible wind started condensating. To the Druids, the scene before them didn''t seem strange because the wind had always been strong, horrible, and frightening.


    Woo!!


    This was the instinctive struggle before death. The remaining two Druids reacted quickly. Their bodies were trembling and distort, shrinking and expanding. Their muscles contraction and expansion became irregular. In a blink of an eye, the two people before him transformed into a meter tall wild wolf and leopard. The cloak that they used to cover themselves became one with them. This was also one of Druid''s mysterious powers��or the upgraded version, to be exact.


    "��������!!"


    The Druids who finished their transformation immediately rushed toward Rhode. They had no other choice; the only thing they could do was to suppress the storm before it broke out. That was the only thing they could do now.


    Unfortunately, a storm never stopped just because there were obstacles.


    When the giant wolf and leopard arrived in front of Rhode, the storm broke out.


    The sharp claws hit empty air, and the only thing left was a shadow. Rhode''s body moved like a storm, reaching toward the surrounding area. An icy, sharp sword passed the surrounding area wildly. As the strongest large-scale killing technique in the Dark Dance swordsmanship, Storm Slaughter was able to increase the user''s speed to its limit. When using this move, the user speed would surpass human speed. In one second, the user would be able to appear in any corner of any space, attacking everything that was swept by the storm. Everywhere��no one could escape.


    This was the horrifying part of the storm.


    The bright red sword flashed and pierced through the wild wolf''s head. At the same time, the leopard jumped to the side like lightning and opened up a distance of five to six meters from the giant wolf. Unfortunately, the giant wolf was still unable to escape from death. When the leopard landed on the ground, the bright red sword easily cut along its spine and pierced through its body. After leaving a deep visible wound on the leopard, the sword disappeared without a trace. At that moment, the leopard body fell onto the ground while blood flowed out from his wound. Soon, he lost his strength and transformed back into a human.


    Everything escalated extremely fast.


    As the female Druid''s groaned, Brown Bear once again opened his eyes. The only thing he saw was two icy bodies, as well as Rhode, who sat beside them expressionless and indifferently.


    "You killer!"


    Brown Bear struggled to get up and glared at Rhode angrily, but Rhode did not react toward his accusations. He just looked at his hand and shook his head. With his current strength, Rhode could just barely maintain the Storm Slaughter for a while; if he could maintain it just a little more, then not only would it be a double kill, but also an overkill.


    Well, it didn''t really matter; sharpening a knife was also an art.


    "I''m not interested in your accusation."


    Rhode put his sword back into the sheath. He walked toward the female Druid while answering Brown Bear without looking at him.


    "After all, you attacked us first, Druid. We are just defending ourselves. Well, now I want to know; why did you attack us and what do you want to do?"


    Upon hearing Rhode''s inquiry, Brown Bear''s mouth twitched. He looked toward the female Druid lying by Rhode''s feet while groaning. Then he clenched his teeth, but suddenly, he saw a trace of anger and perseverance in her eyes.


    "Don''t��!!"


    The Brown Bear hadn''t yet finished his speech. At this moment, the female Druid who was painfully struggling on the ground finally jumped out and tried to attack Rhode''s throat with her right hand. This female Druid had been holding her murderous intent all of this time, and now the battle was over and Rhode put back his weapon, there was no reason for her sudden attack to not succeed.


    Out of nowhere, a red light mercilessly pierced through the female Druid and pinned her body to the ground. Rhode was holding the hilt of his sword with his right hand while looking at the female Druid indifferently. She reached out her hands, trying to pull out the sword from her chest. However, Rhode gently turned the hilt in his hand. Soon, her body trembled and she spurted out a mouthful of blood. She lost consciousness with her eyes wide open��


    "Life is so fragile �� So we have to cherish it."


    Rhode pulled out the sword. The female Druid''s body parts dripped down his sword like mud. Then he turned around to look at the Brown Bear.


    "Maybe you have a different opinion? Mr. Druid?"


    Watching Rhode''s black eyes, Brown Bear couldn''t help but tremble. He clenched his teeth and said nothing. He shouted loudly; after that, he lifted his left palm and heavily hit his own head. Although human heads were not vulnerable, if it still wouldn''t be able to resist such a heavy hit. Soon, the Brown Bear was left with half of his head crooked to the side. There was no longer any movement or reaction from him.


    Seeing this scene, Rhode twitched his mouth.


    Suicide?


    This was definitely not a good choice for a Druid. They upheld a lot of things, but they definitely didn''t uphold suicide. Life was the most important part in the Druid teachings. They could tolerate their own death in combat, but they absolutely couldn''t tolerate suicide because, according to them, it was a betrayal of nature.


    But now, this Druid actually committed suicide?


    This was a bit illogical.


    Rhode originally thought that those Druids were merely obeying Druid''s teachings to destroy their enemy who "disturb the peace and harmony of nature" like what they did in the game. But it seemed that they had another goal; otherwise, how could this not-human-nor-beast creature, who always respected those teachings, suddenly commit suicide on his own?


    Thinking until here, Rhode put away his sword and began to explore their bodies. Suddenly, a lively voice echoed in his head.


    "Master, have you finished there?"


    "Something happened; I''m still looking for the cause, but there should be no danger."


    Rhode, who never had any respect for the dead, pulled out the Brown Bear''s cape and looked into it. Apparently he was a very orthodox Druid; there were no artifacts in his cloak. Besides a few grains, dried fruits, and dried meat, there was nothing. Rhode also searched the remaining three, but there came up nothing.


    "A Druid who committed suicide? Master go and sell it; it will make a lot of money for sure�� However, I don''t think you''ll be able to find anything on those small fries."


    "That seems to be the case."


    While answering Gillian, Rhode stood up and looked toward the mountain peak not far from the forest. He still remembered that a Druid race once lived there. If his guess was correct, then the people who attacked him tonight should be them.


    However, from the way they dressed, they should be very low-level Druids because the highest level Druids reverted completely back to nature. In other words, they roamed around the forest naked.


    "There should be no danger in this area, but to avoid any trouble, tell Shauna to be cautious. How''s the situation over there?"


    Hearing Rhode''s question, Gillian didn''t immediately answer. She chuckled and slowly replied, "There''s something interesting over here. Oh, and Lapis fainted."


    Oh?


    When he heard the news, Rhode frowned.


    "I''ll rush back right away."


    When Rhode arrived there, everything had ended. The mercenaries were cleaning up the battlefield. They threw out the wild beasts and insects to prevent any unnecessary danger. Those Ophenians were used to these kinds of scenes, which was why the elder also only talked a bit with Rhode and found out the ones attacking them were Druids. After hearing that Rhode exterminated them, they also no longer said anything and continued to rest. Clearly, as scholars, they also knew about Druids.


    After that, Rhode entered the first layer tent under Gillian''s guidance.


    "It''s really strange, Master. I can swear that I made sure that nothing hurt her, but she actually still fainted. This is my first time seeing this kind of weirdo; even the greenhouse flowers aren''t as fragile as her�� Although I really want to say something like that, I have to tell you: she has entered a psychic state."


    "Psychic state?"


    Rhode was surprised when he heard it. After that, they entered the next tent.

 Chapter 228 Behermes

    While walking toward the tent, Rhode could already see Lapis, who was unconscious. She was currently clenching both of her hands in front of her chest. Her eyes were closed and she was murmuring something. If not because of the shining green words above her head, it looked as if she was just having an ordinary nightmare.


    On the center of her forehead was an green inverted triangle. It glimmered constantly, sometimes shining dazzlingly and other times faintly. It changed with Lapis''s speech. As long as she spoke, the light would weaken, but when she no longer spoke, the light would turn bright and dazzling again.


    "When did this happen?" Rhode looked back and asked.


    "I''m not very clear either; probably after we were attacked."


    Gillian shrugged her shoulders, feeling helpless. As she told Rhode, Gillian immediately protected Lapis using her skill after she was aware of the attack. Lapis was extremely scared at first and crouched on the ground. Gillian was sure that she didn''t suffer any injury. When everything ended, Gillian had planned to pull her up, but her consciousness was not there anymore and she didn''t know where her soul went.


    At this moment, Lapis, who was lying on the ground, finally revealed her true face that was hidden under the cloak. The most eye-catching part was her pair of ears. They stretched out from her long hair and slightly moved. Carefully looking at it, there was a golden thread circling them like an accessory.


    This was the reason Lapis always used a cloak to cover her face.


    However, Rhode was not surprised at all. In fact, he already knew Lapis''s true identity. After all, when he upgraded the stronghold to the second level, the race information of mercenary group members told him so. Lapis was also no exception.


    Lapis


    Race: Behermes (Unfinished)


    Talent Reward: Sensitivity, Integration strength


    Talent Penalty: Low HP


    Job: Alchemist / Ranger Apprentice


    Hidden Attribute:??


    Alchemy Skills LV3


    Proficient:??


    Physical Condition: Healthy


    Frankly, the first time he read Lapis''s information, he was indeed a little bit surprised, but soon he felt relieved. As a player, he had seen many races, including Behermes. He was also very familiar with them.


    Behermes originated from the elf race, but they weren''t ordinary elves. Followed by mankind''s scientific development, many people began to try to use mechanical and scientific forces to transform the human body and acquire power. In ancient magical times, there was also a group of elves who tried to transform elves into the most powerful creatures on the continent by using the powers of magic and alchemy. In the past, the Five Creator Dragons fought each other endlessly; naturally, the elves were involved in it, but their weaknesses made the beautiful creatures very miserable in war. As for strength, the dwarves were stronger than the elves. As for fertility, the elves did not reproduce as fast as humans. As for agility and archery skill, the elves couldn''t be compared to the angels. Their fragile constitution also made them have no resistance toward the Devil''s flame. Although the elves were good at magic due to their longevity, they were unable to grasp new things as well as humans. In fact, while the elves still stubbornly used ancient magic, human magicians had already created and improved a lot of magical spells. The elves back then were very passive. That''s why, in search of the continuity of their race and victory, the elves were divided into three groups.


    One of them held a notion "since we can''t defeat the enemy, just follow the enemy" and became the foe of the devils who lived in darkness, later becoming known as the famous Dark Elves. Another group still maintained the ancient notion. They believed that they wouldn''t become extinct just because of this war. As long as they could use their power, they would be able to persist until the war ended.


    However, there was a group that thought that just persisting until the war ended would not be enough. If they survived just to become the slave of other races, then everything would be meaningless. Although there were flaws in the elves, they still believed that they could still win without the aid of the Devil''s power.


    That''s why they decided to change the elf''s constitution. They wanted to have the strength stronger than the dwarves, fertility better than the humans, and magic more powerful than Devils and Angels.


    Behermes existed because of that.


    Whether lucky or unfortunate, the elves'' attempts eventually failed. Those transformed elves either lost their long lives or became very strange, and some even turned into an mutated existence. Such reformation also caused an uproar among elves. Although some of the elves volunteered their bodies after the failure in battle, most elves still considered it blasphemous and unconventional. Eventually, under the protest of the majority of elves, the Elven Queen had to expel those elven mages and they brought their experiments to another territory. They didn''t know where they were going, but they said that if they succeeded, they would return to their homeland.


    In the end, the elves didn''t go extinct in that war. They stood before the twin dragons and protected their races and territory. As for the elven mages, they seemed to have disappeared since they never appeared for centuries. Behermes were regarded as a different species and a taboo in elven legend, just like the Dark Elves.


    However, Rhode knew that in the game, this "Elf Transformation" race did not actually disappear; they even built a huge alchemical city under the marsh in the South and all the Behermes had a strong ability to manipulate and produce magic props, but were weak in melee combat. They had low strength and agility; some were simply frail or sick. Almost every Behermes was a natural scholar, and, unlike Ophenian scholars, Behermes prefered to stay at home and enjoy the comfort. Rather exposing themselves to danger, they usually commissioned adventurers to collect a variety of specimens or animals for them.


    In other words, they were lazy.


    Now that he thought about it, Lapis''s character did really match the Behermes race description. Low individual combat capability, lazy to go out, having a strange understanding toward alchemy. However, just based on that, Rhode wouldn''t believe that she was a Behermes since her alchemy level was really quite bad.


    Rhode also knew that Randolf and Lapis lied to him, saying that they were siblings. The information regarding Randolf said he was clearly a human. He wasn''t a transformed human, nor a clone, but a pure human. It seemed like they didn''t tell the truth about each other''s identities.


    Of course, Rhode was also curious as for why she, as a Behermes, decided to leave her own comfortable home and go into the human world since she didn''t seem to be special other than being a Behermes. The reason he agreed to Lapis''s request was because he wanted to know what she was trying to do. Looking at the current situation, it seemed like there wouldn''t be any problem though.


    The "psychic state" Gillian said was just a slightly more complicated term. In fact, this was just like people in sci-fi movies with built-in chips or artificial nerves and were receiving an electrical signal. Now, Lapis was "accepting" a signal, but they didn''t know where it was coming from or where it was going.


    "Then, what should we do next, Master?" Gillian smiled and said while waving a hammer that suddenly appeared in her hand. "If I hit her with this, maybe she''ll wake up?"


    "Forget it." Hearing Gillian''s inquiry, Rhode stayed silent for a moment, then he shook his head to stop her action. He narrowed his eyes and looked closely at Lapis, who was still unconscious. "Let her sleep; inform me immediately if anything happens. I will temporarily stop the journey. Anyway,s nothing will happen from delaying a day or two."


    "Master, you are really gentle; shouldn''t you take this opportunity? She won''t find out about it anyway��" Gillian excitedly rolled up her tail. "In my opinion, this is an incredible opportunity, Master. If you want to do it, I can help you cover it up ah ah it hurts it hurts�� !!"


    Rhode grabbed Gillian''s dangling tail, preventing her from speaking delusionally. It made this poor fox girl cry and shout. She quickly stood up and pulled her tail out of Rhode''s hand, then stroked it softly.


    "Really, Master. You should be really gentle; this is my life."


    "Next time I hear you talking nonsense, I''ll cut it off to make it into a fox fur scarf. In any case, we no longer have to worry about those environmentalist fanatics anymore."


    After he said it, he patted Gillian''s head and left the tent, leaving the girl standing there while stroking her tail.

 Chapter 229 Unicorn Peak

    In the end, Lapis didn''t make them wait for long. When the sun had risen, she had already woke up; naturally, she didn''t tell Rhode what had happened to her. While explaining the reason she fainted, she looked very panicked. Even she herself was also aware that she was unable to explain it properly, and besides saying sorry, she couldn''t say anymore��


    However, Rhode did not intend to spend much time on such a trivial matter. The most important reason was that they almost reached Unicorn Peak; no matter what kind of secret it was, Rhode was sure that he could find the answer once he arrived there.


    The Unicorn Peak was located on the southwestern border of the Paphield Plain. It was a desolate place where wild beasts lived. Certainly, just like others inaccessible places, the Unicorn Peak also hid ancient ruins, which were common throughout the Dragon Soul Continent. Especially in this magical era, cities that were destroyed by magic or because of an explosion would sink into the depths of the earth and someone would dig out the icy stiff dead bodies there to get what they needed.


    They were called tomb raiders.


    Walking through the bottom of Unicorn Peak, he looked up toward the steep peak and then deep down. It was a sharp, beautiful peak, like a unicorn ready to fly through the sky from afar. That''s why it was called Unicorn Peak. However, to Rhode, it was no different from a coffin. Every time he explored the underground ruins, it would be as if the ruins itself were a decayed corpse and they were gravediggers who opened the coffin to look for buried objects. From this point of view, it could be seen that players were even worse than Ophenians. At least Ophenians would try to protect these ruins, but for players like Rhode, the fantastic frescoes and ancient writings on the pillars of the walls were clearly not worth as much as magical equipment.


    "Sir."


    As Rhode started to doze off, a voice pulled him back to reality. Rhode turned around and looked at the Ophenian elder who was looking at him.


    "We have reached the destination, you see��"


    "Let''s keep going."


    Rhode answered without hesitation. He knew what the elder was worrying about. If they were usual mercenaries, they would have set up a camp in here first to rest and send people to investigate the surroundings. However, Rhode didn''t need to do that. These Ophenians were too eager to get what they want��as was Rhode. It wasn''t like he had never been to Unicorn Peak before; he knew this place like the back of this hand. It was just that he wasn''t too sure if the Composition Adornment had something to do with these ruins, since players wouldn''t waste their time here like an NPC to look at every fresco and the ancient writing in here.


    If he came here alone, even if there was information regarding the Composition Adornment here, he still had to consider whether he had time to look for it. Since there were so many free laborers here, he certainly didn''t mind laughing at their hard work. The sooner they found it, the better it would be.


    "I will divide my people into two groups. I will lead one of the group to investigate the ruins first since it might be dangerous, and the another group will protect you. You can do whatever you want here, but I will say this in advance: if the situation gets too dangerous, I will definitely retreat. No matter what valuable things you find, it still isn''t more valuable than your life, right?"


    "Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Rhode."


    Rhode''s answer clearly exceeded the old scholars'' expectations. They had brought their student across the continent and met lots of mercenary groups before. However, those mercenaries clearly didn''t realize just how important their job was. Even when exploring the ruins, old scholars needed to work really hard to ensure that their research could proceed smoothly. Those mercenaries didn''t even understand what those ancient languages and frescoes meant. They even looked at them in disdain. Holy Spirit above, just thinking about it made the old scholar felt sad. The history had given them so many treasures, but those mercenaries actually didn''t know how to cherish or respect it.


    At first, the elder thought that Rhode would be hard to talk to like those other mercenaries. After all, standing from each other''s point of view, there was nothing wrong with Rhode''s decision. They were risking their lives to complete the mission, but it didn''t mean that they would sacrifice their lives so easily. Facing these unknown ruins, it would be strange for them not to be cautious. However, the elder just didn''t expect that Rhode would actually be so considerate of himself and agreed to their conditions, which made these scholars feel relaxed. It was rumored that Rhode was a noble; at first, he didn''t really believe in it, but seeing it himself now, he agreed. Only those knowledgeable nobles would understand the significance of those frescoes and ancient words, but��


    Thinking until here, the old scholar began to feel a little uneasy, but soon he shook his head and threw aside his thoughts.


    Their most important priority now was to complete their own duty. He would have time to think about it later.


    After answering the old scholar''s question, Rhode turned around and waved his hand toward his mercenaries. Soon, Shauna and Kavos arrived before him.


    "Leader, what can we help you?"


    "Let them tidy up. We need to keep going."


    "Keep going?"


    Hearing Rhode''s words, the two of them couldn''t help but feel surprised. They glanced at each other and Shauna decided to spoke first.


    "But�� Leader, isn''t it too risky? This is the first time we''ve come here, and we still don''t know what''s inside. We should send some people to investigate first and see what happens��"


    "That''s fine too, but we''ll waste too much time and I''ve already made my decision. You just have to follow my command."


    Hearing Rhode''s answer, Shauna and Kavos glanced toward each other once again. If Rhode were talking to other people, this kind of answer would have made them feel extremely dissatisfied. However, judging from their experience in fighting alongside Rhode, they decided to shut their mouth. No matter what, Leader once brought them to Blackrock Depth and killed the Devil; there''s should be no problem here.


    Because of that, Shauna and Kavos no longer said anything, even though they felt a little bit uneasy.


    "Very well."


    Seeing that both of them no longer questioned his order, he began to assign their duties.


    "Kavos, lead your team together with me. We will investigate the ruins. Don''t worry, I know the Unicorn Peak very well; there is no special or troublesome monster��" Having said that, Rhode paused for a moment, trying to remember the monsters in this ruin. Ah yes, there was no special or bothersome monster. Well, at least for him.


    "Shauna."


    After recalling his thoughts, Rhode quickly turned to the other side.


    "You are responsible for leading the rest of the mercenaries and protecting those people. After we finish investigating the ruin, they are allowed to enter it. But you should be careful; don''t let your people touch something that should not be touched. If you have any questions, you may ask Gillian. I will let her go together with you and if she orders anything, just follow her and think of it as my order.


    "Yes, Sir."


    Shauna just simply couldn''t refuse Rhode''s order. She was very clear that Rhode was very familiar with Gillian even though she had just entered the mercenary group. It wasn''t just Marlene��everyone in the mercenary group felt that Rhode was more intimate when he was with her. He would sometimes laugh and joke with her, which something that he had never done with other people besides Christie.


    Not only that, Gillian was also extremely strong. Seeing her fight last night was enough to make people respect her. Remembering those burning flames, Shauna couldn''t help but shiver. Holy Spirit above, since she was born, she had never seen such a terrifying sight. The fire broke out and spread to every corner of the camp mercilessly, burning and turning everything into dust. Followed by Gillian''s intensifying movements, the fire that seemed to burn the entire forest suddenly dissipated, as if the flames returned to her body and disappeared completely. Not even the slightest warmth was left; people couldn''t help but to feel a chill down their spines.


    Remembering that moment, Shauna couldn''t help but shiver.


    "Very well."


    Rhode didn''t know what they were thinking about. After making sure that there was no problem, he clapped his hands. "Now, let''s get going."


    In the meantime, he secretly issued an order toward Gillian on his mind.


    �� Remember, pay attention to those guys and Lapis, report to me immediately if something happened.


    Of course, Master. Please rest assured; everything is under my control.


    As usual, Gillian''s reply was full of confidence.

 Chapter 230 The Wind Clan

    Deep in the forest.


    Several naked people stood on the slippery grassland. The cold rainstorm seemed to have absolutely no effect on these people. They just looked down towards the four dead bodies that were lying on the ground with a pained expression. Rhode didn''t have any respect towards the dead bodies. In the game, he usually left after searching the body for loots and the rest would be taken care of by the system. Ever since he came to this world, he had never changed that habit. He searched inside the bodies, and after making sure that there was nothing he needed, he turned around and left. As for their bodies? Wasn''t leaving them there to feed the wolves the best choice?


    The silence lasted for a long time. Finally, a Druid slowly sighed. He lowered his body to close the female Druid''s eyes. He also stroked her hair and straightened her body. The people around him looked at him, and nobody spoke. They knew what that dead woman meant to this man.


    So they had nothing to say.


    After a long time, someone spoke out. "Don''t be too sad, my friend ��"


    "Sad!?"


    Hearing these words, the man suddenly stood up and glared at the Druid who spoke and clenched his fist.


    "Sad? No! I''m not sad! I''m angry!"


    He opened his arms and roared aloud. The birds, who had been quietly resting in the forest, were frightened by the sudden roar and flew away. They were chirping and circling in the sky. This scene made the rest of them felt a little dissatisfied, but looking at the man''s distorted expression, they chose to stay silent and say nothing.


    "Whoever did it, I''ll definitely kill them. I swear by my name and soul��I have to kill those *ssholes myself!"


    "Calm down, my friend."


    And at this time, another Druid spoke. His voice was as low as the billowing thunder in the sky. It echoed through everyone''s chest and could not help but make everyone tremble. The Druid who had gotten angry and emotional was also stunned for a moment. He closed his mouth, but the burning anger in his eyes clearly showed his dissatisfaction.


    "Anger is a poison; calm down. Don''t let it affect your emotions. If you cannot see reality clearly, then your oath is no more than a joke. Now you have to calm down, and only after you have can you move on. "


    Hearing these words, the man went silent for a moment. He bowed his head, clenched his fists, and went back to the crowd. Until then, the Druid who had spoken previously walked out towards the four bodies that had been neatly arranged by his twin brother and carefully observed them for a moment. Then, he spoke.


    "What do you guys think?"


    "The opponent''s speed is very fast."


    Soon, a Druid answered.


    "We have checked the bodies; except for Brown Bear, everyone here was killed through their vital points. There''s no sign of resistance or struggle at all��" Having said that, the Druid paused as if he was worried about someone, but he soon continued. "Even Red Hawk was immediately knocked down by the opponent and killed without any resistance."


    "It doesn''t seem to be a surprise attack." Hearing until here, the Druid that was observing the body shook his head.


    "And judging from the wound, they were killed by the same weapon. The one who was attacked first should be Brown Bear, and the three of them were attacked not long after. I found Brown Bear''s wolves dead nearby, so the opponent must have come in contact with Brown Bear first, and Brown Bear used the wolves to block the opponent so he could escape. At this time, the three of them came and were killed��"


    Having said that, that Druid stood up and came to the side. He stretched out his hand and soon, the wild grass and vines grew and enveloped the four of them in. After doing that, the man lowered his right hand and continued.


    "The opponent is only one person, but he has the ability to kill three Druids instantly. It''s very rare to see such strong warrior. It seems that our previous judgment is incorrect. Among the Oriole''s protectors, there''s a Master Swordsman."


    "And the opponent is very cruel and evil," another Druid said. He looked at the ground. It might have looked just like an ordinary ground, but no one would have thought that four dead bodies were buried underneath. Druids upheld their teachings to not commit suicide, but Brown Bear actually chose suicide. It meant that he would rather violate his own beliefs than get tortured by his opponents. It could be seen just how terrible the situation was.


    No one spoke; they just looked at each other. The severity of the matter exceeded their expectations. Originally, the Druids thought capturing the Oriole wouldn''t be a difficult task. But reality didn''t go as they planned. So what should they do? Continue? Or stop here?


    In fact, these people were well aware that the threat they encountered might more than just this. They also investigated the terrible fire that occurred in the camps nearby. Seeing it, they couldn''t help but tremble. They couldn''t understand why the fire seemed to have naturally dissipated, which was not normal. Even powerful mages could only release the spell��not control the spell. They could cast a fireball to set fire to the forest, but they wouldn''t be able to take back the fireball they released. Logically, it was absolutely impossible. However, the traces that were left behind told a different story. Judging from the traces of the burning fire, it was huge enoughton burn half of the forest were there no interference from an external force. However, looking around, they couldn''t find any trace of fire or ash.


    To these Druids, this situation was extremely weird.


    A strong master swordsman and a mysterious mage. This was enough to make the Druids fell cautious.


    Because of that, they also felt indecisive. Besides the Druid who was angry because he lost his loved one, no one wished to move forward. Although it was their mission to track down the Oriole, if they couldn''t figure out the situation and rashly moved forward, it might be them who would get buried next.


    That possibility also existed, right?


    "Egret, bring your clan to continue tracking down the Oriole. From these traces, they must have gone to the Unicorn Peak. I''m afraid they are aiming for the seal below the ruin. I want you immediately bring your people to follow them and prevent them from entering the ruin. However, don''t go head-to-head with them."


    "Yes, Elder."


    A Druid replied immediately. Upon hearing his response, the man who was known as the ''Elder'' nodded with satisfaction. Then, he walked towards the Druid who was shaking in anger while clenching both of his fists. The Elder reached out his hand to pat his shoulder and said in a low tone.


    "Calm down, Vulture, my friend. Anger can''t bring her back alive. We also suffer the same loss as you do, just rest assured. We will avenge her. Our companions'' deaths won''t be in vain. Our Storm Clan will surely destroy those who try to destroy us. Regardless of whether it''s the ''distorted'' or those with an evil mind, everyone will be punished. "


    "I�� I understand what you mean, Elder."


    Hearing the Elder''s words, he lifted up his head. His eyes were filled with anger.


    "But, I beg you, please let me join Egret''s team. I want to kill the person who killed my loved one myself. I promise that I won''t disobey your order. I only�� I only want to know�� who killed my lover!"


    Having said that, the man seemed to have gotten more emotional


    "Elder, please agree to my request; I promise there won''t be any problem."


    "This��"


    Hearing the man''s words, the Elder hesitated. After thinking of a while, the Elder shook his head in the end.


    "I can''t agree to your request, Vulture."


    "Elder!?"


    Hearing this sentence, the man stepped forward as if he wanted to say something. But soon, he looked towards the Elder''s hand, which was holding his right shoulder, in surprise.


    "I understand your feelings, Vulture. I have always thought of her as my daughter. I know you are angry, but do you think I am not? I swear to the Holy Spirit above: I really want to kill the person who killed her immediately and let him taste my fury! But I can''t do that now. Because I''m afraid; I''m afraid that once I find that person, I won''t be able to contain my anger and end up attacking him. I don''t have this confidence. That''s why the only thing I can do now is to wait for news and hold my anger until the time for revenge comes�� Do you understand now?"


    "�� Yes, Elder."


    Hearing the Elder words, the man looked bitter and answered.


    "I�� understand."


    "Very good."


    Hearing the man answer, the Elder released the man''s right shoulder. He clenched his fist and lifted it into the air.


    "My companions, my friends! No one can ever go back after killing the people of our Storm clan. We will let them die under the Unicorn''s Peak! But we can not forget our mission��we must not let anger cloud our mind. We must catch the Oriole to end the curse of our clan! Now�� "


    The Elder waved his right hand.


    "Let''s go!"

 Chapter 231 The Sealed Place 1

    Splat!


    Dark green blood spattered, falling on the ground as white smoke bursted up.


    "Clean it up and get going."


    Rhode put away his sword and calmly ordered. He completely ignored the mercenaries who looked at him. The mercenaries were stunned for a moment, then began to clean up the corpse in panic.


    Originally they thought that they would only meet a group of goblins in these ruins. But when they entered, they found out that they were facing monsters they had never seen before. There were no goblins, no huge underground spiders, but rather creatures they had never seen before. They looked like a lizard, but the difference was that they were human-like, bipedal and could even use some basic weapons.


    If it was just that, then they wouldn''t be too surprised since there were so many strange creatures underground here. This kind of lizard perhaps was also one of them. However, the precious stones on their forehead clearly showed that they were not a natural-born existence.


    When the mercenaries first encountered them, they received a little damage because they were unprepared. These lizards were more than two meters tall, with a strong and powerful body. Even though they were not wearing armor, their smooth scales were enough to block the mercenaries'' swords. That was why these mercenaries weren''t able to react until Rhode quickly issued an order to change the way they fought. Their group became a lot more balanced.


    Even so, the thing that surprised them the most was Rhode. Facing a monster that was more than two meters tall, Rhode was flying in the middle of them like a shadow. Many mercenaries felt their visions turn blurry. After a while, those lizard fell to the ground just like that. Strangely, when they checked the corpses, they couldn''t find any injuries on them. They didn''t understand just how did Rhode killed those monsters.


    "Kavos?"


    "Ah, yes, Sir!"


    Hearing Rhode call his name, Kavos finally stopped dazing off and quickly reacted. Soon, those mercenaries took out their knives and daggers and walked towards those huge corpses. Rhode asked them to take out the gems on those lizard''s foreheads. Although they looked crappy, the gems on their foreheads seemed to cost a lot of money.


    Rhode stopped looking at his subordinates and began to examine the ruin.


    Unlike the Black Pine Ruins, the Unicorn Peak looked old and shabby. Besides some stone stairs, no artificial remains could be seen. Even the frescoes and sculptures looked extremely dusty. This made Rhode feel a little bit worried. If it was really as he had guessed, then wouldn''t it take quite a long time to reach his goal?


    If that was the case, then the loss really outweighed the gain.


    But to his surprise, according to Gillian''s report, the Ophenians weren''t recording the ruins after they entered. Although they still did occasionally, according to Gillian, the Ophenians seemed to be looking for something.


    This news made Rhode feel quite surprised. Did he guess wrongly? That the information regarding the Composition Adornment wasn''t hidden in these frescoes, but in some kind of treasure chest? But this was too illogical. Rhode had gone to the sealed underground ruins on Unicorn Peak eighty to a hundred times. He was well aware of the loots here. If there really was a Composition Adornment design there, he wouldn''t have needed to kill everyone in Ophenia back then.


    But these Ophenians definitely wouldn''t come to this ghostly place if there was really nothing.


    However, there was still another possibility that the design of the Composition Adornment was never meant for players. According to game time, this time period should have been during the beta test. The majority of the players weren''t yet familiar with the Dragon Soul Continent. There was no way for them to come to these ruins, located in the depths of the forest. At that time, the Dragon Soul Continent was the only online game that was based on "real-time", meaning the NPCs in the game lived just like ordinary people. They would go to work, live, and adventure when no one noticed. Of course, most of the NPC would be resurrected even if they died as consideration for the players.


    It was possible that an NPC had come here for adventure and brought back the Composition Adornment design while players were still busy familiarizing themselves with this continent. It wasn''t impossible since there were many NPCs that gave props and quests.


    But if it were like that, Rhode had to change his plan. Originally, he was still worried about the Ophenians and didn''t walk too far from the team behind them. But now, if they were actually "searching" for something, then he didn''t have to wait for them and clean up all the monsters here. Afterwards, there should be no more problem.


    In addition, Gillian also reported another thing to him. She said that Lapis was getting even stranger than before. When she entered the ruins, she seemed to have lost her consciousness and walked around like a controlled puppet. If not for Gillian taking care of her, she might have already wandered off somewhere.


    As for Lapis''s condition, Rhode couldn''t really do anything about it. Since he wasn''t a robot, he didn''t understand the three laws of robotics. Since Lapis was an alchemist race, he wasn''t too clear on what was happening to her. There was no other way besides asking Gillian to pay attention to her since he still had a lot of things to do.


    "Keep going."


    As Rhode was recalling his thoughts, the mercenaries finished taking all the gems from the lizards'' foreheads. Rhode took a deep breath and issued another order. He pulled out his sword and continued to move forward.


    Besides the torches hanging on the mercenaries'' waists, the glowing plants that grew along the passage also emitted an icy light. Of course, Rhode did not forget to remind his subordinates to stay away from these glowing plants. According to the common sense of people on Earth, something that could shine without electricity was definitely not a good thing��


    Save for the sound of the mercenaries'' footsteps, everything was quiet.


    But Rhode didn''t miss the hissing sound hiding in the darkness.


    "Kavos, get ready! To the left!"


    Following Rhode''s instruction, Kavos waved his hand. The mercenaries threw out several torches and retreated. With the help of the firelight, they could see the shadows of huge lizard men that had been hiding previously.


    "Attack!"


    The sudden light surprised the lizard men. They didn''t expect that they would be found out by the enemy in this kind of situation. As a creature that had been living in the darkness, they, of course, couldn''t stand such a strong light. They stretched out their hands to cover their eyes while hissing. Kavos took this opportunity to bring his men forward. In the beginning, Kavos used crossbows to entertain these monsters, but after receiving Rhode''s instructions, he quickly realized that crossbows couldn''t damage lizard scales. It was better for them to attack their weakness��their lower abdomen��at close range. After the lizards were plunged into turmoil, Kavos immediately took out a pair of knives and gave a signal to his men. Then, they rushed over towards the group of lizard lightning speed.


    But Rhode was faster than them.


    Kavos only felt a shadow flash from the corner of his eye. In the next moment, Rhode had already appeared at the lizards'' feet. He raised his sword and thrust forward. The lizard failed to attack with its wooden stick and lost its life. Its body heavily fell to the ground.


    This could be regarded as a very impressive scene for Kavos. Rhode''s speed was so fast that even Kavos, who was a professional thief, was speechless. There was no way for him to keep up with Rhode''s actions. He couldn''t even accurately judge Rhode''s position at that time. Whenever Kavos saw Rhodes, all he could find was the afterimage, not where Rhode was.


    There were about thirty lizardmen lurking in the corner, waiting to ambush. However, in just an instant, Rhode had managed to exterminate the ten of them. The rest of the lizard men were still waving their wooden sticks to fight with the mercenaries. Their monstrous strength and slender tails were very dangerous weapons. Moreover, these cold-blooded reptiles were much smarter than the mercenaries had originally thought. They actually even know the basics of defense and offense, which made it hard for the mercenaries to easily succeed.


    "Ha!!"


    A mercenary shouted and swung his two-handed sword forward, but before it could pierce through a lizardman''s lower abdomen, he was blocked by a wooden stick. His body shook as the strong impact of a sword made him unable to react. Suddenly, the sound of the wind passed through his ears. In the next moment, the lizard tail heavily hit him and sent him flying.


    "Woah!!"


    The defenseless mercenary heavily crushed the wall. The excruciating pain made him almost spurt out blood. As he forced himself to get up, the lizardman arrived before him, lifting the wooden stick in its hand.


    Is this the end?


    As he looked at the lizardman, his heart felt cold.


    A shadow flashed.


    Rhode leaped towards the lizardman''s shoulder like a bird while waving the Crimson Tears sword in his hand. The translucent sword instantly cut through the lizardman''s neck. The whole process did not even take two seconds, and Rhode had already turned around and assembled with the group.


    The lizardman who had just been attacked threw his wooden stick towards the mercenary just before it fell to the ground. The wooden stick heavily hit the side of the mercenary and pulled him back to reality. Soon, after realizing what had happened, he immediately jumped up and rushed toward the lizardman that had attacked his comrades.


    The battle was still far from over.

 Chapter 232 The Sealed Place 2

    "Respond to our call�� Lapis��"


    In the void, the sound echoed and disappeared. In waves, the voice kept repeating.


    "You are the future of the Behermes. You are our��"


    "No�� I��"


    Lapis held her head, which was aching. The hazy voice kept echoing, making her feel uncomfortable. She never thought such a thing would happen. Ever since she arrived at Unicorn Peak, she found the voice on her head getting worse, ringing endlessly and ignoring her psychological defense. It entered her mind like a surging wave. Those emotions made her feel uneasy. She never felt so much emotion before. It was as if a lot of people surrounded her were shouting at her. There was fear, joy, anger, and sadness. It made her almost go crazy. She wanted to scream and stop those voices, but she couldn''t.


    Lapis knew her mission was very important and she had to persevere, but she felt drowsy and couldn''t think straight. The voices were so chaotic, ringing in her head and making her almost go crazy��


    "Little Lapis~~~~"


    "Ah!"


    When Lapis felt that she couldn''t take it anymore, a gentle body hugged her from behind. Lapis subconsciously screamed in surprise. At the same time, the chaotic voices in her head seemed to get reduced, as if blocked by something.


    When Lapis turned around, the first thing she saw was Gillian''s beautiful face. Gillian was currently hugging Lapis from behind while shaking her tail.


    "Why are you dozing off here? Everyone has walked to the front. If you continue to stay here, you''ll get lost."


    "Ah, I, I''m sorry, sister Gillian."


    Lapis shrugged her body, trying to get out from her embrace, but soon, she stopped. She realized that when Gillian was by her side, those voices were suppressed and even completely disappeared. This made Lapis couldn''t help but choose to rely on her. Just like a person who was about to freeze to death��they wouldn''t mind if it was a volcano or dragon cave as long as they could find a warm place to avoid the cold.


    "You don''t have to apologize to me."


    Gillian only grinned. After that, she let go of Lapis and held her hand.


    "Let''s go."


    "�� Okay, sister Gillian."


    Lapis stayed silent, then nodded her head as she heard it.


    The truth was, Lapis really envied Gillian. She was very clear just how humans looked at other races besides them��an artificial race. Ever since she was young, Lapis often got hurt because of this. It was the most painful memory of her. Since then, she had never shown her true self in front of anyone else, including Anne.


    But Gillian was different. Although she had a distinctive feature that clearly differentiated her from human, she still revealed herself in front of everyone. She never seemed to mind and think about this issue. This made her felt really envious. She hoped that one day, she would be able to muster the courage to take off her cloak and show her real self in front of everyone. However, every time she thought about it, she felt afraid, remembering past memories, which made her felt uneasy.


    She didn''t know what she was supposed to do.


    "It''s here��"


    Suddenly, a cold voice penetrated her mind and pierced through her heart. At the same time, those chaotic voices also seemed to have disappeared.


    "My child, it''s here. Come with me��"


    "Ah��"


    Lapis lightly shouted as she turned around to look at the dark, empty tunnel. At this time, Lapis finally realized that the surroundings were a bit too quiet. Originally, she was still able to vaguely hear the mercenaries'' voices. In this kind of place, they usually called to each other to confirm the other party''s safety. But now, there was no sound. Everything was silent.


    "Sister Gillian, what happened? Si������"


    When she turned around to look at her surroundings, her voice stopped. She was surprised that there was no one around her and didn''t know what to say. What happened? Sister Gillian had been besides her. How did she disappear all of sudden? Lapis began to feel uneasy. She took a few steps back and leaned against the icy wall while anxiously looking around. She took an alchemical potion in one hand and a dagger in the other. Although she wasn''t able to use them properly, it was still better than nothing, right?


    Unfortunately, Lapis still felt insecure. She knew that she wasn''t good at fighting. Even if she had legendary magic equipment, she wouldn''t get. Lapis''s fighting ability belonged to the absolutely harmless level.


    To a mercenary, it was a very low evaluation.


    "Come�� my child�� it''s here��"


    The voice sounded again. This time, Lapis hesitated for a while. She looked at the surroundings, but she couldn''t find anything. The voice should have come from the depths of the tunnel. Should she go over there or stay here?


    She had always been indecisive. She wasn''t good at making decisions��it would be better if someone decided and she just had to follow it. This was the reason she thought Starlight was very comfortable. She didn''t have to think about what should she do. She just had to follow Rhode''s orders.


    Now was also the same. Seeing this strange scene, Lapis actually wanted to look for someone to give her advice. Should she go there? Or just stay here? Was it a trap? What if something happened? Where did everyone go?


    This question kept running around in her head. At this moment, the voice suddenly deeply sighed. "What are you waiting for, my child?


    "�� I�� I don''t know you��" Lapis shook her head, looking at her empty surroundings.


    "This is your last chance, Lapis. As the descendant of the Behermes, you have to fulfill your mission."


    "I�� am here for that." Lapis finally mustered up her courage and answered. "But, but�� who�� are you? Why do you know�� and where are the others? I was together with my comrades just now��"


    "Comrades?" Hearing Lapis''s answer, the voice''s tone suddenly increased. But apparently, it did not intend to say anything about it. Instead, it sighed and skipped this topic. "You have disappointed us, Lapis. Have you forgotten? We are the Behermes; we are the forgotten. We can only trust ourselves. Do you understand this fact? Don''t trust others; it''s meaningless if you can''t stand up for yourself and make your own decisions. "


    The voice paused.


    "�� This your last chance. You are very important to us, but if you keep holding this attitude, then there is no need for the Behermes to continue�� Now, you can make your choice. Come here or leave. This is your problem; you have to make your own decision. No one can help you. Either you choose your comrades or us��they are all the same.


    "��"


    Lapis didn''t notice that the voice was slightly aggravating by the word "comrades". She only hesitated and thought for a moment.


    Finally, Lapis looked up. She was firm, but still slightly timid. Why did she come here? Why did she abandon her beautiful days in Deep Stone City to suffer in this ghostly place? Wasn''t it just for this moment?


    For Father and Mother''s last wish: the Behermes'' revival.


    Then there was only one choice she could make.


    Thinking until here, Lapis took a deep breath. She could feel the smell of the muddy air enter deep into her body. She bit her teeth and clenched hands. She carefully turned around and walked towards the other side of the passage.


    Her footsteps reverberated in the corridor. Soon, she was engulfed by the surrounding darkness. Lapis smoothly arrived at the end of the corridor, then turned around.


    At the same time, a white light broke out and completely wrapped her in��

 Chapter 233 The Sealed Place 3

    Something happened to Lapis again?


    Hearing Gillian''s report, Rhode frowned but said nothing. Since he had left everything to Gillian, he wouldn''t change the original plan unless something big happened. Another reason was that he didn''t have the time to handle it.


    "Boom!!"


    The fireball whistled and smashed heavily onto the ground, bursting open with a searing blast. Not far away, the lizardmen were shooting the arrows to the side. Although these lizards looked stupid, their skill with the crossbow was strong. Moreover, there were a lot of them. This large, high platform seemed to be a part of the ruins that was used for a ritual, but now it became a gathering place for the lizards. There were more than a hundred lizards here, and they were blocking the way of Rhode and his men. Not only that, there was also a more troublesome existence.


    "Tch."


    Rhode looked at the ugly-looking guy that stood in the middle of the lizards. It was the only lizard that wore clothing. It was dressed in a tattered robe and there was a crooked crown on his head. It looked like cheap cosplay, but the long stick in his hand was remarkable equipment. It was a shiny metal stick full of gears and traps. On top of the stick, three triangular stones were inlaid, emitting a soft magic glow as if they were interacting with each other. Even people who didn''t know what it was could see that it was something that couldn''t be underestimated. In addition, it was now showing its strength.


    This was the first magical lizard they encountered ever since they arrived at the Unicorn peak.


    Of course, they weren''t technically able to use magic. If Marlene were here, she would be very dismissive. Obviously, this lizardman had a unique talent and was able to cast a little bit of magic, so it was possible for him to use magic equipment. But that didn''t mean it was smart enough to learn magic. In fact, the lizard was only using the stick to release a magical bomb to attack them.


    Although it was such crude attack, no one was able to lift their heads.


    There were too many lizards, which was why even if their simple crossbows were enough to suppress Rhode''s team of 30 people. Right now, the mercenaries were hiding behind the surrounding walls and corners to avoid the lizards'' attack. They also occasionally raised their crossbows to counterattack. However, because the enemies were on the high platform, they had a distance and height disadvantage, so their attacks didn''t do much.


    It wasn''t that Rhode had no other way; he actually could attack them head-on and rely on his commanding skill to ensure that the team would have the smallest loss with the maximum results. But he did not make that decision.


    Reality and game were different, and this limited his movement.


    In the game, he could command other players regardless of the consequences of the battle. As long as they won in the end, the people who died could be resurrected. However, it was impossible to do that in reality. If NPCs died, there would be no way to revive them. Rhode also had to take this factor into account when he was commanding. That''s why Rhode usually stood at the forefront in every battle, As long as he had most of the pressure, his subordinates were less likely to be threatened and their chances of dying would be lower.


    And this was one of the reasons why Rhode was trusted and loved by many of his mercenaries in such a short time. No one would be unwilling to follow a brave man who would always stand at the front and fight for his subordinates. Of course, they wouldn''t have expected that the real reason Rhode did so was because of this.


    "Sir, let''s just attack." Kavos slipped to Rhode''s side using his thief''s skill and said. "We have already talked about it; we are willing to fight for you. We are no cowards!"


    "To die for a group of idiot lizards?" Rhode wasn''t satisfied with Kavos''s answer. He frowned and stopped him. "What a joke. Your life is not that worthless. Continue to guard the surroundings and let them wait! It''s not like we can''t hold on!"


    According to Gillian''s report, those Ophenians were still deliberately trying to dig up some archeological excavations, but of course, Rhode had already taken them. He wanted to see what those Ophenians could get. But this was not a question he should care about.


    "But Sir��"


    Rhode''s answer made Kavos a little moved. He was also very clear that mercenaries were human; even if they died, they would rather have a heroic death. It''s not like they wanted to die in the hands of these stupid lizards, but now the situation was really tight. If Rhode didn''t do anything, no one knew what might happen. Keep waiting? Holy Spirit above, only God knew how many arrows and magic these damned lizardmen had!


    If Marlene and Lize were here, they wouldn''t be this embarrassed. With their magic and spirit power, they would be to handle them easily. However, it didn''t seem like Rhode regretted his choice. Since they were mercenaries, they needed to learn how to win in all kinds of situations instead of complaining. Even in the game, he asked the same thing of his comrades. Even if the Tank and Healer died early, as long as there was a last glimmer of hope, Rhode would never allow them to give up. It was not because he wanted to struggle, but because he wanted them to maintain such a mentality. Otherwise, they might lose some battles where they obviously should have win. Rhode had seen similar things. At that time, Starlight''s second front-line team lost the battle because they were not familiar with the environment, resulting in the death of three Clerics. At that time, if the other members were willing to attack more, they might have still gotten a chance to kill the boss. But because of the death of these three Clerics, the other players became afraid that they might die because no one could heal them, so they chose to retreat. In the end, the boss that they suppressed went on a rampage and dealt great damage to them. The other two Clerics were unable to heal completely. It was only a matter of time until the entire team got destroyed.


    Looking at Kavos''s face, Rhode knew what his men were thinking about. In this kind of time, they needed to be patient. But if he didn''t give a clear command and just let them blindly wait, the mercenaries'' morale would soon reduce to the extreme. By that time, even if they wanted to attack, they still wouldn''t be able to attack properly. Although it was okay to keep them waiting, it was also not the best choice.


    "Tell the others that I will launch a counterattack in ten minutes. All of you have to follow my orders, and unless I issue another order, you are not allowed to attack. Understood?"


    "Understood, Sir!" "


    Sure enough, after getting a clear command from Rhode, Kavos''s morale seemed to be heightened. Kavos quickly nodded, then turned away. Rhode turned his head and looked carefully at the lizardmen that stood on the platform. The lizardman that was standing in the middle twisted his body as if he were folk dancing. After that, he once again recalled the strategy that he used to conquer these ruins and he finally settled down.


    He was still waiting.


    Waiting for the best time for himself.


    One minute, two minutes, three minutes.


    Five minutes��


    The rain of arrows began to lighten. Although the lizardmen were strong, they weren''t robots. After attacking for a long time, their movements became slower. Many lizardmen were no longer shooting as wildly as they did before, and they began to choose to rest and regain their strength.


    For Rhode, this was the best chance!


    Now!


    Another fireball was thrown and it heavily hit the floor. Rhode suddenly jumped out. He stretched out his right hand. Soon, a green card appeared in Rhode''s hand and then, it suddenly shattered!


    "������������!!"


    Along with a crisp chirping, the Spirit Bird emerged from the sky. At the same time, the wind also roared violently.


    "!! "


    Facing this sudden attack, the lizardmen didn''t have time to react. The wind whistled and the lizardmen staggered. The lizardmen that were not affected by the Spirit Bird attack quickly picked up their bows and arrows to attack the Spirit Bird. However, their arrows passed through the Spirit Bird and disappeared into the distance.


    At this time, thunder emerged from the sky.


    Boom!!


    A lightning flashed and heavily hit the lizard crowd. Although they were physically strong and the Spirit Bird''s lightning didn''t inflict much damage to them, the deafening roar, vibration, and wind dust still made the lizardmen panic.


    They had been shooting arrows intensively and paused at the same time.


    Meanwhile, Rhode, who had finished his preparation, activated Shadow Flash and quickly rushed in!

 Chapter 234 The Sealed Place 4

    The storm and thunder that the Spirit Bird released instantly suppressed the lizardmen''s wild and offensive attacks. At this time, Rhode immediately activated Shadow Flash and Thousand Shadows. In just a blink of an eye, he arrived at the high platform. The red sword in his hand flashed in the air and he attacked the lizardman before him with the Blade of Destruction. These lizards were not very intelligent, and the Spirit Bird''s sudden appearance was enough to make them panic. In addition, facing Rhode''s ambush, they felt extremely scared. Rhode''s Blade of Destruction actually had no effect on them, but upon seeing the sword attack, they immediately screamed in panic and scattered to the side, trying to avoid this attack. At this moment, these low-level animals began to get disorganized. They no longer cared about protecting the important figure that stood in the center and directly ran away.


    Rhode flew past the lizardmen like a breeze.


    He thought he might need more strength to get these annoying guys off, but he didn''t expect that these lizards were more incompetent than he thought. Of course, this was better. No one would want their enemy to be strong and smart, right?


    When Rhode arrived before the lizardman with the magic stick, it was jumping to the ground while holding its stick. It waved its stick while twisting its "slender waist" as if performing a folk dance. Seeing Rhode''s appearance, the lizardman was clearly startled. It flicked its tail and was going to jump backward. However, how could Rhode miss such a good opportunity?


    As the lizardman jumped down, Rhode swung his sword towards it. Seeing the sharp sword in front of it, the lizardman felt a chill. At the same time, it rolled back instinctively. This lizard man was really unscrupulous; it actually threw the stick at Rhode in order to save its life!


    Rhode felt a little surprised as he saw this strange scene. He had never seen a boss who threw away their weapon in battle�� Was it a trap? Anyway, this kind of question was meaningless to him. He dodged the stick and continued to thrust forward.


    "Whoa!!"


    However, the lizardman was quite lucky. It actually stumbled as it retreated, making it lose its balance. Once again, Rhode''s sword passed him by.


    What the heck is this?


    Rhode was a little surprised to see that his attack failed. He had never experienced such a thing before. Fortunately, as an experienced player, Rhode had been accustomed to all sorts of unexpected situations. Though his sword failed to hit the target, he immediately rushed forward and kicked the lizard''s belly with full force. The poor lizard shouted and fell unconscious.


    Right now, he had no time to check whether it was dead or alive because, at this moment, the other lizardmen heard the lizard mage''s scream. They immediately reacted and swung their weapons towards Rhode.


    No matter how powerful he was, he still didn''t want to be surrounded by so many lizards.


    Facing the lizardmen encirclement, Rhode did not hesitate. He once again stretched out his right hand and a white card appeared in his palm. In a moment, a dazzling white light emerged. At the same time, he swung the sword in his hand towards the group of lizardmen. With a touch of red light, several lizardmen fell onto the ground. After seeing the death of their comrades, the other lizards also immediately slowed down.


    However, that still didn''t make their situation any better.


    Celia suddenly appeared from the light. She spread her wings, raised her sword high, and immediately announced the fate of these lizardmen with her action.


    "Now!"


    Seeing the beam light before him, Kavos immediately reacted. He put his finger to his mouth and blew a whistle. Hearing this sound, the mercenaries, who had been waiting, immediately rushed forward from their hidden place!


    The angelic maiden waved her swords, emitting sacred flames. The lizards, who had been besieged, were forced to retreat. At this moment, the lizards were shouting and jumping towards Rhode and Celia. They completely forgotten about the rear. The mercenaries, on their way to the platform, proceeded smoothly and arrived at the scene. There, they could see the lizardmen exposing their back towards them��


    The next action was simple.


    They actually dared to expose their backs toward the enemy. Although they had the advantage in number, their low IQ was a mishap. In addition, they were also unorganized. As long as the lizard mage fell to the ground, they were completely at loss, not knowing what to do. For the mercenaries, a group of panicked, helpless enemies weren''t threatening at all ��


    Soon, the battle was almost over.


    The platform was filled with lizard corpses. They were lying on the ground and their blood was flowing out. The mercenaries picked up their bodies and dug up the gems on their foreheads just like before. As usual, they also sneakily turned around to look at the angelic maiden who stood beside Rhode.


    It wasn''t their first time seeing Celia, but seeing her suddenly appear at this place startled them. They knew that Celia wasn''t a member of their mercenary group, but rather Rhode''s subordinate, unlike Gillian. As an angel, she was also really mysterious and everyone rarely saw her. This time was also the same; they were sure that they didn''t see Celia along the way here. So how did she suddenly appear here?


    The mercenaries were baffled, but they had begun to get used to it after following Rhode all this way. People were just like this; if they always saw strange things, even if they did not understand the truth behind it, they also wouldn''t think about it. On the contrary, they usually scoffed at new mercenaries who were surprised when they first saw them even though they had no idea what was going on either.


    The reason these mercenaries were peeping at Celia wasn''t because they were enticed by her beauty, but because they were worried about whether the Holy Angel would think bad of their actions just now. Although the lizardmen weren''t human, digging up the gemstone on their foreheads wasn''t a very good thing to do. The mercenaries were trembling and afraid of causing trouble. Luckily, Celia didn''t seem to have any opinion towards their actions. She just stood beside Rhode quietly while closing her eyes. Obviously, she understood the principle of what remained unseen was deemed to be clean��.


    ��.


    However, the look on Rhode''s face at the moment was somewhat complicated.


    Although he managed to get rid of the lizardmen, he did not feel relaxed. Instead, he was frowning while standing in the center of the platform. He was looking at the tall stone wall before him. It was about eight to nine meters tall. It looked very ordinary, and nothing seemed strange. However, he thought that this place was quite strange.


    He remembered clearly that this group of lizards on the high platform was the boss. After the player killed these guys, they continued to move forward through a cave that led to the ruins below and continue fighting. But�� the stone wall before him remained intact.


    What about the cave? Where''s the five-meter-high cave?


    Rhode was baffled, but it confirmed his speculation that these ruins had been excavated by the NPCs before the players. But�� where did that cave come from?


    In the game, the passage looked very well-made, so the players didn''t really feel strange. They only thought the platform was connected to the second layer of the ruins. But now it seemed really strange. Did those Ophenians dig a way out themselves? Wasn''t that illogical? They weren''t dwarves. Even dwarves, who were known as underground moles, needed a few years to dig a cave like that��


    Rhode circling around the platform for half a day, wanting to find the hidden gear in here. But soon, he realized the problem and felt a little disappointed because the platform had been completely ruined by those lizards. It was really dirty despite still looking somewhat majestic and domineering from far away.


    "Everyone, spread out and check the surroundings."


    Thinking until here, he quickly issued an order. When the mercenaries heard his orders, they quickly nodded and scattered around. At this time, Rhode looked at the dark passage not far away from him and used telepathy to communicate with Gillian. Ever since she manifested, their telepathy had been limited to the normal level. If Gillian had something to say to Rhode, Rhode would be able to sense her mental fluctuations, similar to a ringing phone. This was also one of the reasons why Rhode chose Gillian as his Core Card. He couldn''t stand her suddenly harassing him anytime and anywhere. Although she usually seemed quite clever and sensible, after interacting with her for some time, he could be sure that if he flirted with a woman or did something beyond that, Gillian would definitely jump out of nowhere and give him a surprise. Judging from her character, she would definitely do something like that.


    Since he couldn''t find any access to the entrance, he decided to give up. He informed Gillian to let those people come in. Since he couldn''t find it himself, he wanted to see whether those Ophenians could find it or not. After all, players were only good at killing monsters and digging graves, not archaeological research��


    Soon, the remaining mercenaries under Shauna and Gillian entered the podium.


    The Ophenians, who saw the lizardmen corpses, clearly felt somewhat uncomfortable. Many of them frowned and showed their discontent, but were clever enough not to say much. At this moment, the grizzled old scholar came to Rhode''s side.


    "This�� Mr. Rhode. "


    "What''s the matter?"


    "It''s like this. " Facing Rhode''s inquiry, the old scholar hesitated repeatedly. At the same time, he looked at the angelic maiden who stood behind Rhode. The Ophenians thought angels held a special significance, but now was not the time for him to ask this question.


    "This�� I know it''s a bit presumptuous of me to ask, but�� if I may, could you have your subordinates clean up the podium and put the tattered bodies �� aside? Is it okay?"


    Oh?


    When he heard the old scholar''s request, Rhode tilted his eyebrows. Then, he withdrew his gaze and began to look at the platform surface for the first time.


    In his opinion, this circular podium was just an ordinary ritual platform, carved with mysterious patterns and symbols. It seemed disorganized and not some kind of magical array. But since the old scholar actually made this kind of request, his real goal was ��


    "No problem. "


    Rhode did not think for too long and soon nodded in agreement with the old scholar''s proposal. After that, he waved at Shauna.


    "Shauna, go tell the others to clean up the platform and everything, okay?"


    "Here?"


    Shauna was surprised upon hearing Rhode''s request. But soon, she nodded and turned around. Seeing this scene, the old scholar no longer said anything besides a word of thanks to Rhode, quickly going back to the crowd to start his own work.


    However, that didn''t mean he had the leisure to rest.


    Now, the most important thing was to figure out what happened to Lapis.

 Chapter 235 The Sealed Place 5

    Rhode quickly found Gillian and Lapis. When he saw Lapis, he finally understood what Gillian meant by trouble.


    At this moment, Lapis had totally lost her consciousness. The light in her eyes disappeared too, and she looked just like a dead person. If not for the fact that she was still breathing, Rhode would even believe she turned into undead or something similar.


    "What happened again?"


    "Her consciousness fell into a deep sleep. In other words, there''s a virus in her system. But, in here, there''s no firewall or a similar software that can kill the virus and protect her��"


    It was really convenient to communicate with someone who had knowledge of his world. There was no need to use mysterious and complicated magic spells. The example that Gillian gave made him quickly understood what happened to Lapis. But why? He knew that the Behermes was a race that used alchemy and magic to improve their power. With the magical skills of this world, they should not have yet reached the point where they could injected a chip into the brain to control and stimulate the body, right?


    "Although this is only my speculation��" While saying this, Gillian was currently touching Lapis''s chest softly from behind like a pervert�� But because Gillian herself was a beautiful woman, this scene would make some people get lost in thought. Of course, Gillian was using this opportunity to take advantage of Lapis while she was sleeping.


    "I think that Lapis might not be an ordinary Behermes. You know that Soul Alchemy is a very high-level skill, right?��"


    Hearing until here, Rhode nodded. Indeed, he had heard such a rumor before. It was said among the Behermes race, there was an ultimate alchemical prop called the Soul Crystal. However, unlike an artificial soul like the Gargoyle''s Heart, the Soul Crystal was used to seal the soul of living person into a crystal. The crystal would be placed into the body afterwards. This was the core idea of Behermes research, which believed that a formless soul wouldn''t be able to strengthen one''s power. On the other hand, a soul with a form could be trained and transformed. So in other words, the Behermes had the idea of integrating CPU functions into the motherboard. It would be easy to increase the memory, replace the advanced graphics, or do whatever they want, as long as the motherboard was still inserted. It was easy, quick, and convenient.


    It was the Behermes'' idea to crystallize one''s soul so they could attach it to more advanced alchemy and equipment. They could change their bodies at their own will and make themselves more powerful. They could also possess control and affinity for certain elements like elemental creatures.


    This was once a rumor among a lot of players in the forum. If the rumors were true, then an alchemist would also have the power of a mage, the strength of a barbarian, the speed of an elf, and the wings of an angel with this new enhancement. Finally, a support class had enough power to roam around and create a new era of online games. Unfortunately, gossip was gossip, and after the players'' painstaking efforts to find the original Soul Alchemy of the Behermes, they finally found out that only the royal family could understand the secret. There was no use in increasing the reputation among the Behermes because the secret of this alchemy was not perpetrated orally or in writing, but rather relied on the inheritance of blood and soul.


    The players had no other choice but to give up this idea. Players started to live down-to-earth lives since they couldn''t select the Behermes race when creating the character.


    But that also meant ��..


    "Is this little girl a royal?" "


    Looking at Lapis'' slightly pale face, Rhode felt somewhat incredulous. He couldn''t believe that this weak girl, who was wrapped in a cloak all day long, was actually Behermes royalty. Frankly speaking, there wasn''t the slightest royal aura in her. It wasn''t even close to Marlene''s


    However, now wasn''t the time to evaluate whether Lapis had a royal aura or not.


    "What''s next?" "


    "I tried to exert a psychological barrier before, to avoid her soul from getting invaded, but the opponent''s force seems to have exceeded my expectations. Because my power is suppressed, I have no way to block the opponent''s psychological attack, so she became like that��


    Gillian no longer said anything. Rhode also noticed that her stopped wagging like usual.


    "But let me remind you, Master. Whatever invaded Lapis''s spirit is certainly unfriendly towards us��"


    I see.


    Looking at Gillian''s right hand, which was placed on Lapis neck, Rhode finally realized that Gillian wasn''t taking advantage of Lapis, but feeling the spirit that invaded Lapis''s mind. The spirit seemed to be unusual, so Gillian deliberately wound Lapis around her. If Lapis suddenly became another person once she woke up from the coma, Gillian would be able to break her neck. Rhode had no doubt that Gillian would do it, but he did not know whether it was the right decision or not.


    "Leaderl!"


    When Rhode was still feeling confused, Shauna and Kavos suddenly called him from behind. Seeing their arrival, Gillian twitched her mouth and her tail floated to the front to block Lapis''s body from being seen. Rhode turned around and saw that the originally messy platform had become a lot cleaner. The Ophenians were taking some odd things out of their backpacks and placed them in the hollow near the podium. Their expressions also looked very serious.


    "We finished your order�� but what the hell are those guys doing? "


    Kavos and Shauna did not notice Gillian''s strange behavior. They were just looking at the Ophenians who were walking towards the platform and placed a cone on it with a puzzled and surprised look.


    "They told all of our people to leave and not to disturb them in their experiments. Did we come to this hellhole just to see them put on bricks? "


    Kavos''s expression clearly showed his dissatisfaction, and although Shauna didn''t say anything else, it was clear from her expression that she thought the same


    "Do not complain. We have taken their money, and let''s not forget that we work for money ��" After saying until here, Rhode fell silent. He quickly recalled the passage to the second floor in his mind. Then, he lowered his voice.


    "Inform everyone that they should stay vigilant, reorganize their formation, and guard the surroundings. These guys are definitely not here just to to put on bricks. Something unexpected usually happens in such an ancient ruin. I hope you are well prepared so there won''t be any mistakes. "


    "Yes, Sir." "


    Hearing Rhode''s order, Kavos and Shauna glanced at each other and nodded. After that, Kavos turned around to leave while Shauna stayed by Rhode''s side as she looked at the podium.


    "Have the Ophenians done anything strange, Shauna?"


    Although he had gotten the information from Gillian, out of concern for his subordinates, Rhode still decided to inquire about this issue. Otherwise, it wouldn''t be a good thing to give his subordinates the feeling that he wasn''t valuing them. Since he left the matter to her, he should ask her for the results.


    Sure enough, after hearing Rhode''s question, Shauna showed a stiff expression. She slightly bowed, and then answered.


    "Everything is going well, Sir. These Ophenian have not stayed too long in these ruins, but I feel like they are familiar with this place because I once saw their leader come up with a map and talk to the people around him. I didn''t see it clearly, but I thought it was a map of the ruins. "


    "Oh?" When he heard Shauna''s answer, Rhode frowned. "What else did they do?"


    "As for the other things�� It doesn''t seem to be a big deal, Sir. These Ophenians seemed to be very keen on collecting slate. They dug up a lot of slates along the way and collected them in their backpacks. It seems to be very important to them. "


    "I understand."


    After he heard Shauna''s report, Rhode only nodded and fell into deep thought. This time, after giving the report, Shauna didn''t stand in silence as usual. To the contrary, she worriedly looked around, then looked back at Rhode and said.


    "Sir�� I don''t know if it''s just a delusion or not, but I keep feeling that this place is not too safe. Not just this area, but I feel like there seems to be some danger approaching��"


    Shauna''s words were not yet finished, when the Ophenian who had finished placing the bricks shouted at them, telling them to leave the platform. The mercenaries quickly moved aside. The old scholar, who had been observing and commanding from the side, slowly came forward to the center of the high platform. He stretched out his hand and took a round, crystal ball from his bag.


    Everyone, including Rhode, was watching this scene. After the old scholar took out the crystal ball, he placed in the center of the high platform. When the old man loosened his hand, the original crystal ball did not fall to the ground, but instead, it remained floating.


    A chant sounded.


    The old scholar spread his hands and shouted as if he were calling for something. Followed by the sound his voice, the round, crystal ball emitted a soft glow and shone through the surroundings. The light was focused on the top of the cone the Ophenian had placed on the platform. After that, the light beam began to move slowly. Like a searchlight, it flashed at the stone wall. These lights overlapped at the center and formed a dazzling light.


    At this time, the crystal ball also emitted a sudden, dazzling light, pointing towards the center of the stone wall.


    ...��


    ...


    ...��


    A minute passed.


    Two minutes passed.


    Five minutes passed.


    Nothing happened.


    What the hell is this?


    The mercenaries glanced at each other, while the Ophenians showed a puzzled expression. Even Rhode felt surprised. Was there a delay?


    No one noticed that, at this moment, Lapis suddenly opened her eyes and countless strange runes emerged in her eyes.


    Then, she raised her right hand and pointed at the crystal.


    Golden runes flew out from the tip of her finger and hit the crystal ball.

 Chapter 236 The Sealed Place 6

    Countless rays of light instantly spilled out of the crystal ball.


    The light caused everyone to squint. At the same time, they panicked because they heard a low growl. As they couldn''t see, they didn''t know what was happening, after all, the greatest fear was always the unknown. Whether it was the mercenaries or the Ophenian Researchers, everyone retreated slowly while shielding their eyes from the blinding light.


    The bright light only lasted for a minute and everyone could soon see their surroundings once again after rubbing their eyes.


    The mercenaries were evidently shocked while the Ophenians had a tiny glint of success in their eyes.


    In front of them was a five-meter tall cave. Within it was a flight of stairs that extended upwards into the darkness. Oddly enough, the cave felt like a gigantic monster''s mouth; the stairs were akin to its teeth, waiting to swallow its prey whole.


    That''s the tunnel.


    Compared to the rest, Rhode was calm. From his perspective, the previous platform was the abnormal one whereas this was merely ordinary. Just when Rhode was about to give a command, Gillian''s voice rang in his ears.


    "Master?"


    Rhode shifted his attention to the fox-eared lady by his side. Gillian spread her arms and made a helpless expression. While she didn''t say anything, her gestures told Rhode everything he had to know.


    Lapis had disappeared.


    "What should we do?" asked Gillian as she maintained her usual expression.


    If Rhode was recognized for his poker face, Gillian''s smile was her iconic trait.


    Although the situation had taken an odd turn for the worse, Gillian still displayed a warm smile as if it was just a minor concern.


    Rhode scanned his surroundings again, but he couldn''t find Lapis. It was weird though; it should be literally impossible for him not to know if Lapis managed to escape from Gillian. Furthermore, even if it were just Gillian alone, Lapis wouldn''t be able to escape either.


    While the fire elemental lord''s level was adjusted to Rhode''s level, her strength was still above level 20. Lapis was roughly around level 10, and for her to escape from Gillian without her knowledge was impossible.


    However, Rhode wasn''t dumb. He knew that the beam of light had something to do with her disappearance. Thus, the only place where she could have gone was��


    Rhode lifted his head and faced the dark cave.


    The answer was to his front.


    -


    Lapis opened her eyes.


    "Where am I��?"


    The woman observed her surroundings groggily while attempting to overcome the dizzy spell that came as a side effect after her ''disappearance.'' Ever since she had been caught up in the beam of light, an intense headache wrecked her mind as though she was suffering from a terrible hangover.


    After some time, Lapis finally gained control of her body and she soon began to think of her situation.


    Where is this place?


    Around her were dozens of sparkling crystal balls which floated in the air, releasing a colorful brilliance. Also, the space she was in appeared to be cube-shaped and was covered in black tiles which gave off a magical feeling. When she stared closely at the black tiles, streams of magical lights seemed to be flickering within, vaguely revealing pieces of strange writings. After a while, the writings suddenly disappeared.


    "This is the central control room of the Behermes family. You''re finally here, Lapis."


    A low voice sounded once again, but this time it was different, the owner of the voice had finally revealed itself.


    Dim rays of light emerged from a floating crystal ball and condensed into a human figure. The figure was roughly two meters tall and had slender arms and legs which concealed its gender.


    "I represent all Behermians to welcome you here, Lapis."


    Lapis stared at this figure of light and took a few steps back before asking carefully, "�� You, you are��"


    The figure of light appeared unaffected by her question and made a hand gesture while taking a few steps towards Lapis.


    "I am the Great Spirit of Behermes, Rafah."


    "Lapis, I know I am a stranger to you, but to me and us, you are a very familiar being. You must have known your fate and now, the time to fulfill your mission is here. Come, accept our powers and trigger your core. Today, the continent''s first ever perfect Behermian will be born. The long tragedy of our family lineage will end now!"


    Lapis felt uncomfortable after listening to Rafah. She gripped her necklace nervously, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath before suddenly revealing a serious expression.


    "I am not here for that, Mr. Rafah."


    "Oh?"


    Rafah was somewhat astonished after hearing an unexpected answer from Lapis.


    Lapis took two steps back subconsciously in nervousness. However, she eventually picked up enough courage to ask, "I want to know what will happen to me after I become a fully completed Behermes?"


    "You will become the most beautiful being on this continent."


    Rafah gave a smooth reply.


    "You should know that this was the goal since the birth of the Behermes family, Lapis. Can''t you feel the Spirit Crystal resonating within your body? It had been waiting for this moment �� the moment to return to perfection."


    "But, e-even if I complete the Behermes'' Spirit Crystal, I am still alone."


    If Rhode was listening to this, he would be extremely surprised because the woman who wouldn''t even dare to raise her head and look at others actually dared to argue for what was right.


    "And how can I revive the whole Behermes Family?"


    Rafah didn''t immediately answer her question. Instead, he stared at the woman with his cold, profound eyes. There wasn''t anger, doubt, or curiosity in his gaze; rather, it was an icy-cold glare that suggested that he didn''t have human emotions.


    After a moment, Rafah let out a laugh.


    "And this is why we chose you as the Behermes'' Spirit Crystal. Lapis, you will become the first perfect Behermian woman and procreate a new generation of Behermian offsprings. Our Behermes Family will prosper because of you and our new generations will be able to revive our hopes!"


    "Then�� you mean you will give those people up?" Lapis inquired worriedly.


    Rafah nodded without hesitation.


    "That''s right. Their time is done. Those defects can''t give us what we want. But luckily we still have you, Lapis. You are the most perfect being within the Behermes Family. Now come forth, accept our powers and fulfill your destiny."


    The figure of light extended its right hand.


    However, it didn''t grab onto Lapis.


    "�� I�� I reject��"


    "Huh? What did you say?"


    "I said�� I reject becoming perfect!"


    Lapis lifted her head proudly and stared right into the figure of light for the first time.


    "I''m not here to become perfect. I''m here to destroy it! Mr. Rafah, no matter who all of you are and what you want to do, I will not let you have your way. We are not your playthings or experimental tools. I am also not your so-called ''perfect woman.'' The reason I am here is to eradicate the whole core!"


    Lapis tore the necklace off her neck and lifted it high up in the air. Suddenly, dozens of lines filled with magic runes erupted and wrapped the woman. The figure of light''s expression changed when he saw the necklace.


    "Myriad Locket?! Lapis, you��!!"


    "I, Lapis Behermes Filian Stanblanca, now summon the sacred being that had been protecting our family for the ages to destroy the core that had been restricting our family!"

 Chapter 237 The Sealed Place 7

    The magic runes spinning around her scattered like water snakes and slithered toward the crystal ball hovering in the air. Soon, the smooth surface of the crystal ball began to crack. Lapis clenched her teeth and observed quietly.


    "Stop! What do you think you''re doing!"


    The figure of light screamed as it stretched its arms to stop Lapis. But before his arm could touch Lapis, the magic runes swiftly retaliated and lashed towards Rafah like a whip.


    It forced Rafah to retreat, but Rafah clearly didn''t have any intention to stop. Rafah bellowed and the surrounding floating crystal balls began spinning rapidly, shooting scorching rays of light at the magic runes. Alas, it didn''t have any effect on the Symbol Protection.


    Along with a sharp crack, many crystal balls shattered into countless pieces. Their radiance gradually dimmed and collapsed to the ground after losing the magical sustenance that kept them afloat. If one looked closely, there were many tiny skulls within the dimmed crystal balls.


    This wasn''t an ordinary place.


    Lapis knew that the Behermians originated from this place and it was also the birthplace of their nightmare. While it may be true that past Behermians indeed chose this path to fight for themselves, their faith had long been twisted over the years. The end of the battle didn''t make them give up on the path to a perfect Behermes �� instead, it was the start of a tragedy.


    The Behermians who had died long ago had their spirits captured in a crystal ball and corrupted by the Behermes Family. These Behermians weren''t able to resist because every Behermian possessed Spirit Crystals within themselves.


    It was just as what Gillian had explained �� the Behermians were like computers without a firewall and were interconnected with each other through something like the internet. The corruption permeated into the system from the central server room of the ''Behermes network.'' Other than transmitting a virus to the dead Behermians, there wasn''t any other purpose for it.


    "Stop right this moment!!"


    As the crystal balls shattered, the radiance on Rafah''s body dimmed. He grew frantic and bellowed for Lapis to stop.


    Lapis, being timid by nature, shrunk her body in reflex and tears of fear brimmed below her eyes. She almost threw the necklace away in panic.


    However, Lapis carried on.


    She would never give up.


    The spirit''s determination to achieve perfection had destroyed the entire Behermes Family in the process. It passed the virus through telepathic means and incited the Behermians to obtain perfection. However, their mental state ended up being destroyed and the Behermians who contacted the ''virus'' became walking zombies. Their population gradually declined and all of them perished in the end.


    Lapis was a being closest to perfection according to the Behermes Family''s standard. And because of that, she was immune to the mental corruption that had ended the Behermians. That was why she could escape the city of death and its viruses.


    However, Lapis would never forget the damage done to her home. Her predecessors who were supposed to be quietly overseeing their newer generations had destroyed everything she had ever known. That kind of pain was something that couldn''t be washed away with time.


    But she couldn''t do anything to stop it at that point.


    She had accepted her fate and tried to lead a simple life according to her parents'' wishes. While the life of a mercenary was far from safe, it was at least much better than being manipulated by a bunch of lunatics and their walking zombies.


    After becoming a mercenary, Lapis had witnessed and experienced many things. Tragedy didn''t only apply to the Behermians, but also humans as well. There were suffering everywhere, so why was there no one there to rescue them? What about herself? She neither possessed any legendary world-changing powers nor good luck even though she was ''near perfect'' from the Behermes Family''s perspective. Even if she could muster enough courage to challenge the spirits, how could she remove all those spirits and return the Behermians to normal all by herself?


    Lapis knew that she wasn''t any good in battle. Randolf had already been promoted to an official ranger while she remained as an Apprentice. She couldn''t perform her duties as an alchemist properly even though it was apparently her area of expertise as a Behermian. It was only when Lapis found out that Rhode was heading to Unicorn Peak that she could proceed with this plan.


    After musing to herself for some time, Lapis finally solidified her decision to come here.


    Since the ship had already sailed, she can''t possibly turn back now.


    Only a Behermian with a royal bloodline like her could enter this chamber. She also knew that she was the only one who could destroy these spirits.


    Lapis straightened her body and lifted her necklace high in the air. Beneath the tears and the worry-ridden face was a brave and undeterred woman.


    "Stop it!! You are destroying the final wishes of the Behermes Family!"


    Rafah bellowed at Lapis as she lifted up the necklace. However this time, Rafah reacted swiftly and caused the remaining crystal balls to emit a bright light. In a blink of an eye, the figure of light grew many times larger and only stopped when it reached three meters tall.


    Lapis'' legs turned soft.


    The fearful figure of the giant almost pushed her to the brink of giving up, but she managed to squeeze out the last of her bravery and encouraged herself to chant the incantation.


    Soon enough, the magical runes transformed once again as countless of lines rose up into the air, producing a spiral which soon formed a giant as well. Both giants were roughly around the same height, but compared to Rafah, Lapis'' rune giant was slightly dull.


    Both giants began brandishing their arms.


    Both sides had no intention to defend. As each punch landed, it released a deafening sound. Giant Rafah and the rune giant sparred mindlessly; each blow was extremely terrifying, and every time they clashed, they would let out meaningless howls.


    All Lapis could do was to observe. The rune giant was Lapis'' ace. It was the royal family''s defensive device passed on from one generation to another. Although Lapis wasn''t the brightest of the bunch, she wasn''t dumb either. She didn''t think that she could eliminate the spirits all by herself.


    Could she succeed?


    Lapis wasn''t confident.


    "Boom!!"


    The rune giant once again struck giant Rafah which caused it to take a few steps back. Lapis became slightly optimistic.


    Can I win?


    "Fool!!"


    Giant Rafah stabilized its body and dispelled Lapis'' joyous thoughts with its angry howl. It swung its massive fists and rays of light erupted from the surrounding crystal balls. The rays were like chains which latched onto the rune giant''s body, stopping it from moving entirely. And at this moment, Giant Rafah clenched its fist and transformed it into a sharp blade. The giant took a step forward and slashed the blade downwards!


    The blade slashed at the rune giant''s torso, tearing a long, gaping rift from its shoulder to its lower body. Bang! Along with a loud sound, the rune giant''s body trembled and exploded into countless of dust particles that floated into nothingness.


    Meanwhile, the necklace in Lapis'' hand shattered and a huge impact swept her off her feet before she could scream. The broken necklace flew out of her hand and landed on the ground.


    Failed!


    Lapis trembled as she stared at the broken necklace on the ground.


    She failed!!


    Before Lapis was able to react, Giant Rafah spoke once again.


    "You disappoint me, Lapis. As the closest one to perfection, you dared to oppose us?"


    "I�� I have never said that I wanted to be perfect." Lapis struggled to lift her head and refuted.


    "Since things have ended this way, we can only force you to be one!"


    Giant Rafah extended his arm and pointed at her.


    Shiing!! Chains flew out from the crystal balls and bound Lapis'' body. Although the woman struggled with all her might, she wasn''t able to move at all. Lapis could only stare helplessly at the colossal finger that had already reached her face.


    "Show me your Spirit Crystal, mend the defect, and fulfill our desires!"


    "No��!!"


    That was her last cry.


    The next moment, Lapis'' body flew into the air, and a beautiful, pure white flower bloomed on her chest. A multi-colored crystal floated quietly at the center of the flower. Then, it began to flash.

 Chapter 238 The Sealed Place 8

    A violent tremor forced the mercenaries to halt.


    What happened?


    While the mercenaries looked at each other in confusion, Rhode''s expression turned gloomy. A system prompt appeared informing him that Lapis was in grave danger.


    Due to the mercenary group system, Rhode was able to receive information of important members of the group, especially when they were in danger or close to death.


    When Rhode was configuring his Stronghold settings, the first member he chose to monitor was neither Lize, Marlene, nor Anne. Instead, it was Lapis. Compared to the three, Lapis'' ability to protect herself was almost nonexistent. Rhode even believed that even if she were given a knife to fight a defenseless enemy, she would end up injuring herself instead.


    Nevertheless, disregarding her combat ability, Lapis'' importance to the mercenary group was indisputable. She was an expert in manufacturing �� a rarely seen trait among mercenaries.


    For Rhode to build a top-rate mercenary group whose goal was to become a guild, they must strive to be self-sufficient. Starlight would naturally be expanding, but the Paphield Region wasn''t able to provide enough talents in the manufacturing field, and therefore Rhode was exhilarated when he met Lapis.


    Rhode had always been looking out for her to prevent any mishaps. If it was possible, Rhode would rather keep her inside a cage to stop her from contacting the outside world �� after all, Starlight had made quite a few enemies.


    Thankfully, Lapis was a female ''geek'' who preferred to stay in the Stronghold. Unless absolutely necessary, she wouldn''t leave the safety of the Stronghold. Even if she had to leave, she would bring her friends like Randolf or Anne along. It could be said that the woman''s introverted character had been her best protection, yet now��


    Rhode frowned. Although he did consider the possibility of danger when he brought her here, he relented to her endless pestering in the end. Initially, he felt somewhat glad as Lapis would trigger her personal quest, and if he assisted her in the completion of her quest, perhaps she would upgrade her strength substantially.


    Alas, Rhode miscalculated when he thought that Gillian and himself would be able to prevent Lapis from falling into any grave danger��


    Rhode looked at the flight of stairs.


    He knew where the path led to. At the end of the stairs, they would enter a room filled with Golem Guards who hid within thirty suits of armor. They had to clear these mobs before entering the control room where another major battle would occur. This was when Rhode realized that he had to make changes to his plans.


    "Kavos."


    Rhode hooked his finger and beckoned Kavos to come. Kavos quickly made his way towards him and was shocked when he saw Rhode exhibiting a never seen before grave expression.


    "Order everyone to get ready, we are going in!"


    "Yes, Sir!"


    Kavos didn''t understand why Rhode would do this, but he swiftly followed his commands. Meanwhile, Gillian suddenly appeared with her iconic smile on her face. Her twitching ears indicated that she was also starting to get serious.


    "Are we starting, Master?"


    "Of course. You know what to do. Let''s move!" Rhode replied Gillian with a cold expression.


    He swung his sword and quickly transformed into a shadow. Then, in a blink of an eye, he disappeared up the flight of stairs with both Celia and Gillian following closely behind, leaving a trail of flames and holy light which illuminated the dark cave.


    Kavos stared blankly at the trail of flames and light for a moment. Then he took a deep breath and shouted at the mercenaries who were equally astonished.


    "Ready your weapons and move it you idiots! It''s time for battle!!"


    -


    Rhode once again realized that things were out of his expectations.


    In the game, the Golem Guards would only move after detecting trespassers in their territory. But when Rhode was dashing up the stairs, he realized the Golem Guards had already been activated and were advancing towards him.


    Another unforeseen circumstance.


    But so what?


    Rhode didn''t care about these changes. He extended his arm and summoned the Black Hound who leaped out from flames and rushed towards the aggressive Golem Guards. At the same time, Rhode opened his right palm and swung his hand to the side. Two additional cards shot out and smashed into bits, following with a screech and a loud roar. The Spirit Bird and Centaur Knight appeared once more!


    Rhode quickly used all his strongest cards so he could instantly clear all these obstructions. When Spirit Bird and Centaur Knight arrived on the field, the poor suicidal dog sacrificed its life once again and kicked the bucket with an explosion.


    Boom!! When the Golem Guard''s sword pierced into the Black Hound''s torso, a huge explosion erupted and rocked the whole cave. This time, with the help of the fire element lord, Rhode could contain the blast to a specific radius. Finally, Rhode could now freely utilize the Black Hound''s self-destruct ability without injuring his own men.


    The impact of the shockwave tore apart a few Golem Guards like an invisible hand sweeping through. However, it still wasn''t enough to stop the other Golem Guards from advancing. Unlike humans, they were devoid of fear and thus, the rest of the surviving Golem Guards commenced their primary goal to eradicate any intruders.


    Rhode, Celia, and Gillian finally arrived in melee range.


    Rhode chose to use Fury Trial instead of his recently acquired Shadow Dance. The Crimson Blade lost its agileness, but instead gained a huge increase in range as the condensed beam of light at the tip of the sword swept through the Golem Guards. Along with a loud bang, a heavily-armored Golem Guard was sent flying. The massive force left a deep depression on the Golem Guard''s thick metal armor, and when it crashed into the wall, its body split into half.


    Gillian''s battle was equally as exciting.


    Compared to Celia who used a sword, the fire elemental lord had no interest in using weapons at all. The fox-eared lady made a few gestures with her hand, invoking countless of tiny fireballs in the air. She lined them up in front of her, creating a ''fireball minefield,'' and when the Golem Guards mindlessly rushed towards her, it was the start of their tragedy.


    Hundreds of fireballs exploded at the same time, engulfing the pitiful Golem Guards. While Gillian couldn''t single-handedly clear out all the obstacles here with her current strength, her innate powers of a fire elemental lord were sufficient to create hundreds of tiny fireballs to form a minefield.


    Perhaps one or two fireballs wouldn''t be able to damage the Golem''s thick armor, but when a hundred exploded at the same time, even the strongest Golem of them all wouldn''t be able to come out unscathed. After the series of explosions, what was left in the smoke were unrecognizable broken parts that had once been part of a Golem Guard.


    As for the Centaur Knight, these Golem Guards didn''t pose any threat to it at all. The Golem Guards could attack all they wished, but the Centaur Knight would just sweep them with its long spear. The sturdy Golem Guards lost the battle of durability when faced against the Centaur Knight and were eventually smashed into bits.


    At this moment, the mercenaries finally arrived.


    Of course, they couldn''t fight a Golem Guard one-on-one like how Rhode, Celia or Gillian could, but these mercenaries could utilize team-based tactics to overwhelm the Golem Guards. For experienced mercenaries like them, it wasn''t too difficult of a task.


    Bam! Another Golem Guard slammed into the floor and smashed into pieces. Rhode took in a deep breath and lifted his head towards the big door in front of him.


    The BOSS fight was just behind this door.


    If he didn''t guess wrong, Lapis should be in there somewhere.

 Chapter 239 The Sealed Place 9

    "Seems like your companions know that you''re here."


    The giant of light said as he turned to Lapis who was tied up. Tears appeared in her eyes and the crystal at her chest vibrated as several rays of white light revolved around it.


    Rafah was surprised.


    It was no easy task as completing the Spirit Crystal required the owner''s absolute acceptance. If the owner had even the slightest resistance against accepting the power, it would undoubtedly fail. Even though Rafah managed to forcefully pull out the Spirit Crystal hidden within Lapis'' body, it realized that her resistance made it impossible to accomplish his task. If it tried to bend her will forcefully, it might trigger an irreversible backlash and end its goals once and for all.


    That was something Rafah would never want to see. Thus, it used the ''persuasion tactic'' in an attempt to change Lapis'' view. However, no matter how hard it tried to convince her, the timid lady never backed down. Even when Rafah threatened her, her will remained the same. This left Rafah speechless. From its perspective, it didn''t understand how a woman with such a major lack of confidence could be so stubborn. Wasn''t it supposed to be an easy task to convince her?


    "I don''t understand why you would reject."


    Rafah shook its head and gazed at Lapis, puzzled.


    "I went through your spirit and seen your past. You''ve faced such situations before, haven''t you? We, Berhermes, is neither spirit nor human, but an abnormality. Humans are afraid of us, hate us, and keep a distance from us. You should know how it feels like, so why are you still hesitating? You can control your fate after becoming a perfect being, Lapis."


    "��"


    Lapis remained silent for a moment before shaking her head vigorously once again.


    If Rhode was present, he would certainly tell Rafah that their methods were wrong from the very beginning.


    Truthfully, Lapis was indeed an individual who lacked self-confidence. However, Rafah underestimated the level of her lack of self-confidence. For example, when humans faced setbacks, some would stand up and oppose it while others would sink deeper into the abyss.


    Even though Lapis had encountered many setbacks, she had eventually lost the ability to make her own decisions and drowned in an inferiority complex syndrome. In other words, as long as she met a person that could be trusted, she would listen to him or her without question. She would think that she didn''t possess sufficient capabilities to make suggestions, and as long someone she trusted could convince her in doing something, she would follow his or her instructions wholeheartedly.


    That was why Rhode assigned her to focus on alchemy and forbid her to conceive of her own theories. Well, Lapis wasn''t unhappy with his decision. Through experimentation in accordance with Rhode''s directions, she was able to understand how to exhibit the greatest potential in blending potions. Thus, after that, she followed his words unconditionally.


    Coming back to the current situation �� it was exactly the same scenario. Rafah hoped that Lapis would accept her own powers, but Lapis deemed it as an impossible task. From the very beginning, her heart was set against this notion, and even if she took a thousand steps back, her lack of self-confidence would prevent her from thinking that she had the attributes of a perfect being.


    However, if it were Rhode, Anne or Randolf who persuaded her instead, Lapis would do it without hesitation.


    Rafah had no clue what to do with this stubborn woman. Now, his only option was to break her mind and push her willpower to the brink of despair. Once Lapis had no more hope, she would no longer cling to any willpower to live. Then, Lapis would become the perfect doll that wouldn''t resist or doubt. By doing this, she would undoubtedly turn into a perfect product �� a perfect product that had lost its self-awareness which would make it somewhat flawed. Nevertheless, Lapis could produce offsprings that could become the next perfect Behermian. So, as long as she lived, it would be enough.


    Although it might sound simple, to break the woman''s willpower wasn''t easy at all. As the spirit and flesh were tightly linked, Rafah wasn''t able to use any violent methods that would injure her flesh. What if Lapis couldn''t take the pain and passed away from it? Rafah would go crazy��


    So, what else could make her fall into despair?


    Right. As long as she personally witnesses the death of her companions, Lapis would lose everything that she had loved and fall into despair. Simple.


    Alas, things don''t always proceed as planned.


    Rafah stared at the image floating in the air. Its face twitched as it didn''t expect the Golem Guards to be so weak. He was mad as they were all smashed to smithereens in minutes, but what made him even angrier was that because of this, Lapis'' will to live actually soared!


    It was supposed to break her will, not reinforce it!


    But even so, it didn''t give up altering Lapis'' mentality.


    "Do you really think that they would come and save you?"


    Rafah sneered as he extended his arm and pointed to the gem that appeared on Lapis'' chest.


    "Do you think that they would want to save you after knowing what you are? You should already know that humans always hated the Behermes Family. The humans are afraid of the unknown, of what we have, and what they can''t understand. We can live in this world without the organ the humans refer as the heart, and continue to appear as ordinary humans without becoming the undead."


    Lapis'' expression froze for a moment, causing the Spirit Crystal on her to dim. But it soon returned back to normal.


    How is that possible?


    Rafah was shocked. He felt that this was absurd. Lapis had no reason to trust those humans! According to the information it obtained from her spirit, Lapis had been hiding her identity from those people and not even her closest friend knew of her secret. Rafah thought that exposing Lapis'' secret would be her greatest fear. But why wasn''t she affected?


    Where did she get her confidence from?


    Rafah just couldn''t figure it out.


    Although he might be able to read through her memories, Rafah still couldn''t read or alter her conscious thoughts. In fact, at this moment, Lapis'' sole source of confidence stemmed from the young black-haired man displayed on the image.


    Rhode.


    Perhaps if it were others, Lapis would have second thoughts about this matter. However, if it was Rhode, she knew that he would be able to do something. Moreover, Gillian and Anne''s presence proved that Rhode wasn''t afraid of other races.


    In Anne''s previous mercenary group, Mark White, she saw how Anne distanced herself away from other mercenaries. Other than the late leader of Mark White, there weren''t many people who wished to get close to her.


    However, Starlight was different. Although Anne had revealed her true identity, Rhode had neither displayed any hint of fear nor dissatisfaction. Also, Gillian obviously wasn''t a human from her appearance.


    Thus, if Rhode could accept them, he should be able to accept her.


    That was her faith towards Rhode that the woman carried deep in her heart. It was filled with hope, trust, and confidence. Even if she couldn''t trust herself, she could trust Rhode.


    Indeed, the human heart was contradictory, yet oddly fascinating.


    Boom!! At this moment, the huge door burst open.


    Rhode entered the room with large strides.


    The first thing he set his eyes upon wasn''t the projected image or his surroundings, instead, after entering the room, he immediately locked his gaze on the woman who was tied up in chains �� of course, that meant that he saw the Spirit Crystal on Lapis'' chest.


    She indeed was the Perfect One.


    Rhode was rather surprised. Although he had heard of similar stories, this was his first time seeing a Spirit Crystal. Luckily he had rushed here in time. Lapis'' death would be unacceptable according to Rhode''s standards. If it were the game, the dead NPC could simply respawn, but if he were to fail here, it would be irreversible. Rhode didn''t wish to have such an ending.


    Thinking of this, he turned his attention to Rafah.


    It appears that this is the mastermind.


    "Whoever you are, I hope you can release the lady. After all, no matter what, she is part of my mercenary group."


    Rhode''s tone sounded refined and polite, however, the motion of drawing his sword and pointing to the enemy spoke otherwise. Rhode''s follow-up proved this point. "If not, I don''t mind doing it myself."


    "Ignorant humans."


    The giant of light gave a cold laugh after listening to Rhode''s threat. He extended its arm and suddenly the crystal that was hanging in the air flew above Rhode''s head and formed a circle which shrouded him within.


    "Do you really think you can defeat the power of the Behermes? This is the holy central control room of the Behermians. In here, everything is under our control. And you are the same!"


    Along with the angry howls from the giant of light, the floating crystal ball immediately erupted with an incredibly bright light. Then, a beam of light ejected from within, aiming straight for Rhode who was still shrouded in the circle.

 Chapter 240 The Sealed Place 10

    The scorching ray flashed in the air. Fortunately, it missed Rhode and changed its direction toward the crystal ball instead.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    After a series of explosion, the smoke and dust dissipated, and the dozen crystal balls were nowhere to be seen.


    What happened?


    The giant of light was appalled. He didn''t expect the light ray to change its trajectory by itself. But he didn''t have the time to consider how all this happened because, at this moment, Rhode dashed over.


    Rhode spiralled into the air and slashed a perfect arc with his crimson blade, piercing right into the giant of light.


    "How dare you!"


    The giant of light let out a bellow. His right arm transformed into an enormous, razor-sharp blade of light and slashed toward Rhode swiftly. If Rhode didn''t dodge, he would surely be dead. However, he didn''t have any reactions at all as though he had disregarded the menacing attack.


    "Leader!"


    Lapis yelled worriedly. Suddenly, scarlet radiance flashed in her eyes.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    A violent shock blasted from the series of explosions, deflecting the giant''s blade and missing Rhode widely. At this moment, Rhode drew a circle in midair with his sword and stuck it in the giant''s arm.


    "��!"


    The giant of light let out a blood-curdling screech as it flinched and half-knelt on the ground. Its right hand had been sliced off at its wrist and dropped to the ground. Losing its source of energy, the hand turned into dust and vanished into the air.


    How is this possible?


    The giant of light felt unprecedented and immense pain and was terrified. He knew he wasn''t a physical being, so logically speaking, it was impossible for Rhode''s attack to cause him any harm. Since he was an imaginary reflection formed by a coalescence of magical energy, the only thing that could harm him was magic. But, as a swordsman without magical skills, how did this young man do it?


    And how did he actually get hit?


    Not only did Rhode''s attack damage his body, but it also felt as if ice cold venom had entered the depths of his spirit. This terrifying, evil, and ice-cold energy dulled the emanating light on its body.


    Dozens of scarlet rays flashed and erupted into a series of explosions that engulfed his body and limited all his movements.


    At this moment, he realized that there was another enemy floating in the air.


    Gillian hovered high up in the air. The fox-eared maiden was surrounded by small, suspended fireballs. She smiled and extended her right hand forward, pointing at the giant of light. Along with this action, the fireballs spun and it was apparent that she was the culprit that had diverged his sword attack.


    "Piss off!"


    The giant of light swung his hand furiously and countless crystal balls gathered from the surroundings and blasted toward Gillian in a magical light beam.


    Then, an astonishing scene happened.


    Gillian had no intentions to hide. She shook her finger gently and suddenly, the magical light beam shifted its trajectory along and headed straight back toward the giant of light!


    Never did the giant of light expect his own attack to come back to bite him. He clumsily dodged, but Rhode took the opportunity to launch an attack. If the giant of light wasn''t quick enough, perhaps his head would have gone along with his right arm.


    Even though he had dodged, Rhode''s attack was still a huge threat to him.


    Of course. The giant wasn''t aware that Rhode had used his Dead Soul Blade skill, which was most effective on spiritual targets. Initially, when the Dark Elves created this skill, their main motive was to inflict damage even if they couldn''t kill their enemies. This skill wouldn''t affect mentally strong beings much. However, it was totally different for the giant of light.


    The giant was a spirit coalesced from magic, after all. A spiritual being without a physical body had already lost a layer of protection, and logically speaking, Rhode''s sword attacks would naturally cause more damage. This special and proud trait of the giant of light had now become his lethal weakness. Right now, the situation had gone beyond his expectations, especially after his magical attacks had betrayed himself. The giant of light was flabbergasted.


    Fortunately, he immediately returned to his normal size after witnessing the enormous threat before his eyes. Not only did his enormous size not give him any advantage, but it also stopped him from dodging Rhode''s attack. Moreover, Gillian''s opportunistic attacks were like adding salt to his wounds. He swung his hands forward and the coalesced light energy around his body spread out abruptly. In the blink of an eye, light figures appeared all around Rhode.


    "Gillian!"


    Rhode called out. He had a solution for this situation.


    Gillian swiftly retreated. At the same time, she swung both her hands forward and countless fireballs pounced on the crystal balls. The explosions went on for a while and the crystal balls hovering in midair reduced to one fifth of their size. At this moment, about half the number of light figures surrounding Rhode had also disappeared.


    Although Gillian''s powers weren''t as powerful as before, she still had absolute control over her flame forte, albeit her attacks lacking a bit in damage. If the fireballs under Gillian''s full potential were considered guided missiles, then the destruction from her fireballs now were only that of grenades. However, from a certain perspective, the difference between 1000 grenades and 1000 guided missiles wasn''t actually that huge.


    This was why she chose to win via quantity. Of course, Rhode once doubted this. Since her abilities were limited, why did she chose to use small fireballs? A fire elemental lord should have had many more choices.


    However, bombarding the enemy was the best way for her�� And Rhode was left speechless.


    Who kind of person is he?!


    Rafah became completely lost in fear, as he didn''t expect that anybody would be this formidable. Even though this man didn''t come up with a wide range of countermeasures, each countermeasure he chose was very effective. Not only that, this man also knew the secrets of this room. How was that possible? This place was supposed to be the top secret of the Behermes Family, and not even Lapis had been here before, so this man shouldn''t have been aware of it at all!


    Rafah definitely wouldn''t know the answers to these questions. Although it appeared to Rafah that Rhode had stepped into this place for the first time, Rhode had actually defeated the boss of this dungeon until he was sick and tired of it. This boss was merely a spirit slightly over level 20 who knew how to use magical artifacts and manipulate magical crystal balls. Rhode had to destroy the crystal ball first before gathering his attacks altogether on the boss. If Rhode attempted to defeat this boss before he advanced in levels, it might be too difficult. However, his current level was higher than this giant of light and furthermore, Gillian was by his side too. So wasn''t this all too easy for him?


    The longer the battle continued, the more fearful Rafah was. He realised that this mysterious man wasn''t as easy to deal with as he expected. Right now, he couldn''t even think of a way to make use of Rhode in cracking down on Lapis as Rhode''s attack could inflict damage on himself. Not only that, this young man even knew the weaknesses of the central core. The central core of the Behermes was a magical space formed by past Behermians through alchemist skills. They sealed their own corpses into a magical crystal and used the crystal''s powers to maintain the lifespans of their spirits. As days passed, other than the spirits who lay undiscovered here, this secret was never leaked. But this young man appeared extremely familiar with this place. He even ignored the presence of Rafah''s phantom and figure and continued to attack the crystal ball!


    This can''t go on!


    Rafah''s heart sank. He hadn''t experience such anxiousness for a long, long time. He looked at the crystal ball that was slowly shedding and losing its magical powers under the attacks of Rhode and Gillian. This was definitely something that Rafah didn''t wish to see.


    There was no other way.


    Rafah no longer hesitated. He swung his hands forward and suddenly, the whole area shone brightly. After a few moments, Rhode, Gillian, and Rafah were surrounded by a dazzling radiance, then disappeared.


    However, this was only for an instant.


    In a blink of an eye, all 3 of them reappeared. However, this time, Rhode and Gillian were thrown into the left and right corners of this huge area. It was as though a pair of huge hands had positioned them. Then, Rafah flew into the air and stood at Gillian''s previous position.


    "Meet your doom!"


    Rafah let out a snarl while raising both hands. Shortly after, the entire room flickered, trembled, and powerful magical powers erupted. The crystal balls had become glaring suns.


    Lapis shrieked in horror and shut her eyes tight.


    A powerful shockwave came thereafter.

 Chapter 241 Awakening 1

    The surging magical powers coalesced and resounded in the entire space. Rafah raised both arms as an incomparably strong source of energy flowed within his body. The ground and walls cracked under the pressure. Lapis gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and turned away to avoid the strong gale.


    "Ignorant humans, all of you will die here!"


    The central control room could no longer be saved, but that didn''t matter as long as Lapis was around and he had the powers��


    A crimson ray of light flashed.


    Rafah stopped moving and time seemed to have frozen at this second. He opened his eyes wide and glared at Rhode, who had mysteriously appeared before him. The black-haired young man maintained a stance as he slashed his sword down.


    Rafah lowered his head. His body, which was made of light, had suffered a terrifying slash on its right shoulder.


    Why?


    Rafah couldn''t understand how this man could have such amazing reflexes. Logically speaking, Rafah''s teleportation should have negated Rhode''s attacks, but how did he move so nimbly, even in this space?


    Rhode stared at the figure of light without any emotions. This was an illogical situation to Rafah. However, Rhode had repeated these steps countless of times. When a boss''s HP had reached a critical level, it would trigger a skill that would change the player''s position and release an attack that damaged all players after a three-second summoning. However, to the players, the three seconds weren''t for them to expect death.


    From the start of the battle, Rhode had been on the alert for this ultimate move from Rafah.


    After noticing the shift in his position, Rhode instinctively activated Shadow Flash and dashed toward Rafah''s face. The Dead Soul Blade emerged in the air and sliced through Rafah''s body and broke his spell��


    "No��!"


    Rafah let out a mourning scream.


    The powers contained in his body gushed out like a flood and his body turned even brighter and sharper. He lifted his hands in the air helplessly. He couldn''t believe that he failed. How? How did this man understand the Behermes and the central control room so much? Who exactly is this man?


    Rafah didn''t receive his answers.


    Because, at this moment, a glaring magical radiance soared and devoured him instantly, and he disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Settled.


    Rhode let out a sigh of relief. He lowered his sword and had decided to check on Lapis'' condition. However, at this moment, a high pitched scream sounded.


    "Ah��!!"


    What happened?


    Rhode turned his head toward the source of the voice and saw Lapis floating in midair. In the wake of Rafah''s disappearance, the light chains binding onto her had also shattered, but the she still didn''t fall to the ground. On the contrary, she stuck out her chest and the crystal shone even brighter. Not only that, the maiden also held her hands tightly to her chest while her face revealed an incomparably painful expression. Shortly after, the surrounding magical powers coalesced into her body. Rays of magical radiance merged into her body and the magical crystal shone increasingly brighter.


    What was going on?


    Rhode was puzzled. His experience in the game was effective in facing the dungeon boss, but he had never gone through this scenario before. In normal circumstances, the boss''s magical energy would be gone after its death, but it seemed otherwise now.


    "Gillian!"


    No matter what, Lapis'' painful expression definitely wasn''t any good sign. Gillian swiftly made a few hand gestures and numerous flame walls emerged around Lapis. However, they failed to withstand the strong flow of magical powers. For the first time, Gillian''s powerful flames appeared weak before the magical storm as they were extinguished almost immediately.


    "Master, the flow of magical powers is too strong. They seemed to be attracted to Lapis'' spirit crystal. I can''t do anything about them!"


    "How troublesome!"


    Rhode frowned. He gripped his sword and observed the maiden, who was within the heart of the magical storm. At this moment, the devastating magical powers had already affected the surroundings and formed a huge hurricane that forced Rhode and Gillian away.


    "Can''t we drag her out by force?"


    "I wouldn''t suggest that, Master." Gillan maintained her expression, but said in a serious tone. "I''m not sure if Miss Lapis would be able to survive that. If you drag her out from it, I can guarantee that she will be dead. With the strong flow of magical powers flooding into her, it would definitely trigger a strong reaction in her. She will perish in the struggles of the magical powers and end up in the same predicament as that fellow�� Master! Be careful, stay bac��!"


    Before Gillian could finish her sentence, the pitch-black room once again shone brightly with magical radiance. At the same time, the roaring storm came to an abrupt halt with a beam of glaring light shining from above. Then, the solid ground cracked, collapsed, and enormous rocks fell right through the endless pit.


    As Celia and the mercenaries rushed to the scene after hearing the commotion. The first thing they witnessed was the deep, black abyss.


    Rhode and Gillian were nowhere to be found.


    "What''s going on?"


    Kavos stared into the abyss under his feet. Previously, after Rhode and Gillian charged into this room, the other mercenaries were fighting against the Golem Guard''s attacks. After losing their two most powerful attackers, Rhode and Gillian, the mercenaries had a hard time following up. However, they were lucky that Celia was around to help survive their ordeal. Just as they finally dealt with the Guard Golems, the strong trembles from the other side urged the mercenaries to hurriedly check on the situation. Then, they realised that the entire ground of this huge room had collapsed into an endless, pitch-black abyss.


    "This is terrible."


    Kavos gritted his teeth. This ex-mercenary group leader threw a flame torch down to check the depth of the abyss. However, the flames were completely devoured by the darkness, leaving them no clues.


    Were Leader and Gillian defeated by the monster here?


    Kavos was at a lost for words, not knowing what to do as he ran around in circles.


    "Master is fine." Celia assured him. "He is still alive; I can guarantee that. There''s no point in panicking. Go and gather the people at the back, and we shall wait for Master to return at the tall platform�� I think, Master will be able to handle this situation."


    Kavos hesitated, but eventually nodded. No matter what, Celia, an angel, wouldn''t lie to humans. Not to mention, Rhode was also her master�� Kavos turned around hurriedly and ordered the mercenaries to leave. But even so, he still felt extremely worried about his leader''s whereabouts.


    On the other side, even Rhode wasn''t aware of the answer to their questions.


    "Argh��"


    Rhode shook the dizziness off from his head and stood up.


    "Where in the world is this place?"


    The place was entirely dark. Shortly after, a glaring flare brightened the area.


    "Although I''m not sure where we are, I can confirm that this place is definitely not the place we came from, Master."


    Gillian patted the soil off her body and stood on her feet. Numerous fireballs floated around her and illuminated the area.


    Different from the man-made room in the previous ruins, this underground cave was definitely natural. Stalactite hung from above, and there were ice-cold reflections from the illumination of the fireballs. In the distance, there was a huge lake and above them, a huge tunnel leading to the top. However, it was pitch-black without any end in sight.


    This is so weird.


    Rhode had something more important to check on: Lapis, who was lying unconsciously beside them.

 Chapter 242 Awakening 2

    The blooming flower and spirit crystal on Lapis'' chest had disappeared, most likely having returned to her body. There were some changes to her; her body was still slender and thin, like a fragile greenhouse flower that was unable to withstand any damage. However, Rhode and Gillian felt surging spiritual powers within her. It could be said that even though Lapis still had a weak constitution, her spirit had already turned indomitable.


    Other than the changes within her body, her appearance had changed slightly too. Her forehead appeared to have a silver-made accessory of an inverted triangle. The thin, long necklace hung down from both sides of her forehead. On her chest, the tattoo-like accessory extended from her collarbone to her neck, which gave her a peculiar look and a sense of beauty which didn''t belong to this world.


    "Are you sure waking her up is a good idea? Master?" Gillian was hesitant of this idea. "We have no idea what happened to her in the end and how her current situation is. Are you sure she won''t smash us away as soon as she opens her eyes? The spiritual power in her body now is extremely powerful and very odd to me. Her current powers seemed to be on par with the Mages and Clerics at the moment."


    Gillian twitched her delicate nose as she spoke. "Also, there is also a metallic smell. What if she becomes a terminator?"


    "At least it''s still better than Smith." Rhode checked on the data regarding Lapis as he answered Gillian''s questions. Soon enough, Lapis'' attributes floated in his face.


    Lapis


    Race: Behermes (Perfect)


    Talent Reward: Induction, fusion ability


    Talent Punishment: Lowered individual strength


    Job: Alchemist (Advanceable) / Ranger Apprentice


    Hidden Attribute: Spirit Alchemy, Spiritual Energy


    Alchemy Technique: LV MAX


    Mastery: ?? Potions & Equipment Making


    Body Condition: Healthy


    There were indeed changes.


    Rhode twitched his eyebrows as he read her attributes. The hidden attributes of the Spirit Alchemy and Spiritual Energy had been released. And not only that; Lapis'' Alchemy Technique had also hit LV MAX. This was a huge change and Rhode could confirm that it was due to the absorption of the Behermes dead spirits'' powers and some unknown knowledge. Also, with the word "Advanceable" behind the word "Alchemist"�� If this was truly Lapis'' unique mission, then this mission''s reward would indeed be really generous.


    The upgrade of levels in a Production Class wouldn''t be as dangerous as that of battling classes. She could gain advancement as long as she improved her levels in production techniques. And it was due to this that the production advancement was much harder than battling advancements. Most battling classes could advance when they reached level 20. But the advancement for production jobs was only possibly at level 30. This was the reason why production players were rare and in demand. After all, not many players sat around and practice the same old procedure over and over again. However, those that lasted until the end gained a lot of respect from other players.


    Therefore, Lapis could gain advancement just based off this mission. This meant that she could advance from an Alchemist to an Alchemist Master. If this was true, then it would mean good news for Rhode because an Alchemist Master could produce many more varieties of products and possessed much stronger alchemy skills.


    However, Gillian''s worries weren''t for naught. Lapis'' abilities had leaped so much in one day, and such an odd phenomenon definitely included some hidden negative influences. Just as Gillian had mentioned, nobody knew if Lapis was still herself. However, Rhode wasn''t worried about this point at all.


    "I don''t understand Lapis too much in the first place." He looked at the maiden''s face and said. "So, even though she changed, I''m still fine with it. Besides, I don''t think there will be any dangers."


    It was no easy feat to wake Lapis up.


    After the maiden opened her eyes, she was totally lost. Her eyes were lifeless and she seemed to not have recovered from her previous, shocking encounters. Rhode tried many things, including shaking her shoulders and even gave her a few merciless slaps across the face, but all of them were meaningless as she stared blankly without any reactions.


    "Master, I don''t agree to such abusive methods��"


    Gillian shook her tail and ears as she hopelessly looked at Lapis. The bright red palm imprints across Lapis''s cheeks proved just how much strength Rhode used in his smacks.


    "If you continue to slap her this way, I''m afraid Miss Lapis will become an idiot even before she wakes up to her senses."


    "You''re right."


    Rhode felt that his method was useless in triggering a response from Lapis. However, there were many more methods in waking someone up.


    "Since the hard way didn''t work, let''s do it the soft way."


    "Soft?" Gillian''s expression slightly changed. "Master, you��"


    Before Gillian could finish her sentence, Rhode had extended his right hand and squeezed Lapis'' chin. Then, he lifted her head up. He pressed his lips on the maiden''s.


    Rhode pried open the maiden''s mouth and his tongue went deep inside.


    Lapis let out a violent shiver and her blank eyes regained their focus. She seemed to instinctively respond to Rhode. Her small tongue intertwined with Rhode''s and she let out a soft moan. Afterwards, Rhode pulled himself away from her and she finally realized what she had done.


    What was I doing?


    Lapis stared foolishly at the black-haired young man. All she felt was a burning sensation across her face and the residue of an unforgettable sensation on her lips��


    "L-L-L-Leader, w-w-what did you do?!"


    Lapis jumped up and pointed at Rhode with her shaky finger. Her face was as red as a tomato. As though nothing had happened, Rhode turned to Gillian, who was stunned in place.


    "It seems like fairy tales are kind of useful, aren''t they?"


    Rhode said. What responded to him was a loud smack.


    ��!


    The crisp, strong slap resounded in the entire place, and even the pond rippled��


    A minute had passed.


    "Alright, don''t mind it, Lapis. You did well. Everything''s fine!"


    Gillian waved her small fist and comforted as Lapis worriedly glanced over to Rhode, who was rubbing his own cheek. At last, she summoned up her courage and nodded slightly. Although the maiden had finally cleared her head, the stimulation that Rhode had given her left her brain in a complete havoc�� To a maiden who hadn''t fall in love yet, putting her straight into such a high level of intensity was indeed too stimulating for her.


    However, now wasn''t the time for this.


    Although Lapis was blushing and Gillian was rejoicing in Rhode''s misfortunes, he didn''t feel like he had done anything wrong. The palm imprint on his cheek wasn''t able to change him one bit. Soon enough, he got right back into the most important topic. Firstly, he had to be aware of what was going on in Lapis'' body.


    Lapis was at a loss herself facing Rhode''s questions. She didn''t feel like she had changed much. However, the experiences and knowledge of an alchemist in her mind had improved greatly. They contained things that she had never learnt and all of them were floating in her head now. Not only that, but Lapis also realised that she had an amazing ability. She could start her alchemy productions using her spiritual powers without any tools. However, that would require her to use up a large amount of mental strength, which was still challenging for her.


    Rhode finally understood the situation after hearing her explanation.


    The giant of light must have been the core of the Behermes central. After he was defeated by Rhode, the Behermes powers that had lost its core needed a new vessel and detected Lapis'' spirit crystal. After all, no matter what, Lapis was still a fresh breath of life and the liveliness of her spiritual powers definitely was much more active than those of the corpses trapped within the crystal ball. As a result, the powers and experiences that had lost control went right into her body and became a part of her. In other words, Lapis had the entire knowledge of the Behermes Family now. It would just depend on how she used them thereafter.


    As for Lapis'' character, Rhode realized that there weren''t many changes, especially in her reactions when she had just woken up.


    However, the amount of strength in her slap wasn''t weak at all��


    "So then��"


    After concluding Lapis'' situation, Rhode let his hair down and pointed toward the accessory on the maiden''s forehead.


    "This thing; do you know what''s it for?


    "This?" Lapis unknowingly touched the inverted triangle accessory on the middle of her forehead and closed her eyes in deep thoughts. "This�� Leader, I''m not too sure. But, if I recall correctly, this should be a secret artifact that belonged to the Behermes Family: the Composition Adornment."


    Oh?


    Rhode twitched his eyebrows.

 Chapter 243 Awakening 3

    Rhode had considered the relationship between the Composition Adornment and the Behermes, especially after Lapis'' abnormal actions. If this place was really the historical remains of the Behermes, then it wasn''t strange that the Ophenians would come and dig for their composition skills. Considering the exquisite alchemy skills of the Behermes Family, this was very normal. However, Rhode couldn''t understand why he hadn''t seen such things in the game at Behermes City and yet, this secret artifact that belonged to the Behermes Family would be created by a group of Ophenians.


    Of course, Lapis wouldn''t know the answer even if he asked. Right now, this maiden was like a librarian that was just got a whole inventory of information from books. She had to first categorise the information into each of their genres before digesting and understanding them. Rhode turned his attention to something more important at this point.


    Where in the world is this place?


    From the surface, this appeared to be an ordinary underground cave, but Gillian didn''t agree to this saying. She flew to the top, but failed because no matter how she flew, she could only spin in circles. With Gillian''s knowledge, she definitely knew the reason behind this: this place was an enchanted field. It was apparent that the previous battle in the Behermes central control room had activated or discovered this enchanted field, which allowed them to enter. So, in order to leave this place, there was only one way out.


    "Find the central point of this enchanted field and either close or destroy it." Rhode made a decision instantly. "Let''s go."


    Since this underground tunnel was part of the enchanted field, then there would definitely be a central point. Rhode had no doubts that as long as they found the central point, they would be able to leave this place. He had to say that he felt an unshaped pressure on himself. In here, Rhode had no way to speak to Gillian and Celia through spirit communications. He tried to summon spirits here and eventually failed. This was a strange and rare situation which alerted Rhode to be on his toes. At this moment, his heart was filled with curiosity and doubts because in the game, it was rare that a Summoned Swordsman would fail to summon any spirits. Even if they were in forbidden jails that Mages created using countless magical seals, Summoned Swordsman weren''t restricted in their summonings. However, it was totally different now, so Rhode had to find and understand how all this came about.


    Gillian realised this situation too. Fortunately, as a core card, she was no longer a pure summoned spirit, which was why she wasn''t influenced by the pressure. And she had proven to Rhode that her ability to control her own element was still active in this space.


    Although this underground tunnel was filled with twists and turns, Lapis seemed to know where it was heading. The maiden, who always hid behind the last person, finally led everyone for the first time. Based on her knowledge received from the Behermes central control room, Lapis finally understood this place now. This place used to be a forbidden area for the Behermes Family and their original place of existence. Also, deep in Lapis'' heart, there was a soft voice encouraging her to move towards the path.


    But, this time, Lapis didn''t choose to remain silent. She explained her body conditions to Rhode and Gillian, at the same time, apologising for her rude and ignorant behavior from before. After all, no matter what, Lapis''s covering up of the truth had affected Rhode and the mercenary group a lot. However, Rhode wasn''t furious with her over that and that comforted her.


    This was the reason why the maiden was able to lead them courageously.


    The pitch-black tunnel appeared never ending. If it were in the past, Lapis would have long been apprehensive. But now, she advanced forward with the new information in her head and her thoughts on another matter.


    Leader��


    Lapis gently touched her lips. She could feel waves of heat flushing across her face. Oh lord, this was the first time she had encountered something so thrilling. Of course. She was regretful for slapping Rhode. Back then, she was traumatised and could only react instinctively. Actually, she didn''t intend to hit him at all. Although she was indeed stunned by his sudden actions, she unexpectedly realised that she wasn''t feeling angry at all. Instead, every time she recalled that kiss, she would feel her heart beating faster while her cheeks flushed. That soft, overwhelming sensation would once again reappear on her lips��


    What am I thinking?


    The maiden shook her head hard to erase this filthy thought from her head. However, she realised that this wasn''t easy at all because every time she saw or heard Rhode''s voice, she would instantly recall that incident.


    But�� Is that a kiss?


    Lapis felt weakened from her head to toes. Back then, her whole soul seemed to have left her body. Her brain was emptied and she didn''t even wish to move. She greedily wished that this comfortable, lovely sensation would stay forever. Not to mention, Rhode had also used such a high level of french kiss on her, which was too much for an innocent and inexperienced maiden like her to handle.


    "Master, that was indeed too much." Glancing at Lapis'' back view, Gillian grumbled softly in the back. "I can guarantee that Miss Lapis hasn''t returned to her senses even now. After all, you stole her first kiss."


    "I clearly remember that I already apologised and received a tight slap for it." Rhode innocently spread out his hands in response to Gillian''s lecture. "What do you still want me to do, Gillian? Do you expect me to marry her? But, now that you''ve mentioned it, I have yet to settle it with you on how you stole my first kiss. Maybe I should consider prosecuting you and seeking mental compensation?"


    "That wasn''t even your first kiss, Master." Gillian flung her tail. "Besides, the whole of myself is already yours, so what other compensation do you want from me? This is too much."


    The fox-eared maiden chuckled while rejoicing in Lapis'' misfortune with a cheeky smile. She turned back and narrowed her eyes at Rhode. "But, Miss Lapis'' reactions were indeed amusing. It seems that she doesn''t hate you. Master, work harder and bring her to bed! Just as the saying goes�� Conquer a woman and you can conquer the world. You must assert your manliness so you can succeed in conquering the whole continent!"


    "I don''t remember such a saying." Rhode twitched his eyebrows, and just as he was about to correct Gillian''s mistake, he quickly gave up.


    As for Lapis�� Rhode admitted that he didn''t hate her. Although Lapis wasn''t as stunning as Gillian, she had this pure and cute charm of hers, which lured Rhode into kissing her. But it would be another matter to go to bed with her. Although, from the perspective of desire, Rhode had no objections since he had many relationships in the past and had already experienced everything, he would rather save future troubles, just as he did in the incident with Anne previously��


    As both of them quietly discussed, Lapis suddenly came to a halt and timidly stared at the tunnel before her. After a few moments of silence, she spoke. "I��I think�� it''s in front."


    "Oh?"


    Rhode lifted his head and shifted his gaze forward. The chaotic tunnel had reached its end. However, it seemed that there was an accident here, which alerted Rhode of the possible dangers.


    A huge metallic door stood silently as though waiting for guests to enter.


    "Lapis, stay behind me."


    Rhode drew his sword. Although the maiden had the Composition Adornment, she had no idea how to utilize it at all. In this strange yet dangerous environment that was prone to ambushes, it was definitely not suitable for her to practice her skills here. That was why Rhode immediately moved her to the back.


    Lapis blushed as she extended her hand and tugged onto Rhode''s clothes. The black-haired young man''s skinny and tall stature seemed to bring so much sense of security to her, just like a strong, secure wall.


    At the same time, the maiden didn''t notice Gillian''s gaze, which was filled with smiles.


    "Be careful and get ready to defend yourselves."


    Rhode strode forward. He grabbed the metallic door handle and inhaled a deep breath.


    Then, he pushed it opened.

 Chapter 244 Awakening 4

    Behind the huge door lay a space that was familiar to Rhode.


    On the surface, its appearance was similar to the Behermes'' central control room. The only difference was that there was no crystal ball hovering in the air, and white slab covered this entire room, which was totally different from the pitch-black room from before.


    The whole room seemed to be cold and cheerless with dozens of Behermes statues silently lined in two rows by the wall, holding stone-made weapons in their hands. Rhode didn''t believe that these were Golem Guards as their bodies had deformed over the long years. At this moment, they were merely normal artistic pieces.


    However, compared to these, Rhode found something even more peculiar.


    Five pitch-black coffins were erected straight up in the middle of the room and a smear of black on them gave them an oddly glaring appearance. Rhode slowed down his pace and reminded Lapis to be careful. On the other hand, Gillian shifted her position so she could she protect the maiden and also aid Rhode. Then, the trio slowly approached the coffins.


    "Ah!"


    The maiden''s scream broke the silent air. Rhode turned to Lapis with a frown and found her covering her mouth worriedly while her big round eyes were overflowing with fear. Then, she calmed down and explained.


    "L-Leader, t-there''s a voice speaking to me."


    Again?


    Rhode twitched his brows and turned to Gillian. The latter shook her head and she believed that this wasn''t something to be alarmed of. However, even so, Rhode stayed vigilant. He thought for a moment and said.


    "What did it say?"


    "It�� It asked if I''m the heir of the Behermes Family, and�� it said it had something to tell me."


    Lapis showed lingering fears on her face. She couldn''t be blamed since the previous traumatic experience was just within the past hour. Even the most carefree person in the world wouldn''t forget about it easily. This was why Lapis immediately reported to Rhode as soon as she felt a voice attempting to speak to her.


    The maiden stuck closely behind Rhode while clutching onto his clothes. Her expression was filled with uncertainty even though she had received the Behermes Family''s knowledge and experience. It didn''t seem to have made any changes to her character��


    Rhode wasn''t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.


    Rhode observed the surroundings, but nothing seemed to be of a threat. He had not come to this place before because, normally, reaching the central control room would mean victory for the players. However, this special individual mission of Lapis obviously brought them to an unfamiliar place. Rhode shut his eyes calmly and carefully thought it through.


    "What did it say?"


    The trio was trapped in this place and needed an opportunity to escape. Rhode wasn''t sure if this was considered as an opportunity, but it was better than working their way through without any leads. Furthermore, since the voice here was almost the same as that idiot from the central control room, it would also mean as extra spoils of war for Rhode. Originally, after defeating the boss, the reward had already been absorbed by Lapis and nothing was left for himself, which was kind of disappointing. And now, if there was another boss who wished to present itself as a sacrifice to compensate for Rhode''s loss, he would be more than happy to take it.


    "It said��"


    Lapis tilted her head and listened for a brief moment.


    "�� It wishes to know your identities�� Huh?"


    Lapis sulked and her face was smeared with a reddish blush. Then, the maiden took two steps back and waved her hand in denial.


    "It''s not. You are mistaken. It''s not like that��"


    It seemed that Lapis was interacting with the unknown voice. What exactly did it say to make her so panicked? Rhode and Gillian looked at each other suspiciously and before they were able to ask, Lapis lowered and shook her head, embarrassed, as if she understood something.


    What exactly was she talking to the voice about?


    Rhode wasn''t too affected by this commotion and continued to stay vigilant of the surroundings to prevent any accidents. He didn''t notice that Gillian was already looking over at him with a profound smile and twitching ears.


    After a few moments, Lapis finally lifted her head. Rhode carefully observed her and she seemed to have restored her calmness a little. At the very least, her eyes were back to their clear radiance. This proved that she wasn''t under anyone''s control anymore. However, what made Rhode suspicious was that Lapis'' fair cheeks had turned red as though she had a fever.


    Then, the maiden stuttered.


    "L-Leader, it wishes to speak to you��"


    "Oh?"


    Rhode was taken aback. However, before he reacted, a deep, loud voice resounded in the pure white room.


    "Hi there, my guests. I represent the protector of Behermes and hereby welcome your arrival."


    "Thank you for your warm hospitality." Rhode sulked as he held onto his sword and scanned the surroundings. "I apologize. We have something urgent and we hope to leave this place now�� Not sure if you could give us a hand?"


    "Of course. I''m willing to help." The voice sounded calm and monotonous. "But, before that, you have to pass my test, Black Successor."


    Successor?


    Rhode knitted his brows. He turned to see Lapis dressed in a green cloak and Gillian in a white gown. He was the only one dressed in a pitch-black nobleman''s clothes. Was that voice referring to me? And what''s with the "Successor''? I don''t remember having any relations with the Behermes Family?


    "I don''t understand what you mean."


    Of course, Rhode wouldn''t recognise himself by adding another title which he wasn''t aware of, so he quickly answered.


    "Although I''m indeed dressed in a black shirt, I''m sorry that I''m not a Successor. I think you might have mistaken me for someone else."


    "I have not mistaken, Successor."


    Facing Rhode''s answer, the voice had no intentions of changing its view and answered calmly.


    "I, the protector of the Behermes Family, am the guardian of this land of the Behermes Family''s great martyr. I have witnessed the ritual that you have gone through with our most perfect heir, and now you wish to abandon your calling?"


    "Ritual? Calling?"


    Although this voice wasn''t as strange as the one in the central control room, Rhode felt ridiculed. It seemed that the long period of isolation had lowered their abilities to communicate and Rhode couldn''t understanding what the voice was talking about. Of course, if it were in the game, Rhode wouldn''t care for such crap. Even if the other party had 1001 reasons, he eventually would need to defeat it, so couldn''t he cut the crap?


    This time around, facing Rhode''s questions, the voice went silent for a moment. Then, an enchantment image appeared before Rhode.


    That was the scene when they first arrived in this underground world. Then, Rhode extended his right hand to lift Lapis'' chin and kissed her lips without any hesitation��


    "Wahh!"


    Lapis covered her eyes with both hands and lowered her head in embarrassment. Rhode was dumbstruck and left speechless. The deep voice spoke once more.


    "You have expressed your devotion and beliefs to our Behermes Heir and passed the ritual to protect her. The Behermes heir herself has personally agreed, yet you still choose to give up, Black Successor?"


    ...


    Rhode was stupefied. Oh lord, he had never thought this would happen and he didn''t know that the Behermes Family had such a rule.


    Are you kidding me? That was only a kiss�� Forget it, it''s useless to talk about it now. So what''s next?


    As Rhode pondered helplessly over what to do next, someone tapped his shoulder lightly. He turned around and found Gillian with a grin, obviously soaking in the joy of his calamity.


    "You need payback for what you have done, Master. Just admit it��"


    "�� You mean you don''t intend to help?"


    "Isn''t that for sure?"


    Gillian answered so righteously as though she didn''t care about her own summoner''s death.


    "��"


    Rhode hopelessly shook his head and looked at Lapis. The maiden''s face was full on red as she fixed her gaze at the ground. She couldn''t be blamed since��to be honest, Rhode knew where he went wrong, but he had already received a tight slap in return, right? If only he knew earlier at that time��


    But, it was a pity that there was no medicine for regrets in this world.


    Rhode shrugged and resigned to his fate.


    "So, what do I need to do to pass this test?"


    Suddenly, the center of the room where the black coffins were erected shone brightly. Then, lines of golden runes appeared within the light circle. In a blink of an eye, the lines of golden runes formed a silhouette of a human and it approached Rhode.


    "Rules are simple. You will pass the test as long as you defeat me and prove your might to be capable of protecting the Behermes heir."


    After that long commotion, didn''t it still come down to this in the end?


    Rhode rolled his eyes and lifted his sword.


    "Sure, I won''t hold back."

 Chapter 245 Awakening 5

    Dark clouds roamed the skies.


    Heavy thunderstorms roared.


    A human figure stood up in a shrub in the distance, carefully staring at the pitch-black cave.


    "There are no signs of mercenaries," he said.


    Suddenly, another man leapt down from the tree branch above. The rain was pouring. Both of them were naked and their beards and hair had grown wantonly over their faces.


    "From the situations nearby, it seems like they didn''t stay for long and have entered the historical remains? How ignorantly daring of those mercenaries." One of the man said in disdain while the other man let out a snort. Then, the latter went silent for a moments. Both of them stared silently at the pitch-black cave. Other than the sound of rain, there was nothing else.


    "What should we do next? Return and report this to Elder?"


    "Go ahead."


    The other man seemed to have different ideas. His eyes were filled with burning determination which the rain wasn''t able to extinguish. He gritted his teeth and both his clenched fists were slightly shaking.


    "I will bring the rest of us in to check on the situation. You go report to Elder and bring more support will do."


    Hearing his answer, the other Druid revealed an uncertain expression.


    "But this wasn''t what Elder wanted. Besides, you have previously��"


    "I know what I''m doing."


    Although the man''s voice was calm without any sense of violence, the Druid, who heard his answer, couldn''t help but shut his mouth. From the words of his companion, he felt as if this man was a cold, fearsome beast, revealing his teeth and ready to destroy everything.


    Everything returned to the heavy sound of rain.


    But, at this moment, it was another scene in the historical remains.


    The sound of bonfire echoed in the spacious area. Kavos sat by the flames worriedly, staring into space with a cup of alcohol in hand. The mercenaries gathered restlessly and nobody had the mood to start a conversation. The disappearance of Rhode was a huge blow to them, especially at the end when many of them witnessed the endless abyss. They couldn''t imagine how anyone could survive the fall.


    However, the only thing these mercenaries could do now was to wait in confidence. On the other side, the battle angel maiden sat quietly on the statue erected on the edge of the tall platform. No matter what, Celia was the real deal. Moreover, she had a close relationship with Rhode and most mercenaries knew that. That was why Celia was able to console them while they panicked at the disappearance of their dear leader. No matter what, an angel wouldn''t lie like a demon, not to mention that Rhode was her master. Since Celia said that Rhode wasn''t dead and was still alive and proper, the only thing the mercenaries could do was to believe in her and wait patiently.


    Although they didn''t spend much time together, the mercenaries'' attitude and feelings toward Rhode had major changes. To them, Rhode was a great mercenary leader who was rare to come by. He was brave, kind, generous, smart, and decisive. Anyone would wish to work for him and not only that, but Rhode had also led them in battles, which made him earn their respects.


    As for the Ophenians, they found a random excuse that allowed them to rest on the tall platform after the discussions with Shauna and Kavos. After all, ever since entering the historical remains, everyone was rushing for time and Rhode''s group exerted even more energy as they had engaged in battles. On the contrary, the Ophenian researchers expended less energy. However, after such a long period of time, they were eventually exhausted and decided to rest for the night on the tall platform.


    Although it was easy persuading the Ophenians, the worries deep within Kavos'' heart grew as he didn''t know what to do next. What if Rhode didn''t return? What would happen to the Starlight Mercenary Group? Kavos was afraid to face the truth. He could imagine the faces of Marlene and the rest when they heard this news.


    But�� Was Rhode really coming back? Where were they now?


    Clink!


    A clash of steel sounded.


    Rhode drew his sword and retreated, once again drawing some distance between the Runes Guard.


    The Runes Guard laid its hands down and its ten fingers extended to form long runes lines that hung above the ground. Rhode kept his guard as he knew that those flowy lines could turn into long whips through the previous battle, which could be a real trouble to deal with.


    To be frank, the Runes Guard wasn''t too powerful. If this were Rhode back in his days, he would have long defeated it.


    However, it was a pity that half of Rhode''s powers were sealed and he was unable to summon spirits. The only help he had was from Gillian, who was watching the fight from the sidelines with no intentions to help. Although Rhode''s Dark Brandish technique was powerful, the Runes Guard didn''t any lethal weaknesses. Therefore, after exchanging several blows, there was no winner yet.


    "Tch�� troublesome."


    Rhode let out a snort as he faced this translucent, bandaged mummy. He tightened his grip on his sword hilt while carefully sizing up this enemy. He finally understood its strength. But it wasn''t easy to search for a way to defeat it. Although his Starfall Swordsmanship was formidable, the long charging time would make it too easy for the Rune Guard to dodge. As for the Moon Shadow Swordsmanship, even though this initial sword skill could damage the Runes Guard, it wouldn''t be effective.


    Rhode had no choice but find an opening.


    Lapis bit her lips and watched worriedly from the side. Gillian watched her master and the enemy fight as if no life and death was involved. She excitingly admired this battle and constantly cheered for Rhode.


    "That''s the way, Master. Go for it!


    "Ah, just a little more. That was a pity, Master! Go and give him death!


    "M-Miss Gillian��"


    Gillian''s actions were probably over exaggerating to which even Lapis couldn''t stand.


    "L-Leader is trying his best to fight. It''s not too nice of you to say��"


    "What''s the matter? Master asked for it anyway."


    Gillian obviously didn''t take her words seriously. She continued to swing her tail and revealed a rejoiceful smile. However, after seeing Lapis'' expression, Gillian smiled, narrowed her eyes, and lifted a finger to her lips.


    "Don''t worry, Lapis. Master will definitely win. Besides�� Isn''t that what you hoped for?"


    "Eh?"


    Lapis curiously lifted her head and looked at Gillian. However, before she could reply, Gillian interrupted her.


    "I heard it clearly when the protector spoke just now��''Gain the recognition of the heir.'' Miss Lapis�� wasn''t that your wish?"


    "�� I�� I��"


    Lapis'' expression changed and lowered her head, not knowing how to answer. But it seemed that Gillian was unconcerned.


    "Don''t worry, Miss Lapis. Master will be fine. Since you have chosen him, shouldn''t you trust him too?"


    "Trust him��"


    Lapis lifted her head again and devoted her focus at Rhode''s moving figure as her eyes revealed a complicated feeling.


    "Of course I�� trust Leader��" Lapis replied softly.

 Chapter 246 Awakening End

    The two figures split up and dashed left and right.


    Rhode clutched his sword while panting on the spot. Although he wasn''t injured, that didn''t mean this battle was easy. If Rhode was hurt by the enemy, he would have one foot into his coffin because as a Swordsman, he relied on high speed actions.


    How troublesome.


    Rhode gritted his teeth while facing this Runes Guard. Being unable to summon spirits made it hard for him in battle. After all, an advanced Swordsman and advanced Spirit Swordsman were two totally different concepts. If Rhode was a specialized Swordsman, he could rely on his strength to defeat the enemies. But, it was a pity that, as a Spirit Swordsman, his battle abilities were lower than specialized Swordsman by one-third. In addition, he currently didn''t possess any sword techniques with high mastery levels, which was a cause of trouble for him.


    On the other hand, the Runes Guard didn''t seem to change. However Rhode knew clearly that its attributes were entirely different from the giant of light. The Runes Guard seemed to be a full magical being and not a spiritual being. Judging from the non-effective Dead Soul Blade, perhaps the Runes Guard was a magical puppet under manipulation.


    But�� what was next?


    Rhode wasn''t a robot. After all, and he couldn''t keep this wrangle on forever. Furthermore, his battle style required him to go into battle headstrong and defeat the enemy with an abundance of energy and high speed attacks in order to finish the fight in the shortest time possible. But once the battle was prolonged and he used up too much of his energy, it would spell trouble for him.


    Rhode once again narrowed his eyes and carefully sized up the Runes Guard. From their previous clash, he had discovered that other than the magical energy ball in the middle of the Runes Guard''s chest, the other physical presence was the bandage-like runes lines. In other words, to defeat the Runes Guard, Rhode would need to destroy its core. But that wouldn''t be an easy task, as Rhode had attempted once before, but failed. No matter what, the enemy only had one vital part to protect while Rhode had to stay alert of his surroundings the entire time.


    It seemed that to seize every opportunity was impossible and the only choice left was to take the direct approach.


    Rhode lowered his head and gazed at the Crimson Blade in his hand. He had made a decision since there were no other choices. He could only give one last shot while his energy was still sufficient.


    Rhode raised his sword and pointed at the Runes Guard.


    Shadow Embrace, activated.


    In an instant, Rhode flitted by and emerged beside the Runes Guard. He pierced his sword into its chest.


    The Runes Guard turned around instantly, raised its hands to defend its chest, and erupted into a blaze. Rhode, who was by his side, disappeared in a flash and was replaced by another image of him leaping upward. However, from his swift movements, it seemed like his attack had ended.


    This was the special effect of Shadow Embrace: Ghosting.


    Even though Rhode wasn''t able to unleash this move within a second like Mages could cast their spells, it was somewhat similar with the high flexibility of the Dark Elves with the Dark Dance Swordsmanship. It was just like Rhode now. Whenever he gave his all, almost nobody could see his movements.


    However, ''Ghosting'' was scheming. On the surface, it appeared similar to the afterimage of an Internet lag, but it wasn''t actually there when the players looked at it. The ghosting that appeared was slower than the actual velocity by two to three seconds. In other words, when one saw the enemy raising his sword in one''s face, one might have already been sliced from the back��


    Shadow Embrace could be said to be vicious. As long as one saw it, regardless of if one wished for it or not, one''s brain would react with what one''s eyes had witnessed, which made it easy to be tricked. Even for those who were well prepared, the rationale in their heads and from what they actually saw would contradict and cause hesitations.


    And in aggressive battles, this hesitations would cost people''s lives.


    However, the Runes Guard didn''t take the bait. After all, he was a magical being and didn''t rely on watching with his eyes, so the effects of Shadow Embrace were useless on him. But, even so, Rhode had no intentions of giving this technique up. Even though Ghosting wasn''t able to trick the Runes Guard, its extreme speed was real. Although the Runes Guard didn''t use its eyes, there were still flaws in his movements. With enough observations, there would still be a chance if Rhode''s velocity was quick enough.


    Just as the ''Ghosting'' showed an illusion of Rhode leaping forward, the actual Rhode had already gone around to the back of the Runes Guard.


    The Runes Guard had already seen through Rhode''s movements after similar encounters, which forced Rhode to fail. But this time, could he succeed?


    Shing!


    Just as Rhode had expected; as he moved forward, the Runes Guard suddenly turned around.


    But this time, Rhode didn''t attack because he was looking for an opening.


    Rhode held the sword with his right hand and swiped the blade on his left palm. Along with the splash of fresh blood, the Crimson Blade flickered.


    Clang!


    The Crimson Blade struck the Runes Guard. But this time, it didn''t slide off its surface like before. Instead, the sharp blade brought along a dazzling blade ray and sliced into the Runes Guard''s arm. Dozen of runes lines were reduced to shreds and half of the Runes Guard''s arm was damaged badly.


    As a being who lived on their source of magic, the Runes Guard was naturally sensitive to the movements of magical powers. Although the sword in Rhode''s hand was a magical weapon, it was no different from a normal weapon before it got into contact with fresh blood. This was why Rhode''s previous attacks were useless. But now, the activated Crimson Blade immediately stood off with the Rune Guard''s magical powers, which was why Rhode''s attack wasn''t negated this time.


    But, even so, the Crimson Blade wasn''t strong enough to defeat the Runes Guard.


    However, Rhode was long prepared for this.


    This surprise attack put the Runes Guard at a loss. After all, it was only a being similar to a magical puppet and it was impossible for it to possess the advanced battle intelligence as humans. Due to this reason, the Runes Guard, who had always been fast in reactions, was caught off guard.


    Rhode seized this opportunity and once again swiped the blade along his left palm.


    The immense pain forced him to grit his teeth as he struck forth.


    This time, the Runes Guard finally failed to defend against his attack. The more blood the Crimson Blade absorbed, the sharper it would become. After absorbing Rhode''s sacrificial blood twice, the blade became razor-sharp and penetrated the Runes Guard mercilessly.


    "��!"


    The magical undulation of the Crimson Blade disrupted the magical flow within the Runes Guard, and shortly after, it trembled violently. Its four limbs shook and its body cracked wide open. The Crimson Blade''s magical powers had struck deep into its body.


    Now''s the chance!


    Rhode''s eyes glinted with hope. He gritted his teeth and held the blade with his left hand. At the same time, he swung his sword downward and ripped a huge tear through the Runes Guard''s body instantly. A blue magical radiance shone and speckles of light dust fluttered past Rhode''s blade and into the air with some sense of beauty.


    However, Rhode wasn''t in the mood to admire this mesmerizing scene. As the Runes Guard lost its balance, he finally caught onto an opening.


    Fury Trail!


    On the tip of the sword blade, a bright, spiritual light gathered. Then, he struck the Crimson Blade down, and this time, the Runes Guard wasn''t able to guard on time. It raised its hands helplessly, but the radiance of the Crimson Blade dazzled as it pierced into its body like a knife slicing through butter.


    At this moment, the stored energy in the blade finally erupted.


    Bam!


    The Runes Guard exploded as though crashing to a giant fist landing from above. In the blink of an eye, the Runes Guard was utterly destroyed. Broken bandages flew in the air along some light dust, quickly disappearing into nothingness.


    Rhode came to a halt and took in a deep breath as he looked at the remains of the Runes Guard.


    It finally ended.

 Chapter 247 Zero Refining Equipmen

    "Phew��!"


    Rhode collapsed to the ground after defeating the enemy. Although he wasn''t injured, the amount of blood he had lost was plenty. The Crimson Blade carried blood-sucking attributes and with around 300 to 400 milliliters of blood lost, even he couldn''t hold it together. Furthermore, the battle with the previous Runes Guards had used up a chunk of his energy.


    "L-Leader!"


    Gillian and Lapis hurried over and attended to Rhode''s left palm, which was gushing with fresh blood. As pale as a sheet of paper, Lapis felt her heart almost stop. Luckily, although Lapis was always timid, she was only afraid of death in battles. It was due to this reason that the maiden always brought along backup potions and bandages. She immediately retrieved them from her bag and attended to his wounds.


    After downing two bottles of healing potions, Rhode felt a little better.


    "I''m fine now."


    Rhode shook his head and gestured with his hand, at the same time unsheathing his sword. He was speechless as he gazed at the Crimson Blade. This wasn''t the first time he had purposely cut himself for its absorption. Although this was indeed a great attribute, why did he always have to be the one sliced every time?


    Rhode felt a little annoyed; his luck was hideous.


    Actually, it wasn''t to be blamed on Rhode''s unluckiness. After all, the few times where Rhode had no choice but to cut himself, were when he faced monsters such as the Runes Guard, which didn''t have blood flowing in it. As a result, the Crimson Blade''s attributes were totally useless. Moreover, this blade was considered a blood-sucking weapon and it went without saying that it would reject any engine oil or calcium oxide��


    "L-Leader. Sorry��"


    Lapis stuttered. She gazed at Rhode with teary eyes. Previously, when Lapis heard of this battle as a test, she wasn''t too mindful, because, after all, a test would definitely be safer than a real battle, right? However, she didn''t expect it to be this dangerous. At this moment, Rhode''s left palm was already drenched in blood. Lapis was restless and full of guilt. She was regretful as to why she had admitted when she heard those words from the voice�� If she strictly denied it back then��


    To the contrary, Gillian displayed a cheeky smile. Rhode''s injury didn''t seem to worry her at all, and she didn''t even ask if he needed any help. No one knew if Gillian was totally confident of Rhode or if she was just unconcerned.


    "It''s okay."


    Rhode didn''t mind Lapis'' apologies. He tapped on her shoulder and consoled her. Although Lapis was timid, she had a decent temperament and wasn''t annoying to others. In the game, Rhode had seen many top-rated female players behaving arrogantly even though they were still newbies and only after their mercenary groups were defeated due to their mistakes would the female players start crying and beg to be forgiven. It wasn''t even enough to forgive the female players because you would still need to console her. If not, she would continue to cry on and on. Rhode felt helpless toward such women and luckily for them, it was only a game. If that happened in real life, Rhode would have given them tight slaps. Everyone''s time is precious. Must we waste it on your endless weepings?


    Luckily, although Lapis was timid, she knew where to draw the line. After listening to Rhode''s answer, she forced a smile and stepped away with her head down.


    And at this moment, the voice finally sounded.


    "You have passed the test, Successor�� Behermes'' future�� will be all on you."


    "I understand."


    Rhode nodded lightly and answered. Although he didn''t know what this ''Successor'' thing was, it seemed to be something of importance to the Behermes. Moreover, Lapis was the heir of the Behermes Family, and if Rhode could bring the Behermes Family into his mercenary group using this special connection, it would be one of the best possible scenarios. This world didn''t consist of players with the Production Class, so Rhode wouldn''t give up when a chance to recruit natives with the Production Class came. Moreover, Lapis was the gem of the mercenary group. Even without the voice''s reminder, Rhode still wouldn''t let Lapis get into danger.


    However, after hearing Rhode''s answer, Lapis blushed and lowered her head. Rhode didn''t understand what ''Successor'' meant, but Lapis was very clear about it even though she didn''t explain it to him.


    At this moment, the broken pieces of the Runes Guard and the light dust floating in midair coalesced into a shining metallic item that emerged out of thin air. It was a metallic bracer emanating in a faint, magical radiance filled with mysterious aura. Small, expensive-looking gems were embedded on it, carrying a sense of beauty.


    "Since you have passed the test, as a Behermes Successor, you have won the rights to have it. It''s the emblem of the Behermes, and now, it belongs to you."


    Really? Such great things exist?


    Rhode twitched his brows as he finally knew he made the right choice to come to this place. Previously, he was feeling pitiful that the spoils of war from defeating the boss were absorbed by Lapis, but now, there was apparently still a chance.


    Well, having something was better than nothing.


    With this principle, Rhode quickly extended his hand and held the bracer. Quickly, a line of system prompt appeared before his eyes.


    [Received Zero Refining Equipment]


    Rhode was surprised and opened his eyes wide.


    Wasn''t this the Composition Adornment?


    The Composition Adornment was a common artifact in the late game of the Dragon Soul Continent. Without this adornment, most players would face problems even in normal dungeons. Because of that, after Rhode led his men to take over all the production jobs of the Composition Adornment from the Ophenians, many players chose to join the Starlight Guild.


    The Composition Adornment wasn''t any ordinary artifact. It wasn''t an armor, cloak, or shield. Instead, it was unique because of its strange attribute: Fusion.


    In other words, it could allow all the weapons'' attributes of the player to fuse into the best usage. In the game, unless its was a set of equipment, the numerical values of the equipment were always different. Whereas, the Composition Adornment''s value was that every equipment would have a set attribute after equipping it. Not only that, but the Composition Adornment could also make adjustments to the attributes and numerical values of the equipment. That was why every player''s set effect was unique. Some players preferred higher defense and after equipping the Composition Adornment, they would receive special defense enhancements. Others chose to boost their attack, which would increase the attacking attributes. And if some players had multiple elemental attributes equipment, then the Composition Adornment would increase the elemental attributes'' set effect.


    This was especially important when facing the Devils because the Devils from the depths of hell were mighty and normal players wouldn''t be able to survive without the set attributes. Set equipment was difficult to obtain and not every players had the ability to craft them. Furthermore, the set equipment was job specific. A Ranger''s set equipment with the high speed dodging attribute was something that Thieves would love to have. However, this was Ranger-specific, which wouldn''t be suitable for Thieves as they weren''t specialized in bows and arrows. However, the Rangers'' set equipment could only be effective when paired up with the Guardian Bow. Wouldn''t it be ridiculous if a Thief carried a wooden bow on his back all day?


    However, with the Composition Adornment, as long as Thieves wore sufficient speed equipment, they would also be able to achieve high speed dodging. Of course, this counterfeit version would be less impactful as the original, but if the Thieves didn''t need to carry a bow on their back all day, it would be good enough.


    There were still flaws in the Composition Adornment, which was the restriction on the fusion rates. The fusion rates were directly proportional to the set equipment effect. In other words, the higher the fusion rate of the Composition Adornment, the higher the effects on the set equipment. However, in the game, the success rate of the strongest Composition Adornment fusion rate was still less than 90 percent.


    This was why players treated the Composition Adornment''s set equipment effect as counterfeit version. Compared to an authentic set equipment effects, the difference was at least 10 percent. This difference wasn''t only in numerical values, but also fairly obvious in battles. However, to the normal players who didn''t have the time and energy to hunt or craft set equipment, this counterfeit version was good enough.


    However��


    Rhode frowned.


    The early and late stages of the game were totally different. This felt like from the very start, the hunters could crush the whole dungeon with a Fury Meteor. However, in the later stages, the Fury Meteor was everywhere, but there weren''t many bosses that were readily available to be defeated.


    But what did this [Zero Refining Equipment] mean?


    Rhode decisively tapped on the details of this equipment.


    [Zero Refining Equipment]


    Fusion Rate: 100%


    Additional Effects: Alchemist Technique LV 5


    Set Equipment Attribute: 3


    Aura Attribute: 1


    Special Effects: Increase Magical Equipment Attributes by 15%


    [This is the Behermes Family''s painstaking production, the highest result of alchemy.]


    Such great attributes!

 Chapter 248 Ambush

    Awesome!


    This was Rhode''s first reaction when he read the introduction of the Zero Refining Equipment.


    As a support artifact, the normal Composition Adornment had two attributes. One for fusion rates while the other for set equipment attributes. Both would affect each other. A set equipment with high fusion rates would have stronger attribute effects, whereas the set equipment attributes'' numerical value would be decided by the grade of the Composition Adornment. The majority of the Composition Adornments only had one set equipment attribute, which meant that after equipping the Composition Adornment, they would only receive the highest effect of the set equipment attribute. The highest of all the attribute values would be totaled up.


    But now, it seemed that this Zero Refining Equipment had three instead. In other words, after equipping the Composition Adornment, unlike other normal players, who would change only the highest valued attribute, it would increase the top three highest ranked numerical values. This way, not only could the speed be increased, but even the strength and defense. Of course, the final result would still depend on Rhode''s current equipment.


    But the three set equipment effects were obviously better than one.


    Moreover, this Composition Adornment came with an Aura attribute, which meant that not only could Rhode benefit from it, but others would too as long as they were within close proximity to Rhode. This was particularly important for Rhode, who led his mercenaries. In order to prevent his mercenaries from suffering unnecessary harm, he often chose to lead them. And now, with this aura attribute, if Rhode could activate it to increase defenses, then even he would be more confident in leading the mercenaries through more adventures.


    After all, although Rhode was always leading newbies into dungeons for them to level up quickly and receive armors and weapons, he had no choice but to choose easier dungeons. But if he continued this way, it would restrict themselves from leveling up quickly. Wasn''t the ultimate goal to have everyone battling together? No matter how good Rhode was, he definitely couldn''t face the five Creator Dragon Souls alone.


    Furthermore, with the 100% fusion rate and increase in magical equipment by 15%, this effect was already considered the most godlike of the godlike and best of the best��


    Rhode lifted the bracer and equipped it on his right arm.


    In an instant, the heavens fell and the earth was rent asunder, and huge hurricane suddenly arose. The splendid skies instantly filled with dark clouds as thunder roared. Strong storms blew and the ground cracked, announcing the start of a new legend. But that was impossible.


    Nothing happened.


    After equipping the bracer�� Everything was normal. No matter how godlike the attributes were, the Composition Adornment was still a support equipment. As the name implied, it was for support only.


    This was considered normal since Rhode didn''t have much equipment to begin with. The equipment that Starlight had gotten were all given to the mercenaries. In terms of the game, Rhode was actually only equipped with nothing but a Crimson Blade on his hand after level 20. Why he could fight all the way here was due to his techniques and knowledge.


    And because of that, although Rhode had equipped this godlike equipment on himself, there wasn''t much difference. The only difference was that after the bracer came into contact with his arm, it quickly transformed into a silverish, non-striking tattoo-like rune. And as long as Rhode commanded with his thoughts, the bracer would immediately return to its original state and fall off from his arm.


    It seemed to be nothing special at all.


    After confirming the specialty of the Zero Refining Equipment again, Rhode lifted his head and turned to Gillian and Lapis. Both of them were looking at himself from the side. The voice had also gone into silence after handing over the Zero Refining Equipment. What replaced the voice was an oval shaped door before them. If Rhode wasn''t mistaken, this door would be the exit to leave this place.


    He only hoped that he wouldn''t fall into that goddamn endless hole again after entering the door.


    "Let''s go."


    It was only a matter of time that they passed through the door.


    However, after Rhode took a step through, what greeted him wasn''t a warm, crowded welcome, but an ice cold arrow.


    Shing!


    Rhode instantly tilted his body as soon as he saw the arrow shooting for him. At the same time, he unsheathed his Crimson Blade and deflected the arrow.


    Unlike what Rhode had expected, they didn''t return to the central control room. Instead, they returned to the tall platform where the Ophenian Researchers had opened the hidden huge door from. Well, at least Rhode didn''t have to worry about falling downward.


    But, there were still troubles ahead as Rhode discovered the battle happening right now��


    "Sir, you are finally back!"


    Just as Rhode finally figured out the situation, Kavos and Shauna ran over to his side with sweat pouring from their foreheads. Both of them were petrified when this odd, oval shaped door suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Now that Rhode, Lapis, and Gillian had come out of it, both of them let out sighs of relief and explained the whole situation.


    Luckily, although both of them were panicky, they were once mercenary group leaders and had no problems relating and expressing the issue. It only took a while for Rhode to get a grasp of the situation.


    These mercenaries were quietly following instructions to wait for the return of Rhode and the others on the tall platform. However, as they didn''t know what happened to Rhode, they were devastated. The Ophenians seemed to have realised the tragedy that the mercenaries were facing. Hence, they didn''t speak much and continued with their individual tasks.


    Previously, everything was engaging smoothly, but things changed when it turned past midnight. A bunch of vines and mischievous rats appeared out of nowhere and attacked the mercenaries. From the start, the mercenaries were unprepared against the ambush and were overwhelmed. However, with Celia''s alertness, she immediately led the team to destroy the pests.


    "Afterwards, we discovered many naked men, which was unusual, because they were unarmed and yet so powerful. Their movements were incredibly quick too, which injured many of our men. Luckily Miss Celia was around to suppress the unknown forces. Now they have returned to the entrance, and it seems like they won''t be coming back for a while."


    Rhode went silent after listening to Kavos''s description. He frowned and asked, "How''s the situation with the Ophenians?"


    "The ambush killed three to four of them. The remaining were injured but are still in a generally good condition."


    "I understand."


    Rhode nodded in agreement. He turned around and saw the Ophenians on the other side. From their expressions, it seemed like this ambush terrified them. The male researchers held weapons in their hand, guarding their female counterparts, who were behind. The Ophenians were glad to see Rhode return. They knew that the ambushers were the group of Druids that had attacked them in the forest. However, at that point in time, Rhode and Gillian weren''t around to defeat the Druids, which worried the Ophenians. Now that both of them were back, they were glad.


    But Rhode had other ideas.


    Previously, Rhode had intended to wait for the Ophenians to dig up the Composition Adornments before finding an opportunity to kill them off, at the same time retrieving all the information on the Composition Adornment. However, it seemed like there was no need for that anymore. Rhode had specially consulted Lapis and the latter had confirmed with him that he had received the Composition Adornment''s production process for the most perfect crafting. Of course, it would require some time in order for Lapis to be totally familiarized with the process and formulas.


    So then, should I spare the lives of the Ophenians?


    Although sparing their lives was fine based on the current situation, Rhode wasn''t willing to let them leave with the intention of preventing any future enemy attacks or to deliver a setback to his enemies. Although he was unsure of how the Ophenians had initially retrieved the production process of the Composition Adornment, they were more or less related to the slabs that were dug up previously. If Rhode let them off, who knew what would happen in the future?


    However, Rhode quickly thought of an idea to get the best of both worlds.

 Chapter 249 The Counterattack Commences

    Based on the current conditions, it was impossible for the whole mercenary group to get destroyed. After listening to Shauna and Kavos'' report, Rhode took his time to scan the area. The Druids were now in the tunnel, avoiding attacks from the mercenaries. This scene was similar to when they were attacked by the Lizardmen previously on the tall platform. Whatever the outcome, the mercenaries were still more intelligent than the Lizardmen. Besides, although the Druids didn''t have any extremely powerful men of their own like Rhode, they still had a few strong units. However, before they were able to fight back, Celia had forced them away.


    Although the battle angel seemed honorable on the surface, Rhode immediately realised Celia''s selfish calculations. She was a summoned spirit, so she wasn''t afraid of death; at most, she would force it into a situation where neither sides won. Whereas, although the Druids were the rogue mobsters of the forest, they were still wary of the angelic race. Even though Celia was willing to throw away her life, they didn''t want to kill an angel. No matter what, the angelic race was respectable and was the emissary of the five Creator Dragon Souls in the legends. A group like the Druids, who respected traditions, wouldn''t be that foolish to lay their hands on them. Although the Druids wanted to limit Celia''s movements and trap her before taking care of the rest��


    There was a saying that went: We know that we want to capture the target alive, but the target doesn''t know it��


    It was due to this that their fear of Celia that left them helpless and unable to display any threats. It was especially so now that they were trapped within the small and narrow tunnel, without any space for them to show off their proud prowesses. They had initially decided to start capturing the mercenaries, but the mercenaries weren''t idiots either. How could they be captured so easily after being mercenaries for so many years?


    Under such circumstances, if they wished to destroy the whole mercenary group, that would be too difficult. Rhode had initially decided to find an excuse to kill the BOSS. As the mercenaries who weren''t too familiar with it, they naturally wouldn''t raise any doubts. But now, with Lapis around, Rhode had already killed it before he could use the BOSS as an excuse. If he killed all the Ophenians, it would be too obvious.


    There was a certain way to destroy groups. In the game, sending spies to another guild and making them fail their missions was a commonly used tactic. However, it needed to be done in ways that nobody would be suspicious of and they had to even feel that they did wrong or maybe had bad luck. If they realised that this random man in the guild had suddenly gone crazy and committed suicide�� this spy would be too inferior��


    Rhode had his own ideas. He didn''t want to involve his men in this. According to Shauna and Kavos'' report, the damned Druids had taken three lives from their ambush, which pained Rhode''s heart. In this world, the dead couldn''t be revived. They were the guild''s resources, and he definitely didn''t want to have such things happen��


    However, soon enough, Rhode found another solution.


    "I will go for those guys; all of you get prepared to charge!"


    Rhode gave his orders and shot Gillian a look. The fire elemental lord nodded and quickly left. As for Lapis, she had been treating the wounded mercenaries since she returned. Although she didn''t have the healing technique of a cleric, she brought along many healing potions with her. It seemed that this maiden knew it would be adventurous for her to challenge the central control room. Her tiny bag was filled with over a hundred healing potions, which caught Rhode between laughter and tears�� The extent of Lapis'' fear of death had reached another level.


    "Notify your men to get ready. Wait for my signal and immediately rush through the tunnel. No hesitations, get it?"


    "Yes, Sir."


    Everyone quickly worked as they were ordered. Shauna approached the Ophenians and told them to follow closely with them. As for Kavos, he waved his weapon and yelled for his men to buck up and get ready to attack. Rhode carefully observed for movements of the Druids, waiting to strike at the best opportunity.


    Rhode had decided to not face these Druids with full force because he wouldn''t be able to have a reason to kill the Ophenians by then. However, there had to be quality and talent in order to put up a good show and not everyone had it in them to tell great lies. This was why after Rhode had decided, he didn''t command Celia to back down because he was clear that Celia''s righteous character wouldn''t allow her to do that. Instead, he chose to assign that task to Gillian. Anyway, it was nothing for this sly fox-eared young lady to frame others.


    The enemies'' weakness would be their advantage.


    It also worked the other way around.


    Soon enough, Rhode realised that there was someone who required attention.


    That was a Druid.


    On the surface, this Druid appeared the same as the rest. But, shortly after, Rhode realised that the battle style of this Druid was a little strange. The battle styles of the other Druids were pretty decent, however, this particular Druid was much more aggressive. Almost like as Celia, this Druid rushed straight to the frontlines. If not for Celia''s powerful abilities, with this Druid''s odd movements, the mercenaries might not be able to handle him.


    What was with this Druid? It seemed like he had a deep vengeance against Starlight.


    In the end, Rhode made up his mind.


    He found the final point of penetration.


    After making this decision, Rhode hesitate no more. He immediately leaped down from the tall platform and into the crowd after transforming into a shadow.


    "Celia, lead everyone and get ready to break out of this place. Leave this to me!"


    Rhode commanded. He drew his sword and ran forward. Along with the blade rays, multiple glaring meteors appeared in midair, slicing off the menacing vines extending from the tunnel walls.


    Celia reacted swiftly. From the previous battle, although she was still alive, she was already wounded by her self-destructive battle style. Her armor was filled with cracks, the white cloth was torn apart, spots of blood were visible on her shoulders and thighs, and even her wings had balded with almost half of her feathers were ripped away.


    Celia wasn''t a member of Starlight as she was just a spirit under Rhode. So, strictly speaking, when Rhode wasn''t around, Celia didn''t need to be responsible for the mercenaries at all. However, when the mercenaries faced the ambush, she immediately negated the Druids'' attacks without caring about her injuries. In a few hours, Celia''s standing within the Starlight mercenaries'' hearts had blown off the charts. This beautiful angel maiden was actually willing to fight for ordinary mercenaries like themselves and even sacrifice her precious wings?


    This moved the mercenaries and at the same time motivated them. This was the reason why the mercenaries could stay determined when facing Druids who were obviously stronger than them. If they didn''t have the faith in the battle, then no matter how brave Celia was, she herself wouldn''t be able to defeat all the Druids.


    However, no matter how much Celia had moved the mercenaries, she couldn''t be compared to the support that Rhode had given them. After seeing their leader finally returning and getting into action, some of the mercenaries, who had lost all confidence, stood back up again. They yelled out battle cries and got into position hurriedly.


    On the other hand, the Druids were at a loss. Rhode wasn''t aware that these Druids actually only devised this attacking plan at the very last minute. He made a heartwarming and decisive choice for them.


    After his blade rays sliced through the vines, he scuttled into the tunnel with the Crimson Blade in his hand. As he dashed forward, three of the vines lying the ground rose abruptly and attempted to bind down the intruder.


    They struck through Rhode''s body��they hit an afterimage.


    At the same time, a mournful scream filled the tunnel and a figure flew out from behind a boulder by the wall and landed on the ground heavily. His round eyes and mouth were wide open with fresh blood gushing out of the slashes on his chest. It was a ghastly sight.


    What''s going on?! Who''s attacking?!


    The Druids who were hidden in the dark were stunned to see their companion''s death. However, before they could come up with any ideas, another painful scream rang in their ears. Along with the splash of blood, another corpse flew from out the shadows and collapsed lifelessly on the ground.


    The remaining Druids had decided. Now that the enemies had another attacker among them, it wouldn''t be any good if they continued to stay in this place. Although leaving this place now would mean facing the Elder''s furious reprimands, it was still better than dying here, wasn''t it?


    "Retreat now!"

 Chapter 250 Concealmen

    The Druids didn''t have any intentions to fight in the first place. With someone finally giving a command to retreat, everyone of them immediately turned around and ran off. They didn''t even bother caring if the one giving the command was a Druid of higher rankings or just a commoner��it wasn''t even important to them now.


    It wasn''t wrong to think of the Druids as bandits, because other than their usual activities which resembled the bandits, their behaviours were also lawless. The difference in levels between the Druids themselves weren''t huge. Their hierarchy was maintained based on levels of prestige; however, such terms were unclear, unlike soldiers in the military.


    Previously, they were able to put Starlight in a difficult position due to their individual capabilities. The Druids were strong and each one had no problem taking on ten mercenaries at a time. However, even so, everyone in Starlight managed to hang on with their teamwork, and even force the Druids away. From this point, they could see that the Druids weren''t efficient in team battles. No matter how strong they were individually, they would still be weak facing a group of united mercenaries.


    Not to mention, Rhode''s sudden appearance had immediately forced them off balance. The Druids fought to a draw with the mercenaries because their powerful individual skills counteracted the mercenaries'' team advantage. Now that they lost their individual advantages, what could they do?


    It seemed like nothing was left for them��


    "This bunch of idiots!"


    Only one Druid had chosen to not retreat.


    He stuck close to the wall, camouflaging into the dust and ash color. Glancing over at his fleeing companions, he gritted his teeth as rage burned in his heart. How despicable! The enemy merely brought someone slightly stronger and they ran off just like that? Don''t they want to seek revenge? Forget it! I should''ve known that these people were unreliable!


    The man held his breath. He closed his eyes and subconsciously re-adjusted his heartbeat. At this moment, it seemed that he had completely blended in with the rocks, where even his smooth human skin had turned into a rocky, solid surface. This was one of the Druids'' natural ability. They could totally camouflage into something within a limited time such as animals, plants, or even rocks.


    This Druid was clear of how powerful this black-haired young man was, to be able to kill three Druids in an instant. But, even so, he didn''t intend to escape because in this group of mercenaries, he wasn''t able to spot the one who had killed his loved ones yet. Just based on the weak and slow-moving mercenaries, it was impossible for them to kill Brown Bear and the other two. And now, this powerful young man suddenly emerged out of nowhere!


    Could it be that this young man was the evil murderer!?


    Thinking of his dead lover, the man gritted his teeth. If he wasn''t in his camouflage state and forcing his heartbeat to the lowest, he would have burst out in anger. However, he had to tolerate this as he knew that he had no chances of winning if he fought the man head on. However, he had not given up just yet. He lurked and waited for the right opportunity to complete his revenge.


    Currently, the chilly tunnel was in total silence. Without the support of the Druids, those vines had collapsed and turned into ashes. The strong gales blew into the tunnel and shook the flames on the torches, which flickered in the shadows as though a group of Devils were dancing in celebration.


    "It seems like those guys finally left?"


    Suddenly, a man''s voice sounded beside the Druid and it almost forced a shriek of surprise out of him. However, he was fortunate that his years of battle experiences had stifled his fears. He just realised that the black-haired murderer had emerged beside him.


    What a scary man!


    In an instant, the Druid''s heart was unsettled. It wasn''t that he didn''t know how oddly fast this black-haired young man could be, but only when he saw him face-to-face did he realise that this young man had exceeded his expectations. After completing his camouflage, this Druid had been fully observing the surroundings, but even so, he wasn''t able to spot Rhode''s presence at all. Yet, Rhode seemed to just appear in his face from the ground. How was that not surprisingly scary for this Druid? The Druid was somehow glad that he had made a right choice to avoid Rhode. If not, he would perhaps be instantly killed without spotting him.


    But what about now?


    The Druid sized up Rhode secretly because Rhode had his back exposed, which was a great opportunity. If the Druid could grab this chance, he should have a high chance in assassinating Rhode. However, even so, the Druid didn''t act upon it. Rhode''s odd movements had frightened him and he wasn''t sure if striking at this distance would be lethal.


    Just as he was contemplating to strike, another voice completely demolished this thoughts.


    "Nice one, Master. Those useless trash who are only great fertilisers for nature after they die have indeed escaped far, far away as you expected."


    Gillian shook her tail playfully as she walked over. Looking at the appearance of this maiden, the Druid had to cancel his thoughts of striking and quietly observed further. At this moment, there were two enemies present and he had lost the opportunity to attack. If he chose to risk it, then it would mean death for him. Other than being patient, he had no other choices.


    "Alright, cut the crap."


    Rhode gestured with his hand and whistled. Kavos led his men and arrived at the scene hurriedly with weapons clutched in their hands. Not far from them were the well-prepared Ophenian researchers. Although they weren''t able to investigate the central control room, they still received many great loots in this historical remains. The researchers treasured these loots a lot and when some mercenaries tried to carry them on their behalf, the researchers rejected. After all, these were the most precious records in this historical remains and if these clumsy mercenaries were to break them, not even crying would help. Therefore, they would rather be tired and carry them and not pass them to the mercenaries.


    "Move fast; I think those Druids have possibly gone to search for backup. We have to get out of here before they''re back!"


    Rhode commanded the mercenaries as he accelerated forward. From his actions, it seemed that he had totally missed the man hidden by the wall. The Druid, who had heard Rhode''s words, was stunned. Why must I do it myself? I can just seal up the entrance of this historical remains and leave them to kill themselves. Isn''t this way safer? Why didn''t I think of this?


    The Druid had already observed that the researchers were as weak as the mercenaries and their movements were even slower with poor alertness. From the behavior of the mercenaries, these Ophenians seemed to be of utmost importance to them��


    The Druid worked out a scheme in his mind.


    Although it seemed to take a long time, the mercenaries were actually moving really quickly. If it weren''t for the injured Ophenian researchers, they would have already left this tunnel. And even now, most of the mercenaries had already repositioned to the front to prevent a possible attack. Rhode, on the other hand, was guarding the rear, and at the same time gazing at the entrance. The battle angel maiden who had given the Druids a major headache from before had already left the tunnel.


    Hmph, these damn barbarians.


    The Druid slowly inched his way along the walls toward the entrance.


    At this moment, the Ophenians had also finally reached the end of the tunnel.


    Now''s my chance!

 Chapter 251 Made-up Acciden

    "Master, something''s not right." Celia came to Rhode''s side and softly said. "I feel like someone is observing us. I think that we shouldn''t focus just on the front; we also need to watch our backs."


    "I understand."


    Rhode answered while putting on an act. Actually, he had already discovered the Druid that was hiding by the wall. The Druid''s techniques were able to trick the mercenaries, but they wouldn''t work with Rhode at all. Rhode pretended to be unaware and purposely wandered near the Druid while exposing his back. Even though the Druid was able to camouflage perfectly, but he was still a human with a soul, after all. Although it was only for a short instant, Rhode was able to sense the malicious intents from the Druid. In fact, this Druid''s ''brave battles'' had attracted Rhode''s attention previously. Even though Rhode easily killed a few of them, his end goal was to snatch this Druid''s life. Rhode knew what the Druid was plotting since he didn''t escape or attack foolishly.


    It was due to this reason that Rhode had a clear understanding of the Druid''s mentality and actions. Obviously, this Druid held a huge resentment toward Rhode and his men. To stay around after witnessing the deaths of his own kind showed his determination. Previously, the purpose of Rhode and Gillian giving a two-man comical show before this camouflaged Druid was to anger him. However, even though Rhode thought what they said was enough to trigger some actions from the Druid, there were still no movement. This proved that the Druid not only had a determined mentality, but that he was also calm. If not, the Druid would have already seized the opportunity to strike after Rhode when his back was turned.


    Gillian and Rhode''s thoughts were interlinked, so they knew what this Druid was plotting. On the other hand, Celia was a little more dim-witted. Although she felt that someone was indeed hiding by the sides, she didn''t understand the situation as much.


    ��!


    Suddenly, a crisp sound was heard. Everyone lifted their heads toward the source of the sound anxiously. A piece of gravel had fallen off the wall and smashed into several pieces upon landing.


    Not bad. He knows how to attract attention. There''s a bright future ahead of him.


    Although Rhode thought this in his mind, his expression didn''t change at all. Instead, he drew his sword.


    "Everyone be careful!"


    Rhode came to an abrupt halt as though he had discovered something.


    "Beware of your left!! Take note in your defense!!"


    Suddenly, a figure from the left wall darted out. It dashed toward the mercenaries along the wind.


    The mercenaries quickly reacted, but the attacker was too quick for them. They subconsciously dodged and baited the attacker into their group in order to surround it.


    The Druid missed.


    The Druid had no choices left. After the mercenaries dodged his attack, he remained calm as his target wasn''t the mercenaries.


    "Heyah!"


    The Druid let out a bellow and supported himself with his left hand on the ground while half kneeling. Suddenly, dozens of thorns shot out from the ground in all directions.


    Fortunately, the mercenaries dodged in time and no one was injured. However, it was almost a tragedy for the Ophenians. It was nothing for the mercenaries who were experienced in facing such ambushes, but it would mean their lives for the researchers. Although the researchers had experience living in the wild, it was totally different when it came to battling.


    In an instant, the Ophenians fell to the ground and three to five of them were struck by the stone thorns. Coincidentally, two of them were carrying heavy bags and their contents scattered all around. The already fragile slab carved with essential details were smashed into pieces as they crashed into the ground.


    "Go, protect the rest."


    Rhode commanded. The mercenaries quickly gathered the remaining researchers behind them. Then, they didn''t dare move an inch as the Druid stood before them with an Ophenian''s neck in each hand.


    This was the Druid''s plan. Since the sneaky attack didn''t work, he could only take advantage of the situation.


    However, the Druid didn''t expect that Rhode had been observing his movements and was also waiting for him to reveal himself. In the end, he had no choice but to grab two of them as hostages.


    Time seemed to have frozen at this instant.


    "Release them!"


    Rhode said with a gloomy face and a deep, angry tone. Although he was actually thrilled, he had to continue with his act. Of course, Rhode didn''t want the Ophenian researchers to find out his plans.


    "Release them?"


    The Druid let out a grim laughter.


    "Why must I let them off? How would people like you who only know how to destroy out forest even understand our feelings?! This is revenge! An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. You people killed my companions and now I will let you understand the pain!


    "If you have maybe a little intelligence, you should know that they''re the ones who attacked us first."


    Normally, Rhode would have attacked by now. However, he chose to calmly negotiate with the other party.


    "If they didn''t attack us, why would we need to kill them?"


    "It''s only right that you people receive your punishment!"


    The Druid snarled. Along with his movements, the researchers that were choked by the neck let out a horrified shriek.


    "Anyone who protects the Yellow Warbler is the biggest blasphemy to nature''s god!"


    Protects the Yellow Warbler?


    Rhode was taken aback.


    So�� That''s why.


    "It''s possible if you want me to release them. Give me the Yellow Warbler in exchange!"


    "I don''t think that''s necessary."


    Before the Druid could finish his sentence, Rhode''s voice sounded so close to him. The Druid frightenedly widened his eyes as he didn''t know when Rhode had arrived before him. What came after was pain in both of his arms; his wrists trembled in intense pain. The palms on his wrists were gone.


    "Thanks for the help, but your work ends here."


    A scarlet red radiance flashed.


    The Druid felt his entire world flip and he flew off to the attack. As he heard Rhode''s words, the last thing that he saw was his own headless body collapsing.


    What did he mean?


    The Druid had no more chances to understand the real meaning behind Rhode''s words, because, at this moment, the endless darkness had consumed him.

 Chapter 252 Put on the Agenda

    Everything was good.


    Thanks to the self-sacrificing Druid, Rhode settled everything in satisfaction. Almost half of the precious slabs that the Ophenians took great pains to collect had become meaningless trash. As for those remaining slabs, Rhode no longer took it to heart as he knew from Lapis that the production of a Composition Adornment consisted of a complex process. Not only on the production skills, but even the materials were also rare and hard to obtain. This way, Rhode felt more relaxed as he didn''t need to think of a way to kill all the Ophenians anymore.


    Since Rhode decided to let this group of people live to see another day, naturally he hoped to gain other benefits. He wanted both the production techniques for the Composition Adornment and the mission remuneration for accompanying the Ophenian researchers.


    Of course, that was what he thought in his head. On the surface, Rhode apologized sincerely to the Elder on his mistakes in commanding that costs their losses. As a mercenary group leader, such words of taking full responsibility meant nothing and were not pressurizing at all. Rhode was already an expert in this and everything came out from his mouth smoother than ever.


    On the other hand, the Elder felt awkward with Rhode''s words. If it wasn''t from Rhode but from the others, maybe it would just be it. However, the Ophenians was ultimately a group of researchers, and although, on the outside, these people were not much different from those who dug graves, their prides wouldn''t allow themselves to take advantage of it. Not to mention, Rhode''s commanding methods weren''t wrong apart from being too slow. Originally, if Rhode pushed the blame to the Ophenians due to his own incapability, the Ophenians would definitely not accept it. However, this young man was so sincere and decisive in taking all the responsibilities for their losses, and this left the Ophenians speechless. Since the other party had given such apologetic attitude, if they pursued the matter relentlessly, it would be an embarrassment to their pride. Therefore, the Elder also took up the responsibility and consoled Rhode that it was the other researchers who were too slow to react and unable to dodge in time. And since the mercenaries were able to protect himself and the rest, then the mission wasn''t considered failed�� Anyway, these researchers'' activities were funded by the country and weren''t supplied from their own pockets, so they definitely didn''t mind protecting their own pride.


    Of course. On the surface, the Elder seemed generous. However, deep in his heart he was crying badly. Initially, based on their research discoveries, this historical remains hid an ancient race''s secret message and even records of powerful weapons and artifacts. In fact, it was as they had imagined because according to the past translated ancient records, this place indeed hid some production methods of ancient artifacts. Initially, the Elder had decided to bring all these treasures back to sort them out, but the previous battle had destroyed almost half of them. What remained was still useful, but based his experiences, the remaining slabs would end up in the Ophenians'' Kingdom Museum on display��


    After this event, everyone''s plans went on smoothly. The Druids didn''t return to mess things up, probably thanks to Rhode, who had frightened them off. This bunch of naked people who roamed the forest finally stopped finding trouble for them, which allowed them to return safely to Deep Stone City.


    However, as for the identity of this bunch of Druids, Rhode understood from the previous conversation he had with the idiot from before. In the secret signs of the Druids, the Yellow Warbler referred to an important yet special prey. And thinking back of the Druids'' history, only the Behermes acknowledged their presences.


    Although it sounded weird in this way, the Behermes Family as alchemy spirits weren''t as hated as the Dark Elves in the continent. Even the initial spirit families��they were at most less spoken off and not hated like the Dark Elves. This was because the Behermes were considered harmless. Even during their darkest periods, their research on humans abided by the ''rule of volunteer'', and they did not forcefully grab anyone to be their guinea pigs. Furthermore, the Behermes generally preferred to stay home, which made it difficult to even have any conflicts with the other races. That was why in the continent, the Behermes Family''s popularity wasn''t considered too bad.


    On the other hand, a radical group within the Druids had always been unsatisfied with the Behermes Family. They felt that the alchemy elves were lifeforms that polluted and distorted nature, so they must be banished from the face of the earth. Even though this radical group wasn''t too huge, they definitely weren''t too small too. But it seemed that this whole matter was considered to be too ridiculous.


    The alchemic elves had nothing to speak to the Druids about. Although both parties were races that lived in the forest, both sides had extreme philosophies. The elves naturally loved the nature, but there would be a certain degree of exploitation too. For example, they would still bring along their hunting dogs to hunt. For the elves, as long as both had harmonious relationships, there wouldn''t be any problems. However, on the other hand, the Druids weren''t able to accept such relationships between the hunter and hunter dogs regardless of their harmonious relationships. To the Druids, dogs were man''s best friend and yet they treated them as companions and even forced them to risk their lives just for the hunter''s own survival! They should have lived harmoniously together! Yet, what did it mean to live harmoniously together? From the Druids'' perspective, the hunter had to work alongside the hunter dogs in everything. To sleep with it at night, and even when your own family member died of hunger, your hunter dog still needed to be fed well. This was the real meaning of ''harmony''. Yes, this was what they wished to see.


    As the saying went ''people who walked different paths cannot make plans together''. The elves'' philosophy was to stick to themselves and not to force others. However, the Druids wished for all humans to live together with animals and return to nature. And what if they didn''t do it? Then they would be nature''s crime and deserved death. Therefore, this bunch of Druids didn''t have any sense of burden when they attack others because, to them, this was an act of punishment and spreading of kindness.


    And because of the tangled and complicated relationship of both races, this problem had become very thorny. The elves, with an introverted culture, preferred not to have conflicts, yet the Druids felt these ''children of the forest'' betrayed the nature''s path. Therefore, they wanted to get rid of all of them and bring these spirits to the ''right'' path through the teachings of blood.


    As for the Behermes Family, it was that ''chicken''.


    Originally, Rhode had decided to get rid of this group of Druids. However, on their way back to Deep Stone City, there were no Druids in sight which made Rhode give up on this idea. He wasn''t too worried about Lapis'' safety because the Druids hated the city��they wouldn''t even step into it while on their deathbeds. So as long as Lapis stayed near home, those Druids wouldn''t be able harm her.


    And as for Rhode, since these Druids weren''t dumb enough to bring themselves to their own doom, he could start focusing on another matter: upgrading his own equipment.


    As known previously, the equipment that Rhode had collected through previous dungeon battles was passed on to his mercenaries and nothing was left for himself. There was indeed some support equipment available, but he had thrown them aside as their attributes were unsuitable. Rhode, with his double talent trees, would be able to summon spirits and his attributes would be stronger than that of any magical equipment. This was why he only carried the Crimson Blade along with him and nothing else.


    If possible, Rhode could even throw his Crimson Blade aside since he had a holy sword card.


    But the Zero Refining Equipment would be a problem for him.


    The Zero Refining Equipment was able to activate three types of attributes and aura attributes which were important to him. Moreover, the Midsummer Festival was about to start and if he could make good use of the Zero Refining Equipment, his abilities would rise greatly. Not only that, but it would also require half the effort when he led his men for future missions.


    But the problem now was that it wasn''t easy finding equipment��


    Lower grade equipment was useless, but with Rhode''s current level, suitable equipment wasn''t not easy to obtain. The area located in the the middle of Deep Stone City mostly had dungeon equipment ranging between level 10 to level 20. To Rhode, who was currently level 23, that was completely useless. However, it would be impossible to make it to the higher-level dungeons in the deep mountains or forests and back within a month. Now that the Midsummer Festival was approaching, how would he find the time to go on an adventure?


    Of course, he knew of a few hidden, higher-level dungeons within Deep Stone City, but those were for level 40 and above. If he wasn''t careful, he would be invited to have a drink and chat with the lord in hell. Based on Rhode''s current abilities��. He would only be seeking death.


    However, he wasn''t too worried about this problem. He led his men to the Mercenary Association, reported his mission completion, and returned to the stronghold after receiving the remunerations. He had spent 10 days on this trip to the Unicorn Peak and he was curious about his team''s training progress.


    Upon entering the stronghold, Rhode spotted some unusual items.

 Chapter 253 A Surprise?

    "What''s this?"


    Walking into the hall, Rhode astonishingly gazed at the decorations that hung on the wall. They were oil paintings of familiar sceneries within Deep Stone City. With mountains reaching through the clouds, endless deep mine shafts, central parks under the clear blue skies, and even picturesque sceneries near the stronghold. He had to say that hanging such mesmerizing paintings in the middle of the empty big hall did bring along a heartwarming feeling.


    But where did these paintings come from?


    Rhode frowned as he thought of this question because he clearly recalled that he didn''t purchase any of them. Could they be bought by Marlene and the rest? This wasn''t likely too because, as a vice-leader, Marlene was serious in her work and wouldn''t possibly do that.


    "Do you know what happened?"


    Rhode turned around and asked. Shauna and Kavos looked at each other and shook their heads. Both of them were mercenaries and had zero interests in admiring such things, not to mention even caring about them. As for Lapis, she holed herself up in the room all day and wouldn''t possibly know much about the changes.


    That''s odd. Where did they come from?


    However, Rhode''s questions didn''t last for long as a figure emerged before everyone.


    "Mr. Rhode, have all of you returned?"


    Marlene hugged a pile of scrolls into the hall. Surprised with the return of Rhode and the gang, she immediately walked up to Rhode and greeted.


    "Did the mission go well?"


    "Yes, everything''s good. How''s your condition? How was the training?"


    "Very well, Mr. Rhode. Everyone has almost grabbed the knack of things. I think we can soon show you the fruits of our labour."


    Marlene revealed a confident smile because they had achieved visible results after putting in a lot of hard work. Especially to Marlene��she used to only lack battle experience, but now that so many days of training had passed, her battle experience had increased tremendously.


    "Good, I''m looking forward to the results�� But��"


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction but quickly changed his tone as he pointed at the paintings on the wall.


    "What''s with those? I don''t remember buying those paintings."


    "Huhuhu��"


    Marlene''s chuckles surprised him. Then, she answered with a sense of pride and some arrogance.


    "Christie painted them."


    "Huh?"


    Rhode was amazed and even Gillian hurriedly scanned the paintings.


    "All of them were painted by little Christie? Wow�� so beautiful�� ah, I didn''t know that little cutie had such talents."


    Obviously, not only was Gillian shocked, but even Rhode was flabbergasted. He didn''t know what talents Christie had, but he wasn''t too mindful because she was too weak. At this stage, the only thing she needed to do was recuperate, so Rhode didn''t expect her to do anything else. Rhode couldn''t help but twitch his eyebrows because, even though these paintings were indeed beautiful, painting them was a waste of time. Could it be that Christie��


    Marlene understood what Rhode was thinking due to his expression and quickly explained.


    The truth was, after Rhode left, Marlene and the rest continued with their training. Whereas Christie could only recover and do nothing else. Although Christie was an obedient girl, coping up in the room all day would bring problems too. Furthermore, Rhode wasn''t by her side, which made Christie feel ill at ease. Although Lize, Anne, and Marlene took time to accompany her, the only one who could make her feel at ease was Rhode.


    And, under such circumstances, Christie had suddenly decided to paint. This request surprised Marlene and the others, but they didn''t stop her. After all, it wasn''t great to keep her coped up all day in her room. Now that she had finally found something of her interest, it made no sense for them to stop her. Therefore, Marlene and the others helped Christie purchase sketch pads, paint brushes, and paints which allowed her to paint to her heart''s content.


    Surprisingly, Christie showed her talented side.


    This little girl, who had never painted, actually did so well. When she was painting, she didn''t seem to be inexperienced at all and she didn''t seem to be aware of it either. Facing Marlene''s questions, the little girl was at a loss as though this wasn''t anything strange to her.


    "Honestly speaking, we were all surprised from the start. However�� there''s no problem now. Not only was Christie''s painting technique superb, but she also painted quickly too.. She only needed two to three hours to complete each painting. And during these days, our relationships with Christie became much closer�� Of course, don''t worry, Mr. Rhode, because Lize has been looking after her to make sure that she doesn''t tire herself."


    "That''s good to know."


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. Sensing the change in Rhode''s expression, Marlene let out an inward sigh.


    He really cares for Christie a lot��


    A strange emotion tugged at Marlene''s heartstrings, but she quickly kept it down.


    "Other than this, is there anything else?" said Rhode.


    "Huh?" Marlene''s expression changed slightly and she frowned as she recalled.


    "�� To be honest, there indeed was something, but��"


    The maiden hesitated before letting out a long sigh.


    "I think Mr. Rhode should see it for himself."


    Compared to the past, Christie''s room was filled with much more cheeriness. A huge wooden paint rack had been placed before the bed with a wide variety of colours placed in it. White canvas filled the room. Some were sketches while others were completed.


    But the purpose of Marlene bringing Rhode to Christie''s room wasn''t to introduce him to the little girl''s current living conditions.


    "I guess you have already seen the paintings by Christie, Mr. Rhode."


    "That''s right."


    Rhode nodded to Marlene and asked strangely.


    "Are there any issues?"


    "There is�� and there isn''t too��"


    Marlene seemed to find it hard to speak about this, which confused Rhode even more. In the end, she approached the canvas and passed one of them to Rhode.


    "Actually, other than these paintings, Christie has painted something else��"


    Rhode took over the scroll and unrolled it. He knitted his brows.


    Much different from the enchanting scenery, the scroll in Rhode''s hand was totally different. Withered, pitch-black creviced land spread under the bloody red skies, and the surrounding mountain range was scattered with dead trees and ghastly white bones. Red streams flowed down like blood or lava. In the distance, an indistinct, tall building appeared behind the misty sand. At first glance, this painting gave off a strong sense of loneliness and darkness.


    "Not only that, but these also��"


    Rhode took over the other scrolls one by one. The paintings were virtually the same except for some minor details: a broken palace built on a pile of countless white bones, an unidentified being hanging on the branch of a dead withered tree, a pitch-black deep river converging into a lake. Everywhere was filled with struggling, hopeless arms.


    "These were also painted by her?"


    Rhode finally understood why Marlene was uneasy. If these paintings belonged to the imagination of a child, it would be too horrifying. To be honest, Christie''s painting technique was excellent that at the first glance, one would even think they were looking at a scenic photograph. And because of that, no matter how one saw these paintings, they weren''t similar to pure art, but were more like a projection of some other world.


    "Yes, but Christie didn''t seem to know about them either. I got Lize to ask her, but Christie was confused too. From her explanations, these sceneries seemed to just appear in her mind. Mr. Rhode, I''m worried�� Besides, Christie seems to be afraid after finishing the paintings. There were a few times when she couldn''t sleep because she was scared by her own paintings. This��"


    Rhode focused his attention on the painting before him. Not only did these paintings looked realistic, but he also felt that he had been to these places before.


    Where exactly were these places?


    Rhode rotated the scrolls in his hands, trying to figure out the locations.


    But before Rhode was able to figure out anything, Gillian jumped to his side. She scanned the scroll on his hand and her ears twitched slightly.


    "Gosh. Isn''t this the Infernal Abyss?"

 Chapter 254 Troubles Keep Coming

    Now that Gillian had mentioned it�� This scenery was on the 8th floor of the Infernal Abyss: a landscape of burning purgatory. The indistinct, visible tall building was the symbolic Atonement Tower. Actually, Rhode wasn''t any stranger to that place as he had led his men and ransacked the region before killing the Void Dragon. However, he subconsciously believed that this scenery should have been in the Dragon Soul Continent and didn''t think of that place as hell. Now, it seemed like this was exactly the same as what he remembered.


    "Huhuhu, this is getting interesting, Master."


    Gillian let out a chuckle and lifted her head. She winked at Rhode playfully. He knew what Gillian meant because no matter what, Christie had never been to hell and even if it was based on the little girl''s imagination, the depiction was too similar. If he didn''t learn about Christie''s past, he would have thought that she had been there before. However, that was totally impossible, as the burning purgatory belonged to the deeper levels of hell. Volcanoes erupted and flowed with magma while the air was filled with pitch-black billows of smokes and ash that danced like snow�� Beautiful, yet deadly. No humans could survive there; not even players like Rhode. He was only able to survive due to him securing equipment that was immune to fire elements. If it was Christie, she would have turned into ashes immediately the moment she entered.


    That was why Gillian thought this was getting interesting.


    Accordingly to Marlene, Christie didn''t seem to be aware when she painted these sceneries and only when she finished them would she get a huge shock. So what did all this mean?


    Rhode rubbed his forehead, feeling a little fatigued as another difficult problem rose before his eyes before he could even get a good night''s rest.


    "What did the others think about this?"


    "Miss Anne wasn''t interested and Lize was worried. As for the rest�� they aren''t aware of this yet. I don''t think Christie would go around talking about it either."


    Christie was popular among the mercenaries, mainly due to her appropriate behavior. Maybe it was due to her harsh childhood that she didn''t have the willfulness of girls of her age. She was obedient, clever, and everyone adored her cute appearance.


    "Okay, we will leave it as it is for now."


    Rhode shook his head hopelessly.


    "How much money do we have on our hands?"


    "Now?"


    Marlene wasn''t sure. She tilted her head, closed her eyes, and pondered for a moment. Then, she unrolled a scroll in her hands.


    "Currently, we have 53,600 gold coins, Mr. Rhode. Our main income comes from adventures and missions. And because you don''t sell our spoils of war, our income from this aspect is quite low. As for the blacksmith shop that you received from the Keller Family, after subtracting the basic fees, it brings us about 200 to 300 gold coins. That''s all."


    "So little?"


    Rhode was surprised. Marlene shrugged her shoulders helplessly while showing a bittersweet smile.


    Perhaps Shauna and Kavos would have dropped their eyeballs after hearing Marlene''s report, as 50,000 gold coins was an unimaginable amount of money to a mercenary group. It wasn''t because they weren''t able to earn that much as a normal person could earn tens of thousands every year in modern society too. But, on average throughout the months, that amount would be pathetic. Not to mention the lodging and expenses on food �� No one would feel that they earned a lot.


    It was the same logic for mercenary groups. As long as the missions weren''t too low in grade, getting thousands of gold coins as remuneration was always possible. However, mercenaries needed to repair their equipments and also pay for lodging and food expenses. After all these deductions, every mercenary group could only save up a few pennies.


    As for why Rhode''s Starlight was able to earn that much, it was partly because he didn''t have many members in the initial stages and there wasn''t much profit sharing. Moreover, the missions that they had completed were of high grades and risks. A series of missions from the association and his opportunistic approaches toward the president of the Mercenary Association gained him the financial results he saw today.


    However, it was a pity that although this sum of money was considered a huge amount for normal mercenary groups, in Rhode and Marlene''s eyes, it was nothing. As a leading guild in the game, the cash flow into Rhode''s hands were in the millions. Not to mention that a mere 50k gold coins wouldn''t even be enough to capture his attention. Marlene, as the heir of the largest noble family in Munn Kingdom, only thought of money as mere worldly possession. In fact, ever since Marlene had joined Starlight, she never asked for a single penny as remuneration. According to her, since she was the one who wanted to join a mercenary group to sharpen her skills, then she should be responsible for herself. The mercenary group shouldn''t spend anything on her. All in all, money was never a problem to Marlene��


    And because of that, both of them were dissatisfied with the current financial status of the mercenary group. It was just that both of them had different standards of reference for comparison.


    After listening to Marlene''s report, Rhode let out a helpless sigh. He had initially planned to buy up some equipment from the auction market in Deep Stone City, but it seemed like he couldn''t even afford a single piece with that much money.


    Don''t tell me I have to wear plain equipment for the Midsummer Festival?


    Rhode wasn''t resigned to it yet and that was being human for you. If he didn''t obtain the Zero Refining Equipment, he would be fine going to the Midsummer Festival in this state. But now that he had received such godly equipment, it would be a huge waste if he wore it as an accessory with no other purpose. Since he didn''t have enough money for equipment��


    I''ll need to play by ear then.


    Rhode came up with a plan and decided not to ponder this problem anymore. He turned around and left Lapis'' room to catch a break. He was exhausted after being outdoors for so many days. Now that he finally had the chance for a break, of course he wouldn''t let it slip by. He temporarily threw all these headaches to the back of his head and plopped into bed. After leaving the historical remains, Rhode had to be on guard against those Druids who were enough to keep him restless. Now that he had finally returned to his comfortable bed, he fell into deep sleep immediately��


    As for Marlene, she left Rhode''s room with a gloomy expression. Although Rhode was expressionless most of the time, he was energetic and seldom rested during the daytime. Marlene noticed the fatigue on his face, which piqued her curiosity. Could it be that something happened during the mission? Or, is he troubled over something? But��


    Marlene left with this thought.


    Even if it was Rhode, he was bound to be fatigued after going on an adventure for several days. It was almost evening when he woke up. The sun had almost called it a day as it lit up the horizon and white clouds were painted in a warm redness. Rhode stood and while he tidied his clothes, someone knocked on the door. Marlene''s voice sounded.


    "Mr. Rhode, are you awake?"


    "Marlene? Yes, come in," Rhode said. The maiden pushed the door open and made her way in. Rhode quickly noticed her unusually gloomy expression. "Did anything happen?"


    "Yes��"


    Marlene thought for a moment.


    "Lize, Anne, and Christie haven''t return since they went out this morning to buy some painting materials. They should be back by noon, but��"


    "You''re saying that they are nowhere in sight?"


    Rhode glanced out of the window subconsciously. The sun had fallen below the horizon. This should be the time mercenaries returned, unless they went out to have a drink or two. However, Lize, Anne, and Christie clearly didn''t have such a habit.


    "Yes. I dispatched someone to search for them, but��"


    Before Marlene could finish her sentence, rapid footsteps could be heard from the hallway. In an instant, Joey barged into the room with a head full of sweat. He panted and pointed his shaky finger out the window in a pale expression.


    "Miss Marlene, Leader, n-n-no good! Someone is trying to capture Miss Lize, Anne, and Christie!"

 Chapter 255 An Invisible Hand

    "Woah�� I''m so full."


    Anne stretched her arms and said with a satisfied grin.


    "You ate too much, Anne."


    Lize shook her head beside her.


    "I don''t know how you managed to eat a portion for three. If it''s me, I would never be able to eat that much�� and you spent so much unnecessary money too. Have you thought of an explanation to Marlene yet?"


    "Huh?"


    Anne''s expression changed slightly. She held her palms together and leaned toward Lize.


    "Sister Lize, we don''t have to report such small matters to Sister Marlene, right? It''s only a small meal and Anne used all her heart to finish it~ I didn''t waste a single bit at all!"


    "You are really��"


    Lize let out a sigh. Then, she shifted her gaze to the quiet little girl beside them.


    "Christie, what''s wrong? Are you in a bad mood? Or do you have something you want to buy?"


    "Hmm?"


    Christie seemed to have been disrupted from her daze. She hugged the package in her arms tightly and revealed a shy, gentle smile to Anne and Lize. Then, she shook her head.


    "�� I''m not in a bad mood, Lize�� I''m only thinking of when will Rhode come back��"


    Christie sulked slightly.


    "I painted so many beautiful paintings�� I hope Rhode can see them��"


    "Don''t worry, Christie. Leader will definitely be back in no time."


    Anne let out a chuckle and gently fondled the little girl''s hair, at the same time confidently making a prediction.


    "Didn''t Sister Marlene say that before? Leader will definitely return soon. This time, they aren''t doing any special missions, so you don''t have to worry too much��"


    "You''re right."


    Although Lize was also worried about Rhode and the others, she couldn''t possibly reveal her true emotions to Christie. Therefore, Lize hurriedly squatted down in front of Christie and held her shoulders. She looked deeply into her eyes.


    "There''s nothing to worry about, Christie. Mr. Rhode is a smart, brave, and strong person. He will not be in any trouble. Who knows; maybe Mr. Rhode is already waiting for you back home. Cheer up, okay?"


    "Okay��"


    Christie appeared a little more relieved. She nodded gently and displayed an adorable smile. Lize responded with a smile of her own and stroked the little girl''s beautiful, long hair.


    "It''s already late; we should get��"


    At this moment, a clatter of hoofs interrupted her words. She lifted her head and spotted a group of fully-armored knights on their horses. The crowd on the streets avoided them hurriedly. Lize stood up attentively and pulled Christie to her side. As for Anne, she pouted and gave a dismissive look.


    However, what the three of them didn''t expect was that the group of knights was actually coming for them. They slowed down to a halt as they surrounded the trio.


    "Who are you people? What do you want?!"


    Anne had the quickest reactions. As the knights surrounded them, she retrieved the heavy shield from her back and used it to protect Lize and Christie.


    "Are you members of the Starlight mercenary group?"


    The knights didn''t answer Anne. Instead, it was their leader who spoke.


    Anne and Lize knitted their brows simultaneously. Clearly, both of them realised that things weren''t that simple. They didn''t answer the person instantly and scanned the surrounding. Lize hugged Christie in her arms while Anne shifted her position carefully toward the left to close off the opening.


    "That''s right, we are members of the Starlight mercenary group. Who are you people anyway?"


    "We are the garrisons of Deep Stone City!"


    The leader waved his arm strongly, pulled out his sword, and pointed at the trio.


    "Now, under the name of the Garrisons, I demand you to drop your weapon and come with us!"


    "Garrisons?"


    Anne was dumbfounded. Lize elbowed Anne from the back and hinted at her to catch a glimpse of their saddles. There was an engraving of a complicated, yet gorgeous design which ordinary Garrisons wouldn''t have. Moreover, identical saddles would only appear on one kind of people.


    And that was the nobles'' private soldiers!


    "Drop your weapon now!"


    The leader ordered upon Anne''s noncompliance. At this moment, the crowd had gathered to check on the situation. Anne appeared seemingly like she had the intentions to surrender. She stooped over and placed the heavy shield on the ground, but then, she brandished it abruptly.


    Bam!


    The immense impact sent one of the knight and his warhorse flying, and they crashed right into their companions, who were caught off guard. In an instant, the whole group of knights crumbled into a complete mess. The knights drew their weapons furiously and charged forward.


    "Run!"


    Anne raised her shield and struck off another knight''s attack. Lize dashed into the crowd while holding hands with Christie. She was determined to get away as far as possible.


    "What did you say?!"


    Marlene widened her eyes in disbelief while Rhode said with a frown.


    "What exactly happened? Explain!"


    "It''s like this��"


    Perhaps due to the influence of Rhode''s calm attitude, Joey explained steadily.


    "I was at the Mercenary Association on some errands and overheard that our people broke into a fight with the city guards in the marketplace and many of them were injured. I made a trip to the place, but it was completely sealed off. From what I heard, it was actually Miss Lize and Anne who fought with the city guards!"


    "�� How did this happen?"


    Marlene was stunned. It was possible for Anne to act rashly, but Lize too?


    "When did all this happen?" Rhode said.


    "Around an hour ago. Leader, what should we do? I sent Randolf to gather our men; should we go search for them?"


    "That''s not necessary."


    Rhode gave an unexpected answer.


    "Joey, get Old Walker here and check on the situation to gather information immediately. Remember, gather information on the causes, reasons, and results. Then, I need you to inform Shauna and Kavos to get their men ready to move out. Marlene, you will follow Gillian and me. We will go check it out!"


    A putrid stench came from within the pitch-black underground tunnel.


    "Hu�� Hu��"


    Anne stooped over and peeked at the situation outside.


    "Why aren''t they giving up yet? It''s so annoying! Who exactly are they?!"


    "They shouldn''t be the city guards."


    Lize said softly as she hid behind Anne and hugged Christie in her arms.


    "And I don''t think they are ordinary private soldiers. Usually, they wouldn''t have such emblems and no matter what, it''s all too strange. Besides��" she paused.


    "Damn it!"


    Anne punched the ground heavily. She gritted her teeth, yet was unable to say anything. Originally, the trio had decided to escape to the stronghold, but they didn''t expect that the whole marketplace would be completely sealed off without any way for them to retreat. It was due to this that they had no choice but to hide in an abandoned, empty house.


    "If Sister Marlene realises that we''re not back yet, she will probably come for us."


    "Yes�� But��"


    Lize shook her head as she felt that things weren''t as simple as they seemed. She was sure that those knights were definitely not real garrisons. One reason was because Lize and Anne had lived here for years and were familiar with the garrisons here. It raised Lize''s doubts that there were actually people who didn''t know who they were and they even dared to pass themselves off as the garrisons and brazenly seal off the entire marketplace. Weren''t they afraid of getting in trouble?

 Chapter 256 Half-way Ou

    "Reporting, Sir! We have sealed off the entire marketplace!"


    A fully-armored soldier reported by the door.


    Klautz sulked, placed the teacup on the table, and gazed at the smiling man sitting opposite him. The man with long, brown hair was clad in an eye-grabbing armor, had unswerving determination on his face, and a ghastly, ugly scar that had extended all the way from his forehead to his chin.


    "Great, pass this message on. We must capture them, understood?"


    "Yes!''


    The soldier saluted and ran off. City owner Klautz stared at the man before him. He exercised his fingers and let out a sneer while sitting back on the couch.


    "Never did I expect that the Vice Commander of the South Warzone would be so panicky over a few mercenaries�� If outsiders knew about this, they would surely laugh their heads off. Wouldn''t they, Lord Ron? You come to my turf for whatever reason and demand to capture some people. Do you even put Paphield in your eyes?"


    "I''m sorry for the sudden intrusion, Sir Klautz."


    The soldier named Ron revealed a pacifying smile and gestured with his hand. Then, he narrowed his eyes and revealed an enigmatic look while Klautz snorted in disapproval. Although Klautz didn''t have a good impression of these Southerners who were obviously up to no good, he couldn''t do much as his current forces weren''t stronger than theirs.


    Ron and his men arrived at Deep Stone City during noon the day before. Initially, Klautz was puzzled because as far as he remembered, this place was under the administrative region of the Southern Warzone. Then, he realised that these people had a hidden agenda because, according to Ron, their intelligence reported that a wanted criminal of the Southern Warzone was seen in this area and they were here to capture him. Furthermore, they had even put in a request for Klautz''s permission. This was entirely unnecessary because if the military wanted to capture someone, since when did they need to seek permission with the area''s administrative officer?


    Klautz wasn''t that concerned about the people they were looking to capture, especially when the excuses and reasoning of these people were full of loopholes and completely nonsensical. Did they even need the Vice Commander of the Southern Warzone to personally lead a team of elite soldiers to capture wanted criminals? Could it be that the wanted criminals were Necromancers? For the Vice Commander to even notify Klautz about this capture was already honorable enough for someone of his status.


    Besides, they had even brazenly ordered him to assist in sealing off the area. Did they really treat him as a nobody? However, as an administrative officer of a territory, Klautz definitely wasn''t so foolish as to fall out with these soldiers. Now that the situation in Paphield wasn''t stable, he didn''t want to cause any more problems. However, this meant that Klautz could only act according to what the soldiers wanted. In fact, before they initiated the capture, Klautz had secretly sent his men to investigate their targets. If they were any normal human beings, then he would act as though he didn''t know anything about it. But if they were some troublesome people, then��


    At this moment, a bright reflection flashed in the corner of Klautz''s eyes. He remained calm and collected. Then, he stood up with a smile and bowed to Ron.


    "Sorry for the inconvenience, Lord Ron. I have some official businesses to attend to�� Please pardon me."


    Klautz stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. He approached the balcony on the other end of the hallway, where an old man dressed as a housekeeper kept the mirror in his hand. The old man turned around and greeted Klautz with a polite bow.


    "Sir Klautz."


    "Do you know who is their target?" Klautz asked softly while the old man nodded.


    "Yes, Sir. Based on what I''ve gathered from the marketplace, those knights were trying to capture three young ladies."


    "Three young ladies?"


    Klautz was stunned.


    "Do you know who are they?"


    "Yes, Sir. They are members of the Starlight mercenary group. Miss Lize Noir, Miss Anne Viroga, and also another young lady, whom I''m not sure of her identity."


    "The Starlight mercenary group?"


    Klautz sulked instantly.


    "Are you sure that those men were going for them?"


    "Yes, Sir. I''m sure. Many have also witnessed the struggles between the knights and the three young ladies."


    "�� Gosh!"


    Klautz gritted his teeth and spun around in circles anxiously. Then, he came to a halt and took in a deep breath. He said to the old housekeeper in a firm tone.


    "Go! Find a team of elites right now and get them to enter the marketplace to rescue the three young ladies! Also, see if the leader of the Starlight mercenary group is back! Go now!"


    "Yes!"


    Although the old housekeeper didn''t know why Klautz became so tense, he abided by his order and left instantly. Glancing at the old housekeeper''s distant silhouette, Klautz felt a numbing sensation on his scalp. He recollected his thoughts for a moment and returned to the room with a stern expression.


    "Oh?"


    Ron laid down the tea cup on the table and smiled.


    "Is anything wrong, Sir Klautz?"


    "I''m very sorry, Lord Ron."


    Out of line with Ron''s expectations, this time, Klautz spoke without any courtesy.


    "I recalled something urgent I have to attend to, so I need you to leave. Please forgive me for my lack of manners. Men, please see our visitor out!"


    Ron''s smile faded. He stared at the city owner and couldn''t understand the meaning behind his actions. He stood up with his usual expression and gave Klautz a long, profound stare. Then, he left without saying a word. Judging from Klautz''s attitude, Ron sensed that he wouldn''t get an answer from Klautz even if he asked. Ron wasn''t an idiot either; Klautz must have heard some news for him to have such a dramatic change in attitude. Since that was the case, Ron didn''t need to stay any longer. He had to figure out what exactly led to the sudden change in Klautz''s attitude. Could it be that there was a slip-up in his plan?


    Utter chaos was brewing in the marketplace.


    "Those guys are following real close!"


    Anne was getting sick of the knights following closely behind. Although the knights couldn''t beat Anne in a one-to-one fight, they were more advantageous in numbers. Furthermore, they were well-coordinated in their attacks, which was strenuous to the two maidens. Moreover, there was also Christie, who couldn''t keep up with the pace.


    "Haa��. Haa��"


    Christie''s complexion turned pale and even green as she sprinted alongside Lize. Her slim legs shivered continuously and she almost couldn''t support herself. Although Lize had been looking after Christie all this while, such a strenuous exercise was indeed too much on the little girl. But, even so, Christie gritted her teeth and had no intentions of giving up.


    "Let''s go, Lize."


    "We can''t, Anne."


    Lize shook her head resolutely.


    "Christie won''t be able to take it anymore if this goes on!"


    "Then we can only finish them off."


    Anne knew that they couldn''t run any further. If the little girl pushed herself more, she might collapse at any time. Christie wasn''t healthy to start with, and it was a miracle that she had held on for so long.


    Anne turned around abruptly. The shield in her hand transformed its shape instantly as it crashed into the ground. At this moment, Lize instantly casted her healing spells to ease Christie''s pain.


    "These bastards came to find trouble out of nowhere. They are so gonna get it from Leader once he''s back!"


    At this moment, the knights realised that the maidens couldn''t escape anymore. They swiftly surrounded them in all directions.


    "Under the name of the garrison, I once again demand you to drop your weapon and surrender!"


    "In your dreams!"


    Anne''s brows twitched. Even a young lady with such a pure, innocent character like Anne was annoyed to have been chased for no apparent reasons. There was never a chance of her surrendering just like that! Besides, the knights repeatedly mentioned that they were from the garrisons, which added to their suspicion. No matter how they observed them, they looked like nobles'' private soldiers. So what were they trying to do, posing as the garrison?


    Lize watched attentively while tugging on Anne''s hand, hinting at her to not act rashly.


    "Who exactly are you people? What do you want?"


    "��"


    The knights shrunk their encirclement. Lize clenched her teeth and was at her wits'' end.


    Do we really have to give up? But what will happen to Christie?


    Lize hugged the little girl in her arms even closer. Anne clasped to her shield and waited for an opportunity to retaliate.


    At this moment, both of them didn''t realise that Christie, who was observing the surroundings blankly and had her purple pupils covered by her long hair, was beginning to emanate a faint radiance��


    "Take them down!"


    The leader swung his arm and commanded. The other knights charged forward with their raised weapons!


    Lize shut her eyes in fear. A deep sense of helplessness grew in her heart.


    Clink!


    Suddenly, a sword emerged from the side and deflected their attacks.

 Chapter 257 Your Choice

    Dazzling blade rays flashed.


    What seemed to be an incredibly normal sword strike forced the knights away, and some of them even took a few steps back from the overwhelming pressure. They were terrified and insecure.


    Because they witnessed the long sword that appeared before them.


    It was a dazzling sword blade made of crystals that emanated a faint radiance. Cornelians and other precious gems were inlaid on it, along with golden lines and silver threads spread in a spiral. An oddly eye-catching beautiful maiden with her wings wide open was carved on the sword hilt with a holy brilliance. As far as the eye could see, this sword seemed to be a perfect masterpiece made of luxury, grace, beauty, and divinity. Something that shouldn''t exist in this world.


    However, the sword wasn''t the reason why the soldiers were stunned. Instead, it was the owner of the sword.


    In the whole continent, only one person could treat such a luxurious item as a weapon.


    "Bloomed beautiful flowers should be admired and not trampled. They should be loved and not ravaged. Any act of violence to destroy beauty is the biggest sin in this world."


    A breathtaking beauty gradually emerged in midair. Six pairs of wings of light unfolded behind the maiden''s back, releasing an incomparable, holy radiance. A white, muslin gown drooped nicely in place with her slender, beautiful stature. An armor made of silver pressed up against her skin, releasing radiance as equally glaring as her dewy skin. Even in the dark, wet, and desolated alley, her existence was as bright as the sun.


    At this moment, the knights stood in places with ashen complexions. Their weapons had already dropped to the ground. After all, on this continent, and in this country, everyone but a newborn baby knew who this maiden was.


    "Destroying beauty is a sin. To tarnish is even more intolerable��"


    Dazzling blade rays flashed once again.


    No one saw what happened. Not even Anne, Lize, or the knights that were surrounding them. Everyone closed their eyes after the golden ray of brightness flashed. After Anne and Lize opened their eyes, all the soldiers surrounding them were nowhere in sight to their amazement. All that was left on the ground were combustions of golden flames.


    Lydia sheathed her sword as she approached the maidens. At this moment, there were only four of them left. Anne looked at the Archangel who had suddenly emerged before her in bewilderment. However, Lydia wasn''t mindful of her rudeness. Instead, she presented a appeasing smile at Anne. She carefully sized her up and shifted her gaze to Christie, who was laying semi-consciously in Lize''s arms. Lydia was astonished as soon as she saw Christie''s face. Then, she narrowed her eyes pensively and turned to Lize.


    Lize couldn''t help but shrink her body and lower her head.


    "Sis�� Ah, no, Your Highness."


    "I would prefer you to address me in another way, Lize."


    Lydia extended her hand to the maiden who lowered her head and lightly fondled Lize''s hair. As she carefully combed the messy hair from the running, Lize remained quiet with her head down. Only until Lydia withdrew her hand did Lize then lift her head.


    "Thank you for saving us, Your Highness."


    "You''re welcome. I was just passing by�� and they were my actual targets."


    Lydia took a glimpse of the surroundings, but there was no one else in this dark alley.


    "I knew those Southern rats were plotting something, but to think that they actually did something like this��"


    Lydia paused and turned to Lize.


    "Lize, do you not intend to return?"


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    This time, Lize bravely lifted her head and welcomed her gazes. She gently bit her lips.


    "I don''t belong to that place. You should be very clear about this, Your Highness."


    "I understand your thoughts, Lize. But��" Lydia paused and glanced at Anne, who was looking at them at a loss. "�� You have to understand that no matter how you avoid or escape, your identity won''t change. And the people around you would be drawn to it as well. Have you prepared yourself for when that happens, Lize?" Lydia let out a sigh. "I can only tell you one thing. These people are from the Bier Family. I think you get what I mean."


    "Bier Family?"


    Lize had a look of disbelief.


    "Why were they trying to capture me?"


    "You should know the reason why, right?"


    This time, Lydia didn''t answer Lize''s doubts. She revealed her elegant, gentle smile and caressed Christie''s tiny face. In an instant, a surge of holy energy swiftly emanated and got rid of the fatigue in the little girl''s body. As soon as Lydia''s finger came into contact with Christie, a beam of purple light flashed, forcing Lydia to twitch her brows and she returned to her usual self almost immediately.


    "Although it''s true that the sun rays are dazzling, betraying it will also lead to your fall�� Lize. Don''t ever forget that what you bear is not only honor, but also responsibility."


    Lydia inclined her head toward the side and after giving her advice. "I''ve always trusted you, Lize. So then�� Goodbye. I will take care of what''s to come, but only this time."


    The Archangel extended her hand and gestured. Then, she faded away into thin air and disappeared to nowhere. Specks of warm, holy radiance were all that remained in the air that illuminated this dark alley.


    Lize hugged Christie closer while staring in the direction Lydia had disappeared to. She extended her hand and grabbed the light dust floating in the air with a complicated expression. The heartwarming light dust fell to her palm, flickered, and gradually disappeared without a trace.


    "And also my�� responsibility��?"


    The maiden said softly as she clenched her fist. She gritted her teeth.


    I will not escape from it, Sister Lydia.


    One of these days, I will work hard�� but now, now, please allow me to continue keeping this secret��


    "Sister Lize?"


    The voice dragged Lize back into reality. She lifted her head and saw Anne looking at her with a puzzling expression. "You�� what were you and Her Highness Lydia talking about just now? How come Anne can''t understand a single thing?"


    "Anne, this�� I need your help."


    Anne blinked her eyes curiously.


    "What is it about, Sister Lize? If it''s something that Anne can do, then Anne will try her best to do it."


    "Today�� everything that we''ve gotten into today, I hope you can keep it a secret. Don''t reveal it to anyone, not even Mr. Rhode. Okay? I don''t want to lie to him, I only hope�� When there''s an opportune timing, I will tell him myself."


    "Not even Leader?"


    Anne was surprised. She frowned and pondered seriously for a moment. Eventually, she nodded hesitantly. "Alright, Sister Lize. Anyway, Anne doesn''t understand what you two were talking about just now�� Even if Leader wants Anne to talk about it, it would be hard to�� Since you don''t wish to talk about it, then Anne won''t."


    "Thank you, Anne."


    Lize let out a sigh of relief. Then, she lowered her head to see Christie in deep sleep. Lydia''s divine powers had gotten rid of Christie''s pain and fatigue. Her pale and even greenish complexion had turned into a ruddy tone.


    "Let''s go, Anne."


    Lize carried Christie toward the end of the alleyway. At this moment, two figures emerged and approached them. Lize and Anne, who were already feeling relaxed and calmed, tensed up instantly. But, after clearly recognizing their faces, the tension within them immediately turned into astonishment.


    "Leader?"


    "Mr. Rhode?"


    Rhode and Gillian walked into the alley. He approached the three young maidens with a serious expression and frowned as he observed the surroundings as though he had discovered something. Then, he turned to Lize and Anne with a puzzled look.


    "What exactly happened?"

 Chapter 258 Lize’s Heart Kno

    "Bier Family?"


    Marlene sulked instantly.


    "Those bastards actually dared to find trouble with you!"


    Lize appeared depressed. She held a teacup and stared blankly into the red tea. After the incident, the trio were escorted back to the stronghold by Rhode and Gillian. All the soldiers sealing off the entire marketplace were gone. During their journey back, Rhode asked them about the incident, but he didn''t receive a definite answer. He only knew that someone emerged out of nowhere, chased the soldiers away, and rescued them. As for who the savior was, Anne didn''t mention and neither did Lize. Christie was in a semi-conscious state, so she wasn''t able to provide any valuable insights. However, Rhode wasn''t upset with them over it. From Lize''s stutters, he had already realised her thoughts so he didn''t want to interrogate her by force. He had appointed Marlene to check on this matter because no matter what, both of them were childhood friends, and maybe there were something that not even Rhode could intervene with.


    Just as expected, Lize never had such hesitations toward Marlene and immediately came clean with everything.


    After listening to Lize''s narration, Marlene noticed the importance of this matter. She knew Lize''s past more than anybody else and strictly speaking, Lize''s past could be considered a stain. Not only a stain of herself, but a stain of the whole Munn Kingdom. Those idiots from the South had planned to make the kingdom collapse and they wanted to capture Lize, which clearly showed their intentions to know more about her past.


    "What do you intend to do, Lize?"


    Marlene calmed her emotions and asked.


    "I don''t know��"


    Lize blankly shook her head.


    "You don''t intend to discuss this with Mr. Rhode?"


    "�� I don''t know��"


    Lize lowered her head, and her sullen expression returned.


    "I only wish to be an ordinary human, ordinary girl, or ordinary adventurer. I only wish for such a life. I don''t wish to create trouble, and not to mention, bring trouble for others�� Mr. Rhode is already busy, and if I trouble him with this��"


    "But the problem is, now your problem isn''t merely yours."


    Marlene interrupted without the slightest degree of politeness, to which the other maiden quickly lifted her head in shock..


    "Lize, you know yourself that your problem already involves the mercenary group. Anne and Christie were dragged into it without any reason too. Don''t you think that you owe them an explanation? Not only that, but also the current situation. Since they have laid hands on you, it means that they already know your identity��"


    Marlene paused and gazed at the pale maiden.


    "�� You can''t hide from your bloodline, Lize. You can ignore it, but you can''t deny its existence. In your body or in my body, they''re all the same. It''s just like no matter how I deny it, others will still see me as the heir of the Senia Family. In this world, there are many things that we can''t change with our will. What we want to be isn''t always what is."


    Marlene stood up and walked to Lize''s side. She extended her arms and embraced her.


    "Do you still remember, Lize? Those times when no child in the palace was willing to approach me. Every single one of them except you. I always wanted to play with the, and tried my best to behave like them, but no matter what, I still am the heir of the Senia Family. If they accidentally caused me any injuries, they would be in big trouble. They were afraid of my family, so they kept distance from me. This is the truth in this world, Lize. Back then, you were my only friend; surely you understand my feelings? And now? Not only you are you, Lize Noir. No matter how you try to escape, you wouldn''t be able to erase the existence of Lize Calante Belgrade. Or perhaps, Lize Calente J. Frandrica Belgrade."


    Lize shuddered upon hearing the names. She returned Marlene''s embrace as if she could counteract the hate in that name.


    What should I do?


    Lize had no idea. Her mind was in a mess. Admit my identity to Mr. Rhode? The maiden felt it was a tad too early. Besides, in Lize''s heart, this was her personal matter and shouldn''t implicate others.


    "If you don''t know what to do, I do have a suggestion," Marlene said.


    "No matter what, this situation has indeed implicated the mercenary group and if it''s really the Bier Family, then those rats won''t let this matter off so easily. I think, regarding this, we can assert to Mr. Rhode. Whereas for your identity, we can keep it a secret�� until you decide to come clean with it. I think this isn''t a difficult problem, since Mr. Rhode is a kind person. If he understands your sorrows, he won''t reject you. If you don''t have the courage to let him know, I''ll do it for you."


    "Marlene��"


    Lize remained silent for a moment and as if she decided, she shook her head.


    "It''s alright. Thank you, Marlene. But, this matter started because of me, so I should personally tell Mr. Rhode�� No matter what, just like what Her Highness said, this is my responsibility."


    At this moment, the bewilderedness in the maiden''s eyes vanished and was replaced with an oddly determined belief.


    It was late at night.


    The beautiful full moon hung in the night sky and was complemented by twinkling stars like diamonds shining brightly on a picturesque painting. Everywhere was silent, but to Rhode, the night was nowhere tranquil.


    At this moment, he was sitting behind his desk and looking at the information on his hand. Opposite him was Gillian with both her elbows resting on the desk. She rested her cheeks in her hands and stared at Rhode. Her fluffy tail swung left and right interestingly.


    "Bier Family��"


    Rhode mumbled under his breath and placed the piece of information on the table. Previously, Lize stood out and explained some parts of the situation to him, which included the reason why the knights arrived and their motive. Of course, Lize didn''t mention much about her past, but he knew that for her to take the initiative to explain was good enough. As for her past, since Lize didn''t want to talk about it, he wouldn''t force her to. However, from the fact that those people wanted to capture her, it showed that her past wasn''t simple at all.


    As for the Bier Family, Rhode wasn''t unfamiliar with them. In Munn Kingdom, those people called themselves the core forces of the ''Reformist Party''. To this group of people, their ultimate goal was to end the royalty''s rule of Munn Kingdom and rebuild it with a new and similar ruling class as created by the Country of Light parliament. And since they wanted to capture Lize, it proved that Lize was definitely helpful to their plans. After all, these Southern nobles couldn''t be compared to the Northern as most of them were born as merchants. They wouldn''t do anything without benefits or advantages.


    It seemed like history didn''t change.


    Rhode tapped his finger on the tabletop. The danger of the Munn Kingdom involved both inner and outer factors. On the surface, this was another conspiracy of the Country of Light''s parliament''s attempt to borrow the reformist forces to take down the Munn Kingdom. However, from a player''s perspective, it was a totally different matter. After Lydia''s rise to power, the ''Reformist Party'' wasn''t as formidable as before. The Archangel had been targeting the traitors who had been trying to overturn the country, and now it could be said that the Reformist Party had reached their most dangerous stage. It was considered the final door to the King''s Party and Reformist Party; if the King''s Party was victorious, then the Reformist Party would be eliminated. But if the Reformist Party didn''t care about the consequences and dragged the King''s Party down together with them, then it wouldn''t be a good thing for Munn Kingdom too.


    Due to such a matter of life and death, the Reformist Party engaged in these series of movements. Along with the Country of Light''s parliament, they attempted to disturb order, raise the price of produce, and attack border merchant ships in order to create havoc within the kingdom in an attempt to overthrow the King''s Party rule. Of course, they were doing all this under the name of ''resisting the violent dictatorship of the King''s rule'', but to Rhode, it was no different from maintaining illicit relations with a foreign country.


    Due to this, although Lize didn''t explain her identity, Rhode wasn''t blindsided either. Besides, he already knew the history of the game and in addition to Marlene''s hint, he guessed that Lize was an important person within the King''s Party. At the very least, he was sure that she was important enough to affect the Reformist Party''s ''great cause''. Now that he knew Lize''s position, he wouldn''t mind her past too much�� No matter what, she couldn''t be Lydia''s illegitimate child��


    However, this ambush did remind Rhode that Lize''s past might be the reason why she was ambushed in the first place. But the Starlight mercenary group was also the other possible target of this ambush. Previously, Shawn, the leader of the Dark Fang mercenary group, had once reminded Rhode that the Country of Light''s parliament would also be sending their men to the Midsummer Festival. Thinking back on how his Starlight mercenary group had trampled the series of plans that the Country of Light''s parliament had planned, this inference wasn''t any delusion. And the bunch of Reformist Party people, who had always been the lackeys of Country of Light, wouldn''t miss this opportunity to impress their owner. Not to mention, although Rhode had messed with the Country of Light and their plans, it also affected the Reformist Party''s benefits as well, so they wouldn''t sit by idly and not do anything. Luckily, Paphield was situated far from them and it wouldn''t be easy for those Southerners to intervene.


    "Master, do you have an idea already?"


    Gillian asked as Rhode stopped all his movements. He shook his head in denial.


    "Currently, we don''t have too many leads, but I don''t think that we should worry too much. Paphield isn''t their territory, so it won''t be easy for that bunch of idiots to create trouble. Next, we should focus on our strength. Besides��"


    Rhode paused, as though reminded of something. Then, he stood up.


    "From tomorrow onward, strengthening our mercenary group will be our main priority."


    He made his decision.

 Chapter 259 Eve of Midsummer Festival

    Nowadays, Kavos just couldn''t see through the Starlight mercenary group.


    After the incident where Lize and the others got into an ambush, Kavos and Shauna became petrified. Although Deep Stone City wasn''t small, the mercenaries circles weren''t huge either, so in the blink of an eye, news of Lize and Anne''s battle with the knights had spread across the entire city. Everyone who heard this news could only mutter in their heads and didn''t know how to react. This period of time, they had been tossed from side to side and now that such an incident had happened, some mercenaries were worried that the Starlight mercenary group had plans to go against the army.


    Kavos and Shauna were worried about this possibility too, but they didn''t express their concerns. If Starlight really had such intentions, it would be a huge impact to the newly joined mercenaries. Although after so many missions together, the mercenaries had a sense of belonging in this mercenary group, these mercenaries didn''t have the guts to go against the army. Of course, these were only the thoughts of ordinary mercenaries. A mercenary leader like Kavos had considered even further. He knew that Rhode and Marlene were of noble status and if there really was such a clash, it wouldn''t be considered a peasant revolt, but more a dispute over authority. Such matters shouldn''t be for small mercenaries like himself to get involved in.


    The disputes of the higher-ups eventually affected the commoners the most.


    However, the truth wasn''t as bad as what Kavos and Shauna had thought. The officials of Deep Stone City didn''t take any actions against the Starlight mercenary group, and according to a piece of news, the clash didn''t involve local soldiers. Furthermore, Administrative Officer Klautz had even specially made a trip down to their stronghold. Judging from the worried manner of this highly ranked personnel, it didn''t seem like he was here to stir trouble.


    But, these weren''t the only changes.


    After that clash, Starlight temporarily stopped their operations and no longer accepted any missions. Although the remunerations from the previous mission were fruitful, and the lower mercenaries weren''t too mindful of this idea, this couldn''t go on for long. However, although Kavos and Shauna was anxious, Rhode seemed to be neither worried nor sluggish. Other than letting the mercenaries search for herbs in the mountains or hunt for preys, there were no other activities. On the contrary, he spent his everyday with Lize, Marlene, Anne, Joey, and Randolf as though he wasn''t too concerned over matters of the mercenary group.


    What exactly is this dear leader of mine thinking about?


    Kavos was uncertain. Luckily, Shauna knew better, but was still not far from Kavos. News that Starlight would be representing the Paphield region in participating the Midsummer Festival was never told to them and the Mercenary Association wasn''t foolish enough to announce it to the public. What if the other mercenary groups were enraged? Everyone belonged to mercenary groups, and what rights did Starlight have to represent the region and not them? Starlight wasn''t even established half a year ago and now they were representing the Paphield region''s mercenaries?


    Although most of the mercenary groups carried a ''harmonious unity'' approach and kept silent, the Mercenary Association also knew that there would be a few thorns in each mercenary groups. And once these thorns found out about this matter and made noises, not only would it create a headache for the association, but the mercenary associations of other regions would also treat them as a laughing stock. Just how depressing could it get?


    That was why the Mercenary Association was better off sealing their mouths and only announce right before the start of the Midsummer Festival. By then, even if there was anyone who made a din, it would be too late.


    But Kavos wasn''t aware of this. Frankly speaking, he truly wished for them to take up more missions. After a series of activities during this period of time, Starlight had already gathered enough points to sneak in from 3rd place to snatch the 1st position on the board, with the other two mercenary groups trailing by three points. This was a pretty impressive result. To Kavos, if Starlight could maintain its streak, and by the winter break period, Starlight would be the number 1 mercenary group not just in name, but also in reality.


    Number 1 Mercenary Group. This sounds so pleasing to the ears, doesn''t it?


    Although Kavos led his own mercenary group before, they were all ranked low to mid range. Back in those days when he managed to hover back and forth in the top 10 mercenary groups and even unexpectedly get into top 5, it was enough to excite Kavos for three nights without sleep. Now that Starlight''s position was so stable and they had a huge gap from the trailing mercenary groups, he naturally wanted to increase the gap and make Starlight even greater�� Although he used to only be a leader of small mercenary group, it was still good to dream, right?


    Now that he saw Rhode in a negligent manner and didn''t seem to care about such matters, Kavos was kind of worried.


    Shauna didn''t have similar thoughts as Kavos. As a female mercenary leader, she still sought dependency and not have the mentality of ''we must be number 1'' like most male mercenaries. To Shauna, as long as her mercenary group was leading a good life, then rankings of the mercenary group would be secondary. But, even so, she was still worried that if this continued, it would create a negative effect on the mercenaries.


    Although both of their basis were different, they still decided to meet Rhode for a talk together. At the very least, they wanted to be aware of what the leader of the mercenary group had planned for them.


    Coincidentally, as both of them arrived in Rhode''s study room, he was speaking to Marlene and the others about something else. And right beside him was Christie, who was obediently sitting down with a paintbrush in hand, observing everyone with rapt attention. The little girl had found herself a job that was suitable for her, and that was to draw portraits of everyone. According to the little girl''s interpretation, she wanted to record everything she saw with this paintbrush for momentum''s sake. Originally, Rhode was dubious to Christie''s suggestion, but after witnessing her fast drawing speed and that she wasn''t pushing herself too much, he eventually agreed. At this moment, Christie was sitting beside Rhode and quietly observing them, flitting the paintbrush across the white canvas in soft rustles.


    Rhode seemed to have predicted the arrival of Kavos and Shauna. He nodded to them and gestured for them to wait. Then, he turned back to the others.


    "After these few days of training, all your abilities have reached a certain extent of improvement. Just based on this, it''s considered a pass."


    Although Rhode''s comments were considered compliments, everyone including Marlene revealed awkward expressions. Rhode''s so-called pass didn''t mean that they were ready to defeat or fight a draw against the five illusionary images in the mirage. Instead, his so-called ''pass'' was referring to them being able to withstand the opponents'' attacks for three straight minutes. As long as they could do this, they would have been considered to pass.


    However, it seemed that the people involved didn''t think so, especially after so many tough training days. Although they were able to withstand it for three minutes, the eventual results were the same�� That was why after hearing Rhode''s words, none of them knew how to respond. However, Rhode didn''t mind what they thought because he knew that it was still be impossible if they truly wished to defeat the five illusionary images. After this training phase, Rhode had reached his goal. After so many high-leveled training sessions, everyone, including Marlene, was already familiar in how to battling against powerful foes. They had also learnt how to defend and counterattack under ambushes. That was the best that training could bring for them, and the next thing would be the real battle��


    "So then, based on what I''ve said earlier, all of you can start preparing. Don''t forget our goal."


    Rhode nodded and turned to Kavos and Shauna.


    "I guess, what brings both of you here is about the future plans of the mercenary group?"


    "Yes, Sir."


    Kavos answered decisively.


    "Recently, there aren''t many activities in the mercenary group and everyone was feeling a little frustrated. Besides�� the trailing mercenary groups are catching up quickly. I think we should accept a few missions��"


    "No."


    But out of Shauna and Kavos'' expectations, Rhode gestured and rejected their suggestions.


    "Get your men ready for the upcoming days. We''re heading to Golden City."


    "Golden City?"


    Both of them exchanged curious glances. They indeed were experienced in this trade because they quickly realised the meaning behind that sentence.


    "Sir, did you mean the�� Midsummer Festival?"


    Although the Midsummer Festival belonged to the territory of huge guilds, that didn''t mean that mercenary groups weren''t invited. As the Mercenary Association, they definitely knew that the lower classes were of utmost importance. And if they didn''t bait the mercenary groups into upgrading into guilds, they wouldn''t be able to grow. That was why other than guilds participating in team and individual battles, there were also other side events for mercenary groups and individual mercenaries to partake in. The side events would be for mercenary groups and ordinary mercenaries, and the final winner could win the rights to battle against the guilds. This was considered a good news for everyone as all mercenary groups desired fame, and if they could win in the Midsummer Festival and battle against the guild in team competitions, their reputation would definitely grow stronger. Furthermore, no matter if it was the team or individual battles, there would be a limit for the number of participants in each battle. That was why the guilds wouldn''t be able to defeat mercenary groups with their overwhelming number of members. Both sides would send out equal amount of members and if the mercenary groups could pull off an upset in the Midsummer Festival, it would definitely be the hottest news in town.


    This was definitely what each mercenary groups would expect to achieve, and that was why many of them including the solo mercenaries would all participate.


    However, to Shauna and Kavos, such activities were sort of meaningless.


    "Sir, I think�� we do not need to participate in the Midsummer Festival. Because we don''t have enough men, and the side events would require many battles with other mercenary groups. This would be an energy-consuming matter for us��"


    Kavos thought for a moment and still felt that it was unreasonable. Indeed, becoming famous in the Midsummer Festival would be desirable for the mercenary group, but Starlight wasn''t packed with such abilities yet. The schedules for the side events were long and extremely tough to adhere to. Besides, the small mercenary groups would do anything to win, and Starlight was already lacking strong members to begin with. It would be huge trouble if some of them got injured.


    "Of course I know that. But, this time, we are not participating in the side events."


    Rhode''s answer shook them.


    Not participating in the side events?


    Both of them looked at each other in dismay as a shocking thought cropped up in their minds.


    Could it be that��


    Before they returned from their daze, Rhode calmly solved the mystery in their heads.


    "Our trip to the Golden City is to represent the Paphield region in the Midsummer Festival."

 Chapter 260 Suggestion

    Rhode said this sentence with a strict expression and there wasn''t any undulation in his tone or voice. However, to the both of them, it was like a bolt from the blue.


    Representing the Paphield region in the Midsummer Festival�� This could only mean one thing. They were going to compete in the guild battles!


    A mercenary group that was formed not long ago was actually participating in the guild battles?!


    But��


    "But�� Sir, we are a mercenary group��"


    Even Shauna, who was always calm, had swallowed her saliva and hesitantly voiced her thoughts after hearing this news.


    "That''s right. But we have already agreed with the Mercenary Association. If we are victorious in the Midsummer Festival, they will promote us to guild status."


    The two of them were stunned and immediately blown away�� Guild? Oh lord, are we going to become a guild? Gosh, can anyone tell us that we''re not dreaming? This is the biggest dream of all mercenary groups!


    "Sir, is this for real?"


    Kavos patted his head as he hadn''t recover from the shock. He opened his eyes wide and looked at Rhode, and the latter nodded slightly. Just this affirmation was enough to make Kavos speechless�� A guild�� After fighting for all his life, he hadn''t seen a glimpse of hope in his mercenary group becoming a guild and yet, the dream was hanging right before him now?


    "But, Sir�� This should be a difficult task."


    Shauna was the first to recover from the shock. She sharply sensed the meaning behind Rhode''s words and couldn''t help but frowned. Rhode said ''victorious in the Midsummer Festival'' casually but as she thought about it, she quickly realised the true intention behind it. In other words, not only was Starlight participating in the battle, but they would also still need to win it.


    Was this possible?


    To the mercenary groups, guilds were highly regarded. Every elite in guilds was much stronger than the leaders of small scale mercenary groups. No matter the groups or individual battles, they wouldn''t stand any chance in winning. And now, for Rhode to say that�� Could it be that he was really confident of his chances?


    "No big issue here. I''m already prepared."


    Rhode was totally unconcerned with Shauna''s doubt as he gestured.


    "Your mission is to get the others to prepare for Golden City. There are many opponents out there and we can''t possibly partake in battles alone, so it would be better if someone''s out there rooting for us, isn''t it?"


    "Yes, Sir, we''ll get going now."


    The guild battles! The guild battles! To gain this opportunity, others would need to fight with all their lives, and yet they could directly achieve it! Although they had no idea about their winning chances, no matter what, this definitely was a good chance to solidify the group''s powers! They went off immediately with this encouragement in their heads.


    "Phew��"


    Everyone left the room and Rhode let out a long sigh. Of course, he understood the risks to Starlight in this situation. Previously, the Mercenary Association had given Paphield this opportunity as a form of assistance to the other four largest guilds. In other words, no matter if it the Mercenary Association or other guilds, neither of them believed that Starlight would be an obstacle. And Rhode could confirm that once this news got disseminated, not only would it create an uproar within the Paphield region, but it would also possibly create a chain effect in other regions. After all, no matter what, Rhode''s Starlight was a mercenary group formed less than half a year ago. And for such a new mercenary group to directly obtain the chance to battle against the four largest guilds in the Midsummer Festival, that would definitely upset other mercenary groups. Well, that was human nature for you.


    Rhode believed that, with such mentality, perhaps there would be more foes than friends in the mercenary groups that would also participate in the Midsummer Festival. They couldn''t be blamed because they needed to fight for their lives in the side events first, then be granted a chance to battle with the four largest guilds. Rhode didn''t need to do that, and if no one was envy or jealous of that, it would be a lie.


    This was why Rhode was sure that Starlight would face huge pressure in the Midsummer Festival.


    But, there would always be a bad side and a good side to the situation.


    Such external pressure admittedly would make anyone nervous, but this would be a good chance to strengthen the group''s teamwork. Although Rhode didn''t intend to put the mercenaries into battles, this didn''t mean that they were useless because he had planned for them to be more united through these stressful times. Even though the mercenaries weren''t devoted enough to die for the mercenary group yet, they would definitely stand up and defend themselves together once they realised that almost everyone in this world was mocking, humiliating, and even despising them. Maybe they were resentful for certain matters within this mercenary group, but this was something private to them so they could swear and criticize!


    Of course. Rhode was clear that this was just taking chances. The mercenaries gave their all to defend their mercenary group, but if the mercenary group turned out to be a huge letdown, then the pressure wouldn''t turn into motivation, but devastation instead�� But, Rhode was never worried about this. In the game, he had led Starlight through any situation. They started from zero and went through spite and hatred, but they eventually survived. In the end, they became legends.


    So then, what pushed Starlight into becoming the game''s leading legend?


    Dreams? Beliefs? Ideals?


    Wrong. Victories.


    Without results, there would be nothing. Without victories, even determination, courage, and beliefs were useless. Of course. This statement could be flipped over. If there was no determination, courage, or belief, there would be no victories.


    This was why Rhode said to be victorious in the Midsummer Festival. Originally, the Mercenary Association said that if they could achieve a good result in the Midsummer Festival, the association would consider promoting them to guild. But, what exactly signified good results? This was too vague that even Rhode wasn''t able to accept such an evaluation. To him, since he had to do it, then it was going to be the best. Other than victory, no other results were acceptable. If Starlight could be number 1 under such earth-shattering resistance, then no one would ever doubt their abilities in becoming a guild!


    Nothing would be an issue as long as they were victorious. To the contrary, if they could win, even the smallest issues would be magnified.


    But Rhode was already prepared for that.


    Knock Knock Knock


    "Come in."


    Rhode answered. The door opened and Sereck stood with a bitter smile and nodded.


    "Long time no see, Mr. Rhode. I didn''t expect you to look for me."


    Sereck paused for a moment and turned his gaze to Christie. who was holding onto a canvas and secretly sizing him up.


    "Could this be Miss Christie? What a cute little girl�� Hi there, beautiful lady. I am Sereck from the Mercenary Association. It''s nice to meet you."


    "�� Hi, Sereck�� I am Christie��"


    Christie shyly stood up in response to Sereck''s introduction. Unlike others, the little girl would always address others without their titles. It would sound rude if others addressed Sereck this way. but Christie''s way of addressing had always brought along a pure, innocent feeling that no one was willing to reprimand her for it.


    Sereck was no exception. He displayed a genuine smile and nodded before taking a seat opposite Rhode.


    "Okay, my men are here. Mr Rhode, what do you need?"


    "Where''s that old dude though?"


    Rhode didn''t answer immediately. Instead, he put on an act to look behind Sereck. Of course, there was no one there.


    "He''s not coming. Don''t even think about it."


    Sereck couldn''t help but let out a bitter laugh. His ears were still ringing with the roars of the old president of the Mercenary Association when he heard that Rhode had invited himself for discussion. That scream had almost left Sereck dead.


    "Okay, no matter what, I can represent the Mercenary Association, so what is it regarding?"


    "It''s like this��"


    A joke could only be funny for only so many times, so Rhode immediately jumped into the real topic.


    "The Midsummer Festival is nearing and you guys are about to announce the news soon. What do you think will be the reactions of the other mercenary groups? Has the Mercenary Association come up with any plans?"


    "What plans could we possibly have?"


    Sereck forced out a smile. Of course, he knew that as soon as the list of names was announced, the entire Paphield region would perhaps flip the sky, but what else could he do?


    "We can only try our best to console them. After all, most of the mercenary groups understand their current situation, so I think it wouldn''t pose much of a problem. Of course, that''s all we can do as the Mercenary Association. In the end, it will all be on your performance in the Midsummer Festival."


    "I understand."


    Rhode nodded.


    "But, if we were to console them, it would already be too late�� Besides, even if nobody spoke up, everyone would still have opinions about it. Currently, our Paphield region is facing many problems and at this point of time, we mercenary groups should gather and not divide�� Do you agree?"


    "This�� is undoubtedly right."


    Sereck gazed at the black-haired young man in doubt. From his impression, Rhode wasn''t such a person. Why would he be worried about the social order of mercenary groups within the Paphield region? Hey, weren''t you not in the least bit worried when you destroyed the Jade Tears mercenary group?


    "Therefore, I have a suggestion�� Since the mercenary groups will be unconvinced, then we could use a fair and equal method to make them accept this arrangement wholeheartedly."


    "What method?"


    This piqued Sereck''s curiosity, and if such a method existed, it would be the best for the Mercenary Association.


    Rhode sat up straight and folded his arm. He revealed a sly smile after noticing Sereck''s surprised expression.


    "I can guarantee that this will definitely be a fair, equal method that leaves no complaints."

 Chapter 261 Second Joint Conference

    Mercenary Joint Conference.


    Many mercenary group leaders were tense because they knew the Mercenary Joint Conference was only be held when there were important matters to address. Everyone knew the reason for the previous meeting, but what was it going to be this time? Could it be that something had happened? Or someone among them had broken the rules?


    Most of the mercenary group leaders didn''t immediately respond to the invitation. Instead, they swiftly checked on their mercenaries to make sure that they didn''t commit any punishable acts before returning to Deep Stone City for this second Mercenary Joint Conference.


    Although they weren''t sure what exactly was going on, the mercenary group leaders let out inward sighs of relief after seeing the smile on Sereck''s and the elderly president''s faces. Fortunately, the situation wasn''t as bad as they had imagined. If not, both of them wouldn''t be able to force out a smile.


    However, even though they were relieved, the mercenary group leaders were getting more curious. Since there was nothing wrong, could it be that it was regarding some good news? But, what was worth celebrating over that required everyone to be here?


    "It seems that everyone is here."


    The elderly president sensed the curiosity in everyone, but even so, he didn''t get right into the main topic. Instead, he glanced at everyone with a smile. "Recently, your mercenary groups have been growing strong and we, the Mercenary Association, are glad. After suffering through the tough times, all of you didn''t give up�� This should be the spirit of mercenary groups. We can fail, but we cannot give up. Of course, the Mercenary Association is also aware that many mercenary groups are in the recovery phase so if there is anything we can help with, please feel free to look for us. As long as its within our capabilities, we will definitely try our best."


    After hearing the elderly president''s declaration, all of the leaders were grateful. However, they felt that this conference wasn''t all about this. Could it be that the Mercenary Association required their support for some matters?


    Then, the elderly president answered their doubts.


    "I know, regarding this Mercenary Joint Conference, everyone must have your doubts. Since that''s the case, I won''t beat about the bush anymore�� I''m sure everyone knows that the Midsummer Festival is going to start soon. We, Paphield, couldn''t find a guild to participate due to various reasons. In fact, the 4 largest guilds had suggested to us to strip Paphield from the guild nomination list."


    What?!


    The leaders jumped from their seats. It was a bolt from the blue for them. Indeed, everyone knew the current situation of the mercenary groups in Paphield. With the region''s name in the guild list, at least they had a goal to look forward to. But now, there were plans to remove Paphield from the guild nomination list? If that was the case, what was the purpose for the mercenary groups to work hard?


    Guilds weren''t merely a representation of the mercenary forces of the region, but also the pride of all mercenaries. If they removed Paphield from the guild nomination list, that would mean no mercenaries in Paphield could lift their heads up high forever! Who could tolerate this? No one! Nobody!


    The leaders were all agitated after hearing the elderly president''s words. Instantly, most of them stood up and rebelled. Even though the previous compliments from the elderly president were to bait them into agreeing with this matter, how was this possible?! This concerned all the mercenaries'' pride in this region! How can they do as they deemed fit?!


    "Everyone, please calm down! Calm down!"


    The elderly president had expected such reactions. He calmly tapped the table with his hammer. Then, he let out a cough.


    "Of course, the Mercenary Association didn''t agree to this suggestion, but�� undeniably, the current conditions of Paphield are indeed troublesome��"


    Many of the leaders turned to Hiller as they knew what this experienced mercenary group leader meant.


    In fact, Hiller''s Burning Blade mercenary group was partly responsible for the current terrible state of the mercenary groups in Paphield. From the start, the Burning Blade was the most respected mercenary group, about to be promoted to guild status. When the Burning Blade failed, not many mercenaries were too mindful as they felt that the Burning Blade was only down on their luck. If strong individuals joined them, they would perhaps be strong enough to turn into a guild in future.


    Harboring such thoughts, many powerful mercenaries joined the Burning Blade and hoped for instant success after becoming members of a guild.


    But, as a matter of events, the ups and downs of Burning Blade weren''t mainly due to the mercenaries. Instead, it was due to their leader.


    Hiller wasn''t experienced enough to lead a guild, and that was why the Burning Blade had been suffering. Until now, the mercenary groups in Paphield lost their weight as Burning Blade recruited the strongest mercenaries, which directly impacted the smaller mercenary groups. The Burning Blade rose in strength, but even so, they were still unable to be promoted to guild status.


    This also directly affected other mercenary groups as they didn''t have enough members to aim for the number one spot. Yet at the same time, the Burning Blade who had always been on top wasn''t performing well enough, which caused the mercenary forces within Paphield Region to be weaker than other regions. Other regions had guilds overseeing situations, and mercenary groups had virtuous cycles in battling each other. On the contrary, the mercenaries were more dead than alive here. Due to this reason, it wasn''t actually a justifiable excuse for the 4 largest guilds to remove Paphield from the guild nomination list.


    Hiller let out an awkward cough and remained quiet. He knew that this matter was related to him, but he chose to not comment.


    "�� and, because of this, the Mercenary Association suggested a condition."


    At this moment, the elderly president spoke.


    "According to the association''s decision, we have chosen a mercenary group to represent Paphieldin the Midsummer Festival battles! Besides, if they perform well in this festival, they will be promoted as a guild! Our association has decided to appoint Mr. Rhode''s Starlight to represent Paphield in participating in this Midsummer Festival!"


    Everyone was shell-shocked.


    "This isn''t fair!"


    Soon enough, some immediately stood up and shouted.


    "There''s a total of 32 mercenary groups in Paphield, so why would a mercenary group that was only formed less than half a year represent us? If this news gets out, we would be laughing stocks!"


    "That''s right, there''s so many other mercenary groups available. Besides, why not appoint Burning Blade instead?"


    "Silence!!"


    The elderly president once again smashed his hammer and continued to speak after everyone calmed down.


    "Before announcing this, we had once inquired with Mr. Hiller, but he rejected our proposal because he felt his mercenary group wasn''t powerful enough. As for appointing Starlight, it was due to their powerful forces. As all of you have seen, Starlight is currently ranked 1st and wasn''t affected by the calamities. They are considered the most fully equipped mercenary group in our region and besides, Mr. Rhode had no objections to this. So in the end, we decided to send Starlight to represent Paphield in the Midsummer Festival."


    The leaders exchanged astonished looks with one another. Although they were unhappy with this decision, they had to admit that the elderly president''s reasoning made sense. Currently, only Starlight was developing in the entire Paphield region.


    But��


    "It''s not that we doubt the association''s decision. Although we admit that Mr. Rhode is indeed formidable��"


    At this moment, another leader stood up.


    "I think everyone is also clear that the Midsummer Festival isn''t about individual battles. It''s no doubt that Mr. Rhode is formidable and there won''t be any problem. But, we have logical reasons to doubt the members of Starlight and where they are capable of fulfilling the requirements."


    "That''s right. That''s right."


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode is great, but I don''t think the members of his mercenary group are strong enough for the Midsummer Festival."


    It was indeed so.


    Rhode twitched his brows. Then, he noticed the elderly president''s gaze.


    It''s time for my entrance.


    Rhode stood to his feet.


    In an instant, the rowdy crowd turned to Rhode.


    "I understand all your concerns and it is true that the Midsummer Festival is strict and an extremely challenging. Just solely on my abilities, it would be impossible�� I think all of you wouldn''t believe it even if I say I believe in my men''s abilities. So, I have a suggestion to solve this problem using the mercenary method."


    "Using the mercenary method?"


    The leaders questioned.


    "Since no one believes that my men are capable enough, why not have every group send out its strongest member to have a competition? Treat it as a trial run for the Midsummer Festival. Each leader will send out a member and form teams to compete against me and Starlight. If Starlight wins, I hope everyone will recognise us in representing the Paphield region in the Midsummer Festival�� Any objections?"


    Competition?


    The mercenary group leaders calmed down and thought through the suggestion. They realised that there weren''t any loopholes in his proposal. Indeed, if they sent out their strongest member to compete against Starlight, there would be no doubts that Starlight was the strongest in Paphield if Starlight was victorious. Moreover, if Starlight was this strong, it wouldn''t be an issue for them to represent Paphield.


    "I agree."


    Hiller was the first to respond, followed by Shawn.


    Since both popular mercenary group leaders had already agreed to Rhode''s suggestion, then the other mercenary group leaders had no reason to object. Besides, just as Rhode had mentioned, all the mercenaries wanted to be convinced of their real abilities.


    But, what surprised them was that Rhode hadn''t finish speaking yet.


    "But since we will settle this dispute using the mercenary method, there must be a benefit in this�� So, I have a suggestion. I will put up equipment as the bet for Starlight''s victory. I hope the mercenary groups that are participating in this competition will put up an equally leveled equipment as a bet. If we lose, we will hand our equipment over. But, if we win��"


    Rhode paused for a moment.


    Everyone knew what he meant.


    Shortly after, all the leaders agreed to the conditions. Finally, they sent out their respective representatives and formed teams of five. Thirty mercenary groups (there were originally 32, but with the Jade Tears destroyed and Starlight as a challenger, they weren''t included) formed a total of six teams to participate in the competition. According to the rules, as long as Rhode was able to win the majority of the matches, the mercenary group leaders would recognise Starlight''s qualifications.


    The mercenary group leaders didn''t object to Rhode''s suggestion too.


    It had to be said that the mercenaries indeed had adventurous blood flowing in their bones. Besides, every mercenary group only had to put up a single equipment, which wasn''t a difficult task. This was why they weren''t disputing over it and quickly nodded in agreement.


    However, they didn''t know that their equipment was the most important factor to Rhode.

 Chapter 262 Warm-up Match 1

    Starlight was about to battle the elites of mercenary groups within Paphield. This news instantly attracted many mercenaries'' attention after the Mercenary Association announced it. To the solo mercenaries, this was definitely interesting. Whereas for the mercenaries in mercenary groups, they also wished to see if Rhode''s Starlight was indeed powerful and would be able to overthrow all the elites.


    For the sake of convenience, the matchups followed the individual battles from the actual Midsummer Festival. Both sides would have a maximum of five members and three substitutes. In other words, there were a total of eight members in a team. However, this wasn''t the actual competition; after all, and there wasn''t enough time. As a result, the other mercenary groups would only need to gather five members. There were two types of individual battles. In one, each team had to summon a member to battle, and the team that won three out of five battles would be the victor. The other would be a single-elimination open tournament. Participants could battle until they failed to continue, where a swap would be kicked in.


    The competition was set in the underground wrestling ring. That place was once a venue for Deep Stone City''s nobles to watch beast fights and could hold up to 10,000 audience members. It had a layout similar to ancient Rome''s beast battle arena, but was built underground instead. There were no objections from either party.


    However, what happened next was overwhelming for the leaders.


    Previously, Rhode had mentioned betting equipment as reward and the leaders weren''t too mindful. However, as soon as Rhode presented his bet, everyone was stunned: Rhode graciously betted his precious Crimson Blade.


    And this meant disaster for the mercenary group leaders.


    Everyone knew the value of the Crimson Blade. However, they had already agreed to the conditions. Moreover, the person responsible of the whole matchup was Sereck, and no one would be dumb enough to trick that Swordsmaster.


    However, it wasn''t easy to bet equipment that had an equal value as the Crimson Blade. The Crimson Blade was considered as a family heirloom of the Keller Family and even as a godlike weapon in most players'' eyes. Even though Sereck wouldn''t evaluate the equipment using player''s perspective, he could appraise whether the equipments were on par with the Crimson Blade with his natural abilities.


    Therefore, the leaders had no choice but to comply. Unlike Starlight, who had only been set up less than half a year ago, these mercenary groups had been operating for a long time in the Paphield region, and they had no lack of treasures in bracelets, necklaces, head rings, leather boots, capes, long swords, staffs, and even meteor hammers�� In other words, they had anything that one could think of.


    Of course, this upset many leaders. They had always appointed their members to fully protect their assets and now they had to change their rules for this bet. Every mercenary group would need to place their equipment as bet in the battle, and once their alliance was defeated, Rhode would receive the spoils of war. However, Rhode wouldn''t receive them all if any members in the alliance team managed to take down his men.


    Marlene and the rest had ended their training sessions in the mirage. Currently, even if they continued their training, they wouldn''t have made much improvement. To Rhode, since he had bet on his Crimson Blade, the other mercenary groups'' equipment couldn''t be any worse. Through this bet, Rhode wouldn''t need to hunt in dungeons or purchase equipment anymore. Instead, he could easily receive a pile of high grade equipment, which was an absolute bargain. Of course, the prerequisite were that he didn''t lose.


    Rhode could guarantee that the opponents would try their best in order to keep their treasures, which was even more desirable to him. This warm-up match was meant to tune the conditions of his men and increase their experiences, so what was the point if both parties harboured the thought of friendship first and battles second?


    And now, Rhode was only lacking something crucial.


    The burning torch lit up the underground venue while letting out a soft crackling. Rhode stood in front of the door and looked at everyone. According to the Midsummer Festival rules, only legally registered mercenaries could take part in the competition. Currently, Starlight had a total of seven members: Marlene, Lize, Anne, Joey, Randolf, Gillian, and Rhode. However, Rhode had mentioned that Gillian and himself would be substitutes and wouldn''t get into battles. Therefore, Marlene and the rest would have to handle most of the battles.


    Marlene''s rights in being a mercenary had been achieved a long time ago. On the other hand, Gillian was in a slightly more troublesome situation, where she could only get through by using Rhode''s private connections with Sereck to alter her details in the database. However, in order to prevent any disputes, he eventually placed Gillian as a substitute. As for the final eighth position, Rhode had selected Lapis. But she was totally focused on providing external support; if not, there would be an issue in terms of potions.


    Rhode''s alternate motive in organising this warm-up match was to familiarise everyone with the atmosphere in the actual Midsummer Festival in order to avoid them getting scared out of their wits. Although Marlene and the rest weren''t as terrible as they were before their training in the mirage, it was still common for heroes in the training grounds to turn into zeros. Excellent training results might not represent the same results in battles. Therefore, Rhode felt this was the best opportunity.


    As expected, Rhode realised that apart than Marlene, everyone was rather nervous. They couldn''t be blamed as Lize was a Cleric who seldom had the chance to witness such a crowd in battle. Anne was as carefree as usual. But judging from the way she gripped her shield, it seemed like she wasn''t as calm. As for the two newbies, Randolf and Joey, it went without saying how the situation was for them.


    On the contrary, Lapis had already escaped, but she was eventually pulled back by Rhode.


    "I will cut the crap."


    Rhode said to everyone waiting to enter the venue.


    "All of you are aware of what to do and I''m sure you know the purpose of training for so long in the mirage. You can choose to escape or give up, but that means everything you have done is for naught�� I know you won''t like that. I know all of you are nervous right now, but you have to get used to it because this is only the start��"


    Rhode paused for a moment and carefully observed them. After hearing Rhode''s words, Lize''s serious expression became more determined. Anne lifted her head proudly, carried a smile, and blinked at Rhode. Randolf and Joey instantly recalled their harsh training sessions in the mirage and summoned their courage.


    Did we work so hard just to give them all up? What''s the point to suffer like abused dogs?


    Almost there.


    Rhode didn''t mind applying more pressure on them.


    "Of course, I hope all of you can bring out your best�� Also, just to mention, these opponents here may not even be the best candidates for the Midsummer Festival. So, if you don''t perform as per my expectations then, I''m sorry, I will immediately revoke your participation rights."


    Everyone was sure that Rhode was serious as he always did as he promised. If they didn''t perform up to his expectations, then he would definitely kick them out of the mercenary group, which was definitely something they wanted to avoid. Due to this, Randolf and Joey put up solemn expressions. Lize closed her eyes as though she was in deep thought. Anne tilted her head and didn''t seem to be bothered by Rhode''s words too much. Only Marlene, who had been remaining silent, suddenly widened her eyes and asked��


    "Mr. Rhode, may we know what''s your expectation��"


    Rhode answered with his usual poker face and a calm tone.


    "Don''t return to me if you can''t defeat all five of them by each of yourself."

 Chapter 263 Warm-up Match 2

    One versus five.


    Everyone was stunned as they understood what Rhode meant. In other words, each one of them had to defeat the whole team by themselves? Was this even possible? Not only the newbies like Joey and Randolf were nervous, but even the usually confident Marlene was also taken aback.


    However, Rhode had put in a lot of considerations in laying out such conditions.


    Although the elites of the mercenary groups presented an aggressive and domineering presence, those were only the thoughts of the natives. In fact, in Rhode''s eyes, the elites weren''t even worth a mention. Just look at Kavos and Shauna. Their abilities weren''t superior, but they were still mercenary group leaders, weren''t they? Besides, it was common to have mercenary group leaders with Shauna''s and Kavos'' standards. From this, the so-called elites were only third or fourth grade of their standards.


    Of course, according to Rhode''s perspective as a player, these ordinary mercenaries were worth a dozen of EXP while the elites were only worth slightly more. The mercenary group leaders were about 100 EXP. The elites from huge mercenary groups like the Burning Blade were worth 70 to 80 EXP. On the contrary, the elites from guilds attending the Midsummer Festival would provide hundreds of EXP while their leaders would be in the range of thousands��


    The difference was huge.


    As long as Rhode''s mercenaries weren''t clumsy during battles, they could take on three of the elites at the same time without any pressure. If the battle was to face opponents one by one, then there wouldn''t be a problem in defeating all five of them. In the game, Rhode had participated in the Midsummer Festival and knew the abilities of the guild elites, which was why he suggested this. If Marlene and the others could defeat five of them each, there wouldn''t be any issues even in the actual Midsummer Festival.


    "I understand, Mr. Rhode. I will do it."


    Marlene was the first to respond. The pride of the noble family was undoubtedly embedded in her body language. No matter what, Marlene would never lower her head to these mercenaries. The prideful bloodline in her body definitely wouldn''t allow such humiliations.


    "Don''t worry, Leader. There''s no problem for Anne at all!"


    Anne waved her clenched little fist in midair.


    "Me too�� Mr .Rhode, I can do it."


    Although Lize wasn''t too confident, she eventually plucked up her courage.


    Unlike the three young ladies, Joey and Randolf weren''t as experienced. They felt nervous after hearing Rhode''s request. But, how could they say no after the three young ladies had pledged?


    That was impossible.


    "Good."


    Rhode nodded with satisfaction after hearing everyone''s agreement.


    "So then, I shall arrange your order of appearance�� Marlene, you''re first up. Lize, you''re second. Joey and Randolf, third and fourth. Anne, you will be the last. Understood?"


    Rhode had his reasons for such arrangements. According to his observations, Marlene was the best in adapting in intense scenarios and could easily display her abilities. Considering the relationship between Marlene and Lize, as a pair of close friends, if Marlene was able to perform outstandingly, it would definitely influence Lize to perform better. As for Joey and Randolf on the third and fourth positions, both of them would have already gotten used to the atmosphere by then. Furthermore, if the young ladies before them performed well, it would be a form of motivation for them. Lastly, Rhode placed Anne in the last position after considering her outgoing and carefree nature. With her personality, she would surely be anxious to jump into the competition and get straight into business. He had purposely placed her at the last to gather her emotions and unleash them all at once.


    However, this was only intheory. No matter what, Rhode needed to observe their performances first.


    "Yes!"


    "No problem."


    "Understood."


    Everyone nodded in agreement. As Rhode dismissed them, he turned around and gestured to someone lurking by the corridor. Shortly after, Old Walker stepped in with a face of doubt and helplessness.


    "Kid, what exactly are you planning that you gotta act so mysteriously? You said you had something to find me for but you didn''t let me in on it�� I was actually interested in seeing how those little fellas would perform��"


    "Don''t worry, that''s not a problem, old man."


    Rhode wasn''t mindful toward Old Walker''s grumbles. He gestured his hand and asked.


    "Are those guys ready?"


    "Yes. They''re a trustworthy bunch and everything is according to your instructions. Alright, it''s time for you to let me in on it."


    "Of course."


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction and afterwards moved closer to Old Walker, softening his tone.


    "After the match begins in awhile, I need you to��"


    Rhode spoke softer and softer. At the same time, Old Walker''s brows increasingly wrinkled. After Rhode finished his sentence, Old Walker''s face was filled with astonishment.


    "Kid, what exactly are you up to? What in the world��"


    "Since this is just a warm-up, we should make them learn the various situations. Don''t worry about it; no one will know its you if I don''t mention about it. Go on, old man, now is the time for you to stand out. And don''t think of it as finding trouble for them�� This competition is also a warm-up match for you as well."


    "Eh?"


    Old Walker shot Rhode a dubious look, not knowing what the latter meant. Then, he turned around and left. Rhode shifted his attention to the entrance of the colosseum and headed there.


    The ice-cold passageway was filled with pitch-black blood stains. This was once the most popular venue within Deep Stone City, but it had been vacant for a long time. Activities like beast battles came from the North and once swept up a storm in the continent under the Light Dragon. However, due to its goriness, it was eventually stopped and the colosseums built for such battles were therefore abandoned. If it weren''t for the warm-up matches, no one would ever recall this place.


    But, this time, city owner Klautz was rather supportive. Not only did he approve of all applications from the Mercenary Association, but he had also sent men to do a thorough clean up of this broken establishment. After this news spread, many civilians flocked over in anticipation.


    Although this was only an ordinary competition and was far from the lively crowd in the Midsummer Festival, most civilians were still interested as they lacked the time and finances to travel into Golden City and participate in the Midsummer Festival. Moreover, they weren''t too interested in the battles between guilds compared to their local mercenary groups. Since this competition was organised by the Mercenary Association and within their own city, the whole Deep Stone City instantly turned lively and bustling with noises. The whole colosseum was filled up with people. This scene surprised the Sereck and the elderly president. They considered the possibility of organising such events every year to trigger growth in Paphield''s financial state and the Mercenary Association''s reputation��


    As Rhode exited the passageway, he clearly witnessed the entire colosseum. Under the burning flames, crowds were seen all over the stage and bustling with noises. Apart from Rhode who had fought in world gaming competitions, anyone would shiver at the sight of such a crowd. It was still alright for Marlene, but Lize and the others were already as pale as a sheet. This might be the first time they encountered such a scene��


    "Yo, Master, you''re finally here."


    Gillian waved to Rhode and held onto the shaking Lapis at the same time. If it weren''t for Gillian, perhaps Lapis would''ve already escaped due to extreme anxiety and fear.


    "Ready?"


    Rhode glanced at his mercenaries. Everyone appeared fine. At least they weren''t in as terrible astate as Lapis.


    However, how well could they perform under pressure?


    Rhode narrowed his eyes at this thought.


    Ooo��!


    The bugle horns sounded deeply and echoed throughout the underground. Everyone stuck their chest out and stood up straight.


    The test was about to begin.

 Chapter 264 Warm-up Match 3

    Loud cheers filled the venue and echoes rumbled the ground as the wooden door raised. Rhode and Marlene couldn''t help but frowned as the rumblings were rather vexing.


    Then, accompanied with the entrance of the city owner Klautz, the cheers stopped gradually. Klautz appeared eager to get straight down to business as he briefly explained the conditions of this competition and announced the rules one by one. For convenience''s sake, the rules would be equivalent to the Midsummer Festival. Both sides would decide on a battle mode before sending their members up for battles. As long as either side fell off the arena, fainted, or surrendered, there would be a victor. However, killing was strictly prohibited and offenders would be deemed the loser.


    The battle started.


    "Alright then. I''m up!"


    Marlene said confidently without turning back and stepped straight up into the arena. This move surprised Lize, while Rhode and Gillian exchanged curious glances. Despite Marlene''s aloof expression, her inner self was actually in high spirits. She normally wouldn''t be this eager.


    The crowd burst into cheers upon witnessing a beauty stepping onto the arena. They didn''t know Marlene''s identity and were here to enjoy a bustling scene anyway. They might as well use this opportunity to catch glances of some beauties. Their cheers roared and filled the entire place, as if welcoming a very important person��


    On the contrary, the opposing mercenaries were hesitant as soon as they saw Marlene. Unlike the crowd, they knew Marlene''s true identity. The Senia Family wasn''t a family who they could mess with. What if they injured this young lady of theirs�� What would happen to them?


    As they discussed their options, a Thief-class mercenary interrupted.


    "I''ll go."


    "You?"


    The opposing mercenaries gazed oddly. The Thief was the vice leader of the Cyclops mercenary group. His skills were decent, but it felt rather risky for him to take the lead.


    "Hey, you have to consider the young lady''s identity first."


    Someone reminded the vice leader. However, the Thief shook his head.


    "Don''t worry, I know what you guys are afraid of. But, it''s a battle between mercenaries now. No matter her identity, it''s a mercenary who is standing right there�� Even if she loses, she''ll need to admit it, right? This is the rule of the mercenaries and since she''s already a member of a mercenary group, then she will naturally need to abide by the rules."


    "This��"


    Although the vice leader made sense, the others were still rather hesitant. In the end, they nodded in agreement. The Thief smiled as he drew a dagger from his waist and stepped on the arena.


    "Why do I feel that he seems to bear a grudge against that young lady?"


    The leader of War Shield said dubiously. The rest of them scratched their heads as they had known each other for a long time. Many of them saw the complains the Thief had against Marlene. However, no one knew exactly what happened in the past.


    In fact, they guessed it accurately.


    She''s still the same��


    Walking up the arena and facing Marlene on the other end, the Thief let out a sneer.


    In fact, both of them didn''t have any real relationships in the past. When Marlene arrived in Deep Stone City initially, she sought adventures and battle experience through joining mercenary groups. However, many mercenary groups had rejected her and Cyclops was one of them. In fact, many people within Cyclops had actually welcomed Marlene because there weren''t too many Mages out there.


    However, it was otherwise for the vice leader. As a Thief, his sharp senses detected the loathe toward mercenaries hidden under Marlene''s facade. It was apparent that Marlene didn''t belong in the same world as the vulgar mercenaries. So although she seemed polite and well mannered on the outside, there was no little spitein her. Of course, the vice leader hated such emotions and even more so since she was a noble. In the end, he rejected her application and Cyclops didn''t recruit her.


    But now�� This woman actually stood on the mercenary''s arena.


    It seemed that her view on mercenaries didn''t change at all.


    The Thief clutched his twin daggers. He was unsure of Marlene''s abilities, but despite the rate of Starlight''s growth, she was still young, after all.


    So then�� Now''s the time, Young Lady. Although I''m not sure how your leader pampers you, you should know that it''s not as easy as you think to be a mercenary!


    Marlene grabbed her staff and stared at the Thief before her. She wasn''t mindful of his hateful expression. As the heir of Senia Family, she had faced all kinds of ridiculous jealousy, admiration, and hate. She didn''t care much about what the Thief thought about herself. She was fully focused on only one thing: battle.


    Ooo�� Ooo�� Ooo��!


    The bugle horn sounded and the battle officially started.


    The Thief darted forward in a flash. He wore a greyish-white armor and cape. He stooped forward and roamed around Marlene with a pace unique to Thieves. Soon enough, the Thief blended in with the entire arena, and the crowd couldn''t see him at all. Marlene stood in the same spot and didn''t move an inch. It seemed that she couldn''t detect the opponent''s movements either.


    Hmph, I see.


    The Thief laughed grimly. Judging from Marlene''s expression, he saw that she couldn''t pinpoint his position. It was as though Marlene was staring into the spot where she hoped the opponent would jump out from.


    Hahahaha, do you really take me as a fool, young lady?


    The Thief sneakily appeared behind her, which was extremely dangerous for a Mage. Not to mention that Marlene didn''t cast a defense shield at the start of the match. Under such circumstances, this was totally advantageous for the Thief.


    Now''s the chance!


    The Thief leaped forward with his dagger hilts aiming for the back her head. It was apparent that he wished to knock her out with this move and finish her off cleanly.


    At this moment, Marlene finally moved.


    She lifted her staff.


    A dazzling radiance erupted from the tip of the staff, which brightened the underground colosseum in an instant. It was so bright that the crowd had to close their eyes. The Thief subconsciously shut his eyes and his heart sank.


    "No good!"


    Just as this thought flashed through his mind, he heard a crisp voice.


    "Liarn!" (Storm)


    Whizzing gales instantly lifted off from the ground.


    The Thief, who was in midair, couldn''t dodge this attack. He tried finding means of escape frantically.


    But this was only the start. Marlene had no intentions of stopping the storm. She brandished her staff and swiftly drew a mysterious, complex symbol. As she linked up the final stroke of the bright, magical symbol, a giant fireball emerged above her and abruptly exploded.


    Bam!


    Huge waves of pressure filled with scorching flames exploded beside the Thief. The Thief had nowhere to hide. At this moment, he had totally given up the idea of teaching Marlene a lesson. All he hoped now was to save his own life. He had totally forgotten that this place was an arena as the dazzling radiance, whizzing storm, and scorching flames brought him into an illusion of hellish abyss.


    Then, Marlene once again lifted her staff.


    The storm became ice-cold to the marrow. The Thief felt as though a battle hammer had smashed heavily on his back. Then, he almost threw up due to the intense pain and pressure.


    "Argh!"


    The whole crowd had gone oddly silent.


    The Thief opened his eyes slowly. He felt his body aching with soreness as though his limbs were almost torn apart. Before his eyes was the domed roof of the underground cave. However, it wasn''t the smooth flat slab of the arena on his back, but spongy soil instead.


    I lost?


    The Thief stared blankly and was speechless. Then, he heard a young lady''s calm, peaceful voice.


    "Next."

 Chapter 265 Warm-up Match 4

    The whole colosseum went silent.


    This represented the emotions of most people as they didn''t expect the battle to end so quickly�� Not even a minute, no��just 30 seconds?! Even many mercenary group leaders and elites were equally stunned. Although they knew Starlight wouldn''t be too weak to suggest such a warm-up competition, to think that the difference was this huge��


    Well done.


    Only Rhode was the only one who remained calm and nodded his head constantly. Although this battle didn''t take a long time, it seemed that Marlene understood the essence of being a Mage: control. Although, in terms of logic, both Mage and Thief exercised control in nature, the Thief focused on individuals, whereas the Mage focused on mass control. In the game, there was such a saying between players: as long as the Mage could cast his or her skill once, then he or she would bring at least one life with it.


    And this counter-reaction from Marlene had perfectly shown the absolute control a Mage possesed. No matter if it was the glaring radiance, storm, or ice attack, all were full fledged AOE attacks. It was due to this reason that the Thief''s ambush was totally useless because no matter which direction he attacked, he would end up in the same predicament.


    However, Marlene''s battle consciousness didn''t end there. Although none of them had noticed, Rhode saw it clearly. She purposely didn''t cast a shield around herself in order to invoke the opponent to strike in a fast and adventurous battle style. Because if Marlene miscalculated the Thief''s speed, she would definitely be attacked by the opponent. Judging from this, it was clear that she was confident. But this also correlated to Marlene''s personality, as she had always been a confident, aggressive, and proud person. Apart from subduing to Rhode, she had always given others an impression that she was unapproachable.


    And now, blending this personality into battle, her aggression had become even stronger and overbearing. After the opponent was blasted out of the arena, the maiden struck the base of her staff into the ground and stared into the opposition party.


    She was indeed the queen of the mercenary world.


    Although Marlene definitely wouldn''t reconstruct a mercenary group as she did in the game due to a change in history, it seemed like this fact wouldn''t change either, regardless of whether she was the leader of the mercenary group or just an ordinary mercenary.


    At this moment, the crowd once again burst into cheers. Although the mercenaries were stunned, the civilians couldn''t care less as they were only there to enjoy the show. Furthermore, this young lady was a feast to their eyes. Accompanied by her beautiful show of skills, it naturally brought about an uproar. Moreover, she was a Mage! Oh my goodness, most people within Paphield had never seen a Mage, and to have this powerful and beautiful Mage perform before them, it was something that they couldn''t ask for.


    A man among the crowd glanced at Marlene and turned to Old Walker beside him.


    "Boss, can we start now?"


    "Wait for a while more; what''s the rush?" Old Walker shot a look and shifted his gaze to the young lady with narrow eyes.


    "After Miss Marlene finishes her next battle, we''ll go according to plan."


    "Okay."


    The man nodded and dove back into the crowded.


    At this moment, the first team of elites looked at one another in dismay. Although Marlene had clearly said "Next," those words sounded like "Next to die" in their ears. They couldn''t be blamed as they witnessed the Thief moaning in pain as he was dragged to the sides to be treated for his wounds.


    Hiller sat among the crowd with knitted brows as he turned to Shawn beside him. These two leaders of the largest mercenary groups in Paphield didn''t participate in this competition. Shawn wasn''t interested while Hiller wasn''t qualified; as the ''main culprit'' who ruined Paphield''s guild nomination list, Hiller didn''t have the face to battle Starlight.


    "It seems that Starlight is indeed powerful."


    "The title of Magical Genius for the heir of Senia Family is for real."


    Shawn coldly answered.


    "To be popular in a Mage School, do you think she relied solely on her family''s honor?"


    "That''s true."


    Hiller nodded and let out a sigh.


    "But, if others have such standards too, then I''m pretty much excited for them to win the battles."


    "We shall see."


    Shawn fell into silence.


    At this moment, the second member of the opposing team stepped onto the arena. He was a Warrior dressed in half-armor, holding a longsword and a pitch-black shield.


    "Hmm?"


    Rhode scanned the shape and size of the shield before turning to Anne, who was cheering for Marlene. Noticing Rhode''s gaze, she turned around curiously.


    "Leader, what''s wrong?"


    "No. Nothing."


    Rhode shook his head and patted on Anne''s shoulder.


    "This time, you will receive something great."


    "Hmm?"


    Anne felt a little strange. But before she questioned, the loud bugle horn sounded again and the second battle began.


    Unlike the Thief, this Warrior instantly lifted his shield and sword and darted toward Marlene.


    Marlene twitched her brows and raised her staff. As the red gem on the tip of the staff flickered with magical radiance, she drew a mysterious symbol and a surging flow of ice-cold gale blasted at the Warrior.


    The crowd whooped excitedly. It was apparent that Marlene intended to use the same moves just as she did to the Thief: blast the Warrior out the arena.


    But, Marlene failed this time.


    As the strong gales approached, the Warrior''s pitch-black shield suddenly emanated a vibrant luster and, in a blink of an eye, the strong gales vanished without dealing any damage.


    "Good!"


    "Danger!"


    A mixture of cheers and shrieks filled the air as Marlene''s magic lost its effect. At this moment, the Warrior arrived in Marlene''s face. He swung his longsword and shield to disrupt her next attack.


    Although she was in dire straits, she didn''t flinch. She neglected the incoming aggression and softly chanted. Then, she hit her staff on the ground and stooped over.


    What was going on?


    Before anyone reacted, the Warrior leapt into the air. However, he swiftly fell heavily behind her.


    Not good!


    The Warrior quickly turned around and attempted to stand up, at the same time lifting his shield to defend against Marlene''s next move. However, her movement were much faster than he had imagined.


    Shing��!


    Ice-cold sensation brushed by the man''s ear and before he knew it, he was pinned onto the ground tightly. He had only lifted his shield halfway when he realised that Marlene had already beaten himself to it. She pointed her staff in his face and countless ice swords floated in the air, awaiting their master''s command to turn him into minced meat.


    Do I still have a chance?


    The pinned Warrior moved his head and struggled for a means to escape. Then, after a few moments, he sighed and lowered his head.


    "I''ve lost."


    Loud cheers once again erupted.


    The battered, exhausted Warrior stood up and bowed politely to Marlene before hurriedly stepping off the arena. Marlene stared at her opponent.


    At this moment, a voice came from the crowd.


    "It''s unfair to send out such a powerful Mage! Swap out if you have the guts!"


    "Yea! Yea!"


    After losing two rounds in a row, many mercenaries yelled in disapproval.


    "Swap out! Swap out!"


    The screams filled the entire underground. Although the civilians supported Marlene, they weren''t any fans of Starlight, so they couldn''t care less if the matchup was unfair or not. Not only that, but everyone was also clear that, apart from Marlene, there were still Lize, Anne, and Gillian, who were already attracting their eyes. They were more curious as to how the other young ladies would perform in battles.


    "This bastard��"


    Old Walker wiped the sweat off his forehead and turned to the direction where Rhode was. Now that things had took a turn, he wondered what Rhode would do now. After thinking through the mission that Rhode had instructed him to do, Old Walker felt a little anxious��


    "M-Mr. Rhode��"


    Lize was at a loss. Joey and Randolf were speechless. Lapis had already squatted down and covered her ears in shivering fear. Gillian was the only one with a delightful smile. Rhode stared at Marlene and waited for her next move. However, Marlene had no intentions to back off. Instead, she let out a sneer and pointed her staff at the mercenaries on the other end.


    Her intentions were clear.


    "Next."

 Chapter 266 Warm-up Match 5

    Thump!!


    A swordsman flew out of the ring and fell to the ground. The cheers once again sounded through the colosseum. Unlike before, the mercenaries were at loss for words. Whether it was the mercenary leader or ordinary mercenaries, they were all baffled. They were looking at the maiden who hadn''t even moved a step at the center of the ring in bewilderment.


    Five defeats.


    The five elites from the first team lost without even being able to scratch Marlene''s robe. After she had won, Marlene didn''t even turn her head and went straight down from the ring as if it wasn''t really an amazing thing to accomplish. In fact, there were many people who were so surprised by her strength that they couldn''t even utter a single word.


    Everyone knew that Starlight was strong, not to mention there were a few mercenary groups that had been rescued by them. This matter also quickly spread around the mercenary circle, so they had already mentally prepared. But now it seemed like their mental preparation was a little inadequate. One versus five? The five of them were all mercenary group elites. They were the second-in-command of a the mercenary group, but the five of them were easily beaten just like that?! This was not something that ordinary people could do. Of course, Hiller or Shawn might be able to do it, but they were the leader of the strongest mercenary groups in the Paphield area for several years. As for Marlene, she was only the vice leader of Starlight mercenary group!


    After a while, people began to talk about them. They didn''t expect the Starlight mercenary group to actually be this strong. They were on a totally different level. But even if they were shocked, they still accepted reality. After a moment, they finally found out about the young maiden''s identity. She was the only heir of Sennia family and also a rare magic genius. Just due this identity, this young maiden would be able to suppress all of them. What more, the other four people hadn''t yet shown up. Could they also achieve a winning streak just like Marlene?


    There''s no way, right��


    The mercenaries finally stopped gossiping. Unlike Marlene, Anne and Lize were no strangers in the mercenary circle. People already had some insight regarding their strength, Not to mention Randolf and Joey��a lot of people knew that they were just rookies that stepped into mercenary group world for two to three years. Needless to say, they already knew their strength.


    So who was going to represent Starlight on the next battle?


    "Good job, qualified."


    Seeing Marlene walk down the ring, Rhode gave her a nod of satisfaction. When she heard Rhode''s words, Marlene smiled and looked at her wand with a complicated expression.


    "I just realized that�� ''Ms. Canary'' and company are really strong."


    "Eh? "


    When he heard this, Rhode froze while Marlene shook her head.


    "I''ve learned all these tricks from ''Ms. Canary.'' but I only learned the basic. But even with the basic tricks, I was able to beat five people easily. It was something I couldn''t have done before, and if it weren''t for this fight, I''m afraid I wouldn''t have been able to realize that.


    Having said that, Marlene''s face was a little depressed. Previously in the Mirage, she was trained by her in a pitch darkness, so there was no way for her to judge Canary''s true strength; she only knew that the other side was very powerful. Right now, seeing that she was able to defeat those mercenaries easily, she finally had a clear judgment of her strength. The gap between them was really too big, so she felt somewhat dejected. Before, Marlene had no idea just how tall the mountain that she wanted to climb was, but after this battle, she realized that the mountain was as tall as Mount Everest. However, it didn''t really make any difference since the difficulties were the same. Perhaps after finding out the truth, it would be even more difficult for her.


    "Don''t mind too much; you are you, and she is her. The two of you are different individuals after all."


    After that, Rhode patted Marlene''s shoulder. As she heard Rhode''s answer, her expression improved a bit. However, she soon looked up and gazed at Rhode curiously. After a moment, she suddenly asked.


    "Please forgive me for being rude�� Mr. Rhode, is Ms. Canary your partner?"


    Upon hearing this question, Rhode loudly coughed. He turned around and shrugged.


    "This�� Our relationship is more complicated than that, how to say�� She likes me very much, but at that time�� Well, things happened, so �� "


    "Well?"


    Seeing Rhode''s embarrassed expression, Marlene was a little puzzled. At this moment, Gillian suddenly came.


    "It''s not complicated at all, little Marlene. That little girl was once the Master''s wo�� Uu uu uu�� " Gillian''s words hadn''t yet finished, when Rhode had already come to her side to cover her mouth. Marlene was puzzled as she looked at Rhode. Wo? What did ''wo'' mean?


    "Anyways, you worked hard, Marlene. Go there and rest�� Let''s take a look at Lize''s performance. "


    Sure enough, hearing Lize''s name, Marlene no longer cared about this gossip and quickly walked to the side to talk with Lize. After seeing Marlene''s battle, Lize had gotten a lot more confident. When talking with Marlene, she looked firm and unwavering. It seemed like the training in the Mirage had helped Lize improved a lot.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Rhode let his left hand slip from Gillian''s mouth. Gillian immediately gasped loudly. If he had been a few seconds late, it would have ended up very differently.


    "Master, what are you doing?" "


    "You know a little too much. "


    Rhode glanced at Gillian, but the latter was evidently unconscious about it.


    "This saying goes ''if you don''t want people to know, you''d better not do it''�� What more, this is not a shameful thing. A hero is usually flirty; if he''s not flirty, he wouldn''t be a hero, right? Especially such a hero like you, Master��


    "Stop it, stop it. "


    Seeing that other people seemed to have been attracted by her words, Rhode decisively stopped her. Gillian also obediently stopped and no longer said anything after hearing Rhode''s words. She slyly smiled and ran towards Lapis. Seeing that Gillian was leaving, Rhode felt relieved. Right now, Lize stood beside him and was waiting for his order.


    "I''ll leave the next battle to you, Lize. I''m sure those guys are going to freak out and drop their jaw after seeing you fight �� Just do it as you trained; calm down and show your strength."


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode!"


    Hearing Rhode''s words, Lize clenched her fists and turned her head. Seeing the crowd around her, she took a deep breath and walked towards the ring.


    Sure enough, the crowd didn''t react much when seeing her. Instead, the mercenaries were shocked.


    "Holy Spirit, if I''m not mistaken, isn''t that Lize?" "


    "Yes, it''s her�� She''s a cleric! "


    "Cleric�� Can a cleric even go to the ring? "


    Almost everyone was perplexed and had no idea what to say. Even the large mercenary group leaders were also surprised. They obviously didn''t expect Starlight to send a cleric up to the ring. After all, in the Dragon Soul Continent, a cleric was a healer and belonged to the support class. Although under Rhode''s leadership, it was known that a cleric could fight an undead and everyone understood the principle behind it. But now�� this was a fight against humans, not undead creatures! Their attack could not harm ordinary humans.


    At this moment, not only were the mercenaries surprised, even the elites in the second team were confused. They glanced at each other and did not know what to do. Starlight''s action was too unexpected. First, they sent such a strong mage, and now they actually sent a cleric with no fighting ability. What the hell?


    At this moment, the second team elites were more stressed than the first team. Even if the first team lost, they lost because they were facing a mage. Everyone in the Dragon Soul Continent knew about a Mage''s status and strength; it''s no wonder they lost. But what about a Cleric? Everyone knew that a Cleric was incapable of fighting, so how were they going to fight? There was nothing to be proud of if they won and but if they lost, they would turn into a laughingstock��


    But would they lose?


    "I''ll go first."


    When everyone was being indecisive, a sweet voice suddenly sounded. A beautiful girl who was holding a lance in her hand rushed forward and greeted everyone. After that, she walked towards the ring. Seeing her action, the remaining four helplessly shook their heads and let her go.


    Seeing the second team had sent another woman on stage, they loudly cheered. When Lize looked at her opponent, she was surprised.


    "Nancy?" "


    "Hey, long time no see, Little Lize."


    The woman named Nancy waved at her while smiling mockingly as she heard Lize''s inquiry.


    "It never occurred to me that you would be standing in this place. It really feels funny�� How is it, Lize? Are you really going to fight? Or are you going to cry and make your opponent give up fighting? Isn''t that what you''re good at? "


    "��"


    When Lize heard Nancy''s cynicism, she stayed silent and said nothing. Seeing Lize didn''t respond to her words, Nancy showed some interest. She waved the lance in her hand.


    "Well, little one, I''d advise you step down now to prevent any injury. How about it?" "


    "�� It''s you who should step down, Nancy. "


    On the other hand, Lize toughened up and said. She put down her hands with a trace of disgust on her face.


    "Because I will never lose."


    "Hmph!"


    When she heard Lize''s words, Nancy finally stopped showing her fake smile.


    "Shameless little b*tch, let me see if you have any other skill besides crying."


    The woman suddenly began to attack with her lance.

 Chapter 267 Warm-up Match 6

    Although Nancy spoke arrogantly, her skill was really good. She leaped up like a cheetah and rushed towards Lize while holding a lance. If it were the previous Lize, she would had felt overwhelmed when seeing such a fierce attack. However, the current her was different. Rhode had given her the book he got after defeating the necromancer and she had studied 70% to 80% of it. Although there was not much skill, after training in the Mirage for so many days, she already understood what to do.


    See Nancy was rushing to her, Lize calmly took a step backward. Then, she cast her Guardian Shield, and a light barrier immediately appeared and enveloped her in it. At this time, Nancy had almost arrived before her.


    "Hmph!"


    Seeing the translucent shield, Nancy coldly snorted. This kind of trick wouldn''t work on her. Although the Guardian Shield had a good defense, it still had a limit. If she kept charging forward, she would be able to break the shield and directly shoot her. Let see''s how she''ll react after I smash her proud face with a bullet!


    Thinking until here, Nancy arrived before her and almost broke the shield. Just a little bit more she would be able to launch an attack! Nancy''s left foot touched the ground and she immediately charged straight forward. At this time, Lize suddenly lifted her hand. Accompanied by her movement, a faint glow appeared on top of Nancy''s head and shrouded her body.


    What happened next made everyone surprised.


    They could only see that Nancy charging towards Lize in fast speed. Then, she directly hit her shield and fiercely rebounded away to the side. After was thrown three to four meters apart, she finally stopped. It could be seen just how fast Nancy had been.


    What was going on?


    Looking at the scene below, the mercenaries widened their eyes. Was there something wrong? How come the girl hit herself instead of hitting the opponent? Even the rookies these days weren''t that bad! It also didn''t look as if it was part of Nancy''s trick, since her nose was even bleeding!


    Although the Guardian Shield was a defensive spell, the hardness was still quite high. Not to mention that Lize had a half angel''s bloodline. Taking that into account, Lize''s Guardian Shield was at least as good as the defensive strength of Anne''s fine gold shield. Seeing that Nancy was dashing at such a fast speed towards, it was already considered lucky that she didn''t get a concussion.


    What was going on?


    Not only were the mercenaries were confused, even Nancy didn''t understand what was happening. However as an elite, her reaction was very fast. She immediately stood up after the fall. Obviously, she was bumped really hard because right now, her body was shaking. Even if she didn''t get a concussion, her current situation was also no better than that.


    Nancy soon recovered. She held her lance and rushed forward once again. However, her speed clearly had been slowed down a lot. It seemed that Nancy finally realized that her opponent was barely a cleric and not worthy of her fast attack. On the contrary, doing it slowly would be very advantageous to her.


    However this time, no one knew whether to laugh or cry.


    Nancy cautiously approached Lize. But when she was about to attack, Lize suddenly lifted her hands once again and retreated backward. After that, she pushed her hand forward. Followed by her action, a red circle appeared under Nancy''s feet. Then, a shocking scene appeared before everyone.


    Nancy forcibly waved her lance, but it failed to hit Lize. To the contrary, it was as if she had lost her strength and wasn''t able to hold her lance properly. She staggered and almost fell to the ground. This time, the crowd wasn''t able to endure their laugh anymore. Even a lot of mercenaries were taunting here. It was bad enough that she couldn''t defeat a cleric, but she was also acting like a total rookie. What was she trying to do?


    "Very well."


    Seeing Lize''s performance, Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Just by her few movements, it could be seen that she had fully grasped the cleric PVP core method, which was called ''treating foes as friends''.


    In the game, there was a saying: if you want to win the opponent, don''t regard him as your enemy, but as your friend. These words showed the most important point of cleric PVP core method.


    Since cleric was a support class, they had a really low damage. Instead, it had other buffing spells such as the Guardian Shield, Rapid Wind, Strength Blessing, and so on. They were all essentials for a team. But few people knew that these abilities could not only be used for increasing the attributes, but also a hidden weapon.


    The reason was still related to the game.


    In many online games, the effect of these advantages could be seen from the speed and data. If the strength was increased, the damage got higher, and if the speed was increased, the character would be able to run faster. However, Dragon Soul Continent game was closer to reality, so the effect was slightly different. For example, Nancy''s first strike. Actually, Lize only casted Rapid Wind to make Nancy''s movement faster, but for Nancy, the result was quite different. When Lize casted Rapid Wind, Nancy had already released her strength so she could reach Lize''s side at the perfect moment according to her estimation. But as soon as Lize cast Rapid Wind, Nancy''s speed was multiplied. She couldn''t handle the sudden increase in speed and her distance from Lize immediately became shorter than what she had originally estimated. That''s why she did not have time to respond to the collision to the shield. The same went for the second strike. Facing Nancy''s menacing attack, Lize''s reaction was still very simple. She cast Rapid Wind on herself to pull back and Strength Blessing on Nancy. It wasn''t harmful, but it could kill someone if used in the wrong place, at the wrong time, or on the wrong person.


    Moreover, Nancy''s movement was very easy to read. It was just like she''s going downstairs in the darkness and she thought there was still a step below, but her judgment was wrong, so she lost her balance.


    That kind of feeling was fatal to the average person, let alone a warrior who control their speed and strength strictly. The more skilled the elite, the more stringent they were, and the greater the effect of Lize''s skill. If it were an ordinary rookie instead, there would be no way Lize could do this well.


    This was why the cleric''s unique PVP method was called ''treating foes as friends'' because its objective was to treat the enemy like a teammate and do everything possible to help the person out. In fact, because the Dragon Soul Continent showed a different effect on this special advantage, very few asked for buffs before facing the Boss. They usually asked for buffs when they were still quite far from the Boss so they could get accustomed to their enhancement and avoid their team from getting wiped out because of a wrong judgment. As for a cleric who was able to release their skill perfectly in the battle, it would require a great sense of mastery and timing.


    This technique sounded simple, but it needed strict requirements. Clerics were free to control their own buff, casting and canceling the effect whenever they wanted. Therefore, it was obviously lethal, because, through these advantages, they would be able to affect other people''s balance in an instant and purposely making them look lad. That''s why in-game, the stronger the player, the more they were afraid to encounter Clerics that was good at ''treating foes as friends'' because they would definitely lose in disgrace.


    This was the so-called ''killing without spilling blood''; they didn''t even have to do it on their own.


    Lize was also suitable to fight this way. From the very beginning in Twilight Forest, Rhode had realized that she was really good at controlling her skill. Now, he was finally able to make use of her ability. She was even stronger than many players in real life. Perhaps it was also because she didn''t have to think about the skill cooldown, duration, and such. But still, talent depended on one''s appearance.


    This time, Nancy finally realized her misjudgment. She didn''t know what was Lize actually doing. But after she encountered the same situation twice, she finally realized that something was wrong since she wasn''t a fool. However, the poor Nancy was not aware of the cause, It wasn''t surprising though because the buff a cleric cast gave no special feeling. Moreover, Lize followed the ''treating foes as friends'' method strictly, which was, cast the skill for a moment, then cancel it. That was why Nancy hadn''t yet aware of the problem.


    However, Nancy had noticed that her problem was definitely related to Lize, which was why she stopped and looked carefully, and this time, Nancy found that things seemed a little tricky.


    Now what? Should I continue to attack fast or cautiously?


    Although she didn''t understand the cause, as a mercenary group elite, she still had good judgement. The way she attacked was too strange. No, Lize didn''t attack. It was her who always made mistakes. She didn''t know what to do in such a strange situation. This was her first time experiencing such a strange battle.


    At this moment, the onlookers were shouting with discontent. The mercenaries, in particular. They couldn''t see what Lize was doing at all, they only saw that Nancy kept making mistakes and stood there like a fool. Many people ridiculed her, saying that she became an idiot after hitting herself. If they could see that Lize actually did something, they might still have the patience to wait. But in fact, the way she fought was so subtle that most people didn''t even know what happened. So seeing Nancy as a mercenary group elite do nothing just because of two low-level mistakes, they naturally couldn''t say any good words about her.


    Listening to the mockery and ridicule of the mercenaries around her, Nancy was in a dilemma. She could be sure that this battle was really weird, but�� What could she do?


    Whatever, I''ll just fight!


    Thinking until here, Nancy bit teeth, clenched her lance once again, and slowly ran forward.

 Chapter 268 Warm-up Match 7

    As the saying went, the insider knew the ropes, while the outsider just came along for the ride.


    Even though most mercenaries ridiculed Nancy as they saw her performance, but there were some of them who were frowning while carefully observing the girls'' movements in the ring.


    "What do you think?"


    Sereck retracted his eyes from Nancy and turned around to look at the Old President. At this moment, the old man who was originally sitting on the chair also opened his eyes and looked at the ring with a serious expression.


    "She did it on purpose." Not long after, the Old President said. "She did it on purpose."


    He repeated this sentence. Hearing the Old President answer, Sereck also nodded. He turned his head, looking toward the ring. Currently, Nancy was no longer attacking, but circling around Lize. Under the spectators booing, Nancy''s complexion was obviously very ugly, but it seemed like she also had no other way. Hearing the shouting around her, Nancy once again waved her lance and rushed forward. In the end, she fell to the ground for no reason again and everyone immediately burst out of laughter.


    "It''s her who did it."


    Lize''s trick was very concealed, and ordinary mercenaries wouldn''t be able to find anything wrong, but Sereck, as a swordmaster, was able to perceive her subtle movements. When Nancy raised her lance, Lize lifted her right hand and quickly put it down. Just like that, Nancy suddenly lost her balance and heavily fell to the ground.


    At this time, the old president suddenly spoke.


    "If you''re the one facing her, could you win?"


    Hearing the Old President''s inquiry, Sereck was silent for a moment. He carefully looked at the scene in the ring and shook his head a moment later.


    "I don''t know."


    "You don''t know?"


    Hearing this answer, the Old President was surprised. He turned around to look at Sereck.


    "If Lize can''t keep up with my movement, then it would be my victory. But if she can, it''s hard to tell."


    As an experienced swordmaster, he already had a basic understanding of what Lize was doing after watching the battle for a long time. However, he also couldn''t come up with a method to counterattack. Spirit power and magic were different; it was almost impossible to defend against her attack. So unless he relied on his speed to make Lize''s judgment go wrong, then even Sereck wouldn''t be able to do anything.


    After all, this ''treating foes as friends'' combat method had a stronger impact against the strong. The more powerful one''s strength, the faster their speed, and the greater the disruption of the rhythm. To a powerful master, it would be better if they were stabbed directly by a knife.


    That was just how Nancy felt now.


    Nancy, who was being fooled by Lize, felt a little angry, but whenever she wanted to take her revenge, her body didn''t seem to listen to her. She immediately fell to the ground and even almost injured her waist. Then, she tried to directly attack and pierced through Lize''s Guardian Shield. However, when she did that, she suddenly felt her strength disappear for a moment and the impact from the lance almost broke her wrist.


    There was a fire in Nancy''s heart. She thought she was going to go up and beat her straight away, but she''s unable to do it. This feeling really made her feel depressed. Not to mention, there were a lot of mercenaries who were ridiculing her. It was no wonder that they would laugh at her; she was an elite after all, but her current performance was no better than a rookie''s.


    Damn it. What should I do? What should I do?!


    Nancy clenched her teeth and cursed. She fiercely glared at Lize. On the other hand, Lize wasn''t looking at her, but toward the lines on the floor.


    "Hm?"


    Looking at this scene, Rhode frowned. He turned around and looked at the others.


    "Does Lize have a bad relationship with this woman?" "


    "Eh?"


    "This��"


    As they heard Rhode''s question, they were surprised. From the dialogue between Nancy and Lize, they obviously knew each other. This was the first time the Starlight mercenaries had seen Nancy, so they were not clear about the situation.


    Rhode naturally also didn''t know about it. However, seeing the way Lize fought her, she was using one of the meanest, most shameless, and most hated method of ''treating foes as friends''. The regular ''treating foes as friends'' method was to disrupt the opponent''s rhythm and use spirit power to give the killing blow. But this non-mainstream method was used without having to exert any physical strength because the damage given was almost zero. This kind of method was used to force the opponent to admit defeat. In the past, a player called ''Big Bubble Gum'' particularly liked to use this method��she was the one who invented the Cleric PK method. Many people underestimated her, and in the end, she used this method to torture those people for 30 minutes to one hour to make them admit defeat themselves after experiencing a mental breakdown. Although there had been no special changes in her expression, Rhode was clear about this. He was judging her intention based on the skills she used. Lize had been using this method constantly, and it was enough to explain the situation. She didn''t intend to attack the opponent directly as Marlene did. Instead, she used the most annoying, most cruel method, which took up a lot of time. This meant that there was a grudge between Lize and that woman, or else, based on Lize''s character, she wouldn''t do something like this.


    Did that guy teach her something bad in the Mirage?


    Rhode thought for a while and soon gave up that thought. The image in the Mirage had no self-awareness and no ability to speak. Even if he wanted to teach something bad, he was still unable to do so. It was just that��


    Thinking until here, Rhode shrugged his shoulders. He turned his head once again to look at the ring.


    Why do women make things difficult for other women?


    Lize was, of course, unable to hear Rhode''s thought. She carefully kept her distance from Nancy and constantly used her spirit power to interrupt Nancy''s rhythm. As Rhode had guessed, she hated this woman. When she had just arrived at Deep Stone City, she had been unfamiliar with the place and the people there. When she felt at loss, Nancy appeared and pretended to introduce a mercenary group to her, but she actually meant to sell her to a merchant. At that time, that feeling really made her felt an abnormal fear. If her former leader didn''t pass by and saved her, she would have become a merchant''s concubine by now.


    Since then, Lize had been hoping to take a revenge, but as a Cleric with no fighting ability, Lize didn''t want get everyone involved just because of her personal matter. Moreover, Nancy was an important member of a mercenary group, which was why she had been patiently waiting. Whenever Nancy met her, she always ridiculed her with a mocking tone, which made her very angry. Now that Nancy was in the ring, Lize soon realized that it was a good chance to avenge her grudge.


    Because of that, Lize chose to fight with this method.


    In fact, it also seemed to be effective.


    In the constant battle, Nancy had completely fallen under Lize''s control. She was no longer the old Lize. Not only did she learn how to use the buff, now she could even use it to bind and suppress the opponent. With her new knowledge, she was able to firmly suppress Nancy below her. Though Nancy, who was waving her lance around, looked aggressive, her movements were a complete mess as she fell to the ground and lost her balance. She was yelling in anger like a crazy woman, but it wasn''t like she had a lion''s roar skill. So yelling around was basically useless since it wouldn''t give Lize any damage.


    At this moment, the other mercenaries also finally realized that something was wrong. No matter how stupid Nancy was, there was no way that she would make mistakes one after another.


    She didn''t come here just to be a laughingstock, right?


    That was obviously impossible. Then the reason she fell into that state was because of that Cleric?


    Could a Cleric even do something like that?


    The mercenaries had begun to talk about it. At this time, Lize finally lifted her head and quietly looking at Nancy.


    "I''ll give you a chance to concede defeat, Nancy��"


    "You b*tch, you want me to concede?" "


    Nancy coldly snorted. She was already feeling really angry, but after hearing Lize''s words, she couldn''t hold it anymore.


    "Tch! Who do you think you are? You''re just a spoiled goods! Want me to give up? Go die first!"


    Followed along with this remarks, Nancy''s body suddenly emitted a light. Then, she shouted while rushing forward with her lance. The sharp tip heavily hit Lize''s Guardian Shield at full speed. Accompanied by the crisp sound, the shield, which had suffered a strong attack, suddenly shattered. The huge impact made Lize slightly stagger, while Nancy clenched her lance and rushed straight forward.


    "Be careful!!"


    Seeing this scene, a lot of people were surprised and shouted. However, Lize''s expression was calm and she didn''t seem to be surprised by the incoming attack. She only stretched her right hand and aimed to the front.


    A dazzling light suddenly burst out.


    Countless golden beams came out of her fingers and whistled forward.

 Chapter 269 Warm-up Match 8

    Good, it''s coming!


    Nancy was not surprised to see this golden beam. Instead, she was happy. Before, she was very hesitant because Lize didn''t seem to make any movements. It meant that she could also make a movement at any time, and this would be deadly for mercenary like Nancy. Not to mention, her abnormality was also related to Lize. Nancy heightened her vigilance, afraid that she might fell into the same trap when she attacked again. However, since Lize had made her move now, then it meant she had nothing hidden under her sleeve. So, facing the golden beam, Nancy still rushed forward toward Lize.


    It had to be said that Nancy''s skill was really good. She moved up and down to avoid the golden beam and quickly shortened the distance between them. Seeing Nancy, who was going to overturn the situation, the mercenaries around them also began to cheer loudly. As a mercenary, they certainly understood the situation that was happening now. Lize was currently releasing the spell and definitely wouldn''t be able to dodge. If her spell was interrupted, it would also affect her severely. They loudly applauded because they didn''t expect that Nancy would be able to improvise and dodge the golden beam to grasp this opportunity. Even though these people didn''t really support Nancy, but the way Lize fought was really too weird, so the vast majority of people did not understand what was going on. There were a few people who could somewhat guess what was happening, but they also hoped to see more. After all, it was their first time seeing a Cleric fight.


    Got it!


    Under the cheering crowds, Nancy had reached the effective range to launch an attack. Her heart felt at joy, and at the same time she waved the shining silver lance in her hand once again. She was no longer dodging; instead, she thrust her spear forward. Obviously, she was aiming for an-eye-for-an-eye attack. At this point, Rhode also noticed that Lize''s left hand suddenly moved.


    A dark mist wrapped around Nancy''s body and instantly disappeared.


    Nancy''s body suddenly staggered. She felt that she had completely lost her strength and her body felt weak. However, she had no time to think about what was going on. She was startled and subconsciously looked up, only to see the golden light shining in the sky.


    In the next moment, Nancy''s figure was completely enveloped in it.


    Boom!


    A dull crashing sound broke out. It wasn''t loud, but it could clearly be heard. Because at the moment Nancy was hit, those mercenaries who were cheering around her stopped moving like an idiot and blankly stared at the ring.


    The smoke dispersed and finally, they could see what happened in the ring. Nancy was unconscious. Soon, the referee from the Mercenary Association came over to confirm the situation. After making sure that Nancy had really fainted, they immediately announced Lize''s victory. However, the sound of applause wasn''t as loud as Marlene''s battle. Although many ordinary people were still cheering loudly, the mercenaries fell into a dead silence.


    At the moment, these mercenaries were helplessly watching Lize, who was standing in the ring. They were feeling complicated and didn''t know what to say. Everyone there was a mercenary who risked their lives to fight everyday. That was why they could somewhat understand what was happening. However, they were confused. In their opinion, Marlene''s victory was something inevitable since she was a mage and a noble Middle Circle mage on top of it. Her identity was enough to suppress all of them; that''s why they could easily accept the loss.


    However, Lize was a Cleric. Although Clerics held a very important job in mercenary groups, they had no combat ability. Seeing that Lize was actually able to defeat a mercenary group''s elite easily without attacking, all of them had fallen into disbelief because they just couldn''t figure out how she did it.


    People would always be afraid of the unknown. Clerics were a non-combat class, so people didn''t really have a deep understanding of it. Now, they finally found out that Lize was actually a wolf in sheep''s clothing. They suddenly panicked and didn''t know what to do.


    However, they didn''t show it. On the other hand, the elite mercenaries who were on the other side of the ring didn''t panic, but felt afraid. Unlike from those who sat around the stage to watch the excitement, they had to go into the ring and continue to fight! Originally, they already found it strange for a Cleric to fight. In addition, Nancy''s defeat also made them feel at a loss. As the first one who fought, Nancy already showed them just how embarrassing it was to lose in the hands of a Cleric. This was the reason why they were afraid of going into the ring.


    It was understandable if Nancy lost after putting up a fight and the result showed that her strength was inferior to the other party''s. But in fact, Nancy''s performance was just like a that of a clown''s. She was mocked until the end, and even if she didn''t lose her consciousness, she would probably want to kill herself. Fortunately, Nancy was able to avoid this humiliation temporarily. However, it didn''t mean that other people could do the same.


    Who was next?


    They were looking at each other. None of them wanted to disgrace themselves. If this situation happened to other people, they might only think of it as a joke. But since it actually happened to themselves, it could be worse than death.


    It seemed like Lize had achieved a complete mastery in controlling her spirit power.


    Rhode didn''t bother about what happened in the ring. After Lize released her last blow, he immediately felt relieved. Rhode could be sure that the next four people were certainly not her match.


    Many people didn''t know that a Cleric actually could release two skills at the same time.


    Unlike Mages, a Cleric''s skill didn''t require chanting. It could be released and canceled spontaneously, but the spontaneous skills could only be used for buffing and cursing. As for attacking, Clerics needed a longer chanting time than Mages did. For example, the Light Arrows that Lize released were equal to a Mage''s Magic Missile. However, the chanting time she needed was longer than the Mage''s Magic Missile, which was why Nancy didn''t notice it. But Rhode was clear about it. In fact, when Lize and Nancy began to speak, Lize had condensed her strength in her hand and was ready to release the Light Arrow. This was why when Nancy thrusted forward, she couldn''t dodge. She had to take Nancy''s attack because she could not give up the attack that she had already prepared. So Lize decisively chose to take the blow and then launch a counterattack.


    But after the attack, Lize''s left hand was idle.


    Nobody noticed that.


    This was not surprising. Because Clerics were also a caster class just like Mages, people usually mistook a Mage''s skill as a Cleric''s skill. Although Marlene''s magic looked flashy, she actually had to release the skills one by one. A Mage had to prepare almost every spell in advance, either by chanting, runes, or gestures. Even though Marlene could shorten the necessary time because she had the talent, time was still necessary.


    Clerics didn''t have this kind of problem. The way they casted their magic was either instantaneous or very slow. It took them a long time to prepare for attacking skills, but they could release buffing and cursing skills in just a moment''s time. So in theory, as long as their hand was idle, a cleric was able to release two spells at the same time.


    That was why Nancy''s defeat was inevitable. She had just dodged the Light Arrow, not realizing that Lize had also cast a weakening curse. She thought that it was impossible for Lize to release another spell since Lize was still casting, so she didn''t have any precautions. It was very unlucky for her.


    However, although Clerics had this kind of advantage, not everyone could do this because one had to be very meticulous to be able to do it. They needed to remember what spell to release and when to release it. Originally, the ''treating foes as friends'' combat method already had a high requirement towards time mastery. But she was actually able to cast two spells at the same time while doing that. It was just like someone who was driving on the highway while sewing. Naturally, not everyone could do that.


    Even players who were able to release two spells at the same time were already considered a top expert. They would be one of the top 50 players in the Dragon Soul Continent.


    Rhode knew that Lize was very good at controlling her power, but it was still a surprise to him. But after a while, he calmed down since it really wasn''t much of a shock.


    On the other hand, the elites in the second team were unable to be as calm as Rhode. The bizarre combat method that Lize used was enough to make them shudder. After Nancy had lost, it was their turn to go to the ring. But who was going? Nobody wanted to be a laughingstock.


    "I forfeit."


    Soon, a swordsman chose to give up. Between pride and benefit, he chose the former. If he lost, he needed to give away a piece of equipment. But it would be the guild''s equipment, not his own, so he didn''t really need to feel distressed. To the contrary, if he lost, he wouldn''t only lose his pride, but also the entire mercenary group''s pride. Just look at the face of the leader of Nancy''s mercenary group now. It was extremely sullen.


    That swordsman also seemed like a carefree person. After he forfeited, he immediately left. Now, only three people were left, and their faces were gloomy and they had no other choice. At first, they actually also wanted to forfeit, but someone had said it first. What should they do then?


    The three of them hoped that their leaders would give them a signal or something so they wouldn''t have to embarrass themselves. However, their expectations soom turned into disappointment. After Nancy left the stage, the urging sounds from the spectators also got louder. Hearing it, the leaders kept their mouth shut and didn''t even glanced down.


    It was obvious that they had to deal with it on their own.


    "I''ll go."


    Seeing that the situation couldn''t be avoided, a Ranger helplessly sighed. Then, he put down the machete around his waist and reached to pick up the longbow behind him. He walked towards the ring with his head up, but looking at his appearance, it did not seem like he was going to fight. Instead, he looked as if he was going to be executed and die heroically��


    Behind him, the remaining two stared at him silently. Though they did not speak, their innermost thoughts were clearly revealed.


    Brother, have a pleasant journey��

 Chapter 270 Warm-up Match 9

    The Ranger walked up to the stage. He looked at the girl who was standing opposite of him, then he took a deep breath.


    The reason he came up wasn''t because he was certain that he could win, nor because he had given up his pride. He only intended to give it a try. In any case, watching Nancy''s battle gave him a little information. The only thing he could understand was that the Cleric seemed to be able to affect other''s movements.


    The Ranger also understood that the fighting method would highly affect a melee fighter, so he hoped that the effect on him would be smaller since he attacked from a range. He had attentively observed their battle, but Lize didn''t seem to move at all from the beginning to the end. She was mostly defending herself and almost didn''t attack at all. Of course, given the quirky style of a Cleric, it was normal for her to act like that. But how would she react to him?


    Thinking of this, the Ranger felt somewhat excited. He raised his longbow and aimed at Lize.


    Followed by the sound of the horn, the battle began.


    Like last time, Lize quickly cast a shield and stood still, waiting for the opponent to attack her. The Ranger also had made a mental preparation, and seeing that Lize no longer moved after putting on her shield, his speculation had to be right. So he immediately raised his longbow and aimed at her.


    Swoosh!


    Accompanied by the wind, three arrows quickly flew towards her and were stopped by her Guardian Shield. Seeing this attack, Lize felt a little bit surprised and she tilted her head to look at the Ranger before her carefully. She made no further actions, only clenching her hands and placing them on her chest. Judging from her reaction, she didn''t seem to be doing anything.


    "I''m doing this."


    Seeing her reaction, the Ranger was determined and once again drew his bow. Soon, three arrows flew over and were stopped by the Guardian Shield. Apparently, the Ranger did not give up. Not too long after, three arrows flew and were stopped again by the Guardian Shield.


    What the hell?


    Everyone was confused. Lize only stood there and didn''t seem to fight back when facing the Ranger''s attack. The Ranger also didn''t seem to want to approach her and only shot from afar. Obviously, his attacks didn''t have any effect. What was the point of doing it then?


    What were they doing?


    Some people complained, showing their contempt towards the battle. They were expecting to see a good fight, but now the situation had become very boring. Many people felt a little bit sleepy. It seemed like the two of them weren''t going to fight for real, and were just putting up an act.


    "What are you doing? Go and attack!! "


    After a few minutes of stalemate, some people finally couldn''t endure such a boring performance and shouted. Soon, more people began to shout and complain. They didn''t come just to see such a boring battle. From their point of view, only Marlene''s previous battles deserved their applause. Such a boring battle��what exactly were they doing?


    "You''re a man, right?! What''s so scary about it? Come on! "


    "The young lady over there, don''t be a coward. What are you doing, just standing there?!"


    Similar shouts were coming from the crowd. Clearly, the two of them were also somewhat disturbed hearing them. Lize frowned, hesitating for a moment. That Ranger was even worse��not only did he hesitated, but he also felt concerned. Who asked him to be born a man? Now everyone was blaming and complaining, and most of them thought that he was timid and afraid to fight her head on, which made him feel somewhat annoyed. It wasn''t that he didn''t want to, but that he was afraid to�� Nancy had already given him a good example. If he followed the same path, wouldn''t he be courting death?


    But things couldn''t go on like this.


    Thinking of here, the Ranger made a decision in his heart.


    He took a black arrow with circular tip from his waist and shot it across at Lize. A black shadow flashed through the sky in an instant and went straight toward Lize.


    Nothing seemed to change; the black arrow wasn''t able to penetrate Lize''s Guardian Shield and was deflected away. Seeing this scene, many people issued their discontent. But soon. they were amazed.


    Because the moment the arrow flew, the tip suddenly burst. In an instant, a dark green smoke emerged and enveloped Lize in it. Not only so, a stench also spread outside the ring. However, the Ranger didn''t end his offense yet and soon raise two red arrows. Followed by the sound of the wind, the dark green smoke was decorated with a dazzling fire. The burning fire spread along with the dark green smoke.


    At this time, many people, including Rhode, were aware of the Ranger''s intention. It was clear that he was forcing her to take the initiative this way. Because in the previous battle, Lize had been passive, it would inevitably let people think that she was only good at passive counterattacks. The Ranger was doing this to force her to take the initiative so that he would be able to seize her flaw. After all, moving was a very deadly thing for a caster. When Lize fought with Nancy, she had barely moved, so it gave people the illusion that she could only display her strength by standing still. Or else, she wouldn''t need to take Nancy attack head on, right?


    However, the Ranger also had to sacrifice a great deal of effort for this attack. Although he could use a magic arrow to attack, those magic arrows weren''t free to use like a Cleric''s spirit power or Mage''s magic. They were sold at a very high price. The Ranger was actually willing to use these arrows in a non-life and death situation, which showed the importance of this battle to him.


    Sure enough, being surrounded by stenchy smokes and burning fire, even Lize could no longer keep calm. She quickly retreated, but at this moment, the Ranger, who had prepared to attack, shot his arrows once again. This time, he shot three blue arrows. They quickly swept through Lize''s side and erupted in flashes of lightning, completely trapping Lize within.


    Of course, Lize''s reactions weren''t slow either. In the moment the Ranger attacked her, the Guardian Shield immediately appeared in front of her. It was as if a huge turtle shell wrapped around her. Naturally, the flashes of lightning were unable to affect her. However, the process still made Lize fall into a panic. After rearranging her defense, she finally calmed down again. One more time! Seeing Lize was somehow pushed back by him, the Ranger burst out in excitement. After shooting three lightning arrows, he immediately stretched out his hand again and took out three fire arrows. When the Ranger once again tried to shoot the arrows, he suddenly realized that the scene in front of him seemed a little distorted. What was going on? The Ranger was puzzled. At this moment, he seemed to have loosened his finger and the three arrows flew out. Boom!!! An explosive sound sounded.


    The igniting fire instantly wrapped the Ranger inside. Luckily, he reacted fast. At that moment, he noticed that something was wrong, he immediately gave up on his target, rolled away, and managed to dodge the impact of the explosion. He heavily slammed the wall behind him.


    "Holy Spirit."


    Seeing the pitiful Ranger, Joey made a gesture of prayer. Although no one knew the Ranger''s current condition, Joey seemed to realize what was happening. In fact, before the Ranger started attacking, Lize had silently cast a Guardian Shield on the Ranger. This was supposed to be a protection spell, but somehow, it had also restricted the Ranger''s movement. The same as what happened to Joey previously in the Mirage whenever he faced Lize. The situation might even worse since Joey wasn''t as stupid as to let fire arrows explode before him.


    Looking at the pitiful Ranger, Joey closed his eyes and prayed. He had already known the match''s result and didn''t have to continue watching anymore. The battle at that time was extremely frightening even to the current him. It felt as if he were trapped and could only welcoming the danger without being able to do anything. Right now, that Ranger must have also felt the same thing.


    Sure enough, at this time, a dazzling light once again gathered in Lize''s hands, condensing. Followed by the disappearance of the Guardian Shield, shining arrows flew towards the smokes.


    The winner had been decided.

 Chapter 271 Warm-up Match 10

    In the end, Lize was not able to accomplish five winning streaks.


    This was not because she lost, but after seeing the Ranger''s fate, the remaining two people immediately chose to forfeit without hesitation��


    Their choice wasn''t ridiculed by their companions because at this moment, all the mercenaries were eager to discuss a method to fight Clerics. Even though they weren''t unfamiliar with the Cleric, but after seeing today''s two battles, they found that it was different from what they had thought. Before, they thought that Clerics weren''t good at fighting, but now it seemed that they could be very tricky.


    They had two defensive spells��Guardian Shield and Protective Shield��and could also control the opponent easily. There didn''t seem to be any movement when they released the spell, which made it difficult to guard against. Damn it, how come they never knew that Clerics were this difficult to deal with?


    Because of that, the mercenaries had completely abandoned the battle and began to start discussing.


    "There''s nothing to be afraid of; just rush over and smack her into a pulp,right?"


    "Fool! Can''t you see what happened to Nancy? Do you want to rush over? Rush to die? Moreover, it''s not like the opponent would you the chance to hit her. Just based on your strength, I don''t think you can even break the Guardian Shield!"


    "How about a sneak attack! I think it will be troublesome unless we attack her when she''s unprepared."


    "But how are you going to break her Guardian Shield? Can''t you see just how many layers of Guardian Shield she cast? If you rush over like that, she''ll certainly notice."


    "She will not be able to do anything even if she notices it; her reactions don''t seem to be very fast."


    "That''s true, but�� what if she doesn''t make a move? Can you guarantee that you won''t fall into her trap?"


    "Nonsense, who do you think I am��"


    "If you have guts, go and fight her. What''s the use in shouting here?"


    "It''s not like that; I''m not feeling well today��"


    "See, you are afraid. You are actually afraid of a little girl. It is really embarrassing."


    "Tch, at least our mercenary group is better than yours. Can he even be called a vice leader? Can''t you see that he was beaten by her like a dog? That girl is a Cleric! How come you guys are still lost?"


    "What did you say? Say it once more if you dare!"


    A group of people was debating with each other and it almost sparked out into a fight. Seeing that the situation wasn''t right, the leader of the mercenaries lightly coughed and stopped this commotion. Seeing that no one came up to challenge her, Lize helplessly stepped down.


    Compared to before, there were a lot of crisp and beautiful female voices cheering in the crowd. There were not many Clerics in Deep Stone City, which was why they all knew each other. After hearing that Lize was going to fight in a match, the Cleric girls immediately assembled to cheer her on. However, there was also a trace of doubts inside all their hearts. After all, as a Cleric, they knew themselves the best. No matter how they saw it, they didn''t have any combat skills. But now, after seeing the scene in front of them, they jumped out in excitement. Although they were accustomed to being protected in the rear and had no interest in fighting in the forefront, seeing a Cleric who was able to defeat elites from two mercenary groups still made them feel somewhat excited.


    "Sister, can we also do that?"


    A young girl said with excitement. She was looking at Lize who stepped down from the ring with sparkling eyes while clenching her hands on her chest


    Hearing her inquiry, she was perplexed and bitterly smiled.


    "Perhaps we can�� We are also a Cleric, and�� since Lize can do it, then we should try it too, right?"


    On the other side, Sereck and the Old President also seemed to be awestruck.


    "Where did that kid get so many bad ideas?"


    The Old President looked at Rhode in disbelief. He didn''t expect that Lize could improve to this point. As the president of the Mercenary Association, he understood his mercenaries quite well. Although Lize was a little bit better than other Clerics who only stayed at home all day because she had more experience in adventuring, but look at her now! Ordinary mercenaries might not be able to see it, but Old President and Sereck certainly could see that Lize had the control of the situation in the ring from the beginning to the end. Whether the first or the second challenger, they weren''t able to do anything to her. It was true that the way she fought was strange and eccentric, but that wasn''t the issue here. It was the way Lize controlled the entire situation in the ring that caused Sereck and the Old president to be totally shocked. The old her absolutely wouldn''t have been able to do this kind of thing. If Rhode hadn''t done anything, they wouldn''t have believed that Lize was able to do something like this.


    "I don''t know, but I have to admit, he did bring us a lot of surprises."


    Hearing the Old President''s words, Sereck wryly smiled and shook his head. In fact, right now, he was also thinking about the same thing as the other mercenaries: a way to fight the Cleric. He still had no clue how to. Of course, Sereck also noticed that those skills were only useful in a match and not in an adventure.


    But now was a match and not adventure. Perhaps Cleric had other new skills for adventuring?


    Sereck rubbed his chin and sank into deep thought once again.


    No one noticed that at this moment, in the crowd, a white-bearded old man quietly stood there, watching the ring below with pleasant and satisfied expression. He smiled and nodded as he saw the girl who was walking toward Rhode. Then he suddenly disappeared from the crowd without a trace.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Rhode��"


    The reason she apologized to Rhode wasn''t because she was unable to meet Rhode''s expectation. It was because the battle was so time-consuming that it took nearly one hour for the two matches to end. The fighter might have felt nothing, but it was boring for the spectator. In addition, the way Clerics fought was relatively covert and not as brilliant as the way a Mage fought. Everyone was just looking at two people standing there innocently. Something happened inexplicably, and someone suddenly lost. This kind of battle wasn''t wonderful nor fun to watch. Moreover, it was boring and very strange; naturally, there was nothing to be appreciated. Lize was ridiculed and mocked even after she walked out from the stage, which made her feel a little bit unhappy. However, Rhode''s expression did not change. He just nodded, patted her shoulder, and said nothing.


    Although she didn''t hear Rhode''s consolation, after seeing Rhode''s same old indifferent expression, Lize suddenly felt relieved and a lot more relaxed. The ridicules and mockery sounds had become blurred.


    After the two consecutive battles, the remaining elite team had also begun to get spirited. The opponent was able to achieve five winning streaks in two consecutive battles. They were even able to make three people scared enough to forfeit on their own. This made them feel somewhat gloomy. Fortunately, the Cleric had stepped down. According to the order, the next one coming up didn''t have a strange job. At least, they didn''t have to worry about being disgraceful.


    "Lea, leader�� is it my turn now?"


    Joey rubbed his hands and looked up at Rhode. His face was pale and tense. His originally agile hands were trembling. Although Marlene and Lize''s victory made him feel braver, a Thief wasn''t really hot-blooded in the first place, so there was no way he would say something like "Very well, I shall fight!"


    "That''s right. Do you have any problem?"


    "There''s no problem, it''s just that�� I''m still a little unprepared."


    Hearing Rhode''s inquiry, Joey only wryly smiled. At this moment, another person couldn''t hold it anymore and quickly spoke up.


    "Joey isn''t ready yet? Then Leder, let Anne go first, let Anne go first!!"


    "Stop it."


    Rhode grabbed Anne''s collar. Apparently, she was really excited about this and couldn''t wait anymore. Rhode pulled her back and looked at Joey.


    "It''s your turn."


    "Yes, leader."


    Seeing Rhode''s cold eyes, Joey subconsciously swallowed his saliva. He recalled his childhood memories when he was stealing for the first time. At that time, his boss told him to steal someone else''s purse. However, Joey was unwilling to do this kind of thing. Although he cried, his boss didn''t respond and coldly said, "It''s time for you to do it."


    His gaze was exactly the same as Rhode''s. There was no killing intent or anger, but it was enough to make people obey and follow his order.


    Joey himself was not sure about what was going on either, but after seeing Rhode''s gaze, he immediately lowered his head, bit his teeth, and walked to the ring.


    And now, the cheers suddenly got louder.

 Chapter 272 Warm-up Match 11

    As the leader of the White Robe mercenary group, Hubert had always been confident in himself.


    As one of the top five mercenary group in the Paphield area, he had always believed that he and his men were qualified. They had the strength to compete for the mercenary guild quota in Paphield. Even if the Burning Blade or Dark Fang mercenary groups were before him, he still wouldn''t be shaken. In his opinion, those two mercenary groups didn''t maintain the top position because they were strong. Currently, Hiller''s Burning Blade was just living off its past glory; they were gradually declining, so he would certainly have the opportunity to surpass him. As for Dark Fang? They were just a group of killers. Were they even qualified to represent the mercenaries in the entire Paphield area?


    Hubert always thought that it would be a matter of time before his White Robe mercenary group became the mercenary guild that represented Paphield. However, now, it didn''t seem to be the case anymore.


    Starlight had shattered his dream.


    But he didn''t give up.


    "Everyone, gather your spirit!"


    Hubert angrily shouted. He was wielding his sword while looking at the surroundings vigilantly. The other two mercenaries who were wearing the same white robe as Hubert were also looking around cautiously, trying to find the Thief that suddenly disappeared after going up.


    After Lize walked down, the next elite groups changed their battle method. They didn''t intend to fight one by one anymore. They realized that based on their individual ability, it was impossible for them to win. However, if there were more people, then those people from Starlight wouldn''t be able to deal with them, right?


    It was absolutely impossible.


    Thinking this, Hubert led his two men to fight together. Of course, even though Hubert was very dissatisfied with Starlight, he still didn''t show it. To the contrary, Hubert looked graceful, immediately admitting that their strength was inferior to Starlight''s right after they went to the ring. That''s why they wished to fight in a different method in order to ask for their ''advice''.


    Hubert''s method was indeed very clever. Hubert was famous for being ''stylish'' in Paphield, and he was also a small influential figure. No matter in which era, good-looking people would always receive special treatment. Although Hubert''s features weren''t as striking and handsome as Rhode, his unique demeanor was also popular. In addition to his elegant appearance, he was also the leader of White Robe mercenary, which made it easy for him to win support.


    Through such a statement, Hubert had also succeeded in achieving his goal. Even if he lost, he wouldn''t be ridiculed as the people before him since he was frank about his own strength. No one would actually laugh at him for overestimating himself. On the contrary, if they won this 1 vs. 3 battle, it would be a big blow for Starlight. Even though 1 vs. 3 looked unfair, but followed by Hubert''s statement, people had already regarded him as the weak side trying its best to challenge the strong. If they really won, then it would certainly affect Starlight greatly�� At least, they wouldn''t be able to become a mercenary guild smoothly. Hubert really had thought it through well. If he really won, then once Starlight became a mercenary guild, they would be able to question their qualification based on their position as the ''winner'' of the battle! Hubert believed, as a new mercenary group, Starlight being a mercenary guild would easily definitely lead to people''s resentment. Coupled with his protest and others'' actions, it would inevitably delay Starlight from being a mercenary guild. At that time, his White Robe mercenary group would be able to grasp this chance.


    While thinking of this, Hubert looked at the crowd and ridiculed them deep down.


    These people are really short-sighted; they only see the current result and fail to realize the further impact.


    Only he could see through the mystery behind.


    What''s more, Hubert didn''t think that he was going to lose.


    In his opinion, Starlight was only using a few small tricks. He even suspected that Rhode deliberately used such a method to make him give up the opportunity to continue to fight. Indeed, after the two consecutives failure, the remaining elite teams had indeed lost their morale. This time, no matter how hard they tried, it did not seem like they would succeed. However, Hubert didn''t think so. He believed that he had seen through Rhode''s trick. He was going to take advantage of this opportunity and mercilessly deal him a blow.


    Young man, you are still too inexperienced.


    To Hubert, this battle wasn''t difficult.


    Or, in his point of view, it ''shouldn''t be'' difficult.


    But reality was totally different from expectation.


    When the three of them walked up the stage, the rookie Thief suddenly disappeared in the ring. Although Hubert was down, he was still trying to find the opponent carefully. Until then, this man who had always thought that ''the situation was under his control'' finally realized that the matter didn''t go as smoothly as he had thought.


    He couldn''t find Joey''s shadow.


    Although Thieves had the ability to conceal themselves, it didn''t mean that could make themselves as transparent as air. To the contrary, the Thieves'' ability to conceal themselves was based on their ability to utilize the color of their clothing, combine it with their skill, and hide in the opponent''s visual corner. That''s why they were able to avoid being discovered by others and achieve a ''concealing'' effect.


    Hubert, of course, understood this, but he just didn''t expect it because in the ring, everything was flat and there was nothing to hide in. Unlike forests or caves, there weren''t shadows and obstacles everywhere. That''s why in his opinion, the Thieves'' ability to hide was limited.


    Unfortunately, the reality wasn''t so.


    In his opinion, that Thief was just a rookie Thief with some petty tricks. But now, that Thief had actually disappeared in the ring. It looked as if he had turned invisible. However, Hubert wasn''t as stupid as to really think so. Even so, he had begun to feel restless at this moment. He was clear that he and two of his subordinates weren''t able to find the opponent''s whereabouts. It meant the opponent must be hiding somewhere in his visual corner, waiting to counterattack.


    This wasn''t something that an ordinary rookie Thief could do; it seemed that the young man obviously had the strength.


    However, it was as he had expected.


    "Be careful; don''t rush forward!"


    Hubert subconsciously reminded his two subordinates so that they would keep their distance and guard each other''s back. They slowly advanced forward, holding their weapons while cautiously looking at the empty ring.


    Where the hell is Joey?


    "Sigh��"


    Joey was crawling on the ground while watching the three people in front of him. He carefully took a breath and slowly moved his body to avoid their sights, staying hidden. If it was the usual, no matter how exquisite his movements, he absolutely wouldn''t be able to stay invisible like this. But now was different, because, in his hands, there was an equipment that able to change the situation.


    The Secret Cloak. This was a magical equipment that Rhode had previously acquired in the Rock of Lament. It was able to change color according to the surroundings, concealing the wearer''s body in order to blind the enemy''s eyes. Before Rhode activated Dark Dance Swordsmanship, Rhode often used this equipment to perform a sneak attack. But after he learned Dark Dance Swordsmanship, this equipment didn''t really have much use for him, so he gave it to Joey. Now Joey was able to get away from the three of them by using it.


    At this moment, Joey was crawling on the ground, holding his breath, while moving his body slowly from his opponents'' peripheral vision.


    Soon, he appeared behind them.


    It was a little bit crowded inside the huge Colosseum, so a lot of people were unable to see what happened in the ring. They only saw a person suddenly disappeared, and then, the people from the White Robe mercenary group began to look for him carefully in the direction he had disappeared. This scene also made a lot of people feel some doubt. Joey''s action was also very careful. When he was training in the Mirage, he didn''t learn any special skills like Lize. Because Thief skills were just like this. So there was no way for him to make a breakthrough and change.


    The only thing that he could do was use what he had.


    Master the essence of Thief skills and utilize its power.


    Hubert wasn''t able to find Joey, but he wasn''t not anxious. The ring was big, and if he still couldn''t find him when he walked until the end, didn''t that mean the other party had conceded? If so, then what should he be worried about?


    Thump!!


    "Ah!!"


    At this time, a dull sound echoed, and mixed with crowds'' exclamation, Hubert subconsciously turned around.


    Beside him, one of his men was already lying stiffly on the ground, his eyes closed, unconscious.


    However, there was no one around him.

 Chapter 273 Warm-up Match 12

    Hubert didn''t know what happened, but the crowds was aware of it. When the swordsman shifted his gaze to the other side, Joey quickly jumped from behind and used his dagger to hit his head. The swordsman was unprepared and directly fell to the ground. The audience only felt their visions go blurry and Joey once again disappeared without a trace.


    "Not bad."


    Hiller narrowed his eyes, and then he looked at Shawn, who was silent.


    "What do you think?"


    "It''s okay."


    Although Shawn didn''t give the answer Hiller had hoped for, Hiller still laughed as he heard his answer. He reached out his hand and patted Shawn''s shoulder. After that, he turned around to look at another man not far from him. Noticing Hiller''s gaze, the man showed an awkward expression.


    "Not bad, not bad. What do you think, Hawk?"


    "This�� This��"


    Hearing Hiller''s question, Hawk''s expressions was both angry and awkward, but he couldn''t do anything about it. He forced himself to smile and nod at Hiller. However, he was unable to say anything, because he didn''t know what to say either.


    Hawk was the leader of the Mark White mercenary group. It was understandable why would he be awkward. Previously due to the power struggle of the Mark White mercenary group, Anne as the failed representative was removed from the group and Rhode accepted her. After that, three of Anne''s friends also followed her to Starlight. At that time, Hawk didn''t really care about it. In his opinion, although Anne was strong, her character was too troublesome. Plus, she was too simple and couldn''t hide her emotions well. That kind of person might destroy the stability and unity of a mercenary group. Therefore, since Starlight was willing to pay, they were naturally willing to transfer her to another place. As for those rookies? Who cared about them?


    At that time, in his eyes, those rookies were totally worthless, but now�� it seemed as if someone had slapped him in his face.


    Anne, Randolf, Joey.


    These people were recruited from Mark White, and everyone knew that. However, before, everyone also thought the same as Hawk��that those people wouldn''t be able to create anything big. As a result, no one really cared about them. But now�� seeing Joey''s performance, he almost spurted out blood.


    Although barely a few minutes had passed, Hawk had realized that Joey had reached the level of a first-rate Thief, and even the head Thief in his own group was not as good as Joey in his concealment skill. What''s more, that kid had actually gotten Shawn''s recognition!


    Even though Shawn only said ''it''s okay'', but Hawk understood it clearly. To make him say something like that, it meant that he had gotten his recognition. It had to be said that even the head of Thief in his group was only classified as ''trash'' by Shawn.


    Now Hawk felt his face burning in pain. He knew that after this battle, his Mark White mercenary group would definitely be ridiculed. There were four people who were abandoned by them because they were thought to be worthless, and now three of them had become powerful elite�� Ah also, that little girl Lapis also seemed to become an independent alchemist. Starlight''s alchemical potions that made people jealous were actually crafted by her��


    Damn it, why did that girl never show this ability when she was in his Mark White?


    Needless to say, Hawk understood that after this battle, his Mark White mercenary group would definitely become an object of ridicule, and he would be brandished as an idiot who couldn''t see the potential of others. Otherwise, why did these people, including Anne, who were only mediocre in Mark White, turn powerful after they entered Starlight?


    Just look at Joey''s performance now. Not only could the White Robe mercenary group not find him, even he, who was sitting on the top, couldn''t figure out where Joey was hiding. In just a few months, how did a guy who was nothing but a rookie in everyone''s mind suddenly become so tough?


    In fact, what he feared actually wasn''t being branded as a narrow-minded person��such thing was just a trivial matter. For a mercenary, pride wasn''t really much of an importance. Not to mention someone like him��who gained his leader position through disgraceful means. His thick skin could even compete with the thief who copy pasted their work from Baidu and claimed it to be his own work. This level of ridicule was nothing more than pain in the face, and the pain would soon pass.


    If that was the only matter, then he wouldn''t be worried. He was actually worried about one other thing. He was afraid that this matter would bring a negative impact to his mercenary group. Mercenaries were human beings. Naturally, they expected themselves to grow and get stronger. For them, a powerful mercenary group leader wasn''t just their supporter, but also their guide. Everyone hoped to get stronger, and not weaker under his leadership. If he really was nicknamed a narrow-minded person, then he could be sure that there would be no more mercenaries who dared to join the Mark White mercenary group. Not only that, the members of the Mark White mercenary group who were not recognized by him might also choose to leave.


    This was the most worrying part for him.


    At this moment, he was looking at Hubert with clenched teeth.


    What the hell are you doing?! The opponent is just a rookie; can''t you deal with him?


    "What are you guys doing, that guy is just a rookie!!"


    Right now, Hubert was, of course, unable to hear what Hawk was thinking. Like Hawk, Hubert clenched his teeth and shouted at his men. At the same time, he waved his hand, signaling for his other two subordinates to come up onto the stage. His action led to booing from the audience, but now, he couldn''t care about such thing. He had just realized that this rookie was actually difficult to deal with. He and his subordinates had already swept through the entire ring, but they couldn''t see his shadow.


    Is this Thief actually strong?


    Hubert was shaken.


    At this moment, Joey was hiding in the corner, standing still while secretly watching the crowd.


    A Thief had to be able to withstand loneliness. He couldn''t take any actions unless he was absolutely sure. Otherwise, the unlucky one would be him.


    This was what Joey had learned from the Mirage. He had never been so deeply aware of the horror of loneliness. At that time, he felt as if he was the only one left in the world and all the people around him had disappeared. This feeling of panic and loneliness almost made him collapse. Feelings of worry and hesitation of the assassination had disappeared because at that time, Joey seemed to be extremely happy.


    He would rather have a dagger pierce his body than become crazy in that endless loneliness.


    Even so, he still persisted.


    A first-class Thief not only had to learn to accept loneliness and endure loneliness, but had to learn to integrate with loneliness and completely erase their own sense of existence. Even if he stood there, as long as he did not actively appear, there would be no one able to perceive his existence. This was a peak-level Thief''s skill.


    Of course, the current Joey had not yet reached that state. But for him, using his current skills was enough to deal with these mercenaries.


    The second one.


    Joey focused his sight on the second target. He moved slowly once again and arrived behind him. He took out the dagger under his cloak and carefully looked at his target''s back. Then, Joey took a deep breath. He leaped up, flipped over the hilt, and tried to knock his opponent out.


    Clang!!


    At this time, a shining sword appeared from the side and blocked his attack.


    Did I just fail?


    When Joey turned his head, he saw Hubert''s face.


    Finally, I caught him!!


    As a leader of a mercenary group, of course, Hubert wasn''t weak. Although what he did before in the ring seemed to be in vain, but he wasn''t as stupid as to wait to be beaten by the opponent. From the previous battle, Hubert had been aware of the opponent''s method, so he deliberately let the remaining two mercenaries go into the ring in order to increase the bait to lure Joey out. From the surface it seemed that the four of them were scattered, but carefully looking at them, it could be seen that no matter where they went, they always maintained a considerable distance. Since Hubert was concentrating on guarding his subordinates'' back, he would be able to detect Joey''s movement and react immediately. Of course, if Joey were to sneak up on him, Hubert would be dead already. However, he still decided to do so. After all, the current situation was to their disadvantage. He would bet that there was a chance. The ratio was 1:3; if Joey didn''t attack him, then he would win this bet!


    It had to be said that Hubert placed the right bet. Although Joey had trained for several days in the mirage, he still didn''t have enough battle experience. The reason he didn''t choose Hubert was because he was still a rookie inside.


    In the eyes of rookie mercenaries like him, the leader was the most powerful. It would be difficult to attack him and the chance of failure was bigger. Therefore, it was better to start with those who were slightly weaker because the winning chance was higher.


    Of course, this idea was understandable in Joey''s opinion, but now, this idea also put him in a bind.


    After blocking Joey''s attack, Hubert didn''t stop there.He kept swinging his sword, trying to corner him. At the same time, the other three turned around and formed a circle to surround him.


    When Joey finally reacted, he was already encircled.

 Chapter 274 Warm-up Match 13

    "Still too inexperienced."


    Looking at Joey, who was beleaguered, Rhode shook his head. He was very clear that this time, it was Joey''s mistake. The reason was not because his skill was lacking, but because he lacked experience. Comparing their skills, his and Hubert''s were almost equal to each other, but as for experience, even ten Joeys couldn''t match Hubert. After all, Hubert was a mercenary group leader; certainly, he had experienced more things than Joey. The fact that their mercenary group had survived until now meant that Hubert was not someone to be trifled with. Did Joey really think that just because he had the upper hand he could have won?


    However, Rhode wasn''t really disappointed in him. It was a warm-up match, after all. The main point wasn''t to showcase their strength to other mercenaries, but to analyze the problem that they encountered in this warm-up match. The reason that Marlene and Lize had performed perfectly was related to their psychological and adventurous experience. But now, it was time for Joey the rookie to come up to the stage, and it immediately exposed his problem in lack of experience.


    However, for Rhode, this was something that he was happy to see. If he discovered this problem during the Midsummer Festival, it would really be a big problem.


    Currently, Joey had fallen into the most troublesome situation for a Thief: being surrounded.


    A Thief''s lurking skill was not invincible; he needed the space and time to do that. Although advanced level thieves could easily erase their own sense of existence, Joey had obviously not reached that level yet. That was why he needed to rely on equipment, time, and space to do so.


    Unfortunately, because he was surrounded by four people, he had lost space and time.


    What would Joey do?


    That was what Rhode wanted to see.


    In fact, when he realized that his attack was blocked, he was surprised. He wasn''t stupid and soon realized that he had made the wrong choice. More importantly, now, he had no way to make up for his mistake.


    When he thought of this, Joey tried to find a way. He immediately waved the dagger in his hands and blocked Hubert''s longsword. He was trying to suppress Hubert to the side and dodge another attack by withdrawing.


    But this time, Joey found out that he was too late.


    Unlike the other two elite teams from before, this team was personally handpicked by Hubert. He had chosen some elites from mercenary groups that were in a good relationship with him, and the two others were his own subordinates. Moreover, he was the only leader of a mercenary group fighting; naturally, everyone obeyed his orders to attack. Joey''s petty trick might have able to fool ordinary mercenaries, but it wasn''t really a big threat for a veteran. From the beginning, Hubert''s attack wasn''t intended to harm Joey. Instead, he just wanted to catch him and ensure that his siege formation was completed. Now the task had been done, Hubert also withdrew.


    When Joey noticed, he wanted to escape, but it was already too late. Unlike previous teams, this team consisted four swordsmen and a Thief.


    One of the swordsmen had been attacked by him, so only three swordsmen and a Thief were left. But their numbers were just enough for them to form a perimeter to surround Joey. This time, he wouldn''t be able to get away.


    Sure enough, as Joey dodged the second attack, he soon realized that there was a faint breeze blowing from behind. As a Thief, he was naturally aware of where it came from. He immediately ducked his head without hesitation. Behind him, a dagger flew over, grazing his head and cutting off a few hairs, but it didn''t cause any harm to him.


    However, it was still nota good news for him because at this time, a mercenary suddenly kicked his calf to the side. Dodging three attacks continuously was a very difficult thing to do for Joey as a Thief. Not to mention that his opponents were experienced elites��their skill in seizing opportunities was, of course, better than his.


    Joey''s body staggered and fell to the ground. At the same time, the other three immediately came forward and to finish him off. The four of them encircled Joey, making the audience unable to see what happened.


    However, Joey was able to see everything clearly.


    As he fell down, he saw a foot try to kick him, which made him feel frightened. He rolled to the side to avoid further attack. The four of them didn''t stop there; they began to launch a second and third attack. Besides dodging, there was nothing that Joey could do. He could only curl his body to block the enemy''s attack while waving around his dagger in order to increase his attack range and space.


    Naturally, Hubert could see the little tricks that he was about to do. Even if four vs. one was not a heroic move, it was an indisputable fact that they had gotten the upper hand. Hawk wasn''t the only one who didn''t care about his pride; in fact, top mercenary group leaders usually had their pride ranked second as long as they gained the upper hand. Well, at least now, he was on the winning side, right?


    For a time, the situation had gotten even more chaotic. Joey was rolling around like a loach in order to dodge the opponent''s attack. He wanted to get up, but he couldn''t find enough space to do so. He wanted to jump and stretch his body; by doing so, he would be able to slow down their movement. However, it was already difficult enough to dodge their attacks. If he tried to slow down their movements, he was 100% sure that he would lose.


    "Leader, Joey seems to have encountered a problem."


    Randolf asked with a worried expression. Sitting beside him, Lapis also had forgotten to be nervous around the crowd. She tightly pulled Randolf''s cloak and uneasily gazed towards the ring.


    Even Anne, Lize, and Marlene also seemed anxious. After all, in the first and second battle, they had won too easily. It gave everyone the illusion that defeating these elites with their current strength wasn''t a really difficult thing to do��


    Of course, strength and experience were two different things.


    "We''ll see."


    Hearing Randolf''s inquiry, Rhode didn''t even turn his head and only replied with one sentence. Rhode actually noticed that although Hubert''s encirclement seemed very tight, it was not without weaknesses. The question was, could Joey catch that weakness? If he could, it meant that Joey really understood the true meaning of being a Thief.


    But on the other hand, if he couldn''t find the weakness and took the chance��


    At any rate, Rhode couldn''t do anything besides remaining silent.


    It was not his battle, after all.


    "Haa!!"


    Dodging the attack one more time, Joey had begun to feel tired. At first, he was hoping to escape from the gap between the four of them. If he succeeded, he would be able to once again lurk in the terrain and make up for his mistakes.


    However, Hubert obviously did not intend to give Joey such a chance. Joey attempted it several times, finally realizing that if he forced his way out, he would eventually be stopped by them and lose his speed. After that, the outcome could be expected.


    Then, what should I do?


    There was no point regretting the choice he had made. Now, the only thing he could do was look for opportunities�� look for opportunities��


    Thinking until here, Joey was suddenly surprised.


    Did opportunity have to be something he had to find?


    Wrong! Opportunity was something he should create by himself! It was impossible to have any results by just blindly waiting!


    Thinking until here, Joey''s eyes shone. He was no longer as unprepared as before, when facing those attacks. To the contrary, he seemed to have found something. He stretched out his hand and swung his dagger to block Hubert''s sword.


    "Clang!!"


    Their weapons collided with each other and a crisp sound echoed. Although Hubert''s attack had been stopped, Joey''s body also staggered. Naturally, the other three didn''t plan to let go of this opportunity and attacked Joey once again. At this moment, Joey finally made his move.


    He lowered his arm and abruptly deflected Hubert''s sword. This made Hubert lose his balance for a moment. At the same, Joey stood up and escaped the Thief who was going to launch a sneak attack on him. Unfortunately, the remaining two mercenaries seized this opportunity and attacked Joey. Although he tried his best to dodge, he still became heavily wounded.


    Got him!!


    Feeling their swords come in contact with something, the two mercenaries felt joy, but soon, they fell into panic because they found out that Hubert, who had lost his balance, and the Thief who had failed his attack were falling towards them!!


    For a while, the two men immediately rushed back, trying to distance themselves from them. Hubert also didn''t expect that after his sword was deflected, a long sword was pointing towards him. He couldn''t help but retreat to dodge it. The group turned into chaos, and Joey''s eyes shone.


    Now!!


    His body shook, and he jumped out of their encirclement like a ghost. At the same time, Joey once again waved his dagger.


    Thump!!


    The Thief who passed by him lost his consciousness, unable to see the threat before him, and fell towards the other two mercenaries. Seeing this scene, the other two retreated in order to avoid the tragedy of killing one of their own. In this chaotic situation, they lost their focus and consciousness all of sudden, falling to the ground.


    "Calm down!! Everyone, calm down!!"


    Even though Hubert finally noticed Joey''s intention, before he managed to finish his words, Joey had already passed by him and once again disappeared.


    To Hubert, this was the worst possible outcome.

 Chapter 275 Warm-up Match 14

    Although the situation was bad, Hubert did not give up. To the contrary, he quickly calmed down and focused on guarding his own back. Soon, Hubert suddenly stepped forward and waved his sword to block Joey''s sudden attack.


    I failed again!


    Once again, Joey''s attack had been seen through by Hubert, which made Joey quite disappointed. He had learned his lesson from before and immediately chose to attack Hubert first, but was he that gullible? Joey had suffered once under his hand; obviously, he could guess that Joey would certainly attack him once he disappeared, so he stayed vigilant. However, when Hubert thought he finally found another chance to attack, Joey suddenly swung his dagger forward and winded it towards Hubert''s sword. Followed by this action, Joey suddenly turned his body around and flashed through Hubert.


    Hubert finally realized that he was on the edge of the ring!


    Bad!


    At this moment, Hubert was already feeling very frightened, but before he could come up with a better idea, Joey had already flown forward and heavily kicked Hubert''s butt. Hubert was unable to block the kick and fell from the ring embarrassingly. Naturally, it was counted as his loss.


    After taking care of Hubert, Joey seemed to gain some courage and this time, he didn''t hide anymore and directly charged towards the enemy like a fighter.


    Seeing Hubert''s loss, that person fell into panic and didn''t know how to react when facing Joey''s attack. In the end, Joey also kicked him out of the ring and ended the battle.


    The outcome turned out to be good, but when Joey came down from the ring, he wore an awkward smile on his face.


    Even though he managed to escape by seizing opportunities in the previously chaotic situation and defeated the remaining two, but his performance was still very pitiful. Randolf and the others wanted to comfort him, but they couldn''t. Because everyone could see the scene from before; although he managed to win the fight, it was obvious that he made several mistakes because of his indecisiveness. Rhode was clear from the beginning to the end; if Joey didn''t make an opportunity that led to Hubert''s mistake, he would have lost. Rhode was sure that if Joey fought once again, the result wouldn''t be as good as now.


    "Leader, I�� I passed right?"


    Perhaps Joey noticed his own mistake; after going down from the stage, he immediately rubbed his hands and smiled. However, hearing his question, Rhode didn''t say anything and only waved his hands.


    "Don''t try to find an excuse."


    Upon hearing this, Joey''s face turned gloomy. He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. Then, he sighed and sat down. At this time, Lapis had already prepared some potions and bandages and was about to bandage his wounds. The voices around him were no longer as unified as before; the feedback was mixed. Some were cheering and some were mocking him, and it was unusually noisy around them. It was no wonder that most of the spectators felt that way. They expected a lot after watching the first battle. Although Lize''s battle was somewhat inexplicable, seeing that she was a beautiful, innocent girl, they didn''t make things difficult for her. However, Joey was different; he wasn''t handsome or strong. Although he still won, his pitiful performance from before still made them subconsciously think that Starlight had barely won. They needed to fight perfectly or else the spectators wouldn''t be satisfied.


    "Starlight is just so-so."


    "He fought so poorly. As expected of a Thief; no courage at all. The girls are far stronger! What''s the point of hiding all day?"


    "Just look at his face��"


    These words could be heard everywhere. Joey lowered his head and his expression couldn''t be seen. It was clear that he couldn''t accept such an evaluation. Indeed, he didn''t fight perfectly, but he still won, right? Was there anything more important than winning? Wasn''t the fact that he could defeat five elites at the same time enough to prove his strength?


    Joey''s heart was full of grievances, and he wanted to refute those sarcastic words, but he also didn''t know what to say. In the end, he said nothing and chose to remain silent.


    Because in his opinion, there was no point in saying anything right now.


    That being the case, then it would be better to say nothing.


    Rhode didn''t even look at Joey as if he were a loser, not a winner. He didn''t even turn his head and just stretched out his hand and made a hand gesture towards Randolf. Soon, Randolf stood up. Although he wanted to say something to Rhode, after seeing Rhode''s expression, he decided not to say anything. But from the looks of it, Rhode didn''t care about that. After Randolf stood in front of him, Rhode nodded at him.


    "It''s your turn."


    After listening to his words, Randolf didn''t prepare anything and stepped into the ring. However, this time, the situation was a bit unexpected.


    Even though Hubert had lost, the remaining two teams used the same method as him. At this moment, there were three mercenaries on the stage. Just like Hubert, they said that they weren''t a match against Starlight, so they wanted to fight together. They also thought that it was very difficult to win against Starlight single-handedly. Although the spectators thought that Joey''s performance was pitiful and embarrassing, the fact that it was a 5 vs. 1 battle couldn''t change. That''s why these elites decided to throw their original discomfort and pride. They began to accept the gap between them and Starlight and play shamelessly.


    In their opinion, even if they lost, there were others who would share the same mockery. At least, it was better than fighting alone pitifully and getting mocked by everyone.


    Also, by fighting this way, the odds were greater. Just look at Hubert��didn''t he nearly succeed?


    However, these elites didn''t have the ability to command five people at the same time like Hubert. So after they discussed it, they decided to let the three weaker mercenaries to go first, while the stronger two were responsible for suppressing the opponent from both sides. Seeing their attitude, Rhode didn''t seem to have any protests. If it were just a regular match, then it would be strictly limited to a 1 on 1 battle. However, the challenge match was relatively loose, and as long as both sides agreed, then even 1 vs. 10 was allowed. Now, Randolf''s opponents would be the three of them. Clearly, the situation was somewhat unfavorable for him. Randolf didn''t mean to have stage fright, but he hesitated for a while. In the end, he still agreed and walked towards the ring.


    "L-leader, is it really okay like this?"


    Lapis looked at the ring with a worried expression. Although they were not siblings by blood, Lapis had always regarded Randolf as her brother. Naturally, she was worried for him now.


    However, Rhode didn''t answer Lapis''s question and continued to focus on the ring.


    The fourth match finally began. 1 vs. 3 was very unfavorable for a Ranger because Rangers were similar to Thieves. They were better at long-range attacks than melee attacks. If a Thief was like an Assassin, then a Ranger was like a sniper lurking in the forest, hiding in the dense jungle and aiming from afar. An arrow that suddenly appeared from nowhere was enough to scare off most enemies. No matter how strong the enemy was, they were not so strong when a Ranger was in the forest. Many times, even if they tried their best, it was still difficult to find the Ranger.


    However, the current situation was different. In this ring, there was no place to cover him up, and the magical cloak that was able to change color based on environment was already given to Joey. That was why it would be very difficult for him to face the enemy. Not to mention, to avoid any accidents in the ring, he had already turned all his arrow shafts before the battle, making it less lethal and reducing the danger for the enemy. If the opponent forcefully went up against those arrows to come into close contact with the Ranger, then the situation would be really bad. Those mercenaries were obviously aware of this. Randolf noticed that they were wearing standard mercenary clothing. They held a shield in their left hand and a sword in their right. If they got close to him, then they would greatly suppress him.


    If this were the previous Randolf, then he wouldn''t even have the confidence to fight with one of them, not to mention three. But now, he wasn''t not as powerless as before.


    Looking at the three mercenaries before him, he stayed silent. His left hand held the longbow while his right hand hung at the waist, as if he was holding something. Soon, Randolf moved his finger and an arrow slid into his hands. Looking carefully, it didn''t seem to be any different from his usual arrow. There were several loops in the twine around the arrow, but its purpose was unknown.


    Followed by the sound of a horn, the three mercenaries immediately made preparations.


    Judging from their gestures, it could be seen that the three of them had planned something beforehand. As soon as they heard the horn, they immediately scattered while raising their shields and rushed towards Randolf. Clearly, they wanted to use this method to break down his focus and get closer to him. If they succeeded, Randolf would definitely lose.


    At this moment, Randolf raised his bow. He took three arrows and aimed towards the opponent that on the left side. Soon, the three arrows flew towards its target.


    The three of them had certainly made preparations to face Randolf''s attack. They were waiting for this moment. The mercenary on the left quickly slowed down his movement, trying to make Randolf focus on him so the other two could limit Randolf''s movement.


    However, he didn''t expect Randolf to shoot those three arrows without even looking at him. Randolf immediately turned around and aimed towards another person.


    What happened? Isn''t he afraid that something might go wrong?


    Seeing Randolf''s strange counterattack, the other two people were surprised too. Especially the mercenary that Randolf was aiming for��he immediately stopped moving to cover himself with his shield.


    Are these three arrows just a bluff, and this is the real one?


    Unexpectedly, when he raised his shield, the situation wasn''t as he had expected. There was no sound of an arrow passing by or hitting his shield. What was going on?


    The mercenary who had lost his target fell into panic. He didn''t know what happened. However, at this moment, the spectator exclamations could be heard.


    The mercenary was not be able to see the situation clearly because his line of sight had been blocked by the shield. However, spectators could see everything clearly. This time, Randolf had shot a total of six arrows and none hit a target. They weren''t even aimed towards them and just mysteriously flew towards other places where they couldn''t even see.


    This did not seem to be the skill of an ordinary mercenary. Even an ordinary mercenary''s archery skill was not as bad as this.


    The crowd was laughing at him for being useless and having a low archery skill. However, the mercenaries had a serious expression on their faces. After seeing that battle with Starlight, they knew that they were not easy to deal with. Even though this Ranger didn''t have good archery skills, who knew what might happen? Perhaps it was a new battle technique or even a trap?


    Randolf shot out six arrows continuously, but already reached his limit. The ring was so big and his opponents'' speed was not slow. Soon, a mercenary had arrived before him and swung his sword towards him.


    Randolf''s response was also very unexpected. Facing his opponent attack, he only rolled back and dodged. Then, he immediately turned around and charged towards his opponent.


    What the hell is happening?


    Seeing Randolf''s abnormal behavior, the mercenary was surprised. Although Randolf was not a threat towards him, for the sake of insurance, he still placed his shield on his chest while subconsciously stepping back.


    At this moment, Randolf took something out of a small bag and threw it.


    Soon, a white smoke spread out, and the two men were wrapped in it.


    "Quickly attack!"


    Seeing that both of them were being attacked, they were surprised. They didn''t know what Randolf was trying to do, but they knew that the situation was bad.


    When Randolf rushed over in the smoke, they also made up their minds and rushed towards Randolf.


    "Ouch!!"


    At this time, a mercenary suddenly fell heavily to the ground. This sudden fall made him subconsciously cry out. He hurriedly lowered his head to see what was going on. After he saw his feet, he was shocked. Currently, his leg was firmly tied by a rope. When he looked up, he finally realized that his surroundings were filled with arrows and ropes.


    I see!


    The mercenary finally realized the meaning behind Randolf''s attacks. He had no intention to attack them in the first place. Instead, he was shooting arrows to set up a trap for them. He was shooting at the areas where they most likely would move. When the arrows hit the ground, these special rope traps were immediately scattered.


    Since they were not physically attacked, they naturally would not pay attention to the arrows whereabouts. Not to mention the color of these ropes was very deep and very similar to the color of the ring. If they didn''t look carefully, no one would be able to notice it. Therefore, they were unaware that they had fallen into a trap.


    "Be careful; there are traps!!"


    His reactions were fast. He quickly reminded the other two mercenaries.


    But at this moment, Randolf once again took something out of the small bag.

 Chapter 276 Warm-up Match 15

    In the Dragon Soul Continent, there were four jobs that were called ''King of Control'': Mage, Thief, Ranger, and Cleric. Mages were famous for their strong field control ability,. In the 1 vs. 1 battle, Clerics and Thieves were also considered ruthless opponents. As for Rangers, they were between the two. Rangers had a certain degree of control skills and could also be quite threatening in 1 vs.1 battles. Because of that, Rangers were somewhat lacking in both. Rangers usually specialized in walking through the forest, so traps were naturally one of the skills that they excelled at. However, a Ranger''s trap needed to be modified because although it worked just fine in the forest, it was impossible to set up such a trap in the ring. There was no way that the opponent would let him finish setting up a trap first. That was why a Ranger had to be highly adaptable and have the skill to improvise.


    However, what needed wasn''t just skill.


    Bang!!


    Accompanied by the loud noise, the packet that Randolf threw exploded in midair. Soon, a cloud of white smoke erupted from it and enveloped half the ring.


    Facing this sudden situation, the mercenaries immediately formed a defensive formation and quickly retreated backward, trying to get away from the smoke.


    However, Randolf obviously did not intend to give them such a chance.


    "Left�� Center�� Right��"


    As he muttered, he stretched out his hand to take out an arrow. Looking closely, it could be seen that the arrow was not the same as the ones from before.


    Swoosh!!


    Inside the smoke, a noise broke the silence.


    Hearing this sound, the three mercenaries who were retreating quickly lifted their shields. They were not stupid; seeing that Randolf was using the same technique twice, they had already guessed that he apparently intended to win through blind warfare. The smoke had a peculiar pungent smell, but it was not poisonous. However, it obviously blocked their view. Once they took a few steps back, they wouldn''t be able to see anything from the front. Although such a situation might affect a Ranger''s aim, Rangers who inherited an elf bloodline or were born with superb hearing abilities were able to determine the target''s location just by sound. They were even able to see through the obstacles ahead by using their ears. It was really incredible since their eyes were clearly closed. It was as if they were clairvoyant.


    Perhaps this Ranger was one of them. Considering this point, the three of them didn''t know what to do. They slowed down their pace and began to think whether it was okay for them to continue to dodge. If the other side was really a ''wind follower'', even if they walked out of the fog, they would still be beaten up by him. There was only one way: continue to move forward, suppress the Ranger''s attack range, get closer to him, and finish him.


    They finally realized that this fog wasn''t normal smoke. Normal smoke would gradually disperse after a few minutes, but this smoke had been there for the past five minutes with no sign of disappearing. Obviously, it was not normal. Randolf, who was hiding in the smoke, placed his hand against the small bag on his waist and a hint of smile could be seen on his face


    To a Ranger, equipment and skill were equally important or perhaps even more important because Rangers had to rely on equipment to control the surroundings. Traps and various "hidden weapons" were essential to them. Randolf''s smoke-bombs and arrows that could turn into rope trap were created by Lapis.


    After returning from Unicorn Peak, she began to study the knowledge she had gained from the ruins. It was not difficult for her to absorb knowledge since she was an alchemist elf. Moreover, her current alchemy ability had reached MAX level. If not because she was still lacking in material, she would already be able to create magical equipment.


    But there was a saying: even if one didn''t cook the rice, it didn''t mean that one couldn''t eat it. Indeed, because there was no precious magic material, Lapis was unable to make powerful weapons of mass destruction. However, something like this was nothing to her. At this moment, the smoke bombs used by Randolph, as well as the traps and arrows, were props and equipment that Lapis had made. Of course, for Lapis, this competition was also a good opportunity to experiment with the equipment that she had created.


    Now, it looked like it had worked out well.


    Looking at the thick smoke in front of him, Randolf nodded in satisfaction. In addition to its somewhat pungent smell, the effect of this smoke bomb had completely surpassed the level of ordinary smoke bombs. Next�� let''s see how the other equipment works.


    Thinking this, Randolf reached out and drew an arrow. Soon, three dim, blue arrows slid from his fingers and flew out. The three arrows quickly drowned in the smoke and disappeared.


    Another noise broke out again.


    A mercenary was cautiously heading over towards him. He hurriedly raised his shield and stopped. His countless battle experience told him that the situation had changed. Sure enough, as he lifted the shield, a heavy collision noise came from the surface of the shield, and the impact caused his body to stagger.


    However, this was not the end. Soon, he was surprised to feel cold energy flash through him.


    What happened?


    The cold energy seemed to be alive and invaded his palm. This caused him to scream and he instinctively threw away the round shield in his hands. The shocked mercenary discovered that the surface of the thick, rough round shield was now covered with a thick layer of frost and was spreading at a speed visible to the naked eye. Even though the shield had been thrown away, the white frost didn''t stop spreading. It spread along the edge of the shield and formed a semi-transparent ice. Finally, it stopped after freezing the entire shield. The little frost fell from the air and blend in with the dense, white smoke. It looked very beautiful.


    However, the mercenary who witnessed this scene was extremely scared. He knew what would have happened if he didn''t let go of the shield; not only would his shield freeze, but his arms would likely suffer the same treatment.


    What the hell is this kid is doing!


    Seeing the scene in front of him, he finally stopped and started thinking about whether he should move on. This powerful magic arrow could not be easily avoided; he might be able to escape once, but could he escape the second time?


    Without waiting for the poor mercenary to make a decision, another arrow flew out like a serpent from the thick smoke. Although it was very fast, it wasn''t difficult for an elite member of a mercenary group to block it with his weapon. So facing such an attack, the mercenary did not really pay special attention. He just leaned over and brandished his long sword. He accurately blocked the arrow that flew towards his shoulder and deflected it. Afterwards, the mercenary threw out his long sword in fear. Because after his sword came in contact with the arrow, it was immediately frozen. In a blink of an eye, the original sharp sword was frozen. If he didn''t react in a timely manner and hurriedly throw his sword away, the same would have happened to his hands.


    How were they going to fight?


    The empty-handed mercenary stood helplessly inside the thick smoke. He was looking at the frozen sword and shield before him and both of his hands. Were they going to be the next sacrifice?


    What a joke! This is just a warm-up battle, and I definitely won''t sacrifice my own body just for this!


    Thinking of this, he quickly made a resolute decision.


    Run!!


    For spectators, this battle was simply boring to the extreme. Except during the first round, the trio confronted one another. Afterward, everything was shrouded in the smoke and nothing could be seen. The people in the colosseum could only watch the thick fog and no one knew what was happening. Those who had long lost their patience started shouting and complaining. However, it was totally unhelpful to the situation inside the smoke.


    As these people almost fell asleep due to boredom, the smoke suddenly shifted. This made them immediately get spirited and sit upright while staring at the thick smoke. They were waiting for something to happen.


    This time, their expectations didn''t turn into disappointment.


    Soon, the crowd saw a mercenary running out of the smoke with a frightened expression. He waved his hands vigorously while rushing out of the smoke without hesitation. Then, he jumped down the ring and yelled, "I admit defeat! I admit defeat!!"


    After he finished saying this statement to the members of the Mercenary Association who served as referees, the mercenary did not return directly to the post and quickly disappeared. Behind him, the people were completely speechless and did not know what to say. What happened inside? Why did this guy run away as if he had seen a ghost?


    Everyone''s curiosity was immediately sparked again.

 Chapter 277 Warm-up Match 16

    That mercenary was not the only one who made such a move. Soon, the crowd saw the remaining two mercenaries also run out of the smoke and scrambling to jump out of the ring. They chose to forfeit and surrender. Unlike those who previously chose to surrender because of their incompetence, these mercenaries behaved so positively as if they were going to seize victory. Even more puzzling was that they did not say a word and quickly ran away without a trace. They didn''t even give the others the chance to laugh at them.


    Not only were spectators surprised, but even Rhode was too. He knew that Randolf was going to experiment with his new equipment, but everything escalated so fast that it was beyond his expectations. In fact, Rhode even had some doubts because judging by the faces of those three mercenaries, they were not hurt at all. The equipment that Lapis made was supposed to not have any effect towards one''s mentality, but the three of them actually surrendered so quickly.


    With this in mind, Rhode frowned, then he turned around towards Lapis and asked, "Is the thing you made so powerful?"


    Upon hearing Rhode''s question, Lapis carefully stood up and stared at the scene in the ring with an uncertain expression. Then, she thought for a moment and shook her head.


    "It''s definitely quite powerful�� but I limited the danger so it shouldn''t be life-threatening."


    When Rhode heard the answer, he was even more puzzled. He looked at the smoke and couldn''t figure out what had happened. It was no wonder; although Rhode had transmigrated here for several months, but his perspective was still that of a player''s. It was just like how he didn''t hesitate to stand on the front lines to reduce casualties and give the mercenary group a higher chance of survival. He believed that only he could minimize the danger and this was also why his men respected and loved him. However, unlike from what Rhode had thought, this action not only made his men respect him, but also his courage. Standing on the front lines was nothing for him, but the mercenaries had a lot of things to consider. Death? This problem was not big; there were a lot of mercenaries who died during a mission, but what if they got hurt? Or lost their limbs because of an injury? What would they do after that? These mercenaries relied on their body to earn money; if they died, then so it be. After all, dead people had no need to spend money. But if they were still alive without hands or legs, how would they survive and eat? They had no ability to make money anymore; they could only live like a common homeless person or a starving beggar in the streets and live in poverty. That''s why mercenaries really cherished their body. However, for a player like Rhode, he never really thought about similar problems. Injury, or even losing limbs��these kinds of ''problems'' had long been abandoned by players after experiencing countless deaths. So, when Rhode stood on the front lines and faced the danger, there was no "What if my limbs were severed? How would I live in the future?"


    But for these mercenaries, it was a very common thing. They could accept it if they were injured in a dangerous task, but getting injured in this meaningless warm-up match? Moreover, in this challenge match, if the opponent wasn''t dead, then the other party wouldn''t be responsible for it. That''s why it was impossible to get any compensation; they could only blame their bad luck��


    In that case, it would be natural for the three to give up the match. They were the elites of a mercenary group; why would they sacrifice their arms and legs for such a meaningless battle?


    Because of the difference in perspectives between them and Rhode, Rhode was unable to understand the reason they gave up. In his opinion, the challenge match should be dramatic; the opponent should be hit until they were unconscious. And for him, this was a very ''realistic'' thing to consider.


    Indeed, even if a player was beaten to a vegetative state in the ring, he would still turn back into a normal person afterwards. However, he forgot to consider that such a system didn''t exist in reality��


    And this match had ended inexplicably. The remaining two mercenaries were distraught by the previous three. They didn''t understand; those three people obviously did not suffer any injuries, but they still chose to give up. Although it was indeed strange, but after seeing the previous battle, they found out that the rest of Starlight was also strong. That''s why they had long lost the idea of fighting back and chose to forfeit.


    Therefore, Randolf become the second person who wasn''t able to complete a 1 vs. 5 battle. But Randolf hadn''t even done anything yet.


    Rhode was very dissatisfied with such a result. Originally, he thought that the other party would bring out their full power and desperately try to suppress themselves. Under such pressure, naturally, they would be able to expose his subordinates'' problems. But now, it seemed like the other side was not made up of fools. After all, this was not the Midsummer Festival, where they could instantly rise to fame after victory. This battle had no pressure and no benefits; that''s why unless they saw a chance to win, it was better for them to forfeit. That was certainly different from what Rhode had expected. But what could he do? It was not like he could force the other side to fight seriously as if this was a formal battle.


    Rhode finally realized that he had been a little thoughtless about this, but he had no way to change the situation. Lapis immediately pulled Randolf in as he came down. She began to question the use of his equipment and no longer said anything to Rhode. Rhode was thinking; since the other party forfeited so adamantly, would there be a need to fight the next battle?


    He hadn''t yet thought about the answer when he could already feel a gust of wind blow towards his ear. He subconsciously looked up and found that Anne, who had already been waiting, directly jumped into the ring. She was holding a fine gold shield in one hand, and her other hand was placed on her hips. She looked up aggressively to watch the people in front of her.


    "Boring, boring, boring! Finally, it''s Anne''s turn! What are you guys waiting for? Coming one by one is too troublesome! Come on, attack together! Anne isn''t afraid of you guys!"


    It seemed that she had been suppressing herself for a long time. She finished that sentence in one go, then smashed her heavy shield to the ground. Followed by the thumping sound, she tilted her head and looked at her opponents with excitement. Seeing Anne''s attitude, those five elites were a little dissatisfied. The two-handed swordsman frowned and coldly snorted.


    "Girl, don''t speak nonsense. You think that just by your ability, you could defeat the five of us?"


    "Is that not the case?"


    Hearing the two-handed swordsman''s question, Anne didn''t back down. Instead, she carefully observed the five people before her, crossed her hands, and asked. "From what Anne has seen, you guys seem to be weak�� Even if you guys attack together, Anne will still be able to handle it."


    "��"


    Hearing Anne''s words, the mercenaries'' complexions turned dark.


    Such confidence. Did she really think that she could defeat the five of them? Did she think that she was a mage?


    "I advise you to be careful when you speak, Miss Anne."


    The two-handed swordsman''s face was still and serious, but his tone was very cold.


    "Giving your opponent respect is very important for mercenaries. Or did the Mark White mercenary group''s former leader forget to teach you that?"


    "Of course he taught Anne."


    Although the two-handed swordsman had said it in a mocking tone, Anne did not seem to be bothered by it. She only nodded, then looked at the five of them with a puzzled expression.


    "What Anne should respect is Anne''s opponent, right? But in Anne''s opinion, you guys don''t have the strength to be Annie''s opponent."


    "��"


    Hearing this sentence, the two-handed swordsman could no longer contain his anger. And it wasn''t just him; the four behind him were also very angry. If Anne talked with a ridiculing expression, then they would not be so angry because at most they would only think of it as a provocation. However, the way Anne said it didn''t seem as if she was deliberately provoking them. Her expression was unusually serious. It looked like she really did think so. To the five of them, she was completely ridiculing them and didn''t even put them in her eye!!


    "Very well."


    The two-handed swordsman waved his hand and the five of them jumped into the ring.


    "Then let''s see if we are qualified to be your opponent!"

 Chapter 278 Warm-up Match 17

    Rhode found that arranging for Anne to be the last contestant was a mistake.


    As the MT, Anne''s ability to pull aggro had reached MAX. Originally, Rhode had seen that those people had no intention to fight, but after hearing Anne''s words, those people immediately brimmed with anger.


    Moreover, Anne was not being provocative. In her opinion, what she said was factual.


    But sometimes, the truth hurt more��


    If he knew that Anne''s natural sarcasm was so lethal, it would have been better if he had just put her first. Just by hearing her few words, those mercenaries would definitely be angered and want to knock them dead. Then, they wouldn''t be so wimpy like before.


    Unfortunately, there was no use in regretting it now.


    As Rhode shook his head in regret, the battle in the ring had already begun.


    Unlike previous teams, the strength of these people was clearly stronger than the people from before��that''s why they were placed last. Among these five people, almost all were from a top 10 mercenary group in Paphield. The two-handed swordsman was a mercenary from Burning Blade, the Thief was from Dark Fang. As for the other three, they came from Mark White, Blue Bird, and Sky Sword. Although those three weren''t as strong as Burning Blade or Dark Fang, they were still the best of the best in the Paphield region. Because of this, they were more aggressive than lower ranked mercenary groups. Originally, because of continuous failure, they had somewhat lost their confidence.


    However, after hearing Anne''s words, they immediately flew in with rage!!


    They just defeated a bunch of third-rate mercenaries; what is there to be proud of? They aren''t even qualified to be a regular in our mercenary group, and now this little brat is actually comparing us to that bunch of idiots?! How can this be tolerated?


    For Anne, who was too excited to fight, her opponent''s anger was but a trival matter. Rhode had let her wait for four matches while only letting her watch the others win. She had suppressed herself for so long and finally, it was her turn. She immediately felt excited. She only wanted to vent the raging flame inside her. As for what the other side was thinking about, did she ever care about that?


    Because of this, the two sides immediately collided like Mars and Earth. The first one to launch an attack was the two-handed swordsman. He was provoked by Anne and immediately shouted and rushed forward. His sturdy body and his solid muscle could be seen. He lifted his giant of a sword and swung it towards Anne. The wind and the air pressure squeezed both sides like a wave. The strong wind even made the other four people subconsciously retreat. This showed just how powerful that strike was.


    However, facing this attack, Anne didn''t seem to plan to dodge it. She shouted and lifted her shield in order to protect her head. At the same time, that giant sword heavily collided with the fine gold shield.


    Boom!!


    The deafening noise echoed through the entire colosseum. The slate under Anne''s feet instantly cracked and the cracks quickly spread around the ring. Not long after, it created a gap more than half a meter wide. Even so, the two of them didn''t seem to retreat. Anne clenched her teeth and forcibly lifted her hands up high. On the other hand, the two-handed swordsman''s face was flushing red. He swung his sword down on the shield again. Sparks ignited on the surface of the shield, accompanied by a squealing noise. However, neither retreated!


    To the spectators, the scene before them was unbelievable. Anne was not short, but she still was young and slender. Even if she were two meters tall, facing an angry and sturdy double-handed swordsman who had activated a savage''s fury made the difference extremely stark. It was a like a world-famous model and Mr. Olympia standing on the same stage. The stark contrast made one feel like it was beauty and the beast. Just one look at it left one''s eyes burning.


    In everyone''s eyes, Anne, who was holding the shield, could be crushed by the giant sword at any time. Her body was slowly shrinking and bending, which made many spectators feel frightened and shocked. Before, they were extremely bored because of uninteresting battles, but now, they could feel the tense stimulation of the scene before them. They widened their eyes and focused on the ring. Some people even stood up and clenched their fists as they watched the two of them struggle. It was as if Anne was going to be crushed to a pulp soon!


    At this moment, Anne suddenly launched a counterattack.


    As she bent down, Anne abruptly straightened her body like a spring. Then she shouted, and following her cry, the shield in her hand was also lifted up. The struggle between them finally came to an end!


    Clang!!!


    Accompanied by this dreary sound, the sword in the hands of the two-handed swordsman flew to the side. The impact made the swordsman''s body stagger. Apparently, Anne didn''t stop there. Instead, she suddenly jumped up and rushed to the opponent while holding her shield.


    "Ah!!"


    Seeing this scene, everyone couldn''t help but scream. They didn''t expect that this slender girl would actually block the sturdy man''s attack. Moreover, she immediately attacked after gaining the upper hand!


    This was a match not a life-and-death battle!


    The two-handed swordsman was still hanging on the side. However, the fine gold shield had already arrived before him. The two-handed swordsman didn''t panic. As an elite mercenary from Burning Blade, of course he had a way to take care of this problem. That''s why he didn''t dodge and instead brandished his sword!


    The sword that was hanging aside returned to its owner and heavily knocked against Anne''s fine gold shield. However, it didn''t change Anne''s intention to attack. Facing the opponent''s attack, she flexibly rolled to the ground and slid to the side in order to break the impact of the swordsman''s attack. She hadn''t yet stood firm when she immediately jumped again. This time, she held the shield single-handedly while circling around in the air. Then, she swung her shield and forcefully slammed it down.


    "Boom!"


    The fine gold shield didn''t manage to slam down its target because, at that moment, the two-handed swordsman had jumped and dodged Anne''s attack. However, it didn''t mean that he wasn''t harmed, because when Anne slammed her shield against the slate, the impact she caused was no less than that the swordsman''s previous attack. Followed by spectator exclamation, the originally hard ground had a one meter deep and three meters wide hole!


    The gravel scattered around the air and hindered their movement because they had to avoid it. Even the referee from the Mercenary Association also needed to jump down from the ring in order to avoid this terrible attack.


    The two-handed swordsman was also unable to block such a powerful impact. Although he lifted his giant sword in time to block it, it simply unable to withstand such a barbaric force. The gravel left some flesh wounds on him. Even though they were not heavy injuries, the bloody wounds made him looked frightening.


    "Attack together!"


    Seeing that their comrades were attacked, the other four naturally didn''t stand still and immediately responded. Before, they were unable to interfere with their battle because the fight was too intense. They collided with each other like tornadoes, and so the others didn''t have the chance to butt in. They even felt that if they forced themselves to join the battle, they might get mercilessly torn them apart.


    But now, seeing that their comrades had been attacked, they wouldn''t just sit still. Soon, the Thief from Dark Fang quickly shouted. As the others heard him, they quickly responded and surrounded Anne. At this moment, the elites from the top mercenary group showed off their skills. Unlike the third-rate mercenaries from before, they were not overwhelmed. To the contrary, they worked together to find a loophole in the battle by using their strength and experience.


    Soon, they began to attack.


    When Anne stopped moving, a gust of wind echoed behind her. The Thief moved like a shadow, aiming his dagger at Anne''s back. At the same time, the other two mercenaries also took out a sword and attacked Anne from two sides. Not only that, the two-handed swordsman once again swung his sword to attack.


    At this moment, Anne was completely surrounded on all four sides.


    If it were the others, facing such a situation, they wouldn''t know what to do. Although it was their first time fighting together, their strength and experience made up for their lack of familiarity with each other.


    This time, Anne was facing five enemies at once. Even the one mercenary who didn''t rush in was shooting arrows at Anne. Obviously, he intended to disrupt her attack.


    Facing such a scene, there was almost no hope for a comeback.


    But Anne didn''t care.


    To the contrary, she felt even more excited.


    Good, things have just gotten more interesting!


    At this moment, even though Anne was surrounded, she still held her heavy shield in her left hand, while her right hand slightly touched the shield''s surface. Followed by a sound, the shield opened up like a flower blooming. The shield transformed into something they didn''t expect.


    Accompanied by Anne''s hand movement, the shield split apart into two shields. As the shield was transforming, Anne suddenly jumped back and welcomed the Thief''s surprise attack!


    I got her!


    Seeing Anne was taking the initiative to attack him, the Thief thought his attack would succeed and swung the dagger in his right hand without hesitation. It almost hit Anne''s head. In fact, he knew very well that the attack from both sides was a feint, and only his and the two-handed swordsman''s attacks were real. After she just completed a powerful blow, her strength should not have returned, so now was the best time to take her life!


    But at this time, a dark shield suddenly appeared in front of the Thief.


    What is it?


    Perhaps this shield appeared too suddenly, so the Thief was unable to react in time. He stared at the black flower patterned shield in front of him. He even thought of something that was completely unrelated to the fight.


    But before he found the answer, the cold, hard, and heavy shield had hit him in the face.

 Chapter 279 Warm-up Match END

    The shield was a weapon only shield warriors could use and also the proof of a qualified shield warrior. Not everyone could use such a weapon, and the fine gold shield itself was not cheap, and its structure was quite complex. In addition, there were more than ten layers with a variety of combinations to strengthen the shield besides the inner and outer layer. The shield''s strength also depended on this factor. The more layers one mastered, the more powerful one was. Even though the fine shield appeared like an ordinary shield, it was actually a combination of many shields. Different parts would be used in different occasions. One must be fastidious and could not charge forward without thinking. Not just NPCs��even a lot of players couldn''t do this. Because of the fine shield, the shield warrior became a job that racked one''s brain. If one was unable to transform the shield into the right form to deal with the enemy at the right time, it wouldn''t be efficient. Not to mention, a shield warrior had no weapon, which was why they had to learn how to use the shield correctly in order to fight.


    This was also the reason why players rarely chose shield warrior as their job. They would rather choose to become a knight, which was more ordinary, but at least a knight held a sword in his hand. It would be easier for them fight as opposed to fiddling with a shield and changing the form wrongly.


    Because of that, there were not many players who chose to be a warrior shield, and even fewer top shield warriors. However, a top shield warrior player was everyone''s nightmare. If they could skillfully grasp the fine gold shield''s various switching patterns, they would be able to use offense and defense at the same time. It was impossible for ordinary people to break their defense!


    The Thief from Dark Fang didn''t know what was going on, but spectators could see it clearly. Just as Anne jumped back, the shield in her left hand split out and flew back. It was really fast and hit the Thief in the face. Not only that, when it smashed the Thief, Anne took hold of the chain and smashed it to the side. Along with her movements, the extended shield moved like a meteor hammer, whistling to the side.


    The mercenaries who were trying to attack Anne from both sides were actually a feint and had no intention to attack her from the start. They were only trying to attract Anne''s attention to provide opportunities for the Thief. Seeing the Thief had failed, they immediately chose to retreat. However, they didn''t expect Anne''s movement to be so fast. She didn''t wait until they retreated; the heavy shield had already arrived before them.


    They were not as confident as before. As experienced mercenaries, they knew that the impact of this ''meteor hammer'' wasn''t small. Although Anne looked slender and weak, but after seeing that she was able to fight head-on with the two-handed barbarian swordsman from before and even break the surface of the ring, no one doubted her strength��


    Holy Spirit, even Marlene''s earth-shattering magic did not destroy this ring!


    Although this ring was old, it was still very durable. This round, broad ring was made of bluestone granite using the skills of the dwarves. It could even be said that it was very difficult for an ordinary attack to leave traces on it.


    However, Anne''s two attacks almost broke this ring apart. Now, the ring had barely maintained its form. However, to spectators, the ring was already really fragile; just a little bit more and it would be torn apart.


    The swordsman was certainly not an idiot to attack her directly, but he still underestimated Anne''s strength.


    The heavy shield had reached his side faster than he had expected, and when he heard the gust of the wind, the heavy shield was already beside him. It was too late for him to dodge, and the swordsman could only clench his teeth and brandish his sword, trying to withstand this attack.


    But he failed.


    Anne had been aware of the situation in her surroundings. Although she looked fiery and hot-blooded, she wasn''t the least bit stupid. It wasn''t like she was not aware that she which she was surrounded by four people. Of course, she had also considered a way to solve it.


    The scene in the ring left spectators in awe.


    They only saw Anne quickly jump behind when facing an attack from four sides. After that, the shield on her hand suddenly divided in two. One shield flew behind her and knocked out the Thief. Followed by her hand movements, the two shields then flew to the two sides and sent both swordsmen flying!


    That''s right, flying. In the spectator''s eyes, those two swordsmen were just weightless puppets blown by the wind. They rolled on the ground, unable to stand up. If the ring was still intact, then they wouldn''t have gotten hurt this badly, but since the ring had been destroyed by Anne and was full of gravels, they were hurt more. Moreover, Anne''s strength was a lot stronger than everyone had expected. After they came in contact with the heavy shield, it was as if they had been punched heavily in the chest. They even lost their consciousness and couldn''t breathe. Not only that, one of them fell into the mercenary that had been shooting arrows. Their condition was extremely pitiful; even spectators didn''t know what to say.


    Although it felt long, only one moment had actually passed. In a blink of an eye, three of the four people who surrounded Anne had been knocked down. Although the two-handed barbarian swordsman''s speed wasn''t slow, he was unable to find a chance. When he swung his sword once again, the fine shield in Anne''s hand assembled back and blocked his attack.


    But this time, things were different.


    Kacha.


    The sound of a ringing machine echoed. Just when the fine gold shield and the giant sword collided, the originally flat shield immediately split into several pieces and looked as if it had completely failed to withstand the two-handed barbarian swordsman''s attack. However, the swordsman noticed that the situation was bad. A powerful force emerged from the shield and gripped his giant sword


    Not good!


    Just as he was aware of it, he shouted and once again mustered his strength to forcibly draw back the sword.


    He did it.


    The giant sword had finally been drawn out from the shield, but at the same time, Anne used this opportunity to jump up. She transformed her shield back into one piece and charged forward once again.


    This time, the two-handed barbarian swordsman was unable to dodge Anne''s attack. He left a lot of openings as he swung his sword and was unable to make any flexible moves. Facing Anne''s attack, the two-handed barbarian swordsman had to grit his teeth and rely on his own solid body to resist it.


    Thump!!


    Under the spectators'' eyes, Anne''s shield heavily smashed into his chest.


    Followed by this terrifying blow, he staggered. His knees felt weak and were unable to withstand this huge impact. Finally, he fell to the ground. Anne turned around and waved her shield, then she immediately shouted loudly to her challengers.


    "Come again! I haven''t had enough!"


    But at this moment, no one was able to respond to her words. The two-handed barbarian swordsman, naturally, had fainted on the ground, and the others were no better off. They wanted to fight by relying on their own skills, but they did not expect this slim and slender maiden to have a barbarian''s power. This powerful force had overwhelmed them before they even had the time to show off their skills. Now they could only feel pain as they rolled on the ground. They couldn''t even stand up, let alone fight. Not to mention, seeing her reaction, she totally thought of this as a game?!


    They were unwilling to yield and wanted to stand up. However, their bodies were completely paralyzed. Anne''s skills were not outstanding, but her powerful strength and understanding of her heavy shield were much superior. These mercenaries were no match for her.


    Until this time, Rhode, who had been focusing on the ring all the time, finally sighed in relief.


    The battle was finally over.

 Chapter 280 Incomplete Preparation

    For Rhode, this warm-up battle unexpectedly ended in both failure and success. It was successful in that it made other mercenary groups recognize their strength and let Anne and the others familiarize themselves with competition atmosphere. Through this battle, no one dared to judge the strength of the Starlight; they even won the battle of 1 vs. 5. What else was there to say?


    But it was also a failure because they were unable to experience the feeling of a real competition. The opponents that they were going to face at the Midsummer Festival were definitely on a whole different level than these third-rate mercenaries who immediately forfeited once they couldn''t beat the opponent. As one of the most glorious festivals in the Munn Kingdom, the Midsummer Festival was the highest stage for all mercenaries. Guilds showed their strength through this competition, while mercenary groups expanded their influence and popularity. Even ordinary mercenaries who had an outstanding performance or unique talent might could be spotted by nobles and top guilds. That''s why this competition was the best chance for any strong mercenary to change their own destiny. They would undoubtedly do anything to achieve their goals and fight desperately. It would be completely different from these warm-up matches where everyone forfeited. Rhode wondered whether his side would be able to carry on if the other side showed a strong will. As the king of the competition in the game, and the No.1 player in the Dragon Soul Continent, Rhode knew very well that in PVP, will and spirit were keys to the outcome in addition to technology and equipment. He had seen a lot of talented players with a weak mentality; in the end, they would lost. Naturally, Rhode wanted to prevent this situation from happening.


    But before that, he had something to say.


    After the end of the challenge match, the people returned to the waiting room. The heavy stone wall separated them from the lively atmosphere in the colosseum. The people who were excited about their victory had also gradually calmed down.


    At this moment, Rhode silently observed them. Anne, who had just finished her match, was naturally wearing an excited expression. Looking at her face, it seemed like she would gladly fight again. Marlene was relatively calm, only fiddling with the wand in her hand. She didn''t seem to be happy or sad. As for Lize, she had a pleasant smile on her face, like she was very satisfied with her performance. Joey was stiff-faced, seemingly expressionless and Rhode could see that he was still a little upset. Lastly, Randolf was a little agitated, but he was more restrained than the others.


    "I am satisfied with your performances, but I am also not particularly satisfied."


    When everyone heard Rhode speak, they immediately calmed down and stared at Rhode.


    However, Rhode didn''t immediately go on. He stopped for a moment and looked at them.


    "When you guys fought on the stage, I think you guys heard the spectators voices."


    Hearing this remark, their complexions slightly changed. Marlene was still looking at the wand in her hand. She was still focusing on playing with the gem on her magic wand. Anne was curious and shook her head left and right, but she stayed silent.


    "Lize."


    This time, Rhode pointed out a name.


    "What do you think about the people who called you a coward?"


    Upon hearing Rhode''s question, Lize''s complexion slightly changed. Indeed, when she was in the ring, the mercenaries were shocked by her performance and did not comment on her. However, normal people wouldn''t care whether she was a Cleric or not. They only knew that Lize''s fight wasn''t as interesting as Marlene''s and the way she fought was strange and sometimes very inexplicable. In other words, it wasn''t interesting. This caused her to be ridiculed as a ''witch'' and ''coward'' by some people on the sidelines when she walked down the ring. Of course, these harsh words made her feel uncomfortable.


    When she heard Rhode said so, she could not help it.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Rhode. I promise that next time�� It won''t happen again."


    Hearing her answer, Rhode shifted his gaze towards Joey who sat next to Lize.


    "Joey, although you faced 5 people at once and won, it doesn''t look like everyone was convinced by your victory��"


    "Of course I heard them, Sir!"


    Joey clenched his fists, and he seemed to feel even more depressed than Lize.


    "Next time, I''ll make sure that they wouldn''t be able to say anything!"


    "Randolf."


    Rhode didn''t respond to Joey''s answer and said the next name.


    "Many people think you lack skills and only relied on magic props to win. What do you think?"


    "But, but Leader, skills are also needed to use magic props��"


    Randolf hadn''t yet spoken when Lapis already defended him. It wasn''t like she didn''t hear what those spectators said. It was just that based on her personality, it was impossible for her to debate with them. So she could only endure��


    However, Rhode did not respond to Lapis''s comment. He shrugged his shoulders and then looked at Marlene.


    "Marlene, it seems like a lot of people are very dissatisfied with you being a Middle Circle mage and using your power to bully those mercenaries��"


    "So what?"


    When she heard Rhode''s remark, Marlene furrowed her brow.


    "Since they are my opponents, then I am naturally going to do my best to fight. Does it have anything to do with them?"


    "Mar, Marlene�� you''re too��"


    Hearing Marlene''s answer, Lize looked troubled, but without waiting for her to say anything, Rhode nodded in satisfaction.


    "Yes, it has nothing to do with them."


    "Mr. Rhode?"


    Lize was surprised to hear Rhode''s answer, but Rhode waved his hand and interrupted her next words.


    "Why do you guys care about what those people are saying?"


    "Eh?"


    Hearing this question, Lize and the others were surprised. For a while, they were really unable to figure out the answer�� Yes, why? Why did they have to care about what those people said?


    "Don''t get it wrong; this is your fight, not theirs''. No matter what kind of method you guys used to win, you still won. Just continue doing what you have done. It doesn''t matter what the spectators say. Indeed, they can complain that you don''t fight well and that you are relying on strong equipment to bully the opponent, but so what? Can they change the outcome just by shouting?"


    Having said that, Rhode coldly snorted.


    "Especially you, Joey. You said that you''ll make sure they won''t say anything next time. That''s totally wrong. I can assure you that even if you became the No.1 Thief on the entire Dragon Soul Continent, those people will still won''t shut up."


    "Wh-why?"


    When he heard Rhode''s remark, Joey was really puzzled.


    "It''s simple. It''s because they can''t beat you."


    Hearing Joey''s question, Rhode simply spread his hands.


    "In my hometown, there is a saying called a barking dog never bites. Do you understand? Those who really have the strength to fight with you will not do such thing. Only those who can''t beat you will struggle to pick your faults; even if there are no mistakes, they will still find something. Lize, you''re a cleric; it means that you''re a caster, so why can''t you perform as well as Marlene? Joey, you''re always hiding, why can''t you fight upright? But a Thief is not an upright job in the first place. What can you do besides hide in the shadow and sneak attack? Let me ask you then; will you be able to win if you didn''t fight that way?


    "But, we��"


    Joey tried to argue, but Rhode abruptly waved his hands.


    "You don''t have to refute my words because they''re the truth. They don''t care how a Cleric or a Thief fights. They will only pick your fault and ridicule you. They''re trying to belittle your wort, so you guys don''t really need to argue�� If I say that you guys didn''t fight upright or fight well, would you guys lose? The one who fights on the stage is you and not that bunch of idiots who know nothing but to complain. Their opinion won''t affect your victory or failure�� Unless you have been affected."


    Hearing these words, Lize and Joey couldn''t help but lower their heads. Indeed, just as Rhode said, they had been affected. In fact, before Rhode said those things, they swore to themselves that they would fight perfectly until those people had nothing to say.


    However, at this moment, Rhode''s words had slapped them in the face. What would be good by doing so? Besides receiving some cheers, there would be nothing.


    Did they need to hear cheering?


    "No, what we want is victory."


    Rhode made a conclusion.


    "In this match, you guys familiarized yourself with the atmosphere of a competition. But I have to tell you that the real challenge is the Midsummer Festival. It will be a lot more dangerous and challenging than this. You guys have to be mentally prepared because no one might cheer on you."


    "Why?"


    Hearing until here, Anne curiously asked.


    "If Anne won, why don''t those people cheer on Anne?"


    The innocent girl was still unable to understand. Although what those people said didn''t affect her that much because she was the type that cared about nothing once she fought, she still couldn''t understand why those people wouldn''t cheer her on.


    "Because we are special?"


    Until then, Marlene finally spoke. After hearing Marlene''s answer, Rhode agreed and nodded.


    "That''s right, Marlene. I think you guys know the reason why we are able to represent Paphield for the Midsummer Festival. It was because we got the Mercenary Association''s special permission. I think you guys know that according to the Midsummer Festival''s formal rules, if a mercenary group wants to compete with the mercenary guild, they would have to pass an extremely rigorous elimination round. We are only qualified to fight with guilds then. Many people work hard in order to get that qualification. However, our Starlight has easily obtained it. Don''t you think that mercenary groups from the other area will be very dissatisfied with us? If you worked very hard and sacrificed a lot of things in order to get this opportunity, but suddenly someone else gets the same qualification without doing much, what would you think? Not only them; even the mercenary group in Paphield feel the same. Although they obviously know the gap between our Starlight and them, they would still question our qualification, right?"


    "This��"


    At this time, everyone finally realized the seriousness of the matter. Indeed, they felt extremely happy because it was a rare opportunity for them. The Guild Competition, the Midsummer Festival�� they had actually gotten such an opportunity so easily. This inevitably made them feel like everything was a dream. However, what Rhode said immediately made them sober. If they saw that other people were that lucky, they would certainly feel uncomfortable.


    Why should they be able to fight the mercenary guild without taking part in the rigorous elimination round? That bunch of newbies?


    Rhode was sure that even if they won the Midsummer Festival, those people who only knew how to judge still wouldn''t shut up. But so what? His goal was to win and not care about those people who only knew how to talk. Their anger, questioning, and ridicule were all pointless to Rhode.


    Just like in the game, Rhode''s Starlight had dominated the game by themselves and even affected the entire game''s development. At that time, there were a lot of players who denounced Starlight''s monopoly and posted it online, saying that they were affecting the balance of the game. Some players even complained to the game company and expected them to stop Starlight. There were also people who tried to influence the game company by saying that if Starlight continued to monopolize the Dragon Soul Continent, people would lose their interest in this game and eventually stop playing.


    In the game, many players also ganged up on Starlight, saying that they were going to completely drown Rhode''s guild in a vast sea of the people.


    However, hearing such things, Rhode never once wavered. He didn''t care if the company closed the server because people stop playing the game because before the server closed, his Starlight was the most powerful guild in this game!


    As for the other guilds who tried to resist him?


    Where there was oppression, there was always resistance.


    Where there was resistance, there was always repression.


    Rhode brought his subordinates to oppress other guilds who tried to repress him several times, but they completely lacked resistance. Because of that, Rhode knew better than anyone else the most important aspect of a battle. Just like him being a spirit swordsman; from the moment he started his journey as a legendary spirit swordsman, many people tried to slander him. Saying that his stories were bullsh*t, that the reason he could do so was due to his good luck. There were even some people who made a conspiracy theory and said that Rhode was privately supported by the game company. They completely ignored the summon spirits that Rhode had lost hundreds of times before, only eyeing the rare summoned spirits that Rhode possessed. They said that Rhode was lucky to get it, and it was the reason he could be so powerful. The other spirit swordsman didn''t have as much good luck as he did, so it was useless no matter how they trained. Those people totally ignored his perseverance; even if Rhode had attained the title of God in the competition, all kinds of questioning and conspiracy theories would never stopped. Not long after Rhode won first place and got an award card from the game company, an online blog and forum said that he had long been in collusion with the game company and the result of the game had long been decided.


    That''s why for Rhode, it was unnecessary to gain the approval of others. As long as he did what he wanted to do, it was the highest reward for him. As for whether others admitted his strength or not, he didn''t care. Even if they clenched their teeth and determinedly said he was lucky trash, it still wouldn''t affect his strength.


    "A mercenary guild is powerful and influential and has a lot of supporters. We are a mercenary group; our influence is not big, and we don''t get the qualification through the formal process. It will certainly arouse the dissatisfaction of other mercenary groups. That''s why you guys must be mentally prepared for the spectators to be enemies�� They definitely will not let us win or cheer for our victories�� If you guys are not prepared for this, then go back and sleep."


    After saying that, Rhode turned around and left the colosseum. He wanted to let them understand and thoroughly think about what that entailed.

 Chapter 281 Rise to Fame

    Everything had pros and cons. After the challenge match, there were no mercenary groups in the Paphield region who dared to question whether Starlight had the qualifications to represent them, which was a good thing. However, Rhode was worried that such a huge victory would make them felt complacent and think that the Midsummer Festival competition was this friendly and that they would automatically win once the opponent forfeited. After the confrontation, it also proved his worry to be right. Even a careful person like Lize also began to think that she wanted to fight perfectly. Fight perfectly? She didn''t even know whether she could win or not, but she was already aiming for perfection?


    That''s why when they won, Rhode didn''t praise them. Instead, he poured cold water on them in order to prevent them from losing their head. He gave Old Walker a very special mission, which was to send some reliable people into the crowd to incite a chaos and belittle his subordinates.


    In fact, a large part of the boos and insults in the crowds were the result of their incitement.


    "I say, kid�� Is it really okay to do this?"


    Sitting at the table, Old Walker rubbed his beard and asked uneasily. When Rhode assigned him this mission, he understood the reason behind this action. After all, as a former genius, he was also very familiar with the atmosphere of the Midsummer Festival. Because of this, Old Walker also understood that, compared with the Midsummer Festival, this warm-up match, regardless of the atmosphere, was completely different. It was only appropriate to cool them down. Old Walker was also worried as he had seen many talented mercenaries unable to withstand such blows. Not to mention, the five of them had fought magnificently. Old Walker hoped that they could continue to fight that way and not fall into these obstacles.


    Naturally, he understood what Rhode was saying, but people were just like this. When they got older, their heart would also soften. If Old Walker were 10 years younger, most likely he would be here laughing from and pondering what to do to speed up their improvement. However, since he was old already, he lacked the mindset he used to have. Instead, he was worried that doing so would make them felt bad��


    "Of course they will feel bad about it. It''s natural for them to think so, old man."


    Rhode sat behind the desk while staring at the paper in his hand. He didn''t even lift his head to reply. Unlike Old Walker, he was able to grasp their mentality and character precisely. Marlene had good self-control, and it was certainly not her first time facing such situation, so Rhode didn''t need to worry about her. Although Lize was a little complacent earlier, she was very good at introspection and was now aware of her own mistakes. As long as she had the intention to correct them, then it wouldn''t be a problem. As for Anne, he even doubted whether booing even had any effect on her. From a certain point of view, this kind of character was enviable��


    Joey and Randolf might have some problems, but it wasn''t a big problem because Joey and Randolf were both rookies, and one of the good things about being a rookie was that their self-assessment was particularly accurate, or sometimes even lower than they actually were. Of course, if their self-assessment was too low, it might bind their true strength and make them unable to unleash 100% or even 200% of their strength. But the advantage was that with this kind of mentality, they wouldn''t be furious if they were underestimated because they could accept their weaknesses and deficiencies very well.


    That''s why even though Randolf was ridiculed for winning by relying on expensive, powerful magic props, he still didn''t try to prove anything because he knew that it would not be easy to win without using the alchemy and weapons provided by Lapis.


    "But don''t worry, we still need your help in this fight."


    "What?"


    Hearing Rhode''s answer, Old Walker was surprised. He widened his eyes and even his ears to make sure he didn''t hear wrong. Did he hear it wrong? But�� it shouldn''t be. Then what did he mean? What was he trying to say? Rhode didn''t wait until Old Walker asked for an explanation and continued.


    "I think you know very well just how strong the four top mercenaries guilds in the Midsummer Festival are."


    Hearing Rhode''s words, Old Walker''s expression turned serious. Of course, he knew just how strong they were. They had been maintaining their position for more than ten years already. They were both powerful and influential in the four regions. Not to mention, as a guild, they had political and economic support that mercenary groups would never have. Although the Mercenary Association had rules for the demotion of a mercenary guild, it was a pity that no mercenary guild really ''enjoyed'' this treatment except for Hiller''s Burning Blade. A mercenary guild''s fighting standards completely exceeded the standard of a common mercenary group.


    Although they were under the provisions of the Mercenary Association, there were countermeasures. Mercenary guilds were not a fools; there was no way for them to directly eradicate mercenary groups that might turn into their obstacles. But it didn''t prevent them from doing things secretly. In fact, each mercenary guild would sent one or two spies into a mercenary group. Their mission was very simple: to attack those who might threaten their seat and firmly pin them down. Not only that, they also had to prevent a hostile guild who might want to hinder them. From this point, it could be seen that the four major mercenary guilds were familiar with how to deal with mercenary groups. In their eyes, the newcomer Starlight was no different than a little chick.


    Not to mention, Rhode was also very clear that the four major mercenaries guilds were competing for the guild quota in Paphield in order to strengthen themselves and the political forces behind them. Based on their experiences, even if Rhode proved it, they still wouldn''t believe that Rhode was actually on their side. That''s why they would definitely try to destroy Starlight and make them lose early matches. No matter who won, at least they could use people they trusted to take over the situation.


    That''s why Rhode was very clear that in this Midsummer Festival, they would encounter many problems.


    The Reformist Party naturally was eyeing on them, but the King Party also would not necessarily support them because he didn''t have any strength or influence yet and his reputation was still considered low. So even if the King Party knew what he had done, they still wouldn''t be so lenient. At most, they wouldn''t stab him with a knife and laugh at him, but rather stab him and ask whether he wanted to die directly. Wasn''t the result the same?!


    Rhode certainly didn''t want his mercenary group to become chicken stew for the four guilds, but he also understood that things were not going to work out like this.


    "I need your help, old man."


    Rhode finally lifted his head.


    "Our influence and resources aren''t a match for those mercenary guilds, and they will certainly not let us succeed. That''s why I need you and your men''s help."


    "No problem, kid, but�� How should I help you?


    Old Walker was puzzled. He was old, and his skills weren''t as good as before. Even his younger self wouldn''t have been an opponent worthy of those mercenary guild members. They had more people than him and more strength. How would he be able to Rhode?


    "Very simple."


    Hearing Old Walker''s question, Rhode did not hesitate and answered. It seemed like he had long decided on something.


    "It''s something only you can do, Old Man, and I believe if you do exactly as I say, then this time, we''ll definitely win."


    For now, Rhode would be putting all the trouble regarding mercenary guilds aside because he had more important things to deal with.


    Even though the warm-up match situation had been under his control from beginning to end, he was still human and couldn''t predict everything that happened. That''s why when the match ended, he realized that he had predicted one thing incorrectly: the opinion of other mercenaries.


    In fact, the day after the match had ended, there were a lot of mercenaries who came to the Starlight stronghold to register for a place in their group. Their were only a few dozens of people in the beginning, but the number was gradually increasing. Now. nearly 300 mercenaries expressed the desire to join Starlight. Most of them were idle mercenaries, but there were also marginal figures from other mercenary groups, and even some of the mercenaries who had been defeated by Starlight during the previous match.


    It was not hard to understand why they did so. They just wanted to be more successful. Because of this warm-up match, news that Starlight would be representing Paphield in the Midsummer Festival had spread. Moreover, they were going to participate in the mercenary guild competition. This immediately shook everyone''s hearts because they knew that the Midsummer Festival competition couldn''t be entered easily.


    If they joined Starlight, they might be able to showcase their strength in the Midsummer Festival.


    Of course, there were also a lot of mercenaries who thought about the long-term benefit. Since this matter had spread around and was no longer kept as an absolute secret by the Mercenary Association, naturally, they also had been informed that Starlight would be directly promoted to a mercenary guild if their performance was good enough. This was an equally great benefit for them. The reason many people were willing to join Burning Blade although it had been demoted was because Burning Blade had the chance to become a mercenary guild again. Now, they saw that Starlight had also gotten this chance; of course, all of them immediately came here like a swarm of flies fighting over meat.


    But not everyone thought so. In addition to the two reasons above, they also had other goals. They hoped that by joining Starlight, they would be able to get advice from Rhode. Just look at Joey and Randolf. Everyone knew what they were capable of before they joined Starlight. In just a few months, they were actually able to beat five people at once. This was certainly because of Rhode''s help. Since rookies could achieve such a success, then they should also be able to, right?


    As the leader of Mark White mercenary group had expected, no one wanted a short-sighted mercenary group leader. Naturally, everyone would flock over a mercenary leader who could polish a rock into a gem. Ever since Rhode came to Deep Stone City, everyone saw what had he done; that''s why no one thought that he relied on luck to win. Everyone knew that he was strong and had a good vision. Those two rookies could even be trained into such a strong elite, which meant that he was also very good in this aspect.


    Everyone wanted to meet a boss who had a good eye towards people.


    And that''s why Rhode was taken by surprise.


    Currently, there were more than 300 people who signed up to join Starlight. The number had almost reached 400 and breaking through 500 would not be a problem. This matter made Starlight members feel nervous and proud because it was a good opportunity for them. Who didn''t wish to have a lot members? Not to mention, if these people really joined them, then their numbers would almost catch up to a mercenary guild''s!


    Many people suggested for Rhode to recruit them, but Rhode was still unmoved. He knew what they were thinking about and knew that it was indeed a good opportunity to increase their strength. However, he still didn''t care. Because as a small mercenary group, Starlight couldn''t afford to support so many people. Why did a mercenary guild seek economic and political support? Wasn''t it because they wanted to keep going? There were hundreds of people in a guild; it meant they needed a lot of money. The money that they got just by clearing quests was far from enough. Moreover, being an adventurer was an unstable job, and there might also be accidents. One could earn 300 gold coins in a mission; if the situation didn''t go as planned, they might even lose 500 gold coins. If there was no solid back up, it would be difficult to maintain a mercenary guild. If he really hired 300 people, then he would go bankrupt in a few months!


    That''s why Rhode didn''t care at all. He planned to roast all of them outside. They would go away once they lost their patience. That''s why Rhode didn''t really take it seriously. No matter how they surrounded Starlight''s stronghold, he would still not have the slightest reaction.


    But after he heard from Gillian that Christie was scared because there were so many people, which made her afraid to go out for a walk, Rhode immediately changed his mind. His method was also very simple. Facing those mercenaries, Rhode gave Marlene, Lize, Old Walker, Shauna, and Kavos a few pieces of paper. There were several locations near the Deep Stone City written in that paper. He ordered Marlene and others to take these guys there, and then conduct a test. The first ten mercenaries who were able to follow the request on the note would be eligible to join Starlight.


    After solving this problem, Rhode finally had the free time to start sorting out the loot he collected from the warm-up match.

 Chapter 282 Miscellaneous Card Deck

    After the challenge match ended, the mercenary groups admitted their defeat and offered Rhode their equipment according to the agreement of their battle.


    Of course, these people were divided into two groups. One group, led by Hiller, that hoped that Starlight could become a support for the Paphield region. Shearer even gave them the fire element giant sword that never left his side, expecting Rhode to complete his unfinished business.


    "This sword is not of much use for me, so I will give it to you now�� If you really can lead Starlight to victory, then I will feel really relieved."


    Hiller''s words were very sincere, but it was difficult for Rhode to be moved. He even wondered if Hiller targeted his mercenary group because he didn''t have many two-handed swordsmen, so he intentionally gave that sword to him��


    Of course, people like Hiller were a minority. Just like in the game, it was very rare for them to give small artifact weapons; there were more accessories, cloak, and such, but that''s what he had been expecting. He actually didn''t really need artifact weapons because not many of his subordinates could use such weapons. Rhode had thrown a dagger to Joey after the warm-up match, which made Joey so moved that he knelt down and said he wanted to repay it with his life. Of course, Rhode didn''t agree.


    Marlene didn''t need a weapon, and Rhode couldn''t find anything better than her family wand. As expected of a rich second-generation��


    There were also some people were not very willing to give up their equipment and felt that they were wronged. Particularly, the leader of Mark White mercenary group, Hawk. He had bet an anti-magic shield, which was the treasure of their mercenary group. This was a powerful magic shield and its material was made from the famous obsidian. This material was able to completely seal off magical power. The Magic Association even used it to build a special prison for mages in an island. Once a mage entered that prison, any magic would be completely eliminated and sealed. Because of this, that material was rarely seen in the market since no mage would allow their weakness to be so easily gotten a hold of. Fortunately, this obsidian itself was very scarce. There was an obsidian mine located in the underground but besides mages, no one could easily enter a place which was filled with dark elves, dwarves, and underground monsters.


    Of course, mages themselves wouldn''t be so stupid as to look for that place to die.


    That''s why this material was very rare, and a shield made of this material was even rarer. Because of this, Rhode was a bit surprised when they handed over the shield, but after observing it carefully, it was indeed the anti-magic shield�� This was certainly good news for him.


    In fact, Hawk was reluctant to take out this shield because it was originally something that the former leader left for Anne. He intended to give it to her once she got older. However, it was such a good thing and Hawk didn''t want to miss it, so he chased Anne away and then took it. But of course, he couldn''t tell other people the truth; there were already a lot of people who suspected that he deliberately drove Anne away for this shield. Not to mention, this was the former leader''s belonging and should have belonged to Anne. That''s why there were a lot of people who doubted him in the Mark White mercenary group.


    So, the reason for his action was to dispel the doubts, and as a way for him to say "look, I don''t care about this thing as much as you say, so don''t make wild guesses."


    Of course, he said so, but in his heart, he was not willing to give up such a good thing. He deliberately, and even intentionally used this shield against Marlene in order to win and protect this shield. In his opinion, a mage was powerless in the face of an anti-magic shield, so shouldn''t his victory should be certain?


    However, the reality gave him a slap in the face. After circling around, this shield still fell into Anne''s hands in the end. Not only had Hawk lost the anti-magic shield, but one-third of his mercenaries also withdrew from the Mark White mercenary group. Anne, Randolf, and Joey''s influence soon emerged. Even others also started to think about their fate if they stayed there ��


    Of course, this was not a matter that Rhode should consider; what he had to think about now was the equipment before him.


    He had gotten a total of 30 pieces of equipment. Of course, it was impossible for Rhode to use all of them himself. There were longbows, two-handed swords, shields, and more. Even if Rhode used all of this himself, it would lead to others'' dissatisfaction since he didn''t fight in the match. Marlene, Lize, and Anne might not care, but it might cause problems for the others. He didn''t want his men to think that he was like Mark White''s leader.


    Rhode planned to choose twelve pieces of equipment. The Composition Adornment was able to turn four pieces of equipment into one set of equipment. With twelve pieces of equipment, he would be able to make three sets of equipment, and by adding a halo effect, it would reach a standard equipment. As for the remaining pieces of equipment, he planned to store them. Starlight''s reputation had risen again and their stronghold had reached Level 3. Rhode spent 500 gold coins to build an underground treasure room to store a variety of equipment. This was a bit similar to the guild warehouse in the game. However, the construction system of the treasure room in the mercenary group was a little bit different than that of ordinary rooms. The wall and door were sturdy, and there was even magic attached to it. Unless he came in person, any attempt to enter the treasure room would immediately trigger a trap and imprison the one who tried to enter. At the same time, there would be an alarm that notified everyone in the stronghold. From this point, it could be seen that having a treasure room was safer than asking someone to guard it.


    Because of this, Rhode was relieved because he finally could begin to consider other things. He intended to bring the guild system in the game into reality. After he classified these pieces of equipment, he moved them to the treasure room. If a mercenary performed well, it could be rewarded to him. Of course, although these things could be taken out to sell, Rhode had other ways to make money. Just like in a time-traveling drama, the main character knew which stocks to buy to earn money. The same went with Rhode, the one who had created a new era in the game. Naturally, he knew that current;y cheap things would cost a lot of money later. When the time had come, he would definitely earn a lot of money. It was just that now, he didn''t have the time and energy to do so.


    Money could be earned anytime, but precious equipment couldn''t be bought once the opportunity was missed.


    A lot of veteran players knew this principle.


    You could buy equipment, and even subordinates with money, but you couldn''t buy loyalty. Now, Rhode wanted to invest his equipment to increase his mercenaries'' loyalty and strength. These things just couldn''t be bought with money.


    Certainly, it didn''t mean that money was unimportant.


    But now, what he had to think about was his own equipment.


    When choosing an equipment, one had to be very fastidious. He couldn''t just judge an equipment by its rarity or strength. It also had to be suitable to his fighting style. No one was perfect, and it was impossible to be perfect even with the help of good equipment. So what Rhode had to consider was how to utilize the equipment to his own advantage.


    Spirit Swordsman could be classified into many types due to summoned spirits. Some summoned spirits had high durability, so they would be more suitable as a tank. Some had strong offense but weak defense, so they would be more suited to burst damage. If a summoned spirit had a strong ability effect or high dexterity, it could be used for crowd control.


    As for Rhode, he naturally chose the type he was most familiar with. After he activated his Dark Dance swordsmanship, he determined that his fighting style would revolve around speed. It meant that he would need equipment that could increase his speed, dexterity, and critical attack.


    Once his target was clear, it would be easy to find a suitable equipment.


    Soon, Rhode had found what he needed.


    The first one he chose was the ''Doppelganger Ring''. It had a ''mirror'' magical skill and was able to project two identical images of the holder to move according to the holder''s thought. Of course, these projections were not dangerous. They were just phantom images and the effect was similar to the shadow of Rhode''s Dark Dance Swordsmanship. But Rhode was very clear, and with this ring, he would have more chances and choices as opposed to his Thousand Shadow.


    The next was a necklace that enhanced perception, earrings that increase intelligence by +3. Rhode even found a combat bracelet, and although it did not offer an additional effect that could increase swordsmanship level, it provided a property that was important for Rhode: stability. Stability was a very important factor for swordsmanship like Dark Dance, which focused in speed. Being fast was important, but stable combat techniques and flexibility were important too. Otherwise, if his speed was all over the place and Rhode was unable to grasp it, it would be like a racing car that lost control, which resulted in a bad ending.


    "Well?"


    Rhode shifted his gaze towards a beautifully crafted ring. It looked very luxurious and beautiful, and it was inlaid with a hexagonal diamond in the middle. Rhode was mesmerized by its beauty, because it was almost impossible to craft something this beautiful out of a magical equipment forged with a magical array. Inside this pile of equipment, this brushed gold ring with luxurious design looked more like a wedding ring than a magical equipment.


    What is this?


    Rhode curiously stretched out his hand to pick up the ring, condensing his energy. Soon his power entered the ring. In general, when he did so, he would be able to find out the structure and attributes of the ring before him.


    But this time, the system prompt that appeared before him made him surprised.


    [?? Ring in a deep slumber]


    That was all.


    All?


    Looking at the system prompt, Rhode didn''t know how to react. It didn''t explain anything at all. ?? What''s that? This situation usually only happened with magical equipment that had not been successfully appraised. However, besides the introduction, the attributes of the ring hadn''t even been shown. So how could it be a failure?


    Just as Rhode was feeling puzzled, something in his pocket suddenly moved. Then, a black shadow suddenly flew out and hovered before him.


    It was the Hell Soul Core.

 Chapter 283 The 9th

    As he looked at the Soul Core that was floating before him, Rhode felt puzzled. He remembered clearly that this Soul Core was something he had gotten from an unlucky Devil in Blackrock Depth. He was quite busy before, so he didn''t have the time to awaken this Soul Core. Although he himself wasn''t really in hurry, it seemed like this Soul Core itself was a little impatient.


    Of course, this was only a joke. A Soul Core that wasn''t awakened didn''t have any self consciousness. The only reason it behaved this way was because of the resonating response. As a high-level Soul Core, it was able to awaken itself under an influence of certain external factors. Of course, it was not easy to do that; it had to rely on one''s luck. After all, not everyone knew what object to use to awaken the Soul Core. That''s why at first, Rhode did not really pay much attention to it, but if it was true, then after the Soul Core resonated with an object, it would become stronger and more stable after awakening. Actually, even without it, based on the cards that Rhode had, there wouldn''t be much problem as long as the attributes matched well. Of course, this was only theoretically.


    But why this ring?


    Rhode curiously glanced at the ring in his hand, and once again used his mental powers to appraise it. Rhode could be sure that there was no special force attached to the ring. It was beautiful, and the diamond on top of it was worth some money, but then? Nothing else. If this were in the game, this kind of ring would belong to the players who liked to show off, like "look, this is a limited edition equipment worth 100 gold coins." After that, they would just resell it to an NPC.


    According to original standards, mercenary groups should not be able to come up with this kind equipment to cheat him. Not to mention Sereck, who was checking on them. Rhode also believed that Sereck wouldn''t cheat.


    So, what was this ring?


    Was there actually something special about it?


    For a while, a strange curiosity emerged in his mind. He carefully looked at the ring and finally decided to give it try first�� Anyway, since there had been a resonance, there shouldn''t be a problem in awakening it now. Thinking of this, Rhode took two steps back, then he stretched his right hand forward.


    Soon, after sensing the presence of the ring, a purple haze began to emerge around the Soul Core, which was moving towards the ring. A dazzling glow appeared and connected with the diamond on the ring. At this time, a familiar system prompt appeared


    [Resonating response detected. Bind and awaken the Soul Core?]


    Awaken.


    Rhode slightly nodded, and soon after he answered, the ring that hovered in his hand was swept away by the purple haze and slowly got closer to the Soul Core, merging. After that, it disappeared without a trace.


    The purple haze suddenly became thicker. A dazzling glow enveloped the whole room, and even the other magical equipment that had been sleeping was suddenly shining at this moment.


    Seeing it, everything seemed to so surreal and so fascinating. But Rhode was in no mood to appreciate the sight. As he ascertained the awakening, Rhode could feel a mighty soul power come out of the ring and merge with the Soul Core. After absorbing that power, the originally quiet Soul Core was now moving intensely. It trembled violently, and the surging power was clearly visible, and after reaching the apex, it was pouring out.


    "������������!!"


    It was such a wonderful, mystical color. Countless halos emerged from it, flashing in the air. The originally egg-like Soul Core was now completely broken. Purple haze hovered around and disappeared as it transformed into a beautiful black sword. A beautiful maiden was carved on the guard, naked while embracing hilt like a devout believer. Six poisonous snakes wrapped around her. They danced around the hilt as biting one another. The hilt was not as smooth as a sword. To the contrary, the surface was rough because scales were attached to it.


    This sword reminded him of a beautiful treasure in a certain kind of horror legend dedicated to tempt humanity. Although people clearly know it was dangerous, they still became infatuated with it. Looking at the sword, Rhode''s right hand paused for a moment. He also noticed that the sword seemed strange. But soon, he reached out towards it without hesitation and grabbed it.


    Accompanied by a cold, comfortable touch, a system prompt once again appeared before his eyes.


    [The 9th Eternal Holy Sword: Nightmare, dark attribute, not available for fusion. Only death is the most real existence.]


    The 9th Eternal Holy Sword? Seeing the system prompt, Rhode was slightly stunned. It was really a huge surprise for him. In fact, not too long ago, he had thought about collecting this deck, but he didn''t have a clue on how to. According to the original characteristics of the Spirit Swordsman, usually, cards in the same deck had same or similar attributes. Such as the Spirit Bird or the Army of Abyss��as long as one had enough knowledge of their characteristics, it wouldn''t be difficult to awaken new cards through fusion. Only the Holy Sword deck made him helpless because when he got it, Star Mark was already in a form of a card, so he had no idea how to gather the remaining nine. So he simply went with the flow��if it was his, it would always be his. What was the hurry?


    He didn''t actually expect that he thought would come true. When he no longer thought about this matter, it actually came out on its own!?


    That was a good news for him, but his good mood didn''t last long because another system prompt soon came up.


    [ Gargoyle''s Heart detected.]


    Well?


    Seeing this, Rhode was surprised, but before he could react, a Gargoyle''s Heart flew out of his pocket and hovered in front of Nightmare. Soon, purple haze came out of the sword and surrounded it.


    [Target - Nightmare - Forced Evolution]


    Give me a second!


    Although Rhode tried to stop it, the sword in front of him completely ignored him. In the blink of an eye, the Gargoyle''s Heart had been swallowed up by this sword. Soon, it was again shrouded in purple haze, and slowly turned into a card that hovered in front of Rhode. It was a black card, engraved with scarlet magic runes. Below, there were six poisonous snakes with their mouth opened, desperately circling upward around the black sword. There was blood flowing from above. On the left and right corners, the numbers 10 and 9 were written.


    [The 9th Eternal Holy Sword: Nightmare, dark attribute, not available for fusion. Only death is the most real existence.


    LV:15, The Shadow of Death is everywhere. Curse characteristic.


    The Dark Wings devour all. Blood absorbing characteristic.


    The Magic Blade is with you. Split characteristic.


    Magic Condensation completed]


    It had to be said that Nightmare''s starting point was indeed much higher than Star Mark''s. Star Mark had followed Rhode for such a long time, but it had only reached level 9 offense and defense. However, when the Nightmare appeared, it already had level 10 offense and level 9 defense. It could be said that this card was now fully equipped. However, Rhode didn''t feel assured. The reason was very simple because he had just discovered that this card did not seem to be very obedient. Although originally speaking, Rhode was also planning to use the Gargoyle''s Heart to evolve it, it was a totally different matter if she absorbed the Gargoyle''s Heart herself. As a holder, Rhode also could feel a vague feeling, that not only did it seem to be less obedient, it was also a bit too aggressive��


    In addition, after reading Nightmare''s attributes, Rhode really did not know what to say.


    Cursing characteristic ������ When an enemy is hit, there is a 30% chance of weakening and poisoning. The curse cannot be dispelled.


    Blood absorbing characteristic ������ When an enemy is hit, there is a 15% chance that enemy blood is absorbed and this cannot be blocked.


    Split characteristic ������ The blade can be split and extend up to three meters.


    Was this even a Holy Sword?


    After reading these attributes, Rhode was totally speechless. This meant whether, in terms of appearance or attributes, it was completely a demon sword. The two words ''Holy Sword'' were completely insubstantial. To the contrary, Star Mark, whether from its appearance or its attributes, was consistent with the characteristics of a Holy Sword. However, he had to admit that the attributes were indeed very useful. Thirty percent chance of a weakening and poisoning effect that could not be dispelled, meant that even if he couldn''t deal a fatal blow, the enemy still wouldn''t be able to survive. As for the blood-absorbing characteristic, of course, it was impossible for the enemies who had their blood absorbed to recover on its own like in the game. This attribute absorbed a large amount of blood. For example, if there was 50 milliliters of blood in a wound, this attribute would absorb about 150 milliliters at a time, which was definitely a bad news for the enem. Iit could be seen just how insidious and vicious this sword was.


    Not to mention the final splitting characteristic. A distance of up to three meters was enough to make everyone tremble when facing this sword because it was difficult for the enemy to judge this sword''s combat distance. Which was certainly a good news for Rhode, who fought by relying on dexterity and speed. After all, he would win whenever the enemy hesitated.


    From this point of view, this sword was indeed ''not worthy of'' the name of Holy Sword.


    However, looking at the card in his hand, Rhode was still thinking about another thing.


    Can I get along with the summoning spirit?


    Thinking until here, Rhode frowned and reached for the card.


    Soon, followed by a crisp, crackling sound, the dark card was broken. Then, purple haze rose and a slim and graceful figure appeared from it.

 Chapter 284 Celestina

    After seeing her for the first time, Rhode wasn''t surprised, perplexed, or stunned; instead, he felt a headache.


    With one glance, he could see the wings behind her.


    In this world, there was only one race with that type of wings, and that was the demon race.


    Right now, Rhode felt that the name ''Holy Sword Card Deck'' was getting more and more untrustworthy. First an angel, and now a demon? Holy Spirit, who thought up this brilliant idea? Luckily, it was two weapons and not two people, else he was certain that there would be no peace for the rest of his life�� The deep hatred and hostility between demons and the angels didn''t even need to be explained. Fortunately, after reading the attributes of this card, Rhode already had been mentally prepared, so he would not feel extremely helpless because of the current situation. At most, he was just a bit of depressed because his bad feelings always came true.


    Right now, the purple haze dispersed and her figure could be seen completely. From her appearance, she was not much older than Celia. Her hair was composed of violet curls in two long ponytails. Unlike Celia, this demon maiden didn''t wear armor or robes suitable for combat. Instead, she dressed up like a noble lady, wearing a black velvet gothic skirt with blood red lace lining contrasting with her delicate white skin. It could be seen that her skin was well-maintained.


    Under her skirt, black stockings wrapped around her two slender legs, which were clasped in black boots. It made her look even more attractive and charming. Dark red was painted on her eyes, her thick eyelashes were beautifully shaped, and her lips were covered in pink lipstick. She gave off a dangerous charm that made people willing to die just to indulge her body.


    If Celia could be said to be holy and beautiful, and Gillian was hot and attractive, then the girl in front of him was a third kind of beauty totally different from them: beautiful darkness. This was something that was could only be possessed by the devil. She was born in darkness, grew up in darkness, and clad in pure darkness, making people unwilling to make eye contact. The pure beauty itself was a dangerous and fatal temptation. Once people sank in it, there would be no return. There was no need for language or gesture; just by being there, it would attract countless people. The same went for the girl in front of him. He could be sure that if she appeared in public and played a little trick, there would be a lot of men bowing at her feet.


    Currently, one of her hands was holding onto her skirt, while the other one was placed on her mouth. She looked like a highly educated young lady. Carefully observing her, Rhode noticed that she was wearing the bizarre ring that Rhode had gotten on her index finger. Unlike the elegant and calm Marlene, she showed a different side of a noble lady��softness and petiteness��making men had the desire to protect her. She portrayed a type of character who would be easily caught by a monster in a story.


    "You are the owner of this lady? You look like an interesting gentleman."


    "Dispel your wings and halo charm."


    Her voice was soft and sweet, filled with temptation as if she were powerless, lying naked on a bed made of silk and soft velvet, ready to be served. Just hearing her voice was enough to make men lose their senses. However, Rhode was not moved and coldly gave an order. He spent years in Blackrock Depth and accumulated enough experience and knowledge of demons; just by listening to this sentence, Rhode immediately determined that the other party was clearly a high race among demons.


    The evidence was that when he heard she speak, there was an illusion that they were mingling with each other, and a sensation of enthusiasm and burning feeling could even be felt. It was only through a sound and not action; even the language could achieve this purpose. It seemed like this summoned spirit was very troublesome.


    Although he felt something when he heard her voice, his years of experience with women played a big role in this kind of crucial moment, so he quickly calmed down and coldly issued an order. He knew that although she spoke like that, she wasn''t really trying to seduce him. She just wanted to test him. Demons were also a race that respected orderly manner just like angels. But unlike angels, they wouldn''t follow a person unconditionally just because their status was higher. They would conduct a test to find out whether that person was worthy of them or not. If they passed, then the demon would follow the order unconditionally, but if not�� then sorry.


    After all, pulling tricks secretly was something they really good at.


    Because of this, when Rhode saw her for the first time, he noticed that she had activated the halo charm. Else, there was no way for someone like him, who had seen tons of beautiful girls, to feel like a virgin boy.


    As expected, after hearing Rhode''s words, she slightly smiled. Although there didn''t seem to be any movement, but the wings on her back and the charm that shrouded around her gradually disappeared. Even so, she was still as indifferent as before.


    "I didn''t expect my cover to get blown this quickly. It''s really surprising."


    "It''s not my first time seeing a demon. That trick won''t work on me."


    Rhode coldly answered as he gazed into her eyes. It was also very important to look directly into her eyes because there were various hidden powers in demon''s eyes. Not looking at other races in the eye might just mean disrespect, but demons thought that people feared them and would easily trample on someone who didn''t dare to look them in the eye.


    Although it was said that the summoned spirit should be completely obedient to the summoner, judging from her previous behavior and her race, Rhode decided to be on the safe side and be more careful. Otherwise, in case something really happened, it would be even more troublesome.


    But Rhode didn''t expect to see her face actually flush; she slightly bowed to avoid his gaze. What was going on? Seeing this scene, Rhode was baffled, but she did not wait until he understood what happened. She bowed head, gently lifting her skirt while crossing her legs, and paid a perfect courtesy to Rhode.


    "Hello, sir, my name is Celestina Andernette. You can call me Celestina, and I hope you won''t forget it."


    Although Celestina''s tone was very respectful and courteous, no matter how Rhode listened to it, it still sounded a bit arrogant. However, he was not really surprised; given her status and race, it was very normal for her to sound so.


    So Rhode didn''t really mind and nodded to express his understanding.


    "Okay, I will call you Celestina, but.. I think you also know very well that you are my summoned spirit."


    Hearing Rhode''s answer, Celestina proudly raised her head and smiled with self-confidence while looking at him. Then she folded her hand elegantly, and said, "Of course, Sir. As a high-level demon, this lady understands her own identity, but also expects you to understand this�� I can follow your orders, but��"


    "It''s non-negotiable."


    Rhodes waved his hand and interrupted Celestina''s words. He coldly gazed at her without any trace of concession or weakness.


    "You are my subordinate��my summoned spirit��so you must obey my orders. Of course, if you satisfy me, I do not mind giving you a little reward. Do you understand what I mean?"


    Hearing this remark, Celestina''s complexion slightly changed, but soon, she returned to normal.


    "It seems, Sir, that you really do know how to deal with demons. Then, this lady won''t say much or waste our time. But Sir, I would like to remind you to not to confuse this lady with Cella. Although she''s my little sister, this lady isn''t as naive and stupid as her. The trick you used on her won''t work on me. I hope you understand my point. "


    Speaking until here, Celestina once again lifted her skirt and bowed.


    "Well, have a nice evening, Sir."


    After she finished her sentence, her figure once again was shrouded by purple haze and she soon disappeared again. She transformed into a card and hovered in the air.


    But at this moment, Rhode was dumbstruck. He slowly took the card and carefully confirmed it. Then, he shook his head. Celia was Celestina''s younger sister? Holy Spirit, wasn''t this joke a little too much?


    For the first time, Rhode felt like his worldview had somehow gotten distorted.

 Chapter 285 Lydias Suggestion

    If this happened in game, Rhode would definitely have summoned Celia and Celestina together to take a picture of them and post it on the forum, or show them off in a walkabout as this would undoubtedly be a slap to the game company. After all, angels, and demons were supposed to be archenemies in the game. One had to fall whenever the two met each other. Otherwise, there wouldn''t be an end to it. Not to mention, both of them were also sisters. If Celestina were a fallen angel, then things would be easier to understand, since fallen angels were angels who had degraded due to some unfathomable causes or conspiracies. But she was a true demon, and a high level one at that. In the demon world, where bloodlines and strength were clearly divided, there was no way that there would be a mixed blood demon. However, it was really strange since Celia also didn''t possess any demonic characteristics. It could be seen that she was a purebred angel while Celestina was a purebred demon�� But now, a demon actually called an angel her sister. Rhode believed that this huge news would be enough for players to speculate for months and blame the game company��


    Unfortunately, he could only keep such big news to himself. Not only that, he also had to be careful as to not get discovered. Players had no faith in the game, which was why they gossiped and blamed the game company''s settings. But it was different for the NPCs. For them, faith was something important��not to mention NPCs who lived under the Light Dragon''s protection and in a kingdom governed by an archangel. Rhode was confident that if Celestina''s identity was found out, something bad would happen to him. The worst-case scenario would be that he would be driven to the Country of Darkness. He wasn''t willing to give up everything just for this matter.


    Fortunately, Celestina was a high-level demon, so her human form was nearly perfect, unlike low-level demons who would still possess demonic characteristics no matter how hard they tried: scales on their faces, triangular ears, lizard-like tails, bat wings, or sharp horns on their forehead. These features were distinct and couldn''t be removed. The only demons who could transform into an exact human were high-level demons like the Grand Duke, the Marquis of Hell, and the Earl of Hell. The typical human could not deal with the likes of such demons.


    In fact, Rhode was also curious about Celestina''s identity. From her appearance, it could be seen that she was a noblewoman, but judging from her strength with a level 10 offense and level 9 defense, her values were slightly higher than Celia''s. Moreover, unlike Gillian, Celestina''s level wasn''t sealed.


    At this point, Rhode could only classify her as a ''potential card''.


    A so-called ''potential card'' meant that the current card''s strength wasn''t too powerful, but held potential to improve further. For example, an ordinary card could only increase one to two points in offense and defense after leveling up. However, a potential card could increase up to three, four, or even more points. The advantages were obvious.


    Putting this into consideration, Rhode had a general understanding of Celestina''s identity. She might have been born a noble, but her bloodline hadn''t been awakened. That was why now she wasn''t that powerful yet. From their previous interactions, Rhode realized that she wasn''t as ruthless as other demons, which proved that she didn''t have much experience in that regard.


    If that was so, it would be better for him. A little demon like her was no big threat to him. On the other hand, senior, cunning demons were much more threatening�� But in this current situation, Celestina hadn''t yet shown any signs that made him worry.


    That was good.


    Right now, Rhode had begun to think about how to ''train'' this proud little demon into an obedient summoned spirit.


    After he threw aside this thought, he began to once again look for equipment that was suitable for him.


    However, he didn''t know that at the same time in the Munn Kingdom, another thing was happening.


    The white jade floor of the pavilion reflected brilliant light under a warm, magical radiance. It clearly showed the splendor and beauty of the room. Lauren was overwhelmed by the crystal cups that were inlaid with golden borders and the delicious black tea served in it. The fragrance of herbs combined with the unique bitterness of black tea gave off an unusual and refreshing feeling. However, Lauren currently didn''t have the mood to enjoy it, and the reason was very simple.


    "I understand your intention, Your Highness."


    He lowered his head to look at the graceful reflection on the ceiling.


    "As the leader of the Munn Kingdom Mercenary Association, I represent the entire Association in apologizing to you due to the continuous incidents that happened recently. I have sent someone to investigate this matter and can guarantee that I will report the most satisfying answer back."


    "I hope so, Mr. Lauren."


    Lydia put down the teacup in her hand. At the same time, she stretched out her hand to pick up the cake on the table. On the surface, it seemed like she was just having afternoon tea with a guest, but no one actually enjoyed it.


    Even though Lydia wasn''t old and had only been reigning for a few years, she still left a very deep impression on everyone. Even people like Lauren, who had been the Munn Kingdom Mercenary Association''s leader for decades, didn''t dare underestimate her just because she was young. Not to mention that he had also noticed that the incidents happening recently were quite troublesome.


    The incidents that happened to the Paphield region could be said to be unprecedented. It had almost destroyed the Mercenary Association''s foundation and also affected other regions. Luckily, the top four guilds suppressed this matter.


    However, he also didn''t feel relieved because he knew very well that some things were caused by those top four guilds��


    Of course, the incident itself actually wasn''t too serious. However, after he had gotten the report, he noticed something serious. He could see that some people were trying to use mercenary groups and mercenary guilds to do something; naturally, it was something that the Munn Kingdom didn''t wish to happen.


    On many occasions, Lydia was actually a wise ruler. She adopted mostly laissez-faire principles and seldom regulated things that weren''t under her authority. But now, she actually asked about this issue. It showed that the problem had extended to an area under her authority and cause a consequence in her area of jurisdiction.


    Thinking of this, Lauren couldn''t help but feel secretly startled. Although the tea in his hands exuded a sweet smell and the cream mousse cake in front of him was appetizing, Lauren feltl a chill down to his spine. He even began to suspect that Her Highness was doubting his poor management and intended to find someone to replace him in the Mercenary Association!


    However, Lydia''s attitude still made him feel somewhat relieved. Judging from her appearance, she was about the same age as his granddaughter, but he was unable to even lift his head in the face of this strong ruler.


    "Of course I believe in your ability and I look forward to your response. After all, we have both worked together for so many years, and certainly, I don''t wish for this to change��"


    Hearing until here, Lauren finally felt relieved. He understood what Her Highness meant and it was already enough for him. However, before he could express his enthusiasm and persistence, Lydia, who was originally lazy half-lying on the red velvet sofa, suddenly chuckled.


    "But before that, I wish for you to help me with something, Mr. Lauren."


    "No matter what it is, as long as it''s within my reach, I''ll definitely help."


    Hearing until here, Lauren was spirited up and even lifted his head up to look at her respectfully. However, the next thing he heard almost made him lose his composure.


    "I hope the Midsummer Festival can be held in the Golden City. What do you think about that?"


    "This.."


    Hearing Lydia''s suggestion, Lauren was a little bit surprised. He took a deep breath.


    "Your, Your Highness�� This, this is a little bit difficult because previously, the Association decided for it to be held in Clayschild. I have also already published the announcement and prepared for it since long ago��"


    "This is not a problem. Of course, I know that you worked very hard for this matter."


    Lydia laughed and stopped Lauren''s words. From her face, it seemed like she was just an innocent little girl.


    "But I think this kind of festival will be more lively if held in Golden City. Don''t you think so too? Please rest assured, Mr. Lauren. I will open the sacred arena as the venue for the Midsummer Festival. Not only that, but I will also prepare everything that is needed for this Midsummer Festival. Of course, we will also make a full compensation for your loss."


    The way Lydia said it sounded trivial, but she did have the ability to do so. Although she only reigned for the past few years, everyone could see that she had the ability to manage the country. The country''s wealth had been increasing under her reign. Of course, she also had a flaw: not limiting her spending. According to her theory, since she earned the money, it was her choice how to spend it. This was also the reason why many people criticized her because even though the Munn Kingdom''s GDP per capita had multiplied several times under her reign, but as a country''s leader, she shouldn''t use it for her own luxury and should be diligent and economical instead. Since she was an archangel, didn''t she know that ''greed'' was a sin?


    However, she never cared about this!


    No matter how people criticized her, she still did things in her own way. The money she spent had never been little, and even some people even found the statistics. Every year, Her Highness would spend at least a million gold coins on her ''hobby''. It was easy for her to give off the impression of a lavish ruler.


    However, compared to the Munn Kingdom astronomical annual income, that was worth almost nothing. Strictly speaking, her spending was almost the same as those nobles. If she were a little bit more lowkey, no one would have criticized her in this regard. As usual, Lydia''s personality was that she prefered righteousness, so why should she be sneaky like a thief? No wonder a lot of people didn''t like her, since no matter in which era, there were always people who hated the rich. Not to mention that Lydia was the ruler of a kingdom. Her identity was inherently sensitive, and it also caused all kind of rumors about her.


    In the game, Lydia''s character was very popular among players. Rather than completing quests from NPCs, players liked to accept them from Lydia better because she gave more generous rewards. If they did well, they would even get extra rewards. This naturally made the players have a very good impression of her. Not to mention that she was also adept at making big appearances, and it satisfied many people''s self-esteem.


    Of course, Lauren had no qualification to do so and didn''t even dare to reject her request. He knew that she had another intention in doing so. She would even opened the sacred arena to the public! Holy Spirit, that place was the sacred land of the Munn Kingdom''s knights!


    Lauren wasn''t stupid; if he accepted Lydia''s request, then this Midsummer Festival would certainly become the center of attention and would also increase the Mercenary Association''s reputation!


    But��


    What made Lauren curious was why Her Highness made such a request. Although she enjoyed it and had come to the Midsummer Festival several times, she had never requested to hold it on her own. This time, what was Her Highness planning?


    Surely, even though he was curious, but he wasn''t stupid enough to ask about it. He wanted to reject the offer, but he knew that it was a suggestion that he was unable to reject, because it was clearly not a suggestion.


    "I understand, Your Highness. I will immediately make preparations."


    "Very well."


    After getting Lauren''s agreement, she smiled.


    "Then I still have another small request for this Midsummer Festival��"

 Chapter 286 Accidental Trigger

    The shield swung down.


    Rhode dodged Anne''s attack, which had brushed him. Like a spirit emerging from between the gap of the golden shield, Rhode stretched his hand back and grabbed Joey''s arm as he leaped over. Then, Rhode turned around and threw Joey to the front.


    Joey knew that he was about to collide into Anne''s shield and both parties tried to avoid the collision. However, just when Anne extended her arm to grab Joey, Rhode suddenly emerged behind Joey. He jumped over Anne and dashed toward Lize, who stood behind her.


    Lize was taken aback, but she was reacted swiftly. She raised her arms and two beams of light descended from the sky. However, the beams failed to shroud Rhode as he nimbly sprung off Anne''s shield. As a result, the beams struck Anne instead.


    "L-Lize!"


    The defenseless Anne was instantly weakened and fell on her bum. Before Lize was able to make amends, her vision flashed and Rhode emerged before her. Then, a suffocating pain emerged from her neck, instantly dissipating her charged spells. She instinctively took two steps back and gasped for air. At this moment, Rhode landed a heavy punch on Lize''s tummy.


    "No!"


    Lize knelt on the ground. On the other hand, Marlene sulked and hurriedly raised her staff. She aimed at the pitch-black figure, but hesitated after witnessing Lize''s plight. This moment of hesitation cost her her best chance to strike.


    Marlene didn''t know when did Rhode appeared by her side. All she felt was Rhode''s slim, steel-like fingers clutching her wrist. In an instant, the intense pain forced Marlene to drop her staff.


    "This is the end."


    Rhode released his hand and said with his usual emotionless face.


    "Phew��"


    Everyone stared blankly. Randolf had been knocked out from the very start. Joey laid flat beside Anne and hadn''t recover from his daze yet. Anne laid weakly and could only wait for Lize to dispel the curse from her.


    However, Lize was retching and wouldn''t be able to recover for a while to treat Anne.


    "All of you performed okay, but not great," Rhode said.


    After the warm-up matches, he knew that these guys had become rather complacent and arrogant. Besides, even though they knew that they were mentally-unprepared for the atmosphere in the warm-up matches, that didn''t mean that their skills and techniques were unformidable. This was why Rhode didn''t mind getting their heads straight on where their exact weaknesses were.


    "Anne, there are still flaws in your mastery in handling the shield. It''s not necessarily better for your shield to transform into all sorts of shapes and sizes. The different forms of your shield each have their unique structures, strength and speed. Even though normal mercenaries can''t take advantage of them, that doesn''t mean your opponents can''t either."


    Rhode turned to the rest.


    "Lize, your battle techniques aren''t skillful enough yet. Such techniques focus on rhythm, but do remember that you should be the one in control. If your opponent doesn''t follow your rhythm, you must immediately think of a way to turn the tide and not just stand there blankly getting beaten."


    "Yes�� Mr. Rhode."


    Lize stood up forcefully and gritted her teeth. Rhode twitched his brows and looked at Joey.


    "Joey, you are irascible��too irascible. Remember, your opponent won''t be dumb enough to reveal their weaknesses for you to take advantage. Thieves should pay particular attention to killing in a single strike, so be too mindful on how many times you attempt to attack. Before the opponent reveals his weakness, you must be aware of whether it''s a chance or trap."


    "Okay�� I-I understand�� Leader��"


    Joey said even though he was still seeing stars. Although Anne managed to change her position in time for Joey to not crash his head fully on her shield, he was still dazed from the strong collision.


    "Marlene."


    And at last, Rhode extended his hand and patted on Marlene''s shoulder as she rubbed her wrist.


    "It''s necessary for Mages to prepare their stance before casting spells, so you must be mindful of your opponent, who will be taking advantage of this. We are all clear that if Mages failed to prepare their spell casting stances, they won''t be able to do anything. You have to prepare yourself to react to such situations."


    "Yes, I will improve, Mr. Rhode."


    Marlene sulked slightly even though she didn''t perform as badly as she did during her test to join Starlight. However, she had no less frustrations. After all, during the test, Rhode put in more effort and took advantage of her own hesitation; if she wasn''t worried that Lize would be hurt from her magical spells, she would have possibly struck Rhode.


    But it was too late for regrets now.


    "I hope all of you can take note that your opponents in the Midsummer Festival may be stronger than me. With your current standards, you will need to put in all efforts in order to defeat them. Don''t be hesitant about whether your moves are honorable because that doesn''t matter. What''s important is that you must think of winning all the time. There will only be failure without victories."


    Of course, that wasn''t exactly the truth. In terms of levels, the opponents in Midsummer Festival wouldn''t be weaker than him. However, in terms of technique masteries, even an opponent who was 10 levels higher than him wouldn''t pose much of a threat. Of course, he couldn''t explain that to Marlene and the rest as they wouldn''t be able to understand anyway and he was better off exaggerating for them to be mentally prepared.


    They were still incapable of belittling their opponents.


    At this moment, Starlight had temporarily stopped all activities. There were 40 lucky winners that managed to get into Starlight via applications. Rhode wasn''t too worried about their abilities because he had designated areas for each classes to polish their techniques.


    Next, it would all depend on their mentality��


    Right now, Starlight couldn''t afford to be busy over these matters anymore. As participants in the Midsummer Festival, Rhode had decided to bring along all members in order for them to experience the atmosphere and blend everyone into the group. Of course, this was also to impose their presence. After all, mercenaries from other guilds were also participating and if Rhode didn''t bring more people along, they would be looked down upon.


    As for accomodations, the association had arranged them for Starlight quite meticulously. Therefore, Rhode didn''t need to fork out even a single cent. Everyone was excited after knowing they could participate in the Midsummer Festival. Most of them had already started packing their stuff and getting ready to move out.


    And because of this, there were no other mercenaries other than Rhode and the rest in the underground training room.


    Knock knock knock.


    Someone knocked on the door.


    "Come in."


    The door slowly opened and Christie peered out from behind the doorway. Upon spotting Rhode, she revealed a warm smile and scuttled over.


    "�� Rhode�� This letter�� someone from the guild sent over."


    "Guild?"


    Rhode knitted his brows. He gently caressed Christie''s hair and took over the letter.


    Then, he opened his eyes wide.


    Change in address?


    What''s going on?


    On the letter written in black ink: "The venue for the Midsummer Festival has been relocated to Golden City. There are no changes to the official date, so we hope all guilds will participate on time."


    Although the tone of this news was official, Rhode felt strange because he remembered clearly that the Midsummer Festival had always been held in Clayschild in the game. As for Golden City�� that was even more impossible! Not to mention, the venue would still be held at the Sacred Arena?


    How was this possible?


    This was the first time that Rhode realised that there were differences in his memories and reality.


    Suddenly, a system prompt emerged before him.


    [Triggered Prestige Mission; Building systems in a Mercenary Group �� Honorable Peak]

 Chapter 287 Lydia’s Promise

    Just as Ron had thought, the change in venue for the Midsummer Festival immediately caused a wave of controversies. This reaction was expected, since this historical festival had strangely changed its location without logical reasons. However, not many people felt that this was too weird because they knew that this was Lydia''s idea. Lydia was known for her wacky behavior, so it wasn''t strange for her to meddle in the preparations of the Midsummer Festival.


    And what made the mercenaries most excited was that, this time, the Midsummer Festival competition would actually be held in the Sacred Arena!


    This wasn''t any ordinary place! In the Munn Kingdom, the Sacred Arena was known for its prestige.


    A long time ago, the Sacred Arena was designated as the grounds for the selection of the bravest, strongest, and most loyal guards, in order to form a devoted group under the Light Dragon. Not only were they the biggest pride of the Munn Kingdom, but they were also the spokespersons for the strongest personnel under the Light Dragon.


    Now that time had past, along with pressure from the parliament, the Light Dragon had lost its influence and the purpose of the Sacred Arena had also transformed. About a hundred years ago, the parliament ''represented'' the Light Dragon to ''reject'' this honorable tradition. According to them, true warriors should offer themselves to the land under the Light Dragon and not a specific existence.


    However, the Munn Kingdom would never fall into the trap of the parliament because they were clearer than anyone what the real reason was. This was because the parliament was afraid that the Light Dragon Heir would gather forces to resist them. That was why the parliament purposely found an excuse to remove this activity. However, the Munn Kingdom didn''t object as they continued to preserve the responsibilities of the Sacred Arena and not remove their traditions. However, the forces had changed, and the winners in the arena would no longer need to swear an oaths to the Light Dragon. Instead, they would swear an oaths as guardians of the Light Dragon. Everyone knew that the Munn Kingdom had always devoted themselves to the Light Dragon. Even though the parliament had always despised them for such ''ignorant devotion for a single person'', the Munn Kingdom continued to do so with no remorse. And not only could the conflicts from both sides be seen here, but they could also be seen everywhere. From the perspective of the Country of Light''s parliament, they had been dedicated in advocating that this continent belonged to the people under the Light Dragon and not a specific person. Everyone under the Light Dragon could change this world, and they, as representatives for the people, naturally had sufficient reasons to exercise their powers.


    However, to the Munn Kingdom, this continent belonged to the Light Dragon and since everyone was its people, then they should follow the Light Dragon and not violate or resist its majesty and glory.


    Due to the different stance on this matter, the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Light''s parliament had a tense relationship. From the former''s perspective, the latter was comprised of disrespectful people who attempted to seize the throne. But, to the latter, the former was stubborn in not accepting advancement in history and civilization in order to protect the nobles. They, as the spokesperson of their people, should resist the rule of the prerogative classes in order for people of Country of Light to enjoy true peace and freedom!


    In terms of fame and power, Munn Kingdom had contended against over 30 alliances from the Country of Light and definitely was the underdogs. In fact, other than the Munn Kingdom and some tribes by the border, most people were brainwashed in thinking that the Munn Kingdom was filled with greedy and selfish nobles who only cared for their own well-being and squeezed every cent out of all everyone�� See, what a pathetic bunch.


    However, many people didn''t know that every year, the Munn Kingdom had been contributing a sum of money to the Country of Light, which covered one-third of their entire finance. Besides, they had even announced that these were presents for the Light Dragon. However, was the money for the Country of Light''s parliament or for the people of the Country of Light? No one knew.


    As long as the Country of Light parliament did their part in serving the Light Dragon as ministers, then it didn''t matter where they spent the money on.


    According to the Country of Light''s parliament, they should gracefully reject this huge sum of money because these were gold coins that were filled with blood and tears of people forced into paying up by the evil nobles in the Munn Kingdom. They couldn''t accept such filthy money.


    But did they dare reject it?


    Every member of the Country of Light''s parliament knew clearly in their hearts that as the richest in the country and also the strongest in terms of financial stability, the sum of money was the main source of income that supported Country of Light. If they had the morals to not accept the money, the Country of Light would go bankrupt in a couple years time�� This was why even though they disregarded the Country of Light''s parliament, the parliament could only admit such.


    Now, back to the Sacred Arena.


    Although, due to these various reasons and conflicts from the higher-ups that the Light Dragon could no longer influence the arena, this place was still kept in proper. Once every few years, there would be similar tests and training, but the difference was that the winner here could become an honorable guard of the Munn Kingdom, which was also a remarkable achievement.


    However, those who had the rights to enter the Sacred Arena to fight were strong personnels who were already famous and held noble statuses. To the mercenaries, although they respected this arena, they knew that this was only a dream. They didn''t have the ability or right to enter this most sacred stage.


    But now, their dream had come true.


    And what excited the mercenaries was not only their chance to step onto this sacred stage, but this also gave them a chance for unimaginable honor. When Lydia changed the location of the Midsummer Festival, she also announced that the winner of the Midsummer Festival would not only would receive the title of Honorable Guard, but also the right to fulfill one wish of his.


    Any wish!


    The whole kingdom exploded with excitement.


    Not only was Lydia only 16 to 17 years old, but she was also a stunning beauty. For such an exceptionally beautiful lady to confess that she could fulfill ''any wish'' of the winner, any normal man would let their imagination run wild. There were some mercenaries who even began to daydream that if they became the winner, he would have the chance to get close and personal to this beautiful Royal Highness. Or maybe�� If his own wish was to marry her, then wouldn''t that be a huge steal?!


    Even ordinary mercenaries would think of this point, not to mention the four largest guilds.


    Rhode was clear of this himself.


    But��


    "What do you think, Marlene?"


    He placed the letter down and looked at Marlene, who was knitting her brows in unsettlement.


    "I don''t know what''s going on in Her Royal Highness'' head."


    Marlene said helplessly.


    "The only thing I can say is that�� Royal Highness Lydia isn''t someone who would make rash decisions�� Of course, I admit that many times, her methods seem strange at first, she always seems to control of the situation. In fact, only when everything settles down will you then realise that she had actually planned every single step��"


    "I know what you mean."


    Rhode empathized. It was the same as in the game. Lydia would often come up with strange ideas during the fight against the Country of Dark, appointing missions that the players felt were ridiculous. However, everytime players completed the mission, they realised that they had contributed the most in turning the war to their side. And all it was due to Lydia''s out-of-the-box thinking that the Munn Kingdom could resist the Country of Dark for so long��


    However, in the end, she still failed.


    Rhode knew Lydia well and due to this reason, he had a tingling feeling that there was a scheme lingering behind this announcement. Maybe this sentence sounded like an unintentional mistake, but Rhode was confident that she had everything planned.


    You would be wrong to think that Archangels wouldn''t resort to crafty plots and machinations��


    Besides, there was this [Honorable Peak] mission.


    There weren''t many details and there was only a single line on the mission board.


    "The winner of the Midsummer Festival will return to the path of honor and reproduce the lost glory."


    Just a short sentence without any specific goal or reward. But Rhode didn''t feel like this was a dispensable mission because the color of this mission indicated that it was an elite mission, and remunerations would be generous.


    Not to mention, Lydia''s promise��


    Rhode folded the letter and stood up.


    "Marlene, is everyone ready to move out?"


    "We can move out anytime, Mr. Rhode."


    Marlene said confidently.


    "Good."


    Rhode nodded and opened the huge door.


    "Alright then, let''s go."

 Chapter 288 An Unpleasant Journey

    The chariot was smooth sailing on the flat road. Rhode lifted his head and gazed out of the window. The warm, orange rays from the sunset seeped through the dense forest, bringing an indolent and cozy sensation. Christie sat beside him, let off a gentle hum, and continued her sweet dreams after adjusting her position slightly.


    "We''re almost there, Mr. Rhode," Marlene said.


    Although the journey from Deep Stone City to Golden City wasn''t too arduous, it wasn''t too comfortable too either as Golden City wasn''t in the path of the strong gales, which was why Rhode couldn''t board the floating boats. He could only board the chariot and go through deep hill roads before reaching Silver Town. From there, he would board a ship through Emerald River and if everything went well, it would take around five days for him to reach Golden City.


    Although such long distance trips were already a norm to Rhode and the rest, this experience wasn''t any different from hell for those who were physically less fit like Lapis and Christie. It was especially so for Christie as she couldn''t endure the harsh journey. Due to this reason, Rhode had specially spent a large amount of money to hire two grand, comfortable six-wheeled chariots, which were stable and had much space within. They could hold up to eight passengers with soft sofas for travellers to forget about their fatigue and could allow the passengers to lean back and take short naps. These chariots were most commonly used by nobles whenever they needed to go on a trip. The chariots that Rhode had boarded were given to him by the Keller Family''s Chief and also the city owner, Klautz. Not only were the chariots brand new, but the logos were also imprinted with Starlight''s emblem. Even though Starlight might not be comparable with the guilds, they had to uphold their honor as a representative of Paphield.


    Rhode had actually decided not to bring Christie along as he knew that this journey wouldn''t be as casual as most people thought. Many members of Starlight felt that this journey was only for an ordinary festival and they would just be there as the crowd. However, Rhode knew that it wasn''t that simple as they might meet unforeseen obstacles and troubles.


    But in the end, Rhode decided to bring her along because it was also a good opportunity for Christie. The winner could get one of his wishes granted by Lydia, and this was a good chance to cure Christie''s conditions. Initially, Rhode thought that he would be able to gain Lydia''s attention by performing outstandingly at the Midsummer Festival. From there on, he would work on getting Lydia''s grace and request such wishes.


    But since Lydia had directly laid out such alluring conditions, Rhode would surely take it.


    This was why he kept Christie at his side and this time, he personally found two chariots for the purpose of letting Christie have a good rest in order to prevent any situations before they even reached Golden City.


    Now it seemed that perhaps due to the peaceful journey or the long separation from Rhode, Christie was obedient and cheerful. However, this long journey had indeed fatigued her as she stopped drawing three hours ago and instantly fell into deep sleep while leaning on him.


    "We''re almost there."


    Rhode looked out of the window and nodded. Marlene extended her hand and knocked lightly on the window. Soon enough, the sprinting chariot gradually slowed down and they searched for a suitable camping venue.


    In the end, the chariot stopped at a piece of empty land beside the forest. After sitting for a whole day in the chariot, Anne quickly jumped off the vehicle and cleaned up the camping venue and set up tents. On the other chariot, Randolf, Joey, and the rest alighted and assisted Anne with the chores. They parked the chariots at opposite ends with the camp in the middle and the horses tied to the tree trunks. Marlene chanted and formed a gorge around the camp to prevent any attacks from wild beasts or other dangers. Anne, on the other hand, leaped around within the forests and vented her pent up energy while looking for prey for dinner. Lize wasn''t lazing around either as she searched for firewood to start a bonfire.


    On the outside, this wasn''t any different from an ordinary journey.


    But Rhode knew that this was the only time for them to remain carefree.


    Once they stepped into Golden City, it would mean the start of their battles.


    Suddenly, Gillian emerged beside Rhode.


    "What''s your intention, Master?"


    "Intention?"


    Rhode twitched his brows. Gillian let out a chuckle and glanced at everyone who was busy preparing the site. She put her finger by her lips.


    "Of course, I''m referring to the intention that they don''t know. Master, what do you think of their chances in the Midsummer Festival?"


    "I am 100% confident." Rhode replied without even the slightest pause.


    "Winning is everything. In order to attain that goal, I will not let loose�� Why? Could it be that you can''t wait any longer?"


    "Slightly."


    Gillian cheerily jumped off the chariot, stretched her hands, and spun around lithely.


    "Although I''m sure Master isn''t such a person, it seems like you never changed. But, it''s fine since I''m most familiar with you, Master�� So then, is there anything you need my help for?"


    "I don''t need your help this time around."


    Rhode gave her a shocking answer. She stared at Rhode dubiously before sneakily turning around to gaze at everyone who was busy sweeping and setting up tents. The young lady knitted her brows.


    "So�� Master, you are intending to do that? Is that why you made Old Walker bring his men over to Golden City first?"


    "That''s right."


    Rhode''s eyes glinted with smiles. Although there weren''t any changes in his expression, it was as though a hungry pack of wolves lurked in his eyes.


    "We can never fight the four guilds up front. Especially considering Lydia''s announcement, as they would never let this chance go. But that''s alright because they won''t be too mindful of small fries like us, which presents an opportunity. However, an opportunity won''t be enough, so we have to create our own victory�� Since we can''t defeat them up front, we can only do it another way."


    "Is there anything I can help with, Master?"


    Gillian guessed his thoughts on this matter. At this moment, her eyes glinted while her tail wagged anxiously.


    "Of course, by then��"


    Suddenly, a burst of footsteps sounded from nearby, which forced Rhode and Gillian to exchange a look of suspicion.


    What happened?


    Lapis scuttled over in panic.


    "L-Leader! Trouble! Trouble! Sister Lize is about to battle someone!"


    "What?"


    Rhode frowned and lifted his hand to get Lapis to calm down. At this moment, Christie, who was in Rhode''s arms, woke up and opened her eyes. She shook off her daze and puzzledly looked at Lapis, totally unaware of the situation. Rhode gently caressed her hair and after the little girl calmed down, he asked.


    "What happened exactly?"


    "I-It''s like this�� Just as we were tidying the site, suddenly there were a bunch of guards�� They insisted of having our campsite and turned aggressive. They refused to hear Sister Lize''s words and even tried to chase us away. Sister Marlene is also heading there now��"


    Bam!


    Before Lapis finished her sentence, an explosion erupted and dark smoke billowed.

 Chapter 289 Road to the Deceased

    When Rhode arrived at the ''crime scene'', everything had ended.


    A scorched circle was clearly seen on the flat ground. Sparks danced on the yellow, withered grasses as black smoke billowed. Nearby five to six fully-armored men who resembled guards laid on their stomachs and stared at the ''main culprit'', who was just a few steps away from them.


    "Let me hear such unreasonable words again and I guarantee that all of you won''t live to see tomorrow!"


    Marlene glared at the frightened men. Rhode sensed a thick murderous intent exuding from her, so thick that it almost formed a surging, massive flame ball. It was almost miraculous occurence for Marlene to be this furious.


    "What happened?"


    Rhode walked up to the speechless Lize and asked softly. Lize hurriedly grabbed onto his arm and stuttered.


    This group of guards had arrived not long after Rhode''s group began setting up camp. Similar to Rhode, the men had also stopped by this area and wanted to set up camp. However, the guards were violent perhaps after witnessing how timid and weak Lize and Lapis appeared to be, which was why they threatened them aggressively. Lapis was timid by nature, while Lize stood firmly to express her wrath. In Lize''s perspective, this place was huge enough for two teams. Besides, they were the ones who arrived first, so why must they make way for the guards?


    Although Lize was reasonable, the world didn''t work this way, as fists overpowered reasons. The guards who failed to defeat Lize in an argument raged. Judging Lize in her Cleric robe, they thought that she was an easy target, which was why they threatened them both. Lize quickly got Lapis to report to Rhode while she continued to confront them.


    Up until this moment, everything was within Rhode''s expectations.


    However, what happened next was totally unexpected.


    Marlene instantly rushed to Lize''s side. Although Lize could easily handle the guards with her current battle techniques, Marlene still went over to help since they were childhood friends.


    Lize indeed didn''t face any dangers.


    Although the guards appeared fierce and menacing, they weren''t bandits, after all. It was another matter to bring their weapons out in battle. That was why they only acted on their mouths and not fists, continuing to humiliate Lize without any intention of pulling punches.


    But now, it seemed like it would have been a wiser choice had they thrown their punches.


    The guards were also down on their luck. As Marlene arrived, they were hurling low-class vulgarities and even mentioned Lize''s private parts. And after they saw Marlene, they dragged her into it as well.


    They had messed with the hornet''s nest this time.


    As a noble and a prideful person, there was only one reaction from Marlene after she witnessed this bunch of men gesturing obscenely and shaking their bums simultaneously.


    Before Lize could stop Marlene, it was already too late.


    Fortunately, those guys weren''t directly barbequed, and they should be thankful to their gods for saving their lives.


    At this moment, the guards were pale and shivering in fear as they looked up at the cold-blooded young lady. They realised that they had nearly committed suicide. They humiliated a Mage! Were they sick and tired of living already?


    Rhode pondered for a moment before walking up to Marlene and grabbed her shoulder.


    "Okay, Marlene, I''ll take over from here."


    "Mr. Rhode?"


    Marlene knitted her brows. She showed signs of hesitations, but eventually lowered her staff and headed off in a foul mood. It had to be said that after training in the mercenary group for so long, Marlene had shown some improvements. If this was her before joining the mercenary group, she would have immediately sent them to their graves.


    But now�� Although she was furious at them, she knew that most mercenaries behaved like these guards after spending so much time with them, which was why she had gradually gotten used to such behaviors. Of course, acceptance was one matter, while encountering was another.


    The guards stood up frantically after Marlene walked off and anxiously gazed at Rhode. They considered running for their lives, but their feet seemed to freeze after sensing the cold stare from Rhode.


    Oh my goodness, why am I so unlucky! Damn it, I should have said less just now. Now, now�� what should I do!


    Just as the guards were speechless, suddenly, a frantic voice sounded from behind them.


    "W-What happened? Did you guys do this? What was that explosion?"


    The guards calmed down instantly. This usually annoying voice had become angelic in this situation. They let out long sighs of relief simultaneously. It wasn''t up to them to decide what was coming, and they could only leave it to fate.


    The guards relaxed at this thought.


    Rhode lifted his head and saw a few chariots filled with goods stopped by the main road. A fat figure ran over, which appeared kind of comical.


    But for some unknown reasons, Rhode and Lize were stunned after hearing the voice as though it was somewhat familiar��


    Soon enough, the owner of the voice appeared before them.


    It was a fat merchant who wore a broad robe. His round, bubbly face was filled with oil and sweat. From the looks of it, he lacked exercise as such a short sprint left him panting for air.


    "Why don''t you people speak? Mute? Huh? What happened? Who are they?"


    The fat merchant turned around and looked at Lapis, who was terrified. He puckered his brows dubiously and turned to Marlene, who was fiddling with her staff innocently. He sulked instantly as he guessed what exactly happened�� Damn it. This bunch of idiots messed with a Mage? I knew these idiots weren''t reliable at all. After this transaction, I will definitely fire them!


    The fat merchant swore inwardly and took in deep breaths before turning to Rhode and Lize. As a merchant, it was important for him to discern what others were thinking based on their body language. The reason he didn''t immediately turn his attention to Rhode was because he wanted to figure out what exactly happened. Now it seemed to be a troublesome matter as he was clear of the guards'' etiquettes and he had even considered firing these idiots before. But now, he had been dragged into such problems again. These idiots even dare to mess with a Mage? This bunch of damn�� bastards! The fat merchant whined, but it wasn''t nice to delay the time anymore. In the end, he gritted his teeth and faced Rhode, praying that the man would be a reasonable person.


    After taking a clear look at both of them, the fat merchant was taken aback. Then, he raised his right arm and gazed with wide-opened eyes.


    "I-I-Isn''t�� Isn''t this�� Mr. Rhode?!"


    "Long time no see, Mr. Matt."


    Rhode nodded expressionlessly. Then, he glanced at the chariot filled with goods by the roadside.


    "It seems like you''ve been doing well."

 Chapter 290 Big Business Deal

    Rhode didn''t recognize the wrong person. This fat merchant was indeed Matt, who he had met when they escaped from the wreckage of the floating boat when he first arrived in this world. To be frank, although this merchant was sort of troublesome, he was actually rather kind in nature. After they parted ways in Deep Stone City, they never met again. But, who knew they would actually reunite here.


    Since they knew each other, the following matter was easier settled. Matt wasn''t an unreasonable person, and besides, although he had never met with Rhode and the rest after parting, he ran business within Paphield and naturally heard the news of Rhode''s Starlight. Furthermore, this incident was technically his men''s fault, which was why Matt had no qualms in apologizing to Marlene on behalf of his men. Marlene, on the other hand, had decided to not pursue the matter further as she had once heard from Lize the incident when Matt, Rhode, and her escaped the Twilight Forest. Therefore, she was more or less aware of this fat merchant and since this man was sincere in his apologies, Marlene decided not to hold a grudge anymore.


    This conflict had been put to an end almost immediately.


    In the end, both parties decided to share the campsite. Matt naturally welcomed this invitation. Although this wasn''t the first time that they met this fat merchant, Rhode and Lize finally had the chance to watch him display his strong interpersonal skills. Although, due to the previous conflict, Rhode and the rest were standoffish with the guards, Matt was not affected at all. He brought a huge warm smile to everyone and chatted about the recent good weather, shared his knowledge and experiences, and passed rare gifts to everyone at the end of their conversation. Then, everyone who was objective about the guards, finally changed their attitudes, not to mention the always carefree Anne, Lapis, and Christie who had always been afraid of strangers. They admired the exquisite art gifts they had received.


    Matt wiped the sweat off his forehead and sat by the bonfire. Then, he sneezed after gulping down a mouthful of wine, which left him he feeling much better.


    "I didn''t expect you to be so capable," Rhode said. Matt smiled cheekily in response and tucked the wine pot back into his bag.


    "I''ve got no choice, Mr. Rhode. People in this industry need to be amiable. If everyone feels good, it makes businesses much easier? Ah�� I promise that such incidents won''t happen again. I will immediately fire that bunch of useless idiots once we returned to the Trade Association! Goddamnit! They even dared to offend a Mage. They must be sick of living��"


    "It seems like you''re doing fine?"


    "The ways of the world are never easy."


    Facing Rhode''s taunt, Matt let out a bitter smile and shook his head while letting out a long sigh.


    "Life isn''t easy nowadays. Ever since the floating boat got wrecked, I lost almost half of my assets and now the Silver Libra Trade Association is struggling. We hardly get by everyday."


    "Oh?"


    Rhode twitched his brows.


    "I remember when the trade route was sealed off, many items increased in price. Could it be that you didn''t earn a fortune from that, Mr. Matt?"


    "I do want to earn a fortune from that," Matt said with a face full of hopelessness. He scratched his head as the wide smile on his face faded. This indeed was a huge trouble for Matt.


    "If it went according to what you said, Mr. Rhode, the sealing of the trade route should be a good opportunity for me. Even though I lost almost half of my assets, at least I could earn back my losses with the other half. But the damned Trade Association actually used this chance to jack the price up! Do you think I dared do it? My gosh, I still have my parents and children to feed. I can''t risk getting hanged like those idiots who went against the price!"


    As a travelling merchant, Matt had always been sensitive to such incidents. From the jacking up of price, he had already sensed that something was off and because of that, he didn''t get involved with business transactions.


    Just as expected, although the rise in price was considerably small, Matt wasn''t able to recoup his losses. He felt that he had earned much more than the corpses swaying on the hanging post; after all, there was no use of money if one didn''t even have the life to spend it.


    "So then, this time around��"


    "Because Her Highness Lydia decided to hold the Midsummer Festival in Golden City, I decided to try my luck and see if I could make a windfall out of it. To be honest, I came to a partnership agreement with Golden City. You see�� My chariots are filled with wine and spices for Golden City. The price of these commodities are two times higher than before�� And I can recoup my losses if everything goes well."


    Although Matt sounded optimistic, Rhode discovered that this fat merchant wasn''t that confident, after all. Besides, he was also clear that business profits relied strongly on opportune timing. And if Matt was able to hand over all his inventory in a short period of time, perhaps he could recoup his losses. However, the stir from the Trade Association would force Matt to delay his plans and his losses would be even greater that way. This was why Rhode empathized even though Matt seemed optimistic when he explained. There were no signs of happiness in his expression at all. Even if he could make up the losses with this business deal, the future losses would still be huge. The fat merchant should be thankful that he hadn''t hung himself while crying to death.


    "Forget it; let''s not talk about these depressing issues."


    Matt realised that he sounded disheartening. He shook his head and let out a long sigh. He turned to Rhode and revealed a smile which said that these were things all men know.


    "And about you, Mr. Rhode, we haven''t met for a short while and you already have so many beautiful girls by your side. Sigh�� I''m so envious. Although I heard rumors of Starlight when I roamed around Paphield, now I know that the rumors weren''t exagarating at all. Haha, they even said�� Forget it; it''s nothing."


    Although Matt didn''t continue his sentence, Rhode was certain that Matt was about to mention things like "a pretty leader leading a group of beauties, what a beautiful sight��"


    This wasn''t unexpected, considering Rhode had also heard such rumors from time to time.


    "But�� Miss Christie looks adorable. Even Miss Gillian and Miss Anne are rare beauties. Mr. Rhode, from a man''s perspective, I am really envious of you."


    Matt definitely came equipped with the ability to chit-chat. Before the situation turned awkward, he hurriedly started another topic as he faced the little girl opposite him, who was fiddling with a crystal ball in her hand. That was the present Matt had given to her. There was a house within the crystal ball and a figure of a little girl. The four seasons of the inside world would change as one turned the ball upside down. This was a magical item, but it just provided some mere amusement. However, Christie didn''t seem to get tired of it as she excitedly observed the world within the crystal ball.


    "That''s life for you." Rhode sneered without any change to his expression. Matt scratched his head and displayed a bitter smile.


    "To be popular with so many beauties of my age is definitely too difficult�� Mr. Rhode, you have to work hard. Oh yes, there''s also Lize. From what I see, her attitude towards you hasn''t changed one bit."


    "Huh?"


    Rhode puckered his brows. He looked at Lize on the other side of the bonfire, who was currently speaking softly to Marlene.


    "Mr. Matt, what plans do you have after your business in Golden City?"


    "Plans?"


    Matt was surprised by Rhode''s question.


    "Hmm�� Temporarily, I have none, as I will need to see the reaps of this trip first. If I can''t even make a profit, I won''t be able to do what I want to do. But if I get lucky, I will start from the very beginning again�� Sigh, it has been awhile since I had such emotions. Thinking back to when I was a merchant apprentice�� Sigh��"


    An idea came into Rhode''s mind. Then, he asked, "If that''s the case, Mr. Matt�� Are you interested in a big business deal with Starlight?"


    "Huh?"


    Matt stared blankly.

 Chapter 291 A Small Invitation

    Matt revealed a shocked expression upon hearing Rhode''s words. He widened his eyes dubiously and stared at the black-haired young man as if trying to figure out his true intentions. However, Matt gave up because he couldn''t get a read from Rhode''s expressionless face.


    "What business?"


    Matt couldn''t hold in his curiosity anymore. Although he wasn''t heavily in debt, he wasn''t far from being bankrupt either. Even if his business transaction went well in Golden City, it wouldn''t change Silver Libra''s state. If it were anyone else suggesting this, Matt might consider it as a trap. But since it came from Rhode, he felt much more assured.


    "Since you have heard about Starlight, you should also know why we''re heading to Golden City."


    "That''s for sure, Mr Rhode."


    Matt showed his huge thumb.


    "I have to congratulate you guys. I didn''t expect Mr. Rhode to be so capable as to make a mercenary group that was about to be disbanded the hottest topic in Paphield. To be frank, I admire you a lot, Mr. Rhode. If I could be half as capable as you, our Trade Association wouldn''t be in this terrible state��"


    "Since you''re aware, it makes things easier."


    Rhode nodded slightly. He glanced at everyone and said.


    "I guess Mr. Matt must be clear that if we get promoted into a guild, we won''t be able to sustain our operations based on our current situation. A guild requires a certain extent of assistance, but I don''t have any good candidates in Paphield. I have been troubling over this matter�� Mr. Matt, are you interested in this?"


    "This��"


    Matt was astonished.


    "Regarding this, I��"


    "Of course, I won''t let you do it for free because I understand the current state of your Trade Association. After all, you have already explained to me just now�� So, if you wish to accept my invitation, Starlight will gift a batch of magical potions to you every month. What do you think?"


    "Magical potions?!"


    Matt jumped up from the ground with his shivering legs. He stared with eyes so wide that they were about to pop off.


    He couldn''t be blamed for being so excited. The magical potions were more precious than gold to all merchants. In the past, magical potions were common. But now, after hundred years of battles, many recipes for magical potions had vanished and most of the remaining recipes belonged to the Alchemist Association. Most people wouldn''t be able to have them, whereas only Mages and rich nobles could get their hands on them through various channels. To the others, the magical potions were as good as legends, and even the cheapest magical potions could be as valuable as a high-grade gem.


    However, there were still many people trying to obtain the magical potions and because of that, the prices had never fallen. Materials required to make the magical potions were rare, but the recipes themselves were also hard to obtain, not to mention low success rates using alchemist skills. Furthermore, the Alchemist Association had strong control over the recipes and not anyone could create anything out of them. Although Lapis had the techniques of an Alchemist Apprentice previously, she was not valued by the Mark White Mercenary Group. If it weren''t for Rhode, who retrieved the records from his game where the potion recipes were modified by players, it would take three to five years to create a bottle of potion based on Lapis'' ability.


    Matt knew that Rhode had many magical potions on hand. After all, there were so many members in Starlight Mercenary Group and everyone was seen with a few bottles. Anyone who saw them were envious and jealous. Back then, Matt didn''t think much of them because he was aware of Rhode''s noble status, so obtaining a few bottles of magical potions wasn''t impossible. It was just rather wasteful to use them on mercenaries.


    But now, it seemed that things weren''t as simple as what Matt had thought. Since Rhode had promised to give him a batch of magical potions every month, this meant that Rhode had enough channels to obtain them. Matt had to give a thorough consideration about this matter because, after all, the magical potions could bring him huge profits. If Rhode gave him 20 bottles of ordinary magical potions, Matt would definitely be able to recoup his losses within half a years'' time!


    Right now, he had no choice but to consider.


    "To be honest, Mr. Rhode. This request of yours has given me a huge surprise��"


    Matt carefully spoke in fear of offending the young man.


    "But�� Please pardon my rudeness. Why me? Mr. Rhode, I appreciate the offer but, to be honest, I almost nodded instantly after hearing your words. But�� Please pardon me for being straightforward. Just as you''ve said, I understand the relationship between guilds and trade associations. But, although the Silver Libra Trade Association is indeed influential in Paphield, we aren''t that powerful yet. In fact, I feel�� We can''t bear such heavy responsibility."


    What Matt said was the truth. Guilds and the trade associations supporting them from behind the scenes were traceable to the same stock. No matter politics or economics, the other 4 largest guilds had deeply rooted forces and networks. Moreover, their benefits were closely entangled with the forces behind the scenes. Compared to them, Matt''s Silver Libra was more like a sapling within the gigantic tree. That was why Matt felt tremendous pressure in this issue as though a local chain store was venturing internationally against the big names, where success was minimal.


    Rhode wasn''t surprised by Matt''s response. Instead, he nodded inwardly.


    Although this fat merchant didn''t seem reliable, he was a person who understood his own situation. Rhode knew that if he laid the same offer to other merchants, they would''ve immediately accepted without hesitations. After all, no matter what, this represented a huge sum of remunerations. However, Matt was able to return to his senses from the surprise, which showed how objective and rational he was.


    But it was also due to this that it further strengthened Rhode''s will to collaborate with him. Only one who wasn''t blinded by remunerations was worthy of being his ally. As for those who could give up their principles for the sake of remunerations, even if he could provide support for the sake of remunerations, he would also betray you for the same reason. Rhode definitely didn''t need such a person by his side. Matt knew his own place and was the most ideal partner.


    Matt said that he didn''t have the foundation and wasn''t suitable to be Rhode''s partner, but he didn''t know that that was why Rhode chose him.


    Guilds that solely relied on behind-the-scenes forces for income and political assistance to survive would eventually lose their ability to live independently. The gigantic tree that they were from would gradually transform into vines that crawled toward other tree branches. This was the reason why trade associations supported the guilds; they hoped for powers to protect their own benefits. In short, the guilds were like their own private army.


    However, Rhode didn''t wish for Starlight to head down this path. Indeed, there were more powerful supporters than Matt, such as the Keller Family and Klautz, who had hinted to Rhode in this aspect. However, Rhode didn''t agree as he didn''t want to become the private army of Paphield. He had no interest in taking orders from others.


    Because of this, being financially independent was essential.


    However, it was a difficult task for guilds to survive financially on their own because they didn''t have a stable income and it was rather risky. Furthermore, in order to maintain their ruling position, most would choose to take in more members, which in turn led to financially heavy situations. Due to this reason, the mercenary groups could either rely on their local political forces to maintain their ruling position and lighten the burden in this aspect or they rely on trade associations to recruit more members with their financial resources.


    However, Rhode was different as he held a resource other guilds didn''t have, and that was the manufacturing of potions. Lapis with her MAX levelled alchemist technique could quickly create many potions. Along with Rhode''s modified recipe, Lapis could make at least 30 to 50 healing potions a month. Furthermore, she had the special talent of the Behermes Family, so the effects of these healing potions would be two times better than ordinary potions on the market. One could even say that no matter how seriously wounded one''s men were, as long as they were not dead, they could still be rescued.


    Such healing potions would definitely have sky-high prices.


    But, although Rhode held such a resource, he lacked a necessary way out. After all, selling potions required a lot of time and energy. Rhode''s current focus was on running the mercenary group and he couldn''t find the time to manage these matters. Because of that, he had to ask Matt for help. As a small trade association within Paphield, Matt had his own trading network. Even though the trading network might not be huge, Rhode was confident that the magical potions he supplied would definitely be sold out. After all, these were trading networks with standardized rules and regulations. If Rhode wished to meddle in it, god knows how long it would take him to start up.


    This way, Matt''s Silver Libra required Rhode''s supply of magical potions and Rhode''s guild could be maintained with the income from the trade association. Both parties would be able to maintain their ranks and balance. And because Silver Libra didn''t have the influence over the whole Paphield region, Rhode didn''t need to worry about others snatching the territory, which could complement each other into a win-win situation.


    Of course, these were the intentions in Rhode''s mind. To Matt, he naturally had other opinions.


    "I can understand your feelings, Mr. Matt."


    Rhode shrugged.


    "And it''s because of this that I feel you''re the most suitable business partner for me. You mentioned that your Silver Libra isn''t able to influence the whole Paphield region, but so what? My Starlight used to always be obscure and unknown too. We must pave our own ways and trust me, if we work together, we can get desirable results."


    "This��"


    Matt hesitated. Although he couldn''t figure out what was going on in Rhode''s head, he understood that if he roped in a good relationship with Rhode, it would be beneficial for his own trade association, so he didn''t have to worry much within Paphield, at the very least. However, these weren''t all the problems Matt was worried about from the start. What he was hesitant about was whether the forces behind the 4 largest guilds would act.


    "As for the 4 largest guilds, you don''t need to worry."


    Rhode spoke as though he had read Matt''s mind.


    "If anything were to happen, leave it to Starlight to handle. I can''t guarantee that Mr. Matt''s trade association won''t suffer any losses at all, but I can guarantee that Starlight will stand alongside your trade association no matter what. If Mr. Matt feels that this is worth the risk, then��"


    Matt remained silent as he stared at the bonfire before him. His eyes were filled with complications. In the end, he let out a long sigh and struggled to stand up on his feet.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Rhode. This is an important question, and I can''t answer you right now�� Please allow me to consider it carefully."


    "Sure, Mr. Matt."


    Although there wasn''t a definitive answer, Rhode had already expected this. He had witnessed Matt''s cautious personality when he was in Twilight forest back then. Although such personality would be troublesome during adventures, one had to admit that it was necessary to make logical and right calls for a merchant.


    "I understand your worries, so I won''t force you to make a decision. You can think about it and my invitation will still be effective until the end of Midsummer Festival."


    "Thank you."


    Matt revealed a bitter smile, turned around, and walked into his campsite with heavy steps. He shook his head and sighed. It seemed like he hadn''t return to his senses yet��


    Rhode gazed in silence. At this moment, a slender figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere.


    "How was it, Master? Did it work?"


    Gillian twitched her ears and swayed her tail. Rhode shook his head as a response.


    "No one knows what will happen next. I hope Mr. Matt can understand this�� No matter what, at least until now, I can''t find a partner better than him."


    "You really trust that fatty?"


    Gillian blinked her eyes curiously.


    "Master, although both of you experienced an adventure together, people do change, you know? Even though they might display a worthy side in life and death situations, they might put up a mask when they''re back to their normal lives."


    "Of course, I understand what you meant, Gillian," Rhode said. Meanwhile Matt''s back had disappeared into the opposite campsite.


    "But I have decided to give him a chance and if he agrees to my suggestion, it would be for the best. But, if he rejects, it would just mean a slight trouble for my side, that''s all. Such troubles are within my calculations."

 Chapter 292 Golden City

    For the next few days, the journey went smoothly.


    Although Matt chose to go on the journey with Rhode, he seemed to have forgotten about Rhode''s invitation to collaborate as he warm heartedly chatted with everyone from the mercenary group about everything. However, Rhode wasn''t worried about Matt at all because he knew what he was thinking.


    "Before the Midsummer Festival ends, he won''t have a response."


    Rhode twitched his brows and glanced at the scenery outside the window.


    "It''s in the nature of merchants to value money highly so if he feels like he will lose more than gain, he will surely give up. Even though I saved his life in Twilight Forest, he won''t obediently give his life to me as repayment. I can guarantee that he was indeed interested, but he was still doubtful of our mercenary group''s abilities. That''s why he''s waiting for the Midsummer Festival results and if we perform well enough, he will be assured. But, if we perform poorly, he doesn''t even need to consider my offer at all."


    "Humans are a troublesome bunch."


    Gillian let out a chuckle as she caressed her fluffy tail with a look of disdain.


    "But, these are also the merits of being humans. Efforts in thinking, troubling and deciding, hoping that their decisions were the right one."


    "I hope so too."


    Rhode shook his head. Suddenly, he felt a tiny hand tugging on his sleeves. He turned and saw Christie looking at him with a gentle smile, at the same time raising her drawing board with him drawn on it. It had to be said that Christie''s drawing skills were great. Although she had drawn with only a charcoal pen, the results were remarkably true to life. The beautiful art pieces had become a way for Christie to make friends. In Starlight, the members closer to Christie, including Marlene, Anne, and Lize, had also received a portrait of themselves that were drawn by her.


    However�� Looking at this ''black-haired beauty'', Rhode couldn''t feel happy because he thought that Christie had a too beautiful impression of himself. Why must it be that every time this little girl drew a portrait of himself, he always looked like a beauty? Could it be that Christie had never seen any manliness in himself?


    Of course, although Rhode felt helpless, he wouldn''t do anything to hurt Christie. So, he smiled and nodded before extending his hand to gently fondle her smooth, long hair.


    "Very well drawn. You should take a break, Christie."


    "Okay."


    Christie nodded happily and put down the drawing board. Meanwhile, Rhode retrieved a handkerchief and carefully rubbed the charcoal stains off her fingers. Lize and Marlene couldn''t help but whisper into each others'' ears.


    "Mr. Rhode treats Miss Christie so well. If this were seen by outsiders, maybe they would be mistaken for sis-�� siblings."


    Lize immediately corrected her sentence as she sensed a chill down her spine. On the other hand, Marlene admired the portrait after taking a closer look. Then, she let out a sigh.


    "Christie''s drawing skills are getting better. I never expected her to have such talents��"


    Marlene flipped through Christie''s drawings and mumbled. Then, something caught her attention and she covered the portraits with a blush.


    "What''s wrong, Marlene? What did you see?"


    Lize asked in astonishment. Christie''s work consisted of the daily lives of mercenaries, which was almost like a photobook for Starlight. However, this photobook didn''t consist of photos, but drawings.


    Everyday, many of them spent their leisure time admiring Christie''s work because the little girl was always able to notice details most people weren''t aware about. Even though some things were always in their sight, everyone would realise that ''those things actually existed'' only through her polishing and finishing touches.


    "It''s nothing, Lize. There''s some uncompleted ones at the end��"


    Marlene answered vaguely. Lize sensed that something was amiss and she gazed at Marlene curiously. At this moment, Gillian shook her head while rejoicing in Marlene''s misfortune.


    "Marlene, you��"


    As Lize spoke, the chariot slowed down. Then, the chariot driver knocked on the window and broke the awkward atmosphere.


    "Everyone, we are reaching Golden City soon."


    "Eh?"


    Anne, who was deeply asleep, jumped up after opening her eyes and looked out of the window in fascination.


    Soon enough, the chariot came to a halt and everyone alighted in sequence. Then, they witnessed an incredibly beautiful scenery.


    Under the summer skies, the city in the distance beamed with dazzling radiance. The clear rivers surrounded the tall city walls. Green, carpet-like forests spread wide and revealed the dazzling city. That was in the center of the Munn Kingdom and was also the most beautiful and resplendent jewel on this continent: Golden City.


    As one of the most popular cities in the Dragon Soul Continent, Golden City covered a large tract of land and was densely populated. Also, as the heart of the Dragon Soul Continent''s main commercial traffic and transportation, a total of six rivers converged and formed a huge lake that surrounded this city. The Silver River and Jade River ran through to form the northern and southern parts of the continent. On the eastern side, the Crystal River linked up to the Dragon Sea, which made transportation accessible from all sides. The lake surrounding Golden City formed a natural barrier, separating itself from the outside world.


    As the most beautiful and richest city on the continent, various rumors had always spread about Golden City. One of them said that the whole ground of the city was laid in white jade. And at the side of the roads, exquisites sculptures were erected, with weapons made of cast gold. The sculpture''s eyes were perfectly beautiful gems. The Angels'' temple was located in the center of the city and was the most important of all. Clear spring water flowed by the sides of the road. The temple was up to ten meters tall and in the presence of Angels. Rumor has it that the temple was filled with rare treasures and even the magical crystal lamps on the wall were the most precious fire source crystals. Some even mentioned that the walls were filled with beautiful murals of golden silk and silver linings, making it a spectacular sight.


    Rhode was very clear that on the south side, there was a beautiful red maple leaf forest. The trees there never withered and were pleasing to the eyes, but not many people knew about them. These were the execution grounds for Lydia to get rid of those guilty of terrible crimes. The determination in her perception of beauty was omnidirectional��


    Some of these rumors were true while some were just fantasies. But, with so many rumors spreading around, only two of them mattered in the end: the Golden City was indeed both wealthy and luxurious.


    Not to mention that Lydia had also stepped up and wished to revamp the entire Golden City. Even though rumors might not be true, they were very similar to the truth.


    In the game, this had been a hot topic among the players. To many players, Lydia''s actions resembled those of people who had too much money to spare. Based on the novels they usually read, the true nobles should be more reserved, filled with inner qualities, and not rely on money to show off their own presence by revamping the surface. However, there was a group of players who retorted this idea. Even if Lydia had indeed spent too much money, at least she spent it to construct such a breathtaking city. Everyone was a common civilian and couldn''t understand elegant abstract paintings, so since she had spent so much money to make something so elegant and luxurious, it meant that the money was well spent, right?


    At this moment, standing by the edge of the mountain trail, Rhode couldn''t help but think back on his journey in the game while looking at this beautiful city. Back then, when other players and himself arrived in this city for the first time, they excitedly cheered like country bumpkins who had never left their villages. Some even gave up their missions and ended up spending up to 10 days exploring this area. As soon as they saw the beautiful scenery, they would record and upload them to forums for discussion. In the end, this became a venue for online couples, and even for himself�� Cough cough, this topic went too far.


    Rhode shook his head and returned to his senses. At this moment, the others were also staring blankly. Christie looked at the beautiful city in astonishment and anticipation. Anne jumped for joy and the others were worried that she might fall down the mountain cliff.


    Marlene remained calm as she grew up in Golden City. She was familiar with everything in this place. On the other hand, Lize was feeling a little nostalgic as she stared blankly. Her eyes revealed some signs of uncertainty, anticipation, pain, and hesitation, yet also determination.


    Interesting.


    Rhode knitted his brows as he observed her expression. He wasn''t too concerned about Lize''s past. However, since she had known Marlene since young, it meant that Lize must have also grown up in Golden City and her social status wasn''t too low too. With Marlene''s identity, how would it be possible for her to play in the mud with other, ordinary kids?


    So then, what was Lize''s true identity?


    Rhode turned back and gazed at Marlene. He hesitated for a moment and decided not to ask. He had a premonition that not long after, Lize would explain to him everything.


    After admiring the beautiful scenery of Golden City, everyone returned to the chariot and continued their journey. Soon enough, they arrived at the outer region of Golden City.


    Although there were more than people arriving in Golden City than usual due to the Midsummer Festival, Golden City was experienced in managing crowds as an essential traffic hub. So even though there were many people, there was still social order and it didn''t take long for them to proceed into the city.


    Soon enough, they arrived at the bridgehead checkpoint for inspection.


    At this moment, something happened.


    Just as Christie and Anne stepped down from the chariot and intended to get checked, a group of knights dashed in the direction where both of them stood. Christie was at a loss and Anne instantly pulled her into her chest and dodged. The fluttering dust shrouded them.


    Shortly after, the group of knights blocked everyone''s path.


    "What are you people up to?!"


    Anne stormed toward the leading knight.


    The leading knight looked in astonishment.


    "Who are you? What do you want?"


    "Do you know you nearly knocked us down!?"


    Anne pointed at the leading knight furiously.


    "Just a little bit more and Christie would have been injured by your horse. Don''t you know how to watch your way?!"


    "Watch my way?"


    The man frowned as he extended his hand and pointed at the waving flag.


    "Don''t you see the Dio Family''s symbol? It''s already an offense for you people to not make way for the Dio Family. Hmph, a bunch of country bumpkins deserve to be knocked down! Also, aren''t you two doing fine? So what do you still want?"


    "What Dio Family? I''ve never heard of it."


    Anne clenched her fists.


    "Don''t you intend to apologise? "Hmph, ignorant commoner."


    The knight sneered and turned around. At this moment, the four Battle Angels guarding the bridgehead noticed the commotion and flew over instantly. The Battle Angels were clad in dazzling, silver armor. They held spears and their white wings flapped in midair gracefully. The leading Battle Angel sulked as soon as she spotted the knight. However, she quickly returned to her senses.


    "What happened here, Mr. Geer?"


    "Nothing much, just dealing with a bunch of barbarians." The man casually remarked. "Oh yes, you people came at a good timing. This bunch of barbarians disrespected me and yet they wish to enter the city. Alright, get rid of them and proceed with the checks. I have something urgent to attend to."


    The Battle Angels displayed difficult expressions and at this moment, Rhode approached them.


    "Mister, I think you''d better apologise. I''ll give you 30 seconds."


    "Who do you think you are?"


    The knight revealed a curious expression. It seemed like he couldn''t figure out if Rhode was a man or a woman, but even so, his arrogant attitude remained the same.


    "Get lost country bumpkin, this isn''t a place for such people like you."


    Hoots of laughter burst out from the other knights.


    "Hahaha, that''s right, get lost. We are busy, so don''t get in our way!"


    "A bunch of country bumpkins want us to apologise? Who do they think they are?"


    The knight''s expression turned even more arrogant as he sneered at Rhode.


    "You bunch of people have no right to enter the city. What are you standing here for? Scram! I''m in a good mood today and don''t wish to argue with a bunch of ignorant commoners."


    "Mr. Geer!" The leading Battle Angel raised her voice. "Please be respectful."


    Suddenly, a crisp voice sounded.


    "Who said that we don''t have the rights to enter the city?"


    "Hmm?"


    Geer lifted his head and saw Lize stepping down the chariot. She wiped the dirt on Christie''s face and glared at the man.


    "I hope you apologise to Christie, Mister."


    "You? Who are you anyway?"


    Geer laughed grimly. But, before he continued his sentence, the four Battle Angels hurriedly half-knelt and bowed to the young lady respectfully.

 Chapter 293 Entering the City

    The burst of laughter came to an end.


    Geer was stunned as he stared at the four half-kneeling Battle Angels. He rubbed his eyes and tried to figure out who the young lady was. She didn''t appear unique from any other women he had seen. She wasn''t dressed grandly and didn''t leave a deep impression. No matter what, she didn''t seem to be from the royal family. However, Geer was clear that these prideful Battle Angels would definitely not kneel down for any commoner. So�� there was only one truth.


    But�� When was there another ruler in the Munn Kingdom? The previous ruler had passed on and with Lydia as the current ruler, there wasn''t any possibility for an offspring since she didn''t give birth. Also, this young lady and Lydia seemed to be the same age, so where did she come from?


    Not only were the knights stunned, but even Anne and Christie also looked at Lize in astonishment. A stroke of blush and awkwardness emerged across Lize''s face. Then, she approached the Battle Angels.


    "�� Did Sister arrange for this?"


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    The Battle Angels stood up and lowered their heads respectfully. The leading Battle Angel said, "This was Her Highness'' arrangement. She informed us that if you decided to return here, it would mean that you accepted your identity�� so we don''t need to keep it a secret."


    Rhode twitched his brows. He turned to Marlene who was displaying a complicated expression.


    Lize nodded and let out a sigh.


    "But now, I am a member of the Starlight mercenary group. And this will never change."


    "I understand. But this is Her Highness'' decision and we are just carrying out her orders."


    The leading Battle Angel replied and moved to the side. Then, Lize lifted her head and approached Geer, who was looking in astonishment.


    "You can apologise now."


    What happened next didn''t need any explanation.


    Although Geer was still doubtful, he had been put down in his place. After all, with the Battle Angels by the side and even though he wasn''t aware that there was another "Her Highness," the whole commotion couldn''t be made up. This place was Golden City, after all, and was filled with good guys and scumbags. Maybe there was really someone whom he didn''t know. Although this man always threw his weight about, the reason he was able to survive in Golden City until today was thanks to his ability to adapt to situations. Now that he was aware that Lize''s identity wasn''t that simple, he let off his ego and led his men to apologise to Christie sincerely. Not only that, he also apologized for his rudeness. Although Christie was terrified, she accepted with a nod.


    On the contrary, Anne and Gillian were dissatisfied. Anne, as a Shield Warrior, was naturally the archenemy of the knights. On the other hand, Gillian had intended to use this opportunity to mess with them, but the knight didn''t provoke her further so she couldn''t find an excuse to do so. Even when the final inspections were over and everyone boarded the chariots and entered Golden City, Gillian was still grumbling over the matter. According to her, that bunch of brainless knights should have stubbornly insisted on their own attitude to find trouble with them. Then, Rhode could attack and wipe them all out. But who would have thought that they only had a lot of talk and yet no actions��


    "So boring. Such people are the most boring bunch."


    No one responded to Gillian because they were captivated by the picturesque scenery of Golden City.


    Just like in the rumors, the entire Golden City was full of tall, exquisite sculptures. Flat, dust-free white jade paved the dazzling path. Casual, relaxed green trees and fresh flowers decorated the place. Crystals shining with magical radiance hovered above the top of the stelae on both sides of the path. The crystals also served as a defense system as it filled every street and public square. In normal days, the exquisite crystals only served as street lamps. However, when there were battles, the crystals would be activated and form an enormous defense barrier that protected the entire Golden City. This defense mechanism came from the first Light Dragon. After many generations of modification, this magical barrier had become one of the continent''s most powerful defense barrier. Rhode had seen with his own eyes how difficult it was to break down, even for the Dark Dragon.


    However, this was meaningless. Even though the defenses were indeed strong, Golden City wouldn''t be any different from a lone city once they cut off external ties, and Lydia was clear of this. That was why, in the game, Lydia instantly gave up this city, which she had spent years building, and ordered everyone to evacuate before the Undead Army surrounded them when she discovered that the Dark Dragon had attempted to circumvent Golden City and engage in all out attack. Before she left, she had personally ignited an explosion in Golden City to deliver a huge blow to the Dark Dragon. Such a brutal method managed to buy the Munn Kingdom''s civilians some time. But even so, the wounded Dark Dragon didn''t give up. It continued to attack despite its injuries. In the end, Lydia and the Dark Dragon met each other in the mountainous region. In order to shield her civilians from the attack, Lydia stepped up and resisted the Dark Dragon with her Archangel''s powers.


    In the end, under the protection of Lydia, all the civilians safely evacuated into the Unbounded Forest in the Country of Trial while she died due to exhaustion.


    Rhode couldn''t help but let out a sigh of sorrow. Initially, many players were devoted to the Munn Kingdom for the sake of this beautiful land. However, they failed. The history of the game wouldn''t change, but what about real life? Would this beautiful city also be destroyed like it was in the game?


    While Rhode was rueful, the others were fully submerged in the beautiful, dignified sceneries. Even when they reached their destination, they still hadn''t return to their senses.


    As Lydia received the right to host the Midsummer Festival from the Mercenary Association, her style in spending money seemed to be much more extravagant. Normally, the association would be in charge of arranging lodging and food for participants. At the same time, they weren''t concerned with the non-participants as much. On the other hand, Lydia instantly assigned every participating guild relatively huge encampments. The encampments were located in areas near the Sacred Arena, with comfortable and secluded environments. They used to belong to the law and order militaries, but as Golden City transformed, the law and order militaries shifted their encampments and left the areas empty. The encampments were equipped with training grounds and well-trained attendants as though they were a high-class hotel.


    Starlight had been assigned to the encampment by the hillside of the Sacred Arena. From this encampment, they could easily view the Sacred Arena located just below them. There were Battle Angels patrolling nearby, so they didn''t need to worry about social order.


    Although Lydia adored festivals and crowds, she was indeed meticulous in her care. Even though there was a massive amount of people entering Golden City for this Midsummer Festival, there didn''t seem to be any chaos or disorderly situations. As for Matt, he had separated from everyone and wasn''t able to witness this scene after entering Golden City.


    Under the lead of the Battle Angels, everyone arrived at their designated encampment. Out of Rhode''s expectations, Old Walker and his men were already here and according to them, they were brought to this encampment after declaring their identities. It seemed that Lydia was diligent in the arrangements for this Midsummer Festival.


    After an exchange of conventional greetings, Rhode arranged for everyone to rest and tidy up their rooms while he chose a room at the end of the hallway. After long days journeying, he felt exhausted. Now that he finally had a chance for a break, he wouldn''t let it slip.


    At this moment, someone knocked on his door.


    "Come in."


    Rhode opened his eyes and answered. Lize pushed the door open gently and entered his room. The young lady had a hesitant and uncertain expression, but there was an unprecedented determination in her eyes.


    "Mr. Rhode, I think�� It''s about time to have a good chat with you."

 Chapter 294 Unavoidable Pas

    Rhode remained calm even though he had mix feelings. Although, in the game, there were several missions when ordinary NPCs would suddenly emerge and confess �� "Haha, I''m actually a spy", "Haha, I''m actually a Demon Lord", and "Haha, I''m actually��" �� those were only plots and players weren''t too into them. At most they only felt like "Damn, this is over exaggerating!"


    However, when you were in the situation yourself and the person was your companion for a long time, even if you were an experienced player who couldn''t get more familiar with game plots, you would still have unexplainable feelings deep inside your heart. In other words, you couldn''t differentiate if it was good or bad. Games were games and players knew that.


    This was an indescribable feeling.


    Rhode was dubious.


    He knew that Lize was a Cleric when he first met her. After he came to this world, he got to experience some things that only mercenary groups in this world would go through. Being a mercenary involved risks, and due to this, even Marlene, who had joined the mercenary group later, was always aloof and drew a clear line between her and the mercenaries. Besides, she didn''t intend to stay for long from the start. This was normal as both parties held different statuses, and while a short period of interaction might be fresh and interesting, things might get more difficult in future.


    Nevertheless, because of this, Rhode found it pretty hard to accept that Lize was actually a princess. If Lize truly belonged to the royal family, she wouldn''t be in a mercenary group to begin with. Even Marlene, who had joined the mercenary group temporarily��her identity was still the Senia Family''s heir. For such a person, even if she wished, her family would definitely disapprove of her being a mercenary. A person of her status had wishes that money couldn''t buy, such as beliefs and faiths.


    However, Lize had spent so much time in a mercenary group having fun, which was unbelievable because the royal family would definitely disprove of such matters. It would be unbearable for a member of the royal family to become a mercenary.


    And what made Rhode most suspicious was that, in the game, he was familiar with Munn Kingdom''s history, but he had never heard of Munn Kingdom having another "Her Highness". This could explain another matter, which was that her presence wasn''t influential in the game, and no missions were related to her. As a player, Rhode wouldn''t know. Of course, perhaps the endless flow of information in the royal family''s library might contain this information, but to Rhode, there were much more important things to check on than a NPC who had nothing to do with the game or any missions. Even though Rhode was termed the ''Walking Library'', his knowledge consisted of only the games. He was here for the game, after all, and not to study history.


    "I knew you would come, Lize."


    Rhode poured a cup of tea and placed it before her. The young lady hesitantly lifted the cup and stared into the red liquid with a complicated glint. Lize''s feelings were equally mixed, but unlike Rhode''s, her feelings were not only messy but also fearful.


    That''s right, fearful.


    Ever since the first incident on the floating boat, Lize had lost all her companions and at that moment, Rhode had supported her to stand back up on her feet. Afterward, it was also Rhode who assisted her to rebuild the mercenary group and even Lize couldn''t believe everything that happened thereafter. They were a small little mercenary group of Paphield but now, they were representing the Paphield Region and were about to stand in the most sacred arena of all mercenaries �� The Midsummer Festival stage.


    Lize believed that if her leader was looking over them from heaven, he would be glad to see the mercenary group reaching such a step. Also, she was sure that if Rhode wasn''t here, everything wouldn''t be possible. In fact, deep down in Lize''s heart, she had accepted Rhode''s presence. But, for unknown reasons, she couldn''t bring herself to address Rhode as "Leader" like Anne did�� This indeed was an awkward matter which Lize had often heard many people discuss. However, Rhode wasn''t mindful at all, but�� what about now? Was she about to confess the secret that she had been keeping in her heart?


    The young lady placed the cup on the table.


    This is my apology and something that I must do.


    "Sorry�� Mr. Rhode, I have been keeping my identity a secret all these while. But I don''t mean to lie and in fact�� I thought I could give up this identity forever."


    Lize paused and lifted her head.


    "Just as you thought, Her Highness Lydia and I are sisters, but�� we have different bloodlines."


    "Oh?"


    Rhode widened his eyes in astonishment. Could it be that Lize was the offspring of a scandal? But wait, Munn Kingdom had always been under the rule of a queen.


    Then�� What''s this��


    Before Rhode reacted, Lize raised a question.


    "Mr. Rhode, do you know how to inherit as the Archangel?"


    "This�� I''m not too sure."


    Rhode was slightly taken aback. He quickly searched for the information in his head to no avail. He didn''t know information on the reproduction cycle for angels. Lize continued.


    "The inheritance of an Archangel. The angel''s spirit resonates with its own bloodline to summon the unawakened spirit. From there, along with the growth in powers of the resonance all the way until maturing stage, the previous Archangel will leave the surface of this world and its powers will blend into the new Archangel''s body due to their bloodline relations. In other words�� the Archangel''s heir does not need help from anyone. The heir is a result of powers and spirit, which has nothing to do with reproduction."


    "There''s still such a thing?"


    Rhode was surprised. Even though Lize''s description was less elaborate, he could understand the meaning behind it. In simple terms, an Archangel actually reproduced asexually? What an anecdote��


    "Yes, that was how Sister Lydia was born. She inherited the pure and holy spirit from the previous Archangel, and my mother''s bloodline, to become the new Archangel heir."


    Lize looked down as she spoke.


    "But, even though she''s the Archangel, she needs love too. When my mother was ruling, she fell in love with a famous and reputable noble. As a result, they gave birth to me."


    Lize''s voice shook and was filled with hopelessness.


    "However, at that point of time, my presence meant nothing to the royal family because the heir of Munn Kingdom only required an Archangel. With a mix of human and angel bloodline, I didn''t have the ability or rights to take on that position. I was destined to become an ordinary princess, unlike Sister, who held powerful abilities, smart brains, and a bright future. But, this was the start of a tragedy for Sister��"


    Rhode gazed at Lize. Then, Lize gave an explanation.


    "My mother treated Sister and I with grave differences. Maybe to her, Sister''s birth was just part of her ''obligation'', whereas I was a result of her love. Needless to say, I, with the bloodline of human and angel wouldn''t be as smart, as powerful, as noticed, nor have as wonderful a future. To my mother, this seemed too sorrowful for me, so ever since I was born, my mother never stopped loving me, and pampering me�� She cared so much for me that Sister never felt such love before."


    Lize revealed a bitter smile.


    "For the same thing, my mother would praise me when I did well. Whereas, when Sister did well, she would be treated as expected because, as a heir of the Archangel, such matters shouldn''t be any challenge for her at all. But when I failed, my mother consoled me and never reprimanded me. Whereas when Sister did something wrong, she was harshly punished. But I was clear that Sister always tried tried her best. Even though she was blessed, she also wished for mother''s love and concern, but Mother only gave it to me, as she felt the need to make up to me. As I didn''t have such a bright future like Sister, nor such powerful abilities, she thought I should naturally should receive compensation in these areas."


    "Sister''s hard work has never been repaid, but she never showed any disappointment. Every break, she would come to my room and listen to stories of mother and I. It was as if she could feel mother''s love this way�� Sister was the real angel, but I hope she never hates or reprimands me. That way, I would feel better. However, Sister has never done so, until�� until Mother reached the end of her life and disappeared from this world."


    Lize paused for a moment and bit her lips.


    "Mother has always protected me because when she was in love with the noble. There were many objections within the royal family who felt that the respected Archangel shouldn''t mix around with humans, which would bring down her reputation. However, for the sake of love, Mother ignored the objections and got together with the man she loved. But, even so, Mother wasn''t someone who was blinded by love. She knew what it meant to Munn Kingdom, so she always protected me well and not many people were aware of my presence. However, after Mother passed on, my position within the family got awkward. While Sister didn''t comment much, the nobles felt that my presence within the royal family was like a taint, and it was the same for my father. In the end, for the country, he chose to sacrifice my presence but fortunately I was young back then and not many people knew who I was. Therefore, father deported me out of Golden City and I began my life as an ordinary human being. But before I left Golden City, Sister found and told me that if I wished to return to Golden City, she would accept me no matter what. At the same time, she warned me; once I decided to return, it meant that I have accepted my identity. I didn''t quite understood what she meant by those words, but I didn''t think that I would have the chance to return to Golden City again."


    Lize slowly lifted her head and let out a long sigh.


    "Afterward, due to some accidents, I joined my leader''s mercenary group and serviced them with my powers. Just like Marlene, I didn''t intend to stay for long, but after so many incidents, I decided to live on as a mercenary. To me, this signified the abandoning of my identity��"


    Lize looked at Rhode with complicated eyes and regrets.


    "But, I wasn''t able to abandon this identity, after all�� Since I''m still back here."

 Chapter 295 Overt Plot & Conspiracy

    The room was oddly quiet.


    After Lize completed her sentence, she seemed to have relaxed a little as she leaned back into the chair and looked at Rhode. Rhode went into deep thought and after a while, he responded.


    "I understand, Lize. So what are your plans?"


    "To me�� I don''t think I have any special plans."


    Lize smiled bitterly and shook her head.


    "Indeed. Even though it means that I accepted my identity when I returned to Golden City, I don''t feel anything different. I don''t have talents like Marlene. And to me, just dressing up grandly in the palace as a decoration would be too boring. I think�� Like now, I will remain in the mercenary group. But��"


    "I understand."


    Rhode nodded and interrupted.


    "Since your mindset on this didn''t change, I need not say much then. You can continue your life here as per usual and get ready for the next battle. As for your identity, I will explain to those people in our mercenary group for them to not be too mindful�� This isn''t difficult, so don''t worry."


    Rhode said the truth; indeed, with a princess'' identity, it would be normal to have deputes within the mercenary group. But luckily, Lize was easy to get along with, and as a Cleric, everyone respected her. That was why Rhode believed that if he controlled the situation well, there wouldn''t be any unhappiness within the mercenary group. Of course, this mainly depended on Lize''s good relations with others. If she was an and proud person, her identity wouldn''t do her any good, but rather bring her more trouble instead.


    "Thank you, Mr. Rhode."


    Lize let out a sigh of relief. Then, she revealed a smile and stood up.


    "I shall return to my room now."


    After Lize disappeared into the corner of the hallway, Rhode frowned and rubbed his forehead.


    He had finally connected all his suspicions. He could see that Lize didn''t have any political experience, which was why she couldn''t understand some matters.


    Lize wasn''t in the wrong. It was her birth that was wrong.


    The Munn Kingdom was an odd country. Although its ruler inheritance was passed down from generation to generation from a common point of origin, it was unlike the historical royal family, where they gave birth to offspring and fought for authority. They also weren''t required to go through several recognitions of the royal family in order to become a ruler. Their ruler''s identity was decided since birth. In other words, only the Archangel could take over the throne. This was a ''historical problem'' because the Munn Kingdom was originally under the control of the Light Dragon''s Archangel. That was why generations of rulers had always been Archangels. In other words, Munn Kingdom was originally a territorial land under the name of ''army''. But, thereafter, as the Light Dragon''s rights got crippled and deprived from the parliament, in order to resist the parliament, the Munn Kingdom stood for its own independence and formed an independent country. However, such ruling conditions were also passed on, which was why the Munn Kingdom was different from other countries. Their civilians worshipped the Archangel and Light Dragon. And as the Munn Kingdom''s ruler, the Archangel vowed loyalty to the Light Dragon.


    It was due to this reason that every Munn Kingdom''s ruler was ''inherent''. They didn''t need to pass through political achievements or gain prestige and respect from the civilians. They didn''t even require the support of various lords. As long as one was an Archangel, one would definitely be the ruler of the Munn Kingdom and no one else had the right to fight for this position.


    The parliament felt that this method would only breed tyrants who would be arrogant, proud, and cause harm to the country and civilians. Furthermore, there wouldn''t be any equality and fairness. However, this was totally untrue. Just as Lize explained, the Archangel had the pure, holy spirit and also powerful abilities. The Angels were kind and protective by nature, which predetermined that it was impossible for them to become demons or humans who would hurt their own kind. Indeed, from a human''s standpoint, such regulations would possibly cultivate a scary tyrant. That was because when humans were born, they were like a blank sheet of paper. If anyone misguided them, they would go down the wrong path. However, Angels were different; unless one was a depraved Angel, that would definitely not happen.


    Different races had different standpoints. However, the parliament obviously didn''t understand this. Perhaps they understood it, but didn''t accept it. Therefore, after they witnessed that attacking the royalty wasn''t effective, they turned their attention to the Munn Kingdom''s civilians and encouraged them to rebel against this ''hetero-dictatorship ruler''. According to them, this country didn''t belong to an Angel, but belonged to the Dwarfs, Humans, and Elves instead. Therefore, since every race was equal, they had the rights to participate and take over the throne in the Munn Kingdom.


    It was only fair, holy, equal, and justifiable this way. So, let''s stand up, civilians! For the sake of freedom, resist the dictatorship of the angel, for the sake of a better life!


    Rhode had completed many missions regarding this, which was why he was clear that the parliament''s ''continuous efforts'' in selling ''freedom'' had been on for a long time. Although most civilians didn''t want to follow them, there were some who were willing to believe the parliament''s arguments. This caused anxiety within the Munn Kingdom.


    With such backgrounds, the reason why the Reformist Party from the South wanted to capture Lize had become clear to Rhode.


    Indeed, just as Lize had explained, she was born in the royal family, but she couldn''t receive any glory or a position like Lydia, which seemed pitiful to the public. Her mother was the same. As she couldn''t give Lize a rightful ruling position, she pampered and doted on her to the extreme.


    Whereas to the Reformist Party, Lize''s presence was undoubtedly like a lamp. She was born in the royal family with human bloodline, but was unreasonably stripped off her authority and rights by the Munn Kingdom''s regulations, forced to wander in the wild on her own. Even if Lize rejected their suggestion and did not support the Reformist Party, they could still use her as a teaching material to their civilians.


    Look, a person who was cruelly rejected and brainwashed by the terrifying ruler that she had lost all her independence and resistance. What a horrible thing to happen�� do you wish to become like her?


    That was why, no matter what thoughts Lize held, as long as she landed in their hands, the Reformist Party would have other methods to use her to their benefit.


    Lize didn''t realise this, but Rhode could confirm that Lydia was 100% aware of it, which was why she made such a move. Rhode was sure that news of Lize''s true identity would spread across Golden City in one day. Also, with the impact of Midsummer Festival, the whole Munn Kingdom would probably come to know that they had another princess.


    After knowing this, everyone would definitely raise the same question. And that was ''how is this princess like? Why didn''t I know about her before? And what does she do now?''


    Rhode had no idea how Lydia would manage this problem, but these questions could be used by the Reformist Party as an excuse to attack the royal family. But he felt that with Lydia''s attitude, it was almost for sure that she would answer to everyone''s doubt in a convincing fashion without fail.


    This was totally an overt plot, because Lydia had become the ruler of Munn Kingdom for a long time. If she had only taken over the throne and the Reformist Party threw her this question, perhaps it would affect her ruling position. Initially, the royal family noticed this possibility, so they sent Lize far away and kept this a secret from the Reformist Party. But now, it was different. Lydia had been the ruler for years and the Munn Kingdom had been prosperous. The civilians were living peacefully and after understanding what this ruler could do for them, their ideas of replacing her weren''t as extreme anymore. That was why even if Lydia decided to generously accept Lize''s identity, it wouldn''t affect her ruling position at all. And this way, as long as Lize didn''t attract too much attention, the people''s attention on her would gradually drop. It wouldn''t work even if the Reformist Party wanted to use this as an example.


    Rhode couldn''t help but feel a little startled. It was because he had experienced this era before that he could link everything together. In other words, Rhode observed everything from a high level perspective due to his own personal experience. And because of that, he could furthermore understand how ingenious Lydia was to make such a move. Even on the surface, Lydia had no losses and could easily dissolve this huge crisis. Of course, credits had to be given to Lydia''s formidable strength, as it wouldn''t be possible if she didn''t make the Munn Kingdom prosperous all these years.


    But�� are things really so simple?


    Although this had nothing to do with Rhode, for some unknown reasons, he had a premonition that Lydia had a plan which held a huge connection to Starlight. After all, Lize belonged to the mercenary group and didn''t seem interested in leaving. So then��


    Rhode shut his eyes.


    "Gillian, get Old Walker here."


    Gillian immediately left, and shortly after, Old Walker pushed the room door open. He displayed a complicated expression. "Kid, what do you want? Is it regarding Lize?"


    "We''ll talk about this later."


    Rhode gestured and said.


    "The matter that I told you to do. How was it?"


    "Everything''s good, kid."


    Old Walker nodded with confidence as he withdrew a map from his pocket and opened it in front of Rhode. Several red circles were drawn on the map.


    "This wasn''t any absolute secret, so I got hold of the information quickly. During the Midsummer Festival, foreign travellers will be placed by the regions beside the Sacred Arena. The pubs and hotels would be there too and got to say, Golden City is indeed a huge city��"


    "That''s good."


    Rhode scanned the circles in silence. Then, he took out a coin pouch filled with coins and gems and placed it before Old Walker.


    "Take this money. I want you to bring your men to those areas and disguise as ordinary travellers. As for the next move�� you only need to follow my instructions."


    "This��"


    Old Walker gazed with widened eyes as he couldn''t figure out what this young man was up to.


    "What exactly do you want us to do, kid?"


    "Very simple."


    Rhode gestured.


    "I need you guys to defeat our enemies."

 Chapter 296 The Four Guilds

    The night scenery of Golden City was mesmerizing and full of enticement. From far away, this city full of gold was dazzling and enchanting at the same time. This was how the name, Golden City, was derived.


    Almost everyone who arrived at Golden City admired the night scenery, and members of Starlight were no exception. After dinner, Anne dragged Christie outdoors. But at this moment, Rhode stood by the door and stopped them.


    "You''re not going anywhere tonight. I have something important to announce," Rhode said with a calm voice.


    The excited Anne lowered her head hopelessly like a rooster who had lost its fight. She gave up the thought of heading out and obediently followed Rhode into the living room.


    As they entered the living room, others were already present.


    Rhode gestured to Anne to take a seat while he walked to the middle and clapped for everyone''s attention. Soon enough, everyone turned to him.


    "Everyone, I guess you know our purpose in coming to Golden City. I won''t be giving motivational speeches here and I think all of you are clear on our situation. We are just an ordinary mercenary group and can''t be compared to the guilds."


    Lize remained silent while Marlene maintained her usual calmness. As for Lapis, Joey, and Randolf, they felt rather nervous. At this moment, Anne curiously raised her hand and asked, "Leader, Leader! You said that the guilds were powerful, but exactly how powerful are they? Anne feels that they don''t have any difference from us apart from having more people?"


    "The difference is huge."


    Rhode shook his head and answered.


    "Put it this way. Taking the previous battles in Paphield into consideration, their standards are similar to a guild''s ordinary members or small group leaders. As for a Swordmaster like Sereck, although his status within the 4 guilds isn''t considered low, he would still lose to the guild leaders in terms of abilities."


    "That strong?"


    Many of them were dumbfounded. But they couldn''t be blamed since they wouldn''t understand if Rhode explained to them in terms of their levels. However, as soon as they knew that even Sereck couldn''t be compared to a guild leader, they immediately understood how tough their battles would be.


    "So then, we��"


    At this moment, Joey finally withdrew his cheeky expression and said worryingly.


    "Don''t worry about your abilities. Since I brought you guys here, it means that you still have hopes of winning."


    As Rhode spoke, he took out a piece of paper and unfolded it before everyone. The paper was written with indecipherable handwriting and drawn with odd shapes that resembled line charts.


    "According to the Midsummer Festival rules, there are three unique competitions. The first is individual battles, followed by the group battles. Guild members will participate in these two competitions. The side event competition would be participated by other mercenary groups and those solo mercenaries would take part in individual battles, and the last man standing would gain the rights to battle against the winner of the guild battles. Of course, ordinary participants normally wouldn''t stand a chance against members of the guilds, but sometimes there may be upsets�� But this has nothing to do with us, as we only need to focus on the individual battles and group battles for guilds."


    Rhode extended his hand and pointed at the piece of paper.


    "The rules of the individual battles have been categorized into two. The first, all of you have experienced it before, while in the second, both sides will follow a sequence and send out five participants. Three wins in five games. These are the current rules for individual battles, which we will follow. Before heading to the arena, I will arrange the sequence and all of you just need to focus facing your opponent. Next is about how we defeat those who seemed too powerful��"


    Rhode softened his voice, but for unknown reasons, the living room, which was warm and homely, suddenly turned ice-cold and sent a shiver down everyone''s spines as though an cold wind had blown on them.


    At the same time, on the other side of Golden City, there were people who were equally busy.


    "It seems like our opponents are rather ambitious."


    Laying down the information report on his hand, Barter sneered and turned to a woman who was cladded in a leather armor and looked about 30 years old. She had a curvy figure and a dagger hanging on her waist showed off her martial appearance. To the contrary, her face was strangely ugly��filled with uneven, ghastly scars��and the corner of her eyes were stretched. At a glance, she simply looked like a scary witch from a fairytale who had come to capture and devour little kids.


    "Because of Her Highness'' announcement, those clowns have the chance to make a din. Now, it seems like they are determined to win this Midsummer Festival and give us a hard time!"


    Barter displayed an unpleasant look. As a barbarian warrior, he had a tall stature, where even his frowns were enough to make people shiver. However, his feats weren''t only accomplished through his appearance. As the leader of the Purple Lily Guild, he was also a powerful mercenary who had reached the standard of Swordmaster and held fearful, violent tactics.


    At the same time, Barter was also a supporter of the King''s party. His Purple Lily Guild was established in the Southwest. That area had drought all year long and was once a land of death. However, ever since the Munn Kingdom took over, generations of rulers spent massive amounts of money to improve environmental conditions. They fixed the reservoirs, dug groundwater sources, and after years of hard work, they fixed the land into fertile granaries. Barter always remembered in his heart what the Munn Kingdom had done. He was one of the most devoted supporters of the King''s party. As for the Reformist Party''s flowery speeches, he had always held them in disdain and contempt. He felt that these people had no rights to find trouble with the King''s party. To him, the Reformist Party was just a bunch of idiots who spoke glibly and commented on this and grumbled on that with no intentions to change anything.


    With that being the case, why would they even listen to the Reformist Party''s crap?


    "I have no idea what Her Highness is thinking."


    The woman spoke and knocked on the table lightly.


    "I received news that the Liberty Wings Guild will be sending out Rosen, who hasn''t appeared for a long time. It seems like they''re determined to win!"


    "Rosen?!"


    Barter sulked.


    "That old freak will be participating too? It seems like we''re in a bad situation this time."


    Barter stood up and approached the window. He stared sullenly at the scenery. Although the night scenery in Golden City was mesmerizing, he didn''t have the mood to appreciate it. After a few moments, he spoke.


    "Oh yes, I heard there''s another princess? What''s going on? Is it another mischief by the Reformist Party?"


    "It doesn''t seem so, Leader. From what I gathered, those who paid respects to that lady were from the Battle Angel Army and they were the direct army of Her Highness Lydia. There''s no doubt in loyalty, so I guess that the princess may really be true. She also seems to have been accepted by Her Highness Lydia."


    "I really can''t figure out what Her Highness is thinking. Wouldn''t it be easier to just kill the princess?"


    Barter grumbled and suddenly a proud, confident voice sounded.


    "And that''s why you''re not Her Highness and she is."


    A tall, sturdy man in armor stepped into the room. He had a longsword and a shield that emanated a magical radiance on his back. A soaring falcon was drawn on his pitch-black cape.


    "Barter, if you don''t change your frank and outspoken habits, they''ll bring you trouble."


    "If you can change your habits of eavesdropping, your Cole Falcon Guild wouldn''t be criticised as only being useful in their ears, Viktor."


    Barter retorted with a snort. However, this man, Viktor, wasn''t mindful at all as he gestured with his hand that he wasn''t here for a quarrel. This man was the Cole Falcon''s guild leader, and was Barter''s ally and another King''s party supporter.


    It was obvious that both had a great relationship. As Viktor entered the room, the servants standing by the side let out chuckles and disregarded the ugly face that would spoil one''s appetite. Then, he casually pulled out a chair and sat down.


    "But ears are useful, don''t you know? Barter, that Starlight mercenary group isn''t that simple."


    "Eh? How so?"


    Barter turned to his friend and ally. Viktor pretended to be mysterious and chuckled, before uncovering the riddle.


    "Don''t you know? The Senia Family''s young lady is part of them too."


    "Oh? There''s such a thing?"


    Barter was startled and Viktor helplessly spread his hands apart.


    "And that''s why I said that you spent too much time here. Barter, now all of Golden City''s nobles are aware that Miss Marlene is part of the mercenary group and is one of the main members. Besides, she will be representing Starlight in the competition. Before arriving here, I specially met one of the Senia Family''s members�� But�� I received no information. It seems like my ears aren''t doing much. What a pity."


    "What exactly happened?"


    Barter was left in disarray as he sat back down on the chair and tightened his brows.


    "Didn''t that mercenary group just gather enough people at the very last minute? How is it possible to have such strong assistance?"


    "I heard Miss Marlene wanted to gain more battle experiences, which was why she requested Sereck to bring her to Paphield. Then, for unknown reasons, she joined this Starlight��oh, yes, I also heard that this mercenary group was only established for less than half a year and there were only two members in the beginning."


    "You gotta be kidding me."


    Barter puckered his brows and gazed at Viktor dubiously. The latter shook his head with a bitter smile.


    "I do hope that I''m kidding, but according to my intelligence, this should be the truth. And this Starlight''s leader is only a 20 year old man. I heard he came from the Northern Plains and he also knew some rare and strange battle techniques�� Yes, to be honest, I think he shouldn''t be a threat to us."


    "Reason?"


    "I heard from the Sky Sword''s guild leader. That cunning fox Mobis secretly gave an order to take his life! If I''ve not mistaken, even the parliament has also sent people to participate in this operation."


    "That''s really��"


    Barter took in a deep breath.


    "What did that kid do? Knocked up Mobis'' daughter''s stomach? If it''s true, shouldn''t we prepare some congratulatory gifts for her?"


    "I''m not too sure."


    Viktor spread his arms apart with a bitter smile.


    "But, I think there must be some tension over there because Miss Marlene is with the ''princess''. I think those guys must be anxious�� Haha, I do want to see their sour expressions. This is a great move by Her Highness Lydia."


    "We still don''t know who will have the last laugh."


    Barter stared.


    "Since those bastards got that monstrous Rosen for assistance, let''s focus on how we should win!"


    The burst of laughters came to an abrupt halt.


    After a few moments, Viktor spoke.


    "Barter, can''t you let me forget about that matter for a while?"

 Chapter 297 Holy War Ceremony 1/2

    To many people, what was going to happen in the next few days wouldn''t be understandable.


    In just a matter of two days, news that the Munn Kingdom had another princess spread across Golden City. Although most of the rumors were without much elaboration, those with connections were still able to figure out that this ''princess'' was named Lize and was a member of Starlight. These people were also quick to know this young lady''s true identity; she was the previous ruler''s biological daughter and also Lydia''s younger sister. Due to certain accidents, she had to leave Golden City for the Paphield region. And as for what happened afterward�� nobody was sure.


    Just as Rhode had guessed, this news caused an uproar. However, the majority of the people was only curious as after so many years, they didn''t know that Lydia actually had a younger sister. Now that this younger sister had appeared, she was also going to attend the Midsummer Festival. What exactly was going on?


    More importantly, Lize''s identity wasn''t announced by herself, but by Lydia''s direct guards�� which left many puzzled��


    Some people had even attempted to join the mercenary group in order to uncover more information. After all, as they were concerned about Lize, they also wished to know more about the mercenary group that she was in. To these people, digging up information about an ordinary mercenary group wasn''t difficult. Shortly after, they learned that this mercenary group had faced a disaster after which only Lize and another person who survived. Then, they met a young noble and the noble helped Lize reconstruct the mercenary group into Starlight. This mercenary group didn''t have many members, but they were powerful, and have completed plenty of dangerous missions without failing. They were currently ranked number one in the Paphield region.


    However, such information wasn''t valuable to them. They wanted to know who the leader of this mercenary group was and where he came from. They heard that he was a noble who had come from the Eastern Plains. But how powerful was he? Did he form this mercenary group out of boredom or he have other intentions? Also, for him to appear next to the ''princess'', was it a coincidence? Or did the King''s Party send him to watch over the princess?


    They had to get all this information clear. Many knew that, currently in the Munn Kingdom, Lydia''s reputation was great and the chances of anyone overthrowing her was basically zero. This Archangel was not only smart and sly, but she was also vicious. As soon as she turned around, this 16, 17 years old Angel young lady would turn into a devil. But now, she chose to announce this secret to the public. No one believed that she didn''t put in any thought before doing so.


    That was why these people tried to gather information through Starlight. Although they could use the forces of the nobles'' network to investigate, the nobles of the Eastern Plain were far away from Golden City. This was because they resisted the Dark Dragon''s first line of defence, so past rulers of Golden City held much respect for them. Also, these nobles had inherited the reserved nature of people in the Eastern Plains and rarely revealed themselves. But, the nobles in the Munn Kingdom knew that even though the people in Eastern Plains rarely attended parties and social events, they held a strong influence in the King''s Party, so it wasn''t wise to provoke them.


    The safest way was to search for members of Starlight and seek for information. They were confident in this because, after all, Golden City was a popular city that never slept, so everyone who came to Golden City would definitely explore the place. When that happened, they only had to watch the mercenaries attentively and ask for information.


    However, when the ''local mafias'' buckled up and searched, they made a depressing discovery; Starlight members didn''t even leave their residence!


    Ever since Rhode led Starlight into the campsite, they had never stepped out. No one knew what they were doing all day long inside. Then, the campsite workers told them that the leader of Starlight kept his members inside for training and forbid them from leaving.


    This left them at a loss. They were clear as to why Starlight was able to participate in this Midsummer Festival. After all, this wasn''t a secret that Starlight was an extremely lucky mercenary group. A mercenary group like them that was established less than half a year ago and had less than 100 members. How could they even compete with the four guilds?


    That was why they thought that this mercenary group was only here to go through the motions. According to them, after arriving Golden City, these people would definitely grab the chance to indulge in drinking, pleasure, and enjoy the nightlife of Golden City before returning to Paphield with the rights to show off. Then��there was no more thens. Because, how could they beat the four guilds?


    But now�� Could it be that they were still thinking of winning? Were their heads fine? Or could it be that the noble was a brain-dead and he believed that he could win?


    Everyone felt ridiculous, as though an ordinary person was going to participate in a heavyweight match where he would be knocked out in one punch and yet he continued to train�� What was the point of that?


    But no matter how people criticised, all the information they received from the campsite attendants was that Starlight had been training all day and night without anyone stepping in or out.


    This information was meaningless to them and they would rather the members of Starlight to attend some fun parties��that would at least bring some interesting news.


    The only result they received was that the leader of this mercenary group was a beauty��but was also a man.


    What exactly was this mercenary group?!


    Actually, from the start, many nobles had guessed wrongly.


    They thought that Rhode and his men were country pumpkins who would be dazzled by the flourishing Golden City. But, in fact, it was totally different. It was even more so for Rhode, because in the game, Golden City was almost like his main city. So to him, this was only a trip down memory lane.


    As for Marlene and Lize, they grew up in Golden City and even lived in the highest and most luxurious regions of the city. Even though they hadn''t returned for a long time, they didn''t seem excited.


    As for Joey and Randolf, they weren''t even in the mood. Thinking back to when they stepped up on the Sacred Arena just a few days ago, they were so nervous that their minds went blank. Luckily, Rhode was there to give them intense training and forced them to forget about unnecessary matters. If not, no one knew what would happen to them.


    However, normal beings did exist.


    Anne and Lapis were dissatisfied that they were unable to experience the beauty of Golden City. The former had the mindset of a ''country pumpkin'' where she felt that coping up in the room the whole day for training was boring. But although Anne grumbled, she was still obedient. Since Rhode said that she couldn''t leave, she wouldn''t. She could do so after the competition.


    As for Lapis, even though she wasn''t a main participant and only a substitute, she still wished to explore this beautiful city. The pitiful young lady could only look out of the window while concocting potions��


    Although Rhode hoped to lock everyone in until the last day, he was clear of the crooks mixed in with the honest folks as a veteran gamer. Now that there was an incident involving the ''princess'', it would definitely be chaotic outside, which was why he had decided not to stir up any trouble and steadily remained in his campsite. Since there was an army of Battle Angels standing on guard, outsiders wouldn''t dare enter.


    If it was possible, Rhode wished to only release them when the Midsummer Festival began. However, the truth was that, on the evening of the fifth day, the Holy War Ceremony was about to begin with the arrival of the four guilds and Midsummer Festival preparations were completed.


    All in all, the leaders of various participating guilds would gather and swear their oaths to the most honorable holy war spear. They would repeat the six commandments and oaths as mercenaries. Then, under the testimony of the holy spirit, they would draw lots to decide on their opponents. Rhode, as the leader of Starlight, naturally had to participate.


    That was why Rhode had to give up his plans and bring Marlene and Lapis along.


    Rhode didn''t bring Lize along because he knew that, as the center of attention of the whole ''princess incident'', she would definitely be under scrutiny and admiration, and he still wasn''t clear on the King''s Party''s and Reformist Party''s attitude toward her. Although Lydia''s view on her wasn''t worrying, the King''s Party members weren''t aligned, so it would be best to avoid provoking any enemies.


    That was why he had chosen Marlene and Lapis. Golden City could be considered the base camp for the Senia Family, and even the most foolish person wouldn''t dare to start a conflict with the Senia Family''s heir.


    As for Lapis, Rhode only wished to satisfy her request to roam around the city. Didn''t you want to see Golden City''s sceneries? See to your heart''s content!


    When night fell, the Holy War Ceremony finally began in the Lily Garden.


    As the ceremony before the commencement of the Midsummer Festival, the Holy War Ceremony received a lot of attention. Not only were the four guild leaders present, but the highest-level authorities of Golden City also attended. As for the Mercenary Association, who was in charge of organising the Midsummer Festival, they had attended too. But this was a ceremony among the mercenaries after all, so it wasn''t too grand.


    "Tsk, boring."


    Barter held his cup and looked at the officials and nobles whispering into one another''s ears. His eyes revealed some displeasure. He didn''t like such lively and hypocritical occasions, not to mention there were even troublesome rules and the food wasn''t enough to fill his stomach!


    Whose idea was it to come up with this damn ceremony?


    "Although it''s boring�� It''s definitely necessary."


    Viktor approached him. This man who led the Cole Falcon guild and crusaded the continent had gracefully stripped off his armor and wore a fitting, black, formal attire. Accompanied by his charming face, he attracted the attention of many young noblewomen.


    "Also, this ceremony may not be as boring this time."


    "Oh? What do you mean?"


    Barter was puzzled. Viktor revealed an interesting smile.


    "Don''t you have any anticipation for how they will allocate our opponents?"


    "Ah? This��"


    Barter pondered for a moment. That''s right, this Holy War Ceremony was different from the past!


    The previous ceremony consisted of only four guilds and the drawing of lots didn''t have much suspense. The Purple Lily Guild and Cole Falcon Guild represented the King''s Party and the Sky Sword Guild and Liberty Wings Guild represented the Reformist Party. Basically, both camps would fight and as the Midsummer Festival was a festival, the duration of the elimination competition wouldn''t be too long. The four guilds would fight in an elimination style, and a winner would be determined from the two winning guilds.


    After so many years, the winning and losing rates for either sides were the same. 50/50.


    But it was different this year. Due to Starlight''s appearance, it changed the scene.


    "Viktor, what''s the difference? With the addition of a small mercenary group, no matter who faces them, won''t it be an easy win?"


    Barter understood the reason, but he was unconcerned. After all, such things did happen before. Hiller''s Burning Blade had once been promoted to a guild and he represented Paphield. Back then, the Mercenary Association ruled that the newly promoted guild had to go through drawing lots to go against one of the four guilds and one of the guild would be vacant without an opponent. After the match up between the new guild and its opponent, the vacant guild would then battle with the winner for a spot in the finals.


    Back then, it was so for Hiller''s Burning Blade. In the end�� They lost terribly in the individual and group match ups. Their opponents, Cole Falcon, easily kicked them home without receiving any damage.


    Burning Blade was indeed a tragedy��


    That was why Barter felt that Viktor''s worries were unnecessary. Starlight wasn''t even a guild yet, so they didn''t even need to worry about their abilities.


    However, Viktor seemed to have a different opinion about this. His smile remained the same and after hearing Barter''s question, he shook his head.


    "Who knows? Barter, this world is ever changing�� Enough said, a good show is coming up."


    Viktor pointed to the entrance.


    Barter turned around and spotted a pitch-black chariot painted with an unfamiliar emblem. Then, the door opened and a young man with long black hair, a beautiful face, and formal men''s attire stepped down from the chariot. He calmly observed the surrounding while everyone turned their attention to him. Then, they were stunned.


    "He''s a man?"


    Barter couldn''t believe his eyes. At the same time, he turned to Viktor and burst out into laughter. How was this possible? Rhode was no doubt a beauty. A beautiful face with delicate facial features that complemented his black long hair��he looked exactly like a woman.


    However, the perfectly straight formal man''s attire proved that he indeed was a man because no matter how flat a woman''s chest was, it would never be this flat.


    Rhode noticed the attention he was receiving, but he was mentally prepared. Therefore, he maintained his emotionless expression, stood by the side, and extended his hand in a gentlemanly fashion.


    Then, a slim, snowy arm stuck out from inside the chariot and grabbed onto his right hand. Marlene, who was dressed in a grand, maroon gown, stepped down from the chariot.


    Unlike the usual days, she wore a gown made from a material that fitted nicely on her body, which accentuated her young, slender figure. A silver shawl wrapped around her shoulders and let off a mature feel. Accompanied with her unique, silver-whitish hair and red pupils, she left a deep impression.


    The bustling atmosphere came to an abrupt halt. Not only due to her beautiful looks, but it also due to her identity as the heir of the Senia Family, where she was respected in such occasions. Even though the mercenary group she joined wasn''t one with high reputation or abilities, this definitely wasn''t enough of a reason for others to poke fun at her.


    However, no one noticed that as Marlene extended her hand and grabbed onto Rhode''s hand, she was blushing and appeared somewhat despondent. However, she was still the heir of a huge noble family and she quickly recovered from such absent-mindedness before anyone noticed.


    Although Rhode noticed Marlene''s strange reactions, he didn''t speak anything about it. After Marlene walked down the chariot, he released his grip on her hand. He didn''t walk alongside Marlene. Instead, he returned to the chariot and extended his hand again.


    What''s going on?


    Many of them were astonishment. They thought that the young man would walk alongside her. You should be happy to have the chance to walk beside her. What are you thinking!?


    Before everyone received the answers to their doubts, they saw another young lady extend her hand out of the chariot and grab Rhode''s.


    Unlike the graceful Marlene, Lapis was dressed fresh and clean. She wore a simple, yet elegant white gown, accompanied with a laced mantle that draped over her shoulders and covered her delicate stature.


    Rhode had to admit that Lapis had indeed proven herself to be the Behermes'' heir. Although she appeared to be in a daze and was always timid, the lessons she received about royalty ceremonies could be seen entirely when it came to such occasions. Although she didn''t have the aura of a queen like Marlene, anyone could see that she had received great education just by her standing there with her hands folded before her chest and lowering her head.


    Who is she?


    Everyone was perplexed. They didn''t know who she was but, judging from her looks, she didn''t seem to be the rumored ''princess''. So then, this was very worth the thought over. What was the identity of this young lady to stand alongside Miss Marlene?


    In actual fact, with Lapis'' identity as Behermes'' princess, she indeed had the rights to and even stand in front of Marlene. However, Marlene wasn''t aware of Lapis'' true identity. As for Rhode�� he was only thinking that since Lapis wanted to head outside, he would use this chance for her to have a stroll. No matter what, he was considered to be her guardian and to lock her up in the room the whole day seemed brutal. Besides, Lapis had an introverted nature and definitely wouldn''t stir up trouble like Anne��


    As Rhode entered the ceremonial hall with the two young ladies, he saw an elderly man with a full head of white hair approaching him with a smile.


    He was the representative of the Reformist Party��leader of the Sky Sword guild, Mobis.


    "Greetings. Long time no see, Miss Marlene."


    The elderly man greeted. It seemed like he totally neglected Rhode and Lapis. However, no one thought that the elderly man was being respectful toward Marlene because all they heard was the sneer in his tone.


    "Greetings, President Mobis. It''s been 3 months, and you seem to be doing well."


    Marlene responded by lifting the hem of her skirt and bowed with no signs of fear.


    "I thought that my father''s ''accidental'' miss had left you lying in bed for awhile."


    Although Mobis was much more senior than Marlene and logically speaking, she should be respectful to her elders, the relationship between the Reformist Party and King''s Party was like fire and water. She, as a representative of the King''s Party, definitely wouldn''t show any signs of weakness.


    Everyone tensed up as they sensed the difference in this young lady''s aura. Unlike in the past, Marlene used to react with pride and arrogance, but now, she seemed stronger and even took the initiative to strike back!


    Not only that, but everyone could also sense the rivalry between them. Mobis seemed to have done something to the Senia Family in the past but failed and received a punishment. Oh my goodness, could it be that the Sky Sword Guild intended to fall out with the Munn Kingdom''s strongest family force?


    The crowd looked at Mobis in bewilderment.


    Indeed. The elderly man''s calm eyes glinted coldly. Then, he stroked his beard and burst into laughter, at the same time spreading his hands apart.


    "Hahaha, Miss Marlene doesn''t need to worry about me. Although I may be old, such little trouble means nothing to me. How would I give up so easily before reaching my goal?"


    Mobis didn''t seem like he wished to continue the conversation. He turned to Rhode.


    "This�� must be the leader of Starlight, Mr. Rhode? Indeed. Seeing is believing, I didn''t expect you to be prettier than what the rumors described."


    "Thanks for the compliment, President Mobis."


    Rhode maintained his expression as he bowed slightly.


    "But, to us mercenaries, face isn''t important. Strength is."


    "Yes, yes, well said! Hahahahaha."


    Mobis burst into laughter and give Rhode a pat on his shoulder, which changed Rhode''s expression slightly for a second. Mobis didn''t realized it and nodded with satisfaction.


    "That''s right. You''re right. Mercenaries depend on strength, which many young people have long forgotten��"


    Mobis paused and looked around. After shifting his gaze back at Rhode, his eyes seemed to be much heavier and dignified. As the leader of the Sky Sword Guild, Mobis had long investigated the information regarding this young man. He knew that Rhode was mindful about his face and could even kill someone on the streets over it. Therefore, this was only a rashful part of him in Mobis'' eyes. Originally, he had intended to use this chance to infuriate this young man in order to reach his goals. But, for unknown reasons, it seemed that this young man had patience well above his expectations. Not only that, but Mobis also realised that he wasn''t able to read what the young man was thinking based on his expression. Furthermore, for unknown reasons, Mobis felt that Rhode wasn''t looking at him like he was looking at a human��more like he was looking at a dead man.


    What''s going on with this young man?


    "I hope you have fun in the Midsummer Festival."


    Mobis turned around and left as laughed grimly.


    Rhode remained silent. At this moment, he felt something soft grabbing onto his left hand. He turned around and saw Marlene looking at him with helplessness and shaking her head lightly.


    "Mr. Rhode, Mobis is hard to deal with. He was purposely provoking you, so you mustn''t fall for his trap."


    "I understand, Marlene. Don''t worry."


    Rhode nodded and turned to the front. His eyes glinted with harsh coldness at the sight of Mobis'' back. He understood what Marlene meant, and in fact, he was familiar with Mobis. As he executed the King''s Party''s mission, he destroyed the entire Reformist Party, including Mobis. Although this elderly man seemed kind on the outside, he was a treacherous and murderous figure. However, Rhode wasn''t too mindful of him. After all, he had murdered this man before and it wouldn''t mean too much to kill him again. Therefore, facing Mobis'' taunts, Rhode remained calm as ever, which was why his eyes were slightly odd.


    But Mobis wasn''t aware of that, of course.


    The awkward atmosphere slowly faded away and the clamors once again filled the air. Rhode, Marlene, and Lapis used the opportunity to stand by the side and avoid unnecessary attention.


    "What do you think?"


    At this moment, Viktor withdrew his gaze and smiled. Barter touched his chin and nodded.


    "Still alright, and it seems that this young man isn''t any sissy. But, as a man, he should look tougher. If it''s me, I would''ve given that old dude a tight slap! Damn old thing, how could he have even lived for so long? Lucky bastard��"


    "Alright. Alright, it''s no use saying all these now."


    Viktor stopped Barter with his lifted cup and nodded. At the same time, he revealed a mysterious smile.


    "It''s my turn next."


    "You?"


    Barter was stunned.


    "You''re going too?"


    "Of course."


    Viktor maintained his smile, but his eyes were filled with determination.


    "No matter what, the Senia Family is also our alliance in the King''s party, so naturally I have to greet Miss Marlene. Besides, how can I let the Reformist Party snatch all the attention?"


    "You''re full of trouble, Viktor."


    Barter shook his head and sighed as he was clear of Viktor''s intentions. Although Viktor was very usually friendly and outspoken, he was much tougher and haughtier on the inside. How could Viktor swallow it down?


    But, Viktor had cancelled out everything that Barter said. He approached Rhode with his cup�� On the other hand, Barter observed closely.


    "No matter how I see it, that guy seems to be heading there to flirt a beautiful young lady."


    Barter knew that Rhode was a man, but he couldn''t accept this fact��

 Chapter 298 Holy War Ceremony 2/2

    Rhode felt that Barter wasn''t the only one looking down on him.


    He knew that ever since Starlight was established, most problems revolved around the main construction of the mercenary group and him. No matter if it was Anne, Lize, or Marlene, they were all considered beauties. Furthermore, with his pretty face, it gave others a feeling that this mercenary group was made up of only beautiful women and subconsciously, people believed that beauties weren''t capable in battles. Not only was this mindset true in this world, but it was also the same in the game too. Many players'' first impressions of beautiful players was that they were incapable and only for display.


    No matter how grandly they dressed or how powerful their weapons were, no one thought that they earned them with their capabilities but rather with appearances. Moreover, even if they had seen their capabilities during battles, they wouldn''t recognise their strengths. Just like ''Mini Bubble Gum'' during those days; although that little girl created the PK techniques for Clerics and was also considered the grandmaster of all Clerics, no one regarded her highly due to her overly cute and delicate appearance. There were even people who found excuses for themselves after they had lost, saying how they were unable to lay hands on her because she was too cute, which was why she kept winning. Not only could this protect their reputations, but they could also look down on her achievements at the same time.


    But it was never a good idea to mess with a delinquent child. Mini Bubble Gum was furious after hearing the comments. Thereafter, she created a skill that could manipulate and torture the opponent until they begged for mercy. With such scheming battle techniques, many players lost their confidence and pride and quit the game forever�� No one ever dared to look down on this cute little girl anymore.


    Right now, Starlight was in a similar situation to Mini Bubble Gum. As there were too many females in this mercenary group, they were easily treated as a group of pretty faces. Moreover, Rhode even had a pretty face like Barter just mentioned. It was no wonder that others thought Starlight was a pushover.


    Of course, there were both good and bad sides to everything. If Starlight was treated as weak, there would be more troubles searching for them. However, this would also bring their opponents'' guard down.


    If they treated Starlight as an earthworm that could be easily kneaded, Rhode didn''t mind letting them know that they were holding onto a poisonous snake!


    One bite would be enough to give them a taste of their own medicine.


    After managing a guild for years, Rhode was already experienced in this aspect. He knew that if a guild wished to be popular, they would need to fix their styles. In the game, Starlight was like an attacking tank that crushed from start to end and nobody dared to intervene. This deeply boosted their strengths and also complemented Rhode''s image. Due to this reason, almost no one dared to resist Starlight. Furthermore, Starlight''s authority in the game wasn''t considered too much. They had never forced others to evacuate a place for their training purposes or force others to give up on fighting the BOSSes they had targeted. However, if anyone thought of this behavior as backing down, they would immediately get a taste of how terrifying the strength of this guild. Moreover, in the later part of the game, Starlight had a more than 10,000 players, which occupied one-third of the entire server. No one was capable of overthrowing such a powerful force.


    But now, no matter with regards to strength or image, Starlight wasn''t suitable for such a style. No one felt that they were powerful and they would get pitied instead, just like a bunch of kids throwing blows and screaming to defeat an adult��no one would treat them seriously. However, deterrence was necessary for any mercenary group, which was why Rhode decided to stick to a more ruthless style. A beautiful and colourful poisonous snake which others had to retreat away from them. Of course, for others to know that this snake was poisonous, they had to show their might. To Rhode, this Midsummer Festival was a precious opportunity.


    However, not everyone looked down on them. Rhode didn''t detect any sense of malice from Viktor.


    In the game, Rhode had participated in the Midsummer Festival and knew the four guilds, including this man, well.


    Viktor Laurentius. Unlike mercenaries with poor backgrounds, he was born in a merchant family and learned sword skills from a young age. At 14, he received the rights of a knight and passed the mercenary test. Then, he formed his own mercenary group, Cole Falcon, and displayed outstanding leadership skills. In a matter of three years, he led Cole Falcon into a guild status and expanded in Cortes Plateau like a soaring falcon into the sky.


    After Cole Falcon became a guild for two years, they stopped a conspiracy targeting the Munn Kingdom and Viktor was bestowed as a Knight. This was the start of him being in the King''s Party.


    The development model of Cole Falcon was similar to Rhode''s ideal, as Viktor''s guild funding was supported from his own family: the Laurentis Trade Association. As he was the second son of the family, he didn''t inherit the whole of the trade association (since the person who inherited it wouldn''t be able to become a mercenary, anyway). However, in the family, Viktor had a close relationship with his bigger brother. Both brothers were each in charge of the trade association and guild respectively. Such close family ties and the growth of Cole Falcon were inseparable.


    However, although Viktor seemed courteous and gracious, Rhode wasn''t used to it at all. No matter what, he felt like Viktor was flirting with him�� which disgusted him.


    In fact, as the second son of a huge trade association, he had been through proper education and he wouldn''t be up to any unruly behaviours. But, some things had become a habit to him and Rhode''s face was indeed too attractive. As they spoke, Viktor instinctively tried to bring out his best in treating ladies. Then, he realised that he was actually speaking to a man.


    This made the deepest part of Viktor''s heart filled with tears. In all honesty, he wasn''t interested in men at all.


    And because of this, both sides were rather awkward. If it were Mobis, maybe it would be better. After all, both sides were definitely enemies and there was no need to hold back. However, Rhode couldn''t fall out with Viktor, who was part of the King''s Party. At the same time, he was unhappy that Viktor treated him as a woman and even flirted. Moreover, Viktor felt wronged as he didn''t think that his behavior was inappropriate. If it were Marlene or Lapis, perhaps he would be considered gentlemanly. But it had to be a guy�� What was the point of being gentlemanly before a guy?


    Besides, all in all, both sides actually didn''t have much to talk about. Although Rhode was in the King''s Party too, this wasn''t the game where avatar names were indicated above everyone. This was why Viktor was careful in not being too expressive before figuring out Rhode''s identity.


    This left the atmosphere awkward.


    "I''ve heard about Mr. Rhode''s achievements in Paphield."


    Viktor''s catchphrase was ''I''ve heard��'', so there were many times when he was termed as ''having preternaturally good hearing''. This also held the meaning of belittling and praising Cole Falcon''s intelligence-gathering team. It roamed the entire Munn Kingdom, and perhaps other than King''s Party, they could be considered the best.


    After a meaningless opening, Viktor no longer wished to drag the conversation on and went straight into the main topic. This way, he didn''t need to care about the other party''s gender.


    "I didn''t expect that Paphield would produce such a figure like Mr. Rhode."


    "We are only a mercenary group, Mr. Viktor."


    Rhode calmly replied. He knew that this man wasn''t as harmless as he seemed. In fact, Rhode knew that he had made a name for himself in Paphield and it wasn''t too possible for the guilds to ignore. However, as long as they belittled Starlight, Starlight would have a chance of victory.


    "We are only doing our best in what we can and nothing much."


    "But the fact that you guys are standing here proved a lot."


    If Rhode''s expression was like frozen ice of thousand years, Viktor''s smile was like a warm spring breeze. Viktor laughed and passed his wine glass from his left to right hand. Then, he turned to Marlene, who was softly speaking to Lapis. As the heir of a huge family, Marlene saw how a person presented himself in such occasions. Although both of them got in touch a lot of times in the mercenary group, Lapis was always introverted and feared death more than Christie. After such a long time, even Christie was already familiar with Marlene and the rest. However, Lapis had always been disassociated with most people and this was a good opportunity for her to have a closer relationship with others. Before coming to this place, Rhode had reminded Marlene to help Lapis and it seemed like things were going well.


    "Also, I believe in Miss Marlene''s insight. A mercenary group she was willing to join is definitely special."


    Rhode''s brows twitched slightly, but before he said anything, a sharp, piercing voice sounded from the side.


    "Indeed. Just as Sir Viktor said�� A mercenary group who simply kills their enemies is definitely unique."


    Viktor''s expression slightly changed. Rhode puckered his brows and turned to the source of the voice.


    They saw a tall, skinny middle-aged man with both hands behind his back. His face was plastered with a sarcastic smile.


    He was the leader of Liberty Wings Guild, Waltz.


    All the leaders of the four guilds had assembled.


    "Mr. Waltz, what you said seems a little odd."


    Viktor forced a smile but quickly restored his previous expression. Rhode swept a glance at Waltz and continued to sip on his wine.


    "I don''t understand what you mean."


    "Hmph. Do you really not understand? Mr. Viktor?"


    Waltz let out a sneer and looked down on Rhode. Then, he walked closer and blocked Rhode''s line of sight. At this moment, everyone detected that some problems were brewing and retreated. Rhode continued to stare into his wine cup and admired the liquid within while totally ignoring the man before him.


    Everyone took in a deep, fearful breaths because Waltz was the person who one shouldn''t provoke. This person was vicious, tough, and irascible. Anyone who resisted him wouldn''t end up well. Furthermore, he had an equally strong backing��at least for now.


    And that was why this leader had always been acting tough and not many dared to argue and ignore his presence. But now, Rhode actually did it! Waltz stood less than a meter away, but Rhode didn''t even blink an eye and continued to admire the delicious wine as though he was non-existent!


    This young man had no fear!


    Everyone knew of Waltz''s irascible temperament. For Rhode to brazenly disregard him, who knew what would happen if he angered this man! Would the young lady from the Senia Family be willing to step up for this young man?


    Some of them extremely admired of Rhode''s courage. From the start, they had sensed the murderous intent from this horrifying man as he strode toward Rhode.


    Rhode didn''t have any expression at all and didn''t even lift his head!


    Just based on this, Rhode gained a lot of respect.


    "Hear this, kid."


    Waltz''s voice wasn''t loud, but it rang in Rhode''s ears.


    "I don''t know how you managed to get rid of Frank, but I got to tell you that you have successfully provoked a horrifying enemy and things won''t end so simply. I will make you pay for what you have done."


    "Is this a threat? Mr. Waltz?"


    Marlene stepped forward. She lifted her head and sized up this man proudly. Then, she went up to Rhode and stood beside him.


    "I''m not threatening anyone, Miss Marlene."


    Waltz''s brows twitched.


    "I''m only speaking the truth. There are things that people should do and not do, but it''s a pity that there will always be someone ignorant who does things their way. This is a ridiculous matter just like your mercenary group��an utter joke."


    "Starlight is not my mercenary group, Mr. Waltz."


    Marlene finally couldn''t hold it in any longer.


    "I am only a member of the mercenary group and the leader is Mr. Rhode. Mr. Waltz, please get this right."


    "Of course I didn''t get it wrong."


    Waltz put on a fake smile. He looked at Rhode in disdain and shifted his gaze to Marlene.


    "A nominal leader? This is the way you people work? Miss Marlene, I''m too disappointed in your family."


    Many were stunned and they immediately understood what Waltz meant by that. Waltz was saying that the Senia Family wished to take over Paphield, which was why they sent Marlene over and set up a mercenary group. However, it would be too glaring for a family heir like Marlene to become a mercenary group leader, which was why they had to find a person like Rhode to substitute her. In short, this young man was like a puppet of the Senia Family, and Marlene was the mastermind behind everything.


    The older the wiser. Waltz''s remark didn''t only instigate the relationship between Rhode and Marlene, but also disregarded the position of Senia Family. Everyone knew that the Senia Family was the most respected family in the Munn Kingdom. Now that they wished to expand their powers, they actually resorted to such methods which didn''t fit in well with their identity. In the end, he still successfully turned the situation around that Rhode''s unruly behaviour of ignoring him was due to him being a puppet under control. Under such a situation, without Marlene''s permission, he wasn''t allowed to say anything.


    This had been disguised as a mockery.


    Marlene sulked and even Lapis who remained silent wasn''t able to hold it in any longer. She didn''t know who this person was but judging from the way he regarded Rhode as useless, she was furious. She took two steps forward as though she about to comment, but after looking into the man''s eyes, she shivered and froze to the spot.


    Waltz didn''t give up this chance. He noticed Lapis and approached her.


    "This lady doesn''t seem familiar. Who are you?"


    "I�� I��"


    As Waltz approached, Lapis panicked. Marlene couldn''t hold it in any longer and stopped Waltz from moving forward.


    "Mr. Waltz, she is a member of our mercenary group. Please be respectful."


    "Mercenary group member?"


    Waltz came to an abrupt halt and curiously sized up Lapis.


    "I didn''t expect the Senia Family to have such interest. Miss Marlene, I was wondering if I can pay for a night''s stay in your mercenary group? I think it would feel really good."


    Marlene snapped. Any normal humans would be able to hear that Waltz was blatantly implying that Starlight was a brothel. How could Marlene tolerate any further?


    However, just as she was about to speak, Rhode stopped her. Then, he said something that changed everyone''s expression instantly.


    "Marlene, don''t lower yourself to this old carpenter."


    Old carpenter!


    Everyone turned ashen.


    This dealt a critical hit to Waltz!


    When Waltz was young, he wasn''t a mercenary but a carpenter. During those times, his life wasn''t any different from other ordinary civilians. But later on, a disaster changed his life. His family got dragged into an suppression operation by the armed forces and died. Although the commanding officer was eventually punished, this disaster totally changed Waltz''s life. He hated the suppression operations and blamed the King''s armed forces. Then, he joined the Liberty Wings Guild of the Southern Reformist Party because he felt that the armed forces had totally neglected his life and the civilians were only devoted to the King. He didn''t wish for others to meet the same fate of pain and sadness, which was why he joined the Reformist Party. With his talent and hardwork, he spent 20 years and promoted into a guild leader from an ordinary mercenary.


    Under the Southern Reformist Party''s propaganda, Waltz became the spokesperson for the poor civilians. Indeed, to many people, his temper was irascible and he was a dangerous person. However, to those poor civilians of the South, this was the way a real man should be. He wasn''t as subtle and hypocritical as those soft-spoken nobles. This was the man most real and worthy of their support!


    Of course, to the King''s Party, he was a dangerous man. He relied on himself to influence the civilians recklessly. Even when the situation wasn''t that serious, the matter would become huge and batter the King''s Party as long as he brought his men to make a fuss. According to Rhode''s way of saying of this world, Waltz was a talent in starting fights between classes.


    The King''s Party wouldn''t be so nice as to believe what he did for the poor civilians was the best. From their perspectives, Waltz purpose of doing that was to smear the image of the King''s Party and path a way for the Reformist Party. Due to this reason, the King''s Party was dissatisfied with him, but his Liberty Wings had always been located in the huge Reformist Party camp''s southern port, where the King''s Party wasn''t able to take actions against him.


    They were clear of Waltz''s identity and knew the reasons behind his rebellion, which was why anyone who called him a ''carpenter'' only dared to do it behind his back and no one dared to call it in his face.


    And now, this young man actually did it before everyone!


    Oh my god, what was he thinking? Could it be that this lad is sick of living already?


    Even Mobis, who enjoyed the show, turned pale.


    Waltz sulked and clenched his fists while staring at Rhode with his fiery eyes. His murderous intent exuded. Many were impressed by this ridiculous young man. They saw that this young lad was extremely courageous!


    Moreover, the corner of his eyes didn''t even move when he said it. As usual, he totally ignored the presence of Waltz as though he wasn''t present.


    He didn''t put Waltz in his eyes!


    At this instant, many felt that the rumors about this noble from the Eastern Plains was true. Other than that ghostly, forbidden place, where else would anyone dare to disregard Waltz?


    But�� What would become of him?


    Many sighed inwardly and took a few steps back subconsciously. To them, this ceremony might turn bloody, so they''d better step away in order not to get dragged into it.


    Viktor and Barter exchanged looks of shock. Judging from Rhode and Marlene''s actions, they could see that this young man wasn''t their enemy. For Marlene to step out and defend him, it proved that he must be a supporter of the King''s Party. After all, Marlene, as the heir of the Senia Family, definitely knew what was wrong or right. But�� Who exactly was this man?


    It didn''t just require courage to not be wavered by Waltz. They finally respected Rhode.


    It was apparent that this mercenary group wasn''t that simple at all.


    So then, how would Waltz react to this?


    Marlene took a few steps back and placed her staff before Lapis while staring at Waltz. She knew who the enemies of her family were. One could say that a person like Waltz was frank and irascible. But no matter what, he was a dangerous figure.


    So then, would he make a move under everyone''s watchful eyes?


    Rhode lifted his head and gazed at Waltz.


    This surprised Waltz.


    Same as Mobis, Waltz saw the young man''s intentions through his eyes. The young man looked as though he was staring at a dead person and he didn''t seem to feel threatened�� Just like how he had countlessly gazed at those who resisted him and ended up defeated.


    What''s going on?


    The rage deep in Waltz''s heart was totally replaced with hesitation. After being a mercenary for years, he could recognize if a person was lying or not.


    What''s with this lad?


    Waltz stared blankly and his opportunity slipped by, because at this moment, a deep bugle horn sounded and the Holy War Ceremony official began.


    Waltz was taken aback. Then, he swept a cold glance at Rhode before turning away. Up until this moment, everyone let out sighs of relief; after all, they didn''t wish for such chaos in this ceremony.


    "Hey, I think that lad''s got guts."


    After Viktor returned to Barter''s side, he heard of the other parties'' comment on Rhode. Now, Barter had a different view on Rhode.


    "He actually called Waltz an old carpenter? Hahaha! Old carpenter! Viktor, after so many years, have you ever seen anyone call Waltz that? This lad is brave and I like him! After this ceremony, I''m gonna treat him to a drink!"


    "This really is��"


    Viktor sighed. He didn''t understand Rhode much, but from his previous actions, he knew that he wasn''t any pushover��


    This time, the ballot ceremony might be rather troublesome.


    The ceremony finally began.


    The Mercenary Association President held a sacred spear before everyone and the guilds and mercenary group representing the five regions approached the spear, recited the commandments and codes of mercenaries in unison. Then, they swore that they would battle for the honor and tradition of mercenaries. This was all meaningless talk, but what happened was the most crucial.


    Ballot Ceremony.


    The previous ballot ceremony wasn''t followed closely because the King''s Party faced the Reformist Party everytime and everyone was used to such arrangements. But it was different this time with the addition of Starlight, which changed the format into a two versus two. One of the guilds would need to battle for an additional match and according to the rules, this would be the first match.


    Just as Barter thought, none of the guilds regarded Starlight highly. With their current strength, they would definitely be the first to be eliminated.


    However, as Marlene was around, it made things awkward. Everyone knew that the Senia Family was the core of the King''s Party, so if Starlight drew a match against Purple Lily or Cole Falcon, wouldn''t that mean an internal strife? The latter definitely was a loyal supporter of the King''s Party, but the Senia Family was the core of the King''s Party. If Marlene lost, the Senia Family would be upset. Furthermore, what if the family''s heir was injured before everyone��


    Everyone in the Reformist Party couldn''t help but hide their smiles at this thought.


    On the contrary, Barter and Viktor put up serious expressions as they knew clearly what consequences this would bring. But what else could they do?


    The Mercenary Association''s ballot ceremony wasn''t any different from ordinary ones. Six swords would be pierced in a row and the leaders would step ahead and draw a sword each. The color indicated at the tip of the swords would determine their opponents. The ones with the same colors would fight each other.


    First up was Waltz. After receiving the blessings from the Mercenary Association President, he drew one of the swords��blue.


    Then, Waltz raised and showed the sword with both hands before shooting a look at Rhode who was at the end of the queue.


    Barter was next. He took big steps forward and drew a sword without any hesitation.


    Red.


    Barter shrugged and left without saying a word.


    Then, it was Viktor. Unlike Barter, Viktor maintained his elegant self. He confidently stepped forward and bowed before extending his arm.


    Blue.


    Viktor sulked slightly but restored his smile. He cursed his bad luck inwardly. He knew clearly that the Liberty Wings had invited the powerful beast, Rosen, in order to secure their victory. Would he still stand a chance?


    Viktor stepped down the platform in uncertainty.


    Mobis was next.


    He revealed a meaningful smile before drawing a sword. He turned around and gazed at the other four leaders. Then, he extended his hand and pulled out a sword.


    Red.


    Just as everyone predicted, this year''s Midsummer Festival would still be a show between the King''s Party and Reformist Party without any suspense. So then, what happened next was the real suspense. Which color would Starlight receive?


    Rhode stepped onto the stage.


    He stood before the president and bowed respectfully. The latter nodded with a smile.


    "Mr. Rhode, your Starlight Mercenary Group has been performing well in Paphield. I hope you can keep up this phenomenal performance in the Midsummer Festival."


    He was obviously lying through his teeth.


    "I''ll do my best."


    Rhode calmly replied and shifted his gaze to the remaining two swords �� Each of the sword represented red or blue respectively.


    Marlene stared at Rhode nervously from below. Lapis opened her eyes wide and clutched onto Marlene''s hands. Although she was only here as a substitute, she was nervous too.


    Rhode didn''t consider much as he stretched his right hand and pulled out the sword on the right.


    The color of bloody red was oddly glaring.


    And Rhode''s opponents were therefore decided.


    They would face the Reformist Party''s loyal supporter, the Sky Sword Guild.

 Chapter 299 Void Follower

    Upper City, Magical Garden.


    The heavy brown door slid open and revealed a path to the young lady. The magical radiance extended along the red carpet and removed all darkness. Marlene quietly observed everything before her until the magical radiance reached its end and she lifted her head, gripping her staff and walking forward.


    A humble magical servant with a face made of runes emerged beside her. She bent over slightly and followed Marlene closely.


    "How''s Dad?"


    "Everything''s fine, Miss Senia."


    The servant softly answered. It maintained a rhythm where she pulled a distance apart from Marlene.


    "Master has always been healthy, so there aren''t any issues."


    "Are there anything that concerns me?"


    "Yes, Miss Senia. Master Sonia was hoping that you could find time and return to school as she wishes to see your growth and progress. Also, you have a few messages from your schoolmates who are hoping to meet up with you during the Midsummer Festival."


    "My schoolmates?"


    Marlene slowed down and quietly stared forward with complex emotions. Then, she shook her head slightly.


    "Inform Master Sonia that I will find time to return to school after the Midsummer Festival. As for the schoolmates�� I''m sorry. I''m still a member of Starlight, so before the festival ends, I will stay with my mercenary group. I can''t promise their date."


    "Miss Ellenson was one of them."


    The servant paused for a moment before continuing. Marlene pondered in silence and eventually shook her head.


    "I know, but I can''t. I have something important to handle right now. Inform her that I''m busy and I will find time to accompany her after the festival."


    "Yes, Miss Senia."


    Marlene had reached the end of the hallway. The servant vanished into thin air. Then, the heavy doors opened. Marlene tidied her clothes and proudly stepped into the room with her head held high.


    The room was pitch-black, but Marlene wasn''t worried at all. She walked to the middle of the room and shut her eyes. Soon enough, as the colorful magical radiance reappeared, six beings in white masks appeared with staffs in their hands and dressed in black long gowns. They surrounded the young lady and observed her in silence.


    Marlene reopened her eyes. She slightly lowered her head and bowed.


    "Marlene Senia is here to report to the Magic Council�� I hope I''m on time."


    "You arrived just in time, Marlene."


    Soon enough, one of them said in a muffled voice and couldn''t be differentiated as male or female.


    "We intended to leave before the start of the Midsummer Festival, but after receiving your report, we decided to wait for your return. So then, can you explain everything to us now? We heard you found the guardian knight in Paphield? Is this true?"


    "That''s true."


    Marlene nodded and lifted her staff.


    The gem on the tip of the staff emanated a magical radiance. Then, scenes of images emerged in the air. From the battle in the pitch-black ruins to the battle with the devil in Blackrock Depths, everything was clearly displayed. If Rhode were here, he would have quickly recognised that those were his previous battle journeys.


    "Summon Spirit!"


    Within the magical images, a black-haired man extended his arm and the card on his hand immediately turned into a beautiful Battle Angel. Everyone uttered in surprise.


    "This is the technique of a Spirit Swordsman!"


    "Yes, everyone."


    Marlene continued.


    "Just as I have previously reported, Mr. Rhode completely fitted in as our Senia Family''s historical description of a Spirit Swordsman. He was able to summon incredibly strong spirits by using miraculous cards to battle alongside him. Furthermore, just as I reported, he seems to have a bunch of powerful companions in the past and they have been to the Deepest Labyrinth."


    "Oh gosh!"


    All the six masked beings couldn''t help but take in deep breaths.


    "Are you sure? Marlene?"


    "I''m sorry, I''m unable to confirm. But all I can say is that, through various methods, I can confirm that his past companions were indeed powerful. Also��" Marlene paused for a moment as a young lady dressed in a gown and cheekily smiling at her emerged in her mind. Then, she continued. "Also�� They''re at least in the Master Stage."


    "Is it real?"


    One of them questioned and Marlene nodded.


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode held strength in the Master Stage. But, it is a pity that his companions seemed to have lost their lives."


    Marlene felt pitiful for them. In the mirage, she got along well with Canary. Although she wasn''t a real human and was only an illusionary image who couldn''t communicate with Marlene, Marlene felt that Canary''s character seemed to match well with hers. Although Canary was a self-taught Mage, she possessed strength that could make Marlene accept defeat wholeheartedly. If she were still alive, perhaps they could even be friends��


    Marlene sighed. However, the six beings didn''t seem too mindful.


    "That indeed was a pity."


    Another one said. Although his motive might be completely different from Marlene''s, the meaning that both sides conveyed was still the same.


    "But, this shouldn''t be something of our concern. I think you are clear of your mission, Marlene."


    "Yes."


    Marlene lowered her head and quietly stared at the black slab on the ground. It was unimaginable that a few months ago, as she was about to leave, deep inside her heart she was actually uncertain of this mission. But now�� Why weren''t there any hesitations at all? Instead, she was even more excited and looking forward to it?


    Maybe she knew the answer but didn''t wish to face it.


    Marlene was distracted for a moment and a sharp voice regained her senses.


    "�� We have seen how this Mr. Rhode performed in the Holy War Ceremony. Marlene, what do you think of his stance?"


    Marlene considered for a moment before answering.


    "I think that Mr. Rhode shouldn''t be a member of the Reformist Party. As per my observations, he was biased toward the King''s party and didn''t have a good relationship with the Reformist Party. Just as I have reported previously�� Mr .Rhode seems to have some conflicts with the Reformist Party. Besides, I feel that he didn''t have too many opinions about Her Highness Lydia."


    "This sounds like a good news for us�� But��"


    The six beings responded and discussed while Marlene stared at her staff with complicated emotions. On one hand, Marlene felt happy, but on the other hand, she was worried and afraid. Although she knew by doing this, it wouldn''t bring any harm to Rhode, she felt guilty for unknown reasons. She felt that to discuss about Rhode''s matters behind his back was an act of betrayal which made her felt terrible.


    Terrible?


    Marlene was taken aback.


    Why do I need to feel terrible? This should be my mission in the first place, besides�� This isn''t bad for Mr, Rhode, right? Although by doing this, I may be guilty of betraying Mr. Rhode, but I, after all, am the heir of Senia Family and held the responsibility of a ''Selector''. This is my mission for my family. Shouldn''t this be inevitable and right?


    But�� Why? Whenever Marlene thought of Rhode''s expressionless face, she felt that she had done something wrong. Could it be that she was worried about Rhode finding out?


    Marlene had mixed feelings and was speechless.


    If this continued�� Maybe one of these days, the Senia Family would need to interact with Mr. Rhode. When that happened, how would Rhode think of her when he realised that she had been doing such things all along. After spending so much time with Rhode, she knew that he wasn''t interested in benefiting the majority of the people. He was calm, had plans in mind, and also worked things his way. Of course. Marlene faintly noticed that sometimes the way Rhode did things wasn''t too similar to what she imagined. However, as a person from a noble family, she knew that, in this world, if one didn''t work one''s way through, one would be dead. That was why whenever she noticed Rhode doing something odd, she would act like she didn''t notice as long as it was unrelated to her.


    Just as Rhode had thought, although Marlene had accepted such things, it didn''t mean that she agreed to them.


    As for her��


    "�� Marlene?"


    "Ah. Yes!"


    Marlene lifted her head instantly. The six beings exchanged looks, but due to their masks, the young lady wasn''t able to see their expressions. Soon, they continued and said, "You can do what you want in this Midsummer Festival. The Senia Family will unconditionally support you�� If you can teach the Reformist Party a lesson, it will be for the best."


    "Yes, I understand."


    "So then, that''s all for today�� Don''t forget your mission, Marlene Senia. Everything is for the Limitless Void Astrology."


    "Everything for the Limitless Void Astrology."


    The colorful magical radiance dissipated and darkness fell upon her once again. After a few moments, the magical radiance before her lit up. Then, the man who had been standing before her approached. He removed his mask and revealed a stern expression.


    Marlene revealed a sincere smile.


    "Dad�� I''m back."


    "Good to see you back, Marlene."


    The man revealed a gratified smile as he extended his hand and caressed the young lady''s smooth hair. His face was filled with kindness and reluctance.


    "You have been out for so long and lost so much weight�� Have a good rest at home today. Although I know the Midsummer Festival will be starting tomorrow, the true battle hasn''t begun for you��" The man paused for a moment and the smile on his face faded.


    "Marlene, are you willing to forgive me?"


    "Dad?"


    Marlene looked at her father with doubtful eyes.


    "I don''t understand what you mean��"


    "This responsibility shouldn''t be beared by you, my child."


    The man continued to caress her long hair while his eyes were filled with solidarity.


    "Initially, I didn''t think that you would be the one in the prophecy�� As a matter of fact, although it wouldn''t be nice for the family to say this, I wish you were only my daughter and the heir of Senia Family and didn''t need to carry such heavy responsibilities and this mission. But now��"


    "I don''t think that this is anything bad, Dad."


    Marlene shook her head as she looked at her father with a gentle smile.


    "I admit that when I left Golden City for Paphield to follow the prophecy, I was indeed worried and uncertain because I wasn''t sure who the person in the prophecy would be like. I was even more afraid and resistive. Dad, during that period of time, I wished that my mission was only an imaginative dream where everything wasn''t real�� But now, I feel that I am fortunate. At least�� From what I see, I don''t think that this is worth of regretting. I''m glad to have chosen to be determined and not escape."


    Marlene shut her eyes and placed her right hand on her chest.


    "This body��this soul��will be presented to the Limitless Void Astrology. Dad, I have decided that no matter what consequences we need to pay, we must fulfill the goal that our family have been chasing for�� For that, I am willing to offer my everything."


    The man stared blankly and let out a laughter.


    "Marlene, you must know that personal feelings aren''t allowed in a mission."


    "D-Dad?"


    Marlene blushed instantly. She widened her eyes and protested.


    "I am serious in my work!"


    "I''m also serious about this, Marlene."


    The man sighed and let out a giggle. Although Marlene denied it, how could he not realize his daughter''s true thoughts as the head of the family? She eventually would grow up��


    The man lifted his head.


    "That''s for the best, Marlene�� Don''t forget the meaning of the Senias."


    "Yes�� Dad. I will never forget it."


    Marlene raised her head and faced the dome in the hall.


    Under the shine of the magical radiance, the drafted Limitless Void Astrology and shining spots of stars in the dome linked up and formed a soaring huge dragon with its wings spread open. It lifted its head high and overlooked from above.


    As though looking over all living creatures in this world.

 Chapter 300 Start of the Midsummer Festival

    The Midsummer Festival couldn''t be considered popular because it focused on mercenaries, and everyone else would just gather for food and drinks. Thereafter, the Mercenary Association decided to ''join in the fun'' and promote it into a festival. But, even so, the Midsummer Festival still wasn''t regarded highly by others because the nature of mercenaries was always loud and rowdy, and all of them would eat and drink gluttonously. Unlike other festivals, the Midsummer Festival didn''t have any procedures like giving speeches of missions and all��mercenaries wouldn''t know if they could see another day, so expectations and ideals were equal to nothing for them. As for missions, what were their missions other than earning money?


    That was why the previous Midsummer Festivals had always been cold and cheerless. Just like the previous Holy War Ceremony, everyone started eating and drinking after the ballot and vows. The civilians only wished to gather to the arena for a good show, where the competition between guilds or ceremony were unimportant matters.


    But this time, after Lydia took over as organizer, how could she tolerate having a meaningless and empty festival as a person who was termed as luxurious, extravagant, and gorgeous?


    Therefore, a unique grand festival had begun as morning arrived.


    Accompanied with deep, loud saluting gun explosions, countless magical fireworks erupted, spiralling into the sky and exploding in all directions before merging with the sun''s first ray. In an instant, the highest point of Golden City seemed to have awakened under the dazzling sun.


    Rhode looked at the scenery with widened eyes, whereas Lize, Anne, and the rest were totally stunned.


    Over just one night, Golden City seemed to have transformed. Flags representing various guilds and associations waved in the blue skies. The golden sun rays were like a shapeless river flowing in the air with countless petals falling from above. The lightly scented aroma gave them a comfortable sensation��


    "This is�� the Midsummer Festival?"


    Joey was overwhelmed. He stared at everything in panic��that''s right, panic. Lydia loved huge occasions, but this didn''t mean that others would equally love such bustling scenes, especially the mercenaries that were participating in the opening matches. The larger the occasion, the more nervous they would get, and the worse they would perform. This was only natural for any normal human, unlike rare cases like Anne, who couldn''t wait to jump onto the arena and wreck her opponents.


    "Alright, this is nothing. Calm down."


    Rhode didn''t have any reactions. Although the scale of this fesivatal was huge, it was only compared to the usual Midsummer Festival. If this was to be compared to the official festivals, this scale was actually rather similar. The most ridiculous festival was the Dragon Soul Ceremony; that was the true festival for the whole nation. Compared to this, that was the real deal.


    But, even so, Rhode let out an inward sigh. This ruler definitely found a lot of trouble for him by turning the festival into such a bustling scene. Wouldn''t his men become even more nervous? Luckily, he was already prepared for this; if not, he wouldn''t know how it would turn out.


    Rhode withdrew his gaze and turned to everyone.


    "Get prepared and we will move out soon�� Before that, spend some time to admire the scenery."


    Rhode paused for a moment and subconsciously swept a glance at everyone. Marlene wasn''t with them. This was pretty normal as, after the ceremony the day before, she informed him that she would return home and head directly to the Sacred Arena. Rhode approved of her request because he knew that the Senias were located in Golden City and since Marlene was back, it wouldn''t be right not to let her return home. That was why he didn''t object and since they were cooped up in the campsite for so long and the Senia Family didn''t look for them, wouldn''t it be too much to not allow her? To keep their family''s heir with the mercenary group and not allow her home; even though the Midsummer Festival was indeed important, it wasn''t to this extent��


    In the end, Rhode agreed to Marlene''s ''leave application''.


    But Rhode felt strange to not see Marlene around. Ever since Marlene joined the mercenary group, he had gotten used to this young lady quietly following him around. And unlike Lize, Marlene''s observation on many matters were sensitive and helped him manage many issues on hand. If Marlene was around and noticed Rhode''s glance, she definitely would have stepped out and questioned him.


    Rhode shook his head and threw this thought to the back of his head. No matter what, she was the heir of the Senia Family and it was already great that she could come to Starlight and be his assistant for such a long time. Actually, Rhode had mentally prepared himself that after the Midsummer Festival, Marlene might leave the mercenary group. He didn''t forget that the reason this young lady joined the mercenary group was to gain a certain level of battle experience.


    Now that Marlene had no lack of battle experiences as she had improved over the course in the mirage training, this Midsummer Festival actually could be considered the end of term examinations. If this young lady performed well, it would mean that she passed the test. She wouldn''t have anymore reasons to stay in Starlight.


    With regards to Marlene leaving the group, Rhode would be lying if he said he didn''t feel a least bit of pity. Marlene was the first ever to request to join Starlight as a mercenary. She could be said to be the one who participated in the mercenary group''s formation and been through its various changes. This young lady was also reasonable and extremely cool headed, also understanding circumstances. Of course, she might be rather proud, but to Rhode, this wasn''t a flaw. She was respected and loved within the mercenary group and held enough authority in managing matters according to his wishes. Even without Rhode around to give commands, Marlene also knew what was the best for the mercenary group. As the heir of a huge family, she learnt a lot on this aspect as she would need to lead all of them in the future.


    Frankly speaking, Rhode definitely didn''t wish to give up on such an outstanding assistant like her. Although Gillian could work well with him too, she was more suitable to be a leader than as an assistant. On the other hand, although Lize was obedient, she didn''t have her own constructive opinions. In addition, she had a gentle and loving nature, but wasn''t experienced in leading and commanding others. Whenever Rhode was around, she didn''t seem to have any issues but once Rhode went away, there definitely would.


    As for Anne��he didn''t even need to think about it.


    Actually, from another perspective, Celia and Celestina suited Rhode''s requirement. However, as spirits of the card deck, they couldn''t be outside 24/7, which was why it was hopeless. Thinking of having the need to choose a new assistant after this Midsummer Festival, Rhode felt a little depressed.


    And deep in his heart, he admitted that he indeed didn''t wish for Marlene to leave his side.


    Of course, the reason was other than the reasons stated above.


    But Rhode was clear that the reason was hard to explain.


    "�� What''s wrong? Rhode��?"


    Rhode lowered his head and turned to the direction of the voice. He realised that Christie had tugged on his sleeve and looked at him worriedly.


    "�� Rhode seems pale�� Are you ok��?"


    "No, Christie, I just thought of something troublesome, that''s all."


    Rhode smiled (which was a rare opportunity for everyone to see his smile), squatted down, and looked at Christie while caressing her hair.


    "I was only thinking�� if Marlene were to leave us, what should I do next?"


    "�� Sister Marlene is leaving��?"


    Christie widened her eyes in astonishment. Although Christie wasn''t as close with the rest as Rhode was, she had considered Marlene to be someone familiar after spending so many days together. She wouldn''t bear separating from this strict and friendly older sister.


    "�� Why must Sister Marlene leave? Rhode��. Everyone, stay together�� isn''t that good?"


    Rhode shrugged hopelessly and shook his head with a bitter smile.


    "She has her life and we have ours�� Besides, this is only a possibility, not for sure yet."


    "�� Sister Marlene would never leave��"


    Christie revealed a confident smile.


    "�� I know, because Sister Marlene loves everyone�� so she wouldn''t leave��"


    "I hope so."


    Rhode didn''t say much as he lightly fondled with her hair once more before standing up and staring out the window.


    The Sacred Arena was shining so ever brightly under the dazzling sun rays.


    It was their turn to fight soon.

 Chapter 301 Before the Competition

    It was already noon when Rhode arrived at the Sacred Arena. After the glorious opening ceremony, the bustling festival quietened. Just like waves, there were peaks and lows. Got to say, Lydia had good control over this. After a whole morning of splendid celebrations, everyone was fatigued. Comfortable music and the sound of bells could be heard all over Golden City for everyone to calm their nerves and get ready for the next highlight.


    At this moment, Rhode and the rest were led to the entrance of the Sacred Arena by the Battle Angels.


    At this moment, all of them finally got to see how huge and tall this whole arena was.


    As the most reputable building in the Munn Kingdom, the Sacred Arena was eye catching. This arena covered 23,000 square meters, had 150m tall high walls, and a huge arched door. When Rhode''s group stood before the arched door, they sensed a stress as though this sky-piercing construction would suddenly collapse and devour them.


    The newbies like Joey and Randolf couldn''t help but swallow their saliva. Of course, they couldn''t admire this magnificent construction with pure appreciation and exclaim like Lapis and Christie because they needed to withstand the pressure from the competition later on. Furthermore, over 100k people in the audience would be watching their fights, which left Joey and Randolf shivering at the thought��


    Rhode remained as calm as ever. After gaining the likes of the Munn Kingdom to the ''Worship'' level, Rhode once challenged for the title of ''Sacred Guardian'' and won. Back then, he fought under the gazes of 100k people, which wasn''t any different from this.


    Of course, Rhode did notice the psychological changes in his men. Gillian was acting normally as she followed closely. As an Elemental Lord, she wasn''t mindful with matters of such standards. On the other hand, Lapis was free from pressure as she knew that she wasn''t going to participate. As for Lize�� She had been calm on their trip here. But now, she held her hands placed on her chest with a pale expression.


    Whereas for Anne, she carried her heavy shield and hopped around energetically. No one knew if she wasn''t nervous at all or purposely putting an act to conceal her senses. According to Rhode''s understanding, the former was more probable��


    "Let''s go."


    Rhode turned to the side, tapped on Christie''s shoulder, and looked at Shauna. The rest of the mercenary group had also arrived at Golden City and settled in at the campsite. However, as the competition was about to start, they couldn''t follow the participants. According to the Midsummer Festival rules, various guild members were arranged to be seated behind their participating members. This could strengthen their momentum and also show off their strengths. However, to Rhode, it was impossible to strengthen the momentum of this new mercenary group of his. But, he still allowed them to crowd around for the sake of cohesiveness. At the same time, this served as a test because he was clear of the situation his men would face in the Midsummer Festival, which would naturally affect the mercenary group''s cohesiveness. That was why he allowed most of the members to join in and cheer for their members and also secretly polish the entire mercenary group. Rhode was sure that Starlight wouldn''t be one of the favourites in the Midsummer Festival and would be disregarded by many. Under such circumstances, as newly joined mercenaries, would they be able to withstand this pressure?


    Previously in the game, Starlight being overly powerful had faced many hostilities from players. Some had even formed alliances just to defeat Starlight. At that point in time, many players who joined Starlight felt that they were hated by the whole community and many chose to leave the guild under the pressure. However, at the same time, many stayed and became the pillar and foundation of Starlight''s growth and development. Now, Rhode decided to use the same method to test their cohesiveness. If one couldn''t withstand the pressure, one could leave.This also saved Rhode''s time so he didn''t need to understand and observe them.


    "Alright. Shauna, I''ll leave Christie in your hands."


    "Please be assured, Sir."


    Shauna nodded hurriedly. She had led a comfortable life in Starlight because in this mercenary group, she seldom heard of anyone gossiping about her using her body to seduce the leader in order to reach her current status. This wasn''t a surprise. After all, there were many more young ladies who were more beautiful than Shauna. In terms of identity, Marlene was more grandeur. In terms of temperament, Lize was purer. In terms of body, Anne was hotter. The mercenaries'' aesthetic conceptions were basically normal and they wouldn''t believe that Rhode would give up the three beauties by his side and go for Shauna with average looks and figure. This in turn left Shauna at ease, but of course, still depressed her a lot. After all, she was still a woman��


    But, the latter was only her personal issues.


    After spending a long time in the stronghold, Christie was familiar with most of the mercenaries. Therefore, she was used to Rhode''s entrustment and no longer hid behind his back whenever she met other mercenaries. Although she didn''t bear to leave, she obediently nodded and followed Shauna to the other side of the entrance after hearing his words.


    Rhode turned around after Christie disappeared by the corner.


    "Let''s go."


    The preparation room was much better than the underground colosseum, with no sinister and terrifying atmosphere. It was lit brightly and there was a holy mural carved on the walls. The room was decorated with exquisite tables and chairs and hanged with various weapons on the walls. Of course, these were only decorations.


    Marlene happened to arrive at this moment and out of Rhode''s expectations, she seemed to have transformed from head to toe after one night�� Of course, this didn''t mean that Marlene went for plastic surgery. Instead, it was the shiny reflections on her which he couldn''t gaze at directly.


    Medusa''s Necklace, Nightmare robe, Moon bracelet, and crystal ear drops��All these god-tier accessories and equipment almost blinded Rhode''s eyes. Natives indeed couldn''t be messed with. The risk that Rhode had taken and time spent in building the mercenary group couldn''t even be compared to half of the equipment that Marlene was wearing. Judging from the equipment, Rhode felt that if Marlene stood in the players'' arena, the opponent would immediately leave the game followed by a quick ''GG''.


    However, this was naturally good news for Rhode. From this, he discovered that the Senia Family was supportive of him. If not, she wouldn''t be equipped with so much good equipment in just one night.


    �� Even though her previous equipment wasn''t actually that bad.


    After Marlene arrived, all the members were ready. Rhode nodded at Marlene and she replied with an unnatural smile. However, Rhode didn''t notice it as he clapped his hand and everyone lifted their heads to attention.


    "Alright, I''m sure you guys are clear that our match is about to begin," Rhode said. His peaceful voice and expression calmed the tensed crowd. Now, their breathing and heartbeats weren''t as fast as before.


    "I think all of you are clear that we cannot lose this competition. Others don''t think we aren''t capable of defeating the Sky Sword Guild. Just as I said, we aren''t the favorites here and will only receive threats and humiliations. However, we are not here to do a catwalk on stage and simply go home."


    Rhode''s expression turned slightly stern.


    "Don''t forget that all of you have defeated the mercenary group elites in Paphield. You have proved to them that you''re better, so if we lose here, what meaning would it serve to them that we''re stronger?"


    Rhode spread his arms apart.


    "Could it be that all of you wish to return and hear their sarcastic sneers like ''Ha, since you''re still defeated in the first round, does it make a difference if we attended or you attended''?"


    Joey and Randolf twitched their brows and clenched their fists. Anne, on the other hand, jumped.


    "That''s impossible, Leader. Anne will not lose. Anne guarantees that the whatever Sky Sword Guild can''t defeat me!"


    "That''s right."


    Rhode nodded with satisfaction. He turned to Marlene and Lize and continued.


    "Our goal is to win. Not only this round, but also the next few rounds�� No matter who our opponents are."


    Rhode paused for a moment.


    "Now, I will arrange the sequence�� Joey, you''re up first. Next is Marlene, Gillian, Anne, then myself."


    Rhode finished his sentence and turned to Joey who was dumbstruck. Joey thought that he wouldn''t be the first to fight in such an important competition, but it seemed that things were out of his expectations, which forced him to stand up nervously.


    "Sir, I-I��"


    "Joey, I assign the most important mission to you��"


    Rhode raised his hand to interrupt Joey''s words. Then, he said something which left everyone stunned.


    "This match, you need to lose."

 Chapter 302 Isolated without Help

    The glaring sun rays instantly forced everyone to narrow their eyes upon exiting the tunnel. The clamors came crashing into them. In an instant, everyone held their breaths as though a huge wave was about to engulf them. Soon enough, the brilliance dissipated and up until this moment, they could finally see the arena clearly.


    Apart from Rhode, everyone was silenced.


    It wasn''t that they didn''t go through similar situations. During the fight in the underground colosseum, Anne and the rest had experienced this once. But, the area was decorated simply and was a broken beast colosseum, so how could they compare it to the Sacred Arena?


    "Oh gosh��"


    Joey trembled his way out of the tunnel and looked attentively at the audience. Although the three-meters tall wall guaranteed their safety from the sea of people, Joey was still scared out of his wits upon facing such a spectacular scene. The rest weren''t any better. Randolf and Lapis were pale while Lize held her hands to her chest and took in deep breaths to calm herself down. However, it wasn''t any easy feat.


    That was why Anne wasn''t a normal human to start with.


    After everyone from Starlight emerged on the arena, the cheers increased massively, which left Lize and the rest at their wits'' ends. They stared blankly into the black tide of people. They felt that the increase in speaking volume should be more or less related to them, but they couldn''t figure them out. The voices from all directions were like house flies around their ears and even they couldn''t hear themselves.


    Why is it this scary?


    As everyone exchanged worried looks, the clamors in their ears weakened within seconds. Then, the noises once again burst into a roaring thunderstorm of cheers!


    That''s right, cheers!


    The loud cheers shook Lapis so much that her legs softened and she collapsed to the ground. The rest weren''t anywhere better as they felt like little animals who were about to meet their hunters. They curled up and scanned the surroundings nervously. At this moment, on the other side of the arena, the members of the Sky Sword Guild had emerged.


    It seemed like the cheers were for them.


    Although Rhode had introduced them to his members, they couldn''t understand why a guild could have such strong influence.


    They couldn''t be blamed. They had always lived in Paphield, which lacked strong and consistent guilds. Hiller''s Burning Blade always lacked vigor, so Lize and the others weren''t familiar with the influence a guild could have on the people. They only knew that a guild could have strong influence, but wasn''t sure as to what extent.


    But Rhode was clear about it.


    One of the most important reasons as to why guilds were popular amongst the civilians was that they weren''t official organizations, which represented the voice of civilian''s benefits. The guilds controlled a certain territory and affected the lives of the civilians. Taking the four guilds for example; Cole Falcon represented the trade associations and political rights in the high plains, Purple Lily represented the poor civilians in the Desolated Grounds, the Liberty Wings'' backing was the impoverished social class in the Southern Port, and the Sky Sword''s influential range covered the Southern riches and noble elites.


    And because both sides benefited each other, the guilds were popular amongst the people. Of course, it was because of this that the conflicts between them were so deep, just like the discrimination of regions that existed in every world.


    The conflict between Cole Falcon and Sky Sword was actually the simplest to understand. Their targets were simple as they represented the King''s Party''s controlling class, Reformist Party''s elites, and merchant groups in the fight for the Munn Kingdom''s regime''s authority. The King''s Party racked their brains to force away the Reformist Party, and the Reformist Party tried their best to overthrow the King and form a ruling class of their own. This was purely just the fight for authority.


    But compared to them, Purple Lily and Liberty Wings had the most complicated conflict. The reason was simple. The Southern Port thought that the King''s Party of Munn Kingdom was overly-protective of the Desolated Grounds and in turn ignored their living standards. However, the people of Desolated Grounds objected this saying. For example, the poor people from the Southern Port belonged to those who couldn''t afford white bread, but was able to afford black bread if they worked harder. That was why their request to the King''s Party was to at least have white bread for every meal.


    However, the civilians of the Desolated Grounds couldn''t afford white bread and could only afford black bread after they worked hard, and if they didn''t work, they would starve to death. That was why they wished that they could at least have black bread, and whereas for the white bread�� They didn''t want to think about it temporarily.


    The people of Desolated Grounds thought that the idiots from Southern Port were lazy and asking for too much. The idiots could at least afford black bread, but still wished for assistance? What logic was that? In turn, the Southern Port''s point of view was that it was the Desolated Grounds'' own issues that they couldn''t afford black bread and it wasn''t a reason to steal their rights to ask for white bread.


    If you people were more capable and didn''t become the slaves of the King''s Party, then you wouldn''t have issues of not affording black bread. We are not a bunch of brainwashed slaves because we have our own ideals and expectations. Affording white bread is our right, so why do you even care? And besides, even if we''re poor, we still have freedom and pride. Even if we die in the river due to starvation, that''s also our freedom of choice. Look at yourself! Not only you''re poor, but you also don''t have freedom or pride at all!


    Of course. Such words weren''t nice to the people of Desolated Grounds. If it weren''t for the King''s Party, perhaps they couldn''t even afford black bread and could be dead by now. And those Southern bastards obviously were the ones trying to break their way to make a living, so what did it have to do with the King''s Party?


    Due to the conflicts, the neighbouring civilians disregarded one another. Of course, they were civilians of the Munn Kingdom, after all, so they wouldn''t possibly form a military clique for riot and the guilds were there to become their strongest support. They couldn''t battle on their own, but they could rely on the guilds to fight in this Midsummer Festival to dissolve the conflicts. At least this was better than a real war, right?


    But now, the Paphield region was in an awkward situation. Although they belonged to the King''s Party, they became rather low profile as they didn''t have a representative who always represented themselves. They also couldn''t meddle with the conflicts between the King''s Party and Reformist Party. However, it was also due to this that they couldn''t possibly come to the Midsummer Festival and support the guild of their region wholeheartedly. This was bad news to Rhode. Besides, Paphield had plentiful natural resources and didn''t have many deep conflicts with other regions.


    No enemy meant no cohesion. No goals meant no supporters. That was why Rhode''s Starlight could be said to be fighting this solo. In this arena filled with 100k people, apart from his mercenary group which had less than a hundred members, there were no other Starlight supporters and it felt like hell to them.


    In fact, no one trusted that Starlight would win.


    "Sky Sword! Sky Sword! Sky Sword!"


    The cheers for the Sky Sword Guild boomed and left Lize and the others as white as paper. They even felt that standing there was an utter mistake with no one supporting them. They couldn''t even see any allies. Of course, the Starlight members were sitting at the high stage not far behind them, but just as Lize and the rest subconsciously turned around and sought for support, all they could see was a sea of people.


    They couldn''t even see who was in it.


    This left them depressed.


    At the same time, a discouraging thought emerged in their heads.


    "Can we still win this?"


    But, this wasn''t a question of yes or no to Rhode.


    Apart from winning, he would never accept any other outcome.


    Rhode remained calm and stared at the opposing five members. Then, he gestured to Joey.


    "Joey. Go. Remember my words�� Lose properly."

 Chapter 303 Failure Requires Skill

    Ooo�� Ooo�� Ooo��


    The deep, thunderous bugle horns sounded and cheers resonated in the whole arena. Then, the Sky Sword Guild stepped into the arena.


    Just as their name suggested, the Sky Sword Guild consisted of mainly Swordsmen. In the Dragon Soul Continent, Swordsman was an universal job that consisted of the double-handed swordsmen and heavy-swordsmen who focused on offence, and Shield Warriors and Dagger-swordsmen who focused on defence. Rhode''s Spirit Swordsman class could be considered one of the Swordsman. Of course, this was still controversial among the players.


    The Sky Sword Guild sent out their first member, who was a double-handed swordsman. He wore a purple cape and stepped onto the arena proudly under the heavy cheers from the crowd. Two swords emanating purple radiance and of different length hung around his waist. It was obvious that this double-handed swordsman was familiar with such occasions. He brought on an appropriate smile and pumped his right fist in the air which pumped the crowd.


    "Golan! Golan! Golan!"


    It was apparent that no one was worried that he would be defeated. As Joey stepped onto the arena, the cheers stopped and was replaced with a series of laughter.


    Compared to the steady and calm Golan, Joey was like a country bumpkin who hadn''t seen the world. He peered left and right and stooped over like a guilty thief. The audience burst into laughter and Golan let out a sneer.


    Joey was totally numb as he instinctively followed Rhode''s command and stepped onto the arena. He was even more confused after hearing Rhode''s final instructions to "lose properly".


    What? How do I lose properly? Do I even have a chance to win at all? But, how should I fight?


    Joey felt embarrassed. He wished to escape, but Rhode''s ice cold eyes staring at him were like long swords fixating him to the ground.


    It seems like I can''t run away.


    Joey gritted his teeth, lifted his head, and stared at Golan. Since I''m going to lose anyway, I''ll let you have a taste of my medicine!


    Joey didn''t expect that his solemn expression turned out to be more of a joke to his opponent. Golan let out a sneer even though Mobis had advised him to not belittle the members of this mercenary group. But it seemed that this lad''s behavior was nothing more than a newbie''s.


    Do I even need to be careful of him?


    Although Golan ignored his leader, Mobis'', reminder, he had to raise his spirits and bow respectfully. Joey, on the other hand, stared blankly and only until Golan finished his greetings did Joey returned from his daze. He hurriedly extended his hand and replied in an inappropriate manner.


    "Hahahaha��!"


    Joey''s ridiculous actions once again triggered a series of laughter in the crowd. Although they thought that Starlight must only be here to go through the motions, it seemed that they were rather interesting. At least they brought them entertainment.


    Marlene''s expression turned sour while Lize hopelessly lowered her head. But they couldn''t be blamed, because, after all, Joey''s behavior had indeed thrown the face of the mercenary group. Marlene wished that she could be the one to finish Joey for embarrassing the mercenary group.


    Only Rhode remained expressionless with both arms tucked in front of his chest as he stared coldly at every movement in the arena.


    At this moment, the judge in charge of this competition and the member of the Mercenary Association had arrived at the arena.They exchanged a few comments regarding the dos and don''ts of the competition and stepped to the side. Then, they raised their right hands and swung down in unison.


    The battle began!


    "Rest assured, I will defeat you painlessly."


    Golan revealed a relaxed smile as he dashed forward in a split second. Two shimmering, ice-cold blade lights drew an arc in the air!


    Joey stared blankly at the arcs falling from the sky.


    Then, at this moment, he instinctively moved.


    "What?"


    Golan opened his eyes wide.


    He witnessed the foolish little thief dodging between the gaps and leaping backward in lightning speed. He only felt his vision flash and when he reacted, Joey had shifted to a position that was more than ten meters away.


    What''s going on?


    Golan was stunned. Although this attack wasn''t his best, no one could escape his high speed and technique. But now�� This little Thief actually evaded his attacks?


    Joey was surprised by his movements too. At this moment, his face was full of amazement. In fact, he was dumbfounded. He had the urge to close his eyes and be defeated by the opponent, but just as Golan swung his sword, he realised something incredible.


    Why is he so slow?


    Although Golan didn''t give his all in that attack, his attack speed as a double-handed swordsman shouldn''t be disregarded. The audience saw two afterimages of blade lights, but the two blade lights appeared in slow motion in Joey''s eyes. How could he not evade such a slow attack?


    Golan was shocked that this unremarkable-looking thief dodged his attack.


    Is this an elite of a guild? They shouldn''t be this weak, right? Joey asked inwardly.


    "Interesting��"


    Golan didn''t know how Joey dodged his attack, but this peaked his curiosity. He lifted his head and smiled. That''s right, he''s a newbie.


    Golan had struggled in the mercenary world for years, so he could instantly recognize a newbie. Not only was this kid nervous, but his eyes were also wandering. He didn''t look like someone who would disguise himself, so was that a coincidence?


    Golan puckered his brows. Yes, I must have probably too casually and didn''t put enough pressure on him. So then, time for me to get serious.


    Golan returned to his senses. Then, he dashed forward in a blink of an eye. This time, he had given it his all. He brandished his swords and streaked arcs of blade light in midair once more!


    The next scene was an eye opener. Joey desperately dodged left and right while swinging his daggers pathetically. Golan increased his speed and his two blade lights grew ever brighter. The audience yelled out his name in excitement. Golan had this match in the bag and what about that worthless Thief? What else could he do other than dodge?


    Golan was slowly becoming flustered. He had used 90% of his strength, but this newbie-like Thief parried them all! He clearly felt that every strike from his sword was blocked or struck away by the newbie''s daggers.


    This kid�� How is this possible? It might be coincidental once or twice. But�� Could this even be considered a coincidence?


    Golan''s heart sank.


    It was just as Golan had thought.


    Although Joey''s movements were indeed at a loss from the start, he quickly realised that the opponent''s attack didn''t seem to be as vicious as he thought. It felt just like a high school student nervously stepping into the examination hall for an important exam. He gritted his teeth and flipped his exam paper around before realizing that it was as easy as primary school mathematics.


    What''s going on?


    Joey couldn''t figure out the current situation, or perhaps he didn''t notice that he had been through training sessions with the most skillful Thief in this whole continent in the mirage. After experiencing the true rain of blows from the very best, Golan''s attacks were as light as drizzle.


    But�� Instinct couldn''t win him fights, after all.


    As an experienced mercenary, Golan was quick to realise that this newbie was only a newbie.


    Even though Joey parried and blocked Golan''s attacks, the latter sensed doubts and hesitations in his eyes. Golan believed that the reason why Joey defended against his attacks was solely based on instinct!


    But even so, this was enough to stun Golan because, although his double-handed sword skills hadn''t reach a master''s standard, his standard wasn''t too low too. At this moment, his attacks were easily blocked by this newbie.


    This kid�� Before he pulls himself together, I have to quickly end this fight!


    After making a decision, Golan stopped his attacks abruptly and leaped back to throw a kick.


    "What?"


    Joey eventually didn''t react. He subconsciously stopped brandishing his daggers and hesitated for a moment. Since he had blocked the opponent''s attack, should he launch a counterattack or defend?


    But wait, Leader wanted me to lose, right?


    Before Joey thought of an answer, he saw a fast approaching foot��


    Boom!


    Golan''s foot landed heavily on Joey''s stomach and thrusted the latter away. The crowd exploded into ear-deafening cheers. Joey flipped in the air continuously. Then, he balanced himself before landing, but it was too late.


    After he landed, the cheers had gotten louder. He lifted his head and realised that he had landed below the arena while Golan looked down at him from above.


    Joey had lost.

 Chapter 304 The Power of Money

    Sky Sword won the first match.


    Even after Golan stepped down from the arena, the cheers from the crowd didn''t stop. As a matter of fact, most of the supporters had expected this result. Facing the attacks of the Sky Sword''s elites, these mercenary fellows couldn''t stand a chance.


    Haha, just look at that pathetic little Thief. He couldn''t even do anything and got thrashed by Golan. In the end, he was even kicked off the arena. What a shameful sight!


    After the cheers ended, the crowd laughed at Rhode''s side. Just as Rhode had expected, his mercenary group wasn''t popular at all. At the same time, no one was willing to recognize their presence. As for Rhode and his mercenary group, they were more like funny clowns to bring up the mood here.


    No one believed that they could win.


    "Paphield trash! Go home and eat sh*t!"


    "Leave that little chick for me. I''ll give you 500 gold coins!"


    "Go to hell, lucky bastards! You''re no match for the guilds! Bunch of idiots, just look at your pathetic plight."


    "Hahahaha, little clowns. Can you be any funnier?"


    "This is an arena. and not a place for you to be here, sissies. Go home and cry to your man!"


    In an instant, the whole arena was filled with mockery and sarcasm, where even the chain of laughters were unbroken. Marlene''s expression turned sour while Lize gritted her teeth and lowered her head in embarrassment. On the other hand, Anne hopped around furiously and was ready to teach them a lesson. However, no matter how strong she was alone, how could she win an argument against 100k people? Every time Anne shouted, her voice was submerged within.


    Joey returned with a face full of disappointment. He lost, and lost cowardly because, ever since he stepped onto the arena, he was dumbstruck by the massive crowd and his mind went blank. Then, he was at a loss and under the pressure from Golan, he didn''t realise that he had retreated to the edge of the arena. In the end, a kick from the opponent had landed him outside the arena. He felt that the way he lost was too stupid. Furthermore, he knew that his strengths could contend with Golan''s and if he pulled a distance away from him and struck from the back, perhaps he wouldn''t have lost so badly. Come to think of it, he was a Thief and not a Swordsman. Why did he attack from the front? That was so dumb!


    Not to mention, Joey had also become the laughing stock before 100k people. Under such immense pressure, he crumbled. The laughters and sneers that filled his ears instantly drowned him.


    At this moment, a calm, cold voice rang in Joey''s ears.


    "You did well."


    Did well?


    Joey clenched his fists and was ready to berate the commenter. Then, he turned around and saw Rhode''s expressionless face. What could he say to his leader? He gasped and couldn''t speak a word.


    Although the arena was oddly rowdy, Joey could hear Rhode''s voice clearly.


    "Now that you experienced their true strength and the atmosphere�� This loss will benefit you a lot. Go to the side and experience it even more."


    "Yes�� Leader."


    For unknown reasons, the anger brewing in him vanished. The clamors which made his head spin seemed to have softened by much�� He shook his head and sat down without speaking a word.


    On the other side, Golan stepped down from the arena and his expression wasn''t as relaxed as it was when he first stepped onto the arena.


    "How did it feel, Golan?"


    Kalman approached Golan and asked. Kalman was a heavy-swordsman and the second member to battle. Although Golan had won the battle easily, Kalman realised that Golan''s expression wasn''t as relaxed as he expected.


    "It''s difficult to say.."


    Golan turned to Starlight and shook his head.


    "Kalman, I feel like those people aren''t easy to deal with�� Although there were indeed inexperienced newbies among them, their battle techniques aren''t too weak�� So you''d better be careful."


    "Huh? What do you mean? I don''t understand��"


    Kalman wasn''t able to finish his sentence, because as he turned to the arena, he turned pale as though he had seen something frightening. Golan also turned around curiously. They witnessed a beautiful young lady clad in a robe. She had silver-whitish hair and liquor-red eyes.


    Marlene Senia.


    Unlike Joey, Marlene was well known throughout the Munn Kingdom. As a rare magical genius, and the heir of Senia Family, everyone knew that Marlene would be taking over the huge noble family�� Due to her sensitive identity, she became the most troublesome character within Starlight. Everyone knew who was backing her and what if they injured her in the arena? Wouldn''t that be the same as going against the Senia Family?


    Although it would mean that the Senia Family''s powers were weakened if the Reformist Party had a chance to kill Marlene, this was only an idea that brainless people would have. The Senia Family''s held strong authority in the Munn Kingdom and had formidable strength with the Eastern Plain and southern Trade Associations. They formed the three main forces of the Munn Kingdom. Besides, they held advanced magical technologies and also the Mage Army, which was the strongest forces of the Munn Kingdom. If the Reformist Party was brave enough to kill off Marlene Senia, they had better be ready for the Senia Family''s rage. Not only that, but Lydia, who also hadn''t been in their good books, would use this opportunity to strike the Reformist Party down. Once both sides turned into allies, there was no surprise if all members of the Reformist Party would be massacred��


    Only an idiot would do such a dangerous matter!


    Everyone from the Sky Sword Guild were stunned. According to Mobis, a powerful person like Marlene would only be placed as the third member or onward. However, they didn''t expect that Rhode would place her as the second!


    What now?


    "Leader?"


    Kalman turned to Mobis as he wasn''t mentally prepared to fight her! Apart from speaking about the magical genius'' abilities, just her identity was enough to give him a headache.


    On the contrary, Mobis remained calm. He observed Marlene for a moment before nodding to Kalman.


    "Go."


    After Marlene stepped onto the arena, the sneers targeting Starlight turned softer. After all, many within the audience had received assistance from the Senia Family so they wouldn''t dare to criticize or ridicule Marlene. Of course, the Reformist Party members wouldn''t be so polite because they knew that Marlene couldn''t do anything to them.


    "Oh oh oh! It''s Marlene Senia!"


    "Come on, chick. Strip your clothes. Is the color of your hair below the same as on top?"


    "Senia is a pile of sh*t!! A pile of sh*t!!"


    "I banged your mom last night, young lady. Let me taste if there''s any difference between you and her!"


    Marlene didn''t respond to the criticism at all. Although they didn''t feel good about Starlight, their feelings toward the Senia Family were still decent. Some in the audience stood up for her.


    But Marlene turned a deaf ear to all. She held her staff and coldly stared at Mobis and his men. Then, Kalman stepped onto the arena.


    As a barbarian, Kalman was two-meters tall and Marlene was only to the height of his chest, and the difference needed no explanations. The Sky Sword Guild supporters cheered excitedly at this sight.


    "Kalman! Kalman!"


    "Tear her clothes and strip her clean! Let her know our might!"


    A group of people cheered as though they were the ones in the arena and facing the young lady.


    Marlene''s expression remained unchanged. However, Kalman puckered his brows because he sensed the strong will and murderous intent emanating from her. The murderous intent was so dense that even the he felt chills all over. That wasn''t the reaction after being aggravated, but was the aura of someone who had been through real battles�� Could it be that this young lady had experienced battles?


    Kalman''s heart sank. Before the start of the competition, he heard from Mobis that Marlene headed to Paphield to gain battle experience. However, he and his companions didn''t have any opinions about it. This was nothing more than making an ordinary matter special. At the very most, she could only kill a rabbit�� What battle experience were they talking about?


    But now, Kalman had no choice but to withdraw this thought.


    He bowed respectfully to Marlene. The latter stooped forward slightly and Kalman pulled out his long sword and took two steps forward.


    At this moment, Rhode had already covered his eyes and couldn''t bear to witness this scene.


    The battle began.


    Kalman bellowed and stomped his way forward. Then, he raised his enormous sword which swept up a tornado to Marlene.


    He knew that he had to shorten the distance between them in order to disrupt her spell casting momentum. That way, she wouldn''t be of any threat to him at all. On the contrary, if he gave her time to cast spells, he would be in for a huge trouble!


    He was quick with his movements. In just two to three large strides, he had arrived at Marlene''s face. At this moment, Marlene had just lifted her staff and drew half of her magical symbols.


    Victory is mine!


    Kalman became more confident as he brandished his huge sword. But, he didn''t notice the magical radiance emanating from Marlene''s earring.


    Screech��!


    A sharp sound of friction rang while Kalman swung his huge sword. Then, a thick wall of ice burst from the ground and negated his attack. His sword hacked through one-third of it and lost its momentum. Then, icy-cold air erupted from the ice wall and blasted at Kalman.


    "Damn it!"


    Kalman hurriedly withdrew his sword and at this moment, Marlene''s spell had completed.


    "Criy!"


    She blasted a stream of air forward and the solid ice wall exploded instantly. Countless broken bits struck Kalman, which forced him back. He raised his huge sword to defend himself from the ice storm but flames flashed before his eyes.


    Marlene didn''t chant her spell for nothing.


    A dozen flame snakes emerged behind the ice storm and headed for their target. This time, Kalman gave it his all. He withstood the ice storm and bulged his muscles. Then, he swung his sword with both hands violently.


    That was one of the killer blows of the heavy-swordsman, Whirlwind Slash!


    The powerful tornado deflected the menacing icy storm. Not only that, but the dozen of flame snakes vanished after being sucked into it. But none of this affecting Marlene because as she released the flames, her body became as light as a feather. She stepped back slightly. At the same time, the staff in her hand continued to flicker with a magical ray that converged into complicated runes. It was apparent that she was preparing for a strong magic spell!


    Kalman also witnessed it.


    Marlene stepped back while he tossed his huge sword forward like an arrow!


    Everything happened in a few seconds. But, no matter how fast Marlene retreated, she wouldn''t be faster than a sword thrown at full speed. Shortly after, everyone witnessed the sword almost striking her body and it was as though the huge sword would pierce through her body as soon as they blinked.


    Of course. Kalman wouldn''t be that dumb as to kill Marlene. His sword was headed for her arm to disrupt her spell casting. As long as he prevented her from casting spells, he had a chance of winning.


    However, Marlene didn''t need to dodge at all.


    Her robe emanated a dazzling purple radiance.


    In an instant, everyone was blinded and they realised that the huge sword pierced into the ground after they blinked.


    "She''s there!"


    Then, Marlene reappeared behind Kalman with her staff. Meanwhile, the glowing magical runes were about to link up perfectly.


    "Damn!"


    Kalman''s heart sank. Marlene''s equipment was too powerful and he had no chance of defending. He had no time to consider his next moves anymore!


    Kalman leaped up and dashed for his huge sword.


    However, he was too slow because at this moment, Marlene''s magical runes had linked up completely in the sky.

 Chapter 305 Bewildering Situation

    Kalman dashed for Marlene. On the other hand, Rhode turned around as he couldn''t bear to watch.


    But he wasn''t afraid that Marlene would lose terribly. In fact, after witnessing Marlene''s equipment, he knew that this would be a tragedy for the opponent�� Even though Kalman was a powerful foe in the Master Stage, there was only one road to disaster for him. Not to mention, Marlene''s actual strength wasn''t anywhere lower than Kalman''s, and with the boost from the god-tier equipment�� The NPCs who were 20 levels higher would even need to kneel before her!


    Ear drops that could instantly summon an ice wall. A Moon bracelet that could enhance magical damage. A Nightmare robe that could engage in close-range battle and teleportation. A Medusa necklace that could provide petrification defense��


    Wealthy kids shouldn''t be messed with and it was even more so for those who knew how to use their money to their advantage.


    My barbarian friend�� Have a good journey.


    As Rhode gave his heartfelt prayers for Kalman, Marlene''s magic spell finally erupted.


    The magical runes linked up and in the blink of an eye, a pitch-black cloud of smoke burst out. Then, lightning struck out from within.


    Chain Thunder!


    This was one of the strongest magical skills. In an instant, the audience witnessed thousands of lightning chains striking out from the pitch-black cloud. The ear-deafening thunder roars suppressed the cheers and hisses of the crowd. Broken bits of rock scattered as the aftermath of the shattered slab. The audience''s heart sank��could Kalman survive this?


    As this thought flashed through their minds, a huge shadow burst out from within the pitch-black smoke.


    Kalman darted out.


    However, his condition wasn''t looking good. Everyone saw that this sturdy heavy-swordsman had been seriously wounded. Even though he was a strong barbarian swordsman, the thunder strikes weren''t any weaker. He had escaped from the smoke with a layer of his skin damaged.


    On the other hand, Marlene was actually waiting for this moment.


    Icy-cold gales rose from the ground and instantly froze his feet. Then, a vibrant magical missile storm blasted him heavily. The powerful impact tore apart his fractured defense and lifted him off the ground. At this moment, Marlene looked as if she were torturing a drowning dog. She lifted her staff once more.


    A thick wall of ice burst out from the ground and smashed into him. This time, he finally couldn''t withstand it any longer. He screamed painfully and crashed outside the arena.


    The battle ended.


    The arena was in dead silence. Marlene lowered her staff and stepped down the arena. Up until this moment, the judge who had been admiring the battle finally woke up from his daze. He announced the winner with a shaky voice and dispatched medics to treat the loser.


    "Good job."


    Rhode nodded and Marlene''s gloomy face faded into a smile. In fact, she didn''t intend to deal such a huge blow to her opponent, but after the mockeries from the audience, she couldn''t help but vent her frustrations. Moreover, Kalman was a mercenary from the Reformist Party. The Reformist Party was worried about killing Marlene, but she wasn''t the least bit worried that she would get into trouble for killing them.


    Now, after thrashing the pitiful guy from the Reformist Party, the rage in Marlene''s heart simmered down and her face wasn''t as sour anymore. She lifted her head and revealed a smile before stepping down. Rhode shrugged but before he was able to speak, Gillian emerged before him in a flash.


    "Master, what should I do? Win or lose?"


    The fox-eared young lady twitched her ears and swayed her tail. It was apparent that Gillian was ready to start some trouble. Rhode sighed and turned to Mobis, who was sulking.


    "Suit your mood."


    Rhode gave an ambiguous answer. Gillian displayed a cheeky smile, took two steps forward and clinged onto Rhode. Then, she lifted her head and said softly into his ear.


    "Got it, Master. Then, please admire this good show of mine�� If I win, you have to give me a reward, okay? I have been expecting Master''s thick, white, creamy, and delicious reward for a long time�� So, that''s set, okay? Master?"


    "You''re better off losing then."


    "Hehe��"


    Gillian let out a chuckle. Then, she leapt back like a graceful butterfly, lifted the hem of her skirt and bowed. She turned around and stepped onto the arena with a sly smile.


    At the same time, the third member of the Sky Sword Guild also stepped up.


    In such competitions, the third member was always crucial as he held the biggest responsibility in the middle position and formed a bridge between the early and late stages. If the earlier results were bad, he would need to turn the tide around. But, if the results were great, it would be his turn to deal a killer blow to the opponents. Therefore, this position usually belonged to a stronger member the leader trusted.


    The third member of the Sky Sword Guild was the vice leader, Carter.


    Carter was a Swordsman who was only one step away from the Master Stage. He was also the most trusted assistant of Mobis in the Sky Sword Guild. Although they had lost one match to Marlene, Carter''s expression remained unchanged as they knew of Marlene''s abilities and expected this loss.


    They definitely couldn''t lose this next match.


    "It''s all up to you now, Carter."


    Mobis patted on his shoulder while exchanging glances with Rhode. This young man seemed to be more troublesome than he had expected. But, Mobis believed that Rhode wouldn''t make a comeback in such situations. Marlene might be strong, but the rest weren''t comparable. As long as they followed the plan, Mobis was confident that he had this match up in the bag.


    "Leave it to me, Leader."


    Carter revealed a determined look. He stripped the leather gloves off his hands and stepped on the arena.


    Although he heard that Rhode''s Starlight had several weirdos, Carter was still surprised when he saw Gillian. He focused on her swaying tail and twitching ears, at the same time feeling dubious.


    Where did this young lady come from? Is she human? Half-beast? Or something else?


    Not only Carter, but even most of the audience thought so especially after Gillian exposed her tail and ears. Moreover, due to Marlene''s overpowering performance, the audience had forgotten their way to humiliate the ''country bumpkins'' anymore. Instead, they were worried. Sky Sword wouldn''t lose, would they?!


    If they lost, that would be disgraceful!


    The audience gazed at the old man who had lived for more than half a century. They hoped that he could bring a victory and relieve them of the anxiousness.


    "Oh? It''s just an old man?"


    Gillian taunted. Carter glared at the young lady, but Gillian didn''t seem to be afraid.


    "Although I don''t mind your remarks, my master taught me to respect the old and cherish the young. So then, mister, how about I give you a chance? You see, if you are willing to admit defeat, I will give you a way out. How about that?"


    Gillian was filled with smiles as she tilted her head and looked at Carter.


    Carter''s expression changed.


    "Don''t worry, young lady."


    He drew his sword and pointed it at her.


    "You''ll know soon that it''s not necessary."


    "Oh? But I think you''d better consider it, okay?"


    Gillian''s smile remain unchanged. She was like a hardworking salesperson who didn''t give up after her customer rejected her.


    "Isn''t this better for both of us?"


    "Cut the crap!"


    Carter let out a snort and shot a glance at the judge. The latter stepped back and swung his arm down to announce the start of the match.


    Go!


    The battle began.


    Carter gritted his teeth, dashed forward, and brandished his long sword.


    One step, two steps, three steps.


    But, as he took his forth, he came to an abrupt half and stared with wide eyes.


    It wasn''t just him; the audience was also at a loss for words.


    Gillian stood with her arms folded and a smile plastered on her face. However��


    More than a thousand fireballs filled the air behind her. The flames were so glaring that they overwhelmed the radiance of the sun.


    "Now�� Are you willing to accept my suggestion, old man?"

 Chapter 306 Storm of Fireballs

    "What''s this!?"


    Viktor stood up and stared in disbelief. Barter''s expression changed drastically. Not only them, but the crowd also jumped up from their seats. Above the round arena, the densely-packed fireballs burned fiercely and seemed to have formed the mouth of a menacing devil waiting to devour its prey..


    "This��"


    Mobis was dumbstruck. Although he wasn''t a Mage, he wasn''t a newbie either. Therefore, he was clear that no humans could achieve such a high level of magical mastery. Although fireballs weren''t considered a high-grade magic spell and could even be considered as the basic of the basics, a Swordsman of Carter''s caliber wouldn''t even put this child''s play into regards. However, when these earth-shattering fireballs were there in tens of thousands, who would disregard them?


    Mobis stared blankly at the confident Gillian. Where did this woman come from? With such powerful magical prowess, even the Mages from elite schools couldn''t compete against her. However, if she was really such a powerful presence, why didn''t they hear of her before?


    Mobis noticed that this mercenary group wasn''t that simple since he heard that Marlene had joined them. Furthermore, there was also the sudden appearance of the ''princess'' . He felt that there was a high possibility that this was scripted by the King''s Party to control Paphield. After all, Marlene''s identity was too sensitive with the strong forces of the Senia Family. Also, Paphield had spent most of their time remaining neutral in positions, so there was a possibility that the Reformist Party had brought them under a lot of pressure. However, to Mobis, this was no big deal since the King''s Party had to put up a show and couldn''t possibly seek popular elites in this shady business. The Reformist Party would smear their reputation even further.


    Just as Mobis expected, other than Marlene who was well known, the other members were unheard of. Although it was possible that they were hidden aces from the King''s Party, the Reformist Party would''ve known how many aces were up their sleeves after the years of conflicts between them.


    But now, this young lady was totally out of Mobis'' expectations!


    She instantly summoned a barrage of fireballs without even charging her spells beforehand. Even though Mobis wasn''t a mage, he knew how difficult it was to achieve this. Even those Mages he knew weren''t able to achieve such heights�� Damn it, where exactly did this woman come from?!


    Mobis gazed at Rhode and after noticing his black hair and pupils, he was distracted.


    Could it be that these people hailed from the Eastern Plains?


    A thought emerged in his head and he felt cold sweat all over his body. The more he thought of the possibilities, the more fearful he was. Indeed, he had never heard of a Mage named "Gillian". However, the Eastern Plain was a sealed, desolate area known for its inaccessibility, and it could even be said that other than the locally born and bred, no one from the outside knew what elites it produced and how powerful they were. If Gillian came from Eastern Plains just like that young man, it wouldn''t be too surprising why he didn''t hear her name before!


    But now�� Mobis took in a deep breath and turned his attention to Carter nervously.


    What do you intend to do, old mate?


    In fact, Carter was at a loss too.


    As far as he saw, the air was filled with burning, crackling fireballs as though an invisible wall blocking his path. Not only that, but the air was also filled with choking fumes��he had difficulties breathing.


    On the contrary, Gillian displayed a cheeky smile. The fireballs were like her obedient pets hovering around her and they didn''t even light up a single strand of her hair. The fireballs also flowed off her hair tips like water, which beautified her even more��


    Like Mobis, Carter felt that this young lady definitely wasn''t an ordinary Mage. An ordinary Mage''s control over the flames couldn''t be that powerful, so who exactly was she?


    But, it wasn''t the time for Carter to solve the riddle now because he found out that he might need to consider Gillian''s suggestion.


    He had two choices. Either listen to Gillian''s suggestion and admit defeat, or scream "All of this is just an illusion!" and gamble for it. After all, in this world, there wasn''t any Mage who could instantly summon so many fireballs!


    His opponent must be using some sort of an illusionary spell to force himself out of the competition. Yes, this was possible.


    But what if it was not?


    Carter gave up considering this possibility��


    So then, exactly what choice should he choose?


    Carter took two steps backwards.


    Afterwards, he stopped his movement and bent over slightly before leaping forward towards Gillian!


    I''m going to gamble for it!


    This was Carter''s final decision!


    Gillian''s reaction wasn''t slow either. As Carter exploded forward, the fireballs hovering in midair linked up and formed a large wave of flames. The audience held their breath.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    In a series of deep explosions, the splattered flame shrouded Carter entirely. The audience cried nervously as they watched the never-ending sparks and dark billows of smoke. Their hearts almost beat out of their chest. Although killing was prohibited, he probably wouldn''t be left with more than half his life after this.


    Just as the crowd watched worriedly, an ice-cold radiance shone from within, which instantly disseminated the thick smoke. Then, Carter dashed out!


    "Great!"


    Although the crowd didn''t know what happened, they instantly let out sighs of relief and cheered loudly. This young lady must have purposely used this method to frighten them.


    Tch. No wonder she dared Mr. Carter to admit defeat earlier. It was just a trap all along! But it''s a pity that in the face of true strength, no traps work!


    Many turned their attention to Gillian on the other end with mockery and treated her as a joke.


    Her disguise has been stripped, so she must panicking now. Haha! You women only know how to come up with crafty plots and machinations but didn''t know that power means everything to a man! As long as you have strength, anything else is transient!


    Carter had the same thoughts.


    When he was surrounded by the fireballs, he had decided to gamble. However, just as Gillian launched her attacks, he noticed that there were openings between the dense fireballs. This discovery delighted him and even though the openings were nothing to the others, it was enough for him. Using his quick movement, he dodged left and right and finally dashed out!


    I did it!


    Carter cheered ecstatically and was filled with confidence. Indeed. With Gillian''s age, it was an amazing feat that she manipulated that many fireballs at once. However, from the openings between the fireballs she fired, she obviously hadn''t fully mastered the art of manipulation. Carter had expected this. After all, there were so many fireballs that it was impossible to control them entirely. But even so, their threat was still huge. If it weren''t for Carter doing his utmost best to dodge the attack, perhaps he would''ve been dead.


    Now that he had broken through, he had to take advantage!


    Carter lifted his head and stared at his prey. He expected that Gillian would be filled with astonishment. But he was totally wrong.


    What was reflected in his eyes was Gillian''s effortless smile.


    "You dodged my attack, and that''s not too bad. So then, let''s see how long you can keep this up, okay?"


    Gillian''s voice rang in his ears. She spoke softly, but for unknown reasons Carter felt an instinctive sense of danger.


    Gillian spread her arms apart.


    Then, a scarlet card emerged and spun between her arms.


    Carter was only a few inches away now. She slammed her palms together and crushed the card.


    "Spell of the Red Lotus, Magic Symbol: Seven Hells"

 Chapter 307 Two Victories in a Row

    The scorching heat struck Carter in his face.


    Although Carter only needed half a step more to threaten Gillian with his sword, he immediately gave up the thought of striking after the young lady smacked her palms together. He abruptly withdrew his sword and rolled away to draw a distance from her.


    Carter made the right decision because just as he rolled away, a one-meter tall fire wall burst out from the ground and blasted at him.


    No, it wasn''t a fire wall. Perhaps a ring of fire would be more appropriate. It emerged from beside her feet and whirled out. Carter was completely helpless and he had no chance to survive apart from dodging.


    The cheers came to a spontaneous end.


    Many stared blankly in their cheering posture. After Carter dashed out, they thought this young lady was in deep trouble. Until now, they still believed that her fireballs were an illusion.That''s right, everything is an illusion and nothing can''t scare me off!


    But, the audience didn''t use their brains at all. Couldn''t one who summoned a massive amount of fireballs in the blink of an eye do that repeatedly?


    Carter didn''t notice it but the audience observing from above saw everything clearly. There wasn''t just one fire ring, but more than one! Like ripples, they spread on the ''pond'' that was in the form of this arena.


    Carter retreated as he thought that the fire wall was a spell meant for defense and couldn''t last long. As long as he drew a distance from her, he shouldn''t be too worried at all. At the same time, Carter was also concerned that Gillian would fill the sky with fireballs again. Therefore, it was important for him to have sufficient space to dodge.


    He realised that things weren''t so simple. He took a few steps back, but the fire wall continued to blast forward. If it continued, he would really need to admit defeat!


    Damn it!


    Carter''s heart sank and finally gave up retreating. If he retreated even further, he would step off the arena.


    Of course, Carter didn''t want to admit defeat!


    Carter let out a snort and leaped over the fire wall.


    At this moment, he witnessed a scene that he had never seen before.


    Sss��!


    In midair, he sucked in a deep breath. There wasn''t just one fire wall before him, but two, three, and four. Damn it, these things are endless!


    This thought flashed through his mind, but it was too late. After he leaped over the first fire wall, he landed on the second!


    If he were an ordinary human, perhaps he would be frightened. He gazed at the scorching hot fire walls under him. He raised his sword, bellowed and brandished!


    ��!


    Powerful airflow erupted from his simple, unadorned blade. Under the strong wind pressure, the fire wall instantly split in half from the middle. Carter somersaulted and stood on the ground firmly.


    There''s a chance!


    The fire wall re-merged behind him, but this didn''t turn the his mood sour because from his previous attack, he realised that even though the fire walls were huge, their threats= couldn''t be compared to the fire walls summoned by other Mages in terms of strength. So then�� it was worth a try!


    This idea emerged in his head and the third fire wall appeared before him. This surprised the crowd because from what they observed, Carter was facing bottomless waves and there was nowhere for him to retreat. He was surrounded by scorching flames, so what else could he do?


    Carter lifted his sword, snarled, and slashed!


    The stream of blade air erupted all the way forward!


    The fire walls were instantly split apart by the strong impact like paper. In an instant, he forcefully paved a lifeline with his sword!


    The audience was once again fired up.


    What''s a man?! That''s a man! Never avoiding obstacles and confronting them! That''s the way of a man!


    The crowd burst into cheers and Carter dashed forward.


    However, Gillian''s attack hadn''t end yet.


    A two-meters wide fireball emerged from the fire wall and drifted forward. Carter dodged to the side, but he realised there wasn''t only one!


    Huge fireballs beside and above him hovered and surrounded him. However, he wasn''t worried because although the fireballs were massive, they were slow moving. Besides, there were huge openings between them.


    Carter realized that he had guessed wrong again.


    As he prepared to slip between the fireballs and strike forward at the same time, the ''harmless'' fireball split up!


    Not only that, but the other huge fireballs beside and above him also divided into two, two to four, and four to eight�� In the blink of an eye, the fireballs burned brighter and shrouded him entirely. This time, he couldn''t evade anymore.


    He futilely brandished his sword and dissipated the fireball aiming for him. At the same time, the thousands of small fireballs had arrived at his feet.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    A series of deep explosions boomed. Fire sparks and dust splashed.


    Everyone stared with wide eyes and prayed for Carter to leap out from the smoke. But this time, the scene wasn''t as they imagined. After countless fireballs exploded, wave-like flame walls burst out on the arena arena and they witnessed a burning figure crashing outside the arena.


    The battle ended.


    Gillian effortlessly snapped her fingers and the flames vanished. She proudly faced the silent crowd, let out a chuckle and left with her wagging tail. But this time, she didn''t receive any hisses at all because the audience stared in silence at Mobis rushed toward the fallen, charred figure. Mobis requested for assistance and a Cleric hurriedly treated Carter''s wounds. Luckily, Gillian knew her limits. Although Carter seemed to have become a fried pork cutlet, his injuries weren''t serious. It was only the aftermath left behind that was a ghastly sight.


    But now, everyone''s concern wasn''t about Carter''s life and death.


    A ridiculous thought formed in their heads.


    Sky Sword�� wouldn''t lose, right?!


    The audience took in deep breaths. After all, Sky Sword was a mighty guild and Starlight was only formed for less than half a year. Could it be that they could defeat such a powerful guild?


    No one believed that this was the truth. But now, there was a high possibility. Sky Sword won one match and Starlight won two. Not only that, but Starlight also won their two matches without pressure. If they won by a short margin, the crowd would believe that it was only Sky Sword''s bad luck and they were too careless against Starlight. But was that the truth?


    Carter was played like a dog. From the start, he was tricked from Gillian and blasted away before even laying a finger on her. Kalman was luckier because everyone knew who Marlene was and being defeated by a rare magical genius wasn''t too embarrassing. But for Carter, no one knew where Gillian came from and in the end? Before they realised what the young lady was up to, she had already swept Carter off the arena like a fallen leaf!


    The differences in their strength were obvious.


    The audience had lost the mood to ridicule Starlight. They stared blankly with fear.


    Could the Sky Sword that they had been supporting lose to this country bumpkin of a mercenary group?


    It was undoubtedly a sunny, summer day, but the audience shivered and felt a chill down their spines.


    They were frightened.

 Chapter 308 Rhode’s Miscalculation

    It wasn''t illogical for the supporters to be worried.


    Because both sides had agreed to a three wins in five matches format and the side that won three matches first would win the event. Of course, they believed in Mobis, but Mobis was placed the last. In other words, if the first four members were unable to defeat the first four members of Starlight, it would serve no purpose even if Mobis could win and Sky Sword would be eliminated.


    Those supporters were anxious. The guilds didn''t just represent them, but also the rights and conflict for their regional civilians. In other words, the civilians would be humiliated if they entered other regions.


    "Hey, you people from the Southern Port were defeated by a bunch of girls. How can you even compare yourselves to us, men of the North?"


    The instant they thought of the possible humiliations, they couldn''t sit still any longer. They stood up, snarled, and urged Sky Sword to buck up and take down the mercenary group. No matter what, they definitely couldn''t lose to those bastards!


    "Hey, what do you think, Viktor?"


    Barter sat in the private room and observed the young lady who had clinged to Rhode with her wagging tail. However, Rhode got away from her mercilessly. Then, Barter turned to Viktor.


    "These guys�� seem stronger than we thought."


    "Did you really think that a mercenary group that shut themselves for training the moment they arrived at Golden City would only be here to be wrecked?" Viktor said. His Cole Falcon''s intel gathering had pretty much answered his doubts about Rhode and his men before the competition. But��


    "Who exactly is that young lady? She didn''t look like a Mage."


    Barter touched his chin and frowned. His expression was way more stern than Viktor''s because the winner of this competition would take on his Purple Lily Guild. Barter thought that the Sky Sword wouldn''t have any problems winning their matches, but now, Starlight, who he had belittled, actually won two matches in a row! Apart from the terrible loss from their first round, the remaining two matches were won effortlessly!


    Such strength�� gave Barter a huge headache.


    Deep in his heart, he was ecstatic to see the Reformist Party defeated by Starlight because the Sky Sword Guild had always been representing the prosperous class of the South. And to these people, they thought that money would bring them a class higher than the untouchables, coolies from the North, and slaves from the West. In other words, they were only dirty, low-class humans that weren''t as elegant�� Now that the Sky Sword was about to lose, the next match was going to be exciting. Barter would definitely use this opportunity to deride this bunch of idiots.


    On the other hand, he felt conflicted. After all, Starlight was still a mysterious group and Barter couldn''t think of any strategies to take them on. Unlike Sky Sword, who they had fought for years, Barter didn''t have any experience facing Starlight��


    Barter shook his head.


    He stared at the arena and pondered.


    Rhode didn''t know what Barter was thinking, but he wasn''t relaxed at all.


    Because he realised that he made a mistake.


    "Anne, be more careful," Rhode said.


    Anne curiously tilted her head as she couldn''t make out what he meant.


    "Leader, are you worried about Anne? Is that man over there powerful?"


    Of course he was.


    Rhode rolled his eyes. Although he had received a warning from Shawn that the Country of Light''s parliament would be sending the leader of the Black Blades to assassinate him, he didn''t expect the assassin to appear in the arena!


    This didn''t match up because the Midsummer Festival strictly forbade murder and violators would be stripped off their rights. So even if Carody managed to assassinate Rhode and prevent the Sky Sword Guild from moving onto the next stage, what was the purpose? Also, Starlight''s opponent was purely decided by balloting and this guy wouldn''t know beforehand.


    In the game, Rhode knew Carody well. As a result, it made Rhode rather nervous after witnessing Carody on the arena. This tension was further intensified especially when Carody''s opponent wasn''t himself.


    There definitely was a problem!


    Rhode wished that Anne could forfeit this match and if possible, he wished to replace her. But it was a pity that rules were rules and violators would be disqualified. Damn it, how could I forget about this?!


    Rhode was hesitant and confused. Anne jumped right into the arena with enthusiasm. Moreover, it was obvious that Anne was angered by the crowd and during the first three matches, she had been exchanging insults with the audience. Although she couldn''t face 100k people at once, she didn''t have the intentions to stop. Although Rhode tried to intervene, her personality was just so direct that she couldn''t tolerate anyone humiliating her friends without apparent reasons. Therefore, even though it was useless, she continued to defend her companions.


    Should I make Anne forfeit her match?


    Of course, Rhode could do that. Although Anne had a fiery temper, she was always obedient. If he made her forfeit her match, she would eventually agree. All in all, it was Rhode''s miscalculations that had led to this. Although Rhode had heard of Carody from Shawn, he didn''t know which guild would Carody be in. Furthermore, the participating five members were only decided right before the start of the match. It would be too amazing if Rhode could calculate that Carody would follow the Sky Sword and be placed as the fourth member��


    But, this matter was started because of him and he didn''t see any reasons for Anne to be the scapegoat. Furthermore, this didn''t serve any purpose at all. Although he wasn''t certain what Carody was plotting, he knew that this man was brutal and wouldn''t care less if the Sky Sword Guild was eliminated from the competition. However, if Anne was hurt and died in the process, it would be a huge loss for him.


    "I can tell you that this man is powerful. Much more powerful than you."


    Rhode decided to spill the beans with her.


    "This man isn''t an ordinary human. He is Carody and the leader of the Country of Light parliament''s assassination group. Anne, he is much stronger than you and I confirm that he''s here for me. Anne, this match is dangerous and he will not show any mercy. You may even die."


    Anne gazed into Rhode''s eyes and said.


    "So if Anne dies, will Leader be sad?"


    "Of course."


    Rhode nodded without hesitations.


    "Of course I will be sad, Anne. Although I detest that guy, I can''t send you as a scapegoat, after all. So, Anne��"


    Anne hurried stepped forward and gave Rhode a tight hug.


    "Thanks, Leader."


    Her cheerful voice rang in his ears.


    "Anne has no intentions of dying either, Leader. But Anne wants to try. No matter who he is, Anne won''t admit defeat. Although Anne knows that this is unruly�� Leader, can you allow Anne''s request?"


    Anne released her arms and stood before him.


    Rhode shook his head and sighed before gesturing to Lapis.


    "Lapis, pass me that potion."


    "Ah, yes, Leader."


    Lapis withdrew a blue bottle of potion from her pouch and passed it to Rhode. The latter handed it over to Anne.


    "Finish this, Anne. I give you five minutes. If you don''t step down after five minutes, I will drag you off. Get it?"


    "Don''t worry, Leader!"


    Anne accepted the potion and clenched her fists.


    "Anne will not lose!"

 Chapter 309 Five Minutes

    Rhode didn''t let Anne know what potion he passed to her. She took it over, finished it, and swung her tiny fist in midair to protest against the audience. She didn''t feel any effects from the potion apart from a cooling sensation flowing down her throat.


    Most of the audience covered their mouths and watched in anxiety because they knew what consequences there would be if Sky Sword lost. They didn''t even dare to think about it.


    Furthermore, not many knew that this man who had concealed himself in full black and even members of the Sky Sword didn''t meet him before. Who exactly is this man? Why is he here to represent the Sky Sword?


    Such thoughts flashed in their minds.


    Except for Rhode.


    He gazed at Anne but no one noticed that he had secretly placed his right hand on his sword hilt. Although Anne wasn''t weak, it was so coincidental that Carody''s battle style was the exact opposite from hers. She was great in frontal combats, but as an assassin, Carody dealt with his enemies from the rear.


    Moreover, Carody had a move up his sleeves that Rhode loathed��


    Even though Starlight''s victory was crucial, it wasn''t so important that Anne had to be sacrificed. Although Rhode gave her a potion as an insurance, it wasn''t foolproof. If Anne faced any life threatening dangers, he would do whatever he needed to drag her off the arena even if it cost them the competition.


    And because of this, Rhode requested for Anne to not leave his sight for up to 15 meters and fight by the edge of the arena. It would be Carody''s problem if he chose not to approach.


    Although Anne seemed carefree and nonchalant, she always obeyed his instructions.


    Of course, Rhode didn''t know what was going through her head.


    She held her shield and stared at the masked man in the black robe. To Anne, a man who covered from his head to toes wouldn''t be a kind person and since he wasn''t any good samaritan, she would be wary of him. Moreover, she felt the menacing aura exuding from him. She lacked judgment on her opponent''s threat based on their weapons, but Anne was great with her instincts.


    Not to mention, Rhode had also warned her.


    Anne expanded her shield in the blink of an eye and it became as tall as a human. Then, she carefully took two steps forward behind her shield while staring at her opponent. This was the perfect defense stance of a Shield Warrior. Although it appeared clumsy, it could respond to various attacks in a short period of time.


    It could be seen that Anne was dead serious. Although she was carefree, everyone realised that her seriousness wasn''t anywhere worse than Marlene or Lize once she set her mind on the match.


    The audience were stunned. Everyone thought that she was a grumpy and fiesty person for her to argue with 100k people continuously. Previously, they had mocked her for being a stubborn country bumpkin chick.


    They thought that she would charge up the arena with her shield and chew out her opponent instantly. However, they didn''t expect that this feisty chick to become a steady person with that defensive stance.


    "Oh? Looks great."


    Viktor''s eyes glinted. As a guild leader, he evaluated Anne''s value almost instantly. A Shield Warrior like her carried an important role within a guild and also acted as a crucial defender for the delicate Clerics and Mages. Therefore, they couldn''t lose their heads and rush into battlegrounds like normal warriors. That was why when Viktor noticed Anne quarreling with the audience, he was worried for her match. But, he felt sort of glad after witnessing the change in her attitude. It wasn''t easy searching for a Shield Warrior with such self-control�� Who could even exchange arguments with 100k people then become as calm as water in the blink of an eye?


    To Carody, this wasn''t even worth a mention.


    So insignificant.


    Carody stared at Anne and let out a snort.


    As an assassin, there was no need to explain Carody''s strength. As the leader of the Black Blades, his strength had reached the Master Stage, where a presence like Anne was nothing more than a harmless little dog in his eyes.


    Carody was actually unhappy because this mission wasn''t under his jurisdiction. In fact, the controversy over the authority of the parliament not only implicated the nearby countries, but also affected the hidden armies. A group of scheming people hoped to include their supporters in the army forces and because of this, the things that Carody had done were made public just for the sake of kicking him out of their camp. Although the other group of people with the parliament president had a headache over this, they decided to allow Carody to temporarily leave this post to carry out this mission for the sake of peace. In the end, Carody received an assassination order before coming to Munn Kingdom.


    To Carody, this mission was a total humiliation for an expert assassin like him to arrive at a ghostly place like the Munn Kingdom and assassinate an unknown mercenary group leader. This was totally unreasonable!


    With his strength and identity, Carody was angered to be sent on a job that a newbie murderer could accomplish.


    Of course, he couldn''t fall out with the Country of Light parliament, which was why he vent all his frustrations on his target: Rhode.


    That was what he thought initially. After killing Rhode, he could leave immediately. But now, he didn''t think it this way. He hoped to make Rhode suffer the taste of fear and pain by killing the ones around him then finally killing him. This would be enough for Carody to vent all his rage.


    As for Rhode''s strength, Carody didn''t care at all. He had his own intelligence network and naturally knew that this young man wasn''t any weakling. However, there was also a limit to being strong. Rhode as a mouse and Carody as a cat. How easily could the cat kill off the mouse?


    Of course, he had to torture Rhode a little first.


    After seeing the number of beauties in the mercenary group, Carody felt even more excited because any ordinary man wouldn''t bear to kill women. However, Carody was the opposite. He craved for blood and loved to kill beautiful women. He enjoyed watching their beautiful faces struggle in the face of death, their sweet voices trembled in fear, and their pretty pair of eyes smudged by a layer of darkness as their lives faded away. It couldn''t get anymore exciting!


    Carody gripped his dagger. He couldn''t wait to see this voluptuous, beautiful lady twitch and roll in pain and kick both legs hopelessly in the air before death.


    That would be beautiful��


    Mobis wasn''t aware of Carody''s thoughts. Although Mobis had the most authority in Sky Sword, his guild belonged to the Reformist Party and the Reformist Party was the lackey of the Country of Light. Carody was also from the Country of Light''s parliament. This relationship couldn''t be clearer, which was why Carody suggested to appear in this Midsummer Festival. Mobis could only pinch his nose and agree to his terms because how would he know that Carody''s initial thoughts were to murder someone?


    At this moment, Mobis was like Rhode, nervously observing the arena because he was concerned about Carody''s actions. That was why according to Mobis'' plans, if his Sky Sword could achieve three wins in a row, they wouldn''t need to fight the fourth match so Carody wouldn''t have the chance to create any trouble. This was the reason why Mobis placed Carody in the fourth position, but didn''t expect things to take a turn.


    At this moment, Carody had become the hero to rescue Sky Sword from their misery!


    In an instant, the entire arena fell into silence.


    Seconds passed.


    Anne didn''t have the intention to move forward as she strictly abided to Rhode''s command to observe her opponent from the edge of the arena. However, it seemed like Carody didn''t have the intentions to make a move too as he stood like a shadow.


    Anne sensed that things weren''t that simple. Although Carody was only quietly standing there, she realised that she was having a harder time gathering her focus. From the start, she was still able to lock onto Carody''s position, but she felt that her eyelids were getting heavier. Although that black fellow didn''t move an inch, she felt like she was slowly losing focus on him.


    Something''s off.


    Anne was no newbie like Randolf. She wouldn''t believe that this feeling was due to her fatigue. Instead, she sensed a threatening aura approaching her.


    It''s coming!


    Suddenly, Carody disappeared without leaving a trace. Anne adjusted her posture and swung her shield to the right!


    Clang!


    A pitch-black dagger emerged and struck her solid shield.

 Chapter 310 Anne’s Counterattack

    "What?"


    Carody exclaimed. At the same time, he didn''t stop moving as he continued to hover around her like a shadow finding a chance to strike. What surprised him was that Anne didn''t pull away after blocking his attack. Instead, she moved in a clockwise direction and maintained the same rhythm and speed as himself.


    �� How is this possible?


    Carody was stumped.


    At this moment, Anne didn''t have the mood or time to figure out what this man was thinking anymore. She stared at him and remembered Rhode''s orders.


    "The moment he attacks, you have to block your right and move clockwise along with his movements. Remember, don''t move too quickly. Just follow his pace and don''t lose him. If he suddenly disappears before you, don''t hesitate��"


    Anne stopped moving, leapt back with her shield, and rolled agilely. At this moment, Carody scuttled out from the shadows beneath. If Anne stood where she was, his dagger would have pierced her throat. But now that she had jumped into the air, she drew some distances away from him, which caused him to miss his killing strike. Although Carody had assassination skills, this was totally irrelevant to frontal combat. Carody missed and before the audience was able to notice, he quickly dashed under her. She would be dead as soon as she landed!


    Anne predicted his moves. When Carody was below her, she bellowed and expanded her shield. Then, she brandished it like a huge meteorite crashing to the ground.


    Normally, such attacks would have been useless to Carody. But it was different this time because they made their moves at the same time. After Carody sneaked behind her, he witnessed a huge shadow sweeping toward him along with strong gales��


    Carody was still a human after all, and he couldn''t react continuously. Therefore, he had no choice but to retreat. Anne rolled after landing on her feet and leaped up.


    This is getting interesting��


    Carody narrowed his eyes.


    Now he had confirmed that his opponent was familiar with his battle techniques.


    That''s right, familiar.


    From the start, Carody had chosen to avoid��but not many knew that he was a left hander and the direction of his attack was totally unlike others, which was beneficial to him. A killer didn''t need to battle, but only needed to kill in a single strike. Once his opponent made a wrong judgement in direction, he could exploit it.


    However, he didn''t expect that Anne was prepared for his attack. His attacks had always been a surprise to most of his enemies, but appeared crystal clear in her eyes. All of Anne''s moves were used in response to his attacks. She leaped up to dodge his special technique ''Shadow Assassination''. This skill allowed him to blend into a shadow for a short period of time and instantly appear in his opponent''s shadow and engage in attacks. This attack could be said to be impossible to defend.


    However, Anne did it and not only that, she was also prepared for his following attacks.


    How is this possible?


    Carody became curious.


    He had never met Anne and didn''t fail after being an assassin for years, which was why it was impossible for this young lady to defeat him.


    But how could she be so familiar with his moves?


    "Hu��"


    Anne took in deep breaths.


    It seems that what Leader said was right. This man in black is vicious and scheming. If Leader didn''t inform me beforehand, I probably would have lost. But�� you, this man in black, do you think you can make Anne cower?


    Anne gritted her teeth. She glanced at Rhode using the corners of her eyes.


    Anne will never ever let you off. Everyone in the mercenary group is protected by Anne, and you will never have a chance to bully us!


    She had made up her mind.


    Three minutes left!


    Rhode observed the battle anxiously. He didn''t have any ideas on how to deal with Carody. Although he could consider exposing Carody''s weaknesses to Anne and allow her to take advantage, he considered his fast attack speed and there wouldn''t be enough time for her to consider. What now?


    Rhode could only think of the stupidest plan: a strategy shift.


    In the game, there were many strategies available to defeat this leader of the Black Blades. Rhode might as well explain to Anne the entire process and once the opponent engaged in attack, she would only need to act accordingly. As for the rest, it was all up to god''s will.


    As now, Rhode didn''t have much choices.


    How long could she last? This wasn''t a game, after all, and Carody wouldn''t be as dumb as the NPCs in game who would use the same attacks repeatedly.


    At this moment, two minutes had passed. Both of them spent a minute confronting each other and the confusing situation lasted for another 10s of seconds. Now that both sides once again clashed, two minutes had passed and three minutes were left. It was considered a torture to Rhode as he was clear of Anne''s strengths and if Carody took the match seriously, it would only require few seconds for him to defeat her. Previously, she was only fortunate that Carody was caught off guard, but it was different now. He felt that Carody was becoming serious.


    On one hand, Rhode hoped that the five minutes would be up quickly so he could drag her off the arena. On the other hand, he hoped that the five minutes would come later, so the potion effects would last longer to keep her from being defeated by Carody��


    If Rhode knew Anne''s thoughts, perhaps he wouldn''t be so conflicted and would immediately drag her down.


    At this moment, Carody struck!


    In the blink an eye, he vanished without a trace. Then, shadows flitted across the arena from all directions. The shadows were indistinct and their presences were almost undetectable.


    This was the ability of a master assassin.


    Anne switched into her defensive stance and as soon as Carody disappeared, her shield once again changed its form.


    Kacha.


    The tightly-folded shield expanded abruptly. Then, Anne leaped into midair and at the same time, she ejected countless sharp blades from her shield. In the blink of an eye, the entire shield had divided into four smaller shields and chains dragged them toward the ground.


    "Damn!"


    Rhode''s heart sank. Anne''s performance was totally out of his expectations. What is she trying to do?


    The shield smashed into the ground, but failed to defend against the four illusionary shadows.


    "Ah!"


    The audience yelled fearfully because they clearly witnessed Carody appearing beside Anne and his dagger had arrived at her chest! Just a little more and it would pierce through her heart!


    "Anne!"


    Marlene and Lize shrieked in horror. This scene was so fast that before they reacted, Carody''s dagger was about to pierce into her chest! Rhode''s complexion turned pale as he clutched his sword hilt�� ready to strike anytime.


    Anne reacted.


    She shielded her chest with her left hand and in the blink of an eye, Carody''s pitch-black blade pierced through her palm and into her chest.


    Got it!


    Carody revealed an evil grin. He lifted his head and was hoping to see her twitching in pain and disparity. However, just as he looked up, he was astonished to discover that the young lady was actually smiling. At the same time, he sharply sensed a strong pressure on his dagger.


    Not good!


    He instantly sensed the presence of danger and quickly released the dagger on his hand. He leaped back before twisting and blending into a shadow again.


    Then, the shield spinning above the shadows smashed into her body and blasted her off the arena.


    "Anne!" Rhode exclaimed.

 Chapter 311 The Final Battle

    As opposed to feeling nervous, Rhode felt relieved when he witnessed Anne getting flung off the arena. This was because he saw that even though it appeared dangerous, she wasn''t in any life threatening danger. After Carody pierced his dagger into her palm, she instantly grabbed it, which was why he failed to pierce her heart. And now, Anne had fallen off the arena, meaning that she lost��


    Rhode darted to her side and held her up. Just as he had expected, although the wound on her chest was a ghastly sight, it wasn''t deadly. Anne forced out a smile.


    "Leader, Anne did it, right? Not even five minutes and Anne left the arena."


    "I don''t know if I should complement you or not."


    Rhode shook his head, pulled out the dagger in her palm, and tossed it aside. Marlene, Lize, and the rest had also arrived frantically. After seeing Anne''s smile, the tension in them was immediately alleviated.


    However, Rhode wasn''t relieved.


    "Lize, heal Anne''s wounds and remember, you have to remove the poison first before applying Lapis''s potions. Wait for two minutes and if anything''s not right with Anne, inform me immediately. Understand?"


    "Ah, okay!"


    Although Lize didn''t know why Rhode gave such a command, she subconsciously nodded. Then, Marlene held Anne up and they headed to the back. Rhode, on the other hand, turned to Carody.


    Carody revealed himself from the shadows. He quietly stood there without saying a word and fixed his gaze on Rhode. On the surface, although it seemed like Carody wasn''t injured, Rhode was sure that Anne''s final move had hurt his right hand because his right arm was drooping weakly.


    Carody''s complexion was pale behind his mask. He didn''t expect things to go this way.


    Carody wasn''t nervous when he faced Anne''s tactics because an assassin''s battle style was to hide in the shadows before dealing the critical blow. Therefore, those who couldn''t detect their positions would use a baiting tactic to lure them out, and once the assassins struck, they would also gamble and strike at the same time.


    However, Carody wasn''t afraid of this as he was not only confident in his assassination skills, but also in his knowledge of poison. His weapons carried lethal poison, which was why when Anne blocked his attack with her palm, he wasn''t worried one bit. To him, Anne was already dead because she couldn''t resist the poison on his blade!


    But, who knew things would be this surprising for him. He thought that Anne would die instantly, but she was still alive. This deferred his next move and due to this delay, he couldn''t dodge Anne''s shield that was spinning back to her. Although he had activated his shadow technique on time, his right arm was still crushed by it.


    Assassin wasn''t a class with high defenses, and at this moment, he felt his right arm tingling in pain, which infuriated him. What surprised him the most was that Anne wasn''t dead yet!


    That''s right, she stood up and walked off effortlessly while smiling!


    How is this possible? The poison should have taken effect by now?!


    In fact, there weren''t any issues with his poison. Rhode was confident because in the game, the most irritable thing about Carody was that he could cast countless debuffs on players before killing them off. So how would Rhode not know his strength?


    Fortunately, Rhode was smart. Before arriving at Golden City, he had ordered Lapis to concoct a few immunity potions. Although the potion would only last for five minutes, a master assassin like Carody would become half as effective without his poison''s effects during those five minutes. But Rhode didn''t think that he would need to use it on Anne.


    Carody couldn''t figure out why, but he didn''t wish to stay in this place any longer. Since he wasn''t able to kill off his opponent, this mission was considered a failure�� But, he wouldn''t fail a second time! Carody turned around and stepped down from the arena.


    Loud cheers erupted and filled the arena.


    To the audience, the exchange in attacks between Anne and Carody was so fast that they couldn''t understand what happened. They saw the young lady scrambling before the man''s ferocious attacks and was struck off the arena. But this time, no one dared to mock Anne. It wasn''t that they were afraid of causing trouble, but it was because they saw the hope of victory and no longer had the time to taunt losers anymore. Carody''s victory had saved the Sky Sword Guild from losing the competition and now, they still had the chance to win!


    As for Starlight? It wouldn''t be too late to ridicule them after they had totally lost.


    �� Forget about those country bumpkins for now!


    "Mobis! Mobis! Mobis!"


    The audience was clear that Mobis, the guild leader, held the strength to lead Sky Sword to victory!


    Mobis stepped onto the arena.


    He lifted his head and gazed at the opposing team.


    Rhode was staring back at him without any expression.


    A thought flashed through Mobis''s mind.


    Am I capable of winning this?


    If it was before the competition, Mobis would never have such thoughts. To him, it was a guaranteed victory and there was no possibility of his men being defeated. Apart from Marlene, who would give their team a headache, the others weren''t even worth mentioning.


    However, reality was always cruel.


    Kalman''s defeat by Marlene was predictable, but the next unknown young lady who had easily defeated Carter without blinking her eyes was astounding. From then, Mobis realised that this mercenary group wasn''t as simple as he thought. They didn''t seem weak at all and they performed out of his expectations continuously.


    So then, what would this black haired young man, the leader of this mercenary group, do?


    Mobis became serious, because no matter what, he was the final line of defense for his guild. No matter how strong this black-haired young man was, he needed to win this and lead the Sky Sword Guild to the next stage. He gazed at Rhode before bowing slightly and withdrawing the sword from his waist.


    That was a slick, emerald-green sword. The sword blade shimmered like crystals and the sword hilt was entwined with vines that were filled with life and greenish branches.


    "Chrysoprase Sword!"


    Many exclaimed in awed as this was the treasure of the Sky Sword Guild! Although it had always been Mobis''s sword, they knew that he didn''t use this sword for a long time. And now, he was going to use it on this arena?


    It seems like Leader Mobis is taking this seriously!


    The audience stood up and stared at the arena with anticipation.


    They were looking forward�� Or perhaps waiting for a victory anxiously.


    Good. Chrysoprase Sword; it seems like Mobis is serious.


    Rhode nodded as Mobis drew his sword. He placed his right hand before his chest and bowed. Then, he placed his right arm forward.


    A glittering magical radiance flickered in his hand. He flipped it to the side and grabbed at it.


    Shing!


    A pitch-black sword appeared and almost everyone was stunned.


    Where did that sword come from?


    They stared with their eyes wide. No matter what, when Rhode stepped onto the arena, there weren''t any weapons on him. So where did this black sword appear from?


    And the magical radiance from before was��


    Rhode didn''t give them too much time to consider because he had lifted his sword and pointed it at the old man on the opposite end.


    The battle had begun.

 Chapter 312 Exchanging Blows

    To the Sky Sword supporters, this originally was a competition that completely lacked suspense. But, after two losses in a row, they weren''t as cocky as before. Judging from the current situation, they were glad that they acted reasonable because that man was equally matched with Mobis!


    Shing!


    The pitch-black sword in Rhode''s hand was like a viper that wandered around Mobis. Mobis''s blade emanated a green radiance, which formed a barrier to deflect the pitch-black sword. Crisp exchanges of strikes sounded and sparks flew between both men. Rhode took half a step back while Mobis snorted and brandished his Chrysoprase Sword. However, as his sword was about to pierce into Rhode''s body, the black viper in Rhode''s hands once again shot up and widened its huge mouth, aiming for Mobis'' throat.


    Clang!


    The black and green blades clashed and their holders retreated simultaneously. Everyone stared in astonishment and at this moment, they weren''t only impressed that Rhode was able to resist Mobis'' attack, but they were also flabbergasted by his beautiful swordplay. In the middle of the arena, only two shadows were seen twisting and flashing.


    How troublesome.


    Mobis''s heart sank. On the other hand, Rhode''s expression remained unchanged as though he wasn''t too concerned over who his opponent was. Even if it was the guild leader of Sky Sword, Rhode wasn''t fearful at all.


    This was only the beginning.


    Both of them were clear on this. This battle appeared to be progressing fiercely. But, in fact, both sides were only probing each other out and hadn''t given their best. From the exchange in blows, Rhode sensed that Mobis was being cautious. It was apparent that he had tightened his guard against the "country bumpkins" after suffering two losses in a row. This might not be good news for Rhode, but it wasn''t bad either because he realised that not only was Mobis being cautious, but also hesitant. To Rhode, this was to take advantage of.


    It''s almost time.


    Rhode lowered his head and turned to his Composition Adornment.


    Triple-set properties ready.


    Mobis raised his sword and tilted his body to the side. His sword and gaze aligned into a straight line, pointing forward.


    Then, he dashed.


    Dazzling green radiance darted toward Rhode. The blade slashed through the air and released an ear-piercing sound. That was Mobis'' famous sword skill: Wind Hissing.


    As coarse and wild as a storm. As gentle as a breeze. As ice-cold as a blizzard. The nimble Wind Hissing sword skill was a nightmare for most of his enemies. For the first few seconds, it made use of its aggression to force one breathless. At the next few second, it lowered its speed from a ten-grade gale to a three-grade wind. Such a change in tempo was the most obvious feature of the Wind Hissing sword skill. Once his opponent had fallen into its tempo, it would be much harder to escape from it.


    However, it wasn''t an issue for Rhode.


    Rhode stooped over slightly and slanted his body to the side. Then, he was totally engulfed by the sword skill.


    At the same time, Mobis stopped his attack abruptly and turned to the left. Then, the wind erupting from his blade instantly slowed down.


    The pitch-black sword emerged in midair.


    Rhode appeared beside Mobis. His razor-sharp, odd sword struck out a faint, ear-piercing sound as it secretly aimed for Mobis''s heart. But, at this moment, the harmless Chrysoprase Sword transformed into a whirlwind.


    The blade air erupted and protected Mobis from Rhode''s attack, at the same time repelling the viper-like blade. Not only that, but the whizzing blade air also pushed Rhode off balance. Fortunately, Rhode wasn''t gravely injured.


    At this moment, Rhode''s counterattack finally began.


    He landed on the floor and leaped up with his pitch-black sword in hand. Dozens of meteor-like blade lights flashed and collided with Mobis'' whirlwind defense.


    Bam!


    The whirlwind lost its force and dispersed while Rhode re-emerged before Mobis.


    But Mobis didn''t flinch at all.


    He seemed to be waiting for this attack from Rhode and as the latter appeared, Mobis steadily took a few steps back and the Chrysoprase Sword in his hand erupted into a powerful whirlwind. The whirlwind shrouded the entire blade and blasted forward along with his movements.


    ��!


    The ear-deafening whirlwind forced everyone''s eyes shut. They instinctively cowered, shut their eyes, and avoided the sound.


    The whirlwind blasted a deep crevice on the ground and shattered slabs were dragged into it. The audience headed for safety immediately.


    No one imagined that a sword could possess such amazing powers.


    Although the audience was horrified, they also felt relieved.


    That man wouldn''t survive that attack, right?


    However, not everyone had such thoughts.


    "What?"


    Anne widened her eyes and tilted her head in suspicion.


    "Leader is so weird."


    "Weird?"


    Lize turned to her.


    "What''s weird, Anne?"


    "Hmm�� How should Anne put it?"


    Anne knitted her brows.


    "�� Leader seems to be lacking something�� Oh yea, oh yea! Those spirits that Leader had by his side during battles. This time, Anne didn''t see any of them!"


    "Hmm? Now that you mentioned it��"


    Lize turned to the arena curiously. Indeed, if Anne didn''t mention so, she wouldn''t have realised it. But now that she thought about it, in this battle, Rhode''s performance was a little out of the norm. No matter what kind of battle he got into, he had summoned all sorts of spirits to fight alongside him. But this time, he battled alone�� Previously, Lize thought that something wasn''t right and now, she finally got a hold of what the problem was.


    But�� What was going on?


    At this moment, the battle had an abrupt change in situation.


    Mobis didn''t belittle Rhode''s strength, but the latter''s [Shadow Embrace] had given him a lot of trouble. From the exchange of blows earlier, Mobis understood that this young man was no weaker than him in strength.


    This discovery stunned him. If Rhode continued to grow, he would surely reach the Legendary Stage in future. For such a formidable opponent to be in the King''s Party, Mobis had unprecedented fears.


    He realized that Rhode''s understanding of sword skills was equally immense, or even more so.


    This was the first time Mobis had an intention to kill.


    Indeed, he was the guild leader of the Sky Sword Guild and hoped that his guild could win. But at the same time, he was also a loyal follower of the Reformist Party. Could he stand idly by and see such a powerful enemy join the King''s Party?


    Definitely not.


    Finally, his loyalty toward the Reformist Party prevailed over his hopes for his guild to win. Anyway, the Liberty Wings Guild had Rosen with them, so even if they won, they still wouldn''t stand a chance against them. Since that was the case, he might as well do something within his capabilities and remove this threat!


    After making this decision, Mobis changed his battle style. His previous whirlwind defense could resist Rhode''s Blade of Destruction. But he purposely decreased the might of his whirlwind defense for the sake of his plan. On the surface, it seemed as though Rhode had torn apart his defense but as a matter of fact, Mobis was preparing for his killing blow.


    Then when Rhode darted toward Mobis, the latter unleashed all his strength.


    "Hu��"


    Mobis laid down his sword and panted. To the contrary, the young man should''ve been dead by that attack now.


    Mobis was confident with his judgement because he was sure that, at that moment, he didn''t witness any magical radiance emanating from him. It was apparent that the young man didn''t anticipate this killer blow, which was why he didn''t even prepare his sword for this attack and was engulfed by the whirlwind�� Wait a minute.


    Mobis was dumbfounded.


    He did witness Rhode darting out with his sword, but it seemed�� just like that!


    At this moment, a shadow flitted by the corners of Mobis'' eyes.


    Damn!


    Mobis defended against the black sword that had flown towards him. He desperately turned around and lifted his sword before witnessing the black sword brush his hair. If it were an inch closer, even Mobis wouldn''t dare imagine the results.


    This young man is terrifying!


    Mobis'' heart sank and he pushed forward. Rhode''s attack missed and he quickly leapt back to draw a distance away from Mobis.


    I can''t give this young man anymore space!


    Mobis was nervous. He felt like Rhode''s swords skills were exceptionally strange. The Dark Brandish was the strongest sword skill of the Dark Elves and could even be considered the most ingenious and strange sword technique. It was so ingenious that even the Elves with speed as their forte couldn''t see through it, so how could Mobis possibly do so? Besides, the Dark Brandish wasn''t an unfamiliar skill to Rhode. He could even cast it with his eyes closed, so how would there be any issues?


    Mobis detected the strange speed of Rhode''s sword skill and hurriedly made a decision. He leapt forward with an attempt to restrain Rhode''s speed and space. From their previous exchange in blows, Mobis had given Rhode too much space and now was the time for him to make up for his mistake!


    But could a mistake be so easily made up?


    Mobis dashed forward and restricted Rhode''s vicinity while the latter shot a glance at him and brandished his pitch-black sword. Then, Rhode''s blade extended its length and aimed for Mobis!


    The viper lurking in the darkness finally revealed its poisonous fangs!

 Chapter 313 Victory by a Fine Line

    This sudden change surprised everyone as they had never witnessed a sword that could change its own form. On the other hand, Mobis remained calm and as a Master Swordsman, he was experienced in facing such sudden changes in situation. Even though angles and timing determined by Rhode were crafty, a sly fox like Mobis wouldn''t be so easily taken down. Mobis slowed down his pace and brandished his Chrysoprase Sword which suppressed the viper blade. He tilted his head and the sharp blade scraped by him along with a few threads of hair.


    The older, the wiser.


    Rhode exclaimed in admiration at the sight of Mobis dodging his attack.


    Mobis didn''t panic at all. Instead, he adjusted his speed to ensure more space for his maneuver. He was clear that such attack couldn''t be figured out nor defended against. Although an extendable weapon could catch the enemy off guard, it had its flaws too. The extended sword was an interconnected whole, so even though Mobis couldn''t capture its attack trajectory, it would be much easier to handle when the attack came in a straight line.


    Mobis tried to deceive Rhode, so wouldn''t Rhode try to deceive him too? The former tried to bait Rhode by acting weak, and Rhode replied with his Shadow Embrace, which utilized afterimages to force Mobis into consuming his own energy.


    But now, both sides were getting harder to deal with.


    Mobis''s plans to murder Rhode had failed and he understood that this young man could figure out his thoughts, which meant that he couldn''t continue turning his thoughts into actions openly. He had purposely disguised an accident in order to prevent trouble, but if he overdid it and this was noticed by Rhode, it would bring even more trouble.


    Rhode felt rather hopeless. [Dark Brandish] was a deadly sword skill, but it was obvious that he had no intentions of killing Mobis. However, both sides had similar strength and based purely on sword skills, it would probably bring about danger if he tried to preserve his energy against Mobis. However, if he gave his all and accidentally killed Mobis, the result would be worse than anything else.


    Although Rhode was biased toward the King''s Party and Lydia, he wasn''t as loyal as Mobis, who could commit suicide for the sake of loyalty. The reason why Rhode supported the King''s party was because his impression of Lydia was favorable all along in the game. Moreover, the King''s Party''s and his target benefits coincided. However, Rhode would not be like Mobis and sacrifice his mercenary group for the benefit of King''s Party. He would definitely not do it.


    That was why he didn''t wish to kill Mobis in this competition.


    But once one had concerns during battle, one would surely feel constrained.


    Not to mention, Rhode had no intentions to summon his spirits yet.


    Just as Anne had suspected, Rhode didn''t have intentions of summoning his spirits as of now because he was clear that there were a lot of people observing his every move.


    But Rhode would be in a disadvantage this way.


    The forte of a Spirit Swordsman depended on the tactic of ganging up with summoned spirits. However, this world was balanced in the way that if one received something, something else would be taken away. A Spirit Swordsman''s sword skills would forever be weaker than a pure Swordsman, and that was the price in exchange. Although Mobis was a native and not a strong player-like presence, such restrictions and limitations on levels still existed. Although Rhode seemed to be equally matched with Mobis, that was more likely due to the difficulty Mobis had grasping Dark Brandish.


    If they compared solely on sword skill masteries in player terms, Rhode was only at Rank C while Mobis was at least a Rank A. A two rank difference.


    If Rhode relied on pure sword skills against Mobis, it wouldn''t be as easy as everyone else just saw.


    However, it didn''t mean that Rhode had no chance of winning.


    The sound of wind changed abruptly.


    Detecting the wind at the back of his head, Mobis turned around. He saw the pitch-black sword which he had subdued revolving and striking toward him as though it wasn''t a sword, but a real, conscious viper.


    What exactly is that weapon?


    Mobis realised that this pitch-black sword wasn''t as simple as it seemed. However, he didn''t have the time to consider the problem because the strong whirlwind erupted and deflected Rhode''s sword blade. Using this chance, Mobis slid back along with the wind.


    But Rhode wouldn''t let him off with this opportunity. Just as Mobis retreated, Rhode stopped his movements and without hesitation, he charged forward.


    In an instant, there was a huge contrast in the situation. Just a few seconds before, Mobis was the one charging toward Rhode and the latter only dodged and retreated. But now, in the blink of an eye, both sides exchanged roles: Rhode attacked Mobis unforgivingly while the latter drew distance away from him.


    It was a pity that he wasn''t successful.


    The whirlwinds that Mobis had cast drained too much of his energy and he temporarily didn''t have enough energy to face Rhode''s frontal assault. Although Mobis hoped to draw a distance away to recover and initiate a counterattack, Rhode wouldn''t give him this chance.


    Shing!


    Along with the wind, the whizzing shadow twisted like a whip as it launched at Mobis. Pressured by Rhode''s attack, Mobis frowned and slowed down his pace, at the same time brandishing his sword.


    The radiance emanating on the Chrysoprase Sword flickered. A magical barrier forming a hexagonal crystal emerged beside Mobis and at that moment, the viper once again reared its head.


    This time, Mobis didn''t notice the black, razor-sharp tip and another transparent tip suddenly emerge.


    Clang!


    The pitch-black sword crashed into the hexagonal crystal barrier and was deflected by Mobis'' left arm. Mobis was pleased, but before he prepared himself, he felt a cold, icy energy spreading into his arm. In the blink of an eye, half of his body turned numb and stiff.


    What''s going on?


    He stared at his left arm in shock as there didn''t seem to be any signs of injury and he couldn''t feel any pain. As a matter of fact, only half his arm felt numb and stiff as though a shapeless blade had cut off his arm in an instant.


    Damn!


    Although he didn''t know what happened, the rich battle experience in him instantly informed him of the danger this entailed. As his left arm was no longer nimble, it slowed him down drastically. In the blink of an eye, Rhode closed in on their distance.


    Mobis lifted his head and witnessed the expressionless face before him.


    The young man didn''t seem to mind what happened at all.


    But, Mobis was sure that Rhode''s eyes were glinting with smiles.


    He instinctively lifted his sword, but it was a pity that it was too late.


    Storm Slaughter, activate.


    In the blink of an eye, Rhode divided into dozen copies and and engaged in attacks with different stances. The whizzing blade air blasted at Mobis in its entirety.


    This time, Mobis couldn''t defend against Rhode''s attacks because these attacks were genuine. All the copies were his actual presence and every sword carried equally terrifying strength and speed which even Mobis couldn''t withstand.


    Mobis struggled to brandish the sword with his right arm and desperately stop two rounds of offense from Rhode. However, with his numb left arm affecting his movements, he couldn''t keep up any longer and staggered backward. At this very moment, a pitch-black shadow streaked across his body.


    Fresh, red blood splashed into the blue skies.

 Chapter 314 It Wasn’t Luck

    Mobis couldn''t avoid Rhode''s attack. The Dead Soul Blade pierced deep into his soul and weakened his strength. Rhode used this opportunity to activate Storm Slaughter and overwhelm Mobis'' last hopes.


    This feeling was unprecedented for Mobis.


    After Rhode activated Storm Slaughter, that was the first time Mobis felt a real sense of danger. Although it seemed overwhelming, every Master Swordsmen knew that these were only afterimages from the brandished swords and the threatening attacks were hidden within.


    However, Rhode''s Storm Slaughter caught Mobis by surprise because he realised that every sword was an actual presence!


    No matter if the swords slashed from above, sliced from left or right, or struck out like a ambushing viper, every attack was the real deal. However, this wasn''t logical because there was only one actual Rhode and he couldn''t possibly attack from different positions.


    But Rhode did it.


    When Mobis brandished his sword and blocked the sword aiming for his shoulder, he felt another blade aim for his stomach. However, this strike didn''t come after the strike to his shoulder failed. Instead, they came simultaneously.


    This took Mobis by surprise. All he could do was to instinctively awaken the powers of the Chrysoprase Sword. Soon enough, the hexagonal crystal barrier once again emerged before him and defended against the attack that shouldn''t have appeared.


    However, this was also Mobis'' limit.


    As the whizzing sword pierced into his shoulder, he lost all other ideas. Even as a Master Swordsman, he was still a human, after all.


    Accompanying pain was a sense of strange coldness and numbness. At this moment, Mobis couldn''t hold it in any longer. He backed down and collapsed to the ground. At this moment, he let out an inward sigh as he lifted his head and looked to Rhode.


    Rhode stared at him without any expression and sheathed his sword. Then, he stepped down the arena.


    How did he do it?


    Mobis couldn''t figure it out. He was sure that Rhode''s aggression was over the charts. No, maybe he exceeded the "laws" of boundary. He had broken the logic of ''a normal person can''t possibly attack from various positions at the same time''. But, this was impossible, just like flames burning in water and stones growing like plants.


    Could it be that he��


    Mobis''s heart sank.


    Unlike Mobis, Rhode felt much more relieved and delighted.


    The experiment went smoothly.


    Mobis didn''t know that when Rhode activated Storm Slaughter, he had also awakened the Composition Adornment''s set effect and borrowed the attributes of enhancing his nimbleness: Spatial Displacement.


    [Spatial Displacement: When the holder''s nimble attribute exceeds the limit, he can defy "laws" and engage in multiple attacks in one location for five seconds.]


    The instant Storm Slaughter was activated, Rhode''s nimble attributes exceeded its original limits. "Spatial Displacement" was triggered and assisted Rhode in getting rid of the "laws" while giving him the crucial opportunity for the win. Of course, a huge part of the win was also credited to the Dead Soul Blade that struck Mobis, which depleted his spiritual energy. If Mobis had enough remaining strength and if he was unable to withstand all of Rhode''s attack, he would still be able to dodge. Although [Spatial Displacement] broke Rhode''s nimble limits, it wasn''t perfect. It could only pinpoint one location. In other words, no matter how many attacks Rhode launched, he couldn''t use it on another location if his enemy dodged. This was its flaw.


    However, this was good enough for Rhode. He didn''t have to summon any spirits and only relied on his sword skills and equipment win, which was a crucial part of his plans.


    Everything went well.


    A cold smile glinted in his eyes. Then, he swept a glance at the audience before stepping down from the arena.


    No one spoke.


    After Mobis fell off the arena, the whole place went dead silent.


    Everyone opened their eyes wide in disbelief. No one expected such an ending when they first stepped into this place. Before the competition started, they thought that the results of this matchups was predictable: the Sky Sword Guild would easily run over the whatever mercenary group. In fact, the truth was the complete opposite. All they saw were failures and failures and in the end, even the Sky Sword guild leader was defeated. They didn''t know how Mobis was defeated, but they knew that the goddess of victory didn''t go to their side.


    The whole arena was in complete silence with many covering their heads and staring blankly at the black-haired young man. It wasn''t who they anticipated to see. The truth was always cruel. Some of them shut their eyes hopelessly and hoped that it was nothing but a nightmare or just their eyes playing tricks on them. When they opened their eyes, it should be Mobis standing on the arena with both hands raised and soaking in cheers and honor. On the other hand, those country bumpkins would be lowering their heads, trying to sneak away in defeat. This was the scene that they wished for, but no matter how many times they blinked their eyes, that scene never appeared. The man slowly walked off the arena and only at this moment, the judge standing by the sides returned to his senses and announced the victor of this match.


    "Three wins in five matches; Starlight is victorious!"


    The deep bungle horns sounded. Celebratory petals fell from the skies and announced the emergence of a victor. At this moment, the winners should have stepped onto the arena and accepted the cheers and blessings from the audience. However, there wasn''t such a scene this time. Other than the bungle horns and fluttering petals, the entire arena was as dead as a graveyard. The speechless audience covered their heads with both hands. At this moment, the silence seemed to have become a virus that mercilessly infected everyone present. No one felt delighted at the sight of fluttering petals and the sound of bungle horns.


    Mobis stood up and cupped his hand over his shoulder wound. Golan rushed to his side and supported him. However, Mobis gestured and rejected Golan''s intentions. Then, he sighed helplessly and returned to the tunnel.


    This time, they had lost utterly and completely.


    The Sky Sword Guild had been eliminated.


    This news spread across the entire Golden City almost immediately. From the start, due to the huge difference in strength in both sides, many mercenaries had disregarded the match because the verdict had already been decided for them. Most of them were more concerned about the upcoming match tomorrow between Sky Sword and Purple Lily; they had sentenced Starlight to the death penalty.


    And because of this, it was imaginable how shocked the mercenaries looked when they heard this piece of news. Not every mercenaries could enter the arena, so they weren''t able to understand the exact details of the matchups. However, just the facts were enough to astonish them. Starlight won three out of five matches and eliminated the Sky Swords. That was totally impossible and according to them, the Sky Sword Guild should have won three matches in a row, kicking Starlight out immediately. This would have been normal, no?


    But now, Starlight won and Sky Sword lost!


    In an instant, everyone discussed this topic. Not just ordinary mercenaries��even the mercenaries joining the sub-event also talked about it. Previously, they didn''t have any good impression of Starlight and just as Rhode predicted, they had to fight for their rights to battle against the four guilds. But how could this mercenary group that was formed less than half a year ago step on the arena without the need to fight their way through? Of course, they were upset with this arrangement. However, when the results of the competition were announced, the mercenaries shut their mouths instantly because they knew it was impossible for them to defeat the Sky Sword Guild themselves. But since Starlight did it, it proved that they were indeed capable.


    However, this didn''t mean that there wasn''t any topic for them to talk about. Just like the supporters of the Sky Swords expected, the mockery and sarcasm targeting them and Sky Sword was immediately omnipresent. Originally, the guild was the representative of the conflicts between regions and now that Sky Sword had lost the competition, people of other regions would surely grab this opportunity to humiliate them. "You Southern bums actually lost to a mercenary group? How embarassing can you get? Are you even considered men?"


    Facing such mockeries, the Southerners wouldn''t tolerate them. However, it was the truth that their pillar of support had lost, and no matter how they retorted, it wouldn''t change the fact. Therefore, some of them chose to not speak and paid no attention to this matter. Some reacted violently, but within Golden City, acts that disrupted order wouldn''t be overlooked by the Angels. After capturing dozens of Southerners who tried to protect their reputation, the rest finally learnt to be peaceful.


    Everyone turned their attention to a more serious question: how did a small mercenary group like Starlight defeat Sky Sword?


    No one could figure it out. Although some weren''t present to witness the whole matchup, those who observed from the start to end failed to figure out what was wrong too. Logically speaking, they shouldn''t have lost, so did they lose due to bad luck?


    Some said that Starlight was extremely lucky to eliminate Sky Sword, but not many maintained this view because the difference in strength was there. Just like no matter how good a sparrow''s luck was, it couldn''t possibly snatch food from an eagle. That was nonsensical. And from the matchups, the first two matches that Starlight won weren''t won on luck at all. Starlight defeated their opponents with true strength and under the attacks of Marlene and Gillian, two members of Sky Sword Guild were blasted out of the arena before they had a chance to retaliate. Was that considered lucky?


    But, if one were to say that a small mercenary group like Starlight was stronger than the Sky Sword Guild, some of them couldn''t accept such an explanation. After all, many members in Sky Sword were experienced and well known. However, apart from Marlene, the rest of Starlight was unpopular and even though strength and reputation couldn''t be used in comparison, most people still wanted to think of it in that way.


    So then, what was the most reasonable explanation?


    Many had splitting views. However, just as they debated endlessly, a new perspective emerged out of nowhere.


    Starlight''s victory wasn''t based on luck, but was still inseparable from luck because Marlene and Gillian''s performances were outstanding without a doubt. However, the other three performed mediocrely. It could be seen from Anne''s performance that she was in a disadvantageous position. There weren''t many problems with these matches so the only one worth discussing was the battle between Rhode and Mobis.


    According to this perspective, Mobis was much stronger than Rhode and if he faced Rhode seriously, Rhode definitely wouldn''t stand a chance. However, Mobis didn''t expect Rhode to have a secret technique; the transforming sword that broke Mobis'' rhythm. After all, he was getting old and even though he was a Master Swordsman, his reaction would still be more or less sluggish. On the other hand, Rhode was much younger and had a lot of energy. Furthermore, he seized the chance to initiate quick attacks to gain the upperhand. Also, based on the later part of Mobis''s performance, that sly young man had even smeared poison on his sword blade to limit Mobis'' movements and won using this scheming tactic.


    This was why Starlight defeated Sky Sword��strength and luck.


    After this explanation spread, many people immediately accepted it because this suited their views on this matchups. A mercenary group like Starlight defeating Sky Sword definitely wasn''t a sign of strength. This statement had become the most acceptable reason.


    However, no one knew that when they were debating this hot topic in the bar, Old Walker stood in the shadows of the small alley outside Starlight''s campsite. He knitted his brows and looked at Rhode in dissatisfaction.


    "Kid, I have done what you instructed and many people have agreed to this explanation�� Hey, what are you up to?"


    Rubbing his hands, Old Walker looked at Rhode in dissatisfaction. This victory raised Walker''s eyebrows and he had intended to announce it to the mercenaries. However, after the competition ended, Rhode looked for him and got him to secretly spread word that "Starlight''s victory was mainly based on luck."


    Old Walker was discontent because no matter how Starlight won against Sky Sword, it was a huge success! Starlight was only a mercenary group that was formed less than half a year, and they defeated the Sky Swords that had protected the South for decades!


    Old Walker couldn''t help but feel excited over this news. What''s wrong with luck? Luck is also part of strength, right?


    However, Old Walker didn''t expect Rhode to instruct him to do such a thing. Now, the mercenaries who revealed their respect for Starlight returned to their proud manners saying, "I knew it. If a mercenary group like Starlight didn''t scheme, how could they defeat Sky Sword?"


    Old Walker couldn''t wait to teach those punks a lesson.


    "Of course I have my ideas; you just need to follow my instructions."


    Rhode answered without a change in expression.


    "All you have to know is that everything is for the sake of victory."

 Chapter 315 Night Ambush

    Old Walker left the alley in grumbles. Rhode stood on the spot and observed in silence as the old man disappeared into the crowd. The Midsummer Festival hadn''t ended yet and Golden City, known as a city that never slept, had bustling nights while relaxing music played from the bars. Not only that, but the streets were also filled with vibrant, festive decorations.


    Rhode admired Golden City''s night scenery for a few moments before heading out of the alley. At this moment, a shadow flitted by behind him.


    While exiting the alley, Rhode pulled up his hood to conceal his face. He reached a bar named ''Midnight Beauties'' within a few minutes and without much hesitation, he pushed the wooden doors open.


    Then, the melodious sound of music and clamor flooded him.


    The spacious hall was full of people. Mercenaries lifted their cups and exchanged conversations with one another. There were female dancers swaying their slender waists and hips sexily in the middle. Half-naked mercenaries surrounded them and whistled sharply. Their laughter filled the entire bar. Rhode puckered his brows and moved to a corner where a drooling drunk was sleeping over the table. Rhode turned a blind eye to him and pushed him aside for his seat.


    This didn''t start any commotion, just like how a small stone couldn''t show its presence in the face of a storm. Since the victim lay flat on the ground and didn''t respond, the others wouldn''t be dumb enough to stand up someone whose name they didn''t even know. Furthermore, a customer who had occupied a seat without spending money wasn''t welcomed by the bar. The drunk might even be removed from the bar and thrown into the ice-cold valley along with the trash.


    The waitresses testified this explanation as they carried warm smiles while disregarding the drunk beside Rhode. They seemed to be around 25 to 26 years old. Their pretty faces were smeared with low quality powder and half their chests were revealed in a long dress which outlined their slender bodies. Gazing at this customer who was concealed under a cloak, one of them came to his side with a smile.


    "Excuse me, Sir, what do you need?"


    "Give me your best alcohol."


    Rhode placed a golden coin on the table and lifted his head to admire the woman''s fair, ample pair of breasts. He paused for a moment and continued.


    "Keep the change."


    The woman''s smile turned into a grin. She took the gold coin and looked at Rhode with an enticing smile. Then, she slid the gold coin into her cleavage. With her woman''s instinct, she sensed that the pair of eyes hidden under the hood was tracing her every movement, which rejoiced her. Then, she tossed a coquettish glance at Rhode before skipping away.


    Only when she entered the crowd did Rhode withdraw his gaze. There really was still a difference between the game and reality. In the game, the waitresses wouldn''t be dressed as skimpily and their attitudes wouldn''t be so�� Yes, open-minded.


    Perhaps the gold coin had brought out its effect. After a few moments, the woman returned to Rhode''s side and placed a huge cup filled with astrong alcoholic drink to the brim before him. Then, she pulled up and adjusted the chest area of her dress. Rhode nodded and the woman turned around and headed down the corridor.


    In such a small bar, naturally, there wouldn''t be any alcohol. Rhode looked into his cup of bubbling ale and stood up without drinking a sip. After checking his surrounding, he followed the woman.


    Unlike the bustling main hall, the corridor was unusually quiet. The clamors that infiltrated the thick walls were weakened a lot and due to this, the corridor felt much more unfrequented. As Rhode paced along the corridor, he lost sight of the woman. However, he didn''t spend much effort to find her because the wooden door left ajar had already pinpointed his target.


    Like a walk in the park, Rhode headed to the door and spotted the woman inside the room. At this moment, she leaned on the wall and lifted her head to the sky. She revealed an enthusiastic and attractive smile. She pushed out her proud chest, padded to Rhode, and wrapped her dewy arms around his neck.


    "I didn''t expect you to come here, my dear customer."


    She licked her thick, red lips and winked her flirtatious eyes. She pushed her chest to Rhode closely. However, this didn''t seem wrong to her as she cheekily smiled and clung onto his body. On the other hand, Rhode extended both arms and roamed her soft, fleshy body. Under Rhode''s fondles, she revealed a blush, gasped for air, and let out a soft moan. She poured into Rhode powerlessly, at the same time wrapping her legs onto him.


    "Sir, you are so generous with a gold coin�� What exactly do you want me to do for you?"


    She said in a slutty manner. She skillfully unbuttoned her chest strap to spill out its contents and rubbed his chest.


    Rhode handily caressed and sneaked into her clothes to fondle with her soft, fleshy assets. The woman moaned increasingly louder and closed her eyes. She spread apart her legs and arms in preparation for deeper interactions.


    And because of this, the woman didn''t notice the magical radiance emanating from Rhode''s right hand.


    A sharp, pitch-black blade pierced her neck from behind and missed Rhode by an inch. In the blink of an eye, the assassin had almost accomplished his mission by putting both of them to their death beds. Then, Rhode pushed his hands forward and pulled a distance apart from the woman who had turned into a corpse. At the same time, he clenched his right hand.


    Countless tentacles shot out from the shadows and caught the shadow lurking behind the woman. The woman''s corpse disrupted the assassin''s movements and stopped him from leaving instantly. It seemed like he had lost his chance.


    The corpse collapsed to the ground, but the impact was submerged by the music and clamors.


    "Willfully slaughtering the innocent shouldn''t be the way of an assassin, Mr. Carody."


    Rhode''s action was faster than his words. As he spoke, a crimson sword blade flew out from his sleeve and streaked a glaring, contrasting arc in the darkness at the black-clothed man who was bound by the tentacles.


    This was the first time Carody revealed a look of shock.


    He was confident in this mission. Although the previous battle between Rhode and Mobis had displayed Rhode''s outstanding strength, it wasn''t threatening for a murderer. However, Carody still had to make certain adjustments to his plans. An angered Master Swordsman definitely wasn''t an easy target, so he gave up on his original plans and made amendments. Anyway, to Carody, he wasn''t concerned if Mobis''s guild was eliminated from the competition. Instead, this was the best opportunity for him to complete his mission. That young kid must be both mentally and physically exhausted from his battle with Mobis, and this was the best chance to strike.


    And because of that, after Mobis left the arena, Carody had been trailing Rhode and waiting for an opportunity to strike. He initially thought that Rhode would return to his campsite and that would mean bad news. However, to his surprise, after everyone returned to the campsite, only Rhode made his way off to have a chat with an old man at the alley before casually going for a stroll.


    This definitely served as an opportunity for Carody and he had no qualms of Rhode''s intentions. A young man who had defeated a huge figure like the Sky Sword Guild would naturally celebrate. Therefore, he had trailed Rhode while waiting for the right time to strike. Initially, when he spotted Rhode flirting with the waitress, he knew that it was the opportune time, but he never expected that when he struck, the hunter turned into the hunted!


    Not good!


    Carody''s complexion turned pale, but before he came up with any counteractive plans, dozens of pitch-black tentacles scuttled from the shadows and bound him tightly.


    Only then was Carody finally convinced that this young man was harder to handle than he had ever imagined.

 Chapter 316 The Death of Carody

    Rhode was quick in his movements. Ever since he detected Carody trailing him, he had been waiting for him to take the bait. Now that he finally attained this chance, how could he let it go?


    The ice-cold Crimson Blade arrived at Carody''s throat, and just a tiny inch more would be enough to make him bleed.


    However, Carody dodged and Rhode wasn''t surprised by his nimble reflexes. In fact, he was prepared.


    "Celia! Celestina!"


    A glaring radiance of white and black erupted along with his summons. The Battle Angel flapped her graceful wings and descended from above with a silver, white sword in hand that was erupting with holy radiance. The darkness in the room instantly shrunk like the tide and exposed Carody entirely, and he desperately lifted his head and revealed a terrified expression.


    Battle Angel?!


    Although Celia couldn''t overpower him in terms of strength, he still instantly broke out in cold sweat. He realised that this young man named Rhode wasn''t that simple at all. Based on the fact he could summon a battle angel as his servant proved that he held a high status. Damn it! What was the bunch of idiots from the intelligence group doing?! Easy mission? How can this be considered easy?


    Carody cursed inwardly. Even though he seemed unwavered, he instantly realized that his assassination plan had failed entirely. His target had obviously set this up to eliminate himself, and it could still be considered a victory if he could escape. As for assassinating his target, Carody could only leave it for later!


    Then, he realised that this thought would not even be in his wild dreams.


    "You even need your lady, me, to handle such a lowly human?"


    After Celia''s holy radiance dispersed the darkness and forced Carody out, a proud voice rang beside him. Along with this voice, a pitch-black thorn whip whirled and whipped onto his body. The pitiful assassin had focused his attention on Celia above and Rhode behind him, so never did he expect that someone was hidden in the darkness around him. Although as an assassin, his reactions toward such situations weren''t slow, Celestina was still one step ahead!


    Whip!


    The thorn whip lashed on Carody and just as he escaped, the thorns on the whip extending and transforming into vipers that bit him!


    "Argh!"


    Carody couldn''t tolerate the penetrating pain. He yelled in pain and instinctively extended his arm. A smear of black, putrid liquid shot out at Celestina from his hand. But before they splashed onto the young lady, she dodged quickly and the venomous liquid lost its presence. At that moment, a huge shadow shrouded Carody entirely.


    What''s this?


    Just as this thought flashed through Carody''s mind, a whistling wind blew past him and a sturdy knight spear punctured Carody''s skull. At the same time, Celia slashed his body apart and the holy flames on her blade erupted and turned his corpse into ashes.


    A Master Assassin lost his life due to the encirclement of summoned spirits without a chance to resist.


    That is the true strength of a Spirit Swordsman.


    As Carody''s corpse burned into ashes, Rhode''s expression remain unchanged. If he had summoned his spirits during the afternoon matchup, even a person of Mobis''s caliber wouldn''t stand a chance against him. After all, even though the four guild leaders were masters, their difference in strength from a Swordmaster like Sereck was only around five levels according to the players'' explanation. Reality wasn''t a game and the natives couldn''t level up crazily like players. Therefore, four levels was considered a huge difference even though they meant nothing to the players.


    Not to mention, there weren''t any settings in reality called "Health Points" and one wouldn''t need to worry about fighting a BOSS with thousands of Health Points and not injuring it one bit. Regarding this, Rhode had already realised it during his battle with Mobis. Of course, Carody was an assassin and not a class that engaged in frontal battles, which was an important point to note. If not, based on Rhode''s abilities, perhaps he would face difficulties.


    But now, everything had ended.


    "Phew��"


    Rhode shook his head and looked up. The flames had almost extinguished and darkness once again enveloped the place.


    "Let''s go."


    He took a glance at the corpse who had its eyes wide open and nodded at Celia.


    "I''ll leave her to you."


    "Yes, Master."


    Celia unsheathed her sword and ambled toward the corpse. She spread her arms open and holy radiance emerged between her arms, enveloping the corpse. Subsequently, light dust flew from the corpse and floated into mid-air before vanishing. After the speckles were nowhere to be seen, only a pile of clothes was left on the ground.


    Then, Celia laid her arms down and turned to Rhode with uncertainty and hesitation.


    "Pardon my rudeness, Master. In order to reach your goal, you sacrificed an innocent life. That''s a little too.."


    "That''s why I said you''re a dumb sister."


    Before Celia finished her sentence, Celestina interrupted in disdain.


    "She''s just a lowly human. Does it even matter if she''s dead? Besides, this chap wasn''t that easy for Master to handle, and if Master didn''t use this lowly human as bait, how could we even finish him off so easily? Or maybe, you had better ideas?"


    "We can fight him upright and openly��" Celia clearly disagreed with her elder sister. She shook her head and explained. "As long as we work together��"


    "There''s no cure for stupidity and you have exceeded my expectations." Celestina groaned.


    "Since that chap was an assassin and murderer, how would it be possible for him to face you fair and square? You may not be afraid of death because you can''t die now, even if you wanted to, but what if Master died? We��"


    "Big Sister!" Celia sulked.


    On the other hand, Celestina seemed to have realised that she spoke something inappropriate and abruptly paused. She turned to Rhode with a look of dismay before revealing a proud smile.


    "All in all, I don''t think that Master''s decision was wrong, dumb sister. Stop being so stubborn. All Master needed was to win, which is something glory and pride can''t gift him."


    Celestina instantly vanished into a black mist and returned to her card, which hovered in mid-air and disappeared thereafter. On the other hand, Celia turned to Rhode worriedly and followed Celestina in returning to her card without saying much more.


    "That''s interesting��"


    After retrieving the hovering summoning cards and analysing their pictures and texts, Rhode said softly. As a matter of fact, he realized from Celestina''s remarks that things weren''t as simple as he had thought and their origins were the same.


    Unlike a Master Summoner''s summons, all of a Spirit Swordsman''s spirits came from this plane of existence. In other words, the spirits that they summoned were beings that lived or once lived in the Dragon Soul Continent. But, honestly speaking, he didn''t think of it this way when he first met Celestina because from his understanding, Angels and Demons had always been archenemies with no exceptions. Celestina was a pure, high-level Demon whereas Celia was a Battle Angel. It would be impossible for both of their bloodlines to be mixed. However, looking at their relationship, this pair of siblings seemed so natural together�� Celestina was a high-level demon, the elder sister of an Angel, and could say whatever she wanted to. On the contrary, Celia was an Angel and didn''t retaliate against the Demon. So, what was this all about?


    Moreover, what did Celestina meant by "You may not be afraid of death because you can''t die now, even if you wanted to��"?


    It seemed like there was a need to investigate their true identities.

 Chapter 317 Rosen

    Although Celestina''s last words had piqued his curiosity towards the siblings'' identities, but he still had a lot of things to do and couldn''t be bothered by it.


    He was currently sitting in the arena. He furrowed his brows as he watched the intense battle below.


    After the battle between Starlight and Sky Sword ended, it was Liberty Wings and Cole Falcon''s turn next.


    Even though, in many people''s opinion, their strengths didn''t differ by much and the winner couldn''t be judged, but after everyone watched the match, they were dumbstruck because the battle was completely one-sided!


    The Liberty Wings had five consecutive wins. They completely eliminated Cole Falcon. No matter how hard the Cole Falcon struggled, they were still unable to overturn the situation.


    Rhode was looking at the most eye-catching member of the Liberty Wings.


    He was a white-haired old man who was about 60 years old. However, he seemed to be full of vigor. Not to mention, he was holding two fine shields behind him. Obviously, this old man was a shield warrior and a very strong one, on top of it.


    Rosen Stein.


    In fact, when Rhode saw the list of participants of the Liberty Wings Guild, his first reaction was the same as Barter''s. They both took a deep breath and felt troubled. Rosen''s existence was equivalent to cheating!


    As a representative of the Liberty Wings, Rosen was very strong. He was once the leader of the Liberty Wings, but because he was tired of the power struggle, he retired and became second-in-line, no longer taking care of those troubling and complicated matters. Among the people in the Four Major Guilds, he was considered the strongest. According to the player''s evaluation, he''s supposed to be Level 50 and was five levels higher than the other Four Major Guilds'' leaders. He was also closest to the Legendary level among them.


    In addition, he was also a shield warrior.


    In the game, Rosen was very hard to deal with. He had strong durability and high HP. Even a group of five Level 50 players had faced difficulties when facing him. He was born with a monstrous strength and was able to wield two fine shields at the same time. Right now, Anne couldn''t even be compared to him. It had to be said that Anne was a half-beast and Rosen was a pure human, but he actually could do something that a half-beast and half-barbarian couldn''t do. This was enough to imagine how powerful he was. In the game, it was impossible for ordinary players to confront him directly. His strength was enough to kill the opponent MT when they collided with each other. Even if the players wanted to use the ''kiting'' tactic, it was still nearly impossible to drain his HP since he had a strong defense. That''s why almost no ordinary players could pass through the Level 50 dungeon. Many players were abused by this old man in this dungeon. Usually, they would come back to take their revenge after they reached Level 70-80. Only players who were the elites among the elite were able to defeat him. It could be seen just how difficult this boss was.


    If reality was the same as the game, then there would be no other choice for him but to give up. If Rosen''s durability and HP were the same as in the game, then not even he could handle it. Fortunately, after observing the competition continuously, he had realized that rather than PvE, the competition itself was more like a downgraded PvP. Both parties had the same amount of HP; the only differences were their physical attributes, skills, and equipment. This was also the fighting style that was closest to the reality.


    Because of that, Rhode had the confidence in beating Rosen and came to the arena early in the morning to observe the battle.


    And the result was just as he had expected.


    Liberty Wings didn''t choose the universally acknowledged fighting method. Instead, they chose to brawl. Rosen went up, taking the advantage of fighting the five of them at the same time, and easily beaten them. It seemed like Viktor was already mentally prepared, so when he lost, he did not seem to be angry or upset. As he watched this old monster fight, the only thing he could do was to surrender.


    In this battle, Cole Falcon had lost miserably, but since the Sky Swords had lost before them, they didn''t receive many ridicules from the audiences. In addition, Rosen was a famous public figure in the Munn Kingdom, and there was nothing shameless about losing to him. To the contrary, the Sky Swords lost to Starlight. Cole Falcon had not been eliminated until the second day. This counterbalanced Cole Falcon''s loss, and at most, they only got ridiculed by Liberty Wings supporters. "We have such a powerful person as a backing, while you don''t��" and so on. Such a ridicule was not a big deal for Cole Falcon.


    "That old thing is really powerful, isn''t it?"


    When Rhode looked at Rosen silently, a voice sounded beside him. He looked up towards the person who sat not too far from him. It was Barter, the leader of Purple Lily. Barter was smiling as he looked at him and Rhode also nodded without hesitation.


    "Indeed, he''s very difficult to deal with."


    "Hmph, even if he''s difficult to deal with, Viktor''s performance was still too��"


    Barter seemed to disagree about this part.


    "That fellow is too modest. If it''s me, no matter if it''s 32 vs. 1, I will still fight him; even if I can''t win, at least I will injure that old man. If he doesn''t even have the will to fight, how can he handle that old man? Don''t you think so, kid? I saw your fight with Mobis previously, and I have to admit, you''re indeed strong. It makes me see you in a different light now!"


    Barter lifted his thumb up as he looked at Rhode. Although Rhode''s expression was indifferent, Barter wasn''t angry. He was a generous person in nature, so Rhode''s impolite behavior didn''t affect him the slightest. But it did not mean that he would allow the other person to ignore himself.


    "I say, kid. It''s okay if you want to observe your opponent, but I want to tell you: don''t underestimate our Purple Lily Guild. Before challenging the old one, you should not forget our existence."


    "I certainly did not forget."


    Rhode shifted his gaze and looked towards Barter once again.


    "But, Mr. Barter, if I say that I will definitely win, would it be too impolite to you?"


    "Interesting!"


    Hearing Rhode''s answer, Barter furrowed his brows. However, he didn''t seem to be mad. Instead, he revealed a curious and joyous expression.


    "You really talk big, kid! A small mercenary group like you is so certain of defeating me? Let me tell you; even that Sky Sword''s old fox can''t be that certain�� Alright, let me see how strong you are since you actually dare say these kinds of words."


    Having said that, Barter stood up. At this moment, he finally stopped smiling, gazing at Rhode with a serious expression. However, Rhode didn''t seem to be bothered by Barter''s suppressing gaze.


    "I say, kid, don''t blame me if you lose. At that time, I don''t think you still can keep that beautiful face of yours."


    After he said it, Barter waved his hand and left. Seeing the barbarian man''s back, Rhode helplessly shook his head and turned around to look at the ring.


    Right now, Rosen had already walked down from the ring and was receiving applause from the spectators. Then, Rhode shifted his gaze towards a young man who stood not far from Rosen. That young man didn''t seem to be much older than him. He had light chestnut hair, a handsome face that looked very attractive, and was wearing extravagant armor. Unlike others who were congratulating and flattering Rosen, that young man stood far from the crowd. He didn''t look at Rosen with admiration; instead, his gaze was filled with a trace of anger and hatred.


    Rhode was familiar with that young man; he was a genius knight of the Liberty Wings, Marc. According to the rumors, he had broken through to Level 30 at a young age and was considered one of the top elites in the Liberty Wings. During the Midsummer Festival in the game, Rhode had met him once. At that time, the Liberty Wings Guild participated in the Midsummer Festival under his leadership. This time, perhaps because of the bizarre promise with Lidya, Rosen had replaced Marc''s position and became the new leader.


    Although Rosen had enough prestige and power in Liberty Wings, it seemed like not everyone was willing to accept his leadership and orders.


    This is really interesting.


    Seeing this scene, Rhode smiled and stood up. Then, he followed the crowd and left the arena.

 Chapter 318 Undercurren

    The bright sunshine passed through the window pane and illuminated the gorgeous hall. A young girl was half-lying on a woven blanket made of white feathers. She closed her eyes lazily, as if she were resting. In front of her, several women wearing silver armor stood respectfully while wearing a serious expression.


    "Your Royal Highness, the parliament has denied all of our allegations and has rejected our request to send people to investigate."


    "It''s not surprising."


    Lydia turned around, raising her hands high and stretching her body. Then she stood and walked towards the window. She was watching the bustling, beautiful Golden City below.


    "The rats always like to hide in the darkness while keeping the food they stole�� Rats that use a despicable method to gain the power will surely never expect themselves to be targeted by others�� After all, corrupted soil can never grow a beautiful flower. What else did they say?"


    "They also said that�� because of your existence, our investigation has no credibility at all, so the parliament has decided to organize a group to investigate."


    "Oh?"


    Her eyes were gleaming.


    "This is really interesting. I remember that I never gave them my approval."


    "I am very sorry, Your Highness."


    The woman in the forefront quickly bowed in panic.


    "We have also expressed opposition, but�� the parliament has obtained the permission of the Dragon of Light."


    Hearing this remark, Lydia closed her eyes. Then, she looked up. She bathed in the bright sunshine as her six wings reflected the sun''s radiance which added a psychedelic luster to them. Lydia stood there quietly for a few minutes. After that, she sighed and began to speak once again.


    "The radiance of the sun will always exist no matter when, where, and how. Whether the sky is clear or gloomy, it still won''t be able to cover the sun''s light. However, the gloomy weather still makes me feel somewhat unhappy."


    Having said that, Lydia waved her hand.


    "Alright, notify the Holy Cross Guards. I hope they can thoughtfully welcome our guest, who is coming from afar. The Munn Kingdom is a small country, and if we have poor hospitality and neglect them, it would be very impolite to the guests."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    Hearing this sentence, the woman''s face turned serious. She bowed and turned around to leave.


    Just then, a lady-in-waiting hurriedly ran into the room. She lifted her skirt and bowed, then whispered to Lydia. Hearing her report, Lydia gently frowned and quickly issued an order.


    "Invite them in."


    The lady-in-waiting dismissed herself and soon, heavy footsteps could be heard. Three people walked into the room. The first one to enter was an old mage. He was rubbing his beard while grinning as he looked at Lydia and he bowed towards her.


    "It is a great relief to see that you''re as healthy as usual, Your Highness."


    "You don''t have to be so modest, Teacher Amund."


    Hearing the old mage''s greeting, Lydia chuckled. Then, crisp laughter echoed in the room, and even the two people behind the old mage fell into a panic.


    "Didn''t we travel together before? It shouldn''t be too long since we last saw each other. These two are��"


    Hearing Lydia''s words, the old mage turned sideways, and at this time, a man who stood behind the old mage immediately came up and bowed to Lydia. He looked about 40 years old, and his height was up to two meters tall. Heavy armor wrapped around his strong and sturdy body. His square-shaped face was filled with heroic spirit, and with his combed dark brown hair, he looked scrupulous, like a regular military commander. The most eye-catching part about him was the scar on his mouth, extending from his lips to his brow bone and completely destroying his originally handsome face, but also because of this scar, part of his eyes and mouth were deflated, making him looked scary.


    However, Lydia looked at the man with equanimity. After thinking for a while, she smiled and said, "Ah, Ashram�� Long time no see. Speaking of it, the last time we met was at the Dragon Soul Festival four years ago. Even now, your impressive swordsmanship skills are still deeply etched in my mind."


    "It''s my pleasure to have gotten your attention, Your Highness."


    Ashram smiled, making his face look stiffer. However, Lydia didn''t seem to be dissatisfied with him. To the contrary, she even reached out both of her hands as if she were admiring Ashram''s face like it was artwork.


    "The reason I came here is to report something back to you."


    "What is it?"


    "It''s like this."


    Having said that, Ashram paused as if he were organizing his wording in his mind. After a while, he finally spoke.


    "Something bad happened in Soraka Mountain recently."


    "Oh?"


    Hearing this, Lidya twitched her brows.


    "Your Highness must know that Soraka Mountain has always been the border between us, the Country of Darkness, and the Country of Light. Also, it is nominally under our jurisdiction, but in fact, it belongs to the scope of self-government. We have maintained a good relationship, but recently, strange rumors have been revolving around Soraka Mountain."


    Having said that, Ashram stretched out his hand and handed a letter to Lydia. After she took it, Ashram continued to speak.


    "It is rumored that the people of Soraka Mountain want to leave our jurisdiction and seek refuge in the Country of Darkness. Although I initially thought that this was merely a rumor, soon, the news spread further. Not only did it spread among travelers, but also the people of Northland. In the end, I received this from Soraka''s governor��"


    "��"


    Lydia opened the letter and carefully read it. After she finished, she put the letter down and sat while closing her eyes.


    "Interesting�� When did this happen, Ashram?"


    "Not long after the trade route got attacked��"


    "Do you have enough evidence to support the statement in this letter?"


    "We have done our best, Your Highness, but nothing has been found. As you know, I also can''t move the troops too obviously since it''s a border area. If I did so, our intentions might be misunderstood by the Country of Darkness and��"


    "I understand what you mean, Ashram."


    Lydia stretched out her right hand and prevented Ashram from falling into a panic.


    "You have done well. This clue is very important to us, and I believe that you and your subordinates did your very best to meet my expectations�� but, as you know, this matter is indeed a little bit troublesome. I believe that the people of Northland won''t betray us for no reason. The sea may reveal its unknown side at night, but it still cannot cover its clear, beautiful nature�� unless it is contaminated with impurities. "


    As she said this, she paused and stood up.


    "Amund, what do you think?"


    "Forgive me for being frank, Your Highness."


    After Lydia called out his name, the old mage came out.


    "The Northland''s situation is too chaotic; as Ashram has said, we are unable to do a large-scale investigation because not only is the Country of Darkness involved, we also have to consider the ''merchants'' that have been planning something behind us."


    What Amund said was true.


    Soraka''s location was too sensitive, located at the junction of the Munn Kingdom, the Country of Light, and the Country of Darkness. It was originally an empty zone, but it was precisely because of this that Soraka Mountain brought many unexpected factors. The races that resided there were mostly human, but there were also dark creatures like vampires and necromancers. According to the rules of the ''Genesis Code'', Dragon Soul holders had the power to rule their own people. Naturally, Soraka Mountain was a disputed area.


    Since the very beginning, both parties were not very concerned about this area, but with the discovery of astronomical crystal mines in Soraka Mountain, it immediately gained attention from the two major forces. In order to obtain this mineral resource and occupy this area, there were hundreds of large and small-scale war between the Country of Darkness and the Country of Light, and this even reached the scale of an all-out war.


    However, in the end, under the restraint of the Dark and Light Dragons, the war did not break out. After mutual agreement, Soraka Mountain remained neutral and was nominally put under the Munn Kingdom''s jurisdiction. The result was something that both the Country of Darkness and Country of Light barely could accept. Because although the Munn Kingdom was a supporter of Light Dragon, they had a bad relationship with the ruler of the Country of Light. To the contrary, their relationship with the Country of Darkness was not bad. This fact made the people from the parliament unhappy. From their point of view, the Munn Kingdom was ruled by angels, and as an angel and supporter of the Light Dragon, how could they show their goodwill towards the evil forces of darkness?


    However, to the Munn Kingdom, it wasn''t a big deal. Even though the Five Creator Dragons created this world together, the relationship between them had not changed. They just had different beliefs because they had their own goals and opinions. This was similar to "I like Western food, but you like Chinese food. Just because you don''t eat Western food, we can''t be a friend��" It was a total joke. Despite ''light and darkness are irreconcilable'' and ''the people of the Country of Darkness and the Dark Dragon are evil and need to be eliminated'' were advocated by the Parliament of Country of Light, it was only because their own understanding towards the Dragon of Light that was completely different from the truth. It really couldn''t be imagined how the people from the parliament who said that ''the Country of Darkness is evil and should be completely wiped out'' would react when they knew that Country of Darkness was also as serious about wiping out the evil. Most likely, they would pretend to not have seen it.


    However, the Munn Kingdom also realized that this mission was a burden because the influence of the Light Dragon had decreased and was replaced by the parliament''s own belief. The Country of Darkness also gradually began to lose their respect towards the Country of Light and they barely maintained the original peace and mutual recognition between them. However, since the Dragon of Light couldn''t achieve its mission and the parliament that held authority that was not friendly to the Country of Darkness, the other party was naturally also reluctant to befriend them. Followed by this imbalance, the danger of Soraka Mountain had once again emerged. The current Country of Darkness no longer had enough patience towards the Country of Light. Since the parliament needed to maintain its prestige among the people, they continuously glossed over the rhetoric that ''the Country of Darkness is equal to evil''.


    Now that the relation between the two countries was like two explosive barrels, just a little fire would cause it to detonate.


    And Soraka Mountain was the source of that fire.


    Certainly, Lydia knew that the parliament had been unable to forget the mineral resources in Soraka Mountain. If, at this time, they received news that the Country of Darkness had received that piece of land, it would be a big trouble. But just as Ashram had said, that area was too sensitive and no country''s military force would dare to enter it. For hundreds of years, the two sides had signed an agreement. Whether it was the Country of Light or the Country of Darkness, their flags stopped at the edge of Soraka Mountain and no one had ever dared to overstep it.


    But perhaps this balance would now be broken.


    There would soon be a storm that swept everything.


    "I certainly understand what you mean, Teacher Amund."


    Lydia smiled, she walked to the window and looked down.


    "But I already have an idea in mind�� as Ashram had said, official interference has always been sensitive and prone to problems, but not all problems have no solutions. Since we cannot do it ourselves, then we can commission someone to do it."


    "What do you mean��?"


    Hearing until here, the old mage frowned. He worriedly looked at Lydia. It seemed like he understood her intention.


    "But, those people��"


    "You have to be confident in my decision, Teacher. I already have the best candidate�� I hope they will not disappoint me."


    Speaking until here, Lydia smiled. She looked at Ashram and nodded at him.


    "Then, Ashram, you can go back and rest. I will prepare for everything next. At that time�� I hope I will have your help."


    Hearing these words, Ashram lowered his head and bowed towards Lydia.

 Chapter 319 Hidden Snake in the Dark

    Currently, Mobis was having a headache.


    After he lost the individual battle against Starlight, many people expressed dissatisfaction towards him. Although there were many outsiders who defended the Sky Sword and despised Starlight, those voices were not helpful enough to stabilize his current position. Unlike the Liberty Wings that represented the poor people in the south, the Sky Sword represented the upper class. Because of this, Mobis''s pressure after losing was very large. There were many wealthy merchants and nobles from the south who had expressed their dissatisfaction towards him. Those were the sponsors of the Sky Sword Guild. In their opinion, regardless of how Sky Sword had lost, they still lost. They had spent so many days supporting the Sky Sword Guild, and couldn''t allow themselves to be insulted and depraved in front of those northerners. Not to mention that Starlight was only a mercenary group that was established for half a year. Since Sky Sword even lost to them, what else could they do?


    Mobis also vaguely heard news that if they didn''t perform well in the group battle, these sponsors might even withdraw their funding, or find a new leader that could make Sky Sword win and not get eliminated by a damned mercenary group in the first round.


    This was a sad truth of a mercenary guild. Although they had huge power and authority, they needed to maintain it with money. A mercenary guild that lost its autonomy meant that to a certain extent, it had become a private army of a certain group of interest. In order to prevent this, various countries deliberately limited the number of mercenary guilds. However, this had also become the weakness of a mercenary guild. The number of people limited by the rules was far less than the number of people a mercenary guild needed in order to maintain their sphere of influence. This forced mercenary guilds to support themselves by relying on external forces and capital to achieve it. As a result, they lacked sufficient autonomy and independence. A strong mercenary guild leader such as Mobis was no exception. Although his individual strength was strong, he was still worthless in the face of money. Mercenary guilds like the top four guilds, which had survived for so many years, had long been entangled with those forces, and just like climbing vines on a trunk, they couldn''t be separated.


    This was the reason why Rhode tried to avoid getting into the similar situation. He didn''t want to live a life by relying on someone else.


    It was already depressing enough for an obedient person to obey, let alone a strong one.


    However, what Mobis was worried about wasn''t that. Although the current situation wasn''t good for him, he believed it''s still not difficult for him to get through this crisis by relying on his leadership and influence in the guild. As long as they could win this next battle, then there would be no problem�� In addition, he was also very confident with his team. What gave him a headache was that Carody was gone.


    Even though this young man was usually arrogant, he was still quite trustworthy. Mobis didn''t know what was Carody''s intention was in coming here. Just as Rhode had guessed, Mobis was only ordered by the southern nobles and wealthy merchants to accept him to his own mercenary group in order to do a ''secret mission''. As for what the mission was, Mobis was not qualified to ask.


    Although according to their strength, Mobis was even stronger than Carody.


    It was really uncomfortable to lower himself in front of someone who was weaker than him. But since both sides had reached a ''mutual consensus'', Mobis decided not to interfere in Carody''s affairs. Besides Carody''s appearance during the game, he didn''t really care about what he wanted to do for the rest of the time.


    But now, it was already time for the group battle to begin. Where was Carody?


    Nothing happened to him, right?


    Thinking until here, Mobis felt a little bit uneasy. He was born as a noble of the southern class. Naturally, he was aware of the relationship between the rich merchants of the south and the parliament of the Country of Light. Moreover, this Carody was sent by the parliament, and if anything happened to him, then�� Mobis couldn''t help but felt a chill down to his spine as he thought of it. He didn''t know Carody''s reason for coming here, but it was certainly an important mission. At first, he didn''t want to get involved with this trouble, but since his mercenary group was controlled by others, even if their leader was a legendary figure, he still could only submit himself before the money��


    That''s why Mobis had always been worried about what happened to Carody. Now, the group fight was about to begin. They should have gone to the arena, but they hadn''t seen Carody appear. This made Mobis felt very anxious and worried. Since he was a spy of Country of Light, and the Midsummer Festival was held in Golden City��


    Damn it, those b*stards who don''t know anything besides eat and sleep literally just left after causing me troubles. If Carody falls into Lydia''s hand, can I even leave Golden City alive?


    Thinking until here, Mobis shuddered. He suddenly felt that he was not far from his demise��


    "Yes, president!!"


    As Mobis was feeling restless, Golan rushed into the room. Golan was surprised by his sudden appearance and quickly stood up while holding his sword hilt. Then, he vigilantly looked at the window.


    Damn it! Is my premonition right? Has that sissy really sent someone here?


    But soon Mobis noticed that although Golan was surprised, he was not feeling frightened or uneasy. Instead, he puzzledly looked at Mobis. This made him felt quite confused, he couldn''t help but bitterly smile and sit down once again.


    "What''s going on? What happened? Didn''t I tell you to prepare for the group battle??"


    "I came to report some matters, leader."


    Golan rubbed the sweat on his face and looked at Mobis with a surprised expression.


    "It''s like this, I, I just got news from the arena that we don''t have to fight because Starlight has�� forfeited!"


    "Forfeited?"


    Hearing these words, Mobis''s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Golan. After a moment, he frowned.


    "Is this for real? Why? There must be a reason for them to quit the battle."


    "This�� I did ask for the reason, and they said that one of their members was injured in yesterday''s individual battle, and today, their number is not enough to participate in the battle�� so they forfeited."


    "Is that so��"


    After hearing Golan''s explanation, Mobis lowered his head. What Golan said did make sense. Yesterday, everyone had seen that Anne was injured, but weren''t they supposed to have a backup member? Although the shield warrior was injured, Rhode, Gillian, and Marlene didn''t seem to be injured. What were they trying to do?


    For a while, even the usually sly Mobis couldn''t figure out what Starlight was planning to do. Forfeiting in a Midsummer Festival was very embarrassing to do. Weren''t they afraid that their action might cause trouble? After all, between mercenaries, winning and losing was a matter of differences in strength. However, whether one had the courage to fight was another thing. People might be able to tolerate the former, but they would definitely ridicule the latter. For Starlight to make this kind of decision�� Was it really as simple as because their member was injured? Or��


    Wait.


    Thinking until here, Mobis was stunned.


    Carody didn''t come back, Starlight forfeited�� Is Carody''s aim actually Starlight?


    But�� Starlight was just a small mercenary group. Why did that Country of Light send Carody from far just to deal with them?


    Mobis could not figure out the reason, but at this moment, he was not as nervous as before. Even so, Mobis still looked up at Golan and then issued an order.


    "Go and investigate the reason why Starlight forfeited the group battle. The more detailed the better!"


    "Yes, Sir."


    Although he did not know why Mobis issued this order, Golan still nodded and turned away. As Mobis looked at Golan''s back, he sighed and leaned back in his chair. He was currently feeling very tired and helpless.


    What was going on with this Starlight?


    Mobis wasn''t the only one who was puzzled.


    "Mr. Rhode, what exactly are you trying to do?"


    At this moment inside the room, Marlene frowned and asked the same question towards Rhode with a puzzled expression.


    "Even if we lack the strength, I think we can at least give it a try��"


    "No, Marlene, this is not about of strength."


    Rhode waved his hand and interrupted Marlene''s words. This made Marlene slightly surprised. She blankly stared at him, not quite understanding what he meant.


    "First of all, our strength is indeed not sufficient. Before, we only prepared for individual battle training, and not group battle. In this case, if we are too impatient, we will just embarrass ourselves. Second�� I don''t want you to spend your energy in this irrelevant group battle. You know, our ultimate opponent is very powerful, and I don''t want any accidents to happen before that. For us, there is nothing more important than winning the individual battles, which is why I chose to abandon the group battle."


    As he said here, Rhode pointed out a finger. She didn''t know whether she was hallucinating or not, but Marlene saw a trace of a smile on Rhode''s face.


    "Not to mention, we still have another companion, Ms. Marlene. If we finished everything alone, it would not be good for stability and unity."


    "But��"


    Marlene was not a fool. When Rhode gently reminded her, she immediately understood his reasoning, but��


    "Mr. Rhode, do you really believe in them? It''s not that I worry, but if they fail to meet your expectations��"


    "You''re wrong again, Marlene."


    But at this time, Marlene''s words were interrupted by Rhode. He waved his hand and shrugged his shoulders.


    "It''s not that I believe in them; it''s just that I believe in myself."

 Chapter 320 Haze

    Endless darkness.


    Thick fog had shrouded the entire space, and the black clouds hovered in the sky. A thundering sound echoed back and forth, disappearing afterward. Everything was dead silent. There was no trace of life, death, hope, or despair.


    There was only an absolute emptiness.


    The thick fog gradually dispersed and the thundering sound rang louder. The lightning pierced the clouds and hit the ground.


    The white light reflected on the ground was so dazzling, making people unable to open their eyes. As the fog dispersed, the white, carpet-like thing spread and extended to the bottom of a high platform in the distance. However, upon a closer look, it could be seen that it was not a carpet, but a mountain of bones.


    "!!"


    Christie suddenly opened her eyes and jumped up like a scared little rabbit.


    It was currently afternoon, and warm, sunshine rays shone through the window and brought about a lazy and warm feeling. The clean and comfortable room was very quiet. She opened the window, and the sound of the noise and music that was sealed before secretly snuck in and brought her peace of mind.


    "Sigh��"


    The girl stood before the window as she held her chest and sighed.


    It was this dream again.


    Ever since she was born, she had been having this dream, anytime and anywhere, as if reminding her of her own existence. She couldn''t remember the scene of the dream clearly, but the feeling still remained. It was the feeling of melancholy that made her feel suffocated and a feeling of sadness accompanied with unparalleled despair. She couldn''t understand what the dream meant, and she was eager to find out the answer. However, every time she tried to dig deeper into her dream,a powerful force that forced her out and made her felt miserable.


    Even Rhode could not explain the meaning of her dream, Sister Marlene who was wise and knowledgeable also had no clue, but Sister Gillian would occasionally look at her strangely as if she were a rare animal. Unexpectedly, she did not feel disgusted by it. Instead, she felt a feeling of familiarity and intimacy towards Gillian, but Christie also did not know why.


    Knock knock knock


    Just then, the door sounded and made her startled. She turned around and took small steps to open the room door. After that, Marlene''s soft and gentle expression appeared before her.


    "Good afternoon, Christie. Am I bothering you?"


    "�� No�� Marlene�� I''ve just woke up ��"


    Christie shook her head, curiously looking at the young girl in front of her. From what she remembered, Marlene was not the kind of person who liked to do things aimlessly. Unlike Sister Anne��the latter always came into her room whether she had something to do or not. Sometimes she wanted to chat with her, sometimes she just wanted to share some delicious and peculiar food with her. She even once wanted to give her a foamy drink. Of course, Sister Lize, who was always following her, firmly stopped it.


    Now, Christie was not as shy and evasive as before towards the three of them. The fear of loss seemed to have diminished under their meticulous care. Now, she had begun to try to open her heart and accept others'' kindness. However, the result was not necessarily as good as she would like it to be. Just like yesterday, when she saw that Anne''s palm was stabbed in the arena, Christie felt that her heart almost stopped beating. She never thought that the feeling of worry would be so difficult and painful for a person, and even she doubted whether her choice was correct. Did it mean the more she opened her heart and accepted others'' existence, the more she would feel such worried and restless feeling in the future?


    She also didn''t know the answer.


    "�� Can I help you��?


    "Mr. Rhode is not with you?"


    "�� No �� "


    Didn''t know why, Christie saw a trace of relieved expression when Marlene heard her answer. She puzzledly tilted her head but Marlene didn''t wait until she figured out what exactly happened and spoke. Her face was slightly flushed red, and she was a little embarrassed.


    "It''s like this; there''s something I want to ask you�� I hope you can give me a picture."


    "�� A picture?


    Hearing until here, Christie''s soon eyes lit up and she smiled.


    "�� If Marlene wants it, then there''s no problem. Which one do you want, let me take it for you��"


    Facing Christie''s question, Marlene showed an awkward expression. She looked to the left and right then whispered something to Christie. After hearing Marlene''s words, Christie nodded in surprise. She ran towards her desk to take the picture and gave it to Marlene afterward. Seeing the picture, Marlene smiled. She carefully took the picture and folded it into her bosom.


    "Thank you�� Christie."


    "�� You''re welcome�� Marlene."


    Christie nodded her head lightly in the response of Marlene''s thanks.


    "�� This is the only thing I can do �� I am very happy that you like it�� "


    "Of course I like it, so��"


    Marlene''s words hadn''t yet finished, because, at this time, a voice suddenly sounded.


    "Ah, Marlene, here you are."


    Hearing Lize''s voice, Marlene quickly closed her mouth. She turned around and looked at Lize in surprise, her hands unnaturally placed behind.


    "What happened, Lize?"


    "It''s like this."


    Lize did not notice Marlene''s slightly strange movements. She trotted up and took a deep breath before continuing.


    "A visitor came looking for you and said there is something that needs to be discussed with you."


    "Visitor? Looking for me?"


    When she heard her answer, Marlene slightly frowned.


    "Who is it?"


    "She claimed to be the eldest daughter of Nancy family, Ellenson, your best friend��"


    Having said that, Lize showed an awkward expression. It''s no wonder; even though they were intimate childhood friends, it''s been a long time since Marlene had seen her. It was understandable that Marlene had found a new friend. However, she still felt that it was kind of weird because Marlene never mentioned such a person in front of her and if she really was a good friend of Marlene''s, Marlene''s reaction wouldn''t be like this.


    Moreover, the attitude of that Miss Ellenson��


    "I understand; I''ll go and see her."


    Marlene was actually aware of Lize''s weird expression, so she did not say much. Soon, she turned around and walked into the living room. Lize and Christie stood still, looking at her back for a while, then hurriedly following her from behind.


    As they walked into the living room, Marlene saw a girl who was slightly younger than her dressed in a noble maiden''s dress with her hands clenched on her knees, anxiously waiting. Seeing Marlene''s arrival, the girl who was originally somewhat panicked immediately showed a reassuring expression. She warmly smiled and stood up and ran to Marlene''s side.


    "Elder Sister, I finally meet you!"


    "Ellenson?"


    Looking at the girl standing before her, Marlene slightly frowned. An unhappy expression flashed across her face.


    "What are you doing here? I remember that I told you that I am very busy now; if there''s anything, can''t you just wait until the end of the Midsummer Festival?"


    "But�� I miss Sister so much��"


    The girl called Ellenson bit her lower lip and showed a puppy-eyes expression.


    "Sister has been away from the Golden City for a long time; I have always missed you, and now I heard that sister has finally come back. I certainly hope to be able to meet with you as soon as possible�� By the way, sister, you should have nothing to do this afternoon, so why don''t we go for a cup of tea together? Because of the Midsummer Festival, there are a lot of precious commodities recently, ah, there''s also sister''s favorite black tea��"


    Seeing Ellenson''s excitement, Marlene held her forehead. She wanted to reject her, but she couldn''t find the right moment to speak.


    Ellenson Nancy was Marlene''s best friend in the Academy.


    It was not exactly accurate to say that they were best friends. The Nancy family and the Senia family were friends, so since Ellenson was young, she had admiring Marlene as an elder sister. However, Marlene''s attitude towards her wasn''t as intimate as her attitude to Lize, and because of Ellenson''s humble attitude and admiration towards her, it was difficult for Marlene to treat her as a friend. After she entered the academy, because of her proud attitude, it was also difficult for her to interact with others. It was only because the relationship between Nancy''s family and Ellenson''s admiration towards her, that they had gotten closer. Although her relationship with her wasn''t as close as Lize, but she still thought of her as a younger sister.


    However, Ellenson''s actions sometimes made Marlene feel a little bit helpless, like now.


    She wanted to refuse her invitation because now wasn''t a good time for tea and chat, but she also found it difficult to say no since their relationship was indeed good. Marlene also needed to consider her as the eldest daughter of the Nancy family, so she would need to maintain the relationship between two sides. However, she was the heir of Senia family after all, so it would be impossible for her to act according to her own preferences.


    This was how nobles interacted with each other.


    Thinking of this, Marlene sighed. These few days in the mercenary group, she felt alive and relaxed. Because in here, she didn''t have to worry about her identity and others'' identity; she could just freely express her likes and dislikes.


    But now, since she was already back in the Golden City, Marlene felt that she lacked this freedom of the past.


    There was always a loss in a gain.


    Since Ellenson had personally invited her, then it would be bad if she refused it. As Ellenson had said, currently, there was nothing particularly important for her to deal with. Anne only knew how to eat and sleep; she had completely forgotten about her heavy injuries after she slept. This place''s security was also very tight, so there''s no need for her to worry. As for her own safety, she didn''t really consider much. If it was in the Deep Stone City, people who didn''t know her might try to look for trouble, but in Golden City, basically no one dared to do that.


    What''s more, if they really wanted to do so, they wouldn''t have the power. She was a middle circle mage, after all.


    After thinking for a while, Marlene thought that there wouldn''t be any problem, so she decided to agree with her invitation.


    "Alright, if it''s just tea�� I think I can spare some time."


    "Really! That''s great!"


    Hearing Marlene''s answer, Ellenson smiled excitingly and flushed. Even her eyes went teary. It could be seen that she really cared about this invitation. Seeing her expression, she also began to regret being a little uncaring about her at first.


    Thinking until here, Marlene turned around towards Lize and Christie.


    "Then, Lize, Christie, I''ll be going out for a while. Please tell Mr. Rhode that I''ll be back as soon as possible."


    "Alright, Marlene."


    Hearing Marlene''s answer, Lize quickly nodded. She didn''t notice that at this time, Ellenson was secretly looking at her with a hateful expression. It was only a second when both of them finished speaking with each other, and Ellenson quickly smiled. She held Marlene''s hand intimately and both of them walked out together. Lize felt that she was doing it on purpose just to show off.


    When they arrived at the entrance, a luxurious carriage was already waiting in the front. Marlene nodded towards Christie and Lize and entered the carriage. Seeing her gesture, Lize and Christie also hurriedly waved their hands to say goodbye. However, Ellenson didn''t seem to want them to do so; she looked at the two of them coldly, then she whispered something to the coachman and closed the door carriage.


    Soon, the carriage moved and quickly left.


    "That sister doesn''t seem to like us very much."


    Until then, Christie finally let go of her hand and said uneasily. She had been bullied for so many years, so she was very sensitive towards other people''s psychological characteristic response. Although Ellenson hid it very well, but Christie was keen enough to perceive the deeply hidden hostility and disdain towards her, which made her felt a little unhappy, not because she hated being underestimated, but she felt that such person did not deserve to be a good friend of Sister Marlene.


    "�� Let''s go back, Christie."


    But Lize didn''t respond to Christie. She just watched the back of the carriage as it disappeared and shook her head. Unlike Christie, she understood how Marlene felt. Although she had been adventuring for so many years, she grew up as a royalty, so she understood the communication between the nobles and such things. That''s why although she had the same thought as Christie, she was more mature than her and was able to understand Marlene''s decision.


    Thinking until here, Lize took Christie''s hand and walked away.


    The luxurious carriage came across a relatively remote and secluded neighborhood, which looked beautiful. There were cobbled roads, clear water, greeneries, and beautiful sculptures on both sides of the road. It looked really delightful.


    "This is not your house, Ellenson."


    Walking down the carriage, Marlene looked at the street view on both sides and frowned. However, Ellenson gently smiled.


    "This is my other mansion, dear sister. The environment here is very good, very quiet, and not noisy, so we don''t have to be afraid of being disturbed. It''s a very good place."


    "Indeed, it looks quite good."


    Seeing the beautifully decorated elegant building, Marlene nodded. Ellenson walked forward and chuckled. Soon, there were attendants who opened the door and guided them inside.


    The interior of the mansion was like the exterior��very luxurious. There was a hint of sweet fragrance in the air, and the red velvet carpet on the floor felt soft and comfortable. The corridor on both sides was filled with exquisite statues and paintings. Marlene admired these exquisite works of art while following Ellenson to the living room from the side. Fine desserts and steaming black tea had already been prepared. Just as Ellenson had said, it was a normal afternoon tea.


    "Elder Sister, please come and have a sip. It took me a lot of effort just to get this black tea.


    Ellenson attentively stretched out her hand and personally poured a cup of black tea for Marlene, and Marlene also did not refuse. She took a light sip. Soon, the black tea''s uniquely bittersweet taste quickly spread on her mouth, making her feel relaxed and refreshed.


    "How about it, Sister?"


    The girl placed both hands on her cheek while looking at Marlene. Hearing Ellenson''s question, Marlene only smile and nodded.


    "Not bad at all, Ellenson. It seems like you understand my taste really well.


    "Naturally, you are the dearest elder sister I admire the most. Also, try this cake; this was also especially made for you. Please try it, it''s imported from the south. Sweet and cold, very delicious."


    As always, the conversation between nobles was boring. Marlene absent-mindedly took the cake that Ellenson handed her while instinctively making a graceful response. If Anne had been here, she would have shown a more forthright opinion. Thinking of here, Marlene smiled. Although there''s no way that Anne could eat like her and these nobles, but seeing Anne happily eating also made Marlene very happy�� She wouldn''t be able to experience that kind of feeling in a noble tea party,


    "Elder sister, you have changed��"


    Just as Marlene was tasting the cake, Ellenson stared at her and sighed.


    She lowered her eyes and a trace of despair and anger flashed through her eyes. However, Marlene was still immersed in her thoughts and did not notice it.


    "When I heard that you were leaving Golden City, I was very, very worried. I was always afraid that something might happen to you�� and now you''re back, but �� you seem to have changed a lot."


    "People always change, Ellenson. We are growing, and everyone will change; I will change, and so will you."


    Marlene put down her knife and fork. She looked at the girl beside her, but what she saw was Ellenson''s restless expression.


    "But I don''t want to change, sister. I only want to maintain my previous life, because change is not always a good thing, is it, sister? Why are you so serious when you''re with me when you can smile at those lowly people? Can I not be compared to them?"


    "Ellenson?"


    The surrounding air began to thicken. The originally faint, sweet fragrance had wrapped around Marlene like honey. Marlene shook her head, and her conscious gradually became blurred. Everything around her seemed to be distorted, rotating.


    "Sister, why?"


    Marlene looked up and saw Ellenson''s blurred figure. She stood up and came towards her.


    "Why? I have always admired you so much, but why do you prefer to treat those lowly people as your friends, and not me as your friend?


    "Ellenson�� you��"


    Marlene clenched her hands, she had instinctively sensed that something was wrong and wanted to chant a spell. However, on the next moment, she could not even make the slightest sound.


    In her eyes, Ellenson''s figure had begun to get blurred and distorted. Her body had begun to become hot, and she gradually lost her strength.


    "But, its alright sister�� Just as you said, everyone will change, and so will me. The current me is no longer longing for your friendship��"


    Her vision turned black, and Ellenson''s voice was also fading. The endless darkness had completely swallowed Marlene''s consciousness��

 Chapter 321 Crisis

    It was already dusk when Rhode came back.


    After watching today''s competition, besides ordering Old Walker to finish his ''mission'', he also went to the Royal Library in Golden City. He was hoping to find a clue about Celia and Celestina''s identity. When he fought with Carody, the relationship between them was completely beyond what Rhode had expected. Through his instinct, he felt that their relationship was not normal, and it was as if they were hiding something. He had read all the books regarding angels and demons this afternoon, but he couldn''t find any clues connected to Celia or Celestina. However, Rhode didn''t give up. Instead, it incited his interest even more. As there were no records of them in the Royal Library, which had the second most detailed description of the angels and demons in the continent, second only to the Temple of the Country of the Law. Then, neither Celestina nor Celia''s existence was really a mystery.


    Of course, the reason Rhode was investigating their identity wasn''t only out of curiosity, but also because he had to. As an existence that once lived in this world, each summoned spirits had its own uniqueness, past, history, and memory. Only after understanding that would he be able to unleash its full power. There were summoned spirits better at offense, and those better at defense. There were summoned spirit that liked war, and those that liked peace. If he was unable to understand their past and identity, then if they evolved in the future and met powerful opponents, the summoned spirit might also negatively act on the owner''s orders. Just like before, Rhode could feel that Celia was actually very reluctant. On the contrary, Celestina did not put ''low life'' into her eyes. If he ordered them to destroy a village, Celia would definitely oppose it, while Celestina would enjoy it.


    Any choice had its two sides.


    Although Rhode also could force them to tell him about their identity, that would create a gap between the summoner and the summoned spirit. In the worst case scenario, it was even possible for the summoned spirit to choose self-destruction to escape this bondage and Rhode definitely wouldn''t choose to do this kind of thing. This matter was more of like a test to him. A test of whether the summoner cared about the summon spirit. Only by passing this test would summoner be qualified to get the summoned spirit''s allegiance.


    "Sigh.."


    As Rhode entered the hall, he sighed. At the same time, he shook his head. After reading through the files for the entire afternoon, he felt that his whole body was aching. At this moment, a small body embraced him, Christie looked up and smiled at him.


    "�� Rhode�� Welcome back��"


    "I''m back, Christie."


    Rhode gently smiled back at Christie. He stretched out his hand and patted her head. When he looked up, Lize was holding a storybook as she walked towards him.


    "Welcome back, Mr. Rhode. Did everything go smoothly?"


    "Not bad."


    Facing Lize''s question, Rhode nodded. He looked at the empty hall and spoke.


    "Where are the others?"


    "Anne was still sleeping, she said that she wanted to sleep until dinner time. The others are resting in their own room�� As for Marlene, she has gone out. She said that she''ll be back at night."


    "Marlene?"


    Hearing until here, Rhode was surprised.


    "Where did she go?"


    "This�� There''s a girl called Ms. Ellenson who invited her for an afternoon tea. She said that she''s Marlene''s best friend in the academy."


    "Is that so��"


    Hearing until here, Rhode nodded and asked.


    "Do you know where did she go?"


    "This�� I''m not too sure."


    Hearing Rhode''s question, Lize helplessly shook her head. At this time, Christie lifted her head.


    "�� I know where she went�� That girl called Ellenson said��"


    "Oh?"


    Hearing until here, Rhode and Lize glanced at each other, then both looked at Christie.


    "Where did they go?"


    "�� From what I have heard, that girl told the coachman to go to a place called Barbero Street��"


    "Barbero?"


    Hearing until here, Lize tilted her head, but she couldn''t recall any place with that name. It was no wonder; before she left Golden City, she never wandered off anywhere. Most likely, the number of streets she knew in Golden City could be counted on her fingers. Considering this, she was no different than those country bumpkins.


    Instead, when Rhode heard this name, his expression quickly sank.


    "Christie, are you sure?"


    "�� Umm, yes�� that girl said so to the coachman�� she said that it''s Barbero Street.."


    Having said that, Christie reached out and gestured, as if she were mimicking something. However, compared to this, Lize was even more surprised. She did not know that Christie''s hearing was actually so good. At that time, Ellenson wasn''t even close to them, and she had also deliberately lowered her voice, so Lize couldn''t hear what she was saying. She did not expect that Christie was actually able to hear it. She was planning to say more, but after seeing Rhode''s expression, Lize was surprised.


    Currently, Rhode''s expression was really bad.


    Although he usually looked indifferent, but it was easy for people around him to notice that Rhode''s face wasn''t actually expressionless. It was just that many times, he didn''t convey his emotions through expressions. However, right now his expression could be said to be very obvious.


    Unlike Lize and Christie who didn''t know anything, Rhode knew what kind of place Barbero was.


    When there was light, there was always darkness. It was also the same in Golden City. It''s true that Munn Kingdom remained stable under Lydia, but it was nonsense to think that everyone was kind-hearted. Among tons of apples, there would always be some that were rotten. It was the same in the Golden City. The noble here lacked enjoyment and depravity, and Barbero Street was the best place for those nobles who were lost. There, they could enjoy and indulge like wild beasts. It was a place filled with sins and sweet depravity.


    In the game, Lydia had cleared up this place in the end. However, in the middle of this quest, Rhode had realized just how terrible this place was. Because the game was rated G, there were some sensitive details that were concealed, but just the tip of the iceberg was enough to make people shiver. However, it was nothing compared to the partying and drugs in Rhode''s previous world.


    So when he heard this place from Christie''s mouth, Rhode''s heart immediately sank. From his understanding towards Marlene, he didn''t think that she was the type who would like to enjoy depravity, and he could hardly imagine it. He even wondered whether Marlene knew about this place because Barbero Street was also a taboo among the nobles, and only nobles who really belonged there were qualified to know its existence. For other nobles, they were only vaguely aware that there was such a place, but they were not clear about its specifics.


    But Rhode was sure that the people who knew about that place definitely wren''t something good.


    "When did they leave?"


    "Probably�� an hour ago."


    Lize was surprised by Rhode''s seriousness. She recalled carefully and replied. Then she looked at Rhode uneasily.


    "Mr. Rhode, is there any problem?"


    "I''ll go and see the situation."


    Rhode did not explain the matter to Lize. He only reached out and patted Christie''s shoulder. Then, he sorted out his clothes and looked down.


    "Lize, don''t tell anyone about this matter. I''m going to find Marlene now. Take care of the others and don''t allow anyone to leave. Do you understand?"


    "I, I understand, Mr. Rhode."


    Lize replied uneasily. Although she didn''t know what had happened, she still noticed that something was wrong. Rhode nodded to the both of them and left.


    Damn it!


    Rhode left the mansion with a very gloomy expression. He could be sure that there was definitely something wrong. Marlene wasn''t that type of girl, and even Christie wouldn''t go out with just anyone. Marlene was usually a serious and assertive person. Since the other was able to invite Marlene out, then she definitely had a relationship with Marlene. However, no matter how Rhode thought of it, he couldn''t figure out why someone dared to kidnap Marlene in Golden City. Did they really not know just how powerful the Senia family iswas


    But now wasn''t the time for Rhode to think about this.


    Rhode took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Soon, a list of all the members of the mercenary group appeared before him, Rhode effortlessly found Marlene''s name and selected it. After that, an inverted triangle representing the position coordinates appeared before him and pointed towards a group of building in the west.


    God bless.


    Seeing this inverted triangle, Rhode felt relieved. Then, he activated his shadow flash without hesitation and quickly flew towards the coordinates.

 Chapter 322 Night Chaos

    "Hnn��"


    Marlene opened her eyes.


    The light of the setting sun had illuminated the room. She looked up, and her head felt a splitting headache. She wanted to reach out and hold her forehead, but soon noticed that her wrist felt tight. She discovered that her hands and feet had been bound by chains. She was tied up in a luxurious, soft bed. Although she looked unusual, she felt powerless and unable to move. It was even difficult for her to move her body. She wandered and stared at the surrounding. She didn''t know where she was and what was happened currently. This made her a little bit surprised, anxious, and worried.


    "Ara, sister, you finally awake?"


    At this moment, Ellenson''s voice sounded. Marlene frowned as she heard her voice. When she saw her, Marlene was completely shocked.


    The person who appeared before her was indeed Ellenson, but she was no longer wearing the dress she wore previously. Instead, she was wearing a transparent tulle skirt and a bizarre butterfly mask that looked unusually strange. In addition, she didn''t wear any clothes. She just stood there while looking at her with a teasing gaze. When Marlene saw her, her face was red, and she hurriedly turned her head.


    "Ellenson, why are you wearing something like this? What are you trying to do? Your joke has gone too far!"


    "So scary~"


    Upon hearing Marlene''s criticism, Ellenson chuckled. She elegantly placed her hand on her lips, showing a well-groomed lady-like gesture that gave off an enticing charm. At this time, Marlene felt that something was wrong. The Ellenson she knew was not such a person. In the past, she would not even dare make such a joke to her. She was a lively girl but was actually quite conservative. It was impossible for her to stand naked in front of her shamelessly.


    There must be something wrong with it!


    Thinking of here, Marlene''s heart sank, then she opened her mouth.


    "Dirs�� Ahhhhhhh!!"


    However, Marlene was unable to finish her chanting, because at this time the chains that bound her wrist had sparked out electricity and froze her body. It was as if she was hit heavily by a whip. Under this strong stimulation, Marlene shook her body up and down. Afterward, she could no longer chant.


    "Elder sister, don''t be so anxious, it''s not good~"


    Ellenson walked to Marlene''s side and reached out her hand. She gently stroke her face, while Marlene looked at her gloomily.


    "Anti-magic shackles�� Ellenson, what do you want to do?"


    "What do I want to do?"


    Under Marlene''s sharp gaze, Ellenson didn''t seem to be shaken by it. Instead, she lightly smiled and asked her back.


    "How could I possibly do things that harm Sister? I just hope that Sister will be able to enjoy this supreme happiness just like me�� This is my hospitality to you, dear sister. Do you like it? I thought that Sister would definitely resist at the very beginning, so I used this method. But I can guarantee that my Sister will like this feeling just like me. My master is very gentle, elder sister, you will definitely enjoy it."


    "Master?"


    Hearing her words, Marlene frowned. At this moment, a man opened the door and entered the room. He was dressed in expensive, well-made noble clothes. His skin was pale white just like the nobles of the south. His pale chestnut hair was divided into two sides. His sharp face reminded people of animals, such as wolves or hounds. Not to mention, just being watched by his narrow eyes made Marlene feel as if a venomous snake crawled over her body.


    "Oh, Master, you are finally here!"


    Looking at the man who just appeared, Ellenson happily smiled. She ran towards him and embraced him. But seeing that she was naked, it made Marlene felt uncomfortable. She frowned and looked at herself. Thank god, she was still wearing her previous clothes. It seemed like Ellenson wasn''t trying to do the same to her.


    This made Marlene feel relieved for a while, but soon she quickly looked towards that man vigilantly.


    "Who are you?!"


    At this time, Marlene finally realized that she had encountered a great problem.


    As the sole successor of the Senia family, no matter whether she was willing or not, she knew most of the young nobles of the Munn Kingdom. Whether they were talented people or wastrels, Marlene knew that befriending those nobles was also considered a necessary lessons for her as a successor of the Senia family. However, she had no idea who the man in front of them was. He was a total stranger to her, but it was really weird because, in the Golden City, there were no noble she didn''t know.


    Who is this man actually?


    Thinking until here, Marlene immediately became nervous. She was not stupid; the successor of the Senia family didn''t only have powerful magic power and pretty face, but also had keen insight. It was not strange for a man to show up here, but a man who she didn''t know? That was definitely a problem. At least, it meant that this man wasn''t a noble in the Munn Kingdom.


    Then what did that mean?


    "I''m just an unknown person, dear Ms. Marlene."


    Facing Marlene''s question, the man graciously answered and smiled. However, in Marlene''s eyes, he looked just like a scorpion.


    "I guess you can''t tell me your real name."


    Marlene coldly snorted, not seeming surprised by his answer.


    "But do you know what are you doing? Ellenson is the only daughter of the Nancy family. If her family knows�� No matter who you are, I''m afraid nothing good will happen to you."


    "Oh, I''m so scared, Ms. Marlene."


    Hearing Marlene cold response, the man only whistled. After that, he lightly clapped and sarcastically smiled.


    "As expected of a genius; even after you fell into such a state, you are still able to maintain a calm and arrogant attitude�� It''s really great to see that you are such challenging prey�� but I don''t think you need to worry about Ellenson."


    Having said that, the man turned around and looked at the naked girl before him.


    "Ellenson, come and tell Ms. Marlene over there. What is our relationship?"


    "Yes, Master."


    Hearing the man''s voice, Ellenson''s eyes lit up. She bowed before him and looked up.


    "I am Master''s slave. I am Master''s most loyal slave. Master, will you please give me rewards? I have done what you said. Now I can''t hold it anymore��"


    Ellenson crawled on the ground like a dog. She looked at the man before her with expectations and eagerness. She totally looked like a pet dog who was trying to gain the owner''s favor.


    "Master, see, I''ve been so�� I''ve been so eager, I beg you, please give me a reward��"


    "Ellenson, what are you talking about!! Get a grip!!"


    When she heard Ellenson speak, Marlene was shocked. She stared blankly at the girl, who was opening her legs wide, acting vulgar like a prostitute, and was completely speechless. The scene before her really shattered her impression of Ellenson. She never thought that the cheerful girl she once knew would actually pose in such a debauchery gesture and say such filthy words.


    "It''s useless, Ms. Marlene."


    The man stretched out his hand and patted Ellenson''s head, which immediately received a satisfying response from her.


    "Right now, Ellenson has completely become my pet. Just look at her��she looks very happy, right? She doesn''t have to think about anything. She just needs to listen to my orders to feel this supreme happiness. She has never felt such a feeling before�� Of course, it''s not like she didn''t resist in the beginning."


    Having said that, the man strangely smiled. He walked towards Marlene and took out a bottle of potion. Seeing the man''s gesture, Marlene''s expression turned gloomy. She didn''t move her body to escape from his sight. Instead, she looked at him with a cold and sharp gaze.


    "So scary~"


    The man calmly enjoyed Marlene''s gaze and didn''t withdraw from it. He stretched out his hand and poured the potion into Marlene''s mouth. When he let go of his hand, Marlene coughed up heavily, but her gaze towards that man remained unchanged.


    "But I don''t hate it�� it''s more interesting to see a proud woman lowers her pride. Soon, you will understand the meaning of my words. But now�� I''m going to give a reward to my pet first."


    The man turned around to look at Ellenson. Aware of his gaze, Ellenson was pleasantly surprised.


    The night fell.


    As the temperature in the room gradually rose, combined with a thick and sweet fragrance in the air, Marlene bit her teeth. She opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling in front of her. Her body had gradually become weaker and weaker. In addition, her body also became hotter and itchy. This feeling had began to spread around her body. Now, Marlene couldn''t even lift a finger. Just one movement was enough to shook her body. Marlene was certain that the potion she had taken was affecting her body, but she still kept her sanity. Marlene knew exactly what this man wanted to do. Although she never had experience in this area, it did not mean that she was completely ignorant about it. The man intended to conquer her by doing this, and as long as she could no longer endure the suffering and gave in, it would be his victory. However, Marlene did not intend to let the other party succeed so easily. Although she lost her magic power, her self-control as a mage still played its role.


    But even so, the moaning sounds that echoed in her ear still interfered from time to time.


    "Ah�� ah��"


    Although her voice wasn''t loud, it still clearly echoed in her ears. She closed her eyes and tried to maintain her sanity, using her strong will to isolate all this off. But even so, her heart was still filled with pain and sorrow. Especially when she heard the familiar voice was pleading, she felt as if she had been stabbed.


    "Ah��!!"


    Finally, the sound stopped.


    "Such a good kid. Don''t you think so, Ms. Marlene?"


    The man gently stroked Ellenson beside him and looked at Marlene, who was tightly tied to the bed. Marlene''s face still showed cold and serious expression, but at that moment her pale face flushed and her chest was undulating. She stared at the man in front of her angrily, and a flame of anger blazed in her eyes.


    "As expected of a young miss of the Senia family; you''re on a totally different level compared to this thing."


    Seeing Marlene, who was indifferent, the man shook his head and looked at Ellenson.


    "Did you know that this kid also resisted at first and screamed loudly? However, she soon changed her mind.


    You also will change once you experience it�� Are you ready to enter this whole new world?"


    "�� In your dreams��"


    Marlene clenched her teeth. She felt suffocated, and her body was burning hot. She used up all of her strength in order to say those words.


    "You are really stubborn."


    Hearing his response, the man frowned. Although he admired her insistence, gradually, he started to feel somewhat unhappy.


    "It seems like it is time for something new."


    Then, the man took out a circular gem and placed it before Marlene''s eyes.


    She instinctively wanted to turn around and close her eyes. However, the heat on her body quickly spread and slowed down her movement. Before she was able to turn her head, her eyes looked into the color of the gem.


    The brilliance of the gem flashed through her eyes. Her eyes, which were originally clear, had turned completely blank.

 Chapter 323 Butterfly Dream

    It''s here.


    Seeing the small, quiet building before him, Rhode frowned. Judging from the coordinates of the location, there was no doubt that Marlene was inside and had never moved. This was definitely not a good sign. He looked up and glanced at the sky. At this moment, the last glimmer of the setting sun had gradually disappeared from the horizon. The night was coming. The trees, springs, roads, and buildings were enveloped in bright red color.


    With the passing of this light, darkness came and Rhode''s voice disappeared at the same time.


    He finally succeeded.


    The man retracted his gaze and looked out the window. Then, he looked back towards Marlene, who was laying on the bed. Currently, she was no longer resisting like before. She was blankly staring at the gem on the man''s hand like a puppet. Her originally beautiful red eyes had lost its light. Seeing this scene, the man finally felt relieved. With the help of this Dream Gem, he finally conquered Marlene. This wasn''t an easy task for him; as a genius mage, Marlene''s mentality was very strong. Even though she was drugged, it was not easy to completely eliminate her defense. But in the end, he was still successful.


    "Look at me�� Ms. Marlene��"


    The man looked at Marlene''s eyes and said. Hearing his voice, Marlene slowly tilted her head and looked at the man. She had completely turned into a puppet and had long lost her consciousness.


    This is really interesting.


    Looking at obedient and well-behaved Marlene, the man smirked. Before, she was such a proud young lady, but now she looked extremely cute. He could no longer endure his desire and wanted to eat her up. Thinking that the genius mage of the Munn Kingdom was going to become his plaything, he sneered. After that, he came to Marlene''s side and shook his thing towards her.


    "Right now, I want you to listen to my orders�� Understand?"


    Hearing the man''s order, Marlene looked at him. After a while, she nodded.


    Very good, just like this��


    Seeing the girl before him, the man could no longer contain himself, but he still forced himself to endure. Everything had to be done gradually. If he was too impatient, the effect would not be too good��


    At this moment, he finally noticed that someone was patting his shoulder.


    "Eh?"


    When he turned around, a fist had already landed on him��


    "Boom!!"


    Rhode''s fist fell into the man''s face with precision, its strength was enough to force the handsome man to fly backward. Followed by the scattering of blood and teeth, the man screamed. His body was slammed into the wall behind. This sudden attack made the man completely overwhelmed. He blinked and struggled to stand up. When the man opened his eyes and to see exactly what happened, a glimpse of red light flashed in front of him. Then, he felt an incomparable sharp pain from the bottom to the top, sweeping his body in an instant.


    "Ahhhhhhh!!"


    Bright red blood flowed between his thighs and spattered around. His thing was quietly lying underneath his feet and gradually shrinking like a dying caterpillar.


    At this moment, the man could no longer withstand the extreme pain. His eyes rolled backward and then he collapsed to the ground.


    "Master!! Master!!"


    Seeing the man''s pitiful state, Ellenson screamed and rushed towards him. However, when she had just stood, Rhode''s fist had already landed on her stomach. Afterward, she lost her balance and fell to the ground.


    Rhode was finally relieved. He looked at the surroundings and walked towards Marlene. He pointed his sword forward and broke the shackles that chained her. Even so, she was still staring blankly at the front as if to her, Rhode didn''t exist. Even though her gaze fell on Rhode, but it didn''t seem like she was looking at him.


    "Hm?"


    Rhode was surprised when he noticed that Marlene was acting strangely. He came forward and gently patted her face, but she had no reaction. Well, saying that she had no reaction didn''t seem to be correct. Because when Rhode''s hand touched her face, her body trembled and she moaned. Her body was moving strangely, both of her hands were stroking her body, her legs were rubbing on each other, and her face was blushing. Right now she looked very enticing and charming.


    "Damn it!!"


    Seeing this scene, Rhode frowned. He clenched his teeth as he waved his sword.


    A blazing light flew from the sword and hit the ground. Soon, the ground was filled with burning flames and a figure appeared.


    "Ara, Master, you finally found Ms. Marlene? How is her condition�� It doesn''t seem to be very good."


    Gillian''s figure emerged from the flame. After seeing Marlene condition, her ears slightly moved. She came to Rhode''s side and carefully observed Marlene. Not long after, she finally found the cause.


    "It seems Marlene has taken an aphrodisiac. Such a despicable method. I can''t believe that people still use this kind of method; it really is shameless.."


    "Do you have the antidote?"


    Hearing Rhode''s question, Gillian didn''t immediately reply. She came closer and carefully looked at Marlene. After that, she lowered her head and kissed Marlene''s lips.


    "Uu�� uu��"


    Sensing Gillian''s touch, Marlene showed an unexpectedly intense reaction. She immediately reached out her hands and embraced Gillian. Inside the room, the sound of her heavy breathing and tongue sprawling around could be heard. After a moment, Gillian lifted her head, licked her lips. Marlene looked as if she hadn''t yet felt satisfied; she reached out her hands while showing an unprecedentedly ecstatic expression as if she were craving for something.


    "How is it?"


    Rhode frowned and asked.


    "The situation is very bad."


    Gillian licked her lips and looked at Rhode with a smile. However, her eyes didn''t seem to be smiling at all. Clearly, even to the usually cheerful Gillian, this situation was also difficult to resolve and this point was proven after Rhode''s heard her answer.


    "Although at this point of time, I should suggest that since Ms. Marlene is under the effects of an aphrodisiac, you should quickly sacrifice yourself to help her�� It''s better for you to enjoy it yourself rather than giving it to others after all�� and I really do want to say so too, unfortunately, whether it''s from your point of view or Marlene''s, I suggest not to do so. I don''t know where that person got this potion, but I''m sure that it''s not an ordinary aphrodisiac�� It''s the Fragrance of Seduction."


    "Fragrance of Seduction?"


    Hearing until here, Rhode was surprised and Gillian replied him with a nod.


    "It doesn''t work like ordinary aphrodisiac where it will only stir up one''s sexual desire. Although strictly speaking it was also some kind of aphrodisiac, but it''s stronger than the ordinary ones�� Simply saying, if she did ''you know what I mean'' with a man�� Then her body will keep remembering the taste of it and she will turn into the man''s slave."


    "What you mean is��"


    Facing Gillian''s answer, Rhode''s face sank.


    "That''s right, it''s just as Master has thought. Although it will release Marlene from her suffering, she will turn into a puppet that''s obsessed with sex and be completely obedient to you. She will no longer have any self-esteem. Simply speaking, even if you tell her to be naked in the street and role play, she will definitely not refuse. Frankly, besides lust, there will be nothing left on her mind. Except wishing for your caresses and hugs, there will not be any purpose in her life."


    Hearing Gillian''s answer, Rhode turned around and look at Marlene. After the kiss with Gillian, she could no longer endure. She was putting her hands in between her legs. At the same time, she opened her mouth and kept breathing rapidly.


    "Then what will happen if she continues to be like this?"


    "She will not die, but the feeling will remain. Since it''s a demon''s potion, the effect cannot disappear easily like the one in your previous world. Depending on the purity, it might even affect Ms. Marlene for her entire life�� However, by that time, I think she will already lose her sanity��"


    Hearing until here, Rhode clenched his teeth.


    It seemed that the matter was more troublesome than he had thought.


    After that, Rhode carefully searched the man''s body, but he couldn''t find anything concerning the antidote. In the end, he could only summon Celestina and hope to get some information out of her. Fortunately, Celestina didn''t let him down.


    "Indeed, I have heard something about the Fragrance of Seduction, and I do have the antidote."


    Celestina proudly lifted her head and smiled.


    "Since it''s made by us demon, although this potion doesn''t work on me, it''s really quite lethal to a lowly creature like a human��"


    Celestina looked at the man who laid unconscious in the corner and coldly snorted.


    "Lowly creature."


    As she spoke, Celestina heavily stomped on the ''thing'' that laid in front of the man. Followed with a bang, the soft yellow slimy thing got wrecked by her high heels. The liquid splattered on the carpet and exuded a stench. Then she raised her hand and threw a small bottle of potion to Rhode.


    "How to use it?"


    Rhode took the potion and asked. However, Rhode didn''t expect that Celestina actually flustered when she heard his question.


    "�� This�� Do I still have to explain it, Master? You''re not stupid, right�� It''s already written there�� This antidote effect is to remove the toxicity by reversing the drug''s properties, it means�� you need to drink this potion and then��"


    "��."


    Celestina didn''t finish her words, but Rhode already understood what she meant. He looked at the potion before him strangely. Gillian who was standing on the side suddenly laughed.


    "This is not so bad, right, Master? Isn''t this our goal? The storyline really does have to be developed in accordance with the old-fashioned harem way for it to be interesting. Fufufu�� Since we have found the antidote, then I won''t stay here for long�� I will bring these two back first, and I hope you and Ms. Marlene can enjoy."


    Gillian walked towards the fire portal while laughing. She stretched out her hands and soon, Ellenson and that unconscious man floated in the air. They were surrounded by the flames and disappeared without a trace. Gillian looked at Rhode with encouragement and made a V gesture. Then, she walked to the portal and disappeared. At this moment, Celestina was gazing at Rhode strangely, then she reverted back to a card and disappeared into the air.


    The entire room had turned silent.


    Rhode turned around to look at Marlene who was laying on the bed.


    Right now she was moving her body intensely. Her forehead was full of sweat, her face was flushing red, and her dress had long fallen off, showing her pale white skin. She was still staring at the ceiling blankly as she moaned, her hands were rubbing hardly between her legs and her voice was getting louder as her movement got more intense.


    "Ah�� ah�� not enough�� I want more�� Ahhh!!!"


    As Marlene moaned, her body began to twitch again in the bed. Until then, Marlene seemed to have felt satisfied by the thrilling pleasure. But soon, she began to take more action. Clearly, she was not satisfied yet.


    Rhode opened the bottle and drank the potion. Soon, a strange cold sensation spread all over his body in an instant. Even Rhode couldn''t help but feel a chill as he walked towards Marlene. Then, he got closer to look at the woman before him.


    He never actually looked at Marlene at such a close distance, which was why he had never seen such a tantalizing and charming side of Marlene. In Rhode''s impression, Marlene always looked serious and sometimes arrogant. Although she smiled from time to time, but��


    Marlene''s moaning sound stopped Rhode''s thought. He took a deep breath and lowered his head to kiss her.


    "Um�� mmm��"


    Facing Rhode''s surprise attack, Marlene instinctively struggled. But soon, she stopped struggling. Rhode''s tongue touched her lips and easily penetrated in. His tongue lightly sprawled against Marlene''s soft tongue. She responded fiercely to Rhode''s kiss and moved her body as she issued a sound. Rhode could felt a sweet fragrance was emitting from her body. It was rich and intoxicating.


    Clearly, this kiss was way longer than the one he had with Gillian. Whether it was Marlene or Rhode, both of them seemed to be intoxicated by it. When they finally separated from each other, Marlene''s eyes gradually lit up. Her hands that were originally underneath were stroking up, clumsily trying to undo Rhode''s clothes.


    No matter how tempting she might seem, she was still a virgin, after all. Seeing Marlene''s clumsy, awkward look, Rhode smiled. Then he reached out his hand to pin down Marlene''s hands and swiftly undressed her.


    Her pale white skin was revealed. As Rhode appreciated the sight before him, he lowered his head and whispered something to Marlene.


    "Although the way things developed now isn''t quite right, but I still want to say�� From today on, you are my woman."


    "Uh�� hmm��"


    Marlene blankly stared at Rhode as if she were thinking about the true meaning of his words. However, at this moment, Rhode already placed his head between her thighs.


    Afterward, the thrilling sensation shrouded her body.

 Chapter 324 Magical Nigh

    The night sky had shrouded everything in darkness. The city lights of Golden City entered from the window and illuminated the originally dark room. Under the faint light, two bodies were clinging tightly to each other. Amid the undulating motions were softy, hasty, and rhythmless breaths and moans. A rich aroma of a young girl permeated the room as the both of them were completely lost to their intoxication.


    It was really alluring.


    Rhode couldn''t help but lick his lower lip as he saw Marlene''s current appearance that was totally different from the usual. From a man point of view, the effect of this medicine was indeed not bad at all. He even thought of asking Celestina for a few more bottles in case he needed it. If not because of the troublesome side effect, this potion was quite good. However, considering its side effect, it was another matter.


    Right now, Marlene was already in a deep sleep. She closed her eyes as she fell into Rhode''s embrace. Looking at her current appearance, she looked just like a virtuous and quiet young miss, but only Rhode knew just how wild she was just now. Frankly, he didn''t expect that Marlene would be that fierce. Although he knew that it might be because she was under the drug''s influence, but he really didn''t expect that the usually serious and calm Marlene would have such an unexpected side, so he was also unable to control himself. Since she was the one who invited him, naturally he couldn''t refuse. Even though it was peaceful now, but looking at the wet sheets and red marks on her pale white skin, it could be seen just how intense they were before. Thinking until here, Rhode couldn''t help but chuckle. At the same time, Marlene frowned as if she could perceive Rhode''s action, but soon, she once again fell into a sweet dream. Currently, Rhode could still see the traces of pain on her face, and the scratches on his back had proven it. Even now, remembering it, he could still feel the stinging pain on his back. He knew there was no way a girl who had lost all her senses and had completely obeyed her instinct to desire would be able to control herself. That''s why he could only bear the responsibility. Although he was already mentally prepared, but facing her crazy request, he was almost exhausted. Even now, he still felt somewhat tired. Clearly, the previous ''fierce battle'' from before was a very heavy physical activity for him.


    As expected, it was too much for a young miss like her?


    Thinking until here, Rhode shook his head. Marlene was currently sleeping under him. Perhaps, it was too intense and had drained too much of her energy. Her eyes were closed as she slowly breathed. Soon, the redness on her face gradually disappeared and her condition seemed to have gotten better. It looked like she had recovered, but he still couldn''t confirm whether she had returned to normal or not. Not to mention, the ''detoxification method'' that Celestina told him was rather skeptical. No matter how he saw it, this situation was very similar to third-rate martial arts novels in the roadside stalls that were once popular a few decades ago, where the main male heroine would force himself on the female heroine in order to get her. Those novels were set in ancient times, after all, but as for now�� Although Dragon Soul Continent was not a really modern and open-minded society, but according to his understanding towards Marlene, she shouldn''t be acting like the female heroine in the martial art novels who followed the three obediences and the four virtues teaching and said things like "Since you have had my body, now I''m yours��" after she woke up.


    But from Rhode''s point of view, he already thought of Marlene as his woman. Although judging from the previous situation, it was critical and unavoidable, but in the end, it was still him who took the advantage of her and not somebody else. So naturally, he should be the one who took responsibility. Of course, he wouldn''t bear responsibility with a woman he had a one-night stand with, because it was voluntary behavior from both parties. Whether or not the other party had thought of the consequences, she herself had already agreed to his request, so there was no sense of responsibility that could be said. A one-night stand had nothing to do with responsibility in the first place. But in Marlene''s case, Rhode couldn''t put her in the same position as those women who were drunk for a variety of reasons and wanted to find someone to comfort them.


    After Marlene woke up, he had to face this problem. There was also no need for him to escape, after all.


    "Is this okay?"


    Rhode frowned as he stared at Marlene''s sleeping face. At that moment, he could feel that the cold chill he felt after drinking the potion from before had entered her body. And now, Marlene''s face was no longer as flushed as before and her temperature had almost returned normal. At least the antidote seemed to work just fine since her fever had gone away.


    However, it was still hard to say whether it had achieved the desired effect.


    Although for the sake of insurance and since he had done it already, it was better if he did it a few more times. Frankly, Rhode also wished to do it several times more, but the potion that Celestina gave him had also affected him. Originally, facing such a virgin lady, there wouldn''t be any problem doing her until midnight. However, this time, he felt a little exhausted. He could do it once again, but he would turn into a fool who passed out after doing it. He could also feel that the cold chill on his body had disappeared, so it was meaningless even if he continued.


    "Forget it. Let''s stop here."


    Thinking until here, Rhode shook his head and stood up. He wore his clothes back and looked at Marlene. Currently, she was sleeping in the bed quietly, but it was still unknown as to whether she had been cured or not. Although Celestina vowed that it worked just fine, there were many things that couldn''t be solved with just self-confidence. The only thing he could do now was to wait and see how it went.


    Even though from a certain point of view, it wasn''t a bad thing even if the antidote didn''t work, since Marlene would become his most faithful slave. Such a beautiful girl��there would be many people who wanted to imprison her. As for Rhode, his desire towards this aspect was also very honest. Or else in the game, he wouldn''t have formed an ''intimate'' relationship with Canary.


    Having sex was okay, but losing one''s mind in exchange for it was too much. Judging from the seriousness of this matter, if Marlene had lost her mind, her control over magic spells would most likely also decline. Marlene, the genius mage of the Munn Kingdom would be no different as ordinary mages. In Rhode''s case, he also didn''t wish for Marlene to become a puppet. After all, her charms laid in her confidence and arrogance. If she lost it, she wouldn''t be Marlene anymore, but a complete stranger.


    Frankly speaking, Rhode liked the girl who smiled confidently at him, sometimes complained about his decisions, but still followed his command and took the initiative to take the responsibility when it was necessary. That was better than a pet dog that could only wag its tail in front of the owner.


    The problem hadn''t yet been completely resolved, or it should be said, what had been resolved before was only the beginning. Now, what Rhode needed to face was the problem that would later arise.


    Thinking until here, Rhode sighed. He reached out to dress her, then he carried her up and walked to the window. Under the moonlight, Marlene was sleeping sweetly like a kid in Rhode''s embrace. She showed a cute, innocent, and charming smile, making Rhode couldn''t help but feel mesmerized. He stretched out his hand and gently stroked her long hair. Feeling Rhode''s touch, Marlene narrowed her eyes like a sleeping cat. She turned around and once again fell asleep. Seeing this scene, Rhode couldn''t help but tilt the corner of his mouth and smile.


    If the antidote worked and Marlene woke up, how would he explain this matter?


    Although Rhode had decided to take the responsibility, but what about Marlene? Would she agree to become his woman? Or did she have another plan in mind? All of these were unsolved mysteries for Rhode. After all, Rhode had never thought of Marlene as a prospective partner, so naturally, she rarely cared about these issues. What''s more, Marlene was the heir of Senia family. So it was impossible for her marriage to be decided by herself and it was very unlikely that she would give up her duties. Her family would always back her up, but at the same time, it was also the responsibility that she had to shoulder. Moreover, these responsibilities needed to be shouldered by her alone. That was why Rhode couldn''t help but consider this issue.


    But either way, he had already made up his mind.

 Chapter 325 A Girls Hear

    Marlene frowned, then slowly opened her eyes.


    She narrowed her eyes as she was dazzled by the bright morning sun. She reached out her hands to cover her eyes. She was still in confused state and didn''t know what was going on. But soon, she seemed to realize something and hurriedly got up.


    "What am I��"


    She subconsciously looked around, but she only saw plain curtains, white sheets, and clean walls. Her surroundings could be said to be unfamiliar, yet they also felt familiar. Seeing the piles of books that laid on the side of the tables, she quickly realized that she was in her own room.


    What''s going on?


    Marlene shook her head. She still remembered what she had encountered yesterday. Ellenson had changed, there was a strange man, and her situation at that time��


    "You''ve woken up?"


    At this time, a familiar voice suddenly sounded. Hearing this voice, the girl quickly turned around and saw Rhode who was quietly watching her while sitting in a chair not far from her.


    "Mr. Rhode?!"


    Seeing Rhode''s figure, Marlene couldn''t help but scream. She was perplexed; she couldn''t figure out what was happening and what kind of situation she was in. She only remembered that when she accepted Ellenson''s invitation for evening tea, she was drugged. Later on, she met a strange man who said he would turn her into her slave and gave her a strange potion�� Thinking until here, Marlene''s heart couldn''t help but sink. Although at that time, she already resisted, but the effect of that strange potion was too strong. She even thought of biting her own tongue to commit suicide. However, back then, it was even difficult for her to speak, so she didn''t even have the strength to bite her tongue. It seemed like that strange man had taken out a beautiful gem and she didn''t remember anything afterward��


    Now, she was actually in her own room. But why was Mr. Rhode there?


    Marlene was puzzled. She frowned as she was trying hard to recall what had happened. Then, she vaguely remembered something. She seemed to have done something�� something�� something�� very embarrassing!!


    "It seems like you are surprised?"


    Just as Marlene was trying hard to recall her memories, Rhode''s voice once again sounded. This time, Marlene gave up thinking, she looked at Rhode and nodded.


    "That''s right, Mr. Rhode. If I remember correctly, I was supposed to be in a mansion, with a strange man�� and�� and��"


    Having said that, Marlene wasn''t able to continue. She was a girl, after all; naturally, she would be too embarrassed to say that she was drugged. Moreover, she still couldn''t figure out her current situation. If she woke up in that strange mansion or lying naked in a prison, she might still understand what was happening. However, her current situation was so strange and she couldn''t even relate the things that happened.


    At this moment, Rhode''s voice echoed.


    "I know that you''re confused, so let me explain��"


    As for how to explain this matter to Marlene, Rhode had already found the answer along the way. Concealing this matter was impossible since both of them had done it and Marlene was a virgin. She would have noticed the anomaly once she recovered. It was better to tell her the truth to prevent her from having silly thoughts, rather than hiding it and made her felt uncomfortable. Certainly, he also knew that it was also not a very good choice. Marlene had a high status, and her first time was also supposed to be a precious thing. For it to be taken away without her permission, Rhode, of course, could understand her feelings. Even though the relationship between them wasn''t bad, but he knew that there was still a distinction in this case. In the best case scenario, she might have a good impression towards him and accept it. If that so, then it would be a happy ending. But in the worst case scenario, Marlene might not have any feelings towards him and even if she accepted his explanation, she would still end up suspicious and worried if there would be a second time. She would also be very awkward around him. If that happened, then Marlene might choose to distance herself�� or even cut off any relationship between them.


    If that happened, Rhode would be very disappointed. Since he had the sense of responsibility, he would accept the consequences of the things that he had done. Evading the problem wouldn''t solve anything.


    Rhode also didn''t know for sure what happened to her before that, so he could only explain the matter according to his point of view, including what he had done to her. Of course, when he mentioned this matter, Rhode didn''t make any excuses. Since it was the fact, he didn''t think that there was any need to explain unnecessary things. But Rhode was also relieved after he read the information regarding Marlene''s current condition from the stronghold system. It was a relief that the detoxification method worked. Looking at her eyes, there also didn''t seem to be any side effects.


    Marlene silently sat on the bed while listening to Rhode''s explanation. Her face was flushed red and the look in her eyes was somewhat complicated. At this moment, Marlene was already very sober and remembered 60%-70% of what happened last night. Although her memories were still fuzzy, but the feeling of becoming one with Rhode was deeply etched into her memory. Not to mention, it was also her first time; even if she had lost her self-consciousness back then, she still instinctively remembered what happened. Moreover, hearing Rhode''s explanation now, her face had gotten even redder and she lowered her head in panic.


    "This is what happened."


    When Rhode finished his sentence, he stood up.


    "Anyway, I must apologize to you first, Ms. Marlene. After all, although the matter was unavoidable, but I still took the action when you were unconscious. If you feel any resentment or dissatisfaction towards me, I understand and will accept it."


    Having said that, Rhode paused. He looked at Marlene who was lowering her head, not knowing what was she thinking.


    "I know you must be feeling really confused. Please have a good day for today. If you have anything to talk about, we can wait until you''re fully recovered, and you don''t have to participate in today''s competition�� As for those two people, I have already ordered Gillian to imprison them. I''ll deal with them when I get back."


    "Alright, Mr. Rhode.."


    Right now, Marlene''s couldn''t think straight anymore. She lowered her head and couldn''t even look at Rhode in the eye. She even hated herself for remembering what happened last night. Although she wasn''t conscious back then, but with these vague memory fragments inside her head, she still could remember the crazy things she did. Thinking about the shameless act she did in front of Rhode last night made her not know what to say. She couldn''t even clearly hear what Rhode said before and just instinctively answered.


    She was feeling extremely awkward.


    Only when she heard the sound of the door shutting did she slowly lift up her head and look at the surrounding. After making sure that Rhode had left, she finally felt relieved. She once again laid on her bed and covered her eyes while looking out the window.


    What happened? Why did this happen? She didn''t know. She gently pressed her lower abdomen, and she could feel a little pain and discomfort around it, which had proven what Rhode said before. So, I really did it with Rhode last night��


    Thinking until here, Marlene couldn''t help but shake her head and close her eyes. After a while, she sighed.


    Even she didn''t know how she should react.


    But she knew one thing: she was not angry.


    Originally, she was worried that she was defiled by that strange man. However, after listening to Rhode''s words, her worries immediately disappeared and she felt really relieved. Afterward, she just felt awkward and embarrassed, but she didn''t feel the slightest disgust towards Rhode. On the contrary, after hearing Rhode''s words, she only had one thing in mind.


    That''s great��


    Even she didn''t know the reason why she would think that. Great? What''s great about it? Was it great because she was not defiled by that strange man? Or was it great to be able to become one with Mr. Rhode?


    The more she thought about it, the more she felt confused. She didn''t have to look in the mirror; she could already feel just how red her face currently was.


    At this time, another question popped out on her mind.


    Then, how does Mr. Rhode feel about it?

 Chapter 326 The Match against Purple Lily

    The bustling crowd filled the arena.


    Barter leaned against the chair while crossing both hands. He closed his eyes as he heard the noise that echoed beside him. His subordinates were sitting around, drinking, and laughing. It looked like they didn''t even put this sacred competition in their eyes. Seeing his subordinates'' behavior, Barter also didn''t plan on stopping them. He only closed his eyes, waiting for the next battle.


    Although Barter was a crude person, as a veteran mercenary that had experienced life and death many times, he had never underestimated his opponents. Even if the audience was cheering on them, saying that Starlight only won because of luck, Barter still couldn''t fully agree with this statement. Indeed, the arguments that circulated in those taverns seemed convincing, but he believed his instinct more. When he met Rhode the first time, he felt a strange and dangerous aura around him. Rhode was like a lofty, proud, and powerful wolf lurking in the dark, waiting to unleash a fatal blow on careless prey. That kind of person definitely didn''t win just by relying on luck.


    Let me have a taste of your strength.


    The horn sounded. Barter opened his eyes and stood up.


    "Alright guys, keep your spirit up! This is Purple Lily''s first battle; if those b*stards eliminate us, I shall pound you guys into minced meat! Understood?"


    "Yes, Boss!!"


    Hearing Barter''s words, the others immediately raised their hands and replied loudly. From their actions, it was really hard to imagine that they were the elites from one of the strongest mercenary groups. Judging from their performance, they looked more like a group of bandits who were going to be mobilized for robbery.


    Only the ugly girl who quietly stood behind Barter didn''t answer him. She took a white mask and put it on her face. After organizing the daggers and knives on her waist, she followed Barter quietly like a shadow and left the lounge.


    Barter originally thought that this battle would be a very difficult and decisive battle.


    At least, he thought so.


    But when he walked out to the ring and saw the lineup, he immediately frowned.


    Rhode, Anne, Lize, Joey, Lapis, and Randolf who were standing before him. Even though they didn''t express it, but almost everyone could discern the problems.


    Gillian and Marlene weren''t there.


    What happened?


    Barter frowned. Everyone knew just how important those two mages were in this competition. If it wasn''t because of Marlene and Gillian, then Starlight would have been eliminated from the start. That''s why when they were training, he warned his subordinates to be careful of those two girls. But now, they actually weren''t participating? What happened?


    Are the two of them exhausted because of the first battle?


    Barter shook his head. This statement wasn''t too convincing. He watched their battle against Sky Sword, they looked as if they had defeated those elites easily. Especially Carter��he seemed to have been fooled by that wolf-eared girl and got played around like a puppet. He was defeated so easily, there was not even any chance for him to struggle.


    So what''s going on here?


    At this moment, not only Barter, but the audiences also noticed the oddity. Various loud noises immediately enveloped the entire arena. Many of these people had not been able to watch the first battle. They only heard the story of Gillian and Marlene from their friends. They also wanted to witness their magnificent magic battle with their own eyes.


    Reality was indeed cruel. Gillian and Marlene''s absence had made them felt disappointed. It was as if the audience was expecting famous stars at the concert, but the ones who appeared were third-rate stars.


    Such a disappointment wasn''t a very good experience for them.


    Of course, Rhode noticed their dissatisfaction, but he couldn''t do anything about it. He also didn''t want this to happen, but the incident Marlene encountered yesterday had destroyed his plan. Although they had arrived safely yesterday, Marlene was still unable to unleash her power stably. In addition, she just recovered, so it was not a good thing to force her to fight.


    As for Gillian, she didn''t come because she was guarding that pair of scums. The truth, when he had castrated that b*stard, he had already figured out his identity. That person couldn''t be easily provoked, but what made him surprised was that he actually dared to harm Marlene.


    It seems that they can''t wait anymore.


    Thinking until here, Rhode finally realized why Marlene''s personality was different from hers in the game. Carefully thinking about it, if the same incident happened and no one saved her, then Marlene would have fallen into their trap and it would be naturally unacceptable for her. So it would not seem strange if she set a mercenary group with only female members and discriminated against men.


    But if so, then the potion should have controlled Marlene''s body and soul. How did she escape from that? There''s no way that there would be another person like him who was able to get the antidote from a high-level demon, right.


    Well, he was only curious about it.


    Although Rhode made them drink a potion made by Lapis to put them asleep until tomorrow, he still told Gillian to guard them for insurance. Since they were the biggest culprit of this incident, as long as they were in his hand, everything would be alright. However, if they escaped, it was going to be a big problem.


    Between conspiracies and competition, Rhode naturally knew which one was more important.


    Now, he couldn''t help but face the current awkward situation.


    Even though Rhode''s main goal was the Liberty Wings, but it didn''t mean that he didn''t put Purple Lily in his eye. Barter''s ''Executioner''s Greatsword'' was very powerful and couldn''t be blocked by just anyone. He couldn''t even guarantee that he could block it in short range battles because his swordsmanship style wasn''t fit for melee attacks. In addition, his subordinates, the ''Snow Woman'', Paris and the ''Storm'', and Hayman weren''t easy to deal with either. Without Gillian and Marlene, this battle was basically a gamble for him�� and that was naturally not something that he liked.


    Frankly, even Lize and Anne couldn''t concentrate on today''s battle. Yesterday, Rhode came back really late, and Gillian helped him hide some part of the truth. Everyone only knew that someone wanted to harm Marlene and Rhode had saved her. As for the details, they weren''t clear about it. Even so, they still couldn''t let this matter go. Lize was Marlene''s childhood friend and best friend, after all. They both had a good relationship; naturally, she was really worried about Marlene. Although Anne only knew Marlene for a while, the relationship between them was also good. When she heard that someone wanted to harm Marlene, she was really furious and even wanted to pound the other party into minced meat. Lapis also felt uneasy and didn''t know what to do. Everyone felt a bit panicky. Even if Rhode himself was calm, there was no way everyone could be like him. Moreover, the second battle was in the morning, so he also couldn''t find the time to resolve this matter. He could only bite the bullet and act according to the flow.


    Damn it.


    Thinking until here, Rhode clenched his teeth. His head hurt thinking that he needed to abolish his original plan and come up with a new plan. Fortunately, it was not his first time encountering such a problem. There were many times where he had to work hard in order to organize and cooperate with the team in order to successfully conquer a dungeon. However, on d-day, there were always people who couldn''t come because of various reasons, forcing him to modify the original plan. So for him, it was not much of a trouble,


    As for the results, he could only see how it would turn out.


    Right now, there was a lot of discussion on the sidelines. However, the horn sound echoed without any disturbance. As it sounded, the original noisy arena turned quiet. Then, the mercenary who served as the referee raised his hand and gestured both sides to start.


    A burly, eye-catching figure walked onto the stage and everyone couldn''t help but catch a glimpse of him.


    Barter strode to the ring. He was holding a huge sword and smiled as he walked to the center. He waved his hand and his greatsword suddenly flew up to the sky, heavily landing in the ring. At the same time, Barter held the hilt with one hand and raised his head. With a proud smile, he looked at Rhode. Then, he turned his head to the referee.


    "I want to change the rules�� I want a brawl!"


    Hearing his words, everyone was shocked, but soon, they understood Barter''s intentions. Rhode also frowned; naturally, he knew what Barter was thinking about. Clearly, he must have investigated Starlight beforehand. From the time he walked to the ring, Rhode already figured out his intention. He wanted to gain the upper hand and win this competition.


    Not to mention now, Marlene and Gillian weren''t here. As for the others�� Lize and Anne weren''t even Barter''s opponent, let alone the others.


    Then��


    Thinking until here, Rhode looked up.


    It seems, this time, I can only rely on myself.


    "Lize."


    Rhode made a decision and quickly waved his hand. Hearing that Rhode had called her, Lize quickly walked to his side.


    "I will go first; you guys should make some preparations�� If I can''t beat him, make sure to back me up. Until then, Anne, you shall go first and Lize will be the last. Also tell Randolf to prepare, understood?"


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode, I understand."


    Hearing until here, Lize was a little bit surprised, but in the end, she still nodded and turned around to inform others. Rhode glanced at everyone and nodded. Then, he walked to the ring while holding the sword.


    "Hey, kid, you finally came."


    Looking at Rhode''s figure, Barter said while smiling wryly.


    "I thought that you would back down. Since you look like someone who only knows how to plan petty tricks from behind."


    "I''m still a man and a man cannot back down, after all."


    Rhode''s face sank; he knew that Barter was intentionally mocking his girly face. If this were Marlene and Gillian, he wouldn''t have to face this pointless provocation. But since the opponent had seen through his weakness, then he had no choice but to give it a go.


    "Great! A real man! I like it!"


    Hearing Rhode''s reply. Barter laughed and gave him a thumbs-up. This made Rhode, who tried to face him, seriously feel somewhat helpless. He had heard the rumor that the leader of Purple Lily was lacking common sense. But only when he faced him did Rhode finally realized that it wasn''t as simple as lacking common sense.


    "But I''m going to say this first: I won''t give up victory."


    Rhode bent his back and looked at him indifferently. He took out his sword, coldly glared at Barter, and said, "Me too. Let''s see if you have the strength to defeat me!"


    Facing Rhode''s cold glare, Barter laughed loudly. Then, he flipped his right wrist and lifted up his heavy sword single-handedly


    Not only that, he stretched out his left hand and pulled out part of the hilt behind his right hand.


    Swoosh!!


    The greatsword that was originally about tens of centimeters thick was divided into two and the ends of the sword were linked with chains. The sword looked dim and dull, like an old weapon that had been buried in the ground for long.


    Executioner''s Greatsword.


    In the game, this greatsword was one of the favorite weapons of a Great Swordsman. It gave extremely high damage, but its requirement for strength was relatively low. Before the player''s attributes were sufficient to use a highly demanding weapon like the Mountain Sword, the Executioner''s Greatsword was a very good transition, not to mention its special ability to divide into two. That meant its damage would be doubled. Certainly, because most players in the game weren''t able to use any martial arts techniques, it was impossible for their right and left hands to move flexibly, so when they used this weapon, at most it would just add a little bit more damage.


    However, to the real owner of this sword, there wouldn''t be any problem in using it.


    The Executioner''s Greatsword was able to increase physical attack by 30%, defense by 100%, and had one-third chance for a critical attack. All of these attributes were troublesome for him, but fortunately, he had the Composition Adornment.


    Thinking until here, Rhode lowered his body as he locked sight with Barter. Barter could feel the fighting spirit that radiated from Rhode at this moment. He smiled as he held up his sword with both hands and crossed them in an X-shaped symbol.


    The entire arena was silent.


    It was not that the audiences had suddenly learned how to appreciate civilization, nor that they could finally comprehend what it meant to be friendly competition. It was just that they felt an unprecedented pressure and impact when they both arrived in the arena. The audience behind Rhode could feel the coldness in the air. The whistling wind blew like the north wind, cold enough to freeze everything. The audience behind Barter was also no better. If Rhode gave off a cold feeling, the feeling that Barter gave off was like being buried alive. Their bodies felt heavy and they felt they couldn''t breathe, like a fish on the shore, unable to make a sound. It was as if there was a huge mountain above them. If they dared to make a noise, then that mountain would fell upon them and turn them into mincemeat.


    "Holy, holy spirit��"


    Seeing this scene, Kavos and Shauna couldn''t help but hold their breaths. They were once mercenary group leaders, after all. Naturally, they were more knowledgeable. As they felt the chill in the air, they realized what was happening before them.


    It was a Sword Intent!! It could only be used by Swordmaster who had reached the peak level!!


    They looked at Rhode who was standing in the ring unbelievably. Although they knew that Rhode was amazing, but many times, his battles were often done by his summon spirits, so they had the impression that even though Rhode''s swordsmanship was very strong, but it was stronger combined with his strange summoned spirits. They usually focused their attention on Rhode''s summoned spirits and unconsciously neglected Rhode''s swordsmanship. They only guessed that Rhode''s swordsmanship level was close to the Swordmaster level or had just entered the Swordmaster level.


    Until today, when Rhode unreservedly demonstrated his strength before them. They were surprised to find out this young man wasn''t the kind of genius who would have a promising future, but one who already finished the road. To be able to show such a strong sword intent that broadly influenced everyone meant that Rhode''s swordsmanship level was completely beyond their imagination. Even Hiller, the leader of Burning Blade mercenary group, had the strength of a Swordmaster, but he still hadn''t reached the point where he could display a sword intent.


    Thinking until here, both of them glanced at each other. They felt really lucky and happy to be able to serve under such a strong man. Surely their future would be unthinkable��


    Very well!


    Faced with such an overwhelming;y cold aura, Barter smiled. He was very happy because he could actually fight with such a powerful opponent. He only expressed his attitude, but he didn''t expect that Rhode would respond to it unreservedly and he was really satisfied by it. In that case, he didn''t have to communicate verbally with him anymore.


    Barter narrowed his eyes. He looked at Rhode from the gap of the two swords before him with a serious expression.


    Rhode could feel a strong aura coming from Barter, just like a mountain''s. No matter how cold the wind that blew past him was, he still didn''t move an inch. This showed just how strong Barter was.


    At this moment, the referee who had long stood between their sword intents could no longer tolerate this strange feeling and escaped to the side. Then, he lifted his right hand and swung it down.


    Swoosh!!


    Rhode''s figure instantly disappeared. Barter shouted while lifting both of his swords and thrusted them to the ground.


    The ground shook, and an intense vibration echoed through the entire arena. The solid slate was also shattered under this powerful force. The cracks quickly spread around and the whistling air crossed over. The X-shaped sword aura aimed toward the sides of the ring, sharp cracks spurring along the way like waves and scattering in all directions.


    At this moment, a red light flashed. Then, it turned into a flash of lightning, piercing towards Barter''s eyes.

 Chapter 327 Tes

    "I really didn''t expect��"


    Viktor tightly held the handles of the seat while watching the battle before him intensely.


    It wasn''t that Viktor wasn''t aware of Barter''s improvement. Usually, he wasn''t particularly smart and wasn''t sensitive towards politics, and his political wisdom could be said to be the worst among the leaders of the four major guilds. But despite this, Purple Lily''s reputation had never dropped. It was because of Barter''s tyrannical strength. Judging from his strength, it could be said that he placed first among the four major guilds.


    So it''s not strange for him to reach the peak of Swordmaster level.


    But that dark-haired young man actually displayed powerful sword intent that was no weaker than Barter''s. This made Viktor very shocked. Even though Rhode had demonstrated his strong swordsmanship skills in the battle with Mobis, he was only a little bit surprised by it. Since he was a major guild leader, he had traveled a lot for many years and had seen many kinds of geniuses. Although some people thought what Rhode had done was difficult to achieve, but to Viktor, it wasn''t uncommon. Hhe knew that in the Country of Law, there were a lot of elite troops among the Temple Guardian Knights and most of them were in their 20s, but they were all very skillful. Each of them had a Master level strength, and these young people were recruited from the temple believers to protect the balance and jurisprudence of the continent. Their numbers weren''t much, but there were at least 500 people. So even if Rhode''s performance was eye-catching, for people with broad insight, his ability was not that terrifying.


    However, the fact that Rhode had reached the peak of the master level meant that his ability was on another level. Just another step, he would have broken through the mortal limit and entered a legendary level, but it would be very difficult to achieve. For ordinary people, breaking through the master level was already extremely hard. But for those talented geniuses, it wasn''t that difficult as long as they persevered. Just like him, he had been stuck at the master level for about five to six years. He had tried to go further, but he still couldn''t become one with his swordsmanship and display the sword intent. Only the people who had reached this level could understand just how difficult it was to break this bottleneck, as if one was trying to fly to the sky while carrying heavy shackles.


    However, this young man actually did it.


    Thinking until here, Viktor gazed at Rhode oddly. This young man was still in his early 20s, but Barter used 25 years to achieve it. It could be seen that this young man might become another legendary figure in the Munn Kingdom��


    In fact, Viktor''s guess wasn''t exactly right, because what Rhode had shown was only a facade.


    It was no wonder that Viktor would think so; according to how normal people think, a swordsmanship level was linked to the person itself. But Rhode was different. As a player who had the game system, his swordsmanship level and attributes weren''t linked to each other. In other words, even if Rhode had the strength of a peak level swordmaster, but his attributes were at the elite level, although it was possible for him to use master-level swordsmanship, he still couldn''t use it for too long, let alone a peak master-level swordsmanship skills.


    Certainly, in theory, if Rhode had more skill points to invest in the Dark Dance swordsmanship, he would be able to break the mortal limit and use a legendary level swordsmanship, which was Soul Flash. Unfortunately, with his current physical condition, even if the enemy would definitely die once he used it, his condition wouldn''t be any better and he might even lose his life if he wasn''t careful enough.


    Of course, he definitely wouldn''t do such a stupid thing.


    However, this flaw did exist and currently constrained him.


    Especially in this current battle.


    The giant sword thrust forward like a landslide. Rhode''s figure was fleeting, but Barter didn''t stop. Instead, he shouted and the giant sword in his hand swept away both sides. Followed by this action, the sand that got swept by the wind formed into two sandstone dragons. At this moment, a red light once again flashed. Rhode''s figure suddenly appeared beside Barter and Rhode''s sword was pointed at him.


    It''s coming again!


    Not only Barter, even the surrounding people thought the same thing. Rhode''s bizarre swordsmanship was really troublesome. In fact, when the two sides began fighting, the audiences had seen that Barter''s sword had almost hit Rhode many times, but his figure always disappeared as the wind blew. Every time they thought the young man was dead, he quickly appeared in a location no one expected. They yelled and yelled the first few times, but after the battle had been going on for almost ten minutes, the people who fussed at first had begun to calm down. Their eyes even felt a little bit tired because Rhode''s speed was too fast; he appeared on the left, but he suddenly jumped to the right. When the crowd''s eyes followed him to the right, they discovered that he suddenly appeared once again��


    The audience that sat on the sidelines couldn''t even follow Rhode''s movement, not to mention Barter, who was among them. Frankly, he couldn''t even see Rhode''s movement. However, he''s not panic. For people like him who had reached the peak of master level, what the opponent did was unimportant. All he had to do was to do his best.


    And�� there''s no and.


    The crowd only saw Barter keep waving his two great swords and thrusting them. Even Rhode had no way of dealing with him.


    "Is, is this really okay?!"


    Lapis bit her lip and looked at the ring in panic. When Rhode''s afterimage split into two, she nearly screamed and fainted. Luckily, there was Lize beside her. Seeing that Lapis almost fainted, she immediately supported her. Otherwise, Lapis would have fallen unconscious already.


    Even so, she still felt exceptionally nervous as she watched the battle before her. Every time she saw Rhode''s afterimage get ''killed'' by the other party, her heart couldn''t help but whirl. This kind of feeling wasn''t really good. So later, Lapis simply closed her eyes and didn''t continue to watch. However, after hearing the screaming sounds from the audience, Lapis couldn''t help but opened her eyes. Finally, she arrived in the loophole once again.


    "Tsk tsk tsk, you cannot be that timid, Lapis."


    Unlike Lapis, Anne kept staring at the battle in front of her. From a certain point of view, Barter''s aura was similar to Anne''s. They both like melee combat and decided victory based on strength. They liked that kind of hot-blooded battle. Seeing the current battle was already enough to make Anne feel eager to fight Barter for 185 rounds.


    "Both sides are only testing each other. They haven''t really started fighting yet. If you''re frightened just because of this, then you won''t be able to stand the next attack."


    "What?!!"


    When Lapis heard Anne''s answer, she couldn''t help but screamed.


    They are just testing each other!?


    Even Lize was a little surprised when she heard it. It was no wonder; among them, Anne''s strength was the strongest. If it was magic, Marlene might be the first, but physical attack was Anne''s specialty. Unlike Marlene, who had limited combat experiences, Anne was a mercenary with a lot of combat experience, not to mention a unique sense of intuition and keen observation. So in just a glance, she could see that both parties hadn''t yet unleashed their full force and was only testing each other''s limit.


    After they gradually figured each other out, the next attack would be a fatal blow.


    Thinking until here, Anne couldn''t help but get excited. She widened her eyes as she watched the battle. She was waiting for that moment to come.


    It''s almost time.


    This time, Rhode once again fled and dodged Barter''s attack. The opponent''s counterattack was indeed troublesome. Although Rhode could be sure that Barter couldn''t keep up with his speed, but he was different from Mobis. Mobis was the scheming type; naturally, he would thought more about it. He hadn''t yet reached the peak level, so his responses were more sensitive. It could be his strength, but it was also his weakness. Barter had reached the peak level and was a typical fighting madman. Although Rhode''s speed couldn''t confuse him, it was difficult for him to find a gap to attack.


    It can''t be helped.


    The longer this fight got dragged on, the more it would be unfavorable for him. Rhode''s body wasn''t strong enough to withstand Barter''s attack. Even though he hadn''t felt tired yet, Rhode was very clear that if he couldn''t change the situation soon, even without Barter''s attack, he would surrender like a dead dog.


    Since that''s the case, there''s only one solution.


    Thinking until here, Rhode''s eyes flashed. He flipped his left hand, and soon, a card appeared.

 Chapter 328 A Be

    Boom!!!


    The greatsword heavily thrust down and issued a deafening sound. The people who heard it couldn''t help but shiver. However, Barter suddenly stopped. He looked at Rhode who stood quietly before him. Rhode was holding the hilt, about to draw his sword. It gave people a strange feeling, as if the battle from before was just an illusion because, in fact, the two of them hadn''t even started yet.


    "Not bad, interesting."


    Barter grinned as he looked at Rhode.


    "You are really interesting, kid. But with your ability, it should be difficult for you to beat me, right."


    "We''ll find out after this fight."


    Rhode frowned and replied with an indifferent expression. At the same time, he also felt a little hesitant. He had fully understood Barter''s fighting style from the previous test he conducted. As expected, the Executioner''s Greatsword had a great power, but it also had a big gap in its attack. Although the wind force that got swept together could compensate for this gap to some extent, it was useless in the face of an opponent with an equal footing. It was a pity that Rhode''s physical attributes were still at the elite level, which was why he was still unsure of whether he could survive this attack. Usually, he wouldn''t mind taking this risk; by relying on the composition adornment and his combat experience as a once high-level spirit swordsman, there wouldn''t be a problem in defeating Barter.


    However, defeating a person who was twenty levels above him wouldn''t be easy. The loss percentage would be much higher than the gain.


    Rhode was sure that he could defeat Barter, but he was worried about what would happen later on. After defeating Barter, he would definitely be injured heavily. Under such a condition, it would be difficult for him to defeat the other four. Of course, he could choose to give up and leave the rest to Lize and Anne. However, he still couldn''t fully be reassured, nor did he want to waste his most precious combat power for the sake of upcoming battles.


    But if he lost, there wouldn''t be any upcoming battles.


    "How about this, kid?"


    While Rhode was lost in thought, Barter suddenly looked at him and said, "Let''s make a bet."


    "A bet?"


    Hearing Barter''s words, Rhode was taken aback. He narrowed his eyes, calmly and carefully gazed at Barter, waiting for him to speak. Seeing it, Barter smiled and nodded as he continued to speak.


    "Yes, a bet�� let''s bet in our victory."


    Rhode frowned. Although the way Barter spoke had always been senseless, Rhode was sure that he hadn''t yet finished his words, so Rhode only quietly listened. As expected, he soon continued.


    "If you can defeat me, then Purple Lily will immediately forfeit and give the victory to you�� I think my words are clear enough."


    As soon as this statement was made, everyone was surprised, including Rhode.


    "Really?"


    Rhode asked while staring at him and hearing Rhode''s inquiry, Barter proudly nodded and smiled.


    "Yeah, I never go back on my words. Forget about your unnecessary hesitation and fight like a man!"


    Hearing Barter''s reply, Rhode hesitated for a while, but he quickly nodded.


    "Alright, I accept the bet�� I hope you will not regret it, Mr. Barter."


    "Let me see whether you have the strength to make me regret it!"


    Barter swung his sword.


    The two greatswords were lifted up high. Soon, the ground trembled and an invisible and surging sword intent appeared from his burly body as he shouted. He crossed his swords and aimed it straight towards Rhode.


    Earth Strike!


    This guy is being serious!


    Rhode was surprised by this attack, but he didn''t back down. Instead, Rhode activated Shadow Flash and jumped at Barter as fast as lightning. The bright red sword flashed by like a meteor.


    "Come!"


    Facing Rhode''s attack, Barter shouted. However, the swords in his hands didn''t stop sweeping forward. Followed by this movement, the ground was shattered and sharp stone flakes flew around. They seemed to move under the command of two greatswords, marching forward, and colliding with Rhode''s Fury Meteor attack unreservedly. Soon, an explosion echoed and the dust filled the air. However, Barter didn''t stop at all, the greatsword in his left hand flung backward and moved forward. This motion set off turbulent waves on the ground. Its original solid slate had turned into a mess and burst out into ripples under the pressure of Barter''s attack. The corrugated ripples turned into a solid pillar in an instant, then slanted forward like branches blown by the storm.


    This scene couldn''t help but make people felt excited. Barter''s attack broke out like a surging wave and gave off a sense of oppression that no one could resist. Just by standing there, he had already given off an aura of a king, that the earth was his people and territory.


    However, even if it was the earth, there was still an element that could counter it.


    "����������!!!"


    A crisp sound suddenly echoed.


    The surrounding dust instantly dissipated under the strong wind. The Spirit Bird spread its wings as it looked at the scene on the ground. Under it, thunder and lightning flashed.


    What is that?!


    Looking at the translucent, shining, giant bird, everyone was awestruck. They looked at the Spirit Bird suspended in the mid-air unbelievably. Under the sun''s rays, the Spirit Bird reflected a gleam of golden light, the color of its long slender tail phantasmagorical. It looked like a legendary messenger that had come to deliver the God''s will.


    It was staring at Barter, flapping its wings with force.


    Although judging by its strength, the Spirit Bird didn''t seem to be Barter''s opponent, but as an elemental creature, its control of elements was of course much higher than Barter''s. Followed by its movement, a whirlwind mixed with lightning roared out. It formed a roaring tornado and heavily hit Barter''s Earth Strike. The sharp stone flakes were instantly blown off by the tornado. Before it was able to display its power, it had already been smashed by the lightning that was hidden inside the tornado. In a blink of an eye, the ''army'' under Barter had been swept away. It was as if the stone pillar that had been blocking this tornado was made of just dry vines.


    "Haaa!!"


    Barter wasn''t stunned as he saw the Spirit Bird''s appearance like the others were. He had investigated Rhode beforehand and heard about his strange fighting technique. But it was his first time witnessing it.


    That''s why facing this Spirit Bird''s attack, Barter only shouted. He rejoined the two swords and held his swords with both hands, heavily smashing the incoming tornado.


    At this moment, the tornado was split into two. The sword intent that emerged from Barter''s body collided with the thunderbolt that was hiding inside the tornado. Currently, the strength of a high-level swordmaster was unveiled. The power that it displayed couldn''t help but made the audiences stunned.


    RAWR!


    Suddenly, a roaring sound echoed. Everyone couldn''t help but shifted their gaze towards the burning flame that emerged behind Barter. Not long after, a black, giant hound appeared from the flame. As it opened his mouth, the flame enveloped its entire body and it charged straight towards Barter. Flames were spilling out of the Black Hound''s teeth, turning into a surging wave, aiming at him.


    "Such a petty trick won''t work on me!"


    Barter didn''t seem surprised facing such a sudden attack. He only coldly snorted, then turned around as he split his sword into two and swung his right hand. The sword in his right hand immediately flew out, penetrating through the flames attack and piercing the Black Hound''s body.


    It seems the report is indeed correct.


    An explosion sounded.


    An explosive blasted out from the wounded Black Hound and the burning flames covered the entire ring. The burning flames and hot air swirled up to the sky and formed a fire pillar.


    Everyone was dumbstruck. They were staring at the ring, but they couldn''t comprehend what was happening in it.


    They didn''t notice that a shadow had flashed.


    Barter lifted up both of his swords and tore apart the sea of flames that had been surrounding him. At this moment, he saw a shadow flash through the corner of his eyes. He found that Rhode had suddenly appeared beside him.


    Rhode''s bright red sword was sheathed once again.


    Storm Slaughter, activate.

 Chapter 329 Self-Breakthrough

    Rhode''s timing was just right.


    When he appeared beside Barter, Barter had left an opening while he lifting up his swords. The hot flames and whirlwinds that surrounded him had blocked his sight and hearing. Not to mention, Rhode''s agility was much higher than his. Although in terms of physical strength Rhode was still lower than him, but whether its agility or level, Rhode was far beyond him.


    At this moment, facing the opening that he left him, Rhode quickly activated his strongest skill.


    [Strom Slaughter, activate]


    [Detecting attribute level breakthrough, Spatial Displacement activate, duration 5 seconds]


    [Select location]


    One to two, two to four, four to eight.


    Rhode moved and his bright red sword beams flashed over and over. The straight red lines weaved into a spider web and warped Barter inside it. This scene couldn''t help but make everyone shocked. That sharp sword seemed to have slashed the surrounding fire apart and trapped Barter inside it. At this time, Barter finally calmed down. He fiercely clenched his teeth and drew his swords once again.


    "Earth, destroy my enemies!"


    The two greatswords broke through Rhode''s swordsmanship blockade without stopping and heavily hit the ground. His sword aura emerged from the ground and completely shrouded him like a barrier, sturdy as a mountain, blocking Rhode''s sword attack from all directions.


    "Clang!!"


    Rhode''s shadow flashed, but his speed was still unable to break through Barter''s strength. For Barter to display his full power was already troublesome enough, not to mention his current berserking state. As long as Barter still stood on the ground, then he could use an unlimited supply of the earth''s power. This part had put him at a disadvantage.


    It''s really terrifying.


    A powerful force emerged from his swords, the impact making Rhode feel a little bit numb. His bright red sword issued a harsh colliding sound. At the same time, it also started slanting to the other side. If this Crimson Tears wasn''t an artifact level weapon, then this blow would be enough to completely break it.


    However, facing this attack, Rhode wasn''t panicked. Instead, he was happy.


    Nice!


    As he thought of it, he released his right hand in an instant. The red sword that had lost its grip whistled and hovered into the air as if there was a power supporting it. Rhode backed down and stretched both of his hands to the side. Currently, there was a black and a white card in his hands.


    [Give 75% damage, activation effect��Self-breakthrough]


    Rhode stepped forward.


    The black and white sword gave off a distinctive, different aura. It crossed over and broke through Barter''s earth barrier.


    The audiences couldn''t see what happened clearly.


    They only saw Barter slam the ground as he was trapped by Rhode''s attack. Then, the earth shook and rushed up, swallowing up the bright red sword, flames, whirlwinds, and everything around it. However, after less than three seconds, everyone felt as if the entire world had suddenly disappeared. The earth barrier that was shrouding Barter was suddenly destroyed and someone flew out from it. That person hit the wall on the side of the ring. The impact was so great that even the audiences could feel the earthquake-like motion. The walls that were reinforced with steel plates and granite stones were unable to block the impact and the person formed a hole. He was just slammed like a giant beast and destroyed the entire arena. Even some of the audience had fallen from into the crack.


    The disaster continued and stopped until it reached the third platform. The crowd stood at the front, surprised as they saw Barter stuck there. He was still holding both of his swords crossed before him. It seemed like he still managed to defend himself in the end.


    How�� how could this be?


    Viktor gasped and subconsciously stood up. Not only him, but everyone also looked at him the same way. They were looking at Rhode who quietly stood in the ring, speechless. The powerful Barter was actually defeated easily by him? Who is this young man actually?


    Naturally, the audiences was unable to see their actions clearly; they only knew that it was very intense and ended very fast. Judging from this point, Rhode''s strength definitely had surpassed Barter''s. Only the veterans were able to see the truth behind his victory. Including Anne: she also had noticed that their next attack would be a fatal blow to determine the winner. However, in the end, she still couldn''t really see what happened.


    It was no wonder; even Rhode himself couldn''t figure out what was happening.


    He only stood there, looking at Barter who was lying unconscious on the high platform. His mind was currently in a state of confusion.


    At first, the situation was still going according to his plan. He used his full power by activating Storm Slaughter and the limit breakthrough triggered one of the Composition Adornment''s attributes, Spatial Displacement. At the same time, Barter''s counterattack disrupted his attack. Even so, the buff from Spatial Displacement didn''t disappear, due to Barter''s counterattack having exceeded Rhode''s tolerance. Instead, it had triggered the second Composition Adornment attribute, Self-breakthrough.


    As for the third attribute of Composition Adornment, it was calculated and displayed separately according to the additional attributes of the holder''s equipment. The Spatial Displacement was derived from the Rhode''s agility and additional agility attributes carried by Rhode''s equipment, plus the agility boost from the skills outbreak. The trigger condition was reached after the three values of the agility attributes were added. As for Self-breakthrough, the second attribute of his equipment was vitality.


    Although Rhode was clever enough to obtain many pieces of equipment from mercenary groups, naturally, a player''s equipment wasn''t standard like an NPC''s. Rhode needed more equipment that could add more damage and critical chance. After all, for a player, higher DPS meant a higher winning rate. But for NPCs, they valued equipment that could save their lives more. Even though they didn''t have a system that could show the equipment attributes like Rhode did, their first choice would always be equipment that would make one stronger and less likely to die.


    It was precisely because of this, most equipment he had obtained was like this. The equipment was either for HP restoration, increasing vitality or physical defense. The equipment that Rhode needed the most, for increasing speed and critical chance, was nowhere to be found.


    Those NPCs were deserved to be killed by the players and get their loots taken. Who told them to use all the MT gears that had no damage? But since the equipment attribute of the Composition Adornment still had to be decided, in the end, Rhode chose to add vitality. The reason was also very simple; the Composition Adornment needed its own attribute in order to exert its ultimate effect. If he didn''t choose a good attribute, the effect would be less satisfactory. So far, his mixed-race had not yet been identified; thus, he could only guess his own attributes. Although currently, his agility should be the highest, but he believed that his vitality was certainly not low either. This point could be proven from the fact he had survived after falling off from a floating ship even though he was heavily injured. Precisely because of this, Rhode chose some pieces of equipment that would increase his vitality. If he could trigger a special effect such as increasing vitality or a self-recovery ability, then it would be worth it.


    But he didn''t expect that the effect triggered would be like this.


    [Self-breakthrough: 50% of damage dealt during the skill duration will be absorbed and all the attributes will be increased one level above the opponent level. Lasts for 5 seconds.]


    This skill seemed odd at the first glance, but he still felt relieved after he saw it because it was just as good as Spatial Displacement.


    The effect of this skill was actually very simple to explain. Assume that Rhode was a Level 1 player and he suffered from a damage caused by a Level 10 monster. Because in this world, skill level was linked to character level, Self-breakthrough would be automatically triggered and his physical attributes would be forcibly increased to Level 11 to resist the damage.


    Although this skill seemed bland and could only be used to resist damage, Rhode was very clear that when this skill was triggered, all the attributes in his body, including agility, will, vitality, and all others would be forcibly increased to Level 11. Even though it could only last for 5 seconds, the fact that Rhode''s attributes would increase didn''t change.


    This battle wasn''t as simple as the battle between a Level 1 player and a Level 10 monster. This was a battle between two swordmaster.


    Although there was no way in a normal battle between two swordmaster, the other person would receive 50% damage, Rhode was an exception. Although he had a skills of a swordmaster, he didn''t have the physical attributes of a swordmaster. His current physical attributes were only at the elite level at most. Even if some of his attributes were higher than the others, but overall, he was still incomparable to Barter.


    That was why Rhode had been waiting. He had been preserving his strength to face the opponent''s fatal blow. He knew if Barter attacked him with full force, then he would definitely be unable to withstand it. But as long as he dealt 50% damage, the [Self-breakthrough] skill would immediately activate.


    According to the description of this attribute itself, it was bound to automatically increase Rhode''s physical attributes one level higher than master level.


    That would be the legendary level.


    In fact, when [Self-breakthrough] was triggered, Rhode did feel as if he had broken through an invisible barrier and entered an area that was out of a mortal reach. At that moment, he had enough confidence to defeat Barter and achieve an overwhelming victory.


    However, the next thing that happened was beyond his expectations.


    He originally thought that after raising his attributes to the legendary level, his agility attribute would have evolved to something similar as Spatial Displacement or Spatial Tear. Since before he triggered [Self-breakthrough], due to the [Spatial Displacement], his agility attribute was the highest among all of his physical attributes. In that case, when he reached the legend level, it should be natural for his next attribute''s evolution to be related to agility too.


    But reality was completely different.


    When both of Rhode''s swords collided with Barter''s attack, it seemed like his attack had been anuled. Even Barter''s attack seemed to have instantly disappeared. It was as if the whole world had turned into nothingness. Rhode only saw a chaotic circle rune appear in the center of the place where his swords crossed, and then Barter''s earth power suddenly disappear. Afterward,s Barter was heavily sent flying.


    What exactly happened?


    He also had no idea what happened, but in any case, he was certain that it was definitely not an attributes evolution. Thinking until here, he instinctively wanted to replay the previous battle recording and finally realized that this was not the game world and there was no battle recording extension in his brain.


    Fortunately, the system didn''t show the skill record in the previous battle. Otherwise, he would have been annoyed long ago. But now, he would probably think that it was better to be annoyed.


    That power was too weird. At that time he felt like everything had turned into nothingness. It was as if he or his enemy and all the things in this world no longer existed or had never existed. This bizarre feeling made him feel very uncomfortable, and he even dozed off at the same time that strange power broke out and sent Barter flying.


    However�� this skill was really easy to use, it''s just that��


    Rhode couldn''t help but calm himself down and swallow the blood in his throat that had almost blurted out. Absorbing the damage did not mean that the damage didn''t affect him. It was impossible to increase a physical attribute without any cost. Right now, he couldn''t even lift up his sword. Now, Rhode felt that it was already impossible for his hands to lift a sword, but fortunately, Star Mark and Nightmare weren''t ordinary weapons. Else, there was no way he could stand all the way to that moment.


    In the eyes of others, Rhode didn''t seem to be affected at all. Currently, Rhode''s usual poker face turned out to be useful. Although he felt really bad, his face was still as indifferent as usual. This made everyone think that Rhode was only waiting for the result to be announced.


    Crumble.


    At this moment, a crumbling sound sounded. The sturdy, tall figure that was pinned into the stone wall suddenly stood up. Barter was using both of his swords to support his body and stand up. It seemed that he was currently heavily injured and couldn''t even stand up properly. However, the fact that he was still alive made everyone feel surprised��


    "Hey kid, not bad."


    He ignored the inexplicable gaze of others as he smiled at Rhode and spoke. It seemed the burning flame in his eyes hadn''t dissipated.


    "It''s been a long time since I''ve felt this excited. You are amazing! Not bad; we should spar again next time!!"


    Having said that, Barter put his swords back. Then, he walked to the high platform and waved his hands towards his subordinates.


    "Alright kids, the show is over. Let''s go back and have a drink!"


    "Is it really okay, Mr. Barter?"


    At this moment, Rhode frowned and curiously asked.


    "Although I admit that keeping promises is a virtue, I''m still curious: why did you propose such a bet? To tell you the truth, I''m also very exhausted now, and if you continued, perhaps you could still eliminate us."


    "You''re just as sly as Viktor."


    Upon hearing Rhode''s question, Barter laughed and pointed a finger at Rhode.


    "You don''t have to talk in circles. If it''s not because of that bet, there''s no way that you would have fought me with your full power. If that happened, who knew what the result will be. It''s okay now; it''s been a long time since I met someone who could make me look this pitiful. Kid, I shall leave the rest to you. Go and bury that b*stard Rosen in the arena!"


    After saying it, Barter turned away without looking back and waved his hands.


    "Let''s go celebrate our loss, kids and compensate the regret that you kids felt since you guys weren''t able to join the match. I''ll treat you today and let you guys have a good time! Ah��"


    Saying this, Barter couldn''t support his body anymore and lost his balance. At this moment, the masked girl who stood beside him quickly held him up. She looked at Rhode and nodded as she left.


    Seeing that the people from Purple Lily had left, Rhode also turned around and walked towards his subordinates.


    "Alright, let''s go back," said Rhode.

 Chapter 330 Aftershocks

    That was the end of the match.


    From the beginning to the end, not even twenty minutes had passed. This seemed to be the shortest match in the long history of the Midsummer Festival. However, this time, the audiences did not complain as they did before. Instead, they excitedly left the holy arena as they discussed today''s match.


    Although from the first day of the Midsummer Festival til today, there were a lot of good matches, but none were comparable to today''s match. Not only did they see Barter, the leader of Purple Lily, display his full power, they also saw that young man''s true strength. All of this made them awestruck. Just a day before, people were gossiping about Starlight''s victory against Sky Sword being pure luck instantly changed their view. Most of the experienced swordsmen and mercenaries among the audiences understood and saw the strength differences between the two. So, from their point of view, since Rhode was able to beat Barter without any injuries in just one hit, his strength probably had almost reached the legendary level or had even already reached the legendary level.


    As soon as this statement was spread, everyone was shocked. The people who lived in Golden City weren''t ignorant villagers. Naturally, they knew what a legendary level meant. At this time, Starlight''s reputation had kept increasing. Barter''s strength was known as one of the strongest among the four major guilds. Of course, he was only considered one of them because Rosen still existed. Although it had been a long time since Rosen appeared in the mercenary world, everyone had still heard of him. ''Rosen, the Berserker'' was a name not only well-known in the Munn Kingdom, but almost the entire Dragon Soul Continent.


    Originally, many people thought that the last battle would be the most worthwhile. The strongest warrior among the younger generation, Barter, vs. Rosen, who had enjoyed his fame for long. This battle would determine who was the strongest warrior in the Munn Kingdom. But now, another person suddenly appeared and abruptly changed the outcome.


    However, they weren''t disappointed with the current outcome. To the contrary, they really looked forward to seeing it and felt really excited. After all, compared to Barter, who had been known for years, this young man was obviously more attractive and was a better gimmick. Although there were no reporters in this world, a human was born with the instinct to gossip; there was no need to provoke them into doing so.


    They were currently guessing Rhode''s real identity. No matter what, it was impossible for this young man to be an ordinary mercenary. He seemed to be just in his early 20s, but the fact he was able to reach a legendary level at that age meant that his identity wasn''t simple.


    Some people who speculated that he might be from an ancient noble family that came to Golden City for something. Perhaps, after the Midsummer Festival, the major authority and power holder in the Golden City would change once again. There were also some people who thought that he was the disciple of a legendary master that came out to travel and see the world. Otherwise, with such a powerful force, why did he choose to form a mercenary group? There was an even more ridiculous rumor that said that Rhode was the guardian of Lydia and might even be her fianc��. It was not hard to understand; the fact that Lydia liked beautiful things was known to everyone. Rhode''s beautiful face was enough to be the talk of the town, and now he actually had legendary level strength. These talks had escalated to another level.


    Everyone had their own ideas. Now that the battle was over, they couldn''t wait to find someone to share their opinions with. Because of this, no one felt disappointed that the match had ended early. To the contrary, they felt really fortunate because it would give them enough time to talk about and speculate what they had just seen. According to the usual schedule, the match would have lasted at least until noon, and by then, there would be less than two or three hours for them to talk before the group battle started. Obviously, the time was not enough for them to talk about this topic. Now that everyone had left the field, naturally, they also didn''t have to wait any longer and could leave immediately.


    "Really interesting."


    In the crowd, Waltz frowned as he looked at Rhode figure, which had already disappeared. Currently, his mood was not good at all.


    Of course it wasn''t good. The fact that Mobis had lost in the previous battle was already embarrassing enough for the reformist party. The reason he came here to check on Barter was to find out whether he would be a threat to the reformist party. He didn''t expect that he would actually encounter a bigger threat.


    Legendary level.


    Thinking until here, Waltz shifted his gaze towards the old man beside him. He also wasn''t clear what level Rosen had reached. He had reached the peak of master level swordsman when he retired, so he should have reached legendary level too. He was also clear that although there was only a one level gap between the master level and legendary level, the gap was like unreachable sky. There were a lot of swordmasters who were unable to surpass that gap in their entire life. Although when one reached the master level, they would be able to live up to hundreds years of age, even they used their whole life, they would still be unable to overcome it.


    That''s why Waltz was also unclear of whether Rosen had reached the legendary level or not. Out of courtesy, he chose not to ask this question. Since Rosen had a strange personality, it was not wise to provoke him. Although he was a loyal reformist, his beliefs were quite different from the current reformists due to his age. Those reformist nobles knew that they couldn''t win over Lydia''s authority. Therefore, they tried to use the power of the Country of Light in order to achieve their goals. However, Rosen always scoffed about this. He didn''t trust the Country of Light, and he only wanted to gain more authority through the reformist party. It was also the foundation of reformism. They wanted to overthrow the current system and create a whole new country like the Country of Light, where they could have their own liberty. But now, their fear and weakness had overwhelmed their desire for power. They were now more like a slave of the Country of Light, where they felt content receiving their leftovers.


    This was naturally intolerable to Rosen. In his point of view, the weak actions of the reformists had tarnished the ideals they had originally created. One person was not supposed to determine the fate of a country��everyone should decide together. But now, these garbages had abandoned their ideals and turned their heads to ask for the Parliament for protection? How was this different from asking them to surrender in front of that cocky little girl?


    In the end, they still couldn''t become the master of their own lives.


    Although Rosen was rather dissatisfied with the softening side of the reformists, under the plea of ?the reformers, he still showed up in the end. He knew very well what this Midsummer Festival meant for the reformists. If they lost here, then it meant they lost everything. That moody Archangel was likely going to take this opportunity to thoroughly uproot the reformist party and this was something that Rosen couldn''t tolerate. Even if the reformists were weak and incompetent, but it was once and is still his ideal. As long as the reformist still existed, he believed that there would be someone competent in the future. Even if this was a barren mountain, as long as the rain arrived, green grasses would grow.


    That''s why Rosen eventually came here.


    "Mr. Rosen, it seems like we have encountered a strong enemy."


    Waltz clenched his teeth and said. He did not really pay attention to when Mobis was defeated. After all, Mobis only knew how to play petty tricks and his strength was the worst among them. So it was not really surprising that he was defeated. At that time, Waltz was only a bit surprised to see Rhode''s strength, but he still felt that it was only so-so. As Viktor had thought before, people like Rhode could be seen everywhere. Only small unnamed nobles would be scared off by a swordmaster in his early twenties. In his eyes, he was just a gem of a slightly better texture.


    But it was a completely different story when the gem turned out to be a diamond.


    Legendary level.


    Thinking of this, Waltz could not help but finally understand why that young man had actually dared to threaten him in the public. With his strength, surely it was not a difficult thing for him to kill Waltz at that time. Luckily, his luck wasn''t bad�� But what should he do next? Should he just gamble?


    Not only that, judging from his actions, he seemed to be a part of the King''s party. This could be a big problem. A strong legendary level warrior. Even the Country of Light wouldn''t dare to provoke him upfront. Did the heavens really want to destroy the reformists?


    These past two days, unlucky things kept happening one after the other. That b*stard Edward was also missing. At first, he wanted to send someone to find him. But now, it seemed like there were no other ways besides reporting it now�� Ah what have I done? Why do bad things keep happening to me?


    Thinking of this, Waltz bit his teeth and wanted to say something more, but Rosen sat beside him suddenly stood up.


    "Hmph, interesting."


    He only said this sentence, then he walked towards the exit, leaving Waltz sitting still. Seeing Rosen''s figure, he did not know what to say. Interesting? What does this mean? Is he sure? Or not sure? At least give me a more reassuring answer!


    Forget it, he couldn''t rely on Rosen too much.


    Thinking until here, Waltz shook his head. He also stood up, looking towards the empty passage.


    It seems like I can only rely on myself to solve it.


    Thump!!


    Rhode fell to the ground. The cold arena was filled with blood. Beside him, Lize and Lapis were rushing to help him.


    "Mr. Rhode, Mr. Rhode, are you okay??"


    "Sir Guardian, are you still alive?!"


    It''s no wonder that the both of them were so flustered. After he walked down from the ring, he immediately fell to the ground. Everyone saw that blood kept spewing out of his mouth without any end. His eyes, nose, and ears were also bleeding. This scene made everyone look pale. Lapis was scared and almost fainted. Fortunately, Lize reacted in a timely manner and quickly reached out to cast several healing spells on Rhode and managed to stabilize his injury.


    "Sigh�� don''t worry, he won''t die."


    After he vomited turbid things that condensed into black blood clots, he finally felt a lot better. The Self-breakthrough ability was really crazy; just now, he thought he would really die like this. Forcibly increasing his level was more than what his body could endure. He could even feel that all of his internal organs had been injured. If he were in his previous world, he would have died if he wasn''t sent to the hospital as soon as possible. He could have even died after being sent to the hospital and could only give in to fate. However, in this world, the Cleric healing ability was stronger than hospitals in his former world.


    In fact, if it wasn''t because he was forcing himself to suppress the injury and let the side effect occur immediately after the [Self-breakthrough] effect disappeared, his injury would not be so serious. But Rhode did not do that. He was keenly aware of the gazes among the audience. He didn''t want to reveal his weak side in front of his enemies.


    "Cough cough��"


    Although Lize''s current spiritual skill had also improved following the improvement of her level, but the effect of her healing spell was not very good. Rhode could still feel the blood in his internal organs condensing into blood clots, which made him feel uncomfortable and want to spit out the dirty stuff. Well, it was still much better than death.


    Anne looked unusual. She put her hands on her chest and her face was extremely pale. She still jokingly hit Rhode''s body and complained that he had stolen her chance to fight, but she didn''t expect that he would have such a reaction. Anne stood there and didn''t know what to say. She only stared blankly at Rhode, who was accepting Lize''s treatment, while next to her, Lapis was desperately trying to help him wiped off the blood with a handkerchief. On the other hand, she couldn''t do anything.


    It wasn''t only Anne��even Randolf and Joey were scared. Rhode had always been indifferent in front of them. They never thought that there would be a day where this young man would actually be injured. Holy Spirit, when he killed that demon, he wasn''t even injured.


    Is that person so powerful?


    "Sigh�� I''m okay, thank you."


    Rhode stretched out his hand and wiped off the blood on the corner of his mouth, then he drank the healing potion Lapis handed him. The cold and sweet syrup instantly flowed through his body along with the effects of the healing magic. He stood up and felt a little bit dizzy; at this moment, Lize hurriedly moved forward to support him.


    "You need to rest, Mr. Rhode!"


    "Don''t worry, it''s just a small injury."


    Looking at Lize who was concerned, Rhode patted her shoulder and comforted her. He could feel that his body was recovering very quickly. If everything went well, he should be restored to his original state by tomorrow morning.


    Rhode''s understatement made Randolf and Joey feel in awe. A small injury? He was bleeding everywhere but still said they were minor injuries? Our leader is really not a human ah��


    However, now Rhode''s skepticism towards the [Self-breakthrough] skill was getting higher and higher. The reason he used the Composition Adornment at first was to complement his swordsmanship, so he only noticed [Spatial Displacement]. As for [Self-breakthrough], he only kind of guessed the skill effect, but never really experienced it. It was a passive skill and could only be triggered once the requirements had been met. There was no one in Deep Stone City that could give him 50% damage. But after using this skill for the first time, Rhode felt that [Self-breakthrough] was a more powerful skill than the [Spatial Displacement]. But according to the Composition Adornment characteristics, his vitality was even higher than the agility that he had worked hard to increase. And not just a little higher?


    As the former leader of a player''s guild, Rhode naturally also knew about MT attributes and gears. Although he was responsible for the damage, he certainly had to understand the attributes and skills of other players. The vitality of MTs was very high. However, even among them, no one once possessed skills such as [Self-breakthrough]. After all, this skill was too OP. If the game really had such a skill, then an MT only needed to strike the boss once and could immediately kill the boss afterward, letting the healer restore his HP back. If such a cheat-like ability existed in the game, it was impossible for him to not have any news about it at all.


    So there were only two possibilities. Either his vitality had exceeded the vitality of all the MTs in the game, or this skill had never existed in the game. Although both were possible, but��


    They didn''t make any sense!


    Thinking of this, Rhode couldn''t help but cry inside. He wondered if it was really alright for him to choose agility when he first advanced. However, this idea quickly flashed through his mind. He didn''t regret his choice. After all, even if he had a strong vitality, he still wasn''t good at MT-like melee combat. It was not the battle mode he was familiar with and good at.


    Even so, Rhode could not help but wonder; if he had chosen to strengthen his vitality, would he have gotten an even more abnormal skill than [Self-breakthrough]?


    After a moment, he finally felt relieved. Even though he felt powerless right now, but at least it was not as severe as before, where he couldn''t even stand still.


    After that, Rhode wore a cloak to cover the blood on his body and gestured everyone to leave.


    "Alright, let''s go."


    "Go?"


    Hearing these words, Lize was stunned.


    "Mr. Rhode, you should rest a little more��"


    "No, we have to go back quickly. I have something to do."


    Rhode frowned. His thought drifted back to the pair of shameless people in the prison guarded by Gillian. That man''s identity wasn''t ordinary; he should have gotten enough information from him. If he delayed it and the other party noticed something was wrong, then he would be in a big trouble.

 Chapter 331 The Trap of Alanic Foundation 1

    When Rhode and the others returned to the base, Marlene had already changed her clothes. She stood in the hall while gazing out the window. She couldn''t help but feel startled and turn around when she heard a sound of the door.


    "How come you guys came back so early?"


    "The battle ended quickly, that''s why we came back earlier�� how do you feel?"


    Rhode nodded and replied. But as Marlene heard Rhode''s voice, she lowered her head, feeling flustered, not even answering Rhode''s question. This scene made Lize feel a little strange, due to her understanding of Marlene. She shouldn''t be the type to get flustered when someone asked her something. What happened? Has she not awoken yet? Or does she feel uncomfortable somewhere?


    At this moment, Marlene seemed to realize that her behavior was a little strange. She lightly coughed and when she looked up, her facial expression had returned to usual.


    "How come it ended so early? Supposedly now the second game has just started, right?"


    "You''re right. We only had one match. Barter was difficult to deal with, but fortunately, we still won."


    Rhode simply told Marlene about the bet he had with Barter. Afterward, he looked at his own cloak and said.


    "Marlene, go get ready. We still have something important to do. I''ll go and change my clothes."


    "Okay, Mr. Rhode��"


    Upon hearing this statement, Marlene was slightly startled, but she quickly answered. Rhode only waved his hand and turned around to leave. She dozed off as she gazed at Rhode''s back intently. Until a moment later, Lize''s voice had finally brought her back to reality.


    "What''s wrong, Marlene? You seem strange today; are you feeling unwell? What happened yesterday?"


    "Eh? This��"


    Marlene was taken aback by this sudden question. She quickly calmed down her mind and looked at Lize. Then she forced herself to smile as she shook her head.


    "Something indeed happened�� but don''t worry, Lize, everything has passed��"


    In the last sentence, Marlene''s tone subconsciously lightened. Everything has passed�� Could it really be forgotten that easily? She might no longer remember those hateful things, but how about the things that were deeply etched into her memories? Would they also disappear?


    Marlene could be regarded as a role model among the nobility. Her strict education made her manner to be graceful, strong-willed, and sensible. During the days of adventure, she had overcome her weak side and began to transform into a beautiful butterfly. However, she''s still a girl after all. Even though she was usually calm and rational, but when something like this happened to her, she was still unable to calm herself down.


    Although Marlene knew that she didn''t hate Rhode for what he had done, when he acted just like usual, she felt really restless. She understood that Rhode was trying to lighten down her mood because of what happened yesterday, but she couldn''t help but feel a little gloomy. She couldn''t even understand whether the empty feeling in her heart was because she felt relaxed or disappointed��


    "It just that my mind is a little bit preoccupied, but then again�� Anne seems to look unwell too?"


    Marlene wasn''t trying to shift the topic, it was just that Anne obviously looked very unusual. She didn''t cheer, scream, and tell everyone what she did after she came back. She usually would always be lively, cheerful, and never looked tired at all. But today, she only stood quietly behind like a lady�� It was indeed very strange.


    "Eh? Ah�� this��"


    What Marlene didn''t expect was that Lize also began to look strange after she uttered that sentence. She seemed to not know what to say. She took a few steps back and smiled awkwardly.


    "Actually, actually nothing happened. Perhaps, Anne is a bit tired today. Well, well, I know that everyone is tired today, so let''s go back and rest."


    After Lize finished her sentence, she turned around towards the others. After hearing Lize''s words, Lapis and Anne nodded, then they walked towards their room.


    "Then, I''m going to make some preparations first, Marlene."


    Until everyone had gone away, Lize finally felt relieved. Rhode forbade them from telling the others, including Marlene, what happened in the arena. Even if she was Marlene''s close friend, she still didn''t intend to break this promise. It wasn''t only to comply with Rhode''s order, but also because she was worried about Marlene''s physical and psychological condition. Although Rhode and Gillian didn''t specify much about what happened to Marlene, but she knew that it definitely wasn''t something small. Because of that, Lize didn''t want to increase Marlene''s burden with this kind of thing. Not to mention, Rhode also seemed to be recovering, so there was no need to raise the matter up.


    Originally, with Marlene''s keenness, it was not difficult for her to perceive Lize''s lie, but she was too busy with her own problems and didn''t pay much attention at all. Lize also felt uneasy for hiding the truth from Marlene, so she didn''t pay attention to Marlene''s facial expression either. The two sides actually maintained a bizarre tacit agreement. Then, Lize walked away, leaving Marlene who was still standing in the living room while dozing off.


    After a moment, Rhode, who had changed his clothes went to the living room and watched the girl as she dozed off. He shook his head helplessly and knocked on the door.


    Knock knock.


    The door''s knocking sound awakened Marlene from her daydream. She trembled then looked at Rhode who was nodding towards her.


    "Let''s go, Ms. Marlene."


    The temporary base that they currently lived in was a Security Corps base in the past. Therefore, there were a lot of prisons here. Followed with the relocation of the Security Corps, these prisons naturally lose their function and turned into cellars for storing food. However, even so, they still retain some of the features of the prison. When Rhode and Marlene walked into the ground, Gillian was swinging and sitting around the chair. Not far behind her, Ellenson and that man were chained by a fire whip. The man was still unconscious at this moment and Gillian looked extremely bored. It seemed that if he were a little bit later, she would have fallen into sleep.


    "Oh, master, you are finally here!"


    Seeing Rhode and Marlene, Gillian immediately jumped and lazily yawned.


    "Yes, if you come a little later, I''m going to be bored to death. The humidity in this place is so heavy and it isn''t good for the skin��"


    "How are they?"


    Rhode didn''t seem to care about her complaints and directly inquired.


    "They are still unconscious, Sir. The effect of Lapis''s potion is pretty good; if I knew, I wouldn''t have to guard them��"


    "It''s always better to be more careful."


    Rhode shook his head, then he walked up towards the man and opened the potion in his hand. Soon, a pungent stench spread out.


    Even Marlene and Gillian couldn''t help but step back while holding their nose. Rhode himself also couldn''t help but twitch his nose. He quickly came closer to the unconscious man, squeezed his mouth and poured the potion in.


    The effect was very good.


    Less than five seconds, the man opened his eyes. He curled up, wretched and struggled. It seemed that the potion wasn''t as simple as just having a pungent stench.


    A moment later, the man looked up as he wheezed. He blinked and looked at everything before him awkwardly, then he locked his sight at Rhode, who was standing in front of him.


    "You, who are you!"


    The man shouted and asked. He struggled hard and found out that he had been tied up. However, the man''s response was really fast. He just stopped struggling immediately and glared at Rhode.


    "No matter who you are�� Do you know that you won''t be able to afford the consequences for treating me like this?!"


    "Tch."


    Hearing his intimidation, Rhode only coldly snorted and heavily kicked his lower abdomen. This blow caused him involuntarily groaned and instinctively curled up. At this time, Rhode lowered his head and whispered to him.


    "Alanic''s son of a b*tch, it seems that you still do not understand the situation you''re currently in. Did you inherit your low IQ from the orcs?"


    "You��!!"


    Hearing this, the man looked at Rhode in disbelief. He coldly glared at Rhode but he didn''t know what to say.


    Marlene also looked at Rhode in surprise as she heard Rhode''s words.


    "Alanic?"

 Chapter 332 The Trap of Alanic Foundation 2

    It''s no wonder that Marlene was shocked; the Alanic surname wasn''t unfamiliar at all. That family had one of the top Foundations in the Country of Light, which was the Alanic Foundation. Their main business was firearms. They had power and authority in the entire Country of Light��even the weapons of their Justice of Light Army and Sword of Freedom Army were provided by the Alanic Foundation. Not only that, small countries under the Country of Light also purchased their weapons from the Alanic Foundation. However, in the Munn Kingdom, the name of Alanic Foundation wasn''t something that was well received because there had been rumors in the nobility that the Alanic Foundation had sent some weapons privately to the reformers. Even the riots that had happened several times before were plotted by them.


    At this time, Marlene immediately noticed that something was wrong. For the people from the Alanic family to appear here and want to do something towards her as the heir of Senia family, this fact itself could even turn into a major diplomatic problem. Although Alanic seemed to be only an ordinary foundation, anyone who was familiar with the Country of Light knew that in fact, the Top Five Foundations were the real rulers of the Country of Light. They dominated the country''s core resources: monetary, minerals, military, and grains. The members of the so-called ''Light Parliament'' representing the people were merely their puppets.


    One of the most powerful foundations was the Alanic Foundation. They monopolized all the firearms and grains of the Country of Light. They were extremely influential in the Country of Light and was even privately called the ruler of Country of Light. It was also evident that the Alanic Foundation had the ambition to dominate the entire Country of Light. Their foundation badge symbol was a sword that pierced through the center of a golden dragon. According to the interpretation of the people from Alanic Foundation, it was to pay a tribute to the Light Dragon, but some people could see the true meaning of the badge.


    It was precisely because of this that the relationship between Alanic, the Guardian of Dragon Light, and the Munn Kingdom was not good. It was not only because the Munn Kingdom was not accustomed to the way of Alanic in trying to ''take care of the ruler''s seat'', it was also because the Munn Kingdom had blocked their financial road. Originally, in order to expand its influence, the Alanic Foundation would embargo certain ''unobedient'' territories, such as prohibiting them from buying or selling grain, weapons, equipment or even ores, thereby forcing those territories and small countries to the corner. However, at this time, the Munn Kingdom would lend their hand and even sell those resources at a lower price than Alanic Foundation, with no imposed condition, as a normal trade. This loss made the Alanic Foundation feel hatred towards te Munn Kingdom. Not to mention, the Munn Kingdom also didn''t impose any conditions, so it naturally had won the favor of many territories and small countries. Precisely because of this, most of the countries under the Light Dragon''s territory was an ally of Munn Kingdom. There were still a small number of people who had been standing firmly by the Munn Kingdom''s side.


    It could be said that the Munn Kingdom was both an opponent of Alanic Foundation from a political and monetary perspective, so they had always been very dissatisfied with the Munn Kingdom. But now, Marlene was clear that their actions towards Munn Kingdom had surpassed the scope of being ''dissatisfied''. What they were doing was simply provoking a war!


    Marlene was only surprised. On the other hand, that man was coldly glaring at Rhode.


    He didn''t expect that Rhode could state his identity in just a sentence.


    This man was called Edward Alanic. It could be said that he was also one of the members of the Alanic family. However, there were not many people who knew about his identity.


    His mother was a member of the Alanic Family and later married to the Hovanie family because of political reasons. But after marriage, she discovered that her husband didn''t have ''that'' ability. Of course, for a woman, it was unbearable, but there was nothing she could do because it was a marriage without love. It was only for the sake of both families.


    Debauchery was common among the nobles and she was also a political trader. She was not worried about any betrayal or guilt. But after all, she was a woman, and she couldn''t help but feel really lonely. However, she also had her own political mission; if she stole another man, a problem might occur. In the end, she finally found a solution.


    In order to seek stimuli, she began to seek males outside the human race to fulfill her sexual pleasure. From pigs to horses, orc, to elves. From this point of view, it could be seen that this woman''s taste was really quite heavy. However, in the end, she was tired of it. There was a time when she brought back an orc slave from the auction. The orc''s ''strength'' was too unbelievable, causing her to play with the other party for a long time. As a result, she realized that she was pregnant.


    Although the orcs looked like beasts, they were similar to humans to some extent. Not to mention, there were also rumors in remote mountainous regions that orcs took away female humans for reproduction. Therefore, it was no wonder that she would become pregnant. However, this matter caused quite some trouble back them. Even though the man who married her was quite unhappy about this, but before the Alanic Foundation, he was only a small insect. Moreover, he himself did not have that ''ability'', so he could only bite the bullet and get cheated on.


    However, to the Alanic Foundation, it was still a bad scandal. That''s why Edward''s birth was regarded as a secret, so not many people knew about it. When he grew up, the Alanic Family discovered that he had inherited his father''s powerful ''ability''. He could make women abandon everything for him. Later on, they began to use Edward''s ability to secretly seduce other consortia and women from influential families, let them fall into his seduction and become his slave, thus providing information and even financial assistance for the Alanic Foundation.


    Because of that, not many people knew about Edwards''s existence. He was more like a behind-the-scenes existence; even if the other families and foundations found something wrong, it would still be difficult for those seduced women to spit out any information about it. With the help of the consortium, it was difficult to torture intelligence from a woman''s mouth. With the help of the ''Fragrance of Seduction'', those women would completely surrender under him and would even offer their life to him. So Edward was never worried that his identity might be revealed. The others only thought that he was just a rich second generation of the Alanic Foundation who lived a life of idleness. No one knew that this prodigal son would be such a poisonous snake.


    However, in the game, this man was famous among the players. Several chain quests in the Country of Light were ultimately related to him. Many players were commissioned by those families who suffered his treachery to investigate the incident. There were about eighteen, nineteen cases which were linked to him. However, the outcome of these quests differed. Some of the young girls that the players protected committed suicide after Edward was killed. There were even players who were almost killed by Edward because of they were lured into traps by those seemingly pitiful girls.


    Many of the players were older otakus, and the young girls in the game were particularly beautiful. Naturally, they had a good impression towards them. In the end, when the truth was exposed, they finally found out that the girls they had always loved and admired were actually another men''s slave. A lot of players were unable to accept this fact. Edward was definitely one of the top three most hated NPCs in the game.


    It was precisely because of this that Edward was stunned when Rhode called out his identity.


    He was not a fool. Even in the Alanic Foundation, his own identity was only known by a handful of people, but this strange man could actually figure out his own identity. This man definitely wasn''t simple!


    Thinking of this, Edward soon calmed down. His first reaction was thinking whether there was a traitor among his men. Otherwise, he would have succeeded already. Where did this man come from? Does it mean that he has long noticed that the situation is wrong? But it didn''t make sense. If he really knew his plan, it was absolutely impossible for Marlene to come. If it was a trap to lure him, it still didn''t seem right either. Judging from Marlene''s facial expression previously, she was surprised to see him and if Marlene was really told in advance, then she would never be so angry and sad.


    The only explanation was that there was a traitor! Certainly, there must be someone who noticed something was wrong and reported it to this man, destroying his plans. Otherwise, that place was so hidden. How could he have found it so quickly?


    It was no wonder Edward would think so. He certainly didn''t know that there was a mercenary group stronghold system in Rhode''s body that could accurately track everyone''s location. Or else, even if he knew the place she was at, it would still be difficult for Rhode to find the exact position.


    Who is this man actually?!


    Edward stayed vigilant. He coldly glared at Rhode while quickly thinking who might be the possible traitor among his men. However, no matter how hard he thought, he couldn''t find any clue. He knew what position the Senia family held in the Munn Kingdom. Although he was only following instructions, he knew very well that if something happened to him, the Alanic Foundation would never admit it, so he was always careful. This time, he didn''t even inform his subordinates, but carefully tricked Ellenson to his side before directly went for Marlene. He was sure that he was not careless at all and didn''t disclose his plans to anyone. So, how did this man know all this?


    "I will give you a chance now, Mr. Edward."


    Rhode stepped back and said.


    "Although I already know what you are doing and what you want to do, I still want to hear you confess your crime�� in front of the lady who was almost offended by you. Of course, you can also choose to shut up, but at that time, please be prepared for the consequences."


    "�� I don''t understand what you are saying, sir."


    Edward looked at the unconscious Ellenson not far from him. He gritted his teeth and said nothing, but it was to be expected.


    "Is that so, then I shall use my own way to make you confess."


    Rhode said, then he flipped his hand.


    Not long after, dark fog emerged and Celestina appeared.

 Chapter 333 The Trap of Alanic Foundation 3

    "Can''t you even manage this small thing by yourself, Master?"


    Celestina, who appeared out of nowhere, proudly lifted her chin and complained. She then noticed Edward''s gaze fall on her and she immediately frowned.


    "Lowly creature! Who allows you to look up!"


    Pa!!


    "Ahhhhhh!"


    Along with crisp slapping sound, Edward screamed fiercely. He shook his head and looked down. There was a trace of a long, bloody, whip wound on his face. A whip suddenly appeared in Celestina''s hand out of nowhere.


    "But doesn''t it seems like you are more skilled in doing this kind of thing?"


    Rhode crossed his arms as he coldly watched this scene. Celestina only snorted in disdain.


    "Even so, there''s no need to bother this noble lady just to handle this low-class b*stard. It will only dirty my hand. But�� since it''s Master''s order, I can''t help but agree to it. I hope next time you can consider the situation first before summoning me, Master."


    Hearing Celestina''s answer, a glimpse of a sharp glare flashed through Rhode''s eyes. However, Rhode decided not to dwell on this boring topic in the end. That''s why he only pretended as if he didn''t hear any complaint from her and once again looked at Edward.


    "Now, I hope you can consider your current situation, Mr. Edward. I know what you are thinking, but don''t forget, you''re just a disposable dog of the Alanic Foundation. You and I clearly know the Senia family''s position in the Munn Kingdom. Just for you alone, do you think that it is possible for the Alanic family to have the strength and guts to challenge the Senia family? I remember��" Rhode lowered his head as he quickly recalled the current powerful authorities in the Country of Light, then he continued. "If I remember correctly, the Hurdbat and Yamia Foundation have been waiting for this kind of opportunity. For a half-human, half-orc descent like you, is the Alanic Foundation willing to take this risk? I believe you also know that your life and death are not their concerns. Then why are you being loyal to them?"


    "Tch!"


    When he heard Rhode''s words, Edward lowered his head and snorted. But this time, he was finally being more obedient and didn''t lift his head. It was just that his attitude was still very tough.


    "Indeed, just as you said, this gentleman, I''m just a dog of the Alanic family, but so what? If I tell you guys, will you even spare me? Since both outcomes bear death, why should I satisfy your wish? Not to mention, I still haven''t repaid the gift that you gave me."


    Hearing this, Rhode shrugged his shoulders and exchanged a strange glance with Marlene. Rhode was a little bit surprised, not because Edward was aware of his current situation, but it was because of his reaction. It was no wonder, taking into account that he had destroyed his happiness as a man smoothly. It was not surprising that Edward was not being informative. This was his ''revenge''.


    However, it was as he had expected.


    "Celestina, I''ll leave the rest to you."


    Rhode nodded towards Celestina and walked to the side.


    "Hmph."


    Hearing Rhode''s words, Celestina snorted with dissatisfaction. Then, she stretched out and threw out some spiky thorns to pin Edward''s body. After that, she swung her hand and whipped him hard.


    "Ugh!!"


    Followed by the screaming sounds, a bloody wound immediately emerged on Edward''s body. Celestina''s whip was also decorated with small, spiky thorns. This whip was an extreme torment to anyone. However, Edward was already used to similar torture. That''s why he only screamed. Then he turned around to look at Celestina and revealed a smile.


    "Hey, missy, try to use more power, I''m a hard nut. This level of torture is nothing to me��"


    "How dare you!!"


    Hearing these words, her expression suddenly sank. An invisible chill and murderous intent emanated from her body. Then the whip once again heavily fell on Edwards''s body. Now there was a shocking scar left on his fragile body.


    At this moment, Marlene couldn''t help but to turn around and look at to the side. However, Rhode remained unchanged. He knew what Edward was relying on. Not only did he inherit his father''s strength in ''that area'', but he also inherited the orc''s strong vitality. He might look weak and fragile, but in fact, his body was pretty strong. Of course, compared to Rhode''s legendary bizarre vitality, he was still lacking a lot. But there was no problem for him to resist those ordinary whippings.


    Rhode didn''t stop Celestina''s actions, only quietly watching this scene from the sidelines. Edward didn''t know that Celestina''s whip wasn''t an ordinary whip. As a high-level demon, Celestina''s thorny whip was made of the agony vines that grew in the depths of hell. When these agony vines touched one''s skin, the pain would be doubled. This was also the most commonly used item when a demon was torturing the enemy. Players who had been beaten by this thorny whip in the game would get an ''extra double damage'' debuff. In the beginning, the damage of this attack was not high, but this debuff would stay. After ten or twenty hits��. It was enough for the player to consider escaping from this attack.


    So now, Rhode was only watching and waiting for the other party to give in. In Rhode''s opinion, it would be just a few minutes.


    Things were going according to Rhode''s plan.


    "Ugh..Ah!!"


    Edward''s body shuddered.


    His body felt really uncomfortable now. In the beginning, Edward thought it was just an ordinary whipping. However, following Celestina''s actions that were speeding up, he felt that it was getting more and more painful. He couldn''t believe it because according to his vitality, being hit by a whip should be nothing to him. But he could feel that things seemed a bit strange.


    Logically speaking, after being tortured this much, his nerves should have gradually become numb and used to the pain. To the contrary, it was getting more and more painful for him. Even when the tip of whip only lightly swept by him and didn''t even leave a scar on his face, he still felt an indescribable pain of being pierced by thousands of sharp blades, mercilessly tearing and crushing his body.


    Although the pain quickly went away, he still broke out in cold sweat. He had never felt such pain before. This time, Edward finally realized that something was wrong. But even so, he still bit his lip, resisted stubbornly. Not only that, he looked towards Celestina in disdain.


    "Only this much, b*tch?"


    "Hmph! You''re looking for death!"


    Hearing that Edward still had the energy to offend her, Celestina''s eyes turned cold as she kept whipping him.


    "Let''s see how long you can endure!"


    Followed by her angry shouts, the thorny vines on her whip changed its shape. They formed into a barbed spike and began to wander around Edward''s body. The sharp part pointed straight to Edward''s buttocks and Celestina snapped her finger.


    Snap.


    Along with the snapping sound, the thorny vines that originally wrapped around Edward''s body swiftly retreated. After that, he fell down and sat on the barbed spikes.


    "Aaaaaaaaaaa!!"


    Edward''s piercing scream split the air.


    The barbed spike was the size of a small fist and half of it had entered Edward''s buttocks. Even an ordinary person couldn''t afford to suffer such a blow; moreover, currently, he was on an ''extra double damage'' debuff. His eyes widened, and two of his eyeballs were poking out. His screaming sound filled the entire prison. At the same time, blood kept flowing out of his buttocks, followed by the barbed spike that fell to the ground.


    Gillian couldn''t help but blow a whistle as she watched the scene before her. Rhode frowned his brows and said nothing. As for Marlene, she couldn''t bear watching such a terrifying scene and lowered her head.


    "Ara? You can''t endure anymore? Where''s your energy from before, lowly creature?"


    Right now, Celestina finally revealed her evil side as a demon. Edward kept screaming and trembling as he ''sat'' on the barbed spike. Celestina stepped forward and proudly stretched out the whip in her hand and lifted up Edward''s chin to look at his expression. He was no longer calm, and his body shuddered and tears flowed down from his eyes mixed with his saliva. His originally handsome face had become distorted and ugly at this moment.


    But Celestina didn''t stop until then. Looking at Edward, she chuckled and stepped back. The thorny whip began to transform once again, softening and turning into small snakes. They swam all the way in from Edward''s intestines and traveled around his body.


    "Ahhhhh�� Uuu��"


    His screams had turned into a bizarre sound. Everyone could see several slender objects were walking around his skin. Edward suddenly lifted his head up, and five or six black snakes spat out from his mouth. They looked at Edward''s face and hissed.


    "Hiss��"


    Marlene could no longer watch and vomited in the corner. However, Gillian and Rhode''s expressions seemed indifferent. Although the current scene was indeed disgusting, but this scene could only be considered as boring B-level horror movies that were still within his range of acceptance. It was a lot better than to see something indescribable coming out from his stomach�� right?


    "��!!!"


    At this moment, Edward finally felt extremely frightened. The pain that Celestina gave him was both physical and psychological pain. He felt as if his buttocks were pierced by a sharp blade. The snakes that were swarming in his intestines made him feel nauseous. Originally, Edward thought that there was nothing more terrifying than living a life that was not his own. But now, he finally understood that he was completely wrong.


    For a moment, he even felt deep hatred towards his strong orc lineage. If he was just an ordinary human, then he would have died a long time ago and there would be no need for him to endure such nightmarish pain. He couldn''t even commit suicide.


    On verge of despair, a voice echoed in his ear as if it had come down from heaven.


    "How is it? Are you willing to confess now?"

 Chapter 334 The Trap of Alanic Foundation END

    Edward thought that he could endure all the torture in this world, but now he completely surrendered in less than ten minutes. After the torture stopped, he fell to the ground and cried, sobbing like a five-year-old kid, completely ignoring his image. The demon''s torture had fully destroyed Edward''s defense. After which, even without much effort, Rhode learned the whole story from Edward''s mouth.


    As Rhode had expected, they had been planning to kidnap Marlene for a long time. They were looking for opportunities to insert a spy in the senior ranking officials in the Munn Kingdom, but it was difficult since Lydia was there. Originally, they planned to control Marlene through drugs and turn her into Edward''s slave to provide them with information from the Senia family. Alanic''s plan was very cautious��they didn''t choose to directly control the Senia family. They were very clear that the mages of the Senia family were very strong and doing so would likely arouse too much attention. On the other hand, as the sole heir of the Senia family, Marlene would become the head of the family sooner or later. Therefore, the Alanic family wasn''t in a hurry. They wanted to bait them with a big fish and hollow out the entire confidential information in the Munn Kingdom, then destroy it from the inside.


    Edward had only arrived in Golden City a few months ago. He originally intended to repeat the usual trick he used in the Country of Light. It was by approaching Marlene through a dance banquet and finding an opportunity from it. He didn''t expect that Marlene was famous for disliking to participate in these banquets. Not to mention, she even left Golden City to go on her own adventure. Edward, who was a nobleman from the Country of Light, naturally had a sensitive identity and didn''t dare to act rashly. So he chose to get close to Marlene through her schoolmate, Ellenson. His plan went very smoothly at first. Ellenson easily became his slave and even provided him with information regarding her family, as well as some parts of their family''s secret agreement with the Senia family. Of course, to avoid any trouble, he didn''t dig too much into it. He was very clear that his ultimate goal was Marlene. If he was too deeply involved in other aspects and alerted the enemy, it wouldn''t be good.


    In the end, his patience paid off. Because of the Midsummer Festival, Marlene returned to Golden City. Afterward, Edward instructed Ellenson to invite Marlene. As for what happened next, there was no need for him to say more.


    When Edward was telling them everything, Marlene''s face had been dark and gloomy. She clenched her fists and slightly trembled. A burning flame of anger flashed through her red eyes.


    But after Edward confessed everything, she calmed down. Then, she looked at Ellenson next to him and asked, "Is there a way to cure EIlenson?"


    "There''s no way."


    This time, Celestina firmly replied before Edward spoke.


    "Unlike you, that human girl has already tasted that man. Just like a sugar fused with water, if you want to disperse it, you can only evaporate the water and to that human girl, it will be the end of her life."


    Marlene was surprised to hear her answer. She leaned back against the wall, lowered her head, and looked at the ground.


    "Then�� What will become of Ellenson?"


    "She will probably become a sl*t."


    Celestina disdainfully looked at Ellenson who was still asleep.


    "Master has already castrated that man; without him, she will definitely crave the taste of other males instinctively. At that time, she will lose all her senses and become a sex addict. But judging from her looks, perhaps there will be a noble who will accept her as their own private pet."


    "Really�� Is there no any other way?"


    "At least, there''s none in my opinion. But if Master isn''t disgusted by her, then he can also take her in, right? Of course, the above is just my personal suggestion. If you feel dissatisfied with it, you can look for that Behermes descendant; as an alchemists race, she may be able to come up with something."


    Lapis?


    Rhode was surprised to hear this name. Indeed, this would be a good idea. Even if ''Fragrance of Seduction'' was a demon''s potion, it was still a potion, after all. As the head of the Behermes family, Lapis should be able to create a detoxifying potion.


    Rhode finally felt relieved. But soon, he quickly recalled another problem.


    Why did the Alanic Foundation want to go against the Senia family at this time?


    "This�� I''m also not too sure."


    Edward who was lying on the ground murmured and replied with difficulty,


    "When I received the order, I was not told of the reason. But�� cough�� from the rumor that I heard�� the Senia family has a big secret�� that can change the situation of the entire Munn Kingdom��"


    A secret that can change the situation of the entire Munn Kingdom?


    Rhode was even more puzzled. He knew that the Senia family held all power regarding magic in the Munn Kingdom and was also a loyalist of the King''s party. To say that they had a secret that could change the situation of the entire Munn Kingdom, they definitely did have one. However, this level of ''secret'' was no longer news among the upper-class nobles. Such a big family certainly held an influential trump card. But why did the Alanic Foundation choose the Senia family? Was it because they found out that the ''secret'' of the Senia family was very special?


    Rhode carefully thought about it and didn''t notice that Marlene''s body was slightly trembling at this moment and a trace of panic flashed in her eyes.


    "Ms. Marlene, how should we dispose of them?"


    It was useless to think about it if he couldn''t figure anything out yet. Rhode shrugged his shoulders and looked at Marlene. She looked down in panic and sighed after pondering for a while.


    "�� If Mr. Rhode allows it, I hope to hand him over to our Senia family. As for Ellenson�� I''ll also personally explain it to her family."


    "Sure, no problem."


    Hearing Marlene''s answer, Rhode nodded. Her decision was understandable. After all, this was the Senia''s family problem. It was better if he didn''t interfere and left everything to them. From what he had heard, this case seemed to also involve the secret of the Senia family. In the game, Rhode and the Senia family did not deal much with each other. So, he knew very little about them, and he was also very clear that curiosity killed the cat. If he didn''t want to become enemies with them, then it was better to avoid offending his potential allies with his frivolous curiosity.


    At this time, Gillian, who had been watching from the sidelines, moved her ears and said.


    "Master, it''s noisy above. It seems like someone is coming."


    "People? Who? Is it those angels?"


    Hearing Gillian''s report, Rhode had gotten nervous. Edward''s screams were so loud, Rhode even thought that half of Golden City might hear it. If the patrolling angels outside noticed something was wrong and came to explore the situation, it would be troublesome.


    "It''s not�� this voice�� It seems there''s a problem?"


    "Eh?"


    After hearing Gillian''s report, Rhode frowned and walked out of the room.


    "I''ll go up and see."


    When Rhode left the cellar and walked to the hall, he couldn''t help but feel surprised to see the situation before him.


    It was a mess in the hall. Starlight''s mercenaries rushed in and out, lifting three to five injured people. Among them, there were Christy, Shauna, and Kavos. Shauna and Kavos''s injuries were the most serious, but Christie was also not much better. The others were only slightly injured, but their condition looked pretty bad.


    Rhode quickly walked next to Christie. She was unconscious, and deep scars could be seen on her shoulders and arms. Beside her, Shauna''s chest and shoulders were slowly seeping out blood. Kavos was stricken with scars all over his body and it looked very terrifying.


    "How''s their situation?"


    Rhode frowned and looked at Lize next to him. Lize looked up and nodded. Her forehead was currently covered in sweat.


    "Fortunately, Christie only suffered external injuries. She will be fine as long as she receives good treatment. Mr. Kavos and Sister Shauna''s injuries are more troublesome�� but with Lapis''s potion, I think it shouldn''t be a problem."


    Hearing until here, Rhode breathed a sigh of relief. Then he immediately turned around and looked at the other mercenaries.


    "What is going on here?!"


    Rhode coldly asked. Hearing his voice, the mercenaries exchanged glances with each other. Then, a thief walked out from the crowd and said, "It''s like this leader. We''re suddenly attacked on our way back."


    "Attacked?"


    Hearing this word, Rhode''s brow twitched.


    "Where?"


    "On the street not far from here�� When we are sending Ms. Christie to the Evening Square, I didn''t expect that a group of masked people would suddenly come out of the small alley and launch an attack on us. Those guys are really strong and we were unable to fight back. It seemed like they were targeting Ms. Christie, but Sister Shauna and Mr. Kavos protected her with their own body so those masked people did not succeed and they quickly retreated before the patrolling angels arrived."


    "How many people were they? What kind of weapons did they use?"


    Upon hearing Rhode''s inquiry, the mercenary recalled.


    "Probably�� five to six people, they look very strong, but most of the weapons they had were standard weapons, nothing too special."


    Five to six people, standard weapons.


    Hearing until here, Rhode looked a little distressed.


    The opponent actually dared to attack his people in the Golden City, and even in public.


    Who were they actually?!

 Chapter 335 Equivalent Exchange 1

    Bam!!


    Anne clenched her teeth and heavily punched the wall.


    "Who! Who is it! Let Anne catch and pound them into minced meat!!"


    "Anne, calm down."


    Lize sat on the chair, her face very pale because she was healing all the injured people. She had used up all of her spirit power. Fortunately, the patrolling angels came quickly and helped them solve half of their problems. The security corps also promised that they would catch the culprit, so they didn''t have to worry. However, to Rhode, it was just an empty promise.


    "They appeared so suddenly��"


    Rhode stood beside the bed, looking at Shauna, who currently looked very weak and pale. This red-haired female mercenary revealed an exhausted expression. Although with the treatment, her injuries had gotten better, but the gap between their strengths and the enemy''s strength was too big, and Shauna almost died back then.


    "At that time, we had just left the arena for not too long�� cough, we were going to bring Christie to the Evening Square, but on the way, we were suddenly attacked by black-masked people that appeared from the small alley. They seemed to be well-trained, had a clear division of labor, and were obviously targeting Ms. Christie�� Kavos and I reacted immediately, but those people''s movements were so fast that they easily overwhelmed us. Fortunately, we still managed to bring Ms. Christie back into their hands�� When they did not succeed, they immediately retreated. It looked like they were really familiar with Golden City because until they left, the people around barely noticed what had happened, and when the patrolling angels arrived�� everything was already over. "


    "I understand."


    Hearing until here, Rhode reached out and gently patted Shauna''s shoulder.


    "Have a good rest and leave everything to me."


    "Sir, you have to be careful�� those guys�� they might still be targeting Ms. Christie��"


    Upon hearing Shauna''s advice, Rhode slightly frowned. Then, a murderous intent flashed through his eyes.


    "They won''t have this opportunity."


    Having said this, Rhode turned away and walked out of the room. He closed the door, he saw Gillian who was shaking her head and spreading our her hands.


    "How is Christie''s situation?"


    Rhode looked at Gillian and asked. Gillian shook her head helplessly.


    "Nothing changed�� It looks like this time it''s really troublesome�� Master�� Do you have any clue about the attackers?"


    Rhode didn''t answer Gillian''s question. On the contrary, he was silent for a moment. Then, he opened the door and walked into the room.


    The girl was lying quietly in bed, motionless. Her face was pale and white bandages wrapped her wounds. When she slightly moved, a bit of blood appeared through the bandages.


    Christie''s situation was not too good.


    In the beginning, Rhode thought that she had only received minor injuries, but soon, Lize noticed something was wrong. Although her spirit power could heal Christie''s injuries, it couldn''t cure her. Lapis''s potion also had no effect on her. It was very strange. However, after hearing what they both had said, Rhode immediately understood what happened to Christie.


    She was cursed.


    Clearly, at that time, Christie''s attackers didn''t use a normal sword but a cursed sword. Rhode remembered there was a weapon called ''Tears of Sorrow'', and the wounds inflicted by it couldn''t be healed, but that didn''t mean that there was no other way. By chance, in Golden City, only one force possessed this weapon, and it also had enough motives and reasons to attack them.


    That group of b*stard really thought that he was that easy to deal with?


    Rhode snorted and then slowly walked to Christie''s side.


    When she heard footsteps sound, Christie slowly opened her eyes. Seeing Rhode''s presence, a soft smile appeared on her face.


    "�� So�� rry �� Rhode�� I gave you�� more trouble��"


    "It''s okay, Christie, this is not your fault."


    Looking at her smile, he didn''t know what to say. He reached out and stroked her soft, long hair, gently helping her comb out some of her messy hair.


    "I know you feel very uncomfortable now. Be patient, and I''ll find a way to cure you soon."


    "�� It''s okay�� Rhode�� I''m not afraid��"


    Upon hearing Rhode''s comfort, Christie shook her head slightly. Perhaps because her movement had opened the wound, she felt pain. She frowned and managed to endure it. Then, she once again opened her eyes and looked at Rhode quietly.


    "�� Actually�� Christie doesn''t want to�� become Rhode''s burden�� I don''t want��"


    She slowly breathed and continued.


    "�� I don''t want�� Rhode�� for Christy��"


    "Christie, don''t worry."


    Rhode gently interrupted her.


    "I assure you that this is not a problem. I''m not forcing myself to do this. It''s just an accident. You''re not my burden�� So don''t think about these things again. Now you only need to rest quietly and I''ll be back soon."


    Speaking until here, Rhode stretched out his hand. Celia''s figure emerged and she came to Rhode''s side.


    "I''ll leave Christie to you. If there is something, report to me immediately. I will be back soon."


    "Yes, Master."


    After receiving Celia''s answer, Rhode walked away from the room. Currently, his expression was very serious.


    "That group of southerners really thought they were something. They actually dared attack my people. It seems that killing them in the game wasn''t enough�� Well, it''s not a problem to kill them again now. Anyway, in the game, the reactions of those NPCs was too rigid. Perhaps now their expressions will be more interesting�� Gillian, Celestina."


    "Yes, Master!"


    "Be prepared to follow me. We must completely solve this problem. When a tiger isn''t angry, they really take it to be a sick cat?"


    "Master?"


    Hearing until here, Celestina frowned.


    "Are you going to stir up chaos here?"


    "Don''t worry, Ms. Celestina."


    He didn''t answer Celestina''s question, but Gillian giggled and said, "Master is not that foolish. He definitely has his own way to solve the problem. We just have to follow it. Fufufu, to make Master that angry, I really want to see what will happen to those fools."


    The night was getting late.


    Old Barr raised his head and groped the hilt of his sword behind his lower back. At this moment, Golden City had gradually begun to get crowded, and the brilliance of the night gradually emerged, illuminating this pure and sacred city. However, the bustling scene did not make Old Barr relaxed. He looked at the Holy Arena from the distance uneasily. Tomorrow was the Liberal Wings''s final match. It''s still unknown whether Lord Rosen and Lord Waltz could win.


    But soon, Old Barr shook his head and threw his worries aside. He turned around to look at the surroundings and shouted towards the mercenaries around him.


    "Alright, get spirited, young master is going back! Be alert and be careful!"


    When Old Barr voice fell, a trace of light suddenly flashed through his eyes.


    Boom!!


    Suddenly, there was an explosion, and hot and strong waves rose into the sky, mingled with the flames, spreading to all directions. They weren''t prepared to face such an attack and fell to the ground as the impact of the explosion hit them. They immediately fell into a panic. Screams and cries filled the air, and Old Barr barely stood up after colliding with the crowd. However, he had not yet had the time to issue an order. A whistling wind echoed from his side, and he lowered his body. At this time, a black thorny whip appeared out of thin air. It hit Barr and the others mercenaries and sent them flying.


    "Ah!!"


    The severe pain caused Old Barr, a veteran mercenary, to cry out loud. But he also remembered his responsibilities. He endured the pain, stood up, and then rushed through the crowd. When he arrived at the carriage, his face looked pale.


    The carriage had been divided into two, and the top had also disappeared. However, there was no one there.


    At this moment, Old Barr shuddered.


    "I''m done."


    At this moment, in the small alley, Rhode stared at the flustered crowd. Then, he looked back towards a twelve to thirteen years old young man who was tied up in Celestina''s thorny whip. He had short, golden hair and a handsome lovable face. However, Rhode couldn''t help but feel sick as he saw that face.


    At this time, Gillian suddenly moved her ears and smiled.


    "Master, there''s a good news~ I just received a message from Celia. There''s someone who sent a letter to you, Master. Saying that they want to discuss something with you in the Black Coast Tavern��and it was about Christie. "


    "Oh?"


    Hearing this, Rhode slightly squinted, and there was a glimmer of coldness in his eyes.


    "It seems like the other party can''t wait anymore�� Well then, let us talk to them," Rhode coldly said.

 Chapter 336 Equivalent Exchange 2

    Black Coast was located in the dock area of Golden City.


    It was not as gorgeous as the uptown area, but it was clean and tidy. The blue lake danced and a glimmer of lights reflected in the water like a gem. When the night fell, the business here was pretty much deserted. Only the workers and sailors who worked at the dock would relax here.


    Rhode entered the tavern and saw Waltz with his subordinates seated around the table. Judging from his smile, it seemed like he hadn''t heard about what happened before. However, the tavern, which was supposed to be bustling, was currently almost empty. It looked like Waltz had put in a lot of effort into this matter. Unfortunately, his effort wasn''t put in the right place.


    "Mr. Waltz, I did not expect it to be you," Rhode said with knitted brows. He thought that Waltz wouldn''t make a move himself, but now it seemed like he was confident to do so. Well, he was the kind of guy who couldn''t wait to destroy his enemy personally, so it was only right that he wouldn''t want to miss such a good opportunity.


    "Hahaha."


    Waltz laughed heartily. Then, he reached out his hand to invite Rhode for a seat.


    "Please have a seat, Mr. Rhode. You don''t have to be so modest."


    "I don''t intend to be modest."


    Rhode pulled out a chair, sat opposite Waltz and stared in silence. Waltz chuckled and rubbed his chin. He smiled arrogantly as though he was the winner and nodded.


    "It seems like Mr. Rhode is facing a huge problem."


    "You''re correct, Mr. Waltz," Rhode said with puckered brows. Waltz''s smile widened into a grin. The latter lifted the jug on the table and poured a glass of wine for Rhode.


    "Of course, I have a way to resolve your problem, but�� Mr. Rhode, I want you to promise me one thing and I guarantee that Miss. Christie will recover soon."


    "What is it?"


    "It''s simple and easy."


    Waltz spread his hands apart.


    "I hope you can forfeit tomorrow''s battle. In exchange, I will help you lift Miss. Christie''s curse. What do you think about it, Mr. Rhode? Of course, I understand that the winning prizes are always tempting, but they can''t be compared to the life of the most important person, right?"


    "�� It seems like the incident that happened in the afternoon is caused by you indeed," Rhode said grimly.


    "You are smart, Mr. Rhode, so I believe that you know what is the best choice."


    "This is a great one indeed."


    Rhode lowered his head and fiddled with the wineglass. Waltz gazed quietly as he was 100 percent sure that Rhode would agree to his condition. Just as Rhode expected, the incident that happened in the afternoon was precisely caused by Waltz. Although Rhode was powerful, his subordinates were far weaker than guild members. Originally, Waltz wanted to kidnap Christie as a hostage to threaten Rhode into forfeiting the game. But he didn''t expect the mercenaries to be that tenacious. It would be an easy matter for him to kill them off within minutes, but he didn''t want to raise too many eyebrows, which would alert Lydia. Fortunately, he had a backup plan. After he forced Kavos and Shauna away, he used his family''s heirloom ''Tears of Sorrow'' on Christie before retreating quickly.


    Before the incident, he investigated the people around Rhode, and Christie''s situation caught his attention. Not to mention, they looked exactly the same and would easily be mistaken as siblings. According to the report, Rhode cared for her a lot, so Waltz came up with this idea to constrain and force him into forfeiting the final competition. In any case, Waltz was concerned about Rhode''s strength since Old Rosen wasn''t confident if he could defeat him or not. Therefore, instead of pinning their hopes on imaginary luck, it was safer for him to take a more realistic approach.


    Rhode poured himself more wine and shortly after, he lifted his head and smiled.


    This left Waltz perplexed, but for people who knew Rhode well, they would surely inform Waltz that it was a dangerous sign. Whenever Rhode smiled at someone other than Christie, nothing good could come out from it.


    "This is indeed a great choice, Mr. Waltz, but I do have a better suggestion."


    Rhode put down the wine glass. He leaned on the chair and stared at the man with narrowed eyes.


    "I''d like to hear the details��"


    For unknown reasons, Waltz''s heart sank and he instinctively felt that things seemed to be spiraling out of his control.


    "How about this��"


    Rhode crossed his arms and the smile on his face widened. "Give me the ''Tears of Sorrow'' and I''ll destroy it. Isn''t this better?"


    Waltz sulked.


    "I advise you to think clearly before giving me an answer, Mr. Rhode."


    "The same goes to you, Mr. Waltz."


    Rhode tossed something on the table: a finger with a dark spider ring. Judging from the fresh wound, it seemed that this finger was severed just awhile ago.


    "This��!"


    Waltz''s expression turned ashen. He stood up abruptly and glared at Rhode.


    "You��"


    "I advise you to think clearly before giving me an answer, Mr. Waltz."


    Rhode leaned back on the chair relaxedly.


    "If my memory serves me right, this young man should be the heir of your family. If you wish to see him alive, it''s better for you to agree with me. Or else��"


    "Or else�� What will you do?"


    Waltz finally lost his composure. He gritted his teeth and stared at Rhode sternly. However, Rhode didn''t directly answer his question. Instead, he enjoyed the scenery of the lake from outside the window and shook his head.


    "The dock at night is dangerous. Mr. Waltz. If there''s a child who accidentally falls into the water, it would be a tragic accident, wouldn''t it?"


    "�� Hmph, what a foolish threat." Waltz remained silent for a few moments and said coldly.


    "It may be foolish, but I''m patient." Rhode took out a pocket watch as he replied.


    "I can wait for your answer here. But, for every hour, my subordinates will cut off his fingers, toes, and four limbs one by one. Please don''t worry though. My subordinates and I have had a lot of experience in giving others the greatest pain. Of course, I can also put forward some small suggestions. I guarantee that he will taste the most painful torture�� Everything depends on your decision, Mr. Waltz. As a father, it''s time for you to make your choice."


    Rhode put back his pocket watch and grinned.


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Waltz. We still have a lot of time. I am also a patient person and the rest depends on your choice."


    "��"


    Waltz pondered deeply. He looked at the finger on the table and clenched his teeth.


    Indeed, just as Rhode expected, Mona was Waltz''s only son. Waltz had been wandering around the continent for all his life and only had Mono, who was his everything and the only heir of his family. But, Waltz didn''t understand how Rhode knew about this. In order to protect Mona, only a few of his trusted aides in Liberty Wings knew about Mona''s identity and Mona''s mother died after she gave birth. How did this young man know this information?


    I''ve miscalculated!


    With this thought in mind, Waltz gritted his teeth. He could see that Rhode was serious and he even knew about his family''s heirloom, the ''Tears of Sorrow''.


    Damn it, who is this young man? How does he know about his matter so clearly?!


    Waltz felt chills running down his spine. He finally realized how foolish he was for the things that he had done�� But now, what could he do?


    "�� I-I agree with your suggestion, Mr. Rhode."

 Chapter 337 Start of a Conspiracy 1/2

    Waltz held the burning wrath inside his mind from exploding. He realised that he had belittled this young man and never did he expect that he would know details about him inside out. Not only did Rhode learn about the ''Tears of Sorrow'', but he also knew that he had a son�� Waltz had always been protective of his son because he knew that he had many enemies..


    But never did he expect to be checkmated.


    Who exactly is this man? According to my intel, he came from the Eastern Plains, but didn''t those old farts always give no regards to the outside world?


    However, now wasn''t the time for this. Waltz reached out for his waist, retrieved a dagger, and threw it to Rhode.


    Rhode took it and scanned it. On the surface, this short dagger was nothing out of the ordinary. It was dull-looking and definitely didn''t seem anything like an incredible magical weapon. Moreover, there was also a layer of dust over it like an unattractive item in the weapon store. However, through the simple design and unique hilt, Rhode identified it as the authentic ''Tears of Sorrow''. Legends said that this short dagger was once the weapon of a legendary Thief and it was named "Death" because anyone who was defeated by it was dead. But, one day, the Thief accidentally injured his beloved woman with the short dagger while escaping the chase of his enemies. As he couldn''t cure curses, he could only witness the death of his beloved woman as her fresh blood flowed in his arms. Thereafter, the Thief sealed this short dagger and renamed it ''Tears of Sorrow''.


    However, such past times didn''t interest Rhode at all. He placed the short dagger on the table. Indeed, the curse effect of this magical dagger was like a demon''s lure. Every warrior knew that it would bring a huge impact if there was a way to inflict permanent damage that couldn''t be healed. Of course, they didn''t know that this was also a double-edged sword. However, the huge satisfaction and glory at the thought of their enemies turning pale after witnessing this weapon was all too tempting.


    The demon''s lure.


    Rhode snorted at the sight of the short dagger. Then, he swung his arm.


    The ''Crimson Blade'' sprung out in a red flash of lightning, cleaving the short dagger in the middle, instantly splitting the table into half. A powerful whirlwind rose from the impact and pushed the mercenaries back.


    What a terrifying man.


    Waltz gawked. Just based on this strike, he discovered that Rhode''s strength wasn''t weakened from the battle he had with Barter at all.


    Clang!


    The broken dagger fell to the ground and released a black mist of curse, which hovered in midair and let out ear-piercing screams before disappearing into thin air. Rhode glanced at the pile of wreckage, sheathed his sword, and communicated with Celia. Shortly after, she brought good news for him��Christie''s incurable wound had fully recovered and she fell into deep sleep. She just needed a full night of rest and she would recover completely.


    "You can give my son back now," Waltz said grimly as he stared. If his son wasn''t in Rhode''s hands, he would have ran up and finished him off.


    "Of course." Rhode smiled to Waltz and revealed one finger.


    "My men will send you a message after I leave and the message will direct you to the rightful place. Of course, I urge you not to come up with any funny ideas; if not, I can''t guarantee that nothing else will happen. Mr. Waltz, since you have already sacrificed so much, surely you won''t want to see your efforts go to waste."


    "�� What you meant was��"


    Waltz clenched his teeth, but he couldn''t think of any useful solutions. Although the man was young, he seemed to be experienced in doing such things. From Rhode''s expression, Waltz couldn''t see any signs of panic, uncertainties, or conflicts of moral conscience. It was as though kidnapping someone wasn''t something that he was concerned and mindful of. As a matter of fact, this was true, because in the game, players didn''t care if there was justice. As long as they received powerful equipment, mass amount of money, strong techniques, and experiences, then they would do anything. From saving the world to murder, arson, kidnapping, and blackmail, they were all a walk in the park for a veteran player like Rhode.


    At this moment, Rhode seemed to be disinterested in continuing their conversation anymore and he gestured to Waltz before casually strolling out of the bar.


    "Damn it!"


    Waltz smashed his fist on the wall. Not only did he not achieve his expected benefits, but he also wasted his family treasure. This damn bastard��!


    Boom!


    At this moment, scarlet fireworks erupted above a nearby warehouse. Waltz rushed to the window hurriedly. Then, he commanded his mercenaries.


    "Come! Follow me!"


    Rhode hid in the shadow and waited for Waltz and his men to leave the area. Then, he stepped out and let out a sneer. At this moment, a slender figure hopped out.


    "Yooo, Master. How''s everything?"


    "Everything''s good."


    Rhode twitched his brows and replied. Gillian delightfully narrowed her eyes and revealed a smile.


    "That''s my Master indeed. But�� is this fine? We can use this bait in our hands to make them back out from the competition. This way, those idiots will be so furious, won''t they?"


    "I don''t think that''s a good idea."


    Rhode thought otherwise and shook his head. It wasn''t that Rhode didn''t think of this possibility, but he was sure that Waltz wasn''t as straightforward as Barter. Even if Rhode managed to make Waltz back out on the competition, the latter would definitely find opportunities to find trouble with him, just like what happened today. Rhode would never allow such things to happen because he was sure that Waltz was holding in a stomach full of rage to be unleashed in the competition tomorrow. No matter how well Waltz restrained himself, he would possibly fight to his death with Rhode.


    And this was what Rhode anticipated.


    Since Waltz injured Rhode''s men, he would need to pay the price. Moreover, since both of them had already fallen out, then there was no point for Waltz to continue living anymore.


    Rhode came to a halt in the dark alley. Old Walker, who was concealed under a black cloak, stood in the shadow of the last warehouse. He scanned around to ensure that the coast was clear and scuttled to Rhode.


    "Hey kid, what happened exactly? I heard we were ambushed? I went looking for you in the campsite and that angel lady directed me here�� What happened? Who has the guts to start a fight in Golden City�� Are they sick of living?"


    "Alright, Old Walker. I didn''t bring you here to listen to your boring grumbles."


    Rhode interrupted. Then, he beckoned to the old man to lean over.


    "I called you here for an important mission��"


    Rhode lowered his voice into Old Walker''s ear. The latter opened his eyes wide and after Rhode finished giving his instructions, his eyes were as huge as bronze bells.


    "K-Kid, is this for real? All this that you said�� is for real?"


    "That''s right. Follow my instructions and I want you to spread this news across the entire Golden City before midnight!"


    Old Walker shivered involuntarily to Rhode''s scheming tone and ice-cold expression.


    "Alright, I will think of a way. But kid, what''s the purpose of this? We don''t have evidence, right?"


    "We don''t need evidence and I don''t intend to reason things out like those bullied children crying their way home for their mummies. That''s why you only need to heed my instructions and ensure that everyone knows about this matter�� What happens next is up to me."


    Old Walker lifted his head and looked into Rhode''s eyes with a complicated expression. Then, he nodded firmly.


    "Alright then, kid. Leave this to me."

 Chapter 338 Start of a Conspiracy 2/2

    As the sun ripped through the darkness, the final feast of the Midsummer Festival began.


    This time, there were more people entering the arena because this was the climax of the entire event. After two days of competitions, the two winning teams emerged from the individual competition��Starlight and Liberty Wings��and would be engaging in the final match. The winner would receive an incomparable remuneration: any wish to be fulfilled by Lydia.


    Due to this reason, the arena was flooded with a sea of audience members. Even though it was so crowded that some audience had to squeeze in the aisles to enjoy the match, they were unconcerned as they looked forward to the battles. Yesterday, Rhode displayed his amazing strength, which sparked a hot topic across Golden City and now, the audience was looking forward for a phenomenal spectacle.


    Who will be the final winner?


    No one was confident. Rhode was powerful but Rosen was definitely nowhere weaker. But this time, many were sure that this would be an exhilarating matchup because during the night before, many of them heard rumors about members from Starlight being ambushed while on their way back to their campsite. Furthermore, the ambushers were mainly from Liberty Wings, who tried to kidnap a little girl whom they thought to be blood-related to Rhode. All of this was to force Starlight out of the competition, but they failed in the end.


    Although this was only a rumor, many of them didn''t question its credibility. The previous rumor that Shauna and the others were ambushed had been spread by many, but most of them were only surprised that some idiots were brave enough to start a riot under Lydia''s watchful eyes. Were they sick of living already?


    As this latest rumor spread, it immediately answered everyone''s doubts. After witnessing Rhode''s strength, the Liberty Wings must have been afraid and came up with this scheme. If not, why would anyone do such a thing at this timing?


    Moreover, they knew that Rhode was enraged by this matter and swore to make those people pay. That was why everyone knew that this would be an exciting matchup.


    But, at this moment in the resting room, Waltz stared out the window with an ashen expression and the fury in his heart raged. Last night, his men found his son in a rubbish bin as though he was disposed off like a bag of trash and his conditions weren''t looking great. According to a Cleric''s diagnosis, his son had been struck with overbearing snake venom and although it wasn''t serious enough to snatch his life, his senses were lowered to those of an idiot''s. In other words, that once adorable and brave little boy had become an idiot who couldn''t care for himself nor speak.


    Waltz blew his top, but things didn''t end here. Everyone on the streets knew that he had sent men to ambush that bunch of country bumpkins. Although there wasn''t any evidence, Waltz was clear that if this rumor got too big, Lydia would surely investigate it. When that happened, the Liberty Wings would face huge trouble. He was clear that as the core strength of the Reformist Party, his guild was always the target to be removed by the King''s Party. Once the King''s Party found an excuse to do so, they would gladly destroy the guild that Waltz had worked so hard to build up.


    Rhode��


    Waltz gritted his teeth and glanced at the bracelet on his wrist.


    That damn bastard, did he really think that I would give in to this little plot of his? You must be kidding! Kid! I am Waltz! The leader of Liberty Wings Guild! You think that you can destroy me with this scheme of yours? Wishful thinking! Do you really think that I don''t have a way to deal with you?


    Waltz clenched his fists and stared furiously out the window.


    This time, you''ll die!


    At the same time when Waltz swore, on the other hand, Rhode looked sternly at the folks before him.


    "I have told you the situation with today''s competition. Now, I want to reiterate. I hope all of you remember that this matchup today will not be an ordinary one. It involves life and death. If anyone is afraid, now is your final chance to back out."


    "Anne will never back out!"


    Anne sprung up and waved her little fists. Ever since Rhode informed them the truth of the ambush on Christie and the rest, Anne had been acting this way. She longed for this moment to smash those bastards into bits with her shield.


    "Me too, Sir!" Randolf stood up with his chest stuck out. "Although I''m inexperienced and the missions assigned to me were always dangerous, I will still do my best!"


    "Me too! Those bastards hurt our people and if we don''t teach them a lesson, they will really think we are some pushovers!" Joey brandished his dagger and stood up with a furious look on his face.


    "Besides, we believe that you surely have a plan and as long as we follow you, the guild members will get to see how good we ''country bumpkins'' are!"


    "Good."


    Rhode nodded and turned to Lapis.


    "Is everything ready?"


    "Everything''s ready, Sir."


    Lapis quickly stood up. Although her movements were still clumsy and panicky, her determination was clearly reflected in her expression. She carefully retrieved a few bottles of potions with various colors and passed them to Rhode.


    "These were made following Sir''s formula. Everything''s normal and there won''t be any problems."


    "Good."


    Rhode nodded and took over the potions. Then, he handed them to Randolf, Joey, Anne, and Lize.


    "Let''s go." Rhode turned around and said.


    The arena was filled with bustling noises.


    Marquis Gunst sat in the VIP lounge with knitted brows. He hated such clamors. If it were possible, he wished that he could send a team of guards to shut the mouths of those who hadn''t received proper education so he could quietly ponder. However, this became an extravagant hope. Although the VIP lounge was separated by sound-proof walls and carpet that lowered the noises to their minimum, Marquis Gunst was still annoyed.


    At this moment, a butler opened the door and the clamors barged into the peaceful room, which forced Marquis Gunst to turn around irritably. Then, a man dressed luxuriously stepped into the room. As the butler closed the door, the luxuriously-dressed man removed his hat and bowed politely.


    "Good afternoon, Marquis Gunst."


    "Stop your hypocritical boot-licking, Elman," Gunst said in a foul mood before turning his head back to the arena.


    "How''s the situation at your side? How''s Waltz''s attitude?"


    "The situation�� is still alright. Mr. Waltz is still fuming, but he can''t be blamed. A son who he has carefully raised up turned into an idiot overnight. Who on the receiving end would still be in a good mood?"


    Viscount Elman displayed an appropriate smile and sat beside Gunst. He looked ahead and there was a golden flag hung at the top of the entire arena. The flag displayed two criss-crossed swords with an angel spreading her wings and soaring in the air. Only one person in the Munn Kingdom had the rights to show it.


    "This is our final chance." Gunst lowered his smoking pipe. "That woman obviously intends to eradicate us and we can''t sit idly and do nothing. Is everything ready?"


    "Everything is going as you asked for, Marquis Gunst. Although it wasn''t easy causing a ruckus under her watchful pair of eyes, I still carried out my mission successfully."


    "Hmph. Good to hear that."


    Gunst''s huge chin, which almost covered his entire neck, turned calmer. He struggled to turn his body into a more comfortable position..


    "I hope Waltz won''t disappoint me. Have you given it to him?"


    "Of course, Sir. Mr. Waltz was grateful for your help and promised to fulfill the mission you assigned to him."


    "He''d better do it." Gunst sneered. "That young man must die�� The King''s Party is too powerful now and if another formidable man joins them, we will be in dire straits. Hopefully Waltz can do it."


    Gunst sighed.


    At this moment, the deep bugle horn sounded.

 Chapter 339 Deciding Match 1

    Ooooooooo��


    The deep bugle horns and drum rolls filled the arena. At the same time, the angels spread their wings in the air while singing their ancient, holy hymn along with the harmonious music. The audience stood up and admired the glinting, multicolored illuminations while placing their right palms on their chests and quietly soaking in the music.


    Rhode looked up at the sky and he wasn''t unfamiliar with this hymn either. Almost every players from the Munn Kingdom "grew up" along with it. The contents narrated the Five Creator Dragons rescuing situations that were under the threat of riots, in turn forming an orderly world. This hymn was originally split into five sheets respectively for each of their followers. However, after the Void Dragon disappeared, the hymns also dispersed. Currently, other than the Judgement & Ruling Twin Dragons holding onto the perfect, complete hymn sheets, the Country of Light and Country of Darkness held only the sheets that belonged to them. However, even this sheet in the Country of Light''s possession disappeared. After the parliament gave a prohibition order, no one sang the hymn anymore other than the Munn Kingdom. And due to this reason, after the Munn Kingdom withered away, Rhode no longer heard this familiar hymn from the melodious angel voices.


    The angels flew around the arena to their rightful positions. This was the first time they appeared in the Sacred Arena, and this only represented one thing. Rhode lowered his head at this thought and shifted his gaze to the golden flag hung on the highest point.


    Double Sword Angels.


    Her Royal Highness Lydia had appeared in person.


    At this moment, an energetic man in his 60s in thick armor stepped onto the arena while lifting the symbol of the Mercenary Association high up in his hands. He was Lauren, the president of the Mercenary Association. As the end of the Midsummer Festival approached, it was about time for him as the organizer to show up proudly.


    However, he wasn''t in a great mood because the Midsummer Festival was too chaotic this time. He had heard the rumors and mess from yesterday and although the four guilds had always been clashing heads, it was the first time that they had such an acrimonious falling out with one another in Golden City. Although he didn''t receive any solid evidence regarding the matter, he was clear that no evidence was needed because he swore on his family''s honor that the matter was definitely caused by Waltz and his men!


    Lauren couldn''t help but fume. Her Royal Highness Lydia had shown discontentment toward the Mercenary Association in terms of managing the disturbances caused by the group of bastards and now, this idiot caused another trouble for him. Damn it, he really thinks that I don''t dare to touch him simply because he has the backing of a bunch of cock-sucking southerners?


    However, it wasn''t a good time to settle this dispute now. He decided that no matter the consequences, the Mercenary Association had to present an unyielding attitude on this matter. If not��


    "Everyone, today, we''re here on the Sacred Arena, under the eyes of the ancient warriors, with their courage as swords and shields to engage in a majestic battle. The challengers brought forth courage, honor, and beliefs, just to determine the final victor and the rights to achieve supreme glory! The names of the mercenaries will be passed down for generations, until forever!"


    Lauren abruptly raised his flag and the audience exploded into cheers. After a few moments, the cheers quietened and he continued.


    "Now, as the president and in the name of the Mercenary Association, I announce the start of the finals!"


    Lydia shifted her gaze as she languidly laid on the luxurious, comfortable velvet sofa. She held a glass with icy fruit juice and stroked her slender fingers around its edge. Her eyes beamed with craftiness, complacency, and some cheekiness.


    "Teacher, shall we have a bet on who''s the final victor?"


    Amund, who was standing behind her, smiled. He looked at the arena and at this moment, both parties had arrived. He was surprised after scanning the arena.


    "What a surprise. Miss Marlene won''t be participating?"


    "That''s indeed interesting�� Teacher, do you think this is due to her being cautious?"


    "I''m afraid I can''t make a guess, Your Highness." Amund stroked his huge beard and shook his head. "To make up any conclusions from nothing is undesirable to a Mage. However, I do agree that this is a good arrangement. But their chances of winning will be much slimmer."


    "I don''t agree." Lydia smiled and gently waved her finger. "Unlike Teacher, I feel that this is an interesting arrangement. So�� want to bet? 10 gold coins?"


    "I can''t count myself as fortunate even if I win though." Amund helplessly spread his arms and bitterly replied. "Your Highness, I trust your intelligence and guts, however��"


    "You got to pay for what you get. Just like how the oasis seems so precious in the presence of the desert. Only adventurers who take risks will have the rights to seek miracles and victory. The strength of courage and knowledge shouldn''t be underestimated. Teacher, this will be a fascinating matchup."


    Lydia sipped on the juice.


    "I guarantee that."


    Rhode stepped into the arena and noticed Waltz on the opposite end. He sensed the hatred and vengeance from Waltz through his eyes. If Waltz''s stare could kill, perhaps Rhode would have died a long time ago. But it was a pity that no matter how much Waltz stared, he couldn''t inflict any sense of fear. Rhode lifted his head and revealed a splendid smile in response.


    The crowd broke out into an uproar upon noticing Rhode''s smile.


    Ever since they came to Golden City, no one had ever seen his smile. A smile could convince one and be used to lower one''s threat. However, Rhode didn''t care much about such benefits. He always showed up with a stone-cold face, expressionless face. Although some astute and circumspect nobles also concealed their true thoughts with similar expressions, due to Rhode''s overly beautiful face, many couldn''t help but feel that it was wasteful if he didn''t smile for a bit.


    But now, this thought vanished.


    Rhode''s smile seemed oddly beautiful as well as horrifying. Almost everyone who clearly witnessed his smile trembled and subconsciously shut their mouths as though it wasn''t a smile, but a viper baring its sharp fangs instead.


    Waltz snorted and controlled himself in not jumping ahead and throwing a punch to that irritable face.


    Lauren noticed the odd atmosphere between both of them. However, he was also uncertain and only wished that the matchup would continue smoothly without any hiccups.


    However, there were many matters in this world that didn''t revolve around one''s determination.


    "Now, we shall make our sacred oath under the flag and in the face of a warrior''s spirit��"


    As both of them stood before Lauren, the latter read the oath aloud while Rhode and Waltz listened respectfully. From the looks of it, there wasn''t anything strange with both sides. However, as Lauren read the final sentence "�� The both of you shall obey the oath," Waltz finally coldly said.


    "I''m willing to obey the oath, Sir Lauren. For victory and for the honor. I''m willing to dedicate even my entire life!"


    Waltz snapped his gaze to Rhode fiercely.


    "Not sure if Mr. Rhode has the courage to use our lives as an oath for this battle!"


    The entire crowd burst into cheers.


    Everyone knew that there was this format in the Midsummer Festival which involved the life and death battle, which wasn''t too different from normal competitions. The only difference was that once both sides accepted this challenge, there would be three outcomes: surrendering, falling out of the arena, or one of them dying.


    In other words, once the life and death match commenced, the "No Killing" rule would be anulled.


    In an instant, many turned their attention to Rhode. Of course, there were others who looked at Waltz astonishingly too. Based on the rumors, now would be the moment when Rhode was utterly discomfited. But instead, it was Waltz who was filled with hatred and Rhode seemed to be as peaceful as ever.


    Rhode brought a smile to his face, which piqued Lauren''s interest as he twitched his brows and stared at Waltz with discontentment. Damn you, Waltz. You dare to issue a life and death challenge before the Royal Highness. Aren''t you making this difficult for us, the Mercenary Association?


    Although Lauren criticized inwardly, he eventually couldn''t stop the issuance of this challenge. The life and death challenge was the holiest ceremony rule in the Midsummer Festival and as the judge himself, he didn''t have the rights to stop it. He could only hope for this pretty and kind-looking young man to reject this meaningless challenge. After all, since the life and death challenge would only be valid once both sides agree, so if Rhode disagreed��


    In the end, Lauren''s expectations fell short.


    Rhode''s response was unexpectedly chilly.


    "I guarantee that no one from the Liberty Wings will walk away from this arena alive!"


    The entire arena was dumbfounded.


    They stared at the arena blankly. Even though they were anticipating an intense battle, things had gone out of control. Both sides actually issued death threats in the face of thousands in the Sacred Arena.


    They were really in for a killing!


    In an instant, many of them subconsciously turned their attention to the VIP lounge just below the flying golden flag. To hold such a bloody ceremony under the eyes of Royal Highness Lydia�� was it really fine?


    There wasn''t the slightest reaction and the arena was oddly silent.


    However, compared to the audience, Lauren''s expression turned ashen. He stared at both of them at his wits'' end. Although Waltz''s issuance of challenge enraged him, Rhode''s naked threat made him lose it. After being a president for so long, this was the first time someone declared to kill off his opponents before the crowd.


    It seemed like this vengeance must be repaid!


    Although Lauren was extremely hopeless, he had no other choice as rules were rules and he had no rights to intervene. Originally, he hoped that Lydia would step forth to put a stop to this, but she remained unmoved.


    At this moment, both parties had confirmed the rules of this challenge and instantly disregarded the poor president by stepping down from the arena. This left Lauren in an incredibly awkward spot and all he could do was to sigh hopelessly and step off.


    Rhode walked down the arena and what reflected in his eyes was the determined faces of his men.


    "All of you heard what I said and you should know what to do."


    Rhode wiped the smile on his face away and returned to his usual aloof expression. However, Lize and the rest seemed more at ease to witness this face of his. After all, those who were close to Rhode knew that there was trouble whenever he smiled.


    "Remember, don''t get overwhelmed by your own anger. Show up according to the sequence and do as I instructed. Forget about your honor and neglect their ugly faces. We stand here not to seek honor or recognition. All we need is to win. All of you have to understand this point��"


    Rhode let out a deep breath.


    "This is the last time that I am asking you. When you step up onto the arena later, your actions may be mocked, ridiculed, and even humiliated by them. Do you still have the guts to step onto the arena after giving up your honor to fight for victory?! If you regret your choice, you can still give up now."


    "Anne will never ever back off! Leader!"


    Anne took a step forward with her clenched fists.


    "Those baddies laid their hands on Anne''s friends and even injured Sister Shauna and Christie, so they can''t even think about going back alive. Anne isn''t afraid of what the cowardly audience will be shouting because they who don''t dare to participate in the battles have no rights to question Anne''s behavior!"


    "I''m not afraid too, Sir."


    Although Joey displayed a smile, his eyes were glinting with incomparable seriousness.


    "As a newbie, I am already used to being humiliated. Such a small matter won''t affect me so don''t worry, this time I will win!"


    "Joey is right, Sir."


    Randolf drew out an arrow from his back.


    "Besides, I don''t think that this isn''t an honorable match. It is already an honor for us to fight for the sake of victory. Sir, you didn''t choose Miss Gillian and Miss Marlene for this matchup and chose us instead�� We will not disappoint you!"


    "Me too, Mr. Rhode."


    Lize placed her clenched fists on her chest.


    "Starlight is ours and I want to protect it. This is our home and for it, I will not be afraid of any obstacles or dangers."


    "��"


    Rhode scanned everyone''s expression and remained silent for a moment before nodding his head.


    "Lastly, let me say this again. Come back alive, because your life isn''t worth wasting on such garbage."


    As Rhode finished his sentence, the audience cheered. Everyone turned around and saw a strong, muscular old man holding two heavy shields stepping onto the arena.


    Rosen, indeed, was the first to fight.


    He approached the middle of the arena and looked down upon Rhode and the rest.


    "You won''t let anyone from Liberty Wings leave this arena alive? You''ve got guts, kid. Do you really think that you''re capable enough to do it? Just based on all of you? What rights do you have to spew such words in my face! A bunch of bugs talking about killing? Come up to the arena, kid. I will let you know how worthless you are."


    "You!"


    Anne gritted her teeth. She waved her fists, but Rhode held her back and stared coldly at Rosen. Then, he smiled.


    "No, you won''t have this chance, Rosen. Before I show up, you will be dead."


    "Oh?"


    Rosen was slightly surprised by Rhode''s response. Then, Rhode turned around and ordered.


    "Lize, you''re up."

 Chapter 340 Deciding Match 2

    Lize nodded and looked at Rosen firmly.


    "Mr. Rhode, I just have to do as you instructed, right?"


    "That''s right, it''s all up to you now."


    "I understand."


    Lize clenched her fists and stepped onto the arena.


    The entire audience abruptly turned silent for a few seconds and whispers filled the place.


    "Wait�� This young lady�� That''s a Cleric outfit, right?"


    "Ugh�� That''s right, she''s a Cleric��"


    "Cleric�� Can a Cleric even battle?"


    "Don''t ask me�� I''ve had battle experience with powerful knights and bishops, but never with an ordinary Cleric��"


    The crowd whispered into one another''s ears. They racked their brains but couldn''t figure out what a Cleric like Lize was doing on the arena. Although she had always been a part of the participating list of mercenaries, most of them disregarded her because Rhode assigned her as a substitute. And to them, the reason why Rhode placed her as a substitute was more just for the sake of convenience in case his men were wounded. This wasn''t the first time that they witnessed this arrangement because this arrangement had been used frequently by every guild during individual matches as they wouldn''t have the opportunity for the substitutes to participate. However, this was the first time a Cleric turned up for battle and even as the first participant. What exactly was going on?


    If this was in the past, this decision would definitely be hissed over a hundred times by the audience. However, after the audience witnessed Rhode''s prowess, they immediately became cautious. Humans survived under such profanities and if any ordinary human mentioned outrageous ideas, they would only be seen as freaks or idiots. However, if a genius mentioned the exact same thoughts, these ideas would immediately be treated as amazing and definitely something that not ordinary humans could think of��


    It was the same case for the audience. Although they were doubtful, they no longer regarded Starlight as a mercenary group full of country bumpkins. A Cleric for battle��what kind of strength would she display?


    "�� That''s odd."


    Viktor adjusted his position and observed.


    "What do you think about this, Barter?"


    "It''s strange, alright. But if you ask me, that kid perhaps planned this scheme to make Rosen retreat willingly because isn''t this the rumored princess? Although both sides agreed to a life and death challenge, if Rosen killed her��ha, Royal Highness Lydia will definitely execute him and his whole family."


    Barter snorted while rejoicing in Rosen''s misfortune. However, Viktor shook his head.


    "I don''t think so, Barter. It''s obvious that Mr. Rhode is genuinely concerned for his men. Normally, a Cleric won''t possess any fighting strength. Indeed, just as you said, if we discuss this matter regarding death, it will turn into an issue if Rosen lays hands on her. This stubborn fart has always been devoted to the Reformist Party and it won''t be too likely for him to do something that will make Royal Highness Lydia punish them. However, if this young lady is gravely hurt by him, the injuries may be for the rest of her life. Their difference in strength is too huge and it''s practically a dream for her to resist against Rosen. Not only will he beat down the flames of the King''s Party, but he will also cause unhappiness between Royal Highness Lydia and Mr. Rhode. No matter what, this young lady is Royal Highness'' half-sister and Clerics aren''t necessarily a class suitable for battles. Therefore, if there are any problems, Mr. Rhode will never be able to answer to Her Royal Highness."


    "Eh? Is it that bad?"


    Barter questioned and stood up. His expression turned anxious.


    "This spells trouble��"


    "I haven''t finished my sentence yet, Barter. If you don''t kick this bad habit of yours, you''ll be on the losing end in the future."


    Viktor smiled at the frantic Barter. The later pouted and sat down.


    "I say�� You educated people must have too much time on your hands to drag me into this pile of crap without speaking the main point. By the time you get to it, the enemies are already in our base! Alright, let me hear what you have to say."


    "It''s simple. It isn''t that Mr. Rhode isn''t aware of the situation. Besides, I feel that he didn''t send her up first to threaten his opponent. Instead, the life and death challenge aren''t bound by rules. If Mr. Rhode used her to affect the political strength, he would have chosen to send her when he was up against Sky Sword and your Purple Lily to guarantee a victory. That old fox, Mobis, would definitely not risk it and perhaps even you wouldn''t dare to harm Her Royal Highness'' sister right?"


    "That�� makes sense."


    Barter rubbed his chin and nodded in agreement. Indeed, he was on the King''s Party side and how could he allow his men to harm Her Royal Highness'' sister? Even though Barter who wasn''t as smart as Viktor knew that this wasn''t possible.


    "And then?"


    "So I think�� Mr. Rhode is confident in winning this match."


    "But, that girl is a Cleric��"


    "Yes, a Cleric. But, none of us have engaged in battles with Clerics before. Of course, Clerics usually won''t partake in any frontal battles because they are mainly supporting roles. But, does this mean that Clerics definitely can''t battle?"


    Viktor shook his head.


    "I''m rather suspicious of this. We have never seen a Cleric used any attacking spells in battles, but Mr. Rhode actually sent one up. Indeed, for the other classes to face Rosen now with their current strength is definitely asking for death. But, a Cleric may show different results��"


    Barter turned his attention to the arena.


    At this moment, in the VIP lounge, Amund made the same conclusion.


    "�� However, Your Highness, please pardon my rudeness. I have lived long enough and fought against Soul Knights, Guardian Knights, and even the Holy Bishops, but I have never battled a Cleric. After all, that''s too��"


    Amund couldn''t find an expression to describe his feelings.


    "I understand what you meant, Teacher."


    Lydia sat up and looked at the arena. However, her gaze wasn''t directed at Lize who was preparing herself, but was targeted at Rhode who crossed his arms. Lydia''s eyes glinted in a burning radiance, like a kid who just discovered an amusing toy or like an artist who witnessed a beautiful artwork.


    "I think I want you even more now�� Mr. Rhode Alander."


    Amund rolled his eyes and at the same time looked at Rhode with pitiful eyes.


    I wish you luck, young man.


    The bugle horns sounded.


    Lize drew a distance away from Rosen. She focused her attention on him, at the same time reciting Rhode''s instructions. This was the second time she stood on the arena and she wasn''t nervous at all. The support she received from her companions behind her was like a comforting, solid wall.


    I will not fail. I will win as long as I follow Mr. Rhode''s orders!


    Lauren stood between them and looked at Lize with a bitter smile. As the president of the Mercenary Association, he had definitely heard rumors regarding this ''princess''. He thought that as Lize stood on the arena, Her Royal Highness Lydia would definitely give certain orders, but there were none.


    What exactly is this boiling down to?!


    Lauren felt hopeless, but there wasn''t any chance for him to intervene. In the end, he moved aside and swung his arm��


    Battle start!


    Lize instantly cast a defensive barrier around her while Rosen let out a grunt. Just as Viktor predicted, Rosen had no intentions of killing her and he wouldn''t be that dumb to commit a crime for Her Royal Highness Lydia to punish him. However, it wouldn''t be difficult for him to teach this little girl a lesson.


    "Girl, this isn''t your playhouse."


    Rosen lifted his shields and coldly stared. Lize looked at him in silence.


    Rosen revealed a grim smile and charged forward like a rhinoceros!


    The audience held their breaths. In every battle, Rosen always pushed forward and smashed anything that was in his way and seldom did his challengers withstand his strength as they flew off the arena. Some luckier ones dodged, but were eventually caught off guard by his next rolling attack.


    Not to mention, it was a fragile young lady before him that was about to withstand his powerful strength.


    Then, something happened and left them dumbfounded.


    Rosen, who had taken up to five steps, suddenly lost his balance and slipped. Luckily for him, his reactions were quick enough for him to smash the arena with his shield to provide support.


    Boom!


    His heavy shield crushed the arena and gravel burst into midair. Then, he brandished and swept them forward like bullets.


    Fortunately, this wasn''t dangerous for Lize. After experiencing the torturous training sessions, she was familiarized with the Holy Book that Rhode retrieved from the Necromancer. Although Rosen was a top-class Swordsmaster, these hurriedly fired attacks weren''t a concern for her fortified defense spell. The bullet-like gravel struck the barrier and was negated entirely.


    What happened?


    The audience couldn''t figure out why Rosen, who initiated the attack, stopped all of a sudden.


    Something''s wrong!


    Rosen lifted his head and scanned Lize.


    The young lady didn''t move one step. She looked at him with both hands hanging by her sides, as though she did nothing. However, Rosen was sure that when he charged forward with his right foot, his speed increased more drastically than usual and it was that instant that his perfect pace was disrupted.


    What exactly happened?


    Rhode nodded in contentment.


    Good.


    The biggest difference between spiritual spells and magical spells was that spiritual spells could be dodged, but never resisted. In other words, all spiritual spells cast by even the weakest of all Clerics were effective on legendary beings. If the opponents failed to dodge, the spiritual spell would still be effective. Of course, due to the difference in levels, the spiritual spells'' effectiveness would be greatly reduced in terms of duration and cooldown. But there would never be any situations where the opponents were immune. Unlike magical spells, spiritual spells were cast from spiritual energy and therefore, all living things would be affected by them. Itt was the same even for special beings like Gillian and Lydia. Of course, due to the gap in strength, as long as they didn''t dodge, any ordinary Cleric''s spiritual spell would still take effect on them despite only lasting for a millisecond.


    Therefore, after the ''Treating foes as friends'' tactic was created, it became a norm for Clerics to issue PVP challenges to opponents with much higher levels. Of course, there was a higher requirement for such battles. As mentioned, for the spiritual spells to be effective, the Clerics needed to lock onto their opponents'' positions in order to cast their spiritual spells. Once their opponents dodged, the spiritual spell would be useless.


    If Rosen was a swordsman with agility as his main forte like Rhode, or a fast-moving class like Thief or Ranger, Rhode would definitely not send Lize for this battle. But Rosen was a Shield Warrior with incredibly high defense and movement speed that was slightly quicker than a normal human.


    This kind of opponent was the Clerics'' favourite in PVP challenges.


    Due to this reason, Rhode didn''t reveal Lize and only now did he finally send her. Next, it would depend on her ability to adapt to the situation.


    At this moment, Lize cast two more defensive barriers and they became almost impenetrable. Unlike the warm-up matches, Lize didn''t give up her defense in order to bait an attack from the opponent. With Rosen''s strength, she would probably be defeated instantly if she didn''t put up her strongest defenses. She wasn''t strong enough to withstand his attack yet.


    Tch, little tricks. Did she really think that she can stop me? Ignorant!


    Rosen''s expression turned ice-cold. He took a step forward, shifted his left shield into position, and prepared to charge forward. Suddenly, he felt an unknown boost in strength, but he was ready for it this time and quickly straightened his posture.


    Again?


    Rosen frowned. He felt that his strength increased dramatically and as a result, his body wasn''t ready for it. The imbalance of strength immediately restricted him from moving ahead.


    What''s going on?


    From the start, Rosen thought that his slip was only an accident. Of course, he did doubt his old age or abilities to capture the right moment in strength, but it made him dubious after it happened twice.


    After all, that was too odd.


    Could this be another trick from that rascal?


    Rosen gazed at Lize grimly.


    What''s this sorcery?

 Chapter 341 Deciding Match 3

    "Interesting��"


    Lydia''s eyes glinted as she gazed steadily at Lize while revealing a thought-provoking smile.


    "What do you think, Teacher?"


    "Please pardon my bluntness�� This is the first time that I''ve witnessed such a battle technique."


    Amund repositioned himself to the window. Anyone who reached this level of mastery in skills like himself could easily read the situation.


    "But�� Never did I think that a Cleric could be so capable."


    "If used appropriately, it indeed can bring down threats to a certain extent."


    Lydia nodded and rested her chin on her hand. She narrowed her eyes and observed with anticipation.


    "But�� To face someone whose strength is so much stronger�� How far can Lize even go? Exciting."


    As Lydia and Amund exchanged opinions, the audience finally realised that something wasn''t right. Although they weren''t too sure what exactly happened, Rosen''s strange performance raised speculations.


    "Something''s up with that young lady," Barter said. On the other hand, Viktor also nodded in agreement.


    "I knew things wouldn''t be that simple and it seems that�� Mr. Rhode is indeed impressive. How did he even come up with this?"


    "Yea�� Look over there."


    Barter let out a mischievous laugh. Not far away on the platform, there were several men dressed in priesthood robes who put up shocked and joyful faces.


    "You could tell from their expressions that this technique that the young lady used is probably unheard of by the church�� If that''s true, it''s going to be much more interesting."


    "However, just this won''t be enough."


    Viktor swept a glance at Barter before turning his attention to the arena. To Victor, this matchup was more crucial than the emotions of some bishops with grandeur statuses.


    Viktor was right.


    Rosen realised the source of the problem. In any case, he was in the Master Stage and although he couldn''t figure out what Lize did exactly, he was sure that it was all her doing. Rosen groaned and admitted that this strange battle technique discomforted him. Furthermore, he couldn''t find a corresponding solution�� But, why must he face this odd battle technique of hers?


    Could it be that she thought she could defeat myself by using such techniques? Dream on!


    Rosen took half a step forward and tilted his body to the right. Then, he swung his left arm abruptly.


    Along with the crisp sound of chains, the huge, pitch-black shield projected forward. This time, Lize was totally caught off guard. His movements weren''t drastic but his fake move distracted her for one second and it was this one second which cost her.


    The pitch-black shield whizzed forward and forced her back subconsciously. However, she quickly came back to her senses and swung her left arm.


    A golden barrier emerged like a flower at full bloom. At this moment, the pitch-black shield arrived.


    Bam!


    The first layer of the defense barrier shattered into dust. There was no doubt that his massive strength resembled a wild, enormous beast charging forward.


    "Heyah!"


    Rosen raved and brandished his other shield. It was apparent that this was his tactic to utterly destroy the defense spell that Lize cast to protect herself and also divert her attention.


    A beam of radiance flashed.


    Bam!


    He stooped over and plunged his shield before him. Just as he looked forward, he saw the other pitch-black shield revolving back toward him, to which he triggered the mechanical button to instantly drag the shield back to his left hand using the connected chains.


    This time, all he saw was Lize''s calm, determined face and the restored defense barrier.


    I failed?


    Rosen was taken aback. How was that possible? His opponent was only a weak Cleric. Although it was true that many Clerics had powerful defensive spells, most of them couldn''t resist a Swordsmaster like him. He had experienced thousands of battles and even though he had never fought against a Cleric, he still had experiences in battling enemies who were supported by the Clerics. His attack was at least 70 percent of his full strength and should have been enough to shatter all of her defenses.


    But now, what''s going on?


    "Phew��"


    Lize let out a sigh of relief. In fact, she thought that his attack would destroy her barrier. She subconsciously swept a glance to Rhode who stood behind her.


    It''s quite effective.


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Before the match started, he made Lize consume a bottle of the "Guardian Mixture."


    This potion wasn''t used to increase one''s strength. After all, it wasn''t that easy to boost strength, just like when Rhode initially jumped from the Elite to Legendary Stage previously. if it weren''t for Lize''s healing spells and Lapis'' potion buffs, perhaps he would have been dead from the pressure that his body couldn''t withstand. Rosen might be powerful and although Rhode''s men had been through harsh training sessions, they weren''t powerful enough. Although their strength could be boosted to similar levels to Rosen, the price they had to pay was equally demanding. Permanent enhancement would diminish one''s lifespan while temporary enhancement would bring countless side effects to their future developments and most players couldn''t tolerate attribute damage, not to mention natives.


    However, if it was only used to enhance a certain aspect, it wouldn''t be an issue.


    The "Guardian Mixture" that Lize consumed was a booster potion for Clerics before they entered dungeons. It increased a Cleric''s defense points by three points. Although this enhancement was nothing out of the ordinary, it was popular among the players due to its affordable price, non-existing side effects, and fairly simple creation process. Although Rhode didn''t learn alchemy skills, he was fortunate to remember the formulas. Furthermore, since Golden City wasn''t a backcountry like Deep Stone City, the prices for ingredients to make the ''Guardian Mixture'' weren''t too expensive. Moreover, with an Alchemist Master like Lapis around, there weren''t other issues.


    After consuming the ''Guardian Mixture'', Lize''s defensive spells were strengthened. If this happened in the game, Lize would be around level 17 to 18 and would be about to enter the Elite Stage. Furthermore, with the aid of the Guardian Mixture and her half-angel bloodline, the defense spells that Lize cast were boosted to the Intermediate Elite Stage.


    "Hmph, little tricks."


    Rosen frowned as he discovered that things were out of his expectations. The strength that she displayed and the strength that her body possessed didn''t match. In simple terms, an ant that he could easily crush actually resisted his finger.


    After Lize repaired the barrier, she stood quietly on the same spot and observed Rosen.


    What is this? Isn''t this a life and death challenge? She''s just going to defend all the way until she gets the victory?


    The audience pondered.


    Although Clerics possessed attacking spells with some of them being actually powerful, they were all basically useless. A Mage could cast any two magic attacks and their threat could be as strong as a mid-range spell attack. Furthermore, a Mage required only a short span of time to cast long-range magic attacks. Therefore, even if Clerics were to battle, they wouldn''t have any chance of attacking, not to mention killing one.


    Rosen wasn''t the type that would be easily killed because he was a Shield Warrior.


    So then, what was the point in continuing this match?


    Rosen struck.


    This time, he didn''t hold back. He lifted the shields before him in a crisscross stance and crushed Lize''s defense barrier.


    But at this moment, a silver-whitish defensive barrier emerged around her to stand against the menacing shields. At the same time, the cracked defense barrier restored quickly to its best condition.


    This time, Lize lifted her arms and a glaring holy power coalesced in her hands.


    Is this a counterattack?


    Rosen let out a snarl before swiftly withdrawing with his shields. At the same time, he stayed vigilant against the young lady even though a Cleric''s spell attack wasn''t as powerful as a Mage''s. It could also be said that a Cleric''s attacking spell was purer and stronger in penetration power than the Mage''s.


    If it was in the past, Rosen wouldn''t care what Lize was chanting and would instantly dash forward. But now, he discovered an obvious difference in strength between the spells that she casted and the actual strength she held. Rosen decided to observe carefully before making any drastic moves. After all, she was basically defenseless when casting spells and as long as she was within reach, he would dash forward to give her a whipping.


    Lize''s chant ended. She abruptly spread her arms apart and countless mysterious runes emerged. Then, along with her movements, the runes spread out to form layers of barriers, which revolved around her.


    Rosen''s expression turned sour immediately.


    Because what Lize cast wasn''t an attacking spell, but an extremely tough defensive spell which Rosen was very familiar with: Rune Vows.


    What''s this damn woman trying to do?


    Rosen had almost gone insane.


    Lize didn''t attack at all from the start. Instead, she kept defending, defending, and defending. Of course, even when he overcame her defense, she would come up with weird tricks to turn the situation around.


    How is this even a life and death challenge?


    The Rune Vows was the strongest defensive spell of Clerics. If Lize was said to be protected by a small fort, she would be seeking shelter in the tenth underground floor now. Although defensive spells didn''t usually require chanting, some stronger defensive spells would still require guidance from the spell caster. The Rune Vows belonged to the latter category.


    This was the first time that Rosen felt that things were getting thorny. However, he quickly calmed himself in just a few seconds. It was obvious that this young lady was trying to taunt himself to make a move, and since that was the case, he would just stand still to see how patient she was!


    In an instant, both sides went into a deadlock.


    To the audience, this was merely a temporary one, but,it turned out rather long. Almost thirty minutes had passed since the start of the battle and they still stood firmly. Lize timely replenished her defensive spells before recasting another Rune Vows. It seemed that she was determined to wait for her opponent to lose his patience. On the other hand, Rosen was equally patient and didn''t move an inch like a statue.


    20 minutes�� 25 minutes��


    The arena was dead silent.


    "What the hell''s going on?"


    "Go on and fight! What are you standing there for?"


    The audience lost their patience. Of course, most of them were instigating Rosen. After all, he was stronger in strength and the young lady was only a fragile Cleric. It was unbearable for the audience to witness the much stronger Rosen not doing anything.


    "What''s this Rosen doing?"


    Gunst''s expression turned sour as he turned his head and pointed.


    "This is the pride of our Reformist Party? This is our ''Crazy Rosen''? He''s just a pig that''s as timid as a mouse! Get Waltz to make this bastard move, damn it! She''s only a Cleric and he dragged this match on for so long. Is he intending to make the Reformist Party a joke?!!"


    Gunst''s fat stature shook as he berated. The butler scrambled out the room and Gunst sat back down while panting for air.


    "That old fart is getting useless!"


    Attack?


    Rosen frowned at Waltz''s gesture and looked at the VIP lounge above. He knew who gave this order and was also aware of their worries. But�� is this the right move?


    Rosen had no rights of choice. Waltz communicated with him that if he chose not to attack, Waltz would have no other choice but to follow the orders from the ''top'' to announce that Rosen admitted defeat.


    So then, I shall just try.


    Rosen lifted his head and sized up to Lize. The young lady''s gaze was as determined as ever even though she was only defending. Rosen sensed the courage and willpower from her that she would never back off from danger.


    How can she be so determined? But everything ends now!


    "Heyah!"


    Rosen snarled and dashed forward like a whirlwind.


    Lize shifted her left hand slightly.


    Rosen once again lost his balance but this time, he didn''t stop. He adjusted his footing to regain his balance.


    "You want to defeat me with such little tricks? Dream on!"


    He took half a step forward and raised his right shield. He gritted his teeth while resisting the mysterious effects taking over his body. Then he charged forward!


    Lize changed her stance.


    "Die!"


    In an instant, Rosen threw out the other shield on his left hand and it smashed onto her defense barrier.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Rosen darted forward like an aggressive bear who brandished its huge, sharp claws onto her barrier. Lize gritted her teeth, frantically strengthening her barrier layer by layer and using the ''Treat foes as friends'' tactic to break his momentum. However, he disregarded all the disturbance from the spells, overcame the obstacles, and struck out like a machine.


    Boom!


    His shield smashed the barrier and the Rune Vows cracked before disappearing into the air in golden specks of dust. He gasped, lifted his left shield, and brandished it again.


    A gentle radiance emerged abruptly.


    Rosen lost his balance, but he pulled through. He grunted and slashed his shield forward. Although he lost his accuracy due to the excessive reaction force, the massive shield easily crushed holes in the defensive barrier.


    Lize gritted her teeth and cast a series of defensive barriers to make up for the broken holes.


    "You''re asking for death!"


    Rosen unleashed all his strength and lifted his hands high. Shortly after, whizzing spiritual aura burst from his body! Then, the shape of his shields transformed and struck out!


    Boom!


    A whirlwind rose from level ground and almost destroyed half of the audience stands. The barrier before Lize was ripped apart like pieces of thin paper and the spiritual radiance scattered under the powerful gales.


    Hu�� Hu��


    Rosen stood within the mighty whirlwind and his line of sight was concealed by the fluttering dust and gravel.


    Where''s the young lady?


    He looked ahead.


    Then, after the smoke dispersed, what remained was only a crushed arena.


    On the other side, Lize looked up from below the arena while a thin barrier protected her.


    "I admit defeat," Lize said and turned to Rhode.

 Chapter 342 Deciding Match 4

    "Phew��"


    Marlene let out a sigh of relief and sat back down.


    She looked at the arena with complex emotions. This wasn''t the first time Marlene participated in the Midsummer Festival and every time, she sat in this grand, comfortable VIP lounge which belonged to the Senia Family. However, she didn''t like this arrangement as she preferred to stand in the arena alongside Rhode and the others to withstand the harsh test.


    This time, Marlene wasn''t allowed to participate as her identity was too sensitive as the heir of the Senia Family. If she were to kill a member of Liberty Wings who supported the Reformist Party, it could easily be deemed as an official falling out, which would set the Senia Family and the Reformist Party against each other. Therefore, she could only observe her fellow companions in battle from above.


    It''s unbearable.


    Marlene subconsciously placed her palms on her chest. Her heart beat faster, yet she didn''t know why. Was this due to her not being able to stand alongside the others or because she suspected that Rhode made this arrangement to keep her away?


    Thinking of the latter possibility, Marlene felt terrible and seemed to lose her mood to watch the following matches. Regarding the matter that happened to her previously, she accepted it tacitly. Furthermore, her body would sooner or later belong to Rhode and that was her fate from birth. But now, she didn''t know how to explain to Rhode and neither did she know how to be honest with him on that matter. Regarding the secrets of the Senia Family, she couldn''t make them known to him. But on the other hand, for her to speak to Rhode personally on this��Marlene blushed at the thought. After all, she was still a young lady who didn''t get into a love relationship. Spending her time in the social circles of nobles led her to receive many compliments and confessions. However, for her to be the one confessing was totally opposite from receiving them. Oh my goodness. The anxiety was enough to make her pass out��


    "��!"


    Marlene did her utmost to shake off this feeling.


    At this moment, Randolf stepped onto the arena.


    The entire place remained in an awkward silence. No one expected that Lize would jump down the arena and admit defeat. The tension between Rhode and Waltz led to a high expectation that the upcoming matches would be a good fight, but it got really disappointing.


    What the hell? What the hell''s going on?


    Randolf sensed the murderous gaze from Rosen. He held his bow and skipped to loosen the tension in his body. Then, he lifted his head and nodded to Lauren for the start of battle. Lauren watched his complex emotions and swung his arm down.


    "Second battle, start!"


    Rosen violently swung his shield. He was fuming from the previous battle and what angered him more was that his opponent actually kept backing off from him and admitted defeat. Rosen urgently needed a target to vent this frustration and was delighted to witness a little hare like Randolf.


    "Go to hell!"


    He threw his pitch-black shield forward. However, Randolf seemed to have predicted his every move. The instant when Rosen launched his attack, Randolf dashed along the circumference of the arena and became illusionary. The shield crashed onto the arena like a cannonball, but it failed to hit Randolf.


    "Hmm?" Rosen frowned.


    At this moment, Randolf initiated his counter attack.


    He flipped his wrist around and stretched five arrows that were shimmering in elemental radiance on the bowstring. Then, he released them.


    "Little tricks!"


    Rosen dragged the steel chains to his shield and threw it across the air, which rose in a pitch-black whirlwind that deflected all arrows.


    At this moment, the situation abruptly changed.


    Bam!


    A series of explosions sounded. The elemental radiances flashed in midair before darting down the chains like lightning bolts.


    "Magic Arrows?"


    Rosen was stunned. The magic arrows were the strongest weapon a Ranger could have. These magic arrows could activate instantly and didn''t require any enchantments or preparations. The only flaw was that the production price was too costly, where the price of one cost up to thousands of gold coins.


    The exploding magic arrows blasted the heavy, steel shield away. The lightning bolts flowed along the chains, but Rosen''s experience was more than adequate for this situation. He crooned and released the chains in his hand. At the same time, Rosen brandished the shield in his right hand.


    The shield whizzed toward Randolf. Randolf shifted his right arm and projected five more magic arrows.


    "��!"


    Magical radiance flashed.


    A series of explosions sounded. Flames and lightning bolts merged into a huge web that shrouded Rosen entirely.


    Damn rascal, do you really think that this attack will be effective on me?


    Rosen sneered. He clutched his shield with both hands, struck off Randolf''s attack, and brandished his shield.


    Randolf failed to avoid Rosen''s attack.


    "Ah!"


    The shield brushed his shoulder and the mighty force pushed him off balance. Randolf pushed himself off the ground and flipped in midair to regain his balance. Five shimmering arrows once again emerged in his hand.


    Rays of magical radiance projected from his hands. However, the magic arrows didn''t aim for Rosen as expected by the crowd. Instead, they streaked across the sky and created a dense net full of flames and lightning bolts.


    "This��"


    The audience was speechless. The experts among them noticed that Randolf''s all-out aggression in his attacks successfully suffocated Rosen. The magic arrows weren''t those of the highest grade, but even so, if they were to be exchanged as gold coins, they could form a golden mountain to crush Rosen!


    However, were they useful enough?


    Randolf paced along the edge of the arena with his shoulder injuries. He gritted his teeth and acted out his plans to release more magic arrows.


    "Argh��"


    Randolf''s movement were sluggish but quickly returned to normal. Even though he consumed the ''Blast Mixture'', the crazy amount of shooting went beyond his limits. But even so, he toughened on and moved forward in accordance with Rhode''s command.


    He drew an arrow from the quiver and shot it without aiming. Then, he drew another arrow again. Randolf bit his teeth and bore the pain as he repeated his motions like a machine. Right now, in the middle of the arena, Rosen was surrounded by a sea of flames and lightning bolts.


    Damn this bastard!


    Rosen defended himself with his shields in the sea of elements. If he were in his normal form, he wouldn''t even need to defend against such lowly magic arrows. But after he used up most of his strength in his match with Lize, the spiritual energy within him was in disorder. He had no idea how to totally defend against the damage from the magic arrows. Indeed, Randolf wasn''t powerful. But the powers of the magic arrows didn''t need to rely on the user''s strength. Although one or two arrows couldn''t pose many problems, quantitative change would lead to qualitative change, after all, where even a person of Rosen''s caliber had to defend himself when so many of them exploded around him.


    "Hmm?"


    Rosen realised that this scene was familiar. Yes! Didn''t that young lady do the same thing?


    Although the defensive spells that she cast didn''t threaten him, he had a hard time trying to break them.


    Damn it. Could this guy be thinking of doing the same thing?! No wonder!


    Rosen quickly understood what Rhode was up to. Then, he responded.


    Bam!


    Another arrow exploded by his feet. The swirling lightning bolts fluttered into the air and formed a huge net which concealed the audience''s line of sight.


    57!


    Randolf drew another arrow and aimed at the arena. At this moment, the cloud of smoke dispersed and a violent whirlwind erupted. A dark figure darted toward him swiftly.


    Sh*t!


    As this thought flashed in Randolf''s head, he quickly somersaulted backward. The sturdy shield dashed under him and swept the whirlwind that flung him off.


    At this moment, Randolf heard a whistle.


    That''s the signal!


    Randolf pondered no more and discarded his bow and arrow before rolling on the ground strickenedly. But this time, he had no intentions of regaining his balance. Instead, he rolled on the ground, stood on both feet, and leaped up.


    But a dark figure emerged above him.


    This��


    Randolf looked up in astonishment and witnessed Rosen''s ferocious smile that was just within reach.


    "It all ends here! Kid!"


    Rosen''s shield smashed into Randolf''s chest and the latter flew off like an artillery shell. He crashed into the wall and slowly slid to the ground.


    The clean white wall was smeared with fresh blood.


    "Randolf!"


    Lize and Lapis rushed to his side. His chest had split open and it revealed ghastly white bones. Lapis shrieked in horror and almost fainted. On the contrary, Lize was more poised. She extended her hands and cast a spiritual spell over him.


    "Quick, Lapis! Get the item that Mr. Rhode had you prepare!"


    "Ah, ah! Okay!"


    Lapis returned to her senses before frantically searching and retrieving a bottle of white potion. Lize took it and poured it into Randolf''s mouth. Soon enough, the bloody mess on his chest healed before their eyes and his weak, short breaths became calmer.


    Rhode felt relieved after Lize gestured to him that everything was fine. He shifted his gaze to the arena. Rosen proudly lifted his head and looked down upon Rhode.


    "Kid, do you think your little tricks will work on me? If you''re a man, come up and have a battle with me fair and square! Ball-less bastard! Do you have the guts to accept my challenge!?"


    His voice resounded throughout the entire arena.


    The audience knew what Rhode was up to now. They watched attentively with complicated emotions. However, even under the pressure, Rhode remained expressionless. He simply turned to Joey and neglected Rosen.


    "Are you afraid?"


    "That''s for sure, Sir. But�� I''m not afraid anymore since Randolf was rescued. Heh heh, but then again, if everything goes according to your plan�� I will still feel honorable for giving such a well known and strong opponent some trouble."


    "Good."


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction and took a step back.


    "Alright, go on."

 Chapter 343 Deciding Match 5

    Waltz gazed nervously at the battle in the arena.


    The competition had exceeded his expectations. Indeed, although he thought that Rosen might not match up against Rhode, handling the other members of Starlight shouldn''t have posed a problem. Waltz became much more confident after knowing that Marlene and Gillian weren''t participating. However, never did he expect this situation. Since the start of this competition, not only did Rosen not kill anyone, but he also seemed to be lacking his mighty presence. The Rosen who conquered all obstacles was nowhere to be seen.


    What exactly is going on?


    Waltz couldn''t figure it out. How were weak opponents able to constrict Rosen''s movements and even escape death?


    What exactly is causing this? Why did it become like this?


    Waltz witnessed the fatigue on Rosen''s face and his heart sank to the bottom. He finally understood what scheme was Rhode plotting.


    Rosen was only one step away from the Legendary Stage, but this gap was massive. At the same time, it was the difference between an ordinary human and a godly being. Indeed, Rosen was powerful. But as he didn''t breakthrough this limitation, he was still considered a human and there was something about being a human that couldn''t be avoided.


    Aging.


    At the age of 68, Rosen seemed so mighty that he had never fallen. However, as a matter of fact, time was slowly consuming him and it was obvious that this was what Rhode was planning to exploit. Rhode clearly knew about the flaws in Rosen''s non-lasting explosive strength and this was why he ordered his men to carry out such shameless tactics to drag and drain his energy. Indeed, Rosen was full of battle experiences, but everything was equal in the face of time and there were no exceptions for anyone. His aged body could no longer enjoy the freedom it did in its youth and sustain much longer. Many Swordsmasters failed to advance to the Legendary Stage due to this reason. Even though they were mentally young, filled with desire and passion, their bodies couldn''t keep up.


    Waltz just couldn''t understand how Rhode''s men were able to achieve this. In the previous matches, Waltz sent Rosen to deal with opponents which included Elites and Swordsmasters. Similarly, he was so much stronger than useless opponents that he never showed such a bad form. But this time, why did Rosen fall into that man''s trap?


    Not only was Waltz thinking about this question, but the audience was also equally confused. Even though Rhode used such shameless tactics, it shouldn''t pose an issue for a top-class Swordsmaster, right? But right now, Rosen was clearly showing signs of weaknesses which Waltz had never seen before.


    Where''s the source of the problem?


    "Lize was the cause of this entire situation."


    Without a care in the world, Lydia laid on the soft sofa and frivolously chuckled. As an Archangel, Lydia definitely saw through Rhode''s tricks.


    Indeed, according to normal circumstances, even if Rhode sent his men to drag time and drain Rosen''s energy, the situation wouldn''t favor Rhode so easily since Rosen was a top-class Swordsmaster. But he was too careless during his battle with Lize. Even though Lize''s ''Treat foes as friends'' tactic didn''t inflict any damage, it perfectly messed with his rhythm. A human body was like a precise machine. If everything worked well from the beginning, humans would only get better and better. But if humans couldn''t get into form from the beginning, they would crumble in fierce battles. Not to mention, Rosen''s body had entered an old age which was apparent to everyone.


    "I''m speechless��"


    Amund sighed and shook his head. Of course, after breaking through the limits into the Legendary Stage, he didn''t have this problem which Rosen faced. However, he couldn''t help but sympathize. After all, he wasn''t young either.


    "I have to admit that this kid is truly scheming and appears to be really confident�� But, Your Highness��"


    Amund paused to the clamors from the arena where the audience lashed out at Rhode for being a shameless person. However, these reactions were to be expected since Rhode and his men were just a bunch of ordinary mercenaries and they could only carry out such tactics in order to win. But now, Rhode held the strength to defeat Rosen, but he chose to engage in such a shameless method that enraged the audience. Not only that, but even the neutral audience members started siding with the opposition. To them, Rhode was young and energetic enough to defeat Rosen, so why didn''t he fight like a man? Must he use such despicable ways to drain the old man''s strength? Where''s the honor and glory even if he won?


    "�� What are your thoughts on this?"


    "Huhuhu, I don''t think that this is despicable, Teacher."


    Lydia caressed the window edge and shifted her attention to Rhode, who remained unwavered as if he didn''t hear anything from the rowdy crowd.


    "In order to reach his goal, no matter the obstacles before him�� This attitude in seeking victory�� Isn''t it glaringly beautiful? Humans are always affected by wealth and status. From certain perspectives, some care less about their reputations and use any means that they can in order to seek victory. Wouldn''t this be considered being detached philosophically? Humans should do as they please and not mind others. I do take a liking to him."


    Amund shrugged hopelessly and revealed a bitter smile. Then, he shifted his gaze to Rhode. He had to admit that Lydia''s comments were reasonable and he felt that Rhode and Lydia belonged to the same kind. They valued personal goals and ideals without any concern about others as if they were unaffected. Every year, Lydia spent huge amounts on her ''interests'' extravagantly and often revealed her luxurious enjoyments. Many men in her service tried to convince her that even though it was nice to enjoy her life, there wasn''t a need to display everything to the public. However, Lydia had never taken their advice to heart because she was the owner of this country and everything belonged to her. She worked hard and reaped what she sowed, all for this enjoyment, which was a matter of course.


    Due to this reason, although she was criticised for being an incapable and licentious tyrant, she wasn''t affected at all. As years passed, the country prospered as she enjoyed her luxurious life, and this was why the rumors and criticisms gradually died down. The civilians couldn''t do anything apart from sighing helplessly.


    But�� Lydia was an Archangel, after all. But what about this young man? How was he able to maintain this willpower?


    Back in the gaming days when Rhode gloriously led Starlight, hateful comments filled entire gaming forums. There were even players who spent huge amounts of money just to publicly insult and demean him.


    A tall tree attracted the wind��the hate that he attracted never died and he was used to leading such a life. In fact, the disses in real life couldn''t even be compared to the toxicity on the Internet. Due to this reason, he was more concerned about Joey''s match than anything else at the moment.


    Rosen''s movements slowed down.


    His condition didn''t return to its prime after his match with Lize. Moreover, he also withstood the wrath of the magic arrows thereafter. At this moment, he showed obvious signs of fatigue.


    "Ah!"


    Joey screamed frantically and crashed on the arena. Feeling battered, he quickly stood up and dodged. At the same time, the shield swung by and smashed into the position where he stood just a second ago, creating a huge crater on the sleek, flat slab. The gravel struck him, but he gritted his teeth and vanished from the arena in the blink of an eye.


    "It seems like it''s too difficult for him."


    Rhode frowned while Gillian swayed her fluffy tail casually.


    "Master, your plan is great, but there will always be minor changes during the execution�� You must have also predicted this, right?"


    "We shall see."


    Rhode gave a short reply.


    At this moment, Anne who cheered for Joey shifted her gaze to Rhode. She sneaked to the entrance of the passageway where Lize and Lapis were attending to Randolf''s wounds. Rosen''s attack on him was too powerful and Randolf was totally crushed. If it weren''t for the ''Protection Cloak'' that Rhode had given to him, Rosen''s shield would have pierced his body and ripped his heart out.


    "How''s Randolf doing?" Anne quietly asked and Lapis looked up.


    "He''s doing fine�� The serious wounds have healed, but his internal injuries are still rather serious. Although they were healed by Miss Lize''s spell, they will still need some time to recover fully."


    "I see��"


    Anne nodded. Then, she leaned in to Lapis''s ear and asked, "Lapis, I remember that you made a strong potion, right?"


    "Hmm? Yes��" Lapis gazed dubiously at Anne. "�� Is there a problem?"


    "Hehe�� Can you give me one bottle?"


    "Anne?"


    Lapis startled in astonishment.


    "What are you trying to do? Leader warned you that this potion shouldn''t be consumed without proper guidance, didn''t he? Also, if you consume too much of it, it will trigger intense side effects."


    "Don''t worry about Anne, Lapis. Can you give it to Anne? Just one will do�� That old man seems really strong and Anne is just worried that we can''t defeat him. So, give Anne a bottle, just one will do. Anne will keep it a secret from leader, okay? Don''t worry, Lapis. As long as we don''t speak about it, no one will know! Don''t you want me to seek revenge for Randolf?"


    "But�� the effects are really strong��"


    Lapis hesitated. A refined potion shouldn''t be consumed without guidance, not to mention the strong potion that Anne requested that was also warned against by Rhode.


    However, she saw that Anne was determined through her pretty, round puppy eyes.


    "Lapis, you are aware of what leader will do in this battle. If Anne doesn''t defeat that irritable old man, it will be leader''s turn to face him. What if the old man turns desperate and injures leader? If it''s Anne who faces him, he will not be that wary against me. So, Anne wants to use this chance to utterly defeat him once and for all!"


    Anne pounded her fist on the ground.


    "Anne will fail!"


    "��"


    Lapis slowly dug into her pouch for a small bottle of maroon potion.


    "Do you really want it, Miss Anne?"


    "Don''t worry, Lapis. Anne can handle it!"


    With a complacent smile, Anne took over the potion.


    At this moment, the outcome of the battle was decided.


    Although Joey followed Rhode''s instructions to use his concealment technique to disrupt Rosen''s movements, there was a tendency for the Thief classes to be vulnerable while facing classes with high defense. Therefore, even though Rosen''s movement speed decreased, his damage output hadn''t lowered. If it weren''t for a Thief''s nimbleness in fleeing, Joey would have been defeated more than ten times now.


    Joey felt his head spinning and couldn''t differentiate between sky and ground. He panted and struggled to stand on his feet with fuzzy vision. Almost there��it would be the final blow next!


    Joey stooped over and vanished from the arena once more.


    "Hmph."


    Rosen sneered in disdain. However, he sensed his strength flowing in disarray and gradually showed uncontrollable signs.


    If I give him another ten minutes ��just ten minutes��


    Rosen turned around and along with the sound of mechanical clicks, the shield on his right arm expanded and enveloped him. At the same time, Joey dashed and emerged before Rosen while the latter brandished his shield.


    "Get lost!"


    "Damn it!"


    Joey felt a strong attraction force from Rosen''s shield that tightly clasped onto his dagger. Then, a shadow shrouded him entirely.


    "��!"


    Rosen brandished his left shield and coordinated with his right shield like a large pincer. All Joey could do was to defend with the other dagger in his right hand.


    But no one noticed Joey''s cheeky smile.


    Clang!


    The shield collided and shattered the steel dagger into fragments. Then, the powerful force threw Joey into the air like a rag doll.


    At the same time, a green smoke erupted from the shattered dagger and shrouded Rosen. However, it only lasted for a second as it was instantly dispersed by a raising whirlwind.


    Then, Rosen sprung up to pounce on Joey.


    "Argh!"


    Joey rolled and leaped to the edge of the arena. He escaped from the iron shield by merely an inch, which caused him to break into a cold sweat.


    Then, Joey landed frantically and instantly raised his arms with a complete lack of grace.


    "I admit defeat! I admit defeat!"


    I missed? How is that possible?


    Rosen was baffled because never did he expect that his counterattack would miss. He watched in fatigue as the newbie Thief scuttled off the arena. He had never felt this exhausted.

 Chapter 344 Deciding Match 6

    "Woah, so damn close�� I thought I was dead."


    Joey frantically fled to his group. Fortunately for him, he wasn''t hurt as badly as Randolf was. But he was covered in blood from head to toe. For a Thief with low defense, even a scratch from Rosen could leave him screaming for his life.


    But, even so, Joey didn''t feel great. His right arm had been broken and right now, it was twisted to the side in a strange way. Although he screamed in pain, he continued to put up a smile.


    "Everything as you expected, Sir. Woah, that old dude is so much stronger than those mercenaries we fought in Paphield."


    "You don''t say."


    Rhode shot a glance at Joey before shaking his head.


    "Go get treated. Take care of yourself. And��"


    "I''m here, Leader. Is it Anne''s turn?"


    Anne hopped out and raised her right arm like a little child asking for a toy from her father. Then, before Rhode could answer, she leaped onto the arena in a scuttle.


    "Don''t worry, Leader. Anne will complete this mission!"


    Anne gestured and shifted her attention to her opponent. Rhode frowned and at this moment, Gillian appeared beside him.


    "Is this fine, Master?"


    "We shall see the situation. Rosen isn''t as strong now and he even missed his attack on a newbie like Joey. It seems like there shouldn''t be any huge problems for Anne. If there''s any danger, I will get her to admit defeat straightaway."


    "Miss Anne seems to not heed your instructions at times though."


    "��"


    Rhode raised his brows as Gillian made sense. In fact, there were many instances when Anne disobeyed his orders and acted on her own accord, which led to her injuries. Besides, he sensed that Anne seemed to hold a special attachment to Starlight and was even willing to sacrifice herself. If she were a player, he would definitely praise and recognise her for her affections. However, this wasn''t the game and the dead couldn''t be revived. Therefore, Anne''s behavior gave Rhode a headache. As an important force in Starlight, he wished to polish and groom her. After all, it was necessary to have a solid, main tanker.


    However, her reckless behaviour gave Rhode a huge headache. Although it was the duty of a Shield Warrior to protect others, her own safety was equally important too. Even though Rhode gave her stern punishments for acting on her own accord, she always promised to not commit the same mistakes again with her watery, puppy eyes. However, she would forget everything about her promise whenever she was enraged.


    It seemed that lecturing wouldn''t work too well on a person like Anne, who relied on her instincts to survive.


    "All in all, I will observe and if there are any signs�� I will get her to back down."


    "Huhuhu, didn''t you tell Rosen that he will be dead before you face him? Are you really going to swallow those words?"


    "Doesn''t matter. It''s just honor, and I don''t care. I''ll just swallow them."


    Rhode sneered and turned to the arena.


    "Gillian, there are two kinds of people in this world: victor and loser. Glory and honor do not mean anything to me. All I need is to win. Only the victor has the rights to ask for everything and the loser only has to kneel on the ground. What do glory and honor even do in my path to fulfill my goals?"


    Rhode groaned and shifted his attention to the audience.


    "Just like these guys. No matter how loudly they yell, they can''t change the results of our victory. The ones that can change are ourselves. No matter if we win in cheers or hisses, it doesn''t matter to me at all."


    Rhode sulked and clenched his fists.


    "Gillian, you should get prepared too. Be careful, don''t get discovered by others."


    "I understand, Master. I''ll get going now��"


    Gillian lifted the hem of her skirt and bowed dramatically with an adorable smile.


    Boom!


    Anne plunged her shield to the ground.


    "Yo, old man, you ready? Anne is here to defeat you."


    "Hmph. Arrogant, little girl."


    Rosen breathed faintly as he scrutinised Anne''s frame. Although Rhode''s methods were scheming, Rosen had to admit that they were effective, where he had even considered backing down from the arena after his attack missed Joey. However, this thought only emerged for a split second. He wouldn''t behave like that scheming and shameless young man.


    If you''re a man, you should face your challenges fair and square!


    That was Rosen''s way of doing things and he wouldn''t give up until the end. Also, didn''t Rhode mention that Rosen would be defeated even before they faced each other? If that were the case, Rosen had decide to hang on all the way until Rhode fought him and see if he had anything else to say!


    Rosen shifted his attention to Anne before extending his arms and clashing his shields together to release an ear-deafening sound.


    "Come on!"


    The battle began.


    Anne was nowhere polite towards him as she lifted her shield with one hand and snarled as she charged forward. The sound of wind whizzed by her shield as she leapt and brandished an arc in midair.


    Boom!


    Rosen knitted his brows and held his shield up for the clash. The immense impact numbed his arms and not only that, but he also felt that this intensity was beyond him, which left him rather dizzy for a split second.


    I can''t release my powers? And I''m feeling dizzy?


    Rosen was baffled. Then, he recalled the green mist that was released from Joey''s broken dagger.


    Could it be that I''m affected by it?!


    Despicable and shameless!


    Rosen sulked and struck out his right shield. Anne backed off immediately and at the same time, Rosen brandished his left shield.


    Amongst everyone who fought against him, Anne was the only one who confronted him bravely. He didn''t hold back because he wished to quickly finish her and settle his feud with that despicable young man.


    Rosen released a devastating move which instantly exposed the difference in strength between them.


    Storm Shielding: a violent whirlwind on the plains which no one could resist. It rose from his left shield and struck out at Anne.


    She retreated instantly. Then, she held her shield with both hands and smashed towards the ground.


    But Rosen''s left shield had arrived just in time.


    Their shields collided, but the powerful whirlwind overpowered her grip. She gritted her teeth and hung on strongly.


    "Heyah!"


    Anne let out a snarl and sprung over Rosen. She brandished her shield.


    "Don''t overestimate yourself!"


    Rosen stood firmly and swung his right shield to sweep Anne''s attack away.


    Clang!


    His shield smashed into her where she shrieked and flew off upon impact like a rag doll that landed heavily on the ground.


    Anne struggled to lift her head while Rosen leapt up and his shadow enveloped her entirely.


    "Go to hell!"


    Rosen swung his shield down. This time, he was determined because Anne was a Shield Warrior like him and neither a Cleric nor nimble mouse like a Ranger or Thief. This boosted his confidence.


    She must die. She definitely and absolutely must die��that kid must pay a price for taunting me!


    It was obvious who was about to win this match.


    But Anne didn''t dodge.


    "Anne will never admit defeat!"


    Anne snarled, lifted her shield, and activated the mechanism in her left hand.


    Kacha.


    Her shield expanded abruptly and almost doubled in size. At this moment, Rosen''s shields landed!


    Bam!


    Anne withstood his menacing attack and the ground beneath her feet sunk as though she stood in a sandbox. A whirlwind rose from level ground and engulfed both of them entirely.


    "Heyahh!"


    Rosen''s veins swelled while Anne gritted her teeth and revealed a malevolent expression. She pushed her shield with both hands and resisted the powerful whirlwind simultaneously. Her arms trembled and her muscles ruptured. The ghastly scars from her palms to elbows ripped through her flesh. Fresh blood spewed and stained her leather armor.


    "Anne�� Anne�� is not afraaaaaaid!"


    She abruptly lifted her head and a green radiance flickered in her eyes.


    "Hmm?"


    Rosen sensed a powerful resistance as though a ferocious beast was about to devour him.


    "Hmph!"


    He withdrew his shields, protected himself, and rolled to dodge the backlash of this force. Meanwhile, the whirlwind that shrouded them lost its energy source and dispersed instantly.


    "Hu�� Hu��"


    Anne stood up slowly with lacerations on her arms. Half of her pretty face was smeared with fresh blood and not only that, her legs were also trembling. If it weren''t for the half-beast bloodline in her and the alchemist potion, perhaps she would have been shredded into pieces.


    "�� It seems like Leader''s potion was effective. But�� it didn''t work as well as I thought it would."


    Anne grumbled and wiped the bloodstains on her cheeks. At this moment, she heard a whistle.


    That''s the sign to back off.


    "Now?"


    Anne turned her head dubiously to Rhode.


    So fast��and I''m going down? I just started not long ago. What''s the point of everything if I retreat now?


    Anne shifted her gaze from the unconscious Randolf to Joey who was accepting treatment from Lize.


    Everyone worked so hard, so it should be fine if Anne works a little harder�� right? But if I don''t obey Leader''s orders�� Leader will be angry�� When that happens��


    Suddenly, a dark figure flitted by.


    A pitch-black shield missed Anne and smashed into the wall behind her. Screams were heard from behind.


    Anne subconsciously turned around and was startled.


    The wall crumbled to the pitch-black shield and revealed the bewildering faces of Shauna and the others who sat there.


    "Where do you think you''re going, little girl?"


    Rosen pulled his shield back and pointed it at Anne.


    "You should know those people behind you�� If you wish to leave, then I will not miss the next strike."


    "Hmph!"


    Anne gritted her teeth.


    "It''s Anne''s duty to protect everyone and Anne has never thought of backing off. Never!"


    "Hmph!"


    Rosen revealed a sinister smile and swung his arm violently. Once again, the shield in his hand shot out towards Anne like a meteor hammer.


    Clang!


    Although Anne lifted her shield on time to defend the attack, her injuries restricted her movements. As a result, she shrieked, flew off upon impact, and rolled miserably on the ground before coming to a halt.


    "Argh�� This old man is indeed powerful��"


    Anne gritted her teeth and mumbled under her breath.


    "Sorry, Leader, Anne will work harder to protect everyone. Anne will work harder�� Sorry Leader��"


    She reached out for a hidden slot in her shield and retrieved a bottle of red potion. Then, she consumed it in a single gulp.


    She stood up slowly.


    At this moment, Rosen''s ice-cold shield crushed her chest.

 Chapter 345 Deciding Match 7

    The collision resounded in the arena.


    The ice-cold shield struck her chest, which mercilessly ripped apart her skin and pierced into her.


    Anne flinched.


    But she stomped her foot forward to support herself. Then, she straightened her body.


    Rosen knitted his brows and retracted his shield using the steel chains.


    But what left him baffled was that the instant his shield came back into his hand, he felt an enormous strength that pushed him back. The shield also trembled non-stop and he even felt his left hand numbed.


    She''s so powerful?


    Rosen dubiously scanned her from head to toe. Although he was exhausted from the continuous matches, he didn''t think that he was weaker than a young lady in terms of individual strength. But now, this counterattack from her actually left his hand numb?


    On the other hand, Rhode knitted his brows as he remembered ordering Anne to consume the ''Life Guardian Mixture''. Within 30 minutes, this potion would grant her invincibility as long as her brain or heart weren''t lethally damaged. This was also specially prepared for Anne as he was aware of her insane fighting style. However, that potion was only used to guarantee her safety and wouldn''t lead to her bursting with strength. How did this happen?


    At this moment, she lowered her head and concealed her face with her golden long hair. Although her expression couldn''t be seen, a wild, dangerous aura exuded on the arena for some unknown reasons.


    "Grr��."


    She let out deep growls and her body trembled.


    This is��


    Rhode sulked and hurriedly turned to Lapis.


    "Lapis! Did you give her anything else?!"


    "Ah!"


    As though electrocuted, Lapis jumped and gestured with her hands out of fear.


    "N-Nothing, Leader, I didn''t��"


    "What did you give her?"


    Rhode disregarded her explanations. After all, she was too bad in lying as her panicky reactions exactly gave her thoughts away. He didn''t even waste a second trying to expose her and asked instantly. Facing his ice-cold stare. Lapis shuddered, lowered her head, and said softly, "It''s�� the Awakening Potion�� Leader."


    Crap!


    The Awakening Potion was an extremely potent potion. In the game, this potion was treated as both an angel and demon due to the certain percentage of luck involved when consuming it. The description of the Awakening Potion was to ''Arouse and Awake the Hidden Strength of the Consumer'', which meant that it would provide the player a certain chance to upgrade their level.


    Of course, this certain chance wasn''t high and after continuous experiments, the players dictated that the success rate was less than 10 percent. Furthermore, the amount of increased levels were also randomised. Some grew from between three to five levels and the most one player grew was ten levels, which was unprecedented.


    However, this potion also had a side effect, which was similar to russian roulette; if one missed, the other would rejoice. Otherwise, not only would it not raise one''s level, but it would also add an ''Enrage'' buff that lasted for ten minutes. Within ten minutes, the player''s attributes would multiply manifold and break through their limit. But, after the ten minutes were over, the buff would be replaced with a ''Weakness'' debuff, which would lower the player''s attributes to 10 percent of their original stats. There were only two ways if they wished to remove this debuff. The first way was to commit suicide and respawn, and the other was to get it cured by a High Priest. But that wasn''t all. After the player successfully removed the debuff, their avatar would instantly drop from between five to ten levels!


    Even the most masochistic player wouldn''t choose this method to gain levels. With an abysmal success rate of less than 10 percent, and a 90 percent rate of dropping levels, one must be insane to use this method. Moreover, the formula for the Awakening Potion was rare and the required materials to craft the potion differed among players. Originally, Rhode never thought of allowing Lapis to concoct such a risky potion. However, never did he imagine that it was actually invented by the Alchemist Elves. Therefore, when Lapis first concocted this potion and showed it off to Rhode, his first response was to get her to throw it away. But, in the end, he allowed her to keep it as he respected her work and warned her to not give the potion to anyone under any circumstances without his permission.


    But now��


    To hell with it!


    Rhode glared at Lapis for a moment before shifting his attention to the arena. At this moment, all he could do was to hope that Lapis'' alchemy techniques would yield a higher chance of success. Alas, Rhode''s heart sank after he discovered an irregularity in Anne''s behavior. As an experienced player, he recognized the symptom one would face when the potion was about the fail.


    A terrifying atmosphere enveloped the arena and not a single sound was heard. The trembles on her body turned violent and even Rosen twitched his brows in astonishment because he sensed a dangerous aura.


    It''s time to end this monkey show!


    Rosen clutched his shield handle. After clicking on the mechanism, the embedded thorns were revealed and shimmered in ice-cold radiance. Then, he threw his shield out.


    He gave all his might in this attack. Almost in the blink of an eye, the pitch-black shield arrived in Anne''s face. But, it was this moment that Anne did something which left everyone dumbstruck.


    She straightened her right arm and stopped the spinning shield.


    "��!"


    The shield stopped spinning and the sharp thorns pierced her palm. However, she didn''t seem to be in any pain at all. To the contrary, she tightened her grip and clamped onto the thorns.


    Then, a pair of furry ears emerged on her head. At the same time, a fluffy, big tail emerged from her back.


    Right now, her pretty face appeared sinister while the crazy smile plastered across her face left everyone frozen. Her expanded pupils emanated a glaring, green radiance.


    "Aowuuuu��!"


    She looked up to the sky and let out an ear-deafening howl. She stooped over with her right hand tightly gripping the shield and tugged.


    "This is��!?"


    Anne''s sudden transformation left everyone flabbergasted. Rosen took two steps back subconsciously to tug his shield back from her hands.


    "Full of tricks!"


    Rosen came back to his senses quickly. Anne seemed to have turned into a totally different person. Without any hesitations, she pulled her palm out from the steel thorns, somersaulted twice in the air, and landed steadily on the edge of the arena.


    "Aowuuuu��!"


    Anne looked at herself and let out another chilly howl. She lifted her right hand, extended her tongue, and lightly licked off the bloody wound. Her pair of green eyes emanated increasingly brighter. Not only that, but everyone also witnessed a green whirlwind emerging around her.


    This is�� the half-beast form?!


    Rhode was baffled.


    A half-beast was a mix between the human and beast bloodline, and because of this, they were in their human forms most of the time and would only transform into beasts after experiencing certain traumatic events. The reason was that when they faced danger, the beast bloodline would be stimulated and generally, beasts which could mate with humans and give offsprings were high in their levels and humans could never withstand the strength of the beasts'' bloodline. Therefore, when the beast bloodline was stimulated, the half-beast would lose its human form and transform into a beast. This incident happened to Anne before where she became a huge wolf. However, this was normal as it was impossible for the human bloodline to be more powerful than the beast bloodline and it was only a matter of course for the latter to overpower the former.


    However, in her case, to only reveal a portion of a beast''s traits and maintain her human form was totally unimaginable. In a half-beast bloodline, the human bloodline had always been weaker than the beast bloodline as the human body couldn''t withstand the powerful strength of the beast, which was why the beast bloodline chose to hibernate in order for the human bloodline to be kept under control. However, once the beast bloodline awakened, there was no authority left for the human bloodline anymore. Both bloodlines would immediately swap out��the human bloodline would hibernate while the beast bloodline took over.


    It could be said that they were two extreme ends and there was no point of balance. Only Gillian was able to maintain her half-beast form, which was extremely powerful. She held pure elemental affinity and dominance over those formidable beastials. However, at this current state, Anne actually took on the half-beast form too? Furthermore, judging from the elemental powers surrounding her, did it mean that she could sense the powers of the four elements?


    Rhode''s suspicions weren''t answered because at this moment, Anne struck.


    She landed on her four limbs and leapt forward. In the blink of an eye, she emerged before Rosen and brandished her shield.


    "Heyah!"


    Rosen charged forward with his shields.


    Two whistling whirlwinds once again rose from level ground from his shields. It was this particular move that thoroughly beat Anne and injured her heavily before. But this time, would Rosen be successful?


    Anne had no intentions of giving up.


    "��!"


    The sound of ear-deafening friction resonated in the arena.


    Anne gritted her teeth and her green eyes emanated even brighter. She forced her way through the powerful whirlwind.


    Oh lord! What''s with this young lady!?


    Rosen never knew that his Storm Shielding technique could be destroyed by brute force.


    Rosen''s a goner!


    Rhode exclaimed inwardly.


    Although he wasn''t aware of her beast bloodline source, he dictated that it was definitely from a wind elemental beast with elemental mastery higher than Rosen''s!


    Equally-ranked elements naturally cancelled out one another and now, they needed to compare which side was stronger. It was apparent that Rosen, as a pure human, wasn''t comparable to Anne with a beast bloodline and a high-level wind elemental strength! Not to mention, Anne was fully awakened now.


    "��!"


    Anne dispersed Rosen''s whirlwind with her shield and their shields collided. The powerful collision instantly erupted and blasted at him, which he quickly released his shields and retorted with his right fist.


    Rosen''s punch landed on her cheek and the strong force shook her slightly. But at the next moment, he regretted his decision. Anne glared coldly at him even though blood was leaking from her mouth and nose. Rosen thought that he was thoroughly in the claws of a crazy, dangerous, and bloodthirsty beast.


    Indeed, at the next moment, his premonition came true.


    Anne turned around and bit his hand. Her sharp fangs punctured through his palm and her green eyes shone.


    "Argaaaaaaah!!"


    As the saying goes, all ten fingers were linked to the heart, and even Rosen couldn''t tolerate the pain as he screamed in horror and kicked her stomach. Then, he retracted his right arm��along with the splashed fresh blood in midair, he lost his index and middle fingers while his palm was mostly torn and revealed a ghastly sight.


    However, Anne''s aggression didn''t stop.


    After spitting out his fingers and flesh, she pounced on him and smashed her shield on his shoulder.


    "You monster!"


    Rosen was infuriated. As Anne tried to pin him to the ground, he reached out for his shield and thrust it into her stomach.


    "Go to hell!"


    Rosen snarled and pressed a switch on his shield handle.


    "��!"


    The sharp part of his shield which was supposed to stabilize firmly on the ground punctured her stomach instead and crimson blood spurted instantly. She stopped moving abruptly as though she were dead.


    "Damn it!"


    Rhode clenched his teeth. On the other hand, Lize and Lapis gawked with ashen expressions.


    Is Anne��dead?


    "Phew��"


    Rosen let out a long breath. He didn''t expect her to be so powerful to give him a tough fight ��but it didn''t matter anymore, since she was already dead.


    Rosen let out a sneer and pushed off the corpse before him.


    At this moment, Anne lifted her head all of a sudden.


    The green radiance emanating from her eyes shone brighter than ever and her face had totally transformed into a beast in his eyes.


    "H-How is this possible��!"


    Rosen clutched his shield in attempt to fling her off. But this time, he felt that his shield was as though a thousand kilograms which couldn''t budge at all. At this moment, Anne lifted the shield in her hand and her pupils abruptly shrunk.


    "CraayMedon." (Slaughter Mode)


    The shield in her hand split and re-assembled in a series of gear crankings. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a large, mechanical, wide-open mouth of a beast.


    She held the shield with both hands and brandished.


    "Noooo!"


    Rosen put his hands out for defense, but it was all for naught.


    Anne''s weapon broke them and crushed his skull.


    Bam!


    Rosen''s head ruptured like a balloon. The mixture of bones, blood, and brain splattered across the arena. His detached body shuddered and finally stopped moving after a few seconds.


    However, Anne didn''t stop. She kept smashing again and again at the headless corpse. Then, she tossed the weapon away and dug through his thick armor and chest with her bare hands. She searched and eventually narrowed her eyes as though she found something that she wanted.


    Anne pulled herself away from the shield that punctured her stomach. Then, she stood high and mighty with her right arm in the air.


    A bloody heart that had stopped beating was in her hand.


    Green radiance emanated from her eyes and she raised her head to the sky.


    "Aowuuuuuu��!!"


    "��!"


    She crushed Rosen''s heart into bits and it splattered all around her.


    Then, she swayed and collapsed to the ground.

 Chapter 346 Deciding Match 8

    Silence fell upon the arena.


    Death finally claimed its first victim. No one expected Rosen to end in such a gruesome way.


    Rosen''s mangled corpse laid on the ground. His ribs protruded from his ruptured chest. The place where his head was supposed to be was now a bloody mix of bone and brain juice.


    "Eaagh!"


    Those who had poor mental strength threw up, and some women even fainted on the spot. The arena turned chaotic, forcing the battle angels to intervene as they swiftly restored order to the masses by sending those who were unwell out of the arena.


    Waltz stared blankly at Rosen''s corpse. Although Waltz disliked Rosen''s stubbornness, his presence was a ''beacon of hope'' for both the Reformist Party and Liberty Wings. Now, their ''beacon of hope'' laid motionless on the floor.


    When Waltz witnessed the fall of Rosen, a throbbing sensation came crashing into his brain. This was the first time that fear overwhelmed the rage in his heart. His son turning into an idiot was one matter, but Rosen''s death would shake the foundations of the entire Southern Reformist Party! He had no idea what his superiors would do, but he knew that Liberty Wings was doomed one way or another. Waltz didn''t know what would become of the largest Southern guild without Rosen. At this moment, he suddenly felt tired. He was absolutely tired of everything!


    Due to this, as Rhode carried Anne off the arena, Waltz still had a blank expression on his face.


    "Sir! Are you still in a daze?!"


    A young man came out from nowhere and shook Waltz''s shoulders as he shouted in Waltz''s ear.


    "Sir! Sir Waltz! Pull yourself together! They only have one man left. As long as we finish him, we can avenge Sir Rosen!"


    "That''s right!"


    Waltz finally regained his clarity when he remembered that Rosen had defeated three people before his death. It also appeared that the woman beside Rhode was unable to battle. This meant that Starlight only had Rhode left! Once they defeated him, Liberty Wings would still be victorious!


    That''s right! No matter how strong that young man is, he''s only one person!


    Hah! They used such underhanded tactics to consume Rosen''s strength, and now their despicable tactics are biting them back!


    At this moment, Liberty Wings had four more participants including Waltz and Marc who had Master Stage strength. The other two were also at the peak of the Advanced Stage. Even if they hadn''t completed their advancement, they still could pose a certain degree of threat towards Rosen. If that was so, perhaps they could defeat Rhode?


    The more Waltz considered his chances of winning, the more confident he became. He expressed his gratitude by tapping the young man on his shoulder and said, "You''re right Marc." Then his eyes swept over the other two men, "Although Sir Rosen fell, he already helped us to remove several obstacles. We have to show our gratitude to him by showing him that we''re not cowards! He sacrificed his life to protect our Liberty Wings'' honor, we must do the same! Men! Do not forget our motto! Defy any threats and violence, strive for liberty and justice, obtain everything that belongs to us! This is the foundation of our guild which was passed down by previous generations of leaders. Now, people under the Liberty Wings flag��"


    Waltz turned around and stared at his many supporters behind him. Most of them were made up of Liberty Wings members. When Waltz turned to look at them, many lifted their heads in response.


    "��I will swear upon my life that we shall continue to uphold the Liberty Wings flag! We shall risk our life and wealth for the glory of victory til our death!!"


    "Yeah!!!"


    The Liberty Wings members shouted and raised their fists into the air.


    "Hmph, useless chatter."


    Rhode snorted in disdain. He stepped towards the side of the arena and laid Anne carefully on the ground. After awakening her attributes, the half-beast blood in her body quickly repaired her wounds. Even the terrifying injury on her stomach had begun to heal.


    Right now, Anne had already shed her ferocious form and her body curled into a ball as she fell into a deep sleep. The blood stains on her delicate face appeared exceptionally conspicuous. However, the little lady was nevertheless serene and adorable.


    "Will Anne be okay?"


    Lize asked Rhode softly as she gingerly wiped off the blood stains on Anne''s body, but contrary to her expectations, Rhode didn''t reply. Instead, he gave a long sigh and silently returned to the arena.


    Rhode was gloomy. He could imagine what would happen to Anne after awakening from her slumber. For her, it would be a massive blow to her self-esteem. If it happened to a player, he or she could easily create a new character without much trouble. But as for Anne, she didn''t have such an option. So how would she cope with the loss of her strength?


    The thought of this gave Rhode a major headache; it was so bad that he didn''t even bother to concentrate on the battle which was about to begin. So what if they had four men left? Did they think that they would be able to win?


    Meanwhile, a swordsman stepped into the arena.


    When the swordsman discovered Rhode''s gloomy expression, he secretly laughed to himself. Of course, he had no idea that the reason behind Rhode''s expression was because of Anne''s situation. He thought that Rhode finally realized the gravity of his plight �� that he was outnumbered four-to-one even though he managed to defeat Rosen.


    The swordsman sneered as he unsheathed his long sword. Rhode lifted his head and glanced at the man casually as if he was looking at a dead man.


    "Alright, let''s begin. I don''t have time to waste on you."


    Rhode stood in the middle of the arena and hooked his index finger, beckoning the swordsman to hurry up. All this while, Rhode had his right hand resting casually on his sword''s hilt as though he had no intentions to draw his weapon.


    At this moment, the audience finally realized what was happening and began to clamor. Indeed, Rhode had defeated Rosen, but if he failed to clear the other four members, Starlight would still lose in the end. Ultimately, it all boils down to the critical question of whether Rhode could defeat the four of them consecutively.


    No one was willing to believe he could, or perhaps they didn''t wish to believe in it. It was no surprise that they had such thoughts because after all, Starlight''s performance didn''t leave a positive impact on them. He used shameless tactics such as sending men to drain off Rosen''s strength and then killing him off in a cruel manner. No matter what, Rosen was over sixty years old, how could he even treat a senior this way? Was he still a human?


    Of course, Rhode didn''t care what they thought of him. As he had mentioned before �� he didn''t need honor or glory in this midsummer festival as long as Starlight was the final victor. He would utilize any unscrupulous means to achieve his goal, even if it meant throwing away Starlight''s honor.


    As far as Rhode was concerned, the most threatening opponent from Liberty Wings was Rosen. The others were just cannon fodder. As long as he could defeat Rosen, Rhode was confident that he could take on the other four by himself. This was also why he didn''t respond to Rosen''s taunts. Rosen''s defense was almost perfect, and Rhode hadn''t possessed the strength of a Legendary just yet. Even though he could rely on his set effects to weaken Rosen before killing him, the aftermath would leave him without any strength. If that happened, then that would be the end of the midsummer festival for Starlight.


    That was why he had chosen to use a shameless tactic. First, he would send out Lize to disrupt Rosen''s rhythm. Next, he would send out Randolf and Joey to exploit the weakness of this walking tank. And lastly, he would use Anne to diminish his strength. If she was lucky, she could perhaps finish him off during her turn. Nevertheless, even if she failed, she would''ve served her purpose. Rhode would then take advantage of his exhaustion to finish him off.


    He wouldn''t ''respect the old and cherish the young'' in such circumstances.


    Anne''s performance was exemplary and exceed Rhode''s expectations by far. As such, he was able to save up more energy, which made his life easier when he had to deal with the remaining four after killing Rosen. Perhaps to Lize and the rest, the remaining four were tricky opponents to handle, but Rhode had never put them in his eyes. They just didn''t possess a solid defense like Rosen �� which was primarily the reason for Rhode''s headache.


    The swordsman clenched his teeth when he heard Rhode''s provocation. Rosen held a high status within Liberty Wings. Almost everyone in the guild worshipped him in reverence. He was a respected hero and also a symbol of hope within Liberty Wings. However, he was killed by this scumbag with the most despicable method. Furthermore, Rhode had no sense of remorse and no respect for the dead.


    I will avenge Sir Rosen. I will let you taste the result for belittling us!


    The swordsman''s complexion grew ashen; his eyes burned with a scorching flame. He lifted his sword slowly and pointed it towards Rhode.


    Then, the swordsman snarled and sprang forward in a flash.


    "Go to hell!!"


    The audience immediately cheered when the swordsman initiated the first strike. Many of them wished for the swordsman to kill this despicable bastard and reclaim their honor.


    Rhode had to agree that the quality of guild members was so much different as compared to mercenary groups.


    The sword tip was inches away from Rhode''s face, yet he had no intentions of dodging. Instead, he stretched his left arm and swung to the front.


    A black card flew out from Rhode''s hand.


    Clang!! A deep, metallic sound reverberated throughout the arena as the heavily-armored Centaur Knight emerged out of nowhere. Facing the aggressive swordsman, the Centaur Knight roared and brandished his shield.


    The swordsman didn''t expect that an odd monster would appear right in front of him without warning. In a panic, he quickly thought of retreating. But before he was able to escape, the Centaur Knight''s shield came crashing down on him. The swordsman knew that he couldn''t dodge it in time, so he had no choice but to use an attack to negate as much impact as possible. He swung his sword with all his might towards the fast-approaching shield.


    A bright flash emitted from the sword tip, leaving a long, white mark on the Centaur Knight''s shield and the impact forced the Centaur Knight''s body to slant to the side. However, as a summoned spirit, the Centaur Knight didn''t bother about its injuries. Therefore even though the blade had injured its shoulder, it continued to charge forward with its spear.


    "What in the world is this thing?!"


    When the swordsman witnessed how the Centaur Knight disregarded its injuries and continued charging towards him, he panicked again and leaped backward to dodge the attack. But before he could land, the swordsman suddenly felt a cold, hard object lodged in his chest. Like a puppet with its strings cut, the body convulsed for a moment before collapsing onto the ground, never to wake up again. Rhode eventually revealed himself behind the swordsman''s corpse. He coldly gazed at the body before flicking his sword to a side.


    Fresh blood flew off his sword and splattered onto the floor, and at the same time, the Centaur Knight disappeared into a dark mist.


    The crowd fell into silence once again.


    It was as though someone suddenly gripped their throats �� all of the lively cheerings disappeared in an instant. The audience turned and looked at each other in dismay before slowly turning their gaze back to the arena. Their confusion was the same as the dead swordsman. How did a Centaur Knight suddenly appear? And how did it suddenly disappear again?


    What exactly is going on?


    At this moment, some of them recalled the fight between Rhode and Barter. At that time, it had been a highly discussed topic but was eventually concluded as Rhode having magical equipment to summon spirit beasts. After all, many ancient noble families would have their stash of mysterious treasures, so it wasn''t too far-fetched for Rhode to possess a magical equipment to seal spirit beasts and command them as he wished.


    But now, the appearance of the Centaur Knight was beyond their expectations. Disregarding the fact that it could ignore its injuries, the audience noticed that Rhode didn''t even have to chant a spell to summon it. Many witnessed how the Centaur Knight appeared out of nowhere and blocked the swordsman''s attack. Moreover, neglecting Rhode was the last mistake he could make in his life.


    Even though it was only in a split second, but it was enough for Rhode.


    "Hmph."


    Rhode snorted at the sight of the corpse before returning to the middle of the arena. Then the members of the Mercenary Association came and brought the corpse off. After a short while, another man stepped up. It was another swordsman. This time, this swordsman appeared to be in his forties and was equipped with a sword and a shield. At this moment, his face was filled with uncontrollable anger as his comrade had once again failed. That wasn''t all, his anger also was due to Rhode''s peculiar fighting style. Before the competition, they had never expected Rhode to fight with summoned spirits even though they heard the rumors about the battle between Rhode and Barter.


    He didn''t think that his comrade''s loss was his fault because, in his opinion, swordsmen should settle their fight with honor. And now Rhode was using despicable methods to kill his comrades.


    "You�� this despicable man!"


    He lifted his sword furiously and pointed towards Rhode.


    "You only know how to use these treacherous methods. If you have the balls, then fight me fair and square with your sword! And not��"


    "Tch."


    He didn''t manage to complete his sentence.


    A huge, shining bird extended its wings to the skies.


    A dark hound roared by the side of Rhode.


    And the Centaur Knight once again emerged from a black mist, pointing its spear towards the swordsman.


    With his summoned spirits surrounding him, Rhode lifted his head and gazed upon the swordsman in contempt.


    "On one hand you said I am despicable and shameless, and on the other hand, you want me to fight you fair and square�� That''s some logic you got there. So, since I''m despicable and shameless�� why would I be stupid enough to fight you fair and square?"


    Rhode lifted his right arm and snapped his fingers.


    "Finish him," Rhode said coldly.

 Chapter 347 Deciding Match 9

    It was totally a one-sided battle.


    Before he could touch a strand of Rhode''s hair, he was already beaten black and blue. He was utterly suppressed even though he was much higher in level than the three spirits. The Centaur Knight, Spirit Bird, and Black Hound were elemental creatures which held unique elemental abilities, making them incredibly tough opponents.


    "Ooahh!!"


    The swordsman flew backward. His shield was smashed into pieces and his handguard cracked. However, the man had no time to worry about his arm before a scorching flame shot towards his location. He hastily pushed himself off the ground and flipped backward.


    Bang!! Black flames seared the ground and exploded into a series of bright sparks which flew past the swordsman. While the swordsman survived the fatal attack by a hair''s breadth, he didn''t have the luxury of time to count his blessings. He rolled forward, jumped and slashed downwards immediately.


    "��!"


    With a screech, the approaching Spirit Bird hurriedly flapped its wings to avoid the swordsman''s attack.


    Damn it!


    After his attack missed the Spirit Bird, the swordsman glanced towards the back where Rhode was. Rhode was still standing at the same place with his hand on his sword hilt, gazing at him without any expression. Although Rhode didn''t attack him like what he did to his companion, the pressure on the poor swordsman was still quite overwhelming. After all, summoned spirits weren''t afraid of death �� even more so for the Black Hound which appeared rather exhilarated that it could self-destruct when it died.


    What should I do? What should I do?


    This question had haunted the swordsman''s mind continuously before he finally saw the light of hope.


    Oh, that''s right�� why don''t I just give up?


    Yeah�� since that bastard is always trying to kill me, wouldn''t it be better if I just surrendered?


    Didn''t those shameless bastards do the same?


    Moreover, technically these weird creatures shouldn''t be my opponent.


    Yeah, that''s it.


    Excuses flashed through the swordsman''s brain as the Spirit Bird retreated. Once again, the fully-armored Centaur Knight charged forward with its spear lunging forward with a sharp, whistling sound.


    Now''s my chance!


    Watching the aggressive Centaur Knight charging towards him, the swordsman''s heart sank. He barely dodged by grinding his sword to the side of the spear, using the momentum to bend its trajectory. In one swift motion, he utilized the force to jump back to the edge of the arena.


    The swordsman displayed his rich battle experience in one move. He deflected the Centaur Knight''s spear and used its large body to block both the Spirit Bird and the Black Hound while he retreated.


    It was an ingenious move indeed. Once he landed on the ground, Rhode''s plan to kill him would undoubtedly fail.


    While it was true that the three summoned spirits weren''t able to stop him from retreating, it didn''t mean that Rhode couldn''t. Suddenly, dozens of tentacles emerged from the swordsman''s shadow and bound his limbs tightly.


    "Eh?"


    The swordsman''s expression turned from glee to confusion. He stared blankly at the black shadows emerging from the darkness as it wrapped around his body tightly. His mind was in total disarray. He didn''t know what to do and thus, froze in place.


    However, there was no need for him to know any longer.


    A searing heat emanated from the back of the swordsman''s head. He turned around instinctively and saw rows of ferocious teeth clamping down on his throat.


    The razor-sharp teeth easily sank into the swordsman''s skin and punctured his esophagus. Just like that, the poor swordsman lost his life without a struggle.


    The tentacles withdrew into the shadows, and the corpse of the swordsman fell headfirst to the ground �� perhaps if he was still alive, the impact might have snapped his neck, but this outcome didn''t mean anything to a dead person.


    Rhode snorted and tapped onto the hilt gently. The three summoned spirits disappeared into nothingness.


    Everyone knew that this match was entirely one-sided as Rhode didn''t even move an inch. Rhode just leisurely stood in the center of the arena and admired the performance of his summoned creatures. Rather than a contestant, he displayed a demeanor that was more likely to be similar to a VIP in the audience.


    "That''s unfair! That''s cheating!! Cheating!!"


    Some people within the crowd began screaming in dissatisfaction. And in a blink of an eye, the entire arena was thrown into a frenzy.


    "That''s right! That''s cheating! Disqualify him!!"


    "He defiled the honor of this holy arena!!"


    "Get him off! Get off! Get off!!!"


    In an instant, Rhode became the target of insults in the entire arena. Since the start of this competition, his performance was despised by the audience. But as a participant, he had no intentions of having a fair play. Not only did he rely on such schemes to gain victories, he even prevented his opponent from leaving the arena. This sinister behavior left everyone raging.


    "This bastard��"


    Viktor let out a bitter smile and shook his head. Frankly, Viktor didn''t think that Rhode''s methods were wrong. Although the midsummer festival limited the matchup as one versus one, it didn''t restrict the summoned spirits. Also, mercenaries weren''t angels. Their honor wasn''t just about fair play �� victories were just as, if not more, important to them.


    Victories had a significant meaning to mercenaries. Even Rosen did something similar previously. Before Joey and Anne surrendered, he attempted to prevent them from leaving the arena. Therefore, objectively, both sides were just playing the same song with a different instrument. The only difference between them was Rosen failed, and Rhode was successful.


    However, Rosen was now dead, and Rhode survived. Therefore the crowd could only pin all their hatred on Rhode. It was apparent that the majority of them were biased against Rhode as they hurled insults one after another, but when they noticed Rhode''s nonchalant expression as if he didn''t seem to care at all, it made them even more furious.


    Humans naturally possessed a strong confrontational psychological trait. Therefore, their insults gradually grew in volume and explicitness when Rhode ignored them. Rhode, on the other hand, merely placed his palm on his hilt and waited for his next victim.


    "This kid is so determined."


    Barter frowned and cupped his ears as he looked at Rhode. He thought that Rhode was quite worthy of respect. However, he shook his head shortly afterward.


    "It''s such a pity that we can''t be like him��"


    "Yeah��"


    Victor also shook his head as he agreed with Barter. After all, they were the figureheads of their own respective regions. They carried the hopes and dreams of many individuals. If they didn''t appear honorable and chose to act like Rhode, their supporters would be unhappy.


    Even though most mercenaries only cared about the results, they couldn''t ignore the feelings of the people. Just like Waltz �� although he didn''t discriminate the determination and cautiousness of Rosen when he faced Lize, the problem lies in the freedom to act independently.


    Of course, Rhode wasn''t afraid. As a leader of a mercenary group, he didn''t have many supporters anyway. Since the start of the midsummer festival, most of the people here were his enemies, so he didn''t have to worry about whether his techniques were shameless or dishonorable as he didn''t have any supporters �� not like he seemed like he needed any anyhow.


    Rhode couldn''t care less about the insults the audience threw at him. He quietly studied the young man who was wearing a shiny armor with a Liberty Wings Guild Emblem. The young man''s handsome face was somewhat frowning when inspecting his companion''s corpse. He made a soft prayer and picked the body. Then he made an intense look towards Rhode.


    Rhode''s brows raised when his eyes locked with this man.


    Back in the game, Rhode had fought with this young man before in the midsummer festival. Marc, the rising star of the Liberty Wings Guild was the fourth contestant.


    Marc was a young genius who was only in his mid-twenties. He was already halfway in the Advanced Stage. While this wasn''t something incredible within the Liberty Wings Guild, still, he would probably reach Master before the age of thirty.


    In the game, Marc led Liberty Wings in the midsummer festival as one of the three vice-leaders and caused major headaches for many players in the arena. He handled matters calmly and possessed a superb swordsmanship that other NPC swordsmen didn''t have. Just this point alone would prove to be troublesome for Rhode.


    Presently, Liberty Wings was supposed to be represented by him. But somehow, due to Rosen''s appearance, Marc lost his chance to shine, and he detested Rosen for that.


    One trait that young men had was rebelliousness. Although they might be afraid of authority, they wouldn''t submit to them. Even though Rosen was a senior and well-reputable, Marc, as a young man, had the capacity for growth. Thus, he didn''t wish for an old man to snatch his rightful position and honor. Moreover, Marc did have the qualifications to lead the Liberty Wings. Rhode recalled that after Marc took the reign, in less than a year, he managed to conquer the entire Southern Region. Furthermore, he also became part of the pioneer army between the battle of King''s Party and Reformist Party.


    If possible, I really want to get rid of him here��


    Rhode maintained his composure as his right hand rested on his hilt.


    However, to Rhode''s surprise, all Marc did was shoot him a few glances and carried his companion back to his team. Then as he left, another mercenary stepped onto the arena which clearly was the next challenger.


    He won''t be fighting?


    Rhode frowned for a moment before quickly releasing his hand from the hilt.


    There must be another chance.


    Waltz stared blankly at the arena.


    At this moment, the arena wasn''t as rowdy as before. The audience seemed to have calmed down. Perhaps it was because of them spending all their energy on dissing Rhode who clearly wasn''t affected at all.


    Rhode once again cruelly finished off the new challenger quickly and efficiently. This time, he didn''t even offer a chance for the opponent to escape as he summoned the three spirits to corner him and personally shredded the poor man to pieces.


    This time, the audience had no energy to insult Rhode anymore.


    The situation appeared to be unfavorable for Liberty Wings.


    This time, there was nothing but silence among the remaining Liberty Wings contestants. Waltz''s attempt to raise morale had failed miserably. Initially, they were still angry at Rhode for killing Rosen, and they were still optimistic about remaining strength.


    But as one comrade after another fell, no one thought this way any longer. After Rosen, Rhode had consecutively eliminated three challengers, and it was clear that he still had energy to spare. Rhode''s weird fighting style also made matters worse.


    The mercenaries of Liberty Wings wished that they could kill Rhode, but his skills and abilities were unmatchable. They weren''t even able to drag the battles to reduce his energy. So what could they do?


    The corpse being carried away indicated that the final battle was about to begin.


    Waltz tidied his bearings, at the same time, he glanced down at his bracelet. That was his final ace. He was hesitant to use it, but he knew that he had no choice now. He had to use it to kill Rhode.


    Only this bracelet could allow them to see the dawn of victory.


    Even if they were to pay a significant price for it, Waltz wouldn''t hesitate to do so.


    Waltz lifted his head and moved towards the arena.


    "Mr. Waltz, you''re finally here. What a rare sight."


    Rhode nodded towards Waltz and said casually. In response, Waltz''s complexion slight sunk.


    "Hmph, cut your crap Mr. Rhode. You and I know that we''re not here to chit-chat."


    "You are right, Mr. Waltz," Rhode replied as he drew the Crimson Blade from his waist swiftly.


    "I''m here to fulfill what I promised. Now, you''re the final one��"


    Waltz wasn''t agitated by Rhode''s words. Instead, he gave a slight smile and gazed towards Rhode.


    "You sure are confident. Do you really think you can defeat me?"


    "Eh?"


    Rhode pricked his brows in response.


    Rhode had displayed his strength, and furthermore, Waltz''s abilities were inferior to Barter''s, so Waltz should know that he doesn''t stand a chance. But now, where did his confidence come from?


    Rhode scanned the surroundings swiftly, but he didn''t discover anything strange.


    Is he deliberately trying to confuse me? Or does he have a hidden card?


    "That goes without saying, Mr. Waltz? Or perhaps do you have a secret weapon?"


    "You''ll know soon."


    Waltz suddenly roared. He lifted his right arm and drew his sword with his left.


    The sharp blade slashed down on Waltz''s palm, causing fresh blood to flow out of the wound.


    At this moment, Rhode finally noticed the bracelet on Waltz''s right wrist which was flickering.


    Damn it, could it be��!


    Rhode was startled. When Waltz slashed his palm, Rhode charged towards him with incredible speed.


    However, it was too late.


    A red barrier emitting strange symbols emerged at the tip of Rhode''s sword, blocking his attack. Then, an overwhelming red fog started pouring from the skies like a waterfall of fresh blood, shrouding the entire arena.


    At this moment, Waltz lifted his head. His eyes had turned completely dark.


    "This is only the beginning, Mr. Rhode," Waltz said chillingly.

 Chapter 348 Deciding Match 10

    The crimson sword tip was only inches away from Waltz but failed to pierce through. Waltz drew back the corners of his mouth as he faced Rhode''s aggression.


    Damn!!


    Rhode alarmingly withdrew his sword and jumped a distance away quickly. At the same time, Waltz opened his mouth and released a sharp and frightening howl.


    The slab instantly shattered like scales rising up from living creatures. The shapeless impact passed Rhode and left the audience cupping their ears from the deafening noise. However, even so, that ear-piercing sound left them frantic.


    Waltz was transforming.


    His muscles began to squirm, bulging like an inflating leather ball. But that wasn''t it; scales began emerging from under his smooth skin, mercilessly ripping apart his flesh, revealing fresh streams of blood and stretched taut muscles.


    A putrid smell of rotten eggs emerged from Waltz''s body.


    That was the smell of sulfur.


    After dodging his supersonic attack, Rhode unhesitantly extended his arm and suddenly, a ball of flames erupted from his palm. The black hound roared as it appeared, revealing rows of sharp teeth and launching a wave of fire towards Waltz. Then it bawled and leaped forward, but at that very moment, Waltz lifted his right arm.


    A hand wrapped with scales easily grabbed the black hound by its neck. It struggled frantically and released flames from its mouth, but it didn''t seem to affect Waltz at all. Instead, he sneered and tightened his grip. Along with a crack sound, the black hound howled in agony moments before losing its last breath.


    Shortly after, it exploded into flames.


    "Bam!!"


    The explosion enveloped Waltz as the flames rolled mercilessly towards the blood-stained walls. However, when the smoke and sparks cleared, it revealed Waltz in perfect condition.


    Now he appeared even more terrifying. Thick and long bones emerged on Waltz''s arms and body, and eerie symbols appeared on his face and neck.


    Demon Bracelet.


    Rhode raised his brows. He knew what was happening to Waltz''s body.


    The Demon Bracelet was a new addition to the game after the Holy War. In the past, the people paid a huge price in stopping the demons from invading the surface. Tens of thousands of demons and humans died in that particular battle. During the war, the mages developed dozens of magical equipment to counter the demons, and the Demon Bracelet was one of them. The Demon Bracelet was created with unique magical metals that could seal a portion of the demon''s strength. Furthermore, it could even imprison the demon itself within the bracelet. Most of the Demon Bracelets were destroyed after the war, and the whatever remained were scattered in all regions.


    And in the game, only one organization could use this equipment �� the Dark Brotherhood.


    Their predecessors were the corrupted army who worshipped the Demon Lord during the Holy War. After the demons were expelled back to the abyss, these humans who were willing to be bewitched by the demons for the sake of power were all purged. However, a small portion survived and formed an organization, the Dark Brotherhood. They had one goal. And that was to open up the doors to hell once again.


    Most of the humans who joined the Dark Brotherhood were failures in society or felt that they were rightfully wronged which led to their degeneration. As these humans curled up in slums and licked their wounds while admiring the warmth of the fortunate people at home, hatred and disparity became the greatest motivation in life. They hoped that everyone in this world will feel their pain, to live in constant fear and surviving on the brink of death as this was the only way for them to be released. Therefore they didn''t mind to succumb to evil and become an accomplice of the demons �� all for the sake of power.


    Such failures existed in every corner of the continent, and because of this, the Dark Brotherhood had never lacked newcomers. In the game, the Dark Brotherhood''s influence spread like wild grasses in the field. As the saying goes, even a prairie fire cannot thoroughly destroy the grass.


    The Demon Bracelet was a common equipment for upper echelons within the organization. During BOSS fights or when facing the player''s relentless assaults, they would activate the Demon Bracelet and release the imprisoned demon to retaliate.


    Rhode was extremely familiar with the Dark Brotherhood and Demon Bracelet. However, what shocked him was Waltz being a member of the Dark Brotherhood.


    How is that possible?


    Regarding the knowledge of the Dark Brotherhood''s forces, internal structure and as well as their entire network, Rhode was certain that knew more than the current president of the Dark Brotherhood.


    But Waltz wasn''t part of the upper echelons that he recalled ever so clearly.


    With Archangel Lydia leading the Munn Kingdom, the Dark Brotherhood wouldn''t have the guts to reveal themselves in public. However right now, Waltz openly used his Demon Bracelet �� was he willing to sabotage the entire Liberty Wings Guild?


    Back in the game, Rhode and his members had defeated this guild leader over fifty times, and he never heard that he could transform�� So what was going on exactly?


    However, no matter the reason, Rhode was in a sticky situation.


    Since the beginning, when he discovered the blood walls which shrouded the entire arena, he knew that the demon imprisoned within the Demon Bracelet was at least a Manipulative Lord. After all, not just any demon could cast the spell ''Bloody Devour.'' Rhode gritted his teeth at this horrifying thought.


    This is getting problematic.


    Fatigue slowly kicked in, and Rhode''s strength seemed to flow out of his body like water from the gaps between his fingers. Just as the name ''Bloody Devour'' suggests, the spell would devour the life source of any living creatures within the Blood Barrier and convert them into strength for the user. During the Holy War, this was one of the primary concerns of the humans when facing the Demon Lord. The powerful demons could use their strength and temporarily project hell onto the surface, creating their own battlefield. It naturally became the most unsuitable arena for any creatures not from hell.


    Now, it was the same for Rhode.


    Really troublesome.


    Detecting his diminishing strength, Rhode frowned. The effects of this spell depended on his levels. If he held physical qualities of ''Master'' stage, then such loss of power would be considered a drop in the ocean. But now �� oh lord, he merely passed Advancement stage only.


    I''ve got to act fast.


    Rhode''s thoughts were as quick as his actions.


    A rumbling sound rose from the ground as the Spirit Bird flapped its radiant wings. It stared at Waltz and let out a long cry. Thunder and lightning came crashing down from above into Waltz. It was a direct hit, but his black scales deflected the attack like a shield.


    "Your struggles are meaningless!!"


    Enduring the Spirit Bird''s attack, Waltz extended his arm and swung to the side. Along with his movements, a whirlwind erupted from his arm, piercing through the dark lightning clouds, and straight through the Spirit Bird''s body. The Spirit Bird let out a sharp cry and attempted to balance its body by flapping its enormous wings.


    But at this moment, Waltz was no longer interested in dealing with the huge bird as he swung his right arm downwards. A string of sparks appeared on his arm. Rhode slanted his body to the side to dodge the attack while he held his sword upright. Rhode''s expression was icy-cold when his Crimson Blade trembled as it withstood the force of Waltz''s attack.


    "Is that all you got, Mr. Rhode?"


    Waltz sneered and lifted his arm again. A strong tremor shook the ground. Rhode seemed to have predicted it; he withdrew his sword, leaped backward. As a shockwave charged towards Rhode, he suddenly narrowed his eyes and supported his body by pushing against the ground with his palm.


    "Shing!!"


    The instant Rhode jumped towards the sky, a bunch of bone spikes impaled the spot he previously stood.


    "Eh?"


    Waltz''s expression changed slightly when he saw this


    How is that possible?


    Waltz gazed at Rhode in astonishment. The instant Waltz used his blood to trigger the Demon Bracelet, not only did he absorbed demon''s powerful strength, but he also accepted its techniques and knowledge. An ordinary human could not match a demon in strength, so Waltz was certain that he could defeat Rhode in a jiffy. However, he didn''t expect that he could dodge his every attack perfectly.


    What''s�� What''s going on?


    Waltz was no newbie. And no matter what, he was a human in the ''Master'' stage. From his observations, he could naturally tell that Rhode didn''t rely on instinct and luck to dodge, rather, he appeared to have already experienced the demons attack patterns as though he had fought them thousands of times!


    Where exactly did this guy come from?


    Although right now Waltz was the real demon here, the black-haired young man was even more terrifying in his eyes,


    I have to kill him!!

 Chapter 349 Deciding Match End

    "The Dark Brotherhood?"


    Lydia stood by the window and observed the arena below. There wasn''t any anger on her beautiful face, but the temperature of the room instantly fell below freezing point.


    "It seems the reformist party is aware, hm?"


    "Please immediately command the guards to prepare an attack, Your Highness!" Amund frowned, with worry in his eyes.


    "That''s the Bloody Devour! It will completely consume down the young man! I can feel that Waltz''s strength is reaching the edge of Legendary! That young man cannot hold him!"


    "Don''t worry, Teacher." In response to his concern, Lydia perked her index finger cheekily by her lips and revealed a smile.


    "Since you''re aware that it''s the Bloody Devour, you should understand if this spell is forcefully hindered, it will cause a spatial disorder and that''s going to be even more dangerous. Furthermore, now''s not the time for us to show up. You see, isn''t Mr. Rhode standing there perfectly fine? I guess he won''t have any problems."


    An incredibly sharp bone pierced through Rhode''s afterimage, producing an ear-piercing sound that followed soon after. Soon, Waltz''s gigantic frame emerged from the fog.


    At this moment, Waltz had already reached two meters tall, and oddly enough, his inflated leather ball-like body didn''t obstruct his agility. Waltz no longer used his weapon. The ''Sorrowful Tears'' was already split into half and had turned into a pile of scrap. Moreover, his enormous palms would perhaps give him a hard time holding it. But he didn''t need it anymore.


    "Heyahh!!"


    With an intimidating roar, Waltz swung his fist downwards, but Rhode dodged it as though he knew it was coming. Waltz''s punch crushed the surface of the ground, leaving a small crater. But he still wasn''t able to injure Rhode at all. Just when Waltz lifted his head, he discovered burning meteors hurtling towards him!


    The Blade of Destruction exploded from Rhode''s blade, sending dozens of random light blades shooting towards Waltz. Although Rhode was only at the Advanced stage, his level of swordsmanship was similar to a Master, so even Waltz, who was buffed by the Demon Bracelet, couldn''t simply neglect the strength of his sword skill.


    Facing the counterattack from Rhode, all Waltz could do was to deflect them with his excessively huge arms. Then, Waltz suddenly widened his arms and swiftly slammed them together, generating shapeless ripples of shockwaves in all directions. Rhode immediately dipped his body downwards, and the mighty shockwave passed over his head.


    Again?!


    Waltz began to grow anxious because similarly to Rhode, he was also rushing for time. Although the ''Bloody Devour'' was a high-end spell, the spell duration wasn''t that long. Waltz knew the consequences; however, since he''d received this order from those people, all Waltz could do was just to follow through. Like Mobis, he needed to eliminate this growing threat as soon as possible and would not hesitate to put his life on the line. The spell only lasted for twenty minutes, so Waltz needed to defeat Rhode within this time frame. Initially, he thought that it would be in a walk in the park, but the current situation proved otherwise.


    The young man didn''t seem nervous when confronting his demonic form; instead, his movements were quick and relaxed. No matter how powerful his attacks were, the young man would dodge it as though he had predicted his next move. Demons hadn''t officially appeared in this world for many years, yet this young man''s reactions were as if he had fought with them on a daily basis!


    Waltz snarled as he slammed the ground with both hands, sending two shockwaves towards Rhode. After he had avoided Waltz''s previous shockwave attack, Rhode frowned for a while, seemingly contemplating about something. Then, in a flash, he lifted his sword and slashed towards the two incoming shockwaves.


    A bright aura coalesced at the tip of the Crimson Blade, forming a faint image of a sledgehammer. Rhode swung it downwards, colliding head-on with the two shockwaves.


    "Bam!!"


    A deafening explosion sounded, and the ground beneath Rhode''s feet instantly swelled before shortly caving in.


    "Ah!!"


    Many spectators within the arena screamed in horror as the explosion swallowed Rhode''s figure. They even witnessed at least one-third of the arena turning into dust, and the remaining was on the verge of collapsing.


    "Sh*t! Is Leader okay?!"


    Shauna tried to locate Rhode in the midst of the chaos. Although she hadn''t seen an actual demon before, anyone would think that Waltz''s appearance was anything but ordinary. Initially, Shauna was confident that Rhode would be able to secure the victory. But right now, even she couldn''t help but feel anxious.


    However, Shauna didn''t notice that Christie was quietly observing a certain area of the chaotic battlefield.


    Her mystical eyes were flickering with a muddled radiance.


    The smoke and dust settled.


    Rhode stood by the edge and gasped for air. Even though he had experience when dealing with demons, the adverse effects of the Bloody Devour on Rhode''s body were unavoidable. As time passed, he felt more of his strength slipping out from his body. If he couldn''t think of a way to defeat Waltz, the one going down would possibly be him.


    Rhode caught in a deep breath to calm his senses.


    It looks like I need to resort to that.


    "Seems like you have nowhere to hide now, Mr. Rhode?"


    Waltz lifted his head and stared at the young man with his cold, fiendish eyes while the corners of his mouth drew back, revealing a sinister smile.


    However, what happened next surprised Waltz.


    Cha. Rhode stabbed the Crimson Blade into the ground and raised his head towards Waltz.


    "Mr. Waltz �� I''ve got to admit that you did exceedingly well. To be honest, it was above my expectations! But it''s a pity that�� you made a grave mistake��"


    "Oh?"


    Waltz raised his brow as he waited for Rhode to continue. Rhode did not keep him waiting and courteously gave him the final answer.


    "�� You shouldn''t have converted to a demon."


    Rhode straightened his arms to his chest, and a blinding light from countless of summoning arrays began gleaming on his palms. Then, the light began spreading towards Waltz.


    Sh*t!


    Waltz''s heart sank. Waltz didn''t know what was Rhode up to, but he knew that it wasn''t something good. He lifted his arms, causing the spurs on his arms to transform into sharp razors and swept towards Rhode, creating a gigantic whirlwind.


    Black and White. Both cards rotated on Rhode''s palms in tandem.


    Rhode suddenly clenched his hands.


    Crash! The sound of glass breaking burst out.


    Just one more step and Waltz''s attack would reach him. However, before he could land the final blow, a mesmerizing and alluring voice echoed in his ears.


    "Halt, you lowly race!"


    The moment the charming voice spoke, Waltz immediately froze on the spot. He saw dozens of shadows rushing past him, sending chills down his back, and suddenly, before he knew what happened, he realized that a thorny whip had wrapped tightly around his massive body.


    Waltz turned his head towards the source of the thorny whip in terror. Standing beside Rhode was a twin-tailed woman dressed in a black-laced mini skirt. She lifted her chin proudly and revealed an expression of disdain when she looked at Waltz. Her right hand held the thorny whip which was constricting his body, while the other rested on her hip.


    Beside her was an expressionless battle angel. Her holy sword was lifted up towards her chest, emanating a cleansing aura that caused Waltz to feel nauseous. He tried to escape the thorny whip but was unable even to budge an inch as if his body wasn''t listening to him.


    "This�� This��"


    Waltz opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Celia''s sword had already pierced through his skull.


    In an instant, a raging pillar of holy flames erupted and devoured Waltz.


    "What''s this?"


    "Oh, my god! What did I just witness?!"


    This scene forced the audience to their feet as they screamed in horror. They stared blankly at the two stunning women by Rhode''s side. Their hearts were filled with the same doubts and confusions as Waltz �� where did these two maidens come from?


    "This is��!"


    No one noticed that Lydia, who was relaxing on the sofa comfortably, suddenly shot up and approached the window in astonishment. When Amund saw Lydia''s reaction, he turned towards her and asked, "Is anything wrong? Your Highness?"


    "No�� Nothing�� Nothing at all��"


    Lydia shook her head and narrowed her eyes, thoroughly scanning the two women before mumbling very softly.


    "�� Lady Celia and�� Her Highness Celestina?"

 Chapter 350 Rhode’s Accomplice

    "And the winner is�� Starlight!"


    The president of the Mercenary Association lifted both of his hands high, grandly announcing the winner of the competition. During such an occasion, normally, the crowd would be cheering wildly for the winner. However, the entire arena was in utter chaos �� Waltz''s monstrous appearance was naturally their primary concern, and the two beautiful women that appeared beside Rhode were as equally eye-catching. Although the Spirit Bird and Flame Killer attracted most of their attention in the beginning, their presence wasn''t all too surprising since summoning spells weren''t rare on this continent. Therefore, when Rhode summoned a few odd creatures, it was still within their expectations.


    But�� It was a whole new ball game to summon a humanlike individual. These humanoid creatures held strong powers and intelligence that weren''t inferior to humans. Unlike the spirits that acted largely on instinct, these creatures were naturally harder to summon and would consume a considerable portion of energy where only the top summoning masters were able to afford.


    Furthermore, as everyone knew, the summoning spells were cast using one''s resonance of strength to summon beings from another plane of existence. However, at this moment, the two women standing beside Rhode didn''t seem to originate from another world! For an angel like Celia to appear in this place�� it raised an uproar in the entire arena!


    Almost everyone knew that an Archangel governed the country; thus, the term ''angel'' was a sensitive word. Not only the normal civilians were left utterly speechless, but even the company of battle angels guarding the arena were also ineffably stunned by the fact that a battle angel could become a human''s summoned creature.


    Furthermore, the spectators were doubly surprised when the company of battle angels flew down and surrounded the Liberty Wings Guild after the Mercenary Association''s speech. The angels immediately demanded the rest of the guild members to drop their weapons and surrender, causing further unrest within the spectators. Thus, what was supposed to be a joyous occasion, turned into this awful, chaotic hodgepodge.


    Fortunately, the closing ceremony would only be held two days later after the group battles, and side-events concluded. Therefore, this disturbance didn''t affect Starlight much. And as a matter of fact, Rhode wasn''t concerned by the commotion at all. After getting rid of Waltz, Rhode stepped down from the arena and beckoned the rest to follow him to the exit. Unlike many others, Rhode''s expression was as calm as ever; it was as though winning the tournament was something insignificant.


    Indeed, there was a reason for Rhode not to celebrate.


    Currently, he was troubled by Anne''s condition, and he didn''t know how to tell her the truth when she woke from her coma. Not only would the weakness effect from the Awakening Potion harm Anne''s body, but it would also even reduce her fighting prowess drastically. Moreover, her she might end up even worse than Lapis after the expulsion of the debuff �� and that would be a real tragedy.


    Right now, Rhode''s only hope was to entrust it to Lydia. Fortunately, the Royal Highness had personally guaranteed to grant a wish for the winner. As long as Anne requested Lydia''s assistance, she would be able to get rid of the debuff. It was not a difficult task for an Archangel. Rhode could only hope that Lydia would also be able to remove the residual effects of the debuff with her power.


    Once they exited the arena, Rhode swept his eyes over the group. Then, as if reminded of something, his eyes lit up, and he turned his head to Lize.


    "Go and gather with the rest before returning to our encampment. There may be unrest within Golden City after this tournament, so make sure they stay alert�� Lize, I want to know how many members are left in our mercenary group. I''ll need you to inform Shauna and Kavos to gather these stats. I will analyze it when I get back."


    "Okay, Mr. Rhode."


    Lize nodded in acknowledgment, "What about you, Mr. Rhode?" she asked out of curiosity.


    "I have something important to attend to."


    Rhode pulled down his hood and nodded towards the rest of his group before quietly vanishing into the crowded street.


    After making his way out, Rhode arrived at a secluded alley. Old Walker leaned on a wall, rubbing his hands in glee, waiting for Rhode''s arrival. From the old man''s flushed expression, it was evident that he enjoyed the matchup. Indeed, when Rhode appeared in his view, Old Walker immediately waved his arm.


    "Yo, Leader. Well done. Oh Holy Soul, I thought I was dreaming�� Are we really the champion of individual matches?"


    "That''s right." Rhode nodded.


    Old Walker punched his fist into his other palm and burst out in laughter.


    "Hahaha, great��! That''s excellent! I''ve never thought this day will come. Now those bastards in Paphield can shut their traps! Hahaha, I can''t wait to see how will those bastards kneel down and welcome us back!"


    After a moment, Old Walker suddenly sighed and said, "But�� Kid, even though we''ve won but your methods were kind of�� unpopular."


    "Oh?" Rhode pricked his brows, "Is it that bad?"


    "Of course it was." Old Walker frowned as he spread his arms out in a helpless manner. He should''ve been 100% excited about the victory, but his mood dampened instead.


    Throughout the entire tournament, the spectators beside Old Walker had been criticizing Rhode and Starlight which made him annoyed. However, he could see that after the tournament, many people eventually had the same sentiments�� Old Walker didn''t take these people seriously as he didn''t think that Rhode''s method was wrong, but after hearing incessant complaints about his mercenary group, even he couldn''t tolerate it.


    Furthermore, he understood that having a negative reputation could impact Starlight in the long run. No matter if it was a mercenary group or guild, reputation was extremely important. Although Rhode emerged victoriously, the spurns from others led Old Walker to think that this wasn''t the right method after all.


    However, Rhode waved his hands, assuring him that it was nothing.


    "Don''t worry; it won''t last long."


    "Eh? Kid, you��"


    Old Walker raised his brow and prepared to retort, however, he quickly thought of something which surprised himself.


    "Kid, could it be that you have a good idea?"


    "Of course, why do you think I called you here for?"


    Rhode sneered at Old Walker''s doubt.


    "How are your men doing?"


    "Good. I''ve been secretly observing them. These people are loyal, and they don''t ask redundant questions when they are given their missions. Heh heh, you don''t have to worry at all, Kid. These men were handpicked by me, so if there are any problems with them, you can look for me directly!"


    "Are they aware who they are working for?"


    "Most of them didn''t care, but some seems to have guessed it��"


    "Good. Bring those trustworthy ones to me after the mission ends."


    Then Rhode beckoned Old Walker to come closer with a soft tone, "I know what those people will say after our victory. But don''t worry, they have nothing to fear. I need you to act accordingly like what you did, and continue with the next mission��"


    Rhode''s voice became softer as he continued to whisper something to Old Walker.


    After several minutes, Old Walker had an odd expression on his face. It was an expression mixed with shock, delight, then astonishment, and even with some fear. After nearly half an hour, Rhode moved a few steps back before speaking in his normal voice.


    "Do you understand everything?"


    "Ah, uh�� I understand."


    From the moment Rhode started whispering until now, Old Walker stared at Rhode as if he was a monster and trembled before wiping off the beads of sweat on his face. He already knew that Rhode wasn''t a saint, but after hearing his plan, Old Walker realized that this man was a hundred times eviler than he thought!!


    "Is�� Is this really fine?"


    "It will mostly be fine and I''ll leave the details for you guys to decide. However, remember to avoid sounding too closed up as it will not be beneficial for us. Also, remember to swap all the members to avoid detection �� In other words, do your best and go with the flow."


    "Okay��"


    Old Walker nodded in a daze. He couldn''t figure out what kind of brains this young man had. In the end, Old Walker stopped probing and let out a long sigh.


    Nobles are indeed ruthless people.


    Old Walker shook his head and departed listlessly.

 Chapter 351 Capricious

    Just as Rhode expected, merely within three hours after the end of the midsummer festival individual tournament, various rumors with similar content spread across the entire Golden City. Most of the people criticized Starlight mercenary group as shameless and despicable for defeating Rosen using the vile ''time-dragging'' tactic and even showed no mercy in killing him afterward. It was a humiliation for the midsummer festival and Sacred Arena to have such a ruthless winner; it could even be considered the most shameless victory in the midsummer festival history!


    Some radical members even called for a joint alliance to present a petition to Royal Highness Lydia in hope to remove the qualifications of Starlight. Many of them grudgingly denounced Starlight''s bold actions, screaming for the Mercenary Association and Lydia to step out to uphold a fair and justified battle environment. If a mercenary group like Starlight managed to win the championship with such a despicable method, it would eventually set a bad example for other mercenary groups in the future!


    Shortly after the event, Starlight became a ''rat'' with Rhode being regarded as what others referred to as a sinner. Only after pinning him to the Hall of Shame would it bring satisfaction to everyone.


    But amidst the intense storm of criticisms, some new viewpoints quietly arose.


    Unlike those who condemned Rhode and his Starlight group, the ''new viewpoints'' were from people who took a neutral stand. They believed Rhode and Starlight didn''t commit any serious crimes and were gravely misunderstood.


    Their rationale went like this, "You said they dragged the time in order to defeat Rosen, but you also have to think from another perspective. After Rosen was defeated, Starlight only had Rhode left, right?"


    "Rosen faced four opponents, and so did Rhode. The participants of Liberty Wings Guild were much tougher than Starlight members. Other than Rhode, the rest weren''t even at the Advanced Stage. Since Starlight could maintain their advantage and defeat Rosen, why couldn''t Liberty Wings do the same?"


    "Isn''t it perfectly normal not to show mercy to your enemies? Since both sides had accepted a life and death challenge, naturally they had to try their best. It is one matter if the opponent can''t bear to kill, but it''s also another matter if you can''t escape, right? Also, wouldn''t it be better if they didn''t agree with the life and death challenge?"


    In the beginning, this new logical approach didn''t garner much attention, but in time, it gradually spread like wildfire. This was as expected as only ten of thousands of people witnessed the afternoon tournament which didn''t even count to one-fifth of the total population of Golden City.


    The people who weren''t able to watch the match could only learn what happened through hearsay. Rhode''s performance was very much controversial �� to the extent that the moment the audience exited the arena, they began cursing and swearing. And for the people who didn''t manage to catch the match firsthand, they initially thought that these arguments were all incomparably accurate.


    However, the audience tones were overly aggressive and mostly exaggerated. After all, Rhode had previously fought Barter on the Sacred Arena face-to-face, so everyone thought since this man had the guts to fight Barter, he shouldn''t be despicable and shameless enough to do such a thing to Liberty Wings. Therefore, many began to grow doubtful of the stories from the audience.


    It was at this moment when the emergence of the neutral ''new viewpoints'' spontaneously erupted, immediately claiming many agreeable sentiments for Starlight. Most importantly, these discussions weren''t as aggressive as the initial rants from the audience. Instead, they seemed to calmly explain to the ''obscure masses who didn''t know the truth.'' Of course, this entire process made no progress towards the agitated audience. However, they won the masses with their calmness, reasonable explanations, and less hatred.


    On one hand, they presented themselves like innocent, bashful children and on the other hand, there were a steady and reasonable bunch of adults. Furthermore, the entire process didn''t differ much from those explained by the audience, so it naturally became more convincing and acceptable.


    A portion of the angry audience began to calm down after hearing the explanation. However, there was still a dismissive handful who had wholly regarded Starlight as Dark Brotherhood rats, on which only hating on them was the proper way, and it was a sin if one defends them!


    These bunch of staunch haters began to deplore those who believed the new rumor, thinking they were misled by their imaginations and in turn, retaliated by spreading statements such as, "You guys didn''t watch the tournament so how will you know how shameless those people were?"


    This time, the majority of the people who didn''t watch the final matchup were upset by this claim. Humans were considered to be a contradictory lifeform. No matter what, there will always be an existing contradiction within them. Many of them flaunted themselves as calm, detached and rational individuals. This way, they could maintain a level higher than the others. So how should they express this side of them? Of course, they had to refute with public opinions! Since ancient times, this method was universal no matter which world in the vast multiverse.


    Therefore, the people no longer remained silent after facing the insults. They stood against the other party''s passionate opinions, stating they were too extreme in their methods. Right. Even though one didn''t watch the match, it was evident that both sides didn''t do anything wrong. Just like what was previously mentioned, the conditions for both parties were equal. Rhode sacrificed four of his men to defeat Rosen, and he equally faced four opponents by himself to secure the win. Since that was the case, why shouldn''t he receive the recognition that he deserved?


    In response to this, many retorted that Rhode was someone with legendary strength, so why couldn''t such a powerful person fight Rosen fairly instead of resorting to such trivial schemes?


    However, some refuted by questioning whether the rumor of Rhode''s legendary strength was true. Nevertheless, even if it was true, the other members of Starlight didn''t have similar strength. Thus, it didn''t seem to be a problem if Rhode resorted to this choice, right? What if he fought Rosen face-to-face and was defeated? Wouldn''t Starlight lose because of this? As a leader, one should always maintain his composure and Rhode did nothing wrong! As the summoned creatures? The rules had never banned the summoning of creatures and therefore why are you people still being sore over it?


    These people thought that Rhode''s decisions were reasonable. Moreover, Starlight didn''t break any rules, and his choices as the leader led his relatively weak mercenary group to a decisive victory. Rather than a disgrace, this unprecedented outcome could''ve been said to have unveiled a new page in the tournament''s glorious history because it broke the illusion of powerful guilds being undefeatable by anything below them!


    This explanation caused those against Starlight to clench their teeth in fury as they continuously denounced that these people couldn''t differentiate right from wrong and were irrational to trust the words of others even without witnessing the tournament with their own eyes.


    This dull rebuttal was akin to beating the dead horse, and it was no surprise that it resulted in further unhappiness among the masses. Was it our fault that we can''t enter the arena due to its full capacity? Again, your explanations are similar to theirs, and they are even more reasonable than you, so why must we listen to you?


    Eventually, the string of events led to another new viewpoint which appeared out of nowhere: "What an honorable way to end the tournament. How could the winner be under such abusive accusations?"


    The answer was simple because most of the people within the audience were supporters of Liberty Wings!


    This new viewpoint ignited like a bushfire in summer, and the masses were immediately in an uproar.


    As mentioned previously, the guilds represent the benefits and reputations of the various regions. There had been conflicts due to certain reasons within these regions. Thus, those who supported the guilds were mainly people from that respective region, and Liberty Wings was situated in a somewhat prosperous area in the Southern Port, second only to Golden City.


    Because of their standing, they''ve always treated civilians of other regions as beggars and country bumpkins, so they weren''t well-liked anywhere else. As the saying goes, the enemy of your enemy is your friend. Starlight helped them wipe out this bunch of arrogant Southern scum, and many were delighted. From their perspective, those who criticized and insulted Starlight were the sore losers.


    It was no surprise why these people were exasperated. They heard that Royal Highness Lydia was there to observe the tournament personally and if things had grown ugly, would that beautiful woman who adored beautiful things not care at all?


    These people couldn''t tolerate it any longer as they felt that they were the conscience of this country which represented fairness and justice. Yet, their rightful accusations had been treated as a sore loser''s harassment?


    How can we permit this?


    What do this bunch of uneducated Northern poor bastards even know!!


    "This is getting bad��"


    "It''s starting�� The chaos is starting��"


    Standing by the edge on the second floor, Old Walker gazed over the railing at the chaotic pub with a cup of wine in his hand. Many patrons were exchanging insults and even began throwing punches. Frankly, Old Walker had never expected such a scene.


    He thought Starlight was done and dusted. After experiencing the storm in the arena, Old Walker began to worry about Starlight''s future. Even though he understood Rhode''s plans, but deep in his heart, he couldn''t help but feel dubious. Could a few words really change the people''s perspective on Starlight? Could his men of utterly inadequate measures be able to spread the words and create the effects that Rhode wanted?


    Now, he was absolutely convinced.


    The crowd who had insulted Starlight had been divided. Many even threw their fists in the air, screaming Starlight''s name for support while struggling against those who were anti-Starlight. They seemed more loyal than the craziest supporters. Some even announced that they would start supporting Starlight in getting rid of those Southerners!


    As Starlight continuously defeated the Southern representative guilds, Sky Sword Guild and Liberty Wings Guild, many Northerners had accepted Starlight as their companions. Not to mention that Starlight even showed respect in their fight with the Purple Lily Guild.


    Since that was the case, they didn''t care if Starlight was shameless and despicable. As long as Starlight could get rid of those pretentious and arrogant bastards of the South, then it doesn''t matter if they were more shameless!


    Such happenings didn''t only occur in the pub that Old Walker was in. According to his intel, there were similar uproars in other areas, and what surprised him even further was that the people who went against Starlight had become the minority! Furthermore, various Northern nobles and influential mercenary group leaders announced their support for Starlight and labeled those that avoided supporting them as heresy!!


    Various rumors mingled and grew so twisted that it made people unable to differentiate this from that.


    However, even so, many had the tacit understanding of not mentioning Waltz''s transformation and the actions taken by the battle angels. Anyone could tell that Waltz''s transformation was definitely something odd and after the troop of battle angels surrounded the Liberty Wings Guild, no one wanted in on the matter. If anyone revealed any pitiful thoughts towards Liberty Wings, they would probably have a hard time in future �� which was why they focused their energy towards insulting Starlight''s schemes.


    However, no matter how Old Walker thought about it, he couldn''t understand �� How did Rhode manage to think of all these consequences?

 Chapter 352 Sleepless Nigh

    (ED: Yet another NSFW warning nearer to the end��.)


    "Dong!"


    Rhode slammed his fist on the table and gritted his teeth after reading the system prompt.


    He had been praying hard for some sort of difference between reality and game while on the way back, but the harsh truth presented otherwise.


    Under Anne''s status was the ''Weakened'' debuff.


    "Hu��"


    Rhode calmed himself down before sitting on the chair and closing his eyes. For a brief moment, he attempted to collect his thoughts, but after a few seconds, he stepped out of his room and made his way towards the guest room at the end of the hallway. Without hesitation, he extended his arm and knocked.


    "Ah, Mr. Rhode."


    Lize, Marlene, and Christie answered the door. Lapis wasn''t amongst them as Rhode had sternly ordered the poor alchemist to reflect on her actions in her room.


    "How''s Anne doing?"


    "Not good��"


    Lize shook her head helplessly.


    "The side effects of the potion is too strong. Almost all of Anne''s energy had withered away. All I can do now is to preserve what''s left of her strength within her body. Mr. Rhode, do you know how long will the side effects last?"


    "Anne''s performance was baffling indeed."


    Marlene remarked in her usual tone as though the effects of that incident had disappeared. She frowned and twirled her hair with her finger before continuing, "I have no idea exactly what that potion was, but its immediate effects instantly raised the strength in Anne''s body�� and the side effect was equally frightening�� I will seek guidance from my teacher about this matter."


    "Yes please."


    Rhode nodded towards Marlene and shifted his gaze towards the other two.


    "It''s getting late now, go and rest. Leave her to me."


    "Mr. Rhode?"


    Lize widened her eyes in surprise, whereas Christie hooked her tiny finger onto Rhode''s sleeve.


    "�� Can Christie stay with Rhode and Anne��?"


    "You should rest too, Christie."


    Rhode got down on one knee and revealed a warm smile.


    "It''s already very late now�� and you should also take care of your body."


    "En��"


    A trace of reluctance flashed across her face, but it disappeared as quickly as it came and the little girl left the room obediently with Lize in hand. At this time, only Marlene, Rhode and the sleeping Anne was left in the room.


    The atmosphere instantly turned awkward.


    "Mr. Rhode, you don''t seem very happy that we had won the tournament?"


    Marlene quietly observed Rhode''s expression. Her red pupils were glistening with warmth and a gentle radiance that even she wasn''t aware of.


    "We certainly should be happy over our victory, but it is a pity that we sacrificed too much."


    Rhode shrugged his shoulders before dragging a chair from the side.


    "Although I know there''s no use in regretting now, I still have to say that I wished I didn''t send her up."


    "But Anne will eventually still fight, and we all know that''s for certain."


    Marlene revealed a bitter smile whereas Rhode nodded in agreement. Although Anne appeared childish on the surface, she always did things with determination. However, this may be a good and bad thing at the same time. It was no easy task to ''train'' Anne''s character because �� after all �� humans weren''t made out of numerical data that one could modify whenever they please��


    Rhode pressed his hand against his forehead �� Within his summonable spirits, there was also a troublemaker.


    "So�� Marlene? Do you have anything else for me?"


    Lize and Christie had already left, and only Marlene chose to remain. Rhode didn''t believe that Marlene was here to admire Anne''s sleeping posture.


    "Well��"


    Marlene hesitated for a moment before handing a letter to Rhode.


    "It''s regarding the matter of the Alanic Foundation�� We, the Senia Family, are currently supervising the foundation of which my father had fully taken over. This is an invitation letter that my father asked me to present to you. It is an invitation to our Senia Family''s Central Magic Ring after the midsummer festival. He wants to thank you in person."


    "Understood."


    Rhode nodded and asked, "How''s that woman now?"


    "I don''t know��"


    Marlene''s expression turned rather sour as she looked down and shook her head.


    "I don''t know what Ellenson will end up as�� I heard that her parents will be sending her to a monastery for a period with hopes that�� there will be some changes��"


    Marlene intentionally trailed off, but Rhode knew that she was aware what would happen to Ellenson. A noble young lady who had been ''stained'' couldn''t continue to live in the family any longer.


    "This isn''t your fault, Marlene. But I know such shallow consolation is useless to you right now."


    Rhode turned around and looked into the maiden''s eyes.


    "That man came for you, but he dragged your friend into it. I can understand how you feel. But no matter what Marlene, you must toughen up as this is one of the challenges you must face �� at the very least, I can guarantee that you have my support."


    Marlene was slightly surprised and revealed a bright smile.


    "�� Mr. Rhode, this must be the first time I''ve heard you speak such sweet words to a lady�� I''ve got to admit that it''s not too shabby��"


    "Are you done with your nonsense? Give me that."


    Rhode chided jokingly as he pricked his brows slightly and held out his palm. Marlene on the other hand, obliged and smiled wryly before passing the invitation letter to Rhode.


    In the process of passing the letter, their fingers gently brushed against each other, causing Marlene''s body to stiffen instantly.


    "Eh?"


    Rhode looked at Marlene dubiously. At this moment, the lady''s white and snowy cheeks were smeared with a red blush and her eyes looked entranced. However, Marlene soon brought herself back to her senses.


    "Sor-Sorry, Mr. Rhode�� It''s late now and I should go back and rest�� well then, goodnight."


    Marlene quickly spun around and left in a hurry, leaving behind a trail of fragrance.


    -


    "Hu�� Hu��"


    After returning to her room, Marlene immediately shut the door and plunged right into her soft, wooly bed. At this moment, her face was bright red, and her breathing was abnormally deep.


    Why is this happening?


    Marlene placed her hands on her chest, feeling the intense pounding of her heart. She thought that she could calmly face everything by now. However, the truth proved otherwise.


    The instant their fingers met, Marlene was immediately reminded of that night. Although she was semi-conscious, these blurry emotions seemed to reflect most clearly in her memories more than anything else. Marlene was once again reminded of Rhode''s body temperature, fingers and�� that intense and thrilling pounding.


    "En��"


    Marlene restlessly writhed on her bed as her body temperature slowly rose. Her slender fingers unbuttoned the collar before she clumsily fondled herself with her eyes closed. Soon enough, Rhode appeared in Marlene''s mind yet again, repeating the scene of that wild and shameless night. At this moment, her fingers seemed to coincide with Rhode''s image as she brazenly caressed herself. It was a mixture of rough and wild actions, yet it was an incredibly comfortable sensation as if she presented all of herself to him.


    "Mm�� Rhode��"


    As Marlene reminisced the memories of that night, she twisted and turned under the intense sensation. Although she had never done this before, she inconceivably knew her way around it. Her slender fingers rubbed instinctively, caressing her beautiful and slim curves. As her actions became increasingly intense, her ragged breaths became shorter and faster. In the end, Marlene let out an alluring moan as her right hand entered deep between her legs while her left hand gripped onto her soft, ample chest. The maiden''s body convulsed for a few seconds before finally relaxing.


    As her short breaths slowly stabilized, Marlene''s bewildered eyes gradually regained its sharpness.


    "W-What�� What am I doing!"


    The maiden blushed yet again and screamed before pulling the quilt over her head.


    That''s just a dream!


    That''s right�� it''s just a dream��


    The maiden murmured to herself repeatedly like a mantra and shut her eyes, gradually falling into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 353 Feelings of the Protector

    "��!!"


    Anne opened her eyes; her chest began fluctuating due to her rapid breathing. Just recently, Anne had a terrible nightmare. Although she couldn''t remember the details, she could still vaguely recall the blazing world shrouded in crimson while being chased by some wild beasts. Anne kept running with all her might, somehow managing to evade the beasts. Deep within her heart was a subconscious fear �� she somehow felt that if she stopped running, she would be devoured mercilessly.


    Luckily, it''s only just a dream��


    Anne let out a long sigh. Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded beside her.


    "What''s wrong? Having a hard time sleeping?"


    "Eh?"


    Anne blinked a few times in surprise when she noticed the owner of the voice. Rhode''s usual expressionless face caught her attention as he leaned back on a chair beside her bed. Although Rhode''s expression didn''t reveal any joy or happiness, Anne felt so much better after seeing his familiar face. Her pumping heart had also slowly returned to its normal pace.


    "Ah, Leader, why are you here? Did we win? Tell me we won!"


    Anne hurriedly sat up and inquired with avid excitement. However, the moment she dragged herself up, a strong dizzy spell struck her and she fell back onto the bed.


    "That''s right, we won."


    Rhode nodded and gazed intensely into the maiden''s eyes without any expression. This action caused some insecurities to grow in her heart, and she unconsciously tugged her quilt to hide half of her face, leaving only a small gap to peek at Rhode. It seemed like she had finally understood what she had done wrong��


    "L�� Leader, Anne knows its Anne''s fault. Anne shouldn''t have disobeyed you, but that time��"


    "Why didn''t you listen to my orders?"


    Rhode abruptly interrupted her halfway with a severe tone. Anne trembled slightly, but she still managed to reply with a smile.


    "Erm�� Leader�� you had also seen it. That grandpa was threatening Anne, and if Anne didn''t��"


    Rhode briefly cut her off again, but this time, Anne noticed a slight change in Rhode''s expression. She felt a chilly sensation spreading throughout the entire room and wrapped herself further with her quilt.


    "Of course I''ve noticed it, but I also recalled that I''d mentioned before the matchup that no matter what happens, you need to act according to my orders�� Of course, I''m aware that this wasn''t particularly easy for you, but Anne��"


    "�� Why must you disobey my orders and consume some items that I''ve strictly prohibited?"


    "Because�� " Anne paused for a moment, "because Anne knew that the grandpa was so powerful and Anne was afraid of not defeating him! So��"


    Anne''s voice drifted off and lowered her head in shame.


    "Did I not warn everyone that the side effects of the Awakening Potion will be too much to handle? Anne, I recalled that you were there too."


    "Bu-But��"


    Anne lifted her head to explain but was interrupted by Rhode''s wave of his hand.


    "But what? Do you think you will recover after just resting for a few days? Anne, do you know, you may even be unable to fight anymore."


    "�� Huh?"


    Anne widened her eyes in disbelief as Rhode''s words ''you may even be unable to fight anymore'' resounded in her mind.


    Unable to fight anymore? Is Anne unable to fight anymore?


    "Although that potion raised your energy for a short period of time, now that the effects are over, your actual strength can''t even be compared to even half of what you used to have�� In other words, you can no longer go on an adventure with others anymore. Now, do you understand the severity of this matter?"


    "This�� This��"


    Anne stared blankly at Rhode. Her heart naturally tried to deny Rhode''s words, but the state of her body was the ultimate truth. In fact, since the time from when Anne had woken up until now, she felt incredibly weak. However, she reminded herself repeatedly that it was due to her being asleep for too long. Although Lapis had once warned her, she took no heed to it and thought that no matter how strong the side effects were, she would be fine after a few days rest.


    But now, Rhode actually told her that she could no longer be with the others?


    "No, no, no such things! Leader!"


    Anne waved her arms frantically and hurriedly forced herself off the bed.


    "Anne isn''t that weak. Anne is only tired. Anne will be okay after a few days of rest. You see��"


    As she spoke, she quickly scanned the surroundings and found her shield leaning on the wall. The girl quickly sprinted over, grabbed onto the enarmes and attempted to lift the shield.


    "You see, Leader, Anne is fine. Anne is perfectly f����"


    Before she could finish her sentence, she lost her balance and fell towards her shield. Although she didn''t hurt herself when she fell into the concave part of the shield, it didn''t feel good either. However, the girl didn''t give up as she quickly pulled herself up. She bit her lips, placed both of her hands onto the enarmes once more, and reattempted to lift the shield. Alas, she failed again just as Rhode had predicted. Currently, Anne''s strength wasn''t even at Lapis'' level, so it would be absurd if she could still lift the shield.


    "Dong!!"


    Anne used all her strength, but the shield wouldn''t budge. Instead, her hands slipped, and she fell on her bottom. However, Anne was persistent. Yet again, she forced herself up and tried to lift it up again.


    Rhode quietly observed while sitting on the chair. He didn''t attempt to stop her. He noticed her sweat-drenched hair slowly sending streams of sweat trickling down to her clothes, revealing her pearly white skin. Rhode knew that Anne had already understood her situation and chose not give up �� or perhaps �� she didn''t dare to give up.


    Anne eventually lost the strength required to grab the shield. After every attempt, she would either slip and fall on her bottom or knock her head against the shield. However, Anne didn''t stop as she was determined to make it work. Her face, elbows, arms and other parts of her body were all badly bruised from her repeated failures, but that wasn''t enough to stop her.


    "Ahh!!"


    Anne fell backwards once more, but this time, a pair of hands supported her from behind.


    "I think you have your answer now."


    "Bu-But Leader, this may only be temporary��"


    Still evidently at a loss, Anne looked back at Rhode like a child staring powerlessly at her father.


    "Anne only needs to rest a while longer�� Just a few days will be��"


    Anne''s voice softened. She was no dummy. She knew her body conditions more than anyone else.


    But now, she began to tremble.


    Naturally, Rhode felt Anne''s body trembling involuntarily. He knew that It wasn''t due to the overexertion, but of fear �� this was a rare sight as Anne had never been afraid of anything. Her nerves were as thick as steel to the extent where even an opponent such as Rosen didn''t frighten her. Furthermore, she even came up with plans by herself in order to defeat this old man by every possible way. This shows that there was no ''fear'' in her dictionary.


    But now, she''s truly feeling fear.


    "�� Will�� Leader make�� Anne leave the mercenary group?"


    Not long later, Anne murmured inaudibly, but Rhode clearly captured the tremor within her voice.


    "This isn''t decided by me. The choice lies with you."


    Rhode answered Anne calmly, causing her to shiver.


    "�� Yes�� Anne is�� useless now��"


    "Based on the current situation, it is indeed true," Rhode nodded before continuing, "but who knows what will happen in the future."


    "Huh?"


    Anne quickly turned around and gazed into Rhode''s eyes with signs of hope.


    "Leader, you mean there''s a way to help Anne?"


    "There may be a possibility," Rhode spread his arms and explained. "I will think of a solution for you. After all, you hold a key position within our mercenary group''s �� and I''m not willing to abolish it that easily. But before that, I have to emphasize once more �� you''d better listen to my instructions. If you don''t, then I will consider changing my mind."


    "Please rest assured Leader!"


    A broad smile bloomed on Anne''s face as she placed both hands on her chest while looking into Rhode''s eyes.


    "Anne swears to always listen to Leader''s words. No matter what Leader wants Anne to do, Anne will definitely do it! Anne promises to always obey! If, if Anne doesn''t obey, Leader can instantly kick Anne out of the mercenary group!"


    "Until then, I hope you can remember what you have just said."


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction, and when he was just about to leave, he noticed Anne smiling ear to ear at him �� he had to give it to her, this girl was an emotional rollercoaster. Just a while ago, her expression was as though it was the end of the world, and now, she was smiling brighter than the sun.


    "Heh heh�� Thank you Leader."


    "�� Thank me for?"


    Hearing her express her gratitude which seemed to appear out from nowhere, Rhode pricked his brows and asked her curiously.


    "Leader must be worried about Anne, so you were waiting for Anne to wake up, am I right? Now that it''s already so late in the night but Leader didn''t choose to sleep. This means you care for Anne, right? Right?! Thank you, Leader!!"


    Anne threw herself into Rhode''s arms and rubbed her forehead against his chest like a tiny kitten.


    "Anne loves Leader the most because Leader treats Anne the best! You''re indeed Anne''s Leader, Anne loves you so much!~"

 Chapter 354 Fighting Fire with Fire

    Previously with the Lize''s help, Anne was clothed in a somewhat comfy top for sleeping. Her thin garments were already drenched with sweat from all the lifting she had done a while back, causing the thin layer of cloth to stick to her porcelain-like skin. When Anne threw herself into Rhode''s arms, he immediately felt two soft speaks pushing against him. Her fragrance quickly assaulted Rhode''s nostrils, and it was so intense that even he couldn''t resist. Fortunately, Rhode managed to keep his cool �� he briefly caressed Anne''s head and promptly parted with her body with a gentle shove.


    "Alright, I''ll get something for you to eat since you''ve slept for the whole day. Go, lie down and conserve your energy. I''ll take care of the side effects for you �� but don''t forget your promise to me."


    "Yes, of course, Anne will never ever disobey Leader''s instructions again!"


    The dainty girl slipped under the covers and snuck a look at Rhode with her big, beady round eyes like an obedient child waiting for her reward. Rhode shook his head helplessly before stepping out of the room. This was his method to deal with someone with a personality like Anne.


    Similar to this time, she had acted on her own accord before even though Rhode had warned everyone to obey his instructions. He had even emphasized to Lapis of the seriousness of the Awakening Potion. However, a person with Anne''s character would definitely disregard threats that hadn''t occurred. For her to learn the consequences of her actions, Rhode would need her to taste the bitter fruit of fragility. If not, Anne would probably continue to commit mistakes.


    Now, it seemed that Rhode''s plan was highly effective, but��


    "Peeping and eavesdropping aren''t things a proper lady would do, Gillian."


    After leaving the room and closing the door behind him, Rhode turned towards a woman standing next to a window. Gillian was gazing out at the brightly lit moon with an elegant posture. Upon hearing Rhode''s voice, the fox-eared woman shifted her attention towards him as her huge, fluffy tail swayed from left to right.


    "Master, what are you saying? I''m only here to admire the moon. You see �� look how beautiful the moon is right there. Isn''t it a pity not to appreciate its beauty?"


    "So you chose to admire the moon at this time?"


    Rhode replied sarcastically and made his way towards the dining hall. Gillian let out a chuckle after seeing Rhode''s reaction and withdrew her pretentious dramatic posture before quickly catching up to Rhode.


    "Heh heh heh. It''s truly Master indeed. That said, I thought Master would coerce Miss Anne to strip off everything and have a good time with her. Didn''t Miss Anne already mention that she would obey whatever you say? Also, this is a good time to test her commitment, oh? It''s such a pity for Master to give up on this opportunity. You had it in your grasp ah��"


    "Unlike you, I''m not always in estrus."


    For a moment, Rhode shot a look of disdain at Gillian, but he quickly recovered his usual stern expression.


    "Alright alright, enough of the tiresome jokes. Do you have any solutions for Anne''s current situation?"


    The Weakened debuff wasn''t that hard to cure; rather, it was the lingering effects that gave Rhode the most headaches. A drop of five to ten levels would mean that Anne would drop to Apprentice. This was a huge problem and even though Rhode knew many ways to level up fast, NPCs were fundamentally different from players. NPCs didn''t ''gain experience,'' so Rhode couldn''t drag Anne around clearing dungeons.


    "Solution?" Gillian''s ears twitched as she skipped around Rhode as though she was dancing.


    "Hmm�� The aftereffects of the Awakening Potion is indeed troublesome, but I do have a method worth trying. If it''s successful, I can guarantee there will be a high success rate in counteracting the lingering effects."


    "Oh?" Rhode stood still and turned towards Gillian. "What method?"


    "It''s very simple," Gillian conceitedly lifted her index finger. "That is to make Miss Anne continue consuming the Awakening Potion."


    "�� Hello? Are you still half-asleep? Or are there problems with my ears?"


    After hearing Gillian''s answer, Rhode stared foolishly at her for a few moments. Indeed, Rhode had thought of many solutions before this but the idea of consuming the Awakening Potion again had never entered his mind. However, Gillian actually came up with this seemingly outrageous idea.


    "Of course I''m awake, and there are no issues with Master''s ears," Gillian smiled in response to Rhode''s ridicule. "But, I do have my own reasons for that."


    "Tell me."


    "I guess that Master has also noticed," Gillian extended her arm with her palm facing upwards.


    Flames pulsated on top of her palm and projected the scene of today''s match. "After the Awakening Potion triggered growth in Miss Anne''s strength, there was an undeniable change. Not only on her appearance but also here�� Did you notice? Miss Anne possessed wind elemental powers. Furthermore, according to my observations, this should also be a Dominator-Level of strength. I have to say; any ordinary half-beast wouldn''t possess such prowess. Also, perhaps in human''s point of view, effort is the source of power for transformations. However, to high-grade non-human beings like us, the strength of bloodlines is very important."


    "Oh?" Rhode fretted. "What you mean is��"


    "It''s similar to me. I suspect that there may be a dominant ruler class in either of Miss Anne''s parents �� also, there''s a possibility that it may be one of the five main lords. Only with the influence of such a strong existence would the next generation be able to grasp elemental powers once they awakened. If not, even if one drinks thirty tons of Awakening Potions, it wouldn''t work at all."


    "Wind elemental lord?"


    Rhode pondered for a while, attempting to recall who was the wind elemental lord. In the game, there was Seftek who lived within Mount Gagar. However, he might not be Anne''s biological father as there wasn''t just one elemental lord living. Due to the elemental properties and also other various reasons, sometimes there might be one or two elemental lords within each element respectively. Just like in the game, Rhode had never heard of Gillian as a fire elemental lord, but she certainly was one. Furthermore, she had never denied the fact that another fire elemental lord existed.


    "Ah, I see. That was what you meant."


    Rhode mused for a moment as he began to understand what Gillian meant.


    "For example, imagine Miss Anne as an abundant treasury, but due to various restrictions, the door to the treasury is tightly shut and the stored wealth can''t be retrieved. So the Awakening Potion that Miss Anne drank works like a battering ram that had smashed a big hole in that door. Now the door is damaged, and a portion of the wealth managed to flow out," Gillian spread her arms out. "So what we have to do now is to destroy the door and reveal all the wealth. This way, we can awaken the strength hibernating within her bloodline and Anne will receive unimaginable strength."


    "But regarding the Weakened debuff that the Awakening Potion��"


    "You don''t have to worry about this, Master. It''s merely a Weakened debuff and would only work on ordinary humans. If Miss Anne is successful in awakening her bloodline, she can easily overcome the effects. Don''t underestimate the bloodline of dominant ruler class. Besides, I suspect her other bloodline is also equally impressive because it''s no easy task for her to suppress and maintain her human form with the bloodline of a dominant ruler class. Of course, I don''t know where did Miss Anne come from and whose bloodline is flowing within her body right now."


    "What you said does make sense," Rhode nodded but quickly frowned. "But, what if it fails��"


    "Then Miss Anne would be done for."


    Gillian didn''t evade this problem.


    "If she can''t grasp the strength of her bloodline, the continuous consumption of the Awakening Potion would cause her to end up as a disabled person. Someone who could think, but can only lie on the bed. She would be unable to move her limbs, unable to care for herself and leave herself in the care of others forever. To be frank, if that happens, death may be a more benevolent option," Gillian clapped her palms before ending her speech. "That''s why this is a gamble, Master. And the choice is in your hands."


    "No, you''re wrong, Gillian."


    Rhode shook his head and denied Gillian''s words.


    "The choice doesn''t lie in my hands. There''s someone who has the rights to decide Anne''s fate and is the person herself," Rhode let out a sigh. "But from my understanding of her, she will not reject it."

 Chapter 355 System Mission Awards

    Rhode and Gillian would discuss again whether Anne would be willing to take up this suggestion. After everything, Rhode returned to his room and laid down on the bed. He closed his eyes and the system panel appeared before him.


    [Mercenary group construction system mission ''Honorable Peak'' completed. Completion Status: 75% of all missions. Accept rewards?]


    Only 75% completed��


    Rhode frowned when he noticed his completion status. Well, at least he hit the passing mark of the mission. But this meant that Rhode wouldn''t be eligible for the hidden reward, and he very well knew the reason behind this. To ensure his victory in the individual matchup, he gave up the group matches which caused a drop in his overall completion status. However, Rhode deemed that no matter what, it was better to complete one than to attempt both and fail miserably at them.


    Frankly, the idea of not fully completing the mission left much to be desired. However, it wasn''t easy to complete the mission fully knowing that his strength was limited.


    "Accept."


    Rhode restrained the ''player completionist'' side of him and nodded in response. The entire mission interface immediately transformed into golden rays of light and lines of information quickly appeared before him like a waterfall.


    [Mission "Honorable Peak" Status: Completed (75%)]


    Difficulty: S


    EXP received: 233900


    [Mission Reward: Mercenary Stronghold can control and expand its range. Stronghold level +3, Sphere of Mystery "Mirage" level +1, Additional Skill Points +3, Random Enhancement Reward +1, Hidden Reward +1]


    "��!"


    Rhode involuntarily whistled at this astonishing achievement. Although Rhode knew from the start that this mission would be difficult, he didn''t expect it to turn out as an S grade mission. This category was considered impossible within the game but he actually succeeded?


    Furthermore, the generosity of the mission rewards was staggering. Range expansion, Stronghold leveled up, Sphere of Mystery leveled up, additional three skill points awarded, one Random Enhancement Reward and a Hidden Reward. These bonuses would make any players drool �� especially the leveling up of the Sphere of Mystery which was an extremely challenging task.


    As ancient relics, each individual Sphere of Mystery had its own unique way of leveling up. Typically, leveling it up would consume a considerable amount of gold coins, many precious crystal ores, and various magic gems as part of enhancement materials. However, Rhode''s mission reward actually bypassed all of those requirements, saving him a ton of resources which was exactly what he was looking for!


    As for the Random Enhancement Reward, frankly it can''t be considered as a reward. While it could multiply the contents of a random reward Rhode had received, the multiplier would also be randomized. The higher the completion status of the mission, the higher the average of the multiplier. But since this was just an extra benefit, Rhode wouldn''t complain about receiving free stuff.


    On the other hand, the 233k EXP was within Rhode''s calculations because ever since he arrived at Golden City and engaged in series of battles, he had never received a single point of EXP. It was at that moment when Rhode suspected that it could be due to the mission''s restriction, and now his conjecture proved to be true. As Rhode tapped onto the EXP details, it clearly indicated the distributions of EXP gained from defeating his opponents and completing this mission. The EXP gained from battling Barter was the most �� amounting to a whopping 55k. His battle with Waltz wasn''t too bad either as it placed second with 39k EXP. In addition to the other various fishes and Mobis from Sky Sword, the EXP added up to roughly 140k. Naturally, the remainder was from the mission completion EXP.


    Finally, there was the hidden reward. Usually, missions would typically require a 100% completion status for the participants to be eligible for a hidden reward. Rhode didn''t expect that he would receive it at just 75%.


    Wow. I barely passed the mission and I still received so many rewards? What would happen if I had actually fully cleared it?


    The thought of this left Rhode lamenting to himself, but he knew that there was no medicine for regret, so he calmed himself down and focused on allocating his rewards.


    Firstly, Rhode chose the ''Random Enhancement Reward +1.'' This would only be effective after applying it on other rewards, which was why it was Rhode''s first choice.


    Rhode extended his finger and tapped onto the ''Random Enhancement Reward +1.'' Soon enough, a single line of text emerged before him.


    [Are you sure you want to activate Random Enhancement Reward +1?]


    Yes.


    Rays of light flashed across his eyes.


    The text suddenly transformed into a roulette and began spinning right before his eyes. Rhode couldn''t help but stare somewhat nervously.


    Deep in his heart, he wished that the ball would land on the EXP pocket. Currently, he had a massive chunk of EXP stored, even if his total EXP multiplied once, it would bring him immeasurable benefits. If lady luck decided to favor him and multiply his EXP by three to five times, then even reaching Master wouldn''t be an issue.


    The roulette gradually slowed as the ball came to a stop. Rhode held his breath and stared at it until it finally entered a pocket.


    [Sphere of Mystery Mirage level +1]


    "��"


    Rhode shook his head and let out a long sigh. Things didn''t always go as expected.


    In all honesty, it wasn''t such a bad result. It could even be considered as excellent. As explained earlier, the Sphere of Mystery was exceptionally troublesome to enhance because it was an ancient relic. The result of the Random Enhancement Reward would prevent Rhode from emptying his coffers to upgrade Mirage which probably could be a blessing in disguise.


    However, as Rhode saw it, it was quite a waste for the Random Enhancement Reward to apply on Mirage. If his Sphere of Mystery carried a powerful defensive measure like ''Holy Wall,'' or strong offensive capability such as ''Legion of Punishment,'' then perhaps this result wouldn''t be wasted. But the problem was that Rhode''s Sphere of Mystery was Mirage �� a training center �� and even if it were enhanced by five levels to its MAX points, what other purposes would there be other than for training?


    Anyway no matter what, at least it''s useful for training.


    Rhode consoled himself and extended his arm to retrieve the reward.


    [Received Random Enhancement Reward +2, Sphere of Mystery leveled up to 3. Activated functions �� > > >]


    > �� Create a semi-plane of existence that can project the training grounds into the world.


    > �� Individuals training within the training field would benefit from an increase in training efficiency by three times.


    "Not too shabby."


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction, especially taking note of > where individuals could benefit from three times increased training efficiency. With such a function, Rhode began to imagine himself reproducing a strong team that could rival player guilds.


    Rhode smiled to himself while thinking of the prospects of >. When he finally shifted his gaze towards the third function, he was slightly taken aback.


    > �� Within the Stronghold''s range of control, the owner can utilize his or her memory to summon a doppelg?nger of a person from the past to guard the Stronghold. The doppelg?nger''s level would remain the same as the owner''s recollection of the original.


    Rhode held his breath. The sentence ''summon a doppelg?nger of a person from the past'' took him by surprise.


    Would this function grant him the ability to summon all the doppelg?ngers within the Mirage into this world? And those doppelg?ngers would retain their original levels?!


    Rhode began to feel dizzy as an overwhelming tide of emotions filled his senses. He couldn''t help but read the description of the function once more in detail.


    Rhode''s initial guesses of > were mostly on point. While > allowed the owner to summon a doppelg?nger from the Mirage, there were certain limitations. At any point in time, he can only summon up to three doppelg?ngers, and if they leave the Stronghold''s range of control, they would immediately disappear. Furthermore, although the Sphere of Mystery could retain the doppelg?nger''s level, it could not recreate their original equipment.


    On the bright side, the doppelg?ngers could continue to exist as long as the Sphere of Mystery remained spinning. And lastly, the doppelg?ngers would also preserve their personal characteristics and share the memories of the owner.


    This function��! This function is really��!!


    After receiving the detailed breakdown of the function, Rhode''s finger began to tremble with excitement. However, he immediately shut his eyes and took in a deep, long breath to calm himself down. Rhode had never thought that the Sphere of Mystery was capable of such feats �� this was very much to his delightful surprise!


    Alas, it was a pity that the doppelg?ngers could only stay within the Stronghold''s range of control which instantly dashed Rhode''s hopes of reforming a player team to clear dungeons together again.


    Even so, Rhode was looking forward to activating >. If it weren''t because that he needed to stay here longer, he would immediately return to the Paphield Region right now. Thus, Rhode could only restrain his emotions and continue checking his other rewards.

 Chapter 356 Third Stage of Talent Tree

    The next reward wasn''t as impactful. ''Stronghold level +3'' might sound great, but it wasn''t essential as the current Stronghold level was still quite low, so it wasn''t difficult to raise its level.


    ''Stronghold level +3'' increased Starlight''s Stronghold from low to intermediate �� unlocking various facilities such as the ''Sentinel Tower,'' ''Guard Tower,'' and ''City Wall.'' However, the production of them wasn''t free.


    The range of the Stronghold also expanded by one-third which was slightly better than the new facilities but at least it was better than nothing.


    Other than these changes, the ''Hidden Reward'' left Rhode slightly surprised. It didn''t benefit Rhode directly �� instead, it added a new structure called the ''Summon Gate.'' Even in the game, it was considered a rare structure.


    After constructing the Summon Gate, players belonging to the mercenary group would receive a Summoning Rock. Unless the players were in a magic-interference area or prohibited from teleporting with sealing spells, they could instantaneously return to their Stronghold after activating the Summoning Rock.


    Furthermore, higher-ranking members could even pinpoint a destination and open a portal to transport others to that location.


    In the game, all the top ten guilds had this structure as the benefits of it were evident especially during long journeys or when facing troublesome BOSSes.


    They could send a one-man forward party out while others spend their time doing important things in the Stronghold. Once the forward party reaches the specified location, he or she could activate the Summoning Rock and transport all the members instantly, saving time and resources.


    In the game, the Summon Gate was categorized as an ancient relic; thus, ordinary NPCs wouldn''t be able to lay their hands on it. Some areas with considerable development in magic like the underground cave beneath Golden City possessed it as well.


    Rhode knew where the Summon Gate was �� and of course most people had no idea of it at all. But anyway, it was basically impossible to ambush other capitals using the Summon Gate because most capitals possess barrier enchantments against teleportation. Therefore the most significant benefit of the Summon Gate was to use it against BOSSes.


    Rhode felt a little odd seeing this here. The thought of being able to teleport just like a player caused him to have second thoughts of the truth of this world. Was it still just a game?


    Moving on, whether it was the Summon Gate or the Sphere of Mystery, all of these were merely worldly possessions. The next item was the most important of them all.


    Experience Points (EXP).


    After receiving the EXP from the mission reward, Rhode''s level once again had a new breakthrough. However as the EXP requirement for each level increased along with his levels, Rhode only managed to level up by five. He barely hit level 28 and wasn''t able to reach the 30th mark. He received a total of 13 Skill Points with an extra three from the mission reward.


    These 13 Skill Points seemed like a lot, but Rhode knew that it was only enough to upgrade one Swordsmanship by two levels. Both Starfall and Dark Swordsmanship were Rank ''C,'' meaning that Rhode could only upgrade either one of them to Rank ''A.'' But even so, Rank ''A'' was already considered very powerful. To put it simply, a Rank ''A'' Swordsmanship would be equivalent to the Legendary Stage. However, whether his body could support a Rank ''A'' Swordsmanship was another problem altogether.


    Facing this dilemma, Rhode shook his head and closed the Swordsmanship interface. Instead, he guided his thoughts and opened the long-neglected talent tree.


    Whether it was the ''Summoning Master'' or ''Soul Messenger,'' Rhode had already activated both of their third stages. The ''Summoning Master'' tree featured: > , >, > and the ''Soul Messenger'' tree had: > , > , >.


    >: The Spirit Swordsman''s first Aura Skill. Within the AoE of the aura, the level of summoned spirits will increase by +1/+2/+3. Can be superimposed with other auras.


    >: Passive Skill. When your summoned spirit attacks, there''s a chance to curse the enemy with its own attributes. Can be dispelled and resisted. Strength of level +1/+2/+3.


    > : Passive Skill. Summoned spirits will increase their resistance against attacks on their weaknesses +1/+2/+3.


    >: Active Skill. Available once per day. Once the summoner successfully hits its target with this skill, the Spiritual Energy of its target will be extracted for himself. Can be resisted.


    >: Summoner can pinpoint a target and summon all his spirits at the designated target. Duration +1/+2/+3.


    >: Summoner can select a summoned spirit in his party to transform into his looks. No changes to the attributes, levels, and skills of the spirit. Duration 1 minute. Able to transfigure +1 +2/+3/+4 spirits.


    Rhode didn''t hesitate for long before making his decision. While both talent trees had decent utility, there weren''t many skills he would use. Therefore he quickly used 6 out of his 13 Skill Points to max out > and >. Then, he allocated 4 points to > and > before dumping 3 points into >.


    No matter what, Rhode required maximum proficiency of his summoned spirits. Even though Rhode had the ability to maintain a vast amount of spirits simultaneously, he was greatly limited by the duration. With Legion Horns, Rhode could pinpoint a target and all of his summoned spirits would be instantaneously summoned at the designated target. Although the skill could last up to three seconds, Rhode believed that three seconds would be enough to turn the tide of the battle.


    Rhode chose Taboo Ring because Composition Adornment didn''t live up to his expectations. As for Soul Extraction, its effects were far more beneficial than the previous skills. Since Rhode was a Spirit Swordsman with a maximized talent in enhancing Spiritual Energy, his Spiritual Energy had far exceeded other swordsmen. However, it still lacked when compared to the casting classes.


    As a Spirit Swordsman, he needed a lot of Spiritual Energy to maintain his summoned spirits. Therefore, it would be the best if he could replenish his Spiritual Energy during battle �� and this talent was perfect for that. Anyway, this talent was also a necessity for Spirit Swordsmen who chose the Soul Messenger talent tree.


    As for > and >, Rhode chose them for support purposes. Rhode could cloud his enemies'' judgment and reinforce the resistance of his summoned spirits.


    At least with Enhanced Resistance, his summoned spirits wouldn''t be knocked out in one hit from its elemental weakness. The weaknesses of pure elemental spirits were obvious, so Rhode didn''t wish that such situations would occur.


    "Hu��"


    After tapping on the final talent tree interface, Rhode let out a long sigh. He could feel a wave of power surging through his body. Perhaps if he were to fight Barter right now, he wouldn''t need to rely on the set effects to defeat him.


    In the end, it can be said that Rhode''s real objective wasn''t as simple as other guild leaders. During the last moments of the fight against Waltz, Rhode didn''t believe that Waltz could acquire the Demon Bracelet through luck alone. In fact, he could almost guess who was secretly backing Waltz.


    The people backing Waltz were indubitably Rhode''s enemies, and now it appeared that they were about to take things into their own hands. Without a doubt, Rhode wouldn''t allow them to have their way because everything that he did in Paphield and the midsummer festival put him on the other side of the fence. Thus, Rhode had no choice but to gather his strength to resist the opposition.


    But before that, he had something important to do.


    The closing ceremony would take place the day after today and Royal Highness Lydia would be granting the victor a wish.


    Could she grant his wish?


    Rhode lifted his chin and gazed at the horizon that was slowly turning brighter.


    The sun had begun to rise.

 Chapter 357 Give it a Sho

    The next day, Rhode gathered everyone in Anne''s room to explain her current condition and inform them about the only available solution to save her. Although this was Anne''s problem, Rhode insisted on telling everyone. No matter what, Anne was their comrade, so everyone had every right to understand her plight.


    After hearing the situation from Rhode, Lize and Marlene were speechless. Although they''d expected severe side effects from using the potion, they still found out that they had gravely underestimated it. Of course, Rhode simply described the suggestion that he and Gillian had concluded before.


    "Anne accepts!"


    As Rhode had expected; Anne immediately made her decision without hesitation. She made her choice so quickly that others might''ve thought that she rehearsed this line before. Or perhaps the potion blocked certain blood vessels in her brain and affected the rational part of her mind��? In any case, her response was way too quick.


    "I think it''s best for you to consider it a bit more, Anne."


    Lize''s face was pale as she restrained the rash girl. Besides, she wasn''t the only one ashen-faced. Lapis and Marlene were there too, and Marlene shuddered at the thought of Anne lying on the bed unable to move a muscle.


    While they were of entirely different personalities, all of them were in the prime of their life right now and agreed that being confined to the bed for the rest of their life was something worse than death.


    If this happened to any one of the other women, they''d probably toss and turn in their bed for a few nights before making a decision. Which was exactly why Anne''s straightforward answer was seen as thoughtlessness to them.


    "Lapis, are the effects of that potion that powerful?"


    Calmer than Lize, Marlene pondered for a moment before turning to Lapis and under everyone''s gaze, Lapis nodded in acknowledgment nervously.


    "�� Yes, it is�� Miss Marlene. If it reaches Leader''s requirements�� then the dose will be much heavier. This way�� If it fails, the side effect will be much stronger and it is possible to reach the extent which Leader had mentioned��"


    "Don''t do it, Anne."


    Lize approached Anne and placed her hand on Anne''s shoulder.


    "What if you really end up�� like that? Didn''t Mr. Rhode say it too? The success rate of this method is less than 10%! Can''t you just continue living on like now?"


    "Thank you, Sister Lize. But��"


    Anne displayed her usual resplendent smile as she gazed into the worried eyes of Lize. She stood up and extended her arm to grab Lize''s dagger for self-protection hanging by her waist. Anne drew the dagger and tried to wave it around. However, the dagger slipped and fell to the floor as Anne''s wrist loosened on the handle. The sound of the dagger hitting the floor echoed in the room.


    "This��"


    Lize turned to the dagger that fell right beside her feet, and then back to Anne.


    "This is the current Anne, Sister Lize. Anne can''t even handle such a light dagger now. What can Anne do for everyone else? Anne wants to be with everyone, to protect everyone and to go on adventures with everyone�� But what''s the difference between Anne and a disabled person now?"


    "That isn''t the same, Anne." At this moment, Marlene walked over to Anne''s side and consoled her. "I understand what you mean, but you have to understand that we are your friends. If you become�� that state, our hearts would bleed. Indeed, you are right �� you can''t go on adventures with us right now, but at least you can still move freely, yes? If it fails, you will lay in bed for the rest of your life and can never be with us �� not even during our leisure time. Maybe one day we will even forget about you, is that what you want?"


    "Of course not, Sister Marlene."


    After hearing Marlene''s gentle yet stern advice, Anne shook her head calmly.


    "Anne knows what she is about to do, but Anne still needs to try. Anne is very happy that everyone is concerned for Anne, but this is Anne''s decision and won''t give up. If it really fails�� then��"


    Anne shifted her eyes to Rhode.


    "�� Anne doesn''t wish to continue living in such a tragic way. Besides, Sister Marlene is right. If Anne ends up in that state, Anne will only bring more grieve for everyone��"


    "Anne! What are you saying?!"


    Before Anne could finish her sentence, Lize interrupted her as she grabbed Anne''s petite hands in hers.


    "Do you think we will be happy if you leave us? Anne��"


    Marlene placed her hand on Lize''s shoulder before she could continue.


    "Lize, this is Anne''s decision. Everyone has the right to decide how they should live their lives. Since Anne had already made her decision, then we as friends and companions, shouldn''t stop her."


    "Sister Marlene understands me more," Anne chuckled and hopped backward before spinning around. "Don''t worry too much, Sister Lize~ If it works then Anne will become even stronger, and by that time, Anne can protect everyone better, right?"


    "But��"


    While Anne displayed a cheery outlook, Lize still couldn''t convince herself to watch the disaster unfold. A success rate of less than 10% meant that the failure rate was at least 90%�� that was way too risky!


    Perhaps if Lize was an idealist, she might''ve agreed; but after joining the mercenary life and experiencing many life-threatening situations, Lize no longer naively relied on miracles. She learned to depend on her own strength to grasp any possibilities of success. This was no doubt an improvement in her mindset, but in exchange, she lost something precious.


    Will Mr. Rhode really kill Anne if it fails?


    A sharp pain throbbed in Lize''s heart as she glanced at Rhode. She was caught in a dilemma. She understood what Anne wanted, but that meant that they might have to suffer the grief afterward. Never would she have thought that she would''ve to witness the death of a friend outside of a battle.


    Lize shuddered, and probably due to fear, she turned her back and chose to avoid facing the truth.


    "Since Anne has decided, then leader, let''s start!"


    Compared to the gloomy emotions of everyone, Anne behaved like she was in an amusement park. She pranced towards Rhode and stared at him with anticipation with her glistening green eyes.


    "Right now? Are you sure that you''re ready?"


    Even Rhode felt slightly strange dealing with her odd sense of confidence. After all, even players also would hesitate before making such decisions, not to say an NPC whose life was at stake.


    Anne acted as she wasn''t pressured at all by this at all �� which left Rhode feeling rather surreal. It was akin to a prisoner on the death row being excited to get executed.


    "Of course," Anne nodded determinedly and placed her tiny hands on her chest while focusing her eyes on Rhode. "Although it had only been a day, Anne feels so dead with such a weak body. Anne really really wants to get rid of this and return to the usual Anne!"


    "Mr. Rhode��"


    Lize gazed at Rhode and mumbled. But Marlene tugged her arm and shook her head firmly.


    This is Anne''s choice, not theirs.


    After exchanging glances with Gillian, Rhode turned to Lapis.


    "Lapis, all set?" Rhode asked.


    "All ready, Leader."


    Lapis reached into the fold of her clothes and carefully retrieved a red, sparkling potion. Everyone shifted their attention towards the bottle in Lapis'' hands. Marlene and Lize both held their breaths.


    Meanwhile, as everybody was fearing for someone else''s life, the person in question leaped towards Lapis and attempted to snatch the potion. However, Rhode was one step ahead.


    "Are you ready, Anne?"


    "Yes, I''m ready. Leader, don''t worry. If this fails, at most I''ll warm your bed for you in future."


    �� Just what is this girl made of?


    Anne watched him eagerly like a puppy waiting for its food. The potion in his hands only brought unpleasant memories for her and could even cause her more misery. However, she had no signs of fear at all.


    "Remember. Finish all at once."


    Rhode gave up trying to understand her as he handed the potion to her. Anne nodded in agreement and downed the solution.

 Chapter 358 Death and Reborn

    Only one day was left before the midsummer festival closing ceremony.


    Heated discussions regarding the match between Starlight and Liberty Wings were still drifting among the people. But due to Rhode''s strategic misguidance, Starlight was no longer the center of attraction. Now, the conflict converged on the Northern and Southern Regions, but under the watchful eyes of Lydia, it didn''t go out of hand unlike before.


    The Southern Reformist Party suffered a crushing defeat; Sky Sword and Liberty Wings were practically doomed.


    Rosen was murdered, battle angels imprisoned Liberty Wings, vile rumors spread about Liberty Wings working with demons. Because of these factors, the Southern Reformist Party chose to keep silent. They didn''t want their enemies to have another reason to blackmail them.


    "I didn''t expect things to turn out this way."


    Old Walker who had accomplished his mission, returned to the stronghold. He stood by the window and admired Golden City''s beautiful cityscape. Old Walker''s heart was filled with contentment; he had never thought that his secret manipulations would successfully cause the mercenaries, civilians, and upper-class nobles to go crazy in pubs. Frankly, Old Walker felt overwhelmed. He even thought that Rhode went slightly overboard with his plan. Still, he didn''t believe that a few words could flip the situation around and cause such chaos.


    Oh Holy Soul, has this world gone bonkers?


    Old Walker couldn''t understand at all. But now he had a chance to get an answer.


    "It''s simple, old man."


    Rhode shifted his attention towards a door nearby and listened to the rowdy noises outside. His expression was calm, but his gaze revealed a rare concern.


    "There''s a saying in my hometown. The ass decides the head."


    "The ass decides the head? What does that mean?"


    Old Walker pricked his ears in doubt as he looked back over his shoulder. He couldn''t find any link between his ass and brain.


    "It means that your standpoint decides your view," Rhode spread his arm apart and explained.


    "It is simple logic. No matter what, Liberty Wings is still the herald of the Southern Reformist Party and Rosen was no different. He was the hero in the hearts of all Southerners but was an all-out thug in the eyes of the Northerners. So, even if these Southerners were to pressure me for using such methods on an old man, the Northerners wouldn''t mind at all. After all, in their eyes, Rosen is a villain and as long as I kill him, they will appreciate it �� You should''ve been aware of this, Mr. Walker. The Northern King''s Party and Southern Reformist Party are as incompatible as fire and water, so it will be impossible for the King''s Party to sing praises for the Reformist Party."


    "However, it''s different now because Starlight is only a mercenary group, and since we defeated Liberty Wings, we''ve established our stand against the Reformist Party. As the saying goes, the enemy of your enemy is your friend. Even though the King''s Party upper echelons may be praising us for the sake of their own benefit, it will still trigger the reformist party''s disgust. Long story short, as long as there''s an excuse for them to get rid of this embarrassing situation, they will not mind the truth."


    "Sometimes�� I just can''t figure out how you nobles think," Old Walker gave a long sigh and shook his head. "You people can complicate such a simple matter to such an extent. But kid, have you considered that those Southern lads would be displeased with us?"


    "So what?" Rhode sneered, his expression turning cold. "Even if we do not resort to such schemes, we will still be a thorn in their eyes. And let''s say we lost the match, not only the King''s Party would be displeased, the Reformist Party would join in and move against us as well. Besides, the Reformist Party is our enemy; there''s no disadvantage for us if we let them tear each other apart. Anyway, we still managed to get a good impression on the King''s Party and the Northern citizens�� isn''t that good enough?"


    "I''m too old for this�� Just do whatever you want, kid." Old Walker once again sighed and turned around. "By the way, how''s that little brat Anne doing? I heard her condition isn''t looking good."


    Ah, no wonder he was worried. Since he was the one who introduced Anne to Starlight, he had some attachment to her.


    Old Walker had been busy following Rhode''s orders and he only returned a while ago. Naturally, he found out about Anne''s situation shortly after but there was nothing he could do.


    "All we can do now is to wait."


    Rhode said as he shifted his gaze towards the nearby door.


    Right now, the guest room was in a complete mess.


    Fragments of what used to be tables and chairs were strewn across the room; even the bed had been shattered to bits. Anne''s limbs were spread out on the floor, widely convulsing like a wild beast uncertain of its fate. Her throat let out a deep growl as her fists cracked the ground under the pressure. Luckily, the room was as solid as steel as it was built for the guards to live in. If it were an ordinary room, perhaps it would''ve been long torn apart.


    "�� Can''t�� lose�� Anne can''t�� lose�� argh��"


    Anne clenched her teeth. She endured the intense pain and anguish within her body. This time, the pain was many times worse than what she had ever experienced before. She felt like her body was nearly going to explode as her body convulsed uncontrollably. Each time a wave of blood coursed through her bulged blood vessels, a deep pain incited every nerve in her body. Even so, Anne gritted her teeth as she knew this was her last chance.


    If this fails, Anne would be dead �� no doubt about that. On the surface, Anne might''ve appeared to be nonchalant regarding the high possibility of death, but it wasn''t as though she wanted to die.


    Anne wasn''t aware of Rhode''s backup plan. If this attempt failed, Rhode could still request Royal Highness Lydia to help treat Anne''s condition. While Lydia wasn''t part of the five Creator Dragons, being an Archangel, she should have the ability to cure Anne''s condition partially. That way, at least Anne wouldn''t be left handicapped.


    "Awuuuu��!!"


    A severe pain caused Anne to wince and cry. Then, her pupils dilated abruptly and emitted a bright green light.


    It''s that feeling again��


    Just like that nightmare; there was a horrifying, shapeless monster chasing her, which at the same time, slowly gain control of her body. All she could do was to run as fast as she could even though it was futile. It felt like a tug of war; she had to wrench away the control of the monster while escaping its encroaching grasp.


    "��!!"


    Anne''s consciousness gradually fogged. She hit the ground with her fists as the image before her began to distort and the strength within her body began to leak.


    Did it fail?


    Did Anne fail again?


    Why did it fail?


    In her blurred consciousness, she lifted her head towards the sky. She tried her best to maintain her sentience but every second caused immeasurable agony. She felt as though she had reached her limit and could feel her strength gradually depleting away. Like her consciousness, the bloodline flowing within her also grew fainter yet more erratic, causing Anne to feel like she was going to burst.


    "�� Sorry�� leader�� Anne�� still lost��"


    The girl lay on the floor, motionless. The focus in her eyes gradually disappeared. And with the last breath she had, she managed to whisper a few last words that were too soft to be heard.


    Suddenly, Anne heard a low and deep growl within her.


    She knew that it didn''t belong to her, yet it felt so familiar and intimate��


    It was as though it was calling her to embrace it wholeheartedly. She had never heard this voice before, but she somehow knew who it belonged to.


    "�� Mother��?"


    Her green pupils shrunk in an instant.


    Then, a green beam of light erupted from her body, tearing through the roof and towards the heavens.

 Chapter 359 After Awakening

    "It seems like it worked."


    Gillian said with a smile. She stood within the wreckage in the middle of the room, observing the girl who was in a deep sleep.


    At this moment, Anne was curled up and encased in a pale green fog; her hair was emitting a bright and beautiful golden light.


    "This is�� elemental awakening?"


    Rhode wrinkled his brows when he saw another NPC with an illogical pace of growth. It couldn''t be helped; he used to be a player in the game who progressed systematically. For races like pure-blooded humans, whether they were NPC or players, all of them needed to reach the Legendary Stage before they could truly stabilize their powers.


    Let''s take Barter for example. As long as his feet were touching the ground, a steady stream of power will flow into his body. But he was only at the peak of the Master Stage just before attaining Legendary. Frankly, both players and NPCs who''d stepped into the Legendary Stage would only then be able to grasp ''Elementalization,'' �� meaning that they would be able to display their elemental strength.


    Anne was different though. Rhode checked her stats and found out that her level shot from level 18 to 25. This meant that she had stepped into the early stages of Elite.


    But just below the system prompt, Rhode noticed another inconspicuous line.


    [Special Attribute: People of the Wind Bloodline Awakening. Elemental Manifestation. Elemental level: LV 1]


    Swell. Everything is rainbow and unicorns when you have great parents��


    Rhode was speechless. After struggling so hard in the midsummer festival, he had only managed to hit level 28 �� and furthermore, it was impossible for him to attain Elementalization at this stage.


    Just look at Anne now; so what if she was only an Elite? As soon as her bloodline awakened, she was able to utilize elemental power.


    Ahhhh��. these NPCs don''t follow any logic to level up��


    Even though Rhode''s heart wallowed in sorrow, he made sure not to reveal it explicitly. Still, he was genuinely glad that Anne''s choice ended with excellent results. Anne had suffered plenty as well, so she truly deserved this ''reward.'' Nevertheless, her awakening would benefit him anyway; Anne would contribute her strength to the mercenary group in the future, so if any of his members became stronger, he would naturally be glad.


    Elementalization wasn''t just for show; instead, it was a result of elemental aggregation. After reaching a certain threshold, the elements would then be available for the holder to control in both offense and defense. Both Wind and Earth elements were perfectly suited for defensive play �� an ideal combination for Anne''s class. Unlike Rosen who had misused the Wind element by forcefully stimulating it, Anne was a genuine case. After all, a pirated version can never match the authentic copy.


    "Did it work, Miss Gillian?"


    Lize asked in uncertainty as she gazed at Anne''s sleeping figure.


    "That''s right, Little Lize. Anne is now fast asleep; she merely needs time to get used to the strength in her body. She should wake up by evening."


    "So then Miss Gillian, is there anything that we need to do?"


    Marlene who had been silent finally spoke up. Gillian held her fingers up and stroked her chin.


    "Yes�� Prepare loads of food because bloodline awakening requires a massive amount of energy. Furthermore, Anne even consumed an Awakening Potion. I will suggest that all of you should begin preparing~ If not, it will be too late to regret."


    -


    They finally understood why Gillian requested them to prepare the meal earlier. But even so, they still underestimated Anne''s neverending bottomless pit.


    "Agh��"


    Looking at the mountain of plates stacked precariously upon one another, Lize paled and subconsciously cupped her mouth before leaving the dining hall. As for the others, they could only stare dumbfoundingly at Anne swallowing the food on the table �� Yes, swallowing.


    Just as Gillian said, Anne woke up in the evening. However, there were no dramatic scenes or tearful exchanges of hugs because the first sentence that left Anne''s mouth was: ''Leader, Anne is hungry.''


    And now it had been over three hours since Anne woke up.


    "��"


    Rhode observed the petite wolf-girl wolfing down her food as though she hadn''t eaten in centuries. At the same time, he couldn''t help touching his throat. It wasn''t that he was nauseous from Anne''s ravenous table manners �� instead, his stomach growled just by him looking at Anne''s blissful expression as she ate.


    But as the saying goes, there''s always a limit to everything.


    After swallowing nearly hundred chicken drumsticks, twenty roasted pigs, ten kilograms of bread, and three barrels of ale, only the few who could stomach the sight of her consume the food remained in the dining hall.


    "Will Sister Anne have a tummy ache eating like this?


    Christie tugged at Rhode''s sleeve and stared at him with uncertainty.


    Rhode shook his head with a complicated expression before shifting his attention towards Gillian who was leisurely savoring an apple in her hand like a squirrel nibbling on a nut.


    "This shouldn''t be an issue�� right, Gillian?"


    Even Rhode began to worry about Anne''s current state. After all, her table manners were far too scary. In only three hours, Anne had consumed nearly a hundred gold coins worth of food �� Oh Holy Soul, this amount of food would be able to sustain a mercenary group for about a month, and if Anne required this much for every meal, it would only be a matter of time before Starlight''s bankruptcy.


    No wonder it''s said that the biggest enemy is always within ourselves ah��


    "Don''t worry, Master."


    Gillian seemed to understand what Rhode was worried about as she smiled and winked towards him.


    "This will happen only once. Of course, after awakening, Anne will naturally expend her energy more than normal humans. But��" Gillian''s eyes suddenly revealed a trace of cheekiness and chuckled. "�� but Master, there''s something else that you need to be wary of okay~"


    "What is it?"


    "This�� has something to do with you, Master. It doesn''t really concern the rest of us."


    Gillian was grinning from ear to ear.


    "You should remember this point. As an awakened half-beast, Anne will be more unrestrained due to her bloodline. And Master, you will have a hard time. Hehe. Puppies must be raised from young for them to be loyal to their masters, am I right?"


    Gillian leaped off from the chair and winked naughtily at Rhode.


    "I hope Master has been watching ''Animal World'' in your free time."


    After this comment, Gillian hummed a tune and left, leaving Christie with question marks written all over her face as she pondered over the meaning of Gillian''s words �� Why did Gillian say that? What did she mean?


    "Ahhh~!!"


    Anne made a huge cry of relief as she placed an empty ale bucket to the side. The table was devoid of food, and the plates were stacked into several mountains taller than her. Anne finally stretched her limbs in satisfaction before standing up.


    "Hu�� So delicious, Anne is full now!"


    "It''s good to see everything''s fine."


    It was already late at night, and the entire dining hall was empty except for Rhode and Anne. Christie was still young, so she had to go to bed early. As for the others, after witnessing Anne''s ''meal time,'' perhaps they''ve already lost their appetite for the next day.


    Rhode shook his head when he saw how casually Anne behaved. His eyes slowly traced down to her stomach; he just didn''t know how could such a petite body hold that enormous pile of food. What was even more illogical was that her stomach didn''t even bulge afterward.


    �� Is her stomach a four-dimensional spatial pocket or something?


    "Hehe��"


    Anne stuck out her tongue in embarrassment.


    "Sorry, leader. Anne actually wanted to thank everyone, but Anne was too hungry��"


    "Don''t worry. I think they didn''t mind too."


    Rhode gestured and interrupted Anne.


    He was right, though. What Marlene and the others were more concerned about was if they still had the appetite for food the next day�� However, it was evident that Rhode had no intentions to be entangled with this silly problem.


    "How do you feel now?"


    While her stats didn''t reveal any abnormally, Rhode didn''t let this chance slip to check with her personally. Besides, players had never experienced Elementalization below the Legendary Stage, so Rhode wasn''t sure if they would be any side effects in the future like what happened to him when he forcefully exhibited Legendary Stage sword skills while he was an Elite.


    "Anne feels very good now, and Anne''s body is full of energy from head to toe! Anne''s body is also feeling so light�� Heh��!"


    Anne brandished her fists in the air delightfully before immediately spreading her arms and throwing herself into Rhode. At this moment, a green, wind elemental light flashed suddenly and the girl shot forward like an arrow.


    "Wa�� ah!!" Even the girl didn''t expect her speed would be that fast.


    Even Rhode was stunned momentarily. After all, Anne was already level 25 after her bloodline awakening and was only three levels behind Rhode. Furthermore, the Wind element had drastically increased her speed. Therefore, Rhode only saw a flash in his eyes and Anne was already on him. He could only had enough time to extend his arms before both of them collided with the wall.


    "Wu, wu��"


    Anne''s world was spinning as she lifted her wobbling head. On the other hand, Rhode stared at her with an ice-cold expression.


    "It seems that I have to give you basic training on how to grasp your strength."

 Chapter 360 Closing Ceremony 1/3

    A chilly wind blew across the night sky.


    A woman stood quietly on the balcony, overlooking the entire city. Under the crystalline night sky, the city lights reflected splendidly. However, oddly, not a trace of sound could be heard. As if filtered by an invisible barrier, all that remained was only the visual radiance of the city.


    The midsummer festival''s closing ceremony would be commencing the next day. After the dazzling display during the individual matches, the group matches seemed less impressive. As the battle angels had imprisoned Liberty Wings Guild, they had lost their qualifications to participate in the group match. In the end, the finals were down to the Purple Lily Guild and the Cole Falcon Guild; which either winner would be beneficial for the King''s Party.


    However, this meant that it would be a tragedy for the Reformist Party. During this midsummer festival, they''ve deliberately resorted to all kinds of devious methods, but they were still defeated in the end. No wonder the Southern nobles were becoming more unpleasant �� if it wasn''t for Rhode, how would it be possible for them to lose? If Starlight didn''t exist, the Reformist Party might''ve even secured themselves the final victory.


    At that point, they would''ve successfully crippled the momentum of the King''s Party and also reach their goals at the same time. If that happened, the nobles of Reformist Party would be celebrating. Alas, unfortunately for them everything went in the opposite direction and no one would even speak up for them now.


    "It is only during the night when the moon reveals its splendorous brilliance. While uncomparable to the heat from the sun, it''s undoubtedly much gentler �� such a beautiful sight deserves to be admired, am I right Minister Kleist?"


    "It is just as you say, Your Highness."


    A stern-looking middle-aged man ambled towards Lydia from behind and curtsied slightly before her. He was in a black suit with an engraved mark of a hammer and sword on his white padded shoulders. His well-maintained complexion was filled with an apathetic look, allowing no one to figure out his thoughts. His magnificent mustache was as smooth and neat as his hair, emphasizing his impeccable meticulousness. At this moment, he was standing quietly behind Lydia, looking at the woman with apathy. However, he wasn''t deliberately disrespectful; rather, it was his unique method of expressing respect.


    Marquis Kleist Babylon �� one of the core members of the King''s Party. Similarly to the Senia Family, the Babylon Family were also major supporters of King''s Party. However, contrary to the former, the Babylon Family didn''t seek to bask in glory but instead, held a cruel responsibility.


    Their ancestors formed a group that was named ''Heresy Judgement'' whose sole purpose of existence was to destroy any threats against the Light Dragon. Over a few generations, ''Heresy Judgement'' lost their influence as the parliament deemed them as threatening and claimed that their existence would undermine the nation''s stability.


    Furthermore, rumors spread that ''Heresy Judgement'' would threaten and prevent the civilians from speaking their opinions. It wasn''t surprising as the parliament was actively trying to remove any influence the Light Dragon previously had. So, the parliament would definitely not allow such a dangerous group like them to continue existing.


    Therefore, as the Light Dragon''s influence gradually declined, the parliament immediately grabbed the opportunity to launch a large-scale purge to annihilate ''Heresy Judgement'' once and for all. In this aspect, the parliament had displayed exceptional patience and vigor. They utilized all of their forces for the sake of destroying ''Heresy Judgement'' and ignoring everything else such as bandit raids.


    With such a movement, it would be weird if they didn''t have substantial results. In two short decades, two-thirds of the ''Heresy Judgement'' had perished. Only after paying a bloody price, the remaining members managed to break through the parliament''s blockade and escape to the Munn Kingdom. Since then, the escapees formed the Babylon Family who resided in the Munn Kingdom to date. The Munn Kingdom was the only one who insisted on keeping their faiths in the Light Dragon. Thus, the remaining ''Heresy Judgement'' deemed them as trustworthy. Besides, the Munn Kingdom could assist them in reattaining their rightful positions and wipe out the treacherous villains in the parliament to restore the honor of the Light Dragon.


    Now, their primary duty was to spy and interrogate potential enemies. There were even rumors that said that ''Heresy Judgement'' had a unique method to pry out the truth from anyone they wished.


    And Marquis Kleist was one of those members.


    "How''s the situation?"


    "I''m sorry, Your Highness. We didn''t manage to investigate any valuable clues. All the guild members of Liberty Wings were unaware of the relationship between Waltz and the Dark Brotherhood. And according to our intel, they were indeed truthfully unaware. Although we did attempt to investigate from another perspective��"


    "They''re ready, right?"


    Lydia quietly gazed towards the bright moon. After hearing her words, Kleist guiltily lowered his head.


    "Yes, Your Highness. Those from the Reformist Party did well and didn''t leave behind any valuable evidence. Perhaps we will not have any beneficial evidence to use against them this time��"


    "That doesn''t matter. Anyway, this time they''ve received their punishment. But we still can''t reveal our weaknesses �� give them a good beating and pass on this message to President Lauren that we are extremely dissatisfied for such an incident to happen within Liberty Wings Guild and we hope he can come up with a suitable punishment."


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "Is there anything else?"


    "Yes, Your Highness. According to the intel we acquired, regarding Duke Rhode��"


    This time, before the man could finish his sentence, Lydia lifted her right arm and interrupted.


    "�� Moths always love to flap their wings towards the sea of flames. Minister Kleist, no matter how you stop water from flowing, it will always flow downwards and never upwards."


    The woman kept silent after her remark. After hearing Lydia''s answer, Marquis Kleist said no more and once again bowed respectfully towards her.


    "I understand, Your Highness."


    "No need to be anxious, Minister Kleist. Everything has a conclusion. Just like flowers will bloom in spring while leaves will fall in autumn�� Some things can''t be rushed."


    Lydia shut her eyes gracefully.


    "By the way, the matter that I needed you to investigate for me�� are there any results?"


    "Yes, Your Highness," Kleist immediately stood straight up. "According to your request, we have thoroughly investigated and gathered intel on Mr. Rhode Alander. However, as the information on the Eastern Plain is quite scarce, we don''t have an in-depth list of details regarding Mr. Rhode. However, according to our investigations results, nobody is aware of the name ''Rhode Alander.''"


    "Oh?" Lydia narrowed her eyes. "This is interesting. Although the group of seniors in the Eastern Plain isn''t usually willing to step outside, I don''t think they will turn a blind eye to such a talented person�� This is really interesting."


    "There''s something else, Your Highness, and this was discovered during my investigations. The surname ''Alander'' seems to revolve around some extremely unique intel and rumors��"


    Kleist took a few steps forward and suppressed his voice as he whispered to Lydia. After hearing this intel from Kleist, Lydia widened her eyes and revealed a brilliant smile.


    "Are you sure Minister Kleist? Is this true?"


    "Yes, Your Highness. At least the authenticity of this legend is indeed verified��"


    "This is certainly very interesting��"


    Lydia turned her head around and curled her lips towards the night sky. At this moment, the moon hid behind the thick clouds, "The Ancient King is about to return, and the people will eventually surrender�� Embracing all things�� only the void is forever�� the Creation Poem is indeed still so interesting."


    "Your Highness?"


    Kleist gazed at Lydia, puzzled. He didn''t know why she mentioned the poem out of the blue. But Lydia had no intentions of explaining herself as she chuckled and turned towards the man behind her.


    "Don''t worry, Minister Kleist. This matter ends here and I don''t wish to hear any more rumors regarding this matter, do you understand?"


    "Yes, Your Highness!"


    Kleist''s displayed a stern expression and answered.


    "Alright, you are dismissed now. It''s the closing ceremony tomorrow, so we need to get prepared for it."


    Kleist bowed respectfully before leaving. Meanwhile, Lydia lowered her head and lifted the corners of her mouth. Her very own trace of cheekiness and anticipation flickered in her eyes.


    "So then�� what will that man request from me? I can''t wait��"

 Chapter 361 Closing Ceremony 2/3

    The closing ceremony had finally arrived.


    Unlike the past, the closing ceremony was now held at the Main Square in front of the palace. There were two reasons for this change; one, Lydia was the person who organized the midsummer festival and second, the Sacred Arena had been severely damaged due to the battle between Rhode and Waltz.


    The countless people gathered at the Main Square gazed fervently at the castle towers, softly exchanging words with each other. The aftermath of the midsummer festival still lingered among the people, and they couldn''t help but discuss what was about to happen.


    In the past, the midsummer festival was an unspoken tradition for the four Guilds to duke it out with each other. Many people had grown weary of such an arrangement that had already lasted for centuries, so when Rhode and his entourage appeared and broke the tradition, he immediately garnered the attention of everyone.


    A mysterious mercenary group leader that popped out from nowhere, leading a bunch of average mercenaries to defeat Sky Sword, Purple Lily, and Liberty Wings? Outrageously outstanding!


    Furthermore, there was that rumor that spread like wildfire after Starlight defeated Liberty Wings �� it was practically impossible for the Northerners to keep silent after being ridiculed over the past years! Starlight''s presence could be said to be the solution to their bottled up anger and frustration. Both nobles and regular citizens alike were ultimately still humans; they had their pride and hated to be oppressed, so they immediately lashed out the moment the chance came.


    They might not be Rhode''s supporters, but praising Rhode''s name meant that they could cause the other side to tremble in anger �� something that they absolutely delighted in doing. Whether unaware or not, their actions increased Starlight''s prestige and influence in the city.


    But of course, when there is light, there is also darkness. The conflict became a vicious cycle; the stronger the support, the stronger the objection. Southerners would rather dig their graves than to give Starlight or Rhode any respect. From their perspective, Rhode was merely a dog of the noble families, and Marlene''s identity further reinforced their beliefs.


    Clearly, this man called Rhode was part of the powerful nobles whose purpose was to kill their hope with despicable means. Not only did he defeat Sky Sword and Liberty Wings, he even publically executed their hero Rosen and forced Waltz to turn into a depraved demon. Everything was orchestrated by this evil man!


    However, we will never give up. No matter how powerful you are, our hearts will never yield to you and always be free. Perhaps the shameless nobles will recognize your success, but we will not acknowledge it!


    As Rhode led his men towards the Main Square, all he could hear were waves of hisses coming from the crowd. Many stood upright with their wide-opened mouths, hurling dissatisfaction at Rhode and his mercenary group. While there was no physical contact, the sound of their hissing was enough to bring Rhode back to the center stage.


    Some of the nobles from King''s Party looked at Rhode with respect. Vanity had always existed in humans; although both sides were against each other due to a difference in ideology, they still respected Rhode''s unwavering stature in the midst of the all the jeering.


    Rhode appeared totally unaffected by his surroundings and even dug his ear with his finger. This sparked the wrath of some people who tried to break through the blockade set by the battle angels.


    Eventually, their jeering became louder, but Rhode merely swept a glance at them and displayed a bored expression as though they were nothing but insignificant garbage before turning to Marlene to chat.


    Who can tolerate this?!


    Aggravated once more, the hissings once again reached a new high.


    Since you look down on us, we will show you what we can do! We''re going to make a ruckus so you can''t even have a conversation. Let''s see if you will show some respect!


    However, as much as they tried to disrupt Rhode''s conversation, their voice became hoarse from the incessant screaming. Soon enough, their jeering turned into a mess, and Rhode cast a sneer before turning back to chat with Marlene.


    "Mr. Rhode, I think you''d better not provoke them anymore."


    Marlene looked at Rhode hopelessly. This was her first time witnessing this side of Rhode. Although she knew that he was a self-determined and unwavering person, for him to actually disregard their taunts�� perhaps he was the only one in the whole of the Munn Kingdom capable of doing this.


    "Don''t worry."


    Rhode understood her concern. On the surface, it might seem as though both Southerners and Northerners were eternally incompatible; but as a matter of fact, both of them needed each other''s existence. The North had abundant produce, plus they were the central hub for all food and minerals whereas the South had wealth beyond imagination. Both sides were equally disgusted with one another but neither could leave. Nothing was more irritating than not being able to leave someone you hate.


    In the end, the most valuable resource in the world was money and authority. Money was necessary for Starlight to develop, and compared to Purple Lily or Cole Falcon who had operated for years to build a stable infrastructure for itself, Starlight''s foundation was quite fragile. Once something happens and the supply line gets cut off, Starlight''s development would easily screech to a halt.


    But that wasn''t as important as what he was thinking right now. As they say, when the water is overly clear, there''s no fish. But on the flip side, if the water is too polluted, there will no fish either. As the situation between the North and the South were too complicated, the King''s Party was unable to get rid of the Reformist Party. Even if they managed to get rid of them, they would be negatively impacted as well.


    The Country of Light were like ghosts, lurking in the shadows and waiting for an opportunity to strike. If the King''s Party did not manage to pull out all the roots at once, the Country of Light would take advantage of the situation to wipe them out. But of course the Reformist Party also had its own concerns, so they didn''t dare to defame their rivals publically.


    (ED: Oh the irony.)


    One had to give it to Lydia; her method was flawless. Using an analogy, the Reformist Party was now like a cancer-stricken patient. Even though they were going through terminal cancer, they chose to live on and spend money to take medication that would only prolong the inevitable. If they were sensible, perhaps they would request for euthanasia, alas it was a pity that common sense didn''t apply to them.


    Back in the game, when the terminally-ill Reformist Party realized that their days were numbered, they decided to give one final blow to the King''s Party. But in the end, they were unsuccessful and were eventually double-crossed by the Country of Light.


    Similarly, Rhode drew a distinct line with the South. While this action created a few enemies, it also forced loyal mercenaries to join the group. People who understood what enemies Starlight had to face and still decided to join were the ones worth trusting. Furthermore, using external pressure to temper strength was no doubt beneficial.


    Compared to Purple Lily and Cole Falcon, Starlight''s foundation was like a speck of dirt not worth mentioning about. Because of this, Rhode had no choice but to remove the impurities within the group. Unlike guilds, Starlight didn''t have the power to deter those who they mistrusted. The only way was to use external pressure to force them to leave. Having matching ideologies, goals or missions could help foster unity and make long-term goals easier to develop.


    If those furious people knew that their actions were actually helping Rhode, perhaps they would''ve committed suicide.


    At this moment, the sound of the bugle suppressed the bustling noises in the Main Square. Then, a graceful figure appeared at the top of the platform.


    The entire mass quietened as they bowed towards the figure. Standing on the highest platform before them, was the ruler of the country, Lydia Paphield Mila Frandrica.


    Rhode lifted his head and squinted at the beautiful figure glowing against the sun rays.


    Her golden hair shimmered as they fluttered in the gentle wind. A beautiful, slender body complimented by a fitting, elegant white dress. There was no royal crown on top of her head, but a bright halo glinted in its place. Behind her, were six wings gleaming with holiness. A symbol which only she had.


    The symbol of an Archangel.


    She hadn''t changed a bit.


    Rhode lamented from the bottom of his heart as he reminisced the painful memories.


    Lydia looked the same as that day.

 Chapter 362 Closing Ceremony 3/3

    It was an unforgettable scene.


    After the explosion, thick smoke billowed over Golden City. Scorching flames devastated the buildings while civilians were screaming and crying, dragging along their loved ones to escape this once bustling land. Behind them were tens of thousands of Undead Legions, and in the skies, a Dark Dragon circled among the clouds, tainting the world with its dark aura. It was as though a drop of ink fell into a clear blue lake, producing a series of ripples which spread across the entire lake, polluting it with pitch black darkness. Even the sun rays were divided and masked by a thick curtain of miasma.


    Rhode stood on the platform and recalled his past memories. Back then, he was still an ordinary player and had never thought that an online game would be so incredibly realistic. In order to resist against the Dark Dragon''s invasion, many players that allied themselves to the Munn Kingdom fell in battle one after another, causing their levels to drop drastically. In the end, they couldn''t stop the Dark Dragon and the advancement of the Undead Legion. They couldn''t even protect their homeland��


    Back in the forums, many players thought that this event was meant to play out this way. At that point of time, the highest-leveled players level were only around level 50 while the regular mobs in the Undead Legion were around level 40; even the chief leading the legion was a monster over level 60. With such a massive difference in both forces and levels, the players'' defeat was inevitable.


    As for Rhode, he was one of those the players with the highest level.


    To hinder the legion from advancing further, he single-handedly fought his way into the enemy''s barracks three times in a row. Rhode managed to succeed twice out of his three attempts, but when he tried to attempt it for the fourth time, the system prompt informed him of a quest and was forcefully teleported to the last bastion of Golden City.


    The fortress was originally the holiest place in the Golden City. Yet, what beauty it had left, was now a mere fragment of its past. Corpses were piled in the courtyard, and patches of fresh blood sullied the fortress walls.


    And at that moment, Rhode heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind.


    Rhode turned his head and saw Lydia slowly pacing towards him. The dress she wore was spotlessly white and had a thin glittering golden silk weaved with silver threads which distinctly highlighted her authority. On her waist, two swords as beautiful and elegant as herself dangled freely.


    "This is my country, and my country is my responsibility. Whomsoever resides in my country are my precious possessions, and only I have the rights to decide the fate of their lives. In the name of the Munn Kingdom''s Monarch, hear my final decree! Each and every one of you must not only live on for yourself, but also for me. Protect the people as they leave as it is my final command. Heed my words �� even until my last breath, I will not allow the Dark Dragon to seize the lives of my people without my permission."


    Lydia''s words resounded in Rhode''s mind even till now. Until the very last moment of her life, the Monarch still treated her the country''s populace as her private possessions. She was like a possessive child who would unhesitatingly beat anyone if they took her toys.


    Lydia did as she promised.


    As one of the three Archangels, Lydia possessed incomparably formidable strength and resilience. As long as the sun continued to shine, Lydia couldn''t die. She relied on this ability to resist the Country of Darkness''s 150,000 strong army and their four Legendary Generals; even the Dark Dragon itself couldn''t defeat Lydia. Just by herself, she succeeded in wiping out 50,000 undead and also wounding three of the four Legendary Generals, forcing them to escape from the battlefield.


    On the peak of a blood-stained hill, Lydia fulfilled her promise to the people.


    Due to the hard work and sacrifice of the Monarch, the Undead Legion''s advancement halted. At sunset, the last boat fully-loaded with civilians and players finally left the port safely.


    She did it.


    A truly unforgettable scene.


    When Rhode approached the blood-stained hills, all around him were rotting piles of undead which released an unbearable putrid smog that was as thick as clouds.


    In the heart of the undead graveyard, Lydia knelt on a fresh patch of grass amidst the death and decay. The half-kneeling woman propped herself up with her sword; her head held high as she stared contemptuously at the Undead Legion.


    Her beautiful dress was in tatters, and her once flawless body that was envied by many was now riddled with arrows and weapons. Fresh blood trickled down from her head, staining her dress in crimson red.


    As the cold wind blew, the last few feathers detached from her once magnificent wings which were now severely mangled.


    As Rhode approached, the woman slowly turned her head to his direction.


    "Is that so��?" She murmured.


    "That''s great����"


    Hearing his answer, she revealed a dazzling smile of relief.


    Then, for the very first time, the Archangel lowered her prideful head.


    At this moment, the sunlight disappeared beyond the horizon. A tiny silver flame erupted and gradually engulfed Lydia''s body. After the fire dimmed, only two swords were left in her wake.


    Rhode recorded this scene and uploaded onto the web later on. Surprisingly, the video evoked violent reactions from many players. Those who allied themselves to the Munn Kingdom swore to make the Country of Light and Darkness pay.


    Meanwhile, Rhode went through a series of emotions, and after some deliberation, he finally decided to give up his identity as a casual player.


    Without Lydia, Starlight wouldn''t have existed, and neither would there be Rhode. If it weren''t for Starlight, perhaps he would''ve been just a regular high-level player.


    While Rhode was lost in his reverie, both Marlene and Lize who stood beside him exchanged curious glances with each other. After all, both of them were considered to be the most well-acquainted with his behavior. It was a rare occurrence for him to be lost in a trance.


    Perhaps if it were any other male, after witnessing the dazzling beauty of Lydia, it wouldn''t be surprising if they fell into their fantasies.


    But Rhode was different. They knew that he wasn''t such a person. So what caused him to behave this way?


    Still, they didn''t question him. Marlene merely made a cough to bring Rhode back to his senses. Fortunately though, as Lydia was giving her closing speech, not too many people noticed his odd behavior.


    "The midsummer festival is a celebration for the many brave souls before me. Right here, on this very Scared Arena, we witnessed unshakable faith, unwavering determination, and boundless wisdom through battle. While all of you are the cornerstones of the Munn Kingdom, this time, the winners displayed phenomenal performances and stood out from the masses��"


    Lydia paused for a moment before curling her lips into a smile.


    "�� now I will give my blessings and reward the winners."


    President Lauren who stood beside Lydia immediately shouted.


    "Let us welcome the winner of the midsummer festival''s singles match �� Mr. Rhode Alander and Starlight!"


    "Ohhhhhh!"


    The moment Lauren announced Rhode''s name, the people below immediately let out ear-deafening cheers. This was the Northerners'' response to the jeering Southerners from before.


    The Northerners were previously caught off guard when the Southerners suddenly burst out against Rhode and his group, and they clearly weren''t pleased about it. Golden City was their turf �� how could the filthy Southerners act so brazen in their city?! So, now that they had the chance to retaliate, they wouldn''t spare a thought about using the top of their voices to cheer for Rhode.


    Naturally, the Southerners were disgusted with this act. From their perspective, that bastard Rhode was wicked beyond redemption and yet this bunch of Northern idiots cheered for him like he was a hero.


    What stupidity! It''s practically insanity!


    Some of them attempted to jeer, but their voices were already hoarse from before, so they were eventually drowned in the sea of cheers. All they could do now was to stare helplessly as Rhode and his group approached Lydia.


    Rhode, Marlene, and Lize were the calmest of the bunch. Rhode had met with Lydia multiple times in the game, naturally he wouldn''t get nervous just by seeing her.


    Marlene was the heir of the Senia Family and had already known Lydia in her early days.


    As for Lize? Her identity said it all. While she hadn''t visited Golden City ever since then, she was still Lydia''s younger sister after all��, and which younger sister would be nervous when facing their own elder sister?


    Meanwhile, the others were torn between laughter and tears. Anne''s courage and audacity had reached an entirely new realm altogether. Even when faced with the Monarch of Golden City, the girl retained her carefree self and winked at Lydia as her way of greeting.


    Randolf, Joey, and Lapis froze in place like statues �� especially Lapis who was as pale as a sheet of paper. They were even worried that she might even faint. If that happened, she would instantly become the talk of the century.


    "Mr. Rhode."


    A peculiar yet heartwarming sensation washed over Lydia''s soul when she saw the man. She clearly perceived some sort of connection to the man standing in front of her whom she had only met twice, as though she met a long lost friend. However, as much as it sounded impossible, the Archangel sensed the sincerity and truthfulness of his gaze, which raised her doubts even further.


    Still, she was a Monarch of a huge country, so she had no difficulties in curbing the doubts in her heart.


    Then, she revealed a brilliant smile.


    "For a leader of a tiny mercenary group to carry his group to victory on his first attempt�� it is quite shocking, even to me."


    "But at the same time�� I''m also terribly delighted��"


    Her eyes widened slightly, and her lips curled even further.


    "On the Sacred Arena, you''ve demonstrated your wisdom, bravery, and strength. Furthermore, you''ve also defeated an evil demon�� As promised, I shall grant you a wish."


    The Archangel then narrowed her green eyes with a trace of anticipation.


    "So then, speak. What is your wish?"

 Chapter 363 Wish

    When Lydia spoke, the crowd immediately silenced in reverence and anticipation.


    Lydia''s promise held a great significance to the people and was the primary reason of many in this midsummer festival. The conflicts between both the Reformist and King''s Party were also due to this promise.


    There were even ridiculous rumors of some mercenaries who wanted to request a night with Lydia or to marry her.


    With Lydia''s personality, they knew that she wouldn''t easily go back on her words. But that didn''t mean that her subjects would allow their Monarch to be tainted by an insignificant mercenary. Furthermore, there would be no emotional ties between Lydia and the mercenary as it was just a one-time promise.


    All the attention was now focused on Rhode.


    Although the Reformist Party had failed, it didn''t mean that the King''s Party would succeed. While Rhode had indeed displayed his standing by removing two significant foes for the King''s Party, the relationship between true allies and political allies were vastly different. All he did was to pave the way for himself into joining the King''s Party, and unless personally declared, no one would be able to say for sure that Rhode was part of them.


    And because of this, many nobles focused their attention on Rhode as they knew next to nothing about him or his Starlight mercenary group. They were worried that Rhode would request something that would disrupt their political power.


    Judging from Rhode''s conduct so far, he probably wouldn''t make things difficult for the King''s Party. Still, influence was like a cake; if one takes a significant portion, the rest of the cake would nevertheless have to be split among the remaining people. And after all these years, the share of the cake had been split between the Reformist and the King''s Party. Now, there was a high chance for another potential new challenger to disrupt the balance, so their worry wasn''t unfounded.


    Although these worries weren''t limited to a single party, the Reformist Party had the most headache out of it. Rhode''s hostility towards them was evident, and they were afraid that Rhode would request their portion of the share from Lydia. If that happened, they would''ve no choice but to accept their fate. After all, Lydia''s word was equivalent to a decree, and furthermore, the entire Munn Kingdom would''ve heard it for themselves.


    It was impossible for them to blame Lydia for sabotage. All they could do was to vent their anger on Rhode verbally, but apparently his thick skin was impervious to any sort of humiliation.


    So what will this young man wish for?


    Even when under the scrutiny of the entire kingdom, Rhode didn''t reveal any signs of nervousness, pressure, or hesitation on his face. He bowed politely before Lydia and promptly lifted his head.


    "Your Highness, I have something that requires your help."


    "Oh?"


    Lydia widened her eyes curiously as Rhode continued to speak calmly.


    "Your Highness, I have a sister�� and due to something, her body became weak and is unable to live a normal life. Although the Clerics were able to cure her illness, they were unable to alleviate her condition fully. So, I implore Your Highness to treat her body so she can live on healthily like any other ordinary child."


    Rhode spoke no more and stared at Lydia with resolution in his gaze. A few gasps and astonished cries could be faintly heard from the nobles. Whether it was the Reformist or King''s Party, no one expected Rhode to request such a simple wish.


    This event was perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime chance for an individual to wish for something that would benefit them throughout their lives since this was the first time Monarch Lydia personally promised to grant a wish. However, this young man''s simple wish surprised everyone.


    Even Lydia herself widened her eyes in surprise for the first time ever. After a while, the Archangel revealed a gentle smile.


    "It seems that you love your sister a lot, Mr. Rhode."


    "I only wish not to commit the same mistake, Your Highness. If one regrets twice for the same matter, then one would be foolish."


    "Understood," Lydia nodded faintly. "Mr. Rhode, rest assured that I will make your wish come true."


    "Thank you, Your Highness."


    Rhode lowered his head and bowed respectfully before withdrawing to the side. He could sense the amount of shock, suspicion, confusion, and admiration from the nobles. Clearly, most nobles from the King''s Party weren''t able to understand Rhode''s thoughts. Even so, some of them praised Rhode for his decision. They thought that he intentionally avoided stepping on their toes and initiated a request that wouldn''t put Lydia in a tight spot.


    Since the start of the festival, Rhode had never planned to use this opportunity to expand his influence.


    He understood his position as a newcomer in the city ruled by the King''s Party. Using the game''s terminology, his reputation in the King''s Party was only at the ''Ordinary'' stage. It wasn''t even ''Friendly,'' not to mention ''Respectful.''


    If Rhode requested to expand his influence, it would cause his reputation to drop. A similar situation would be a newbie mercenary wanting to become the vice-leader just after joining the group.


    Since there was no room for reconciliation between him and the Reformist Party, he couldn''t afford to anger the other party. Moreover, Starlight''s foundation was still too weak; if he expanded his influence too quickly, his whole mercenary group might fall apart.


    As for other requests�� Rhode could easily settle it himself without the need of Lydia''s power.


    Only the matter involving Christie was currently out of his league.


    Gillian had informed him that an Archangel or any rank above it could alter human physiques. Since the Light Dragon was out of the question, Lydia was the only one who could help Christie.


    Although Rhode didn''t think that Lydia would reject his request, he still gave a sigh of relief after the Archangel agreed. It felt as though a heavy load was lifted off his shoulders.


    Next up was Lize. She stood smiling before Lydia who returned a similar tender look.


    "You''ve grown, Lize. No longer are you that young bird who requires protection. Now, you are spreading your own wings and seeking new heights for yourself. So�� what is your wish?"


    "I have one, Sister."


    Lize fixated her gaze on Lydia, her eyes gleaming with resolution.


    "I wish to continue my journey and adventure with my friends. This country doesn''t need me, Sister�� I only wish to live the life I desire."


    "�� I understand, Lize."


    Lydia nodded and extended her hand to caress Lize''s hair gently.


    "I will grant your wish. But, you have to remember that Golden City isn''t just a palace. It is also the place where you were born �� and most importantly, it''s your home. No matter what happens, if you ever tire from adventuring and wish to return, you will always be welcome."


    "�� Thank you, Sister."


    Lize''s gaze lingered on her sister''s face for what seemed like an eternity, and a wave of emotions flowed through her soul. Ever since her mother died, she thought that she had no feelings left for this place, but when Lydia reminded her about home, it left her feeling inexplicably warm and fuzzy. As Lize stared blankly at her sister, it felt as though it was the first time someone waited for her to come home.


    Did I make the wrong decision��?


    A sudden uneasiness welled up in her heart. She had the company of many friends in the mercenary group, but what about Lydia? Was she being selfish when she left?


    "Sister, I��"


    Lize began stuttering, but Lydia extended her finger and pressed gently onto her lips.


    "Remember to visit me when you have the time."


    "��"


    Lize closed her eyes, and a few drops of tears rolled down her cheeks.


    When she saw Lydia''s smiling face, she decided to keep silent. Eventually, she nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes.

 Chapter 364 Infernal Gem

    After Lize''s moment with Lydia, some mercenaries still weren''t ready for their wishes yet, so they stepped down for the moment.


    Marlene on the other hand simply gave up on this opportunity because of her status representing the Senia Family. There wasn''t much she could wish for so Lydia reserved Marlene''s wish for the future whenever she required it.


    Randolf wished for Lydia to build a road for his remote hometown village located within the Molok Mountains that connected to the outside world.


    Joey wished to renovate the orphanage in Baques City that he was previously from, so that unlike him, future orphans could live in comfortable rooms.


    Lydia readily granted all these wishes as it had no impact on the nobles'' influence.


    Next was Lapis; her request surprised even Rhode. The timid girl who always hid in the shadows of others displayed the rare decisiveness that she revealed quite a while back. She bravely confessed to Lydia that she didn''t participate in any fights, so she couldn''t possibly accept a reward she didn''t rightfully earn. From this act of courage, Lapis had indeed displayed the bravery of the Behermes Royal Family. Even though she might''ve acted like a docile mouse for most of the time, when it came to big decisions like this, her firmness indeed was quite an impressive sight to behold.


    But as a benevolent Monarch, Lydia wouldn''t withdraw her promise. Thus, as with Marlene before, she reserved Lapis'' wish for the future.


    Lastly, it was Gillian''s turn.


    The bewitching woman sashayed her way to Lydia, her tail swaying from left to right gracefully. When Rhode and the others saw this, their hearts rose to their throat. After spending much time with her, they understood her character. Everyone was worried that Gillian would request something outrageous �� like Lydia joining Rhode''s harem or something like that. If it were Gillian, something like that wouldn''t be surprising.


    "Hello there, Miss Gillian."


    Curling her lips at the fox-eared woman, Lydia revealed a trace of curiosity. While Gillian''s true strength had been constrained to Rhode''s current level, she was, after all, still an Elemental Lord. Her power might be sealed, but her dignified air couldn''t be easily hidden.


    "You''ve provided us with an unforgettable spectacle on the Sacred Arena. What do you wish to have, Miss Gillian?"


    Gillian''s pointy ears perked up, and her bushy tail shook side to side.


    "Can I really ask for anything?"


    Everyone immediately became wide-eyed. From what she said, anyone could tell that her next line would be something crazy.


    "Mr. Rhode��"


    Marlene and Lize called out to Rhode nervously. They knew that Gillian was up to no good again and was about to request something ridiculous from Lydia.


    Meanwhile, the nobles were also at the edge of their seats. Even though they didn''t know who this Gillian was, judging from the expression on her face, they knew that she was going to ask something big.


    The Main Square turned silent instantly.


    Contrary to the skittish behavior of many, Lydia maintained her composure. As expected of a dignified Archangel, even as she faced Gillian who appeared to be harboring evil intentions, her expression didn''t move an inch. Instead, she displayed a brilliant smile and waited for Gillian to speak.


    After a while, Gillian''s naughty smile surfaced and said, "Since that''s the case��"


    "I have only but a teensy-weensy request�� can I have the ''Infernal Gem''?"


    "Pff��!!"


    Rhode almost vomited blood. Marlene and the others didn''t look any better as they stared at Gillian in shock.


    The Infernal Gem is no ordinary ruby; it is the epitome of perfection in both purity and appearance. Legend has it that this gem originated from the Fire Elemental Plane of Existence and was the result of a formation of the purest of flames. It was also one of Lydia''s favorite gems! To think that Gillian would dare to lay her eyes on that gem!


    My god, this piece of stone is worth at least sixty million gold coins and this woman actually want to own it? What is she thinking?


    The moment Gillian stated her request, a burst of cries came from the crowd. However, no one dared to speak up as the Infernal Gem ultimately belongs to Lydia. Meanwhile, the nobles from the Reformist Party were gloating over Lydia''s loss as they knew that she loved that gem, and now she was forced to part with it.


    "Sure, no problem."


    However, Lydia''s response came much faster than expected. She maintained her smile and casually handed over a sparkling gem to Gillian as though it wasn''t something worth millions.


    "Huhu, thank you plenty Lydi��Your Highness."


    "You''re welcome, Miss Gillian. I promised, after all."


    After a short exchange of words, Gillian finally retreated. It wasn''t until when she reached the others could they finally heave a sigh of relief.


    "Gillian, what do you need the Infernal Gem for?"


    Rhode furrowed his brows as he whispered to Gillian. He wasn''t sure what she needed it for.


    In response, Gillian merely chuckled and wagged her index finger.


    "Ah Master, please mind your words~ It''s not like I needed to ask politely for it, but I just wanted to retrieve what is originally mine. The Infernal Gem belongs to me, and I''d already been extremely patient not to demand it from that child. It is one of my favorite gems, and��"


    Gillian narrowed her eyes and unveiled a meaningful smile.


    "�� it is absolutely crucial for the current me."


    After Gillian, the rest of the ceremony was as per usual. Viktor led his Cole Falcon Guild to clinch the championship for the Guild team matches. As part of the King''s Party, Viktor and his men naturally wouldn''t ask for anything abnormal from Lydia. Soon, the ceremony came to an end which signified the commencement of the carnivals and feasts.


    When everyone headed towards the banquet hall to eat, Rhode led Christie to Lydia.


    "Isn''t this little Miss Christie?"


    Lydia lowered herself to Christie''s height and revealed a gentle yet dazzling smile at the girl who hid behind Rhode.


    "What a cute little child. Now I can understand why Mr. Rhode chose to use his wish on you. It''s such a pity for an adorable child like you to not be able to run and play like the others. There''s no doubt that being an incomplete beauty is absolutely heartbreaking, and it is definitely worthy of my wish �� especially those who have pure souls�� hmm?"


    Lydia''s brow twitched slightly; a trace of hesitation flashed across her face. Then, she stood up and extended her hand towards Christie.


    "Come with me cute little girl. As for you Mr. Rhode, please wait here for a moment with my subjects."


    Christie''s reaction clearly revealed her intentions towards Lydia''s invitation. She held onto Rhode''s sleeves tightly and looked at him with uncertainty. However, Rhode merely patted her head and smiled at her.


    "Don''t worry Christie. Royal Highness Lydia is a kind person. She will cure you of your illness and you won''t be in pain anymore."


    "��"


    Christie kept silent for a moment before nodding hesitatingly. She stretched her arm out slowly and placed her tiny hand on Lydia''s palm. Then, both of them entered a nearby room.


    The large doors closed behind them.


    Christie stepped into the spacious room filled with a holy aura. She lifted her head and stared at the woman beside her, wondering what was going to happen.


    "Don''t worry cute little Christie. There''s nothing to be afraid of. Now, stand in front of me and close your eyes."


    "�� Ok."


    Christie''s heart still held some uncertainty, but she still obediently followed Lydia''s instructions. Lydia extended her hand and caressed Christie''s smooth and dark long hair before planting a light kiss on her forehead.


    "Relax your muscles. I will think of a way to expulse the dark energy within your body so it won''t trouble you any longer. It might hurt, but I hope you can bear with it."


    "�� Ok�� I will endure�� it��"


    "Good girl."


    Lydia smiled and stood up. Suddenly, her expression became sharp as she extended both arms to the front.


    Six wings of light gradually emerged from Lydia''s back which wrapped and embraced Christie, releasing a gentle, holy light.


    Countless light streams floated around Christie like a gentle river creek, cleansing the little girl''s mind and body. At the same time, Christie''s body also began to shine with the same light.


    "Holy Soul, listen to my command. Purify this child''s body and alleviate her pain��"


    Lydia chanted softly, causing the holy aura to shine even brighter. Meanwhile, Christie''s body started to tremble, but Christie bit her lips and endured the pain.


    The divine power grew stronger; however, Lydia realized that something was amiss.


    Its reactions were overly aggressive.


    The magical fluctuations became increasingly fierce as though warning her�� and at that moment, Lydia suddenly witnessed a large purple ray flashing through the light.


    "������!"


    The ray dispersed the holy aura, and Lydia immediately retreated backward. Her wings quickly formed a cocoon around herself to withstand the sudden erupting energy.


    "Sriysate!" (TL: Angel''s language: Stabilize)


    When Lydia shouted, the raging magical fluctuations instantly dwindled into a breeze and eventually lost its strength. After keeping her wings, Lydia widened her eyes in shock when she saw her surroundings.


    At that moment, the formerly pristine meditation room was in an utter mess. What was left was Christie floating in the air, unconscious. Beside Christie was a cloak formed from dense shadows which silently swirled around the girl before disappearing.


    "This is��"


    Lydia frowned as she attempted to digest the situation.


    Then, a purple-colored lightning arced and scattered before eventually transforming into static.

 Chapter 365 Twin Figure

    The blinding light flashed for a moment before disappearing.


    Christie struggled to open her eyes, her blood raging and seemingly flowing against her bloodstream. Then, an odd sensation sprouted as if something was trying to escape her body. What appeared before her was not the luxurious palace she''d remembered, instead, it was a chaotic and eerie world. She looked around frantically but wasn''t able to see the sky nor the ground she stood on as a thick fog shrouded everything. Lightning would flash in the fog, giving the impression that it was the end of the world. Even though this oppressive atmosphere left a sharp pain in Christie''s heart, she somehow felt some kind of familiarity to it.


    "Argh��"


    The little girl clutched her chest painfully, but it did nothing to soothe the agony. A raging storm churned in the tiny body of hers, flowing and crashing against her fleshy walls as it tried its best to escape out of its shell. Just when Christie was about to succumb to the pain, a loud clap rang suddenly.


    Pop! The rampaging force in her body instantly stopped. She immediately felt a wave of relief spreading throughout her body like a cooling spring breeze after a storm. The girl subconsciously lifted her head towards the sound and widened her eyes in shock.


    Not too far away from herself was another little girl hovering in the air �� to be precise, it was Christie herself.


    They looked completely identical with regards to their physical appearance; the only difference was Christie''s clothes. The unknown girl was wearing a gorgeous dress while Christie donned a plain set of clothing.


    The unknown girl''s lacy black dress tied with a red ribbon accentuated her slender neck. Then, a pair of black wings seemingly formed out of shadows grew from her spine and wrapped her entirely. She stared at Christie quietly with a mesmerizing pair of purple eyes that were filled with a mysterious aura.


    The girl revealed a gentle smile and hovered gracefully towards Christie before taking her hands into hers.


    "�� Who are�� you��?"


    Christie asked the unknown girl curiously, but she only smiled without saying anything. Then, she extended her finger and placed it on Christie''s lips.


    "��?"


    Christie tilted her head to the side, puzzled.


    But even so, the girl didn''t speak a word. Her hand slowly slid towards Christie''s cheek and caressed her gently before backing away, then waving goodbye.


    Along with her actions, the dark fog began to swirl around Christie, absorbing her within.


    "��!"


    Followed by a dazzling ray of light reflecting in Christie''s eyes, her body began to descend from midair. After the strange incident, she no longer detected any dark fog nor bolts of purple lightning; instead, she saw Lydia''s radiant face.


    "Christie, are you okay? "


    "I��"


    Christie stared at Lydia''s face blankly, not knowing what to say. The world was spinning and was unable to recall what just happened. The last thing she remembered was her closing her eyes before being consumed by the darkness. Though she vaguely recalled speaking to someone important, Christie could no longer describe how that person looked like anymore as if someone erased fragments of her memory.


    Rhode quickly entered the room and bowed to Lydia before turning his attention to Christie. However, before he could speak, Lydia spoke with a bitter smile.


    "I''m sorry Mr. Rhode. It appears that I can''t fulfill your wish."


    "Huh?"


    Rhode was shocked. He stared at Lydia wide-eyed, waiting for her to explain.


    "I''m not capable enough to remove the dark energy within Christie''s body, but you don''t have to worry as possessing dark energy doesn''t necessarily mean it is inherently evil. This child has a flawless soul, I think that she will be fine."


    If an outsider were to hear Lydia say that, it would definitely cause an uproar. Still, what the Archangel said was the truth. As a servant of the five creator dragons, they did not associate light and darkness with justice and evil. Their definition of evil were demons and devils; this was the difference between the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Light.


    The Country of Light continued to spread its doctrine that darkness was naturally evil and thus the Country of Darkness were all evil beings. However, the Munn Kingdom believed in the ancient teachings that darkness and evil weren''t necessarily linked together. Instead, they used a rational method of educating the people to distinguish the evil darkness from ''normal darkness.''


    While it was true that evil tended to lurk in the darkness, it can''t be said that all beings that lived in the darkness were evil. So, when the Country of Darkness invaded the Munn Kingdom, the soldiers and civilians fought more aggressively as they knew how to differentiate between good and evil.


    The Country of Light was the total opposite. The populace had been brainwashed by the Parliament to believe that light must always vanquish the darkness. But these falsely instilled doctrines were built on fragile ground. Once the people realized that the ideals that they had fervently believed in were totally different from the truth, their morale immediately crumbled which later led to the deserting of many troops. Just because they were afraid of being tarnished by the ''evil,'' they would never receive peace in their lives ever again.


    The Parliament utilizing the term ''evil'' to describe the Country of Darkness was to safeguard their own benefits. This was the simplest and most effective way, but was also a double-edged sword. Once something goes wrong, the whole organization could collapse with a domino effect. If one didn''t have the real Intel of their enemies, there wasn''t a need to discuss fighting them.


    Lydia lowered herself and gazed warmly at the little girl. Then she stretched out her hand to retrieve a silver bracelet before placing it on Christie''s hand.


    "This is the ''Bracelet of Blessings.'' It will protect you from many illnesses. Christie, that''s the best I can do for you. But I believe that as long as you continue to be determined��" Lydia paused for a moment and shook her head, bringing back the warm smile to her face.


    She then stood up and turned towards Rhode.


    "Mr. Rhode, I wasn''t able to grant your wish. To make up for it, I will give you another chance for a wish. It doesn''t matter if it is now or later, as long as you ask for it, I will fulfill it."


    After speaking, she nodded to both of them and said.


    "Mr. Rhode, I have something else to attend to at the moment. I hope that both of you will enjoy the banquet later."


    Rhode stared at Lydia in astonishment as he watched her leave. Then he let out a sigh before turning to Christie beside him. She looked up at him curiously and said, "What''s wrong Rhode? You don''t look so good��"


    "It''s nothing�� I''m just a little tired."


    Upon hearing Christie''s uncertainty, Rhode displayed a kind smile and caressed the girl''s hair.


    "Let''s go. Lize and the others must be worried about us."

 Chapter 366 Legendary Devil

    The banquet bustled with noise and excitement. Civilians were partaking in delicious food and dancing to the lively music. The nobles, on the other hand, were impeccably dressed as they traveling back and forth between the palace halls.


    Starlight and Cole Falcon, the winners of the midsummer festival, received much attention from the nobles. After all, their victories brought much prestige to the King''s Party �� especially the newcomer Rhode. Not only did this young man attain Legendary in his twenties, he also had a beautiful face and was well-versed in noble etiquette. Since they sensed that the young man had unlimited potential and knew that he was clearly on their side, their attitude towards him was naturally warmer than usual.


    But Rhode didn''t fancy these social interactions. After waddling through the waves of nobles who wanted to congratulate him, Rhode left Marlene and Lize to handle the rest of the troublesome matters since they were the ''professionals.''


    However, that didn''t mean that Rhode had free time to himself.


    "To be frank, it surprised me a little, Master."


    Gillian waved her tail; her eyes revealed a distinct trace of astonishment.


    "Even little Lydia couldn''t cure Christie? That''s not something normal."


    "Yes��"


    Leaning on the wall and gazing at the bustling crowd below, Rhode let out a long sigh, rubbing his forehead. He no longer felt the satisfaction like he before when he won the tournament. In fact, from the start, Rhode only had one wish, and that was to treat Christie''s body. Although she wasn''t his blood-related sister, Rhode saw the likeness of his own sister within Christie.


    It wasn''t only based on their identical appearance, but also due to their similar personalities. Christie was comparable to his sister in physique; both were born with a weak body and were prone to illnesses. They were also both equally determined to fight against the disease. Brave�� and strong�� all the way until their final moments.


    After claiming victory, Rhode thought that he could finally compensate for his loss. On Earth, medical science wasn''t advanced enough to cure many fatal diseases. However, he wasn''t currently on Earth �� this continent possessed magical powers that could surpass Earth''s scientific limitations. Even the dead could be revived, so what more could be said about curing Christie''s disease?


    Just like what he told Lydia back then; he didn''t wish to regret something twice. When his sister left him, he was still an immature child who had no way of helping his sister. But it was different now; he was grown up and possessed the ability to help her. Alas, he didn''t expect that he was still unable to change Christie''s fate.


    While it sounded like he was silently lamenting to himself about his inability to help her, that wasn''t the case.


    He had detected something that was far worse.


    If even an Archangel as powerful as Lydia wasn''t able to treat Christie, that meant that the bloodline flowing within her wasn''t something simple.


    Other than the five creator dragons, Lydia was the only other person who stood on the peak of the entire Dragon Soul Continent. That was why Rhode had initially been relaxed when he left Christie in Lydia''s care. Unless one had the power rivaling the five creator dragons, it would be difficult to resist against Lydia''s holy power. But Christie still managed to do it.


    "It is impossible for ordinary demon bloodline to resist against little Lydia. Although she may be young, she''s still the heir of an Archangel. Isn''t that too embarrassing if she can''t even handle a small little demon bloodline?"


    Gillian peeled the skin of a grape.


    "The chances of the bloodline belonging to an Archdemon is also very low."


    Rhode shook his head and dismissed that possibility. After all, in the game, he had fought with the Archdemons, and he knew that they were at most level 70 to level 80. Perhaps they might''ve gained the upper hand if they were in their home ground, but other than that, their strength can''t be compared to an Archangel such as Lydia.


    "Resisting the holy power and forcing the purification to fail�� this means that whatever is resisting against Lydia is at least on par with her in strength. And within hell, there are only a few who possesses such strength��"


    Rhode lifted his head abruptly and exchange glances with Gillian. Both of them discovered the shock inside each other''s eyes.


    "�� The Six Devils?"


    "That is the only possibility, Master. The blood within her could even resist against little Lydia. Other than the Six Devils who are on par with her, there can''t be anyone else."


    Rhode glanced at Christie who was chatting merrily with Lapis.


    He eyes narrowed and gnashed his teeth.


    Things will be troublesome if the Six Devils are involved in this��


    The Six Devils didn''t rule all of hell, but they were the most feared among the demons within both hell and the abyss. Legends once said that there used to be one single channel connecting all three worlds together �� the surface, hell, and the abyss.


    The Six Devils were the guardians of the entrance of both hell and the abyss. They prohibited the demons and devils from leaving the territory to the surface. No one had a clue of their history and why they chose to do this ''job.''


    Meanwhile, Elemental lords were the representative of their own Elemental Planes of Existence. Whereas the Archangels and Four Legendary Generals belonged to the Light and Dark Dragons respectively.


    Some players even suspected that the Six Devils were related to the Judgement and Ruling Twin Dragons, but they were proved to be wrong in the end. Thus, no one clearly understood their origins.


    As their job was to guard the entrance of hell, when the players entered the Sealed Path towards hell, they encountered the mobs left behind by the Six Devils. These mobs were of the highest class; they held at least a Servant or Guard rank and represented the might of the Six Devils who hadn''t appeared in person before. Therefore the players concluded that unless the demons or devils entered the Sealed Path, the Six Devils wouldn''t appear.


    The Six Devils were extremely mysterious; even the walking library Rhode had little to no knowledge of them. However, Rhode still felt that this theory was highly possible.


    Ultimately, there was no doubt regarding the might of the Six Devils. Some players even complained about the difficulty of the mobs. The highest level Archdemon was at most level 80, and the mobs placed at the entrance was at least level 68 and above. Wasn''t that too outrageous?


    For demons, if they can''t dominate using raw strength, they would try to outwit. Perhaps that would be why the Devil Worshippers tried to devote Christie to the Archdemon. If Christie had a devil''s bloodline, she would''ve been the best sacrifice as the devils could use a method to awaken the bloodline in her body and take over her mind.


    But if Christie truly had devil blood flowing in her, it wasn''t good news. After all, Christie didn''t belong to a devil race and didn''t possess the tough body that devils inherently had. Anne was a half-beast; and although her beast bloodline was forced, beast blood and human blood had a high possibility of integration.


    However, the devil''s bloodline was different as it overflowed with dark energy which was highly incompatible with humans. That was the difference between Anne and Christie. One could run around and play actively while the other would always fall sick even under a light breeze.


    Dark energy could never go hand-in-hand with the living, just like a cold wind blowing against the flames of life.


    Rhode had thought that it was only an ordinary demon bloodline, but after Lydia''s failure, he knew that it wasn''t the case any longer. So what would happen to Christie in the future?


    Rhode''s head started to ache.

 Chapter 367 Successfully Promoted

    Although Rhode felt bad because he was unable to cure Christie''s illness, except for that, everything still went smoothly. After the banquet finished, the Head of the Mercenary Association, Ton, had officially admitted Rhode''s Starlight mercenary group, which was to be called the Starlight mercenary guild, to be in charge of mercenaries within the Paphield region.


    "Mr. Rhode Alander, on behalf of the Mercenary Association, I officially announce that from today on, Starlight will be promoted to a mercenary guild. I hope you can inherit the will of our mercenaries and move forward bravely."


    Ton handed an exquisitely crafted sword to Rhode, and Rhode bowed down and respectfully took over the sword. This was a symbol that a mercenary group had been promoted to a guild. It also meant that from now on, Rhode and his team would officially become the leader of all mercenaries in the Paphield Plains.


    After becoming a mercenary guild, Starlight''s position and power would be greatly enhanced. First, as a guild, Starlight would have the backing of the Mercenary Association in the Paphield region. Including when they were going for some relatively important and dangerous missions, a mercenary guild could gather those small mercenary groups to fight together with the permission from the Mercenary Association. Not only that, when they perceived that a mercenary group was making threatening actions against mercenaries and the surrounding area, as long as they had conclusive evidence, they could even forcefully demand the mercenary group to disband. Of course, in the worst case scenario, the Guild could also eliminate it using force, if necessary.


    This was how the relationship between the mercenary groups and mercenary guilds worked. As a large cross-border organization, the Mercenary Association enforcement itself was not sufficient. After all, the job they had done was basically paperwork and their employees were mostly composed of civilian personnel, which led to a very low deterrent effect. Even if some of them were strong, it wasn''t like they could divide themselves into hundreds of people by pulling out a tuft of hair like the Monkey King and maintain the order of the mercenary regiment. That''s why, by working together with the Mercenary Guild, their strong force could make up for the association''s lack of enforcement. It was a win-win solution, so naturally, it was a pleasant cooperation.


    "President Ton, I assure you that I will lead Starlight and keep moving forward. We will not turn our backs on our men, nor venture into death and danger. We will be with the glory of battle and fight for our glory and faith. "


    Rhode took the sword and replied in a low voice. Hearing Rhode''s answer, Ton nodded with satisfaction. Although Rhode''s behavior at the Midsummer Festival made him a little unhappy, he was pleased with his modest answer. Not to mention, Rhode had also objectively helped him eliminate a threat. If he had lost the game and Waltz had won, Ton wouldn''t be standing here for the ceremony now.


    Thinking until here, Ton showed a friendly smile, then coughed. He unfolded a map in front of Rhode. It was the map of the Munn Kingdom, the most conspicuous part on it was the four symbols of mercenary guilds in the corners of the map.


    "You deserve the glory and reward of victory for your efforts."


    Ton pointed to the map in front of him.


    "Now, it''s time for you to get your reward, Mr. Rhode."


    Rhode looked up as he heard Ton''s words. He looked at the map carefully and exclaimed. Rather than those written provisions, the real advantage after they were promoted into a guild was that they would have the authority to build a fortress in their area that truly belonged to them, and the maximum number of recruits could be as high as 700.


    This fortress was not the sort of stronghold that Rhode had built before. In the Dragon Soul Continent, in order to prevent those who possessed forces from harming civilians or threaten the authority of the King, the Mercenary Association clearly stated that a mercenary group could only build ordinary strongholds and its members must not exceed 100. In addition, the stronghold itself could not have any offensive structures. If a mercenary group was found to have violated the law, the local authorities would able to ''demolish'' it. That''s why the walls and gates in the stronghold that Rhode had previously built looked very pitiful until they were upgraded to a mercenary guild. The sentries and towers building function were finally unlocked.


    And in terms of size, stronghold and fortress were also different. The mercenary group''s stronghold was only the size of a small estate, but the guild''s fortress could be as large as a small town. Of course, it was not up to the guild to decide where the fortress was to be built. They had to submit an application first and wait for it to be vetted by the authorities and recognized by the Association before they could formally establish it. In return, mercenary guilds could enjoy special privileges, which allowed them to make their own local ordinance that did not involve or violate national laws and regulations. Naturally, if there were any clauses that threatened the authority of the King, they would also suffer the same blow.


    "I''ve made a decision, Mr. Ton."


    Without much hesitation, Rhode quickly pointed to the northeast corner of the Paphield area on the map. Ton frowned as he followed along Rhode''s movement. He was surprised and immediately frowned.


    "This is�� the Land of Atonement? Are you sure, Mr. Rhode? Do you know what place is it? Although I, as the Head of the Association, should not have a tendentious view, I honestly do not think that it''s a very good place."


    "I''ve made up my mind, Mr. Ton."


    Rhode politely shook his head as he heard Ton''s kind advice. Of course, he knew exactly what kind of place the Land of Atonement was. However, he didn''t change his mind. In fact, it was the reason why he chose it. In there, he would be able to make the best use of all the resources at his disposal.


    "Now that you''ve made your decision, I won''t say anything more."


    Rhode obviously wasn''t going to take his advice, and so Ton stopped saying anything about it. He took out his pen, circled it in detail, and then solemnly put away the map.


    "Then, Mr. Rhode, I will report your choice to Your Highness and wait for her permission. Then you may go to the Land of Atonement and establish your own fortress. Still, I expect you to do your best. After all, a mercenary guild has a heavy responsibility "


    "I will certainly bear your advice in mind, Mr. Ton."


    Rod nodded slightly as he heard Ton''s advice. He understood what Ton meant. On the surface, a mercenary guild seemed to be very impressive, having its own territory, having its own power, and able to do whatever they wanted. However, in reality, it was the opposite because only one mercenary guild was allowed in each region and because of the cooperative nature between a mercenary guild and a mercenary association, they had somewhat become the guardians of the mercenaries in the entire region to some extent. Moreover, there were nearly 30 mercenary groups in one region and they were scattered all over. It was very difficult for an ordinary guild to ensure that nothing went wrong and that there were no conflicts between the armies and mercenaries from one area to another while at the same time guaranteeing its absolute authority and influence in the area.


    That was one of the reasons why mercenary guilds eventually sought backing from authorities and merchants. It was a bit difficult for those simple-minded mercenaries who only knew how to scream, kill, and lead carefree lives to turn into the guardians of the entire region. What''s more, the mercenary industry itself was not directly related to input and output. Having good connections and luck was enough for them to make a lot of money and not have to worry about retirement. However, bad connections and bad luck would lead to their demise.


    Unfortunately, unlike the players, an NPC couldn''t resurrect after death. So for them, death was not something unusual. That''s why, facing the ''undead incident'' that happened in the Paphield region previously, many long-established mercenary groups eventually disbanded because they lacked the strength to defend themselves against such risks.


    The same went for mercenary guilds; although they were stronger than mercenary groups and naturally had less risk when facing such a small matter, but if they were exposed to greater risks, they, too, would have this problem.


    This risk was unavoidable because the Mercenary Association made each mercenary guild complete at least two five-star (highest) mercenary mission every year. Else, they would be forcibly disbanded. They were not allowed to fail nor delay those missions. Hiller''s Burning Blade was stuck on this rule, repeatedly. That''s why his Burning Blade went up and down, down and up, up and down every year.


    Because of this, although Rhode''s Starlight had now been formally promoted to a guild, not many people were not optimistic about this future. But at least, he had taken his first step.


    After leaving the Mercenary Association, Rhode walked to the hall and soon saw two familiar yet unfamiliar figures.


    "Frankly, I still think it''s a bit too much for you, kid."


    Barter smacked Rhode''s shoulder as he drank the beer in his hand and laughed loudly.


    "There''s still half a year until the winter break, but kid�� How are you going to accomplish two five-star mercenary missions in six months'' time? These missions aren''t any easier than the stuff that you did previously.. "


    "You will suffer a great loss if you underestimate him, Barter."


    Viktor stood on the other side, looking at Rhode with his usual gracious and calm smile.


    "Those two old fellows, Mobis and Waltz, precisely didn''t expect that they would lose. Especially, that old Waltz. He even took Rosen out, but see?"


    "Yeah, Rosen��"


    Upon hearing this name, Barter placed down his cup, his smile gone and replaced by a sigh.


    "You know, I don''t really have a good opinion about that old bastard, but�� Ah, just forget it. There''s nothing to talk about. "


    "Don''t just talk about me. Aren''t you two the same?"


    Although Rhode was not in a very good mood because of Christie''s situation, fortunately, his poker face had concealed it. So, even if his current face was expressionless, no one would notice that he was not in a very good mood. Rhode also didn''t complain; he knew that it was useless no matter how much he sighed. Since Lydia couldn''t help Christie, he could only take one step at a time. Anyway, life would continue to go on. It''s not like it was the end of the world just because one or two things didn''t go in his way. That was his philosophy of life.


    "Yeah? What do you mean? "


    "Mission, of course."


    Facing, Barter''s bewilderment, Rhode could not help but frown.


    "True, we''re not ready for a five-star mission, but that applies to you too, Mr. Barter. For the preparation of this Midsummer Festival, I don''t think you had the time nor the mood for the mission, right?"


    Both Viktor and Barter were stunned by Rhode''s rhetorical question.


    In fact, Rhode was indeed right; not only them, all the four major guilds had not yet prepared for this year''s five-star missions so far. They had put all their energy and effort into the Midsummer Festival. Now was time for the mercenary guilds to start preparing for the mission. The five-star mission was not easy to accomplish. From a player''s point of view, it was on the same level as an Elite level dungeon. It was not unusual for a group to fail about ten to twenty times when doing it.


    The players could still resurrect even after they were dead. However, for NPCs, if they failed even three times, they were definitely finished.


    That''s why the mercenary guilds were very careful in handling five-star mission and even made complete preparation months in advance, so when 100 of them went out on a mission, even if only 50 or 60 people were coming back, it was already a big win for them. This was the advantage of being an NPC. There was a limit to the number of players on the team, but there were no limitations for NPCs. Because of that, when many players went to a 50 to 100 people dungeon, it was not surprising for them to see thousands of NPC corpses inside when they entered��


    "But we''re not like you, kid."


    Barter shook his head and patted Rhode on his shoulder, then grabbed another bottle of beer from the table.


    "To tell you the truth, we''re not prepared for it, but we have a lot of people. Previously, in order to avoid too much trouble, we sent about 100 people for the mission. Since the current situation is more troublesome, it''s not a problem for us to dispatch another 100. What about you, kid? How many mercenaries have you had so far? "


    At this point, Barter laughed.


    "Or are you going to go there on your own? It won''t be easy. Yeah, I admit that you''re strong, but kid, I don''t think you alone can handle these five-star missions��"


    Of course, I know that.


    How could he not know about it.


    Rhode rolled his eyes as he heard Barter''s words. However, what Barter said was true. With the strength of his mercenary guild, it was really hard to do a five-star mission. As a legendary level player, naturally he had done almost every five-star mission, and because of that, he knew just how hard these five-star missions were. It''s not just the BOSS that was powerful; the most troublesome part was the elite monsters that laid around the wilderness. Facing such a scene, skills and formations were all useless. Bringing a lot of people to resist it was the most practical way.


    Unless��


    At the thought of it, Rhode''s eyes whirled and an idea flashed through his mind.


    "Well, Mr. Viktor, Mr. Barter, would you like to make a bet?"


    "A bet?"


    Upon hearing Rhode''s words, they immediately looked up at Rhode with curiosity.


    "What kind of bet?"


    "If our Starlight is able to finish two five-star missions before you two�� Then I hope you''ll be able to satisfy my one small request. "


    "Hey, you, kid, you''re kidding me, right? Are you serious?"


    At this moment, Barter''s eyes widened in amazement.


    "This��"


    But before he could finish, Viktor, who had been staying silent, suddenly reached out his hand and stopped Barter''s words. Then, he looked at Rhode cautiously and asked.


    "So, what is your request, Mr. Rhode?"


    "It''s easy."


    Speaking until here, Rhode spread his hands.


    "I only hope that the two of you will be able to help me to open up a small trade route within your respective jurisdictions."


    "What do you want that for?"


    Hearing Rhode''s request, Barter frowned and immediately responded. Viktor, on the other hand, looked down and began to think. Soon, he looked at Rhode once again.


    "But even if you lose the bet, it won''t do us any good, will it? Since there''s nothing in the Paphield area that we want."


    "That''s right."


    Upon hearing Viktor''s reply, Rhode nodded calmly, then he glanced at Barter.


    "Frankly, I''m just a little bit angry that some people are so sure we''re going to fail."


    "Hahaha, you''re still angry about it, kid? Why can''t I see that? "


    Barter burst out of laughter. Then, he pointed towards Rhode''s expressionless face and laughed heartily.


    "Look at your dead face, kid. You don''t laugh when you''re supposed to laugh, you don''t cry when you''re supposed to cry, who knows what''s going on in your mind. What''s so interesting about all it? I think you''d better learn how to be an assassin and get a mask to cover your face. It''s still better than the way you look now, isn''t it? "


    Barter threw a punch.


    "Well, I''ll take this challenge, kid, but if you lose, I''ll make you wear a dress, smile, and pour me a drink. Hahaha, since you look just like a woman, I want to see how you look when you wear a dress."


    "...��"


    Upon hearing this, Rhode''s brow slightly furrowed. Although his face was still expressionless, a cold chill slowly exuded from him.


    "All right, Mr. Barter�� In that case, if I win this bet, I also expect you to dress up and pour me a drink�� I think it''s going to be an unforgettable scene. By the way, I want to decide the costume myself."


    "I don''t have a problem either." Viktor nodded slightly. "However, I won''t join this silly bet, Mr. Rhode. If you really can do two five-star missions before the two of us, then��"


    With that said, Viktor hadn''t yet finished his speech because at this moment an attendant came up to him and whispered something. Viktor expression seemed to be surprised as he listened to it. Afterward, he lifted his head and bid his farewell to them.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Barter, Mr. Rhode, but I''ve got some business to attend to�� and Barter, I''m not going to join that silly wager."


    With these words, Viktor turned around and left.


    "Such a boring guy."


    Looking at Viktor''s back, Barter shrugged his shoulders helplessly. He put down the empty bottle in his hand and reached out to take another bottle from the table, then shook it in front of Rhode.


    "Well, I''ll take your bet, and if I do lose, I''ll wear whatever you want. But if I win�� Hahaha, I''m really looking forward to that. Anyway, today is a happy day, so let''s not talk about this boring topic, ok? How about a man-to-man contest? You look like a girl; don''t tell me you can''t drink either? Well, that''s hilarious. "


    "��"


    Rhode didn''t respond to Barter''s words. Instead, he lifted his cup in silence.

 Chapter 368 Back in Triumph

    The midsummer festival finally came to an end.


    Rhode returned to the Mercenary Guild right after the closing ceremony. Just like what he said before, it was time for them to start concentrating on their guild mission. Purple Lily and Cole Falcon didn''t receive any heavy casualties.


    Barter had lost two matches, but he didn''t really suffer that much. As for Viktor, he won the group matches, so he had received a lot of rewards which were very helpful for them to replenish their strength.


    Sky Sword and Liberty Wings were the most tragic. Liberty Wings was totally done for as their pillar of hope, Rosen, was dead. Also, their top veteran Waltz had been killed. According to hearsay, Liberty Wings would be disbanded because of Waltz. Meaning that from now on, Liberty Wings would cease to exist.


    This blow hit the Southerners hard, but they couldn''t do anything about it. They might''ve still felt dissatisfied about Rhode''s case, but when it comes to the demon, they had nothing more to say. Anyway, Munn Kingdom was a country ruled by an Archangel, the penalty for being associated with demons was very severe, so no matter how depressed the southerners were, they could only bite the bullet and let this matter go.


    While the Association said that they would immediately elect someone to fill in the gap after the disbandment of Liberty Wings. However, many Southerners didn''t agree. Many felt that the decision was inappropriate.


    The fate of Sky Sword was slightly better than Liberty Wings. Rumors that Mobis, the leader of Sky Sword, was forced to leave step down and leave the guild because many nobles were dissatisfied with his cowardly performance during the festival. They were eager to find a scapegoat, and fortunately, Mobis was the perfect scapegoat.


    However, all of this had nothing to do with Rhode and returned to Deep Stone City with his group.


    As the winners of the festival, they were greeted with tremendous support when they arrived at the city gates. It was quite unprecedented as almost all mercenaries in the Paphield Region came to greet the winners. Even Sir Klautz was there to show his respect.


    It wasn''t surprising, really. After all, no one would''ve thought in a million years that Rhode would win �� including the Old President and Sereck.


    They just hoped that Rhode wouldn''t do something to embarrass the Paphield Region during the festival, or perhaps at most garner the attention of the Mercenary Association HQ.


    Never would''ve they expected him to not only complete his mission, but also to exceed their expectations by leaps and bounds. The good news was too good to be true and many people had troubles believing. They thought that the mail carriers were pulling their leg and making fun of Paphield.


    But when the midsummer festival ended, the Paphield Region citizens who attended the event confirmed that the news of Starlight''s victory was indeed true.


    Now, no one dared to claim that Rhode''s mercenary group wasn''t fit to be a guild. Perhaps if Starlight had only done moderately well in the midsummer festival and was eventually promoted to a guild, some groups would still have something nasty to say about it. But since Starlight exceeded all expectations and defeated three strong guilds, claiming victory in the singles matches, no one could complain about their ability. If they weren''t eligible for promotion even after that, perhaps all the guilds in the Paphield Region should just step down.


    Everybody could see how powerful Rhode''s enemies were. Especially Liberty Wings and Rosen, the most powerful monster of the South. Not only did Rhode kill him, he also eliminated the entire Liberty Wings. Rhode achieved things that an ordinary mercenary would be able to achieve in years in just a few days. Not to mention that Rhode''s Starlight was just a mercenary group.


    Old Walker was quite worried that Rhode''s plan using rumors would backfire. But in the end, it worked out better than he expected. No one in the crowd expressed their discontent about how Rhode fought. On the contrary, they were even laughing at the arrogant Southerners who were unable to accept their loss.


    Now the giant had fallen and the guild itself was finished, they could ridicule and spit on them however they wanted without caring about the consequences. If Liberty Wings knew about this, they would definitely vomit blood.


    After returning to his stronghold, Rhode immediately declared a two-day holiday as a celebration.


    The mercenaries, just like a group of hungry wolves, howled in delight as they left the stronghold. Many of them had followed Rhode to the Golden City, and it was time for them to find a pub to brag about their experience.


    Although his men were able to go to the tavern to drink and chat, Rhode was unable to relax. Before he could rest, two figures dashed in.


    "Hahaha, well done, kid!"


    The Old President''s voice reverberated in Rhode''s ears even before entering the room. Soon, the door pushed open, revealing the Sereck and an old man with a wide grin on his face.


    The Old President strode into the study and slapped Rhode''s shoulder.


    "Frankly, I didn''t expect that you''ll actually win! How in the Holy Soul''s name did you guys do that?"


    "I think those rumors are already detailed enough to explain the whole process."


    Rhodes knitted his brows and replied emotionlessly.


    "I know, I know, I''m just too damn happy, hahaha��"


    The old man, who looked like a cranky dwarf, held both of his hands in front of Rhode, feeling incredibly excited. Then he bowed his head and whispered.


    "By the way, I heard that Rosen b*stard had died? And he even died by Anne''s hand?"


    "That''s right."


    "Hahaha!"


    When he heard Rhode''s confirmation, the Old President clapped his hands and jumped up like a child.


    "Rosen you fool, you idiot! I did not think that an old bastard like you would also have such a day, hahaha! You actually died in the hands of a little girl. Great�� great! Ten years from now, whenever I see that group of sly Southerners, I will have such a delightful topic to discuss! Hahaha, that old b*stard��!!!"


    Rhode looked at the mad-like Old President, puzzled. Then, he shifted his gaze towards Sereck who was smiling wryly beside him.


    That situation lasted for about ten minutes before the Old President finally returned to back to normal. However, it could be seen that he was still really excited. He even had to support his body by propping himself by the table.


    "Haa�� haa�� that''s really good! Unfortunately, I was unable to see it before my own eyes. Geez��"


    Sereck, who had been watching from the side finally walked towards him and patted his shoulder.


    "Enough, old bud, you''re scaring this kid. Calm down, don''t forget that we''re here for business."


    "Oh, that''s right."


    The Old President smacked his head and calmed down. Then he looked at Rhode with a serious expression.


    "Well, hmph, kid, listen well�� just pretend that you saw nothing just now. Let''s get down to business. Now that you''re a guild leader, I should be telling you about the rules of a mercenary guild right now, but I think you already know most of it. Of course, you can also ask if there''s anything you are unsure of. Just don''t make any trouble, and we, the Association will definitely support you!"


    "Thank you."


    Rhode nodded and thanked him. Although his words sounded unreliable, Rhode knew that once the Mercenary Association backed him, he would be able to do anything without much difficulty. In the beginning, he was a little worried that the Association would use this opportunity to restrict his guild, but it seemed like he didn''t have to worry about it anymore.


    However, Rhode knew that the both of them wouldn''t be here just for that��


    "Well, enough with that. Next is the reward�� As you''ve probably predicted, the reward is not from us. And I''m sure that you also won''t be interested in our reward."


    The Old President smiled, but his expression was filled with hate, envy, and jealousy. Well, after all, Rhode had received a twenty million gold prize money after winning the midsummer festival. The Mercenary Association wouldn''t be able to rival this amount as they didn''t have that much money to give out. Perhaps one to two million was their limit. Since Her Highness, Lydia was the one who organized the midsummer festival, she definitely had the capital to do so.


    Rhode didn''t have the means to move twenty million gold coins to Deep Stone City, so he had to convert them into silver coins and equivalent gems according to the average exchange rate. Lydia also gave him a spatial bag that had half the size of an underground vault for free to help him relocate the money. Otherwise, he would probably need half a year to move everything back to Deep Stone City.


    Of course, the Old President had no say in that, so he could only express his envy by showing it on his face.


    Then, he took out a scroll and placed it on the table with a solemn expression, saying, "Your request has been approved kid. This magic contract has been validated by the Mercenary Association HQ, our Paphield branch, and Sir Klautz. From now on, you are allowed to build your fortress in the Land of Atonement��"


    The Old President hesitated for a while and asked.


    "But kid, why did you choose the Land of Atonement in the first place?"

 Chapter 369 Activate——Phantom Guardian

    "Because it''s a nice place."


    Rhode took the contract on the table and stuffed it in his pocket.


    "�� a nice place?"


    Old President and Sereck glanced at each other, bewildered.


    The Land of Atonement was located in the southeastern region of Paphield. Technically, it wasn''t far from Deep Stone City, but alas, the towering White Rock Mountain stood in between the two.


    The Land of Atonement also boasted idyllic sceneries, fertile lands, and was located on a plateau. But that was the only good thing about that place.


    Since it was such an ideal place for settlers to build a village, why didn''t people flock over the moment it was discovered? Simple. The Land of Atonement was akin to a walnut, hard on the outside and tasty in the inside.


    White Rock Mountain daunted most travellers with its steep, sheer drops and numerous monsters, making it nigh impossible to climb over the mountain. If someone wanted to bypass it, they had to make their way through Silent Plateau. That''s right; it was THAT Silent Plateau.


    The Land of Atonement was near the borders of the Land of Chaos and the Country of Darkness; surrounded by mountains on both sides, sandwiching it like a hotdog. The Land of Chaos was a place outside the Dragon Soul''s protection and as for the Dark Dragon''s Kingdom, it was no better than the Land of Chaos��


    There was no way to build a road through the mountains as it was impractical to clear out all the undead. And even if one was able to reach the Land of Atonement after venturing through Silent Plateau, they would still face the threat of invasion from the nearby Land of Chaos and Country of Darkness.


    There was one more way to bypass the mountain; a forest trail. But it was a path filled with bandits.


    But beyond all these threats, the Land of Atonement was an attractive place packed with huge potential for wealth, and since it was along the borders, it could open many new trade routes. If one could build a fortress, they could protect the merchants from the threats and gain a new source of revenue.


    But the difficulty of doing it was��


    "Kid, that will really be hard."


    The old man shook his head.


    "If you''re not planning to go through White Rock Mountain, I think you should just forget it. You''ve been through Silent Plateau before and you should know the difficulty of clearing the undead. As for the forest trail, I don''t think you have enough manpower to wipe out those bandits. Furthermore, you have to transport materials to build the fortress; it''s going to be troublesome with those bandits harassing us along the way."


    "I understand what you are suggesting, but I have my methods."


    Rhode nodded towards the Old President, acknowledging his worries. Frankly, the reason why he chose the Land of Atonement wasn''t as simple as what Old President thought. He wasn''t only interested in the fertile land, but also the rich minerals and magical herbs found nearby.


    Due to its proximity with the Land of Chaos, Land of Atonement was rich in magic crystals, magic herbs, and even rare beasts �� all of which were valuable materials.


    The Enchanted Crystal Mine was the source of power of Dragon Soul Continent and it was no less important than the oil and gas on Earth. Rhode could foresee that once these crystals were mined, the most important source of funding for the guild would take shape.


    As for the manpower, Rhode wasn''t as worried as the Old President did. He was aware that there were still some NPCs living around the Land of Atonement. Since they were far from civilization, they lacked many improvements to livelihood. Some of the villages were even taken over by bandits. But Rhode wasn''t afraid of them as he possessed a trump card in his hand.


    Of course, these were his little secrets, so he certainly wouldn''t spill it out casually.


    Seeing that Rhode adamant about his choice, the Old President shrugged and sighed helplessly.


    "Nevermind, I shouldn''t have worried about you. Since you could win the midsummer festival, erecting a fortress in the Land of Atonement should be nothing for you. I''ll just wait and see. But don''t blame me for not reminding you, you should also pay attention to mission completion�� Our Paphield five-star missions are not that easy."


    The Old President said nothing more smiled. However, soon he discovered that he appeared to be too lenient with Rhode, so he straightened up his face and turned away.


    "Come on Sereck, let''s go. I''m going to have a drink with you when we get back!"


    Looking at the two figures that vanished behind the door, Rhode shook his head and left the room.


    The rowdy estate finally turned serene. Rhode left the study and walked down the stairs, making his way to the training ground. The moment he had been waiting for was just around the corner.


    The Sphere of Mystery hadn''t changed much; it was still quietly hovering around the center of the statue.


    When he approached the statue, Rhode took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. It can''t be helped as he didn''t know that the Sphere of Mystery could work this way, even the game didn''t reveal that much.


    The function that he had been waiting for finally appeared before him�� but the question was�� was it really effective?


    After calming down, he placed his hand on the Sphere of Mystery.


    A system prompt appeared.


    [Activate the Sphere of Mystery - Please select your ability]


    "Phantom Guardian."


    Rhode lowered his eyes to read the system prompt and replied. Then, the Sphere of Mystery flashed a new line of text.


    [Phantom Guardian has been activated. Please select a maximum of three projection targets. Cooldown time �� 180 days. If the projection target is above the user level, target -1]


    180 days?


    Rhode frowned. It seemed the Phantom Guardian wasn''t as good as he thought it would be �� the 180 days cooldown was almost ridiculous. This means that if he chose three targets, he would need to wait 180 days to replace them. If he accidentally picked a wrong target, he had to wait another half a year to fix his mistake�� Wasn''t the system too strict? It even limited the number of projections if it was higher than the user. Now he can at most only choose two projections.


    [Skill Activated �� Please select a projection target.]


    Several names appeared before him. They were player IDs that Rhode was familiar with, but to his amazement, there was a small percentage behind it.


    [The Phantom Guardian will project and copy the image according to the user memory. Its stats will change based on the Comprehension Rate.]


    [Canary: Comprehension Rate 100%]


    [Mini Bubble Gum: Comprehension Rate 97%]


    [Unloved Loser: Comprehension Rate 55%]


    [Learn To Love: Comprehension Rate 30%]


    ......��


    ...


    I see.


    Rhode studied at the numbers before him and understood what the system meant. Obviously, the system itself was not omnipotent. Naturally, the more he knew about the person, the more perfect the projection would be.


    In the beginning, Rhode thought that as long as he remembered their IDs, the projection would be able to copy it perfectly, but now it appears that, unless he knew the person well enough, it was impossible for the projection to be the same. After all, the projection image in Phantom Space came from his own memory, and so it was not possible to project a character that Rhode didn''t know.


    In that case, it was natural for him to find someone he knew well.


    With that in mind, Rhode started thinking deeply.


    I need to find an expert, or at least someone that can protect my fortress for 180 days. That person should be known and trusted by everyone.


    Rhode looked up and quickly identified the first candidate. He shifted his gaze towards a name. It was a strong, burly man, full of muscles and scars.


    [Rhode Alander: Comprehension Rate 100%]


    Rhode pointed his finger and selected it.


    [Projection failed. An identical person detected. Not replicable.]


    Oh my God!


    For a moment, Rhode wanted to kill himself and redo it again. But in the end, he only sighed and shook his head. He looked towards the other two names below and went silent for a while. Then he reached down to select the two names below his.


    [Phantom Guardian Activated - Canary, Mini Bubblegum �� Projection Begin!]


    After the system prompt confirmed his selection, two beams of light emerged from the Sphere of Mystery and landed nearby. Soon, amidst the fog, two familiar figures appeared.


    Rhode laid his hands on his chest as he stared at the dark shadows before him. His heart was beating violently, and soon, when the two figures were fully projected, the sphere''s brightness disappeared.


    The fog also dissipated at the same time.


    Two figures stood naked in front of him.


    Then a deafening scream pierced the air.


    "You pervert! Get out of here! "


    A violent flash of light flew towards him. Rhode, who didn''t manage to react in time, was immediately sent flying back to the room.


    F*ck! Even if you can''t duplicate equipment, at least project some clothes out!

 Chapter 370 Wrong Choice?

    Boom! Although she didn''t exert her full power, it was still enough to throw Rhode against the wall. Rhode fell into a daze. He stumbled as he tried to stand up, but he soon regained clarity. Then, a soft, pleasant voice echoed in the room.


    "Mini Bubblegum, you''ve got to fix the problem of attacking without looking at the target. That''s not a pervert. That''s leader."


    "Eh?!"


    A little girl screamed in surprise. She stared at him in disbelief as if she was looking at something weird.


    "He is our leader? Big sister, don''t lie to me! Isn''t leader muscular?"


    When Rhode heard what she said, his mouth couldn''t help but twitch in annoyance. Rhode avoided attending the guild meet-up sessions for this exact reason. But now he couldn''t avoid it any longer��


    "That''s the appearance of leader''s avatar in the game��"


    The red-haired girl crossed her arms and stared at Rhode with a gentle smile.


    "�� but as much as I would like to catch up with you, leader, at least give us some clothes first."


    "�� Of course."


    Rhode sighed inwardly and replied her half-heartedly. Then he reached out into his spatial bag, grabbed several clothes and tossed it towards the two girls. After a while, two slim figures wrapped in cloaks reappeared in front of him.


    Canary was calm and steady as ever. Her long, wine-red colored hair complimented her pretty face and pink lips perfectly.


    That was her unique charm. She seemed to have a ''passive ability'' to calm people down. Back in the days, whenever she was around, somehow, nearby players wouldn''t get upset no matter how difficult the dungeon was. She was kind, gentle and once the dream girlfriend of many male players in the guild. Unfortunately, no one succeeded in winning her affection.


    Except for Rhode.


    The little girl who stood beside Canary was Mini Bubblegum. She appeared to be a fourteen-year-old and had a personality totally opposite of Canary. Her jet black hair was tied in a long twin-tail, portraying her as a lively and energetic young girl.


    "Ehhh��.. so this is how the leader looks like? It''s my first time seeing him. Big Sister, have you met leader in person before?


    "Of course."


    Canary nodded slowly. Then she turned around and smiled at Rhode, continuing, "He''s my senior. We attended the same high school, but by the time I enrolled, he had already graduated. We met on a school alumni reunion dinner."


    Rhode smiled when he heard Canary''s brief but nostalgic recital of his life. In fact, the meeting between them was far more dramatic than what she had said.


    It was the school''s 60th-anniversary celebration; coincidentally, it was also Canary''s freshman year. As an alumnus, Rhode came to attend the party. During it, he heard from his junior that there was a freshman who was skillful in Dragon Soul Continent.


    Rhode was looking for potential guild members at that time, so met up with that freshman and asked for a PK duel to test her skill. Coincidentally, Canary was actually a Starlight guild member, but since did not know Rhode''s appearance in real life, she took on Rhode''s challenge. And when they logged in and reached the designated place�� well, that was the end of that story and a beginning of a new chapter.


    Her personality was rather unusual. Rhode''s first s*x with her was during her freshman summer vacation.


    (ED: Woah, that escalated quickly��)


    Canary was a hardworking, intelligent and studious girl. Back in junior high, she was the top student in her province, so it wasn''t surprising that she held the top position in her class in high school. However, with intelligence comes fame, and fame fuels jealousy. The competition between the top few students became incredibly intense, so some students decided to gang up and trick her, leading to her failing the first year exam. Such a result was a great shock to her, and when Rhode came to know of this, he began to comfort her. A male and a female started to drink in a room; hey drank and talked and somehow ended up in bed��


    After that night, Rhode felt like he made a terrible mistake. After all, Canary was still a freshman and was a top student at a renowned school to boot. However, Canary didn''t seem to mind at all. She didn''t cry, nor did she ask him to take responsibility by asking him to be her boyfriend. Instead, she acted as though everything was the same as before. Though that''s not entirely true�� because from that moment on, whenever she had a problem, she would invite him out.


    It seemed like for her to spend an ''intimate'' night with him was a way to relieve stress. And as for Rhode, it was like home delivery. There was no reason for him to refuse, so he never rejected her invitation.


    However, on regular days, her attitude towards him hadn''t changed at all. In the game, she was still a good guild member, and in real life, she was still his lovely junior.


    Strangely enough, that abnormal relationship lasted until now. During that period of time, Rhode had changed several girlfriends, but the relationship between him and Canary never stopped.


    Honestly, not even Rhode knew what she was thinking about. Fortunately, the ''him'' back then was quite a player, so he was extremely careful not to make a mistake. Otherwise, it would be hard to say whether their relationship would last until now.


    "Hmph�� I also have a pretty good relationship with leader. "


    Watching their blissful expressions, Mini Bubblegum began to pout. She placed her hands on her waist and pointed her chin upwards proudly.


    "Am I right? Leader?"


    "What? Um�� Yea, you''re right�� "


    Rhode spread his hands helplessly and nodded. Unlike the romantic relationship between him and Canary, Mini Bubblegum was like a needy kid who had the ''chuunibyou'' syndrome. When she invented the ''treating foes as friends'' method, many players sneered at her. If it was any other girl, they must''ve been already crying in their beds. However, as a rich second generation and a full-fledged chuunibyou, she wasn''t that easily pissed off. Even after being ridiculed, she didn''t give up. Instead, she simply dropped out of school and spent two months formulating the ''treating foes as friends'' method and slapped the people who mocked her before in the face.


    At that time, Rhode was Mini Bubblegum''s only supporter and had helped her in the process of formulating this method. That was why no one in the guild could tame her, except for Rhode of course. Eventually, Rhode had no choice but to make her his ''Personal Cleric.'' After all, she was indeed very skillful, but at the same time, her personality was also a real pain.


    Seeing the reluctance on Rhode''s face made Mini Bubblegum feel a little dissatisfied. She straightened her body and lifted her head proudly once more.


    "Well, my relationship with leader is not so simple and cannot be explained in just a few words. Besides, I''ve also been naked in front of leader before!"


    *Crumble*


    Clearly nothing seemed unusual, but he didn''t know why he felt that the world before him was crumbling.


    "Oh��?"


    When Canary heard Mini Bubblegum''s intriguing words, she responded by slightly raising her brow.


    "Really?"


    "It was her who forced me to see�� I didn''t expect that she will do such a thing. Who would know that she would actually do it?!"


    As soon as Mini Bubblegum spilled the beans, Rhode immediately denied by shaking his head. As expected of a chuunibyou�� even the way to express thanks was different from others.


    After helping Mini Bubblegum to invent the ''treating foes as friends'' method, she sent him a video asking him to see something. Rhode had no reason to doubt her and immediately clicked on her video. But oh holy sh*t, never would he expect a fourteen-year-old girl to speak unabashedly whilst naked!


    It was a whole new world for him�� when he saw her completely undeveloped naked body in the video, he almost spat out his cola.


    "Oh, well��"


    Upon hearing Rhode''s reply, Canary nodded slightly and looked at Mini Bubblegum thoughtfully. Then she held out two fingers triumphantly.


    "But I''ve already done everything with leader."


    The room was cold, but for some reason, Rhode felt two hot torrents coming for him.


    For the first time, he realized that he probably shouldn''t have chosen these two to be guardians at all��

 Chapter 371 The Strongest Reinforcements

    With a great deal of effort, Rhode finally eased the fire that almost broke out. He also took this opportunity to get a general idea of the function of the Phantom Guardian.


    As described in the system prompt, both Canary and Mini Bubblegum retained their original levels from Dragon Soul Continent Online, which was level 85. Canary was the top player of the ''Elemental Mage'' class, while Mini Bubblegum was the top player of the ''Holy Cleric'' class. Although the lack of equipment had reduced their stats, they were still top-notch beings in the current Dragon Soul Continent, and as long as the opponent wasn''t on the same level as they were, there would be no threat whatsoever.


    As for their memories, just as the description suggested, both of them only retained what Rhode could remember. It should work like that; besides, the Sphere of Mystery was projecting their image based on Rhode''s memory.


    Rhode wouldn''t have known what they were like usually, and he certainly also didn''t have their memories. Still, they had their own independent personality, and it was exactly the same as what Rhode had remembered them to be. They also knew that they were only virtual projection, but it didn''t seem to affect them at all. It was, of course, just Rhode''s assumption. He had no idea what was going on in their mind at all.


    And the most important thing was��what do they think of this world.Rhode had his reasons for asking this question. After all, he was different from Canary and Mini Bubblegum who were virtual projections, so there was a chance that they might be aware of the truth about this world.


    Is this a real world, or is it not?


    However, Rhode was disappointed with their answer. Canary and Mini Bubblegum didn''t know about the situation they were in. Unlike Gillian, Rhode was sure that she knew the truth about this world, but she wasn''t going to tell him.


    Anyway, Rhode told them to be conscious of what they spoke since it would be difficult to explain.


    With that in mind, Rhode finally faced with the most important problem of all. How to introduce both of them to his subordinates.


    He could imagine the shock Canary and Mini Bubblegum would bring to his men. The fact that both of them were already at Level 85, which was above the legendary level, and was only 15 levels behind the Five Creator Dragons. If they were well equipped, it wouldn''t be a problem for them to take on someone who was above their level.


    Of course, Rhode didn''t intend to let both of them reveal their true strength. Trump cards like these were only used in dire situations. Flaunting power without minding the consequences will only arouse suspicion. Fortunately, this world was no longer the game and no one could check their levels like before.


    But the first thing he needed to do was to find the right clothes for them before they could meet the others��


    The sun went down.


    Lize yawned as she entered the house. Everyone including Lize and the others finally had a chance to rest. Although Golden City was lively and bustling, it was difficult to put their minds to rest. While Deep Stone City might be a slightly rural, walking on the familiar streets made her feel calm. This place was her home, after all.


    "Wow, that''s interesting. "


    Anne and Marlene walked in, right after Lize. They were back after shopping; it was only natural for girls to like shopping. It was especially so after the midsummer festival. Marlene wished that she could rest like everyone else rather than receiving the guests who congratulated their victory. If their purpose were genuine, perhaps it wouldn''t be too bad, but they were merely attempting to spread their connections and that was what she didn''t like.


    Now that she was back in Deep Stone City, she could abandon all these duties and go shopping with the others just like a normal girl.


    However, Lapis wasn''t with them. Rhode had punished her right after returning to Deep Stone City, so she couldn''t leave the house for five days. Her only consolation was Christie who was also in the room with her. Christie was too tired to go out anyway, so she felt it would be good to accompany the poor Alchemist in the room.


    "Woah! Nobody''s back yet."


    Anne raised her hands and looked at the empty courtyard while Marlene shared the trinkets they had bought from the market with Christie. Today, the whole of Deep Stone City was intoxicated with Starlight''s victory. Lize knew that the mercenaries would spend the rest of their time in the tavern and wouldn''t be coming back tonight.


    Just as they were enjoying their time, Shauna came out from nowhere, panting. After seeing Lize and the others, the red-haired mercenary''s eyes lit up.


    "Ah, Miss Lize, Miss Marlene, Miss Anne, all of you are here."


    "What''s going on?"


    When they saw Shauna out of breath, the group looked at her in wonder.


    "I have just received orders from leader. All of us are to come to his study room. He wants to introduce us to some new members. Well, I have to head off to inform Sir Sereck. It looks like leader expects two new members to join after the mercenary assessment."


    "New member?"


    Upon hearing her words, Anne was piqued. She leaped towards Shauna and began to pester her impatiently.


    "Who are the new members? How many are there? Is it a boy or a girl? "


    "I''m not sure about that either. I''ve just received orders from the leader. He said that he''d introduce us to them later. Well, I''ll go ahead first."


    After saying this, Shauna nodded to the crowd and turned away. As they looked at Shauna''s leaving figure, they began to discuss this matter.


    "Did Mr. Rhode recruit new members? Why weren''t we informed?"


    "Let''s go and have a look. We''ll know after we see them."


    "Hurry, hurry."


    They were all intrigued by the sudden news and quickly made their way to Rhode''s study on the third floor. Anne was so excited that she wanted to knock down the door, but fortunately, Lize managed to stop her in time and knocked on the door politely.


    "Come in."


    Rhode beckoned them to come inside.


    "Excuse me, Mr. Rhode."


    Lize opened the door and they walked into the room.


    The first thing that caught everyone''s attention was Rhode, who was resting comfortably on his chair while admiring the view outside the window.


    Not far from Rhode, two people were sitting on a couch. They were dressed in oversized robes. One of them was reading a book, while the other who looked younger was kicking her legs, seemingly bored and impatient like a child. When they heard the door open, both of them raised their heads and looked.


    "Eh?"


    Almost everyone, including Lize, was shocked. Marlene stared at the girl with the book in her hand in disbelief. Lize was also surprised to see the younger girl who pouted at her. As for Anne, she glanced at everyone in confusion.


    The two ''newcomers'' were no strangers to them as they were the exact same people who ''mistreated'' them in the Phantom Space.


    "Mr. Rhode, this is��"


    Marlene was the first to react. She looked at them in surprise and asked Rhode.


    Upon hearing Marlene''s inquiry, Rhode tapped the table and answered indifferently.


    "I think that you''re already familiar with them. They''re Canary and Mini Bubblegum. As of today, they''ll be looking after our guild."


    The three did not answer right away. Instead, it took a while for them to register what Rhode had said.


    "Eh��������������?!!"


    A synchronized scream echoed.


    After that, Rhode quickly explained their origins as he also had no intention of concealing it from Lize and the others. After all, they had been in the Phantom Space and they had met them before. So he wouldn''t be able to hide it even if he wanted to. But even after Rhode''s introduction, their surprise did not diminish, especially for Marlene, who could not have imagined such a thing.


    "It''s amazing�� Mr. Rhode, how could the Sphere of Mystery have such power? "


    "I found it by accident in the library of the Golden City."


    Of course, Rhode couldn''t have told Marlene the truth, so he had to make up a story. Besides, the Sphere of the Mystery was a relic of ancient times and had many unsolved secrets, therefore, Rhode wasn''t afraid to get caught by them.


    "I came across something like this before. In the past, someone had used the Sphere of Mystery to do something similar, so I tried it out and it actually works�� Certainly, I paid a hefty price. But at least the result looks good. "


    "Unbelievable."


    Marlene muttered and looked at Canary. No matter how she looked at her, Canary appeared to be the same age as her. When Canary noticed Marlene staring at her, she smiled and nodded to her in return.


    "Don''t worry, Miss Marlene, we''re happy to be in this world and serve the leader once again, aren''t we? Mini Bubblegum? "


    "Eh? Well, of course, I am!"


    Hearing that Canary mentioning her name, Mini Bubblegum who had been dozing off finally recovered and immediately jumped from the couch, posing proudly.


    "Just like Big Sister said, there is no problem at all. Although we can''t leave this godforsaken place, I''m not afraid of anyone who comes here�� Ahh�� Damn it, if it wasn''t for this shabby equipment, I would have already�� "


    "Cough�� ahem."


    Seeing that Mini Bubblegum was going off topic, Rhode quickly interrupted her with a light cough; then he looked towards the other three.


    "Now as you can see, they are just phantom guardians and are only capable of staying within the boundaries of the stronghold. Of course, I can reveal this to you guys, but I don''t want anyone else to know about it, understand?"


    "Yes, Sir."


    They nodded without hesitation and understood what Rhode meant. Anne, who was by the side, could no longer contain her curiosity any longer and asked Rhode while tilting her head.


    "Leader, Anne knows that they are powerful, but just how powerful are they?"


    Lize and Marlene did not say anything, but it was clear that they had their doubts as well. It was not surprising as back then, Rhode had set the projection''s levels to match theirs. Even so, they still were trashed by them.


    So, now that they were at their original levels, how powerful are they now?


    "You''ll soon find out."


    Rhode said calmly.


    Right at that moment, there was another knock on the door. It was Shauna.


    "Leader, Sir Sereck has arrived."

 Chapter 372 Who Are They?

    As Rhode walked down the stairs, he saw Sereck sitting in the hall. The man revealed a smile and stood up when he saw Rhode.


    "I didn''t expect to be called out at this hour��"


    "I''m sorry to disturb you, Mr. Sereck."


    Rhode nodded and apologized to Sereck. Sereck''s complaints were not unreasonable as during the day he had been with the Old President, but Rhode did not mention anything about a mercenary assessment.


    However, Rhode couldn''t help it because Canary and Mini Bubblegum weren''t registered yet. If they wanted to become members of the guild, they had to register. Otherwise, there would be a lot of trouble in the future.


    And, in a way, it was also good for Sereck.


    "You don''t have to apologize to me, Mr. Rhode."


    Sereck shook his head and smiled at Rhode.


    From his sources, the Swordsmaster knew that Rhode was probably the most powerful in the Paphield Region��both in strength and status. It was especially so when Sereck heard that Rhode could beat Barter one-on-one, but he didn''t believe that Rhode had reached Legendary. Still, this spoke much about his strength as he didn''t have to be at Legendary tier to become the strongest in the Paphield Region.


    While it was uncomfortable for him to acknowledge a person who was much younger to be stronger than himself, Sereck didn''t resent it at all. On the contrary, he felt a little happy. As a Swordmaster originating from the Paphield Region, he was once the pride of the people. But as he got older, his rate of improvement slowed down, causing him to feel slightly discouraged.


    In the Dragon Soul Continent, where the strong ruled the weak, it would be best if there was someone powerful to protect them. Unfortunately, for a period, the Paphield Region had no such person, that was why they were bullied by others. Sereck understood that he could do anything he wanted within Paphield, but he had little influence outside.


    Hiller''s Burning Blade mercenary group had been promoted several times to a guild, but they always relegated back soon after. This proved that Hiller''s experience was insufficient and his ability was average compared to the people outside of Paphield. It saddened Sereck that there were no strong warriors in the Paphield Region for years and was quite worried about the country''s future.


    And that''s when Rhode showed up.


    Although he wasn''t a native of Paphield, he had definitely earned his rights to be one now. From Mobis, to Barter, to Waltz, and to Rosen, Rhode defeated them all at the midsummer festival. This young man''s strength and future were limitless; all Sereck had to do was to build a good relationship with him so he would protect Paphield when the time came for it.


    Thus, even though Rhode commanded him around like a servant, he didn''t mind it. Knowing that this young man was Paphield''s future was more than enough for him.


    "I''m just saying, hahaha, actually I''m not busy, but�� I''m a little curious, how do you recruit these two members, Mr. Rhode? "


    "They are my former subordinates who just arrived this afternoon. Frankly, they came out of the blue and I was also surprised��"


    Rhode made a gesture and beckoned Canary and Mini Bubblegum forward. Canary saluted Sereck politely, while Mini Bubblegum waved her hand as if she was saying hello.


    "Oh?"


    Sereck eyes lit up. Although they weren''t as eye-catching as Marlene or Gillian, their looks were far above average. Moreover, they had a unique and indescribable aura. They seemed to be filled with mystery as if they were from a different world.


    Sereck then shifted his attention back to Rhode. He felt the same aura from Rhode before. A person''s aura could reflect their personality, but if several people shared the same aura, it is highly likely that they have grown up in a similar environment.


    Looking at the two girls, Sereck surmised that they must''ve come from the Eastern Plains as well. Only the people who originated from that isolated place had this unique air around them.


    But��


    "Are these ladies your subordinates, Mr. Rhode? You really do have a good eye. "


    Sereck said as he observed them carefully. But he couldn''t find anything out of the ordinary. They wore shabby cloaks and weren''t wielding any equipment. They were just�� empty handed.


    Are these ladies truly his former subordinates? Or��


    With a laugh, Sereck shook his head and left those thoughts behind him.


    "So, are we going to do the test here?"


    "No, in the courtyard."


    Rhode thought that it was funny that Sereck suggested taking the test here. So if this place blew up, would he offer to pay up for the damages?


    When they arrived in the courtyard, it was already late at night. However, it wasn''t dark because of the torches that lit the stronghold. At this time, most mercenaries had already returned to the stronghold and many of them were chatting noisily with each other. They learned that two more members were joining Starlight when they saw Shauna inviting Sereck into the stronghold. They wanted to watch how the two newcomers fared, so they decided to hang around the courtyard.


    However, after seeing the appearances of Canary and Mini Bubblegum, the mercenaries felt somewhat disappointed. They heard that both of them were Rhode''s former subordinates, so they had high expectations. But like Sereck, many of them didn''t believe that the two girls who didn''t even possess any equipment could fight.


    The mercenaries who were watching by the sidelines started gossiping, but Rhode didn''t seem to mind. He nodded at Sereck and turned towards the two girls.


    "Which of you will go first?"


    "I''ll go first."


    Canary discussed with Mini Bubblegum for a moment. Then Canary came forward with a gentle smile.


    Rhode had to admit that her smile was really charming. As she walked forward, the noisy mercenaries began to quieten down. They looked curiously at the mysterious and strange-looking girl.


    Sereck had already drawn his sword from his waist. Then he raised his sword and nodded to Canary.


    "We can start the assessment whenever you''re ready, Miss�� The rule is simple, as long as you can pass my test, then you''re qualified, do you understand? "


    "Yes, I understand, thank you."


    Upon hearing Sereck''s words, Canary smiled. Meanwhile, Rhode gestured to Marlene and spoke.


    "It''s better if you observe carefully.."


    "Eh? Ah, I understand. "


    Marlene was dozing off by the side. But when she heard Rhode''s voice, she quickly nodded with a serious expression. She understood what Rhode wanted to say. Being strong wasn''t a matter of merely learning new skills, but watching how powerful and experienced individuals battle was also part of the learning process. Canary was already monstrously strong in the Phantom Space, and now that her full strength had been unleashed�� how powerful would she be now?


    It wasn''t just Marlene who''d thought of this. The other mercenaries thought the same. They didn''t know how strong Canary was, but they wanted to see how she would face a Swordmaster with bare hands. And as for Rhode, this was the best way to verify the Phantom Guardian''s function.


    Canary maintained her smile as she faced Sereck who was currently poised for battle. From this point, it could be seen that she and Rhode were very similar, the only difference was Rhode''s indifferent face and Canary warm gentle smile.


    Then she reached out her right hand.


    Suddenly, a raging wind swirled from all directions and condensed at her fingertips. Then, a wisp of flame emerged.


    For a moment, many mercenaries felt the temperature around them rising, but before they could say anything, they were stunned speechless by the next scene.


    The raging wind enveloped her body and congealed into a pair of blue wings which stretched out to the sides. At the same time, the tiny wisp on her fingertips flared up into a blaze, forming a long wand.


    "!!"


    Sereck''s eyes widened in shock as he stared at Canary. The mercenaries couldn''t keep quiet any longer and were discussing loudly.


    "What in the Holy Soul��"


    Sereck muttered to himself in disbelief. As an experienced Swordmaster, he knew what was happening before him.


    Dual Element Integration��Legendary tier.


    For a moment, Sereck''s mind turned blank.

 Chapter 373 What a Crazy World This Is

    There was no need to explain what happened after that.


    Canary had no equipment, but her level was twice of Sereck. So�� basically, Sereck was a defenseless baby before Canary. She could even K.O him in just one move.


    However, Canary was a nice girl. She left him some face and allowed him to counter three moves before wiping the floor with him. Yes, that''s right. Three moves. With Sereck''s strength, even if Canary held back, he could only hold for three moves.


    While Canary didn''t harm Sereck, her Dual Element Integration was still considered magic beyond Legendary tier. This means that if Sereck tried to invade her space, she wouldn''t even have to move and he would be crushed by the wind and fire dual elemental''s passive spell. After all, the wind element is best suited for defense, and the fire element was the ultimate offensive element. If Sereck had attacked seriously, he would end up quite miserably.


    Fortunately, Sereck was on the defense and seemed to realize that he couldn''t haphazardly approach her.


    The flame dissipated.


    "Whew��"


    Sereck wiped the sweat from his head. He stood up and saluted her. He still had some doubts before the battle began. After all, a dual-element Legendary Mage was something out of the legends. Moreover, she wasn''t some old hag �� rather, she was a decent looking young girl! At that age, she had already attained Legendary? Ridiculous! It''s equivalent to a child standing in front of a university professor and telling him that he already got his Ph.D. and only needed to spend five minutes to solve Goldbach''s conjecture. Sereck had never felt this weak before. He felt like an ant standing before a giant.


    When Sereck saluted her, Canary said nothing more. She turned around to look at Rhode and smiled before whispering something to him.


    At that moment, the entire courtyard fell into silence. The mercenaries started at her speechlessly. Even Marlene, Lize and Anne, who already knew Canary, were dumbfounded. They didn''t expect her to be at the Legendary rank. Marlene felt no more envy or surprise; instead, it was fear.


    Is that labyrinth that terrifying?


    Marlene fixated her gaze on Canary. It was the first time she felt that way about that place.


    As it was known as the most dangerous place on the continent, information about the labyrinth was almost nil. However, it was also because of this that it gave her a sense of surrealness. Marlene had thought that the stories were too exaggerated and even wanted to go adventuring there once she grew up so she could affirm personally whether the stories were real or not.


    However, Marlene had now realized that the reality was even more terrifying than the legends.


    Canary was clearly at the Legendary rank, and that black-haired twin-tailed girl was supposed to be at the same level as her. Such powerful people fell in the labyrinth�� so what did that mean?


    Marlene bit the bottom of her lips. For the first time, she realized how arrogant she had been. It was ridiculous. If neither of the two girls could survive the labyrinth, then what about her? She once dreamed of conquering it and creating a legend for herself. Now, that wonderful dream became a joke. If she hadn''t met Rhode, perhaps she would have actually done it!


    While Marlene was retrospecting her arrogance, a clear voice echoed and broke the silence.


    "Alright, alright, now it''s my turn!"


    Mini Bubblegum walked out proudly.


    She crossed her hands as she looked at Sereck. It was clear that she did not want Canary to be the only main attraction. Right now, Sereck had a serious expression on his face. He had taken this little girl lightly before, but after the fight with Canary, he no longer dared to underestimate her.


    Is she also at Legendary?


    The more Sereck thought about it, the more he thought he was mad. It''s not surprising as no one in the right mind would expect two Legendaries to pop up out of nowhere.


    Sereck looked at Mini Bubblegum for a moment and decided to be careful. She was young, but judging by her self-confidence, she certainly wasn''t weak. Even if she wasn''t a Legendary, she might be a Master�� He had to be careful.


    Sereck once again took up a defensive pose, but clearly he was very vigilant now. The mercenaries didn''t seem to be surprised. It was only natural for Sereck to be so serious since the previous girl had displayed such strength.


    "Bubble��"


    While Mini Bubblegum was getting ready, Rhode who had been staying silent suddenly spoke and frowned.


    "Don''t use that trick. Fight normally."


    "�� Alright, Leader. "


    Mini Bubblegum pouted and looked away. However, she quickly patted her cheeks and stared at Sereck.


    "Well, let''s get started, Mister. You''re lucky today."


    Mini Bubblegum suddenly snapped her finger.


    A golden shield suddenly fell from the sky and floated around her. At the same time, a brilliant light erupted from the shield, forming a halo in the center. Under the light, the surrounding vegetation began to tremble and grow spontaneously. A warm air began to spread and soon enveloped the entire place.


    Sereck almost fainted when he saw this.


    �� Am I dreaming right now?


    Had it not been for the fact that Sereck had been a Swordmaster for many years, he would have fainted long ago. Sereck knew what this girl was doing��she was casting Holy Mantra that could only be done by an Archbishop-level Cleric. This was the most powerful legendary tier protective spell. In his entire life, he had only seen this spell in the Country of Law once, and Sereck wasn''t a fool, of course, he also understood the meaning behind white halo that surrounded her.


    It was Elemental Halo, which was also known as the highest-level Light Element.


    What are they��?


    Sereck looked at the 14-year-old, arrogant-looking girl who was standing in front of him. He was totally speechless.


    The previous girl looked like she was around Marlene''s age and had already learned Dual Element Integration. Now, this younger-looking girl displayed an upper-class element and used a spell that only Archbishops could use.


    Even in the Country of Law, he was sure that such a person did not exist!


    Sereck turned his head and looked at Rhode in astonishment. He had thought that these two girls were something like Rhode''s attendants, but after witnessing their performance, he had no clue what to think right now.


    How the hell can this dark-haired young man have two Legendary subordinates?


    Moreover, both of the girls were so young! Although the Eastern Plains were conservative, they were not completely isolated from the outside world. If such geniuses were known, it would have caused a sensation throughout the continent!


    Where the hell did they come from?


    Sereck found that he didn''t seem to understand the world at all��

 Chapter 374 The Hottest Recruitmen

    Kacha.


    The Old President dropped his cup on the table. The hot black tea was spilled all over the table and soaked the paper. However, the Old President didn''t seem to care. He just stared at Sereck who sat before him in disbelief. He couldn''t help but look at Sereck, who wryly smiled.


    "You dare come early in the morning just to kid me? Do you not think that I might beat you up, Sereck?"


    "I wish you would, old bud."


    Facing the Old President''s half-threatening words, Sereck helplessly spread his hands.


    "If you can really beat me out of this dream, I''d really appreciate it."


    Upon hearing Sereck''s words, the Old President stared at him for a while before he sat down again, but even now, his face was still pale.


    "You know what? You make me feel like you''re telling a joke. Two legendary level figures under 20 years old? Even a drunken fool wouldn''t say such a thing. "


    "I wish I were crazy, but it''s true."


    Sereck was not surprised by the Old President''s reaction, which was actually much better than his. The thought of what had happened to him last night made him sweat profusely even now. The Dragon Soul Continent was a place that worshiped the strong. Though Sereck was much older than either of those two girls and was more reputable than they were, he still showed them respect because of their strength. After that, Sereck shook his head and handed the Old President two pieces of paper.


    "Here are those two ladies'' mercenary qualification approval; I''ll leave them to you, my old friend."


    "I still don''t believe you."


    The Old President took Sereck''s approval with a complicated expression and looked at it carefully, then frowned. He looked up at Sereck with a puzzled and queer expression.


    "Canary? Mini Bubblegum? What kind of weird names are these? "


    "Maybe it''s an alias, or maybe it''s a unique custom there. Anyway, those are their names."


    Sereck laughed helplessly. Just like the Old President, Sereck''s first reaction was thinking whether the other party was joking or not when he heard the two names. But judging by their serious faces, Sereck was unable to say anything. It seemed that that was a peculiar quirk of geniuses or part of the unique customs in the Eastern Plains. Sereck shook his head helplessly and pointed out the window.


    "Besides, as you can see, old bud, it''s very crowded out there now."


    No matter in which world, which era, the most extensive news was always spread from mouth to mouth. Even on the Earth, in the age of the internet, phone, television, and 3D animation, there were no advertisements that could be spread more effectively than verbal ads. The most powerful human technology was still vulnerable to the most primitive human instincts, and it was the same here.


    In just one night, rumors that two legendary figures had appeared had spread all over Deep Rock City, which affected many mercenaries. Some were surprised, some were overjoyed, and some were curious. But in any case, it was evident that Starlight had now become the sole focus of all the mercenaries in the Paphield area. Since morning, there had been a lot of mercenaries who were lining up all the way to the market to sign up and join Starlight. There were about thousands of them waiting in line. Some of these mercenaries were not part of any group. They might be somewhat strong, but they hadn''t joined any mercenary group because of various reasons. Moreover, to them, a mercenary guild was a better option. Some of them were also members of other mercenary groups, bringing along other members to join Starlight and hoping to get a place there.


    Facing this sudden scene, many people in Starlight were a little unprepared.


    "Leader, I think you should do something!"


    As he wiped the sweat from his forehead, Kavos laid the material on the table and complained helplessly.


    "There are more and more people out there. We''re shorthanded. I''m afraid there will be trouble if we go on like this!"


    Hearing Shauna''s voice, Rhode got up and looked out the window. Outside the gate, the mercenaries were lining up like a tide and blocked the whole road. Though Shauna and Anne were maintaining order at the gate, they were still shorthanded.


    At the beginning, before the Midsummer Festival, Rhode''s Starlight had over a hundred members, but because Rhode was pretending to be weak, making Starlight look very bad, some people chose to leave in the end because they couldn''t bear the humiliation and shock. Rhode had been prepared for it, which was why he told Shauna and Kavos to record the names of those who left. Since they couldn''t follow him during bad times, then they wouldn''t need to enjoy the good times with him.


    As expected, when Rhode won the Midsummer Festival, those mercenaries returned, but Rhode didn''t even give them any chance and drove them out of the house. After they left, there were only about 60 people left, which consisted of 35 swordsmen, 10 thieves, and 15 clerics.


    According to Rhode''s estimation, 500 people would have been enough for Starlight, but now there were about a thousand applicants out there. It was quite difficult to pick from the remaining 400 people out of that crowd.


    "Have you published the announcement that I asked you to make before?"


    "Yes, Leader, it has been announced. After seeing those announcements, many mercenaries have left, but most of them stayed and more people are coming��"


    Kavos shook his head. Just before, Rhode told him to post a notice at the gate, announcing the qualifications for recruits. First, Rhode announced that the guild fortress would be built in the Land of Atonement, at the same time telling them that they would have to go to the Land of Atonement. Secondly, Rhode had certain requirements: he would only accept casters and mercenaries above the elite level. Rhode also announced their guild rule that everyone would get a contract, but if they didn''t perform well within the term, they''d be kicked out of the guild.


    It had to be said that these qualifications really deterred many mercenaries. As mercenaries, they were naturally aware what kind of place the Land of Atonement was. Most people who had lived here for many years were already married. The very thought of taking their families to such a dangerous place made them couldn''t help but retreat.


    Though there were others who were single and unafraid to go to the Land of Atonement, they were still not strong enough and were therefore subject to compulsory exclusion, so they couldn''t help but leave. The remaining people were aiming for the welfare and status of guild members. They didn''t expect Rhode''s qualification to be so strict. They thought that once they entered the guild, their futures would be prosperous. So they eventually backed down because obviously, they were not strong enough to survive the competition.


    But Rhode also knew that this did not mean that the rest of them would fit the bill. In the game, he had seen a lot of people like these. When Starlight became strong, a lot of players wanted to join them no matter how difficult the requirements, from their status, level of equipment, to even their level of achievement. Rhode wasn''t able to stop their decision to join Starlight because some of them did not even care how long they could stay in the guild. They only cared about the welfare and status of the guild. Many of them just wanted to take what they could and walk away without caring about the others.


    Rhode believed that there were quite a few of these mercenaries among them. Even though he couldn''t read their minds, Rhode had his own ideas.


    "How many people are left now?"


    "I don''t know, Leader. I''ve never seen so many mercenaries in my life. Perhaps the mercenaries of the entire Paphield area have gathered here��"


    "Alright."


    Rhode nodded as he heard Kavos''s report. He thought for a moment and spoke.


    "Go and tell them again: the first five hundred can remain, while the rest of them may go. We will first select a hundred of people from these five hundred, and then we will choose again afterward. The rest of them will have to wait until then. "


    "Yes, Leader."


    Hearing Rhode''s calm answer, Kavos agreed at heart. Of course, he understood the advantage of Rhode''s actions. Not only they could appease those mercenaries for the moment, they could also change the current situation. The mercenaries who left certainly would not think that Rhode was deceiving them. After all, if Rhode only chooses 100 men, it would not be enough for him, so he would certainly have to sift through again.


    Of course, Rhode could easily take these 500 people directly into the guild, but this would make the other mercenaries dissatisfied and feel like they had been tricked.


    "But, Sir, how will you choose��?"


    "Don''t worry."


    Rhode shook his head and interrupted Kavos''s question.


    "Just leave it to Canary and Mini Bubblegum. They know what to do."


    As Kavos had expected, after he announced Rhode''s words to the mercenaries, the mercenaries who stood in the back chose to leave. Instead, there was some commotion ahead. As each mercenary was expecting to be among the top 500, they were even resorting to violence. If Marlene hadn''t been there to see the situation and cast a few magic spells to wake up the hot-headed ones, it would have been a big problem.


    In the end, the first 500 lucky ones walked through the gate proudly, while the other mercenaries were forced to leave and wait for next time because there was no extra quota.


    The mercenaries looked nervous as they entered the gate. They looked around anxiously, but they did not see Rhode. Even so, Anne and Marlene who stood by were enough to put them under a great deal of pressure. Soon, the mercenaries were led down into the backyard by Shauna, where they saw the two rumored ''legendary figures''.


    "That''s them?"


    Mini Bubblegum wiggled her legs and stared at the mercenary before her while twitching her mouth.


    "Just them? Leader''s requirements certainly are a little low. "


    "They''re NPCs, Bubble, you can''t ask for too much."


    Canary looked at the mercenaries with her usual smile and nodded to her.


    "So, as always, you pick the guys, I''ll do the tests."


    "Alright."


    Hearing Canary''s voice, Mini Bubblegum jumped up in disgust, then walked towards the mercenaries. She looked at them for a moment, and then put out her hand.


    "You, you, you and you, you, don''t look around, it''s you�� The ten of you, get ready to be tested."


    The mercenaries were surprised to hear the little girl''s instructions, but they still walked out of the line under Mini Bubblegum''s instruction. At this time, the other mercenaries finally realized that the little girl had chosen a very disorganized group. Among them were swordsmen, thieves, rangers, and even a few mage apprentices, which made them look like a ragtag army.


    "Alright, let''s get ready to start testing."


    Saying this, Mini Bubblegum was about to turn away. At this moment, a huge figure came out of the line and stopped in front of her. Seeing the man in front of her, she couldn''t help but sink down in discontent.


    "What do you want?"


    "Hehe, I don''t want to do anything, Miss."


    Hearing Mini Bubblegum''s inquiry, the man lifted both of his hands and stepped backward, then he looked at the Mini Bubblegum with an ingratiating smile on his face as he pointed to one of the swordsmen in the line that had been chosen by her before.


    "The two of us are together, I hope�� can you switch another person and put me in the group there? The two of us are good partners, and I believe that together we can definitely bring out the best in ourselves�� Hey Lizst, isn''t that right? "


    Hearing the man''s inquiry, that swordsman''s face turned stiff and he rolled his eyes a little. However, he still nodded in the end. Seeing his response, the man proudly spoke and laughed.


    "Well, there it is, my dear young lady. Do you think it would be convenient to��?"


    "No."


    The man''s words had not yet finished, but he was already blatantly rejected by her. Mini Bubblegum coldly stared at the man before her; obviously, she didn''t have any good feelings towards him.


    "The leader has given the choice to us, which means, we have the final say. It''s my choice to choose whoever I want and it''s none of your business."


    "Hey!"


    Hearing this, the big man''s face darkened.


    "That''s not right, Miss. We��"


    "I shall repeat, it''s my choice to choose whoever I want and it''s none of your business!"


    Mini Bubblegum''s face sank for a moment, then she turned away. When the man saw she was trying to leave, he finally reached out his hand.


    "Stop right there, I''m not finished��"


    "Don''t touch me!"


    The big man''s words had not finished, and accompanied by her shouting voice, a light suddenly burst out and spread to all directions.


    That man''s body trembled and he was thrown away like a tattered rag doll, banging against the wall, leaning sideways. Finally, he lost his consciousness.


    "Just a mere NPC and you dare be so arrogant! If it weren''t for Leader, I would have already skinned you alive, turned you into an alchemy potion, and fed it to a frog!"


    Mini Bubblegum coldly watched the fainting mercenary. She snorted and then murmured. On the other hand, the mercenaries were looking at this scene in amazement. Although they had heard that Starlight had two legendary figures, most of them thought the rumor was just exaggerated. Now, watching Mini Bubblegum, such a little girl, knock an elite level mercenary just by shouting and without even moving a single hand, it made the rumor sound more reliable�� Even if this girl wasn''t a legendary level figure, she was definitely not someone that they could deal with.


    After complaining, Mini Bubblegum turned around and gestured to Canary.


    "Alright, big sister, you''re up next."


    "Okay."


    Canary was still smiling as usual as she looked at this scene. She walked to the chosen ten mercenaries and nodded to them. Her warm smile made the mercenaries, who had been uneasy at the sight of Mini Bubblegum''s tyranny, calm down and salute her. Then, Canary took a step back and moved her right hand.


    Soon, people saw a two-meter high silver circle rising out of the sky. It looked like a mirror, spinning so fast it blurred their sight.


    "Well, all of you can go in, and if you can safely get out of this space, then you pass," Canary said to the crowd with a chuckle. The mercenaries were hesitant to accept her invitation. It was no wonder; after all, humans would hesitate in the face of strange objects. However, soon, a swordsman walked in proudly, and when someone took the lead, the others followed from behind.


    It was not easy to get into the portal.


    The light was so blinding it felt as if the world were spinning, making the mercenaries feel a little overwhelmed. When the light dissipated and they stood on solid ground once again, they finally opened their eyes.


    Then, they stared at the scene in front of them in amazement.


    In front of them was a dense forest, and there were a few armed undead creatures moving slowly towards them.


    "What the hell is this place?!"


    A thief screamed as he drew his dagger out and looked at the surroundings uneasily. The swordsman who stood in the front frowned while he carefully observing the undead creatures before him. Not long after, he drew his sword.


    "Whatever this place is, let''s fight!"

 Chapter 375 Preparation

    Rhode put down his book and looked at the girl who was sitting opposite him.


    "It didn''t go well?"


    "Yes, Leader."


    Canary slightly nodded. It had been five days since the recruitment began, but the results weren''t too good. Rhode''s approach was to use half of the Sphere''s training space to select the mercenaries. This space could be changed according to the holder''s mind and could also form a variety of terrains and enemies for training purposes. It was just like a test-like virtual reality game. It was pretty strange when Rhode thought about it. Playing a virtual reality game in a world that looked like a game was just too weird.


    Given the likelihood of future battles, Rhode naturally set the undead as the highest priority opponent, but because of this, the entire selection process was very inefficient. In the first selection, only 60 out of 500 had qualified and the rest had failed. The people who passed didn''t even reach 100. The next few days were the same; now that so many days had passed, Starlight had only recruited a total of 125 people, not even half of the target goal.


    This made Shauna and Kavos feel very anxious, and they talked to Rhode privately about Canary and Mini Bubblegum''s requirements being a little too strict. Some of them looked like great mercenaries, but were just never good enough in their eyes. Of course, they weren''t questioning Canary and Mini Bubblegum''s judgment, but the hurdle that they set was too high, and Paphield was just a small place. Kavos and Shauna thought that as long as their ability had reached a certain extent, it was already enough. Because of that, Rhode had also loosened certain limits, but even up to now, the people who were qualified to enter the guild were still less than 300.


    But nearly all the mercenaries in the Paphield area who wanted to join Starlight had been sifted through.


    "Too many people aren''t good, but too few people is also a problem. Bubble and I have tried every means to have those who have the strength, look loyal to the guild, and will not abandon their companions stay. If they can''t even do that, I think it would be a mess if they joined the guild."


    "That''s true, but the people here can''t resurrect after they die, so you and Bubble need to pay attention to that�� Now, these people are enough. I''ll leave their training to you and Bubble. I think you know what''s best for them. I just don''t want my subordinates to be like those idiots from the Country of Light who only know how to run faster than anyone else when the Country of Darkness invades."


    "Yes, Leader."


    Hearing Rhode''s words, Canary smiled. She was also one of the Munn Kingdom''s players. The reason she joined Starlight was to avenge the Munn Kingdom, and that''s why Canary was somewhat similar to him in this aspect.


    "Ah, also pay close attention to Marlene. She''s got a lot of potential��she''s an an all-element expertise NPC. It''s really enviable."


    "I''ll take care of her, Leader. But��"


    At this moment, Canary suddenly rolled her eyes.


    "That Miss Marlene, Miss Lize, and Miss Anne�� Have you done them already?"


    "Uh��"


    When Rhode heard Canary''s inquiry, he looked at the girl in front of him and smiled wryly.


    "It depends. You know what I mean, don''t you?"


    "I knew you''d say that."


    Hearing Rhode''s reply, she stood up and smiled. Then she intently gazed at Rhode, stroked his face, and lowered her head to kiss him.


    Her soft tongue familiarly invaded Rhode''s mouth, and naturally, Rhode also reached out to put his arm around her waist and kissed her back. After a while, the two of them parted�� Seeing the transparent liquid that had fallen from their mouths, it could be seen just how passionate and intense they had been. Canary looked up, licked her lips, and then looked at Rhode.


    "Same as before�� Nothing has changed, Rhode. Well, I''ll come to you whenever I need it, just like before��"


    The girl playfully winked her eyes.


    "And in here, I am just a projection image, so you can feel free to c*m inside; you don''t have to worry that I might get pregnant~"


    "Is this an invitation?"


    Rhode looked at the girl in front of him helplessly. At the same time, he reached out his hand to wipe his lips gently. There was a trace of lemon fragrance in her soft touch. Although he knew that she was just a Phantom Guardian, but�� the mere thought of Canary''s promise made him feel excited.


    "Of course."


    Canary nodded as she answered Rhode''s question. But she seemed to have noticed something, so she turned around and stepped back.


    "Well, Leader, I shall excuse myself�� By the way, there seems to be something wrong with room door; it can''t be locked�� "


    She turned around and left. Seeing Canary''s back, Rhode shrugged his shoulders and sighed.


    "Even if it''s only a splitting image, there''s no difference between it and the original her."


    Rhode muttered to himself and shook his head helplessly. After that, he fell into deep thought.


    "Still, it''s a very attractive invitation."


    While Rhode was dozing off, a knocking sound came from the door. He quickly got a hold of himself, sat straight, tidied up his clothes, then said.


    "Come in."


    Hearing Rhode''s response, Old Walker opened the door and walked in wearily. He must have been busy; now he was so tired that he didn''t even want to move an inch. After he entered Rhode''s room, Old Walker quickly reached out, pulled up a chair, and sat in front of Rhode.


    "Whew�� It''s finally over, boy. You almost got me killed. "


    "Everything''s fine?"


    "Not bad."


    Old Walker took a deep breath.


    "Your plan is so weird that even I can''t get it right, but luckily, that guy Shawn helped us a lot and it''s pretty much done now."


    "That''s good."


    Upon hearing the Old Walker''s answer, Rhode nodded.


    After returning to Paphield, Rhode had asked Old Walker to set up an intelligence post all over Paphield. After all, from now on, all of Paphield''s mercenary matters would be handled by Starlight. This was unlike the game, where players could learn what was going on just by looking at the system. That''s why it was important for Rhode to have an intelligence post so they could deliver information anywhere in time. It was indeed a big project. Although Paphield was not big, but there were a dozen of villages and towns around it. It was really not easy to arrange some people to those places. Moreover, this job required high loyalty and Rhode was only able to take it slow and start by placing his few trusted subordinates in the larger towns and let Shawn''s mercenaries cover up for the rest. It was a reward that Rhode got for helping him kill an unlucky b*stard and as a group of assassins, they were very good at this.


    Of course, loyalty wasn''t something that could be proved with words. Before, in Golden City, those people who had helped Old Walker spread those rumors were rewarded handsomely and immediately became official members of the Starlight guild after they returned from Golden City. However, their mission wasn''t going to battle like the other mercenaries, but to hide in the shadows, gather information, and if necessary, spread gossip.


    "But you haven''t forgotten our agreement, right?"


    Old Walker rubbed his hands and looked at Rhode, full of expectation. Rhode only slightly nodded as a reply. Of course, he knew what Old Walker was talking about; before he sent Old Walker on this mission, he had promised him something. After he finished the intelligence network, Old Walker would be in charge of all of it. He was, after all, a veteran of Paphield, and he had a wide-range of information and was trustworthy enough to be loyal to Starlight. That''s why Rhode didn''t refuse Old Walker''s request since it was also a good thing for him.


    "Of course not, Old Man. That was the deal we made, but�� are you sure you don''t want to rethink it?"


    Hearing Rhode''s inquiry, Old Walker showed a helpless expression. He turned his head to look out the window and sighed.


    "I''m already old, kid. You should know that too. I''m no longer strong and whether it''s Marlene or Anne, they are a lot stronger than I am. The only thing I''m proud of now is my experience�� Hehe, but I think my experience is not that much use for you, right? Although frankly speaking, I still like adventure, I also realized that I don''t have the same strength as I did when I was young. It''s impossible to keep up with young people like you�� But��"


    Old Walker rubbed his nose and went on.


    "But at least now I can keep fighting this way, right? Hahaha, back in Golden City, that was my first time knowing that mouth is more powerful than the knife. It''s kind of fun, isn''t it? Kid, just watch me; I''ll troll your future enemies to death with my mouth!"


    "I don''t do this to troll people��"


    "Hahaha, of course, I know, but it''s just fun to think about��"


    Old Walker withdrew the smile on his face and sternly looked at Rhode.


    "But, kid, about building the fortress in the Land of Atonement�� When are you going to do it? Do you want me to get you some help? After all, there''s no housing in the Land of Atonement. Don''t tell me you want to dig up a hole in the ground like a dwarf."


    "There''s no problem. I''ve got plans."


    Upon hearing Old Walker''s inquiry, Rhode nodded, then leaned back onto his chair and looked out the window.


    "But before that, we have to make some preparations."

 Chapter 376 The First Group

    Time was Rhode''s greatest enemy.


    After the Midsummer Festival, there were only six months left before the winter break. Before that happened, Rhode had a very heavy task, which composed of building the fortress, completing the two five-star missions to make sure his guild wouldn''t be relegated, and training his men to be prepared for the war that was likely to happen next year. Through Shawn''s intelligence network, Rhode had gotten a lot of information about the Country of Light. As he expected, there was internal turmoil in the Country of Light and the support towards the Head of Parliament had also fallen to the extreme, making his re-election next year difficult.


    However, not everything happened like before. From the intelligence report that he got, he learned that he had successfully dealt with the trade route incident, which led the trade route to be reopened and had made the internal opposition in the Country of Light less intense than what happened in game history. On the other hand, this caused Archduke Lydia to have enough energy to deal with what might have happened to the Country of Light, since Paphield had not caused any disturbance. Rhode trusted Lydia''s political wisdom, and before he left Golden City, he also had a brief, private conversation with her. By that time, Rhode had pointed out the threat coming from the Country of Light vaguely to Lydia, but she seemed to already have her own plan. Because of that, Rhode couldn''t say too much about it. Now he knew that knowing the future wasn''t always something good. Although he knew what might happen, it didn''t mean that he could persuade others to believe in it because they thought that there were still countless possibilities in what the future could hold. For example, Rhode knew that the Country of Darkness would definitely take this opportunity to attack, but for those who lived in the present, it was still a question of whether the Country of Darkness would attack or not.


    Fortunately, Lydia also knew that the successor to the new Dark Dragon''s soul holder was a very powerful man, and she also knew what was going on in the Country of Darkness. With that in mind, Rhode did not speak more. Since Lydia already knew about the Dark Dragon, and now, without the troubles from Paphield and the Ocean Trade Route, there was probably no more problems. Of course, if history did change, then it would be for the best. However, if history didn''t changed, it would be important for him to plan ahead.


    Although the situation didn''t seem bad, Rhode felt that it was somehow bound to come to an end.


    In the game, the reason the Country of Light caused some conflicts in Soraka Mountain was because the support for the Head of Parliament had dropped, so they colluded with military generals in an attempt to start a local war in Soraka Mountain. They hoped they would gain back the people''s support by doing so.


    However, those stupid old men didn''t expect that this time, the Country of Darkness would not show any restraint, The reason was simple: the new Dark Dragon soul holder was strong. After he ruled, he had made some changes to the hierarchical system in order to strengthen his country.


    The Country of Darkness was a very hierarchical country. It wasn''t solely determined by its system, but also by the people who lived in it. In the Country of Darkness, most who lived there were dark creatures like death knights, lichs, ghouls, vampires, dark elves, etc. Since most of the Country of Darkness''s residents were undead, it also caused them to be classified based on their level of strength. For example, low-level lichs couldn''t fight high-level death knights, while ordinary ghouls couldn''t disobey the vampires'' orders. This was determined by the qualities of the undead themselves. Since they had already lost their lives, they survived by relying on unnatural forces, and because of this, their strength directly determined their intelligence and ability. That''s why the Country of Darkness''s hierarchy was so rigid since there was no way that a high-level vampire could talk with a ghoul whose IQ was not yet fully developed and couldn''t even communicate properly.


    So in the Country of Darkness, the whole system of pyramids existed. At the top was the Dark Dragon itself, and below him were the Four Legendary Demon Generals: ''Spirit Chaser'' Balende, ''Blood Countess'' Ashvril, ''Conqueror'' Garcia, and ''Angel of Sorrow'' Charlie.


    Among them, Balende, Ashvril, and Charlie were undead, vampire, and fallen angel respectively, and the ''The Conqueror'' Garcia was human. This power structure had lasted for many years until the new Dark Dragon soul holder appeared.


    In order to strengthen the country, the new Dark Dragon soul holder, Ian, had promoted several ''lower races'', including the dark elves and the grey dwarves, which naturally resulted in conflicts between the old nobles and new gatekeepers. After all, political resources were limited; the cake was only so big that if one more person appeared, one would have one less piece. Naturally, the four legendary generals also despised those lower races and didn''t want to share their resources with them.


    Because of that, the Country of Darkness was currently in a very volatile political situation; the new authority holders needed to show enough strength to prove that they were qualified for it. The old nobles, on the other hand, needed to protect the interests and dignity of their own race. For such matters, action was far more important that mere empty talk.


    The best way to solve these disputes was through a war. Once the war began, the Country of Darkness would have access to additional resources and land that could be allocated to the new authorities, while the old nobility could also show enough power and glory to maintain their position. War was also the quickest and most convenient way for the new authorities that yearned for recognition and advancement to gain power and show their importance.


    However, the Country of Light paid no heed to the undercurrents of its neighbors. It was also foolish enough to think that their provocation would be the same as before, which caused both sides to fight each other and then declare the situation tense. They used this opportunity to spread alarmist rumors that would at best lead to a local war, which would end soon. They had no idea that they were giving the Country of Darkness an excuse to start a war. Soon, the Country of Darkness had escalated a local war into a full-scale war.


    Rhode could only persuade Lydia to be careful, but he could not stop the Country of Light''s Parliament. If they were foolish enough to give them this excuse, then there was nothing he could do. Most likely, even Lydia had no way to stop it. He could persuade a man by telling him it was very dangerous to tease that fierce hound, but if the person was determined to go up and get bit, he wouldn''t be able to prevent it.


    If that hound ended up biting off his neck, that was even more out of his reach.


    Had it not because the Munn Kingdom was located between the two countries, Rhode would have been happier if the Country of Darkness had attacked the Country of Light earlier and left the other side defenseless. At least then, they wouldn''t have the time or energy to bother the Munn Kingdom.


    Unfortunately, this possibility did not exist. In the end, they had to figure out the situation themselves.


    Rhode nodded slightly as he stood on the balcony while looking at the mercenaries.


    "Are they the ones you guys have chosen?"


    "Yes, Leader."


    Canary was standing beside Rhode and she smiled. After she and Mini Bubblegum appeared, the entire guild''s structure had changed again, though not much in general. Marlene was still in charge of the vice leader''s affairs, Lize was still the representative of the clerics, and Shauna was also still the leader of the stronghold guards, and there were no changes in Kavos and Anne''s duties. Canary and Mini Bubblegum were just responsible for the training, and since they couldn''t leave the stronghold, there was no way for them to do any heavier work.


    However, in reality, those two held the most authority in the entire guild besides Rhode, and because of that, everyone in guild except for Rhode had to train under them.


    At this time, everyone found that their training methods to be really different��of course, this was thanks to the Sphere of Mystery.


    After activating the Sphere, Rhode could create a variety of scenarios and enemies to train them in. Those who failed wouldn''t die, but they would be forced out, which was very similar to a dungeon in games. And in fact, Rhode had utilized it precisely as a dungeon.


    For these mercenaries, this period of training was a nightmare for them. First, they were all divided into different groups. Next, they would be led into the phantom space by Canary and Mini Bubblegum, where they would meet the enemy.


    In the beginning, their demands were very simple. They only told them to defeat the enemies and complete the task within the given time frame. But as the training progressed, rules and restrictions began to multiply. For example, the cleric had to guarantee how many people would survive when the training was completed, and the fighters who were responsible for defense had to ensure how many casters would survive to the end. They needed to learn not only how to utilize their ability to the fullest, but also learn how to avoid attacks, cooperate with others, and protect themselves and their companions. They had to learn how to improve their ''map awareness and foresight''. Honestly, they had no idea what those two ladies meant.


    Those mercenaries were miserable, but so were Canary and Mini Bubblegum.


    The biggest difference between a player and NPC was their attributes and talents. The player''s talent tree was common and had the tendency to focus on one direction. Take Canary: since she specialized in high DPS, she naturally had to maximize her Fire and Wind element. As Mini Bubblegum specialized in crowd control, her talents were mostly support-based.


    In other words, the player''s talents were too straight-forward and expectable. On the other hand, NPC''s talents were lopsided. It was no wonder; since they were not players, they couldn''t see their talents'' development. They were just training based on their intuition and no one was perfect. After all, one couldn''t expect a cleric to have high DPS or a mage to be a MT. If that were the case, the effects would be really tragic.


    Mini Bubblegum had complained to Rhode more than once; she felt miserable that she had to bring a bunch of rookies who had never played online games to conquer a dungeon while she gave them random orders. What''s even more depressing was that they couldn''t ''reset character and replay'', which had become a popular phrase among mercenaries in the Starlight guild. Followed by her repeated complaints, when they thought that someone was doing a poor job, a mercenary would pat each other on the shoulder in Mini Bubblegum''s manner and say, "You can''t do it, go reset your character and replay��"


    Of course, they didn''t even know what that actually meant.


    At first, many people were not satisfied with the rigorous training. They were only forcing themselves to continue in the face of Canary and Mini Bubblegum. But with the development of their training, they were surprised to find that their own strength had improved by leaps and bounds. They used to train themselves, but they couldn''t improve in 10 days or even half a month. However, now, after almost every day of training, they could feel that they were improving, and not just a little.


    Actually, it was also because of the bonus from the Sphere of Mystery, where the training speed was tripled within its sphere of influence. Naturally, this effect had naturally affected them quite a lot. More importantly, Rhode, Canary, and Mini Bubblegum had been digitizing their efforts and visualizing them in the so-called talent tree. It was like a man who was artistic, but didn''t have the slightest mathematical mind. If he didn''t level up his ''artistic'' talents and instead added all his skills to ''mathematical'' talents, as a result, he failed to develop his abilities. His potential was not enough to achieve the highest mathematical skills and ultimately accomplished nothing. Now, Rhode and the others were giving the mercenaries a proper ''leveling-up guide'' by watching the way they fought. Some of them were good at defending and some of them liked to attack. Some people had good skills order, while some people had a strong sense of the overall situation. The reason these people had not been able to make breakthroughs was partly because of this. They weren''t able to see their talent tree and the conflict between it and their specialization. Naturally, it was impossible for them to make good judgments and training directions. Now, with Rhode''s guidance, the mercenaries found the right direction, and training naturally became more and more comfortable for them. Although their training bore fruits, Rhode was already nearly worn out in just the first half of the month. He needed to follow every training they had and watch their battles and after training, he talked to them one by one while pointing out the main points such as their training direction and their deficiencies that needed to be filled.


    Marlene and others were not idle; though their training direction had already been specified by Rhode, they still had to perform their own tasks. They not only had to fight with the team, but were also in charge of giving orders, organizing the battlefield, and directing their men. Marlene, as Rhode''s vice leader, needed to master the overall situation and learn to make adjustments at any time. Lize, as the leader of clerics, had to lead all the clerics to protect and heal the other mercenaries. They both seemed to have a very high understanding towards this matter and had done a very good job.


    However, Anne�� Rhode could only shake his head helplessly.


    At first, Rhode and Canary had the idea of having Anne lead the Shield Warriors. But while Anne indeed stood out in individual battle�� they were really dumbstruck after they saw her leading the team. Anne only commanded them with the two easiest command: "Let''s go, everyone! Come with me!" and "You go first! I will handle this!"


    Such orders were certainly not a good way to integrate the whole team.


    Eventually, Rhode had to make a decision and he let Anne be responsible for protecting Lize and the other casters. In a regular war, usually the MT was divided into two layers: one for external protection and the other layer for internal. Rhode''s original idea was for Anne to be responsible for external and internal protection at the same time. But now, it looked like it was already good enough for her to be responsible for the internal protection. As for the external protection�� he could only find someone else to do it. Since it would be a long process to find someone, for now, Rhode himself would be responsible for it.


    Despite the Sphere''s bonus, it took Rhode a full month and a half to achieve his goal. It was almost June now, and Rhode was ready to go to the Land of Atonement. His first goal was to build the fortress, and then do two five-star missions afterwards.


    "How many people are there?"


    "There are 25 people in total, Leader. That''s exactly the number of one party. Their loyalty is beyond question, and they also have the strength to stand the test."


    Rhode sighed when he heard Canary''s reply. He looked towards the 25 mercenaries who were not standing in a straight line sternly. Though they were not many, Rhode knew very well that these 25 people were the elites who had passed all the training and accomplished their goals perfectly. These 25 five people had even acquired a certain level of a player''s strength.


    "These 25 people consist of 11 Swordsmen, 2 Shield Warrior, 3 Clerics, 5 Rangers, and 4 Thieves. Including Marlene, Lize and Anne�� I don''t think that there will be any problems."


    "I hope so."


    Rhode nodded, seeming a little relieved. He had been very tired for this one month and a half, but it somewhat made him feel a bit nostalgic. It reminded him of the time he had just formed the guild. In order to give the new members a sense of belonging, Rhode helped them conquer the dungeon, gave them some tips on how to fight, reminded them about the main points over and over again, and made them feel less nervous�� Looking back now, that nanny-like''s life was tiring, but it was substantial and Starlight''s foundation was also built that way. Some of them had chosen to leave, but most stayed in the end.


    But among his current members, how many would stay in the end?


    "I''ll leave the stronghold in your hands. Keep an eye and contact me if anything happens�� Also, take care of Christie for me. "


    "I understand, Leader."


    Canary nodded and smiled. Then, she looked at Rhode once again.


    "Bubble has a good relationship with her and I don''t think you need to worry about that."


    "I know. That''s why I''m worried about it�� Sorry for troubling you."


    Rhode wryly smiled as he heard Canary''s reply. Just as she had said, Mini Bubblegum and Christie indeed had a great relationship. They were surprised at Christie''s presence at first, but quickly accepted her. For Christie, Mini Bubblegum was the only person who was almost the same age as her, so it was natural that they had a better relationship with each other. Mini Bubblegum also liked Christie''s calm and gentle manners rather than those stoic NPCs who kept calling her ''Lady''.


    Rhode certainly wasn''t concerned about their relationship; he was just worried that Mini Bubblegum would pass some of her bad habits to Christie�� If that were the case, then Rhode definitely would be terrified by it. So, in desperation, Rhode had no choice but to ask Canary to pay attention to Mini Bubblegum and not let that crazy girl infect Christe with her eighth-grader disease. Otherwise, Rhode really wouldn''t know what to do if the obedient Christie became like her.


    "When are you going to depart, Leader?"


    "In two more days, we''ll set off once all the preparations are ready. I''d like to overcome all the obstacles in the forest path by July."


    Hearing until here, she looked down as if she were thinking about something. Then, she lifted her head and whispered in Rhode''s ear.


    "Well, later�� meet me at the back, Leader."

 Chapter 377 Silhouette in the Dusk

    "Alright, training is over."


    Upon hearing this, Marlene put down her wand and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Looking up, it was already dusk and the bright red sunset brilliantly rendered the sky. The breeze blew past, bringing a little bit of refreshing air.


    For Marlene, the training was both long and short. Mini Bubblegum''s training was so strict that she had to meet the required time��even the second had to be exact. Even the most powerful mages in the Academy had never made such a high demand to her and she couldn''t even imagine that there was actually someone who could perform such a skill. However, the fact spoke louder than words, and when Canary performed the ''Flawless Casting'' in front of Marlene, she could only gasp in awe.


    The so-called ''Flawless Casting'' was a way for players to create their own free spells. In the Dragon Soul Continent, the mage would make a hand gesture, chant the mantra, mobilize the power, and release the magic. When one spell was over, they would release another one. It was a common practice among mages on the continent, and Marlene had always done the same thing all this time.


    But Canary''s ''Flawless Casting'' was quite different. After all, the players didn''t have such ''short-sighted'' goals such as killing the enemy. For the players, the most important goal was to have the highest DPS and be on the leaderboards. That was also how ''Flawless Casting'' was created.


    Just take the ice shards spell, for example. When Marlene cast the ice shards spell, the hand gesture to the chanting took about two seconds; mobilizing it took one second and releasing it took one more second. It took Marlene about four seconds to cast a spell and another second to prepare for the next spell. Although this was a very stable and effective approach, it was quite different from a player''s ''Flawless Casting''. The player was no longer affected by the magic since the third second after the ice shards spell was released, which meant they could start preparing for the next spell by then. For a player, this wouldn''t just save another two seconds, but also boosted their DPS. That meant the mantras they chanted were almost non-stop, though the duration of the mantra was somewhat different, but once one mastered it by saving up the last two seconds, they would be able to keep chanting without interruption until their mana ran out. Of course, it was under the condition that the opponent had no countermeasures.


    This was why mages were called the ''cheat-like class''. Although strictly speaking, sometimes they did pause, but due to the power and the long duration of the spell itself, it completely obscured the disadvantage. So if any players encountered a ''Flawless Casting'' mage, it would definitely turn into a one-sided battle. When the spell was cast, it was almost impossible to dodge or block it. This was a mage''s most powerful and ferocious ''one wave'' tactic. In addition, the masters among the mages could even reassemble the order of the chant and used the duration of the spell itself to achieve near simultaneous multiple casting. They could chant a fireball spell first; when the fireball exploded, a five seconds blizzard spell was unleashed. In the meantime, they could cast a three seconds ice shards spell. Then, the player couldn''t help but deal with both ice shards spell and blizzard spell at the same time��


    Of course, not everyone could master this technique. It required a perfect understanding of each spell: its duration, skill, and gesture. If the spell failed, not only one would not be able to activate ''Flawless Casting'', but it might even cause a conflict between the forces and lead to a situation where the mage was unable to release the spell, which was the deadliest state for a mage.


    It was the same for Marlene.


    Although she had been training her magic skills for several days, Marlene was still unable to do it perfectly. Her previous spell-casting habits were now her biggest obstacle. As the most outstanding student in the Academy, Marlene''s movements and rhythms were perfect. But now, the pride that Marlene once had become the biggest obstacle to her growth. The ''standard action'' of pausing for a second after releasing magic had become so ingrained in her body and it was not easy to change it forcefully..


    "I almost did it today��"


    Looking at the sky before her, Marlene gritted her teeth. She lowered her head and sighed.


    "It seems like I have to consult with Miss Canary."


    Marlene looked around as she muttered to herself. Marlene looked around, but to her surprise, she did not see Canary.


    What the hell is going on?


    Marlene frowned, then she remembered that Canary had said that she needed to report something to Rhode, and so she left.


    "Let''s see��" As she spoke to herself, Marlene walked over to the stronghold.


    Because the number of members had increased, the current stronghold was much more lively than before, but the third floor was as quiet as ever. Rhode had made a rule that ordinary mercenaries were not allowed to come onto the third floor, and only a limited number of people, such as Christie or Marlene, were allowed to.


    Marlene went to Rhode''s study and softly knocked, but there was no response, which made Marlene feel a little strange. Rhode had been spending his time in the study observing the map of the Land of Atonement for two days.


    "Excuse me."


    Marlene was puzzled. She reached out and opened the door, but the study was empty. Neither Rhode nor Canary were inside.


    Where''s Mr. Rhode?


    With a little doubt, Marlene came to Canary''s room, but the door was locked and no one answered.


    It doesn''t seem like she''s here either.


    It looks like I came in at the wrong time��


    Marlene shook her head as she thought of it, then turned around to leave. But suddenly, she heard a slight movement.


    "Hmm?"


    Marlene stopped in curiosity and looked towards the hallway. She saw the slightest gap in the usually closed warehouse door, which made Marlene curious. The door had been locked all this time. Why would it open now? Was someone there?


    Marlene walked to the end of the corridor curiously. Just as she was about to reach out and open the door, a sharp, low voice came from within. Marlene, who had intended to open the door, froze.


    "This�� This�� "


    Marlene gasped. She forced herself to calm down as she leaned close to the door to look properly. Her eyes widened in surprise.


    The sunset twilight dyed the room red. Two figures were currently entangled with each other. The girl was holding her hands against the wall and bending her head to gasp for breath. Behind her, the man was clutching the girl''s slender waist while moving his body violently. The glow of the setting sun shone against their faces and expressions and Marlene was also familiar with these two people.


    "Is that�� Mr. Rhode�� and Miss Canary?"


    When Marlene saw this, she covered her mouth in surprise. Her brain was blank for a moment, and she had no idea what to do.


    Canary''s body trembled violently followed by Rhode''s movements. Waves of pleasure swept over her body as she shook her hips eagerly to cater to Rhode''s actions. Soon, their breaths got heavier, a moment later, followed by a muffled groan, Rhode tightly held onto Canary and pinned her under him. Then, she instinctively stood up, and her slender legs couldn''t stop trembling. Sticky, translucent fluid was slowly flowing down from her inner thighs, dripping to the ground.


    After a while, Canary felt her body turn weak so she knelt on the ground.


    Not long after, Rhode''s hands stretched out from behind, rubbing her plump, firm breasts.


    "I had no idea you''d react so violently."


    "Because it''s been so long since I''ve done it��"


    Canary looked up in response to Rhode''s teasing. There was a faint smile of contentment as she blushed.


    "Besides, this is the first time you''ve c*m inside�� It''s a feeling I''ve never felt before, but it''s really comfortable."


    "But then again, why did you choose this place��" Rhode said. He looked around for a moment and shook his head helplessly. However, Canary only smiled when she heard Rhode''s complaint.


    "If you''re in a room, someone might come, right? And�� it''s more exciting to do it in a place like this��"


    "Really, if your parents and teachers knew that their daughter and good student was such a lecherous and perverted woman, I don''t know how they''d react."


    "They can''t see it anyway, and I''m tired of pretending to be a good kid. It''s fun this way, isn''t it? Only in front of Leader I can really be myself. Isn''t that great? And�� you don''t hate it either, do you?"


    As she spoke, Canary turned around and sat on the windowsill. Then she raised her legs in an impudent and almost shameless M-shape gesture. Under the dusk light, her face, which had always been gentle and full of smiles, was currently showing an unusually alluring expression. It was impossible to relate the person before him with the usually gentle and quiet her.


    "Leader, let''s do it again until you''ve filled my insides. I can do it as many times as you want."


    "Of course I don''t mean to stop here."


    Facing Canary''s invitation, Rhode reached out his hand without hesitation and once again drew closer to her. His left hand was rubbing against her delicate white skin, while his right hand slid down between her legs like a nimble snake.


    "Ah�� Right there�� Harder�� "


    Canary held Rhode''s body in her arms and shook her hair like a wild animal in heat. A sweet, languorous moan came out of her lips as she writhed her body. Her obscene moans were filled with seduction and debauchery. Anyone who was familiar with her would be dumbstruck and would be unable to recognize her at this moment.


    Marlene watched them from the gap in the door. She was unable to hear them because they were too far away, but then, intermittently, the faint moan in the air seemed to stir her heart. She gazed at Rhode and Canary, and she couldn''t help but feel the tingling sensation coming from under her belly.


    That''s a man''s�� It''s so big��


    Thinking of this, Marlene unconsciously reached out her right hand and held her lower abdomen. It looks so brawny, so scary�� It had actually been inside my body? God, it''s so big�� Won''t it tear me apart?


    Her body began to heat up, and an unbearable itchy feeling came across her. Marlene fixatedly gazed at the scene before her. She involuntarily reached out her hands and began to rub her body awkwardly. Her movements became more and more intense as she looked intently at the two of them. Not even Marlene herself noticed that her breath was getting slower and uneasy. Currently, her face was tinged with a touch of flush.


    No, I can''t do this. I can''t do this here. Although Marlene''s heart was warning her strongly, her instinct seemed to gradually overwhelm her consciousness, and her movements did not cease; she could not stop herself from watching their intense movements.


    "Ah�� ah�� Leader, I can''t, I can''t anymore�� "


    Canary moaned while embracing Rhode''s body tightly. She instinctively held Rhode and both of her legs were clinging onto his waist, greedily taking up space on Rhode''s body. However, looking at Canary''s lovely and teary expression, Rhode couldn''t help but want to tease her. He slowed down and whispered in her ear.


    "You look really seducing now; what if someone else sees you? What would they think? That sweet, quiet Canary was actually such a girl�� They must be shocked and surprised, right�� If I open the window now, perhaps all the mercenaries down there are going to see you like this~ "


    "Ah�� Ah�� "


    Canary didn''t reply to Rhode''s words, but her body trembled more and more. Rhode''s words stirred a feeling of fear and excitement in her heart. She knew what would happen if the other mercenaries saw her like this, though surely, Rhode would never do such a thing. But the mere thought of the dangers and possibilities of this uncertainty made her even more sensitive. The intense tension of being afraid of being discovered for doing bad things had stimulated her body and made her tremble. However, Rhode was already too intoxicated and didn''t notice it. He kept moving his body while sprawling his tongue to lick Canary''s neck and earlobe, then continued to whisper. There was a touch of wickedness and coldness in his voice.


    "If they see you, then what are you going to do? Lovely, respectable little lady? "


    "Ah�� Ah�� Aaah! Aah! "


    By this time, Canary could no longer contain herself. She put her arms around Rhode and moaned while lifting her head up high. At the same time, Rhode had also reached his limit.


    Marlene dozed off as she listened to the Canary''s unstoppable screams, and the intense movement on her fingertips suddenly stopped. Marlene felt a warm heat flow out her body. She seemed to have lost strength and fell to the ground.


    "What am I��"


    Marlene leaned against the wall and looked at the sky blankly, her eyes out of focus. She softly panted and lowered her head to look at her left hand, on which a transparent fluid could be seen.


    The wet feeling underneath made Marlene sober up a lot.


    I-I can''t believe I did this in a place like this!


    At the very thought of it, Marlene flushed. She quickly got up and quietly turned around. Marlene tidied up her clothes in panic and walked down the stairs without looking back.


    Only after she left the third floor was she able to calm down. All she could think about was that scene�� Marlene was shocked that the girl who was always smiling so gently could do such things and have such a look on her face. She seemed to have found out about Canary''s secret. Then, when I did it with Mr. Rhode�� was it also the same? Did I show the same expression as Miss Canary? Or is it the same with other women?


    Had to say, the sex education in this world was very problematic. Although as a noblewoman, Marlene had also received a certain degree of education since childhood, but learning was different from experiencing it. Even though those fairytale love stories sounded romantic, it was hard to say what actually happened. Not to mention, what Rhode and Canary were doing now left a very strong stimulation in her. After all, Marlene was a first-timer, and such a high hurdle was too much for her.


    Just as Marlene fell into a daze, suddenly, a lively voice echoed in her ear.


    "Ah, Sister Marlene, what''s wrong?"


    "Aaa!!"


    Marlene, who had fallen in deep thought did not expect anyone to speak to her, so she subconsciously screamed and looked up. After seeing Anne''s puzzled expression, she deeply sighed. Luckily, there was no one else around, and the rest of the clerics were still ''training'' under Mini Bubblegum. Shauna, who was on patrol, also hadn''t returned yet. Anne was the only one who was on the second floor. It was good news for Marlene. If too many people saw the current her, she wouldn''t know what to do.


    "Oh, it''s Anne! What''s the matter?"


    "Ah? It''s nothing; Anne is here to look at the scenery, but saw you look very red. Anne decided to come over to ask�� Sister Marlene, are you sick? "


    "No, no, I just��"


    Although there was no mirror, Marlene was sure that her current face must be burning red, and she unconsciously touched her face and shook her head.


    "No, I''m just feeling a bit under the weather. I''ll just have some rest��"


    "Um��?"


    Upon hearing Marlene''s reply, Anne tilted her head curiously. Marlene saw that Anne subconsciously looked down��


    "Sister Marlene? Aren''t you too old to wet your pants? "


    "Eh?"


    Upon hearing Anne''s inquiry, Marlene remained silent for a moment, then looked down and dozed off.


    Right now, under Marlene''s robe, in between her legs, a translucent liquid was spreading down. Marlene was stupefied as she saw it, and subsequently, her face immediately flushed.


    "It''s, it''s, it''s not, Anne, it''s not like that, it''s�� Well�� This.. I fell, yes, that''s right, I accidentally fall into the pool, so��"


    Marlene stammered as she quickly turned around.


    "Well, I must go and change now. Goodbye!"


    "Well, Sister Marlene, take care��"


    Before Anne had finished speaking, Marlene already rushed into her room like a gust of wind. Seeing that Marlene heavily slammed the door, Anne tilted her head curiously.


    "What on earth was Sister Marlene thinking?"


    Anne turned around as she muttered to herself. Then, she walked to the windowsill and lifted her hands high, stretching herself against the passing breeze.


    "Um�� such a good weather, I should find somewhere comfortable to sleep."

 Chapter 378 Forest Trail

    Summer rays spilled through the dense forest, forming a picturesque scene intertwined with lights and shadows. A refreshing breeze rustled the leaves and obstructed the heat waves. From time to time, warbles could be heard from the tranquil, serene forest. The uneven hills were covered in different layers of eye-pleasing green.


    Rhode turned his attention from the landscape onto the map on his hand and drew a circle.


    It had been two days since they left Deep Stone City. Within this period of time, their schedules were successfully carried out. The 25 mercenaries who had finally completed their hellish training after one and a half months had joined Rhode and his 30 men in the forest trail.


    Although it seemed to be a very tough task to open up a path in Land of Atonement, Rhode didn''t think so. He was very clear of the situation in Land of Atonement. That place used to be considered as the frontline of the Fortress. However, it was abandoned entirely after a few hundred years of battles. But it would be too exaggerating to treat the Land of Atonement as impoverished because of this. It had become a vast stretch of ruins after years of neglect and Rhode knew that the Fortress on the higher altitude in Land of Atonement still maintained a certain extent of its structure. As long as Rhode could break through the periphery and enter the Fortress, he could modify and repair the Fortress after triggering the Construction System. Then, he would be able to build the Summon Gate to link up between the stronghold in Deep Stone City and Land of Atonement using a Plane of Existence spatial tunnel.


    Once the tunnel was established, Starlight with the stabilized rear assistance could clean up and reorganize the surrounding area. By then, it wouldn''t be difficult to repair the connecting business roads and controlling this region.


    Without a doubt, it was impossible to solely rely on this group of mercenaries to develop this region. However, Rhode also knew that there were many gathering spots of wanderers. Although their population wasn''t much, they would still form an objective number together. If Rhode could obtain the help of these natives, the future developments would be favorable.


    But, before that��


    "Leader."


    Randolf''s voice sounded beside Rhode. Rhode shifted his attention from the map and turned towards the Ranger standing before him. After the battles in the midsummer festival, these newbies had finally matured. Furthermore, the generous rewards that Rhode had distributed to them allowed them to upgrade their equipment by leaps and bounds. Unlike in the past, now Randolf was equipped with a magical leather armor with a large camo cloak covering his body. A pitch-black, giant wooden bow hung behind his back diagonally �� the quiver was stocked fully with magical arrows made by Lapis. Matching with two daggers hanging by his waist and a circle of knives hanging obliquely on him, Randolf seemed like a Ranger Master. However, his respectful, yet somewhat uneasy gaze sold out his identity.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Rhode glanced at Randolf and asked. Right before their eyes was Deep Creek Village as according to plan and it was the final resting spot for Rhode and his group before entering the forest trail. But now��


    "Leader. There seems to be something wrong ahead. We have investigated and realized that there''s smoke rising from the village. I think that they are in a battle right now and I have sent Joey and the others to check out the situation. Should I get the others to ready themselves?"


    "Go take a look."


    Rhode kept the map into a fold in his clothes before gesturing to the back. The mercenaries behind Rhode got into preparations instantly as they gathered towards him.


    Deep Creek Village was located by the edge of the Twilight Forest. This area was also considered as the civilization border area of Paphield. As soon as Rhode arrived at the mountainside, he saw billows of black smoke and sparks from flames.


    Deep Creek Village was shrouded in thick smoke. Gazing vaguely from far, there were some people surrounding the perimeter of the village with weapons in hand while confronting the villagers. Perhaps the village might have fallen into the enemies'' hands if it was an ordinary village. However, as a place of human settlement on the border of civilization, the defenses of Deep Creek Village were considerably in place. Tall, solid wall piled up by logs defended against the external threats. At least for now, they seemed to be safe.


    The people who were attacking the village seemed very strange. Apart from the few of them, most weren''t dressed in clothes. They were only covered by a few pieces of hide, exposing their bare feet and arms while brandishing weapons such as wooden clubs and machetes. They shouted from the outside as though they were primitives of the Stone Age. Behind the walls, there were a few hunters standing on the tower shooting arrows from their bows, trying to disperse the enemies surrounding their village. However, their manpower was limited, and the ''primitives'' seemed to be experienced. Even though the guards were working very hard, they weren''t effective.


    "It''s the Barbarians."


    A senior mercenary said as he touched his beard and showed a look of disgust. Not only him, the other mercenaries were showing loathe and seriousness one after another. Rhode nodded and it was obvious that he knew the history of these people.


    These ''primitives'' didn''t come from the Stone Age. As a matter of fact, they came from the outside the civilized border. Without a doubt, these people weren''t nice. 80% of them were once criminals and even felons. After they had escaped from prison and execution grounds, they began to wander aimlessly. In order to avoid capture, almost all of them chose to head towards the outside of the civilized border where there were no law and order. This place served as a paradise of freedom for these criminals.


    However, they lost everything when they achieved freedom. Outside the civilized border, there were no food, no water, and no clothes. In order to survive, these criminals began to gather and used the forest as their sanctuary to rob surrounding businesses, villages, and towns. The activity circle of these people was huge and they were extremely familiar with the terrain. Therefore, gradually, many merchants stopped passing through this route. Only the black market dealers who were peddling illegal goods would still take the risk in choosing this path.


    But this didn''t discourage the criminals. Instead, they turned their attention towards the villages since they weren''t able to get supplies from the merchants. In fact, almost every village by the border had been plundered by these criminals. Sometimes, they would even snatch women in the village to satisfy their desires and reproduce further their lineage. Because of the remoteness of these places, the garrison troops were too far away to help and they couldn''t prevent such crimes. Due to various reasons, these natives were unable to leave their hometown and they could only rely on themselves.


    Therefore, these wandering criminals were named Barbarians by many mercenaries. Although these Barbarians had led an arduous life, the toughness which they endured outside the civilized border had given them strength and physique which exceeded ordinary humans. Even for many mercenaries, these Barbarians had become strong enemies.


    Suddenly, the bushes beside Rhode began to tremble. Shortly after, Joey in a full black leather armor emerged quietly. Four other Thieves followed closely behind him.


    "It''s the Barbarians, Boss. There''s many of them and they are ruthless��"


    "How many of them in total?"


    Rhode frowned and asked while Joey scratched his head before answering.


    "About a hundred of them. They have almost surrounded the entire village. Although the villagers are still fending them off, I think they can''t hold much longer�� Boss, what should we do?"


    "What should we do?"


    Rhode swept a glance towards Joey as though he was looking at an idiot.


    "We have to get rid of them, of course. Didn''t you train hard for a moment like this?"


    "Argh��"


    Joey revealed an awkward smile. He knew what he should do, but there were just too many enemies. Although Joey had been through long hours of training and reached the standards of in-game players, a newbie was still a newbie. His heart pounded instantly at the sight of the sea of enemies.


    However, this wasn''t the issue for Rhode. In the semi-Plane of Existence, he had simulated battles in the mountains for more than once. Furthermore, the battle experiences of the mercenaries were very rich. Although the Barbarians were overwhelming in forces, Rhode knew clearly that they wouldn''t stand a chance against his mercenaries.


    Rhode had decided on his decision.


    "Randolf, lead your men to occupy the right side of the high ground. Start attacking once you see my signal and I want you to crush them! Joey, I want you to send someone to wipe out those on the outside. Don''t let them discover our presence here. You have three minutes!"


    "Okay, Leader."


    "Understood, Boss"


    Both of them nodded quickly and scattered. Rhode turned towards everyone else.


    "Follow me."


    Rhode ordered.

 Chapter 379 Lightning Ambush

    "Finish those group of bastards!"


    A big man wearing a leather hide brandished the chopper on his hand as he gazed and shouted excitedly at the village that was consumed by billows of smoke. He stared at the sturdy, large wooden gate, waiting for it to be broken down so they could enter the village and plunder everything that they want.


    Tasty food, wine�� and women��


    The big man licked his lips at the thought. Damn it, ever since he played a little girl to death, he had never touched a woman for half a month. This time, he had to get his hands on the most tender and lustrous woman �� Luckily, Boss didn''t like young children. If not, he would snatch the best away from me!


    "Alright, you bastards, stop lazing around. Go! Burn down their kennel!"


    The big man commanded his men to charge forward. All the men stood behind him revealed cunning smiles as they threw flame torches towards the wooden palisades. Some of the flame torches were blocked and some flew over by luck. Shortly after, billows of black smoke began to rise from within.


    "Damn it!"


    Huddling in the watchtower, Vinny squinted his teary, swollen eyes that were caught up in the smoke. However, even so, Vinny continued to stay at his post and narrowed his eyes through the gap to observe the attackers. Those damned Barbarians were like a mischief of mice surrounding the village �� these bastards came prepared, knowing that our Village Chief and hunters were out hunting. Although the entire Deep Creek Village had a population of more than a hundred, most of them were feeble women and children and there were less than 30 who could really fight! How could they retaliate now?


    Vinny lifted his head towards the green hills nearby, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Village head and his group of men. However, he saw no one, and he was clear that it was impossible for the Village Head to return right now. But�� Is this bunch of bastards crazy? Why would they choose to attack at this time?


    "Vinny!"


    As Vinny forced off a Barbarian that was trying to climb over the wooden palisade, a militia gasped for breath and arrived beside him.


    "Damn it. We had sent out signals but Village Head didn''t respond and we don''t know where they are now�� There is fire everywhere in the village and we can''t extinguish them in time! Those bastards��"


    The militia lifted his head and scanned the surroundings. Then, he stood up with widened eyes.


    "God. That''s Old John''s house! Those bastards��!"


    "Damn it, squat down you idiot!"


    Vinny turned pale with fright as the militia stood on his feet. Before Vinny could finish his words, a flying hatchet hacked into the militia''s skull. The sharp blade sliced the poor militia''s head into two and before he could react, his body convulsed a few times and fell off the watchtower.


    "You bastards!!"


    Vinny was infuriated at the death of his companion. He stood up hurriedly and retorted with his arrow attacks. However, those well-prepared bastards instantly retreated as soon as they noticed his actions. Not only that, when Vinny was drawing an arrow from the quiver, a few more hatchets were thrown towards him in the air. Vinny had no choice but to give up his attack and hide behind the fences of the watchtower.


    However, at this moment, this young militia squad captain heard something snapped below him suddenly.


    "What happened?"


    Vinny looked down frightenedly and widened his eyes �� The devastating flames had spread to the supporting frame of the watchtower and its bottom had been burned pitch-black. Then, Vinny realized that this strong watchtower was slowly tilting forward!


    Sh*t!


    That was the last thought that came to Vinny''s mind. He wasn''t able to jump out of the watchtower because its pillar had been burned down and it couldn''t maintain its balance anymore. The watchtower was like a dying patient, falling forward as it let out ear-deafening groans.


    Bam. A violent crash sounded. Vinny opened his eyes and shook off the grogginess in his head. Even though his body hurt everywhere, this militia squad captain gritted his teeth and turned back. In his blurry line of sight, there was a large hole in the sturdy wall and the remains of the watchtower below him had become a bridge that linked between the inner and outer wooden wall!


    Sh*t��


    He turned around and saw black figures slowly creeping in. Flames devastated the place as he tried to get back on his feet dizzily. Those black figures were revealing disgusting smiles as they surrounded him �� Are they trying to finish him off? I won''t let them!


    Vinny reached out for his waist but there was nothing.


    Damn it, where''s my sword?


    Before Vinny could think of a solution, one of the Barbarians trampled on his chest and the poor young man groaned painfully. He rolled on the ground for a few rounds before finally stopping. Wounds scattered across his body and his strength slowly leaked from his body like a stream. Although Vinny wasn''t about to give up, he couldn''t bring out the strength to shift his finger anymore.


    Then, a bald Barbarian appeared in his vision. He was laughing nastily while lifting the hatchet on his hand.


    Is this the end?


    Vinny stared blankly at the highly raised hatchet. He clenched his teeth and embraced his fate�� There was nothing he could do anymore.


    The hatchet swung downwards.


    At this moment, there was a golden flash.


    Clang. The hatchet struck onto a golden barrier and deflected.


    "What''s going on?"


    All the Barbarians were stunned by the sudden appearance of this golden barrier. Vinny widened his eyes and couldn''t believe what he witnessed. The bald Barbarian trembled and fell stiffly beside him �� an arrow had struck between his eyes.


    "Enemy! We have been attacked!"


    This ambush instantly roused the Barbarians who were immersed in their killings and fightings as they didn''t anticipate an attack would come from their backs. However, before they could prepare themselves, a rain of arrows descended from skies. The Barbarians were defenseless, and in a blink of an eye, a dozen of them collapsed. The others finally reacted as they swiftly changed their direction and tried to evacuate from both sides. Most of them scattered towards the left and tried to avoid the arrow attacks.


    "Change your arrows!"


    Randolf stood on the high ground gave a command calmly. He drew a deep blue arrow from the quiver and shot it instantly at the escaping Barbarians.


    Bam! The second wave of arrows was released and countless bolts of lightning erupted as they struck the ground, forming a large entwined web and devour the Barbarians that didn''t escape on time entirely. The unlucky Barbarians caught in the trap were instantly charred by the bolts of lightning.


    "Damn it, what''s going on?"


    The big man gulped at the sight of the lightning whirlpool.


    Did those villagers return? When did they have such powers? Forget it. Damn it, I gotta run �� what are those useless bastards doing out there? Why didn''t anyone trigger the alarm?


    "Retreat! Retreat!"


    The big man completely gave up the idea of raiding the village. He swung his arms and ordered his men to retreat towards the other end of the forest. This forest was the most familiar place to him and as long as he could stay within it, no one would stand a chance against him!


    As the big man decided to leave, a shadow darted by his eyes and phased through the crowd like an agile, flexible viper. A bright red light flashed and circled the crowd with a burning straight line. Then a young man dressed in black noble clothing appeared before them silently. He quietly gazed at the Barbarians while the sharp blade on his hand reflected the dazzling sun rays. The Barbarians who were escaping in all directions seemed to lose their hope as they dropped to the ground one by one.


    "Who are you!?"


    The big man lifted his sword and pointed towards the young man. Suddenly, along with flashing light shields, human figures started emerging on both sides of the bushes one by one. They held weapons in their hands and pointed them towards the Barbarians.


    A chill went down the spine of the big man. Although the enemies were much lesser than his forces, deep in his heart, he only had one thought.


    We''re doomed.

 Chapter 380 After the Ambush

    Vinny stared in bewilderment.


    In a split second, those arrogant Barbarians had turned into headless flies. Although they had the numerical advantage, they were powerless against these warriors who appeared before them. The warriors were shrouded in a golden barrier which the Barbarians weren''t able to leave a scratch on. Vinny witnessed a Barbarian attempting to sneak up on a warrior, but when his short ax hacked at the barrier, it didn''t deal any damage. Instead, the warrior turned around swiftly and pierced his sword into the Barbarian''s throat. The warriors seemed to be well-trained and were extremely orderly. However, Vinny''s attention was fixated on one person.


    The black-haired young man that first appeared before the Barbarians. He was the only one amongst the warriors that weren''t protected by the barrier and his movements were as quick as a ghost. Vinny had witnessed five to six Barbarians rushing in to surround him, leaving no escape route at all. However, the black-haired young man emerged behind their backs and in a blink of an eye, the Barbarians all turned into corpses.


    What Swordsmanship is this?


    Vinny was sure that no one in the village was as powerful as this young man in terms of Swordsmanship. Not only that, that figure had a pretty face �� of a beautiful lady��?


    The battle finally ended.


    Although the Barbarians had exerted all their strength, they couldn''t leave a scratch on their enemies. Also, even though they realized that the barrier could be destroyed by continuous attacks, a brand new barrier would emerge above the warriors instantly. Not to mention, the difference in strength between both parties were huge. The reason why the Barbarians were even threatening was only due to them spending most of their lives in the border areas.


    Most of the Barbarians had been defeated. A small group of them had escaped into the forest, and after some horrifying screams, the forest returned to its peaceful tranquility. The entire battleground began to quieten, only leaving a few Barbarians left to struggle for their lives.


    "Who exactly are they��"


    Vinny recovered some of his strength after a few moments of rest. He shook his head and began to pick himself up from the ground. Out of a sudden, a shadow before him approached at a quick pace. Vinny lifted his head subconsciously and saw a bloodied Barbarian darting towards him with a chopper raised high above his head.


    "Be careful!"


    At this moment, a crisp voice rang in Vinny''s ears. Before he knew it, a blonde young lady clad in a silver, leather armor charged in from the side. She yelled as she brandished the merciless steel shield on her hands. Vinny stared at the young lady as she leaped into the air and nailed the Barbarian onto the ground with her shield acting as a sledgehammer. The bottom of the shield crushed the Barbarian''s skull, sending a mixture of blood, bones, and brains splattering onto the young lady''s delicate, pretty little face.


    "Hu��"


    The young lady didn''t seem to be affected by this at all. After smashing her enemy to death, she wiped the filth off her face casually and turned towards Vinny.


    "Are you okay?"


    "Ah�� Yes�� I am fine��"


    Vinny replied sluggishly and almost instinctively. The young lady revealed a delightful smile and waved her right hand to the other side.


    "Leader! That''s the last one!"


    "Get ready to clean up this place."


    Rhode swept a glance at the young man donned in a militia attire before turning his gaze to the village before him. The entire village had almost collapsed and there was smoke everywhere. The villagers were trying to put out the raging flames with buckets of water. However, this task was too demanding. Rhode pondered for a while and turned to Marlene.


    "Marlene put out the flames."


    "��"


    Marlene stared blankly without any response. Lize noticed something was off and she quickly tugged on Marlene''s sleeve which returned the young lady to her senses.


    "Ah�� Mr. Rhode. What''s the matter?"


    "Put out the flames�� Lize, bring your men to the village to help the villagers."


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode."


    Lize nodded hurriedly and beckoned for the Clerics. Marlene, who had woken from her reverie, brandished her wand in the air and a violent jet of water shot from the ground instantly, covering the entire sky. The water transformed into a rainstorm and in a blink of an eye, the raging flames were totally extinguished.


    Oh my Lord!


    Vinny almost bit his tongue at this scene �� That''s a Mage! Who exactly are these people?


    Vinny could no longer keep his cool. From the start, he thought that these people were probably local patrol forces from Paphield. However, they weren''t dressed in any attire which removed this possibility. Vinny guessed that they were a mercenary group that was here for an adventure, but�� is it possible for a normal mercenary group to have a Mage?


    The locals living by the edge of the border area had simple and tough lives. Due to this, these people were extremely fearful and respectful towards mysterious beings. Not to mention that Marlene was a Mage in the Middle Circle, these locals would praise her even if she was only in the Apprentice Stage who could only summon a circle of flames from her palm.


    Rhode frowned slightly at the thought of Marlene''s peculiar behavior. As a matter of fact, Marlene had been acting strangely before they had left the stronghold. It was rare for her to be distracted, but he couldn''t figure out what she was thinking. Furthermore, Rhode sensed that she was avoiding him. When there was a need for Marlene to report, she would only do so when there were more people around them. Moreover, after that night in Golden City, Rhode noticed that Marlene had been through some kind of self-reflection. Although he couldn''t understand what this young lady was thinking, at least there wasn''t anything wrong on the outside. Even when Rhode accepted Marlene''s invitation to her Senia home to meet her father, Marlene didn''t act strangely at all. Initially, Rhode thought that the influence of that matter should have reached an end, and even though that night was unforgettable, he didn''t mention it since Marlene had decided not to speak about it. Anyway, Rhode wasn''t in any hurry or lacking companions in bed.


    But what could be the cause for Marlene to act so peculiarly?


    Rhode guessed that it might have been the special time of the month of females and didn''t put much thought into it. However, it seemed that things weren''t that simple? Could it be that this young lady was much more sensitive in her emotions?


    Without a doubt, Rhode didn''t question Marlene on this. At least, this was a private matter for Marlene and he had decided to observe the situation before deciding. It wouldn''t be too late for Rhode to cut in if Marlene''s condition became worse. Rhode swept Marlene a final glance before stepping into the village.


    "Ha��"


    Marlene''s eyes were filled with confusion as she gazed at Rhode''s back. She knew she was acting strangely, but she couldn''t stop her thoughts from straying. The things she saw in that afternoon were too thrilling for her and she couldn''t forget about them at all. Even when she shut her eyes, the scene would still emerge in her head.


    Marlene had received a proper education since she was a child and although she wasn''t living in a perfectly germ-free room, such scenes were still rarely seen. For her to witness such a scene with her own eyes was too stimulating. It was like an innocent and obedient girl who loved to read fairy tales suddenly stumbling across her family member''s private collection of high-definition videos of *ahem* selfies. Such a shock could be said to knock her world over.


    Due to this, Marlene didn''t dare to look at Rhode and Canary in the eye for the past two days. She was like a child who had done something wrong, living in fear that they would discover her naughty deed.


    Other than this, there was another knot in the young lady''s heart, and that was her relationship with Rhode. Marlene realized that things weren''t what she imagined it to be �� Miss Canary and Mr. Rhode seemed to have an intimate relationship and they had even�� Marlene felt uncomfortable whenever she had this thought because she also had such intimate times with Rhode before. However, as a young lady who had amorous feelings for the first time, Marlene didn''t know how to express her intentions. She wished to inform Rhode that she didn''t mind, but her reserved personality made it difficult. If she took the initiative, would Rhode see her as a lewd woman? A woman who craves for men?


    Marlene flustered every time this thought came to her mind. More importantly, it would be fine if Marlene had a clear conscience. However, the truth was the exact opposite as she realized that she indeed had such desires �� after all, Marlene''s virginity was given under the influence of medication which left an even deeper impression for her. Furthermore, Marlene was very sensitive and wishful since this was the first time she had such amorous desires. After that experience, she had wanted to prolong the sensation and this was also a normal human nature. However, Marlene was worried that she was inclining towards the path of a lewd woman. That was why she couldn''t express her thoughts to Rhode with ''her head held high''.


    "Sister Marlene?"


    Anne''s voice sounded and woke Marlene from her daze.


    "Are you okay? Do you have any troubles?"


    "Ah, no�� I''m just a little tired."


    Marlene forced a smile and shook her head as she turned around.


    "Let''s go."

 Chapter 381 Civilized Border

    Rhode stood in the plaza in the middle of the village and quietly took in everything before his eyes. The village was silent after the flames were extinguished, as though the Barbarians'' raid was just a dream. However, it was a pity that reality was the truth.


    Lize and the other three Clerics entered the village and immediately commenced their rescue mission. Luckily, most of the villagers only sustained minor injuries and were easily curable. Some of the militias and Barbarians suffered heavier injuries. However, they still managed to recover after receiving treatment from the Clerics. As for the remaining unfortunate ones, it wasn''t the Cleric''s duty to revive them. In any case, even if it was their duty, they didn''t possess any skills that could resurrect the dead.


    "Thank you so much for your help."


    Rhode turned over to a voice behind him. A gaunt militia clad in a simple set of armor smiled and showed his gratitude. Rhode had seen this man before. He was the unfortunate man that was almost killed after the watchtower collapsed. Although he seemed tired, he forced his body straight and gazed into Rhode''s eyes with both curiosity and respect.


    "If it wasn''t for all of you, perhaps our Deep Creek Village would be gone by now. Those cunning Barbarians�� I didn''t think that they would attack while our Village Head is out hunting with the others. I am a militia squad captain of Deep Creek Village, Vinny. May I know the name of our savior?"


    "We from the Starlight Guild."


    Rhode answered calmly and nodded.


    "We were passing through Deep Creek Village towards the Land of Atonement. It was by coincidence that we met the group of Barbarians assaulting your village. How is everyone now?"


    "We''re fine now, all thanks to everyone."


    Then Vinny revealed a slightly hopeless expression.


    "More than ten of the militias survived. Although it isn''t many, it''s considered good enough that we managed to hold against the Barbarians for so long��"


    Vinny shook his head as he realized that such depressing words were inappropriate at this moment. He forced himself into raising his spirits and displayed a smile.


    "Forget it, let''s not talk about these matters. No matter what, all of you are the saviors of our village. Please stay for the night and accept our hospitality."


    "Sure."


    Rhode pondered for a while and eventually agreed. Although he wasn''t mindful of the hospitality and invitation of these villagers, he also wished to receive some intel from them. Even though he was familiar with the environment of the Land of Atonement, it would still be more assuring by gathering more information. After all, the timeline had already been altered.


    These people living in the civilized borders were truly determined. Although their homeland had been set on fire and they had lost some of their friends and families, they returned to their normal state as soon as they extinguished the flames and buried the corpses. At least on the outside, they were able to display heartwarming smiles to entertain and welcome these guests from afar.


    From their discussions, Rhode found out that the forces of Deep Creek Village were powerful and ordinary Barbarians wouldn''t dare to mess with them. But, it was an exception this time. The different clans of Barbarians who had despised one another gathered for this ambush. Furthermore, they struck when the Village Head had led the villagers out for hunting and caught the village unprepared.


    During dinner, Rhode understood from Vinny regarding the situation of the Barbarians. Similar to the information that he knew, there were more than ten clans of Barbarians outside the civilized border and no one knew where their exact locations were. However, as long as Rhode could get hold of their approximate locations, he could conclude the clues which he had gathered.


    In their conversation, Vinny mentioned something which caught Rhode''s attention. There was a total of three Barbarian clans which attacked the village. They were situated nearby and only sent out half of their total strength. This was a rare sight because food, resources, and women were limited in this area. The population in the Barbarian clans were usually small to avoid uneven distributions within themselves. Furthermore, these three clans were mutual enemies, which caught Vinny off guard when they made a joint attack. This was one of the reasons why Deep Creek Village was unable to hold them off.


    These changes weren''t good news for Rhode and he took note of this particular piece of information. Rhode had never heard of Barbarian clans forming an alliance, so there must be something amiss�� Thinking from another perspective, it was no easy task for three clans to put down their hatred against one another and the paranoia about the distributions of benefits. Not to mention, the Deep Creek Village was a relatively poor village and there weren''t any treasures which could make them rich overnight. Also, the Barbarians wouldn''t commit themselves to the situation until they were certain that success was within their grasp. So what was the reason for these Barbarians to agree in forming an alliance? Who was the one who united them?


    This had become the piece of information which he needed to prioritize in investigating on after entering the Land of Atonement.


    "Ha��"


    Moonlight shone gently from the night skies. Marlene sat on a stone chair in the plaza while gazing into the bonfire with complicated feelings. The mercenaries and local villagers were enjoying themselves as they spoke cheerfully. The villagers praised the mercenaries loudly for their bravery as they offered delicious food and wine. However, all these hospitalities seemed rather odd to Marlene.


    "What''s wrong, Marlene? Why are you sitting here alone?"


    Lize approached Marlene and asked softly before taking a seat beside her. As Marlene''s best friend, Lize detected her abnormal behaviors instantly.


    "Are you not used to it?"


    "No�� I''m really not used to it."


    Marlene shook her head and continued to gaze forward.


    "I can''t understand how can these people still be so happy after losing their families and friends in the morning. Shouldn''t they be sad or mourn over the deaths of their companions and friends? I mean, their graves are just nearby. I think they are really��"


    "�� Heartless?"


    Lize continued Marlene''s unfinished sentence and the latter nodded slightly. Lize replied with a smile and rested her head on Marlene''s shoulder.


    "To be honest, I had the same thoughts too�� It was a long time ago when I joined my first mercenary group and witnessed the death of a companion. I was heartbroken but my leader and the other members weren''t as sad as I was. Although they were angry and regretful, they returned to their usual selves in half a day''s time as though nothing had happened and continue to lead their own lives. I couldn''t understand at all and I thought they were just a bunch of cold-blooded people without any respect for their companions. But�� I understood later��"


    Lize lifted her head towards the sky.


    "That''s the line of work for us mercenaries. We can lose anyone during our adventures and we need to be mentally prepared to accept this fact. Even if our companions fall, we need to continue moving forward �� My then leader once told me that he didn''t want to see me die in battle due to my grief over the death of others. The dead will move on in the afterlife, and the only thing we can do is to survive to respect the sacrifices made by others. Because, if their deaths cause sorrow in us, they would feel equally sad too."


    Lize paused for a moment.


    "I guess that''s the case for these people. They lived in the civilized border and have to be on guard against threats like today. Apart from Barbarians, there are also wild beasts and scarier beings, so they must be prepared to lose their family or friends at any moment. But, even so, they must continue to live on, right?


    "If they carry their grief everywhere they go, do you think their dead companions would be happy? What about themselves? Would they be happy if there is only pain and sorrow in exchange for their lives?"


    Marlene lowered her head and pondered for a few seconds, before letting out a long sigh.


    "Perhaps you''re right, Lize�� You''re really mature now��"


    "I''m not sure if that''s a good or bad thing. To be frank, I felt a strong sense of remorse when I lost my previous leader. If it wasn''t for Mr. Rhode, I may not even recover from the blow. I feel that I''m able to accept this truth now��"


    Lize revealed a complicated smile and grabbed onto Marlene''s hand.


    "But�� Marlene, do you have something bothering you? I feel that you''ve been acting strange lately�� Did something happen between you and Mr. Rhode?"


    "I��"


    Marlene blushed slightly. She gazed back at Lize but she didn''t know what to say.


    Screech!


    Out of a sudden, a sharp whistle tore apart the tranquil night sky.

 Chapter 382 Spell of the Red Lotus

    Lize and Marlene were stunned. They turned around subconsciously and witnessed a spectacular spark exploding in the hills above the village.


    "Ambush!"


    Both of them stood up instantly as they knew what that meant. In fact, Rhode had instructed Joey and a few other Thieves and Rangers to set up magical signals and traps after the battle with the Barbarians had ended. After all, all the Barbarians that attacked Deep Creek Village had been eliminated, and there was no news on the whereabouts of the remaining Barbarians that had escaped. According to Rhode''s estimation, the Barbarians might send more men in search of their companions, and to prevent these people from raiding during midnight, Rhode commanded his men to set up traps and sentries at areas that were most prone for the Barbarians to appear. Now, it seemed to be effective.


    The celebrating mercenaries and villagers instantly got into action upon noticing the sparks. They threw down their food and wine and picked up their weapons while the elderlies, children, and women hid into the nearby houses. The bustling celebration turned desolate instantly.


    Marlene was moved by this scene as she finally understood the meaning of Lize''s words. In a place like this, dangers would present themselves anytime. If you don''t seize the time to enjoy your peaceful life, you might possibly lose everything the next second.


    Suddenly, a glaring bolt of light flashed through the mountains and a ginormous fireball was seen whizzing towards the village.


    A Mage?


    Everyone was stunned at the fast-descending danger. Marlene focused her concentration on the huge fireball and lifted her wand high.


    "Sudys!"


    As soon as the young lady shouted, a flourishing magic formation emerged on the tip of the ruby in a blink of an eye. Dozens of Ice Swords materialized in midair and shot towards the fireball.


    Bam! A violent explosion sounded the instant both spells collided. A reddish radiance shrouded the sky before dissipating in an instance.


    "There''s a Mage?"


    Rhode and his men arrived at the plaza. Marlene turned to Rhode with a complicated look and nodded slightly.


    "Yes. It should be an Outer Circle Mage. I can handle this."


    Marlene lifted her wand once again and struck it on the ground.


    "Tresan!"


    The ground shook and the wooden palisades around the village began to distort. In a blink of an eye, they were replaced by a thick perimeter of ''tree fences''. The mercenaries and militias readied their weapons for the upcoming battle. Although the sky was under the protection of the Light Dragon, it was midnight after all. The surrounding dense forest around the village had allowed darkness to become the only tone in the dusky forest. Therefore, even though the mercenaries and militias wished to check out the situation, they couldn''t see clearly how many people were lurking in the shadows.


    Shalala.


    A shadow suddenly appeared on the tip of the fence. The nervous crowd instantly pointed their weapons at the target. However, they let out sighs of relief after recognizing that person.


    "Joey? How''s the situation?"


    "Woah. The situation doesn''t look good, Boss."


    Joey somersaulted off the fence and landed silently on the grass patch. He darted towards Rhode and wiped off the sweat on his forehead.


    "There are so many Barbarians. Oh god, we''d just removed a bunch of them but their reinforcement came! There''s so many of them!"


    "How many?"


    Rhode puckered his brows and asked hurriedly. Joey pondered for a moment and replied with a bitter expression.


    "Similar in the morning with about a few hundred of them. These men were tough to deal with because they had split up in groups of three to five and dispersed into the forest. We were discovered after succeeding four times. Our remaining brothers are investigating now so we can figure out how many are near us. Also��"


    Joey paused and turned to Marlene with lingering fears.


    "They have a Mage within their ranks."


    "I know," Marlene nodded. "But he''s no match for me."


    "Nonono, Miss Marlene. It''s not like this."


    To Marlene''s surprise, Joey waved his hands and displayed a fearful face.


    "There are many, many Mages and not only one! I saw at least five of them."


    "What?"


    Rhode and Marlene were stunned. At least five Mages? How is that possible? Mages were rare and valuable. Even if a Mage couldn''t survive in this world, one could still serve the bandits, killer guilds or secret evil groups. Furthermore, Mages could even ask for women, gold and authority in the mercenary group and one didn''t even need to come to this civilized border to mix with the Barbarians.


    If it was only two Mages, it might be due to their own peculiarity. However, it seemed that things weren''t this way at all because how could a Barbarian clan gather five Mages at the same time?


    However, before Rhode could figure it out, the second wave of fireballs struck. But the intensity was different this time. As if the Mages were confirming Joey''s report, four fireballs were fired at the same time from three different directions.


    "Hmph!"


    Marlene let out an enraged snarl as she chanted for a dozen Ice Swords and projected them towards the fireballs. A series of explosion sounded above the village and a similar reddish radiance blanketed the night sky.


    "How did the Barbarians gather so many Mages?"


    Rhode gazed towards the afterglow of explosions in the sky. Things were too odd and Rhode began to suspect if this was a scheme plotted by the Parliament. However, it didn''t seem so because the Deep Creek Village was located far from civilization. Even if the Barbarians were to destroy everything, the outside world wouldn''t be affected at all. Moreover, there were no treasures or striking target in this area worthy enough for the Parliament to take action.


    But, other than them, who else would send their Mages to aid the Barbarians? Could it be that someone in the Barbarian clan had awakened his magical talent? That''s ridiculous because the knowledge of magic wasn''t something everyone could learn. It would still be reasonable if one or two Barbarians awakened and mastered the knowledge through comprehensive studies. But it wasn''t possible that all of them went through the same process?


    Bam! A loud explosion shook Rhode from his analysis. He turned around and witnessed the red flames above him slowly disappearing. Marlene laid down her wand and took in a few deep breaths. Although the spells that the enemies cast were low-level spells, it took a toll on her after handling three to five of them at once. Marlene showed a complicated expression and harbored some doubts.


    "Why do I feel that�� these people don''t feel like Mages?"


    "Eh?" Rhode turned towards Marlene. "What do you mean?"


    "It''s simple, Mr. Rhode. Mages choose their spells according to situations. It is necessary for us to know how to organize different spells and handle various situations. There''s never a Mage who could defeat the world using just one spell. But, these people��"


    Marlene looked towards the hills in doubt.


    "Somehow, I feel that they can only cast the fireball spell. If one of them had chosen to cast a rain of fire arrows instead, they might have a chance to break through our defenses even though the fire arrows are less powerful than the fireball. Furthermore, the houses and fences are made of wood. If they were set ablaze, we would be in deep trouble. I''ve already prepared myself to extinguish the flames with Water Elemental spells. But, those "Mages"�� Apart from casting simple fireball spells from different locations, there is no variation whatsoever. No Mages are that foolish."


    Suddenly, seven to eight fireballs were released towards the small town from the forest.


    Only fireballs?


    Rhode agreed with the oddity. Usually, there wouldn''t be any Mages who would choose to battle in such a simple style. Even though the fireballs were powerful, the speed was extremely slow which were meaningless to those who were prepared for them. Amongst the players, the fireballs were used as the finishing blow after restricting their opponent''s movements. There were no idiots who would start casting fireballs at the start of a battle and keep at it non stop. Could it be that this group of people were fanatic believers of the once popular Five Fireballs God?


    Rhode came up with a countermeasure.


    "Alright, Marlene."


    Rhode turned to Marlene who was furiously attempting to stop the on-coming fireballs. She was indeed furious. Although she didn''t know who these people were, their display of skills had left her ashamed for all the Mages. There were no tactic, no attainment in self-cultivation, and even wisdom involved. Are they just a bunch of fire lizards who knew how to spew fireballs only? How dare they call themselves a Mage? For the honor and reputation of all Mages, they have to die! No, they need to die! It is a blasphemy towards all Mages in this world!


    Although Marlene didn''t know why this bunch of idiots loved fireballs so much, Rhode had vaguely figured out the reason. Since they loved to cast fireballs and nothing else, Rhode wouldn''t need to waste Marlene''s energy anymore. There was a more suitable way of dealing with them.


    "Gillian."


    Rhode snapped his fingers in the air. Shortly after, the fox-eared young lady emerged from the crowd casually.


    "Is it finally my turn to fight, Master? Gosh, I didn''t have the chance to perform earlier�� I''m so bored��"


    Rhode held Gillian back in the previous battle because he meant to use it as an opportunity to toughen the newcomers. An insanely powerful being like Gillian didn''t need to toughen up at all, which was why it would be a waste of her time to participate in the battle. Since these enemies used only fireballs as their attacks, it couldn''t get any better for Gillian. After all, there were basically no other beings who held higher authority than this young lady.


    The fireballs had gathered in the middle of the village like a huge bomb descending downwards. This horrified the militias, but the mercenaries were as calm as water. They had seen many things that were scarier than this when they were training in the Sphere of Mystery.


    Gillian lifted her chin up and revealed a sly smile. The young lady extended her arms and clapped lightly.


    The massive fireballs exploded suddenly as the soon as the clap sounded. However, the flame currents didn''t disappear as fast as when Marlene dealt with them. Instead, they began to merge and formed a sea of flames swirling in the sky which shrouded the entire village.


    The militias shrieked at the sight of this strange phenomenon. Some of them had even buried their faces in the ground and hugged their heads as though the flames would transform into a rainstorm that would fall on them any second now. However, they lifted their heads quickly after realizing that the flames didn''t touch them at all.


    To their surprise, the spreading sea of flames had solidified completely and transformed into a red polyhedral crystal barrier. The fireballs were once again cast from the forest, but, they were absorbed into the barrier silently like a waterdrop falling in a lake.


    "Good job."


    Rhode nodded at the Fire Elemental barrier and asked.


    "Do you have a way to capture these people alive?"


    "That''s for sure, Master."


    Gillian smiled cheekily as she placed her finger by her lips and winked at Rhode.


    "But, before that, I need to prepare for a little something."


    The fox-eared young lady stretched out her arms with her palms facing towards the sky and a huge, fiery red gem appeared magically. It was glistening with scorching radiance and the burning core within the transparent gem could be seen vaguely.


    "That''s the Ruby of Flames��"


    Lize and Marlene stared with widened eyes as they knew where this gem was from �� This was the most expensive gift that Lydia had given out during the Midsummer Festival. This treasure from the Fire Plane of Existence could be said as invaluable. Although it didn''t worth an entire country, it would still be valued enough for one or two cities.


    However, no one knew why Gillian needed this. Rhode had asked her before but was answered with a self-righteous "The Ruby of Flames originally belongs to me and it is only right that it is returned to me.". In the end, Rhode wasn''t able to figure out why did Gillian ask for this gem.


    Many of them were curious and some of the mercenaries were surprised and drooling over the beautiful gem hovering above Gillian''s palms. The fox-eared young lady winked at Rhode.


    "Master, weren''t you curious about the capabilities of this gem? Now, let me show you�� This gem was stored with my energy and it''s about time for me to have them back."


    Gillian shut her eyes and lifted her arms gradually.


    "Darker than dusk. Bloodier than red. Buried in the torrent of time. In the name of the great��"


    Lize and Marlene held their breaths as they had never heard of such mysterious, ancient, and terrifying incantation.


    Could this be an ancient incantation?


    Rhode was even more troubled than the young ladies. He quickly interrupted Gillian''s soliloquizing.


    "Wait. What are you doing?"


    "Aiya. Master, can you don''t interrupt me? This adds more to the atmosphere, isn''t it?


    Gillian pouted but quickly scanned her surroundings and revealed a playful smile.


    "So then, in the name of the Fire Lord�� awaken! Return to the world, Flames of the Red Lotus."


    Kacha. The beautiful gem let out a crisp sound and a line of nasty crack appeared on its smooth surface. Then, it shattered to pieces.


    The flames rushed towards the sky and shrouded everything in its capacity. The heat waves that were spreading rapidly forced everyone to retreat. In a blink of an eye, the flame waves contracted instantly as though there was an absorbing force. They gathered and transformed into a bright, red card between Gillian''s arms.


    Gillian smiled proudly at this precious card before winking at Rhode playfully.


    "Spell of the Red Lotus. With my command�� Spread my glory."


    Gillian held her palms together and the bright red card shattered.


    "Spell of the Red Lotus, Flame Talisman �� Sulfur River."

 Chapter 383 Messenger

    "What''s happening?"


    A man covered in a cloak was kneeling in the bushes while observing the village below the hill he was at. This man was one of the Barbarian members and was also the commander for this operation. He was here for the bunch of Barbarians from before. According to his plan, the Barbarians should have reported back to him after taking over Deep Creek Village. However, since there was no news after half a day, he got impatient and brought a large group of men with him to check on the situation.


    Everyone knew about the hostile relationship between the different Barbarian clans. Credit and contract were meaningless to them. There was a possibility that those bunch of bastards had decided to break away from them after occupying the village and act independently. Without a doubt, this was an undesirable behavior which wasn''t allowed in his eyes. If those bastards did that, he wouldn''t mind letting them know why he called the shots.


    However, the man was surprised when he saw the situation. There weren''t any villages on fire nor Barbarians enjoying themselves. Instead, the villagers seemed fine even though there were signs of battle.


    That''s odd.


    They should have been able to conquer the entire village with that amount of manpower, but I can''t seem to find the Barbarians? Could they have failed?


    Furthermore, as he approached the village, they discovered numerous traps all around the deep mountains. These traps were different from those that belonged to the mountain hunters and the ingenious placements caught many of his men unaware. The man then realized there was a group of strangers in the village. Unlike the villagers, this group of people was equipped with excellent equipment and weapons. Were they travelers or mercenaries? Either way, both were rather scarce in this area.


    Although the small group of strangers didn''t seem capable of defeating his men, the commander had decided to investigate the truth. He ordered his ''messenger'' to strike and he subsequently discovered the strength of these mercenaries. They had a powerful Mage. The fireballs that the messengers cast failed to deal any damage. Not only that, the mercenaries even created a barrier above the village which totally negated the attacks from his messengers. The man was shocked and at the same time, he was doubtful. Ordinary mercenaries shouldn''t be this powerful, but why would a mercenary group with a powerful Mage be in this place when there is nothing worthy for them to snatch? Could it be that their destination was outside the civilized border? If that is the case, I need to report this to my superior��


    As the man was deep in his thoughts, a beam of red light flashed by. He lifted his head subconsciously and witnessed numerous straight red lines shooting upwards from the middle of the village. In a blink of an eye, a large pattern spread in the night sky as though a few gears were cranking and slowly rotating.


    "What''s that thing?"


    The man widened his eyes in bewilderment and gazed at the strange, pressurizing patterns outlined by the red lines above him. Before he could figure out what it was, the rotating gears stopped abruptly. At this moment, the ground began to tremble.


    Bam. A deep roar sounded and violent vibrations flooded the entire mountain. Countless of birds were startled awake by the quakes and they flew towards the sky, chirping wildly. At the same time, the ground began to collapse and the horrified Barbarians scattered to avoid falling into the endless abyss between the huge fissures formed below their feet.


    "Stay, you bastards. Don''t run��"


    The commander screamed and brandished his arms quickly as his men scuttled off. However, the violent trembles on the surface suddenly stopped and the surroundings returned to its usual silence as though all sound in this world had been devoured into nothingness. The commander and his men stopped moving as they scanned their surroundings in a hurry.


    The pleasant silence lasted for only a few seconds because, at the next moment, the muted sounds had returned to this world in a spectacular manner.


    "Oh, lord��!"


    The militias stood in the middle of the plaza, gaping at the scene unfolding before their eyes. In a split second, the surrounding mountains turned red as pillars of lava ejected out of the earth. Then, the rain of fire and molten rocks descended and shrouded the whole mountain area.


    Within moments, the forest was submerged in the sea of flames jetted from the cracks between the mountains.


    The whole place had become hell. Lava spewed out from the earth and flowed down the mountain. Fiery sparks permeated the air, forming a thick blanket of smoke as it burned the nearby trees to cinders. Even the deep night sky was crimson red.


    The molten lava that spewed into the sky landed on the ground, forming a river of flames which encroached the village. The lava burned everything it contacted into ashes, but when it was about to devour the village, it suddenly reversed its flow. In a blink of an eye, the sea of flames had disappeared to nowhere. Apart from the charred ground, there was nothing else to prove that they existed just a few moments ago.


    The surrounding forest of the village had been burned down entirely. As for those Barbarians that went into hiding, they were equally unable to withstand the extreme temperatures.


    "Gillian��"


    "Oops. Master, I went a little overboard because I haven''t used it for a long while."


    The fox-eared young lady stuck out her tongue cheekily. However, she was fortunate that the people around her didn''t reprimand her actions because they were immersed in the magnificent, spectacular, yet terrifying display of strength. If it wasn''t for the bright moonlight which illuminated the charred ground and cracks, they would''ve believed that it was just a dream.


    "Where are the people I want?"


    Rhode sighed hopelessly as he didn''t expect Gillian to cast such a powerful spell. Without a doubt, Rhode had almost figured out the formation of this spell. This spell wasn''t energy consuming for Gillian and all she did was to make use of her authority she held as a Fire Elemental Lord to guide the flames from the Fire Plane of Existence into this world. After Gillian shut the passageway, the flames from the Plane of Existence lost their strength to continue existing. It could be said that only Gillian could use this weapon of mass destruction. However, this wasn''t a good news for Rhode. If Gillian really did burn everything away, what he needed wouldn''t remain too.


    "Ah. Don''t worry about that, Master."


    Gillian displayed a prideful smile instantly and hooked her finger. In a few seconds, a few wisps of flame appeared on her fingers. They landed on the ground, forming a round cage. When the round cage formed, a few figures with filthy faces appeared inside it.


    The first impression Rhode had on this person seemed to suit as a Mage. However, he quickly denied this thought because he was wearing an ordinary robe which wasn''t the one that Marlene had. Furthermore, he seemed too crude to be a Mage. He had a shaved head with strange symbols carved on the top of his head.


    The ''Mage'' in a black cloak laid unconsciously in the fire cage. From the unsightly burns on his face and body, he should have been wiped out by the torrent of flames. However, no one knew how Gillian managed to capture him.


    The militias and mercenaries gathered curiously and gazed at the oddly-dressed man.


    "Who is this guy? Is he a Mage?"


    "I don''t think so. Have you ever seen a Mage who looked like this? Look at Miss Marlene. That''s a Mage."


    "Hey, Miss Marlene is very powerful. Perhaps this guy is only a low-leveled apprentice."


    "How can an apprentice look like this? I think he must be a Barbarian who pretended to be a Mage."


    "But we have never seen this Barbarian before��"


    Vinny narrowed his eyes and gazed at the mysterious man. He puckered his brows after scanning his face and the symbols on his head.


    "Sir, this is really strange. We have never seen this Barbarian before�� His dressing is too odd and these symbols�� these aren''t Barbarian symbols."


    "It''s fine. I know who they are."


    "Eh?"


    Everyone was stunned. However, Rhode left the explanations for later and he gestured to Gillian.


    "Wake him up."


    Gillian snapped her fingers and the fire cage swiftly disappeared. The man in black cloak squeezed his brows and groaned in pain before opening his eyes.


    As he opened his eyes, an ice-cold blade arrived at his neck.


    "I would advise you to not move, Mister."


    Everyone took a few steps back subconsciously as Rhode pointed his sword mercilessly at the poor man. The man in the black cloak didn''t react instantly. Instead, after witnessing the sharp blade clearly, he still struggled to escape. However, he stopped moving after sensing the chilly sensation on his neck. He lifted his head and gazed at Rhode viciously; his eyes flushed with redness and his throat made growling sounds continuously.


    Then, the next scene shocked everyone �� the man widened his mouth suddenly and spat a large fireball towards Rhode.


    However, the fireball didn''t hit its target. Because, when the man was about to attack, Gillian had extended her right arm and negated the fireball when it collided with her.


    "What''s that?"


    Marlene shrieked and fixated her gaze on the man in black cloak as she couldn''t believe what she had seen �� no wonder she felt that it was too strange for those ''Mages'' to cast only fireballs. Now it seemed that they were nothing like a caster. So, what exactly are they?


    "Indeed."


    Rhode wasn''t startled by the man''s surprise attack. Instead, he gazed back and said.


    "If I not mistaken, you are a ''messenger'', right?"


    "Messenger?"


    Everyone was surprised by this term. When the man in the black cloak heard Rhode reveal him, he began to struggle. He growled at Rhode but wasn''t able to say anything. However, Rhode wasn''t interested to communicate with him any further. Rhode turned over his wrist and pierced the man''s chest with the Crimson Blade. After pulling out his sword, Rhode waved the blade and shook off the blood. The man moaned in pain and slumped to the ground. At this moment, blood was flowing from his large eyes and mouth while the ghastly wound on his chest spurted blood. The man gasped for air and grasped his chest as painfully. However, his struggles were in vain because he finally collapsed and died.


    This repulsive scene left many of them pale. Some of the mercenaries looked at Rhode in uncertainty as they couldn''t understand why he would deal with this enemy in such a cruel manner.


    Sssss..


    There was an odd hissing sound. Everyone scanned the surrounding and discovered that the source of the sound came from the man''s chest �� that was neither the sound of breathing nor the sound produced by the air flowing through the wound. It was something much stranger which left everyone shuddering. The man''s chest slowly opened itself and a fleshy, lizard-looking monster peeked his head out. It had four pairs of black compound eyes and its skin was full of tentacles which entered the man''s body and blending them as one. The monster lifted his head and gradually gazed at the bewildered crowd. Rhode seemed to be very familiar with this monster as he retained his usual expression while facing it. Instead of being afraid, the edge of Rhode''s mouth rolled up proudly.


    "I guessed it, Messenger. Only lowly trash like you would do such a stupid thing."


    "Sssss��! You dumb humans are here to stop us again?"


    A deep voice sounded from the dead man''s mouth.

 Chapter 384 Parasitic Ghoul

    "Wa!"


    Everyone stepped back frantically after the corpse spoke. While Marlene and Lize prepared themselves against the strange monster, Anne went up and observed it curiously as though it was an exotic animal.


    "Eh? Leader, Leader, what is this? It can talk? Interesting!"


    "That''s a Parasitic Ghoul."


    Rhode approached the monster and pushed his sword on the tip of its head.


    "It belongs to a kind of lowly Demon who lives in the Betrayer Canyon, the first level of the Ninth-order in hell. The size of their eggs is that of a fingernail and after being consumed by any living creatures, they will wake, start to absorb the nutrition from their victim''s chest and slowly take over their mind. In the end, the living creatures will be the vessel for these Parasitic Ghouls to produce offsprings. In order to prevent their ''host'' from dying so easily, they would give them an ability to spurt flames for self-protection �� Although the flames are similar to a fireball spell, there are still differences in their might. Furthermore, these Parasitic Ghouls mainly lives together in large numbers and serves the Demons with higher authority."


    Rhode swept a glance at the hissing monster.


    "Also, they are the most convenient tool and spy when it comes to entering the surface from hell."


    "Demon?!"


    Marlene frowned and looked at Rhode in uncertainty.


    "Mr. Rhode, did you mean�� These Barbarians had become the accomplices of the Demons?"


    "That''s a possibility, Marlene. Don''t forget that this is the civilized border and we''re not far away from the Land of Chaos. Without order and protection from the Dragon Soul, it isn''t strange that occasionally there will be Demons crawling from beneath to continue the business which their elder generations couldn''t complete."


    The term ''Dragon Soul Continent'' wasn''t only for show. The souls of the Five Creator Dragons covered the skies and protect the land. Under the influence of order and the power of the Dragon Soul, the entire continent was like a sealed space where it would be difficult for Demons and Devils to intrude. However, the Land of Chaos was different. Without the influence and protection of the Five Creator Dragons, the area had become a breeding ground for Demons. If the area under the protection of the Dragon Soul was a sealed container made of fine gold steel, the Land of Chaos would be a riddled plastic bag wrapping glass jars. Fortunately, these Demons belonged to the ''orderly'' race and they couldn''t emerge on a large scale in a place like Land of Chaos without order. If that happened, perhaps the entire Land of Chaos would have terrorized by the Demon Generals.


    However, even so, the chances of emergence for the Demons outside the civilized border weren''t low. Although these Demons in the heart of the Land of Chaos didn''t dare to go, they would still have a possibility to survive in the junction of order and chaos. In the game, the chances for players to meet ordinary demons were set at 30% and 50% to meet Demons Elite. There was also a 1% chance to meet an Archdemon �� However, the players can forget about fighting it and they should just go offline to buy lottery tickets instead.


    Rhode finally understood the truth. Since the Demons were involved, it wouldn''t be difficult for them to manipulate these Barbarians. But, the level of the Demon who was ordering about these Parasitic Ghouls should be relatively high because ordinary Demons couldn''t accomplish this. Furthermore, these Parasitic Ghouls were known to be brazen and shameless where they would instantly betray their commanding Demon once they met another Demon with higher authority. This was a characteristic which no ordinary Demon could manage.


    Rhode nodded at this thought and shifted his attention towards the Parasitic Ghoul under his sword blade.


    "Alright, I hope you can be honest. Tell me, where did you come from? Who is commanding you? What are all of you doing this for?"


    "Sss��!"


    It hissed and the corpse opened its mouth slowly.


    "It seems like you know a lot about us, Human. Since that''s the way, why don''t you guess what are we doing? Heh heh heh. You are powerful and have some decent men, but you are just a lowly human. What rights do you have for us Demons to answer your question?"


    "You''re really asking for it!"


    An enraged mercenary drew his sword and darted forward.


    "Leader, please allow us to hang this bastard up above the bonfire. I want to see how much longer can it stay tough."


    "Heh heh heh. You can try�� Just mere Humans actually think they can question Demons using torture? What a joke. Do you really think we''re afraid of death?"


    "Hey, you said it well but who doesn''t know that Demons are best in their flowery speech? Sir, please let us do it!"


    The mercenary stepped towards the Demon, but Rhode held him back.


    "The bastard is right. It won''t be afraid even if we killed it."


    "Why?"


    The mercenary stumbled and asked.


    "Demons are unlike Humans. These Demons won''t disappear immediately after they''re killed. They will return to hell in their spiritual form and reborn as the lowest form of Demon. Unless we have holy powers to purify them, it will be meaningless to kill them."


    Rhode gestured and turned towards the Parasitic Ghoul.


    "You''re right. I have no intentions of killing you. No matter what, you are my precious prisoner."


    "Sss��!"


    It once again hissed but no one knew if it was furious. However, it realized that the expression of this Human seemed to be rather strange.


    "But, I have a way to make you speak obediently."


    Rhode swept a glance at the surrounding and extended his arm. A pitch-black card emerged above his palm and instantly dispersed into a thick black fog. In a split second, a beautiful, elegant figure appeared.


    Celestina''s emergence had muted the crowd. The militias widened their lustful eyes on this sexy young lady while the mercenaries stood like wooden logs as they observed the elegant young lady pacing out from the thick fog. She had fair, snowy skin with dark, smooth hair accompanied by bright, red eyes. Her beautiful face triggered an unexplainable impulse from the bottom of their hearts, making them want to kneel by her feet, kiss her shoes and also dedicate their sword and life to her.


    "Are you done seducing them?"


    Rhode''s cold words felt like a bucket of water splashed onto the mercenaries'' head which woke them abruptly from their fantasies.


    "It was only for some fun, Master."


    Celestina placed a finger on her lips and displayed a fascinating smile towards Rhode. However, Rhode remained expressionless and let out a sneer before pointing to the front. Celestina shifted her attention and to her disgust, she cupped her mouth immediately. It was a look of an abomination as though a noble lady had seen a shabby-looking beggar.


    "Parasitic Ghoul? Master, you actually have such an interest? I would say that this thing isn''t anything fun. If you''re really interested in keeping pets, I can introduce you to something else like the succubus oh?"


    "I appreciate it, but, only if I have that need."


    Rhode shot Celestina a look.


    "Now, I hope you can entertain your fellow countrymen because I have many things to ask it."


    Rhode lowered his gaze to the Parasitic Ghoul under his sword. However, this time, its guts from before was nowhere to be seen. It had shrunk into a ball and was shuddering violently. As a race of order, the strict hierarchy of the Demons'' level was similar to that of the Country of Darkness. Although Celestina''s strength was sealed, her aura didn''t dissipate. Ordinary beings probably couldn''t detect it, but for a Demon like the Parasitic Ghoul, they definitely could sense her authority.


    "I am no fellow countryman with such lowly species, Master. It doesn''t even have the rights to touch me at all."


    Celestina was annoyed by that sentence. Her expression sunk and gave a dissatisfied reply. However, Rhode didn''t apologize. Instead, he gave her a ''go ahead'' gesture and didn''t say a word.


    This made Celestina furious. Although she wanted to retaliate, it was basically impossible for summoned spirits to revolt. In the end, the young lady had no choice but to stare viciously at the Parasitic Ghoul.


    "Alright, you lowly vermin. I want you to answer truthfully to my Master''s questions, understood?"


    The young lady shut her mouth and turned around with her eyes closed as though she had just seen something disgusting. In response, the Parasitic Ghoul trembled and continued to shrink itself into a ball.


    "Yes, dear Madam, I will answer truthfully."

 Chapter 385 Double-edged Sword

    The Parasitic Ghoul was a low-level Demon with no dignity nor position. After being rebuked by Celestina, its arrogance from before was nowhere to be seen as though it had turned into one of Rhode''s loyal man. It went on to explain every single detail of the happenings and left everyone disgusted at how shameless this Demon was.


    Although they were disgusted, they got understood the situation outside the civilized border.


    It was as predicted by Rhode. These Demons arrived two months ago through the leak in the passageway linking towards Land of Chaos. Their motives were as expected which were to accomplish what their ancestors couldn''t and that was to fight to take over this continent. Although these actions from the Demons were not worthy of compliments, their determination over these years was still admirable.


    The leaders amongst the Demons arrived at the surface and ordered the Parasitic Ghouls to seize control over a village of a Barbarian clan. In half a month, they gathered all the Barbarians in the area as their men. According to its explanations, only the Leading Barbarian and Barbarians that were manipulated knew the true identity of the Demon. The next information which it provided left Rhode astonished. The Demons had found a suitable place to create a passageway that linked the surface and hell. The reason why they attacked Deep Creek Village was because they needed to gather corpses for this ritual. Without a doubt, the corpses from the village were not enough. Once the ritual was completed, the Barbarians would be sacrificed as well. After all, the stronger the spiritual energy, the wider the passageway would be for more powerful Demons.


    However, the Parasitic Ghoul wasn''t sure who exactly was the mastermind. Due to the strict hierarchy between the Demons, there were things that they would definitely not know. From its descriptions, Rhode judged that the mastermind might likely be a presence of the Demon General. These powerful generals were a strong race within the Demons and they served directly under the Archdemon. If that was the case, the ranking of this Demon who wished to open this passageway shouldn''t be low.


    "So according to you, those Barbarians have gathered already?"


    "Yes, dear Sir," It nodded while bending over and said. "We have gathered over 500 Barbarians outside the civilized border. However, Sir, you have killed almost 200 of them and only around 300 of them are left. Most of them are ordinary humans and 50 to 60 of them have been infected by us Demons. They are not powerful and I think that with your capabilities, Sir, it will be an easy task for you to exterminate those trash."


    "Where are they at?"


    "Below Misty Mountains. There used to be a fortress and all the Barbarians are located there right now. According to my then-master, that place is filled with powerful energy and is most suitable to open the passageway��"


    Damn it��


    The edge of Rhode''s mouth twitched because he knew what this bunch of Demons were about to do at that place �� damn it. Of all places, why must those bastards occupy mine?


    Rhode had intended to put this matter aside and finalize his Fortress location. But, it seemed that this plan had to be changed. Rhode had no choice but to exterminate those Demons now.


    "Is there anything else to add?" Rhode paused for a moment and asked. The Parasitic Ghoul pondered and continued.


    "Oh, yes. Dear Sir. I have captured a group of hunters in the mountains. According to my then-master, these people will also be used as offerings for the ritual and because we had captured them, we were sent to attack this village."


    "What did you say?"


    Vinny shouted as he charged towards the Parasitic Ghoul in bewilderment. He stared viciously at it, without any fear of being harmed.


    "You said you captured a group of hunters? How many of them in total? Are they dead or alive?"


    "There�� is about 50 of them and they are all alive. These people have determined spirits and are the best material to open the passageway. So, before the ritual begins, they should still be alive."


    The Parasitic Ghoul once again nodded and bend over to please Rhode.


    "Also, dear Sir. There is another Demon by your side which you must be careful and wary of. Although we have never seen its attack, I feel that it is very powerful and not easy to deal with."


    Another demon?


    Rhode pondered for a while and nodded. Celestina turned around and stared at the Parasitic Ghoul.


    "Are you done? You can die now."


    "Yes, Madam!"


    Without hesitation, it curled up before Celestina and hurriedly jumped out from the corpse. It extended its sharp needle claws and pierced itself in its body. The Demon who had lost its life collapsed to the ground.


    "I hope Master will not make me do such things again."


    Celestina turned around and a thick black fog erupted from her body. After a few moments, the young lady disappeared in the fog and a pitch-black card hovered in the air and gradually shattered to bits.


    Everyone was speechless as they stared at the carcass of the Parasitic Ghoul. They thought it tried so hard to please Rhode and Celestina just to survive. But, a joke-like remark from Celestina actually led it to end its life�� Humans could never understand the extremely strict hierarchy between Demons.


    "S-Sir, do you really believe the demon''s words?"


    One of the mercenaries spoke hesitantly. Although most of them were experienced adventurers, they had never dealt with Demons before. The way it betrayed its companions had deemed itself as untrustworthy. Many of them felt that this Demon was cooperating because it wanted its life to be spared and eventually lure the mercenaries to their deaths. However, after witnessing how willingly it killed itself, the mercenaries couldn''t confirm their suspicions�� After all, no matter what, one wouldn''t bring it that far to sacrifice its life right?


    "It is very strict between the ranks of Demons and it has no reasons to lie to me. Furthermore��"


    Rhode shifted his attention to Vinny. The militia squad captain was clenching his teeth and gazing at the carcass with an ashen face �� Rhode had heard of the information regarding the villagers from him and he knew that things weren''t that simple.


    Vinny lifted his head and an idea flashed in his mind. He rushed towards Rhode.


    "Dear Sir, I heard that you have decided to head out of the civilized border?


    "That''s right."


    "Can I request for your help to rescue my villagers�� Please�� We can''t do anything and we are not strong enough to save our friends and families. But Sir, you and your men can do it, isn''t it? We are willing to give everything in our village in exchange for your help."


    "Hey hey hey, Kid, You can''t put it this way."


    Some of the mercenaries interrupted.


    "You heard from the Demon itself that there are a few hundred people and there is only more than 30 of us. You want us to fight over a hundred enemies with Demons included? That''s ridiculous��"


    Before they could finish their sentence, Rhode raised his right arm and interrupted.


    "Go get prepared and we will head off next morning�� It''s only 300 Barbarians and some Demons. This shouldn''t pose a problem for you guys, isn''t it? It is also about time for me to test your strength."


    "Yes�� Sir."


    Some of the mercenaries were stunned. However, they couldn''t challenge Rhode''s authority. Although they were uncertain in their chances of winning, they eventually accepted. On the other hand, Vinny showed a grateful, excited smile as he grabbed onto Rhode''s hand.


    "Thank you so much. I will never forget your kindness. You are such a kind-hearted and beautiful lady."


    In an instant, the air solidified.

 Chapter 386 Battle in Misty Mountains 1/3

    After leaving Deep Creek Village, everyone set off for their final journey. Since Rhode knew that the Demons had gathered all the Barbarians, his previous plans were no longer valid. Now, they had to enter the forest trail and into Misty Mountains before reaching the Fortress to eliminate the Demons. However, it wouldn''t be easy chasing them away.


    Their journey gradually became rougher and rougher.


    The forest trail was referring to the path connecting to the Misty Mountains. Many years ago, this path was used to connect the Fortress and other areas. However, it was abandoned and if it weren''t for a few wild beasts, illegal merchants, and bandits, perhaps there wouldn''t be any living creatures on this path. Even so, this route wasn''t easy at all.


    Although the mercenaries were on the road for a full day, they weren''t tired. Instead, they were chit-chatting casually.


    Rhode could only ignore their doings and wish that Lize didn''t rescue that bumpkin (Vinny). If Rhode could turn back time, he would''ve left him to die. However, time couldn''t be reversed and Rhode couldn''t change this fact. All he could do was to ignore them and continue moving forward.


    The sky was getting dark, however, this wasn''t due to the passing of time. In fact, it was only noon, but the sky above everyone was dull and even the radiance of the sun was obscured by darkness.


    This was one of the strange phenomena in Dragon Soul Continent. Although there was no difference in the timings for the sun to rise and set in areas under the protection of the Dragon Soul, the weakening order affected the time, climate and deviated everything from its normal track for the areas near the border. However, the areas under the protection of the Dragon Soul were ultimately limited. It was only the change in time and climate at this moment. But, the instant they left the orderly land, that was where the real dangers lurk.


    Another reason why Rhode had chosen this region was that he hoped his men could get used to living in a place in a chaotic order. After all, Rhode''s motive was to head into Land of Chaos to awaken the Dragon Soul in order to obtain his territory. If his men couldn''t adapt to the environment, he would face a lot of trouble in the future.


    Just as everyone came to the hillside along the abandoned path, Rhode suddenly stopped walking. He lifted his arm to stop everyone from advancing before scanning the forest that was shrouded in darkness. He placed his right hand by his mouth and spoke to the ring on his middle finger softly.


    "Joey, what''s the situation?"


    Joey was sneaking when he heard Rhode''s message. He scanned his surroundings before holding onto the earring on his right ear. That was a guild badge that Lapis had modified. After the victory in the Midsummer Festival, Rhode utilized a portion of the remunerations to purchase some precious and rare materials for alchemy in order for Lapis to create various equipment. Without a doubt, these badges couldn''t create a set effect or aura, however, it could nimbly increase and change the abilities of its holder. One of the features was its capability to communicate between long distances. It allowed two-way communications through the resonance of magical arrays. After this helpful modification, the mercenaries with Rhode had become much more similar to the players which he had led in the game.


    After confirming that the coast was clear, Joey let out a sigh of relief and replied.


    "Boss, this place looks really strange. We have encountered four teams of Barbarians and they seemed to be on the patrol. Our brothers were nearly spotted by them, but, luckily we got past them."


    "Report their strength and specific location. Where are you guys now?"


    "On the right side of Misty Mountains�� Some distance away from the Fortress which Boss mentioned. We can vaguely see them now. The defenses seem rigorous and right now, we are temporarily searching on the peripheral. The Barbarians are assembled into teams of ten and there are a total of five teams. In every team, there is a bald man in a black cloak which you had seen. They are patrolling every one hour and don''t seem to be reporting to anyone."


    "Understood. Stand by and I will lead the others to gather with you."


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction before turning towards his men behind him.


    "Although I know that all of you are tired, it isn''t the time to rest now."


    Rhode spoke and stared viciously at Vinny who was smiling widely. This was something which Rhode didn''t wish to recall. That bastard said something which he shouldn''t have and Anne was laughing non-stop which led to the mercenaries to burst into laughter. What depressed Rhode the most was that after this incident, the image which he meticulously shaped was ruined. Those mercenaries used to be highly respectful towards him, but now they didn''t seem to be as respectful. Same goes for the few young lady Clerics with Lize. Previously, they didn''t even dare to speak to him, but now they would even take the initiative to greet him. Furthermore, they would also gather and whisper secrets in each other''s ears �� Of course, Rhode knew what they were discussing about. To his disappointment, not only did Lize not lecture her apprentices, she joined in with them��


    That damned bastard!


    Rhode had no intentions of shaping an amiable and approachable image. Damn it. He even considered if he should wear a mask in the future.


    "Get ready to strike."


    Rhode sighed hopelessly before turning serious and said.


    Although it was only noon, the forest was in total darkness. The faraway burning torches were the only sources of light in the darkness.


    There�� that''s the Fortress.


    Rhode''s expression sunk as he gazed at the towering shadow. That was the Fortress which he remembered it to be. However, the state of the Fortress ruins was out of his expectations. After all, it was another player guild which had chosen this region and not his. At that time, the Munn Kingdom was not destroyed yet and Rhode was still a casual player who was uninterested in joining a guild. Many player guilds had chosen this territory to construct their Fortress.


    The reason was simple as to why this place was still fresh in his memories. After conquering Land of Chaos, he realized that the player guild had constructed their Fortress in his territory. Not only that, the player guild harassed Rhode''s Starlight occasionally. Without a doubt, Rhode was unable to put up with them any longer and they eventually started the first-ever guild war. In the end, the results were one-sided and Rhode took over the authority of the Fortress and at the same time, chased the player guild off the land.


    Due to this experience, Rhode regarded this Fortress with high importance. This territory was an excellent choice and as long as he could control it, he wouldn''t need to run through a thousand miles before entering Land of Chaos and waste too much manpower and resources.


    In other words, this Fortress would be Rhode''s front line and a place which he needed to operate the most.


    "Boss, what''s next?"


    Hidden beside Rhode, Joey gazed nervously at the faraway Fortress. Joey had engaged in a certain extent of investigations on the Fortress before Rhode arrived. In the end, he was disappointed. Although Rhode had mentioned that the Fortress was not maintained for many years, the outer appearance seemed to be perfect. Even though it was clearly worn, it didn''t pose a problem to those Barbarians. Joey and his companions tried to sneak into the Fortress but eventually failed. Most of the Barbarians were gathered outside the Fortress. Although they seemed to be negligent, their senses were highly sensitive and hard to deal with. Joey didn''t know how to strike because, after all, there were about 300 of them and he only had 30. Furthermore, it was much easier to defend than to attack the Fortress. With the disadvantage in offensive strength, it gave Joey a headache on how they should proceed.


    "Should we get Miss Gillian or Miss Marlene to cast some spells over?"


    "Are you kidding?"


    Rhode stared at him coldly. This Fortress would belong to him in the future and if it was destroyed by Gillian or Marlene, the one paying for the repairs would be himself. He wouldn''t do such an idiotic thing and besides, he was prepared with a better idea.


    Rhode turned around and beckoned to his mercenaries. The mercenaries instantly focused their attention back to their leader.


    "I will split you guys apart into three groups. We will continue to keep in touch and strike from three directions at once."


    Rhode paused and gestured with his hand.


    "Lize, Marlene, Kafa, Ralph, and Snook. We will form a group together. The second group will consist of Joey and his men, in addition to Cland. The third group will be led by Marfa��"


    Rhode nodded at the middle-aged mercenary.


    "Lead Anne and Kars into the ditch on the left. There will be a sewer pipe which leads into the Fortress. I think it isn''t in use now so it should be safe. Then, I want all of you to enter the first floor. Joey, lead your men to the cliff on the right and enter the second floor of the Fortress through the small trail. Remember to be careful and do not alert any enemies. Randolf, you will lead the Rangers and occupy the high positions to provide cover for Joey. After Joey and his men enter the hall, you can lead your men to distract the enemies. As for Anne, I want you to protect them here. Remember, don''t act as you please. After seeing my signal, I want you to lead the remaining men for a frontal assault to finish the enemy."


    Rhode extended his arm and made a hand sign.


    "I will go ahead first. After ten minutes, Joey will move. 15 minutes later, Marfa you will go. Remember, if there are any doubts, notify me at once. Understand?"


    "Yes, Leader!"


    "Good," Rhode nodded in satisfaction. "We''re off."


    These elites chosen by Rhode displayed their superiority. Although Rhode''s grouping was decided on the go, the camaraderie between the 25 mercenaries was strong and they were familiar and acquainted with each other after the long period of training. After giving his command, Rhode quickly led his men away silently.


    However, Lize and Marlene didn''t expect that Rhode would lead the remaining mercenaries to a pitch-black cave instead of the nearby vicinity of the Fortress.


    "What is this place, Mr. Rhode?"


    Entering the cave, Marlene cast a small sphere of light to illuminate the path that they were taking. Marlene curiously observed the cave and she thought that this cave wasn''t any different from the usual caves. The stalactites hanging upside down on the ceiling, and the ground was filled with ice-cold water. No matter what, this seemed nothing more than an ordinary cave.


    "This is a secret path into the Fortress. The creator of this Fortress had once built this route to ensure they could escape in times of danger. Marlene, refrain from using large area of effect spells. Otherwise, we could all very well die here."


    Rhode paused for a moment.


    "And, this place isn''t as safe as you think."


    "Eh?"


    Everyone was astonished by Rhode''s remark and suddenly, they could hear a slight noise coming from the darkness.


    It sounded like a series of incoherent noises, but, it soon got louder, clearer and closer to them. The mercenaries gripped onto their weapon tightly and were prepared to strike. Marlene and Lize leaned against one another and cast a magic shield to prevent any possible ambushes.


    Suddenly, a group of huge shadow revealed themselves from the magical radiance.


    "Blood Bats!"


    A knowledgeable mercenary screamed immediately after recognizing the figures. In a split second, Rhode struck.


    Facing the swarm of Blood Bats, the Crimson Blade erupted like a shining thunder in the dark. The blade lights crisscrossed into a large net which struck the Blood Bats. In a blink of an eye, a dozen of bats crashed to the ground and turned to carcasses.


    However, this wasn''t enough to stop those enormous bats from attacking. They continued to let out ear-deafening screeches while flapping their wings to avoid Rhode''s blade attacks.


    These Blood Bats were strong and one meter in body length. They had sharp teeth and the paralyzing venom was their specialty. They were experts in paralyzing their prey with venom before sucking dry of their blood. Ordinary mercenaries would struggle in the face of these Blood Bats, however, the mercenaries which Rhode had trained and brought with him were above that standard.


    Marlene shouted and a erected a fire wall quickly from the ground, separating the mercenaries from the Blood Bats. The mercenaries who were given time to brandish their weapons prepared to attack.

 Chapter 387 Battle in Misty Mountains 2/3

    The sharp blade mercilessly pierced through the thick fur of the Blood Bat. Its flesh scattered in the air as it flapped its wings frantically, searching for a route to escape. However, a flame emerged on the tip of the sword, instantly turning it into ashes.


    "Was that the last one?"


    Everyone exchanged looks before nodding to Rhode''s whisper. Although there was a large number of Blood Bats around, no one stopped moving. Everyone advanced all the way into the depths of the cave. The bats, realizing that their prey was too difficult, chose to leave.


    After catching their breath, they realized the cave in front of them wasn''t the same as before. Instead, it was an exceptionally dusty man-made tunnel as though no one had touched it for decades. Although the thick layer of grime and spider webs covered most of the tunnel, everyone was still able to clearly identify the neat platform, roundly shaped obelisks and shattered statues under the light.


    Rhode scanned the tunnel thoroughly and saw some broken spider webs. His expression dulled. He beckoned to Marlene without turning his head around and she immediately extinguished the light hovering by her side. Everyone immediately scattered and hid in the shadows.


    Everyone remained motionless in their positions as darkness and silence re-enveloped the area. Shortly after, footsteps could be heard in the distance. Several figures holding torches appeared. As the flames brightened the area, a few Barbarians appeared at the end of the tunnel. They lifted their torches high, scanning their surroundings.


    "What happened? Did you find anything?"


    "Nothing. There''s nothing abnormal here. Why did those bats cry so suddenly?"


    "Could there be rats?"


    "Stop joking."


    These Barbarians seemed to be fearful of those Blood Bats too. Under the bright flames, Rhode observed their features carefully. After discovering the broken spider webs, Rhode realized that someone might have passed through this area earlier. It seemed that he was right. Those Barbarians somehow managed to discover this secret passageway. However, luckily, it seemed that these people weren''t too mindful of this place and they didn''t set up stricter security. If not, it would be very troublesome.


    Rhode stuck his head out and looked at the Barbarians. There was a total of five Barbarians lined up in two columns. The leading Barbarian held his torch highly while the remaining four Barbarians followed him closely behind.


    "Where the hell did those irritating Blood Bats go to? The last time when I waved the torch, those bastards came flying towards me. Why isn''t there even one today?"


    "Could it be those bats flew away? Haha, if that''s the case, then it''s a good news for us�� Shall we go check out the situation?"


    Rhode slowly slid his hand towards his sword hilt while the others stayed close behind him. They held their weapons, waiting for the moment to strike. When the Barbarian was about to step one more foot into the ambush location, he spoke out.


    "Forget it."


    At that moment, the Barbarian behind him held his shoulder.


    "Perhaps those bastards went to search for their meals. We''d better not leave this tunnel. Did you guys forget how that idiot died? What if those bats return after we''re halfway through? I don''t want to be a dried corpse!"


    The Barbarian leading the way considered for a moment before retracting his foot.


    Damn!


    Rhode gritted his teeth. It seems that this bunch of people didn''t intend to leave. So then�� Rhode let out a sigh before lowering his head and gave a command into his ring.


    "Marlene, Lize, attack!"


    "Nessay!"


    An incantation sounded from the corner and along with it, Lize rolled swiftly on the ground and appeared in front of the Barbarians.


    The sudden appearance of the woman caught the Barbarians by surprise. They widened their eyes and gaped, revealing a shocked expression. Meanwhile, they waved their hands and seemed to be screaming incoherently. However, the entire tunnel was in a completely odd silence. Not a single sound left the open mouths of the Barbarians, making them seem like their performing a mime show.


    Lize extended her right arm high and swung it downwards. Along with this action, a golden barrier emerged behind the Barbarians, blocking their escape route.


    The Barbarians felt something was off. Two of them immediately turned around and hammered the golden barrier. Their attacks were fruitless, however. The remaining three started rushing towards Lize.


    Lize took two steps back in a calm manner and another golden barrier immediately wrapped her body. When the Barbarians had arrived with their knives, they were unable to shatter the barrier.


    Rhode emerged behind the three Barbarians like a specter. Then, along with a red flash, two of the Barbarians collapsed to the ground. The one remaining Barbarian was pushed to the ground by his companions before his neck was cleanly sliced by Rhode''s blade. After witnessing the deaths of their companion, the remaining two Barbarians were petrified. But before they could come up with anything, they felt a cold breeze passing by and the next moment they knew it, numerous ice shards pierced into their foreheads and chests. After a while, the two Barbarians finally entered their eternal rest.


    Rhode proceeded to scan the depths of the tunnel and after ensuring there weren''t any more odd occurrences, he let out a sigh of relief. Then he beckoned Marlene with his right hand.


    Noticing his gesture, Marlene stood up and chanted softly. A magical symbol shattered in the middle of the young woman''s palm and the silenced tunnel was once again injected with new signs of life. Lize heaved a sigh of relief and extended her right arm to deactivate the golden barrier.


    "Well done."


    Rhode unsheathed his sword and nodded at the both of them, looking pleased. Lize replied with a smile while Marlene blushed and lowered her head, feeling embarrassed.


    At this moment, the other mercenaries had gathered. One of the middle-aged mercenary plucked out the throwing knife from the Barbarian''s forehead, wiped the blood off and unsheathed it into a leather sheath. Then, he asked with a slight frown.


    "Sir, what''s next? It seems like this tunnel isn''t that safe."


    "Continue to advance."


    He swept a glance towards the two corpses and twitched his brows. It seemed that this Fortress was in a worse condition than he had imagined. In the game, this secret passageway was so extremely hidden that even Rhode only knew this secret after bribing some high-leveled players of the guild. However, it seemed that there were differences between this era and in the game. The Barbarians dared to patrol around this area proved that this area wasn''t as hidden as before.


    Rhode frowned and shifted his gaze to the mercenaries before handpicking two of them.


    "Marlene, cast a concealment spell on them and get them to check out the intersection ahead. Remember, don''t advance rashly. Immediately retreat if there''s anything abnormal, understood?"


    "Yes, Sir."


    The two mercenaries immediately nodded and waited for Marlene''s spell. However, what surprised Rhode was that Marlene didn''t seem to notice that the two mercenaries were standing before her as she was lowering her head and glancing towards the Barbarian corpse that was pierced by the ice shard.


    "Marlene?"


    "Ah?"


    Marlene lifted her head in slight panic.


    "What''s wrong? Mr. Rhode?"


    "Cast a concealment spell on them. I need them to check out the situation ahead."


    Rhode intended to go ahead with them, however, after realizing Marlene''s odd behaviors, he wasn''t assured. Marlene used to be Rhode''s most trustworthy and reliable member, however, now she became the one who he worried most now. To be frank, if Rhode didn''t require the help of a Mage, he wouldn''t even consider bringing Marlene along and left Anne in Gillian''s lead. Rhode knew clearly that both Anne and Gillian weren''t easy to be dealt with. Anne had always been obedient with Marlene because Marlene would get really strict when she''s angry. However, for Anne to be willing to obey Gillian''s words��? Birds of a feather flock together would be how he would describe the duo. This was why Rhode was worried about Gillian to replacing Marlene on the frontal assault of the Fortress. Usually, he wouldn''t be worried about Gillian, when paired with Anne�� he could already feel his stomach aching.


    At that moment, Marlene who had returned from her reverie promptly cast the concealment spell. Then, the two mercenaries swiftly disappeared into the tunnels without making a sound.


    When the both of them left, Rhode nodded with satisfaction. To be honest, some things needed to be investigated to be known. If Starlight didn''t recruit members, Rhode wouldn''t have known that within the casual mercenaries, there would be so many of them in the Elite stage. Within the 300-over members that Starlight had recruited, almost two-thirds were the casual mercenaries and not even a hundred of them could pass the mercenary test.


    This showed how influential a guild could be to a region. Considering purely on the number of mercenaries in the Elite stage, Paphield had no lack of them compared to other regions. However, as the mercenary groups and guild here failed to live up to expectations, they couldn''t uphold a stable position and reputation. This led to many of them preferring to go solo or just form a small party for a carefree living and never wished to spend their lives with the disappointing mercenary groups.


    When Rhode''s Starlight Guild came to popularity, these mercenaries saw hope and found their calling. If not, it would be hard to say if Rhode would still be able to recruit so many mercenaries at the Elite stage.


    Rhode withdrew his thoughts and scanned the surroundings before nodding to the remaining three of them.


    "Go check on the surroundings for any happenings. Lize, I''ll leave here to you."


    "Ah! Okay!"


    Lize answered in a fluster. Meanwhile, the two mercenaries exchanged glances with one another while revealing an ''Everything was clear without the need for a word'' smile. These mercenaries were experienced, seasoned elites and were sophisticated. Furthermore, they spent quite some time in the guild and had known about Rhode and his relationships with the few females that were always beside him. After hearing Rhode''s command, they consciously didn''t wish to be ''light bulbs'' as they pretended to quickly arrive at the other end to check on the situation outside.


    After everyone left, Rhode approached Marlene. She knew that her behavior was strange and she lowered her head with uncertainty.


    "You''re acting strange lately, Marlene."


    Rhode observed Marlene''s expression and asked. The series of weird behavior by Marlene had been seen by Rhode and he guessed that she was hiding something but couldn''t find the courage to face him. This wasn''t normal for the usually prideful young lady. What was the thing that Marlene wouldn''t dare to face him for? Did she do something wrong?


    Rhode had zero idea. That''s for sure.


    "This�� I''m sorry, Mr. Rhode. I''m just distracted."


    Marlene blushed after hearing Rhode''s question. To be honest, not only Rhode, even Marlene felt that she was acting weirder and weirder. Like before, after witnessing the Barbarian dying to the ice shard, Marlene suddenly had an odd feeling for unknown reasons.


    Mr. Rhode wouldn''t see me as a cruel woman, right? Will he hate me for it?


    If it was the past Marlene, she definitely wouldn''t have such thoughts. Not to mention, the Barbarians'' status was even lower than civilians. Previously in High Cliff Village, when facing the rude villagers, Marlene wiped them all up without a second thought. However, right now, after facing the Barbarian''s corpse, the woman couldn''t help but worry about her image in Rhode''s mind.


    Marlene was extremely confused as she couldn''t understand why she would have such thoughts. She was aware that such thoughts were useless and feeble. Therefore, when Rhode questioned, she couldn''t immediately give him an appropriate answer.


    "I know, but you have been acting strange lately."


    Rhode shook his head and scanned the surroundings. This wasn''t a suitable place for a heart to heart talk but the timing was convenient.


    "If you have anything troubling you, you can let me know. Of course, if I''m not the best person to talk about that problem, you can also look for Lize and the others. But I hope no matter what, you wouldn''t keep your troubles to yourself. As long as we''re by your side, we''re willing to help you. Also, we will be engaging in a very aggressive battle soon. No matter what you''re thinking, I hope you can suppress it and think about it after the battle, understood?"


    "��"


    Marlene''s eyes were filled with signs of joy and some shamefulness. The woman placed her palm on her chest and closed her eyes as she took in a deep breath. Then, she opened her eyes and lifted her head. Gazing back at Rhode in resolution.


    "Okay, Mr Rhode. I understand. Please be assured that I will not let this happen again."


    "Good."


    Rhode nodded in relief at Marlene''s determined expression. Although he couldn''t read Marlene''s thoughts, at least at for that moment, it was the usual Marlene standing in front of him, which was enough.


    As Rhode turned around, the air in front of him shook and a mercenary gasping for air suddenly appeared on his face.


    "L-Leader, I think you''d better check this out yourself. There''s something really odd."

 Chapter 388 Battle in Misty Mountains 3/3

    "What''s this?"


    Lize gazed towards the end of the tunnel. A few odd cocoon-like objects at least one meter in diameter hung on the wall. As the faint light from the flames shone on both sides of the tunnel, the cocoons seemed to be hanging on a cellar but it couldn''t be seen clearly as it was pitch-black inside.


    "Are these the ones?"


    "Yes, Sir."


    The mercenary nodding as he leaned against the wall and peeked his head out to observe.


    "I discovered those weird looking things when I carried out your instructions to check out the area. Although I tried approaching closer, I instantly retreated after hearing a low hiss. Sir, you reminded us not to get too close to anything weird so I didn''t go ahead."


    "What''s happening on the other side?"


    Rhode nodded and paused for a while before asking. The other mercenary sharply replied shortly after.


    "Reporting, Sir. The other side has collapsed and it''s a dead end. It seems that no one had been through there and nothing strange was discovered."


    "In other words, those Barbarians had been through here then?"


    Marlene frowned at the sight of the cocoons. As a Mage, she learned about many different species of creatures and monsters and the oddity of these cocoons incited her doubts. She suspected that these cocoons might be the result of monsters that prefer to hide in deep caves. However, if those Barbarians really had been through here, then the possibility would be very low. After all, in Dragon Soul Continent, other than summoning and counter-summoning, humans were unable to domesticate and manipulate these monsters. On the other hand, these wild monsters wouldn''t have any enemy identification senses or have the abilities to judge if a food was edible or not. Inferring from common sense, since those Barbarians could make it out alive, then it shouldn''t be a problem for them to enter too��


    "It''s the Sword Spider."


    Rhode calmly revealed the ''correct answer''.


    "Sword Spider?


    Everyone was baffled by that term. Marlene frowned and shifted her attention to the front with vigilance.


    "Isn''t that a creature that lives in hell��"


    "That''s right, the Sword Spiders are lowly creatures in the first level of hell and are the ''critters'', similar to the Parasitic Ghouls. Since these Sword Spiders had appeared, that would mean that the demon had decided to begin his ritual to open the passageway. This would mean trouble for us."


    "Trouble?"


    Those mercenaries who were listening attentively to the ''Discovery Channel Animal Planet Encyclopedia - Rhode''s Edition'' were stunned. In their mind, this formidable and omniscient young man was almost omnipotent. Ever since they worked their way with Rhode, this was the first time they heard him spoke of the word ''trouble''. Shortly after, the mercenary who checked on this tunnel previously asked with a pale expression.


    "Sir, how bad would the trouble be? Could it be these creatures are hard to deal with?"


    "It''s neither hard nor easy. The Sword Spiders have a simple attacking pattern. They have strong fur and ordinary sword couldn''t deal any damage to them. Furthermore, their eight claws are as sharp as sword blades which could easily slash through steel armor. Lastly, they can eject spider webs and venoms at their enemies as a form of aggression. Of course, their weaknesses are also very obvious. As long as you seize the chance to attack their eyes and soft bellies, it''s not difficult to get rid of them."


    Rhode paused before continuing.


    "Sword Spiders and Parasitic Ghouls are different. The Sword Spiders are creatures that have been summoned into this plane of existence by the demons. Therefore, they have a delicate mental connection with their summoners. If we destroy these Sword Spiders, the demon will know that someone is on its turf and the real trouble will come."


    Everyone''s expression turned grave. It was obvious what would happen once they were discovered, but��


    "Is there a way to get past the Sword Spiders without engaging? Like just now, to let Miss Marlene alter the sounds��"


    "The Sword Spiders senses its surroundings through vibrations, so sound means nothing to them."


    Rhode shook his head slightly before he carefully recalled the entire construction of the Fortress. This location was on the second floor underground and theoretically, this floor should be the place where the passageway would open. Rhode initially planned to secretly destroy the passageway ritual and then defeat the demon, leaving the other critters to the mercenaries to handle. However, now it seemed that this plan had to be altered. Although he did predict that there would be troublesome enemies, an enemy like the Sword Spider gave Rhode a huge headache more than anything else. The Sword Spiders were creatures that Rhode hated to encounter even in the game because once these creatures were killed, they would definitely summon more creatures. It was like a moving alert system that couldn''t be shut down or removed.


    "So then, Mr. Rhode, since these creatures came from hell, how about we leave them to Miss Celestina? Previously when we faced the Parasitic Ghouls��"


    "No."


    Rhode denied Marlene''s suggestion.


    "The demons can sense each other. Although their levels and identities might have a huge difference, a demon who worships another demon lord will not obey other high leveled demons. Besides, even if Celestina could make these Sword Spiders quiet down, her aura will eventually be detected by them and our plans will fail nonetheless."


    But��


    Rhode paused and turned towards his mercenaries.


    Maybe this might be a good chance to give them a test?


    Rhode shut his mouth and a bright idea suddenly occurred in his mind. He extended his arm and signaled mentally. A few cards then appeared on his palm. Rhode locked on to two of the cards that were hidden within the summoned cards. These two cards were totally different from what he had. The cards were entirely red, with a quirky and complex pattern unfolding around the edges. Unlike the other cards, these two cards didn''t have any print of spirits on them. Instead, what displayed on them was a raging volcano and numerous women setting off fiery firestorms.


    [Received Red Lotus Card 3/10, Slave Card, Magic Card �� Seven Hells]


    [Received Red Lotus Card 4/10, Slave Card, Supernatural Card ��Sulfuric River]


    [Seven Hells (Slave & Magic Card Attributes): AOE Spell, Unfuseable, Fire Element, Red Lotus Law �� Lower Law


    Warning: Red Lotus Core - Dedicated Magic Card. Not to be used with additional cards. The summoner can trigger through compensating with EXP.


    Duration: Every second consumes one percent EXP.]


    [Sulfuric River (Slave & Supernatural Attributes): AOE, Un-fuseable, Fire Element, Red Lotus Law �� Middle Law


    Warning: Red Lotus Core - Dedicated Supernatural Card. Not to be used with additional cards. The summoner can trigger through compensating with EXP.


    Duration: Every second consumes one percent EXP.]


    It''s indeed so.


    Rhode''s eyes brightened when he saw the stats of these two cards. In fact, after Gillian summoned the Sulfuric River, Rhode had been suspecting this for a long time. Although Rhode didn''t use his Soul Core, when Gillian activated her powers, her card was similar to his summoning cards. And even though Rhode had once heard that some rare high-leveled summoned spirit under favorable conditions might generate a unique card which only the summoner could use, in the game, most of his summoned spirits were battle types, which was why he didn''t receive a card of this kind. Now it seemed that it was exactly like what he predicted. However, the only thing that made Rhode dubious was that there''s no system prompt at all. Probably the system recognized the cards as Gillian''s dedicated cards, which was why it didn''t appear.


    However��


    Rhode took in a deep breath after looking through the requirements of both cards. Rhode would need to consume one percent of his EXP every second. This was probably his punishment for not using these cards through Gillian. After all, these were core dedicated cards and he used them was beyond his authority. So he had to pay a price.


    However, in his opinion, these two cards were great choices.


    Rhode had already fixed a plan in his mind. Soon, he lowered his head and placed his finger ring by his mouth.


    "Joey, Marfa, Gillian, stop what you''re doing. There''s a change in the situation. From now on, we will be attacking the Fortress and will most probably attract their attention. Gillian, I want you to lead Anne and the others to engage in a frontal attack on the Fortress to attract their attention after the enemies are alerted."


    "Joey, your plan remains unchanged. Take control on the second floor of the Fortress and group up with Marfa afterward."


    "Marfa, once Gillian engages in the attack, coordinate to ambush from below. If there''s anything wrong, immediately report to me. If you discover anything strange and unfamiliar, don''t act without permission, understood?"


    "Yes, Boss."


    "Understood, Leader."


    "Got, Master."


    After receiving their acknowledgment, Rhode placed his arm down and swept a glance at everyone.


    "Follow me."


    There weren''t any traces of light in the cellar. Although Rhode had warned everyone beforehand and they had slowed their steps, the pale-looking cocoons still gave them the shivers. However, even so, they continued forward.


    "������!"


    As the group approached the exit of the tunnel, the cocoons hanging not far away suddenly began to tremble. Not only that, everyone could hear deep, weird noises from within. Rhode gripped onto his sword while staring attentively at the cocoons. The others also prepared themselves as they slowly stepped towards the end.


    !!


    Just as Rhode stepped into the cellar, the cocoons that were hanging on the ceiling suddenly cracked and exploded into rays of light before darting towards Rhode.


    Rhode remained calm and sneered as he brandished his sword upwards, deflecting the sharp claws easily. Accompanied by the ear-piercing sound of friction, Rhode slanted to the right; and at the same time, he tilted his sword diagonally upwards to his left. With this motion, the sharp claws lost their trajectory and slipped off. The sword in Rhode''s hand then struck the claws away.


    Suddenly, a large body emerged in front of Rhode.


    The spider that was covered in black fur lost its balance. It opened its mouth wide and stared at Rhode with its three pairs of eyes, releasing a chilly screech. However, Rhode''s didn''t have any reaction towards the ghastly looking monster. Instead, he flicked off the spider claws and slashed his sword at the Sword Spider''s soft belly.


    A sword aura as brilliant as a comet shone once again. The Sword Spider groaned as smashed against the wall. Putrid, grayish-brown blood spewed from its wound.


    "Don''t touch their fur, there''s venom on them."


    Rhode reminded the rest as he struck the spider. The surrounding cocoons began to tremble and shortly after, numerous Sword Spiders started darting forward one by one.


    Lize turned pale at the sight of the approaching spiders. However, she swiftly gestured with her hand and a golden barrier emerged above everyone quickly. The mercenaries also lifted their weapons and began to surround the Sword Spiders.


    Although the mercenaries were only about three to four levels away from Rhode, in terms of Swordsmanship, they were actually around 30 to 40 levels apart. They couldn''t face a Sword Spider on their own in a one versus one. However, they wouldn''t have an issue if they fought in a duo or trio. Meanwhile, Marlene quickly summoned a strong ice wall to decrease the spiders'' attacking range.


    These Sword Spiders were indeed difficult to handle.


    As a low-leveled creature of the first floor in hell, these Sword Spiders were brutal in nature and held powerful physical strength. Not anyone could resist against their blade-like claws. If the levels of the Sword Spiders were calculated in human terms, they would probably range around the mid of Elite stage, which was much harder to deal with than humans.


    "Heyah!"


    A mercenary lifted his sword in the air and defended against the Sword Spider''s incredibly powerful attack. The mercenary struggled to stay upright and almost kneeled to the ground. Then, the Sword Spider suddenly let off an odd hiss before swiping across its right claw towards the mercenary''s stomach. As the claw was about to rip off his stomach, all of a sudden, a golden barrier once again emerged.


    Clang!! The Sword Spider''s claw smashed onto the golden barrier. Its powerful strength forced the golden barrier to flicker and its bright light momentarily dulled.


    "Busya!"


    Accompanied by the incantation, an ice cone shot from the rear and pierced into a Sword Spider that was caught off guard. The gravely injured Sword Spider shook violently before withdrawing its sharp claws and attempted to escape. However, before it could do so, a mercenary instantly slashed his sword downwards and ended its life.


    "Cha!"


    The sharp sword tip pierced into the Sword Spider''s brain and in the blink of an eye, the terrifying creature of hell turned into a corpse.


    "Hu��"


    The mercenary heaved a long sigh of relief, but at that moment, another Sword Spider secretly emerged by his side with its mouth wide opened. It was about to eject a mouthful of webs onto the mercenary.


    "Sh*t!"


    The mercenary couldn''t dodge in time and was trapped up in the web. He struggled to break free but to no avail. The Sword Spider eventually crawled onto his head and prepared its sharp teeth.


    A ghostly figure suddenly appeared between the mercenary and the Sword Spider.


    A bright red light shone in the darkness and slashed the Sword Spider. The Sword Spider who had missed its meal immediately groaned and scrambled to the ground.


    "Marlene!"


    Rhode quickly shouted for Marlene. Without hesitation, she chanted and made a few complicated symbols. Soon enough, a sharp cone-shaped rock appeared from the ceiling and crashed downwards, penetrating the Sword Spider''s carapace.


    In only a few moments, the Sword Spiders that were in charge of guarding the tunnel had been totally wiped off. However, Rhode didn''t let his guard down because he heard footsteps and screams from the Barbarians. Just as he predicted, the Barbarians detected their engagement!


    Rhode clenched his teeth and swiftly ordered his team.


    "Lize, seal the entrance and buy us some time."


    "Gillian, begin the assault."


    "Yes, Master."


    The fox-eared woman that was lazing on a rock sprang up immediately. She opened her eyes and smiled menacingly towards the direction of the Fortress. Shortly after, countless fireballs appeared by her side.


    "Alright, everyone! Master''s orders! It''s time for us to shine! Let''s move!"

 Chapter 389 Fortress Battle

    A dim light shone upon the ancient, stale hall. The candle flames trembled slightly under the airflow; even the shadows on the wall couldn''t stop quivering. Under the illumination of the flame, a huge prison made entirely from white bones could be vaguely seen.


    Apart from the reflection of the terrifying blood-drawn ritual circle, dozens of haggard men and women held onto each other tightly for support in the bone prison. Their faces were smeared with mud and their eyes unveiled an uncontrollable fear. Although they were the best hunters in the forest, they still ended up like goats waiting to be slaughtered. They shuddered in the darkness with pale complexions and worried expressions.


    Ugly and inferior beings.


    Gelk snorted in disdain as he withdrew his attention from the prisoners. He narrowed his eyes towards the mirror that reflected his beautiful face. His well-maintained fingers extended towards his head and gently touched his hair, delicately shifting back a strand of hair that was ''showing disobedience to organizational discipline'' back into his hair. Gelk then turned around and admired his face attentively.


    So beautiful.


    The man gasped in admiration at his own reflection.


    With such a perfect body, a charming face, mesmerizing eyes, flowy long hair, and alluring lips�� He felt that he was the most perfect creation in this world. Only he had the rights to claim so. He was the most beautiful, pretty and perfect being in this world. At this moment, he should be in his warm and comfortable home admiring the breathtaking beauty of hell while listening to the beautiful poems those painful souls sang with their lives.


    He shouldn''t be in this dirty and filthy place to guard these ridiculous humans.


    Gelk was dissatisfied. But soon, that notion dissipated to nothingness. He was only a lowly-ranked Demon General that was not even worth a mention to the massive existence of the first floor. This was what Gelk was most dissatisfied about. Manifesting strength was unsophisticated and it was considered as an ugly behavior. To him, beauty was everything in this world. However, it was a pity that most of the demons in hell couldn''t understand the word ''beauty'' and only knew how to kill and murder.


    Gelk picked up a brush to gently wipe off a few bits of dust at the corner of his eye. When he lifted his head and was about to shave a few strands of the hair at the corner of his mouth, a sudden spiritual signal triggered his emotions. The razor on his hand stopped midway.


    "Hmph!"


    Looking at that strand of disobedient hair in disdain, Gelk sneered and plucked it off. He turned his head towards the statue-like servants who were wrapped in black robes and standing in the hall with four corners.


    "Someone below intruded our Fortress. Go check on the situation and capture them!"


    "Yes, Master!"


    A few black robes swiftly took off after receiving Gelk''s orders. After they left, Gelk revealed disdain in his eyes and once again turned towards the mirror in front of him.


    Bam!! At this moment, the entire Fortress shook with a deep, loud crash. Gravel and dust fell from the ceiling and in an instant, the entire hall was filled with dust particles.


    "Ahhhhhh!!"


    A terrifying cry of anger caused a violent storm to surge, clearing out the dusty hall instantly. Gelk stood in the middle of the hall furiously. He clenched his teeth and stared at his hands only to see his pair of white, delicate fingers filled with filthy dust. He shivered and slowly turned towards the mirror in front of him. A layer of dust now covered the mirror which should have been spotlessly clean. And in the mirror, a reflection of a beggar with a dirty face could be vaguely seen.


    "Ahhh�� Ahhh!!"


    Gelk''s hands trembled as he stared at his reflection in horror. Clear, transparent tears flowed from his eyes. He felt incredible pain and anger. He even suspected that he had never met with such pain ever since he was born.


    "Why��! Why did this happen?!! Who? Which bastard was the one that did this!!"


    "R-report, Master!"


    At this moment, a guard gasped for air as he ran towards Gelk. His face was filled with panic as he kept turning his head towards his back.


    "There are enemies co��"


    "Bam!"


    A clear slap rang.


    Without turning around, Gelk slapped the guard''s face with his the back of his hand. The guard''s head spun for two rounds before losing its sense of direction and fell dead to the ground. This scene caused the group of prisoners to shiver as they stared at the terrifying demon in horror.


    "Hu�� Hu��"


    After slapping the guard to death, Gelk''s emotions seemed to turn for the better. He took in a few deep breaths before turning around. At that moment, another guard arrived. Looking at his fellow guard''s corpse, the fellow stood on the spot smartly and reported by the door''s entrance.


    "Reporting to Master. Enemies are attacking the Fortress!"


    "Who are they?"


    Gelk questioned with a frown as he flicked off the bloodstains on his hand. He retrieved a handkerchief from the fold of his clothes and wiped both his hands and face. In response, the guard revealed a terrified expression.


    "I don''t know, Master. There''s not a lot of them but they''re too powerful and we can''t hold them back any longer��"


    "Useless piece of crap!"


    Gelk frowned and stormed towards the guard.


    "Move! I''ll go take a look!"


    As Gelk was about to step onto the platform, another spiritual signal that was filled with fear and panic suddenly rose from the bottom of his heart.


    "Master, Master, we can''t hold them back. We�� Ah��!!"


    The spiritual signal disappeared in a blink of an eye. Gelk clenched his teeth and looked at his feet.


    It seems that things aren''t that simple�� who would dare to attack the Fortress?


    Furthermore, they''re even capable of defeating my minions?


    Can it be the Holy Knights from the churches? Impossible! If those bunch of bastards is on my turf, I should''ve detected their spiritual aura long ago. Moreover, the enemy launched multiple attacks with various tactics?


    "Leave it to me."


    Suddenly, a feminine voice sounded from behind him. Gelk twitched his brows and subsequently nodded. Shortly after, the shadow hanging behind Gelk suddenly distorted, left his body and flew towards the other end of the tunnel. In a blink of an eye, that shadow blended into the darkness.


    "Urgh!!"


    The red longsword punctured the Black Robe''s body. The man opened his mouth wide as he tried to use his two-meter long claw to attack. However, the claw wasn''t able to touch Rhode who moved like a ghost. Rhode lifted his sword and once more and darted forward. The exploding sword aura pierced through the Black Robe''s brain and only then did the Black Robe stop moving once and for all.


    "Marlene, how much longer do you need?"


    Rhode swept towards another wild Black Robe with his sword and asked. At this moment, everyone had already left the tunnel and entered the middle of the cellar on the second underground floor. Just as Rhode predicted, this passageway was the entrance of the Plane of Existence''s ritual. However, it wasn''t easy to traverse the passageway as the Sword Spider''s carcasses triggered the demons'' attention. Soon, Rhode and the rest were met with the attacks from more than ten of the Black Robes.


    These Black Robes aren''t humans. Actually, it was more accurate to say that they aren''t human any longer. After being controlled by the parasites, they had turned into monsters. Not only were they able to spit fireballs, but they could also even extend their arms in length and attack enemies with whips and long swords.


    Other than Rhode, the rest wasn''t prepared to face such enemies and were instantly caught in a stalemate. Although the situation was quickly broken with Rhode''s help, this also gave the enemies breathing space. In the end, when everyone arrived at the entrance of the passageway, almost ten minutes had passed. However, Rhode wasn''t able to retreat because of the plan. As an experienced and seasoned player, Rhode knew how crucial the removal of this passageway ritual was. If he sought to gain instant success from wiping out the demons, unless it was a one-shot kill, these demons could still activate the passageway ritual. By then, even an incomplete passageway ritual would still be able to call for unlimited reinforcements. If things headed in that direction, the situation would get troublesome.


    Loud explosions above ground could be heard even though they were separated by two floors. Rhode could guess that Gillian was having so much fun right now. However, he didn''t have the time to be concerned about the possibilities whether Gillian would destroy the entire Fortress because he discovered that the passageway ritual was extremely complex. Ordinary humans couldn''t possibly disrupt it. Furthermore, there was a mysterious defensive barrier which Rhode and his team couldn''t leave a scratch on �� This was the first time Rhode regretted not bringing Lapis along because it would only require a few minutes of her time to remove such a barrier.


    Luckily, as a Mage, Marlene had learned to break down rituals. Although it was true that rituals modified by the demons would be challenging for her, it wasn''t something totally impossible. Therefore, Rhode''s only choice was to designate Marlene to break the ritual while he and his group continued to resist against the attacks of the Black Robes.


    However, it was no easy task to defend against the Black Robes.


    Without Marlene was the ''damage dealer'', the mercenaries were beginning to have a hard time fighting the Black Robes. Lize was trying her best, but she was ultimately stronger in defense rather than offense. Rhode put in plenty of effort as well but decided against summoning Celia and Celestina because he sensed that the demon''s rank from the ritual was probably a high one. Facing such a strong enemy, it was best to keep his trump cards till the very end. So even though the defensive line was slowly crumbling, he wasn''t going to reveal his trump cards.


    "��!"


    A Black Robe revealed its claws as it launched towards Rhode. Rhode retaliated by transforming into a shadow and split into two. When the Black Robe''s claws landed between both shadows, it felt a tremendous feedback reverberating through its limbs as though it had cut metal. Suddenly, the Black Robe gave a painful cry as fresh blood spurted out from a gash on his face. At that moment, the three mercenaries who stood behind Rhode immediately charged forward and attacked the Black Robe with their weapons. Soon, the Black Robe collapsed on the ground with no more signs of life.


    "Hmph!"


    Rhode frowned and let out a low growl as he drew a half-arc in the air with the Crimson Blade. In an instant, a glaring ray emerged out of nowhere and once again forced the other Black Robes away.


    "��"


    Lize breathed deeply and seized the opportunity to fill up the gap in the Defense Wall after Rhode forced back the monsters. Even though the mercenaries were actively defending, they still couldn''t completely hold back the attacks from the Black Robes. Luckily, they had already killed half of them. Otherwise, Lize didn''t know how much longer she could hold on.


    Bang! Another Black Robe opened its mouth and shot a wave of flames onto Lize''s barrier. The woman shook under the immense pressure and clenched her teeth before casting another Defense Wall.


    However, Lize didn''t notice that in a shadow not too far away from her, an erratic fluctuation lurked within��


    ��!!


    Marlene focused her all her attention on the complicated ritual. She heard screams from the Black Robes when they clashed in the battle behind her. Although the woman was filled with anxiousness, she calmed herself down and continued to dismantle the defense barrier on the ritual. At this moment, three of the seven defense linkages were removed. From the start, as she wasn''t familiar with these defense linkages, she wasted a lot of time figuring them out. However, now that she had slowly familiarized with their rules, she began to pick up speed. But even so, Marlene was still feeling rather anxious. How could she ignore the increasingly ragged breathing of Lize and also the sound from Rhode''s attacks?


    Four remaining��


    Marlene clenched her teeth as her hands spun lightly in the air. Her slender fingers swiped against the flow in the linkages. Shortly after, a ritual circle emerged on the tip of Marlene''s fingertips. Focusing on this ritual circle, Marlene remained silent for a brief moment before she carefully reached out towards it.


    Soon, after Marlene pushed the peculiar ritual circle forward, it gradually blended into the defense linkages on the ground. Suddenly, just as the ritual circle completely submerged, a series of magical rays shone brilliantly. The entire linkage broke and shattered. The barrier in front of her eyes once again became much more transparent.


    "Hu��"


    Marlene let out a sigh of relief. However, at that moment, she felt an extremely dangerous sensation creeping in from her back.


    This was purely due to her instinct and there was no time for her to hesitate. When she felt the threat closing in, she swiftly rolled to the side. Then, a burst of immense pain struck her shoulder and caused the woman to scream in pain.


    At this moment, Marlene turned over and stared in surprise.


    An odd human-shaped figure emerged from her shadow that was cast on the wall behind her. The shadow observed her horrified expression and conjured a thick beam of cold air from the ground which tightly wrapped around the woman''s body.


    "Argh��!!"


    Marlene struggled to break free from the air. When she tried to chant a spell, the cold air poured into her mouth, forcing her to cough violently and disrupting her chanting. The thick icy air slowly climbed up her feet and began to devour the woman''s body.


    At that moment, that shadowy human-shaped figure stretched out its finger.


    A frigid blade shot out from the black figure''s finger and spun towards Marlene''s heart.


    Sh*t!


    Marlene shut her eyes.

 Chapter 390 Gloom Shadow

    The sharp, ice-cold blade was only inches away from Marlene and the maiden could feel the bone-chilling sensation hitting her face. She innately held her breath and embraced stiffly for the upcoming attack.


    And at this moment, a bright, red sword light appeared in front of Marlene. The Crimson Blade rapidly intertwined in the air and instantly weaved a blade net, rejecting the cold blade.


    "Clang clang clang!!"


    After a series of non-stop blading sounds, the ice-cold sword that darted towards Marlene was instantly shattered into bits. And at this moment, Marlene opened her eyes in shock and stared at the figure in front of her �� This figure was so familiar to her.


    "I knew something would come and cause trouble."


    Rhode gripped the sword with his backhand and fixed his gaze on the odd black figure tenaciously.


    "Marlene, continue to dismantle the passageway ritual! I''ll take charge here!"


    Rhode swung his left arm horizontally and a pitch-black, fully armored Centaur Knight immediately emerged out of nowhere. It raised its pike and charged towards the Black Robes to make up for the vacancy left behind by Rhode after his departure. Although in terms of offense, the Centaur Knight wasn''t as powerful as Rhode, as a fully armored knight, its defense was still pretty good.


    "Okay, Mr Rhode."


    After surviving a near-death scenario, Marlene held her chest and heaved sighs of relief before hurriedly pulling herself up and restarted her dismantling process. Witnessing this, the human-shaped figure howled and stretched its arm towards Marlene once again. This time around, flashes of red appeared in its eyes as Rhode leisurely arrived in its face.


    "Pardon me, Mr Gloom Shadow. This road is blocked, so please turn around."


    "You know me?"


    Astonished by Rhode''s question, the black human-shaped figure asked in a deep intonation. In response, Rhode nodded without any change of expression. He remotely pointed his sword towards it before squinting his eyes and scanning this half-bodied monster blended into the shadows from head to toe.


    The Gloom Shadow was a mid-rank demon that lived on the first floor of hell. They survived within the shadows and used the power of ice to ambush and harm their targets. They were also considered the assassination troops of hell. The strength of these demons wasn''t weak and their capability to blend into shadows made them harder to handle. But, luckily, they''re on the surface. Under the suppression of order, the strength of the Gloom Shadow would at least be weakened by one third. If not, Rhode wouldn''t have chosen to fight it head-on. Upon witnessing this Gloom Shadow, Rhode''s increased his alertness because only demons with high levels could order Gloom Shadows. Demon Generals were also divided between ordinary and elites. In this case, it could be difficult to defeat that demon who''s trying to open up this passageway.


    Rhode could only hope for Gillian to diminish at least some of the demon''s energy.


    Rhode dwindled his train of thoughts. Unless things got out of hand and necessary, Rhode wouldn''t wish to waste the last chance of ''Seal Release'' for Gillian to recover her strength of an Elemental Lord. After all, Rhode planned for this to be unveiled for much more critical situations.


    "Hmph!"


    The Gloom Shadow scorned towards the human standing in front of it. It could sense that this young man wasn''t that powerful and it shouldn''t have any problems defeating him. Although the Gloom Shadow initially decided to torture this young man and make him die in disparity, after noticing the busy maiden behind him, it quickly had a new idea �� No matter what, its priority was to protect the passageway. Although it wasn''t an expert and didn''t take pleasure in exerting frontal offense, it''s still more than enough for these fragile humans.


    After considerations, the Gloom Shadow no longer hesitated. Its upper body suddenly began to slitter frontwards like a snake and projected itself towards Rhode like an arrow. Not only that, the Gloom Shadow even stretched its right arm and in a blink of an eye, three of its fingers extended in length and aimed for Rhode''s eyes and forehead.


    This was one of the most common attacking sequences of the Gloom Shadow. Borrowing the flexibility of a snake, it was used to mislead its enemies with its multiple directions of attack. Furthermore, the right hand was there to also divert the enemies'' attention. As a matter of fact, being a semi-incorporeal creature, the Gloom Shadow was basically considered to be without a physical body. The reason why it maintained its physical shape was solely for the purpose of paralyzing and giving their enemies an illusion.


    This was the Gloom Shadow''s well-tried method and this time, it would not fail.


    "Eh?"


    Just as the Gloom Shadow arrived in Rhode''s face. This sly creature suddenly detected that something was amiss.


    This young man didn''t reveal the same horrified expression as he expected. Instead, this human only placed his sword half-horizontally in front of himself and listlessly looking back with his oscillating eyes.


    An arrogant and foolish human.


    The Gloom Shadow had no hesitations as it extended its right arm and aimed for Rhode''s face.


    At this moment, Rhode finally moved.


    Without any fanciful movements or outrageous reactions, Rhode took a swing with his sword to the left. The Crimson Blade heavily knocked onto the Gloom Shadow''s arm, leading to an immediate explosion of energy which blasted the Gloom Shadow away.


    What a powerful strength!


    The Gloom Shadow was startled by this powerful blow. From Rhode''s rather fragile looking stature, it initially harbored contempt towards him. However, it seemed that the truth was otherwise. Dang it, this young man''s strength could even be compared to an angered Barbarian. Where did this human get so much strength from?


    It might be startled but if he continued to be startled and stopped his attack, then this Gloom Shadow would even lose all the reputation its race had. Therefore, although his first blow was rejected by Rhode, it had no intentions of stopping its aggression. Suddenly, it leaned forward and a pitch-black arm equipped with sharp claws projected out from its chest and towards Rhode''s heart!


    This was the real attack style of the Gloom Shadow!


    The Gloom Shadow revealed a sinister smile and it even began to anticipate the thrill and satisfaction it would get after digging out Rhode''s heart �� And at this moment, the Gloom Shadow''s expression suddenly stiffened.


    Because Rhode moved once again.


    As before, without any extravagant or complex moves, Rhode knocked off the attack from the Gloom Shadow''s right arm. Then, Rhode turned his wrist around with his sword and abruptly thrust downwards!


    This motion seemed uncomplicated at all and very ordinary, almost to no purpose �� It''s supposed to be this way.


    However, accompanied with the ambush of the Gloom Shadow, Rhode''s meaningless motion immediately became a huge threat. It seemed that Rhode had predicted that the Gloom Shadow would aim for his heart and the Gloom Shadow''s attack seemed more like it was ridiculously allowing Rhode to pierce through, rather than what an ambush would look like��


    Damn it!


    As a demon experienced in battles, the Gloom Shadow realized the situation was far from good. It immediately tried to retract its hand, but at this moment, the Crimson Blade in Rhode''s hand had pierced through its palm like butter.


    "Ahhh��!''


    The immense pain forced the Gloom Shadow to scream. Indeed, it didn''t have a ''fixed physique'', however, it after all still had a ''body''. Furthermore, the Crimson Blade was a magical weapon. Although a semi-incorporeal creature was always immune to inorganic matter, it couldn''t resist against weapons that were magically embedded.


    The Gloom Shadow finally realized that Rhode wasn''t as easy as it expected. Being a treacherous and ultimate back-stabbing demon, of course, it wouldn''t stay too close with a foe who seemed to understand his attacking style. The Gloom Shadow screamed and quickly changed its form while retreating. Its punctured arm transformed into a shadow while flickering backwards like a ripped rag.


    How would Rhode allow it to escape so easily? Fixing his eyes on the Gloom Shadow, Rhode snorted and slashed his sword from the bottom up!


    In this motion, a half-arc blade light that erupted from Rhode''s sword projected towards the Gloom Shadow. The Gloom Shadow''s expression instantly flipped ashenly. The pros of these semi-incorporeal creatures were their tangible physical attacks and immune characteristics. However, as they weren''t totally tangible, they wouldn''t have any immunity against equally intangible attacks! No matter if it''s magic attacks or the sword light that''s spiritually coalesced, the incorporeal creatures would be severely harmed by them.


    Although the Gloom Shadow retreated quickly, Rhode''s blade lights followed tightly. Sensing the dangers, the Gloom Shadow finally couldn''t tolerate it anymore. It suddenly pulled up from the ground and flew out of the shadows to dodge Rhode''s attack.


    And at this moment, the Gloom Shadow caught a glimpse of the black-haired young man stretching his left hand and a pitch-black card-like thing flickered on his palm.


    What''s that?


    A trace of doubt flashed in the Gloom Shadow''s mind as he innately detected some danger �� But it was too late.


    Suddenly from all directions, countless of tentacles emerged out of nowhere and bound the Gloom Shadow tightly.


    This�� Nether Tentacles? What are they doing here?


    The Gloom Shadow was startled by the tentacles that sprung out in the shadows. As a creature from hell, how could it not know the Nether Tentacles? The Nether Tentacles were one of the hardest to deal with within all of hell. Some Demon Lords even used them to safeguard their own homes and they would perform much better than demon guards. And to the Gloom Shadow who was an expert in assassinations, it naturally didn''t wish to meet such an opponent because alike itself, the Nether Tentacles were also semi-incorporeal beings. Not only that, they held a special ability which other semi-incorporeal beings were envious of and that was, once these tentacles wrapped onto their prey, struggling would even be difficult, not to mention counter-attacking!


    And this was the truth. Although the Gloom Shadow tried to escape, the tentacles from all directions wrapped onto him tightly which it couldn''t even budge�� Damn it, what exactly is this young human? How could he summon a demon?


    Before the Gloom Shadow figured out an answer, Rhode darted swiftly in front of it and lifted his long sword.


    Witnessing the chilly sword blade in Rhode''s hands, the Gloom Shadow''s eyes suddenly shook.


    The next moment, Rhode''s sword pierced deeply into its body.


    "��!"


    The Gloom Shadow let out a shrill scream, but Rhode didn''t let loose. Instead, he abruptly let go of his grip from the sword hilt and retreated backwards.


    "Swish swish swish!"


    The instant Rhode leaped backwards, a few arms suddenly fell from above and grabbed onto his afterimage. Right now, there were a few more similar human-shaped figures beside the Gloom Shadow. However, as compared to the Gloom Shadow, these creatures formed from the shadows had much slower movements and their build was much smaller. At this moment, they transformed into a wall of shadow and surrounded Rhode. Not only that, they''re even forming the top layer in order to devour Rhode entirely.


    Rhode wasn''t unfamiliar to these creatures at all. When he faced the Demon Worshippers on High Cliff Village, he had met these creatures �� Shadow Devil. The lowly Shadow Devil could be considered to be the creation of the Gloom Shadow. However, these Shadow Devils that appeared before him were only just created and hadn''t reached their fully grown state which he had met on High Cliff Village, so there were huge differences in their strengths.


    But, it was too late.


    Scanning the Shadow Devils surrounding himself, Rhode clenched his teeth as he initially planned to finish off the Gloom Shadow as fast as he can, however, he didn''t expect that its reaction was equally fast. The Gloom Shadow knew it was one step into death''s door, so he burst out in powerful strength and began to create Shadow Devils desperately. Rhode who released his sword previously to avoid attacks was currently empty-handed and totally unable to fend against these creatures.


    He''s dead!


    A trace of excitement glittered in the eyes of the Gloom Shadow as its critters had completely surrounded Rhode. In fact, it only took five to six seconds for the transition from Rhode''s attack to the Gloom Shadow''s counterattack. As the speed was too fast, even the Nether Tentacles couldn''t react on time. This was the best opportunity to entirely finish off this human! Once he''s dead, there won''t be any more threats!


    The Shadow Devils encircled Rhode without any hindrance. Only a moment was needed for this human to be dead!


    Of course, it wasn''t that the Gloom Shadow didn''t suspect Rhode''s identity �� However, in this crucial life and death situation, who even has the time to care! I''m not an idiot like the Parasites. My safety is the main priority now!


    "Eh?"


    At this moment, suddenly the Gloom Shadow detected a dazzling white light emerged in front of it.


    From the start, it seemed like a feeble spot of starlight within the pitch-black skies. However, almost abruptly, it burst into a radiant glory as bright as a sun.


    "��!"


    The flawless, white radiance ripped the Shadow Devil''s encirclement. At the next moment, it punctured the body of the Gloom Shadow.


    What''s this


    The Gloom Shadow stared in shock at the pure, white sword that was pierced into its body as it sensed the force of incredible holiness. At this moment, this force felt like a surging volcano erupting in its body and its illusionary body had stopped moving like an empty, frozen shell. Along with this bright explosion, a ray of bright, glaring radiance fissures glutted its body.


    "No��!!"


    The Gloom Shadow lifted its head and screamed grudgingly before his body was utterly cracked into bits and disappeared within the holy flames.


    "Hu��"


    As the Gloom Shadow disappeared entirely, Rhode withdrew his striking posture and wiped off the sweat on his forehead. He retrieved his Crimson Blade from the ground and at the same time gesturing in mid-air. Soon, the silver sword and the surrounding Nether Tentacles swiftly disappeared without a trace. What replaced them were two cards hovering in the air before returning to Rhode''s hand.


    It''s such a hassle battling these demons.


    Rhode applied pressure onto his temple. In the game, the most troublesome battles were always with the demons. These bastards were sly and scheming, however, were also much easier to be dealt with than devils �� At least the attacks of the demons were trackable, unlike the devils which Rhode would need to rely solely on instincts and experience.


    Suddenly, at this moment, Marlene''s scream sounded from behind Rhode.


    "Mr Rhode, there''s something wrong with the ritual!"


    "What''s the situation?"


    Rhode turned around hurriedly and witnessed the complex ritual circle releasing an odd magical radiance. Not only that, he sensed a force of energy precipitating in the air. As he scanned the surroundings, the frantic Black Robes had retreated.


    "Has the defense barrier been deactivated?"


    "Yes, it is!"


    Marlene seemed to understand Rhode''s intentions as she hurriedly retreated and swiftly answered. She extended her arms and quickly gestured while chanting softly. The magical light ball between her arms slowly began to enlarge and at the same time, Rhode extended his left hand and summoned the Black Hound. Upon hearing Rhode''s whistle, the Black Hound immediately darted towards the ritual circle. Meanwhile, Rhode turned around and gave an order quickly.


    "Everyone, prepare to defend. Lize, cast your barrier!"


    "��!"


    At this moment, Marlene sang her final incantations and pushed her arms forward with force.


    Accompanied with an ear-deafening rumble, a beam of glorious magical light exploded from between Marlene''s arms as it projected towards the ritual circle in spectacular significance.


    "Bam!"


    Explosions sounded.


    The magical radiance blended with the exploding flame sparks into one and this powerful force of energy flushed into the air.

 Chapter 391 Chaotic Warfare in the Fortress

    "Ahhhh!"


    Gelk roared in anger. He defensively swung his right arm forward and in a blink of an eye, countless fireballs erupted in his face. The powerful blast forced the Demon General back desperately. He continued to hover in mid-air, clenching his teeth and staring widely at the fox-ear maiden not far away from him.


    "Half-beast! Why are you helping the humans by going against the Demons!"


    "This got nothing to do with you, little cutie."


    Gillian covered her mouth with her right hand like an elegant lady as she chuckled cutely. Shortly after, she flung her other arm forward and yet another wave of thousand fireballs emerged around her. She released them towards the demon in her eyes.


    "Damn it!"


    Facing this overwhelming aggression, even a Demon General like Gelk didn''t dare to defy. He swiftly retreated, at the same time waving both hands in the air. Soon, as two evil and blasphemy symbols brightened in front of Gelk, a pale green barrier quickly emerged and defended against Gillian''s attack. Although he wasn''t injured, the smoky traces were indispensable.


    Damn bastard!


    Gelk once again retreated. He gritted his teeth and shot Gillian a death stare. Unlike the ignorant humans, Gelk immediately detected the pureness of Gillian''s fire elemental prowess. He intended to burn her with the flames from hell but instead, he almost injured himself after she deflected them back. With such a high command of controllability even in the demon''s flames, this fox-ear maiden definitely wasn''t any ordinary half-beast. She must be an emissary from the fire plane of existence.


    Gelk had a splitting headache at this thought.


    The four elemental planes had nothing much involved with the demons and their stands were always neutral regarding the battles of the demons. However, the Demon General couldn''t figure out why an emissary would be here. And what''s worse was, she''s a fire element emissary.


    Even in a place like hell, the elemental strengths shouldn''t be underestimated. It was also due to this that Gelk didn''t know how to lay his hands on Gillian. He was worried if the Fire Elemental Lord got the news that Gelk had injured or killed his emissary, the Fire Elemental lord would confront Gelk''s master in hell and this would definitely end as a tragedy �� There were no such things as sacrificing oneself for another in hell. Instead, there were countless of backstabbings. Not to mention, Gelk was only a lowly ranked Demon General. He suspected that if things turned out that way, he would definitely be offered as a compensation to appease the Elemental Lord.


    However, that''s still a long time after. Taking a step back, Gelk might not even be capable of defeating Gillian.


    Gelk swept a glance on the Fortress below him. At this moment, the Fortress was filled with fire sparks and smoke. Those foolish human Barbarians were unable to withstand this blow totally. Under the airstrikes of Gillian''s fireballs, those Barbarians were scared out of their wits. Although Gillian currently didn''t possess the true strength of an Elemental Lord, her fireballs were still bold and powerful �� And it was this boldness that scared the Barbarians witless.


    Got to say, sometimes this overwhelming barrage indeed seemed frightening.


    After experiencing the first wave of ''barrage'', the Barbarians screamed as they scrambled into the Fortress to avoid the ''fire rain''. Some struggled to escape towards the city outskirts and some even thought this was the punishment from the Creator Dragon as they discarded their weapons and kneeled in prayers.


    With such men, it''s imaginable just how much attacking strength they had.


    Another matter that depressed the Demon General was that his enemies seemed to be well prepared for him. Not long after the Demon General appeared, he received news of enemy intrusions and he was occupied by Gillian at the same time. Gelk thought his Black Robes and Barbarians could form an alliance enough to handle the dozen of adventurers, but now, as a quarter of an hour past, the situation turned even more chaotic.


    Now Gelk didn''t dare imagine himself diving back down to the Fortress because there''s a sea of flames waiting for him. Only an idiot would dare to do that in the face of a Fire Elemental emissary.


    What exactly is the situation down there?


    Gelk contended with Gillian, at the same time forcing out a solution. From the current situation, the Demon General had no choice but to retreat. Most of his incapable subordinates were dead and those foolish Barbarians were totally useless. Those people attacking the Fortress were too well prepared, if not they wouldn''t have invaded the Fortress so easily. No matter what, his momentum was gone and he had to retreat.


    But on the contrary, Gelk had no intentions of leaving as he had spent so much time gathering this many helper to carve a passageway ritual here. The nearby Barbarians were all recruited by him and had he backed off, the next time �� he could only take actions internally in the Munn Kingdom.


    However, the demons were very clear whose territory the Munn Kingdom belonged to. If this was within the borders of Country of Light, the situation would still be manageable as those foolish humans wantonly expulsed the Angels and Creator Dragon and also, many of his demon peers had dived in and lived well within. However, it''s impossible to take actions within the Munn Kingdom as that''s the territory of the Archangel. No matter how, if his whereabouts were exposed, only death awaited him.


    "Huhuhu��"


    Staring at the Demon General, Gillian leisurely smiled and hovered in the air near him. She sensitively detected the hesitation of the Demon General and that was enough. Although Gillian wasn''t much powerful than this Demon General of at least level 45, luckily as a demon, his expertise was on flame attacks. As a Fire Elemental Lord, although Gillian''s strength was sealed, her highest commanding rights of flames were still present. This was why Gillian could manipulate Gelk''s flames from the start which frightened the Demon General. If they were to pick a fight, Gelk would only need a split second to realize Gillian''s true strength.


    This was why Gillian couldn''t engage in any attacks. Although she detected Gelk''s hesitation, her current strength wasn''t enough to make the first move. However, this Fire Elemental Lord was always full of ideas. She was aware of demons'' characteristics which were always being careful and letting their imaginations run wild. From this, she forced the Demon General to fear herself by feigning profound and it seemed to work out pretty effectively.


    But��


    At this moment, Gillian suddenly realized the expression of this Demon General abruptly sunk.


    Gloom Shadow is dead?!


    After Rhode killed the Gloom Shadow, the sharp spirit undulations immediately triggered Gelk''s soul. Not only that, from the message that his confidant left for himself, Gelk shockingly discovered that these intruders actually attempted to destroy his passageway ritual!


    "Dream on!"


    A pitch-black mist was released from Gelk''s body and he flung his arms forward to shroud the mist immediately on Gillian. Shortly after, the Demon General dived downwards to the Fortress while brandishing both arms and chanting. After completing his chant, the Demon General pointed his finger forward and a beam of blue radiance projected from his fingertip and onto the Fortress.


    "Not good!"


    Gillian was taken aback. As the black mist arrived, Gillian could sense the icy-cold and powers of death. Without much choices, Gillian could only retreat. The maiden shouted lightly and flung both hands frontwards. Soon, a few raging tornados of flames rose from the Fortress and guarded her against the black mist. Without much hesitations, Gillian darted down and followed Gelk closely.


    However, halfway through, a trace of strangeness flashed in Gillian''s eyes. Like a gymnast, the maiden did a backflip to draw a distance away from Gelk.


    And at that moment, a brilliant column of flames tore through the Fortress and towards the skies. This poor Demon General unluckily darted above the impact and in a blink of an eye, he was devoured by the flames entirely. However, Gillian had no intentions of stopping as she observed the column of flames soared into the skies. The maiden smiled slightly and swayed her index finger.


    Along with this motion, the soaring column of flames abruptly took a 90 degrees turn like a huge python flapping downwards. After circling in the air once, it heavily landed on the ground. At that moment, a shrill scream sounded within the flames as a ray of black flames scuttled out suddenly.


    Gillian''s expression slightly changed at this sight.


    "Not good!"

 Chapter 392 Purple Lightning

    Rhode pushed off the broken tiles and lifted his head towards the large hall. He shrank back with an involuntary gasp.


    He previously ordered Gillian not to go overboard and now that this Fortress had collapsed, it had little difference from a demolished building. Although Marlene''s magical attack in addition to the Black Hound''s self-destruction destroyed the passageway ritual, they had also punctured the entire Fortress. Now there''s a 20 meters empty hole on the ceiling and even the stars could be seen flickering in the dark skies��


    Looks like a remake of this building is needed.


    Rhode shook his head while sighing. He stood up and scanned his surroundings. At this moment, the others had recovered from their senses after the explosion. Luckily, Lize''s defensive spells were on time. Although the others might have sustained some injuries, they weren''t too serious. Only Marlene who had cast her spells too hurriedly received backlash from her magical powers and injured her right arm. She laid on the ground weakly but she seemed to be fine.


    However, this wasn''t the end.


    "Lize, heal up the rest."


    Rhode patted off the dust on his body and picked up his sword. Right now, his body was filled with blood stains. However, luckily, those stains were only from abrasions and his body was still fine. Upon hearing Rhode''s order, Lize hurriedly acknowledged and attended to Marlene. Although Marlene seemed very pale, Lize continued to treat her wounds attentively.


    And at that moment, suddenly a large explosion sounded from the outside which shocked Rhode. As he lifted his head, he immediately saw a beam of black flames scuttling in from the ceiling hole, aiming for all of them.


    Black flames, a demon from hell! That''s the Demon General!


    Rhode immediately transformed into a shadow and darted towards the black flames. Up until that moment, the others only just reacted. They shockingly lifted their heads and witnessed a beam of red light streaked across the darkness. It was as though the red light was colliding heavily with the meteor showers of black flames.


    "Bam!"


    Along with a deep clashing impact, the black flames struck the ground. In an instant, the black flames spread rapidly on the ground while Rhode flew backwards and landed severely. Rhode gritted his teeth and curled his right arm backwards, tossing his Crimson Blade to the side. However, even so, Rhode didn''t give up. The instant he fell and rolled his body, he forced himself to stand up.


    A figure revealed itself within the black flames.


    Gelk no longer held the beauty of the human form but was displaying his demonic side instead. Pitch-black gills covered his entire body with four claws extended out. His fly-like skull continuously swayed and the sharp mouthpiece made buzzing sounds. Not only that. a huge, fluffy belly hung out from behind the Demon General which made it seemed like a gigantic housefly.


    "Si��! Damn humans!!"


    Although Gelk''s shoulder was pierced through by Rhode''s sword, the demon''s recovery speed wasn''t something the humans could match. Just as Rhode was rolling on the ground, Gelk was flapping his thin wings towards him.


    "Sir, be careful!"


    As Gelk''s speed was too fast, this human-shaped gigantic housefly had arrived in front of Rhode just as everyone let out terrified screams.


    And at this moment, Rhode did an outrageous movement.


    Facing the wide opened mouth and the sharp claws of the demonic creature, Rhode didn''t reveal any traces of fear. Instead, he lifted his left hand to his mouth �� and blew a loud whistle.


    Countless of magical radiance suddenly emerged beside the Demon General.


    What are these?


    As Gelk was distracted by the magical radiance encircling himself, a pitch-black tentacle emerged out of nowhere and wrapped Gelk''s body tightly. Meanwhile, the scorching Black Hound widened its mouth and bit onto Gelk''s throat while the sharp claws of the Spirit Bird gripped tightly onto his compound eye and mercilessly shred it into pieces. Finally, a pair of pure, white and pitch-black swords intertwined and punctured the Demon General''s body.


    Dong!


    With this deep sound of the collision, the Demon General flung backwards and severely landed on the other side of the wall. The spirits that attacked it suddenly disappeared.


    "��!"


    Rhode once again blew a whistle involuntarily. The Legion Horns talent skill was indeed useful and was the best to finish off an enemy. In the game, a specialized Spirit Swordsman who had enough summon spirits could use this split-second killer skill on other classes. Not to mention, now that Rhode had two specializations. Not only did this strengthened his summonings, but also strengthened his spirits. How could a Demon General defend against such powerful harm?


    "Dong!"


    The Demon General landed heavily on the wall. It widened its eye and furiously stared at this scene in front of him. However, everything was in a blur�� His strength was rapidly lost, but humans�� Don''t think you have won! The Demon General slowly turned around and extended a claw where a translucent black crystal ball appeared. He crushed the crystal ball and it shattered into nothingness.


    And his life had reached the end.


    But, the aftermath of this was too huge��


    Rhode''s body gave way and collapsed to the ground. Although the duration of the skill was only three seconds, instantly summoning all of his spirits drained almost all of his spiritual energies. If he didn''t prepare for this early, perhaps he would be totally drained by now.


    After strengthening his talents, Rhode''s spiritual energy had almost reached the same levels as some ordinary Mages. However, even so, this terrifying skill still exhausted all of his energy. Furthermore, there wasn''t a choice for this skill as it automatically summoned all the spirits in Rhode''s collection in an ''irregular'' way, also diminishing around 1.5 times more spiritual energy than usual �� In other words, as Rhode''s collection of summoning spirits increases, he would exhaust much more spiritual energy. The only lucky thing was that this skill although would drain the entire spiritual energy of a Spirit Swordsman, its damage would, in turn, be enormous. In fact, when battling a Spirit Swordsman who specialized in summoning spirits, many players tend to be much more careful, in fear of being on the receiving end of the ''Legion Horns''.


    However, this skill wasn''t invincible. Including the Holy Knights, many players held counteractive actions against it. The instant they grabbed the chance to counteract this skill �� The Spirit Swordsman''s threat would basically be zero. Although the duration of these invincible skills wasn''t considered too long, the duration of the Legion Horns was even shorter�� Where no one''s in an advantageous or disadvantageous state.


    "Mr Rhode!"


    Rhode collapsed to the ground and Lize frightenedly ran forward to examine his condition carefully.


    "Are you okay, Mr Rhode? I''ll give you a��"


    "It''s alright, Lize. You should take a break."


    Rhode interrupted Lize''s concerns. At this moment, Lize was pale and even a little ashen. This was a sign of her overexerting her spiritual energy. Come to think of it, without Marlene''s magical assistance, Lize led a few mercenaries to set up a defense line against those Black Robes and her defensive spells were cast almost instantly. On the other hand, after Rhode left the frontlines and battled against the Gloom Shadow, the entire defensive line was supported by Lize herself. Even if it''s a player Cleric, perhaps they couldn''t have tolerated this exhaustion.


    Listening to Rhode''s advice, Lize no longer insisted. It seemed that the maiden indeed ran out of steam as she proceeded to rest by the side. Rhode nodded towards her before pulling himself up using the wall beside him. He then waved towards a mercenary who was treating others'' wounds and the mercenary immediately reported.


    "Go check out the conditions of others."


    Although that battle with the Demon General didn''t take too long, it was also due to this that Rhode didn''t expect many changes to occur. The fast attack by both sides struck when opportunities presented themselves and there wasn''t any time for them to react. Only after Rhode managed to defeat it, he was just reminded of the villagers waiting to be saved by him�� However, judging from the state of the Fortress, no one knew if they survived��


    I hope they survived. If they didn''t, then there''s nothing I could to save them��


    "Master!"


    Just as the mercenary left after receiving Rhode''s instructions., Gillian finally flew back into the Fortress through the ceiling hole. She observed the bombarded hall with a faint change of expression.


    "Master, leave now, hurry!"


    "What''s wrong? Gillian? Didn''t I finish him off?"


    Rhode was surprised by Gillian''s attitude. As he replied to her, he subconsciously glanced towards the corpse of the Demon General.


    Although the corpse of the Demon General had collapsed to the ground, the black flames were still burning. Not only that, they were spiraling in the gravel, as if following a trajectory!


    Sh*t!


    Rhode''s expression changed dramatically at this sight. Of course, he knew what this meant!


    "Everyone, leave now!"


    Rhode instantly lifted his head and screamed.


    However, it was too late.


    The pile of gravel sudden exploded. The initially translucent, smoky air abruptly flashed in multi-colored luster. Only in a blink of an eye, this mirror-like reflection began to shatter. Bits and pieces of the ''mirror images'' fell off and pitch-blackness was revealed inside.


    That bastard actually used his strength to activate the passageway!


    Rhode''s heart sank at this scene as he didn''t think this Demon General would be so sly and cruel. Although Rhode indeed destroyed his ritual circle, this bastard clearly was ready for it. Although he couldn''t entirely open the passageway with the powers of a Demon General, according to the Parasite''s explanations, this area had weak barriers which were perfect for the passageway to start with�� Damn it! Why didn''t I ensure he was dead!


    But right now, there''s no point in regretting. The broken ritual barrier revealed a corner of the passageway and a powerful suction immediately began to take in everything. Once one entered the passageway, one would forever get stuck inside it and could never get out!


    Everyone hurriedly grabbed onto any boulders or any corners of depressions beside them. While resisting this powerful suction, Rhode suddenly shrieked.


    "Ah!"


    Marlene was totally defenseless against the attractive force as her right arm was injured by the previous attack. Although the maiden tried her best to maintain her stance, her right arm gave way and she was lifted off the ground rapidly.


    "Marlene!"


    Lize screeched at the sight of her good friend flying into the vortex. Suddenly, a black figure flashed towards the helpless maiden.


    "Pa!"


    Rhode grabbed onto Marlene''s desperate right arm and immediately struck his Crimson Blade dead into the ground and straight into the hilt. Both of them finally stabilized.


    However, this was only a temporary expedient.


    "Gillian, think of something!"


    Rhode grabbed onto the sword hilt and lifted his head before shouting to the fox-ear maiden. Gillian was equally anxious.


    "I have no idea, Master! Unless you could unlock the seal and engage in a special summon for me!"


    Special summon?


    Rhode looked down at his left hand that was gripping onto the sword hilt and his right hand that was grabbing onto Marlene. How can I even do a special summon?


    Damn it�� Can''t a Spirit Swordsman summon something without using hands?


    While grabbing onto Rhode''s hand, Marlene lifted her head and stared at the man before her eyes.


    "Mr Rhode, don''t worry about me. It''s better to let me go and summon Miss Gillian. This way, at least everyone will��"


    "Are you kidding? Do you think there will be nice picnic and afternoon tea for you in there?"


    Although Rhode''s words were unforgiving, his expression remained the same.


    "No matter what, young lady. You are considered my woman and I don''t have the habit of sending my woman to die."


    "Eh?"


    Marlene''s heart abruptly skipped a beat.


    Suddenly, a drawing fell out from Marlene''s tattered robe and was sucked into the gap of the passageway before shattering into bits.


    And at that moment, a stout purple lightning descended from the heavens, right onto the broken passageway.

 Chapter 393 Finally Got I

    "��"


    Christie opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling vacantly.


    The entire stronghold was dead silent. The little girl sat herself up and quietly took in everything before her eyes. Without a change of clothes, the little girl got off the bed and approached the door.


    Christie didn''t reach out to the knob but the wooden door quietly opened by itself. The little girl stepped out of the room. There weren''t any sounds coming from the empty hallway. She turned around and ascended the stairs. Before her eyes, the locked large door suddenly opened automatically. Cold, night wind breezed from within and swept the little girl.


    If it was the usual Christie, perhaps she would be shivering by now. However, at this moment, the girl''s expression didn''t change at all. She stepped up while barefooted and arrived the rooftop of the stronghold. The girl gazed upon the skies, but at this moment, the faint radiance in Christie''s beautiful, amethyst right eye gradually intensified. The rich radiance flickered from within and it glowed ever brightly under the night skies.


    No one saw that at this moment, the thick clouds were beginning to gather. The clouds sheltered the moon and stars and continuously let out deep rumbles. As the little girl listened attentively to it, she stretched out her five fingers towards the sky.


    *Rumble!*


    A streak of lightning ripped the clouds abruptly and it happened to strike at Christie, shrouding her within. In an instant, the little girl was flowing with purple electricity from head to toe and at this moment, Christie clenched her fist.


    "Hu!!"


    Along with this motion, the lightning suddenly reversed back into the skies. The clouds swiftly disappeared and in a blink of an eye, the moon hidden behind the thick clouds once again revealed itself. Lucid and elegant radiance fell from the skies once more.


    "�� Rhode��"


    And at this moment, Christie swayed and softly muttered as she looked up at the night skies. Then, the little girl shut her eyes and collapsed to the ground.


    "Bam!"


    At that instant, Rhode felt his eardrums were deafened. Everything before his eyes were pure whiteness. His ears couldn''t hear anything. There was an instance where Rhode had a misconception that he had left this world. However, in a short period of time, the whiteness gradually dispersed and the pitch-black, shattered hall once again unveiled before Rhode.


    *Thump*


    Up until this moment, Rhode''s body heavily landed on the ground. He shook his head, and after realizing the powerful suction was gone, he turned around towards the ruins. It was silent and nothing was odd. Rhode reluctantly heaved a sigh of relief and stood himself up to carefully scan the area.


    At this moment, the other mercenaries peeked out from behind boulders and walls in the ruins frightenedly. After ensuring everything was in order, all of them began scrambling towards Rhode and observed towards the direction of the broken passageway.


    There was nothing.


    What happened?


    Rhode frowned at this strange sight. Although this wasn''t too odd as a passageway ritual wouldn''t leave any corpse or traces after it got destroyed, he was still dubious of the force that was able to shut off the forcefully opened ritual. This wasn''t a passageway that required any precise positioning, complex ritual and a large number of sacrifices in order to open. This could even be considered a killing blow by the Demon General after it decided to take them down with himself. He used the residual energy and himself to blow up and shatter the ritual barrier. Such a passageway was the hardest to shut down. For example, a passageway is like a pipe where one can bring water over by opening the valve. Therefore, in order to close this passageway, one just needs to close the valve and seal the opening securely.


    However, this violent behavior of the Demon General was no different from directly smashing a hole in the dam. Flood would begin to flow outwards and under such situations, it would be difficult no matter how one struggles!


    But now, what exactly ''blocked'' the flood of the passageway?


    Not anyone would hold such strength. Even though Gillian might be possible, however, Rhode could swear that he didn''t unlock her seal. Without unlocking Gillian''s seal, her levels and strength were similar to Rhode. Furthermore, this passageway wasn''t linked to fire elemental plane of existence, so Gillian''s chances on this were basically zero.


    So then, who exactly was it?


    Rhode frowned and began to carefully ponder. He shifted his suspicious gaze towards the fox-ear maiden who was currently scanning the broken ground where the passageway was. However, detecting Rhode''s gaze, Gillian shrugged her shoulders and indicated that she also got no clues.


    No matter what, at least I got through this danger.


    Rhode let out a long sigh and forced himself to throw this doubt to the back of his head. He turned around and gave a new command.


    "Start a comprehensive search. Report any abnormalities immediately."


    After receiving the orders, the mercenaries quickly got into work. Although they were tired and just skipped death, these mercenaries knew now wasn''t the time to rest, therefore, they gritted their teeth and pulled themselves together for the search. However, not too long later, Anne, Joey, and Marfa who were responsible for the other three routes attacks had gathered. With their reports, Rhode had a preliminary understanding of the current situation.


    Strictly speaking, this battle was very successful. Rhode''s ambush succeeded in attracting most of the enemies'' elite forces. Whereas, Gillian''s barrage of fireballs terrified those Barbarians who were guarding the Fortress and they fled. On the other hand, Joey and Marfa used this opportunity to lead their men to the specific direction which Rhode had advised and immediately caught the Barbarians off guard. However, even so, it took a lot of effort in taking down these Barbarians. The main reason was that the Black Robes were overly hard to deal with and to the mercenaries, this situation was too unfamiliar for them. If the Demon General wasn''t pinned down by Gillian, and Rhode didn''t manage to defeat the Gloom Shadow, it would have been hard to predict who would have won. And even so, in these two troops of mercenaries, two of them died in the process and three were heavily injured. However, luckily, Rhode had plentiful Clerics by his side to pull the three of them back from the brink of deaths.


    "Two died?"


    Rhode wrinkled his brows reluctantly after knowing two men had died in the battles. To him, those two men could potentially be part of their future main forces. Now that they''re dead, they couldn''t be revived in this world. Therefore, after hearing this piece of the report, Rhode was truly regretful. However, the mercenaries were very calm to this news instead �� They took down 200 over people successfully with only around 30 men. Moreover, they also defeated the demons that were defending this Fortress, which was a massive victory for them. From a normal human''s perspective, even if both sides were human armies, the attacking side would have a chance for victory only if they had a few times more men than the defending side. Not only Rhode claimed a ferocious area with such limited manpower, he also seemed capable of predicting the enemies'' moves. Whereas, these mercenaries weren''t dumb either as they could naturally see Rhode''s exquisite plans for this mission which they were admirable of. After noticing the depressed look on Rhode''s face when the report of two men lost in the fight was heard, the mercenaries were thankful for his concern as it was rare to be under such a kind leader. However, they didn''t know that deep down, Rhode was heart-aching for losing two rare elites.


    "Please don''t blame yourself, Sir. Life and death are ruled by fate. Those two brothers were unlucky, please don''t take it too hard."


    "I understand."


    Rhode nodded in acknowledgment of the mercenaries'' words. In fact, he knew he was wasting too much time worrying about insignificant problems. Actually, this was a natural reaction of a game player. Just like in the game, some players could go through some special missions or coincidences to recruit some elite NPCs to be their servants. Some NPCs were especially pretty and some had special abilities. These were considered a massive support for the players. However, only the players were able to revive after they died and not for the elite NPCs as they would disappear entirely. So, many players treasured their elite servants a lot and unless necessary, they wouldn''t choose to let them die. There were many ''otaku'' players who specialized in doing wacky tasks just for the sake of recruiting cute maidens as their servants. They would rather die a hundred times than to let an NPC die once. If the NPC dies due to any reason, these players would be heartbroken,


    "But, it''s still best if no one dies."


    Of course, Rhode wouldn''t be as heartbroken as those players. However, he did spend a huge amount of effort in recruiting these elite mercenaries. And for them to die in such a damned place, Rhode definitely didn''t feel good at all. However, he understood that life and death were ruled by fate. There were those that fought hard in battlegrounds and survived but got knocked down by a car in front of their own home. What did they do wrong?


    So, although Rhode felt depressed, he recovered after a moment.


    And for the next report, it gave Rhode a little surprise �� Those villages actually survived!


    This was all thanks to Marfa �� This middle-aged mercenary followed Rhode''s orders and led his men all the way to clear from the underground sewer into the basement floor. Marfa discovered the villagers imprisoned in the white skeleton cage and quickly reported to Rhode. However, as Rhode was dealing with the troublesome enemies, he had totally missed the communications. As a result, Marfa had no choice but to make his own decision to rescue the villagers and lead them out of the Fortress through the path they took to reach them. Luckily, this decision was made on time. if not, the villagers would''ve been dead to the explosion.


    At this moment, the searching mercenaries subsequently came to report their findings. The Fortress had been completely wiped off and there weren''t any trace of Barbarians left.


    Rhode let out a long, long sigh of relief after hearing this piece of news.


    After spending so much effort, this Fortress was finally his.


    Rhode swayed slightly at this thought. After diminishing his spiritual energy, Rhode was feeling oddly fatigue that he wished he could instantly shut his eyes and sleep for a moment before discussing the next plans. However, Rhode knew that this wasn''t the time to sleep. So, he brought out his enthusiasm which he had years ago while staying up all night to clear dungeons and forcefully turned to everyone to give a command.


    "Well done. This Fortress belongs to us now�� Everyone has had a rough time so go and have your rest. Gillian, observe the surroundings since you''re very free and energetic. You shall stay guard tonight��"


    "Ah��"


    Gillian instantly revealed a bitter-look on her face.


    "Master, that''s so cruel. My skin can''t handle such devastation eh."


    "That''s an order, cut the crap."


    Rhode leaned on the wall with the sword in hand as he replied in a bad mood. Gillian carefully observed him for a moment and nodded before flying through the hole on the Fortress ceiling.


    Rhode was relieved and shut his eyes. He began to communicate with Canary who was guarding the stronghold. After claiming the Fortress, Rhode was prepared to redesign the entire stronghold to this location. Also, the Summon Gatein the stronghold should start to be built.


    After receiving Rhode''s callings, Canary''s voice quickly responded in his ears.


    "Ah, Leader. It''s so late now�� is it because you''ve claimed the Fortress?"


    "That''s right."


    Rhode proudly snapped his fingers in response to Canary''s query.


    "The Fortress was settled. But it''s so tiring�� I have decided to rest for awhile and get to work tomorrow morning. By then I will assign you some authority to build the Summon Gate. Is there any problem with this?"


    "It''s not that there isn''t any problem right now."


    "Eh?"


    Rhode was slightly astonished.


    "DId something happen?"


    "Yes, it''s something related to Christie."


    "Christie?"


    Rhode threw his sleepiness to the back of his head after hearing this name. He immediately stood up with a stern expression.


    "What happened to Christie?"


    "We don''t know the exact situation, Leader. Just now we heard a sudden loud explosion on the rooftop and Bubble (Referring to Mini Bubble Gum) realized the door towards the rooftop was opened. After we went up to check, we discovered Christie lying there unconscious�� We just sent her back to her room and she''s resting now."


    "How is her condition?"


    Rhode''s expression slightly sunk as he asked softly.


    "Her body should be fine now since you know what Bubble is capable of. All Christie had was a cold and she''s fully cured now. But�� When we asked Christie why was she on the rooftop, she was also puzzled and didn''t know what were we talking about�� Leader, Christie shouldn''t have a habit of sleepwalking right?"


    "I think not."


    Rhode fell into deep thoughts for a moment and shook his head. In Deep Stone City, Rhode would find Christie obediently sleeping in her own bed after he ended his work every night and there weren''t any signs of sleepwalking at all. Furthermore, Rhode could detect everyone''s movements within the stronghold and in other words, if Christie really was sleepwalking, Rhode would have definitely discovered.


    "Are there other things you two discovered?"


    Rhode pondered for a while before he continued asking. Canary was a meticulous person and even though she was only just a projection at the moment, her nature wouldn''t change. Indeed, after hearing Rhode''s question, she quickly gave an answer.


    "Yes, Leader. I questioned the mercenaries that were on guard and according to them, there seemed to be a lightning strike on the rooftop."


    "Lightning?"


    For unknown reasons, Rhode was suddenly reminded of that powerful lightning that struck the passageway ritual.


    "What kind of lightning was that?"


    "I didn''t see it for myself so I couldn''t describe it. But I heard that this lightning strike was really powerful and it coincidentally struck our rooftop. However, there weren''t any traces of lightning strike after I''ve checked the rooftop.".


    This was really a strange occurrence. If it were any other days, Rhode would have passed it on as a rumor. However, after everything that he encountered, he couldn''t accept this as only just a coincidence. Christie collapsed on the rooftop and there was also the lightning strike. Meanwhile, there''s another powerful lightning strike that sealed the broken passageway ritual almost at the same time. If this was only coincidence, the timing would be too ridiculous.


    "Christie said she didn''t know anything?"


    "Yes, Leader. Christie said she had been sleeping in her room and had never left her bed. I do feel that she wasn''t lying�� Leader, do you want me to investigate?"


    "It''s alright."


    Rhode paused for a moment after hearing Canary''s suggestion. He eventually shook his head and denied. As a matter of fact, after hearing Canary''s report, Rhode knew something was on. Previously in Golden City, Lydia wasn''t able to cure Christie while Rhode and Gillian suspected that Christie might be having the bloodline of the Six Devil Guardians. Now it seemed that this situation proved their guesses �� However, as the Six Devil Guardians were always mysterious, Rhode wasn''t sure if there was a presence of a Devil that utilized lightning. Although Rhode was worried about Christie''s current situation, such matters would be best-kept secret from the others.


    "Get Bubble to take care of Christie. We have gotten the Fortress on our hands and once you''ve built the Summon Gate, we can transfer the system over. Right, get Shauna and the other mercenaries to get ready. From tomorrow onwards, we will be very busy.".


    "Understood. I will pass this message to Miss Shauna and Mr Kavos."


    Canary paused for a moment before she continued.


    "Oh yes, Leader. There''s another matter�� Yesterday noon, there was a merchant named Matt came looking for you. He mentioned there''s something to discuss with you and he left after knowing you weren''t around. But from what I see, it seemed to be something important and he wished we could pass the message to you immediately once you''re back."


    "Oh?"


    After hearing Canary''s report, Rhode frowned. It seemed that he''s finally here. This man�� Disappeared after the midsummer festival and Rhode thought he wasn''t going to be a part of this �� Although merchants had their own standpoints, they eventually placed benefits as the priority. The South was a financial trade center and after Rhode''s Starlight had offended the Southerners, it would be hard for Matt to transport goods in the future without getting harassed by them if they collaborated. From this viewpoint, it''s understandable for Matt to not collaborate with Rhode.


    However, now it seemed that this fat merchant had changed his mind? What exactly is he thinking? Rhode had no idea but to turn for the better was naturally a good thing for him. If not, based solely on his capabilities to feed his entire guild would be a tad too difficult.


    "Understand. We will handle this after we built up the Fortress."


    Rhode gave an answer while Canary slightly nodded before the communications were cut off.


    "Hu��"


    Up until this moment, Rhode rubbed his forehead in a circular motion as he sensed a fit of abnormal exhaustion.


    It seemed that the troublesome problems were coming soon.

 Chapter 394 Building the Fortress

    To the mercenaries, claiming the Fortress meant their jobs were completed. However, claiming the Fortress only meant the start for Rhode. After most of the Fortress was destroyed, it''s no longer livable. But luckily, after defeating the Demon General, there was massive information on this Fortress and its area reflected in Rhode''s construction system. This proved that this system had recognized Rhode''s rights over this place. And next, Rhode would need to restore the Fortress and begin rebuilding facilities. In fact, up until now, Rhode was used to the levels of illogicality on this system. He even gave up ridiculing how this system could repair the Fortress by spending gold coins and didn''t require any materials at all. Anyway, since things were set this way, there''s no point to figure them out.


    It wasn''t difficult to restore the Fortress as long as the money was spent. Right now, Rhode was lacking the least in money which was why he wasn''t mindful of such small matters. However, the next problem would be the biggest of them all �� Rhode not only wanted to restore the Fortress, he even wished to reconstruct it for his own convenience. The blueprint of this Fortress had been analyzed through the mercenary construction system and it reflected as only an ordinary architecture for militaries. Such architecture wouldn''t be too suitable for a guild and there were some areas that required modification and re-planning.


    Although there were many fortress blueprints and models for Rhode''s considerations within the construction system, the next job would be the most troublesome of all.


    All except Rhode was able to view the system and they naturally couldn''t bring any help for him. However, Gillian, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum were different as they were products of the system. With Rhode''s permission, they could also share the information. Originally, Rhode had a positive attitude towards this and linked up with the three of them to hear their opinions. However, he immediately regretted his decision within a short span of 10 minutes.


    As for their opinions on how to construct the fortress, all three of them had different views. Canary preferred the fortress to be similar to Starlight in the past because it would be more reminiscent. However, Mini Bubble Gum was against this idea because she felt that the fortress wasn''t anything great to start with. Now that they had a chance to rebuild it, they shouldn''t commit the same mistake. This was why Mini Bubble Gum recommended a fortress with a European castle-style.


    Whereas for Gillian, she wasn''t supportive of both their ideas. She would rather the fortress to be an ornate wooden palace. So�� In order to convince one another, all three of them quickly got into a bicker.


    "Starlight in the past had the most logical design, Bubble. You should know too. Our guild was able to gain victories after so many guild wars because we relied on its sturdy defense and reasonable layouts. Now Leader is building this fortress for our future good to prevent ambushes. Since the previous Starlight fortress was able to survive the harsh conditions, then I think we should stick to it."


    "That''s only in the game, Big Sister. Where would there be so many carefree players engaging in guild wars in this world? Do you really think that those bunch of scrubs could defeat both of our defenses? Also, I think my design is good too. Since we''re in the western world, what''s wrong with having a castle? Also, this castle seemed so mighty and we can definitely recruit many more people isn''t it?"


    "But they are still ranked below us isn''t it, Bubble? This proved that a guild''s attracting point was still on capabilities and not based on their exterior reputation�� Although I have to admit that your Irish Rose Knights fortress is indeed beautiful, you also know that their defenses were too fragile and weak. If not, they wouldn''t have been destroyed by us Starlight."


    "Hmph, that''s because we were much more powerful than them! Especially when that bitch even dared to taunt Leader. She was seeking death! No matter what, Big Sister, don''t you think this place is suitable to build a castle? It''s still a better choice than that female fox. Is she thinking of building a Summer Palace (Referring to the one in Beijing)?"


    "Aiya? Miss Bubble, you''re wrong on this. It''s important to keep the traditions okay? Traditions�� Besides, isn''t it beautiful too? Besides, only with such unique qualities could leave deep impressions on people."


    My head��


    Rhode felt his head was about to crack under the constant bickering by the three of them. Now he was regretting why he was so foolish to make such a dumb decision. Initially, Rhode was overly-fatigue after the battle, which was why he was lazy to rack his brains and decided to get some help. As a result, not only did he not have a chance to relax, he felt even more tired.


    "Mr Rhode."


    As Rhode was hopelessly looking for a way out, suddenly Lize''s voice sounded beside him. After hearing her voice, Rhode instantly neglected their quarrels and looked at the maiden before his eyes.


    "What''s wrong? Lize?"


    "It''s like this��"


    Lize found it somewhat difficult to express her words. However, after looking at Rhode''s expression, she managed to speak her mind.


    "The villagers that we rescued yesterday are outside right now. They want to thank you personally��"


    "Oh?"


    Rhode couldn''t help but twitched his brows.


    Rhode understood the situation. However, as he was too tired the day before, he didn''t have the mood to care. He thought the villagers would instantly leave after they''re rescued but it seemed otherwise. The villagers chose to stay and even though Rhode wasn''t too mindful of them, this presented a good opportunity to get away from this noisy commotion. As a result, he instantly sent a message to the three of them mentally with a ''You three continue to discuss. I will be right back.'' and quickly left.


    Soon, Rhode saw the villagers standing outside the Fortress.


    From their expressions, these villagers had a hard time being imprisoned. Many of them were looking desperate and their bodies were filled with dust and scars. If the Demon General didn''t intend to use their lives to maintain the ritual, these villages would''ve been dead by now. But now, at least they survived.


    As Rhode appeared before their eyes, some of these villagers revealed some traces of surprise as they looked at the black-haired young man with gratitude. The villagers stepped to the side to make a path for a tall and big man. He arrived before Rhode and respectfully bowed.


    "Hi there, dear sir."


    The man lifted his head and gazed at Rhode with respect.


    "I''m the village head for Deep Creek Village, Charlie. Thank you and your men for saving us from the hands of that evil demon. Oh lord, to be frank, I had already given up and thought we could never see the sun again�� However, it''s all thanks to you that we are able to stand here. Please allow me to give you our utmost and sincere gratitude."


    "You''re welcome, Mr Charlie. You should thank my subordinate, Marfa, instead. Although I did give an order, he was the one to rescue all of you from grave danger. So, I think that I''m not worthy of this gratitude."


    "Sir?"


    Marfa trembled for a little after hearing Rhode''s words and he strangely gazed at the young man beside him. In fact, Marfa totally didn''t expect Rhode to put in nice words for himself. Although he did join mercenary groups before, he knew that during such situations, most leaders would just smile and accept the other party''s praises. However, Rhode pushed the credits towards himself instead�� Of course, what Rhode said was, in fact, the truth. However, even Marfa didn''t realize this point.


    "Of course, Mr Marfa led his men and rescued us from that dangerous place. For this, we will forever be in his debt."


    Charlie hurriedly turned around and bowed towards Marfa. This left Marfa at a loss but he eventually accepted his gratitude.


    After expressing his gratitude, Charlie shifted his attention back to Rhode.


    "Of course, Sir. No matter if it''s you or your men, at least, it''s right to say that your guild had saved us. And to us, the grace of saving lives shouldn''t be thanked without any actions�� I heard that you decided to build a fortress here?"


    "I do have this intention."


    Facing Charlie''s question, Rhode wasn''t too surprised. After all, all his mercenaries knew about this plan and the villagers would get their answer just by asking, After hearing Rhode''s reply, Charlie hesitated before speaking.


    "If that''s the case, do you need manpower for it? I''m not praising ourselves but our men do have strong physiques. If you need us to do anything, we will do our best. No matter if it''s repairing the fortress or transporting materials, as long as you need manpower and if you are not disgusted by us crude villagers, then we swear in god''s name that we will do our very best to fulfill your requests."


    This��


    Rhode remained silent for a moment while he''s facing the man before his eyes. These villagers had good intentions but frankly, he didn''t need any manpower to repair the fortress�� Hold up?


    At this thought, Rhode''s eyes brightened as if he recalled something. He gestured his hand and said.


    "Mr Charlie, thank you for your kind intentions. But�� I have something to ask you. What are your next plans?"


    "Next plans?"


    Charlie lowered his head and pondered.


    "This�� Sir. To be honest, we don''t have much to do. We are just hunters that lived day by day in the mountains and forests. We are grateful for your help to remove so many Barbarians and Demons. Also, there won''t be that many threats anymore when we go hunting in future��"


    "If that''s the case, Mr Charlie. How about you listen to my suggestion?"


    Rhode suddenly asked.


    "Eh?"


    Charlie was taken aback but quickly nodded in acknowledgment. Under his gaze, Rhode pondered for a moment before giving an answer.


    "It''s like this, Mr Charlie. As you know, we are deciding to build a fortress here. So you are also clear that in future, this place will be Starlight Guild''s territory."


    Charlie nodded in agreeance. In any case, he''s also the village head who often go out and see the world. So, he had heard of guild matters and understood the purpose of this sudden booming guild coming to this area. However, to Charlie, this place indeed wasn''t any good. If it wasn''t for their ancestors who lived here for many years, they perhaps would''ve left this ghostly place. Although he didn''t know why the mercenaries chose this place, it''s still better to be protected under a powerful guild, wasn''t it?


    "It''s like this."


    Rhode had some difficulties opening up but after letting out a cough, he continued to speak normally.


    "I think you''re also aware that before coming here, we had visited Deep Creek Village and fought against the Barbarians�� Hmmm�� How should I put it�� Because we fought too aggressively which led to the surroundings of the village to be a little�� troublesome or perhaps affected everyone. So, I have a suggestion�� After Starlight Guild constructed the fortress, we will need some manpower and if all of you are willing�� I can open up a district for everyone in the fortress to move over and live in. What do you think?"


    "Oh?"


    Charlie''s expression changed.


    Got to say, this suggestion indeed was a good choice for them. Although the location of Deep Creek Village was good, being alone within the mountains and forests would be too dangerous. Like previously when they were surrounded by the Barbarians, even the patrols couldn''t locate them and they only relied on themselves. So if they could collaborate with such a powerful guild, his villagers wouldn''t need to worry about their homes anymore even when they''re out hunting.


    However�� although it may be convenient, they had lived in Deep Creek Village for a few hundred years. No matter how bad the environment got at times, they still had emotional bonds with this place. To mention about shifting locations, they would more or less hate to do so.


    "For this, please allow me to discuss with everyone."


    Charlie revealed a hesitant look but eventually gave an answer. After hearing his reply, Rhode understandingly nodded.


    "I understand, Mr Charlie. This is an important matter so you definitely can''t make a decision on the spot. I can understand that."


    Rhode paused and nodded towards Marfa.


    "Marfa, lead a team of men to protect Mr Charlie and the other villagers back to Deep Creek Village. Those escaped Barbarians may still be lingering nearby. I''m afraid those bastards would find trouble with the villagers."


    After this, Charlie once again thanked Rhode and under the protection of Marfa and the other mercenaries, they returned to their village. Rhode then returned to the ruins in the fortress and opened his mental channel. At this moment, Canary passed a message �� After their ''unremitting'' hard work and negotiations, they finally fixed on a decision.


    "Finally decided?"


    Hearing this piece of news, Rhode finally heaved a sigh of relief. He was originally mentally prepared to withstand the noise pollution of those three women which equaled to a 1500 ducks quacking. However, it seemed that the progression was much smoother than he expected.


    "Yes, Leader. We exchanged many opinions with one another and finally adjusted to a decision agreeable for everyone. Right? Bubble? Miss Gillian?"


    "�� I definitely have to listen to Big Sister''s words�� rig-right? Miss Gillian?"


    "Ah haha�� ah hahaha�� this, it''s needless to say that Miss Canary had unique tastes, Master. I have nothing better to say��"


    For unknown reasons, the answers from both Mini Bubble Gum and Gillian were sort of odd. But, no matter what, since the decision had been made, it would make things much easier.


    Since Rhode was constructing the fortress, naturally he would need to consider the current geographical conditions. This fortress ruin was located under Misty Mountains and the Misty Mountains penetrated the entire region. If seen from the air, the entire mountains presented a ''+'' shape and separated four regions. One of the regions on the left was Paphield Region, whereas the right regions from top to bottom were the common border of the Land of Chaos and Country of Darkness respectively. The Misty Mountains was arduous and precipitous and normal humans couldn''t possibly pass through �� Even undead creatures were no different. Whereas, for this Fortress, it was located at a relatively gentle hillside at the junction of the ''+'' shaped mountain. The water sources would be from the deep underground and also the melted snow from Misty Mountains which would form into a river stream, so there weren''t any concerns for water sources.


    Of course, there were different kinds of fortresses. This fortress ruins used to be a pure military fortress that''s not equipped with other functions. This definitely wasn''t what Rhode wished for as the fortresses for player guilds were usually mixed with palaces, castles and the three architectural structures and functions. This way, not only the fortress could engage in defense, at the same time, they could engage in commercial development and trading businesses.


    However, after analyzing the finalized blueprint by the three of them, Rhode was puzzled.

 Chapter 395 Planning Completed

    "Alright, explain to me. What is this?"


    Rhode knocked on the air �� Of course, to everyone else, there wasn''t anything there. Mini Bubble Gum and Gillian remained silent for a while and didn''t speak. Instead, it was Canary who replied to Rhode''s question.


    "This is my suggestion oh? Leader, what do you think?"


    "It''s fine."


    Rhode rolled his eyes hopelessly. He extended his hand and pointed towards the ''Fortress blueprint'' before his eyes. In fact, the exterior of this Fortress seemed very similar to the Fortress that Rhode built in game. However, there were many modifications to it �� Observing from the top, the entire Fortress looked like a pentagram and with Canary''s design, four of the five pointed-corners of this pentagram linked up ingeniously with the junction of the Misty Mountains peak. Furthermore, the peak of Misty Mountain was steep to being with, and this design extending from the Fortress to the peak acted as a natural barrier. A conical tower was divided into two layers, erecting at the tip of the pentagram and the inside junction, with the purpose of observing the surrounding movements and guarding against potential threats.


    On the outer side of the pentagram walls, Canary specially designed a path for the river stream flowing from the nearby mountains. This river stream would lead into a circular circumference around the Fortress as a form of protection. On the inner side of the Fortress, Canary eventually forgo the European castle-style architecture because after all, this place was still a guild Fortress and not a political center. Although players may like flashy objects, the mercenaries wouldn''t have the patience to climb a few hundred steps to report to their leader on their missions results. Furthermore, the white paved floor with red carpet was somewhat too extravagant for these mercenaries.


    So, on the center floor of the architecture, Canary unusually chose a simple military design model and designed a square-shaped flat roof fort in the interior of the pentagram. Other than the main fort with four floors, the remaining three forts only had three floors. On the highest points of these forts, each had their own upper-air accesses to the five inner watchtowers. In other words, if there were any emergencies, the mercenaries would only need to pass through these upper-air accesses in order to reach the watchtowers in the shortest period of time. As for the other areas, they were divided into the five sharp-corners with commercial areas, manufacturing areas, living areas and passageway reserved for transit respectively.


    Of course, after removing these exterior architectures, it was necessary for a Fortress to have an underground water treatment system or some sort but these weren''t in the considerations of Canary. As a student in liberal arts, she wasn''t experienced in architectures. However, luckily, Canary''s design of the Fortress was placed onto the blueprints with built in foundations in the construction system. The underground water and living facilities were already planned and Rhode didn''t need to trouble over them.


    Of course, strictly speaking, this Fortress itself was still lacking. After all, this was only a Fortress at its beginning and according to Rhode''s choice to upgrade his guild in the future, the Fortress would have newer transformations and choices. In the game, after a player guild constructed a Fortress, a pathway similar as the talent tree would appear. The guild leader would need to decide if his Fortress would be emphasizing on attack or defense. As the choices differ, the growth of the Fortress would also be diverse. Moreover, after the guild increased their levels, they could unlock massively different buildings and spaces.


    Not only that, if guild leaders were lucky in game, they could even trigger the special guild mission and get their hands on some rare Fortress equipment. Just like Rhode in Starlight Fortress before, he once obtained the ''Holy Defense Crystal Tower'' and magical beings similar to the Golem Guards. These were the rewards for the guild missions. Some of them were long-lost powerful weapons and protective systems while some were blueprints for certain systems �� The latter worthed much more than the former.


    However, Rhode didn''t have the mood to be concerned over these things. His Fortress was impoverished and it would be good enough for those patrolling mercenaries on the watchtowers to even hold bow and arrows. With his current Fortress levels, even the most basic defensive weapon like the ballista was still locked, not to even mention other aspects.


    However, apart from these deficiencies, this Fortress was fitting of Rhode''s expectations on the exterior. Its practicality was high, solid and strong. Also, the city walls in the form of the pentagram not only provided more turn-around time for the mercenaries but also provided strong protections. Whereas for the shape of the pentagram, any attackers would find it difficult to breakthrough no matter from which aspect. On the other hand, such a gorgeous form definitely fulfilled the maidens'' vanity. After all, a Fortress with such exteriors and accompanied with the upper-air routes connecting the watchtowers seemed beautiful and majestic.


    After looking through Canary''s suggestions, Rhode nodded in satisfaction. However, he proceeded to amend a portion of it. He increased the acreage of the living and commercial areas while decreased the manufacturing territory. Not only that, he specially re-planned the city walls and sealed a corner of it. That corner would be for Lapis to manufacture alchemy equipment in the future. The guild''s development would rely highly on this young lady''s mastery on alchemy and since she''s a trump card for Rhode, he naturally needed to protect her well.


    "Okay."


    After Rhode completed modifying the blueprint, he heaved a sigh of relief. He carefully scanned through once more to ensure there weren''t any mistakes before nodding in satisfaction.


    "So then, what do you intend to name this Fortress, Leader?"


    What came next was the highlight.


    "Name?"


    Rhode was baffled as he didn''t consider this matter before. In fact, Rhode didn''t have much talent in naming things. Just like when he initially named his guild as Starlight, all he did was to lift his head towards the sky and thought of the name after seeing the stars.


    "Don''t name it as Starlight Fortress like you did in the game, Leader. I can''t stand that kind of typical name anymore."


    Before Rhode spoke, Mini Bubble Gum was first to grumble.


    "Many outsiders said our Fortress'' name wasn''t that nice. I also agree that the name wasn''t suave enough �� How about we name it Roman Fortress?"


    "�� Do you think this is good? Bubble?"


    "I think that sounds good, or how about we call it Achilles Fortress? This sounds really cool."


    "�� Gillian, what do you think?"


    Rhode held his hand against his forehead after hearing Mini Bubble Gum''s confident answer and proceeded to check with the others for their opinions.


    "Hmm�� If I am to choose. Master, what do you think about Storm Fortress or Thunder Throne? Don''t you think this gives others a powerful vibe?"


    "�� Forget it. Canary, what about you?"


    "I think that maybe Nyere or Miscino sounds better, Leader. These names sound really mysterious right?"


    It seemed there''s nothing good coming out from the three of them.


    "Forget it. We''ll stop here. I''ll think of a name later. Canary, you can begin building the Summon Gate now."


    "Yes, Leader."


    Rhode helplessly shook his head and shut down the mental communications with them. After withdrawing his thoughts, Rhode stepped out of his room and beckoned for Joey.


    "Boss, what''s up?"


    "Gather everyone. I have something to say."


    "Now?"


    "Yes, now."


    Joey scratched his head but eventually nodded and quickly left.


    Got to say, as a Thief, Joey''s movements were really quick. After a short while, the mercenaries that were spread all around were gathered at a spot. Some of them had been patrolling and some were having their naps �� Anne was one of the perfect examples. When she stood before Rhode, the eyes on this brat weren''t even fully opened yet.


    "Oo�� What''s the matter�� Leader�� Aah��"


    Resting her head on Lize''s shoulder, Anne''s eyes were half shut. She was nodding off restlessly as if she was sleepwalking with the God of Dreams.


    However, Rhode wasn''t fussing over this. He looked at Anne and hopelessly shook his head before shifting his gaze towards everyone.


    "I''ve gathered all of you here not for anything else, but for this Fortress. I guess everyone is aware that this is our territory now and I have decided to reconstruct the Fortress."


    The mercenaries exchanged looks with one another and only after a few moments, one of the mercenaries curiously and worriedly raised his hand and asked.


    "Sir, you decided to rebuild the Fortress now? This�� would it be too rush? After all, this place��"


    The mercenary didn''t continue but the surrounding crowd understood his concerns.


    Indeed, no one would object if it was only touching up small areas with some stones or trees, or perhaps wipe out some old pieces of furniture. The mercenaries spent most of their years outdoors and they were all equipped with such common knowledge �� However, the damage on this Fortress was too devastating, especially after the explosion that happened from removing the passageway ritual where almost a portion of the Fortress had been entirely blasted upside down. Perhaps even professionals would shake their heads and sigh at the sight of such a large scale. So what could these mercenaries even do?


    Moreover, this ghostly place had no bricks, tiles or even mud. What could they even do without them?


    "Oh, all of you don''t have to worry about this."


    However, Rhode seemed to read their minds as he gestured for them to not be concerned.


    "I won''t let all of you do these work. Just leave them to me. But, in order to avoid dangers, I hope all of you can leave this place temporarily.


    "Leave temporarily?"


    The mercenaries were astonished, even Marlene curiously gazed at Rhode. At this moment, only Lize''s eyes suddenly brightened, as if she thought of something.


    "So then, what do you need us to do, Sir?"


    "Very simple."


    Rhode effortlessly answered the mercenaries'' queries.


    "For all your safety, I hope all of you can temporarily retreat and safeguard the back of the mountain. I will only need half a days'' time�� Of course, for this little surprise, I hope all of you wouldn''t peek."

 Chapter 396 Building the Fortress

    Even though the mercenaries were still suspicious and curious about Rhode''s orders, they, including Marlene and Lize, obeyed and left shortly after. Of course, it wasn''t that Rhode didn''t want them to know his secret. After all, he only needed half a day''s time to complete building this humongous Fortress. Unless one''s an idiot, if not, no one wouldn''t think there''s a problem with this. However, the fact that Rhode was willing to build the Fortress in front of them proved that they were his trustworthy confidants. As for why he made them leave, partially was for the element of surprise and also for safety reasons. After all, only Rhode had access to this construction system and who knew if the system might treat them as obstacles and kill them all if they lingered around. Furthermore, rebuilding the Fortress wasn''t as simple as touching up the previous stronghold, so it''s still best to avoid any possible dangers.


    Rhode focused on scanning the surroundings carefully. Right now, he stood at the middle of the hall within the Fortress ruins. After the battle last night, this place was severely damaged. The ceilings had fallen to the ground and everywhere were filled with broken tiles which were hard to bear. Taking in this disastrous sight, Rhode shrugged his shoulders before extending his arms, and at the same time went through his thoughts.


    Shortly after, a holographic map which commonly appeared in strategy games appeared before his eyes. Unlike the image which he used to repair the stronghold, this holographic map not only displayed Rhode''s current location, it even unveiled the borders of the entire Misty Mountains and Twilight Forest. The areas that this system covered should be the territories which Rhode''s guild had control over.


    However, similar to those strategic maps, other than the surrounding regions near Rhode was clear in view, the other regions were shrouded in thick and dark shadows where only mountains, trees, and rivers could be seen. It seemed that this system had restrictions over its viewable range.


    But soon, lines of system prompts appeared before Rhode''s eyes.


    [Detected Guild Territory. Land of Atonement]


    [Fortress had been damaged. To repair?]


    Nope.


    Rhode denied the suggestion mentally. Shortly after, another line of system prompt emerged.


    [Fortress had been damaged. Repair denied. To build new Fortress Stronghold?]


    Yes.


    Rhode nodded and presented the finalized blueprint onto the holographic scenery. Suddenly, a bright light flashed and a model of the Fortress based on the blueprint presented itself before his eyes.


    [Fortress had been modeled. To build?]


    [System Prompt: Building Fortress requires 7,590,000 gold coins. Please confirm.]


    "��"


    This time, Rhode hesitated.


    He stared at this notification and gritted his teeth. After he carefully scanned through the holographic scenery with the materialized Fortress model, he could see that it indeed was oddly strong and sturdy. There were no concerns for the water source flowing from melted snow above the mountains and the surrounding natural barriers would prevent enemies from cutting off their food sources �� If the enemies really had such capabilities, that''s when the Summon Gate was best for such situations. As long as the Summon Gate was built, Rhode could gain direct access to the stronghold in Deep Stone City and didn''t need to worry about problems with transportations of materials.


    However, an object like the Summon Gate shouldn''t be built outdoors. Rhode had instructed Canary to build the Summon Gate in the deepest area on the underground second floor in the Deep Stone City stronghold. Rhode would also build the Summon Gate in the deepest area with tightest securities. After all, the Summon Gate was a top secret and shouldn''t be known to any ordinary persons.


    [Please confirm. To build?]


    The system prompted once more in view as Rhode didn''t make a decision. And this time, Rhode hesitated no more and slightly nodded.


    "Build."


    This word came out from his mouth and there were changes to the surroundings.


    The clear skies instantly dimmed and not only that, a little golden light ball emerged in Rhode''s hand. Rays of golden beams projected from it as they crisscrossed into a grid-like projection. The golden beams swept across the ground similarly to before when Rhode stood in the middle of the stronghold and allowed the beams to scan the area entirely.


    "��"


    The earth let out a deep, loud rumble which Rhode couldn''t help but gulped. This was the first time he experienced such a scenery. Even in the game, everyone only could view the Fortress after it was built. Even Rhode didn''t witness the building process of the Fortress before. Due to this, although Rhode maintained his calm expression, it was pounding deep down in his heart with excitement, anticipation and also a little nervousness.


    "Bam��!"


    The rumbles got louder and louder before the entire land began to shake. Then, a huge, black figure broke through the ground and soared into the sky right before his very eyes.


    Thick, sturdy walls emerged from the ground violently. In an instant, soil and dust rose rapidly and the wheezing storm forced Rhode to close his eyes. Those broken tiles scattered on the ground transformed into powder under the wheezing storm and disappeared to nowhere!


    That was all that Rhode could capture.


    Because at the next moment, the severely damaged walls began to repair themselves before his eyes. Not only that, the walls slowly rose up while the ceiling above him began to climb upwards while deforming its shape. This entire scene was similar to a construction documentary television programme which Rhode had seen �� Humans recorded the construction process of an architecture over a period of hundred days and fast forward it for viewers to admire the whole process within a few minutes. Right now, Rhode felt like he was one of those viewers witnessing the live ''fast forwarded'' construction process of this huge Fortress.


    The navy blue stone walls stopped rising and strokes of floral patterns decorated its edge shortly after. Then, the pillar supporting the housing dome began to change its shape and within a few seconds, the utterly broken and rubbish-filled hall instantly turned sparkling clean. It''s unimaginable that this new, smooth slate ground was irregular sand and gravel just a few minutes ago. Also, no one could accept that a moments before, what stood in place of these solid, thick walls were the tattered, thin walls that could crumble by an effortless push. The wrecked ceiling with a punctured hole transformed into a perfectly round and beautiful dome. Sun rays spilled in from the surrounding glass windows and brightened the entire hall.


    The rumbles of earth continued but gradually turned softer and softer. In the end, everything fell into complete silence.


    Up until that moment, Rhode let out a deep, long breath before proceeding up the stairs located in the center of the hall.


    The stone-made steps were solid and precisely-flat without any slightest flaws. Even Rhode who witnessed the transformation couldn''t believe his eyes. Were these really just built? If this was the power of the system he had, then where did the power of the system come from?


    "Why do you even bother yourself with it, Leader."


    At this moment, Mini Bubble Gum suddenly spoke.


    "This place feels realistic to us anyway and isn''t that good enough? Your hair will drop if you worry too much and you wouldn''t look good in it. Just look at how beautiful this Fortress is�� Think about happier matters and don''t be like the bunch of blockheads in ''The Matrix 1999 movie''. They disputed over reality and virtuality all day long and guess what happened to them in the end? Hmph, while others were feasting delicious food and drinking hard liquor, they were still breathing in contaminated air and consuming food that was worse than dog food. I really don''t understand what their brains were filled with. Savior, my foot! Looked more like masochists to me."


    "Everyone has their own views and understandings, Bubble. What you said was too extreme."


    This time, it was Canary''s turn.


    "They were only searching for the things that they desire�� Hmm, whereas the results, they had chosen them by themselves."


    "Smart people wouldn''t make such a stupid choice. So, I think they''re a bunch of idiots."


    Rhode revealed a bitter smile. Mini Bubble Gum''s explanation wasn''t unreasonable. In the world that Rhode belonged in, this had never happened before. Whereas in movies, novels, and other virtual worlds, such things do happen. If speculations were based on this, then the world that Rhode lived in must be a virtual world�� However, Rhode felt that things weren''t that simple.


    But, just as Mini Bubble Gum had mentioned, it''s meaningless to consider if this world was real.


    Rhode shook his head at this thought and he pushed the door open.


    As the large door widened, cooling wind breezed inwards. The Fortress finally displayed itself in full view.


    Just as Rhode admired his ''artwork'', on the other side of the mountain slope, the mercenaries who waited accordingly to Rhode''s instructions were having conversations. Of course, the contents of their discussions were only revolving around one topic �� How exactly would Rhode construct this Fortress?


    From a normal human''s perspective, no matter how capable Rhode was, it wouldn''t be possible for him to construct a Fortress. However, after mingling with Rhode for a long period, the mercenaries knew that Rhode wasn''t someone who would crack jokes. But�� If he''s not kidding, what exactly would this man do?


    In an instant, the mercenaries including Marlene and Lize were having many discussions over this. On the contrary, Anne seemed to be unconcerned about these matters. After reaching the mountain slope, she immediately found herself a comfortable area for a nap and was uninterested if Rhode was able to build the Fortress or not.


    "Miss Marlene, could a Mage be capable of doing such things?"


    At this moment, curiosity got over some mercenaries and they began to check in with Marlene. In response, Marlene frowned slightly a pondered for a while.


    "This�� is hard to tell. If the Mage specializes in Earth Element, it wouldn''t be impossible to create similar things. But�� it would be too difficult to build a Fortress. After all, the scale is too huge."


    "But, Sir seems to be very confident."


    "I''m not too sure about this too."


    Marlene shook her head in denial before gazing at Lize. After dismissing the bunch of mercenaries, Marlene turned around and approached Lize. The maiden then whispered.


    "Lize, do you have any idea?"


    "Eh?"


    Lize was distracted for a moment before lifting her head and gazing back at Marlene, not knowing what to answer. Just as Marlene imagined, Lize seemed to have a clue. After observing Rhode''s mysterious behavior, Lize couldn''t help but recalled the incident when they first obtained their mercenary Stronghold. At that time, after entering the place, Lize witnessed how tattered the whole place was with her very own eyes. However, after she returned from purchasing some daily necessities, the dirty, haunted house had a 360 degrees transformation. The whole house was sparkling bright and there were no traces of damage at all. Lize thought she had entered the wrong house by accident.


    Of course, Lize did question Rhode afterwards. However, Rhode only gave an ambiguous and perfunctory answer.


    "Yes�� Marlene. I did encounter something similar�� You still remember our previous Stronghold right? That place used to be a haunted house and it was ragged and filthy on the inside. Mr Rhode bought it over and we became residents after eliminating the Undead Creatures."


    "I know about this."


    Marlene nodded in acknowledgment. Before she decided to join Starlight, the maiden had inquired information about this mercenary group, which was why she understood what Lize had mentioned.


    "But�� Something is really odd. After we attained the house by defeating the Undead Creatures, the house was actually really really filthy and run-down. Some places were also damaged by the flames. But, after I came back from a shopping trip, the entire place became sparkling clean. Those worn-out pieces of furniture and even broken glasses were nowhere in sight. Everything changed beyond recognition��"


    "That''s really��"


    Marlene frowned her brows.


    "Did Mr Rhode say anything about it?"


    "He told me someone helped him rebuild the house. But I''m not too sure who exactly was the person��"


    Marlene slightly nodded to Lize''s words and her face even flashed hints of unmistakable excitement and confirmation. But shortly, Marlene tapped onto Lize''s shoulder.


    "Since Mr Rhode said that, then I think he could be right. You see, weren''t Legendary stage beings like Miss Canary and Miss Bubble under him? I think, he must have some really powerful people who helped him."


    "But�� No matter how powerful one is, would one be able to build a Fortress in half a day?"


    "I''m not too sure about this. But, beings of Legendary stage�� We are unable to figure them out or understand them. It wouldn''t be impossible if they have such abilities."


    As Marlene spoke, suddenly, there were rumbling noises which attracted everyone''s attention. As the mountain peak obstructed their views, they weren''t able to see anything. However, they could still feel the slight tremors on the ground. In an instant, many of them started to panic.


    "Wha-What''s wrong? Could it be an earthquake?!"


    "Is it Sir? Is this Sir''s doing?"


    "But, what exactly is going on��"


    In an instant, the mercenaries got into a hot discussion. They were curious of Rhode''s doing and after this commotion, they were even more curious now.


    "Why not we take a peek? What if Sir got himself into some trouble?"


    "But Sir warned us to wait here��"


    A bunch of men began to dispute. Some of them were worried if Rhode got into some trouble and some couldn''t withstand their curiosities and intended to check on the happenings. And at this moment, Anne was still sleeping soundly on the grass with no signs of waking up.


    "Ok ok! Stop fighting."


    Joey instantly hopped out. In any case, he was considered quite popular with this bunch of mercenaries, so they immediately stopped bickering,


    "All of us know that things don''t look right. But, since Sir had given us an order, then we should follow through. Anyway, it''s only half a day. We will get through it soon!"


    The mercenaries gradually quietened down. All of them were uncertain as there wasn''t a leader around. Marlene and Lize weren''t speaking while Anne was sleeping by the side. Since Joey made a decision for everyone, they finally had a peace of mind. Indeed, it''s only half a day''s wait and it would be over soon.


    The mercenaries calmed themselves down at this thought and began to wait patiently.

 Chapter 397 A Surprise

    Even though half a day''s time seemed really short, it felt endless for the mercenaries as they anxiously stood around and curiously scanned the surroundings for any changes. The more one is denied of something, the more one desires it. This was a human characteristic which everyone was showing right now. Some of the mercenaries even secretly planned to take a peek at what exactly was happening on the other side. If Rhode caught them peeking, they were prepared to back themselves up with a logical reason. They would say that they were worried that Rhode had gotten into some trouble because of the loud rumblings they heard before. Although there were many mercenaries with such intentions, none of them took actions. The reason was very simple. Rhode''s reputation and deterrence within these people were too powerful and most importantly �� Marlene was looking over everyone.


    Maybe Rhode''s intangible deterrence wasn''t enough to prevent everyone from peeking, however, the stares of a powerful Mage was enough to halt them in their tracks. Furthermore, Marlene''s deterrence wasn''t lacking from Rhode''s. After all, in any other days, this young lady had strong dignity and once she flared up, any ordinary mercenaries wouldn''t even dare to lift their heads to face her. It could also be said that within all the mercenaries, Rhode and Marlene played the role of strict parents, whereas, Anne and Lize played the role of villains.


    As they were anxiously waiting, the long-awaited promised timing finally arrived.


    "Alright! Everyone, let''s go! We shall see what surprise Sir is gonna give us!"


    After Marlene retracted her gazes, Joey immediately jumped up and beckoned for the mercenaries. The anxious mercenaries cheered and followed Joey towards the direction of the Fortress.


    "Hahaha, I''m the fastest!"


    As a Thief with nimble stature and speed, Joey was the first to overcome the steep slope. He turned around and showed off towards the mercenaries struggling to chase him.


    "I''d like to see what Sir had prepared for us��"


    And Joey''s words ended here.


    He stared blankly while maintaining his celebrating posture. As if struck by a petrifaction spell, his eyes widened to sizes of copper bells. At this moment, Joey''s jaw subconsciously dropped itself. His breathing began to hasten and even became a little flustered!


    "Why did you run so fast for, kid? Can''t wait to die?"


    And at this moment, the mercenaries finally caught up with him. Another Thief class mercenary who was close friends with Joey threw a playful punch. However, facing the fist of his peer, Joey didn''t react at all. He was like a puppet with no will on his own as he continued to stare blankly towards the scenery before his eyes.


    "What''s wrong? Are you alright?"


    The other mercenaries sensed Joey''s odd behaviors. Astonished by his reaction, the mercenaries turned their attention towards the direction of Joey''s gaze��


    "Oh my god!"


    A mercenary screamed in shock and tumbled to the ground by his unsupportive softened legs. Whereas for the other mercenaries, they seemed to fall under the same petrifaction spell as they stood stiffly on their ground. They stared with pale expressions at this scene which they had never imagined before.


    Under the bright, afternoon sun, a majestically huge Fortress presented itself in grand fashion. Pitch-black, 10 meters tall thick walls twisted and turned. Looking from afar, it seemed that they had blended with the steep mountain as one. On the outer side, there''s a wide moat river flowing while letting out sounds of a refreshing water stream. The conical towers stood within the walls and pierced through the skies like a rising spear while projecting a slim, long shadow. One could even see a great abundance of buildings behind the walls.


    At this moment, everyone was baffled and their minds couldn''t register what their eyes had witnessed. Oh lord! What is this thing? A Fortress? Why would there be such a gigantic Fortress here? They swore to god that this had never ever seen a Fortress here! That is absolutely true!


    "I must''ve slept too much. This is an illusion, everything definitely is an illusion��"


    One of the mercenaries lowered his head in panic before slapping himself a couple of times. But, even though his cheeks were already swollen, there''s still no signs of him ''waking up''.


    "Wha-Wha-What exactly is going on! You guys saw it too right? Hey! You guys knew there wasn''t such a thing here before right? Right?!"


    One of them even grabbed his companion''s arm and tugged as hard as he could. That companion of his didn''t respond as he stood there mindlessly like an idiot. Only after a few seconds, he dumbfoundedly turned around to look at his companion before turning back again to face the magnificent Fortress.


    "Oh lord��"


    On the other side, the group led by the Mage Maiden were kneeling on their feet and saying their prayers. Almost everyone right now was suspecting there was something wrong with their memories. How could such a huge Fortress appear here? Could it be our hallucinations?


    It''s no wonder that these mercenaries were doubting their own eyes. After all, no matter what, it was impossible for them to not notice such a huge Fortress from a logical perspective. Furthermore, to build such a Fortress would require at least two to three years. Yet, this Fortress appeared itself within a span of half a day?


    Is this logical?


    Of course, it wasn''t logical. So, did that mean that they were wrong? Or was it the world that was having problems?


    At this moment, there was utter chaos in the mercenaries'' heads. They didn''t even know what kind of expressions and movements they should reveal to express their emotions. Because right now, they couldn''t even figure out what reactions they should even have!


    On the other hand, Lize was equally bewildered. However, as she was mentally prepared for a huge shock from Rhode, she was able to quickly recover her usual calmness. Surprisingly, even Marlene managed to keep her cool even though there was a trace of oddness that flashed in her eyes after she witnessed the Fortress.


    "It really turned out this way��"


    The maiden mumbled to herself. As the others were immersed in shock, no one heard Marlene''s words. After Marlene finished her sentence, she observed the surroundings before letting out a cough to drag everyone back to reality.


    "Alright, how much longer are all of you going to stand here? Mr Rhode is still waiting for us inside."


    Hearing this remark from Marlene, the mercenaries snapped out of their reveries. They shook their heads and pulled themselves to their feet before shifting their respectful gazes towards Marlene �� A Mage indeed is a Mage who indeed is experienced and knowledgeable. Even such an astonishing scene wasn''t able to sway this young lady!


    "Mis-Miss Marlene."


    At this moment, Joey put on a brave face and approached Marlene. He softly asked.


    "We-We aren''t dreaming, right? That really is a Fortress over there? And not anything else��"


    "That indeed is a Fortress."


    Marlene slightly nodded and lifted her chin.


    "Didn''t Mr Rhode say that he will be giving all of you a surprise? So, what do you think of this gift?"


    "This�� is amazing!!"


    Joey finally returned to his senses and shrieked in excitement. He quickly turned around and beckoned to everyone.


    "Let''s go check it out, brothers!"


    "Yea!!"


    The mercenaries instantly agreed and began to dart towards the Fortress impatiently. Observing their backs, Marlene displayed a bitter smile and shook her head helplessly. Then, she shifted her gaze onto Lize''s eyes.


    "What''s wrong, Lize? Is there a problem?"


    "Marlene, you''re really calm�� Even I was so shocked."


    "Ah, you''re talking about this?"


    Marlene chuckled in a ladylike manner upon hearing Lize''s laments.


    "No matter what, I''m a Mage that had been through the education structure in a Magic School. Lize, Mages are beings who can accomplish many incredible things. I have once seen a powerful Mage who did similar things like this before. From the start I was really baffled, but now�� I''m kind of used to it."


    Marlene flashed a smile to Lize.


    "You should also bring the others to look around. I will catch up soon."


    "Alright, Marlene."


    It was evident that Lize was impatiently waiting to explore all of this Fortress. So, after their conversation, Lize revealed a trace of anticipation and hurriedly scuttled towards the Fortress. Right after Marlene had confirmed Lize''s departure, the maiden then took in a deep breath. She stretched her arms frontwards and her arms that were hidden under the sleeves peeked out. At this moment, the maiden was clenching her fists tightly. Her long nails slightly pierced through her fair and delicate palms and fresh blood was dripping willfully.


    Marlene took in a few deep breaths and her arms were slightly shivering. After a few moments, she struggled to release her fingers. The maiden carefully reached out into the fold on her clothes for a handkerchief to wipe off the bloodstains on her palms. After struggling for a few moments, she finally wiped them off.


    "Hu�� Although I was already expecting this, I didn''t expect it to have such a magnificent sight��"


    Marlene gasped in admiration before quickening her pace towards the Fortress.


    When Marlene arrived at the large doors on the Fortress, the mercenaries were already lined in one row and facing Rhode with utmost respect and worship. Noticing Marlene''s arrival, Rhode nodded in acknowledgment.


    "Welcome to our Fortress�� Miss Marlene."


    Rhode gave a gesture of invitation towards Marlene before he squinted his eyes and scanned the surroundings.


    "So�� she''s the final one�� Eh? Why am I missing one?"

 Chapter 398 Heart Kno

    Although the most shocking moments were over for the mercenaries, they couldn''t help but felt amazed after Rhode led them into the Fortress and witnessed the neat, majestic and sturdy buildings. They were extremely surprised and pleased, especially when they realized that this Fortress belonged to them. Unparalleled pride emerged in their hearts at the thought of themselves being owners of this place! They firmly believed that they had made the greatest choice in joining this guild and devote themselves to this young man! Oh, Lord! He could even build up a Fortress in a blink of an eye. What other things could he possibly not do?


    Apart from Rhode who welcomed them into the Fortress, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum gave the mercenaries a surprise. And their appearance proved a more logical speculation for the mercenaries towards this Fortress �� After all, to the mortals, beings of the Legendary stage were not far from Gods. Many legends told that those who entered Legendary stage were omnipotent. Of course, this was only an illusion which those without the capabilities would see. This was why, after meeting the two ladies, many of them were suspicious. But, most of them were able to accept this reasoning �� It wouldn''t be too difficult for both of them in the Legendary stage to create this majestic Fortress together.


    This was, of course, a part of Rhode''s tricks.


    After the Fortress was built completely, Rhode and Canary constructed the Summon Gates that were located in the stronghold and Fortress respectively. Rhode then removed the lock on the Sphere of Mystery and shifted it within this Fortress �� Of course, unlike in the stronghold, the Sphere of Mystery wouldn''t need to be kept at a corner. Instead, Rhode placed it on the highest level of the Fortress which was also where his room was. Firstly, that would be the place where Canary and Mini Bubble Gum would live in and it would be much more convenient for them to protect the Fortress. Secondly, after activating the training grounds in the mirage, Rhode wouldn''t need to keep the precious Sphere of Mystery in the underground training ground anymore. After all, people would get to know of it and unlike previously when Starlight had lesser members. Considering the future, it''s best to be a tad more careful.


    However, this gave Rhode a delightful surprise. After shifting the Sphere of Mystery, he accidentally discovered a special function in the territory construction system �� The Fortress and Deep Stone City were wide apart in terms of walking distance. However, if the distance between both places was measured by drawing across a straight line, only a mountain distance away was between them. Of course, this unclimbable mountain would prevent anyone from crossing, but it couldn''t stop the system''s capabilities. In other words, the territory of the Fortress and the domain of the stronghold were linked together, which meant that the Sphere of Mystery could radiate its powers towards both locations. In other words, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum could shuttle freely between them!


    Through this matter, Rhode was finally educated that the radiating range of the Sphere of Mystery was correlated to his own influential zone. In other words, the influential zone of both the Sphere of Mystery and Rhode''s territorial control were equal!


    This was great news for both Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. Although Rhode''s influential zone in Deep Stone City was only the size of his stronghold, the system recognized the entire territory in the Land of Atonement. In other words, both of these ladies finally could put an end to their cooping-at-home lifestyles and go for leisure walks nearby �� But of course, they still couldn''t go on long journeys and unable to assist him by his side too much.


    On the contrary, Rhode didn''t intend to over-rely on both of them. After all, no matter what, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were illusionary guards with limited powers that the Sphere of Mystery projected and weren''t real humans. Furthermore, according to Rhode''s plans, this Fortress was only expedient as his final goal was to seize the Land of Chaos. However, this didn''t mean that Rhode needed to give up his stronghold and Fortress. No matter if it''s the stronghold in Deep Stone City or the Fortress in Land of Atonement, he needed to protect all of them. And since he couldn''t give up these two places, he would need someone trustworthy to manage them.


    Rhode had decided that after the Fortress was built entirely, he would pass the managing rights of the stronghold to Shauna and Kavos. Both of them were familiar with Deep Stone City and were once mercenary leaders. After the Fortress was built completely, the main functionalities of the stronghold would be to convey messages and assign some missions to Rhode. In other words, this stronghold would become an ''office'' in Deep Stone City for Starlight Guild. And the true guild responsibilities would expand in Land of Atonement. Rhode would attempt to cultivate a trustworthy confidant during this period of time in order to have someone managing the Fortress when they needed to visit Land of Chaos.


    Luckily, guild and mercenary groups were different. As long as the guild could complete two guild missions with hard difficulty, the guild could spend their other time to do whichever they like. Of course, other than this, it was nothing more than for the purpose of maintaining harmonies between mercenaries. With regular rotations, there wouldn''t be any problems.


    According to logic, during the first year when a guild was formed, they mainly would focus on setting up their prestige by warning other mercenary groups that from this day on, the territory belonged to them and they''d better be careful �� This wasn''t much of an issue for most guilds because after all, before a mercenary group got promoted to guild, they were already the top mercenary group of their region and their reputations were naturally present�� But, Rhode''s Starlight was an exception.


    Although previously, Rhode''s Starlight indeed strived for the honor of Paphield Region and was considered the top mercenary group, after claiming the Land of Atonement and building a Fortress, in addition to two members in the Legendary stage as helpers, most people wouldn''t dare to go against him. But now, it wasn''t true that Starlight was invulnerable. After all, Starlight rose up too suddenly as if lightning. Although this might dazzle one''s eyes, as time past, Starlight''s deterrence might not be as powerful. Some things can only be done with capabilities, but some things could only be achieved with time.


    "Got to say, this is a shocking miracle, Mr Rhode."


    After appointing the energetic mercenaries to their rooms and allowing them to roam freely, Rhode finally returned to his ''new study room''�� Unlike the ordinary room in the stronghold, Rhode''s new study room was located in the middle of the fourth floor. The spacious study room and bedchamber had a completely essential difference as compared to the one in the stronghold. Starlight Guild''s banner hung grandly on both sides of the wall and all the sceneries within the Fortress could be seen through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows behind Rhode. The floor was laid with soft carpets and the surrounding bookshelves were pitifully empty �� All these were naturally purchased by Rhode using the mercenary construction system.


    Marlene quietly followed Rhode to his room and spoke after admiring everything.


    "It''s for the best that all of you like it."


    Rhode nodded towards Marlene before taking a seat behind the desk. Then, he beckoned for Marlene.


    "Have a seat, Marlene."


    "Okay, Mr Rhode��"


    Marlene quietly sat down in front of Rhode as she lowered her head slightly. Rhode narrowed his eyes and gazed at the maiden before his eyes. Detecting his gaze, Marlene felt a little uneasy and she subconsciously twirled her silver-whitish hair-ends. After a few seconds, the maiden lifted her head and asked.


    "So�� You want to talk to me?"


    "It''s only for a small matter. Since everyone isn''t here now, I think it''s a good time to discuss it."


    Rhode leaned back in his chair. Just as he had said, everyone was immersed in happiness and shock of this majestic Fortress. Lize was hurriedly arranging the accommodation and patrolling schedules for the mercenaries while Mini Bubble Gum was bored stiff and looking for something that would interest her. Whereas for Canary, she went searching for Anne �� That maiden was still asleep on the mountainside and seemed to not have any intentions of waking up. And using this opportunity, Rhode called for Marlene to his own study room.


    "Small matter?"


    "Maybe, or maybe not."


    Rhode''s tone suddenly turned solemn as he sat up straight and crossed his arms while looking into Marlene''s eyes sternly.


    "Marlene. Ever since we left Deep Stone City, you have been acting strangely. I didn''t have the time to check on you before, and I don''t think I should interfere with your personal problems. But now, it seems that the situation isn''t that simple. I think, maybe I should ask you what exactly happened. If you have any troubles that you might need my help for, you can let me know anytime."


    After hearing Rhode''s advise, Marlene was slightly taken aback. The maiden gently lowered her head and quietly stared at her feet. After a few moments, the maiden finally broke the silence.


    "�� If I ask, then�� Mr Rhode, will you really be willing to help me?"


    "That''s for sure."


    Rhode nodded kindly. After hearing Rhode''s response, Marlene slightly blushed and even revealed some nervousness.


    "Then�� Mr Rhode, I have a request."


    "Hmm? What is it?"


    Marlene bit her lips and lifted her head courageously. She looked at Rhode in the eyes with quirky emotions.


    "Tomorrow night�� Can you come to my room please?" Marlene asked.

 Chapter 399 Heavy Trus

    After sending off another batch of guests, Shauna stood up and shook her head, sending an instant crackle to her aching neck. The red-haired maiden pouted and heaved a long sigh of relief before facing out the window.


    "It''s already noon�� I didn''t even notice."


    Shauna was entranced as she overlooked the scenery. Rhode and the others had left Deep Stone City for over ten days and there weren''t any updates from them. Although she wasn''t worried about their capabilities, she couldn''t help but felt uncertain as it had been awhile. This ex-mercenary female leader felt immense pressure, especially after Rhode passed on the stronghold for her to manage before he left. She was clear that this responsibility was of utmost importance, as well as her position and authority. Although she had only been taking up the role of guarding the stronghold, she had gained Rhode''s trust. However, that role, after all, was only just looking after the house and was entirely different from managing the entire stronghold.


    Shauna was clear that her position was unsettled. Not only because her abilities weren''t the strongest, but mainly because she''s a woman. Shauna felt the dissatisfaction from Kavos and the other mercenaries when Rhode made this decision. But, this wasn''t too surprising as male chauvinism prevailed within the mercenaries. In any ordinary mercenary group, apart from Clerics who were well-respected and were also life-savers, there were also others like Anne who relied on her own capabilities to make a name for herself. These type of female mercenaries would receive a certain extent of independent and respected statuses. Whereas, for the other female mercenaries with some capabilities, they could still enjoy the treatment as warriors. However, those that were incompetent held lowly statuses. Some of them even became the plaything for the mercenary group. Such females couldn''t battle, so they could only ''help'' the mercenary group with their own assets. After all, mercenaries were a group of people that favor strength and were very realistic. Those maidens with mediocre strength and yet loved to dream of adventures, wouldn''t end up too well if they didn''t get to meet any kind-hearted people within the mercenary group.


    In fact, when Lapis and the others first approached Rhode, it was also due to a similar reason. Initially, after Lapis and the others joined the mercenary group, they were under Anne''s charge. Anne held a high position within Mark White Mercenary Group and was also the adopted daughter of the senior leader. This was why the mercenaries weren''t up to no good. However, some of the mercenaries felt that Lapis was useless after Anne had left the mercenary group. Not only Lapis was incapable of battles, she was also timid and always dragged the others down. To them, such a girl wasn''t suitable to be a mercenary at all. Although Joey and Randolf had been protective of Lapis, most of the other members in Mark White Mercenary Group agreed that it''s pointless to keep this girl. But luckily, Lapis looked pretty. And if she''s willing to ''service'' everyone, then they would allow her to stay. If not, she would have to leave. The lives of mercenaries were tough and no one wished to see a leecher amongst themselves.


    Of course, Lapis didn''t wish to live a life of prostitute which was why they finally chose to leave Mark White for Starlight. Lapis was lucky, but not so within a mercenary group with so many females.


    With such a background story, the red-haired maiden often heard malicious rumors ever since Rhode passed on the managing rights of the stronghold to her. Of course, no one secretly decided that Shauna had offered her body to Rhode in order to get picked �� Even Shauna couldn''t believe such ridiculous possibilities. However, those with the ''male chauvinism'' mentality were ubiquitous.


    It was also thanks to Rhode for leaving Canary and Mini Bubble Gum in the stronghold. Other than completing their own missions every day and in charge of training schedules, they didn''t need to interfere with matters of the stronghold. This allowed Shauna to lead a peaceful life and after all, strength equaled respect in the eyes of all mercenaries. So, since both these ladies of the Legendary stage didn''t grumble to Rhode''s orders and decision for Shauna to manage the stronghold, what gave the mercenaries the rights to do so? Could it be that they were much stronger than these two ladies?


    Furthermore, Shauna knew her position wasn''t stable, which was why she sought perfection in every matter under her lead and it worked out well. As a female mercenary who build up a mercenary group from nothing, Shauna''s worldly affairs, sleek methods of handling matters and prudence were all skillful and this gave no chance for others to nitpick.


    "Hu��"


    Shauna applied pressure on her forehead due to fatigue. These days along with the growth of Starlight''s popularity, Shauna was overwhelmed by visitors. Previously, when she was her own mercenary group leader, the most that she had met was merely the second-in-command of some authority organizations. But now, the owner of Deep Stone City, the Patriarch of Keller Family and some other popular representatives even personally visited Starlight for discussions. This gave Shauna tremendous pressures and furthermore, Rhode didn''t respond to her and she couldn''t make decisions for urgent matters.


    Forget it, there''s no point thinking of these.


    Shauna shook her head and turned towards her room. And at this moment, someone spoke out of the blue.


    "It seems that you''re doing fine."


    "Who''s there?!"


    No matter what, Shauna was still a capable mercenary. She innately took two steps back and drew her sword �� Up until this moment, she witnessed Rhode sitting on the sofa beside her. He was casually sipping on the piping hot red tea.


    "Sir?!"


    Shauna widened her eyes in shock. However, she quickly recovered her senses and unsheathed her sword, before bowing respectfully.


    "Sir, you''re finally back�� Is everything alright? Where are the rest?"


    "Everything is going well."


    Rhode placed the cup of tea on the table, at the same time lifting his head and gazed at the female mercenary. In fact, he actually didn''t quite understand Shauna too well. Initially, as for why Rhode decided on Shauna, he had another set of views apart from Lize''s good impression on her. As a female mercenary who spent years working hard for a livelihood, Shauna conducted herself in society extraordinarily well and she was meticulous with her thoughts which many men weren''t capable of. Of course, this would restrict her growth and development �� Males, after all, would plan much more ahead and wouldn''t be mindful of some small details. However, Rhode didn''t mind her tedious and careful nature because, in future, this stronghold would only serve as an ''office'' to receive intelligence, execute and communicate commands, and didn''t need it to get involved with the development of mercenary groups.


    "Don''t worry about the Fortress. I''m here to discuss with you on what''s coming next�� But before that, I would like to hear your report on the recent happenings in this stronghold."


    "Yes, Sir."


    Shauna swiftly bowed and started giving a detailed report of the entire going-on with this place.


    After Rhode led the others out of Deep Stone City, the upsurge that Starlight brought up had decreased. After all, the main character wasn''t present and the main topic of discussion wasn''t available. However, although this upsurge had passed, the matters of Starlight didn''t decrease. Many nobles, merchants, and representatives of some powerful organizations had visited this stronghold, with hopes to meet Rhode in person for some discussions. From the start, most of the visitors were locals from Deep Stone City and Paphield. But recently, there were more and more foreigners that came to Deep Stone City to meet him. However, when Shauna questioned their exact purpose of the discussion, they didn''t let the cat out of the bag at all. And once they knew that Rhode wasn''t present, they even chose to temporarily stay in Deep Stone City just to wait for his return.


    Shauna sharply detected that within these people, a great deal of them was from the South and Country of Light!


    "This is the list of all the visitors who wish to meet you."


    Shauna retrieved a name list from the fold in her clothes and passed it over to Rhode. Rhode took over the name list and nodded. Got to say, Shauna''s meticulous style of work was impressive. Other than the names of these people, there were also clear pieces of information about their positions and affiliations.


    It was within Rhode''s expectations that most of the names were members belonging to some political bodies and Trade Associations. It was obvious that after Starlight''s promotion to a guild, they wished to be sponsors and at the same time rope in Rhode''s forces. However, Rhode wasn''t interested at all because he didn''t wish his guild to become like other guilds where they were under the constant control of others. After all, this wouldn''t be anything worth feeling proud of.


    "Eh?"


    At this moment, Rhode''s gaze focused on this name.


    "Lilia. Daniel. Cranfield �� The Church Saint?"


    Softly mumbled this name, Rhode frowned and turned towards Shauna.


    "What''s with this Church Saint?"


    "It''s like this, Sir."


    Shauna pondered for a moment and answered.


    "According to what I''ve gathered. The Saint was here to discuss with you on setting up a Church in your new territory. After all, many were aware that you had chosen the Land of Atonement. Previously, due to many reasons, no one was able to station for long in the region and now that you are building a Fortress there, it would be an excellent expansion point for the Church�� Also, according to his explanations, the Church seemed pretty interested in Madam Bubble."


    "Oh?"


    Rhode''s interest caught on at the last sentence.


    "What happened?"


    "It''s like this�� The Church seemed to be very interested in Miss Lize''s battle techniques which she displayed in the midsummer festival. They thought that this might be a good opportunity to change a Cleric''s battle style. So, they sent some men over partially for carrying out preaching activities in your territory and also to work with you on learning such battle techniques. The Saint had also requested for a similar request to Madam Bubble but she��"


    Shauna paused and closed her mouth in some misery. But, without the need of her explanations, Rhode had guessed the outcome.


    However, the Church preachings weren''t too bad too. After all, unlike earth and some novels, the Church of Dragon Soul Continent didn''t have a specific God to worship. They preached and spread fairness, equality, and observance of order. This was also one of the reasons why other countries were able to accept them. After all, the successor of the Creator Dragon actually existed. If one were to preach their worship to God, it would be similar to Christians publicizing to Buddhists. That''s how awkward things would get.


    Of course, the Church wouldn''t possibly rake in money using God''s name. However, the Church in Dragon Soul Continent were actually rich �� Because in here, the Church functions additionally as notary offices and banks of a similar sort. Merchants could choose to store their gold coins with them and they could withdraw them from other locations using unique proofs. On the other hand, various business trades could also be transacted in Church. As mentioned previously, as long the contracts and transactions were authenticated by the Church, there''s no need to worry about either party going back on their deals or breach the contracts. If not, the Church would represent the victim to engage in the punishment procedures. Of course, the Church would also receive a certain sum of fee and this would be their main source of income. Moreover, the ''Board of Directors'' of the Church were the Judgement & Ruling Twin Dragons of Country of Law and not any illusory legendary beings. As the saying goes, you can run, but you can''t hide. Everyone didn''t need to worry that the Church would deceive them of anything, which was why they were assured with them.


    Towards such an organization, Rhode naturally wouldn''t hold anything against them. At least with the Church, he could save some efforts in maintaining order. It''s all the better for the Church to be present.


    Rhode picked up a pen and circled on a few lucky names, before returning the name list to Shauna.


    "Get these people to meet me here tomorrow. Whereas for the rest�� find an excuse to dismiss them. Also, inform Kavos to prepare his men for a trip to Land of Atonement as the area had been swept clean by us. Next, most of the mercenaries will be heading over to our Fortress. But, you can choose some of them to stay with you. I''ll let you decide who to stay."


    "Yes, Sir."


    Shauna took over the name list and nodded in acknowledgment. But, after hearing the final sentence, Shauna was dumbstruck.


    "That means�� Sir, you will��"


    "I will be here temporarily, but in future, I will hand this stronghold over to your care, Miss Shauna."

 Chapter 400 Leavers & Stayers

    As Rhode stepped into the room, Christie was seated in front of the easel and carefully portraying a beautiful scenery painting.


    The little girl''s skills seemed to have improved yet again. At least to Rhode, the sceneries that Christie drew was almost similar to photographs�� Or perhaps, more beautiful than photographs. He didn''t immediately speak and he chose to quietly observe the little girl from the doorway.


    The current Christie was so much different from when Rhode first met her. During those times, her body was weak and haggard. According to Marlene and Lize, Christie was all skin and bones which was a heartbreaking sight for everyone.


    Now, with sufficient nutrients and food, Christie''s body condition became much better than before. At least she seemed like what a girl of her age should be. However, unknown if she was weak inborn, the development of her body wasn''t going on too well. Just look at Anne who was only about one or two years older than her, the maiden had a body that even Marlene and Lize were envious of�� Of course, there tend to be differences between all humans.


    Rhode had been very busy these few days and to be frank, there wasn''t much time for him to accompany Christie. However, this little girl had been obedient and she didn''t display any unhappiness. She continued to rest in her room, leisurely painted and read some books. But, all these activities seemed a little too bland for Rhode.


    Christie was always serious whenever she''s painting and she didn''t detect Rhode''s presence. On the other hand, Rhode only quietly observed the little girl. Only after a few moments when Christie laid down the painting brush, Rhode stood up and lightly coughed.


    Christie curiously turned around and a delightful smile instantly unrolled on the little girl''s face at the sight of Rhode.


    "�� Rhode��"


    Christie jumped off the chair and scuttled towards Rhode before diving right into his wide-opened arms. Rhode hugged the little girl''s soft body and revealed a gentle smile.


    "I''m back, Christie. How have you been?"


    "�� I''m good��"


    Christie hurriedly lifted her head from Rhode''s arms and nodded.


    "That''s good��"


    Rhode couldn''t help but smiled in response as he extended his arm to gently caressed Christie''s long hair.


    "All these while I have been busy and I didn''t look for you��"


    Rhode paused for a moment.


    "Christie, I will be leaving here tomorrow to the Land of Atonement. You should also know that the place will be our guild''s territory."


    "�� Yes��"


    A trace of disappointment revealed in Christie''s eyes, but she still obediently nodded. Rhode was hesitant but he eventually continued.


    "But�� If you want to go, I can bring you along. But Christie, you need to know that the conditions there are harsh and it wouldn''t be as bustling as Deep Stone City. If you don''t wish to go, then I wouldn''t force you to."


    "�� Ah��"


    Christie''s gloomy eyes suddenly flickered. She wanted to give her answer almost immediately but some concerns caused her to ponder for a moment.


    "�� But�� if Christie follows�� will I give�� Rhode�� everyone�� more trouble��?"


    "Don''t worry about this."


    Rhode smiled as he shook his head.


    "I can guarantee that you wouldn''t cause any trouble."


    Up until this moment, a smile resurfaced on Christie''s face. She looked up towards Rhode and happily nodded.


    "�� Ok�� I want to go. I want to be�� with Rhode�� and Anne�� Sister Marlene�� everyone��"


    "Sure, since you want to go then we will all welcome you."


    Rhode released his hug and scanned the little girl from head to toe with a smile.


    "So then, Christie, go get changed. We will have dinner soon. And remember to pack up your stuff okay?"


    "�� Ok��"


    Christie delightfully nodded and swiftly began to pack the sketchpad and paint brushes. On the other hand, Rhode quietly observed the little girl and hopelessly revealed a bitter smile while shaking his head after a few moments, before stepping out of her room.


    Rhode had been hesitant of bringing Christie over to the Fortress from the very start because he knew that a year later, there might be a fierce war. However, Rhode was also worried of leaving Christie alone in the stronghold especially after hearing Shauna''s report �� Rhode wouldn''t be so innocent to think that the Southern bastards would only want to simply discuss some business with him. This bunch of bastards definitely were up to no good. Now that Rhode''s entire elite forces were shifted towards the Land of Atonement, he didn''t have the free time to appoint someone to specially protect Christie. However, this increased the chances of her facing threats. Many people knew that Christie and Rhode had a close relationship. Furthermore, Rhode had always doted on this ''sister'' of his. From their exact same looks, it was enough for Christie to be targeted by many opposing forces.


    Rhode didn''t wish that Christie would end up suffering in the Fortress, but he was also worried about leaving Christie alone. In the end, he decided to let Christie make her own decision. If the girl chose to stay, at most Rhode could send someone to look after her since there''s the Summon Gate around. However, if Christie was willing to follow him to the Fortress, then�� Rhode would need to work harder.


    But that''s not a bad thing.


    Rhode shook his head with a bitter smile. He descended the steps towards the hallway of the first underground floor.


    At this moment, the entire basement was empty with only odd sounds resounded from the hallway. Rhode directly stepped towards a sturdy, locked door and knocked.


    Those disorderly noises stopped shortly after and a timid voice sounded.


    "Ah, p-please wait, I''m coming!"


    Accompanied by this panicky voice behind the door, sounds of clanging could be heard. After a few moments, everything returned to silence. As the door unlocked, it slowly creaked and Lapis appeared before Rhode.


    "Ah, S-Sir?"


    Lapis was startled and she hurriedly took a few steps backwards. The maiden subconsciously patted off the dust on her clothes before timidly returning her gaze.


    "Y-You''re back��"


    "Yes�� Since I''ve completed the Fortress matters, I have returned to check around."


    Rhode curiously looked over Lapis and the state behind her seemed to have just suffered from air strikes.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Ah, I, I was only doing some research regarding the alchemy of Behermes Family. As for the modifications on the list of magical equipment, I think I have just figured the way of doing it. But I still need to continue experimenting��"


    "Alright, we will leave this for later."


    Rhode interrupted Lapis'' speech with his hand. He knew that although Lapis usually was a timid yes-woman and didn''t have her own views, when it''s regarding her own profession, she wouldn''t stop speaking for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Rhode didn''t have the mood and time to listen to her on this topic, which was why he swiftly cut off her words.


    "The Fortress there is ready and I want you to pack up now. Bring everything over to the Fortress�� Don''t worry, I have prepared a specialized alchemy workshop for you. I think you will like it there."


    "Alchemy workshop?"


    Lapis'' eyes instantly glistened by the two keywords. The maiden nodded with might.


    "Okay, Sir. No problem, I will get prepared now��"


    "Don''t forget your dinner soon."


    "Of course, Sir, I will not forget!"


    Lapis immediately closed the door and scuttled off to get ready. Shortly after, Rhode could hear the usual clanging sounds from behind the door again.


    She''s really��


    Rhode shook his head helplessly and turned around.


    As he arrived in the living room on the floor above, Shauna''s eyes brightened and she instantly ran to his side.


    "S-Sir, you''re here at the right time. Someone''s here to see you."


    "See me? Now?"


    Rhode frowned after hearing Shauna''s words.


    "Who is it?"


    "He''s Matt, from Silver Libra Trade Association��"


    "Oh?" Rhode twitched his brows. "Let him in."

 Chapter 401 Matt’s Decision

    The fat merchant didn''t seem any different from before.


    Matt instantly revealed a warm smile as he entered the living room and saw Rhode standing there. He approached Rhode and grabbed his hand enthusiastically.


    "Aiya, it''s been awhile, Mr Rhode. Although I''ve heard you went to the Land of Atonement, I didn''t think you would be there for so long. I''ve waited for you so miserably."


    "Long time no see, Mr Matt."


    Shaking the fat merchant''s hand, Rhode retained his expression. However, his eyes revealed a somewhat depressed look.


    "I thought you didn''t intend to work with me already."


    "Hahaha, Mr Rhode sure knows how to crack jokes."


    Matt awkwardly smiled as he knew what Rhode was referring to. However, nevertheless, this was also his problem. It had been a long time since the midsummer festival ended and Matt was also unsure if he would be welcomed here. However, after seeing that Rhode didn''t have the intentions of chasing him out, the fat merchant felt much better.


    Merchants mainly had skin as thick as walls. If not, they wouldn''t be able to do their businesses. Since Rhode didn''t mention about it, Matt wouldn''t be that dumb to talk about this foolish matter. He laughed it off while Rhode didn''t remind him of that, because the fat merchant had explained his thoughts with his visit already.


    Shortly after, both of them sat down in the living room. And soon, one of the mercenaries brought tea over and they jumped right into the main discussion.


    "Since Mr Matt is here, it means that you''ve decided?"


    "That''s for sure, Mr Rhode."


    Matt wasn''t pretentious as he knew that it''s best not to beat about the bush with this young man. However, this decision also troubled Matt for a while. After all, as Rhode expected, he offended the Southerners too harshly. Other than Golden City, the South treated the Munn Kingdom as their second largest business center and this was very important to many merchants. Once Matt decided to work with Rhode, it could be imagined that in the near future, he would be the most unpopular merchant of the Southerners.


    Of course, amiability makes the merchants rich. No matter how unfavorable one merchant was, they wouldn''t instantly throw a punch. However, it''s unambiguous for them to sabotage and even form an alliance to force one merchant to sell his products at an unprofitable price which were very lethal to any Trade Associations.


    However, after long considerations, Matt finally decided to accept Rhode''s invitation.


    As a merchant, Matt sharply detected that this transaction not only held high risks, it also had high rewards and political benefits!


    Firstly, this Mr Rhode was a guild leader. Logically speaking, he could be considered as half the owner of Paphield Plain and there wouldn''t be many obstacles for Matt''s future work. And on the other hand, although this Starlight Guild had only just begun, no one could compare to its political resources! Everyone knew that Miss Marlene was the heir of the Senia Family, but what Matt didn''t expect was that the Cleric that escaped with him from the Floating Boat was actually Lydia''s younger sister!


    Although it seemed that Monarch Lydia had no intentions of introducing her younger sister into the political circle, as long as Lize''s identity was present, it would mean that the political benefits would always be present. And if he was able to build a good relationship with both of them, it would naturally be a plus for his trade association. With Marlene.Senia around and if the Senia Family could get involved, there wouldn''t be any issues with future financial resources. Furthermore, the contacts of the Senia Family spread throughout the entire country which was also an unparalleled resource.


    Although until now, the actual identity of Rhode was still a mystery, everyone actually recognized that this young man was definitely not an ordinary human. This young man was someone who defeated three guild leaders, so who dared to say he''s an ordinary human? Moreover, there were rumors that there were two subordinates of the Legendary stage following his lead �� Although the rumors might have exaggerated, they were only a small number of nobles who could dispatch such powerful beings. On a deeper level, why would the Senia Family even allow their heir to mix up this mysterious young man? Both of them were still young man and woman and malicious rumors might spread after a while. To a huge family like the Senias, how would they even allow their heir to do something so ''despicable''?


    Of course, the Senia Family wouldn''t allow that. However, since they had given permission for Marlene to stay with Rhode in a guild, that might probably mean that Rhode''s background might be from an ancient and grandeur family. This way, their relationship wouldn''t tarnish the name of the Senias and might even be the start of a powerful alliance!


    Although Matt wasn''t sure of Rhode''s background, he believed that his investment wouldn''t have zero returns.


    Of course, these were all potential benefits, and the most direct and realistic way was through the business transactions of the magical potions that Rhode had promised Matt!


    This would be the most profitable business! In Dragon Soul Continent, there weren''t many magical potions available which were why their prices were steep. Although Clerics could heal injured mercenaries and wouldn''t even charge a fee, what if the mercenaries broke their legs during adventures or suffered from serious diseases �� They couldn''t expect the Clerics to follow them 24/7 wherever they go right?


    This was why, other than healing effects, some magical potions could even strengthen powers, improve physical fitness and even provide special effects. These potions were unusually sought after in the market. Before making a decision, Matt had calculated that even if Rhode gave him 20 bottles of magical potions every month, the profits that he would earn could sustain his trade association for three months!


    To merchants, they would be idiots if they missed the chance to earn a profit. Therefore, in the end, Matt still made this decision.


    "I am here to let you know my answer, Mr Rhode�� We, Silver Libra Trade Association, are willing to accept your invitation."


    Matt smiled towards Rhode and retrieved a piece of paper from his pocket and placed it in front of him.


    "I don''t know what plans you have readied, Mr Rhode. So, I drafted an agreement and process flow. I hope you could have a look at it��"


    "I would definitely look at it."


    Rhode picked up the piece of paper that Matt placed in front of him. Although Rhode said he would look at it, he squeezed the paper into the fold of his clothes instantly. Then, Rhode gazed at Matt.


    "But before that, Mr Matt. I have something to clarify with you."


    "What is it regarding?"


    Matt was taken aback by Rhode''s stern expression as he hesitantly and worriedly asked. In response, Rhode knocked on the table and only spoke after staying silent for a few moments.


    "Previously we had discussed this openly once. But now, since you have already decided, I think there''s no need to hide anymore�� Regarding the relationship of your trade association and our guild, what do you think? Mr Matt?"


    "This��"


    Matt''s expression slightly changed.


    "I can honestly tell you, Mr Matt, that the reason we chose to collaborate with your trade association, was mainly because we need the cash flow to sustain the operations of our guild. But�� regarding the matters of our guild, we would still be in charge. Our relationship wouldn''t be the same as the relationship between a guild and a trade association. Do you understand what I mean?"


    "��"


    Matt fell into silence.


    When they headed to Golden City, Matt once discussed with Rhode on this matter. However, Rhode didn''t reveal his true intentions back then as he only hoped that they could collaborate. But now, Rhode directly revealed his thoughts �� He wouldn''t allow his Starlight Guild to be under the restriction of sponsors. Instead, this trade association would, in turn. be the guild''s money-making machine. From another perspective, the trade association could be seen as Starlight Guild''s affiliate which raked in profits for them specially.


    After listening to Rhode''s truthful words, the anticipation deep in Matt''s heart was still present. After all, humans always fought for their own benefits. Right now, Rhode''s forces were much stronger than his and even though Matt thought he could use the cash flow as an upper hand to get Starlight Guild to help on matters to a certain extent, it seemed that things weren''t that simple at all.


    "I understand your meaning, Mr Rhode. But�� To be frank, this wouldn''t be the perfect choice for us trade association."


    "I''m clear of this point."


    Facing Matt''s answer, Rhode understandingly nodded.


    "As working partners, we definitely have the obligation to assist your trade association�� If you ever require help or face any difficulty, we will do our best."


    "That''s fine."


    Matt finally revealed a smile. At this moment, he had thought things through. Initially, he didn''t anticipate to manipulate from behind the scenes like how the other trade associations did. After all, these manipulations weren''t realistic. Just looking at the structure of this guild and the background of those members, how would he even be able to manipulate them? Like now, relying on the other party''s protection seemed to also be a good choice.


    With this thought, Matt stood up and extended his hand forward.


    "So then, I look forward to working with you, Mr Rhode."

 Chapter 402 The Church Emissaries

    Matt''s arrival signalled the end of Rhode''s final worries. This also meant that Starlight was on the path towards self-sufficiency in income. Earning income was always the weakness of all guilds and as long as income was secured, they could shift their attention to lowering failure rates on missions and the death rates of mercenaries. These weren''t difficult for Rhode and as a matter of fact, he had ordered Canary and Bubble to simulate all the mid-range and above levels dungeon BOSSes in the mirage for the repetitively training of mercenaries. At least for now, the mercenaries were familiar with their attacking patterns and the next challenge for them would be the actual battles.


    After their discussion, Rhode checked on what Matt was up to all this while. After all, although it wasn''t that straightforward collaborating with Starlight, Matt felt that it was better than not doing any business at all.


    Matt''s answer startled Rhode a little. Actually, this fat merchant had made his decision from the very start, but all this while, he hadn''t clearly understood the situation. The Silver Libra might be a small trade association, but it controlled many territories in the South. Matt also knew that once he began his collaboration with Starlight, he could forget about going to those areas and he might as well sell them off for high prices, as most of the land in the Southern Port was extremely expensive. Matt didn''t leak any information about his collaboration and he had just informed them that he needed to sell his territories due to business issues. Fortunately, this didn''t peak any suspicions with the other merchants and they quickly snatched up the territories, which in turn earned Matt a huge profit. This was also part of the plan that Matt plotted earlier. He was clear that if he sold his territories after news of him collaborating with Starlight spread, the South would definitely lower his land prices on purpose. But now, everything worked in Matt''s favor. Not only did he earn a big fortune, he also threw away a burden that plagued his trade association. Now that Matt had thought things through, although he lost his territories in the Southern Port, he would still be able to find territory in Golden City using his connections and his newly-earned sum of money. If the business transactions were as successful as Rhode had predicted, perhaps Matt''s business would turn out even bigger than it was in the Southern Port.


    This fat merchant was indeed quite scheming.


    Since both sides had come to an agreement, their following negotiations were swift. And since both were business partners, Silver Libra would naturally need to build their branches in the Land of Atonement. After negotiations with Rhode, Matt agreed to send some of his production occupations, such as the miners and pharmacists, over. After all, Matt was clear about the rumors regarding the Land of Atonement. If Rhode really demolished the threats there, Matt would make a fortune with the plentiful natural resources even without the magical potions.


    After clarifying both their stances in this collaboration, Matt considered this a win-win situation for both the trade association and the guild. On the other hand, Rhode wasn''t calculative over these small matters as his principle was that the guild would forever be on top of the trade association. Other than that, he wouldn''t mind giving small compensations to the trade association. Since both sides had a mutual understanding, the following contract signing was naturally successful.


    But Matt gave Rhode some reminders before he left.


    "When I arrived here, I saw a few guys from the Southern trade associations and those weren''t any good people. Mr Rhode, I would like to remind you that you may face some troubles this time�� Because Rosen''s son was one of them."


    This news indeed surprised Rhode. However, he didn''t take it to heart. It was nothing new for the son to avenge for his father. Moreover, with Canary and Mini Bubblegum here and his own strength much more powerful now, Rhode didn''t think that Rosen''s son would threaten him in any way.


    So Rhode wasn''t too mindful of Matt''s reminder.


    Instead, what caught Rhode''s attention was the other bunch of people.


    Church Saints.


    After receiving Rhode''s invitation, the Church Saints arrived at the stronghold the next morning. This was the first time Rhode met the members of the Church.


    Compared to other organizations, the Church had always been a place with more females than males, at the ratio of five to one. Of course, this wasn''t solely because the gender of the Judgement & Ruling Twin Dragons were female, but more due to the nature of the Church. In the Church, there were mainly Clerics, Pharmacists, and some members responsible for financial services. Also, these responsibilities mainly required meticulous care, which was why it was female-dominant. Whereas the males in the Church mainly took up the role of Holy Knights, Guardian Knights, and other external jobs. These people standing before Rhode were no exceptions. Amongst the five, three were young females and the remaining two were middle-aged Holy Knights in silver armor. From their darkened complexions and determined eyes, the two Holy Knights seemed to be experienced veterans.


    Whereas for the three ladies, they were dressed in white robes which represented their identities as Clerics. And from their standing positions, the one in the middle seemed to carry the highest rank. She was in her mid-20s and couldn''t be considered a heavenly beauty, but more of an ordinary lady. However, perhaps due to their occupational traits, she transmitted an irreproachable feel just by standing there.


    As Rhode personally welcomed them, the lady in the middle smiled and solemnly bowed.


    "Greetings, Mr. Rhode. I am the emissary of the Church, Lilia Daniel Cranfield. It is my honor to receive your invitation."


    "I should be the one thanking you, Miss Emissary."


    Rhode nodded slightly and placed three fingers from his right hand to his left shoulder before returning the bow.


    "I couldn''t ask for more to receive the assistance from the guardians of order."


    Noticing Rhode''s gesture, the eyes of the other emissaries standing behind Lilia brightened. Their gazes towards Rhode seemed to be much kinder now.


    "Huhuhu, Mr. Rhode has no need to be this modest with us."


    After bowing, Lilia immediately straightened her posture and chuckled softly behind her palm.


    "Besides�� We have met before. Could it be that you''ve forgotten?"


    "Oh?"


    Rhode was slightly surprised by Lilia''s comment. After taking a close look at the lady before his eyes, he frowned.


    "Hmm��"


    "It seems that you''ve really forgotten."


    Lilia revealed a hopelessly bitter smile at Rhode''s expression.


    "Do you recall when you first defeated the Devils in Blackrock Depths and reported back to us?"


    "Ah�� That was you."


    Rhode finally recalled. After defeating the Devils in Blackrock Depths and returning to the Mercenary Association to report the results, there were indeed members of the Church present. However, at that point in time, Rhode''s head was filled with concerns over the Keller Family and the Country of Light, which was why he didn''t notice her. As Lilia mentioned, Rhode remembered that he did speak to her and they even interacted for a while. But at that point in time, Rhode didn''t plan to work his way with the Church yet, and he only cleared the mission as an investment for future advancement for his relationship with the Church. He didn''t expect the returns to come back so quickly.


    Under Rhode''s invitation, the members of the Church stepped into the stronghold and arrived at the living room. After both parties sat down, Lilia once again spoke.


    "Mr. Rhode, regarding our intentions, I guess Miss Shauna has already mentioned them to you."


    "That''s right, Miss Lilia."


    Rhode lifted the teacup and slightly nodded in agreement.


    "I can guarantee that our guild welcomes the Church to the Land of Atonement. Besides, if there''s a need, I can even leave an area in our fortress for the Church''s operations. Of course, I guess you are also clear that as the manager of the Land of Atonement, we must go through a certain extent in administration and restriction."


    "That''s for sure, Mr. Rhode. I can guarantee that the Church will definitely not bring you any trouble. Also, to prove our sincerity, we are willing to pay a certain amount of management fee. Furthermore, before we engage in any of our activities, we will take the initiative to report to your guild to prevent conflicts and controversies."


    "That''s for the best."


    Rhode let out a sigh of relief in his mind. It seemed that the Church was just as nice to approach as they were in the game. The civilians and believers of the Twin Dragons were low profile in most of the places and due to their willingness to cooperate, many regions were willing to accept the presence of the Church. If not, nobody would ever welcome a bossy and domineering organization.


    "I can also promise you, Miss Lilia, that our guild will not obstruct the activities of the Church. If your Church requires any assistance, you can also look for us. Everyone is a civilian of social order and to withstand chaos, our objective is the same."


    Lilia couldn''t help but shoot Rhode a few curious glances before replying.


    "Pardon my rudeness, Mr. Rhode�� Are you a believer of the Church?"


    It was no wonder Lilia had such suspicions. After all, this young man seemed so experienced in these two meetings that they''ve had. Not only did he show respect for the Church, he also knew when to use specific hand gestures which the Church used internally. This was rarely seen in the believers because in the Church, although the differences between hand gestures weren''t huge, they had totally different meanings. However, Rhode clearly knew which hand gesture to use and furthermore, his views on social order�� was much determined that most believers.


    "This��"


    Rhode thought for a moment. In the game, he once brushed his relationship up with the Church to ''worship'' level, which could count him as a Church believer. However, right now, even though he wasn''t hostile to the Church and he even had a favorable impression of them, he still couldn''t be considered as a believer.


    "I''m regretful to say that I''m not a believer of the Church. But I can say that�� the Church is an important friend of mine."


    "That''s an interesting analogy."


    Rhode''s answer brightened Lilia''s eyes. She wasn''t furious that Rhode didn''t admit that he was a believer of the Church, but instead, the lady nodded as if she understood something about him.


    "It is the Church''s honor to have a friend like you�� Mr. Rhode. I think you are also aware that we are not here solely for the matter regarding the Land of Atonement, right?"


    "I''m aware of it."


    Rhode nodded, and at this moment, Lilia sat up straight and her smile turned dignified.


    "To be honest, Mr. Rhode. The Church has never heard of the battle styles for Clerics that you have on hand. You can even say that if we didn''t see it for ourselves, we wouldn''t even believe that Clerics could have such a battle style."


    Lilia paused for a moment before she continued.


    "Not only that, we inquired about the specific few Clerics from the Mercenary Association and I am aware that you brought them along for an adventure. And what surprised us was that you actually chose Clerics to face those evil Undead Creatures. The results were remarkable. I got to admit that this was a huge discovery for our Church."


    Lilia ended her sentence with a stern look on her face. In fact, she didn''t make known to Rhode that his doings had caused controversies in the Church. The reason was fairly simple because it had always been the duties of Holy Knights and Archbishops to banish Undead Creatures in all these years that the Church had been was established. Clerics would usually not battle. First, it had always been difficult for their spells to be effective in aggressive battles. Secondly, although many tried to attack using spells, they failed to grasp the crucial points. So in the end, for safety reasons, the Church divided both sides of the classes, where Clerics were responsible for supporting roles and the Holy Knights and Archbishops were responsible for dealing with enemies. It wasn''t because the Church was inflexible, but mainly because this style of battle was be the most beneficial and secure. And since that was the case, they didn''t need to risk losing Clerics, who were incapable for battles.


    And after the battle in the Silent Highland, the Church immediately had internal disputes over the roles of the Clerics. Although Clerics took on supporting roles within adventures in the Silent Highland, their duties weren''t only supporting from the backlines, but to support attackers in weakening enemy forces. This brought a new perspective to the Church and due to this, some people began to suggest modifications for their roles. After all, there were many more Clerics in the Church as compared to Archbishops or Holy Knights. Although Clerics weren''t able to take on frontal battles, their weakening of enemy forces could decrease the tremendous pressure of their attackers, which was naturally a good thing.


    However, there were a few people who disagreed with this perspective and their concerns were reasonable. Because no matter what, Clerics didn''t have much defense capability. Once they met any dangers, they could only rely on others for protection, which would obstruct advancement in battle. Therefore, they thought that the most appropriate choice was to follow the safest, traditional method, which was to leave Clerics at the backlines and not take part in the charge.


    Initially, in the Church, both opinions were met with a deadlock. However, after Lize managed to guard against Rosen''s rapid attacks at the Midsummer Festival, the voices that suggested to reform gradually gained the upper hand. After all, everyone knew that Rosen was a top-class Swordsmaster and Lize wasn''t even at the Elite stage yet, but she could still defend against his series of ferocious attacks. Furthermore, the ''Treat foes as friends'' tactic which Lize displayed in battle widened the eyes of many important characters of the Church. According to them, there would naturally be no issues if all Clerics were able to do the same as Lize.


    Although the Church tried to experiment with similar styles and techniques after the Midsummer Festival, for a Cleric battle style like ''Treating foes as friends'' which was developed after experimentation by thousands of gamers, the Church was not able to master it.


    And because of this, the Church decided to send their people to Starlight with the intentions of learning this technique. After all, whether it was the tactical aspect or the effects on battle, the young man in Starlight would understand it the clearest.


    "Due to this, the Church sent me here in hopes of obtaining the knowledge and tactics�� If the Church could possess such strength, I think it would be beneficial for everyone."


    Rhode fell into silence for a few moments after hearing Lilia''s request.


    He didn''t have many regards on this matter. Instead, Rhode couldn''t ask for more, since the Church had personally approached him. After all, the Dark Dragon would invade them in the near future and if he could have a batch of well-trained Clerics, those pathetic Undead Creatures would definitely lose miserably. Of course, Rhode couldn''t gather so many Clerics solely on his abilities, but things would be different with the involvement of the Church�� After all, all the Clerics in this entire continent came from the Church.


    "And of course, we do understand that this would be difficult for you." Lilia stood up as she placed her hand firmly on her chest and said solemnly. "Before we arrived here, the Church decided that if you are willing to teach us the tactics and skills, we will agree to all your conditions as long as they are within our means."


    "Oh?"


    Rhode twitched his brows as this transaction was definitely doable. Since the Church had sent the benefits over to him themselves�� how could he reject them?


    "So��"


    Rhode stretched his arm and knocked on the table. Just as he was able to speak, suddenly a burst of oppressive rumbles interrupted his words.


    What''s going on?


    Rhode couldn''t help but frown, and after a few moments, a mercenary was seen gasping for air as he ran towards Rhode.


    "S-Sir, someone''s here to cause trouble!"

 Chapter 403 Wrecking Havoc

    "Hmph!"


    Rhode''s expression slightly changed after hearing the mercenary''s report. He quickly stood up and apologized to Lilia and the other emissaries.


    "My apologies, Miss Lilia. It seems that we will need to reschedule our discussions."


    Rhode''s expression sunk and left the living room. After Rhode turned the corner, Lilia and the others exchanged astonished looks with one another before following Rhode closely.


    "Where''s your sissy leader? Get him here!"


    As soon as Rhode exited the main door, he could hear a scream from the courtyard. Rhode twitched his brows and stepped out without any expression. After exiting the stronghold, Rhode witnessed a few mercenaries groaning in pain as they laid on the ground. The door had been pushed haphazardly to the side and landed crookedly in the courtyard. At the entrance of the courtyard stood three men. They each dressed in different styles and their faces were filled with ill-intentions.


    Rhode knew the man in the middle was Rosen''s son. It seemed like Rosen''s wife was devoted to him and didn''t sleep with other men. If not, his son wouldn''t look so similar to Rosen. It was as if Rosen''s face was printed onto him. However, as his son was much younger, he didn''t have the unflustered expression of his father and what replaced it was a young brashness. He wore the unique costume of the Southern merchants with a black steel sword hanging around his waist. It seemed that this guy came prepared.


    On his left stood a man dressed as a warrior. Just his height was enough to scare others out of their wits. This man was half a body taller than Rhode, towering at around 2.6 meters! He couldn''t even be considered as a human, but more so as a giant. And hanging behind this giant was a three meters long sawtooth giant sword. Not to mention its sharpness, just the looks of it was enough to scare someone to death.


    The other man on the right was a Mage. A Mage who complied with standards. He wore a large robe and a pointy hat. His expression revealed superiority and uniqueness as he lifted his chin and scanned everyone like they were nothing more than rats and termites.


    Finding trouble with me?


    At this moment, Rhode''s expression sunk and the anger in his heart began to burn. It seemed that this bunch of bastards wasn''t frightened enough during the Midsummer Festival and dared to find trouble in my turf. They must be sick of living!


    "Yo, the rat finally crawled out of its tiny hole?"


    The man in the middle sneered and mocked Rhode as he stepped out. Behind that man, a crowd was gathered. After all, it was rare in Deep Stone City for someone to wreak havoc in someone else''s turf. Furthermore, it was Starlight''s turf that they were messing with, which flabbergasted many mercenaries.


    At this moment, Rhode''s expression couldn''t get gloomier and the other party seemed very satisfied with that. He lifted his head and proudly looked down and Rhode.


    "What''s wrong? Afraid? I think, you still don''t know who I am. I am��"


    "I know who are you just from your looks."


    Rhode interrupted the man''s words.


    "You are that old fart, Rosen''s, son. Oops��"


    Rhode suddenly paused and tapped on his head.


    "I''m sorry for the mistake. Rosen is dead and I should''ve picked my words properly."


    The crowd couldn''t help but laugh at Rhode''s terrific comeback. At this moment, the crowd understood the intent of their visit and didn''t have favorable impressions of them either. As for Rosen''s death, they wouldn''t sympathize at all. Just like Rhode had said, in the eyes of the Northerners, Rosen was a demon who oppressed them. Now that the demon was dead, they couldn''t be any happier. Now that this bunch of demon rascals wanted to seek revenge, what did it have to do with them?


    "Hmph!"


    Little Rosen snorted at the crowd''s laughter and shifted his gaze towards Rhode furiously.


    "I''m not here today to talk glibly with you."


    "You''d better not."


    At this moment, Rhode''s expression had sunk to his lowest.


    "If you''re here to talk glibly and that''s why you damaged my door and injured my men�� Then you will not have a good time."


    Little Rosen displayed a struggling expression. But shortly after, he unveiled a smile.


    "Listen up, you sissy. I''m here today for my father."


    He clapped his hand once and the two men behind him instantly stood forward.


    "All of us know that you used despicable means to kill my father during the Midsummer Festival and this is what I couldn''t accept. So, I''m here to avenge him. But��"


    Little Rosen paused and shot Rhode a glance as he lifted his chin.


    "�� I will not act like a barbarian as you have. Furthermore, in order for you to not lose so badly, I will now compassionately grant you the opportunity for a challenge. Of course, if you admit that you''re in the wrong and beg for forgiveness with your knees down, we might even forgive you. If not��"


    "If not?"


    "I will make everyone here pay for my father''s life!"


    A trace of murderous intent flashed in Rhode''s eyes. Just as he was about to speak, suddenly a sharp voice was heard.


    "Cut your crap!"


    Along with this furious scream, two figures instantly appeared beside Rhode. They were Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. At this moment, Mini Bubble Gum was filled with anger as she stared at Little Rosen, sneering.


    "Who do you think you are, to even dare threaten Leader? Scram! Scram! Scram! You make me sick. Garbage, scum, trash. You even thought of killing everyone in the stronghold just to make us pay for that silly ass''s life? Who do you think you are?"


    Mini Bubble Gum''s nature had always been aggressive. As soon as she appeared, she immediately pointed at Little Rosen''s face and gave him a good verbal thrashing. In the end, the girl even hooked her little finger.


    "Come on, scumbags. Come over here and show me how good you are!"


    "�� You damn rascal!"


    At this moment, Little Rosen was ashen-faced at Mini Bubble Gum''s tauntings. He stared with widened eyes and trembled in anger before flinging his arm abruptly.


    "Get her, Bull!"


    "��!"


    The burly, tall warrior instantly raised his head and bellowed. He drew out his long sword from the back and strode toward Mini Bubble Gum in giant steps. Got to say, this Bull warrior seemed really formidable and each of his steps were heavy and oppressing.


    Facing the darting Bull warrior, Mini Bubble Gum didn''t panic at all. Instead, an obvious look of despising displayed on her face.


    "Scumbag!"


    As Mini Bubble Gum snarled, the charging Bull warrior suddenly lost his balance and fell to the ground as if he had tripped on a rock. And at this instance, Mini Bubble Gum suddenly extended her arms and cast a Defense Barrier in front of him where the Bull warrior''s head landed right on it.


    As everyone knew, the Defense Barrier was a magical wall cast by spells. However, everyone also knew that although the surface area of the wall was large, and the surface area on top was narrow. As the Bull warrior smashed his head onto the wall, it was as if he hit the top of an erected cement slab and he instantly screamed in immense pain. He lifted his head in panic and attempted to hold his neck in support. At this moment, his nose bridge had been completely broken and blood was gushing from his nostrils. But this wasn''t the end, because as the Bull warrior lifted his head, he once again lost his balance after seemingly getting hit by something. However, Mini Bubble Gum wasn''t so kind-hearted to allow him to fall just yet. Just as the Bull warrior''s legs softened, she quickly flung her little hand and within a split second, two more Defense Barriers were launched at the Bull warrior''s knees!


    "Kacha!"


    The Bull warrior''s knees were punctured by the top of the two barriers as his body collapsed to the ground. The crowd only heard two quick and crisp crackles before they noticed his legs were twisted in incredible directions. Some of them even shut their eyes, hoping to not have a nightmare tonight.


    "Who do you think you are to even challenge me?! Let me tell you, you are an idiot! Dumbass! Retarded! Scumbag who can''t fight! You think you''re a swordsman just because you have a sword?! Nooo! You are a scum! Scum! Scum! Scum! Scum!!!"


    As Mini Bubble Gum continued to hurl insults, her hands didn''t stop. As her voice amplified louder and louder, beams of light descended from the sky and smashed severely onto the Bull warrior''s body. And every time a beam of light landed on his body, the crowd heard the crisp sound of bone fracture. Just as Mini Bubble Gum screamed the final ''Scum'', her arms swung violently and a sudden storm rose from the ground, engulfing the long unconscious Bull warrior. The storm instantly lifted him off the courtyard and he landed heavily on the main streets.


    "A noob that can''t give me any EXP. Scram!"


    At this moment, Mini Bubble Gum clapped the dust off her palms before lifting her head proudly at Little Rosen, who was ashen-faced.

 Chapter 404 Shadow Behind His Back

    Little Rosen was looking pale.


    He stared at the girl who was about 13 years of age and couldn''t believe his eyes. Are you kidding me? Bull was a famous Swordsman of the South, and even though he wasn''t as powerful as Rosen, he was still a talent that reached the ranks of Swordsmaster. Yet, he was defeated by this little girl just like that, and he didn''t even get to retaliate? Who exactly is this girl?


    Little Rosen suddenly recalled that he had once heard about the support of two Legendary stage beings. However, Little Rosen didn''t take this matter to heart because he was sure that it was only a hoax. If Starlight really had two Legendary characters, why didn''t they partake in the Midsummer Festival and only appeared now? Hmph, must be a hoax.


    But now, Little Rosen changed his views. But�� As he scanned this little girl who was panting with rage, he couldn''t figure out how this girl could have any relations with the beings of the Legendary stage. The difference between the actual her and what he expected her to be was off the charts. However�� He turned to the Bull warrior. It was a fact that this popular Swordsmaster from the South had run out of breath. He was dead before his very eyes and he didn''t even see what exactly did that little girl did and how she did it!


    "L-Lille."


    Little Rosen panicked. The purpose of his visit was mainly because of these two men. Both of them had abilities of the Master Stage and were once friends and subordinates of his father. Little Rosen held high confidence in this revenge plot because he felt that his father failed because of the young man''s evil scheme. Furthermore, he even suspected that Rhode relied on the powers of the demons. After all, Anne''s sudden transformation was terrifying and it wasn''t exaggerating to say that she had become a demon. Whereas for Rhode, although he did display his abilities at the end, Little Rosen felt that Rhode was only an expert in seizing every opportunity to strike and his true abilities shouldn''t be feared.


    In addition to this, with the presence of two Master stage men, shouldn''t he be able to defeat this sly young man?


    But, now it seemed that things weren''t that simple.


    "Lille, your turn."


    "Leave it to me, Young Master."


    The Mage stepped forward and coldly stared at Rhode. Before he was able to speak, Canary stepped up.


    "Alright, Bubble. You had the previous one, so this one''s mine�� No matter what, this is Starlight''s territory and if we allow anyone to just come and go after hurting our people, then Starlight would be too useless, right?"


    Although Canary''s words weren''t as aggressive and direct as Mini Bubble Gum''s, everyone could hear the deep dissatisfaction in her tone. As Canary stared at the Mage, she extended her right arm and clenched her fist. Suddenly, a violent wind rose and coalesced in her hand. In a few seconds, the whirlwind materialized into a sword.


    "Elemental Materialization?!"


    The Mage''s calm expression was finally disrupted. He stared at the young lady with widened eyes in horror and surprise. Elemental Materialization. Elemental Mastery�� Legendary stage? Oh lord. This must be a joke. This young lady was almost half his age, but she was already in the Legendary stage?!


    That''s impossible!


    The Mage trembled with fear. At the same time, as an Inner Circle Mage, he sensed the surrounding elements coalescing towards Canary, which he couldn''t even stop or prevent. And this was the sign of a Legendary stage.


    What kind of sick joke is this? If this young lady is really in the Legendary stage, wouldn''t I be seeking death if I fight her? But�� What should I do?


    Before the Mage found an escape route, Canary launched her attack.


    Although she wasn''t as emotional as Mini Bubble Gum, her attack instantly announced that the amount of anger in her heart was nowhere less than Mini Bubble Gum''s. She softly chanted a few spells and suddenly, she darted towards the enemy.


    What''s going on?


    The Mage couldn''t react in time.


    Judging from her dressing, isn''t she a Mage too? Shouldn''t a Mage draw a distance away to engage in battles? For her to charge towards me�� What is she intending to do?


    However, the Mage didn''t have the time to consider this question because, at this moment, the young lady arrived before him with a sword in her hand!


    Shing!


    The sword materialized from wind pierced into the Mage''s shoulder in a blink of an eye. The Mage shrieked in tremendous pain and he subconsciously struggled to retreat. But, at this moment, Canary rotated her wrist, and the wind elemental sword slashed up. With this motion, the Mage once again let out a blood-curdling screech and collapsed on the ground.


    However, he wasn''t able to land on his back as he had wished.


    Because at this moment, Canary suddenly increased her speed as she shrunk her body and pounded towards his chest. This impact forced the Mage to innately curled his body. However, this wasn''t the end, because the instant Canary pounded, she held her left hand against his chest.


    "Bust!"


    As she shouted, stormy winds erupted from her palm and instantly blew the Mage into the air. And at this moment, the young lady finally regained her stance as she lifted her sword and slashed across the air in glistening magical radiance.


    Soon, the crowd witnessed specks of lightning emerge.


    "��!"


    At the next moment, the wind elemental sword transformed into countless bolts of lightning as they erupted in the air like electrical eels, devouring the pitiful Mage within. As the Mage shrieked pathetically, the crowd witnessed a beam of burning flames descending from the sky. Shortly after, the charred Mage landed heavily on the ground outside the stronghold, without any signs of life as burning flames and leaping bolts of lightning continued to circulate on his corpse.


    So powerful!


    Looking at this result, the mercenaries'' eyeballs almost popped out of their eye sockets. What they witnessed wasn''t just the powerful strength of two Legendary stage beings, but also their unprecedented battle styles. Oh lord, who would have thought that a Defense Barrier could actually turn into a murder weapon? And who would have thought that a Mage could actually engage in close-combat battles like a warrior?! How did she do that? Furthermore, this series of battle skills that Canary displayed dazzled even the mercenaries. Although logically speaking, a Mage should only attack from far range and was also a very time-consuming class, Canary''s battle flowed smoothly no matter in close-combat or magic casting, which left the crowd obsessed as if they were admiring a gorgeous and passionate dance.


    Not only were the mercenaries flabbergasted, but even Lilia and the rest standing behind Rhode were also in shock. When Mini Bubble Gum displayed her prowess, these Church emissaries couldn''t help but stand in awe.


    That''s a Cleric? How could a Cleric be so brutal?


    Although Mini Bubble Gum was in the Legendary stage and her might was definitely formidable, Lilia realized that all the spells that the girl had cast were spells that she was able to cast! However, she never thought of utilizing those spells for offense, and even 10 Holy Knights couldn''t compare to it!


    Is this the strength that Starlight holds? If that''s the truth, what would become of the Church after we learned such battle skills?


    Lilia was worried as this thought flashed in her mind.


    Everyone fell into silence for a short while before exploding into a sea of cheers.


    And at this moment, the expression of Little Rosen was unsightly.


    I guessed it wrong!


    In fact, Little Rosen knew he was thoroughly finished when Canary first launched her attack. But he couldn''t believe that such young ladies would be in the Legendary stage. How could such illogical things even happen?


    But now, it was too late for Little Rosen to regret.


    He sneakily shifted his step, with intentions to leave. However, before he could move an inch further, Little Rosen suddenly felt a chilliness behind his back as dozens of light halos emerged in the air and swiftly bounded him tightly. Little Rosen''s face turned ashen as he lifted his head towards the front in despair. He clenched his teeth and awaited the final judgment.


    "What''s wrong? Mr. Little Rosen? Are you in a hurry to leave?"


    As Little Rosen gave up all hope, Rhode casually strolled to his face and quietly observed his fearful expression. Little Rosen gulped and began to stutter.


    "Wh-What do you want to do? You can''t kill me. If you kill me��"


    Before Little Rosen finished his sentence, Rhode''s sword pierced his chest without any resistance.


    "I already did."


    Little Rosen widened his eyes more and more as Rhode coldly retorted with his sword. Rhode placed his left hand on Little Rosen''s forehead and gave a light tap.


    And just like that, the lifeless corpse landed on the ground.

 Chapter 405 Provocation or Declaration of War

    He really did it!


    As Little Rosen collapsed to the ground, the surrounding mercenaries stared blankly before instantly exploding into enthusiastic cheers. Mercenaries usually wouldn''t think about the long-term but would only care about a moment of excitement. Furthermore, it was Little Rosen who started the taunts and the mercenaries cheered at his failures and pathetic consequences. However, some senior mercenaries with relatively broad knowledge were worried about what the Rosen Family was capable of. Rosen only had one son all his life, and he didn''t have any grandchildren. This blow by Rhode could be said to have instantly ended their lineage. To a family, this meant a never-ending vengeance and the senior mercenaries could imagine the reactions of the Southerners once they heard this piece of news.


    But�� What was the point in all that now? The dead couldn''t be revived. Now that things had ended this way, what was the point of regret? Besides�� There were two powerful helpers in Starlight, so there was no need to worry at all, right?


    After defeating Little Rosen, Rhode swept his glance towards the crowd and stared callously at a man dressed in a black cloak from head to toe who was hidden in the crowd. Sensing Rhode''s gaze, the man shuddered and quickly fled.


    It seems that my intentions have been conveyed.


    After the man in black cloak escaped, Rhode withdrew his gaze and beckoned for the mercenaries to carry those corpses to the Security Department and also report this matter to them. Rhode wasn''t worried that this matter would blow up even though the Rosen Family was influential in the South. Once this news spread, the Southerners would definitely be enraged, but could they do anything about it? Although the legal system in the Dragon Soul Continent wasn''t as rigorous as the ones on Earth, it still provided certain protections for legitimate rights of various regular organizations. Rhode had the legal rights to conduct self-defense and counterattack in a case where an idiot like Little Rosen injured Rhode''s men for no apparent or logical reason. In this aspect, Rhode wasn''t in the wrong at all. With the abundance of human testimonies and material pieces of evidence available, everyone could confirm that Little Rosen and his gang were the ones who started the fight first. Rhode would only need to send a few men to clarify the situation with the Security Department and toss them the corpses.


    Of course, Rhode knew that the death of Little Rosen would definitely incite the anger of the Southerners. However, he still did it��on purpose.


    The South had been the base camp for the Reformist Party, and whenever their higher-ups pressured Golden City, they were best at inciting the masses to apply pressure on the government. This had become a common occurrence for them in order to reach their goals. On the other hand, Rhode was clear that once the news of ''Little Rosen murdered'' spread to the South, the civilians would definitely blow their tops and seek revenge for the Rosens. That was the typical behavior because standpoint decided everything for humans. Even if Rhode''s actions were reasonable and lawful, the civilians, blinded by hate and prejudice, would treat everything that he did as evil, and every single strand of hair from his head to toe would scream ''sins''. This was why they wouldn''t accept Rhode''s reasons for self-defense and counterattack but would only treat them as a despicable and shameless trick by the young man. The young man purposely murdered Rosen because he knew this would force Little Rosen to avenge his father in order to uphold his honor. With this, the young man used this opportunity to kill Little Rosen. The levels of his shamelessness made one''s hair stand in anger. This bastard that''s worse than a beast must be killed. You see, that bastard even plotted this scheme to defend himself.


    If this were in the past, the Reformist Party definitely wouldn''t mind exploiting the anger of the civilians to make things worse. But this time, they didn''t dare to do so.


    The reason was fairly simple because the situation had reached the juncture of life and death for the Southern Reformist Party.


    Monarch Lydia had reached her last phase in annihilating the Reformist Party. Using war as an analogy, the Reformist Party was entirely trapped in the castle. If they kept themselves in and didn''t take any actions, they might survive a few more days and perhaps the Country of Light Parliament''s military assistance would come to save their worthless lives. However, if they got out of the castle and counterattacked now, only death awaited them.


    After the Midsummer Festival, along with the death of Rosen and the disbandment of Liberty Wings Guild, the Southern Reformist Party had taken a huge toll. However, they were slightly fortunate because that stopped Monarch Lydia from temporarily having any reasons to deal with them so the Reformist Party could hide in their shells and regain their forces for the time being.


    But now, Rhode gave an aggressive push to their backs. Since the Reformist Party had been claiming themselves as representatives of the civilians'' interests, they definitely needed to give an answer and put up a tough stance while facing the enraged Southerners. If they continued to hide in their turtle shells, they would lose their civilians'' support, which they relied heavily on, and death would also be one step closer.


    But if the Reformist Party responded to the civilians'' concerns and showed an unyielding stance, they could even incite conflicts between the regions. As a result, the determined Monarch Lydia would definitely suppress this bunch of people in the shortest period of time. By then, the Reformist Party''s foundation would be uprooted and it would only be a matter of time before they got wiped out.


    It wasn''t true that Rhode didn''t have any idea why Little Rosen would come to provoke him in his turf. Ever since he heard from Shauna that some people from the South and Country of Light visited, he had vaguely figured out their intentions. It was obvious that those people came scouting for intelligence on the strength of Starlight and Little Rosen''s provocation must''ve been planned much earlier on. Although Rhode didn''t know the backgrounds of the Bull warrior and Mage, it seemed like the opposition spent large efforts in gathering them. They must have observed Starlight''s matchups in the Midsummer Festival and gotten two pretty decent helpers. Although they were unable to withstand a single blow from Canary and Bubble, Rhode knew that they were at least in the middle-level Master stage and were slightly lacking compared to Barter and almost similar to Mobis. According to the performances that Rhode and the others displayed at the Midsummer Festival, although these few people wouldn''t be powerful enough to defeat everyone in the stronghold, they were still sufficient to probe the strength of members in the guild.


    The plan seemed to go smoothly for them, except for them not expecting the presences of Canary and Little Bubble Gum. After all, it was only logical to not believe that these two teenage ladies were in the Legendary stage and even much more powerful than that.


    But, after this lesson, those guys should understand how powerful they truly were now.


    "�� A bunch of crap."


    Mini Bubble Gum dismissively snorted as she stared at the mercenaries lifted the corpses away. She turned towards Rhode, Lilia, and the other emissaries and revealed a dissatisfied frown.


    "Why are these people here again?"


    "Did they look for you before?"


    Rhode curiously asked and Mini Bubble Gum nodded lightly while gazing at Lilia and the others with a complex expression.


    "They did come before�� But their over politeness made me sick so I chased them back. Besides, I''m a member of Starlight, so why must I train the members of the Church? What if these people turned their backs against us after they learned the techniques? Aren''t we brewing troubles this way?"


    That indeed was Bubble''s style.


    Rhode bitterly smiled at her response before extending his hand to pat on her bubble head.


    "Okay, stop saying such wilful words. I have reached an agreement with the Church and they will be sending some of their people to be under your guidance. But don''t worry, I will not request you to teach them everything. You just need to teach them some dungeon techniques for Clerics, that''s all."


    "��"


    Bubble puckered her brows and fell into silence. After a few moments, she lifted her chin and said, "I''m ok with teaching them dungeon-clearing techniques, but PVP techniques are my inventions that only I can use."


    "No problem."


    Rhode nodded in acknowledgment before leading Mini Bubble Gum to Lilia.


    "Ah�� That''s��"


    Even though Mini Bubble Gum was much younger than Lilia, Lilia immediately lowered her head respectfully and tightened her posture as if she met someone of utmost importance. Not only Lilia��even the other Clerics and Holy Knights behind her were dignified and solemn in their expressions. Although they had heard of Mini Bubble Gum''s reputation, seeing once was definitely better than hearing a hundred times. When this young girl displayed such formidable strength in their very eyes, Lilia and the others were flabbergasted. Those skills weren''t anything extraordinary. But, when the skills were combined, they became a force that was stronger than offensive spells and that was the most crucial.


    "For the sake of Leader, I agree to your conditions. You can send your people to the Fortress, but I don''t wish to see too many of them because it''ll irritate me."


    "No problem, Miss Bubble."


    Lilia lifted her head and her eyes were filled with pleasant surprise. After witnessing Mini Bubble Gum''s battle personally, Lilia was confident that this was the best decision the Church had decided. If this young lady was willing to pass on her battle skills and knowledge to the Church, it would lead to a revolutionary revamp.


    After listening to Lilia''s reply, Mini Bubble Gum turned around and nodded complacently towards Rhode.


    "So then, Leader�� Big Sister and I shall head back first?"

 Chapter 406 Pre-emptive

    Smash!


    The exquisite teacup shattered on the carpet and red tea stained a large portion of the expensive wool carpet. However, the man was unconcerned. He stood up with a gloomy expression and at this moment, his expression turned ashen.


    "He attacked? Are you sure?"


    "Y-Yes, Sir Polk."


    Within the crystal ball stood a man dressed in a black cloak from head to toe, lowering his head in fear while on the receiving end of his boss''s screams of fury.


    "Yes, I saw personally that he killed Sir Little Rosen. Also�� Also�� Sir McMullen and Sir Bull were also murdered. It was those two Mage and Cleric in the rumors who did it."


    "Are they really that powerful? Tell me everything that you saw!"


    Polk gritted his teeth and remained silent for a moment before speaking again. The man in black cloak shuddered and hurriedly gave an answer. In the face of his master, the man in the black cloak didn''t conceal the slightest details as he reported the exact process of the entire battle. After listening to his report, Polk''s expression turned more surprised than furious.


    "I can''t believe my ears. You''re saying that Bull died under the hands of a 13 or 14 years old girl without dealing a single blow and the girl was a Cleric? You''re also saying that a Mage defeated McMullen in close range? Are you sure you''re not dreaming?"


    "I can swear upon my soul, Sir. That female Mage that Sir McMullen faced definitely cast her spells and, I may be incorrect, but based on her battle skills, I think she''s at least in the Master Stage."


    "��"


    Polk fell into deep silence for a few seconds before biting his lips in the face of this grave situation. However, he wasn''t that mindful of Bull''s death as he was just a senior subordinate of Rosen and didn''t have much influence in the Reformist Party. Bull''s death might even be a good thing to Polk because that man was as equally stubborn as Rosen. Bull couldn''t put up with the behavior of Reformist Party clinging onto the Country of Light Parliament''s influence and furthermore, he was simple-minded and not as unflustered as Rosen. His constant venting of dissatisfactions gave the Reformist Party a huge headache, which was why his death could be a good thing for Polk.


    But it was different regarding McMullen''s death because this Mage was a member of the Starmoon Mage Association. Although he was also Rosen''s friend, the Reformist Party sent him for the sake of seeking out the situation in Starlight with his broad knowledge. After all, the Reformist Party had figured out after the Midsummer Festival that this newly promoted Guild wasn''t standing on their side, and they might possibly be tougher enemies to deal with compared to Purple Lily and Cole Falcon. It was best to figure out their true strength at the earliest possible time.


    Initially, Polk held McMullen in high regards because McMullen was a Mage that reached the outer-inner ring level, and a Mage usually had plenty of ways to escape from dangers. But never did he expect that Canary could instantly defeat McMullen in just mere seconds. Under the repression of rank and strength, he couldn''t even cast one-thousandth of his powers, and in the end, he could only harbor a grudge.


    Right now, what gave Polk the biggest headache was that this Mage held a high position in the Starmoon Mage Association. And now that he had died under Polk''s entrustment of the task, it couldn''t be guaranteed that the association wouldn''t flip out with him. Furthermore, Little Rosen''s death��


    Rhode''s prediction was right. Even Polk didn''t expect this young man to be so frantic because this was as good as declaring war with the Southern Port, which even Purple Lily and Cole Falcon didn''t dare to do. After all, the South was a financial hub and those who offended them would have a hard time circulating funds. Furthermore, the cash flows might even be broken due to their strained relationship. Could it be that this young man wasn''t aware of it?


    Is he just in his prime of youth or is he plotting some other schemes?


    Polk rubbed his forehead, trying to shake off this fatigue. He hopelessly waved his hand and made a decision.


    "Get everyone to retreat."


    "E-Everyone?"


    "Darn right, everyone! Just leave a few of them there for surveillance! It doesn''t matter if that guy is crazy or not; we no longer have the forces to deal with a guild that has two people at the Legendary stage. Get those bastards to open their eyes wide and not create any more trouble!"


    "Yes, Sir! I will do it now!"


    The crystal ball immediately dimmed and Polk let out a long sigh. After pushing aside the crystal ball, he fell into silence for a few moments before knocking on the hanging bell beside his table with a small wooden hammer. Soon, an attendant opened the door and entered the room with much respect.


    "Prepare the chariot; I''m heading to the Starmoon Mage Association."


    Just as Polk was troubling over how he should handle the censure of Starmoon Mage Association, Rhode on the other side had settled all his visitors. After Mini Bubble Gum agreed to the conditions, Rhode got into further discussions with the Church. In the end, the Church agreed to send 50 Clerics to the fortress in the Land of Atonement to accept Mini Bubble Gum''s ''Cleric Training''. The duration would be for two years, and within these two years, Rhode would be allowed to dispatch them for adventures or battles to gain a certain extent of experience. Of course, it would also be the Church''s responsibilities in the event of any unfortunate deaths. In terms of their levels, Lilia mentioned that most of them would be in the Professional stage and a small handful of them would be in Elite stage. Rhode didn''t have any opinions on this matter, and this duration of two years was actually good news for him, because he was clear that in at most a year''s time, if the Country of Light was to be invaded by the Country of Darkness, the war would start. Until then, Rhode''s success rate would naturally multiply with the support of the 50 Clerics in his fortress. In terms of strength, it wasn''t that worrying for Rhode because with the Sphere of Mystery to boost training efficiency by three times, it wouldn''t be difficult for those in the Professional stage to reach the Elite stage in two years'' time.


    After Lilia left, Rhode received Keller, Klautz, and Sereck. Keller''s purpose in visiting was within Rhode''s expectations as he wished to sponsor Starlight. However, this idea was naturally rejected by Rhode. Although the Keller Family stayed loyal and devoted to the Munn Kingdom, Rhode didn''t have the habit of placing the lifeline of his guild in the hands of others. Moreover, considering the bad impression that the fat chick in Keller Family had on him, it was all the more reason he didn''t want to mix with them too much. In the end, Rhode compromised to invite the Keller Family to his fortress to conduct ore explorations and excavations. After all, this was the main business of the Keller Family, and although Matt could also contribute partially, his expertise was still on business and not mining, so he wouldn''t be as proficient as the Keller Family.


    Keller also knew that thorough communications with Rhode were rather difficult after the incident between Rhode and his daughter, which was why he didn''t request for too much but just agreed to Rhode''s suggestion with a nod. Finally, both sides agreed to the terms: the Keller Family would be responsible for explorations while Starlight would be in charge of monitoring and guarding their safety. The number of ores dug would be split three to seven. As gratitude, Rhode''s fortress would exempt the Kellers one year of business tax.


    Strictly speaking, this agreement wasn''t too beneficial for the Keller Family. But Keller agreed without hesitation. After all, the most important purpose for this decision was to improve their relationship with Starlight. His scheme was similar to Matt''s, where both of them recognized the two political resources��Lize and Marlene. Also, Rhode was also admired deeply by Monarch Lydia. Keller only just took over the Merchant Association of the Paphield region and needed powerful political backing, and urgently. To be able to maintain a close relationship with Rhode and Starlight meant the best for Keller.


    Keller''s visit didn''t surprise Rhode, but Klautz''s reaction was out of Rhode''s expectations. Originally he thought that this owner of Deep Stone City cum Paphield Magistrate had the same intentions as Keller, which was to do business with Starlight. However, Klautz didn''t express such an attitude; instead, Klautz only spoke normally and in the end, he promised Rhode that Paphield would become their solid backing. As long as Rhode''s guild didn''t violate any laws, Klautz could make things convenient for Rhode.


    Rhode didn''t fully believe Klautz''s words. However, Rhode expressed that Starlight, as a new guild in Paphield, would strive to oversee the mercenary groups and guarantee the peace and stability of Paphield as gratitude. No matter what, mercenary groups or guilds were still the ''products'' of an authority organization. According to the laws of the Dragon Soul Continent, a guild couldn''t have more than 500 registered members and to prevent anyone from taking advantage of any loopholes, they had also set a rule that a Guild Fortress couldn''t have more than 1500 people. Considering the future additions of members from the Church, Keller Family, Matt''s trade association, and Deep Creek village, these procedures would be thorny, which was why it would be better if things could be settled quickly.


    On the contrary, the Mercenary Association which Sereck represented didn''t bring any daunting tasks for Rhode. After all, they were also clear that Starlight was still a newborn baby and to immediately request growth wasn''t reasonable. As such, Sereck only raised some points to Rhode with regards to basic situations and the necessity of filling member records. However, what caught Rhode''s attention was the necessary completion of two five stars missions with the hard indicators of a year, which Sereck mentioned before he left. After all, half a year had already gone and Sereck was worried that Rhode''s guild would be forcefully demoted because he didn''t complete the requirements. Of course, Rhode already had plans for this.


    It was already noon after he sent off everyone.Rhode let out a long sigh while Lapis and Christie prepared their pieces of baggage and were waiting for him. But��


    "Sir, just you alone?"


    Kavos questioned with doubts and shifted his gaze towards Christie and Lapis with an awkward expression. Other than the huge easel on Christie''s back, there were only a few pieces of clothes she would be bringing over to the fortress. On the other hand, there were three pieces of baggage of different sizes beside Lapis. According to her, this was only a small portion of all her luggage.


    After receiving Rhode''s order, Kavos thought Rhode would bring along a few other mercenaries for the journey back. However, it seemed like things were otherwise. Can Sir handle all this baggage alone?


    "Follow me."


    Rhode didn''t respond; instead, he beckoned for Kavos and Shauna before turning towards the stairs. Both of them exchanged dubious glances and followed Rhode down the stairs after lifting the baggage.


    Under Rhode''s lead, everyone arrived at a room located on the second basement floor. This place was originally set up for training mercenaries with the Sphere of Mystery. Now that the Sphere of Mystery had been shifted to the fortress by Rhode, this location had been modified for the Summon Gate. Everyone was surprised as they entered the room.


    What''s this?


    A rock-carved large gate built into the wall was seen in the deepest end of the room. At first glance, this gate was no different from any stone carving. However, after careful observation, they realized that there was a hovering whirlpool glinting with magical radiance right in the middle of the pitch-black gate, like a revolving galaxy.


    "Sir�� This is��"


    Upon hearing Shauna''s question, Rhode approached the wooden gate and knocked.


    "This is a magical portal. It can transport us between the stronghold and fortress�� In simple terms, we can go to the fortress in the Land of Atonement and the stronghold here at our will. Understand?"


    "There''s such a thing?!"


    Both Shauna and Kavos were shocked as they knew the importance of this gate. At this moment, Shauna finally understood how Rhode returned to the stronghold in absolute silence.


    "I guess both of you are aware that this gate is very important. Within the guild, only me, Marlene, Lize, Anne, Gillian, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum are aware of its presence. Now that both of you are aware, I think you should be clear that this must be kept a secret from everyone else. Only those who pass the test and show loyalty to the guild will have the rights to know about the presence of this gate."


    Rhode paused for a moment and turned towards Shauna and Kavos.


    "Shauna, you should know that this is a top secret. I have set up magical sentries here and it will trigger an alarm once it detects an intruder. But I still hope that you can keep this secret securely."


    "Yes, Sir, please be assured. I will not leak this secret."


    Shauna instantly promised sternly. After receiving Shauna''s word, Rhode nodded and turned to Kavos.


    "Kavos, check on the manpower we have after I leave and prepare to head into the Land of Atonement. I guarantee there''s a surprise for you there. So then��"


    Rhode paused before turning his head towards Christie and Lapis.


    "We should go�� I have a date tonight."

 Chapter 407 Fantasy Nigh

    As night fell, Marlene sat by the window and blankly stared at the scenery. At this moment, her emotions were a mess.


    The night scenery of the Land of Atonement was unlike any other places that Marlene had seen before. As far as one''s eyes could see, the surrounding scenery was in full pitch-black apart from the sparkling lights of the fortress. At the border of this orderly land, even the radiance of the moon ceased to exist. Raising one''s eyes to it, the odd darkness spread in unique tranquility and peacefulness.


    Marlene stretched out her hand and gently stroked the window before her eyes. The ice-cold tactile sensation came through, but it wasn''t enough to calm the maiden. Instead, Marlene felt she was as rigid as if she were in an ice cave. Her muscles were totally tight like she was huddled in a corner and shivering like a mouse waiting for a cat''s arrival.


    This can''t do!


    Marlene shook her head in denial before forcing herself to her feet and turning her attention indoors.


    Although this fortress was only recently built, the facilities were comprehensive. Furthermore, after considering individual characteristics, Rhode came up with simple decorations for the rooms when he designed the fortress. And before Marlene''s eyes, her bedroom showed a quiet and calm atmosphere. A white, soft bed laid beside the cyan curtains above the window, which let off a refreshing mood. Besides that, there were ancient carvings and slightly mysterious-looking pieces of furniture which seemed secluded and beautiful.


    Am I overreacting?


    Marlene inched towards the mirror beside her bed and observed herself. The maiden in the reflection was as beautiful and graceful as always. However, this time, she wasn''t in her usual gorgeous robe, but in an elegant and luxurious black dress.


    This was apparel which nobles put on for dance parties and banquets. As the heir of the Senia Family, this dress had been through meticulous alterations to fit Marlene''s body nicely, highlighting her slender waist and bosoms. The black silk yarn fell gracefully on her shoulders, showing off a pair of fair shoulders and tender arms. At first glance, this plain-looking skirt let off the silver radiance of a galaxy river flowing along with the gentle movements of the maiden. Matching with a silver necklace and a pair of delicate gemstone earrings, she let off an elegant charm.


    Such dress up undoubtedly made one the center of attention in a ballroom. However, it inevitably felt out of place as she wore it in the room. Marlene looked at her reflection blankly as she stacked her palms on her chest and puckered her brows slightly.


    "Mine''s are a little small compared to Anne''s��"


    The maiden mumbled softly and after a few moments, she abruptly startled and lifted her head as if she had just woken up from a short dream.


    "Th-This looks ridiculous."


    Marlene blushed and hurriedly scuttled to the wardrobe on the other side of the room. The maiden opened the doors of the wardrobe and rummaged through the dresses attentively. Marlene let out a long sigh after a few moments before closing the doors of the wardrobe. She sat down on a chair and held her hand against her forehead.


    "What exactly am I doing��" The maiden muttered under her breath.


    Since this morning, Marlene had tried on all the dresses in her wardrobe and her makeup was also re-applied at least two to three times. However, Marlene still wasn''t satisfied. To her, these clothes would either seem too childish, overly flirtatious or simple in Rhode''s eyes�� which made it hard for Marlene to decide. Although in the final moments, she had decided to wear her favorite black nightgown, she began to feel ill at ease while waiting�� After all, this gown was too outrageous in this place. What would Rhode think if he sees this? Will he think that I''m vain? Haughty? Ostentatious?


    Marlene had never experienced such emotions before. In fact, the maiden never thought that she would have such an irresolute day. Ever since she was young, she had never been this way before. Even when she learned about her family secrets from her father and heard her life mission, she had never been this hesitant. But now, she realized she was acting like a timid and overcautious girl who was letting her imaginations run wild.


    Why am I acting like this?


    Marlene couldn''t figure out why she panicked in this situation and was even this hesitant and indecisive. She was even dubious over her feelings towards Rhode. Although she admitted that she didn''t hate Rhode and had a favorable impression of him�� she shouldn''t have been acting this way regardless.


    Marlene couldn''t be blamed for feeling depressed in this difficult situation. After all, their relationship indeed was somewhat odd. Most human relationships would develop step by step from gaining interest in one another and finally reaching the last step of sexual intercourse. However, their relationship was totally different. Both of them didn''t advance step by step, but instead, they skipped the middle step and got straight to the last. It was so fast that Marlene wasn''t even able to buffer her thoughts for the middle step.


    Not to mention, ever since Marlene was born, she had never fallen in love. Love in stories and fairy tales were only suitable in wonderful dreams. However, the love which she sensed and felt was not completely consistent with the love stories. But in fairy tales, the prince wouldn''t engage in such illogical developments with the princess.


    Due to this, Marlene had conflicting views. There were many times that she had decided to call off this date, but she couldn''t pluck up the courage. And right now, the most important moment of her life was finally here.


    Knock knock knock.


    Hearing the knocks on her door, Marlene innately leaped up like a startled bunny. She looked at the door in uncertainty and subconsciously placed her palm on her chest before sucking in a deep breath and forcing herself to calm down.


    "Who''s there?"


    "It''s me, Rhode."


    "��!"


    Marlene felt her heart almost stop beating as she stood on the same spot and regained her senses after a few seconds. She tidied her hair and the creases on her dress before inching towards the door. It was incredible that even though the maiden was so familiar and used to Rhode''s voice, at this moment, she was triggered with unprecedented stimulations.


    I-I think it''s better to change back into my usual robe.


    As Marlene approached the door, she once again hesitated. She turned around and looked at her uncertain self in the mirror before shaking her head violently. There''s no more time now. I can''t possibly make Mr Rhode wait for too long. Since things are this way now, I don''t think I need to overthink anymore��


    Marlene sighed before gently unlocking her door and pushed it open slightly.


    "Hmm?"


    The instant Rhode met Marlene, he revealed an odd expression which tensed her emotions. As I thought. This dress is a complete mistake. If I knew this would happen, I would''ve worn my usual robe.


    However, the odd expression on Rhode''s face only lasted for a second before he regained his usual expression and nodded towards Marlene.


    "Hi there, Miss Marlene."


    "H-Hi, Mr Rhode�� Please come in."


    With full of uncertainty, Marlene nodded towards Rhode and invited him into her room. At this moment, the maiden''s head was a complete blank. The noble etiquette she learned and practiced for so many years had been thrown to the ends of the earth.


    Rhode also seemed to notice Marlene''s eccentric behavior and a trace of craftiness flashed in his eyes. Under Marlene''s invitation, Rhode sat by the table. At this moment, Marlene was completely rattled and she didn''t even notice Rhode''s peculiar expression.


    "Miss Marlene, I''m thankful for your invitation. So, you invited me here tonight for��"


    "Ah, th-that��"


    Marlene slightly blushed at Rhode''s question. She sat opposite Rhode and lowered her head in panic while gazing at the tableware. Her gaze wandered all around, avoiding direct contact with the man before her. At this moment, Marlene was acting like a child who didn''t dare face her parents after doing something wrong.


    "This�� Mr. Rhode. I remember you made a trip back to the stronghold, right? How are Christie and Lapis doing?"


    After a few seconds, Marlene finally asked. However, it was entirely out of topic.


    "They''re doing well. Apart from those Southern idiots who sent some men to create trouble, nothing much happened. I brought Christie and Lapis to the fortress and Lize has arranged their lodgings."


    "I see��"


    Marlene replied and the atmosphere became silent once again. Rhode didn''t speak as he attentively scanned the maiden before his eyes. On the other end of the table, Marlene continued to stare blankly at the tableware and abruptly regained her senses after awhile.


    "Ah, yes, sorry�� Mr. Rhode. I have forgotten that I invited you for tea��"


    Marlene stood up in panic and poured a cup of red tea for Rhode. However, perhaps due to her excessive nervousness, her hands slightly trembled and red tea overflowed and spilled onto the table.


    "Ah!"


    Frightened by the spillage, Marlene gasped and instinctively tried to wipe the water stains off the table with a cloth. However, the maiden instantly retracted her hand upon getting into contact with the boiling tea. And at this moment, she lost her balance and tripped to the ground.


    "Ah��!"


    The maiden''s screams abruptly stopped because at this instance, Rhode grabbed her hand and dragged her into his arms. The maiden loosened her grip of the teapot and along with a crisp smash, the teapot shattered into a pile of debris after hitting the floor.


    "�� Argh�� Argh��"


    Marlene began to tremble as she whimpered.


    I screwed up.


    I have never messed up anything before, but how did things turn out this way? I thought as long as I tried my best, I could say anything. So how did things become like this? So stupid, so foolish, so sluggish. What curse did I get myself into?


    "I''m so sorry, Miss Marlene."


    And at this moment, Rhode''s voice sounded in her ears. The maiden widened her eyes strangely and gazed at the man before her eyes. Although Rhode was still displaying his usual expressionless face, this time, Marlene discovered his smile was filled with a few traces of apologies and slyness.


    "If I''ve put you into a difficult situation, allow me to apologize�� To be frank, Miss Marlene looks really adorable right now, so I can''t help but see just how cute you are. But it seems like this is your limit��"


    "Eh?"


    Marlene widened her eyes in shock as she stared blankly into Rhode''s eyes.


    "M-Mr. Rhode, you know��"


    "A young lady invites a man to her room late at night, dressed in such a luxurious dress. Anyone can understand what this means, unless one''s an idiot��"


    "Ah�� Ah��"


    Marlene''s fair and smooth cheeks instantly blushed. Oh Lord, Marlene could swear that although she was indeed thinking of this, her head had always been considering how to explain to Rhode. Since she had forgotten that she was the one who invited Rhode, it clearly proved her intentions.


    At this thought, Marlene immediately felt an immense sense of shame as she lowered her head and clenched her teeth like she was trying to curl up and resist this sudden shame. However, Rhode didn''t give her the chance. Instead, he gently caressed her cheek, hugged her up, and placed her on her bed.


    "M-Mr. Rhode!"


    Feeling the soft, fluffy bed on her back, Marlene tightened her body. Although she did predict that things would end up at this state, Rhode''s fast actions had exceeded her imaginations. She gazed at Rhode in uncertainty and clawed onto her skirt while her body was as stiff as an ice sculpture. But out of Marlene''s expectations, Rhode didn''t act as she thought. He didn''t rapidly ''attack'', but instead, he quietly looked into her eyes while revealing a rare conscientiousness.


    "Although I understand your intentions, I would still like to ask you again. Miss Marlene, are you really willing to do this?"


    "��"


    "I admit, I do feel good about you and I like you a lot. But I don''t treat you as my most important romantic partner. So I will mostly be unable to return the same treatment you expect. Is this fine by you too?"


    "I�� I��"


    In a state of confusion, Marlene gazed blankly at Rhode and revealed her rare timid side. However, Rhode didn''t stop confessing.


    "I''ll put this upfront�� I''m a dominating man. If you are willing to become my woman, then you will be my woman forever. And now�� You still have a chance to turn back."


    Marlene couldn''t help but leaned her head to the side shyly. Her face was flushed red and at the same time, she pouted her mouth slightly.


    "�� Mr. Rhode is so cunning�� You clearly said I was your woman before�� What do you want me to say now��"


    "That''s my attitude and opinion, Miss Marlene."


    But Rhode wasn''t angry as he faced Marlene''s childish-like reply. Instead, he unrolled a slight smile and squished Marlene''s chin with his right hand to turn her head towards himself.


    "Now is the time for you to express your feelings�� isn''t it?"


    "�� I�� gree��"


    "What? I didn''t hear it clearly. Say it louder."


    "�� I ag�� agree��"


    "Sorry, the wind was too loud and I can''t hear clearly."


    "I�� I�� I��"


    Marlene''s face flushed red at Rhode''s teasing. She gaped and finally gritted her teeth.


    "I agree�� to become Mr. Rhode''s�� w-w-woman��"


    "Good."


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction after hearing Marlene''s answer in a sobbing tone. He extended his arm to gently fondle the maiden''s cheek before leaning in towards her ear.


    "Since Marlene said so�� Then, from today onwards, you are my possession�� If you don''t agree, I will make you understand."


    Rhode extended his hand and began to gently caress her chest hidden beneath the elegant evening gown. Sensing this strong stimulation, the maiden shrieked and innately shook her head to reject Rhode''s advancement. However, at this moment, Rhode forced her to look into his eyes before going in for a deep kiss on her lips.


    The instant Marlene felt Rhode''s lips on hers, her ice-cold body melted as though she had blended into hot water. A familiar and comfortable sensation constantly released from her body as she slowly stretched herself in itchiness and joy. At the same time, her entire body softened and all she could do was to awkwardly stick out her tongue in response to Rhode''s lure.


    "Wu�� En��"


    Coming out from the quiet room were the sounds of heavy breathing and the salivary sounds of tongues tantalizing each other.


    Rhode nimbly undid the knot on Marlene''s nightgown. The outer shell that enveloped the maiden fell off entirely and what was left was the alluring, naked body of an innocent lady. Sensing the chills of the late night breeze, Marlene slightly shuddered and she began to moan softly along with Rhode''s gentle caresses. At this moment, with a hard sensation entering her body, Marlene abruptly shut her mouth and turned her head to the side like a child acting in a fit of pique.


    Interesting.


    Rhode subconsciously twitched his brows at this sight. Although this wasn''t his first time enjoying this body, the sensation he felt this time was entirely different. During the first experience, Marlene''s will was completely influenced by drugs and she only showed her instinctual desires. Even though her crazy desires were equally impressive, this current Marlene was much more worthy of conquering. Obviously, she had been framed down, but she still forcibly upheld her strong self-esteem. Such a Marlene was also quite adorable.


    So, I will have some fun then.


    With this thought, Rhode lowered his head and began to ''savor'' her body. Like raindrops, his kisses landed on every corner of the maiden''s body while his hands continued to rub and stroke. At the same time, Rhode constantly stuck out his tongue like he was licking cream off a cake.


    "Wu�� En��"


    Under Rhode''s affectionate care, Marlene quickly fell into a state of semi-consciousness. She had almost forgotten where and how she was as she only wished to shut her eyes and just concentrate on enjoying this pleasure sweeping her body like ocean waves. She was like a small boat arriving at the top of the waves again and again, enjoying this thrilling sensation.


    Her body temperature turned hotter and hotter, but it wasn''t there yet. Just a little, just a little more��


    At this moment, the waves suddenly calmed.


    "Eh?"


    Marlene opened her eyes in a daze and gazed at Rhode. At this moment, Rhode''s movements weren''t as intense as before. Instead, his speed began to slowly decrease and at the same time, even though he skillfully fondled between her legs, he didn''t take any further action.


    Why? Why didn''t he continue?


    "It seems like I''m not skillful enough�� Miss Marlene, do you feel uncomfortable?"


    No, no such thing. Faster, faster. Continue��


    Marlene gazed at Rhode with needful eyes. However, at this moment, Rhode seemed to have turned into a dummy as he only caressed the maiden''s body and wasn''t able to fulfill Marlene''s desires. But the maiden could no longer tolerate it anymore. She writhed and clumsily pushed up her waist, wishing to continue the comfortable feeling. However, Rhode slowly withdrew from Marlene.


    "Miss Marlene. If you want it, you need to say it, okay? If you don''t say it, how would I know you want it?"


    "I�� I��"


    After all, she was an unmarried daughter of a noble family and for her to say such a statement with a clear state of mind was too difficult. She blushed, and at the same time, her eyes were looking at Rhode with uneasiness. She softly groaned with hopes that Rhode would read her thoughts with this response. However, Rhode was not in the least concerned about Marlene''s ''invitation'' as he continued to slowly caress and tease the maiden while watching her.


    "I''m waiting for your answer, Miss Marlene."


    "I�� I��"


    The emptiness and longingness in her body turned stronger and stronger, and Marlene felt as if she were about to burst into tears. She couldn''t stop shaking her head as the rationalities in her mind tried to avoid such shameful confessions. But at the same time, her instinctive desires also became much stronger under Rhode''s teasing. And in the end, her desires overwhelmed her reasoning.


    "I want�� Rhode�� to give me everything�� please�� Rhode�� give me��"


    Marlene couldn''t hold it in anymore as she buried her face in her hands. Oh Lord, this was the first time she said something so shameless!


    Hearing Marlene''s answer, Rhode grinned and leaned towards her ear.


    "As you wish, my dearest young lady."


    After this reply from Rhode, Marlene felt a strong, intense heat instantly enter her body.


    "Ahhhh��!"


    Under joyful cries, Marlene innately hugged Rhode tightly as she rose her body up against Rhode''s under his powerful thrustings. On the other hand, Rhode continued to fondle and kiss her body while his speed increased. Marlene''s breaths hastened, and at this moment, she could feel an unparalleled thrill coming towards herself as she totally threw her shame to the back of her mind. Her legs wrapped around Rhode''s waist as she greedily enjoyed his offense.


    "��!"


    After this frantic battle, Rhode deeply moaned and straightened his body while Marlene shivered all over as she hugged Rhode and let out weep-like sobs. After a few seconds, both of them collapsed onto the bed.


    "Hu��"


    Up until this moment, Marlene regained her senses from the franticness. She stared blankly at the ceiling while enjoying the pleasant lingering effect of intense joy. But suddenly, Rhode straightened his body once again, and she quickly felt a hard sensation.


    "I won''t let you sleep tonight, Marlene," Rhode said with a smile.

 Chapter 408 Five Star Missions

    "Hu��"


    Walking on the slightly breezy corridor, Lize exhaled onto her hands. At this moment, it was midnight and peaceful within the fortress. Burning flares on the watchtowers could be seen flickering through the windows. However, Lize didn''t have the mood to admire the night scenery. As a member of the guild, she had the responsibility of surveillance rotations and also preparing morning meals and drinks.


    After the construction of the fortress, Rhode mentioned that there would be increasingly stricter routines in Starlight and one couldn''t do as they pleased like back when Starlight was a mercenary group. Normally, there was no fixed timing as to when mercenaries should get up in the morning, take breaks, rotate sentry duties, and even eat three meals. And as a Cleric, Lize naturally took on this responsibility. Although the maiden wasn''t as imposing and capable of decision-making, her considerate and feminine attentiveness made her the best candidate for this job.


    "Eh?"


    As Lize approached the flight of stairs, she noticed a figure seemingly practicing its swordsmanship out in the garden outside the fortress. Lize gradually stopped moving and observed the figure for a while. After all, it was only 6 am and according to the standards of Dragon Soul Continent, the sun had not risen yet. Not to mention, in a place like the Land of Atonement with a weak natural force of order, the number of hours in the night far exceeded the number of hours in the morning. In this place, the sun would rise at 12 pm and set at 4 pm to 5. Got to say, it was really odd to have such differences in time. If that happened on Earth, perhaps it might attribute to some special phenomenon in high latitudes. However, the Land of Atonement and Deep Sone City were only separated by a mountain, and yet, the sun rose from 8 am to 9 am on the other side of the mountain and set at around 7 pm to 8 pm. On this side, the sun rose from 11 am to 12 pm and set from 4 pm to 5 pm. That was really an illogical natural rule.


    And due to this, jet lag became the most painful torture for the newly arrived mercenaries. Especially with the unique environmental effects of the Land of Atonement, the mercenaries felt as if they were on night watch two-thirds of the day, which caused them to be extremely tired. Not to mention waking up early, even oversleeping had been normal for the mercenaries. So who exactly had woken up so early?


    Lize curiously descended on the flight of stairs and headed towards the garden.


    The skies were as dark as ink and the radiance illuminating from the fortress wasn''t able to tear apart this deep darkness. Lize exited the fortress and arrived at the garden. Shortly after, with the aid of flare, Lize recognized someone whom she couldn''t be more familiar with.


    "Mr. Rhode?"


    "Lize?"


    Rhode laid his sword down and turned around in surprise.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "I saw someone here, so�� Mr. Rhode, what are you do-��"


    "I woke up slightly earlier so I decided to take a stroll out here."


    Rhode shrugged his shoulders and sheathed his sword. What he said wasn''t false. However, it couldn''t be considered the truth either. After tormenting Marlene throughout the night, the maiden who couldn''t handle Rhode''s ''ravage'' eventually fell asleep. Right after Marlene fell into a slumber, Rhode left her room. Initially, Rhode intended to rest in his own room, but he didn''t feel sleepy at all. That was why he practiced his swordsmanship in the garden after hastily taking a cold shower. Apart from practicing, he used the chance to exercise. After all, one must have the assets to live that loose nightlife.


    "Is it time?"


    Rhode naturally guessed the reason for Lize to be here and she nodded in agreement.


    "Yes, Sir, time is almost up. I intend to patrol for a little more before swapping out��"


    "Thanks for your hard work. Don''t worry, after the mercenaries have gathered here, you won''t be this busy anymore." Rhode patted Lize''s shoulder and said softly.


    However, Lize chuckled before shaking her head and smiling back at the man before her eyes.


    "It''s nothing, Mr. Rhode. I don''t think this is troublesome at all. Instead, I think this is fine�� I know I''m not as smart and imposing as Marlene, so it''s only natural for me to help Mr. Rhode in managing your guild. To me, as long as it''s within my capabilities, I will do it. I��"


    Before Lize could finish her sentence, Rhode placed his finger by her lips.


    "You''re wrong, Lize. This isn''t my guild, this is our guild��" Rhode lifted his hand upwards and knocked on Lize''s head lightly. "Don''t tell me you''ve forgotten that it wasn''t me who stayed with this mercenary group ever since it was established. No matter what, it wouldn''t be Starlight without you. So Lize, I think it''s unnecessary for you to be so hard on yourself�� Just do what you should do and everything will be fine�� Understood?"


    "Ah�� Yes."


    Lize widened her eyes in surprise as she gazed at Rhode. After a few moments, as if she had woken up from a dream, she nodded and answered. If it weren''t for Rhode''s reminder, Lize almost had forgotten that in terms of seniority, she was the longest lasting member of Starlight. In fact, when Starlight wasn''t Starlight previously, she was already here�� right?


    "Alright, continue with your work then. I''m heading back to rest now."


    Rhode nodded and turned towards the fortress. However, after a few steps, Rhode was suddenly reminded of something as he turned back and waved towards Lize.


    "Oh yes, don''t wake Marlene up for breakfast later. I think she will probably wake up in the afternoon."


    "Ah, okay, I understood."


    Lize hurriedly nodded and she observed Rhode as he leisurely strolled into the entrance of the Fortress. Up until this moment, Lize tilted her head to one side and began to suspect.


    "But�� how does Mr. Rhode know that Marlene wouldn''t need to eat breakfast��?"


    This night was only an accident for Rhode. He affirmed Marlene''s feelings towards himself and at the same time accepted them. However, to be frank, Rhode didn''t think that Marlene would fall so deep. Although he admitted that he sensed the young lady''s likings towards himself, the logic where a woman would go to bed with a man just because she liked the man was too ridiculous. Furthermore, after the night in Golden City, Rhode thought that most females would choose to avoid the topic. Of course, when men were a little more thick skinned and continued to advance, it was possible that the female might accept him. However, Rhode knew of Marlene''s unique identity and at that point in time, he didn''t have the intentions to tease her. But never did he think that deep down, Marlene would be too shy to speak her mind. Yet right now, she took the initiative to invite himself�� This behavior had a distinct inconsistency with her usual self.


    After last night, Rhode confirmed that Marlene was hiding some secrets. As an experienced person with females, Rhode had always been very sensitive to the reactions of females in bed. From that frantic night, he realized that apart from her liking towards himself, there was more of self-devotion, just like how a female saint offered her body and life to devote her faith in God.


    This was obviously very abnormal. Rhode was no God and furthermore, Marlene''s usual actions didn''t seem to treat himself as a person worthy of being worshipped. This was why, for Marlene to reveal such an attitude in the act of love-making, was thought-provoking.


    Without a doubt, Rhode had no intentions of questioning her thoughts. After this night, he seemed to have a much deeper understanding of this young lady. At least, right after the Midsummer Festival, Marlene didn''t stay with Starlight just because she wished to go on adventures.


    And that was all Rhode''s doubt was when concerning Marlene. Since Marlene didn''t wish to tell, then he wouldn''t pester her for an answer because it was important to properly maintain personal privacy. Therefore, as long as Rhode continued to observe her, there''s no need to question her. Besides, there was something much more serious than this.


    "Hu��"


    Looking at the list of missions displayed in front of him, Rhode heaved a huge sigh. He flipped each page over one by one. What laid in front of him were the 5 Star missions that the Mercenary Association published for the Guild. Unlike the mercenary missions, these hundreds of 5 Star missions weren''t regionally locked and could be said to spread around every corner of the Dragon Soul Continent.


    Similar to the game, these 5 Star missions naturally were the most difficult to accomplish and required anywhere from at least 25 members to at least a hundred members. Of course, there were all kinds of purposes in these missions. There were humans, demonic creatures, and some were missions that even required players to defend against the demons and devils crawling from the underground. The difficulties of these missions varied, but all the BOSSes in the missions were at least in their Legendary stage. Their little monsters were basically at least Elite stage and if the players were lucky (or unlucky), they might face some Mutant Elites and Monster Lords.


    On this continent, the areas which the Mercenary Association was responsible for were too broad, which was the reason why there were a variety of guild missions. After all, regular armies and guard squadrons were supposed to maintain security on both nation and region-wide fronts. Although sometimes they could crusade against monsters or creatures, in the long run, that would be considered not attending to their proper duties. This was why, those matters that couldn''t be resolved by regular armies would be pushed to the Mercenary Association. And due to this, the 5 Star Missions for guilds included different bits of everything.


    Incidentally, the Void Dragon Dungeon which Rhode had cleared before he arrived in this world was a 5 Star guild mission: the top tier mission within the 5 Star missions.


    This time, Rhode surely wouldn''t challenge insane missions like the Deepest Labyrinth. Even though Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were by his side now, they would still be destroyed with Starlight''s current strength and standards. Furthermore, there was no resurrection in this world, which made things much more tedious.


    Because of this, the 5 Star missions that Rhode chose were mainly much simpler in comparison. However, as NPCs and players had different definitions of threats, there might be some deviations. For instance, some missions that seemed difficult for NPCs were easier for the players. Likewise, some missions that NPCs could complete in a breeze were life-threatening for the players��


    This difference in concept brought along unmatched standards between the remunerations and danger levels of the 5 Star missions. Rhode was more inclined to go for missions with lesser possibilities of dangers and with high remunerations.


    Without a doubt, remunerations didn''t just refer to gold coins��


    Rhode stopped his motions and lifted his head towards the sky. What displayed there were the system rewards corresponding to the guild missions.


    After careful selection, there were a total of five 5 Star missions before his eyes. All of them were chosen based on their close location to Paphield. Located in the north, these missions also were less dangerous and awarded rich remunerations. Without a doubt, another reason that Rhode had chosen them was that he had cleared these missions with his guild in the game over a hundred times. He could even complete them with his eyes closed.


    The first mission was located in the ice-cold region by the borders of Cranmore Lake in the north. Cranmore Lake began to freeze 15 years ago and not even the hot summer days were warm enough to melt the frozen ice layer which gave the locals a lot of trouble�� The culprit of this phenomenon was the Ice Devil that escaped from the Water Plane of Existence. It had a strength of around level 65 and wouldn''t be difficult to defeat. Furthermore, the remunerations were luxurious. What aroused Rhode the most were the mission rewards that the system would be awarding. After retrieving the Soul Core of the Ice Devil, Rhode could open the doors to the elemental plane of existences within the fortress and summon low-level Water Elemental spirits. Moreover, he could also choose to awaken the Soul Core and obtain a Water Element Summoning Spirit. Regardless of choice, both would be a profitable bargain.


    The second mission would require them to go to Land of Ashes and demolish the devil passageway. It was located in the common boundary of the Country of Light and the Country of Darkness. Compared to the first mission, even though the remunerations were less enticing, the system rewards were still generous: a full set of Devil cards.


    The third mission was located in an underground cave by the border area of Paphield. Rumors spread that someone witnessed the presence of a Dark Sprite and this spirit was restless. They had huge influence in the surroundings, attacking merchants and locals. The Mercenary Association hoped for a guild to take the responsibility to entirely exterminate the Dark Sprite in the region. As for the system rewards, they were the poorest within all the five missions. Apart from the huge amount of EXP, there would also be a reward that increased the number of dedicated buildings for Dark spirits within the fortress''s construction system, which seemed acceptable.


    The fourth mission would be situated in Storm Mountain Range. In comparison, this mission was slightly more unique. Legend had it that since decades ago, no one returned after entering this mountain range. The victims were only civilians from the start; however, mercenary groups began to get involved. Similarly, mercenary groups went missing, which alarmed the Mercenary Association and local guilds to form a search party. In the end, the search party consisted of guild members was also gone forever. In order to rescue them, a few powerful Mages also entered the mountain range. What followed went without saying.


    And due to this, this mission had been upgraded to a 5 Star mission and its remunerations were the most generous. Not only would the Mercenary Association award 5 million gold coins, they would also put up a sword and shield with Legendary grade: Blizzard Edge and Sacred Shield.


    Within the system missions, the rewards that were given for this 5 Star mission were attractive. Apart from the astronomical numbers of EXP, Rhode would also be able to expand his territory according to the size calculated according to the surface area of the Storm Mountain Range. In other words, Rhode''s territory would increase by at least half out of thin air.


    As for the final mission, it was located in the historical remains above Castel Plateau. Similar to Storm Mountain Range, these historical remains used to be a 4 Star mission. However, a Necromancer appeared out of nowhere and stationed itself there. It awakened Undeads that were fast asleep in the historical remains and panicked the surrounding regions. Although the officials sent out armies and guild alliance had attacked the area, they mostly returned without any results. Because of this, this mission was also promoted as a 5 Star mission.


    The system rewards for this mission were rather odd. Apart from an Undead summoning card, the rewards also allowed Rhode to construct a portal for the plane of existence within the fortress to summon low-level creatures as his servants. However, apart from these, there was another reward that interested Rhode: the Golem Guards Defense Formation.


    Wow, that''s an outstanding defense mechanism for the fortress��


    All of these system rewards were great and Rhode had a hard time deciding. To be frank, Rhode wished he could take on all these missions if he could. However, the problem lay on his incapability to complete all the missions.


    So then, which missions should he choose?


    Rhode sunk into deep consideration.

 Chapter 409 A Dilemma

    Although it was difficult for Rhode to choose two missions, he was fortunate that he was no longer facing this alone. Shortly after, Rhode gathered Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Gillian to resolve this problem together. Two heads were better than one, and in this case, four heads were definitely much better.


    However, all three ladies had different opinions.


    "Based on Leader''s current manpower, you would fail 10 out of 10 times if you attempt this standard of a mission."


    Mini Bubble Gum was the first who responded.


    "Whatever the choice is, I will be there anyway. If Master wants to do it, then we should take up two missions instantly and solve all the problems, right?"


    Rhode''s concerns didn''t seem to be of any concerns to Gillian. On the other side, Canary was quietly scanning through the missions. She puckered her brows slightly and pondered for a few moments before shifting her gaze to Rhode.


    "Leader, what do you think?"


    "Although it''s both fast and convenient to settle two Five Star missions at once just as Gillian said, it''s a pity that there''s no such good thing. You should also know that 5 Star missions are spread across the entire continent and it''s never easy completing each mission, one after another. Also, most importantly, the seal on Gillian can only be released once�� I think that we should pick a simpler mission for team practice and a harder mission for Gillian and myself. While the both of us are dealing with that mission, the others will continue to practice against the simulated BOSS of the first 5 Star mission. No matter how many times, make sure that they can remember and familiarize the skills and patterns of the BOSS. The upcoming battle will be much easier for them if they can do that."


    The three ladies nodded at Rhode''s answer. If Mini Bubble Gum and Canary could leave their territory, Rhode wouldn''t even need to worry about this problem. Although Gillian could follow alongside Rhode, her level unlocking could only be done once due to the system penalty.


    Just like how good steel should be used on blades, this could be considered a hopeless choice for Rhode. To be frank, he actually wished he wouldn''t need to complete these two guild missions because the Country of Darkness would be attacking next year. During this period, Rhode hoped he could focus on training his men and familiarizing against the battle style of undead creatures in order to grasp an opportunity in the future war. However, Rhode''s guild would be demoted if he didn''t complete the guild missions. As a result, his fortress, also known as his final refuge would be revoked. At this moment, Rhode''s mood was as though he could predict the end of the world next year and yet, he still needed to pass the college entrance examination.


    "If you''re looking for a team battle, I think this mission will be easier."


    Canary pushed across the mission on Cranmore Lake and started explaining to everyone.


    "The Ice Devil is a level 65 Legendary elemental creature and it can be weakened by its opposing element. Furthermore, the Frozen Lake covers only a small area with lesser critters. It will be our best choice if we want to complete this mission in the shortest time."


    "On the other hand, the Dark Elf�� I remember that it''s a level 62 BOSS, right��"


    However, Mini Bubble Gum seemed to have a different opinion, and Canary nodded to her doubts.


    "Although the Dark spirits aren''t powerful, they do specialize in poison attacks�� Bubble, did you forget how many times we were destroyed when we tried to reclaim the land?"


    "It''s such a hassle to not have equipment with poison immunity."


    Mini Bubble Gum pouted after hearing Canary''s answer. Without a doubt, she could still remember how annoying those debuffs were when they tried to reclaim the Dark spirits dungeon. As a result, they managed to succeed after relying on equipment with poison immunity. Although at that point in time, Starlight wasn''t the best player guild yet, they were still reputable. Since Starlight in the game had a hard time clearing that dungeon, there''s no need to mention how this bunch of mercenaries would handle it.


    "So it''s decided then; we will choose the Frozen Lake mission for the team battle."


    Rhode knocked on the table and declared his decision before shifting his attention towards Canary and Mini Bubble Gum.


    "I will give both of you two months. Be sure to bring these guys to above level 30 and it will be best if they can reach the critical point of level 40. If not, even if they train their attacking style inside out, they would still need at least one or two days to defeat the BOSS with their current strength.


    "Two months?"


    Mini Bubble Gum frowned as she questioned.


    "Leader, it would be plausible if this is the game and players would be deemed idiots if they couldn''t reach level 40 in two months'' time. But, these are NPCs�� Although with the help of the Sphere of Mystery, these guys shouldn''t have a problem hitting level 30, it will still be too difficult for them to reach the Master stage."


    What Mini Bubble Gum said was the truth. The leveling system of aborigines wasn''t as integrated as the players, which was why their leveling was really slow. Moreover, the levels of these aborigines were coupled by their skill levels and mastery, where they would reach their peak after a certain stage. Unlike gifted talents like Marlene and Anne, the potentials of most aborigines were limited throughout their lives. Even if they were pushed to their peaks, they would only achieve the skills and strengths of the Master stage. There would definitely be a difference in results if Rhode were to train aborigines with the style he used on players.


    "All in all, that''s all we can do now. Since we can''t implement talent trees on them, all you need to do is to increase their skill levels and maximize their damage output by at least two times."


    Rhode paused for a moment, before turning towards Mini Bubble Gum and Canary.


    "Bubble and Canary. Put more attention on Lize and Marlene because both of them hold rare bloodlines and perhaps they may be able to break through their limits. Whereas for Anne�� She broke through once, so it will be enough to get her to familiarize with her current battle style. If she ever tries to breakthrough again without permission, stop her by all means and leave the other matters when I''m back."


    "Okay."


    Both of them nodded to Rhode''s orders. And at this moment, Gillian, who was bored stiff and laying by the side, finally spoke.


    "So then, Master, which unlucky bastard are we going to finish off? To tell you the truth, all of these BOSSes wouldn''t stand a chance against me after my seal is unlocked, okay~"


    What Gillian said was also the truth. As a formidable being above the Legendary stage, these BOSSes were nothing to her. They might be Elites or Lords, but that was about all. As a Fire Elemental Lord and a master of this Plane of Existence, Gillian''s status and strength were unattainable by others.


    Since it had been decided that the Frozen Lake would be for team training, the next mission would be chosen from one of the four other missions. However, there wasn''t any result from their discussions. The Dark Elve was overly scheming, and it would definitely choose to avoid frontal confrontation. There was also a time limit for Gillian''s unsealing and if she couldn''t defeat the Dark Elf within the limited time, they would be the unlucky ones instead. It would be almost impossible to force a cunning race like the Dark Elves to hasten its attacks.


    As for the mission on the Storm Mountain Range, it was equally thorny. Rhode had attempted this mission and the final BOSSes were two creatures from other Planes of Existence at around level 62.


    However, as creatures from other Planes of Existence, these two BOSSes could tear space, create illusions, and trap their targets into their own semi-Plane of Existence, wrapping their prey with spiderwebs and leeching their powers. Due to this reason, although this mission provided rich rewards, the chances of success were only 50 percent. Even though Rhode was interested in the rewards of two legendary equipments, he had to consider the risks since the chances of success were low. It would be great if he could succeed; however, if he allowed those two creatures to escape, he would have nowhere to cry even if he wanted to.


    The Land of Ashes was also full of troubles. However, these troubles didn''t come from the Devils. Instead, being an unregulated place, the most worrisome portion fell on meeting the people from the Country of Light and the Country of Darkness. Even so, the whole deck of Devil cards was still extremely attractive for Rhode. But considering that the Country of Light was currently provoking the Country of Darkness, it would bring huge problems if Rhode got involved in the conflicts between them. If Rhode were to categorize the first two locations, they would be under the category with difficult BOSSes and complicated environments. As for the Land of Ashes, the most dangerous aspect fell on the complex political situations.


    Castel Plateau Ruins was equally difficult. Even though the BOSS was weaker, the critters that lived in the mountains were the biggest threats to Rhode. As an ancient ruin, not only did the Castel Plateau Ruins have undead creatures, there were also Golem Guards that defended its underground secrets. Just a distraction would be enough for the enemies to overwhelm Rhode and he would be defeated even before he faced the BOSS.


    It could be said that each mission had its pros and cons and once any of the missions failed, Rhode would be in great trouble.


    All four of them scrutinized the mission bulletins and pondered for a while. Then, Gillian rubbed her forehead.


    "Ahh, it''s such a headache. If it wasn''t for that damn limitation, we wouldn''t even need to worry about such problems at all!"


    "I''m not worried about Leader''s battle capabilities and experience. But��" Canary paused and shook her head. She frowned and carefully read every word on the bulletin.


    And at this moment, suddenly Mini Bubble Gum let out an ''Hmm'' before standing up and pointing towards one of the missions.


    "If I recall correctly, the degree of completion for this mission was 90% right?"


    "Hmm?"


    Rhode and Canary widened their eyes in surprise as they turned towards the direction of Mini Bubble Gum''s pointing finger. They had a sudden realization.


    "That''s true. I remember that we skipped that step for this mission��"


    "Although our popularity rose due to this, now it seems that it has become a good thing for us, right?"


    Mini Bubble Gum pointed at one of the four missions �� The historical remains of Castel Plateau.


    This was one of the rare dungeons which Rhode didn''t manage to complete fully. However, precisely because of this, this dungeon became the beginning of their fame.


    The reason was fairly simple. Initially, it was purely coincidental that Starlight reclaimed the historical remains of Castel Plateau. They discovered the entrance to the historical remains accidentally and went to take over the area since they didn''t have anything better to accomplish at that time. With Rhode as the lead of a formidable group of players, they successfully cleared the entire dungeon after five to six attempts. They routinely posted a photo to the forums for memories sake and as a record of Starlight''s successful reclamation of a new dungeon. As guilds could only complete this dungeon once, Rhode and his group shared and revealed some costly equipment which they had looted from the dungeon casually.


    And what made them popular was the incident that happened two weeks later. Ever since Starlight revealed their land reclamation records and equipment map, many other guilds began to follow in their footsteps in hope of clearing this dungeon. However, none of them succeeded. Almost all of them retreated as they were incapable of defeating the ten waves of attacking creatures. This became a hot topic because the other guilds had viewed Starlight''s reclamation video. According to logic, since a guild was able to clear a dungeon easily, other guilds wouldn''t have too many issues either. However, the truth was that the results were at the other extreme end, which many players couldn''t figure the reason for.


    Many talented players came forth after a few days and their group that had gone through deep research on this dungeon finally exposed a secret. There was a prefix mission before the dungeon of the historical remains in Castel Plateau. As long as the player group completed this mission, they could restrain the creatures'' endless aggressions and claim their victory from there.


    This conclusion caused a sudden uproar within the community. In other words, according to the game''s explanations, the never-ending creatures that the players faced weren''t normal critters that were supposed to appear in the dungeons at all. Instead, they were supposed to be a ''warning event''. Indeed, it was impossible for player guilds to resist such attacks. In the end, they could only retreat and search for their weaknesses and histories. This was the mechanism for many other dungeon missions.


    However, also due to this discovery, many players felt a feeling of worship towards Starlight immediately. Not only did Starlight not back down from the continuous attacks, they forced their way to the end. What was this mighty domination?


    Just like in an RPG game where the princess swore to defeat the Demon God, they would need to defeat its troops and understand the Demon God''s weaknesses. After completing a few missions which included passing an equipment on behalf of A to B and visiting C to collect ores that could be manufactured into a powerful weapon in order to defeat the Demon God, they would need to bypass the heavily guarded castle and clear the complicated maze in order to ambush the Demon God. However, Starlight opened the gates to the palace instantly and took down the Demon God as though it was just a normal dungeon BOSS��


    Without a doubt, such straightforward actions undermined the fun and complexity of the game. However, their powerful display of strength raised everyone''s eyebrows. Moreover, Starlight took a couple of attempts at this dungeon only, unlike the other player groups that failed over a hundred times. It was as though in their eyes, those ''warnings'' preventing players from advancing weren''t even worth considering!


    After this matter, Starlight''s reputation rose from a former player guild with regional recognition, to the top five guilds in the entire server. Plenty of players began to study Starlight''s raid video and although there wasn''t any god-like damage inflicted to the Demon God, the combinations of attack and healing were incomparably on point. Their strong defenses and Rhode''s amazing commanding skills were unforgettable in their eyes. There were some players who suspected that the whole of Starlight cheated during the raid and reported to the officials. Without a doubt, the gaming company investigated and confirmed that no cheats were involved. This result caused many players to seek after Starlight even more. Furthermore, during that period of time, many honorable labels were pinned on Starlight. Due to this dungeon, Starlight became famous in the entire game and everyone came to know about them. Moreover, after this incident, many unconvinced player guilds even attempted to break Starlight''s record to prove that they could achieve the same. However, they were unsuccessful as they couldn''t pass the ''warning events'', even with better equipment and weapons.


    Due to this, in the Dragon Soul Continent''s official voting, this seemingly meaningless dungeon raid video had been ranked as one of the ''Top ten most influential event in the Dragon Soul Continent.''


    Of course, this was just something which Rhode and the others laughed over. And right now, Rhode''s biggest headache on this mission was also the ''warning events'' because he had almost forgotten that it wasn''t necessary for them to face so many critters in this mission.


    I remember this mission was��


    Rhode extended his arm and lifted the mission bulletin labeled ''Castel Plateau Ruins'' on the table.


    "Alright, let''s go with this," Rhode confirmed.

 Chapter 410 Welcome Home

    "We''re almost there."


    Kavos stopped walking as he wiped off the sweat on his forehead and scanned the surroundings. They were approaching the Land of Atonement. Although Kavos had never been there, he was very familiar with the conditions of this area as he was a seasoned mercenary. Due to this, Kavos ordered his men to patrol for Barbarians seeking to ambush after they entered the forest trail. However, the entire forest trail was unbelievably quiet. There was never a trace of the Barbarians, which was unimaginable for Kavos.


    But that was fine too.


    Kavos turned towards the group following closely behind him. Apart from the mercenaries dressed in fanciful equipment, there were a few other companions. The maidens dressed in Cleric robes sat in the chariot while under the protection of the Holy Knights, following tightly behind the mercenaries. Several luxurious chariots for nobles could be seen further back, as well as the private guards surrounding them. In addition to the miners and villagers right at the very end, this entire team seemed spectacular.


    After all, other than the over two hundred mercenaries present from Starlight, 50 Clerics and 30 Holy Knights were also there. Not only that, but Matt''s trade association also sent 30 of their men towards the fortress for the operations and construction of the trade associations. On the other hand, the Keller Family kept their promise with Rhode and sent over 60 workers for mining works. As they traveled through Deep Creek Village, some villagers expressed interest in heading towards the fortress. In the end, there were roughly 400 people in the entire team. From the start, Kavos had no intentions of leading so many people towards the fortress. After all, he would be held responsible if any accidents happened. But he eventually changed his mind. No matter what, these people would be the future partners of Starlight, and since they were willing to visit the fortress, Kavos might as well do them this favor.


    However, Kavos was feeling anxious about any possible ambushes from the Barbarians after entering the forest trail. After all, if the Barbarians attacked, the situation might turn chaotic as no one except the mercenaries were familiar with one another. If things turned out that way, Kavos would totally be incapable of managing the situation.


    But he was lucky that the Barbarians didn''t seem to intend to give him trouble. This journey felt like an excursion for everyone, which caused Kavos to doubt his own judgment. Could it be that those legends about the nasty Barbarians were only rumors?


    "How much longer before we reach our destination?"


    Kavos turned towards Vinny, who was beside him. After the villagers from Deep Creek Village had joined the team, Kavos decided to let them lead the way as they were much more familiar with the path than him.


    As Kavos scanned the front, the towering mountain blocked his farther field of vision. The natural force of order in this border was real. It was only noon, and yet, the sky was pitch-black. If it weren''t for the flame torch, he wouldn''t have been able to see the surroundings clearly. Initially, Kavos intended to continue the journey when it was morning, as it would be too dangerous to travel during the night, however, the villagers informed him that there were only a few hours of daylight in this area. Kavos was entirely confused with this logic, but he eventually ordered everyone to keep moving.


    However, his heart was pounding as the time passed. He hoped that their destination wasn''t too far away. If not, it would be extremely dangerous to have everyone stopping in this area.


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Kavos."


    Vinny smiled before he turned to scan the surroundings.


    "As long as we continue on this path, we will be able to see the fortress after bypassing this hillside."


    "I hope so."


    Kavos sighed and gazed at Vinny as he thought of something.


    "Have you gone to the fortress before, Captain Vinny?"


    "Sometimes we do camp overnight after our huntings."


    Vinny nodded with a bitter smile as he patted on Kavos'' shoulder.


    "But, to be honest, that fortress was severely damaged, and there was debris everywhere. It''s fine for occasional stayovers, but it''s torturous for the long term."


    "Hai��"


    Kavos sighed as he knew his guesses were spot on. He felt that it was ridiculous for Rhode to announce that he was going to construct a fortress over the historical remains in the Land of Atonement. At that point, he hoped that the fortress ruins would be much tougher and in a better shape. However, Kavos knew it was his wishful thinking.


    Kavos shook his head at this thought and beckoned for his mercenaries to keep up. And at this moment, a mercenary with the duties of a scout hurriedly ran towards everyone from the front and shouted frantically.


    "Sir! Sir!"


    "What''s wrong? What happened?!"


    Kavos immediately shivered, and he swiftly held onto the weapon hanging by his waist. Were those Barbarians finally here?


    However, this mercenary wasn''t nervous or horrified. Instead, his face was filled with shock and surprise as he frantically ran up to Kavos. He gasped for air before delivering the news.


    "S-Sir, you should go and take a look!"


    "What? What exactly happened?!"


    Kavos was getting more nervous as every second passed. For unknown reasons, the mercenary didn''t instantly report his findings. Instead, he even had the mood to wink and feign mysteriousness.


    "I think, it''s better for Sir to witness it himself."


    "What are you up to?"


    Kavos was discontented by the mercenary''s odd behavior. However, it was also due to this that his curiosity was piqued. He stared at the mercenary sternly before striding forward to check out the situation himself. Vinny followed closely behind him.


    After turning the corner of the hill, Kavos found the other guards and scouts standing sluggishly with widened mouths and eyes. The bows had slipped out of their hands and they didn''t seem to be aware at all.


    Kavos was infuriated. These guys were seasoned mercenaries and not only did they let their guards down, they stood there like idiots. Are they trying to shame me?


    Eh? Hold up. There are no flame torches here, but why can I see so clearly?


    Kavos looked forward. On the pathway, street lamps erected neatly on both sides of the road. The inlaid luminous magic stones were emitting gentle, saffron radiance, illuminating the path ahead. The path below his feet was made of slate and extended all the way until it reached the hillside.


    Kavos shifted his gaze along the path and then, he froze entirely.


    A shining, majestic fortress stood before him. Magical flames from the tip of the watchtowers disrupted the dark sky and illuminated this pitch-black world with unimaginable luster. The entire fortress seemed like a gigantic torch from a distance. Both glaring and eye-catching in the darkness.


    "This�� This��"


    Kavos stuttered as he couldn''t express his thoughts. Although the fortress couldn''t be seen clearly in the dark, Kavos witnessed the tall, smooth walls and the neat buildings behind them. Oh Lord. How is this an abandoned fortress? From the looks of it, there are no traces of ruins at all��


    Kavos struggled to turn his stiff neck towards Vinny. He hoped that this militia captain could give him an explanation. However, he realized that Vinny was even more startled than him. Vinny stood on the same spot with an expression as pale as a sheet of white paper.


    As Kavos patted on his shoulder, Vinny jumped up suddenly. As if he had gone crazy, Vinny pressed his hands against Kavos'' shoulders and shook back and forth.


    "Oh my god! This can''t be! I swear that this isn''t that fortress ruin. God, that Sir actually did it! How did he do it! How is it possible for him to build such a huge fortress in such a short time?!"


    "Alright, calm down, calm down."


    Kavos screamed as Vinny''s sudden crazy behavior left him dizzy in the head. After Kavos had barely calmed this militia captain down, he gazed and questioned in a serious tone.


    "Are you sure that this isn''t the fortress ruins?"


    "I can swear with my soul, Sir, this definitely isn''t the fortress ruins that we''re familiar with. Oh god, this fortress is so much bigger than that ruins!"


    Without a doubt, those smoothened stone bricks couldn''t possibly be the result of a long passage of time. And it was this moment that Kavos finally understood the surprise which Rhode said he was preparing back in the stronghold.


    But�� How did Sir do it? He didn''t have any men or materials for it.


    Kavos heard from the villagers of Deep Creek Village that, when Rhode rescued them from the Demon, it was still a broken fortress. How could it be possible for such a huge, majestic fortress to be here?


    What exactly had he done?


    Kavos felt his body slightly trembling from this excessive fright and excitement. He clenched his fists to calm himself down; however, his body seemed to have a mind on its own. Out of choices, Kavos punched on a boulder heavily beside him and his body finally stopped shaking. Then, he took in deep breaths before giving a command to the mercenaries behind him.


    "There''s no danger ahead. Go and get everyone here. Remember, tell those guys not to panic no matter what they see!"


    "Yes, Sir!"


    The mercenaries returned to their senses and instantly nodded before scuttling back to the masses.


    Kavos'' warning worked. Amongst the people that witnessed the huge fortress, almost everyone was flabbergasted and unable to move an inch. Not only the mercenaries, even the Holy Knights and merchants were stunned. After all, everyone was mentally prepared for a laborious journey in the desolate Land of Atonement. However, as the enormous and completed fortress stood before them, the images they had of this broken place were smashed to bits. Am I really awake?


    Although no one knew how this fortress was built, they knew the fortress must be real since it stood majestically before their eyes. Moreover, they were relieved for having such a gigantic fortress for their protection.


    The ones with the biggest reactions were the group of villagers. The other groups of people had never been to Land of Atonement too, and they were stunned after witnessing the fortress as they didn''t understand the conditions of this place beforehand. However, the villagers who had been hunting all their lives and generations were completely confused, as though their world had been denied. If it wasn''t for Vinny''s berate, these villagers perhaps would''ve turned around and headed home.


    Harboring anticipation, excitement, and shock, everyone''s footsteps began to lighten and they arrived at the fortress wall shortly after.


    With the towering pitch-black walls before them, the dignity and oppression left them shuddering. Kavos was hesitant as he faced the rapid moat. Should I press the doorbell?


    "Who''s there?"


    Suddenly, someone screamed from above the tall gates. Kavos'' heart shrunk, and although he knew that this fortress should belong to Starlight, he was uncertain as the emergence of this fortress was too peculiar. It felt as though a beggar who was used to living in poverty got to know that he was would be moving into a new home, and while he would be satisfied with an ordinary two-rooms flat, he never expected that it would be a luxurious villa covering over a hundred acres�� The uncertainty of personal gains and losses were hard to fade away. If Kavos took the wrong turn and arrived at a fortress that didn''t belong to his own guild, what should he do? Kavos couldn''t help but started feeling nervous.


    "I-I am Kavos of Starlight!"


    Kavos calmed himself down and answered loudly, before raising the guild insignia. The other party heard his answer and there were no activities.


    This ''response'' left Kavos in a perturbed state of mind. Could it be? Did I go the wrong way? Damn. I may be in trouble�� But there shouldn''t be other forces in Land of Atonement.


    As Kavos was considering if he should retreat and observe the situation first, suddenly, loud gear crankings were heard. The huge gates gradually descended across the moat and formed a sturdy bridge. The entrance was wide open and the glaring radiance within the fortress forced everyone to squint. At this moment, a dark figure could be seen at the other end of the bridge and it began to approach them slowly.


    "It''s about time."


    Rhode nodded at Kavos. After a few moments, Kavos returned to his senses and awkwardly coughed before lowering his head.


    "Sir, Starlight Guild''s third team, team captain Kavos reporting��"


    Kavos paused and lifted his head in amazement before asking in slight fear.


    "�� Erm�� Sir, is this really our fortress?"


    "That''s right," Rhode calmly nodded.


    "Welcome to our fortress, everyone. From now on, this will be our home."

 Chapter 411 Hard Beginnings

    The unfrequented fortress turned lively instantly with the arrival of everyone. Although the fortress wasn''t overcrowded yet, it was still better than the sad emptiness. Meanwhile, the most troublesome part finally came.


    Many matters were the hardest to deal with at the stage of establishment. In future, not only did Rhode need to handle various matters in the fortress, he had to spend time meeting the members of the Church, Trade Association, and others to discuss future developments. Although their contracts had been drawn in black and white, some conditions might change along with shifts in the environment. It would only be considered the start of a collaboration after both sides reached an agreement.


    Firstly, the most problematic issue was regarding the Church. Although Mini Bubble Gum had agreed to teach the Clerics battle skills, she had no intentions of unveiling her tips and experiences in the ''treating foes as friends'' tactic. Shortly after, frictions were developed between both parties. From the start, Mini Bubble Gum was still willing to teach some conventional battle techniques which didn''t involve the core technical levels. However, Lilia was hoping to receive teachings regarding the ''treating foes as friends'' tactic. In the end, Mini Bubble Gum threw tantrums and even suspected that these Church Emissaries harbored malicious intentions to acquire her ''cheat code''. If not, why would these people keep targeting her special skill? What intentions did they have?


    Rhode stepped up to handle this controversy. Firstly, he appeased Mini Bubble Gum and personally found Lilia for a chat. Although Mini Bubble Gum was too harsh in her words, her suspicions weren''t unreasonable. The ''treating foes as friends'' tactic was a PK method, but, it wasn''t just a PK method. Apart from this tactic, the ''Turbulence'' and ''Blood Enrichment'' tactics were also considered common battle techniques for Clerics. So, wouldn''t these two tactics be enough for battles?


    Lilia gave her honest reply to Rhode that Mini Bubble Gum was insecure about Lilia. However, as a matter of fact, Lilia was worried about herself too. After all, there wasn''t any systematic knowledge regarding the battle styles for Clerics throughout these years of the Church. The only time they witnessed the battle style was during the Midsummer Festival when Lize displayed the ''treating foes as friends'' tactic. Therefore, this tactic became the most practical and effective in the minds of the Church, and at the same time, it had proved positive results for them. However, Mini Bubble Gum had intended to teach them an entirely different tactic which wasn''t similar to what Lilia had understood from the Church. As a Church emissary, Lilia didn''t know how to react to Mini Bubble Gum''s disapproval. Furthermore, Lilia couldn''t understand a single thing regarding battle techniques of Clerics and didn''t know that the ''treating foes as friends'' tactic involved core technical levels invented by Mini Bubble Gum. This was why she didn''t expect that Mini Bubble Gum would rebel over this.


    In the end, Mini Bubble Gum agreed to teach the Church Emissaries superficial knowledge regarding ''treating foes as friends'' and the ''Turbulent'' battle style after Rhode''s guidance. After all, ''treating foes as friends'' seemed simple, but it had high requirements for techniques and micro-controls. Before the arrival of the Church Clerics, only Lize amongst the Clerics in Starlight was able to learn the ''treating foes as friends'' tactic. This showed how demanding this technique needed micro-control to be.


    Without a doubt, Rhode didn''t inform Lilia that the ''treating foes as friends'' tactic was considered a core skill for Clerics. Instead, he arranged for Mini Bubble Gum to instruct Lilia for a while, before revealing that this battle technique required high standards of individual battle attainments. As for most of the Clerics, it was tough for them to reach this standard in a short period of time. Not only would this waste their time, they wouldn''t see the desired results too. On the other hand, ''Turbulent'' would be much easier to pick up, and moreover, this tactic had significant effects and could be considered a decent replacement.


    After Lilia personally experienced the difficulties of the technique, she finally gave up her thoughts and agreed to report this matter to the Church for their decision. As long as the technique could help in battles and Mini Bubble Gum was willing to teach it, Lilia would learn anything. After all, she was the student and Mini Bubble Gum was the teacher. After the Church lowered their stance on this matter, the negotiations of both parties finally proceeded smoothly. The Clerics would begin a series of basic training to enhance their battle techniques before Mini Bubble Gum would decide the continuation for the next step of technique teaching.


    After resolving the conflict between the Church and Mini Bubble Gum, Rhode attended to the dispute between Matt''s Trade Association and the Keller Family. As a citizen of Paphield, Matt knew the Land of Atonement was filled with an abundance of minerals and he hoped to capture a piece of the pie. However, the Keller Family had to stay responsible for their family business strictly. Previously, Keller and Rhode had agreed to a 7/3 split which was a major concession to them. In exchange, they sought for exclusive mining rights in the Land of Atonement. Even though Keller Family wasn''t mindful of Matt''s request because they understood that the Silver Libra Trade Association engaged in numerous transactions in goods and weren''t solely dealing with ores, they were worried that their business specializing in ore transactions would sustain losses if they couldn''t obtain their exclusive mining rights.


    Currently, Matt didn''t have the manpower to mine ores. However, as a merchant, he always planned ahead. If Keller Family gained the exclusive mining rights, all the future mines of this territory would also belong to them. How could this be allowed? Although the Silver Libra Trade Association wasn''t this capable, who can guarantee that they wouldn''t be capable in the future? How can he sit idly and watch his people suffer while the Keller Family raked in gold coins? Their Trade Association was collaborating with Starlight, and he believed that the Keller Family shouldn''t be this cruel to a collaborator.


    Rhode had a headache with this conflict for a few days, and he finally came up with a solution. Keller Family would gain the exclusive mining rights in the Land of Atonement only for the first two years. However, from the third year onwards, the exclusive mining rights would be converted to priority mining rights. And, after five years, the special treatment for Keller Family would be entirely abolished while making the Land of Atonement open to the public. Of course, to prevent Keller Family from crazy excavations and explorations within their exclusive two years, Rhode had warned that if he discovered any destructive mining behavior, their contract would be terminated immediately. At the same time, the Keller Family would be driven out of the Land of Atonement for breaching their contract.


    Matt was content with the terms because it guaranteed his future profits. Although the representative of Keller Family wasn''t satisfied with this arrangement, Rhode had given them enough respect. Furthermore, even though the Keller Family was influential in Paphield, Rhode didn''t rely much on them in the first place. However, if the Keller Family chose to acquiesce after having refused Rhode''s first overture, Rhode wouldn''t mind letting them suffer for it. As a result, the patriarch of Keller Family agreed to the conditions and both sides took a step back. Rhode extended the Keller Family''s exclusive mining rights to three years and as a restriction, the number of mines they could own would be limited from two to one. If Keller Family held two mines in the Land of Atonement, Rhode could approve of a mining plan for any other trade association. For the approval of mines, only up to two mines would be approved per year. In other words, even if the Keller Family planned to expand their mining business massively, it would be impossible for them to mine all the ores in the Land of Atonement. Not to mention, if they were to open two mines every year, their name wouldn''t be on the list in the third year.


    Finally, after sending off Matt and the representative of the Keller Family, Rhode had to meet the villagers from Deep Creek Village. According to Vinny, most of the villagers wished to move into the fortress. However, there were also some who couldn''t bear to leave their homes. So Vinny was hoping that Rhode could come up with a good solution to resolve this problem.


    Rhode privately discussed with Lize, Marlene, and the rest in a few days and finally came up with a proposal. Rhode was willing to accept those villagers who wished to live in the fortress, and they would be assigned jobs as contributions. After all, the fortress was gigantic and there had to be people who could cook, do laundry, and maintain the area. With these villagers, things would more or less be much more convenient.


    However, at the same time, Rhode told Vinny that the villagers wouldn''t need to abandon their village because Rhode had planned to renovate the path. Deep Creek Village would become an outpost for the fortress in the Land of Atonement. The outpost would be responsible for passing information and conducting inspections on behalf of the fortress. Without a doubt, Deep Creek Village itself would also require a remake. However, as the village was located out of Rhode''s territory, he could only rely on manpower to finish the renovations. Apart from these matters, the duties, training schedules, and formalized measures of mercenaries in Starlight would be negotiated and determined by Rhode.


    "Hu��"


    Laying the feather pen on the table, Rhode rubbed his forehead as he leaned against the chair. All this workloads had left him in a fatigue. Even in the game, Rhode didn''t need to trouble over so many matters. After all, constructions and investments were relatively simple, and as long as he made a decision, the NPCs would follow suit. However, reality wasn''t as convenient. Other than the need to consider balancing favors towards various forces, Rhode also needed to guarantee that there wouldn''t be dissatisfactions and complaints. At the same time, he needed to ensure his position and status as a guild leader was safe, and all these required a lot of skills and attention. Although Rhode could rely on his experience in leading the in-game guild to judge player disputes, there were some other matters��


    Knock knock knock. Marlene opened the door and entered the room. She approached Rhode and placed a report on the table.


    "Rhode, this is the plan for the internal supervising and defense mechanism of the fortress. Let me know if I need to amend anything."


    "Okay, Marlene. Leave it there. I''ll take a look later."


    Rhode nodded at Marlene after glancing at the report. It was all thanks to Marlene that a complicated affair could be processed within the shortest time. Rhode''s governance experience came from the self-taught talents in the game and could be considered as an unorthodox method from head to tail. However, as the heir of the Senia Family, Marlene had been groomed to study the elites. Perhaps her experience might not be as rich as Rhode''s, however, her detailed knowledge and orthodox learning were unmatchable by him. Just like this defense plan, Rhode would be in big trouble if Marlene didn''t manage it on his behalf.


    "You must be tired. Do you want to take a break?"


    Marlene asked softly with uncertainty as she observed Rhode''s expression. After that night, their relationship had a slight change. Not only did they change the way they called each other, even their attitudes became much more intimate. Without a doubt, as both of them didn''t have outgoing personalities, their affections didn''t attract too much attention. After that lustful night, Marlene had untied the knot in her heart entirely. She had returned to her graceful, polite self and was no longer dazed in the presence of Rhode.


    Such transformation was seen in Lize''s eyes. The maiden had curiously asked Marlene whether anything happened recently, and Marlene didn''t reveal the truth. She only confessed that she had some troubles and Rhode helped her resolve them. From a certain perspective, this explanation couldn''t actually be considered wrong.


    "I will rest in a while."


    Rhode shook his head at Marlene''s persuasion and he sat right up again. Because of the delay in these affairs, the fortress would need at least half a month before getting back on track entirely. Time was getting less and less and he needed to begin the training of the mercenaries quickly in order to prepare themselves for the challenges of the 5 Star missions. It was better to be tired now than to regret in the future, right?


    Rhode heaved a long sigh before pushing over an object towards Marlene.


    "What''s this?"


    Marlene picked up the map dubiously. The map illustrated the Land of Atonement and there were about four to five markings on certain areas. Those markings were distributed on all corners of the Land of Atonement.


    "These are the distorted points of the Land of Atonement. I guess, you as a Mage should know that the Land of Atonement is near the edge of the area with the natural force of order. Due to the weak force of order, these distorted points are formed. In these places, there are dangers. However, the dangers shouldn''t be too threatening. After I leave, I hope you can arrange the mercenaries for a trip to these distorted points for practical training. Not only can we remove these distorted points, we can also stabilize the natural force of order within the Land of Atonement. On the other hand, the strength and camaraderie of the mercenaries would improve through these practical training. Don''t worry about the losses, because I have spoken to Canary and Mini Bubble Gum to provide assistance when required."


    "No problem."


    Marlene nodded and kept the map into the fold of her clothes. And at this moment, the young lady suddenly blushed.


    "Erm�� Rhode, when do you intend to leave?"


    "I will immediately leave after the matters regarding the fortress have stabilized. Probably in two to three days'' time."


    "So�� Erm��"


    Marlene lowered her head in silence as she rubbed her fingers against her clothes. Rhode seemed to figure out Marlene''s thoughts through her expression. He stood up and leaned in towards her ear.


    "I think, you must''ve locked the doors, right?"

 Chapter 412 3 Mens job 1/3

    It was five days later when Rhode had conclusively settled all the affairs in the fortress and got everything on track. It was now July, and he finally embarked on his journey to the ruins of the Castel Plateau. Although departure was imminent, Rhode was relieved that the operations of the fortress were on the right track under everyone''s hard work, and the matters that required him to manage personally had decreased by a significant amount. Everyone was beginning to get familiar with their duties within the fortress, and even Canary started her duties gradually. Although her workload wasn''t too heavy, and Canary had similar experiences as one of the vice-leader, Rhode didn''t intend to give her too much authority. It wasn''t because Rhode was dubious of Canary''s loyalty, but it was mainly due to the fact that Canary wasn''t a live human, so she wouldn''t be suitable. In the end, Rhode decided to pass the main decision-making role to Marlene.


    Not only was Rhode relieved from the work matters, his private affairs were also going well. Considering that he might require a period of half a month to a month to complete the mission, Rhode had the responsibility of fulfilling one''s demands. This was an obligation of a man, and he could only bear with it.


    Canary could be considered as Rhode''s old ''friend'', and she was accustomed to these kinds of situations. When she had the time, she would approach Rhode for a few intense and intimate sessions, before letting him go in contentment. On the other hand, Marlene was slightly more troublesome. This young lady only began experiencing this part of life and she started to crave for it. Furthermore, she untied the struggling knot in her heart which made her less reserved. She would sneak into Rhode''s room every few nights, and of course, Rhode wouldn''t refuse her. After serving her these few nights, he finally satisfied her needs.


    After settling the last two ''troublesome matters'', Rhode finally hit the road.


    "I''m leaving the fortress to all of you."


    While standing in the wide hall, Rhode gazed at Marlene, Lize, Anne, Lapis, Christie, Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, Kavos, Joey, and Marfa.


    "All of you should know the specific action plan, and before I return to this fortress, I''ll leave these matters for you to handle. If there''s anything you can''t make a decision on, you can check with Marlene."


    Rhode crouched and revealed a smile to Christie, before gently fondling her smooth, long hair.


    "Sorry, Christie. I need to leave you again. But I guarantee that I''ll be back soon. Be good in the fortress, okay?"


    "Okay��"


    Christie held out her tiny hand and clung to Rhode''s finger tenderly. The little girl displayed a strong and gentle smile.


    "�� Christie will be good and listen to Rhode�� and everyone�� so�� Rhode�� doesn''t have to worry�� I will be fine��"


    "Good girl."


    Rhode smiled and stood.


    "Alright then, Marlene will make the decisions for the affairs in the fortress. Everyone understand?"


    Everyone nodded at Rhode''s order. Due to their intimate relationship, Rhode trusted Marlene much more now. At the same time, the outsiders didn''t find anything strange with this order because Marlene''s duties had always been similar to acting as Rhode''s assistant. Now that Rhode was leaving the fortress, it was only natural that Marlene would be taking over his role in managing the fortress. On the other hand, even though Canary gazed meaningfully at Rhode and displayed a smile, she didn''t say anything inappropriate.


    "Marlene."


    Without a doubt, Rhode noticed Canary''s teasing gaze towards himself, and he knew what she was thinking. However, Rhode turned towards Marlene while acting oblivious.


    "If you have any troubles or matters that you''re unsure of, you can look for Canary. She is rather experienced in these matters and I think she should be able to help you. Also, please look after Christie for me."


    "Okay, Rhode."


    Marlene nodded, but as she turned towards Canary, the young lady''s eyes were filled with awkwardness. After all, Marlene had witnessed first-hand the ''intimate interaction'' between Canary and Rhode. Although from her usual observations, Rhode and Canary didn''t seem to be in a love relationship and it could even rudely be said that Canary wasn''t even a real human being, Marlene still felt embarrassed. Not to mention, Marlene used to had a favorable impression of Canary before she was aware of their sexual relationship. And now, this had become a problem for Marlene to manage her mood before facing Canary.


    However, Rhode wasn''t aware of Marlene''s complicated emotions. After exhorting Marlene, he shifted his attention to everyone: to layout their duties.


    "Lize. You and Bubble will be responsible for training the Clerics. At the same time, you can also use this opportunity to pick up some tips from Bubble. Joey, I will leave the guild''s patrol and guard planning to you. Not only the fortress'' internal patrol, you must also take note of the road leading to Deep Creek Village. Kavos, I''m sure you''ve received the battle plan for the mercenaries. Send the mercenaries to the distorted points for practical training every 15 days according to the arrangements. Remember, you must bring along at least Canary or Mini Bubble Gum for each trip. Without either of them, you must not head out. Understand?"


    "Okay, Mr. Rhode."


    "Understood, Sir."


    "Understood, Leader."


    Rhode nodded to their answered and turned back for the last time.


    "Lapis. During this period of time, you need to follow my instructions and complete the list of magical equipment. No matter what materials you need, let Marlene know and she will manage. My only request is that the list of magical equipment must be prepared before I''m back. Is there any issue with that?"


    "N-no, Sir."


    Lapis hesitated for a moment before giving an uncertain answer.


    "I-I think there''s no problem�� As long as there are enough materials. But those equipment require very expensive materials��"


    "No matter how much the materials cost, buy them if you ever need them."


    Rhode interrupted and patted on the maiden''s shoulder.


    "I believe your abilities, Lapis. Surely, you can complete this mission."


    "Yes�� Yes!"


    Lapis lifted her head in uncertainty and gazed at the young man before her. Then, her expression gradually turned much more determined. Lapis extended her arm and clenched her tiny fist, before nodding hard.


    "I-I can guarantee, Sir. The list of magical equipment will surely, surely be fine. They will surely, surely be completed."


    "Good."


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction before turning towards Anne.


    "So then, Anne. You will be in charge of leading the team��"


    But before Rhode could finish his sentence, Anne raised her arm in the air and displayed a smile in high spirits.


    "Anne wants to go with Leader!"


    "��"


    In an instant, the whole hall fell into dead silence. Rhode gazed hopelessly at Anne who had thrown herself before him and swayed his right arm left and right. At this moment, Anne seemed like a puppy anticipating a stroll in the park, and the imaginary tail behind her back could almost be seen swinging about.


    "Can I? Can I? Leader, Anne feels that the fortress is really boring. Anne wants to go on an adventure with Leader. Pleaseee."


    "You have a job to do too. Isn''t it your job to lead the mercenaries in the fortress?"


    "But Anne can''t do such things well. Also, Anne doesn''t have a brain that is as smart as Sister Marlene''s. Anne feels that there''s nothing fun to do in the fortress. Also, Anne feels that it''s better to follow Leader along. Leader, you are going for an adventure, right? How about you add one more Anne with you?"


    At this point, the maiden had tightly clung onto Rhode and her large puppy eyes were blinking, as though she was a puppy abandoned by her owner.


    "Pleaseee, Leader�� Let Anne follow you, please. Isn''t Sister Gillian going too? So why can''t Anne go?"


    "Miss Anne, you can''t put it this way, okay?"


    Gillian stepped out from the side as she cheekily swayed her index finger in front of Anne.


    "I play a major role for Master, and Miss Anne can''t be compared to me okay?"


    "What major role?"


    Anne widened her eyes in curiosity as she gazed at Gillian. Facing Anne''s question, Gillian proudly placed her hand on her chest, and at the same time, she lifted her chin arrogantly.


    "I can warm Master''s bed. Can you do that?


    "Anne can do it too!"


    Anne unconvincingly raised her arm quickly, and at the same time, she hugged Rhode''s arm tightly against her chest.


    "Not only can Anne warm Leader''s bed, Anne can sleep with Leader too. Anne can do what Sister Gillian can do!"


    "Oh? So you know how to give a morning bite?"


    "�� Of course, Anne knows what to do!"


    "�� Both of you, shut up!"


    Rhode sneered and swung off Anne''s arms before staring at them sternly. Even though Gillian and Anne shut their mouths involuntarily, Gillian continued to display her proud stance, while Anne pouted and gazed at the fox-eared woman unconvincingly. Come to think of it, Anne''s words weren''t unreasonable as she had always been a one-track minded person. Rhode''s previous attempts for her to lead a team in protecting the Clerics had failed, and in the end, he allowed the maiden to protect the important personnel by fighting on her own. Initially, the main reason that Rhode planned for Anne to stay in the fortress was that he wanted to sharpen Anne''s character and decide if she could take up great responsibilities. Now it seemed like the possibilities were really low�� But everything must be tried. If Anne could utilize her strengths in the right places, it would be a good thing for Rhode.


    "Anne, you have to stay. This is an order, understood?"


    "Alright��"


    Anne lowered her head while Rhode shook his. Then, he turned towards Marfa who had been silent.


    "Marfa, you will be in charge of Anne as her personal assistant. Don''t let her overstep the bounds of what is proper, understood?"


    "Yes, Sir. Leave it to me."


    "Good," Rhode nodded in satisfaction before sweeping a final glance at everyone.


    "So then, we''ll leave tomorrow morning."Author''s note: Marfa is a middle-aged mercenary highly valued by Rhode after the fight in reclaiming the fortress. Rhode promoted his status and now, Marfa is considered as a squadron leader in the guild.ů�� = Warming the bed (literally). Warming the bed in this context was also referring to having intimate behaviors between a male and female on the bed. Anne should have understood it literally.�簲ҧ = Morning Bite (literally). However, after separating the Chinese word ҧ, it becomes �� + ��, which meant blowjob. In this context, Anne shouldn''t be aware that Gillian was actually referring to giving Rhode a morning blowjob...

 Chapter 413 3 Mens job 2/3

    Rhode sat calmly in the chariot as the horses galloped to their destination. He gazed at the fast-moving scenery outside the windows while Gillian was curled up listlessly on the soft sofa opposite him like a cute little puppy. Her fluffy tail served as a blanket over her body as she dozed off.


    The road to Castel Plateau was full of twists and turns. Rhode had to board the chariot from Twilight Forest through White River Valley in the northeast before reaching their final destination. It was located in the junction between Paphield and Dortmund Mountain, belonging to the territory of Purple Lily Guild.


    After years of neglect, this road had become extremely bumpy and was a pain in their butts. Although this chariot sponsored by Matt was quite luxurious and was laid with thick fur cushion for the comfort of the passengers, Rhode didn''t feel comfortable at all. There wasn''t any rubber in this continent and the chariot wheels were made with a combination of wood and steel. Although the flat, cone-disc wheels could resist the impact generated when traveling on uneven ground to a certain extent, it still took a toll on everyone after a long journey.


    It was moments like these that Rhode began to miss the fluid movements in the game. Although it was an immersive game, transportations on chariots were designed with the considerations of players where their journey would be as smooth as boarding a high-speed rail. At this moment, Rhode was beginning to get affected by motion sickness.


    "Hu��"


    Rhode leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and sighed. The journey from the Land of Atonement to Castel Plateau would need at least five to six days and to hasten on their journey under such conditions gave him a huge headache. And the most depressing thing was that the wind direction wasn''t favoring them. If not, the Floating Boat would have been a much better


    "Master, what are you thinking about?"


    Gillian''s voice rang in his ears. Rhode opened his eyes and turned towards the source of her voice. The fox-ear young lady was laying before him lazily, displaying a proud smile while scanning at him with narrowed eyes. Unlike Rhode, who was feeling the motion sickness, Gillian didn''t seem to have any problems. Although the chariot rocked from time to time, she continued to sit at ease as if nothing disruptive was happening.


    Rhode let out a sneer at her expression. It had been a long time since he met this peculiar Elemental Lord, and he figured that Gillian must be making a joke about himself. However, being Rhode, he refrained from revealing his fatigue and ignored her jeering gaze. He adjusted himself straight on the seat and focused his attention on the book in his hands. This book recorded the strategies targeting the ruins of Castel Plateau.


    In the game, Starlight crushed their way through in the reclamation of this area without knowing its prefix mission. As this news spread, the prefix mission had become the required course for most guilds. With the ''better than nothing'' mentality, Rhode still held some knowledge of this prefix mission. However, the problem lay on here.


    Castel Ruins was a one-time dungeon and the main reason for Rhode to understand this prefix mission was purely due to his curiosity and hobby in gathering equipment. So he had rushed through the entire process and left the knowledge in his brain without applying it. As he didn''t attempt this mission personally, he couldn''t recall the crucial details, and this was why he specially held a meeting with Canary and Mini Bubble Gum to recollect on most parts of this prefix mission.


    This prefix mission wasn''t considered too challenging. Players had to visit Eagle City in Castel Plateau to search for an ancient book. Following the instructions in the book, they had to search for four fragments scattered within the city. These four fragments would form a key and it could be used to open an entrance to the underground maze situated below Eagle City, where players could then obtain an ancient treasure from deep within it. According to the prefixed game-flow, players would be informed of the presence of the ruins in Castel Plateau after obtaining the ancient treasure. From there, players would head to Castel Ruins to trigger the dungeon mission. The ancient treasure which they obtained would be the core that could activate the internal ruins. Relying on this rock, not only could the players shut down the guards defending the ruins, but they could also activate a safety defense system that defended them from the ambushes of critters, which allowed them to enter the dungeon unperturbed.


    As for the underground maze, it was only an ordinary area and the dungeon mechanisms were without much threat, which was why Rhode wasn''t worried about any potential problems. However, the only flaw came from the fact that he had never attempted the prefix mission and he was unfamiliar with the exact locations of the four fragments. If he had to follow the mission flow given to him, he might waste even more time. Luckily, Rhode was able to recall the general locations of the fragments, so he didn''t need to start mindlessly. However��


    Why is this so similar to the game��


    Rhode sighed in dissatisfaction before closing the book and gazing at Gillian.


    "You seem to be very relaxed, Gillian. Had a good dream?"


    "I''m bored, Master. No one is chatting with me and you have been studying the strategies all day. I think that everything will turn out for the best, so let''s just worry about it when things happen. Even if you don''t have a strategy, doesn''t it only take a few minutes to settle this crappy mission?"


    Gillian''s ears perked up proudly and her fluffy, big tail started swaying.


    "Besides, it''s fine if we don''t have the key. Master, you should still remember the general location of the underground maze right? So, how about we break down the entrance and rush our way in after we reach Eagle City? What problems can you possibly get? Unless you tell me there''s some zombie virus in there?"


    This sounded like a plan too.


    Rhode nodded as he analyzed Gillian''s suggestion. However, to be frank, he wasn''t too hopeful in this. Although the game seemed similar to the real world and he wouldn''t need to act according to strategies of the game, Rhode remembered that the entrance of the underground maze was sealed by magic. He was worried that if they forcefully opened it, there might be some problems. Without a doubt, this was set for regulating players, and he could only know when things really happened.


    However, this wasn''t the only problem that Rhode was worried about.


    "I have thought of the matters in the ruins. But I am more worried about another matter."


    "You are referring to��"


    Gillian tilted her head curiously to the side.


    "Christie''s prophecy?"


    "That''s right."


    Rhode agreed and nodded slightly. As a matter of fact, before both of them left the fortress, Christie once again said strange things that even she wasn''t aware of. However, Rhode remembered that sentence clearly in his mind.


    "Asin Bunyle Kuse." (The Executioner is waiting for you)


    It was the Abyss Language which she had spoken unconsciously before. As usual, she had no explanations for her actions. In Rhode''s memories, there wasn''t a monster or BOSS named as the ''Executioner'' in the Castel Ruins. Similarly, there wasn''t any individual or organization with this name in Eagle City. However, after this recent experience from Christie again, Rhode didn''t think that she was speaking without thinking the matter through. But he had to admit that this little girl''s ability to predict was indeed strange because he couldn''t remember there was such a person in the Dragon Soul Continent.


    "Although I''m not too sure what Christie was trying to say exactly, it seemed that it wasn''t any good news. Master, we may have a much harder time after we arrive in Eagle City than we expected."


    "No matter what, be careful when we''re there because it isn''t our territory. Gillian, you��"


    Bump. "Ahh!"


    As Rhode was speaking, the chariot jolted suddenly which forced him to shut his mouth in order to prevent biting his tongue. At this moment, there was a dreary scream. Rhode turned towards Gillian quickly and to his surprise, the fox-ear young lady was still curled up in her seat languidly, as though there was an invisible line tying her tightly to the soft cushion.


    "Gillian, were you speaking just now?"


    "Eh?"


    Gillian widened her eyes in surprise while Rhode noticed her ears slightly twitch.


    "Ah, I didn''t, Master. You must have misheard or something."


    Everything went well.


    Although Rhode didn''t stop for a break in order to pick up speed, they arrived at their destination, Klett Town, at dusk. According to Rhode''s plan, they would be spending a night there, before heading to the White River Valley.


    Upon stepping on the solid ground after a long journey, Rhode took in deep breaths of fresh air in Klett Town, which was filled with a floral and earthy aroma. While he was stretching, suddenly, the chariot driver screamed from the back.


    "Wa!"


    What happened?


    Rhode and Gillian immediately ran to the back and saw the elder chariot driver sitting on the ground with an ashen face, pointing towards the box in the back of the chariot which was used to store traveling clothes and food. But now��


    As they turned their gaze towards the box, what reflected in Rhode''s eyes was a fair, delicate thigh dangling out from it��

 Chapter 414 3 Mens job 3/3

    Rhode gazed coldly at Anne who was rubbing her hands uneasily. At this moment, the young lady was in a mess. Her hair and cheeks were covered in filthy dust and bruises were visible on her body. Although this incident didn''t take a drastic turn like the popular ''mysterious chariot continuous killings'' incident, this current situation wasn''t anything worth celebrating in Rhode''s eyes.


    "You have had a hard time, Anne. How did it feel?"


    Rhode asked sarcastically as he gazed at the young lady before him. In response, Anne showed an awkward smile.


    "I-It''s still alright, Leader�� Better than expected��"


    "Alright, I''m not about to chit-chat with you now."


    Rhode frowned and knocked on the table as his tone turned colder and sterner.


    "I recall clearly that I ordered you to stay in the fortress. So why did you disobey my orders?"


    "That�� Because��"


    Anne struggled for an answer. But, she finally confessed everything after giving in to Rhode''s strict interrogation. Although Rhode had forbidden her from leaving the fortress, Anne was unwilling to take on the troublesome and trivial tasks. In the end, she sneaked into the trunk of the chariot and traveled with them.


    This decision by Anne required a lot of courage. Although this chariot was specially customized, its trunk was designed with a small space. Furthermore, it was filled with traveling clothes, boxes, repair tools, and various junks, and its greasy smell and the filthy dust were unbearable for anyone. It was torturous for Anne with a tall stature, as she had to curl up to squeeze into the trunk.


    Got to say, this journey was definitely painful for Anne. Furthermore, Rhode didn''t stop the chariot for a rest as he was rushing for time. The comfortable cushion couldn''t absorb all the impacts from the bumpy road, not to mention Anne, who was in the hard, stiff trunk. The twists and turns had left the young lady in bruises. If it wasn''t for her Wind Elemental Awakening, she might have been half-dead by now.


    "What about those mercenaries?"


    "Anne left them with Uncle Marfa. Since Uncle Marfa is so reliable, there shouldn''t be any problem."


    "Have you spoken to him personally?"


    Rhode was a little surprised after listening to Anne''s confident answer. Although Rhode did not interact much with Marfa, this middle-aged mercenary was always persistent and wouldn''t have agreed to such an odd request by Anne. If Marfa did agree, then Rhode suspected that he might have made an error in his judgment. Or, perhaps, Anne got away using her honeytrap?


    "Yup."


    Anne nodded as though nothing was wrong.


    "Anne told Uncle that Anne couldn''t do a good job looking after the mercenaries and left them to him. Anne was about to look for Leader but Uncle gave Anne a harsh lecture��"


    "Then?"


    "Then Anne left a note for Uncle before sneaking out!"


    Anne straightened her body and puffed out her chest proudly as though she was expecting an award for her successful escape plan. Meanwhile, Rhode couldn''t find the strength to sigh. Is she hoping for me to sing praises for her dereliction of duty��?


    "You have once again violated my orders. Anne, are you not afraid that I will expel you from the guild?"


    Rhode questioned sternly as he gazed at the arrogant young lady before him. After hearing his words, the proud young lady Anne lowered her head in dejection.


    "Yes, Anne is afraid that Leader will chase me away."


    "So, why did you do that?"


    "But Anne feels more comfortable being with Leader. It''s too boring to stay in the fortress and train the mercenaries!"


    Although Rhode''s first intention was to send Anne back to the fortress right here, right now, he quickly realized that this thought was not doable at all. From this action of hers, he knew that she would do anything in her favor. He could guarantee that if he didn''t send Anne all the way back to the fortress, she would once again sneak her way back, which was totally possible. On the other hand, Rhode didn''t wish to waste any more time on these needless matters as time wasn''t on his side now. Furthermore, he didn''t want to suffer two or three more trips on this bumpy road any longer.


    He looked at Anne before him but didn''t know what to say.


    He understood that it was pointless to lecture her at this point. This young lady''s thought process was largely different from a normal human being. She didn''t respect traditions and rules. Even though she held formidable strength, she mostly relied on her intuition to make judgments. Before Rhode came into this world, he had seen human beings with similar life experiences on the television. Those people were abandoned since young and were brought up by wild animals. After they returned to the human society, most of them were unable to adapt accordingly.


    Anne''s behavior belonged to this category. Her views on responsibilities, loyalty, and feelings were different from normal humans. Compared to the thought process and logic, Anne preferred to handle matters using her intuition. For instance, Anne admitted that she was afraid of being expelled from the guild. However, her rational thinking wasn''t able to stop her instinctive actions. Anne felt more comfortable being with Rhode and she followed with no second thoughts. She wasn''t mindful if Rhode would hate her for it or expel her out of the guild. Come to think of it, this was also in line with Anne''s way of living. Rhode had planned to cultivate Anne''s consciousness and responsibility towards the community by leaving her in the fortress. However, it seemed that this experiment had failed miserably.


    "Haa��"


    Rhode was at a loss of words to reprimand Anne and he could only sigh hopelessly. Since his experiment had failed, he had no choice but to bring Anne along. However, he counted himself fortunate that Anne''s strength would be beneficial. According to their level difference, Anne was at most three levels away from him. Moreover, the training style in the fortress couldn''t keep up with the requirement she needed. This upcoming battle in the Castel Ruins would truly improve her strength. Rhode had considered bringing her along, but he gave up after considering the overall situation.


    Even though Rhode had given thoughts to the overall situation, it was Anne that had utterly given up on it. Or, she had probably simply ignored the overall situation.


    "L�� Leader?"


    Anne lifted her head and gazed at Rhode with an uncertain and insecure expression.


    "If I ask you to go back to the fortress, I''m sure you wouldn''t listen, right?"


    "That''s for sure, Leader. Anne will definitely choose to stay with you!"


    Anne raised her chin proudly. However, in a split second, she realized that her reaction was too inappropriate. The conflicted young lady once again lowered her head.


    "Sorry, Leader. But, Anne��"


    "Alright, forget it."


    Anne''s behavior was laughable at this point. Even though she knew she was in the wrong, she still acted righteously�� This young lady is really�� Rhode gestured with his hand helplessly at this thought.


    "You can stay this time, Anne. But once you''ve joined us, I need you to act according to my commands from today onwards. If you disobey any of my commands, I will expel you from the guild immediately and I don''t want to see you ever again. Do you understand me?"


    "Understood, Leader! Anne promises that Anne will surely, surely listen to Leader''s words! There won''t be a problem!"


    Anne let out a cheerful smile as she threw herself onto Rhode. She gave him a tight hug before making the promise. Rhode suspected that Anne might have only heard the first part of his words��


    Rhode calmly pushed the young lady away and gestured.


    "Alright, go take a bath and clean yourself up. You must be tired after staying in the trunk for so long. Have an early rest."


    "Okay, Leader. Anne is going now!"


    Anne excitedly raised her right arm and answered as she left a trail of dust when she ran out of the room.


    Rhode held onto his forehead as he looked at the shaking door. Meanwhile, Gillian finally stood up and approached Rhode.


    "Hu hu hu. I didn''t expect that there would be someone who could give Master such a huge headache."


    "I''m just feeling a little hopeless. It can''t be considered as a headache."


    Rhode retorted at Gillian''s mockery. However, the young lady wasn''t mindful as she chuckled and looked out the door in deep thought.


    "So then, Master. If Miss Anne disobeyed your command, will you really chase her out of the guild?"


    Rhode pondered and stood before the window.


    "I think you should know my answer, right?" Rhode replied.

 Chapter 415 Lost Eagle

    "Ha�� Ha��"


    Grendy ran wildly as the screams behind him turned clearer and clearer. He turned back only to find the young lady, as pale as a sheet, gasping for air. Her expensive robe was torn, revealing bloody gashes on her soft and delicate skin. As they dashed through the pitch-black forest, the bright flames behind them were vaguely in sight and the echoes of dogs barking were getting increasingly closer.


    "Hurry up, Natasha."


    "I-I can''t do it, Grendy."


    The struggling young lady named Natasha followed closely and clumsily behind Grendy. Even though she was on the verge of collapsing, she tightly held the wooden box in her arms with no intentions of letting go. Grendy knew she was almost at her limit. Without any choice, he grabbed her right hand.


    "Follow me, Natasha. We will have a chance of survival once we pass through this forest and swim to the other side of the White River!"


    "I�� I don''t think I can swim, Grendy. It''s better if you go alone!"


    "What are you talking about?! How can I leave you behind?"


    Grendy sulked at her selfless answer. He slowed down his pace and lifted the young lady on his back. However, at this moment, a huge black hound howled and leaped out of the bushes which left Natasha screaming in horror. Grendy swiftly turned around and slashed his sword at its skull. After the hound collapsed to the ground, the young man stomped on its body angrily before booting it back into the bushes.


    Although this ambush happened in merely a few seconds, it allowed the flame torches to catch up significantly. Not only that, both of them could sense that the danger fast approaching as the rustling in the bushes and roarings of the hounds became louder.


    "Run, Natasha!"


    Grendy struck another hound with his sword. This young man knew that he had lost precious time and opportunity to escape and the chances of him escaping from these people were next to nothing now. Even so, Grendy continued to push on with his companion. As they ran, he brandished his sword at another hound that was darting towards him. But, to his surprise, another hound had pounced over from his back and bit his arm.


    "Grendy!"


    Natasha screamed as blood flowed from his arm. Grendy steadily flung his arm to shake off the hound and at the same time, he pierced the sword in his right hand into its skull. The unfortunate hound howled in grief and landed heavily on the ground. Then, a voice sent chills down both of their spines.


    "I found them! They''re here!"


    "Sh*t! Go go go!"


    Grendy was gobsmacked. He took off frantically with the young lady before he could attend to his injured left arm. Although Grendy knew that the chances of survival were next to nothing, his human instinct for survival continued to support him.


    However, it was this moment that Grendy witnessed a few flame torches in his escape path.


    Are we surrounded by them?


    Grendy''s heart sank. He knew he had no other choice but to brandish the sword with his life and dart out of this forest with the young lady.


    "Come on, you��"


    Grendy was only halfway through his sentence before he realized. Those people before him weren''t the fully-armored soldiers on the chase to capture him.


    What was revealed in his eyes was the peaceful flowing White River and its crystal-clear water letting off a dreamy reflection of the moonlight. A merchant-looking chariot was parked beside the river and there were three people sitting by a nearby bonfire. Right before him, a senior chariot driver startled by Grendy and Natasha darted out of the bushes, stumbling to the ground.


    Is this the commerce road?


    Grendy couldn''t believe his eyes after turning over and witnessing a flat commerce road. He knew that this was the road that one must take, in order to reach the White River Valley and it was also a preferred resting point for many merchants. Grendy didn''t expect that their frantic escape would lead them here so soon.


    However, this wasn''t the time to lament on how much potential humans could erupt in the face of danger. Before Grendy could react, a group of fully-armored soldiers had charged over. They instantly surrounded him and blocked off all his possible escape routes. At the same time, the soldiers raised their bows and aimed towards Grendy and the group of travelers.


    Damn it!


    Grendy swore in his head and guarded the young lady with his body while taking a few steps backwards. The soldiers standing before Grendy moved to the side and made way for a fully-armored soldier to step forward.


    "Hide and seek is over, kid�� Eh?"


    The man paused and shifted his attention to the group of people by the chariot.


    Sh*t!


    Grendy''s heart sank as he knew clearly how vicious these soldiers were. As he didn''t wish to implicate those innocent people, he hurriedly stepped forward and said as he trembled in fear.


    "They got nothing��"


    "We have nothing to do with them."


    However, before Grendy could finish his sentence, one of the three travelers by the bonfire turned around and interrupted.


    "I don''t know and don''t care who you guys are. I also do not wish to get involved with your affairs. So please go ahead if you only wish to capture those two. We will act as though we never saw anything."


    "��"


    Grendy''s words were stuck in his throat and even the man was slightly surprised. Never did he think that there would be such a self-righteous person who dared to announce that he was only a passerby�� Heh heh. It seems that these people are kind of interesting too. However, it''s a pity that no one should be aware of this matter. Since all of you witnessed it, you all can only blame yourselves for being unlucky!


    The man lifted his arm.


    "Kill them all!"


    The soldiers instantly raised and aimed their arrows towards Grendy and the travelers. Grendy''s heart sunk to the bottom because he knew all that he could do was to hopelessly brandish his sword to protect Natasha against all the incoming rain of arrows.


    However, it was this moment when an accident occurred.


    "Waa!"


    As the soldiers locked on to their targets, their arrows erupted in bright, scorching flames which instantly overwhelmed their bows. The soldiers shrieked at the intolerable heat and tossed their weapons to the ground.


    "W-What is going on?"


    The man who seemed to be the soldiers'' commander was astounded. He observed the surrounding for answers as he had never met such an odd occurrence before. Before his questions were answered, one of the three travelers by the bonfire stood up.


    Everyone managed to catch a glimpse of her looks under the bright flames. She was a beautiful young lady who had a full head of pink tied into a vivacious ponytail. A pair of fluffy ears and a large, bushy tail swaying from her back revealed her identity to the group of soldiers.


    A half-beast?


    "Aiyo, what a pity�� Master has given all of you a chance to not mess with him. If you refuse Master''s kindness, you''re gonna lose out, okay?"


    This is�� a Mage?


    The man froze in terror and forced two steps back before cautiously gazing at the group of people behind Grendy. After witnessing their amazing feat, he was at a loss for words because he had never seen any Mage who possessed the ability to burn all the soldiers'' bows without hurting them.


    Damn my luck!


    The man was somewhat regretful. He reckoned that he should''ve been more cautious when the three of them were so calm in voicing their disinterest in involving with their matters. However, he wasn''t too concerned about this problem because of his persistence in completing this task. After all, the identity of his target was way too sensitive and there would be major issues if this news was leaked out. So even though the group of travelers had declared that they didn''t wish to get involved, he didn''t want to take the risk.


    But now, he realized that he had made a wrong choice.


    Since they destroyed their weapons in a split second, would they also instantly turn them into a barbeque pit too?


    The man was quick to his feet and took a step backward in a fluid motion before bowing respectfully.


    "I''m very sorry for disturbing everyone. We will be leaving with these two right here immediately!"


    As the man beckoned for his soldiers to capture Grendy and Natasha, suddenly, a wall of flames rose from the ground. In an instant, as though the wall of flames was under a mysterious guidance, it extended in both directions and covered their way of retreat entirely.


    "This is��"


    The man''s expression sunk instantly as he knew the situation was turning grave. It was obvious that the other party wasn''t letting it go just like this.


    The young lady with a pair of fox ears cupped her delicate hand over her mouth elegantly, letting out an adorable chuckle.


    "Aiya, didn''t I tell you that Master didn''t want to invite trouble? It''s a pity that you guys refused his kind intentions. Now, it seems that we have no choice but to clean this mess up."

 Chapter 416 Trouble in the Eagle City

    "Waah!"


    As the last soldier burned to ashes in the inferno, the scorching flames disappeared abruptly. In an instant, traces of the blaze were entirely gone and the green grass patches dazzled under the beaming moonlight.


    "Unlucky."


    Rhode swept a glance at the pair who stood there flabbergasted. He puckered his brows and stood up, gesturing to Gillian and Anne.


    "Alright, start packing up. These two little troublemakers brought along a huge trouble which I have no interest in. Let''s move up further for now and we will continue our journey the next morning."


    "Sure, Master."


    "Understood, Leader."


    Both of them nodded in acknowledgment. However, as Rhode turned around to leave, the two ''troublemakers'' scuttled towards him with trepidation. The young man seemed to be 18 years old and was dressed in a proper warrior outfit, which made him unlikely to be a mercenary. After all, mercenaries were a pragmatic bunch who placed their equipment wherever convenient. Due to this, they placed numerous knives and daggers by their waist pouches in case of emergencies. On the other hand, this young man wore an elegant leather armor and had an aristocratic family crest engraved on his sword. This went to show that he might either be from a noble family or he was serving the nobles as an attendant. The young lady behind him exhibited a delicate and adorable appearance. Although she was lacking slightly in terms of looks when compared to Gillian and Anne, her thick aura of an indulged rich young woman was somewhat mesmerizing.


    Before Rhode turned around, both of them were dilly-dallying as though they were timid mice that were afraid of approaching a large cat. After Rhode turned around and gazed at them, they froze with terror instantly. However, the brave young man plucked up his courage and approached Rhode, followed by a strict, respectful bow.


    "Thank you so much for all your help, we are��"


    "I have no interest in knowing who you are."


    Rhode interrupted his introduction.


    "I have said clearly that I don''t fancy any trouble. Do whatever you want, but don''t drag us in. Sorry, I''m too busy to entertain you right now."


    The young man''s face turned beet red. He gaped but no sounds were made. At this moment, Gillian had woken up the elderly chariot driver who had passed out due to fright and got him to send Rhode and the others away. As Rhode opened the chariot door and was about to enter, the young lady who had been standing behind the other young man scuttled forward suddenly.


    "P-Please wait, Mr. Rhode!"


    "Hmm?"


    Rhode frowned and turned towards the young lady. The uncertain young lady confirmed her guesses and placed her palms on her chest before gazing at him with an expression seeking for a favor.


    "Y-You are the leader of Starlight, Mr. Rhode, right? Would you help us if we are willing to remunerate you?"


    "How do you know my name?"


    Rhode scanned the young lady carefully under the bright moonlight and he was sure that he had never met this person before. But how did she recognize him? This wasn''t logical at all because there was no internet accesses or secretly-filmed videos in this world. Furthermore, how did this rich-looking young lady know his identity?


    The young lady felt reassured as Rhode didn''t refuse her request. She let out a long sigh before continuing.


    "Nice to meet you, I am Natasha Deland. I am�� the daughter of the Eagle City''s owner, Daniel Deland. I attended the Midsummer Festival with my father, so��"


    I see. She''s really a daughter of a rich family. If that''s the case, there''s nothing wrong with her recognizing myself. It was extremely normal for various city owners from different regions to partake in the Midsummer Festival. If this young lady was really the daughter of the Eagle City''s owner, there would be nothing wrong if she had attended the festival.


    "Miss Deland."


    Since she had recognized his identity, it wouldn''t be nice of him to leave just like that. However, he still wasn''t interested in looking for unnecessary trouble. At this moment, time was the most important factor for him. How could he possibly assist with the internal affairs of the Eagle City when his own matters weren''t even accomplished?


    "Although I''m indeed the leader of a guild, I won''t accept just any requests. Besides, the Eagle City is located in the territory of the Purple Lily Guild. As a leader of a Paphield Guild, it is not wise of me to intervene. If I interfere with the matters of other regions, it wouldn''t reflect well on us. Do you understand what I mean?"


    "Ah��"


    The young lady hung her head in disappointment. The young man who had been observing stepped forward and bowed solemnly again. He lifted his head and gazed straight into Rhode''s eyes.


    "I understand what you mean, respectful Sir. However, I have a suggestion regardless. We are being chased right now and although we know we need to seek help from the Purple Lily Guild, we weren''t capable of returning to Eagle City to reach out to them. Therefore, I hope you can escort us back to Eagle City and protect us until we have connected with the Purple Lily Guild. Are you willing to accept our request?"


    "��"


    Rhode curiously gazed at the young man before him. This young man was quick on his toes and was neither servile nor overbearing. Got to say, this request didn''t violate what Rhode had said. After all, rules were dead, but humans were alive. Without a doubt, they couldn''t expect a group of mercenaries to follow them everywhere for protection, and since the request was only to protect them all the way to the encampment of the Purple Lily Guild, it wouldn''t be too daunting for Rhode.


    Rhode pondered for a while. To be frank, he didn''t wish to get involved with too many ''side-quests''. After all, his goal heading into Eagle City was to complete the guild mission and not to waste his time on these minor events. Also, he knew that if he were to escort and protect them, he might be deemed an enemy.


    However, if Rhode were to abandon both of them and if she was really the daughter of the Eagle City''s owner, it would also mean trouble for him. After all, this young lady represented the government of Eagle City and he had no intentions of provoking them.


    On the other hand, Rhode would be in the good books of the Eagle City officials if he assisted them and this would be beneficial for his future explorations. If he were to abandon them now, it didn''t mean that he could be free of trouble, so this choice was not worth the loss.


    Without a doubt, Rhode could also murder them and act as though nothing had happened. However, this didn''t seem to be an ideal choice either.


    Rhode opened the chariot door and nodded to both of them.


    "Alright, I accept your request. Hop on."


    Both youngsters were head over heels with excitement and they hurriedly boarded the chariot.


    Since Rhode had accepted their request, he asked for the chariot driver to rush on for the remaining journey, all the way towards Eagle City. After all, he had originally planned to turn back and feign innocent to avoid trouble. Since he had accepted this troublesome request, there was no more purpose in pretending to be naive and he might as well head to Eagle City in the shortest possible time.


    Since they were on the same boat now, Rhode hesitated no more and he began to probe about their happenings. He managed to understand the whole sequence of events from the young man named Grendy. This young man was the son of the Safety Officer in Eagle City and he was accompanying the envoys of Eagle City in inspecting the situation in the border area. This was considered an ordinary journey for most nobles. After all, as a child of the nobility, it was important for them to familiarize with their future territory.


    However, things didn''t go as smoothly as they expected. In the process of inspection, Natasha luckily or unluckily discovered some extremely dangerous secrets hidden by the other party. What''s worse was that the other party discovered it and became hostile. Not only did the kill the envoys of Eagle City, they murdered the bodyguards of Natasha. In the end, only Grendy was left to protect Natasha and escaped with her. They were on the run for two nights and they finally arrived by White River Valley. If they didn''t meet Rhode, perhaps both of them would''ve been dead by now.


    Although this young lady seemed clumsy and extremely delicate, she had a strong political mind. Even though she confessed that she had discovered a huge secret, she didn''t reveal any details of it. However, Rhode let the matter rest because he knew that this was a serious matter that had forced the other party to try to kill the envoys, guards, and even the daughter of the city owner. So, it was best to leave such a top secret to the muscle-man Barter.


    Right now, the only thing that bugged Rhode the most was that their destination, Eagle City, seemed to be in a mess��

 Chapter 417 The Undead Legion

    Rhode leaned back comfortably and admired the scenery outside the moving chariot. The three young ladies who were in deep sleep sat before him in a row. Gillian sat opposite him and her fluffy, large tail spread across them like a warm blanket. On her other end, Anne was drooling with her mouth wide open. Natasha sat between them and the exhausted young lady was in an oddly deep sleep right now after being on the run for two nights. However, even so, she held the wooden box in her arms tightly with no intentions of letting go.


    Grendy sat beside Rhode with his head lowered awkwardly. Without a doubt, the unfamiliarity of this young man in such a situation was written all over his face. Although the clothes of the all young ladies were worn appropriately while they were sleeping, it seemed too thrilling for this young man to be confined in a narrow space with three young, beautiful women.


    He must be a virgin��


    Rhode secretly sneered after noticing how uncomfortable Grendy was. Grendy noticed Rhode''s glance and he lifted his head immediately. He turned towards Rhode and back at the three young ladies before asking softly.


    "Erm�� dear Mr�� Rhode�� Can I know why are you heading to Eagle City?


    "Why are you asking me this question?"


    Rhode puckered his brows and asked. Grendy was a little hesitant, but he summoned up his courage and continued.


    "�� You see, just like you''ve said, Eagle City is in the territory of the Purple Lily Guild. You, as a guild leader of Paphield, wouldn''t make a trip there just for sightseeing, right? This�� Regardless, I''m still the son of the Safety Officer of Eagle City. If there''s anything that I can help��"


    More like you''re afraid that we''ll cause trouble.


    Although Grendy was careful with his words, Rhode figured his true thoughts quickly. This young man was a responsible and serious person, who was fast in his thoughts. Indeed, it was rare for any guild leader to cross over to territories that did not belong to them. If it was the southern guilds like the Liberty Wings, they must definitely be up to no good. Although in terms of the law, the conflicts between guilds wouldn''t involve other problems, it would be a troublesome issue if they affected the civilians'' daily lives.


    "We are heading to Eagle City in search of a clue regarding a 5 Star guild mission."


    In this aspect, Rhode had no intentions of hiding. After all, there were no disbenefits of a guild mission to a city. Besides, if Grendy really was the son of the Safety Officer, he might even provide them with protection and convenience within the city. Grendy nodded in acknowledgment and at this moment, a scream was heard.


    "Waa!"


    The smooth-sailing chariot started rocking violently which shook the three young ladies awake in shock.


    "What''s wrong? What''s wrong? What happened?"


    Anne was astounded as she scanned the surroundings while Natasha screamed and hugged the wooden box even tighter. Gillian frowned and grabbed onto the wooden plank.


    In an instant, the rocking chariot stopped moving as the horses neighed. Rhode transformed into a shadow and darted through the chariot door. As soon as he exited, he was greeted by a pair of beaming red eyes and a brandished sword. Rhode dodged his shoulder to the left calmly and the sharp blade passed his sleeve by a wide margin. Rhode unsheathed his sword swiftly.


    A crimson radiance drew a straight line across the dark sky. The whizzing air flow from the sword pierced through the enemy''s body, tossing him in the air before crashing on the ground. Until this moment, Rhode finally recognized this enemy as a fully-armored soldier�� an Undead Soldier.


    The Undead Legion?


    Rhode''s heart sank as he scanned the surroundings quickly. To his horror, he was surrounded by undead creatures. From the Undead Soldiers'' appearances, they were definitely not scouts, but infantries, cavalrymen, archers and�� Rhode lifted his head to the sky and two silhouettes were hovering under the illuminating moonlight.


    Even the Bone Griffins were here. This was almost the deployment of an entire legion!


    However, Rhode was fortunate that the number of Undead Soldiers didn''t exactly make up the size of a regular legion as there were only 100 to 200 of them. But it was surprising that they would be here. Damn it. This isn''t the Country of Darkness, so where did these Undead Soldiers come from? Are the patrols of the border area sick and tired of doing their job already?


    "Tch, troublesome indeed."


    Rhode gritted his teeth. Although he figured that Natasha must have discovered a secret which had triggered the enemies to kill her, it seemed that this secret was much more important than that. An undead army hidden within the borders of the Munn Kingdom? Although their scale was only one-tenth of a regular legion, the standard configurations of this continent should definitely not allow them to appear in the Country of Light. Even though the relationship between Her Royal Highness Lydia and the Country of Darkness wasn''t strained, she would definitely disallow foreign armies from step into her own soil.


    So then, what was this bunch of undead army doing here?


    Rhode gazed at the chariot and the elderly chariot driver seated at the front. His body had been pierced by bone spears and he had no chance of survival.


    Suddenly, along with the clip-clop from horseshoes, an Undead Knight in black armor emerged from the masses. He lifted his chin and his glistening red eyes shot straight towards Rhode from his thick helmet. Rhode twitched his brows slightly as he sensed the malice from his gaze. This was normal behavior as no human being would fancy the gaze of an undead creature. Rhode noticed the weapon hanging on the Undead Knight''s waist: a crescent moon-shaped scimitar exuding a pale radiance.


    Him?


    "Handover the box and I will spare your lives."


    The Undead Knight stretched out his left arm towards Rhode. Meanwhile, Gillian and the rest had exited the chariot. Upon witnessing the army of undead creatures, Natasha shrieked in terror and fell on her bum instantly. Anne was fast to display her qualities as a Shield Warrior as she lifted her steel shield and expanded it after a few clicks of mechanical sounds to guard herself and Natasha. Grendy swiftly readied his sword and observed nervously. On the contrary, Gillian was as calm as water. After letting out a sigh, this Fire Elemental Lord leaned on the chariot and positioned herself for a good show.


    Grendy pointed his sword at the Undead Knight furiously after he was infuriated by his words.


    "This isn''t a place for you undead creatures to commit atrocities. This is a place under the protection of the Light Dragon, so what rights do you undead from the dark side have to kill us? Are you not afraid of starting a war? You damned undeads."


    "Hmph!"


    The Undead Knight''s red pupil shrunk and Grendy felt a shapeless strength snatch his sword like a giant invisible hand. The young man was flabbergasted and he subconsciously gripped his sword tighter. However, he couldn''t resist the force no matter how hard he tried. After a few moments, Grendy released his hands as he couldn''t hold on any longer. The sword flew out of his hands like a bolt of lightning and went straight into the hands of the Undead Knight.


    As the sword flew in mid-air, a bright red dot exploded suddenly and wrapped around the sword. Then, the steel-made sword disintegrated into several parts and fell to the ground.


    "Eh?"


    The Undead Knight was astonished and he shifted his attention to Rhode who was standing before him. However, there was something different this time. The Crimson Blade was no longer pointing to the ground. Instead, it was resting on Rhode''s shoulder sloppily like a sling.


    "You''re already a dead man, yet you have such a fiery temper. But, I''m curious��instead of managing your nest in the Brook of Despair, what is Sir Vulture doing in our Munn Kingdom?"


    "You know who I am?"


    Vulture wasn''t expecting anyone from his place to recognize him. After Vulture scanned Rhode from his head to toes cautiously, he confirmed that he had never met this man before�� But why was he so familiar with himself?


    As a matter of fact, Rhode wasn''t familiar with Vulture. It was the scimitar hanging by Vulture''s waist that was named the ''Cyan Moonlight'' that he was familiar with. This equipment was an amazing weapon for Warriors. In the early stages of the Dragon Soul Continent, this weapon was extremely rare due to its low drop rate, even for the players in the Country of Darkness. During those times, a Cyan Moonlight brought a sense of pride and strong reputation to the warrior-class players. Moreover, this scimitar possessed powerful negative energy and its deadly attacks could reach a long, wide range. This was why Rhode could recognize this weapon. As the owner of this scimitar, Vulture was the only NPC that had this weapon. He was also one of the rare Knights in the Undead Legion who used a scimitar for battle. Its sharp blade was a considerable threat for most players.


    As an Undead Knight, Vulture wasn''t in charge of leading large scale armies for battle as a commander in the Country of Darkness. Instead, his responsibilities involved the secret operations of the elite troops. For him to be here meant bad news for Rhode. But according to Rhode''s understanding on Vulture, this Undead Knight was at most level 55. Rhode was confident that if they were to battle with swords alone, he would definitely beat him.


    As an undead creature, Vulture wasn''t packed with emotions. Although he was curious about how Rhode knew his identity, he had decided to massacre all of them due to this reason. This operation was supposed to be a secret. Now that this young man had discovered their presence and recognized him, he definitely had to die!


    At this thought, Vulture drew out the scimitar from his waist without hesitation and punched the air.


    "Attack!"


    "Anne, protect those two. Gillian, I will leave the rest to you. Let me deal with that Vulture."


    As Vulture commanded, Rhode gave his instructions to his men. Then, he transformed into a shadow, blended into the ground and darted towards the Undead Knight in an unstoppable red flash with his sword.


    So fast!


    In a blink of an eye, the tip of the sword arrived in his face. Vulture was dumbfounded as this young man phased through the defense formation of a dozen Undead Soldiers like a spirit as though they were nonexistent.


    Even so, the Undead Knight didn''t panic at all. He howled and brandished his scimitar. Pale flames erupted on its blade instantly. At this moment, Rhode changed his darting direction and flew at an impossible straight angle to dodge the counterattack. His Crimson Blade had no signs of stopping as it continued to strike.


    "Hmph!"


    Vulture reacted instantly after his attack failed to land. He leaped backwards to dodge Rhode''s blade. At the same time, the Undead Knight extended his arm and tapped on the Bone Warhorse below him. Sensing a powerful strength from the Undead Knight, the Bone Warhorse neighed and lifted its upper body upwards. In an instant, this movement created the best shield for Vulture.


    Rhode''s blade struck the Bone Warhorse and was deflected.


    However, he didn''t give up. He lowered his body and rolled underneath the Bone Warhorse. Then, the aura coalesced on his Crimson Blade erupted into a meteor-like radiance which scattered towards the Undead Knight.


    At this moment, the Undead Soldiers had wrapped closer and were brandishing their weapons to suppress Rhode entirely. However, as they charged forward to eliminate this stupid and reckless human, a beam of bright radiance halted them in their tracks.


    Along with a crisp berate, Celia waved her sword that was burning with silver-whitish sacred flames as she fluttered in the radiance with her graceful wings.


    The sacred flames forced the Undead Soldiers back as they shrieked painfully. Even though they weren''t afraid of death, a sacred energy like this was what they feared the most. Vulture revealed a look of surprise and horror.


    Angel? What is a Battle Angel doing here?!


    However, before Vulture got his answer, he heard a trifling breeze from the side. The Undead Knight turned around and lifted his scimitar to block this assault instantly. Then, a dark, long thorn whip twined tightly on his scimitar.


    "You need me to personally deal with these lowly undead creatures? Really?"


    Celestina walked out of the darkness at an elegant pace.

 Chapter 418 Battle before Dawn

    Although Vulture''s weapon had been bound by Celestina''s thorn whip tightly, he continued to stay calm. Instead, it was Celia''s emergence that gave him a worrisome premonition. As Rhode had mentioned, this place was under the protection of the Light Dragon in the Munn Kingdom. Although Vulture didn''t know how the Angel managed to appear here, he knew that this wasn''t a good sign. Although the level of this Battle Angel wasn''t too high, it would be enough for her to eliminate his men.


    Should I go? Or stay?


    Vulture made a decision instantly. He swung the scimitar and its curve blade erupted in pale flames, burning the thorn whip. At the same time, he whistled and gestured his other hand in the air. In a split second, a dozen of Skeleton Cavalrymen leaped off the hills on their horses and they charged towards the chariot and Natasha with their raised weapons. Vulture seized this opportunity to retreat as he brandished the scimitar downwards and struck off the incoming whip.


    "How dare you!"


    Celestina''s shapely eyebrows wrinkled after her attacks were blocked. She snarled and darted forward, brandishing her thorn whip like a powerful whirlwind that shredded all her approaching enemies. As she closed in onto Vulture, she stopped abruptly and flung her whip towards an Undead Soldier nearby. The creature got caught in the thorn whip helplessly and Celestina tossed it towards Vulture. In an instant, the young lady swung her right hand gracefully to launch a viper-like black whip which followed the tossed creature closely.


    Who is this woman?


    Vulture was taken aback. Although Celestina wasn''t too powerful, this move from her showed how experienced this young lady was in battle engagements. In such a chaotic battleground, she was able to estimate her attacking range instantly and control her attacks. Although this seemed to be unimpressive, not anyone could master the enemy''s combat skills so swiftly in such a short span of time.


    Vulture couldn''t help but focus his attention on this young lady clothed in a Chinese-styled dress. He sliced the Undead Soldier in half with his scimitar and swept up an engulfing whirlwind towards her. However, he realized that her long whip had disappeared!


    All of a sudden, the sound of a light breeze emerged behind him.


    Hmph!


    Even though the Undead Knight understood what was going on at a snap of his fingers, he didn''t retreat. Instead, he continued to charge towards Celestina with his deadly weapon. A look of disdain was revealed on the young lady''s face as she stood on her ground and lifted her skirt with her left hand to greet the incoming ''war chariot''!


    At this moment, the scimitar engulfed with pale flames met head-on with Celestina.


    This obviously premeditated strike came absolutely quick, which forced Celestina to guard it with her left arm. However, the curved blade cut off her arm with no resistance at all. It continued to hack into her skull and in a blink of an eye, Celestina split into two from the middle.


    "Hmm?"


    Vulture was dubious that his attack sliced through without any hindrance, like cutting through a block of butter. At this moment, as though it was to answer Vulture''s doubts, the young lady''s corpse collapsed to the ground and turned into black mist, spreading across the battleground entirely. Then, shadows dashed in the saturated mist.


    Shing! Countless thorn whips launched from the mist and wrapped every being in its range like tentacles. Without a doubt, Vulture had his own serving. Although his reaction was fast, his enemy''s was quicker. The sharp thorns wrapped the Undead Knight''s limbs and furthermore, he realized that his helmet was releasing faint green smoke.


    Corrosion attribute?


    A shiver went down his spine and suddenly, a bright, red light blazed before him.


    Rhode, who had been lurking for a long time, finally struck.


    Storm Slaughter appeared once again.


    The devastating red illuminations shrouded Vulture like a spider web. The sword beaming with a shimmering aura broke Vulture''s defenses and all he could do now was return the favor with his scimitar.


    The red, storm-like attack that shrouded the area abruptly stopped and transformed into a radiance before piercing into his chest.


    Heyah! If Vulture was a living creature, this blow from Rhode would be enough to claim his life. Also, the difference between their strength was too wide and Rhode''s attack in the core was blocked in the last second. Rhode had no choice but to change his line of defense and pierce Vulture''s chest instead. Although this inflicted damage, it wasn''t critical enough to harm an Undead Soldier of Vulture''s caliber. In an instant, Vulture countered with his burning scimitar and brandished it towards Rhode''s face. Rhode fell back swiftly and dodged with a roll. Along with this motion, Rhode dragged his sword downwards and slashed a long wound on Vulture''s body �� Although pain was no longer a concern for the dead, it was still effective in disrupting their movements.


    Vulture''s scimitar hacked the ground.


    Bam. Along with an ear-deafening rumble, the ground before the Undead Knight ruptured. The threatening flames spread across the ruptured ground wildly like a viper forcing its way towards Rhode.


    Rhode furrowed his brows because he knew how powerful this damn scimitar was. Its flames were filled with pure negative energy and no living creature had a resistance against it. Rhode pushed against the ground and rolled backwards instantly to flee before the flames devoured him. In a blink of an eye, he disappeared into the mist.


    "Hmph!"


    Vulture let out a snarl. Even though the black mist slowly dissipated, the Undead Knight had no intentions of hunting Rhode down. Instead, he lowered his head and scanned his torn chest. Under the rotten flesh, pungent blood was flowing. After a few moments, the rotten flesh healed itself and he once again lifted his head towards the sky. He chose to strike before dawn, which was also the darkest time of the day because he thought he could eliminate the enemies in the shortest time possible. However, it seemed that time wasn''t enough.


    I wonder what''s going on at the other side.


    Horseshoes clip-clopped.


    This was the first time that Grendy had felt this terrified as he gazed at the 30 Skeleton Cavalrymen brandishing their weapons towards him from the hills. The assault of the Undead Legion wasn''t as brave and fearless as the humans. Instead, it was another kind of threat. It felt as though it was a deadly sharp blade hacking mercilessly into its prey and the prey had no chance of survival no matter how it struggled. But, even so, Grendy gritted his teeth and lifted his sword like a true warrior. No matter how tough it was, he should face it bravely!


    Suddenly, a hand grabbed Grendy''s collar from the back.


    "Don''t mess around, go to the back."


    Anne tossed Grendy to the front of the chariot. As the poor fellow lifted his head in a daze and rubbed the back of his head, he saw Anne''s slim and tall figure. She stood bravely before him with both hands gripped tightly to her shield. At this moment, the Skeleton Cavalrymen had arrived.


    Their weapons filled with deadly aura hacked towards Anne.


    "Get lost!"


    Anne howled and swung her shield like a ginormous hammer.


    Bam! The steel shield crushed the warhorse of the first Skeleton Calvary. The deep, ear-deafening collision and the large impact formed a powerful airflow instantly. Grendy blinked and the cavalry flew away from the crash which brought along the four to five Cavalrymen behind. After all, the Cavalrymen''s formation was concentrated and it was impossible for them to retreat completely with their fast charging speed. So, in an instant, their first file suffered a crushing defeat.


    "Oh, Lord��"


    Grendy stared at the slender figure in bewilderment and he could not believe his eyes. He had been in the Safety Cavalry Team of the Eagle City for some time and he knew that the strength when the Cavalrymen charged was powerful and difficult to defend against. Never did he thought that this young girl could crush a charging cavalry! And she didn''t even budge with this stature?


    How is this possible?


    Both Grendy and Natasha were dumbstruck as they didn''t expect the young lady, who seemed ever so ordinary, to possess such incredible powers.


    However, this was only the start.


    The biggest threat of the Cavalrymen of the Undead Legion was their immunity to the outside world. This blow from Anne would definitely mess their formation if they were human Cavalrymen and even if the Cavalrymen could steady their nerves, it didn''t mean that their mounts could too. Animals, after all, were animals. However, the Undead Legion was different because their mount was no longer animals, but pure tools.


    Tools had no emotions.


    Due to this reason, the chaos that Anne created only lasted a few seconds. The Cavalrymen from the backlines charged through and trampled their companions mercilessly.


    A few moments later, another cavalry soldier dashed out from the mist. Anne repositioned her shield in front of her swiftly. Her fingers triggered the shield mechanism to eject a triangular-shaped cone and nailed it to the ground.


    They collided head-on.


    Clang! An ear-deafening collision sounded when the horse''s hoofs crushed onto Anne''s shield. However, this overbearing power with the weight of both the soldier and horse still wasn''t capable to take down the young lady. Instead, she straightened her body and extended both arms. Then, right before Grendy and Natasha''s very eyes, the pair of hoofs lifted and both the horse and man were tossed into the air�� Just how strong is this girl?!


    But the threat didn''t come from the cavalrymen only.


    On the other side, the Undead Soldiers weren''t let off easy by Celia. With the cavalrymen, they acted to their commander''s orders and enveloped from behind her. However, as the Undead Soldiers were only inches away from their target, a cheeky fox-eared young lady stopped them.


    "Excuse me, this road is blocked."


    Gillian was as calm as water and she continued to display a gentle, witty smile while speaking to the sea of Undead Soldiers before her leisurely. However, these Undead Soldiers neglected her words and continued to advance forward step by step with their bows and swords.


    "Be careful, Miss Gillian!"


    Grendy and Natasha shifted their attention to Gillian and to their horror, they realized that she was unarmed and defenseless. No matter what, at least Anne had a shield with her. Wasn''t this young lady asking for death to challenge them without anything in her hands?


    Gillian turned and waved to both of them casually.


    "Don''t worry, both of you. This bunch of small fries mean nothing to��"


    An arrow passed Gillian''s ear before she could complete her sentence and pierced through the chariot door beside Natasha. The poor girl shrieked in terror and Gillian''s expression sunk as her dazzling, red eyes gazed at her broken strands of pink hair drifting in the night sky. Then, she turned around.


    "I thought of letting you live for a while longer. What a pity��"


    Gillian stretched her delicate right hand and snapped her fingers lightly.


    In an instant, an earth-shattering fireball enveloped their entire world.


    What is that?


    As Vulture recovered fully from his injuries, he shifted his attention to the enormous blaze in the distant sky and stared in disbelief. The Undead Soldiers that he had sent out crumbled and collapsed thoroughly under the violent rain of fireballs. Undead creatures were fearless to anything except holy powers and flames. The cruel flames burned quickly and devoured the Undead Soldiers like a powerful wave, burning them into ashes. On the other side��damn it, those Cavalrymen had also turned into a pile of debris!


    This time, Vulture hesitated no more as he realized his enemy was much stronger than he had imagined. It seemed that his mission was bound to fail and he no longer had the intention to drag this fight anymore. Vulture withdrew from the battlefield swiftly.


    The thick, black mist dispersed abruptly.


    The Angel flapping her pure, white wings held her sword and pierced towards the Undead Knight in a glaring white radiance. Vulture brandished his scimitar hurriedly and blocked her attack. But at this moment, the thorn whip emerged above him and once again bound on his weapon tightly.


    "You��!"


    Vulture looked up furiously and this was the first time his eyes were filled with astonishment. The young lady clad in a black dress hovered in the night sky with a pair of black bat-like wings clearly visible on her back.


    Demon?


    Even though Vulture was an undead creature, his head was in a complete mess now. He couldn''t figure out why a Demon and an Angel would join forces together.


    However, he didn''t have the luxury to consider this question anymore. Celestina tugged her whip and pulled at Vulture''s scimitar. In an instant, his wide open arms gave Celia the chance to puncture his body with her holy sword. However, unlike Rhode''s attack, no matter how powerful the Undead Knight was, he would never survive holy flames.


    At this moment, Vulture finally displayed his powerful side as an Undead Knight. He gripped his scimitar with both hands and dragged against Celestina''s strength to block Celia''s attack. The holy and undead flames collided and flickered in the exchange of both weapons. Then, Vulture threw a punch at Celia''s chest with his left fist.


    Even though Celia''s attribute had an advantage, her strength was lacking compared to Vulture''s by too much. This punch left the Battle Angel shrieking in pain as she was flung through the air. Vulture had no intentions of stopping. After striking Celia off, he gripped onto the thorn whip and dragged Celestina forcefully from the air.


    Sh*t!


    Feeling the powerful might tugging on her whip, Celestina nearly jumped out of her skin. She intended to release her hands hurriedly but the Undead Knight was just too quick for her. Although Celestina flapped her wings to flee immediately, Vulture''s scimitar had brandished in the air.


    "Departed howls!"


    The pale flames on the scimitar transformed into three large skulls with widened mouths, darting and screeching at Celestina. She knew she couldn''t escape and her last resort was to fold her wings and embrace the attack. In the end, she collapsed under the overwhelming flames.


    In an instant, Vulture seemed to have the upper hand. But the appearance of the red radiance and Rhode reminded him that things weren''t about to end.


    "Argh!"


    The Undead Knight was well aware of this young man''s movements after experiencing a series of ambushes from him. As Rhode brandished his sword, Vulture''s scimitar swung down heavily and both weapons collided in a screeching impact. At the same time, Vulture punched his left fist towards Rhode.


    Bam! Pale flames erupted from his palms but Rhode dodged his attack. Then, Rhode launched another ambush from the other direction.


    Again?


    Vulture felt somewhat strange because he was sure that this was the first time they had met. Yet this young man seemed to be so familiar with his battle style and sneaked around constantly. Furthermore, he was also able to dodge his attacks nimbly. This definitely wasn''t the result of battle talents and intuition. The only explanation could be that he was extremely familiar with his swordsmanship, which was why he was able to dodge so easily.


    Who exactly is this young man?


    Previously, Vulture wished he could eliminate this obstacle from his mission, but now, he had gotten so curious that he hoped he could capture Rhode to investigate thoroughly. This young man would definitely be worth the interrogation since he could make both an Angel and Demon exist and work together.


    Rhode once again emerged before Vulture, but this time, Vulture didn''t defend against his attack. Instead, he embraced it, and that was the trick of an Undead Knight. No matter what, their differences in strength were too huge and he wanted to bait Rhode into attacking in order to seize the opportunity to capture him.


    As Vulture expected, Rhode struck towards Vulture''s eyes.


    Now''s the chance!


    As the tip of Rhode''s sword arrived at Vulture''s eyes, the Undead Knight who had lost his balance stabilized himself and brandished his scimitar upwards to strike off Rhode''s Crimson Blade. This powerful impact sent Rhode''s sword flying and him crashing to the ground.


    It worked.


    However, as Vulture moved in to subdue and capture his prey, he felt something was off.


    There were no signs of fear or panic on Rhode''s face. Instead, there was a delightful smile.


    Then, Rhode placed his fingers in his mouth while pointing the other hand at Vulture.


    A sharp whistle sounded.

 Chapter 419 A Deadly Secre

    Fweet! A burning sensation pierced Vulture''s back the instant he heard Rhode''s whistle. Vulture lowered his head subconsciously and found a white, flawless blade glistening with gentle holy rays puncturing his chest. Then, the Undead Knight''s vision turned pitch-black.


    A black sword secretly pierced the back of Vulture''s skull, through his brain and blinding one of his eyes. However, this wasn''t the end because the Spirit Bird screeched and dove from the sky, clenching tightly onto the Undead Knight''s body and shrouding him with massive, dazzling bolts of lightning. On the other side, the Centaur Knight darted from the shadows with his pike raised highly.


    Suddenly, a palm wrapped around with electricity extended and struck the pike. The powerful impact exploded, scattering dust and gravel, bending the pike with its raw strength.


    "Aowu!"


    The Black Hound arrived by the Undead Knight''s side and bit him on the arm mercilessly. However, Vulture, who was emitting black smoke and filled with fire sparks, once again extended his arm, attempting to grab the Black Hound''s neck. But he didn''t succeed because Rhode emerged before him like a ghost and brandished his scarlet sword.


    The red radiance shot towards Vulture in a perfectly straight line. In the blink of an eye, it pierced through the Black Hound''s body towards Vulture. However, Vulture barely had enough time to guard against this non-threatening strike; he felt a glaring white radiance and an explosive wave sweeping towards him.


    Bam! The ear-deafening explosion resounded in the entire mountains��even the gravel from the surrounding valleys began to crumble. At this moment, Rhode lost all his elegance. He frantically escaped from the scorching heat waves until he reached the side of the chariot. Rhode had exhausted his final bit of strength because ''Legion Horns'' was one of the most energy consuming skills. This was why Rhode only used this skill now. All he could do was to wait for the next results.


    A pillar of flame soared into the sky, rendering the clouds in a red halo. As though they were glowing in harmony, the marble white color of the dawn sky finally emerged on the horizon.


    It was daybreak.


    After the flames finally disappeared, Rhode stood on his feet and gasped for air. He patted the dust and mud off himself and lifted his head towards Vulture. Under the glory of the dawn, the Undead Knight remained on the same, burnt spot, retaining its motion in grabbing the Crimson Blade. When the first morning sunlight shone on his body, he crumbled and turned into dust entirely, drifting with the wind.


    "Hu��"


    Rhode let out a long sigh of relief and collapsed on his bum once again. There was only one trump card left in his arsenal��''Self-breakthrough''. If Vulture was not dead by then, Rhode would go ahead and take a hit from him. In any case, Rhode''s energy was emptied after casting ''Legion Horns'' and it wasn''t difficult for him to be killed in a split second. However, due to this, it increased the chances of triggering ''Self-breakthrough'' and would give Rhode a chance to turn the situation around.


    Without a doubt, such a deadly combination existed only in theory because no matter what, Rhode wasn''t willing to gamble his life for an experiment. Furthermore, the recoil of ''Self-breakthrough'' was worse than ''Legion Horns''. He could recover from ''Legion Horns'' after a couple days of rest; however, it wouldn''t be surprising if he laid in bed for at least ten days or up to half a month from triggering ''Self-breakthrough''. Moreover, he didn''t bring along a healer for this trip, so if something serious were to happen to him, he could only rely on the few bottles of healing potion.


    Although Vulture was dead, Rhode felt a chill down his spine because this was the most dangerous battle he had ever experienced in this world. As a matter of fact, even in the game, it was the undead creatures that gave players the most headache��especially those high-level undead creatures��


    From a certain perspective, undead creatures were kind of similar to players. For a player like Rhode to gather this much rich battle experiences and hold vast knowledge and mastery in battle tactics was mainly because he was a player who could revive again and again.


    It was the same for the undead creatures. Not to mention low-level undead creatures; high-level ones such as the lich or bloodsucker types could revive just like players. Without a doubt, they couldn''t revive on the spot with full health like players could, but their battle experiences was not lacking.


    Moreover, there were two areas where the undead creatures were scarier than players. It was harder to kill them and most of them didn''t have any negative emotions such as fear��this was something that players weren''t able to achieve. These high-level undead creatures were as cold as a sharp blade, without a care in the world as long as they could take the lives of their enemies.


    After this battle, Rhode gained a new understanding of the high-level undead creatures in this world. Vulture could be considered as the highest level Undead Knight he had ever met. Although those army deserters from the very start of Rhode''s journey in Silent Plateau were also Undead Knights, they were nothing compared to Vulture. However, this wasn''t the most troublesome matter: Rhode was most concerned about the characteristics of these undead creatures, which he had sensed during this battle.


    After entering this world, Rhode realized that there were many differences between real life and the game. Take Rosen for example: in the game, he had hundreds of thousands of HP and an ordinary group of players wouldn''t be able to defeat him. However, in real life, he was still a living creature, so a punctured heart and a hacked skull killed him instantly. Unlike in the game, no matter how many times one tried to puncture his heart, he wouldn''t die as long as his HP didn''t deplete to 0. Such an illogical reasoning wouldn''t make sense in real life.


    However, for a high-level undead creature like Vulture, he was almost similar to the ''HP'' characteristic in the game. Undead creatures possessed souls, but their souls weren''t located in their chests or heads. For high-level undead creatures, it was most likely that they had a secret vessel to store their source of soul. When facing such an enemy, the only way to defeat them was to demolish their spiritual energy continuously until they lost the energy to support their bodies, just like a BOSS near the brink of death.


    In the game, there was also a similar comparison: the war between the Country of Darkness and the Country of Light. Although the low-level Undead Soldiers didn''t possess powerful strength nor intelligence, their fearless, ruthless, machine-like discipline accompanied by their overwhelming quantities made them stronger than ordinary soldiers. These Undead Soldiers didn''t even require training or cultivating; they could go for wars as long as they picked up a weapon and their enemies were the fearful, emotional, and extremely fragile humans.


    As for those high-level undead creatures, they were sly, possessed powerful strength, had more battle experiences, and lived much longer than the strong ones in the human civilization. Although the human race had elites who were on par with those high-level undead creatures, there was something that they lacked. And that was the ability to revive. If both were equally-leveled elites who had their skulls hacked at the same time, the undead creature would only need to expend some energy to recuperate from their ''severe injuries''. However, the human elite would face a proper death.


    This was the reason why only Lydia was capable of stopping them. As an Archangel, she perfectly displayed her non perishable feat of survival as long as the sun existed to oppose the army of the Country of Darkness.


    Rhode thought that if the game was different from real life, perhaps the undead creatures might be easier to be dealt with. However, he discovered that according to this reality, living creatures were much easier targets to handle. The difficulty of dealing with living creatures had decreased from Normal to Beginner level and those undead creatures had passed the Difficult and even Nightmare level��


    Does this mean that the army of the Country of Darkness will be much harder to oppose than I had expected?


    This was the most tricky question to Rhode right now.


    However, even though this question was bugging him, he didn''t need an answer to it now. He decided to throw this thought away, pulled himself up, and approached the corpse dust of Vulture. At this moment, the ferocious Undead Knight was nowhere to be seen. What remained was a pile of pale, white dust as a tribute to his final moment in this world.


    The entire commercial route had been blasted beyond recognition. Apart from the destruction which the Black Hound left after self-exploding, Gillian''s flip out and Anne''s banging with her shield had brought along many chaotic scenes. Just look at the broken bones scattered around and the plants that were burnt��


    And in this complete disorder, the number of spoils that Rhode could find was limited.


    The Black Hound''s self-explosion let off an impact comparable to a medium-range missile, which annihilated a fatigue Master stage Undead Knight like Vulture. This went to show just how limited the spoils that remained were. After searching in the pile of ''ashes'' in the Undead Knight, Rhode was only able to loot a couple of unimpressive items. There was a blown up ruby ring, recoverable with some patchwork, which Rhode valued as only a dinner worthy of a few gold coins. The Cyan Moonlight was much more unfortunate. Perhaps it was the first victim of the explosion which led to it being split into half, and this rare weapon instantly turned into worthless metal with a value less than the ruby ring.


    The only valuable loots to Rhode were Vulture''s ''Soul Core'' and ''Soul Flute''. As a high-level undead creature driven by the power of the soul, the quality of Vulture''s Soul Core was impressive. On the other hand, the Soul Flute was a magical equipment used to order about the Bone Griffins. Rhode could use this equipment to summon a Bone Griffin as his personal escort. However, even though this was asking for death under the sky of the Country of Light, Rhode could still command the Bone Griffin to investigate the surroundings in the border area of the Land of Atonement with the dark night as cover.


    Of course, with the precondition that no one discovers it.


    That was all for Rhode''s spoils of war.


    Rhode wasn''t entirely furious or dissatisfied with this result. After all, that battle involved his life, which was unlike the game, where he could revive instantly. He felt fortunate enough to survive this ordeal. As for the equipment, he could count himself lucky if there were good ones, but so be it if there weren''t any. At least he got to keep his life.


    Harboring this thought, Rhode packed his loots and approached the chariot. It was seemingly impossible for them to hasten on with their journey because the unfortunate senior chariot driver was long dead and the few horses were murdered by the undead creatures at the start. Furthermore, in order to resist the explosion, Gillian forcefully used the chariot to defend against it, which left huge damage. Now, they only had two choices. They could choose to continue their journey while carrying all their luggage from the chariot. However, this wouldn''t be an easy task because even with the chariot, they would need at least half a day''s time to reach the Eagle City. If they were to walk, they would need at least two to three days.


    The second choice was to ''hitch a ride''. After all, this was a commercial route and there would be merchant chariots passing through from time to time. It wouldn''t be too difficult to hitch a ride with thorough explanations. However, Rhode didn''t wish to start any incident again as he had had enough.


    In the end, Rhode decided to go on foot to the nearest village to see if they offered any chariots or horses for rental��at least he could avoid relying on his legs to reach the Eagle City. Rhode knew that the local garrisons would be notified of this incident; however, he didn''t have the intention to reason out with them because everything would be resolved after arriving in the Eagle City.


    But, before that��


    "Miss Deland."


    Rhode approached Natasha and Grendy with a stern expression. At this moment, the young lady was pale-faced as she hadn''t fully calmed down from the earlier battle. In response, Natasha nodded instinctively; however, Rhode''s next words to the young lady changed her expression greatly.


    "I didn''t want to meddle in your business. But now, since I''ve been dragged into this, I think I have the right to know what exactly am I protecting."


    Natasha''s stomach turned to ice. The young lady took two steps back in uncertainty and found herself against the chariot door. At this moment, Gillian and Anne arrived timely.


    "That''s right, that''s right. Anne doesn''t even know what was Anne fighting for."


    "I agree, Master. No matter what, we have sacrificed our chariot, the poor chariot driver, and our precious time. I think we need to affirm if the thing that we''re protecting was worth this much energy and time of ours."


    Grendy and Natasha sulked and didn''t know how to respond. However, what Rhode said was reasonable. There must be an explanation for them to put up a fight against undead creatures. Even if the contradiction between the living and the dead was irreconcilable, Rhode wasn''t a brainwashed citizen of the Country of Light who would kill any undead creatures whenever he spotted one. After fighting for the whole night and even putting himself on the line, Rhode was definitely curious what triggered Vulture to lead his elite unit in person.


    Natasha exchanged glances with Grendy and the latter nodded helplessly. After gaining her companion''s agreement, Natasha let out a sigh and she handed over the wooden box that she held tightly in her arms.


    Rhode took over the wooden box curiously and opened it.


    Then, his expression suddenly changed.

 Chapter 420 Bone Lis

    A book with a black front cover and a spine made of white bones laid in the wooden box. Its chilly aura gave off a sensation that could leave one shuddering and Rhode felt as though his hands were holding onto a block of ice. The book had a coldness which could almost freeze his blood. Without a doubt, Rhode knew that it wasn''t his body that was frozen. It was actually his soul instead.


    This is the��Bone List?


    Rhode sucked in a deep, cold breath because he never expected to see this item. As a matter of fact, Rhode''s heart pounded violently the instant he set his sights on it.


    The Bone List wasn''t any ordinary item. From a certain perspective, this item could be considered a trump card for the Country of Darkness. However, this trump card was disgraceful.


    On this huge continent with so many countries, it was nothing new for them to undermine each other. In every area, there would be one betraying his own country for various reasons to furnish the enemy country with intelligence. However, it had become a huge problem for intelligence organizations when it came to ensuring the loyalty of these spies, preventing the spies from double-crossing them and perhaps becoming a two-faced spy. After all, the human mind was unpredictable and no one could guarantee one''s loyalty or swear that others wouldn''t betray or backstab.


    However, the emergence of this Bone List was the most effective way of curbing the development of this situation. It was a magical prop created by the Lichs from the Country of Darkness a long time ago. As long as one had experienced the unique contract ceremony, one left their name on this Bone List. If they forsake their promises, they would be obliterated instantly. Furthermore, this Bone List could subtly transform their consciousness, as though via hypnosis, to gradually turn these people into a loyal holder of the Bone List and the most loyal confidant.


    If they were able to keep their promises, they would receive a generous reward��eternal life.


    Of course, this eternity wasn''t exactly true eternity. There wasn''t anything in this world that was truly eternal. In the face of time, even the Five Creator Dragons had to turn themselves into dragon souls to preserve their existences. The same goes for the Lich and Vampires, and moreover, this type of eternity was nothing more than a way of selling their soul.


    However, people were still eager for it even though it wasn''t true. After all, false eternity was at least eternity to them, and they didn''t expect to live for thousands of years. But who wouldn''t want to live for a few centuries? If there really was a way to receive a chance at longevity without betraying one''s soul, wouldn''t anyone want to be followers too?


    Due to this feature of the Bone List, it had become a trump card for the Country of Darkness. This magical prop was originally created in the ancient times by the great Lichs and was coalesced with their essences. It was used to control their own subordinates and its production process was complicated and mysterious. There were even rumors that the Bone List was not created with the usages of curse-like spells, but from a more in-depth exposure to the nature of the world''s origin. And due to this, one who signed a contract with the Bone List wouldn''t show any signs of differences on his appearance. Holy spells were useless in detecting the presence of the spell and even the naked eyes couldn''t see any abnormalities. Unlike the evil cults, these people wouldn''t need to occasionally and secretively organize meetings or murder the innocent to maintain their existences. These people just needed to be themselves every day and continue leading their lives and jobs. After a long time, they would probably detect some problems, but by then, their mission perhaps had already been completed.


    If this Bone List could be mass created, the Country of Darkness would have conquered the entire continent a long time ago. However, it was a pity that it only appeared during ancient battles. In the next 2000 years, the Lichs were beaten down completely by the Five Creator Dragons because the biggest problem of this Bone List was that it could only work in the hands of Liches or Necromancers. However, none of the Five Creator Dragons, including the Dark Dragon, was a Necromancers. Even though this item was extremely rare, if any of the five dragons'' subordinates became a puppet of the Lichs, then they could give up on their position of the ruling class.


    The Five Creator Dragons weren''t dumb. After they formed an alliance to eliminate all the Lichs who first created the Bone List, most of the Bone Lists were destroyed. After an endless millennium, the number of Bone Lists that remained in the Country of Darkness were next to nothing. Although the Necromancers and Lichs tried to repeat the glory of their predecessors, they weren''t successful because it had become much more challenging to use this powerful magical item. In the past, those powerful Necromancers and Lichs only needed to sign a contract through a simple ceremony. However, right now, in addition to complicated rituals, they would need to determine the specific time of the day that had the darkest of all energy in order to proceed with the signing of the contract. This led to a decline in the use of the Bone List. But these were still incredible for the players. Rhode recalled that there was a top class Necromancer player who obtained a Bone List unintentionally and he signed numerous contracts with the NPCs. In the end, he caused an uproar in the Country of Darkness and some players from the country thought that this Necromancer was someone who could go against Rhode. After all, Rhode''s Starlight was so extraordinarily powerful that they had forced the Country of Darkness to retreat in defeat. From their perspective, they found an ally that was as powerful as Rhode, so these players had high expectations. Fortunately for them, the Necromancer player lived up to their expectations and climbed up the player ranks with the intention of challenging Rhode.


    However, this guy''s luck wasn''t all that good. Perhaps due to the swell in his powers and authority, for whatever reason, this player actually turned his attention to the sister of the Dark Dragon��and the consequences were easily guessable. His plans failed and the Dark Dragon who was aware of his intentions dueled with him and destroyed his Bone List. Although players could revive, it was a pity that this rare item was gone forever. Ever since then, that player was stricken into silence and had become the laughing stock of many others. In the end, the player deleted his in-game character and left the game after he couldn''t stand the ridicule of others.


    Although players of other classes received the Bone List, they weren''t able to use it. However, they could exchange it for a powerful weapon, equipment, or even their very own title from the NPCs. Due to this, the Bone List was the most wonderful existence for a players'' promotion and gaining of wealth. This was why Rhode''s heart pounded so hard the instant he recognized the Bone List. He knew just how massive the rewards could be if he handed this over to the Munn Kingdom.


    It made sense for Vulture to lead his men to reclaim the Bone List as it was a very precious item. Rhode had no doubts that this Bone List on his hand could possibly have recorded all the undiscovered traitors of the entire Munn Kingdom. However, there would be another problem if that was the case. How did Natasha get her hands on such a precious item? She was just a rich young daughter who didn''t possess a little bit of combat power. Also, only powerful beings like the Lichs would be holding onto a Bone List, so how did Natasha snatch it? Could it be that this young lady had some secrets and hidden identity which Rhode had overlook?


    With this doubt, Rhode questioned Natasha and the answer he received caught him between laughter and tears.


    It was just a pure coincidence for Natasha to obtain this Bone List. On that day when everyone including her came forth for an inspection of the area, she accidentally witnessed the contractual ceremony while resting for the night. According to logic, it wasn''t an opportune time to hold a contractual ceremony. However, the timing requirements which the Bone List needed were too demanding and if the Necromancer was to miss this chance, he would need to wait for half a year. Therefore, the Necromancer risked engaging in the contractual ceremony with his contractual target being the Army General of the inspection area.


    Natasha happened to witness the ceremony and, as to be expected, she was caught by the Necromancer. The envoys who accompanied Natasha were killed and the remaining including Natasha were locked up. At that point in time, there wouldn''t be any problem if the Necromancer were to kill off Natasha cleanly.


    However, once the Necromancer knew that Natasha was the daughter of the Eagle City''s owner, he decided to turn her into his spy because he would definitely gain much insiders'' information with Natasha''s identity .


    However, this was where the problem occurred: the Bone List could only sign a contract with one person at once. In other words, the Necromancer could only choose either the Army General or Natasha. In the end, the Necromancer chose Natasha because she could provide deeper insights, as the daughter of the city owner, than the Army General could. If he could sign her into the contract of the Bone List and erase her memories of this happening, he could rely on her as his best spy with the influence of the Bone List!


    The Necromancer had long given up on his emotions and due to the strained timing for the ceremony, he casually released the Army General! This left the Army General deeply dissatisfied.


    Didn''t I struggle so hard just to serve all of you? Didn''t you promise me an eternal life? Why would I risk myself to provide you the insiders'' information here? Don''t you know how harsh the punishment Royal Highness Lydia gives to traitors is?


    The Army General was furious as these thoughts flooded his mind. In the end, he brought his trusted aide to beg for the Necromancer to fulfill his promise. The negotiations fell out and both parties ended in a brawl. Within this chaos, Natasha sneaked out and escaped. Then, she grabbed the Bone List and fled with Grendy towards the direction of the Eagle City.


    It wasn''t because Natasha knew what the Bone List was when she snatched it. It was because, before the start of her contractual ceremony, the Necromancer had threatened her with it: she would turn into his possession through this book and this left the young lady breaking out in cold sweat. Furthermore, she didn''t know if the odd-looking Mage would turn her into something weird even after she escaped, which was why she might as well grab the book along��


    Should I say that the Necromancer had bad luck? Or was Natasha''s luck too good?


    Although Natasha wasn''t too sure what this book did, she knew that she would at least have it as evidence to prove her words once she returned to the Eagle City. However, they didn''t expect that the Army General and the Necromancer would reach a consensus and work together. If it weren''t for this piece of land in the Munn Kingdom and the protection of the Light Dragon soul, perhaps these two fellows wouldn''t have met Rhode and would''ve been captured by the Necromancer.


    After listening to Natasha''s explanations, Rhode''s mood turned for the worse. And the reason was the Necromancer.


    Previously, the Necromancer sent Vulture and his men to capture Natasha because he didn''t wish to cause an uproar. However, now that Vulture and his men were dead due to his commands, what other actions would this Necromancer take? Will he take matters into his own hands? Or would he choose to give up?


    Rhode didn''t think that the Necromancer would give up so easily. If this Bone List was indeed filled with all the names of the traitors of the Munn Kingdom, this Necromancer would do all it took to snatch this powerful book back. Although Natasha was a rich young daughter without any combat abilities and she couldn''t explain just how powerful the Necromancer was, her tone of voice explained that Vulture seemed to be respectful towards the Necromancer. In this world where strength represented everything, this cleared plenty of doubts.


    Rhode''s head began to hurt. He didn''t wish to be chased down by a Necromancer who was at least at the Master Stage or possibly even stronger. It wasn''t that Rhode didn''t have any trump cards to face the Necromancer. As a matter of fact, one of Rhode''s trump cards, Gillian, was standing just beside him. But the level of this young lady was hooked onto his. Right now, Rhode was only level 28 and the EXP which he gained from defeating Vulture might have added one or two levels. However, even so, Gillian would still struggle when she faced a Necromancer of at least level 40, and it would be impossible to kill him! Of course, that was only if Rhode didn''t unlock the seal to return Gillian to her original state. But the seal on Gillian could only be unlocked once and if Rhode unlocked it to deal with the Necromancer, how would he deal with the Castel Plateau Ruins?


    "We need to move on immediately."


    Rhode closed the lid of the wooden box with an oddly strict expression before scanning the surroundings. It was early in the morning and under the illumination of the Light Dragon soul, the Necromancer wouldn''t have the guts to find trouble. However, it would be another situation if it were at night. Undead creatures always had an extraordinary response system with others of their kind and Rhode believed that the Necromancer must be aware that Vulture was defeated by him. This made it very possible for the Necromancer to take matters into his own hands.


    Right now, Rhode planned to arrive at Eagle City at the fastest speed. Then, he wouldn''t need to fight this battle alone. In the Munn Kingdom, it wouldn''t be a difficult task to defeat a Necromancer.


    Rhode made the decision to burn the chariot, along with the baggage filled with clothes. Also, he gave the poor senior chariot driver a proper burial. Then, Rhode handed the wooden box over to Gillian. Although this Fire Elemental Lord didn''t have sufficient power, her accessibility to her element was enough to disrupt and cut off the signal or connections the Necromancer had with the Bone List. Without a doubt, Rhode knew that this was only a stop-gap measure.


    Natasha and Grendy were kept in the dark about the truth. Rhode briefly mentioned that this item that Natasha had stolen was an important magical equipment for the Necromancer and he would definitely come searching for it. Just this explanation alone was enough to spread a ghastly whiteness over the young lady''s face.


    After a short rest, everyone began their journey to their next destination.


    Hobbit Village.

 Chapter 421 Chasing and Fleeing

    Kacha.


    Darke twitched his brow and stared in disbelief at the crystal ball that cracked before him. It seemed that he couldn''t believe his eyes, but ignoring it wouldn''t change the fact. The truth was so clear that no excuses came to his mind.


    Vulture lost?


    Just as Rhode had expected, undead creatures had their means of confirming the deaths of their companions. Vulture''s life shattered before him in the form of the crystal and left Darke anxious, as well as in an unprecedented fear.


    Although undead creatures were rarely fearful, Darke was genuinely frightened now because this was a huge trouble for him. This poor Necromancer began to tremble as he imagined how his master would react if he knew that not only was the Bone List stolen, but Vulture had also lost his life getting involved in this.


    It was no wonder that Darke was so nervous. After all, this mission required a lot of courage. The conflicts between the four largest families in the Country of Darkness had been contending for a long time. The emergence of the new Dark Dragon soul successor had caused unprecedented changes in the country where new and old powerful families fought for authority and strength.


    Darke was a member of one of the four largest families in the Country of Darkness, the ''Spirit Chaser'' Balende Family. This family used to be the top pillar of support and leading Family in the Country of Darkness, consisting of mainly Necromancers, Lichs, and Undead Knights. However, their position was weakening and although it did not reach the point of being precarious, they were not as strong as they used to be.


    The Balende Family was in a mess both domestically and abroad while the families of the ''Blood Countess'' and ''Angel of Sorrow'' had been covetously eyeing their number one spot. Furthermore, for unknown reasons, the Dark Dragon had taken a liking to the weakest of all four families, ''Conqueror'', and they emerged as a new force to be reckoned with against the ''Spirit Chaser''. These were the internal conflicts of the four families and on the outside, there were also fearless new forces that attempted to throw the Balende Family off their throne to replace them.


    The ''Spirit Chaser'' Balende took actions. The Balende Family relied on their strong history, loyalty, and contributions to achieve their status in the Country of Darkness. Contributions were the Balende Family''s roots. After all, in a country of death, the Undead Knights, Lichs, and Necromancers were the main forces. Due to this, they were able to grasp the foundation of the Country of Darkness, unlike the worthless Vampires who hid in the dark and engaged in intelligence gathering and assassination. Although the humans that the ''Conquerer'' Garcia led in the Country of Darkness had the most supporters, these fragile beings weren''t able to battle like the undead army. On the other hand, it was impossible for a group of traitors like the ''Angel of Sorrow'' to impress.


    The Balende Family basked in glory for a long time. But now, they had to fight to show their abilities to the new monarch.


    Darke was sent here to establish their achievements in order to rise abruptly to a towering position in the Balende Family. However, this wonderful dream seemed to be drifting further away from him.


    Due to the sensitivity of the Munn Kingdom''s identity, there was always a person appointed for this task. The Balende Family came up with a few schemes and managed to get Darke involved. His simple responsibilities included taking over his senior''s job in developing spies in the Munn Kingdom to obtain intelligence. Of course, the Munn Kingdom couldn''t find out. In a country ruled by an Angel, there were many reasons involved and it wasn''t only because the Necromancers weren''t welcomed by them.


    Darke was sent to the Munn Kingdom by the Balende Family because he had always been conscientious. In a country where powers were used as a basis in status, Darke''s abilities couldn''t be underestimated. Similar to Vulture, who had the powers of the Master stage, as a Necromancer who had reached the inner circle, Darke was considered a loyal ''talent'' within the Balende Family.


    However, a spellcasting genius didn''t necessarily mean that he possessed a political brain. Darke reached the Master stage in merely a few decades and undead spells were as simple as a primary school mathematical question to him. However, he couldn''t understand this political aspect of his job. In some instances, time could make up for a lack of experience. But some matters were just not that simple.


    In this conflict between Darke and his spy, it showed that he was the typical low EQ and high IQ, having no consideration for the feelings of others. Not to mention, he had only left Country of Darkness for a short while and to him, these fragile beings were just a bunch of ''lowly critters'' who had to obey his instructions and were not worth wasting his time on.


    Due to this, after Darke captured the Eagle City owner''s precious daughter, he abandoned the unfortunate spy decisively and tried to turn Natasha into his loyal subordinate instead. The daughter of the city owner was definitely worth much more than an ordinary Army General. The Army General was only a critter to Darke and since he had discovered another critter that was much more valuable, it went without saying that he would discard the one he had on hand. Why would Darke care about the Army General''s thoughts?


    However, Darke didn''t expect that this critter actually turned around and bit him. That was to be expected, after all; this ''critter'' was also an ordinary human with limited lifespan. In order to achieve longevity, he betrayed his soul even though there was a risk that this whole thing might turn out to be a scam. After realizing that his choice didn''t give him his expected results, he naturally wasn''t willing to let this matter rest.


    While Darke was engaging in the ceremony with Natasha, the Army General led his men and ambushed him. In the end, Darke was forced to stop his ceremony abruptly to deal with those annoying bastards. Even though Darke did manage to put a stop to the dumbass''s actions, he didn''t expect the young lady to seize this chance to escape!!!


    This was an absolutely unacceptable failure to Darke. However, fortunately for him, he had lost the senses to be triggered by rage due to being a Necromancer. Darke used death spells to control the general and ordered his men to capture Natasha and Grendy. Meanwhile, he sent out Vulture to join in the search in recapturing the Bone List.


    This plan should have been seamless, but he realized that it had totally failed!


    Those foolish humans weren''t able to accomplish his mission and even Vulture and his men couldn''t survive. Unfortunately, Vulture''s identity wasn''t that simple because he was one of the most valued Undead Knights in the eyes of the Balende Family. As a matter of fact, the Balende Family knew that Darke lacked experience, which was why they sent Vulture to assist him.


    But now�� The Bone List was stolen and Vulture and his team of elites were eliminated. Darke shrieked in horror as he couldn''t imagine how those two lowly humans possessed such powers. If they were this powerful, they wouldn''t have chosen to escape. So how did all this happen?


    Who exactly did they meet to help them?


    Darke had no idea. After all, the Life Rock that he had on hand was only able to reflect life statuses and wasn''t able to transmit the actual situation. Could it be that my actions have been discovered by the Munn Kingdom? If that''s the case, my days are doomed if the Battle Angels find me!


    Darke''s mind was at a loss. Although logically, he should counterattack decisively to snatch the Bone List back and flee from this place as soon as possible, he was also clear that even if he recaptured the Bone List and returned to the family, he wouldn''t be spared death. After all, his negligence had led to the death of Vulture and other Undead Knights. The family would definitely punish him for that. Although he was a talented Necromancer�� Even his talent wouldn''t save him from such consequences.


    "Damn it!"


    Darke punched the table and gritted his teeth. His head was a mess. At this moment, it wasn''t about how he could accomplish goals for the family anymore�� It was about how he could cross this hurdle before his very eyes.


    Darke lifted his sulking face and stared at the fragmentation of the crystal ball. After a few moments, the Necromancer swung his arm and disappeared with a gust of wind.


    On the other side, Rhode and the others made it to Hobbit Village before sunset successfully.


    This was the only area with inhabitants in the White River Valley and it was also the resting point for plenty of merchants and travelers. This village was built on the hillside of the valley with a downward-flowing river that had nurtured the villagers for years. Amazingly, their houses weren''t made of wood. Instead, their houses were caves excavated from the valley itself and were very suitable for humans to reside in.


    Right now, Hobbit Village was unfrequented as it wasn''t the peak season for trades, so there were minimal visitors. That left the bustling village somewhat peaceful. However, this meant that the villagers who lived here for generations were finally able to enjoy a rare, peaceful period of time.


    But the serenity was soon disrupted.


    Bang! The door to the pub swung open and shook the pub owner up from his breather. The owner lifted his head subconsciously and turned towards the entrance where five exhausted, anxious travelers, including some beautiful young ladies, stood. The person who stood ahead of the group was clad in a black aristocratic attire, with a flat, shoulder-length short hair. Although ''she'' had a beautiful appearance, her style of dressing was overly masculinized, which left the owner scratching his head. Furthermore, she had a face as cold as an ice sculpture which he couldn''t gaze directly at.


    On ''her'' left stood a young lady with a full head of pink in a ponytail. She seemed to be the most laid back of them all as her eyes wandered and gazed about casually. Her pair of ears and the swaying, fluffy tail on her back revealed her identity. But even so, her beauty touched the heart of the owner.


    A blonde young lady clad in skintight white leather armor stood behind the fox-eared lady. Her large, round eyes whirled in circles curiously and although she had an adorable face, it was her pair of long, slender thighs that garnered the most attention. The splendid curves revealed themselves perfectly, attracting the other male patrons, leaving them gulping at the sight of her fair skin.


    Compared to the three gorgeous women, the remaining two at the back seemed much more inferior as they wore tattered clothes and had flustered expressions which made them seem like desperate escapees.


    This group was indeed conspicuous. However, the pub owner held in his curiosity as he composed himself. Since they arrived at his pub, he should still serve them as normal customers no matter who they were. The owner stood up swiftly and approached the five of them.


    "Welcome to ''Bumper Harvest''. What would you like to have? We have roast meat, bread, cheese, and our very own vine jam. Also, we have comfortable guest rooms and baths to wash your fatigue away. I can prepare the rooms for all of you now, and I guarantee that the price will be very reasonable��"


    Rhode stretched out his hand and interrupted the owner''s words.


    "I''m sorry, we are in a rush. Please prepare a straightforward dinner which doesn''t require too much preparations. As for the rooms, we don''t need them. Also��" Rhode paused, puckered his brows and let out a hopeless sigh after turning towards Anne, who tugged on his sleeve with a pitiful expression.


    "Give me 20 portions of bread and roast meat."


    "20?"


    The pub owner widened his eyes in disbelief and quickly left after nodding in acknowledgment. At this moment, Rhode once again halted him.


    "By the way, are there any chariots or horses for rent? If possible, we would like to be on our way as soon as possible. Of course, money isn''t a problem."


    "This��"


    The pub owner hesitated with a conflicted expression. After a few moments, he replied helplessly.


    "I''m sorry, dear customer. Our village only has freight wagons�� I''m afraid I can''t help you with this��"


    "Freight wagons are fine. I hope you can arrange one for us. We will leave right after dinner."


    "Okay, I will get them prepared now."


    Although the owner was somewhat dubious, he nodded and left quickly. Rhode let out a sigh and turned his gaze to the almost deserted pub before taking a seat.


    "Yes��!"


    Anne tossed her luggage and shield to the side and crashed on the seat, laying flat on the table like a cat.


    "So tiring. Anne has never run this far before��"


    Although the rest didn''t respond, their expressions agreed with her words.


    After the chariot burned to bits, Rhode''s group hastened on with their journey. Luckily, both Rhode and Anne had strong physiques and this long-distance journey wasn''t any problem for them. Gillian was a beast, so naturally, she wouldn''t mind either. However, Natasha and Grendy didn''t have such experiences before. They struggled through the hardships of this journey and the thought of the Necromancer possibly pouncing on them anytime forced their feet forward. At this moment, both Natasha and Grendy laid flat on the table, similar to Anne.


    "M-M-Mr. Rhode�� I think, let''s rest for the night before moving on�� Since there are villagers and militias around, that Necromancer won''t dare to mess with us here, I guess��"


    Natasha was so exhausted that she couldn''t articulate her words properly. It was as though her numb legs had transformed into two wooden sticks. Although Grendy didn''t beg for mercy, his ashen-face revealed that he was at his limits too.


    "No."


    Although Natasha''s request was reasonable, Rhode rejected ruthlessly. This young lady didn''t understand how terrifying the Necromancer could be. If possible, Rhode would rather duel with a Necromancer in a desert than face him in a densely populated place. If Rhode and the others chose to stay the night, it wouldn''t only be the Necromancer that they would need to face. Their enemies could even be the corpses of the villagers that the Necromancer had manipulated�� This definitely wouldn''t be a favorable situation for Rhode.


    Without a doubt, Rhode was also a human. He knew that Natasha and Grendy were at their limits. But��


    "Both of you can rest in the wagon in a while. At least, you don''t need to walk for the time being."


    "�� Alright, Mr. Rhode."


    Natasha and Grendy exchanged hopeless glances and nodded. Although the wagon wouldn''t be as comfortable as the chariot, at least they had a place to rest their feet��


    As everyone was seizing the moment to recharge themselves, suddenly, the pub door opened. A few mercenaries entered the pub and upon noticing Rhode''s companions, they whistled excitedly. However, Rhode didn''t care at all. Even Anne, who was always lively, didn''t respond to the mercenaries. On the other hand, Gillian turned around and winked towards them, causing an uproar of cheers instantly.


    But suddenly, a cold and cheerless voice sounded.


    "Eh?"


    The group of aroused mercenaries shut their mouths obediently and made way hurriedly. Then, a woman in a mask emerged behind them and approached Rhode''s group.


    "What a surprise. I didn''t expect to meet you here, Mr. Rhode," the woman said.

 Chapter 422 Snow Woman

    Rhode''s eyes glinted instantly as soon as he turned around and saw the female mercenary.


    It wasn''t because this female mercenary was particularly beautiful or attractive to him, but it was due to her face being concealed by a frightening grey mask. Although she had an alluring figure under the fitting leather armor, her stature was similar to Anne''s, which didn''t attract Rhode that much. However, as a matter of fact, this young woman was much more attractive than Anne.


    Because she was one of the vice leader of the Purple Lily Guild: the ''Snow Woman'', Paris.


    Rhode was very familiar with her because in the game, Paris was well known among the players. It wasn''t due to her beautiful appearance, powerful abilities, or god-like equipment, but because of her life background which made others sigh in pity.


    Paris grew up with Barter and they could be considered childhood lovers. Paris was a pretty, young lady born into an aristocratic merchant family. Although her family wasn''t too wealthy, her life was still comfortable. Paris had been going on adventures with Barter with the identity of a mercenary. Both of them had a close relationship and there were even rumors that Barter had proposed to Paris and was waiting for their wedding.


    But as the saying went, beautiful women face unfortunate fates, and Paris equally wasn''t able to avoid this without a supporter. When she was 18 years old, a local, well-off family who had the authority took a fancy to her and tried in vain to marry her. Paris''s family wasn''t able to resist this powerful family''s threats and although they tried, they succumbed eventually.


    However, as they were about to drag Paris away, Paris unsheathed her dagger and slashed two to three long gashes on her face desperately. She stood by her doorstep with a bloodied, unrecognizable face while pointing her dagger forward. That family finally backed away after witnessing her determination. After all, a huge family like them needed to save their reputation. If things got blown out of proportion, it wouldn''t reflect well on them too. Furthermore, now that Paris had been disfigured utterly, it wouldn''t make any sense for them to bring this disgraceful monster into their family.


    When it happened, Barter happened to be away on an errand. After he returned and knew about Paris''s encounter, this naturally cruel, violent man darted towards the family with his Executioner''s Greatsword and brutally slaughtered them. Before the family was able to take action against him, Barter had eloped with Paris, leaving this horrible place.


    Both of them wandered in the wild for a few years until the day the family failed and collapsed. They joined the Purple Lily Guild when they returned, and Barter was promoted as the guild leader, while Paris logically became his assistant.


    Without a doubt, it wasn''t solely because Paris and Barter had a loving relationship that she was able to become the vice leader of the guild. She held the strength of the Thief class in the Master stage and she was second to none in this region. Moreover, she was meticulous and intelligent, so everyone began to accept her gradually under the public''s praises.


    To be frank, Rhode admired Barter a lot. There were many who claimed that their love would forever be unchanged. However, come to think of it, if one''s beloved woman had changed beyond recognition where her face, mouth, and ears were left with horrifying scars that would make one throw up, it wouldn''t be that easy for them to stay romantic. Rhode felt that if this happened to his woman, he would keep a respectful distance from her and refrain from intimate contact at the very least. However, Barter''s love towards Paris had never changed. In the second database of the game, they were finally married and even had a child together. For many players, this would require so much courage no matter how splendid their partner''s figure was��


    This was why the love story of Barter and Paris spread extensively amongst the players. No matter if they ridiculed, admired, were envious or emotional, everyone knew the deed of this couple in the Purple Lily Guild. However, Paris changed dramatically even though Barter continued to love her deeply. After all, the most important feature of a woman was her face. After that incident, Paris''s lively, optimistic character turned ice-cold and unapproachable. Ever since then, she had an iron mask that concealed her face entirely. Apart from Barter, Paris never took down her mask in front of anyone, so she was named as the ''Snow Woman''.


    It wasn''t because Rhode had met the female character in the legendary love story which he admired that his eyes brightened, but it was because Paris was the vice leader of the Purple Lily Guild. Wasn''t Rhode''s plan to lure the Necromancer to the Eagle City for the sake of borrowing the strength of the Purple Lily Guild?


    Paris''s strength wasn''t comparable to Barter''s and frontal aggression wasn''t her forte. However, her strategies and strength were first class and the opponent was a Mage, and Mages were most afraid of ambushes. An idea came to Rhode''s mind instantly as soon as he recognized Paris.


    "I didn''t expect to meet you here too, Miss Paris," Rhode stood up and nodded.


    He gave an invitational gesture and Paris pulled out a chair and sat down without hesitation. Although the mask hid her expression, Rhode was sure that Paris was examining himself dubiously. She couldn''t be blamed for this reaction because it was indeed strange that Rhode had come all the way to the Purple Lily Guild''s turf while neglecting his own Paphield.


    "May I know what Mr. Rhode is doing here?" Paris''s words were just as cold as her nickname.


    Rhode wasn''t mindful of her words as he nodded sternly. "To be honest, I''m here to complete a mission for my guild. Miss Paris should be familiar with this, right?"


    "Are you referring to the Castel Plateau Ruins mission?" Paris was indeed a tyrant. She was able to figure out the whole story without Rhode''s further explanations.


    Rhode had no intentions of hiding the truth and he nodded honestly before examining the masked woman before him. "That''s right. I hope I''m not so unfortunate to be competing with your guild for this mission?"


    "Don''t worry about this, Mr. Rhode. We have no intentions of exploring the ruins now," Paris replied with a short, cold response.


    From the looks of things, Paris seemed uninterested in wasting time on this topic. Although Starlight and Purple Lily had a friendly relationship, competitions were, after all, still present between guilds. On the other hand, Rhode was glad that the Purple Lily Guild had no intention of completing the mission of the Castel Plateau Ruins. Without a doubt, even if the Purple Lily Guild had completed the mission, it didn''t matter to Rhode because from his understanding, the Purple Lily Guild would be defeated if they didn''t complete any prefix missions. However, Rhode was even more curious about why Paris appeared in the White River Valley. Shouldn''t they be preparing for their guild missions at this point in time? If the Purple Lily Guild wasn''t here for the Castel Plateau Ruins mission, why would Paris lead her mercenaries to this place?


    This time, Paris gave an explanation of Rhode''s doubts. "It''s like this, Mr. Rhode. We received a report that there was a beam of flames that disrupted the sky in the White River Valley region, which was a rare sight. I led my men here in order to ensure the safety of the White River Valley''s merchant route and to investigate the happenings."


    Rhode sensed that Paris was obviously suspecting him as the culprit. After all, it would be far-fetched to reason that the beam of flames had nothing to do with him, since this was the only way out of the White River Valley. But luckily, Rhode had no intentions of hiding the truth. "I think you don''t need to head over there anymore, Miss Paris. I can tell you what exactly happened."


    "Oh?" Paris let out a distrustful respond as she sat straight and gazed at Rhode sternly. "I''m all ears."

 Chapter 423 Preparing for an Ambush

    Rhode narrated all the happenings to Paris over a meal and she finally understood how Natasha and Grendy ended up with him and looking extremely exhausted. After all, if she wasn''t aware of Rhode''s identity, she might have suspected that both of them were captured as slaves by him. But, even though Paris had the answers to her doubts now, her mood didn''t turn for the better.


    "Please pardon me, Mr. Rhode. I''m really surprised." Although Paris said so, there wasn''t any hint of emotion in her ice-cold tone. "You''re saying that you met a group of soldiers from the Undead Legion, and they were led by an Undead Knight. Moreover, there was also a Necromancer behind the scenes��"


    "There was at least one Necromancer." Rhode corrected Paris. "I can guarantee that we have exterminated all the Undead Soldiers from before. But I''m sure the Necromancer won''t give up this easily and he will definitely turn up. Also, it isn''t impossible for the Necromancer to gather a group of undead with his powers in a short period of time."


    "��" Paris remained silent for a moment before finally speaking up. "So what do you intend to do?"


    Rhode spread his arms apart and shrugged. "I intended to arrive in Eagle City as quickly as possible to seek assistance from your guild in defeating that damned Necromancer. After all, we are pretty much drained from the previous battle with the undead. If we were to battle with the Necromancer in our current state, we would definitely face some troubles."


    Rhode''s remarks weren''t completely truthful. However, Paris seemed not to have any suspicions as she was aware of how powerful these few people were. Gillian''s sea of fireballs shot to fame in the Midsummer Festival and after the tournament, the Purple Lily Guild had numerous discussions regarding the fox-eared young lady being a Mage or not. Some Mages thought that Gillian wasn''t a Mage because there weren''t any Mages who could summon that many fireballs without incantations. On the other hand, some felt that Gillian might have mastered a unique technique.


    As for Anne, Paris was all the more familiar. The horrific scene when Anne brutally murdered Rosen had scared everyone watching witless. Even a fearless man like Barter confessed to Paris that he would definitely not wish to meet such an insane opponent. However, Paris couldn''t picture the young lady before her as the wild beast that plucked out Rosen''s heart and squashed it cruelly. At this moment, this young lady was leaning back against the chair, squinting her eyes, rubbing her round tummy, and burping after savoring 20 servings of bread and beef.


    As for Rhode''s strength, there wasn''t even a need to mention it�� Because she was clearest of how powerful Barter was. It was uncommon for someone to have the strength to blast Barter off an arena and even injure him.


    If they had indeed fought a bunch of undead creatures, it would be reasonable for them to defeat them with their strength. Furthermore, it was normal for Rhode to claim that they were out of energy after a long battle and being constantly on the move. Moreover, Paris had inquired Natasha and Grendy to verify Rhode''s narration. But now, the situation was somewhat complicated.


    "Can''t we destroy that Bone List?" Paris identified the crucial point clearly and since the Necromancer was chasing Rhode''s group for the Bone List, wouldn''t it resolve everything once they destroyed that evil magical item?


    "If you don''t mind all the traitors in the Munn Kingdom dying overnight without any reasons, I have no objections," Rhode had no further comments on Paris''s suggestion.


    After hearing Rhode''s answer, Paris gave up on her thoughts quickly. Indeed, although traitors deserved to die, it would most likely cause chaos in the country if they were to die overnight which shouldn''t be allowed.


    "What is your take on this, Mr. Rhode?" Paris asked.


    "Bring this Bone List to Eagle City, hand it over to the Battle Angel Army that is stationed there, and our problems will end�� Of course, before that, we have to deal with the troublesome Necromancer who will definitely turn up," replied Rhode.


    "��" Paris pondered for a moment before standing on her feet. "Apologies, I have to take my leave for a while." Paris nodded to everyone and turned around.


    Rhode wasn''t mindful of her actions because he knew what she was doing. This was a crucial matter and she definitely couldn''t call the shots. The higher ranked members of the Guilds always had emergency contacts to ensure they could contact headquarters when accidents such as this happened. Right now, Paris must be seeking instructions from Barter and all Rhode had to do was wait.


    "M-Mr. Rhode, can we rest for a while longer?" Natasha asked with uncertainty as Paris left.


    This was the first time this rich young lady felt so pleased and comfortable sitting on a chair that she wished the chair and her bottom was connected so she didn''t need to move at all. But that was impossible.


    Paris''s emergence didn''t save Natasha and Grendy from the abyss of suffering. After all, they weren''t familiar with Paris and she had a cold attitude towards them. They couldn''t see how she was willing to help them. However, they continued to let out sighs of relief as they overheard Rhode and Paris''s conversation. No matter what, the influence that the Purple Lily Guild had over this region was definite and there shouldn''t be any problems if they were to fight the Necromancer with their assistance.


    Rhode paused for a moment before replying to Natasha''s request. "Get ready, we''re leaving right away."


    "��" Natasha couldn''t find the strength to sigh after listening to this tragic answer.


    At this moment, Paris returned to Rhode''s side. She nodded slightly at everyone before speaking to Rhode. "Mr. Rhode, I have sought my leader''s opinion and he allows me to work with you unconditionally. No matter what, we will do our best to escort your group and deal with that Necromancer. Also, my leader will lead his men at the fastest speed to provide further cover for you and at the same time protect Miss Natasha and Mr. Grendy."


    Rhode nodded slightly to Paris''s words. From his understanding of Barter, it would be impossible for him to tolerate having a Necromancer roaming in his territory. However, it seemed that Barter wasn''t foolish either. Natasha and Grendy were both important figures of his territory and it would mean a great deal of merit for the Purple Lily Guild if he could rescue both of them. But Rhode was also curious about Paris''s thoughts on this.


    "What do you think?" The frigid woman didn''t respond instantly. Instead, she pondered for a few moments before giving her input. "I''m not too familiar with the Necromancer''s battle techniques, so as long as there''s somewhere that you need us to help, we will do our best. In my opinion, there will be lesser impact the sooner we get rid of this Necromancer."


    "Alright, I understand, Miss Paris." Rhode waved his arm and gestured.


    "My sentiments exactly. I don''t wish to drag this on either. Once night falls, the Necromancer will definitely make his move. Since that''s the case, I will go straight to the point." Rhode paused for a moment. "You wouldn''t have car sickness right, Miss Paris?"


    Night fell.


    As the final rays of the sun vanished below the horizon, the wagon left Hobbit Village and darted towards Eagle City. As they boarded the freight wagon instead of the passenger wagon, the wagon wasn''t as comfortable and warm. However, everyone was still fast asleep. Natasha and Grendy crammed themselves in the corner as the constant rushing in the past few days had made them exhausted. At this moment, both of them had fallen into a deep sleep, without a care of how filthy their surroundings were. On the other hand, Anne was snoring away, hugging a cloak in her arms as though she was satisfied as long as she could eat and sleep in this world.


    On the other side of the wagon, Rhode sat on the edge while holding onto his sword as the chilly night wind swept his body entirely. Rhode leaned against the hard, freezing wooden board while gazing at the night sky. Gillian rested her head on Rhode''s shoulder while her fluffy tail once again played the role of a fur blanket, keeping both of them warm. Meanwhile, the Bone List glistened with faint green rays as it laid in Gillian''s arms. The wooden box which contained the magical item had been tossed by Rhode.


    "I hope your decision is correct, Master. But I don''t think you will fail," Gillian said cheekily.


    "I hope so. This was the only solution that I could come up with," Rhode sighed in response to Gillian''s tease.


    At this moment, Rhode was feeling weak because he still hadn''t recovered fully from the backlash of the Legion Horn. Rhode could likely have recovered all his spiritual energy if he found a place to have a good rest. However, he had no choice but to push back his break as he was rushing for time. At this moment, his strength was only half of what he usually had.


    To be frank, he would definitely be a goner if he were to face the Necromancer in this state. He was fortunate that he wouldn''t be fighting alone now.


    "��!" Suddenly, a faint magical radiance streaked across the night sky.


    Rhode stood and darted forward with his Crimson Blade unsheathed instantly.

 Chapter 424 Battle

    As Rhode unsheathed his sword, sharp white bone splinters appeared in the empty night sky and hurtled towards him. Rhode had no intention of stopping as he gripped his sword and brandished it forward. In an instant, a crimson radiance flashed and shattered the white bone splinters.


    At this moment, a blurry figure emerged before him. He puckered his brows and quickly recognized that it was his enemy: the Necromancer.


    The Necromancer''s emaciated body was covered in a tattered black robe and his terrifying face of all skin and bones was enough to scare any humans witless. However, Rhode wasn''t afraid at all. Instead, the sword in his hand was ready to strike. Rhode drew a circle with his sword swiftly and in a blink of an eye, the red beam on the Crimson Blade erupted, forming a large web to wrap the Necromancer.


    Rhode was well prepared for this moment and this left Darke shrieking in horror.


    Darke had his ups and downs tracing the Bone List all this while. Although the death of Vulture brought him some trouble, it gave him a confirmation on the location of his prey. It was obvious that these people were intending to return to Eagle City and he also knew that if they returned successfully, he would be in great trouble. This forced him to catch up with them as quickly as possible.


    However, there was a period of time when Darke lost his spiritual connection with the Bone List which left him breaking out in cold sweat. But he was fortunate that this only lasted for a while and everything returned to normal after night fell. He suspected that this might have been due to the Light Dragon Soul''s suppressing effects on death spells. However, he didn''t read too much into it as he quickly regained the information on the location of the Bone List.


    As a Necromancer who had entered the Inner Circle, Darke had incredible agility, so it only took him a short while to spot Rhode''s group in the night. This further confirmed his prediction that this bunch of humans was trying to reach Eagle City at the quickest speed possible. Since he had found them, there was no way he would let them escape!


    Without a doubt, as a Necromancer with wisdom as his forte, Darke wouldn''t be dumb enough to scream "Stay where you are, thief!". No matter what, for the Bone List to be here meant that the person who killed Vulture might possibly be present. It would be best for him to act cautiously and seek out the source of threat before deciding on his strategy.


    Darke''s careful approach was great, but he didn''t expect that Rhode had seen through his tricks. As a player who had dealt with Necromancers for numerous years, Rhode couldn''t be more familiar with the tricks undead creatures could do. Even though Darke was conscientious, he would still have the habits all Necromancers had. This was why Rhode was able to spot him without spending too much effort.


    Rhode''s ambush left Darke scrambling for solutions as he didn''t expect his enemy would strike first and viciously. However, as a talented Mage, Darke''s attainment in battle was still much stronger than Marlene''s. If it was Marlene, perhaps her mind would have gone blank after this ambush. However, it was different for Darke. He swiftly cast the white bone splinters against Rhode, at the same time retreating and attempting to pull apart the distance between them. Instead of retreating as Darke expected, Rhode smashed the splinters with his sword and formed a criss-cross blade web towards the Necromancer.


    "Hmph!" Darke let out a snarl and extended his left hand. He pressed his thumb against his little finger and as the little finger cracked, a bone shield emerged before the Necromancer instantly, blocking Rhode''s attack. At the same time, Darke stretched out both arms and pushed against the bone shield. Along with this motion, the bone shield charged forward like a boulder, breaking through Rhode''s blade web.


    Rhode''s aggression couldn''t help but slow down under Darke''s retaliation. He dodged the Necromancer''s counter-attack swiftly and Darke successfully regained the distance between himself and Rhode. But Rhode had no intention of letting things end now. The instant he dodged the darting bone shield, he swung his arm and a card flew out from his hand. The card transformed into a ball of flames as it flew towards the Necromancer.


    What is that?


    Darke was astonished by this move from Rhode as he thought that this human was only a swordsman. But now it seemed that he was a Mage too?


    What exactly is that thing?


    However, Darke''s astonishment didn''t last for long because he quickly realized that the ball of flames wasn''t actually a fireball. Instead, there was a mighty Black Hound within the flames widening its mouth and howling towards him.


    A summoned spirit?


    Darke calmed himself down as he knew what this young man was capable of. There was plenty of magical equipment capable of summoning spirits, which was why Darke wasn''t too mindful of the Black Hound. After seeing through his opponent, the Necromancer made a definite decision. He swung his hands and in the blink of an eye, four white bone splinters whizzed passed him and pierced into the Black Hound''s body. The Black Hound had no chance of defending as it stretched out its claws in vain. The instant the splinters punctured its body, it wailed painfully and collapsed to the ground.


    Too easy.


    Darke disregarded the ball of flames that collapsed to the ground, swung his arms, and prepared his next spell immediately. Then, cold, deadly dark energy coalesced in his palms, aiming towards the figure before him.


    At this moment, Darke''s eyes glinted.


    Rhode landed on his feet lightly and lifted his head to the huge explosion of flames projected in the dark night sky. The halo of the explosion seemed to be a miniature sun, rendering the entire ground red. Meanwhile, the Necromancer was nowhere to be seen after being devoured by it.


    However, Rhode wasn''t excited because he knew that the explosion of the Black Hound wasn''t enough to finish off a Necromancer in the Master stage. Rhode leaped onto the wagon and soon, the wagon once again darted forward.


    "That damn bast*rd!" As expected, Darke rushed out of the inferno of flames. The Necromancer''s robe was filled with specks of flames and smoke. It was thanks to his powerful magical resistance that he was able to resist the sudden explosion of the Black Hound. However, even so, this explosion disrupted Darke''s preparation of spells and it almost brought along a reverse effect to himself.


    This naturally wasn''t a good thing for Darke because he had never expected his enemy to deal with him using such a method. However, as he darted out from the ring of flames, the Necromancer''s eyes glinted as he finally realized the situation that his enemies were in.


    If they were the ones who defeated Vulture, they shouldn''t be that afraid of taking on Darke. As a matter of fact, when Darke was engulfed by the sudden explosion, he was secretly afraid that his enemy would seize this chance to strike. However, not only did Rhode not attack, but he also used this opportunity to flee. This Necromancer came to a sudden realization.


    It seems like the battle they had with Vulture drained their energy. If these people had the strength, it would be their best bet to defeat me here as quickly as possible. After all, everyone knows what the best choice is: to escape or to travel without any concerns? Since these people chose to escape, it proves that they are definitely out of steam! He must have chosen to restrain his strength in order to escape!


    Darke caught sight of the darting black figure and revealed a sinister smile.


    Don''t think that you can escape so easily.

 Chapter 425 Ambush

    "Wake up. Are your preparations ready?" As the wagon charged forward wildly, Rhode half squatted at the back and observed the sky alertly while waking everyone up. At this moment, Natasha, Grendy, and Anne woke up from their slumber. After all, the Black Hound''s explosion was loud and rang clearly in their ears. Perhaps due to the cold night wind, all of them quivered and reacted instantly��that damned Necromancer was here!


    "Anne, get ready to act according to plan." Rhode stared at the pitch-black sky. The Necromancer was nowhere to be seen.Rhode was aware that he wouldn''t perish in that explosion. At this point in time, Rhode hoped he could avoid meeting face to face with a Necromancer in the Master stage.


    The wagon driver wasn''t a villager of Hobbit Village; he was a mercenary sent by the Purple Lily Guild, who was good at driving a wagon. After all, this seasoned mercenary was brave, fast to react, and wouldn''t escape frantically at the sight of the enemy. The only thing that this mercenary had to do now was to lash the four strong horses with his whip and force them to charge forward.


    The bumpy road, in addition to the wagon charging at lightning speed, became a torturous hell for them. Natasha and Grendy couldn''t even look out for the terrifying Necromancer as they held onto the edge of the wagon with all their might to ensure that they wouldn''t be flung out of it.


    At this moment, the ground shook abruptly.


    The uneven ground cracked into several chinks, spreading towards the wagon like tentacles. Then, a sharp stone pillar emerged and went straight to its target.


    Facing this sudden attack, the mercenary driver displayed his fine qualities. He tugged the reins and changed the direction of the wagon forcefully to avoid the rock thorns ejected from the ground. However, this wasn''t the end, because at the same time, dozens of white bone splinters hurled from the sky.


    "Anne!" Rhode commanded and the young lady stood to her feet immediately.


    "Yes, Leader, leave it to Anne!" As Anne replied confidently, the shape of her shield transformed. However, this time, there was an additional layer of green radiance around it��the indication of the coalescing wind element.


    Anne lifted her head towards the sky and gave her shield a huge swing.


    Whizz! The massive shield flung out of the young lady''s hand, guiding along strong winds that rose and engulfed the wagon from the ground. The shield streaked an arc in the pitch-black sky and the powerful whirlwind scattered all the white bone splinters that were headed towards the wagon. Then, the heavy shield returned to Anne''s hand like a boomerang after accomplishing its task.


    After awakening the wind element in her body, Anne''s strength had gotten stronger. This defense that she put up had proven that she could manipulate the wind element to a certain extent. Furthermore, she didn''t need a steel chain to retrieve her shield back anymore. As long as she could control the wind elemental strength shrouded in her shield, she could allow it to fly freely without losing control.


    "Elemental strength?" The Necromancer who hid in the dark witnessed the contrasting, beaming shield with a look of astonishment. He expected that the team that was capable of defeating Vulture must be very powerful. But this situation turned his stomach to ice. Not anybody could have elemental powers. Previously, the black-haired young man''s odd battle style left Darke in high alert, and now, another fellow with had elemental powers appeared�� What a tough bunch!


    Darke hesitated no more and attacked twice just for the sake of this moment�� The Necromancer''s hands began to tremble as he drew dark, ice-cold symbols filled with death aura in the air. He stared at the wagon before his eyes, folded his palms together, and swung forward.


    Along with this motion, those dark magic symbols compressed and absorbed into his palms, forming a ball of pure darkness aimed at the ground.


    "Be careful!" Rhode sharply detected the deadly aura emerging from their backs and he ordered instantly. "Stop the wagon! Everyone gather!"


    The mercenary driver released the ruins and flipped his way to the back. Anne stood before everyone with her shield ready. Gillian placed her right hand on Anne''s shield with a stern expression. She released a halo of flames with Anne in the middle, expanding and shrouding everyone.


    At the moment, the dark waves had arrived.


    "��!" The pure negative energy crept in silently like a cold, gentle breeze. However, it suddenly transformed into a surging tide and collided with Anne''s shield. The chilly impact diffused as though a large monster was attempting to break a solid shell with its gigantic claws. The shield erupted with green and red radiance. Wind and Fire elements overlapped and coalesced, using this thick shield as its cornerstone to resist this deadly wave like a dam.


    However, it wasn''t that fortunate for the others.


    The four horses were out of energy as they had been galloping and instinctively escaping from death and darkness all this way. The deadly waves whizzed and engulfed them mercilessly, at which they neighed and collapsed to their death.


    The wagon naturally came to a halt.


    However, as the wagon stopped, Rhode darted out like an arrow as though he had predicted this, followed by a string of afterimages. It was finally Gillian''s turn. A red card emerged on the Fire Elemental Lord''s palm. Gillian let out a delightful smile and folded her palms together.


    Magic Symbol��Seven Hells.


    The card shattered and a circular wall of flames formed with Gillian in the middle, expanding across the land. Five two-meter huge fireballs hovered above her head, slightly trembling as though they were alive. These fireballs shrunk dramatically and seconds later, five incomparably glorious beams of flames erupted and swept across the entire sky.


    The splendid flames brightened the darkness as though they were sun rays melting the frozen snow. The Necromancer''s battered figure emerged and he tried to retreat frantically to avoid the overbearing beams of flames. However, Rhode dashed and emerged before him!


    At the next instant, the sword beaming with crimson radiance pierced the Necromancer''s body.


    This strike broke Darke''s defense and punctured his body, leaving him in a towering rage instead of excruciating pain��Necromancers didn''t have the senses necessary to detect pain. However, he was horrified by how this young man predicted his movements. He howled and gripped the sword that had punctured his back. Then, he shivered abruptly and a powerful shock wave blasted.


    Bam! Although Rhode let go of the sword hilt in time, he wasn''t able to dodge the sudden blast. The chilly, dark power struck Rhode''s body and he felt as though he was smashed in his chest by an ice-cold hammer. His chest tightened as he fell, losing control of his body. At this moment, Rhode had difficulty breathing and his eyes began to blur. However, even so, he gritted his teeth and extended his left arm to summon with his remaining conscious.


    Darke was getting sick and tired of this human who tried to ambush him numerous times. After forcing him away with the shock wave, the Necromancer turned around and pointed his finger at Rhode. As Darke chanted a curse, absolute negative energy began coalescing on his finger, ready to snatch Rhode''s life away.


    However, the black-haired young man returned the favor with his right hand. A loud screech sounded and a large bird glowing in white radiance emerged before Darke, flapping its wings and blocking his target.


    The Necromancer hesitated at the sight of this large bird. He remembered clearly that although the Black Hound''s explosion wasn''t able to kill him, he was still hurt by it. Now that this young man had summoned another huge bird�� What if this bird had the same ability? Besides, this bird was unlike that hound because Darke could sense the faint holy energy from it.


    This was not an easy task for a Necromancer.


    This split second hesitation obstructed Darke from attacking and the Spirit Bird didn''t let this chance off. The Spirit Bird flapped its wings and flew towards the Necromancer!


    A powerful whirlwind packed with bolts of lightning swept across!

 Chapter 426 Grave Situation

    "Hmph!" the Necromancer let out a distasteful snarl and returned the Spirit Bird''s attack with a swing of his right fist!


    Shing! The Necromancer''s forceful retort split the powerful whirlwind into two! Then, he twitched his fingers slightly to summon a translucent hand coalescing with dark energy to choke the Spirit Bird by its neck. The Spirit Bird wailed in pain, flapping its wings to break free from the torment. However, its efforts were useless as the glaring radiance on its body dimmed in a matter of seconds. It lowered its neck and lost its breathing. The Necromancer tossed the Spirit Bird''s carcass to the side as it dissipated into a speckle of dust after crashing to the ground.


    This went to show the difference in strength between Darke and Rhode.


    Rhode took in the whole scene at once, but he had no other choice as the Spirit Bird was just a shield to temporarily protect himself from Darke''s attack. As an experienced player, Rhode knew how terrifying a Necromancer could be. These creatures were experts in various debuffs and instant-kill techniques. They could use a combination of curses to lower their target''s attributes and strength before dispatching of them in a split second. Furthermore, their specialized negative energy was so deadly that they could leave humans awfully battered. Rhode realized that the situation wasn''t favorable for him when he lost his balance after failing to ambush. In response, he summoned the Spirit Bird as a cover to avoid getting killed by the Necromancer. Although the Necromancer eliminated the Spirit Bird, this awarded Rhode some time to catch his breath.


    "Phew��" Crashing into the ground, Rhode rolled and jumped to his feet. He lifted his head to the sky and extended his arm, summoning a red, glaring card on his palm. However, the card shook violently and disappeared into the air.


    At the same time, Rhode''s vision blurred and a strong wave of dizziness struck him to his knees. The ice-cold negative energy that remained in his chest nauseated him. He sucked in a deep, full breath to force the vomit down. As he raised his head once again, everything before his eyes were overlapping. A shapeless exhaustion engulfed his body swiftly, causing him to loosen his grip on the sword hilt. Rhode had difficulty standing and every time he attempted to rise, the dizziness would force him back on his knees.


    "Damn it!" Rhode knew that this situation would happen sooner or later.


    He was totally drained.


    This was to be expected because Rhode had been on the run ever since he defeated Vulture with the Legion Horn and there wasn''t any time for him to recharge. Rhode''s physique and recovery rate were stronger and faster than most humans, which was why he could continue to push on while Natasha and Grendy were more dead than alive.


    However, physical strength and spiritual energies were two different matters�� Spiritual energy was the source of life for humans and it wasn''t as simple as that blue mana bar in all RPG games where the players couldn''t cast spells after it touched zero. In the Dragon Soul Continent, one would perish thoroughly without spiritual energy. This didn''t apply only to humans, but also monsters, undead creatures, demons, and devils.


    No matter how odd their attributes were or how powerful their strength was, all of it came from spiritual energy. It was the same in the game where if one fully drained one''s mana and didn''t replenish it, one''s attribute would be crippled. Furthermore, if one chose not to rest, one would eventually die. This configuration caused an uproar amongst several players and some complaints that the gaming company wasn''t realistic enough and their game would fail if they went ahead with such an in-game configuration. However, the gaming company didn''t take heed to the advice of the players. Since this was the only one-of-a-kind virtual reality game back on Earth, players could only suck it up and adapt to it.


    Now, Rhode had met the crisis of exhausting all his spiritual energy. He was clear that the constant rushing about had depleted his spiritual energy to less than one-fiftieth of his usual. Rhode didn''t dare to summon spirits that required too much spiritual energy and this was why he hadn''t summoned Celia and Celestina at this critical juncture: he didn''t have the energy to summon these two helpers anymore.


    "Eh?" Gillian stood on the wagon, sensing that Rhode was in bad shape. The fox-eared young lady gazed at the Necromancer''s back and twitched her brows slightly before pointing towards the sky with her right hand. The fireballs hovering above her spiraled and aimed at the Necromancer who was floating in midair. The glaring balls of flames exploded.


    Bam! Five to six light beams ripped the veil of the pitch-black sky in an instant. The light beams emerging from the exploding flames were like a ginormous whip flinging towards the Necromancer, sealing off his surroundings entirely.


    It wasn''t just Gillian who had noticed Rhode''s state of distress; Darke was also fully aware of his weakened enemy. As an undead creature who was incomparably sensitive towards spiritual energy, Darke was quick to pick up that Rhode''s spiritual energy that was as weak as a candle-lit flame which would fade away with a gentle pinch. Darke stirred at this thought and extended his arm to end Rhode''s pathetic life.


    However, at this moment, Darke felt a hot blaze behind him.


    He turned around and witnessed several columns of flames flinging to engulf him.


    Darke held his breath as he sensed a massive amount of pure elemental strength within the columns of flames. Undead creatures were most afraid of holy energy and flames. In addition, the Seven Hells which Gillian released belonged to the concretization of the Spell of the Red Lotus, which wasn''t limited to her current level. Once Darke got engulfed by it, he would definitely turn into a burning chicken inside-out.


    Of course, this definitely wasn''t the final destination that the Necromancer yearned for. Darke gave up his attack on Rhode decisively and attempted to dodge Gillian''s attack. However, the fox-eared young lady had no intention of letting him escape. She cast three more columns of flames above the Necromancer and blocked his escape route. However, the Necromancer squeezed his way past the gaps between the columns. Even though there were also several fireballs soaring all over the sky, Darke had no problems dealing with them.


    But��


    The current situation wasn''t favoring Rhode. "Anne, I need your help."


    After once again forcing the Necromancer back with the columns of flames, Gillian spoke with a stern expression and her pupils glistening with bright flames as she stared at the night sky. Although Gillian was confident that her Seven Hells would be fatal to Darke, the concretization of the Red Lotus spell had its time limit. Rhode''s initial intention was to ambush the Necromancer as Gillian cast Seven Hells to give him a lethal blow which would leave him half crippled at the very least. But now, Rhode''s exhaustion was more than expected. This sudden change in the situation made Gillian switched to Plan B: drag the time out as long as possible until Barter arrives. In any case, Barter was at his peak in the Master stage and was about to reach the Legendary stage. He wouldn''t have any problems facing a Necromancer in the Master stage, right?


    "What''s the problem, Sister Gillian?" Anne turned around and gazed at Gillian immediately. Anne was equally concerned about the situation as she had seen Rhode half-kneeling on the ground, unable to get back on his feet. As an experienced mercenary and a Shield Warrior whose responsibility was to protect others, Anne knew what this aggressive battle signified.


    However, she couldn''t act on her own accord as Rhode had given her the order to protect Natasha and Grendy on the wagon. All Anne could do was to worry secretly and observe the situation. She raised her spirits instantly upon hearing Gillian''s words.


    "Master isn''t looking too good and my Seven Hells can''t delay the Necromancer much longer. I need your help. As I''m keeping this Necromancer busy, I need you to shield Master and smash that annoying skeleton to bits!" Gillian requested.


    Got to say, this request was kind of difficult even for Anne. Unlike Gillian and Rhode, Anne required plenty close-combat aggression to be effective. As her far range attacks were less threatening, a powerful negative energy spell from the Necromancer could cause harmful damage to this young lady.


    However, Anne had no hesitation to Gillian''s suggestion.


    "Sure, no problem!" Anne''s eyes brightened as she nodded. The young lady took a couple of steps back and watched the sky attentively. Soon, a circle of green radiance emerged around her body and she leapt forward!

 Chapter 427 Bitter Suppor

    Although Gillian''s attack wasn''t substantial in damaging Darke, it left him feeling fretful. The Necromancer had intentions of killing Rhode after sensing his exhaustion but he didn''t expect that Gillian''s reaction would be as quick as his. Gillian swiftly answered as soon as she saw Rhode half-kneeling on the ground and continuously applied pressure on Darke, leaving him fully occupied. The fireballs and beams of flames fluttered in the night sky, weaving into a huge net to firmly block the Necromancer.


    However, Darke didn''t back off. Instead, he was preparing his killer move as he dodged Gillian''s attack. From his understanding of spells, such aggressive fire elemental attacks wouldn''t last and they wouldn''t stay this extravagant for long!


    30 seconds passed.


    Darke sensed that the fireballs were getting weaker and the encirclement of the beams of flames wasn''t as dense as before. He prepared himself swiftly while staring at the black-haired young man kneeling on the same spot, waiting for the opportune moment to mercilessly reap the young man''s life.


    At this moment, strong winds blew out of nowhere.


    As Darke turned around, Anne emerged behind the fireball and the young lady was shrouded in the radiance of the wind element. Then, she lifted her shield and darted towards the Necromancer!


    This was all in Gillian''s plan. Indeed, in the eye of the Necromancer, the flames surrounding himself were getting thinner and weaker. However, he didn''t know that Gillian was holding back on purpose. Moreover, Gillian relied on the columns of flames to block the Necromancer''s field of vision in order to prevent him from discovering Anne.


    With the help of the wind element, Anne leaped lightly and was midair instantly. Furthermore, the young lady could even hover and fly momentarily. Without a doubt, Anne wasn''t able to fully grasp her powers yet. If she could control her powers, she would have no problems flying in the air.


    Of course, that should be left for later.


    Using Gillian''s fireball barrage as cover and with Darke''s mind focused on killing Rhode, Darke didn''t detect Anne instantly. When Darke was finally aware of her presence, the young lady had arrived by Rhode''s side!


    "Heyah!" Anne had no hesitation facing this oddly terrifying Necromancer. She raised her shield and charged towards the Necromancer. A Shield Warrior''s battle techniques weren''t complicated as they mainly charged around violently. Anne was like a boulder, smashing into the Necromancer before her. "Go to hell!"


    Darke knew he was plotted against as he faced the incoming young lady. However, this angered the Necromancer even further as he felt he was treated as an idiot. Previously, that Swordsman tried to ambush me and now her their turn, eh? Do they really think they can successfully ambush a Necromancer?


    Darke no longer hesitated. He straightened his right arm and the Death Rays that were coalesced on his fingers, ready to take away Rhode''s life, launched towards Anne instead.


    An ice-cold sensation hit Anne in the face, sending chills down her bones.


    Even though Anne was surrounded by scorching flames, the waves of chilly sensation sent chills down her spine. However, to Darke''s surprise, Anne revealed a mischievous smile as she twisted the handle of the shield to the right!


    Kacha. The steel shield transformed instantly. From top-down, the middle of the shield split in two and expanded outwards. Right inside the center, a pitch-black, thin shield pushed out and filled the empty void.


    The Death Rays struck the pitch-black shield in the middle.


    Darke revealed a merciless smile. Unlike the sudden cast of attacks from before, he had channeled his energy properly this time. He could even imagine how the deep darkness from the Death Rays would shroud the young lady''s body instantly, stripping her of her life and causing her to collapse to the ground like a tattered rag.


    But the next moment froze him to the spot.


    The Death Rays struck Anne''s shield and that incomparably fragile shield shattered to bits in a split second. However, Anne didn''t struggle as the Necromancer had expected. Instead, the young lady''s body trembled slightly. She folded the shield in her hands and charged towards the Necromancer suddenly!


    Bam! The heavy, steel shield crushed Darke''s chest mercilessly, sending both of them smashing to the ground like a shooting star on the horizon.


    This was totally unexpected as Darke had never thought that her shield would be able to go up against his Death Ray. By the time he had reacted, his ears were filled with the wheezing sound of wind and before his eyes was the pitch-black sky and a figure that pushed against him tenaciously. Then, the Necromancer felt a violent pound on his back!


    "��!" A burst of dust exploded and Anne rolled out of it while grabbing onto her shield tightly. At the last second of the collision, Anne had rolled to the side to minimize the impact of the crash landing. However, even so, the impact of the crash was powerful enough to send Anne rolling on the uneven ground. Although Anne was filled with bruises, she leapt up and scuttled towards Rhode hurriedly, widening her shield by his side. "Leader! Are you okay?"


    "Argh�� Yes��" Rhode lifted his head upon hearing Anne''s voice. Although their fight seemed endless, it only took around one to two minutes. Rhode felt powerless and an inch of movement would leave him dizzy. Right now, there were two to three Annes appearing before his eyes.


    "I-I''m alright��" Rhode gritted his teeth and shook his head to calm himself. Exhaustion in the game wasn''t this horrifying�� "Be careful of that Necromancer. Don''t stay too close to him��"


    Rhode pressed his palm against his forehead to suppress the dizziness while reminding Anne to get away from the trouble.


    At this moment, Darke regained his senses.


    Fortunately for them, Darke wasn''t looking well. Rhode''s initial ambush didn''t hurt him but this attack from Anne had thoroughly enlarged his wounds!


    The Necromancer''s body had been torn in half and he sensed that his spiritual energy was beginning to deplete. Furthermore, he could no longer fly in the air to snipe Rhode''s group anymore.


    Gillian stopped casting Seven Hells. The fluttering fireballs and light beams disappeared and what remained was the wall of flames by the edge of the wagon. Just as the Necromancer guessed, Gillian''s Spell of the Red Lotus had to absorb the surrounding fire element at her disposal. However, there was limited supply of fire element and if Gillian went all out again, that spell wouldn''t last a mere second. Moreover, Gillian couldn''t change her position as she had released her Spell of the Red Lotus. At this moment, she could only observe the battle anxiously from where she stood. After all, she was in a similar situation to Rhode. After going through the previous battle, she didn''t have much more to deal with a powerful Necromancer anymore.


    "Damn it!" Gazing at his own badly damaged body, this was the first time the Necromancer felt such incomparable anger. As a matter of fact, he knew his enemies weren''t stronger than him. However, these bastards kept pulling stunts that made him this miserable. Darke pulled himself up fiercely while gazing at Rhode and Anne. The Necromancer bit his teeth, ripped his right arm off, and plunged it into the ground!


    "Bsaing!" As the Necromancer howled, the detached arm expanded at an incredible speed. In a blink of an eye, the whole arm grew to three, four meters wide. Looking from a distance, it seemed like a gigantic white bone scorpion with five sharp claws.


    "Finish them!" the Necromancer commanded and the gigantic white bone arm darted towards Rhode and Anne. At the same time, it began to sharpen into a splinter and pierced towards its prey.


    "Leader, be careful!" Anne pushed Rhode away, at the same time rolling off the ground hurriedly. The sharp bone splinter brushed the young lady''s hair and struck the surface behind her. Then, the ring finger that was supporting the gigantic white bone palm extended forward abruptly. Before Anne could react, the finger had crushed her body, throwing her away while she shrieked in pain. The white bone splinter once again rose and darted towards Rhode on the other side.


    Clang! In this matter of life and death, a sword emerged in Rhode''s hand and defended against the ambush of the splinter. Rhode pushed his blade upwards against the splinter. However, he once again kneeled on the ground and started panting for air. On the other side, Anne pounced over with her shield and defended Rhode against the raid of the splinter. The sharp fingertips raked against the shield, setting off an ear-deafening sound of friction. Although this powerful strength forced the young lady back a few steps, she continued to bite her lips and held on beside Rhode.


    What luck!


    The constant breathing of cold air didn''t clear Rhode of his chaotic mind. Instead, he felt that his whole world was violently shaking and the ground below his feet was sludge which he couldn''t stand properly on.


    Must I really unlock Gillian''s seal��?


    Rhode gazed at his palm desperately.

 Chapter 428 Backhand Strike

    This was a tough battle for Rhode and Anne as they had been under the constant torment of the gigantic White Bone Arm. However, Rhode managed to recharge his spiritual energy slightly during the past two minutes and measuring in terms of numbers, his current spiritual energy wasn''t zero, but was between the levels of five to ten. Without a doubt, it was impossible for Rhode to summon any spirit cards or utilize any sword skills. But, at least Rhode was able to toughen himself and resist the dizziness for now.


    Rhode rolled across to dodge the splinter. He sent a signal to Anne with a gaze and the young lady nodded in response by brandishing her shield to deflect the splinter and slow its movement. As Anne seized this opportunity to leap towards the White Bone Arm, it extended its middle finger and pushed against the young lady from above. Both of them got into a deadlock.


    Rhode darted secretly, charging towards the back of the White Bone Arm through the gap below it. The White Bone Arm withdrew its middle finger quickly and extended two other sharp fingers towards Rhode. Using this chance, Anne once again forced herself in front of the White Bone Arm.


    Rhode had difficulties pushing forward.


    After regaining his conscious, Rhode realized that the Necromancer was severely injured. With the current state of Rhode''s group, the Necromancer could have coordinated with the White Bone Arm and wiped them out within three to five minutes. If that happened, Rhode would have no choice but to unlock Gillian''s seal. Clearing the dungeon may be important, but you had to be alive in order to clear it.


    As Rhode had expected, the Necromancer still didn''t attack. It seemed that Anne''s ambush from before had caused a ton of damage, forcing him to use the White Bone Arm to attack on his behalf. If the Necromancer''s injuries weren''t this serious, he definitely wouldn''t let this opportunity slip.


    Rhode locked onto his target and decided on his battle tactics swiftly. Rhode''s remaining energy was still a cause for concern, but he hoped to defeat this Necromancer without unlocking Gillian''s seal. In other words, Rhode''s initial plan was too unrealistic. If he didn''t retaliate now, it would mean the end of his life. Now, Rhode had decided that as long as his life was threatened, he would unlock Gillian''s seal to get rid of the trouble even at the loss of the 5 Star Mission.


    After making this decision, Rhode''s movement became much more nimble. He dodged and attracted the White Bone Arm''s attention, at the same time observing the Necromancer''s actions. The Necromancer laid on one of the multiple earth pits near the White Bone Arm. As the Necromancer stared at his enemy, his ruptured body was healing himself�� Rhode had no idea how much time this Necromancer needed to repair his body.


    Without a doubt, the longer, the better for Rhode.


    Although Rhode recovered his spiritual energy, the recovery rate was extremely slow, increasing at around ten points every 30 seconds. In such a rate, Rhode could only cast Starfall Swordsmanship. However, he could forget about summoning any spirit cards or casting Storm Slaughter. If Rhode forced his way through, he would be dead by his own hands without the help of the Necromancer.


    Rhode had no intentions of committing suicide as it wasn''t his hobby or interest. This was why he observed the Necromancer while distracting the White Bone Arm.


    Just as Rhode had expected, the Necromancer had been keeping an eye out for his movement and neglected Anne totally. There were a few occasions where Rhode purposely instructed Anne that the area in front of her was extremely dangerous. This was to attract the Necromancer''s attention and create more space for himself to maneuver. However, the Necromancer commanded the White Bone Arm to seal off Rhode''s attacking path before turning his attention to Anne. The Necromancer might have sensed that Rhode was much more threatening than the young lady and if he didn''t stop Rhode, he would be in big trouble.


    Even so, Rhode showed no signs of giving up.


    Shing! The White Bone Arm appeared above Rhode, carrying along an ice-cold breeze. Rhode rolled away to avoid the White Bone Arm''s attack and hid below its palm. However, the White Bone Arm suddenly pushed its palm against Rhode, attempting to turn him into minced meat.


    Rhode was well prepared for this. He rolled below the White Bone Arm, leapt off the ground and out of its attacking range. The White Bone Arm missed and crushed to the ground heavily.


    This gave Anne a chance to strike. The White Bone Arm was merely the Necromancer''s arm that was enlarged with a spell. Its five fingers were its support and as the palm landed to the ground, its five fingers naturally extended and laid across.


    This was an excellent chance for Anne.


    Anne lifted her shield and leaped into the air. She aimed downwards and smashed her pitch-black shield into the knuckle of the middle finger, crushing it to bits in an instant. "!!!"


    This was the first time the Necromancer focused his attention on the annoying little brat. The White Bone Arm and the Necromancer were spiritually linked and the hurtful sensation of losing a finger left Darke blowing his top and in excruciating pain. Under his desperate control, the White Bone Arm grabbed Anne with its fingers and started squashing her!


    Clang! Anne reacted as soon as she noticed the change in her enemy''s movement. The young lady erected the shield before her innately and defended against the squashing of its fingers. She gritted her teeth and grabbed onto her shield, preventing the solid fingers from closing in. The struggles on the thick, sturdy shield let out an ear-deafening sound of friction.


    At this moment, Rhode launched towards the Necromancer rapidly. This was Rhode''s final chance and if he didn''t seize this opportunity, he would need to unlock Gillian''s seal to finish things off��


    Wishful thinking!


    The Necromancer noticed Rhode''s agile movement and that Rhode had broken through the White Bone Arm''s defense, darting towards him before he could react. Rhode raised his sword and struck towards the Necromancer''s forehead.


    Do you think it''s gonna be this easy?


    The Necromancer sneered at the sight of the sharp sword blade. He extended his arms hurriedly and along with a strong breeze of ice-cold aura and sorrowful wailings, translucent human faces launched from his palms. Faces with painful expressions darted towards Rhode, attempting to devour him.


    This was a Necromancer''s most sinister move. They could absorb others'' souls and manipulate them into their own Spirit Beasts. These Spirit Beasts would be tortured for eternity, losing their intellect��only their hate and hunger for life would remain. Once one got bitten by these Spirit Beasts, they would not be able to get away.


    The Necromancer lifted his head and let out a snarl as he gazed forward. However, the next moment froze his smile.


    Facing these Spirit Beasts, Rhode tossed his Crimson Blade towards them without any hesitation before retreating swiftly to dodge their attacks. The hurriedly-thrown sword didn''t manage to reach the Necromancer. Instead, it rotated in the air before striking the ground beside him.


    The Necromancer was baffled for a moment before shifting his attention back to Rhode. Even though Rhode''s reaction was quick, the Necromancer was confident of the capabilities in the Spirit Beasts that he had cultivated all these years. As Rhode escaped, the Spirit Beasts continued to give chase. To Darke, this escape was only slightly prolonging Rhode''s life as he couldn''t possibly escape from the Spirit Beasts.


    At the next moment, the Necromancer suddenly felt a rush of heat behind him. He turned around and scorching flames emerged in his field of vision.


    The Necromancer wasn''t aware that this split second distraction allowed Gillian to come up with an extremely adventurous move. Facing the Necromancer far away from her, the fox-eared young lady swung her right arm to gather the walls of flames protecting the wagon and formed a column of flames. As Gillian pointed to the Necromancer, the column of flames launched towards him.


    This was what Rhode wanted to see.


    The distracted Necromancer held his breath as the pure fire elemental attack swept towards him. The injured Necromancer definitely couldn''t resist such an attack. Furthermore, flames were the nemesis of undead creatures.


    However, his reaction wasn''t slow either. After witnessing the column of flames, the Necromancer extended his other arm hurriedly and pointed his finger to the front. In an instant, the Spirit Beasts chasing after Rhode turned around and arrived before the Necromancer with lightning speed. The Spirit Beasts howled loudly and their translucent spiritual body fused into one, blocking the column of flames like an erected puddle of mud. The fierce fire elemental powers struck the barrier of spiritual bodies heavily.


    "��!" The spirits howled in grief as the intense, pure fire element ripped them apart and their bodies turned into speckles of spiritual dust, vanishing in the night sky�� At the same time, the aggressive flames were finally extinguished.


    "Phew��" the Necromancer let out a long sigh of relief as the danger before him was over. That clash was so intense that he doubted he could defend against such powerful fire elemental powers. It seemed that his Spirit Beasts were indeed tough and he couldn''t bear to lose them�� But before the Necromancer could finish his endless sigh, another situation came up.


    As the flames perished, a black figure emerging in the ashes suddenly distorted. A woman in a steel mask and clad in full black armor darted out with two pitch-black daggers in her hands, charging towards the Necromancer.


    This was Rhode''s final trump card.


    The Necromancer couldn''t escape anymore. The sharp blades on the daggers sliced his skull and chest without any resistance. Paris, who was hidden in the wagon all these while, finally had the chance to reveal her true strength.


    "Ahh!" The Necromancer yelled in excruciating pain. Similar to Darke, Paris was an assassin in the Master stage. Although spell-casting classes had the upper hand against close-combat battle classes, the Necromancer''s powers had been depleted by Rhode, Anne, and Gillian''s sneak attacks. Although Darke didn''t have enough strength to guard against Paris'' ambush, he didn''t give up hope. However, it was a pity that his days were numbered.


    Paris had no hesitation in the face of her prey. The dagger in her hand slashed across the Necromancer''s skull while the other was quickly withdrawn from his chest. The female assassin sliced the ice-cold, emaciated claws that were attempting to grab her arm and she stomped on the Necromancer''s half-recovered body, tearing it apart once again. Paris retrieved a bottle of potion from her waist and splashed it onto the Necromancer before leaping to the side. Then, the female assassin threw a red dagger into the Necromancer''s chest.


    "You��" That was the Necromancer''s final word. He stared furiously and painfully at the female assassin as his body shrouded in the pent-up flames.


    The scorching flames devoured the Necromancer entirely while the White Bone Arm that was squashing Anne lost its magical support. It shrunk in the blink of an eye before shattering into bits and falling to the surface. A wind from nowhere swept the powdered white bone into nothingness.


    "Phew��" Rhode wiped the sweat off his forehead and sat on the ground to catch a breath. Paris was Rhode''s final card and this was why he chose this battle tactic. As a matter of fact, Paris had kept herself hidden with her ''Shadow Warrior'' technique ever since they left the Hobbit Village. After all, her forte was in dealing damage through ambushes and backstabs. All this while, Rhode had been searching for the best moment for Paris to unveil her skills. However, he didn''t expect that his spiritual energy would be depleted at such an alarming rate, which led to this grave mistake. In the end, he was fortunate that this final trump card came into effect. It was also thanks to Paris and her powerful strength; if she wasn''t in the Master stage, perhaps it wouldn''t be this easy to hide from the Necromancer.


    No matter what, this incident had finally come to an end.


    Rhode let out a sigh of relief as he observed the Necromancer''s corpse burning into ashes.

 Chapter 429 Roaring Sea

    "It seems that I came a little too late?" Barter stroked his chin as he sat on the tall war horse, smiling cheekily towards Rhode. Rhode rolled his eyes in response. He was so exhausted that he couldn''t stand up and he didn''t have the mood to argue with Barter. The timing of Barter''s arrival was perfect. He came five to six minutes after Rhode''s group had defeated the Necromancer.


    "Doesn''t matter. Anyway, I know that reinforcements always come after the main character defeats the BOSS." Rhode gave Barter a cold stare and ridiculed him. Barter was slightly astonished as though he didn''t understand what Rhode meant. At this moment, Paris arrived before Barter and reported the happenings softly.


    Rhode couldn''t help but think of Marlene as he observed how attentively Paris reported to Barter while he listened closely. Rhode was wondering what that rich young lady was up to�� Although according to logic, there shouldn''t be much of an issue with Canary''s help, Rhode was still somewhat concerned about how they were managing the Fortress.


    "Leader, what are you thinking?" Anne sat beside Rhode and stretched lazily with her arms out. She turned to Rhode and asked curiously.


    "Master must be thinking of women; it''s just that we don''t know who he is thinking of," Gillian approached them casually. On the other hand, Grendy and Natasha were handed over to Barter since their request was to send them to the Purple Lily Guild. Now that the leader of the guild was here to take over, Rhode could finally focus on his dungeon mission.


    "Eh?" Anne widened her eyes curiously at Gillian''s remark. "Anne is also a woman and Leader has two women beside him now. Why does Leader need to think of women?"


    "All men in the world are like that." Gillian swayed her tail playfully as she placed a finger on her lips while smiling slyly. Rhode shrugged his shoulders and ignored the fox-eared young lady because he knew that he would get his fingers burnt if he spoke anything.


    At this moment, Barter and Paris''s group approached Rhode and Barter burst into loud laughter upon hearing Gillian''s words. "Miss Gillian is right. But I think that all men would rather be stuffed to death than to be starved to death. Look at the small stature of your leader. Heh heh, if he doesn''t eat a bit more, perhaps he can''t keep up."


    Barter stroked his chin and laughed mischievously at Rhode. Rhode shot a cold stare in response to the muscle man''s taunts before standing up. Barter kept his smile as his expression turned serious. "I''ve heard from Paris and those two brats what happened. Did your group really eliminate a team of Undead Legions? That''s great work, but�� Heh heh heh. I think the garrisons will have a hard one since they allowed the Undead Legion to mess around. I think there''s no future for those guys anymore."


    Even though this was a matter that happened in Barter''s territory, he seemed nonchalant. Although the guild was responsible for managing and constraining the mercenary groups and troubles in their territory, almost all the guilds and officials had strained relationships. Without a doubt, such strained relationships weren''t due to them treating one another as enemies. After all, the official leaders wished to maintain peace and harmony in their own territory and didn''t have any prejudice against the guilds.


    However, troubles occurred when it boiled down to their status. No matter in which region, guilds and garrisons didn''t have favorable relationships. A guild was a civilian association and their mission was to manage the requests and troubles amongst the civilians. However, the garrison was an official association and although maintaining territorial security was also their responsibility, their main priority was to prevent territorial turmoil, ensuring peace on a larger scale, as well as protecting the important nobles and officials.


    Because of this, guilds had a better reputation amongst the civilians. Although those high-ranking officials who had been vigorously protected by the garrison would cause a great impact on the civilians if they were hurt, these effects and changes were too high-level for the average civilians to feel the difference. As a result, the civilians preferred receiving support for managing the atrocious beasts plundering their fields and such. This was why guilds were more popular amongst the civilians while garrisons were often seen as the villains. Due to this, garrisons and guilds would often get into conflict. Of course, it was impossible for their battles to be all-out as they needed to worry about the prestige of their higher levels. However, it was still common for them to mock one another whenever they had the chance.


    Due to this, guilds and the garrisons didn''t have a good relationship. Furthermore, a guild''s mission was to manage the local mercenary groups and not to protect the safety of the entire region. This was why Barter was unconcerned that a team of undead creatures had crept into his territory as it had nothing to do with the guild. Instead, those unfortunate garrisons would definitely be punished. Moreover, there were even generals that betrayed the Munn Kingdom.


    "That''s a problem which you need to handle," Rhode said with an uninterested tone. "What do you plan to do next?"


    "Don''t worry about it, Little Rhode," Barter smiled and gestured. "My men will be arriving soon and I will send the two little brats and your group to the Eagle City by then. Oh yes�� I heard that you intended to visit the Castel Plateau Ruins?"


    Barter paused for a moment before gazing at Rhode pensively. "What about your men? I don''t see Miss Marlene and the few others around. You can''t possibly visit the Castel Plateau Ruins with just the three of you, right? Heh, it''s not that I look down on you, little Rhode. But that place isn''t that simple. Our Purple Lily Guild had been there and we almost couldn''t make it back, so I would advise you to be careful."


    "Don''t worry about this, Sir Barter," Gillian said cheekily. "We will only be there to explore the area and we won''t go too deep, so you don''t need to worry about us."


    "I have no intentions of meddling with your matters either, Miss Gillian," Barter laughed heartily and gestured. However, at the next moment, he kept his smile and revealed a stern expression. "But since you guys are heading to the Eagle City, let me remind you of something. There isn''t much peace in the Eagle City recently, no�� I would rather say that there isn''t much peace in this whole region. I hope you will be careful and of course, since we''re in the same profession, we will assist you if we can. But just don''t get caught by those people; if not, there will be a lot of trouble."


    "Those people?" Rhode puckered his brows as he sensed the slight fear in Barter''s tone. If it were Viktor, it would seem normal for him to be this cautious. However, it was rare for this scatterbrain of a guild leader to be this hesitant of someone.


    "Actually, it''s nothing much." Perhaps sensing his own weakness, Barter regained his tough attitude as he gazed at Rhode with some dissatisfaction. "It''s just a bunch of Southerners causing some troubles. Come to think of it, it might be related to you."


    "Me?" Rhode was at a total loss.


    However, Barter had no intentions of keeping him in suspense as he quickly continued. "You should know that thanks to your guild, those idiots from the Liberty Wings Guild thoroughly disbanded, right?"


    "Of course, I''m aware of this," Rhode nodded to Barter''s question. Although the final investigations revealed that most of the mercenaries didn''t have direct relation to the Demons, the Liberty Wings Guild was forced to disband according to the laws of the Munn Kingdom. Furthermore, the punishment for having any contact with the Demons was extremely severe in a country governed by an Angel. Moreover, Royal Highness Lydia decided to investigate all the mercenary groups in the Southern Port region to ensure there were no remaining Demons. Due to this, the Southern Port didn''t need to appoint a new guild anymore.


    There were at least twenty mercenary groups in the Southern Port and all of them had to go through self-inspection before being examined by the Battle Angel Army. In addition, they couldn''t construct a brand new guild for the next two years. This was obvious that Lydia was using this opportunity to wipe out the forces the Liberty Wings Guild had gathered. Although the leaders like Rosen and Waltz were dead, Liberty Wings was still alive. If they were to continue to develop, a new Liberty Wings would emerge before long. However, Lydia seized this terrific excuse to tackle the Demons, at the same time breaking off a powerful arm of the Reformist Party. The Reformist Party couldn''t complain as the civilians in the Country of Light despised the Demons. No matter how good the Reformist Party was in manipulating the truth, they couldn''t possibly convince the civilians that "the dangers of the Demons aren''t as terrifying as you imagine" because they would be seeking death if they did that.


    After losing their supporting guild, the Reformist Party had lost their last helper to incite the civilians. As mentioned earlier, most of the representatives of the Reformist Party were emerging nobles and businessmen. There was no lack of class contradiction, whether generation or country. If the well-dressed nobles were to step up and incite the civilians, the civilians would definitely disagree. However, if the mercenaries who were born in the same class as the civilians were to step up, it would be much easier for them to incite the civilians. Now, this route has been sealed dead by Lydia, it wasn''t that easy for the Reformist Party to cause a ruckus since Rosen was no longer around to back them up.


    "Royal Highness Lydia did great to exterminate those Reformist Party''s dogs. But you seem unaware that those bastards have banded together and formed the Liberty Mercenary Alliance�� Heh, on the surface, the Southern Port claimed that it was a critical juncture for them that all the mercenary groups among them should work together to form an alliance organization. But this organization is filled with all those retards from the Liberty Wings!" Barter threw his fist in midair. "It was a mistake that you didn''t kill them all!"


    "What about them? This Liberty Mercenary Alliance wouldn''t be that dumb to cause trouble in your territory, right?" Rhode finally understood what this Liberty Mercenary Alliance was all about. It seemed that those bastards from the Liberty Wings were still stubborn and they actually formed an alliance in order to gather forces. However, this shouldn''t have anything to do with the North.


    "Cause trouble? They don''t have the balls to do that," Barter let out a snarl and frowned. "But those bastards came here to recruit members!"


    "Recruit?" Rhode asked in astonishment.


    Barter swept him a glance and continued explaining. "Judging from your expression, Little Rhode you must be thinking that this alliance is a replacement for the Liberty Wings, right? Heh, things aren''t exactly this way. According to those bastards'' explanations, the Liberty Mercenary Alliance is not restricted to any region or headcount. Any mercenary groups can join them as long as they are interested! Furthermore, they even promised that any mercenary group that joins them will receive a huge sum of funds!"


    Rhode''s expression changed slightly as he understood the source of the problem instantly. However, Anne gazed curiously as she gazed between Rhode and Barter, who was gritting his teeth. "But, but, didn''t Royal Highness Lydia say that there is a possibility that those mercenary groups are involved with the Demons? Why would anyone join them? Aren''t they afraid of getting into trouble?"


    "Heh, things aren''t as simple as you think, Little Anne." Barter patted Anne''s head while Rhode nodded slightly at Anne''s sensible questions. Although there wasn''t any restriction to a region for the recruitment of the Liberty Mercenary Alliance, everyone was aware of who established this alliance. But what about it? There are all sorts of humans, as well as mercenary groups. Just like the ''Undead Spirit Mission'' incident that occurred in the Paphield Region, various mercenary groups suffered huge losses and needed time to recuperate them. However, some lowest-ranking mercenaries would rather choose to be the Jade Tears''s lackeys than to die. Perhaps they were aware that they didn''t have potential as mercenaries so they chose to betray their pride in exchange for something substantial. Moreover, as the saying goes, ''The law does not punish numerous offenders'', and even the timidest of the mercenary groups would toughen up as long as they have companions.


    "I''ve informed those mercenary groups under me, but it isn''t within my control if they choose to join the alliance. But,you have to be careful, Little Rhode, because I heard that the prime target of the Liberty Mercenary Alliance is you. Although it''s impossible for those bastards to find trouble with me on my territory, you have to be wary that they might turn to you if they know you''re here," Barter reminded.


    "I understand," Rhode nodded. The Liberty Mercenary Alliance had extended its recruitment to under the eyes of the Purple Lily Guild and might have recruited some mercenary groups who would do anything for money. If they were to know that Rhode had arrived in the Eagle City, they would definitely urge these mercenary groups to find trouble with him. Rhode had a sensitive identity as the guild leader of the Paphield Region, while Barter, as the leader of the Purple Lily Guild, naturally wouldn''t turn a blind eye to the disputes between mercenaries over his jurisdiction. It would be easy for the people of the alliance to stir trouble secretly and cause the Purple Lily Guild to confront and even be hostile towards Starlight.


    Rhode swept Barter a glance and it seemed that this muscle man wasn''t as brainless as the players had described. For Barter to inform Rhode privately about these matters showed that he was also concerned. After all, Starlight was unlike the Cole Falcon and the Purple Lily who had worked together for so many years where it wouldn''t be simple to stir conflicts between them. Starlight was a newly established guild which everyone was unfamiliar with and unfamiliarity gave chances for doubts and suspicions. Furthermore, if Starlight were to be overly powerful in other regions apart from his, the guild of that region would definitely despise it. From another perspective, if Barter were to cause a ruckus with a mercenary group in Rhode''s territory, Rhode wouldn''t feel comfortable either.


    Rhode frowned in deep thoughts "Thanks for your reminder, Mr. Barter. We will think of a way to avoid this�� At least, we won''t make it difficult for you."


    "That''s fine, Little Rhode," Barter nodded in satisfaction as he smiled widely and patted on Rhode''s shoulder. "Work hard! And don''t forget our bet, Little Rhode! I''m still looking forward to the day I see you in women''s clothes!"


    "You won''t get that chance." Perhaps Rhode would have flipped out if it were someone else who said that. However, knowing it was Barter''s nature, Rhode replied coldly.


    But�� Rhode was no pushover either. Rhode couldn''t wait to teach Barter a lesson on saying what he shouldn''t after winning this bet. Rhode revealed a peculiar smile at this thought.

 Chapter 430 An Afternoon Secre

    The red tea in the cup had lost its warmth.


    Marlene placed the teacup on the table and gazed through the window. Although it was past noon, it was already dusk. Even the other mercenaries were still not used to this odd time difference. However, they were fortunate that Rhode had thought of this when he was building the Fortress. He built a clock tower for timekeeping and it would ring once every morning, noon, and night. With this clock tower, everyone was able to adjust to the drastic time difference gradually.


    Gazing at the scenery, Marlene rubbed her forehead gently. The operations of the Fortress had normalized and the only problem she had was when Marfa delivered the piece of paper informing her that Anne had escaped. However, Marlene wasn''t too surprised as she knew Anne''s character inside out. Marlene made adjustments swiftly, knowing that Marfa was honest and reliable, so she didn''t worry too much about it.


    However, this didn''t mean that Marlene was clear of troubles�� Although the operations were going well for the Fortress and there weren''t any problems in the entire Paphield which required their assistance, Marlene was troubled over her personal issues, which were related to Canary.


    Before Rhode left the Fortress, he wanted Canary and Marlene to manage the Fortress together. If it was in the past, Marlene would have been delighted. After all, she worked with Canary well and both of them were close to one another. Furthermore, Canary was knowledgeable and experienced in casting techniques, so she could even be considered Marlene''s mentor.


    However, after bumping into the ''act'' of Canary and Rhode that fine day, Marlene felt embarrassed whenever she met Canary�� Although she didn''t consider herself Rhode''s girlfriend, the thought of her man having the same relationship with another woman made her feel awkward. She didn''t know how to face Canary and she thought that Rhode would clarify the situation to Canary or her. But, it seemed that Rhode had no intentions of doing so. As for Canary, Marlene sensed that she might have noticed that something was off too. However, Canary''s attitude towards Marlene remained the same.


    Could it be that because she isn''t a living human, she is somewhat worried about this?


    Marlene didn''t feel that Canary would have such thoughts. However, she was worried because Rhode was no longer around to settle this issue and she had to act normally whenever she was alone with Canary. This troubled Marlene a lot and she didn''t know if she should open up to Canary. But what should she even say?


    "Sigh��" Marlene lowered her head and let out a long sigh. At this moment, someone knocked on the door. The young lady turned around and tidied the documents on her desk hurriedly. "Please come in."


    The door opened and Canary stepped in with her usual, gentle smile. "Am I disturbing you, Miss Marlene?"


    "Ah, no, I''m coming to an end," Marlene felt her body stiffened as soon as she witnessed Canary''s smile. She forced out a smile in return and lowered her head, pretending to sort her documents. "What''s the matter?"


    "It''s like this��" Canary gazed at Marlene and narrowed her eyes with a cheeky smile. She approached Marlene and handed over a stack of paper. "Rhode previously mentioned that he wants the mercenaries to practice battles at the distorted points. I''ve come up with a plan. Let me know if there is anything that you wish to amend."


    "Alright, I will have a look later." Marlene took over the papers hurriedly and flipped over a few pages before leaving them at the side. However, Canary didn''t leave instantly as Marlene expected. Instead, Canary smiled at her which left the young lady feeling ill at ease. "I-Is there anything else, Miss Canary?"


    "It''s nothing important�� But��" Canary extended a finger and supported her chin. "I feel that Miss Marlene is acting rather strangely�� So, I''m just curious�� You stopped finding me for tea and also stopped discussing the problems of your casting techniques with me�� Could it be that I didn''t teach you well enough?"


    "Ah, it''s not like that." Marlene lifted her head and gestured in panic hurriedly. As a matter of fact, Canary''s lectures in casting techniques were extremely practical and simple to understand. To put it bluntly, Marlene felt that the ten days she spent learning from Canary were much more useful than the two years of lessons she had received in the magic school. Marlene was finally able to confirm that Canary was indeed a wild Mage. Canary was clear and logical when it came to casting techniques for actual battles. However, Canary knew nothing regarding the nature of the power source and the special driving forces of these spells.


    Marlene was astonished as she learned in the magic school that a Mage needed to first understand the power itself before one had the right to learn how to cast or grasp it. Canary''s presence totally smashed the truth that Marlene had learned because she had no knowledge of the most basic foundation and core. She treated spells as spells and powers as powers separately, but she was so successful. If it were others, perhaps Marlene would have regarded that person as lucky. However, Canary was in the Legendary stage and luck itself couldn''t bring anyone there. Marlene felt incredible that Canary''s knowledge of magic powers stopped at the most basic of elemental attributes and power manifestations. Canary had zero knowledge of more profound knowledge, so how was she so skillful at spellcasting skills?


    Marlene had questioned Canary but her response was "You may know how to fly a plane, but it is not necessary for you to know how to make a plane." Marlene was unable to comprehend such a statement. However, although she didn''t know what a plane was, she more or less understood what Canary meant.


    "So then, what''s the reason?" Canary sat opposite Marlene, resting her elbows on the desk while pushing her hands against her cheeks, smiling cheekily. Marlene became flustered and her gaze wavered. In the end, Marlene took in a deep, long breath. She was an intelligent woman and she knew that Canary was here to discuss this problem with her. Marlene knew the stakes in raising this concern, so she had been hesitant in speaking up. Now that Canary had taken the initiative to speak to her, there was no need for Marlene to be so reserved anymore.


    Marlene poured a cup of tea for Canary and herself before nodding at her. "It''s about��"


    "Rhode, right?" Canary continued Marlene''s sentence cheekily, which caught the young lady by surprise. Marlene nodded in acknowledgment while Canary winked wittily and asked. "So then, Miss Marlene. What do you think of my relationship with Rhode?"


    "Eh?" Marlene was baffled by her question because she didn''t consider it before. Canary and Rhode''s relationship? Based on what Marlene had seen, even if both of them weren''t a couple, they must have been dating at the very least. However, even though both of them were close, there wasn''t any intimate contact between them during normal interactions. Marlene''s situation was somewhat unique as it wasn''t only because she fancied Rhode, but because she also thought that it was her ''obligation'' and ''responsibility''. In other words, even if Marlene didn''t fancy Rhode, her own fate had decided that she needed to. Without a doubt, it was much better to be with a man that she liked and admired rather than a man she disliked.


    However, Canary acted differently from Marlene. Canary didn''t seem to be emotionally attached to Rhode but both of them seemed closer than normal friends. Yet they didn''t seem to be couples either. At this moment, a term flashed in Marlene''s mind. "That�� I''m not too sure. But, Miss Gillian once told me that�� you and Rhode are ''friends with benefits''��"


    "Miss Foxy?" Canary widened her eyes in surprise, but she recovered her usual smile quickly. "Do you know what ''friends with benefits'' is, Miss Marlene?"


    Marlene shook her head as she had no idea what that term meant. Canary smiled cheekily at her reaction and leaned backwards. She folded her hands together and gazed at Marlene. For unknown reasons, Marlene was reminded of Rhode instantly as she noticed Canary''s action. Although Canary and Rhode weren''t alike, the feeling was surprisingly similar. Rhode always had an expression that was unchanging while Canary always had a beautiful smile. It was as though there wasn''t anything in this world that was worth her anger or pain.


    "Friends with benefits are�� actually rather simple. Miss Marlene, when you have a friend you like, you look forward to chatting and enjoying tea time with the person, right?" Marlene nodded while Canary revealed a finger. "Rhode and I have a similar relationship, okay? But, whenever I want to be with him, I want to have something happier and more comfortable, just like what Miss Marlene saw that day."


    "Ah��" Marlene blushed in embarrassment as she wasn''t aware that Canary knew of her presence that day. But come to think of it, she possessed strength in the Legendary stage so it should be easy for her to detect Marlene�� But��


    "But this isn''t what normal friends should do, right?" Marlene''s tone harshened. As the daughter of a great noble family, she had heard of plenty hideous matters. Many noble ladies had graceful, ladylike appearances, but they were indulged in debauchery. This was especially so when they were at the age of yearning for love. Some of them with bad upbringing would find any noble male and engage in shameless activities. Some not only looked for men at noble gatherings; they even targeted the housekeepers in their own homes. Furthermore, some underclass nobles would even turn to their families. These people didn''t do it for love; instead, they just felt comfortable doing so and didn''t care what man they turned to. Marlene looked down on these people as they had no self-respect. Marlene always had a favorable impression of Canary and after listening to her explanation, her attitude stiffened as she felt this wasn''t right.


    "Of course not." Canary was aware of Marlene''s views on this. However, she smiled gently, picked up the teacup on the table, and gazed at the red tea. "I was exhausted of my life. My family, friends, and many others held high expectations of me. But I wasn''t able to resist. I can only work hard to achieve what everyone wants of me. This way, they would be happy and since they''re happy, I''m happy too�� But that isn''t me at all."


    Marlene was slightly astonished as she realized she could understand what Canary had gone through. After all, as the heir of her family, she was in a similar situation and at this point, she wasn''t living for herself anymore.


    "My relationship with Rhode was an accident and a coincidence. However, I gradually came to love this relationship. I love that comfortable sensation and being indulged in this happiness, forgetting about every trouble I have. Furthermore, it is only in times like this when I throw away the mask on me and face everything with my own feelings and thoughts. I don''t have to act like the obedient girl my parents and others portrayed me to be and I can do whatever I want. Rhode has never seen me as a promiscuous woman without any morals. He has always respected and protected me, so I have no qualms being my most truthful self in front of him. I feel like this kind of relationship is great. But I have no intention of taking it to the next step because this is good enough. This relationship we have is the best for both me and Rhode." Canary explained further.


    "Why?" Marlene asked curiously as she found it hard to understand. Canary seemed to like Rhode a lot so shouldn''t they take it to a deeper stage? Although, strictly speaking, Canary wasn''t a living human now, Marlene couldn''t understand why would Canary make such a decision.


    Canary extended her finger and placed it by her soft, pinkish lips. "Because there''s no need to."


    "No need to?" Marlene tilted her head as she couldn''t understand what Canary meant.


    But at this moment, Canary stood up. "I don''t wish to explain too much, Miss Marlene. After all, this is my personal desire. I would like to maintain this relationship with Rhode and not take it further, because I know that I can''t be the person that Rhode loves the most�� Or perhaps, no one can become that person."


    "But why?" Marlene questioned curiously.


    Canary approached the door and placed her hand on the door handle. She turned around and gazed at Marlene. "Because you can never take over the position from someone who has left forever."


    Once again, the gentle, graceful smile emerged on Canary''s face. She exited and closed the door, leaving Marlene entranced and full of questions as she gazed at the closed door.

 Chapter 431 A Reward from the Angel

    It was the third morning when Rhode opened his eyes.


    The mercenaries of the Purple Lily Guild arrived and escorted everyone to Eagle City while some of them stayed behind to gather evidence regarding the Undead Legion. After arriving at Eagle City, Rhode handed over the Bone List to the Battle Angel Army stationed there and they found an inn for their accommodation. The accumulated fatigue in them was over the roof as Rhode plunged straight into the pillow and fell into dreamland for a whole two day and nights. On the third morning, the gentle sun rays spilled through his window and woke him up from his deep sleep.


    Rhode felt well rested and stepped towards the window after having a change of clothes.


    Eagle City was a flourishing city. However, Rhode didn''t have the time to admire this city because the instant they entered, they were occupied with reporting matters about the Bone List and the Undead Legion. Furthermore, Rhode was so severely exhausted that all his steps felt as light as feathers. As for the scenery in the Eagle City, he didn''t have the time to care.


    As a Northern city, Eagle City used to be a military fortress. Even though they had expanded, the entire style of this city was still filled with distinct military designs. The streets were clean and the buildings were strictly and uniformly distributed. Even though this city lacked the elaborate and gorgeous features of Northern cities, it had its barbarous sense of beauty. Looking from afar, one could see the green grassland beyond the walls, which offered a beautiful view.


    "Phew��" After gazing afar at the scenery, Rhode took in a deep breath and shook his head before leaving his room.


    "Ah, Leader. Good morning. You''re finally awake?" As Rhode entered the dining hall, Anne waved as she leaned back in her chair with a hot bun in her hand. Of course, Rhode chose to ignore the 40 to 50 plates stacked on the table.


    "How are you feeling, Master?" Gillian sat beside Anne, sipping on her tea like an elegant lady, savoring the aroma of the tea.


    "I''m alright, still a little tired. But that''s not much of a problem." Rhode cocked his head at an angle and gazed at both of them. "How are you two doing?"


    "Anne is fine, Leader. I can head out anytime!" Anne revealed a glittering smile before swallowing the honey bread in one mouth and showing a thumbs-up. On the other hand, Gillian twitched her ears and displayed a smile. "I''m fine too, Master. Ready to move out anytime. By the way�� the Battle Angel Army and the Safety Officer sent someone over to discuss something with you."


    "I''m aware." It seemed that the Battle Angel Army had settled the problem with the Bone List and were looking to award Rhode for his hard work, which peaked his interest. As a matter of fact, Rhode never had the chance to go through his spoils of war ever since arriving in Eagle City. The deaths of Vulture and the Necromancer gave him two pieces of Soul Core. Moreover, those two battles accumulated nearly 70k EXP and he would have no problem rising to level 30. At this point, Rhode decided. "I''ll drop by the encampment of the Battle Angel Army later. You two have a good rest and get ready for our mission tomorrow. Is there any problems?"


    "Anne wants to go with Leader!" Anne raised her hand and shouted excitedly. On the other hand, Gillian revealed a mysterious smile. "Okay then, Master. I will go nearby to gather some information regarding the underground maze."


    "Alright, I''ll leave it to you." Although this half-beast attracted a lot of attention wherever she went, he believed that Gillian was smart enough to handle any situation skillfully. As for Anne, it was totally different. This little brat brought her main tanker role to the point of perfection where she would gather a lot of hatred by just any remarks. If it were in the past, perhaps Rhode would allow Anne to have a stroll. However, Rhode wasn''t that assured after hearing Barter''s warning about the current situation of Eagle City. In short, Anne had a straightforward temperament and would be easily incited. Rhode didn''t wish for her to be taunted by someone who had an ulterior motive and get into a conflict.


    Rhode had initially decided to check in with Anne on her plans and since she decided to go with him, it made things all the more convenient.


    After a simple breakfast, Rhode left the inn with Anne and headed towards the encampment of the Battle Angel Army.


    This was a unique military arrangement by the Munn Kingdom. In every territory, the Munn Kingdom would set up an army of Battle Angels with a strength of about 30 to 50. They weren''t there to maintain peace and harmony like the garrison; their main responsibility was to monitor the movements of various territories and ensure that the overlords wouldn''t act in ways that would threaten or harm the Munn Kingdom. In times of emergency, the Battle Angel Army would have the right to deprive the overlord of their authority and limit their actions.


    But then again, this arrangement was also related to the Munn Kingdom''s ethnic composition. After all, unlike humans, the Angel race had no room for accommodation in this aspect and they wouldn''t face the temptation of bribery. However, there weren''t many incidents where the Battle Angel Army was required to take actions into their own hands. This was because the King''s Party was aware that this was a powerful force that could threaten the people. Although the Munn Kingdom was indeed governed by an Angel, majority of its composition was still humans and no one wished to live under the shadows of an Angel like her string puppets. This was why the Battle Angel Army acted as a deterrence in various territories. They didn''t even show up often and some of the encampment of the Battle Angel Army were built far away in uninhabited areas. It was the same for the one, unique army of Battle Angels in Paphield��no one knew exactly where they resided.


    In comparison, Eagle City used to be a military fortress, which was why the encampment of the Battle Angel Army was fixed and never changed. It was hidden in the edge of the city without too many guards on standby. Looking from afar, there was nothing apart from the flag representing the Light Dragon, the Holy Royalty, and the walls by itself.


    Neither of them faced any troubles on their way there, but there was something troubling Rhode, and that was Anne.


    The young lady smiled cheekily as she followed Rhode closely. Uninterested in the beautiful scenery on both sides of the path, the young lady hugged Rhode''s arm so ever naturally, humming as she went. She was like a little pet dog circling its owner from time to time and sometimes licking its owner''s legs, body, and whatever. Furthermore, Rhode clearly felt the soft parts of the young lady''s front as she clung tightly to his arm. Yes�� You don''t say. It felt great.


    Rhode reminded Anne a couple of times, but Anne didn''t seem to listen. Rhode gave up reminding her since he was the one taking the advantage. Moreover, this wasn''t anything shameless. It was merely touching, rubbing and they didn''t lose anything from this. Anne was all the more unconcerned over this, so why should he be?


    Both of them arrived at the encampment entrance after a pleasant journey. A Battle Angel by the entrance led them into the main hall located in the middle of the encampment.


    The whole encampment seemed pretty clean and tidy. The white ceiling and floor, together with the pure, white marble columns were spotless, filling the place with a sacred atmosphere. It was rather quiet and peaceful in the entire encampment, without any majesty. However, as one stepped in, one would feel the urge to observe silence. Even Anne who has been rubbing against Rhode all over followed quietly, observing the place curiously with her shield on her back.


    Just like this, they entered the main hall where a Battle Angel was waiting for their arrival.


    "I''m so glad to meet you, Mr. Rhode, Miss Anne." A Battle Angel clad in full silver armor greeted them with a warm, elegant smile.


    Rhode placed his hand on his chest and bowed respectfully. "I''m sorry for this late appointment, Miss Natalya."


    "Please don''t apologize, Mr. Rhode." The Battle Angel Army Leader gestured and handed over a beautifully crafted box to Rhode. "Thanks to Mr. Rhode and your men, we have acquired the important intelligence in the Bone List, which is a great help to our country. We have reported this entire incident to the Royal Highness and the Royal Highness wants us to convey her gratitude. Thank you Mr. Rhode and Starlight for putting a stop to the conspiracy of the Country of Darkness and providing us with such important intelligence."


    "It is my honor to eradicate threats to the country." Rhode bowed slightly in response. Although Rhode''s expression remained the same, his tone of words surprised the Battle Angel Army Leader. She had seen various types of people as a Battle Angel. Some reacted excitedly after receiving the commendation of a Battle Angel while some reacted calmly but were secretly excited. However, Rhode''s reaction was different from all these people. His reaction was indescribable, as though he wasn''t simply a civilian of the Munn Kingdom. It felt more like he was a helping hand in aiding with the country''s growth.


    Of course, she wasn''t aware that Rhode had managed to bring the Munn Kingdom''s prestige to the ''Worship'' level in the game. Also, he had fought alongside Lydia at the very last moment. Furthermore, players weren''t mindful of the hierarchy in social classes as the aborigines were, which was why this wasn''t a big deal for Rhode.


    However, this doubt only lasted a few seconds in Natalya''s head as she smiled without expressing her thoughts. Rhode was filled with anticipation as he received the box. In the game, players would receive a list of equipment after handing in the Bone List and although the list of equipment wasn''t necessarily powerful, all of them were rare and one of a kind. Furthermore, it was the generous Royal Highness Lydia who was rewarding him. So�� What would it be?


    Rhode opened the lid slowly and his eyes widened after recognizing the item in the box.


    A pair of extraordinarily stunning, delicate daggers laid within. Their white, flawless sharp blades were 60cm in length, shimmering in hallucinatory glow under the bright sunlight. Gold and silver lining studded the hilt, crafting two beautiful flowers. As Rhode tilted the daggers, he observed a line of sacred, unadorned text carved on the blade tips. For unknown reasons, Rhode felt strangely familiar with this pair of daggers.


    At this moment, he felt a burst of emotions emerging from the bottom of his heart.

 Chapter 432 Third Talent Tree?

    Returning to his room in the inn, Rhode placed the box on the table and began to examine the pair of daggers carefully. As his hand hovered above them, the cards of Celia and Celestina emerged on his palm. The cards spun non-stop, glistening with hallucinatory aura, as though reacting to the surroundings. At this moment, similar white radiance glowed from the daggers, shining in symphony with the two cards, responding to their calling.


    I see.


    Rhode could confirm that these two daggers were indeed part of the Holy Sword Card Deck. However, Rhode was dubious because previously, these two cards only appeared after awakening their Soul of Existence. But since these two daggers are present and don''t require awakening, what should I do?


    A Spirit Swordsman had the ability to seal living creatures into cards. However, the creature must be alive. As long as the living creatures agreed, the Spirit Swordsman could seal them into cards while they were alive. However, those living creatures had self-consciousness. From the start, the Holy Sword Card Deck were lifeless cards and only when Rhode awakened them forcefully would they have the ability to transform into human figures.


    However, Rhode was at his wit''s end facing these two lifeless daggers. Since he couldn''t possibly ask them if they would like to be his summon spirits, what should he do?


    Rhode sighed and clenched his fist. Two floating cards shattered in his palms and Celia and Celestina emerged.


    Celia lowered her head as soon as she appeared, bowing respectfully. "I''m sorry, Master. We weren''t able to offer you help when you needed us the most��"


    "You don''t have to apologize, Celia." It wasn''t Rhode who said that, but Celestina. The demon young lady leaned against the wall, gazing at Rhode in disdain. Although her expression didn''t reveal her true thoughts, her eyes betrayed how she regarded Rhode. "It wasn''t your fault. It was just because our Master was too weak, draining all his energy dealing with a few maggots. Ha, what a joke. It''s just our luck to have him as our Master."


    Rhode frowned and ignored Celestina''s utterance. This demonic young lady was indeed too troublesome for him to handle. She was basically standoffish to his commands and often sarcastic in her words. However, even though her statements kind of made sense, Rhode didn''t feel respected. As long as Celestina didn''t go against his orders and create trouble for him during battle, he wouldn''t argue with her.


    Rhode neglected her words as he pointed to the daggers that laid quietly in the box. "What do you two think of them?"


    The sisters shifted their attention to the daggers and their expressions changed slightly. "That''s the�� No wonder I felt a familiar aura around me��"


    Celestina walked towards the daggers and gently caressed them as she spoke. However, she paused halfway and swept a glance at Rhode vigilantly. It was as though Rhode wasn''t her master, but her enemy instead. The demonic young lady retracted her hand and turned around.


    "Let''s go, Celia. If our master can''t even resolve this problem by himself, then he doesn''t have the right to obtain the Holy Sword." A black mist emerged and shrouded Celestina before she eventually returned to the state of a card, disappearing into thin air. Meanwhile, Celia wore a difficult expression as she puckered her brows slightly, gazing at Rhode helplessly. She was about to comment, but let out a sigh instead.


    "I''m very sorry, Master. Although I want to say something, Sister is right. This is the experience that you as a Holy Sword Holder should go through and not seek our help for. You have to rely on your own strength to awaken them." Celia bowed solemnly and transformed into a card, disappearing too.


    Got to say, the sisters'' reactions astonished Rhode as he didn''t expect them to refuse to offer any help or even give a tip. Although it wasn''t rare for Celestina to behave this way, to have Celia disobeying himself seemed like he definitely needed to resolve this all by himself.


    Rhode sunk into deep thought, picking up the two daggers.


    These two daggers were weighed equally and reasonably light, with a suitable touch and great balance overall. It was obvious that these two daggers were made for dual-wielding and they gave Rhode an entirely different feel compared to every other weapon that he had. The Star Mark, Succubus, or Crimson Blade were all one-handed swords and although it was fine to wield them with both hands, the difference in length and balance were difficult to grasp. However, these two daggers were perfect in terms of length and balance, which showed that they were used as a set.


    Rhode closed his eyes and felt the two mysterious weapons in his hands. Soon, lines of system prompt emerged before him.


    [Madaras �� Runes Dagger. Born under the glory of magic, inheriting a mysterious honor. Magical Immunity 15%. Reconciliation 30%. Speed Increase 30%]


    [Gracier �� Dawn Destroyer. All beings surrender to it. Physical Immunity 15%. Blade Sharpness 30%. Balance 30%]


    Rhode was quick to realize that these two weapons were counterparts of each other. Madaras was a Runes Dagger that possessed powerful magical resistance and attack while Gracier, a Dawn Destroyer, stacked physical resistance and attack. Their magical and physical immunities were what Rhode paid close attention to. Got to say, these points were the most worthy of praise. Meanwhile, their only flaw was the low success rate of only 15%. Furthermore, the descriptions stated that the chances would be randomly triggered, which wasn''t that appealing because it meant that the chance could be triggered at any time. It would be great if the chances were triggered during battle and aid Rhode in reversing any grave situations. However, if they were to take effect in non-threatening situations and lose their chance in crucial moments, it would be a pity.


    Other than this flaw, the ''Reconciliation'', ''Speed Increase'', ''Sharp Blade'', and ''Balance'' was rather decent. However, they were only decent compared to an ordinary weapon. Although these daggers were rare in comparison to ordinary weapons, these features were still lacking when put against the Holy Sword Card Deck. The weapon attributes of the Star Mark and Succubus were high in values and most importantly, both of them had their very own unique techniques, whereas these two daggers had none. Apart from their names and weapon attributes, there was nothing else unique.


    It seems like it has something to do with the two daggers themselves��


    Rhode recalled Celestina''s words. Although this demonic young lady spewed unsympathetic and harsh words, Rhode managed to capture some hints. Both daggers hadn''t displayed their full potential, so there must be something he didn''t do well enough, causing them to not awaken fully.


    However, Rhode had no clue on how he should awaken these two daggers. He shut his eyes and attempted calling out to them spiritually. But there was no response.


    Without any choice, Rhode placed the daggers by the side and considered other matters.


    And that was his leveling.


    Rhode rose by two levels and reached level 30 after defeating Vulture and the Necromancer. Apart from the four skill points that he received from leveling up, there weren''t any special rewards for hitting the level 30 milestone. Initially, Rhode had decided to increase the skill points for the talents of the Soul Messenger and Summoning Master. However, after these two battles, Rhode felt that he needed to reconsider his decision.


    The reason was the Legion Horn.


    Rhode realized that there was an upward trend of his usage in the Legion Horn because most enemies he fought were higher in levels than him. The powerful ability of the Legion Horn couldn''t be neglected when it came to guaranteeing an instant-kill to these enemies. However, it was the energy consumption of the Legion Horn that had always been Rhode''s biggest headache. In the game, Spirit Swordsman would seize the opportunity to use the Legion Horn against a BOSS when the BOSS was low in HP. Whereas for PK, there was no need for explanation. The Spirit Swordsman needed to grasp the weakness of their opponent and only tragedy awaited if they missed.


    In the game, players could make steady progress incrementally in defeating monsters roaming in different areas. However, Rhode couldn''t in this real world, especially when there was an Ice Lake mission right after the Castel Plateau Ruins mission. In such a situation, it became especially important in pursuing the ability to instant-kill. However, the aftermath of the Legion Horn became a huge problem that troubled him the most. Just like this time, he defeated Vulture in a breeze with it, but he needed to be on the run from the Necromancer as he didn''t have the energy to continue the duel against him. Rhode was fortunate that he met Paris; if not, he would have relied on unlocking Gillian''s seal to settle this problem.


    But Gillian would only be able to resolve such problems once.


    After consideration, Rhode decided that the best alternative was to increase his survivability. Rhode wasn''t worried about his physique that much because his spiritual energy was much more critical as the growth of spiritual energy capacity was the slowest. In the deepest parts of the [Soul Messenger] talent tree, there was a talent that allowed the holder to restore full health and condition on the spot (Of course, with the condition that the holder was alive). However, Rhode needed to complete the first two stages of talents fully and moreover, he would need to reach about level 40 to do so.


    At this moment, Rhode shifted his attention to the other talent: [Soul Territory].


    [Soul Territory: Automatically casts a halo. The holder can absorb the spiritual energy of the creatures that the holder has killed by 10%, 20%, 30%. Quantity can be stacked]


    This sounded like a suitable talent for Rhode.


    But the problem was that this talent laid in the third Talent Tree: Hell Lord.


    Rhode was hesitant.


    Do I really have to activate the third Talent Tree?

 Chapter 433 Talent Fusion

    There was a reason for Rhode''s hesitation because from the start, he had no intention of building the Hell Lord Talent.


    Compared to the Summoning Master Talent and Soul Messenger Talent, the Hell Lord Talent was a much more mediocre talent focusing on self-sufficiency and comprehensive development. But, as the saying goes, there''s nothing perfect in this world. The Hell Lord Talent''s comprehensive development was configured in a way that the damage output wouldn''t be as powerful as the Soul Messenger Talent and it wouldn''t be as efficient as the Summoning Master Talent in terms of providing assistance. There was once a player who had filled all the skill points in the three Talent Trees as an experiment. In the end, he concluded that the output from the Soul Messenger Talent and Summoning Master Talent was stronger than the Hell Lord Talent. Furthermore, all the damage output of the Hell Lord Talent was in team battles; in dungeon battles or PK, it wasn''t impressive at all. The only merit was during individual missions where its endurance abilities would bring a certain advantage.


    To be frank, this advantage wasn''t attractive to Rhode, nor most other players. However, there were some lone rangers who were used to playing games alone and treated MMORPG games as single-player games. Furthermore, they often explored the gaming world alone and were unwilling to bicker with others over the distribution of spoils. This was why the Hell Lord Talent was considered cost-effective for them as they loved to go on adventures alone and lacked support in many aspects. With certain probabilities, the Hell Lord Talent could provide them with Soul Cores and save them a lot of time and money from spending on auction purchases.


    Compared to the other two Talent Trees, the Hell Lord Talent allowed the holder to summon the most spirits by using its talent ''Spirit Disaster''. This talent allowed the holder to manipulate corpses within a certain range into using own summoning spirits to engage in battles. Furthermore, this would only consume a low amount of spiritual energy and usually, this skill would be enough to turn the tide in battle.


    However, the biggest drawback of this talent was that the holder could summon spirits of the undead attribute only. This also signified that when the holder with this talent met a Fire Elemental Mage, Holy Knight, or Cleric, he could only prepare to lose��


    It definitely wasn''t Rhode''s style to hang himself on the tree, which was why he had no intention of building the Hell Lord Talent.


    But Rhode had to reconsider everything. The Hell Lord Talent''s only advantage was its endurance and right now, wasn''t that what he needed the most?


    Will it be worth it to waste precious skill points on this talent just for the sake of this endurance ability alone? Rhode couldn''t decide. In terms of endurance, it wasn''t that the Summoning Master Talent and Soul Messenger Talent had none. The Soul Messenger Talent had another Talent, [Legion Soul], to work in collaboration with [Legion Horn]. Rhode just needed to fulfill a condition and he could cast [Legion Horn] without exhausting any spiritual energy. As for the Summoning Master Talent, there was a Talent, [Intense Meditation], where Spirit Swordsmen could increase the rate of spiritual energy recovery during battle.


    However, this was where the problem was. These two talents were located in the later and deeper stages of the Talent Trees. Even though Rhode received two skill points every time he leveled up, he needed to be at least level 40 to 50 before he could activate these talents. On the other hand, the [Soul Territory] could be filled to its maximum as it was located on the First Stage on the Hell Lord Talent.


    However, it wouldn''t be that simple as Rhode had pre-planned the build for his two Talent Trees and most importantly, he didn''t know if he would be able to reset his skill points in this world. This was why he had been cautious in distributing skill points. After all, Talent Trees must be interrelated, where active skills could stimulate passive skills and passive skills could influence active skills, increasing probabilities, and damage. All these affected how one handled these skills effectively and required paying particular attention to. Itd wasn''t as simple as just increasing the skill points of whichever talent that seemed great. The entire Talent Tree was like stacking blocks where the entire block would collapse if one drew three blocks from the bottom.


    If Rhode moved these three skill points to the Hell Lord Talent, that would mean that he had to give up part of the other Talent Trees. To Rhode, this was a question of whether it was worth it or not. Was it necessary for him to make such huge changes for the sake of endurance in an extra Talent?


    Rhode had two choices: to modify his existing plans and add the three skill points to the Hell Lord Talent or to continue focusing on developing one Talent Tree and achieve the specific talent that he wanted in the shortest time.


    In the end, Rhode made a decision.


    As his levels increased, it was getting incrementally harder for him to increase his levels as the EXP requirements were much higher. The EXP that he received from killing Vulture and the Necromancer had increased his level by two and even if he managed to complete the two upcoming 5 Star Missions, the EXP might not be enough to successfully raise him to level 40. His endurance ability was a problem which he needed a solution the most. Furthermore, Rhode needed to conserve his spiritual energy for the next 5 Star Mission. Considering the importance of priority, Rhode made a self-evident decision.


    "Talent, activate." The Talent Tree system emerged before him as he commanded. The Soul Messenger and Summoning Master Talent were abnormally glaring while the Hell Lord Talent was dimmed fully. Rhode reached out for the Talent Tree before him and slid across.


    A line of system prompt emerged.


    [Consuming 3 skill points on selected Talent Tree �� Hell Lord unlocked]


    [Hell Lord First Stage Talent Unlock: Soul Territory. Bone Signal. Death Incantation]


    [Received Halo Technique: Soul Territory LV3 (The holder can absorb the spiritual energies of the creatures that the holder has killed by 30%) Quantity stackable]


    [Halo Technique Awakened]


    Rhode let out a sigh of relief and stored the remaining skill points. At this moment, he required only the Soul Territory while the other two new talents weren''t that attractive to Rhode and he had no intentions on activating them. A line of system prompt suddenly appeared before his eyes.


    [Talent Tree Fully Activated. Executing Fusion Command]


    "Eh?" Rhode puckered his brows as he had never heard of the ''Talent Tree Fully Activated'' and ''Fusion Command''. However, as Rhode was doubting, the bleak Hell Lord Talent Tree suddenly shone in rays of glaring, golden radiance while the other two Talent Trees began to glow correspondingly. The dazzling rays of light forced his eyes shut.


    After a few seconds, Rhode re-opened his eyes to examine the Talent Tree again. And what presented itself baffled him.


    At this moment, the Talent Tree system had totally transformed into something unlike before.


    The three Talent Trees system used to be separate. But now, they seemed to be the roots of a tree. The path of the three Talent Trees intertwined densely. Although there weren''t many changes in general, some of the talents belonging to the Summoning Master Talent had become under the Soul Messenger Talent while the Hell Lord Talent had a few techniques belonging to the Soul Messenger��


    What is this all about?


    Rhode''s mind went blank and he realized that his past plannings were most likely useless now. Rhode couldn''t understand why his Talent Tree system would have such a change.


    He flipped through the past records of the System Prompt and read the line of [Talent Tree Fully Activated. Executing Fusion Command]


    Is this a preinstalled function of the Talent Tree?


    In the game, the Talent Tree didn''t have such a function even when some players had activated all three Talent Trees. But why did this happen to me?


    It was Rhode''s strong point to give up thinking about an unresolvable problem. He threw all the doubts to the back of his mind and began to examine the Talent Tree carefully. Rhode was fortunate that all the talents that he possessed belonged to the first three stages only and their differences were still fairly obvious, so there weren''t many changes to the talents which he already had. However, in the later stages, the talents were more tangled. There were some talents that fused into totally different kinds that he wasn''t aware of and Rhode hopelessly realized that all the hard work that he had put in for the build of the Talent Tree might need to be abolished��


    However, apart from this, Rhode found something unexpected.


    There used to be the representative names below each Talent Trees respectively. In other words, there would be [Summoning Master], [Soul Messenger], and [Hell Lord] at the lowest end. After the Talent Trees fused, there weren''t any changes to their positions. However, Rhode noticed that the lines extending below their names were entangled.


    But there was no information stated in them. Rhode tapped on the interface but there was no reaction, as though it was a texture bug.


    What exactly is this?

 Chapter 434 The Keys Whereabouts

    In the end, Rhode wasn''t able to figure out what the new Talent Tree was about and he roughly guessed that it would be an ultimate talent. However, he had no idea why this talent didn''t reveal any information at all. Could it be that this world was similar to the gaming world where the information had to be patched before it could be revealed fully?


    Rhode felt that this was too improbable.


    However, he didn''t have the time to consider something which he couldn''t figure out anymore because Gillian had returned to the inn and brought some bad news for Rhode. Rhode''s group had been noticed by the Eagle City''s internal officials and Gillian had also detected many people were observing them in the dark. Moreover, she faced some harassment, but these troubles were nothing for the Fire Elemental Lord. Even though a majority of Eagle City civilians weren''t hostile to them, there might be accidents waiting to happen if this went on for long.


    Other than this piece of news, Gillian also brought along some good news. She had received intelligence on the key for the underground maze. The four key fragments were currently in the safe of an auction house, waiting to be auctioned off as an ornament. If Rhode wished to get his hands on them, the only way would be to participate in the auction.


    But the problem was��


    "This auction only permits the local noble celebrities of Eagle City to participate?" Rhode frowned with a solemn expression as he gazed at the piece of paper in his hand.


    Meanwhile, Gillian shrugged her shoulders and curled up on the sofa like a domestic cat. "That''s right, Master. I''ve tried bribing but it didn''t work as only insiders could partake in it. Although this can''t be considered as any shenanigans or conspiracy, the requirements are too difficult for people of our identity."


    "This is really troublesome��" Rhode puckered his brows as this was a great opportunity. Furthermore, it would be for the best if he could obtain the key fragments through this auction. Otherwise, he might need to travel all over the place and retrieve them through dishonest methods. Although Rhode didn''t have any mental conflicts using these methods, he was concerned that the messy situation in the Eagle City might bombard his reasons and objectives. Overall, it would be wise to obtain them legally and avoid any criticism.


    But�� Were there really no other ideas?


    Rhode shifted his attention to the door and stood up. "Gillian, look after Anne and make sure she doesn''t get into any trouble. I''ll be right back."


    "No problem, Master," Gillian was slightly astonished and the fox-eared young lady revealed a pensive smile while winking at Rhode. "Aight, I wish you all the best~"


    As a matter of fact, Rhode''s method was simple and direct. Since they had no right to enter the auction, the only way was to find someone who could and bring him along. Although Barter was qualified, Rhode had no intention of seeking his help since both of them were eventually competitors. Moreover, Barter was currently not in the Eagle City, so it wouldn''t be easy to get his help on this.


    However, this didn''t mean that Rhode had no suitable candidate for this job.


    "Mr. Rhode." As soon as Rhode entered the parlor, Natasha greeted him with a wide smile and lifted the ends of her skirt slightly while scuttling towards him. This time, this rich daughter of the city owner was wearing her usual, exquisite dress, unlike the miserably tattered clothes while they were on the run. Furthermore, it seemed that she was much staunch and courageous after going through that tough period of time. On the other hand, Grendy followed Natasha closely as usual and it seemed that both of them were really close. "I didn''t expect you to visit me. If it weren''t for you and your men, we definitely wouldn''t have escaped from the hands of that Necromancer�� I''m really sorry for not expressing our gratitude before."


    Natasha''s expression turned gloomy because when Natasha and Grendy arrived at Eagle City that night, they were brought back home by the city owner and Safety Officer immediately. Meanwhile, Rhode''s group was led to the Battle Angel Army encampment to hand over the Bone List. As the situation was hectic, the city owner thanked Rhode''s group and left briefly, leaving Natasha and Grendy without the chance to thank their benefactors. They felt unsettled because even though Rhode indeed wasn''t concerned about their life or death when they first met, they had seen how Rhode did his utmost to protect them afterwards. If it weren''t for him, perhaps neither of them would have made it back alive.


    "Don''t worry about it, Miss Natasha; we weren''t mindful of that. It''s a perfect ending since everyone is well and alive." Rhode consoled the depressed young lady. "To be frank, there is something that I hope Miss Natasha can help me with��"


    "What is it?" The young lady lifted her spirits and raised her head hurriedly to gaze at Rhode. "If it is something that we can help with, I will definitely do my best, Mr Rhode."


    "Actually, it isn''t that big of a deal," Rhode spread his arms apart and explained. "It''s like this, Miss Natasha. I want to take part in an auction that is going to be held here, in Eagle City. To be honest, something that I desire will be auctioned there. But I guess you are also aware that this auction is only opened to local noble celebrities and outsiders like me definitely can''t get into the auction house. That thing is very important to me and if possible, I hope you can offer me some help to obtain the rights for us to participate in this auction��"


    "Auction?" Natasha was slightly taken aback as she didn''t expect that Rhode would be here for this purpose. She had participated in the Eagle City auction and she was aware that there was such a prominent rule. However, rules were dead and humans were alive. It was possible to bring friends along, but the organizers must be informed beforehand. No matter what, the behind-the-scenes supporter of this event held high influence in this region and if one ever broke their rules without informing, they would definitely bear grudges.


    Natasha didn''t understand too much of the complex matters, however, she felt that she could give Rhode a hand on his favor. "I don''t think there''s a problem, Mr. Rhode. Please wait here for a moment, I''ll be right back."


    Natasha turned around and left the parlor, leaving Rhode and Grendy. Rhode shrugged his shoulders and didn''t speak a word as he lifted his teacup and savored the fragrant red tea, admiring the scenery curiously while awaiting Natasha''s good news. Then, Rhode turned towards Grendy. The young swordsman stood straight up and revealed an awkward smile after detecting Rhode''s gaze. "Mr. Rhode, this��"


    "I can see that you two are pretty close." Rhode nodded at Grendy. "How are you two doing?"


    "Thanks to Mr. Rhode, everything is fine," Grendy answered with a hesitant expression. He observed the surrounding for a brief moment before approaching Rhode and spoke in a soft tone. "�� Although I shouldn''t say this, I heard from my father that Eagle City hasn''t been too peaceful lately, so please be careful, Mr. Rhode. Also, I heard that someone is attempting to harm you."


    "Thanks for your reminder," Rhode nodded in acknowledgment slightly. As he had heard from Barter on this previously, he was mentally prepared for Grendy''s reminder. However, did it mean that their actions would become apparent soon since even Grendy is aware of it?


    At this moment, Rhode sensed a sinister, ice-cold stare from behind him.


    However, he didn''t turn around instantly. Instead, he placed the teacup on the table and shut his eyes, focusing his perception on that line of sight�� But that person suddenly withdrew his stares and fled swiftly.


    Who exactly is that?


    Kacha. Soon after Rhode returned to his senses, the parlor door opened and Natasha entered, grinning from ear to ear.


    "No problem, Mr. Rhode, I''ve spoken to my father about it." Natasha handed three badges to Rhode. "There won''t be any problems as long as you, Gillian, and Anne enter the auction house and display these three badges before it starts�� Grendy and I will be there too, so please be assured."


    Great.


    Although Rhode''s mind was occupied with that line of sight, his expression didn''t reveal his thoughts. Instead, Rhode stood up and accepted the three badges. "Thanks for your help, Miss Natasha."

 Chapter 435 A Complicated Auction 1/3

    As night fell, the winds swept across the prairie and brightly-lit lanterns signified the start of the Eagle City''s Flash Auction. As an auction that strictly limited the number of participants and their identities, the Eagle City''s Flash Auction was set up in dark, gloomy coloration. Just like the world has its own day and night, the Flash Auction had its own black and white sides and anything could be sold and purchased here. The main items would mainly consist of treasures, armor, and magical equipment that mercenary groups or guilds had obtained during their adventures. Sometimes, there would be rare gems, materials, Magic Herbs, or even humans for sale. However, these transactions were extremely confidential and the auction would disallow them unless it was being sold by their trusted partners.


    The Flash Auction was located in the busy east district of Eagle City, far from the Battle Angel Army encampment. It seemed like the organizers were aware that although the Battle Angels weren''t interested in getting involved with these shady matters, they weren''t dumb enough to provoke them by setting this event under their watch.


    The main streets were bustling because it was time for people to return home from their daily errands. However, it was quiet and solemn around the auction house with fully armored guards blocking the roads to provide the attendees a peaceful, quiet, and safe environment. Several noble celebrities donned in their rich attires had arrived at the venue in their chariots, chatting cheerfully and wittily. After all, most of the attendees knew one another due to the strict rule of the Flash Auction. But without a doubt, there would always be new faces that would steal the show.


    As Rhode and his group exited the chariot, many nobles turned their gazes towards them. It wasn''t just due to their unfamiliar faces, but also their oddly charming appearance that attracted their attention.


    Rhode led the group with his trim black, formal attire with a brown wooden cane in his hand. His shoulder-length hair flowed smoothly while his dark eyes squinted slightly. Although Rhode was donned in an undoubtedly male attire, everyone who witnessed his fine, beautiful oval face couldn''t help but mistake him as a female. However, there was an undeniable faint, ice-cold aura emitting from his expression that warned everyone just how dangerous he was.


    If Rhode could be said as an untouchable, beautiful ice sculpture, Gillian would be the alluring cocktail. The bright red off-shoulder dress outlined Gillian''s seductive curves and ample chest ingeniously. Her long pink hair fell softly on her fair, tender shoulders, letting off an elegant charisma while her fluffy tail and ears heightened her loveliness. A glance at her was as though downing a cocktail, leaving one burning and yearning for more.


    Anne was equally dazzling.


    Anne didn''t dress up as Rhode and Gillian did. Instead, she was clad in her usual white leather while carrying her large, heavy shield on her back. However, this was exactly the touch of difference that the well-dressed nobles felt from her. Furthermore, this young lady had a vibrant, youthful smile which left them a favorable impression.


    Of course, it wasn''t purely due to their outstanding appearances that made them the center of attention. As a matter of fact, although this was the first time that these nobles had met Rhode, they had heard of his name for a long time. Thanks to the Midsummer Festival, Rhode had received practical benefits and left a deep, favorable impression in many of the nobles'' hearts. Many nobles favored him for his mightiness and furthermore, they suspected that his mysterious background might actually be very powerful. After the Midsummer Festival, many of them felt that perhaps a new force would rise in this country soon.


    Because of this, many nobles weren''t surprised to see Rhode''s group in this auction. Instead, some of them were considering if they should use this opportunity to gain a closer relationship with him. Even though Rhode''s powers were in Paphield and not here, he had Marlene and Lize, two powerful political backings. Perhaps the nobles might even stand a chance to work with the Senia Family and the King''s Party, which would definitely be worthwhile.


    However, this was only an auction venue and not a drinking party. It wouldn''t be well-mannered of them to greet directly.


    "Mr. Rhode. Miss Gillian. Miss Anne." Natasha lifted the ends of her skirt lightly while approaching the group. Meanwhile, Grendy was clad in his armor and following closely behind her. The young swordsman was astounded as soon as he witnessed Rhode''s group. He lowered his head shyly and bowed to the three of them.


    "Miss Natasha. Mr. Grendy. I''m glad to see you two here." Rhode greeted them and observed the surroundings as he could sense that there were many people in the crowd sizing them up with gazes filled with curiosity, excitement, unfamiliarity, and alertness. However, this was a normal reaction to expect since this was a small venue and Rhode''s group was indeed filled with outsiders. But Rhode was here for the auction only and he had no intention of mingling with the crowd. Natasha led the group towards the auction venue.


    "I''ve spoken to my father and you can use our private compartment today. Please be assured, Mr. Rhode. With us here, we believe that the item that you want won''t be snatched by others," Natasha spoke with a friendly smile and with a hint of pride in the expression. It seemed that this young lady was proud of her family and she seemed to have her own views on matters now. That torture must have affected her a lot, and it developed for the better. But��


    Rhode suddenly felt a sinister stare from the crowd. However, it lasted for only a second.


    "What''s wrong, Mr. Rhode?" Natasha asked curiously as Rhode stopped his movement and observed the surroundings. After exchanging glances with Gillian, Rhode shook his head.


    "No, it''s nothing. Let''s go." Rhode lifted his head and entered the auction venue.


    The entire auction venue wasn''t huge in scale. It was similar to a circular theater, with trapezoidal rows of seats before the stage. The luxuriously decorated private compartments were located in the comfortable, open areas by the walls beside the ''stage'' and the observers inside had a panoramic view of the entire auction. At this moment, the private compartments were fully occupied and the compartments were covered with red velvet curtains supported by brass brackets in order to prove the guests with a quiet, comfortable space.


    As the city owner of the Eagle City, the treatment was clearly better. Not only were there soft, comfortable sofas, there were even delicious wine, fruits, cakes, and food. There was a list of auction items on the mahogany table before them and Rhode spotted his target quickly. The keys to access the underground maze was ridiculously named on the list as a ''Magical Adornment''. However, this wasn''t much of a surprise because, after all, this key didn''t look like a key at all. Instead, it looked like a slate puzzle.


    Soon, everyone sat in their seats and Rhode naturally was seated with Gillian and Anne while Natasha and Grendy were beside them, whispering into each other''s ears excitedly regarding the auction. An old man in a butler uniform stood quietly by the side, ready to serve everyone.


    "Have you sensed it, Master?" As Rhode flipped through the list, Gillian leaned to his ears sneakily and whispered.


    "Of course. But, let''s wait and see." As the two of them spoke, the bells tinkled crisply and the magical radiance revolving around the theatre faded dramatically. Within a few seconds, the bustling venue restored its peace gradually. All the distinguished guests in the private compartments and the ordinary guests by the seats sat straight and shifted their attention to the stage before them.


    An auctioneer in a tuxedo stepped onto the stage.


    The auction had officially began.

 Chapter 436 A Complicated Auction 2/3

    From the start, the enthusiasm in the auction wasn''t that great as the auctioned items were mainly irrelevant. Although the items were popular amongst the noble ladies, Rhode had no interest in them at all. He was waiting for the opportune timing patiently. Natasha had successfully bid herself a beautiful crystal sculpture with 1500 gold coins while Grendy was eager to give bidding a try as he seemed to have taken a liking for a magical sword.


    Soon, the auctioneer revealed his 13th auction item�� That was a pair of beautiful Emerald Earrings. The auctioneer explained that this pair of earrings was made with an ancient craftsmanship and it was perfectly preserved. Fine silver lines wrapped around the emerald, arousing everyone''s hearts. This pair of earrings had a starting bidding price of 800 gold coins��


    However, this price was nothing for the vain nobles. The bidding for this item began and its price rose to 1600 gold coins. Normally, it would be rare for a pair of Emerald Earrings to be sold at this price. However, Natasha and Grendy didn''t have any reactions because it seemed that they were used to the lavish splurges of these nobles. On the other hand, Anne widened her eyes in shock as she laid by the window and stared at the earrings


    "That''s ridiculous�� A pair of earrings can be sold for at least 1000 gold coins�� Anne definitely can''t afford it��" Anne gawked at the pair of earrings on the auctioneer''s hand and shook her head. Rhode squinted his eyes slightly before raising his arm and gesturing to the old butler. The butler announced.


    1800 gold coins.


    After hearing Rhode''s bidding price, many bidders had given up. Within all the bidders, only one was left and he bid after hesitating for a long time.


    2000 gold coins.


    Rhode''s expression remained unchanged as he raised his arm again.


    2500 gold coins.


    This bidding price stomped the other bidder completely. After hesitating for a while, he chose to give up. The auctioneer struck his gavel thrice and the pair of Emerald Earrings was delivered to Rhode''s compartment. After paying off the sum, Rhode took over the earrings. However, Rhode didn''t even look at it once. "Anne."


    "Eh?" As Anne turned around, Rhode tossed the pair of earrings to her, which startled the young lady. Anne caught the earrings with her fast reflexes and she was baffled. "Eh? Leader, this��"


    "This is for you. You can have it." Rhode turned around and observed the ongoing auction. Anne stared at the Emerald Earrings in her hands and after a few moments, the young lady unveiled a brilliant smile and nodded at Rhode delightfully. "Thank you, Leader! Anne will keep it then!"


    Anne stretched her hands out and put on the earrings impatiently. The young lady scuttled to Rhode''s side wildly and hugged his arm. "How does it look, Leader? Nice?"


    "Of course. It looks great on you." Rhode caressed Anne''s hair gently while Anne squinted her eyes like a satisfied cat. As Anne returned to the window to continue observing the auction, Rhode turned his gaze to Gillian who was sitting beside him and secretly pinching his thigh. Rhode knew that this fox-eared young lady must''ve been envious even though she didn''t reveal it on her expression. He let out a hopeless sigh. "Don''t worry, I''ll get one for you too."


    After bidding for the Emerald Earrings, Rhode spent another 3000 gold coins to bid a Ruby Ring for Gillian and the fox-eared young lady finally released him from her pincers. Natasha and Grendy exchanged looks curiously because they didn''t know why Rhode wanted to take part in this auction. But it seemed that Rhode must be similar to the other nobles, who probably just wished to bid for something rare and interesting.


    As though to confirm their guesses, Rhode continuously bid for three items at 4000, 3500, and 4600 gold coins for a Crystal Necklace, Platinum Bracelet, and a bracelet made up of rainbow gemstones respectively. Natasha was baffled as Rhode gave her a conception that he was a noble who had too much to splurge. These accessories weren''t too useful and she thought that Rhode wouldn''t have any interest in them. But now, Rhode actually spent over 10k gold coins. Could it be that his hobby was in collecting these accessories?


    The first segment of the auction came to an end and Rhode''s target for the day finally appeared. The four slates namely the ''Beautiful Magical Adornment'' displayed before the auctioneer. According to the auctioneer, this was an item discovered in a historical ruins by a mercenary group.


    The minimum bid was 4500 gold coins.


    The nobles didn''t fancy such items. As a matter of fact, the nobles'' characteristics were similar to peacocks where they favored eye-catching and dazzling items. These ancient, mysterious, heritage items were too deep and profound for them.


    However, not everyone was uninterested in such an item with a sense of mysteriousness. Soon, someone rose the bid.


    4800 gold coins.


    When there''s a first, there will be a second and a third. However, such an item eventually wasn''t useful for most of the nobles and their bidding prices weren''t astronomical. When it was Rhode''s turn to bid, the price was set at 6200 gold coins. Rhode made a decision instantly.


    6500 gold coins.


    This price set the entire auction into dead silence. However, in the shadows of this auction venue, a crafty-looking man was staring at Rhode while licking his lips slyly. "Ivan, shall we?"


    "Do it and let''s observe the situation first." A man, with his face covered by the shadow, responded with a deep voice. The man sounded as though he was in his thirties. "We''ve opposed a few times but we eventually failed. Don''t forget why we''re here. That man is definitely not here for these useless items and ornaments. Observe the situation, but don''t attract that man''s attention.


    "I understand," the man nodded and lifted his bidding plate.


    6800 gold coins.


    This bidding price changed the atmosphere of the entire auction venue. Everyone was whispering ear to ear while examining the four slates on the stage as they couldn''t figure out how this weird looking thing could fetch such a high price. Suddenly, the private compartment above them accepted the challenge.


    7000 gold coins.


    Rhode had no intention of giving up.


    7200 gold coins.


    The other bidder went into silence for a moment and announced their price.


    7500 gold coins.


    Now, it was Rhode''s turn to fall into silence. He didn''t respond immediately; instead, he sat on the sofa, lifting the wineglass casually while gazing down at the auction venue. At this moment, the others in the compartment were looking at Rhode with uncertainty because they knew that the bidding for this item that Rhode wanted wasn''t that easy.


    "Leader?" Anne puckered her brows and gazed at Rhode. However, Rhode was as though a sommelier, appreciating the delicious wine in his wine glass. It was only after the auctioneer knocked on his gavel once when Rhode made a hand gesture.


    7700 gold coins.


    This time, no one challenged him.


    "Ivan?" The man shrieked in shock while his companion hiding in the shadows groaned. "Give up."


    "Give up? Ivan, are you sure? That guy seems to want this thing a lot." The man gazed in doubt and frowned. "You see, that guy is willing to pay 7700 gold coins and although we don''t know what''s so special about that thing�� Shall we experiment it?"


    "There''s no need to." The man in the shadows gestured with his hand decisively. "Didn''t you see? That man didn''t respond instantly after the second bid from the other bidder. He must be hesitant of his desire for this item; if not, he wouldn''t decide to bid for it only after the auctioneer strikes the gavel once. This shouldn''t be the item that he wants because there is no reason for him to hesitate for so long. Also, he raises the bid by 200 gold coins every time and didn''t attempt to raise the price by a huge amount to force the other bidder away. This goes to show that this thing isn''t necessary for him�� Continue to observe. It''s not over yet."


    "Alright, I understand." The man nodded convincingly as he indeed didn''t notice these behaviors�� It seemed rather logical to him.


    The gavel struck thrice.


    Rhode let out a sigh of relief and placed the wine glass on the table. At the same time, he retrieved a handkerchief and wiped the sweat in his palms. As a matter of fact, Rhode was nervous even though he seemed nonchalant. Ever since he entered this auction venue and sensed some malicious stares, he was worried that someone would give him a hard time during the auction. Indeed, there were a few occasions when someone rose the bidding price purposely. Rhode had observed that the opposing bidder came from a particular seat below him.


    Rhode bid for a handful of accessories previously in order to bait out his enemies. After confirming who his enemies were, he gave up on a few bids on purpose and took down a few at the same time. This was to confuse the enemies of his real intentions and apparently, it worked out pretty well.


    However, it wasn''t over yet.


    Rhode couldn''t let off these people with potential threats to him.


    The keys to the maze were delivered to Rhode and he kept it in the Spatial Bag safely. Then, he picked up the list of auction items again, focusing his attention on the finale of this auction.

 Chapter 437 A Complicated Auction 3/3

    Rhode had accomplished his mission after bidding for the keys. He stopped bidding for other items and entertained himself by observing the other nobles bid. After the initial hype of the auction, the value of the remaining auctioned items rose increasingly. Shortly after, the entire auction venue was bustling with noise. Rhode had to admit that the organizers indeed had impressive goods to garner the attention of the noble celebrities in Eagle City. There were treasures and equipment which even he couldn''t help but drool at. But he didn''t bid for them because their prices were too expensive. Moreover, his rich experience in the game proved that he could obtain equal or even better replacements if he had enough time to hunt for them. This was why he found it meaningless to squander money on them. After further consideration, he eventually decided to give up those beautiful equipment.


    On the other hand, Grendy struggled to bid against the nobles for this particular magical sword. The price of the magical sword rose steadily and Grendy purchased the sword with a Frost Attribute for a total of 50k gold coins. Anne shook her head as she couldn''t understand why he would spend 50k gold coins on just a sword. Rhode didn''t express his views and even though he felt like the price was on the high side for a magical sword with only a Frost Attribute, the money wasn''t his and he had no right to intervene.


    Although it seemed to him that Grendy was kind of a squanderer for successfully bidding for the expensive magical sword, the atmosphere of the auction venue was hyped due to it. The quiet auction venue was now filled with soft humming as many nobles seated below were whispering from ear to ear. At this moment, the auctioneer struck the gravel thrice, silencing the entire place and capturing everyone''s attention. A few seconds later, some fully armored guards stepped onto the stage and surrounded the auctioneer with solemn expressions. Furthermore, there were also two Mages standing by the edge of the stage, gazing at the crowd vigilantly.


    What''s that?


    Curiosity took over Rhode as he observed this dramatic set-up. No matter what, this auction event was already considered a highly private event. For the organizers to be this strict in safety precautions, it went to show how unusual this next auction item would be. Rhode once again went through the list on his hand in detail. However, the list didn''t provide any information on this upcoming item. It seemed that the organizers were knowledgeable and extremely confident in their auction items. If not, they definitely wouldn''t organize it in such a way.


    A few strong men carefully lifted a wooden crate covered by red cloth onto the stage. The auctioneer glanced at the wooden crate that was larger than him and let out a cough before turning towards the crowd.


    "Dear ladies and gentlemen, this next item that you''re about to see is the most valuable piece of this entire auction��" The auctioneer snapped his fingers and the red cloth was tugged off the wooden crate. Then, two of the guards stepped forth and unlocked the sealed crate, revealing its hidden content to everyone. In an instant, the entire auction venue shrieked in horror.


    It was an enormous beast.


    The beast was wolf-like��only, larger than any ordinary wolf by multiple folds. It was clear blue in color from head to toe with a sparkling sapphire inlay embedded in its forehead. The beast seemed extremely exhausted, curling in the small enclosure and not moving an inch. Perhaps one would believe that it were dead if its eyes weren''t swirling.


    A Demonic Beast?


    Rhode was wide-eyed as soon as he recognized the round, gorgeous gem in the middle of its forehead. At this moment, the auctioneer began to introduce their exclusive. "After looking at this Demonic Beast, I guess everyone must be thinking that it is a living creature, right? But it''s a pity because it isn''t a living creature. This is a grand result of alchemy."


    "Eh?!" The crowd was startled and as though expecting such a response, the auctioneer smiled proudly before wearing a bracelet on his left wrist and commanded the huge wolf. "Get up!"


    The enormous wolf got up obediently to the auctioneer''s command and the crowd felt something was off as soon as the light shone on the terrifying creature. The wolf didn''t have any fur, unlike any other wild beasts. Instead, its fur was substituted by iron-plated armor which knights wore and the armor shone under the magical radiance blazingly.


    Is that a Construct?


    The entire auction venue turned quiet and soon, whispers from the amazed nobles broke the silence. After all, as a result of the ancient magical era, Constructs possessed formidable might. Furthermore, they wouldn''t die or rebel and they were the favorites for many Mages. However, due to various reasons, their creation methods were gradually lost over the years. Although there were Constructs in ruins and graveyards like the Golems, they were uncontrollable. There was once a team of adventurers that excavated a similar Construct; however, it became wasted material as they couldn''t gain control over it. And now, a controllable Construct stood before the nobles'' eyes which piqued their interest.


    The auctioneer gestured to the guards and they placed a full set of knight armor by the huge wolf. Then, the auctioneer pointed at the armor and commanded. The huge wolf snapped its mouth open, sucked in a deep breath and howled at the armor.


    "��!" A green light beam blasted from its mouth and in a blink of an eye, the entire knight armor vanished in a puff of gray smoke. The crowd held their breath instantly as they couldn''t believe their eyes. Then, the auctioneer once again requested for the guards to place the exact same armor on the stage. Under the auctioneer''s command, the wolf began to claw and rip the armor with its teeth, shattering it into bits in a split second.


    The auctioneer stepped to the center of the stage. "As all of you have witnessed, this is an absolutely perfect Construct."


    He lifted his hand with the bracelet and announced loudly. "It will forever serve you loyally and become your most capable guard, one that no one can defeat!"


    There was an uproar amongst the nobles instantly. Got to say, this auctioneer managed to peak their interest wonderfully. After all, all the nobles were afraid of death and they couldn''t guarantee that their companions would protect them loyally. However, if they were to have such a wonderful Construct, what else was there for them to be afraid of?


    But��


    "Why would they sell it if it is really so good?" Anne laid on her stomach by the window and asked dubiously. "If Anne had such a wonderful thing, Anne would keep it for myself. Why must Anne sell it to others?"


    "That''s not our problem to worry about." Rhode gazed at the sapphire gem on the Iron-plated Wolf''s forehead with a slightly sunken expression. This gem wasn''t any ordinary gem; it was one of the ancient Spheres of Mystery: the ''Endless Forcefield''.


    Even though this Sphere of Mystery was one Rhode didn''t own, he had seen it in the game before. It once belonged to a Mage guild and it held powerful attributes that could turn a territory into a magical forcefield. Furthermore, all objects with magical content within its range such as alchemical potions, magical equipment, and even magic skills would be enhanced multifold. The development of the player guild flourished with this Sphere of Mystery. Initially, it was used with a purpose to threaten the position of Rhode''s Starlight. However, the guild leader and vice leader fought each other over a woman and split the whole guild apart. The Endless Forcefield went missing; some claimed that the vice leader had broken it while others claimed the leader had sold it to another guild. Although opinions differed, the whereabouts of the Endless Forcefield was still a mystery. Rhode had only seen a picture of this Sphere of Mystery and never did he expect to see the real thing here��


    This is one excellent item.


    "Minimum bid starts from 100k and every increasing bid is a minimum of 10%!" announced the auctioneer.


    Multiple bidding plates were raised instantly. In a short period of time, the price of this Iron-plated Wolf had risen to 150k gold coins.


    Rhode had no hesitations and he joined the snatch. "200k gold coins."


    As soon as this bidding price was announced, the nobles got into a frenzy. However, they had no intention of giving up just yet. One after another, the bidding plates were raised, and the price climbed steadily. When it was Rhode''s turn to bid again, the price had gone up to 300k gold coins.


    "L-Leader, are we really buying this thing?" Anne stared at Rhode with widened eyes while Natasha and Grendy were bewildered. Why would a swordsman need such a thing? He shouldn''t need this to protect himself, right?


    Rhode didn''t respond to Anne''s question. Instead, he revealed four fingers.


    400k gold coins.


    The entire auction venue fell into silence yet again. The nobles exchanged looks and although they weren''t convinced, they had no choice but to give up. After all, 400k gold coins were much more than they could ''splurge extravagantly'' on, even if this Construct was as formidable as the auctioneer had guaranteed. Furthermore, this large sum of money was almost equal to their annual income and not anyone could just afford it. Although Eagle City was large and filled with noble celebrities, their wealth couldn''t be compared to the wealthy folks of the South. Therefore, most of them chose to back off. But not everyone gave up.


    Soon, another man raised his bidding plate.


    450k gold coins.


    Rhode''s expression remained unchanged as he extended all five fingers.


    500k gold coins.


    He was dead serious on getting this Endless Forcefield.


    However, it wasn''t only Rhode who took interest in this thing. Although the other bidder hesitated with Rhode''s counter bidding, he eventually increased his bidding price: 530k gold coins. Natasha stood up in shock, gawking at the compartment where the bidding plate was raised. Then, a trace of uncertainty and hesitation revealed on her face. "It''s the compartment of Earl Tyler. Mr. Rhode, I think you should forget it��"


    "Earl Tyler?" Rhode twitched his brows while Natasha nodded in acknowledgment before sitting down with a fearful expression. "Yes, Mr. Rhode. Earl Tyler''s family is the second strongest here. Not only are they powerful, I''ve also heard a bad rumor about them�� I heard that they were associated with the Southern merchants and those who opposed them were eventually gone. Rumor has it that they were murdered or sold�� And��"


    "Earl Tyler has a huge influence in Eagle City too." Grendy continued Natasha''s words with an aggrieved expression. "Many nobles are terrified of Earl Tyler and don''t dare go against him. You see, Mr. Rhode, you are the only one fighting with him over this auction item�� Although you are our guest and we shouldn''t intervene��"


    Grendy didn''t complete his sentence as he wished that Rhode could understand their plight. Judging from Grendy and Natasha''s gloomy expressions, it seemed that their family didn''t have a good relationship with Earl Tyler. If Rhode were to contest with him over this auction item, both Grendy and Natasha would be put on the spot. After all, Earl Tyler would definitely stand against them since Rhode was a guest which they had invited. Although Rhode was their benefactor, their relationship hadn''t developed to the stage where they were fine with putting their own family''s fate in order for Rhode to win the auction item.


    However, Rhode wasn''t about to submit the Sphere of Mystery to others that easily. If that Earl whatever Tyler snatched it, then��


    Rhode rolled his palm.


    600k gold coins.


    Grendy displayed an unpleasant expression while Natasha sighed slightly. It wasn''t just them��even the guests in Earl Tyler''s compartment seemed rather hesitant. The auctioneer gazed at the silent crowd, puckered his brows, and announced with his lifted gavel.


    "The guest of the city owner has offered 600k gold coins. Are there any higher bidders? 600k gold coins!" The auctioneer struck the gavel heavily.


    A burst of panic erupted in Earl Tyler''s compartment and the bidding plate was raised.


    650k gold coins!


    Upon hearing their bid, Rhode put his hand down and lifted his wine glass for a toast to Grendy and Natasha. "Thanks for your reception, Miss Natasha and Mr. Grendy. This auction was very interesting, and I enjoyed myself a lot."


    "Huh?" Both of them couldn''t believe their ears. They thought that Rhode would fight to the death with Earl Tyler. Instead, he gave up so willingly after listening to Earl Tyler''s bidding price?


    "Mr. Rhode, have you given up?" asked Natasha curiously.


    "That''s right," Rhode nodded in acknowledgment. "I don''t have that much money to buy this thing��"


    And since you don''t allow me to buy it with money, I won''t spend anything to get it then.

 Chapter 438 Underground Maze I

    Although Rhode wasn''t able to bid for the Endless Forcefield successfully, it was something extra after all. Instead, the Maze Key was the crucial item and just obtaining it was good enough for Rhode.


    And now, the pre-mission for the Castel Plateau Ruins mission awaited him: exploration of the underground maze.


    According to the in-game players''s excavation, this underground maze was situated in the Central Garden of Eagle City. The secret entrance would link to the underground maze through a tunnel and of course, this secret tunnel came with a long history�� However, Rhode had no interest in how long its history was, nor how hair-raising it was. All he cared about was that this tunnel would lead him to obtain some equipment that would assist him in completing the main mission easily.


    A portion of the players who were enthusiasts about the game''s storyline felt that this popular method was simple, crude, and even lacked a sense of beauty. This was because these tunnels and secrets were the fruits of success which they had obtained after immersing themselves fully in the plot and consuming countless energy. Just like the fountain in the Central Garden, someone first discovered the secret tunnel hidden within it through a suicide note. After this player took great pains to source for the four slate key fragments and combined it, the tips carved on the back of the completed slate key fragments revealed that the secret was hidden in the fountain in the Central Garden��


    However, Rhode saved himself all these troubles. At midnight, he stood by the fountain in the deserted Central Garden. After confirming that there wasn''t anyone around, he stretched to find a steel chain behind the wing of the fountain sculpture and gave it a strong pull.


    It was that simple, easy, free and unconstrained. And the satisfaction from finding the clues was absent. How boring��


    A deep noise sounded beside their feet. The fountain stopped flowing and the pool of water in it began separating in half swiftly, revealing a pitch-black abyss. In a blink of an eye, the pool of water in the fountain was dried completely, displaying before everyone a flight of stairs leading to the bottomless darkness.


    "Woah��" Anne was in awe as her jaw dropped.


    Rhode observed the flight of stairs before him and started descending it with Anne and Gillian following closely. The entire tunnel was pitch-black; however, it wasn''t dark enough to hinder Rhode''s group. Gillian snapped her fingers and summoned numerous fireballs around them to brighten the path ahead.


    The secret tunnel was rather narrow as it could fit only two people side by side. Wet watermarks remained on the slate and the entire tunnel was filled with fresh water vapor. Rhode focused his vision ahead while leading Gillian, followed by Anne.


    "Although we have gotten the Maze Key successfully, Master, you aren''t too satisfied it seems?" Gillian asked as she strolled casually, sizing Rhode up.


    Rhode shrugged his shoulders. "A little. Although we did obtain the key, we didn''t manage to get the Endless Forcefield, which was a pity. Even though it was possible to win it if I continued to bid, it wouldn''t be a smart choice if I spent too much on it too. But I do have a plan, and that is after we have dealt with our proper business."


    "Pfff." Gillian sneered at Rhode unexpectedly. "Master, I didn''t think that you would be that interested in that thing�� So I''m quite surprised."


    "Isn''t that normal?" Rhode twitched his brows curiously at Gillian''s rather odd gaze, as though she were looking at a guy who had gone astray with drugs but escaped without knowing how lucky he was. It was too weird.


    "I guess you must be aware of the powers of the Endless Forcefield. That could be said to be a magical crystal. If we can obtain it, we can use it with the Sphere of Mystery to exhibit considerably formidable powers. This way, we will gain the upper hand in future battles. Isn''t that a good thing?" Rhode didn''t understand Gillian''s ridicule.


    Judging from her attitude, this Endless Forcefield seemed to be something that shouldn''t be messed with. However, Rhode couldn''t figure the side-effects. After all, he had read the discussions about this Endless Forcefield on online forums and he was sure that there weren''t any strange curses or side-effects. If there really were, the players wouldn''t keep hushed about it, right?


    "That''s for sure a good thing, and I have no intentions of being rude to you, Master." Although Gillian''s tone of words were as respectful as usual, they were filled with sarcasm. "But Master, you must know that things differ from person to person. The Endless Forcefield may seem like a valuable treasure to one, but�� for others, it will only be a disaster."


    "Eh?" Rhode slowed down his pace. "You mean that this Endless Forcefield is a disaster for me?"


    "Yes, Master." Gillian chuckled and replied without the slightest hesitation. "Only those who delve into the mysteries of magic wholeheartedly have the right to use the Endless Forcefield. If one doesn''t qualify, it is impossible for one to earn the recognition of the Endless Forcefield. Huhuhu�� Master, the reason why you gave up on the Endless Forcefield wasn''t solely because you were being considerate of Miss Natasha�� But you were also aware of the potential dangers, right?"


    "Eh?" Rhode sensed that Gillian placed an emphasis on the word ''wholeheartedly''. Out of the blue, a joke appeared in his head. It was a hilarious rumor which spread amongst the players in the game. The player guild that secured the Endless Forcefield had once been named the ''Magicians Guild'' by many players. It wasn''t solely because there was an abundance of powerful Mages in the guild, but also because most of them were basically single virgins. Many players mocked them and exaggerated that these players must have also become a true magician in real life. There was another rumor that this guild was filled with a bachelor''s curse and any player who joined this guild would be cursed. They would break up with their girlfriends and join the ranks of bachelors gloriously��


    Initially, Rhode didn''t treat this joke seriously at all. However, after being reminded by Gillian, he recalled that there were indeed players who broke up with their partners after joining that guild. Furthermore, rumor had it that the vice leader had slept with the guild leader''s then-girlfriend and led to the collapse of the guild�� Could it be��


    Cold sweat flowed down Rhode''s back. To be frank, he was eager to give getting the Endless Forcefield a shot. However, he felt that there was an uncomfortable and conflicting emotions in the bottom of his heart as Earl Tyler continued to increase the bidding price. In the end, he rose his bid once and gave up directly after witnessing Earl Tyler''s determination. Now it seemed that��


    It can''t be�� Even if the Endless Forcefield has such powers, it shouldn''t affect the real world.


    "Huhuhu, I guess Master, you have discovered it too, right?" Gillian noticed that Rhode was struggling in his thoughts and she placed her tiny palm by her mouth and chuckled. Rhode turned over and stared at Gillian. However, the fox-eared young lady didn''t seem to take it to heart.


    "But�� That was in the game and not in real life?" Rhode didn''t explain the details since Anne was behind them. Although Anne wouldn''t be interested in their discussions with that carefree nature of hers, it was still better to be safe than sorry.


    "You can put it that way, but�� who knows?" Gillian gave an ambiguous answer.


    The fox-eared young lady always acted this way every time Rhode questioned her about her past and the connection between the game and the real world. It was apparent that she seemed to be aware of something, but she wasn''t willing to tell Rhode and Rhode didn''t know why. He had once suspected that Gillian came to this world the same way he did. If not, she wouldn''t have known that much about his interpersonal relationships, especially when it came to his relationship with Canary. In the game, Rhode and Canary acted normally and their companions weren''t aware of their secrets. Rhode and Canary would chat privately every weekend or during holidays and fix a date for their ''activity''. Of course, Rhode had always kept quiet about this and an obedient young girl like Canary wouldn''t tell anyone about it either, so it was too suspicious that Gillian was actually aware of it.


    If Gillian did come to this world like Rhode did, it was strange that her behavior was totally unlike Canary and Mini Bubble Gum''s. Although Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were illusionary images of Rhode''s memories, their nature and memories were original. Rhode could see that they weren''t too mindful of this world like him. Canary and himself treated the humans here as normal human beings while Mini Bubble Gum treated them as NPCs. On the other hand, Gillian behaved proficiently as though she was her original self. Rhode sounded her out a few times but she had always been vigilant to act naive and avoid further discussions.


    As Rhode pondered these thoughts, the group arrived at the bottom of the steps and were greeted by a huge, stone door.

 Chapter 439 Underground Maze II

    The stone door was three meters tall and carved with a beautiful, mysterious relief sculpture. A square slot in the middle of the door was apparently an installation for opening it. Although the entire stone door looked ordinary and was mediocre at best��the knock of a hammer would effortlessly smash it to bits��Rhode could sense a strange aura coming from it. It was obvious that these fine relief sculptures weren''t simply relief sculptures. Instead, they were powerful magical traps that would perhaps trigger if the method of inserting the key was wrong or if the door was forcefully opened.


    However, this wouldn''t pose a problem for Rhode, who held the correct key. Although he couldn''t understand the secrets behind the patterns of this magical trap, he was clear of the steps in the strategy in opening it. Rhode retrieved the four key fragments from his pouch and inserted them into the slot in the sequence he remembered. The four key fragments aligned and embedded perfectly with the entire pattern of the huge stone door. The dusty, stone door opened slowly.


    A cold, chilly wind blew through the gap and the fireballs around them faded into nothingness.


    "Miasma." Gillian scrunched up her face and she returned to her normal expression after a mere second. "Master, you must be careful, okay? There may be a bunch of corpses and naked, skinless creatures extending their tongues dashing out from there. This is more interesting, isn''t it?"


    "Don''t worry, this degree of miasma won''t affect me much. Also, corpses are nothing new to us anymore." Rhode turned around and gazed at Gillian as he stepped into the pitch-dark maze.


    Rhode didn''t understand too much of this maze''s history since he wasn''t interested. Rhode knew the types of species lurking in this underground maze and that was all he needed to know.


    There were no signs of light apart from the fireballs that Gillian had cast. The fireballs shone upon their surroundings and thick layers of moss inhabited the stone walls around them. Coffins filled with ghastly white bones were laid out in a hideous mess while spider webs were spread out along the tunnel. The footsteps of the trio were the only sound in this silent tunnel.


    "Leader, what exactly are we looking for here?" Anne was overcome with boredom as she fiddled with her hair.


    "We''re looking for an important magical equipment which will help us a lot for the next guild mission. Anne, you must be wary too." Rhode explained patiently.


    "Don''t worry, Leader!" Anne brandished the shield on her hand proudly. "Anne will smash any creature that comes in our way!"


    "No, what I meant was that you must be careful in controlling your strength�� Because I don''t want to be buried alive." Rhode stopped walking. Anne swiftly turned around to lean against Gillian while lifting her shield and vigilantly inspecting the dark tunnel.


    "Ughh��" It sounded as though there was a person mourning inarticulately. It could have been the lamentation of the deceased or the deep howl of a wild beast. If a normal human being was in their shoes, perhaps he would be at his wits'' end. However, the barking of a neighbor''s chihuahua would be more threatening than this voice to the trio.


    "It seems that they are finally here to protest." Rhode shrugged his shoulders and drew two daggers from his waist.


    These two daggers were the ones Lydia had entrusted the Battle Angel Army to reward Rhode with. At this point in time, Rhode hadn''t figured out exactly how he could awaken these two daggers. However, since they were weapons, they should be linked in countless ways with battles. Rhode had decided to battle with these daggers instead of his Crimson Blade. From another perspective, these daggers were a great aid to him. After all, the Crimson Blade''s sharpness was its biggest merit. Also, apart from its unique technique, the sword''s attribute was similar to an ordinary weapon. Furthermore, Rhode couldn''t possibly let it absorb his blood anytime, anywhere. In other words, the attributes of these daggers outclassed the Crimson Blade and their might could be said to be on par with Star Mark and Succubus. However, the only flaw they had was their lack of a distinctive feature.


    Considering that Rhode needed to consume his spiritual energy to summon a card from the Holy Sword Card Deck while these daggers didn''t need his spiritual energy, he felt that it was a real bargain. Rhode decided to use this underground maze as a training location for the daggers. After all, there wasn''t much danger and Rhode could use this chance to feel their formidable powers through actual battles.


    In the darkness, the two daggers displayed their exclusivity. Their sharp blades glowed with magical radiance as though they had detected an approaching danger. And they were right, because at this moment, dark, slow-moving figures came into Rhode''s sight one by one.


    They were shriveled corpses in skin and bones. Holding a sword in their hands, their empty eye sockets emanated weak, fading flames of their last remaining soul as they growled unpleasantly.


    Maze Zombies.


    "Gillian, don''t attack." Rhode took a forward stance, at the same time alerting Gillian. "I want to give them a test."


    "Sure, Master." Gillian snickered and backed off in a few steps. She leaned against the stone wall while folding her arms leisurely. "I''ll stand here and admire your skills then."


    "Don''t worry, it''ll be fine." Rhode slashed dazzling radiances in the pitch-darkness with the two daggers. "I''ll leave those at the back for you, Anne. Be careful; hold back your strength."


    Rhode dashed forward in the blink of an eye.


    Although these Maze Zombies were sluggish in their movements, their actions were swift. In a blink of an eye, the Maze Zombies snarled nastily and slashed their sword at Rhode. Rhode didn''t dodge even though he could easily sneak between their attacking interval. He stopped advancing and brandished the daggers in a criss-cross stance before him.


    Clang! The ear-deafening collision shook the seemingly ''extremely delicate'' Maze Zombie violently. Rhode was firm on his feet as he squinted his eyes to sense the feedback of the daggers'' powers, trembling, weight, and balance. After all, the technique for dual-wielding swords was completely different than that for a single-handed sword. Rhode had to find the most suitable battle style and strategy. As for these Maze Zombies��


    Rhode raised his right arm abruptly.


    Gracier sliced the Maze Zombie''s sword and hand instantly. As it stumbled backwards, Madaras pierced its throat in lightning speed. Rhode took one step forward and slashed its throat sideways. The sharp blade utterly severed the Maze Zombie''s skull and at the same time, Rhode withdrew his right arm before stabbing the other Maze Zombie.


    Glinting starlight erupted from the dagger and in a split second, the defenseless Maze Zombie was shredded into pieces. However, this wasn''t enough to stop their aggression as another Maze Zombie pounced forward with razor-sharp teeth, attempting to tear his flesh and devour him wholly.


    However, before its teeth could sink into Rhode''s flesh, a glaring magical radiance flashed. Gracier penetrated its skull from the bottom-up and sent it into the depths of the abyss.


    Not too bad.


    Rhode pushed the dead Maze Zombie away and flicked off the remains on his dagger. At the same time, he lowered his head and gazed at the daggers. Rhode was amazed that it was as though the two daggers had become the perfect extension of himself. Also, he was able to slay the enemies flawlessly as though he had been using the daggers for a long time.


    Why do I feel this way?


    Rhode''s eyes glistened curiously. Suddenly, two clear and sweet-sounding laughters sounded in his head.


    "Huhuhu��"


    "Hehehe��"


    Rhode looked up but he couldn''t find anything apart from the Maze Zombies.


    His ears fell into the silence of the tunnel again.

 Chapter 440 Underground Maze III

    The following battles were not challenging for Rhode''s group at all. After all, this underground maze was just an ordinary location and any player could clear it by himself. Furthermore, Rhode had two companions alongside him and the Maze Zombies didn''t stand a chance. These pitiful zombies had turned into Rhode and Anne''s training props and it was equally a great chance for Anne to get accustomed to her newfound Wind Elemental prowess.


    "Heyah!" The young lady dodged the counterattack of a Maze Zombie before swinging the heavy shield to crush its waist. Her powerful strength split the zombie in half and smashed the wall behind it. Anne stood up and took in a deep breath while Rhode nodded in satisfaction. "Well done. For your next target, aim for its head only. Remember, do not attack other parts of its body. If not, this will be considered a failure. Understood?"


    "Yes, Leader, Anne understood!" The young lady nodded with a brightened face and she lifted the shield immediately. "Manaitamod!"


    Her large shield began to shrink and modified itself using the young lady''s arm as its base. In a blink of an eye, the shield had wrapped around Anne''s arm entirely like an armguard. However, as this armguard was oversized, it seemed as though Anne''s right arm had become a gigantic steel hammer. After the transformation had completed, Anne took a step back with her right foot and leaped back to land a heavy punch on the Maze Zombie that snuck up on her.


    Bang! The transformed heavy shield on Anne''s arm was extremely solid and it supplemented her powerful strength. In an instant, the Maze Zombie''s head and chest shattered pitifully.


    "Heyah!" Although Anne finished the zombie up with one single punch, she seemed rather depressed. The young lady leapt back and dodged the venom that splattered from the Maze Zombie. At the same time, she gazed at Rhode and asked hesitantly. "Leader, does hitting the neck counts?"


    "No," Rhode replied sternly.


    "Alright, Anne understood!" Anne nodded unwillingly and out of the blue, another Maze Zombie came charging towards her with a rusty longsword. This enormous Maze Zombie snarled as it hacked at Anne''s skull. Even though Anne was maintaining her posture while speaking to Rhode, she sunk her body and rolled over sideways to avoid the attack immediately.


    The Maze Zombie lost its balance after missing its target. Anne thrust out her slender right leg as she turned and tripped the zombie to the ground.


    "Ah! Failed again!" Instead of continuing her attack, Anne hugged her head in regrets. "Leader said Anne must give a single killing blow�� It seems that this habit is really hard to change�� Forget it, Anne will try again!"


    Anne raised her arm without delay and moved to the next target.


    These battles, or rather, training, were for Rhode to explore his compatibility with the two daggers. Whereas Anne''s training was to master the control of her strength. Ever since the trio entered this underground maze, Rhode had set numerous tests for Anne where she could only crush the Maze Zombies into half or only strike their skulls. She needed to kill them in a single hit and moreover, she mustn''t be damaged by any of them within a time limit. Furthermore, while defending against their attacks, she had to ensure their attacks landed on the center of her shield.


    Rhode wished that this training with cumbersome requirements and meticulous details would help Anne master her precise control over her elemental strength. On the other hand, instead of resisting such harsh requirements, Anne was having the time of her life as she had never experienced such challenging training requirements before.


    Anne was indeed a talent in battle. Although she had a straightforward and innocent nature, Rhode discovered that her battle awareness was much sharper than most players. From the start, Anne couldn''t manage the techniques of controlling her wind elemental powers. However, she was able to control the elemental powers in her body to a certain extent just after two to three hours. Even though she was still lacking in the subtle details of control, she did pretty well for commanding a heavy, steel shield.


    Boom! Anne tossed the last Maze Zombie corpse on the ground and the trio arrived at the end of the tunnel. Instead of filthy corridors and rooms, a clean, gorgeous hall laid before their eyes. This hall was so wide that it could hold up to a thousand people. Moreover, this place was much brighter than the dusky, pitch-dark tunnel. Magical gems were inlaid on the walls and emanated with a pale radiance that lit the trio''s path dimly.


    This area should be the main sarcophagus chamber because there were over a hundred sarcophagi across the large space. The sarcophagi were arranged in order of social class and were stacked into the shape of a pyramid. The ordinary sarcophagi were set upright below the walls and the flight of steps while six exquisite sarcophagi were set in a circular arrangement above the platform. On the middle and the summit of the platform laid a silver box which fit the description that Rhode had seen on the strategy guide. That square box could be used to shut down the Castel Plateau Ruins'' defense installations.


    "Anne, how''s your training? Do you need a rest?" Rhode asked.


    "It''s fine, Leader." Anne shook her head confidently. "Anne is fine! Anne will do whatever you say!"


    "Good." Rhode nodded and pointed at the platform before them. "See those sarcophagi there? Those are filled with Maze Zombies, but Gillian will deal with them. Those six sarcophagi up there are yours and they contain six Zombie Witches. Although they aren''t strong, do be careful."


    "Zombie Witch?" Anne''s eyes widened curiously at the six sarcophagi. "Are they the same as the Necromancer we fought with?"


    "Although they are rather similar to Necromancers, there are still differences. The Zombie Witches are failed finished products with incomplete self-consciousness and are only capable of some low-level undead spells. But curses and poison gases are among these spells. I want you to be careful and keep a distance from them. Remember to use your elemental prowess to protect yourself. Understood?"


    "Understood, Leader." Rhode could see the urge to jump straight into battle in her eyes.


    But he needed to explain things clearly beforehand. "Anne, recognize the location of the six Zombie Witches. You''ll deal with the three of them on the left while the other three on the right are mine. These zombies are able to fly, so don''t allow them to. Although these Zombie Witches are intellectually limited, they aren''t that easy to deal with. Remember, the gem in the middle of their forehead is their source of energy. Smash the gems and they will turn into normal corpses."


    "Yes, Leader." Anne nodded again but this time, she turned around with a hesitant look. "But Leader, how are you so familiar with this place? Did you come here before?"


    "Pfff!" Gillian let out a chuckle while Rhode''s mouth twitched.


    After all, Rhode explained the situation too clearly. Nobody would believe that he hadn''t been to this place before.


    Without a doubt, Rhode couldn''t tell Anne that he had read through the strategy guide. Gillian''s interest in watching Rhode get out of this situation was undoubtedly more than 120%. However, this wasn''t any danger for Rhode.


    "You see the six sarcophagi there? They are carved with unique inscriptions to seal the Zombie Witches and I know what is inside by looking at them��" Rhode coughed awkwardly while suddenly, Gillian burst out in laughter. Fortunately for Rhode, Anne nodded pensively and turned towards the hall. Rhode lifted his chin and gazed at the middle of the platform while placing his hand on the sword hilt by his waist.


    "Let''s go," Rhode said softly.


    Anne was the first to storm towards the platform as she couldn''t hold her anticipation in any longer.


    "��!" Deep, low growls sounded and the covers over the sarcophagi suddenly flew open. Large Maze Zombies stepped out of their sarcophagi one by one. Their eye sockets radiated in scarlet, negative radiance and their long arms dropped on the ground while revealing five razor-sharp, splinter-like fingers. These Maze Zombies were a totally different type of species from the ones they had seen before.


    Rhode obviously had no intentions of classifying these zombies before him like a human scientist. He darted forward in a line of afterimages and left just one word. "Gillian!"


    "Yes yes yes, Master. I have been idling around for so long and now; it''s finally time for some activities." Gillian grinned and entered the hall while lifting the ends of her skirt gracefully as though she were a rich young lady invited to prom. Sensing a sign of life, numerous Maze Zombies turned around and pounced at Gillian.


    Unlike the previous Maze Zombies, these were much quicker. They dashed forward with four limbs like a dog while their swinging long tongues were dripping with gluey saliva. In the blink of an eye, two Maze Zombies arrived at Gillian''s feet. They leaped up with sharp fingers and snarled at their target.


    "Yes, this makes things slightly more interesting." Gillian continued to grin as she took a few steps back while swaying her fluffy tail. The fox-eared young lady lifted her right arm and snapped her fingers lightly.


    The crisp, faint snap was totally unnoticeable in the spacious hall with the growls of the Maze Zombies. However, ferocious flames rose from the ground beneath her feet as though a countercurrent waterfall had swept the Maze Zombies away from her. In a blink of an eye, the zombies burned into ashes. Gillian clapped her hands gently and the flames that spurted from the ground inclined forward like waves ferociously engulfing the place, shrouding everything in sight with a sea of flames.


    "Heyah!" Anne raised her shield in midair after dodging a Maze Zombie and smashed its skull. With the crisp sound of fracturing bones, the lively zombie mourned and crashed to the ground. Anne rolled over and used the momentum to strike another uninvited guest away.


    "There''s no more time to play with them. Let''s go." Rhode''s voice rang in Anne''s ears as she was about to crush the third Maze Zombie. Two strange flashes interwove into a net of light and fluttered before Anne, shredding the zombies to pieces instantly. Rhode continued to dart pass Anne and dashed towards the platform.


    Bam! The covers of the six sarcophagi burst open. Under the undulation of magic, the six skeletons in broken robes fluttered while holding the same staffs in their hands. Their dark, endless eye sockets were flickering with the dull, red radiance of their remaining soul. "Who''s there! Trespassing this forbidden place!"


    "Woah, Leader, they can talk?!" Anne questioned in astonishment.


    "Yes, they can even greet us with ''Hello, how are you?''. Now, cut the crap and go!" Rhode ridiculed Anne''s amazement and sprang forward.


    Rhode turned into a shadow while shooting straight for a Zombie Witch. The Zombie Witches reacted swiftly by fluttering higher and at the same time, mouthing the words of a prayer. One of the Zombie Witches pointed its staff frontward and shot a dark beam of radiance at Rhode.


    "Hmph." Rhode swung Madaras forward and blocked the negative dark beam.


    Suddenly, a translucent ritual circle emerged before the tip of Madaras and the negative dark beam gradually faded before vanishing into thin air. Rhode jumped up vertically and pierced the Zombie Witch''s forehead with his right dagger without any resistance.


    Kacha. Rhode broke the gem on its forehead into two and vaulted away hurriedly. The Zombie Witch wailed painfully and spurted a mist of bottle green smoke before eroding into magical specks of dust.


    "��!" Another Zombie Witch aimed its staff at Rhode. But a sudden wind prevented it from casting its spell.


    Bam! A whizzing shield smashed the Zombie Witch''s head perfectly and shattered its skull into fragments. The shield spun in a zigzag direction and swept up a burst of whirlwind instantly. The stream of air whizzed from the whirlpool and overwhelmed the other two Zombie Witches instantly.


    "Phew��" Anne heaved a sigh of relief and wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead. "Made it on time, luckily."

 Chapter 441 Underground Maze IV

    The Zombie Witches'' formation was instantly disrupted by Anne''s threatening shield. Perhaps if it were the Necromancer or Lich, they would have a chance to retaliate. However, these magical creatures equipped with basic intelligence behaved differently. Zombie Witches were hesitant in this chaotic situation and scattered frantically to escape from Anne''s whirlwind. At this moment, Rhode appeared behind a Zombie Witch.


    Shing! Gracier secretly penetrated the Zombie Witch''s skull without any resistance. The other Zombie Witch widened its mouth and converged the surging billows of magic into an intense shock wave. It released a strong blast at Rhode to avenge its companion.


    Although this Zombie Witch had quick reactions, the flaw in its low intelligence exposed itself here: it disregarded its companion who was right before Rhode and due to this, its companion became the sacrificial victim of its own magical shock wave. After getting struck by the shock wave, the Zombie Witch hovering in midair was left with only its lower body. Instead of being concerned for its companion''s miserable encounter, the Zombie Witch tilted its head as it couldn''t figure out where Rhode was.


    At this moment, an X-shaped radiance flashed before the Zombie Witch.


    Rhode landed on the ground before the corpse of the Zombie Witch fell from the air.


    The battle ended.


    Standing on the peak of the platform, Rhode glanced below him. Instead of the Maze Zombies, numerous pitch-black vestiges stained the ground. Gillian was strolling through the hall towards the platform and sensing Rhode''s gaze, the fox-eared young lady gave an OK gesture with her hand. "Master, no problem."


    Boom! A deep collision sounded from the other side. Rhode turned over to find Anne rolling and getting up on her feet. The pitiful Zombie Witch beneath her feet had turned into meaningless debris.


    Anne revealed a cheerful smile to Rhode. "Leader, Anne''s part is OK too."


    "Well done." Rhode observed the surrounding as he complimented.


    Although the Zombie Witches were inferior to Necromancers in terms of powers, it seemed that Anne''s reactions in battle when facing three of them were still rather great. Even though Rhode knew the tricks of Zombie Witches inside-out, he didn''t explain the details to Anne because he wanted to put the young lady to the test and see how well she could bring her qualities out. It seemed that Anne had passed his test and this would be extremely helpful for the next battle. Rhode shifted his attention to the box before him.


    That was a silver, squarish equipment in a shape of a box. It was carved with complicated patterns as though it was part of a certain ritual. A dull emerald gem was embedded above, lacking the luster of a magical gem.


    Could it be that the powers inside it have been fully exhausted?


    Rhode picked up the equipment and scanned the magical gem carefully. After all, the most basic way to judge a gem''s magical powers was that the more glaring it seemed, the more magical powers it possessed. This was the same theory for equipment or weapons embedded with magical stones. In terms of price, a sword inlaid with a magical gem brimming with magical powers could be sold for thousands of gold coins. However, if the magical gem had lost its powers, the sword would only be sold for a dozen gold coins as it would be deemed low-grade. At earlier stages, this had become a source of income for Alchemists with the Production subclass. After mastering the techniques of Productions, these players could obtain or purchase low-grade magical items through adventures or NPC and profit after repairing and re-selling. However, there were also probabilities that the item repair would fail. Furthermore, with news of these methods spreading in succession, many picked up this skill. As a result, the price of the low-grade magical equipment increased dramatically. Moreover, with an abundance of magical equipment in the market, the increase in saturation and price reduction led to a steep drop in profits. Therefore, this was no longer a good source of income for Alchemist players with the Production subclass.


    Rhode concluded that this magical equipment was utter trash. He wouldn''t be able to use it unless it got repaired with its magical gem replaced. But�� Rhode''s forehead furrowed because the strategy guide didn''t explain that he needed to repair this equipment. This portion wouldn''t be deliberately abandoned if there indeed was this requirement to repair it. Moreover, even if the author had forgotten to include this detail, players would have added on in the comments. But, I don''t remember seeing the players'' comments on this issue, so what''s wrong��


    If this equipment required repair, it was a grave mistake to not bring Lapis along. After all, not every smith could repair magical items. Furthermore, with the probabilities in success rates, it would be best for Lapis who possessed the Behermes'' alchemy skills to repair this equipment. At the same time, it didn''t seem realistic to fetch her.


    "Master?" Gillian''s voice pulled Rhode back to reality. However, Rhode''s eyebrows rose as soon as he realized that the dull magical equipment in his hands suddenly emanated faint magical radiance.


    "This is��" Before Rhode could finish his sentence, a glaring beam of white light emerged from a gap in the middle of the platform ground. The hall was shrouded in radiance entirely and at the same time, Rhode found himself suspended in the air and the space around him had distorted��


    "Damn it, Anne, Gillian, be careful! This is spatial teleportation!" exclaimed Rhode.


    "Eh?" Anne curiously widened her eyes and scanned the surroundings. "No problem, Master."


    Gillian remained as calm as usual. This fox-eared young lady was unconcerned, or perhaps, she was ready for it all along.


    At this moment, a dazzling white brightness occupied Rhode''s vision and he was vestured in the entirety of it��


    When Rhode opened his eyes, the first sensation he felt was a cool breeze filled with the scent of soil.


    "I don''t remember that damned strategy guide mentioning that I''d be teleported by that thing��" Rhode held his hand against his forehead and grumbled as he struggled to get back on his feet. He found the half-conscious Anne half-kneeling on the ground while Gillian stood quietly beside her. The Fire Elemental Lord was used to such standards of spatial teleportation. She shut her eyes and positioned both hands before her like a wise and virtuous woman.


    As soon as Rhode stood to his feet, Gillian opened her eyes and gazed at her master with a cheeky smile. "How was it, Master? Feels great?"


    "That was terrible. I regret not taking a motion sickness pill in advance." Rhode stomped the ground a couple of times to force the dizziness away. He lifted his chin and gazed forward. Unlike the underground hall, Rhode could clearly see the glittering stars in the sky and the distinctive rays which only the Light Dragon Soul emitted. The moon hung in the air brightly and the waist-deep prairie in a distance swayed in the gentle night breeze. Rhode was familiar with this place and even though he had only been here a few times, he remembered this place deeply. Gazing at his feet, a perfectly round slate ritual laid quietly in the prairie.


    "I was thinking why would a ritual would be in that kind of ghostly place�� It seems to serve this purpose��" Rhode mumbled at the sight of the slate ritual.


    Meanwhile, Anne stood up and unlike Gillian, this young lady had never experienced spatial teleportation. Her body shook as she got on her feet. She squinted her eyes and swayed left and right like a drunkard. She mumbled unintelligibly and stumbled her way to Rhode''s shoulder. After a few moments, Anne opened her eyes and gazed at the man beside her curiously. "Urgh�� Leader? Where are we�� Feels so uncomfortable�� What happened��"


    "Spatial teleportation. We left the underground maze and this place is��" Rhode lifted his head. He saw a prairie occupied with broken stelae and subdued ruins. However, it was amazing that this exceptionally ruined landscape had a strangely mesmerizing atmosphere under the brilliance of the illustrious moon. "Castel Plateau Ruins."


    Castel Plateau Ruins.


    No one knew its true origins. From a player''s perspective, Rhode knew that this place was once a huge city with a superlative civilization. However, this city sunk into the deep underground due to various reasons and turned into an underground city through and through. This happened a long time ago and Rhode and his team had accidentally entered this underground city and discovered the slate ritual set on this prairie.


    According to the players, there must be something hidden in this prairie for it to have such an odd thing. Therefore, the players began their search and entered the entrance to the underground ruins. Although Starlight met unexpected obstacles, they advanced through and cleared this ruins dungeon smoothly. Due to this, Rhode wasn''t sure of its history and the only information he gathered from the players was that this city used to be advanced in magic technology. However, the entire city sank after a massive magic experiment failed. As the experiment failed too abruptly, most of the citizens didn''t escape successfully. The underground sarcophagi chamber which Rhode''s group had entered was built by the citizens that had escaped safely. They hid in Eagle City and strived to make their city alive again. However, they weren''t able to reach their goals. In the end, the city fell into an everlasting hibernation.


    Rhode''s group had been puzzled because this slate ritual should have been used for teleportation purposes. They thought that this slate ritual was for them to enter the dungeon tunnel and they spent a lot of time researching, which concluded with no results. After entering the dungeon, they were once again misled that this ritual was one that transported them to the surface after clearing the dungeon. However, it seemed like this ritual served the purpose of teleporting from the chamber to the tunnel of the ruins.


    Although to be teleported to the entrance of the ruins was a big surprise for Rhode, he continued to remain calm. Initially, Rhode had decided to head to Castel Plateau Ruins the second day after he obtained the equipment. Now that his traveling time had been saved, it was all the better for him.


    "Let''s go." Rhode lowered his head and scanned the area before moving forward while Anne and Gillian followed behind him closely. Anne hadn''t shaken off the dizziness yet as she covered her forehead and mumbled, swaying her way at the back.


    As the trio ambled along, the soft grass patches transitioned into a solid, slab path. After years of wear, the smooth slab had cracked. Green grass grew stubbornly from between the chinks and gave some life to the scenery.


    However, as they moved ahead, the scenery before their eyes transformed.


    "Eh?" Anne looked around curiously.


    The moon continued to hang in the sky and the night breeze was still as chilly while the prairie was rustling feebly as usual. However, Anne found her world blinded by depressing gray and all the colors had lost their vibrancy. Even Gillian and Rhode seemed to be lifeless, as though they were dead.


    "Leader!?" Fear crossed Anne''s face as she grabbed onto Rhode''s arm frantically.


    "Eh?" Rhode turned over and found Anne with an awkward expression.


    Anne quickly withdrew her hands and didn''t know what to say. Were her eyes having problems?


    "Don''t worry, Anne" As though Rhode was reading her mind, he patted her shoulder lightly. "We are in the Necromancer''s territory and this place has been totally shrouded by lifeless aura. That is why you are seeing such depressing sceneries. Relax and use the power of your element to dispel them away."


    "Okay!" Anne shut her eyes and began to put to use her elemental powers. In the blink of an eye, wind elemental powers wrapped around herself . When she opened her eyes, the gray, spiritless color had faded and vibrant colors once again returned.


    "Phew��" The young lady heaved a sigh of relief.


    It was certainly depressing for a cheerful young girl like her to accept such a dull-looking world. Even though Anne had fought in the underground, the duskiness of the underground world would still light up with the radiance from the flames and at least the world was still bright and dazzling. However, the world that filled her eyes before was lifeless, as though it were abandoned.


    "Eh?" Rhode slowed down his pace.


    A huge cave as though a monster''s wide, enormous mouth presented itself patiently for its prey to enter. Although this was the entrance to the Castel Plateau Ruins, this was nowhere similar to the one in Rhode''s memories. There were no Undead Soldiers guarding this entrance; instead, it was cold and empty. Apart from the broken walls and stelae that collapsed, there was a pile of bones scattered on the ground.


    Scattered on the ground?


    Rhode half-kneeled and picked up a bone by his feet. His brows knitted as soon as he recognized the clear scars on these bones. These were vestiges left by swords. Also, the marks revealed that it happened recently!


    Could someone have gotten into the Castel Plateau Ruins before us?


    Rhode''s heart sank and he stood up to gaze at the entrance while his head was spinning. This Castel Plateau Ruins was a 5 Star Mission and no mercenary group had the qualifications apart from the guilds. In other words, only the members of a guild would be here. However, Barter denied that they would be heading here to complete their 5 Star Mission and he didn''t seem like one who would lie. So, what exactly was going on? Who else would come to the Castel Plateau Ruins?


    Rhode hesitated no more as he tossed the bone. "Let''s go!"

 Chapter 442 Underground Maze V

    Rhode''s guesses were proven to be true after the trio entered the ruins entrance. In the huge underground cave, the remains of the Undead Soldiers were scattered visibly under the burning pale flames. It was apparent that there was a fierce, long battle.


    "Why would there be traces of battle?" Anne curiously asked after noticing the hideous sight. She gripped her shield tightly and scanned the surroundings vigilantly as they progressed. "Did someone come in earlier than us, Leader? What should we do?"


    "Let''s see who has the guts to do so," Rhode answered without turning around. "I think Barter isn''t one who would do such things behind our backs. But I can''t confirm it either. Although adventurers and mercenary groups may have stumbled upon this dungeon, they can forget about snatching this mission away from us."


    Although Rhode said it confidently, his expression showed otherwise. At this moment, they entered the tunnel through the entrance of the underground city. Rhode was expecting various kinds of undead creatures, however, there were all kinds of corpses instead. This definitely wasn''t something that ordinary adventurers or mercenary group were capable of achieving. Only powerful guilds could deliver such standards: this discovery wasn''t good news. If there really was a guild that entered before them, there would only be two possibilities. The first possibility would be the Purple Lily Guild and the second possibility would be a guild from the other regions. However, Rhode felt that the latter was impossible. The Liberty Wings had been forcefully disbanded and they had no reason to be here. The Sky Sword Guild suffered huge losses in the Midsummer Festival and it didn''t make sense for them to bring trouble on themselves. But, what should I do if it was Cole Falcon or Purple Lily?


    Rhode lifted his head and gazed at the city ruins. It was unlike the underground chamber below Eagle City. This entire city had sunk into an underground cavity. The roof over the city was an arc-shaped cave wall, and the pitch-dark, bottomless abyss below the city was clearly evident under the illuminating flames. If it weren''t for the thick stelae supporting the city from below, perhaps the city would have submerged into the darkness of the abyss entirely.


    However, this abandoned city wasn''t painted in total darkness. Lanterns hung on the eaves of the buildings and both sides of the main street were lit with flames. Those flames represented the burning flames of dead souls. The flames weren''t warm and were avocado in color. However, even so, this forgotten city was brilliantly lit. Looking from afar, it seemed like this city was functioning normally.


    However, there was total silence.


    Rhode slowed his pace as he moved deeper into the city through the granite street. The remains of Undead Soldiers were everywhere. However, for unknown reasons, Rhode was somewhat familiar with the wounds on them.


    It was too strange for this place to be this quiet.


    Rhode beckoned for the young ladies behind him. He refused to believe that a guild was capable of breaking through the non-stop waves of monster attacks. And if there was such a battle going on, the entire city must have been filled with war cries. Furthermore, Rhode knew about Barter''s earth-shattering battle techniques that could even tear the entire city down. It wasn''t Barter''s nature to act like an obedient child when he entered someone''s home quietly.


    "Follow me," Rhode gestured.


    This city ruins weren''t much different from what he recalled. The path to the central area had been buried in the ruins completely and it was impossible to climb over them. The solution was to head towards the supplementary road in the north or the alleys hidden behind in the buildings. With Rhode''s experience, he quickly found the road that would lead to their destination in the shortest time possible. As Rhode led the others around the corner and entered the alley, he abruptly stopped. Anne widened her eyes curiously and exclaimed softly.


    A man dressed in a thief outfit laid on the wall with his back towards the trio. Sharp sword blades had pierced and nailed his body to the wall and even death wasn''t able to rescue the Thief from the terrors that overtook his face.


    Rhode sucked in a deep breath and approached the Thief cautiously. More doubts arose in Rhode''s mind as soon as he examined the corpse. "That''s odd. He doesn''t seem like someone from a guild."


    Rhode searched the corpse from head to toe. The headwear, belt, earrings, daggers, and boots didn''t reveal anything that he wished to see, like a guild badge. A guild badge was mandatory for every guild member. The badge was capable of displaying one''s identity and rank, and most importantly, it strengthened one''s sense of belonging in the guild. Furthermore, almost every badge was unique and this was to avoid identity thieves. Ever since Starlight was established, Rhode had modified the badges. The Starlight Badge was shaped in a quadrilateral star with a white halo around it. Without a doubt, badges came in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Rhode''s badge was a ring on his finger while Gillian''s was a pair of star-shaped earrings. As for Anne, her badge was embedded on the surface of her shield. With these marks, anyone could recognize which guild they belonged to at a single glance.


    However, there were no indications of this Thief belonging to a guild at all. His dagger and armor were low-grade equipment purchased from merchant shops and usually, these equipment were common in solo mercenaries or those in small groups of three or four.


    A small group of mercenaries who were capable of defeating the first line of defense of the Necromancer and entered the underground maze? Who had such abilities?


    "Let''s go." Rhode was curious and dubious at the same time as he continued to pass through the alley.


    As they advanced, the narrow alley gradually grew dimmer. In an instant, the trio stepped into the darkness once again. However, under Rhode''s lead, they passed through the narrow, gloomy alley smoothly and just one more corner would lead them to the central area.


    At this moment, Anne stopped abruptly and widened her eyes. "Leader, I think I heard somebody battling."


    "Oh?" Rhode stopped his footsteps swiftly while Gillian twitched her ears and nodded. "That''s right, they are nearby, but not too close too�� They should be in the depths of the central area�� And there''s plenty of them."


    "Great!" Rhode relaxed as his instincts seemed to be right.


    In the deeper central area was the location for the so-called ''Enforcement Banishment''. That place was filled with an unending stream of undead creatures and terrifying Constructs. These creatures would patrol all over and launch attacks at any signs of life. In gamer terms, that map was the best for EXP farming. Once a player starts battling the creatures, the other masses of undead creatures in the entire city would swarm towards the player''s location. Furthermore, the Undead Army would be triggered and the player had to eliminate them all before he could move on.


    The only solution was to use the ''equipment'' from the underground chamber to activate a defense barrier in the city so the Constructs would turn their attacks on the undead creatures instead. The defense barriers that the ''equipment'' activated could also guard against the attacks of the Undead Army and separate Rhode from them completely. This way, the entire dungeon would enter the ''normal'' difficulty, which made it much easier.


    "Let''s have a look," Rhode suggested.


    Perhaps the undead creatures had all swarmed to the central area, which was why Rhode''s group didn''t find any of them on the way here. Without a doubt, Rhode wouldn''t let this great opportunity off since this selfless person had taken the initiative to attract the attention of all the creatures. Soon, the trio arrived at the public square on the central area.


    As the three of them glanced over, they spotted the masterminds. They were in battle and as expected, their enemies were the terrifying undead creatures. The undead creatures howled unbearably as they flooded towards their enemies, seeming to want to shred these intruders into bits. Rhode widened his eyes curiously at the pathetic group struggling to fend off the undead creatures.


    The group was less than ten people and was clad in armor no different from ordinary adventurers. Perhaps these pitiful humans would be dead even before taking down this first wave of attacks. However, someone was the reason why they were able to stand there.


    That man stood in front of his group. He held his sword with both hands and silver-whitish flames were surging on the blade, shaping into a thin layer of barrier that kept the undead creatures away. It was apparent that this barrier was on the verge of disappearing as the flames began to fade.


    To Rhode''s surprise, he noticed a pair of extended, white wings behind that man''s back: Battle Angel.


    No wonder Rhode was familiar with the wounds that were inflicted on the Undead Creatures. Battle Angels were experts in annihilating Undead Creatures with their holy flames.


    A corner of Rhode''s mouth lifted. "Let''s go, Anne, Gillian. Go according to plan."

 Chapter 443 Underground Maze VI

    Metzel was exhausted.


    The sword was never this heavy in his arms before and everything he slashed, it felt as though he was using up his remaining strength. He couldn''t differentiate companions from enemies anymore. He brandished his sword innately at the black figure before him and that was his only countermeasure for dealing with this situation. Metzel fended off the enemies with his holy flames while his companions were responsible for annihilating the creatures that had broken through the silver-whitish flame barrier. However, how long could they sustain by doing this? Metzel didn''t know and he couldn''t grasp the elapsing time. Had one second, one minute, or one hour passed? These questions became meaningless to Metzel. Initially, these mercenaries thought that this would be the only wave of undead creatures and they would be fine after dealing with them. However, the never-ending stream of attacks had debilitated them mentally and physically.


    "Argh!" A scream sent chills down Metzel''s spine as he witnessed yet another companion of his dragged out of the flame barrier by a pitch-black charred arm. The companion struggled and stretched his hands to Metzel for help but, he disappeared to the other side of the flame barrier before Metzel could even react.


    "Ahh!" The ear-piercing screams died under the howls of the devouring undead creatures.


    "I can''t hold on any longer, Metzel." The gentle voice of the Battle Angel sounded.


    The Battle Angel gripped his sword tightly with an ashen expression. A young lady dressed as an archer scuttled towards him hurriedly and chanted with her arms apart. A soothing beam of radiance shrouded the Battle Angel and comforted his stricken self. However, it was an utterly inadequate measure.


    "Metzel, do you have any solutions? If this goes on, everyone will be dead! Apart from these undead creatures, there are still those horrifying metallic creatures!" One of the mercenaries screamed.


    "I��" Metzel knitted his brows, but his head was a mess.


    The flustered young swordsman didn''t know what to do to survive this life-threatening situation. Yet, as a leader of the group, he couldn''t give up. Metzel was clear that no matter what, he couldn''t give up his responsibilities as a leader. If not, death would find their way before they even knew it.


    "What do we have left?" asked Metzel.


    "Nothing left, Metzel," the young lady replied anxiously. "We do have some weapons left. I''ve run out of flame arrows and explosive arrows. What else can we do?"


    What to do? I''m more curious to know the answer than you! Metzel felt helpless but even so, he had no intention of giving up. No matter what, he had to hang on. "Hang on, guys! Shrink our defenses! Sir Delno, please move back a little and don''t minimize the size of your barrier!"


    Live on. No matter what, we have to live on and every second counts. This isn''t about honor or pride, but our human instinct to survive. No matter how incomparably hopeless it seems, we must hang on to the final second. The person who gives up life first will only face death. But, if we hang on, perhaps there will be miracles.


    Everyone retreated and shrunk their defense circle. This forced them to the corner and apart from the tall, thick city walls, there was nothing else to protect them. However, even the city walls had become their enemies. They had no chance of escaping and they could only rely upon their backs against their final defense and hope to continue fighting back.


    "Heyah!" The young swordsman slashed his sword at the skull of a Skeleton Soldier that barged through the flame barrier. But, instead of slicing it into two, his sword got stuck in the chink deeply.


    Sh*t!


    Feeling a powerful pulling force, Metzel let go of his hands and the Skeleton Soldier dragged Metzel''s sword out of the defense barrier instantly. If Metzel didn''t let go of his grip in time, perhaps he would have been devoured by the undead creatures.


    However, this struggle had exhausted the young swordsman''s final bit of strength. He fell to the ground and couldn''t raise his arms anymore.


    "Metzel!" The young lady on the other side screamed in panic as soon as she saw Metzel fall on the ground.


    The exhausted Battle Angel was unable to hold on any longer. The flame barrier once again thinned and the mercenaries couldn''t contain their fears and desperation anymore. They worked so hard for this and in the end, they still weren''t able to escape the claws of death?


    At this moment, a bright, glaring radiance flashed.


    The fascinating magical radiance flashed through the ground and deep, loud bells rang.


    Bells?


    Perhaps they knew that death was near, or they had already given up. At this moment, the group was no longer concerned about the creatures that were about to pounce on them. Instead, they turned their heads towards the bell tower, where the heavy, depressing bells sounded from. That bell tower is still working it seems��? This question popped up in their heads.


    Then, they realized that something was off.


    A magical radiance flashed by. The undead creatures stopped moving and turned around as though they detected danger. But they turned back around and gazed at their trapped prey almost immediately. Those vivid lives and the glaring fighting spirit of their souls were the presence that the undead creatures were longing to perish.


    The Battle Angel finally ran out of strength as he collapsed to his knees. The silver-whitish flame barrier vanished entirely.


    Is this the end?


    Seeing their most reliable companion collapsing to his knees, everyone shut their eyes and awaited the death that was about to strike them.


    But suddenly, someone chided them. "It''s too early to sleep, isn''t it?"


    "Eh?" The mercenaries widened their eyes in shock and they looked up curiously to find Anne landing on the ground from above.


    The young lady crushed the ground with her shield mercilessly and sent rapid shockwaves across the place. In a blink of an eye, the undead creatures were blasted away. Anne raised her shield and the green wind element emerged. She roared and pushed forward.


    Boom! The whizzing whirlwind erupted from the shield and swept the undead creatures away. The densely gathered undead creatures were as though gusted away by a leaf blower and in a split second, the battleground was cleaned out entirely.


    "Phew�� Easy peasy." Anne observed the damage that she had done and said with a proud smile. She turned around and winked at the frightened, yet relieved mercenaries. "It seems that you guys had a hard time. But don''t worry. Leader said to rescue all of you, so you can be assured now."


    "Leader?" The mercenaries lifted their heads and gazed towards the direction where Anne focused her attention on. A young man in a black attire walked towards them from the other side of the square.


    "��" Even though that young man was alone, the undead creatures fixated their stares on him and roared aggressively while ignoring Anne and the other mercenaries.


    "This brings back memories�� Alright then, I shall see how different it is to clear this dungeon the traditional way," Rhode said with a smirk.


    Countless magical rays radiated from his arms and coalesced into a huge, gorgeous summoning ritual emerging beneath his feet. Numerous flashy cards appeared from thin air and formed a circle with Rhode in the center. Undead creatures darted forward as soon as they realized the incoming danger.


    Rhode smacked his palms together.


    Pow! The colorful cards circulating around Rhode shattered into bits. A harmony of crimson flames, mysterious mist, bolts of lightning, and flawless radiance shrouded Rhode entirely as they emerged one after another. But this wasn''t the end. As the cards shivered, a golden halo erupted from Rhode''s body and spread across the square in a blink of an eye.


    Taboo Halo, activated.

 Chapter 444 Underground Maze VII

    [Taboo Halo: Within the halo''s range, the attack and defense attributes of the summoned spirits will be increased by 3 points. Stackable with other halos.]


    The attack and defense attributes of spirits could be increased by a maximum of 3 points at once. The attack and defense attribute that these spirits possessed represented their strength and the higher their attack and defense values were, the higher their levels were. If Rhode unlocked Gillian''s seal, she would be one of the spirits with the strongest levels at 20 points of attack and defense.


    There were no preconditions in using this Taboo Halo to ''temporarily'' increase the attribute points by three for all the spirit cards. In other words, every spirit that he summoned within the halo''s range would have a +3 buff to their attack and defense attributes.


    Without a doubt, due to the uniqueness of each spirit in terms of their attributes and types, not all spirits could reach the maximum 20 points of attack and defense. For a spirit with low attribute values like the Spirit Bird, it would hit a maximum of 7 points of attack and 7 points of defense after receiving the +3 buff. Although the Spirit Bird would still be stronger than most ordinary spirits, it wouldn''t be superior to a BOSS.


    Nevertheless, Rhode had no intentions of counting on the Spirit Bird now.


    "��!" A huge, pitch-black hound dashed out from the flames in an ear-deafening roar.


    The Hell Hound was no longer the same after receiving the buff. Its muscular body had become almost as tall as a human and under the burning red flames, spurs covered its body like armor. If it weren''t for the familiar undulating powers from it, perhaps Rhode wouldn''t have recognized this two-headed Hell Hound as his favorite ''dog bomb''.


    The Hell Hound was quick to notice the fast approaching Undead Army and charged towards them aggressively. To be frank, with its newly acquired 7 points of defense, the Hell Hound wasn''t that prone to death anymore. It blasted the scorching flames on its body skywards and lifted both heads to suck in a deep breath.


    It howled and blasted two fiery, conical seas of flames instantly. The Hell Hound swayed its heads left and right to scorch more undead creatures with its devastating flames.


    The Undead Army''s movements stagnated under the immense attack. However, the Hell Hound wasn''t able to stop all the undead creatures from advancing. The other undead creatures that avoided the flames of the Hell Hound launched their attacks on Rhode, but a huge figure blocked their path quickly.


    After receiving the buff, it wasn''t only the Hell Hound that had transformed. The Centaur Knight stepped out of the mist. At this moment, it had transformed to almost the size of an elephant. Furthermore, the half-knight now had four strong arms holding onto a shield and pike. The black, steel shield covered every inch of the half-knight while the sharp pike glittered with an ice-cold aura under the Hell Hound''s sparkling flames. The Centaur Knight raised its front legs and stomped the ground before charging forward in a matchless, brutal whirlwind.


    "Oh lord��" Metzel''s group was speechless. They sat foolishly on the ground while gawking at the scene before them. The pitch-black knight was like a falling boulder from the mountains, charging into the terrifying undead creatures with an incomparable aggression. It trampled and pulverized every enemy before it ruthlessly. Numerous zombies sprung and pounced on the Centaur Knight, but it brandished its pike and a tornado shredded them into pieces. When these zombies landed on the ground, none of them were in perfect condition!


    What kind of force is this!


    But this was only the start.


    A crisp screech sounded and captured everyone''s attention. A huge bird emanating with holy radiance spread its wings in the air. The huge bird flapped its wings and struck the undead creatures with countless glaring bolts of lightning descending from above like a roaring thunderstorm. The dazzling radiance forced everyone to shut their eyes.


    Because of this, they missed the next action.


    The sparkling bolts of lightning slowed the movement of these undead creatures dramatically. At the same time, the shadows beneath their feet began to twist and distort. Countless pitch-dark, thick tentacles extended and bound the undead creatures tightly. This ambush enraged the undead creatures as they couldn''t escape no matter how hard they struggled to break free. At this moment, a firm voice sounded.


    "Evil undead creatures, this isn''t where you should be!"


    Everyone''s eyes sprung open upon hearing the authoritative voice. They gazed above and were baffled. A female Angel shining with holy radiance in the darkness spread its wings with a sword lifted highly in her hands. As the young lady yelled in anger, golden, flower-patterned rays shrouded her body and swiftly coalesced into the sword in her hands. Then, the radiance from Celia''s sword flourished magnificently.


    After receiving the buff, there were some transformations to Celia''s body. Her armor had become increasingly gorgeous, sparkling with white radiance and several golden lines appeared the edge of the lily-white armor and the blue substrate transformed into an ancient, mysterious symbol.


    The Battle Angel who was half-kneeling beside Metzel revealed a flabbergasted expression. "This is the�� Divine Judgement?!"


    "Divine Judgement?" Metzel turned over to the Battle Angel curiously.


    No matter if it was the fire-breathing black hound, the gigantic centaur knight, the white bird, or the angel that flew in the air, it gave Metzel''s group a misconception that this was a battle from a legend and myth. Metzel''s question wasn''t answered because at this moment, Celia struck.


    Her sword erupted in silver-whitish flames and engulfed the undead creatures as though a flood had poured down from above.


    Celia had reached 12 points of attack and this was enough for her to release powers equaling an Elite at its peak. Furthermore, holy powers were the natural enemy of undead creatures. In an instant, half of the thousand undead creatures filling the square perished while the remaining undead creatures didn''t dare advance any further. Holy powers filled with positive energy were their biggest fear and the undead creatures retreated to avoid them. However, dark tentacles emerged and bound them on the spot.


    A scarlet, large ritual appeared on the pitch-black ground and overwhelmed the remaining undead creatures. Countless thorns whizzed and interlaced like steel chains, forming a huge, dense net within a few seconds. Then, a wine-colored radiance flashed and wrapped the undead creatures. Detecting an unusual danger approaching, the undead creatures struggled fiercely while wailing piteously.


    Metzel''s group gaped in disbelief. These weak, fragile undead creatures were still trying to take their lives a while ago. But now? These undead creatures were behaving like ants running for their lives.


    As the red radiance flashed, the struggling undead creatures stopped moving and crumpled to the ground abruptly��their source of energy had been affected by an indescribable influence and had left them forever. Now, they were nothing more than just corpses.


    "Hmph," Celestina lifted her chin proudly and scrutinized the corpses in disdain.


    Similarly, this young lady had transformed greatly. Her fascinating charm became much more attractive and not only that, the Western-style dress clad on her was luxurious to a whole new level. She coalesced a negative energy ball at its pinnacle above her fingertips. After admiring her beautiful work, Celestina simpered and snapped her fingers to shatter the red ball of energy gracefully.


    The battle ended.

 Chapter 445 Underground Maze VIII

    The clamorous central area square returned to silence.


    Other than a thick billow of smoke rising above the bombarded square, there were no signs of piled-up undead creatures'' corpses or bloodbath anywhere. These undead creatures were corpses that had been dead for a long time. After losing the source of energy which supplied powers to their body, they vanished into filthy dust instantly. However, it wasn''t only due to this reason that these corpses had disappeared. If one were to step in at this instant, perhaps he wouldn''t have expected that there were thousands of undead creatures just a while ago.


    Rhode canceled the Taboo Halo. After all, the halo needed to consume his spiritual energy to sustain itself. Previously, Rhode used Taboo Halo to analyze the performance of his spirits and he was satisfied. Celia and Celestina under the influence of the buff possessed the strength of an Elite at its peak. While the Centaur Knight and Nether Tentacles did great too, the Spirit Bird�� Rhode had given up on it. Perhaps in future, he would just summon it to confine the enemies'' movements.


    Rhode''s spiritual energy was recovering steadily.


    Although his spiritual energy was exhausted by summoning all his spirits and casting Taboo Halo, only one-fifth of his maximum spiritual energy capacity was consumed.


    This proved just how insane the Legion Horn was. Rhode had leveled up the talents that increased his spiritual energy''s capacity and lowered the amount of spiritual energy required to summon each spirit. If he summoned spirits normally, there wouldn''t be much of a problem. However, he couldn''t disregard the explosiveness of the Legion Horn��


    But this wasn''t the main point.


    Although Rhode had canceled Taboo Halo, he retained the spirits and seized this excellent opportunity to test his other halo talent: Soul Territory.


    Rhode cast Soul Territory. Soul Territory could absorb the spiritual energy of the undead creatures that he had annihilated to replenish his spiritual energy. Rhode was eager to witness the benefits that this Soul Territory would bring him.


    And yes, Rhode was content with the results.


    These low-level undead creatures had limited spiritual energy on them, and the Soul Territory could only absorb 30% of their spiritual energy. In other words, Rhode could only receive 20 to 30 spiritual energy from each Maze Zombie. However, the thousands of undead creatures replenished an alarming amount of spiritual energy.


    Through this battle, Rhode acknowledged that the Nether Tentacles and Centaur Knight were great as main tankers while the Hell Hound, as a powerful attacker, left a dissatisfied expression after not self-destructing�� As for the Spirit Bird, although its lightning skills weren''t powerful enough, they worked fine as a support skill. Last but not least, Celia and Celestina''s overwhelming prowesses were able to put a stop to the undead creatures'' advancement swiftly.


    Yes�� I have main tankers, a supporter, and attackers. But I''m lacking a healer��


    Rhode gestured and withdrew the Spirit Bird, Hell Hound, Nether Tentacles, and Centaur Knight into their cards respectively, leaving Celia and Celestina for safety''s sake. After all, the reason why this battle was so successful was mainly due to this pair of sisters. It went without saying that a Battle Angel like Celia was a natural threat to undead creatures. Whereas, although Celestina was a Demon, the spell that she cast was apparently meant to deal with the undead. No one knew more than the Demons themselves when it came to evil magic spells.


    Furthermore, these two Holy Sword Cards were Rhode''s most powerful spirit cards. Any equal-level Spirit Swordsman could obtain spirits like the Hell Hound and Centaur Knight, but it would be too challenging for them to defeat that many undead creatures. Only with spirits with the standard of the Holy Sword Card Deck like Celia and Celestina, in addition to their unique race and techniques, could exterminate these undead creatures.


    Rhode gazed at Gracier and Madaras hanging by his waist. He was anticipating the day when these two daggers would transform into spirits. After all, their attack attributes and base values weren''t inferior to Succubus and Star Mark at all. If they could transform into spirits, they would definitely be a great help to Rhode.


    However, if that were to happen, Rhode could no longer use these weapons conveniently and ''freely''�� Well, he couldn''t have things both ways��


    Rhode shrugged his shoulders and turned to Anne. who was leading the group of mercenaries towards him. Strictly speaking, it didn''t matter to Rhode if he rescued these mercenaries. Most importantly, he was curious as to why there was an Angel in the team. After all, not anyone could team up with a Battle Angel for no apparent reason and moreover, these people couldn''t even be considered mercenaries, so how did they get involved with an Angel? And why were they here the first place?


    These pitiful mercenaries didn''t know that the reason they survived was all due to Rhode''s curiosity. The young swordsman bowed deeply to Rhode with respect and gratitude. "Thank you very much for your help, respected Sir."


    "You''re welcome; it was just out of convenience anyway," Rhode gestured and sized up the young swordsman before him. He was clad in a decent light armor and although he appeared miserable from head to toe after the battle, he behaved rather earnestly. The young swordsman didn''t respond to Rhode''s comments; instead, he smiled slightly.


    "No matter if it was out of convenience or any other reason, the fact that Sir has saved our lives can''t be changed��" The young man paused before continuing with a bitter smile. "But, to be frank, it really surprised me to meet you here."


    "Oh?" Rhode twitched his brows in surprise. He scanned the young swordsman once more and realized that he did seem rather familiar�� But Rhode couldn''t recall where he met this man before.


    The young swordsman displayed an awkward smile. "You seem to have forgotten us, respected Sir. We met once in the Stone City��"


    "It''s you guys��" Rhode finally remembered who they were.


    Back then, Rhode and Anne were heading to the Black Pine Ruins to retrieve the Sphere of Mystery. While they were in the nearby town, Rhode met a young mercenary in the pub who was recruiting members for his mercenary group for an adventure to the Black Pine Ruins. Furthermore, that mercenary gave his mercenary group an embarrassing name: the Divine Aegis mercenary group. Rhode secretly mocked that these mercenary groups with excellent names usually wouldn''t make it far and threw this matter to the back of his head afterward. However, he never expected to meet them again, especially at this kind of place.


    This piqued Rhode''s curiosity as to why a small team of mercenaries would have the guts to come to this 5 Star Mission location. Also, why were they with an Angel?


    Metzel quickly gave an answer to Rhode''s doubts.


    After failing to invite Rhode to their team, Metzel didn''t give up. Instead, he managed to gather enough members to begin their adventures. A small mercenary group could only accept the lowest 1 Star Missions and Metzel and his companions were strong enough to deal with them. Furthermore, it was all an accident for them to be here: Metzel''s group accepted a mission to escort a group of merchants to Eagle City. On their way there, they met the Battle Angel, Delno, and his companion, Wendy, who were traveling at that time.


    Although Angels had great identities, these two Battle Angels were underaged. There existed a custom in the Angel race that before an Angel grew into adulthood, they must travel to the human world to exterminate evil and protect humans. This would affirm the Angels of who the enemies were, as well as who they needed to protect. After going through this training, they would mature and become a true Angel.


    Without a doubt, most Angels were able to complete their traveling journey. However, a small portion of them was unable to accept the evil side of humans'' greed. They gave up all hope in humans as well as their obligations.


    Delno and Wendy joined Metzel''s mercenary group with wishes to experience life in the human world.


    However, an accident happened when they arrived at the Castel Plateau. Metzel''s group didn''t know the specific location of the Castel Plateau Ruins and they accidentally stumbled into the Necromancers'' land. The Necromancers ambushed and captured Wendy, along with two of Metzel''s companions. Therefore, in order to rescue them, Metzel''s group and Delno tracked the Necromancers, which eventually led them to this square.


    But they didn''t know that they had entered a nightmare.

 Chapter 446 Underground Maze IX

    Rhode finally got his answer after hearing Metzel''s explanation. Although Delno was a Battle Angel in-training and the undead creatures by the entrance didn''t pose a problem to them, this led these people into a dungeon which was out of their reach. Perhaps they would''ve retreated at the entrance if they didn''t have a Battle Angel with them.


    Rhode didn''t doubt Metzel too much because when Rhode''s group battled with the Necromancer BOSS previously, the Necromancer BOSS did summon a group of mercenary spirits and an Angel spirit against him. Yes�� It seemed that they might be the captured ones��


    "So then, what plans do you have next?" Rhode asked.


    "I��" Metzel bit his lips.


    Logically speaking, since he was lucky enough to survive the ordeal, the best choice would be to return home safely. However, humans were greedy creatures, so Metzel hesitated after meeting Rhode''s group. After all, he was a young man who just started his adventures and his honor and responsibilities hadn''t been ground with harsh life experiences. If a seasoned mercenary were in his shoes, perhaps he might have left immediately after expressing his gratitude. After all, the one and only life important was his and there was no need to risk it for someone else. Furthermore, he wouldn''t be dumb enough to not escape from this dangerous place now that he had the chance.


    However, Metzel didn''t choose to do so. He knew what the best choice was, but his companions were drained and they had nothing more to offer in this place. But what about the companions that the Necromancer had captured? Those companions listened to his order to visit Castel Plateau and he was responsible for their dire situation. So was it right for him to give up?


    An irresponsible leader was indeed a headache for most. However, a leader with a strong sense of responsibilities wasn''t that good either. Rhode remained silent as he read Metzel''s mind through his hesitant expression. After all, Metzel''s decision wouldn''t matter to Rhode.


    After a few moments, Metzel seemed to have decided. He shut his eyes and took in a deep breath before lifting his head. "Pardon my rudeness, Mr. Rhode. May I know why you are here?"


    "I guess perhaps you guys aren''t aware that this is the Castel Plateau Ruins, which is a dedicated 5 Star Mission for guilds. We''re here to complete this mission in the name of Starlight," Rhode answered.


    "5 Star Mission��!" Metzel was flabbergasted and color drained out of his face. Although he was just a leader of a small group of mercenaries, he was still aware of the mercenary missions and a 5 Star Mission was a presence out of his reach. Initially, he felt that this underground ruins wasn''t that simple and now it seemed that it was tougher than he had imagined.


    Metzel gnashed his teeth and gazed at Rhode. "Mr. Rhode, I have a request��"


    "I know what you are going to ask." Rhode interrupted Metzel''s words without hesitation. "But this isn''t my problem. You can do whatever you want as long as you don''t hinder us. We won''t take special care of you and we definitely won''t stop you from throwing your lives away."


    Metzel''s eyes glinted as he bowed to Rhode respectfully and turned around. "Shirley."


    "Metzel?" A young lady treating her companion''s wounds stood up hurriedly. "What''s the matter?"


    She was clad in a light leather armor with a wide bow behind her back and an exquisite dagger in her belt. She seemed to be a proper Ranger. The young lady named Shirley arrived at Metzel''s side and gazed curiously.


    Metzel pondered for a moment before retrieving a coin pouch from the fold of his clothes and placing it on Shirley''s hand. The young lady accepted the coin pouch in confustion as she gazed curiously at Metzel. "Shirley, I will continue our task by myself, so bring the others back to the city. This coin pouch has all the money that we have accumulated to date. I initially planned to expand our team and apply as an official mercenary group. However, it is all meaningless now. Bring the guys back and split the money with them. Then disband our team�� As for our fallen companions, I will need to trouble you to compensate their families�� This is all that I can do for them."


    "What are you talking about?" The young lady widened her eyes in shock as she couldn''t believe her ears. "Metzel, are you crazy? You want to stay here? Didn''t we suffer enough!?"


    "But��" Metzel paused.


    "I know what you are going to say, but Metzel, this isn''t your responsibility. No one knew that there would be this powerful Necromancer that even Battle Angel Sir couldn''t defeat. So, what''s the point of you staying in this place? I understand that you have a strong sense of responsibility, but not only do you need to think of our captured companions, you must think about us too! Initially, everyone agreed to your calling and gathered for adventures together as a mercenary team. And we promised and made it very clear that we wouldn''t repent if any of us were to die. But now�� you choose to abandon us?" Shirley exclaimed.


    Woah�� This sounds like a good 8 p.m. soap opera.


    Rhode was so engrossed in their argument that he had leaned against the wall to admire the show. At this moment, Anne hopped her way to Rhode''s side and tilted her head as she gazed curiously at the two of them. "Leader, what are they doing? Are they quarreling?"


    "Shhh�� Shut up and watch the show. This is quite interesting." Rhode feigned ignorance as he placed a finger by his lips.


    Anne piqued her curiosity and nodded with her mouth sealed. She began to concentrate on the TV drama.


    This was a true blue soap opera and a third-rate one at best. There was nothing to describe the dispute between the two of them. Although the young lady named Shirley objected violently, the bullet-headed Metzel didn''t seem willing to give up on those captured companions. According to Metzel, he wouldn''t give up regardless of if his companions were alive or dead. Even if they had been transformed into monsters by the Necromancer, he needed to see it to believe it. To Rhode, their debate was really boring. However, since there was a live romantic soap opera before them, it would be a waste not to watch it. On the other hand, Anne watched eagerly and it went to show that as long as one was a female, some things would never change no matter the place or time.


    "This is the duty of a leader." Metzel said righteously.


    "Idiot!" The young lady snarled and slapped Metzel on his cheek.


    Pow! Rhode and Anne couldn''t help but shrink their heads as the clear, crisp slap echoed throughout the space. Shirley turned around and stomped off to her other companions while Metzel stood red-faced as this tight slap seemed to have left a deeper wound than the Undead Army had managed to. He awkwardly stroked his cheek as he gazed rather reluctantly at Shirley''s back .


    Today''s episode has ended. Please watch the preview for more information on the next episode.


    Rhode lifted his shoulder in a half shrug and decided to leave. As he turned around, a tall figure blocked his path: the Battle Angel who was previously with Metzel''s group. Rhode had heard from Metzel that this Battle Angel trainee was named Delno .Although Delno was still a trainee, he felt that this Battle Angel was much more experienced than Celia, an official Battle Angel. If Rhode were to compare a Battle Angel''s age with a human''s age, perhaps Delno would be in his middle years. Delno placed his right hand on his chest and bowed respectfully.


    "I''m deeply grateful for your help, human," Delno said with a stiff voice and emotionless expression.


    However, even so, Rhode detected a sense of danger in his tone. He squinted his eyes and carefully examined the Battle Angel before him. Delno lifted his head immediately after expressing his gratitude with sharp radiances in his eyes and questioned solemnly. "But human, why would you be with an evil Demon?"


    This question finally made its way here.


    Rhode knitted his brows as he expected the Battle Angel to question this. After all, the anti-undead spell that Celestina cast was loaded with a sinister aura that even humans would feel was strange, not to mention, a Battle Angel who was extremely sensitive to Demons. To be frank, it was very courteous of the Battle Angel to not declare war with Celestina instantly. If it were any other Battle Angel, perhaps they would have attacked without any signs of warning.


    However, before Rhode could answer, an aroma spread from behind him.


    "This is Master''s choice. What has it got to do with you, a chicken with wings?" Celestina raised her head proudly and gazed at the Battle Angel with spiteful eyes.


    She tugged the thorny whip on her hands and lashed out at the ground. This action reminded Rhode of an adult-rated scene that wasn''t suitable to be made known to others�� Okay, back to the fight. Celestina spread her pitch-black wings apart widely to provoke the pitiful Battle Angel.


    "A small, little-underaged chick has the guts to talk trash before my Master? Who do you think you are?!" Celestina reprimanded furiously.


    "Evil presence!" The Battle Angel burst into a fit of rage.


    He sprung backwards and lifted his sword. Soon, holy flames began to burn on the blade. Although this Battle Angel was exhausted from the previous torment, he decided to ignite his life energy to exterminate the evil presence.


    However, this ''glowing chick'' before Celestina was no threat at all. She swung her right arm and lashed out a thorny whip. In a blink of an eye, the thorny whip extended swiftly and bound the Battle Angel''s hands and legs before he could even reacte. The burning flames on his blade extinguished and faded, replaced with thick pitch-dark mist.


    Celestina''s evil powers were far beyond Delno''s holy powers. This Battle Angel had no chance in fending off Celestina''s ambush. His face began to pale and his hands started to tremble. Furthermore, rays of darkness stained his pure sword blade.


    "You, this�� evil��" the Battle Angel''s expression sunk at the sight of the darkness on his sword.


    He gritted his teeth and replaced his painful, hesitant expression with wrath. He snarled and the extinguished white flames once again erupted on the sword. However, this time, the holy flames seemed like a shivering small flame under the blizzard.


    Everyone was dumbfounded. Metzel''s group stood foolishly on the spot as they watched the confrontation between an Angel and a Demon. After all, as humans, they lacked the hatred towards evil that the Angels had. Furthermore, Celestina was a high-level Demon and even though she had dwindled her enticing powers, she was a gorgeous young lady in their eyes. Humans were always lied to by their eyes. It was hard to believe that such a stunning young lady was a sinister and terrifying Demon. However, there was no doubt that the pair of pitch-dark wings behind Celestina''s back proved that she was one who belonged in the eternal evilness and darkness.


    Furthermore, these people were the ones who rescued them from the undead creatures and these newbie mercenaries wouldn''t even dare to rebel. However, Delno was also their benefactor and if it weren''t for him, perhaps they wouldn''t have held on until Rhode''s group was here to rescue them. So which side should they help?


    While the mercenaries were hesitating, Anne was clapping her hands and cheering on as though she was watching the continuation episode of the soap opera. However, not everyone was that amused.


    Shing! A glaring white radiance flashed by and split the thorny whip in half, releasing its bind on the Battle Angel''s sword. Delno lacked the strength to support himself anymore and he fell to his knees.


    "That''s enough." Celia sheathed her sword and gazed at Celestina in censure. "Now isn''t the time for this. We still have to eliminate threats for Master. It''s better to stop wasting time here."


    "Hmph." Celestina held back a little and swept a glance at the half-kneeling Battle Angel. "Celia, I can understand your feelings and reparations for your foolish Angel companion. But to me, this profanity is an unforgivable felony. Not to mention, he tried to threaten my Master. Only death can apologize for such a disrespectful sin!"


    Celestina smirked, followed by a taunting gaze. "Sure, I can forgive him. But, he has to apologize to me�� Yea, by licking my boots clean! How about that?"


    "You��!" Celia exclaimed and the air around them froze.


    Even Metzel''s group could sense the dark, evil, yet alluring aura leaking from the demonic young lady. It was as though an incapacitating agent was baiting them into the abyss and even though they knew they would perish in the end, they continued to pursue with no second thoughts. They would be humiliated and ridiculed by kneeling before her, however, as soon as they noticed her slender legs, they would lay on the ground uncontrollably to do anything for her. As long as they could get on intimate terms with her, even they would be willing to commit suicide.


    However, this deadly lure was the source of sins to the Battle Angels.


    "You, this evil��" Delno muttered furiously.


    "Sister!" Celia detected the aura that Celestina released on purpose and yelled hopelessly.


    "Why? Wanna go against me, Celia? Under such circumstances?" Celestina smirked and taunted.


    "Under such circumstances, I think you two better stop." Suddenly, a nonchalant voice sounded and Gillian emerged between the both of them in a puff of smoke. "Master didn''t summon you two here to watch you fight. Stop right now."

 Chapter 447 Underground Maze X

    "What a surprise��"


    The Necromancer''s pitch-black eyes glittered with flashes of maroon radiances as he turned away from the crystal ball. He was clad in a dark robe while terrifying scars exposed on his bony face glaringly. However, the grin on his face was his most frightening feature. It wasn''t a kind, delightful smile. Instead, it was a Necromancer''s signature smile of death.


    "Someone actually activated the defense system of this city ruins. I would have gone over to greet them myself if I weren''t too busy now�� Ah, what a pity. I have an important guest with me now��" The Necromancer giggled and shifted his attention to the pure, white Angel who was bound at the side and staring at him stubbornly: that was an unexpected gain he had gotten.


    "Argh��!" The Battle Angel shuddered as the Necromancer stared sinisterly.


    However, she lifted her chin hurriedly after realizing her cowardly reactions. She gnashed her teeth and gazed at the Necromancer obstinately. At this moment, the Battle Angel''s armor had been stripped entirely, exposing her naked, voluptuous body under the pale spirit flames. Steel chains bound her body while she hung with numerous splinters nailing her angelic pair of wings to the wall. Even though fresh blood dripped and stained her pure, clean feathers, she didn''t let out a single sorrowful moan. From the very start, this scheming Necromancer had ambushed her and Metzel''s companions. In the end, she failed to inflict any damage to this sinister presence and she was kept captive in this horrifying ruins.


    "Ah, the holy powers�� just like the dazzling flames. Makes me wanna pounce on it�� and vanish gracefully. So beautiful��" The Necromancer approached the Battle Angel in small steps and caressed her cheek so ever gently.


    Sensing his ice-cold touch, the Battle Angel stared furiously. However, the Necromancer revealed a wide, enjoyable smile.


    "Don''t worry, I know what you''re thinking. Your companions are fine�� You see?" The Necromancer chuckled while he snapped his fingers.


    Two figures emerged behind him and the Battle Angel was dumbfounded because they were the other two mercenaries who were also caught by the Necromancer.


    However, they had lost the entirety of their human form. Their swollen, pale-green bodies were filled with rotten gashes that revealed their internal organs and bones while flesh-colored tentacles extended from within. There were no longer any signs of life in their eyes and only the darkness of death and the eternal sufferings remained.


    "You evil presence! How dare you treat the living beings this way!" The Battle Angel snarled furiously.


    However, the Necromancer displayed a vibrant smile once again.


    "I am a Necromancer and this is the way I treat the living beings. But�� to be honest, I have thoughts of refining you into my Undead Keeper and I will then have more powerful troops with the powers of a Battle Angel �� However, it''s a pity that those intruders look rather troublesome. Although I don''t know who he is, not just anyone can activate the defense system in this city ruins��" The Necromancer paused and turned towards the crystal ball.


    The Necromancer''s heart had sunk after realizing that the defense system of this city had been activated. He suspected that the intruder might possibly be deeply related to this city because he had been in the Castel Plateau Ruins for many years and knew the history of this place inside out. Moreover, he had also investigated the strength of the past civilians of this city and if they were back to reclaim this city now, their strength definitely wouldn''t be as weak as the group of idiotic mercenaries. Furthermore, the intruders were able to eliminate all the undead creatures he had planted in the central area.


    The Necromancer knew that this city possessed a powerful defense system which utilized the Construct Guards. However, these Construct Guards wouldn''t listen to his commands as their duties were to protect the entire underground city and annihilate any signs of life. The Necromancer wasn''t threatened by the Construct Guards because they couldn''t pick up on his presence (as he was already dead(. The Necromancer had tried to capture a few Construct Guards as his own gatekeepers because, Constructs were the favorite playthings of all Mages and Necromancers were was no exception. However, these Construct Guards weren''t that accommodating. Although the Construct Guards had no reactions to undead creatures, they retaliated as soon as they were attacked. Furthermore, these ancient Construct Guards possessed powerful battle strength. The Necromancer had attempted a few times but reaped nothing in return. This was why he gave up the idea of messing with the Construct Guards. Moreover, although the Construct Guards didn''t obey his commands, they did remove a lot of trouble on his behalf.


    But now, the Necromancer realized that a big trouble was ahead.


    Although he didn''t know who the intruders were, he realized that the Construct Guards had begun to ''wipe out'' the undead creatures. It was apparent that they had received an order. If not, these brainless Construct Guards definitely wouldn''t do such a thing.


    Although these Construct Guards were extremely powerful, the Necromancer didn''t spend years of his life operating this place for nothing. This declaration of war brought huge losses to both sides and without a doubt, the Construct Guards weren''t afraid of death. Furthermore, it was their duty to defend this place, so it didn''t matter to them at all. However, the Necromancer''s undead creatures were annihilated steadily, which definitely wasn''t a good sign.


    Since that''s the case, I should��


    The Necromancer gazed at the Battle Angel. "You should feel proud. After all, I have no intentions of using a precious spoil of war like you as a ''vessel''. But I am getting curious. What if I present a pure Angel as a reincarnation artifact for the Lich? What powers would I get?"


    "!!" Terror held the Battle Angel like a vice-like grip and her beautiful pair of eyes permeated an unexplainable fear as soon as the word ''Lich'' sounded in her ears. She couldn''t budge as the steel chains flowing with negative powers had sealed her strength. All she could do was to witness the Necromancer vomiting before her.


    A hand-sized oval shape stuck out from the Necromancer''s chest and wandered around before finally going up his throat. The Necromancer let out an uncomfortable roar as he lowered his head.


    Fright overtook the Battle Angel''s face as soon as she witnessed the object that was in the Necromancer''s mouth. "I have never kissed anyone, and I didn''t expect that my first kiss would be given to an Angel. How ironic��"


    The Necromancer relished in the Battle Angel''s horrified expression as he approached the Battle Angel with a smirk. The Battle Angel had her back against the ice-cold rock wall and she had nowhere to escape with the steel chains and splinters all around her body. The Necromancer pointed his finger and a chilly, dark aura shrouded the Battle Angel entirely.


    At this moment, the terrifying Necromancer arrived at the semi-conscious Battle Angel''s face. "Come on, little cutie, let me give you an affectionate kiss."


    "��" The Battle Angel refused innately.


    However, the Necromancer grabbed her cheeks and forced her mouth open to accept his stained, wicked lips.


    "Argh��!" The Battle Angel widened her eyes in horror as soon as she sensed the deadly aura emitting from the Necromancer.


    An ice-cold object filled with a burst of negative energy entered her mouth and her body while the Battle Angel twisted her body and wings to get away from this petrifying threat.


    However, her body began to weaken. Her eyes rolled white and the fighting spirit in her soul faded gradually. Her spotlessly white skin turned ashen and in a few seconds, she drooped and dangled like a hanging corpse.


    At the same time, her pure, beautiful feathers fell like gentle snowflakes.

 Chapter 448 Undead Keeper

    There wasn''t a single sound along the quiet corridor.


    Rhode sighed at the sight of the corpses because he heard that clearing this mission according to the mission flow would be easier. Now, it seemed that it wasn''t only easier, it was extremely easy!


    In the game, when Rhode''s group first arrived at Castel Plateau Ruins without the ''equipment'' from the chamber, their experience told them that this dungeon was between the range of level 55 to level 60. It was too difficult to handle the never-ending stream of undead creatures and Constructs and if it were another player group, they definitely couldn''t eliminate them. After receiving the ''equipment'' from the chamber, it seemed that this dungeon was filled with creatures at only about level 50. Furthermore, the Construct Guards fought against the undead creatures in their respective areas. Without a doubt, there was still an abundance of undead creatures roaming around; however, this was considered very little compared to the never-ending swarm of them. Rhode thought that there would be similar ambushes from the undead creatures like before. In the end, they had traveled all the way from the central area to the administrative district and didn''t meet any attacks of a large scale. What remained were very ordinary undead creatures which normal player groups could defeat�� This finally cleared a doubt that had been on Rhode''s mind. Initially, when Rhode reclaimed the Castel Plateau Ruins in the game, they received high-level equipment. However, ever since the other players cleared the Castel Plateau Ruins, Rhode wasn''t able to obtain equally high-level equipment. It seemed that due to the difference in levels and difficulties, the dungeon had a different range of equipment drops.


    A Castel Plateau Ruins without its defense system activated wasn''t able to threaten Rhode. And now, this Castel Plateau Ruins with a lowered difficulty all the more wouldn''t pose any difficulty to Rhode at all. The undead creatures had lessened and Rhode wasn''t by himself. Anne advanced with her shield on hand while Celia and Celestina followed behind her closely. Every time Anne crushed the undead creatures, Celia and Celestina would eliminate these chaotic creatures immediately without leaving any remains. On the other hand, Rhode walked leisurely as though he were strolling in the windy spring weather because apart from casting Taboo Halo and Soul Territory occasionally, he didn''t need to do anything. Gillian follows suit as she chatted wittily with Rhode. However, this wasn''t because Gillian was lazing around. Instead, Rhode stopped her from attacking as a safety precaution. After all, the Necromancer was the most difficult target in this entire Castel Plateau Ruins.


    However, on the other hand, it was a totally different scenery for some others.


    "This�� This��" Metzel widened his eyes in disbelief.


    Although this mercenary team captain had decided to move on to search for his companions, he knew that he wasn''t capable of dealing with the undead creatures by himself. Even though he had mentally prepared himself for possible death, this scene still exceeded his expectations.


    Anne was fearless as hundreds of undead creatures presented themselves before her. It was as though the young lady had found rare treasures every time she encountered these disgusting creatures as she bounced forward. Metzel was concerned for this adorable young lady who leaped into the swarm of undead creatures by herself. But Metzel realized that his worries were totally unnecessary.


    Every time Anne darted towards the creatures, it felt as though she were a gigantic boulder crashing from the mountains. All Metzel heard was a loud bang and the undead creatures were blasted away. Then, the angelic and demonic young ladies would charge forward while flapping their contrasting wings. In the blink of an eye, the undead creatures were wiped out cleanly.


    "So powerful��" Shirley couldn''t help but mumble as Anne once again charged into the undead creatures.


    Although this Ranger slapped Metzel furiously for his foolish decision, she eventually stayed to support him. At this point, Shirley and Metzel were equally flabbergasted. After all, they were still inexperienced mercenaries compared to Rhode''s group, which belonged in the ranks of the guilds. Furthermore, even though these mercenaries knew about Rhode''s Starlight. as they also hailed from Paphield, they didn''t expect Rhode''s guild to be this powerful. In addition to Rhode and Gillian, there were only five of them, but the five of them had defeated more than a thousand undead creatures together! Oh lord, are we dreaming? Or are the guilds really this powerful?


    Although Metzel could argue that Rhode had the help of an Angel like Celia, his group was defeated miserably even when they had Delno with them. When they detected the trap that they were about to fall into in the central area, they had considered massacring their way out of the underground city. But their strength wasn''t enough to allow them to, which they were eventually trapped by the undead creatures. On the other hand, the three of them fought the undead creatures so comfortably as though their enemies were just ordinary wild monsters.


    Delno was equally astonished. However, he wasn''t astounded by the strength of Rhode''s group. Instead, this tall and sturdy Battle Angel had been dumbfounded ever since he heard Celia addressing Celestina as "Sister". Perhaps as humans, Metzel and Shirley would feel curious about the relationship between Celia and Celestina. However, for a Battle Angel like Delno, this came as a bolt from the blue because he had never thought that he would ever see an Angel and an evil Demon addressing one another this intimately.


    Could it be that she is a fake Battle Angel? This possibility was excluded because Delno had seen for himself the Divine Judgement that Celia had cast. That was definitely a Battle Angel''s technique and it was impossible for a Demon to possess such powerful holy powers. But if she is really a true Battle Angel, why didn''t she eliminate the evil Demon?


    He shifted his attention to Rhode. Although this man never attacked even once ever since they had met, Delno realized that both Celia and the evil demon were addressing him as "Master"�� What exactly is going on? Demons are always proud and mighty, so how is it possible for her to acknowledge a human as her master? As for the Battle Angel, shouldn''t her master be the Light Dragon? Why did she abandon her beliefs to devote herself to a human?


    What is so worthy of this human for them to do this?


    Almost there.


    Rhode gazed at the ruins before him and advanced according to his memories �� The remains of the undead creatures and Construct Guards were getting lesser, which meant that they were getting closer to their destination. However, this wasn''t the problem Rhode was worrying about.


    As he scanned both sides of the dilapidated buildings, a few deep crashes sounded out of the blue.


    Boom! The resounding crashes echoed throughout the quiet city ruins. Anne hurriedly erected her shield and began to scan the surroundings vigilantly. Celia readied her sword for the incoming enemies while Celestina squinted with a nonchalant attitude.


    As Anne was about to charge forward, suddenly, a hand pressed down on her shoulder. The young lady turned around curiously to find Rhode beside her.


    "Leave this to me, Anne." Rhode drew out his twin daggers.


    At this moment, a gigantic figure emerged from behind the buildings slowly.


    This is��


    Facing this terrifying monster, even Anne held her breath. This large monster was three meters tall, with an obese body made with countless corpses. As the monster turned over, its two skulls exposing revolting, scorched brains. The muscles on its face contracted along with the movement. Meanwhile, its four thick, enormous arms each held a heavy sword while repulsive green liquid oozed from its body.


    "W-What is this thing, Leader?" Anne exclaimed.


    "That''s an Undead Keeper. We''re getting closer to our destination." Rhode stepped forward while lifting his chin at the monster before him. "Anne, leave this to me."

 Chapter 449 A Walking Corpse

    Rhode had his reasons to be extremely vigilant against this Undead Keeper. Ordinary undead creatures were mainly weak in their defenses as their bones were usually hidden under a thin layer of skin. Although some of the zombies had thicker fleshes and were tougher, this Undead Keeper was on a whole new level. It had an extremely thick and hard body that consisted of countless corpses. Ordinary blades would get stuck and couldn''t be retrieved after slashing into it. Furthermore, fire attacks wouldn''t be effective against it due to repulsive green blood flowing under the disgusting flesh. The Undead Keeper would squirt the venomous blood from its body to extinguish the flames. However, this would make matters worse as once the blood evaporated in the flames, the venomous fluid would turn into mist instantly.


    Apart from these features, the Undead Keeper possessed great strength. Although its four arms seemed large and clumsy, the sharp blades it held were huge threats. The only flaw this Undead Keeper had was its slow movement speed. However, the Undead Keeper had a magical steel chain which would capture its prey as soon as it sensed an enemy taking advantage of his slow movement. Not only that, its twin heads could spurt ice breaths and it had strong magical resistance.


    In the game, Rhode''s formidable group failed a few attempts in this Castel Plateau Ruins. One of the attempts failed miserably under the hands of this damned monster. As soon as Rhode''s group faced this monster, he subconsciously laid out a perfect anti-undead creature formation. However, instead of blasting this monster to bits, its blood evaporated into a mist that enveloped everyone. The venomous mist defeated a large portion of Rhode''s men in the blink of an eye. Then, before Rhode noticed, this monster had lashed its steel chain at their Healer and devoured her entirely. Yes, if Mini Bubble Gum were beside Rhode right now, perhaps she would be as eager as Rhode to seek revenge.


    The Undead Keeper''s strange abilities and characteristics along with the powerful venomous mist exceeded the expectations of Rhode''s group. Other than these, the Undead Keeper had a ruthless, earth-shattering move. Not only could it deal physical damage to the enemies around it, the giant, black sunken ground it left would release a never-ending swarm of undead creatures that even Rhode wasn''t able to defend against. Their first attempt ended in tragedy. But this one mistake was definitely enough. For their second attempt, everyone utilized freezing and lightning spells to curb the Undead Keeper''s movements before blasting it entirely with everything they had.


    Due to this, this monster left a deep impression on Rhode''s mind. To be frank, if the Country of Darkness had such a monster in their army, perhaps Rhode would have a difficult time dealing with them. However, apart from the Castel Plateau Ruins, Rhode had never met a monster similar to this. Rhode suspected that this might possibly be a monster that was created by the Necromancer.


    However, this Undead Keeper was much easier to deal with now because Rhode couldn''t sense the mightiness it had from the game. Its miserable body was filled with fresh wounds. Furthermore, judging from the metal blades and pikes stuck in the Undead Keeper''s body and the remains of Construct Guards scattered across the ground, it wasn''t hard to guess how badly it had been damaged.


    This was a great opportunity for Rhode. The reason why he didn''t want Anne to attack was because this monster was truly a troublesome one. Rhode didn''t have the time to explain the strategies in detail because the Necromancer was bound to be aware of their whereabouts. While Rhode would be dealing with the Undead Keeper, Anne would be responsible for the critters that would appear from the Undead Keeper''s tricky ''earth-shattering attack''.


    "Anne, take note that once the Undead Keeper raises its arms high, you must retreat instantly. Also, you must be careful because many undead creatures will emerge from the sunken ground it smashes. I''ll leave those undead creatures to you. Remember to keep a distance from it." Rhode spoke from his rich experience.


    In the game, many of his men had forgotten that this underground city was actually hovering in midair and falling in the sunken hole of the abyss eventually led to their utter defeat. Although Rhode wasn''t worried about Anne''s reflexes in battle, he was worried that this young lady would charge forward blindly.


    "Okay, Leader." Anne nodded and got into position.


    Although Anne didn''t experience everything Rhode had, she felt that this situation was rather unusual from Rhode''s tone. As for Celia and Celestina, Rhode had notified them using their spiritual connections of the critters that would appear later. Then, Rhode focused his attention on the Undead Keeper before him.


    At this moment, the Undead Keeper discovered Rhode''s group. It turned around and howled furiously while taking slow, wide steps.


    After its battle with the Construct Guards, the Undead Keeper''s staggering movement was even slower than usual. However, Rhode continued to stay watchful because he knew that it wasn''t its speed that dominated.


    It was its strength.


    In a blink of an eye, Rhode darted forward in a string of afterimages and arrived at the Undead Keeper''s feet. Rhode sprung into mid-air while the slow-moving Undead Keeper just lifted his swords and crushed the ground.


    But the Undead Keeper''s dominance in strength proved itself because Rhode felt a powerful stream of air sweeping towards him as the sword brandished downwards, which forced him off his balance and blew him away.


    "Ahh!" The group screamed in fear.


    However, Rhode was ready for this. As he was swept away by the powerful stream of air, he extended his arm with a card in his hand. Rhode crushed the card and held the fragments to his chest.


    A pair of translucent spiritual wings emerged on his back and forcefully flapped against the powerful stream of air. Then, Rhode turned into a bolt of lightning and darted towards the Undead Keeper.


    "What''s that?" Delno widened his eyes in astonishment.


    As an Angel who could see through someone''s spirit, Delno discovered that there were two spirits in Rhode''s body! Furthermore, these two spirits were fused perfectly as though they were one!


    How is this possible? Why would such a silly thing happen?


    As these questions popped up in Delno''s mind, Rhode had arrived at the Under Keeper''s side while gripping his daggers. Perhaps since the Undead Keeper had detected the holy powers of the Spirit Bird that had fused with Rhode, it reacted much quicker this time. The Undead Keeper snarled furiously and brandished its sword upwards. Rhode dodged the whizzing sword blade like a nimble bird and pierced his daggers into the Undead Keeper''s arm. Then, Rhode fluttered his wings and soared, dragging two deep gashes across the Undead Keeper''s body.


    Perhaps any living creature would have collapsed from this pain, but undead creatures had lost their ability to sense these things. The Undead Keeper twisted its body and slashed its other three swords.


    Rhodes''s expression sunk slightly because he knew what it was up to. Sometimes, keeping things simple was the best solution. Although the Undead Keeper''s slow reactions gave Rhode space to maneuver, its powerful strength could crush any armored knight, not to mention a Spirit Swordsman like Rhode.


    Rhode rolled to dodge its attack and retreated swiftly. At the same time, the other three swords smashed the ground.


    Boom! The powerful crash shook everyone''s feet while filthy dust dispersed and enveloped everyone. At this moment, a thick arm extended out of the smoke towards Rhode.


    But all of a sudden, a shadow whizzed and bound the Undead Keeper''s arm tightly.

 Chapter 450 Hidden Technique

    "Celestina! What do you think you''re doing?" Rhode recognized the thorny whip as he dodged to the side, at the same time, angrily reprimanding the demonic young lady. Rhode had decided to defeat this Undead Keeper by himself while Celia and Celestina would join Anne in cleaning up the critters. However, Celestina chose to disobey his command and attack the Undead Keeper instead?


    "I''m trying to help you, of course. Master, just this pig alone is enough to make you so miserable. How weak��" Celestina said in a self-righteous tone.


    "Idiot, release your whip!" Rhode blew his top at Celestina''s suicidal approach because he knew how strong the Undead Keeper was. Although he wasn''t sure how powerful Celestina would be once she regained her true powers, at this moment, she didn''t stand a chance against this formidable Undead Keeper!


    Celestina furrowed her brows and barely spared a glance for Rhode. "Master, it''s just a weak little undead creature, you must be exaggera-�� Ahh!"


    The Undead Keeper perked up its bound arm and flung Celestina into the air instantly. However, as a mighty demon was not to be trifled with, Celestina released her whip hurriedly in midair and chanted a strange, muffled curse as she placed her hands on her chest. Then, she pointed a finger and projected a red light beam which struck the Undead Keeper''s arm immediately.


    The Undead Keeper''s thick, swollen arm exploded from the inside-out due to Celestina''s unknown spell. In an instant, its flesh spattered and the repulsive liquid splashed towards everyone.


    "Dodge!" Rhode was feeling awfully hopeless at this point in time.


    Fortunately, Anne with her rich battle experience, raised her shield to protect herself as soon as she smelled the stench. On the other hand, Celia and Delno weren''t any worse either. In a blink of an eye, two defense barriers flickering with radiance emerged before them. Gillian, on the other hand, was in a safe position as she stood the furthest away after Rhode instructed her to not get involved with this battle.


    Everyone reacted quickly except for Celestina, who was in midair. She flapped her wings innately to dodge the venomous fluid splashing towards her. The Undead Keeper was surprisingly unconcerned about its injuries and it extended its bombarded arm towards Celestina!


    "��!" Celestina was stricken into silence as this revolting arm reached for her. As she turned around to flee, another arm swatted over as though it were swatting a mosquito. The demonic young lady flipped over sideways to evade the Undead Keeper''s striking palm. She wasn''t expecting the Undead Keeper to be this strong and although she wasn''t captured by it, the stream of air that its moving arms brought along had flung her away instantly. Celestina shrieked in horror as she was thrown in the air.


    However, in a blink of an eye, Rhode shifted his position to behind her and neutered the strong airflow while clutching her.


    "Phew��" Rhode heaved a sigh of relief before glaring at Celestina instantly. "Why are you disobeying my orders?"


    "I meant well! Human, how would I know this fat pig would be this troublesome?!" Celestina turned around and berated stubbornly. "I never thought that a piece of crap like that would make me so miserable. If it weren''t for Master''s incapabilities, would I even end up in this foolish state? You��"


    Before Celestina could complete her sentence, she snapped and puckered her forehead. "Master! What do you think you''re doing?!"


    "Eh?" Rhode twitched his brows slightly as he realized that his right palm had cupped over Celestina''s warm, round front. As Celestina barked, Rhode shifted his index finger and thumb along the smooth, rounded surface to find the soft, protruding tip. After locating the delicate, soft tip, he gave it a hard pinch.


    "Ah!" Celestina shrieked at the sharp, painful sensation.


    "That''s your punishment. Get down and deal with the critters now. If you dare disobey my orders again, you''ll have it rougher." Rhode darted to the Undead Keeper without glancing back while Celestina hovered solitarily in midair, folding her arms around her ample chest to protect them. The demonic young lady glared at Rhode''s back with an ashen expression before letting out a groan and joining the others back on the surface.


    Although Celestina''s attack had crippled one of the Undead Keeper''s arm successfully, it gave Rhode more trouble as he had to proceed with more cautious to evade the venomous liquid squirting to the air. This made him all the more furious over Celestina''s disobedience, as it increased the difficulty level of dealing with this dangerous creature. The Undead Keeper brandished its sharp blades at Rhode while he evaded at the most opportune time and tore apart the flesh on its body with his twin daggers.


    Rhode knew how terrifying the Undead Keeper''s blood was and he wasn''t that foolish to attack its arm directly as Celestina did. Now, he had to avoid triggering the Undead Keeper from releasing its venomous mist.


    Although the Undead Keeper was also an undead creature, it had a large body mass and required more strength to support its movement. Even though Celestina''s disobedience gave Rhode tons of trouble, the damage she inflicted on the Undead Keeper was impactful as it slowed down gradually. However, Rhode didn''t let his guard down. Instead, he rose his spirits.


    "��!" As expected, the humongous creature groaned furiously after Rhode slashed two more gashes on its body. Then, it grabbed the steel chain by its waist with two arms and tossed it towards Rhode!


    Now''s the chance!


    Rhode lifted his twin daggers above his head in a criss-cross stance. Dazzling white radiance gleamed on his blades as he charged forward.


    The blades erupted with light, flooding and overpowering the flinging steel chain. Not only that, it forcefully struck out and pierced the Undead Keeper''s stomach without any resistance. Bloody, rotten internal organs disgorged from the meter long wound.


    However, this wasn''t enough to stop the Undead Keeper. It bellowed, raised its arms, and smashed the ground!


    Boom! Anne and the others dodged as the powerful impact shook the surface. The fissures before the Undead Keeper started spreading apart at lightning speed and in a blink of an eye, the ground ruptured and fell completely into the bottomless abyss.


    "Kacha�� Kacha��"


    A burst of subtle, bone-chilling noises sounded everywhere as though a frightening phenomenon was about to happen. Anne, Celia, and Celestina leaned their backs against each other while Delno, Metzel, and Shirley scanned the surroundings and anxiously ran towards the three young ladies.


    Dozens of undead creatures climbed out of the enormous hole with their white, dried-up arms. Their lifeless eyes observed left and right before finally locking onto the vivid lives before them.


    "What a nuisance!" Rhode gnashed his teeth.


    If it weren''t for Celestina''s attack, the Undead Keeper wouldn''t have smashed the ground that quickly!


    But now��


    Rhode gazed at his daggers hesitantly. Suddenly, laughter rang in his ears again.


    "Huhuhu��"


    "Hehehe��"


    Rhode discovered that the attributes of these two daggers had a sudden transformation. Previously, the magical radiance shimmering on the blades was dim and bleak. And now, the daggers laid in complete stillness with their dusky blades.


    At the same time, a system prompt emerged before him .


    [Hidden Technique Activated �� Dawn Destroyer]


    "��!" The dagger in Rhode''s hand abruptly extended and transformed into a dusky, pitch-black blade.

 Chapter 451 Chaos Blade

    What in the world is this?


    Rhode widened his eyes curiously at the twin daggers in his hands lost their original form and transformed into energy blades. Furthermore, the blades were no longer pure black as they spun in a dusky hue continuously. The strange blades extended to Rhode''s wrist. Perhaps Rhode would have thought that the blades had blended with his arms if he couldn''t feel the hilts.


    Rhode was so flabbergasted that he could no longer read any data relating to the daggers after they had transformed!


    However, this wasn''t the time to care about something unimportant this.


    "Heyah!" Anne pounced on the ant-like undead creatures that crawled out of the abyssal hole, brandishing her steel shield in her right hand.


    The large, pitch-black shield whizzed under the glittering wind elemental radiance and swept the undead creatures away. In an instant, all the limbs scattered throughout the place. However, the undead creatures continued to advance without the slightest scruple even after Anne''s attack slowed their movements.


    It was finally Celia''s and Celestina''s turn to strike.


    The Battle Angel brandished her silver-whitish sword while fluttering her wings under Anne''s protection. She streaked through the air and along with her movements, a long line burning holy flames rendered the ground as though a fire serpent was slithering under Celia''s guidance. The pitiful undead creatures were devoured by the scorching flames entirely.


    Celestina stood behind both of them, feeling indignant. She gritted her teeth while gazing at Rhode with a dull expression. After a few moments, she stomped her foot and lifted her thorny whip. Then, the whip in her hand formed a circle that enveloped herself. The demonic young lady''s left hand stroked several strange characters while she chanted softly. She opened her eyes as soon as she completed the final stroke with a downward swipe.


    A huge scarlet ritual circle appeared above the abyssal hole. As though a saucepan lid, it sealed the opening that the Undead Keeper had created. The undead creatures shuddered as soon as they touched the ritual circle as though they were electrocuted. Then, white smoke began emitting from their bodies and the undead creatures let go of their hands and fell back into the bottomless abyss.


    However, this only lasted temporarily. Although Celestina had sealed the abyssal hole, the Undead Keeper was charging towards them in large steps. Even though a portion of the undead creatures that crawled out of the hole were eliminated by Celia and Anne, the majority of the undead creatures continued to surround them. Meanwhile, the undead creatures''s corpse piled up all around disgustingly like locusts.


    "Be careful! Don''t leave my side!" Although Delno had been following the group, he hurried;y stood up and fought the dangerous undead creatures alongside Celia. On the other hand, Metzel and Shirley stuck close to Delno and confronted the undead creatures that had passed him.


    Metzel''s abilities were rather decent. Although he was still a newbie as an adventurer, this young man''s scrupulous attention to detail in battles and the radiance emanating from his blade showed how harsh his swordsman training was. At this moment, he brandished his sword to support Celia, who couldn''t budge as she was maintaining the ritual circle.


    Rhode had decided to not be in this tangle anymore. Although he wasn''t sure of what his daggers had transformed into, any hidden technique wouldn''t be a bad thing based on his gaming experience. Furthermore, he had to take things seriously in this current situation. In the game, although undead creatures would vanish as long as the Undead Keeper was defeated, who knew what would happen here?


    Rhode charged forward swiftly and arrived at the Undead Keeper''s side.


    The Undead Keeper was surprised to find its prey at its doorsteps. It bellowed before swinging its blade to crush Rhode into bits.


    And this was the worst flaw of an undead creature: it was brainless.


    Rhode predictably its attack and evaded. Perhaps Rhode would be concerned about the Undead Keeper''s ''earth-shattering'' attack if he were on the ground all the time, but since he had fused with the Spirit Bird''s powers, the Undead Keeper was less threatening to him.


    Rhode streaked a perfect arc with his left dagger which was emanating with light and slashed into the Undead Keeper''s arm.


    However, he realized that something was amiss.


    It was no longer the sensation of cutting into solid flesh; instead, Rhode felt as though his dagger was cutting through butter. At the same time, Rhode felt a strange suction from his dagger blade.


    This odd suction was the same he felt during his fight with Barter in the Midsummer Festival.


    The gash on the Undead Keeper''s arm twisted violently as though it was sucked by a gigantic vacuum cleaner. The arm whizzed and whirled at the same time before finally twisting and shrinking. In a blink of an eye, it disappeared into the unlimited void of its blade entirely.


    What exactly is this?


    Rhode widened his eyes in astonishment. He had played Dragon Soul Continent for many years and he had never seen such amazing powers on a weapon. No, this isn''t a weapon anymore. This is more like a product of a certain spell. Could this be the unique technique of this pair of daggers?


    However, the current situation didn''t allow Rhode to think further as the Undead Keeper snarled fumingly after realizing it was missing an arm. It flung its other blade horizontally towards Rhode, but Rhode flew up and eluded its attack. Rhode repositioned himself and pierced his right dagger into the Undead Keeper''s other arm.


    Similar to before, there wasn''t any resistance and the Undead Keeper''s palm was absorbed swiftly. Even its powerful arm was ripped apart by the powerful suction and in the blink of an eye, it vanished into the chaotic, boundless darkness.


    No matter what it is, it seems really powerful.


    At this moment, three of the four Undead Keeper''s arms had been completely scrapped. Two of its arms had disappeared due to Rhode''s while the other arm was bloodied and damaged from Celestina''s attack. The Undead Keeper who had lost its three arms seemed less threatening now and the strong suction on Rhode''s daggers forced it to move a few steps forward. However, it wasn''t enough to lure it into the abyssal hole that it had created.


    An idea popped up in Rhode''s mind as he witnessed the Undead Keeper''s unstable movements. He gripped his twin daggers and laid them across one another in a cross-shape. Then, a faint dark hole emerged at the intersection of the daggers and at the same time, these two dagger blades became much more transparent as though the duration of their hidden technique was ending.


    Rhode raised his daggers high while gazing at the Undead Keeper. At this moment, the Undead Keeper lifted its head and snapped its mouth wide open. It let out an ear-deafening roar before blasting two ice breaths from its mouths, enveloping Rhode instantly.


    "Ai yai yai��" Gillian shrieked softly while Anne and Metzel exclaimed in concern.


    "Leader!?"


    "Mr. Rhode!!"


    The raging cold breaths disappeared gradually.


    Rhode continued to hover in midair, but the twin daggers had returned to their original forms without any magical radiance or strange flowery-patterns as though they were just ordinary weapons.


    Rhode lowered his head and scanned the Undead Keeper before him. It was maintaining its stance from blasting the ice breaths. However, there was a cross-shaped gash that had punctured its body through its chest. Of course, such an attack wouldn''t be lethal to the undead creatures.


    The Undead Keeper extended its final arm towards Rhode gradually while Rhode analyzed its wound quietly.


    There was a dark, circular hole about the size of half a palm moving continuously in the center of the wound.


    "��!" It took place in just the blink of an eye.


    The Undead Keeper''s body twisted and shrunk in size abruptly as though a shapeless, gigantic hand was kneading a dough. Furthermore, its limbs and body were flattened before finally swirling and disappearing into the dark, circular hole. After a few moments, the Undead Keeper was nowhere in their sight.


    "W-What was that��?" Metzel and Shirley gawked in disbelief. They thought that they had seen the world after being mercenaries for such a long time, but this scene had as though turned them into country bumpkins.


    Compared to the two of them, Celia and Celestina had complex expressions. Celia heaved a sigh of relief while Celestina gnashed her teeth and gazed at the twin daggers on Rhode''s hands with an ashen expression, as though they were the murderers of her father.


    "That''s cheating," Celestina mumbled fiercely before turning around in resentment while Gillian approached her with her usual, unreadable, and elegant smile. As for Anne, she was just glad to see that Rhode had defeated the Undead Keeper.


    "Aiya? What''s wrong with cheating? This shows that they love their Master a lot, so isn''t that a good thing?" Gillian said casually.


    "What''s so good with that rude, vulgar, and perverted human." Celestina glared at Gillian before covering her chest with her arms. It was still hurting and if it weren''t her master, she would''ve killed him without any hesitation.


    The omnipresent undead creatures began to retreat. They didn''t disappear on the spot just like in the game; instead, they cowered in fear and shuddered as they fell back.


    And what is this all about?


    Rhode landed on the surface and sensed an odd occurrence. He gripped his daggers while scanning the surroundings with puckered brows. At this moment, a strange silence filled the entire city ruins instantly. Then, the ground began to tremble while a bone-chilling aura spread.


    This is illogical and something is definitely amiss.


    According to the game, there shouldn''t be any abnormalities after defeating the Undead Keeper. But now, these entire ruins seemed strange and Rhode had never experienced such an odd atmosphere in the game before. Rhode gestured and Anne strode forward with her shield, followed by Celia and Gillian. Celestina hesitated for a while but finally complied unwillingly and without sweeping him a glance. Although Delno refused to battle alongside a demon, this unexpected;y dangerous situation left him without a choice. Metzel and Shirley gathered towards Rhode''s group under Delno''s lead.


    The earthquake stopped.


    But only for an instant.


    Boom! Several sharp, white bone splinters as huge as stelae rose from the surface abruptly. Everyone dodged and barely avoided the attack. However, they quickly realized that these lofty, sleek splinters weren''t ambushing them. Instead, they formed into a solid bone wall that shrouded everyone.


    Did we fall into a trap?


    At this moment, a sinister and disturbing laughter sounded.


    "Heh heh heh�� So you are the ones who defeated my creation�� Who would''ve known��" A figure clad in a black robe appeared before their eyes as it hovered behind the bone wall while gazing with a pair of flickering, ominous red eyes.


    "Angels and Demon. What an interesting combination. But I''m surprised that there are so few of you�� And I don''t know how you people managed to defeat my lovely Undead Keeper. But before that, allow me to welcome you to my city. Please relax and enjoy your time here�� Heh Heh Heh��" the figure that was hidden under the robe burst out in a creepy and giggly laughter. Everyone except Anne frowned as she covered her ears with her palms to block off the unbearable laughter that was worse than nails scratching on a blackboard.


    "I-It''s that Necromancer!" Shirley recognized its presence and pointed hurriedly.


    However, Rhode puckered his brows and shook his head as he gazed at the floating dark figure. "That''s not a Necromancer."


    "Eh?" Metzel and Shirley were baffled.


    Rhode''s next sentence sent them into the deepest abyss. "It''s a Lich."

 Chapter 452 Modified Dungeon

    The Lich.


    Unlike the Necromancer, the Lich had entered the Legendary stage and wasn''t a presence that any ordinary human could defeat. Furthermore, the Country of Darkness was the spawn location of the Liches. There were a total of 13 Liches in the Country of Darkness and these Liches formed the Undead Council of the "Spirit Chaser" Family. Although from a certain perspective, Liches were considered the evolved form of Necromancers, there was a decisive difference between them.


    There was a strangely complex emotion, mashed with doubts and insecurities, filling Rhode''s heart.


    The dungeon had been modified.


    Although Rhode was mentally prepared that game and real life wouldn''t be exactly the same, he felt oddly perturbed when the differences occurred right before his eyes. Although the difficulty of the Castel Plateau Ruins dungeon would change based on whether the players had completed the pre-mission, the final BOSS of this dungeon would still be the Necromancer no matter what, and not the Lich.


    It wasn''t the rising of the final BOSS''s level that Rhode was most concerned about. After all, he had no intention of clearing the Castel Plateau Ruins mission by himself. Although the Lich was powerful, it was still lacking against the likes of Gillian. Instead, it was another matter��the changes.


    Why did the Necromancer turn into a Lich? Although in the original dungeon, the level of the Necromancer was close to becoming a Lich, it never made a breakthrough. Furthermore, if there was a small probability of the Necromancer evolving into the Lich, why wasn''t Rhode aware of this probability even when tens of thousands of players had cleared this dungeon beforehand? If there really was this small probability, there must be at least one or two teams of players that had encountered the Lich before.


    What exactly is going on? Is this the difference between real life and the game?


    Rhode once again gazed at the Lich dubiously. Its eyes, hidden under the pitch-black robe, were filled with negative energy. Although they weren''t as glaring as the Necromancer''s, there was a disturbing and bone-chilling aura emanating from it. Yes, a power that was gained after presenting one''s spirit to the undead and evil. Moreover, Rhode sensed a layer of dark halo around it. It was the pressuring aura that every Lich possessed. It seems like this hovering figure isn''t my hallucination. If this isn''t just a strange plot twist, perhaps things will get worse in the future.


    Shall we attack, Master? Gillian''s voice sounded in Rhode''s head.


    This Fire Elemental Lord had been on the sidelines for a while now and Rhode picked up on the eagerness in her voice. No matter what, this was a great chance since the final BOSS had arrived at their doorsteps on its own��


    However, Rhode shook his head. Let''s observe the situation first.


    Rhode realized that there were three pitch-dark gems suspended before the Lich, forming an inverted triangle. This was a spatial teleportation location marker that high-level Mages could use and also the item players in the Dragon Soul Continent had the most complaints about. If a high-level Mage wished to flee, no one could stop them, except for the Five Creator Dragons. The Mages might be hurt, crippled, or even face grave failures, but they could get away as long as they wished to. Moreover, this spatial teleportation location marker was also the most important and effective halo for Mages to escape. Rhode was sure that once this damned Lich detected Gillian''s true powers, it would definitely teleport away without any hesitation. If that happened, Rhode would suffer a double loss. Although it was possible to awaken Gillian''s powers and force their way through to defeat the Lich, the Lich wouldn''t be foolish enough to be chased down.


    Fortunately, as Gillian and Rhode had equal levels under the limitation of the rules, the Lich dared to appear before them as it didn''t sense her powerful presence. Moreover, it wouldn''t expect Gillian to be able to increase her level from 30 to over 80 immediately. However, Rhode couldn''t act rashly and alert the Lich because there would be huge troubles if anything went wrong.


    Can you stop it from fleeing? Rhode gazed at the Lich while communicating with Gillian spiritually.


    Gillian paused for a moment before giving her answer. It''s hard to say.


    This was the thorny problem of a high-level Lich. However, as the spatial location marker would require the Mage to hold still in order to engage in teleportation, Rhode could force the Lich to move and guarantee a kill afterward.


    Although Rhode couldn''t deal with a Necromancer, it wouldn''t be difficult for him to stop it from teleporting. But now, it was totally different because the powerful Lich was much more than Rhode could handle. A flick of its finger could make Rhode''s group flee in defeat, not even mention forcing it to shift its position. Anyway, the most important thing now was to survive the day to see the next morning sun.


    "You evil spirit!" While Rhode was running through his thoughts, Metzel charged towards the Lich with his lifted sword. As the saying goes, youth knew no fear. Perhaps this newbie had no impression of how powerful this Lich was. Instead of stopping Metzel, Rhode observed silently and shot a glance at Anne while gesturing for them to gather by his side secretly. In an instant, Rhode''s group had turned into the supporting roles.


    "What have you done to my companions?" exclaimed Metzel furiously.


    "Companions?" The Lich pondered silently before bursting into creepy laughter. "Ah, I remember! It''s you, the little pitiful creature. Ah, I still remember how cute and little you were when you first stepped into my territory. How I wish I could cuddle an adorable unicorn in my arms. Hmm�� you''re standing before me now for those useless companions? Could it be that you have a problem with your sexual orientation? Aren''t there a few beauties by your side now? Why would you risk yourself for those two meaningless men?"


    The Lich laughed mischievously as it pointed at Shirley, who was beside Metzel. The young lady felt chills everywhere as though ants were crawling all around her body. "This young lady here, I advise you to look after your man because it seems that you can''t satisfy him enough. Oh?"


    The Lich raised its right hand and snapped lightly. Its action alarmed Rhode and almost triggered him into unlocking Gillian''s seal.


    However, it seemed like this Lich was much more active than Rhode had imagined. It seemed to value its life truly as it maintained its body in midair steadily, even though it was exaggerating its actions.


    "Since you came all the way here, as the owner, I would feel bad for dampening your spirits. Now then, I shall return your companions." The Lich snapped its fingers again.


    A thin layer of murky smoke began to rise from the surface. Then, two figures emerged and leaped over the bone wall and landed before Metzel.


    "Grrr��" The two figures let out beast-like roars and terror overtook Metzel''s and Shirley''s face abruptly.


    "Carl, Hugh, you guys��" Metzel widened his eyes in disbelief.


    He vaguely recognized them through the symbols at the corners of their revolting faces. However, other than this, Metzel couldn''t relate these two walking corpses with his companions. These two corpses had lost all their emotions and spirits.


    At this moment, the Lich''s irritable laughter once again sounded. "Heh heh heh�� How''s that? This is a touching goodbye, right? Shouldn''t you people react with a little more emotion? It''s not right to stand there like idiots�� Go on, my lovely pets, let them feel your enthusiasm!"


    The two undead mercenaries widened their mouths to reveal razor-sharp teeth and a pale, ghastly tongue before darting towards Metzel like mad dogs.


    "S-Stop!" Metzel raised his sword but his mind was blank. Although they are already dead and these are only their corpses, can I really do it? Metzel wavered as he gazed at his ex-companions.


    "Metzel!" Shirley shrieked in horror as she reached out for two flying daggers from her waist and flung out swiftly. In an instant, the flying daggers struck their foreheads. However, this aggravated them as they sprung in the air and revealed their razor-sharp claws.


    "Heyah��!" A steel shield whizzed from the side and smashed into one of the undead creatures like a boulder.


    The undead creature crashed to its companion and in an instant, both of them landed heavily on the side. Anne rushed in front of Metzel and Shirley with her shield. "What are you two standing there for? Get ready to fight!"


    "Eh?" Metzel and Shirley were still in a state of shock. Then, they felt a sudden, powerful gust of wind.

 Chapter 453 Angel Phylactery

    "I hope your decision this time is correct, Master!" Celestina spread apart her pitch-dark wings as she gnashed her teeth. She flew upwards, at the same time, lashing out countless thorny whips from her sleeves at the Lich. Meanwhile, Celia flew forward like a meteor, her body scorching with extraordinarily glaring holy flames.


    "Oh? An Angel and a Demon?" The impossible duo peaked the Lich''s interest as it set sight on Celestina''s wings. After all, although the Country of Darkness didn''t have a favorable impression of the Demons, at many times, darkness and evil had an inseparable relation. Liches had dealt with Demons and had even transacted with them for hidden secrets. However, the Lich didn''t expect an Angel who was born in the light and always stood on the side of kindness and order to not compete against a Demon who was by her side.


    I have found some interesting toys.


    The Lich grinned and clenched its right hand. Then, a gigantic, translucent magical palm emerged out of thin air and grabbed for Celestina. The air surrounding the magical palm was packed with chilly white mist and in an instant, the piercing cold caress of breeze spread across the entire city ruins.


    "Hmph!" Celestina knew what the Lich was up to.


    If Celestina was in her complete form, Lich wouldn''t even have the rights to lick her toes, not to mention attempt to capture her brazenly. However, her incomplete self now had to suffer the humiliation of this low-grade creature. It''s all the stupid human Master''s fault!


    After berating Rhode mentally, Celestina had no choice but to retreat and avoid the magical palm''s capture. However, the Lich clearly enjoyed this cat and mouse game as it shifted its right hand to manipulate the magical palm.


    However, this gave Celia a chance to strike. "Divine Judgement!"


    The Angel fluttered above her elder Sister. The silver-whitish flames on her sword flared and formed a light beam as she dived down towards the Lich. Celia struck from the Lich''s right side, which was the best direction and angle. This way, the Lich would be forced to use its right arm to defend itself and the magical palm would definitely dissipate due to the caster''s distraction.


    However, that was on the condition that both of them were on similar levels.


    Initially, Celia had no intention of attacking the Lich and she hoped that her holy powers would force the Lich to evade as this would be advantageous for them. Then, Celia widened her eyes in disbelief.


    To her surprise, the Lich remained unmoved and didn''t cast any defense spells to protect itself. Just like this, the silver-whitish flames packed with pure holy powers crushed the Lich. But the flames weren''t effective at all. Instead, the flames burning on the Lich''s body coalesced to its left hand and formed a small silver fireball.


    How is this possible?


    Celia was flabbergasted as she gawked. As a Battle Angel, she knew what this meant. Not only did the Lich not suffer from its holy powers, it actually controlled her holy flames?! Oh lord, how is this possible? Apart from Angels, no one should be able to control holy flames!


    "Ah�� The power of holiness��" The Lich glanced at Celia with a teasing expression while tossing the silver fireball between its hands. "Oooh�� It feels so good. I never thought that holy flames would have such a touch to it. It feels as though my soul has been cleansed from the inside-out��"


    "Shut your filthy mouth!" The Battle Angel bellowed furiously and charged forward with her burning sword.


    However, the Lich simply swept a glance at her and tossed the silver fireball back.


    "No!" Celia repositioned her sword before her and folded her wings over her body. At the same time, the silver fireball exploded and engulfed Celia. Soon, Celia felt that something was off.


    Logically speaking, the holy flames shouldn''t be effective to an Angel at all. Yet Celia felt a hidden ice-cold sensation in the holy flames which shouldn''t exist at all. Although the ice-cold sensation was almost insignificant compared to the holy flames, it still felt as though a viper was lurking in the bushes unpleasantly.


    "Ha!" Celia brandished her sword fumingly to dissipate the engulfing flames and suddenly, a scarlet radiance expanded in Celia''s vision and shrouded her entire world. The ''Finger of Death'' punctured Celia''s defense and struck her body instantly. In a blink of an eye, Celia felt as though her heart had been clutched tightly and it had stopped beating.


    "Celia!" Celestina revealed some anxiousness as Celia fell from the sky. She lashed countless thorny whips to grab Celia''s descending body, but she widened her eyes suddenly.


    The Battle Angel that seemed to have lost all signs of life shuddered and expanded its glorious wings apart, flapping into the air again.


    What''s going on?


    Rhode twitched his brows as he thought that Celia was a goner from the Lich''s attack. After all, Celia''s current abilities couldn''t compare to the Lich at all and the Lich''s skill was definitely a killer blow to an Angel. However, Celia actually survived?


    How is this possible? If Celia were a dark type creature or an undead creature, perhaps she could have neutralized the power of the spell due to their similarity in attributes. However, Celia was a pure citizen of the light while the Finger of Death was an undead spell. These two polar opposite attributes would result in death, so how did Celia survive?


    "Celia, how are you feeling?" Rhode checked in on Celia spiritually.


    "T-Terrible, Master�� I don''t know why, but I feel that its undead powers are impure��" Celia struggled to answer.


    "Impure?" Rhode was appalled by Celia''s surprising answer. Then, he was enlightened. Why did the Necromancer BOSS turn into a Lich? If it previously was a Necromancer who had turned into a Lich, it would need a massive amount of spiritual energy. However, there weren''t any living humans in this ruins and even its own undead creatures weren''t enough to support the ritual of turning a Necromancer into a Lich. So how did the Necromancer turn into a Lich? Besides, from Celia''s description, this Lich''s undead powers were impure. Furthermore, it wasn''t afraid of the holy flames that Celia had cast. Even though both of them had huge differences in levels, the opposition of their attributes shouldn''t be negated by it.


    Rhode''s eyes sparkled with hope.


    That''s right. When they fought the Necromancer BOSS previously, the Necromancer had once summoned two undead Angels and an undead mercenary. Those two undead mercenaries were Metzel''s companions, so where was Delno''s Angel companion? Could it be that�� This damned Necromancer had turned the Angel into its phylactery and evolved into a Lich?


    Perhaps others wouldn''t believe this conclusion because, after all, pure positive energy and negative energy were incompatible. The Lich was basically asking for death by turning an Angel into its phylactery. However, Rhode was unconcerned about this because he had seen too many illogical situations as a player. What else was impossible in this world when an Angel called a Demon her elder Sister?


    Since this was the case, apart from accepting the strangeness of this Lich, its impure undead powers were totally possible. Now that this had happened, it might be due to the failure of evolution to a Lich or something wrong happened during the process.


    At this thought, Rhode came up with a countermeasure. "Gillian, attack!"


    "Got it!" Gillian nodded excitedly and lifted her chin to the sky.


    In a few seconds, the Fire Elemental Lord cast her specialty fireballs which filled the entire air densely. In an instant, the fireballs gathered and formed into a hurricane towards the Lich.


    "Oh? This seems interesting too!" The Lich had no intentions of evading. Although it was weak to flames as an undead creature, the difference in their levels was too huge for the flames to be threatening to it. At this moment, Rhode and Gillian could be said to have revealed their identities and there were no threats to the Lich, as it could sense that there was no hidden strength amongst these enemies.


    The Lich extended its arm and formed a spiritual barrier. The fireballs extinguished one after another before even reaching the Lich. However, Gillian didn''t intend to defeat her enemy with this move. Instead, she was only buying time for others.


    "Celia!" Rhode sprung in the air. As he commanded, Celia retreated hurriedly and transformed into a light beam which projected towards Rhode. Soon, the Battle Angel was nowhere in sight and a pure, white sword replaced her position.


    "Oh?" The Lich was starting to feel anxious.


    These enemies were no longer just interesting to the Lich anymore because it had never seen a Battle Angel transform into a weapon, or a weapon transform into an Angel before.


    The Lich began to take this battle seriously and it roared hoarsely. The Lich shifted its full attention from Celestina to Rhode and along with its movements, two magical palms emerged in the air and grabbed towards Rhode.


    This was what Rhode wanted.


    Rhode continued to dart forward with a string of afterimages. The corner of the Lich''s mouth lifted as it discharged yet another red beam of light from its fingertips.


    At this moment, Rhode stopped abruptly while a pair of white, flawless wings emerged behind his back and folded around his body.


    Boom! The Finger of Death struck the wings shield and the wings shattered instantly, dispersing white feathers all around. At the same time, the glittering radiance of the Star Mark emitted from within.


    The radiance of the Star Mark began to dull, perhaps due to the overwhelming pressure of the undead powers. However, it continued to rush towards the Lich and struck against the Lich''s spiritual barrier heavily.


    But this wasn''t the end.


    Silver-whitish flames once again exploded and Celia emerged from within the billow of smoke, slashing her sword downwards at the spiritual barrier, which cracked wildly. However, the Lich calmly extended its right hand and pushed forward.


    "Back off!" The Lich struck Celia and the beam of white radiance vanished entirely. However, at the same time, a pitch-black viper-like sword secretly found its way through the cracks and bound the Lich''s arm.


    Rhode gripped the sword hilt and yanked forcefully.


    This time, the Lich couldn''t escape and it was drawn forward by half a step.


    Yes, just half a step. However, this was enough for Rhode.


    He slid his right hand across the sword hilt and extended to the side, palms-up.


    A gorgeous red card emerged and blazed above his palm gracefully.


    The card shattered to bits in the blink of an eye.


    The Red Lotus Flames erupted.

 Chapter 454 An Undead Angel

    "T-This is��!" The Lich widened its eyes in shock as the overwhelming scarlet flames erupted on Rhode''s right hand and extended along the viper-like sword towards its arm. The Lich retreated immediately. At the same time, its dull gems glittered in a mysterious magical radiance and formed an inverted triangle as the Lich turned illusory. In an instant, its body distorted strangely while glinting flames shrouded it.


    Boom! Along with an ear-deafening explosion, the Lich had been shrouded entirely in the inferno of flames. However, this apparently wasn''t able to end the Lich''s life because it charged out of the flames almost instantly and miserably. The Lich was no longer composed; instead, it was feeling emotions that it hadn''t experienced��fear, panic, and astonishment.


    "How is this possible?" Although the Lich''s body was burning with flames, it widened its eyes at the ground in disbelief instead of extinguishing them instantly. A young lady enveloped in scorching flames from head to toe lifted her head and cheekily smiled towards it.


    "Huhu�� It''s not easy catching your tail. To be honest, I actually never expected Master to succeed�� However, this isn''t bad news to me." Gillian thought aloud as she pointed her finger at the wavering Lich who was wrapped in her flames like a ghost in a carnival swaying and serving their eternal owners. Meanwhile, the two undead mercenaries stopped attacking and shivered as they retreated to the side.


    However, the undead mercenaries weren''t the only ones who retreated.


    Even Anne and Delno backed off to the sides hurriedly because Gillian, who had recovered the strength of a Fire Elemental Lord after unlocking her seal, had become a being that was linked to the Fire Plane of Existence. Suffocating and unbearable waves of flames hit everyone in their faces.


    Delno rubbed his eyes dubiously before scanning the figure who had blended into one with the flames. However, he turned around quickly. This being was so blazingly hot that any living creature that gazed at it would feel their eyes burning. If they didn''t turn their gazes away, perhaps their eyes might melt entirely.


    Only the dead could avoid their getting their eyes melted, but the Lich wished it wasn''t this fortunate.


    "How is this possible��" The Lich gaped and the pure flames sneaked into its body along with an inhaled breath. Then, the flames exploded within the Lich''s body and it seemed as though a sky lantern was being lit on the inside. However, as a matter of fact, this didn''t inflict too much damage to it because it was no longer a living human.


    The Lich gazed at the striking, burning figure foolishly as it couldn''t figure out what exactly had happened. Although a Lich''s style of attack wasn''t orthodox, it was still highly confident with its senses. It was sure that this young lady wasn''t this powerful just a few minutes ago. Even though the Lich did sense pure fire elemental powers in Gillian, it chose to neglect it due to its insignificance. At this point, the young lady''s fox ears and tail had become her best camouflage. Perhaps one would be suspicious if a human possessed such pure fire elemental powers, but it wasn''t that strange for a half-beast at all.


    But now, the Lich realized that its thoughts were completely wrong.


    "This is the end for you, little imp." Gillian displayed her palm at the Lich while grinning proudly. The Lich raised its arm in response; however, it wasn''t trying to escape or counter Gillian''s attack. The surroundings had been completely superimposed by the Fire Elemental Plane of Existence under the Fire Elemental Lord''s manipulation. The air began to twist and seal itself and it had become impossible for anyone to flee. If the Lich tried its luck, it would definitely find itself in the Fire Elemental Plane of Existence and vanish in a puff of smoke immediately.


    But even so, the Lich continued to lift its arm innately in the face of death and destruction. It tried to leave at least a trace of itself in this world.


    Gillian clenched her right fist abruptly.


    The Lich was instantly devoured by the flames. In a blink of an eye, its extended shriveled arm was as though a withered piece of firewood lighting up in a raging inferno. Before it knew it, the Lich''s arm had vanished into a puff of smoke while the flaring flames spiraled and twisted in the air as though a throbbing, swelling heart.


    Although Liches could still revive themselves using their phylactery, this pitiful Lich wasn''t this fortunate because Gillian had sealed this creature within her flames entirely. The Lich''s spirit howled furiously while struggling in the flames. An image of its face revealed itself on the surface of the flames for a split second before disappearing instantly, like a stone through a water surface.


    The flames shrunk abruptly before it swelled and exploded.


    Everything had ended.


    "Phew��" The flames surrounding Gillian dissipated gradually and the city ruins that were shrouded in full red returned to their usual, quiet state. The lanterns on the metal trestle that were lit with spiritual flames previously had been replaced with true, glorious flames, bringing color back to this lifeless, ice-cold city.


    "Oh, lord��" Clack. Metzel''s sword fell to the ground as he stood foolishly while gawking at the city that had changed beyond recognition. His unfortunate mercenary companions standing before him vanished into thin air and nothing remained of them apart from their scorched shadows. Meanwhile, Shirley was equally dumbfounded as she was frozen to the spot. After all, a battle involving a Commander Level Lord was unimaginable for these two mortals.


    Grey, snow-like ashes descended from the sky slowly and laid a thin layer of dust. Anne stood on her feet and scanned the surroundings before picking up her shield. Although Rhode had explained to Anne the battle plan before they entered the ruins, the young lady wasn''t fully satisfied. It seemed like her battle with the undead mercenaries wasn''t exciting enough for her. "That''s all? Anne still wants to play a little more��"


    "You''ll have more chances next time." Rhode kept the scarlet card and let out a long sigh of relief. Although everything seemed to be working out, Rhode suffered some losses. He didn''t receive a single EXP from killing the Lich. Furthermore, Rhode paid for Gillian''s ''entrance fee'' with two-thirds of his current EXP and he was close to almost dropping a level.


    What a headache.


    Gillian was similar to those damned nuclear weapons. Although those powerful nuclear weapons could destroy the world in a single strike, their horrifying side-effects limited their usage. At this point in time, Rhode was hoping that the EXP reward for completing the Castel Plateau Ruins Mission was still available. If not, he couldn''t justify suffering so many losses without even gaining a single level.


    However, this was a problem for the future. Soon, Rhode turned around and gestured to the group. "Let''s go."


    After the Lich had been annihilated entirely, the group had been on a plain sailing journey. The four meter tall walls and the incomplete, yet majestic statues welcomed them along the corridors.


    Rhode didn''t search in the Lich''s ashes as he knew that there was nothing left of it. Nothing could survive the pure flames of a Fire Elemental Lord, which was also something that Rhode was depressed about. From a living human''s perspective, this grand victory was an encouraging one. However, from a player''s point of view, losing two-thirds of his EXP and facing the threat of dropping a single level while being unable to obtain any equipment from the BOSS was an utter tragedy.


    The worst thing was that, in future, he would lose much more if he wished to summon the Fire Elemental Lord again as he had utilized the two privileges granted to him. However, he was glad that the battle with the Country of Darkness would only happen next year and he had more time to reset the summoning cooldown. If not, he would be grieving badly now.


    The group passed through the corridor in the central area and arrived at the palace located in the deepest area of the city ruins. This once glorious palace had lost its grandeur and sobriety, but was later redecorated with the Lich''s strange sense of beauty. Fortunately, almost all of the odd furnishings had been swept away by Gillian''s flames.


    Celia and Celestina had returned into their cards. The former was recuperating after suffering a fatal blow from the Lich while the latter returned into her card instantly after the battle ended as she was extremely dissatisfied with Rhode''s rude actions. She continued to ignore him no matter how hard he called for her.


    The mission wasn''t complete yet.


    Rhode entered the palace and witnessed the filthy corridor under the bright, burning flame. There were bones, dilapidated putrid limbs, and revolting shoddy creatures soaked in crystal bottles scattered all over the place like a low budget, third-rate, sci-fi horror movie. Every Lich had a research field which they were experts in, and it seemed that this Lich was interested in the manipulation of creatures. If it were born in Rhode''s human world, perhaps it would have been a promising madman in the scientific research of genetic modification.


    Rhode turned his gaze to the mission details interface before him and the Castel Plateau Ruins Mission was still incomplete, unsurprisingly. This 5 Star Mission would require an item to prove its 100% completeness. Rhode would need the Necromancer''s skull and teeth; however, as the BOSS had become a Lich that eventually burned into ashes, there was nothing for Rhode to obtain. In this case, Rhode had to obtain something else: the phylactery.


    The phylactery was a necessity for a Lich on a journey as it would retain the Lich''s soul forcefully in this world even if the Lich were annihilated. Given enough time to regenerate its soul, the Lich could revive and seek revenge on its murderers.


    However, this Lich wasn''t that fortunate because its soul had vanished in Gillian''s scorching flames entirely before it had the chance to be reclaimed by the phylactery. This phylactery was now just a meaningless artifact and perhaps it would still have a chance to be used in explaining the spells of the undead creatures.


    But��


    "Hmm?" Anne stopped walking and pricked her ears with a puzzled frown. "Leader, Anne hears something."


    "From?" Rhode questioned.


    Everyone stopped moving as soon as they heard Anne''s report. Although Anne was usually carefree about many matters, her hearing was much more sensitive than Rhode''s and Gillian''s. Gillian twitched her mouth with a look of disapproval before regaining her usual expression.


    Rhode turned towards the direction Anne pointed to.


    It was a room with a sealed wooden door smeared with vicious, profane patterns. A putrid smell assailed their nostrils through the cracks of the filthy, broken door. Rhode pondered for a moment before approaching the wooden door and pushed it open.


    Then, Rhode twitched his brows.


    As expected.


    A naked Battle Angel stripped of all her majesty presented herself before them in a shameful posture with her four limbs bound and hung up by steel chains. A pair of shriveled bones expanded in place of the flawless, feathered wings and her ashen complexion made clear that she was no longer alive. However, her faint breathing seemed to deny this speculation.


    Rhode scanned the Battle Angel and paused his gaze on her stomach.


    Her smooth belly was bulging as though she were pregnant. Leaving the question about how Angels got pregnant to later, the strange lines slithering beneath this swelling skin surface proved that it was definitely not an adorable infant hidden within.


    "Master, what did you find out?" Anne peeked her head out from behind Rhode''s arm and exclaimed when she witnessed the Angel. "Woah! What''s that?"


    "T-that''s��" Metzel''s group were flabbergasted as soon as they recognized the Battle Angel that they were so familiar with. Rhode stepped forward and stroked the bulging belly that felt ice-cold to the touch and had some strange ''fetal'' movements.


    "This is the Lich''s phylactery," explained Rhode.


    Rhode finally understood how the Lich had the powers of an Angel despite being an undead creature. Although it was true that Angels possessed sufficient powers to fulfill the requirements for the evolution of a Lich, the conflict between their negative and positive energy was definitely unavoidable.


    However, this Lich came up with a genius move. It didn''t purely borrow the Angel''s powers. Instead, it came up with an unknown method to create an embryo that lived between life and death and forced it into the Angel''s body. This way, since the embryo wasn''t a pure undead creature, the holy powers that the Angel possessed couldn''t cause enough harm to eliminate it. Then, the Lich could receive the filtered powers through the embryo to execute its evolution. However, there was a flaw in this almost perfect scheme: the Lich''s most powerful undead powers had been weakened after mixing with the additional holy attribute. However, at the same time, the Lich received a certain extent of resistance against attacks of the holy attribute. Perhaps this Lich would have become a disastrous monster if it managed to reincarnate.


    However, it had lost this chance forever.

 Chapter 455 Mission Completed

    "Mr. Rhode, what are your next plans?" Metzel questioned as he gazed at the wretched Battle Angel lady.


    He turned his gaze towards Delno who stood beside him blankly. The spirit of this Battle Angel seemed to have been lost ever since he entered the room and witnessed his companion in this horrible state. After all, Metzel and Shirley were saddened by the Battle Angel lady''s tragic experience even after spending only a few days with her previously. No matter what, Angels were the representative of kindness. Even though they might be stubborn and inflexible in different situations, it was this quality of theirs that had become the spirit humans longed for. Therefore, no matter what, Metzel and Shirley clearly refused to see an Angel pass on in such a tragic fate.


    Rhode didn''t respond to Metzel''s question immediately. Instead, he turned around to the young ladies beside him. "Anne, search for any loots outside with Gillian. Also, check if the Lich left behind anything worthy. By the way, be careful of magical traps. Listen to Gillian''s instructions and don''t touch anything that you shouldn''t."


    "Yes, Leader." Anne smiled and nodded slightly before grabbing Gillian''s hand. "Let''s go, Sister Gillian. I wanna see if that skeleton left anything good for us."


    "No problem, Miss Anne. Relax, we have a lot of time on our hands��" Gillian winked cheekily at Rhode before leaving the room with Anne.


    Metzel sighed and exhorted softly. "Shirley, go check out the outside, just in case."


    "Ah�� Okay��" The Thief young lady was about to object, but she swallowed her words after glancing at the Battle Angel''s ashen corpse and agreed. She exited the room and closed the door to isolate herself from the sick, repulsive room reeking of blood.


    Thud. The closing sound of the door echoed in the dark, lifeless room and nobody spoke. After a few moments, Rhode gave Metzel the answer to his question like a delayed response from an online character who had just reconnected to the game. "Our guild has taken up a mission to eliminate the undead creatures occupying Castel Plateau Ruins. So, we need evidence to prove that we have completed this mission�� This phylactery is very crucial and we are bringing it back with us."


    "This��" Metzel sensed Delno''s grim expression worsening. After all, these two fraternal Battle Angels had travelled the surface together. Metzel could understand Delno''s wishes to avoid presenting his companion''s current, sorrowful state to others.


    "Excuse me, Sir��" Delno stepped forward and bowed towards Rhode in a somewhat awkward manner before stuttering in puckered brows. "I know�� I have no right to request this. But I��"


    "All I want is the phylactery." Rhode interrupted Delno and unsheathed the twin daggers at his waist. The daggers glowed in cold rays as an array of blade rays flashed before Metzel and Delno. Delno couldn''t stop Rhode in time.


    The razor-sharp blades pierced the bulging belly without any resistance. Rhode turned his wrists to control the daggers nimbly like a gynecologist and in the blink of an eye, the belly was divided into four. Unlike the doctors, Rhode didn''t need to consider how to suture this insignificant problem.


    At this point, even Metzel and Delno were stricken into silence as they gazed at the hidden content with fear and bewilderedness.


    Revolting rotten flesh and scarlet tentacles wrapped around a fist-sized, white, jade-like round stone like an embryo. The burgundy walls of flesh contracted rhythmically under the blood flowing in the body and an eyeball whirled above it. After Rhode''s group came into its sight, the eyeball snapped and glared at them!


    "Argh��!" Metzel was the first to turn over from this disgusting sight as he held onto the door for support and started vomiting. He had seen bloody battlefields, but this scene before his eyes had surpassed and reached the degree of nausea. He was glad of his decision to send Shirley away; Rhode must have sent Anne and Gillian away because of this too.


    Rhode wrinkled his brows at this disgusting thing. Although Rhode had seen much more repugnant creatures in budget horror movies, this real-life experience was much more shocking than observing from behind the screen, especially when the smell of blood, rotten corpses, and the pungent air assailed his nostrils.


    However, even so, Rhode continued his hand movements.


    Rhode pierced the right dagger into the belly once more and cut around the phylactery before flicking it into the air. It landed into a sack that Rhode had prepared. Then, he tightened the opening of the sack and forced it into a pitch-black iron box that he retrieved from his spatial bag.


    Although he didn''t know the special features of this phylactery, he had no intention of trying it on himself.


    "I''ll leave the rest for you two." Rhode turned around and gazed at the two disgusted men before exiting the room.


    The system prompt finally emerged before Rhode''s eyes.


    "Looks like I''m right." Rhode heaved a sigh of relief.


    Although he had completed this mission in the game before, the difference between the game mission and the actual mission was too big. Besides, Rhode wasn''t sure that it was the phylactery in his hands and now, it seemed that this mission didn''t go to waste.


    At this moment, the system prompt once again emerged.


    [Mission. Castel Plateau Ruins Completed. 5 Star.]


    [Completion Status. 80%]


    [Completion Reward �� Summoning Card]


    [Deadman''s Sigh �� The Third. Spell Card. Sacrificial Shift: A spell that can transform corpses within its range into undead creatures to engage in attacks. The number of corpse transformations available will be based on the holder''s level.


    No one can be indifferent while facing the fear of death even though one will receive a false life.]


    Another spell card.


    This was the third spell card in Rhode''s possession, with the other two spell cards being Gillian''s. However, this card didn''t resemble the system spell cards. Instead, it seemed to only be used for summoning undead creatures. As a matter of fact, this card seemed rather weak and according to the description of its effects, Rhode could turn a maximum of 30 corpses into undead creatures for his disposal. However, what could these 30 undead creatures possibly do? Rhode''s current enemies weren''t humans and this card was basically useless. Furthermore, he was currently under the protection of the Light Dragon Soul and in the land of the Munn Kingdom, he would be seeking death if he were to use this undead spell-like card�� As for the Country of Darkness? They were all true blood Undead Mages who could easily manipulate tens of thousands of undead creatures. The undead creatures in Rhode''s possession were nothing more than a little dot to them, so what was the point?


    "Hmm��" Rhode kept the card as he shook his head hopelessly. Then, he gazed at the next reward: Construct Guards Defense Formation.


    This was the best haul for Rhode and with this Defense Formation and Lapis'' abilities as an Alchemist Master, there wouldn''t be a problem increasing the Fortress''s defense. As for the final reward��


    [Mission Reward Received �� Fantasy Key. Constructable]


    "Eh?" Rhode widened his eyes in surprise. "What''s this?"

 Chapter 456 Returning to the Fortress

    Sunlight spilled through the dome glass and brightened the spacious hall entirely. Lize arranged the framed drawing on the wall cautiously before taking two steps back and nodding in satisfaction.


    "All''s good," Lize mumbled while caressing the little girl''s head gently. "Christie is really talented because not anyone can draw such a beautiful picture. Putting this here as a decoration is a really great suggestion."


    "��" The little girl was dressed in a simple yet elegant robe. She hugged the drawing board in her arms while blushing and lowering her head shyly. Lize smiled in response to Christie''s shyness and once again patted her head.


    "This is really, really beautiful��" Lize praised softly.


    Christie''s drawings skills had become increasingly adept and she could draw a much wider range of subjects now. From the start, this little girl could only draw human portraits and landscapes. But now, she learned to draw some imaginary stories and even legendary battle scenes. Some of the extraordinary scenes portrayed heroes who triumphed over evil and battles between the Demons and the undead creatures. These scenes were drawn so realistically that some might have thought that Christie had seen them for herself.


    But Lize was more worried about another matter.


    "Rhode�� is not back yet?" The little girl lifted her head hesitantly.


    Lize sighed helplessly. Ever since the Fortress was built, everyone had been busy. Rhode''s planning covered every aspect perfectly before he left, but this meant that everyone had a lot of responsibilities. Marlene oversaw the overall situation in the Fortress from morning to midnight every day while Canary and Mini Bubble Gum trained the mercenaries and sometimes wouldn''t return after a few days in the wild. As for Lize, she was occupied with the management of the Fortress and other Clerics. Last but not least, ever since Rhode had handed over a mission to Lapis, she had been cooped up in her alchemy workshop and seldom stepped out. Once in a while, Lize would check on Lapis when she had the time and it was apparent that this young lady wasn''t having an easy time either.


    Back in their days in Deep Stone City, everyone would accompany this little girl for shopping during their leisure time and ever since they moved into the Fortress, they had been so busy that they didn''t even have time for themselves. Even though Christie had been sensible and obedient all this while, Lize felt that this little girl was actually feeling really lonely.


    But, when exactly will Mr. Rhode be back? It had been almost a month since they left the Land of Atonement and there was no news of them. Come to think of it, they should be back by now�� Lize squatted and gently stroked Christie''s long hair.


    "Don''t worry, Christie. I think they will be back soon. Just a little while more and I''m sure Mr. Rhode will be��" before Lize could finish her sentence, Christie gazed over Lize''s back and her eyes lit up instantly.


    "Rhode��" Christie let go of the drawing board in her arms as she called out Rhode''s name softly while Lize turned around and recognized the familiar person instantly.


    "I''m back, Christie, Lize. It seems like you two are doing fine?" Rhode greeted gently.


    "Rhode��" Christie called out for Rhode softly once more as she scuttled forward and dived into Rhode''s arms. Rhode smiled widely and caressed Christie''s long hair tenderly before lifting his head at Lize. Facing this black-haired young man, Lize felt her clear vision suddenly blur and distort. Then, she blinked to force the tears out of her eyes. "Mr. Rhode, you''re finally back��"


    "There''s Anne too, Lize. Christie~!" Anne peeked out behind Rhode while waving to Lize cheerfully. She squatted down quickly and gave Christie a big hug, not forgetting to rub the little girl''s fair, tender cheeks. "Ah�� Christie. Long time no see Have you missed Anne?"


    "�� Yes�� Of course. I feel bored when Sister Anne isn''t around��"


    "Alright then, Anne shall bring you somewhere fun, okay?"


    "�� Yes��!"


    Ahem ahem. Lize coughed humorously as the both of them were getting rather out of hand. Then she realized that apart from Gillian who had always been by Rhode''s side, there was a pair of young man and a lady who seemed to be mercenaries around Rhode''s age. It felt as though they were country bumpkins who were stupefied after witnessing this spacious hall. "Mr. Rhode, they are��?"


    "Two new mercenaries. Get Kavos to make arrangements. From today onwards, they will be members of our guild." Rhode snapped his fingers at the both of them before leading Christie and Anne up the stairs. "By the way, Marlene should be in her room, right?"


    Lize displayed a bitter smile. "Erm�� She indeed is in her room. But I think you''d better leave her alone, Mr. Rhode."


    "Oh?" Rhode asked curiously. "What happened?"


    Marlene was very annoyed at the moment.


    She glared at the two paunchy and swaggering nobles before her while trying to restrain herself from blasting them out of this Fortress. "I''m sincerely regretful to inform you both that we, Starlight, have signed a contract with the Silver Libra Trade Association and Keller Trade Association. As long as the contract is still in place, we forbid any other trade associations from entering without permission. Furthermore, both of your procedures are not in compliance with our regulations, so I hope both of you can understand this point��"


    "Of course we understand, Miss Senia," One of them answered with a mocking smile. He stuck out his beer belly while pulling up the belt that almost snapped under his wide waistline. "But rules are dead while humans are alive, right? This is the first time we arrived in your territory, so we weren''t aware beforehand. Besides�� Our stocks have already been transported here. It wouldn''t be too good for us to transport them all the way back, right? After all, we came here in kindness and we will really suffer great losses if we can''t do any business here��"


    "��" Marlene gnashed her teeth while controlling her temper.


    These two noble merchants arrived at the Fortress half a month ago with hopes to expand their business. However, they were stopped immediately by Marlene. After all, these suspicious merchants claimed to have traveled from a faraway place in order to operate their business here. Marlene was dubious because merchants wouldn''t usually choose a faraway land to operate their main business. Although this arrangement was possible for traveling merchants, even local merchants in the Paphield region wouldn''t dare to go to the Land of Atonement without any affirmation. This showed that something fishy was going on since these two foreign merchants understood that much about the commercial situation in the Land of Atonement.


    Marlene never expected these two fellows to be this stubborn. Not only did they not give up, they continued to display a smirk on their faces as though they wouldn''t leave unless Marlene allowed them to start their businesses here. Marlene had warned them several times; however, these two merchants wouldn''t leave no matter what. Furthermore, Marlene was fuming that as they were negotiating with her, their men had actually attempted to begin their operations in the Fortress!


    If they were ordinary humans, Marlene would''ve blasted them out of the Fortress in no time. However, they were foreign nobles and weren''t merchants of the Munn Kingdom. They were representing the Soloman Financial Group from the Country of Light with an officially-approved clause. The Soloman Financial Group was one of the five biggest financial groups that supported the Country of Light. At the same time, they had a certain degree of business dealings with the Munn Kingdom.


    Marlene did consider agreeing to their terms and observing the situation. But, as the Fortress had just been established, these unpredictable factors might affect the Fortress'' development. Furthermore, Rhode didn''t have a favorable relationship with the Country of Light and Marlene found this situation somewhat difficult to manage.


    "Miss Senia, I hope you can consider our proposal." The other noble stood up and moved closer to Marlene with a sinister grin. "We came here because we saw the potential in your guild, so isn''t this good news? Moreover, we hold the Buttonwood Agreement and according to it, we have the right to protect our legal interest. Or are you intending to go against our Soloman Financial Group? Do you know the consequences?"


    "��" Marlene''s forehead furrowed and before she could retort, a voice sounded from the corridor.


    "You''ve got the balls to bark in my turf with your small, little Soloman Financial Group? I''m curious to see what you guys can really offer."

 Chapter 457 Fantasy Key

    "Who''s there?" The two nobles were flabbergasted while Marlene''s eyes beamed with astonishment and luster.


    Marlene stood up and turned to the door hurriedly. "Rhode�� Sir," she greeted while holding back her excitement.


    "I''m back, Marlene." Rhode pushed the door open and entered. He greeted Marlene before shifting his attention to the two nobles and waved his hand as though swatting a mosquito. "This is the Starlight Guild''s territory. Your Soloman Financial Group has stepped into where it doesn''t belong. I''ll give you one day to get out of the Land of Atonement."


    "And what rights do you have!" The fat noble stuck out his potbelly and scurried towards Rhode before lifting his head and glaring in disdain. "Let me tell you. We are��"


    Bam! Rhode landed a punch on his nose. The fat noble wailed painfully like a butchered swine. He collapsed to the floor and rolled about while holding onto his broken nose. The other noble froze on the spot and gazed at his companion, who was groaning pitifully. He extended his arm and stopped their guards from avenging their master. Then, as he was about to speak, Rhode interrupted abruptly. "I don''t care who you are. This is my territory and you shall obey my rules. As for those who refuse to listen, we don''t have time to waste. Now, let me repeat. I demand you to leave the Land of Atonement immediately. If not, I can''t guarantee your safety."


    The noble continued to gaze at Rhode meaningfully while unrolling a strange smile before beckoning for his guards. The guards dragged the fat noble out of the room while the noble nodded slightly and left.


    "Phew��" Marlene heaved a sigh of relief after the troublesome duo had left and sat back on the chair. Although she gazed at Rhode with some complaints in mind, her emotions relaxed as soon as she saw Anne and Gillian. "You guys are finally back, Rhode, Miss Anne, Miss Gillian. You must have had a hard time. How''s the situation?"


    "No problem; everything is great." Rhode nodded with assurance. After clearing the Castel Plateau Ruins, Rhode''s group didn''t return to the Fortress through the Teleportation Stone. Instead, they headed to Eagle City and handed the phylactery to the Mercenary Association. Upon confirming the completion of the mission, Rhode activated the Teleportation Ring and returned to the Fortress. They separated from Delno after leaving the ruins and the Battle Angel brought the ashes of his companion back to their homeland. Although Metzel''s mercenary team was eventually disbanded after suffering grave losses in the underground ruins, Rhode valued the young man''s sense of responsibility and sword skills and decided to recruit him. Even though Metzel''s performance was inflexible, his role as a mercenary team leader was commendable. Besides, he could be considered a rare talent for leading and defending his team under the pressuring waves of undead creatures for a long time, which even players in the game couldn''t accomplish. This was why Rhode invited Metzel into Starlight, which was also a huge surprise for Metzel. Metzel agreed with all his might. As for Shirley, she naturally followed Metzel''s footsteps and joined the guild too.


    As a matter of fact, Rhode''s group had heard of an interesting rumor after returning to Eagle City. It concerned Earl Tyler, who competed against Rhode for the ''Endless Forcefield'' during the auction. However, this rumor wasn''t regarding Earl Tyler, who paid a sky-high price for the Construct. Instead, it was about his household matters. Rumors had it that Earl Tyler''s wife had gotten into an affair with his one of his home guards and she was chased out of the house as soon as he discovered their adultery. As Earl Tyler''s wife was likewise born into a noble family, Earl Tyler''s actions had brought both families into a huge dispute.


    Rhode had intended to snatch the Endless Forcefield using this opportunity. However, he hesitated and eventually gave up on that idea after Gillian gazed at him with a strange smile. Indeed, the Sphere of Mystery was an extremely rare and precious relic. However, if he were to sacrifice himself in order to obtain it, the price would be too much to pay. Although Rhode loved to make others a cuckold, it didn''t mean that he wished to be a cuckold himself. Even though Gillian''s explanations on this matter sounded like a joke, Rhode refused to risk his life. After all, he was still young and he wouldn''t dare abandon everything just for the Sphere of Mystery. In the end, Rhode gave up on the Endless Forcefield and led the rest back to the Fortress using the teleportation ritual.


    As for the Castel Plateau Ruins itself, Rhode had nothing much to comment on. Marlene and Lize had witnessed Gillian''s true strength before and once this Fire Elemental Lord got serious, no undead creatures could stand in her way. Both of them let out a sigh of relief after knowing that the first 5 Star Mission had been completed successfully. This meant that half of the future for this new Starlight Guild had been laid out properly and completing the next 5 Star Mission could put their hearts to rest.


    Without a doubt, Marlene didn''t forget to report the Fortress''s status to Rhode.


    The Fortress had operated normally after Rhode left. Roughly five days before Rhode''s return, the mercenaries had completed the first stage of their training mission led by Mini Bubble Gum and Canary. As of now, they were traveling to the distorted points in the Land of Atonement for the real combat practice.


    From the start, these mercenaries were passive and lacked enthusiasm because Mini Bubble Gum and Canary had shown them just how powerful they were during training. Some of them watched from the sidelines and began to idle on the job. However, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary weren''t just ordinary humans. They were impressive players themselves and one glance was enough for them to determine who was slacking off and who was putting in effort. Therefore, with their assistance, Marlene issued a rule that the mercenaries had to meet Mini Bubble Gum and Canary''s requirements when battling against monsters in the distorted points. For example, no injuries received while maintaining their formation, or eliminating x number of monsters within a certain timing. If any mercenary couldn''t fulfill their requirements, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary would assist them. However, at an expensive price: the mercenaries that failed would be marked down and if they were marked down too many times, they would be kicked out of the Starlight immediately upon their contract''s expiration.


    This move was indeed ruthless for the mercenaries. After all, apart from Lize and Marlene, only Lapis and a few Clerics had signed for a longer contract term. The other mercenaries who joined Starlight Guild had a contract period of one year and they would be forced out of the guild if their performance wasn''t up to expectation.


    Without a doubt, there would always be loopholes in such terms and conditions. After all, the appraisal would be based on the individual judges. Not only would the mercenaries be unconvinced if Mini Bubble Gum and Canary didn''t give their best, they might even be resentful towards them. However, they were fortunate that these mercenaries'' consciousness on class equality was rather faint. Furthermore, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum possessed the strength of the Legendary stage and no mercenaries dared to talk back to them whenever their mistakes were being picked on. Due to this, the mercenaries had become fired up for battles. After facing a series of incidents, they recognized that the future of this guild would be glorious.


    It would all depend on the mercenaries'' abilities in future battles to determine if Starlight would continue to flourish this way.


    "Do you have any news on the Liberty Mercenary Alliance?" Rhode pondered for a moment before mentioning his doubts. As a matter of fact, this matter had been on his mind ever since Barter informed him of it in Eagle City. If this Liberty Mercenary Alliance really came to his territory, it would be a problem.


    "Mr. Walker has reported to me regarding this." Marlene nodded and revealed a smile. "But please be assured, Rhode. According to the intel that we''ve gathered, none of the mercenary groups in the Paphield have joined the alliance."


    "Oh? That''s interesting." Rhode twitched his brows as he refused to believe that these mercenary groups would be this considerate towards him and were willing to stay under his care no matter what.


    After all, every mercenary group had their own interests. There were some who contested against Barter''s powerful Purple Lily Guild. As for Rhode, his Starlight had just been established while plenty of mercenary groups had been around for a much longer time. It was impossible for Starlight to impose prestige and cohesion. Therefore, Rhode predicted that there would be some mercenary groups in the Paphield that joined the Liberty Mercenary Alliance before he returned to the Fortress. However, Marlene''s answer surprised him. It seemed that things were developing much smoother than he had thought. "Do they really have no interest in joining them?"


    "I think they have definitely considered it. But there indeed wasn''t a single mercenary group that ended up joining the alliance. After all, they are really afraid of you, Rhode." Marlene chuckled and even though she maintained a calm expression, she wasn''t able to cover up the smugness on her face. "I think you still remember the plight of the Jade Tears? At this point in time, no one is willing to follow in their footsteps."


    "I see." Rhode came to a realization due to Marlene''s words. Indeed, Starlight might not have been established for longer than most of the other guilds, but they had something the guilds were inferior to: the threat of Starlight.


    Over the past century, there were very few large-scale battles between mercenary groups. However, Rhode''s Starlight wiped out Jade Tears cleanly before it was even established as a guild and shot to fame because of it.


    What instilled the most fear in other mercenary groups wasn''t Starlight''s powerful strength in destroying the Jade Tears. Instead, it was because a huge mercenary group like the Jade Tears was wiped out secretly and all the Elites ranked below their leader, Frank, were annihilated. Moreover, nobody knew how and where they all died. Even now, the status of these Jade Tears members was still marked as missing in official records and there was no evidence to prove where they had gone.


    Because of this, many other mercenary groups feared Starlight. They wouldn''t be this afraid if Rhode relied on brute force to eliminate the Jade Tears directly. However, everyone knew that Rhode''s Starlight wiped out the Jade Tears, yet, they weren''t able to provide any evidence nor eye-witnesses�� This discovery left the other mercenary groups shuddering. Furthermore, Starlight had been promoted to a Guild and now their actions were equipped with more rationale and legitimacy. No one wished to become the second Jade Tears and go ''missing'' without leaving any traces.


    Everyone knew about Rhode''s conflict with the two guilds from the South. Although there were a whole lot of benefits for small operating mercenary groups who joined the alliance, those shiny gold coins waiting for them seemed a little too hot for their hands compared to the risk of going ''missing''.


    The mercenary groups under Barter and Viktor''s control dared to sneak off and join the alliance because Purple Lily and Cole Falcon hadn''t eliminated any mercenary group for a long time. This was why mercenary groups under their watch dared to gamble. Well, this was human nature and it was easier for them to accept tangible benefits than refuse illusory dangers. However, it wasn''t delusion or guesswork that the mercenary groups in Paphield were facing. It was the bloody truth: the Jade Tears was still undiscovered to date.


    But Marlene presented not only the good news as she began her lengthy grumble on a huge list of problems. The tens of thousands of words that she spewed could be summarized into one sentence: insufficient manpower.


    It was naturally a good decision that Rhode had constructed the Fortress efficiently. After moving into the Fortress, a huge problem revealed itself immediately, and that was the lack of manpower to manage the entire operations of this Fortress. This Fortress was humongous and the daily chores for cleaning and maintenance required about a hundred people. Even though most of the villagers in Deep Creek Village had moved into the Fortress, it still wasn''t enough. After all, the Land of Atonement was too far away from the other hamlets and even interested parties faced the difficulties of moving in. On the other hand, Rhode clearly instructed that the Summon Gate was a top secret of the guild and shouldn''t be used to transport manpower. Therefore, Marlene had limited manpower on her side apart from the help of the civilians that moved in to work. She had to rotate the mercenaries and the church Clerics to tide over the daily operations of the Fortress. Yet the mercenaries and Clerics weren''t full-time servants, so this wasn''t a permanent solution.


    "I hope you can come up with a solution, Rhode. This lack of manpower will definitely affect the guild''s development if it continues. The Fortress needs someone to specially manage it and it will be good if that person is trustworthy�� Hmm?" Marlene thought that she was hallucinating because there weren''t any signs of nervousness on Rhode''s face. Instead, she felt that Rhode seemed unconcerned��


    "A trustworthy servant�� Maybe I can introduce one to you." Rhode stood on his feet and beckoned to Marlene. "Come, follow me."


    "??" Marlene and Lize exchanged curious glances and followed Rhode out of the room to the hall on the first floor.


    The hall was empty and cheerless which showed how serious the shortage of manpower was in here: even this place to receive visitors didn''t have anyone on standby.


    "I got my hands on something good in the Castel Plateau Ruins." Rhode retrieved a hexagonal crystal from his waist pouch. The clear, transparent crystal glittered in colorful radiance and small circles of mysterious magical runes could be seen floating on its surface. A small ball of light sat in the center of the crystal while radiating a strange light.


    "What''s this?" Lize asked curiously while Marlene widened her eyes and focused her attention on the crystal as though she were waiting for something to spring out of it.


    "This is the Fantasy Key." Rhode tossed the crystal in his hand while gazing at Marlene.


    "Borrowing magical powers from its source, it can open paths that link to the Seven Fantasy Boundaries and summon creatures from the Plane of Existence. These creatures will serve the summoner and could be a great help for the Fortress."


    "Seven Fantasy Boundaries?!" Marlene cried out in surprise.

 Chapter 458 Seven Fantasy Boundaries

    Everyone in the Dragon Soul Continent knew that their world was in a ''round'' shape.


    However, their concept of ''round'' was different from Rhode''s perception of a ''globe''. In the legends of the Dragon Soul Continent, this continent was enclosed in a circular, egg-like existence. No matter if one was lifting one''s head to the sky or lowering it to the ground beneath one''s feet, the sceneries were all ''inside the shell''. Whereas, the ''outside the shell'' was filled with chaos, disorder, and destruction. The Mages'' historical studies on this world concluded that apart from the surface that they were standing on, there were other Planes of Existence. Other than the underground world and the bottomless abyss, there were the Four Main Elemental Planes of Existence and the so-called Seven Fantasy Boundaries. According to the Mages'' research and ancient legends handed down from generation to generation, the Seven Fantasy Boundaries belonged in another dimension of the Dragon Soul Continent. No one was clear of their exact origins and there were two explanations to the Seven Fantasy Boundaries.


    One explanation implied that the Seven Fantasy Boundaries branched out beneath the Four Main Elemental Planes of Existence. The other explanation believed that the Seven Fantasy Boundaries were where the Creator Dragon Souls were born. Although there were many different statements regarding this subject, no one had ever stepped into the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. However, a Mage''s summoning spell could prove its existence because the summoning spell could summon presences that belonged out of this world. According to the summoned creatures, the world they came from was the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. But no matter what level they were, they couldn''t provide further details regarding their world as though they were bound by a certain contract. Some Mages attempted to force the summoned creatures for answers, but as long as the summoned creatures'' forbidden explanations triggered their hidden core, their contract would be terminated instantly and they would be sent back. Until now, the only answer that they received regarding the Seven Fantasy Boundaries were the names of each boundary: Shadow Ravine, Silver Ocean, Shade Forest, Fiery Plain, Steel Terra Firma, Heavenly Palace, Forgotten Land.


    If one were to view this entire world in the shape of an eggshell, the Four Main Elemental Planes of Existence would be its base while the Seven Fantasy Boundaries would be the pillars to support the roof. Lastly, the roof and walls would be the Five Creator Dragon Souls. All of them formed a firm and substantial barrier to protect the Dragon Soul Continent from the dangerous outside world.


    Marlene was an Elemental Mage and she learned about the Seven Fantasy Boundaries in her compulsory academic course. Furthermore, powerful Mages in the school had once created a similar spell to summon a creature from the other dimension to serve himself. But��


    "Rhode, that crystal in your hand�� links to which Plane of Existence out of the Seven?" Marlene felt uneasy because she had interacted with creatures from the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. Normally, creatures from the Shade Forest and the Heavenly Palace were gentle and reasonable whereas, creatures from the Fiery Plain and Shadow Ravine were extremely dangerous with an aggressive and irritable nature. If possible, Marlene didn''t wish to see the Fortress in a tizzy and would want to continue living a peaceful life.


    "I''m not too sure. Let''s try it out," Rhode paused for a moment before gazing at Christie. Unlike the aborigines in the game, many players suspected that the Seven Fantasy Boundaries might belong to the Six Devil Guardians''s territory. This was particularly so for the players who loved to unearth the game''s content and they discovered the similarities between the Seven Fantasy Boundaries and the Six Devil Guardians''s territory. These players posted a research report of 10k words on the forums to prove that the Seven Fantasy Boundaries was where the Six Devil Guardians and their masters lived and ruled through a series of data, attributes, and equipment relics. However, as this report was overly complicated and Rhode wasn''t a maniac in researching the game''s background, he didn''t analyze the report clearly.


    But if the Seven Fantasy Boundaries really had something to do with the Six Devil Guardians��


    Christie didn''t seem to act peculiarly at all. Like Anne, Christie looked at the crystal on Rhode''s hand with pure curiosity and excitement and it seemed that the little girl wasn''t rattled by Rhode and Marlene''s conversation. But Rhode had no anticipations of getting any answers from Christie, so he turned his gaze from the little girl to the crystal instead. Then, he shut his eyes and activated the Construction Menu.


    [Detected the Fantasy Key. Confirm to build the path that links to the Plane of Existence?]


    Yes.


    Rhode nodded slightly and opened his eyes.


    The crystal suspended gradually and floated to the dome above the hall. At this moment, everyone stopped their discussions and focused their attention on the beautiful crystal glittering under the sunlight that spilled through the dome.


    Golden light rays flashed from the complex and exquisite murals at the edge of the dome. The vertices on the two segments of the dome shone with bright, dazzling magical radiance. They formed two magical lines and linked with the crystal floating in the middle of the dome. The magical lines propelled and the crystal began to move closer to the mural.


    Marlene puckered her brows slightly.


    This wasn''t the first time that she had observed this mural. Until this moment, she had never realized that this mural was indeed something special. The sleek stone wall was engraved with patterns of huge trees that almost extended to the vertex of the dome. There were seven remarkably fine circles above the treetop sand the circles seemed as though incomplete carvings of flower buds on the branches. However, Marlene discovered that the seven circles seemed to accommodate the crystal like it was all pre-planned.


    Marlene gaped but closed her mouth hurriedly after noticing the crowd around her. She had suspected that this Fortress wasn''t that simple. Even though Rhode didn''t tell her the truth, Marlene realized this by herself because she wasn''t as brainless as the mercenaries that lived day by day. But everything now was just�� Exactly the same as the prophecy.


    Marlene closed her eyes while placing her palms on her chest.


    Under the guidance of the magical lines, the crystal slowly shifted to the circle gap at the top of the mural. A glaring magical radiance shone and in the blink of an eye, the crystal blended in with the mural perfectly as though it belonged there from the very start.


    "��" From the top of the mural, a blue radiance shone and descended straight into the ground. At the same time, ritual circles emerged on the floor of the plain hall while releasing a cold aura.


    The aura was so bone-chilling that even Rhode shivered. He changed his position and protected Christie while Anne squatted down and hugged the little girl hurriedly. On the other hand, Marlene and Lize turned their backs against the ice-cold aura with their eyes closed while Gillian stood on the same spot proudly. Rhode was unsure if it was because of her pride as the Fire Elemental Lord or she didn''t actually need to worry about such a low standard of a chilly aura.


    Soon, the ground froze thinly and quickly disappeared along with the cold aura. When everyone opened their eyes, they discovered a stranger standing before them.


    "Nice to meet you, my Master." A crisp voice sounded as though a stream flowing through the deep mountains and floating ice on the surface of the ocean. There were no emotions nor any cadence in her tone as though one was facing a tombstone covered with hoar frost.


    It was a young lady composed of ice and snow, like a beautifully crafted ice sculpture. Her fair, snowy cheeks reflected her baby-blue eyes clearly while the brilliance that gleamed in her pupils belonged to beings from other dimensions. Her adorable face represented her innocence, but her contradictory, cold, and indifferent expression brought out a unique, mature charm.


    The young lady''s upper body was no different from a human being''s. However, it was entirely different from her waist down. The lines were like the ruffles of the evening gowns worn by the noble ladies at a ball. But, with a closer look, these ruffles that formed the skirt actually blended perfectly with her legs. Or perhaps, there wasn''t too much of a difference. Both her legs and her long hair were also the product of slim, tentacle-like strands. And even when the young lady was standing still, her hair would still gently twist, curl, and reveal the suckers within.


    "Master, it seems that you just can''t stop summoning these impressive creatures." Gillian giggled while Rhode shrugged his shoulders and turned to the young lady.


    "You are��" Rhode asked.


    "You can call me Agatha, Master." The young lady bowed. However, even though her tone was highly respectful, her ice-cold facial expression didn''t change at all. Moreover, there was not the slightest cadence in her tone as though she were plainly reading a line of dialogue.


    The young ladies around Rhode began to whisper from ear to ear.


    "Woah, it''s so cold. Anne can''t take it anymore," Anne was the first amongst the young ladies to break the silence. She glanced at Agatha secretly before rubbing her arms for warmth. "This sister doesn''t have any expression at all, just like Leader."


    "�� I think�� She is very beautiful��" Christie commented with a smile as she scanned Agatha curiously while folding her tiny arms.


    "She�� doesn''t seem to be a human?" Lize''s concern seemed to be much more essential.


    "If I''m not mistaken, she must be an Ocean Elf." Marlene turned her gaze from the self-twisting tentacle-looking hair on the young lady and answered softly. Apart from Rhode, Marlene had the most say when it came to questions about the magical creatures.


    "Ocean Elf�� Sister Marlene, are you saying that�� She is a different kind of Elf?" Anne widened her eyes in astonishment before turning around once more to scan Agatha from her head to ''toe''. "But�� She looks so different from all the Elves Anne has seen."


    "I''m not too sure about this either��" Marlene hesitated unusually but continued to explain after a few moments. "But I have read one of the books in my school''s collections. Rumor has it in ancient times, some Elves left the continent and lived in the other Planes of Existence. We don''t know how they managed to leave, but we do know that the Elves transformed themselves in order to adapt to the living conditions in the Planes of Existence. I think��" Marlene paused and stole a glance at the Ocean Elf. She observed the eight tentacles supporting her body that seemed as though a noble lady''s dress and the hair ends that were twisting and turning by themselves. "�� Maybe, Miss Agatha is really one of those Ocean Elves."


    "Woah��" Anne cried out in surprise as though she understood what Marlene had explained. However, she exposed herself with her next remark immediately. "That sounds awesome."


    "��" Marlene rolled her eyes upon hearing Anne''s typical, innocent answer. She turned around and gazed at the exquisite mural that had returned to its original state. The colorful radiances were gone and the crystal had blended into it perfectly. But this time, Marlene''s gaze was totally different.


    "Nessingemlce��" she mumbled softly.

 Chapter 459 Elemental Badge

    As the young ladies were whispering about Agatha''s origin, Rhode confirmed with the young lady herself on the main issues. As Marlene had predicted, Agatha was an Ocean Elf of the Silver Ocean in the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. She came to this world and contracted with Rhode as his servant to manage the entire Fortress.


    Logistically speaking, the Ocean Elves were a very beneficial addition. They had close relations with the water element and could use water elemental spells to a certain extent. An ordinary Ocean Elf possessed a level 10 Mage player''s strength. Although they weren''t formidable in battle, they were more than enough for Rhode. Rhode found out from Agatha that the Ocean Elves were experts in cleaning and reorganizing. Their outstanding water affinity allowed them to excel in the cleaning and dredging of the entire Fortress. At the same time, she was also able to take up the role of the patrol guards to patrol uninhabited areas. Without a doubt, the Ocean Elves could deal with robbers and bandits; however, handling the mercenaries were out of their capabilities.


    However, Rhode had no intention of sending any Ocean Elves to be a part of the patrol team.


    According to Agatha, the Fortress'' low level only allowed Rhode to summon up to 50 Ocean Elves, including herself. However, she continued to reassure Rhode with her rigorous, confident and blank expression that these 50 Ocean Elves would be enough to complete the daily chores in the Fortress.


    As the saying goes, seeing is believing.


    Rhode summoned the other 49 Ocean Elves and although there were many of them, the spacious hall was enough to accommodate all of them. Most of them appeared to be quiet, well-behaved, and had beautiful features, unlike Agatha who was expressionless, like an ice sculpture. Even so, the presence of the 50 Ocean Elves gathered in the hall was rather strong, especially with the chill from their bodies giving Marlene and the others the illusion as though they were on the summit of a northern mountain.


    "Lize," Rhode turned around after completing his negotiations with Agatha and gestured to Lize.


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode?" Lize scuttled towards Rhode and questioned curiously.


    "Bring Agatha and her companions for a tour around the Fortress and assign them their work respectively. By the way, don''t forget to inform Kavos and Marfa because, after all, these Ocean Elves have unique identities, so we don''t want to startle them. Also, notify the mercenaries in advance so they won''t treat them as monsters and attack them," instructed Rhode.


    "Understood, Mr. Rhode. I''ll get going now." Lize nodded in acknowledgment before displaying a somewhat rigid smile to Agatha. "S-So then�� Please come with me, everyone."


    "Yes. Sorry for the trouble, Madam Lize," Agatha responded monotonously, to which Lize responded with a bitter smile.


    "Anne wants to go too!" Although Anne had just returned to the Fortress, it seemed to be more interesting for her to join in with the newcomers. Anne lifted her hand excitedly and hopped as she left with Lize, Agatha, and the Ocean Elves. On the other hand, Gillian chuckled as she cupped her palm over her mouth.


    "Master, I shall go and take a look too. I''m curious to see how those silly humans react when they meet the Ocean Elves��" Gillian swayed her huge, fluffy tail and strolled towards the group. From a certain perspective, Gillian and Anne were rather similar in this aspect.


    "��" Rhode sighed hopelessly and turned towards to Marlene. "By the way, how is Lapis''s progress?"


    Marlene pondered before lifting her head with a smile. "Miss Lapis hasn''t stepped out of the workshop for a while. But I heard she is progressing well and is nearing completion soon."


    "Oh, really?" Rhode twitched his brows. "Let''s check it out."


    Lapis was currently in the desolated and unfrequented alchemy section in the back of the Fortress. Rhode held onto Christie''s hand and arrived at the door of the alchemy workshop with Marlene. The scene left Rhode astonished: what should have been a flat, orderly workshop had been tainted with traces of smoke and flames. Furthermore, based on the marks on the wall, there seemed to be an explosion before. The entire workshop was as though bombarded by a multiple bomber aircraft�� and was almost blasted back to the Stone Age. Oh lord, what on earth was Lapis doing? A nuclear test?


    "Argh�� It''s like this," Rhode turned around and gazed at Marlene''s awkward expression as she spoke. "Although Miss Lapis was able to finish her job smoothly, there was�� a slight problem�� from the start. But fortunately, with Miss Canary and Miss Bubble, there wasn''t too much damage."


    Although Marlene''s tone was careful and deferential, Rhode understood the nuance in her words.


    Marlene extended her arm to stop Rhode and Christie from entering the workshop. Then, she picked up an iron strip placed beside the door and knocked with it. "Miss Lapis, are you free now? Mr. Rhode is back!"


    Marlene''s voice echoed in the workshop, but there wasn''t an immediate response. As Rhode tried to peek into the workshop curiously, he felt a slight tug on his sleeve. He lowered his head to see Christie trying her best to tiptoe. "�� Last time�� Sister Marlene entered�� without knocking�� and was almost�� blasted by Miss Lapis��"


    I see.


    Rhode turned his gaze towards the iron strip in Marlene''s hands. It seems that this thing was placed here intentionally.


    "Ah�� Miss Marlene, I''ll be right there. Give me a few seconds!"


    Lapis responded in a panicky voice. Upon hearing her answer, Marlene took two steps back innately with an anxious expression while Christie also backed off, at the same time pulling Rhode''s hand hurriedly.


    As Rhode was trying to figure out their inexplicable actions, Lapis''s voice sounded once again. "Ah, give me a while more, Miss Marlene. I''m almost done, almost done�� Woaaah, almost�� No no no, wait, wait, w����"


    Boom! Before Lapis completed her sentence, a loud explosion sounded and billows of smoke surged out of the workshop door. Rhode was startled while Marlene and Christie seemed to be used to this. They exchanged glances with one another before turning their gazes to the door. Soon, the workshop door opened and Lapis emerged. "Cough cough�� Ah, Sir Rhode, you''re back�� Sorry to let you see me in this manner�� Cough."


    Lapis was covered in smoke stains from head to toe. The wide hood and baggy cloak wrapped the young lady''s slim and frail body while her fair, delicate face had been filled with speckles of filthy dust. In the past, Rhode thought that her hood was to conceal her identity from being exposed, at the same time, also serving as a sign of her reserved personality. But now, it seemed that there was a more practical meaning to it. At least she wouldn''t need to worry that her hair would be burned by all these experiments��


    "What were you doing?" Rhode asked curiously as he scanned Lapis'' miserable appearance.


    Lapis let out an awkward cough and lowered her head in embarrassment. "This�� is nothing much, Sir Rhode. I was just following your instructions to modify the potion recipes. After all, there are many ingredients that we lack�� But this is really too difficult��"


    No wonder.


    Rhode secretly let out a long sigh. As Starlight had just been established, they didn''t have too much money to purchase expensive Magic Herbs. Meanwhile, the Magic Herbs in the wild around the Fortress didn''t make the cut for high-level potions. Therefore, Rhode designated Lapis a task to test if she could modify these high-level potion recipes into more ''common'' ones. But it seemed that this experiment didn''t proceed smoothly. "Be careful; don''t hurt yourself. You must take care of your health too."


    "Ah�� Yes�� Sir Rhode," Lapis felt her heart skip a beat and she lowered her head hastily to conceal the blush on her face. Then, she spoke as though to cover up for her embarrassing actions. "B-B-By the way, Sir Rhode, are you here to see the badge? I''ve completed them. Please wait for a moment."


    After a succession of clumsy clatters, the young lady ran back with a square badge that matched Rhode''s guild flag. Through the carved silver gap, an embedded magical crystal that resembled a meter dial could be vaguely seen.


    "I have made it according to Sir Rhode''s instruction and everything has met your requirements." Lapis pinned the badge to her chest and withdrew a dagger from her waist. She used her other hand to rotate the pointer on the badge to one its four sides. In a blink of an eye, a red radiance enveloped Lapis entirely and her dagger blade began to blaze with flames.


    "Elemental Badge: the holder will receive the corresponding buff in the attack, defense, and elemental attributes by turning the pointer on this badge. This will activate the badge''s effect using the spiritual energy within the holder''s body. The complicated mutual relationships of the Four Main Elements must be respected, so the effects aren''t that powerful�� This current badge contains about 30% of the total attack and defense power." Lapis rotated the pointer on the badge once again and the red radiance had been replaced with a layer of green radiance. Meanwhile, the flames on her dagger transformed into a slightly visible wind aura.


    "Not bad," Rhode nodded in satisfaction. "So how do we use it?"


    "Just as Sir Rhode has mentioned, the holder has to use his or her blood to activate it. After the activation is completed, only the holder can use it."


    "Good." Rhode examined the accessory closely after taking it from Lapis. Although this accessory wasn''t considered top-notch, it was a somewhat high-grade equipment for the mercenaries. If everything was as per Lapis had mentioned, the second 5 Star Mission wouldn''t be too challenging for Rhode anymore.


    Rhode kept the badge and patted Lapis''s shoulder. "You did well, Lapis. I will give you your reward now."


    "Reward?" Lapis''s eyes beamed in dazzling anticipation. Then, Rhode withdrew a scroll from the fold in his clothes.


    "What''s this, Sir Rhode?" Lapis tilted her head to the side and asked curiously.


    "This is the Defense Formation of the Construct Guards," answered Rhode.

 Chapter 460 The Various Constructs

    Rhode had completed the Castel Plateau Ruins Mission after receiving the phylactery. Apart from receiving a huge amount of EXP as a reward, he also received the Fantasy Key and the Construct Guards Defense Formation. The reason why Rhode chose this mission was to obtain the Construct Guards Defense Formation. After all, these lifeless, aggressive Constructs would be the best choice to defend the Fortress in the upcoming war. If not, he wouldn''t have wasted the precious second opportunity to unlock Gillian''s seal. However, Rhode realized that this reward was somewhat different from what he expected.


    Rhode thought that this Construct Guards Defense Formation would simply expand the available features in the guild''s Construction System. This way, he just needed to spend some money to put everything into place. However, the reward he received was presented in the form of a blueprint which contained a series of production workflows for the Constructs. In that moment, Rhode finally realized the meaning of this reward �� Although he had unspoken criticism about how illogical the guild Construction System could be to even build high-rise buildings, systems were after all systems and Rhode couldn''t grumble to the Game Masters directly. Fortunately, he was somewhat experienced in this aspect. In the game, it was always a necessity to pass these blueprints to the Alchemist players of the Production subclass to manage. Therefore, Rhode thought of Lapis as soon as he received this blueprint.


    "Construct Guards?" Lapis widened her eyes in astonishment before taking the blueprint.


    The young lady leaned on the doorframe and examined the details carefully. At this moment, Lapis finally presented herself as the descendant of the Behermes Family''s and the panicky, timid little girl had vanished away in the blink of an eye. Lapis scanned the blueprint with her utmost attention, at the same time, mumbling softly while her eyes were full of brilliant wisdom and seriousness.


    Rhode, Marlene, and Christie stood by the side silently and observed Lapis''s right hand wandering along the strange patterns and complicated equations on the blueprint. The young lady''s eyes shifted in rows accurately from left to right accurately as though she were scanning everything into her brain.


    Until a few moments later, Lapis shut her eyes and let out a long breath. Then, she lifted her head. As soon as Rhode came into view, her steady calmness disappeared instantly and the young lady with her usual reserved personality returned abruptly. "Ah, sorry, Sir Rhode, I accidentally��"


    "No, it''s fine." Rhode gestured and interrupted Lapis'' apologies. Then, he gazed at Lapis sternly and said, "What do you think about this Construct Defense Formation?"


    "It is really comprehensive. Although some aspects may be a little complicated, it is still very valuable," explained Lapis.


    "Good," Rhode nodded in satisfaction at Lapis''s answer. "So then, Lapis. From now on, I hope you can focus on creating these Construct Guards. The more the better. Are there any problems? If you need any materials, I can get Marlene to provide you with them. Of course, I hope we can use cheaper materials as far as possible considering our budget."


    "This��" Lapis tilted her head and considered carefully. Then, the young lady lifted her head hesitantly with a difficult expression. "S-Sorry�� Sir Rhode, I don''t think I can manage��"


    "Hmm?" Rhode stared blankly as this was the last answer he expected from Lapis. What''s going on? Aren''t the Construct Guards made by Alchemists? Furthermore, Lapis''s abilities are more than enough for this task, so why can''t she manage it? "What''s wrong? What are the difficulties?"


    "This�� This�� This��" Lapis stuttered under Rhode''s concerned gaze. She lowered her head helplessly and shut her eyes before finally giving an explanation. "I can''t cast metal, not to mention magical metal��"


    "��" Rhode was speechless.


    A scientist who could build nuclear reactors on their own didn''t necessarily mean that they could build an intercontinental nuclear warhead by himself. This was the problem that Rhode was currently facing.


    Facing Lapis'' sullen expression, Rhode gaped and realized that he had made a big mistake. After all, in the game, the casting of magical metal wasn''t difficult for Alchemists with the Production subclass. Besides, there would always be a group of such players in every guild. Therefore, Rhode just needed to hand out the blueprint and his men would figure out ways to accomplish it. But now, there was no person with this capability in Starlight. Furthermore, NPCs who could cast magical metal were extremely rare, which was also the reason why a large number of craftsmen players could survive in the game. "How much manpower do you need?"


    "This�� If we need to constantly produce the Construct Guards as per your instructions, we will need at least 50 craftsmen to cast the equipment and components because there are a total of 150 production workflows. Also, they must be extremely skillful because the internal compositions of the Construct Guards are highly complex and a single mistake will put all the effort to waste," explained Lapis.


    "I see��" Rhode gave up on this idea even though he had some craftsmen on hand. During those days when Rhode first arrived at Deep Stone City, he had received a magic craftsman shop from the Keller Family. At the same time, he had gotten three to four craftsmen who could produce magical weapons. However, Rhode knew that their skills weren''t wonderful and if it weren''t for the special forging table that they had in the shop, perhaps they couldn''t even forge a proper magical weapon. Therefore, it was rather far-fetched to rely on these craftsmen to produce a proper Construct Guard. Furthermore, Rhode needed at least 50 of them.


    "Are there no other ways?" It seemed that Rhode could forget about producing the ideal Construct Guards troop for the time being. However, he was still not resigned to give up because this felt as though he had won the top lottery prize but couldn''t use the money won. What was the point of having this blueprint in the first place?


    "Hmm��" Lapis puckered her brows with a sullen face. After a few moments of pondering, she said, "there is indeed another way��"


    "Oh? What about it?" Rhode asked in a curious tone.


    "It''s like this, Sir Rhode." Lapis flipped through the blueprint and pointed to one of the pages diligently. "To be honest, Sir Rhode, it is unlikely to produce proper Construct Guards with our current manpower and financial status. But we can build similar and simpler Constructs instead�� For example, the Gargoyle��"


    "Oh?" Rhode was instantly reminded of the trouble that Matt, Lize, and himself had faced before leaving the Twilight Forest. Strictly speaking, the Gargoyle was indeed a kind of Construct. However, Rhode had forgotten about this matter entirely. "Is it similar to the Gargoyle?"


    "Yes, Sir Rhode." Lapis nodded with all her might. "An alternative would be the Stone Constructs which are much simpler to produce and require less skillful craftsmen. The craftsmen can carve according to the blueprint that I have drafted whileI can handle the Stone Constructs''s internal circuits and activation of their cores by myself. But the flaw of these Stone Constructs is also rather apparent because they are only capable of executing a single operation at once. Also, they are much weaker compared to Constructs that are made of metal��"


    "What about the cores?" Rhode frowned because he was clear about how difficult it was to get his hands on man-made Soul Cores with their sky-high prices.


    "No problem with this�� Everyone in the Behermes Family knows how to make the Soul Cores. But the materials are very costly��" said Lapis.


    "How much are we looking at?" Marlene questioned anxiously. After all, most of Starlight''s spendings were on Lapis''s alchemist tasks ever since Rhode had left the Fortress. If Anne was known as the big eater of the guild, then Lapis would be the other ''big eater'' from a monetary perspective.


    "This��" Lapis lowered her head and counted with her fingers. "Producing a man-made Soul Core will need five times more materials than an Elemental Badge��"


    "Five times?!" Marlene exclaimed and stood between Rhode and Lapis hurriedly while gesturing and gazing sternly at Rhode. "Rhode, this is impossible! Five times is too much and Starlight definitely can''t afford it! Maybe we should think of other solutions��"


    Rhode puckered his brows and pondered hard for a few moments. He raised his hand to stop Marlene from speaking before turning his gaze towards Lapis. "Non-man-made Soul Cores are also possible, right?"


    "Yes, ordinary Soul Cores are possible," said Lapis.


    "Is there any requirement for the powers in the Soul Cores? Or perhaps, the requirement of the Soul Core''s attributes?" Rhode anxiously asked.


    "Hmm�� the stronger the powers are, the better the Soul Core will be. However, I don''t think its attribute means anything because the Stone Constructs will not be able to sustain the attribute powers in the Soul Cores perfectly, unlike the Constructs made of metal. Moreover, unless the Soul Core contains extreme powers, it is impossible for the Stone Construct to embody the attribute of the Soul Core," Lapis explained further.


    "��" Rhode paused for a few seconds and retrieved two Soul Cores from his spatial bag. These two Soul Cores were the ones he received after defeating the Undead Knight and Necromancer while they were on their way to Eagle City. Rhode had kept them and decided to summon them as his spirits when he had the time, but he had new ideas after listening to Lapis''s words. "Take a look at these two Soul Cores."


    Lapis took over the Soul Cores and examined cautiously. "These two Soul Cores can be used to build powerful Stone Constructs, Sir Rhode."


    "Good." Rhode heaved a sigh of relief and an idea came up in his mind. "So, what about those Soul Cores with about one-tenth of their powers?"


    "Hmm�� Those Soul Cores with one-tenth of their powers would still be enough to drive the Stone Constructs and normal attack and defense shouldn''t be a problem for them," Lapis confirmed.


    "Great!" Rhode made his decision and patted Lapis''s shoulder. "So then, I will leave these two Soul Cores with you. Go and figure out which kind of Stone Construct will be the most suitable. Then, hand your sketch to Marlene after you''ve drafted it. Marlene, pass the sketch to Shauna once you receive it and instruct Shauna to purchase and get carvings from the stonemason in Deep Stone City. Also, she can claim that this is needed for decorations in our guild Fortress. Any questions?"


    "No problem, Rhode," Marlene nodded with a sigh of relief.


    As the financial assistant, Marlene understood how this arrangement could cut down their spendings. The materials required to produce the Stone Construct wouldn''t be as demanding and furthermore, Deep Stone City was known for their inexpensive ores and stone materials. Moreover, the quality of the materials would be guaranteed if they purchased them through the Keller Family. At least this would be so much cheaper than magical crystals!


    At this moment, Christie, who had been quietly observing their conversation, tugged on Rhode''s sleeve lightly. Rhode lowered his head to find the little girl hugging the drawing board that had never left her side. She lifted her head and gazed at Rhode calmly. "�� Rhode�� Can you let me�� design the Stone Construct?"


    "Oh?" Rhode was surprised as this was the first time he heard such a request from Christie.


    On the contrary, Lapis and Marlene didn''t feel strange at all. "I think that''s a great idea, Sir Rhode. Christie is really great at designing and this Elemental Badge was also designed by her!"


    "Really?" Rhode was truly amazed after hearing Lapis'' answer. He retrieved the Elemental Badge and examined it once more. The badge was exquisitely designed, which revealed the guild''s imposing unity. Its unique and distinct pattern made it suitable to be worn as a group as it was easily recognizable by one another. Although Rhode knew that Christie could draw well and he was a total layman in designing, he understood that design and art weren''t similar at all.


    But why would Christie want to do this?


    "�� Christie�� wants to help Rhode�� and everyone�� by doing something��" The little girl lifted her head and gazed at Rhode with her clear, round eyes. "�� Everyone takes good care�� of Christie�� So I think, I can also do something�� for everyone��" The little girl said shyly.


    "��" What Rhode saw from the little girl''s eyes was her staunch determination and courage despite her frail stature. Rhode revealed a smile and squatted to Christie''s eye level before stroking the little girl''s silky long hair gently. "So then, can I trouble you with this, Christie?"


    "�� Okay!" Christie grinned from ear to ear and nodded with all her might.

 Chapter 461 A Rainy Nigh

    Rhode leaned against the window frame while admiring the night scenery through the long floor-to-ceiling window. On the other side of the window glass, there was a heavy downpour and the window glass muffled its melodious symphony. The faraway pitch-black forest swayed in the strong wind while cooling water vapor passed through the gap by the window edge and refreshed the stuffy room. On the contrary, the night sky was clear of clouds and a full moon hung in the sky which illuminated the Land of Atonement brightly: this was the unique scenery of this land located near the edge.


    The bright moonlight spilled through the long floor-to-ceiling window and brought some tranquility to Rhode''s pitch-black room. Rhode sat down on a chair and continued to admire the night scenery.


    This was something that Rhode loved to do in the game. The appreciation of the rain allowed him to forget about real life troubles temporarily. This escape from reality was as though he belonged to the gaming world. At the same time, he could look at this world objectively with calm gazes.


    Rhode loved this feeling of detachment and he was addicted to it. It was the same after coming to this world. Although he would still get injured, hurt, and could even die in this world, his perspective didn''t change at all. Perhaps, he would contribute to the people that he cared for in this world by protecting or helping them. But this wouldn''t change his perspective and standpoint. Just like in the game, the players and NPCs might temporarily forgo their disputes and identities of one another and collaborate to take down a monster. However, this didn''t mean that their thoughts were exactly the same. To the NPCs, they gave up the disputes to protect their city and loved ones. However, to the players, they protected the city for the sake of the equipment that would drop from defeating the monsters, the reputation points, and perhaps to prevent an NPC from an important, on-going mission to be killed by the monster. Although the process and results were indeed to protect the city from the monsters, their motivation to act was most likely unrelated.


    There were some players that were so indulged in the gaming world that they had forgotten about the real world. They refused to return to the real world and lived in the gaming world like aborigines. These players devoted themselves to the game as though they were born and bred in the gaming world packed with swords, magic, and adventures while the real world was only just a dream to them.


    However, Rhode disliked this extremity and he didn''t devote himself to the game fully. Although he would grieve for the death of an NPC that he admired and be frustrated about the betrayal plots and his backstabbers, he continued to maintain a transcendental perspective between the two worlds. This was a kind of relationship that was difficult to explain clearly. It was as though both audience and actors were standing in the same arena with vastly different perspectives. Rhode''s perspective was between those of the audience and actors and not only did he watch the repertoire before him, he also devoted himself to it. But, even so, Rhode had never forgotten his true identity.


    This wasn''t a world that belonged to him but he continued to fight on for his goal and himself.


    So what was the meaning of this?


    Perhaps there wasn''t any meaning to it in the first place as meaning was interpreted by humans. Perhaps some could understand the prosperity and declination of a kingdom and the sorrow and helplessness of men in the face of destiny through the words of one who had spent thousands of years in the toughest terrain or a poet''s unintentional lament. However, what most people saw was nothing more than a nutcase speaking gibberish after getting drunk.


    The corner of Rhode''s mouth quirked up as he gazed at the Fortress from his window.


    Then, someone knocked on the door.


    "Please come in," Rhode responded without turning over.


    The dusky room surprised the visitor. However, she closed the door and approached Rhode. "Rhode�� This is the residency application report and the current mercenary forces of the Fortress that I''ve gathered during your absence. I''ve checked them all and everything is in place. But I will still need you to make the final decision. After all, you are the guild leader and there was no hurry for me to decide on your behalf."


    "I''ll take a look when I have the time," Rhode took over the report and tossed it to the side while Marlene knitted her brows at his ignorant action.


    However, she recovered her usual expression quickly after Rhode gazed at her. "If there''s nothing else, I''ll take my leave, Rhode."


    "Hmm? What''s wrong? You don''t seem too happy," Rhode asked curiously.


    "�� No, I''m fine. Perhaps it''s getting late�� and I''m a little tired��" Marlene denied with a stiff voice and an expressionless face. She turned around and left, however, a pair of hands emerged from behind her back swiftly and embraced her waist. "R-Rhode?!"


    "I don''t like kids who tell lies, Miss Marlene," Rhode''s voice rang in Marlene''s ears as he nibbled on her earlobe. That deep voice mashed with Rhode''s breathing sent the young lady trembling. However, even so, she gnashed her teeth and clenched her fists as though she were tolerating his actions desperately.


    "I-I don''t know what you''re talking about, Rhode�� I''m not�� Ah!" before Marlene could finish her sentence, she let out a startled shriek and Rhode loosened his right hand that was grabbing the young lady''s chest.


    "I didn''t know that an obedient child like Miss Marlene actually loved to tell lies? It seems like I have to punish you��"


    "I-I''m really not��" Marlene began to panic as she turned around to face Rhode. However, at this moment, Rhode lifted her chin with his fingers and landed a kiss on her lips.


    "Mmm��" Marlene''s body tightened abruptly while her hands struggled in the air innately as though to grab for support. However, she put down her hands almost immediately after as the soft, gentle kisses began to intensify. The silent room was filled with the sound of their entangling salivary tongues and Marlene''s resistive body turned softer as she leaned into Rhode''s embrace.


    "Ha�� Ha��" As their lips separated, Marlene felt her vision blur. Her fair, delicate cheeks were smeared in pinkish red while a seductive lust reflected off her beautiful eyes.


    Rhode bent his head down to the young lady''s neck and twitched his nose slightly. "Hmm�� You showered before coming over�� Marlene, it seems like you have a habit of showering before reporting to your commanding officer?"


    "No�� This�� I��" Marlene shook her head with all her might while shutting her eyes like an adorable little girl denying a crime that she had committed. Rhode let out a rare chuckle as he observed Marlene''s actions.


    "You''re still not telling the truth? Why were you unhappy?"


    "I�� I��" Marlene hesitated but lowered her head in the end. "I''m not unhappy�� I was just�� Rhode, you bought presents for Christie and Lize, but��"


    "But you didn''t get any, right?" Rhode continued Marlene''s sentence.


    "��" Marlene nodded silently. In the afternoon, Rhode gave Christie and Lize a beautiful crystal necklace and white-gold bracelet respectively in front of Marlene while she didn''t receive any anything. Although they weren''t expensive gifts Marlene couldn''t afford, she felt unhappy that she was being left out.


    This was unusual behavior for this young lady because, after all, Marlene had learned to be open-minded and wouldn''t cause a ruckus for such a small matter as an heir of a huge noble family. Furthermore, her relationship with Rhode had exceeded the ordinary relationship and logically speaking, she shouldn''t be angry over a small accessory. However, for unknown reasons, she felt miserable, especially after seeing Rhode''s expressionless face as though he wasn''t mindful of her feelings at all.


    "What a silly girl. I didn''t think that you would be angry over such a little thing."


    "�� Hmph." Marlene let out a groan since she had already spoken the truth and there were no reasons for her to deny now.


    "But don''t worry. I''ve prepared a gift for you too, okay? And it is something that you want the most."


    "Eh?" At this moment, Marlene''s robe had been stripped entirely and it plopped to the ground. The chilly night breeze caressed her dewy skin intimately, to which the young lady shuddered. Then, before she realized it, a fiery presence stuck closely to her back.


    "I''m sure this is the present that you wanted, Marlene?"


    "�� R-Rhode��"


    "Say it. Yes or no? If no, then I might have mistaken."


    "N-No, no, no��" Marlene shook her head desperately but soon, she found out that something was amiss. "No, yes, no�� No, Yes��"


    "Is it a yes or no?" Rhode''s voice got softer and softer as his hands roamed around the young lady''s body mischievously. Marlene felt her body getting warmer; at the same time, a strange desire began to burn within her body��


    "�� Yes��" Marlene lowered her head and answered softly.


    "Good," Rhode nodded in satisfaction and with a sly smile. Marlene felt her body lifted up in an instant and before she knew it, her back was against the soft, fluffy bed. She lifted her head frantically to see Rhode''s face before hers. "So then, let me give you your present, Marlene��"


    Marlene shut her eyes, but she didn''t receive the pounding that she expected. Instead, she widened her eyes in astonishment. She realized that her wrists had been bound by a rope securely. "R-Rhode, this is��"


    "This is the punishment for a disobedient child," Rhode lectured with a smile while gazing at Marlene''s bashful expression.

 Chapter 462 A Special Punishmen

    "P-Punishment?" Although Marlene knew that Rhode wouldn''t hurt her, she was still rather nervous when she heard it from him. Her tender, delicate body trembled under the chilly night breeze while she gazed at the man before her with widened eyes. There was a conflict of unspeakable fear and expectations deep inside Marlene''s heart.


    "That''s right, punishment." Rhode held a finger against Marlene''s lips. "You have to be punished for telling lies, Marlene. Weren''t you taught this when you were young? An obedient child shouldn''t tell lies and a naughty child who tells lies will be punished��"


    "Indeed there were�� such teachings, but�� but��" Marlene stuttered.


    "But? Didn''t you just lie to me? Shouldn''t you be punished? Or are you insisting that you lie however you want since you''re all grown up now?"


    "No, of course not��" Marlene puckered her brows. Although Rhode did make sense, she shouldn''t be punished, right? "No, I have admitted my mistake, Rhode. So�� you shouldn''t punish me anymore,"


    "For you to say this�� means that you haven''t learned the seriousness of your mistake, Marlene," Under the radiant moonlight, Rhode was presenting his usual calm expression. However, Marlene felt as though there was a strange radiance emanating in Rhode''s eyes: that was an exceptionally bright, yet abnormally dangerous radiance. For unknown reasons, it was precisely this fear that left her hair standing on end that there had a deadly and strange appeal. Marlene gaped and was speechless.


    The corner of Rhode''s mouth curved as he rolled Marlene over to expose her back to him.


    "R-Rhode? Wait, what are you doing?" With her stomach lying flat on the bed, Marlene could no longer see where Rhode was exactly. She struggled to turn around, however, her body was quicker to realize what Rhode was up to.


    Slap! Marlene shuddered abruptly as she turned over nervously. But she didn''t need her eyes to understand what Rhode had done. The long-lost memory of this burning sensation on her backside reappeared in her mind. As the heir of the Senia Family, Marlene had learned not to be willful, mischievous, and self-centered. Therefore, she had almost never tasted this sensation. But now�� "R-Rhode?!"


    "What''s wrong? Did I do anything wrong?" Rhode''s voice was as calm as usual. Then, he lifted his right hand and smacked again.


    "Ah!" This time, Marlene shrieked in pain.


    Although this pain was not worth a mention as compared to the injuries and sufferings on the battlefield, Marlene felt a strange, tingling sensation for unknown reasons. Rhode''s palm was as though an electric current that would make her body shiver every time he touched her body and would leave a scorching pain.


    "An obedient child must be honest, Marlene. Lying is not good. Since you are my woman, I need to constantly guide you off the wrong path. Yes�� Even if I need to use such intense methods. I hope you can remember this punishment and be more honest next time."


    "�� I, I didn''t��" Marlene found herself in a ridiculed, yet enjoyable mood even though she didn''t know how to react to Rhode''s hooligan-like utterance. Although Marlene admitted that she indeed was trying to hide her true thoughts from Rhode, she felt that he should''ve taken the initiative to care for her instead. Why must I be the one to bring this up? And now I must be punished by him for lying like a little girl?


    Marlene felt that this was too illogical.


    "It seems that you haven''t learned your mistake." Marlene''s response gave Rhode more room to maneuver as he once again raised his palm and smacked her reddish, swollen backside.


    "��!" Marlene''s body suddenly stiffened.


    The young lady''s strong self-control forced herself to swallow her moans. She widened her eyes in uncertainty and her head was in a blank. At this moment, Marlene felt that her body was as though scorching in blazing flames and the pain on the area that Rhode had smacked had turned numb. No, strictly speaking, Marlene felt that the numbness was mingled with aches that spread towards her body gradually. Not only that, she actually felt somewhat��comfortable?!


    How is this possible?


    Slap!


    "��!" Marlene bit her lips as she tried to cup over her mouth innately. However, she realized that her hands had been bound and couldn''t budge at all. Marlene began to panic and although she had a few intimate encounters with Rhode previously, she couldn''t be as spontaneous and passionate as Canary. Furthermore, the reactions of her own body were something that she had never imagined��


    "R-Rhode?" Marlene started to panic. "Can we stop, please? Treat this as my request, no�� ah��!" before Marlene could finish her words, Rhode landed another slap which forced the young lady to shut her mouth and hold in the moans that almost escaped her mouth. She continued to bite her lips with a reddish complexion and Marlene thought that all this experience was just an illusion up until now.


    The scorching pain faded as the numbness kicked in gradually. While the aching sensation replaced the pain on her backside, she felt her limbs weakened as though a feather was tingling her blood vessels. Marlene felt a sense of mysterious excitement and emptiness while she remained quiet as she shook her head with bitten lips. At this moment, the young lady had devoted her heart and soul in resisting this strange feeling. But she realized that the more she resisted, the more stimulating the sensation became. Marlene had lost all her strength as the ache began to spread to all parts of her body. And, at this moment��


    Slap!


    "Ah��!" Marlene used her remaining strength to let out a scream before lying flat on the soft bed.


    "Oh?" Rhode gazed at his palm before bending forward to Marlene''s ear while his hands roamed gently on her body like slithering vipers. "What''s wrong, Marlene?"


    "You�� You''re bullying me��" Marlene said with tears in her eyes and a reddish complexion as though she were a poor little child that had been wronged. She turned her sulky face to the other side to avoid Rhode''s gaze.


    "Sorry, sorry. I must have gone too far," Rhode said with a smile. However, his tone didn''t sound remorseful at all. Instead, he nibbled on Marlene''s earlobe and said softly. "But�� It seems that you like it too, Marlene."


    "Argh�� I��" Marlene just realized the dampness between her legs and she knew why her body was reacting this way. She lifted her head and gazed at Rhode unbelievably. At this moment, her head was in a chaotic mess because she couldn''t understand why her body would react to Rhode''s actions? Could it be that I''m a sicko?


    However, Rhode didn''t give Marlene any chance to consider. He slithered his tongue through Marlene''s widened lips and at the same time, interrupting her wild thoughts. Then, he leaned forward and against the tender, alluring body.


    "Now isn''t the time to think about life, Marlene," Rhode spoke softly in her ear and he began to thrust his body forward slowly.


    "W-Wait��!" The confused young lady was startled by the intense sensation between her legs and her consciousness sobered at the ''fearful'' thought.


    "Not now, not n-��" At this moment, Rhode had entered into her body.


    "��!" The painful, yet extremely sensitive part of her body was once again stimulated. This violent feeling was as though hot, bubbling magma drowned her senses instantly. She straightened her body innately to escape from Rhode''s imprisonment. However, Rhode grabbed the young lady''s waist and held her down mercilessly.


    Marlene''s mind remained in a blank. Either wailing or moaning, she widened her mouth as though the flames in her body were burning increasingly stronger and she was engulfed in the violent billows. This was a sensation that Marlene had never tasted and felt in her life.


    Rhode''s thrustings became faster while he kept Marlene captive below him. His breathing began to hasten and the young lady was shuddering like a beautiful, lovely flower trampled by a wild beast. Her bewitched moans and warm, smooth skin aroused the beast above her to destroy her beautiful presence.


    At this moment, both of them had reached their peaks.


    "�� No, no, don''t��!" Marlene had no idea what she was yelling anymore. She screamed innately while letting go of all her strength in her body. At the same time, Marlene felt an unprecedented torrent of water surging into her in a full, powerful pump.


    In an instant, Marlene''s vision was in a complete blank. Then, she lost her consciousness completely��

 Chapter 463 The Reaper Song

    "Hmm��" The golden sun rays shone on Marlene''s face. "Where am I��"


    Marlene mumbled as she pulled herself up slowly. The previous night felt like a chaotic and wild dream that she couldn''t even differentiate reality from hallucination. However, she felt a familiar sense of satisfaction and fatigue every time after she had done it with Rhode. It was only during moments like last night that Marlene felt that her body was in total relaxation. She could leave Rhode in the driver''s seat and as long as she was with him, she didn''t need to worry about anything in the world.


    But��


    Marlene shook her head with all her might to throw the perverted scenes to the back of her head. Yes, it must be a dream because why would I even enjoy this? That''s right, it definitely was a dream��Rhode wouldn''t do such a thing!


    She repeated several times in her head and after consoling her anxious spirit, Marlene lifted her chin to scan the room before her. This was undoubtedly Rhode''s room and the blazing sun was shining on the faraway green forest through the floor-to-ceiling window.


    Wait�� Sun?


    Oh lord, there wouldn''t be any sunlight in the Land of Atonement unless it was around 12 pm to 5 pm. Did I sleep in until the afternoon? What should I do? Oh no, I still have so much work to do!


    Marlene jumped out of bed and grabbed her robe on the chair and put it on frantically. Rhode hadn''t been back for a long time and now that she had the chance to be on intimate terms with him, she had accidentally overstepped the line. What if the others found out? Although Rhode didn''t seem to mind letting others know, Marlene wished that this could be kept a secret.


    Especially after considering Lize''s feelings.


    As childhood friends, Marlene definitely understood Lize''s thoughts. However, she could no longer chat with Lize regarding this topic anymore. Fortunately, Lize was more on the innocent side and didn''t suspect anything fishy. But there were no excuses for her to wake up this late and furthermore, in Rhode''s room.


    After all, Lize was innocent and not dumb.


    Oh no, what should I say��


    Marlene arranged her hair meticulously, at the same time, she considered this question thoughtfully. But she couldn''t find an appropriate answer. Then, at this moment, a very familiar voice sounded behind her. "Marlene, you don''t have to be this worried. You''re no longer a primary school student who needs to go for your morning exercise, right?"


    "Eh?" Marlene turned around to find Rhode leaning back on the chair leisurely, looking through the report that she had handed to him the previous night. Marlene blushed and stopped combing her hair as she let out an awkward cough. "Rhode, when were you here?"


    "I''ve always been here; it''s just that you didn''t realize," Rhode teased in response.


    This was the first time he had seen Marlene this panicky, which was a fresh experience. Got to say, this steady, mature young lady''s childish side seemed really adorable. However, Rhode had no intentions of teasing her too much on this topic, because, after all, a female''s grooming was a very private matter. Even though a beautiful young lady like Marlene usually put on only light makeup, Rhode didn''t want to intrude on her privacy as a man. "If you''re worried that you''ll be late, you can relax now because I have told Agatha that you will be sleeping in today. I''m sure Lize is also aware of this so don''t worry."


    "Agatha?" Marlene knitted her brows after hearing this strange name. After a few moments, she finally recalled that this was the name of the Ocean Elf that Rhode had summoned. "They''re starting work so soon?"


    "That''s right, and they''re highly efficient. I recommend that you see it for yourself�� From today onwards, Lize will be free from the troublesome chores and the internal patrol and cleaning of the Fortress and the responsibility to wake the mercenaries up will be handed over to Agatha and her companions. Got to say, these Ocean Elves are indeed talented in this aspect," explained Rhode detailedly.


    "Lize��" Marlene was somehow flustered as soon as she heard Lize''s name. "What is Lize doing now?"


    "She''s visiting the church today for cleric training. I have decided to assign her a team of Clerics to provide support and healing treatment on the battlefield�� But they must pass Bubble''s test first," explained Rhode.


    "Alright, I got it," Marlene heaved a sigh of relief.


    Although this couldn''t be considered as her guilty conscious, Marlene felt awkward if she needed to meet Lize first thing after getting out of Rhode''s bed.


    She tidied her hair and robe before gazing towards Rhode once more. "Alright then, Rhode. I will be returning to my room for a shower and change of clothes. Also, about last night�� erm��"


    "Hmm? What about last night?" Rhode asked as he twitched his brows.


    "N-No, nothing," Marlene stopped this topic abruptly as she wasn''t that dumb to dig her own grave. She left the room after nodding towards Rhode slightly and let out a sigh of relief until she stood by the corridor behind the door. Then, she turned her gaze to Rhode''s room with complicated feelings before shaking her head and returning to her room.


    "Interesting," Rhode shrugged his shoulders and placed the report on the table.


    He focused his attention on the back of his palm and soon, a complex, magnificent summoning ritual circle emerged. However, unlike those in the past, this summoning ritual circle had a few more strange, evil patterns.


    That was the perfect talent symbol for the Hell Lord��Reaper Song.


    This was the result of his leisure time in the morning after spending a wonderful night with Marlene. Although Rhode didn''t receive the EXP from defeating the Lich (because the EXP was all taken by Gillian), the EXP from the Castel Plateau Ruins Mission reward was still granted to him. After receiving the phylactery and completing this 5 Star Mission, Rhode received an abundance of EXP that increased his level by three. At this moment, Rhode had reached level 33 and received six skill points.


    Rhode intended to observe further before deciding if he should improve his swordsmanship or talent. However, after speaking to Lapis, he decided to pump all his six of his newly gained skill points and the one remaining skill point from before into the First Stage��[Deceased Essence] and Second stage��[Reaper Song] in the Hell Lord Talent Tree.


    The Hell Lord Talent Tree was originally defined for players in solo battles. Therefore, the attack and defense attributes were well balanced and filled with self-sufficiency talents. The [Deceased Essence] and [Reaper Song] were similar to the [Soul Territory].


    [Deceased Essence: Spiritual Energy Extraction Rate increase by 10%, 20%, 30%. A robust spirit stays in the robust body.]


    [Reaper Song: Extractable amount increases by 10%, 15%, 20%. The voice leads the way to where the spirit belongs.]


    These two talents were essential in the Hell Lord Talent Tree. The [Deceased Essence] could increase the chances of extracting the spiritual energy from the creatures that the holder had annihilated, whereas the [Reaper Song] could increase the amount of spirit extracted. From the early to mid stages of the game, this Hell Lord Talent Tree was once a popular subclass choice for the Spirit Swordsman players. After all, these players had incomparably valiant creatures in their possessions and this subclass talent could be said to be one that was capable of summoning the most creatures in the entire Dragon Soul Continent. During this period, many players choose to build this Talent Tree to summon their spirits to swarm their enemies all at once.


    However, the flaw of the Hell Lord Talent Tree was also fairly obvious: he summoned spirits only had one type of attribute. Furthermore, individual spirits summoned under this Hell Lord Talent Tree were weaker as compared to the spirits summoned under the Soul Messenger and Summoning Master Talent Trees. Moreover, the Hell Lord Talent Tree was also limited and incapable of buffing the players. As a result, this Talent Tree fell into a downward spiral in the later stages of the game.


    Initially, Rhode had no intention of working on this Talent Tree. However, his discussion with Lapis regarding the Soul Cores changed his mind. According to Lapis, the Soul Cores that the Stone Constructs required needn''t be too powerful. Meanwhile, even though the Hell Lord Talent Tree could create several Soul Cores, the powers in the Soul Cores wouldn''t be sufficient. But since Rhode was using the Soul Cores directly and not to awakening them as spirits, the powers of the Soul Cores were in the acceptable range.


    And through the Deceased Essence and Reaper Song talents, Rhode could extract and receive a massive amount of spiritual energy in a short period of time. The spiritual energy extracted could then be converted into the Soul Cores that would activate the Stone Constructs which concealed the undead attribute at the same time�� This could be said to kill two birds with one stone.


    So then, the next problem for Rhode was��


    Where should he go to produce the Soul Cores?

 Chapter 464 Hostile Forces

    "Phew��" Marlene returned to her usual calmness as she approached the end of the corridor and gazed out of the window to see the streets that were as lively as always.


    She shook her head while descending the stairs and was greeted by an aloof voice. "Good afternoon, Madam Marlene."


    "Ah�� Good afternoon��" Marlene turned around but as soon as she met the owner of the voice, she gaped blankly.


    Yes, it was Agatha. However, she seemed a little strange. The young lady was holding onto a rag and it seemed that she had been wiping the windows along the corridor. Moreover, the three tentacles at the Ocean Elf''s lower body were moving back and forth, sweeping the filthy dust on the floor while the slim tentacles on her hair were sorting out the paintings hung on the wall.


    "Is there anything that I can help you with?" Agatha turned around to Marlene''s gaze gracefully, at the same time passing the rag to another tentacle extending from below her skirt. Then, she folded her arms before her and bowed to Marlene in a flawless lady-like posture��excluding the strange features around her body, that was.


    "Ah, no, nothing. I was just strolling around��" Marlene gestured hurriedly.


    Undeniably, an ''admirable'' thought came to Marlene''s mind after she met Agatha in this form. Humans usually had the desire to have ''three heads and six arms'' as the saying goes and this Ocean Elf was the materialization of their desires. If she could be like Agatha, she could finish all her complicated tasks in half a day''s time.


    Marlene glanced over to the corridor behind Agatha curiously and she was pleasantly surprised.


    The dimly lit and dusty corridor that was neglected due to the lack of manpower had become sparkling clean while there wasn''t the slightest dirt present on every window. Furthermore, the floor beneath her feet was so clean that it was almost as reflective as a long stretch of mirror. In one night, the entire corridor had transformed entirely. Moreover, Marlene noticed that fresh branches and sea-green flowers were arranged on the shelves as decorations, which breathed much needed fresh air into this then-lifeless corridor.


    Previously, Marlene was dubious of the Ocean Elves'' abilities, but she trusted them entirely after seeing this. Even the maids in Royal Highness Lydia''s palace wouldn''t be this meticulous. "Thanks for your hard work, Miss Agatha."


    "This is the task Master has entrusted me with. This isn''t any hard work, Madam Marlene." This Ocean Elf spoke with an ice-cold, apathetic attitude which reminded Marlene of Rhode. Did this servant take up the characteristics of her summoner?


    "By the way, Madam Marlene. You haven''t eaten breakfast, right? I''ve arranged for breakfast to be served for you and��" Agatha paused meaningfully. Meanwhile, Marlene noticed that Agatha''s full head of slender tentacles seemed to have throbbed once as she spoke. "I''ve prepared warm water for your bath. You can clean yourself and relax your mind. If you don''t mind��"


    "�� Ah��" Marlene blushed and nodded hurriedly, unsure if she did that to conceal her fluster or to interrupt the Ocean Elf. "I''ll make my way there now. Thanks for your concern, Miss Agatha."


    "You''re welcome; it''s just my duty." With a plain and monotonous tone, the robot-like Ocean Elf was as though an actress without any slightest experience who had just recited her script. She bowed respectfully before turning around to continue with her chores. Surprisingly, her clear-cut cold attitude didn''t insult or infuriate Marlene at all. Instead, there was a strange loftiness to it�� It seemed that this Ocean Elf was really something else.


    Marlene gazed out of the window at this thought�� Come to think of it, Miss Canary and the mercenaries should be back soon.


    Light flashed.


    "��!" The pitch-black figure split into two and wailed painfully before exploding in a glaring radiance. As the figure collapsed to the ground as filthy dust, Joey sat on the ground miserably.


    "That''s the last." The young newbie Thief pulled himself up frantically to deal with the next Shadow Creature. However, he sat right back down to the ground after hearing the heavenly voice.


    "Phew�� I thought I was dead."


    "Yea, I know right��"


    The mercenaries beside him heaved a sigh of relief and most of them landed on their rear without a care for the filth and blood that splashed all over them. This training session was extremely dangerous for them and they didn''t expect the creatures at this distorted point to be this powerful. Due to this, Joey and his team of mercenaries felt tremendous pressure when they fought against the creatures.


    Of course, although the creatures were much stronger than they expected, the battles weren''t too life-threatening as it was still within an acceptable difficulty. However, this would delay their scheduled timing greatly.


    After the first few training battles to cultivate their confidence and individual skills, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum stopped giving them time limits to fulfill their tasks. Instead, they sent the mercenaries to assess the terrain, strengths, and weaknesses of the distorted points and the creatures. Once done, the mercenaries would need to come up with a perfect strategy and a time limit of their own and as long as they could complete the task within the time limit, there wouldn''t be any punishments.


    Although this naturally seemed to be the better choice, the punishment that the mercenaries would receive for exceeding the time limit was much more petrifying. Both Canary or Mini Bubble Gum possessed the strength of the Legendary Stage and it was never too difficult for them to leave any permanent mental scars to these pitiful mercenaries.


    After the battle began, the mercenaries were baffled to realize that they had miscalculated their enemies'' strength. They didn''t wish to get into the painful punishment that was worse than falling into hell due to their unlucky negligence. However, even so, these mercenaries had learned to maintain their calmness and adjust their pace and mentality swiftly after a series of strict training. Under Joey''s lead, the mercenaries fought against the Shadow Creatures steadily.


    However, as the time ticked closer and closer to its limit, their anxiousness increased drastically, especially after wasting so much time on the last Shadow Creature that was difficult to deal with. If it weren''t for Joey''s idea to get some mercenaries to attract its attention while he dealt a fatal blow to it from the back, perhaps these mercenaries would have to face the fears of the painful punishment even before they could sense the happiness of victory.


    "Well done," Canary said with her gentle smile as she walked out of the bushes. The mercenaries waved their hands to greet her, not forgetting to flirt with this beautiful, adorable, and powerful young Mage.


    "Yea, Madam Canary, it was so close�� If Captain Joey was a tad slower, I wouldn''t dare to think what will be coming for us next."


    "That''s right, that''s right. Phew�� It''s finally over�� I have never felt this nervous for a long time." These mercenaries knew that although Canary and Mini Bubble Gum''s rules were somewhat strict, they were practical for actual battles.


    Not only did their training sessions strengthen the mercenaries'' teamwork and battle capabilities, they had also learned to study the battlefield diligently. Moreover, they learned to estimate their enemies'' strength accurately and make adjustments on the spot to engage in battles. Furthermore, the mercenaries were baffled that even though Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were masters in casting spells, they understood the other classes inside-out, to which many of them, including Joey, heeded their advice. Their advice was simple and easy to understand even for those with slower learning capabilities. As a matter of fact, these mercenaries were flabbergasted that their strength had grown incredibly fast ever since joining Starlight. Without a doubt, a part of the credit must be given to the Sphere of Mystery. However, most of the improvements were thanks to Canary and Mini Bubble Gum''s customized training sessions and reminders. Under their guidance and according to the NPC levels in the game, these mercenaries had reached over level 35 and were working towards the Master Stage at level 40.


    However, even though their levels were higher than Rhode''s, it was impossible for them to defeat him even if they ganged up. This was the difference between players and aborigines. No matter how these aborigines trained, only a part of them could be guaranteed to reach the Master Stage. At this moment, Rhode had possessed two top swordsmanships of the Master Stage, even though in terms of levels, he was much lower than his men.


    Due to this reason, the mercenaries had adulated Canary and Mini Bubble Gum after spending so much time together. These two young ladies were top class masters to the mercenaries and they were astonished that these two powerful beings actually showed so much respect for Rhode despite their difference in levels. In turn, the mercenaries were more respectful and fearful towards Rhode.


    Without a doubt, the mercenaries fancied Canary more between the two. Even though Mini Bubble Gum was reliable in terms of healing as a Cleric, in terms of character, the mercenaries preferred the ever-smiling Canary who was much more likable than Mini Bubble Gum who would frequently hurl sarcasm at them. Although after spending a long time together, the mercenaries had also realized that Mini Bubble Gum was only hard on the outside but had a soft heart, it was still hard for them to lift their heads proudly after getting lectured by a little girl.


    This was especially true when Mini Bubble Gum''s statements were reasonable which embarrassed the mercenaries even further.


    "How was it, Madam Canary? We have passed, right?" As the team captain, Joey sprung up from the ground and scuttled to Canary energetically unlike the restless mercenaries. In response to Joey''s smile, Canary rubbed her chin and pondered for a while.


    "Hmm�� Strictly speaking, all of you were just lucky to barely clear this task. If the Shadow Creature held on a little stronger, perhaps you wouldn''t have made the cut. Moreover, this wasn''t the result of your specially designed attack and was basically just you taking a risk. Although you were lucky to win the gamble this time, you can''t always rely on luck to win battles."


    "I�� That��" Joey widened his mouth and mumbled gibberish while the other mercenaries anticipated Canary''s decision with pale expressions. They were clear of Canary''s style and strictly speaking, they were indeed lucky to be ''saved''. Will she really��


    "I have initially decided to send you guys into the pond filled with frogs and poisonous snakes to soak and calm your heads. After all, you can''t rely on luck in battles. But��" Canary winked cheekily and smiled at the mercenaries with gaping mouths. "There''s nothing wrong with relying on luck sometimes. I''ll let you guys pass this time," Canary said with a merciful tone.


    "Yes��!"


    "Thank god��!"


    The mercenaries heaved a long sigh of relief and cheered with punching fists in the air. Canary chuckled in response and turned her gaze into the woods pensively. However, she turned back without mentioning anything.


    After a period of precious rest, the mercenaries began to clean up the battlefield. Although the Shadow Creatures were just creatures made from distorted magical powers and would only leave a pile of magical dust without any weapons or equipment after dying, the mercenaries continued to pack the magical dust into their sacks carefully. This magical dust was an excellent experimental material for Lapis.


    At this moment, a mercenary on sentry duty on the perimeter rushed in frantically. He ran towards Canary with a pale expression and bowed before reporting. "R-Reporting, Madam Canary. We found a person in the northeast direction�� He is injured gravely and needs instant assistance!"


    "A person?" Canary twitched her brows. "Where? Bring us there."


    The mercenary turned around instantly while Canary and two other Clerics followed closely. At the same time, Canary informed Joey to wait for their return after cleaning up the battlefield.


    "How did you discover him?" asked Canary.


    "When Captain Joey and the others were about to end their battle, my comrade and I patrolled the area as per your instructions and found that injured man surrounded by a pack of jackals�� To be honest, he may not make it alive��" the mercenary explained.


    "Are you able to identify where he came from?" inquired Canary.


    "He�� shouldn''t be from the Country of Darkness. From his appearance, he seems to be a mercenary," the mercenary pointed out.


    Everyone passed through the woods and arrived at the hillside on the other side. This area was near the edge of the Country of Darkness and the clear division of the black and white skies was clearly visible as soon as they looked up. At this moment, the other mercenary guarding the injured man stood on his feet and waved towards Canary''s group hurriedly.


    From the man''s injuries, it seemed that he was involved in an intense battle and exhausted the last of his strength to escape to this place. Furthermore, there were some dark and semi-rotten wounds on his body. He lay helplessly on the grass patch while waiting for the arrival of the Grim Reaper to take his life.


    He seemed to be a mercenary based on his appearance, however Canary was sure that he definitely didn''t belong to Starlight.


    So, who exactly is he?

 Chapter 465 An Expedited Letter

    This mercenary was wounded gravely from head to toe. Apart from apparent blade gashes, there were also putrid, pitch-black blood permeating in rotten scars as the mercenary breathed faintly. The two Clerics observed with ashen expressions before casting healing spells to treat the mercenary while Canary examined the mercenary''s back hurriedly.


    As an experienced player and illusionary image, Canary knew who this man was. If gashes inflicted by a sword and the rotten flesh were the consequences of them not treated on time, those dark spots that emerged on his skin were proof that he was corroded by the Chaotic Forcefield. In this piece of land, there was only one area that was able to corrode anyone with its Chaotic Forcefield: the intersection point between the Light Dragon and Dark Dragon Souls.


    However, not anyone could come and go through that place.


    The style of the mercenary''s clothes didn''t seem to be made in the Country of Darkness. Therefore, this eliminated the possibility that he had escaped from the Country of Darkness. However, if he belonged to this side, he definitely didn''t need to cross over the intersection point at all. This was as illogical as one who chose to jump into the stinking ditch on the side of the road instead of walking on a flat pathway.


    "Any discovery?" Canary turned over to the mercenary that was sweeping the area for more evidence. As soon as the mercenary detected Canary''s gaze, he ran towards her swiftly before handing over the items that he had found.


    "Only these, Madam Canary," the mercenary pointed.


    "These are��" There was a badge, coin pouch, packs of herbs, and a sealed letter. Canary focused her attention on the crumpled, bloody letter made of thick kraft paper and sealed with red wax. Canary frowned as soon as she recognized the symbol on the wax seal.


    Double-swords Angels.


    It seems that things are looking bad.


    "Madam Canary, his injuries are too serious. We can''t save him!" The two exhausted Clerics lifted their head towards the young lady. Although they had cleared the toxins in the mercenary''s body with their healing spells, they couldn''t heal him, even with the best of their abilities. "I''m sorry, Madam Canary. We''ve tried our best, but we weren''t able to heal him��"


    "I understand. Please don''t blame yourselves; you two have done well." Canary kept the badge and letter before gazing at the injured mercenary. The mercenary had a flushed complexion, but even so, Canary could see that he was hanging on a thin thread. However, this was the best that Canary could do for him since she had brought only a couple of Clerics over for this training session. Moreover, judging from his injuries, these Clerics weren''t skillful enough to recover him fully��


    Come to think of it, Leader has returned to the Fortress��


    Canary''s eyes beamed with hope and spoke to her men. "You guys can go back now. I will bring this man back to the Fortress. Inform Joey to get ready to leave."


    "Yes, Madam Canary." Although the four mercenaries didn''t know why Canary gave such an order, they nodded eventually.


    Canary squatted down and placed her palm on his chest. Brilliant magical radiance and a teleportation ritual circle emerged instantly. In a blink of an eye, the two of them vanished entirely.


    When Rhode received the news from Marlene, it was only five minutes after Canary had vanished.


    "A mercenary that came from the intersection point?" Rhode widened his eyes as he gazed at the man groaning painfully.


    Agatha was circling the injured man with two nimble tentacles fluttering around his body while casting water type spells to disinfect and bandage his wounds. Rhode gazed at Canary before lowering his head and knitted his brows at the badge and letter. Rhode didn''t need to unseal the letter to guess who the receiver of this letter was. As for the badge, Rhode had a very bad feeling about it. He had seen this badge, with the symbol of a falcon with spread wings before. It belonged to the Cole Falcon Guild. However, unlike the Purple Lily, there were no common boundaries between the Paphield region and the Cole Falcon Guild''s territory. No matter what, there were no reason for them to step into Paphield. Furthermore, according to Canary, this man reached here through the intersection point�� Most importantly, Rhode knew who this man was.


    Rhode''s heart sank at this thought. "Marlene!"


    "Rhode? What''s wrong?" Marlene''s deep thoughts were disrupted and she was startled by Rhode''s sudden exclamation. She had spent a long time with Rhode and this was the first time that she heard him raising his voice. However, she didn''t question him foolishly. Instead, she turned to face Rhode and awaited his next instructions. "You have a way to make long-distance communications with the Senia Family, right?"


    "Of course, Rhode," Marlene answered as she subconsciously held onto the necklace around her neck.


    Rhode nodded in response and handed the letter to her. "I want you to send this letter to someone reliable in the Senia Family immediately and get them to send this letter to Royal Highness Lydia, now!"


    "Okay!!" Marlene nodded and ran out of the room instantly after taking over the letter.


    Meanwhile, Rhode turned his gaze to Lize on the other side of the room. "Lize, I want you to return to the stronghold using the Summon Gate and get Shauna, Kavos and Old Walker to see me immediately. Especially Old Walker; get him to prepare the intel that I asked him to gather. Get them all to see me, understand?"


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode. I''ll make my way there now." Lize nodded in acknowledgment and left the room, leaving Gillian twitching her ears. "Little Lize is gone now. What do we do with this half-dead fella?"


    "Don''t worry, I''ve found the right candidate��" Rhode said confidently.


    "Which half-dead fella do you need me to handle?" Before Rhode could finish his sentence, Mini Bubble Gum barged into the room.


    As soon as the little girl saw Rhode, she revealed an excited smile and scuttled towards him with her extended right fist. Rhode stretched his right fist in response and exchanged a fist bump with her. "Ah, Leader, welcome back. You actually cleared the Castel Plateau Ruins with those people. As expected of Leader; those brain-dead players couldn''t compare to you at all. What a pity, if this were in the game, I would definitely upload the video recording to aggravate those scums�� Come to think of it, which idiot hurt himself and needs me to take care of him?"


    Mini Bubble Gum finished speaking in rapid succession. Then, she turned her head towards the mercenary on the sickbed. "Who is this idiot? Why haven''t I seen him before?"


    "He is an important person that Canary brought back. I''m leaving him with you," said Rhode.


    "Big Sister? She really has bad taste. Why would she bring this man back?" Although Mini Bubble Gum grumbled, she stepped forward and extended her right palm quickly. Soon, a pure positive energy coalesced into a sphere of holy, white radiance. Then, she patted Viktor''s chest.


    White radiance enveloped the man''s body and in a blink of an eye, the dark spots on Viktor''s body vanished entirely as though they had been washed away by a violent storm. Meanwhile, the bloody gashes began to heal and close at lightning speed. In a few moments after the white radiance had dissipated, the seriously hurt patient was gone and replaced by a healthy human sleeping soundly.


    "Alright, he will wake up after a while," Mini Bubble Gum clapped her hands clean and backed off to Rhode''s side while Canary gazed at her with some hopelessness. "Bubble, how''s your team doing?"


    "Eh? Those guys were almost done when I received your message so I left them a note before coming back here�� Anyway, Randolf will contact me if there are any problems. No contact means no problems, so just leave them be. Big men like them still need a little child like me to look after them? Really?" Mini Bubble Gum replied complacently.


    Rhode puckered his brows at the symbol of the badge before him. Double-sword Angels, a letter for Royal Highness Lydia, the intersection point and the North�� Rhode recalled the conversation he had with Royal Highness Lydia during the Midsummer Festival and he felt that things seemed to be progressing towards the direction that he predicted.


    Damn it. I thought that I could spend more time leisurely��


    At this moment, Rhode heard a weak groan.


    "Argh��" Viktor struggled to open his eyes. He gazed at the snow-white ceiling in confusion and it seemed as though his head was in a chaotic mess. "I��"


    "You''re in the Land of Atonement, Mr. Viktor." Viktor quivered to Rhode''s voice and he sat up subconsciously to find Rhode''s group surrounding him.


    A look of doubt unveiled on the mercenary''s face while he felt a peace of mind. Then, he probed. "You are�� Mr. Rhode?"


    "That''s right. It seems that you haven''t lost your memories. Congratulations," Viktor caught the badge that Rhode tossed over and his expression was gloomy as he reached out to the side of his body. "Letter��"


    "I have asked Marlene to deliver the letter to Royal Highness Lydia through the Senia Family," said Rhode.


    "�� Have you read it?" Viktor asked sternly while trying to hold himself back.


    "No, but I can more or less guess the content," Rhode spoke as he stood before Viktor. He dragged out a chair and sat down while Viktor continued to gaze at Rhode with a complex expression. Rhode had no intentions of questioning Viktor and he waited for him to clear his mind. At the same time, Rhode explained the current situation simply. "Just now, my men found you around the intersection point and brought you back. Then, we discovered the letter that was sealed with Royal Highness Lydia''s seal and your guild badge. I acted on my own accord to pass the letter into Marlene''s care. This shouldn''t be a problem, right?"


    "Of course not," Viktor heaved a sigh of relief and a massive burden seemed to have been lifted off his mind. It seems that I made the right decision to risk it�� to hand this letter to Royal Highness Lydia. I have upheld the honor of the Cole Falcon Guild. But��


    "Now, I think you should explain the situation to me, Mr. Viktor." While Viktor was deep in thoughts, Rhode broke the silence. "You, as the leader of the Cole Falcon Guild, came to my Land of Atonement and was injured gravely�� There definitely must be a reason for it."


    "��" Viktor paused for a moment and shook his head. "I''m sincerely sorry for the trouble that I''ve caused, Mr. Rhode. But, all I can say is that our guild is currently carrying out a mission of top secrecy. So, I can''t reveal all the details��"


    "It''s related to Soraka Mountain, right?" Rhode said confidently and with a smirk.


    "��!" Although Viktor didn''t have any slight change in expression, the twitching at the corner of his mouth might have betrayed him. However, Viktor couldn''t understand why Rhode would ask him this question. Could it be that he was aware? That was impossible. This mission was assigned by the King''s Party and Viktor had been meticulous to prevent this news from leaking. Moreover, Viktor was an expert in intelligence gathering and information wasn''t this easily leaked from him. Only the core members of the Cole Falcon Guild knew about the Soraka Mountain Mission, so how did Rhode know about this? Did he read the letter��? This was unlikely. During the Midsummer Festival, it was apparent that this man was a supporter of Royal Highness Lydia. It was a serious offense to dismantle a letter that was meant for the King''s Party, so he wouldn''t do that. But, where exactly did he hear this information from?


    "�� I''m sorry, Mr. Rhode. I don''t know what you''re talking about." In the end, Viktor didn''t answer Rhode''s question.


    Rhode wasn''t too surprised as he expected that Viktor wouldn''t reveal anything to him. If the content of the letter was similar to the one that Rhode had remembered, soon, the Royal Highness would give him a satisfactory answer anyway.


    Rhode accepted Viktor''s noncooperation, but Mini Bubble Gum let out a snort. "Hmph, who do you think you are. If it wasn''t for Big Sister who discovered you and brought you back, you would have long been fed to the wild jackals. What are you trying to be secretive for? Anyway, all of us know that is it regarding those idiots from the Country of L-�� Urghh!"


    Canary cupped Mini Bubble Gum''s mouth swiftly and revealed an apologetic smile to Rhode and Viktor. Viktor gazed at the two ladies dubiously as Canary dragged Mini Bubble Gum out of the room. "Mr. Rhode, they��"


    "I know what you''re concerned about, Mr. Viktor," Rhode stood up as he spoke. " I don''t have any intention of making you tell the truth. But I think there will be a much more honest conversation between us soon. Before that, have a good rest."


    Rhode left the room while Gillian chuckled and followed her master closely.


    Viktor watched the door close and he didn''t speak a single word. His mind calmed down gradually, at the same time, considering the questions that he didn''t have the time to consider before. At this moment, an indifferent voice sounded beside him. "Mr. Viktor, please have a good rest. Also, please let me know if you need anything."


    "Ah, okay, thank you��" Viktor replied casually and he swept a glance at the owner of the voice. Then, he froze on the spot.

 Chapter 466 The Light Parliaments Scheme

    Rhode sat before his desk with his usual calmness while tossing about the letter as though he were bored to death. However, everyone who entered this room felt that there was an unusually tense atmosphere.


    Canary and Mini Bubble Gum sat by the side quietly. The former was focused on reading poetry while the latter was swaying her legs and admiring the scenery through the window. Like Rhode, both of them knew the developments of the current and future of the Munn Kingdom inside-out. But probably because Canary and Mini Bubble Gum weren''t actual humans at this point, they seemed to be disinterested in the fate of the war that was about to start on this continent. Of course, perhaps they chose to ignore this since they knew that they were helpless in these situations.


    Meanwhile, Lize sat down restlessly. She didn''t know why Rhode gathered everyone because of just a mercenary. Moreover, Rhode rarely revealed such tense emotions and she had seen the wax seal on the letter. No matter what, Lize was once the Princess of the King''s Party and she remembered the imprint distinctly.


    Lize concluded that this matter must have something to do with the King''s Party or Sister Lydia. However, there was nothing else to support her guesses.


    Shauna and Walker''s arrival broke the silence in the room. "Hey, Kid. You summoned me right after you came back. Can''t you respect your elders a little?" Old Walker entered the room in big strides and placed the thick layer of papers on the table with a bam. "This is what you wanted and I''ve filtered most of them out. To be frank, I don''t know what you are gonna do with these. But I can guarantee that these sources came from Shawn and my reliable network, so there are no problems at all."


    "Good," Rhode nodded before gesturing to Shauna and Marlene to enter the room and close the door. Rhode began to explain after the group settled down. "I guess everyone must be wondering why I''ve gathered you here. Also, I think you people are smart enough to know that something has happened�� As a matter of fact, there is indeed an emergency."


    "What is it?" Old Walker frowned while Rhode placed the letter on the table. It was a letter written on a fine, white paper and wrapped in a flawless envelope inlaid with golden outlines that formed an eye-catching badge on the surface.


    Double-sword Angels.


    "Just a while ago, we''ve received a mission from the King''s Party." Rhode picked up the letter. "And we, Starlight, are going to take over this mission."


    "We?" In an instant, one could cut the air with a knife. Lize held her hands firmly while staring at the letter in Rhode''s hand. Marlene''s brows twitched slightly while her head was filled with complicated thoughts. Meanwhile, Gillian, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum remained unconcerned. On the contrary, Old Walker and Shauna''s eyes sparkled with passionate radiance. As senior mercenaries, they knew that the King''s Party had become a strong supporter of Starlight since they had entrusted them with this mission. Although the King''s Party''s mission wouldn''t be recorded in the Mercenary Association''s books due to classified information, the guild would still receive huge remunerations in terms of wealth and political aid. The financially inferior Purple Lily and Cole Falcon were able to stand their ground against the Liberty Wings and Sky Sword all these years due to the political resources received from the King''s Party. If Rhode''s Starlight could receive equal treatment from the King''s Party, this would be extremely advantageous for Starlight.


    But one needed to work for it first because it wasn''t easy to gain the trust of the King''s Party�� Old Walker and Shauna gazed at Rhode with much more respect. After all, the King''s Party''s missions were usually top secrets and unless it was one''s trusted aide, one would never tell anyone. Therefore, both Walker and Shauna were more than content that Rhode was willing to let them in on this matter.


    This showed that their hard work had paid off.


    "Shauna." Rhode ignored their gazes and gave his orders. "We will leave the Fortress for the time being, so I hope you will manage the Stronghold on the other side well. Also, I heard that the Southerners are getting restless and this isn''t a good sign. You can seek help from Canary and Mini Bubble Gum if there''s anything wrong.


    "Yes, Sir Rhode." Shauna nodded while Rhode shifted his attention to Old Walker. "Mr. Walker, I need you to head out personally to gather intel in the borders between the Country of Light and the Munn Kingdom. I want to know what the Country of Light is up to all this while�� Remember, you need to report back to Canary immediately no matter what happens. You will take her instructions from then on; are there any issues with this?"


    "The borders between the Country of Light and the Munn Kingdom? This is a huge project, Kid." Old Walker pondered for a moment. He lifted his head and gazed at Rhode sharply before shifting his attention on Canary. Then, the old man squinted his eyes and stood up. "Alright, is that all? I''ll head off now and as long as you are not afraid of being crushed to death by all the lies and slanders, I don''t have anything to be worried about."


    Old Walker patted Shauna''s shoulder as he spoke. "There''s nothing left for us now; let''s go."


    "Alright, Mr. Walker," Shauna stood up and bowed towards Rhode respectfully before leaving the room.


    Rhode paused for a few moments and turned his gaze towards the remaining people.


    "The next matter will be about the mission content." Rhode pointed to the letter and knitted his brows. "This mission will be very troublesome and I will bring forth all my trustworthy aides: in other words, Marlene, Anne, and Lize. All of you must be prepared to head into Soraka Mountain with me."


    "What about the Fortress?" Marlene asked anxiously as she was worried that the operations of the Fortress would be in chaos if both Rhode and herself weren''t present to oversee it. However, even so, Marlene sensed that this mission must be unusual because Rhode didn''t bring her along for the 5 Star Mission previously. Could it be that the enemies this time were much tougher?


    "Leave the Fortress in Canary''s hands for the time being. She was once��" Rhode paused and gazed at the young lady who was immersed in reading. Sensing Rhode''s gaze, Canary lifted her head and smiled gently in response while nodding. "�� my adjutant and she is capable of managing it."


    "��" Marlene felt a tug at her heartstrings as she gazed at Canary while biting her lips subconsciously. At the same time, an unusually complicated emotion filled with frustration, hesitation, pain, joy, and guilt hit her hard. Marlene knew about Canary''s past and because of this, she felt exceptionally conflicted after hearing Rhode''s words. After all, no matter what, Canary and Rhode seemed much more suitable as a couple. Canary was beautiful, gentle, and extremely likable and even though she didn''t have an illustrious family background, she possessed much more strength than Marlene. Judging from Canary''s behavior, it seemed that she fancied Rhode a lot too. Furthermore, Rhode''s words suggested that Canary had once stood by his side and assisted him greatly. But it was a pity that this young lady was only an illusion of her soul.


    But this was also something worth being happy about��


    Marlene shuddered. "I understand, Rhode. I will hand over the operations of the Fortress to Miss Canary after the preparations are done. But�� where are we heading for this mission?"


    "Soraka Mountain," replied Rhode.


    "Soraka?!" Marlene stood on her feet and a look of astonishment was displayed on her face. Lize observed her reactions and asked with uncertainty. "Marlene, what kind of place is Soraka Mountain? Do you know?"


    "Of course I know��" Marlene nodded and calmed herself down before explaining to Lize. "Soraka Mountain is located on a rare, stable point in the intersection between the Country of Darkness and Country of Light. That place has an abundance of minerals and is filled with magical crystal minerals. The Country of Darkness and Country of Light once broke out in a long war over it and later on, as both sides got into a deadlock, they decided to stop the war after days of negotiations. The Soraka Mountain was then entrusted to the faithful followers of the Light Dragon and at the same time, put into the safekeeping of the Munn Kingdom that maintained a good relationship with the Country of Darkness. Of course, even though the Munn Kingdom was there to safekeep the place, they were only monitoring from the sides. Therefore, both sides decided that Soraka Mountain would be preserved in the form of an independent dominion. Due to this, Soraka Mountain manages to survive between the Country of Darkness and Country of Light�� Moreover, armies and officials of both countries can''t enter Soraka Mountain territory without prior notice because it would be seen by the other side as the annexation of Soraka Mountain."


    Marlene paused and turned her gaze towards Rhode with knitted brows. "Since the King''s Party ordered us to carry out a mission in Soraka Mountain, that would mean��"


    "Yes, there are signs of unrest in Soraka Mountain." Rhode nodded slightly, at the same time knocking on the letter that was on the table. "Royal Highness Lydia has explained the ongoings in this letter. Rumor has it that some people in Soraka Mountain tried to seek protection from the Dark Dragon. Therefore, Royal Highness Lydia demands an investigation and she entrusted Viktor and his Cole Falcon Guild with it."


    Initially, Rhode was dissatisfied that Royal Highness Lydia didn''t choose him for this mission. However, come to think of it, it went without saying that the ruler would trust their closest followers rather than a new strength that had just joined them. Furthermore, it was regarding the important Soraka Mountain and there was no room for mistakes.


    "According to Mr. Viktor''s investigations, there was indeed a group of people seeking protection from the Dark Dragon and they tried to put forward this proposal in the parliament of Soraka Mountain. Also, according to the treaty, the proposal will be officially effective once two-thirds of the parliament members approve it. The Chairman of the parliament is a steady and conservative person; therefore, his powerful influences have given this proposal difficulties in obtaining approvals. Coincidentally, the Chairman and his group of members encountered a raid just a few days ago," Rhode paused for a moment. "A raid from the Country of Light."


    "What?!" Lize and Anne exclaimed in shock while Marlene''s expression sunk. "Anne doesn''t understand�� Didn''t that Chairman prevent the entirety of Soraka Mountain from relying on the Country of Darkness? So why did the people from the Country of Light ambush them instead?"


    "Because this is beneficial to the Country of Light," Rhode shrugged his shoulders. "A long time ago, the treaty that both sides signed stated that Soraka Mountain must remain neutral. Once the Soraka Mountain Parliament decides to seek protection from the Country of Darkness, it will mean that they have violated the treaty. As a result, the bunch of idiots from the Country of Light Parliament will then be able to attack Soraka Mountain and snatch their mouthwatering meal ''rightfully''."


    "B-But��" Lize stuttered in panic. Although she was a princess, she had separated herself from politics and lived as an ordinary mercenary for a long time. For her to be involved in this complicated political conflict that might escalate into a war was too much. "Since Soraka Mountain sought protection from the Country of Darkness, wouldn''t the Country of Darkness protect them even if the Country of Light were to attack? In the end, both sides will start a comprehensive war�� Haven''t they thought of this?"


    "They have definitely thought of this, but they insisted to do so," Rhode picked up the intel that Old Walker had left on the table. "Next year will be an election year for the Country of Light Parliament. All this while, frequent problems emerging in the Country of Light have weakened their nation''s power to a point that they have to rely on Royal Highness Lydia of the Munn Kingdom to support them financially. Furthermore, there was the Trade Route incident that affected them considerably even though it was resolved in the end. As a result, the Country of Light''s Parliament Chairman''s reputation has declined greatly and his chances of continuing in office are very slim. If the news of Soraka Mountain seeking protection from the Country of Darkness leaks, he still stands a chance to regain his citizens'' trust by toughening out his stance over it. Soraka Mountain contains an abundance of crystal minerals and it will, in turn, resolve the Country of Light''s financial problems. Moreover, the new heir to the Country of Darkness has only stepped in for a few years and the Country of Light Parliament is confident that the new heir lacks the guts to take drastic actions against them. Back then, the signing of the treaty for Soraka Mountain between the Country of Darkness and Country of Light was done under the attention of the Judgement & Ruling Twin Dragons. Therefore, during times of necessity, the Country of Light Parliament can use the Country of Law as a trump card to establish their legitimacy."


    Although this might appear only a possibility to the ordinary person, Rhode was sure that the Country of Light''s Parliament plotted the scheme to use Soraka Mountain as the point of penetration. However, the Country of Light''s Parliament didn''t expect that the situation would develop towards a different direction entirely. On the contrary, it opened a pressure valve for the Country of Darkness that was trying to balance the old and new forces within its country. Thereafter, the Country of Law sunk into a strange silence and they didn''t emerge to uphold justice as the Country of Light''s Parliament had anticipated. In the end, the Country of Light''s Parliament''s intentions in using Soraka Mountain to ensure its political status and also crack down on the Country of Darkness and the Munn Kingdom turned into a silly scheme. As a result, the Country of Darkness dominated and the Country of Light even gave their Light Dragon Soul to their enemy�� It was rare to see humans this dumb, or perhaps, it was rare for one to even be brainwashed or self-hypnotized to this point.


    "So then, our mission is to��" Marlene questioned anxiously.


    "Fortunately, the Country of Light''s soldiers that ambushed the Chairman''s group didn''t reveal their identities. On the other hand, Viktor''s group seized the opportunity to protect the Chairman''s group. But, even so, they are still in grave trouble. Royal Highness Lydia has ordered us to rescue the Chairman''s group that is trapped in Soraka Mountain and escort them back before the Soraka Mountain Parliament begins," explained Rhode.

 Chapter 467 A Bewildering Situation

    "The situation in Soraka Mountain is far from good." Viktor could no longer remain silent. Although he didn''t trust Rhode''s group fully, he could only oblige since the King''s Party had given the order. Viktor explained to Rhode the details of the current situation as soon as Rhode displayed the letter from the King''s Party.


    Viktor had brought his trusted men into Soraka Mountain after receiving the King''s Party''s order and investigated the situation. Viktor contacted the Chairman of the Soraka Mountain Parliament and gained his trust to protect him and his members. Viktor''s group was responsible for guarding the surroundings since they would only be staying in Soraka Mountain for a short period of time. However, this was more than enough for Viktor.


    The Cole Falcon Guild survived on intelligence. After receiving the right to enter the Soraka Mountain Parliament, Viktor''s group inquired and found out the unstable factors in the parliament. Meanwhile, the Chairman and his members went out on a mine exploration and were raided. Fortunately, Viktor was well prepared for this and managed to rescue the Chairman''s group. However, even so, the battle left the Chairman''s group with injuries. The enemies encircled Viktor''s group from all directions and blocked their paths towards the Soraka Mountain City. Even though Viktor was powerful, those masked enemies were no weaklings either. Viktor''s group exchanged blows with them and some lost their lives. In the end, Viktor had no choice but to flee after failing to break through several times. Meanwhile, Viktor found out from his men who hid in Soraka Mountain that due to the Chairman''s disappearance, the factions that leaned towards the Country of Darkness began to move. They took over the defenses and guards of the entire mountain and attempted to hold a parliament meeting without the Chairman. Judging from their methodical actions, this plan had been premeditated for a long time.


    Viktor and his men faced difficulties in fighting off the mysterious guards and protecting the Chairman''s group. Moreover, the current situation exceeded the scope that his guild could resolve. The guards'' encirclement shrunk towards Viktor''s group and out of desperation, Viktor broke through the ''intersection point'' and returned to the Munn Kingdom to report to Royal Highness Lydia.


    Got to say, Viktor was a determined and courageous person because it was clearly impossible to breakthrough the intersection point and return to civilization if he wasn''t powerful enough. As a matter of fact, he almost lost his life.


    "But since the enemies didn''t reveal their identities, how did you know that they were sent by the Country of Light?" Rhode asked with puckered brows while Viktor displayed a bitter smile and shrugged.


    "I knew you were going to ask me this question, Mr. Rhode. That''s right, I didn''t recognize those guys through any badges, appearances, or accents. In fact, those guys were extremely cunning. They were no different from bandits on the outside and we have searched one of their corpses and didn''t find any items that indicated their background. It is apparent that they were well prepared for this raid, but fortunately, I ambushed and injured their commander. At that moment, I recognized an unusually familiar scar��" Viktor revealed a content smile. "That scar was left by my sword skill��Double Fangs. There is only one person with such a scar on that part of his body and that is Belmond Stemis from the Country of Light''s Secret Special Forces. Then, I probed a couple more times and I confirmed that he was indeed Belmond and the mysterious men were members of the Special Forces."


    "I see. So then, Mr. Viktor, how did you get to know Belmond?" Rhode didn''t trust Viktor entirely. Rhode had heard of Belmond and he recalled that in the game, Belmond was indeed a miniature BOSS from the Country of Light. However, as a citizen of the Munn Kingdom, how did Viktor get acquainted with a member like Belmond from the Secret Special Forces?


    "That was years back when I got wind of the Country of Light sending men to my Cole Plateau to wreak havoc. I traced my investigations to Belmond, but he fled immediately after realizing the unfavorable situation. I gave chase and got into a fierce battle with him. However, even though I injured him badly, he still managed to escape," Viktor shook his head and sighed. "That was a hard fight for me too, and I was lucky to deal a fatal blow to him before he escaped. I remember the scar clearly because if I can travel back in time to repeat the entire fight, perhaps I wouldn''t be able to accomplish it that well." Rhode nodded as he empathized with Viktor''s feelings. Indeed, amongst the players, there were also occasional ''miracles'' in battles. For instance, there was an average player that exhibited godlike abilities through a freak combination of factors and annihilated the merciless BOSS by himself while his team watched with gawking eyes. Rhode watched the uploaded raid video and witnessed the player''s smooth movements and flawless attacks. However, that player never succeeded in replicating his run no matter how many times he tried afterward.


    It was so memorable because it was so difficult to achieve��Viktor''s reason was relatively reasonable.


    If this was the case, Rhode felt reassured. If Viktor recognized the background of the masked men through their orders and badges, the Chairman would definitely realize it too and his attitude towards the Country of Light would be obvious. No one was willing to be friendly towards a person who held a knife against their neck. If this was the case, even if Rhode rescued the Chairman, he couldn''t prevent the fate of Soraka Mountain leaning towards the Country of Darkness. Therefore, Rhode was better off killing the Chairman and using the chance to find someone obedient and sensible instead.


    Viktor was also aware of this, which was why he elaborated further while he was explaining to Rhode.


    "But, I don''t understand��" Lize mumbled. "Why would the people of Soraka Mountain lean towards the Country of Darkness? I''ve heard from Marlene that majority of Soraka Mountain is filled with humans. As for the Country of Darkness��" It was apparent what Lize was trying to convey even though she didn''t complete her sentence. Indeed, the Country of Darkness was full of undead creatures and there would definitely be conflicts between humans and the dead. Therefore, why would the people of Soraka Mountain do the exact opposite and seek assistance from undead creatures that were hidden in eternal darkness? Didn''t they have dignity and pride as humans and fear towards the undead and darkness?


    "This isn''t strange," Rhode gave a half shrug. "Actually, Soraka Mountain has been neutral in their stance and Lize, thoughts like yours are the main source of the problem."


    "Huh? My thoughts?" Lize widened her eyes and gazed at Rhode curiously.


    "There are no problems with your opinion and this is the biggest problem. The source of magical crystal minerals in Soraka Mountain makes them attractive for different parties to engage in trades. Of course, bargaining is unavoidable in such commercial transactions. However, the arrogant merchants from the Country of Light didn''t see it this way because to them, the majority of Soraka Mountain is filled with vivid human lives. After all, the merchants are also humans and they shouldn''t trade minerals with those evil undead creatures. Due to this, the merchants lowered the prices tremendously and frequently. Meanwhile, they would often propose some relatively demanding conditions which were unacceptable for Soraka Mountain. As a result, the people of Soraka Mountain proceeded to trade with the Country of Darkness. Perhaps the Country of Darkness had a clear understanding of their position, so they didn''t propose irrational prices that came with demanding conditions and bargained only within the reasonable range. Furthermore, since it was purely commercial transactions, it was fine to trade with the party that could give them the most lucrative profits. However, the Country of Light''s merchants accused Soraka Mountain''s people of coveting money and surrendering to the intimidation of those disgusting undead creatures due to fear of darkness and evil��" Rhode let out a snort.


    "Most likely, the bunch of idiot merchants was hoping to use this trade factor to apply pressure on Soraka Mountain, which proved to be somewhat effective. The idiots from the Country of Light went overboard after experiencing the sweet taste of success when they pulled similar tricks subsequently that infuriated the citizens of Soraka Mountain. The trade volume between Soraka Mountain and Country of Light declined while the Country of Darkness''s increased. Thereafter, the Country of Light''s merchants insulted Soraka Mountain on various occasions for their own injustice as they believed that they had suffered unfair treatment. If the citizens of Soraka Mountain didn''t capitulate under the undead creatures'' tyrannical abuse, why would they purposely decrease the trade volume with the Country of Light''s merchants? The Country of Light''s Parliament held a meeting with the Soraka Mountain Parliament after listening to the cries and complaints of their merchants. In the end, a new regulation was set that Soraka Mountain must export magical crystal minerals to the Country of Light with the lowest trade quota and price, which appeased the merchants to a certain extent. However, due to this, there were more dissatisfied citizens in Soraka Mountain and they attempted to seek protection from the Country of Darkness, which is a natural behavior," explained Rhode further.


    Lize sighed with a complex expression. She indeed had such thoughts, but she became somewhat confused after hearing Rhode''s explanations. "But�� How did the Country of Light''s army enter Soraka Mountain?"


    Marlene glanced at Lize and patted her shoulder lightly. "Perhaps like Viktor''s group, where they were treated as mercenaries."


    Rhode had no doubts about this. " Soraka Mountain is located in the intersection between the sky guarded by the Dark and Light Dragon souls, where numerous monsters emerge endlessly. In order to prevent loss of unnecessary strength to these monsters, Soraka Mountain has been hiring mercenaries to resolve the chaos and disorder. Therefore, entering Soraka Mountain while pretending to be hired mercenaries would be less pressurizing even though they can''t get close to the city."


    Rhode puckered his brows and began to ponder. It wasn''t strange that people from the Country of Light would appear in Soraka Mountain. According to Viktor, the only problem was that these people apparently had shenanigans with those parliament members that leaned towards the Country of Darkness and it was unknown if the parliament members approached the people of the Country of Light or the Country of Light took the initiative in proposing this scheme. Either way, Rhode felt the same.


    The parliament meeting in Soraka Mountain was nearing. Rhode felt that the success rate of completing this mission was rather high since the meeting would need time to gather all the parliament members and could only begin after a certain procedure. But�� "Mr. Viktor, how are your men doing now?"


    "I''ve gotten my adjutant Vincent to evacuate the others and the Chairman''s group. They are currently situated in a cave on a high cliff. The cave is surrounded by terrifying creatures but they''re safe for the time being. Also, our supplies can last up to ten days," explained Viktor.


    "How long did you take to reach here from Soraka Mountain?" Rhode questioned as he rubbed his chin.


    "Hmm��" Viktor calculated mentally. "I''ve been escaping non-stop for about two days."


    "Good," Rhode nodded after hearing the answer he desired. He turned around and gazed at Marlene. "Marlene, inform Randolf and Joey to ready their teams to move out. Also, get Lapis to provide 50 bottles of Protection Potion�� We''ll head out first thing in the morning tomorrow."


    "Got it, Rhode." Marlene nodded in acknowledgment and left the room.


    Meanwhile, Viktor revealed a smile. "To be frank, Mr. Rhode, I''m really envious that you have such wonderful assistants. If possible, I would like to exchange mine with yours."


    "I won''t exchange any of them even if you offer me a mountain of gold. They''re my assistants and not equipment for exchange," Rhode answered plainly while Viktor burst into laughter.


    "Hahaha�� I''m just kidding, Mr. Rhode�� But I have a question that I hope you can answer me seriously."


    "Hmm? What is it?" asked Rhode curiously as he twitched his brows.


    "Just now�� the thing that was taking care of me�� its body was filled with�� erm�� what exactly was it?" Viktor asked curiously with a shaky voice.

 Chapter 468 A Step to Strike Back

    The scarlet wine rippled in the wine glass under the shine of the magical crystal. Zieg Alanic sat comfortably on the chair in his straight tuxedo. His neatly combed hair was as meticulous as his personality. His confident face and dusky eyes gazed at the wine glass in his hand as though entering a meditative state.


    There wasn''t much peace on the outside. Although a few days had passed, there were still flares, sword clashes, and swear words every now and then. Everything would turn silent�� And after a few moments, it would repeat itself.


    Zieg gazed at his wine glass while a half-naked and delicate woman leaning on him shuddering. A few moments before, she was trying to have an intimate contact with this handsome man. However, the bloody corpse of her companion by her feet warned her that it wasn''t a smart choice. But it was too late. She tried her best to refill his wineglass with trembling hands, at the same time gazing at the terrifying man before her.


    The wooden doors swung open and broke the strange silence in the room.


    "Damn it!" A man with a burly stature covered with hide from top to bottom entered the room. He undressed his raincoat and shook off the raindrops before sitting on a chair beside Zieg. At the same time, he kicked the stiff corpse away and snatched over the wine on Zieg''s hand to finish it in one go. "Woah, this feels great and there''s no difference from the hell on the outside. Those idiots told me they were capable of managing the place but it is still so chaotic after such a long time. Those city guards couldn''t even handle this situation and those idiots dared to assure me that everything is under their control? My *ss! Do they think that I''m blind or deaf?"


    "How''s the situation?" Zieg tapped his finger on the table after ignoring the man''s blabbers.


    The man let out a snort and spread out both hands. "It''s not looking good, Young Master. Those bastards chose the right place because we tried to attack but we couldn''t get our hands on them. Instead, we even lost a few of our men. But luckily, we have surrounded them entirely and it will be as hard as scaling the heavens for them to escape. Thanks to these bastards, no one has suspected our operations. But I think that this isn''t the solution because we don''t know what are those bunch of filthy undead creatures are thinking. Besides, we clearly threw a bait but it wasn''t taken by them. This is too strange�� Should I investigate once more?"


    "There''s no need to," Zieg stood on his feet and picked up the pitch-black cloak and top hat from the rack handily to complete his rigorous outfit. His hands iswiped through every inch of his tuxedo and pants. "There''s no time left before the start of the parliament meeting. All we need is time and as long as there''s enough time�� Delay them, and if you can''t kill them, at least you should prevent them from making it back in time. No matter what or how you do it, remember, I only wish that this parliament meeting will commence, proceed, and end peacefully like the other meetings that we have been holding. Understand?"


    "Don''t worry, Young Master. Leave it to me." The man nodded while Zieg tidied his hat and cloak before opening the door. An old butler with an umbrella in hand stood before his young master.


    "Don''t let down my trust in you. By the way, get rid of that junk," said Zeig before he left the room.


    The wooden door closed and the man sneered mischievously as he stripped his clothes off before the shuddering and ashen young lady. He gazed at his prey viciously while licking his lips.


    What a nice meal this is gonna be��


    The rain continued to fall and it had gotten heavier.


    Rhode stood above a pile of rocks while rainwater flowed down his cloak. He gazed at the black silhouette of the hill in a distance while another figure emerged by his side.


    "Mr. Rhode, I''m sure they''re up there," Viktor fiddled with a stone in his hand that was engraved with a clear triangular imprint. The traces seemed to be from less than a day ago, to which Viktor heaved a sigh of relief. However, he lifted his head towards Rhode with complicated emotions.


    It wasn''t difficult to arrive at Soraka Mountain through the intersection point. As a matter of fact, there wasn''t even one centimeter between both locations on the map. But there was this terrifying sensation where all kinds of monsters were lurking and ready to kill you. Furthermore, their appearances didn''t tell anything about their weaknesses. Moreover, there was also the unbearable, chaotic forcefield due to the conflict between the Dragon Souls. In fact, one who entered the intersection point would feel as though one was squeezed and deformed between two steel plates and the pain could make him crumble. Moreover, this wasn''t an illusion at all and it felt as though a virus was corroding your body. making you unconscious. The worst case scenario could even make one insane and commit suicide.


    Due to this, the path towards the intersection point wasn''t as easy as it seemed to the eyes. In theory, it would require about one to one and a half days to complete the journey through the intersection point. Even a guild leader and a powerful swordsman like Viktor could remember the nightmare that scarred him even though he ran non-stop for two nights. Viktor strongly believed that he would never forget this experience. However, he had to brace himself to lead Rhode''s group back for the sake of his men and complete this mission.


    But the truth was totally different from what Viktor had thought.


    Although Viktor was mentally prepared for another torture, Rhode''s behavior made him feel that his fears were all pointless. At the edge of the intersection point, Rhode ordered everyone to consume the potions that he retrieved from his Spatial Bag. Even though this potion had a repugnant smell, its effects were obviously helpful. Viktor stepped into the intersection point fearfully but he could no longer feel the painful influences of the conflicts between the Dragon Souls. Instead, the vortex of power that once made him felt like a trembling rag had turned into a gentle, harmless breeze. Rhode''s mercenaries who entered the intersection point reacted completely opposite of what Viktor had expected. On the contrary, they lined up in an orderly circle and didn''t act like country bumpkins who rushed in to attack the strange monsters that they discovered. Anne brandished her shield and opened the path for everyone. The well-equipped Thieves sneaked closely while vigilantly watching all directions. Marlene instantly cast a defense wall whenever an enemy appeared while the archers would fire rounds and rounds of arrows at the unwelcome guests under Randolf''s command. Then, the Thieves would quietly deal the final blow to their enemies before continuing to move forward without any intention of pursuing the retreating enemies or eradicating them.


    The whole process was as smooth as an industrial assembly line.


    Viktor was astonished even though he was clear of Rhode''s abilities. However, the capabilities of a leader and his men weren''t necessarily proportional. This was especially so for Rhode who had established his guild for only a few months. Viktor was concerned about Rhode sending unsuitable men for the mission, but he realized that these mercenaries were far more impressive than he had imagined. They weren''t as clumsy and inexperienced. Instead, they performed in an organized and disciplined manner with rich combat experience that complemented each other. According to Viktor''s observations, these mercenaries were more powerful than the elites of his Cole Falcon Guild.


    How is this possible? Where exactly did this young man come from?


    Viktor had never thought that mercenaries recruited for only a few months would be able to perform as though they had been together for several years. Besides, they were this familiar with the intersection point�� Viktor couldn''t help but suspect that Rhode had been doing something illegal. For instance, passing through the intersection point to engage in smuggling transactions with the Country of Darkness�� If not, why were his men so familiar with this place?


    Of course, now wasn''t the time for jokes.


    Joey returned to Rhode''s side by running across the smooth, wet rocks agilely without any pauses. It seemed that he had gained a lot in the battle training. "Boss, my men have finished their investigations. Those guys seem to be around the bottom and halfway up the mountain. There are about 60 of them including sentries at the mountain junction. We have limited manpower so we couldn''t continue our observation. But it seems that that''s about all for their strength."


    "Good." Rhode nodded in acknowledgment. He gazed at the nearby mountain before him that was shrouded in fog. "Mr. Viktor, what do you think?"


    "Either we can sneak our way up the mountain to catch them off guard and escort the Chairman''s group back to the city or we can raid them to attract their attention. Then, my men can act together with yours and deal them a painful blow. This way, the enemy''s encirclement will scatter and it will be much easier for us to proceed," explained Viktor.


    "Good idea, Mr. Viktor," Rhode nodded. "But your method is rather risky. Mr. Viktor, you mentioned that these guys have a close relationship with the current group of people in the city who are trying to seize the power of the parliament. So, if we start a frontal battle now, they would most likely alert their companions in the city and we will be in trouble��"


    "Do you have a solution, Mr. Rhode?" Viktor nodded. In fact, he was worried about this problem too. However, he had no choice but to suggest this plan because Rhode brought along 30 men only while Viktor had about a dozen men left with the Chairman''s group. They would definitely lose in the number game, but��


    "Kill them all," replied Rhode firmly.


    "Eh?" If it weren''t for the loud downpour, Viktor would have thought that he had misheard Rhode''s words. He gazed at Rhode while Rhode continued his sentence. "Although Mr. Viktor''s idea is good, I think a better choice would be to raid them directly, attract their attention, and wipe them all out at once. We only have two days before the parliament meeting begins and we have no time to waste on playing hide and seek. We have to raid and annihilate them before they can even alert those in the city��"


    Rhode glanced towards his left at the uneven mountains that were covered in shadows, blocking his vision. Soraka Mountain City was located just behind the mountains and although the mountains were usually huge obstacles for Rhode, they became the best barriers in this instance.


    "It''s a good opportunity tonight�� The storm is strong and it makes it easier for us��" Rhode paused. "Mr. Viktor, this is my plan. In a while, both of us will meet up with your men in their hidden location. Then, we need to try and force a breakout. This way, we can gather most of the enemies'' strength and as long as we handle it well, we shouldn''t have a big problem wiping them all out. What do you think?"


    Viktor pondered for a few moments. Got to say, this indeed was a good solution. However, Viktor was concerned about manpower issues so he didn''t mention it beforehand. Now that Rhode had suggested it�� Was he really that confident with his men?


    Viktor wasn''t aware that the reason why Rhode suggested this wasn''t just to prevent the city from facing problems. Instead, Rhode knew better than anyone else what the Country of Light was up to. Even if Rhode couldn''t exterminate them entirely, it was hard to guarantee that these guys would put up a life and death struggle and come up with anything that could incite conflicts. In order to avoid the possibility of driving them into taking desperate actions, Rhode wished to eliminate their strength as much as possible. As long as Rhode could cut off their limbs, it would be meaningless for the Country of Light no matter how devious their minds were.


    "No problem, I agree." Viktor nodded because he had no other choice other than to believe in Rhode and his men.


    "Good." The corners of Rhode''s mouth twitched. He turned over and instructed Joey softly. Soon, the young Thief disappeared into the rain while Rhode donned a black mask he retrieved from the inside of his cloak. "Alright then, let''s go, Mr. Viktor."

 Chapter 469 Murder in the Rain

    The powerful storm was roaring.


    For Felwood, this definitely wasn''t a good day to set up an encirclement.


    The pitch-dark night sky hindered them from lighting their torches as they feared that those bastards would fire arrows towards them from above. There was no sound apart from the pitter-pattering of the heavy downpour and there was nothing recognizable other than the outline of the dark clouds. Felwood was worried if the bunch of runaways had escaped successfully. However, it was most likely that those runaways would have fallen to their deaths even before they were killed by Felwood''s men.


    "Damn it��" Felwood grumbled as he pressed his ear against the wet ground to hear for any slightest, rhythmic sound. Those runaways could try to escape from them, but Felwood''s group was filled with the sharp, experienced elites of the Country of Light Parliament. Felwood knew how important this mission was and if he succeeded, he could break away from his predicament and hide in a warm, comfortable room like that old bastard, Worchester. Worchester was drinking and hugging women leisurely while commanding Felwood to lay flat on the ground between the rocks and dead wood. "Enjoy what you have and only heavens know whether you will get your retribution," Felwood grunted once more.


    Suddenly, an inaudible wind blew in Felwood''s face and left him quivering. He squinted and scanned all around him cautiously but there was nothing out of the ordinary. He gripped the pendant hanging before his chest and in an instant, the pitch-black surroundings lit up as though the afternoon sun had emerged. Every inch of grass, wood, and sand appeared distinctly before him. He gazed at the hill, but there were no creatures roaming about.


    It must have been my hallucination.


    At this moment, yet another cold wind blew in Felwood''s face. He touched his cheek while releasing the pendant from his palm. Soon, the scenery before his eyes returned to its usual darkness and the man pressed his ear against the ground once more.


    Rhode stopped moving.


    He gazed from above and the vivid lives were as glaring as the signals reflected off an infrared detector. They were scattered on a hillside near their targets like scorpions lurking in the cracks between rocks and waiting for their prey.


    Parliament''s lackey.


    Rhode recalled the scenes from when he confronted the Country of Light''s Parliament in the game. His group had often faced sneak attacks from those bastards after they cleared numerous dungeons. As a result, Rhode was experienced in sneaking through their surveillance network. He turned around and disappeared into the shadows. In the next moment, he emerged above another boulder and at the same time, he secretly escaped the search of another man.


    If it weren''t for the storm and pitch-black night sky, perhaps he wouldn''t have snuck in so easily.


    Rhode dashed ahead like shredded pieces of paper fluttering against the strong winds and arrived at the entrance of a pitch-black cave. In the blink of an eye, Rhode blended into the dark cave silently.


    "Phew��" Rhode leaned against the rock wall and caught his breath. As he was wiping the rainwater on his mask, Viktor staggered into the cave in black clothes that blended him into one with the storm.


    Rhode swept a glance at the tiny, dim gemstone sculpture hanging before Viktor''s chest.


    "Wow, I didn''t expect you to be faster than me," said Viktor in amazement.


    "You''re rather fast too." Rhode nodded in response. Viktor realized that this wasn''t a suitable time for a leisurely chat. He picked up a stone from the ground and struck the wall several times. Grk grk grk. Crisp, rhythmic sound transmitted along the cave walls. After a while, soft echoes resounded.


    "Alright, everything is fine," Viktor heaved a sigh of relief before beckoning for Rhode.


    Viktor lit up the cave with a dull magical radiance in his hand. The completely natural cave had stalactites hanging high above and pathed with corroded rocks. However, there were also man-made, dangerous metallic materials hidden among the rocks.


    The duo took a short ten minutes and arrived at the end of the cave. Unlike the pitch-dark night sky, the blazing bonfire brightened a ten meters squared area. Mercenaries in full armor held on to their weapons as they sat around the bonfire while watching the cave exit attentively. All of them heaved sighs of relief after witnessing Viktor''s arrival. They exchanged glances and put down their weapons. Then, a man clad in a Thief attire stood up and greeted Viktor. "Phew, Boss, you are finally back. We are so worried about you��" The man paused and frowned upon realizing that Rhode was standing behind Viktor. He scanned Rhode with dubious eyes. "That man is��"


    "Oh, he is��" Rhode scanned everyone from head to toe while Viktor explained to his men. Apart from these mercenaries, there were four to five men in robes and about 40 to 50 years of age that looked seemingly out of place. Among them, there was also an exhausted old man with a white beard and a full head of white, resting with his eyes shut.


    That should be the Chairman of the Soraka Mountain Parliament.


    Viktor finished explaining the background of Rhode''s group. Without a doubt, he didn''t mention Rhode''s true identity because, after all, even Viktor came to Soraka Mountain with an alias. Besides, this wasn''t an appropriate moment to come clean about it too. He mentioned to his men that Rhode was a reliable ally and explained Rhode''s plan in details. All in all, Viktor''s men played important roles in this mission and if they couldn''t execute accordingly, this entire plan would be wasted.


    "Are we going off now?" One of the mercenaries asked anxiously.


    Sure enough, they revealed hesitant expressions after listening to Viktor''s words. Although they were mentally prepared to move out, the dark, aggressive storm was somewhat intimidating. Not to mention, they had no idea where their enemies might be lurking and even though this storm might be a hindrance to the enemies, wasn''t it the same for them?


    One of the men in robes broke the silence. "Mr. Solard, must we leave now? Our Chairman hasn''t been feeling too well and if we leave now, I''m afraid Chairman won''t be able to take it�� Besides, what if the enemies trap us outside?


    "Don''t worry about this, Mr. Silas," assured Viktor.


    ''Solard''��it seemed that this was Viktor''s alias.


    Before Rhode and Viktor headed towards this cave, Rhode explained the current situation to Viktor and he understood why Rhode chose to leave at such a timing.


    "You guys have been here for several days and they still weren''t able to spot you. From what we observed, most likely they can''t increase their manpower anymore. Under such circumstances, if we choose to break out of their encirclement, they would definitely cut off our leeway to prevent us from hiding again if we fail. Moreover, it is extremely hard for them to shoot arrows at us in this horrible weather and as long as we are prepared, there shouldn''t be too many dangers. Besides��" Viktor paused and gazed at the elderly man in the middle with a frown, "While I was away, I heard that they gained control over half the city and the entire Soraka Mountain is in chaos. If Mr. Chairman doesn''t get back in time for the parliament meeting, perhaps the situation will take a turn for the worse��"


    "What?!" The men in robes exclaimed as they had never thought that Soraka Mountain would end up in this state.


    "I''m going." A frail, solemn voice sounded suddenly. The elderly man opened his eyes and stood up with the support of another man''s arm. "Soraka Mountain is in danger and we can''t allow this to happen. There''s not much time before the parliament meeting begins, so rather than being overcautious, we should move out right now! What is a weary old body like mine compared to the entirety of Soraka Mountain? I will crawl my way back if I have to and show those people who have been blinded by power and interest. As long as I''m around, I won''t allow them to mess with Soraka Mountain!"


    "Mr. Chairman!" The men in robes gazed at the Chairman anxiously and words couldn''t leave their mouths under his imposing gaze.


    Viktor seized the chance to join in and tried to dispel everyone''s concern. "Don''t worry, everyone, the companion that came with me brought along some skillful Clerics. As long as we can break through their encirclement, we can request for the Clerics to heal Chairman''s condition. Trust me, there shouldn''t be any problems."


    "R-Really?" The men in robes were relieved after hearing Viktor''s words. They turned towards Rhode hurriedly with hopes of receiving a definite answer. Rhode remained silent and only nodded in response while the men in robes heaved sighs of relief.


    "Alright then, I will need all your help�� Sorry for not introducing ourselves��" The Chairman spoke with a smile.


    "Ah, please pardon my friend. He is a little odd and doesn''t like to reveal his name. Call him��" Viktor paused for a moment while his men detected a slight twitch in their guild leader''s facial muscle as though he was having a hard time finding an answer. Then, Viktor answered confidently. "Masked Man will do."


    "��" The entire cave fell into an awkward silence because this name was too strange. But the first to respond was still the Chairman. After all, the senior had seen all sorts of things in life and he accepted the decision of not revealing his name.


    The Chairman nodded towards the ''Masked Man'' and bowed slightly. "Sorry to trouble you, Mr. Masked Man. For the future of Soraka Mountain�� I will guarantee a grand appreciation in return if everyone can bring us back safely."


    Rhode didn''t respond to the Chairman and he beckoned for Viktor to leave. Viktor turned around and commanded his men. "Alright, get ready. We''re leaving now!"


    As the night sky darkened, the storm had gotten stronger. As the group approached the exit, ferocious raindrops struck the ground like stones. Many of them hesitated, but Rhode walked straight out into the darkness. Viktor gritted his teeth and although this wasn''t the first time he engaged in such a dangerous mission, he still couldn''t shake off his nervousness. Viktor focused his attention forward before ordering his men. "Light up!"


    Viktor''s mercenaries lit the oil lamps and lifted them high up as they strode out of the cave.


    The weak, dim flames were as though hopeless boats struggling on the strong waves. But these flames were more than sufficient for those who were stationed here to spot.


    "Are they out?!" Felwood widened his eyes at the dim radiances above him. He rubbed his eyes and reaffirmed himself. "Yes, those aren''t stars or bolts of lightning. Those are the radiance of oil lamps. Do they really think that they can escape?"


    "What should we do, Leader Felwood?" Felwood''s man asked anxiously.


    "Go check it out!" ordered Felwood. It was impossible for his men to threaten the Chairman''s group with arrows under this powerful storm. Fortunately for Felwood, he had about 60 men in the perimeter whereas the Chairman''s group had only about a dozen. Do they think they can break through and escape my blockade at the bottom of the mountain using the nature as cover? However, it would become so much harder to capture them if they really do manage to escape into the forest.


    Could it be that these guys are luring me to attack?


    "If those bastards have no intentions of leaving the cave, you guys continue to monitor. But if they are a distance away from the cave�� encircle them entirely and prevent them from returning back into their safety nest. Since the mice are finally out to play, we won''t give them an easy time. Understand?" ordered Felwood.


    "Yes, Leader!" Felwood''s man acknowledged and vanished in a split second. Felwood gripped on the dagger hilt by his waist.


    The roaring storm was as though a monster bellowing and signifying an upcoming bloodbath.

 Chapter 470 Luring the Snake

    Everyone could see up to three meters ahead under the crackling flames in the ferocious storm. They scanned the surroundings and the unbounded darkness of the night sky as though it formed into thick, solid walls around them.


    The ground was unusually slippery on this abandoned mountain filled with gravel and rocks and the group advanced carefully to avoid falling to their deaths.


    Mercenaries lined by both sides had oil lamps and swords in their hands while they were accompanied by their fully-armored companions. After all, everyone knew that the enemy had to extinguish the light sources in their hands if they planned on ambushing in this dark night. Meanwhile, the Chairman was protected in the middle of the group as they moved forward.


    Everyone advanced slowly to coordinate with the Chairman''s pace. In ten minutes, they covered a few meters of slippery, steep mountain slope. The storm and pitch-black darkness before them seemed as though it was impossible for any enemies to lurk.


    Viktor gripped his sword as he scanned the surroundings vigilantly. On the other hand, Rhode had disappeared into the forest. Come to think of it, the Chairman''s group was actually playing the same ''drawing the snake out of its hole'' game as Felwood. Felwood waited for the Chairman''s group to sneak out of their cave to cut off their retreat while the Chairman''s group was luring their catchers to attack and wipe them all out.


    This was a ''life and death'' game and only one side could survive.


    And now, it would depend on their opportunity.


    Viktor turned back and gazed at the cave that they had exited. At this point in time, they were a distance away from the cave. However, the cautious enemies hadn''t launched their attacks yet. It was apparent that those guys were also waiting for the best chance to strike. Without a doubt, Viktor knew what they were up to. The enemies might think that Viktor''s group was only probing and they had purposely let them off while waiting for the chance to catch the tiger by its tail. If Viktor''s group had the intention to probe the situation, they might hesitate to go even deeper after they discovered that there were no ambushes before them. If that happened, the enemy would use the chance to wipe them all out.


    This was truly treacherous.


    Viktor sucked in a deep breath. If it weren''t for Rhode''s group, perhaps they might have to force their way through the traps. Although Viktor was powerful, he wasn''t an expert in frontal battle. In this aspect, Barter was much stronger than him and no matter if it were a sea of flames or a land of knives, he would charge forward without hesitation to kill his enemies. To be frank, Viktor was rather admirable of Barter''s attitude. However, this didn''t mean that he wished to pick up that trait of his.


    Almost there.


    Viktor gestured and everyone stopped moving. He turned around and ordered his mercenaries softly. "Inform everyone to get ready. If I''m not mistaken, they should be attacking us soon."


    Viktor shifted his attention to the darkness before him. There was nothing.


    "Leader, they stopped!" One of the guards screamed.


    Felwood spat and glared at him. "Shut up! I can see for myself�� They must be panicking now but our encirclement isn''t fully ready yet. Wait for my command and if there are any idiots who disobey my command, I''ll teach him a lesson!"


    Sure enough, those mercenaries stopped for a short while and continued to head towards the bottom of the mountain.


    Hmph�� Humans are greedy and don''t know when to give up, even in the face of danger. Oh well, my men should be ready with the encirclement now. Just a little more patience will do��


    The mercenaries had arrived at the midpoint of the mountain. Perhaps they were used to the downpour, so they were now advancing much quicker than their turtle-like speed at the start of their ''escape''.


    Felwood gripped the pendant hanging before his chest once again. Soon, the dark sky was replaced with vibrant colors and he witnessed his men sneaking in behind the mercenaries with the power of this night vision device. The encirclement was completed and his men awaited for Felwood''s orders to strike.


    Opportunity knocks only once.


    Felwood gestured to his men while holding onto the dagger by his waist.


    The storm was getting stronger.


    The mercenaries widened their eyes and scanned every corner cautiously in fear that a dagger would strike towards them at anytime. However, even though they did their utmost best, they weren''t able to locate their sneaky enemies.


    "Phew��" Viktor lowered his head and sighed. At this moment, an assassin suddenly swung his right arm to the side!


    An intense blade airflow rose from the ground rapidly and engulfed the storm as though fluttering waves. A pitch-black dagger struck towards Viktor''s chest. Clang! Viktor''s sword collided with the ambushing dagger. The assassin flinched slightly and seized the chance to attack another mercenary.


    "Ambush!" The mercenaries snarled as they gripped daggers smeared with deadly venom and darted for their prey like a pack of hungry, vicious wolves.


    "Don''t stop! Keep moving!'' Viktor ordered his mercenaries and advanced unswervingly. He brandished his sword and a powerful stream of air with dozens of sharp wind edges erupted, slashing the assassins before them. At the same time, Viktor looked for Rhode''s presence but he couldn''t locate him. It seemed like all he could do now was to wait patiently for Rhode to respond. Viktor''s mercenaries continued to resist the assassins'' attacks as they howled and released the explosive powers from their weapons.


    "They''re putting up a hopeless struggle!" Felwood gritted his teeth. This wasn''t his hallucination�� This immense storm was definitely hindering them from displaying their skills. So what if every single one of them performs like superheroes? There are only ten of them while I have 60! With such an advantage, how can I let them escape?


    Felwood placed the tips of his fingers by his lips and blew.


    "��!" A sharp whistle sounded and a few whistles responded back almost immediately. In Felwood''s line of sight with the ''night vision'', the backup that he had arranged was drawing closer. Meanwhile, those damn runaways had darted for a distance and stopped once again. They are trapped now��


    Felwood stood up in his hiding place with a satisfied expression and decided to join the battle. Those runaways weren''t as easy as they seemed and his traps weren''t efficient. Felwood revealed a sinister smile and suddenly, someone patted his shoulder.


    "What the hell do you��" Felwood turned around and before he finished his sentence, a sharp dagger pierced through his throat effortlessly. Felwood widened his eyes at the sudden agony. He gazed at the man who was in full black and a pitch-black mask. Who is he? Why is he here?


    The ''night vision'' in Felwood''s eyes flickered and vanished entirely. He could no longer see his enemy and had fallen into the darkest abyss.


    Rhode withdrew his dagger from Felwood''s throat, at the same time snatching the pendant around his neck. He examined it and twitched his brows.


    This Night Vision Pendant was a great find. It seemed like these lackeys had access to all these wonderful treasures�� However, this wasn''t the time for that. Rhode lifted his head and the corners of his mouth twitched. Dozens of figures in black cloaks were darting towards Viktor''s group. It seemed like Viktor''s group couldn''t hang on anymore and were about to be devoured by a pack of jackals. However, Rhode saw them as moths fluttering into a sea of flames.


    Rhode placed the ring on his right index finger on his lips. "Our bait has fallen into the net. Move out."


    Viktor''s group was in a treacherous situation. After a desperate breakthrough, they were now slammed more violently than ever. Viktor strained himself to cast his most powerful skills to disperse the damned hungry jackals. His arms were starting to fail him. His mercenaries leaned against each others'' backs while brandishing their swords and defending with shields. The Chairman was half-kneeling in the middle, surrounded by the mercenaries protecting him.


    The situation was utterly chaotic.


    "Get lost!" A burly mercenary brandished his two-handed sword and struck off an assassin in full black. He roared and slashed straight for the assassin while striding forward. The assassin couldn''t dodge his ferocious attack and the sharp blade hacked into his shoulder. In the blink of an eye, the unlucky fellow collapsed to the muddy ground. While the burly mercenary withdrew his sword, another assassin darted towards him with a dagger and pierced his arm.


    "Argh!" The mercenary groaned in pain and he retaliated with a punch innately. Although the assassin was punched in the gut, the mercenary couldn''t settle his scores because two other figures pounced on him at the same time��


    As expected by Felwood, lack of manpower was their fatal wound. It was true that Viktor had brought his guild elites to Soraka Mountain, but the Light Parliament''s men weren''t weak either. Both sides were almost equally divided in terms of strength and equipment.


    Good luck came late.


    Soon, Viktor realized that there were some slight changes to the situation. The enemies seemed to be disoriented with their attacks and they weren''t as aggressive. However, it didn''t affect the overall situation too much.


    This was only the start.


    Joey lowered his body and tossed a corpse to the side. He scanned sideways and spotted a target darting towards the dim flames in a distance. Joey darted forward and caught up with the target instantly. The assassin sensed that something was off. He turned around quickly and was startled to see Joey behind him. Although Joey was also clad in a pitch-black cloak, his strange mask gave away his outsider identity. The assassin reacted quickly by brandishing his dagger towards Joey before dodging to the side successfully�� Until another dagger penetrated his chest from behind.


    Joey nodded at his companion as they gazed at the corpse on the ground. After seeing his companion''s hand gesture, Joey raised the ring on his right index finger.


    "Boss, no problem in the surroundings. Settled!"


    "��" A resplendent, multi-colored ice wall emerged all of a sudden and blocked all the attacks.


    With weapons still in the mercenaries'' hands, they stared at the ice wall in bewilderment. They suspected that this was an attack from the enemy, but they were quickly proven wrong.


    "An ambush!?" The assassins began to retreat at the sight of this ice wall. They realized that things were amiss because there were no Mages among the mercenaries who could cast this ice wall. What does this mean? Damn it, could it be��


    "Firsy!" Marlene gazed at the battlefield secretly while she hid behind Anne''s shield. At the same time, her slender fingers drew a horizontal line in the darkness to connect the magical runes hovering in midair. The heavy rain concealed the chanting of her spell.


    Bam! A column of flames emerged behind the assassins while scorching flames erupted from the empty ground as though responding to her summons. The flames were like ocean waves sweeping on the seacoast, smacking the surface violently. Gillian emerged within and pointed forward with a smile. "I''m so sorry; this road is blocked. Go from another way."


    "��!" The sea of flames formed a circle and enclosed the assassins. This was the first time tonight that the assassins were so frightened and although there were about 40 of them with excellent equipment left, they were nothing more than naked children standing before the raging flames.


    The burning flames whizzed towards the assassins.


    From a distance, one could see scarlet radiances flit in the mountain range.


    Then, everything returned to complete darkness.

 Chapter 471 Turnabout Chess

    When the flames exploded through the sky, Viktor''s group felt the scorching heat hit their faces through the other side of the ice wall. Horrified screams sounded while Viktor witnessed a badly burned assassin pounding on the other side. The assassin wept as he slammed into the ice wall, but the flames continued to ruthlessly swallow his presence. In an instant, his voice was cut off and he slid to the ground.


    "Argh��" Some of the mercenaries vomited at this horrible sight. Although they were elites who had killed countless people in battles, watching another human being burn in the oven so closely was another matter. Presumably, Viktor and his mercenaries would be living on vegetarian food for a long time after this battle��


    The overwhelming flames behind the ice wall stopped burning abruptly and retreated like the tide. In a blink of an eye, the omnipresent flames that could engulf them vanished entirely. At the same time, the ice wall that protected the mercenaries reached its limit as it cracked crisply and disappeared.


    Darkness once again became the main hue of the night.


    The mercenaries exchanged glances in dismay. At this moment, the surroundings had returned to serenity. The violent storm continued to hit everyone''s face, but this time, they felt calmness and tranquility.


    The mercenaries widened their eyes in astonishment. They had just been through an aggressive battle�� Wrong, they should have just been through a battle, right? That''s right, the wounds on their body reminded them of that. However, for unknown reasons, everyone including Viktor was perplexed as the flames vanished too quickly. Everyone saw clearly that the flames weren''t extinguished by the storm. Instead, they just disappeared as though they were a living body with self-consciousness.


    Viktor''s group was caught off guard as they had never seen such ''obedient'' flames. In an instant, the mercenaries felt lost, soaked in the sudden sense of victory and excitement. However, this didn''t mean that everyone behaved like them.


    Rhode emerged from the darkness and approached Viktor while gesturing. Viktor reacted quickly with an awkward cough to gather his mercenaries'' attention. "Why are you guys dazing off? This is only the start. Our mission isn''t complete until we escort Mr. Chairman into the city safely. Get moving!"


    The mercenaries stood at attention after hearing Viktor''s command. After all, although such a scenario was rare, these experienced mercenaries wouldn''t be as bewildered as newbies.


    Although the danger was gone, the mercenaries continued to scan the surroundings vigilantly. At the same time, they sized up the corpses of those assassins. Most of the corpses had been burned pitch-black by the flame and only a pile of black dust was left. Perhaps, even the ashes of these pitiful assassins wouldn''t remain after this stormy night.


    Viktor''s strong point was his meticulousness on several matters. His absolute calmness and observations helped him lead the Cole Falcon Guild. According to Viktor, there were about 40 assassins that attacked them, which was about the same quantity as he had predicted. However, a battle wasn''t as simple as just gathering and beating up their enemies. The assassins from before were so scattered in formation that there must be other liaisons and guards on the backlines. In the face of any accidents, the liaisons and guards could stay away from danger and convey the latest progress to their master behind the scenes.


    However, Viktor had no control over this. After all, he had limited manpower and he couldn''t possibly figure out all the enemies'' locations. Meanwhile, Rhode remained secretive and was unwilling to discuss much with him. However, it seemed to Viktor that Rhode had a grasp on the situation, which was why he suggested this raid. As for the sentries around the perimeter, they were probably already eliminated.


    Like Rhode, the other members of Starlight concealed their appearances. Even though Gillian revealed her face for a while, she disappeared without a trace, which left the mercenaries with mixed emotions. They were thankful for their savior, but they didn''t manage to catch a glimpse of their savior''s face and couldn''t even thank them if they wanted to. But Viktor knew that Rhode was equally helpless on this matter. After all, there were two people on his team who couldn''t reveal their faces��Lize and Marlene.


    As the heir of the Senia Family and a genius Mage, Marlene was a notable figure. As for Lize, she was Royal Highness Lydia''s younger sister, and both of their political identities were powerful. Although the Munn Kingdom was a recognized witness when both parties signed the agreement, they were only in charge of witnessing and not supervising. Therefore, it wouldn''t be advantageous for the Munn Kingdom if both of them were recognized by the enemies. On the other hand, Viktor understood that Rhode was doing this to avoid the attention of the Country of Light''s Parliament. After all, Rhode''s bad relationship with them in the Deep Stone City had spread all across the continent. Although the Country of Light''s Parliament was far away from the Land of Atonement and their Southern lackeys were previously beaten to a pulp by Rhode in the Midsummer Festival, it couldn''t be guaranteed that the Country of Light''s Parliament wouldn''t attack Rhode''s group if Rhode were to spoil their plans again. After all, Starlight had just been established, unlike the Cole Falcon and Purple Lily, and were limited in numerous aspects. In order to prevent trouble, it was only natural to avoid direct conflicts and threats.


    Viktor lifted his head and gazed at Rhode who appeared like a ghost from time to time. He let out a long sigh because there was still a long road ahead of him.


    Everyone left the mountains and entered the forest safely under Rhode''s lead. Only when the mercenaries entered the hinterland, they heaved sighs of relief. If those enemies caught up with them, they wouldn''t mind letting them taste their own powers in this terrain.


    At this moment, they finally witnessed Rhode''s men.


    Rhode''s men stood at a distance and had no intention of conversing with the mercenaries. Although this seemed to be somewhat rude, these mercenaries knew that they wished to keep their identities a secret. Therefore, it was only apparent to keep a distance just like when they entered the Soraka Mountain for this mission.


    Although the atmosphere was rather awkward, there were no disputes since all of them were professionals. Viktor represented his men and expressed his gratitude while Rhode accepted by nodding slightly. Then, the exhausted mercenaries took a quick rest in this peaceful place. Meanwhile, Rhode fulfilled his commitment by getting Lize to heal the Chairman''s body/ After all, the chairman was an elderly man who had just gotten through a nasty storm. Fortunately, the Clerics were effective with their healing spells and furthermore, Lize''s healing skills had improved dramatically under Mini Bubble Gum''s guidance.


    Rhode stood at the side, quietly gazing at everyone. He knew that this wasn''t the end and it was more like a marathon. They were taking a temporary break and had to continue running afterwards. Logically speaking, although it wouldn''t take too long to arrive at Soraka Mountain City through this forest, the situation wasn''t this simple. According to Viktor, those clowns in the parliament had basically manipulated the guards surrounding the city. This meant that it was somewhat difficult to lead the Chairman''s group into the city and Mithril Hall�� However, Rhode had some other ideas up his sleeves.


    "What do you think?" Viktor arrived at Rhode''s side and asked softly.


    Rhode shook his head slightly. "We should hurry as quickly as possible. Although I can confirm that we have eliminated most of them, I can''t be sure that everyone has been killed. Moreover, even if all of them are annihilated, those bastards will definitely be cautious about the Chairman. My guess is that they will send some men here to check on the situation and by then, they will realize the truth. All we can do now is to settle everything before they find out about us��"


    Rhode paused for a moment. Even though Viktor couldn''t see Rhode''s expression through the mask, he heard the slight urgency in his voice. "We have broken their puzzle and it''s time for our counterattack, Mr. Viktor."


    Night fell and another day passed.


    Everything went according to plan.


    Zieg turned away from the scroll in his hands and nodded in satisfaction. He picked up a quill pen and began to write a letter for his family. This scheme to head into Soraka Mountain was proposed by the parliament members of the Alanic Family. Zieg joined this scheme as the most prestigious star of the family. He knew what disaster awaited the beautiful Soraka Mountain City once they made the decision. However, this wasn''t a matter of his concern. The most important goal for Zieg was to complete this mission for his family and promote his position within. Furthermore, the Alanic Family would gain huge profits from this upcoming battle.


    Everything is fine and in place. No problems whatsoever.


    Placing the quill pen on the desk, Zieg gazed at the letter before him pleasingly. The neat handwriting on the white letter described the series of changes in Soraka Mountain. After a few days of integration, the group of useless Soraka Mountain Parliament members finally convinced most of their counterparts who were in charge of various parts of the city to agree to the proposal. Although there were some members who rejected, there weren''t enough of them to be taken into consideration.


    The Chairman was Zieg''s only concern and up until this moment, he didn''t receive any news regarding him. This was what Zieg was most mindful of. Only those who personally lived in Soraka Mountain knew how influential and reputable the Chairman was. Although many of the parliament members were on the verge of agreeing to the proposal to hand over Soraka Mountain, these people would be useless in the presence of the Chairman and everything that they had done up till this point would be meaningless. Due to this reason, Zieg plotted the assassination of the Chairman to ensure success. But those idiots were too afraid of the Chairman''s prestige and they lacked the guts to do it. This forced Zieg to send out his men to finish the job. If he could obtain the Chairman''s head now, his upcoming plans would definitely be a success. But the problem right now was that he received no news about the Chairman at all.


    Zieg felt uneasy. It was as though he was walking down a safe, flat road and was suddenly struck with strange feelings of flusters.


    This isn''t a good sign.


    Zieg pondered for a few moments before lifting and shaking the bell on his table. Soon, an old butler opened the door and lowered his head while waiting for his master''s instructions. "Send some men to the Dolan mountain and check on the situation. If those rats are still hiding in the cave, order our ''wolves'' to force their way in. No matter what, I want to see that old man''s head before the start of the parliament meeting!"


    The old man bowed deeply and closed the door quietly without responding. Zieg sighed and lifted the quill pen once more.


    Viktor led everyone through the terrain that he was rather familiar with and passed through the forest without any obstacles. As the sunlight from the third morning shone in their faces, a massive, formidable city presented before them.


    Soro City.


    Everyone sucked in deep breaths at the sight of the high walls and towers in the city they were so familiar with. As a region that had an abundance of magical crystal minerals, Soraka Mountain had advanced magical technology. Although it was inferior to Golden City, it was still far ahead of Deep Stone City. Tears of excitement rolled down the faces of the Chairman''s group because after days of trudging and dangerous encounters, they had finally arrived at their destination. They were only one step away from entering their city and gaining victory.


    But things weren''t that simple.


    Viktor stood before everyone with a grave expression instead of his usual smile. The Chairman''s group calmed their nerves because they knew that things weren''t as smooth as they had imagined. Indeed, Viktor gritted his teeth and bowed to the Chairman deeply.


    "Every path that leads into the city has been blocked off," Viktor said solemnly.

 Chapter 472 Sneaking In

    Viktor continued to explain. "I heard from the peddler by the city entrance that the entire city has been blocked off since two days ago. The reason was that Soraka Mountain has been chaotic recently and in order to maintain order in the city for parliament meeting, the entire city needs to be blocked off entirely. No one is allowed to roam freely. In order words, even if we manage to sneak into the city successfully, we are likely to be spotted by guards. This will expose our whereabouts entirely and everything will be done for."


    Although there might be supporters of the Chairman among the guards, this would need to rely on their luck. At this point in time, they couldn''t afford to gamble, but they had to enter the city first.


    The city entrance was blocked off and guards filled the city walls above. The atmosphere of the entire city was as tense as a siege. In this situation, they could give up the thought of sneaking their way into the city easily. Not to mention, they had to face the patrols roaming around the streets even if they managed to enter the city. Furthermore, the tighter security around the Mithril Hall was bound to give them even more trouble. But, there was not much time left before the start of the parliament meeting!


    "We have half a day left," Viktor spoke anxiously. No matter how cool-headed he was, he could no longer maintain his calmness at this juncture. They finally had the chance to turn things around, but they would be done for if they failed at this last hurdle. He stared at the towering walls helplessly. If the city entrance opened, he could sneak Rhode and the Chairman''s group in by creating a mess. However, the gate of the city entrance was tightly sealed and didn''t budge at all. Moreover, their current scarce manpower wasn''t enough to trigger them into opening the gate�� What should I do?


    "Mr. Chairman, are there no secret pathways into the city?" asked Viktor anxiously.


    "There��" The Chairman knitted his brows and pondered for a few moments. "Indeed, there is one. Maybe we can give it a try!"


    "Are your enemies aware of this secret path?" A glimmer of hope shone in Viktor''s eyes.


    "Only the parliament members are aware of this secret path. But��" The Chairman paused. Without a doubt, he knew why Viktor asked him this question. If their enemies knew about this secret path, they would definitely be prepared. But they didn''t have any other choices now. Therefore, Viktor could only give it a shot even though the answer that the Chairman gave him wasn''t up to his expectations.


    According to the Chairman, the significant secret path was located in the dense forest behind Soraka Mountain. It wasn''t near the borders of the Country of Darkness or Country of Light. Instead, it was situated across the river from the Munn Kingdom. This reflected Soraka Mountain''s attitude towards their neighboring countries. As Soraka Mountain had an unusual surrounding with one massive city and numerous mines, it meant that Soraka Mountain City would be a goner if there was a need for parliament members to escape through the secret path. There wouldn''t be a chance for them to retaliate and they would be devoured completely.


    The secret path was located far from the Country of Darkness and Country of Light, which showed how insecure Soraka Mountain City felt with them. On the contrary, they felt on closer terms with the Munn Kingdom.


    "This��" In the end, Viktor''s hunch came true. The Chairmen led the group to the entrance of an ordinary cave hidden in the forest and they were dumbfounded. The deep, dark cave had been blocked off by large rocks.


    "This is really problematic��" Viktor sucked in a deep, cold breath. He clenched his fists while staring at the boulder. Although it was possible for them to clear the tall, stacked rocks, it would require precious time, which they lacked the most now. By the time they removed them and managed to sneak into the city through the secret path, the meeting would long be over.


    But what other choices were there?


    Time was almost up.


    The corners of Rhode''s mouth twitched and he gestured to everyone before approaching Viktor. "Mr. Viktor, is there any other way?"


    "No," Viktor replied with a bitter look. He was at his wit''s end and his usual smiley face was replaced with misery. Viktor spread his arms apart and shrugged his shoulders. Although strictly speaking, Viktor had other riskier plans, he wouldn''t resort to them unless necessary as these plans relied on luck and they should only be chosen in the face of death.


    But this current situation seemed about the same now.


    Rhode scanned Viktor from head to toe before turning his gaze towards the Chairman''s group. The happiness of escaping death was no longer present on their faces. Instead, it was replaced with despair and fatigue. Even the elderly man was panting and his bent-over body seemed as though a weak flame in a blizzard that could extinguish at any time. Even if the Chairman received treatment from the Clerics, it was still a tough task to rush this way under such a treacherous weather. At this point in time, it was great enough that he made it this far.


    "I''ll take over from here," Rhode announced.


    "Eh?" Viktor gaped and widened his eyes. "Could it be�� you have a solution, Mr. Rhode?"


    "The meeting will be held in the Mithril Hall, right? If that''s the case, I do know a way that can lead us there. Please get your men ready. Meanwhile, I need to brief mine," explained Rhode.


    "Ah�� Okay," Viktor gazed at the pitch-black mask foolishly and answered a few seconds later. Although he wondered how Rhode learned about the situation of Soraka Mountain, this was not the main issue that he was concerned about now. It would be more than enough for Viktor if Rhode really knew a way to lead them into Mithril Hall.


    Viktor nodded and turned around swiftly. Meanwhile, Rhode approached his men.


    "Leader, when can Anne take down this irritating mask? It''s so uncomfortable," Anne grumbled as she hopped from the side. Got to say, this pitch-black mask didn''t match Anne''s lively and ringing voice at all. In order to conceal their identities after arriving at Soraka Mountain, Rhode had forbidden them from interacting with the Chairman and Viktor''s groups. Although Lize and Marlene had no qualms about this arrangement, it was torturous for Anne. Not to mention, Rhode had even forbidden Anne from speaking whenever there were outsiders around due to her unique speaking habits. Anne was obedient and she didn''t speak a word before any outsiders. It was really difficult for her to be this patient.


    "Bear with it a little more, Anne, we are almost done with this mission soon. After this, I will treat you to some tasty food. How about it?" Rhode patted on Anne''s head.


    Anne exclaimed excitedly. "Really? If Anne bears with it, Leader will treat Anne to any tasty food?"


    "Uh��" For unknown reasons, Rhode felt a chill down his spine as soon as he heard the word ''any''. But, he eventually nodded forcefully. Anne cheered softly and hopped her way away from Rhode. At this moment, Rhode shrugged before gesturing to his men.


    "Randolf, I have an important mission for you. From now on, your team will set up an ambush and observe the paths that we took. I''m concerned that those guys will send men to comb the mountains for the Chairman''s group again. If they receive any news, they will definitely report it back to the city and if you find anyone heading towards the city in the same direction as us��" Rhode swung his right arm downwards. "Kill them on the spot cleanly. If you find any intel on their corpses, inform me immediately. Your team can then return to the Fortress after receiving my confirmation. All''s good?"


    "Yes, Sir," Randolf nodded sternly before re-adjusting his bow and backing down. The Ranger beckoned to his team and soon, a dozen fully armored mercenaries vanished into the dense forest.


    Rhode turned around after Randolf''s group left entirely. "Joey, it may get dangerous soon, so get your men to stay vigilant. Also, look after those guys around the Chairman because I don''t wish to see them screwing up during a crucial juncture. I have discussed this with Viktor and you guys just have to observe secretly. Understand?"


    "No problem, Boss. Leave it to me," Joey replied diligently.


    "Marlene, Anne, and Lize," Rhode turned to the three young ladies who were waiting for his command. "The three of you have much more important roles. Marlene, you have to look out for yourself. Lize, I hope you can focus all attention on the elderly Chairman and protect him if there are any dangers. Anne, you''re in charge of shielding Marlene and Lize. Most importantly, don''t speak and don''t reveal your identities. All of you should know how important this is."


    "��" All three of them nodded quietly. Lize and Marlene were aware of their unique identities and were mentally prepared for this. As for Anne�� Rhode''s promise to her seemed to be effective.


    Viktor led the Chairman towards Rhode and the elderly man seemed rather helpless.


    It seemed that things weren''t going well.


    Rhode knitted his brows and gestured for everyone to get ready. Then, he approached Viktor and the Chairman. "Mr. Chairman has some questions for you," said Viktor.


    "��" Rhode gazed at the Chairman quietly. Although the elderly man seemed thin and weak, he lifted his head towards Rhode with determination. In his eyes, there was a kind of unique stubbornness and tenacity that only mountain people had. "I heard�� You have a way to let us enter Mithril Hall?"


    "��" Rhode continued to remain silent and nodded. The elderly man puckered his brows slightly. Rhode understood his doubts and hesitations, but this was also within his expectations. He wasn''t worried about being suspected because he had hidden his identity. "Can you tell me where that place is?"


    "��" Rhode pointed ahead and stopped paying attention to the elderly man as he walked forward. Even though Viktor gaped and tried to provide an explanation to the Chairman, the elderly man gestured while staring at the black figure. After a few moments, he turned around and followed Rhode.


    Rhode walked past the blocked secret path and stopped by a tall mountain stream. There was a crack eroded by natural weathering. On the outside, it seemed to be wide enough for one to two people. Furthermore, the gap was deep and the steep mountain wall was easily visible. Everyone gathered around Rhode curiously.


    Rhode ignored the curious gazes behind him. He lifted his head and scanned the crack. He began to recall the mission information that he had read in the forums regarding ''Soraka Mountain Historical Research''. That was an archaeological mission and players conducted a search in the undergrounds to prove that the original Soraka Mountain was formed by the Dwarfs who migrated from Silver Mountain�� According to the documents, the passage that connected the underground ancient Dwarf ruins and Mithril Hall should be here��


    Rhode entered the crack and adjusted his body to the side.


    "Ah!" Everyone shrieked in astonishment. Rhode entered the narrow crack and disappeared in full view!


    What''s going on?


    Viktor rushed forward hurriedly and widened his eyes as soon as he stood at the position where Rhode was. On his side, a wide cave entrance presented itself quietly. From the front, it seemed just like an ordinary hole, but when one looked inside from the entrance of the crack, one could see the towering walls on both sides without any shadows in the cave.


    This was simply a manifestation of nature''s ingenuity. Or perhaps, it wasn''t that simple.


    Viktor gazed into the pitch-black cave in front of him and hesitated. However, he beckoned quickly and entered the cave.


    It was five hours before the start of the parliament meeting.

 Chapter 473 Countdown Begins 1/2

    The long, narrow passage was dark and tortuous.


    The seemingly unnatural scenery from the beginning had disappeared and was replaced by artificial, smooth walls and stone steps. The ceiling of the entire passage was as low as the heights of Anne and Rhode and spider webs were just hanging above them as they lifted their heads. It was apparent that this wasn''t a passage built for humans.


    The mercenaries advanced cautiously as only God knew what in the world would appear in this historical underground passageway. Rhode recalled that apart from some Goblins lurking in this underground passage, there was almost nothing else present that could hinder them.


    Rhode sensed the astonished and confused stares from the Chairman behind him. The stares were also filled with strong, inconspicuous vigilance and hostility.


    Rhode was clear about where this hostility stemmed as Soraka Mountain had a lot of legacy ''historical problems''. One of them was the most important issue of Soraka Mountain''s ownership. Although logically speaking, Soraka mountain was ruled by humans, the Dwarves had sought for the ownership of Soraka Mountain in the past. According to the stubborn Dwarves, Soraka Mountain was first discovered by their ancestors and humans had gotten involved later and took over the ownership with their large numbers. This violated the original covenant signed by humans that sought for the Dwarves'' protection and this was why the Dwarves wanted to regain ownership of Soraka Mountain.


    This definitely wasn''t a piece of great news for Soraka Mountain''s Parliament. They denied the Dwarves'' accusations flatly and at the same time, they claimed that Soraka Mountain was discovered and built up by both the Dwarves and humans. As the architectural style of many buildings including Mithril Hall was designed for the Dwarves, Soraka Mountain''s Parliament didn''t deny the fact that the Dwarves had participated in the building of this city. However, they couldn''t accept the saying that the Dwarves had discovered this place.


    It had been over a few centuries between the conflicts of the Dwarves and Humans. Although Dwarves possessed longevity and the ancient records had been passed down, humans didn''t believe them. After all, generations of humans had changed along the centuries and the crucial humans that knew who exactly built and discovered Soraka Mountain were all dead. The newer generations of humans were educated by their parents on the history of their homeland and they believed that Soraka Mountain was discovered by the Dwarves and humans together. Due to this reason, Soraka Mountain was dissatisfied with the persistent and demanding Dwarves. Furthermore, a few centuries had passed and you Dwarves are still hanging on to this matter?


    However, the concept of time for the Dwarves was completely different from that of the Humans. In the eyes of the naturally stubborn Dwarves, humans were untrustworthy and scheming. Therefore, this conflict might go on forever as long as both races were still alive��


    The disputes between the two sides were even reported to the Country of Light, Country of Darkness, and Country of Trial. But the Light and Dark Dragons refused to get involved with this complicated historical issue. On the contrary, the Judgement & Ruling Twin Dragons suggested to carry out an investigation, but there was no follow up to it. After all, the Country of Light and Country of Darkness preferred to deal with humans than the stubborn Dwarves. As a result, the conflict about the ownership of this region extended endlessly. Staring at the pitch-black figure before him, the Chairman had a bad hunch.


    Although the Chairman was an elderly man, he clearly recognized that this passageway wasn''t designed for humans. From the height to the management of the steps and the knowledge on the usage of the natural environment, only Dwarves that lived in these environments for years were capable of building them. This caused the Chairman to be suspicious of Rhode''s identity because even he wasn''t aware of this secret passageway��how did this man know about this passageway? What did he have to do with the Dwarves?


    "Kala," several black figures jumped out from the sides. They chattered in an unknown language while brandishing their wooden clubs and charging towards the group. They had short statures, shriveled skin and sinister, small eyes��


    "It''s the Goblins!" The experienced mercenaries recognized this maggot-like evil race that inhabited the ruins immediately. They drew their weapons and displayed their best mercenary qualities swiftly.


    Viktor''s mercenaries prioritized the protection of the Chairman''s group by forming a human wall with their shields. Meanwhile, Joey''s group by the perimeter halted and gathered towards the middle quickly. At the same time, they threw flying knives towards the Goblins swiftly.


    The charging Goblins collapsed after a round of flying knives struck them. At the same time, Marlene cast a firewall to block off the other Goblins while Lize strengthened the defense of the mercenaries with her spell. The Goblins whined at the sight of the firewall and perhaps because they hadn''t met any prey for a long time, these cunning creatures continued to surround the group.


    "Continue to move forward!" Viktor gazed at Rhode who beckoned and strode forward. Viktor brandished his sword and berated loudly. "We don''t have time to play hide and seek with these Goblins. Move! Frank, you deal with those evil creatures and make sure they stay away from us!"


    This originally quiet passageway was instantly filled with disorientation and warcries. Rhode led the pack as his eyes penetrated the darkness to find the critical path in this complicated underground��


    Suddenly, there was a sudden gust of wind.


    A snowy-white string of web shot from above and formed a huge spider web that wrapped towards Rhode. Rhode rotated his wrist and tore apart the web with glaring blade rays. However, at this moment, a three-meter-long spider dived from above with its sharp claws. It let out a chilly hiss and pounced forward with its venomous, pungent teeth.


    Rhode split into two and disappeared into nowhere in a blink of an eye. The spider lifted its head and widened its mouth instantly. Then, as though an invisible sword had struck its body, it split into half and crashed to the ground. Marlene cast a blizzard swiftly to freeze the splashing venom and the spider carcass.


    However, this wasn''t enough to stop the evil creatures inhabiting this dark underground."��!" All kinds of shrieks resounded in the entire underground passageway. Viktor supported the Chairman by his arm and followed Rhode. Both Viktor and Rhode had no intention of stopping as they gazed at the blurry figures hidden in the dim path. Viktor ordered his men to fend off the creatures who were giving chase. Meanwhile, Joey and the others were roaming on the perimeter and dealing with the Goblins that sneaked out from the cracks on the rock walls. At this moment, only Lize, Marlene, and Anne were following closely to provide protection to the Chairman. Gillian had been ordered by Rhode to provide support at the back��after all, a mask wasn''t enough to conceal the fox-eared young lady''s unique features. For safety precautions, Rhode had no intentions of letting her travel with him together.


    The twin daggers shone once again. Rhode tilted his body and his left dagger pierced into a Goblin''s skull effortlessly. As he withdrew his left dagger, he raised his right dagger and brandished downwards. Gracier drew a crescent arc and the Goblins shrieked in fear of this horrifying attack. Although they scattered like mice, they had no intentions of giving up. Soon, they threw some wooden club objects at Rhode.


    Tsk. Annoying.


    Rhode knitted his brows at their meaningless aggression. In fact, these low-leveled creatures wouldn''t stand a chance if Rhode summoned his spirits. However, this would expose his identity instantly. After all, Rhode was well-known for summoning creatures and therefore, he had decided that unless necessary, he would definitely not summon any spirits. Moreover, Madaras and Gracier were more than enough to deal with these Goblins.


    "Hmph!" Rhode stacked his daggers in a cross and once again struck off the attacks. This was the reason why most players hated to enter such low-level dungeons. Apart from not earning any EXP from these creatures, the players also needed to fend them off endlessly. Even though these creatures were non-threatening, they were as annoying as mosquitoes and houseflies.


    We have no more time to waste here.


    Rhode laid his daggers flat and swept a glance forward.


    Storm Slaughter, activate!


    Rhode disappeared and blended into the darkness in the blink of an eye. In the dimly-lit passageway, glaring white and green blade rays flickered irregularly. Annoying clamors from the Goblins ceased abruptly as though a giant hand was cupped over their mouths.


    The path was filled with Goblin corpses in their attacking stances. However, the flames of life were missing in their evil, dark eyeballs. The Goblin corpses were filled with ghastly slashes that had penetrated their bodies.


    Rhode lifted his head and looked the path before him.


    The narrow passageway had widened gradually as they entered deeper. A large, arena-like structure presented itself in a massive, empty hole. With the powers of the night-vision pendant, Rhode easily spotted the neatly aligned sculptures and murals that symbolized the victors.


    It should be here��


    Boom�� Boom�� Heavy rumbles sounded. Rhode scanned the still surrounding and there were no signs of life. However, Rhode sensed the slight tremors on the ground sharply. He sheathed his daggers and retrieved pocket watch from the fold of his clothes. Three hours left before the start of the parliament meeting.


    "�� Sir!" Viktor and the group caught up to Rhode and they stared with widened eyes at the massive arena. However, Viktor knew that this wasn''t the time to admire the ancient ruins. Moreover, he also sensed the dangers hidden within. "This is��"


    "Be careful. This is one tough enem-" before Rhode finished his sentence, the flat ground rose abruptly and a gigantic, black earthworm-like creature emerged from within.


    "It''s the Giant Megadrile!" Viktor witnessed its hextuple layers of razor-sharp teeth and recognized its identity instantly. The Master Swordsman raised his sword and its blade erupted in green, lightning radiances. He struck his sword towards the incoming Megadrile heavily on its body.


    Bam! The ear-deafening collision resounded in the massive arena and filthy dust engulfed the entire place. However, this attack wasn''t powerful enough to annihilate the Megadrile. This gigantic, terrifying creature had a thick, protective layer of rock on its skin and Viktor''s attack wasn''t able to shatter them.


    Fortunately, the vision of these underground creatures was terrible even though they had sensitive hearing. Although Viktor''s attack wasn''t effective, the loud explosion had stunned the Megadrile. In an instant, the Megadrile paused its movements as it couldn''t spot its target with its hearing. Then, it dove right back into the ground.


    "Leave it to me, Sir!" Viktor yelled out to Rhode as he gazed at the arena in his attacking stance attentively. Viktor was aware of Rhode''s intentions as he didn''t summon any of his spirits along the way. "Continue to escort the Chairman. You must make it before the meeting begins!"


    "��" Rhode nodded and turned towards Anne. "�� Let''s go!"


    Anne replied instinctively. She lifted the Chairman on her shoulder while Lize cast a defense spell on him. Then, the group charged towards the exit under Rhode''s lead.


    Viktor shifted his attention to the arena with his sword quietly.


    Shortly after, the ground ruptured once again.

 Chapter 474 Countdown Begins 2/2

    Zieg sorted out his clothes and swept a glance at the tense crowd. As the start of the meeting approached, there were more people apart from the 25 parliament members gathering in Mithril Hall. According to the parliament regulations, every time the Soraka Mountain Parliament decided to make major changes that would involve the interests of other parties, the representatives of various forces in Soraka Mountain would be invited for the hearing. Due to the regulations that troops weren''t allowed to reside there, the various forces would send out only their representatives. The same went for Zieg too; he wasn''t representing the Country of Light, but was representing the Alanic Foundation. The Country of Light had another person as a representative.


    Hmph.


    Zieg twitched his brows and squinted at a bald, elderly man before him. The elderly man was dressed in formal attire and wiped his forehead with a handkerchief nervously.


    Useless trash.


    Zieg knew why the elderly man was so nervous. Although he was the representative for the Country of Light, he lacked the true qualities of one. Many people, including this elderly man, had heard of the decision that Soraka Mountain Parliament made and this wasn''t good news for Zieg. A diplomatic envoy that was unobtrusive during times of peace had to bear immense attention in this time of war now. However, this elderly man had no intentions of stepping onto the stage since people would push the blame of ''disadvantageous communications'' onto him.


    This was the reason why Zieg looked down on him. To Zieg, those who couldn''t foresee the future were as good as dogs. The difference between humans and dogs were that humans could raise their heads and look towards the horizon while a dog could only lay on the ground and observe the things before their eyes.


    He''s merely a parliament-fed dog who only cares about his current position and future.


    Zieg smiled slightly at this thought.


    At this moment, the bustling conversation ceased to a halt and the entire Mithril Hall fell into silence. Zieg felt a cold sensation penetrate his first-rate coat and into his body effortlessly.


    He turned around and narrowed his eyes.


    A tall knight clad in black, steel armor from head to toe strode into Mithril Hall as two crimson flames of life in his eyes flickered. Beside the knight was an elegant, young man in pitch-black attire. The satin on his lapel was glaring and his cuffs and collar were covered with fretwork edgings. He had a full head of brown combed to the back neatly while his hands were wrapped in silky, white gloves. The man waved gracefully towards everyone and revealed a pale, yet charming smile��and a pair of canine teeth between his sickly white lips.


    Vampire.


    Zieg turned away before lowering his head and sucking in a deep breath to calm his nerves. Apart from the missing Chairman, the other concern that Zieg had was the Country of Darkness. Although logically speaking, this plan was beneficial for the Country of Darkness, Zieg couldn''t figure out what their people were thinking. Furthermore, Zieg had heard of the cunningness of these Vampires��their fascinating charm, inspiring voices, and sharp senses allowed them to perceive all hidden lies and hostilities.


    Zieg sent two scouts to gather intelligence about the situation in the Country of Darkness. However, he dropped the idea after they were delivered back to him dead. Fortunately, those two men weren''t aware of Zieg''s identity at all. If not, Zieg wouldn''t be sitting here.


    The two undead figures passed Zieg and arrived before the Country of Light representative. They greeted with a friendly, yet hypocritical smile and the elderly man stood up hurriedly to bow in return.


    Worthless trash.


    Zieg cursed secretly at the elderly man as soon as he witnessed his hesitance and fear towards the Vampires. Even though this mission was led by the Alanic Foundation and the Country of Light Parliament was somewhat involved, Zieg didn''t disclose the whole plan to the elderly man. He didn''t trust that dotard and it seemed that his decision was right. Perhaps the damned undead creatures would have read his thoughts inside-out if Zieg told him everything.


    But the trouble wasn''t limited to that only.


    After greeting the Country of Light''s Parliament''s representative, the Vampires escorted the Undead Knight to their position on the other side. Although the undead creatures could get along with living creatures peacefully, this didn''t mean that they were on good terms with each other. After all, the undead aura on them was similar to venomous gases, where it was harmful to the living creatures.


    At this moment, bugle-horns sounded.


    This time, Zieg knew who had arrived without turning around. But he turned around regardless to face the figure who was as though shrouded in bright radiance entirely. Her flawless wings spread apart gracefully and the white-golden robe wrapped around her slender stature with colorful Ioun Stones revolving around her. Her fair, dewy face came with a touch of delicateness. She shut her eyes as her blonde hair fluttered in the wind. Almost everyone took a step back innately in fear that they would blaspheme the memories in their minds.


    She''s here. The Supervisor.


    The various forces came together at Soraka Mountain. Apart from the Country of Darkness and Country of Light, which received the most attention, the Supervisor from the Munn Kingdom and the Guardian from the Country of Trial were also big figures.


    In terms of national strength, the Country of Darkness and Country of Light were the most powerful countries on this continent. However, in Soraka Mountain, the most respected person was the Supervisor from the Munn Kingdom. The Guardian from the Country of Trial came in second while the Country of Darkness was placed third due to the living creatures'' fears towards the undead creatures. In the last place was the Country of Light. Their reckless behaviors on this land didn''t give the aborigines any good impressions.


    The Munn Kingdom''s Supervisor wouldn''t be responsible for any specific matters. Before arriving at Soraka Mountain, Zieg had specially investigated this. The position of the Supervisor existed ever since both countries signed the treaty. However, nobody knew what the Supervisor''s responsibilities were. According to Zieg''s investigations, it seemed to be an idle position with no particular purpose. The Supervisor had never interfered or influenced the opinions of Soraka Mountain. Moreover, sometimes the Supervisor wouldn''t even be present during meetings, as though they didn''t exist.


    However, Zieg couldn''t understand why this idle position would be so highly respected in this region. The locals that Zieg hired weren''t shy to hide their admiration whenever they talked about the Supervisor and they didn''t indicate any reasons for this. The only conclusion that Zieg could think of was that, compared to the mightiness of the Country of Darkness and the bullying from the Country of Light, the Munn Kingdom had been friendlier and provided support to Soraka Mountain much more often.


    For no particular reason, Zieg began to fluster a little. He remembered this emotion clearly. This also happened was when he first took over his family affairs to prove his worth. At that time, he was only a youngster and the important task scared him witless. Although he had always remained calm on the outside, his heart had been pounding hard when he submitted the report to his Father to put an end to the mission. That was the first and last time that Zieg felt such emotions.


    However, this emotion came back to him.


    Vampires, the Supervisor, and the Parliament. Zieg pressed against his chair subconsciously and he felt restless. This was the first time that he felt that Soraka Mountain shouldn''t have such a tradition. Now, all the various forces had gathered in this place. Apart from them, there were also the Dwarves (To the humans of Soraka Mountain, the Dwarves definitely couldn''t participate in this meeting). There was even a representative for the Elves�� What was going to happen next? Besides, why hadn''t those men that Zieg sent out earlier on to encircle the Chairman''s group reported back?


    Zieg clenched his fist and this was the first time he felt that things were getting out of his control.


    Perhaps, this mission wouldn''t be as successful as he imagined?


    The bright sun shone on the corona and the shadow shifted gradually.


    Just half an hour left before the start of the meeting.


    Apart from the two heroic sculptures towering on both sides of the dark corridor as though explaining the chaotic past of this land, there was no one else.


    Bam�� A flat slate started sinking and several figures climbed out of the dark hole.


    Thank goodness. This worked.


    Although the strategy worked out perfectly as he recalled from the game, this place was, after all, real. With the Necromancer turning into a Lich as an example, Rhode harbored some suspicion. However, Rhode heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of this familiar place. If the underground was a dungeon, the Giant Megadrile would have been the BOSS. Now that Viktor was handling the BOSS, there shouldn''t be other problems.


    Anne peeked her head out of the hole before laying the Chairman down from her shoulder. She gritted her teeth and stretched her arm. Although the Chairman wasn''t heavy, he was still heavier than her steel shield. Moreover, the shield had an almost equal weight distribution and it was easier for her to locate the center of gravity.


    "This is�� the Heroes Hall?" The Chairman stared with widened eyes and astonishment. As a person born in Soraka Mountain, he clearly knew where this place was. The Heroes Hall was a space that preserved the sculptures and records of all the heroes of Soraka Mountain. Almost everyone had come to admire the heroes here. However, they would never have thought that there would be such a secret passageway.


    Cough. Rhode let out a cough to snap the Chairman out of his daze. The Chairman turned around and gazed at the young man in doubt. "Who exactly are you?"


    The Chairman had been thinking of this question and he finally asked. After all, Rhode knew too much.


    Without a doubt, the Chairman didn''t know that there were these other secrets in Soraka Mountain.


    Rhode didn''t answer the Chairman. He knocked on his mask and swayed the pocket watch before the Chairman''s face.


    His intentions were clear-cut.


    We have no time.


    "��" The Chairman stared at the black mask on the young man''s face as though he was trying to seek out any information. However, he let out a sigh and said, "Don''t think that I''m unaware of your intentions, Young Man. I am more familiar with this place than you. I know who wishes to change, dominate, and destroy it. This is our land�� yet, it doesn''t belong to us entirely."


    The Chairman lifted his head. "But we won''t shiver in the corner and let them decide our fate."


    The elderly man turned around and strode forward. His voice was filled with unprecedented dignity. "Follow me. I don''t know how many of them are plotting against me. Maybe they will kill me instantly once they see me."


    Rhode squinted his eyes before turning towards the three young ladies behind him. "We have completed the first step of our mission. Listen carefully; we will not know what''s going to happen next. Just like the Chairman said, there are several forces here and we''ve touched on merely the first layer of all things. No matter if it''s the Undead or the Country of Light Parliament, it will not be that simple."


    Soraka Mountain was in a chaotic situation before. However, the problem was because Rhode wasn''t in Soraka Mountain at that point in time. Soraka Mountain in that period of time was considered to be unfamiliar to Rhode and the clues that were obtained through historical pieces of evidence in the future were not necessarily useful here. In fact, if Rhode didn''t come, the Chairman would most likely be killed and the plan for Soraka Mountain to align with the Country of Darkness would be approved. However, what was the initial motive in this? Just because the Country of Light bullied Soraka Mountain? Rhode didn''t think that things were this simple. Using the power of the masses and complying with their way of thinking was righteous. However, this wasn''t their original intentions. Sometimes, motivation and state of affairs were fundamentally unrelated.


    "Lize, Marlene, do you two know about the purpose of the Supervisor?"


    "?" Both the young ladies exchanged looks and shook their heads.


    "I''m not sure, Rhode," Marlene said with puckered brows.


    "Sister never told me anything about the Supervisor. Sorry, Mr. Rhode," Lize rested her hand against her chin.


    The position of the Supervisor of the Munn Kingdom had always been a mystery to the players because after the official announcement of official ranks in the Munn Kingdom, the Supervisor was second only to the Duke. However, its specific role and responsibility weren''t explained at all.


    Rhode had once received a chance to gain this position. However, the war broke out and Soraka Mountain was annexed entirely by the Country of Darkness. As a result, the Supervisor position had lost its meaning.


    Rhode pondered for a moment. "Marlene, Lize, and Anne. I want all of you to return to the path that we took. But don''t leave the secret passageway for now and we shall keep in touch�� I don''t know why, but I have a bad hunch."


    The atmosphere was chilly and a deep breath could leave one gasping for more air. Rhode wasn''t sure if this was his misconception because he felt as though the entire Soraka Mountain was extraordinarily constrained.


    Rhode knew that the return of the Chairman would definitely cause an uproar. However, this strange feeling far exceeded those in the usual, small-scale conflicts. He felt such emotions only when he faced powerful BOSSes in large-scale battles in the game.


    "Get Viktor and his men to back off anytime. By the way, help him get rid of that worm," Rhode wasn''t concerned about the Giant Megadrile because Viktor had similar capabilities to himself. In addition to Marlene, Lize, and Anne, it wouldn''t stand a chance at all. As for the remaining Goblins, he would leave them for Joey''s group to give them some EXP.


    The Chairman arrived at the entrance of the Heroes Hall and turned around to gaze at Rhode. After instructing the trio about the weaknesses and threats of the Giant Megadrile, Rhode closed up the secret hole and arrived by the Chairman''s side.


    At this moment, the loud clock sounded.

 Chapter 475 Misled I

    The clanging of the heavy bells resounded in the entire Mithril Hall and numbed everyone''s ears.


    The parliament meeting was about to begin.


    The parliament members stood in the standby room and exchanged anxious glances. Four senior men in red robes stood before them with delightful expressions. "The meeting is about to begin and I think all of you are clear on what to do."


    "��" Some of the parliament members tried to retort, but as soon as they budged, a sharp sword was held against their throats.


    One of the senior men in red robe snapped his fingers and the guards instantly backed off. "I won''t deprive you of your rights to speak. You can speak your mind here. Isn''t this the reason why we''re all here?"


    "Your doings will only bring disaster to Soraka Mountain!" The parliament member groaned furiously as he clenched his fists and glared at the senior men. "You said that relying on the Country of Darkness can ensure our prosperity forever. But have you ever considered that our land is caught right in between the Country of Darkness and Country of Light? A reckless decision like this will put the entire Soraka Mountain into danger!"


    "These are all banal comments. Everyone knows that you have to pay a price to gamble. Besides, we know the reason why we chose the Country of Darkness��" One of the senior men in red robes said loudly and stepped forward. His grandeur shrouded the entire room instantly and forced the berating parliament member a step back. "The Country of Light is an intolerable bully. Their oppression has reached an insatiable level! It is all because of that damned treaty that we have to sell a portion of our minerals to them every year. But what about those greedy bastards? They don''t even sell theirs at their cost price! Everyone, we are clear on how many times we have been ''robbing Peter to pay Paul'' in order to compensate the miners. Soraka Mountain exports astronomical amount of crystal ores every year, but why are some miners not fed properly? Why is this happening? They demand an answer from me, so it''s my turn to question you. Who is it to blame?"


    The senior man swung his arm with might. "It''s those damned, greedy bastards from the Country of Light that depressed the prices wantonly. Did they say anything when we sold our minerals to them at a low price? All they did was to complain that we provided too little of our minerals in comparison to the Country of Darkness and claimed that we were the lackeys of the Country of Darkness. They asserted that we betrayed humans! The damned mouths of those bastards! They squeezed every drop of our blood and sweat and accused us instead! Did we work so hard for a living just to be humiliated and treated as slaves by them?!"


    "This is definitely a problem and no one here denied it!" The parliament member stepped forward once again. "I don''t deny the fact that the Country of Light has indeed given Soraka Mountain a lot of problems. But this is politics! Which requires compromise and negotiations! It isn''t as simple as just joining the side that your enemies hate! Indeed, we are disgusted by the Country of Light. But, what about the Country of Darkness? Is their willingness to purchase our minerals at fair, equitable market price all for the sake of great reputation? My fellow parliament members, we have encountered plenty of humans that escaped from the Country of Darkness. That nation is for the Undead and the Humans there have no status whatsoever. In there, Humans are merely slaves, untouchables, and their corpses can''t even find peace. They will turn into a member of the undead forever after the end of their lives to serve the evil presences. Haven''t you thought that if we chose to join the Country of Darkness, we will also face the same treatment? No! Perhaps we won''t since the Undead treat their subordinates kindly. If we are willing to give up our pride as humans and pray for a false eternal life, perhaps we can turn into a Lich or Vampire. But what about the rest? If we accept the protection of the Country of Darkness, what will happen to the Humans?"


    He took half a step forward with puckered brows. "Indeed, I admit that the Country of Light has given us a hard time with their avariciousness. But don''t forget that due to our neutral position, the Country of Darkness will act in accordance with what we say because they know that we are Humans. Although those maggots from the Country of Light are disgusting, you have to admit that we will still lean towards Light and Life in the face of death. If the Country of Darkness lowers their prices and squeeze out every drop of our resources and manpower like the Country of Light, we will definitely still choose the Country of Light. The goodwill of the Country of Darkness is all perhaps for this moment. We will lose our independence if we rely on the Country of Darkness for protection and we will end up in the same fate as the Humans in their country!"


    The man raised both arms emotionally. "Can''t you see that this is a trap? We can''t loosen our grip even if our hands are full of sharp thorns. This is much better than jumping into a nest of vipers!"


    "Of course we are clear of the problem that you said," the senior in red robe sighed slightly and his expression was filled with some unprecedented fatigue. "We are all parliament members who work hard for this land. How can I not understand my fellow workers? As a matter of fact, I''m aware of this too. There is a lot of power behind the decisions that we have made. They may not be happy, but they will certainly be shaken. We are risking our citizens, but��"


    He gritted his teeth and gazed at the fully armored guard. "We don''t have much time left."


    "What do you mean?" The parliament members were taken aback. In fact, this was the first time they had met these rebellious colleagues. Ever since the Chairman went missing, they had been controlled separately where they couldn''t speak and could only stay in their own homes. Although these people had their own ways of making inquiries, they were only able to hear the vague details.


    "I know what you are thinking. I can swear that we did not conspire to murder the Chairman. But�� sometimes, we have to make certain choices to avoid bigger sacrifices," the senior in red robe spread his arms apart.


    "�� The danger is approaching as we speak. We don''t have much time and we have to make a decision. You are right that we will sink into eternal danger if we seek protection from the Darkness. But��" he paused for a moment, "if we are on the verge of perishing, we will not have the chance to experience the eternal danger anymore."


    "What do you mean by this?"


    "Explain yourself!"


    "We want to know the answer!"


    "Please tell us the truth!"


    The parliament members yelled as they knew something was amiss. It seemed ridiculous enough to the parliament members that the parliament''s decision this time hadn''t gone through negotiations with the Country of Darkness. But now��


    At this moment, a vigorous voice sounded. "Let me tell you!"


    Everyone lifted their heads as the Chairman pushed the door open and entered the room. "Mr. Chairman!"


    The Chairman nodded before gazing at Rhode behind him. "It''s good enough that I can make it back. It seems that I have disappointed some people here."


    The Chairman glared at the four seniors in red robes. However, the seniors didn''t cower and they continued to gaze at the Chairman with firm, incomparable faith as though they were vile characters who had turned into mighty heroes.


    "I can tell you the truth�� No, I should say that if there weren''t all these troubles, I would have told the truth earlier." The Chairman paused before striding to the middle of the room. He gazed at his colleagues and subordinates. "In fact, Parmal''s group reported a matter to me a few months ago��" The Chairman sighed before turning to Rhode and lowering his head. "He told me that the Sealed Aperture had begun to loosen."


    "��" There were no responses. Everyone stared with widened eyes while Rhode knitted his brows.


    Sealed Aperture.


    Whether this phrase was heard in game or reality, mission or dungeon, it was a cause for alarm. In fact, there were two system prompts which players feared the most. One of it was the [XX BOSS is turning berserk], while the other was the [Discovered a Sealed Aperture].


    Although both phrases had different meanings, they would usually lead to only one result��Wipe Out.


    The Chairman continued to explain. "Parmal''s group had the intentions of relying on the Dark Dragon''s powers. However, I disagreed. We have successive generations on this piece of land and we are equipped with the ability to protect it�� Besides, using its future as a price to pay is too high and we can''t afford to risk it. This isn''t sacrificing only our generation, but eternal despair��"


    "B-But�� Mr. Chairman��" Another parliament member spoke in a frightened and concerned tone. "W-We��"


    "I have decided." Before his colleague finished his sentence, the Chairman gestured. "The meeting has begun, so let''s go!"


    The Chairman nodded towards Rhode. "Thank you very much for your help. But this is all that I can say for now."


    The Chairman entered the passage on the other end while Rhode stood on the spot, staring at his back.


    At this moment, he finally realized that things weren''t that simple.


    Just as Rhode had predicted, the motivation and existing state of affairs had no relations at all. The Chairman and Rhode had heard their disputes before entering the room and as expected, the Country of Light''s oppression was only an excuse. Or perhaps, this was an excuse that would be much easier to accept. Sometimes, excuses could be used to conceal one''s true intentions. Right now, Rhode could conclude that Soraka Mountain''s Parliament used this matter as an excuse in order to cover up the truth from the Country of Light and Country of Darkness. As for the citizens, this excuse would be much easier for them to accept.


    So, what exactly was the truth that this excuse was covering up?


    Rhode wasn''t sure. He inferred from the game''s development in the past, but it seemed that this matter was far more complicated. Soraka Mountain''s Parliament wasn''t compelled to make this decision. But, although it seemed that they were compelled to, at least the reasons didn''t stem from the Country of Light and Country of Darkness. Instead, Soraka Mountain seemed to be consciously exploiting both countries'' powers and risking a gamble.


    What exactly was Soraka Mountain''s Parliament thinking about? As the Chairman had said, he wouldn''t gamble the future of this land no matter what disaster entailed�� But, if there wasn''t a future, what did that mean?


    This was as though the earth was about to be swallowed by a black hole and if aliens arrived to rescue them with the conditions that the earthlings would become the aliens'' slaves. Would they agree to it?


    Suddenly, Rhode shivered from head to toe at this thought.


    Rhode recalled something almost inexplicably. That was the future when the Country of Darkness invaded the Munn Kingdom. The Munn Kingdom retreated in defeat under the overwhelming forces of the Undead and Royal Highness Lydia had to step in to stabilize the war. At that moment, the Dark Dragon retreated for a full day and no one knew what it was up to. Afterwards, some players who were heading to Soraka Mountain reported that Soraka Mountain had been destroyed totally. This turned Soraka Mountain into a laughing stock in the forums and to the players, these idiots chose to join the Country of Darkness and were eliminated entirely by them. What a bunch of morons.


    But was this true?


    An indescribable cold air flowed from beneath his feet to the top of his head.


    Soraka Mountain was located at the common border between the Dark and Light Dragon Souls and the land contained an abundance of magical crystals. However, there was nothing strange about it because the magical powers by such a chaotic border were usually extraordinary. Due to this reason, the people born in Soraka Mountain were perhaps born with some elemental powers. However, the order stability of Soraka Mountain was rare and unique of its kind.


    The Dark Dragon and Light Dragon each conquered one-third of land on this continent and the common border between them spread indefinitely. Why was Soraka Mountain receiving such exceptional advantages?


    Was it natural? Or artificial?


    Rhode and several players had always thought that Soraka Mountain was naturally lucky in geographical location. However, the Chairman''s words seemed to deny this assumption as it was apparent that the Soraka Mountain possessed corresponding stable environmental factors. Due to a certain seal, the common borders had been on the benefiting end which secured them a stable mountainous region.


    Something that was sealed and could provide a certain order to this common boundary that was known to be chaotic. Could it be��


    Rhode clenched his fists and glared at the Chairman''s back.


    If Rhode had heard of this news slightly earlier, he would''ve murdered the Chairman with no hesitation and forced the Country of Darkness to bear the responsibility. But�� he couldn''t do it now. What about the Munn Kingdom? Was Royal Highness Lydia really unaware of this at all? The Supervisor�� That position had always been strange. Now it seemed that this so-called Supervisor wasn''t monitoring the region, but was monitoring something else here?


    If Royal Highness Lydia knew everything that is happening, why did she send me here?


    Or perhaps, there is something that I''m unaware but Royal Highness Lydia is fully aware of?


    Rhode placed his finger by his lips and commanded resolutely. "Marlene, retreat immediately."

 Chapter 476 Misled II

    "��!"


    The Giant Megadrile let out a shriek and crashed to the ground heavily. Viktor sheathed his sword and heaved a sigh of relief. He flung his hair and patted off the filthy dust on his clothes. Although this Megadrile was powerful, it wasn''t strong enough for this Master Swordsman. Moreover, with the help of Marlene and the other young ladies, they ended its life even quicker.


    It seemed that the Chairman has been escorted safely to his destination and we have completed our mission. What''s next?


    "Mr. Viktor," Marlene called out for Viktor and the latter turned around with a friendly smile. "What''s wrong, Miss Marlene?"


    "There is something important, Mr. Viktor," Marlene replied with a dubious look. She pondered for a moment before continuing. "Rhode has an important question for you. He hopes that you can tell us the truth."


    "Oh?" Viktor widened his eyes slightly. After these few days of getting along, he realized that Rhode had a unique method of communicating with his men. He guessed that it must''ve been the works of some usual magical equipment although it would have been almost impossible for Rhode to obtain that many of them. This made Viktor all the more envious. After all, it was extremely crucial to communicate with one''s men at any point in time. Viktor had even considered approaching Rhode to request for similar magical equipment after the completion of this mission.


    But he left this request for the future.


    Viktor threw that affair to the back of his head before gazing at Marlene. Even though they didn''t interact for a long time, Viktor knew that Rhode wasn''t a man of many words. Since Rhode had something to ask him and he had specially gotten Miss Marlene to pass the message, it showed that there must be some progression to the situation��just that he wasn''t aware if it was good or bad news. "No problem, what''s the question?"


    "Mr. Rhode wants to know what your guild has done upon arriving in Soraka Mountain? What exactly is your mission?"


    "This��" Viktor was lost for words as he scratched his hair for an answer. On the other hand, the beautiful young lady revealed an equally confused expression as she couldn''t understand why was Rhode asking about this.


    "Just as Mr. Rhode is aware, our guild is here to gather information on Soraka Mountain seeking protection from the Country of Darkness and we must offer help when needed�� That''s all��" Viktor shrugged his shoulders as he had no reasons to lie. After all, no matter how much the King''s Party trusted him, he was only a guild leader and Royal Highness Lydia wouldn''t necessarily appoint his guild to complete the other tasks. Moreover, if it weren''t for the special circumstances that regular military personnel from the other representative regions couldn''t enter, Viktor wouldn''t have sent his mercenaries here. This way, even if they were exposed, their true mercenary identities could save them from suspicion. "Oh yes, Royal Highness Lydia also appointed me to deliver a letter."


    "Letter?" Rhode''s heart pounded fiercely as he listened to Marlene''s descriptions. It felt as though he had found a crucial clue in the game. This wasn''t a conclusion through logical thinking, but more of the instinct of an experienced player. "What letter? Who is it for?"


    "I''m not too sure about the specific details. Royal Highness Lydia ordered me to deliver it to a person called the ''Supervisor'' in this city�� I delivered the letter accordingly and nothing strange happened later on. Then, we continued with our mission," Viktor finished his sentence and observed Marlene as she spoke to her slender fingers by her lips. The young lady shook her head and gazed at Viktor. "Thank you, Mr. Viktor. Rhode thinks that there is going to be some trouble ahead. In order to prevent any accidents, he wishes that you retreat as soon as possible. We will also leave after our headcount."


    "So soon?" Viktor was startled. Why would Rhode give such an order? Could it be that there are some changes to the situations? No, his words seemed to signify that there would be some troubles. But, shouldn''t I stay around to observe too? Or�� "I understand. I will get prepared now," Viktor nodded immediately. At least for now, Viktor had completed his part and perhaps Rhode had received new orders from Royal Highness Lydia. After all, this young man seemed to have an extraordinary background and he might be the representative of those stubborn people in the Eastern Plain. Viktor knew that he shouldn''t probe matters that he shouldn''t know especially since there wasn''t anything else required of him.


    Viktor turned around swiftly and walked towards the other side of the corridor. Marlene gazed as his figure disappeared by the corner and heaved a sigh of relief. She lifted her head with a stern expression. "Inform Joey and Randolf to gather their men. We have to return to the Fortress as quickly as possible!"


    Rhode placed his right hand down and caressed the mask on his face quietly. He approached the passageway on the other end of the standby room. The guards were wary as they witnessed Rhode''s arrival. However, they allowed him through as the Chairman had warned them that the masked man in black was their special guest.


    Rhode sauntered to the passageway entrance beside the guards and stood before the banister that overlooked the venue below. The parliament members were seated while the Chairman narrated recent happenings in his resonant voice. However, this was only the opening speech and they hadn''t entered the main highlight of this meeting.


    Rhode disregarded the Chairman''s words as he couldn''t care less about the decision of Soraka Mountain. Instead. his attention was shifting around the representatives as he searched for the source of uncertainty that he felt.


    Rhode was taken aback as several of the representatives were ones he had met in the game. He had once interacted with almost two-thirds of the people present. Some of them were his enemies and allies�� And all these people had pasts that were out of the ordinary.


    The two black figures that sat in the corner gathered the most of Rhode''s attention: Di-Catlerini. He was one of the most talented Vampires. His life was made up of legendary stories and he could almost be counted as a Conspirator. He was once a human who worked as a slave under a Vampire Mage. Soon, the Vampire Mage realized Di''s talents in spells and promoted him to his disciple. Although this seemed to be a future with great prospects, Di knew clearly that his master only longed for his blood that was packed with magical powers. And indeed, this young man was indeed something else. During his days serving as ''food'' for his master, he behaved as though he were truly addicted to blood-sucking. He slowly gained his master''s trust and finally received the highest glory that mortals could achieve. The gifted blood from the Vampire and an eternal life.


    However, this was only the start. Not only did his prominent magical talent surpass his master, but his abilities did too. Coincidentally, his master died in a ''sudden'' failed magical experiment. Di took over the prestigious title as a matter of course and rose to the elite ranks in the Country of Darkness successfully.


    He wasn''t only great in magic, but also great at utilizing them. He could be said to be a military counselor. In the massive ''Orchid Ravine Battle'', ''Raymond''s Major Defeat'' and the most famous ''Five-night Battle'', this young man was commanding from the backlines. The Country of Light paid painful prices, especially in the ''Five-night Battle'' where they had almost collapsed entirely. If it weren''t for Rhode who led the players to rise in revolt all the way to the north, perhaps the Country of Light''s Parliament would have been defeated entirely by the Country of Darkness.


    The Undead Knight beside him shouldn''t be belittled either: ''Viper''s Fang'' Elena. Rumor had it that she was once the subordinate of a Vampire Mage and she possessed valiant swordsmanship. She was responsible for overseeing humans such as Di and Di fell in love with her. However, after Di became a Vampire, Elena had already passed on. Di dug her out from her grave and revived her as an Undead Knight. This became a dark love story in the Country of Darkness. But come to think of it, a romance between a Vampire and an Undead seemed rather romantic.


    But both of them shouldn''t be disregarded as Rhode clearly sensed their deadly aura which signified that they were powerful presences that had entered the Legendary Stage. However��


    Rhode knitted his brows. He recalled that this Conspirator had been in his Mage Pagoda ever since he seized the throne. All the way until the start of the second conquering war, he depended on his original ''Death Reincarnation'' and received the likings of the Dark Dragon and became its capable subordinate. Why would he come to a place like Soraka Mountain? Could it be that he was on a honeymoon with his zombie girlfriend?


    On the other side, the beautiful Moon Elf was an equally difficult character: ''Sky Arrow'' Corina, the younger sister of the Elf Queen and also the leader of the Pegasus Knights. She possessed the legendary ''Blue Heavens Bow'' that countless Archer and Ranger players yearned for. This weapon could silence the holder''s attacks, deal critical damage to Demons and Devils, increase the holder''s shooting range, and also conform with the moon to blast the AOE skill ''Heavenly Meteor''. In the entire continent, only the ultimate legendary weapon ''Corona'' could surpass it. Rhode recalled that this beautiful Elf lady had always been gentle and reliable. However, now, she was gazing at the Chairman with frowns and uncertainty. It seemed as though she hadn''t experienced the later war which would make her fully mature. Even though Corina was in the Legendary Stage now, Rhode didn''t spot the ''Blue Heavens Bow'' that was always by her side. This proved that this Elf Lady wasn''t capable of becoming the leader of the famous ''Pegasus Knights'' yet.


    This was the first time that Rhode felt this strange emotion as he gazed at everyone below him. That was an unprecedented sense of superiority. These people had no idea of their fate, but Rhode knew of both their pasts and futures. He could even describe the growth, experience, and fate of everyone present here. He knew that the Elf who was knitting her brows now would be a legendary figure in the future while the Vampire that was displaying a harmless smile would be a terrifying presence that the human army would run away from after hearing his name. He also knew that the Dwarf who was grinding his teeth and pouting as he stroked his large beard would be the King of the Dwarves three years later. At this moment, there were so many rising stars gathered in this little hall and the thrilling part of this was that they weren''t aware of their futures at all.


    Maybe this was why so-called fortune tellers were usually high and mighty?


    Rhode enjoyed this brief happiness for a while before shifting his attention to the few presences that he couldn''t recognize.


    That''s an Angel.


    An Angel from the Munn Kingdom.


    Rhode saw the flag hanging on the wall behind her seat. He was familiar with everyone except this woman. She had a refined and beautiful appearance, but strangely, Rhode couldn''t sense the strong powers that Angels should be born with naturally. Her eyes were closed as though she were blind and she was listening attentively to the Chairman''s speech.


    So, she must be the Supervisor? Royal Highness Lydia''s letter is dedicated to her?


    As Rhode was pondering, the Angel turned around as though she sensed something.


    "��!" In this instant, Rhode felt an unspeakable sense of disgust. He held down the hilt of his daggers by his waist using all his might and forced down the explosive murderous intent within himself. He turned around and pretended to gaze to the side. After a few moments, he calmed down gradually.


    So close��


    Rhode sucked in a deep breath. His murderous intent came too suddenly. She was a beautiful Angel and this was the first time he had met her. However, Rhode felt as though he had just met a foe that had killed his entire family. He had the urge to unsheath his daggers and slash her apart instantly�� Where did this sense of vengeance come from?


    If it weren''t for Rhode''s rich experience to shift his intent almost instantly, everyone in the venue would''ve noticed him. After all, there were six to seven figures in the Legendary Stage here. If his murderous intent erupted, perhaps those figures would''ve misunderstood and think that Rhode was targeting them.


    Ever since Rhode came to this world, he had seen countless Angels. To be frank, this was the first time Rhode had met an Angel he hated at first sight. However, if this was the Angel''s unique ability, why didn''t others harbor such hate towards her too? Apart from those in the Legendary Stage, ordinary humans surely shouldn''t possess such determination. Rhode scanned the guards by the side and discovered their respect and admiration towards the Angel. This should''ve been the most ordinary behavior.


    Could it be that my aesthetic conception has changed? But it shouldn''t be this extreme, right?


    "�� Next�� Regarding Soraka Mountain seeking protection from the Country of Darkness," the Chairman stood to his feet. "�� I, as the Chairman, veto this proposal."


    "��" Zieg gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly.


    I failed.


    As soon as Zieg witnessed the damned old man before him, he knew that he had no chance to succeed anymore. The Chairman''s decision was absolute and final, and there was no one to overthrow it�� Zieg knew that there was no meaning to send out his written letter because he would soon return to the Country of Light''s Parliament to report his failure.


    Damn it!


    Zieg lowered his head.


    Why? Why did it fail?


    But, at this moment, a voice sounded and hauled Zieg out of the abyssal of despair.


    "Please wait, Mr. Chairman!" A parliament member stood up out of the blue. He yelled with a pale face and clenched fists. He gazed at his colleagues around him while gritting his teeth. "We�� We, parliament, think that more consideration should be given to this proposal!"


    The Chairman''s expression sunk slightly.


    Apart from the Chairman, the others in Mithril Hall revealed various emotions. Di twitched his brows slightly and displayed a graceful smile. He changed his posture so ever gently as though he were a VIP admiring the stage show coming to the climax in the opera house.


    Corina puckered her brows as her expression tensed once again. The Elf-lady gazed forward with uncertainty, at the same time, whispering to her maidservant beside her.


    On the other hand, a Dwarf occupying two seats and carrying an ax shook his head from side to side while mumbling. Apart from them, the other representatives had begun to whisper in each other''s ears.


    After all, these representatives of various forces were dispatched in Soraka Mountain and they clearly knew of the parliament regulations. The Chairman''s decision was final. However, in order to prevent monopolization of powers, the decision could only be reconsidered if all parliament members rejected the Chairman''s decision.


    Everyone was clear that it didn''t only affect Soraka Mountain if they sought protection from the Country of Darkness. It would affect the entire continent. This was the reason why the representatives were gathered here. Although they had perceived these state of affairs to a certain extent, it was still best to hear it for themselves and view the confirmation in black and white for political matters.


    The Chairman was back, but the parliament chose to betray?


    "��" The Chairman disregarded the chatters as he gazed at the parliament members. He let out a long sigh and said in a deflated tone. "Fine, we�� shall re-examine."


    Rhode sensed as though the elderly man had become visibly feeble and the strength that supported him back here had seemed to vanish. Then, the Chairman lifted his head once again. "Madam Supervisor, we hope you can participate in this deliberation."


    "No problem." The Angel with her eyes shut stood up and nodded slightly. She, along with the parliament members, disappeared into the other end of the corridor.


    Rhode finally let loose of his grip on the hilt.


    His knuckles had paled.


    That woman��


    Rhode had never expected this feeling where he desired to kill a woman just from hearing her voice. What exactly is happening?


    Also��


    Rhode glanced towards the meeting hall.


    What''s going to happen next?

 Chapter 477 Misled III

    The young lady sat on the steps while strumming the lute with her delicate, slender hands gracefully. The beautiful melody resounded in the room along with her movements and in an instant, it felt as though the entire world had been filled with mellifluous melody. The birds on the branches by the window admired the wonderful chords silently.


    The melody was like a soft, clear stream meandering through the forest. But, it soon turned into boundless waves as though a leisurely floating boat on a river had met a storm. It struggled to hang on under swelling waves and whirlpools, but the waves eventually engulfed the little boat. The boat was tossed into the air and was dragged back down immediately. However, no matter how ferocious the waves were, the boat continued to stay afloat�� until the storm weakened and the sky cleared gradually. The blue sky and dazzling sun enveloped Mother Earth while the peaceful boat welcomed the warm sun rays��


    "Your music is as melodious as always, Gaya," Lydia squinted and smiled at the young lady before her kindly. The golden sun rays spilled in the window and illuminated Lydia''s dewy skin, which deflected a layer of faint halo. The translucent silk muslin around her body displayed her incomparably elegant curves vaguely.


    "Thank you for your compliment, Your Highness." The young lady named Gaya lowered her head gracefully. "This, after all, is only a story�� And it is merely impossible in reality�� No matter how hard one tries, it is extremely difficult for a small boat to survive a storm."


    "But it is still possible, right?" Lydia caressed Gaya''s cheek gently. She lifted the young lady''s chin and gazed into her pitch-black, serene eyes.


    "If the performer herself carries no hope, the ''seven-stringed zither'' in your hands will be devastated. Besides�� Beauty isn''t the only way of living. Surviving the storm and basking in the sun once again is a natural display of beauty. However, even if the boat sank and disappeared into the deep ocean, it is equally a silent, yet shattered beauty. Even though one is overcome by the reality of fate, the spirit in struggling until the end and the unwillingness to sink is also a kind of enchanting beauty. The sense of despair in the face of death and heroic mentality to hang on is equally fascinating��"


    "Does Your Highness thinks that fate can be changed?" The young lady gazed at the Duchess before her silently.


    "This isn''t something that I can decide on. The beauty of fate lies in its uncertainty. Besides, if fate has been decided, one will still move on with different routes that one chooses. Although the routes end up in the same destination, the scenery is unique. Calming one''s mind and enjoying the gift of fate is also extremely important��" Lydia paused for a moment. "Furthermore, in the face of blazing emotions, perhaps one will still be lost in the flames and fog even though it is eventually the route of fate."


    "Your Highness��"


    "Emotions are flames that bring us warmth and a sense of security. But it can also bring darkness and dangers. We can never leave its side because it is a way for us to experience the life that we are living. An ice-cold world without emotions is as though a wilderness without vitality. That is a kind of desolation and a heart-rending charm." Lydia looked at the musician''s slightly uneasy expression.


    "Your Highness, is it really fine? A little inattentiveness in Soraka Mountain and there will be huge problems."


    "Don''t worry, Gaya. Although the matter depends on individuals, we shouldn''t be overhasty. I have done what I can, but�� We can never fathom emotions. One can never predict everyone''s thoughts and actions. After all, you''re not the person and I''m not too. Moreover, although the situation seems to be fine, the Reformist Party is still a cause for worry. I can''t leave Golden City and head to Soraka Mountain just like this. If not, this will get out of control." The young Duchess displayed a gentle smile. "Alright, don''t put up a bitter face anymore. You don''t want to waste such a pretty little face. Besides, I do have some ideas up my sleeves. I sent someone capable of clearing up the mess there. Come to think of it, this person is also from your hometown, Gaya."


    "I have never heard of someone called ''Rhode Alander'' from the Eastern Plains. Your Highness, although he performed strikingly in the Midsummer Festival, I think he is just a liar who has concealed his identity. Please be careful of him," Gaya cautioned as she gripped her musical instrument.


    "You can''t say that, Gaya. Everyone has their own secrets. Besides�� I am somewhat aware of his background." Lydia squinted her eyes slightly.


    "Eh?" Gaya was taken aback.


    Lydia laid back on the couch and shut her eyes. "Can I listen to another song, Gaya? The part on the Star Chapter in the Creation Poem."


    "No problem, Your Highness," Gaya nodded and adjusted her seating position. Then, the graceful music and the young lady''s melodious voice rang in Lydia''s ears. "The lost travelers under the boundless sky��"


    An unstable atmosphere was brewing in Mithril Hall.


    Rhode stood by the staircase on the second floor while observing the venue below with knitted brows. He didn''t enter the standby room with the Supervisor. Although he knew that they were debating on a life and death problem, Rhode had no interest in minding this unimportant issue to him. On the contrary, he had a hunch that Lydia had sent him here for another purpose. Even though he couldn''t find the reason, he sensed that the situation wasn''t this simple based on his relationship with Royal Highness Lydia in the game.


    Rhode held onto Lydia''s letter in the folds of his clothes. There wasn''t anything special in the contents of this letter. Apart from ordering Rhode to take over the mission and escort the Chairman back safely, there were also orders on how to manage the developments of the situation in Soraka Mountain. On the surface, although these words seemed extremely normal, Rhode felt that there must be some mysterious principle behind it.


    It was hard for Rhode to determine whether his instinct was right. After all, he was clear that Royal Highness Lydia had the tendency to let matters take their own course. There were many times when Lydia appointed a goal for her men and allowed them to complete the task however they wanted. She would evaluate the results and as this Duchess was well known for her tough ''aesthetical logic'', one would be unpleasant to her eyes if one''s method was overly messy or barbaric. Considering this perspective, the meaning behind Lydia''s letter surely was to allow Rhode to handle the troublesome matters that were about to happen in Soraka Mountain. If that were the case, this was a huge responsibility.


    Does Royal Highness Lydia think that highly of me?


    Although Rhode had been in this world for a long time, his thinking as a gamer hadn''t changed too much. According to him, his prestige in the Munn Kingdom was most likely around the ''Friend'' or ''Respectl'' level. He could forget about ''Worship'', not to mention ''Reverence''. For a mission like this that could determine the future of the Munn Kingdom, surely he would require at least ''Respect'' level and above.


    Or perhaps, she found something out?


    Rhode shifted his attention to the twin daggers by his waist. From the start, Rhode didn''t ponder too much about these two magical weapons that Lydia had gifted him. After all, it matched Royal Highness Lydia''s nature for her to present a wonderful reward to Rhode for his efforts, However, ever since Celia and Celestina pointed out that these two daggers belonged to the Holy Sword Card Deck, Rhode had a thought regarding their identity.


    Is Royal Highness Lydia aware of something? If not, why would she give me two weapons of the Holy Sword Card Deck so ''coincidentally''? These two daggers don''t make sense since I have always been using a single-handed sword. Royal Highness Lydia clearly knew about this and she purposely gifted two daggers. Double-handed swordsmanship and single-handed swordsmanship are totally different at times.


    Is this pure coincidence, or��


    Rhode shivered slightly. For unknown reasons, he realized that the surroundings had turned colder. He lifted his head subconsciously and gazed outside the window, but a mist had blocked his vision.


    Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the standby room felt as though it was a gunpowder bucket that was about to erupt.


    "If the seal is truly broken, we don''t stand a chance in stopping that hateful presence from coming back to this world!" One of the parliament members yelled as he brandished his arms.


    "That is only a folklore!" The Chairman glared at the man and he realized that several of the members'' thoughts had wavered. However, not all the parliament members had decided to go against his orders. The next issue was how he could convince them. Actually, this was a dilemma. No one was willing to live under the domination of the Undead Creatures. But if they couldn''t maintain themselves now, their future would be equally meaningless.


    This was a choice. A choice for the future or present.


    Of course, they would lose their most precious possession no matter how they chose and there was no way out for the people in Soraka Mountain''s Parliament right now. They sat on their chairs while clenching their fists tightly. After a few moments, one of them spoke in uncertainty. "I understand your views, Mr. Chairman. But, I''m really worried. Therefore, I would like to ask if you have any solutions for this upcoming disaster?"


    "According to the Supervisor, from the loosening of the Seal to the opening of the Aperture, it will take at least one to two years." Regarding this issue, the Chairman had thought about it since a long time back.


    "But we do have a solution. I guess all of you have forgotten that our ancestors once passed on a ''protection'' to us for this matter. We spent countless manpower and finances over these centuries just for this day. I have decided to activate the Plane of Existence Ritual Circle immediately."


    "What you mean is��" Another member stood to his feet as he clenched his fists.


    "This is a very dangerous thing to do, Mr. Chairman! The Ritual Circle that our ancestors passed on will smash the Sealed Aperture and destabilize the Order! For so many years, the Order of Soraka Mountain has been weakening and strange weather and occasional earthquakes are the proof! If we activate the Ritual Circle to smash the Sealed Aperture, the entire Soraka Mountain will sink into utter chaos! Even if we manage to secure the Order, it is hard to determine if the remaining portions are able to support our survival!"


    "But this is a solution that our ancestors had left for us, after all," the Chairman replied firmly. In fact, this was Soraka Mountain''s secret. On this continent, only a handful knew why the Soraka Mountain could survive perfectly between the two Dragon Souls. This was because there was an unprecedented, massive monster sealed below them. The monster was so powerful that it required both Dragon Souls to banish and seal it entirely. Its formidable powers were enough to neutralize most of the Chaos Forcefield even though it laid sealed. This was the reason why humans could live here peacefully.


    If the Aperture was crushed by the Ritual Circle, it would mean that the monster''s strength would be weakened. This would also mean that the powers to protect this region would be crippled. No one could promise that the Chaos Forcefield wouldn''t restore itself and devour all of them.


    How ironic. Humans sealed the monsters they were afraid of, and yet, they wished to manipulate it to maintain their own safety.


    "The Sealed Aperture will weaken its strength. But don''t ever forget that its strength is also slowly increasing," the Chairman gestured with a stern expression. "I hope all of you don''t forget why the monster''s strength was so weak when it was first sealed and yet, our ancestors managed to survive in this unstable environment. As of now, its powers are growing day by day. Even though our land is graced by the Chaos Forcefield�� We have become timid. We have lost our courage to face disasters. What are all of you worried about? Indeed, smashing the Aperture will weaken the monster and we may face a chaotic disaster that we have never faced before. But this will only happen once and time will slowly pass. We will get back on our feet and overcome the tests. We do not need to betray our present or future. All we need to do is to stay determined with the pride of ourselves as the people of Soraka Mountain."


    The Chairmen caught his breath and as though he had decided, he continued. "Without a doubt, I know what all of you are thinking and I understand your concerns. Therefore, if our Ritual Circle failed�� I will head to the Country of Darkness and seek their protection myself."


    "Mr. Chairman��" Everyone stared in disbelief. They knew exactly how much sacrifice and determination was entailed in those words.


    "It doesn''t matter if I get to keep my pride. I can just admit that I''m senile at the very least, but as long as Soraka Mountain can continue to survive, it doesn''t matter." The Chairman lifted his head and gazed at everyone.


    "Now, does anyone have any objections?"


    No one spoke.


    All the parliament members lowered their heads in shame. They were reminded of the responsibilities and beliefs that they used to uphold. But now, they felt that this was good enough.


    At this moment, a voice broke the silence.


    "Have you decided?" The Chairman gazed towards the Angel who stood by the door silently. He pondered for a few seconds before nodding his head firmly. "Yes, I''ve decided, Madam Supervisor."


    Then, the ground shook.

 Chapter 478 Misled IV

    Earthquake?


    Rhode held onto the handrail as the ground shook his feet. The crowd below were unperturbed, as they were powerful presences that had entered the Legendary Stage. Meanwhile, the guards beside him remained calm and didn''t seem to react to the earthquake.


    "Do earthquakes occur often here?" Rhode asked one of the guards. He couldn''t recall that Soraka Mountain was prone to earthquakes. However, the guards seemed to be used to such a magnitude of an earthquake, which was somewhat strange. The guard turned around and responded respectfully. "It isn''t the case, Sir. The earthquakes have only begun quite recently. Their durations were usually short and with low magnitudes, so everyone has gotten used to it."


    "Oh? Since when did the earthquakes start to happen occasionally?"


    "About two to three months back�� Come to think of it, it has been quite a while."


    If such earthquakes occurred in other regions, perhaps it would be deemed a strange phenomenon. However, it was the opposite for the residents here. After all, they were living in a territory with a Chaos Forcefield that was ever present. Therefore, the residents had gotten used to seeing rain today and snow the next day and earthquakes weren''t worth their worries.


    Earthquake��


    A vague, unusual feeling suddenly came to Rhode''s mind. However, before he was able to figure it out, bells sounded out of the blue and the Chairman led the group of parliament members out of the room.


    It was apparent that they displayed expressions of unity and unswerving determination. Rhode didn''t know what convinced them, but, the ''Mastermind'' of the four senior men in red robes was gazing at the Chairman hopelessly. It seemed that the Chairman''s difficulties had been resolved entirely after twists and turns.


    But even so, Rhode wasn''t assured and he decided to speak to the Chairman after this meeting was over to see if he could fish out some crucial information. After all, this matter involved the life and death of his own territory and once the Country of Light and Country of Darkness began their war, his territory had to bear the brunt of the Undead Army. Although he had Canary and Mini Bubble Gum by his side, he hoped that the war could be delayed. It would be the perfect scenario if he could induce the Country of Darkness to attack the Country of Light fully without implicating him. But this possibility seemed terribly tough. The next precaution was to ensure that his territory would take on the least powerful first wave of attack from the Undead Army. Rhode was clear that the Country of Darkness adopted the tactic of attacking from all sides. They made full use of the conflicts and competitions between the rich, powerful noble families and attacked the Country of Light, which caught them off guard. The Country of Light misunderstood that those conflicts would only develop into local conflicts and didn''t expect it to backfire on them. After the attack, the scheming Country of Darkness gathered their strength immediately and gave up on parts they couldn''t devour at once. Then, they turned their attention to the parts they had occupied and penetrated even deeper. Afterward, with the sleepless powers unique to the Undead, they marched at their fastest pace to encircle and devour their enemies'' panicking souls.


    This tactic was truly effective. At that point in time, the Country of Light was causing trouble for Lydia. Meanwhile, Lydia, who was occupied with dealing with those maggots in the Munn Kingdom, wasn''t able to withstand the aggression from her enemies. However, as one of the strongest and strangest rulers in the country since ancient times, Lydia reacted swiftly to the raid where she resisted the assail of the Undead Army instantly. On the contrary, the Country of Light Parliament had been a great hindrance to Lydia. As a result, they weren''t aware that their own territory had been devoured by others �� By the time they were notified that their frontlines had almost fallen into the enemy''s hands, only the Munn Kingdom was left alone to struggle.


    As a result, not only did those bastards disregarded the Munn Kingdom as a fort that had defended against the Undead Army, but they were also furious that Lydia''s overly-tough resistance had caused the invasion of their territory by the Undead. They blamed Lydia''s inability to respond appropriately and claimed that she had enraged the Country of Darkness which triggered the Country of Darkness to launch an all-out war with the Country of Light. Not only that, they had even tried to conduct a military trial and list her as the main culprit of this war.


    What in the world was that logic?


    Rhode recalled the moment after his group raided the Country of Light''s Parliament and he couldn''t find the mood to feel angry after reading these record files.


    Afterwards, the Country of Light signed an agreement with the Country of Darkness to secretly assist them in annexing the Munn Kingdom. In exchange, the Country of Darkness would return all the territories that they had occupied in the Country of Light and they would sign an armistice treaty. Shortly after, the Munn Kingdom collapsed entirely under the Country of Light Parliament''s backstab and the Country of Darkness, who annexed the Munn Kingdom''s territory. Then, they launched an all-out attack on the Country of Light after the short ceasefire. Technically speaking, the Country of Darkness didn''t violate the contract because they did ceasefire��tthey merely started another war afterward.


    As for why the Country of Light''s Parliament came up with such an agreement, the players had an explanation that they were blinded by their interests. Some players said that there were traitors in the Country of Light''s Parliament that were planted by the Country of Darkness and brainwashed the majority. Moreover, other players also mentioned that this was just a story flaw by the game designer. Although there were all sorts of guesses, no one knew the true answer apart from the Country of Light''s Parliament themselves.


    Rhode wasn''t confident in the strength of the Country of Light for the upcoming war. Therefore, he knew that he could only rely on himself and even though his mercenaries had improved tremendously through training, they were still far from ready. Although the mercenaries were powerful enough to deal with ordinary troops, they would have a hard time facing the Undead Army. However, their growth was on the right path and ever since the building of this mercenary group, Rhode had consciously chosen missions that were related to the Undead and Demons in order to prep them for this war. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had also been assigning them tasks that dealt with imaginary Undead Creatures as their primary targets and Rhode would have manpower enough to deal with an Undead Army in time.


    In time. That was the most important.


    "We have made a decision, everyone," the Chairman''s voice filled the entire hall. Rhode felt the floor beneath his feet trembling, as though shaken by the Chairman''s loud, resonant voice.


    "Soraka Mountain has decided to reject this proposal. We will continue to live independently and comply with the existing contract! Nothing will change!"


    Zieg''s heart pounded fiercely as he glared at the elderly man on the stage like a furious viper. Although he did expect the possibility of this result, he felt hopeful when the other parliament members stood against the Chairman''s decision. He anticipated that the elderly man would step out of the room with a gray expression and announce his overthrown decision. However, Zieg heard the exact opposite answer. Zieg felt as though his body had been paralyzed as he leaned against his seat. He still had to report his failure to his family. But��


    "��" The trembling of the ground became stronger.


    This was the first time the Chairman revealed a bewildered expression. The violent shaking had long surpassed the standards of ''slight tremors'' and Rhode felt that the floor that he was stepping on was as though a plank floating and swaying on the ocean. Of course, this wasn''t enough to cause panic for Rhode. However, the guards began to scramble and hugged the columns beside them to maintain their balance. Moreover, some of them had even tried to escape the building. As the ground shook, web-like cracks emerged on the smooth, carvings on the relief sculptures on the wall. In a blink of an eye, Mithril Hall had as if became a tiny boat in a surging storm.


    The Chairman could no longer stay calm. Soon, his devoted subordinates ran over and supported him as they retreated. At this moment, the various representatives had stood up and decided to leave. Even though they were in the Legendary Stage, they didn''t need to be buried alive to prove how formidable they were.


    "��!" Suddenly, the tremor on the ground got stronger. Then, a massive, pitch-black hole tore apart the smooth, solid floor. In a blink of an eye, black flames erupted from within and it surged upwards violently which formed firewalls that blocked everyone''s escape.


    "What''s this?" Corina stared in disbelief. As an Elf, she realized that the earthquake this time wasn''t ordinary. Also, as the closest race to nature and a powerful being in the Legendary Stage, Corina had a strange sensation since the start of this earthquake. In spite of the scorching black flames, there was no heat at all. Instead, the flames were filled with a malicious chilliness that left her shuddering as she retreated.


    "Hmph." Apart from Corina, even the Vampire who was always smiling frowned. As an Undead that had devoted his soul to darkness, Di had also sensed the hidden ice-coldness in the flames. This was also strange for an Undead Creature in the Legendary Stage.


    "Everyone be careful. There''s something strange about the flames!" An elderly man clad in a silver robe lifted his staff. He stared at the flames before him and took two steps back as he chanted softly. Soon, a defensive barrier appeared and shrouded him entirely. Then, the elderly man raised his arms and began chanting another spell immediately��


    "Be careful!" Someone yelled with a sharp voice as the surging flames launched towards the elderly man as if a demonic mouth. No, this description wasn''t too accurate because as the flames struck the elderly man, the silverish defensive barrier above him deflected it and formed a translucent ball that protected him entirely. But this was only temporary.


    Kacha. The elderly man''s defensive barrier shattered and the pitch-black flames ignited frantically as though the barrier was a ball of gasoline. He shrieked painfully as the flames devoured every inch of his body which frightened the spectators. They exchanged looks and retreated farther away from the flames. After all, this elderly man in the silver robe was a well-known figure and a formidable Mage. Everyone expected him to cast a powerful defense spell and yet, it was broken just like that?


    What exactly is that?


    A black figure leaped down from above and pounced into the flames. Then, a gale erupted from within the flames and Rhode rolled out from the flames with the elderly man. The Elderly Mage was extremely pale but strangely enough, his silver robe had no signs of burning. However, his painful expression was as though he had just been tortured in the depths of hell.


    Damn it.


    Rhode gritted his teeth and scanned the surroundings. He couldn''t care less even if his identity was exposed. "Everyone, be careful. This is the Chaos Flame!"


    "!" Almost everyone present shrieked in horror while Di''s expression sunk. He stuck close to the wall and moved along to draw a distance away from the black flames carefully without maintaining his usual elegant demeanor. Meanwhile, Corina, as though she had lost the nimbleness as an Elf, shifted her body carefully like she was facing a viper. Even the carefree Dwarf who disregarded the flames had placed his huge ax before him as a shield.


    Chaos Flame.


    Although it could be said that no one had seen it before, it was impossible that no one hadn''t heard of its presence. The Chaos Flame was the pinnacle of the Chaos Forcefield and was the natural enemy of all ''Order'' and ''Rules''. The Chaos Flame devoured ''Order'' as its fuel to destroy this world. All the ''Order'' and ''Rules'' were food for them and this was why everyone was this cautious. They were in the Legendary Stage and possessed their own elementalization. However, this also meant that they had become a part of the ''Rules''.


    These powerful beings in the Legendary Stage were perfected fuels that had been purified for the Chaos Flame.


    Damn it!


    The earthquake continued to wreak havoc and the crevice became larger and larger. Everyone acted cautiously after witnessing the guards that tried to escape devoured by the flames mercilessly. However, this wasn''t the worst imaginable scenario for Rhode. His heart sank to the bottom of his heart as he finally realized what exactly was sealed underneath Soraka Mountain.


    It was the everlasting presence that lived alongside chaos and destroyed everything.


    The Devil of Devils.


    The enemy of all Order.


    An aberration that came from only the bottomless abyss.


    The Duke Fiend.

 Chapter 479 Misled V

    In the beginning, Chaos ruled everything. But Order arose from the cracks like a light shining into the endless darkness. Five dragons were born within and their formidable powers forced the birth of a new continent in this endless Chaos. Life was born and Order was for eternity. The Five Dragons sacrificed their souls to protect this fragile world until it became strong enough to compete with Chaos. Ultimately, Order overwhelmed Chaos and brought a new century.


    This was the first chapter of the Creation Poem. Almost every person on the Dragon Soul Continent was familiar with it and they knew how powerful Chaos was. The powers of Order were still weak before it and if it weren''t for the Five Creator Dragon Souls that protected this world, they would be devoured by Chaos and turned into nothingness.


    No one suspected the accuracy of this legend. After all, there were many places on this continent that had turned chaotic after losing the protection of a Dragon Soul. Anyone who had witnessed it would have no doubt about it.


    Legend had it that when the Five Creator Dragon Souls were building this world, their bodies formed the surface and their souls formed the skies. The Four Main Elements became the pillars for the foundation of the Seven Fantasy Boundaries that supported the world from being devoured by the Chaos Forcefield. Those that were not protected by the Dragon Souls were the endless black flames and the Devils that lived within.


    There weren''t many people who had seen Devils in this world. It could also be said that there were none who had seen them. Therefore, it wasn''t surprising that even Corina and Di had little knowledge about the Devils. In this generation, the Dragon Soul''s protection was almost to perfection and Devils were mainly living in a bottomless abyss. They would rather kill Demons than to interact with humans on the surface. This was why apart from the few unlucky, lost Devils that had occasionally stumbled onto the surface, no one had the chance to meet Devils. Not to mention recognizing the Chaos Flame that were the symbol of the bottomless abyss. Although it was indeed recorded in the documents, no one would believe it unless they had seen it for themselves. Rhode became familiar with these after he battled in the seventh floor of hell and the bottomless abyss in the game.


    The effects of the Chaos Flame gave him the biggest headache.


    "Hmph!" The consequence of the Elderly Mage was a bad opening for everyone. Even though he was rescued by Rhode afterward, they sensed the substantial weakening in his strength as though he had fallen back into the Mortal Stage from the Legendary Stage.


    According to the game, the Elderly Mage had dropped off more than 10 levels every time he was burned by the flames.


    Many people had heard the rumors of the Chaos Flames and were lost for words after they witnessed its strange, yet formidable might. Powerful beings in the Legendary Stage could control and change the Rules to a certain extent. However, even though the Chaos Flams consumed ''Order'' as its food, the flames wouldn''t be able to devour presences as powerful as Lydia or the Five Creator Dragons.


    "Troublesome," Rhode shook his head. He expected these responses from them. In fact, after entering the Bottomless Abyss and dropping off over 10 levels from the black flames, many of the top players didn''t dare to advance any farther and they even thought of retreating to the surface. In the end, Rhode calmed their nerves and led them between the Bottomless Abyss and Hell to grind their levels back. At the same time, they snatched plentiful spoils of war from the Demons and Devils and their conflicts were finally resolved. Many other players knew that Starlight surged in strength after ''touring'' the underground but they weren''t aware that if Rhode wasn''t able to carry his men, perhaps this invincible guild would split itself from within.


    Rhode hesitated no more. He swung his right arm abruptly and scarlet flames rose from the ground. The Hell Hound sprung out from within and howled as it charged towards the middle of the hall. The black flames, as though detecting the presence of the Hell Hound, launched towards it. It struck the Hell Hound heavily and the Hell Hound let out a mournful lament. However, the red flames on the Hell Hound''s body swelled suddenly and resisted the black flames.


    As expected.


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. The flames from hell were the flames of Order and it countered the flames of chaos from the Bottomless Abyss. Rhode recalled the heroic, bloody battlefield with black and red flames colliding with one another. The Hell Hound was born from the seventh floor in Hell and it was the best choice against the Chaos Flame.


    However, it wasn''t powerful enough. Although it withstood for a brief moment, the Duke Fiend''s Chaos Flame overpowered it.


    It seemed that there was only one way left. "Miss Corina, shoot it to death!"


    "Eh?" The Moon Elf widened her eyes in astonishment. She did notice that the strange black hound was summoned by Rhode, but this command from him sounded outrageous. The Elf had never heard of any command from a summoner to annihilate their own spirits.


    However, Corina didn''t hesitate for long. A silver bow emerged in the Moon Elf''s hands and she released a golden arrow of light. In a blink of an eye, the arrow pierced through the Hell Hound''s right eye effortlessly.


    The Hell Hound collapsed instantly and at the same time, a glaring radiance blinded everyone, followed by a loud explosion and scorching heat that engulfed them.


    The Hell Hound exploded through the roof and the aftermath of the explosion spread across the hall. Perhaps any ordinary humans would be burned to death, but fortunately, those currently in Mithril Hall weren''t ordinary mortals. Therefore, there wasn''t even a stain of filthy dust on them after the explosion. However, as they scanned the surroundings once again, they were stunned to witness the magnificent black flames weakening. Also, there was a huge hole above Mithril Hall. Cracks spread wide apart and concrete started falling off the ceiling.


    "What are you waiting for? Go!" Rhode swung his arm once again. In a puff of smoke, the Spirit Bird fused with him as one and he flew towards the ceiling hole with the Elderly Mage in his arms. Corina leaped up instantly and flapped her wings. She dodged the crushing rocks and caught up with Rhode almost immediately. On the other hand, Di gazed at Rhode with a mysterious smile. Suddenly, a gale erupted from nowhere and a large colony of black bats flew towards the hole like a dark cloud while letting out ear-piercing screeches. Rhode turned around and Di and the Undead Knight had disappeared from the ground.


    The entire hall collapsed.


    "Phew��" Rhode trembled slightly as he landed on the nearby mountain. After laying the Elderly Mage on the ground, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and gazed at the several flying figures. There were about a dozen representatives that were present and most of them had escaped and left this place. It was apparent that they had chosen to observe safely before figuring out the cause of the problem.


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief and stood on his feet. He gazed downwards and witnessed the earthquake spreading apart with the debris of Mithril Hall as the center. There were wailing civilians escaping from their houses that were collapsing. Some who weren''t quick enough couldn''t avoid the merciless black flames while some of them had fallen directly into the deep crevice.


    It was a disaster.


    Rhode was glad that he ordered Marlene and the others to leave earlier on. It could be said that it was unprecedented for the revival of the Duke Fiend to bring such a terrible disaster. Fortunately, Rhode had some experience in facing the Devils. However, if Marlene and the others stayed around when this happened, Rhode wasn''t confident he could rescue them with his abilities.


    But what should I do now?


    The Duke Fiend was more than he could handle. In the game, Rhode had either weakened its Chaos Forcefield or lured it into a territory of Order successfully. However, Rhode''s group was equipped with the Flame-resistance equipment when they lured the Duke Fiend into the Demon''s Order Flames before starting the massacre.


    But, what about now?


    Rhode lifted his head towards the sky. At this moment, the sky mingled with black and white seemed all the more chaotic. Bolts of dark lightning struck the ground heavily. Strong gales whizzed and even the entire place seemed to be howling in grief. To make matters worse, this wasn''t a land of Order but was the natural chaos formed in the crack between the Dragon Souls. This couldn''t be removed and once the Duke Fiend emerged, only troubles would be left.


    As a person who had experienced the Third Creation War, Rhode knew what kind of disaster the Duke Fiend would bring to this world once it invaded the surface. In comparison, it would be considered child''s play if there were 10 Dark Dragons attacking the Country of Light at once. Could it be that Royal Highness Lydia sent me here to resolve this problem? It shouldn''t be. She has seen my abilities and surely she wouldn''t think that I can defeat the Duke Fiend? With my current strength, perhaps I will vanish into dust if I was brushed by it.


    As Rhode was troubling over this question, he smelled a fragrant scent and heard a crisp voice behind him. "Mister, what do you plan to do next?"


    "?" Rhode turned around and spotted Corina. The Moon Elf was looking down anxiously at the disaster that was almost as powerful as a magnitude 10 earthquake. She bit her lips slightly with her ashen expression. "So many civilians are suffering�� Do we not have any ways to stop this devastating disaster from spreading?"


    "�� Miss Corina, why haven''t you left?" Rhode gazed at the Moon Elf with a blank expression.


    Corina swept a glance at him curiously as though Rhode had asked a strange question. "How can I leave when there''s such a heavy, sinister presence amongst the power of chaos? Moreover, many of them didn''t manage to escape. Even if it''s just a little, I hope to contribute my part in eliminating the evil and chaos."


    "��" Rhode gazed at Corina blankly which made her hair stand. Although she was a good-tempered Moon Elf, she was strongly dissatisfied with Rhode''s gaze. These weren''t the human eyes that were filled with admiration like she was used to. Instead, they were looking at her as though she were as an idiot. "Why? Am I wrong about this, Mister? If you have the time to look at me this way, why don''t you let me hear your suggestion on how you will deal with this situation?"


    "��" Rhode lowered his head and sighed. At this moment, he was full of grief and indignation. This wasn''t right. In his memories, the Corina that served as the Moon Elf Knight was a calm, intelligent, decisive, and brave person. Why does this Miss Corina seem to be as foolish as Anne�� Did she hurt her brain while trying to escape just now?


    How can someone change this much? This isn''t logical.


    Rhode wasn''t in the mood to think of the crucial battles that this Moon Elf lady would experience before she would shed off her naturally foolish nature and become capable. At this moment, Rhode knew only one thing and that was since Corina was here, it meant that his final hopes were thoroughly hopeless.


    "I have the same thoughts as Miss Corina." A gentle, graceful voice sounded as countless black bats flew over. The colony of bats fluttered in the air before forming two human figures before Rhode and Corina. Di revealed his usual elegant smile and bowed respectfully to Corina before turning towards Rhode. "As the representative of the Munn Kingdom, I think you should have a perfect solution to this, right, Mister?"


    "��" Rhode didn''t respond and he remained calm with his natural temperament. At the same time, Rhode was praising the Country of Darkness''s behind-the-scenes ''half military counselor'' secretly. Di was as though a viper lurking in the bushes that only bite during the critical moments.


    Rhode wasn''t aware of how Di recognized him. But he could only force a bitter smile in response. Di was too smart for his own good. He always took steps with considerable thoughts and he had a long-term vision for everything. However, as the saying went, ''No one can avoid wetting one''s shoes if one is always walking along the riverside''. He thought that Rhode had the solution to resolve this problem, but Rhode didn''t have any idea at all. Even if various forces formed an alliance, they would only have a high chance of defeating the Duke Fiend in their dreams.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Di. I don''t have a good solution," Rhode gazed at his blood-red pupils without any fear. This was required when negotiating with Vampires. After all, Vampires had the ability to manipulate one''s mental strength through their eyes. One would become their slave entirely if one wasn''t careful. Due to this, most of the humans didn''t dare to lift their heads and gaze directly into their eyes. However, Vampires would, in turn, look down on these humans and judge them as weak, timid, and worthless even as their slaves.


    Di was slightly surprised by the determined gaze behind the pitch-black mask as he didn''t expect that this human was so courageous. But, even so, he smiled it off and adjusted his clothes. "Really?"


    "��" Rhode shook his head and gazed towards Corina. The Duke Fiend was a level 80 creature that had broken through the limits of the Legendary Stage where even Gillian couldn''t defeat it. If their battle was held in the Fire Elemental Plane of Existence, perhaps Gillian might stand a chance.


    After all, there were divisions even in the Legendary Stage. In the Legendary Stage, there was ''Harmonious Domain'', ''Order Dimension'', and ''Mystic Realm''. Currently, Di and Corina were in the ''Harmonious Domain'' and over level 65 at most. They could touch and use the Rules, but they couldn''t grasp them. Once they were able to grasp the Rules, they could create a Spirit Boundary ''Order Dimension'' that belonged to themselves. In a certain range, they could bring to and control those who were lower in levels in their Order Dimension. The Mystic Realm was the pinnacle of the Legendary Stage and was only one step away from the Gods. In this stage, they could create their own Rules and refine them into one of the Rules that governed the fate of the Dragon Soul Continent and the Rules system. From level 80 and above, it was divided into ''Elemental Heart'', ''By the Gods'', and ''Quasi-God''. This basically had nothing to do with the players as only the Elemental Lords would possess the Elemental They were level 85 at most. As for Lydia, who became a servant of the Five Creator Dragon Souls, she had a relatively higher level between level 90 to 95. Only the Five Creator Dragon Souls reached the hundred-level cap. In this world protected by their souls, they were omnipotent.


    But the ''Mystic Realm'' didn''t exist for the Duke Fiend. No matter what level the Devil was in, its nature was still chaotic. Any Rules that represented Order were meaningless before it and were only worth destroying. Facing such a strength, any ordinary Order was useless. Only a presence like Lydia in ''By the Gods'' could borrow the powers of the Creator Dragon Souls and annihilate the Duke Fiend entirely.


    But now��


    Rhode gritted his teeth at this thought. Is Royal Highness Lydia unaware of this? He thought that this was rather impossible. However, why would she send him here if she were aware? Could it be that she was concerned that her Duchess identity would bring disadvantageous political influence if she came here? What kind of joke was this? Rhode would never believe that this Archangel would give up her curiosity just because of such a small issue.


    Initially, Rhode wasn''t worried about this problem because if Corina could escape to the Country of Law and report this matter, the Judgement & Ruling Twin Dragons could come forth and resolve the problem. If this were possible, it would be the best for Rhode. But this foolish Elf lady didn''t leave in time and the Chaos Forcefield had sealed and twisted the surrounding space. It was no longer possible to communicate with the outside, not to mention send her off right now�� What should I do?


    "��!" Suddenly, the powerful earthquake stopped abruptly and the surroundings returned to silence. However, no one was naive enough to think that it was all over.


    At the next moment, countless bolts of dark lightning descended from the sky and formed a massive cage that shrouded the entire land.


    And as though reacting to its summons, the battered land finally collapsed.


    A pitch-black figure burning in flames from head to toe emerged before everyone''s eyes.

 Chapter 480 Misled VI

    Sssh�� Everyone sucked in a deep breath as the ground fell apart and a tall silhouette of about 30 meters emerged in the pitch-black flames. The flames clustered around its body and two glaring lights emanated in the position of its eyes as though announcing the descent of a King.


    Oh, Lord.


    Corina stared with widened eyes at this unprecedented scene while Rhode let out a heavy sigh. He could sense the slightest trace of nervousness in Di''s prideful, shrinking pupil.


    Bam! Thunder roared and the dense bolts of lightning connected to the ground instantly. The horrified screams below them were silenced immediately and a massive lightning cage was formed. In an instant, Rhode felt as though he were the only one left in this silenced world.


    The dark giant lifted its head and neglected Rhode''s group, as well as those ants scattering in all directions by its feet. These humans weren''t the slightest bit worthy of its concern. The dark giant raised its arm and bellowed furiously. "��!"


    The black flames dispersed and agglutinated on its enormous palm before exploding towards the sky. The flame column reached the horizon and erupted a dark halo that spread across the sky.


    As the halo flit across them, Rhode felt a gentle breeze against his body. However, it seemed to have a much more dramatic effect on Corina and Di as Rhode gazed at them strangely like they had been possessed. Moreover, the Undead Knight serving as an armor model beside the Vampire began to feel fretful. Before Rhode could question, Corina spoke with pale and shaky lips.


    "What''s going on? My strength��"


    Strength?


    Rhode gazed blankly for a moment before responding. "Miss Corina, has your strength been weakened?"


    "��" The Moon Elf pondered for a while before turning towards Di who was standing silently and nodded to Rhode. At this moment, Rhode felt some tingles on his scalp. He couldn''t be clearer than the cause of this effect. It was the powers of the Chaos Realm.


    As the symbol of chaos, the Duke Fiend possessed an insane halo effect and that was the ''Chaos Realm''. This halo allowed the Duke Fiend to connect with the Bottomless Abyss using its own powers and through this connection, it could transmit the powers of Chaos into this world. All the creatures of Order within its halo would go through a round of evaluation and those that failed would be dropped by one stage!


    In other words, almost all the presences in the Legendary Stage within the halo would be forced back down to the Master Stage if they didn''t pass its evaluation. This was why it was as though the end of the world for Corina and even Di seemed perplexed.


    "Don''t worry, this is the effect of the Duke Fiend''s halo and the powers of Order within it will be suppressed. That goes for you and Mr. Di," Rhode glanced at the Vampire purposely as he spoke. Rhode calmed the Elf Knight as he noticed her wary attitude towards Di previously and Di''s half-dead manner had left Corina bewildered. As expected, Di let out a snort while the tension eased on Corina''s face.


    I say, this Moon Elf lady wouldn''t be this unsophisticated, right?


    Rhode knew that the Elves had longevity and their nature seldom had many changes. In Miss Corina''s case, she was a powerful being in the Legendary Stage and she would be the Elf Knight of the Moon Elf Guards in the future. Surely she wouldn''t fluster over this Undead, right? Rhode was also sure that this event in Soraka Mountain didn''t happen in the game. Otherwise, these future talents would be completely wiped out before they had a chance to live.


    However, Rhode was somewhat suspicious because resisting the evaluation of the Chaos Realm had nothing to do with constitution and willpower. Only one with a power of Order stronger than the caster of the Chaos Realm could pass the evaluation. In other words, one had to be stronger than the Duke Fiend in terms of level. But Rhode was currently just above level 30 and no matter his level or strength, he only possessed about half of Corina and Di''s strength. But why didn''t the Chaos Realm affect him at all? Rhode was aware of the Duke Fiend''s Chaos Realm, but he didn''t expect that he could resist it successfully.


    "What do the two of you intend to do next?" There wasn''t much time to waste as the earth was crumbling as if the entire world was about to be destroyed. Rhode gazed towards both of them and before he was answered, there was a sudden, loud bang.


    However, it didn''t ring in their ears. Instead, the ''sound'' blasted into their heads directly. Corina shrieked in horror as she cupped her ears and squatted down. Meanwhile, Di lost his sense of balance and fortunately for him, the Undead Knight moved forward and lent him an arm immediately. As for Rhode, he felt as though someone struck a hammer at the back of his head. His vision blurred suddenly and his entire world was spinning. Rhode shook his head with might and attempted to refocus his attention towards the sky.


    The pitch-black halo was continuing to spread and the protection of the Dark and Light Dragon Souls were shattering like fragile glass. Meanwhile, the land of Order was retreating as Chaos continued to devour chunk by chunk.


    "I have to go," Di said as he revealed a grave expression for the first time. As one of the Country of Darkness, he knew better than those civilians brainwashed by the Country of Light''s Parliament the importance of protecting the Dragon Souls. He bowed towards Rhode and turned around.


    "I would advise you to not summon and leave by the Shadow Channel, Mr. Di. This piece of land has turned into pure Chaos and I can''t guarantee that you will be transported elsewhere even if you summon it."


    "Oh?" The Vampire turned and gazed at Rhode with his blood-red, ice-cold pupils. "Since you know about this, am I right to say that you have another solution?"


    "There indeed is another way�� That perhaps can resolve this whole trouble," Rhode nodded before pointing at the Duke Fiend. At this moment, the gigantic figure had straightened its body fully and dark flames and thunderbolts were revolving around it recklessly as though it were the King of the world. However, Rhode sharply detected some oddities in its response. Although Devils were chaotic in nature and had no regular patterns in their releasing of skills, it definitely wasn''t normal for a Devil to ''display a pose'' laxly after casting a Chaos Realm. Rhode gained an answer from this observation.


    "Its seal wasn''t fully unlocked and this is our final chance. We have to find the seal and take it away immediately. This way, we can lure that fellow away from this place and if we can bring it into a land of Order, it will be much easier to deal with." Rhode spoke in a single breath and gripped the daggers by his waist. The Dark and Light Dragon could be disregarded for now. Their Dragon Souls were a part of their bodies and given that the Chaos Realm had smashed the Dragon Souls, the Dragon Soul successors must be in incomparable pain. Also, no one knew how long it would take for these two Creator Dragon Souls to arrive at the scene. The Dark Dragon was reliable in these situations, but Rhode couldn''t rely on the Light Dragon at all. In the game, there were no signs of the Light Dragon when the Country of Light was about to be destroyed and based on this, Rhode knew that the Light Dragon had become the puppet of the Country of Light''s Parliament.


    Initially, the Judgement & Ruling Twin Dragons would be a great solution to this disaster. However, the delay by Miss Corina left them with no way to escape. Although there would definitely be a successor of the Creator Dragon Souls stepping out to annihilate this monster, Rhode wasn''t sure if he could control the situation until the successor arrived. The protagonist in the science fiction movies would eventually defeat the invaders. But before that, there were also many unimportant characters who died from withstanding the brutality of the aggressors and Rhode had no intentions of playing a small role. He had a sudden crazy idea after realizing that the Duke Fiend wasn''t in its perfect form.


    "I need help from the both of you," Rhode stared at both of them and said sternly. Although the black mask had concealed his expression, Corina and Di could sense the importance of his request. They nodded without the slightest hesitation.


    "I stayed to see if there''s anything I can help with. If you have a solution, I will definitely do my part," Corina was the first to respond.


    Meanwhile, Di shrugged his shoulders. "I hope your solution will work. This way, we have a chance to survive and claim our rewards, Mr. Representative-from-the-Munn Kingdom. But I have to put this up front that if there is anything wrong afterward, I will leave immediately. I hope for your understanding."


    This isn''t about being understanding or not. I have no high hopes on you, anyway.


    Rhode gazed at the Vampire who was smiling insincerely and criticized him secretly. He nodded in acknowledgment and unsheathed his twin daggers. "Let''s go."


    The dark flames were blazing wildly as the earth continued to shake. Lightning bolts descended from the sky and penetrated the crumbling ground. At this moment, there were no survivors and their corpses were all around the Duke Fiend. As far as Rhode''s eyes could see, death, ruins, and burning corpses had as though formed the entire world.


    In the interweaving blaze and lightning bolts, there were five figures flying forward.


    Corina led the charge while Di and the Undead Knight followed closely. They passed through the wreckage and headed towards the deepest of the ruins. Behind them were Rhode and the Elderly Mage, Damon, who pursued closely. Just a while ago, Damon regained consciousness and Rhode explained the current situation to him. He accepted Rhode''s request quickly and even though his current strength was somewhat close to Rhode now, Rhode valued his experience and he was clear of what knowledge and powers this Mage from the Order Alliance possessed. Moreover, the more manpower the better. Besides, there would be one more layer of meat shield for Rhode.


    "Turn left and there will be a Rock Shrine!" Rhode yelled out.


    "It collapsed!" Corina shrieked frantically.


    "Blast it!" Rhode dodged the dark flames whizzing from the large crack skillfully. He landed abruptly and turned around to face the entrance of the once magnificent Rock Shrine that had collapsed entirely. The boulders had blocked its entrance and the steps were piled with corpses that failed to escape. Gazing at this scene, Corina let out a deep sigh. On the other hand, Rhode yelled out and Di squinted his eyes before snapping his fingers.


    "My Dear," Di called out to the Undead Knight gently. The Undead Knight lifted her long sword and struck a fierce, powerful gale towards the buried entrance. In the blink of an eye, the large boulders were shattered thoroughly and a pitch-dark, endless cave revealed itself.


    "Let''s go," Rhode gazed at the Undead Knight with some lingering fear. Then, he charged into the Rock Shrine that seemed to be on the verge of collapsing again.


    There was a reason why Rhode had chosen this location. In the game, he had been to Soraka Mountain multiple times. However, this Rock Shrine had always been out of bounds to everyone and the players couldn''t find ways to sneak into it. As for other locations, Rhode couldn''t recall any memories regarding the Duke Fiend. Therefore, if it was something related to the sealing of the Devil, it must be in this Rock Shrine.


    Inside, the Rock Shrine was completely dark and they didn''t know if they were surrounded by collapsed rocks or fresh, bloody corpses. This Rock Shrine seemed to be in a rather good condition. Although the darkness was oddly dense, it was nothing of a hindrance for them. The Vampire could see through darkness naturally and the Moon Elf had great eyesight, which made them the best archers in dense, dark forests. Moreover, the Elderly Mage illuminated the entire hall with a bright radiance gleaming from the tip of his staff.


    I was right.


    Under the bright magical radiance, carved murals on the walls presented before them distinctly. Although most of them were destroyed by the earthquakes and disaster, Rhode recognized that they recorded the battle between Order and Chaos. Such murals would only appear in the Dragon Soul Hall and it was self-evident that it had emerged in an isolated and small temple like this one.


    Rhode scanned the walls above and he could see the entirety of this Rock Shrine. Apart from the anteroom before them, there was also a courtyard and palace hall. This temple wasn''t a place for worship and the chances for sealed items to be in this hidden place were low. At this crucial moment, Rhode could only move forward and hope for the best. However, they met an unexpected character upon entering the courtyard.


    "This area is strictly prohibited. All of you should know this rule�� I guess." The Angel stood in the middle of the courtyard quietly with her eyes closed. Her wings were folded and a small Copper Mirror was in her hands. She lifted her head and turned towards the entrance of the courtyard.


    "Sorry for violating the rule, Supervisor," Corina stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "But I guess you have also seen that devastating monster of Chaos out there. In order to annihilate this evil, threatening presence of this world, we came here to search for a solution."


    "Oh?" The brows of the Angel twitched slightly. "Why would you search for it here?"


    "We��" Corina turned towards Rhode for answers, but to her surprise, the black-haired young man was glaring at the Angel tenaciously.


    It''s this feeling again.


    Rhode didn''t answer. He was suppressing his murderous intentions with all his mental strength. Rhode felt like he was unable to hold back any longer as soon as he met this Angel and heard her voice once again. He couldn''t wait to pounce forward with his daggers to slice her belly, cut off her hands and legs, slash her throat, and use the cruelest method to kill her entirely.


    Where did all this hatred come from?


    Rhode couldn''t figure it out. But he felt that his reactions were absolutely unusual. This hatred wasn''t based on logic or any cause-effect relationship. Instead, it was completely instinctual. The natural feeling of rejection and loathe were as though he had no other desires apart from obliterating this person from this world.


    "It was the suggestion of this representative from the Munn Kingdom." Unlike Corina, Di was adept in betraying his teammates. "He thinks that we can perhaps find some clues here. It seems that��" Di squinted his eyes slightly. "This Representative was right."


    "��" Corina gazed at the Supervisor once more. However, with more vigilance this time. It felt really strange though. Chaos was wreaking havoc right now and as the emissary of Light, this Angel was hiding in this little temple without a care in the world. There must be something wrong. Or perhaps, something terribly wrong.


    "�� Miss Supervisor, the Copper Mirror in your hands is the seal of the Duke Fiend, right?" Rhode finally spoke and he articulated each and every word as if he was expending a lot of strength. "We need it to defeat the evil presence of Chaos. Can we seek your cooperation?"


    "�� Of course," the Angel remained silent for a few moments and extended her arms with a kind smile. Corina stepped forward and reached out for the Copper Mirror.


    However, Rhode''s voice sounded suddenly. "Back off, Miss Corina!"


    Eh?


    Corina shrunk her fingers subconsciously. At the same time, surging dark flames emerged and brushed her fingertips. Then, the flames transformed into a huge viper-like presence.


    Rhode burst forward with his unsheathed twin daggers.

 Chapter 481 Misled VII

    Rhode''s twin daggers slashed the dark flames and he arrived by Corina''s side instantly. Although the Moon Elf was rather bad at communicating, her movements quickened as soon as she realized that the situation had to be settled with a battle. If not, her grand Legendary Status would be a total fluke.


    As Rhode charged forward, the others also prepared for their attacks. Even though they weren''t aware of why the Supervisor attacked, it was apparent that this Angel was an enemy.


    Di moved his right arm in midair mellifluously. A puff of red mist appeared from thin air and shrouded the Supervisor. Meanwhile, the Undead Knight raised her longsword and charged forward from the side dauntlessly while coordinating with Rhode''s movements. Corina twitched her fingers and projected three golden rays from her fingertips which accurately aimed towards the vital part of the Supervisor. The Elderly Mage chanted as he lifted his staff and silverish magical rays erupted from the tip of his staff. The radiant rays continued to weave towards the wall and trapped everyone in the shape of a cage.


    This was a special skill that all Mages in the Order Alliance possessed, the ''Cage of Order''. These Mages battled for the sake of Order just like the Sacred Knights. However, compared to the Sacred Knights who were full of religious fanaticism, these Mages possessed natures that benefited themselves more. The more perfect the Order of a land, the more powerful their magical powers were. This was also why all the Mages in the Order Alliance were cultivated to cast the Cage of Order. No matter where or who they fought against, they could easily gain the upper hand as long as they casted this forcefield.


    The Elderly Mage with Legendary powers could cast a powerful Order Forcefield. However, after his strength was weakened by the Chaos Flame, he could only cast a forcefield that was the size of a room. But this was more than enough for them.


    Indeed, as the final silver ray connected, they felt the weight on their shoulders lighten and Corina and Di sensed their strength restoring gradually.


    Even in the face of Chaos, Order was still everywhere.


    "��!" Unlike them, the Angel let out a hateful snarl. She turned towards the Elderly Mage and extended her hand furiously. However, everyone''s attack had arrived and she was forced to retreat. At the same time, the Chaos Flame continued to blaze forward.


    The three rays of arrows penetrated the dark flames and the Angel folded her wings before her to defend against them. Even though the glaring arrows dimmed dramatically after phasing through the flames, they eventually exploded into golden dust as they landed on the wings. The impact shook the Angel slightly, but she once again spread her wings and the Chaos Flames abruptly transformed into a seven-headed serpent and pounced forward with razor-sharp fangs.


    At this moment, the Undead Knight had arrived in the red mist.


    In fact, only four seconds had passed since Rhode launched his attack and the red mist had passed through the defense of the Chaos Flame. Then, the Undead Knight that was shrouded within charged forward like a barbarous rhinoceros. She brandished her sword downwards and the red mist engulfing her body instantly spiraled into a claret radiance along her blade. However, the Supervisor wasn''t an easy target. Although the Angel seemed weak and wasn''t great in close-combat, Rhode recognized her rich battle experience through her quick reactions. And indeed, after the Angel blocked off Corina''s arrows by folding her wings and countered with her Chaos Flame, she swiftly expanded her right wing as a shield before her. At this moment, the Undead Knight''s sword chopped downwards.


    Bam! The golden runes hovering by her wings shrouded her instantly and the claret radiance on the blade erupted into brilliant rays as it collided. The immense pressure exploded between the Undead Knight and the Angel and the ground around them sunk heavily.


    Sure enough, that was the power of an Undead Knight.


    The Undead Knight''s fearless attack was Rhode''s most hated aggression. As the Undead Knight wasn''t afraid of death, and it could release 120% of its powers effortlessly. No one could imagine how powerful it would get when the Undead Knight charged forward fully. Not to mention, Di and this Undead Knight were lovers. There was no doubt in the chemistry between lovers. Rhode''s pupil shrunk as he scanned this terrifying scene of the claret radiance and sword into his mind.


    Perhaps they would be his future enemies.


    "All of you foolish slaves of Order!" The attack filled with negative powers enraged the Angel. She flapped her wings furiously to sweep away the Undead Knight''s longsword while holding the Copper Mirror in her left hand. At this moment, she gripped her right hand tightly and a sparkling pike appeared out of thin air. The pike was spotlessly white and carved with holy runes, so much so that everyone felt a breeze as it was summoned.


    Damn it!


    Rhode stared at the pike in disbelief. He couldn''t be more familiar with this weapon. Amongst all the rewarded equipment in the Munn Kingdom, it was listed in the top 10 god-like weapons by the players and it was the best legendary weapon for Knights.


    The Holy Hymn.


    As compared to the ordinary pikes of Knights, this Holy Hymn appeared slightly superior on the surface. However, Rhode knew that this pike wasn''t ordinary at all. It held a passive skill to cast a permanent defense barrier which could save the Knights'' trouble from extending their arm for a shield while charging forward. This was particularly important for the players because they needed to equip several different pieces of equipment in order to bring out their effects. This was the same for Knights. If the Knights had to free up their hands to hold a shield while charging forward, it would mean that they would lose opportunities to receive further buffs from other equipment. However, this Holy Hymn allowed the Knights to equip other rare equipment while charging forward.


    Rhode had met a guild that was formed entirely by 50 Knights who possessed the Holy Hymn. However, instead of being feared, they were extremely embarrassing. 50 fully-armored Knights held a pike in one hand while the other hand was raising ridiculous items from Barbie Dolls to Boar Skins. They didn''t look like a storm of Knights at all. Instead, they seemed like a bunch of refugees�� Even though there were no doubts about their strength, that was.


    What made matters worse was that the Holy Hymn wasn''t as simple as a magical weapon. The Munn Kingdom was advanced in magical technology and the Holy Hymn was one of the first generation products achieved by combining magical weapons and magical technology. Not only did it possessed holy powers, but it also came with magical powers. Rhode knew that the Holy Hymn could release a positive blast wave of up to 200 meters once per day. According to the calculations of some extremely bored busybodies, the blast could penetrate a defense spell of a Legendary being in close range. Rhode didn''t need to see it for himself to know that once this powerful blast exploded, these people would definitely be dead.


    "Attack the weapon on her hand. Don''t let her aim it at us! Mr. Di and Mr. Mage, please use your negative powers to disassemble and attack her defense barrier! Miss Corina, aim for her left hand and I will give you the command to shoot!" Rhode ordered and brandished his daggers.


    Blade rays trapped the seven-headed serpent in the shape of a net swiftly. Rhode realized that this Angel wasn''t as tough as he had imagined. He thought that this Angel had been contaminated by the Chaos entirely and he could only rely on luck to win this battle. However, it seemed that the power of Order in the Angel had conflicted with the power of Chaos. Her powers seemed to be much weaker than Rhode imagined. This sudden thought felt similar to the Lich who used an Angel as its phylactery.


    The backlash between Order and Chaos was much more powerful than the repulsion between positive and negative powers.


    The strength of Corina and the others had fallen into the standards of ordinary humans due to the Chaos Realm. However, the Supervisor managed to escape the effects by assimilating with Chaos. Due to this, the conflict between Chaos and Order within her body increased drastically. At this moment, she was about level 61, but even so, the difference between ordinary humans and those in the Legendary Stage was still glaringly present. Fortunately, her powers were unstable and Rhode could sense that the power of Order in the Angel weakening every time she cast the Chaos Flame. Therefore, Rhode perceived the problem as soon as the Supervisor whipped out the Holy Hymn. If she could remain in the Legendary Stage, Rhode''s companions would merely be house flies around her.


    Rhode hesitated no more after detecting her weakness and he used the most traditional player method��''Rely on others''.


    Rhode retreated quickly as he commanded. His shadows wavered and countless tentacles extended from within to hinder the seven-headed serpent. The serpent dived forward aggressively, but the tentacles twisted and twined around it to restrict its movements.


    How ironic. As creatures from Hell, these tentacles had higher resistance to Chaos than humans had.


    Di and the Elderly Mage were profound Mages and they definitely knew what Rhode''s attack meant. It wasn''t the summoned tentacles from Hell that were astonishing; instead, it was Rhode''s method of summoning them without any chants or hand gestures that baffled them. In fact, all Rhode did was retreat and the Nether Tentacles appeared out of nowhere. This was really strange.


    However, the next scene confused them even further.


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief as soon as the Nether Tentacles obstructed the Chaos Flame. In a blink of an eye, Rhode darted forward with the twin daggers laid in a cross. Dazzling, brilliant rays erupted from Madaras and Gracier as Rhode brandished them with all his might. Shing! Countless meteors tore apart the darkness.


    Not only that, there were two cards hidden amongst the meteors.


    A black and white figure emerged almost instantly.


    "You''re great at finding trouble for me!" Celestina appeared in front of the Undead Knight and at the side of the Supervisor. She let out a snort and lashed her thorny whip that burst out speckles of maroon radiance towards the Angel. The Angel stood still and Celestina''s whip struck a hexagonal crystal barrier instead. Celestina revealed an expression of surprise, but she realized the problem quickly. Soon, the Demon lady stepped back gracefully and extended her fair, tender left arm with fingers pointing at the Angel. In the blink of an eye, a ray of negative powers shot out from her fingertips. However, the crystal barrier defended the attack and its clear surface blurred instantly.


    At the same time, Celia charged over with her sword.


    Everyone, apart from Rhode, was baffled by the emergence of these two young ladies. However, Celia and Celestina had no intentions of introducing themselves and the others came to the realization that these two young ladies were on their side. Since that was the case, they had better off leaving the questions until after the battle.


    But Celia and Celestina weren''t powerful enough.


    Currently, the sisters were still weaker than Rhode in terms of strength. Although they had substantial growth throughout their adventures and especially after the battle in Castel Plateau Ruins, their strengths had reached the peak of the Elite Stage at best. Celia and Celestina launched their attacks at the Supervisor together. However, their threats weren''t any stronger than the Undead Knight''s and it seemed as though they were more of a hindrance instead.


    However, Rhode didn''t send them out just for show.


    He gazed at the two young ladies and shifted his thoughts. Then, a system prompt appeared before his eyes.


    [Activate Taboo Halo]


    Rhode felt his body shivering and shapeless powers were released from his body abruptly. He lifted his chin and gazed at the system prompt silently.


    [Holy Sword Star Mark �� LV20, Offense 11 (+3) Defense 10 (+3) Limit Breakthrough]


    [Holy Sword Incubi �� LV20, Offense 13 (+3) Defense 9 (+3) Limit Breakthrough]


    The momentum of the battlefield shifted suddenly.


    The Undead Knight took a step back and gazed at Celia with her flourishing red eyes. The Angel lady lifted her sword high with silverish flames spiraling into a massive blade of flames. On the other side, Celestina laughed grimly as she expanded her pitch-black wings. She swung her arms and the thorny whips on her hands shed off layer upon layer. Then, the thorny whip was replaced by an ice-cold radiance. That was a metallic whip edged with razor-sharp blades and the blade at the end of the whip were still wandering slowly as though it were alive.


    "This��" Everyone froze to the spot as they couldn''t believe what they had sensed. The strength of these two young ladies enhanced rapidly. The Angel lady leaped from the Elite Stage into the peak of the Master Stage while the Demon lady was even more terrifying. She had instantly ascended into the Legendary Stage!


    Oh my goodness. Are we dreaming?

 Chapter 482 Misled VIII

    The demonic aura in Celestina burst out abruptly. However, it also vanished quickly because, even though she had stepped into the Legendary Stage through Taboo Halo, the effects of ''Chaos Realm'' was still present. Therefore, Celestina became the first ''pitiful creature'' to reach the Legendary Stage and get kicked back down to the Mortal Stage.


    "Hmph!" Celestina let out a distasteful snort.


    If the Mortal Stage was compared to the limitations of the fish in the pond, those fish that had entered the Legendary Stage could leap above the surface and face the vast world. As a result, they would be attracted by the unbounded scenery, climb their way to the surface, and head towards the summit in the legends. Celestina was feeling as though she had finally peeked out of the surface and a huge hand dragged her back even before she could catch a breath of fresh air.


    Celestina glared at Rhode and launched an even more ferocious attack at the Angel. It was apparent that this Demon lady was taking out her anger on her.


    The Supervisor began to feel anxious as the Undead Knight, Celia, and Celestina attacked her from all angles. Initially, she was only able to cast minimal Chaos Flame since the Cage of Order had weakened her power of Chaos. Meanwhile, Rhode was having a much easier time now. He brandished his sword to lure the seven-headed serpent while scanning the Supervisor vigilantly. On the perimeter, Di and the Elderly Mage were seizing the moment to disassemble her defenses. The ice-cold, scarlet negative powers flickered between their fingers and formed the complex, yet gorgeous runes that appeared and vanished in the air. The hexagonal crystal barrier protecting the Supervisor weakened gradually as the Mages chanted, along with their hand gestures.


    "Foolish!" The Supervisor snarled and charged forward with her pike. The Undead Knight and Celia withdrew swiftly and darted forward after exchanging glances with one another. Their sword crisscrossed and forcibly collided with the spotlessly white pike. Then, the powerful collision spread in a circular impact. At the same time, Celestina rolled up her metallic bladed whip abruptly and its sharp tip flashed with a pitch-black ray. It moved along the viper-like whip in Celestina''s hands and circled about silently before striking the Supervisor on her back.


    "Little tricks." The Supervisor let out a snort before blasting Celia and the Undead Knight away with her incomparably powerful strength. At the same time, the Elderly Mage squinted, spread apart his arms, and time had as though slowed down and froze. The momentum of Celia and the Undead Knight who were about to crash into the wall stopped abruptly and they hovered in midair. Both of them landed on their toes calmly and pounced towards their enemy instantly.


    The Supervisor turned her wrist around and erected the pike in a towering position. Then, she brandished away Celestina''s sharp blades. However, things weren''t that simple.


    Compared to her classic Battle Angel sister, Celestina''s skills actually weren''t as powerful. However, she excelled in another aspect. From her Incubi reincarnation, it was obvious that the ''Holy Sword'' didn''t live up to reality. It would be better named the ''Demon Sword'' instead.


    Frankly speaking, Celestina excelled in curses and dark enchantments.


    The instant their weapons collided, a dark fog erupted and shrouded the Supervisor entirely. Celestina gripped her bladed whip and swiped her left hand on the blade before mumbling for a couple of seconds.


    Shing! The dark fog was dispersed instantly as though it was slashed by an invisible huge claw. Then, five metallic blades glistening in scarlet radiance struck the translucent crystal barrier and left five ghastly scars.


    Di''s eyes glinted at this scene.


    He drew a few circles with his fingers in midair continuously before pushing his palm forward. Shortly after, a shockwave mixed with crushed rock and whirlwind blasted on the barrier heavily. However, it still wasn''t enough to break it.


    Not enough!


    Rhode fended off the Chaos Flames with his daggers. About four minutes had passed since the start of their battle and it felt like an eternity to Rhode. This battle wasn''t as simple as defeating the Supervisor and calling it a day. Defeating the Supervisor was only the start and they didn''t have much time to waste anymore. If they couldn''t snatch the seal in 10 minutes time, the Duke Fiend would bring an end to this world.


    "All of you, Slaves of Order, are seeking death." The Supervisor brandished her pike and the thinned barrier restored to its perfect condition. Shortly after, she took large strides towards Celia and the Undead Knight. "No one can compete against the powers of Chaos. Haven''t you realized how formidable the power of Chaos is?"


    The seven-headed serpent pounced forward.


    Rhode rolled sideways and dodged its sharp fangs. As though responding to its master, the movements of the Chaos Flame began to intensify. Although the Nether Tentacles continued to restrict its movements, it seemed that the Chaos Flame had no intentions of stopping at all.


    "Although Chaos is powerful, the power of Order is everlasting!" Rhode had mastered the technique of ignoring the BOSS''s crap during battles. However, it seemed that not everyone possessed this ability. Corina held her silver-whitish bow as she scuttled along the walls and aimed for the Supervisor''s left hand. She squinted at her target and yelled at the same time. "As a Supervisor, aren''t you here to fight for Order?"


    "That''s only the delusion of a little girl!" The Supervisor''s body shuddered as she spoke with unswerving determination as though it was the truth of the world. At this moment, Celia brandished her sword downwards. Her silver-whitish blade clashed with the Supervisor''s wing and released an ear-piercing sound of friction. The Supervisor bellowed, swung her pike to the side, and a violent gust of wind rose from the ground forcefully. The whirlwind swept off the Undead Knight as though she were flung away by a shapeless hand. Then, the Supervisor spread her wings apart abruptly and the immense backlash struck Celia away. She turned around and darted with her pike while aiming for the Battle Angel''s chest.


    Although this attack seemed nothing out of the ordinary, their difference in strength was extremely obvious. The Supervisor''s attack was so fast that the pike had as though sharpened into an arrow. However, at this moment, a black ray of radiance flashed and stopped the momentum of the pike.


    Celestina stared with an ice-cold expression while the black bladed whip had split into five parts wound tightly around the pike.


    "You are putting up a meaningless resistance. There''s nothing more foolish than going against Chaos! All of your strength is as insignificant as ants! You can never defeat the great Duke Fiend!" The Supervisor took half a step back. Along with her movements, the seven-headed serpent fell apart thoroughly and restored into dark flames before returning to its master. Subsequently, the flames merged with the pike and the Supervisor let out a cold sneer. Filthy dust burst from the ground as she struck forth with her pike once again. But this time, the pike brought along a trail of Chaos Flame as it aimed for Celia and Celestina.


    Celestina held her breath as the grave danger approached. She tossed the bladed whip away and retreated hurriedly. But Celia couldn''t dodge in time. It took about five seconds from when Celestina obstructed the Supervisor to when Celia fell. At this moment, the Battle Angel had just fallen to the ground and before she could stand back up, the Chaos Flame were coming for her head-on. Even though Celia rolled over and dodged the terrifying flames successfully, her wings were still burned from the scorching heat. The Battle Angel let out a blood-curdling screech and suddenly, a heavy figure rushed towards her. The Undead Knight brandished her longsword silently and collided with the Supervisor again.


    Argh. This won''t do.


    Rhode gritted his teeth. Indeed, the Supervisor wasn''t weak, however, it was still possible for them to defeat her and there were still some chances left, despite the risks.


    Rhode scanned the surrounding before approaching Di and the Elderly Mage. "We''re running out of time to hassle here and we need to take her down now. I have a suggestion�� I hope Mr. Di and Mr. Mage will focus on disassembling the center of the woman''s crystal barrier and I will order my men to coordinate their attacks towards it�� Listen to my command and when I ask you guys to dodge, you guys must dodge instantly. We will be wasting too much time if this goes on. I intend to lure her into casting her ''Hallow Impact'' and we will launch our attacks during that interval. I will think of a way to attract her attention. This is the only way to break the deadlock."


    "Okay, I will try," the Elderly Mage nodded firmly as he focused his attention in the pike on the Supervisor''s hand. On the other hand, Di remained silent without responding and continued to ''do his best''.


    Rhode turned around and commanded the sisters spiritually. Soon, the momentum began to shift.


    Celia and the Undead Knight no longer attacked in a crisscross formation. Instead, they attacked the Supervisor from the front while Celestina lashed her bladed whip through the gap between them from the back and it struck on the solid crystal barrier heavily. Celia and the Undead Knight gritted their teeth as they pressured against the Supervisor''s pike and forced her backward. Even though the raging Chaos Flame left the trio in pain, they were able to withstand it with the Cage of Order in place.


    "Miss Corina, you have only one chance!" Rhode gripped his twin daggers while staring at the trio suffering in the flames. At the same time, he was moving non-stop as he narrowed his eyes slightly while recalling the formidable might, speed, and size of the positively powered blastwave. Then, he lowered his body to the ground as if a wolf prepared to pounce on its prey.


    Clang! The clash of friction irritated their ears as the swords collided with the pike once again. The Supervisor attempted to stand firmly on her feet as the crystal barrier before her began to drab abruptly. On the other side, Di and the Elderly Mage exchanged glances and struck at the same time. Not only did they wave their hands in the air to draw the similar runes quickly, but they also chanted the same spell and ended on the same note at the exact time.


    Then, they pointed their fingers forward.


    Kacha. Rhode witnessed a crack on the extremely dull crystal barrier. The crack itself was unremarkable. However, it would be a big problem if it appeared on a non-substantial presence formed by magic.


    Indeed, the crystal barrier finally shattered at the next moment.


    "Damn it!" The Supervisor bellowed furiously. She drove her pike farther and the Chaos Flame dove forward with the wind''s momentum as though a hungry beast pouncing at its pitiful prey. After the three of them backed off hurriedly, the Supervisor erected her pike upright.


    This was one of the rare times Rhode stared at something so anxiously. Time had as though froze and Rhode clearly saw a holy radiance flashing on the white pike. Before he knew it, the tip portion of the pike caved in mechanically and revealed a pitch-black hole.


    At the next moment, along with a violent rumble, a white radiance shrouded their world entirely.


    "Dodge!" Rhode yelled and darted forward with his twin daggers.


    [Displacement Activated �� Storm Slaughter]


    The pike blasted a white torrent and it ripped everything in its path including Rhode.


    "Ah!" Corina shrieked in horror and looked on helplessly as Rhode was devoured by the powerful torrent. However, the Moon Elf soon discovered that the next scene was beyond her imagination.


    "Eh?" the Supervisor let out a curious groan as she felt an external force pushing against her pike. If she had opened her eyes, she would''ve seen the baffling scene clearly.


    Rhode half-squatted before the Supervisor and he lifted his daggers in a crisscross stance against the position between the pike and its shaft. The blustering force of positive powers shook the heavy pike faintly. At the next instant, Rhode raised his arm and slashed his daggers. "��!"


    The Holy Hymn had lost its balance.


    The spotlessly white pike pointed upwards forcefully and the surging positive powers from Rhode''s blades continued to bombard, slashing a deep trail on the wall and domed roof.


    "You despicable little��" The Supervisor was totally disoriented. She held the pike in one hand and the Copper Mirror in the other, leaving her no extra arm to stop Rhode. Furthermore, even though Rhode was only about level 30, his physical strength and powers were over the roof. Not to mention, his swordsmanship had attained the peak of the Master Stage. Even though the possibility of annihilating her in one single blow was still nearly impossible, Rhode was pretty confident in killing her since she had already exhausted most of her powers and had lost her balance.


    The explosion rushed towards the sky and this was the first time the Supervisor revealed a terrified, yet aggravated expression. "Don''t think you can�� Ahhh!"


    Before she finished her sentence, Corina gave her the finishing blow. The golden storm of arrows descended from the sky and pierced her left arm. The Supervisor shrieked miserably under the tremendous pain and released her grip subconsciously.


    Ting! The Copper Mirror landed on the ground.


    Now''s the chance!


    Rhode snatched the Copper Mirror and as he was about to roll away, Corina''s voice sounded all of a sudden. "Be careful, Sir!"


    Rhode lifted his head. The Supervisor''s malevolent face and her palm blazing with Chaos Flame were only inches away from him.


    The cruel power of Chaos was so close that Rhode could feel it piercing through his skin as though static electricity flowing on his face.


    At the next moment, the Supervisor crushed her palm on Rhode''s chest without any resistance.


    The Chaos Flame exploded.

 Chapter 483 Misled XI

    It was total darkness.


    Although Rhode had suffered from the Chaos Flame in the game, it wasn''t real, after all. Even if a sword had pierced through his guts, he wouldn''t feel anything. But Rhode finally experienced the sensation right now.


    It was an indescribable pain. He felt as though the blood in his body was flowing inversely. His heart pounded fiercely while his ears buzzed. The strength within his body erupted and expanded in all directions as though the reins were thrown off a horse and it refused to listen to Rhode''s command.


    Pfff! Blood spurt out from his mouth as he crashed to the ground. The dusky scenery twisted before his eyes and vague, frantic screams were heard. An indistinct shadow swayed before him and there was an immediate chilly sensation on his abdomen. Before he knew it, an ice-cold, sharp object had punctured his body.


    "Master!"


    "That idiot!"


    Celia yelled hoarsely while Celestina shrieked. The Supervisor thrust the white, unyielding pike into Rhode''s body and nailed him to the ground viciously. The sisters attempted to rescue him, but as soon as they took a step forward, their bodies began to fuzz, twist, and disappear into thin air. At the same time, flames erupted from the pike and devoured Rhode entirely.


    "Argh��" Rhode gritted his teeth and his mind was completely murky. His vision started to blur and the usually distinct system prompt was continuously popping up as though it had been disrupted electronically. Even though Rhode couldn''t read its content clearly, he knew that he was a goner.


    This Supervisor was much more terrifying than he had ever imagined and he had never thought that she could remain this calm even though she was besieged by that many formidable enemies. Rhode''s displacement effect and the speed of his Storm Slaughter weren''t inferior to teleportation. Rhode had initially decided to leave instantly after grabbing the Copper Mirror, but the Supervisor was surprisingly much quicker than him. She caught on to that concise timing and held Rhode down.


    Rhode felt the strength in his body deteriorating and blood draining off gradually. The world around him had as though became dark and cold. But even so, there was still a raging inferno within his body.


    I can only rely on this now�� Rhode shut his eyes while the extreme pain kept his senses awake. There was only one way left �� That was to wait for the opportune timing.


    [Detected the�� Invasion of�� Chaos Fl-�� Damage received increased by 50%��]


    [Physical�� declining, nearing�� critical point]


    [Damage received reached�� 75%. Activate eff-���� Self-breakthrough]


    [Strength�� Increase�� Activated]


    In a split second, Rhode felt the raging inferno suppressed deeply in his body finally explode and devour his body. He felt as though he had blended with the earth as one and the flat ground beneath him had spread limitlessly as if it were a part of his body, perception, and himself. That was exactly the symbol of the Legendary Stage, ''Order Dimension''. A world formed by absolute Order accommodated Rhode completely.


    Pow! The equipment on his body vanished into specks of dust. At the same time, Rhode opened his eyes.


    The system prompt continued to flash before his eyes. Rhode looked over it and the indistinct scene from before had suddenly cleared up. Not only that, the dark flames had flowed backward, the Supervisor ''gazed'' at himself with an ashen expression and the spotlessly white pike that had punctured his body flung into the air. Rhode''s consciousness had never been this distinct before. He stared fixedly at the Angel and he could even feel the pain and despair bound by the Chaos and laments deep in her soul.


    "You��!" The Supervisor opened her eyes for the first time. Her soulless eyes had been tainted by the mashing of black and white while the glint in her pupil flickered faintly. Not only that, the ground around her, the raging dark flames and everything else had turned dull as if a layer of strange darkness had engulfed them. In an instant, there was nothing else in this world. Rhode glared at the Supervisor. The entire world had vanished entirely. Corina, Di, the Duke Fiend, everything had disappeared. In this world, there was only Rhode and her. And she was about to vanish too.


    "You�� Impossible. You are��!" The Supervisor didn''t finish her last words.


    The murderous intent suppressed deep down in Rhode''s heart were finally unleashed. Gracier pierced the Supervisor''s tender throat without any resistance while Madaras slashed from the side and hacked into her chest. The twin daggers dragged downwards and their razor-sharp blades ripped apart her naked flesh. Fresh blood spewed from the gruesome trail, but strangely, the blood hovered in midair as though gravity was non-existent and coagulated into individual blood balls. Her tinted thin robe tattered under Rhode''s formidable strength and revealed her ample chest and splendid body.


    Rhode stood to his feet and penetrated his right dagger into her soft bosom. The dagger was so deep into her that he could feel her pounding heart and ribs as though his hand were in her body. Shortly after, Rhode ''grasped'' the source of life that was pulsing intensely inside her.


    "Die!" Rhode pierced the Supervisor''s heart with Gracier and brandished Madaras at the same time mercilessly. Her skull flew and smashed into the rock wall before crashing to the ground. But, even so, the pair of eyes on the delicate face was still wide opened as though she couldn''t believe everything that she had just witnessed.


    "Phew��" The raging murderous intent in his body disappeared gradually. He panted for air as he withdrew Gracier from her body and gazed at the pitiful corpse before him. The Supervisor had been annihilated entirely. Fresh blood spurted from her severed neck, a horrible gash on her chest, and her collarbone to abdomen had been slashed open horribly. A bowl-sized dent replaced her left chest and inside it was a mixture of crushed bones and flesh. Up until this moment, the blood balls fell to the ground and contaminated the place red.


    This is really bloody.


    Rhode never knew that he had this homicidal maniac side of him. Although he had indeed murdered a number of people after coming to this world, this was the first time he felt satisfied from doing it�� Could it be that this Miss Supervisor had opened up an unknown side of him?


    This thought flashed in his mind briefly. However, he proceeded to sheath his daggers and pick up the Copper Mirror before turning to everyone. Corina, Di and his dearest Undead Knight hadn''t come to the realization of what had just happened. They continued to stare at Rhode and the corpse behind him in disbelief.


    "We don''t have much time; let''s go!" Rhode darted towards the exit as he yelled while the others pursued closely.


    But, even so, Rhode sensed the strange doubts from their eyes and he was equally baffled.


    The earthquakes continued to shatter the earth and the ground had collapsed into the abyss of darkness entirely �� However, as the dusky rays enveloped, the crumbled land hovered and solidified into the strong, flat ground miraculously.


    That was ''Order Dimension''. One world to one person and the display of the Legendary Stage. If the ''Harmonious Domain'' in the Legendary Stage could discover and grasp rules, one could change the rules to a certain extent after entering the ''Order Dimension'' in the middle level of the Legendary Stage. Or perhaps, one could remold the entire world as his own and the holder''s rules decided everything in that world.


    Rhode leaped up from the pile of crushed rocks while gripping the Copper Mirror. The uneven path and shattered ground beneath his feet had been erased and transformed into infinite, vast plains. This was his Order, and this was his world.


    At this point in time, Rhode was also full of doubts. He was fully aware of his current situation. But this was also the reason why he couldn''t figure it out. He definitely knew that it was impossible for him to defeat the Supervisor. Yet, he eliminated her with an instant-kill. Due to this, the ''Self-breakthrough'' would naturally be triggered once Rhode received damage of 75% or above his limits. The ''Self-breakthrough'' possessed the effect of transcending the holder''s strength and levels and this would put him in the middle level of the Legendary Stage which brought about the ''Order Dimension''.


    Although Rhode was aware of its effect, he had never tried to risk his life. The reason was fairly simple. The Chaos Realm would annihilate any effects weaker than it. Just like Celestin�� she was able to break through into the Legendary Stage under the effects of the Taboo Halo. However, before she could reach the ''Harmonious Domain'' and set her rules, the effects of the Chaos Realm had forced her off. Perhaps Rhode too would be struck back into his original form by the Chaos Realm after stepping into the Order Dimension. No matter what, Rhode''s actual level wasn''t high and even if he was able to transcend to a level above the Supervisor, there would still be a large difference between the Duke Fiend and him.


    But, now�� His ''Order Dimension'' had been retained and wasn''t wiped out by the effects of the Chaos Realm, which seemed totally absurd. The Order and Chaos in the Dragon Soul Continent were extremely opposing. Since he was able to step into the ''Harmonious Domain'', it meant that he was definitely a civilian of Order and there were no reasons for him to be disregarded by Chaos. However, Rhode couldn''t figure out what exactly happened in Celestina''s case. It was no wonder that Di and Corina looked at him strangely. After all, even true beings in the Legendary Stage like them had been suppressed while a weaker human like Rhode could rise up to the Legendary Stage instantly and not get his strength wiped out by the Chaos Realm. This really was an outrageous situation. Furthermore, one''s Order Dimension represented his attributes and rules. But Rhode stepped into the Order Dimension and he didn''t feel any of that. The Order Dimension before him was incredibly odd and he couldn''t feel the powers of the Four Main Elements, Light, ir Dark. Perhaps it meant that his rules of Order didn''t contain them, but it seemed that it had no relations to time and space either. As an experienced player, he had a deep understanding of these rules and powers. If he had such powers, he would''ve realized it right away.


    But the problem was that he couldn''t find a way to realize it. The strange Order Dimension had as though no rules or powers at all. Without a doubt, Rhode could navigate through the system interface to obtain his answers. However, it was unknown if it was due to the effects of the Chaos Flame or his current body mismatching the system requirements, but the system interface was trembling non-stop and even the messages were broken.


    However, Rhode decided to forget about it for now because time was of the essence in this critical juncture.


    [Self-breakthrough] had a time limit. If Rhode hadn''t escaped before its effect ran out, he would be dead for sure. Previously in the Midsummer Festival, Rhode guarded against Barter''s attack once and he suffered serious damage. This time, he could guarantee that if he didn''t leave this damn place in the shortest time, he would become a proper corpse once the effects of the [Self-breakthrough] had ended. Perhaps the Vampire beside him might conveniently turn him into an undead spirit�� But of course, Rhode would politely decline either of the two options.


    "Sir, where are we heading to?"


    "We''re leaving this place. Follow me, we''re��"


    "��!" Before Rhode finished his sentence, a sudden ice-cold, frightening sensation struck his back, followed by an ear-piercing howl. He turned back subconsciously and witnessed the Duke Fiend''s glaring eyes sweep towards them as it turned around.


    "It spotted us! Everyone, be careful!" Rhode continued to dash forward as he shouted. There was not much time left for him. Judging from his experience in the game, five hours perhaps was the maximum for the effects of [Self-breakthrough]. If Rhode couldn''t escape the Duke Fiend''s Chaos Realm in five hours'' time, he would definitely be dead.


    Of course, he must also pray that the Vampire behind him wouldn''t come up with any funny ideas in the meantime.


    "Everyone, be wary of the Chaos Flame. The Duke Fiend will definitely summon Devils to attack us. But its limited powers will only summon low-level Devils. Don''t hassle with them. We need to leave immediately!"


    As though responding to Rhode''s words, the Chaos Flame around them swayed and burst upwards all of a sudden. Then, a dozen pitch-black, ugly Imps about the size of Goblins jumped out from within. Their burned, shriveled skin was scarred with burned marks and they chattered while tossing fireballs towards the group aggressively.


    In an instant, blaze surged into the sky.


    What a load of trouble!


    This was the first time Rhode regretted not bringing Gillian along as he wanted to show these annoying Imps who was the best at playing with fireballs.

 Chapter 484 Misled X

    Although these Imps were as annoying as they appeared, Rhode wasn''t taking them on alone, fortunately. Corina, who had been running alongside Rhode, pulled back the bowstring and arrow on the silver bow. The Moon Elf lady scanned from one end to the other and released her fingers.


    In a dazzling flash, hundreds of golden arrows descended from the dusky sky and obstructed the group of Imps before them, at the same time swiping them cleanly like a gigantic scythe cutting the overgrown weeds.


    She''s so powerful.


    Even though Rhode was dashing forward, he stole a glance at the Moon Elf lady beside him. [Lock-On] was Corina''s Attribute Rule skill. Strictly speaking, it was considered one of the most highly ranked amongst the Attribute Rules. Combined with the Moon Elves'' special archery technique [Glittering Meteors] and Corina''s individual strength, she could instantly shoot down all the enemies accurately within one second. Rhode had seen this scene multiple times in the Elves Holy War that would happen later on where Corina had turned the tide against her arch-enemy, the Dark Elves Army, and defeated thousands of enemies by herself. Moreover, as a member of the Royal Family of the Moon Elves, Corina was born with the ability to see through invisibility, which negated the Dark Elves'' secret ''Backstab Assassination'' move. Once one had been seen by her, one could forget about struggling because it was meaningless to resist against an enemy like her.


    Due to this reason, Corina was the idol of many Ranger and Elf players. If they possessed such talents and raw powers, they would have a much easier time regardless of missions and dungeons. However, it was a pity that Corina was in the same boat as a talented NPC like Marlene, who had perfected the Four Main Elements. It was impossible for players to reach Corina''s standards because her [Glittering Meteors] was a secret skill of the Royal Family that was only passed down to those with Royal blood. Not to mention, even though the [Lock-On] skill might seem simple, it actually belonged to a source of Fate Rule and players would have an extremely difficult time comprehending it.


    On the other hand, Di was much more useless. At that moment, he was casting a few spells to protect them from ambushes while the Elderly Mage was responsible for the buff that increased their speed. Corina''s [Lock-On] was a passive rule and the Chaos Realm affected her strength to a certain extent. However, Di''s [Blood Code] was an active rule which relied greatly on spells. In Rhode''s Order Dimension, Di and the Elderly Mage were able to cast some spells leisurely, but their spells were instantly affected and even negated by the effects of the Chaos Realm. At this moment, there was really nothing much that they could contribute with.


    Regardless, Rhode was certain that the Elderly Mage was trying his best. On the contrary, a cunning fellow like Di was definitely just putting on a show and his ''obedient'' behaviors were nothing but a facade. Rhode had once led a group of players and fought against Di for one year and three months. They had experienced over a hundred major and minor battles and to the extent that Rhode knew what this Vampire was plotting even with a twitch of his fingers. But it seemed that Di at the current moment was rather ''puerile'' and Rhode could guess his thoughts at the turn of his eyeballs.


    Rhode wasn''t afraid of him. If Di was an expert in being preemptive, then Rhode''s best was in controlling and taking advantage of the situation. Once Di had fallen into Rhode''s palm, Rhode wouldn''t be afraid even if Di had a myriad of ideas. However, it would be difficult to play Di into his hands.


    Furthermore, Rhode actually had some motives for luring Di into following him now.


    Future allies must be saved and the future enemies must be killed, without a doubt. Of course, Rhode had no intentions of doing it himself.


    Silver-whitish rays emerged and transformed into circles beneath their feet to boost their speed. At this moment, the group didn''t seem to be running. Instead, they seemed more to be flying in large strides. Rhode leapt off the ground and when his other foot landed, he had covered a distance of 10 meters. The Elderly Mage behind them released a ''Flight Spell'' and he soared along with the airflow in the air.


    More and more Imps attacked them and the Imps standing before them were demolished by Corina in a blink of an eye. Some Imps which Corina didn''t notice pounced forward and entered Rhode''s Order Dimension. But a puff of red fog engulfed them instantly and a shapeless strength squeezed all the fluid and blood out of their body viciously. The Imps wailed and their shriveled carcasses vanished into black powder after collapsing to the ground.


    With Rhode''s Order Dimension as protection, the pressure applied by the Chaos Realm was lessened and the chattering Imps around them darted towards Rhode''s group fearlessly. The Imps from afar danced foolishly as they threw dark fireballs like baseball players. These Imps who hailed from the Bottomless Abyss lacked logical thinking and couldn''t understand any systematic spells. They could battle only with their instinct and anything logical was their archenemy. They couldn''t even carry out the orders from highly-ranked Devils accurately and almost every one of them had their own understanding and deciphering of the commands.


    The Devils believed firmly that every extra movement could push the development of the situation forward.


    However, under the effect of the Order Dimension, the intensity of the Chaos Flame was weakened. Countless dark fireballs were thrown from above and weakened after entering the dusky space instantly. They extinguished entirely after hitting on the invisible protective barrier. The Elderly Mage gripped his staff with the embedded flashing gem. Apparently, the force field barrier was the works of this staff and to the Elderly Mage, the previous close encounters in Mithril Hall had reminded him that he shouldn''t use the guided protection spells.


    The chaotic nature of the Imps erupted after their consecutive attacks failed miserably. The Imps in the front stumbled their way to the back while the Imps at the back pushed forward as though they were attempting a close combat style since their far range attacks were useless.


    Such a messy, disorganized attack had become a major setback. Soon, the Imps trampled on one another and even began to attack their companions. Di and Corina gaped in disbelief as they had never seen their enemies turning against themselves. Meanwhile, Rhode wasn''t bothered to even turn his attention towards the Imps. He was used to the behavior of these Imps, where their only goal was to destroy all enemies that stood before them. Even so, the situation that they were in didn''t turn out any better. The Devil''s disorderly nature prevented them from resisting the Demon Army that had a great amount of plot and stratagem. However, the Devils weren''t purely lucky that they could survive all these years. The Devils were superior in one aspect that the Demons could never ever compare��


    Quantity.


    Presented before Rhode''s eyes was a sea of dark figures that blended as one with the Chaos Flame surging from the cracks on the ground. Corina''s attack continued to bombard a huge chunk of enemies, but even the Moon Elf lady had begun to worry as she gazed at the boundless view of black prairie before her. "Sir!"


    "Don''t panic and just keep going. We''re almost there. Lift your head and look towards the end!" Rhode recognized the hint of fear and helplessness in Corina''s scream. This was a scene that everyone battling the Devil Army would face. Although the Devil Army wasn''t as organized and filled with deadly, murderous intent as the Demon Army, it would feel as though one was facing the crushing landslide at the bottom of the mountain when one saw the sea of unrestricted Devils charging for you. That feeling of inescapable, unchangeable, undefendable helplessness would devour you completely.


    If we don''t come up with a solution, we will be in trouble.


    In a mere second, an idea came up in Rhode''s mind and he shouted.


    "Mr. Di, please come up with a way to push these things farther away from us. It will be best to cast a duration spell on me!"


    Di let out a snort and this was the first time the Vampire had an obvious change in expression. He hid behind the solid defense of the Undead Knight beside him and gestured with his hands. Soon, lines of bloody characters emerged between his hands. Di folded his palms and the bloody characters formed into a talisman which he tossed upwards without even glancing.


    A strange, twisted symbol flew up and fastened above them. As the symbol emerged, those Imps that had ''trampled'' their own companions and rushed towards them suddenly stopped their movement as though there was a transparent barrier before them. Not only that, they retreated subconsciously like something was pushing against them.


    Order Incantation!


    Rhode''s eyes glittered as he recognized this advanced Order Spell. The powers of the Incantation Characters could temporarily extend the source power of Order. The effects of the Order Incantation should be weakened by the Chaos Realm, but its effects were maintained with Rhode''s Order Dimension in place as a barrier.


    But it was also rather depressing. After struggling in a bloodbath for about three hours and escaping a large distance from Soraka Mountain, Rhode still wasn''t able to figure out what rules his Order Dimension was concretized from. At least for now, he could see that the Order Spells, Undead Spells, Defense Spells, and the Elves'' bloodline weren''t restricted at all. Furthermore, the powers that they had released weren''t altered at all. Could it be that my Order Dimension is a public bus that whoever boards will benefit? If that''s the case, isn''t this too deceptive?


    Rhode threw his grumbles to the back of his head and lifted his head to gaze towards the horizon over the sea of Imps. With the effects of the spell, the speed of Rhode''s group could truly be described as ''running as fast as flying''. Previously, they had spent one to two days before arriving at Soraka Mountain from the Intersection Boundary and now, they had only spent two to three hours and they arrived at the Intersection Boundary. Rhode could even see the dazzling, hopeful sky protected by the Light Dragon Soul from afar. However, he was also aware that there was still a long way from their destination.


    "Everyone, pay attention. Don''t attack, because we''re going full throttle!" Rhode sheathed his daggers and with the protection of the Order Incantation, he didn''t need to worry about the troublesome Imps as it would separate everything from the outside completely. Although Di wasn''t speaking, Rhode understood this Vampire''s thoughts.


    Rhode gathered his attention at the farthest point ahead. Soon, he felt his mental focus coalesced as though a solid wooden hammer striking the ground. Then, a shapeless ''rope'' connected him, the domain around him, and everything else. Rhode ''extended his arm'' and pulled as he grabbed the ''rope''.


    The clear scenery before his eyes twisted abruptly and transformed into a ray of black and white that blasted towards Rhode''s group. In an instant, the group blinked and the scene before them restored to normal. However, this time, there was a huge mountain before them that they had never seen before.


    "This is��" Corina and the others scanned the mountain in disbelief. The Moon Elf blinked her eyes rapidly before turning towards the man beside her. Meanwhile, Di squinted with complex emotions while the Elderly Mage knitted his brows and gazed at Rhode.


    There should be two more attempts left.


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. A sense of happiness brewed in his heart the instant he witnessed success. [Self-breakthrough] didn''t only provide him with the Order Dimension; instead, it had also transformed his abilities. Although Rhode wasn''t sure about the abilities of this public bus-like Order Dimension, at least he knew that there wouldn''t be changes to the increase of his strength that he had already possessed. At this moment, Rhode''s nimbleness had broken his limits and reached the stage of ''Instant Movement''. Furthermore, with Rhode''s Order Dimension as the foundation, Rhode could move everything within it at the speed of light. However, even so, this was different from ''Teleportation''.


    Their movements were still traceable whereas ''Teleportation'' would make a direct leap in the spatial space. Even though they were protected from the Order Forcefield, Rhode didn''t dare to risk opening the portal for spatial teleportation because once the spatial teleportation passageway was affected by Chaos, no one knew where they would be teleported to.


    Regardless, the ''Instant Movement'' came with a price.


    A sense of fatigue struck Rhode. Logically speaking, one''s attribute would be maximized after the activation of the [Self-breakthrough] and it would be impossible for one to lose one''s strength. However, this ''Instant Movement'' proved to have consumed a relative amount of strength and he couldn''t afford to use it too many times.


    But this was enough.


    Rhode continued to dart forward while the Imps welcomed him with their fireballs. However, with the protection of the Order Incantation, Rhode''s group was as though driving an invisible tank against the Imps. The Imps were pushed away by the shapeless Order Forcefield and those that couldn''t dodge in time were mashed into minced meat by the powers of Order. The air was filled with a putrid smell and even Rhode''s group was stained with disgusting, rotten flesh.


    Second ''Instant Movement''.


    Rhode shifted his line of sight towards the far end ahead. His mental strength once again phased through the unlimited space and transformed into a ''signal point'' that struck in the deep ground heavily. Then, he leaped up. The entire space twisted and turned before his eyes once more, then returned to its original state.


    Rhode felt the pressure pushing against him lessen and the number of Imps before him was no longer as massive as before. Furthermore, their aggression also seemed to weaken greatly. Rhode witnessed the brightening radiance of Order from ahead, but a furious bellow sounded behind them at the same time. Then, the dark halo that had been spreading towards the Order Dimension stopped.


    "Everyone, be careful. The Duke Fiend may be coming soon!" Rhode yelled before once again gazing with rapt attention. But the lack of focus in his mental strength disrupted him from planting another ''signal point'' at the other end of the Intersection Boundary. There was not much time left for them to dash forward anymore. The Duke Fiend''s natural ability to teleport was much more insane than Rhode''s ''Instant Movement''. As long as the Duke Fiend wished for it, it could appear before them instantly. Argh�� How is it possible that these damn Chaotic creatures are this insane?


    Rhode consumed his final amount of mental strength and planted a ''signal point''. Shortly after, the space that had transformed into lines before their eyes restored to its original state abruptly. Rhode landed on the ground heavily and his ears couldn''t stop buzzing. Then, he lifted his chin. The ''signal point'' which he planted had been covered by a pitch-black gigantic hand entirely.


    The dark giant lowered its head and granted its attention to these bugs for the first time.

 Chapter 485 Desperate Breakou

    The Duke Fiend lowered its head and gazed at the pathetic little bugs. The aura of Order releasing from their body infuriated and disgusted the Duke Fiend. Not only that, it realized that there was a strange undulation in one of them. That was the undulation of a seal and the Duke Fiend was most familiar with it. It was this damn seal that trapped itself for more than a thousand years. The Duke Fiend frowned and the raging flames on its body surged along with its emotions. No one dared to resist its tremendous might. The Elderly Mage held his staff and stared with widened eyes while beads of sweat rolled down from his forehead.


    Corina hugged her silver bow tightly and her slender stature shuddered as the Duke Fiend swept its glance at them. Di lowered his head unusually to avoid eye contact with the Duke Fiend. Although the Dark Dragon held similar presence, Di understood how pitiful it felt to be noticed by the Devil. The group felt as though they had been washed into a large whirlpool. Even though they were in the land of Order, there was an indescribable fear growing in their hearts and an unexplainable urge to scream frantically to vent their emotions. This instinctual conflict had almost broken their intellect and terrorized their heart and soul entirely.


    The group was stricken into silence even though they were powerful beings that had entered the Legendary Stage. Although they had certain deficiencies in various aspects, they still had legendary strength. Not to mention, their beliefs and confidence had more resolution after entering the Legendary Stage. They could fail and make mistakes, but their willpower wouldn''t waver. As for them, there was nothing more frightening than the wavering of their souls because that was the first step in destroying everything that they had. At this moment, even the Undead Knight standing beside Di quietly was gripping her longsword tightly while her scarlet eyes trembled in fear.


    A gaze from the Duke Fiend was enough to sway the most determined part in their hearts.


    "Slaves of Order," the Duke Fiend let out a proud snort. It had no intentions of being here and interact with these humble bugs. The seal was his pain and dead knot. The Copper Mirror wasn''t just a simple decoration. It was what remained of the power of the Dragon Soul Successors who once defeated it. If its strength was restricted by the chains that bound around it, the Copper Mirror would be the lock on the chains and as long as it was obliterated, the Duke Fiend would receive its true freedom.


    After the Angel that it had contaminated was killed, the Duke Fiend ignored these tiny and weak ant-like presences because it believed that they would eventually fall within the Chaos Realm. However, it seemed that these ants were too stubborn which forced the Duke Fiend to take matters into its own hands and stop them from leaving. It would mean nothing but trouble if these lowly beings escaped with the seal.


    "Lowly maggots. What you''ve done is all meaningless!" The Duke Fiend''s resonant voice buzzed in their eardrums. Then, it extended its arm towards Rhode. As a presence born in unlimited Chaos, the Duke Fiend sensed the faint Order Forcefield from Rhode clearly. Although this forcefield was insignificant, it was too glaring for the Duke Fiend to ignore. It couldn''t wait to annihilate this annoying presence entirely.


    A five meters long hand swatted towards Rhode while the others froze to the spot from the Duke Fiend''s intimidating presence. But, in fact, they were actually focusing their willpower in holding down the franticness in the deepest part of their hearts. If they couldn''t hold it in, they would be devoured completely and lose their lives.


    However, Rhode didn''t need to.


    He lifted his head toward its gigantic palm. But Rhode''s mind was somehow clear and bright without any traces of nervousness. At this moment, not only was he aware of what the Duke Fiend was up to, but he also knew what he should do.


    Rhode unsheathed his daggers.


    An illusionary radiance emerged on their blades before extending and merging with Rhode''s arms as one. Rhode leaped skywards and struck towards the Duke Fiend''s palm with his arms in a crisscross posture.


    Foolish mortals!


    The Duke Fiend was slightly curious as to why this half-dead human wasn''t affected by his overpowering presence. However, this curiosity turned into unprecedented fury in a split second. The Duke Fiend snarled and grabbed for Rhode to crush him into minced meat. It wasn''t worried that this pathetic human could resist it at all��until the two daggers pierced its palm.


    Rhode stared at the palm swatting towards him and gritted his teeth. He struck the twin light blades forward and the illusionary blades penetrated the Duke Fiend''s palm. Dark flames exploded abruptly and almost shrouded Rhode entirely. However, Rhode stared at the spot where his light blades had punctured forcefully.


    A black spot emerged.


    The dark flames that assailed Rhode''s face had as though been absorbed by a presence. Shortly after, the flames on the Duke Fiend''s arm began to surge and they were absorbed into the black spot swiftly. Not only the flames, but the Duke Fiend''s palm also began to twist towards the black spot.


    "Ahhh!" the Duke Fiend let out a blood-curdling screech as it swung its arm and the powerful strength swept Rhode away. Rhode couldn''t resist the Duke Fiend''s immense strength at all. He crashed and rolled for more than 20 meters on the ground before finally rolling to a stop. Furthermore, the extended light blades on his wrists crumbled under its powerful might and shattered into dust. Also, the dazzling radiance on the two daggers flashed once and dimmed drastically.


    Cough cough�� Rhode''s physique had naturally toughened after transcending into the middle level of the Legendary Stage. But even at this moment, he couldn''t defeat the Duke Fiend in one blow. He lifted his head and gazed forward.


    The Duke Fiend raised its right palm and this was the first time this gigantic, pitch-black figure began to tremble. The tiny black spot in its palm was absorbing everything around it like a black hole. Not only did it suck in the dark flames on the Duke Fiend''s body, but neither its palm and arm were also not spared. The Duke Fiend let out a furious outcry and the dark flames on its body erupted to match against the tiny ''black hole''.


    "Go! Do you people wanna die here?" Rhode''s voice startled the group. As the Duke Fiend wailed, Corina and the others could feel the pressure around them lessen and the frantic dark flames had been weakened significantly. They were less than 200 meters away from the Intersection Boundary which was the end point of their long, tiring escape.


    As Rhode darted forward, he felt his body was on the verge of collapsing as though he was a tattered rag doll from his head to toe and any exertion of force would split his limbs apart. Rhode wasn''t sure if he could survive even if he made it to his destination. But now, he had no time to hesitate.


    He still wished to survive, at least.


    "Damn maggots. How are you��!" The Duke Fiend was in a towering rage. It was as though a child that tried to squash an ant got bitten by it in return. And afterward, the other ants seized the opportunity to escape from him too.


    The ''black hole'' eventually wasn''t able to resist the Duke Fiend''s strength. The Duke Fiend unleashed its powers fully and finally demolished the black spot. In order to destroy this ''black hole'', it sacrificed almost half of its arm. But this little damage was insignificant to the Duke Fiend fueled by Chaos because, soon, the dark flames burst out from its body blazed along its lost arm. In a blink of an eye, the dark flames restored its missing arm and the Duke Fiend turned around to grab Rhode once more.


    The Intersection Boundary was in sight.


    Just ahead!


    Rhode gazed at the scenery before him and gritted his teeth subconsciously. He could feel the anger and death threats spreading from the Duke Fiend behind him. At this moment, he felt that his body couldn''t hang on anymore. His vision began to blur and his steps were slow and in disarray. The eagerness in his mind couldn''t coordinate with his movements at all as though this broken body had reached its limits and crumbled��


    At this moment, a blurry palm emerged before Rhode. "Grab onto me!"


    The voice sounded so far away, but Rhode extended his arm without hesitation and grabbed it. He felt a strong tug and was lifted into the air instantly. Then, he crash-landed and rolled over the final dividing line.


    Rhode widened his eyes and witnessed the pure, dazzling Light Dragon Soul above and also the contrasting, blurry, black figure hovering over him. But now, Rhode wasn''t worried anymore.


    "Canary, Bubbles, I''ll leave it to you two," Rhode transmitted his final thoughts and he sunk into endless darkness completely.


    "S-Sir!" Corina rolled over in panic as she gaped at Rhode unconscious above her. She was clear that it was all thanks to this man with a black mask that they could hang on all the way. If not, they would never be able to escape the hands of the Duke Fiend with their strength. But, what about now? We heeded his words and escaped to the safety of the Dragon Soul. So what''s next?


    Corina didn''t have an answer. She couldn''t even move and it wasn''t because of Rhode laying above her. Instead, it was the Duke Fiend''s stare that froze her on the spot. Just gazing into the pair of threatening eyes was enough for the fear in Corina''s heart to take over her mind. She tried to lift her silver bow innately, but her hand had weakened from her fears.


    Is this the end?


    The Duke Fiend stretched its right arm forward furiously. This time, it wasn''t in the mood for games anymore. It was going to annihilate these slaves of Order, destroy the seal, and reach its goal. Corina was helpless and the only thing she could do now was to gaze blankly at the black palm striking towards her.


    However, at this moment, her entire world brightened in a flash.


    An enormous, dazzling light column descended from the sky and crushed the Duke Fiend''s extended arm. The Duke Fiend shrieked mournfully and at the same time, its right arm dissipated under the mysterious white radiance.


    "Oh, Lord. Duke Fiend?! That''s our Leader, indeed. Always luring extraordinary creatures." A young lady clad in a white, cleric robe emerged within the light column.


    "Its seal hasn''t been unlocked. Bubbles, it isn''t even level 70 now. Take it down and cut off its connections with the Bottomless Abyss!"


    Canary gazed at the Duke Fiend before her and commanded with a stern expression. Then, the young lady lifted her arms and coalesced a magical rune bursting with unlimited powers. On the other side, Bubbles lifted her left hand, squinted and let out a snort.


    "Return!" As the young lady snarled, a dazzling white column soared through the clouds and the shattered Dragon Soul protective barrier restored like a broken mirror transforming back to its perfect condition. The restored beautiful sky continued to spread all the way.


    "No!" The Duke Fiend didn''t expect such a twist to the situation. All of a sudden, the Dragon Soul protection regenerated from the white radiance broke the Chaos Realm and once again shrouded the sky above it. At the same time, the Orderly Forcefield returned to its rightful nature and cut off the powers between the Duke Fiend and the Bottomless Abyss swiftly.


    However, this was merely the start.


    Canary extended her arms.


    The green elemental wind gathered on her tender palms and diffused abruptly, forming hundreds of wind chains that bound the Duke Fiend to the spot. Even though the Duke Fiend was bellowing frantically and the Chaos Flame on its body was blazing, it couldn''t affect the manacles of the wind chains.


    "Oh my goodness��" Corina''s jaws dropped as this brilliant scene unfolded in her eyes. The Moon Elf lady was dubious if she were in a dream. Was this the horrifying Duke Fiend that made us escape so miserably? Who are those two girls? How are they so powerful?


    "Do you think you can beat me? Dream on! I am the Duke Fiend and I represent the will of Chaos. All of you ants can''t possibly defeat Chaos!" The Duke Fiend raved in rage. Dark lightning bolts burst out of its body and struck towards everyone. In an instant, the massive lightning strikes shook the entire earth violently and left horrible damage to the surface. These dark lightning bolts formed long whips that lashed out towards them. However, they collided into an invisible barrier and disappeared as they were smashed into bits instantly.


    "That''s all you got? A brain-dead, powerless Devil like you wants to fight us? Did you really think we''re some dumb newbies?" Bubbles revealed a look of disdain. She pushed her right arm forward and displayed a complicated, yet holy hand gesture.


    Meanwhile, Canary hovered in midair with her eyes half-closed. She chanted an incomprehensible spell and lines of runes emerged around her to form a halo as they revolved gracefully. That was the execution of the most advanced rule and was also a symbol of a player at her highest point.


    The air began to turn hot and dry. Corina gazed at the young lady hovering in midair blankly. As a race that was extremely sensitive to the magical elements, Corina sensed how pure and intense the powers of the Fire Element gathering by her hands were. If one were to shut one''s eyes to feel it, perhaps one could feel that the young lady was holding on to a miniature sun.


    Canary pushed her arms forward and stopped chanting at the same time. The runes spiraling around her drifted forward and gathered into an enormous and gorgeous ancient ritual circle.


    A golden ray of light projected and struck the Duke Fiend''s body. However, it didn''t seem to deal any damage to it. Actually, it wasn''t meant to be used as an attack.


    It was a guiding ray.


    A blustering energy burst along the guiding ray and a scarlet, earth-shattering explosion devoured the Duke Fiend. The scorching heat and incomparable powers spread apart instantly and even the clouds high in the sky had dissipated. The tough Duke Fiend had to lift its arms to defend itself for the first time. However, it wasn''t able to hang on for long. It was as though its blazing dark flames stood against the overwhelming flames of the sun and vanished completely.


    The Duke Fiend had lost its prestige and the protection of the unlimited Chaotic Forcefield from the Bottomless Abyss. The body formed by pure Chaos had been battered horrendously and began to rupture. The Duke Fiend lifted its head hopelessly and raised its arm for a final struggle.


    However, at this moment, a hexagram formed by white rays emerged beneath the Duke Fiend''s feet. Then, its matchless, blinding radiance erupted into the sky from its six points before transforming into six enormous, spotlessly white swords aiming at the Duke Fiend.


    "Return to the abyss! Slut!" Bubbles slapped her hands together.


    The giant light swords whizzed and penetrated the Duke Fiend''s body while the hexagram ritual circle shone. The Duke Fiend yowled as bright, dazzling cracks emerged on its pitch-black body as though it were a fragile sculpture. The Duke Fiend gave up its struggles while the spider web-like cracks spread across its entire body.


    Shortly after, a pure, holy radiance from above shone and engulfed it completely.

 Chapter 486 Blessed Hands

    "Argh��" Rhode struggled to open his eyes. The blurry duskiness before his eyes left his head spinning and almost every part of his body from his limbs to internal organs seemed to be screaming sorrowfully with any slightest movement. Not only that, the soreness and gastric juices in his stomach surged and he almost threw up.


    A flawlessly white radiance shone on him.


    Rhode felt his body restoring itself. The tormenting pain was as though snow that melted under the intense heat of the merciful sun. Rhode let out a moan and his clear vision slowly returned.


    "Ah, Leader, you''re finally awake? That''s great. I thought it was too late." Bubble''s adorable face was the first to reflect in Rhode''s eyes. She gazed at Rhode with round, widened eyes and heaved a glad sigh. Rhode looked over the other side and found Canary''s slightly stern expression turning into a smile.


    The scene before his eyes left him somewhat despondent. He felt as though he was still in the gaming world where he was revived by Bubble after getting killed in a dungeon mission. He stood back up and watched as his men gathered around him and prepare for the next move of action after the distribution of rewards��


    "I''m��" Rhode tried to stand up, but his knees gave way and he kneeled back to the ground.


    He lifted his head and gazed at Bubble beside him with puckered brows while the young lady shrugged her shoulders hopelessly. "I don''t know how you pushed yourself to this extent, Leader. But, Leader, you''re very very weak now. To be honest, it is a miracle that you can still survive�� I casted three ''Life Praises'' on you, but, for whatever reason, it doesn''t seem to be able to heal you fully."


    "Is that so?" Rhode''s heart sank after hearing Bubble''s explanation. The ''Life Praise'' was the most powerful healing spell of Clerics. Not only was it able to revive one to maximum health, but it could also expel every curse on one''s body. Rhode was very familiar with this common show-saving spell in the later parts of the game. However, according to Bubble, she had cast three ''Life Praises'' on him and yet he was still in so much pain. This showed that there might really be something wrong with his body condition.


    Rhode opened the system interface and the first thing that he observed was the vermilion icon representing his health status which was just slightly better than death. Rhode sought his answer listed beside the icon.


    [Body overloaded. Plunged into a state of fatigue. Weak (10H). Recoverable. Incurable. Cannot be dispelled]


    "Phew��" 10H represented the time of the Dragon Soul and it meant 100 hours. In other words, based on this, he could fully recover after recuperating for four to five days which was wonderful news. After all, he broke through into the Legendary Stage with an Elite physical body and had been overworking his body to its extreme.


    However, Rhode''s mood didn''t turn for the better. He tensed up right after letting out a sigh because, at this moment, a horrifying prediction emerged deep in his heart. He lifted his head and gazed at the both of them uneasily.


    "S-Sir?" Corina called out to Rhode in a baffling tone. Got to say, ever since this Moon Elf lady crossed into here from the Intersection Boundary, she had endured frights constantly. She was almost squashed flat by the Duke Fiend and thereafter, two young, yet extremely formidable young ladies around the age of 16 appeared out of nowhere and defeated the hateful, chaotic presence easily. Corina thought that these were more than enough for her heart to withstand, but she didn''t expect that the most startling fact was at this moment. After Bubble removed Rhode''s mask and proceeded to heal his wounds, Corina realized that this ''Sir'' was actually a woman!


    Even though Bubble explained Rhode''s true gender quickly, Corina found it difficult to accept after witnessing his face that might even be more beautiful than the Elves. Rhode struggled to tilt his head upwards while Corina gaped. However, Corina didn''t expect that Rhode disregarded her totally and stared at the other two young ladies instead.


    "Which one of you has searched its corpse!?"


    "��" Canary and Bubble exchanged glances and shook their heads. "We haven''t begun the search yet, Rhode."


    "Phew��" Rhode let out a long sigh of relief because Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were known as the most notorious ''Unlucky Duo'' in his guild. No matter how powerful the BOSS was, they would always obtain the most disgusting and useless artifacts��


    The most profound memory of Rhode''s was in the early days of the game. The Duke Vampire, known for its collection of countless magical treasures and also praised by the players as the "Walking Treasure Chest", was destroyed by Rhode''s group after a long, gruesome battle. For the first time ever in the game''s history, Canary obtained a plain, meaningless artifact and also an Elite artifact! Not only did the entire group almost die from vomiting their guts out at this horrible result, but someone also screenshotted and uploaded into the forums and turned Starlight into a laughing stock for a period of time.


    Rhode spent so much effort and even acted as a bait for the damn Duke Fiend to be lured into his territory. It wasn''t for the sake of some useless artifacts!


    "Bubble, you go!"


    "Me?" Bubble shrieked before shaking her head hastily like a rattle-drum. "I''m not doing it, Leader. I can''t find anything good and you know that."


    "I know, but you''re definitely more reliable than Canary in this, right?"


    "�� Rhode? Don''t you think that I will be sad hearing this right in front of my face?"


    "I will be even more sad if I can''t get anything good from this. After a while, the Duke Fiend''s corpse will be removed from this world by the Orderly Forcefield and it''s our priority to search for our loot. Forget it, I''ll do it myself�� Argh��"


    "Waaaa, Leader, how are you gonna search when you can''t even walk now? Why not�� we get someone with ''lucky hands'' to do it?"


    "Is that fine? We''re not in a team��"


    "Aiya, this isn''t a game, Elder Sister. We shall see how Leader decides��"


    "Yes!" Rhode''s eyes glistened after hearing Bubble''s suggestion. "Get Marlene here. Now. Within one minute!"


    "Okay, Rhode, I''m going now!" Canary stood up immediately and vanished into thin air as a radiant ray flashed upon her.


    Rhode sat up and gazed at the huge pile of black, filthy dust left behind by the Duke Fiend before observing the surroundings. The Elderly Mage was laying unconsciously and according to Bubble, she placed Rhode as the priority for her healing and the Elderly Mage was placed last. Fortunately, he wasn''t too badly injured. Spotting Corina on the other side, Rhode nodded to her slightly in acknowledgment, but she responded awkwardly. Rhode wasn''t too bothered by her strange behavior because this time, he had exposed his true abilities before this Moon Elf lady entirely. A person like Sereck who had just stepped into the Master Stage couldn''t see through Canary and Mini Bubble Gum''s true strength. However, it was impossible that Corina couldn''t sense the supreme powers from both of them. Rhode only hoped that this Moon Elf lady could keep hush and not spread this matter out�� Even though there wouldn''t be too many believers.


    In the Dragon Soul Continent, the maximum level of players was always changing. At the beginning, the maximum was level 50. It was later altered to level 85 after several updates where the Creator Dragon Souls were born and the awakened Void Dragon from the ''Deepest Labyrinth'' led its civilians and destroyed the entire continent. This also pushed players to the same level as the Elemental Lords. They possessed ''Supreme Privileges'' and could build their own world with their own rules in the limitless multiverse.


    Without a doubt, this boundary was divided by the players'' levels and if it was divided according to the Dragon Soul Continent, it would be shortened into two words: ''Beyond Legendary''


    That wasn''t a standard which the aborigines could obtain. Those who could enter the ''Beyond Legendary'' and obtain the [Elemental Heart] were nothing less than the legendary characters such as Lydia who was one of the three Archangels and Gillian who was the Fire Elemental Lord. Of course, even though players could reach the same level as them, it didn''t mean that they were qualified to possess the same amount of strength as Lydia and Gillian. The [Supreme Privilege] which players possessed was classified as the [Rule Heart] and not the [Elemental Heart]. The Rule World which they created was much smaller than those of the aborigines. Furthermore, after exceeding the levels of ''Beyond Legendary'', it became almost as ''One Level One Step''. Take Mini Bubble Gum and Canary as an example. They could take on Gillian if they were equipped with proper equipment. However, without the equipment, five to six of them were required to fight Gillian.


    As for Lydia? Even with god-like equipment, it would be wishful thinking if one didn''t form a 25-man team against her.


    If this were calculated according to a pure level of strength, Canary and Bubble''s strength were stronger than the Queen Elf''s. Rhode wasn''t aware of Corina''s thoughts on this, but he couldn''t do anything about it. Soon, Rhode threw this matter to the back of his head and he began to consider another matter.


    "Where''s Di and his bodyguard?" He gazed at Mini Bubble Gum and communicated with her spiritually.


    "I did sense the aura of death. But those two fellows are sneakier than I thought. They escaped while Elder Sister and I were dealing with the Duke Fiend."


    "Tch!" Rhode gritted his teeth. The biggest reason why he lured Di into providing support for him was that he had planned to eliminate them. After all, Di would be an important character in the later stages of the Country of Darkness and even though there were plenty of powerful beings in that country who were stronger than Di, in terms of the schemes and commanding within the army, Di was a first-class troublemaker. Rhode harbored the thought of letting Bubble and Canary annihilating them, but he didn''t expect that this bastard was still so sneaky. Perhaps he had chosen to flee after sensing something was wrong.


    "Rhode?!" A glaring beam shone and both Canary and Marlene emerged before his eyes. Marlene was baffled as soon as she saw Rhode. Although Mini Bubble Gum''s spells had pulled Rhode from the hands of the Grim Reaper, his condition wasn''t looking great as he leaned on the three feebly, blood stains all over his clothes. A while ago, Canary had rushed into Marlene''s room anxiously and dragged her away before she could even react. Could it be that Rhode wishes to see me one last time?


    What''s happening? What exactly happened?! Could it be that Rhode��


    "Rhode!" Marlene lifted the ends of her skirt and scuttled towards Rhode. But at this moment, Rhode lifted his hand and gestured.


    "Not here, Marlene. Go! There''s no more time left!" Rhode exclaimed and coughed up a mouthful of blood while pointing to the Duke Fiend''s corpse behind Marlene weakly. Although he knew that Marlene was worried sick, the Orderly Forcefield was restoring gradually. He wouldn''t die anytime soon, but he would die of anger if those precious loots were gone!


    "Eh?" Marlene stared at Rhode blankly. Her mind was in a daze�� What exactly is going on?


    "Miss Marlene, please hurry up. There''s nothing critical about Leader, but, we need your help to search for loot in the pile of dust back there, alright?" As Rhode''s best partner, Canary sensed Marlene''s worries and added on hurriedly.


    "Ah�� I see�� Okay��" Marlene wasn''t an emotional person and even though she lost her calm for a moment, she understood the importance of this matter after witnessing Rhode''s rare nervous expression. She turned around and scampered toward the pile of dust. Of course, Mini Bubble Gum hadn''t forgotten to cast an Order Protection spell on her to prevent the Chaos Forcefield from contaminating her.


    On the other hand, Corina was flabbergasted. From the start, she wasn''t sure of what Rhode''s group was debating about. She vaguely guessed from their behaviors and words that they were discussing who should sweep for the loot. Although this was also an important and honorable part of the battle, Corina thought that these people were exaggerating. In terms of identity, all of them had the right to do it, yet they specially brought a Mage in the Middle Circle here to do it?


    Is this just a weird human custom?


    Rhode was relieved after Marlene began to search in the pile of dust. He stretched his arm to accept a healing potion from Canary. Even though the healing potions that Lapis had concocted carried a soothing effect, they weren''t able to heal his injuries.


    Rhode was mentally prepared that he might become crippled or a human vegetable. However, it seemed that magic was simply too great in this illogical world. Of course, this might also have something to do with his amazing physique.


    "Rhode?" Marlene completed her task swiftly. After all, it didn''t require any technical skills to search for loot and moreover, there was merely some residual dust left after the Duke Fiend had been purified by the holy light. As Marlene displayed the handful of artifacts before Rhode''s eyes, he almost coughed out another mouthful of blood. There was a pitch-black ring, a silver-whitish necklace embedded with a red gem, a bracer forged from brass, and a gray leather package. Although Rhode couldn''t figure out the quality of material from its appearance, he could feel its solid texture and a strange aura from it.


    Suddenly, their eyes almost popped out of their sockets.


    "Oh my goodness!" Mini Bubble Gum was the first to yell and she scanned Marlene from her head to toe as though she were a monster. "How can you have such a good luck? I''m so envious, jealous, and furious!"


    "H-Huh? M-Mis, Bubble?" Marlene was stunned by Bubble''s reaction.


    "Rhode," Canary scanned the artifacts that Marlene handed over with a stern expression. She gazed at Rhode firmly and said. "I strongly suggest that you bring Miss Marlene along whenever you leave home. This way, I can guarantee that within two years, Starlight will reach the honorable standards of our previous guild in terms of artifacts."


    "I agree," Rhode nodded and answered in a solemn tone.

 Chapter 487 Ancient Artifacts

    None of the artifacts that Marlene had retrieved from the Duke Fiend''s ashes weren''t god-like. Although Rhode didn''t know when this Duke Fiend began to exist, he could confirm that it must have existed for centuries. As a presence of Chaos, the Duke Fiend must have possessed several spoils of war from the underworld and these amazing artifacts had proven Rhode''s guesses right.


    The pitch-black ring didn''t seem as fine and gorgeous as most of the other magical artifacts. Although its pitch-black appearance seemed somewhat crude, Rhode knew that these simple, ancient artifacts contained the most powerful magical powers. These magical artifacts were one of the first few created by the Five Creator Dragons when they passed on the secrets of magic to the living beings on the surface. As there wasn''t order that grasped rules back in those days, the process of making magical artifacts such as these were coarse and difficult. However, due to this, the might of magical artifacts created in that era were massively different from those created now.


    And this ring on Rhode''s palm was one of them.


    [Sisko''s Fantasy (Ancient. Legendary. Silver) �� Family''s honor from start to end. The Elemental Powers were of the eternal reflection of the multiverse. The crowned King will eventually return to its throne. Unrestricted by everything]


    [King''s Dignity �� Elemental Resistance +30]


    [King''s Protection �� Immune to spells within the five Circles]


    [King''s Sanction �� Magical Devour (Level 7) Available once per day. Negate and seal the spells (beyond three Circles) targeting holder and control the skill used]


    The functionality of this ring itself was enough for Rhode to be deeply moved that his escape wasn''t for naught. The ''King''s Protection'' itself was more than enough for Rhode. It meant that as long as he was equipped with this ring, intermediate Mages wouldn''t deal any damage to him at all. Furthermore, even though this [Magical Devour] ability might seem to be rather ordinary, anyone who was familiar with Mages would know what it meant. Once Rhode utilized the [Magical Devour], he could seal a spell that was targeting him and was up to the pinnacle of the Legendary level. Not only that, he could even steal and manipulate the spell as his own.


    With such an artifact, Rhode could be said to be invincible to future battles with Mages. Not only could he be immune to most of the spells that Mages cast, he could also even manipulate their spells and use it against them. However, the downside of this skill was that it could only be used once per day and it could only deal with one skill at once.


    But humans can''t be that greedy.


    These ancient artifacts were indeed incredible. Rhode exclaimed in admiration as he gazed at the attributes stats of the ring. A Duke Fiend who held onto such an artifact surely wouldn''t be defeated by any ordinary humans. However, Rhode felt fortunate that Canary and Bubble came in time to defeat it.


    Rhode displayed the attributes of this artifact to Canary and Bubble through spiritual communication and the two young ladies were baffled. As spellcasters, they knew the importance of this ring much more than Rhode.


    "Woah�� Something like this actually exists. It makes me wanna hunt it down once more."


    "This�� is gonna be a troublesome artifact for a Mage. I wouldn''t wish to meet an opponent who has this artifact, even in-game."


    Rhode was slightly delighted after hearing their responses. He actually enjoyed such discussions. In the game, they would always gather around the spoils of war after defeating the BOSS to discuss their attributes and debate on their usages and for which strategies. On the other hand, the lives of the mercenaries weren''t as unconstrained as the players. Besides, they didn''t even understand the attributes of the artifact. After all, mercenaries didn''t experience adventures as much as players and even though they could recognize how powerful the artifact was as it fell out of the monster, most of them didn''t understand the in-depth details of them. There were many times when Rhode would be amused by the artifacts with his lonely self while the mercenaries didn''t understand the value of the artifacts. However, with Canary and Mini Bubble Gum around, Rhode couldn''t help but reveal a rare smile. He placed the ring down and picked up the second artifact.


    It was a silver-whitish necklace. As the sun shone brightly on it, the silverish radiance on its surface flowed non-stop as though swirling mercury liquid.


    That was the Silver Stream.


    Rhode sucked in a deep breath of cold air as he noticed the material of the necklace. The Silver Stream was a legendary and ancient magical mineral from the Ocean of Magic. This material could be considered a mineral and also a magical ingredient that could be used for weapon forging and the creation of magical artifacts. However, it was a pity that due to the Ocean of Magic drying up, the Silver Stream had vanished completely and most of the artifacts made from it had gone missing.


    It seems that this damn Duke Fiend is an old one.


    Based on the two artifacts, Rhode was sure that the Duke Fiend hailed from the ancient war period. But, fortunately, the powers of this terrifying creature were sealed off.


    The red gem embedded on the necklace seemed like any other ordinary gem. However, Rhode realized that it was a Spirit Crystal after analyzing it farther, It was an object transformed from a human''s spirit. Its appearance seemed oddly dazzling, but there was an indistinct human expression in tremendous pain frozen on the surface.


    Rhode examined the attributes of this necklace.


    [Spirit''s Prisoner (Ancient. Legendary. Gold) �� No traitors will be spared. Their sins cannot be washed clean even with time]


    [Imprisoned Spirit �� Human (All Attributes +5)]


    [The kindness to slaves is an insult to oneself �� Spirit receives (Permanent) (1/1) (Available once per day) Holder can appoint a life form and obtain its spirit. Willpower identification required]


    [Glory of death for the owner �� Spirit Sacrifice. If the imprisoned spirit exists, the holder can use it to sustain a deadly attack]


    [Cannot be dispelled and liberated]


    [Silver Stream (The billows in the Ocean of Magic resounding in your ears) �� The holder''s spiritual energy increases by 30%]


    Oh my��


    Not only Rhode was dumbfounded, but Canary and Mini Bubble Gum also fell into silence. The attributes on this necklace left Rhode complete speechless. It was apparent that this necklace might have belonged to certain Duke Demons in Hell and it was obvious from these sinister descriptions. However, amongst all these, the third description was the main highlight for Rhode.


    [If the imprisoned spirit exists, the holder can use it to sustain a deadly attack]


    This almost meant a second life for Rhode and he could survive a sure-death situation by choosing a spirit to die in his place. Not only that, after losing the spirit, Rhode could imprison a new spirit thereafter and during the spirit''s imprisonment, Rhode could receive additional attributes values from it. Moreover, the Silver Stream could increase his spiritual energy by 30%, This necklace could simply be said as a legend within a legendary artifacts. If he utilized it properly, he wouldn''t need to face a day like this. Even though it wasn''t as exaggerated as a cat having nine lives, Rhode could possibly seize three lives at most.


    As for its flaws, it would be the [Holder can appoint a life form and obtain its spirit. Willpower identification required] and the [Spirit''s Prisoner]. The former wouldn''t affect him too much because it would only require some mental strength from his mind. Instead, he was more mindful of the latter. He must be clear of his goals before he made his move to imprison a spirit because he couldn''t release it even if he wanted to. Although he wouldn''t know the feelings of the spirit after he imprisoned it, he could imagine that the spirit wouldn''t feel good at all.


    "Leader, this thing is too��" Bubble said in awe.


    "Yes, Rhode. If we discovered this artifact back in the game, perhaps it would''ve split our guild apart��" Canary lamented as she gazed at the artifact.


    "That''s right," Rhode nodded. Even in the game, players always had something which they strived for. Some powerful artifacts would solidify a guild''s strength, however, some overly powerful artifacts would only bring disaster. The necklace in Rhode''s hand belonged to the latter. With such incredible attributes, one wouldn''t mind getting one''s hands on it even with the risk of getting kicked out of the guild��


    Fortunately, there was no one around to snatch this necklace from him. Even though Canary and Bubble coveted to have it, they knew that it wouldn''t be as beneficial to them as compared to equipping on Rhode. But even so, both of them made Rhode swear to bring back some awesome artifacts for them in future. With two legendary artifacts on hand, what dungeons were there that Rhode couldn''t clear?


    After two rounds of ''shock'', Rhode and the others were somewhat numbed. Rhode retrieved the third artifact with a mentality of ''no matter how god-like the next artifact is, I won''t be surprised''.


    It was a bracer forged from brass and Rhode almost spit out fresh blood after examining its attributes. He gazed strangely at the brass bracer and didn''t know what to say.


    [Historical Wing (Ancient. Fantasy. Bronze) �� Created in Chaos. Forged in death as its smelting furnace. Comply with Order to exist within the crack]


    [Guardian of Space �� Any attacks targeted at holder will have a 35% chance of missing]


    [Will of Order �� Order Scepter (Level 5) (Available once per day) Holder can cast an Order territory with the size of (5S x 5S). Immune to the effects of the Chaos Forcefield]


    [Devastating Chaos �� Chaos Shadow (Level 1) (Available once per day) Holder can cast a Chaos Shadow with the size of (3S x 3S) and those apart from the holder will go through a round of resistance identification (30 Willpower) Those who do not pass will be affected and the effects will be similar to the Chaos Realm]


    [Eternal Presence �� Artifact will not be destroyed]


    [Meteor Force �� Holder''s strength level +3]


    The addition in attribute by this artifact shouldn''t be disregarded. 35% was a high percentage in deflecting the enemies'' attack while the +3 strength level was enough to force Rhode''s strength to an equal level as those legendary giants. Furthermore, the Order Scepter and Chaos Shadow had powerful effects. The former could form a 500m x 500m Order territory within Chaos and protect everyone from the effects of the Chaos Forcefield which would be utterly beneficial in Rhode''s later plans. As for the latter, even though its 300m x 300m seemed somewhat insignificant, its effects that equaled the Chaos Realm made up for its deficiency. Rhode had just experienced the effects of the Chaos Realm first hand and he naturally knew that those who didn''t pass the resistance identification would be stripped of their strength. Furthermore, one''s magical prowess and powers of Order would be greatly weakened. However, the Chaos Shadow was only on Level 1 and its willpower resistance was 30. Compared to the genuine Chaos Realm, this bootleg version was still lacking. Rhode could use it to deal with beings of the Master Stage, however, it would be pointless against those in the Legendary Stage.


    However, Rhode wasn''t concerned about these as he set his sight on the Historical Wing''s attribute description �� Fantasy.


    In the Dragon Soul Continent, artifacts with the ''Fantasy'' attribute were extremely rare because their essence laid between ''exist'' or ''nonexistent''. Even though other two artifacts had high levels, they were ''presences that existed''. Instead, this ''fantasy'' artifact was different. It could exist and it could be non-existent. It could be said as "If one thinks that it exists, then it exists. If one thinks that it doesn''t exist, then it doesn''t exist."


    Due to this reason, the chances of obtaining a ''fantasy'' artifact were as rare as owning phoenix feathers and Rhode never in the least expected that Marlene could obtain it just like that. He lifted his head and gazed at her with a strange expression�� No matter if it was her class or luck, this young lady was really fortunate.


    Compared to the first three artifacts, the last one seemed rather strange. It seemed like just an ordinary spatial pocket, but Rhode and Canary could sense its powerful, magical seal. It was obvious that there was something important hidden within. But Rhode''s group couldn''t think of a way to open this small little spatial pocket.


    "It''s really weird, Leader," Canary knitted her brows as she shifted her hand away from the gray pocket. "I can sense the powerful magical powers within, but�� the seal on it is really troublesome. Although I can dispel the seal with my powers, I may destroy the item inside too. Unless I manage to find a proper command and dispelling method, I think we won''t be able to open it."


    "That leaves us with no choice then," Rhode slid his hand across the surface of the spatial pocket and examined it carefully. At this moment, he spotted a strange, rose-shaped rune symbol at its lower left corner. There were six vipers spiraling around the black rose stalk. For unknown reasons, Rhode felt as though he had seen this symbol somewhere before.


    Come to think of it. It does look like��


    An idea came to his mind and Rhode connected spiritually with his card spirits. "Is anyone familiar with this thing?"


    "Ah��!" Suddenly, Celestina''s utterly discomfited voice rang in Rhode''s ear. "That belongs to me. Give it back to me now, Master!"

 Chapter 488 An Abnormal Silence

    Rhode''s eyes were filled with glimmers of satisfaction as he leaned against the window frame while gazing at the pitch-black, tranquil forest. He placed the piece of paper down and rubbed his forehead softly. At this moment, the door opened gradually and a petite figure walked in with a plate of food. "�� Rhode�� Dinner��"


    "Thank you, Christie," Rhode smiled at the little girl as she placed the dish on his table and stroke her long hair gently. Got to say, the little girl''s smooth hair felt superb to the touch and it also gave Rhode a peace of mind.


    "�� Rhode, when did you wake up?" Christie asked out of concern.


    "About four hours ago. Don''t worry, I''m fine," Rhode gazed at her worried expression and displayed a bitter smile.


    It had been two days since returning to the Fortress and Rhode''s health had been recovering slowly. He didn''t reveal the exact details to Lize and Marlene. After obtaining the loot, Corina and the Elderly Mage of the Order Alliance expressed their gratitude and sounded as though they wished for Rhode to explain the bizarre ongoings. To be honest, even Rhode wasn''t clear of the entire events. Moreover, this was also considered as the internal affairs of the Munn Kingdom and he couldn''t answer irresponsibly. Rhode replied idly and didn''t answer their doubts directly while Corina and the Elderly Mage didn''t probe any further and left soon after. Rhode wasn''t concerned about the situation in the Elf Kingdom and he knew that the Order Alliance would definitely carry out an investigation about it. But this wasn''t something that Rhode would be concerned about.


    After returning to the Fortress, Rhode began to rest and recuperate. But even so, he didn''t leave all the work to the others. Instead, after resting for half a day, Rhode requested for Old Walker to report all the information that he had gathered in the Country of Light border. Even though Rhode couldn''t move about freely, his brains were still operating fine. At this moment, any kind of rest would be a waste of time.


    Rhode had no time.


    Although Marlene and Canary insisted that Rhode focus on resting fully, they were helpless as Rhode refused their request sternly. But it would be a huge mistake if Rhode thought that Marlene had no other ideas. She immediately thought of someone that could restrain him.


    Christie.


    No one wasn''t aware of Rhode''s feelings towards Christie. This was why Rhode would definitely listen to Christie''s words and in fact, it was as Marlene had expected. Rhode could show his sunken face to Marlene and Lize, but he could never do that in front of Christie. What made matters worse for him was that, in the beginning, he had persuaded Christie to rest more due to her weak health and now, these words had turned to force him into submission�� Rhode definitely didn''t wish to set a bad example for Christie.


    Unlike Marlene, Christie didn''t like to speak about principle. However, Rhode couldn''t help but surrender every time he gazed into the worried eyes of the little girl�� Of course, even so, it wasn''t enough to stop him from doing his work. After all, Christie''s health wasn''t perfect and normally, she would be responsible for delivering Rhode''s three meals before returning to rest in her room. Therefore, there wouldn''t be any suspicions as long as Rhode behaved appropriately to the situation.


    Although this would let down Christie''s troubles, Rhode really didn''t have time to rest right now.


    Old Walker''s report was extremely complicated and this was also Rhode''s request. Old Walker acted according to Rhode''s instructions and planted several of his mercenaries in various bars to seek information from the gossip of bar-goers. The intelligence was at sixes and sevens and it wasn''t simple to search for the details that he wanted the most. However, Rhode realized the various problems quickly. The region by the border of the Country of Light and Country of Dark had once engaged in movements of personnel and deployment of army troops. At the same time, the price of foodstuff increased slightly while the management of the city had been stricter than usual and often. Mercenaries weren''t allowed to exit the city for adventures and hunting.


    These were only some of the slight changes.


    Most of the intelligence gathered were regarding the event in Soraka Mountain after it happened. After all, the event brought huge influence and almost everyone on this continent was aware of the problem. But fortunately, none of the intelligence mentioned the Duke Fiend. This went to show that the outside world was unaware of the truth. However, Rhode knew that this was only temporary as the Munn Kingdom, Country of Darkness, and Country of Light would definitely, definitely not disregard this matter. The Munn Kingdom was responsible for the management while the Dragon Souls of the Country of Light and Country of Dark were wounded by the Duke Fiend. If they didn''t take actions to investigate the matter, one could only say that they were idiots.


    Rhode didn''t need to concern himself with the Country of Darkness because Di would definitely report the entirety of the situation to his higher-ups. As for the Country of Light, Rhode wasn''t confident of what their next actions would be. After all, he didn''t have the time to be concerned about too many people during the battle of Soraka Mountain. Although there wasn''t any representative present from the Country of Light during the battle in the Rock Shrine, Corina''s Elf Kingdom and the Elderly Mage''s Order Alliance might leak some rumors due to their decent relationship with the Country of Light. Rhode had been completely wrapped up in the intelligence regarding the Country of Light because he was clearer than anyone on this continent about how great they were in having a bad reputation with others. Moreover, strictly speaking, this was also a problem of the Munn Kingdom and if the Country of Light''s Parliament used it as a pretext to make a fuss, no one knew what would happen next.


    Furthermore, Rhode was still puzzled by Royal Highness Lydia''s attitude on this whole matter.


    Rhode had gotten Marlene to deliver a report to Golden City and Golden City had replied and also invited Rhode over to explain the situation in person. However, Rhode used his weak condition and inability to move as an excuse to decline the invitation. Actually, this was the truth to a certain extent and on the other hand, Rhode wished to delay to investigate the current situation of the Munn Kingdom.


    Indeed, Rhode finally discovered some problems.


    The nobles of the South were beginning to cause a stir.


    The rumors of mortals couldn''t be trusted fully. However, Rhode eventually detected the answer that he had anticipated from the rumors. Currently, the South wasn''t having a peaceful time, especially with the newly established Liberty Mercenary Alliance. Initially, they began to gather mercenaries from all around the continent and currently, it was said that several well-trained and experienced soldiers had joined their forces. It was apparent that this so-called mercenary alliance wasn''t as pure as they sounded. Rhode sensed an extremely troublesome situation forming based on the information.


    Ever since the Midsummer Festival had ended, Lydia used the explanation of ''Liberty Wings Guild have secret ties with the Demons'' to deal a heavy blow to the Southern Reformist Party and Rhode was concerned that those nobles would have a life and death struggle. They weren''t idiots and they definitely knew that Lydia was using this opportunity to weaken their strength and influence and grind them to death. However, these nobles might not be resigned to their fate just yet.


    There were two wine glasses dripped with poison before them. One of them would kill them instantly while the other would allow them to speak their last words first before death. Which would they choose?


    Especially after the incident of Soraka Mountain, the Country of Light had begun to once again tend toward easing the tension. At the same time, the Reformist Party from the South had become more aggressive. Could it be that there were no instructions from the Country of Light?


    And could it be this reason that Lydia didn''t leave Golden City and head into Soraka Mountain?


    Rhode didn''t make this wild guess. In fact, the Supervisor position in the internal Munn Kingdom was a secret to all but a few. If he didn''t discover the Angel contaminated by Chaos in the Rock Shrine, he wouldn''t link the situation of the Duke Fiend breaking away from the seal and the Munn Kingdom together. In other words, other than Rhode and a few others, no one knew that the problem in Soraka Mountain was triggered by the Supervisor and no one knew this was related to the Munn Kingdom.


    Could it be that Royal Highness Lydia realized something that I don''t know and that was why she didn''t leave Golden City and head into Soraka Mountain? Could it be that the situation in the South has become so dangerous that Royal Highness Lydia couldn''t leave Golden City even for a moment? Also, if Royal Highness Lydia knew about this, what was the purpose of her choosing me? Could it be that she was confident in my abilities in dealing with the Duke Fiend? Is it all a coincidence? Or, is it all premeditated?


    Rhode lifted his head and gazed at the letter in his hand. It was a response from Royal Highness Lydia after Rhode had sent his report earlier and it contained an answer that Rhode didn''t anticipate. She agreed to Rhode''s excuse and hope that he recovered fully before heading into Golden City.


    Rhode wasn''t worried that Lydia would use this excuse to his disadvantage because his current abilities weren''t too weak and after annihilating the Duke Fiend, he realized surprisingly that the EXP was awarded to him. His level rose by 7 instantly and he received 14 Skill Points. However, Rhode didn''t use them immediately because, after all, he was still feeling weak and even if he wished to reinforce his condition, it might turn out to be an imperfect result. Therefore, he had decided to use the Skill Points after he had fully recovered. Rhode had currently reached Level 40 and entered the Master Stage. Moreover, it wouldn''t be that simple for Lydia to silence him with the artifact that he had received from the Duke Fiend''s corpse. Although Rhode knew that the Archangel was someone who would spare nothing for the sake of keeping secrets, he, after all, was a human and not an Angel. Even though he wished to stand on Lydia''s side, he must also consider the possibilities of dangers.


    However, even though investigating the intelligence was an uninteresting job, Rhode had something else to amuse himself.


    "Master! It''s about time you turn my belonging!" His ears once again rang with Celestina''s ear-piercing screams.


    However, the corner of his mouth twitched as he heard her grumbles. "I have said it clearly enough, Celestina. As long as you are willing to break the seal and let me see what''s inside, I will return it to you immediately."


    "Master, you��!" Celestina gritted her teeth furiously and she regretted owning up so soon.


    Rhode was certain that was since this magical artifact was retrieved from the Duke Fiend''s corpse, it would be at least a few thousand years old. Furthermore, if this artifact belonged to Celestina, it would mean that her identity could be traced back to the Ancient War Period. Rhode always wished to understand the history of these two Holy Swords, but Celia had abstained from letting him know while Celestina had always refused to answer him directly. Now that Rhode had something that could be used against her, he wouldn''t let this opportunity slip.


    This was actually also a small punishment for Celestina. After all, even though Rhode wasn''t mindful about joking with his men, he didn''t feel great having Celestina always bossing him around. It would be fun to tease this proud young lady and make her understand the master-slave relationship better. "My condition is simple, what do you think? Celestina, you should really consider it."


    "Go to hell, Master! That belongs to me in the first place. What rights does a human like you have! Hmph, if worst comes to worst, I will just forget about it!" Celestina''s voice resounded in Rhode''s head and vanished swiftly. Rhode shrugged his shoulders before shifting his attention to the scrumptious dinner before him.


    At this moment, his door opened again and a monotonous voice sounded. "Sorry to disturb, Master."


    Rhode lifted his head and spotted the Ocean Elf standing by his door silently. This time, she was hugging a white, fluffy pillow by her side instead of her cleaning tools. "Agatha? What are you doing?"


    "This is Miss Christie''s request," Agatha replied apathetically and approached the bed to arrange the pillow and bedding neatly. Rhode turned over and gazed at Christie who was reading a book. "Christie?"


    "�� Yes��" Christie showed an adorable smile and nodded her head gently. "This is�� my�� decision�� because Sister Marlene said�� Rhode is always�� not resting. So�� I have decided to�� sleep with�� Rhode��"


    The little girl gazed at Rhode with some hesitation. "Rhode�� Can I?"

 Chapter 489 Between Heart to Hear

    It was nothing strange for Rhode to have a person of an opposite-sex accompanying him through the night. However, Rhode felt an unprecedented peace and tranquility with Christie around.


    The little girl''s petite body snuggled in his arms and through her thin pajamas, Rhode could feel her fragile body like a pitiful doll made of crystal. Christie rested her hand on Rhode''s chest and gazed at Rhode with her clear, round eyes that were always fondly attached to him.


    Rhode didn''t have any obscene thoughts about her. This wasn''t because Christie lacked charisma. In fact, even though the little girl was still young, her slowly-developing body also let off a youthful, yet seductive charm. Not to mention, she had a beautiful face and she was always gentle in her actions. Before Rhode could feel a sense of lust towards her, a feeling that he had never felt before occupied him.


    He wanted to protect, accompany her, and wished that she could grow up healthily and happily�� Rhode was somewhat astonished by this thought of his because he had never felt this way for a woman, even for Marlene and Canary. This feeling was even more complicated as he faced Christie before him.


    Just like she was his younger sister.


    After that night, Christie insisted to ''supervise'' Rhode''s work and rest and Rhode couldn''t do anything about it. In order for Christie to not sleep too late and affect her health, Rhode had no choice but to put down his paperwork and rest with her.


    Her condition looks much better than last time.


    Sensing her warm, tiny body in his arms, Rhode thought to himself. When he first met Christie, she was almost all skin and bones. But now, her skin seemed to be glowing and her condition was much better, which was a good sign. However, Rhode couldn''t help but worry every time he thought of the mysterious powers contained inside her. After all, he wasn''t aware of how it would affect her in any way.


    "�� Rhode��?" Christie''s soft voice sounded in his ear.


    The little girl was always soft-spoken as though every word required a lot of her strength. This wasn''t because of her health issues; instead, it was because the little girl was unfamiliar with the way of speaking after being imprisoned in High Cliff Village for a long time. For ordinary humans, speaking couldn''t be easier. However, it wasn''t easy for Christie to find a way to speak normally again. Due to this, Christie would often not be able to speak smoothly and would always pause and hesitate between words. From the start, Rhode was rather worried; however, he was getting used to her style of speaking gradually.


    "What''s wrong, Christie?" Rhode stroked the little girl''s silky hair as he gazed into her eyes while Christie narrowed her eyes at ease and lifted her head. "�� You should rest�� Rhode�� It''s very late now�� You need to sleep�� early��"


    "Don''t worry, Christie. I will keep my promise," Rhode assured her and let out a bitter smile as Christie sounded like she was nagging at a child. Indeed, Rhode was behaving like an obedient child in front of Christie for the past two days. He would get up and sort out the intelligence report instantly after Christie had fallen asleep because he knew that the little girl wouldn''t be able to watch over him ''overnight'' due to her weak body. However, Christie was no dummy either and she had thought of a way to take care of him.


    Rhode patted on Christie''s back gently. He realized that he had been neglecting her for a while now and he was also clear that as a guild leader, he couldn''t possibly be by her side every day. On the other hand, Christie didn''t have the strength to help Rhode and the others, which resulted in her being disassociated with them sometimes.


    However, Christie didn''t give up trying. She had always been searching for tasks that she could do and this was why she took the initiative to take care of Rhode. She hoped that she could become someone useful and not someone who always needed to be taken care of.


    Due to her gruesome childhood, it was perhaps right to say that this little girl knew better than anyone that good things wouldn''t just fall from the sky. She worked really hard within her capacity like helping Lapis with the designs or running errands for others within the Fortress. However, these tasks seemed too insignificant for her. Besides, Rhode could feel that Christie wasn''t too satisfied too.


    He wasn''t worried that Christie would feel defeated. But he was more concerned that this little girl would do something extreme that her body couldn''t handle. But��


    "Christie, how have you been doing in the Fortress?" Rhode lowered his head and spoke gently in her ears while Christie nodded slightly. "�� Good�� Rhode, everyone treats me�� well�� There is Sister Bubble�� She is willing to be my friend��"


    "It''s good that you can make friends here," Rhode felt relieved after hearing her cheerful words.


    Rhode had once requested Bubble to get along with Christie since; after all, Bubble''s age was closest to Christie amongst everyone living in the Fortress. Besides, Rhode also knew that even though Bubble had a malicious mouth, she was actually really soft-hearted. Furthermore, both Bubble and Canary were full of curiosity towards this little girl who looked almost exactly like Rhode. Judging from Christie''s tone when she mentioned Bubble, Rhode could see that she liked the little fellow too and that was the best he could hope for.


    "But�� I hope to be with�� Rh-��" Christie mumbled and before she could finish her sentence, she couldn''t resist the temptation of the sleep demon. The little girls shut her eyes slowly and she fell into a deep sleep.


    "��" Rhode caressed her long hair gently and he knew what the little girl was about to say.


    That was an innocent wish of hers�� But Rhode knew that he couldn''t grant it, at least for now. But what about next time? Will I be able to grant her wish?


    Rhode closed his eyes subconsciously and he too fell asleep��


    It was pitch-black everywhere.


    Rhode gazed at the vast and indistinct darkness before him. His conscious was rather blurry and the entire world seemed to be shrouded in a dark, mysterious cold fog�� At the next moment, the dark fog before his eyes vanished and a brand new scenery replaced it.


    "This is��" Rhode widened his eyes in astonishment. The pitch-black, gloomy sky extended endlessly while the dried-up earth was free of any living creatures and the dead trees were as unpleasant as a distorted gibbet. Rhode puckered his brows as he had never been to this place before. Meanwhile, something seemed to be calling out to him.


    Rhode lifted his head and discovered a massive, tall circle-shaped tower that had appeared out of nowhere. The steps circled upwards beside his feet, all the way until the platform on top. The icy-cold wind blew gently at his ear as though inviting him upwards.


    Rhode walked up the spiraling flight of stairs.


    It seemed that this high tower wasn''t as tall as he had seen after he walked upwards. Also, his concept of time seemed to be indistinct too as Rhode couldn''t remember exactly how long he had been walking for. All in all, he arrived at the top of the tower as he returned to his senses.


    Rhode saw a petite figure that astonished him.


    A luxurious, elegant, upper-class black lace dress wrapped the little figure. Its silky, pitch-black long hair swayed along with the wind and a scarlet ribbon formed into a bowknot on its slender, fair neck. Rhode wasn''t unfamiliar with that face��it was his.


    Or perhaps, that was Christie''s.


    "Christie?" Rhode widened his eyes at the strange sight and took half a step forward to size up the little girl carefully. No matter from which angle, this little girl before him must be Christie who had fallen asleep with him. But he realized their differences quickly.


    Unlike the gentle, loveable Christie, this little girl possessed an unprecedented, pressurizing presence. She stood on the spot as though she was the dictator of this ice-cold world. Her resolution was absolute and nobody could threaten or change her status. Countless shadows swayed under her feet as though they were welcoming their master warmly or perhaps, they were unable to escape the hands of this tyrant.


    "Who are you?" Rhode was slightly startled as he felt that things weren''t looking right. At this moment, Rhode vaguely realized that he was in a really realistic dream. Moreover, Christie''s appearance had alarmed Rhode even more. With his experience, he knew that this wasn''t anything great.


    The little girl smiled and opened her mouth as though she was speaking. But Rhode couldn''t hear anything as the whizzing sound of wind blew past his ears as though blocking off everything. "I can''t hear you; who exactly are you?"


    ''Christie'' shook her head as she strode forward nimbly. She extended her hands and lifted the ends of her skirt to give a lady-like bow. Then, she lifted her head and gazed into his eyes. At this moment, Rhode discovered that the biggest difference in this ''Christie'' was her eyes.


    It was no longer Christie''s purple and blue eyes. Instead, it was a pair of incredibly beautiful purple pupils. Her deep purple eyeballs were as though burning and emanating a weak radiance which let off a luring and mysterious charm. The little girl smiled gently before extending her arms solemnly to grab Rhode''s right arm. She lifted her head and spoke once again. "��"


    But Rhode still couldn''t hear her voice. He could hear the sound of the sliding movements on his clothes, the sound of the whizzing wind, the crackling of the branches on the withered tree. However, he could hear nothing from this little girl before him. Even though he could see the folding and widening of her lips, it was too difficult for him to read her lips. The little girl didn''t seem to be bothered that Rhode couldn''t hear herself. She said her piece and clasped his arm before lowering her head to peck on the back of his hand lightly.


    "��!" Rhode felt a burning sting and his vision distorted as though a scarlet radiance had flashed before his eyes. Before he knew it, the world that he was in began to crumble and shatter�� once again swallowed by darkness.

 Chapter 490 Troubles Ahead

    "��!" Rhode opened his eyes and sat up abruptly.


    The gentle morning sun spilled through the window and brought more warmth to the room.


    It''s just a dream��


    Rhode let out a long sigh before turning over��Christie was still in slumberland. Judging from her adorable smile, this little girl must be having a wonderful dream. Rhode stroked her long hair with a smile before carefully shifting her arm that was hugging onto him to the side and got off the bed.


    Rhode still felt fatigued and he wasn''t used to this. After all, ever since coming to this world, Rhode hadn''t felt this weak before. However, he was feeling better and better every morning and he could feel himself returning to the usual Rhode in two to three days'' time.


    "But�� What was that dream about?" Rhode mumbled to himself. He gazed at his palm and there was nothing. Even though the bone-piercing pain seemed to be imaginary, the pain that he endured was way too realistic. Whenever he thought about it, he could feel his body in pain somewhere. However, he found no issues with his talent and attributes on the system interface at all. Could it really be just a dream?


    Rhode shook his head as he could still remember the scene clearly in his mind. Besides�� Who exactly was that little girl who looked so much like himself and Christie?


    Rhode puckered his brows at this thought. He felt that things weren''t that simple at all. But he didn''t have any lead to search for his answers at this moment. After all, the events that happened in the dream were only imaginary and non-realistic. Although there were indeed players who had entered the Dream Plane of Existence before, Rhode felt that his experience was vastly different from theirs. But he couldn''t explain what the specific difference was.


    Knock knock knock. The soft door knocks snapped Rhode out of his deep thoughts. "Come in."


    The room door opened and Agatha stood by the door with her usual apathetic self. She gave a respectful bow and said, "Sorry for disturbing your rest, Master. Just 10 minutes ago, Mr. Walker arrived at the Fortress and he said that he has something important to report to you. He is waiting at the study room at the moment. Would you like to��"


    "I''m going over now!" Rhode nodded instantly as he guessed that Old Walker must have gathered some valuable information. If not, that old drunkard wouldn''t be here this early in the morning.


    Rhode changed his clothes swiftly and instructed Agatha to prepare breakfast for Christie before rushing towards the study room. Soon, Rhode saw Old Walker sitting there with a grave expression. The senior mercenary was holding onto a piece of thin paper while his brows were tightened closely. "I heard from Agatha that you''ve something urgent?"


    Rhode sat down opposite Old Walker while the senior mercenary lifted his head and rolled his eyes. As usual, he was clad in a filthy leather armor and the silver wine pot that never left his side was beside his hand. Judging from his slightly reddish face, he must''ve been drinking.


    "You don''t say, Kid. If I didn''t find out any trouble, do you think I would come here early in the morning to find you? I don''t want to make the woman lying on your bed jealous. I may be old, but I''m very thoughtful to young people like you. Of course, I didn''t disturb you because I''m jealous," Old Walker blabbered.


    "Alright, I know that you''re still hale and hearty despite your years so don''t be so agitated. By the way, it will be better if you drink less," Rhode curled his lips because strictly speaking, there was a little cutie lying on his bed right now. He took over the piece of paper from his hand and quickly analyzed the information on it. "What is this about?"


    "This was the intelligence I''ve received last midnight. Didn''t you always want to know what the Country of Light is up to? According to the rumors, they sent two diplomatic group towards the Munn Kingdom just a day ago. But, for what specific reasons, no one knew."


    "Two?" Rhode puckered his brows.


    "That''s right. One of the group is heading to Golden City while the other is heading to the Southern Port. I''m trying to know what these two diplomatic groups are gonna do in the Munn Kingdom. But the information that I''ve received is nothing more than crap. The only news that I heard was that the group heading to Golden City is in the name of the Country of Light''s Parliament while the other is something formed by some financial groups�� You know, I''m old now and I have no much understanding about these things. Whereas for the other matters, I''m not too sure too. But they definitely are up to no good, that is. Hmph, I think those hypocritical cheaters from the Country of Light will be causing a stir in the Munn Kingdom."


    "Arriving at the Munn Kingdom in the name of the Country of Light''s Parliament?"


    Rhode''s expression sunk slightly. It seemed that the Country of Light Parliament was indeed about to cause some trouble. After all, they definitely would be seeking answers from the Munn Kingdom about the situation that had happened in Soraka Mountain. This way, there would be a possibility that they would use Soraka Mountain as a pretext to make a fuss in order to set off a battle with the Country of Darkness�� Wait, these people won''t be planning to��


    Rhode''s heart pounded fiercely. Isn''t this opportunity better than the one in Soraka Mountain?


    Although Rhode only focused on running and didn''t notice the surroundings, there must be plenty of casualties in Soraka Mountain. If the Country of Light Parliament forcefully pushed the blame to the Country of Darkness and created an intense state of affairs, they could then look down from an omniscient, omnipotent viewpoint and judge others with morality. However, this wouldn''t necessarily be beneficial for the Country of Light''s Parliament. After all, they targeted Soraka Mountain previously and also eyed their crystal mineral resources. However, now that Soraka Mountain was no longer suitable for humans to live in, there would be no humans mining anymore. In such a situation, would the Country of Light Parliament play with fire in the name of ''justice''? After all, without the beneficial entanglement from Soraka Mountain, it would have a higher possibility that the Country of Darkness would wind around the Munn Kingdom and attack the Country of Light directly if there was a war. Previously, the Country of Light messed with Soraka Mountain''s Parliament because they knew that the Munn Kingdom would be there to take the hit. However, would they still do it if the Munn Kingdom had decided to not defend them?


    The chances wouldn''t be high. Even though Rhode couldn''t confirm their choice, he knew that they wouldn''t do something that wasn''t beneficial for them.


    However, what was the Country of Light thinking to send these two diplomatic groups? Southern Port��Rhode couldn''t be more familiar with this place.


    Suddenly, the disfavorable goal of the Country of Light''s Parliament cropped up in his mind.


    In the game, although the Country of Light''s Parliament would still perish in the end, they ultimately still wished to manipulate the controversy of Soraka Mountain to stir trouble. In the end, their goal was to weaken the forces of the Munn Kingdom. But never did they expect to be outplayed. They hoped that the Country of Darkness and Munn Kingdom would break out into a partial, local war. But they didn''t expect that the Country of Darkness would go all out. Initially, the Country of Light had decided to annex Soraka Mountain and put the Munn Kingdom up to take the blow for them. Thereafter, they would further weaken the Munn Kingdom''s forces and merge them into their own territory. This made it seemed that, actually, the Country of Light Parliament''s initial target was the Munn Kingdom, after all.


    If that were the case, their intention in sending the diplomatic groups was self-evident. What if they weren''t there to listen to an explanation from the Munn Kingdom, but to request for them to take up the responsibility for the failure of supervision?


    Rhode crushed the thin paper on his hand.


    These were only his guesses. From Royal Highness Lydia''s unusual behavior of guarding the Golden City without being concerned about the Duke Fiend to the strange movements of the Southern nobles and the Country of Light;s Parliament sending two diplomatic groups to different destinations in the Munn Kingdom, Rhode felt that nine out of ten times, his guess was right.


    The Munn Kingdom might be facing an internal war soon.

 Chapter 491 Twin Fetal Movements

    Lapis''s workshop was still as messy as before.


    Rhode pushed the workshop door and the first thing that he saw was the large pile of magical materials stacked by the wall at the far end. Those incomparably valuable magical herbs, crystals, and ores were casually left there like a pile of trash. However, Rhode wasn''t that mindful of them. Or perhaps, he was getting used to it. He picked up an iron bar by the door and knocked on the wall a couple of times. Soon, Lapis responded. "Who is it?"


    "It''s me," said Rhode.


    "Ah, Sir Rhode!" Lapis shrieked in a higher pitch than usual. Rhode subconsciously shrunk his body because his body condition wasn''t as strong as always and he wouldn''t be able to resist it if there would be an explosion from Lapis'' franticness.


    But fortunately, Lapis seemed rather reliable today. The fatigued-looking young lady scuttled out of the workshop. She had been out of the sun for too long and her complexion didn''t look too healthy. Also, Christie had also mentioned to Rhode that Lapis had been working too hard.


    Rhode genuinely felt bad as he didn''t mean to treat her like a slave. But Lapis was the only one in the entire guild that possessed sufficient Alchemy techniques to create magical equipment and potions. As a guild leader, Rhode understood that Lapis shouldn''t bear this much burden. She held the prowess of an Alchemist Master and if it were in the game, she would''ve been assigned to produce the cores of players and be responsible for creating and inventing more important magical equipment, weapons, and tools. But now, not only did Lapis need to create the magical equipment and research extensively about them, but she also needed to concoct potions like those low-level players with the Production subclass. The recipes of these potions weren''t complicated and it was truly demeaning for Lapis to concoct them. A few Alchemy apprentices would be more than enough to work in an assembly line to concoct them, so Rhode felt somewhat unbearable to force them all on Lapis.


    But the problem was that it wasn''t easy to find Alchemy apprentices. Before Lapis received the inheritance of the Behermes Family, she was also an apprentice who failed constantly and almost couldn''t pass as an apprentice. Lapis could also be described as an amateur alchemy fan and Rhode only managed to discover her in the entire Deep Stone City. This went to show how difficult it was to attain an Alchemy apprentice with proper qualifications.


    Although Rhode knew where the Alchemist Association was located in the Paphield region, he had never sought help from them because they were just a bunch of prideful, senior researchers. Their Alchemist techniques were indeed superb, but they were also extremely arrogant and proud of the fact that they, as mortals, were able to create mysterious, magical Constructs. Therefore, they often looked down on ordinary humans and even Mages. Most of the times, the relationship between Mages and Alchemists were slightly tense and it was impossible for the Alchemist Association to be willing to offer help. Even in the game, Rhode had never heard of any players that had hired these bad-tempered Alchemists successfully and he wouldn''t even bother.


    Rhode could also forget about appointing someone within the guild to cultivate the alchemy skills. Mercenaries were generally uncouth and most of them couldn''t read difficult characters. Even experienced mercenaries like Shauna and Old Walker could barely recognize and write them out. On the other hand, those that were fluent in reading and could write perfectly were highly respected, which was also why Christie was feared by the villagers in High Cliff Village �� Because, in this era where education was not popularized, only a handful of disciples in the village was able to understand and write characters and it was impossible for Christie to receive an education on her own.


    The foundation of education was terrible to begin with, not to mention mastering alchemy, which required an understanding of complicated knowledge. Even though Marlene was a magical genius, her mastery in terms of alchemy was similar to those of average Mage''s only. Moreover, Marlene''s job responsibilities were more important than Lapis and it was impossible for her to be working in an assembly line.


    As Rhode had limited the number of members in the guild, the demand for magical potions and equipment weren''t that high yet. However, as the guild expanded gradually, the demand would also increase. Now that Lapis was already at her limit, Rhode wouldn''t know how to resolve this issue once he expanded the guild. In the game, he didn''t need to consider this question at all because players with the Production subclass were everywhere.


    But now��


    "Sir Rhode, how are you feeling now?" Lapis tidied her messy hair and asked shyly while Rhode let out an undetectable sigh as he realized that he had been neglecting too many people around him. No matter if it was Christie or Lapis, he hadn''t been finding time to pay them visits and yet, they were still so concerned about him.


    "I''m feeling fine and everything is doing great. Don''t worry." Rhode nodded and lowered his head to observe Lapis carefully. "On the other hand, Lapis, you must take care of yourself more because your complexion isn''t looking too well�� Perhaps I should get someone to look after you or at least��" Rhode paused and shifted his attention toward the workshop that seemed more like a dustheap. He was considering to get Agatha to send an Ocean Elf to look after Lapis'' daily needs. "Clean this place up."


    "Ah�� Er��" After all, Lapis was a female and she fully understood what Rhode meant by that. Even though this wasn''t her personal room, she was still embarrassed that a male had seen her in such a disorganized mess. However, Rhode also knew that he shouldn''t crack jokes in such a place. He let out a cough and brought the topic back to the right track. "So then, how is everything?"


    "It isn''t looking too good, Sir," Lapis kept her embarrassed emotions and said with a difficult expression. Then, she beckoned for Rhode to follow her into the deeper parts of the workshop.


    Soon, Rhode spotted his targets.


    Gracier. Madaras.


    The two magical daggers laid silently within a translucent barrier on a resplendent alchemy ritual circle on the marble table. The daggers had lost their usual splendor and were dull in appearances.


    After the battle with the Duke Fiend, Rhode had suffered grave losses. All the magical equipment on him including the Zero Refining Equipment had shattered entirely perhaps due to the forced strengthening of his powers. Rhode was devastated and felt as though he had worked for so long and everything was gone in a night. But, fortunately, Marlene''s lucky hands saved him and the newly obtained, god-like equipment finally made up for his regrets. Compared to them, his older equipment with Physique +1 and Nimbleness +3 was just slightly better than crap�� And Rhode had no intentions of using them forever.


    He could give up on his older equipment, but the losses of Gracier and Madaras left him depressed.


    Rhode broke away from the Duke Fiend with the two magical equipment and bought himself some time to escape, which he did successfully. Unfortunately, both of them suffered the backlash from the Duke Fiend in Rhode''s attack and thereafter, Rhode discovered that his daggers had lost their usual radiance, become heavy, and the system attributes attached to them were nowhere to be seen.


    This was a huge problem for Rhode. After all, not only did the two daggers saved his life, but they were also a part of the Holy Sword Card Deck. Therefore, Rhode handed them over to Lapis with hopes that she could ''resurrect'' them with her knowledge.


    "I''ve tried to repair them, but strangely, there isn''t any sign of damage on them at all. Besides, I couldn''t figure out what materials they were made of. I reckoned that it was due to the weakening of the magical powers contained in them. But as I try to force some magical powers into them, I realized that they seemed to be rejecting the magical powers, as though��" Lapis hesitated for a moment as she was finding an appropriate explanation. "�� two humans on the brink of death who can''t feed themselves with food anymore."


    "��" the corner of Rhode''s eyes twitched. "Is there any other way?


    "I''m trying, Sir. But�� these two daggers are so strange that I have never seen any similar records of them in the entire knowledge of the Behermes Family. Where did you get them from? They don''t look like they were forged. This is unbelievable��"


    Rhode shook his head and he didn''t answer to Lapis'' question. Instead, he stretched out his hand to touch the daggers tenderly.


    The ice-cold sensation was as similar as corpses. Rhode had never felt this from them before. Or perhaps, this was his first time experiencing it. These two weapons were alive. He could even sense their weak pulsations like the weak heart of a dying patient suffering from a serious illness.


    What should I do next?


    Rhode had no ideas while Lapis had no solutions. Lapis was the heir to the Behermes Family and if she couldn''t rescue them, Rhode wouldn''t feel hopeful even if he brought them to the Alchemist Association.


    But�� Am I just gonna look at them ''die'' slowly?


    ��!


    As this thought emerged in his mind, something inside his body jumped suddenly. Rhode widened his eyes and stared at the back of his right hand while a scarlet radiance burst out.


    "This is��" Rhode narrowed his eyes at the glaring radiance and a soul-ripping pain broke out in his body. Before he could let out a shriek, his vision darkened and he lost his consciousness entirely.

 Chapter 492 Elves of the Wind

    "Sir Rhode! Sir Rhode!"


    "Argh��" After a while, Rhode regained consciousness and Lapis''s screams had given him a huge headache. He felt powerless and his brain had as though been drilled into.


    Rhode opened his eyes slowly and he saw Lapis''s ashen face instantly. The young lady''s forehead was full of sweat as she heaved a sigh of relief. "Sir, you collapsed so suddenly and I didn''t know what to do. I would have gone to get Miss Marlene and the others to help if you didn''t wake up."


    "How�� How long have I been unconscious?"


    "Only for a few minutes, Sir Rhode. Fortunately, you didn''t collide into anything when you collapsed."


    "��" Rhode recalled the clutter of mess on the workshop ground and he believed that he must''ve been extremely lucky to not hit his head into anything�� But why did I faint so suddenly? That''s right. I came to the workshop to check on the twin daggers and�� there was a burst of scarlet radiance when I touched their blades��


    Rhode gazed at his right hand and there was nothing. But he was sure that what he saw wasn''t imaginary. The scarlet radiance that he had witnessed was very similar to the one that he dreamed of when he met the little girl who looked exactly like him and Christie.


    Are they related?


    Rhode lifted his groggy head and sat up slowly. Shortly after, he felt a soft sensation at the back of his head as well as Lapis''s soft shriek. Rhode ignored her and continued to stand up while holding his palm against his forehead. After a few moments, Rhode opened his eyes again and gazed at Lapis. "Phew�� I feel much better now, Lapis. What''s wrong��?"


    Rhode found that apart from Lapis''s pale expression, there was also a flush of red across her face. The young lady lifted her head and gazed at him blankly as though she had lost her soul. Rhode twitched his brows and asked curiously. Lapis shrieked, stood on her feet and explained with stutters. "Ah, n-nothing! Sir Rhode, I-I was just�� in a daze."


    "Oh��" Rhode wasn''t too mindful of her explanation and odd behavior. After all, Lapis had always behaved this way. Even though her personality had somewhat changed after joining Starlight, she looked even more like a girl who never leaves her home now. "By the way, how are the two daggers?"


    "They��" Lapis''s expression turned strange instantly. She opened her mouth as though she wanted to speak, however, no words came out of her mouth and she pointed behind Rhode oddly. Rhode turned around and he was instantly astounded.


    Two identical girls were asleep on the marble table. They had snowy long hair, slender waists, and adorable, angel-like faces. Rhode also spotted their unique pointy ears and the pattern that extended from their ears to their necks.


    They were Elves.


    "This�� After Sir Rhode fainted, these two daggers�� suddenly turned into two�� elf ladies. I-I don''t know what''s going on��"


    Rhode nodded in acknowledgment to Lapis''s flustered explanation. Celestina had once mentioned that Rhode needed to rely on his own hard work to summon these two holy swords. It seemed that he had passed the test? But what exactly had he done? Escaping from the Duke Fiend? That indeed was a test of life and death for Rhode. If it weren''t for Gracier and Madaras, he wouldn''t have fled from the hands of the ferocious Duke Fiend. But these two holy swords appeared to be badly damaged too until this moment.


    Rhode couldn''t help but recall the dream he had last night. Could it be that the little girl was the key to awakening Gracier and Madaras?


    "Their costume looks strange��" said Lapis curiously. Even though she knew that this wasn''t polite of her, her curiosity had gotten over her after seeing the girls who had transformed from daggers.


    Most of the Elves were Rangers and they would usually be clad in light-weight armor and a cape while shuttling back and forth in the forest with their bows. This was the impression that most people had about Elves and as a matter of fact, the Elves were the people of the forest and they were naturally born with outstanding talent. On the other hand, as an artificial Elf, Lapis had chosen the ''wrong'' talent for her abilities �� It was apparent that she had chosen to pump all her talent points on ''Knowledge'' instead of ''Agility'' and ''Dexterity''.


    However, even though Lapis was a ''failed'' product of an Elf, she still understood the ecological habits of the Elves. She was most suspicious about the clothing of the two girls. They were neither clad in Ranger costumes, Mage robe, nor the rare Elf Knight glass armor. Instead, they only wore white skin-tight bodysuits and their tiny bodies were wrapped around entirely by snowy cloaks worn like a religious robe. This strange outfit astonished Lapis because Elves didn''t believe in the existence of gods. Even though the Elf Kingdom was the recognized family by the Judgement & Ruling Twin Dragons, their relationship was more like between a superior and its subordinate. The Elf Kingdom was unlike the Country of Darkness and Munn Kingdom who worshipped the Creator Dragon Souls as Gods. The longevity of the Elves allowed them to survive after the Creator Dragon Souls War and they almost led longer lives than the heirs of the Dragon Souls. Due to this reason, it was impossible for them to worship the Creator Dragon Souls alongside the humans.


    "It isn''t surprising that you haven''t seen it before," Rhode said as he couldn''t be more familiar with their outfit. "That''s the costume of the Carlesdine."


    "Carles�� What? Sir Rhode?" questioned Lapis with a curious look.


    "Carlesdine, which also means the ''Elves of the Wind''�� This is a long-standing name in the history of the Elf Kingdom. To put it bluntly, they are the assassins of the Elf Kingdom."


    "Huh!?!" Lapis jumped up in surprise. If the young lady was only just curious, right now she was entirely bewildered. "S-S-Sir Rhode? Are you sure? There are assassins�� in the Elf Kingdom?"


    Lapis couldn''t believe her ears as she widened her eyes. Lapis summoned her courage and explained to Rhode frantically. "B-But there aren''t any assassins in the Elf Kingdom. Only those sinister Dark Elves would choose such a despicable method��"


    "Have you forgotten that the Dark Elves are in the same state as your Behermes Family, Lapis? The Dark Elves were also one group that split from the Elf Kingdom. Surely you wouldn''t be thinking that the assassination techniques that the Dark Elves possessed were fathomed from spending an endless time in the underground, right?"


    "��" Lapis pouted in dissatisfaction for the first time after Rhode compared the Behermes to the Dark Elves. But even so, her intellect took the upper hand over her emotions because it was indeed true that the Elf Kingdom didn''t accept the Dark Elves'' style of work. But, she still couldn''t understand�� "Why were there assassins in the Elf Kingdom, Sir Rhode? During those times��"


    "The Creation War is unimaginable for you, Lapis. That era is totally different from now. Every race had a hard time living and they would do anything for the sake of survival. Lapis, you are the heir of the Behermes Family so you must be able to understand their thoughts." This time, Lapis pondered hard and didn''t speak a word. Indeed, if it weren''t for that war, the Behermes Family wouldn''t have chosen to go against their will and use their own bare hands to violate the heavens. In the end, the Behermes Family was forced to be separated from the Elf Kingdom due to their differences in principles. Essentially, there wasn''t too huge of a contrast between the Dark Elves and themselves.


    Rhode shrugged at Lapis''s complicated expression. He also knew that Lapis must be feeling terrible because, after all, the reputation of the Dark Elves were unprecedentedly poor and they belonged to the same race. However, Rhode had a more profound question that he discovered after explaining the facts to Lapis.


    Celestina seemed to hail from the Ancient War Period and the equipment of these two girls also seemed to appear during the Creation War. Did this mean that there was some sort of connection between the Holy Sword Cards?


    "Hmm��" Along with a soft moan, the two girls opened their eyes at the same time. Their eyes wandered around the workshop and finally, both of them focused their attention on Rhode.

 Chapter 493 Gracier & Madaras

    As the two girls gazed at Rhode, he was astounded that he couldn''t sense their line of sight at all, which was really rare.


    Even though he might not be in the best of health after the battle with the Duke Fiend, his sharp senses didn''t disappear because of that. This was enough to prove the capabilities of the two girls.


    They were indeed ''Elves of the Wind''.


    Rhode gasped in admiration. If he wasn''t gazing at their faces, he definitely wouldn''t be aware of their existence and react accordingly. They were the most powerful assassins of the Elf race. Rhode had once read about the Elf Assassins on the forums and he had to say, the Elves had the perfect qualities for assassins. They were agile, quick, experts in camouflaging themselves with the terrain, and skillful in bows and arrows, as well as ambushes. Perhaps there would be more Elf Assassins if they weren''t proud in nature and hated these insidious practices.


    Back in the days, players in the game dug out the intelligence data regarding the ''Elves of the Wind'' because they wished to restore the ancient classes. There was a tradition in the gaming world of the Dragon Soul Continent where many advanced classes required the players to experience trials or unearth the information themselves. Especially for the legendary classes of the ancient era, the players could become the one and only heir of the class if they were able to excavate them from the historical ruins. The temptation to players was huge and as a matter of fact, the classes that were excavated by the players generally possessed rare, unmatchable strength.


    Taking the ''Elves of the Wind'' for example. This class was sealed and forgotten after the massive war. Not only that, the ''Elves of the Wind'' possessed a skill that the players declared as cheating.


    Stealth.


    In simple terms, an Elf Assassin with the Stealth skill could blend into the air entirely and one wouldn''t be able to sense its presence no matter its body temperature, health status, line of sight, or murderous intent. If these Elf Assassin truly wished to conceal themselves, they would be as perfect as non-existent. According to the forums, this Stealth skill wouldn''t obstruct one''s senses or use an eye-masking spell to conceal themselves. They would as though disappear from the surface of the earth and even though they were standing right there, one wouldn''t be able to deal any damage to it with one''s sword or spell.


    This skill could almost be considered as invincible. Moreover, it was a passive skill and wouldn''t require any spiritual energy. There were players that announced that as long as one used Spatial spells to blast the location where the Elf Assassin was standing, this Stealth skill could be easily countered. However, based on the data in the forum, this Stealth skill could be said to have destroyed the balance of the game.


    However, no players were able to restore this Elf Assassin class and become an heir successfully. Just as its name suggested, this class was almost purely imaginary without any actual traces. There were players who thought that the ''Elves of the Wind'' had some relations with the Dark Elves and spent six months in the underground. In the end, they couldn''t find any clues at all. Even though the Dark Elves were also experts in assassination skills and concealing themselves, it was like the difference between an amateur and a professional when they were compared to the Elves of the Wind.


    As Rhode recalled his memories regarding this superb class, the two girls leaped off the table silently. Their snowy robe vestured their stature while their pulled-down hood covered their youthful, adorable faces, exposing only their smooth chins. They arrived at Rhode''s feet without speaking a word.


    "Uh��" The atmosphere turned awkward quickly. Lapis gaped and gazed at the two girls nervously while Rhode sized them up from head to toe without saying a thing. After a few moments, he said with some hesitation.


    "Gracier? Madaras?"


    "��" The two girls nodded in acknowledgment almost simultaneously. There were no differences in their height, looks, and costumes and they looked like the reflections of each other. Even when they were in the form of weapons, Rhode couldn''t differentiate them clearly too. Perhaps Rhode would''ve mixed them up if it weren''t for the label descriptions.


    Before Rhode asked more questions, the two girls stepped forward and grabbed both of his arms each. Soon, Rhode felt a warm, comfortable source of power flowing from his palms. The pain and fatigue of his body lessened greatly and he felt that his spiritual energy was replenishing at an amazing rate.


    Are they doing this to treat my wounds?


    As this thought cropped up in his mind, Celestina''s voice sounded out of a sudden. "Ah�� I can feel Big Sister''s powers�� Ehhh! Big Sister Gracier? Big Sister Madaras?! How are you two awake? How is it possible? What did that scheming bastard human do this time?"


    Rhode knitted his brows as soon as he heard Celestina''s words. Even though this Demon lady never disobeyed his command, her harsh views on Rhode never lessened and she would still ridicule him frequently. Although Celestina was truly a beautiful young lady, Rhode eventually wasn''t a masochist and this caused constant sneering between the two of them. Celestina seemed to have a strong opinion about an ordinary human like Rhode obtaining the Holy Sword Card Deck. However, Rhode wasn''t aware of what exactly she was against him for.


    "I didn''t do anything, Celestina. We may be close, but I will still sue you for defamation if you continue to utter rubbish."


    "Who defamed you? I am the higher nobility and you are just a human. Do you think you''re worth my stature? I''ve followed you for so long; how would I not know how perverted you��" before Celestina could finish her sentence, Rhode felt Gracier and Madaras clasping his palms slightly. Even though the strength was not worth mentioning, Celestina''s non-stop blabbering stopped abruptly. When Celestina tried to shoot her mouth off again, instead of her high and mighty tone, it sounded as though a shuddering lamb was backing away from a hungry wolf with sharp teeth. "�� I-I''m very sorry, Sisters. I-I didn''t mean to offend Master��"


    Wow. There indeed was always something to conquer another.


    Rhode scanned the girls before him curiously. He realized that the relationship between these sisters was obvious��Celia had a determined, yet stubborn personality. But she wouldn''t refute Celestina''s words no matter what and would always obey her. Right now, this arrogant Demon lady behaved like a mouse that had seen a cat while facing these two girls that seemed younger than her.


    Celestina disconnected her spiritual communications after apologizing while Gracier and Madaras let go off Rhode''s palms and took a step back. They placed their right hands on their chests and performed an odd bow. All of a sudden, a dazzling, warm white radiance bloomed from their bodies and shrouded themselves thoroughly. In a blink of an eye, the two girls vanished in the brilliance.


    Rhode expected that they would turn into Holy Sword Cards after they disappeared. But instead, the two daggers hovered plainly in midair. There were no other changes apart from the seemingly inexhaustible magical radiance that indicated their recovery from severe damage.


    What''s going on?


    Rhode thought that Gracier and Madaras would turn into summoning spirits in card forms after the transformation. Rhode checked on the system interface swiftly and indeed, the Holy Sword Card Deck was still indicating 2/10. In other words, the two daggers weren''t added to the ranks of the deck.


    Rhode puckered his brows and grabbed the twin daggers. This time, Rhode noticed a difference in them. Previously, Rhode was able to use them in combat smoothly and now, he was also able to feel their vitality distinctly. It was the same feeling as though when he first held onto Succubus and Star Mark. It was a wonderful feeling that could only be understood and not described.


    At this moment, when Rhode once again examined the two weapons, he realized that there was an additional attribute that he had never seen before.


    [Spirit Weapon �� Contact Status]


    Rhode eventually couldn''t figure out why these two weapons had taken up human shape but didn''t transform into cards thereafter. He had once asked Celia and Celestina about this, but Celia had always been unwilling to answer. As for Celestina, Rhode didn''t even receive a response from her.


    But Rhode didn''t spend more time to investigate this matter because two days later, a gilded letter was delivered to his desk. This letter was undoubtedly from Golden City and its content left Rhode frowning. Lydia had invited him into Golden City to report on the happenings in Soraka Mountain.


    This request was within Rhode''s expectations. However, he was surprised that it wasn''t only Lydia and the King''s Party that he would be reporting to. The diplomatic envoy of the Country of Light''s Parliament would also be present.


    Lydia didn''t explain much in the letter. But Rhode figured out the hints in the content that the Country of Light''s Parliament seemed to have engaged in investigations to a certain extent about this matter and he didn''t know if they would ask for an explanation or stir trouble in the Munn Kingdom. It definitely wasn''t a good sign no matter which.


    Even though Rhode tried to gather intelligence and delayed the meeting with an excuse, he couldn''t come up with another excuse. According to the letter from Lydia, it was apparent that the diplomatic group of the Country of Light''s Parliament had paid close attention to this matter. Besides, Lydia clearly indicated that this invitation was proposed by the diplomatic group of the Country of Light''s Parliament.


    Rhode tensed up immediately. Are the Country of Light Parliament aware of the truth? How do they know? How much do they know? Old Walker''s intelligence gathering was still on-going, but there were no rumors that Rhode or the Munn Kingdom were related to the event. That went to show that the rumors didn''t spread so extensively yet. However, if the Country of Light Parliament is aware, how much exactly do they know about it?


    "It seems that I have to head to Golden City soon," Rhode announced as he gazed solemnly at everyone.


    Lize questioned hesitantly. "Mr. Rhode, I don''t understand. Why would the diplomatic group of the Country of Light''s Parliament request for you? The mission that we carried out was ordered by the King''s Party and there shouldn''t have any relations with them. Besides, your injuries haven''t recovered fully yet. Why not�� I can speak to my Sister and arrange for another meeting��"


    "Lize. Even though that''s the case, the truth isn''t this," Rhode shook his head. "Even though the Munn Kingdom has always been disassociated with the Country of Light on the surface, the Munn Kingdom is actually the vassal state of the Country of Light. The Light Dragon had personally delegated authority to the Country of Light and in other words, the Country of Light''s Parliament is higher than Royal Highness Lydia in terms of ranking. Therefore, Royal Highness Lydia can only execute their requests and this has nothing to do with Royal Highness Lydia''s willpower. Besides, our relationship with the Country of Light is tense and it will bring terrible consequences if Royal Highness Lydia rejects their request or if I don''t head to Golden City."


    Lize''s expression turned gloomy as she bit her lips. Marlene gazed at her close friend and let out a sympathetic sigh before raising her spirit to gaze at Rhode. On the other hand, Anne was scratching her head with a look of doubt. "Leader, Anne still doesn''t understand. Why is the Country of Light always finding trouble with us everywhere?"


    "Hmph. Because they''re a bunch of arrogant people." Old Walker let out a snort and grumbled as he knocked on the wine pot beside his hand. "They are a bunch of bastards who think that they are above all. They look down on other countries and it has been two years since they began to mess with the Munn Kingdom. Don''t forget about the Myriad Flowers Battle from 50 years ago. Damn it�� Just thinking about it makes me mad!"


    The ''Myriad Flowers Battle'' that Old Walker mentioned happened in the border region between the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Light. It was a small-scale military exercise which involved the Country of Light''s army. Due to unknown reasons, the soldiers crossed over the border and had got into a conflict with a local nomadic tribe. The Country of Light claimed that the tribe had threatened them first which caused their army to retaliate. None of the 400 people in the tribe survived the devastation from the fully-armored Country of Light''s army.


    This incident shook the entire Munn Kingdom. When the then-Duke headed to the Country of Light''s Parliament to question about it, they said that it was just an error in their judgment that had caused this and sent him off immediately. Not only that, they punished the commanders that had given the commands but didn''t sentence them to death. Moreover, they put on an act to go through the trials and released them afterward. This matter caused a huge uproar in the Munn Kingdom and there were nobles that suggested severing ties with the Country of Light. However, this incident was left unsettled in the end.


    After this incident, the relationship between the Country of Light and Munn Kingdom began to rupture and worsen all-around until Lydia took over the throne and cleared off the effects that the Country of Light had on her country vigorously.


    This was also the reason why the North and South opposed each other so seriously within the Munn Kingdom. The Northerners viewed the Country of Light as a bunch of executioners who trespassed into the Munn Kingdom 50 years ago and butchered their civilians. Furthermore, it was this group of bastards that was worshipped as saviors by the cowardly Southerners. The Northerners could never, ever forgive them for it!


    "Rhode, who will you be bringing into Golden City?" Everyone exchanged curious glances after Marlene asked. However, Rhode gave a shocking answer.


    "No, I won''t be bringing anyone." Rhode answered without any hesitation at all. "I have a rough idea of what the Country of Light''s Parliament is plotting and to prevent any accidents, I will go there myself. All of you just need to focus on the matters within the Fortress."


    Rhode revealed a gentle smile. "This time, I will give those honorable lords of the Country of Light a huge surprise�� I hope they won''t reject my generous gift."

 Chapter 494 Clash I

    I''m back here again.


    Rhode was dazzled by the stunning city as he admired it through the chariot window. He knew what troubles he would be facing in Golden City and didn''t bring anyone with him to avoid unnecessary conflicts. However, Rhode was never battling alone as a Spirit Swordsman.


    Rhode received plenty of information regarding Golden City from Marlene before he left the Fortress. Confusion broke out in the entire Golden City after the diplomatic group from the Country of Light''s Parliament arrived. All the shady characters began to reveal themselves with their own schemes. According to Marlene, the diplomatic group from the Country of Light''s Parliament was somewhat overbearing after they arrived and there was even a malicious rumor spreading amongst the nobility: the diplomatic group would dismiss Lydia from her rank as a Duchess.


    This rumor sounded outrageous, but Rhode knew there were high chances of it happening. Even though it seemed like the relationship between the Country of Light and the Munn Kingdom had reached a stage where there were no compromises and they were like two different nations, the Munn Kingdom still served the Light Dragon Soul. Of course, Lydia wouldn''t be abolished this easily since she was one of the three Archangels. However, if the Light Dragon Soul gave its nod of approval, it wouldn''t be anything unfathomable.


    Rhode wasn''t that confident in the Light Dragon Soul because history had proven time and time again that the Light Dragon Soul was definitely unreliable. It couldn''t control its own fate and it even turned into a bargaining chip for the Country of Light''s Parliament''s treason. In fact, it was extremely rare to see an heir of a Creator Dragon Soul in such miserable and disastrous state. Perhaps, it could even be considered the one and only��Rhode had never seen such a useless ruler.


    If the rumor amongst the nobles were true, what would Lydia do? Rhode had been considering this question throughout his journey and from his understanding of the Archangel, he knew that even though she seemed untrammeled, she was conservative and loyal to the bone. Although she had been backstabbed by the Country of Light''s Parliament continuously, she had always resolved the contradictions and resisted their conspiracies and never betrayed the Light Dragon Soul. Many players of the Munn Kingdom admired her sentimentally while some expressed their disappointment because they expected that this unconventional Archangel wouldn''t choose to suffer in silence to the Country of Light''s Parliament under such circumstances�� But Rhode could understand their views on this.


    They felt as though the target that they worked so hard to protect was trampled and betrayed.


    Those players didn''t understand why Lydia chose to suffer in silence. To them, Lydia didn''t wish to betray the Light Dragon Soul and wanted to protect her own people. Furthermore, with her style of work, she could have invited the heir of the Light Dragon Soul to the Munn Kingdom and used her rank and authority as a ruler to command it. Even though this was highly disrespectful to the Light Dragon Soul, she should also be aware that the heir was like a stuffed animal that lost its authority and position under the Country of Light''s Parliament''s control. So wouldn''t it be better if Lydia brought it into the Munn Kingdom instead of being manipulated like a doll of the Parliament? In the Munn Kingdom, at least the Light Dragon would still be respected, right?


    However, Rhode knew clearly what Lydia was concerned about. Players were nothing more than transient guests in this world and besides, they were humans who didn''t have psychological burdens regarding such matters. But as one of the three Archangels, Lydia wasn''t only responsible for things that players deemed as important. Indeed, Lydia could have chosen as the players wished. However, this would cause a war to break out in the entire land protected by the Light Dragon Soul and the Country of Darkness wouldn''t let this opportunity slip. Therefore, Lydia didn''t choose to resist for the sake of this continent. But the world eventually ended up following the direction she had tried to avoid.


    Was Lydia really unaware? Or was she helpless even if she knew the truth?


    Rhode shifted his attention to the current and more crucial question. If the Country of Light Parliament had gotten the Light Dragon''s approval and ordered Lydia to step down, would the Archangel agree while considering the bigger picture?


    The answer didn''t seem optimistic.


    The only thing that Rhode was relieved about was that the Light Dragon''s nod of approval wouldn''t be that easily gained. If not, the Country of Light in the game wouldn''t have chosen such a risky approach to weaken and destroy the Munn Kingdom.


    However, it was different this time. If the issues of Soraka Mountain weren''t handled and resolved appropriately, it would become the fuse that would lead to Lydia stepping down. And if the Country of Light''s Parliament used this matter to threaten her, perhaps even the Light Dragon would agree obediently.


    If that were the case, there was only one thing Rhode could do.


    The chariot slowed down gradually as soon as Rhode arrived at Glenmont Avenue. This was also the rule in Golden City: in order to express respect to the Archangel, everyone had to proceed on foot through the snowy-white avenue to enter Golden City unless there was an emergency. As a player that was extremely familiar with the Munn Kingdom, Rhode understood this rule more than anyone else. He exited his chariot and tidied his attire. At this moment, two Battle Angels clad in silver armor greeted him with a smile and saluted him before leading him into the majestic castle. "Good day, Mr. Rhode. Royal Highness Lydia sent us here to welcome you. You must be tired from your long, arduous travel. We''ve prepared a guest room for you in Golden City��"


    "When can I meet Royal Highness Lydia?" Rhode asked without batting an eyelid.


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Rhode. Royal Highness has everything prepared. She will speak to you personally tonight."


    "Got it��" Rhode nodded in agreement. He had intended to meet Lydia as soon as he arrived in Golden City. However, it seemed that the Duchess was still as prudent as ever.


    As Rhode and the two Battle Angels passed through Glenmont Avenue and arrived at the plaza before Golden City, a huge figure blocked their path. "Please wait a moment."


    A man in white, shiny armor stood before them with an arrogant expression. Then, four to five soldiers in identical armor surrounded them as the man gestured.


    The two Battle Angels'' expressions sunk suddenly. "Mr. Tres, what is the meaning of this? This is our guest that Royal Highness Lydia has invited. Do you know what you''re doing?"


    "Of course I do." The man glared coldly and pushed the Battle Angel to the side before striding towards Rhode. He lowered his head and gazed at the black-haired young man. "You must be Rhode. I am Tres. Malman of the Country of Light''s Parliament. From now on, you will be protected by the Country of Light''s Parliament until the start of the hearing. Is there any problem?"


    "Mr. Tres, this is the Munn Kingdom." The Battle Angels spoke with ashen expressions. "Here isn''t the Country of Light and the Country of Light''s Parliament doesn''t have the jurisdiction to do so!"


    "I have nothing more to say to hens with wings." Tres let out a snort and disregarded the Battle Angels'' resistance. He beckoned and two soldiers extended their arms forward to subdue Rhode immediately. However, two white radiances flashed out of the blue and all Tres heard were mournful screams. The two soldiers collapsed and grabbed onto their severed wrists as they howled in grief. Their palms landed and stained the snowy-white ground.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. I-don''t-want-to-know-your-name." Rhode flicked the blood off his daggers and gazed at the man before him with a gentle smile. "I don''t have the hobby of being pushed down by dogs. As for those crazy dogs that bite, I don''t mind teaching them a proper lesson. This is the Munn Kingdom and isn''t the conference hall for a bunch of dumbasses in the Country of Light''s Parliament. So, pardon me as I won''t be listening to any instructions from outside of the Munn Kingdom, not to mention from a barking dog."


    "You''ve got guts to attack the Country of Light''s Parliament!" Tres howled furiously. As representatives of the Country of Light''s Parliament, they were used to being respected everywhere and their words were always final. The other soldiers witnessed the pitiful plight of their fallen companions and they charged towards Rhode with their raised swords.

 Chapter 495 Clash II

    Initially, Rhode had no intentions of starting any clash with the diplomatic group. After all, they were in Golden City and he felt that he had to respect Royal Highness Lydia. However, the rage in Rhode''s heart exploded as soon as Tres started shooting his mouth off. Rhode knew that the Country of Light''s Parliament would be throwing their weight around, but he had never expected that this bunch of bastards dared to cause a scene just outside Golden City. Did they really treat the Munn Kingdom as the countryside?


    Almost simultaneously, Rhode quickly realized that this was a great opportunity for him to understand Lydia''s attitude on this entire matter.


    Due to this reason, Rhode let out a snort and responded without any hesitation as the soldiers charged towards him. He instantly recognized that the sword skill that the soldiers were about to use: the ruthless [Condemnation]. Moreover, they possessed the strength of an Elite and if Rhode was slashed by them, he would lose at least half of his life even if he had survived. At this thought, the rage in Rhode burst out suddenly. Back then, I murdered your entire Parliament over a thousand times and just a few pathetic dogs like you dare to attack me?!


    Tres observed with folded arms while the two Battle Angels darted forward to stop the soldiers with their pikes. However, they were too late as the soldiers had brandished their swords at Rhode.


    The domineering soldiers had blocked off Rhode''s way of retreat from all directions. As the saying of ''Double fists do not rival four hands'' goes, Rhode definitely wouldn''t be able to defend himself with just his twin daggers.


    But it was a pity that there would always be a gap between reality and imagination.


    Tres was confident that this black-haired young man had nowhere to hide and was a definite goner as Rhode half-kneeled and placed his daggers above him in a cross. He pushed up and the soldiers attacking from all four directions had as though collided into an invisible wall and instantly recoiled. They rolled over a few meters before stopping and not only that, Tres realized shockingly that the soldiers'' swords had been shattered completely!


    Tres was absolutely baffled and his contemptuous eyes dwindled as he gazed at the black-haired young man with a graze expression.


    As a member of the Calvary Guard, Tres possessed swordsmanship of the Master Stage and he knew clearly what this scene meant. Rhode didn''t choose to avoid his men''s attack, but instead, he decided to block them upright and frank.


    However, Tres wasn''t startled that Rhode had obstructed their attacks from all directions simultaneously because anyone could do that with sufficient speed and experience. Instead, it was his striking them away that bewildered him the most, since this meant that his attacking speed and experience didn''t just exceed his men, but his powers and ability in grasping his strength were astounding. Furthermore, it proved a lot that he was able to overpower four soldiers in the Elite Stage.


    This young man must be in the Master Stage, or even stronger.


    And it was this point that made Tres feel strange and confused.


    Tres had investigated on rumors about Rhode especially after the battle during the Midsummer Festival. This young man had defeated Barter, who possessed the strength of the Master Stage, and he had been considered to be in the Legendary Stage. However, Tres snorted disdainfully at this saying because he didn''t believe that a human could possess such talent. Not to mention, the emergence of Rhode was all too strange. He was like a meteor that suddenly appeared before everyone, which wasn''t logical. At this time, Tres scanned the young man from top to bottom and he didn''t detect any grandeur that indicated that he was in the Master Stage, which further supported his judgment. The people of Munn Kingdom must''ve been bragging about Rhode''s strength. Talking about an almost 20 years old powerful being in the Legendary Stage�� Hmph, who were you kidding?


    But now, Tres didn''t find this ''joke'' funny anymore.


    Although it was only for an instant, he sharply detected a burst of power which those swordsmen in the Master Stage possessed when Rhode defended against his men. Perhaps he would''ve thought that he was hallucinating if he hadn''t confirmed that he wasn''t dreaming.


    But now, the bloody soldiers groaning on the ground around Rhode assured him that it wasn''t a dream.


    Tres couldn''t be blamed for this misjudgment. After all, Rhode was only level 40 and his strength was still lingering between the standards of the pinnacle of the Elite Stage and the primary Master Stage. Tres had never expected Rhode to be such a freak. Even though he was only level 40, the level of his swordsmanship had reached level 60 and was about to transcend into the Legendary Stage. Not to mention, Rhode was equipped with three god-like equipment that Marlene had picked out for him. Just the strength level of +3 from the [Historical Wing] itself was enough to raise Rhode''s strength to levels equivalent to the giants. Moreover, the imprisoned human spirit of the [Spirit''s Prisoner] had +5 all of Rhode''s attributes. If Rhode didn''t take mercy on the four unlucky soldiers, perhaps they''d have already turned into minced meat.


    "I shall repeat myself once more, Mr. I-don''t-want-to-know-your-name-and-I-am-not-interested-to-know." Rhode disregarded the four whimpering soldiers around him and turned his wrists around to sheath his twin daggers by his waist. He lifted his head and gazed at Tres with a pleased smile. "As a citizen of the Munn Kingdom, I am not obliged to listen to any decisions and opinions from a bunch of idiots around the roundtable from a thousand miles away."


    Rhode displayed a brilliant smile and his smile was so charming that the two Battle Angels were almost bewitched. They had never expected that this expressionless man was capable of exhibiting such a warm, gorgeous smile. If Marlene and the rest were present, they would definitely have an extremely different opinion about that though.


    "��" Tres knitted his brows as he had missed his chance to capture Rhode because the Battle Angels had readied their pikes while standing before Rhode. Even though Tres truly looked down on this bunch of Munn Kingdom barbarians, he had no intentions of resolving conflicts on the battlefield. Although he more or less understood the intentions of the diplomatic group''s visit, it would pose a huge trouble if they had an acrimonious falling-out right now. (Even though the backstabbing in politics was still fine, that is.) Tres had initially thought that as long as he used the name of the Country of Light''s Parliament, Rhode would obey and leave with him obediently. And if Golden City had any objections, they wouldn''t possibly dare to brazenly deal with the Country of Light''s Parliament about it.


    However, Tres didn''t expect that this young man would be so difficult to deal with and he even dared to cripple people of the Country of Light''s Parliament right in public! Furthermore, Tres couldn''t make sense of his expression. Even though Rhode was displaying a brilliant smile, Tres sensed the ice-cold disdain in his eyes. Tres was familiar with those eyes. When the people of the Country of Light spoke about the Munn Kingdom, most of them had that exact expression. However, this made sense as the Country of Light had larger land than the Munn Kingdom and their strength was stronger too. Moreover, the Munn Kingdom still had beliefs and were worshipping the Light Dragon. The people of the Country of Light thought they were out-dated and ignorant. The Munn Kingdom gave up their pride as humans, kneeled down to an Angel, and even worshipped a God that shouldn''t have existed. Didn''t they have eyes to see for themselves? In the Country of Light where the Light Dragon was, humans had overthrown the dictatorship of the Light Dragon and grasped the authority that they deserved. And yet, the Munn Kingdom was still bound by the past and didn''t wish to fight for their freedom and rights. Slaves like them who abandoned themselves weren''t worth their respect.


    It was common for this expression to be reflected in the faces of the people of the Country of Light. However, it was rare to see it on someone from the Munn Kingdom. Tres had visited the Munn Kingdom with the diplomatic group multiple times and had more or less understood the people here. Tres had seen a mixture of fear, admiration, disdain, wrath, and hostility the people had towards the Country of Light. But it was the first time that Tres had met someone like Rhode, who despised the people of the Country of Light as maggots. Tres couldn''t figure out why this young man would be this contempt from the bottom of his heart towards a powerful country like theirs. What rights does he have to look down on us? What authority does he have to look down on us? what reasons does he have to look down on us?


    Tres didn''t feel that Rhode had been brainwashed by the fanaticism of the ancient beliefs. But no matter what, there was no point to be in a tangle anymore since his mission had failed. Tres had initially decided to take him away quietly and now that it had brewed into a storm, the damn Archangel would definitely lock eyes on him and it would cause another massive trouble.


    Tres made a decision. "Let''s go!"


    He let out a snort and left while the other soldiers struggled to get back on their feet. They glared at Rhode with hatred and limped towards Tres as they supported one another by their arms.


    Dogs will always be dogs.


    Rhode twitched his brows as he gazed at their slowly shrinking backs. Then, the smile on his face vanished entirely and his usual, aloof expression returned.


    Through this probing, Rhode had gotten his answer to Lydia''s attitude on this matter.

 Chapter 496 Clash III

    As Tres and his men left, they weren''t aware that there was someone looking down at them from a tall balcony in Golden City.


    "Huhuhu�� This time, I think they''ve just received a memorable lesson." Lydia shut her eyes and stroked her golden hair while Amund showed a somewhat hopeless smile. "Is this really fine, Your Highness? Even though what the young man did wasn''t wrong, their diplomatic group will definitely use this incident to make a fuss. If that really happens��"


    "Then it will be great, Minister Amund," Lydia interrupted Amund''s words with her left hand. She raised her chin and admired at the azure, endless sky. "�� Minister Amund. What do you think the Munn Kingdom means to me?"


    "Your Highness?" said Amund.


    "Is it merely a piece of land? A territory? A tool for us to fight for our authority and position? Or perhaps a deterrence against the Country of Light''s Parliament? If I give up on this land, what path will it and its citizens take? And if it leaves me, where do I go as an Archangel?"


    Amund lowered his head and sighed slightly. Even though he was a great Mage of the court, he seldom involved himself in politics. But this time, as Lydia''s most trusted person, he knew the current situation clearly. The clowns of the Country of Light''s Parliament seemed to have predicted their death sentence and began their final struggles. They were aware that if they missed this last chance, what awaited them would definitely be Lydia''s bloody massacre and this Archangel surely wouldn''t mind repeating that night from several years ago.


    There was continuous unrest in the continent and Amund knew that Lydia was deeply worried about it. Even though this young lady was described by others as a tyrant in many aspects, she, after all, was still an Angel and she wouldn''t violate the creed and standpoint of the Angels. It was due to her identity that she was so highly respected and loved in the Munn Kingdom. Yet it was also her identity that restricted her choices.


    Lydia was clearer than anyone else about the dark clouds that were about to shroud the entire continent. The changes of the Country of Darkness and the secretly surging tide in the dark world were about to reveal a brand new era and the start of a war. Even though Lydia wished to change and put a stop to everything, things weren''t that simple because the Munn Kingdom had internal affairs of their own. In this small country, the conflicts between the Reformist Party and King''s Party had been ongoing and they couldn''t be resolved that easily.


    A long time ago, the Munn Kingdom was still an ordinary kingdom and during those times, there weren''t any clashes or divisions. But as their commercial trade developed rapidly, a massive amount of gold and silver streamed into the country and cracks began to form under the impact of this ever growing wealth.


    As an ancient, orthodox, and law-abiding country, the King''s Party continued to firmly hold most of the commercial trade in the Munn Kingdom, which led to the resistance of the merchants. At the start of the Munn Kingdom''s flourishing, the merchants helped the country prosper and now, they had become traitors who tried to overthrow and bury this country.


    The economic capital was just like a cunning, sinister beast. When it was weak, it would obey and seek loopholes in rules to make itself stronger. But it would attempt to manipulate and change the rules after it turned stronger to maintain its strength. The King''s Party didn''t allow this to happen and every generation of Archangels prevented this firmly. This was also what caused the dissatisfaction and uncertainty of the richest merchants because they feared that their wealth would vanish into thin air without the guarantee of authority. They also hoped to receive the support of rules to obtain more profits, but the King''s Party never intended to give up their authority in exchange for wealth, which led to the conflicts between them to be unresolvable.


    The King''s Party wouldn''t give up on their ruling authority of this country while the merchants were not resigned to live under their confinement of authority and rules. The merchants were so wealthy that they could possibly purchase one or two cities to boost their powers if that was possible. Due to this reason, they weren''t willing to capitulate the suppression of the King''s Party and sought changes.


    This was also the beginning of the Reformist Party. When these merchants gathered and formed an alliance, they joined forces with some noble families to seek change in this country and with hopes to gain more authority. In order to reach their goals, they even sought assistance from the Country of Light and the Country of Light gladly accepted, perhaps due to their relationship as ''business partners''. Two powerful forces combined and brought a dangerous change in the Munn Kingdom.


    As a Court Mage, Amund had seen everything for himself. The previous Duchess had a gentle personality and leaned towards the conservative side. Due to this reason, she chose to concede to the imperious Reformist Party and Country of Light. It was at this moment that the Munn Kingdom had sunk into their most serious and unstable situation and the Reformist Party almost succeeded. With the assistance of the Country of Light, the Reformist Party had almost achieved what their colleagues in the Country of Light had done��deprive the Archangel of authority and gain control of the Munn Kingdom forcefully.


    But it was this moment that Lydia took over the position of the Archangel. Amund remembered that day on the Succession Ceremony; the mood he had when he and his colleagues gazed at the 10-year-old girl sitting on the throne that was much bigger than her. All Amund felt was total darkness for the country''s future and he had even thought of resigning and returning to his hometown to be a scholar living in seclusion. This way, at least, he didn''t need to witness the collapse of this nation.


    But everything changed after that night.


    No one had expected that this delicate little girl would release an ultimatum to the Reformist Party within a few days after she took office. With the series of crimes that the Reformist Party had committed listed out by Lydia, over a hundred people were captured in one night. Afterward, it was all trials and massacres. Not only did this shake the entire Reformist Party, but Amund was also flabbergasted as he had never expected this Archangel would be this vicious and merciless. The Country of Light''s Parliament sent their men to release their ultimatum after receiving cries of help from the Reformist Party. However, even so, Lydia insisted on her opinion. She had even hastened the speed of execution and by the time the members of the Country of Light''s Parliament had arrived at Golden City, the core members of the Reformist Party had all been executed and none of them were spared.


    And it was no longer meaningful to exempt the dead from their punishment and request for their release anymore.


    The Reformist Party took a huge hit and they began to slowly hone their strength while avoiding Lydia temporarily. On the other hand, Lydia chose to grind them out slowly and once their exuberant momentum had been ground entirely, she would then remove all these malignant tumors completely.


    Amund''s confidence returned gradually as he witnessed the growth and behavior of Lydia. He thought that with Lydia''s rule, the Munn Kingdom could return to their glorious past quickly. But it seemed that there was an even thicker and taller wall blocking their path this time.


    And Amund wasn''t just worried about the Reformist Party and the Country of Light''s Parliament.


    The Court Mage squinted at the thin black-haired young man walking up the steps by the base of the castle.


    Rhode Alander.


    He had once thought that this young man was just another talent in the Munn Kingdom like Marlene Senia. Both of them possessed outstanding talents, sufficient self-control, and wise judgment. In the future, they would even become the pillars of this nation.


    However, the young man''s behavior seemed to overthrow his views.


    This wasn''t the first time that he had assisted the Munn Kingdom in overcoming a disaster. From the riot in Paphield Region to the Liberty Wings Guild during the Midsummer Festival and the matter that recently happened in Soraka Mountain�� Rhode resolved them by himself. Amund couldn''t figure out his true identity nor background.


    On the surface, all that Rhode had done seemed to be unrelated. But as Amund linked all the events together, he realized that there were immediate relations. This young man was like a chess player looking down from a height where every step he took restrained the Country of Light''s Parliament entirely and destroyed their threats at their budding stages. It seemed that this young man was totally aware of the Country of Light''s Parliament''s next steps.


    No matter how talented one was in politics, one couldn''t possibly possess such abilities. Amund had once asked Lydia if this young man was the secret trump card of the King''s Party because, after all, Rhode performed outstandingly well and it didn''t make sense for him to be just a noble of the Eastern Plains. There were plenty of nobles in the Munn Kingdom and yet, less than a handful were talented. On the other hand, this young man was prominent in various aspects and he even possessed unswerving determination and decisive faith. His talents shouldn''t be overlooked unless he was indeed the secret trump card of the King''s Party.


    But the answers told otherwise. This young man had nothing to do with the King''s Party. The Eastern Plains were a piece of territory that the Munn Kingdom had sealed off relatively due to the unique missions that they carried out. Therefore, there weren''t many who were aware of what the people in the Eastern Plains were up to. The only thing that Amund felt relieved of was that this young man seemed to favor the King''s Party. Rhode''s actions towards the Country of Light''s Parliament and the Reformist Party were the best indicators.


    But now, Amund was rather fearful as he gazed at Rhode''s back. It had something to do with Soraka Mountain. The outside world was unaware of the truth, but Lydia and Amund knew everything about it. Not only did they receive Rhode''s report, but they also had their own information channels. Due to this reason, Amund felt threatened after hearing that the Duke Fiend was defeated by two of Rhode''s men.


    Amund hadn''t experienced the strength of the Duke Fiend personally, but even so, it didn''t disrupt his judgment of their abilities. How can the two beings who possessed Legendary strength and even defeated the Duke Fiend be ordinary humans? Not to mention, these two beings were two young ladies. When were there so many talents in the Munn Kingdom?


    According to the intelligence they received, the two young ladies with unique names were Rhode''s men. How much influence did one need to have two talented men in the Legendary Stage? Could this young man be the spokesperson of one of the secret legendary associations? After all, no matter what, his grandeur didn''t waver whenever he faced the Country of Light''s Parliament and he responded to every one of them appropriately. Moreover, there were so many powerful beings gathered around him�� Amund would never believe that Rhode was only a little noble from the Eastern Plains. But what were his intentions in doing all this in the Munn Kingdom if he were really the spokesperson of a certain force?


    "Your Highness, do you really intend to do this?" Even though Amund knew that Lydia wouldn''t change her mind, he continued to ask with softened voice. "Do you know what this means? That young man has a mysterious background. I admit that he indeed favors us and has done a lot for us�� But��"


    "I understand what you meant, Amund. Humans crave for the warmth of the sun and yet, they are afraid of the overly dazzling radiance. But that isn''t an excuse for fear." Lydia turned around with her charming, unwavering smile. "Fear is the start of an abomination, Teacher, but, we shouldn''t rely on our guesses and individual preferences to judge a person before we fully understand him. Furthermore, your worries are too negative, Teacher. No matter what, why aren''t you willing to believe that Mr. Rhode is kind towards us from the amount of hard work that he has done?"


    The young lady revealed a cheeky smile before folding her arms by her chest. "Perhaps, this man is an emissary sent by the Creator Dragons. If that''s the case, aren''t we the lucky ones?"


    "If that''s true, we are indeed lucky, then." Even though Lydia was smiling brilliantly, Amund couldn''t force out a smile. But the Court Mage was aware that his thoughts couldn''t influence the young lady any more. He chose to keep quiet and bowed deeply with folded palms. "I hope this young man will be as you''ve described�� Your Highness, I shall take my leave."


    The corner of Lydia''s mouth quirked up as she held her white jade-like finger against her smooth chin. "He will surely be as what I''ve mentioned, Teacher. Huhuhu. So then, I shall also see what this emissary from the Creator Dragon decides to do this time."


    To some people, the matter had already past. However, to others, it was only just the beginning.


    "�� You''re saying that the young man didn''t only reject the orders of the Parliament, but also attacked you?" The flabby cheeks of the man sitting on the sofa made from expensive snow leopard skin twitched as he supported himself with the sofa handle using his short, fat arm. He glared at Tres with two small eyes that seemed to be on the verge of exploding. "And then? You people returned with your tails tucked between your legs from the plaza outside Golden City?! Under the watchful eyes of that damn tyrant?!"


    "He is really powerful, MP Danny." Tres was raging secretly as the fat man barked at him. However, he suppressed his emotions and proceeded to explain calmly. "He defeated all my men��I can''t even do that. It was obvious that this young man was much stronger than what we''ve heard from the rumors! We should be more careful against such an opponent!"


    "A load of crap!" The fat pig swung his right arm angrily and he fell back on the sofa after losing his balance. "Damn it! We have the official documents of the Country of Light''s Parliament and we represent the civilians of the holy Country of Light. That bunch of country bumpkins dares to treat us this way!? This is provocation! Provocation! Someone, get me a pen, I am gonna raise a protest against Golden City. That bunch of damn bastards��"


    The fat pig paused for a moment before glaring at Tres once more. "Scram! Where the hell is our dignity now that a barbarian has messed us up so badly!? I should consider getting the Parliament to send someone else to replace you! Get lost right now!"


    "Yes! Sir!" Tres saluted respectfully with an unwavering expression and left the room. Until the door closed behind him, he revealed a gloomy expression.


    "Sir? Are you alright?" One of the guards by the door expressed his concern for Tres while Tres let out a long sigh. "Alright? I guess so�� Damn it�� By the way, how are our guys doing?"


    The guard revealed a pained expression. "�� We received news that due to the powerful blast, their right arms are crippled now. We have sought help from the Clerics, but their injuries are too grave��"


    "I get it!" Tres swung his arm and interrupted his words. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. All these guards were capable troops that he had nurtured personally and they were able to stand here because they had been through countless tests. And now, their futures were gone entirely. Even if they were to recover, what could they do in the Country of Light? They had lost their most competent weapon and how were they going to continue living their lives?


    "��" Tres remained in silence for a brief moment before lifting his head once more. "Get them to focus on recuperating and once they''re feeling better, get them to return to the Country of Light."


    "But�� Sir, are we really just gonna forget about it? Those barbarians of the Munn Kingdom actually treated us this way and our brothers wouldn''t end up like this if MP Danny didn''t give such an order! Damn it��"


    "That''s enough!" Tres howled furiously. "Shut your mouth�� This is my problem, so cut your crap. Don''t forget that we''re here to carry out orders. I hope that you will just butt out with everything except the orders!"


    Tres gestured wildly. "All you have to do is to carry out orders and leave the following matter to me�� I will not let it end just like this!"

 Chapter 497 Clash IV

    This castle was still as magnificent as ever.


    Rhode admired the somewhat familiar castle as he strode through the middle of the spacious corridor. It was evening and Lydia had sent someone to invite him into the ''Inter-Luminous Moon'' after his dinner. If there was an unspoken criticism about this Duchess, it would be the strange names she gave to the rooms. Moreover, these names were not related to their functionality at all. Rhode recalled that there was a player who once received an ordinary daily mission for him to deliver valuable porcelain to the ''Black Tea Building''. In the end, this pitiful player roamed around Golden City for a whole day and couldn''t find its location. The player sought assistance from the forums and was warm-heartedly told that this ''Black Tea Building'' was simply the corner warehouse on the third floor of Golden City.


    �� God knew what exactly Lydia was thinking when she named these rooms.


    Fortunately, the Inter-Luminous Moon wasn''t a warehouse. Instead, it was located on the highest floor of Golden City and it was a place where this Duchess loved to spend her time in. In the game, this was where the players would usually meet her privately and accept their rewards non-officially. After all, players were mainly adventurers and it wasn''t appropriate for them to be receiving formal receptions in the Government Affairs Office.


    Due to this reason, Rhode was somewhat dazzled when he passed through the gloriously lit corridor and stood before the white, gorgeous door��it was as though he had returned into the game and was about to receive his rewards from completing a mission.


    The large doors opened gradually.


    Comfortable, warm air escaped from the room and Rhode tidied his attire before lifting his chin and entering the spacious and luxurious room. Soon, he spotted the back view of a figure facing the night sky.


    Although it had only been a few days, Rhode felt that the back view of this figure gave him an unprecedented feel. If Lydia could be said to be a brilliantly dazzling presence, she could be described as looking rather down under the bright crystal lights and against the night sky. She was as though the only persevering little lamp in the middle of an endless, dark ocean.


    "Welcome, Baron Rhode." As Rhode was sizing the young lady, Lydia turned around and greeted him with a beautiful smile. Light rays trailed along with her every movement and outlined her flawless wings before vanishing into thin air abruptly. The heavy and strange feelings that Rhode felt had as though melted instantly as soon as he witnessed her beautiful smile. It was still the usual, confident Archangel.


    "You must be tired from your long journey. Please have a seat. I''ve prepared first-rate blueberry cakes and tea and I bet you''ll like them."


    "Thank you very much for your concern, Your Highness." Rhode nodded slightly before taking a seat on the soft, comfortable sofa. Shortly after, the maids stepped forth to serve delicately sliced cakes and fragrant tea before leaving the room. Rhode didn''t lift up the teacup instantly. Instead, his attention was fixated on another matter.


    "Baron?"


    "That''s right." Lydia sat down opposite him. The Archangel was dressed as per her usual outfit. A close-fitting dress made of thin white fabric outlined her slender curves and vaguely revealed her tender skin, confident grandeur, gracefulness, and arrogance. This outfit stood between the lines of revealing and seductive.


    "This is a deserving reward for a hero who annihilated the Devils and stopped the chaotic situation in Soraka Mountain, right?" Lydia twitched her brows cheekily as she spoke with traces of dissatisfaction. "In fact, I''ve actually intended to confer you the Earl feudal rank. But if it weren''t for some who disliked it�� It''s a pity that it isn''t easy pleasing everyone."


    Rhode chose to remain silent diligently. In fact, he didn''t expect that Lydia would confer a feudal rank to him this easily. If this happened in the game, it would''ve been a major surprise for the players. But in this real world, Rhode understood her meaning quickly because it was apparent that this wasn''t as simple as bestowing a reward. Rhode believed that this Archangel understood about the Duke Fiend and that her seat as one of the three Archangel would be for naught if she didn''t reward Rhode heavily after he managed to defeat the Duke Fiend.


    "We haven''t met for a while and you are still looking great, Baron Rhode�� How is Christie doing?"


    "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Christie is doing well in the Fortress. Even though her body condition hasn''t fully recovered yet�� Humans must still live on no matter what,"


    Rhode didn''t give a bogus speech about how Christie''s body was getting better gradually because he knew that Lydia wouldn''t appreciate it. Her esthetic conception made her admire sincere beauty. Not to mention, Lydia had sensed Christie''s condition personally and it wasn''t ideal to lie through his teeth. As expected, Lydia nodded at Rhode''s unrestrained answer. "That''s right, Baron Rhode. The beauty of life depends on their desire for survival. No matter where and what kind of hardship one goes through, one must continue to survive�� I believe that Christie can overcome these difficulties. Believe me."


    Lydia gazed at Rhode meaningfully with her pair of beautiful, round eyes. Shortly after, her smile once again emerged. "I have an intuition that Christie will be fine, Baron Rhode."


    "Thank you, Your Highness." Rhode was somewhat puzzled after hearing Lydia''s words. In his impression, this Duchess wasn''t someone who had a glib tongue. Besides, wasn''t she helpless when she failed to help Christie the previous time? Why would she even drag her intuition into the picture�� However, Rhode didn''t give too much thought about it. After all, this Archangel was still in her teens and it wasn''t strange that she would come up with a few mischiefs. Rhode gave a few perfunctory responses and got back to the main topic.


    "So then, Your Highness. Regarding Soraka Mountain��"


    "I''ve understood the entire happenings of that matter, Baron Rhode." Lydia spoke and this was the first time she revealed some agony on her face.


    "It pains me to see Sonia suffer. In fact, I do know what was going on." Lydia let out a sigh and she began to explain everything to Rhode.


    Rhode finally understood what exactly did the so-called Supervisor did. During the ancient era, a huge war erupted in Soraka Mountain and for unknown reasons, the channel that linked the Bottomless Abyss and the main Plane of Existence was opened. Thus, the Duke Fiend invaded the surface with its troops while the Light Dragon and Dark Dragon joined hands to defeat and seal it between their Dragon Souls. However, that was a long time ago and as thousands of years had passed, the tragic battlefield turned into a rare, stable land known as Soraka Mountain. Similar to historical records, the Country of Light and Country of Darkness broke out in a war in order to snatch the natural resources of Soraka Mountain.


    And it was during the final stages of this battle that both sides discovered the seal of the Duke Fiend. The seal had loosened due to the war between the two countries and as the heirs of the Dragon Souls, both sides knew how powerful the Duke Fiend sealed below was. If they continued with the war, perhaps there would be huge trouble even before any of them managed to get their hands on Soraka Mountain.


    Due to this consideration, both countries ceased the war and chose to retreat. The reason why they forbade armies from entering the Soraka Mountain was that apart from political negotiation, they also wished to avoid further conflicts that would affect the stability of the seal. Thereafter, both sides chose the Munn Kingdom to hold the meeting in order to monitor the seal at all times.


    "Sonia has been the seal guardian since the previous selection while my Mother was alive. However, I began to worry as the reports from Soraka Mountain were delivered every year�� When you are watching the abyss, the abyss is watching back at you. I don''t know what exactly Sonia faced while she was guarding the Duke Fiend''s seal, but it was apparent from her letters that she was perplexed and the powers of Chaos seemed to be affecting her. I couldn''t enter Soraka Mountain due to my sensitive identity and therefore, I could only choose speech to suppress the Chaos in her. But it seemed that it wasn''t too effective as she was completely overcome by the power of Chaos and became a believer of Chaos. As for the issues regarding Soraka Mountain, I was also aware and intended to move her back. But never did I expect��" Lydia eventually didn''t continue her sentence.


    In the entire event of Soraka Mountain, Rhode was most suspicious about why the Duke Fiend appeared in the first place. But now, he finally solved the mystery��and the reason was the Chairman.


    In the history of the game, Soraka Mountain declared to join the Country of Darkness and their choice wasn''t faced with obstacles at all. This proved that the Chairman must''ve been dead and he wasn''t around to stop parliament members from joining the Country of Darkness through a decision. Judging on the information that Rhode heard while escorting the Chairman, Soraka Mountain chose the Country of Darkness not solely because of the pressure applied to them by the Country of Light. Instead, they were using the Country of Darkness as a shield from the Duke Fiend. And in the end, history had proven that they made the right choice as the Duke Fiend eventually woke up and forced the Dark Dragon that was facing the Munn Kingdom to leave the battlefield and fight the Duke Fiend instead.


    This was the truth in the game world that Rhode had experienced.


    However, history had changed here. Rhode rescued the Chairman and the Chairman had chosen the other solution. Instead of leaving the seal alone to slowly free itself, the Chairman attempted to reinforce the strength of the seal, which further triggered the Supervisor, who had been contaminated by the Chaos. In the end, she awakened the Duke Fiend in the face of the Chairman''s threat��


    It seems that my actions have brought huge changes to the events.


    Rhode let out a bitter smile at this thought. Rhode felt that it was a pity that he changed only these minor details. "So then, Your Highness, pardon my rudeness�� This upcoming hearing��"


    "I was about to explain to you, Baron Rhode." Lydia kept her smile. "According to you, there''s only a handful of people who know the truth of this incident. But now, the Country of Light;s Parliament have sent their diplomatic group�� They seem to be aware of the truth and they hope that our Munn Kingdom will take responsibility for the failure in maintaining the seal in Soraka Mountain."


    This so-called responsibility means to make Lydia step down? What a great plan.


    "Is Your Highness aware of exactly how much they know about this incident?" Rhode asked. Depending on who was present during the incident, the incident would change even if one was present. Rhode, Corina, the Elderly Mage of the Order Alliance, Di, and his Undead Knight were present when they met the contaminated Supervisor. Later, only Corina was present to witness the end of the Duke Fiend''s life, while Di and his Undead Knight had fled before Bubble and Canary arrived at the scene. On the other hand, the Elderly Mage was unconscious and he only woke up after the incident. Therefore, everyone had a different understanding of the situation.


    Amongst them, it was hard to determine who would tell the truth to the Country of Light''s Parliament.


    Even though they were united when facing the Imps and escaped the attacks of the Duke Fiend, their difference in identities and standpoints had decided that they couldn''t possibly give up their responsibilities due to their same sufferings.


    "I don''t know the specific situation." Lydia shook her head slightly. "But this time, the Country of Light insisted that you must be present for the hearing and that means they perhaps are aware of something�� Besides, there aren''t many people who know about you."


    I see. It seems that I have to be pragmatic, then.


    Rhode lifted his head and gazed at the young lady. "Don''t worry, Your Highness. I know what to do now. Thank you for your time."


    Rhode bowed respectfully and left the room while Lydia gazed at his back meaningfully.


    The diplomatic group was indeed fast. It was only the second day of Rhode''s arrival in Golden City and they had requested for a hearing with Lydia. Besides that, there was also a strongly-worded letter that reprimanded Rhode for causing harm to the diplomatic group. They requested for the Munn Kingdom to hand Rhode over to apologize and compensate for the damages to them. Of course, Lydia threw the letter into the bin without even reading it.


    "What an eyesore. Those foul, squeaking rats trying to win over my sympathy. But I won''t grant their wish," Lydia said plainly as she wiped her hands with a handkerchief as though the letter was a filthy item. Amund gaped as he observed Royal Highness Lydia''s childish behavior and the thousand words that he wished to speak turned into a single breath. "�� Your Highness, are you ready?"


    "I have always been uninterested in comical dramas that have their ending decided." Lydia turned towards Amund with her elegant, yet proud smile. "But this time, I''m sort of excited, Teacher. What surprise do you think Baron Rhode will bring us?"


    "Please pardon my words. I have long passed the age of looking forward to a surprise. I will be more than happy as long as there''s no trouble with this hearing," Amund spoke truthfully. Lydia''s unscrupulous behavior was more than enough to give him a headache. Now that there was Rhode, who Lydia agreed to let deal with the situation by his own actions, in this solemn occasion with the diplomatic group of the Country of Light. Amund felt butterflies in his stomach.


    "That''s not very right, Teacher Amund. No matter how old one is, one must be filled with anticipation towards the unknown future. It isn''t just a day or two that the Country of Light''s Parliament has tried to deal with me. It''s about time this hilarious drama comes to an end," Lydia twitched her brows while a glint flashed in her eyes. "I hope this ending wouldn''t disappoint me."


    The deep bugle horns sounded and Rhode strode into the grand hall.


    The round-shaped hall was filled fully on both ends. The nobles stood by the railing on the second floor as they gazed at the guards leading Rhode into the hall. As nobles who had lived in Golden City for most of their years, rumors spread faster than the speed of light amongst them and as of now, almost everyone knew the role and identity that this young man played in Soraka Mountain. The nobles had expected that Lydia would be conferring this young man a feudal rank considering her personality in awarding huge rewards and the young man''s hard work.


    However, this reward wasn''t as simple as just a reward. Based on the reward that Lydia would bestow, the nobles would understand the decision that the King''s Party had made.


    If Lydia gave Rhode a certain amount of gold or other rewards, it would mean that she had given up on this young man and would leave him in the hands of the Country of Light''s Parliament. However, Lydia actually gave him a feudal rank as a reward, even if it was the smallest rank, the nobles knew that this meant that Rhode had become a part of the Munn Kingdom''s political body and was no longer an ordinary mercenary. Although he might have a rich family background, there would be no value if the reward wasn''t anything that graced his honor.


    MP Danny stood in the middle of the hall with an ashen expression under the protection of Tres and the other guards. He stared coldly at the black-haired young man entering the hall casually and at this moment, a crisp voice sounded from the front of the wide hall. "In this sacred Glory Hall, I shall represent the Munn Kingdom to witness this hearing�� Are there any objections, MP Danny?"


    "No objections, Your Highness Lydia." Danny stayed calm and nodded firmly. "This time, we, the Country of Light''s Parliament, are here to investigate the incident that happened in Soraka Mountain and the problem of the Munn Kingdom''s negligence to the seal�� The Devil re-emerged from the broken seal and the Munn Kingdom wasn''t able to fulfill their resolution in guarding the seal. Therefore, we, the Country of Light''s Parliament, have come to a consensus that the Munn Kingdom shall take up the responsibility in order to answer to the Light Dragon, the Country of Light''s Parliament, and the civilians of Soraka Mountain who have suffered miserably in this disaster�� Does Your Highness Lydia have any views on this?"


    "I don''t have any opinion about it." The young lady''s smile remained the same. "Although the Munn Kingdom is indeed serving Her Majesty Light Dragon, we won''t decide based on the words of just some people. So then, MP Danny, I''m sure you have the evidence to prove your point?"


    "That''s for sure!" The fat parliament member''s cheeks bounced as he nodded with all his might. Then, he turned around and pointed at Rhode. "We have eyewitnesses who escaped from the disaster and they can prove that it was this man who single-handedly led to the breaking of the seal!"

 Chapter 498 Clash V

    Rhode revealed a gentle smile as he stood in the middle of the hall. The nobles gathered all their attention on the black-haired young man without speaking a word. The remarks of this diplomatic envoy were indeed startling as the nobles were aware of the incident in Soraka Mountain. However, even if they didn''t know the truth, their gazes towards Rhode were filled with astonishment. To be honest, they refused to believe what MP Danny had said. Firstly, the Country of Light;s Parliament didn''t have a favorable relationship with the Munn Kingdom and they had defamed the Munn Kingdom more than once. Secondly, Rhode had just been awarded an honor by Lydia and even though it was only a feudal rank of Baron, the nobles knew that this was a political statement and Lydia was declaring that she wouldn''t give up on Rhode. If Rhode was the main culprit of the entire incident, would Lydia even do this?


    "Please continue your statement, Mr. Envoy." Lydia spoke from her throne without the slightest change in her expression.


    Danny lifted his triple-chin proudly and swept a glance of disdain at Rhode before retrieving a stack of thick papers from his pocket. "Your Highness, the next account that I''m about to present has been reviewed and investigated by the Country of Light''s Parliament. We have the most appropriate evidence and witness��" Danny swung his arm forcefully and continued. "Please allow me to summon my witness."


    "No problem," Lydia nodded in agreement while Danny gestured to his subordinates. Shortly after, the two guards escorted a man into the hall. He seemed no more than 28 years old and was dressed in a luxurious robe. Although he appeared rather handsome, his every movement seemed extremely haggard, as though a gravely ill patient who didn''t have enough rest. The man stood beside the diplomatic envoy and bowed respectfully to everyone present. "Your Highness, my name is Zieg Alanic and I am the representative of the Alanic Foundation stationed in Soraka Mountain. I swear by the honor of my family that I''ve witnessed everything that happened on that day��"


    Alanic?


    Rhode scanned the man from head to toe. Come to think of it, he did see this man in the hall before the start of the meeting in Soraka Mountain. However, he couldn''t remember him after the start of the chaos. It seemed that this man was extremely lucky to have survived the disaster. But, Rhode didn''t think that he was just simply lucky.


    There were no shortage of troubles that this family had given Rhode.


    Rhode gritted his teeth at this thought. Initially, he had pestered Marlene in the Fortress and now, it was regarding Soraka Mountain. This Alanic Foundation seemed really afraid of losing their presence and had continuously found troubles for Rhode. If there was a vote for the best model workers, these guys would definitely be a popular choice. Rhode shifted his attention to the minister beside Lydia. The senior wore a white robe and held onto this golden staff while gazing at the man before him with some disgust. Rhode knew where his sense of disgust came from because this senior was the Patriarch of the Senia Family and Marlene''s biological father. Marlene was his only daughter and furthermore, she was a rare magical talent and she had almost turned into the slave of the Alanic Foundation�� Rhode was aware that if it wasn''t for him taking into consideration the prestige of the Munn Kingdom, he would''ve gone into an all-out battle with the Alanic Foundation. Even though the Alanic Foundation was second to none in the Country of Light, the mighty generations of the Senia Family weren''t for naught too. If both sides did end up in a battle, the battle would be no less than a battle between the nations.


    Just that the scale of the war would be smaller, that was.


    As though sensing Rhode''s gaze, the senior turned towards him. Meanwhile, Rhode nodded in response as he knew he was being somewhat discourteous. However, Rhode didn''t expect that the senior would place his idling left hand on his chest and bow solemnly. Then, the senior revealed a kind smile before shifting his attention back to the nobleman who was giving his narration.


    Rhode was astonished by his actions because no matter their identity or rank, he couldn''t be compared to the Patriarch of the family that held the most influence and presence in the Munn Kingdom. Even though he might have a good impression of Rhode due to his previous contributions, it was unlikely for him to go so far as to bow in public. This was obviously more than just simply favoring Rhode.


    Rhode realized that there were a few sharp eyes gazing towards him from amongst the crowd. It was apparent that the interaction between Rhode and the Senia Patriarch had gathered some attention. But Rhode disregarded them and focused his attention on the narrations of the nobleman.


    As the saying went, one couldn''t convince others with all truths while all lies couldn''t cut it to and the best way was to mix both truths and lies together. Such lies were the toughest to expose and this Zieg Alanic nobleman was apparently well-versed on this subject. His narrations were clear and orderly, yet weren''t all truthful. From the emergence of the Chairman to the eruption of the earthquake and the appearance of the Chaos Flames, all of them matched Rhode''s memories. However, this was where the deviations began. He seemed to have ''neglected'' Rhode''s presence and claimed that when the Chaos Flames erupted, he left the Mithril Hall hurriedly. Then, he spotted a suspicious man in a black robe, which peaked his curiosity. With the powers of his magical equipment, he followed the suspicious character and witnessed him entering the Rock Shrine. Shortly after, the mysterious man met up with the Supervisor and both of them unlocked the seal, which led to the awakening of the Duke Fiend. At that moment, Zieg had intended to leave, but he discovered that the mysterious man had a dispute with the Supervisor��


    Got to say, Zieg was really great in making up stories because according to his narrations, it was rather similar to what Rhode had experienced. Zieg ingeniously tampered with some crucial portions and it meant that his guy wasn''t purely imagining things. There must be someone who provided him the information��and that person should be one of the ones who escaped alongside Rhode.


    But who exactly was that person?


    Rhode hadn''t gotten an answer to his question and he continued to listen silently.


    "�� Lastly, I witnessed the terrifying Devil heading towards the Light Dragon Soul. In order to warn my country to prepare for its invasion, I didn''t pursue further. Instead, I left with my teleportation item into the Country of Light and I have no clue what happened next." Zieg ended his narration.


    "I understood everything that you''ve said." Lydia nodded in acknowledgment before gazing at Rhode meaningfully. "So, what has this got to do with Baron Rhode?"


    "Please pardon my rudeness, Your Highness. I have unintentionally spotted the face of the man in the black robe�� And that was the face of this man here," Zieg added on.


    "�� Are you sure you haven''t mistaken him for someone else?"


    "Absolutely not. I swear by the reputation of the family. Besides��" Zieg looked at Rhode slyly. "I can''t forget his face even if I want to, since he has such distinctive features."


    Soft laughter filled the crowd. Even though they hadn''t concluded the integrity of Zieg''s words, they agreed that he was right that Rhode''s striking appearance that would definitely leave a deep impression. Just like the pair of young noble heirs in Eagle City. They only met Rhode once during the Midsummer Festival and they could immediately recognize him when they were escaping.


    Sometimes, sharp features weren''t a good thing.


    "I''ve heard your assertion," Lydia turned a deaf ear to the laughter and she gazed at the man calmly. "But this is only from your account, Mr. Alanic. You have to admit that you don''t have any evidence to support your statement."


    "Your Highness, his account was reviewed and verified by the Country of Light''s Parliament and is the truth!" MP Danny knitted his brows and replied coldly. The fake smile on his face vanished gradually and it was obvious that he was extremely dissatisfied with Lydia''s behavior of finding excuses. "After Mr. Zieg returned to the Country of Light, the Country of Light''s Parliament has dispatched Mages to trace his spirit memories for the scenes that he had witnessed. It was according to the scenes that we have confirmed that he wasn''t lying. In order to search for the main culprit that led to this disaster, Mr. Zieg had even dragged himself out of his sick bed to go through Spirit Tracing."


    MP Danny pointed at the man emotionally to signal for everyone to observe how haggard he was. "For the sake of justice, he was willing to damage his spirit to find the culprit. Isn''t this enough to prove the authenticity of his recount?"


    Even though the fat parliament member seemed to feel indignant at the injustice, it wasn''t that easy for the crowd to take the bait. Shortly after, Lydia raised a new doubt. "So then, as evidence, I would like to see the magical image traced from his spirit. Surely this won''t be a difficult request, right?"


    "Of course not." The fat parliament member seemed to have a card up his sleeve, which peaked Rhode''s curiosity. Even though great Mages were indeed able to trace the entirety of one''s personal experience with a spell, this spell, after all, would establish only around the truth. No matter how rich this Mr Alanic''s imagination was, he couldn''t possibly store memories that he hadn''t experienced in his spirit. But, this fat pig seemed so calm�� What exactly was he up to?


    Soon, Rhode received his answer.


    "But, before that, I hope that Your Highness Lydia can explain why the seal of the Duke Fiend that the Munn Kingdom was responsible for guarding was unlocked? Furthermore, what was the purpose of that man heading into Soraka Mountain?! Why would he unlock the seal of the Duke Fiend with the Supervisor?!"


    So that was why!


    Rhode finally understood why the Parliament was this fearless.


    Even though their recount was fabricated, there would always be a hole that Lydia couldn''t avoid falling into, and that was the necessity to explain to the parliament the reason why the Duke Fiend''s seal was removed. It was apparent that the Parliament must''ve heard about the situation and revised the truth. This way, as long as someone criticized that this incident was caused by a human, Lydia couldn''t blame an accident to lessen her responsibility. The Parliament didn''t wish to give Lydia any room to retreat.


    But it was a pity that Rhode wasn''t a pushover.


    "Please hold on," Rhode said with a smile. "Sorry for interrupting. But�� I have an entirely different opinion about Mr. Alanic''s recount."


    "What��!" MP Danny glared at Rhode and shouted furiously. "You are openly doubting the judgment of the parliament and tarnishing the reputation of the Parliament!!"


    "I''m sorry, I have no interest in the thoughts of some old man who always sits around a wooden table while clinging on to his own viewpoint," Rhode swept him a glance and responded instantly. The entire hall fell into absolute silence as though an ice-cold breeze had frozen everyone to the spot.


    The nobles widened their eyes in disbelief as they had never seen anyone behave so disrespectfully towards the Parliament on a formal occasion. Even though the relationship between the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Light''s Parliament had reached a point where their conflicts couldn''t be defused, the nobles of the Munn Kingdom would only grumble privately no matter how unhappy they were. However, this young man who had just been conferred a feudal rank actually dared to give them a hard time in front of everyone!


    MP Danny''s exasperated voice broke the silence in the entire hall. "Y-You are provoking and humiliating us! I want to raise a protest! Protest!"


    "Please be quiet, Mr. Envoy," Lydia''s words showed that she had no intentions of correcting Rhode''s behavior. "This is a sacred and fair venue. We have the rights to listen attentively to the statements of everyone. Since you''ve spoken your part about the truth that the Country of Light''s Parliament had presented here, isn''t it only right for us to hear the words of the accused?"


    "T-This��" MP Danny hesitated. Lydia didn''t deny that this matter had nothing to do with Rhode. Instead, since the Parliament had said that Rhode was related to this matter, they would naturally hear Rhode''s narration on the matter.


    MP Danny was also aware of this, which was why he calmed down quickly. "No problem, Your Highness Lydia. But I don''t think that a criminal is capable of speaking anything that is worth our time."


    "We shall know after we hear it from him," Lydia nodded at Rhode while Rhode stepped forward swiftly and bowed respectfully.


    "Like Mr. Alanic, I am also willing to swear by the honor of my family and that everything I say will be the truth. But before that�� I hope to receive Your Highness Lydia''s approval because my statement may implicate some classified matters."


    "No problem, Baron Rhode. Please go ahead," Lydia granted her permission.


    "Thank you, Your Highness." The nobles sat straight and prepared to listen attentively. After all, Rhode declared that there might be some classified matters that he would reveal. Humans tend to long for gossip and Rhode''s solemn behavior had earned him a few points of trust from the nobles.


    "�� A few days ago, my guild received a special order from Royal Highness Lydia." Rhode spoke after he had captured everyone''s attention. "At that moment, there was some trouble in Soraka Mountain and the Chairman of Soraka Mountain''s Parliament had been attacked by some unknown forces for certain reasons. Royal Highness Lydia was aware of the situation, but due to the unusual nature of Soraka Mountain, she wasn''t able to dispatch a proper army for assistance. Therefore, she entrusted Starlight to enter Soraka Mountain and rescue the Chairman."


    Many of the nobles nodded. After all, they were clear about the rules and position of the Munn Kingdom. Moreover, it was logical for Lydia to rely on a mercenary guild since she couldn''t dispatch an army due to the unusual nature of Soraka Mountain.


    "�� I shall not recount the minor details of the process. In the end, we rescued the Chairman and successfully escorted him into the Mithril Hall just before the start of the meeting�� This point was also iterated by Mr. Alanic," Rhode paused before smiling at Zieg whose face was slightly ashen. "Am I right, Mr. Alanic? The Chairman was around when you joined the meeting in Soraka Mountain, right?"


    "T-That''s��" Zieg was somewhat bewildered as he had never expected that Rhode would ask him a question. However, he could only nod in agreement since he couldn''t swallow his words back into his throat. "Right, the Chairman had indeed participated in the meeting. But we weren''t aware that he was��"


    "I only asked for your confirmation on this." Before Zieg finished his sentence, Rhode interrupted mercilessly before turning around and continuing his speech. "But we are also clear that the attack targeting the Chairman was likely to happen again. For safety, we sought the help of the Supervisor and for the peace of Soraka Mountain, Madam Supervisor had agreed to join us in searching for the culprit who attacked the Chairman. But at that moment, the forces that witnessed their failure in keeping the Chairman away from the meeting actually turned to attack the sacred grounds instead while the Supervisor was occupied during the meeting. However, we weren''t aware of the methods that they used to unlock the seal in the sacred grounds to awaken the Duke Fiend by force."


    Rhode''s expression sulked slightly. "Although Madam Supervisor and I managed to return to the sacred grounds on time and annihilated the culprits, the unlocked seal was irreversible. In order to stop the Duke Fiend from damaging the continent even further, Madam Supervisor had to sacrifice her life to defeat the sinister Devil while I escaped Soraka Mountain with the remainder of the seal. In the end, we managed to lure the Duke Fiend away and eliminate it successfully��"


    "A load of crap!" MP Danny interrupted angrily before Rhode finished his sentence. He glared at Rhode with widened eyes. "You cunning criminal! No matter how you talk your way through, it will never remove your crimes! You are uttering nonsense! This isn''t the truth at all! Besides, you mentioned that there was a force that attacked the sacred grounds and removed the seal. Why don''t you tell me who exactly that force was?"


    "As for this question�� Are you sure you want to hear the answer, MP Danny?" Rhode questioned with a curious tone.


    "Of course, do you dare to tell us? In front of so many people? I do want to know which force dares to do something this presumptuous in Soraka Mountain," Danny revealed a proud smile while gazing at Rhode slyly. It was apparent that he thought that Rhode didn''t have any information about them. However, Rhode didn''t need it in the first place. "Can you tell us?"


    "Of course." Rhode patted and tidied his clothes before reaching into the fold of his clothes and retrieved a brass badge. "I got this from the attacker�� A four-leaf clover outlined with gold and carved with two dragon wings��" Rhode turned around and faced the ashen diplomatic envoy. "If I remember correctly, this belongs to the Country of Light''s Parliament. Doesn''t it, MP Danny?"

 Chapter 499 Clash VI

    There was instantly an uproar in the entire hall and even Lydia leaned forward to gaze at the badge in Rhode''s hand curiously. She knew that Rhode was definitely lying through his teeth and not many people were capable of that. Moreover, Rhode even presented evidence, which was more reliable than the words coming out of the Parliament''s mouth.


    MP Danny''s round face turned deathly pale. Got to say, this move from Rhode had caught him off guard. The Parliament''s scheme was as Rhode had predicted. No matter the truth of the incident, as long as they nipped down on the unlocked seal, Lydia would need to bear the responsibility and be punished.


    However, Rhode had seen through their schemes and took drastic measures to remove the basis that they relied on. Now they couldn''t insist on Lydia providing an explanation because they had to get rid of this damn problem from themselves first!


    "T-That''s a load of crap!" MP Danny held it in for a while before finally bursting out. However, his retort didn''t receive anyone''s acknowledgment. Instead, the gazes of the nobles on this fat envoy were getting more hostile. After all, Rhode''s narration of the incident was more logical than Zieg''s. Later on, Rhode had even displayed the letter that he received from Lydia to assist the Chairman as circumstantial evidence and the nobles acknowledged Rhode in their heads. But even so, most of them didn''t behave as though they were supporting Rhode at all. These nobles who lived in Golden City for many years weren''t that easy to deal with. Although Rhode''s statement rescued Lydia from a huge trouble, there was actually a very serious consequence in his words.


    If the Parliament was truly the main culprit behind the Soraka Mountain incident, there would be terrible consequences.


    Of course, the nobles also doubted if they were the culprits. After all, if they did attack the sacred grounds, why would they leave such obvious evidence for Rhode?


    The nobles kept quiet about their doubts because the ones compelled to yield would be the Parliament and not the Munn Kingdom anyway. They were curious to see what more Rhode could do.


    "Baron Rhode, are you sure that is the badge of the Country of Light''s Parliament?" Lydia twitched her brows and asked while Rhode nodded. "Yes, Your Highness. I can guarantee that this belongs to them."


    Rhode replied without any hesitation at all. As the saying goes, no one knows you more than your enemy. Rhode had murdered the Parliament for many years and he couldn''t be more familiar with their ranks and badges. Therefore, after Rhode received Lydia''s letter, he passed a blueprint to Lapis and asked her to recreate their badge slavishly. With Lapis''s capabilities as an Alchemist Master, it wasn''t challenging for her to create an exact copy that even their own members couldn''t differentiate between.


    Rhode knew that his actions equaled to ripping off the final respect between the Country of Light''s Parliament and the Munn Kingdom. The Country of Light''s Parliament definitely had to answer to this matter. But since it was baseless, they surely wouldn''t be able to do so. If Rhode was said to be worried about them sending in Corina or the Elderly Mage, he could now pass off a fake as genuine without the slightest scruple since they had sent in a man he didn''t have an impression on. Even though Zieg sounded confident, Rhode would never believe that Zieg had indeed seen him. Furthermore, Rhode had transcended into the level of the Plain of Order after his battle with the Supervisor and it was impossible for anyone to hide the truth from him in that state. Moreover, Zieg''s abilities were only in the mid-Elite Stage and unless he was the biological son of the Devil, he would definitely perish in that disaster.


    In this situation, there would definitely be conflicts. But this was what Rhode needed the most. He could wipe out their options thoroughly. If they wanted a battle, Rhode would battle them in return. But now, it wasn''t not up to them to decide if they wanted to battle or not.


    Rhode believed that with Lydia''s bright mind, she could see through the mystery and once the Parliament had lost their options, they would be led around by the nose by the Munn Kingdom thereafter.


    Furthermore, Rhode didn''t believe that the Parliament was able to make a comeback.


    "T-That''s not true. That''s a counterfeit!" MP Danny exposed the secret flatly, but no one believed his claim because he denied almost instantly without even looking at the badge in Rhode''s hand. This went to prove a point��


    MP Danny didn''t anticipate that the situation would develop into this plight and he wasn''t wrong to insist readily that Rhode was lying. After all, the Parliament didn''t start out by relying on fabricating stories. It was due to Danny''s years of superiority in the Parliament that he would do this. To the civilians of the Country of Light, their nation was the most powerful, perfect, righteous, and free. Therefore, they would often look at outsiders arrogantly. Not to mention, it irked their eyes that a nation like the Munn Kingdom would worship the Light Dragon and they were also a territory that rivaled against the Parliament. Due to this reason, they regarded the people of the Munn Kingdom as barbarians and almost none of them would speak good words about the Munn Kingdom. At this point in time, their recognition of the people of the Munn Kingdom stopped at only the stage of rumors because in their impression, the people of the Munn Kingdom were worthless slaves who weren''t worth sympathizing. Even though the Munn Kingdom was wealthy, they believed that they were the results of exploiting those evil nobles. Moreover, they thought that up to 99% of the people in the Munn Kingdom couldn''t afford clothes while the remaining 1% lived a luxurious life.


    The people of the Country of Light grew up in this ''truth'' and didn''t have a good impression of the Munn Kingdom. This was also the fuse that led both nations into a conflict. Take the Myriad Flowers Battle, for example. The military officers of the Country of Light didn''t even treat the people of the Munn Kingdom as citizens. Instead, they treated them as an ''evil barbarian village''. In such a circumstance, it would require a miracle for both nations to have a friendly relationship.


    Due to this perception, MP Danny flatly denied that the badge in Rhode''s hand was a counterfeit because he saw that the sinister, scheming, and barbaric people of the Munn Kingdom were obviously shrinking responsibilities. This fake evidence wasn''t even worth his glance. We are the high-class people of a wonderful country and we don''t have any interest in playing with lowly barbarians.


    But it was a pity that the interactions between humans in this world were the hardest. If one could clearly understand what the other meant, perhaps the world would''ve turned into a much more peaceful place�� Of course, even if the nobles of the Munn Kingdom understood MP Danny''s meaning, they wouldn''t allow this world to become peaceful with them.


    Moreover, the nobles had misunderstood him now. To Danny, it seemed as though he were disdained. However, to the majority, the Parliament seemed to be offering excuses. From another perspective, this supported Rhode''s statement even further and if the Parliament didn''t do it, would they even need to deny so quickly?


    "MP Danny, since we''ve shown our evidence, I think that you should also provide evidence to support your statement." The Patriarch of the Senia Family stepped forward and gazed at the fat parliament member coldly. Not only him, but the nobles had also stopped their private discussions and gazed at the diplomatic envoy of the Light Parliament silently. Rhode had said his piece. But the Parliament couldn''t get away with it by simply saying ''That''s a counterfeit!'' There were several nobles from the Munn Kingdom who had interacted with the Parliament. They scanned the appearance of the badge and it indeed looked similar to the Parliament''s. As for its authenticity, the nobles didn''t give too many thoughts. After all, they subconsciously felt that Rhode wouldn''t show a counterfeit badge in this dignified, sacred venue.


    But it was a pity that the badge was actually fake.


    As the diplomatic envoy, MP Danny wasn''t simply a good-for-nothing. He calmed himself down quickly and glanced towards Rhode. "�� There is a huge loophole."


    "Loophole?" The Patriarch questioned.


    "That''s right!" MP Danny lifted his head proudly and let out a short laugh as he swept Rhode a glance once again. "Everyone, we are all aware that it was the Duke Fiend that was sealed beneath Soraka Mountain. Even though its strength might be weakened, it was still extremely powerful. So then, Mr. Rhode said that he managed to lure the Duke Fiend into the land of Order and destroyed it�� Does everyone think that this man is capable of doing that?"


    "Oh?" Rhode twitched his eyebrows and gazed at the glint in MP Danny''s eyes. It seemed that this pig-lookalike was much more astute than he appeared to be. At least he understood the strength of the Duke Fiend.


    The nobles revealed doubtful looks. Even though they had witnessed Rhode''s abilities in the Midsummer Festival, the Duke Fiend wasn''t simply a Devil that anyone could defeat. It could be considered as a legendary monster that required Lydia to exterminate. Although the nobles recognized Rhode''s formidable strength, it was too unreasonable to compare him with Lydia��


    "Of course I do not have the strength to do it." Rhode admitted straightforwardly while MP Danny grinned from ear to ear. "So then, Mr. Rhode, since you do not have the strength, how exactly did you defeat the Duke Fiend then?"


    "Even though I do not have the strength to do so, it doesn''t mean that my men aren''t capable of doing so," Rhode answered instantly.


    The entire hall fell into silence once again.


    The nobles that supported Rhode gazed at him as they felt that his statement was too illogical. If you don''t have the strength to defeat the Duke Fiend, how is it possible that your men could? In order to defeat the Duke Fiend, one will require the strength of Royal Highness Lydia''s caliber and we would have known if there were indeed such powerful presences in the Paphield?


    "Oh? May I know where your are men right now?" MP Danny questioned in a sarcastic tone.


    "My apologies. Due to certain reasons, they have to stay in the Land of Atonement and they don''t have the intention of heading into Golden City," Rhode replied swiftly.


    "��" The smile on MP Danny''s puffed-up face widened and he let out a snort. As he was about to speak, Rhode''s follow-up froze his smile on the spot. "But if there''s a need to, I can invite everyone to my Land of Atonement to personally witness their strength�� Of course, I''m willing to reveal the truth by Spirit Tracing if anyone thinks that I''m lying."


    MP Danny was stricken into silence and he narrowed his eyes to scan Rhode from head to toe. If he had considered Rhode to be uttering rubbish, Rhode''s solemn vow now had just struck him speechless. Danny had even suggested using the Spirit Tracing to reveal the truth in front of everyone. Spirit Tracing could be said as the most advanced ''lie detecting spell'' in the entire Dragon Soul Continent. It could display a specific time or timeline that the spirit had experienced in the form of a magical image and could be used to reveal the truth of any conflicts instantly.


    However, not everyone was capable of casting the Spirit Tracing spell. After all, this spell was too powerful and sensitive, which would invade one''s privacy. Therefore, unless necessary, seldom would one choose the Spirit Tracing method to present one''s past. Strictly speaking, this spell couldn''t be considered as a spell. It was a kind of Spiritual Spell and only the high-level underlings of the Judgement & Ruling Twin Dragons could master the Spirit Tracing skill.


    Since Rhode announced that he could rely on Spirit Tracing to reveal the truth, surely he wouldn''t be lying. After all, the Spirit Tracing would only reveal the truth. However, the nobles were doubtful even if Rhode was speaking the truth��


    "Baron Rhode, I understand your thoughts�� But, why aren''t your men willing to assert themselves in Golden City?" Lydia squinted slightly. She leaned back on her throne and gazed at Rhode with a gentle smile. Rhode sensed her gaze and shrugged his shoulders. "They don''t like to leave the Fortress. Besides, I''m only their guild leader and not a slave owner who will strip them of their rights and force them to come here. That''s why."


    This time, the crowd wasn''t sure if Rhode''s words were true or not.


    "Hmph, you��" MP Danny gaped and at this moment, Lydia stood on her feet. "This hearing shall stop here for now. Since Baron Rhode has provided us with the evidence, we should consider the evidence as a basis�� MP Danny, as what I''ve said earlier, I hope that the Country of Light''s Parliament can provide us the magical image of the Spirit Tracing from Mr. Zieg Alanic. And before we formally receive the magical image, we shall not respond to any accusations from the Country of Light''s Parliament."


    "P-Please wait, Your Highness Lydia," MP Danny spoke in panic. "Before our Country of Light Parliament can provide you with the evidence, whatever this young man says now will be treated as the truth, which is��"


    "Of course, I do recognize this point. This is why I''ve decided to head into the Land of Atonement personally to check in with Baron Rhode''s men about the truth��" Lydia gazed toward Rhode intentionally. "If the Country of Light''s Parliament is unable to accept this arrangement, you can also dispatch your men along for this trip. Coincidentally, I can use this trip as an opportunity to witness the devastation of the land of Order by the Duke Fiend. What do you think, MP Danny?"


    What do I think? Damn it, this bunch of scheming bastards�� Do they really think that they can scare us by putting on a show? Hmph, it''s not that easy. But since this young man is so confident in his words, he mustn''t be bluffing too. Even if he is really deceiving us, do you really think that I don''t have other ways to deal with you?


    MP Danny revealed a sinister smile at this thought before lifting his head. "Sure, Your Highness Lydia. I agree with your suggestion."

 Chapter 500 Clash VII

    "Did he really say that?" A deep voice sounded from the crystal ball and Danny stood up and bowed hurriedly, even though it was to a lifeless crystal ball. "Yes, Sir. That young man seemed extremely confident and to be honest, I didn''t expect that he actually dared to��"


    "He''s messing with fire," the voice interrupted Danny harshly. "Isn''t he aware of the consequences of his actions? This is provoking the Country of Light! Forget it, there''s no point talking about this now. What was Lydia''s intention?"


    "Royal Highness Lydia didn''t make any decision. However, it was apparent that she was siding the young man."


    "Hmph��" The voice from the crystal let out a cold sneer. After a few moments, the voice continued. "This is within our expectations too. But I didn''t expect that little girl, Lydia, to be this determined�� Great. MP Danny, you did well. But, since the other party has decided to go against us, we need to change our plans. MP Danny, you didn''t contact the Parliament just to report the content of the hearing, right?"


    "Yes, Sir. Just as I have mentioned, since that young man has made his move, I believe that Royal Highness Lydia will comply with his moves by heading into the Land of Atonement as soon as possible. However, to be frank, I don''t think that the young man has the capability to defeat a presence like the Duke Fiend. But�� After all, I''m not in a position to determine the truth, so I hope the Parliament will send a person to assist me in this matter."


    "Oh? Who are you thinking of?"


    "The Mist Sword Saint."


    "��" This time, the voice from the crystal ball didn''t respond immediately. Instead, it paused for a long while. "Is there a need to? MP Danny, you do know what this request means. To be honest, I think that apart from the little girl, there isn''t anyone worth dispatching. You are aware of the consequences if there''s a mistake in your judgment��"


    "Please pardon my rudeness, Sir. I think that this young man isn''t that simple at all. Since he had the courage to provoke the Country of Light in front of everyone fearlessly, the possibility of him bluffing wouldn''t be high. Besides, it will be convenient to have the Mist Sword Saint around if there are any unprecedented situations��"


    "�� Alright then, I agree with you. After all, this plan is a must-succeed for the Parliament and that young man has given us too many troubles. No matter if he was doing it intentionally or not and now that he has become a huge obstacle, this time�� No matter what, we must find an opportunity to get rid of him. Whereas for Lydia�� I don''t believe that the little girl will fall out with the Parliament entirely for his sake. Remember, if the little girl has decided to avenge the young man after we get our hands on him, report to us immediately and we will handle the situation in our usual way�� You know it."


    "Understood, Sir," The magical radiance on the crystal ball dimmed gradually. MP Danny wiped the sweat on his forehead and plopped onto the comfortable sofa. He squinted at the crystal ball before him while the corners of his mouth curled up. This pug-lookalike revealed a savage expression as though a hunter crouching to strike its prey.


    He had to admit, this young man had played his cards right. But it was a pity that he wasn''t aware of the limit of the King''s Party. If not, why would the Country of Light''s Parliament dare to stir trouble in the Munn Kingdom? Loyalty was a virtue, but foolishness wasn''t. This young man seemed to have great ambitions and goals, but he chose the wrong partner for it, unfortunately.


    Such a brave, decisive young man was rare in the Country of Light. If he was born in the Country of Light, perhaps he would have a dazzlingly bright future. But now, he could only fall�� Because this young man would soon realize that reality wasn''t as perfect as he had imagined.


    Reality indeed wasn''t as beautiful as you thought it was.


    Rhode sipped the fragrant tea, however, he didn''t have the mood to enjoy it fully. "Please pardon my rudeness, Your Highness Lydia. You should also be aware that the Country of Light''s Parliament is coming in strong and it isn''t as simple as stirring trouble for the Munn Kingdom."


    "I''m very clear of this, Baron Rhode." Lydia sliced a small cut of cream cake delicately with a fine silver knife. "There usually aren''t any indications of a storm and the peacefulness one feels signifies that there will be an upcoming storm. The Country of Light''s Parliament has an ingenious scheme, but it''s a pity that it isn''t exactly perfect. It''s as though when one is about to throw one''s fist, one will gather strength unconsciously. This time, the Country of Light''s Parliament was too sloppy and simple-minded for our hearing and investigations."


    Lydia laughed softly before savoring the sliced cake. "I guess Baron Rhode hasn''t seen the way the Country of Light''s Parliament interrogates me, right? As long as those rats think that they''ve captured a trace of information that can be used against me, they would bring out a chunk of laws and clauses to interrogate me and seek my answers. Such interrogations would usually take a whole day and of course, those rats were also clear that they were being unreasonable. Yet they enjoyed it nonetheless. Do you know why?"


    "Because Your Highness is the owner of the Munn Kingdom," Rhode naturally understood the nuance. "As a ruler of a country, such interrogations from the Country of Light''s Parliament will destroy the King''s Party and your dignity."


    "And they will display their strength and authority to everyone," Lydia continued Rhode''s words while Rhode shrugged in agreement. Comparing the strength and wealth of both nations, the Munn Kingdom was on par with the Country of Light. However, even though there were differences in the size of their territorial land, strictly speaking, the Country of Light was nowhere massive. This was because the Country of Light was initially a federal nation formed by various territories that were protected by the Light Dragon Soul. In the early stages, the entire territory of the Country of Light weren''t even half as huge as the Munn Kingdom. But due to the influence of the Light Dragon, 13 federations combined and formed the initial Country of Light. Afterward, more and more territories joined the Country of Light and the total federations increased to a total of 25, which formed the final territorial land of the Country of Light. On the other side, the Munn Kingdom didn''t join the Country of Light for unknown reasons even though they had always been worshipping the Light Dragon and they continued to exclude themselves until now.


    The day when the Light Dragon delegated its authority to the Country of Light''s Parliament and had its full authority snatched by them became the day when the ''friendly relationship'' between the Munn Kingdom and Country of Light officially ruptured. As a country that didn''t join the Country of Light and yet continued to worship the Light Dragon, the Munn Kingdom had always been a thorn in the eyes of the Country of Light''s Parliament. They were constantly afraid that the Munn Kingdom would assist the Light Dragon in recapturing its authority and they had come up with several ideas to prevent that. They spent long periods of time to drag the Munn Kingdom into joining the Country of Light. This way, the Munn Kingdom would be in full control by the Parliament and by then, the Parliament wouldn''t need to be afraid of external troubles.


    However, the Munn Kingdom gave unknown reasons to reject their invitation continuously and this had proven to the Parliament that their guesses were right. It was apparent that the Munn Kingdom must be up to no good. Since that was the case, the Parliament was no longer obliged to be courteous towards the Munn Kingdom. Naturally, they had selectively chosen to forget their invitation to the Munn Kingdom that was also filled with bad intentions.


    The Munn Kingdom and Country of Light fell into a strange rivalry. On the surface, both nations seemed to live together in harmony, but there were several conflicts privately. Every year, the Munn Kingdom would make known to everyone that they offered large sums of gold in the name of offering tribute to the Light Dragon. This infuriated the Parliament as they had always been thinking of ways to weaken the influence that the Dragon had with the people. Their efforts had as though gone down the drain when the Munn Kingdom offered the tribute every year.


    Moreover, the Country of Light had no other choice other than to accept the gold. Even though the Country of Light seemed massive with 25 territories, their differentiation between the rich and poor was rather extreme. Many of the territories had chosen to join the Country of Light with hopes of seeking financial assistance from the Parliament. However, the wealth of the Country of Light had always been limited and there were many times when they needed this sum of gold from the Munn Kingdom to repay their huge debts. As a wealthy country, the amount of gold that the Munn Kingdom offered the Light Dragon could feed three to five poor territory!


    Of course, the Country of Light did think of stopping their influences. In the beginning, the Parliament would receive the gold and tarnish the reputation of the Munn Kingdom simultaneously. But the Munn Kingdom wasn''t dumb either. Shortly after, the Munn Kingdom reduced the sum of gold offered by a full two-thirds in the second year as a response.


    As a result, the Parliament suffered badly. Initially, the Parliament thought that the Country of Light could handle this financial debt without the gold from the Munn Kingdom. But the officials realized that they weren''t capable of filling this huge hole at all!


    In that year, two territories faced calamity and natural disaster while the gold offered by the Munn Kingdom wasn''t enough to relieve them. In the end, both territories broke out in large-scale riots which battered the Parliament badly. Even though the Parliament spent time and effort to appease them, they needed funds for the reconstructions and cleanups. Without further choices, the Country of Light could only express goodwill and seek assistance from the Munn Kingdom tactfully. In the following year, the Parliament held a grand ceremony in their own name and afterward, the Munn Kingdom recovered the gold that they had gifted the Light Dragon. In order to prevent this from happening again, the Parliament didn''t comment much and they could only silently watch as the Munn Kingdom praised the existence of the Light Dragon every year.


    However, their relationship turned out worse than before. The grand ceremony had been cited as a major humiliation by the Parliament as they had always been proud that they had snatched the authority to independence from the Creator Gods. Instead, the Munn Kingdom forced them to fawn a useless God which the Parliament couldn''t tolerate. On the other hand, the Munn Kingdom didn''t lessen their pressure on the Parliament. After this happened, the Munn Kingdom held their own grand ceremony every year to remind the people of the Country of Light that without this sum of gold offered to the Light Dragon, the Country of Light was so poor that they couldn''t even feed themselves!


    Their relationship had gotten worse subsequently and was on the verge of breaking into a war.


    And it seemed that this day was nearing soon.


    Rhode let out a sigh as he recalled the past that he had experienced and read on the forum. He lifted his head and gazed at Lydia with a solemn expression. "Your Highness, please pardon me. I have always wanted to seek an answer from you."


    "Are you trying to ask why the Munn Kingdom, as a direct subordinate of the Light Dragon, just sits idly and watches the Light Dragon lose its authority?"


    "��" Lydia answered Rhode''s question with a question of her own and Rhode nodded simply. Even though many players on the forum had guessed plenty of possibilities, Rhode wished to hear the answer personally from the Duchess.


    Lydia gazed at Rhode with a gentle smile while her eyes glittered like the bright summer sun. However, Rhode felt that her smile was rather sorrowful. "Baron Rhode, vines will climb up the tree that it grows on because it has the will and thirst for the warmth and brilliance from the sun. For the sun, the vine will strangle the tree at all costs. Whereas, for the flowers that landed on the ground, no matter how one tries, one will not be able to let it bloom on the top of the tree because the flowers lack the strength to climb upwards."


    "What you mean is��" Even though Lydia''s explanation was ambiguous, Rhode felt that he understood the meaning she was trying to convey.


    "That''s right." Lydia refilled Rhode''s teacup before putting in two sugar cubes gracefully. "But the Munn Kingdom doesn''t exist to be manipulated by others. The storm may perhaps overwhelm and sway the trees, but the trees will still be back towering again, right?"


    "But, some trees may collapse from the storm, Your Highness."


    "That''s for sure, Baron Rhode," Rhode''s retort didn''t displease Lydia at all. Instead, she smiled and gazed at the young man as though she were a cheeky little girl that had gotten her way with her prank. "But, why would the storm destroy only one of the trees when the trees stood against it in unison?"


    "�� I think I understand your meaning now, Your Highness," Rhode let out a bitter laugh and lifted his teacup. His tea was overly sweetened by the two sugar cubes, but he drank it without batting an eyelid. He knew why Lydia put two sugar cubes into his teacup because, after all, it was somewhat rude of him to interrupt the Duchess as a lowly-ranked Baron. The tea could also be considered as a little punishment for Rhode.


    "But, Your Highness, once one enters the forest to hew the trees, the storm will sweep by again before long."


    "That is why I need a courageous forest protector to help me expel the unscrupulous intruders."


    "Just to expel?"


    "Well, if the intruders go overboard, I also wouldn''t mind��" Lydia paused for a moment before strolling towards the window. Rhode gazed at the young lady''s back and shortly after, her crisp voice sounded. "Baron Rhode, as a leader of a guild, I''m sure you have faced bandits that harassed the villages, right?"


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "So then, what would you do if you wish to protect the entire village from the invasion of the bandits entirely? Would you just build a solid defensive line and fend off their attacks time and time again with hopes that they would back out on their own accord?"


    "That''s definitely impossible, Your Highness�� I would capture and get rid of them once and for all."


    "That''s right," Lydia turned around and the glaring sun shone on her back which cast a shadow on her face. Rhode couldn''t see her expression, but he heard her voice clearly. "One can bear with the sneaky mice, but it would be an entirely different story if the mice were vicious, ravenous dogs instead."

 Chapter 501 Clash End

    "So you sold us out just like that?" Canary said with a calm tone as though she disregarded the matter that Rhode had just mentioned to her.


    "I don''t have any other choice. I can''t just sit idly while the Parliament comes searching for trouble. Of course, I will think of another way if both of you are unwilling to meet them. Although I wouldn''t feel great swallowing back my words, I can still find some flaws in the Parliament''s argument if I try to."


    "It''s not necessary, Rhode," Canary answered with a soothing smile. "We know what kind of man you are. Besides��"


    Before Canary finished her sentence, another sweet, prideful voice took over. "�� Don''t forget how we all gathered together in the beginning. Leader, heh, I think those sluts from the Country of Light must be sick of living for them to come to our doorstep��"


    "This is the first time they''re coming for us, Bubble," informed Canary.


    "Isn''t it the same?" Mini Bubble Gum was unconcerned with Canary''s correction. Meanwhile, Canary and Rhode were smiling at what Bubble had said. As core members to destroying the Country of Light in the game, Bubble and Canary''s hatred towards them wasn''t any less than Rhode''s. "So then, Leader, who will those swine in the Parliament send to ''test'' our abilities?"


    "As for this��" Rhode looked out of the window and observed the man admiring the scenery by the fountain in the public square. He was a skinny, middle-aged man with a chin full of beard stubble and messy gray short hair combed towards the back of his head. He was clad in a white light armor while a plain longsword hung diagonally on his back. Unlike ordinary weapons, its blade was more than four feet long and it looked more like a fishing rod in its sheath. However, Rhode knew very well that this strange longsword wasn''t for fishing.


    "The Mist Sword Saint, Daviet."


    "��" Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were stricken into silence and when Rhode was about to speak again, Bubble''s almost frantic scream sounded once again. "Ahhh! We have to wear close-combat armor again! Why would those idiots send a close-combater? Big Sister and I want to wear those beautiful robes instead! Leader, why couldn''t you get them to send someone else, like the ''Water Saint'' or ''Light Mage''? Or perhaps, they can send all of their ''Holy Radiance Mage group''? We don''t like to wear such plain, ugly equipment, Leader!"


    "�� I''m not the GM so it''s not as though they would listen to me even if I asked. Besides, didn''t Lapis create some new equipment? Even though it''s average looking, you can still put up with it, right?" Rhode retorted.


    "Leader, let me ask you this question. If you reach the maximum level, would you wear extremely tasteless equipment that adds only a little of your attributes or would you wear equipment that will make you look suave even though it is attributeless?"


    "��" Rhode shook his head as this dumb question didn''t require an answer. He didn''t forget that in the game, the two of them would always be clad in insanely luxurious, yet attributeless equipment unless they were on a mission in the dungeon. Rhode was bringing about his own destruction trying to debate this problem with the two young ladies. But Bubble''s grumbles weren''t entirely wrong. If one was capable of threatening them at this level, the contributions to their attributes from the equipment couldn''t help them too much. As for enemies or monsters that couldn''t threaten them, even wearing plain gear would be easy for them to deal with. As for the Mist Sword Saint�� It was a pity that this man was only a presence that worth no EXP or honor even if the two young ladies killed him.


    "Alright, Bubble, don''t bully Rhode anymore�� We should get ready now. By the way, Rhode, is there anything you need me to notify Miss Marlene?"


    "Get her to dispatch some men to constrain the mercenaries. Also�� The Parliament is definitely up to no good, sending the Mist Sword Saint and I don''t wish to spend any more gold repairing the Fortress once more. I''m outside the hall right now and should be summoned by Royal Highness Lydia soon. Afterward, I will be heading back to the Fortress."


    "Understood. But Rhode��" Canary responded softly. However, she pondered for a moment before asking. "Don''t you think something is off?"


    "Where exactly?" questioned Rhode.


    "About Royal Highness Lydia�� Rhode, she has been in Golden City and even the Duke Fiend breaking free from the seal wasn''t enough to lure her out of the city. Moreover, she didn''t choose to give up the critical situation in the South and go on to defeat the Duke Fiend herself in order to maintain the stability of the land. Now that the Duke Fiend had been defeated, she chooses to visit the Land of Atonement personally to observe the damage of the disaster instead of sending her trusted aide? What about the South? I''ve heard from Miss Marlene that the Parliament had sent one of the diplomatic groups to the Southern Port. If Royal Highness Lydia leaves Golden City��"


    "I understand what you mean, Canary and in fact, I had the same doubt as you. But I truly understood her actions after I had a brief conversation with her," Rhode gave a succinct explanation to Canary and Bubble about the conversation he had with Lydia. Canary pondered for a while before displaying her adorable smile. "I see. In other words, Royal Highness Lydia won''t launch an attack herself. But she wouldn''t hesitate to retaliate if anyone attacked first and the rate of retaliation would be determined by her. This way, Royal Highness Lydia takes advantage of the situation for her own benefit in order to lure the South to attack?"


    Rhode nodded at Canary''s description. Indeed, it was rather rare for Lydia to leave Golden City. Furthermore, the Parliament''s intentions were clearly shown when they decided to send the Mist Sword Saint. Hmph�� Those Southern bastards. They knew that this was a trap and yet they chose to jump into it. They knew that they wouldn''t have another chance to succeed after Lydia had settled the matter and returned to Golden City from the Land of Atonement. "That''s right, that''s why we have to get rid of the Mist Sword Saint and the bunch of idiots�� Sorry for the trouble, Canary, Bubble."


    "Huhuhu, what''s with the formality, Rhode? In either sense, doesn''t my entirety belong to you already? I will do whatever you ask me to and that is to be expected of me," said Canary cheekily with a slight blush of red.


    On the other side, a dissatisfied and enraged voice sounded. "�� Hmph�� Hmph��!"


    "What''s wrong, Bubble? Do you have opinions?"


    "�� No, Big Sister. I just feel somewhat sick from your mushy words, that''s all," Bubble grumbled with a pout.


    "Oohlala��" Canary let out a chuckle as though she had discovered something interesting from Bubble''s reply. "Don''t be that jealous, Bubble. Right here, right now, both of us can be considered as Rhode''s, okay? If you wish to, you can say it loud and clear~"


    "�� Argh�� I-I''m not as brazen as you, Big Sister!" For unknown reasons, Bubble''s voice swayed subtly. "Really! Adults are always thinking of dirty things. I''m gonna find Christie and look for me only if you have anything else. I''m afraid that my brain will turn weird if I spend even a few more seconds with you two!"


    "How interesting��" Canary''s voice sounded as melodious as ever. "Rhode, do you wanna try? I guess Bubble will be very delighted~"


    "Thanks for your kind intentions, but��"


    "What''s there to consider? Haven''t you two chatted nakedly before? So, what''s there to be mindful of?"


    �� You still remember that��


    Rhode rolled his eyes hopelessly at Canary''s teases. "Stop teasing her already, Canary. Bubble is still young and even though she is adorable, I''ve not reached the stage where I''m willing to go to jail for her."


    "Hehe�� There''s nobody here that will throw you into jail for such things. Besides, strictly speaking, Bubble and I aren''t considered humans now�� so it''s not a bad idea to try something fresh, right? Or are you more interested in humans with real flesh as compared to illusory images like us?"


    "�� Even though you are an illusory image, your personality is still so terrible, Canary," Rhode answered.


    "Oh, have you forgotten, Rhode? Aren''t we formed based on your impression of us in your memories?"


    "�� I have something else to do. I''ll talk to you later," Rhode cut off the spiritual communications without the slightest hesitation. He turned around and saw an old man dressed in a Court Mage robe smiling at him.


    "Grand Mage Amund," Rhode bowed swiftly. "Is there anything that I can help you with?"


    "Royal Highness sent me to inform you that the teleportation ritual is ready and we have to leave now. Please follow me, young man," explained Amund.


    "Understood, Grand Mage Amund," Rhode tidied his attire before leaving with Amund. Just as Amund turned around, something cropped up in his mind and he asked curiously. "By the way, what were you thinking about just now?"


    "It''s nothing much, Grand Mage Amund�� I just realized how extensive my territory was," said Rhode.


    The dizziness of the teleportation subsided gradually.


    When Rhode''s vision cleared up, he spotted a familiar scenery with forests, mountains, and lightning bolts above. Even though Canary and Bubble had recovered most of the Orderly Forcefield after defeating the Duke Fiend, there were still flaws. The land was as though a shattered mirror and even gluing the pieces back together wouldn''t return it to its original perfection.


    "What a tragedy," Lydia puckered her brows slightly as she scanned the dried soil that was eroded by the Chaos Forcefield and the obvious cracks in the sky. The dazzling lightning bolts surrounding the shattered cracks buzzed in their ears and left a strange sensation, especially when they were standing below the warm, dazzling sun.


    "Those are indeed the powers of the Devil," the Mist Sword Saint ambled along the Intersection Boundary as he observed the turmoil before him. When one reached the Legendary Stage, one would be able to easily figure out the strength of the Devil by sensing if the Orderly Forcefield had been distorted or damaged even if one had never met the Devil before.


    "The Order barrier had once been destroyed and some humans had repaired it. But this strength��"


    The Mist Sword Saint gazed at MP Danny beside him and knitted his brows slightly. As a character with a high position within the Parliament, the Mist Sword Saint wasn''t one who could be easily dispatched. In the beginning, he wasn''t too interested in this matter when he listened to MP Danny''s report. However, he eventually came after considering this to be the best opportunity to take action against the Munn Kingdom. And now, the gains that he received before him were much more than he had expected. As a presence in the middle-level Legendary Stage and a legendary Sword Saint that possessed the Order Dimension, he could sharply detect what had happened here. Due to this reason, the Mist Sword Saint felt that things weren''t this simple.


    The Duke Fiend was one of the most formidable presences in the Bottomless Abyss. It possessed the ability to manipulate the source of the Chaos Forcefield and due to this reason, it could utilize the Chaos Realm to destroy the protective barrier of the Dragon Soul. An equal amount of strength was required in order to expel the powerful Chaos Forcefield and repair the Order barrier.


    Lydia was definitely capable of doing it. However, the Mist Sword Saint knew that she hadn''t been here after the Duke Fiend was defeated. If not, she wouldn''t need to come all the way here just to observe the damage. Besides, he couldn''t sense any of the Archangel''s sacred aura from this repaired Order barrier. Instead, there was an extremely pure power of light revolving around the barrier��that definitely wasn''t Lydia''s doing.


    Could it be that the report was true? But why haven''t I heard of these powerful presences if they do exist?


    It was a cold hard fact that the Order barrier was repaired and this meant that there were indeed others who defeated the Duke Fiend and repaired the barrier. Moreover, their abilities surpassed his by a huge margin.


    If that''s the case, then��


    "Is this the evidence that you''ve mentioned, Mr. Rhode?" the Mist Sword Saint remained deep in his thoughts and MP Danny became somewhat dubious. "What does this prove? Indeed, it seems that the Duke Fiend has damaged this place. But, even so, this isn''t enough to prove that you were indeed here to annihilate the Duke Fiend."


    "I don''t need to explain anything to you," Rhode swept him a glance intentionally. "What I''ve said was the truth and that was the truth. Or perhaps your Parliament can prove that you were the ones who defeated the Duke Fiend? If that''s the case, please let me witness it personally."


    "You��!" The Mist Sword Saint extended his arm and stopped MP Danny from speaking any further. He lifted his head and stared at the young man before him. Rhode Alander. This wasn''t the first time that he had seen this name on Parliament''s reports. The Chelis Family and the Alanic Family had suffered grave losses in the hands of this young man and because of him, the initial plans of the Parliament to create chaos in Paphield, pervade the Senia Family, and assassinate the Chairman in Soraka Mountain had all failed. Furthermore, the situations in the South were also linked to Rhode in countless ways. Actually, the Parliament didn''t want the horrible situations in the South to erupt so quickly. Even though they had been instigating the Southern Reformist Party to fight for power, they could only do it within a range where they could control the situation. But after the Midsummer Festival, Duchess Lydia sought the chance to greatly weaken the Reformist Party''s forces. The Reformist Party was then driven into desperate actions and this ending wasn''t what the Parliament wished for.


    Abandoning the Reformist Party meant that Lydia had an overall victory in the nation. Therefore, in order to weaken the strength of Munn Kingdom even further, the Parliament had to support the Reformist Party in carrying out this risky plan.


    It could be said that everything was caused because of this young man. If he didn''t exist, things wouldn''t have developed to this state.


    The Parliament had treated this young man as a dangerous opponent. Regardless of whether the young man''s actions were intentional or not, they were sure that he was interested in destroying their plans and he had the abilities to do so.


    But now, the Mist Sword Saint suddenly realized that this wasn''t enough.


    Where did this young man come from?


    The Mist Sword Saint had initially decided to act in accordance with the Parliament''s suggestion to kill this young man when the chance presented itself. But it seemed that it wouldn''t be a simple task. Besides, he had sharply detected that this young man might have unimaginable, enormous supporters.


    "We have understood the situation clearly and we shall start the next procedure," said Lydia.


    It was quite a distance away between the Fortress and the borders of Order. However, it was almost like a walk in the park for these powerful presences and within a short while, they witnessed Rhode''s towering Fortress amongst the lofty mountain range.


    "So magnificent," Lydia praised softly before smiling and turning towards Rhode with a slightly complicated expression. "Baron Rhode is indeed outstanding. You''ve only been to this Land of Atonement for less than half a year and I didn''t expect that you''d be able to build a Fortress of this scale. I''m truly surprised."


    "Thank you for your praise, Your Highness Lydia," responded Rhode. At this moment, everyone displayed different expressions. Amund knitted his brows with a complex look while the Mist Sword Saint remained silent and MP Danny, along with his men, were exhibiting faces of disdain. It appeared to them that it was impossible to complete this construction within a few months. Lydia, as a Duchess of a country, actually shot off her mouth in order to protect her honor. Hmph, what a joke.


    MP Danny couldn''t tolerate it anymore and he let out a sarcastic remark. "Your Highness Lydia, you must be exaggerating. You said that he built this Fortress in merely a few months? He would need more time to do it even in his dreams��" As MP Danny noticed the change in the expressions of Amund and the Battle Angel, he changed his words hurriedly. "Of course, I wasn''t doubting you. It''s just that�� Some people are good at bragging and exaggerating their achievements. This isn''t something worthy of praise."


    Suddenly, a crisp voice sounded out of nowhere. "Shut your damn mouth, you swine. Who do you think you are to mock Leader? You must be asking for death!"


    In an instant, a glaring radiance flashed before their eyes and a petite human figure emerged before them. The human figure blasted a flawlessly white radiance towards her target using her palm.


    "Ahh!" MP Danny had never expected someone to emerge out of nowhere. He let out a terrifying shriek and retreated innately. At this moment, the Mist Sword Saint let out a snort and appeared before MP Danny in a blink of an eye while clasping the sword hilt with his right hand.


    A green radiance flashed as he drew the longsword out of its sheath to resist the torrent of light like a solid barrier splitting it into half.


    "��!" The deep, resounding collision spread apart in all directions and the dispersed light rays vanished into nothingness. Everyone finally witnessed the figure standing before him.


    It was a little girl.


    Such powerful strength!


    The Mist Sword Saint was astounded. Even though it happened all too quickly and he didn''t exert all his strength, the little girl''s pure, formidable strength left his hand trembling after the collision. He had never met such a forceful impact ever since he transcended into the Legendary Stage.


    Who exactly is she?


    The little girl glared at him fiercely before he had the chance to ask. "I was wondering who''s the one meddling. So, it seems that you were that slut."


    The atmosphere froze in this instant.

 Chapter 502 Fearless Ego 1/3

    Daviet Belson.


    The Mist Sword Saint.


    The vice-captain of the ''Luminous Blade'' Legion in the Country of Light''s Parliament. As one of the experts in the Country of Light, not only did he possess a god-like ''Mist Swordsmanship'', but he was also a respected battlefield commander. He had participated in the Seven Nights Holy Battle, Fifth Eastern Expedition, and the Beria Wrest Battle and enjoyed considerable privileges in the Parliament''s Commander Division. Ever since Daviet transcended into the Legendary Stage 50 years ago, he became one of the brightest stars in the Country of Light.


    But now, this highly-respected expert who possessed huge influence and valiant strength had just been called a ''slut'' by a little girl.


    Everyone was dumbstruck.


    The corners of Lydia''s mouth twitched while she observed with interest. But shortly after, she turned around to gaze at the Fortress. The Battle Angels standing behind her lowered their heads hurriedly while their wings shuddered non-stop. Meanwhile, Amund was totally dumbfounded. He stared with widened eyes at the little girl as he had never seen anyone ridicule the Mist Sword Saint before.


    But this wasn''t the most important part.


    As a spellcaster, Amund naturally sensed her formidable strength. If he interacted using his spiritual energy, without seeing with his eyes, he could feel that there were several light halos circulating around the petite girl and under her feet were 10 pure magical halos merging into a medium sized circle moving with the girl in the center. There were seven complicated crisscross rune lines before her that wrapped her body while following an ancient, yet sacred pattern. As for above her head��


    He couldn''t look straight at the spiritual radiance that was simply too dazzling. Amund probed slightly and he instantly felt the surging burst of radiance from within. The radiance wasn''t packed with a holy aura like Lydia''s; instead, the soothing and comfortable effects of the Light Element had become an exposed, dangerous razor-sharp blade.


    Inner Circle Grand Mage��Saint Spirit.


    Amund twitched his brows as this feat wasn''t easily achievable by anyone. He had once witnessed the Archbishop in the palace of the Country of Law. However, even the Archbishop didn''t possess such pure, overwhelming Light powers. Who exactly was this girl? She should be a Cleric, judging from her dressing. But her appearance wasn''t enough to tell her true identity. She didn''t look like she was a member of the Church. But if she wasn''t a member of the Church�� there were no Cleric who weren''t nurtured by the Church on this entire continent. Unlike the Mage''s style in using spiritual energy, the Clerics had their own set of teachings. Besides, due to the differences in the essence of their spiritual energy usages, it was impossible for a Cleric to switch to another class.


    Of course, the Angels were exceptions as they were born with a holy bloodline and were able to cast Cleric spells.


    No matter her humanly pupils, eyes or appearance, this little girl didn''t seem to have any features of an Angel. But�� How could a Cleric be this belligerent? The vengeful and evil tendencies that she displayed when she confronted Daviet left even Amund feeling perturbed.


    Lydia was purely enjoying the bustling scene. On the contrary, MP Danny and his men were completely frightened. The Mist Sword Saint was a prestigious figure in the Country of Light and even when people were discussing him privately, they would often feel a deep veneration for him. This was more than enough to prove the Mist Sword Saint''s great reputation. And yet, this little girl abused him verbally without any restraint!!!


    Nothing could describe the feelings of MP Danny and his men other than the exclamation marks.


    Rhode was the only one who wasn''t surprised by Bubble''s words. After all, he knew where her hatred towards the Mist Sword Saint stemmed from. In the game, when the Country of Light was invaded by the Country of Darkness, the Parliament ordered the Munn Kingdom to provide assistance in defense. Duchess Lydia dispatched her army and also gathered a huge amount of players towards the west battlefront commanded by Daviet to aid the Country of Light against the attack of the Country of Darkness.


    After the Country of Darkness''s army arrived, Daviet had symbolically chosen to retreat and left the responsibilities of protecting the escaping populace and resisting the Country of Darkness to the players and the Munn Kingdom army. After the players and Munn Kingdom army put up a life and death struggle and finally led the refugees out of the tiger''s den, this Sword Saint that disappeared from the very start and his well-trained army appeared behind them to ''receive'' the refugees. Furthermore, he received a commendation from the Parliament for his outstanding service in ''protecting the evacuation routes for the refugees''.


    Not only that, but also after returning to the Country of Light, Daviet reported to Parliament that the players and the Munn Kingdom army were the main culprits of the collapsed battlefront. The strenuous and unrewarding players became extremely unlucky afterward as not only did they become wanted criminals of the Parliament, but the hard work that they put into gaining popularity with the Country of Light had been zeroed.


    Due to this reason, the players that had been through that battle would particularly refer this Sword Saint as ''Slut''.


    "Bubble," Rhode had no intentions of correcting Bubble because he was also being careful to not let the word ''Slut'' slip from his mouth�� "Why are you here? Didn''t I make you two wait in the Fortress?"


    "That''s something between you and Big Sister and I''ve no interest in it. I''m here for a picnic with Christie while the sun is comfortably warm," Bubble explained and gazed at Lydia with a curious gaze. She placed her right hand to her left shoulder and bowed courteously. "Greetings, Your Highness Lydia. Ah, by the way, Leader, Christie is��"


    Bubble turned around to find Christie lifting the end of her skirt and scuttling over with a picnic basket. "�� Sister Bubble�� What happened�� Ah��"


    Before Christie finished her sentence, she spotted Rhode standing beside Bubble. The little girl revealed a cheerful smile and dropped the picnic basket before scurrying into Rhode''s arms hurriedly. "�� Rhode�� You are back��"


    "Yes, I''m back, Christie. Your complexion even looks better now," Rhode said as he stroked her long hair gently.


    "�� Yes��" Christie squinted delightfully like a kitten. Then, she turned over and saw Lydia''s group. The little girl blushed slightly and moved away from Rhode''s embrace to bow towards Lydia. "�� Madam�� Lydia�� Greetings��"


    "Huhuhu, there''s no need to stand on ceremony, okay? Christie, you are still as adorable as ever. How I wish I can bring you home."


    "I''m afraid that''s impossible, Your Highness Lydia."


    "Hmm�� Really?"


    MP Danny was baffled to witness both Rhode and Lydia disregarding the awkward Mist Sword Saint entirely. He perceived that the Sword Saint must be ashen and as the saying went, ''a person of great moral stature does not remember the offenses committed by one of low moral stature''. It was apparent that Bubble''s ignorance would infuriate even the Gods. As a parliament member, although MP Danner didn''t have any abilities, he had the capability of discerning what one thought from one''s body language. He knew that the Mist Sword Saint definitely wouldn''t speak a word while the other side was apparently neglecting the awkward situation. If the Mist Sword Saint said anything right now, it would be deemed as him looking down on others.


    "Your Highness Lydia!" MP Danny let out a cough and interrupted the conversation between Lydia and Rhode. Then, he glared at Bubble fiercely. He didn''t have the strength of Amund or Daviet and he couldn''t recognize how powerful she was. Furthermore, even though she had launched an attack at him, the Mist Sword Saint blocked it easily. This showed that the little girl definitely couldn''t best the Mist Sword Saint�� "I think we need an explanation for this problem."


    "Hmm? What''s the problem, MP Danny?"


    "This little girl attacked the Mist Sword Saint�� Are we just going to forget about it? I don''t know who she is, but I can''t tolerate her insults to a member of our Parliament! I request that she apologize to Sir Daviet. If not��"


    "Shut your damn mouth, swine," Bubble retorted with a frown. "Oh yes, I haven''t gotten even with you yet. Are you the swine that doubted Leader? Who do you think you are? A lackey of the Parliament dares to speak to Leader in such a tone? You must be sick of living�� You''re lucky that I''m in a good mood now. Get the hell away, if not, I won''t let you off!"


    "You�� You��!" MP Danny almost blew his top. This little girl kept ridiculing him over and over again and he couldn''t hold it in any longer. He gritted his teeth and asserted every effort to maintain his last bit of rationality before shifting his attention to Rhode who seemed uninvolved. "Mr. Rhode, I hope you can constrain your subordinate. If not, I will take this as a provocation to the Country of Light''s Parliament��"


    "No problem, MP Danny," Rhode shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and the rage surging in MP Danny finally subsided. Rhode turned around and said to the little girl. "Alright, Bubble, are you willing to apologize to them?"


    "Of course�� I won''t! You want me to apologize to a bunch of dumb swines from the Parliament? I won''t apologize even if the sun rises from the South!"


    "You��" The fury in MP Danny ignited once again. What infuriated him the most was that Rhode actually nodded simply after listening to the little girl''s answer and he turned around to display an ''I''m very sorry that I can''t save this world'' expression. "My apologies, MP Danny. This little brat isn''t willing to apologize, so I can''t do anything about it."


    This bunch of bastards is obviously making a fool out of me!


    MP Danny pointed at Rhode furiously. But a deep voice sounded before he could speak. "That''s enough!"


    The Mist Sword Saint snarled at Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum coldly. "The honor of the Parliament must never be stained. This young lady, I admit that you''re indeed formidable. But�� your morality and conduct are equally important. You��"


    "Ha��" Mini Bubble Gum interrupted in disdain. To hear this remark from him was totally ridiculous with the past that he had. Of course, the little girl conveniently ignored the fact that this ''past'' was just an unknown future. "That is the only sentence that I don''t want to hear from you. Adults always love to be hypocrites who speak words with dignity while in fact, they are actually just full of sh*t."


    Bubble''s insult left almost everyone embarrassed. On the other hand, Rhode was extremely calm since; after all, he understood her personality inside-out. Grand Mage Amund revealed an awkward expression while Lydia remained perfectly composed. After all, she hadn''t reached the age where she would be called an ''adult'' and she naturally wasn''t within range of Bubble''s insult.


    "Little girl, that''s too much." The Mist Sword Saint couldn''t tolerate her mocking any longer even with his self-restraint. Furthermore, Lydia''s group was present and not only did her words offend him, but the Parliament was also insulted. How could they still lift their heads proudly after getting ridiculed by a little girl who appeared out of nowhere?!


    But, the Mist Sword Saint didn''t expect that Mini Bubble Gum wouldn''t heed his kind advice�� Instead, the little girl frowned as soon as she heard the Mist Sword Saint''s grumbles. "Why? Wanna fight? Come if you''re not afraid of death!"


    "�� Very well." Since she was obviously provoking him, he wouldn''t concede to her. Even though this little girl seemed formidable, she, after all, was a Cleric�� And how much fighting strength could a Cleric have?


    The Mist Sword Saint nodded at this thought before gesturing for MP Danny and the others to make way. On the other side, Rhode had long backed away with Christie.


    As for Lydia''s group, they looked on at the side with indifference. It was apparent that Lydia didn''t feel anything bad with this sudden clash.


    It seemed that Rhode''s guess about Lydia was accurate.


    Rhode puckered his brows as he gazed at the young lady who was smiling and watching attentively at their confrontation. Strictly speaking, Lydia should have chosen to placate them as a country ruler. Although Bubble was a defiant teenager and also stubborn in her thoughts, she was still respectful towards Royal Highness Lydia. If Lydia stepped forward to pacify her, Bubble would show her due respect by not starting a fight. However, Lydia didn''t seem to have the intention to keep the peace. Instead, she chose to not intercept and perhaps hoped that Bubble would teach the Mist Sword Saint a lesson. She was definitely aware that Bubble''s current strength was stronger than the Mist Sword Saint''s. Also due to this, Lydia''s pampering was especially meaningful.


    It was obvious that she was issuing a warning to the Parliament. A third party other than Lydia and Amund that could easily defeat the Mist Sword Saint would definitely force those cunning mice to re-evaluate the potential threat of the Munn Kingdom. And such a threat was crucial in the direct intercepting of the Parliament in the upcoming North-South war.


    Rhode shrugged with this thought and he had no intentions of informing Bubble of this matter. Although this little girl was indeed formidable, Rhode also knew that she was rebellious at this age. If Rhode told her that Lydia was using her to reach her own political goal, Bubble would surely hate it��


    The Mist Sword Saint repositioned himself opposite Mini Bubble Gum. He gazed at this granddaughter-like girl with an ice-cold expression and grabbed the longsword behind his back with his right hand. "This is a duel, young lady. Do you have any objections?"


    "Of course not. Start making your move and cut the crap," Mini Bubble Gum lifted her chin in disdain before clapping her palms once. "But I shall put this up front. Don''t blame me if I accidentally cripple or kill you."


    "A load of crap!" A bright green radiance erupted along with whizzing gale as he drew his longsword from its sheath. The suffocating gale had as though dimmed the originally bright sky like a dark force field.


    But soon, an even more dazzling white radiance punctured the berserk gale as it blasted towards the sky. "Come if you''re not afraid of death!"

 Chapter 503 Fearless Ego 2/3

    The pure light beam burst into the sky and the whizzing gale weakened dramatically. When one reached the capabilities of Mini Bubble Gum and Daviet, often times one wouldn''t need to exchange blows physically because the collision of their aggression would be enough to settle the differences. The Mist Sword Saint hadn''t activated his Order Dimension and Mini Bubble Gum''s Light attacks had already pushed him down. This proved that the little girl''s strength was above his!


    But this was merely the start.


    The Mist Sword Saint was astonished that this little girl actually possessed such formidable strength. But this wasn''t enough to frighten him into a fool. He was merely distracted for a moment and when he gazed at the little girl, she had aimed her tiny right palm at him and clenched.


    Nothing happened. The Mist Sword Saint wasn''t hurt in any way and the surroundings remained the same. However��


    "This is��?!" The Mist Sword Saint had begun to fear for his life because, along with Bubble''s movement, the gathering Wind Elemental storm had disappeared all of a sudden!


    It felt as though a fully blown balloon had been pricked and the air escaped from the hole quickly, leaving a shriveled rubber in its place. Fortunately for the Mist Sword Saint, he determined the situation swiftly with his rich battle experience and he stopped his actions as soon as he realized something was off.


    ''Fade''.


    Rhode twitched his brows as he grinned secretly. A Cleric was never a class in the frontlines. Due to this reason, Clerics had plenty of disgustingly useful skills. This ''Fade'' skill that Bubble used could be ranked in the top three most vicious skills in Cleric skill books. There was a single use for this skill and to the players, it was extremely deadly.


    In simple player''s term, Skill Lock.


    Players affected by this skill wouldn''t be able to cast any skills or spells that required their spiritual energy. Moreover, even though their skills were locked, their spiritual energy would still be consumed if they tried to! The players would be consuming their spiritual energy but couldn''t cast any skills, and there was nothing more annoying than this.


    Furthermore, players couldn''t resist or dodge this legendary skill. The Cleric could cast this skill at a group of targets and could also aim at an individual. There was no dispelling or avoiding this skill. However, same level opponents who were struck by this skill would be affected by a shorter duration and it would depend on their willpower and spell-resistance to shorten the duration of its effects. For those lower level players, they could only cry their way to the end as long as they were struck by it.


    As for the Mist Sword Saint, he was in the middle level of the Legendary Stage and was between level 70 to 75. He was behind Bubble by 10 levels and this Fade skill could lock him from between 15 to 30 minutes. During this period, the Mist Sword Saint wouldn''t be able to cast his famous Mist Realm and all he could do was rely on his swordsmanship against Bubble.


    Rhode had an idea about Bubble''s plan to defeat this Sword Saint. Even though she might seem to be blowing her top, she could get craftier than anyone if she wanted to. Due to this, Rhode observed a moment of silence in tribute to the Mist Sword Saint.


    Go with a peace of mind, Sir Sword Saint.


    Meanwhile, the Mist Sword Saint was struggling. Damn it!


    The Mist Sword Saint struggled to figure out what Bubble had done to him. He had seen all kinds of situations in his many years, but this was the first time he had witnessed such a strange skill. How did this little girl do it?


    Daviet realized that she was attempting to limit his strength. But do you think this will work on me? This little girl is only a Cleric and judging from her movements, her body doesn''t seem to have gone through vigorous toughening. I know that Clerics are also equipped with defensive spells, but did she really think that locking my Mist Realm would be enough to defeat me? Wishful thinking!


    The Mist Sword Saint raised his exaggeratingly long sword and sized up the little girl. Meanwhile, Bubble lifted her chin proudly and returned his gaze with a disdainful smile. She pointed her index finger forward and hooked tauntingly.


    Come if you got the guts.


    "��!" The veins on the Mist Sword Saint''s forehead bulged dramatically. He wouldn''t be this mad if his opponent were nothing more than just a little brat. But now, not only was she much younger than him, but she also was stronger than him. An unprecedented wrath was burning inside Daviet. So what if a Cleric like you knows some mysterious skills? I have fought countless spellcasters before you!


    Although he wasn''t able to cast his proudest Mist Realm and Nine Heaven Dance, the Fade skill was only able to affect and lock the powers of his skills and wouldn''t affect his physical attributes. The Mist Sword Saint disappeared in a blink of an eye and at the next moment, multiple blade rays from different directions formed a shapeless huge claw and slashed towards the petite girl.


    Clang! The translucent air around Bubble wobbled and erupted into a string of blaze. As a weapon of the legendary Sword Saint, the longsword in his hands was far from ordinary: ''Daybreak''. Rumor had it that this longsword was one of the weapons that were made when this continent was first created. Of course, this mere rumor wasn''t able to conceal this formidable legendary weapon. The number of swordsman players in the game aware of this sword meant that its value wasn''t just limited to its myths and legends.


    A mark emerged along with the ear-deafening collision and this was the symbolic sign of the Daybreak. It could draw the surrounding Wind Element and convert it into his own strength. Even though the ''Maelstrom'' skill that came with Daybreak was an outstanding AOE attack, Daviet couldn''t bear to use it on this little girl due to his own pride.


    But Bubble wasn''t this respectful. The little girl let out a snort and pushed her arms upwards like a music conductor conducting an orchestra performance. Then, she slid her left hand downwards elegantly.


    A translucent light halo expanded beneath her feet and shortly after, several dusky gray halos flashed around her as they revolved.


    Everything seemed to have slowed down on the land shrouded with gray halos and the crumbled weeds around her feet began to sway gradually due to the blade airflow. Rhode and Christie witnessed a butterfly struggling to expand its colorful wings fully even after three seconds.


    "��!" The Mist Sword Saint re-appeared before them with a grim expression. He raised his longsword and his movements seemed as though he were moving backward. Similar to the butterfly, the Mist Sword Saint''s movement speed was exceedingly slow and he behaved as though he wasn''t as energetic and imposing. At this moment, Daviet seemed like an old man who was no longer tall and sturdy, and he even had some difficulty clasping his sword hilt.


    In an instant, what presented the on-watchers was like a video slowed down by five times. But shortly after, the entire video regained its normal ''playing speed'' as Bubble pointed her right fingers forward and an unexpected scene emerged before their eyes��


    "Argh!" Daviet leaped back as he decided to change his battle approach. However, he realized that his body was extremely heavy and his limbs had as though been bound by invisible handcuffs. Moreover, the air around him had turned strangely heavy and gave him difficulty breathing.


    It''s a curse!


    Daviet was devastated as he had underestimated this little girl''s battle experience. He tried to ambush and apply mental pressure on her because no matter what, spellcasters were always concerned about enemies getting too close to them. As long as the spellcaster sensed danger around oneself, the spellcaster would lose focus. Besides, Daviet had observed during his ambush that this little girl couldn''t keep up with his speed at all. In other words, she had no inkling of his exact location.


    However, Daviet didn''t expect Mini Bubble Gum to be this experienced. Not only was she not flustered, but she also cast an AOE curse immediately. At that moment, the Mist Sword Saint finally realized that he had been played by the little girl. She knew clearly that she wouldn''t be able to lock on his presence, so she purposely baited him into attacking. Once she blocked his attack, she could confirm his location. As long as a Cleric who could cast multiple spells knew the enemy''s approximate location, there wouldn''t be too many difficulties afterward.


    As the Mist Sword Saint resisted the might of the curse, he felt his body lighten and a chilly breeze around his feet. The Mist Sword Saint broke free the invisible handcuffs and landed on his feet. But��


    Bam! Daviet slipped and crashed heavily on his bottom.


    "Pfff!" Lydia turned around and bursted into soft laughter. It wasn''t anything fresh to slip during battle due to misjudgment. However, they were flabbergasted that the reputable Mist Sword Saint actually committed a beginner''s mistake�� How was this tolerable?


    "This�� This��" MP Danny began to turn ashen. Not only him, but the guards beside him also stared in disbelief as though they had seen a ghost. The Mist Sword Saint occupied an incomparably majestic position in their hearts. But now, their idol had actually fallen on his buttocks��


    They thought that they were dreaming.


    What exactly is going on?!


    Not only was MP Danny thinking about this question, but Daviet was equally confused. He had never committed such a mistake and even though he knew that it must be the work of that little girl, he couldn''t determine exactly what she had done.


    "Damn it��" Daviet turned over to get himself up, but he suddenly realized that his left leg felt extremely heavy as though it had penetrated into the ground. On the other side, his right leg was uncomparably light and a simple exertion of strength could send him flying into the sky.


    It appeared to everyone that Daviet had as though lost his balance without grasping the center of gravity. If he didn''t use his longsword to support himself hurriedly, perhaps he would have rolled on the ground clumsily.


    "Why? Is that all you''ve got, Slut? You call yourself the Mist Sword Saint, but I think you''re more of a Crappy Slut Saint." Bubble displayed a delightful smile as she gazed at the miserable Daviet. She lifted her left hand once again and a faint radiance shone across Daviet''s body. This was only the start for Bubble.


    "Get ready to apologize for your arrogance, idiot!" Bubble drew a couple of complicated gestures before her chest with her right hand swiftly and pushed forward.


    "��!" In an instant, an even brighter light beam blasted from her tiny palm and headed towards the half-kneeling Daviet.


    "Sir Sword Saint!" MP Danny yelled in horror.


    At the same time, as the incoming radiance enlarged in his pupils, Daviet leaped with his longsword and brandished downward!


    The air around his blade began to stir and whirl as though absorbed by an invisible force. Shortly after, the massive airflow transformed into a berserk tornado barrier that rose from the ground and struck heavily against the light column.


    "��!" The ground beneath their feet began to crumble in the face of the earth-shattering collision. The light beam dispersed in all directions and battered three meter deep cracks on the ground. In an instant, the hue of the bright sky changed as the gales rose like a tall sandstorm and the white radiance almost blinded everyone.


    "Little tricks!" Bubble''s voice was still as haughty and confident as ever. "Continue your unrealistic dream if you think you can go against me, idiot!"


    The enormous light beam shone even brighter and the berserk tornado finally gave way to its formidable impact!


    In an instant, dazzling radiance shrouded the entire world.

 Chapter 504 Fearless Ego 3/3

    The burst of radiance as bright as the sun forced even Lydia to narrow her eyes slightly while Rhode covered Christie''s eyes with his hand as he turned away. The shadows on the ground trembled like a struggling monster as the radiance devoured it entirely.


    The whole world was pure whiteness.


    But only for an instant.


    The vibrant colors returned after the radiance vanished and shortly after, everyone heard a muffled bam. The Mist Sword Saint was covered in dirt from head to toe as he half-kneeled on the ground. He clasped his Daybreak tightly, but the legendary weapon had lost its usual brilliance. Rhode was familiar with this scene as his Gracier and Madaras had met the same situation before. Even though the durability of magical weapons was incredibly strong, they would be equally hopeless in the face of an attack that exceeded their maximum tolerance.


    "��" The Mist Sword Saint didn''t move an inch. Even though it seemed like he had blocked Mini Bubble Gum''s ferocious attack successfully, he appeared extremely miserable. His luxurious clothes had been tattered and even his hair was in an utter mess.


    Mini Bubble Gum gazed at him with a prideful smile while Lydia was still enjoying the show leisurely. On the other hand, Amund was bewildered. As a spellcaster, he knew that this attack from Mini Bubble Gum was at its peak and if she wanted to, she could annihilate the Mist Sword Saint and even his ashes wouldn''t be left behind.


    Where exactly did this little girl come from?


    MP Danny''s group was dumbfounded and even a dummy could see that this reputable Mist Sword Saint had been beaten to a pulp by the little girl. Initially, they thought that they could rely on him to teach this bunch of country bumpkins a lesson about the Parliament''s prestige and might. But now, perhaps the Parliament didn''t even have a tiny bit of dignity left now!


    "Mr. Rhode!" Rhode turned towards the voice and he saw Lize, Marlene, and Anne running towards him. Rhode figured that they must''ve rushed over here after hearing the loud explosions and were dumbfounded as soon as they witnessed the aftermath.


    "This is��" Lize expressed a dubious look after spotting Lydia while the others chose to remain silent. After all, they were respectful of Lydia and even though this wasn''t a formal venue, rules must still be abided in the presence of a country ruler.


    Of course, not everyone thought the same. "Leader, what''s wrong? Who is that fellow who''s fighting with Sister Bubble? What is he trying to do? Should we join in the fight?" Anne was eager to jump into battle. However, Rhode held her back instantly. "Don''t worry, this is just a good show and you should also watch it from here. Bubble will be unhappy if you interrupt her."


    "Show?" Annie pondered hesitantly before nodding. Beside her, Marlene gazed at the half-kneeled figure with a gloomy expression. "Rhode, could he be��"


    "The hero of the Country of Light''s Parliament, the Mist Sword Saint, Daviet," Rhode answered her promptly and Marlene sucked in a breath of cold air. Shortly after, Joey, Randolf, and the others caught up and they were equally baffled. Even Marfa who was always unflustered was dumbstruck and his sword slipped off his hand�� Clang! However, Marfa disregarded his sword as he swallowed his saliva with a blank mind.


    The Mist Sword Saint had been a popular figure for a long time even in the Munn Kingdom. As one of the most prestigious representatives of the Country of Light''s Parliament, many grew up hearing about his stories and this Mist Sword Saint presence represented a legend for the older generations. As long as one heard his name, one would almost choke with the amount of respect one had for him.


    But now, this legendary figure emerged before them in this filthy, worthless mess. This view had crumbled the image of the powerful, sophisticated, and sacred Sword Saint that had been in their hearts for a long time.


    However, Bubble wasn''t satisfied yet.


    "How''s that, old man? Do you want another go? I''m always ready to take you on."


    "It''s not over yet!" The Mist Sword Saint groaned and at the next moment, he darted in a blink of an eye and he formed into a dazzling blade arc with his longsword.


    "Lize, watch carefully and treat this as my live teaching! How much you pick up from this will all depend on you!"


    "Eh?" Before Lize reacted to Bubble''s words, the little girl rolled up her sleeve and charged forward with her naked fist to welcome the Mist Sword Saint!


    Is she crazy?


    This thought cropped up in their minds because, no matter what, Mini Bubble Gum was a Cleric and yet, she chose to fight the Sword Saint with her bare fist?!


    It wasn''t strange to Lydia and Amund that Mini Bubble Gum could dominate the Sword Saint since there was indeed a huge difference in their levels. After all, as long as a spellcaster grasped her consciousness accurately and assert the correct skill, they wouldn''t face any threats from a swordsman. However, it was a different matter for a spellcaster to face a swordsman in close combat. Why would she give up her advantage and choose to fight with punches? What on earth was going on?


    "Hmph!" The Mist Sword Saint began to feel rather anxious, seeing Mini Bubble Gum darting towards him. This little Cleric actually chose to fight me in close combat? Is she really that eager to humiliate me entirely? I won''t give her the chance!


    The Mist Sword Saint hesitated no more and this was the first time he harbored murderous intent. Since this overbearing opponent didn''t wish to leave any way of retreat or pride for him, he didn''t need to take her into consideration anymore!


    The Mist Sword Saint brandished his longsword.


    But soon, he realized that this thought of his was a huge mistake.


    The Mist Sword Saint emerged beside the little girl and he slashed a beautiful, yet dangerous arc in the air with his longsword which split into multiple crescents. As the razor-sharp crescents were about to pierce into her body, Bubble swung her left hand downward and suddenly, the surroundings turned deep black. Bubble countered with a heavy punch and a loud collision sounded. In response, the Mist Sword Saint rotated his wrist hurriedly and struck towards Bubble with the tip of his blade.


    Bubble swung her left hand to the side and along her actions, a white ritual circle emerged instantly below the left foot that he had stepped forward.


    Speed Boost.


    The sudden boost in speed caused Daviet to lose his balance as though he had slipped and there was something pushing his back. The energy flowing in his body couldn''t maintain its balance and shifted the precision of his longsword attack.


    The little girl clenched her left fist and the Mist Sword Saint felt as though an invisible force was grabbing onto his wrist. She withdrew her left hand and crouched on the ground. Shortly after, a green radiance shone from her petite body and she darted forward in a dazzling light.


    Clang! Daviet stared in astonishment as he couldn''t believe everything that had happened. The pain on his chin was so distinct. He was attacked by a Cleric with her bare fist?


    But this was merely the start.


    Daviet flinched and Bubble emerged in the air after the radiance dissipated. She displayed an egotistical smile with her perked up left fist and in the blink of an eye, she withdrew her left arm and clenched her right fist before her. Red, yellow, and green vibrant colors coalesced on her tiny fist.


    Giant Force. Heavy Penetration. Speed Boost.


    The little girl threw her punch forward.


    Bam! The Mist Sword Saint flung off and landed on the ground heavily. The powerful momentum left a deep gorge on the ground. Meanwhile, Mini Bubble Gum landed on the surface gently. She perked up her undeveloped chest proudly and let out a pleased snort while looking down on the Sword Saint with the gaze of a winner.


    Their duel lasted for about five minutes and only presences like Lydia could witness what exactly happened in the chaos. To the others, their duel was nothing more than dazzling flashes and before they figured out what exactly had happened, the Mist Sword Saint had been flung to the ground and collapsed miserably.


    "I thought this so-called Mist Sword Saint would be good, but it seems there''s nothing more to this stupid name."


    "This��" Marlene and Lize gazed at the high-spirited Bubble speechlessly. They knew that Bubble was formidable, but they didn''t know that she was this formidable. She actually defeated the Mist Sword Saint with her bare fists!


    Oh, Lord. She was much more powerful than they had ever imagined!


    "What a mystical and clever trick." Lydia''s eyes flickered with glints of surprise and praise.


    "That''s right, Your Highness. To be frank, I have never thought that a Cleric could put to use her spells to this extent�� Her utilization of the spells have made up for the deficiency of her flawed nature and honestly, I wouldn''t have imagined that a Cleric could be so threatening if I didn''t witness this today��" Amund accepted wholeheartedly because, after this final battle, he understood an even deeper level of spellcasting. He had to admit that this little girl with a strange name was nowhere weaker than Lydia.


    And at this moment, someone uttered with a hoarse voice. "Is that all?" The Mist Sword Saint stood on his feet slowly while the flames of his soul burned in his eyes as though he were unrattled by the absolute differences of their strength. "Indeed, I admit that I''m incapable of defeating you, young lady. But I will never give up!"


    The Mist Sword Saint yelled as he stripped the necklace around his neck and grasped tightly. Shortly after, blood flowed out of his palm and a bright radiance shone from his body. Daviet lifted his longsword once again.


    A whizzing gale rose from the ground and it engulfed a sandstorm that shrouded the sky.


    Mist Realm.


    "You eradicated my ''Fade''?" Mini Bubble Gum revealed a look of slight dismay. Not only her; even Rhode twitched his brows as he knew that the Fade skill couldn''t be eradicated. How did he do that? Rhode recalled the Mist Sword Saint''s action earlier on. Could it be that necklace?


    "Your tricks will no longer work!" Daviet brandished his longsword and a limitless gale spread wildly. This was the true ultimate of the Mist Sword Saint��Dimension of Order. The power of the Mist Realm.


    The whizzing sandstorm devoured Mini Bubble Gum entirety. The Mist Sword Saint raised his longsword and along with this action, the gale blew stronger as though a tsunami were smashing everything in its path.


    Daviet charged forward with his longsword and this time, he was no longer affected by the little girl''s spell and curse. As though a commander who had given a command to his magnificent army with thousands of men and horses, they transformed into countless razor-sharp blades that pierced towards the little girl.


    Daviet gazed at her coldly even though he knew that this wouldn''t be able to defeat her. But now, he was desperate to wipe the smug off her face, even for a little bit. However, it was a pity that all he witnessed was her usual, arrogant, and complacent smile.


    "Idiot, don''t you see it? Your death stars are revolving above your head." The little girl''s voice pierced through the whizzing gale and as she spoke, there was something above that illuminated the dazed sky.


    "That is��" Daviet lifted his head subconsciously.


    Tiny, glittering stars filled the entire sky.


    "Destiny Stars!? You are��" Daviet gawked and before he knew it, it was too late.


    A dazzling light column descended from above and shattered the whizzing sandstorm entirely. Before they knew it, the Mist Sword Saint laid unconscious on the ground.


    "That''s why I said sluts will always be sluts. You know that you''re worthless and yet you still want to waste my time��" Mini Bubble Gum let out a disdainful snort before turning towards MP Danny''s group. "Morons, this is the price to pay for provoking me."

 Chapter 505 The Calling of a War

    MP Danny and his guards gazed at the Mist Sword Saint blankly. They had just witnessed a brave hero crumble under the hands of a mysterious little girl. Daviet didn''t stand a chance against her and the demeanor of the Sword Saint was almost non-existent. Before arriving here, MP Danny had plenty of guesses about what the development of the situation would be. However, he wasn''t crazy enough to think that this would be one of the endings.


    Everything before him wasn''t a dream and was the cold hard truth. The high-spirited hero was now lying unconscious on the ground. This was the reality and everything was the truth.


    I''m a goner.


    MP Danny froze on the spot because he knew what this signified. The internal Parliament wasn''t inseparably close to begin with and the conflicts between political parties were getting more and more aggressive. His request for the Mist Sword Saint from the Parliament had been criticized as making a big fuss out of a small issue and now that this had happened to the Sword Saint�� He didn''t have the mood to consider how was he supposed to represent the Parliament to explain to the Munn Kingdom anymore. He was better off considering what he should do in order to not be sacked!


    That''s right. Sacked. Damn it�� How is this possible��


    Danny had a shiver down his spine, but he continued to grit his teeth and turned towards the Archangel who was in the mode of watching from the sidelines. "Y-Y-Your Highness Lydia, I-I�� hope you can give an explanation for this��"


    "I don''t think there''s anything worth explaining, MP Danny." Lydia brushed him off with a gorgeous smile. She admired the originally arrogant man turned into a timid mouse as though a cat had its paws over the mouse and let out a burst of crisp, melodious laughter. "This is just an ordinary duel and didn''t Mr. Daviet agree to this young lady''s challenge? Although luck wasn''t on his side�� There are no issues with duels in the first place and Mr. Daviet doesn''t seem to be gravely wounded. I think that''s all for now."


    This Archangel also knew how to lie through her teeth, it seemed.


    Rhode knew that even though Daviet didn''t appear to be seriously injured, Mini Bubble Gum actually didn''t hold back her attack at all. She had once tortured players who doubted her original ''treating foes as friends'' battle style until all of them deleted their accounts and quit the game. It was no doubt that Daviet wouldn''t be spared after infuriating this egoistical little girl.


    Although the Sword Saint seemed to be simply unconscious, Rhode knew that he had been crippled by Mini Bubble Gum completely.


    In the final round of their duel, Daviet activated his Order Dimension, the Mist Realm. However, his Mist Realm had been overwhelmed by Mini Bubble Gum''s ''Supreme Privileges'' power mercilessly. The Order Dimension wasn''t as simple as the concretization of a being''s strength in the Legendary Stage. It was also the gathering of the holder''s powers of Order and Rules. This attack from Mini Bubble Gum could be said to have broken the Sword Saint entirely. If he were lucky, he might regain his consciousness. But he might end up in a mental hospital in the future if lady luck wasn''t on his side�� But no matter what, Daviet would never regain his current strength and from this point onwards, he had returned to being an ordinary human.


    Besides, no matter what ancient scrolls or rare magical potions he found in some unexplored caves from here on out, he could never ever restore his strength again. The Sword Saint was no longer alive starting from this moment.


    Rhode believed that both Lydia and Amund were aware of this. But Amund chose to maintain his silence while Lydia was apparently keeping the truth from that swine. On the surface, no one including the Clerics could spot an issue with the Sword Saint.


    "Explain my bum, you wwine!" Mini Bubble Gum glared at him fiercely. "All in all, weren''t you the swine who doubted Leader which led to this? What are you tryna do now? Slander us? I see that you must be sick of living. Why don''t I��"


    "Bubble." At this moment, a voice interrupted her.


    Canary walked out from the group casually and bowed respectfully towards Lydia. She turned around and gazed at Mini Bubble Gum. Even though Canary didn''t say anything, the little girl shut her mouth and puffed her cheeks unconvincingly. After a short while, she gazed at Canary as though she were wronged and backed off slowly.


    Lydia and MP Danny were astounded by her ''obedient'' behavior. Even though they weren''t familiar with Mini Bubble Gum, they knew that she wasn''t someone easy to deal with judging from her duel with Daviet. But now, this young lady managed to get her to back down without any complaints by just calling out her name?


    "Phew��" although MP Danny was full of doubt, he couldn''t help but heave a sigh of relief. He was truly frightened that Mini Bubble Gum would kill him. Are you kidding me? She beat a powerful figure like the Mist Sword Saint to a pulp and if she really lays her hands on me, only death awaits me!


    Although this meant that the relationship between the Munn Kingdom and Parliament would definitely be destroyed, it still wasn''t worth putting his own life at stake. He worked so hard as a parliament member for so many years, not to become a hero that his colleagues would commemorate. Furthermore, this scenario wouldn''t even let him be considered as any hero.


    However, since the life-threatening factor was gone. He should get back to work.


    MP Danny gazed at Lydia and squeezed out a smile. "S-S-So�� Your Highness Lydia. I-I think that w-we can�� continue with our investigation now."


    You had to give it to this politician. He could change his expression really fast.


    Even though this was too stimulating for MP Danny, he managed to continue the investigation with a mixture of a rosy and purplish green ''solemn'' expression. In the end, in the name of ''Sir Daviet needs to rest and we will continue the investigations after he wakes up'', the investigations were put to a halt temporarily. However, Rhode knew what he was up to. If MP Danny didn''t stay here, Duchess Lydia would surely return to Golden City quickly. That way, the Parliament''s true scheme would have an issue. Besides, Rhode''s strength had obviously exceeded the expectations of the Parliament. A presence that could beat up the Mist Sword Saint wasn''t someone that they could ignore easily. MP Danny would definitely seize an opportunity to report this to their Parliament and receive the following orders.


    After this, Rhode played host to Lydia''s group and arranged rooms for them. Lydia revealed a rare, youthful vibrancy upon meeting the strange, yet interesting Ocean Elf and she stroked Agatha''s slim, tentacle-formed long hair. Not only that, she had also requested to bring Agatha back with her. But Rhode rejected her, of course.


    On the other hand, it was not all without gain for Rhode.


    "I knew that you little brat wouldn''t be that kind." Rhode sighed as he gazed at the medal in his hand and he turned towards the proud Mini Bubble Gum. During the final duel, not only did Mini Bubble Gum defeat of the Mist Sword Saint entirely, but she had also snatched a few great items from him. This cross-shaped medal was one of them.


    [Cruciform Medal (Divine Power. Legendary. Bronze) �� The glory of power protects lift on the continent]


    [Light Dragon Soul Protection (Bloodline Trigger) �� Diverts all spells towards the holder (Available once per day)]


    I see��


    Rhode finally understood why Mini Bubble Gum''s Fade skill would lose its effect. Daviet didn''t eradicate the spell at all; instead, he merely diverted it with this medal. As a non-attack spell, others wouldn''t feel anything even if they were struck by it. After all, this spell was just to lock the enemy''s spiritual energy and even if the diversion struck the others, there wouldn''t be anything abnormal.


    However, the level of this medal wasn''t too high. Compared to the three god-like loots from the Duke Fiend, the usefulness of these lacked far too much. Besides, according to the item description, this medal seemed to belong to the subordinate of the Light Dragon Soul. How interesting.


    Apart from this medal, the other spoils of war would be the Daybreak. Of course, Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum didn''t grab this legendary weapon after the duel. Instead, the little girl merely snatched it over from Daviet as a form of ''mental compensation''. On the other hand, MP Danny could only look at the little girl take the weapon away brazenly��


    But these weren''t crucial matters that Rhode was concerned about.


    "B-Big Sister��" Lize stuttered as she greeted Lydia from the guestroom door. Lize had never expected to meet her older sister here and she thought that she wouldn''t meet Lydia this easily again ever since leaving Golden City.


    "Huhuhu�� I''m glad to see that you''re as healthy as always, Lize. I was worried that you would overwork yourself and fall sick. But it seems that��" Lydia stood up from the sofa and approached Lize to caress her cheek gently. "You have great companions now and I can finally feel at ease, Lize."


    "Big�� Big Sister��" Lize lowered her chin shyly and asked with uncertainty as though something cropped up in her mind. "Big Sister, is there something you need to settle in the Land of Atonement?"


    "Of course, my adorable sister," Lydia nodded. "I''m here because I have to be here. If not, those careful mice wouldn''t climb out of their holes��"


    "I�� don''t really understand what you meant. What mice? And also, why were the people from the Country of Light Parliame��" Lydia placed her finger by Lize''s lips before she finished her question. The Archangel gazed at her younger sister quietly with eyes that were filled with unprecedented sharpness. "Lize, do you really not understand? Are you still avoiding everything and are unwilling to face them?"


    "��" Lize responded with silence as she lowered her head and bit her lip.


    "You have the right to choose, my adorable sister. But, abandoning and escaping aren''t good choices. You''re very smart and keen, but you''re unwilling to put your talents to good use because you sense that this path won''t be filled with glory," Lydia paused for a moment before stroking Lize''s hair. "I actually don''t intend to say this, but I feel that the current you need to know all of this�� Lize, if you choose to continue following this man, I hope you realize that it will not be an easy path."


    "Mr. Rhode?" Lize raised her head once again and gazed at her older sister in surprise. "Big Sister, what''s wrong with Mr. Rhode? Is he��"


    "No one can be sure of the future, but he has made clear his intentions�� The newborn strength will turn this country even stronger. But before that, you will definitely go through all kinds of tests, Lize. It will be a difficult and dangerous task to follow him in chasing his ideal. The heir of the Senia Family has understood this, but what about you? Do you wish to continue living in the peaceful life of your dream?"


    "I��" Lize trembled slightly and took a step back as though she were escaping from something. The young lady looked down at her feet in bewilderment. "I don''t know�� Big Sister. I��"


    "No matter how you run, you will still need to make a decision one day, my sister," Lydia looked into her sister''s eyes gently. "Lize, I hope that you will find happiness and not lose your way and beautiful spirit in the junction of life shrouded in fog.


    "I still don''t really understand what you mean, Big Sister��"


    "It''s fine if you don''t understand. I just hope that you can remember this, Lize. No matter what, don''t forget what you really want. And when you know what you want, you mustn''t give up and you must fight for it. This way, you will know if the final ending is what you wanted." Lydia turned towards the window and the sky was slowly enveloped by pitch-blackness. "It''s late now and you should rest, Lize. It will be a new day tomorrow."


    At night, clear blue waves slammed onto the shore and the deep dark sky was as though an incredibly enormous creature covering the entire land. Meanwhile, the moist, ice-cold sea breeze couldn''t drive away the chilliness around them.


    "How''s the situation?" A thin man in a luxurious attire and captain hat knocked on the smoking pipe in his hands. His tiny eyes squinted at flames before him.


    "Duchess Lydia and that old fella Amund had left Golden City together and current operations were left in the hands of Drayke."


    "That coward." The man in the captain hat let out a snort. "What else can he do other than beg for pity before those nobles of the King''s Party? Hmph, Lydia, that little brat, has bad judgment to choose such a worthless crap as her minister. But, that''s fine too since our plan will be carried out much more smoothly�� How''s the situation with the Country of Light''s Parliament?"


    "The Parliament hasn''t responded. But��" One of the hidden figures hesitated before approaching the questioning man and whispered into his ears. The man knitted his brows. "Is that true?"


    "That''s only a rumor, Sir. But, according to our intelligence, the Country of Light''s Parliament is indeed holding a meeting��"


    "That''s their problem." Before the hidden figure finished his sentence, the man swung his arm and interrupted. He stood up with the smoking pipe in his mouth. "Our Reformist Party shouldn''t always rely on others for help. If we don''t have the desire to stand for ourselves, we will eventually still cry piteously for food like babies. Learning to walk on our own is the first step to getting away from our parents. Now that we are ready, we don''t have to concern ourselves with the situation there."


    The smell of rain and sea assailed his nose as he pushed the wooden door open and the bright candle flame flickered with the cold airflow entering the room. However, the man continued his big strides outside and gazed at the scenery before him silently. Hundreds of fully-armored soldiers were standing guard on the deck quietly.


    "We have been pushed around for a long long time. And now, it''s finally our time to say no." The man swung his arm with force. "Everyone, listen attentively. Our target��Brenhill Fortress! Tonight will be the sacred night to decide the fate of our Southern and Reformist Party. We shall use sword and blood to make the sinister tyrant know what is justice and the power of the people! All out attack!"


    Gale began to bluster.


    The ships that were hidden in the darkness finally set sail.

 Chapter 506 Uprising Bugle-Horns

    The boundless ocean under the deep dark sky was as frightening as always.


    Henry closed his eyes and held onto the ice-cold walls. However, he would feel uncomfortable dizziness when he opened his eyes and looked down.


    "Hey, get back here now, you rookie!" A rough voice scared the young soldier and he backed off from the wall hurriedly. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and turned around towards the man striding towards him. The man was a burly, seasoned soldier with a face full of beard. "Damn it, rookie. You''d better not tremble in fear like a little rascal. I don''t want to report to the superiors tomorrow that there was an idiot who fell off the wall and broke his neck! You''ve been here for three months; haven''t you gotten used to it already?"


    "Y-Yes�� Sorry, Sir, I��"


    "Louder! Didn''t you eat your dinner, you bastard?"


    "Sorry!! Sir!" The young soldier shut his eyes in fear and yelled out with all his strength. The seasoned soldier nodded in satisfaction before patting on his shoulder and shield. "That''s the way, kid. Remember, don''t ever think that you''re here for fun and games. This job isn''t easy. Relax and that''s right�� Stand up straight! I asked you to relax, but I didn''t tell you to soften into a puddle of mud! Stay vigilant for your night duty especially since it hasn''t been too peaceful recently. Who knows what will happen��"


    "Yes, Sir! But��"


    "But?" The seasoned soldier glared back and the young rookie clammed his mouth. This was the military. Even though he had sufficient reasons, he wasn''t allowed to refute his superior. After all, obeying orders was the duty of all soldiers and raising questions weren''t for rookie soldiers. "Alright, it''s not like I have no idea what you worthless bunch are thinking about."


    Perhaps because the rookie didn''t refute, the seasoned soldier''s expression turned a little kinder. He retrieved a liquor flask from his pocket and downed a mouthful of liquor before turning towards the deep, dark ocean that Henry was fearful about.


    "We are far from the country border and apart from some small-scale criminals at large and those bandits, there''s nothing else for us to worry about in this isolated place. Heh, I know what you guys are thinking. No threats, no war, and it''s as peaceful as a pile of dog sh*t. But even though it''s such a place here, you guys have to leave your warm nest back home and stand guard against the ocean where there is literally nothing. Haha, I was the same when I first arrived here. In fact, I also felt that this Fortress was meaningless. It''s small, filthy, and far from any threats. Damn it�� It''s really fortunate and unfortunate to be standing guard here. Look on the bright side, kid. Don''t be envious of your idiot companions who raise their flags on their horses as they head into the border. Don''t think that you''re bored to death here because when you''re back in your comfortable hometown at the end of the year and hear your neighbor wailing for their dead son, you will know how fortunate you are right now."


    "Yes! Sir!"


    "Heh, judging on your looks, I know that you didn''t listen to everything that I said. Well, whatever. You wouldn''t understand since you haven''t experienced it yet. Alright, continue standing guard. I''ve heard that the opposite side is really chaotic nowadays. Although I don''t think that anything serious will happen, I still hope that you will treat this seriously�� Eh? What''s that sound?"


    "��!" A sharp whizz sounded out of nowhere. The young soldier witnessed a glaring flash before him and shortly after, the smoke of an explosion engulfed him entirely.


    "Ahhh ��! Ahhh!" Henry struggled to lift his head and he realized that the solid, flat wall had collapsed completely. The officer that stood before him had gone missing and hot, blazing flames took his place.


    "W-What''s going on?" The young soldier crawled his way up frantically while he heard screams and massive explosions. He gaped at the ocean and at this moment, he saw a succession of flares exploding from the dark ocean. Soon, explosions sounded from the Fortress and the flat ground beneath his feet started to collapse. Even though he unsheathed his sword, he realized that he had no idea what he should do next.


    But no matter what, there was only one strangely clear word that came into his chaotic mind.


    Ambush!


    "Sir, all our attacks hit and the enemies have no chance of defending. We''ve also gotten rid of all their cannons and we can get ready to battle on land."


    "Hmph." The man in the captain hat bit his smoking pipe as he gazed at the Fortress burning in flames and engulfed in billows of smoke. "Bastards who are blinded by peace actually react so slowly. I thought the Brenhill Fortress responsible for the North-South Main Road would be troublesome to deal with�� Pass down my order��get ready to go ashore and battle! From today onwards, Brenhill Fortress will no longer belong to the Munn Kingdom! It shall be the land of our Southern Federation!"


    The bugle-horns sounded.


    A dozen battleships emerged from the darkness as though they were the main cast of the show. The battleships sailed forward slowly while smaller boats were lowered and accelerated towards the shore. At the same time, another round of flares exploded from the enormous battleships.


    "Brenhill Fortress is under attack?!" Barak jumped to his feet and the demeanor of the Southern Legion''s Chief Commander was nowhere in sight. He widened his eyes at the pale, frantic soldier while clenching his fists tightly. He was aware of the recent motions of the Southern Port, but he didn''t expect that they dared to actually make their move. Oh my goodness! Where did they get all these battleships and soldiers?


    "Immediately declare a state of emergency! Damn it, search for all the patrolling soldiers and get the commanders around the perimeter to report to me instantly! The Southern Legion has entered a state of alert!"


    "Yes, Sir!!" The soldier saluted and as he opened the door and prepared to leave, his footsteps stopped abruptly.


    An ice-cold, sharp blade punctured his chest and he widened his eyes in disbelief. He gaped, but the attacker had no intentions of hearing his last words. The attack pushed his head and the pitiful soldier collapsed to the ground.


    "�� Fernando, what is the meaning of this." Barak grabbed his sword swiftly and gazed sternly at his adjutant and his dozen fully armored soldiers by the door. They were his personal guards, but now, they pointed their swords at the man that they were supposed to protect.


    "No hard feelings, Chief Commander Barak." Fernando bowed in a refined manner and as he lifted his head, his fair and clear face was filled with gentleness and a wide smile. "We don''t have any intentions of harming you, Sir. In fact, my brothers and I are here to stop you from doing something silly."


    "Silly?" Barak let out a snort before glaring furiously at the adjutant that had betrayed him. "I do want to hear what is the so-called silly thing�� Fernando, put down your sword. I have to lead my soldiers to assess this rebel! Surely you wouldn''t think that you can stop me from leaving with just that many people of yours."


    "Of course not, Sir Barak. But��" Fernando beckoned and the soldiers behind him dragged two shuddering figures forward. Barak''s eyes were red through and through. "Fernando�� You''re threatening me?"


    "I know that we''re not your match. But even if you leave this place, you can''t maneuver your troops now�� Besides, my apologies to correct your mistake, but this isn''t a rebel. This is the demand of the people and freedom. They have decided to no longer be pushed around by that damn dictator and they are ready to overthrow this evil ruler. Our fate shouldn''t be within the hands of an Angel. Human fates should be in the hands of humans!" Fernando clenched his right fist tightly. "We shall be victorious and reclaim the freedom and authority that once belonged to us! Golden City isn''t going to be our nightmare anymore. This is the demand of the people, freedom, and justice!"


    Fernando revealed a smile and gestured. "I guess you must''ve heard the noises outside, Sir Barak. You''ve been surrounded by us entirely and it wasn''t only us who surrounded you. The civilians have also joined in. Even though they don''t have any great weapons or equipment, they have the heart and will for justice and freedom which is the most important�� Sir Barak, could it be that you wish to order your men to lay hands on unarmed civilians?"


    "��" Barak clasped his sword and gritted his teeth. After a few moments, he laid down his weapon and returned to his seat. "Fernando, do you really think that this pathetic little trick of yours will bring you victory? I don''t know who exactly the person behind all this is, but please pass this message to him��I will get him back for this, one day."


    "I will pass this message to him, Sir. But I think that you should see the current situation for yourself clearly that the South no longer accepts the jurisdiction of Golden City. From now onwards, we shall form an independent country and we will fight for the hopes of the civilians. Our next generations will no longer be manipulated by aristocrats and this is our only hope for the future."


    "You can cut this sweet-talking crap now," Barak shut his eyes and lifted his head. "We know what you bastards have been plotting. But we didn''t expect that the usually intelligent you would commit such a mistake. Fernando, the punishment for betraying the Royal Highness Lydia and the Munn Kingdom is severely grave. I hope you can understand this. This is my final warning to you as your ex-commander. You''d better custom-make your coffin as soon as possible."


    "Thanks for your warning. I will remember it by heart, Sir," Fernando smiled in response before bowing respectfully again and left the room. The fully armored soldiers entered the room swiftly and dismantled Barak''s weapon at the fastest speed. Barak didn''t resist because he knew that this was inevitable.


    The slow, long night had ended. The first rays of dawn emerged from the horizon and spilled through the glass windows, illuminating the snowy letter silently.


    "�� We have made an extremely difficult, yet necessary decision. We used to surrender under rule and were forced to accept the atrocities imposed on us. We had no intentions of overthrowing our ruler. But, all her doings have exceeded the limits of any human beings who yearns for freedom and equality. When she used her authority to extort, slaughter, and persecute, we could only watch quietly and hopelessly. We have sincerely and humbly prayed that the ruler of Golden City could see the people that she ruled and understand the pain that they''ve encountered. But everything is meaningless because a ruler who is indulged in enjoyment doesn''t bother to listen to our prayers and humility.


    "She refused to approve a proposal that would benefit the people, simply because it harmed her interests, and thus, thousands of people fell into unparalleled disasters and sufferings.


    "She prohibited free merchants from engaging in legitimate trades in order to strengthen their authority and engaged in the persecution and slaughtering of those free merchants.


    "She had even ignored the will of the people and opposed their reasonable demands again and again.


    "She manipulated the laws, toyed with judgment and justice, and recklessly created accusations to imprison and kill those who pursued freedom and competed for the people.


    "In these brutal persecutions, we have requested in the most humble way. But we only faced repeated rejections and when such a tyrant stood before us, we were left with no choice.


    "Now, we are not willing to remain silent. We will eventually stand up against this cruel ruler. We will no longer be loyal to the King''s Party that maimed its own people. We are here to announce that we shall have independent authority! We will stand up and build a new, beautiful home with our own will and hands!


    "Therefore, we, the representatives of the Southern Federation Parliament, solemnly declare that in the name of those who pursue goodness, freedom, and equality, from this day on, we will be separated from the jurisdiction of the Munn Kingdom and become an independent and free country. We will sever all political relations with the Munn Kingdom, and as an independent country, we will be entitled to the authority and power that any independent country deserves. For this sacred oath, we hereby bear witness to our lives, our honors, and the future of the next generations. All members of the Southern Federation Parliament."


    Lydia placed the letter down and revealed a mocking smile. "Mice will always be mice. Even if they act in a play, are they not willing to expose their true identity to the world? What do you think about this, Baron Rhode?"


    "Just as you''ve said, Your Highness Lydia," Rhode stood behind Lydia quietly and answered with a smile. "These Southerners have always been giving partial accounts and they are also this ambiguous with their important declaration. It seems that they are still unaware of how to take responsibility. But please pardon my rudeness, I always thought that merchants wouldn''t understand how to take responsibility."


    "That''s right��" Lydia nodded as she slid her fingers across the letter. "Since they declared, we have to give them a response�� Baron Rhode, you''re one of the Barons of the Munn Kingdom now. I''m sure you know what are your duties and obligations, right?"


    "Yes, Your Highness."


    "So then�� I, in the name of the Munn Kingdom Ruler, command that you, Baron Rhode Alander and your subordinates, to join in the pacification of this Southern Rebellion and also protect the teams on the defense lines of Paphield. Are there any objections, Baron Rhode?"


    "No��" The corners of Rhode''s lip twitched and an ice-cold glint emerged in his eyes. "Everything will be as you wish, Your Highness."

 Chapter 507 Battle Briefing

    "I have gathered all of you here to announce something important."


    Rhode stood on his feet. Lydia had returned to Golden City after completing her ''mission'' while MP Danny and his subordinates left with the unconscious Mist Sword Saint like stray dogs. That clown from the Parliament had no more value to Rhode and now wasn''t the time for him to focus on such boring matters.


    Everyone gazed at Rhode with stern expressions after sensing his serious tone. Marlene squinted and focused on Rhode with full attention because, as the heir of the Senia Family, she understood all that was happening clearly. Lize sat beside her and she appeared anxious and nervous. Even though she wasn''t aware of what had happened, she could still recall Lydia''s words from yesterday. Moreover, this was the first time Rhode gathered every member of the guild in one place and the young lady felt that things weren''t looking too good.


    Anne rocked her chair back and forth as though she wasn''t concerned about what Rhode''s announcement would be. All she knew was that as long as she followed Rhode''s instructions, she wouldn''t get into trouble.


    Perhaps Lapis had been working in the workshop for too long; she seemed as though she hadn''t been involved with the affairs of the outside life. Her eyes swirled blankly like she was lost in thoughts��


    Compared to the young ladies, Joey, Randolf, Shauna, and Marfa were looking much more solemn. However, it wasn''t because they joined the guild much later and their identities, positions, and strength couldn''t be compared to the others. Instead, they were mercenaries who emphasized discipline. Of course, Old Walker shaking his liquor flask beside them and staring at Rhode with dissatisfaction was another matter.


    Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Gillian had entered the mode of watching a show. They sat on the other side leisurely and didn''t seem to be concerned about anything. Or perhaps, they already knew what was going to happen next.


    They were Rhode''s confidants.


    Rhode twitched his brows as he faced all the different expressions and thoughts that manifested on their faces. "Perhaps you may have heard, or perhaps you aren''t aware. But I''m just going to say this once more. Last night, the fleets belonging to the subordinates of the Reformist Party had launched an ambush on the Brenhill Fortress and occupied it. And this morning, they sent a letter in the name of the ''Southern Federation Parliament'' and declared publicly that they are breaking away from the Munn Kingdom and forming an independent country."


    "��" The entire room was strangely quiet. Everyone thought that this was just an opening speech and Rhode would be getting into the important details soon. But Rhode shut his mouth after the last sentence and the entire room fell into an awkward silence.


    After a few moments, Lize stood up from her chair frantically and she accidentally shifted the chair with her legs. Screech! This ear-piercing screech shook everyone back to their senses as though they were pricked by a needle to their buttocks. "What?! The Southerners are breaking away to be independent?"


    "Sir Rhode! Is this true? You must be joking! This is a serious matter!"


    "Oh my goodness. What are the Southerners thinking! Royal Highness Lydia will definitely oppose their shameless suggestion!"


    "T-This is�� simply��!"


    This sudden news stunned everyone apart from those who knew that this would happen and those who were mentally prepared. Even though the mercenaries did face dangerous battles in their daily lives, those were, after all, battles, and not a war. Moreover, they couldn''t accept that this broke out in their own country. War and internal conflicts were something that existed in heroic legends to them and they weren''t mentally prepared for this at all.


    Rhode didn''t stop their clamor. Instead, he used this opportunity to observe his men. Marlene had no expression, but that didn''t mean that she didn''t have any thoughts about it. She was the heir of the Senia Family and regardless of the results of this internal war, it would affect the future of the Senia Family by a large extent. It was impossible for her to not be concerned about it.


    Lize appeared pale and very much astonished. Even though she had been saying that she had nothing to do with the King''s Party, Rhode knew that some matters couldn''t be counted on her words. This matter implicated the authority of Lydia and the King''s Party, so naturally, she would be even more worried than others.


    As for young men like Randolf and Joey, they couldn''t accept this truth at all. Not only them, but even the usually collected Marfa and Old Walker knitted their brows as though it were the end of the world. As for Lapis, she seemed to not have an idea about what was going on.


    It was apparent that the different attitudes of his men represented the various attitudes within the Munn Kingdom. Marlene represented the nobles and she was mentally prepared for it. Lize represented the King''s Party members and she was undoubtedly worried about the King''s Party and the wellbeing of the nation. As for Joey, Randolf, and even an ordinary mercenary like Old Walker, they didn''t seem to be thinking a lot. Instead, they were feeling uncertain about their future. Even though the mercenaries led a tough life, most of the environments that they lived in were calm and tranquil. But now, this serene and peaceful land was on the verge of devastation. Unlike Marlene, they couldn''t involve themselves with the benefits of noble families. Not to mention, they couldn''t see the problem from a country''s perspective like Lize. The trivial and ordinary matters were what they were worried about.


    On the other hand, a stay-at-home girl like Lapis would only be concerned about these matters when she was struck in the head.


    "Alright, cut it out," Rhode gestured and stopped their conversations. "Everything is the truth. Royal Highness Lydia is rushing back to Golden City to handle the aftermath and there is indeed something that we can help with. Before Royal Highness Lydia left, she commanded in the name of the King''s Party for me to provide assistance and I have given my answer. This means that Starlight shall step on the battlefield and fight for the King''s Party. As the representative guild of Paphield, our first mission is to head into the Cloud Summit and get ready for the next possible attack. All of you shall become my henchmen and fight alongside me."


    Henchmen.


    Many of their eyes sparkled as soon as they heard this word.


    Mercenary didn''t need to lead an adventurous life. In fact, what they needed the most was something more practical. What did one need in one''s life if it wasn''t money, fame, and women? Was it world peace? Or freedom and equality?


    To most mercenaries, it could never get better than becoming the henchmen of some nobles. When they chose to join Rhode''s mercenary group, most of them did it as an early stage investment. And now, their investments had paid off.


    They were aware that Rhode was conferred a feudal title from the King''s Party and had become a Baron. Even though mercenaries couldn''t differentiate between Baron, Earl, and Marquis, there was something that they were absolutely sure about. These people were definitely figures that were high and mighty and they could only look up to them. And now, since Rhode had become a Baron, didn''t they also become the henchmen of a noble?


    The mercenaries were incomparably excited, but they didn''t know that the Baron rank that Rhode was conferred actually had a historic significance��he was the first ever mercenary conferred a Baron rank in the history of the Munn Kingdom.


    After all, even though mercenaries could contribute a lot, they were rarely honored. Besides, the proud and arrogant nobles couldn''t accept the vulgar, insolent mercenaries to be on equal footing as them. This was also why even though the Cole Falcon and Purple Lily had served the King''s Party for years, none of them had been conferred a feudal rank.


    Apart from Rhode''s favorable qualities, his contributions to the nation were outstanding. Moreover, with Marlene and Lize by his side, he had gained a lot of political support. Due to this reason, the nobles didn''t have any objections to Lydia conferring the Baron rank to Rhode. After all, in the eyes of the nobles, Rhode must have a mysterious, yet massive family backing and since that was the case, it wasn''t humiliating for them to invite Rhode into their nobility circle.


    But to Rhode, the realistic effects of this identity were far greater than the meaning it represented.


    Everyone knew that guilds were limited in the number of mercenaries in order to prevent them from causing harm to the law and order of the society. But now, Rhode wasn''t only a guild leader. He was also a Baron. As a noble, he had the rights to own his very own private soldiers.


    Even though Rhode held the lowest noble rank, he could still recruit up to 2000 private soldiers according to rules. However, there would be a conflict in this arrangement since the Mercenary Association had ruled that a guild shouldn''t contain more than 500 members. Now, Rhode could recruit up to 2000 private soldiers with his noble identity. In other words, he could recruit up to 2500 of them��


    Of course, Rhode was aware that he couldn''t find 2500 of them instantly.


    The frantic mercenaries calmed down gradually as their eyes flickered in excitement. That''s right. Since they were the henchmen of a noble, they could enjoy military treatment. In the future, if they met any troubles on the battlefield or if they couldn''t battle anymore due to injuries, they could receive a generous compensation to lead fortunate lives in their hometown. They wouldn''t be in dire straits like their companions who starved to death on the streets.


    Furthermore, this was a direct order from Royal Highness Lydia. Wasn''t their bright future just before their eyes If they could accomplish her request?


    Rhode nodded as he observed their thirst and excitement for their future. Mercenaries were a bunch of practical humans and they wouldn''t take on a dangerous task which was not proportional to the remuneration.


    "Next, we are going to discuss the main point." Rhode didn''t allow them to continue feeling excited because, after all, time was limited. "This war will not end so quickly, so we have to prepare ourselves for this prolonged war. According to Royal Highness Lydia''s data, those idiots weren''t satisfied with just taking down the Brenhill Fortress and they are now heading towards Paphield. But fortunately, we have enough time to head into the Cloud Summit. Joey, Randolf, Marfa, I want you guys to pick 50 mercenaries for each of your teams. Remember, their strength must reach my requirements and they must be loyal. Understand?"


    "Yes, Sir," Marfa gazed at Joey and Randolf before nodding. "I promise that we will fight for Paphield until the very last moment!"


    "Good." Rhode nodded in satisfaction. But these wasn''t all that he had planned. He turned his attention to another crucial member. "�� Marlene, are there any problems?"


    Rhode raised this question because this war had obviously dragged the Senia Family into it.


    "Yes, Rhode." As expected, Marlene stood up and nodded. "My Father has given me an order�� I''m sorry, I think I will need to return to the Senia Family to get prepared for the upcoming battle."


    "�� Is that so��" Rhode was slightly disappointed. Honestly, he hoped that Marlene could stay by his side as she had been his adjutant for a long time and he had gotten used to letting her handle his matters with a peace of mind. He trusted Marlene and Marlene had never disappointed him. Not to mention, as a Middle Circle Mage, Marlene had outstanding abilities. The upcoming battle would proceed much smoother if Rhode could have her assistance. But now�� He had no other choice but to let her go.


    "Alright, I wish you good luck, Marlene." Rhode nodded and shifted his attention back to the masses. At this moment, Lize asked with knitted brows. "Mr. Rhode, why do you think that this battle will not end so quickly? Do you think that Big Sister�� Royal Highness Lydia has no solutions to exterminate the traitors?" Even though Lize asked softly, the noises in the room muted abruptly.


    "Indeed, I have this doubt too, kid," Old Walker wiped the liquor off his lips. "Everyone knows that the various cities in the Munn Kingdom are guarded by the Battle Angel Army. Aren''t the bunch of Southerners afraid of the Angels severing their heads?"


    "Royal Highness Lydia will never dispatch the Battle Angel Army unless necessary and I think that she will not step into the battlefield herself either."


    "Why?" Joey couldn''t help but yell. "Boss, I don''t get what you mean. The Southerners have declared to leave the country so why isn''t Royal Highness willing to do something? With Royal Highness''s abilities, it shouldn''t be difficult for her to get rid of the rebel army, right?"


    "Indeed, this isn''t difficult for Royal Highness Lydia at all." Rhode gazed at Joey. "She can lead her Battle Angel Army and capture those idiots once and for all. This way, the rebel army will crumble without entirely without their commanders. But if she really does that, she will possibly face decades of unceasing war from the South."


    "W-Why?" Lize asked and this time, Marlene gave her the answer.


    "Because all of you have forgotten that soldiers aren''t the only ones who can start a war and every war will need support and replenishment from the backlines. The Southern civilians think that the soldiers were fighting for their freedom. The soldiers are their heroes who are rescuing them from tyranny. If Royal Highness Lydia eliminates these ''heroes'' entirely, the position of the Munn Kingdom in the hearts of the Southern civilians will definitely fall. They might even resist the King''s Party''s will and this might possibly pass on to future generations."


    "So, if Little Lydia is smart enough, she will definitely not take decisive actions in this complex situation." Gillian joined in the conversation and she pointed her finger at the masses cheekily. "That bunch of idiot Southerners is still immersed in the romanticism of rebellion. But this is war and they have belittled it. They haven''t experienced what a war will bring them and humans will not remember pain unless they are whipped. When the duration of the war extends slowly, when they can''t receive victory, and when their originally peaceful life is filled with war, death, and chaos, these people will learn to reflect and regret. Little Lydia is waiting for this chance. She doesn''t only wish to simply defeat the South. She wishes to completely uproot the foundation of the Southern unrest. Only after experiencing the cruelty and horror of war, those idiots will learn to not put a war on a romantic and glamorous stage so easily in the future."


    "That''s right." Rhode nodded in agreement before turning towards Joey and Randolf. These things were overly complicated for them. "But we don''t need to worry about something that is years from now. We should first focus on guarding the defense lines and ignore the situation of the South. At the very least, we don''t wish to see Paphield sinking into a similar chaos as the South. But�� That doesn''t mean that we can''t give them some trouble."


    Rhode gazed at Old Walker. The senior mercenary didn''t have the mood to enjoy his liquor anymore as he muttered with knitted brows. "What''s wrong, kid? You need my help on something?"


    "Your men should be trustworthy, right?"


    "Of course. I can assure you in my own name�� Why?"


    "So then, I have a very important task that needs your help."


    "What is it?"


    "It''s very simple." Rhode revealed a delightful smile before beckoning the senior mercenary forward and whispering into his ear. "I only have one request and that is to make your men praise and support the Southern Reformist Party in public as much as possible. At the same time, object violently to those who doubt the Southern Reformist Party. Of course, they must be careful not to expose their identities."


    "That''s no problem for sure. But��" Old Walker gazed at Rhode with doubts. "What exactly are you planning, kid?" The smile on Rhode didn''t change at all. However, there was an ice-cold glint reflecting in his eyes.


    "It''s nothing. I just hope to speed up the pace of their perishment, that''s all."

 Chapter 508 Paphield Battle 1

    "Those damn bastards!" Nemo gasped for breath as he clenched his sword tightly. His silver chain armor had been dyed crimson by the blood flowing from his wound while screaming of people and clashing of swords surrounded him. He brandished his sword and resisted the enemy''s attack. Nemo was familiar with the enemy''s attire. A scarlet cape, brass-colored helmet, and erected male lion flag behind them clearly signified their identities.


    The Southern Legion��Lion.


    The Lion Legion used to be their companions, but now, they had become enemies.


    "Go to hell!" Nemo snarled as he thrust his sword forward with both hands. The enemy flinched and revealed an opening which Nemo took advantage and pierced his sword through swiftly. He trampled on the corpse harshly before kicking it to the side. Then, he turned around and deflected three arrows that aimed for him.


    The secluded woods had transformed into battlefields. The corpses of their enemies and companions laid everywhere. The cold, bloody stench filled the atmosphere and there were only about a hundred people left. They were struggling to defend for their lives, but Nemo was very clear that he couldn''t hold on much longer.


    They were prepared for the counterattack of the Southern Legion, but they were caught off guard by their incredible speed. Since the first wave of attack, the Southern Legion had conducted three consecutive raids and although the Cloud Summit was still defending with their lives, no one knew how long they could hold on for.


    Nemo didn''t know what the higher-ups were thinking. But as far as he can see, the scale of this ''rebellion'' could be said to be unprecedentedly powerful. In addition to the ''Lion'', the ''Falcon'' and ''Black Panther'' legions were also part of this raid. The Cloud Summit Fortress was truly powerless against the three strongest legions of the South. Nemo was baffled that the Southern Legion that should have been stationed by the border had given up on their duties and came here.


    What are those bastards thinking?


    Nemo felt a burning rage in his heart as he felt hopeless. But even so, he had to remain calm because he wasn''t only responsible for himself. He was also responsible for his own subordinates.


    But now, he was at his limits.


    The soldiers of the Lion Legion continued to emerge from the rear and the entire outpost was completely immersed in flames. The only thing Nemo and the others could do was to protect themselves and retreat. Although they had ignited the fire beacon, the enemies'' attack was far more aggressive than they had expected. If this continued, perhaps it would be too late before the reinforcements arrived.


    "Are the reinforcements here yet?"


    "Captain!" A young sergeant covered in blood ran towards Nemo frantically with his broken sword. He was pale-faced and his messy blond hair was like a chicken''s nest. "There are too many enemies and we can''t hold them back anymore. If this continues��"


    "Damn it!" Nemo gave a command swiftly. "Retreat immediately! Maintain your formation and don''t panic!!"


    An ear-piercing whistle screeched.


    The soldiers began to retreat towards Nemo quickly while waving their swords and shields to fend off the aggressive enemies. As one of the three major legions in the South, the Lion Legion had a deserving reputation. They pursued the retreating party immediately.


    "Take cover from the archers!" Nemo brandished his sword and the blade airflow forced the enemies back. Shortly after, dozens of enemy soldiers clad in heavy armor held their shields high as they approached Nemo''s group. The whizzing blade airflow struck their steel shields and dispersed instantly.


    Damn it, even the heavily-armored soldiers are here!


    Nemo felt a chill down his spine as he was very aware of how tough these damn heavily-armored soldiers were. The heavily-armored soldiers were a type of soldier branched out and modified from the Shield Warriors. The harsh competencies of the Shield Warriors that required extremely powerful strength to perform had been modified and their combat capacity had also been increased. Although their offense and defense were not as outstanding as the Shield Warriors, they were more than capable in the face of these ordinary soldiers. And even though they were slow-moving due to their armor, they were still a huge threat to Nemo''s group.


    At the same time, loud, heavy clip-clops sounded from behind the heavily-armored soldiers. Shortly after, Nemo witnessed dozens of well-equipped Knights armed with long swords and shields darting towards them.


    Sh*t!


    Nemo felt that his hands and feet were as cold as ice. He wanted to turn around and flee immediately, but his intellect stopped himself from moving because he knew what the consequences would be if he turned his back from the Knights. The enemy was a well-trained and powerful army while his side was nothing more than a bunch of scattered remnants. They would be finished completely if they turned around and escaped.


    But what was the point of staying here? With their strength, would they be able to resist this clash?


    "Ha�� Ha�� Ha��"


    Nemo''s mind was entirely blank and his body wouldn''t listen to his commands. He watched the Knights approached him closer and the closer they were, the screamings in his ear seemed to muffle gradually. At this moment, only silence and death awaited him.


    We have to face this clash. At least��


    Nemo lifted his sword.


    But at this moment, something miraculous happened.


    A leading Knight, which appeared to be the captain, stopped moving suddenly. In the next moment, he fell off his horse like an uncontrollable puppet and not only him, but even the dozens of Knights around him fell off their horses simultaneously. The horses who had lost their riders were at a loss and they retreated to the sides while fleeing from the threats before them instinctively. The Knights lay on the ground motionlessly without the slightest sound.


    What happened?


    Nemo stared in bewilderment and almost immediately, this experienced swordsman spotted the arrows piercing the Knights'' necks.


    These arrows were shot from the side and not from the rear. In other words��


    "C-Captain!" The sergeant''s scream dragged Nemo out of his thoughts. Nemo looked ahead and spotted enemy figures approaching them. But surprisingly, their footsteps slowed down significantly, perhaps because the dozens of Knights in front of them were all dead in the blink of an eye and they began to advance cautiously. This was a great opportunity for Nemo to buy some time��


    "Everyone, retreat now!"


    "C-Captain, wait. Look there��" The sergeant grabbed Nemo''s arm and pointed towards the nearby woods.


    "What''s wrong? What happened��" Nemo turned around and stared at the sergeant. This bastard, doesn''t he know that we should seize every second in this critical juncture? Now that the enemies have slowed down their attacks��


    However, when Nemo turned his head towards the direction that the sergeant was pointing to, he trembled and froze on the spot.


    Dozens of fully armored soldiers strode out from deep in the dark woods. They were neither equipped with the chain armor of the Cloud Summit Garrison nor the armor of the Southern Legion. They held swords and wore black leather armor and cloaks as though sword-wielding ghosts wandering in the woods.


    Who are they?


    Nemo rubbed his eyes and scanned the strange visitors. He could confirm that their attire definitely didn''t belong to any of the legions that he was familiar with. Where did these people come from, and how did they get through the Southern Legion''s blockade?


    "Lion Legion." Rhode rode on the warhorse leisurely and looked down on the enemies in disdain. "These idiots are more anxious than I imagined. They haven''t settled their internal problems and yet they are here to devour Paphield greedily. They''re really not afraid of indigestion."


    Rhode let out a cold snort before gazing at Marfa''s stern expression. "As usual, I''ll leave them to you. Play with them a little."


    "Yes, Sir." The steady, experienced mercenary turned around and observed the chaotic battlefield and enemies nearby for a few moments. He reached out for his sword hanging by his waist and lifted it into the air. "Get ready! Form up, advance!"


    The teams dispersed quickly as though they had practiced countless times. When the mercenaries heard Marfa''s orders, they spread the distance between them swiftly. The originally concentrated formation seemed as loose as sand now and at this moment, the Lion Legion had detected these uninvited guests. Although the Lion Legion didn''t know the background of these people, they were sure that they were foes and not allies. Soon, some of the men in the Lion Legion split up and attacked from different sides.


    "What are they doing?!"


    Although Nemo wasn''t talented in military affairs, he was well informed about formations as an officer trained by the Royal Military Academy. Initially, he thought that these unknown reinforcements would attack the Lion Legion with a flank. But now, they actually choose to disperse? Did they choose to do that to avoid the arrows from the rear? As long as the enemies charge forward, wouldn''t they be finished?


    However, the next scene dropped Nemo''s jaws.


    Nemo witnessed that the soldiers were unmoved in the face of the Lion Legion''s attack. They posed with both hands on their sword hilt offensively. At the same time, a rain of arrows was released from the rear of the Lion Legion. Logically speaking, even though these strange soldiers didn''t intend to dodge, it would be totally normal for them to protect themselves by using shields or other objects. However, the soldiers were still holding onto their swords and paying attention to their enemies as though they didn''t see the arrows bombarding towards them. Even though their pace was steady and calm, Nemo knew that these reinforcements would be struck down by the arrows even before their confrontation began and the survivors would be completely overwhelmed by the lack of manpower and the loose formation.


    But this wasn''t the case.


    The arrows poured down like a rainstorm, but at the same time, a white radiance flashed over the soldiers. A translucent barrier unfolded from their side and shrouded them completely. The arrows weren''t able to hit their target. Instead, they were deflected as soon as they struck the barrier.


    "Defense Spell!" In an instant, Nemo thought that the reinforcements were the Sacred Knights. Even though their leather armor and attire were nothing made of protective iron, not anyone could cast a large range of defensive spell in an instant. Other than the Sacred Knights, Nemo had never seen a force with such formidable presence.


    The enemies didn''t expect such a twist and were flustered while they gazed at the unharmed soldiers. Although the enemies were fully armored, everyone knew that the effects of the defense barrier were much tougher than iron.


    At this moment, Nemo saw that the "strange soldiers" stopped moving. They simply raised their swords and brandished downwards. At this moment, it was apparent that the soldiers of the Lion Lion weren''t in their range of attacks.


    However, Nemo was dumbfounded by the next scene.


    Their blade airflow erupted and swept forward like a berserk whirlwind. Their spirit blades coalesced from high-pressured air and transformed into deadly gales. In a blink of an eye, the fully armored soldiers of the Lion Legion collapsed to the ground completely. Before they had the chance to confront their enemies, they had turned into a bloody mess of corpses.


    "��" Nemo and the soldiers around him were rooted in their place as though they had completely forgotten about their own terrible experiences. As soldiers, they certainly knew what that meant. Basic blade airflows might be somewhat threatening towards elite soldiers. However, most of the time they would be totally useless against the Lion Legion due to their heavy armor. But now, not only could these soldiers coalesced the blade airflow, but they could also sweep them forward as an attack. Their spiritual energy had reached a stage where the enemies'' heavy armor was just a thin sheet of paper!


    This couldn''t be achieved by just anyone and this degree of coalescing of the spiritual energy would at least require the peak of the Elite Stage.


    The swordsman in the peak of the Elite Stage was very rare in the military and these people would usually hold key appointments. Nemo had once witnessed a few powerful swordsmen in the Elite Stage taking up the role of captains and above in various legions and those who were close to the peak of the Elite Stage were extremely rare. It was as though Nemo were just an advanced swordsman and he was able to serve as the captain of the squadron.


    But now, there are 50 swordsmen in the peak Elite Stage and they actually formed an army?


    Where on earth did these ''reinforcements'' come from?

 Chapter 509 Paphield Battle 2

    In the blink of an eye, hundreds of Lion Legion soldiers were mashed into minced meat.


    Everyone was appalled. The heavily-armored soldiers and Knights focused their attention on the mysterious soldiers entirely. Although there wasn''t an overwhelming number of mysterious soldiers, their threat to the Lion Legion was far greater than the soldiers from the outpost.


    Soon, a sharp whistle screeched and the Knights shifted their positions and charged forward with their mighty swords. Meanwhile, the heavily-armored soldiers pursued closely from the rear to form a triangle formation, launching an assault toward the mysterious enemies.


    If the mysterious reinforcements were just ordinary soldiers, this attack would be enough to annihilate all 50 of them. But this wasn''t the case because, at this moment, several gray halos descended from the sky and shrouded them completely.


    "This is��" Nemo and his troops gawked unbelievably. The Lion Legion were just charging forward a second ago, but now, their movements had become incredibly slow. All of them seemed as though they were carrying a heavy boulder on their backs and almost simultaneously, white radiance emitted from the woods. The Knights wailed as they collapsed from their warhorses and while the soldiers lifted their swords in self-defense, dazzling blade rays emerged and weaved into an enormous net that slashed into them. The mysterious reinforcements regrouped their formation and accelerated forward. In a blink of an eye, their razor-sharp blades punctured the messy formation of the Lion Legion.


    "This is the power of the Cleric, Lize." Hidden in the deep woods, Rhode said as he watched the battle from a distance. The dozen of Clerics that Lize led were pale-faced as they gazed at the chaotic battlefield because they didn''t have any tactical literacy, let alone experience and understanding of battles. They stared uneasily when Rhode ordered Marfa and others to attack as there were up to 600 enemies from the terrifying legion while Rhode had less than two hundred mercenaries. Not to mention, Rhode had ordered only 50 mercenaries to attack and it seemed too risky for Lize and the Clerics.


    However, the next clash left them completely speechless. Even though the Clerics had no experience in battles, this advantageous situation was so obvious that even fools could recognize at a glance. The seemingly powerful and fully armored soldiers collapsed one by one as they couldn''t resist Marfa and the mercenaries at all. The enemies apparently had the numbers advantage and yet they couldn''t stop 50 mercenaries?


    All of this happened after Lize and the Clerics cast an AOE [Slow Curse].


    [Slow Curse] was the final spell Clerics learned after entering the Outer Circle and it was the first curse that had an AOE effect. Lize had never thought that such an insignificant spell could be hugely useful in battles.


    "This is unbelievable��" The young lady muttered blankly.


    On the other hand, Rhode was extremely calm. This was to be expected since the mercenaries had been affected by the special effects of the Sphere of Mystery''s [Harvest Field] and their strength had increased rapidly in a short period of time. Most of them were about level 39 now and they had surpassed the standards of the garrison in most areas and they could even compete against the elite army stationed by the borders. Furthermore, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary had even cast [Hidden Space] to create an array of different battlefields to train their PvP abilities. It would truly be a huge failure if they couldn''t even defeat these level 25 soldiers.


    However, Rhode did have a few regrets. Even though the mercenaries almost reached his level, there were still differences between natives and players. At this moment, Rhode was only about one to two levels above them, but he could defeat 30 of them without any issues. After all, the natives didn''t have talent trees and moreover, their skills and damage output had nothing to do with their levels at all. Therefore, they still wouldn''t be able to defeat Rhode even if they had transcended into the peak Elite Stage. Besides, Rhode was very clear that this level was perhaps their maximum. Although they were only two levels away from stepping into the Masters Stage, the difficulty of achieving these two levels was as hard as transcending into the heavens. Players could enter the Master or Legendary Stage as long as their EXP hit the requirement and just simply selecting their choice through the system interface. However, it was entirely different for the natives as their road to transcend through the stages was much more dramatic. They were as though the protagonist of a fantasy novel who needed to experience certain miracles or dedicated incidents in order to transcend their strength. Rhode had witnessed this with Lapis and even though Lapis''s current level was only 20, her Alchemist skills had reached the pinnacle and such illogical things could only happen on NPCs.


    Therefore, Rhode had given his best for these mercenaries to reach this level and other than letting them experience the atmosphere of battles, he could only resign himself to fate and see if any of them had hidden talents that could breakthrough like Lapis and Marlene. If Rhode were lucky, perhaps he could activate a personal quest and transcend the mercenaries into Master Stage.


    This wasn''t just pure guesswork because the game itself was set in this way. In the later stages of the game, many players had become regional overlords and had many NPCs under them. Sometimes, the player would also find some random, unique NPC quest and they could receive a powerful assistant from it. Rhode remembered that there was this lucky bastard of a player named ''Lecherous King'' who became an overlord. He recruited a massive number of female NPCs to become his castle maids and he did nothing but spend all his time surrounded by the female NPCs in the castle. As expected, he was ridiculed by the many envious players. But for some unknown reasons, he managed to activate an individual mission, which involved a little girl. After going through the adventure, the little girl awakened her bloodline and became a Holy White Elf. As a result, the player received the recognition of the Elf Kingdom and he signed a pact that allowed him to hire Elf Archers to defend his territory.


    This player''s encounters were posted on the forums and there were full of envious and jealous players. The Elf Kingdom was a neutral country and players seldom were able to seek assistance from the Elves. Yet, not only did this ''Lecherous King'' managed to secure himself an Elf wife, but he could also hire a harem of Elf ladies. Even Rhode was envious to the utmost degree.


    Rhode didn''t anticipate that he would meet such wonderful events and he would thank the heavens as long as half of these mercenaries could transcend into the Masters Stage. Of course, it would be even better if they could enter the Legendary Stage instantly. But was this even possible?


    Rhode felt that his mercenaries were still lacking in strength. But this was from the perspective of a player.


    In the game, players of five different classes and the equal levels could easily wipe out up to a hundred NPCs. This standard clearly exceeded the limits of the natives and due to this, these mercenaries in Rhode''s eyes needed to toughen further, gain more experience, and rely on luck. However, in the eyes of the enemies, these ''soldiers'' were nothing less than terrifying Demons who brandished their swords and sliced their enemies apart effortlessly. No one could resist their attacks and retaliate because their attacks would be deflected by the translucent barrier.


    Nothing was more depressing than being killed and not able to retaliate.


    Not only that, but rains of arrows were also released from the deep woods from time to time, and the enemy archers by the rear were killed.


    "Retreat! Retreat!" The Lion Legion couldn''t hang on any longer. The horn of retreat sounded and the soldiers withdrew frantically. No wonder these soldiers were so frightened. After all, their enemies were too mysterious and nothing was more terrifying than the unknown. Moreover, they had shown overpowering battle abilities and the morale of the Lion Legion soldiers dropped to an all-time low.


    "They''re bad in everything except escaping." Rhode shook his head. Players in the game hated it the most when the dying monster managed to escape. Much more powerful BOSSes had the self-respect to fight till their deaths, but the normal monsters and NPCs would flee immediately. It was still fine for the long-range players, but close-combat players would be pissed as they needed to give chase to deal the final blow.


    But Rhode was prepared for this.


    Rhode placed his fingers in his mouth and blew a long, sharp whistle. Marfa ordered his men to stop chasing and they began to sweep the battlefield for loot before regrouping. Then, Rhode led his group out of the woods slowly and shortly after, the miserable garrison approached him carefully.


    The Lion Legion had retreated.


    Nemo could hardly believe his eyes as he witnessed the enemies vanish into the woods. There was an instant when he wished to drop his sword and simply lie on the ground without a care in the world. But as a professional soldier, he suppressed this thought and scanned the reinforcements cautiously.


    As the earlier battle was too intense, Nemo hadn''t observed his ''allies'' carefully yet. Now that he had calmed down, he realized that these ''allies'' were indeed different from what he imagined.


    They wore pitch-black armor, capes, and held regular weapons. But Nemo discovered that these regular weapons weren''t that ordinary at all. As the sun illuminated the weapons, he observed the flickering reflections on the blades that didn''t seem to be from the sun. That was the radiance of magical weapons. Nemo had never seen a team equipped with 50 magical weapons. Even though the Battle Angel Army had plenty of magical weapons too, they were, after all, Angels and it was natural for them to wield incredible weapons. But there weren''t wings behind these peoples'' backs and they seemed more like mercenaries than Angels.


    But I don''t remember mercenaries with such organized discipline��


    Nemo heard a sharp whistle. The ''allies'' stopped their pursuit and began to sweep the battlefield for loot. Shortly after, a black-haired young man dressed in noble attire rode his horse out from the woods slowly, followed by a dozen archers with diagonal bows behind their backs. However, rather than Archers, they seemed more like Rangers. Not only that, Nemo spotted a dozen more Clerics and a young lady who didn''t match this bloody battlefield at all. The Clerics followed the black-haired noble closely while another young lady with an enormous shield with her hands behind her head and strolled alongside the Clerics casually.


    Noble, Rangers, Shield Warrior, Clerics, and Mercenaries.


    What an incredibly strange combination.


    Although Nemo felt suspicious, he eventually heaved a sigh of relief and slid his sword back into its sheath. Nemo tidied his tattered clothes before approaching the noble. Since they appeared to be allies, he had to greet them properly in case of any mishap.


    Nemo saluted in military-style towards the black-haired noble. "Thank you very much for your assistance. I am Nemo Serat, the Commander of the Cloud Summit Fortress Outpost. We are carrying out our defense mission. May I know who��"


    Nemo was startled because this noble appeared to be a beautiful young lady, but ''she'' was wearing a black men''s attire. What exactly was��


    "You''re welcome," Rhode nodded slightly. "I am Baron Rhode Alander from Paphield''s Land of Atonement. We''re abiding by Royal Highness Lydia''s order to provide assistance to the Cloud Summit defense line�� It seems that we came at the right time?"


    "Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Rhode. If it weren''t for your help, perhaps our outpost would''ve fallen into the enemies'' hands entirely��"


    Nemo heard Rhode''s surprisingly deep voice and let out an awkward cough. At this moment, Nemo''s troops had arrived by his side and they scanned the reinforcements curiously. The reinforcements were indeed formidable and not only that, the number of delicate young ladies within the team was enough to bless the soldiers'' eyes.


    "Don''t need to thank me. I''m just carrying out my duty as a Munn Kingdom noble. But��" Rhode scanned the patches of blood stains on the wounded soldiers behind Nemo and he reckoned that they must''ve been through a violent battle. Frankly speaking, Rhode didn''t expect a battle here because he thought that the Southern Nobles would prioritize their internal affairs first.


    It seemed that they hadn''t assembled their forces completely and this was their price to pay for initiating an ambush. Small-scale ambushes could catch the enemy off guard because the enemy wouldn''t notice them. However, the lack of manpower was also the fatality of these ambushes, which Rhode derived from their choice to retreat back then. If the Lion Legion had enough manpower, they didn''t even need to retreat. The tactic to attack with a sea of people would definitely be advantageous and the fact that they had fled instantly proved that the Southern Legion didn''t gather enough soldiers at the moment��


    But what were those people thinking about? Since they declared an independent country, there must be uncertainties within their internal department. Instead of appeasing their internal department, the Reformist Party chose to dispatch their soldiers into Paphield hurriedly. Were they trying to take advantage of this favorable situation or did they have other plans up their sleeves?


    Rhode knitted his brows before gazing at Nemo. "It seems that your troops are gravely wounded. If you need, I can dispatch my Clerics to treat their injuries. How''s that?"


    "Thank you so much!" Nemo was overjoyed at the unexpected good news. In fact, he had fixated his eyes on the Cleric young ladies since a while ago. Apart from their youthful, adorable appearance shimmering on this contrastingly bloody battlefield, the Clerics'' amazing healing spells were also well known to these military soldiers. The Clerics'' treatment would definitely beat the rough military first aid and the soldiers couldn''t ask for more to be treated by the beautiful ladies. Rhode turned around and beckoned for Lize and shortly after, all the Clerics strode over. Honestly, even though the young ladies had been through numerous battles, they still weren''t used to the bloody battlefields. Compared to looking at the corpses, they were better off treating the humans who were still alive.


    Rhode turned his gaze to the other side after Nemo led Lize''s group to the nearby outpost to treat the casualties. It was a total silence. "Joey, how''s the situation?"


    On the other side, a skinny figure emerged from the soulless ground. Joey pulled down his camouflage hoot and greeted. "Just as you''ve predicted, Boss. Those losers got away fast and we spent some time chasing up with them. They didn''t have the intentions to retaliate and they continued escaping to the riverside. I guess they are planning to set up camp there."


    "River?" Rhode twitched his brows. "The Dawn River?"


    "Yes, Boss," Joey replied firmly.


    I see.


    Rhode let out a snort. Moments ago, he was still wondering why the Reformist Party stirred up trouble that quickly and now he finally understood what they were up to after listening to Joey''s report. But, that''s fine too. At least those people won''t dare to attack the Cloud Summit Fortress for now.


    Rhode lifted his chin and gazed at the mountain range on the other side.


    Even though the current situation was looking grim for the Cloud Summit, it was a pity that Rhode didn''t come here just to defend against the enemies.

 Chapter 510 Paphield Battle 3

    The reinforcements of the Cloud Summit Fortress arrived shortly. After a brief explanation, Nemo''s group rotated roles with the reinforcements mainly because his soldiers were wounded and also he had to report to the Chief Commander about the situation. As a soldier himself, Nemo knew that soldiers and nobles usually didn''t see eye to eye with each other. Therefore, instead of letting the reinforcements lead Rhode''s group to the Cloud Summit Fortress, he was better off doing it himself.


    Along the way, Rhode asked Nemo about the recent happenings and Nemo expressed that he felt rather helpless. Although the Cloud Summit Fortress was considered one of the defensive lines for Paphield, their defensive forces wasn''t too strong, and this was due to the terrain of Paphield.


    As the center connecting the North-South, Paphield''s overall terrain was high in the west and low in the east like a triangular-shaped pie. The mountains in the west formed a solid barrier that connected with the Country of Darkness while the east side of the terrain was more gradual. The border on the south was a flat land with the Dawn River dividing both sides. It could be said that this border was easy to invade and hard to defend and it was also the hinterland of the kingdom. The main duties in the Fortress were searching and defending against bandits and other criminals. It was due to this and the current terrain that the Could Summit could hardly play any role for a military fortress. Therefore, most of them set up some outposts in the frontline and the fortress would regularly rotate soldiers there. Of course, although this could increase the stretch of defensive line and allow them to discover the stream of bandits quickly, the outpost was almost defenseless against a true military army.


    Due to this reason, when the news of the South declaring independence spread, the entire Fortress got into a mess. They were lacking in manpower in the first place and in order to defend against the Country of Darkness and the Country of Light, Lydia couldn''t possibly transfer the troops from the border to assist them. This left the Fortress Commander hopeless and in the end, he managed to gather a few of the outpost soldiers and he ordered them to send out signals as soon as they were ambushed in order for the Fortress to send reinforcements.


    This was the only solution left. The borderline between Paphield and Crosia was too long unlike the Land of Atonement with towering mountain range as its natural barrier. Rhode''s Fortress was established in the main path and he wasn''t afraid that enemies would bypass it. But now, it wasn''t difficult for the enemies to bypass the defense of the Cloud Summit. Frankly speaking, it was a somewhat troublesome matter to handle everything at once.


    "Sir Rhode, I think our Commander will be thrilled to see you. He has been grumbling about the lack of manpower all day�� The report that Golden City sent over seems to indicate that they can''t provide any more assistance. Although the military in the Cole Plateau and Morphis are getting ready, who knows how long they will take to arrive here��"


    Rhode remained silent as he rode his warhorse. It seemed that Lydia was truly ambitious. The Reformist Party knew how to perform and this Duchess was a great actress. In order to lower the mice''s vigilance, the Duchess actually treated this matter like nothing and she didn''t even mobilize any military troops. Just this amount of bravery itself was enough to move Rhode. If it were another ruler who knew that the Reformist Party were rebelling for independence, perhaps the ruler would dispatch his private army for safety''s sake. However, no matter how secretive the military mobilization was, there would always be information leakage. The Reformist Party was as described by Lydia: mice hiding in a hole immediately after hearing a cat''s meow and never resurfacing again.


    And in order to lure the mice, there must be a sumptuous meal before them. One could wipe them all out after they lost their vigilance and crawled out of their hole.


    There were many benefits to doing so, but it came with huge risks too.


    Lydia took the gamble and she even kept all her military personnel in the dark.


    But the results were great, nonetheless.


    If military personnel received the news and carried out various countermeasures orderly before the Reformist Party dispatched their soldiers, the Reformist Party would surely realize that the other party had taken precautions against themselves and they would be even more cautious. But now, it appeared as though the King''s Party wasn''t prepared for the ambush at all. This might be the reason why the Reformist Party was bold enough to attack Paphield.


    If that is really the case��


    Rhode gazed at the beautiful prairie with knitted brows. Due to the unique environment here, there would be thick, cloud-like fog every morning and night and this was where the name of Cloud Summit came from.


    Of course, from a player and traveler''s perspective, this place was absolutely stunning. However, this damn place was disgustingly dreadful for the soldiers stationed here. Fortunately, they were more familiar with this surrounding than their enemies were.


    As Rhode was guessing Lydia''s true intentions, the Cloud Summit Fortress emerged before their eyes.


    Rhode didn''t display any reaction when he first saw the Fortress. However, the mercenaries behind him were flabbergasted. Oh, Lord. They call this a Fortress?


    It wasn''t the magnificent, towering Fortress that they had imagined. Instead, it was an unusually low stone building of about three meters tall and its interior was utterly outmoded. A tattered, old-fashioned wooden door awaited them like a seriously ill and downcast patient leaning against the wall. The mercenaries suspected if the door couldn''t even be closed properly.


    The mercenaries didn''t see too many military Fortresses in their lives and they were most familiar with Rhode''s Fortress in the Land of Atonement. In their impressions, a military Fortress would be similar to the Fortress in the Land of Atonement with massive towering walls, bunkers, arrow towers, and various enormous buildings. However, this Fortress�� Perhaps the guild stronghold was much safer than this.


    "Uh�� Please don''t mind, Sir." Nemo witnessed the astonished expressions of the mercenaries and he let out an awkward cough. "This place isn''t highly regarded, so there usually wouldn''t be too many visitors�� Of course, it may also be a little unpleasant, but��"


    Rhode simply nodded because he knew that the soldiers here weren''t valued as much in this unloved border region.


    Everyone entered the shabby Fortress with heavy feet and shortly after, Rhode''s group was led to an empty field near the Fortress temporarily while Nemo went off to report the situation. The mercenaries didn''t have any thoughts about this treatment since they were used to spending the night in the open. On the other hand, Lize and the Clerics set up tents nimbly and no one grumbled about anything.


    Very good.


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. A team with fighting strength had to have the spirit to endure hardships and this was the priority that Rhode had Canary and Mini Bubble Gum arrange their training. Now, it seemed that the results were showing. Aside for Lize, who had begun her mercenary life since a long time ago, the other Clerics who were roped in by Rhode from the Mercenary Association had no prior experience with such living conditions. Rhode recalled when he first led these young ladies into the Silent Plateau, some of them vomited right after they exited the chariot. But now, their calm, steady selves were no different from the experienced mercenaries.


    "I didn''t expect that we''d be battling in such a place." An alluring and quick-witted voice sounded in Rhode''s ear. He turned around and spotted Gillian approaching him with a graceful smile. Her ears twitched non-stop as her fluffy tail swayed side to side. On the way here, this Fire Elemental Lord had attracted a lot of attention. "The squalor speaks for itself and the quality of this defensive line isn''t strong too�� Master, are you sure we can stop the mice from here?"


    "All we have to do is to do our part," Rhode twitched his brows slightly as Gillian seemed much more honest ever since Canary and Mini Bubble Gum existed in this world. However, a leopard can''t change its spots and this little fox didn''t dare to do anything in front of Canary. The fact that Rhode brought her here seemed to have excited her��just look at how her tail was swaying so happily.


    "That doesn''t sound like something that you would say. Master, I think you should have understood what Little Lydia is planning, right?" Gillian winked at Rhode and revealed a strange smile. "If you perform too well, perhaps Little Lydia will be disappointed, oh. And you will lose the chance of crawling into her bed."


    "What do you mean by crawling into her bed? That sounds awful." Rhode''s expression sunk slightly.


    "Ah, sorry, Master. I should say that the chance of Little Lydia crawling into your bed instead." Gillian stuck her tongue out cheekily.


    "Yes, that''s more like it." Rhode nodded in satisfaction after hearing Gillian''s seriousness in changing her words. Even though Rhode had many loyal subordinates in this world, there were not many who he could hold a conversation with casually. Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Gillian were the only ones who dared to joke with Rhode without dividing their superiority. On this continent, one''s concept of social class was definite and one would speak according to one''s social class. Even a cheerful soul like Joey dared to joke harmlessly with Rhode, but he would never dare to make a joke out of Lydia.


    Rhode wasn''t disrespectful towards Lydia, but he always felt that the generation gap between these aborigines was due to this reason. As a player, he preferred the kind of unfettered, fearless momentum that belonged to the players. Although they might respect or adore an aborigine, they wouldn''t worship her as a god and they wouldn''t worry about offending the other party.


    This was why he could gossip jokingly about Lydia with Gillian and Canary or discuss how much he hated the Parliament and the silly, cowardly Light Dragon Soul. However, aborigines, including Marlene, would express their resentment tactfully and wouldn''t express their hatred bluntly.


    Of course, jokes were only jokes.


    "M-Mr. Rhode," Lize hesitated as Rhode was having a conversation with Gillian. However, she continued to approach him, nonetheless. "Erm�� I heard you were asking for me?"


    "That''s right, Lize." Rhode turned around and spotted her uncomfortable expression. He pondered for a while before replying. "Inform Joey and Randolf to get ready. Even though we may not be required to take action, we won''t just sit by idly. Also, since Marlene isn''t around, you shall take over her adjutant rule. When I''m not around, you shall give orders. Understood?"


    "Okay, Mr. Rhode�� Huh?!" Lize nodded subconsciously before she widened her eyes in disbelief. "M-Mr. Rhode, you want me to be your adjutant?"


    "That''s right; are there any issues?"


    "B-But, I��" Lize stuttered and an unprecedented fear grew in her heart as she gazed at the giggling Gillian. Lize was very clear of what the duties of an adjutant entailed. However, she had never thought that she could do it. She wasn''t Marlene and she wasn''t as capable as her. The thought of her giving a wrong command due to her bad judgment that would lead to the deaths of many sent chills down her spine. Furthermore, this overwhelming pressure had almost let her breathless.


    "Mr. Rhode, I-I can''t do it�� I think Miss Gillian will be a much more suitable choice. I��"


    "Sorry, Little Lize, I''m busy enough warming up Master''s bed and I don''t have time to take over other tasks oh~"


    "The weather is warm enough, so I don''t need anyone there to disturb my sleep," Rhode glared at Gillian before turning towards Lize. "I have decided and I won''t change my mind. Gillian has her own duties and you can discuss your options with her if you can''t make up your mind."


    Rhode cut off Lize''s explanations and he could see pressure, fear, and worries in the young lady''s eyes. However, he had to do this because ever since Marlene had left, Rhode had been trying to find the right person to take over her role. He thought that Lize had the potential as she had always been extra meticulous about her tasks and her exquisite display of Cleric skills proved that she wasn''t a careless person.


    Besides, she had the most seniority amongst the mercenaries and seniority meant everything. She didn''t need to worry about the mercenaries disobeying her orders. Moreover, a Cleric would always be a staunch support to the mercenaries. Of course, even though Lize seemed to be lacking proper judgment in general situations, Rhode wished that she could act as an adjutant and fill up Marlene''s spot. Lize''s only flaw now was her lack in self-confidence.


    But this wasn''t an excuse for her shrink away.


    "That settles it." Rhode gestured forcefully and Lize could only close her gaping mouth and nod in silence before returning to her tent.


    "Is this fine, Master? Little Lize seems a little sad."


    "She has to grow up and not continue to live under the shadow of a large tree," Rhode said softly with knitted brows."Besides, this isn''t good for her in the long run."


    On the other side, Nemo had completed his reporting in the shabby room. He stood before the table and gazed at the Fortress Commander, who had fiery-red long hair and an unbuttoned commander''s uniform draped over his shoulders negligently. His face was full of slovenly beard stubble and he leaned against the chair with his legs resting on the table.


    "Hmm�� You''re saying that these people have the strength of a peak Elite? And the Lion Legion was so battered that they couldn''t even retaliate?"


    "Yes, Sir. Besides, they have used some odd tactics�� And I never imagined Clerics to be this useful for battles��"


    "That sounds interesting. I can''t imagine those harmless young ladies killing their enemies on the battlefield. Did they use their tiny fists? Haha, what a funny joke."


    "��" Nemo shrugged his shoulders hopelessly because he knew that this Commander had such a personality. The Commander got out of his seat and tidied his rumpled clothes with both hands.


    "Alright, thanks for the report, Nemo. I shall go and greet our respectful guests now." The Commander paused for a moment before revealing a ruminating smile. "By the way, is that Rhode�� really beautiful?"

 Chapter 511 Paphield Battle 4

    Marlene placed the book down gently.


    She lifted her head and gazed at the room stacked with thick, ancient books. Under the beaming magical radiance, this luxuriously-decorated room gave her a sense of security. Princess-like bed with scarlet satin, velvety mattress and tall bookshelves by the side��this was Marlene''s room before she left Golden City.


    Incredible.


    Marlene smiled as she slid her fingers across the books gently. She had grown up here since she was born and she still remembered facing the wide, french window while practicing her aristocratic etiquette. She also recalled sitting in front of bookshelves that were much taller than her as she struggled to flip over the ancient magical books made of thick papers. She couldn''t forget the scenes when her magical practices succeeded or failed. All these memories should have been clearer than water in her mind, but instead, Marlene felt somewhat unfamiliar when she returned to this room and she had even suspected she entered the wrong room. Her room wasn''t this clean, gorgeous, and peaceful and there should have been a dense green forest and baby-blue clouds floating above outside the windows. Then, she quickly realized that that room belonged in the Land of Atonement and not here.


    It''s so strange. I''ve lived here for most of my life and it actually feels so unfamiliar compared to the room I stayed in for less than half a year.


    "Marlene." A deep male voice sounded and Marlene turned around hurriedly to greet the senior politely. "Father�� Long time no see."


    The senior revealed a lonely, yet proud smile. "Yes�� It''s been a while, my child. Even though you didn''t leave Golden City for a long time, it feels like a decade for me. But I''m glad to see that you''re living a happy life."


    Marlene lowered her head and gazed at her feet shyly. Even though her Father didn''t specifically mention any names, Rhode was the first person she thought of instantly. In the beginning, Marlene thought that Rhode was the fated one that she needed to serve for her life and back then, she had a sense of curiosity and duty towards him. But as time slowly went by, Marlene realized that her feelings toward that man had changed. A change in affections that she had never experienced before.


    "My daughter has grown up��" The senior gazed at Marlene proudly. As her Father, he definitely didn''t ignore what his daughter truly wanted to hide. Although the Senia Family always followed their ancient rules and he, as the Patriarch of the family, had to set an example, Marlene was his only child and nobody expected her to be in misfortune with her intelligence, beauty, and obedience. Although it was said that if sacrifices were to be made and the Patriarch would inevitably choose to sacrifice Marlene, it was impossible for him to feel no contradiction in his heart.


    And now, seeing that his daughter was safe and sound and living without any sorrow, the Patriarch felt at ease entirely.


    Chicks would eventually need to leave their nest.


    "Alright, my daughter, I''m here to praise you. You performed well during the Ring of Magic meeting and we have unanimously decided to try out the ''Final Pike'' for this internal battle. You shall be their commander and represent the Senia Family. I think this should be an easy task for you, right?"


    "Of course, Father." Marlene revealed a confident look of determination. "I promise you that I will live up to our family''s expectations. This is my obligation and also my duty."


    "You''re still as eager as ever." The senior caressed her long hair and held her shoulder. "Marlene, you''re still young and you shouldn''t bear all the responsibilities by yourself. We all know what Royal Highness Lydia wants to do, so��" The senior paused for a while. And when he was about to continue, Marlene smiled and shook her head. "I understand what you mean, Father. In fact, I have discussed this matter with Rhode before I returned home. I understand that this battle will not end that easily. At least for now, we do not have a reason to end this battle as soon as possible."


    "Oh?" The senior''s eyes brightened. "He said that?"


    "Yes, Father." Marlene nodded and revealed a proud expression. Indeed, before Marlene headed back into Golden City, she had discussed the current situation with Rhode. Back then, Rhode had reminded her that there was a possibility that Royal Highness Lydia wouldn''t end this battle quickly. Marlene couldn''t really understand, however, most of the things that she heard and observed after she returned to Golden City confirmed Rhode''s guesses. "That''s why you don''t need to worry about me. I am the heir of the Senia Family and since this is my fate, I will bear the corresponding responsibilities. This is my choice and I''ve never regretted from the start."


    "I understand now��" Gazing at the young lady''s shimmering, determined eyes, the senior nodded with a satisfied smile. "It seems that you''re very confident in him. Frankly speaking, I''m confident in him too. So then, my daughter. Since you''ve decided, have you thought of your next step? I have received news that he arrived at the Cloud Summit Fortress with his subordinates after repelling the Reformist Party. If you want to head over there, you should get ready soon."


    Marlene didn''t respond immediately this time. Instead, she pondered for a while before lifting her head again. "That''s not necessary, Father. I''ve chosen my destination��Flourishing Blossom. I will bring the ''Final Pike'' there for the defense aid mission."


    "Oh?" the Patriarch squinted. "Why would you choose to go to that terrible place? If you don''t intend to meet him, I suggest you go to Berwana instead. They''re facing the frontline of the Reformist Party and I can request the Chief there to take care of you��"


    "That''s not necessary, but thanks for your concern, Father." Marlene shook her head. "Although I don''t intend to meet Rhode, I, after all, am his adjutant. As an adjutant, coordinating with my superior''s operations is my duty. Besides, heading into Flourishing Blossom will be a good choice for me."


    Marlene pressed on her wrist and stroked the colorful bracelet.


    I wonder how''s Lize doing��


    At this moment, the young lady that Marlene was thinking about was feeling dispirited and uncertain. She trembled in fear as she sat before a map presented on the table as though it were a profound exam question.


    "Do you understand, Little Lize? You, as an adjutant, aren''t only responsible for passing on Master''s orders, but also notice things that Master overlooks. Master doesn''t have three heads and six arms, so he can''t attend to everything personally, understand? As an adjutant, your responsibility is to help Master notice things that he overlooks and make amendments."


    "B-But��" Lize looked at Gillian who was smiling craftily. "What if I misjudge the situation? What if I think too much and in turn, mess up Mr. Rhode''s orders?"


    "If you''re always thinking about these, you will forever not be able to assume personal responsibility, Lize," Rhode replied firmly as he scanned at the military map that the garrison had provided them. Of course, in this era, there was nothing to clearly mark the latitude and longitude. Therefore, the map appeared to be rough and crude. However, Rhode didn''t need to rely on the map because he had been to the Cloud Summit more than once and it could be said that he understood this place more than the garrison. The most important purpose of this map was to train Lize''s map reading skills and no matter if she was willing or not, she had to assume her personal responsibilities in the end. "Don''t forget, you have Clerics under your lead. Even if you''re not my adjutant, you must also be responsible for their lives. This is the truth that you should''ve faced a long time ago, Lize��"


    At this moment, Joey entered the tent with a strange expression. He gazed at Gillian and Lize before finally turning towards Rhode. "B-Boss, sorry to disturb you�� That�� Commander of the Cloud Summit Fortress wants to have a chat with you."


    "Oh? Invite him in, then."


    "No, erm�� Boss, he wants you to speak to him outside��"


    Rhode knitted his brows and stood up. "Alright, I will go over now."


    Rhode exited the tent and he spotted the figure outside the mercenaries'' camp almost instantly. It wasn''t because Rhode paid close attention to him; instead, it was because the man was too eye-catching. A full head of messy, upright fiery-red hair, filthy attire, and a face full of wild beard stubble. This unsophisticated man in the commander uniform stood there sloppily.


    Rhode took a closer look at him and he displayed a look of disgust instantly.


    Damn it, why is it him!


    Rhode knew this man as a future high-ranking military officer of the Munn Kingdom: ''Red Fox'' Garcia.


    He was born in poverty and joined the army at an early age. Then, he was promoted step by step and finally became an outstanding general of the Munn Kingdom. Similar to Rhode, this person was best at gaining surprising victories and neither of them liked to pursue frontal confrontation. Instead, they were very enthusiastic about using means such as backstabbing and drugs. In the game, Garcia fully demonstrated his ability against the Country of Darkness. He once personally led an elite force to penetrate the enemy''s rear and delayed the progress of the Undead Army while protecting refugees who were escaping into Golden City successfully. But unfortunately, this Commander was lacking in strength. In the end, he didn''t return safely from the rear of the Undead Army and was annihilated completely.


    But even though he was a tragic hero in the Munn Kingdom, none of the players had favorable impressions on this ''Red Fox''. In fact, there were many debates surrounding this man and everyone eventually stopped calling his original nickname. Overseas players gave him the nickname ''Red Beard'' while the local players harbored malicious intentions and named him ''Lord Long Yang''.


    According to the players'' investigations, this sloppy fellow actually liked young people. Specifically speaking, he was a pervert who liked young men.


    Rhode still remembered that many players had posted on the forums and grumbled about Garcia''s indecent behaviors. In fact, he also abused his official authority for his private interests and had taken advantage of many male players, leaving the male players furious and hateful towards him. In the end, almost no male player dared to accept missions where Garcia was involved.


    Damn it. Although Rhode didn''t know where this pervert had been mixing around before he was promoted, he shouldn''t have been in the Cloud Summit!


    Rhode cursed secretly. If he knew this pervert was here, he wouldn''t have come to this damn place. But now�� What unnecessary trouble!


    Rhode sulked and approached the man like a drifting ghost. As Rhode appeared in the Red Fox''s sight, Rhode saw a sudden glint in his gloomy eyes, which disgusted him. Shortly after, Garcia reacted by scratching his hair and saluting inappropriately. "Nice to meet you, dear Mr. Rhode. I am the Commander of Cloud Summit Fortress, Garcia. I represent my men to thank you for your support. I never imagined that I would see such an enthusiastic noble on the frontlines. Frankly speaking, I''m really amazed."


    Garcia didn''t appear to be as obscene and perverted as the rumors described him to be. Rhode gazed at him coldly and tidied his attire at the same time.


    From the bystander''s perspective, both of them appeared extremely different. Garcia smiled mischievously and didn''t possess the solemness that a Fortress Commander should have while Rhode''s expression was ice-cold, stern, and he was standing straight in his neat, flat noble attire.


    "There''s nothing to thank us for, Mr. Garcia," Rhode said. "I am just doing my part for the Munn Kingdom and I don''t deserve your praise. Besides, the current situation is truly urgent and I hope to understand more about the deployment for the Cloud Summit. After all, the terrain here is extremely dangerous and any inattentiveness will lead to more problems. I think we should strengthen the defensive line before discussing other problems now."


    "That''s for sure, Mr. Rhode." Although Rhode spoke in a harsh tone and it sounded as though he was a superior giving orders to his subordinate, Garcia continued to smile cheekily and shrugged. "You''re right about that. We do need to consider this�� But how about spending the afternoon in the Fortress preparing a sumptuous dinner to welcome everyone''s arrival and express our gratitude. By then, we can discuss the problems again. What do you think?"


    "Thanks for your kind offer, but I don''t think now is the time to organize such an event. The Southern Legion''s threat is nearing and besides, I think the current forces in the Cloud Summit hasn''t reached a stage where we can be free of worries yet."


    "Of course, just as you''ve said, Mr. Rhode. But to be honest, it is also due to this reason that the atmosphere in the Fortress is very tense. Sure, feeling tense is necessary for soldiers. However, if we don''t let them relax, they might collapse to the stress��"


    Tsk. How annoying.


    Rhode knitted his brows as he had enough of this man''s nonsense. If it was possible, he wished to have nothing to do with him.


    At this moment, as though granting Rhode''s wish, a soldier ran over frantically. "Sir! Sir! Those guys are attacking again! It''s the Northern defensive line this time! We can''t hold on much longer!"


    The smile on Garcia''s face faded instantly. However, it re-emerged once again as he turned towards Rhode. "I''m sorry, Mr. Rhode. It seems that your feast will need to be postponed. If you don''t mind, let''s fight them together."

 Chapter 512 Paphield Battle 5

    The Southern Legion was aggressive with their approach. As everyone was getting into position, another soldier reported that two more outposts were raided and they sought reinforcements from the Fortress.


    Two raids within a day showed how critical the current situation was. However, Rhode wasn''t caught off guard at all. Even though Lydia''s acting was impressive, there would always be two sides to a story. She didn''t mobilize the military army on purpose and had also created a facade of the border defense. To the Reformist Party, this was the best opportunity for them to strike. But this would also cause them problems. The emptiness of the Northern defensive line had exceeded their expectations and due to this reason, they were as though facing a huge cake which they didn''t know where to start biting from.


    But even so, the Reformist Party didn''t choose to let this opportunity slip because they knew that speed was a crucial asset in times of war. If they delayed for too long, it wouldn''t be that easy for them to invade Paphield if Royal Highness Lydia had gathered the noble private armies and military troops. Fortunately for them, the forces in the Northern defensive line were weaker and furthermore, their military power was distributed and it was impossible for them to come up with effective defensive means.


    The Reformist Party was tempted to take advantage of the enemies'' precarious position. With such an enormous cake before them, the Reformist Party would rather grab chunks and force them down their throats like barbarians than to prepare their dining table and chairs before slicing them meticulously. If that had happened, the cake would have been taken back by the enemies�� Even though they would have bad table manners, at least the cake would be in their stomachs, right?


    Due to this reason, although the Reformist Party didn''t have enough military forces to occupy the region, they would have no problems dealing with the fatigued soldiers with their current strength. If they delayed any further�� No one could guarantee their success.


    Rhode gazed at Garcia who was listening to the report attentively, unlike his previous slipshod self. It seemed like the Southern Legion''s aggression had exceeded his expectations. However, Rhode wasn''t too surprised about it because, after all, his men had resisted their attack once and the Southern Legion must have realized that they didn''t belong to the military through their attire. This surely signaled to the Southern Legion that reinforcements were gathering towards the Paphield defensive line.


    In turn, the Southern Legion would surely feel nervous because since they had faced a team of reinforcements here, it might mean that there would be even more reinforcements joining in.


    Currently, both sides lacked manpower. The Southern Legion held a ''slight'' advantage and they wouldn''t want to hand this advantage over to the enemies. Therefore, they might as well launch another attack before their enemies managed to establish a stable footing and devour as much as they could. This was one of the options open for the Southern Legion.


    "I''m still grateful towards you for your help earlier, Mr. Rhode. But it seems like it would have been better if you and your men had arrived a little later." Garcia shrugged and the sloppy expression revealed itself once again. He stared at Rhode with a mocking smile. "I understand the situation, but I shouldn''t be the one bearing this responsibility. Besides, I can only say that the enemies are too foolish."


    Even though this Red Fox appeared perverted in many aspects, Rhode admitted that he had sharp observations. After listening to the report, Garcia understood why the Southern Legion would launch such a violent attack out of a sudden. Initially, he intended to tease Rhode a little, but after seeing Rhode remain unmoved, Garcia gave up on the idea.


    Interesting. I heard that this pretty boy is highly valued by Royal Highness and this isn''t baseless, it seems.


    "So then, Mr. Rhode, you surely wouldn''t mind accepting this next mission��"


    Azure Riverbank.


    The crystal-clear river washed the ghastly bloodstain on the battlefield while the sunset dyed the entire riverbank in scarlet.


    "Damn it, stop looting the corpses! Ignore them and move. Go!" A middle-aged man riding on a horse berated his men as he urged them to move on with his lifted, shimmering sword. Beside him was a large red flag with the pattern of a black panther pouncing on its prey fluttering in the strong wind.


    The bunch of Lion Legion idiots is truly useless.


    The man let out a cold snort as he gazed at the disorderly battlefield. If those idiots weren''t defeated by the enemies, why would I even be here to wipe their asses? Fine then. I shall let the headquarters see the difference between true soldiers and this bunch of worthless idiots. The Black Panther Legion isn''t as weak and incompetent as the Lion Legion. I will make sure those brats see the tremendous difference between true soldiers and powerless trash like them!


    "Move forward and don''t stop!" The man berated as he gripped the reins and darted forward on his horse.


    No one noticed that at the edge of the river bank, a fog gradually emerged.


    "Boss, they''ve passed the riverbank," Joey squatted by the shrub and chewed a straw that he had just put in his mouth. He observed the situation before him with unconcealable anxiousness. "East, South, and West. All three directions have been raided. It seems like they are looking to surround the Cloud Summit Fortress."


    The shadows of the woods shrouded Rhode completely as he stood on a nearby hillside behind Joey and scanned the riverbank ahead. Garcia gathered all his troops and gave Rhode a strangely important mission. No matter what, the Cloud Summit Fortress was the only military installation nearby and it would be best for the enemies if they could expropriate it for their own. Furthermore, the attackers would normally need to have three times more manpower than the defenders in order to besiege successfully and Rhode suspected that Garcia''s troops wouldn''t stand even a chance against their them. However, this wasn''t a problem that Rhode should be concerned about. Since that sloppy man had spoken some big words, Rhode could only watch from the sidelines and it didn''t matter much to him since the one dying wouldn''t be him.


    At this moment, Randolf slid through the forest swiftly with his pitch-black wooden bow and arrived by Rhode''s side. "Sir, they''re here."


    "Good." Rhode gestured in response and in an instant, the bushes behind him shook slightly and everything returned to its tranquility.


    Scuttling footsteps sounded.


    Several scouts darted through the woods and they stopped to disperse and search in the woods. Rhode didn''t conceal himself; instead, he took a few steps back and he was completely enveloped in darkness. Then, he continued to observe the scouts in the distance.


    "��!" Lize stood beside Rhode with a pale complexion. She placed one of her hands on her chest while the other grabbed onto Rhode''s sleeve as her eyes were fixated on the scouts in the distance. Rhode had consoled Lize earlier that the scouts wouldn''t discover them. After all, they were much stronger than the scouts and with the Rangers and Thieves, who were experts in concealment, around, the scouts wouldn''t be able to detect them through any traces and clues. However, Lize was still worried regardless. She stared fixedly at the human figures sweeping the woods as she was afraid that she would be spotted by them. There were even a few times when the young lady felt that her heart was pounding so hard that it would pump out of her chest and she almost screamed innately. This wasn''t normal for a mercenary that had experienced multiple battles. But Lize also knew that it was the pressure of her responsibilities that made her this nervous�� responsibilities that she had never bear before.


    The scouts weren''t able to detect any problems and shortly after, the scouts left before their eyes. A few moments later, a team of fully armored soldiers that appeared to be well-trained and full of murderous spirit darted across from the riverbank. It was apparent that these soldiers had just experienced a fierce battle since the claret bloodstain on their helmets hadn''t dried completely.


    It seemed like the soldiers that stayed behind were dead.


    Rhode twitched his brows. It wasn''t surprising that the Cloud Summit garrison had suffered a miserable defeat as they didn''t have the numbers against the enemies and their strength in battle was far worse. After receiving the report from Nemo, Garcia gave up the idea of providing assistance instantly and decisively recalled all his troops in order to confront the enemies in the Cloud Summit Fortress instead.


    It seemed like even though this future hero wasn''t famous yet, his commanding standards were as great as ever.


    Rhode felt uncomfortable whenever he thought of Garcia''s ''fiery'' eyes. Although Garcia didn''t tease Rhode in words, his overly passionate and creepy gaze had revealed his true thoughts. Rhode would have killed him if it was possible. But now�� He was glad that he didn''t need to battle alongside him at least.


    "Sir, they''ve left." Randolf deep voice sounded along with the cold breeze. Rhode gazed at the last soldier who vanished from his view. At this moment, the sky had darkened completely as the final rays of sun disappeared into the horizon. Almost immediately after, the five-colored aurora from the Light Dragon Soul emerged and brought beautiful colors to the earth.


    "Good." Rhode gestured to Joey and in response, Joey let out a few deep hoots by placing his fingers on his lips. Shortly after, the shadows behind Rhode wavered and they emerged one after another.


    Rhode waved his hand and they blended into the shadows once again.


    Under the night sky, the woods returned to its usual serenity and at the same moment, thin fog emerged gradually.

 Chapter 513 Paphield Battle 6

    "I didn''t expect those bastards to look up to me." Garcia whistled as he eyed the ignited flames in the distance with a smirk while squatting by the incomparably crude wall. The sea of flames gave him an illusion of tens of thousands of soldiers surrounding them. Although there seemed to be about a thousand soldiers in the Cloud Summit Fortress, their active manpower without considering the wounded soldiers was in fact much fewer. According to the outpost reports, there were at least 3000 soldiers encircling the Fortress right now.


    The soldiers who stood behind their slipshod Commander couldn''t admire this rare night view as casually as him. In the brightly-lit Fortress, soldiers were moving supplies, laying slabs, blocking up gates, and repairing damaged walls to toughen it as much as possible.


    Although they were very clear that it might not be effective, it was better than not doing anything.


    But how long could they hang on for?


    No one knew the answer.


    "We will definitely take down this Fortress before dawn!" Thon slammed his fist onto the military map before him as he glared at his men with bloodshot eyes. However, the soldiers'' reactions disappointed him hugely. As the Southern Legion Chief Commander responsible for the Paphield war zone, Thon wasn''t influential enough for these veterans. Even though the veterans stood respectfully, Thon knew that they didn''t take his words seriously.


    Thon knew that he wouldn''t be accepted that easily because he used to be an ordinary high-ranking military officer of the Southern Legion and only after the Reformist Party declared their independence, he chose to join the ranks of the Reformist Party. Due to this reason, the Reformist Party appointed him as the acting Commander of the Southern Legion in charge of invading the frontline battles in Paphield. Thon took on a new lease of life and became the superior of his many companions.


    Many veterans within the Southern Legion were displeased because this man who had always been on equal footing with them had suddenly become their superior despite not having any notable achievements. However, as those who stood behind Thon were mainly from the Reformist Party, they could only suck it up even though they weren''t convinced. Thon was aware and this stirred his hunger for achievements even more. If he could perform outstandingly well in the battle, perhaps it wouldn''t be just a dream anymore if he could convince the Reformist Party to remove the ''acting'' title successfully.


    Initially, Thon wasn''t too concerned about this battle in Paphield because everyone knew that the Northern defensive line was weak and had distributed forces. Without needing spies, they were sure that there wasn''t anything worth their concern. Thon predicted that as long as he fought steadily, he could take down the Cloud Summit in no time and by then, he could launch an all-out attack on Paphield using this Fortress as the starting point. After their attack succeeded, he could rely on his feats in occupying the Cloud Summit Fortress and dominating the regions to propose his conditions and requests in order to attain better benefits and reputation��


    But this dream wasn''t as easily attainable as he had imagined.


    Thon was appalled after he received the news that the Lion Legion had been defeated. Even though the Lion Legion had often been jocularly named as the ''Young Masters'' Army'', Thon prized them as experts in frontal attacks and clashes. He couldn''t believe that they had been defeated in their expertise.


    Thereafter, Thon felt an unprecedented pressure after hearing the battle descriptions from the retreated soldiers. There was a group of about 50 peak Elite swordsmen with formidable strength and furthermore, they weren''t even the garrisons of the Northern defensive line.


    Rhode had predicted that Thon would begin to fear that he wouldn''t be able to accomplish his mission. The reinforcements of the King''s Party were also arriving soon and if Thon spared them more time, perhaps he would have a problem maintaining the safety of this defensive line, not to mention invading Paphield.


    Thon changed his plans at the very last minute and led an attack towards the Cloud Summit Fortress instead. As long as he could take down the Fortress, it would be his victory. He had received news that within three days, the remaining troops would be transported over from the rear. Hence, if he could seize this chance to gain control over the Fortress, his position within the military would be even more stable.


    However, Thon was annoyed by the fact that his troops didn''t seem willing to listen to his command.


    Especially the Lion Legion��they had suffered grave losses in their previous battle and it seemed that this became part of the reason why they were afraid of the enemies. Thon had arranged for soldiers to search for enemies, but these soldiers shirked responsibilities by using all sorts of excuses and in the end, only a detachment was dispatched while the others sought excuses to stay behind and treat their wounded companions. Normally, those who resisted military orders would be beheaded instantly but they were fortunate that Thon didn''t have the time for that. Even though everyone seemed to be listening to commands, they didn''t have a firm foundation to begin with. After losing the restriction and authority of the King''s Party, there was no lack of conflicts between the three legions. If Thon punished the resistive soldiers accordingly, perhaps his troops would crumble even before the Paphield reinforcements arrived.


    Fortunately for him, it was also due to this internal conflict that the remaining two legions were quite interested in snatching the outstanding military achievements from the Lion Legion and mock them wickedly. However, this still didn''t mean that they were willing to obey commands obediently.


    "Follow according to the plan. Black Panther Legion will be in charge for the first wave of attack. Falcon Legion, I need you to divert the enemy''s attention from the sides by shooting arrows. This Fortress seems run-down and it''s impossible for them to resist. Lion Legion will shield you from the side and remember, we have to take down the Cloud Summit Fortress as quickly as possible. Only this way, we can��"


    "What about those mysterious and powerful guests?" Before Thon finished his orders, a thin man with an aquiline nose interrupted with a harsh, peculiar tone. At the same time, he gazed at the ashen-faced companion with a taunting look. "They managed to defeat the power�� ful Lion Legion vanguard. If our information is right, they have at least 50 peak Elite Swordsmen. By the way, they seem to also have bizarre spellcasters and archers�� Even though I don''t know how many there are�� ''Sir'' Thon, don''t you think your plan lacks consideration?"


    Go to hell. You damn vulture.


    Thon leered at the man before him. Do I even need you to remind me of it? But in fact, Thon didn''t have too great of a counter solution for it. After all, he couldn''t even put a hand to the specific number of enemies and the only thing reliable was that the enemies shouldn''t have a lot of manpower. If not, they wouldn''t have dispatched only 50 of them. With such capabilities, the entire vanguard of the Lion Legion would be destroyed if they had sent over a 100 men.


    "No matter how strong they are, they are limited in manpower. Stay pragmatic." This was all that Thon advised and the man with an aquiline nose let out a snort before stepping away while the remaining two men also left the tent. Thon knitted his brows and turned his gaze towards the Cloud Summit Fortress in the distance. Under the night sky, this run-down Fortress seemed like it would crumble with a push of a finger.


    I hope it will be this successful during the battle.


    Thon let out a long sigh before calling for his men. "Get ready to battle!"


    The sound of the bugle-horns filled the entire woods.


    Lize turned towards the direction where the bugle-horns sounded and an uncertain look displayed on her face. "Mr. Rhode, they are��"


    "It seems that the Southern Legion is more anxious than we have expected." Compared to the nervous Lize, Rhode swept a glance casually as though he was unconcerned with the happenings. "I hope this is within the predictions of that Mr. Garcia. But we just have to do our part. Lize, don''t stop moving. Don''t waste any more time if you want to save them."


    "Yes�� Mr. Rhode. But�� where are we heading to?"


    "A place where the Southern Legion will never imagine."

 Chapter 514 Paphield Battle 7

    The sky darkened.


    Rhode leaned forward and looked at the flickering torches in the distance while white fog drifted around him. This was the characteristic of the Could Summit. Every single day from spring to winter, fog would form every night and it wouldn''t dissipate until the sun rose the next day. However, the concentration of the fog differed at times. Sometimes, the fog would be as thick as a wall that blocked out all creatures. During such times, even soldiers wouldn''t patrol because they would only get lost in the fog forever.


    Even though this was a widely circulated legend, Rhode knew that this wasn''t as simple as a legend. In fact, the reason why the fog in the Cloud Summit was this incredibly thick was due to its location coinciding with the Water Element Plane of Existence. Therefore, there would be some characteristics of the low-level Water Element Plane of Existence and the emergence of the thick fog was one of them. As the fog thickened, some elemental creatures living in the Water Element Plane of Existence would seize the opportunity to come to this world through it�� As a pure elemental creature, they had absolutely no favorable impressions for the living creatures of this world.


    If there was going to be a massive, thick fog, Garcia could simply shut the doors and call it a night while the enemies faced the terrifying creatures lurking in the fog. However, it seemed like luck wasn''t on Garcia''s side. The sky had darkened, however, the fog appeared to be as thin as a layer of transparent silk yarn. In such an environment, their vision wouldn''t be excellent. However, it was still possible for them to spot their enemies.


    There were pros and cons for both sides.


    Clashes of weapons, loud screams, and wails could be heard vaguely. But the fog made it hard for them to differentiate between reality and dream.


    Rhode reached out and held down the daggers on his waist while biting his lip. This scene reminded him of the earliest days in the game. Back then, the players had no opportunity to command a military at all. Even if they had high prestige and tyrannical strength, the forces would rarely hand over their soldiers to players. More often than not, the players were more like special elites that carried out special tasks such as penetrating the enemy''s base to destroy their supplies and other beheading operations. It could be said that almost every player''s teams had grown through such battles. However, as the game progressed with the updates, the players had also gained the authority to form a legion. Some players who started the game from the new version preferred to lead their army into the battlefield instead of sneaking behind the enemy''s rear.


    However, Rhode still chose to sneak in from the enemy''s rear. From the beta version until the day he left the game, he had gotten used to stabbing his enemies in their backs stealthily. He didn''t dislike leading his army into the battlefield as no men would reject such a blood-racing temptation. It was just that the long-term habit of accepting these missions had changed Rhode''s preference to appoint other Commanders to lead into the battlefield while he led a smaller group to strike from the rear. This practice didn''t change even after Starlight had topped and unified the entire server. Even during wars with other guilds, Rhode chose to appoint his subordinates to command the main army while he lurked in the dark with his companions and trusted aides, waiting for the chance to deal a fatal strike.


    And it was the same now.


    Rhode learned from Joey and the others in the front that the Southern Legion had launched a fierce attack on the Cloud Summit Fortress, but it didn''t go well as Garcia had an efficient way of dealing with them. Even though Garcia didn''t have enough manpower and the Fortress was in a terrible state, it proved that he indeed had the capabilities to resist the attack of the Southern Legion.


    If it weren''t for Garcia''s unusual and disturbing personality, Rhode would have roped him in. After all, Rhode had seen it for himself that Garcia was capable of leading a huge army in the game and unfortunately, Rhode didn''t have anyone in his guild who was capable of doing so. Marlene was more suitable as an advisor of internal affairs, strategies, and she wasn''t an expert in terms of battle tactics. On the other hand, even though Joey, Marfa, and the group were meticulous during missions, they didn''t possess outstanding military talents. Therefore, it would be extremely useful if Rhode could rope in a capable person with military talent like Garcia.


    However, it was a pity that Garcia''s sexual orientation forced Rhode to keep a respectful distance away from him. He would rather not have this man with him and he definitely wouldn''t use himself as a stake to lure this pervert into following him closely. Rhode had no interest in men, not to mention men that had ulterior motives towards him.


    In fact, there were also many heroes in the Munn Kingdom. But it was a pity that the Country of Darkness'' early attack had sent them all to their graves. Due to this reason, Rhode didn''t have any information about the heroes'' past. In the game, Rhode''s understanding of Marlene was only limited to her establishment of an all-female mercenary group and her mercenary group ended in mutual destruction when the Country of Darkness attacked Golden City. As for what she had done before, Rhode had no inkling at all. This was also the case for Garcia as Rhode never knew that this "Red Fox" was actually a commander in this ghostly place.


    Due to this reason, Rhode couldn''t search for the potential heroes and ''keep'' them all to himself, which was a huge regret for him. Marlene was the only one in his current team who was popular in the game. As for the others, Rhode had never heard of their names before. But strangely, Rhode didn''t search for Marlene on purpose as she came to his doorstep in the first place�� Considering the causes and effects, it did feel somewhat fishy��


    As Rhode''s mind wandered, Joey''s voice sounded in his ears. "Boss, those guys are starting to shrink their encirclement. It seems like the Fortress Commander is really hard to deal with because the encirclement is shrinking really slowly��"


    "How''s the movement at the rear?"


    "There''s��" Joey hesitated for a while before answering in a quirky tone. "No sign of activities at the rear, Boss."


    "What?" Rhode was startled by the turn of events.


    "Yes, Boss. There are no movements at all. I don''t see them preparing to move off as though they are totally unconcerned with the battle on the front lines," Joey continued to describe the scene.


    This is bad.


    According to the original plan, Garcia would strengthen his forces to delay the enemies from invading the Fortress successfully and this way, the enemies would be forced to push all their forces including the rear troops ahead. After all, the enemies were the ones rushing for time and they definitely needed to make some sacrifices in their formation. If their frontline didn''t take down the Fortress soon, the rear troops would definitely push forward to make up for the insufficient manpower in the front. It wouldn''t make sense for them if they chose to retreat and reorganized after getting caught in a deadlock because the remaining forces on their hands would certainly not be able to capture the Fortress in a short time. Therefore, the safest method for them was to push forward comprehensively and this way, Rhode could launch a raid from their rear and deal a fatal blow. Garcia could also once again occupy the favorable location and launch an attack on the Southern Legion with a high success rate in eliminating them.


    But now, the rear troops are actually biding their time even when their frontline is having a dire war? What are they up to?


    Could it be that they have reinforcements arriving soon? But why wouldn''t they wait for the reinforcements to arrive first so that they can launch their attack together?


    If reinforcements are not coming, wouldn''t they fail miserably if they can''t occupy the Fortress?


    Rhode puckered his brows as he gazed at the indistinct flames behind the fog. He retrieved his pocket watch and pointed it towards the night sky.


    It''s already midnight. Is the enemy commander really that calm or does he have other intentions? Or perhaps, this is a trap?


    "Mr. Rhode?" Lize squatted beside Rhode and gazed at him with uncertainty. She had also heard Joey''s report and she was also aware of the strategy that Rhode and Garcia had set. The prerequisite was that the enemy''s rear must push forward and converge with the frontline. If they didn''t converge, Rhode and Garcia''s strategy wouldn''t work. This was because Rhode and Garcia didn''t have enough manpower and even if Rhode managed to defeat the rear troops, it was certain that the distance between the rear troops and the frontline would allow the frontline to react with a counterattack. Unless Rhode''s men were all in the Master Stage, they would surely perish in this counterattack since they didn''t have enough manpower.


    What should I do next?


    According to Gillian, Lize must provide suggestions and her thoughts as an adjutant. However, her mind was in a total blank and she couldn''t think of any solutions at all. Everything before her seemed like an unknown puzzle without any answers. The young lady lifted her head subconsciously.


    At this moment, Rhode''s expression returned to its usual calmness as though the news that Joey passed on wasn''t a bad news at all. Rhode gazed at Lize and patted her shoulder.


    "Don''t worry, Lize. I''m prepared for this," Rhode placed his finger by his lips. "Gillian, it''s me. Garcia''s plan failed. From now on�� Execute Plan B."

 Chapter 515 Paphield Battle 8

    Outcries filled the entire sky.


    The fox-eared young lady sat on a boulder while humming a strange little tune casually. Her tail swayed non-stop as she admired the night sky as though there were a beautiful garden instead of a battlefield before her.


    At this moment, Gillian''s furry ears twitched and she revealed a cheeky little smile on her pretty face. Shortly after, she stood on her feet and chuckled at the fog and battlefield before her. "I knew that pervert wouldn''t be able to come up with anything good. Huhu. It seems that I don''t have to stay in this ridiculous place to count stars anymore��"


    The young lady lifted her right arm and dazzling flares emerged behind her one after another. Stacked, dense, and brilliant fireballs ripped the darkness apart. Shortly after, a dozen figures wrapped in cloaks stood to their feet and aimed their bows forward.


    "Tsk! Annoying bastards!" The Aquiline Nose who mocked the Lion Legion during the mission briefing was no longer as high-spirited. He stared at the worn-out Fortress in a distance with bloodshot eyes because, at this moment, the Fortress kept giving them trouble from time to time as though they were aware of their enemy''s lack of manpower. Initially, the Aquiline Nose wasn''t too mindful because even if he had insufficient manpower, there were still other soldiers present to provide cover. However, he discovered that this battle wasn''t as simple as he thought. Even though the Black Panther Legion was responsible for the main assault, those bastards seemed to be afraid of death and they seldom launched their attacks forward. On the other hand, the Falcon Legion that he led rushed into the Fortress'' attacking range foolishly and even though there wasn''t a disastrous amount of casualties, he lost quite a number of his men.


    The Falcon Legion was full of Military Rangers. Even though they had quick maneuvers, they weren''t experts in frontal attacks. This was also why Thon had arranged for the Falcon Legion to provide cover for the Black Panther Legion. Now that the Falcon Legion had been forced into a frontal battle, the Aquiline Nose changed his tactic to abandon the battlefield in order to put the Black Panther Legion in the heart of the struggle.


    Even though both legions had ulterior motives, this battle had to continue and the Fortress must be taken down. After clear communications, the Falcon Legion and Black Panther Legion coordinated and advance forward.


    However, Garcia proved yet again that he wasn''t just an ordinary Fortress Commander. "Ignore the nest of mice in the back. Watch out for the front. Be careful, provide cover!"


    He yelled from above the Fortress walls while signaling to his men to stay alert of the arrows shot from the distance. He hacked his blade into an intruder''s skull and snorted in contempt before lunging the corpse over the wall. Then, he rolled over to dodge an incoming arrow that landed from the sky.


    The fog began to thicken as each second passed and it became disadvantageous for enemies archers because they couldn''t locate their targets. Garcia changed his tactic and ordered his troops to focus on defending the Fortress walls fully since the enemies wouldn''t immediately spot them even if they climbed up the walls. This turned out to be a good opportunity for Garcia.


    However, his pressure was also increasing dramatically.


    He gritted his teeth and gazed at the flares in a distance. Rhode figured that there might be some discoordination in the enemy''s camp while Garcia totally realized what the enemy''s problems were. The three legions hoped to diminish Garcia''s strength and preserve theirs. There was an instant when their battleline split apart during their attacks and now, it seemed that the frontline legion had resolved the problem even though the rear wasn''t moving at all.


    Garcia felt anxious because he didn''t know Rhode''s location and he couldn''t update him the dire situation. If it was possible, he wished that he could inform Rhode to act according to their plan because he sensed that the frontline legion''s aggression was increasing gradually and it would then be a great chance to launch a raid from the rear since they were totally separated.


    "S-Sir, we can''t hold on any longer!" Garcia''s man reported frantically as Garcia struck off another enemy''s attack. Garcia turned around and witnessed that several enemy soldiers had climbed over the walls and were clashing swords with his garrison. Even though Garcia had the upper hand, he also knew that this advantage wouldn''t last too long.


    If that''s the case��


    As Garcia was pondering his options, there was a sudden glaring flash.


    Garcia turned around involuntarily and witnessed an incredible scene.


    An earth-shattering storm of fireballs descended from the night sky and crushed the Southern Legion soldiers who were climbing over the Fortress walls. Even though the fireballs weren''t lethal, their massive amount was adequate to burn an incomparable fear into the enemy''s mind. The Southern Legion soldiers had focused all their attention on attacking the Fortress and they didn''t expect that they would be raided from the rear.


    "Ambush!" The Aquiline Nose was dumbstruck. He turned around subconsciously and realized that a group of invaders had emerged without prior warning. Are they the mysterious reinforcements that the Lion Legion reported? Damn it! Why didn''t they report that there was a Mage within them? Worthless bastards!


    It would be a totally different ending with or without a Mage in the battlefield and it was obvious that this Mage''s attack was powerful. He had been in the military for decades and he had never seen such a terrifying storm of flames.


    As a seasoned soldier, the Aquiline Nose didn''t hesitate for too long. He turned around and ordered at the top of his lungs. "Everyone! Attack the rear! Go go go!"


    The Falcon Legion changed their directions rapidly and charged towards the enemies under their Commander''s lead. No matter how powerful Mages might be, their weakness was still close-combat battles!


    Another wave of fireballs blasted over their heads and bombarded the foot of the Fortress, causing instant chaos. The Aquiline Nose knew that the Black Panther Legion soldiers were surely panicking right now because no one could stand between an enemy attack from the front and rear simultaneously. We wasted too much time and that bastard, Thon, doesn''t seem to be sending reinforcements. How do we fight this battle?


    A series of whizzing gales brushed their ears and the soldiers around the Aquiline Nose fell from their horses.


    Enemy Archers!


    The Aquiline Nose sulked, but he continued to brandish the horsewhip and charge toward the enemy. We are only 20 meters away from those damn enemies and just a little more will��


    "Aiyaiyai. You arrived at the right time��"


    Gillian revealed her sly, yet delightful smile and pointed her right index finger forward to swipe rightward.


    A scorching wall of flames rose from the ground abruptly, forcing the Aquiline Nose to tug his reins as he stared at it with an ashen complexion.


    Sh*t!


    The massive firewall crashed on the Aquiline Nose and devoured him mercilessly.


    "What''s going on?!" Thon jumped on his feet and stared in disbelief at the scarlet flames that illuminated almost the entire sky. It would be a great omen if the Fortress was submerged in a sea of flames, but he knew that the Fortress wasn''t in the strike zone.


    Damn it, they have a Mage? The Lion Legion kept this information from us? How can we fight them?


    "Sir!" A soldier rushed in with a pale complexion. "There is an ambush and our men have suffered grave injuries. The Black Panther Legion is in a deadlock with the Fortress garrison. Please send reinforcements!"


    Reinforcements?


    A chill went down Thon''s spine and as he gaped��


    "Ahhh��!"


    At this moment, a blood-curdling screech filled the night sky.

 Chapter 516 Paphield Battle 9

    Rhode leaped skyward and in a blink of an eye, he arrived before the enemies'' face.


    The soldiers standing guards didn''t expect that a person would emerge from the fog that quickly. Rhode gazed at the fear in their widened round eyes and he made his move.


    Two shimmering blades unsheathed from Rhode''s waist.


    Madaras and Gracier pierced into two soldiers'' chest without any resistance before swinging in a cross. A dozen energy blades exploded and tore apart everything in their path.


    Rhode spotted a brigade of soldiers equipped with shields and swords charging toward him from the corner of his eye. Based on their appearances, they were the unlucky Lion Legion who had the first ''intimate encounter'' with Rhode.


    I didn''t expect to see them again.


    Rhode''s mouth curved into a smile and he headed toward them!


    The reinforcements were frightened because they had never seen anyone dashing toward a brigade of soldiers alone. There are at least 300 soldiers around and does he think that he can defeat all of them by himself?


    Even though these military soldiers reacted quickly, Rhode''s movements were too fast for them. As they were about to shift their shields before them, Rhode had arrived with his daggers.


    A dazzling, meteor-like brilliance emanated from the twin daggers and exploded into multiple light beams. The immense force was as though a powerful tornado that ripped the soldiers'' limbs apart. Fresh blood splattered and the soldiers collapsed with their severed limbs scattered all around.


    This devastating view stunned the Lion Legion soldiers. Even though the soldiers were prepared to risk their lives for battles, these unlucky maggots still remembered the earlier battle when Rhode''s mercenaries had thrashed them terribly. Even a fish would have a memory span of up to 16 hours, not to mention these soldiers who had suffered a crushing defeat. Fear compelled them from advancing and Rhode seized this opportunity to leap away.


    "Attack!" The Lion Legion soldiers gave chase almost instantly. However, multiple dark halos descended from above and shrouded them entirely. They felt an immensely painful pressure all around their body as though they were trapped between huge boulders. And what followed next was even more horrifying.


    They were instantly reminded of the battle in the morning where they had actually gained the upper hand before everything crumbled. But suddenly��


    The soldiers realized that the fear in their minds had become a reality.


    Mercenaries clad in black leather armor and cloak emerged from the thick fog sneakily like specters.


    Hopeless expressions were plastered on the Lion Legion soldiers'' faces. They tried to escape, but the pressure clung onto their bodies tightly. They were in front of the Fortress and on the frontlines while the horrifying enemies surrounded them. The soldiers lifted their weapons and the mercenaries unsheathed their swords. No one uttered a single word because no words could save them now.


    The ''demons in black cloaks'' perforated the Lion Legion instantly.


    The camp by the rear should have been safe and peaceful, but it turned into a horrific, bloody battleground instead.


    Rhode strode toward two gorgeously armored soldiers with their raised swords. Without even blinking, Rhode wielded his twin daggers upward and deflected their attacks. He jerked his wrists and the energy blades slashed the poor soldiers right through their sturdy armors. Two crescent-shaped blade rays beamed and streaks of scarlet blood splashed skyward.


    The remaining soldiers flinched frantically as they no longer felt secure with their ''reliable'' weapons and shields.


    The enemy soldiers retreated frantically, but Rhode''s mercenaries chased them like hawks eyeing on their prey.


    "What happened?!" Thon ran out of the tent and stared at the commotion behind the camp blankly. A dozen pitch-black figures darted forward and swept his soldiers away like a flood that devoured their entirety.


    How is this possible?


    Thon froze to the spot. He did receive the report from the Lion Legion, but he chose to believe that it was an excuse that the Lion Legion came up with so that they could cut their losses. Now, it seemed that these people were truly as formidable as what they had described. Who exactly are they? Where did they come from? Why haven''t I heard of such a tough legion?


    "S-Stop them quickly!" Thong felt chills all over his body as though he were soaked in the ice-cold ocean. But, even so, he commanded and another hundred soldiers reported to him speedily. Even as the acting Commander of the Southern Legion frontline, Thon had his own troops who were much stronger than the three big legions in terms of quality and strength. Due to this reason, Thon convinced himself that this wasn''t over yet. He had discovered that there were only a dozen enemies and their rear ambush was apparent to catch himself off guard. But it''s a pity that I''m not that foolish.


    Thon let out an evil laughter as his elite troops aimed their bows at the enemies ahead. At the next moment, countless arrows were released and Thon watched on anxiously as he began to fantasize the scene when the enemies were pierced by the arrows.


    But his expression turned stiff almost immediately.


    A translucent defensive barrier emerged over the soldiers and none of the arrows were effective as they were deflected right off.


    What''s going on?


    How is this possible?


    Who exactly are these people? How did they do that?


    Thon couldn''t stay calm any longer. He lifted his arm high up and swung downwards with all his might.


    The soldiers gathered their Commander swiftly while disregarding the other retreating soldiers. Thon felt much more relieved because, after all, these soldiers were his elites and they weren''t the worthless trash of the three big legions.


    And at this moment, he spotted a black-haired man strolling out from the pitch-black group of soldiers. The black-haired man halted and revealed a generous smile. "I''ve finally found you, Commander."


    That was the last sentence that Thon had heard.


    An enormous net weaved from a dozen dazzling spiritual blades emerged in thin air and enveloped him completely��

 Chapter 517 Paphield Battle 10

    Thon raised his sword to parry Rhode''s attack hopelessly. In a blink of an eye, Rhode had disappeared entirely and only a silvery trail of radiance remained. Time had stopped for Thon. His breath hastened and he felt violent pounding in his heart as though an invisible hand had grabbed onto it.


    The world before his eyes shattered.


    Rhode emerged within the frantically swaying shadow as though it were a part of him. The heavily-geared soldiers stumbled and fell after spotting Rhode behind their Commander. Rhode slashed the Commander rapidly and his severed body parts dropped like collapsing wooden blocks in the blink of an eye.


    The soldiers had never seen such an unusual killing technique and they were sure that their Commander was safe within their encirclement from any intruders. But this mysterious man sneaked by and murdered the Commander before they knew it.


    Feels good.


    Rhode nodded as the final stretch of shadow blended with his body.


    Before leaving the Land of Atonement and heading into the Cloud Summit Fortress, Rhode had chosen to input all the Skill Points that he had received from defeating the Duke Fiend into the [Shadow Dance] Swordsmanship. The mastery of the [Shadow Dance] Swordsmanship finally upgraded from Rank ''C'' to Rank ''A'' and its formidability had broken through the limits of mortals and entered the Legendary Stage. Through this upgrade, he had also received the core swordsmanship skill [Dark Wield].


    With the scariest and strongest skill of the Dark Spirit, Rhode could temporarily blend in with the Shadow Plane of Existence and engage in short-distance battle and assault. Furthermore, not only could [Dark Wield] allow Rhode to instant teleport, but there was also a chance to interfere with the enemy''s spellcasting and disrupt their defense. To some extent, this swordsmanship technique wasn''t purely interfering with physical circumstances but could even affect the Elemental aspects.


    Rhode knew that Dark Spirits who fully mastered [Dark Wield] were also manipulation masters of Shadow powers. In the pinnacle of the [Dark Wield] skill, not only could one instantly teleport to assassinate the enemy, but one could also form one''s own body shape and summon other creatures living in the Shadow Plane of Existence to engage in attacks using Shadow powers. Once one reached this standard of mastery, one could even be considered as a Mage presence. But it was a pity that due to the class restriction of the Spirit Swordsman, Rhode couldn''t upgrade this skill to its peak.


    Rhode laughed grimly at this thought. He turned his wrist around and the soldiers witnessed the man before them turning into a shadow once again as though he had lost his physical body and disappeared along with the strong wind.


    The soldiers exchanged panicky looks as they couldn''t differentiate whether this was reality or just a dream. But soon, they didn''t need to consider this question anymore.


    "Everyone, get ready��" Marfa raised his sword with an unfazed expression and waved his sword downwards with all his might. "Attack!"


    The Southern Legion''s Commander was killed and they had lost their pillar and reason to continue this battle. Starlight mercenaries clustered toward the rear camp like furious bulls and the enemy soldiers fled hurriedly. The frontline soldiers attacking the Cloud Summit Fortress decided to retreat after detecting the disaster at the rear. The bugle-horns for retreat sounded and the soldiers fled in disarray, leaving only the pathetic corpses.


    2:15 a.m.


    Rhode turned his gaze away from the pocket watch on his palm. The rear camp before him presented a ghastly sight��tainted with blood, corpses and burning in flames. The place had returned to its peace and tranquility. If it weren''t for the bright flames, perhaps no one would have known that there was a fierce battle just moments ago.


    "What a bore." Rhode looked down at a corpse by his feet. It was a blonde-haired young man about the same age as himself. His white face had been drained of blood entirely and his neck leaned against his shoulder which revealed his bone and crimson flesh. The young man''s widened eyes were as though glass spheres and blood dripped from his gawking mouth. He was nothing more than EXP in Rhode''s eyes. Rhode discovered that as long as he was the one commanding the battle, he would receive the corresponding EXP. However, he could only receive limited EXP from enemies who were level 25 on average.


    Lize stood behind Rhode silently.


    Her impassioned emotions had faded. The young lady gaped at the aftermath and she felt an unprecedented sense of relief. She looked at the same corpse by Rhode''s feet and couldn''t speak a word. Even though she was used to seeing corpses, the life story of individual corpses were entirely different.


    There are reasons for the existence of these corpses, so what''s the reason for all of them here?


    Who were they trying to protect? It wasn''t their personal dignity, desire, or glory. Why must the people of the same country brandish their weapons on the battlefield and kill one another? What is the purpose of this?


    Lize couldn''t figure out why the Southerners snatched the authority and sacrificed so many lives. This battle would still continue and by then, the people of the South and North would die. But, no matter how many died, they were still the people of the Munn Kingdom. What was the exact purpose of such a massacre?


    At this moment, the young lady heard Rhode''s response. "What a bore."


    She looked at the man before her in astonishment and she realized that the way Rhode had disregarded the corpse under his eyes was as if it were nothing more than garbage. His expression was so indifferent that it sent chills down Lize''s spine. This wasn''t the first time that Lize had this vibe from Rhode. Although Rhode was usually polite, prideful, and confident and would put up an expressionless face most of the time, she had noticed the gentleness hidden behind the cold mask after getting along with him for a long time. But Rhode would show his other side occasionally. It was as though this young man didn''t belong to this world at all. He was just a passerby who had no interest in the world and the human beings of this world were simply insects in his eyes.


    The young lady felt insecure about this realization because she had consciously sealed this rare side of Rhode in her memories. She shivered as she glanced at his eyes and the corpses on the battlefield.


    She discovered that she didn''t understand this man at all.


    "All enemies have retreated, Sir." As Lize was ruminating, Marfa''s voice sounded and she let out a soft shriek. However, she cupped her mouth quickly before shifting her attention to Marfa.


    "How are the casualties?" Rhode asked.


    "Don''t worry, Sir. Some of our brothers are hurt, but the injuries aren''t grave. They will recover soon with the Clerics'' healings." Marfa lowered his head and answered respectfully before displaying a bitter smile. Rhode was a decisive and determined superior to him. However, Rhode had a bad habit of being overly concerned about the injuries of his men. Even though it was natural for a guild leader and Baron to be concerned about their subordinates, Rhode seemed to go a little overboard and he would sound like a nagging granny.


    But even so, Rhode gained a lot of respect from the mercenaries. Anyone was capable of showing verbal concerns, however, Rhode was sincerely concerned about their wellbeing because he asked the same question after each and every battle. "Good. Get ready and we will call it a day."


    When Rhode returned to the Cloud Summit Fortress and met Garcia, the slipshod Fortress Commander sat cross-legged on the ground and the bloodstains all over him made him more miserable than he was. Garcia greeted with a bitter smile. "Yo, my apologies that I can only greet you in this manner, Mr. Rhode. Haha, what luck for you to see this miserable side of me."


    "You''ve always been looking miserable, Mr. Garcia," Rhode said and scanned the situation of the Fortress. Got to say, the defense around the Fortress performed much better than he had imagined. Apart from the further tattered state of the Fortress, there weren''t too many damages. As for the internal Fortress�� As this ridiculous place was run-down in the first place, Rhode couldn''t see any difference.


    "How''s the situation?" Rhode said.


    "Still alright. Although I lost some of my men, we barely held back the enemy. It was all thanks to you. If not, we would have been in huge trouble if the enemies continued to attack." Garcia gestured and laughed helplessly. Then, he hummed a little tune as he stood up and patted the filthy dust off himself. "What about your end? Although it was my suggestion, I know that the enemies weren''t easy to deal with."


    "We had decent luck on our side because those guys placed the Lion Legion by the rear and their soldiers were terrified as soon as they met me. I seized the chance and annihilated their Commander and the bunch of idiots fled and surrendered immediately." Rhode shrugged as he answered while Garcia nodded in response.


    "It does sound like you guys have it easier, Mr. Rhode. Frankly speaking, I''m really envious of you. If I could have that many formidable men, perhaps I��" Garcia paused for a moment. "I guess it''s about time I reorganize my men. See you later, Mr. Rhode."


    Rhode gazed at Garcia back as he left the room. It was apparent that there was something strange about his sense of contentment.


    Afterward, there weren''t any more movements from the Southern Legion. According to Joey, the remaining troops that retreated eventually split up due to their internal conflicts. Rhode had also received news from Garcia about the three big legions. Not only were the three big legions incapable of taking down the Fortress, they had also suffered severe losses. Right now, they must be pushing responsibilities onto one another and no longer had the strength and energy to launch another wave of attack on the Cloud Summit Fortress, which was great news for both Garcia and Rhode.


    However, it wasn''t all good news.


    Although the Southern Legion had retreated, the garrisons of the Cloud Summit had taken a huge hit. One-third of their manpower had been sacrificed in the battle last night and if it weren''t for Rhode''s Clerics to save their lives, perhaps half of their manpower would be gone by then.


    If the Southern Legion gathered their forces and launch another wave of attack on the Cloud Summit, perhaps Rhode and Garcia wouldn''t be able to resist them due to the lack of manpower. Therefore, Garcia sent his men to Golden City to report on the situation and seek reinforcements the next day.


    Royal Highness Lydia responded to Garcia''s request swiftly and mobilized 2000 soldiers to the Cloud Summit. Even though this was naturally good news for Garcia, it wasn''t entirely great for Rhode.


    Because he saw a name on the mobilization name list that he didn''t want to see.


    Gaya.


    This was a unique name that was rather different from the people of the Munn Kingdom. Rhode wished he could leave the Fortress instantly and get away as far as possible. It wasn''t because this person named Gaya was terrifying�� Or perhaps, she was basically harmless to most people.


    In the game, she was Lydia''s musician and that was only her facade. On the surface, Gaya didn''t have any official military rank. However, as the proudest assistant of Royal Highness Lydia, Gaya was the Captain of the Guards ''Pure Sword'' and was also a Holy Sage. She possessed the strength of the Legendary Stage at a young age and it could be said that in terms of strength, the Mist Sword Saint of the Country of Light''s Parliament might not even match up against her. Gaya''s talent attribute was ''Sound'' and in the game, it was an extremely weird variant attribute.


    Of course, this wasn''t the worst for Rhode because that had nothing to do with him.


    It was Gaya''s background that he feared the most.


    She was born in the Eastern Plains and was also the only representative figure of the Eastern Plains in the King''s Party. She knew everything about the Eastern Plains.


    And it wouldn''t be difficult for her to expose Rhode''s identity.

 Chapter 518 Troublesome Gues

    Thump. Rhode''s heart pounded fiercely as soon as he saw the name of the court musician on the name list. Although it seemed like this court musician was here to represent Royal Highness Lydia to reward the troops like Marilyn Monroe cheering up the soldiers, Rhode knew that Gaya wouldn''t leave the palace without any specific purpose. Although she became the first publicly recognized musician on this continent at the age of six, Gaya had never left Golden City. Even though she was widely known as Lydia''s trusted aide, many in the King''s Party treated her solely as Lydia''s playmate. None of them objected in her representing Lydia here and even Garcia joked to Rhode that they were extremely fortunate to be able to hear the performance of an unrivaled musician�� Garcia wasn''t in the least bit interested in Gaya at all. That was for sure.


    Rhode knew that Gaya''s strength lay in the Middle-Level Legendary Stage and she could defeat a legion by herself. What was the exact purpose of Lydia sending her here?


    Rhode wasn''t worried that Lydia would expose his identity even though through her behaviors; it seemed as though she understood more of Rhode''s background and past more than he did. On the other hand, it was exactly due to Rhode''s understanding of Lydia and Gaya that he was sure that Gaya was definitely not here to reward the soldiers. If not, why would Lydia send a being in the Legendary Stage here to perform for everyone here?


    This would be too much of a joke.


    Rhode hoped that he was being overly sensitive or perhaps Gaya would be here for another mission and wouldn''t be focusing on him. But no matter what, he could only wait for her arrival because it was inevitable.


    After a short three days, the reinforcements from Golden City had arrived at the Cloud Summit Fortress and Garcia and Rhode awed in their arrival.


    Amongst these reinforcements, 1500 of them were the aristocratic private armies while the other 500 were official soldiers mobilized from around Golden City.


    "What do you think, Mr. Rhode?" Garcia gave a hopeless bitter smile and eyed the nobility flag fluttering above the brigade of soldiers blankly. Rhode simply shrugged because the magnificent view before them had represented convincingly how Lydia chose to resolve this manpower issue.


    The frontline troops distributed at the border couldn''t be arbitrarily mobilized and there must be sufficient reasons. However, the nobles were different as they could gather their private soldiers in the shortest time and join the fight in the frontline. Of course, the private soldiers weren''t perfect. For example, they wouldn''t obey orders like the regular military and they might often resist or violate military regulations. The hatred between some hostile nobles would also be reflected upon their own private soldiers. For this reason, Garcia sighed helplessly as he could almost foresee that their willingness and disobedience in carrying out his orders would be a huge problem.


    "Royal Highness is really�� Forget it. It will always be better with more manpower anyway��" Garcia waved his hand in denial before commanding the soldiers. "Open the gates!"


    The brigade was headed by a man clad in silver-whitish armor who had gotten down his warhorse swiftly. He saluted towards Garcia solemnly while Garcia saluted back sloppily.


    "I am Mordor, the 15th Garrison Captain of Golden City. I came here in accordance to Royal Highness Lydia''s command, leading the reinforcements for the Cloud Summit." Mordor passed a letter to Garcia. "This is Royal Highness Lydia''s command. Please allow me to convey it to you, Sir Garcia. ''From now onward, all my troops would be under your command and those who are rebellious can be subjected to military laws.'' Royal Highness Lydia has written the specific situation in the letter. May I know what should we do next?"


    "Hmm��" Garcia had been uncomfortable with serious military personnel and he scratched his messy red hair awkwardly. "�� Since that''s the case�� My men have been really busy these days and I hope that you can station troops around here and send about 500 of them to rotate and patrol around the Fortress."


    "Yes, Sir Garcia," Mordor saluted once more before ordering the reinforcement and the soldiers set up their stations swiftly.


    "Woah��" Garcia let out an exaggerating shriek before turning towards Rhode. "This is great. Oh, Lord. These guys appear to be reliable and it seems that there won''t be many problems with the Fortress now�� Mr. Rhode, how''s the situation with the Southern Legion?"


    "No movements yet," Rhode responded as he gazed at the myriad private soldiers.


    After the previous Fortress defense battle, Rhode dispatched his Thieves and Rangers to patrol the area in order to capture any information about the movement of the Southern Legion. As beings in the peak Elite Stage, it wasn''t difficult for the Thieves and Rangers to monitor and stand guard while concealing themselves. In conjunction with the magical transmission equipment made by Lapis, Rhode could attain information from Joey and Randolf promptly. Therefore, it was completely impossible for the Southern Legion to launch a raid as before.


    However, the Southern Legion seemed to not have such plans because according to Joey, they had completely retreated from the front line and were nowhere to be seen. However, Rhode didn''t believe that they would simply give up just like this and he continued to arrange for his men to patrol and guard by the front line.


    On the other hand, Garcia appeared rather optimistic now because after the battle, he had a lack of manpower and it would make things worse if he divided his men for patrolling duties. Now that Rhode had helped him ease the burden, it was certainly a good thing for him.


    "Ah�� I hope those sons of bitches from the South have learned to not mess around in my turf. No no, I would rather they come again. Hehe. This time with so many people around, I will teach them a lesson and make them beg on their knees while licking our boots!" Garcia''s words suddenly turned to a high-pitched, sharp whistle. He winked at Rhode before lifting his chin. "You see, Mr. Rhode. The ''VIP'' is here."


    Needless to say, Rhode had also spotted the ''VIP''.


    A slender figure emerged from the crowd slowly. It was a young lady with long, silky black hair who wore an elegant white robe that contrasted with her surroundings entirely. She held a meter-long harp in her delicate hands while sitting sideways on a spotlessly white unicorn that approached them gracefully. Her dull, ice-cold complexion looked like a thousand-years iceberg and her dark pupils had an infinite depth to it that no one could read her thoughts.


    Gaya.


    This was the first time that he had seen someone similar to him in this world. In the Munn Kingdom, most of the peoples'' appearances were inclined towards the Western countries and rarely would there be anyone with black hair and black pupils like him. Furthermore, his charming face had always made him the focus of attention and concern of everyone. On this continent, the only ones who had the same black hair and pupils was the race residing in the Eastern Plain. However, as the Eastern Plain was almost isolated from the world, Rhode had never really seen anyone from there.


    On one hand, even though Rhode felt amiable to see a compatriot amongst a group of blondes with blue eyes, he couldn''t help but feel slightly depressed after considering her identity. What made matters worse was that he wasn''t too familiar with Gaya in the game because she had always hidden her identity very well. Players often treated her as a human-shaped music box and if it weren''t for this young lady who suddenly took over the highest commanding position during the Munn Kingdom''s near-collapse attack from the Country of Darkness and led the refugees'' retreat under Lydia''s command, perhaps no one would know that this girl possessed such formidable powers.


    There were many controversies surrounding Gaya as a character especially after she had displayed her formidable strength in the end. Many players were dubious because Gaya hadn''t participated in battles and only displayed her true abilities until the final moments. Some players felt that this young lady might be Lydia''s final insurance while some argued that perhaps Gaya had other thoughts. If not, she wouldn''t stand by and watch her own country collapse before her.


    However, Rhode didn''t care about all these controversies. Even though he had various guesses of his own, he eventually remained calm as he gazed at the young lady''s arrival.


    Gaya faced both Rhode and Garcia quietly on her unicorn. When she gazed at Garcia, her black pupils didn''t have the slightest undulation as though they were a limpid, tranquil pond. However, as she turned her gaze towards Rhode, it was as though someone had thrown a pebble into the pond. In an instant, her black pupils began to surge for a split second. But soon, her eyes returned to their initial dull state.


    She nodded slightly and handed her harp over to a female servant before hopping off the unicorn.


    "Greetings to both of you." Gaya''s voice was as crisp and melodious as a bell moving in a breeze. "I''m the court musician, Gaya. I''ve arrived at your Fortress following Royal Highness Lydia''s order��" Gaya paused for a moment. As she spoke, her eyes were fixated at Rhode''s and Rhode looked back without the slightest degree of fear. Even though Rhode was indeed somewhat worried before Gaya arrived here, it would be useless to worry about anything now since she was here already, right?


    Although Gaya was speaking to both Garcia and Rhode, she was actually looking face to face with Rhode and disregarded Garcia entirely. Garcia felt somewhat awkward while he scratched his head in puzzlement. As he was about to speak, Gaya turned her gaze towards him abruptly. "�� I hope that you can prepare a resting room for me."


    "Sure. No issues with that." Garcia smiled and bowed towards Gaya before inviting her forward. "We''ve already prepared a room for you knowing that you''ll be here, Miss Gaya. Of course, even though the room seems rather simple, I guarantee that the room is sparkling clean. Don''t worry about��"


    "Please bring me there."


    "Alright, please follow me." Garcia displayed a bitter smile while Rhode made way for Gaya to pass through and nodded towards Garcia.


    "So then, Mr. Garcia, I shall make my move first." Before Rhode turned around fully, Gaya grabbed onto his wrist and Rhode''s expressionless face appeared in the young lady''s black pupils silently. "�� Do you need anything else, Miss Gaya?"


    "Follow me, Mr. Rhode. I have something to ask you."


    It seems like I can''t avoid what''s sure to come.


    Garcia prepared a guest room for Gaya within the Fortress and even though this Fortress Commander was usually a scatterbrain, he was really respectful towards Lydia''s direct court musician. He made sure that the room was squeaky clean and the bed, table, and chairs were all brand new. I wonder where that Red Fox dug out all this from�� The only flaw was that this soldier''s room wasn''t too luxurious and comfortable with the other basic furniture.


    However, it seemed that Gaya didn''t mind at all. She placed her harp by the wall that had been swept off dust and cleaned with water before turning towards Rhode.


    There was only the two of them in the room. Obviously, Garcia wasn''t too interested in the court musician and he came up with an excuse to leave after leading Gaya and Rhode to her room. Without a doubt, Garcia shot Rhode a strange look before he left. Perhaps he has a bizarre misunderstanding�� But who knew?


    "Is anything the matter, Miss Gaya?" Rhode took the initiative while the young lady''s mouth curved into a smile. This was the first time that she smiled, but Rhode knew nothing about what was hidden behind it.


    "Honestly, you''re quite a successful liar, Mr. Rhode." Gaya stared into Rhode''s eyes.


    "�� I don''t understand what you mean, Miss Gaya," Rhode twitched his brows.


    "I think you do understand, Mister�� I don''t know who you are, but I do know that you''re definitely not from the Eastern Plains because there isn''t an outstanding talent like you from there. Besides, I have never heard of the surname ''Alander''." Gaya paused for a brief moment and the room temperature seemed to have dropped at that instant. "Surely you wouldn''t tell me that you climbed out of a cave?"


    "Of course I wouldn''t say that, Miss Gaya," Rhode squinted, but his expression remained unchanged. "I''m just an ordinary human, that''s all."


    "Ordinary human?" Gaya''s eyebrows rose as though she had just heard an interesting joke. "I don''t think a liar that Royal Highness regarded highly of will be just an ordinary human, Mr. Rhode. Sure, if you are determined to say that, I don''t have any other choices. But��"


    Rhode noticed Gaya''s finger moved slightly.


    "��!" Rhode felt a faint sound wave erupt on his body. Shortly after, his body muscles tightened and he couldn''t even budge at all.


    This was Gaya''s talent attribute �� Sound Force.


    What is she trying to do?!


    Gaya extended her right hand forward. "You''ll die if you don''t concentrate, Mr. Rhode."

 Chapter 519 Gayas Trial

    Rhode felt an invisible strength grabbing his body vanish and he leaped back to dodge Gaya''s blast attack. The blast sunk a wide, round hole on the solid wall and to his surprise, ripples emerged and spread from its center.


    This is��


    Rhode noticed that the walls around him were emanating faint, ice-blue radiance as if the room were wrapped in a membrane-like substance. Not only the walls, but even the windows and door were also sealed.


    In an instant, Rhode realized where he physically was.


    This is Gaya''s Order Dimension.


    She had trapped him within it and she had no intentions of killing him. If Gaya truly had this thought, Rhode could never ever escape. After losing his Composition Adornment, he couldn''t use Self-breakthrough anymore and he prayed hard that he wouldn''t be hit by Gaya''s attack.


    A middle-level Legendary Stage being and a Holy Sage definitely wouldn''t miss her attack. This only left the possibility that Gaya only wanted to evaluate his strength�� Rhode''s eyes brightened with hope as this also posed as a great opportunity for him.


    Rhode had never exchanged blows with Gaya in the game but he had seen videos of her in battle. She just needed to stroke her harp gently and the overwhelming undead creatures would be smashed into powder completely.


    That was the first time that the players discovered how powerful she was and there was an existence of a talent attribute called ''Sound Force''.


    However, the special quality of the Sound Force was still a mystery to the players and Gaya had disappeared after escorting the refugees into the Country of Law. Even though the players went to search for her whereabouts after viewing the influential video, they eventually gave up with no results and nobody knew where this mysterious court musician had gone.


    And now, Rhode actually had this chance to see her powers for himself.


    Interesting. You want to test me? Great. Show me how powerful your legendary ''Sound'' attribute is then.


    Rhode drew Madaras and Gracier swiftly and two trails of ice-cold blade rays shimmered from his waist. The black-haired young lady extended her right arm and snapped her fingers lightly.


    "��!" Even though the snap was soft, Rhode felt as though someone had struck his eardrums with a gigantic hammer. Rhode''s vision blurred and his head was in chaos.


    This is the ''Sound'' attribute?!


    Gaya''s effective attack caught Rhode off guard and he quickly blended into the shadows of the room. In a matter of life or death, Rhode used his [Dark Wield] and managed to save his life.


    What a terrifying talent attribute.


    Everything turned into black and white in the Shadow Plane of Existence. Rhode couldn''t feel his body. The whizzing wind brushed his ears and the sense of rejection from the bone-chilling Plane of Existence cleared his fuzzy mind. Just a single blow and he had seen through the horrifying powers of the Sound attribute.


    Rhode detected that Gaya''s attack was divided into two kinds. The sound was used as the medium to disseminate. Even though Rhode cupped his ears to block out her Sound attack, he would still be paralyzed on the outside. If he didn''t cup his ears, then Gaya''s attack would affect Rhode''s body in both internally and externally. This was also based on her being lenient. If she truly wished to kill Rhode, perhaps the very instant when Rhode heard the Sound, he would have been smashed into powder like the undead creatures that he pitied in the video.


    The ''Sound'' was an omnidirectional attack and it was extremely tough to evade. Fortunately for him, he hid in the Shadow Plane of Existence and isolated himself from the main Plane of Existence which protected him. However��


    This was only temporary.


    In a few seconds, Rhode had a first taste of the Sound attribute. He couldn''t hide in the Shadow Plane of Existence any longer. The effects of the [Dark Wield] disappeared gradually and his vision distorted. The original world of black and white had once again bloomed with vibrant colors.


    Rhode darted out of the shadow with a card in his hand and he threw it forward. The Centaur Knight emerged out of thin air and it dashed towards Gaya with its pike!


    "Oh?" A glint of surprise flashed in the black-haired young lady''s eyes. She raised her right hand and swept across to the side. The Centaur Knight flung back and shattered instantly as though an invisible palm had struck it heavily.


    Now''s the chance!


    The shadow under the young lady suddenly twisted and Rhode emerged from within. He struck his shimmering twin daggers towards Gaya''s neck and back while she stood still, or perhaps, she couldn''t respond in time.


    But Rhode could only reach this far.


    He heard a faint sound of the wind and he felt as though his daggers had been gripped tightly. Moreover, Rhode sensed a powerful vibration against his daggers and he tossed his daggers before shrinking back into the Shadow Plane of Existence immediately.


    Damn it, I actually forgot that this isn''t just an ordinary space. This is Gaya''s Order Dimension and the domain for ''Sound''. I didn''t expect the powers in this space would be this strong and any sound that I make can be totally taken advantage of by her.


    Rhode assessed the situation with gritted teeth. This attribute of Gaya''s was truly deadly. In Gaya''s Order Dimension, every single bit of sound had become her ally and even Rhode''s words could be manipulated by her entirely. If Rhode had his maximum attribute just like in the game, maybe he would have a chance against her. Even though she had held back her attacks, it was still too difficult for Rhode to attack her at all.


    What made matters worse was that Rhode had discovered that Gaya''s ''Sound'' wasn''t typically at least physical or magical. If not, the [Sisko''s Fantasy], [Historical Wing], and his twin daggers would surely have responded and negated her attacks.


    This proved that her attack didn''t coalesce from spiritual energy. It was instead the powers within the Order itself��she possessed the Order of ''Sound''.


    Since ordinary attacks aren''t effective against her��


    From the start, Rhode had no hopes of beating her because he knew that the differences in strength between them were too huge. If he set his target at simply just dealing damage to her, this battle would be totally meaningless. But�� since Rhode couldn''t deal any physical damage on her, at least he could upset her mentally.


    No matter what, she''s still a lady. So then, I shall do something fun.


    The world flipped and changed once again.


    "Above?" The black-haired young lady lifted her head and leered disdainfully at Rhode landing from above. "You will make me feel so disappointed if that''s all that you''ve got, Mr. Rhode."


    Gaya groaned and swung her right arm.


    An impactful blast rose from the ground and struck Rhode heavily. However, Gaya was surprised that the man shattered instantly and his humanly-shaped figure was replaced with dozen pitch-black tentacles that whizzed and wrapped towards her.


    "What''s this creepy-looking thing?" Gaya said in a startled tone. However, the young lady kept her cool and stamped her feet. Shortly after, the black tentacles struck an invisible wall.


    At the same time, a shadow sped and struck towards Gaya''s neck.


    "Stop!" The tip of the dagger halted centimeters away from her neck and Gaya turned towards Rhode. Rhode maintained his stance while the black viper-like sword that formed into an ''S'' shape lingered quietly in midair.


    "Interesting, Mr. Rhode," Gaya turned a blind eye to the razor-sharp blade that was within reach of her neck and revealed a plain smile. "Is this all that you can do? It seems that Royal Highness Lydia''s evaluation of you is rather exaggerated��"


    Perhaps? But I do have another surprise for you.


    Even though Rhode couldn''t budge as his strength had been restricted by Gaya''s powers, he smiled and let loose of his right hand. At the same time, a frantic voice erupted in Rhode''s spiritual communications. "Wait, Master. What are you trying to��!"


    Puff! Rhode released his grip and the black viper-like sword burst into a puff of smoke. Celestina appeared and her face stuck to Gaya''s almost intimately. The black-haired young lady was astounded that a person would emerge beside her without any warning. Moreover, she immediately felt Celestina''s body heat and smelled her fragrant scent. This surprise caught them unprepared and they fell on their bums after bumping into each other. Rhode extended his right arm leisurely and Celestina returned to his hand in a bolt of dark lightning before transforming into the strange, black, viper-like sword.


    "Are you satisfied with this ending, Miss Gaya?" Rhode said with a smile even though he knew that Gaya wasn''t treating this duel seriously. She didn''t even reveal her true strength and use the harp that accompanied her always. Even so, Rhode had a hard time catching an opening. If Gaya knew that Rhode had the ability to summon spirits, she wouldn''t have fallen for his tricks.


    "�� I withdraw the aforementioned." The young lady patted the filthy dust off her body before gesturing her hands to cancel her Order Dimension. The room returned to its original state in the blink of an eye.


    "It seems that Royal Highness Lydia was right about you being hard to deal with. But��" Gaya paused and muttered under her breath softly. "I wasn''t aware that such interesting things existed�� Besides��"


    "Miss Gaya?"


    "Nothing." The black-haired young lady revealed her usual expression. "Although I don''t particularly favor your battle style, I have to admit that I was too careless�� You aren''t as useless as I imagined you to be and since you were able to catch me off guard, it looks like I can hand Royal Highness''s mission to you gladly."


    "Mission?" Rhode thought that Gaya got carried away and wanted to test his abilities on a whim. What mission does Royal Highness Lydia want me to complete for her? Is there something more urgent than this battle that needs me for it? Or perhaps, this matter is related to Paphield?


    "This mission has nothing to do with the Southern Legion," Gaya guessed it right. "Mr. Rhode, I''m sure that you''re aware that the Reformist Party is currently mobilizing their troops to Paphield. Although you have defeated their first wave of attack, Royal Highness Lydia judged that these renegades won''t give up that easily. She hopes that you can sneak into Grosso and Fiat and destroy everything from there."


    "��" Rhode pondered for a while.


    So this is what Royal Highness Lydia was planning for all along!


    Grosso and Fiat were two small towns located in the South that appeared ordinary, but Rhode knew that they were known for their large-scale foodstuff and mineral stockpiles.


    The South relied on their prosperous commercial trades for a living due to their perfect strategic location. But it was also due to the geographical location and environment that they lacked minerals and was unable to plant crops. The South usually purchased foodstuff and minerals from the North and now that they had declared independence, the commercial route connecting the North had been cut off. Even though the Southerners could purchase foodstuff to get through tough times using gold, everyone knew that simply purchasing wouldn''t resolve the problem at its source.


    This was one of the reasons why the Reformist Party was so desperate to attack the Paphield. Paphield was a region full of foodstuff and minerals and if the Reformist Party could occupy half the land, they would meet the Southerners'' needs.


    Grosso and Fiat produced the most foodstuff and minerals in the South.


    Once both towns were destroyed, there would only be one solution left for the Reformist Party.


    And that was to attack, attack, attack. They had to take down Paphield; if not, their people would rebel once their stockpile had been fully diminished.

 Chapter 520 Unprepared...

    Rhode didn''t take long to make his decision. He gathered all his men together and they expressed different concerns.


    "Eh? We''re moving off again? Anne is so tired�� Leader, can we rest for a few more days?" Anne lolled in her chair like a spoiled child.


    Marfa leaned against the wall and pondered in his puckered brows. Even though he had joined Rhode later than the rest, Rhode trusted him a lot. After all, Rhode lacked calm, reliable guild members and Marfa''s presence filled up the gap. He was a courageous and reticent person, but he often expressed his thoughts, which was necessary within a guild. On the other hand, even though Randolf and Joey had improved tremendously, their youthful vigor might not be a good thing.


    Gillian was making little to no noise and she laid eyes on Rhode while swaying her big, fluffy tail from left to right. Ever since this Fire Elemental Lord knew that Rhode had been called over by Gaya, she had been presenting this expression. As for Lize, she had been behaving cautiously after she took over Marlene''s adjutant role temporarily. She stood quietly beside Rhode with unknown thoughts on her mind.


    "Sir," Marfa said. "Please pardon my rudeness. Can I know where are we heading to this time? How long will we be there for?"


    Rhode waved his hand surprisingly. "Ah, not all of you need to move out. I''m only telling you guys that there is such a matter going on and I want you to be mentally prepared. I will be heading there alone to complete this mission. I guess you are aware that this is a direct order from the King''s Party and for the sake of safety and convenience, I have decided to accomplish it myself. During this period, you will all be coordinating with the garrisons to defend the Cloud Summit Fortress. But please take this seriously and stay alert because I foresee that the Southern Legion''s aggression will become even fiercer in the near future."


    "Eh? Where are you going, Leader?" Anne flipped out of the chair and hopped to her feet, looking fixedly into Rhode''s eyes with glittering brilliance. "Can Anne go with you, Leader? Please bring Anne along. Anne promises to not cause trouble for Leader!"


    "Not this time, Anne," Rhode cut her off with a hand gesture. "They need your help here and besides, you will surely cause trouble for me if you followed. Be good and protect the Clerics during battle. This is a very important duty and only you can do it�� Understand, Anne?"


    "�� Alright��" Anne gave in reluctantly, but she pouted, pondered and displayed a proud smile with a nod after listening to Rhode''s trusting words. Rhode let out an inward sigh because even after she had experienced so many battles, she was eventually still a 15 years old girl. She might have a similar height as himself and a well-developed body, her mental age was still that of a child. Adult methods wouldn''t work on a child like her.


    But��


    Rhode glanced from the corner of his eye.


    There was actually someone even more childish than Anne.


    Rhode clapped for everyone''s'' attention. He had been thinking of a way to make full use of this good opportunity while he was away. But it wouldn''t be that good of a news to someone. "Alright, I''ve told you guys everything�� By the way, Lize will be taking charge of everything in my absence and you guys can report and seek advice from her. Are there any issues?"


    Everyone including Marfa gaped at Rhode in silence while blood drained off Lize''s pale complexion like a white sheet of paper as she stared unbelievably.


    Even though everyone was bewildered when Rhode mentioned that he was heading off alone, they weren''t too concerned because the intelligent and formidable Gillian would still be around. They knew about their intimate relationship and it went without saying that Rhode would have chosen Gillian as the acting guild leader.


    Who knew that he actually chose Lize?!


    It didn''t mean that the mercenaries hated or distrusted Lize. In fact, she was highly popular among the mercenaries as she was the leader of the Clerics. Most of them had been rescued and treated by the Clerics so it was impossible that they would harbor hatred toward her. Moreover, her kind gentleness was well liked by them. But it was an entirely different matter when it came to commanding battles because she was a reserved person. Most of the mercenaries subconsciously perceived her as less capable than Marlene in leading and commanding skills.


    Lize gaped with her mouth wide open like a pale-faced doll as though Rhode had just sentenced her to death��


    "I know all of you have different opinions on my decision, but I truly think that Lize has the capability. I seek your cooperation to obey Lize''s commands because her commands are my commands and you have to follow them no matter how foolish they sound. I will arrange for Gillian to supervise; I hope you won''t disobey her. If not�� I won''t mind punishing you with the guild regulations."


    Rhode swept a glance at the silent crowd and they nodded in agreement hurriedly. Even though they weren''t fully convinced, they had no reasons to object since Rhode had put up the guild regulations. Gillian would also be supervising from the sides and who knew how would Rhode punish them when he returned?


    An unprecedented sense of fear and loneliness clouded Lize''s mind as she looked vacantly at the dispersing crowd. She saw Marfa and his contemplative expression and Joey without his usual, wide smile as they turned around. As for Randolf, he stole a glance at her and said nothing.


    Everyone has changed a lot.


    Lize came to a realization. It felt as though Joey, Randolf, and Lapis had just joined the guild yesterday and the fresh image was still vivid in her mind. She had never thought that this young, wacky Thief had this serious side of him while the Ranger who stooped to compromise in order to protect Lapis had become so unflustered.


    What about me?


    Lize thought that she could live on like this forever. She presumed that she wouldn''t change and as long as she stayed behind them to support and protect them, everything would be fine. But now�� Is that enough?


    An agitation sprouted deep in her heart.


    The night had darkened.


    The Cloud Summit Fortress returned to its tranquility and the reinforcements that arrived this morning finally settled down. Garcia stationed troops around the Fortress to the best of his abilities. After all, the Southern Legion wasn''t their only enemy here. Even if the Water Elemental Plane of Existence overflowed and water creatures emerged from within the fog, Gaya just needed to flick her fingers and they would be slaughtered mercilessly. As for Rhode''s men, he had cautioned them to avoid the central zone where the thick fog was and these guys were smart enough for Rhode trust them.


    But��


    Knock knock knock.


    "Come in," Rhode stood by the window, gazing at the pitch-black sky and thin fog drifting languidly. He knew that there would only be one person who would visit him at this time.


    The door opened gradually. Lize entered the room with an apparent painful, difficult expression as she clasped her palms together before her. Thoughts clouded her mind but she couldn''t utter a word. She instinctively refused this responsibility that Rhode appointed her because she agreed that Gillian was the suitable candidate just like the others. Gillian was smarter, read Rhode''s mind like a book, and the mercenaries supported her even more. What about herself? Lize had the idea to change herself, especially after she realized the growth of Joey and Randolf, who had joined the guild later than her. But it shouldn''t be a gamble where she would be betting on others'' lives! A wrong judgment could lead to the death of many and these people were her companions, friends, and men�� Could she take this risk? Could she sacrifice them for the sake of her growth and experience?


    "M-Mr. Rhode��" Lize stammered and her soft, trembling voice was like a candle in the cold wind. "I-I feel that I''m not suitable for this position�� I lack the capabilities and I think that Miss Gillian is a better choice��"


    Lize heaved a sigh of relief even though the unwillingness was still deep down in her heart��


    "What are you afraid of?"


    "Eh?" Lize stood petrified as though she were glared at by Medusa. Rhode turned towards her. "Are you afraid that your mistakes will cause the deaths of others and that''s why you chose to avoid? Will you hate Gillian if she misjudges the situation and causes the deaths of your friends? Will you treat yourself as a victim and detest her with a clear conscience? If it weren''t for her misjudgment, you wouldn''t have lost your friends and companions. This way, it wouldn''t be your fault because you were only responsible for carrying out the orders and the one giving out orders wasn''t you and you don''t need to take the blame, am I right?"


    "I�� I��" Rhode''s every sentence hammered the bottom of her heart. She shivered and was stricken into silence.


    "What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of losing your companions or them hating by you? You''re not willing to accept this possible outcome and responsibilities and that is why you chose to avoid?" Rhode ambled towards Lize while she stepped back innately. She felt the ice-cold wall on her back and Rhode pushed his hand on the wall. This was the first time that Lize felt so frightened as though a beast was in front of her.


    "You know that I won''t change my decision, so what do you want to achieve by coming here? Lize?"


    "I�� I��" Lize had never been this nervous before and her mind was in a blank.


    "You just hope that I would encourage you, right? But how do you want me to do that?" Rhode caressed her cheek gently and she tensed up entirely. "It''s very late now, Lize. You''re a woman and I''m a man. You came into my room alone hoping for me to encourage and console you�� Do you know what this means?"


    "No�� M-Mr. Rhode�� I��" Rhode wrapped around her slender waist with his left hand like a slithering snake and yanked her into his arms. She looked into his eyes confusedly and the corner of Rhode''s mouth twitched as he scrutinized her body.


    It''s definitely nothing good when Mr. Rhode smiles without Christie around.


    This random thought flashed in her head and before she reacted, Rhode had lowered his head and forced his lips against hers. "Wu��!"


    Her warm, soft body shivered as he pried open her mouth with his tongue, teasing with hers on the inside and the faint fragrance emitted from her body aroused him even further. He slid his fingers across her smooth curves and unbuttoned her top, sneaking his hand into her undergarments.


    "Ah��" Lize groaned softly as Rhode fondled her squishy chest. He caressed her buttocks from underneath her skirt and glided his fingers between her upper thighs.


    "�� Ah! Ah��!" Lize clamped her thighs innately. She widened her eyes in embarrassment as Rhode''s kisses and touches stimulated her senses. Then, Rhode forced his left hand deep between her tender upper thighs��


    "No��!" Lize plucked up her courage and pushed Rhode away. She moved towards the door instinctively as she trembled in fear while gazing at the man that she could no longer recognize. Rhode wasn''t surprised that Lize rejected his advancement and he simply looked at his left hand. "Do you hate me, Lize?"


    "No�� Mr. Rhode�� I don''t hate you, I��" Lize covered her unbuttoned top and held down her skirt. She didn''t hate Rhode for doing that to herself and she was even feeling somewhat excited. But why am I so afraid when it happens?


    "Sorry�� Sorry, I��" She grabbed the cloak beside her and wrapped her entire body before bolting out of the room.


    Rhode smiled nonchalantly as he leaned against the wall with folded arms and watched her leave frantically. He twitched his eyebrows and shifted his attention to the shadow on the other end of the room. "Alright, there''s a limit to peeping, Gillian."


    "Aiya, how did I get discovered by you, Master." The fox-eared young lady walked out of the shadow with a sweet-looking grin. "Master, I didn''t expect that you would actually let her escape. Could it be that your skills have gone rusty? Or perhaps you can''t erect anymore? This isn''t a good sign, Master~ Do you need me to get Lapis to concoct some potions for you��"


    "I appreciate your kindness." Rhode interrupted her teases and gazed at his finger. "Indeed, it won''t work without sufficient foreplay."


    "Of course, Master. You''ll get hurt if you force yourself on her and it will also leave an eternal scare if you leave some bad memories for her."


    "But time doesn''t wait for everyone and I''ll still get her sooner or later, right?"


    "It''s important for an experienced bystander to guide you during such times, Master. No matter what, it''s still her first time and it''s natural that she feels nervous and uncertain. It will be much easier if someone is by her side to set her mind at rest."


    "I think so too," Rhode nodded. "So then, Gillian, I will leave her to you. Don''t be too blatant and it''s fine if she makes mistakes sometimes. You have to give her space to relax and make courageous tries. This girl will truly mature only when she accepts it."


    "I understand, Master. I will support her on the battlefield. But�� what about on the bed?"


    "Same goes for that. Of course, if you''re able to accomplish the mission satisfactorily�� I wouldn''t mind rewarding both of you. Just like you''ve said, it''ll be much easier if there''s someone around to set her mind at ease, right Gillian?"


    "Really?" The fox-eared young lady''s eyes brightened in anticipation. "You must keep your promise, okay? I won''t let you off if you break your promise so be prepared! So then, I shall go check on Little Lize�� Don''t worry, Master, I promise to accomplish the mission!"


    Gillian scampered out of the room impatiently while Rhode shook his head and shrugged heavily. "I don''t remember a fox being in oestrus 365 days of the year�� Forget it, I won''t lose out anyway."


    Rhode strolled toward the window and felt the touch on his fingers. "It felt great��"

 Chapter 521 Dusk in Grosso

    It was autumn in the blink of an eye.


    A sea of ripe, golden wheat in the entire Grosso Plain swayed along with the breeze. Everyone would surely be moved by this picturesque view�� However, there was also another meaning for Rhode.


    "What a hassle��" He frowned and overlooked the ''ocean'' from the hills.


    It had been six days since Rhode left the Cloud Summit Fortress. This place was the most important foodstuff reserve base for the Reformist Party and it was Rhode''s first target. Got to say, this journey was rather simple for him. He weaved through the trails and secret paths that he was ever familiar with and arrived in this Southern hinterland.


    He was able to travel quickly without leading his men, which was extremely convenient. Besides, along with his summoned spirits, nothing could threaten him with his current level 40 Master Stage and Swordsmanship that had entered the Legendary Stage. The only flaw was that the threats were too low-level for him to farm any great equipment.


    However, he didn''t visit here to clear a dungeon by himself.


    "Can you tell me why exactly you came here, Master?" Celestina stepped out of the forest and glared at Rhode fiercely. Her inappropriate manners towards Rhode seemed to have worsened ever since the battle with the Duke Fiend. If it weren''t for the contract between the summon spirits and the holder, perhaps she wouldn''t even look at this annoying human.


    Rhode wasn''t expecting anything less from her uncooperative attitude. Even though she was an alluring and charming young lady, he refused to show her deference. Although he knew that this forced her to oppose him, he wasn''t mindful at all. Celestina appeared extremely dissatisfied, but Rhode didn''t sense any authentic hatred and malice which was rare to find in a Demon. Even though they had an agreement, a Demon''s scheming wisdom could torture the other party with a life worse than death through various means. But Celestina was different because, even though she usually shot off her mouth and was exceedingly unreasonable during missions, Rhode realized that she was still much kinder than her Demon companions in terms of machinations.


    Besides, her temperament was considered really great for a Demon.


    Of course, this didn''t rule out another possibility.


    "Carrying out a mission?" Rhode shrugged casually.


    She snorted in disdain. "Ah�� Only you? Master, you must be dreaming. Yes, perhaps you can annihilate the Commander of a thousand soldiers with your current strength in the Master Stage. But to destroy a town�� by yourself?"


    Rhode nonchalantly tapped the twin daggers around his waist and Celestina''s mockeries were immediately silenced like a tightened faucet. She gritted her teeth and glared fumingly at Rhode as he gazed straight into her eyes. A few seconds later, she dropped her head helplessly as though she had surrendered. "�� How boring. Why must I be concerned about Master''s wellbeing? You''re better off dead because I''ve had enough of being ordered about by you!!"


    There was indeed always something to conquer another��


    Rhode laid eyes on his daggers after observing Celestina''s flushed expression. He didn''t expect that this arrogant young lady would be this frightful of Gracier and Madaras, like a mouse that had spotted a cat.


    At this thought, he realized that his Holy Sword Card Deck had a truly strange counteractive cycle. Angels were afraid of Demons and Demons were afraid of Elves�� Perhaps nobody would believe him if he said this.


    Celestina''s judgment wasn''t incorrect. Royal Highness Lydia had ordered him to attack Grosso and Fiat and destroy their foodstuff and mineral reserves. The success rate would surely be higher if Rhode had led his mercenaries here. But how would he approach the mission alone? The Grosso''s foodstuff reserve base was massive and the granaries and mills were heavily guarded. Along his way here, he had also detected several patrols. It was apparent that the Reformist Party knew about the critical foodstuff issue after severing ties with the North and they had put up precautions for it.


    It wasn''t difficult to imagine how the security in Fiat would turn out to be since Grosso was this secure. Although Rhode had no exact numbers of the enemies, it seemed that official military troops were inevitable. He was fortunate that the South was hard-pressed for manpower as they were distributed along the defense borders, battlefront, and the city and regional protection.


    Even so, Rhode wouldn''t be able to withstand so many enemies at once.


    But he wasn''t worried about this at all.


    "Indeed. Relying on me alone will not be doable. But��" Rhode glanced at her scowling face with a grin. "I have never battled alone."


    "�� Hmph!" Celestina let out a groan. "What a shameless class. Master, are you even worthy of the pride and glory of the Swordsmen?"


    "Such things don''t matter to me at all. All I need is victory and not glory," Rhode gazed at the sea of gold in a distance. "I''m gonna need your help, Celestina." Rhode retrieved a white, odd mask from the fold of his clothes.


    The sky had darkened gradually.


    It was just another slow-moving day for the Grosso''s garrison patrols. They endured the cruel autumn sun as they patrolled lifelessly, looking at the busy villagers in the wheat fields. Such boring and depressing days could make them go crazy. Even their Garrison Officer was striding heedlessly on the embankment, thinking about enjoying himself with some female dancers in the bar tonight. Of course, he had blocked out the discussions regarding the frontline battle between the soldiers behind him. Even though the soldiers obeyed commands accordingly, it didn''t mean that they were emotionless robots. The Reformist Party''s declaration on independence and their attacks towards the North had affected these soldiers mentally. They felt worried and helpless, but what else could soldiers like them do since their superiors had made the decision?


    Forget it, I will just live day by day. Even though I don''t know how long such peaceful days will last for��


    "Ah��!"


    As the Garrison Officer was trapped in his reverie, a woman screamed from within the forest. The slack soldiers exchanged looks and they darted towards the source of the voice.


    The soldiers spotted an empty field within the dusky forest and there was only one young lady seated on the ground, lowering her head as though she was in tremendous pain.


    Who is she?


    This question emerged in their heads. Grosso was a small town in the countryside and the women''s clothes were usually ordinary as compared to the women in the city of the Southern Port. But, this young lady, whose face was covered with dirt, was wearing a luxurious, silk black robe with velvety scarlet linings. The soldiers recognized the expensive robe and they were sure that she wasn''t a village girl. She might be a daughter of a wealthy family, but�� they weren''t aware that a noble family had arrived in Grosso.


    Who is that young lady?


    "Miss, how are you feeling? What happened?" The Garrison Officer approached her bravely and an alluring fragrance assailed his nostrils which distracted him.


    "Ah�� S-Sorry�� I-I was just frightened by a wild dog��" Her refreshing, mellifluous voice resounded in the soldiers'' ears and their hearts pounded fiercely. Her feminine and enticing voice excited their senses and a few of them ran towards her to give her a helping hand. "Don''t worry, Miss, we have patrolled the surroundings and there aren''t any wild dogs around. It''s really late now and it isn''t safe for you to be here alone. How about we escort you back? Can you tell us where you''re staying?"


    "All of you are��"


    "We are the 5th Team of the Grosso''s Patrol and I am the officer. Nothing will hurt you with us around, Miss."


    The Garrison Officer realized that she must be the daughter of a noble family and he had struck gold. If he could escort her back, maybe her family might reward him and he might even be promoted for his achievements�� Furthermore, this young lady might even fall in love with him. Although they had different identities, it was still possible just like in the folk legend��


    For unknown reasons, the Garrison Officer felt an unprecedented emotional attraction for her and he couldn''t wait to half-kneel and give his sword as a present. As long as she could look at him once, he would die a happy man�� The rich, heavy fragrance assailed his nose once again and he couldn''t think calmly anymore.


    "Miss�� Please get up. It is very dangerous to stay out here in the late night. Please be assured that we will escort you home��" A soldier extended his hand and just as he was only inches away, a black thorny vine struck from behind her back and wrapped his wrist tightly. "Don''t touch me, lowly human."


    She lifted her head and her scarlet pupils twinkled in faint, red radiance. The soldiers stepped back fearfully and countless thorny vines shot out from her sleeves and wrapped them entirely. These soldiers were below level 20 and they couldn''t resist her attack at all.


    "Argh��!"


    The razor-sharp barbs sliced deep into their flesh through their thin clothes and the soldiers yowled in excruciating pain. She snapped her fingers and the thorny vines drilled into their mouths to silence their blood-curdling screeches immediately. The forest restored its serenity in the blink of an eye.


    Celestina stood on her feet and patted off the filthy dust with a handkerchief elegantly. She strode forward gracefully as though she was attending a dinner party and swept a disdainfully glance at the soldiers wrapped at her thorny whips.


    "Lowly, shameful, ugly humans. Who allowed you to talk to me in this manner and touch me with your filthy hand!" Celestina leered with her red, glistening eyes and lashed one of the pitiful soldiers heavily as she yelled. The unlucky soldier twitched in her agonizing torture and breathed weakly. Celestina let out a snort and in a split second, the soldier trembled intensely and the thorny whip punctured from inside his chest! His heart had been pierced by the keen barbed and it continued to pump instinctively with blood gushing down his legs.


    "Lowly human!" Celestina swung her arm and the thorny whip wrapped around his heart. Pop! His heart crushed completely and his bloody corpse flung to the side, collapsing like a tattered doll.


    "As for the rest of you foolish, inferior creatures��" Celestina revealed a proud and joyful murderous intent. "Scream as much as you''d like to satisfy my amusement�� Slaves."

 Chapter 522 Rhode’s Plan

    "Ah!"


    The pale-faced Garrison Officer was slammed to the ground heavily and the pool of putrid blood assailed his nostrils. He couldn''t stop biting his lips because he was surrounded by severed limbs and disemboweled stomachs. His life was at its limit as the solid, ice-cold barb on the whip ripped his skin apart.


    All my men have died in less than 20 minutes. Who exactly is this young lady?


    As the Garrison Officer shuddered and waited for his death, a black figure emerged silently. Rhode gazed at him through the strange white mask and he swept a glance at the bloodied earth. "You seem to be having a lot of fun, Celestina."


    "Phew��" Celestina''s complexion wasn''t as ashen and she gave a chuckle while lifting her proud chin. "Hmph. Slaves existed for their master''s entertainment. Even though the happiness that this sounder of swine gave me is almost insignificant, listening to their sorrowful wailing and begging for forgiveness really cheered my mood��"


    "Surely you haven''t forgotten about your proper business, right?"


    "Of course not." Even though Rhode interrupted her, she surprisingly didn''t bicker with him. She snickered while strolling elegantly toward the final survivor and pushed her heel against his chin to force his head up. Her scarlet pupils once again sparkled. "Look into my eyes and answer my question, slave. You''re not allowed to hide anything from me. Do you understand?"


    "��" The scarlet, burning radiance of Celestina reflected in the Garrison Officer''s pupils. He nodded stiffly and with a hoarse voice, he said, "�� Yes�� Master��"


    "That settles it." Celestina lifted her head proudly and gestured to Rhode. Rhode approached the Garrison Officer who had been completely enticed by her. Judging from the bloodstain on his body and his ashen complexion, this man couldn''t hang on any longer. But Rhode wasn''t concerned about his well being.


    "Which army do you belong to?"


    "�� Grosso Militia��"


    "What are the current battle preparations for Grosso? Which regiment is responsible for


    supervising the garrison?"


    "Everything as per normal�� The regiment responsible for supervision is�� the 5th Division."


    "Who is the Commander?"


    "Sir Michael Hans��"


    It''s him?


    Rhode recalled that this Commander was a kind senior with ordinary talent in military affairs. He was loyal, obedient, honest, and cared for the civilians a lot. He was also often praised by the public and was highly reputable. Many players had received missions from him that concerned annihilating bandits and demon creatures in the southern Munn Kingdom.


    A gentle personality that cared for the people, a lack of personal opinions, and ordinary talent in military affairs��this was Rhode''s overall generalization for Michael.


    But this was extremely good news for Rhode��


    Rhode had received every information he needed after the interrogation. Just like he had predicted, even though the Grosso''s military strength was stronger than usual, it wasn''t overly powerful. Grosso had two infantry teams and one archer team which combined to less than a thousand soldiers. According to the Garrison Officer, the 5th Division''s main focus seemed to be the front line and no extra military strength was dispatched here. This was why these militias had joined in to patrol the surrounding. However, this place was still the border area of Grosso and instead of saying the patrol here was to guard the place, they were better off described as a usual practice because, after all, no one thought that the King''s Party would dispatch men to get through the defensive line and penetrate deeply into this hinterland.


    Of course, this was purely targeting the ''King''s Party''.


    Pow! Celestina crushed the Garrison Officer''s skull with her heel and she turned towards Rhode curiously with folded arms. "Master, have you come up with a plan?"


    Rhode squinted. "I came up with a plan before coming here�� The information that I just heard only enables me to grasp the situation more clearly��" Rhode extended his right arm and a ritual circle formed on his palm. Faint radiance emanated from the piled up corpses and they transformed into light beams that fluttered towards his palm. The radiance faded gradually and dull, gem-like white stones laid in his hand.


    Five Soul Cores.


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. This was the first time he used the [Reaper Song] skill of the [Hell Lord] talent tree to extract Soul Cores in front of someone. After all, only Undead Creatures of the Country of Darkness would use a spirit extracting skill. It was fine if one defeated a BOSS and looted a Soul Core, but one would be an enormous trouble if one brazenly extracted the souls of corpses to create Soul Cores. If one was discovered for doing so, one''s family might even be exterminated if the consequences were serious.


    This was also why Rhode took on this mission alone. He couldn''t do it with Celia around, but he believed that Celestina wouldn''t mind as a Demon.


    Another reason why he didn''t use this skill was that the Soul Cores extracted using the [Reaper Song] would usually have a single attribute and were usually weak. He wouldn''t be able to summon spirits and upgrade their levels like he usually did even after he awakened it. The only advantage was that this skill consumed less spiritual energy and also enabled the holder to summon more spirits. But this characteristic caused Spirit Swordsmen with the [Hell Lord] talent to be very passive in duels. Even if Rhode built purely on either one of the [Summoning Master] or [Soul Messenger] talent trees and didn''t possess any spirit cards like Celia, Celestina, and Gillian, a Spirit Swordsman who built on the [Hell Lord] talent tree would need to summon at least 100 Undead Spirits in order to stand a chance against him. After all, players weren''t lacking in skills of mass destruction and Rhode could destroy all the Undead Spirits of the [Hell Lord] talent tree just by summoning the Spirit Bird only.


    High in quantity but extremely fragile. The [Hell Lord] talent tree itself wouldn''t upgrade much of one''s stats and therefore, it was rare for Spirit Swordsman with the [Hell Lord] talent tree to be on the PVP rankings. But this talent tree was considerable valiant in another aspect, and that was SOLO.


    NPCs weren''t as strong as players. Besides, in terms of equal level, the spiritual energy consumed from summoning spirits wasn''t a lot. One could use an unending stream of spirits to bury an NPC alive with proper spiritual energy replenishment. With decent equipment, a level 40 player with the [Hell Lord] talent tree could solo his way through all the dungeons ranging between level 35 to lvl 39. After reaching his peak, the player could also solo all the dungeons apart from those that required more than 20 team members.


    This talent tree was well-liked by players who despised group raids��of course, due to the individualistic nature of the [Hell Lord] talent tree, many groups and guilds didn''t have openings for them.


    But now, it was a great opportunity for Rhode.


    He came here to clear a mission alone and these unremarkable Soul Cores in his hand were his support.


    "Let''s go, Celestina." He kept the Soul Cores in his pockets and gazed at the dark sky. "It''s gonna be a busy night."

 Chapter 523 Necromancer & Companion

    It was an equally disturbing night for Michael.


    The senior read the report with bloodshot eyes and thick eyebrows that were knitted together. He slammed his fist on the table and the loud impact numbed his ears.


    "Damn it!" He glared at his pale-faced subordinates. "Why am I only notified of such important news now!"


    Michael learned that seven border patrol teams consisting of 140 militias had gone missing yesterday night. He was furious that no one had reported to him when it first happened��


    Damn it, what have this bunch of bastards been doing?!


    Michael wasn''t aware that these Border Officers treated the countryside militias as unorganized and undisciplined, so it wasn''t anything alarming to them since the militias could have gone home without informing then. However, they were worried when the teams failed to return one after another and they dispatched a few patrol teams to search for them. In the end, none of them returned!


    Due to the lack of manpower, the 5th Division assigned the local militias to the Grosso''s periphery and the militias'' parents were distraught when they knew about their disappearance. They checked in with the 5th Division anxiously and the 5th Division reported frantically to Michael after realizing that the situation was beyond their control.


    "A bunch of worthless crap! Crap!" Michael punched the table to vent his anger. He knew that the situation on hand was no longer repairable�� Although the Grosso''s border area wasn''t important, there would be an internal riot if seven patrol teams disappeared just like that, not to mention the currently sensitive situation��


    As a Southern Legion Commander, Michael wasn''t in favor of the Reformist Party''s declaration of independence because he knew that this wasn''t the solution to resolve issues and their military strength was weaker than the King''s Party. Michael didn''t resist like his fellow colleagues who ended up in prison. He was equally unwilling to risk his life on the front lines clashing with his old compatriots, which was why he had been appointed for garrison duties. He was prepared to face misfortune of illnesses and wild animals in Grosso because it was located in the Southern hinterland and he was confident that the King''s Party wouldn''t dispatch manpower to destroy Grosso that easily. But he didn''t expect that this would happen��


    What is going on?


    The senior ruminated on this unusual case. It would be too high-profile if it was the King''s Party who dispatched their people to stir trouble. If there were only one to two patrol teams that had gone missing, it can be explained that they were silenced by the invaders and even dummies would stay vigilant after so many patrol teams were annihilated. Until now, the frontline hasn''t informed us of similar news and the invaders must be professionals since they were able to get through the multiple layers of defense.


    But, who would they be if they weren''t sent by the King''s Party? Wild animals? How is it possible that wild animals would kill so many militias secretly? Even though the militias were inferior to the soldiers, they have also gone through military training and they wouldn''t all perish no matter how strong the wild animal was. Besides, I haven''t heard of wild animals emerging by the Grosso borders��


    Michael had made his decision. He dispatched his adjutant to lead an infantry column to investigate the causes and also increasing alert for the Grosso to prevent further accidents. This was the best and only solution that he could think of for now��


    While Michael was troubling over this matter, victory was within grasp for Rhode in the nearby Grosso mountain forest. He scrutinized his palm and counted 60 leaden, marble-like Soul Cores.


    It was a surprising night for Rhode as he didn''t expect to kill so many people. He anticipated that he could destroy up to three night patrol teams and extract their spirits using the [Hell Lord] talent tree to prepare for his plans. However, after getting rid of the fourth, the enemy actually dispatched another patrol team to search the area�� Rhode kindly accepted their offering.


    Compared to the Soul Cores that Rhode had used, these ''shoddy'' products were inferior in terms of shape, color, and size. But Rhode wasn''t mindful of that.


    Let''s begin.


    Rhode shut his eyes and a summoning ritual circle emerged on his palm. The array of blue spiritual radiance spread apart line by line and the 60 pearl-sized Soul Cores hovered around him.


    [Soul Core detected. To awaken?]


    Awake them all.


    Rhode answered with no hesitation. His body trembled slightly and freezing cold air erupted around him.


    The Soul Cores surrounding him shattered into powder subsequently and white, thin mist fluttered. In the blink of an eye, the mist condensed and flew towards him.


    [Received Undead Fighter 1/1]


    [Received Undead Warrior 1/1]


    [Received Undead Archer 1/1]


    ��


    The system prompts emerged before him while the condensed mist formed into three cards that appeared above his palm. These cards were average in stats with between 1 to 3 for both offense and defense and they were inferior to even the Spirit Bird in its pre-advanced form. Also, these cards didn''t possess any unique skills and even their descriptions were basic one-liners.


    However, this result was more than enough for Rhode.


    Because they were only ''Sub Cards''.


    A Spirit Swordsman''s summoning deck was divided into the ''Main Library'' and ''Sub Cards''. The ''Main Library'' referred to a perfectly equipped summoning deck while ''Sub Cards'' referred to those cards with a single attribute, type, and functionality.


    In the world of the Dragon Soul Continent, it could be said that the summoning card used by a Spirit Swordsman could form a miniature version of a world. A perfect ''Main Library'' would require the combination and mutual support between multiple card types.


    Firstly, the ''Core Creature'' of the Card World was required��the Dominator, which was the most important card.


    Secondly, there must be a Venue Card to project the Card World into reality. Next, two or three spell cards were needed to provide detailed interpretations of the Card World.


    Finally, the necessity of various creatures living in the Card World.


    The summoning card closest to achieving the ''Main Library'' in Rhode''s possession was the ''Red Lotus Card Deck'' where Gillian resided. He had obtained the Core Dominator in the form of ''Gillian'', the detailed description of the Red Lotus Rule in the form of ''Seven Hells'' and ''Sulfur River'', and the Fire Elemental Creature in the form of ''Flame Killer''. He was lacking the ''Venue Card'' to complete a ''Main Library''.


    On the other hand, the ''Army of Abyss'' was a ''Sub Card'' Deck that had five cards. According to the ''Soul Hunter Knight'' and ''Nether Tentacles'', this was a Dark Attribute deck and its distinctive feature was its strong defense and weak offense��this was the characteristic of all the ''Sub Card'' Decks.


    As for the ''Sky Deck'', Rhode possessed only the ''Spirit Bird'' and only God knew when he would be able to collect the other cards to complete its set.


    The ''Holy Sword Card Deck'' troubled Rhode the most because he couldn''t figure out if Celia and Celestina were solely weapon presences or spiritual presences. If they were weapons, the ''Holy Sword Card Deck'' should belong to a subsidiary of some ''Main Library'' and if they were spiritual presences, it would mean that there should also be a ''Core Dominator'' and ''Venue Card'' in the ''Holy Sword Card Deck''.


    Only a perfectly completed ''Main Library'' could display its true formidability. When top Spirit Swordsmen dueled in the game, the completion of their ''Main Library'' was above everything else because it was as though they were launching attacks on another world with a world of their own, attempting to destroy and conquer each other. Apart from the Spirit Swordsman''s individual technique and swordsmanship, they needed to depend on who grasped the most number of Main Libraries and the higher the level, the more powerful they were.


    Rhode used to possess a top class, completed ''Main Library''��the ''Dark Ceremony''��in the game. All he needed to do was to fling out the ''Dark Vortex'' Venue Card and his enemy would be thrown into a world of darkness. The darkness couldn''t be repelled by spells and the enemy could see nothing in the darkness. The creatures residing in the ''Dark Ceremony'' would be buffed multiple times in their damage, critical attacks, and curse chances while Rhode could observe the enemy''s every movement.


    A Mage could cast the ''Eternal Glory'' Legendary spell to eliminate the darkness or perhaps the opposing Spirit Swordsman could summon another equal-leveled Venue Card of another Attribute to dispel this boundless darkness.


    Only the Spirit Swordsmen with the [Hell Lord] talent tree would use a worthless ''Sub Card'' like the [Undead Fighter]. ''Sub Cards'' couldn''t be added to the ''Main Library'' and they could only act as support. Moreover, their attributes were basically useless and were only good in terms of their frightening quantities��


    Rhode had no intentions of using it and he awakened these worthless cards just for the sake of this mission. He would obliterate them all after the mission was completed and this would save him from wasting additional spiritual energy from summoning a bunch of weak critters when he used [Legion Horn] in the future.


    "Master, I don''t understand. Why did you awaken this load of crap?" Celestina grumbled. After tormenting countless militias for the night and enjoyed a feast of blood, screams, and wails, she was on cloud nine. If Rhode brought her to the nearby village for a massacre tour, perhaps this young lady would bury the hatchet with Rhode.


    "It''s to put on a show." Rhode kept the cards and retrieved a black robe from his spatial bag. He put it on and covered his head with the hood before wearing a white bone mask. "Celestina, from now on, I''m a Necromancer and you''re my partner�� Do you understand?" Rhode said as he conveniently picked up a putrefying wooden stick.


    Celestina gave a chuckle after scrutinizing his black robe and mask. "Huhuhu, that''s interesting, Master. I didn''t know that you have such a fun side�� Not bad, I like this suggestion. No problem."


    She expanded her graceful, black wings fully and her dark feathers were strangely dull under the bright sunshine. "Now, I can''t wait to see their pitiful expressions��"


    After half a day, the team that Michael dispatched arrived at the borders. His adjutant who led the infantry column instantly realized that this was an extremely troublesome and strange mission��no villagers knew about whatever happened last night and none of them heard anything out of the ordinary. All patrol teams were ordered to whistle sharply to signal any accidents. However, no villagers heard any whistles and the patrol team disappeared mysteriously in the darkness.


    There''s no time to lose.


    Even though they had just arrived, the adjutant sprang into action quickly as the surrounding conditions worsened. He had intended to rest and reorganize his team and head out the next day to search for the missing militias and investigate the happenings. However, he changed his mind after witnessing the worried, anxious, furious faces of the female villagers who had lost their partners and sons��for safety''s sake, he kept the team as a whole to prevent similar tragedies.


    As an official military troop, the infantries performed much better than the militias. They spotted signs of battles in the forest and a massive amount of blood which proved that the patrol teams were indeed raided.


    But strangely, there weren''t any corpses at all. If the militias were attacked by wild animals, it wouldn''t be possible for them to be devoured that cleanly. If they were attacked by enemies, why would the enemies even be that kind to bury their corpses? It wouldn''t be possible for them to bury over a hundred corpses in one night even if they wanted to.


    Where exactly did their corpses go to?


    The sky was getting darker and they arrived at another crime scene.


    The adjutant squatted down to inspect the crimson soil.


    This is strange. Why didn''t I discover a single corpse? What exactly is happening? There shouldn''t be a lot of enemies based on the footprints so how did they silence the militias this secretly?


    The adjutant looked at up the dimming sky and an odd thought cropped up in his mind.


    Could it be�� Wait. It shouldn''t be��!


    The surrounding got increasingly dimmed and he felt ill at ease. He stood on his feet and beckoned to the soldiers hurriedly. "Alright, that''s all for today. Let''s head back now and leave the rest to tomorrow��"


    "Ahh��!"


    A mournful scream sounded in the nearby forest for a couple of seconds before stopping abruptly. The soldiers were stricken into silence as they stared toward its direction. They unsheathed their weapons swiftly and got into formation while scanning for any strange activities��they had seen the bizarre consequences of the militias with their own eyes. Was it finally their turn?


    The soldiers clasped onto their weapons and as sweat dripped from their foreheads��they could finally see the true faces of their enemies.


    The forest was a horrifying silence with the leaves rustling in the wind. A shadow emerged gradually and it was a man in a black robe and white bone mask. He swept a glance around him and let out a snort. "Heh heh heh�� I see it''s just a bunch of prey�� I didn''t expect anyone would be searching for death here�� This is interesting��"


    The man''s hoarse voice was unpleasant to their ears and something else caught their attention. Cold sweat trickled down their cheeks as they widened their eyes at a young lady with black wings hovering behind the man��white skeletons emerged from the bushes one after another with weapons in their bony hands. Green spiritual flames ignited in their empty eye sockets and an aura of death spread throughout the forest. The soldiers felt an ice-piercing coldness in this blistering hot autumn and the adjutant froze to the spot as his biggest and wildest fears had come true! He finally understood what happened to the patrol teams.


    Oh my God!


    It''s a�� Necromancer!

 Chapter 524 Struggles in the Fores

    The adjutant froze to the spot and an unparalleled fear rose to his head. Although the soldiers received stricter military training than the militias, any normal living humans would still fear Undead Creatures.


    The horrifying skeletons marched toward them with a bone-piercing aura of death. Even though there were only a dozen Undead Creatures before the soldiers, chills ran down their spines when they scanned the depths of the creepy forest��who knew how many were hidden in the forest?


    "Retreat and get ready to evacuate! First column, fire!"


    The adjutant commanded and backed off with his weapon slowly. He didn''t know the exact number of enemies hidden in the dark forest and there was even a Necromancer among them! To make matters worse, there was also a Demon hovering behind him��the pitiful adjutant was no longer concerned if they could win the battle anymore. The only thought he had in mind was to leave this absurd place and report this matter to General Michael. Although he wasn''t aware of where the Necromancer came from, he knew that he definitely wasn''t from around here. If the Grosso region had Necromancers, they would have been destroyed by the Battle Angel Army a long time ago.


    Battle Angel Army��


    The corners of the Adjutant''s mouth twitched. In fact, his first reaction was to evacuate immediately and seek assistance from the Battle Angel Army. However, he realized that the Battle Angel Army had withdrawn from the South due to the opposition��


    Where exactly did it come from?


    There were limited regions in the Munn Kingdom for Undead Creatures to roam about freely as most of the regions were under the watchful eyes of the Angels. The Undead Creatures could emerge in secluded areas around the Country of Darkness border areas at most and now that this Necromancer had appeared, could it be�� The Country of Darkness has intentions to attack us?


    The pathetic adjutant was drenched in sweat and had to report this matter to General Michael no matter what. If the Country of Darkness truly had intentions to lay their hands on the South, how could they resist their attack without the Angels'' protection?!


    Those damn nobles only know how to scramble for power and profits. Wait until these Undead Creatures arrive at your doorsteps!


    The archers at the rear aimed their bows at the Necromancer and the hovering Demon and released their fully-drawn bowstrings.


    "Hmph, little tricks." Celestina snorted in disdain and put her hand forward. A massive, scarlet protection barrier flickered before them and all the arrows dropped to the ground as though their momentum was drained completely.


    The pale-faced infantries at the front retreated nervously with the archers'' cover because years of formal training had taught them that it would turn into a massacre if they fell apart here.


    The Undead Soldiers marched forward steadily and this was the most frightening aspect of them because nothing was more unbearable than fighting a pack of emotionless and fearless killer-machines.


    At this moment, the situation took a strange turn.


    The Adjutant stared at the Necromancer''s every movement because he knew that Mages were terrifying presences in the legends, not to mention an even more powerful Necromancer. The countryside legends said that Mages who received longevity by offering their lives to the darkness could turn any humans before them into bloody, minced meat with a swing of the hand��


    As the saying goes, the more one fears, the more it would happen. He watched a strange radiance beam on the Necromancer''s lifted right palm and he heard a series of mournful screams.


    "Oh God, what is this?!"


    The Adjutant turned around and widened his eyes in disbelief��the empty field behind him was suddenly covered in hundreds of pitch-black tentacles that wrapped around the soldiers'' bodies. The ice-cold and stinging sensation on the tentacles scared the soldiers witless and they struggled to no avail. The other soldiers that dodged the tentacles brandished their swords to rescue their comrades. However, their razor-sharp blades were ineffective as though they had struck a thick layer of rubber!


    What they had been afraid of was finally happening!


    Swish!


    Suddenly, a wave of arrows was shot from behind the Undead Fighters and a dozen soldiers shrieked miserably as they collapsed to the ground. Meanwhile, the soldiers struggling to break free of the tentacles stopped moving abruptly as though they were puppets with their strings cut.


    The enemies attacked!


    They were worried that more enemies were lurking in the deeper forest and the arrows had proven their fears to be true. Moreover, the emergence of the tentacles and the approaching Undead Fighters overwhelmed them completely and they couldn''t hang on any longer. A dozen soldiers abandoned their formation and bolted off like headless mosquitoes.


    They had no further desires other than getting away from this terrifying place!


    However, the dangers didn''t let them off.


    The black tentacles struck out and wrapped the defenseless, escaping humans entirely. Their preparations against these devil-claw-like tentacles were completely useless as their swords had flung off and their bodies were bound firmly. Shortly after, another wave of arrows fired and the soldiers were snatched of their lives.


    What are these damn things?!


    The unfortunate adjutant hid amongst the group and yelled futilely to calm his troops. The soldiers were scared stiff by the series of attacks that arose abruptly. Even though some of them were still willing to listen to the adjutant''s command, others were at their breaking point as they peered at the Demon with scarlet radiance on her palms.


    "No escaping. Push on, push on!" The adjutant was aware that the situation was absolutely critical at this point. He berated the soldiers to stay away from the black tentacles while commanding them to push towards the enemies because the Undead Fighters strode out of the bushes and arrived before them.


    "Attack!" Perhaps the soldiers realized that escaping was meaningless. They held in their fears and charged towards the enemies with their swords!


    "Maintain the formation. Don''t panic! Watch out for arrows!" the adjutant ordered as the soldiers raised their shields while stepping away from the black tentacles. No one had noticed that the adjutant secretly moved to a relatively safe corner by the rear. He had decided to abandon the soldiers and leave this ridiculous place. If the enemies were truly sent by the Country of Darkness, he had to report this matter to General Michael even if it meant sacrificing these soldiers.


    How interesting.


    The corners of Rhode''s mouth turned up. The soldiers were in a tangle with the Undead Fighters that he had summoned, but they hadn''t realized that the Undead Fighters were actually rather weak. After all, these Undead Fighters were nothing more than a ''Sub Card'' that Rhode created with 3 offense and defense points each. It wouldn''t be difficult for the soldiers to defeat his Undead troops once they overcame their fears.


    But�� Rhode paid more attention to the fellow yelling commands at the back. "You saw that, Celestina?"


    "Yes, Master. Can I begin now?"


    "Give it a while more�� It''s not enough yet. We need another opportunity��" Rhode shook his head.


    The battle turned into a stalemate as the soldiers looking death in the eyes unveiled their powerful strength. They crushed the fragile white skeletons with their shields and brandished their swords violently. Even though the Undead Creatures wouldn''t die again after their chests were pierced or heads were cut off, they couldn''t move after their skeletal bodies were smashed to bits and the spiritual flames in their eye sockets vanished. Although the soldiers were severely injured, their aggression continued as they saw glimmers of hope with each falling skeleton. It seemed like Rhode''s Undead Fighters couldn''t hang on much longer!


    They might win?


    The adjutant stopped sneaking away for now. The infantries and archers that he had brought added made almost 200 men while there were about 400 Undead Creatures. He lost over 60 men in the previous ambush and if they weren''t too nervous after seeing the Necromancer, perhaps they wouldn''t be annihilated so easily.


    There are only about 30 Undead Creatures left and I still have over 100 well-trained soldiers. How is it possible that we''ll lose to them?


    But��


    The Adjutant laid eyes on the Necromancer and he couldn''t read his expression behind the white bone mask. The Necromancer and the Demon above him didn''t seem to be making any moves and they were as though watching the fall of the Undead Creatures��


    Why don''t they seize this chance to attack? Could it be that this Necromancer has other schemes? Or that Demon�� Even if we defeat these Undead Creatures, we should we do next? Should we continue to attack the Necromancer and the Demon?


    As the Adjutant was hesitant in making a decision, the situation took a turn!


    "Heya!" A soldier slashed an Undead Fighter fiercely and it shattered into bits. The soldier looked up and realized that the evil Necromancer was standing within the bushes near him.


    Get rid of him and everything will end!


    "Attack, my brothers!" the soldier snarled. He and his comrades trampled over the corpses and darted towards the Necromancer. Nothing was more thrilling than this battle because they thought that they were dead meat for sure. But now, they managed to take down the Undead Creatures and were even about to exterminate a Necromancer!


    The soldiers were boors to begin with,and weren''t concerned about any traps or schemes. As long as the enemy was within reach and they would defeat it to gain victory!


    They''re finally here.


    No matter how Rhode disguised himself, he was still an imposter Necromancer. Apart from summoning Undead Creatures to put up a facade, he almost couldn''t cast any spells that Necromancers possessed. This was why he stood at the back and observed the fight quietly. If he were an authentic Necromancer, he would have cast a ''Swamp Quagmire'' before casting a ''Poison Cloud'' and ''Weakening'' and his Undead Fighters would slice the soldiers like cutting cucumbers.


    After all, Rhode was a Swordsman, and a Spirit Swordsman at that. Even though Rhode could come up with some magical moves, those weren''t authentic magic at all. But�� this didn''t mean that Rhode was unable to come up with a solution.


    As mentioned earlier, Rhode ''almost'' couldn''t cast any spells that Necromancers could��almost. But not entirely.


    And he was about to rely on that.


    "Came at the right time," Rhode smirked and extended his left hand. A card emerged above his palm in the blink of an eye.


    [Sacrificial Shift (Spell Card): Turn all corpses within spell range into Undead Creatures. Amount of transformation depends on the holder''s level. No one can stay indifferent in the face of fearful death. One will not hesitate even if one receives a false life.]


    Activate, Spell Card.


    Rhode turned his wrist around and crushed the card into bits.


    A strange halo burst out of his clenched fist and spread apart glaringly.


    That terrifying Necromancer is just ahead. Just a few more steps and I can annihilate this sinister presence.


    The soldier raised his sword above his head and suddenly, his huge, sturdy body stopped moving abruptly.


    He lowered his head in disbelief.


    A shimmering blade punctured from his back and through his chest.


    Who?


    He tried to turn around but collapsed before finding out who his murderer was.


    But shortly after, he sprung open his eyes and the hopeful paradise that he had envisioned was reconstructed into unmatchable darkness. He rocked to his feet slowly while fresh blood flowed from his wound. He had become an Undead Creature who turned towards his former comrades with his sword.


    Oh my goodness!


    The adjutant sucked in a deep, cold breath of air. He finally understood why the Necromancer stood idly before. He didn''t need to worry about his Undead Creatures at all because the corpses would become his troops!


    As though confirming the adjutant''s guesses, the soldier corpses were bestowed new lives. They rocked to their feet and lifted their swords against their former comrades that had fought alongside them.


    This time, the soldiers couldn''t hold on anymore.


    They discovered that everything they did was pointless against the Necromancer and they were bound to fail. Disparity and fear once again clouded their minds. Some escaped into the forest while others fought hopelessly against their former comrades to live seconds longer.


    Rhode grinned. "Celestina, you can have some fun now."


    "Huhuhu, leave it to me, Master." Celestina''s eyes glistened. She flew skyward and raised her hands to summon a massive, scarlet ritual circle in the night sky. The air around the forest reeked of blood and was filled with the aura of death. The soldiers that couldn''t escape in time felt their body shutting down and their legs immovable. All they could do was to gaze at the night sky in despair.


    "Foolish, worthless humans. Cherish this gift of mine!" Celestina laughed evilly. She swung her arms downward and the enormous scarlet ritual circle descended from above!


    "Ahh!"


    The soldiers trapped in the ritual circle wailed painfully as their skin and flesh melted in the sinister, cruel Dark Demonic powers that permeated into their bodies. The other soldiers tossed their weapons like madmen and bolted away from this appalling, vicious place without even looking back.


    "Huhuhu, that''s fun. I''ll never get sick of hearing the laments of humans��"


    Celestina descended to Rhode''s side while giggling behind her hand-cupped lips like a perfectly fine, elegant lady��apart from her exciting and joyful expression when she looked at the soldiers struggling with pain and stepping into death. "Master, is this really fine? I can play hide and seek with them if there''s a need to."


    "That''s fine, Celestina," Rhode shook his head and gazed forward��the man that was over there had gone missing. "This is just an appetizer, so don''t fill your stomach yet. The feast is coming right up."

 Chapter 525 Spreading Fear

    It was just as Rhode had predicted.


    Michael jumped out of his seat after the terror-stricken adjutant explained the truth about the invaders. Even though the senior had made certain guesses about the invaders'' identity, he found the answer hard to accept.


    Demon. Necromancer.


    Either one of them could cause a huge headache. What were they trying to do now that both of them had joined hands and appeared by the Grosso''s borders? This question wasn''t that important anymore because they only had one objective against them.


    And that was to destroy and exterminate.


    This was an insanely difficult problem for Michael.


    If the invaders were ordinary military troops, he could defend this important Stronghold and call for reinforcements to strengthen the defenses and protect the granaries. However, he couldn''t do it in this situation because the Necromancer would most likely murder everyone around the border area to replenish his powers. This was the most frightening part of the Necromancer. Death wasn''t the end for them��it was just the start instead. If Michael allowed the Necromancer to wreak havoc, perhaps he might need to face an Undead Army with up to a thousand creatures.


    There was no value in defending this Stronghold anymore. Moreover, Michael was a General who cared for the civilians with his heart and he wouldn''t tolerate leaving them to suffer on their own. But�� the biggest problem now wasn''t the lack of manpower.


    Unlike the bunch of useless, pampered humans of the Country of Light, the people of the Munn Kingdom more or less came into contact with the Undead Creatures before. It wasn''t only the Battle Angel Army that tried to stop the invasion of the Undead Creatures. As one of the Generals of the Southern Legion, Michael knew certain ways to deal with Undead Creatures too. One of the most straightforward methods was the human wave attack. The number of corpses that a Necromancer could manipulate on the battlefield was limited. If a Necromancer led 2000 Undead Soldiers, 20000 humans would be required to swarm the Undead Soldiers entirely. Even though the Necromancer could keep awakening Undead Creatures, he would still lose after he exceeded his limits. This was the simplest and most direct method and right now, Michael didn''t have enough soldiers on hand to execute this mission. According to his adjutant, the Necromancer devoured seven patrol teams and he had lost nearly 200 soldiers who turned into Undead Creatures. He had about 700 soldiers left and it was looking bleak


    Moreover, there was still a Demon around��


    Michael bit his lips and leaned back on his chair, pale-faced. He grabbed the feather pen and wrote on a plain sheet of paper hurriedly. After a short while, he sealed the paper in a letter with a wax seal before letting out a long sigh. His ring clinked against the small clock and a soldier scampered into the room. "Sir."


    "Deliver this letter to the Southern Port immediately and convey my orders to get into a state of emergency. Cancel all the leaves and everyone will rotate in patrol. Warn the civilians to not leave the village and get them to report anything strange that they discover. Understand?"


    "Yes!" The soldier picked up the letter, saluted solemnly, and left quickly. Michael leaned back with closed eyes. A hint of helplessness and exhaustion emerged on his aged face.


    "I hope�� my decision is right," the senior mumbled under his breath.


    "It seems that your plan hasn''t achieved the intended purpose, Master." Celestina scanned the village in a distance with knitted brows. She had waited half a day but she hadn''t heard of the rumored troops. Even though she was dissatisfied, she was still in a great mood and she didn''t seize this chance to mock Rhode.


    "This is normal. That old man has always been soft-hearted and it is to be expected that he will put defending the nation before the civilians as a soldier."


    "Defend the nation?" Celestina snorted disdainfully. "I do want to know which country is he exactly defending�� But, forget it. Double-crossing is the nature of humans and I''m not surprised at all that such a timid and despicable race would do something so shameless for the sake of living�� So then, Master, what are your next plans? It seems that they won''t be sending any more patrol teams over."


    "This is very normal, Celestina." Rhode sat on a boulder while gazing at the scenery before him. Countless cards were revolving repeatedly above his palm �� Rhode had extracted and awakened another 90 Undead Fighters from the latest battle. There were about 150 cards in the ''Sub Card'' in his hand and it was a few times more than he had possessed.


    It went to show how terrifying the [Hell Lord] talent tree could be in terms of the human wave attack.


    However, the total attack of these ''Sub Cards'' wouldn''t even match Celia��


    This also went to show how useless the [Hell Lord] talent tree was in a specific aspect.


    "Just as you''ve said. Humans are creatures who lack foresight and most of them see what''s just in front of them and never the future. Yes, this is very normal. We don''t have the longevity of Elves and Angels and a hundred years of life is more than enough for us. It isn''t strange that we can''t project our wisdom to a hundred years later like all the astronomers in the world making solemn vows that there will be a meteorite that will destroy Earth 150 years later�� I believe that even if humans hear such a news, they will not panic or fluster. After all, they will be dead by then." Rhode spread his arms apart. "It''s the same for these people. I think that they haven''t experienced the pain of losing someone important to them and this is why I don''t mind teaching them a lesson. One will only learn to treasure after losing one''s precious. It seems that the civilians living under Royal Highness Lydia''s protection don''t seem to think that they''re receiving any benefits from her. So then�� I don''t mind letting them taste pain and disparity after losing everything they have."


    Rhode flipped his wrist around like a pair of magician''s hand and the summoning cards vanished abruptly. "Since they''re not coming, then we shall go over�� Celestina, are you ready?"


    "I''m always ready, Master."


    Nightfall.


    Some villagers returned home with satisfied smiles and sweat trickling down their cheeks while others spent the rest of the night in bars to let out all their fatigue and exhaustion. This should have been the daily life of a small town but the atmosphere was heavy and tense today. The villagers returned home with frightful expressions and locked their doors immediately and even the guests in the bars peered around in fear.


    As the saying goes, good things don''t leave the house while bad things pass thousands of miles.


    Rhode went easy on the soldiers purposely and some of the soldiers that escaped had spread the truth around the borders�� Oh my goodness. There was a Necromancer!?


    Everyone was horror-struck as soon as they heard this statement. Although they were wary of the dangers lurking around them when the militia patrol teams disappeared, the terrifying truth was much more than they could handle!


    Necromancer! Demon!


    "Damn it��" A soldier gripped his pike and trembled with pale complexion by the crude, large door. Although it was late in the night and the cooling breeze had dispersed the roasting heat of autumn days, he couldn''t stop shaking as though he were in his own winter season. "Why must I be on night watch? It''s not fair!"


    "Alright, chill, kid." Another soldier leaning on the door grumbled as he poured shoddy liquor into his mouth directly. "You''re a grown up. What''s there to fear? Relax, it''s just night duty. Haven''t you done this before?"


    "B-But this isn''t the same!" The young militia retorted subconsciously, but he quickly lowered his voice and scanned the surrounding nervously as though he was afraid that he had woken up some evil beasts in the dark.


    "Haven''t you heard of it? The militias and soldiers from before were killed by a Necromancer! Aren''t you worried at all? Those Necromancers are creatures that devour humans entirely. W-What if the Necromancer finds trouble with us? I heard that no reinforcements are coming to assist us. Damn it, what are the military soldiers doing? Shouldn''t they be the ones protecting us at this point in time? Are they waiting for us to be killed by those terrifying monsters before they''re willing to come?"


    "Alright, cut it out, you nagger." The senior soldier glared at the concerned newbie. "Isn''t it just a Necromancer? What''s there to be afraid of? I''ve seen real Undead Creatures when I was young and what about it? That worthless crap seemed scary but they didn''t dare move an inch before an Angel. Heh, if the Necromancer were here, he would escape like a naughty boy after seeing our Angel."


    "But�� We don''t have the Angels'' help anymore��"


    "��" The senior militia poured the last few drops of liquor into his mouth and stood straight up abruptly before tossing the steel liquor pot on the ground. "Tch. Those damn nobles should''ve burned in hell for betraying Royal Highness�� This is their retribution! Damn it! I curse their entire family and ancestors that they won''t die in peace!" He gasped for a mouthful of air before looking at the newbie with exhausted eyes. "Alright kid, cut the crap. Stop thinking about useless stuff and do your job properly. It''ll be fine once morning arrives�� That''s right, it''ll be fine once morning��" The young man gazed at the older man''s eyes.


    I see. He is equally afraid��


    "What are you looking at?!" Perhaps sensing that the newbie had seen through his true feelings, he frowned and waved his arm. "Turn around and look there. Stay focused�� If we''re lucky�� Hmm? What''s that sound?"


    He turned around curiously like a hunting dog peeking at the dense, dark forest. The bright, beaming moon had been covered by thick clouds entirely and even the fascinating radiance in the horizon that represented the Light Dragon Soul had dimmed massively.


    "Sound?" The newbie turned around hurriedly but no matter how he scanned, he couldn''t see anything clearly. The place was in utter silence and suddenly, both of them heard a faint voice. As though the sound of waves slamming into a shore. But�� there wasn''t an ocean nearby.


    Swish�� Swish�� Swish��


    The sound was getting clearer and louder by the seconds. The two men felt shivers down their spines and their jaws couldn''t stop biting. The sixth sense in humans that had deteriorated became so sensitive in the face of danger. Although they couldn''t see through the dense, gathering darkness, they seemed to sense that something was approaching them.


    Swish�� Swish�� Swish��


    Dark figures finally emerged.


    "Oh�� My�� God��"


    A sea of Undead Army presented before them and they were stricken into silence. They clasped their weapons but they didn''t know what else they could do.


    Y-Yes, w-we should alert the villagers that the terrifying Undead Creatures are here!


    Although this thought lingered in their heads non-stop, their bodies had as though lost their strength to move. No matter how hard they tried, their bodies felt like a puddle of mud.


    Move! Move!


    They bellowed at their incapable bodies, but their legs wouldn''t budge at all! The horrifying Undead Army had arrived before their faces before they even realized. They witnessed the faint spiritual flames burning in the Skeletal Warrior''s eye sockets and the shabby weapons in their bony hands.


    "Ahhhh!"


    Perhaps because the newbie''s fears were at its peak, he screamed at the top of his lungs, threw his pike, and darted away. Meanwhile, the older soldier bolted for the sentry post and struck the alarm bell with all his might.


    Clang�� Clang��


    The loud clinking of the bell resounded in the entire town and broke the dead silence. At this moment, two thorny whips launched from within the Undead Army and wrapped the two and dragged them back in the blink of an eye! And the bell ringing came to a sudden end!


    "Help, help me. I don''t wanna die��"


    The young man rolled about on the ground while wailing pitifully with mucus and tears flowing down his face. He clawed his hands into the ground helplessly and the thorny whip slithered around his neck like a viper and suspended him in midair. The sharp thorns pierced into his neck and he struggled frantically. However, he was powerless. His eyes relaxed and his mouth widened like a fish that swam to shore, sticking out its tongue to feel the presence of air. But��


    Bam! The thorny whip slammed the young man into the ground. He gazed, half-conscious, at the older soldier whose body had been twisted and severed before him. "Waaaaa!"


    Celestina trembled in excitement and her flawless white cheeks were smeared with a faint flush as though she had drunk an intoxicating fine liquor. "Ah�� What a splendid lament. The purpose of your life is to provide me this unprecedented happiness. Nothing makes me happier than this��" Celestina opened her eyes and chuckled cutely before lashing her whip once more. "Servants, attack! Death, blood, and laments shall be the star of this beautiful night!"

 Chapter 526 Scarlet Wickedness

    A night that should have been peaceful splashed in scarlet fresh blood and flames.


    Screams and wails filled the dark sky as hungry flames devoured houses wildly. The Undead Fighters swarmed the burning houses and fields, brandishing their swords at the defenseless humans. They had no emotions and beliefs. They solely carried out orders to snatch the lives of others. This was their only value in existing.


    "G-Get away. Get away!"


    The ashen-faced farmer clutched the sickle in his trembling hands, facing the Undead Fighters marching toward him fearlessly. His wife and son huddled in the corner of the walls, but the Undead Fighters disregarded their screams and bellows. They advanced steadily with their highly raised weapons.


    "Aaaa!" The desperate farmer charged forward to fend the invaders away from his wife and son. He stretched out his strong arms to hinder the Undead Fighters from advancing farther. He turned toward his wife and son frantically.


    "Run!" The farmer let out a blood-curdling screech.


    The Undead Fighters pierced their swords into his body without any resistance. The farmer grabbed the blade with his bare hands and used all his strength to look back at his wife and son who stumbled their way out of the house. "Get out of here! Run as far as you can. Faster��"


    Those were the farmer''s last words. His severed skull flew midair in a crescent trail of fresh blood and crashed to the ground heavily. His eyes were still wide open, fervently staring at the empty exit.


    Perhaps it was a blessing to him that he didn''t hear the screams and wails that came to an end abruptly.


    "�� This is wonderful��"


    Celestina folded her arms, closed her eyes, and soaked herself in the melodious screams and wails from the village engulfed in flames. She trembled slightly as if every passing life was the pleasure of an electric current brushing over her spine. The joyous sensation sent a shiver down her spine like she had gulped a mug of ice-cold beer in the hottest period of summer.


    "The end of lives�� Such moments are when lowly lives are the most meaningful. I''ve had enough of these lowly swine-like humans rolling about in the mud. It isn''t to my liking that they do whatever it takes to survive. Now, they finally provide their worth to me and even though the music that they played with their lives is rather gruff�� It is still worth my time to appreciate and listen."


    "Seems like you''re enjoying yourself?" Rhode looked down at the village that had been submerged in a sea of flames.


    The Undead Fighters pushed on much quicker than he had expected and the villagers had been massacred cleanly even before they were ready to put up a fight. The night breeze blew with the smell of burnt wood and humans��


    "Of course, Master." Celestina spun around lithely and her luxurious, black openwork skirt fluttered along her movements.


    Bloody, ripped open corpses with widened eyes laid around her feet. These were all her works. And even though Rhode felt that she wasn''t as terrible in most aspects as her Demon compatriots, she was equally sick in causing pain in others.


    "Nothing makes me happier than grasping and manipulating fragile lives in my palm in whichever way that I deem. They are like beautiful flowers that you can choose to carefully hold in your hands to preserve their beauty as a specimen or just watch them bloom and wither. But�� I prefer to squash and pulverize the beautiful lives shimmering in faint radiance entirely��"


    Celestina clenched her right fist. "The instant pleasure is incomparable and this is the strongest display of strength. A powerful presence who can mercilessly deprive a weaker presence no matter how hard it struggles or perseveres�� And its only consequence will still be crushed�� This is my favorite entertainment and nothing beats appreciating the struggles they put up before death."


    "I don''t doubt your thoughts, Celestina." Rhode gazed at the burning ruins while spinning the putrefied wooden stick in his hand. No one could see his expression through the white bone mask. "But what will Celia think about this? If she''s here��"


    "Ah, Celia." Celestina waved her hands in disinterest as though she didn''t mind at all. "Master, you don''t have to worry about that little fella at all. She may grumble at my hedonism, but I can guarantee you that the stupid child will not have any complaints even if you killed every single soul here."


    "Oh?" Rhode twitched his brows and turned toward the young lady curiously. Frankly speaking, he asked because he merely wished to crack down on her overweening attitude and he didn''t expect such a response. "Why is that so?"


    "Ah, right. I have forgotten that you''re not from that era��" Celestina rolled her eyes and placed her hand on her chest. An unprecedented might erupted from her as though a brutal King looking down from the heavens.


    "Because those swines aimed their weapons on their guardian foolishly.


    "Because those swines chose to go against their masters.


    "Because those swines gave up on their last honor�� This is a rebellion! In compliance with the Creator pact, any traitor will be sentenced to death! Their spirit will perish in the flames for eternity and this serves as a warning for the later generations that they cannot resist, must not resist, and are not allowed to resist! Neither ignorance and incompetence are excuses. Nor are they reasons! No matter how they defend themselves, they can''t erase their stigma as a sinner, and the sins that they commit can only be forgiven if they have experienced the most excruciating pain."


    The scarlet radiance in Celestina''s eyes beamed and she swung her right arm to eject a pitch-black thorny whip from her sleeve. She dragged a fleeing woman in the sea of flames. Her bare legs were scarred and burned. However, Celestina had no qualms and hung her high up in the air, squinting her scarlet eyes.


    "This is a blood sacrifice and also a warning, Master. No one should betray their God and the punishment is severe. During the start of the creation, the Dragons relied on fresh blood and powerful strength to gain their positions. But�� hmph. We can ignore the worthless Light Dragon. It isn''t that easy to clean one''s hands of blood. If it wasn''t out of regard for my former ally, I��"


    Celestina closed her mouth abruptly and shot a look at Rhode before lifting her proud chin. Two more thorny whips slithered out of her sleeves and wrapped the woman''s legs, sliding upward like vipers.


    "Master�� This is my warning to you�� Don''t ever forgive rebellious sinners. Only iron and blood guarantee strength and power."


    The two thorny whips struck between the woman''s legs!


    "Ahhhh��!"


    The razor-sharp thorns punctured the woman''s body and blood spewed out from her mouth instantly. Her body was full of holes and she was shivering like a fish flapping instinctively and a putrid mixture of blood and body fluid gushed out from between her legs like a waterfall. The scarlet radiance in Celestina''s eyes shone brighter as she swiped her right arm to the side and the thorny whips tossed the female corpse into a firepit like a ragged doll. Celestina clapped the dust off her palms and the malevolent, dangerous, murderous intent in her expression was replaced with her graceful, gentle smile. She lifted the ends of her skirt elegantly and walked down the corpse hill in a refined posture. "What should we do next? Master? Your goal surely isn''t just this, right?"


    "Of course not," Rhode shook his head. "This is only the start. Just like you''ve said, sometimes you must bite hard enough for them to know pain."


    This was an unforgettable night.


    And a nightmare for the Grosso Plain.


    When news of the Necromancer lurking around the Grosso Plain spread, people were mostly nervous and uneasy, and some even thought of it as just a rumor. But now, the rumors had become a reality. In just two days, three villages had fallen into the hands of the Undead Army. Most of the villagers lost their lives, except for some lucky few who had managed to escape. This news set off a fearful whirlwind of death across the plains.


    In an instant, everyone was in danger.


    Although it was the harvesting season, there was no one in the fields. The farmers dragged their families and sought refuge in the big city of the southern hinterland in order to avoid the rumored Undead Army. Meanwhile, the wealthy merchants left their manors and farms in carriages and fled far away.


    "Damn it!" Michael slammed his fist on the table hopelessly after reading the letter before him.


    It had been two days since he requested for urgent reinforcements and he almost coughed out blood upon reading the response from the Southern Parliament. Due to the lack of manpower, the Southern Parliament had refused Michael''s request and they even ordered him to ''ensure'' the extermination of the Undead Army that wreaked havoc in the Grosso borders. Moreover, the only assistance that the Southern Parliament provided was them ''allowing'' General Michael to recruit militias?!


    Michael wished he could slap that bunch of idiots.


    Recruit militias? Those big-bellied, dumb idiots think that we''re dealing with bandits? The enemies are the Undead Army and what can the militias even do? Besides, the villagers have escaped, so where do they expect me to recruit militias?


    Hundreds of lives in the three villages have perished. What chances do I have if that horrifying Necromancer manipulated the corpses into his troops?


    God damn it. If I had a way to contact the Battle Angel Army��


    Michael reached his hands out subconsciously, but his expression gloomed instantly and he slouched back on his seat like a deflated balloon.


    Right�� The Battle Angel Army has become our enemy now��


    Those morons in the Southern Parliament are to be blamed for everything!


    A raging wrath exploded in Michael''s heart. He grabbed a piece of clean paper and wrote urgently. Then, he struck the loud alarm bell and an orderly entered his room swiftly. The orderly realized that usual steady and calm General Michael had become ashen-faced and murderous-looking.


    What''s wrong with him?


    "Deliver this letter to the Southern Parliament and tell them that I will quit if they don''t agree!"


    By evening, his express delivery had delivered on the table of the Southern Parliament in the Southern Port. At the same time, the Southern Parliament was holding a meeting regarding the series of events that had happened.


    The situation at hand wasn''t wonderful for the Southern Parliament.


    The bombarding of Brenhill Fortress was rather successful and afterward, Lydia''s silence and the Battle Angel Army''s disappearance allowed the politicians and nobles to lay down the final worry in their hearts. This was why they dared to invade Paphield and ''release'' it under Lydia''s ''despotic rule''.


    However, it was then that the Southern Parliament realized they had stepped on a road full of thorns.


    The battle at Paphield had lasted for several days, but the effects weren''t obvious. Even though the Reformist Party had been gathering military strength and acquired a large portion of the Southern Legion, the frontline troops in several regions of Paphield faced stubborn resistance. Although they had occupied a part of Paphield''s territory, they didn''t establish a strong frontline post to consolidate their results, which made the Reformist Party anxious as they learned that Lydia was gathering and reorganizing her troops. As a result, the Reformist Party hoped to invade all of Paphield before Lydia''s military strength was ready. If they could successfully occupy most of Paphield''s land, they could unilaterally declare an armistice and seek mediation with the Country of Light''s Parliament. As a subordinate of the Light Dragon, Lydia naturally had no authority to reject��


    This hopeful result was within reach of the Reformist Party. However, the reality was far from it. The Country of Light''s attitude had changed. In the beginning, they said that they would provide assistance in manpower and supplies to the Reformist Party after the uprising. But now, they would only provide a portion of supplies and they wouldn''t provide powerful troops as reinforcements. This was bad news for the Reformist Party and they couldn''t figure out why the Country of Light went back on their words. Of course, they naturally didn''t have the means and capacity to question them now.


    Unfortunately, this wasn''t all the trouble that the Southern Parliament faced.


    The sudden appearance of the Necromancer in the Grosso region gave them the most pressure. Three villages were destroyed and the frightful villagers fled into the city, which added more variables into this unsettling situation. In the past two days, crime and chaos in the city had risen and the city guards were overloaded.


    With an influx of refugees, the Reformist Party heard a popular opinion among their people: they shouldn''t be independent! Before they left the Munn Kingdom, the Undead Creatures never dared to step onto their territory so brazenly while under the protection of Royal Highness Lydia and the Battle Angel Army. And now, these Undead Creatures made such a grand appearance for themselves! This showed that the choice they made was a mistake!


    The people had different opinions on the fact that they had been separated from the Munn Kingdom. Although many of them did hate the King''s Party after being brainwashed by the Reformist Party for years, they were still reluctant to sink into the chaos of war. And now, the appearance of the Necromancer made these people even more nervous and restless. This also made the Reformist Party more passive and if they couldn''t find a good solution to prove to their people that they could protect the country themselves from the Undead Creatures without the Angels, they would be completely done for!


    Although the Reformist Party had explained to the public that these Undead Creatures might be part of the King''s Party''s plot to trap them in the Angel''s rule and called on them to remain calm, they weren''t successful. Even though their excuses were close to the truth, the people didn''t believe their views, which put them in a difficult situation. Furthermore, the Necromancer was still a threat to them. Although they didn''t know if the Necromancer was sent by the Country of Darkness or just one who appeared alone, this danger had to be eliminated.


    At this moment, General Michael''s second express delivery presented itself before them.


    This always gentle and kind-hearted senior general had flown into a terrible rage in the letter. He bluntly told the Reformist Party that his current manpower was definitely insufficient to beat the Necromancer. He needed reinforcements and if the Reformist Party insisted on not sending them, he would consider temporarily withdrawing from the Grosso Plain!

 Chapter 527 Self-directed Oscars 1/4

    Even though General Michael''s request was reasonable, the Reformist Party refused to send reinforcements. However, this didn''t mean that their IQ was incredibly low. Instead, there was also a big problem before them��they lacked manpower.


    Most of the troops under the Reformist Party were soldiers of the Southern Legion, while the rest were private soldiers supported by the nobles and wealthy merchants and city guards from various cities. Although the Reformist Party had swiftly imprisoned military generals who might cause them great trouble at the time of the initial rebellion, these generals were still a minority. In the Southern Legion, other than those who supported the Reformist Party, there were still a large number of neutral generals who had strong soldiers under their command. However, these generals chose to not get involved with the battle between the Reformist Party and the King''s Party due to various reasons. This was why the Reformist Party had been careful in not offending these generals as they didn''t wish to have internal problems while the external issues hadn''t been resolved yet. This was also why General Michael expressed his rage daringly in his letter to this bunch of people. After all, they didn''t obtain legitimate authority over him and if General Michael disobeyed their commands and left Grosso, the Reformist Party could only look on helplessly.


    It was because of this that the troops who were willing to listen to the Reformist Party''s command weren''t as many as they hoped to have. Moreover, the Reformist Party didn''t establish a stable base quick enough after declaring independence and they took the opportunity to attack Paphield, which diminished their already lacking military strength. They had mobilized all their available manpower and couldn''t support Grosso at all.


    If the Necromancer had messed with other regions instead of Grosso, perhaps the Reformist Party would have waited until they had stabilized their front lines before resolving the trouble. But now, they couldn''t neglect the awful situation because the Grosso region was the only foodstuff reserve base that the South could rely on. If something happened there, it would mean that the rations for the next six months of the South would be completely destroyed! Although the Reformist Party could still rely on the Country of Light''s Parliament for support, the Country of Light''s Parliament''s change in attitude kept them on their heels. Even though the Reformist Party had always relied on the Country of Light''s Parliament, they had always been wary of them overstepping into their territory. If Grosso was destroyed, they would have to rely entirely on food imports from the Country of Light, and the Country of Light would definitely jump on the opportunity to raise their prices��


    "According to the intelligence, that damn Necromancer has been heading towards the east. We have to stop him!"


    "But we don''t have enough manpower. Apart from the city guards, there are only private soldiers within the parliament�� As for the Southern Legion�� We have mobilized all the available troops and we can''t send reinforcements to Grosso!"


    "Then what should we do? Give up? That damn Necromancer has destroyed three villages and God knows how many Undead Creatures he has in his hands right now. If we continue to sit here, maybe that bastard will knock on our door with thousands of corpses!"


    "Perhaps we should move some troops from the frontlines back and shift our focus back on the frontline after we wipe out the Necromancer��"


    "What?! Aren''t you aware that Lydia is gathering her military strength now? We''re basically asking for death if we weaken our strength in the frontlines!"


    "But we need to resolve this danger before us. If we can''t destroy that Necromancer, we can''t stabilize our frontlines too!"


    "What about the Starmoon Mage Association? Perhaps we can seek assistance from their Mages?"


    "Those damn Mages have blocked off their Mage Pagoda ever since we declared independence. They definitely want nothing to do with us and they won''t respond even if we look for them!"


    "Maybe�� We can search for an imprisoned general who is willing to support us and we can get him to persuade the other neutral generals��"


    "Are you crazy? None of those bastards are easy to deal with and they might even pose a larger problem than that Necromancer!"


    "Why can''t we once again recruit military troops from the border? Or maybe we can mobilize the navy?"


    "How much time does that take? How much time do we have to waste? By the time they return to the shore, we would''ve turned into food for the Undead Creatures!"


    "Send the private soldiers! The Undead Creatures aren''t humans who have gone through proper military training like them! As long as a trustworthy General leads a team of private soldiers, surely they can exterminate the Undead Creatures."


    "Private soldiers? The private soldiers we have on hand are only enough to ensure our safety. How is it possible that we send them to Grosso��"


    "You''re finding excuses because you''re afraid��"


    "What are you talking about? I''m only stating opinions that I think are reasonable. Aren''t you afraid too?"


    The noisy disputes were endless in the hall like a bustling morning market. The secretary responsible for taking down the minutes laid down the feather pen and rubbed his throbbing forehead. He gazed at the messy sight and sighed helplessly.


    It seems like this meeting will take awhile.


    As the Reformist Party disputed over the solution to deal with the Necromancer, another person was having a headache of her own in Grosso.


    "I''ve told you, Big Sister. Leader should have a heroic appearance and those dumb civilians will surely be deeply grateful to him. Doesn''t this solve everything?"


    "This isn''t a plot to a romantic fiction, Bubble. I think we should work according to plan and it will turn out more dramatic and effective."


    "But this ending is terrible, Big Sister! Your suggestion is no different from a Hollywood movie!"


    "It''s also these movies that receive Oscars every year and are the huge box office hits. This goes to show that most people love them, Bubble."


    "Aiya aiya, what''s there to quarrel about? Why not listen to my suggestion instead? AT the critical juncture, a meteorite fell from the sky and��boom! Perfect ending!"


    "��"


    "��"


    "Miss Gillian, your suggestion is kinda�� unexpected."


    "Ha��" Rhode rubbed his forehead and let out a long sigh as he sat down in the bar of an empty village, thinking of his upcoming plans. This was the fourth village, but it was desolate and uninhabited compared to the first three. It was apparent that the villagers fled the area after hearing the gruesome happenings.


    His plan was rather simple.


    Although he had gathered more than 800 ''Sub Cards'' of the Undead Army in the past two days and this quantity was enough to form a small-scale legion, Rhode had no intentions of relying on them to invade the core of the Reformist Party. After all, the Undead Creatures in his possession weren''t powerful and they couldn''t bring a devastating blow even if he summoned them all. His goal of bringing about panic in the South had been achieved and now he was thinking of a way to stop it.


    This was the reason that Rhode had gathered his men using his spiritual communications. He needed a perfect script to add a full stop to his operations. However, it wasn''t that simple because first of all, this could not conflict with Rhode''s own mission in attacking Grosso and secondly, even if his Undead Creatures were to be eliminated, they must not be defeated by the Reformist Party. Rhode launched the attack with the Undead Creatures for the purpose of wavering the Southern civilians'' trust in the Reformist Party. He didn''t wish to overreach himself and become the stepping stone for the Reformist Party to strengthen their reputation instead.


    How to make the Undead Army disappear ''logically'' was the question that Rhode had to resolve now. A sudden disappearance wouldn''t cut it and if Rhode simply left after dealing with Grosso, this might turn into a pretext for the Reformist Party to attack the King''s Party, which Rhode refused to let happen.


    As the saying goes, two heads are better than one. Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Gillian had given their suggestions.


    Mini Bubble Gun''s script was the clich�� of heroic battles. Rhode should allow the Undead Army to trample the Reformist Party''s soldiers and when they were in utter desperation, Rhode would emerge valiantly and murder the Necromancer and Undead Army. Then, he would wave goodbye and leave as a hero in the people''s eyes. He wasn''t there anymore, but his legend would stay forever.


    Rhode disapproved her suggestion because, after all, Rhode had to wipe out the mine in Fiat too. If the Reformist Party knew that he was around, they would surely be on alert and it wouldn''t be favorable for Rhode. Besides, Rhode didn''t want to be known as being related to the Undead Army during this sensitive period because he didn''t know what Lydia would think about it if the news had gotten into her ears.


    Gillian''s idea was more of a silly talk. She was better off suggesting that they start a war in the fields of the Grosso Plain and a meteorite would fall from the sky in the heat of the battle. Boom! The world would return to its tranquility. See, wasn''t this a much faster and convenient way?


    Needless to say, Rhode rejected her ''idea''. If Rhode could summon a meteorite to bombard Grosso, would he even need to go through the trouble of coming to this ridiculous place? She thinks that I''m here on a travel using public funds?


    And now, Canary''s script was the most reliable.


    Got to say, Canary had given him a satisfactory, Hollywood-style proposal. Rhode would dispatch the Undead Army to overwhelm the Reformist Party''s soldiers and during the critical juncture, Rhode would summon Celia to exterminate the thousands of Undead Army by herself. In the end, she would ''murder'' the Necromancer, undaunted by dangers. This would definitely pose a difficult problem for the Reformist Party. If they chose to attack Celia, that would undoubtedly lower the trust the civilians had in them. And if they chose to simply watch Celia leave, it would also prove the incapabilities of the Reformist Party and the importance of the Battle Angels'' presences.


    This felt as though a great Hollywood movie where the protagonist would receive unexpected help in the critical moments of life and death and result in a gorgeous, humanistic ending. If it turned out well, the movie could even attain the highest weekly box office in North America. This was much better than the stupid story of those idiots who clearly had flying means and yet chose to walk into the volcanic crater and throw a ring away.


    "I accept Canary''s idea," Rhode made his decision and the other two young ladies were obviously dissatisfied.


    "Ah�� Master, don''t you want to reconsider? I think the giant meteorite falling from the sky is awesome��"


    "Another market victory! Tch, this damn world. Leader, you cannot compromise to commercializing! What''s bad with the hipster path?!"


    Rhode disregarded Gillian and Bubble''s grumbles. He knocked on the table with his fingers and knitted his brows. "I''ve decided and that''s that. Now, report to me the situation back there. Canary?"


    "Everything is operating fine in the Fortress. Old Walker has been following your orders and contacting his men to spread rumors among the Southern civilians. As for the results, you should be clearer than me, Rhode."


    "Good. Gillian? How''s Lize doing?" Rhode shifted his attention. Although he had told Gillian that she could look for him if there were any emergencies, she hadn''t approached him at all. Perhaps the situation had been rather stable in the Cloud Summit Fortress.


    Gillian chuckled. "She''s doing fine, Master. She has been getting used to her new identity and I can see that she''s putting in a lot of hard work."


    Seems like she isn''t doing too well��


    Rhode twitched his brows. Gillian used the term ''hard work'' to describe her and that meant that only Lize''s ''attitude'' was worth the praise.


    But�� All he could do now was to let her take one step at a time. "I''ll leave her to you, Gillian. Don''t forget our promise if you want the reward."


    "Of course, Master. Don''t worry, I will do my utmost to guide her." Gillian''s crisp giggles faded away gradually. The corner of Rhode''s mouth twitched and he gazed at his palm where a black and white card emerged: Holy Sword Star Mark and Demon Sword Succubus.


    Succubus''s offense and defense had been upgraded by 3 points. On the originally pitch-black card back, there was a damaged corner as though the picture had been chipped off. However, Rhode knew that this wasn''t a sign of damage for spirit cards. He flipped the card around and a system prompt emerged before him.


    [Historical Unseal: Ancient Alliance �� You have learned about the distant memories of a legend that cannot be touched. The answer hidden in the historical fog will reveal the tip of the iceberg (Additional effects: Offense +3 Defense +3)]


    After listening to Celestina''s past, this system prompt affirmed his guesses that the Holy Sword Card Deck was a set of sealed godly weapon. Rhode would need to understand their history and secrets if he wished to unleash their full potential. One of the corners in the Succubus card revealed it.


    As for Star Mark, there wasn''t anything different.


    Rhode twitched his brows slightly. The venue, script, and performers were all present and now he lacked the lead actress. But, would the lead actress be willing to perform?


    The shiny white Holy Sword card hovered above his palm.


    Swish! A glaring ray of light streaked across like a lightning bolt and the edge of the Battle Angel''s sword was only inches away from slashing Rhode''s neck. Fuming flames burned within her eyes.


    "I need an explanation, Master," Celia said.

 Chapter 528 Self-directed Oscars 2/4

    Rhode was unfazed by Celia''s ambush. In fact, he had expected this to happen because he knew that this Battle Angel was a serious and rigid person. Moreover, Rhode''s method might not be accepted by other humans, not to mention a Battle Angel. Although Celestina had made a solemn vow to Rhode that Celia wouldn''t harm him because of this matter, Rhode wasn''t truly dumb enough to believe her. Even though Rhode considered that Celestina didn''t lie to him, he also believed that she wasn''t being exactly truthful. They might have a much closer relationship after getting along these past few days, but Rhode refused to believe that this cunning Demon young lady would trust himself that easily.


    And it seemed like Rhode''s thoughts were accurate.


    "Explanation?"


    "Yes, Master. Although I understand your view on this, I hope to hear it from you personally. Why did you choose such a cruel method? We don''t need to disturb the lives of the civilians and simply accomplishing our goal will be sufficient," Celia said calmly while Rhode gazed into the burning flames in her eyes. He disregarded the blade by his neck and he leaned back on his seat with his arms folded. He revealed a mocking smile to the young lady.


    "Indeed, that''s your method, Celia. You''re an Angel, but I''m not�� I''m a human�� And humans have their own practices and standards of conduct. Everyone has principles that they hold onto and that''s the same for me. I don''t wish to explain the words that I''ve said to Celestina twice. The only thing that I will tell you is�� As long as I get the victory that I want, I don''t mind choosing the cruel choice�� I can tell you that this is for the King''s Party, for the Southern civilians to lean towards Golden City, and also for our plans to turn out well, which will also weaken the enemies'' strength. Of course, these are reasons, and most importantly, it can give me firm, reliable victory," Rhode spread his arms apart. "And now, I need you to be the final piece of the puzzle, Celia. You''re the key to this plan and I hope you can understand and accept�� This isn''t a request."


    "��" Celia displayed a conflicted expression mixed with helplessness, anger, sadness, and pain. "Master, I have no rights to meddle with your freedom. But�� Is this really fine?"


    "As long as I get the victory, nothing will be the problem. But everything will become a problem if I fail." Rhode gestured with his hand. "There''s no need to explain that only victory and not failure is permitted. I don''t see the need for me to say this much. I''m just gonna do what I feel is right."


    Rhode revealed a pair of malevolent eyes that Celia had never seen before. "Because this is necessary and I won''t accept anything other than victory."


    Celia didn''t hear what Rhode added on at the end. She was intimidated by his eyes. Ever since she came to this world after awakening, she was the Holy Sword spirit that spent the most time with Rhode. But she had never ever seen him with such an expression before��like a hungry wolf on the verge of death, tearing its prey to shreds with bloodshot eyes, using all its might in order to survive. This fanatical wildness was beyond human rationality and almost in the realm of the wild beasts. His savage eyes sent chills down her spine and she hadn''t felt this way in a long time. Even the back of her neck had frozen as though an invisible, gigantic mouth was biting with its razor-sharp teeth and exerting more strength could crunch through her throat. At this moment, Rhode''s voice freed her from the strange, demon-like shackles.


    "Celia?"


    "Ah��?" The strange radiance in Rhode''s eyes had vanished and he didn''t seem anywhere different. However, that expression had been deeply imprinted in her mind. She didn''t question anything and she nodded simply. "I understand, Master�� Although I don''t like this method�� I will act in accordance with your plan."


    Celia gave up considering the reasons that Rhode had decided. Instead, her head was full of questions as to why he would have such fanatical emotions. She never thought that Rhode would be pressured by someone to his limit. He always thought things through before taking the next step, handled matters calmly, and resorted to any methods in order to be victorious. Besides, his strength, position, and identity had improved greatly. So, why would he act this way?


    What exactly is he thinking of?


    Rhode was somewhat surprised to see Celia obey his words that quickly. He didn''t know what caused her strange behavior, but since the matter had been resolved and she didn''t seem to condemn the idea, he wouldn''t be that foolish enough to bring this matter up again.


    "Okay then, you can have your rest, Celia. We will move out when the time is right."


    Everything was torture for General Michael. With bloodshot eyes, he looked lifelessly at the red clouds, tinged with sunset hues by the horizon. This senior had never in his life wished for the sun to fall below the horizon at a later time. Although he had sent a frantic letter to the Reformist Party, he knew that he wouldn''t leave this place unless necessary. No matter what, this was where all the Southern civilians'' foodstuff was and if he left, the South would be in further unrest and the civilians would be implicated. This was the last thing that General Michael wished to see.


    The situation at hand didn''t turn out better and the biggest headache he had was that he couldn''t find the rumored ''Undead Army''.


    General Michael was aware that the Necromancer had swept across multiple villages and he also knew that the Necromancer''s strength was getting stronger and stronger. On one hand, he was extremely worried about the near future and on the other hand, he was glad that he could spot them much easier with that many Undead Creatures around the Necromancer. Due to this, General Michael had dispatched several scouts to search for the cunning Necromancer''s hiding spot so that he could set up his defenses appropriately.


    Of course, he wasn''t aware that the enemies weren''t true Undead Creatures. They were just cards that could be withdrawn after dealing with their business. Rhode had been roaming about alone and this was why General Michael couldn''t spot anything suspicious at all.


    This made General Michael really distressed. After all, the Undead Creatures'' whereabouts were indefinite and they were moving at an exceedingly fast pace. Even though he had been on the alert and dispatched the scouts immediately after he was notified of the attacked village, the scouts couldn''t spot any Undead Creatures when they had arrived. Instead, it was only the burning village and the strange ruins without a single corpse.


    General Michael felt exceptionally fearful about them disappearing without a trace. He had strengthened the mobile patrols around the Stronghold and dispatched five groups of soldiers to rotate in standing guard, to which the soldiers grumbled endlessly. He had no time to be concerned about this problem anymore. He wished that this unfortunate trouble would be resolved as soon as possible and he would be truly free of worldly worries.


    He let out a long sigh at this thought. Even though he was exhausted, a decision from the Southern Parliament allowed him to be at ease. After a ''long'' discussion, the Reformist Party had finally decided to mobilize a mixture of troops consisting of private soldiers, city guards, and Southern Legion guards to his Stronghold. He would also be fully responsible for all of them.


    In this critical juncture. General Michael didn''t know how much of his command would be respected by the miscellaneous troops because they were the hardest to discipline altogether. However, there were at least 1,500 soldiers and with the manpower in the Stronghold, he wouldn''t have any worries even if he had to launch an attack.


    Clomp clomp clomp!


    A series of rapid footsteps sounded from the corridor. The senior general puckered his brows and turned toward the pale-faced orderly. "R-Reporting Sir. We have just received a help signal. The reinforcements that are on their way to our Stronghold have been ambushed by the Undead Army in Kyrol River!"


    The senior turned pale-faced instantly.


    Scarlet radiance illuminated the town at the edge of the riverbank and the river reflected its brilliance glaringly. Rhode twitched his brows as he looked at the massive brigade of soldiers from the high mountain.


    "I guess these ignorant masses are reinforcements dispatched by those idiots?" Celestia said with a scornful smile and she generously displayed her contempt and disdain for these enemies. "Master, you''ve decided to dispose of these large mobs of trash?"


    "This is the best opportunity," Rhode said without batting an eyelid. The reason why he predicted that the reinforcements would head in this direction wasn''t because of his high attainment in military affairs. Instead, it was easily guessable that the Reformist Party had sent miscellaneous troops just to appease the civilians and they had even called this decision as an ''alliance to protect civilians''. The civilians had been pacified by them for now, but, on the other hand, Rhode was aware of their exact location and it wouldn''t be difficult for him to go through the Reformist Party''s blockade defense and penetrate deeply all by himself.


    The reinforcements arrived at the Kyrol River and would be stopping over for replenishment of supplies before heading into the Grosso Plain. This was the best spot to launch an attack. As long as he could utterly destroy all of them, the Reformist Party''s reputation would be totally gone.


    The corners of his mouth quirked up and he swung his arm downward. "Alright, let''s get going."


    "What a terrible weather��" A knight removed his helmet and scratched his messy hair.


    He gazed at the sky depressingly and pouted like a little child. The damp, stuffy weather made him feel as though he was in an unbearable steamer basket. Although the temperature had dropped after the sun went down, it was still torturous for the noble private soldiers.


    "Damn it. Why can''t we rest for the night before continuing?"


    "Because we''re commanded by those bunch of officers, idiot." A huge hand slapped the pitiful Knight''s head and he almost fell down his horse. The testy Squad Officer rode his horse towards them and glared coldly. "The two of you, don''t forget about your identities. Keep it together! We have to arrive at the Grosso Stronghold by midnight to establish defenses against the Undead Creatures�� Understand?"


    "Yes yes yes, Sir. We will listen to all your commands��"


    Although the Squad Officer reprimanded them sternly, the Knights disregarded him and they laughed it off. On the other hand, the Squad Officer suppressed his anger and displayed a sulking expression. He knew that his military soldiers and the private soldiers wouldn''t get along well because private soldiers looked down on military soldiers who threw away their lives for the sake of money. Not sure which swine brain in the parliament actually thought that this idea was feasible�� Damn it. Do they really think that they can win every war as long as there is enough manpower?


    As the Squad Officer cursed inwardly, he heard strange sounds above and he looked up curiously. The strange sounds continued non-stop��like surging waves.


    "W-What sound is that?"


    The Knights and Infantries around him had also heard the strange sound. They slowed down their steps and subconsciously clasped their weapons. At this moment, the scarlet sunset on the other side of the horizon had set.


    Swish�� Swish��


    "Hey, what''s that sound?"


    "Is that the river?"


    "Huh? It shouldn''t be. Why does it sound kinda odd?"


    The sound got louder and clearer in every passing second. The Commanding Officer shouted loudly to calm the flustering soldiers down. However, it was apparent that he himself was nervous, judging from the way his fingers paled from grabbing the reins tightly.


    The air thickened and they couldn''t breathe properly.


    "Huhuhu��" A sweet, crisp voice sounded above them. The soldiers looked toward the direction of the voice and they spotted a young lady hovering in the sky. She wore a gorgeous nightgown and her eyes were emanating scarlet radiance while a pair of expanded black wings flapped gracefully behind her back.


    "I-It''s a Demon!"


    "Oh my God, why is there a Demon��!"


    "Attack! Attack it now!"


    The crowd burst into a disorderly confusion. Hundreds of Archers aimed their shivering bows at Celestina and released their arrows. However, an invisible barrier deflected the arrows.


    "Foolish, lowly trash." Celestina chuckled behind her palm disdainfully. Ever since a corner of her seal was unlocked, this Demon young lady''s strength had risen incredibly, and she was now even slightly stronger than Rhode. She felt no pressure against the miscellaneous troops at all. The scarlet radiance in her eyes erupted into a burst of brilliance.


    The soldiers looked forward vacantly, their feet frozen to the spot.


    Swish�� Swish��


    The sound that resembled the tides became louder and clearer. The soldiers finally realized where the sound came from��a sea of Undead Soldiers.


    Oh my God. Why is the Undead Army here?!


    Celestina squinted and revealed a threatening expression. "How dare you worthless humans attack me!"


    She gestured her hand before her and a red beam flashed from her fair fingertip.


    Boom! A thick crimson fog exploded and shrouded the soldiers completely. The soldiers panicked and escaped hurriedly toward the front and rear. And at this moment, the Undead Creatures that stood idly finally launched their attacks!

 Chapter 529 Self-directed Oscars 3/4

    All the soldiers from various sources panicked at the sight of the Undead Army. Even though the Reformist Party had dispatched the Southern Legion Commander and requested the military soldiers to assist in stabilizing the team, they weren''t mentally prepared for this battle. They had never expected the enemies to snipe them from the rear.


    Celestina had no intentions of letting them off. She hovered in midair and her hands drew mysterious, yet sinister-looking symbols one after another. Thick bursts of scarlet smoke exploded, shrouding the soldiers and they felt like they were trapped in a cage of immense heat. They choked, wiped tears, and ran frantically while the fortunate soldiers by the perimeter escaped the ordeal by shrinking their formation. However, their formation was messed up by the chaotic rumble in the middle.


    This legion of over 1,500 soldiers was in a hysterical chaos. The soldiers inside were desperately rushing out while those on the outside were trying to maintain the formation. Those at the back pushed forward while the soldiers in front retreated as they weren''t mentally prepared��


    The entire legion seemed as though a huge, soft sponge cake and the Undead Fighters sliced through easily like a sharp knife!


    "Ahhh!"


    The soldiers shivered as they faced the white skeletons with spiritual flames burning in place of their eyes. The Undead Creatures took big strides and fresh blood splattered as ice-cold radiance flashed.


    This opening assault had begun the prologue to the massacre.


    "Damn it! Maintain your formation, you bastards! Stop retreating and listen to my command!"


    Gazing at the collapse of the frontline, the Southern Legion Commander was furious and breathless. It was apparent that the soldiers had no intentions of fighting back at the enemies at all. The Undead Creatures merely killed a few of them and the others hurled their weapons and fled with tails tucked between their legs. Such idiotic behavior came with an expensive price tag when the Undead Creatures charged mercilessly into the human crowd and commenced their annihilation.


    What made the Commander most furious was that even though there were many Undead Creatures, their battle style was primitive and wild. Hundreds of Undead Creature formed several triangles assault formations and penetrated his own. If he was able to command effectively, he could have surrounded the enemies and devour them bit by bit. After all, these lowly Undead Creatures relied fully on the simplest commands and instincts and they weren''t as versatile as humans.


    But now, all these bastards have crumbled before the war even begun!


    The other Officers lashed their reins and berated to appease and control the panicking soldiers. As the frontline collapsed entirely, the soldiers by the rear became restless. The salient weakness of the miscellaneous troops had come to light at this point.


    "�� Don''t these bastards know how to fight a war?!" Kesot gritted his teeth furiously as he observed the chaos from the rear. As the Vice-Commander of the Southern Legion 3rd Division, he had received orders from the Reformist Party to temporarily lead this brigade of soldiers to the Grosso Plain. Kesot was aware that these miscellaneous troops wouldn''t be useful during battle, but he didn''t expect that they would be this bad�� Just look at their miserable selves fleeing in disarray. All of them are worse than streetfighting thugs!


    Kesot wasn''t an outstanding serviceman, but, even so, he knew that nothing good would come out of this chaotic situation. Even though their side was overwhelming with manpower, quality was another matter��


    "Retreat." Kesot decided and he commanded the Officer beside him. "Blow the horns. We will retreat to the Riverside Town to reorganize our defense line! Also, dispatch someone to the Grosso Plain Stronghold and inform General Michael that we''ve been attacked! We need his reinforcements!"


    "Sir?" The Officer gaped, but Kesot waved his arm as though he knew what the former was thinking about.


    "Just go!"


    "Yes��" The Officer gulped and left swiftly while Kesot let out a long, hopeless sigh. He knew what his troops were thinking�� It was about two hours ago when his troops were replenishing their supplies in the Riverside Town and the residents who were horrified by the Necromancer were glad to meet them. The soldiers were like ''Guardian Angels'' to the residents and they were proud of that reputation. After all, soldiers trained to fight and defend their country.


    But now, the brave soldiers had become miserable dogs escaping with tucked tails out of a sudden. He could imagine how the residents would react to that if they were to witness it. But now, were there other choices?


    The massacre by the front line continued as Kesot contemplated hopelessly.


    After sweeping three villages, Rhode had 800 ''Undead Fighter'' cards. He casually split them into eight teams with a hundred each and attacked in assault formations.


    This method wouldn''t work if he was facing a powerful and formally trained legion because his Undead Creatures would be instantly divided and encircled entirely. However, Rhode was facing miscellaneous troops who weren''t expecting to face an ambush and the situation took an advantageous turn for him.


    The soldiers would have performed better if they all belonged to the Southern Legion because the noble private soldiers and city guards were an unreliable bunch. Their usual missions from day to day were mainly dealing with citizens, pickpockets, or smugglers, and they had never seen such terrifying creatures like the Undead Fighters. The soldiers had lost their mettle after witnessing their comrades getting slashed mercilessly. Although they attempted to counterattack, their attacks were harmless because the Undead Creatures could still march on even if swords pierced their chests or hacked their brains. The only way to defeat them was to shatter them into bits thoroughly.


    It was apparent that these soldiers lacked experience in dealing with the Undead Creatures. These white skeleton warriors were as though the scariest enemies from the nightmares of hell. They were invulnerable, emotionless killing machines!


    Oh, Lord. How do we even fight them?!


    The soldiers were terrified and their fighting spirit had extinguished. All they could do now was to defend themselves as they retreated from this ridiculous place and its terrifying enemies. The white skeleton warriors marched forward with their butcher knives, massacring everything in their path mercilessly.


    At this moment, the bugle-horn boomed out loudly.


    "Hmm?" Celestina turned around curiously and spotted the soldiers retreating like a receding tide. The surprised Demon young lady hovering in midair twitched her brows in astonishment. "I didn''t expect Master to be right�� But that''s fine. It seems like I still get to have some fun��"


    She chuckled and flapped her black, elegant wings forward.


    This was the real nightmare for the reinforcements.


    "Retreat! Everyone retreat!" An Officer on his warhorse waved his weapon and berated the soldiers around him. But, his voice muted abruptly and everyone witnessed a shadow flitted across them like a lightning bolt. The unknown force threw the Officer into the air and he crashed to the ground, dead like a ragdoll. Then, a gigantic shadow descended and blocked their way.


    "It''s a pity that you have nowhere to hide now, foolish humans," Celestina stood gracefully before the soldiers. An icy, cruel smile unrolled on her beautiful face and countless thorny whips discharged from her sleeves, spreading wildly like a massive spider web. The black-robed Necromancer observed the soldiers from behind her silently.


    The soldiers halted abruptly. After all, Demons had a worse reputation than Undead Fighters. Even though there were only one Demon and one Necromancer before them, this was enough to freeze them to the spot in fear.


    But they had to make a decision.


    The wailing behind them had gotten louder and clearer, which meant that the terrifying creatures were closing in. If they were to escape, they had to dash forward�� But��


    "There''s only two of them. Go!"


    A dozen warhorses galloped and the Knights aimed their swords at the young lady. They were the soldiers of the Southern Legion and formally trained soldiers like them had to make choices decisively. We must break out of here! And leave this place!


    "Foolish." A gleam of disdain and ridicule flashed in Celestina''s eyes. She unhurriedly lifted her right hand and snapped gently.


    Swish!


    Thorny whips ejected from her sleeves once again and the Knights were unfazed by the same old trick. They struck their swords and they realized their mistakes immediately.


    And this would become a scene they may never forget.


    They collided into an invisible barrier and were flung off from their warhorses, crashing to the ground like lifeless rag dolls. Meanwhile, Celestina didn''t move an inch.


    O-Oh, Lord�� Is this the Demon''s power?


    "Foolish, lowly Slaves." Celestina''s crisp, cruel voice sounded and left the soldiers shuddering. "You dare to defy me? Do you really think you can leave this place?"


    Celestina covered her mouth and chuckled. "This is just your delusion, mortals. It is only right that you, as my amusement, end your lives here. Now, are you ready to offer your lives to your Master?"


    "O-Oh, Lord��" The soldiers shrieked in horror as they gazed at the lifeless corpses. The Demon and Necromancer were like towering walls blocking their path to survival. They had no other ways of getting past them.


    "Damn it, what are you waiting for!" Kesot raged at the soldiers that had stopped moving. He drew his sword and strode out of the crowd, pointing at Celestina.


    "There''s only two of them! Charge forward and we can leave this place! If you don''t want to die here, then listen to my command!"


    "��"


    No one spoke, but they stepped forward one after another. They didn''t want to end their lives here. Even though Celestina was horrifying, no one wished to surrender their lives in the face of death threats. Shortly after, various hundred soldiers gathered together.


    "Charge!"


    The Undead Army behind were approaching and Kesot had no time to waste. He swung his sword forward and led the brigade of soldiers like a pack of hungry wolves while the soldiers by the rear bolted towards the front. Even though they didn''t believe that Kesot could defeat the Demon, they might still stand a chance to survive.


    "Foolish." Celestina snorted and flicked her wrists.


    Swish! The thorny whips laid quietly on the ground, fluttering wildly, raising gales of wind in all directions. In the blink of an eye, countless black dots shot out from within like a storm and shrouded everyone.


    "Argh!"


    The leading soldiers screamed and covered their bloody faces as they crumble to the ground while the soldiers behind them were either rolling about, wailing painfully, or covering their faces. Countless razor-sharp thorns had pierced into their bodies like viper fangs, bringing them excruciating pain.


    "Uh��" Kesot groaned abruptly and collapsed to the ground. Although his reactions were quick to defend himself with his shield, the thorns had punctured his legs and he couldn''t move anymore.


    Is this the end?


    Kesot gazed at everything before him hopelessly.


    His vision had grown dark.


    However, at this moment, a glaring radiance shone from above.


    "Sinister executioner, your evil doings shall end here!" A lucid, dignified voice sounded.

 Chapter 530 Self-directed Oscars 4/4

    Oh, Lord!


    Kesot''s tears almost flowed out of his watery eyes as soon as he heard the hopeful voice. He suspected he was actually hallucinating. A Battle Angel shrouded in light halos descended from the sky. She stood before everyone with a glorious sword, staring sternly at the Demon and Necromancer, her spotlessly white wings expanding gracefully. She glanced at Kesot and the soldiers who collapsed to the ground. She swung her right hand and a white halo expanded towards them. Kesot felt a warm, comfortable sensation brushing his face and the stinging pain in his legs faded away. Not only that, but his injuries were also recovering slowly.


    Battle Angel��!


    Kesot scrambled to his feet and revealed a delighted, hopeful smile. But his expression stiffened almost immediately after.


    Battle Angel��


    Kesot would''ve run up to express his gratitude without hesitation and he would even command his men to buck up and fight the Undead Creatures wholeheartedly. But now, he felt extremely awkward because Battle Angels had withdrawn from the southern boundaries after the declaration of independence and both parties were basically enemies now. Yet, this Battle Angel was fighting for them��


    Should I help the Battle Angel? Or should I attack the Battle Angel instead�� Kesot felt ridiculous having such hesitations when the answer should have been obvious��


    Kesot gazed cautiously at the Battle Angel who was facing off with the Demon. He secretly gestured to the soldiers and led them away from this dangerous place. The terrifying Demon and Necromancer had shifted their attention to the Battle Angel and this was the best opportunity for them to escape. Some of the soldiers knitted their brows and signaled back to Kesot in a questioning gesture. However, most of them understood the situation. Even though the appearance of this Battle Angel was a huge favor, they could neither help nor abandon her�� This conflict of decisions clouded their judgments and eventually, the desire to survive prevailed over their honor. The soldiers followed Kesot''s lead to escape this nightmarish place.


    "Huhuhu��" Celestina chortled and covered her mouth with her right hand elegantly. She lifted her chin and gazed at Celia with a look of disdain. "Haven''t you realized that those weak, cowardly swines are escaping behind your backs, Little Fella? So they are the people that you''re protecting? This group of inferior, incompetent scums? They were about to die in my hands and your sudden appearance has given them a chance to live their pathetic lives again. And now, they left without saying anything to you. Don''t you feel angry at all?"


    The Demon young lady prideful, arrogant laughter resounded in the battlefield, freezing the expressions of the retreating soldiers. Some soldiers had the urge to charge in and swing their swords at her, but they were instantly held back by their comrades. No one knew which exactly was the right choice in this awkward situation. They were as astounded and grateful as Kesot that a Battle Angel had come to rescue them. At the same time, some of them disregarded everything and the only thought in their heads was to get away as far as possible. Who cares about that Battle Angel? Hahaha. It is her job to deal with the Demon and Necromancer. Moreover, we are wasting our weak, useless lives if we fight against them. The Battle Angels are our enemies now and we have shown extreme benevolence to not stab her in the back. Don''t even think of us helping the Battle Angel. Dream on.


    Celia was unperturbed by Celestina''s mocking. She waved her sword into an attacking stance and silver-whitish holy flames burned on its blade. "This is my duty�� No matter what, evil must be eliminated. I won''t allow both of you to continue wreaking havoc anymore."


    (The evil that you''re referring to is behind your back now, adorable Little Sister.)


    Celestina twitched her brows as she communicated with Celia spiritually and licked her lips wet.


    (Well, that''s fine too. Back then, we weren''t able to determine a victor and it''s different now�� Watch out for your back, my adorable Little Sister. I will not make the same mistake twice.)


    Celestina chuckled. Then, she raised her hand and swung forward!


    Swish!


    A dozen thorny whips fluttered, transformed into a massive black claw and pounced toward Celia. This scene captured the attention of the soldiers in the distance because they knew that this attack of hers was unstoppable.


    Celia brandished her sword and flew forward like a fired arrow. As Celestina''s younger sister, she knew her battle style perfectly. Celestina''s mastery on the thorny whips had reached perfection. If Celia dodged and retreated, she would fall into Celestina''s deadly assault momentum!


    Celia flitted forward like a lightning bolt and dodged Celestina''s attack. However, Celestina''s reaction wasn''t slow either. She let out a snort and lifted her skirt with her left hand while her right pressing downward. This movement stopped the whips abruptly and they turned around, pouncing toward Celia like a surging wave. Celia threshed her wings skyward and the whizzing whips brushed her soles, crushing the spot where she stood and left a deep, ghastly gash.


    Everything was the same as that day.


    Celia lifted her head and gazed forward. The bottom of the river before her had transformed into a tall, gorgeous arena. She had as though returned to that day when her sisters observed her battle for honor and pride. It was the same back then with Celestina displaying her usual mocking smile, gazing at her while Celia had chosen to continue attacking��


    "Heyah!" Celia felt a shiver went down her spine and she dwindled her train of thoughts hurriedly. She flapped her wings and rolled back in a circular motion, brushing the viper-like thorny whips fluttering into the air. Ear-piercing friction rang out and left deep scars on her metallic armor.


    "Hmm?" Celestina widened her eyes in surprise. Like her younger sister, she had also recalled the battle where both of them gambled their honor. Celia performed almost exactly as she did, except that she was caught on her ankle by the whip when she didn''t dodge.


    (You seem to have improved a lot, my dear Little Sister.)


    (Sister Celestina, it is not that I will never grow forever!)


    The Battle Angel lifted her sword and the silver-whitish flames blasted into the sky like a raging flame column. Celia slashed her burning blade down with all her might.


    Bam! The whizzing blaze transformed into a glaring torrent of light that launched from her blade. The pure, powerful holy powers devoured Celestina''s thorny whips and blasted toward her entirely. The Demon young lady tossed the whips from her hands and took a step back, lifting the ends of her skirt gracefully. Her black wings expanded widely and lifted her high up. Her scarlet pupils shrunk as she scrutinized Celia carefully.


    The ground attacks had ended and now was the time for midair attacks.


    "Heyah!" As Celestina flew into the air, Celia darted forward in a single silverish brilliance with her sword. Celestina dodged Celia''s holy torrent of light and the edge of Celia''s blade emerged before her. Just a step forward and the razor-sharp silver blade would puncture Celestina''s body entirely.


    But��


    (But, I do have growth myself too, my adorable Little Sister.)


    Celestina''s voice was still as arrogant as ever. She stared at the sword with her scarlet pupils and she had never revealed any expression of fear and panic. Celia sensed that something was off, but it was too late.


    Shing! Celia felt a bone-piercing pain from her wrists. She turned around and discovered two thorny whips had appeared behind her and wrapped around her wrists.


    These aren''t whips at all.


    Celia glared at Celestina furiously. She knew that she couldn''t belittle Celestina''s whip attacks because she had witnessed firsthand how Celestina manipulated the thorny whips with just a slight movement of her wrists, even making into a beautiful bow. These thorny whips were like alive, vigorous vipers. Celia thought that she had been careful enough, but she didn''t realize that Celestina was even more cautious than her. It seemed that Celestina had purposely left two thorny whips to tail Celia, lurking to strike at the most crucial moment.


    "Goodbye, Miss Battle Angel," said Celestina.


    Even though Celia was bound by the thorny whips, she reacted swiftly by shrouding herself entirely with the silver-whitish holy flames. However, she was too late as Celestina''s tender, white palms phased through her defenses and pressed on her chest softly.


    "Hurry up!" Kesot waved his sword and gathered his soldiers hurriedly.


    However, the Undead Army was catching up quickly. When Celia and Celestina were battling it out, the Undead Army by the rear had swarmed over like a whirlwind to cut off the soldiers'' way of retreat.


    Are we really gonna die here?


    Bam! A white figure fell from the sky and landed in the masses of Undead Army. It was the Battle Angel that was battling the Demon, and she had lost miserably.


    "Argh��" Celia sprawled on the ground in a defeated manner. When she opened her eyes, all she saw were ice-cold blades pointing at her. "!!"


    Celia was gobsmacked to find herself landed into the sea of Undead Army. She expanded her white wings quickly and spread apart silver-whitish flames to devour the Undead Fighters entirely, burning them into filthy dust that vanished in the air.


    "Go!" Celia yelled at the pale-faced soldiers as she raised her sword to bring forth her holy flames.


    Celestina descended from above bursting out in crisp, evil laughter. The nimble whip in her hand had become sharp, solid thorns as she struck toward Celia''s wings and body. This time, Celia was powerless.


    Celia managed to deflect the threat with her sword. However, two of the sharp thorns pierced into her wings. She shrieked painfully as the impact blasted her back to the ground. Then, Celestina''s thorny whip fluttered forward and bound her entirety.


    "Stop struggling meaninglessly, useless trash," Celestina revealed a satisfied smile as she looked down at the Battle Angel crawling on the ground.


    At this moment, the Necromancer approached Celestina and she took a step back with a restrained expression. "So then, I''ll leave the next to you, Master."


    "Yes�� Leave it to me. Heh heh heh��" A hoarse, deep, and disturbing voice sounded from the back of the white mask which left the soldiers trembling. However, the Necromancer seemed to be disinterested in the weak humans as he scrutinized Celia and laughed disgustingly. "This is interesting. An Angel�� I have never caught a prey like this. But now, you''re mine��"


    "Wishful thinking!" Celia frowned and struck her sword to fend off the Undead Fighters approaching her. She glared at the Necromancer fiercely. "I will never ever yield to evil! You fallen souls, your conspiracy will never succeed!"


    "Well, I wouldn''t be so sure��" The Necromancer strolled forward and lifted her chin with a finger as though he were admiring his exotic pet. "Soon, you and your foolish mortals will become my most loyal slaves. You shall fight for me, reaping death and darkness�� Now, I will turn you into my servant. Accept this��"


    The Necromancer retrieved an odd, black sphere object from his pocket.


    "Never! I will never surrender to darkness!" Celia rose her head abruptly and glared at the Necromancer. She swayed her body violently and tore her wings free from Celestina''s bind. The Necromancer and Demon young lady widened their eyes in astonishment and Celia pierced the holy silver blade into her body. "You will eventually be destroyed, you fallen souls!"


    The silver-whitish flames exploded in her body and devoured her entirety.

 Chapter 531 Surging Blaze

    "��!"


    A deafening explosion boomed and startled General Michae. He tugged the reins to his warhorse and widened his eyes astonishingly at the river valley in the distance where a glaring column of light had rushed into the sky. He held his breath as a burst of broiling heat blasted against his face and deep rumbles expanded like the mourns of a dying beast.


    The silver-whitish light column faded away and the senior general shuddered with a chill traveling down his spine. He had a bad feeling. "Move on!"


    Everything is going according to plan.


    Rhode shifted his attention to the Stronghold soaked in the scarlet sunset. The silver-whitish radiance cast deep, long shadows of the granaries on the vast golden fields. This was the pulse of life for the South and destroying it would lead to their total collapse. General Michael led a huge group of soldiers away from the Stronghold and some were left lingering by the perimeter, with no more than a hundred men left and their defenses were as strong as nothing.


    "Alright, playtime''s over, Master," said Celestina in the spiritual communications. Rhode sketched out her doubtful and dissatisfied expression in his mind judging from her tone. "Do you really think that this will work? I seriously can''t understand. We obviously had the upper hand so must we even put on this show before them? Even though I''m personally passionate about torture and cruelty, I wouldn''t be that dumb to do this, so what''s the point of ending in mutual destruction with them?"


    "Because justice will not be victorious if we don''t do this," Rhode shrugged heavily and ridiculed with a smirk. "Humans tend to perceive evil as exceptionally powerful and use it as a sign of threat and warning. But even the strongest of all evil must be defeated. They can''t imagine how the evil that ruled the world would be defeated, so it''s most logical and reasonable to accept the foolish mistakes that they made."


    The truth was that Rhode had left the river valley when the Undead Army attacked and sneaked into Grosso Plain, lurking like a hungry wolf near the Stronghold, waiting patiently to pounce on its prey. The Necromancer that appeared at the river valley was merely a disguise using his transformation talent, turning his summoned spirits into a splitting image temporarily. Although this disguise would be dispelled once harmed, Rhode was confident that the miscellaneous troops wouldn''t have the guts to attack. In fact, it turned out exactly as he had predicted. The soldiers were scared stiff as soon as they faced the Undead Fighters and totally disregarded the extra in the form of the Necromancer. This was also due to Celestina stealing the limelight, of course��


    "Cheap, boring, and foolish ideas," Celestina let out a snort and cut off the comms. Rhode regathered his thoughts and gazed at the Stronghold before him. He held his hands down and the two magical daggers around his waist slid out of their sheaths, meeting his palms obediently. The Reformist Party soldiers must be feeling so glad to have escaped from the whips of deaths. This big reunion of a result is fine too since it''s the Hollywood''s main theme, isn''t it? Justice must win and evil must fail. This is a battle between righteousness and evil��


    Or maybe, this is a battle between humans?


    Rhode squinted and threw this irrelevant thought to the back of his head. He bent over and bolted toward the Stronghold while concealing himself within the shadows secretly. Darting across the straw piles stacked in the fields, he arrived at the Stronghold perimeter, drawing a breath through his teeth as he looked up at the 4 meter tall wall.


    "Hmm?" A patrol noticed a moving figure at the corner of his eyes and he stooped over the tall walls curiously.


    An ice-cold, razor-sharp blade pierced his neck. The pitiful patrol gaped, but he couldn''t force out any noise for help. Rhode slashed his left dagger downward and punctured his right dagger into his back.


    Boom��


    With a faint sound of a heavy object dropping on the ground, the world was silenced again and Rhode dove back into the darkness swiftly. Two patrols strode over, pressing their hands on the sword hilts while scanning the surrounding anxiously for the cause�� And at this moment, Rhode emerged behind their backs like a specter. Shing!


    Seconds passed.


    Michael''s adjutant laid down his liquor glass and approached the open window anxiously. The final rays of the setting sun had lowered beneath the horizon, making way for the dark sky like a dense layer of black yarn enveloping the land. He felt the nip in the air even though the Light Dragon Soul''s protection was ever present and the glorious moonlight shoneg sacredly. He turned his gaze to the vast golden fields around the Stronghold and frowned as he imagined it as a battlefield stacked with piles of bones.


    How is General Michael doing?


    The adjutant paced on his jittery feet. No matter what the silver-whitish light column that he had witnessed earlier was, it surely meant that something had happened in the river valley. Even though General Michael went there to back the situation, the enemies were the powerful Undead Army and what if he lost? I have less than a hundred men with me in this Stronghold and if we are attacked��


    He felt his throat was as dry as bone and he realized that his liquor glass was empty. He twitched his mouth and sighed hopelessly. There''s no point letting my imagination run wild. I might as well do my part��


    "Soldier!" The adjutant opened the door and yelled. A nearby soldier would usually respond by scuttling toward him quickly, but this time, no one was there.


    What happened?


    The adjutant extended his head out of the doorframe only to be greeted by the empty corridor and the dim, trembling, and crackling candle flame.


    A horrifying thought came to his mind. He recalled that there weren''t any soldiers patrolling along the top of the walls. Could it be��!


    He slammed the door shut and scampered toward the window. However, he stopped abruptly three steps in. He discovered with the corner of his eye that a man wrapped in a pitch-black robe was in his room. Even though the man''s face was covered by a mask, the adjutant quickly detected the sinister, murderous intent spreading from him.


    "W-Who are you!" He shrunk back and drew his sword while yelling to trigger his troops.


    The mysterious man in black robe laughed grimly. "You don''t have to know who I am and you don''t need to rely on your men, Mister. Only you and I are left in this Stronghold and you shall be joining them soon."


    Oh, Lord!


    The adjutant''s heart pounded fiercely as the situation that he feared the most unfolded before his very eyes. His heart was filled with incomparable fear. He dispatched his men to seal all the entrance after General Michael had left the Stronghold so how the hell did this man sneak in? Besides�� How did he kill all the soldiers?


    An ice-cold chill flew up his spine. The whole Stronghold was in a peaceful silence, but this pitiful man had never felt this desperate and hopeless.


    I have to leave, I have to��


    He inched his way toward the door, looking fixedly at the man in the black robe while the latter watched him like a circus monkey. The adjutant was only thinking of escaping this place and reporting the entirety to General Michael. As long as he could flee from this place��


    "Heyah!" The adjutant growled, tossed his sword at the intruder and darted to the door��


    A shimmering blade punctured his back and through his chest. He widened his eyes helplessly, extending his arms to the door that was just within reach.


    "This is the last one." Rhode pulled out his dagger and flicked off the filthy blood before sliding back to the sheath. The lifeless corpse dropped to the ground and Rhode tossed the mask and black robe away from him. That was all for disguise.


    So then��


    "Let''s begin this fireworks party!"


    Rhode unrolled a sinister smile. He stepped to the edge of the balcony and extended his arm. A scarlet card emerged above his palm.


    [Detected Enchanted Field Card �� Sulfur River]


    [To awaken?]


    Awaken.


    The scarlet card exploded in a glaring blaze. The raging flames blasted skyward and formed a massive ring of fire.


    [Warning. As the Dominator skipped the Core Card for this summon, activating the card consumes 1% EXP/second. Continue?]


    Continue.


    The flames engulfed Rhode entirely. His vigorous powers drained rapidly and the EXP bar below the system interface slid bit by bit�� Runes of flames erupted one by one, lining up, twisting, and revolving into larger, mysterious runes. Rhode gritted his teeth and withstood the immense heat and pressure. The massive ring of fire spread gradually and shrouded the entire Grosso region.


    It''s about time.


    The scarlet ring of fire slowly expanded toward the horizon. The Sulfur River was the best choice in destroying everything, but its downside was the overly long duration required to maintain its form and there mustn''t be any interruptions during the process. This was why Rhode lured General Michael away and eliminated all the soldiers in the Stronghold. He was entirely motionless when he guided this Enchanted Field Card, and he didn''t wish his plans to fail at the final moments like some idiot BOSSes in many games and novels. The flame runes within the ring of fire that were arranged in a regular pattern had deformed as though they were pulled forcibly and unevenly like meaningless lines.


    Rhode raised his right arm and clenched!


    Bam! The scarlet card smashed into bits and the flames blasting skyward withdrew immediately. The entire fire ritual circle bloomed and faded away. The flames that illuminated the land was as though a dream that had never existed.


    "Phew��" Rhode laid his arm down and let out a long sigh. He leaped and blended into the shadows, leaving the Stronghold silently. At this moment, an array of fiery lines emerged in the pitch-black sky. The fiery lines were as though doodles from a toddler. But they slowly connected and outlined a pattern of a glorious flame river.


    It poured from above and plunged into the golden fields in a loud crash. Thick billows of smoke engulfed the entire Stronghold and granaries and the glittering blaze spread across, devastating the golden fields.


    But this was only the start.


    The pure elemental flames of the river devoured the Stronghold entirely and the remaining manmade flames couldn''t put up a fight against its pure, overwhelming force. At this moment, the middle of the land in the distance gleamed. Scarlet flames spread apart in all directions quickly.


    Mission completed.


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief as he looked down at the submerging Grosso Plain. He patted off the filthy dust on his clothes and vanished into the dark shadows.


    This was only the start for Rhode.


    But it was the start of the end for the Reformist Party and the South.

 Chapter 532 Just the Star

    Witnessing the golden fields of Grosso Plain engulfed in thick smoke and a sea of flames meant that Rhode''s mission was completed. This incident no longer had anything to do with him.


    And this was the start of a nightmare for the Reformist Party.


    Even though the Sulfur River had lasted less than half an hour, it had spread across the entire farmland with the accomplice of dry autumn wind leading the flames on. The entire Grosso region had been shrouded in billows of thick, gray smoke and spreading wildfires demolished everything toward the surrounding forested hills for the next four days. The hard-pressed Reformist Party spent large sums of gold to hire Mages to extinguish the flames, but it was all for naught. The conflagration continued for 15 merciless days before being thoroughly washed away by a rainstorm that came late.


    At this point, the Reformist Party was devastated.


    In the gruesome 15 days, not only had the foodstuff reserves been completely destroyed, but the neighboring regions had also been dragged into the calamity. Thousands including the villagers that escaped from the Necromancer became homeless as they huddled in the city, facing a hopeless future in despair. These refugees posed a huge problem for the Reformist Party and it wasn''t all there was to it. They were also notified of a grievous news. Perhaps due to the long conflagration, the soil in Grosso Plain had turned dry and infertile. In other words, the fertile foodstuff source of the South had been completely crippled and they would face a food shortage six months later.


    As the saying, ''it never rains but it pours'', goes, the Reformist Party would be too naive if they thought that this was all to their sufferings.


    Frightening rumors had been spreading among the civilians. Most were criticizing the Reformist Party''s detrimental measures in dealing with the Necromancer. It wasn''t a secret anymore that the reinforcements crumbled entirely to the Undead Army''s raid when they headed into Grosso Plain. Many of them were aware of the truth that the soldiers were thoroughly defeated without putting up a fight. If it weren''t for a brave Battle Angel who fought for them and perished along with the enemies, perhaps the South would have been reduced to a devastated land for the Undeads.


    The Reformist Party had taken precautions to prohibit soldiers from spreading ''false'' rumors. However, the miscellaneous troops had no dignity to begin with, and many of them were pissed at the Reformist Party for sending them straight to hell purposely. Even though the Reformist Party had put up prohibitions everywhere, the civilians from the surrounding regions were notified of the truth quickly. Moreover, the dazzling, silver-whitish light column was the best proof in their eyes.


    Besides, the first worrying signs of a situation for the Reformist Party had finally emerged after the conflagration.


    And that was the beginning of the civilians'' faltering trust toward their position and authority.


    The civilians had opposing views about the Reformist Party''s declaration of independence. Most of them didn''t protest violently because they lacked favorable impressions of the King''s Party under years of influence and the promise of a better future. With the support of the Country of Light, they would become a prosperous, wealthy, peaceful, and independent country. Since their benefits weren''t threatened by the war, they didn''t see the need to oppose if everything was going to turn out as perfectly as the Reformist Party had depicted. But, what if things didn''t turn out that way?


    This was the consequence.


    The Grosso refugees detested the Reformist Party for not dispatching military troops to fend off the Undead Creatures immediately when they were wreaking havoc in their hometown. Even though the Reformist Party had explained that they lacked manpower due to the battle in the front line, how could they expect the refugees to resist them? You used the resources for an internecine strife instead of fighting off the Undead Creatures for us? What kind of logic was that? Also, the one that rescued us was a Battle Angel! The King''s Party laid down an old grudge to help us, so why can''t you?!


    Of course, members of the Reformist Party called on the civilians to open their eyes wide to the King''s Party''s conspiracy. This was an operation that they had carried out with the Undead Creatures in tandem. We should calm down and trust the Reformist Party��even though their words tended toward the truth, these words were nothing but crap to the refugees who had lost their families, assets, fields, and everything. The Reformist Party''s words were no longer convincing and although the King''s Party was truly a troublesome group, no one had ever heard that they would be involved with the Undead Creatures. The refugees immediately believed that the Reformist Party was shrinking responsibilities.


    Of course, these victims were only a small group and the Reformist Party didn''t need to care for them at all. The Reformist Party chose to ignore them since the victims had refused to listen. However, there were indirect victims involved that they couldn''t disregard.


    The price of foodstuff in the surrounding regions had suddenly risen several times while merchants stocked up their supplies and were no longer trading. A bread that used to be worth three silver coins cost two gold coins now and there were limited supplies of bread being sold every day.


    This caused dissatisfaction among the civilians and their complaints gradually increased. After all, they had not seen anything beneficial about breaking away from the King''s Party, instead only experiencing problems. The threat of the Undead Creatures, dark clouds above the battlezones, continuous conflagration, the rise in foodstuff prices, and the filthy, troublesome refugees brought unrest to the social order of the city.


    Humans were materialistic creatures. Politicians could choose to look at things from a long-term perspective, but civilians were more concerned about matters happening around them. They thirsted for peace, harmony, and a prosperous environment. They didn''t live for the so-called freedom or honorable crap�� You want to talk about your ideal when you can''t even feed us properly?


    If the Reformist Party chose to ignore the refugees, they needed precautions to deal with the increasing complaints. In fact, this matter had been going on as a conflict in their internal department since it was made up of mostly merchants and nobles that opposed the King''s Party. The nobles hoped that the merchants would hand out the foodstuff that they had stored up to improve the situation. But the merchants refused to because the foodstuff was their private asset and shouldn''t be used for emergency relief, which should be the responsibility of the Southern Parliament. If the Southern Parliament really need the foodstuff, they had to purchase them with the market price! If the merchants had to offer their private assets for the civilians for free, what was the difference between the Southern Parliament and the brutal dictator of the King''s Party?!


    There were even rumors spreading that the parliament members had broken out in a fight, turning a solemn parliament hall into a brawl venue for gangsters. They finally came to a consensus to purchase foodstuff from the merchants and they would seek assistance from the Country of Light. (They thanked their lucky stars that the coastal shipping routes weren''t sealed off.). Also, they had decided to open to the public small-scale granaries in other regions, transporting them to Grosso to stabilize the situation. The South would have no more foodstuff reserves and this was all that they could do for now.


    The Reformist Party had a swift and decisive punishment for the problems regarding the Necromancer. General Michael had been imprisoned as their scapegoat, criticized for not fulfilling the responsibility of protecting the people and lost his duties to commanding the Grosso Stronghold. In an afternoon, they made a judgment in court to sentence General Michael into imprisonment for charges of dereliction of duty and failure to command in battle. This was the only decision that they had toward the Necromancer''s incident.


    The refugees were extremely dissatisfied, but what else could they do? It was apparent that the Reformist Party had no intentions on haggling with this topic after sending General Michael to jail and the civilians had no choice but to accept it.


    On the other side, Rhode was heading to his next destination without a care in the world about the Reformist Party''s ''misfortunes''��Fiat. Their final lifeline.


    Unlike Grosso, Rhode had been hesitant along his way to Fiat.


    Fiat was a sealed off mountain city with an abundance of ore mines. Locking down ore mines would be much harder than setting fire on plains, which meant that Rhode couldn''t remain hidden in the forest. Not only that, the largest ore mine in Fiat was controlled by two huge families and it would be near impossible for Rhode to sneak through the area undetected or simply walk in with big strides.


    Not many would recognize Rhode if he took off his mask in the Grosso region. But he was sure that seven out of ten civilians on the streets would recognize him in Fiat.


    The reason was fairly simple.


    Fiat was where the Liberty Wings Guild was established, and the birthplace of Rosen.


    Rhode never doubted that his performance during the Midsummer Festival would drop his reputation in Fiat to ''Mediocre'' or ''Hostile''. If he were to stroll his way into the streets, perhaps he would need to splash and scatter a trail of blood river and skeletons in order to achieve his goal.


    Rhode would usually be extremely pleased to welcome anyone for a fight. After casting the [Sulfur River] card that belonged to the [Spell of the Red Lotus], his EXP had dipped to the initial stages of level 40 and even the values at the end of the EXP were filled with a string of irritating zeros. Rhode had no doubt that if he cast [Sulfur River] again or [Seven Hells], he would surely fall under level 40�� And it would be totally undesirable.


    It was a pity considering that Fiat was part of the Munn Kingdom''s territory and he shouldn''t take matters into his own hands. If Fiat belonged to him, he wouldn''t mind killing those idiots for EXP. But now�� He had to rethink this through.


    In fact, he did come up with a great idea after leaving Grosso Plain.


    ''Mama Goose''s Liquor Pot'' was a pub situated by the Southern Port''s periphery and this pub was no different from other pubs on the surface��a two-story lonely building located in the embrace of the forest, serving as a hub to receive travelers. However, the place had been rather unfrequented perhaps due to the recent unrest in the South and the battle between the Reformist Party and the King''s Party. In fact, when Rhode opened the entrance door, there was only a middle-aged man sprawled on the bar counter, casually basking in the warmth of the afternoon sun with narrowed eyes. There was no one else other than him and the tables were wiped spotlessly clean. Rhode pulled down his hood to cover his face in shadow and strode toward the man, knocking on the counter in three short and one long rhythm.


    "Hmm?" The man enjoying his afternoon nap widened his eyes in surprise. "Ah. Welcome, sir. Is there anything that you would like to have?"


    Rhode tapped his right index finger on the counter four times, in three short and one long taps. The man squinted semi-consciously at Rhode''s finger and looked at his face as though he hadn''t woken up from his sweet dream.


    "Ah. Welcome, sir. Is there anything that you would like to have?" He said again.


    Rhode lowered his head and glanced at the surroundings, retrieving a bag of coins and placing it on the counter. He loosened the opening and dazzling golden radiance glowed under the bright sun.


    "I want someone," Rhode said.


    The man finally responded. He took over the bag of coins, hugged it in his arms, and retrieved a parchment from under the counter, as well as a feather pen, placing them before Rhode. Rhode scanned the parchment and scribbled over it swiftly before sliding it back.


    ''Mama Goose''s Liquor Pot'' was widely known as simply a pub and only a handful of players knew its secrets. It was classified as a mysterious organization known as the ''Masquerade''. Unlike the ''Dark Brotherhood'' who went to the extremes with their bad deeds, murder organizations, or the Thieves Guild, the ''Masquerade'' operated along the grey areas. Counterfeit bills, fake identities, clearing one from troublesome matters, and getting in touch with the dark, evil forces that were usually uncontactable. As long as you paid them enough, they could even contact the Dark Spirit hidden deep in the underground.


    No one knew its true organizational structure, but its vast network had proven its capabilities. Since this organization seldom deal with atrocious matters, they were more of a useful NPC force for the players. Rhode had once researched about them during his free time in the game, but he gave up after failing to gather any information.


    Of course, Rhode didn''t come here to continue his unfinished business in the game.


    He had other motives.

 Chapter 533 Another Identity

    As an active organization operating along the grey areas, the ''Masquerade'' was efficient in many aspects. However, they were best at contacting organizations and individuals that weren''t easily approachable and making fake identities.


    Perhaps this description wasn''t accurate because strictly speaking, the ''Masquerade'' wasn''t creating fake identities. They were merely providing a brand new identity for the customer and there would not be any flaws or loopholes. For example, if Rhode wished to disguise himself as a Mage, the ''Masquerade'' would give him a Mage''s identification according to his request. If there were doubters who checked their way to the Mage Association, they would be surprised to see that the records existed and every record would be fully consistent.


    It was due to this special quality that the ''Masquerade'' had caused a widespread debate among players. Their ability in creating fake identities was so amazing that as long as one had the money, one could pass oneself off as a Mage, Scholar, Soldier, and Noble according to one''s requirements. One''s new identity would be recorded in every regulated organization and some people might even ''have heard'' of one. This was too absurd for some players to accept. If the ''Masquerade'' could simply hand out fake identities and tamper with all the name lists in the group, it wouldn''t be wrong to say that this organization was the most powerful in the whole of Dragon Soul Continent. After all, it wasn''t easy to falsify the records of organizations, let alone hidden existences.


    This surely wasn''t possible.


    Another saying that was accepted by most players was that there were people missing every moment on this continent perhaps due to adventures or the perils of the sea. The ''Masquerade'' would go through secret means to gather details of the lost ones and store their identities to reuse for others at appropriate times. This would answer the players'' doubts that if these identities existed, they wouldn''t need to pay such a huge price to falsify. However, there were risks too. Wouldn''t one be exposed if the missing one''s family members or friends recognized them?


    No matter what, both guesses had proven that the ''Masquerade'' had powerful backings that were spread all around the Dragon Soul Continent. If not, they couldn''t possibly gather that many intelligence and personnel records.


    This organization had been operating mysteriously in the game and even players and NPCs had no idea what they were up to. However, their "work prestige" had always been guaranteed as the new identities purchased had never been exposed. A player had spent a large sum of money to purchase a Prince''s identity and he got into the royal family of a small country!


    This was what Rhode required at this point.


    The man read the name list and nodded slightly with a stupefied expression. He strode his way into the kitchen at the back, returning to the pub lazily after a few moments while waving his palm to Rhode.


    Rhode knitted his brows and retrieved a small bag of gems from the fold of his clothes. The price was still within his capabilities as a guild leader. The man accepted the bag of gems and passed a greasy kraft envelope over. Rhode kept the envelope and left the pub. The rusty, unoiled hinge of the door squeaked sharply and the pub returned to its usual peacefulness. The man sprawled on the counter once more and shut his eyes to continue his warm afternoon nap.


    "I don''t understand why you needed these." Celestina swept a loathful glance at the dirty kraft envelope while Celia gazed at Rhode silently from the side. Rhode ignored Celestina''s prattle and took out a few pages of white, clean papers imprinted with an emblem from the envelope. He nodded in satisfaction after scrutinizing them. Then, he tucked the documents into the fold of his clothes and retrieved two clothes from his bag, gesturing to the sisters. "Put them on."


    "Eh?" The sisters exchanged glances. Celestina frowned at the clothing and let out a snort. "What''s that? Master?"


    "This is your next mission," Rhode answered expressionlessly, well-prepared for everything needed. "I need both of you to disguise yourselves as my maids as we head into Fiat. Celia, you will need to keep your armor and wings and Celestina, your clothes�� are obviously unsuitable for a maid��"


    "Are you kidding me?!" Celestina let out a shriek. She squinted her scarlet eyes burning in rage. "You want me to be your maid? Master, don''t get it wrong. I am only your subordinate. If it weren''t for the divine oath, I would never listen to your command, so you don''t try your luck!"


    "Maids are also a part of being a subordinate," Rhode said simply, expecting those words to blabber out of her mouth. Actually, he would be more worried that she would secretly spoil his plans if she had accepted without any disagreements. "This is part of your job, Miss Celestina. Besides, this is my order as your Master."


    "You�� How dare you give me such an order as a human. You do know that we are��" Celestina shut her mouth, trembling her tiny clenched fists. Then, she stomped the ground aggrievedly and turned toward Celia. "Speak up. Are you deaf? Are you able to accept this order as a Battle Angel? Celia?"


    Celia withdrew her gaze from the two sets of clothing and pondered for a few moments. "This is Master''s order, Big Sister. I will naturally abide as his subordinate."


    "Ah�� I can''t take it anymore, you stone-brain!" Celestina snarled and glared at her silent younger sister fumingly. Rhode observed their interactions. Then, he realized that Celia was behaving a little differently.


    Celia in the past had always behaved passively in front of Celestina, where she basically wouldn''t disobey Celestina''s orders. Besides, her fear of Celestina seemed to be roaming deep into her bone marrows. Even in the Grosso Plain, she maintained her silence to protest against Celestina when she indulged in her massacre. Her fear toward Celestina had exceeded the belief that she should persevere as a Battle Angel: the hierarchical relationship between the Holy Sword Cards was clearly distinct to Rhode.


    But this time, Rhode discovered that Celia was behaving a little different. She had always given off a serious, solemn, and reserved vibe and although this vibe remained the same, Rhode sensed that she might have opened herself up to some matters which made her seemed unprecedentedly relaxed. It felt as though a man bound in heavy, dreadful fetters and handcuffs was released from the years of torment. Celestina seemed to have also realized her younger sister''s strange behaviors, but she let out a snort without saying more.


    "A sycophant will always be a sycophant. You can obey whoever you want, but I''m never doing it!"


    "So then, shall we have a democratic vote?" Rhode faced Celestina as he caressed his fingers across the twin daggers around his waist. "Or maybe someone else has something to say?"


    "��" Celestina''s expression stiffened and her right hand that was about to flip her hair had stopped moving abruptly. She bit her lips and gazed at Rhode indignantly, like a crying toddler refusing her father''s order. She lowered her head eventually. "Alright then, Master�� I shall respect you just this time! If you dare to be so rude to me next time, it will be useless even if you summon both Big Sisters!"


    Celestina snatched the clothes from Rhode''s hands and dragged Celia into the bedroom, shutting the bedroom door after yelling "do not peek!" Rhode had no intentions of peeking at them anyway. After all, he had other matters to attend to.


    Rhode wouldn''t rely simply on a fake identity to bluff his way through in Fiat due to his popularity. He needed more disguise to compliment his identity. He dug his hand into his bag and revealed a rare, disgusted expression. His hand paused as though he lacked the courage to light the fuse of an explosive pack.


    Damn it. I was just mocking Celestina and now it''s my turn?


    He looked into the bag once more with an expression hinting as though there was a viper in it. In fact, he was at a loss when he prepared these, because, after all, this was his pride, but now�� There was nothing more important than victory. He would do anything to be victorious. Since he had gotten rid of that many innocent civilians in Grosso Plain, what was this little obstacle going to pose for him?


    "That''s right, victory�� Victory is most important," Rhode mumbled under his breath and he didn''t realize that the malevolent and unruly glint in his eyes that Celia had witnessed flashed once again. "God, damn it��"


    Celestina and Celia had changed into their new costume in the bedroom. It was a set of maid costumes in pure black and white. It was apparent that Rhode had put in a lot of effort preparing these costumes because the measurements fit them exactly. Celestina wore a pitch-black, luxurious skin-tight dress with creased edges and close-fitting black velvet linings. The straight long-sleeves jacket over her perfectly set off her ample, youthful curves. Fretwork designs on her cuffs and snowy-white garment bringing out a gorgeous appeal while the knee length skirt and black stockings outlined her perfectly slender legs.


    Although Celestina refused to admit it, she actually thought that this costume was much better than she had imagined.


    On the other side, Celia wore a contrasting white dress similar to Celestina''s in design. However, her costume was much more reserved in the fine details. Her skirt was longer than Celestina''s and the sleeves weren''t decorated in the openness of fretwork design. Instead, they had tight and concise cuffs. If one were to meet them, Celestina might be recognized as a head of maids while Celia might be seen as a solemn housekeeper.


    Even though they were summoned spirits, their vanity as females never changed. Celestina complained initially because she thought that Rhode would make her wear a set of filthy costumes that maids in noble families usually wore: a light blue vulgar dress, white apron, and a dumb looking maid cloth hat. Such disgusting and ugly costume would be unbearable. I will never ever tolerate such shameless costumes!


    And now��


    Lifting her skirt in front of the mirror girlishly, Celestina was stubbornly unwilling to admit that her costume was beautiful because the thought of her becoming Rhode''s maid made her sick to her stomach. If it wasn''t for this reason�� Maybe I can still accept this costume��


    She puckered her brows and turned toward Celia. Even though she might seem to be an arrogant young lady, she did notice Celia''s change in behavior. However, she knew about the reasons more than Rhode did. But now�� This wasn''t a problem that she should be concerned about. Perhaps to Celia, that was an evil thought that had bothered her for a long time, but it meant nothing for Celestina.


    "Alright, let''s head out now. Maybe that irritating fellow will put on airs and nag us like an actual Master."


    Celestina sighed and pushed the door open. But, at this moment, they widened their eyes in astonishment.


    An elegant, fair-skinned woman stood before them. She looked just over 20 years old with fluttering long eyelashes and an attractively oval face. Thin, pink lipstick drew around her thin lips perfectly while pitch-black hair draped over her delicate shoulders, complimenting a graceful, black long dress that showed off her slender curves. Frankly speaking, she was a beauty that was hard to come by.


    "Who are you? What are you doing here?" Celestina said with knitted brows.


    The woman revealed a strange smile across her adorable face. She scanned the sisters from head to toe, nodding away in satisfaction. "It seems that my disguise is perfect. What do you think, Celia, Celestina?"


    A deep, familiar male voice froze them to the spot. The true identity of this person struck them without the need of self-introductions.

 Chapter 534 Guests from Afar

    Fiat was a mining town, but on a much smaller scale than Deep Stone City. They focused on business and processing industries while lacking the interest in basic industries. The South relied on importing raw materials from the North before processing them for sales and profit. Due to this, they felt that they were a step higher than the northern hard laborers. They earn merely a few gold coins from hacking down forests manually while we can sell them for up to a thousand gold coins after we process them into luxurious furniture and decorations�� How will the muscle-headed barbarians in the North even understand this?


    There were multiple layers of conflicts between the North and the South. Not only due to the disagreements between the rulers and the gap between the rich and the poor, but such superior mentality also occupied the majority. The South relied on its own transportation network, and they weren''t afraid of complaints from the North because no matter how hard the North complained, they would still obediently make a living like slaves through manual labor. Without the South, perhaps the North couldn''t even fill their rice bowls.


    Under such a superior mentality, the Southerners were less concerned about the basic industries and the manual laborers were often looked down upon. In such a huge Southern region, only Grosso and Fiat supported basic industries, whereas the remaining regions mostly strived in the trade, commerce, and processing. As the ores and foodstuff in the Grosso and Fiat regions weren''t advantageous in price as compared to their Northern neighbors, their influence was insignificant. However, now that the South had lost their resources and the Grosso region utterly destroyed, their last hope would be Fiat.


    The Southern Parliament was tied up with a ridiculous amount of work at the moment. The small mine in Fiat could produce a concerning, limited number of ores annually while the foodstuff crisis over at the Grosso region forced them under immense pressure. Although they had opened up the granaries and more or less appeased the restless civilians, they knew that this was only temporary and they would be in for a rough ride if they couldn''t search for a stable food source promptly.


    Due to these reasons, they lacked the time to focus on the small town situated in the lofty mountain range.


    The mining town was extremely quiet when Rhode entered in his chariot.


    Perhaps because of its distant connection with other places or because it was far away from Grosso, the storm that Rhode had stirred up didn''t seem to affect this place at all.


    Rhode withdrew his gaze from the window and looked at Celestina opposite him, who was scanning himself from head to toe. The Demon young lady revealed a mocking smile and Rhode knew exactly what was going on in her head.


    Anyone who had spent enough time with Rhode would know that he despised being treated as a woman. But this time, he actually dressed up in a female costume of his own accord and this was obviously an excellent pretext for a gossip. This was the reason Rhode had rather left without bringing Anne and the others along since his summoned spirits wouldn''t let the cat out of the bag. If the others were around�� Rhode would be better off dead.


    Celia sat quietly at the side, gazing fixedly on the moving scenery, as though she had no opinions on Rhode''s dress. Celestina would turn to him with a teasing and mocking gaze every once in a while as though this was her sweet revenge since Rhode had made her his maid. However, Rhode''s reactions disappointed her hugely because he didn''t appear embarrassed or ashamed at all. Not only did he turn a blind eye to Celestina''s gazes, but he also displayed an elegant, gentle smile, like a well-brought-up young woman.


    Shameless!


    Celestina ground her teeth aggrievedly before letting out a discontented ''hmph'' and looking out of the window. But this didn''t mean that she had given up. She would surely ridicule him harshly when a chance presented itself.


    Rhode said nothing after Celestina admitted defeat. Even though he hated to be treated as a woman due to his feminine features and this current situation should have been a torture for him, he let it all go after putting on the dress as it felt like putting on a play, where one would feel bashful and unable to perform standing before the whole crowd. However, this reaction was normal. By letting himself go, he didn''t need to worry and be concerned about outsiders'' opinions. Now, for the sake of victory, Rhode couldn''t care less about such embarrassment. Since he was in on it, he might as well do it with alacrity. What''s the use of hating it? I might as well treat it as I have opened a transsexual account in the game. I don''t see any psychological issues associated with the players who have done this.


    The chariot slowed down gradually and Rhode saw themselves approaching the entrance to the Trade Associations, which was also Rhode''s target.


    The mining resources were dominated by the Howard Family and Edward Family. Both families started out by mining and each held half the mining resources. Of course, this was what was made known to the public, but there were still some differences in their respective resources.


    The Howard Family controlled the crystal ores, while the Edward Family controlled silver ores and iron ores. Fiat had an abundance of ores and it could fulfill the requirements of both parties. However, they were obviously dissatisfied with being just that and they had been digging into each other''s resources in order to monopolize the entire Fiat region.


    Of course, it was the same in the political standpoint. The Howard Family leaned toward the King''s Party and their crystal ores were mainly sold to the North for production of magical technologies and weapons. On the other hand, the Edward Family supported the Reformist Party and had always treated the Howard Family as a traitor and enemy. The conflicts between them had never been settled.


    Rhode did ample research on this place before his arrival. The two families were evenly matched in forces at the moment. During the Midsummer Festival, the Edward Family suffered grave losses for supporting the Liberty Wings Guild and Rosen, while the Howard Family seized the opportunity and took the upper hand. The Howard Family could have taken over the entirety of Fiat and resolve the major troubles hidden within, but, as every dog had its day, the Reformist Party declared independence when the Howard Family was sharpening their swords to strike. The Howard Family who had lost the support of the King''s Party withered abruptly and the Edward Family that was on the verge of crumbling grabbed the chance to revive themselves. The current situation seemed to be developing well for the Edward Family and no matter what, the Howard Family couldn''t save the situation without the King''s Party''s support.


    This downfall wasn''t as simple as Rhode had heard of. He spotted the entrance to the Howard Trade Association. It was completely deserted and seemed about to close down for good. The crystal ores were materials for manufacturing magical weapons and technologies and the majority of them were sold directly to the King''s Party. Now that the transportation routes had been blocked off, the Howard Family had no other ways to deliver their bread and butter. Moreover, their bad reputation in the South resulted in no one willing to engage in business transactions with them.


    Rhode wasn''t here to provide help. Firstly, he had better things to do and secondly, wouldn''t he be finding trouble since they were at the heart of the struggle? Rhode disguised himself mainly to dodge his terrible reputation and why would he be that foolish to reveal himself?


    His target for this operation was located at an entirely different place.


    The chariot stopped in front of the Edward Trade Association.


    Celia got off the chariot first, opening the door for Rhode on the other side. Rhode lifted his skirt and stepped out elegantly while Celestina curled her lips and followed him unwillingly.


    The three of them stood out like sore thumbs and attracted many curious eyeballs. The busy crowd halted their feet and cast their curious gazes. Soon, a well-dressed man who seemed like a manager welcomed them. "Welcome to Edward Trade Association. Is there anything that I can help you with?"


    "Hi there, Mister," Rhode smiled and nodded politely. Rhode''s voice was no longer the deep, manly voice. Instead, his gentle voice sounded just like when he spoke to Christie, but with more femininity. Celia and Celestina exchanged strange looks with each other. They weren''t aware that Rhode had this ''unique skill''. Rhode displayed a charming smile and took out a kraft paper stamped with an emblem and red ink paste as the seal.


    "I''m Miranda Seren from the Country of Light. I represent the Seren Trade Association, with hopes to discuss the purchasing of your ores��"


    "Oh?" The man revealed a delighted expression. He took over the kraft paper respectfully and scanned through the contents. Then, he tucked the kraft paper into his pocket and turned to his side, laying his arm out in a welcoming gesture. "Please come in, Miss Seren. I will notify our Chairman and I believe that he will be interested in this discussion."


    The trio followed the man''s lead into a luxuriously decorated lounge. The man instructed the servants to take care of the respectful guests and he excused himself to inform the Chairman excitedly. Rhode knew that this man had gone to check on his identity. After all, a Trade Association must be wary of bandits and swindlers no less. Even though money was mere worldly possessions, it was the most important thing for merchants. Their IQ wouldn''t simply dip to zero just because they met three beautiful young ladies.


    Rhode wasn''t worried that his true identity would be exposed at all. He casually sipped on the tea while Celestina stood uneasily behind him. Normally, she would be the one passing her days and enjoying life. But now, she had to stand behind Rhode and serve him as a servant. How humiliating!


    Although she wasn''t feeling great, she was still somewhat a good sport. She stood up straight and exhibited a calm expression while Celia scanned the lounge curiously and silent as always.


    Rhode re-evaluated his plans with every sip of the fragrant red tea. He was here to utterly destroy the mine through a simple approach. As a player who couldn''t be more familiar with the Munn Kingdom, he was aware that an Earth Element creature was sealed below the mine. The two families competed and dug fiercely, unlocking the seal and infuriating the creature. Players were able to enter this new dungeon and the main mission was to eliminate this creature and recapture the mine.


    But this time, Rhode had no intentions of annihilating the creature. Although he stood a chance against it, he recalled that it was between level 45 to 50 and it was a Master Elemental Lord. Of course, there was still a huge difference between it and a Commander Elemental Lord like Gillian. Rhode had made this decision based on its ability to manipulate lower level Earth Elemental creatures. By allowing this creature to roam in the underground mine, ordinary humans wouldn''t be able to eliminate it and the entire mine would be sealed off entirely from further excavations. The South would then lose their final source of support.


    Even if the Reformist Party managed to find someone capable of defeating this creature, Rhode wouldn''t be worried because he knew that the creature blended with the mine totally. If one dared to seal or destroy it, one must suffer the fate of the mine crumbling entirely. This, in turn, would even save a lot of Rhode''s time.


    Rhode visited the Edward Trade Association in his disguise because the seal of the creature was located deep in the mining areas of the Edward Family and Howard Family. It wouldn''t be easy for him to unlock the seal himself, which was why he turned his attention onto the Edward Family. After all, it would be best if he didn''t need to dirty his hands.


    Besides, there was something that he could make use of��


    At this moment, Rhode heard a scurry of footsteps from the doorway and a flustered man''s voice. "Miss, you can''t go in there. There are��"


    "I know, Uncle Hans, but Dad has appointed me to handle this. Don''t worry. I won''t mess it up."


    The lounge door opened. A young lady with fiery curled hair and donned in a formal merchant dress entered with a bustling vibe. She was taken aback as soon as she caught eyes on Rhode and revealed a heartwarming smile, extending her hand forward. "Hi there, Miss Seren. I''m Emily of the Edward Trade Association. I wait upon my Father. Oops, no, I wait upon the Chairman''s order to deal with this specific discussion about the ore tradings with your Trade Association. Please ask me anything and I guarantee a swift answer."


    "�� Hi, Miss Emily."


    She''s finally here.


    Rhode twitched his brows slightly, the corner of his mouth curled into an undetectable sinful smile. He dressed himself up as a woman just for this and things were developing smoothly in the direction that he had anticipated. He stood to his feet and extended his arm elegantly. "I''m Miranda Seren�� I hope we can work well together."


    From all aspects. Rhode thought inwardly.

 Chapter 535 Fiery Rose

    This was the first time Emily had met this ''young woman''. However, she was the most important piece of the puzzle for Rhode''s plans.


    Emily Edward.


    She was the daughter of the Edward Trade Association''s Chairman and also a young woman determined to become a merchant. If female players emerged in this Trade Association with a merchant''s identity, it would trigger a ''Fiery Rose'' mission which requested players to assist Emily through a series of tests in becoming a merchant. It was extremely rare to find a female who wished to become a merchant in the original world of the Dragon Soul Continent. Emily didn''t want to be a ''Merchant'' who stood by the shopfront all day selling merchandise. Instead, she hoped to roam around the continent as a ''Travel Merchant'', which was viewed as a rebellious behavior by the aborigines. Although there were indeed female Travel Merchants in the history of the game, there were more female presidents and prime ministers. Emily had been working hard to achieve her goals, but the world cruelly refused to accept her ideal.


    Therefore, once any female player merchants emerged, it would fulfill Emily''s ''anticipations'' and she would seek assistance from the female player to teach her everything about being a Travel Merchant. Of course, the missions were trivial and began from the most basic product identification to training her so she could travel alone into dungeons to fight creatures and monsters. After completing the series of missions, the player would receive an [Unwavering Hope] achievement and generous rewards. Emily would then travel the continent and there would be certain chances for her to meet other players. She would randomly gift equipment and weapons and the players who completed her mission could purchase merchandise from her with a 20% discount. Although this young lady was barely level 30, the rare list of equipment on her menu was between level 50 to 60, occasional with legendary equipment in them. But no one knew where she laid her hands on that much top-grade pieces of equipment. Even though players had tried to rob her, they had little success as they couldn''t loot the equipment from her corpse. Not only that, the players'' reputation with various influential forces would fall drastically. After this consequence was made known, players seldom laid their hands on her anymore.


    Rhode didn''t lure her out for the sake of mission rewards. Instead, it was due to her identity as the Chairman''s daughter and as one of the people qualified to enter the deep mine. Players knew that Chairman Edward had intentions of raising his daughter as his successor, but she ''failed to live up to expectations''. She gave up the hopeful position as the future Trade Association Chairman and had chosen to become a Travel Merchant�� Rhode had no interest in family affairs. But he had to admit that if he could get close to Emily with his disguise, he could penetrate deep into the mine without being suspected.


    Rhode knew that his guesses were correct after gazing at Emily''s cordial and anticipative expression. As a male player, he naturally wasn''t able to trigger this event. However, he had read about the strategies on the forum and heard from Mini Bubble Gum and Canary when they flaunted their equipment purchased from Emily.


    I guess the scene when they first arrived here should be similar to now.


    Rhode said inwardly as he let loose of his handshake with a gentle smile.


    Ding! At this moment, a system prompt flashed before his eyes.


    [Hidden Mission �� Fiery Rose: The young lady before you has always wished to leave this piece of land to become a merchant who travels the entire continent. You are her expectation and ideal. In order for her to gather sufficient knowledge, courage, and strength to achieve her dreams, you must��]


    It can''t be.


    Rhode was dumbstruck. Frankly speaking, he only triggered and received a small number of random, sudden missions after arriving in this world, unlike the gaming world, where he could receive every mission. He had never expected that he would receive this mission�� Let''s not talk about why it suddenly appeared�� Isn''t the hidden condition of this task only triggered by ''female merchants''? Are the ''Masquerade'' so amazing that the fake identity they created could perfectly bypass even the system?


    Rhode had the urge to strip before a mirror to see if he had really turned into a woman��


    "Miss Seren?" Emily called out inquisitively.


    Rhode collected his thoughts and cleared out the mission before his eyes. He let out an awkward coughed before displaying her smile again. "Please pardon me, Miss Emily. I never expected to meet someone so similar to myself�� After all, there are really too few people like us in this line."


    "Ah. Haha, that''s right. But, Miss Seren, I''m not as capable as you. I''m just acting as a supporting role for my Father and I''m still far from being a competent merchant like you." Emily let out a sigh, a look of hopelessness and envy smeared across her face.


    The man beside her stepped forward hurriedly and interrupted their conversation. "Miss Emily, please pardon my rudeness. Our guests came from afar, so don''t you think we should��"


    "Ah. Right, right. Don''t worry, I''ve not forgotten," Emily patted on her forehead and turned around with a wink. "Miss Seren, you and your servants must be tired from the long journey. Our Trade Association has prepared a room for you. Please, follow me and have a good rest for the day. We can have our discussion tomorrow."


    Rhode didn''t reject Emily''s suggestion and he nodded kindly in agreement, leaving Emily envious and deeply moved. Just as Rhode had expected, Emily had seen the proof of identity for ''Miss Seren'' in her father''s room and she was entirely fascinated. Firstly, this ''Miss Seren'' hailed from the Country of Light and the Southerners had always admired the Country of Light, resulting in her being extraordinarily heartwarming. Secondly, this ''Miss Seren'' was actually a registered merchant recorded in the books of the Merchant Association, which made Emily all the more curious and envious. She knew how hard it was to obtain a registered merchant identity. Besides, ''Miss Seren'' had come all the way from the Country of Light to discuss business with her in such a small place�� Not only Emily, but even her father was thrilled to think that this was a chance for his Trade Association to rise abruptly to a towering position. If their business transactions went smoothly, their tiny Trade Association might develop vastly. However, as a merchant, he knew the importance of not overly expressing his eagerness. Since the other party came here to discuss business with them, he held the power to act according to his own intentions. As a result, he allowed his daughter to greet them in his stead while he seized the chance to gather every supply intelligence to ensure the real and rightful value of goods.


    Emily was somewhat surprised after meeting this ''Miss Seren'' as she had never expected her to be this beautiful. Although Emily knew that she wasn''t an outstanding beauty herself, she was still confident in her own appearance. But, after meeting ''Miss Seren'' and her two maids, Emily felt that she was no different from a village farmer and had lowered her humility�� This was an inevitable competition between females and she wasn''t too mindful about that. Instead, she became more and more curious. Wasn''t a beautiful lady like her bringing two pretty maids along afraid of facing any troubles? Emily had often heard of merchants complaining about bandits around the mountainous regions, other cunning merchants, and those notorious places that put risks to their lives and possessions. Even if merchants hired mercenaries, they would worry about the mercenaries turning into traitors after accepting a bribe�� Although merchants could be considered one of the more indispensable classes on this continent, they had to worry about many problems with their innate weak strength unless they were merchants of large Trade Associations who could afford to hire private bodyguards.


    It seemed like this young lady from the Country of Light wasn''t such a person. There weren''t any bodyguards except for the two pretty maids. Weren''t they afraid that they would get robbed? What would they do if they were robbed or eyed by evildoer who harbored malicious intentions?


    Emily led Rhode''s group with these thoughts clouding her mind. She would turn around and ask curiously while Rhode responded with his usual gentle smile. It wasn''t difficult for Rhode to answer Emily''s strange and bizarre questions since he had experiences in dealing with trades in the game. Emily was full of praises as she listened to Rhode''s depiction of exotic stories.


    "Wow�� I didn''t know that such places existed��" A glint of curiosity and expectation flashed in the red-haired young lady''s eyes. At this moment, she stopped along the corridor, opened the door before her, and beckoned for Rhode''s group. "This will be your room."


    Rhode entered the luxuriously decorated room that was apparently prepared with utmost care. He nodded in satisfaction and turned toward Emily with a smile. "Thank you so much for your hospitality, Miss Emily. Frankly speaking, I have somewhat suspected the environment in this town. But it seems that it was only my prejudice. I think we will have a great and pleasant business transaction."


    "I hope so too, Miss Seren. Father would surely be thrilled if he had heard these words from you." Emily narrowed her eyes delightfully and she looked at Rhode in uncertainty as though she was reminded of something unpleasant. "Erm�� Miss Seren, perhaps this request may sound rude, but�� can we have tea together after dinner? I am very curious about your traveling stories and if it is possible��"


    "Sure, Miss Emily," Rhode nodded warmly.


    Everything had gone according to plan. It seemed that Emily was interested in him and if he could seize this chance to get along with her even further, it would surely be helpful for the plans tomorrow. By then, Rhode would enter the mine in the name of inspecting the purity of the silver ores. If everything went on smoothly, he would easily arrive at his destination with Emily''s company.


    "Ah��" Emily grinned from ear to ear like a blooming flower in spring. She bowed excitedly to Rhode and scampered off after closing the door. At this moment, the trio heaved sighs of relief simultaneously. It was unusual for them to experience such a situation.


    "How disgusting, Master." Celestina plunged onto the chair and curled her lips into a mocking smile. "A man dressed up as a woman and even speaks to another woman so affectionately�� This is unbearable. I would be full of goosebumps if it were me."


    "Oh?" The corner of Rhode''s mouth twitched and he turned around. "I''m surprised to hear these words from you, Celestina. Aren''t you Demons the best at double-crossing disguises?"


    "I wouldn''t be shameless enough to do that."


    This remark of hers immediately offended 95% of the Demons in the seven floors of hell. She lifted her chin proudly and snorted. "That is why I can never understand, Master. You degrade yourself in this neither manly nor feminine appearance just for the sake of accomplishing a mission? Did that Angel chick really attract you that much that you needed to humiliate yourself just to win her favor? Although this is your freedom, I feel that this is really��"


    "Big Sister," Celia puckered her brows and interrupted. Celia was also curious as to why Rhode would take it this far, especially after the conversation they had after the Grosso massacre where she realized that Rhode had a strong desire in gaining victory. Although Celia couldn''t figure out why Rhode revealed such emotions, she felt that Celestina shouldn''t have ridiculed him. What if she infuriated him?


    "Everything is for the sake of victory," Rhode simply smiled in response. He sat down, shut his eyes, and crossed his arms together. At this moment, his voice returned to its initial deep and aloof tone. The calm, tender smile across his face faded like leaves that were swept away by the autumn wind, as though it were a total disguise.


    In fact, that was a disguise.


    "Perhaps you could never understand, Celestina. The thing that you regard as important has no value to me. I don''t need honor and dignity because I wasn''t born that way. Position, strength, and glory��the premise for these is obtaining victory. Without victory, there can be no pride. Losers will be mocked and I lack the qualifications to be a loser."


    "��"


    Celestina''s fingers twitched slightly. She widened her eyes, exchanged looks with Celia, and each saw a similar doubt. They couldn''t understand what Rhode meant. It would be easier to understand if he said that he lacked the qualifications to be a victor. But what did he mean when he said that he lacked the qualifications to be a loser? Did one even need qualifications to become a loser?

 Chapter 536 Celestinas Be

    Celia and Celestina stopped probing for an answer from Rhode. After all, they had followed him for a long time and moreover, the souls of the summoned spirits and summoner were interlinked. From a certain perspective, Celia and Celestina understood Rhode more than Marlene and Lize did. The sisters sensed that something was off when they discussed this topic, but they couldn''t figure out what the problem was. Perhaps Rhode wasn''t aware of it himself.


    "This is interesting. It seems that there may be some extra reward?" Celestina narrowed her eyes at the tightly shut door and revealed a peculiar smile. "I didn''t expect that this aloof, unapproachable man had this side of him. Huhuhu�� This is a really great chance��"


    "B-Big Sister?" Celia waved her hand and interrupted. "What do you intend to do? I think we are better off not provoking Master because he seems to have ulterior motives�� After all, we''re only spirits and it won''t turn out well if we offend our Master."


    "What are you talking about? My adorable Sister��" Celestina lifted her chin and puffed out her chest confidently. "We aren''t just ordinary summoned spirits. As Holy Spirits, we have our pride and self-esteem, and we must understand our Master. If he can''t spiritually communicate with us, how are we gonna unleash our full potential? Could it be that you haven''t felt the restriction of this contract and you''re satisfied with your current state? Hmph. I will never be satisfied�� Back then in Hell, those idiots only followed my lead, but what about now? Perhaps in their eyes, I''m inferior to an imprisoned Demon after losing my strength! It gets me fuming whenever I think about this!"


    Celestina gritted her teeth, grabbing onto a thorny whip that had sneaked out of her sleeve. She tugged violently and Celia couldn''t help but shrink.


    "Don''t lie to me that you don''t care at all. Do you still remember that loathful Duke Devil? Ridiculous! Back then, even a thousand bastards like them were simply powerless under our attacks and now, we have become unimportant, worthless onlookers��"


    Celia gaped but she said nothing. It was true that they had possessed powerful strength and were once the heart of the world, but now, even though they existed, they were deeply sealed as though a burly muscleman was bound in heavy fetters and chains and carrying a large boulder on his back. It would be unbearable for any ordinary human, not to mention presences like Celia and Celestina.


    Celia knew the way to regain her strength, and that was through the summoning spirit''s oath, which was also the restriction. Although she was not reconciled to, she hadn''t been as mindful as Celestina. Instead, she felt that if Rhode were willing, he would possess the strength to unlock her seal sooner or later.


    "I can''t wait that long anymore. You can do whatever you want, my adorable Sister. I don''t know what our Big Sisters are thinking, but�� I have no intentions of keeping silent. I will never give up even with the presence of the oath!"


    Celestina glared at the tightly-shut door and returned to her room. The Edward Trade Association had arranged for individual guest rooms and she didn''t need to withstand the ''humiliation'' of sleeping with that human.


    "Ha��" Celia let out a sigh. Her elder sister had always behaved this way. But this was also a strong point about her. Her arrogance, confidence, and attitude to work for her own goals. Celia admired her.


    �� Even though her methods were indeed problematic��


    Celia turned toward the thick wooden door.


    Big Sister. Master isn''t an easy person to deal with�� I hope you wouldn''t suffer over it.


    Dinner was over.


    Emily scurried to Rhode''s room and this presented a great chance for him to gain an even more favorable impression with the Chairman''s daughter.


    "Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Seren," Emily entered with her usual enthusiastic smile plastered across her face and gleaming gazes of anticipation. She bowed respectfully, clapped her palms to summon a couple of servants to arrange the tea sets and desserts. It seemed like she would be in for a while. "This is our specialty blueberry cake. It tastes delicious and I know Miss Seren will like it too��"


    Of course, this was merely an excuse. Shortly after, she jumped right into the topic and consulted Rhode about his experiences as a Travel Merchant. Her questions weren''t simply about bargaining in the stages of trade or the price fluctuation in various cities as she had known about them. She was thirsty to know how a Travel Merchant would deal with dangers and calamities during a journey.


    Although she had asked all sorts of questions, Rhode cleared her doubts perfectly. Almost every triumphant player was a successful merchant and even ordinary players had completed thousands of mission related to protecting merchant groups. The most traditional way of brushing up one''s reputation in a country began with such missions and one could steadily climb up. Once the ''Respect'' reputation had been reached, there would be Travel Merchants distributing protection missions. And when one''s reputation was promoted, one could get close with the nobles and help them manage commercial transportation and trades.


    Even though Rhode hadn''t experienced them personally, he had seen them happen himself. But he wasn''t sure how Emily eventually became a Travel Merchant after completing this mission and left Fiat. However, this wasn''t a question that he needed to worry about. He just needed to teach everything that he knew to this young lady according to the mission.


    "There''s indeed some inconvenience for Travel Merchants, but�� there''s an important point that you must remember. You are your most important companion. There will be full of troubles in the outside world and sometimes, you can''t rely on others, but only yourself. This is very important, Miss Emily."


    "Rely on myself�� Is it?" Emily laid down her teacup and looked at Rhode with widened eyes, as though she were engraving his every single word into her brain.


    "That''s right. Profit is the most important for merchants. But timely choices to give up are also crucial. I''ve seen several merchants clutching onto their wealth on the verge of death and eventually losing their lives. I think that is really unfortunate."


    "But�� shouldn''t merchants uphold such mental spirits?" Emily blinked curiously. "I think it isn''t wrong for merchants to harbor such thoughts, Miss Seren. Perhaps it would be right for normal humans, but money is our blood and wealth is our lives. How can one be qualified as a merchant if one doesn''t have the thirst and dedication to pursue wealth?"


    "What you described is reasonable to a certain extent, Miss Emily." Rhode picked up the knife and fork to lightly slice a piece of cake, sending it into his mouth gracefully. His natural movements were like that of a well-bred young lady of the blue blood.


    "But I don''t look at it that way. Wealth may be important for merchants, but they only get to live once. You can earn money that you''ve lost but never your life. There''s a saying in my hometown: "Wealth is a mere worldly possession, and one can''t bring it to their graves". Besides, a successful, outstanding merchant should have such confidence. I think that the merchants who can''t let go of their wealth and end up losing their lives made a foolish choice. They chose to escape, and not face it."


    "Eh? Why''s that?" Emily said curiously.


    She could understand the so-called ''foolish choice'' because sacrificing one''s life for money was indeed dumb to many people. But she actually disagreed. As merchants, it was their mission in life to earn profit and gather the riches. If they lacked the dedication for wealth that surpassed ordinary humans, how could they earn their current position and rich financial status?


    "It''s simple." Rhode stuck out a finger. "They were afraid. They feared that they would become penniless after losing everything and could even go bankrupt. They didn''t believe that they possessed the ability to start all over again. They weren''t confident in themselves, which was why they chose to avoid and death might be a better choice for them rather than the horrifying reality. I do understand their worries and fears. After all, this is a tough test for every merchant. But�� If they are only engrossed in earning profits and can''t extricate themselves, I think they will not be successful."


    Emily pondered in silence. She lifted her head and her eyes glinted in clarity. "Thank you so much for your advice, Miss Seren."


    Emily had benefited from this tea break tremendously. Not only did she gain insights into Travel Merchants, but she also received plenty of practical suggestions. Rhode felt that Emily would require basic self-protection swordsmanship for rough situations. Also, he thought that it would be great if she could hire some trustworthy companions from promising, large-scale mercenary groups and guilds to protect herself instead of hiring some mercenary teams. After all, those mercenary teams were basically a crime syndicate. They would bait one on the hook by acting out as really passionate and snatch all one''s belongings afterward. Rhode had met several such instances in the game.


    Emily engraved Rhode''s words in her memory. They conversed for a few hours and she left reluctantly after the clock struck midnight, considering that Rhode had come from afar and would be exhausted from her ''interrogation''. Of course, Rhode feigned casual and spoke about the reasons that he came here. He wished to establish a silver ore trade with the Edward Trade Association and he hoped to examine the silver ore mine personally. Emily promised and nodded without the slightest care in the world.


    This was more than enough for Rhode.


    "Hu��" Rhode heaved a sigh of relief and nodded in satisfaction. It seemed that his plan worked smoothly. The young lady had a favorable impression on him and he had gained her promise. Although Emily was as sharp and witty as most merchants, she lacked some crafty qualities. Perhaps it was because ''Miss Seren'' had the same gender and was about the same age as her.


    "I really can''t understand, Master. What''s the point of you sucking up to that girl?" After Emily left, Celestina sprawled languidly on the sofa and gazed at Rhode in disdain. "With your capabilities, you could''ve settled everything much quicker. Must you make it so troublesome?"


    "I''m sick of hearing your complaints, Celestina." The smile on Rhode''s face vanished.


    Celestina revealed a pleased little smile and raised her hand. "That''s right. I''m kinda sick of it too�� Master, shall we play a game?"


    "Game?" Rhode twitched his brows in astonishment.


    Celestina stuck out her proud chest and gazed at Rhode arrogantly. She turned her wrist and a luxuriously-patterned bowl emerged on her hand. Three die laid within. "A game to pass time. Got to say, I''m discontent that you simply curried favor with a lowly human. No matter what, you''re our Master and yet, you lowered your head before another human. I can''t accept this at all. So�� Shall we have a bet?"


    "What bet?" Rhode pulled over a chair and sat opposite her, gazing into her scarlet pupils.


    Celestina cupped over her mouth and chuckled. "It''s simple, Master. It will be a best of three and if I win, you will act according to my orders tomorrow. But if you win, I will be the obedient one. How about that?"


    Rhode hesitated as he stared deep into her eyes. "That sounds unfair. Even if I win, isn''t it the same as now?"


    "Oh? That''s not the case, Master�� If you win, you can do whatever you want to me," Celestina narrowed her eyes and displayed an inducing smile. She crossed her slender legs wrapped in black stockings, kicked her foot cheekily, and leaned back with a victorious smile. "I shall not complain about anything. What do you think about the bet? Master?"


    Rhode adjusted his gaze to the equipment in her hand. He pondered for a few moments before taking over the black bowl.


    "I''ll go first. Surely you wouldn''t mind that?" Rhode said.


    "Of course, Master," Celestina smiled even wider. "I think�� this will be an interesting night��"

 Chapter 537 A Wonderful Nigh

    This was supposed to be a wonderful night for Celestina. Demons were best in exploiting every advantageous opportunity and a game like this was merely recreation for them. In order to lure a human soul, they had to make use of every loophole in the rules. Of course, the ''toy'' wasn''t exactly an ordinary one. Every side of the dice was specially produced with a hidden spell that could modify the collision sound within the dice cup and only the Demons could differentiate between them. Celestina had chosen this game confidently because the winner had been decided even before it started.


    In fact, the game started off like she had predicted. With the help of the ''Adorable Trick'' (named by Celestina), she guessed Rhode''s dice accurately while he lost the second round without even being close to his guess. The Demon young lady grinned proudly and she just needed to win one more round.


    Even though she was pumped with confidence, she didn''t dare belittle Rhode''s intelligence. She had discovered from their daily interactions that he was strangely familiar with the cheap tricks Demons would employ. This was also the reason why she had proposed a best-of-three instead of a best-of-five. After all, if they had gone with the best-of-five format, he would have more time to figure out her tricks and come up with a counter solution.


    But Rhode eventually surprised her and she guessed wrongly in the third round!


    "How is this possible��" The Demon young lady gritted her teeth and stared unbelievably at the three faced-up dice with six points each�� That shouldn''t have happened. It clearly should''ve been three sides of threes��


    "It''s your turn, Celestina." Rhode gestured expressionlessly.


    Celestina let out a snort and took over the dice cup. "Hmph, what''s there to be happy about? It''s just a mistake on my part. If I treat this game seriously��"


    She shook the dice cup at her shoulder-height and her scarlet eyes gleamed.


    Bam! She slammed the dice cup on the table, smiling slyly at Rhode. "Alright, Master. It''s your turn now. Let''s see if you''ll be as lucky as before��"


    Rhode ignored her taunts and shrugged his shoulders, sweeping a glance at the dice cup. Then, he erected a finger slowly and his mouth curved into a smile. Celestina''s expression turned pale.


    How is this possible? How did he find out? Are my movements too slow? No no no, that''s not possible. But, how did he know�� Celestina froze to the spot as soon as she saw Rhode''s pointed finger. She bit her lip fumingly as she couldn''t figure out how he discovered her trick. It seemed that she didn''t truly understand this man as much as she had thought.


    Rhode gazed at her conflicting expression silently. In fact, he knew what she was up to ever since she showed the dice. In the game, Rhode had led his guild into battling the cunning Demons in Hell and had a fair share of losses and victories. From the beginning, he lost more than he had won. But victories started going their way when his group unleashed their treacherous and shameless nature as players. If he wasn''t even capable of this, perhaps he wouldn''t have been able to leave Hell with a massive pile of god-like equipment and proceeded to sweep the entire continent.


    And now, he naturally wouldn''t avoid Celestina''s taunts. Besides, he was somewhat irritated by her jeering of his female dress-up all day long. It seemed this was a great chance to re-educate her on their Master and Servant relationship.


    Rhode lifted the dice cup and the three dice stacked together in a tower, unveiling a single red dot at the very top. "I won, Celestina. You haven''t forgotten our bet, right?"


    "�� Hmph. I am a woman of my word." Celestina bit her lip unwillingly and looked around the room for any signs of hope. Celia had returned to her room after sending Emily off while Celestina had chosen to play this stupid bet with Rhode. Great, now I don''t even have a reinforcement to back me up.


    There was an instant when Celestina had thought of spiritually communicating with Celia to get her out of this terrible situation. But her pride denied that cowardly thought. It''s just a small little bet. What can this man even do to me? Hmph. As he has mentioned, I will still listen to his commands as per usual even if he won. What''s there for me to worry about?


    "So then, what do you want me to do, Master?" Celestina''s confidence seemed to have restored itself and she lifted her head with a smile. Rhode revealed a gentle smile in response, and this expression left Celestina with a bad hunch��


    "Alright then. I shall not hold myself back, Celestina."


    It was late at night.


    Emily laid on her bed and faced the flickering stars outside the window excitedly. She couldn''t wait to experience the life of a Travel Merchant after hearing all the descriptions from ''Miss Seren''. In fact, she was imagining herself driving a carriage through the country, mountains, and forests and living her days by the sea�� This was her hope and dreams. She shut her eyes and entered dreamland gradually.


    In the other room, Celestina was biting her lips and kneeling between Rhode''s legs. She lifted her head miserably before this brutal man. She had never expected that he would give her such an order��


    "Do it, Celestina."


    "I-I know. Why are you in such a hurry�� That''s why I say that all you Humans are��"


    Celestina ground her teeth as she observed Rhode''s smiling expression. Then, she shifted her attention to the huge lethal weapon before her. No matter how much he resembled a woman, he still had what a man was supposed to have.


    I didn''t expect it to be this big��


    Celestina drew in a deep, cold breath between her teeth and she hesitated no more. After all, as a noble Demon, breaking a promise was more torturous than anything else. Besides, isn''t it just doing this? Hmph, it''s not like anything will happen to me��


    Celestina extended her tongue to gently lick the presence before her. Then, she put the content in her mouth and moved her head from back to front. "Hmm�� Mm�� Mm��"


    She felt a little uncomfortable as she heard the muffled noises from the sliding of her mouth. But even so, she looked up stubbornly and stared at the man before her. Hmph, an insignificant Human enjoying this treatment from me. Maybe he has become too excited to stay calm anymore��


    But she didn''t expect that Rhode was still displaying his leisurely contented expression.


    "You don''t have to worry about me, Celestina. I can still go on."


    Who''s worried about an irritating bastard like you!!


    Celestina was itching to bite off the thick, warm thing in her mouth. But she sucked in a deep breath through her nose and calmed herself down. At this point in time, all she wanted was to wipe that carefree expression off his face entirely.


    Okay then, I''ll show you what I got!


    Celestina sped up her motion, licking non-stop, stimulating his every sensitive point. But these were far from enough for him. "Although I''m happy that you''re trying so hard, this will just go on and on to nowhere, Celestina."


    Suddenly, Celestina felt Rhode''s hands on her head and before she knew it�� "��!"


    She widened her eyes in shock. The thick presence penetrated deeply into her throat, leaving her in an unbearable state. Rhode pushed his hands against her head and started thrusting his hips. He treated her as though she were simply a tool and shoved his entirety into her. She couldn''t catch her breath and could only withstand the impact helplessly like a doll. Her consciousness began to fuzz and as she tried to speak, Rhode rammed her head once more.


    "Celestina, it''s almost out. You have to swallow everything, okay?"


    Swallow? What? Wait, it can''t be��!!


    Before she could protest, a strong pump of warm current exploded in her mouth and gushed into her throat. All she could do now was to gulp the fervent, fishy liquid helplessly.


    "Urgh�� Urgh��"


    The young lady''s snowy white neck throbbed and Rhode finally released his hands in full satisfaction. Celestina pulled herself out, turned around, and coughed harshly.


    Cough�� Cough cough��


    After a few moments, Celestina raised her head furiously and her scarlet eyes gleamed with indignant and abhor. "Are�� you satisfied, Master? How dare you do this to me��"


    "Satisfied?" Rhode lowered his chin and gazed at Celestina. "This is only the start. Haven''t you seen it, Celestina?"


    Celestina''s expression turned ashen as she gaped at the terrorizing creature swelling up. "H-How is this possible��"


    "This is why I said this isn''t the end yet�� Place your hands on the window ledge and turn your back against me."


    "��!" Celestina hesitated.


    She turned around slowly and Rhode gently lifted up her short skirt to reveal her slender legs wrapped in suspender-stockings and her round, ample buttocks. Rhode saw the thin, contrasting white undergarment. "I didn''t know you like white too, Celestina."


    "��!" Celestina felt her face burning.


    She gaped but she could say nothing. Rhode fondled her buttocks and a hard object that resembled a shaft pushed against her. This was the first time she felt this fearful. She turned around indecisively and asked with a shaky voice. "N-No��"


    But, before she finished her sentence, Rhode pushed forward and penetrated her mercilessly.


    "Ah�� Ah!!�� Ah!!"


    The sudden, immense pain forced her to swallow her words. She sucked in deep breaths with a widened mouth. Her legs shivered non-stop, enduring the pain that had infiltrated her body. Rhode heaved a peculiar sigh of relief. "I didn''t expect this to feel so good�� It''s indeed Celestina��"


    "Mm�� Urgh�� Urgh��!"


    Celestina clasped onto the window ledge with her pale fingertips, biting her lips tightly to stifle her groans. It was no wonder that she felt this much pain. After all, Rhode didn''t show the slightest degree of affection toward her and he thrust into her violently. Celestina felt as though her body was impaled by a massive, burning steel column, splitting her into two from the middle. Moreover�� She was still a��


    "Eh, Blood?" Rhode noticed a trail of fresh blood dripping from between her legs. "Celestina�� Could it be that�� this is your first time?"


    "What�� What a joke��"


    Perhaps she had gotten used to the immense pain or maybe due to her prideful nature, she let out a snort in response.


    "�� A-As a high-class noble, I have�� countless men who wished to please me�� Ss�� I don''t�� don''t�� give a damn about you. This is only because�� Ss�� I recently had my period. Besides, you treated me so brutally�� Ss�� This was why I��"


    "Ah, I see. I''m so sorry about that, Celestina. Alright, let''s end this quick, then." Rhode nodded apologetically, but she didn''t know if he truly empathized with her or if he did that on purpose. Then, his following actions answered for itself. Rhode grabbed her slim waist and once again shoveled rapidly as though he indeed wished to end everything quickly.


    However, this was undoubtedly a torture for Celestina. She thought she could bear the grieving pain until the end, but she finally yelled out under Rhode''s rough violation. "Ah!! �� S-Stop! Please! Stop now!"


    Rhode halted abruptly after hearing her mournful screams. "Does it really hurt that much? Celestina, I don''t think I''m that gigantic��"


    "S-Sorry��" The always prideful Demon young lady lowered her head. "A-Actually, this is my first time�� I hope Master can�� can�� be much gentler��"


    "Alright. I shall do it slowly, then."


    The corner of Rhode''s mouth twitched as he observed Celestina blinking her tears away. This was the first time he witnessed the soft side of this Demon young lady. He slowed his movements and roamed his fingers around her body.


    Celestina had the perfect curves and the tender, soft skin of a high-class Demon. Rhode felt as though he were touching a fascinating art piece. The fragrant, infatuating scent from her body assailed his nostrils and her painful groans transitioned into bewitching moans. "Mm��"


    Smack! She felt a sharp pain on her buttocks as she began to enjoy the fondles. She felt two to three more similar smacks and she realized her snowy, tender skin had swelled in red palm marks. She turned around and looked at Rhode in shock. "W-What are you doing?!"


    "Nothing," Rhode calmly waved his right hand. "It felt good to the touch so I accidentally�� Don''t you feel comfortable?"


    "What are you talking about! This treatment is for children�� Why would I feel comfortable!"


    Although she yelled sternly, her gaze was wandering hesitantly. In fact, she actually felt great. The mild aching felt as though a lightning bolt had spread throughout her entire body, numbing her in satisfaction. But this ''humiliating'' action was something that her pride couldn''t accept. While the pain brought her a strong sense of thrilling rejection and she shouldn''t be treated this way, she still yearned to be on the receiving end. This psychological conflict had triggered an unprecedented excitement and anticipation.


    When Rhode treated her lies for real and caressed the area where he had slapped, a sense of reluctance and regret emerged deep in her heart�� But shortly after, she was once again immersed in his affectionate care. "�� Haa�� Ah��"


    Her spotlessly-white cheeks flushed and the reactions of her feverish body announced to him that she was ready. He adjusted his position and turned up his gear. "Celestina, spread your legs wider."


    "Mm��"


    Perhaps this was the first time that she was this obedient. Rhode pandered to her movements and thrust himself forward with all his might.


    "Ahhh! �� Mm��"


    Celestina let out cute, faint breaths, swinging her hips to satisfy her greed and thirst for pleasure. The arrogant young lady had complied to her avaricious instinct and this stimulated Rhode''s desire to conquer and subdue.


    "Ah�� This is truly��"


    While Celestina laid down her strong pride and enjoyed the erotic moment, Rhode was faced with a huge test. The enticing points of high-class Demons had burst out completely. Her scent, temperature, and tender body had sucked him in entirely. There was an instant where he wanted to zone out from all his thoughts and purely indulge in this ecstatic pleasure. All the battles, conflicts, conspiracies�� He refused to think about any of them and he just wanted to enjoy this body before him.


    Fortunately, these emotions clouded his mind only for a moment. But this was enough to astound him. Although Canary and Marlene were also attractive females, he had never had the thought of giving up his rationale like a mare in oestrus, tempted into disregarding possible dangers. From this aspect, even though Celestina was different from her fellow Demons, she was still a dangerous presence instinctively. Rhode finally understood why so many heroes had given up on their pride and served the terrifying Demons after experiencing this for himself. The soul-snatching pleasure to be in seventh hells was indeed easy to make them lose their heads and even lives.


    At this moment, the interactions between them were getting more intense. Celestina''s body trembled as she craved insatiably for Rhode''s invasion. Rhode shoved quicker and faster, both of them reaching their climaxes. "Celestina, I''m almost there��!"


    "�� Ahh�� Ahhh!!" Celestina shivered uncontrollably as a warm, powerful stream rushed into her body. Then, an extreme high rushed in her blanked out mind��

 Chapter 538 A Strange Rumor

    The next morning, Rhode followed Emily''s lead on the chariot to the silver ore mine operated by the Edward Trade Association. Of course, Rhode had heard from Emily that her father, the Chairman of the Edward Trade Association, would receive him personally and discuss the business trade with her. Rhode wasn''t surprised by this arrangement. Even though his disguise was outstanding and his identity of coming from the Country of Light was a great cover, merchants would always be merchants, and no matter how profane, money-making was their main priority. If Rhode didn''t bring out enough sincerity and attitude, the Edward Trade Association wouldn''t be blindly deceived by him.


    "That''s the excavation mine that our Edward Trade Association controls, Miss Seren." Emily pointed delightfully and Rhode nodded in agreement. He narrowed his eyes and turned toward where she had pointed. The image looked exactly the same as in his memory. Nothing had changed.


    "It''s a pity that Miss Celestina is feeling unwell and she can''t come on this trip with us��"


    Emily''s words dragged Rhode out of his reverie. He simply smiled and Celia, who was seated beside them, tilted her head curiously and gazed at her Master. It was apparent that this Battle Angel wasn''t convinced of Rhode''s excuse of Celestina not acclimatizing to the environment. After all, Celia knew better than anyone else what her elder sister had been up to.


    However, she was rather inquisitive about the exact happenings last night.


    Although Celestina was a formidable presence in her eyes, Rhode wasn''t a Master who was easy to deal with. He was smart, decisive, cunning, and sometimes sinister. Moreover, he was never mindful about his pride nor appearance. As a Holy Sword Spirit Card, Celia maintained her self-conscious even when she wasn''t in human form. But she was more like a spectator instead of a participant when she was in her weapon form.


    Due to this reason, Celia had observed Rhode''s battle style countless times and frankly speaking, she wasn''t able to accept its cruelty. There were many times when he performed shamelessly and was unregretful after the whole incident. What made her knit her brows the most was that Rhode was different from the humans she had met before. The humans would find an excuse for themselves after doing a bad deed, but Rhode would behave as though he liked to do it. This crazy wildness was somewhat unbearable for a kind, orderly Battle Angel. But she eventually tolerated this point of his because this was her mission and she understood the situation. No matter what, at least he was progressing in the situation and she admitted that there were indeed many situations that couldn''t be resolved by screaming justice slogans.


    This was why Celia didn''t believe that Celestina could give Rhode a hard time. But she also didn''t feel that Rhode would do anything to Celestina. After all, they were summoned spirits who had a Master-Slave relationship, where not only did the spirits need to respect their Master, but the Master must also return a certain extent of respect back. Celia observed that Rhode had always treasured his summoned spirits, which was why she felt that even though Celestina was taken advantage of, she would just yell out in fluster and exasperation and everything would return to its usual state.


    But this time, the situation was apparently different.


    Celestina shut herself in her room and refused to come out, asserting that she needed more rest because she wasn''t acclimatized to the environment. This reason was still plausible for an outsider like Emily, but it sounded totally like an excuse for another summoned spirit like Celia. Although Celia did check in with Celestina spiritually, Celestina stuck to the statement that she simply needed more rest and Celia had no choice but to accept that explanation.


    However, even though Celia wasn''t aware of what had exactly happened, there was something that she was sure about. Master must have tortured Celestina bad enough. She had been with Celestina for so many years and this was the first time she had seen her that miserable. If it were in the past, Celestina''s arrogant nature would force her to stand out, no matter what failures she had faced. Celestina and Rhode were similar in a certain aspect. They were determined to do what they wished to and they wouldn''t come up with any excuses after doing it, no matter if the consequences were good or bad. Therefore, if it were a normal conflict, it wouldn''t be possible for Celestina to behave like an ostrich. This proved that she was afraid of Rhode��


    But�� What exactly did Master do to Big Sister?


    This question lingered in her mind. This pure Battle Angel counterpart racked her brains and she couldn''t figure out what methods Rhode used to discipline her elder sister. Could it be that both of them fought? And Master defeated Big Sister? That isn''t too possible�� Even though Big Sister''s powers were diminished due to the seal, their fight wouldn''t end easily if they had fought seriously and I would surely have detected some signs of activities.


    In fact, Celia''s guesses weren''t exactly wrong. Last night, Rhode and Celestina had indeed gone into a ''huge battle'', and Celestina surrendered to Rhode''s ''violent smashes''��


    The chariot entered the mine.


    Unlike the busy mines in Deep Stone City, this mine seemed relatively unfrequented and the atmosphere was rather tense. Rhode knew the cause of that. The instant he exited the chariot, he spotted a dozen fully armed soldiers surrounding the mine, holding crossbows and swords, backs against the group. It seemed that they weren''t preventing miners from escaping, but to stand guard from intruders.


    "You must feel surprised, Miss Seren," Emily showed a bitter smile. "These are our Edward Trade Association''s private soldiers. They are here to guard against outsiders who are looking to cause trouble in our mine�� After all�� This is in the deep mountains and sometimes there will be��"


    Emily paused while Rhode had understood their purpose.


    It was apparent that the private soldiers were guarding against the Howard Family members. In Fiat, the secret struggles between the two families were known to the public. But this was great news for Rhode because he was pondering on schemes to incite the Edward Trade Association and now, it seemed that the Reformist Party''s declaration of independence had tensed up the mood in here. The air around him was as though filled with gunpowder and it would explode so soon as he lit a spark.


    Emily led the group into the mine and Rhode spotted the Edward Trade Association Chairman, Phillip Edward: a tall, slim man with two artistic mustaches above his lips. He wore a ridiculous scarlet, skintight outfit and a hat of peacock feathers. Edward was surprised to see that the woman arriving to discuss business with him was such an outstanding beauty. He actually turned up his nose when he first heard from his subordinates about Rhode and his two maids. This was what most normal men thought. Beautiful women were nothing more than just flower vases. They were visually attractive but useless in reality. Moreover, a merchant''s nature was to upsell an ordinary item. This was why Edward refused to take his subordinates'' words seriously. But now, this experienced and knowledgeable merchant''s pupils shrunk instantly. He gazed at the black-haired young lady unbelievably like the entire world had turned black and white apart from her. "Greetings, Miss Seren."


    Of course, as a Chairman, Edward didn''t drool like the village workers. Instead, he smiled and approached her with an extended arm. Rhode smiled and held his hand. "Greetings, Chairman Edward. I''m Miranda Seren�� I think you are aware of my purpose for coming to Fiat. As a reputable Trade Association in the Fiat region, I''m sure you won''t let us down."


    "That''s for sure, Miss Seren," Edward nodded hurriedly. If he had some doubts about Rhode''s identity, these words from Rhode were enough for him to dispel his doubts. Although Rhode responded ordinarily, Edward sensed an aura from ''her''. It wasn''t the overbearing arrogance of young people, and neither was it the enticement of powerless ''flower vases''. Instead, it was an overwhelming pressure like a massive mountain standing before travelers who had to lower their heads and travel around it.


    Even though knowledge, appearance, and style of conversation could be disguised, a person''s natural temperament couldn''t. Edward was confident in his foresight and intuition. It would suit Rhode''s identity even more with an arrogant and determined attitude because the Country of Light was much stronger than the Munn Kingdom and their people had always looked down on those in the Munn Kingdom. Moreover, even though this ''Miss Seren'' was the one who initiated the business trade, Edward knew clearly that the one who wished to seize this opportunity was himself. The other party was obviously aware of this, and this was why she assumed this gesture.


    Edward conversed with Rhode for a while and both sides ended up with a satisfactory result. Rhode hinted to Edward that in addition to representing the Seren Trade Association for business purposes, there was also a disguised form of support from the Country of Light to the Southern Reformist Party, which was naturally heavenly news for the Edward Trade Association, which belonged to the Reformist Party''s camp. After listening to Rhode''s hint, Edward adjusted his attitude swiftly. He knew that his Trade Association was a small force neglected by the Reformist Party. This was why in Fiat, the Edward Trade Association couldn''t entirely eradicate the Howard Trade Association, which was snatching his business. If I received the support of the Reformist Party, the entire Fiat region would''ve already belonged to the Edward Trade Association!


    Harboring such a thought, Edward behaved exceptionally passionate because he knew that if he could be linked to the financial groups in the Country of Light through the Seren Trade Association, his position in the Reformist Party would develop tremendously. Of course, Rhode was aware of his plans and adapted to his taste. Rhode wasn''t here to blather pointlessly. After a while, he made it known that he wished to enter the mine to investigate the situation.


    But Edward revealed signs of reluctance. "Of course, Miss Seren. But the mine is a little dangerous and there is dust everywhere. Are you sure��"


    "I''m also a merchant, Chairman Edward. As merchants, isn''t it only right to investigate our commodities?"


    "That�� that''s true, Miss Seren," Edward nodded helplessly, which raised a few doubts. Rhode knitted his brows slightly and gazed at Edward before turning to Emily. "Is there something wrong with Chairman Edward?"


    "Eh? Miss Seren?"


    Rhode''s sudden question flustered Edward. Although it was only for a moment, Edward quickly regained his cool. But it seemed that things weren''t that simple for Rhode.


    "How can there be any problems, Miss Seren. It''s just that the dirty mine will stain the clothes of a beautiful lady like you. Besides, you are also aware that the miners are a bunch of barbarians who don''t know manners. I''m afraid that they''ll offend you��"


    "Are there really no problems at all?" Rhode looked into Edward''s eyes sharply.


    Edward shrunk his body unknowingly. He felt her stare was as though a sharp knife puncturing his heart. He let out an awkward laugh and retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the sweat on his forehead. "That�� actually, I heard from the foreman that they discovered some movements in the deep mine these past two days. Although it didn''t disrupt our daily operations, everyone was rather worried. That''s why�� Miss Seren, you''d better not head down for safety''s sake."


    "Oh?" Rhode responded in surprise. He knew that there were no creatures in this mine before the Earth Element creature''s seal was unlocked. But now, the seal was still intact and there shouldn''t be any creatures down there.


    Could it be��


    A thought cropped up in his mind. "There shouldn''t be any danger since it doesn''t affect the daily operations, Mr. Edward. I would like to personally take a look if it''s possible, to understand the actual situation. If not��" Rhode paused on purpose and he smiled at Edward who was dripping with sweat. "I''m worried that the extraction speed of your Trade Association wouldn''t meet our demands."


    "�� Alright then��" Edward sighed hopelessly.


    After all, he knew that ''Miss Seren'' had discovered that something was wrong with the mine, and his Trade Association would be in the short end of the stick if he continued to stop her from entering. Furthermore�� That was nothing more than just a rumor, so it shouldn''t be anything problematic��


    Edward let out a long sigh.

 Chapter 539 Deep into the Mine

    Clank. The group strode into the mine and spotted half-naked, sweaty miners swinging their tools with loud bangs resounding in the rising dust. This indeed wasn''t a great tourist attraction. Moreover, the hygiene conditions in this era were lagging hugely. The miners worked 24 hours a day and relieved themselves in self-dug holes. The putrid smell and mixture of body odors assailed their nostrils everywhere they went. It wasn''t ridiculous to describe this place as Hell.


    Emily puckered her brows while covering her nose and even Edward coughed unbearably, placing his handkerchief over his mouth. To some extent, this might be the reason why he wasn''t willing to enter the mine.


    Rhode and Celia remained expressionless. After all, they had experienced smells that were much more disgusting in the battlefields. Their unfazed behaviors astounded Edward, and Emily respected this ''Miss Seren'' even more. ''Miss Seren'' seemed extremely delicate and compared to her, Emily felt that she was more of a pampered lady, to which she felt rather awkward about.


    "Sir, Miss, please be careful. The path here isn''t even here."


    Of course, apart from them, one of the foremen had joined their group, in charge of leading the way and describing the current situation of the mine. Compared to the sweaty, half-naked miners, the mighty, two-meter tall foreman was neatly dressed and if it weren''t for his seemingly overwashed jacket, perhaps this man would have given them a refreshing feeling. At this moment, they entered deep into the silver ore mine, and he introduced to them passionately.


    "We have worked here for many years. Honestly, this mine is truly a gift bestowed to us from the Gods. Currently, we can produce about��" Rhode inspected the mine shaft before them as he listened and compared them to his memories of this place. His thoughts were immersed on what Edward had mentioned. He believed that this dungeon must be one that hadn''t been initiated yet and his purpose wasn''t to eliminate the BOSS. Instead, it was to trigger the start of this dungeon.


    Judging from the situation, there was a huge possibility that someone else had initiated the dungeon before him. After all, he was extremely familiar with Fiat. Apart from the Earth Elemental creature dungeon, there was nothing else such as a secret passageway that connected to the underground world or a strange portal that sealed the Demons and Devils. If there weren''t any Earth Elemental creatures, this mine would just be an ordinary one. This was why the chances of the Earth Elemental creature being alarmed by humans were high if there were any strange situations going on.


    In the game, neither of the two families were aware of its presence and they accidentally broke the seal and released the creature.


    Rhode didn''t believe that illogical accidents that differed from the game would happen. However, he discovered that not everything remained unchanged after the incident with the Necromancer turning into a Lich. Situations would change according to the changes in environments and choices. Perhaps the two Angels would have suffered a terrible death if Rhode hadn''t led Gillian into the historical remains and the Necromancer wouldn''t have transformed the Battle Angel into a phylactery instead of his Undead Spirit.


    What about now?


    Rhode knew that this mine was separated into two. The right side was exploited by the Edward Family while the left side was Howard''s territory and sooner or later, both families would bump heads. The reason why the Earth Elemental creature had awakened was due to their conflicts that damaged its boundary. However, all these were under normal circumstances. In the game, the Reformist Party didn''t declare war with the King''s Party and the strength of both families were rather balanced. But now, the Reformist Party had declared war with the King''s Party in this world and the Howard Trade Association''s stance naturally became awkward. Moreover, the Edward Trade Association had seized the opportunity to strike them down. When Rhode arrived at Fiat, he noticed that it was completely deserted outside the Howard Trade Association entrance. It was apparent that they were put under tremendous pressure, but would the Howard Trade Association give up just that?


    Rabbits bite when they''re anxious too.


    "Before entering here, I''ve heard that there was some unrest recently? I would like to know more about the situation." Rhode interrupted the foreman''s words.


    The foreman''s expression stiffened. He peeked toward his chairman for permission and Edward shook his head hopelessly before eventually nodding in agreement. The foreman turned back and smiled awkwardly. "It''s nothing much actually, Miss�� Recently, everyone has heard some strange noises around the mine and those guys were somewhat worried�� Heh, how huge of a problem can it be? It must have been some random sound of wind�� How embarrassing to think that these burly men are as timid as mice��"


    "I don''t think so." Rhode twitched his brows. "If that is the truth, I don''t think the miners would be that frightened, isn''t it? Mister? Just like you''ve mentioned, the miners have been working here for many years, so surely they won''t be scared of the sound of wind�� I''m starting to doubt if your Edward Trade Association''s silver ore extraction has made any developments over the years."


    "Uh��" The foreman''s expression stiffened even more now.


    Edward saw that the situation was far from good and he hurriedly smooth things over. "It''s like this, Miss Seren. As you''ve said, the miners surely wouldn''t be worried if it was only the sound of wind. But�� I''m not afraid of telling you that there were indeed some strange incidents which made them so frantic. That is��"


    "In other words, the situation in your Trade Association isn''t looking too good?" Rhode smiled, gazing into Edward''s eyes while cold sweat dripped down Edward''s cheeks. Edward believed that he was fortunate to negotiate business with an eye-pleasing beauty, but now, he was panic-stricken because he clearly understood the meaning behind those words. From the start, Rhode had used the reason of ''checking on the extraction operations of the silver ores''. But now, it seemed that everything had gone smoothly and it would be difficult to continue their conversation thereafter. After all, the bunch of bastards from Howard Trade Association��


    "It''s not that, Miss Seren. It is just��"


    "��!"


    Suddenly, a deep roar sounded from the deep mine. Although it wasn''t loud, it resounded clearly in their eardrums through the echoes of the mine. Everyone turned forward in unison.


    "W-What happened? What''s that sound?" Edward puckered his brows worriedly. He hadn''t been down into the mine after hearing all the strange happenings in the mine and he didn''t take their words seriously. But now, he finally discovered that the situation was indeed dire. That wasn''t the sound of wind. That was obviously the roar of a monster!


    But this was a mine and not a forest. Why would there be a monster?


    "��!"


    Another bellow sounded and this time, and it was much closer. Before Edward reacted, he heard several blood-curdling screeches from nearby.


    "W-What happened?" Emily shrunk her body nervously.


    The deep mine shaft was exceptionally dusky under the burning flames. The private soldiers that Edward had led down with him surrounded them swiftly with their weapons, protecting their employer and guests. Edward turned toward Rhode with a bitter smile. "Miss Seren, the�� the situation isn''t looking too good. I think we should leave this place now and discuss later. What do you��"


    "Waaaa!"


    A series of miserable shrieks erupted once again. Several ashen-faced, bloody miners bolted from the other end, swinging their arms frantically. Emily screamed in fear and the private soldiers moved up to stop the fleeing miners.


    "What happened?" The foreman demanded.


    The miners totally disregarded the shiny sword blades before them. They looked into the pitch-black tunnel behind them and turned back around, shuddering. "Monster, Sir. There''s a monster! A terrifying monster!"


    "Monster?" Edward walked up to them hurriedly. "What monster? What exactly did all of you see?"


    Rhode approached one of the private soldiers and drew his sword hanging on his waist. He took a step forward, pulled Emily from the tunnel wall, and brandished the sword in his right hand!


    The solid tunnel wall rippled strangely like a pond of water and a pitch-black, gigantic worm struck out from within. It widened its disgusting, complex-looking mouth and hissed horrifyingly. Rhode dragged Emily to safety and pierced the monster''s mouth with the sword.


    A dazzling spiritual radiance erupted and the blade airflow blasted the monster far away. Its two-meter long, thick body was slashed into multiple pieces, but there was no blood. Instead, the monster puffed into a cloud of powder and vanished in the air.


    "T-That is��" Edward and Emily widened their eyes at Rhode unbelievably.


    They had never expected this delicate-looking lady to possess such impressive swordsmanship! Oh, Lord. That''s spiritual energy�� This young lady is just over 20 years old and she possesses such formidable powers�� Is everyone from the Country of Light as powerful as her?


    Emily looked at Rhode with glistening, admirable eyes and she had even forgotten about the dangers. Not only was ''Miss Seren'' intelligent, but she also possessed exquisite and powerful swordsmanship. Ah�� I didn''t expect that I would meet someone like her. If I can be as powerful as her, becoming a Travel Merchant won''t be a dream anymore.


    "W-What is that?" Edward was apparently more concerned about the monster than Emily.


    Rhode shook his head. "It seems like some kind of elemental creature. But I''m not exactly sure what it is."


    Of course, this was a lie. Rhode was sure that this monster was a creature created by the Earth Elemental Spirits. But�� Why did it appear here? What exactly was going on?


    "Monster! Monster!"


    The miners screamed at the top of their lungs and darted off after pushing the private soldiers aside.


    "Don''t run, be careful��!"


    Before the foreman finished his sentence, strange ripples formed on both sides of the tunnel wall. Then, three weirdly-shaped worms struck out and brushed the frantic miners. The three monsters didn''t give chase to their prey. Instead, they turned around and hissed at the enemies before them. On the other end of the tunnel, four to five similar monsters had emerged, hissing and surrounding Rhode''s group slowly. They were trapped.


    Something''s wrong!


    Rhode scrutinized their movements. Even though pure elemental creatures appeared alive, they could also be considered lifeless. The pure elemental creatures despised humans and would massacre every human as long as they stepped into their territory. Besides, these elemental creatures were abnormally brutal and hard to deal with. This was the reason why the mine in Fiat region was completely sealed after the Earth Elemental creature was awakened. But now, these elemental creatures had let off the miners and turned their attention on Rhode''s group? There seemed to be a mismatch of their usual chaotic and straightforward battle style to their movements. Could it be��


    Rhode swept a glance at the ashen-faced Edward, who was shuddering from head to toe.


    Could it be that these Earth Elemental creatures are being manipulated by someone?

 Chapter 540 Escape

    What exactly are these monsters?!


    Even though the Earth Elemental creatures appeared large and clumsy, their movements on the ground were extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, they had arrived before the group and pounced at them.


    The private soldiers who were protecting Edward''s group were horrified and they brandished their swords to fend off the monsters. However, their sharp blades couldn''t leave a single scar on their boulder-like surface and the private soldiers flustered to the powerful reaction force.


    "Go away! Go away!"


    One of the private soldiers yelled and hacked his sword at the worm-like Earth Elemental creature. Clang! The immense reaction force compelled the pitiful soldier and he tumbled to the ground. He looked up frantically and the monster lifted its upper body and widened its mouth to strike with its razor-sharp boulder teeth. "Waaa!"


    It punctured the soldier''s armor and ripped out bloody flesh and bones. The soldier shuddered with rolled eyes, waving his arm helplessly to escape the ordeal. The monster''s sharp teeth tore his body into half and his screams stopped abruptly.


    "Oh, Lord��"


    Everyone looked vacantly with ashen expressions. Their knees weakened after witnessing the monster demolish his body and his blood splashed everywhere. Not only him, but the other private soldiers were also attacked by the monsters. In an instant, the tunnel was filled with the revolting smell of blood and screams that make their hair stand.


    "R-Run!"


    The foreman, who had promised that nothing huge would happen, turned around immediately and darted toward the exit. But a razor-sharp thorn struck out from above and punctured his fragile skull. Then, a ferocious mouth fell from the tunnel ceiling and devoured its prey in a single swallow.


    "M-Miss Seren, what should we do?" Emily hid behind Rhode, shuddering and clasping his sleeves.


    Emily was terrified. After all, Edward and Emily were nothing more than ordinary merchants and they had never experienced countless massacres like Rhode, so witnessing a corpse was enough to startle them. It must be a huge shock to ordinary humans who witnessed a human become a corpse before their eyes. However, Emily behaved bravely and even though she was afraid, she continued to stand firmly on the spot. On the contrary, Edward''s legs had as though softened into a pile of mud, unable to move an inch.


    "We have to leave this place," Rhode charged forward and brandished his sword. The Earth Elemental creature that had devoured the foreman''s corpse turned to face him and pounced forward. However, Rhode was unfazed. As the creature''s sharp claws were inches away from ripping his body, he leaned to the side and dodged in an undescribable gracefulness. He turned his wrist and slashed the creature into half like slicing a cream cake. The fatal blow sent the creature crashing to the ground, vanishing into filthy dust instantly.


    About level 10 to 15. Something''s wrong with the difficulty!


    It was apparent that these Earth Elemental creatures were low in level. Although their unique properties had given them the upper hand against ordinary humans, they weren''t actually powerful at all. But, this was entirely opposite with what Rhode had remembered! According to his game experience, the Earth Elemental creature should have been between the range of level 35 to 40 after it was completely awakened! But now, they actually possessed only half of their strength�� The Earth Elemental Spirit hadn''t been fully awakened, but it definitely wasn''t in deep sleep within the seal.


    What exactly is going on?


    Rhode shot a look to Celia swiftly and the latter arrived at Edward''s side to support and pull him to Rhode and Emily''s side.


    "Chairman Edward, we are gonna leave this place now. I hope you can keep up with our pace. No matter what happens, don''t leave our side. Understand?"


    "Ah. Oh. Okay, Miss Seren."


    Edward was completely out of his wits. Perhaps he would agree to anything Rhode said to him at this point. However, Rhode wasn''t in the mood for jokes. He swept a glance at the pale-faced Chairman and turned around immediately to focus his attention on the creatures that had emerged from the shadows. No one noticed the glint of excitement in Rhode''s eyes. "Let''s go!"


    "Ss��!"


    The group bolted toward the exit and two Earth Elemental creatures arched over in a towering manner, their mouths formed by sharp rocks widened ferociously. In the blink of an eye, the creatures sprung toward the group. Rhode swung the basic sword in his hand and glittering spiritual radiance streaked across the dark tunnel. The infinite light blades interwove into a large net and shattered the enemies completely.


    So powerful��


    Emily widened her eyes in astonishment. Rhode''s attack was as though a myriad of dazzling, yet deadly meteors. The red-haired young lady had even forgotten about the threats catching up behind her. She held onto ''Miss Seren''s'' left arm and kept up with her quick pace. Meanwhile, Edward staggered along with Celia and the latter brandished her sword to drive away the creatures that attempted to pounce on them. The Earth Elemental creatures standing before Celia showed signs of hesitance. As the highest form of the Light Element, Celia also possessed pure Light Elemental strength and from a certain aspect, the Light Elemental composition of Celia was similar to these Earth Elemental creatures apart from their attribute properties. Even though these creatures who relied on instinct to attack could deal fatal damage to ''impure'' humans, they were at a complete loss in the face of a pure Light Elemental Battle Angel who was higher in class than them.


    The creatures behind weren''t giving chase as tightly as before after they had witnessed Celia''s threat. Everyone seized this opportunity and dashed toward the exit through the opening that Rhode had created. There was not a single person along the way and discarded tools were scattered everywhere. It seemed like the miners had gotten away immediately after hearing the commotion.


    The deep, dark tunnel had as though no end to its horizon and there was not a single guide shown under the flame torches. Emily felt that she had been trapped entirely in this underground maze and all she could do was to follow ''Miss Seren'' before her blindly as she supported her panting father with gritted teeth. Emily feared that the path they had chosen was incorrect. Apart from the slope that clearly meant to them that they were heading upwards, there were no other indications.


    "Haa�� Haa��"


    Rapid breathing echoed in the mine and Emily could clearly hear the hisses from close behind her. She wanted to turn around, but she bit her lip and focused her attention before her instead. She was afraid that the creatures would pounce onto her the very instant she turned back and she would die a painful, miserable death like the private soldiers�� She shivered every time the images of their deaths flashed in her mind. The darkness around her felt like a massive, terrifying creature that was about to devour her entirely��


    As Emily and ''Miss Seren'' ran passed the corner of the tunnel crossing, hopeful, dazzling rays of the sun shone brightly before her eyes and blinded her slightly. This was the first time that she had praised the beauty of the world from the bottom of her heart.


    "Quick. We''re almost there!" Rhode turned back to Emily.


    The exhausted red-haired young lady''s legs had almost given way beneath her. She tried her best to support her father as they reeled forward while Celia brandished her sword and calmly eradicated the relentless creatures behind her.


    "��!"


    At this moment, a series of roars shook the ground beneath their feet, shaking crushed rocks and dust off the ceiling. Rhode halted as a sudden ominous premonition clouded his mind.


    Earthquake? No, this is��!


    Boom! A burst of wind and dust exploded before him as though the tunnel wall had been smashed by a powerful force. A half-human-sized fist appeared before his face and he knew that he couldn''t dodge in time. He let out a snort and positioned the sword before him swiftly.


    The gigantic stone fist collided with his sword and an intense airflow erupted. The heavy collision panicked Emily and she almost threw up from the shock, while Edward lost his balance and fell to his bum instantly. Rhode pushed back the ambush and cracks revealed on the standard-issued sword blade. In the blink of an eye, the blade shattered entirely.


    The gigantic, stone fist''s momentum stopped after sliding over a few meters due to the intense reaction force from smashing into Rhode''s sword. The fluttering dust dispersed and the obstacle revealed itself.


    That was a three-meter tall, massive, human-shaped figure. It looked like a giant and its enormous body blocked the entire exit. It had short legs and long rock arms like a stone gorilla.


    Stone Giant.


    Rhode tossed the bladeless hilt and gazed silently at the Stone Giant. Finally, a much more threatening presence had emerged. The Stone Giant was considered one of the most troublesome presences among the Earth Elemental creatures. It had slow movements, but powerful strength. Moreover, it possessed self-restoration and increased defenses abilities in this favorable environment. Ordinary fighters couldn''t match up against such a creature at all.


    But Rhode wasn''t any ordinary fighter.


    "W-What is that? Miss Seren?"


    "I''m not too sure, Miss Emily," Rhode answered without turning around.


    He slid his right hand into his pocket and grabbed the hidden dagger calmly. After all, he had faced much more ridiculous setbacks in the game and this typical BOSS appearance in the final stages of an escape was nothing out of the ordinary. "I will try my best to attract its attention, Miss Emily. Please use this chance to leave with Chairman Edward."


    "B-But, what about you? Miss Seren?"


    "Don''t worry about me, Miss Emily. I will leave immediately after you guys have left safely. I''ll handle this monster by myself just fine�� I guess you understand what I mean."


    "��" Emily didn''t answer immediately. "I understand, Miss Seren. Don''t worry, I will try my best."


    "Good, Miss Emily. Don''t forget about the story that I told you that night."


    Rhode smiled at Emily and turned toward the Stone Giant, squinting and raising his right arm.


    Madaras answered his calling.


    "��!"


    The Stone Giant sensed the threat emanating from the weapon on the tiny human''s hand. As a pure elemental creature, it was sharply sensitive to anything that interfered with magical aura. Madaras came equipped with 15% magical immunity and it was like a natural enemy to the Stone Giant. It bellowed in rage and stepped forward, swinging its clenched left fist.


    Shing! Rhode sprung forward and welcomed the attack with his dagger fearlessly. The spiritual radiance glinted on its striking blade like a dazzling meteor streaking across the sky.


    Boom! The unbearably loud collision felt like a huge hammer crushing into their chests and this was only the beginning. Rhode withdrew his dagger and in the blink of an eye, the dagger transformed and split into countless blade rays, devouring the Stone Giant''s fist. Violent gales burst out from the impact and the powerful explosion shook the entire mine.


    Rhode didn''t attack using a skill. Instead, it was an attack using his Master Stage level spiritual energy and the Stone Giant definitely couldn''t withstand it no matter how valiant it was. Moreover, Rhode''s lineage wasn''t human and his strength was much higher than the ordinary human race. The impact crumpled the Stone Giant''s left arm and it flinched a few steps backward and revealed an opening. "Now''s the chance, Miss Emily!!"


    Emily grabbed her father''s arm and ran toward the opening while Edward gritted his teeth and keep up as closely as possible. He was panting hard, but his desire for survival pushed his heavy feet forward.


    The Stone Giant didn''t notice Emily and Edward at all as it fully focused its attention on Rhode. As an elemental creature without senses, losing an arm meant nothing to it. The Stone Giant raised its other available arm and struck toward Rhode with all its might. This time, Rhode didn''t face it head-on. Instead, he rolled to the side and dodged, gesturing to Celia to escort Emily and Edward to the exit. Celia felt rather astonished by his decision, but she didn''t question it. She sheathed her weapon and dashed toward them.


    The Stone Giant hurled another punch toward Rhode.


    It''s about time.


    Rhode twitched his brows slightly after glancing at Emily, Edward, and Celia''s position. He rolled away from its attack and shot for its body. Madaras emanated an incredible spiritual radiance and punctured its body deeply.


    "��!"


    A deep, ear-deafening roar echoed in the mine, numbing Rhode''s ears. A bright radiance erupted from its eyes and the entire mine began to shake violently along with its transformation. Shortly after, large rocks fell from the ceiling and flew toward the Stone Giant.


    "Waa!"


    Emily hid from the flying rocks, but Edward had been struck. He shrieked painfully and tumbled down the tunnel slope like a rolling gourd.


    "Father!"


    "Mr. Edward!"


    Emily cried out frantically and Celia reached out for his arm as quickly as she could. However, at this moment, Rhode shot a look at Celia and her movements halted subtly. Her fingers had almost grabbed onto Edward''s arm. She watched helplessly as he rolled down the tunnel toward the Earth Elemental creature.

 Chapter 541 Deep Underground

    Edward crushed into the wall heavily. He hadn''t given up all hope yet. Even though his head was spinning, the hisses around him made his hair stand. He instinctively jumped onto his feet to escape, but an excruciating pain came through from his right leg. Then, an immense strength hauled him back. "No!! Help m��"


    The screams came to an abrupt end.


    "Father!"


    Emily had as though forgotten about the dangerous situation that she was in. She gazed blankly at the tunnel and a violent gust of wind blowing against her ear dragged her back to reality.


    Boom! The Stone Giant crashed to the ground and its gigantic body had been severed by a dozen blade marks. Although the Stone Giant could absorb the surrounding rocks to repair its body, its self-restoration ability was too weak in the face of Rhode''s wild attack. "Be careful, Miss Emily!"


    "Eh? Ah��!" Emily looked up, frightened.


    At this moment, the ''paralyzed'' Stone Giant had turned its attention toward her. The magical radiance in its two eyes flickered brightly from the dark tunnel. Emily froze to the spot and this was exactly the instinctive response when a life was confronted with danger. In this instant, Emily had never felt this clear-headed. The time around her had as though slowed down incredibly. She witnessed the horrifying creature widening its mouth and bellowed at her. It extended its right arm and the gravel hovering around its arm merged into it. Then, it blasted forward.


    Clang! A shadow emerged beside Emily and rolled away with her to dodge the Stone Giant''s attack. The ice-cold, solid punch brushed the top of her head and the engulfing air pressure swept her fiery long hair. ''Miss Seren''s'' voice sounded in her ears. She looked up and ''Miss Seren'' had hacked into the Stone Giant''s head, and she retreated swiftly to her side. Without speaking a word, Rhode carried Emily in his arm and darted into another tunnel. Shortly after, Emily spotted a glaring radiance flash across them, along with ear-deafening roars and rolling dust striking her face��


    "Argh��"


    After a while, Emily regained her senses and it was pure darkness before her.


    "You''re awake?" Rhode asked.


    "Argh�� Where am��" Emily turned to the voice.


    ''Miss Seren'' sat beside her while she leaned on the tunnel wall. The coldness on the rock wall spread through her thin clothes and woke her up entirely with a shudder. "This is�� I��"


    "We''re still in the mine, Miss Emily," Rhode said with a smile.


    He patted off the filthy dust on his body and stood up to scrutinize the blocked tunnel exit. After dealing a fatal blow to the Stone Giant, it had chosen to self-destruct. However, Rhode had seen through this possibility and he carried Emily into another tunnel to decline its ''fervent invitation'' to end in mutual destruction. Although the might of the Stone Giant''s self-destruction was powerful, it was too hard for a level 30 creature to harm a Swordsman who had truly entered the Master Stage. On the contrary, Emily had fainted after she crashed into the wall from the explosion.


    But even though both of them weren''t gravely injured, the explosion had left them in huge trouble because the fragile tunnel wasn''t as fortunate. The Stone Giant''s self-destruction had entirely buried the tunnel entrance and a portion of the main tunnel collapsed. It was no longer possible to exit through the original route. In other words, they were trapped in the mine.


    "So�� Miss Seren, what should we do?" Emily asked in a shaky tone after listening to Rhode''s explanations.


    Rhode pondered for a few moments and said, "It''s simple, Miss Emily. We can continue to head down and search for another exit. It has been completely blocked off here and I believe that even though the people outside will be trying to rescue us, they won''t succeed in a short period of time. There will usually be a few emergency escape routes in the mine for the miners to flee from swiftly. I think that we''re better off searching for exits instead of resigning to our fates."


    "But��" Emily said with a distressed look. "The mine is so complicated. What if we get lost�� And those creatures��"


    "I''ve been to many different mines and I do know a thing or two about mine structures so I don''t think it will be a huge problem. As for the creatures�� I''ve searched around before you woke up and it seems that they are equally frightened and have left here. So, don''t worry, Miss Emily. If anything were to happen��" Rhode kneeled down and held Emily''s hands into his. "I will protect you, Miss Emily."


    "��" Emily gazed in astonishment. "Miss Seren�� How do you remain this calm?"


    "As a Travel Merchant, this isn''t the first time that I''ve faced such a similar emergency situation," Rhode''s expression gloomed. He lowered his head and released Emily''s hands, which made her feel somewhat regretful and disappointed because she felt as though she had lost a reliable support that she had been looking for for a long time. "I''m sorry, Miss Emily. I never expected that there would be such ferocious creatures here. If I noticed it earlier, your esteemed father wouldn''t be��"


    "��" Emily fell into silence. She refused to recall what had happened. However, Rhode''s words harshly dragged her back to reality. That''s right. She was here because this ''Miss Seren'' had insisted to check on the situation after hearing about the rumors. She and her father entered the mine with ''Miss Seren'' and they faced such an incident. Now, her father had died, while she was trapped in this dark underground mine, unsure if she could live to see the light.


    Emily clenched her fists and bit her lips so hard that bleed a little. She had never thought that it would be this easy to part with someone so dear forever. Her father who was just with her moments ago had left the world for eternity and she had never predicted that she would fall into this crisis. Emily thought that she was dreaming. She was still sipping on the hot red tea in the breezy morning, savoring the delicious cakes, longing to be a successful Travel Merchant. But now, she was stained with mud and trapped in this filthy, pitch-dark underground. Emily realized for the first time how easily a serene and peaceful life could be destroyed just like that.


    "No�� This isn''t your fault, Miss Seren." Emily calmed down gradually and shook her head. The pain of losing her kin continued to haunt her. Although this young lady before her was indeed the main culprit who had caused the death of her father and landed her into this plight, Emily believed that she didn''t do it intentionally. Besides��


    "It was us who were too careless and negligent. Sorry, Miss Seren. In fact, Father has heard about the strange happenings going on in the mine a few days back, but he didn''t send anyone to investigate the cause. If we carried out investigations promptly, perhaps this wouldn''t have happened��"


    "There are no ifs in this world, Miss Emily." Rhode''s calm voice sounded. "No one can change the past and the only thing we can do now is to not let down the things that have happened. We pay a huge price for our mistakes, but we also learn from them so we won''t commit the same mistake�� Lift up your head, Miss Emily."


    "��" Emily lifted her head and gazed at the beautiful face before her.


    Even though they were in a dusky tunnel, ''Miss Seren''s'' face calmed her down as though her presence had turned the darkness into nothing terrifying at all. She nodded with might and wiped the tears rolling down her cheeks. She stood to her feet and displayed a stiff smile. "Sorry to make you worry for me, Miss Seren. Let''s get on the way�� If not, the creatures will be back."


    "It''s great that you think of it this way, Miss Emily." Rhode nodded and displayed a comforting and gentle smile. He turned around and let go of the dagger hilt hidden in his skirt. "Let''s go."


    All the paths in the underground mine were as complex as Emily had mentioned. The miners excavated this place like mice in search of wealth hidden in the soil and dug out multiple tunnels. Some of the tunnels were interconnected while some led to dead ends. Even miners were unsure of the exact number of tunnels that they had excavated. However, this wasn''t a problem for Rhode. Before the Stone Giant had self-destructed, Rhode chose this tunnel as he knew it would lead them to a path where the Earth Elemental seal was. Of course, Rhode had his fair share of dizziness when he first entered this mine and lost his way for a long time. However, he knew every single tunnel underneath Fiat at his fingertips after clearing this dungeon several times with his group. He could identify which tunnel would lead to dead ends, treasure chests, hidden BOSSes, and rare Elites. After all, the ''Walking Library'' had a deserved reputation.


    Of course, Rhode couldn''t act like it was a walk in the park in front of Emily. After all, the excavation of mine followed many conditions and rules. It would be too suspicious if an outsider like Rhode was familiar with a mine that he had entered for the first time.


    Before the Stone Giant self-destructed, Rhode had sent Celia out of the mine. With Celia and Celestina around, he wasn''t worried that he would miss out on any first-hand information. In fact, Rhode had communicated with Celia while Emily was still unconscious and the Battle Angel informed him that the explosion had blocked off the tunnel completely. The Edward Trade Association had also dispatched members to check on the situation and according to the miners, the intense explosion had caused the mine to become oddly fragile. The miners outside would take a long time before they could clear the blocked tunnel and rescue them. This was exactly what Rhode needed. If not, why would he even need to put up such a show with his abilities?


    And now, his mission was about to be accomplished. The mine had been sealed off and the Chairman of Edward Trade Association was a goner. It would take a while before Emily recovered from her shock fully even though she had accepted her fate. Granted that they finally settled all these troubles, perhaps the outcome of the war between the King''s Party and Reformist Party had been decided. This was a great sign for Rhode. But he couldn''t let down his guard yet because he had a much more important problem to resolve, and that was who exactly ''awakened'' the Earth Elemental Spirit.


    As a player, Rhode knew about the sealed Earth Elemental Spirit underneath Fiat. However, the aborigines had no inkling at all and it was impossible for them to learn about anything regarding the underground creature. If not, Edward would''ve done something as soon as he heard about the strange happenings in the mine. The Earth Elemental Spirit wouldn''t awake by itself and Rhode knew how strong the seal was. It was as strong as a safe and unless one deliberately crowbarred it open, there were no other ways to unlock it. If one were to say that the seal had loosened itself�� Even ghosts wouldn''t believe it.


    Rhode refused to believe that this was coincidental. He wished to find out the hidden truth about who exactly awakened the Earth Elemental Spirit and the person''s motive.


    Both of them walked in the complicated underground maze slowly, their footsteps echoing in the quiet tunnel. The creatures that launched attacks on them had disappeared to nowhere as though they never existed. Emily followed closely and tugged onto Rhode''s sleeves. She wasn''t as nervous as before, but she felt a little giddy after spinning around the similar-looking tunnels��


    "Miss Seren? What are we��" Emily broke the silence when Rhode halted and scanned the surroundings.


    At this moment, Rhode cupped over her mouth swiftly and both of them stuck closely to the rock wall. Emily heard a sound coming from the other end of the silent tunnel. That was a human voice.


    Emily widened her eyes in bewilderment.


    Was someone else here apart from them?

 Chapter 542 Friends & Foes

    Rhode and Emily had to listen closely to the faint voices that resounded in the tunnel. Leaning against ''Miss Seren'', Emily held her breath and stared at the dark end of the tunnel. Her heart was pounding. She clenched her fists and placed them on her chest. An indescribable nervousness clouded her mind and she couldn''t breathe.


    Rhode noticed Emily''s nervousness, but he didn''t have the time to console her. Instead, he leaned against the wall on his side and listened carefully. The voices were dull and stammering and it didn''t seem to be coming from the other side of this wall. In other words, the voice was most possibly coming from in front of them�� Rhode knitted his brows and waved his arm before him. However, he realized that this wasn''t the gaming world and there weren''t any map plug-ins available for him��


    But even so, Rhode had some other ways.


    He kneeled down and scanned the ground cautiously with the radiance of the torches hung on the wall. He slid his fingers along the wall to the ground and rubbed the broken ore fragments gathered at the corner. Emily blinked curiously and was about to ask when she changed her mind after gazing at the dark tunnel ahead. What is Miss Seren doing?


    After several minutes, Rhode grabbed a nail-sized smooth stone from the pile of gravel and held it before him. He shut his eyes and transmitted a tiny bit of spiritual energy into it and a system prompt emerged before him.


    [Discovered shattered crystal fragment]


    I was right.


    Rhode nodded slightly. The crystal fragment had solved his doubts. It seemed that they were almost arriving at the other mine; the crystal mine that belonged to the Howard Family. But�� weren''t they moving too slow to reach the Howard Family''s mine?


    Rhode turned to Emily and said softly, "Miss Emily, is there anyone else around apart from us?"


    "Hmm��" Emily pondered for a moment and said hesitantly. "�� If I recall correctly, the Howard Family owns a mine around here too. But�� theirs is far away from ours."


    After all, the Edward Trade Association produced mainly silver and iron ores while the Howard Trade Association''s main business relied on magical crystal ores. Both families had different material requirements and it wasn''t possible for them to operate on the same piece of land. Besides, the iron and silver ores buried in the soil were unlike the magical crystals that usually grew out of the soil. Due to the magical properties in them, the rock qualities around them were poor and high purity silver and iron ores couldn''t possibly exist. This was why it wouldn''t be easy if both sides were to lay hands on one another. Although tunnel cutting was a common occurrence in a huge city like the Deep Stone City, a Trade Association in this small place didn''t have sufficient manpower and equipment for it. This was why they mostly searched for naturally formed caves to explore and dig for mineral resources. Such caves were common below Fiat and sometimes it wouldn''t be surprising if a cave had bored through the mountain.


    Rhode explained to Emily in detail swiftly and she gaped in astonishment. After all, she wasn''t familiar with such knowledge since she had been living her days in the Trade Association. No matter what, they wouldn''t allow a girl like her to mine.


    "Miss Seren, what you meant was�� We might have entered the Howard Family''s mine?" Emily''s voice was filled with a joyous tone. She felt as though they had spent a long time spinning around this dark underground maze. Was it 10 minutes? 20 minutes? An hour? Two hours? Half a day? Or a whole day?


    No matter how long the time had passed, she was extremely exhausted and her stomach was rumbling with hunger. Every inch of her body was aching and she had to stay vigilant against the threat of terrifying creatures lurking in the darkness. She was delighted and hopeful after hearing Rhode''s explanation. Although the Howard Family and Edward Family didn''t have the best of relationships, surely they would still prefer to be with humans than to be left alone in this scary place, right?


    "Not yet. The voices sound far away. But I think there should be a tunnel leading us there from the front. Miss Emily, please be careful. The cave ahead hasn''t been dug through yet, so we have to proceed cautiously," Rhode stood up and grabbed the torch by the wall. He smiled at Emily. "Let''s go, Miss Emily."


    "Okay, Miss Seren," Emily calmed down unknowingly after looking at ''Miss Seren''s'' gentle smile. Not too long ago, she was still anxiously hoping to leave this dark, terrifying underground world. But now, she had the sudden urge to spend more time with her here.


    While Rhode and Emily entered farther down, the surface was in utter chaos.


    Celia gazed at the screaming and quarreling crowd from the side. She held her forehead and sighed hopelessly.


    The members of the Edward Trade Association arrived at the scene hurriedly and they broke out in disputes after listening to the explanations of the miners and Celia. The disputes had gotten worse after the members were informed that their Chairman had died. Some of them believed that they should clear the blocked tunnel as soon as possible to rescue Miss Emily and ''Miss Seren''. After all, one of them was their Chairman''s daughter while the other was a guest from the Country of Light, which made it difficult for them to answer to any mishaps. The other half of the group objected their suggestion violently because the mine was oddly fragile and it wouldn''t withstand further pressure. It might cause even more damage if they forced their way in and it wouldn''t be too late if they searched for other entrances and dispatched men to rescue the victims.


    Both sides quarreled endlessly. One party accused the other that they were unwilling to rescue Emily because they were looking to annex the entire Trade Association. The other party expressed that their decision was purely for the sake of the miners and their own safety. If they were to unblock the tunnel under such circumstances, it would equal to committing suicide and they couldn''t possibly do that!


    Celia didn''t join their fight. Even though, strictly speaking, she should be the one who was most worried, Rhode had given her an order through the spiritual communications that her job would be done after she had spread the news that Edward had died in the accident. She was dubious of Rhode''s decision and she finally understood after witnessing the scene before her. She didn''t wish to get involved with such troublesome matters either.


    Celia let out a long sigh. She shut her eyes and contacted another person. "Big Sister Celestina?"


    "�� What do you want?" Celestina answered unwillingly.


    Her voice sounded as though she was still brooding over the incident last night. It was no wonder that she was upset. Her virginity had been taken away in such a horrible manner, and she was like a pitiful slave at the mercy of a Human. Celestina gritted her teeth at this thought. She had never been this humiliated in her life! If it was possible, she wished that she could commit suicide and end this nightmarish experience. But it was a pity that she couldn''t do so�� Because as summoned spirits, they would revive even if they were dead.


    It was due to this conflict of emotions that Celestina had chosen to shut herself in the room, announcing that she was not acclimatized to the environment and what remained out of sight remained out of mind. She refused to see that annoying man.


    Celia scratched her head. She was unable to figure out what exactly had happened to Celestina. She simply treated that this as just her elder sister throwing a tantrum and she got right into the main topic. "Big Sister, Master has met into some trouble in the mine and he is trapped inside right now��"


    "What has it got to do with me!" Celestina interrupted furiously. "Isn''t he still alive anyway? I don''t believe that anything will happen to that sly, cunning bastard! Anyway, you''re still around for him. I''m not feeling too well so don''t disturb me anymore!"


    Celestina cut off the spiritual communications without hesitation. It seemed that she was determined to not be involved with this problem�� Celia sighed helplessly and she opened her eyes to the clashing crowd.


    Although you sounded as though you hated Master�� I feel that you still trust him a lot, Big Sister��


    Celia should be glad that Celestina couldn''t hear her thinking aloud.


    Sneeze! Rhode rubbed his nose as he gazed into the pitch-dark cave before him. Unlike the previous cave with signs of excavations, the dense natural essence was still retained around here. Above him were full of ice-cold stalactites hanging down, and the ground beneath his feet was uneven and slippery. Rhode had long gotten used to such an environment, but Emily shambled her way behind him. It was apparent that this environment was too harsh for this young lady. But even so, Emily didn''t grumble, and she moved forward with determination glinting in her eyes.


    She still isn''t aware, it seems��


    Rhode had received news from Celia about the situation outside. As he had expected, Edward''s members had gone into a frenzy after hearing that their Chairman had died. Authority was the best bait for fishes. Edward had died and Emily wasn''t around to take over. What future was there left for Edward Trade Association? Also��


    Rhode glanced at Emily.


    After she returned to the surface, perhaps it wouldn''t be the same Edward Trade Association that she was once so familiar with anymore. Will she continue to say there?


    "Miss Seren?" Emily came to a stop and called out in uncertainty.


    At that moment, they heard sounds of clashing weapons and human voices, and lights could be seen vaguely.


    Rhode grabbed her hand with a smile. "Don''t worry, come with me, Miss Emily. Everything will be fine."


    Rhode lifted the torch while leading Emily with his right hand, striding forward. Soon, they reached the end of the tunnel and turned into the corner where the light had spilled in from. They saw a hopeful sight.


    A land of shining magical crystals bloomed like flowers in the wide cave. In the middle of the magical crystals garden stood some fully-armed men. The men turned toward the sound of footsteps and drew their weapons hurriedly as soon as they spotted Rhode and Emily.


    After all, this place was in the deep mines and it was surely strange for anyone to meet two young ladies here. To Rhode''s surprise, there wasn''t a single miner in this magical crystal mine! The men before them were equipped with steel armor, crossbows, with a sword and shield on their backs. They seemed like private soldiers and adventurers!


    But how was this possible? The mine was a private territory and surely they wouldn''t allow adventurers in, so what were they doing in the Howard Family''s mine? Could it be that the Howard Family had fallen to this pathetic state that they couldn''t even guard their own mine? This wasn''t logical�� Besides, wasn''t it strange that these people appeared during this sensitive period?


    "Who are you?!" One of the men bellowed immediately.


    The other men raised their crossbows and aimed at Rhode and Emily. Compared to Rhode, Emily was more familiar with the Howard Family. She stepped out bravely. "Uncle Carter! It''s me, Emily!"


    "Emily?" The man puckered his brows and gestured to his men to lay down their weapons. He narrowed his eyes, scanned Emily from head to toe, and asked in astonishment. "It''s really you. What happened? Who is that woman with you? What are you two doing here?"


    "There was an accident in our mine, Uncle Carter. It collapsed and monsters attacked us. We came here because we have no choice and we didn''t expect to stumble into your mine��" said Emily.


    When Emily mentioned the word ''monsters'', Rhode sharply detected that the man revealed a slightly strange expression. He scrutinized the man with knitted brows and he discovered that not only were these people dressed strangely, but the items in their hands also weren''t mining tools. Instead, they seemed like mysterious-runes or odd ornaments that were obviously not used to repair the mine or to worship the gods.


    It seems that the situation is indeed not that simple��

 Chapter 543 That Man I

    Even though the Howard Family and Edward Family had conflicts, it didn''t mean that they had been generations of enemies and they had to drive each other to death. After all, both families were weak forces that were simply fighting over the controlling rights in a small region, Fiat. Compared to large-scale families, trade associations, and other forces, their standoffs were more ''unsophisticated''.


    Judging from the pleasantly surprised look of the Howard Family member, it was apparent that both parties hadn''t reached the stage where they couldn''t coexist together. The large-scale families would rather be devoured by monsters than to accept such humiliation, and those who were more inhumane might even bait some monsters into attacking the opposition to create an opportunity.


    The ''Uncle Carter'' that Emily addressed seemed somewhat rigid. He gazed at Rhode curiously before nodding and waving for his men to back off. "Monster? Emily, you''re saying that monsters emerged in Edward''s mine?"


    "Yes, Uncle Carter. They were terrifying�� and ferocious. They have killed many people, and��" Emily paused and came to a stop.


    Although Emily had longed for the Travel Merchant lifestyle and she appeared ethical and cheerful, she was born into a merchant family and she wouldn''t be that foolish to notify their competitor about her father''s death. Besides, she realized that this ''Uncle Carter'' appeared a little off with his dressing. Why were there no miners of the Howard Family? And why was a group of fully-armed mercenaries present instead? She had never heard that the Howard Family dispatched mercenaries to extract ores.


    Emily felt a little uncertain at this thought, but she calmed down instantly after sensing ''Miss Seren'' by her side. "�� We had no choice but to escape into the deep mines to avoid the relentless monsters. We followed the voices that we heard and entered your territory unknowingly, Uncle Carter�� Ah. By the way, she is Miss Miranda Seren of the Seren Trade Association from the Country of Light. She was here to negotiate business about ore trading with our Edward Trade Association."


    "Country of Light?!"


    Carter and the mercenaries were astonished to hear this name. Rhode lifted his skirt and bowed politely, revealing a graceful smile. The blushed group of men stared blankly and they didn''t know how to respond appropriately. On the other hand, Carter felt that this young lady was a thorny problem. No matter how beautiful she looked, the fact that she had come from the Country of Light made him fearful. The King''s Party knew how powerful the influence that the Country of Light had and if this young lady got into any form of trouble while she was with them��


    But why would some Chairman of the Trade Association from the Country of Light come here at this crucial moment?


    Carter let out a cough and approached Emily with a smile.


    "�� Uh�� Emily. We were also aware of the unrest in the mine these few days. I''ve brought along these mercenaries for safety''s sake and I didn''t expect that you would be attacked by the monsters. But it''s great that both of you are fine�� There''s still a distance away from the surface. Since you''re not familiar with the terrain of our Howard mine, I suggest that both of you rest for a moment while I arrange for someone to escort you out. How about that?"


    "Sure, Uncle Carter," Emily nodded happily, but she quickly blinked her eyes in curiosity. "But Uncle Carter, do you intend to linger around here? The monsters are really powerful. If they come��"


    One of the mercenaries let out mischievous laughter and interrupted. "Hey, Miss, what are you talking about? We''re not like you. We, mercenaries, are born to do this. Those monsters may be scary in your eyes, but��" he swung his fist mightily. "They mean nothing to us!"


    Emily didn''t know how powerful this group of mercenaries could be. But she refused to believe that they were stronger than ''Miss Seren'' after she had witnessed her performance. Emily stopped talking and rolled her eyes slightly.


    Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Carter stepped out. "Emily, I think you must be tired. But�� as you can see, we''re here to search for those monsters. If the monsters are really that strong, it will be troublesome for us too. I know this isn''t a good suggestion, but�� can you describe to us what exactly you encountered? How do the monsters look like? I hope we can discuss this privately if possible��"


    Carter swept a glance at ''Miss Seren''. This calm young lady was indeed gorgeous. However, her identity was somewhat troublesome in this situation. Perhaps�� I need to find a solution to resolve this problem.


    "�� Alright," Emily turned toward ''Miss Seren'' and Rhode nodded with a smile of approval. Emily hesitated for a while before eventually agreeing. Shortly after, Carter and Emily headed toward the other side of the crystal mine and disappeared around the corner.


    Interesting.


    Rhode narrowed his eyes at both of them. Rhode had been observing the surroundings while they were speaking. In fact, the soil that they were stepping on was the ground for the Earth Elemental Spirit. Even though the Spirit was sealed up, it would unknowingly reveal its elemental strength and the crystal resources around was the best evidence. Rhode was sure that these people didn''t awaken the Earth Elemental Spirit because he wouldn''t have missed such a massive presence. But he didn''t believe Carter''s words either because he had sharply detected a faint, orderly Earth Elemental strength surging in this place. This meant that these people had controlled the Spirit''s powers using some secret means and they might even exploit it. But how did the mercenaries manage to do it?


    It wasn''t an easy task to manipulate the Earth Element Spirit''s powers. No matter what method they used, it would be extremely dangerous even if the Spirit was sealed. Without the help of impressive presences like Lapis or Marlene who had mastered Alchemy and Spells, even Rhode wouldn''t dare to carry out such a difficult experiment. But now, a small Trade Association actually did it. Could it be that they were just lucky?


    It''s impossible.


    Not only that, Rhode sensed that someone was secretly observing his every movement.


    Who is that person?


    "I see��" Carter let out a helpless sigh. He pondered for a moment before patting on Emily''s shoulder. "Emily, I know you must be afraid to have encountered such a dangerous problem. But don''t worry, we won''t let the monsters put your life at danger. By the way, would you like something to eat and rest for awhile? I will get someone to invite Miss Seren over too."


    "But��" Emily knitted her brows dubiously, but she changed her tone of speech after observing Carter''s expression and the mercenaries on the other side. "Alright then, Uncle Carter. I will wait here��"


    "Good girl. Don''t worry, everything will be fine," Carter smiled and left for another pitch-black, narrow tunnel. Then, the man at the other end of the empty tunnel spoke with a stern tone. "Sir, there are some problems with our plans."


    "I saw it." A mysterious, dark figure emerged before Carter and responded with a deep voice. "But isn''t this our plan? Mr. Carter? The Edward Trade Association''s mine has collapsed entirely and you''ve successfully controlled the resources here. You just need to take down the Edward Trade Association and becoming the number one in Fiat won''t be wishful thinking anymore. Wasn''t this your wish too when we first worked together?"


    "But�� I didn''t expect that things would end up like this. Besides, someone from the Country of Light is present too�� This is a very troublesome matter for us, Sir," Carter said eagerly.


    The dark figure remained silent for a brief moment before responding. "Don''t mind them. If they know nothing about here, we can find an excuse to send them away."


    "�� Okay, Sir." Carter sighed helplessly and nodded before leaving the tunnel.


    The dark figure let out a soft snort and, at this moment, a crisp, pleasant voice sounded. "Do you really intend to do that, Master?"


    "Of course, Cheryl." The dark figure nodded slightly. "This is a great chance. The Howard Trade Association has lost their rationale and they are urgently hoping to gain the controlling rights here. According to the method that we''ve provided, they can temporarily manipulate the Earth Elemental Spirit here. But this would only be temporary and, frankly speaking, I''m quite surprised that the Edward Trade Association Chairman''s daughter is here. This might not be a bad thing for our plans. But��" the dark figure hesitated. "Why would a Trade Association from the Country of Light dispatch someone here to negotiate in business? Aren''t they aware of the current situation? These meddlesome people!"


    "Relax. You are also aware that these greedy and corrupt merchants are willing to do anything for profit. They obviously knew about the war between the South and North and have decided to seize this opportunity to a fortune. This isn''t anything new, is it?"


    "I''m aware of that, Cheryl. This is what I wish to change. They are walking on the path toward destruction and they''re not aware of it. I need more power and this was why I accepted this mission and came here." The dark figure''s voice sounded much more forceful. "This time, I will not allow a future like that happen."


    It''s here��


    Rhode gazed at the gigantic stalactite pillar located in the middle of the crystal mine. He had figured out their purpose and deployment, and it was time for him to move out. Rhode didn''t know how the Howard Trade Association gathered such a technique, but this had proven that someone else was also interested in obtaining the resources here. It wasn''t to Rhode''s liking that the Earth Elemental Spirit was under their control. Therefore, he had decided to change his target. Unlock the seal entirely to summon the Earth Elemental Spirit and destroy this mine.


    The life or death of the Howard Family wasn''t within his considerations. Since they were also supporters of the King''s Party, they would only need to suffer little grievance in sacrificing their profits to accomplish the King''s Party''s plan.


    Rhode strode toward the towering stalactite pillar without gaining the mercenaries'' attention. The mercenaries seemed focused on standing guard for monsters by the entrance that Rhode and Emily had entered from. When Rhode got really close to the pillar, they finally responded. "What are you doing!"


    A fully-armed mercenary rushed over and stopped Rhode from heading any farther with his body. His bell-sized large eyes glared at Rhode while Rhode twitched his brow calmly. "Nothing. I''m just looking around. The stalactite pillar seems interesting."


    "This is the Howard Family''s mine, Miss."


    At this moment, a man who seemed to be their leader stepped forward. He stared at Rhode with a stern expression, holding onto his sword hilt and blocking Rhode with the side of his body. "I hope you won''t wander off everywhere. It is very dangerous here. I hope you can just wait here."


    "And what if I don''t?" Rhode let out a snort and lifted his chin proudly.


    He gazed at the two mercenaries in disdain as though they were nothing more than maggots and trash. This was the usual attitude that people of the Country of Light showed against the people of the Munn Kingdom. Slaves who succumbed to a dictator weren''t worthy of speaking to them.


    "I won''t allow you!"


    Indeed, Rhode''s attitude had aggravated the mercenary and he gritted his teeth fumingly. The mercenary had imagined himself grabbing the ''beautiful young lady'' by her arm and locking her up in his strong arms. Hmph, let''s see if this delicate little chick will still dare to reveal such a proud expression!


    However, the mercenary launched forward and he failed to grab the young lady''s slim, fragile arm as he had expected. Instead, he felt a sudden breeze and he caught a handful of air. The ''beautiful young lady'' had darted through the opening between them and arrived before them!


    How did she do it?


    The two mercenaries were dumbstruck. Shortly after, the other mercenaries rushed over and surrounded Rhode completely. "There''s nothing interesting to see there, Miss. I think you''d better stay put and Carter will send you two off soon, understand?"


    "Oh?" Rhode''s expression was still as calm as ever. He rolled his eyes and revealed a mocking smile. "I didn''t expect everyone to be this nervous. It seems that you''re all afraid that someone else will know that you''ve unlocked the seal here��"


    "You��!" The mercenaries glared at Rhode anxiously.


    How did this woman know about it�� Damn it. Did she realize? How is this possible? Shouldn''t we be the only ones who know about it?


    What should we do?


    The mercenaries turned to their leader in unison and their leader gazed at Rhode silently, grinding his teeth. They hated to slaughter the innocent. But since this woman apparently knew their secret�� No matter what, they had to capture her!


    A trace of murderous intent glinted in his eyes. Then, he ambiguously gestured to his men.


    Attack!

 Chapter 544 That Man II

    Attack!


    The mercenaries surrounding Rhode lurched forward with their bare hands. This young lady has been completely trapped and she has nowhere to escape!


    In fact, just as the mercenaries had expected, Rhode didn''t move at all. He allowed them to grab his arms and shoulders. Afterward, Rhode revealed an even wider smile. "It seems that I''m right. Who exactly are you people? Why are you here to unlock the seal? Can anyone give me an acceptable answer?"


    "It has nothing to do with you, Miss. We won''t give you a hard time if you listen to us��"


    The mercenary leader displayed a disdainful smile. After all, there wouldn''t be any more trouble after subduing this young lady. At this moment, he discovered that something was off with the mercenaries beside ''Miss Seren''.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "L-Leader, this woman ��!"


    It was no wonder that they were so terrified. They sensed a powerful aura emanating from her body and her slim arms let off an iron pincers-like overwhelming pressure.


    "Waa!"


    Powerful streams of air exploded from Rhode''s feet and the mercenaries were blown away instantly like garbage fluttering in a gale. Rhode stood on the same spot and maintained his smile. He lifted his right arm and cupped over his mouth like an elegant young lady. "I won''t force you since you are unwilling to tell me. But�� It seems that this seal hasn''t been fully unlocked. Would you like me to give you a helping hand?"


    Rhode dashed at lightning speed toward the stalactite pillar and the mercenary leader became ashen-faced. He stood up hurriedly and yelled frantically. "Stop her!"


    He''s too slow!


    Rhode spotted a complex and elaborate magical device on the peak of the towering stalactite pillar. It looked like a disk decorated with mysterious, complicated patterns and its edge was embedded with gems. Rhode recognized it immediately.


    The Talisman Mirror.


    He finally knew how the Howard Trade Association managed to control the Earth Elemental Spirit''s powers. The Talisman Mirror could suppress the disorderly powers to a certain extent. In the hands of a Mage, it could turn into a magical device to control a summoned presence. Although a powerful Elemental Lord like the Earth Elemental Spirit couldn''t be easily controlled, its self-consciousness was still sealed and it wouldn''t be too challenging for a being with magical knowledge and familiarity with the magical device to indirectly control it.


    Someone actually thought of this method.


    Rhode let out a snort at this thought. However, this Talisman Mirror had no value to him and its only purpose was to be destroyed by him!


    The mercenary leader was closing in. Rhode tiptoed and sprung to the top unhesitantly. At the same time, he retrieved Gracier from his pocket and struck toward the Talisman Mirror.


    Clang! Suddenly, a sword flickering in ice-cold radiance deflected Rhode''s dagger. Not only that, but Rhode also felt an immense cold air blow against his face and the surrounding temperature seemed to have dropped tremendously. Rhode landed on the ground steadily before darting ahead once more while the enemy also bolted forward. His shimmering sword was bursting with icy-cold air from its blade.


    Bam! Their blades collided and Rhode landed on the ground gracefully, maintaining the beautiful smile on his face. He flicked off the thin layer of ice crystals on Gracier and faced a man that had emerged out of nowhere.


    The man was about the same age as Rhode, clad in black, compact Swordsman''s armor. His light maroon short hair and deep blue eyes indicated that he was born in the Tost region of the Country of Light. He held an azure sword, gazing solemnly at Rhode.


    "Sir!"


    It was apparent that this man held a high reputation among the mercenaries. The mercenaries heaved sighs of relief and came forward rapidly to surround Rhode once again. But this time, the mercenaries unsheathed their weapons and scrutinized Rhode sternly. It seemed that they had recognized Rhode''s strength and they treated him seriously now.


    "She��"


    "Back off, all of you aren''t her match." The man interrupted the mercenary leader''s words. He raised his sword and gazed at Rhode with a dignified expression. He knitted his brows and scanned him from head to toe. "Who are you, Miss?"


    "I''ve already said my name. I don''t think I need to say it once more." Rhode said calmly and swept at glance at his azure sword: Neptune''s Sigh, an incredibly powerful magical weapon equipped with pure Water Elemental powers and possessed a certain probability of freezing and decreasing the enemies'' speed. It was also a decent weapon that complimented large AOE skills, but�� Shouldn''t the Neptune''s Sigh be asleep in the Fountain of Silence in Bodomir? Why is it here?


    If this were in the past, Rhode would have come up with ways to get his hands on that sword. But now, he had no need for it. After all, he had obtained Gracier, Madaras, Star Mark, and Succubus, the four weapons with different attributes in the Holy Sword Card Deck. Moreover, these weapons of various attributes could develop to become even stronger. As a Spirit Swordsman, Rhode was more efficient at switching weapons than most swordsmen. Compared to the high-tier weapons that possessed magical and physical immunity and holy, curse attributes, the Neptune''s Sigh was nothing valuable in his eyes.


    Instead, this man is�� rather strange.


    The man seemed to be about level 35 and was slightly weaker than Rhode. However, with the stat boost from the Neptune''s Sigh, this man wasn''t totally harmless. In order to maintain Rhode''s disguise, he had to refrain from summoning his spirits to avoid suspicion. It would be a huge failure if he were exposed. He didn''t shamelessly wear a dress just for others to expose him.


    The outcome of this battle would be difficult to determine if Rhode had to face him using swordsmanship only. He sensed from the earlier encounter that the man was a pure Swordsman and his swordsmanship was naturally buffed by his class. Rhode didn''t use his core ''Shadow Dance Swordsmanship'' and surprisingly, he realized that the man was evenly matched with him�� Rhode twitched his brows at this thought.


    The swordsmanship level -1 punishment for the Spirit Swordsman seemed like such a headache at this point in time.


    But Rhode believed that this was nothing significant. "I''m not sure if I''m honored enough to know your name, Sir? From your appearance, I don''t think you''re a miner hired by the Howard Trade Association, right?"


    "��" The man remained in silence. Then, he shook his head. "You don''t have to know who I am, Miss. You also don''t need to know what we''re doing here. I know who you are�� Miran Seren of the Seren Trade Association in the Country of Light. Now, I hope you can turn around and leave this place. If you do that, I will promise to send both of you safely to the surface. Not only that, but you will also receive my respect and friendship."


    "Funny. A man who doesn''t dare to say his name actually wants to talk about a promise?" Rhode squinted. "What if I''m unwilling to comply with your request?"


    "I''m sorry. If you insist, we will��"


    Rhode dashed to the side swiftly and an azure lightning cage that emerged out of thin air landed on Rhode''s previous position. The man widened his eyes in shock. He didn''t expect that this young lady had detected his trap!


    "It seems that I don''t have to trust your promise anymore, Sir."


    In fact, Rhode knew that a Mage was hidden in the darkness as soon as he spotted the Talisman Mirror. There wasn''t a single Mage among the mercenaries and now that this man was a Swordsman, Rhode could confirm that a Mage was lurking in the shadows and waiting to strike. In this outnumbered battle, it was obviously more advantageous for the Mage to cast a weakening spell on him than to cast a large-scale attack spell that might implicate its own people. Rhode chuckled and his glorious dagger once again flew into his hand like a butterfly. Spiritual blade rays erupted and burst out into a dazzling array of starlight.


    "This is��!" The man bit his lips tightly.


    He bellowed and darted forward with his brandished sword. In an instant, the omnipresent azure, icy-cold air gushed toward Rhode''s glaring starlight that had filled the entire space.


    A waterfall-like spiritual blade radiance smashed into the vast sky full of stars. Sharp, explosive blade airstreams burst apart, scarring the thick rock walls, and the shattered fragments of the magical crystal ores fluttered in the engulfment, cutting their fragile skin. The mercenaries ran off to avoid this ferocious collision.


    The brutal ocean overwhelmed the twinkling stars and Rhode''s blade rays vanished within. Then, the man revealed a delightful smirk. He bolted forward and brandished the dazzling azure sword in his hand! "Heyah!"


    Along with his roars, the bracelet around his wrist emanated brilliantly in gold and shrouded him instantly. In the blink of an eye, his movement speed increased abruptly. His sword engulfed with the blade airstream smashed Rhode''s defense and forced him to the rock wall helplessly.


    A victorious smile unrolled on the man''s face. But it lasted only for a second.


    He realized that the defenseless ''Miss Seren'' wasn''t panicking at all. Instead, she maintained her smile and took half a step back. She blended right into the shadows.


    What��?!


    The azure sword had struck into the rock wall and the immense spiritual powers smashed a meter-long hole. But there was no joy on his face. Because there was no one before him. He turned around urgently.


    "Ah��!"


    At this moment, he heard a young lady''s scream.


    I found you!


    Rhode sprung out from the shadow with Madaras in hand, pouncing on the young lady before him. She was an Elf Mage, wearing a white Mage robe that was lined with golden edges and holding a staff with three Ioun Stones hovering above. Her thin, long ears revealed that she was of an Elf identity. Madaras emanated a trail of vicious blade rays toward her neck.


    But as the razor-sharp edge was only inches away from her, Rhode couldn''t push forward any farther as though he had struck a tough, yet soft object that forced him back.


    Tch. I failed!


    Rhode quibbled inwardly. He was betting that luck was on his side to trigger Madaras''s 15% magical immunity and assassinate her entirely. But now, the Elf Mage cast a meddlesome defense spell after the ambush had failed.


    Rhode backed off quickly and hurtled his left hand across the wall, splashing a harmless burst of sand and stone at the Elf Mage''s face to fluster her.


    However, she was much calmer and quicker than he had imagined. She raised her staff and chanted two curse lines, launching a dozen wind blades at him.


    At the same time, an icy-cold stream of air blew against Rhode''s back. "Get away from her!"


    The man darted forward, brandishing his sword at Rhode. Sharp blade rays erupted from his azure sword and sealed Rhode''s way of retreat.


    Interesting. But this isn''t enough.


    Caught in the double-team of wind blades and spiritual blade rays, the smile on Rhode''s face remained unchanged. He lifted his skirt with his left hand elegantly, dodging to the side, and sliding into the shadow like a young lady in a ballroom.


    Boom! The wind blades and spiritual blade rays crashed and Rhode had gotten away scot-free.


    "Damn it. She got away again. I never thought that she could�� Cheryl. Are you alright?!" the man said.


    "I''m fine. Be careful, she may still be nearb-��" Elf Mage scanned the surroundings and her expression froze abruptly. "No!"


    "You''re too late."


    Rhode dove from the shadow on the ceiling, but this time, he wasn''t brandishing his dagger at them. Instead, he aimed for the magical device!


    "Sh*t!" The man leaped up hurriedly to defend the device with his sword.


    But he was one step behind.


    Madaras pierced the Talisman Mirror without any resistance and the expensive magical equipment shattered into bits before them. Rhode withdrew his sword and somersaulted in the air before landing on the ground. He turned his attention to them, revealing a gentle, graceful smile.


    "I shall take my leave. Please continue to enjoy your time here," Rhode lifted his skirt and bowed girlishly. In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the darkness within the tunnel.


    "Chase her. Don''t let her get away�� Damn it. What should we do without the Talisman Mirror��"


    "Oh no!" The Elf Mage shrieked in horror.


    The man turned around and he froze to the spot entirely.


    Cracks spread on the smooth, flat surface of the gigantic stalactite pillar. At the same time, the ground started shaking violently.


    "T-This is��"


    The man was scared stiff because he knew what this meant. This wasn''t simply just a failure.


    "How is this possible?! How did she do it!!"

 Chapter 545 That Man III

    Cracks like a dense spider web spread wildly on the entire surface of the stalactite pillar. The ground shook, raising sand and dust violently. The man stared blankly at the seal before him. He couldn''t understand how the seal got destroyed that easily. Serving as a peg for the Earth Elemental Spirit, the sealing spell had spread throughout the entire solid stalactite pillar. Even if that woman had struck its surface, it shouldn''t be this devastating!


    "This��"


    "What are you doing? The seal has been unlocked and that monster is about to awaken. Let''s go!" The Elf Mage lurched forward and grabbed his arm. The man came back to his senses and nodded hurriedly. He turned around and ordered the mercenaries. "Mission has failed. Retreat immediately!"


    The growling trembles were as though rough, surging waves in the ocean. Rhode darted through the tunnel with a smirk. The man couldn''t understand how Rhode destroyed the seal. However, Rhode didn''t simply rely on blind luck. Just like the man had thought, the stalactite pillar itself was a massive seal and cracking part of it wouldn''t release the Earth Elemental Spirit. And yet, the weapon on Rhode''s hand had actually dealt a fatal blow.


    Madaras��15% magical immunity was the main culprit of this seal unlock.


    Of course. Rhode couldn''t ensure that he would succeed in a single attempt. But he could increase the probability of triggering it. The stalactite pillar acted as a peg for the seal where the sealing spell was ever-present, flowing, and suppressing the Earth Elemental Spirit''s powers within it. Madaras was a magical weapon and when Rhode punctured it into the pillar, it inevitably entered the system of the sealing spell. In other words, the magical flow in the pillar had been disrupted ever since Madaras had pierced into it. Under such circumstances, there wasn''t an issue with the probability in triggering the magical immunity anymore.


    After Madaras''s magical immunity took effect, it instantly disrupted the effects of the sealing spell as though a stone got stuck in an operating machine. Even if it was for an instant, it was enough for it to crumble completely.


    Ordinary magical weapons wouldn''t affect the stalactite pillar at all. However, Madaras was as deadly and lethal as poison. If Rhode didn''t have this weapon, perhaps it would be extremely challenging to unlock the seal using such a brutal method��


    Boom!


    A boulder fell from the ceiling and Rhode stepped aside to dodge it swiftly. He lifted his head and squinted at the dusky tunnel ahead. He laid his hands before him and two daggers flew out from his skirt, radiating icy-cold brilliance. The sharp, beaming spiritual blade rays sliced through the extremely fragile tunnel and gravel flooded down abruptly.


    Cough cough. Rhode turned around and the entire tunnel had been blocked. It seemed that it indeed had somewhat troublesome consequences for handling the stalactite pillar too roughly. Although he wished to slip away immediately, he had something else that he needed to attend to��


    "��!"


    The violent trembles forced Emily off-balance and she slammed onto the rock wall. But even so, she grunted and scanned the surroundings in distress. She didn''t know what had happened and the horrifying memories from before came back to haunt her. Could it be that the underground monsters have attacked this mine too? Uncle Carter said that he will leave with Miss Seren and I. Why haven''t I seen her yet? Could it be�� Miss Seren is in some kind of trouble?


    Suddenly, a strange-looking shadow darted before her eyes and the two mercenaries standing guard around Emily collapsed to the ground. "Miss Seren?!"


    "Miss Emily, I''m so glad that you''re doing fine." Rhode emerged, filthy from his head to toes. Not only that, the cloak over his shoulders was tattered by the falling rocks in the tunnel. Although Rhode was a formidable person, he wasn''t totally invincible in avoiding them.


    "Miss Seren? What happened to you?"


    "Now isn''t the time to catch up, Miss Emily," Rhode grabbed Emily''s hand. "We have to leave here right away. The people that we met summoned the monsters and created the earthquakes. They''re trying to unlock the seal and summon an even bigger and scarier monster!"


    "Huh?!" exclaimed Emily.


    In fact, Emily had indeed suspected this possibility when she first detected Carter''s peculiar behavior. However, she didn''t believe that both families would have a hatred so deep that the Howard Family had to resort to this, and she chose to think that this was probably an accident. But now, Rhode''s words had smashed her foolish thoughts. "Is this true, Miss Seren?"


    "Yes, I felt a little dubious when we first met them. While that man led you away, I sneaked away and investigated the place. I discovered evidence that they''ve manipulated the monsters and they''re unlocking the seal to an even more powerful monster. Those people realized my actions and tried to capture me, but I managed to escape�� I don''t know what exactly is that seal, but it seems best for us to leave here as soon as possible!"


    "Okay!" Emily nodded with all her might. But suddenly, the situation took a strange turn.


    "��!"


    The deep, continuous rumbles stopped abruptly and the entire underground returned to its original silence. It felt so surreal as though what had been happening was just a dream and an illusion. Emily stamped her foot to feel the flat, solid ground.


    But this wasn''t the end.


    The air became thicker and they faced some difficulties in breathing.


    A heavy, unprecedented pressure expanded slowly.


    "Go! Miss Emily!" Rhode gripped Emily''s hand and both of them darted along the gradual slope.


    "��!"


    That damn monster is about to be awakened.


    Sensing the immense elemental powers from behind his back, the man darted rigidly with his sword and torch while the Elf Mage and mercenaries followed closely. The presence that had lost its restriction was slowly opening its eyes.


    "Faster. Everyone follow closely. We must leave this place." The man turned back to face the crowd behind him. He bit his lips and a trace of anger and remorse revealed on his face. Why? Why did it fail? Everything has gone according to plan. If it wasn''t for that mysterious woman, I wouldn''t have fallen to this pathetic state.


    The Earth Elemental Spirit was about to be awakened and it would massacre every single life form in the underground. His strength was still far from matching up with this powerful presence.


    "Sir! In front��!"


    A startled scream dragged the man back to reality. He waved the torch before him and his expression turned ashen instantly. The tunnel had been completely buried in gravel.


    "This��" The Elf Mage tugged the man''s sleeve anxiously and looked on with a pale expression. The man turned around with a hesitant expression. He gaped, and��


    "��"


    There wasn''t any wind, but the torch extinguished abruptly. Then, darkness filled the entire tunnel.


    The Elf Mage said with a shaky voice. "�� Earth Elemental Spirit�� has awakened��"


    A sharp sound of wind sounded behind them.


    Rhode carried Emily in his arms and rolled forward, crashing into the ground heavily. The frantic wind merely brushed them. The warm, beautiful sun shone on them, reminding them of how much they had missed it. Rhode heaved a sigh of relief and stood to his feet. He gazed into the deep, pitch-black tunnel from its entrance. Although there were no strange occurrences, Rhode knew that the underground world had become an entirely different place.


    The Earth Elemental Spirit had been fully awakened and his mission was accomplished. No matter what happened next would have nothing to do with him�� Come to think of it, who exactly were those people? Judging from their appearance, they should be from the Country of Light. But why did they come here to threaten the Howard Family? It''s a pity that I need to rush off without socializing with them. Anyway�� Whether they''re alive or not has nothing to do with me anymore.


    Rhode turned to face Emily with a warm smile and extended his arm. "Are you okay, Miss Emily? Let''s go back to the city."


    The forest was in complete silence.


    An array of green light rays projected from the underground. Shortly after, a dozen magical markings swiftly arranged and assembled into a tiny ritual circle on the ground. Then, two exhausted figure emerged from within and collapsed to the ground.


    "Haa�� Haa��"


    The pale-faced Elf Mage panted, holding onto her dim staff and kneeling on the ground. The man in black swordsman armor beside her gritted his teeth and pushed his clenched fists on the ground. He glared with bloodshot eyes and an unprecedented wrath and pain emerged between his brows.


    "Damn�� Why has it become like this�� Uncle Raul has��"


    "Sir, please�� don''t blame yourself��"


    The Elf Mage forced herself to her feet and tottered to the man. She pressed on his shoulder and consoled softly. "It isn''t your fault, Sir�� My teleportation can only transport two people. And Uncle Raul and the guys are willing to stay in there��"


    "I know!" The man bellowed.


    His arms trembled as he clenched his fists tightly. He couldn''t forget that scene. In the darkness, countless Earth Elemental creatures attacked them and they were convinced that the horrifying underground world would be their deathbeds. However, Uncle Raul gave up his hopes of survival and led his men to fend off the creatures in order to buy time for both of them to escape using teleportation. The cruel image of his close companions devoured and ripped apart by the monsters before him was permanently imprinted in his mind.


    "I know�� But�� This is all my fault. If only I didn''t seize the chance to manipulate the Earth Elemental Spirit that was sealed peacefully underneath, then maybe things wouldn''t end up this way!"


    "��" The Elf Mage revealed a hesitant look and sighed slightly. Both of them stood in the dusky, silent forest without speaking a word.


    The day had approached its end, and the man let out a deep, long sigh. "I''m sorry, Cheryl. I didn''t mean to vent my frustrations on you. I feel that�� I''m too useless."


    "Do you regret it, Sir?"


    "No�� I know what you''re trying to say. Thank you, Cheryl. I just lost my self-control at the moment, I''m sorry��"


    The man said that and he realized that he had been leaning on the Elf Mage closely. A blush smeared across his face and he drew a distance between them hurriedly. "S-Sorry, Cheryl. I didn''t do it on purpose��"


    "Ah. It''s okay, Sir. I don''t mind."


    The Elf Mage let out a bitter laugh as she gazed at the bewildered man with a trace of disappointment revealing in her eyes. However, the man didn''t realize his companion''s strange behaviors. Instead, he remained silent for a few moments and turned toward the range of hills with knitted brows.


    "�� Cheryl. That woman who has spoiled our plans. Do you know anything about her?"


    "�� You''re referring to�� Miss Miranda Seren? I''m sorry, Sir, I''m not familiar with her. The Seren Trade Association isn''t considered a powerful financial group in the Country of Light�� But, I think that she isn''t just an ordinary merchant�� If she indeed came from the Country of Light, perhaps Dante has some information��"


    "�� You''re saying that she may be a lackey of the financial groups?"


    "�� Sorry, Sir. This is only my guess��"


    "You don''t have to apologize, Cheryl. No matter what her true identity is, I will not let this matter end just like this. I don''t know what she wants exactly. But it''s fairly obvious that she isn''t standing on our side�� We have to hurry back to the town of Fiat, so we have a chance to seek revenge on her!" The man swung his fist with all his might. He looked on with a determined expression and burning wrath glinted in his eyes. "I will not let this matter off! Uncle Raul and the guys shall not die in vain. No matter who she is, she will pay the price!"

 Chapter 546 That Man IV

    The sun had set when Rhode and Emily returned to the town of Fiat, which was in complete chaos. The Edward Trade Association had temporarily stopped their operations as they disputed over rescuing Emily and ''Miss Seren'' or not. Before they reached a decision, the people involved had returned and since that was the case�� their disputes naturally ceased.


    Emily dragged every member into the conference hall straightaway and they discussed the future of the Trade Association''s operations. After all, she was the Chairman''s daughter and held the right of inheritance. The others were eyeing her position when she wasn''t around, but the situation had developed in another direction before they had an opportunity.


    This was a new beginning for Emily, but everything had ended for Rhode. After the Earth Elemental Spirit had been awakened, there was nothing else left for Rhode to accomplish in Fiat. It didn''t matter if these people were capable of defeating the Earth Elemental Spirit because the ore productions in the Fiat region had been shut down completely. The next goal for Rhode was to return to the front line and lead his men against the Reformist Party. After losing Grosso and Fiat in a row, the Reformist Party would surely be desperate to replenish their losses by invading Paphield. If they missed this chance to strengthen their forces and deal a final blow, they knew that their logistic reinforcements would be doomed after the foodstuff reserves ran out.


    Currently, the troops that the Reformist Party could mobilize were truly devoted to them. Once Rhode wiped out their troops completely, the Reformist Party would be nothing more than a bunch of old farts. Did they really think that they could still sit around a round table comfortably and defeat their enemies without doing anything?


    Rhode had no doubt about the degree of violence to the Reformist Party''s counterattack. The last time when the Reformist Party ''plotted a rebellion'', they were suppressed by Lydia in a bloodbath, and this time, they were openly rebellious. According to the consistent behavior of the Archangel, Rhode could imagine a scene of thousand corpses hanging on rows of street lamps if their army was annihilated. With that many people setting up sky lanterns�� it would surely be a spectacular view. This was why the Reformist Party had to strive for their own lives to avoid landing in such a miserable ending.


    Of course. Rhode refused to believe that they hadn''t prepared a way of escape. The Southern Port''s commercial trading network wasn''t simply for transporting wealth. Instead, it could be used as a means to escape. Those mice who stood before their people and to reform, rebel against despotic rule, and overthrow the dictator would definitely slip away faster than rabbits. They would board the ships and leave the Munn Kingdom directly from the Southern Port, entering the Country of Light through the ''Golden Coast'' and continue to live their lives there. Anyway, once they were protected by the Country of Light Parliament, Lydia naturally couldn''t deal with them anymore.


    This was the problem Rhode needed to consider after returning to the front lines in Paphield. Currently, there weren''t any missions that required him to personally take up. Gillian occasionally reported to him regarding Lize''s progress and it was apparent that Lize worked hard, but she was yielding minimal results. After all, her capabilities and attitude couldn''t match up to Marlene''s. However, Rhode had no intentions of making Lize into a second Marlene because Lize was Lize and just like in the game, every player had their own unique PVP style. Some styles were indecent while some were ferocious. Some chose to battle head-on while others chose to ambush. Even the same kind of tactics could be performed differently by players. Rhode didn''t wish for Lize to become another Marlene. However, he couldn''t allow her to drift aimlessly. The battles ahead would become tougher and more challenging. He hoped that his men would be able to unleash their true potential. This wasn''t solely for him. It was more for themselves. Rhode wouldn''t impose this onLize if she lacked the capability. But the young lady clearly had sharp observation skills and was thoroughly meticulous. The only issue she had now was her timid and hesitant attitude. Although these factors didn''t seem necessary in battle, Rhode knew that if she didn''t overcome her weakness, it would most probably cause her death in the future.


    Coincidentally, Rhode was informed by Gillian that the enemies were about to launch their attacks. This would be a great opportunity for her to learn through experience. I shall see what Lize is capable of��


    Rhode thought to himself and came to a stop. He opened his room door and spotted a person whom he was surprised to meet.


    "Master, are you okay?"


    Celia, who had been waiting anxiously by the window, approached him and asked softly. Instead of answering her questions immediately, he turned curiously to the black-haired young lady folding her arms and leaning against the wall. She was glaring at him furiously.


    "You see, Celia. I told you that a person like him wouldn''t die that easily because only good Samaritans die early in this world�� Hmph. Does he look like a fella who has a short life? How boring. You''re satisfied now, aren''t ya? Hmph!" Celestina let out a snort of disgust and walked toward the door. When she was about to step out of the room, Rhode extended his arm and stopped her, to which Celestina revealed a rare, panicky look. She glanced at Celia swiftly and calmed herself down. Then, she knitted her brows and lifted her chin proudly. "Why? Is anything the matter, Master?"


    "Of course, Celestina," Rhode revealed a delightful smile. He sensed Celestina''s stiff body and her stubborn, yet unusual tone. It was obvious that the memories from last night were still clouding her mind. After being ''tormented'' for the whole night, Rhode would be too useless as a man if he didn''t leave a single impression in her mind.


    Rhode lifted his head and gazed at Celestina fearlessly. "My clothes are ruined from struggling in the damn unlucky mine. Celestina, as my maid, aren''t you supposed to change my clothes for me?"


    "Huh?!" Celestina widened her eyes in bewilderment and glared at Rhode. "What are you talking about. Why must I��"


    Before Celestina completed her sentence, Rhode casually extended his right hand and made a rubbing gesture. Celestina''s words got stuck at her throat abruptly as though an invisible hand grabbed onto her neck. She narrowed her gleaming scarlet eyes and gritted her teeth tightly.


    Celia shifted her attention between the two of them curiously. She detected that Celestina was feeling inferior before Rhode, but she couldn''t understand how Rhode did that. Her elder sister had always been a proud person who never lowered her head to anyone. Why would she react this way before Master? Besides�� For unknown reasons, Celia sensed that Celestina was rather frightened of Rhode.


    "Celia," Rhode''s voice interrupted her thoughts.


    The Battle Angel looked over hurriedly. "Yes, Master. What''s the matter?"


    "Can I trouble you to bring me some food and water? I''m starving to death."


    "Ah. Sure, no problem."


    Celia was much more obedient than her elder sister. She didn''t raise a single doubt at Rhode''s intentions and she left the room after nodding in agreement. The room door closed and Rhode looked playfully at Celestina. The Demon young lady took a step back subconsciously and folded her arms around her chest. She bit her lips and looked at him like a frightened kitten.


    "What are you trying to do?"


    "What? I''ve said it clear enough, Celestina. Change my clothes. Get my clean clothes here. That black set."


    "�� Hmph!!"


    Perhaps sensing that her behavior appeared somewhat cowardly, Celestina stamped her foot and stormed off. Rhode twitched his brows. This is interesting. So, so interesting�� Although Celestina said nothing, Rhode had gotten his answer entirely based on her behavior. It seemed that his ''operation'' last night was really successful.


    The changing of clothes was a painful matter for Rhode. There were two meanings to this pain. Firstly, the pain from the clothes themselves. Since Rhode''s disguise was a business family''s daughter, he couldn''t possibly wear plain-looking clothes on the streets. But those luxurious costumes weren''t easy to put on either. It would be a torturous session every time he changed his clothes. Not only did he need to keep the troublesome apparel neat, but he also needed to ensure that he didn''t expose himself. Even though he had a female face and ''slender'' body, it didn''t mean that Rhode could disguise himself completely as a woman. He didn''t have breasts��


    Secondly, it was the psychological pain. Although he behaved exactly like a gentle and cultivated young lady, it didn''t mean that he would be willing to wear a dress. In fact, he felt as though he was personally putting scalding iron plates on himself every time he wore a dress. It was as uncomfortable as it could get.


    However, these were small issues compared to the bigger picture. Although the mission had been accomplished and he couldn''t wait to leave this place, he had decided to stick around for a while more. After all, he had to see for himself how the situation would come to a full close.


    When Rhode changed his clothes, Celestina stared silently and she didn''t mock him like she usually did. This was really rare to see in Celestina. Her sulking expression was as though someone owed her a huge sum of money. Rhode couldn''t read her mind, but at least this young lady was much more obedient than before�� Yes, at least this is how it seems on the surface.


    "?"


    At this moment, Celestina''s expression changed slightly. Her scarlet pupils focused their attention on Rhode''s body. Rhode had changed into his clothes. Although he wished that he could take a warm shower first, he didn''t have the chance with the current situation.


    Knock knock knock.


    Celia entered the room with a tray of food and drinks. But this time, she presented a stern expression. "Master, we have trouble."


    "Oh? What is it?" Rhode pressed the creases around the collar and adjusted the bow tie neatly.


    "I heard some commotion by the entrance. The visitors were insisting that the Edward Trade Association has to be responsible for the accident in the underground mine."


    "Oh?" Rhode paused his movements. "What about now?"


    "I saw Miss Emily lead a few men to handle the situation," said Celia.


    "Sounds fun," Rhode narrowed his eyes. Celia and Celestina witnessed the smile that they were most familiar with: the brilliant, chilly, yet dangerous smile. "Let''s go check it out, Celia."


    "Yes, Master."


    Emily stood fumingly on the plaza outside the Edward Trade Association, clenching her fists and glaring at the group of people before her. They were the members of the Howard Trade Association.


    "Mr. Howard. You claimed that our Edward Trade Association was behind all this? You are slandering us! We have never done such a thing and we would never do it. Instead, isn''t the Howard Trade Association the ones behind it? I''ve seen it for myself that you''ve hired mercenaries into the underground mine�� How is it possible that your Trade Association would send mercenaries to mine ores?"


    "This is only your one-sided statement, Miss Emily," the elderly man said without any signs of anger. "Your accusations aren''t enough to explain that this is the doing of our Howard Trade Association. Besides, the underground is full of monsters now and our mining work has been hindered��"


    "That goes for us too, old bastard. Our Edward Trade Association''s mine has been completely shut down due to the earthquake and we can''t continue our mining operations. Isn''t this the doing of you bastards?"


    Both sides were accusing each other at this point and the Howard Trade Association members burst out in anger.


    "What a load of crap. Why would we do such a despicable thing? It must be you! You joined up with that fella from the Country of Light to conquer the entire mine and wipe us out entirely. Do you really think that we''re not aware of it?!"


    "��"


    Emily was enraged. She had finally returned home and even before she could tidy up her mood, she was swept into this dispute. The merchants who were longing for the chairman position tried to gain benefits through her. Her father had just passed on and his death didn''t seem important to them at all. And now, she had to stand here and wrangle with people of the Howard Trade Association about whose fault it was?


    Emily had the urge to rave and rip apart her facade because she had had enough of such a miserable life. Father has died in the mine accident and these culprits actually have the cheek to point their fingers at me? They even tried to kill me?! She couldn''t hold it in anymore. She took big strides forward, but, before she said anything, a crisp, gentle voice sounded and muted the rowdy crowd instantly.


    "What an interesting accusation. You said that the Edward Trade Association and I have awakened the underground monster and even tried to capture the entire mine. Is there any evidence to your claims?"

 Chapter 547 That Man V

    Emily turned to the voice of support and saw ''Miss Seren'' emerging from the crowd haughtily with her two maids. Everything seemed as per usual. But�� Emily sensed that something was off.


    There was something different from this ''Miss Seren''.


    When they first met, Emily felt that ''Miss Seren'' was knowledgeable and outspoken, which all merchants must be. Otherwise, how did one expect their business to be successful if the customers didn''t like the words that one says?


    Back then, Emily had always felt at ease being around ''Miss Seren''. But now, ''Miss Seren''s'' sweet-tempered personality had suddenly become cunning, tough, and overbearing. Emily realized that this was the arrogance of the Country of Light people. When they were escaping to the surface, Emily felt safe being with ''Miss Seren'' and she didn''t feel vexed no matter the predicament. To her, everything would be fine with ''Miss Seren'' taking charge.


    But now, Emily couldn''t feel the sense of security from ''Miss Seren'' anymore. Instead, all Emily felt were the slyness and arrogance from her as though she were a dangerous person.


    It was indescribable by words. Emily felt as if the solid ground beneath her feet had transformed into a frozen lake with cracks spreading wildly on its surface. It was as though if she moved an inch, the frozen lake would crumble entirely and she would be completely devoured by the bone-piercing, cold river.


    ''Miss Seren'' walked at a slow pace and Emily could see the shapeless ''ice'' rippling in her every step and shrouding the entire plaza. Even though it was a stifling hot night, Emily felt chills all over her body. The bone-piercing chills struck her spine like an upward flowing lightning bolt. There was an instant when she wished to return to the Trade Association and cover herself in the fur clothing that was pressed underneath the chests and drink a cup of warm red tea to dispel this torturous chilliness.


    The Howard Trade Association members stopped cursing in rage. Their hearts pounded violently and they stared at the ''woman'' fixedly with pale expressions like the blizzard of the North was blustering and engulfing them entirely. They could even feel the snow accumulating around their feet and every inch of their bodies was frozen to the spot.


    "As merchants, empty promises are undesirable. No matter how extravagant you describe your merchandise to your customers, your customers should at least see, touch, and obtain the value of it. Only swindlers behave in this manner. Why don''t we take a look at the merchandise since everyone has been hard-selling it?"


    Rhode elegantly approached the pale-faced elderly man. Beads of sweat filled his forehead and his breathing hastened. That''s right. No matter how ingenious his trickery in business was, he was ultimately an ordinary human who inevitably couldn''t withstand the aura that Rhode had released.


    But Rhode had no intentions of going easy on him even though the elderly man was struggling. He expanded a folding fan and concealed his smile while glaring at everyone coldly. Although the Howard Family was a rare supporter of the King''s Party from the South, Rhode wouldn''t change his attitude toward them because they were unimportant.


    Even though Marlene, Amund, and the Southern noble merchants believed that Rhode was devoted to the King''s Party, that actually wasn''t the truth. After all, Rhode was only a player before he came to this world and in the game, the fall of Munn Kingdom wouldn''t affect his real life at all. Due to this reason, Rhode''s main purpose in the game was to enjoy completing missions, receive EXP, grain gold and reputation, craft rare weapons, climb the ranks, dominate the arena, establish his guild, own and expand his territory, and rule the world. This was the attitude of a player and at most, they would pay close attention to the invasion of their country or prepare to attack neighboring countries and lead the PVP team battles and guild missions, etc��


    Rhode was unconcerned about the political system, financial budget, and the rights of people''s livelihood that the politicians and nobles around the round table discuss. The reason why he chose to protect the Munn Kingdom after the war was fairly simple. He was born in the Munn Kingdom and Lydia had bestowed generous rewards to him. Moreover, she was a charming and beautiful young lady, which was the main reason for the players.


    After the Munn Kingdom had fallen, Rhode fought to the end with the other players. One reason was for him to vent his frustrations that his territory had been destroyed while the other reason was to seek revenge for the sassy young lady. As for the other members of the King''s Party�� they weren''t within considerations at all.


    Players were a presence without any moral principles. As long as the girl was adorable enough, they wouldn''t care if she was evil or righteous. In one of the expansion packs of the game, Rhode led his team into Hell and accepted several missions to massacre and pillage civilians on the surface. Their main motive was for the rare, luxurious mission rewards and because the Succubus queen was beautiful enough��


    A game, after all, was only a game. Players would stop at nothing to gain more strength. They wouldn''t rather die than to submit like the Holy Knights who persisted in their beliefs. As long as the players could exploit and receive great benefits, they would do anything to achieve them because that wasn''t a world they lived in. They didn''t have any kin and those who died weren''t their blood-related siblings or the neighbors and friends who they often meet. It wasn''t because of guilty conscience that they didn''t betray the NPCs. Instead, they were afraid of losing reputation and the benefits from the NPCs.


    Perhaps they might make some evil decisions in the face of temptation, but this was mostly irrelevant to conscience, morality, and even attitude.


    Even though Rhode had left the game and came to this real world, his nature hadn''t changed too much. He continued to disregard the political ideas and beliefs. Since he first came to the Munn Kingdom in this world and Lydia was the only one who could stabilize the Munn Kingdom and provide a peaceful environment, he would naturally support her. But this support was only given to Lydia and not the King''s Party. Even if the King''s Party fell out with Lydia, he would still trust Lydia only and not the entire King''s Party.


    As for the Reformist Party�� Rhode had never believed that they would provide him with sufficient trust and support. Furthermore, he had no intentions of begging those who he had once defeated before.


    This was why Rhode was merciless against the pale-faced elderly man and he even wished to strike a fatal blow right now�� He wasn''t here to go on a scenic tour.


    "I''m Miranda Seren of the Seren Trade Association from the Country of Light. All of you should be members of the Howard Trade Association, right? Since everyone is accusing the Edward Trade Association and I of creating the underground mess, I suppose you have some clear-cut proof?" Rhode squinted and his expression gloomed. "If you can''t produce any evidence, I shall take it as you''re provoking the dignity and pride of the people of the Country of Light?!"


    "��!"


    Rhode raised his voice and the elderly man trembled abruptly. If it weren''t for his crutch, perhaps his crooked body would have collapsed to the ground.


    (Wow. I didn''t expect Master to be this good in acting.)


    Celia and Celestina, serving as the ''background characters'' behind Rhode, exchanged curious glances with each other and spoke spiritually.


    (Hmph. Look at how excited you''ve become, Celia�� I feel that when he''s truly angry, he''s much more�� Forget it�� It''s nothing.)


    Celia understood what her older sister meant even though she hadn''t completed her sentence. Indeed. Even though Rhode seemed furious, they knew that this was just slightly more indifferent from how he usually was. On the contrary, it was the most dangerous and terrifying when Rhode revealed his brilliant smile. Nothing would be his limits, like a nuclear warhead that would explode anything. That was a fear that one could do nothing apart from watching it countdown.


    "��"


    The people of the Country of Light were known for their arrogance and throwing their weight about. Even the King''s Party knew how terrifying the Country of Light was, not to mention this Southern town. Moreover, the people knew that they couldn''t seek support from the Country of Light in this terrible situation and relying on them was impossible to fight against the North. Even though the Howard Trade Association was a supporter of the King''s Party, they were locally born and bred in Fiat. If they hade the life of merchant from the Country of Light difficult, they might be resented in the future. Even if they didn''t mind, their families and children wouldn''t be able to continue living on this piece of land anymore.


    "I can!" A man let out a thunderous bellow.


    He emerged from the back in big strides and glared at Rhode coldly with eyes emanating flames of rage. An Elf young lady in a Mage robe stood beside him with her hands folded, quietly gazing to the front.


    Who were they praying to survive that��


    Rhode twitched his brows and swept the grounds for the mercenaries who were in the underground with them.


    "May I know who you��" Rhode lifted his chin and looked at the man disdainfully.


    "I didn''t know you had such a poor memory, Miss Seren."


    "I''m sorry, but I really don''t know your name."


    "��"


    Indeed, he didn''t introduce himself when they first met because, back then, the lesser the complications the better for him. But now, the rage in his heart burned stronger after he was provoked by her and especially after he recalled Uncle Raul''s pitiful state before he died. He wished that he could kill her on the spot, but his rationale held him back�� On the other hand, the elderly man who was intimidated by Rhode''s aura came back to his senses. Perhaps witnessing that his reinforcements were here, he retreated behind the man hurriedly. "This is Mr. Andre. He is a student of the ''Thunder Sword'' Sir Soderfast. I think you are aware of who he is, right, Miss Seren?"


    "Oh?"


    Of course, Rhode knew who this ''Thunder Sword''. Even though the Light Parliament had produced a bunch of weak-minded ones, there were also quite a handful of powerful men. However, not all the powerful men would serve the Light Parliament devotedly as that pitiful Mist Sword Saint. The ''Thunder Sword'' Soderfast was one of the eight guardians of the ''Sword Guardians''. He had a strange personality and paid no attention to the affairs of life. But even so, he had a flourishing reputation all around the continent.


    The ''Sword Guardians'' organization was established by the descendants of a country that was destroyed a long time ago. The eight guardians of this organization individually protected the eight weapons left behind by the ancient nation. Rumors said that when eight men qualified for the weapons that appeared, an ancient nation would re-emerge. Of course, this was simply a background introduction of this organization in the forums. Rhode had never seen the re-emergence of this nation and players failed to search for the eight weapons. But he remembered that Neptune''s Sigh was one of them��


    It seems that this man was the heir of the Neptune''s Sigh that Soderfast has been searching for? Interesting. I didn''t hear about this man in the game.


    This thought flashed in his mind for a mere second. After all, his emergence in this world had changed it. The experiences he had gained in the game were for his reference and couldn''t be relied upon as evidence. Andre laughed grimly at Rhode''s silence and he strode forward. "I swear with my identity and my teacher''s honor that this underground mess was created by this lady here, and she has awakened the monsters!!"


    "Ah�� This��"


    Although the merchants usually deal with black and white documentation, they knew that it had the same effects as long as the people involved swore in their honor. As Soderfast''s student, this man surely wouldn''t throw Soderfast''s honor out in the open and lie! Could it be that��


    "Huhuhu��"


    At this moment, a series of crisp laughter sounded. Rhode placed the opened fan by his mouth. "This is interesting, Mr. Andre. Real interesting."


    "What''s interesting?!" Andre snarled with crooked brows.


    Rhode continued. "According to you, I headed into the underground and awakened the monsters. In other words�� I''ve premeditated it?"


    "�� Yes." The man hesitated for a second and nodded swiftly.


    Rhode''s smile widened after hearing his response. "That''s interesting�� According to you, if I''ve premeditated everything before entering the underground, how did you witness my every action, Mr. Andre? Is it possible that you were just taking a walk and bumped into me by chance? Did you recognize the wrong person?"


    "You��!" Andre was stricken into silence and he pointed at Rhode grudgingly.


    Rhode placed his right finger on his lips and squinted. His eyes gleamed coldly. "�� Do you really intend to do that, Mr. Andre?"


    A distinct voice sounded in his ears. "Surely you wouldn''t think that you can convict me based on such senseless accusations, right? But, so what if you did? What''s the purpose? You want to seek revenge? Right here? I don''t have any objections, but��"


    Rhode glanced to the crowd. "If you don''t mind me turning this place into a blood river, I will gladly play along until the end with you. These people seem to trust you a lot, Mr. Andre. But I''m not sure if they''re willing to pay the price with their lives."


    "You��!" Andre clenched his fist subconsciously.


    At the same time, Rhode approached him with a generous smile. "This is a warning�� Mr. Andre. Sir Soderfast deserves respect, but it''s a pity that I''ve something later, so I hope you won''t hinder me�� Besides, you don''t wish to lose that woman behind you, right?"


    "��"


    Andre flinched and drew a distance away hurriedly from ''Miss Seren''s'' beautiful face. He clenched his fists and glared fumingly, reaching out to the Neptune''s Sigh subconsciously. However, he came to a stop after witnessing the crowd around him.


    He believed that this vicious young lady was capable of doing it. If he attacked now, she would surely annihilate the people around him without a doubt. Andre had sensed her powerful strength from their previous clash and he could barely defeat her with his Neptune''s Sigh.


    If this breaks out into a fight, can I protect the people around me? But, do I give up on seeking revenge for Uncle Raul and the others? But�� I can''t drag these innocent people in��


    The man pondered in silence. In the end, he gritted his teeth, let out a helpless sigh and turned around. "Maybe I''ve seen the wrong person�� Cheryl, let''s go!"


    "Eh? �� Okay." The Elf Mage revealed a look of astonishment and nodded thereafter, leaving together with the man.


    At this moment, ''Miss Seren''s'' melodious voice once again sounded. "It seems that our misunderstanding has been resolved, Mr. Andre. Alright then, I wish you well."


    I will definitely�� seek this revenge!


    Andre clasped his sword hilt and decided firmly.


    You won''t be this lucky next time!

 Chapter 548 Mission Failed?

    Andre left with his tail between his legs and put a full stop to this matter. The bystanders believed that Andre hadn''t mistaken ''Miss Seren'' for another person, but they also know that she wasn''t easy to deal with. After their backing had left, the Howard members sneaked away quickly. Of course, this matter between the two Trade Associations was far from being resolved. No matter what, the mines in Fiat were supported by both families and they had to propose a solution to handle this dire situation.


    But this was all for Rhode. He had nothing to do with Fiat anymore. Moreover, he was more concerned about the defensive line in Northern Paphield. After accomplishing both missions, Rhode had found some clues to Lydia''s plan. He knew what Lydia wanted to accomplish. If everything went on smoothly, perhaps he might have another chance to play his favorite game��


    Rhode packed his belongings the next morning and left the Trade Association with Celia and Celestina. Of course, they bid goodbye to the interim representative of the Trade Association before they left.


    Splash! Emily placed the teacup on the table carelessly and the hot tea spilled and soaked the wooden table and scattered sheets of paper. Emily looked vacantly at ''Miss Seren'' before her. "Miss Seren, y-you said you''re leaving?"


    "Yes, Miss Emily." Rhode revealed an apologetic smile and nodded slightly. "I''m aware that I''ve brought a lot of trouble to your Trade Association and I''ve even caused you to lose your father. I''m deeply sorry for my actions. But after all, I''m only a merchant. My purpose here was to negotiate the ore trades. But, it seems that the situation in Fiat region is much more chaotic than we''ve imagined. I believe the ore production will not be restored within a short period due to the unfortunate incident and I would have no further purpose in staying here any longer. This is why I''ve decided to leave, Miss Emily."


    "B-But��" Emily stammered and she was lost for words.


    Frankly speaking, even though ''Miss Seren''s'' departure was to be expected, Emily couldn''t accept the truth momentarily. Although they had known each other for only two days, Emily felt that ''Miss Seren'' was as though an old friend whom she had known for most of her life. At this moment, with the mishap of her father, she had to run the affairs of the Trade Association, adjust the benefits of the merchants, and be surrounded by their grumbles and conflicts. Sometimes, Emily felt that she was in a lot of pain. Am I not the saddest person in this world? I''ve just lost Father! The merchants prioritized benefits more than showing concern for her. This was the first time that Emily felt that these people were heartless. She hoped that someone could accompany, console, and lend her a shoulder. This was her only expectation now.


    After hearing from ''Miss Seren'' that she was leaving, Emily felt as though the ground under her feet had disappeared and she fell entirely into an emptiness of disappointment. "M-Miss Seren, can you stay for a few more days? I��"


    "I think it''s best for us to not trouble you right now, Miss Emily. Your Trade Association is going through a tough phase now and it will require a lot of focus and time to resolve the issues. I''m just an outsider and it isn''t beneficial for you if we continue to stay here. Besides�� I didn''t expect to see that many savage bandits in Fiat. Miss Emily, please be wary of the Howard Trade Association. Their conspiracy failed this time, but I''m sure they will be back," Rhode stepped forward and gently caressed Emily''s cheek. "It was nice knowing you, Miss Emily. It isn''t easy to meet a trustworthy woman in a foreign land. I will never forget you."


    Rhode moved two steps back and lifted his skirt lightly to bow. "So then, goodbye, Miss Emily. I hope you will achieve your dreams soon."


    The door closed.


    Emily gazed vacantly and pondered for a long time. She eventually gritted her teeth as though she had made a decision. She went up to the bookshelves and withdrew a scroll. Picking up a feather pen by the side, she began to write with trembling hands��


    "Is this fine, Master?"


    After boarding the chariot, Celestina looked at Rhode with a sardonic smile while Rhode twitched his brows in response. Celestina chuckled lightly and continued. "Haven''t you seen how heartbroken that girl was when you left her just like that? Why didn''t you do what you''re best at to calm her down and make her your slave? That sounds fun. Besides, you love to do that a lot, isn''t it?"


    "I''m a person who divides pleasure and work clearly, Celestina."


    The smile on Rhode''s face vanished and he revealed his usual, aloof expression. However, Celestina and Celia felt more comfortable with that familiar expression than the smiling mask.


    "Work is work and one shouldn''t bring personal considerations into the picture when the mission is accomplished. Besides�� It''s not like I haven''t satisfied my personal pleasure during my stay here." Rhode shot a meaningful look at Celestina and the latter turned toward the window with a disdainful snort, ignoring him completely. Celia looked on in confusion as she couldn''t understand what their interactions were all about. She turned to her left and front and both of them didn''t seem interested in explaining�� Well, gossiping wasn''t the Battle Angel''s hobby anyway.


    "Eh?" Celestina widened her eyes slightly. She chortled and looked on engrossingly out of the window. "Master, you said you divide work and personal pleasure clearly, right?"


    "Yes, is there any problem?"


    "So then, since our mission is completed, you wouldn''t mind enjoying for a while longer, right?"


    "��?"


    Rhode caught on to something strange and suddenly, the chariot slowed down and came to a halt. At this moment, a rather familiar, panting voice sounded. A voice that he had just spoken to earlier on.


    "Please wait, Miss Seren!"


    Rhode hesitated with knitted brows and eventually chose to exit the chariot. While neglecting the smiling Celestina who was watching at the same time. Rhode spotted Emily sprinting over while clutching a small bag in her hand. She was wearing outdoor attire instead of her home clothes�� Oh, Lord. Could it be�� It can''t be��


    Although Rhode was muttering inwardly, he greeted Emily with an elegant smile. "What''s wrong, Miss Emily? Is anything the matter?"


    "Huu�� Huu�� Ha�� Ha��"


    It seemed that Emily had been pursuing the chariot for a long distance. Fortunately for her, the chariot hadn''t left the town yet. If not, it wouldn''t be surprising that she might even chase her way into the deep forest.


    Emily caught her breath and gazed at Rhode with determined eyes. She bit her teeth as though she had made an important decision. "M-Miss Seren�� If it is possible, can I please leave with you?"


    "��"


    You gotta be kidding me��


    Rhode had deeply realized how accurate this saying was. One must not speak unreasonably while missions must not be accepted irrationally.


    Rhode refused to believe that Emily would simply give up on her life in the Trade Association and choose to become a Travel Merchant with him. Was this part of the mission? What kind of joke was this! If Rhode was truly a female merchant player, there wouldn''t be any problems bringing Emily along. But he wasn''t a merchant and even his gender was disguised�� Moreover, Rhode had to head back to the Paphield front lines to resist the attack from the Reformist Party. How would he even have the time to accompany Emily in becoming a Travel Merchant?


    Rhode didn''t reject Emily''s request firmly. He gazed at the young lady quietly for a long time while Emily lowered her head worriedly like a bewildered student reprimanded by her teacher. Then, Rhode finally responded. "Why, Miss Emily?"


    "Because�� Because��"


    Emily had given a lot of thought and came up with several excuses before she bolted out of the Trade Association. She had so much on her mind to say to ''Miss Seren'', but the thoughts seemed to have vanished now that they stood face to face.


    "Because I��"


    "I don''t know what exactly you are thinking about, Miss Emily. But I will not bring you along�� I can understand the pain and sorrows of losing your father. But�� This isn''t a justifiable reason for you to leave here, Miss Emily. You still lack the capabilities to become a Travel Merchant and I, as a citizen of the Country of Light, can''t bring you out of your country with my own initiative, especially during this sensitive period."


    "But Miss Seren, I��" Rhode placed a finger on Emily''s lips and stopped her from speaking further. "This is the first lesson for a Travel Merchant. You''re always alone on your travels. Merchants are also humans. They have the right to feel pain and sadness. But being merchants takes priority over being humans in their lives. You won''t resolve the issue by evading, Miss Emily. If you can''t be independent as a merchant, then you won''t be able to travel with me. I''m sorry, but honestly speaking, you are lacking the aptitude to step on this path, Miss Emily."


    "��"


    Emily loosened her shoulders abruptly and she shrunk as though a helpless, deflated balloon.


    "Am I really unable to travel with you, Miss Seren?"


    "Yes, Miss Emily. You lack the capabilities, at least for now."


    "So�� So when will I be capable enough?"


    "When you once again pick up your bag unhesitantly, without feeling any reluctance to part," Rhode smiled and looked at Emily who stood blankly on the spot. "You have the potential, Miss Emily. If you''re willing to work for it, you will become an outstanding Travel Merchant one day. But now isn''t the time. You''re not ready to become one yet."


    Rhode looked up to the sky. "It''s late, Miss Emily, you''d better head back now�� So then, this is goodbye. I hope that the next time when I meet you, you have become an outstanding Travel Merchant."


    Rhode bowed and turned around gracefully. Emily looked vacantly at ''Miss Seren'' walking toward the Chariot and she came back to her senses. She reached out to the chariot, but the chariot door had closed and isolated her from the world. The chariot driver lashed the horsewhip and the chariot drove off into the distance.


    Emily laid down her hand. She gazed at her palm and revealed a bitter smile. "That''s right�� Travel Merchants don''t weep�� Miss Seren is right. I''m still not qualified to travel with her yet. But��" She clenched her fist tightly. "One day, I will become an impressive Travel Merchant, Miss Seren."


    "Phew��" Rhode leaned back and took a deep, long breath.


    Got to say, he was indeed flabbergasted back then, but he declined her request quick enough before she had to chance to hesitate. But�� Am I still able to complete the ''Fiery Rose'' mission? Rhode closed his eyes and called out the system panel. He saw a gray line of system prompt and he let out a bitter laugh.


    "What''s wrong? Master?" Celia asked curiously.


    Rhode shrugged and shook his head slightly. "It''s nothing, Celia. But�� sometimes, some things shouldn''t be forced."


    Rhode looked at the sky through the window.


    I wonder how''s Lize doing��


    If Lize could hear Rhode''s thoughts, she would surely give a clear-cut answer.


    Bad. Really bad.


    At this moment, the young lady was seated on the stone-cold chair in the Fortress, gazing at everyone before her. The atmosphere was warm, but it felt as cold as a graveyard for her. It wasn''t a physiological reaction. It was more of a pressure inside her.


    "We have recently investigated that the Reformist Party are getting up to no good. Within the past two days, they have doubled the number of scouts that they have sent to the front line. Heh, I think this isn''t a good sign. Same goes for Randolf''s side. The enemies seemed to have hired plenty of rangers and hunters. The troubles happening these few days have increased significantly."


    "Are you referring to the chances of being discovered?"


    "Hahaha, you sure know how to joke, Miss Gillian. In any case, we''re trained by Madam Canary and Madam Bubble, so we''re better off dying in the front line than to let you know we were discovered by a bunch of newbies�� I didn''t mean that. What I meant was that those enemies seem eager to seize the sentry posts. I suspect the Reformist Party might have a huge movement soon."


    "Hmm�� There''s indeed a possibility. Little Lize, do you find any problems with that?"


    "Eh?!" Lize flustered as soon as everyone shifted their attention to her. She hesitated for a moment before speaking softly. "How�� How many people do you think they have at the moment?"


    "This isn''t easy to gauge, Miss Lize. But Randolf and I think that there''s about 10,000 of them."


    "�� Are they all Cavalrymen?"


    "Hmm�� That''s a hard question, Miss Lize. I''m not their Commander, so how would I know? But Randolf''s men didn''t spot any massive movements of warhorses, so that isn''t too possible. Basically, they should consist of mainly infantries and archers. Of course, we are only in charge of investigating the perimeter of the Fortress and we aren''t sure about the situation farther ahead. This time, those guys are rather cunning. They set up camp in the depths of the defensive line and for safety''s sake, we didn''t dare to penetrate too deeply. I think that this upcoming battle wouldn''t be as simple as before."


    "Have you informed the Fortress Commander?" Lize asked.


    Joey revealed a half smile and when he was about to speak, Gillian let out a cough to stop him. Joey swept a glance at Gillian who was twitching her ears and swaying her fluffy tail and he lowered his head quickly.


    "Erm�� Miss Lize, we pour all our hearts and souls for the Guild and those guys from the Fortress aren''t even the one paying us our allowance�� so, naturally, we informed our own people first."


    "Uh��" Lize blushed in embarrassment and nodded. "I understand now, Joey. Thank you. I will consider this matter. By the way, I will need to trouble you and Mr. Randolf to be more vigilant for the next two days, especially at night. Of course, you guys must be careful too. I heard that the fog will be thicker for the next few days."


    "Don''t worry, Miss Lize. If anything happens, we can hide for the night and carry out investigations. Don''t worry!"


    "Hmm�� Alright then��" Lize paused for a moment before sweeping a quick look at the crowd before her. "Alright, that''s all. I will think of a solution."


    "Okay, Miss Lize."


    "Got it."


    The crowd got up and left. After everyone had exited her room, Lize leaned back and let out a long sigh.


    "I failed again��" Lize muttered under her breath.

 Chapter 549 First Battle

    Lize looked at the cluttered mess on her desk and sighed helplessly.


    She stood up and turned to Gillian who was smiling cheekily. "Little Lize, you''re still not used to it after so long?"


    "I''m really sorry, Miss Gillian. I''m��" Lize shook her head hopelessly.


    Frankly speaking, she had attempted to take up the responsibilities bravely. However, she realized that there were so many matters that she had to be concerned about whenever she received crucial information. She would feel overwhelmed and unable to provide accurate answers. From the beginning, Lize tried her best and the mercenaries of the Cloud Summit Fortress performed decently. As for the Reformist Party, apart from randomly causing a commotion, they hadn''t launched any large-scale attacks. Lize was hoping that they would never attack, or perhaps attack only after Rhode returned�� This way, she could stay away from the dangers.


    But it was a pity that the heavens didn''t satisfy her wishes.


    "We don''t have too much time left, Little Lize. According to Little Joey''s report, the Southern Legion is coming for real this time. Of course, we can''t just look on without lifting a finger. After all, this is a mission that Master handed to our care. So then, do you have any good ideas?"


    "�� I think I''ll need to think about it a little more��"


    Gillian raised an eyebrow and looked at the young lady with a shrug. "Little Lize, the enemies won''t be that nice to give you time to think, okay? You should notice this too, right? Don''t tell me you''ve been dazing off into space during the meeting?"


    "N-No, I wasn''t!" Lize waved her hands frantically. She gazed at Gillian with uncertainty and didn''t know what to say. She eventually lowered her head and nodded slightly. "I do have a plan, Miss Gillian. But I think it is too risky and there are many unknown risks that I haven''t considered. What if I failed to��"


    "Thinking about failures even before you win? You indeed have the qualities of an Adjutant, Little Lize. It seems that Master wasn''t wrong about you. But�� why must you worry that much?"


    "Eh?" Lize lifted her head abruptly and stared with widened eyes as though she couldn''t believe what she had just heard from the Fire Elemental Lord�� "M-Miss Gillian, how can you say something so irresponsible? If I don''t consider the risks, everyone might get into trouble due to my negligence. What would I do if that happened?!"


    Gillian was unfazed by Lize''s somewhat agitated behavior. Instead, she casually swayed her tail and stood to her feet, looking right into Lize''s eyes. Lize felt an indescribable pressure that forced her to close her mouth and her breathing hastened. However, she continued to lift her head stubbornly. At this moment, Gillian broke the silence. "I don''t know if everyone will fail due to your negligence, but I''m sure that if you continue to have this mindset, you''re bound to fail."


    "Eh?" Lize looked blankly.


    "I''ve been waiting for you to wake up to reality, but you''re still harboring such thoughts. This makes me disappointed, Little Lize�� This isn''t only about you, but you also made me lose my bet. It seems that Master was right. It is too hard for you to realize this problem yourself. Sometimes, you just don''t seem to get what you want��"


    "Mr. Rhode?"


    "Yes. Actually, before he left, he has specially told me to guide you along when you''re out of ideas. But I didn''t abide by his instructions because I believed that you''re more than capable. However, now it seems that Master understands you more than I do. I didn''t expect that you would be troubled for so long without realizing the solution in front of you."


    "Miss Gillian!" Lize stood to her feet and yelled. "Why didn''t you��"


    "Why didn''t I tell you earlier? You can''t blame me, okay? I thought you''d be able to realize it since it''s such a simple matter. Master seems to be confident in you so I didn''t say anything. But instead, you failed my expectations and I''m very disappointed!"


    "Urgh��" Lize was speechless to the fox-eared young lady''s forceful grumbles. Aren''t I supposed to be the one angry here��? Why does it seem like Miss Gillian is more furious than I am? What exactly is going on?


    "Alright, enough jokes. Let''s talk about serious matters," Gillian chuckle and clapped upon seeing Lize''s awkward expression. "Little Lize, you said that you''re not sure if everyone will succeed due to your negligence�� right?"


    "Yes��"


    Lize nodded slightly. This was what she was most troubled about. Before Rhode had left, he assigned Lize with the commanding role and it had given her tremendous pressure. Although Lize didn''t make too many changes to the mercenaries'' movements after Rhode left, she couldn''t help but worry about the Fortress every day. She was worried that Joey and Randolf''s groups might be ambushed and the Reformist Party might launch their attacks on the Fortress. Initially, she wasn''t worried about these situations, but now that she had become Rhode''s representative, she was expected to possess such awareness. Wasn''t that�� right?


    "That''s all wrong, Little Lize," Gillian''s words pointed out her hesitance bluntly. "We''re living beings who have thoughts and not puppets who will only move under one''s manipulation. Little Lize, you''re only neglecting their values whenever you''re thinking about this. That''s right, you hope for a perfect plan so everything can run smoothly without any loopholes. But this only exists in your ideal and reality is never perfect. You''re alone and it''s only right and nothing wrong that you neglect something. Even when you''ve overlooked something, we''re here to help you. You just have to accomplish what you can do and we will fill in the gaps for the other areas. Or maybe, you never believed the companions that have fought with you?"


    "I��" Lize was at a loss for words.


    The fox-eared young lady''s words were like a steel hammer pounding on her heart. She finally realized why she had always been feeling anxious and distressed. Perhaps, her subconscious mind realized that her actions were as though she was despising her companions. Just as Miss Gillian said, they are not puppets. They are humans who can think on their own feet for survival. They have their own thoughts and perspectives. But my head has always been occupied by the ways of handling the mission that Mr. Rhode has appointed me�� That''s right. Mr. Rhode has put me in the commanding role, but he didn''t say that I should hold the mercenaries'' hands and guide them step by step, right?


    Lize thought it through and she felt that she had been enlightened.


    This is such a simple reason, so why haven''t I realize it until now?


    Lize looked up at Gillian, but this time, the urgency in her expression had vanished. "Thank you for your reminder, Miss Gillian. I think�� I have a solution now��"


    "You made me lose my bet with Master. I will make you pay for my loss next time, Little Lize. Alright�� I will inform this matter to that pervert and I shall leave the following matters to you, okay?"


    Gillian winked cheekily, placed her hands behind her back, and hummed her way out of the meeting room leisurely. Lize lowered her head and heaved a deep sigh of relief. She took over the intelligence report by her side and her expression became stern once again.


    "This time, I will succeed��" She muttered under her breath.


    Just as Gillian had predicted, or perhaps much earlier than she had predicted�� the Reformist Party''s army had finally moved out. After receiving the investigation result from Gillian, Garcia quickly dispatched his scouts to fish for information and they eventually gathered the exact numbers on the enemies. "8500."


    This slovenly-dressed man kept his smile. He stared at the high-ranking military officer before him and the exhaustion between his brows was exposed. Although the Southern Legion wasn''t entirely powerful, they had the upper hand on numbers. And even though the Cloud Summit Fortress had replenished its manpower, they had only about a few thousand troops. Furthermore, Garcia knew that battles shouldn''t be judged based on the situation on the battlefield. Recently, there had been plenty of ''good news'' for the South. Their granaries were destroyed and the Undead Army emerged in their turf�� Heh. Garcia was excited when he read the reports, but he didn''t expect that karma got back at him. The desperate Reformist Party had decided to stake everything in one throw.


    But must you mess with my Fortress out of all the possibilities?


    Garcia was clear that the enemies didn''t dispatch their soldiers solely to attack his Fortress because their real motive was to pass through his defensive line and penetrate Paphield. The Cloud Summit Fortress was based in a terrible terrain. After the enemies crossed the defensive line, a wide expanse of land would be awaiting them and Garcia''s men wouldn''t be enough to stop them at all. If that happened, it would be no longer significant if this Fortress existed or not. What was the point of the Fortress if it couldn''t protect its territory? Moreover, even though Royal Highness Lydia had dispatched 2000 reinforcements of soldiers, the quality of the private soldiers were so bad that it left Garcia chuckling bitterly.


    A helpless expression emerged on the ''Red Fox''s'' face only for a few seconds because he knew that he would lower the morale of his men as the Fortress Commander. He quickly expressed a frivolous smile instead. "Heh heh, those guys seem to be really anxious. But that''s fine because this way, we''ll have a chance to show them our might! Don''t worry, there may be a lot of them, but they lack discipline! Don''t mind them! Everyone, get ready. Once they arrive, we will teach them a lesson!"


    "Oh oh oh!"


    Garcia''s words pumped up the officers in the meeting room. They smacked the table before them and left the room in smiles. Garcia heaved a sigh of relief, loosened his bowtie, and wiped the sweat beads on his forehead. Then, he realized that an unexpected guest had stayed behind.


    "Oh? Isn''t this Miss Lize? Is there any matter? Oh, by the way, thanks for the intelligence report you''ve provided me with earlier. I didn''t expect those bastards to dispatch so many men. But with us and your Guild around�� Yes, and that half-beast-half-Mage young lady. There won''t be any problem with our Fortress, don''t worry!"


    "General Garcia," Lize stood up and approached him with an unprecedented stern expression. She handed a thick pile of documents over. "These are my thoughts and plans for this upcoming battle. Please take a look."


    "Oh?"


    This was the first time Garcia looked Lize straight into her eyes. He let out a cheeky laughter and took over the papers. He read through them briefly. "Hey, Miss Cleric, I didn''t expect you to have such military talents. This really surprises me greatly. Let me see�� Hmm?" Garcia carefully read through the papers. The ''Red Fox'' was no longer frivolous and all-smiles. Instead, his expression was replaced with dignified seriousness.


    The meeting room was in complete silence apart from the rustling of the flipping pages. Lize stood quietly by the sides, clenching the hem of her skirt and looking nervously at Garcia. Seconds passed and Garcia finally closed her proposal with a soft ''bam''. He turned around and sized up the young lady sternly. "Did you come up with this, Miss Cleric?"


    "Yes, General Garcia. The enemies don''t seem to be intending to take down the Fortress. They merely want to restrain us because the Paphield Plain is just behind us. As long as they restrain us successfully, we will not be able to dispatch soldiers to stop their next move and they will reach their goal. So we have to be prepared for it."


    "So, this is your preparation?"


    "Yes, General Garcia."


    "��" Garcia pondered in silence. After a brief moment, he pointed to the proposal. "Although your proposal is great and I believe in your Guild''s capabilities, it isn''t fully perfect yet�� Miss Cleric, don''t you think that you''ve neglected a point which is a fatal loophole? If you can''t convince me about it, I will not approve."


    Lize gave a rare and confident nod. "Just as you''ve said. My proposal is still lacking, but, General Garcia, I do have preparations for that part. Miss Gillian is off to search for the crucial helper�� I can guarantee, General Garcia, that person will be able to accomplish this task. This is Mr. Rhode''s suggestion, so there will not be a problem."

 Chapter 550 Muffled Harp Strings

    Gaya gazed silently at Gillian swinging her huge, fluffy tail before her. "Interesting, Miss Gillian. But I don''t think that I''m obliged to help you."


    "I didn''t insist on having you help us, Little Gaya," Gillian chuckled. She stuck out a finger and swayed it to the left and right delightfully. "I''m only informing you of this matter and I hope that you can provide us some assistance. Isn''t this effortless for you? Come on, don''t be this petty. Since you have the strength to resolve this problem, no one would know about it if you don''t show off, right?"


    "What about you, Fire Elemental Lord?" Gaya''s pitch-black pupils continued to scrutinize the fox-eared young lady before her. Gillian giggled and leaned back to her seat leisurely. She interlocked her fingers and twitched her ear complacently. "My situation is a little special, Little Gaya. But I''m still trying my best, okay? Look at you. You''ve been hiding in this ice-cold, damp room all this while. Wouldn''t it be more fun if you take a walk under the sun and kill some people or something?"


    "Please don''t compare me with you, Miss Gillian."


    Gaya looked down and gently caressed the harp in her hands. "You have your own thoughts and I have my considerations. I''m not here because I want to. These are Royal Highness Lydia''s orders. I don''t know who thought of this battle plan, but this is your problem and not mine. If they wish to be victorious, they''d better rely on their own hands and not expect others to assist them. I hate the weak, especially those who constantly hope to rely on the strength of the strong. The weak are nothing more than ants, and I have no interest to the ants'' request. I guess you understand what I mean, Miss Gillian."


    "Of course, of course. I understand, Little Gaya. But the way you rejected me breaks my heart, even though I shouldn''t be the one who should be sad. What a pity. Little Lize finally bucked up her courage for this, but it seems that she has to think of some other solutions now."


    Gillian jumped to her feet and showed off a smile to Gaya. She approached the door and reached out to the door handle. At this moment, she came to a halt abruptly and turned around with a passionate smile. "Ah, by the way, Master wanted me to pass a message. He hopes that Royal Highness Lydia will reward him generously for accomplishing his mission, okay?"


    "��" Gaya looked on without any change in her expression.


    Gillian waved goodbye cordially and left the room. The black-haired young lady held onto the heavy harp and her right hand stroked lightly on its strings. She closed her eyes slowly.


    A melodious tune filled her enclosed, chilly room.


    A gentle breeze from the window freshened the depressing room. Lydia picked up the intelligence report and scanned it thoroughly. The corner of her mouth curled up. "It seems that the nest of mice is finally moving out�� A wildcat is indeed the correct choice for chasing away the mice. Housecats are meek, but they must be tired of hiding their claws, I suppose��"


    The young lady laid on the red, soft velvety sofa, smiling at the report in her hand in satisfaction. She flipped to the next page and her long, slender fingers came to a stop abruptly. She read the report curiously and after a few moments, she chuckled and stood to her feet, tossing the report to the side.


    "This is interesting��" Lydia turned to the picturesque view outside the window and mumbled to herself.


    Golden radiance flickered on her back and a silhouette of light wings emerged gracefully. She paused for a while before reaching out for a little bell on the side table. Ding-a-ling. A female servant entered her room shortly after.


    "Your Highness, what can I do for you?"


    "Get Grand Mage Amund here and pass on the word that I will be holding a roundtable conference in the evening. Also, get General Lannick of the 7th Fleet here. It''s about time to deal the final blow to the mice scattering in my territory."


    A glittering, lightning-like radiance glinted in her eyes for the first time.


    "Phew��"


    Lize placed the feather pen down and let out a bitter smile as she looked at the messy map that she had drawn. This battle plan was prepared solely by her and the following would be her most important challenge. She had to explain her battle plan perfectly to the others and gain their understanding and cooperation.


    It''s almost time.


    Lize stood up and clenched her tiny fists. She swung a punch with all her might as though to boost her morale. Then, she picked up the map and exited the room.


    When Lize arrived at the meeting room, everyone was fully prepared. Although they had plenty of such meetings, this time, they appeared much more curious and surprised. After all, they had been gathering according to the rules to follow up on the situation. But this time was different. This was the first time that Lize had taken the initiative to gather them together.


    Everyone including Joey and Randolf was surprised. To be honest, it wasn''t that they looked down upon Lize and went hard at her purposely. After all, Lize was the most senior member in Starlight. She had a gentle personality and was a life-saving Cleric, so no one would find trouble with this young lady for no particular reason. However, one shouldn''t allow emotions to affect one''s work. In the previous few meetings, Lize was as though a puppet who would agree to anything that anyone said.


    After all, mercenaries moved out as groups and they needed a pillar to command them. They weren''t worried about this problem with Rhode back then and there were multiple occasions when Lize had behaved like an uncommunicative clerk instead of an Adjutant who stepped up in place of the Leader. Fortunately, there weren''t too many incidents that required Lize to make decisions and no one objected to her presence.


    But now, there were finally some changes to the situation.


    The Reformist Party''s army was arriving at their doorstep and they could see that they were determined to win this battle. This was finally the time to put the mercenaries to the test. Even when there were ten thousand enemies, the mercenaries would fight fearlessly with Rhode commanding. But the mercenaries were worried now that Rhode wasn''t around and Lize had been hesitant about her decisions.


    Attack? Defend? Or retreat?


    Everyone had had this conflict several times and they were thankful for Rhode in leaving Gillian behind to guide Lize. Although they were rather worried about the upcoming battle, at least they had this wily, formidable fox-eared young lady by their side. Besides, Rhode had told them that Gillian would be supporting Lize and with her around, they wouldn''t be flustered out of their wits.


    They thought that Gillian would be guiding Lize along when they heard that Lize had gathered them for a meeting. After all, there wasn''t much time left and they would have a tough fight if they couldn''t come up with any great strategies.


    Due to this reason, almost everyone revealed a surprised expression when they saw Lize enter the meeting room alone. Joey stretched his neck to see if there was anyone behind her. However, Lize turned around and closed the door firmly.


    What''s this about? Joey thought.


    As expected��


    Lize felt a little down after noticing their expressions. She was a great observer and a meticulous person, and she understood their reactions. After all, even though the meetings had been organized in her name, Gillian was always the one with the leadership role. Will I be able to perform since Gillian isn''t around?


    Lize clenched her fists tightly.


    No matter what, I must do my best this time!


    Lize encouraged herself inwardly and looked at everyone before her. "I think everyone must be clear by now that the Southern army will be arriving here soon. Before that happens, we must come up with a strategy. I don''t have the talents that Mr. Rhode has, so I hope to listen to your opinions��"


    Lize unrolled the map on the table and everyone crowded around it with knitted brows.


    What''s this? Graffiti?


    Lize disregarded their confused expressions. In fact, she was also aware of her own bad habits. Lize lacked the confidence to summon her courage when everyone was doubting her. She was worried that she would doubt herself when she was explaining halfway when she witnessed their uncertain faces. Therefore, to prevent this situation from happening, Lize had decided to not lift her head when she went through the strategy and focus solely on the map before her.


    "According to Joey and Randolf''s intelligence report, Miss Gillian and I have analyzed and thought that the Southern Legion have no intentions of attacking the Cloud Summit Fortress because the Fortress has no true military value for them. I think that they will use minimal soldiers to pin down the Fortress while the remaining forces will penetrate the Paphield Plain from the sides. This way, the Fortress will no longer serve any purpose. They could even cut off our retreat from the rear and encircle the Fortress instead. Mr. Rhode informed me that the Reformist Party was aware that their strength wasn''t enough against the King''s Party and they would be pinning their hopes on the Country of Light. According to Mr. Rhode, the Country of Light''s Parliament may possibly go through diplomatic channels to protest and oppose the King''s Party after conquering Paphield and eventually turn the territory into their own."


    "What?!"


    Joey shrieked in horror and the others exchanged worried looks. After all, the mercenaries rarely planned ahead and gaining victory in the battle before them was the most important, wasn''t it? But now��


    "Miss Lize, what you meant was that if those bastards avoided us and conquer the territory behind us, we will be considered to be standing in the ''enemy''s'' territory if the Light Parliament acknowledged it?"


    "That sounds about right." Lize fixed her gaze at the map before her and nodded with might.


    "In order to prevent this from happening, we have to stop their attacks first and foremost. I have studied the terrains of Paphield and discovered a few possible routes that they could take��" Lize pointed to the map. "After studying the map and consulting Commander Garcia, I learned that even though Paphield has a plain terrain, the defensive line by the Fortress isn''t a flat vast of land. There are two long stretches of forests behind the Fortress defense and rear and the enemies will surely choose to penetrate the flat land between them. I think we can set a trap here to stop them."


    "Did you mean to ambush them?" Marfa asked.


    "Yes, Mr. Marfa. We don''t have the advantage in manpower, but we have plenty of Thieves and Rangers who can guarantee our dominance in an ambush. Besides, I have investigated in detail. My team of Clerics is confident in casting spells to shroud the entire region to slow the enemies'' movements. I think we can take down the enemies with Mr. Randolf''s Ranger team, Mr. Marfa''s Swordsman team, and Miss Gillian''s cover."


    "How many of them are we going to face exactly? Will they all be Cavalrymen?"


    "In order to contain the forces of the Fortress, the enemies should be sending around 3,000 soldiers to deal with Commander Garcia. The total number of enemies is close to 8,500. For the sake of security, they will not focus all their forces to break through a specific area. This way, we''re looking at facing 2000 to 3000 enemies."


    "This is only your guess, Miss Lize?" Randolf knitted his brows. "We have less than 200 people and we will have a hard time against them. If the enemy doesn''t divide their forces to surround the Fortress and attacks the Fortress altogether instead, we will be in huge trouble. Have you considered this? Also, what if they gather their forces for the breakthrough? 5,000 of them�� If Mr. Rhode were here, I wouldn''t be this hesitant. But��"


    Randolf didn''t complete his sentence, but everyone knew what he meant. Lize continued to stare at the map before her.


    "They probably wouldn''t do that. I''ve heard from Commander Garcia that the General Dade of the Southern legion leading the command is a cautious person and he will definitely not place all his eggs in a single basket. If I were him, I would rather choose to divide my troops into different attacking teams to break through the defensive line and regather thereafter. Besides, a team of 5,000 is too huge and difficult to conceal and it will be much easier for us to guess their movements and goals." Lize paused nervously as this was the first time she had spoken so much before them. She sucked in a deep breath of air. "I think they should be mainly Cavalrymen while the Infantry will be containing the Fortress. After all, the speed of Infantries will be much slower than Cavalrymen and since they''re rushing for time, the Infantry wouldn''t be suitable."


    "So you''ve decided to do this? This sounds like a good idea��" Marfa nodded and swept a gaze at Lize.


    He was astonished that this always obedient young lady had actually understood the big picture. But this plan didn''t seem perfect enough in his eyes��


    "Lize, I remember that the Clerics'' spell range is limited, right? Aren''t they supposed to stand outside the forest in order to cast a spell over the entire region? If that''s the case, the enemies will surely attack the Clerics first. Are you sure that will be fine?"


    "Please don''t worry, Mr. Marfa. We''re Clerics, and we have ways to protect ourselves. Besides�� Anne is around too."


    "I see��"


    Marfa nodded in agreement. After all, he was a Swordsman and he didn''t have the qualifications to bicker with Lize over spell-casting. At this moment, Joey leaned forward and scanned the map before him. He called out strangely and turned to Lize.


    "Wait, Miss Lize. What''s the purpose of us if the Southern General divides his forces? Even if we can block off the shortfall, isn''t it the same if the other areas were broken through? Besides, if the enemies are alerted and attack us from the front and rear�� Aren''t we all dead too?"


    "Don''t worry about that, Joey. Miss Gillian said that there''s a trustworthy person to handle this problem��"


    The door opened and Gillian stood there with her usual cheeky smile. "Ah, seems like Little Lize happens to be talking about me now. I hope I haven''t missed anything?"


    "Miss Gillian!"


    Lize lifted her head and gazed at the fox-eared young lady with trembling hands. Got to say, the problem that Joey raised had been worrying Lize for a long time. Although she did have a backup plan for emergencies, it wasn''t exactly ideal. Lize could only put her mind at ease after hearing from Gillian that someone would be around to resolve the problem. But now��


    "Miss Gillian, regarding this matter��"


    "Ah, about that," Gillian rolled her widened eyes and kept her at suspense. Then, she winked playfully. "Don''t worry, everything will be fine. It''s settled!"

 Chapter 551 Two Persons Figh

    "Souler!"


    Marlene''s long slender fingers streaked across the air and brought about a trail of lightning. Countless lightning bolts descending from the sky and struck the soldiers, stopping them from advancing. Marlene stared at the enemies before them and took half a step back. She raised her right arm and pushed forward. The line of a dozen fully-armed soldiers before her charged toward the enemies in big strides, lifting their pike-like weapons. The gears at the weapon tips spun quickly and magical radiance emanated along the weapons and coalesced at their tips. Then, a deep, ear-piercing explosion boomed and countless dazzling golden rays erupted like a storm, penetrating the ground. The powerful airflow engulfed the petals and leaves and the high temperatures melted the soil and rocks on the surface. The dazzling brilliance of the continuous undulation formed a golden ocean. In the blink of an eye, everything ended and there was nothing left.


    "Phew��" Marlene heaved a sigh of relief.


    She gazed at the battlefield that had changed beyond recognition and nodded in satisfaction. She turned around and displayed a smile to the soldiers. "Well done. Our mission has been accomplished. The enemies won''t launch another attack anytime soon. Form up and return to camp."


    The soldiers laid down their weapons and saluted to Marlene respectfully. At this moment, a young lady who was about the same age as Marlene and clad in white light armor scuttled over, handing a canteen to Marlene. "Good work, Miss Senia. You must be feeling tired. It seems successful this time."


    "Thanks, Laili. The prototype weapons are decent in might and range, and they''re much safer to use now. However, the high consumption of Magic Crystals is still a big problem. We have participated in seven battles since we arrived at Flourishing Blossom and we have consumed Magic Crystals worth 500,000 gold coins. It seems that the final pike requires more modifications."


    "I see, Miss Senia. I will report this matter to the Patriarch." The young lady nodded hurriedly before curling her lips. "By the way, Miss Senia, the Fortress Commander looked for me earlier and he hopes to invite you for dinner. But, don''t worry! I''ve rejected him for you! That uncivilized man is like a toad dreaming about eating swan meat. Hmph�� If he isn''t Grand Mage Amund''s subordinate��"


    "We shouldn''t be bothered about that matter, Laili."


    Marlene interrupted her and looked up to the azure sky. Her nostrils were assailed by the breeze that carried a burnt smell. The dark green grassland had been burned horribly like ghastly scars on the human skin. Marlene sighed subtly and turned around. "How''s the front line doing?"


    "Yes, here''s the report, Miss Senia." Laili handed an envelope over.


    Marlene opened it up and scanned the contents quickly. "Interesting. The Southern Legion has mobilized nearly 10,000 soldiers to besiege the Cloud Summit Fortress? There were quite a lot of soldiers here in the Flourishing Blossom too�� I see. It seems that the Reformist Party isn''t that foolish and the unrest in the South in the past few days must have made them desperate. They used to complain about our jobs, but now, it''s time for them to experience it themselves. This isn''t an easy job�� Yes, these aren''t the main forces of the Southern Legion��"


    Marlene mumbled to herself and chuckled. "Laili, how many soldiers from the Southern Legion are attacking the Paphield defensive line?"


    "Yes, Miss Senia. According to the intelligence report, there are 5 legions and a total of 43,000 soldiers."


    "There are 7,000 enemies attacking the Flourishing Blossom while the other 8,000 are heading to the Cloud Summit�� In addition, there are 6000 infantries of Gerdal and the Southern Navy that sealed off the Grief Strait. This is strange. More than 20,000 soldiers aren''t accounted for. I don''t believe that 20,000 soldiers would simply disappear in the vast defensive line. But��" Marlene stopped mumbling and her eyes glinted. "It seems that our mission is accomplished, Laili. After you head back, do up a report on the final pike and I want to see it after dinner. If everything is according to our expectations, we can leave this place and head to the frontlines."


    "Frontline?" Laili tilted her head and blinked curiously. "Miss Senia, isn''t the frontline here? Where are you heading to?"


    Marlene smiled at her servant. "This is nothing more than a monkey''s playground, Laili. There should be a limit for passing time and the enemies don''t seem to be stopping anytime soon. Although they seem to have the intentions to fully attack the Paphield defensive line, their lack of manpower is their shortcoming�� These are simply baits and as a matter of fact, the Southern Legion''s true goal isn''t to mess with us here. Even though we don''t know who thought of this plan, this time��"


    Marlene paused as though something cropped up in her mind. Laili gazed and asked curiously. "What''s with this time? Miss Senia?"


    "It''s nothing, Laili," Marlene shook her head with a smile. "It''s just that�� I think he got it right again."


    "He? Miss Senia, which ''he'' are you talking about?"


    "Heh. That''s a secret," Marlene said and hugged the report in her arms. She turned around and headed toward the campsite with Laili. "Alright, Laili, you should get prepared too. We will be heading off immediately after inspecting the conditions of the equipment. The adjustments to the final pike has completed and the Reformist Party''s attack on the Flourishing Blossom has ended. It seems that they''re no longer viewing this place as their main target, so we have to move immediately. This time, I will give him a surprise."


    The sun shone brightly for the best time of a lazy afternoon nap. But for Garcia, he wasn''t in the mood for one at all. He leaned on the Fortress wall anxiously and looked at the flag fluttering in the distance at the horizon. Then, he widened his mouth for a huge yawn, raising his arms above him and stretching before standing up straight again. At this moment, a soldier climbed up the wall frantically.


    "Reporting, Sir. We spotted enemies ahead."


    "I have eyes. How many of them?"


    "Seven companies of infantry. A total of about 3,500."


    "Heh," Garcia let out a sneer and picked up the liquor flask hung around his waist.


    He tilted his head upward and poured the liquor down his throat. He burped in contentment and placed the liquor flask back. But this time, he widened his narrow eyes.


    "I''ve never expected that they respect me this much. 3,500 of them. Heh, makes me really want to head out and wipe them all out. By the way, who''s the guy leading them?"


    "It''s General Dade!"


    "Eh? Hmm��" Garcia''s expression changed slightly, but he quickly returned to his usual self and waved his hand lazily. "Okay, head back and inform our people that it''s time for them to shine. Also, tell the nonsensical nobles that if they want me to write their honorable names on the postwar report, they''d better work hard for it!"


    "Yes!" The orderly left immediately.


    Garcia rubbed his stubbly chin and gazed toward the troops at the distant horizon with knitted brows. He muttered under his breath. "This is getting troublesome. Never did I expect that the old fart will actually lead the troops himself. Isn''t he responsible for the feint attacks? If this old fart is in charge of encircling and pinning us down, who will be the one leading the breakthrough? Based on my understanding on him, I don''t think he will simply find anyone to fill in the gap."


    Garcia''s expression gradually became stern.


    That little girl�� will do fine, I guess.


    There wasn''t a trace of wind in the unbearable, humid forest. Sunrays spilled in between the leaves like a massive, dazzling carpet spread across the forest. Lize hid in the shrub and observed the horizon through the small opening. She was extremely tense and her heart was pounding. She felt as though the lightweight Cleric robe on herself had become as heavy as a lump of lead.


    Anne laid on her stomach beside Lize like a meek little puppy bathing in the sun and narrowing her eyes in contentment. If she weren''t swinging her arms and legs, they would have suspected if she had dozed off. The other Clerics were also hidden in the shrubs silently. Some of them were excited while others were nervous or expressionless.


    Time is almost up.


    Lize squinted at the sun and counted the time inwardly. There was no signs of enemies before her and everywhere was in complete silence. At the far end of the horizon, there was only twisted air from the heat wave.


    Am I wrong? It shouldn''t be�� Lize was confident that she had made no mistakes. She had scanned through the map several times to figure out the possible routes that the enemies would break through from and even consulted Commander Garcia and the soldiers. If the enemies wished to pass through in the shortest time possible, this path would undoubtedly be the best choice. But now��


    Suddenly, the row of shrubs beside hers swayed. Joey peeked out and made his way to Lize swiftly. He laughed cheekily and said, "They''re here, Miss Lize! Just as you''ve predicted!"


    "How many of them?"


    "3,500. Heh, it seems that Uncle Marfa was right�� He has jinxed it. It''s gonna be really troublesome, but if your plan works, we will be in for a good time. Heh, if news of 200 men wiping out 3500 Cavalrymen spreads out, who would dare to look down on Starlight?"


    "What about the flag? Is there a two-headed lion?"


    "Ah. There isn''t. The flag has a blue background with white edges and a white pigeon in the middle."


    "White pigeon?" Lize stared blankly.


    There indeed was something wrong in the situation. She, Gillian, and Garcia thought that the enemies would leave this important breakthrough mission to the most capable General Dade and he would surely choose to go into battle himself. After all, the feint attack was only a pretense and it was considered more of an overt plot rather than a conspiracy. Therefore, it would be the same no matter which commander was responsible for pinning down the Fortress troops. But now, it wasn''t General Dade who lead them? Who exactly was he?


    "No matter who he is, we will still need to fight this battle, right?"


    "That''s right. How long more before they arrive?"


    "A few more minutes. They''re not far from here."


    Lize came to her senses and nodded with might. She clenched her tiny fists. "Joey, inform Randolf, Mr. Marfa, and Miss Gillian that the enemies are arriving soon. Get them to act according to our plan."


    "Understood. Leave it to me."


    "Ah. By the way, Joey, your traps�� will work, right?"


    "Don''t worry, Miss Lize. No matter how dumb I am, I wouldn''t be dumb enough to risk my life," Joey said cheekily before diving into the shrub and disappeared to nowhere.


    Lize shifted her attention to the front once again and she felt as though the ground was trembling a little and she could hear warhorses galloping. But she quickly realized that this wasn''t her misconception. Because at this moment, Anne jumped up to her feet. She widened her eyes and pressed her right hand on her shield on the ground as though she was a beast about to dash toward the front. Lize looked toward the direction where Anne was scanning.


    Shortly after, black figures emerged one after another on the empty horizon. Thousands of well-equipped Cavalrymen urged on their horses using the whips in hand. The flag with the blue background, white edges, and a white pigeon was fluttered in the wind. It was apparent that this was the mark of the commander. They''re almost here, they''re almost here�� Lize grew increasingly nervous. She stared at the Cavalrymen while calculating the Cleric''s spell range, the Cavalrymen'' charging speed, and the position required for the upcoming battle. The Cavalrymen were closing in and Lize could clearly see the patterns on their armor and the steam bursting from the warhorses noses as they sneezed. But even so, Lize waited for the most opportune timing. These Cavalrymen didn''t seem to notice their presence as they were fully focused ahead. To them, perhaps time equaled their lives and they didn''t have any more to waste.


    Shortly after, about half the wave of Cavalrymen had rushed past Lize and the young lady made a firm resolution.


    She stood to her feet and raised her right arm.


    Get ready to attack!

 Chapter 552 Strange Ending

    Along with Lize''s movements, the Clerics who were hidden in the shrubs stood up and raised their hands high quickly. Several white light balls erupted. The bright radiance illuminated the entire forest and it was so bright that even the glory of the sun was inferior. The Cavalrymen that had galloped past them were caught off guard as though a dozen huge searchlights were shining on them all at once and they had to close their eyes shut. Not only them, but even their warhorses neighed in shock. The Cavalrymen controlled their warhorses and lifted their shields as soon as they witnessed that their fellow Cavalrymen by the perimeter getting attacked. It was obvious that the Cavalrymen didn''t consider the possibility of them encountering ambushes here and instead of stopping, they spurred on the warhorses forcefully.


    But at this moment, a strange situation happened.


    Loud, painful screams broke out as the Cavalrymen galloped forward. A dozen warhorses lost their balance as though they were tripped and fell forward, breaking the formation into chaos. If it were the warhorses in front that had fallen down, they would still stand a chance to adjust their formation at the back. However, the warhorses that stumbled were in the middle and they were surrounded by their comrades, which overwhelmed their formation immediately. Some Cavalrymen fell to the ground while some dodged to the sides and slammed into their comrades. Some tried to leap over the fallen comrades, but they collided heavily to those in front. In the blink of an eye, dozens of Cavalrymen and warhorses were trampled by their friendly forces.


    "Heh��"


    Joey grinned as he crouched low on the thick tree branch and observed the chaotic situation below him. He turned to Randolf beside him who was clasping his bow and scrutinizing the situation. "Bro Randolf, did you realize that even though Miss Lize seems harmless, her strategy is so sinister? She made us set up a trap that will only activate in the middle of the crowd. I didn''t expect her to think this up�� Look at those unfortunate bastards�� I can''t bear to continue watching them��"


    "��!"


    Suddenly, a strange whistle sounded from the center of the army. The Cavalrymen stopped their movements abruptly and held their shields high in front of them. Then, almost simultaneously, an overwhelming rain of arrows flew out of the forest toward them. However, the arrows were useless against the Cavalrymen''s heavy steel armor and shields.


    Then, a bugle-horn sounded and the Cavalrymen spurred on their warhorses. They gave up their formation completely and galloped forward from both sides.


    "They realized that we lack manpower and they are trying to escape!" Randolf discovered that the enemies didn''t slow down for their own safety. Instead, they were acting as bait to probe the strength of the ambushing troops. Randolf had about 50 Rangers under his lead and they were an utterly inadequate measure against the thousand Cavalrymen. He leaped to another tree branch and placed his finger by his lip to whistle a cuckoo''s cry that resounded in the entire forest. He drew an arrow from his quiver swiftly and when he landed onto another tree branch, he aimed forward and released his finger.


    Whoosh!


    Another rain of arrows flew out from the forest and a dozen Cavalrymen collapsed. But this time, the Cavalrymen at the rear didn''t trip on their fallen comrades as they were not grouped up in their organized formation anymore. Although they had lost a dozen Cavalrymen to the arrows and some even fell into strange traps beneath their feet, most of them continued to charge forward regardless. After two to three minutes, they had arrived at the edge of the forest �� What presented before them was a vast open-field and no longer the land that was shrouded in the forest. As long as they dashed out of this place, they would no longer face any obstacles.


    At this moment, the world before the Cavalrymen darkened.


    The green forest, grassland, and azure sky had lost their vibrant colors as though a thick, filthy curtain had filtered them. Not only that, but their fast movements had also been slowed down as though they were shackled to heavy chains on their backs and the warhorses eventually came to a halt.


    What exactly is going on?!


    Even though the Cavalrymen were highly experienced, they had never met this strange situation. The ambushes had made them somewhat nervous and they had exceeded their expectations. The weird, gloomy color of gray engulfed the entire land and their warhorses'' movements slowed down tremendously. No matter how much they whipped, their warhorses had no intentions of speeding up. The exit was just before them, but it seemed so far away.


    Rustle! Several young ladies in white robes emerged before them and chanted softly. Even though the Cavalrymen didn''t know what they were up to, they knew that the flickering golden radiance in their hands was no good news.


    "30 seconds!" Lize bit her lips anxiously.


    Surprisingly, the enemies didn''t panic as she had expected. When Lize followed Rhode in battles in the past, no matter how powerful the enemies were, as long as Rhode launched an ambush, the enemies would end up in a great mess as though they were out of their wits. But now, the Cavalrymen weren''t as flustered as she thought they would be. After all, she had no intentions of relying on this method to gain victory. As a young lady who always thought about the worst outcome, this current situation was much better than she had predicted.


    The Decelerating Haloes hindered the Cavalrymen from moving further, but Lize knew that her men couldn''t hang on much longer. If the enemies had about a hundred soldiers, her Clerics could maintain the Decelerating Haloes for a longer duration. But 3,000 of them was too tough for them. Although the Clerics had been through strict training and several battles, they were only about the standard of the 6th to 7th Circle and it would be too difficult for them to maintain this large-scale spell. Fortunately, it would be enough as long as Lize could stop them from moving forward!


    The effects of the Decelerating Haloes were slowly diminishing and the Clerics were starting to pale. Moreover, the Cavalrymen seemed to have realized that their current state had something to do with the Clerics. The Cavalrymen at the rear pushed forward while those by the front turned around. They lifted their shields and clasped their swords in an assaulting posture.


    "How long more?!"


    Randolf released the fully-drawn bowstring and the arrow pierced into a Cavalry''s eye like a lightning bolt and the Cavalry flipped out of his warhorse. Although they had eliminated more than 200 Cavalrymen due to the Decelerating Haloes, 3000 of them was too much to handle. Not only were the Clerics in front in the face of danger, but the other Cavalrymen had also detected the source of the problem. 500 of them dispersed toward both sides of the forest with their lifted shields. It seemed that they decided to divide their manpower to handle the troublemakers�� The standards of these soldiers couldn''t be belittled.


    "Phew��" Lize heaved a sigh of relief.


    Then, she puckered her brows and extended her arms forward. A dazzling light column rose from the ground and burst into the sky. At the same time, two similar light columns from the other ends emerged as though responding to hers. The light columns went straight into the sky, like pillars connecting heaven and earth, exuding a dazzling brilliance.


    At the same time, the Decelerating Haloes flickered weakly and vanished. The Clerics panted for air and retreated swiftly into the forest. However, the enemies were much quicker than them. After the haloes had lost their effects, the Cavalrymen charged to the Cleric young ladies with raised swords��


    However, at this moment, a huge whirlwind blew from the side and slammed into the Cavalrymen. "Get lost!"


    Anne struck a Cavalry with the shield tightly clasped in her hands. The powerful impact sent the Cavalry flying off his warhorse. Anne used the momentum and somersaulted in midair before crashing into the ground like a meteor before the other Cavalrymen. She lifted her head and gazed at the highly raised horseshoes that were about to trample her. The corner of Anne''s mouth quirked up and she pulled the handle on the shield off with her left hand and struck forward.


    "��!"


    Roaring winds swept up the dust from the ground like a hurricane and wiped the Cavalrymen out of the battle completely. Anne''s shield was as though an invisible giant hand that struck the Cavalrymen away. After the dust dispersed, none of the Cavalrymen remained and the nearest warhorse to her was at least two hundred meters away, twitching all over, seemingly unable to survive the ordeal.


    If Rhode or any other players witnessed this scene, they would surely turn around and flee immediately. However, it was a pity that Cavalrymen weren''t players and they made a wrong decision swiftly. Shortly after, the highly lifted flag started waving and pointed forward and the surrounding Cavalry Leaders responded quickly.


    "Destroy those spellcasters!"


    One of the Cavalry Leaders raised his shield and sword. He galloped forward and led a team of Cavalrymen toward the Cleric young ladies who were shrouded in radiance in the distance .


    They''re here!


    Lize felt her blood froze as she witnessed the Cavalrymen charging toward her. At the same time, she made complicated hand gestures and a beautiful holy rune emerged from thin air. It hovered around the light column and flew upward.


    The enemies were getting closer and Lize saw the shimmering sword blades. However, she didn''t stop because this was her last trump card and the guarantee of victory��


    "Brothers, attack!"


    The shrub beside Lize shook violently and a few mercenaries sprung out. Marfa was as calm as ever. He extended his right arm and gestured. Then, the mercenaries around him drew out hatchets from their waists and threw forward.


    "Aaahh!"


    The spinning hatchets struck the Cavalrymen heavily and they screamed in pain, tumbling down their warhorses.


    At the same time, Lize''s spell was finally completed.


    "Everyone back down!"


    Lize yelled and retreated from the light column swiftly. Marfa and his men rolled away without any hesitation and dodged the Cavalrymen''s attacks. At this moment, the Cavalrymen had arrived before Marfa and Lize. But, that was the closest they could get.


    The Cavalrymen brandished their razor-sharp blades, but to their horror, their attacks were deflected. They realized that they had been trapped in a pyramid-like triangular barrier. The thin, yet solid golden barrier expanded along the light column and shrouded the entire land. This time, the Cavalrymen had finally lost their cool. They raised their heads and witnessed that everything had exceeded their expectations. Before they figured out what exactly had happened, they heard crisp laughter.


    "Huhuhu, Little Lize, I didn''t expect this to turn out this well. It seems that all''s left is to wind this up, eh?"


    Gillian emerged out of thin air. She squinted proudly and gazed at the flustered crowd below her. She revealed a pleased smile before extending her arms forward. A dazzling scarlet card spun in her palms gracefully. Gillian smashed her palms together.


    [Magic Symbol �� Seven Hells]


    Scarlet flames surged violently and burned their entire world.

 Chapter 553 First Victory

    "Phew��"


    Lize witnessed the barrier before her covered by flames and she heaved a sigh of relief, softening her knees to the ground. Although, strictly speaking, this battle didn''t seem as intense as expected, this was, after all, Lize''s first battle where she was responsible for the strategy. Now that the plan had entered the final stage, Lize was finally feeling relieved. Joey and the others had arrived by her side and gazed at her with strange expressions.


    Joey, Randolf, and Marfa knew that the tactics that Lize came up with weren''t as simple as they appeared. This was the first time that she had worked out her tactics down to the smallest details. Lize split her Clerics into teams of four. One of the teams was responsible for deceiving the enemies with Glittering Rays while another was in charge of maintaining the Decelerating Haloes. Lize personally led the remaining two teams to activate the ''Divine Edifice'', which was the core of this ambush.


    Lize had never thought of relying on Marfa''s Swordsmen or Randolf''s Rangers to accomplish this mission. After all, there were too many enemies and they wouldn''t be able to annihilate them all even if the enemies simply stood there without retaliating. Fortunately, Lize had experienced plenty of battles with Rhode which they had won with lesser men than the enemies. Lize realized that Rhode normally placed Mages or Clerics in the front line instead of close-combat units and she imitated his style of using the spellcasters as the main attackers and planned this ambush.


    She used the sudden outburst of holy rays to throw the enemy formation into disorder and force them forward. Then, she made use of the Decelerating Haloes to hinder their movements and to buy some time for the casting of the ''Divine Edifice''. At the same time, the Rangers distracted the enemies to prevent them from breaking through the Decelerating Haloes while the Swordsmen lurked in front of the Clerics who were casting the ''Divine Edifice'' and served as a defensive line in case of any accidents. The Thieves wandered the perimeter swiftly to investigate the front and rear. When the ''Divine Edifice'' was completed, Gillian descended and used her trump card to deal the final blow to the trapped enemies.


    Frankly speaking, this tactic wasn''t grand and honorable at all. Anne was responsible for protecting the Clerics who were maintaining the Decelerating Haloes in the front. But apart from her, there were two more Clerics lying low by the sides and they would cast defensive spells on their companions if the situation had gone south. The Rangers and Thieves lurked in the forest to minimize contact with the enemies and once the enemies entered the forest, they immediately retreated without hesitation like a timid person who was fearful of death wandering in the forest and a light breeze could break him into fleeing�� This wasn''t worth showing off at all.


    In order for this battle to be successful, Lize spent the entire night explaining to the others about their specific roles. She knew that she wasn''t an experienced commander like Rhode and she thought that she might as well consider all the possible scenarios before the battle commenced. What should I do if the enemies came to a halt? What if the enemies continue to break through without stopping? What if the enemies break away from the encirclement? What if there is an unexpected powerful presence among the enemies? What if we are sandwiched between the enemies? What if the enemies destroys us first?


    The team leaders didn''t ask for her advice after the battle started. She had clearly gone through the scenarios with them.


    It was tedious, dogmatic, and even rigid.


    Lize was aware of it herself, but she chose not to care. Even after listening to Gillian''s opinion, Lize didn''t give up on her thoughts. After all, she was a stubborn person and it was this stubbornness that helped minimize the chances of her men dying recklessly. All she could do was rely on the battle experiences she had with Rhode to consider the possible scenarios during battle.


    Honestly speaking, if both sides were fighting to their deaths, this thought of Lize''s might be a lethal weakness. As the saying ''only the brave wins'' go, there were many times when one must possess such an attitude to be victorious. There would be situations where one could only win after putting everything on the line. Although Marfa led 50 Peak Elite Swordsmen, he wasn''t that foolish to suggest leading them against 3000 Cavalrymen. That wasn''t being heroic. That was purely an IQ problem.


    "Woah, this is really��"


    Joey gazed at the surging flames in astonishment before sweeping a glance at Lize with lingering fears. Gillian''s [Seven Hells] was the combination of massive fireballs and flares. Its effects were doubled in the ''Divine Edifice'' and loud explosions were heard booming from within. They couldn''t see the Cavalrymen inside, but they could easily imagine their terrible state. Even the most well-equipped soldiers couldn''t survive such an attack.


    However, Joey wasn''t only in awe over the Fire Elemental Lord''s capabilities. Instead, he shot a meaningful look at Randolf while Randolf shook his head and sighed in response.


    Frankly speaking, this battle had astounded them.


    Lize''s head had been occupied with various methods to protect every single one of them. She had worked hard in stopping the Cavalrymen from breaking through the defensive line that she didn''t notice the meaning of everything that she had done. To Joey and Randolf, they realized that they actually didn''t understand this quiet, gentle young lady at all.


    Not only that, but the unique style of the traps also forced the Cavalrymen to focus on their front and rear, which hindered their speed greatly. Thereafter, the enemies realized that the disturbance from Randolf''s men wasn''t actually as threatening as they thought. They continued to advance forward and eventually plunged into the trap of the Decelerating Haloes. Afterward, their movements and reactions were within Lize''s predictions and all the naggings before the battle had taken effect completely. Although Lize''s decision making wasn''t as lethal and crucial as Rhode''s, her abilities to ensure the entire process worked was equally outstanding!


    Of course, Lize had sought Randolf and Marfa''s opinions on what they do when they faced various situations. During the battle, although the Cavalrymen tried to counterattack more than once, the mercenaries didn''t panic at all because Lize had briefed them in accordance with the various scenarios.


    And this way, there was another interesting response. Lize focused fully on the defensive line and she didn''t have the time and energy to consider other problems. However, to Joey and the others, Lize appeared to them as she was secretly plotting against the pitiful Southern Legion from the start where she had calculated their every move. Those who knew her were aware that she wasn''t this vicious, but those who didn''t understand her enough would perhaps think that she had some hatred against the Southern Legion.


    After five to six minutes, the flames in the ''Divine Edifice'' weakened and the golden barrier vanished into speckles of golden dust. Then, the smoke dissipated and the battlefield unveiled itself. Everyone sucked in a deep breath in unison.


    The green grassland was filled with holes from the explosions and stacked with corpses of warhorses and Cavalrymen that laid across the ground. Although the entire world appeared to be melting in Gillian''s [Seven Hells], she, after all, had similar strength to Rhode and it was inevitable that her core spell would be weakened after a period of time. The Cavalrymen didn''t melt entirely in the flames, but the seal of the ''Divine Edifice'' and the series of explosions within were enough to deal fatal damage to them.


    "Phew��" Lize heaved a sigh of relief.


    She had conflicting emotions about the scene before her, but she bestirred herself and stood to her feet. "Mr. Marfa, please lead your men to sweep the battlefield. Mr. Randolf, please gather your men and check for any losses. Joey, please go check out the surroundings for any abnormalities."


    This time, the mercenaries team leaders hesitated no more. They nodded in agreement and left swiftly. Lize loosened her shoulders and looked up at the azure sky. The pitch-black, thick billows of smoke were soaring gradually, smearing a ghastly scar to the beautiful heavens.


    "Well done, Little Lize," Gillian giggled as she descended from above and gazed at Lize with an amusing smile. "Your first battle is a huge success. To be honest, I never thought that you actually considered this much. But it seems that Master''s expectations of you were correct."


    "�� Is this fine, Miss Gillian?"


    Lize revealed a complex expression. She puckered her brows and turned to the disorderly, stacked burnt corpses. The battlefield looked like a living hell��


    "Everything that I''ve done��"


    "Aiya, Little Lize. The battle is over so why are you worrying about this?"


    Gillian interrupted cheekily. She held Lize in her arms and spoke softly into her ears. "Alright alright, stop thinking about unnecessary matters. You''ve spent a long time with Master and this isn''t the first time that you''ve witnessed such a horrible scene so what''s there for you to not let go? This is a battle, Little Lize. You did well and no one will reprimand you for it. Let it go and stop showing such an expression to your men. If you feel guilty, they will feel uneasy too."


    "�� Okay." Lize lowered her head instinctively as she sensed that something was off from the fox-eared young lady''s words. However, she couldn''t figure out what exactly was wrong.


    At this point, Lize was feeling extremely emotional. After all, the tactics that she came up with had finally worked. On the other hand, she felt horrible because so many lives were gone because of her, and yet, she felt this excited and accomplished. Although she understood that these people were her enemies and defeating them was her duty, she couldn''t help but feel uneasy witnessing the corpses laid across before her. But shortly after, she stifled the fluster in her mind and calmed herself down.


    "Our job here is done. Not sure about the situation on the other side�� Miss Gillian�� Will it really be fine?"


    "Huhuhu, don''t worry, Little Lize," Gillian let out a chuckle and scratched Lize''s nose lightly. "I guarantee you that there isn''t any problem at all. Hehe. Some people are just too prideful and we must give them a way out before they''re willing."


    "???" Lize turned to Gillian curiously, but Gillian simply squinted at the horizon meaningfully.


    It''s about time now.


    A look of vigilance and concern emerged on the Cavalry Leader''s face as he observed the thick dark smoke coming into view from the horizon in the distance. He knew the battle plan with the utmost importance was going on in that direction. Initially, General Dade had planned to split the Cavalrymen into two teams and penetrate the defensive line as quickly as possible while the others pinned down the Fortress. Afterward, they would attack the city of Paphield altogether after converging their forces. As long as their breakthrough was successful, it would mean that their battle plan had worked out perfectly. General Dade was extremely confident in this battle plan because he had dispatched scouts to investigate the forces in the Cloud Summit Fortress and he learned that the Fortress didn''t have enough manpower to defend against his attacks. Moreover, based on the Reformist Party''s intelligence network, there weren''t any troops deployed by the King''s Party at the rear of the Fortress, which meant that if they could break through the defensive line, victory would be within their reach!


    But�� What was going on now? The sparkling flares and deep, loud explosions�� He felt rather anxious, but he couldn''t link up with the forces there. Although it was the reliable General Dade who led the Cavalrymen personally for the breakthrough, he still expected some sort of resistance from the enemies.


    However, this stillness�� didn''t seem like��


    "��!"


    Suddenly, a deep, ear-piercing sound broke out and struck his chest like an invisible steel hammer. The Cavalry Leader let out a groan and he almost fell off his horse. He tugged the reins hurriedly to secure his position, but the soldiers around him had fallen to the ground.


    At this moment, the Cavalry Leader discovered a black-haired young lady seated on the ground, strumming the strings of a tall harp. Even though the young lady was alone, the Cavalrymen sensed an overwhelming pressure as though she possessed the might of a thousand soldiers. The warhorses below them neighed uncertainly and even though they tugged their reins, they couldn''t control them at all. The black-haired young lady knitted her brows as she looked at the shameful Cavalrymen. "How ugly."


    Her voice wasn''t loud, but it sounded so crisp and clear like she was whispering straight into their ears.


    "This is the shameful behavior of the weak. How unbearable�� I had no intentions of dealing with you people, but since I''ve received an order, I have to finish it�� It''s normal for a strong one to show pity for the weak, so I will give you all a chance to turn around and return to wherever you came from. This is my mercy to you and this is your only chance."


    The young lady remained in silence as she waited for their responses. Meanwhile, the soldiers were dumbstruck. They never thought that this young lady would dare threaten a brigade of thousands of soldiers.


    She must be insane!


    The Cavalry Leader knitted his brows slightly. Although he felt something strange in the way she spoke, he didn''t believe that she was bluffing. The weird voice remained in his mind clearly and the unbearable sensation he felt in his body was still present. This proved that the young lady wasn''t easy to deal with. But�� would they back down just like this?


    "We will never back down!" The Cavalry Leader raised his sword and pointed at the black-haired young lady. "We fight for the freedom of the Southerners! We will use our lives to defend and protect our families! We will not succumb to sinister ruler! We will go all-out and never give up!"


    The Cavalry Leader grunted, blew a long whistle, and urged on his warhorse forward. The Cavalrymen behind him lifted their weapons and darted toward the black-haired young lady. In an instant, the entire Calvary team had as though transformed into a berserk tornado, whizzing and pulverizing everything before them.


    "Hmph��" The young lady revealed a look of disdain. "How dare you weak ones rebel against the strong and continue to revel in your foolish behaviors? This is disgustingly loathful!"


    Her brows snapped together furiously and she readied her fingers on the fine strings.

 Chapter 554 A Startling Change

    Thousands of armored horses galloped forward while the soldiers raised their shimmering swords. Nobody could remain indifferent in the face of such dignified attack, but Gaya didn''t even bat an eyelid. Instead, she ruffled her ring finger on the harp strings.


    "��!"


    In an instant, the entire world became clear and silent.


    The ground sunk in abruptly as though a gigantic object had crashed down from the sky and not a single Cavalry stood before Gaya any more. In the blink of an eye, the shapeless sound wave had smashed them into snowflake-like fine powder. The young lady stood to her feet and the powder fluttered in the gentle breeze.


    "Ugly, weak, and not worth a mention." Gaya swept a glance at the ground covered in white powder before her. She snorted and left with her harp in hands.


    Everything had ended for her.


    But it had just begun for the others.


    It was afternoon.


    General Dade lowered his gaze to the Cloud Summit Fortress in the distance and he sucked in a deep, long breath to calm his nerves. He observed the soldiers on the Fortress walls. They had pulled back their bowstrings fully and were aiming at his men. However, there weren''t any movements in the Fortress indicating their intentions to move out. This was fine for General Dade because his mission wasn''t to take down the Cloud Summit Fortress. With his current manpower, he would pay a huge price to take down even this tattered Fortress. Moreover, it was the ''Red Fox'' Garcia taking charge of the Fortress and General Dade knew the best ways to deal with a cunning person like him. The best way against him was to observe changes and ensure that the soldiers wouldn''t leave the Fortress.


    Bu, even so, the explosions and thick billows of smoke left Dade feeling nervous. He stroked his long beard and his stubborn, stone carved-like angular face gloomed. Although he trusted his subordinates, the thick, dark smoke worried the prudent general. No matter what, he was sure that the smoke was the doing of the enemies.


    Besides, no matter how many enemies there were, it was rather apparent that they had discovered his true intentions. However, he didn''t know how much manpower that rascal, Garcia, had dispatched to stop his 3000 Cavalrymen. With his current manpower, perhaps it wouldn''t be enough even if he sent everyone.


    Originally, Dade had nothing to worry about the current situation. According to his battle plan, his men would be converging in deep Paphield by noon and he would receive a signal to retreat immediately. However, he felt that something was off as though things weren''t that simple. He tried to contact his men, but the Remote Communication Crystal was an expensive item and shouldn''t be used by a general like him.


    It''s afternoon already. Just two to three hours more and they should arrive at the destination according to the battle plan��


    General Dade shook his head and scanned the surroundings before returning to his campsite. "Garcia seems so idle. It seems like I must apply more pressure on him��"


    "I don''t think that''s necessary, Old General."


    Suddenly, a carefree voice sounded from behind him. General Dade instantly knew that the voice was hostile and he instinctively reached for his sword. However, the assassin was much quicker than him. General Dade grabbed his sword hilt, but a dagger had pushed against his throat. Any slight movements from him and the razor-sharp blade would undoubtedly tear his throat.


    "Who�� Who�� are you?" General Dade''s body stiffened entirely.


    He possessed strength in the Elite Stage and he had no lack of powerful bodyguards around him. It proved that this assassin was much stronger than him since he was able to sneak up on him that closely. General Dade smartly chose to give up resisting because he knew that the assassin had the strength of at least the Master Stage and it was impossible for his men to take him down. If he put up a meaningless struggle, not only would he die even quicker, but they would also be unable to capture this mysterious intruder. Since the assassin had managed to sneak into his camp without getting discovered, it proved that he could slip away equally well from their encirclement. If he reacted hastily, there would be no purpose other than losing his life.


    "Now isn''t the time for self-introductions, Old General. I have a request. Order your men to lay down their weapons and surrender to the Cloud Summit Fortress. How about that? This is something that you can easily accomplish, right?"


    "I''ve never expected a holy and righteous Angel to resort to such evil, shameless means."


    "That''s not right. I''m a genuine human, so you can stop attacking me using race. Indeed, perhaps Royal Highness Lydia dislikes such methods, but we, subordinates, are a pragmatic bunch�� Moreover, I don''t think that this is vicious. Sacrificing you is better than sending that many soldiers to their death for the sake of the brainless merchants'' greedy desires, right?"


    "��" General Dade fell into silence.


    As one of the generals for the Southern Legion frontline, he knew the situation by the rear at the tip of his fingers. He had heard about the incidents involving the conflagration and the Undead Army, and this was the first time that he was highly disappointed in the Reformist Party. Although both incidents were eventually resolved, he had seen the operations between the impassioned merchants and the nobles. Instead of working hard for the Southerners as they claimed, they protected their benefits and revealed their shameless side.


    Not everyone in the Southern Legion supported the Reformist Party. Apart from the imprisoned officers that objected independence from the Munn Kingdom, the other officers that were devoted to the Reformist Party all had different standpoints. Some of them fancied the authority, position, and wealth that the Reformist Party had given them. They abandoned their pride and honor as military officials and kneeled before the merchants and became their hired thugs. Some of them had the same idea as the Reformist Party and they hoped to break away from the Munn Kingdom. The families of the remaining officers were threatened and they had no choice but to succumb to the Reformist Party.


    General Dade belonged to the second group. He was a true Southerner and had grown up listening to the Reformist Party''s propaganda. In his impression, the King''s Party was as the Reformist Party described, ferocious, violent, and dictatorial. Furthermore, the bloody night that Lydia had caused years ago left him stunned. This was why he was determined to join their forces after the Reformist Party declared independence.


    But now, he was utterly disappointed after witnessing the Reformist Party''s actions. He thought that they would choose to mobilize the frontline forces to curb the Undead Army''s threat. After all, no matter what, the Undead Army was the biggest threat at the moment. But he didn''t expect that the greedy Southern Parliament members actually made a grave mistake in their decision�� They had actually sent inexperienced city guards to battle the Undead Army!


    At the end, needless to say, all the city guards died in the battle and General Dade''s young brother was one of them.


    Due to this reason, General Dade was feeling increasingly disappointed and hopeless in the Southern Parliament. He knew why the Southern Parliament didn''t mobilize the troops and had sent the city guards to face the terrifying creatures instead. However, the Southern Parliament''s statements to them had been entirely different. They said that this was for the sake of the people in order to save them from the despotic rule so they could leave a peaceful life. But now? They abandoned their people and protected their own benefits!


    Are my actions correct?


    "�� General Dade, sorry to interrupt you, but don''t you think you''ve remained silent for a little too long?" The voice sounded in his ears once again.


    General Dade let out a helpless sigh.


    Forget it. My mission has been accomplished�� No matter what happens next, it has nothing to do with me anymore.


    General Dade lifted his head and called out. "Messenger��"


    His voice had never been this agonizing.


    The fiery sun shone on the city walls brightly.


    Garcia leaned listlessly and the liquor flask in his hand was empty.


    "This is boring. What''s that old fart doing? Setting up camp and not moving an inch? Is he intending to be a permanent resident there? Heh. What''s the point of this deadlock? He might as well send some men forward for a great fight. Tch, I''ve finished my liquor. How troublesome. I wonder how''s that little girl''s doing on the other side. If that little girl is doing well, maybe I can use this chance to attack that old fart��"


    The slipshod Fortress Commander rubbed his hands and let out a cheeky laugh as though he was more like a dirty gangster. But shortly after, he stood up straight and revealed a stern expression. "Heh. That old fart is finally sending out his troops? How daring of him. Messenger, pass down my orders�� Eh?"


    Garcia''s hand gestures came to an abrupt stop. He squinted at the teams of soldiers approaching the Fortress. The soldiers weren''t raising their weapons and charging over aggressively. Instead, they were unarmed and crestfallen while their leader raised a white flag high.


    "What in the world?" Garcia was dumbfounded.


    The dejected, unarmed soldiers entered the Fortress with the escort from the soldiers. Garcia scrutinized the young man who stood beside the dispirited old general who was bound tightly in ropes. "Mr. Rhode, long time no see. What a huge surprise you have there."


    "It''s nothing, General Garcia. I was just passing by and I saw that your Fortress had been surrounded again. Since I had nothing better to do, I thought that I might as well�� It seems that this ending is great too, right?"


    For unknown reasons, Garcia found the word ''again'' ear-piercing.


    "�� Yes, it''s all thanks to you." Garcia shrugged lightly and approached General Dade.


    He shot him a look and gestured to his bodyguards. Shortly after, the bodyguards silently brought the old general away and Garcia turned to face Rhode with a smile. "Mr. Rhode, you''ve done a great job again. Don''t make the other nobles too jealous, will ya? By the way, your troops are��"


    "I know. Don''t worry, she''ll be fine."


    Rhode was confident in Lize''s abilities. In fact, he had received a ''live report'' from Gillian about Lize''s battle plan. Got to say, Rhode knew that Lize had this talent in her and she performed impressively this time. Clerics were a strict support class and this meant that an outstanding Cleric had to grasp the characteristics and classes of the members in her team, in order to prevent any mistakes during battle. Due to this reason, many Clerics in team battles took up the roles of adjutants because they possessed pragmatic commanding moves, meticulous observation skills, and sharp reactions. Lize had no lack of these characteristics and during their previous operations, Rhode had discovered that Lize led her Cleric team skillfully without any issues. This was one of the reasons that he had appointed Lize to represent him in commanding the battle.


    Remarkable results.


    Rhode felt that he was really fortunate. Indeed, Lize lacked overall views on situations. Perhaps it was due to her small-minded personality that she limited herself to observe the outcomes of the one or two battles. The furthest that Lize could envision in this battle was the Reformist Party trying to launch an attack on Paphield after getting past the defensive line. On the contrary, Marlene was different. As Rhode''s adjutant, she wasn''t as careful in pre-battle preparations, but she concentrated on the present conditions instead. If both of them were chess players, Lize would be planning her moves in terms of gains and losses while Marlene would watch the movements of the entire chessboard.


    Both of them had their merits and drawbacks. If Rhode could make use of their strength perfectly, it would surely be beneficial for future battles. Marlene didn''t need his guidance while Lize finally unleashed her potential under pressure.


    This was the best gain for Rhode.


    "I see that Mr. Rhode is aware of the current situation?"


    Garcia had invited Rhode to his room and he asked softly.


    Rhode twitched his brows. He picked up the teacup and sipped the fragrant tea. "That''s right, Mr. Garcia. I''m clear of the current situation. But, nobodies like us should do what we''re supposed to and as for the other matters�� Someone else will naturally do it."


    "I hope so." Garcia shook his head as he knew what Rhode meant.


    At this moment, someone knocked on the door. Garcia knitted his brows and responded. "Come in."


    The door opened and Lize entered the room. "General Garcia, we have accomplished the mission. Among the 3,500 enemy Cavalrymen, 2,300 of them are dead and those who survived are heavily injured. My men are looking over them, but there are too many of them. If it is possible, I hope the Fortress can�� Mr. Rhode?!"


    Lize shockingly detected Rhode sitting at the side. She widened her eyes in astonishment. "You''re back? When did you��"


    "Only just, Lize. I''ve heard from Gillian. And you''ve done well."


    "Mr. Rhode��"


    Complicated emotions clouded her mind as she witnessed his nod. There were feelings of joy, complaints, and grievances�� She didn''t know how she should face Rhode. She looked at Rhode vacantly but she couldn''t utter any more words. On the other hand, the corners of Rhode''s mouth turned up and he approached her, placing his right hand on her shoulder. "Good job, Lize. I''m happy that you''re able to face everything bravely and accomplish the mission that I''ve handed to you impressively."


    "Mr. Rhode, I��" Lize blushed to Rhode''s gaze.


    When she was about to respond, suddenly, a soldier rushed into the room. "Reporting, Sir! We received news that the Thistle Wreath Fortress has fallen into the enemies'' hands! The Southern Legion''s 20,000 troops have penetrated deep into the Paphield hinterland!"

 Chapter 555 Take The Bai

    Lize''s expression paled as soon as she heard the news. The thing that she feared the most had eventually happened. She looked at Rhode and Garcia worriedly and attempted to seek their assistance. However, the next scene left her stunned.


    Rhode and Garcia appeared unfazed. Garcia smiled at Rhode and gestured to the soldier. "Alright, I got it. You can back down now."


    "Yes, Sir." The orderly left swiftly.


    Garcia strolled to his table and lifted a bottle of red wine. He shook it slightly at Rhode. "Mr. Rhode, shall we?"


    "Sorry, I''m not interested in being alone with a man. Besides, Mr. Garcia, since we''ve driven off the enemies, how about we have a celebration feast tonight? Everyone has put in hard work and it will be a great time for them to unwind, right?"


    "Yes, that''s a great idea. I will get my men to prepare immediately. Please join us tonight, especially Miss Lize." Garcia turned to Lize with a gracious smile. "You''ve led the mercenaries and secured our defensive line. At the same time, you''ve also held hundreds of enemies captive. This is a great achievement. Please join our celebration feast with your mercenaries. I will get my chefs to prepare their best dishes to treat everyone''s palettes."


    "Ah. It''s nothing. General Garcia, this is my duty�� No!" Lize nodded instinctively before coming to her senses abruptly. She looked helplessly at Garcia and Rhode. "General Garcia, Mr. Rhode, the Thistle Wreath Fortress has fallen into the enemies'' hands and they have penetrated Paphield. Aren''t we supposed to do something?"


    "��" Garcia and Rhode exchanged glances with each other.


    Garcia spread his hands out and gazed at Rhode with a dissatisfied look while Rhode shrugged as though the matter had nothing to do with him. "What has this got to do with us? Lize, our mission has been accomplished. Alright, don''t worry so much and get some rest. I''m sure you must be tired. Just relax and join the feast tonight."


    "But��"


    Lize couldn''t understand why Rhode had such an attitude toward the matter. The Reformist Party army had invaded Paphield and who knew what they would be up to. But now, Rhode and Garcia didn''t seem as nervous as she had expected. Instead, they were casually discussing some celebratory feast? Was this what they should do now? However, before Lize finished her sentence, Rhode had stood up and nodded at Garcia. "Alright then, General Garcia. I will take my leave now and let my men know of the feast tonight."


    "Please be assured, Mr. Rhode, I will prepare it well��" Garcia paused and swept at glance at Lize. "�� I hope all of you will enjoy yourselves fully."


    "I''m looking forward to it." Rhode patted Lize''s shoulder and left.


    Lize looked at Garcia, who put his leg on the table, leisurely drinking red wine. She eventually turned around and followed Rhode hurriedly.


    "Mr. Rhode!" Lize scurried her way to Rhode''s side and she asked. "Do you really intend to not do anything? Paphield will��"


    Rhode came to a halt and turned to her. "Lize, you''re a qualified adjutant. I know you have this capability and I heard from Gillian about everything that you''ve done. I have to say that you did a good job. As an adjutant, you''re qualified. But as a commander, you''ve failed terribly."


    "Mr. Rhode?"


    Lize gazed blankly at him. Rhode noticed her doubts and he patted her shoulder before gesturing for her to follow him. Lize followed puzzledly as they headed toward the exit of the Fortress. Rhode continued. "Lize, you have to understand that we are only a Guild. Of course, I''m a Baron now, but that''s about all. I''m not a commander of a region, neither am I a noble of the Golden City. To put it bluntly, I''m a civilian and not the King of the Munn Kingdom. We don''t have the rights and responsibilities to question. Besides�� you seem to distrust Royal Highness Lydia a little too much."


    "I don''t really understand�� Mr. Rhode."


    Lize knitted her brows, but Rhode gave her an explanation swiftly.


    "I''ve said before that Royal Highness Lydia has no intentions of ending this battle anytime soon because if the Southerners don''t personally experience the tragedies that these battles would bring them, they wouldn''t stop them. If they don''t lose their families in the battles, end up living on the streets where they can''t even afford food and to live in the rubbish dump to snatch food from wild dogs, they will surely put in more passion for this senseless rebellion. If the Southerners can''t feed themselves and are always on the brink of death, to begin with, this method will surely be ineffective because they have lost everything and there is nothing else for them to lose. But you and I are aware that this isn''t the truth. The South in the Munn Kingdom is the wealthiest place where the laborers dress up even better than the nobles and manor owners in the North. This time, their rebellion and so-called independence isn''t built on the foundation of their survivability. Instead, it is to seek additional benefits. Therefore, they won''t watch their benefits be devoured by the flames of battles."


    Both of them stepped out of the Fortress and were welcomed by the heat waves and noises. The air was filled with soldiers'' screams and berates. There were also sounds of sufferings and moanings from the wounded soldiers in the medical camps in the distance.


    "Lize, you are aware of Royal Highness Lydia''s strength. Indeed, the Battle Angel Army basically won''t intervene with human battles and this is one of the Archangel''s considerations. After all, the ruler isn''t a human. If she uses non-human subordinates to interfere with human affairs, it will surely raise an uproar among the civilians. But even so, Royal Highness Lydia has the loyal forces of the King''s Party, namely the Northern Army, Eastern Plain, Court Mage Association, and the Senia Family, taking the lead. But, have you seen any of them at this point? Is it possible that Royal Highness Lydia is so worthless that she couldn''t mobilize any troops? Could it be that the Munn Kingdom has fallen so low that we have to rely on mercenaries to fight?"


    "I��" Lize was speechless.


    "Frankly speaking, if Royal Highness Lydia only wishes to repress the rebellion, the entire Reformist Party would be hanged and whirling in the wind in the forest behind Golden City by now. But this is meaningless because the other civilians will continue to be intoxicated in worshipping their so-called thoughts of freedom and independence. If things reach that stage, perhaps Golden City would hang a group of people in their back forest every year."


    "But Big Sister has also done something similar in the past��"


    "The past and now are different," Rhode shook his head. "Back then, Royal Highness Lydia had just succeeded the throne and she didn''t have the reputation to convince the people. On the contrary, the Reformist Party had been conspiring for a long time and they took actions while the iron was hot. On one hand, it was to establish their prestige within the King''s Party in the shortest time possible and on the other hand, it was to delay and suppress the Southern group of idiots. But it is different now. Royal Highness Lydia has stabled her strong position and grasped the Munn Kingdom firmly in her hands, so she can set her mind at ease and carefully act in accordance to the enemies, rather than slash out her swords. The Thistle Wreath Forest''s fall is actually within General Garcia and my expectations."


    It was apparent from Lydia''s dillydallying of not dispatching military troops that she had intended to lure the enemies into penetrating deeply into the Flourishing Blossom, Thistle Wreath, Cloud Summit, where one of the three Fortresses had to be sacrificed. Since Gaya had been sent by Lydia to the Cloud Summit Fortress, it meant that this place wouldn''t be abandoned. Rhode had read from the letter that Marlene had headed into the Flourishing Blossom so the chances of there being abandoned were basically zero. Lastly, the Thistle Wreath Fortress��its terrain wasn''t suitable for defense and furthermore, there was only a city, Calentes, behind it. That place was in the wilderness with minimal population, specialties, and wealth. It could be said that it was the most likely to be abandoned.


    It seemed that the situation had been developing according to Royal Highness Lydia''s plans. Rhode knew that his identity was nothing more than a lowly Baron and mercenary, and the Munn Kingdom hadn''t reached the desperate stage where everyone would be dragged into a role in battles. Therefore, he was only responsible for some early stage projects. However, this proved as a great opportunity for Rhode. He wasn''t furious that he had been left out from the huge battle at all. Instead, he was delighted and pleased. His less than 200 mercenaries would be useless in a battle of the thousands and the situations in battle were so everchanging that all his men might even be sacrificed for nothing. He would prefer to lead his team of Elites to complete missions like what a player did best. After all, this was the way players cleared the game.


    "I guess you''re aware that the King''s Party''s strength is much stronger than the Reformist Party''s. The Reformist Party launched their attacks to conquer as much land as possible in Paphield because they would then seek help from the Country of Light Parliament when the King''s Party retaliated. By then, they would pick up this cheap deal of territory in Paphield, with the prerequisite that the King''s Party would respect the decision of the Light Parliament."


    But, in fact, the King''s Party wouldn''t.


    The Light Parliament had understood this point ever since Lydia witnessed how Mini Bubble Gum had defeated the Mist Sword Saint. However, the Light Parliament didn''t inform the Reformist Party because, from their standpoint, the Reformist Party''s actions would only weaken the Munn Kingdom''s strength no matter whether they succeeded or not. If they didn''t manage Lydia well enough, it might bring a hidden danger that wouldn''t be eradicated for a long time. The Light Parliament only needed to put in some harsh words and they could simply watch in safety.


    Therefore, the Light Parliament''s best deal was to continue pretending. However, they could never be as invested as before when it came to applying pressure on the King''s Party because they had understood the consequences of getting involved.


    "Have you seen people catch monkeys before, Lize?"


    "Catch monkeys?" Lize shook her head in surprise.


    Rhode nodded and continued. "I''ve seen some people catching a monkey. They used a heavy clay pot with an opening the size of a monkey''s hand and place delicious fruits in it. The monkey naturally inserts its hand for it and it couldn''t pull out of it�� Then, the hunter goes up to it and grabs it."


    "Why can''t it take its hand out of the opening? Mr Rhode? If it could put its hand in, it should be able to take it out, isn''t it?"


    "The reason is simple. It put its empty hand in and grabbed a fruit when it tried to retrieve it. Even in the face of danger, the monkey still wasn''t willing to let go of the fruit. In the end, it couldn''t escape the trap and was caught by the hunter��" Rhode narrowed his eyes. "And now, the monkey has put its hand in the opening and all we need to do is to be devoted audiences to see how the hunter captures the monkey. Soon, the hunter will be attacking the monkey, but the monkey will not let go of its hand even after it sees the rope on the hunter''s hand. Instead, the monkey will be foolishly hoping for someone to step up and get it out of danger before the hunter captures it."


    "��"


    Lize lowered her head in silence. Rhode had given a clear explanation and she naturally understood what he meant. After a brief moment, the young lady let out a sigh and said. "Mr. Rhode, what should we do next?"


    "Our mission is almost done. We shall see the situation over at Royal Highness Lydia''s side. I think that Cloud Summit Fortress won''t be in any danger and we should focus on our own mission soon�� I guess the reinforcements will arrive at the Cloud Summit Fortress in a few days and we will be free from anything by then. Lize, have a good rest during this period of time and afterward, we will head to the Frozen Lake in Cranmore to complete our next 5 Stars mission."


    Frankly speaking, although Rhode had gained political and reputational respect after coming to the Paphield defensive line, this actually was a miserable result for a player. The enemies here were low-leveled and Rhode gained merely a pathetic 20000 EXP. Even before he got to accumulate more EXP, the ''Sulfur River'' in Grosso had wiped it all out. Then, in Fiat, he received a special ''Fiery Rose'' mission and failed to complete it due to the circumstances. Although Lydia''s mission had been completed, his system missions had failed and he felt dispirited. Since there was nothing much going on with him in the upcoming battle, he intended to use this opportunity to strengthen his Guild''s strength.


    Both of them spoke as they walked and they arrived at the mercenary campsite. As they were about to step into the campsite, an unfamiliar voice berated. "Let me go, you despicable Northerners! I will fight to the death with all of you!"

 Chapter 556 Unexpected Joy

    What''s the situation?


    Rhode and Lize came to a halt and exchanged looks. At this moment, Joey murmured his way out of the campsite miserably and his face was bruised with blood flowing out from his nostrils. He spotted Rhode and Lize and ran up to them hurriedly. "Boss?! Boss, you''re finally back! Why didn''t you tell us earlier? Let me tell you. Today, Miss Lize commanded our ambush so well against the idiots of the Southern Legion�� Frankly speaking, I was a little worried from the start, but I never expected that Miss Lize would do this great��"


    "Alright, I know about this," Rhode gestured and pointed to the campsite. "What''s happening inside?"


    "There��" Joey''s blooming smile faded instantly like a withering eggplant. He let out a bitter smile and rubbed his badly battered face awkwardly. "Actually, it''s much nothing, Sir. The captives are just causing a ruckus��"


    Rhode gazed at Joey curiously before turning to Lize and nodded. Both of them headed into the campsite quickly while Joey followed with a helpless smile. Shortly after, Rhode spotted the source of the uproar. A dozen mercenaries crowded around the empty field where the inarticulate curses sounded from. The mercenaries seemed to be watching a show idly as though there was something interesting going on.


    "What''s going on?" Rhode knitted his brows and said.


    The mercenaries were startled to see Rhode behind them and they swiftly made way for him. A young man clad in the armor of the Southern Legion laid in the middle of the empty field. He seemed about 28 years old and had short, brown hair. Not only was his swollen face terribly battered, but he was also covered in filthy smoke stains. Marfa and Randolf stood beside him and they seemed to be speaking to him. They revealed looks of surprises after spotting Rhode and they quickly came to him and saluted.


    "Leader, you''re back."


    "Sir, long time no see."


    "Yes, I''m back. I''ve heard the details from Gillian. You guys did well�� What''s going on?"


    Rhode nodded and pointed at the young man with his lifted chin. Randolf and Marfa revealed bitter smiles and Randolf began to explain the entire happening.


    Although Lize''s battle plan was perfect, Gillian''s level was still limited and her [Seven Hells] had only managed to deal fatal damage to two-thirds of the Cavalrymen trapped in the ''Divine Edifice''. The remaining hundreds of Cavalrymen survived and were captured and brought back to the Fortress. This young man was the Commander of the Cavalrymen. Perhaps he was lucky or his men had protected him well, but he wasn''t gravely injured from the explosion and had just woken up from his unconsciousness. After he realized that he was kept captive, he had remained silent and unresponsive while facing the ground.


    Joey was looking after him unwillingly due to the relationship between the Southerners and Northerners. You looked down on us as beggars when you were rich. Why are you captive but still this arrogant?


    Joey disapproved of the young man''s behavior and ridiculed him. As one of the most active member in Starlight, Joey''s deriding had left the unfortunate young man ashen-faced and speechless. The other mercenaries naturally wouldn''t speak up for the enemy and they watched on from the side quietly. But Joey brought trouble to himself. He continued to jeer at the man and hurled abuse at General Dade for choosing him as the commander.


    The young man couldn''t tolerate it anymore. He forced himself up and headbutted Joey''s face. The pathetic Thief didn''t expect that the young man would erupt in anger suddenly. The mercenaries swarmed around and dragged Joey out. However, the young man wasn''t easy to deal with. Even though he was bound tightly and rolling about left to right furiously, the mercenaries weren''t able to subdue him. Fortunately, Marfa and Randolf heard the commotion and hurried to the scene to restrain him.


    After listening to Randolf''s explanation, Rhode shifted his attention to the young man who had calmed down. Got to say, Randolf''s way of handling the situation was great. If he reprimanded the young man, perhaps the young man would have jumped to his feet and hurled abuses. However, Randolf remained neutral and didn''t criticize him at all.


    Rhode turned his gaze to the mercenaries at the side. Some of the mercenaries had bruises on their faces and appeared hurt by the young man''s struggles. It seemed that this young man was rather skillful. Rhode was confident in his men''s strength as they were about level 40, Peak Elite Warriors. Although it was an entirely different concept between the Peak Elite Stage of the aborigines and the players, it still wasn''t easy for them to lose out. It was rather unusual for this young man to struggle continuously in the mercenaries'' hands even with his hands tied.


    Rhode had a sudden interest in the young man and he felt that this young man was a little familiar. He approached him and asked with knitted brows. "What''s your name?"


    "Hmph��!" The young man let out a snort and struggled to his feet. He lifted his head and stared at Rhode stubbornly. "I''m John�� John Grayer."


    The young man stuck out his chest proudly and the surrounding discontented mercenaries gritted their teeth. You''re a captive now and you are still so arrogant before our Leader? You must be sick of living!


    However, Rhode wasn''t as furious as them. Instead, he stared blankly for a moment and narrowed his eyes to scrutinize the young man, John Grayer. Rhode wasn''t unfamiliar with this name at all.


    In the game of the Dragon Soul Continent, John Grayer was a character full of legendary stories with a sad background. He was born in a reputable noble family in the North, but his childhood wasn''t blissful at all because his mother was a noble of the South while his father''s family was devoted to the King''s Party. His parents met on a Royal Family drinking party and fell in love at first sight. In order to marry John''s father, who was the patriarch of the family, his mother abandoned her family and moved to the North. However, this unfortunate woman wasn''t able to lead her blessed life as she had anticipated. Many of the members in the father''s family were displeased with her identity and were extremely vigilant against her because, to them, this was just a dirty, shameless method of the Southerners to blend into their Family''s high-class bloodline. As expected, the birth of John was faced with hostility. As the only son in the family, there were no doubts that John would inherit the family in the future. However, the others weren''t able to accept a ''bastard'' who was stained with the Southern bloodline to inherit the family. Moreover, the Southern bloodline in him might possibly cause him to make decisions that lean toward the merchants and nobles in the South.


    Due to this reason, John had faced all kinds of discriminations and plain hostilities while his mother lived in tears. Although she did her best to protect her child, she was still too fragile in the face of the immense family influence.


    And finally, there was a matter that changed John''s life forever. As he grew older, the people disliked and feared him more, which led to an idea for them. They sent someone to seduce John''s mother. His mother had been living in torment for more than a decade and the pure love in her had been frozen by ice-cold reality. The love she had for her husband wasn''t acknowledged and her husband treated her coldly due to his family pressure. This left her broken. She abandoned her love and began to enjoy carnal desires to escape from reality.


    After this incident, the family members lodged an accusation to their patriarch and the patriarch flew into a terrible rage after personally witnessing his wife having a love affair. Not only did he punished John''s mother heavily, but he also suspected if John wasn''t his biological son. In the end, the family members urged the patriarch to drive John''s mother out of the family and force them into the streets.


    John''s mother was devastated. She left her six years old John behind and drowned herself by jumping into the river. Before she committed suicide, she told John to look for her family with hopes that they would offer shelter for him. After her death, John carried out her wishes and finally arrived at the South after suffering lots of hardships. Even though he found his mother''s family, his situation didn''t change at all.


    In the South, John had been spurned due to his half-Northern bloodline. He had often been mocked and ridiculed by his mother''s family members that he ''carries the filth of the Northern country bumpkin in his blood''. John couldn''t tolerate the ridicules any longer and he left the family to join the military. He had a meteoric career and became an outstanding commander. This person had left a deep impression on players for being a true man who had the courage to accept the consequences of his actions. In the game, while the Munn Kingdom was under attack from the Country of Darkness, he led his army up North and destroyed his father''s family entirely. He killed his father personally as revenge for his mother, but this started a controversy. Even though many players knew about this general''s pitiful life experience, it was unforgivable for him to carry out something personally in times of war!


    But, shortly after, this general used his actions to shut all the players'' mouths. After annihilating his father''s family, he commanded his army in the frontline against the Country of Darkness. The Cavalrymen that he led were exceptionally formidable and it could even be said that he was the only general who dared to meet force with force with the Undead Army.


    If Garcia was considered a cunning wild fox, then John Grayer would be an angry bull. Rhode personally witnessed the ferocious scene when John had led ten thousand Cavalrymen against the never-ending stream of Undead Army where they shattered like fragile glasses.


    Of course, this general eventually died in the sea of Undead Army. This was the only possible ending for this reckless approach to war and Rhode wasn''t surprised at all.


    However, Rhode didn''t expect to see him here.


    But this is truly interesting.


    It seemed that this was a blessing in disguise. He came all the way to Paphield''s frontline and actually caught a huge fish. He had considered recruiting future generals of the Munn Kingdom to strengthen his forces and it wouldn''t be right if he didn''t take John in.


    Rhode had decided.


    "Loosen the ropes."


    Rhode gestured to his mercenaries and they untied the ropes on John. Meanwhile, the other mercenaries gazed vigilantly. After all, they knew that this man wasn''t easy to deal with. Now that they had untied the ropes, this fella may cause an even bigger trouble. But�� Is he even capable of doing anything in front of Leader?


    The young man didn''t create a ruckus as the mercenaries had expected. Instead, he puckered his brows and rotated his numbed wrists. He took two steps back while looking at Rhode. "Mr. Alander, never did I expect to meet you here. It seems that I wasn''t captured for nothing."


    "You know who I am?"


    Rhode was a little surprised because he couldn''t remember meeting this young man before. The corner of John''s mouth twitched and he revealed a mocking smile. "Are you kidding me? Mr. Alander? It would be even more shocking if the entire South hasn''t heard of your big name by now. Furthermore, your features are so��"


    John scanned Rhode from head to toe. Then, he spread his arms apart and shrugged. Rhode didn''t expect him to be this observant. He thought that John was a one-track minded and ferocious man. But it seemed that this man wasn''t as impulsive as he had imagined. Actually, this was to be expected because�� how could he have led his army against the Undead Army if he relied on simply being brave and fierce?


    Rhode nodded at John and beckoned before turning to the tent. "Follow me, Mr. John. I have something to discuss with you privately."


    They entered the tent and John sat down on a chair that he had dragged from the side. Rhode folded his arms and looked at the young man. After a brief silence, John let out a bitter smile. "Alright, I give up, Mr. Alander. Surely you didn''t invite me in for tea, right?"


    "Of course not, Mr. John. In fact, there''s something I want to discuss with you," Rhode shook his head. "I want to ask if you''re interested in joining Starlight?"


    John twitched his brows. "Join your Starlight Guild?"


    The young man gazed at Rhode as though he was looking at a monster. He shook his head. "You sure do love to joke, Mr. Alander. I am a soldier of the Southern Legion. Why would I be a mercenary in your Guild?"


    "You were." Rhode waved his hand to interrupt John. He narrowed his eyes and lifted his head proudly. "But now, you''re a captive, Mr. John. Besides�� You might even be a dead man soon."


    "��" John fell into silence. But shortly after, he shook his head. "I''m sorry, Mr. Alander. I am a soldier and soldiers would rather die than submit. I would rather die on the battlefield than to live a life under you."


    "Is this your pride as a Southerner?" A strange glint flashed in Rhode''s eyes.


    In the game, although John battled alongside the Munn Kingdom after taking his revenge on his father, the conflict between the South and North wasn''t as intense as now. At this point in time, the South and North had officially broken off their relations, so would John retain this notion? If he were a true loyal supporter of the South, Rhode had no need to continue this conversation anymore.


    "Yes, part of it. But most importantly, I have something that I must attend to and I must do it personally. I''m sorry, my views on the North isn''t as terrible as the Southern Parliament''s. But we''re each on our own now so it doesn''t matter."


    "But, the dead can''t accomplish anything."


    "I''m not dead yet, Mr. Alander." John showed a confident smile.


    Although Rhode didn''t know where his confidence stemmed from, Rhode was sure that he wasn''t someone who would resign to his fate.


    John strode toward the exit. "If you asked me in to talk about such boring matters, I''m sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Alander."


    At this moment, Rhode spoke with a casual tone. "�� Is it about the Rockefeller Family, Mr. John?"


    John came to a halt and turned around with a slightly ashen expression.


    "How do you��"


    "I think you may have forgotten, Mr. John," Rhode knew that his risk paid off judging from John''s expression. "I''m a noble and there''s no lack of gossip among us. ''The Shame of the Rockefeller Family''. I''ve heard about this rumor."


    "��!"


    Indeed. John sulked instantly as soon as he heard the sensitive term. He clenched his fists as wrath burned within him. He glared at Rhode furiously. "Mr. Alander, are you trying to mock me?"


    "Of course not. I''m just saying that we can make a deal."


    Rhode said without any change in his expression, but he was actually nodding inwardly. Rhode sensed that he had reached the Peak Elite Stage at level 39. Just one more step and he could transcend into the Master Stage and become a Swordsmaster. No wonder the mercenaries couldn''t pin him down even when his hands were tied.


    But it was a pity that even though he was only a level away from Rhode, the difference in strength between players and aborigines was massive. "As long as you''re willing to join my Guild and work for me wholeheartedly. I can promise you that I will wipe the entire Rockefeller Family out of this world."


    John felt a shiver down his spine and widened his eyes at Rhode unbelievably.


    Rhode twitched his brows and approached John, standing by the tent entrance. "What do you think about this deal, Mr. John?"

 Chapter 557 Two Years Contrac

    John didn''t respond immediately. Instead, he scrutinized Rhode with a trusting expression. "This is about me and the Rockefeller Family, Mr. Alander. I don''t think you need to intervene. Besides�� I don''t see the reason why."


    That''s true.


    If Rhode didn''t know the value of this man, he definitely wouldn''t do it. Although the Rockefeller Family had waned in the North, they, after all, were a traditional noble family. The difference between traditional nobles and emerging nobles was that not only was the former representing their family, they also represented the interest of a social class. Any abuses hurled on traditional nobles would be seen as a confrontation to the entire class which affected the dignity of the ruling class. If Rhode acted on his own accord, he might become an unpopular figure in the King''s Party. Therefore, it was logical for John to have such a doubt. If Rhode was an emerging noble in the South, it wouldn''t be strange that he proposed such a deal. The emerging nobles had always expected to overthrow the rule of the traditional nobles and replace their position. However, Rhode was different. He lived in the North and had always been a supporter of the King''s Party. Although the Rockefeller Family wasn''t powerful or reputable in the North, it would equal Rhode digging his own grave by doing so.


    Besides, everyone in the South was aware that Rhode and the Senia Family had a close relationship. The Senia Family''s popular magical genius, Marlene, was even in Rhode''s Guild. No one from the civilian to the noble classes understood why the heir of the largest family in the Munn Kingdom lowered her identity and joined a mercenary group. But the relationship between Rhode and the Senia Family was apparent to the public. The Senia Family was the backbone of the traditional nobles so John would never believe that Rhode would overturn the Rockefeller Family.


    Although John''s doubts were reasonable, Rhode didn''t explain his views. Rhode couldn''t possibly let John know about his political standpoint. Besides, even though Rhode knew what would happen to this continent in the future, he couldn''t possibly inform John like a deity.


    However, this wasn''t enough to leave Rhode speechless. "The reason as to why I''m willing to help you is very simple. I admire your capabilities."


    "My capabilities?" The tension in John''s expression eased.


    "That''s right, Mr. John. You possess great capabilities�� I wasn''t only referring to your strength, but also your talent in commanding troops. This is why I hope you can become my subordinate."


    "What a joke, Mr. Alander. Even though I''m capable of leading troops in war, surely you wouldn''t hand your mercenaries over to my command, right? Pardon my bluntness, if you''re only seeking pleasure in messing with me, I hope you can stop it now. Although I''m a captive, I do have my pride."


    "Of course, I understand that, Mr. John. Just look at all the beautiful ladies around me. No matter how bored I am, I wouldn''t be spending my time with a man at this hour, right?" Rhode cracked a joke and John revealed a smile.


    Indeed. Even though Rhode didn''t seem too desperate to recruit him into the Guild, John felt that this man was somewhat interesting. Yes, he wasn''t only referring to his appearance.


    John didn''t have a favorable impression of Rhode before they met. Rhode''s reputation in the South had been terrible ever since the end of the Midsummer Festival. As a member of the Southern Legion, John had heard no lack of remarks from his comrades about this brutal demon. Rhode was scheming, vicious, barbaric, and shameless. In other words, it wasn''t improper to describe this man with all the negative adjectives in the dictionary. Furthermore, he had even used such cruel methods to get rid of the Liberty Wings and the Southern Port''s pride and hero, Rosen. Some people believed that Rhode was simply a lackey of the King''s Party and among the rumors between the civilians, Rhode was portrayed as a sinister, insidious scum.


    John had also paid certain attention to Rhode. Rhode was younger than him, but he had attained higher achievements. Even though this attracted John''s attention, he was still doubtful about the rumors that he heard spreading among the civilians. If Rhode was really that sinister and shameless, the civilians wouldn''t possibly see through his disguise because a truly treacherous man wouldn''t allow that many people to see through him. If not, his acting skills would be too weak. If the civilians were able to see through his true colors, wouldn''t he be down the road to ruin? How could he possibly receive such high praises from Royal Highness Lydia and the King''s Party?


    And now, it seemed to be true.


    "If you don''t wish to join my Guild and be my subordinate, I can leave you with another choice." Rhode folded his arms and looked at John confidently. "Are you interested in being my henchman, Mr. John?"


    "Henchman?" John looked blankly for a moment and suddenly, he recalled that this man wasn''t only a Guild leader! He was also an official Baron!


    An officially recognized noble!


    John fell into deep thoughts. He wasn''t willing to be a mercenary. But it would be entirely different if he became the henchman of a noble, which would be a great choice for most soldiers. Rhode knew that John would become one of the most impressive generals of the Munn Kingdom, but John definitely wasn''t aware of that. At this moment, John was nothing more than a Cavalry Leader with a bright future and even he wasn''t sure of what was to come. It could even be said that if General Dade didn''t look after him just like his biological father, perhaps he would still be mingling among the ordinary soldiers.


    And now, General Dade had been captured and even if John escaped back to the Southern Legion, he might even be locked up. But if he became Rhode''s henchman, his revenge for his mother��


    "How about that, Mr. John?" Rhode broke his thoughts. "I understand your worries and hesitations, so I have a suggestion. Two years. Serve as my henchman for two years and within two years, I will find the opportunity to fulfill my promise to seek revenge for you. If I fail to do so within two years, you will be free to leave and I will not stop you. But I have to remind you that I will be the one deciding on when to seek revenge. You understand what I mean?"


    John stared blankly. Got to admit, this sounded like a way. But�� Two years? Will he release me after two years?


    "The answer to this question lies in you, Mr John. I believe that you wouldn''t go back on your words, but it depends on you if you choose to believe mine." Rhode continued to fold his arms and even though he revealed a calm expression, his heart was actually pounding.


    After all, there wasn''t any basis for commitment and cooperation between the two parties. John was worried that Rhode would go back on his words and Rhode was concerned that John would feign his compliance to slip away or provoke the Rockefeller Family during inappropriate times.


    These weren''t all delusions that were born out of nothing. In the game, Rhode had seen several such incidents where the lower limit of players was infinitely negative and they could do everything shamelessly. It was especially so for a large-scale Guild like Starlight that needed to recruit fresh blood every day. Some players thirsted for clinging onto Starlight''s popularity, looked forward to making use of Starlight to reach their personal goals and were even spies sent by opposing Guilds to wreak havoc internally. Some players had even laid their eyes on the high-level female players and tried to engage in one-night stands, cyberdates, and naked webcam chats to destroy their reputation. Mini Bubble Gum and Canary had faced similar incidents and from another aspect, this showed how Starlight was prone to attacks and criticisms.


    In the history of the game, John''s moral quality was mainly trustworthy. Based on his actions to seek revenge on the Rockefellers before fighting for the nation, it proved that his desire for revenge was immense and reckless. If that is true, will I be able to manage him properly?


    Rhode felt that it was worth a shot. After all, he would be adding another formidable man into his arsenal if this risk paid off. Currently, Rhode''s men were mainly good in circuitous combat and Anne was the only hawk. However, she wasn''t an expert in leading troops and she preferred individual battles. This quality of hers wouldn''t be too effective against the Undead Army. Starlight would need to meet force with force with the Undead Army and gather its forces into a solid steel hammer to smash large damage into them.


    The potential risk in John was unconfirmed, however, Rhode was sure of the Undead Army''s threat. After comparing both of them, Rhode had finally chosen to give it a shot. Anyway, it wouldn''t be too late for him to resolve any problems that arose from John.


    John pondered for a long while. It was apparent that he had the same worries as Rhode. Besides, John was much more worried than Rhode. After all, Rhode''s impression of John''s future was a good basis, but in John''s eyes, Rhode''s reputation wasn''t that great. Although most of the unfavorable things that he heard about Rhode were rumors, there must be certain reliable reasons for this man to be judged this terribly�� Can I really trust him?


    "I have two conditions, Mr. Alander," John made up his mind and lifted his head. "First, I hope you can release my comrades. Second. I hope you can allow General Dade to leave this place safely."


    "I can promise the first, but not the second. You and I are aware of General Dade''s worth. I can only ensure General Dade''s safety, but it is impossible to release him," Rhode answered decisively.


    On the other hand, John didn''t fly into a rage. Instead, he revealed a smile. "Alright then, from now onward, I will be your henchman, Sir."

 Chapter 558 Final Hurdle

    It was no surprise that Rhode agreed to John''s request. Apart from being a Guild leader, he was also a Baron. The troops that he led to the Cloud Summit Fortress could be considered his mercenaries and private soldiers simultaneously. With his identity, he had the rights to handle his captives and he had no qualms in releasing the Cavalrymen. In fact, he actually had the authority to release General Dade. After all, strictly speaking, General Dade was also his captive.


    However, John and Rhode knew that it was impossible. General Dade''s identity had foreordained that he couldn''t be released that easily. John suggested because he wished to test Rhode''s reaction. If Rhode agreed instantly or put on an act to reject his request and try to give it a shot, John would surely turn around and leave without hesitation. But now, he had decided to accept Rhode''s invitation.


    Both Rhode and John felt that there was nothing alarming for the King''s Party that Rhode had recruited a Cavalrymen Leader. Although John had a bad impression of the Northerners, he didn''t have a favorable impression of the Southerners either. However, he focused all his hate on ''a handful of unrestrained enemies''. Unlike Rhode, John didn''t see everyone who stepped out of the Country of Light as a person with problems from head to toes��


    Of course, it was ''family hatred'' for John while it was a ''nation hatred'' for Rhode�� There was still a difference in their level of hostility.


    After seeing John away with his eyes, Rhode let out a long sigh. He suddenly felt exhausted.


    It wasn''t exhaustion on his physical body. Instead, it was his mental mind that was beaten. After ensuring that his mission was accomplished, he felt as though his senses had relaxed like a tightened string that was released and a heavy, choking pressure emerged deep in his heart. He couldn''t help but pucker his brows. He exited the campsite and observed the surroundings.


    The thin fog-filled Fortress was lit brightly with splendid lights and he heard the vague cheers of soldiers from inside. The sky had darkened and the celebration feast was about to begin�� But now, Rhode couldn''t find the festive mood to partake in it. Instead, he only wished to plop right into bed for a fulfilling rest.


    "Ah, Leader, I finally found you!"


    Rhode turned around and saw Gillian and Anne walking toward him with relaxed smiles. Then, Gillian slid over like a slippery fish and hugged Rhode''s elbow against her soft, ample chest tightly. Anne didn''t want to lose out. She clung on to Rhode''s other arm and the young ladies sandwiched him like a flat ham. "Everyone''s heading to the feast now, so what are you still doing here? General Garcia wants to invite you."


    "You girls go ahead." Rhode shook his head tiredly and stepped back after breaking free from their entanglements. He forced a twitch on the corner of his mouth and nodded before patting on their heads lightly. "I''m a little tired and I want to rest. Both of you shall replace me in joining the feast."


    "Master?" Gillian tilted her head and looked blankly.


    Anne hopped out and raised her right arm hurriedly. "Okay then, since Leader is tired, Anne shall accompany Leader!"


    "Little Anne, you can''t do this. It has always been my job to warm his bed, okay?"


    "Anne wants to warm Leader''s bed too. If worst comes to worst�� how about the both of us together?"


    "Alright, alright." Rhode''s head was swimming and he shook his head with knitted brows. "I don''t feel like it today. Go ahead with the feast and enjoy yourselves. After all, we are heading into Frozen Lake after this. Don''t worry about me and do what you should do. This is an order, understood?" Rhode turned around and returned to his tent.


    Surprisingly, Gillian and Anne didn''t continue to pester him. Instead, they looked on silently as Rhode disappeared into the tent. After a few moments, Anne blinked and turned to Gillian worriedly. "Anne feels that Leader seems very tired. Did something happen? Sister Gillian?"


    "�� It''s nothing, Anne." Gillian twitched her ears and revealed a bitter smile to the young lady beside her. "Some things are decided by Master so he has to take up the responsibility. We can only watch from the side because we can''t make a difference in some matters."


    Pitch-black darkness spread across the vast, boundless land.


    The sky was covered by dark clouds. Rhode scanned the surroundings, but not only was there no vegetation, but there also wasn''t a single rock on the empty land. He also wasn''t sure how long he had been walking for, as though he had been walking forward ever since he had conscious. At this moment, fiery flames rose from the ground.


    The flames surged violently in all directions and the entire world was painted in scarlet. As the flames raged, the darkness spread on the ground grew even darker. Finally, the ground shattered like a mirror and revealed a bottomless abyss��


    "��!"


    Rhode got up abruptly.


    The sun was shining brightly on the campsite. Rhode squinted and adapted to the brightness after a few moments. Golden sun rays had spilled from the opening of the tent and he vaguely heard noises from the mercenaries outside. He held his hand against his forehead and realized that his forehead was filled with sweat.


    "Ridiculous," Rhode lowered his head and cursed.


    Anyone would surely be startled to see him in this state. Rhode didn''t put on his signature aloof expression and he wasn''t carrying his warm, gentle smile that he had disguised in Fiat. Instead, it was a complicated and ashen expression gathering all the negative emotions. The complexity was indescribable using words. At this moment, there was a distinct, vengeful glint in his eyes like an injured wild beast.


    However, this expression lasted only for a second.


    Rhode stood up and returned to his usual calmness. His calm eyes were as though everything before him was nothing but an illusion. Perhaps, that was just a BUG in the process.


    At this moment, Lize called out from outside the tent. "Mr. Rhode, are you awake?"


    "Yes, I''m up," Rhode changed his clothes swiftly. He lifted the tent entrance and saw Lize waiting for him worriedly. "Is anything the matter? Lize?"


    "Ah, Mr. Rhode. Miss Gaya wants you to see her. She says there''s something very important to inform you," said Lize.


    "Gaya?" Rhode looked vacantly before nodding in acknowledgment. "Got it, Lize, I''ll head over now. By the way, I guess you''re aware of John''s matter already. I want you and Gillian to manage the releasing of the soldiers today."


    "Yes, Mr. Rhode. I will handle it right away."


    Even though Lize said so, she didn''t leave immediately. Instead, she rubbed the hem of her skirt with both hands and looked at Rhode worriedly. Then, she took in a deep breath as though she had made up her mind. "Mr. Rhode�� Are you feeling unwell? You didn''t join the celebration feast last night and I heard from Anne that you seemed rather tired��"


    "I''m just tired from the long journey from the South. I will be fine after a rest, don''t worry." Rhode shrugged and said swiftly.


    Lize remained silent for a moment before nodding. "Alright, Mr. Rhode. But�� If you feel unwell, please let me know."


    "Don''t worry, Lize. You will be the first person I look for if I have any problems." Lize showed a relieved expression and left with a smile. Rhode heaved a sigh of relief and narrowed his eyes on the Fortress. In fact, he had guessed the reason why Gaya looked for him.


    When Rhode entered Gaya''s room, the black-haired young lady was seated quietly by the window with her huge harp, just like how they first met. The young lady''s expression and position were almost identical from before. Gaya turned around and nodded slightly to invite him for a seat�� It seemed that she wasn''t in a good mood.


    But Rhode understood why she was in a bad mood. Although he didn''t understand her a lot, he inferred that she wasn''t a ''selfless model citizen''. She wouldn''t take matters into her own hands unless she had received Lydia''s orders. In order for Lize''s plan to succeed, Rhode purposely checkmated Gaya. He used his mission reward and forced Lydia to order Gaya in complying with Lize''s battle plan. It was no wonder that this young lady wasn''t putting up a likable expression.


    Even though she didn''t show any likable expression to Rhode, that was.


    "Please have a seat, Mr. Rhode. You''ve accomplished your mission successfully and the Royal Highness is satisfied with your work. Although I personally, detest your little tricks, that is." Gaya gazed at Rhode silently and Rhode couldn''t read her thoughts at all.


    However, he was most concerned about another matter because Gaya surely didn''t ask him here just to complain about his little tricks. Indeed, Gaya continued shortly. "I''m about to convey the order from Royal Highness Lydia. She hopes that you will return to the Golden City and explain further your operations in the Grosso and Fiat regions."


    As expected.


    It seemed that things were as he had expected. Royal Highness Lydia wished to receive an explanation on the riot caused by the Undead Army in Grosso. No matter what, he accepted her mission and headed into the Grosso Region and suddenly, there was a riot caused by the Undead creatures. Lydia wasn''t a fool. She naturally would request for Rhode to report everything to her.


    This time, things might be a little more complicated. Lydia was an Archangel and Angels wouldn''t usually accommodate to circumstances. To them, evil was evil and evil must be purified, annihilated, but never unrestrained. And this time, it wouldn''t be as simple as to deliver a report to Lydia in the Golden City which proved that she had an entirely different view from before.


    But even so, Rhode had his countermeasures ready.

 Chapter 559 A Hunters Footsteps

    Lydia''s summon clearly proved that Rhode''s mission in the Cloud Summit Fortress had ended and he could get ready to return anytime. After receiving this news from Gaya, Rhode gathered his forces in preparation for their next move. But before that, he had to manage the matters regarding John.


    According to John''s request, Rhode had released the Cavalrymen that were kept captive in the battle with Lize. Most of the Cavalrymen had chosen to return home, but those who chose to stay were John''s men and they hoped to stay by his side. Rhode received affirmations from John about their loyalty and their non-extreme views on the North and he eventually agreed. After all, Rhode must also have private soldiers under him since he was a noble. Rhode could train up potential Infantries and Archers from the mercenaries, but Cavalrymen was a military class. Most mercenaries didn''t possess horsemanship and cavalry tactics. Firstly, it was expensive and mentally-exhausting to raise and maintain a horse. Secondly, the mercenaries didn''t even have enough to spend on themselves, let alone a horse. Although the Cavalrymen were born in the South and Rhode didn''t know about their sincerity due to the tense relationship between the South and the North, he would eventually find a way to blend them in with his mercenaries.


    In the end, 63 Cavalrymen stayed behind which was a satisfactory result for Rhode and John. John could take root by Rhode''s side by having the 63 Cavalrymen under him and he could respond with their strength if Rhode fell out with him. To Rhode, the 63 Cavalrymen were within his control. Although the total number of Cavalrymen was nearly a quarter of the number of mercenaries in his guild, the Cavalrymen'' individual strength was between level 20 to 25. Therefore, Rhode would still be capable to wipe them out if they were up to no good.


    Both sides were still on guard against each other. Rhode trusted John, but not his men. Rhode hoped that the Cavalrymen wouldn''t cause an uproar in his Fortress. John was equally wary about Rhode''s promise. But even so, he promised that he would manage his men stricter. As an outsider who had surrendered, he understood that his position in the Guild would be shaky because he hadn''t build trust with Rhode. However, this didn''t mean that they wouldn''t trust each other in the future. Both John and Rhode had to take the initiative in order to have a stronger connection between them. Therefore, John promised Rhode that his men would definitely obey his orders, never betray him, and wouldn''t cause trouble. If any of them caused trouble, Rhode held all the authority to drag them out and behead them!


    In response to John''s promise, Rhode assured that he would restrain his men and treat everyone equally to the best of his abilities. However, Rhode, after all, was the victor and he didn''t need to stoop down to John''s level, that is. John accepted because, after all, he was aware of his identity and position.


    Rhode didn''t keep General Garcia in the dark about the release of the Cavalrymen and interestingly, the slipshod general turned a blind eye to it. He had no problems releasing the Cavalrymen since the captured ''big fish'', General Dade, was still in his hands. But the released Cavalrymen were only limited to the ones that Lize had captured. As for the Infantries that General Dade had led, Garcia would never let them go.


    This wasn''t unreasonable of Garcia because most of the Cavalrymen that John had led were injured severely in Lize''s ambush; They were merely wounded soldiers who wouldn''t pose much threat even after they were released. However, the 3000 Infantries had surrendered under their Commander''s order and it would be as though be a gift of a brand new Infantry army to the Reformist Party if Rhode had released them�� John wouldn''t bring up such an idiotic suggestion and Garcia naturally wouldn''t let them go.


    Rhode ordered Lize to lead some of the mercenaries into Frozen Lake to complete the preparations for the second 5 Stars Mission while the other mercenaries were responsible for sending the injured soldiers back to the Fortress to recuperate. As for John, Rhode had allowed him to follow the rest to the Frozen Lake. After all, Rhode could use this upcoming mission to make John understand his battle style better.


    After reorganizing everything, Rhode headed up north to the Golden City.


    To Rhode, the situation by the Northern frontline had come to an end.


    However, this was just the start for the others.


    Victory!


    Baker looked over the wilderness triumphantly from the top towering wall. His mind was bursting with excitement and glory. He lowered his head and grinned from ear to ear as he gazed at the Medal of Honor and letter once more. In fact, he didn''t expect that his battle plan would turn out this successful. He made full use of the military forces by the two sides that had contained the forces of the Flourishing Blossom and the Cloud Summit Fortress and personally led 20,000 Cavalrymen into breaking through the Thistle Wreath Fortress directly. He admitted that this plan was risky, but he still succeeded!


    The Thistle Wreath Fortress containing merely 500 soldiers collapsed before they even reacted and the land of Callenbach had fallen into their hands. Baker had never felt this satisfied and proud. He relied on his own strength and plans entirely to conquer this piece of land! The Northern country bumpkins were defenseless in the face of his thunderous aggression!


    Baker''s hand trembled as he held the letter in his hands excitedly. The Southern Parliament had commended him highly and conferred him a medal. In the letter, the Southern Parliament had requested for Baker to guard Callenbach at all cost while they would seize this opportunity to seek assistance from the Country of Light''s Parliament. If everything went well, they would fulfill their dreams and escape from the hands of the vicious dictator and build a brand new nation!


    By then, I may become an overlord or even a hero of the entire nation! Perhaps I may even have the chance to become a Marshal!


    The sky was in a rare, lively shade of blue while the grassland was never this green. Everything was dazzling and vibrant before his eyes as the big, bright sun shone a long path of hope for him. He imagined the scene when he returned to the South where countless petals fluttered in the air, civilians shouting his name loudly, beautiful young ladies outdoing one another to present flowers and kisses, and he stood proudly on the chariot, accepting their cheers and respect. The nobles of the Southern Parliament lined up in welcoming his return, at the same time offering him the badge and sword of the Marshal�� Baker trembled in excitement and bit his lips subconsciously.


    If everything came true, that would be perfect!


    At this moment, loud, hurried footsteps interrupted Baker''s reverie and he turned around to glare fiercely at the troublemaker. It was a pale-faced, panting orderly with indescribable fears lingering in his eyes. "Reporting, Sir! We discovered enemy troops in the wilderness of Feralas!"


    "Enemy troops?" Baker''s heart sank. "How many of them? Whose flag are they waving?"


    "It''s the flag of the Northern 5th Legion [Sword Lion]. There''s about 25,000 of them!"


    "25,000?" Baker looked at the orderly in disbelief.


    It isn''t too far away between the wilderness of Feralas and the city of Callenbach, so how is it possible that I''m not aware of the existence of the 25,000 soldiers? What is the Reformist Party doing?! Didn''t they confidently say that the King''s Party hasn''t even decided on mobilizing which of their troops? Can anyone tell me where 25,000 soldiers came from?!


    Those incompetent good-for-nothings!


    Baker calmed down quickly after cursing the Southern Parliament. There was no purpose in arguing about this now. The enemy had 25,000 soldiers, but they only had 20,000. Although Callenbach City seemed run down, it was still possible for them to defend after the necessary repairs. As long as the Country of Light''s Parliament could stop the King''s Party from continuing their operations��


    Clomp clomp clomp!


    Another burst of quick footsteps sounded and an orderly who appeared even more miserable than the first orderly rushed up the city wall. He was drenched in sweat and panted hard. But, even so, he saluted to Baker swiftly. "Reporting, Sir! Our scouts have discovered 20,000 enemy troops gathering in the Dagger Valley! Please give us your orders!"


    Clang. Baker dropped the medal on the stone ground and gaped at the orderly blankly. The fantasy that he had imagined minutes ago was drifting away from him and it was replaced by an unstoppable dark storm��


    Why?


    Why didn''t I receive any news if the King''s Party has such a huge movement?


    Why were they able to move out so quickly?


    How is it possible for them to mobilize that many troops in such a short period of time without getting discovered?


    Why did this happen?!


    The warm breeze blowing against the city wall sent a chill down Baker''s spine. He sucked in a deep breath to calm himself down before commanding the orderlies. "Quick! Send someone to seek assistance from the Parliament! Tell them that Callenbach has been surrounded by the King''s Party and we need more manpower! Quick!"


    The orderlies bolted off hurriedly and Baker took in another deep breath as he gazed toward the vast land before him.


    The land in his worried eyes had darkened as though the prelude of an incoming storm was choking him breathless.

 Chapter 560 Individual Aesthetics 1/2

    This period of time was totally disastrous for the Reformist Party.


    Firstly, the Undead Army in the Grosso region. Although they were eventually exterminated, thousands of refugees were still homeless in the city. They used to have a home to return to, but their homes had been devoured entirely by the flames. Their only choice left was to wait for their fate in the city miserably. The conflagration in the Grosso Plain had burned up all the foodstuff reserves in the Southern region and the foodstuff crisis had given the Reformist Party a huge headache. Although the danger period had ended, they knew that this was only temporary. If they failed to search for a substitute foodstuff transportation channel, they would be in big trouble.


    Due to this reason, the Southern Parliament had agreed to Baker''s risky plan. They had intended to attack Paphield in the shortest period of time. However, they were unsure if their side was too weak or the opposing side was too powerful because their attacks on Paphield''s defensive line had failed again and again and Baker''s battle plan had become the only lifeline for them.


    Then, what happened next left the Reformist Party over the moon. Not only did Baker''s army break through Paphield''s defensive line, but they also conquered Callenbach City! When the Southern Parliament received this news, the room was filled with applause and the huge conference room became a sea of joy where everyone was grinning from ear to ear as though the darkness had passed and the bright future appeared before them. On that night, the entire Southern Port became a city that did not sleep. The civilians sang, danced, and celebrated their ''difficult'' and ''well-earned'' victory.


    However, this dream lasted for merely a night. On the second day, they received a piece of shocking news.


    The Northern 5th Legion [Sword Lion] has gathered in Feralas with 25,000 soldiers!


    The Northern 3rd Legion [White Eagle] and the Eastern Plain 5th Cavalry Team [Wing of Glory] has gathered in Dagger Valley River with 20,000 soldiers!


    And the Senia Family [Ring of Magic] Magician Knights has led the Noble Allied Armies into the Red Leaf Forest with 17,000 soldiers!


    A total of 62000 King''s Party soldiers had surrounded Callenbach entirely from all directions and will attack anytime!


    The cheers and laughter from the day before were nowhere to be heard and they were replaced with an unprecedented tense atmosphere. Now wasn''t the time for them to ponder about why they weren''t notified of such a large-scale mobilization of troops because the King''s Party had presented their shimmering sharp blades and was ready to lay their hands on the rebellious defectors!


    The Reformist Party was panic-stricken. During the emergency meeting on the second morning, the 75 year old Parliament Chairman stood to his feet, smacked the table, and bellowed frantically! "Send more troops! Tell Baker that I represent the Parliament to order him in defending Callenbach with all his life! We will give him all the manpower that he asks for! But we have one request! We must defend Callenbach before the Country of Light''s Parliament intervened! We must never fail and never back down until the very end! I represent the Southern civilians, the Southern Parliament, and the people who pursue freedom and independence to request that Baker defends Callenbach with all his life!!"


    A lot of them in the Reformist Party remembered the bloody night slaughtered by Lydia. Back then, they held the hopes of saving their loved ones and companions through the Country of Light''s Parliament. However, Lydia''s response exceeded their expectations. She decisively hung everyone to death before the Country of Light''s Parliament''s reinforcements arrived at the Munn Kingdom. Most of them still remembered the scene when they arrived at the Golden City with the Country of Light''s Parliament''s emissaries. They were greeted by ice-cold corpses swaying in the wind.


    And now, they couldn''t help but recall that scene when they heard this news. Could it be that the vicious, brutal monster had decided to wipe out all their troops before the Country of Light''s Parliament''s reinforcements arrive? If that''s the case, we can''t allow that tyrant to get away with it!


    The Reformist Party dispatched their messengers to the Country of Light''s Parliament immediately, hoping that they would stop the confrontation using the name of the Light Dragon and request Lydia to stop her merciless suppression and massacre of innocent civilians.


    When the messengers of the Reformist Party stepped into the land of the Country of Light, Rhode had just arrived at the Golden City and he was waiting for Lydia''s summon.


    The smooth white marble floor reflected off the corridor. Rhode admired the city by the window. The dark clouds of the war didn''t affect Golden City at all. It was still as breathtaking and the civilians were walking on the streets as calmly as always. Rhode let out a sigh as he recalled the scene where the army of Country of Darkness slaughtered their way into Golden City in the game. Back then, this glorious city had as though been smeared with dark paint and desperation spread in everyone. Death and sins laid in every corner and this beautiful city had chosen to be destroyed to prevent further invasion by the Undead Army.


    This city was as dazzling and eye-catching as its ruler no matter if it was dead or alive.


    However, Rhode wasn''t feeling sentimental over this problem. He was pondering over the purpose of Lydia''s summon.


    Rhode always thought that the kind Angels were the representative of clean-living. Although Lydia''s behavior overstepped these bounds, her nature hadn''t changed at all. But after the incident in Grosso, Rhode realized that his impression of this Archangel had slightly changed.


    Humans understood Angels using their human perspective, where they thought that Angels were incarnations of justice and kindness and they would never go easy on evil. Not only that, but the Angels would also often adhere to their own principles and were difficult to be convinced. But on the Grosso Plain, Rhode suspected that his impression on the Angels was somewhat subjective. His impression on Lydia was similar to the impressions he had on most Angels: kindhearted and upright. However, when he summoned the Undead Army for the massacre in Grosso, she remained silent and didn''t respond at all. This was unusual of Angels who persisted on their principles. Besides, she was also engrossed in the show that he had put up and there didn''t seem to be anything wrong. Afterward, Rhode had observed Celia for a period of time and discovered that she didn''t give him the cold shoulders due to the incident in the Grosso Plain. She was still behaving the same as before as though she didn''t take it to heart.


    Rhode didn''t feel strange that Celestina was unconcerned because Demons were born this way. But Rhode felt that it was worth his time to understand why Celia didn''t care at all. Besides, the words that Celestina had said�� Although this Demon young lady spoke indistinctly, Rhode discovered that these ancient creatures seemed to follow an old and sacred oath based on Celia''s reaction. They would be punished if they violated the oath and Celia didn''t see it as a violation of her own principles.


    Come to think of it, Lydia seemed to have also behave the same way. The Reformist Party attacked her brazenly and the root cause was due to the bloody night from years ago. Frankly speaking, Rhode didn''t feel that this corresponded with the Angels'' method of handling matters. It wouldn''t be peculiar for a human ruler to do this in order to stabilize his position. But what about an Angel? Furthermore, none of the Angels complained after Lydia did such a thing. If it was said that the Angels were lower in identity and position and they didn''t have the rights to complain, why didn''t the equally-ranked Archangels speak of anything before the Light Dragon? Even the Elf Kingdom, which was generally considered to be the guardian of kindness and order, didn''t express any opinions on this matter. Although there must be reasons for Lydia''s way of handling the situation, wasn''t this cruel punishment enough to give rise to resentments? Even though the Dwarves living in the Dragon Bones Mountain had cut off from the rest of the world, they were still stubborn and upright. So why didn''t they comment on anything?


    Interestingly, even the Creator Dragon Souls didn''t express any opinions. Apart from the puppet in the form of the Light Dragon Soul, the Judgement & Ruling Twin Dragons valued this highly. Rhode remembered clearly that they had sent troops more than once to stop the lords and rulers who cruelly killed their own people. Moreover, even the Church chose to remain silent on this matter. The Reformist Party had made known to the entire continent, but only the Country of Light''s Parliament expressed strong dissatisfaction?


    Ironically, the Country of Light''s Parliament was dominated by humans.


    After linking everything together, Rhode realized that there was something which he couldn''t understand in the Dragon Soul Continent. He wasn''t concerned about these matters because they didn''t concern him as a player. But now, he was involved in it personally and he discovered that something was affecting the entire continent. More interestingly, those who were treated as righteous and kind and didn''t oppose Lydia''s violent means were mainly long-lived races. The Dwarves could live up to 150 years old and even the heirs of the Creator Dragon Souls could live up to 300 years�� Humans were the only ones who could live less than 100 years old.


    Rhode knitted his brows as he recalled the words that Celestina said in the burning village that night.


    [Creation Pact]


    In the game, this pact existed for the background of the game and the players understood it as the pact to protect this world after the Five Creator Dragon Souls created it. Back then, all the races had to adhere to this pact. However, as time passed and changes took place, the players thought that this pact was long nullified.


    But now, it seemed that this pact was still in effect. Not only that, but the signing of the pact also didn''t require placing one''s mark. Instead, the pact was executed ever since the party involved was born. Rhode was sure that the Southern farmers weren''t aware of the Creation Pact, but they were deemed as traitors who violated the pact by Celestina. From Celia''s point of view, she seemed to think the same too.


    Was it because the group of rebels that Lydia had hung to their death was treated as betrayers of the pact and that was why they chose to remain silent? And Lydia dared to do that because she knew that her actions were supported by the pact?


    But what exactly was the pact that they betrayed?


    What''s the content in the Creation Pact?


    Rhode disliked archeology, but he felt that he needed to understand the content of the Creation Pact. He didn''t wish to end up like the Reformist Party who foolishly thought that the world supported them and was eventually helpless and alone without any help.


    At this moment, a female servant approached Rhode and gestured. "Mr. Rhode, please follow me. Royal Highness is expecting you."

 Chapter 561 Individual Aesthetics 2/2

    Rhode followed the female servant into the room and the scene before him made his heart skipped a beat.


    Lydia laid languidly on the scarlet velvet sofa by the french window. Her white, silky dress set off her seductive curves as she stretched out her slim, long legs. Her blonde hair hung down lightly, pairing with her fair, delicate skin. She shook the paper in her hand playfully, but no one knew if she was scanning the report or she was just fooling around.


    Got to say, any man who encountered such a beautiful young lady when he entered the room would be tempted to pounce on her and Rhode was no exception. He swept a quick glance over her and shifted his attention to her face. Rhode had met Lydia a few times, but he had never seen her dressed appropriately to welcome her guests. Could she be dressed up like this in the castle all these while?


    Lydia displayed a smile to welcome Rhode''s arrival and gestured for him to take a seat. She adjusted her posture and placed the paper on the table. That''s strange. Lydia''s movements are drastic, but her dress doesn''t slip at all. Could it be that there is censorship even in this world?


    "Long time no see. I''m glad that you''re looking fine, Baron Rhode�� Gaya has a huge opinion about you," said Lydia.


    Rhode twitched his brows as Lydia mentioned Gaya''s name as soon as she spoke. He knew that it was impossible that Lydia didn''t understand his thoughts, but�� Maybe things aren''t as bad as I thought? If that''s the case, this may turn out to be something better. Rhode gazed at Lydia silently and waited for her to continue. "I''ve heard the specific report from Gaya. Lize did well this time and to be honest, although I knew that Lize has potential, I''m surprised that she managed to take it that far. Of course. My adorable younger sister didn''t perform perfectly, but she''s worth the praise. Isn''t that right, Baron Rhode?"


    "Of course, Your Highness," Rhode said. "Lize''s performance has impressed me. It wasn''t easy for her to achieve this result, considering her situation."


    "That''s right�� Baron Rhode. I''m glad that I''ve handed her to your care. But��" Lydia narrowed her eyes. Although she was still smiling, Rhode felt an unprecedented pressure. "Baron Rhode, I don''t wish to see my adorable younger sister getting hurt, do you understand? We can''t avoid the fact that wars are cruel. She has her choice, but I don''t wish to see her sink into depravity due to the wars. I simply want her to live a blissful life. You do understand what I mean, right?"


    "That''s for sure, Your Highness," Rhode nodded slightly in agreement.


    Lydia smiled with satisfaction and she picked up the sheet of paper from the table. Then, she withdrew her gracious smile. "Alright then. Explain to me the situation in the Grosso and Fiat regions, Baron Rhode."


    This question is finally here.


    Rhode sulked unnoticeably. But he hid his emotions and explained everything calmly. Of course, Rhode wouldn''t be foolish enough to inform Lydia that he had created the Undead Army. He used the common saying of the Southerners that he witnessed the Undead Army wreaking havoc in the Grosso region as soon as he arrived there. In order to not expose his identity, he kept himself hidden until the Undead Army was about to attack the city and he summoned Celia to get rid of them. Also, while the military forces were weak in the Grosso region, he quickly set fire to burn the entire place.


    Rhode didn''t explain deliberately. Although Lydia should be aware that there was a Demon within the Undead Army, he had never exposed Celestina before Lydia. Therefore, Lydia wouldn''t think that the Undead Army had any relations with him even if she guessed. At least on the surface, that was.


    The explanation was much simpler for Fiat. Rhode merely repeated the words that he had used to dupe Emily. Of course, he also mentioned the unexpected guest, Andre, who emerged at the very end. No matter what, Andre was a member of the ''Sword Guardians'' who possessed the Neptune''s Sigh and he was up to no good to be in Fiat. However, this wasn''t something that Rhode needed to be concerned about. All he had to do was to ''objectively'' report to Lydia about Andre and she would know what actions to take next.


    Rhode''s explanation on the situations didn''t take too long and Lydia pondered silently while gazing at him. After 10 minutes, she finally responded. "Baron Rhode, what do you think is beautiful?"


    "Beautiful?"


    Rhode puckered his brows and he didn''t answer instantly because he knew that she would continue her sentence. Indeed, Lydia leaned back on the sofa and folded her arms. She smiled and gazed at Rhode. "I think that this world is a beautiful one. Every life has its unique, glittering bright spot and these bright spots gather to form this dazzling world. But there will be shadows among them and this inelegance sets off the existence of beauty. I don''t deny the value of inelegance, but�� the vulgar and filth will gradually pollute this beautiful world and cause it to lose its brilliance. Besides, all of these comes from fear�� Baron Rhode, I understand your pursuit for victories and I''m thankful for the sacrifices and choices that you have made for the mission. But�� Wouldn''t it be too sorrowful if you have to give up on something in order to achieve another?"


    Even though Lydia beat about the bush, Rhode understood what she meant. It was apparent that this Archangel had a conclusion to Rhode''s account and this test was his final hurdle.


    Rhode pondered in silence for a few moments. Then, he lifted his head and gazed into Lydia''s eyes bravely. "I''m sorry, Your Highness. I understand what you meant, but�� I only pursue victory. I can understand the hard work, dedication, and sacrifices that losers put in, but I cannot accept such a defeat. Victory is everything to me and any failure will only bring me pain. I can accept to console the losers as a victor, but never the other way around. I understand your aesthetics, but I''m unable to agree with your thoughts from my standpoint."


    "�� In other words, you''re willing to sacrifice everything in return for victory, Baron Rhode?"


    A trace of complex, yet curious glint flashed in Lydia''s eyes and Rhode shook his head unflinchingly. "I''m sorry, Your Highness. I''ve never thought of sacrificing everything to win. Victory isn''t an individual that exists, so why would I sacrifice everything for it? I don''t hope for such things. What I hope for is to enjoy victories with the people around me. I hate to be alone when I win because that would be pointless. In order to prevent facing situations where I''ve to sacrifice everything, I will ''try all means'' to achieve my goals�� Your Highness, please pardon my bluntness. The victory that I gain from abandoning everything is meaningless to me. If people can''t protect the things that they should protect and choose to give up cowardly, it means that they are losers through and through. Even if they stand until the very end, I don''t think that they deserve the cheers and honor. I admit that sacrifices are inevitable on the road to seeking victory. But they are nothing more than slaves of desire if they have to give up on everything."


    Rhode gazed at the Archangel before him without batting an eye. Lydia looked at him quietly and displayed a smile. "Interesting, Baron Rhode. That''s very enjoyable�� I admit that your thoughts have given me a breath of fresh air, so I won''t look into the incident in the Grosso region. I hope the spirits of the dead will be able to find their peace." Lydia paused and gazed at Rhode meaningfully. "Alright then. Let''s talk about the next matter."

 Chapter 562 Unexpected Invitation

    "Next matter?" Rhode was taken aback.


    He thought that Lydia''s summon was for him to report on the situations in the Grosso and Fiat regions only. But, it seemed that Lydia had something else on her mind.


    "That''s right." Lydia revealed a cheeky smile and leaned back with her fingers interlocked before her chest. She gazed at Rhode and let out a cute chuckle. "I hope you can join me in the Dragon Soul Ceremony��"


    Lydia paused and shot Rhode a playful look. "Because Her Majesty is very much interested in you."


    Rhode couldn''t hold in his emotions any longer. He widened his eyes unbelievably. He wasn''t acting. He was truly astonished�� He knew that the Dragon Soul Ceremony was an annual celebration that left the Country of Light''s Parliament extremely powerless and furious. The Country of Light''s Parliament resented this ceremony and only the core members of the Munn Kingdom could participate. Since Lydia had personally invited Rhode, it showed his position in her mind. Not only that, there was only one being in this entire continent that Lydia would call ''Her Majesty''��the heir of the Light Dragon Soul��the current Light Dragon Soul in the Country of Light.


    In the game, this Light Dragon had always been a mystery to the players and was recognized as the most worthless character among the Five Creator Dragons. Before Rhode''s Starlight rose abruptly, the Dark Dragon was dominant while the Judgement & Ruling Twin Dragons of the Country of Law played a critical role in its position on the entire continent. The Void Dragon that had disappeared in the history revived in the Deepest Labyrinth and swept the world with the invincible BOSS.


    But, what about the Light Dragon?


    As a head of a dominant country that conquered one-third of the continent, the Light Dragon was nothing more than a puppet! Not only that, it had never shown itself to anyone and everyone had only heard its voice. Even though the Munn Kingdom offered gold to the Light Dragon every year, the hand-over ceremony wasn''t open to the public. It could be said that no one apart from the NPCs had seen the Light Dragon''s true identity. Although players had tried to sneak in and take a peek, they were instantly blasted to bits by the Archangels surrounding the Light Dragon. The only conclusion that could be drawn was that the heir of the Light Dragon was a female. If not, the Light Parliament wouldn''t have pleased the Dark Dragon by offering her�� Unless the Dark Dragon preferred males?


    Just look at it. Even the players had to guess the gender of the Light Dragon heir based on the Light Parliament''s movements. This went to show how mysterious the Light Dragon''s identity was and even after the Country of Light had been thoroughly destroyed, the players didn''t find out anything about her. How could the players who loved to dig secrets of the game endure this torture! Got to admit, although the Light Parliament acted foolishly in many aspects, they did great in maintaining their authority because not any organization could keep the secrets of the Light Dragon to this extent.


    And now, Rhode actually had the chance to see the Light Dragon personally?


    However, it wasn''t all joyous after this surprise. Instead, it was complicated dissatisfactions and hatred.


    It might be seen as a pure interest toward the mystery of the Light Dragon for the players of other countries. However, it wasn''t all fun and games for the players of the Munn Kingdom. Players didn''t have too much sense of belonging in the countries of the game. The players of the Munn Kingdom adored Lydia, but they lacked favorable impressions on the Light Dragon that they had never seen before. Although Lydia was respectful toward the Light Dragon, the players'' first reaction was to stick out their middle finger and curse the crap out of the useless Light Dragon.


    The Munn Kingdom had done so much for the Light Dragon, but this damn heir did nothing in return and in the end, she even looked on as the Light Parliament backstabbed them. That''s right. You, Light Dragon, are just a useless puppet. Will it cost your life to speak up?


    To the players of the Munn Kingdom, the Light Dragon was similar to Liu Chan of the Three Kingdoms Period; a worthless character. The players had curiously discussed on the forums as to why the Light Dragon didn''t show up even in such critical junctures. Was it because her forces were too weak? The Munn Kingdom stayed faithful and true to her and the three Archangels were widely-known powerful presences on the continent. But why didn''t she step up when the Munn Kingdom was backstabbed and when the Country of Darkness attacked?


    Some players suspected that the Light Dragon was an astute and circumspect conspirator who manipulated the three Archangels to achieve her hidden goals and even controlled the Light Parliament to slaughter in order to capture statuses. Got to say, this conspiracy was widely accepted by the players. After all, everyone loved plot twists to high-level conspiracies��


    But after the Munn Kingdom collapsed and the Country of Light offered the Light Dragon to seek peace from the Country of Darkness, the players finally realized �� The Light Dragon was literally as useless as a decorative item without any purpose at all!


    This was something that Rhode and the players of the Munn Kingdom couldn''t accept. They would accept it if Lydia and the Munn Kingdom had fallen into the hands of the conspiracy. However, they failed due to one''s incompetence!


    It was far more difficult to accept failure due to one''s incompetence rather than to conspiracy. If the Light Dragon wasn''t devoured by the Dark Dragon in the end, Rhode would have led his Guild to slaughter that worthless fella. But she was lucky that the Dark Dragon had made the first move and Rhode had no choice but to fulfill his ''Nation-saving'' desire by annihilating the Dark Dragon.


    But now�� The Light Dragon wants to meet me?


    Rhode had mixed emotions. It felt as though a person was reborn as Zhao Yun and he discovered that he was carrying a future disaster in his arm. Was he better off abandoning the disaster before it happened or keep it with him safely?


    Lydia had no opinions about the Light Dragon, even until the very end. She wasn''t resentful for the Light Dragon abandoning her. However, Rhode couldn''t accept it. The Light Dragon had caused the most trouble for Rhode. Facing such an incompetent Light Dragon�� Frankly speaking, he wasn''t interested in meeting such trash. He didn''t feel that he had anything good to talk about with the puppet of the Light Parliament. Besides, he didn''t feel comfortable whenever he thought about the disaster caused by this worthless puppet and the consequences of the Munn Kingdom and its players.


    Moreover, he felt strange about the Light Dragon''s invitation. He was sure that this wasn''t a part of a system mission. If it were in the past, there were many players with high reputation in the Munn Kingdom and there weren''t any invitations sent out to them from the Light Dragon. But now, she has gotten Lydia to invite me? What''s going? Although I''ve indeed accomplished some reputable missions, these missions only made me popular in the Munn Kingdom. So why would the Light Dragon of the Country of Light know anything about me?


    Rhode gazed at Lydia silently while Lydia revealed a surprised and curious expression. She wasn''t aware that Rhode disliked the Light Dragon and this was why she felt strange as to how Rhode calmed down in mere seconds. Although he didn''t feel good about the Light Dragon one bit, this invitation was, after all, asked by Lydia and he couldn''t possibly reject her��


    I shall treat this as fulfilling my wish as a player to observe clearly for myself the exact body measurements of this Light Dragon.


    Not only that, but Rhode had also sensed a message from Lydia''s words. The Dragon Soul Ceremony would be held at the end of the year and it was apparent that Lydia had intended to end the war surrounding the Munn Kingdom within the next three months!

 Chapter 563 - Frozen Lake (I)

    Although Rhode knew that he would be participating in the Dragon Soul Ceremony, he wasn��t feeling exceptionally anxious because it wasn��t the most important situation on hand. Instead, it was the second 5 Stars Mission in the Cranmore region��Frozen Lake. As long as Rhode completed this mission, his Guild would be safe and sound for the next year. Rhode was reminded of another person�� Not sure if Barter still remembers the deal he made with me during the Midsummer Festival��I hope he keeps his promise.


    The Cranmore region was located in the glacial land of the Northwest. Although the region wasn��t considered to have an inhospitable natural environment, its soil definitely wasn��t fertile. The people living there mainly planted cold proof crops, but this wasn��t due to the geographical environment of Cranmore. Instead, the Frozen Lake in the region was the main culprit. Rumor has it that the Frozen Lake had been covered in a thick layer of ice, which had never melted, for centuries. Not only this lake, but the entire Cranmore region also had a similar phenomenon. The rivers and wells would be covered in a thick layer of ice whenever the winter season approached. All the people could do was to break the ice into chunks and use them after melting.


    This strange phenomenon had attracted plenty of investigators. However, they weren��t able to find the source of the problem until a Mage randomly discovered an enormous Elemental Creature hidden below the Cranmore Lake and solved the mystery of the Cranmore region. But the people failed to search for a solution to deal with the Elemental Creature. The only valuable information they had was that this creature lived in the source of water for the entire Cranmore region. Its powers would multiply every winter and decrease to its weakest in summer. This was why Rhode chose to strike now. After all, it was still early autumn and the situation would be troublesome if he waited any longer.


    But it wasn��t only the Frozen Lake that was strange in the Cranmore region.


    A bone-piercing cold breeze blew into Rhode��s face as he got down the chariot. It was noon and the hottest time of the day where people would rather rest under the shade of a tree than to head outdoors. However, the Cranmore region was ice-cold as though it had entered the winter season. Moreover, the scene before Rhode left him knitting his brows.


    The Greenery Town before him was the nearest town from the Frozen Lake in the entire Cranmore region. Due to this reason, Rhode had arranged for Lize to lead the mercenaries here for preparations. However, Rhode realized that his mercenaries had set up camp on the open space outside the town instead. They gathered in a circle and Rhode couldn��t figure out what they were doing. Rhode felt rather strange. There are several pubs and inns in the town, so why did they choose to spend the night in the open instead?


    Rhode approached them and he realized that something was off. There were some disputes going on and he witnessed Anne furiously brandishing her shield and bellowing her grievances.


    ���� They��re making Anne mad! Those people are so unreasonable! We shall wait for Leader to arrive and see if they would����


    Anne turned around and revealed a delighted smile as soon as she saw Rhode. She raised her right arm high in the air and waved with all her might. ��Ah, Leader! You��re here! Those people are too annoying!��


    Rhode twitched his brows as he spotted a few strangers and they seemed to be quarreling over something. The strangers didn��t appear to be mercenaries and looked more like residents of this town. Although Rhode didn��t set any strict rules for his mercenaries, he was unwilling to see his men starting a fight with ordinary civilians. Apart from the bored players, no other players liked to pick fights with NPCs. It wasn��t solely due to Rhode and his men��s abilities in fighting their way through that Starlight could become the number one guild in the game. Even though he had non-stop conflicts with other Guilds, he didn��t chase ordinary players away from their maps just for the convenience of his Starlight Guild. This was one of the reasons why Starlight was able to exist in the game for so long. After all, the game was mainly full of ordinary players and not all players were forced to join a Guild immediately. If Rhode was overbearing against the top and bullied the ones below him, perhaps he would be marked as a bastard even after he conquered the entire server.


    Rhode was curious about the situation. He suspected that his mercenaries might have behaved inappropriately and caused the disputes with the residents. However, Anne and Lize were well-mannered people. Although Anne might be a little hot-tempered at times, she seldom stirred trouble with ordinary civilians. Rhode would suspect that this was the sly, fox-eared young lady��s scheme, but she wasn��t around.


    Rhode swept a glance to the residents and asked. ��What happened?��


    Lize displayed a look of relief after seeing Rhode��s arrival and she quickly explained the happenings.


    Lize had intended to follow Rhode��s instruction to reorganize the team and wait for his arrival. Meanwhile, the residents of the town learned their intentions through the bored mercenaries who wandered around the town. The Frozen Lake was a popular mission in the Mercenary Association and since the mercenaries were here to assist the residents, Lize didn��t see any problems with that.


    However, things got out of hand. The residents chased them away and even though Lize explained that they were here to accomplish the mission of the Mercenary Association and this mission was also proposed by the residents of the Cranmore region, she was dumbstruck that they continued to turn them away.


    The residents had no intentions of listening to Lize��s explanations and both sides almost broke into a fight. In the end, Lize left the town with the mercenaries to prevent further trouble and set up camp outside the town while waiting for Rhode��s arrival.


    However, the residents were relentless. They had been forcing Lize and the mercenaries away and claimed that the Cranmore region didn��t welcome them which made the mercenaries flow into a rage. We understand that you may not welcome us into your town. But you still want to chase us away after we have left your town?


    Mercenaries were belligerent in nature. Fortunately, Lize managed to calm them down. Moreover, they had traveled over land and water to make their way here and they were chased away even before they had the chance to rest. The mercenaries couldn��t hold in their wrath any longer.


    Then, the residents bombarded Lize with arrogant claptraps which left Anne fuming. Anne was young and had a straightforward personality. Fortunately for the residents, Anne knew that they wouldn��t survive her brandishing shield, if not, she would have sent her shield flying. It was ridiculous��


    Rhode puckered his brows. He wasn��t aware that the Greenery Town had such a troublesome problem when he gave his command. After all, players weren��t aborigines and they wouldn��t need to seek shelter in these places. The players would usually follow their Guild Leader into the dungeon to kill the BOSS and leave after they were done. Although the Dragon Soul Continent was a rare virtual-reality game, it didn��t mean that it was exactly the same in reality. Most players wouldn��t want to spend money on lodging at all.


    Rhode turned to face the residents. Judging from their appearance, they seemed to be the Mayor and some law enforcement officers. Of course, they would be completely hopeless if they picked a fight with Rhode��s mercenaries and their pale faces exposed that they were pressurized by Anne��s brandishing shield. But even so, it was strange that they were unwilling to back down.


    Rhode gestured for Anne to stop her threats and strode his way to the residents. ��I would like to hear your reasons, everyone. We, Starlight Guild, received the mission announced by the Mercenary Association and came here from a faraway place. We didn��t behave inappropriately, so if you wish to chase us away, we hope to receive a satisfactory answer. If not, we will report this matter to the Mercenary Association even if we eventually leave. By then, I guess you will need to explain to the overlord of the Cranmore region with the Mercenary Association.��


    The residents were starting to feel uncomfortable. After all, they were nothing more than well-behaved residents of this town who would be frightened at the sight of a city owner. If they were to disrupt the mercenaries from completing the mission and resolving the problem that plagued the civilians of the Cranmore region for years, they would be in for big trouble.


    A few senior residents felt hesitant. However, one of the younger residents glared at Rhode and waved his fist as he bellowed angrily. ��Mayor, Officers, why are we still wasting time with these mercenaries for? After all these years, which mercenaries succeeded? Didn��t they all leave with their tails tucked between their legs? And aren��t we the ones suffering in the end? No matter what, we will definitely not allow them to continue this! They can complain all they want! We will not be afraid even if they complain to the overlord!��


    ��You bastard. That��s bullsh*t! How would we lose?!��


    ��That��s right! You don��t even know our capabilities!��


    The surrounding mercenaries blew their top after the young man was so sure that they would fail. After all, the mercenaries were a superstitious bunch. Are you cursing us?!


    Moreover, these mercenaries had followed Rhode for a long time and they had never failed before. They were full of confidence in Rhode. But now, this rascal actually doubted their leader!


    He��s asking for death!


    Rhode observed in silence. Then, he gestured with his raised arm and the mercenaries immediately shut their mouths, which shocked the senior residents. From the start, they didn��t take this black-haired young man seriously. But he contained the mercenaries with just a hand gesture. This went to show how extraordinary his position in the guild was.


    Until this moment, an elderly man among the residents let out a sigh and gazed at Rhode hopelessly. ��I��m sorry, Sir. We don��t want to do this. But, after all these years, we really can��t tolerate it anymore.��

 Chapter 564 - Frozen Lake (II)

    Rhode quickly understood the happenings from the elderly man��s explanations. Actually, the situation wasn��t that complicated. Many Guilds had tried their luck with this mission in the previous years. However, the Ice Devil was extremely troublesome and hard to deal with. This wasn��t strange because they wouldn��t need Starlight��s help if the previous Guilds succeeded, right?


    The main problem lay in the mercenaries that had failed from their attempts.


    The mercenaries failed to annihilate the Ice Devil and left irresponsibly, leaving the residents residing near the Frozen Lake to suffer from the consequences. Although the mercenaries suffered crushing defeats against the Ice Devil, they had, after all, awakened it from its deep sleep. No living being would wake up in a good mood after being disturbed from its slumber. As a result, the residents had to face the Ice Devil��s wrath. Although the Ice Devil couldn��t leave the sealed Frozen Lake, it could summon low-level Water Elemental Creatures to harass the nearby towns and its miserable residents. Not only that, the Ice Devil would absorb the water source to repair itself, which led to the residents without usable water from a month to half a year. Although they could break chunks of ice from the Frozen Lake, they were worried that the water would be contaminated by the terrifying monster living below.


    From the start, the residents tolerated because, no matter what, everything would return to normal after the Ice Devil was defeated. However, after all these years, no mercenaries succeeded and the residents couldn��t hold it in any longer. The residents�� attitude toward the mercenaries coming to slay the Ice Devil turned from warm to ice-cold as they were no longer hopeful and they had had enough of such torturous days. Since that monster has been living under the Frozen Lake for that many years and it didn��t do anything apart from sleep, isn��t it better if we tolerate our days? It��s better than those barbaric mercenaries angering it and leave us to suffer from the consequences, right?


    The mercenaries revealed awkward expressions after listening to the elder man��s description. Mercenaries were mainly the lowest-class civilians and they could empathize with their feelings. Previously, they had different standpoints and the mercenaries were focused on receiving remunerations after completing the mission. As for the residents, the mercenaries had never thought much about them. After all, the residents were just ��employers�� and the mercenaries were the ones doing the dangerous job while they hid behind them. What problems were there for the residents to worry about?!


    At this moment, Lize was also knitting her brows and feeling conflicted. Although she was born in the King��s Party, she, after all, had left the Golden City at a young age and understood the feelings of the lowest-class civilians. If it were Marlene, perhaps she could never understand why these people chose to stay and suffer rather than leaving this horrible and dangerous place.


    Rhode muttered to himself irresolutely. He sympathized with their feelings, but he had to complete this mission no matter what. This mission was the simplest among all the 5 Stars Missions for Starlight and he would be in big trouble if he gave up on this.


    The mercenaries who failed to defeat the Ice Devil couldn��t be blamed for being too weak. Guilds would typically have two to three powerful beings and it wouldn��t make sense if no Guilds managed to get rid of the Ice Devil after so many attempts. The ultimate reason was that the Guilds didn��t bait out the Ice Devil from the water source. The Ice Devil was considered an intermediate monster in the Water Plane of Existence and its strength shouldn��t be belittled. Moreover, it possessed the ability to manipulate and create lower-level creatures of the Water Element. Furthermore, the Ice Devil conquered the Cranmore region��s water source and it could create an infinite amount of Water Elemental Creatures. It was only logical that the mercenaries had lost because they weren��t able to lure the Ice Devil out of the water source. Mercenaries were humans too and they couldn��t possibly dive into the ice-cold water. The style of defeating the lower-level creatures first before facing the BOSS was also meaningless because it could continuously summon Water Elemental Creatures.


    However, Rhode had more than enough solutions to counter the problems.


    But before that, he had to resolve the problem before him.


    ��Please follow me,�� Rhode beckoned for the elderly man and both of them whispered to each other at the side. All the bystanders looked on curiously and no one dared to eavesdrop.


    No one could infer from Rhode��s expression because he had always been putting up an expressionless face. But the mercenaries knew that this odd and powerful leader of theirs was in a decent mood and it would mean a bad omen if he were to smile warmly.


    On the other hand, the elderly man seemed to have faced a difficult situation. He shook his head before puckering his brows and responded. Rhode gestured firmly and rejected the elderly man��s words. Then, he lifted his head and stared at the elderly man sharply. The elderly man flinched, but he plucked up the courage to shake his head once again. This time, the elderly man seemed less determined and after a while, he lifted his head and spoke. In response, Rhode raised his right hand and extended three fingers. The elderly man pondered in silence and gaped. However, he simply nodded while Rhode patted on the elderly man��s shoulder in return. Then, the elderly man returned to the group of residents and whispered. The residents revealed looks of astonishment and the young man who yelled out earlier jumped on his feet, swinging his fist and shouting. But a middle-aged man beside him smacked on the young man��s back to get him to shut his mouth. Then, the residents said goodbye to the mercenaries and took their leave.


    Rhode returned to the center of his mercenaries. Anne was the first to hop forward and grabbed Rhode��s hand, swinging excitedly from left to right. ��Anne knew that Leader has a solution! Those irritating people have been chased away by Leader! They don��t dare to stop us now, right?!��


    Rhode nodded and turned to the mercenaries around him. ��That��s right, they have agreed to try it once more. I have also promised them that we will accomplish this mission by defeating the Ice Devil.��


    ��Oh��!�� The mercenaries broke out in cheers.


    Even though the residents weren��t wrong with such thoughts, the mercenaries were still angered and dissatisfied that those weak people looked down on them. After all, they had been through training sessions with Mini Bubble Gum and Canary and their strength had improved tremendously. However, since the residents were unarmed, the mercenaries didn��t wish to teach them a lesson and show them how capable they were. Now that Rhode had resolved this problem for them, they were elated.


    The mercenaries had also decided to show this bunch of country bumpkins how powerful they were by completing this mission. Let��s see if you��ll look down on us by then!


    Rhode looked on silently at his roaring men and said plainly. ��Have a good rest today. We will head into Frozen Lake tomorrow. I hope you will show me your results of the training.��


    The mercenaries responded loudly in unison. Then, they left one by one to prepare themselves for the battle tomorrow. Rhode shook his head and turned to Anne and Lize. ��Have you heard of anything regarding Frozen Lake?��


    Rhode didn��t bring along all his manpower. Instead, he used the same formation he had in the game. A team of 35 men. 30 of them would be dealing with the Ice Devil while the remaining five would be substitutes and preventing any accidents. This was also a small cheat that Rhode had made with the little difference between the game and reality.


    Rhode felt strange. Why did the Guilds full of aborigines fail to defeat a BOSS with over a hundred men?


    In the game, players needed 10 to 25 members to defeat these BOSSes. From the beginning, he thought that this was due to the difference in strength between aborigines and the players and that was why they chose the ��human wave attack�� to attain their goal. However, Rhode realized that he was utterly wrong. Apart from the difference in their strength, the number of people was the most important factor which led to their failures. Most of the dungeon BOSS for team engagements possessed technique in AOE attacks. In the game, due to the small number of players in a team, it wasn��t difficult for them to dodge the BOSS�� attacks. However, it was different for the aborigines because they weren��t powerful, to begin with, and they fell right into the BOSS�� trap when they launched their ��human wave attack��. Most players wouldn��t dare to resist most BOSSes�� AOE attack and they would choose to avoid them instead. There was no doubt that the aborigines with weaker strength died in the AOE attack. Moreover, they didn��t have enough space to dodge the attack due to their large numbers.


    Due to this reason, Rhode had commanded Gillian to lead most of the mercenaries back into the Fortress after the battle by the Paphield defensive line, leaving a small number of them to complete the Frozen Lake Mission. Rhode didn��t bring Gillian along because he intended to train his mercenaries�� individual abilities. No matter how powerful Gillian, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum were, they were only his men. In other words, summoned beings like them would disappear if Rhode got into any trouble. It wouldn��t be a good thing for the Guild if they relied solely on them. Rhode wouldn��t even need to deal with the Ice Devil himself if its level was lower and his men��s damage output was higher.


    Lize took half a step forward and revealed a bitter look. ��Mr. Rhode, I��ve heard from the residents�� It seems difficult to make the Ice Devil appear. The previous Guilds didn��t even manage to see how it looked like and they�� I��m worried that����


    ��Don��t worry, Lize,�� Rhode gestured.


    Of course, he knew what Lize was about to say. In the game, the Frozen Lake was labeled as a dungeon on the map and it wasn��t divided into different floors like other dungeon maps. On the surface, the Frozen Lake was simply a lake frozen into a layer of ice while the lower-level creatures would emerge continuously from the ice surface. If they failed to figure out the trick, the mercenaries would die from exhaustion from dealing with the lower-level creatures even before they caught a glimpse of the BOSS. There were a bunch of stupid players in the game, not to mention NPCs.


    ��I have found an expert who can awaken the Ice Devil and force it to battle us,�� said Rhode.

 Chapter 565 - Frozen Lake (III)

    On the second morning, the mercenaries had gathered and followed Rhode��s lead to the Frozen Lake. It was exactly the same as the rumors. A thick layer of ice spread above the lake and the bright sun rays reflected off its surface, forcing everyone to squint. The wintry coldness sent chills down their spines as though it wasn��t early autumn anymore.


    There was no one in sight apart for two men in fur coats. They were a part of the conditions that Rhode and the Mayor had discussed the day before. The Mayor had requested to send observers for the battle so they could inform the residents of the Greenery Town immediately if anything had gone wrong. Of course, Rhode didn��t believe that he would lose. But since the Mayor didn��t trust him, it was better to have the observers around to witness with their own eyes.


    The two men approached the mercenaries hurriedly. The man in front was the Law Enforcing Officer of the Greenery Town and he gazed at the arrival of Rhode��s group anxiously. The man behind him was the young man who had bumped heads with the mercenaries. Both of them seemed alike, as though a pair of father and son.


    ��Hi there, Mister.�� The Officer saluted to Rhode.


    The Officer had heard from the Mayor about the respectable identity of this black-haired young man. If the Officer was facing a mercenary, he wouldn��t have greeted with such mannerism. Since he knew that this young man was a noble, he had become more cautious with his words. The reason why the Mayor had agreed and allowed Rhode��s group to arrive at the Frozen Lake was that Rhode revealed his identity as a Baron. Got to say, hierarchies in the Munn Kingdom were strictly respected. The residents of the Greenery Town were speechless in the face of a noble and they accepted their fate helplessly. If not, the Greenery Town��s troubles wouldn��t simply revolve around the monster in the Frozen Lake only.


    Rhode nodded slightly in response. He lifted his head and gazed at the Frozen Lake before him. It was the same as he remembered. The Frozen Lake emanated a brilliant, flickering radiance under the beaming sun. However, Rhode knew that a massive murderous intent was hidden within this beautiful place. On the other hand, not everyone was in awe by its beauty. Some were simply born without any aesthetical cells.


    ��There��s nothing here,�� Anne looked over the Frozen Lake with her shield hung behind her.


    In her imagination, she was expecting a terrifying monster baring its fangs and brandishing its claws. But there was nothing at all, and Anne was rather disappointed. She pouted her little mouth and grumbled softly to Rhode. ��Leader, is the layer of ice thick enough? Will Anne smash it easily?��


    The mercenaries around her revealed worried expressions because they knew how strong this innocent young lady was. Although the layer of ice on the surface seemed solid, no one was sure that it wouldn��t crack if Anne smashed it with all her might.


    On the contrary, the young man standing behind the Officer let out a snort after noticing the mercenaries�� expressions. He did notice Anne carrying a heavy, steel shield behind her and it was apparent to him that she was really tough for a slim young lady to move about with it unaffectedly. However, even so, the young man grunted and mocked her. ��Don��t worry about that, Miss. Plenty of Guilds have been here and among them were powerful Mages and they weren��t able to destroy this ice surface. I think you can stop worrying about such an irrelevant problem.��


    The young man lifted his head and swept a glance at the mercenaries. ��Besides, I��m very curious as to how you people intend to defeat that monster. Those mercenaries before you failed before even catching a glimpse of that monster. Just look at how many people you have with you now����


    ��Hey, Kid��!�� The mercenaries flexed their arms and wanted to teach the rascal a lesson.


    However, Rhode extended his arm and gestured before turning to the young man. The aggressive young man suddenly felt as though an invisible hand had grabbed and choked his neck.


    But Rhode had no intentions to lay hands on him. He shrugged and said. ��That��s right, the Ice Devil isn��t an ordinary monster and it isn��t easy to awaken and enrage it completely. Ordinary mercenaries naturally can��t do it, but an expert can.��


    ��Expert?�� the Officer and the young man exchanged looks.


    Got to say, they were also curious about Rhode��s words. After all, no one had seen what the monster looked like and Rhode seemed to be really confident. But Rhode didn��t explain much to clear their doubts. Instead, he turned around and a few figures emerged from thin air.


    The Officer instantly paled like a sheet of paper and the startled young man flinched a few steps back before landing on his bum. He pointed his trembling finger forward and yelled. ��Oh, Lord! What��s that thing?! What kind of monster is that?!��


    It was no wonder that both of them had such reactions because it was Agatha and her fellow Ocean Elves. Their blue body and countless tentacles-formed hair were entirely different from humans��. The countryside residents of the Greenery Town had always been seeing only humans in their daily lives and they would treat any visiting Dwarf or Elf as bizarre presences. Even though the Ocean Elves had delicate and adorable appearances, their entirely different body structures were enough to scare the country bumpkins out of their wits.


    The mercenaries burst into loud laughter after witnessing the young man��s frantic and desperate behaviors. They were furious that this young man had treated them as idiots. But now, they felt incomparably pleased to see the rascal almost peeing his pants after meeting Agatha and the Ocean Elves.


    ��Haven��t seen the world yet, eh? Kid? She is Miss Ocean Spirit from the Water Plane of Existence. Well, I guess you wouldn��t know about her, anyway.��


    ��Yea, you think that we��re those idiots from the past who try our luck here without knowing anything? How is it possible that our Guild Leader will do something as dumb as they did?��


    The mercenaries took their ��revenge�� by mocking and ridiculing the young man. However, they were, in fact, nowhere better than the young man when they first met Agatha and the Ocean Elves. Some of the mercenaries had even tried to attack these mysterious creatures when they first met. However, the mercenaries had a higher level of respect for Rhode after learning about the background of Agatha and the Ocean Elves.


    After all, they had traveled extensively and seen much of the world. It was extremely normal to have powerful presences supporting the formidable forces. We, Starlight Guild, have Madam Canary and Madam Bubble and apart from them, we have these exquisite and mysterious Water Elemental Spirits. Do you even have any?!


    In the beginning, the mercenaries kept a respectful distance from the Water Elemental Spirits. But due to their adorable appearance, ��pure-heartedness��, and likable personalities, they were quickly welcomed by the mercenaries despite their somewhat non-human looks.


    Rhode summoned Agatha and six other Ocean Elves through the Plane of Existence Portal to awaken the Ice Devil. The Ocean Elves and the Ice Devil were creatures of the Water Elemental Plane. However, both sides were entirely different. The Ocean Elves were docile and belonged to the Order camp while the Ice Devil was violent, barbaric, unreasonable, and belonged to the Chaos camp. Both sides would often break out into fights in the Water Plane of Existence. Although the gentle, fragile Ocean Elves didn��t stand a chance against the high, mighty Ice Devil, they did have a way to protect themselves.


    And this was the key to luring out the Ice Devil.


    Rhode gestured with his hand and turned to his men. ��Get ready to battle. Lize, Anne, Marfa. All of you have been through Bubble��s training so perform accordingly. Understand?��


    ��Yes, Sir!�� the mercenaries kept their smiles and nodded sternly. Although they wouldn��t be hurt in the mirage that the Sphere of Mystery had created, they could never forget the fierce battles. The mercenaries got into position within their formation swiftly and marched toward the Frozen Lake. Meanwhile, Agatha and the Ocean Elves followed Rhode��s lead and headed downward.


    Rhode stepped onto the ice surface and an ice-cold wind rose from the ground suddenly.

 Chapter 566 - Frozen Lake (IV)

    The ice surface of the Frozen Lake wasn��t as smooth as they had imagined. It felt as though it was an extension of the earth and its bone-piercing chills punctured their soles and spread into their feet. Not only that, but the chilliness also sent shivers down their spines. Even though the mercenaries wore thick boots, they felt as though they were walking barefooted in a world of ice and snow.


    Ice-cold breeze scratched their ears and the tranquil massive lake was filled with only the clomping of the mercenaries�� boots. Most of the mercenaries held shields in their left hand and swords on the other, scanning the surrounding vigilantly under Marfa��s lead. Meanwhile, Rhode casually strode in front of them with the Ocean Elves.


    At this moment, there were sudden movements in all directions. A dozen human-shaped and ice-formed figures crawled out of the ice surface. Unlike humans, the figures didn��t have faces, facial features, and two razor-sharp ice blades substituted their palms. They let out deep growls at the mercenaries.


    They��re here.


    Rhode twitched his brows. He knew what they were��Ice Creatures. They didn��t have any IQ but were abnormally aggressive. The situation would be dire if the mercenaries were contained by the Ice Creatures in their home ground. However, Rhode was confident in facing them.


    More and more Ice Creatures crawled out and instead of attacking immediately, they wandered around the mercenaries like a pack of wolves eyeing their prey. However, Rhode knew that they wouldn��t wait for long and they would pounce on the mercenaries as soon as they spotted an opening. Not only that, but the monsters would also reborn with the never-ending water source if they were defeated. If that happened, it would become a fierce battle for Starlight.


    Fortunately, Rhode had his ways around them.


    He extended his right hand and a pitch-black card emerged out of thin air and floated above his palm. He looked straight at the creatures that had sealed their path entirely and ordered without turning back. ��Agatha. Now!��


    The Ocean Elves held hands and gazed at the ferocious creatures calmly. Shortly after, the Ocean Elves widened their mouths and sang a melodious song that filled the entire place.


    Their voices were elegant, but the Ice Creatures instantly snarled as though they had just heard the calling of death from the Grim Reaper. They raised their razor-sharp ice blades and pounced forward furiously!


    ��Attack!�� Rhode stepped forward without hesitation.


    He swung his arm to the side and a pitch-black sword emerged in his hand. Whoosh! The malevolent pitch-black sword extended and lashed at the growling creatures like a whip �� Pow! Pow! Several creatures shattered and their ice debris vanished instantly.


    The mercenaries didn��t stand idly either.


    Marfa stabled his footing and watched attentively at the enemies. He reached out for the badge pinned on his chest and rotated it. In the blink of an eye, indistinct red flames burst out from the badge and shrouded Marfa completely, igniting fiery sparks on his blade. At this moment, an Ice Creature had leaped and brandished its ice blade at Marfa.


    ��Heyah!�� Marfa thrust the steel shield on his left arm forward, crushing the Ice Creature and a burst of white vapor spurted out from its body.


    The Ice Creature wailed painfully. As it waved its arms and escape from its torment, an unflustered mercenary had risen his sword and slashed the creature into half.


    It seems effective.


    Rhode struck off the Ice Creatures�� attacks and swept a glance at his mercenaries. There were no doubts about the effects of the Elemental Badge that Lapis had created �� The Four Elements Badge could utilize unique elemental powers by changing its form and shroud the holder��s entirety including the weapon. Not only could it toughen the holder against pure elemental creatures, but it could also bring on more variety of battle styles. Although constructing the badges cost the Guild a huge sum of gold, the current situation proved that it was worth every buck. Moreover, Lapis��s talent as an Alchemist Master brought improved effects to the badges. Currently, his mercenaries possessed about 35% elemental attribute powers and it wouldn��t pose a problem for them to face these creatures with their strength.


    Rhode turned to Agatha and the three other Ocean Elves behind him. The Ocean Elves were still holding hands and singing aloud a beautiful song. However, Rhode didn��t invite them here to promote morale. In the Water Elemental Plane, every Ocean Elves faced obstructions and raids from several Ice Devils whenever they migrated. The Ocean Elves would then sing loudly and the extremely vicious Ice Devils would flee as though they had heard some unbearable rumbles.


    Although Rhode didn��t know if it was the ultrasound or infrasonic waves that provoked the Ice Devil��s senses, he was sure that the Ice Devil was highly sensitive to the Ocean Elves�� singing voice and it couldn��t turn a deaf ear to them. Of course. It would still be far from chasing the Ice Devil away with Agatha and the number of Ocean Elves here. However, even if they weren��t able to chase it away, they were at least able to wake it from its slumber and lure it to attack. Everything would turn out well as long as the Ice Devil revealed itself.


    ��Awesome���� The young man stood in the forest beside the lake and widened his eyes in astonishment.


    Even his father, the reticent Law Enforcing Officer, was expressing a face of shock. This wasn��t the first time that they witnessed a battle between mercenaries and the creatures, but they had never seen such a scene. The mercenaries in the past often flustered when they faced the creatures emerging to the surface. Although they remained calm in the beginning, they often collapsed and fled away quickly. Apart from their numerous amount, their bodies were also extremely tough. He had personally seen a mercenary failing to leave a scratch on the Ice Creature with a sword. The young man doubted the mercenaries because there were only about 30 of them so how could they be compared to the mercenaries in the past? They failed when they had over a hundred mercenaries, so what could 30 mercenaries do?


    But now, this thought no longer clouded his mind.


    Half an hour had gone after the creatures emerged. However, the mercenaries didn��t seem exhausted at all. Instead, they fought bravely and appeared to be much stronger than the past mercenaries. The invulnerable creatures had as though softened where a single slash of the blade was enough to slaughter them.


    The young man was most astonished that the black-haired young man who looked like a beautiful woman didn��t seem any older than him and the Ice Creatures couldn��t even get past him. The black-haired young man attracted most of the creatures�� attention by standing in the front and every time a dozen creatures pounced on him, dazzling blade rays flashed and the creatures would shatter entirely. Meanwhile. the black-haired young man continued to stand on the same spot and didn��t move an inch.


    They are actually that powerful?


    As the young man was astounded by the mercenaries�� strength, he suddenly felt trembles on the ground. He looked down and discovered a massive shadow flit by underneath the dazzling ice surface. Shortly after, an explosion boomed and the thick, solid ice layer ruptured!

 Chapter 567 - Frozen Lake (V)

    ��Master, the Ice Devil has woken up.��


    Rhode struck off another Ice Creature��s attack and he heard Agatha��s monotonous voice. As beings that lived in the Water Elemental Plane of Existence, the Ocean Elves had a unique method to detect the Ice Devil. Although Agatha informed Rhode of the Ice Devil��s arrival, her indifferent voice sounded as though it wasn��t a BOSS coming for him. Instead, it felt as though she had prepared breakfast and told Rhode to have it whenever he was ready.


    In fact, even without Agatha��s reminder, Rhode had also felt an extremely cold stream of air surging from below his feet with his strength and sharp senses. The cold stream of air was so intense that white ice fog had permeated on the empty ice surface.


    ��Everyone, stand back. Get ready to battle!�� Rhode ordered and the mercenaries dispersed in all directions hurriedly.


    At the same time, Lize and the three Clerics raised their arms swiftly and cast Defense Shields on the individual mercenaries. Then, Anne darted to the Clerics�� front and yelled out as she brandished her shield and swept the Ice Creatures that were sneaking in on the Clerics away with a powerful whirlwind.


    At this moment, the ice surface shook uncontrollably. Then, after a powerful explosion, a towering, dark shadow burst out from underneath the ice surface and scattered countless ice splinters in all directions. However, the onslaught was harmless against the readied mercenaries who were protected by the Defense Shield. Then, a 10 meters tall creature covered in thick layers of ice as though an enormous lizard sculpted from pure ice stood before them. The golden sun rays reflected off its sparkling and translucent body and in an instant, this terrifying creature was shrouded entirely in halos as though it were a sacred and inviolable presence.


    Instead of panicking at its emergence, every mercenary including Lize were astounded.


    Exactly the same?!


    After Rhode had decided on the two 5 Stars Missions, he had gotten Mini Bubble Gum and Canary to take turns and make use of the mirage in the Sphere of Mystery to strengthen the mercenaries. It was a similar practice to players clearing the same dungeon constantly for EXP. Practice makes perfect and since the mercenaries�� strength wouldn��t be as powerful as players, the only way for them to improve was for them to hone their experiences. Due to this reason, the pitiful mercenaries had to fight the simulated BOSS repeatedly until they had reached Bubble and Canary��s requirements.


    Although the Sphere of Mystery could strengthen the mercenaries�� fighting strength, it was hard for them to fight the same BOSS repeatedly and willingly. Perhaps the mercenaries wouldn��t be able to hang on this long if it weren��t for Canary and Bubble. Even though the mercenaries knew that the training sessions were meant to prepare them for the Frozen Lake Mission, most of them were still doubtful about it. No one had ever completed the Frozen Lake Mission, so how will these people know the attack patterns of the BOSS? What if Madam Canary and Madam Bubble guessed it wrong?


    But now, the mercenaries were stunned as they faced the Ice Devil before them. Because no matter looks or way of appearance, it was exactly the same as the simulated BOSS in their training sessions!


    This pumped up the mercenaries and the final traces of fear in them had vanished entirely after witnessing that the Ice Devil was exactly the same. Didn��t they work for this moment?


    ����!�� Rhe Ice Devil glared at the tiny humans who had disrupted its slumber. It snarled fiercely and coalesced the extreme coldness in its huge, widened mouth. Then, it blasted a powerful storm-like ice breath at the annoying humans.


    ��Sh*t!�� The young man in the distance jumped at the horrifying sight.


    This black-haired young man actually succeeded in luring the creature hidden underneath the thick ice surface.


    The young man didn��t expect that the creature would be this gigantic and the 30 mercenaries were as though mice cowering before a majestic tiger. His heart sank instantly after witnessing the ice breath blasted from the creature and he imagined that the mercenaries were completely devoured by it.


    However, that didn��t happen.


    The mercenaries had swiftly dispersed into two groups as soon as the Ice Devil lifted his head high. The mercenaries had experienced the Ice Devil��s ice breath several times. Needless to say, they were wiped out completely from the start. However, they had gotten familiar with its every move in the countless training sessions�� If not, wouldn��t they be suffering for nothing?


    The bone-piercing cold winds blasted across the ice surface but had missed the mercenaries entirely. The Ice Devil didn��t give up just yet. It turned its head around, let out an ear-deafening howl and raised its front claws. At this moment, a shadow flitted by before its vision.


    Rhode gazed at the Ice Devil expressionlessly. Gracier streaked across a dazzling lightning trail and pierced its throat without any resistance. The Ice Devil winced and snarled furiously, snapping its blood-thirsty mouth wide open at Rhode. However, Rhode was long prepared for this moment. He pulled Gracier out instantly and rolled backward to dodge the Ice Devil��s retaliation. At the same time, he swung his right arm forward.


    ����!�� A crisp, sharp cry rang in their ears.


    The Spirit Bird shining with holy radiance soared into the air with its expanded wings. It looked down at its enemy and flapped its wings, striking hundreds of arm-thick lightning bolts into the Ice Devil��s body. In an instant, the roars of thunder numbed their ears and countless shattered ice burst forth in all directions. The Ice Devil resisted the paralyzing electricity and widened its mouth forcefully to launch its ice-cold breath. The Spirit Bird swiftly beat its wings and drew an elegant, perfect arc across the sky, dodging the aggressive attack.


    ��Everyone, fight!�� Marfa commanded and charged forward with his mercenaries.


    The mercenaries were dazed by this scene. Although they were able to defeat this creature in the mirage, they required the strength of the entire team. But now, Rhode had unexpectedly beaten the Ice Devil to this pathetic state all by himself. However, they knew that they weren��t here as an audience.


    Although the Ice Devil had focused its full attention on Rhode and the Spirit Bird, it didn��t mean that it neglected the ants crawling around it. The Ice Devil raised its right front claw and swatted the ice surface, spreading countless spider web-like cracks toward the mercenaries.


    ��Be careful!�� The mercenaries dodged to the sides in coordination. Then, with a sharp swishing sounds, countless pointed ice thorns struck out from the cracks and pierced toward the sky. Perhaps the mercenaries would��ve been skewered if they didn��t dodge in time.


    The mercenaries had dodged two of the Ice Devil��s attacks in succession which flabbergasted the Ice Devil. Before it was able to strike once more, the mercenaries arrived by its hind leg and slashed their weapons.


    If the mercenaries held ordinary weapons, they wouldn��t deal any damage to the Ice Devil no matter how much strength they put into their strikes. However, the results were entirely different with the boost of damage from the 35% Fire Elemental Attribute of the Elemental Badge.


    Roar! The Ice Devil bellowed from the sudden excruciating pain. It flung its gigantic tail at the ants that had caused its sufferings. However, the mercenaries rolled over and laid flat on the ground to successfully avoid the tail flinging over their heads.


    When the Ice Devil decided to launch another attack on the ants around it, a sudden, threatening burst of wind forced it to look back.


    Then, it witnessed countless, dazzling meteor-like rays coming for it!

 Chapter 568 - Frozen Lake (VI)

    The dazzling meteors crashed onto the Ice Devil��s body heavily. In an instant, ice fragments splattered and the immense spiritual powers tore the Ice Devil��s tough shell. The spiritual powers were as though lightning bolts releasing glaring brilliance in the Ice Devil��s body. The meteors set off a series of deep explosions and the Ice Devil flinched.


    It was no wonder the Ice Devil had such reactions. As a pure elemental creature, it wasn��t afraid of physical attacks because it was formed by spiritual powers and its physique served no other purpose than to bear its weight. Due to this reason, it lacked the nerves and flesh that other living creature had and ordinary physical attacks were harmless against it.


    However, it was also due to this that the elemental creatures were extremely sensitive to the disruption of spiritual powers. The purer and stronger the spiritual power, the more damage it would be dealt with. Although Rhode had merely transcended into the Master Stage, his swordsmanship had reached the Legendary Stage. Surely the Ice Devil couldn��t resist his all-out attack.


    Swish! The Rangers released their fully drawn bowstrings and projected scarlet arrows from their bows. Shortly after, the miserable Ice Devil was engulfed in a series of ear-deafening explosions. Although the Rangers weren��t as powerful as Rhode, the conflicting elemental attribute was able to obstruct and restrain the Ice Devil up to a certain extent.


    ����!�� The Ice Devil grew increasingly angry from the continuous attacks.


    As an elemental creature in the Chaos camp, it detested all kinds of lives. And now, these lowly ants actually caused it to be so miserable. The Ice Devil couldn��t hold its wrath in any longer. It lifted its head, bellowed, and a green elemental radiance emerged around its body intensely.


    At the same time, a dazzling light column descended from the sky and struck the Ice Devil like a gigantic hammer. The Ice Devil sensed the infiltration of a sacred aura that disrupted the spiritual powers that it was coalescing. The pitiful Ice Devil winced and almost fell to the ground.


    ��Now��s the chance!�� Marfa yelled.


    The mercenaries lifted their weapons and struck the Ice Devil��s hind legs with all their might. At the same time, the Clerics standing behind Marfa chanted their spells and extended their hands forward. In the blink of an eye, beams of radiance shrouded the mercenaries and the flames on their bodies burned even fiercer, lighting up their blades in a fiery scarlet. Under Marfa��s lead, the mercenaries pierced their blazing swords into the Ice Devil��s body and white steam spurted out from within. A thick layer of the Ice Devil��s hind leg had as though peeled off and chunks of ice layers fell to the ground. This was the final move to overwhelm it.


    The Ice Devil whose elemental powers had been disrupted lost its balance and collapsed sideways on the ice surface. Fortunately, the mercenaries rolled away in time and avoided the tragedy of being crushed by its massive body.


    Rhode��s eyes brightened at this scene as though an idea had come into his mind. He kept his daggers and retreated, gesturing with his left hand. Shortly after, the Spirit Bird screeched and dove down with a dozen lightning bolts around its body, striking the Ice Devil��s massive body heavily. Then, the Spirit Bird discharged electric arcs and bound the Ice Devil like a cage. At the same time, Rhode clenched his left hand and the Hell Hound roared as it made its entrance. After spotting its enemy, the adorable ��kamikaze death dog�� pounced forward without any hesitation.


    However, the Ice Devil wasn��t that easy to deal with.


    Although the Spirit Bird��s Lightning Cage had restrained the Ice Devil��s movements, the Spirit Bird��s level was still too low to effectively restrain the Ice Devil. Moreover, the Wind and Water element attributes didn��t conflict with each other and as a result, the Lightning Cage vanished after lasting for a few seconds and a large portion of the Ice Devil��s hind leg was distinctively recovering at a quick pace. The Ice Devil flipped over and stood to its feet and the damage that the mercenaries had dealt were voided by a thick layer of ice as though it wasn��t harmed at all.


    However, the mercenaries didn��t feel dejected. They were well aware that this creature possessed a terrifying recovering ability. There were many times when they had given up all hopes during the training sessions and they naturally wouldn��t harbor such thoughts now.


    Moreover, everything that the Ice Devil had done up until this point was exactly the same as the simulation which brought a lot of confidence to the mercenaries. Furthermore, Rhode also shared a huge portion of their pressure. After all, Rhode didn��t join in their attacks during the training sessions and the mercenaries didn��t imagine having him as such a powerful main attacker and the Spirit Bird to contain the Ice Devil now. Therefore, the mercenaries felt that this battle was much simpler than during the training. They retreated slightly and circled around the Ice Devil to avoid its frontal attack and flinging tail.


    Roar�� The Ice Devil spotted the ants roaming around its feet which infuriated it even further. It turned around and snapped its mouth forward at the mercenaries.


    At this moment, violent flames burst out from the side and engulfed the Ice Devil��s head. The Hell Hound sprung up and slashed its razor-sharp claws at the Ice Devil��s head, slowing the Ice Devil��s movements to a halt. However, the Ice Devil jerked its neck to fling off the Hell Hound that was tearing its head apart. Then, it lifted its right front claw and swatted at the Hell Hound that had crashed to the ice surface.


    ����!�� A massive explosion blasted across the horizon.


    The powerful impact and fiery blaze blasted into the sky. The Ice Devil had been caught off guard and it was too late for it to avoid the surprise. The burning explosion of the Hell Hound��s self-destruction had spread along the Ice Devil��s front claw and arm and shattered them abruptly. The shockwave tore everything in its path like an enormous meat grinder.


    This sudden explosion ruptured the forelimbs of the Ice Devil and the blast impact lifted its body upward. In an instant, the Ice Devil revealed an opening that Rhode had been waiting for. Rhode darted forward with his dagger in a dazzling brilliance like a meteor that streaked across the horizon, puncturing heavily into the Ice Devil��s chest.


    Boom! Rhode gritted his teeth and the twin daggers in his hands erupted in shimmering spiritual radiance, penetrating deeply into the Ice Devil��s chest. Berserk spiritual powers discharged from the razor-sharp blades as Rhode slashed continuously.


    The Ice Devil knew that it was in a life or death situation. And now, it had made a decision. It lifted its head and snarled at the top of its lungs. Shortly after, the surrounding flat ice surface trembled, crumbled, and projected huge ice chunks to the Ice Devil.


    On the other hand, Rhode had also decided. He twitched his brows slightly and raised his arms to drag out his daggers. Rhode criss-crossed his arms and brandished downward. He flew back swiftly in a string of afterimages using the blast recoil to dodge the flying ice chunks. Then, he landed on the ice surface dexterously and looked up at the Ice Devil.


    At this moment, the Ice Devil was battered. More than half of its chest had crumbled due to Rhode��s spiritual blast and the ice chunks below its neck had been shattered completely. Countless ice chunks that had lost their spiritual powers fell off from its body and revealed ghastly scars. Perhaps it would��ve been dead if it were another living creature. However, this was nothing more than another injury to the Ice Devil.


    However, this didn��t mean that this was ineffective against it.


    ��Eyes on the target!�� Randolf ordered.


    He drew an entirely scarlet arrow from his quiver and pulled it fully against his bow. The other Rangers standing around Randolf also aimed their bows at the Ice Devil. ��Release!��


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Flame sparks exploded continuously. The explosive arrows had struck the Ice Devil��s body where Rhode had blasted an opening and exploded in an unprecedented formidable force. The Ice Devil failed to repair its body using the ice around it. To the Ice Devil, it had sunk into a dire situation. The mercenaries�� continuous attacks left it panting and this was what Rhode wished to see. Facing an elemental creature, especially one like a fish in water, the best method was to diminish its strength using continuous attacks and shatter its chances of recovering itself. Although the Ice Devil came from the Water Elemental Plane and was considered a pure elemental creature, it couldn��t possibly possess pure elemental powers since this place wasn��t the Water Elemental Plane. Due to this reason, even if it needed to repair itself when it faced ambushes, its recovery speed wouldn��t be as quick and convenient as it was in the Water Elemental Plane.


    This was the reason why Rhode seized the chance to strike relentlessly. As long as he relied on his strength and the mercenaries�� non-stop attacks, it would be possible to destroy the Ice Devil since it couldn��t repair itself. And now, the Ice Devil��s miserable plight had proven that Rhode��s plan worked!


    As for the mercenaries, they didn��t consider the situation like Rhode did. But it was apparent to them that just a little more effort and the creature would be doomed!


    But the Ice Devil wouldn��t be standing idly and accept its fate. It struggled to lift his body and swept its eyes emanating with spiritual radiance to the side. Then, it let out a long cry and struck its powerful tail skyward!


    This attack from the Ice Devil could be said to be extremely fast. The tail struck the Spirit Bird soaring in the sky and the Spirit Bird crashed to the ground before it even reacted. The Spirit Bird shattered into speckles of bright dust and vanished into thin air.


    But this time, the Ice Devil wasn��t simply targeting the Spirit Bird. After striking off the Spirit Bird, it swept its tail toward Lize and the others standing by the perimeter!


    Although Lize and the Clerics didn��t cause direct harm to the Ice Devil in the battle, they had been silently supporting the mercenaries. Even though the mercenaries were able to dodge the Ice Devil��s attack most of the time, there were also instances where they had to resist due to various reasons. This was where the Clerics�� protection and blessings had shown their values. No matter how close the mercenaries�� strength was to the Master Stage, the mercenaries were still in the Peak Elite Stage. If it weren��t for the Clerics�� blessings and defense assistance, how would they even deal such high damage to the Ice Devil even with the Elemental Badge?


    On the other hand, the Ice Devil was extremely sensitive to the flow of the spiritual powers as a pure elemental creature. After exchanging blows with Rhode, this cunning creature had sensed that Rhode��s spiritual powers weren��t any weaker than it and it wouldn��t yield good results if it continued to meet force with force. On the contrary, although the humans by the perimeter didn��t possess strong spiritual powers, they had annoyed the Ice Devil exceptionally. Therefore, the Ice Devil instantly swung its long tail at them after striking off the Spirit Bird. The razor-sharp ice splinter extended from the tip of its tail and lashed at the Clerics like a gigantic thorn.


    ��Oh no!�� Lize swiftly changed her hand gestures and pushed her hands forward with her palms facing up. In the blink of an eye, countless golden runes emerged and revolved to form various circles. Lize pushed her palms forward and formed a sturdy barrier.


    At this moment, the Ice Devil��s tail struck heavily on the barrier.


    Pow! Pow! Pow! After a few attempts to break the barrier, the Ice Devil used all its might to swing its tail with an irresistible force and finally shattered the barrier that Lize had cast.


    ��Aaah! Lize flew back from the immense force and collapsed to the ground. She looked on frightenedly as the razor-sharp ice splinter got increasingly closer. The spotlessly white ice splinter shimmered a terrifying radiance under the beaming sun as though it would penetrate the young lady��s body in the blink of an eye. However, at this moment, a figure stood before Lize.


    ��Dream on!�� Anne raised her shield high and a burst of white steam spurted out from a gap in her shield. Anne plunged the triangular shield downward and expanded it hurriedly to protect Lize and herself.


    At this moment, the ice splinter had arrived.


    Clang! The thick, gigantic ice splinter collided heavily against the steel shield. Anne grounded her feet and clasped to her shield as the powerful impact pushed her back by up to 10 meters. The ice splinter couldn��t tolerate the recoil any further and it came to an abrupt stop.


    ��Uncle Marfa, it��s all up to you!�� Anne stabled her footing and yelled forward.

 Chapter 569 - Frozen Sorrow

    The razor-sharp ice splinter collided with the steel shield. The Ice Devil was surprised that a human could resist its all-out strike and the strong recoil slowed its movement. Then, Marfa heard Anne��s yell and charged forward with his mercenaries. They raised their weapons and slashed with all their might.


    Dazzling blade rays flickered in the air. The scarlet flames on their blades struck the Ice Devil��s body and spread wildly to its erected tail. It howled in grief as its tail broke off abruptly. After losing its tail and balance, the gravely injured Ice Devil crashed into the ground. However, it hadn��t given up just yet. It let out a blood-curdling screech like a cornered animal and crawled to its feet. It lifted its head high and the elemental radiance in its eyes was never this brilliant. It felt as though the sun had paled in its presence.


    But that was only for an instant.


    Rhode dove down with his daggers laid in a crisscross stance like a dazzling meteor streaking across the sky.


    Perhaps the mercenaries would never forget this scene.


    The Ice Devil let out a heart-trembling below with its widened jaw. At the same time, a shining light column shone from above and punctured the Ice Devil��s skull. The immense impact swept along a powerful whirlwind that dispersed in all directions. It was so quick that the Ice Devil had no chance to react at all. The ice surface sank under the pressure and formed a ten-meters wide depression. At this moment, the Ice Devil still maintained its upright posture as though time had frozen. Then, its massive body collapsed as though an invisible large hand had pushed it to its side.


    ��Oh, Lord���� The mercenaries muttered and held their breaths. Although they knew that Rhode possessed powerful strength, they were dumbfounded to personally witness his raw force. After this thunderous strike, weakness and fear brewed in the mercenaries�� minds. Perhaps there were no other choices for them apart from shutting their eyes and waiting for death if they were to suffer the fate of this attack.


    However, the awestruck mercenaries didn��t stay dazed for long. Rhode emerged rather miserably before them and swiftly gestured to them. ��Run!��


    The deep sound of rolling thunder boomed from underneath the ice surface and an enormous crack emerged��


    Rhode stood by the shore and heaved a long sigh of relief as he gazed over the Frozen Lake. After losing the influence of the Ice Devil��s elemental powers, the abnormal lake had finally restored to its original state. The melted thick ice layer cracked and floated on the lake water while the shed gigantic ice layers caused a splash as it fell into it. One might misunderstand that one had arrived at the Arctic Ocean if one were to view this picturesque scenery. As Rhode admired this breathtaking view, Marfa came up to him. ��Sir, is it over?��


    Rhode turned around and gazed at Marfa��s concerned, yet excited expression. This felt as though Rhode had returned to the game when the group of newbies he had led surrounded and looked at him emotionally after clearing a dungeon BOSS. But Rhode came back to his senses quickly and nodded.


    ��That��s right, the mission has ended. We have succeeded.��


    ��Oh oh oh!�� The mercenaries broke out in cheers. They pumped their fists in the air and their faces were filled with unprecedented happiness. Lize and the two Clerics beside her smiled widely as they gazed at their celebrating companions.


    It was no wonder the mercenaries were this excited. Although the mercenaries had engaged in countless battles with monsters under Rhode��s lead, most of the time they were more of bystanders while Rhode, Gillian, and Celia were the main attackers. Of course, tt was still great news that the mercenaries could gain victories, but they felt rather regretful if they had to watch from the sides every time. This time, even though Rhode was still responsible for the main attacks, the mercenaries didn��t stand by idly. Instead, they unleashed their strength and fully committed themselves to the battle, to which they felt a deep sense of accomplishment and thrilling emotions.


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. This was also why he didn��t ask Gillian to come along. Even though Gillian was a Fire Elemental Lord with sealed powers, she wouldn��t find any problems dealing with the Ice Devil due to the conflicting elemental attributes. However, Rhode didn��t do so because he discovered that it wasn��t great for the mercenaries�� morale if he simply relied on himself and his powerful companions to complete the missions and battles. Moreover, the mercenaries didn��t work hard under Canary and Bubble��s guidance just to watch idly from the rear. This time, Rhode also didn��t summon Celia and Celestina apart from symbolically summoning the Spirit Bird and Hell Hound to stir up his mercenaries�� fighting spirit.


    Indeed, the mercenaries unleashed their true potential when their main ��carries�� weren��t around. Of course, although they appeared somewhat miserable against the Ice Devil, it wasn��t simple to deal this amount of damage. Even though Rhode attracted most of the Ice Devil��s attention and was the main attacker, he wouldn��t have annihilated the Ice Devil that easily without the mercenaries�� containment from the side. Rhode had gained much more confidence in his mercenaries after this battle. The fact that the mercenaries performed this well against an Ice Devil whose level was this much higher meant that they could deal with the future equal-leveled BOSSes without any issues.


    Everyone returned to the Greenery Town and this time, the residents�� attitude toward them was entirely different. After the Law Enforcement Officer informed them that the creature that had plagued the entire Cranmore region for centuries was finally annihilated, the residents were elated. They swarmed to the edge of the Frozen Lake and sweet tears welled up in their eyes. The residents who remembered the original view of the Frozen Lake had passed on and no one in the Cranmore region knew what it looked like under the thick ice surface. But now, they finally got what they asked for.


    Rhode and his mercenaries received passionate hospitality from the Greenery Town��s residents. The Mayor had even hosted a grand celebration feast on the public square to welcome and express their gratitude to the heroes that brought hope to the Cranmore region.


    Although the mercenaries were a little discontent that the residents tried to chase them away and were now welcoming them with grins from ear to ear, the mercenaries swiftly threw that tiny resentment to the back of their heads. Besides, the Mayor had also represented the town in apologizing to the mercenaries during the feast. This was why the mercenaries didn��t haggle over the dispute and indulged themselves in the delicious food and wine.


    ��Seems like they��re having a lot of fun,�� Rhode said with a smile. Instead of joining in with them, he stayed behind in the hotel room alone because he disliked noisy events. Moreover, there was something more important to deal with.


    ��I haven��t seen this familiar prompt in a while,�� Rhode muttered under his breath.


    Rhode didn��t accept any other missions after abiding by Lydia��s orders in heading to the Paphield defensive line. Frankly speaking, Rhode was rather doubtful about the trigger mechanism for missions in this world. If it was in the game, a mission like defending the Paphield defensive line would be considered a trigger mission. However, it was totally different in this world. Most of the missions weren��t granted by the system and only some missions related to the construction of the Fortress, as well as the Spirit Swordsman, were triggered by the system. Due to this reason, even though Rhode had technically reaped a lot from accomplishing the Paphield defensive line mission, there wasn��t a single EXP and reward recorded in the system. Also, the rare ��Fiery Rose�� triggered mission resulted in a rare failure.


    Due to this reason, Rhode sighed at the sight of the [Mission Completed] system prompt. Then, he focused his attention on the prompt before him and tapped lightly with his finger. A sweet-sounding notification popped and lines of system prompt emerged.


    [Mission �� Frozen Lake. Completed]


    [Received 772000 EXP. Upgradeable]


    [Please select mission reward]


    That��s a generous amount of EXP.


    Rhode let out a whistle. In fact, this was why he cared so much about the system mission. In this world, Rhode didn��t need to share his EXP with others. He would receive all the EXP for every completed mission and he could level up at lightning speed. If he were to share the EXP just like he did in the game, perhaps he wouldn��t have transcended into the level 40 Master Stage now. As his levels grew, the EXP requirement for leveling also increased. If he were to share the EXP equally with his mercenaries after completing the Frozen Lake mission, perhaps he would level up only once. But now, he got to enjoy the entire EXP by himself and that was about a gain of two to three levels. This was simply a golden opportunity bestowed by the heavens.


    However, Rhode didn��t choose to level up yet. Instead, he turned his gaze to the mission rewards.


    There were two mission rewards for the [Frozen Lake] mission. One of the rewards would open the passage to the Water Plane of Existence and he could summon low-level Water Elemental Spirits. Previously, Rhode had thought about accepting this reward, but he stopped yearning for it after he received the Fantasy Key from completing the Castel Plateau Ruins. The Ocean Elves that were summoned using the Fantasy Key were much more reliable than the low-leveled Water Elemental Spirits and Rhode wouldn��t be that foolish to waste this opportunity. Therefore, he focused his attention on the other choice.


    [Please select mission reward �� Water Elemental Attribute Spirit Summon Card]


    Rhode hesitated for a moment and tapped lightly on the pattern of the card.


    The system prompt burst out in golden rays and fused with the card brilliantly. A spinning card emerged out of thin air and landed on Rhode��s palm. Unlike all the cards in Rhode��s possession, this card was entirely blue with white complex patterns around its edge and it let off a biting cold chilliness. On the top corner of the card front, a pure white mark of ��lll�� caught his attention. Then, a string of system descriptions appeared before him.


    [Received Frozen Sorrow 1/10, Snow]


    [Snow (Water Elemental Spirit. High Position): Master Level Lord Spirit. Infusible. Controls element. Ice Seal. Freezing property. Skills held �� Breath of Water (The gentle water flow can heal all pain and nurture without end)


    Water Elemental Master Attribute (Water Spirit��s Temptation)


    Lord Manipulation (Can summon lower-ranked spirits apart from Lords. Maximum of three)


    ???


    ???


    ???


    Growth Rate: 0%]


    Rhode twitched his brows as soon as he read the final line. He scanned the front of the card and saw a clear crystal ball with indistinct human shapes within it. There were also two huge numbers of 5 and 7 at the bottom of the card.


    Offense 5 Defense 7. This card was apparently used for defense and healing which was a satisfactory result for Rhode. He possessed mainly attacking cards and lacked such supporting and defensive cards. The reason why the Spirit Swordsman could become one of the three best solo classes was due to its ability to summon card spirits to make up and replace the strength of a team. And a perfect team needed an attacker, supporter, healer, and meat shield, no less. Currently, only the Centaur Knight and Nether Tentacles were considered defensive cards and he didn��t have any support and healer cards at all.


    Even though this card seemed similar to Gillian, they were entirely different. Gillian��s card attributes were incredibly overbearing while this Frozen Sorrow card attribute was correspondingly weaker where even the original attributes of the Nether Tentacles was stronger. On the other hand, its offensive points were only slightly above the Spirit Bird. If this was the best that this card could go, it wouldn��t be considered a precious variety among all the summoning cards.


    However, the growth rate of this card proved its uniqueness �� It was a card that would grow and could be considered more of a card that was created by a Spirit Swordsman than a card awakened by the Soul Core.


    Awakened and Created. Both were totally different.


    Take Gillian, Starmark, and Succubus, for example. Their attributes could be upgraded from leveling up. Instead of saying that they could be leveled up, it was more appropriate to say that removing their seals would allow them to regain their original strength and state. Their peak attributes would be achieved when they regained their true form. Just like the Spirit Bird��Rhode had advanced its stage once and its attack attribute increased only a little, so he knew that its future was bleak. Even if he successfully upgraded the Spirit Bird three times, its attack would increase by 3 points at most.


    However, created cards were totally different. It was like a child that was just born and it didn��t know anything apart from its talent skill. The path of its growth laid firmly on the hands of the summoner. Due to this reason, there were no fixed numerical values for the cards that were created. During its first advancement, it might possibly increase its defense due to the player��s defensive preference. However, if the player had decided to focus on its attack instead, its attacking value might even surpass its defense during the second advancement.


    This was the difference between created cards and summoned cards.


    What an excellent luck.


    Rhode shrugged. He placed the card to the side and continued reading.


    At this moment, the system prompt caught his attention.


    [Mission Completed Reward. Received 1 Sword Creation Point]


    What��s this?


    Rhode��s curiosity piqued.

 Chapter 570 - Sword Creation Point

    For a ��Walking Library�� like Rhode, it wasn��t easy to pique his curiosity. After all, he didn��t earn this title out of nothing. Rhode had played the Dragon Soul Continent for years and he knew almost everything at his fingertips. It could also be said that he knew everything that every player knew and didn��t know. Of course, he wouldn��t be aware of the secrets that weren��t unearthed yet.


    Apart from gossips, Rhode knew everything about the class systems.


    After coming to this world, Rhode had met with two incidents that he hadn��t experienced.


    One of the incidents was the talent tree fusion system. After Rhode activated the Hell Lord Talent Tree, the three individual talent trees fused and formed a unique talent tree, which Rhode had never seen happen in the game. The other incident was the system reward from completing this mission��the Sword Creation Point.


    If the fusion of the talent trees could be explained that it was due to Rhode activating all three talent trees, then he had no clues about the Sword Creation Point at all.


    Sword Creation Point?


    Rhode knitted his brows. He studied the system for hours and he couldn��t find detailed explanations about it. Perhaps the point was meant for forging weapons if he was a Production player. However, he didn��t possess any forging skills, so what was the purpose of it? What is the point used for if it isn��t for weapons forging?


    Rhode couldn��t possibly dig the official website and forums for any updates about the game. However, this didn��t mean that he was helpless.


    Since it is the ��Sword Creation Point��, it surely has something to do with Swords.


    Gracier and Madaras were the first that came to his mind. He had been wielding them for quite some time, but they had never joined the Holy Sword Card Deck. Although Rhode wasn��t in a hurry, he didn��t feel comfortable leaving this matter out in the open. Ever since they had ridiculously transformed into human forms, they didn��t have any strange occurrences thereafter. Even though Rhode had tried pouring his spiritual powers into them, there were no transformations at all. Come to think of it, perhaps��


    Rhode recalled the strange dream he had about the familiar, desolate land and the little girl who resembled Christie. If it wasn��t for her, perhaps Rhode wouldn��t have awakened the twin daggers. What relationship does the Holy Sword Card Deck have with the little girl?


    However, the Sword Creation Point had nothing to do with the twin daggers. Rhode experimented with the daggers and both of them didn��t respond at all. He had even drawn out Starmark and Succubus from the deck and they were equally unmoved. He thought that the ��Sword�� in the ��Sword Creation Points�� referred to the Holy Sword Card Deck, but it seemed otherwise now.


    Although his experiment failed, he wasn��t irritated. He had played the Dragon Soul Continent for years and he had his own ways of exploring other options. Since there was a ��Point��, there must be somewhere for him to utilize it. As long as he searched slowly, he would surely find his answers.


    As expected, he spotted the source of the problem after scanning through all his talents and skills in the system interface.


    In the swordsmanship column under the character panel, there were some changes that Rhode had never seen before.


    After coming to this world, his swordsmanship column had succeeded all the 12 swordsmanship skills that he had learned in the game. However, unlike the game, most of the swordsmanships were greyed out, which meant that Rhode needed to enter skill points to get his hands on them. The Moon Shadow, Starfall, and Dark Dance were the only ones among the 12 swordsmanships that were brightly lit. The mastery for Moon Shadow and Dark Dance were graded C and A respectively while Starfall had the lowest grade of E. Even though the other nine swordsmanships were greyed out, he realized that there was an empty white field. This was unusual because his swordsmanship column should have been fully used up. As a top-rated player, he was great at making use of everything. Although his EXP and masteries had been restarted, they weren��t erased. Due to this reason, an empty field shouldn��t exist.


    Interestingly, the empty field was emanating white radiance. This was strange because it meant that Rhode could learn other swordsmanships, but he had never received any new swordsmanship scrolls or became an apprentice to a master. So how was it possible that he could learn new swordsmanships?


    Rhode tapped on the swordsmanship column curiously. A system notification sounded and a line of words emerged.


    [Consuming 1 Sword Creation Point. Confirm to create a new Swordsmanship?]


    Rhode was astounded. He had never thought that the point could be used to create a swordsmanship.


    In the game, although players could modify the swordsmanship taught by the NPCs to a certain extent, they were unable to create brand new swordsmanship for themselves. There weren��t such settings in the Dragon Soul Continent, so most of their battle techniques were basically learned from NPCs and developed uniquely by themselves thereafter. However, the modifications were limited to reforming the techniques and its method of usages and it didn��t relate to brand new swordsmanship. This was because the game system didn��t support such modifications and most players weren��t interested in them. Although some players attempted, they eventually failed without yielding any results. After all, most of the players didn��t practice any martial arts in real life, not to mention swordsmanship. No matter how realistic the game was, it was still a game nonetheless. Even a true martial artist who had trained himself for decades might not be able to create unique swordsmanship, which made it even more impossible for the players who relied on the system to brandish their weapons.


    But�� creating a new swordsmanship��


    Rhode had some ideas especially after he stepped into this world and experienced fights personally. His main weapon was the Holy Sword Card Deck, but all the swordsmanships that he possessed didn��t compliment them. Among the four Holy Swords that he owned, they were categorized as swords, chain swords, and daggers. On the other hand, the [Moon Shadow], [Dark Dance], and [Starfall] swordsmanships were meant for single-handed swords. Rhode had no qualms in using Succubus and Starmark, but he felt uncoordinated wielding Gracier and Madaras. Although he could unleash unique swordsmanships for each hand, coordination would be a huge problem for him. Therefore, whenever he wielded Gracier and Madaras in battle, he was fighting using his past experiences.


    Rhode once wished for an all-embracing swordsmanship that could satisfy his demands for all weapons. But how was it possible for such a wonderful thing to happen in this world?


    But now, this opportunity had presented itself before him.


    Creating a swordsmanship that was unique to him would be much more advantageous than learning from others. A basic swordsmanship like Moon Shadow was fine, but for a swordsmanship like the Dark Dance�� Frankly speaking, Rhode didn��t dare to display it before his summoned spirits. It was a secret taught by the Dark Elf and if the other spirits were to witness it, perhaps they might turn against him.


    Rhode hesitated for a moment and tapped on ��confirm��. Shortly after, the image before him spun and a hexagon appeared. He had seen this hexagon before because it existed in every swordsmanships�� introduction column. It represented the swordsmanship��s strength, speed, flexibility, adaptability, explosiveness, and technique. An empty attribute field was in the center of the hexagon.


    Strength represented the swordsmanship��s strength. This attribute possessed immense aggressiveness just like the Starmark Swordsmanship which Rhode had built. A more direct example would be Barter at the Midsummer Festival, where his swordsmanship was mainly built on the strength attribute. Such swordsmanship was usually barbaric, violent, and unreasonable as though the force of a boulder rolling off a cliff and crushing the defenseless human below.


    As for speed and flexibility, Rhode��s Dark Dance Swordsmanship was the most notable representative. The Dark Elf��s swordsmanship didn��t require strength and sought to deal fatal blows to enemies using the quickest speed and strangest angle. On the other hand, the explosiveness represented the initial speed of a swordsmanship which required the holder��s powerful agile value as support. Before the enemy had even drawn his sword, Rhode��s sword tip had already struck the enemy��s throat. This was an extremely important attribute to have.


    The adaptability represented the requirements for weapons. Such a swordsmanship was extremely unique. If the holder wielded ordinary weapons, perhaps he wouldn��t even be able to unleash half the strength of this swordsmanship. However, once the holder held a specific and exclusive weapon, he could display unprecedented might. Players differentiated swordsmanship through the adaptabilities. Normally, the lower the adaptability, the higher the level of swordsmanship. While the higher the adaptability, the more common and ordinary the swordsmanship was. The swordsmanship which Andre had used in Fiat was built around the weapon, Neptune��s Sigh, which coordinated with its special effects. He could dominate with that weapon, but if he were to work with a standard military sword, his might would decrease drastically and the enemies would feel as though the coldness was from the air conditioner. Of course, this was just a joke.


    The technique represented the corresponding support value. It would be affected by flexibility, speed, and could increase the might of the swordsmanship. The higher the technique, the more complicated the swordsmanship would be. Although the players preferred uncomplicated moves most of the time, there were many times when not only the complicated sword skills looked amazing, but they also possessed extreme threats. Besides�� marvelous and beautiful sword skills were the most popular choices. The Swordsmaster Sereck in the Deep Stone City was the best example. He was only in the Master Stage, but he was deeply respected in the Paphield region because it was strongly related to his swordsmanship. Although Sereck��s ��Sparkling Swordsmanship�� wasn��t too threatening to Rhode, it was breathtaking in the eyes of the ordinary humans.


    The attribute in the center of the hexagon represented the elemental attribute of the swordsmanship which was transformed from the holder��s spiritual powers. The elemental attribute could be considered incredibly important for a swordsmanship and it would greatly influence if the swordsmanship was meant for solo battles or AOE fights.


    Rhode pondered in deeply. Although Rhode had obtained a certain amount of swordsmanship experiences due to the battles he experienced in this world, it wasn��t that easy for him to create a new swordsmanship. Rhode recalled that no matter a martial arts novel or western legends, the top-rated swordsmen had either faced some traumatic incidents or cultivated in seclusion in order to obtain their very own swordsmanship. And now, how should he go about creating his own swordsmanship?

 Chapter 571 - Players’ Methods

    No matter if Rhode was in the game or the current world, he had never faced any troubles that he couldn��t resolve. But now, this ��Sword Creation Points�� had put him in a difficult spot. Although it seemed as though creating a swordsmanship couldn��t be any easier, Rhode realized that his head was in a total blank when he put his hands on it. It wasn��t as simple as constructing buildings where as long as the foundation was stable, he could build everything he wanted. Creating a swordsmanship by himself might seem simple, but the truth was otherwise.


    Although the decision-making process was tough, Rhode had no intentions of giving up. The reason was fairly simple. It was due to the mastery levels of this swordsmanship. Among the 13 swordsmanships in Rhode��s possession, this self-created swordsmanship with the only one with a mastery level of up to SSS grade. In other words, it was the only one that could ignore the Spirit Swordsman��s swordsmanship technique -1 punishment. If Rhode could master this swordsmanship, his powers could even be doubled in future battles.


    Due to this reason, Rhode gritted his teeth despite an extreme headache and thought hard on how he should go about setting it up.


    But it wasn��t that simple.


    Seconds passed and the bustling noises outside appeased gradually. The sun was setting and scarlet radiance splashed through the window. Rhode folded his arms and looked at the system interface bitterly. He had experimented for two hours and didn��t yield any results. However, he had clearly grasped the special features of the ��Sword Creation Points�� �� For every consumption of one [Sword Creation Point], Rhode could receive a chance to create a swordsmanship level. Within this chance, he could choose to utilize the Sword Creation Point to recreate a brand new swordsmanship technique or fuse the techniques of other swordsmanships into this new swordsmanship like refining two raw materials in alchemy to create new alchemy items. The two fused swordsmanships would be presented in the new swordsmanship. Taking the [Moon Shadow] and [Dark Dance] for example, they were similar in their relatively high [Speed], [Flexibility], and [Explosiveness]. If Rhode fused these two swordsmanships together, the new swordsmanship would be equipped with high [Speed], [Flexibility], and [Explosiveness].


    However, the fused swordsmanships would vanish entirely. In other words, they wouldn��t be available for Rhode in the future anymore and he could only battle using the new swordsmanship, which would be a risky gamble. If the newly created swordsmanship wasn��t as handy and to his likings, his future battles would turn out troublesome. Therefore, he had to make a choice. But, is this right? A brand new swordsmanship. But��


    An idea flashed in his mind and the corner of his mouth twitched.


    I��m so dumb. Why did I even consider problems like defensive stances and attacking angles? What purpose do they serve to me? I��m neither a martial artist nor a sword expert, so why must I even consider like historical swordmasters?


    Although Rhode had lost both his parents and had no one to rely on, he had neither fallen off a cliff nor get abandoned by a woman that he loved, so why must he consider all these problems? When players entered the game to learn and use the swordsmanship, they didn��t start everything from scratch and suffered hardships just like in real life, right?


    Of course, the swordsmanship that players learned relied on the system. When they created the swordsmanship, the system would automatically adjust their attack movements. It could also be said that, from the beginning, the players attack movements relied fully on the system movements. After they were familiar with the movements, they began to rely less on the system��s control and this was how the senior players turned from passive to active controls and mastered every swordsmanship.


    Since I have this system with me by my side, why must I consider how should I launch my attacks?


    Isn��t it enough as long as I make adjustments according to the swordsmanship and create the swordsmanship that suited me the most? Although there will surely be areas where I��m not satisfied with, isn��t this the reason why players modify and improve them?


    Rhode leaned back on the chair and gazed proudly at the system prompt. Then, he swiped his finger on the swordsmanship column interface!


    The 12 swordsmanships scattered wildly and hovered before Rhode and he scanned every single one of them swiftly for their advantages. At the same time, he compared and calculated in his mind the most important feature of this new swordsmanship.


    After Rhode had transcended into the Master Stage, his Dexterity was the highest which meant that if he wished to unleash the might of this new swordsmanship, the high-leveled [Agility] and [Flexibility] were must-haves. Moreover, Rhode preferred an ambushing style, so his [Explosiveness] was also indispensable. Considering that his weapon was the Holy Sword Card Deck, the [Adaptability] must be increased relatively higher too.


    Whereas for [Strength], Rhode could build on it according to the situation because he didn��t intend to head down the path of a barbarian. As for [Technique], he could build on it as a high-performance support based on the situation too.


    The fledgling stage of Rhode��s new swordsmanship had been completed��[Agility], [Flexibility], [Explosiveness] were the main stats while [Adaptability] was second and [Strength] could be totally abandoned. With the strange bloodline flowing in Rhode, he could rely on his strength that was comparable to a barbarian even with 1 point of [Strength]. As for [Technique], it existed as support and it could be upgraded in times of need.


    And now, he had to choose which two swordsmanships to fuse.


    Although the [Dark Dance] suited Rhode��s requirement the most, he had no intentions of fusing it into the new swordsmanship. He had realized during his experiment that there were three stages in creating a swordsmanship �� Initial, Middle, and Late Stages. The levels of fused techniques in every stage were different and with different effects. Currently, the mastery of Rhode��s [Dark Dance] was A. However, if he fused it in the Initial Stage, the effects and high mastery levels of this swordsmanship would be forcefully lowered in the later stages. If he wished to receive the incredible speed of the full [Dark Dance] swordsmanship in the Late Stage, he had better engage in another fusion before the swordsmanship entered the Late Stage to unleash its original strength to its limits.


    The [Dark Dance] was Rhode��s current and only trump card. The new swordsmanship might be useful, however, it required time and energy to increase its mastery. During such times, it was extremely necessary to have a swordsmanship in the Legendary Stage for self-protection �� After all, the fused swordsmanship wouldn��t inherit the mastery levels.


    Rhode had decided on one of the sacrificial swordsmanship for the fusion and it was the [Moon Shadow]. As a basic swordsmanship for a Spirit Swordsman, he had grasped the [Moon Shadow] inside out and he didn��t need to hesitate further. Also, even though the [Agility] and [Explosiveness] of the initial stages of the [Moon Shadow] were high, they had dropped off at the later stages and caused it to become the best choice for the fusion.


    The other sacrificial swordsmanship for the fusion wasn��t [Dark Dance] or [Starfall], instead, he had chosen another swordsmanship after pondering for a long while��[Disillusionment].


    This was the battle technique of the Warsaw Thieves. It was named after a silent and precise assassination. Of course. In terms of speed, [Disillusionment] couldn��t be compared to [Dark Dance], which was a killer technique created by the Dark Elves. However, as a rare, basic swordsmanship with high [Agility] and [Explosiveness], the [Disillusionment] still had its certain value. More importantly, as a battle technique designed for Thieves, the [Disillusionment]��s [Adaptability] and [Technique] was on the high side with 5 points each. (Note: The highest value of the six swordsmanship attribute is 10.)


    After deciding on the fusion targets, Rhode revealed a stern expression.


    The system prompt emerged.


    [Owned 6 Skill Points. Confirm to release swordsmanship?]


    Yes.


    [Target?]


    Disillusionment.


    [Consumed 1 Skill Point. ��Disillusionment Swordsmanship�� released. Mastery E �� Technique: Silent Assassination]


    Consume 1 Sword Creation Point. Activate Swordsmanship Creation System. Fuse Swordsmanships.


    [Choose your target]


    Moon Shadow �� Disillusionment


    [Fusing Swordsmanship ��Moon Shadow�� and Swordsmanship ��Disillusionment��. Confirm to proceed?]


    Confirm.


    The swordsmanship column representing [Moon Shadow] and [Disillusionment] left their positions as though an invisible string had pulled them away and they moved to the position of Rhode��s newly created swordsmanship. Their icons emanated a gentle, dazzling brilliance and shook as they merged together to transform into a brand new mark. After the brilliant rays dispersed, a new swordsmanship technique emerged before his eyes.


    [A new Swordsmanship has been created. Please provide a name.]


    The corner of Rhode��s mouth twitched and he revealed a delightful smile. Then, he extended his finger��

 Chapter 572 - Dreamland

    ��Sigh���� Lize sat by the table with the wine glass in her delicate hand.


    The celebration feast wasn��t that grand, but it was extremely lively. The residents welcomed the faraway guests passionately after they were finally released from the painful curse of Frozen Lake. This feast was perhaps also to make up for their rudeness from before. Rhode was supposed to be around during such an occasion, but he threw everything into the back of his head and left without even stepping in here. The residents who didn��t express their gratitude were rather worried as they had heard from the Law Enforcing Officer just how powerful this young man who looked like a beautiful young lady was. A several meter tall creature couldn��t withstand his sword strike and furthermore, he was also a noble. If he was dissatisfied with the residents�� behaviors from before, perhaps they wouldn��t lead a great life even without the existence of that plague.


    Lize knew that Rhode always disliked such occasions and she had to take up the responsibility of the guild with Rhode��s absence since she was second only to Marlene in terms of position who also wasn��t around. Besides, she was a kindhearted girl and she felt uncomfortable seeing the residents trembling with fear in such a joyous occasion. Therefore, she approached them and consoled them that Rhode wasn��t unhappy and everything was fine. But it was also due to this that the residents were exceptionally passionate toward her which left Lize catching her breath. After the celebrations ended, Lize felt exhausted and dizzy even though she drank only fruit wine.


    ��What��s wrong? Sister Lize doesn��t look too well. Is Sister Lize feeling ok?��


    When Lize was sighing and shaking her head, a vivacious, skylark-like voice sounded in her ears as Anne skipped toward her and looked at her with a curious smile. Lize forced out a bitter smile as she couldn��t understand how Anne managed to stay this awake after she had been forced to drink that much alcohol. Lize had witnessed Anne gulping down a whole barrel of spirits and she was worried that Anne would simply collapse into a deep sleep after she finished the last drop. In the end, this little rascal became even more energetic as though she just drank a whole bucket of cool water. On the contrary, she had filled so much of the residents�� glasses that they had become drunk��


    ��It��s nothing,�� Lize shook her head and gazed toward the horizon. ��I was just thinking that this feels like a dream����


    ��Dream?�� Anne blinked her eyes curiously and sat beside her. ��What nice dreams did you have?��


    ��If it was a nice dream, then I would be in the most wonderful place now.�� Lize turned to Anne. ��Anne, you still remember the day when you first joined us, right? We, Starlight, were only a small mercenary group. No, we could hardly call ourselves a mercenary group. Based on the number of people we have, we should be called a mercenary team instead. Back then, there were Mr. Rhode, you, Marlene, Mr Walker, and me�� But now�� �� Lize paused and looked into Anne��s puppy eyes with mixed feelings.


    As a Cleric, Lize had heard a lot regarding Starlight and the rumors surrounding it, especially after Anne murdered Rosen during the Midsummer Festival and shot to fame. If Anne was only known in the Deep Stone City in the past, she could be considered a widely popular Shield Warrior in the entire Munn Kingdom with the nickname of ��Child of the Storm��. Not only Anne, but even newbies like Joey and Randolf had also become well-known figures in the whole Paphield Region. There were even some rumors going on about Starlight gradually looking like Munn Kingdom��s number one Guild. Lize was also praised for her great battles in the Midsummer Festival and her impressive performances afterwards.


    But everything seemed surreal to her.


    In the young lady��s imagination, the legendary beings had eminent statuses, powerful strength, and were dignified. However, Anne was merely 15 years old and no matter how the world saw her as a powerful Shield Warrior, she would always appear to be the same Anne as when she first joined the mercenary group in Lize��s eyes. She continued to eat, sleep, play, and repeat and she didn��t have the graceful bearing of a ��Child of the Storm�� in her at all. Whereas for Lize, she felt incomparably frightened of those who praised and admired her greatly. She was only doing her part and couldn��t be considered as a hero or sort. However, she was treated like a character in a hero story spread within a night pub which she didn��t know how to react to them.


    Moreover�� Starlight.


    Lize still remembered the situation when she and Rhode returned to the Deep Stone City. She was the only survivor in the entire mercenary group and her future was looking bleak. She was only a powerless Cleric and wasn��t a formidable Warrior who could carry the entire mercenary group by herself. Therefore, when Rhode suggested helping her build Starlight up, she agreed without any hesitation. Back then, Lize wasn��t a newbie who had just left the Golden City and she knew how to get on in the world. It was also rather ridiculous thinking back now when Rhode suggested helping Lize rebuild the mercenary group. Lize had suspicions if this man was just eyeing for her body, but she didn��t have other choices. Even if Rhode��s target was really her, she would have no choice but to become his woman if it was what it took for the mercenary group to survive�� Moreover, compared to those fat and arrogant men, Rhode appeared much better than them.


    But things didn��t develop in the way that Lize had imagined.


    Mr. Walker came. Marlene came. Anne came. Randolf, Joey, and Lapis also came. Afterward, due to the crisis of the Paphield mercenary group, Rhode took in Shauna and the mercenaries under her. Then, they participated in the Midsummer Festival and defeated the Sky Sword and Liberty Wings Guilds to become the winner of the event. Thereafter, Starlight promoted to become a large-scale Guild.


    And now, they had built their Fortress and conquered the Land of Atonement��


    Such amazing changes happened within half a year with a soaring speed as quick as a rocket. There were many times when Lize couldn��t believe that she was in the Starlight Guild that she had heard others discussed.


    Anne, whose nickname was the ��Child of the Storm��, was still an innocent and naive young girl who loved to eat, sleep, play, and stick around Rhode��s side idly like a little puppy. There were no apparent relations of the word ��Storm�� to her at all.


    Joey, who was often named as a potential ��Talented Thief��, was still in his sloppy self who sometimes cracked vulgar jokes with the mercenaries all day and often stuck around the Clerics under Lize, trying to gain the likes of one of them. He didn��t seem like a so-called ��Talented Thief�� at all.


    On the other hand, Lize had never felt that the ��Mysterious Alchemist Master�� Lapis was any mysterious at all. Lize had always seen her sulking and covered in smoke stains from head to toes miserably. She had also treated her more than once for the mistakes in her alchemist experiments.


    There were many times when Lize had misconceptions whenever she woke up from her dreams. It was just as the outsiders had described. The powerful, prosperous, talent-filled Starlight was like a wonderful dream. In fact, Starlight had only entered the Guild stage and still needed to gather more strength in baby steps. Naming the Starlight the number one Guild in the Munn Kingdom would be too unreal, exaggerating, and unacceptable. Starlight didn��t have more than 300 mercenaries and they couldn��t be compared to the large-scale Guilds like the Purple Lily and Cole Falcon in terms of strength where the territories that they had owned and operated on lasted for decades. What rights did a newly established Guild have to become the number one Guild in the Munn Kingdom?


    Sometimes, Lize couldn��t explain her thoughts either. She looked forward to the future that everyone had been speaking about. The powerful presence that could represent the Munn Kingdom was what she had always yearned for. However, she feared that she would lose the current feelings that she had. The Guild was like a heartwarming family to her. Rhode was like the parent while Marlene, Anne, Lapis, Joey, and the others were siblings with unique personalities. Lize loved living such a life and she didn��t wish to see Anne becoming the dignified ��Child of the Storm�� that the public had called her. She didn��t wish to see Joey keeping his cheeky smile and order his men arrogantly. She also didn��t wish to see Lapis becoming even more secretive and not interact with others as though every word that came out of her mouth costed money. Lize was afraid of such a future, but her concerns weren��t baseless. She had lived with mercenary groups for years and she had personally seen drastic changes. There were many times when people could work together as one when they were poor and less developed. However, they would lose the sense of unity once they became successful and turn against even their closest companions.


    Perhaps Starlight would become a massive figure that everyone respected by then. But, will everyone still be as close with one another when that day comes? People change as time passes so will I remain the same?


    Lize gave a shiver at the thought of the unknown future.


    ��Sister Lize?�� Anne��s voice rang in her ears and dragged Lize out of her deep thoughts. Lize lifted her head and saw Anne��s round, widened eyes looking at her worriedly. ��Go back and have a rest first if you��re feeling tired. Anne will handle the rest of them!��


    The young lady raised her chin proudly and Lize let out a chuckle. The thoughts clouding her mind had seemed to dispersed after listening to Anne��s innocent speech. But Lize hesitated for a moment and she couldn��t hold in her impulse any longer. ��Anne, do you wish to change?��


    ��Change?�� Anne felt a little surprised. She looked at Lize curiously with widened eyes. ��Why would Anne need to change? Change what?��


    ��This�� Hmm���� Lize pondered for a while and forced out a response. ���� In other words�� We will all grow and change. In the future, we may turn out different from now����


    ��Anne will become different in the future?�� Anne frowned and fell into deep thoughts for a while. Then, the young lady raised her arms and had a stretch. ��So you��re thinking of such things�� Anne doesn��t want to think about something that far away and Anne will be happy as long as Anne is able to live life like this while following Leader. You must be tipsy to be thinking about such boring matters�� because, wouldn��t we all know when that happens?��


    Anne let out a giggle. ��Sister Lize, everyone is having so much fun, so don��t be bothered about it anymore.��


    ��Well, I guess���� Lize let out a long sigh and lowered her head to gaze into the bottom of the wine glass. ��I will know�� when it happens.��


    Lize muttered under her breath.

 Chapter 573 - Snow

    Dazzling blade rays flashed.


    Speckles of stars fluttered in the pitch-black room and the wall and ground before him were scarred by ferocious blade airstreams. Rhode nodded in satisfaction and flipped his wrists around. The weapons in his hands reverted into two daggers and slid back into their sheaths.


    The effects were great, but not to perfection yet. There were still areas that needed to improve. However, Rhode had taken a liking to this new swordsmanship which confirmed his guesses and thoughts. He didn��t need to consider how to create a swordsmanship. As long as the suitable stats were superimposed, the system would naturally create a swordsmanship that was suitable for him.


    The corner of Rhode��s mouth twitched and he couldn��t wait to head back into the Fortress and practice with Canary and Bubble. Currently, they were the only ones qualified in strength to go through training with Rhode. And now, Rhode was imagining how they would react when they witnessed his newly created swordsmanship.


    After the [Moon Shadow] and [Disillusionment] had fused, the values of the swordsmanship attribute in the Initial Stage were as follows��[Agility] had 7 points, [Flexibility] had 6 points, and [Explosiveness] had reached 8 points. This signified that as long as Rhode struck first, it would be extremely difficult for his opponent to counterattack unless the opponent was in the Legendary Stage. [Adaptability] had 5 points and although it wasn��t too significant, it was more than enough for the four Holy Swords in Rhode��s possession and there wouldn��t be any problems for him to switch between weapons.


    Clap clap clap. Soft claps sounded behind Rhode. He turned around and nodded slightly. At this moment, someone knocked on his door and Lize��s voice sounded. ��Mr. Rhode, are you asleep? Anne and I have brought you some food����


    Food?


    Rhode was shocked to realize that his stomach had been empty for a long time. Although it didn��t take long for him to annihilate the Ice Devil, he had immediately jumped into retrieving the system rewards and mission remunerations and didn��t join in the celebration feast organized by the Greenery Town residents. Moreover, he focused all his attention on creating the swordsmanship and now that he had finally completed it, it was already night time. He had missed two meals in a row and spent a lot of energy racking his brains over modifying the swordsmanship. Although he wouldn��t starve to death in a day without food with his physique, he wasn��t a masochist, after all.


    ��Come in,�� said Rhode.


    The door opened gradually and the two young ladies entered with a tray of food and wine. Their expressions changed instantly.


    ��Mr. Rhode, what happened?��


    ��Leader, did someone find trouble with you?��


    No wonder Lize and Anne had such a misconception. After all, the room was filled with marks of blade strikes under the flame. Rhode gestured to the both of them. ��I merely practiced my sword skill. It��s nothing much.��


    ��Sword skill?�� Lize said with an odd look.


    She scrutinized the no-longer usable room and let out a subtle sigh. Although they definitely needed to compensate for the damages to the room, it was still fine since nothing concerning had happened. Lize placed the tray of food on the table hurriedly and dragged a chair for a seat. At this moment, Anne��s frantic voice filled the room. ��Hey hey! Leader, what��s this? What��s this?!��


    ��Anne?�� Lize glared at Anne with puckered brows and turned her gaze to where Anne was looking at. Then, even Lize was surprised when she saw that thing. ��Mr. Rhode, what��s that?��


    Rhode wasn��t the only one in the room when the two young ladies had entered. An azure, round water ball was suspended in the corner of the room. It was about the height of an adult and it was formed entirely out of clear water. A pure, adorable young girl of about 13 to 14 years old floated within the water ball. She had a naked human upper body and a lower body of a fish. Her azure long hair drifted in the water and strands of them draped over her shoulders and covered her precious feminine chest. Her large, quick-witted eyes looked on in fear after hearing Anne��s scream and she swam forward within the water. Along with her movements, the water ball swiftly circled half the room before hiding behind Rhode. Then, the young girl peeped out at the two unfamiliar guests in uncertainty.


    ��This is my summoned spirit, Snow,�� Rhode introduced casually as he picked up a plate of food.


    ��Summoned spirit?�� Anne and Lize exchanged looks with each other. However, they weren��t that astonished because, after all, it wasn��t anything new for Rhode to randomly summon some spirits before them. Furthermore, this young girl named Snow was much more normal than the uniquely peculiar Agatha.


    However, after taking a closer look, apart from her lower body that resembled exactly like a fish, her fingers were webbed and her ears were similar to a pair of flipped pennant flags, drifting in the water. Besides, the area where her neck and face linked up was covered in scales. However, this appearance gave a sense of freshness. Moreover, when she hid behind Rhode, her startled expression was like that of a kitten and was truly adorable.


    ��Aiya, so cute�� Anne wants to hug her,�� Anne rushed over instantly and sized her up from top to bottom with round, passionate eyes.


    At the same time, her itchy hands touched all over the water ball surface and she turned to Rhode in some dissatisfaction. ��Why didn��t Leader summon such an adorable spirit earlier?��


    ��I only got my hands on her today.��


    Of course, Rhode wouldn��t remain silent to Anne��s ��false accusation��. The reason why he summoned Snow wasn��t that he wanted to show her off to them. Creating spirits and summoning spirits were different. The former required a massive amount of ��usage�� before accumulating enough EXP for growth. If he used her like the Holy Sword Card Deck or the Hell Hound when necessary, perhaps the time would never come for her to grow completely. Moreover, the amount of spiritual energy that such created cards consumed was limited. It would only require 5 points of spiritual energy every hour and it was less than the amount of spiritual energy that Rhode could automatically recover in one hour. Therefore, there wouldn��t be any harm for Rhode to summon her by his side.


    Of course, this young girl must also avoid certain situations. No matter what, she was no different from a child who had just been born. Her brain didn��t have any memories or knowledge, and Rhode had to teach her everything. If Rhode didn��t lead by example, she would become the model result of an incompetent Master.


    ��Today?�� Lize looked at the panicky little spirit in astonishment. ��Could she be the Ice Devil��s����


    ��Somewhat related�� Yes, actually you can say it that way,�� said Rhode.


    Of course, Rhode wouldn��t explain the system mission reward so frankly to them. Moreover, Snow was the mission reward for annihilating the Ice Devil so it wasn��t wrong for Lize to relate her to it. Lize finally understood why Rhode avoided the celebration feast after gaining victory over the Ice Devil. On the other hand, Anne continued to make a big fuss as she stuck her face to the water ball and stared at Snow. ��Eh eh eh? Leader said that this adorable little fella is related to the Ice Devil? Will she also turn into a big monster like it?��


    ��Of course she won��t. She and the Ice Devil merely live in the Water Plane of Existence. Hmm���� Rhode paused for a moment. ��You can treat it as she has been sealed up before the Ice Devil was defeated. Now that the Ice Devil is gone, she has awakened from the seal and become my spirit.��


    ��Ah. I see,�� said Anne.


    Although Anne seemed to have been enlightened, Rhode was sure that she didn��t understand it at all. But Rhode left it as it was because he knew that no matter how hard he explained, she still wouldn��t get it. As Anne wormed her way into knowing Snow, Rhode turned to Lize.


    ��Lize, surely you didn��t look for me at this hour just for this, right?��


    ��Eh?�� Lize let out an awkward cough and nodded slightly. ��Yes, Mr. Rhode. I��ve heard from Mr. Walker�� A large-scale of the Southern Legion has assembled up north.��

 Chapter 574 - Avoidance

    The Reformist Party had made their decision. However, no one knew if they were frightened by the sudden emergence of 60,000 troops sent by Lydia, or they finally realized that they were heading down a dead end. They gathered the remaining troops of the Southern Legion and headed into Callenbach to defend against Lydia��s attack and also ��protect�� Callenbach City from being snatched away.


    Of course, this decision was seen as a courageous one. However, to Rhode, the Reformist Party was like a group of crazy gambling addicts who had lost everything on the gambling table and were desperately trying to make themselves bankrupt. Although there Southern Legion had gathered about 40,000 troops, the outcome was still unknown if they managed to reach Callenbach to resist against the King��s Party��s 60,000 troops. However, among the 40,000 troops, there were 5,000 civilians apart from the military soldiers.


    Yes, civilians.


    The Southern Legion��s strength had always been the weakest among all the legions of the Munn Kingdom. They were located in the South that was comparatively peaceful where there weren��t other influences or threats apart from the Barbarians, unlike the North and East. For the Eastern Plain, their borders were connected to the Country of Darkness so the residents had been battling against the Undead Spirits for generations. Of course, such conflicts were settled privately and had never risen to the diplomatic levels. However, the intensity of the conflicts didn��t weaken. Therefore, the battle strength in the Eastern Plain had always been one of the best within the Munn Kingdom.


    It was also because the Eastern Plain had been putting themselves at risk for the safety of the Munn Kingdom, the King��s Party had provided them extra care, privileges, and even allowed them to shut themselves out from the outside world. Even when it came to matters like mobilizing troops, the King��s Party would still communicate with them beforehand. It was due to this reason that although the Eastern Plain always remained secretive within the Munn Kingdom, they had a strong influence where even the internal King��s Party or the Reformist Party wouldn��t dare to stir trouble with them.


    As for the Northern Legion with borders by the Country of Darkness and the Country of Light, they had the most military troops stationed for defense. Therefore, apart from the Eastern Plains which had always been secretly in conflict with the Country of Darkness, the Northern Legion��s strength could be termed as the worthy number one in the Munn Kingdom.


    On the contrary, the South had only needed to deal with the Barbarians and some Undead Creatures that occasionally crossed the border. Furthermore, due to the mountain range that had cut them off, the Southern Legion had the least amount of troops with less than 80,000. Besides, the Southern Legion��s strong suit was in the navy and not the ground forces. However, their battleships were worthless on land no matter how powerful they were.


    In the ambush of the Paphield defensive line, the Reformist Party didn��t yield their expected results. If it weren��t for the plan that Baker proposed afterward which led to their success, perhaps they would��ve retreated after considering their failures. But now, since they had conquered Callenbach, the Reformist Party didn��t need to spit out the meat that was already in their mouths. Facing the pressure of Lydia��s army, all they could do was to grit their teeth and fight with all their pathetic lives.


    The 40,000 troops was almost all the manpower which the Southern Legion could mobilize. Among them were troops who were hostile and objected the Reformist Party. However, the Southern Parliament had no time to be concerned about their thoughts at this critical juncture. So what if they disapproved of our doings? Their families are living in the city, so even if they disobey my orders, will they be able to abandon their families?


    But the Southern Parliament also knew that these soldiers were disobedient and therefore, they forcefully gathered 5,000 civilians into their arsenal. This decision had led the already beaten Southern civilians to more misery. Some of them had even reflected if supporting the Reformist Party was the right choice. After all, the Reformist Party had assured them that they would provide a better life and more freedom when they declared their independence. But now, the commodity prices increased, social order was in disarray, and they had even forced civilians into joining the military. Everything was too far off from what they had promised. Even the ��despotic rule�� of the King��s Party had never forced civilians into the military!


    Besides, the Reformist Party had snatched up all the forces by the Southern wilderness border and the Barbarians had invaded the towns and villages around the border, causing grave damages and even deaths. However, the Reformist Party had no response to it because all they were doing now was to ��tear down the western wall and patch up the eastern wall��. Besides, the deaths of those lives in the border villages meant nothing to the Reformist Party. The Barbarians wouldn��t dare to head straight into the bigger towns and cities, so the Reformist Party simply waited for the Country of Light��s Parliament��s reinforcements to chase them away afterward.


    Rhode knew that ever since the Reformist Party decided on becoming independent, their fates were locked in. Perhaps in about two months, Rhode could take a stroll in Golden City and admire their corpses swaying in the wind in the forest.


    But this had nothing to do with Rhode anymore.


    After eliminating the Ice Devil, Rhode led the mercenaries back to their Fortress because he had something more important to resolve.


    Lize loved to overthink. But this time, she was right. The growth of Starlight was too fast. In just a few months, Starlight had leaped from a mercenary group to a Guild and they had even participated in the Paphield defensive line. Moreover, there were also rumors spreading that Starlight had the reputation as the Munn Kingdom��s number one Guild. Not only did this felt like a dream for Lize, but Rhode also felt rather worried.


    The Guild is growing too quickly.


    Fortunately, there were Rhode, Marlene, Canary, and Bubble holding down the fort and the mercenaries weren��t overly proud of themselves. If not, the followers would lose their direction if their leaders were too proud. Currently, Starlight was rising and he thought of focusing on rebuilding their foundation to avoid a top-heavy structure and a state of unbalance in his Guild.


    Rhode had been truly busy during this period. After leading the mercenaries to finish the Southerners in the Paphield defensive line, he immediately laid hands on the Ice Devil in Cranmore without returning to the Fortress. But at the same time, the pace in the Land of Atonement didn��t stop. Although several matters within the Guild had been put on hold after Marlene��s departure, the usual operations were no problem with Canary around. Canary would link up with Rhode whenever she faced important questions and the situation in Starlight was great.


    With the addition of the Silver Libra Trade Association, the Keller Family, and the commercial flow, there were more visitors to the Land of Atonement��mainly civilians. Strictly speaking, the Land of Atonement was a land with an abundance of natural resources. The natural resources weren��t exploited previously because there wasn��t a powerful force like Starlight who could take control of the entire place. And now, Starlight had developed strongly and the Land of Atonement wasn��t as dangerous as before. The Bandits living in the mountains and forests had been wiped out cleanly, so more visitors arrived in search for opportunities and wealth.


    Of course, the visitors weren��t only civilians. There were also mercenaries.


    Lize couldn��t understand why there were so many people who thought that Rhode��s Starlight would become the number one Guild in the Munn Kingdom. This was only because she didn��t give too many thoughts about it and consider the thoughts of most mercenaries. The mercenaries had chosen this occupation because money and honor were most valuable to them. As the saying goes, ��When the food is warm, the heart is lustful��. Once the mercenaries got used to these adventurous lives and obtained powerful strength, they wouldn��t be easily satisfied like the prostitutes on the streets following the man who paid the most money for her services. Their desires were divided into two types. One type would be to build a new mercenary group independently and develop his own strength. The other desire was to rely on their own strength and skills to seek shelter from the nobles as private soldiers. If they were lucky, they might even become a noble��s trusted aide and they could live a much more comfortable life.


    It was due to this reason that Starlight had become in high demand for many mercenaries.


    This was especially so after Rhode was conferred the Baron title by Lydia personally. Many of the mercenaries were envious because they knew that as a noble and a Guild Leader, Rhode would surely choose from his mercenaries to build up an army of private soldiers. If they could join Starlight earlier and perform outstandingly, perhaps they might get a chance to become his henchman, which was an extremely attractive offer.


    Besides, unlike the senior nobles, Rhode was young, powerful, and had a strong backing. Everyone knew that the heir of the Senia Family had become the subordinate of Rhode in Starlight. The Senia Family was widely known in the entire Munn Kingdom and Marlene Senia was the number one magic genius in the Munn Kingdom. There were no doubts about Rhode��s future since a character of such grandeur identity was willing to become his subordinate. Moreover, rumors were spreading that Rhode was a being in the Legendary Stage and there were also two more people in the Legendary Stage in his Guild. There were also rumors that the Country of Light��s Parliament��s Mist Sword Saint had been crippled when he stirred trouble with them.


    A powerful noble who had strong backing and close ties to the noble families was sure to have a bright future. If the mercenaries were to follow and serve him, they might even have a chance to become a noble��s private soldier, henchman, and trusted aide. This would be so much better than struggling in the wild for decades before finding a noble to take them in!


    Rhode��s Starlight had given the mercenaries a hopeful path and they wished to join him in achieving success.


    However, things weren��t that simple.


    Shauna and Canary had gotten into some conflicts over it. As a past mercenary group leader, Shauna was elated to see that many mercenaries yearning to join their Guild and she even hoped that everyone could be accepted. However, not only did Canary deny her suggestion, but she also raised the bar for those applying into Starlight. According to the in-game terms, those mercenaries with levels lower than 25 could forget about joining Starlight. Fortunately, with the existence of the Sphere of Mystery, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum could create a suitable virtual dungeon to test the mercenaries. The failures were naturally asked to leave while those who succeeded but were covered in filthy stains were subjected to considerations. Only those who passed the test with flying colors had the rights to join the Guild.


    Such a test wasn��t worth mentioning if they were players. However, it was critical for the natives. According to Canary and Mini Bubble Gum��s strict test level, 56 out of 500 mercenaries had passed, which was a rather decent result. Due to this reason, although there were a lot of mercenaries attempting to join the Guild, only a small number of them had successfully joined. There were less than 70 who managed to join up until now.


    Shauna felt that Canary��s standards were too strict. Although she understood the reasons behind them, Shauna thought that there must also be a certain number of ��lower-level personnel�� within a Guild. If they didn��t recruit some ordinary mercenaries, there would be no competitiveness. Of course. Shauna didn��t know that Canary and Bubble were actually recruiting the ��lower-level personnel��. As for those that were eliminated, they weren��t even worthy of stepping into their ranks.


    This was only one of the conflicts in the Guild Fortress when Rhode wasn��t around. ��Hu�� I��m finally back.��


    After regaining his senses from the dizziness of the teleportation, Rhode heaved a long sigh of relief as he gazed at the familiar dome on the high ceiling. A comfortable and heartwarming emotion emerged in his heart. After so many days of running about, Rhode was exhausted. Now that he had returned home, he could finally let loose. At this moment, a petite figure had extended its arms and scuttled towards him. ��Rhode��!��


    Christie dove into Rhode��s embrace and hugged him tightly. The little girl lifted her head and her purple eyes were glinting with concerns and reluctance. Perhaps due to the short sprint, Christie��s delicate body was trembling. Her breathing hastened and beads of sweat formed on her forehead. ���� You��re finally back�� Rhode����


    ��I��m back, Christie,�� Rhode greeted with a gentle smile and stroked her long hair lightly. Christie narrowed her eyes like a docile kitten, but, shortly after, she opened her eyes and tugged Rhode��s clothes excitedly. ���� Good news�� Lapis���� Stone Construct�� is completed����


    ��Oh?�� Rhode��s eyes flashed with curiosity. He stood to his feet and patted her head. ��Bring me there.��


    ��Yes�� Okay���� Christie nodded with a smile.


    However, she didn��t turn around immediately. Instead, she gazed at the floating azure water ball beside Rhode. Snow laid flat on her tummy and she widened her eyes to look at the little girl before her in astonishment. ���� Rhode�� Who is she��?�� Christie asked curiously.


    ��


    Rhode followed Christie to the alchemy workshop at the back of the Fortress. There was a loud clanging of tools and the messy alchemy workshop in the small courtyard that Marlene had avoided became much cleaner and neater with various alchemy materials laid orderly in a row on the table. Of course, it wasn��t because Lapis suddenly knew how to tidy up the mess before her�� Rhode had witnessed the Ocean Elves rushing about and tidying the alchemy workshop.


    Rhode turned his attention to the enormous statue.


    It was an entirely white, three meter tall Griffin Stone Construct, half-kneeling on the stone base and its eyes embedded with blue crystals emanated faint radiance. It looked up to the sky and displayed an imposing manner with its pure white wings folding gradually. The carved sacred words on its stone base made it look dignified while its swinging large tail appeared as though it was about to leap off from its base and spread its wings wide apart. Snow hid behind Rhode after spotting the frightening statue. After she was sure that it couldn��t move, she carefully peeped her head out. But even so, she covered her eyes with her webbed hands and peeked.


    ��Not bad,�� Rhode nodded in satisfaction at the Stone Construct.


    Before Rhode left the Fortress, he had told Lapis about his requirements for the Stone Construct. After all, the main purpose of the Stone Constructs was to handle the air troops of the Country of Darkness: the Gargoyles and Bone Falcons. This was why Rhode requested for the Stone Construct to appear as holy and powerful as possible. And now, it seemed that Lapis had fulfilled his request accurately. The Holy Griffins were a legendary treasure of the Light Dragon��s mythology. Legend had it that the Holy Griffins had been by the Light Dragon��s side to drive off the darkness. Afterward, due to the Light Dragon��s idiotic behaviors which led to a drastic decrease in its strength, these legendary creatures had gone missing and no one knew if they had gone extinct or simply hidden. But now, since Rhode couldn��t create the authentic Holy Griffins, their bootleg version would be good enough to scare off the Undead Creatures. But��


    Rhode felt rather uncomfortable knowing that the Soul Cores used to activate these ��Holy Griffins�� were the same attributes as the Undead Spirits. What exactly is going on��


    Rhode lowered his head to Christie. ��Did you design this?��


    ��Yes,�� Christie stuck out her chest proudly and nodded with might. ��I��ve done a lot�� of research�� Asked the Cleric Big Sisters�� and designed this���� Christie gazed at Rhode in uncertainty. ���� Does Rhode�� like it��?��


    ��Of course. I like it a lot, Christie,�� Rhode revealed a genuine smile. He could see that Christie had changed. Her life had become much more fruitful and she was no longer the young girl who was shunned by others. She had the ability to do what she really wanted to do. Although she was still physically weak, Rhode believed that if she continued to maintain such high spirits and confidence to lead a blissful life�� It would be enough.


    But��


    ��Where��s Lapis?�� said Rhode.


    ��Sister Lapis�� Is still busy���� Christie pondered for a moment before answering. Then, she picked up a light iron rod by the wall and tapped on the door lightly. Shortly after, Lapis�� frantic voice sounded from inside. ��Eh? Is it Christie? Is anything the matter? Ah, w-w-wait�� Wait a moment! Just a moment! A moment!��


    Boom! Rhode looked up at the billow of smoke soaring into the sky before turning his gaze to the embarrassed Lapis before him. He once again experienced what it meant that the leopard can��t change its spots. It was the exact same scene when he arrived here with Marlene back then. The only difference was that the Ocean Elves had cleaned up her mess for her. ��Ah, Sir Rhode. When did you come back�� No wonder Christie rushed out so hurriedly�� Sorry to let you see me in this����


    ��It��s okay, Lapis. I��m not here to poke fun at you,�� Rhode gestured and interrupted her awkward explanation. He let out a cough and looked at the Stone Construct. ��I��ve heard from Christie that the Stone Construct has been fully completed?��


    ��Yes, Sir Rhode,�� said Lapis.


    Speaking of her profession, Lapis wiped off her awkward and embarrassed expression. She lifted her head and went through the details with Rhode. ��I��ve worked according to your request to use the Soul Cores to activate the Stone Construct and they passed the testing phase. If they are used for normal battles, they can last for about two days. If you wish to use them for all-out battles, they can last for about a day as the energy of the Soul Core would be depleted. It will take 10 days to recharge before getting back into action.��


    10 days is kind of long.


    Rhode knitted his brows. He knew that the air troops of the Undead Army were a troublesome bunch. If his Holy Griffins were only capable of this standard, he wouldn��t have an easy time dealing with them. However, Rhode knew that there were no other choices. Although the Undead Army��s Gargoyles were also alchemic creatures, the source of their strength came from forcefully stripping souls from living creatures and fusing them into the lifeless Gargoyles. However, it wasn��t possible for Lapis to carry out such cruel methods and Rhode couldn��t take it too far under Lydia��s watchful eyes.


    ��How many have you built in total?�� asked Rhode.


    ��Currently, only one, Sir,�� Lapis revealed a helpless expression. ��Although we were able to design the Stone Construct quickly thanks to Christie, I spent a lot of time experimenting with the Soul Cores and testing its power consumption. I only managed to resolve all the problems until a few days back����


    ��I understand,�� replied Rhode.


    Lapis appeared somewhat uncertain and apologetic, but Rhode wasn��t as tense as her. As a person who had crossed over from earth, Rhode knew that everything was the toughest in their creation stages. However, once the technical problems were resolved and they received a set of the production process and sufficient materials, it wouldn��t be a problem for mass production.


    ��According to this speed, how long do you need to create all the Stone Construct?��


    ��Hmm���� Lapis pondered for a while. ��One every five days. Sorry, Sir Rhode, although the Ocean Elves are helpful in many aspects, this is the only thing that����


    ��This isn��t your fault, Lapis. You should also take care of yourself. Take it slow.�� Rhode knew what Lapis was about to say. However, Rhode couldn��t resolve this problem by himself. No matter what, he didn��t have the channel to search for a group of alchemy apprentice to assist Lapis. Although sculpting could be completed by artisans, the structure of the alchemy spell and the core embedding could only be done by Lapis. Moreover, she was also responsible for concocting the potions for the Guild�� Rhode honestly believed that he was like a Southern Slave Owner who treated an Alchemist Master like Lapis as a slave��


    But now, there wasn��t any solution to this problem.


    Rhode shook his head and threw this thought to the back of his head. Then, he took two steps back and gazed at the Stone Construct. ��Alright, Lapis, let me see its powers.��


    ��Yes, Sir,�� Lapis nodded and retreated swiftly. Then, she retrieved a beautiful, polished gem from her pocket and held it in her tiny hand. She shut her eyes and a magical radiance burst out from her hand.


    ����!�� The statue emanated a white flowing brilliance and the two blue gems shimmered glaringly. It let out a sharp cry and pounced toward Rhode in a white bolt of lightning!

 Chapter 575 - Lapis’ Conundrum

    Chapter 575: Lapis�� Conundrum


    The Holy Griffin expanded its wings and dove down with its extended razor-sharp claws. Clang! A sword emerged in Rhode��s hand and he struck off the Holy Griffin��s attack. It bellowed fiercely and sprung backward, at the same time, lashing its long tail forward. Rhode waved his sword and drew a mysterious arc in the air to sweep the attack away. Then, he brandished forward and a spiritual blade ray struck the Holy Griffin. The powerful impact propelled it to the ground, but it quickly flipped over and regained its stance.


    ��Not bad.�� Rhode nodded in satisfaction.


    Of course, he didn��t intend to pull out all the stops against the Holy Griffin. If he did that, the Holy Griffin would surely turn into worthless trash instantly. However, this didn��t mean that it wasn��t powerful. Instead, it was because Rhode was too strong. If the Holy Griffin was able to keep Rhode busy for a long time, it would mean that it possessed at least the strength of the Master Stage. However, even Lapis wasn��t capable of creating such a high standard Construct.


    Rhode had figured out the basic functionalities of this Stone Construct. It had high defense and there weren��t any signs of damage from Rhode��s strikes. Not only that, but it also had high flexibility to climb to its feet instantly after collapsing to the ground. Although it had a body made of stone, it was as nimble as a living being. Alchemy was a truly mystical thing.


    The Holy Griffin��s strength was between level 25 to 30 and it alone definitely couldn��t threaten the Undead Army at all. Low-level alchemic creatures like the Holy Griffin needed to form groups in order to pose a threat. Rhode compared this Holy Griffin to the air troops of the Country of Darkness. No matter if it was the Gargoyle of the Bone Falcon, they weren��t individually powerful and the Gargoyle was at most level 20. However, due to the unique Undead Alchemy of the Country of Darkness, they would have the upper hand against the Holy Griffins.


    But there were also disadvantages. The material used to create these Gargoyles were ordinary and crude while the Holy Griffins that Lapis had created used first-rate rocks. Due to this reason, the Gargoyle had horrible defenses where Archers that had entered into the Elite Stage could easily eliminate them.


    On the contrary, the Bone Falcon didn��t have physical bodies and were more of spiritual presences. The Bone Falcons were also the best scouts for the Undead Army where they could conceal themselves using their almost transparent bodies. Besides that, the unusual connection between the Undead Creatures and the Undead Mages could allow the Undead Mages to receive intelligence as though through a scanning radar. Not only that, but the Bone Falcons�� attribute could also allow them to ignore physical attacks where they would only be damaged by magical attacks and equipment.


    Due to this unique feature, the Bone Falcon was considered one of the higher-tier troops in the Undead Army. As they weren��t as easy to create as the Gargoyle, only the Generals and Commanders held the rights to use them.


    If Rhode were to compare them to airplanes, the Gargoyle would be a fighter plane while the Bone Falcon would be a spy plane. If the Holy Griffin could be mass-produced, Rhode wouldn��t have a problem against the Gargoyles. However, it was still too difficult for the Holy Griffin��s current attacking form to gain the upper hand against the Bone Falcons.


    ��Are there no other ways for them to be equipped with elemental attributes?�� said Rhode.


    ��Sorry, Sir Rhode���� Lapis lowered her head. ��The powers of these Soul Cores were too weak. I��ve tried my best to make it move on its own and it consumed all the powers of the Soul Core����


    ��I understand, it��s not your fault.�� Rhode patted her shoulder and he realized that this young lady had changed a lot. Although Lapis wasn��t a beauty like Marlene, Gillian, or Celestina, she was still a lovely young lady. But now, Rhode could only see her haggard face. Perhaps due to overworking, Lapis�� pale skin had become deathly pale and her cheeks had become thinner. Moreover, there were obvious, bruised dark circles under her eyes. Although Lapis had covered them up using makeup, she couldn��t cover the fatigue on her face.


    Rhode let out a sigh inwardly. He had been out for so many days and he had shown the least concern for this Alchemy Elf before him. Lapis had a reserved personality and usually wouldn��t speak much. Moreover, she seldom took initiatives and often only heed orders from Rhode. Even when she faced difficulties, she seldom spoke about them too. Although Lapis didn��t mention, Rhode could read from her beaten face. She must have suffered a lot for completing the mission that Rhode had given her. Although her head was filled with the alchemy knowledge of the Behermes and she possessed the abilities of an Alchemist Master, even the top scientists couldn��t fiddle with the nuclear reactor unarmed. Lapis had been really busy because of Rhode and Starlight and not for herself.


    There weren��t any mining players providing materials in this world and Rhode had a hard time spending money to purchase alchemic materials. Starlight had also just been established and wasn��t wealthy, so it wasn��t possible for him to splurge. After all, apart from spending on Lapis�� research and creation, maintaining this large guild also required a huge sum of money. Although Starlight had a stable income through the collaboration with the Silver Libra and the mine excavation sold to the Keller Family, the amount of gold was merely enough to maintain the guild and fortress. Moreover, there were many instances where Lapis couldn��t purchase the materials that she needed even when there was sufficient money and she had to make do with what she had. As for the materials to create the Holy Griffins, Rhode didn��t purchase them. Instead, they were retrieved from the Keller Family through their mining agreement.


    ��Lapis,�� Rhode said and she lifted her head hurriedly. ��That��s all for today. We will be having a feast tonight and everyone including you must participate. From today onward, temporarily leave the tasks on your hands and have a break.��


    ��B-But, Sir���� Lapis widened her eyes in uncertainty. ��We finally managed to�� What if����


    ��Don��t worry, we��re not in that much of a hurry and your health is more important. Although I know that you��re an Alchemist Master and you have a way to monitor your health condition, it won��t be good for your mental health for living in an overly tense life. From today onward, take a break for a while.��


    It wasn��t unreasonable for Rhode to say this. Although Lapis was an expert in alchemy, she couldn��t possibly torment herself all day. Even though she might be enjoying it, her health would surely take a toll. Rhode didn��t understand the difference between an Alchemy Elf and a normal human being, but overexhaustion was never great for no matter what race. Besides, as one of Starlight��s most important members, Rhode didn��t wish to squeeze her dry.


    Lapis lowered her head and her cheeks flushed. Then, she nodded slightly. ��Okay, Sir Rhode.��


    At this moment, there was some screaming outside the workshop. Rhode knitted his brows and Lapis took two steps back in fear while Christie tugged onto Rhode��s sleeve and gazed at the door worriedly.


    Suddenly, Anne��s voice sounded. ��Who are you people? What are you doing here? Leave right now, or don��t blame me for whatever happens to you!��


    Christie shivered and muttered softly. ��Again����


    ��Again?�� Rhode sulked and turned to Lapis. ��What��s going on? Did those people caused trouble here before?��


    ��This was what happened, Sir Rhode.�� Lapis hesitated for a moment before answering with stutters. ��After you left, a group of people came to the Fortress�� I don��t know where they heard about me concocting potions for the guild and what they want to do�� But I heard from the Ocean Elves that they���� Lapis paused awkwardly.


    Rhode frowned and focused his attention on the words that Lapis had said. ��When was the last time they came to the Fortress?��


    ��About more than a month ago����


    ��Did they enter the alchemy workshop?��


    ��N-No, Sir Rhode. Thanks to the mercenaries that you arranged for protection, those people didn��t manage to enter the alchemy workshop. But they haven��t seemed to give up yet����


    ��Did you inform Bubble and Canary?��


    Rhode had always been the one headhunting and he didn��t expect that there would be people coming to his turf to snatch his precious men. They must be sick of living! After hearing Rhode��s question, Lapis hesitated for a moment and shook her head hopelessly. ��Miss Bubble and Miss Canary have been busy and besides, those people only occasionally cause a fuss and didn��t do anything�� So����


    Bam! A loud explosion boomed and Rhode swept a glance to Lapis and Christie before heading for the workshop exit. Shortly after, Rhode saw Anne furiously standing in the middle of the empty. She smashed her steel shield on the ground and created a large hole in the ground. Standing before her was a dozen men looking at her with disdain. Rhode narrowed his eyes. Those people weren��t wearing mercenary leather armor. Instead, they were clad in a red and white striped uniform.


    Could it be that these guys��


    Rhode walked toward Anne slowly. ��Anne, what happened?��


    ��Ah, Leader, you��re finally here!�� Anne turned to Rhode hurriedly and pointed angrily at the men before her. ��Those people are so annoying! Anne has followed Leader��s instruction to stand guard at this place so nobody can enter. But these people forced their way through here. Anne didn��t allow them to enter and those bastards say that we��re a bunch of barbarians�� Anne is furious!!��


    Rhode turned to face the group of men. Then, he let out a snort and lifted his chin. ��How interesting. When did the Alchemist Association learn to headhunt like a bunch of sneaky thieves?��


    ��You ��!�� Two of the men were about to point at Rhode with their fingers and suddenly, a skinny middle-aged man who appeared to be their leader extended his arm to stop them. He wore a golden-framed spectacle and his thin long face resembled that of a disgusting smirking wolf. The man let out a sneer and stepped forward leisurely with his hands behind his back. He lifted his chin and looked at Rhode in contempt. ��So, you��re the leader of these mercenaries? Young man? You seem much easier to handle than your barbaric men. Since you��re aware of who we are, then I can tell you frankly�� We, Alchemist Association, thinks that the Alchemist concocting potions for your guild is a wanted criminal who has escaped from our association. Therefore, I, in the name of the Alchemist Association, ask that you hand the person over immediately!��


    Criminal?


    Rhode squinted and scanned the man before him. ��Alright then, you mentioned that my man has committed a crime. I do want to hear what crime was it exactly.��


    ��You don��t have the rights to know about this.�� The man sulked instantly and let out a burst of strange laughter. ��Anyway, we have sufficient evidence to prove it. Now, I request that you hand over the person immediately, Young Man. I guess you��re also clear of the consequences for going against us, the Alchemist Association. If you insisted on not handing the person over, we will find the overlord for assistance and they will dispatch garrisons to capture the criminal�� I think, as a guild Leader, you don��t wish to end in that predicament, right?��


    ��Scram,�� a deep voice echoed in his ears.


    A shimmering radiance flashed before the man��s eyes and a roaring storm that rose from the ground struck his body like an iron hammer. He flung to the back like a ragdoll and crashed heavily on the ground. As he lifted his head miserably, a shadow flitted by and Rhode emerged beside him. Then, an ice-cold, pitch-black sword blade pressed against his neck. ��I shall gracefully grant you three minutes to get out of my Fortress,�� Rhode said with a calm expression and tone. ��I don��t care who you are. You��re still nowhere near to behave atrociously in the Land of Atonement. Leave. Right now.��


    The man gulped his saliva and glared at Rhode with gritted teeth. ���� And what if we don��t?��


    The corner of Rhode��s mouth twitched. ��Then�� all of you will stay here forever.��

 Chapter 576 - Mysterious Swordsmanship

    Chapter 576: Mysterious Swordsmanship


    Rhode��s voice was as calm as the afternoon breeze, but the men felt an incomparable chill shooting up their spines. Their expressions turned ashen and they sucked in a deep, cold breath in unison. The middle-aged man gulped his saliva as Rhode��s razor-sharp blade dangled around his throat and the ice-cold murderous intent felt as though an invisible wild beast pressuring his body. He could even feel its claws pushing on his chest and just a little more force would puncture his chest without resistance.


    ��Scram,�� said Rhode once more.


    The middle-aged man crawled to his feet and held his throat with lingering fears. He gaped and glared fiercely at Rhode, but no words came out of his frightened self. In the end, he let out a snort and fled with the other men in red and white striped uniform hurriedly.


    Rhode sheathed his sword and puckered his brows after the group of men disappeared around the corner. His concerns for Lapis had lessened all this while and he didn��t expect that this group of stubborn people would take action this quickly.


    But Rhode wasn��t mindful about offending them.


    ��Anne,�� Rhode turned around. ��Inform Randolf and Joey to dispatch some trustworthy men to guard the alchemy workshop 24/7. Other than the Ocean Elves and mercenaries, no one is allowed into the workshop. If anyone dares to barge in, I allow them to take action on the intruders. Also, inform Joey to send his men and investigate the background of those people and the purpose of their arrival. Inform me immediately once he receives any information.��


    ��Yes, Leader,�� Anne nodded and ran off quickly. Rhode shifted his gaze to Lapis and Christie standing by the alchemy workshop entrance. Christie revealed a delightful smile and waved back to Rhode while Lapis lowered her head worriedly. Although Lapis��s actions seemed nothing more than a reserved behavior of an Alchemy Elf, Rhode sharply detected that Lapis had turned pale and judging from her rubbing her robe anxiously, he could see that she was rather tense, or even frightened.


    Rhode swept a meaningful glance at Lapis and said nothing. At this moment, two glaring rays shone from above and two familiar figures emerged beside him.


    ��Rhode, welcome back.��


    ��Leader, you��re finally back.��


    The brilliance dispersed and Mini Bubble Gum and Canary appeared. Canary looked at Rhode with her signature gentle smile while Bubble pouted and glared. ��Where have you been for so long, Leader? Big Sister and I were almost bored to death spending time with the bunch of NPCs. Leader, can you think of something challenging for Big Sister and I to accomplish? We won��t mind heading out for adventures with you because if this continues, we are really gonna be bored to death!��


    ��Bubble,�� Canary warned.


    Bubble had run up to Rhode and gesticulated while expressing her resentment. However, as soon as she picked up the pace, Canary��s interruption triggered Bubble��s reflex to shut her mouth and step back reluctantly. But even so, the little girl had no intentions of giving up just yet. She turned to Canary grumpily. ��That��s the truth, isn��t it, Big Sister? Leader went to clear a dungeon by himself and left us with those boring NPCs. He also made Christie busy with designing the Stone Construct and I don��t even have a playmate. Leader, when will the bunch of idiots from the Country of Darkness slaughter their way here? Might as well we�� uh�� uh��!��


    Canary cupped her hand over Bubble��s mouth swiftly and she presented her usual smile to Rhode. ��Don��t worry, Rhode. Bubble is just feeling a little lonely. In fact, all these while she has been getting along well with the mercenaries and there weren��t any problems. I guess she was a little moody because she hasn��t seen you for a while.��


    ��I can understand that,�� Rhode shook his head helplessly. Although Canary and Bubble were the reason why he could leave the Fortress and roam about for adventures freely, come to think of it, he was indeed rather cruel to both of them. Even though Rhode��s influential range had expanded to the entire Land of Atonement, the territories which Canary and Bubble were able to move about in were extremely limited. Due to the system restriction, they couldn��t possibly go shopping in the streets of Deep Stone City. Although Rhode had arranged several matters for them to handle, girls would still be girls and they would still have desires of their own.


    ��Don��t blame yourself, Rhode.��


    Canary was surely ranked among the best for being able to read Rhode��s emotions. ��We are all clear of our identities and Bubble was only grumbling a little. Fortunately, we know that we��re not humans and are only phantoms. But isn��t this a good thing? We��re still better than those robots in Hollywood movies where they don��t even know their true identities and treat themselves as humans�� right? Bubble?��


    ��Uh�� uh�� uh!!��


    ��You see, Rhode. Bubble doesn��t object, right? Since we don��t mind, you shouldn��t be feeling guilty�� Bring out that spirit which you used to charm your way with girls. Anyway, you didn��t feel any pressure no matter which girl you bedded with, isn��t it? So why are you feeling guilty now? Could it be that you��ve grown?��


    ��Uh��! Uh��! Uh��!��


    ��But�� If you really feel sorry, I wouldn��t reject your advances, okay? By the way, you do remember the secret relaxation method that we used to have when we were together, right? As a reward for me helping you manage the Guild, I guess you wouldn��t reject this little request from me, right?��


    ��Uh��! Uh��! Uh��!��


    ��It��s up to you, Canary, but���� Rhode pointed forward. ���� You are gonna kill Bubble if you continue to cover her mouth.��


    ��Eh?�� Canary looked down curiously and smiled before releasing her hands. Bubble broke free from her struggles and no one knew what would happen to her if Canary let loose of her hands a few seconds later. ��Big Sister, you��re too much! I almost died!��


    ��Eh? Will we still die?��


    ��You���� Bubble fumed and brandished her little fists in objection like an angry kitten.


    ��Alright alright. Now isn��t the time to fight,�� Rhode extended his arm between both of them. ��I have something which I need your help.��


    The same old, silver-whitish mirage extended to the limitless skies. Rhode stood idly and gazed at both of them. Canary and Bubble looked back with questioning gazes. ��Leader, are you sure about that?��


    ��Yes,�� Rhode nodded firmly. And this time, even Canary puckered her brows curiously. She sized up Rhode from head to toe and shook her head. ��My words may sound harsh to you, Rhode. It��s true that your leveling speed is fast and we can see that you have reached level 40. But�� Frankly speaking, do you really want us to pair up and fight against you alone? This isn��t anything fun and I don��t know what you��re thinking, but no matter what, you won��t be able to take a blow from us.��


    ��Of course. The conditions are also limited,�� Rhode gestured. In fact, he wasn��t that sick of a masochist to do this without any particular reasons. ��Only combat techniques allowed and spells are prohibited. Both of you should have them, right?��


    Although Canary and Bubble were spellcasters, Rhode knew that they had unique combat techniques of their own. As a holder of the Wind and Fire double elements, Canary had once mastered the ��Ninth Heaven Phoenix Dance�� swordsmanship to compliment with her elemental powers. On the other hand, Bubble had mastered the ��Crumble Thunder�� fisticuffs. However, unlike Canary, this little rascal learned it because she was genetically violent. Even if she was a Cleric, she must also become an incomparably violent one.


    ��That��s for sure. But, Rhode, what do you want to do?��


    ��I suddenly feel like practicing.�� The corners of Rhode��s mouth twitched. Although he had been to this world for so long, his player mentality hadn��t been abandoned. But he wasn��t able to display this side of himself before Marlene, Lize, and the others. However, it was entirely different before Canary and Bubble because they were also top players like him and they could understand how rare it was to create a swordsmanship. Even though Rhode��s new swordsmanship hadn��t been perfected, he hoped to polish and modify it with this combat exchange. Besides, Rhode was curious to see their reactions when they realized his new swordsmanship.


    ��Alright then,�� said Canary unhesitantly.


    If it was only an exchange of combat techniques, they wouldn��t possibly kill Rhode in a fatal blow even with their strength. Canary swept her backhand to the side and a sword made of pure flames emerged in her hand. Meanwhile, Bubble chuckled, clenched her tiny fists, and two marks of sacred symbols in the shape of semicircles flashed across her fists.


    ��This is what you asked for, Leader. Heh heh. Back then I couldn��t defeat you and since you have presented yourself to me now, don��t blame me for not holding back!��


    Rhode looked on calmly at Bubble��s taunts and extended his right arm. A holy radiance burst out and a spotlessly white sword appeared in his hand. He pointed the sword forward.


    At the next moment, he disappeared in a flash.


    The sleek, spotlessly white sword blade shimmered and streaked across a trail of starlight in midair. The glaring trail exploded and hundreds of earth-shattering stars blasted down at Canary and Bubble.


    Bubble and Canary didn��t need to avoid such an attack and they could defeat the enemy with a swing of their hands. But now, since they were only limited to using swordsmanship and fisticuffs, they couldn��t save themselves from the dire situation using their favorite spells. Canary brandished her flame sword and struck out a scarlet wave of an inferno. Then, she drifted backward like a creepy paper doll and escaped from the net of earth-shattering blade rays. At this moment, the vast stars that shrouded the entire world above them shrunk in the blink of an eye and were replaced with the dazzling brilliance of spiritual blade rays striking at Canary.


    ��Heyah!�� Bubble darted forward.


    She brandished her right fist and deflected the blade ray. However, Rhode��s momentum didn��t stop. He flipped his wrist around and drew a crescent blade ray.


    ��Hahaha, is that all you got, Leader?�� Bubble revealed a proud smile.


    She kept her left hand and smashed the ground with the other. Boom! An explosive aura erupted from the ground under her feet and resisted Rhode��s attack. Bubble adjusted her stance and was about to strike out her left fist when she let out a questionable squeal and rolled backward swiftly. A shadow had flown past above her and brushed her long hair. After dodging the ambush, Bubble stood up and pushed her crossed arms upward instantly.


    Clang! The immense collision shook her feet and the powerful recoil deflected the sword shimmering in spiritual radiance. But at the same time, the shadow flew out from the ground and struck for her chest.


    ��Bubble, careful!��


    Canary emerged in a violent gust and her flame sword collided with the mysterious black viper. Surging flames burst out from her blade and spread toward the shadow. However, the shadow didn��t avoid the flames. Instead, it flipped around and fled swiftly to strike out a ghastly trail of spiritual blade ray. At the same time, the countless stars that filled the sky shone brightly as though they were warning for an incoming wave of attack.


    What is happening?


    Canary and Bubble were aghast.

 Chapter 577 - Fantasy Daybreak

    Chapter 577: Fantasy Daybreak


    Starlight coalesced and crashed toward them. A vast sky full of stars interwoven into a large net and their only hope was to retreat. The sneaky shadow watched for its opportunity and followed its sinister tracks to seal their path of retreat. The young ladies leaned against each other��s back. Bubble lifted her clenched fists while Canary raised her flame sword.


    Shing! Suddenly, an X-shaped blade ray struck from the side as the young ladies charged forward. Rhode flitted by like a ghost and pierced his twin daggers to their throats silently. If it wasn��t for the trail of spiritual blade rays streaking across the air, perhaps they wouldn��t have noticed Rhode��s ambush.


    However, Bubble and Canary weren��t ordinary humans. Although they could only battle with combat techniques due to Rhode��s limitations, their strength of level 85 as phantoms of the Sphere of Mystery shouldn��t be belittled. Besides, as the strongest players of Starlight, they wouldn��t be defeated that easily.


    Bubble swung her backhand and a violent airstream rose from the ground, blocking Rhode��s attack like an invisible barrier. Canary pulled back her flame sword before thrusting forward. Then, she cloned herself into nine presences which scattered in all directions. The loud explosion boomed and scarlet flares splashed, devouring everything in its path.


    Cough cough��


    The flares dispersed and Rhode crawled to his feet. The [Ninth Heaven Phoenix Dance] was indeed first-rate in explosiveness and AOE range where Rhode didn��t even dare to duel with Canary using just swordsmanship in his flourishing phase. Moreover, he wasn��t even half of what he used to be where perhaps he would be a goner if Canary went all-out. But this wasn��t a real duel to begin with, so Rhode pulled himself together quickly after feeling a little disappointed.


    Canary and Bubble looked on curiously and in astonishment. Then, Bubble darted over and stared at Rhode. ��Leader, what swordsmanship did you use? What swordsmanship was that? Why was it so strange?!��


    ��Interesting, eh?�� Rhode twitched his brows proudly and sniggered inwardly. The reason why he chose to display his newly incomplete swordsmanship before them was for them to understand and appreciate its might. If they were mercenaries, perhaps they would simply gawk at its formidable strength. As the saying ��the layman looks at the external while the insider looks at the technical aspects�� goes. Rhode didn��t need any more plain praises. Instead, he needed opinions from experts.


    Although Canary and Bubble were spellcasters, this didn��t mean that they weren��t experts in close-combat techniques. Bubble��s ��Crumble Thunder�� fisticuffs and Canary��s ��Ninth Heaven Phoenix Dance�� swordsmanship had reached the S grade in mastery. Even though the penalty for swordsmanship was higher for the spellcasters than the Spirit Swordsmen, the fact that they were able to reach S grade in mastery proved that they had rich experiences.


    ��It��s indeed interesting���� Canary nodded in agreement. After experiencing the might of this swordsmanship personally, she understood its value and purpose.


    Judging from the surface, this new swordsmanship was simply just a nimble Shadow Clone Technique. If that were the case, it wouldn��t be accepted by their discerning eyes. After all, there were too many swordsmanships that involved the Shadow Clone Technique and Rhode��s [Dark Dance] and Canary��s [Ninth Heaven Phoenix Dance] were two of them. Moreover, there were some spells and magic that could create phantoms and illusions. Therefore, if Rhode��s new swordsmanship was purely focusing on the Shadow Clone Technique, it definitely couldn��t pique their curiosity. And now, the reason why Canary and Bubble were so interested in this swordsmanship was that of the incredibly strange battle experience.


    The Shadow Clone Technique mainly relied on extreme speed, or perhaps a unique spatial attribute to create. The main advantage of the Shadow Clone Technique depended on the instant ambush which fazed the enemy into being unable to grasp the authentic presence. Higher-level Shadow Clone Techniques could even allow the clones to attack with the same amount of strength with the user. Canary��s [Ninth Heaven Phoenix Dance] was a representative of this swordsmanship. When she unleashed this technique, eight clones split out from her true self and possessed equal strength.


    Such a Shadow Clone Technique was the hardest to resist, but there were also obvious flaws with it. Phantoms were phantoms, after all and would be destroyed once they were attacked. This was the same for this level of Canary��s Shadow Clone Technique. Although the damage of the [Ninth Heaven Phoenix Dance] was incredibly destructive in a flash, her clones would disappear immediately after. If Canary kept cloning eight more of herself to attack, it would consume her a lot of spiritual energy.


    However, Rhode��s strange swordsmanship gave an entirely different impression from other Shadow Clone Techniques.


    Even though Canary and Bubble were in a disadvantageous situation when Rhode attacked, Bubble launched her ��Crumble Thunder�� punch to deflect Rhode��s attack. Then, Rhode took advantage and struck out a blade ray arc. However, everything that happened afterward was out of their expectations.


    Ordinary Shadow Clone Technique sought victories using speed. However, Rhode��s swordsmanship did the very opposite. After Bubble deflected Rhode��s attack, he dashed away in a flash and retaliated with a shadow attack. But strangely, after Canary emerged and blocked it, the ��Stars Orbit�� that should have been gone erupted once again and struck toward Bubble. This was where both of them were gobsmacked.


    It felt as though Rhode had used another swordsmanship technique after he cast the ��Star Attack�� and amazingly, the ��Star Attack�� didn��t launch as though it was due to internet lag. It could be said to be a coincidence if it only happened once. However, both of them faced similar attacks thereafter too. Rhode seemed to launch his attacks using the delay in time differences where he could quickly launch two attacks at once before retreating and just as the enemy focused their attention on dealing with Rhode��s third round of attack, the hidden fourth round of attack exploded and dealt damage to the enemy mercilessly.


    Due to this reason, Canary and Bubble had a hard time during the battle. They had never seen such an aggressive swordsmanship that relied on capturing the essence of time differences. What��s worse was that the young ladies couldn��t figure out Rhode��s position when they were attacked simultaneously from three different directions. This was an extremely rare occurrence for them.


    However, their strength was stronger than Rhode after all, and they had sufficient experience to deal with such changes in the situation. Canary saw that the situation was far from assuring and she blasted an AOE [Ninth Heaven Phoenix Dance] to eliminate Rhode��s swordsmanship.


    ��This swordsmanship is astonishing, Rhode. Where did you learn it from?��


    Although Canary had defeated Rhode effortlessly, she knew that she had the upper hand in the level differences. If she was the same level as Rhode and the mastery of her [Ninth Heaven Phoenix Dance] hadn��t reached the S grade, perhaps she would be overwhelmed by his attacks.


    ��Make a guess. I��m sure that you��ll be surprised,�� Rhode twitched his brows proudly and turned to Bubble. ��How do you feel?��


    ��It��s amusing, strange, and decent. Leader, this swordsmanship is alright for PVP, but is still lacking in terms of PVE,�� Bubble gave a short answer that hit the nail on the head.


    There were two kinds of battle techniques for players: PVP and PVE. PVP focused on control while PVE required vast AOE damage like Canary��s [Ninth Heaven Phoenix Dance]. However, even though Rhode��s new swordsmanship was rather advantageous during battle, his AOE damage wouldn��t be as high as Canary��s technique when he faced thousands of enemy.


    ��Indeed. I don��t know where you got your hands on this swordsmanship, but this feels really fresh and fascinating,�� Canary looked at Rhode with a curious expression and shook her head. ��Although this is only the start, I��m curious to see the might of this swordsmanship when it reaches its highest mastery.��


    ��Me too.�� Rhode shrugged. ��It��s still incomplete in its Initial Stage, as you can see.��


    ��Incomplete?�� the young ladies exchanged doubtful looks with each other. After all, the swordsmanship that players learned in the game were perfectly complete and the only difference was the level of mastery. Therefore, even if players couldn��t master the swordsmanship, the final stages of the swordsmanship would be available for their references to aid them in building up the swordsmanship. It felt similar to the Talent Trees where Rhode couldn��t build on them if he didn��t know what awaited him in the endpoint. He nodded firmly to their doubts. ��That��s right, this is a swordsmanship that I created��Fantasy Daybreak. What do both of you think?��


    ��You created it?�� Bubble jumped and glared with widened eyes. ��You said that you created this swordsmanship, Leader? Are you sure?��


    Not only Bubble, but Canary also revealed a look of amazement. It was because they knew that players couldn��t create swordsmanship at all!


    Rhode quickly explained the ��Sword Creation Points�� and the ��Swordsmanship Creation System�� to them and they were just as interested as him.


    Fantasy Daybreak.


    Just as Canary had thought, this swordsmanship mainly relied on time differences to launch attacks. However, it wasn��t only as simple as that. Since the [Fantasy Daybreak] was a swordsmanship specially designed for the [Holy Sword Card Deck], Rhode must make full use of his Holy Sword arsenal.


    [Starfall] was responsible for frontal combat while [Succubus] was in charge of blockade and support. [Garcia] and [Madaras] were used for ambushes��they complimented one another and formed an inextinguishable triangle loop. Rhode��s attacking swordsmanship also unfolded upon relying on this triangle. With the unique Shadow Clone Technique of the [Fantasy Daybreak], Rhode could easily switch between the three points of ��A��, ��B��, and ��C��. He could launch an attack from ��A�� and dodge to ��B�� while coordinating with the clone in ��A�� to pincer the enemy. Once the enemy counterattacked, Rhode could sneak to ��C�� and leave behind a clone before returning to ��A��. After Rhode had returned to ��A��, his clone in ��A�� would disappear and be replaced by his true self.


    In other words, if Rhode could capture the rhythm, he could continuously switch between the three points with his clones. This way, the enemy would be trapped by his three different attacking styles like prey that had sunk into a bottomless swamp. The [Fantasy Daybreak] had 5 points in [Technique] which allowed Rhode to switch over from the three different attacking styles freely. He could choose to attack aggressively before retaliating and ambushing or also choose to ambush and launch an aggressive attack after the enemy counterattacked. Three different battle styles could be interchangeable and linked up. This was the most powerful aspect of the [Fantasy Daybreak].


    However, there were also flaws to this swordsmanship. After all, it had only just been created and there were many areas needed to improve on. Besides, Canary��s performance had proven that this swordsmanship lacked powerful means for retaliation against AOE attacks. Although there were differences in their levels, there would be no purpose in a swordsmanship if it could be destroyed in a single AOE blast. Besides, Rhode was still figuring out the three different tempos. His ambush had failed due to his failure to grasp the critical rhythm and in the end, Canary blasted him away after Bubble captured his true self.


    Rhode was extremely confident in this swordsmanship, especially after he had creating it after carefully calculating its attribute values. He realized that this swordsmanship turned out similar to his expectations after creating it with the help of the ��system��. Although he didn��t know how the system managed to do it, he was still the one benefiting from it. Besides, if Rhode could familiarize with the attack patterns, he would have much more varieties once his [Holy Sword Card Deck] was completed.


    ��It��s so late already,�� said Rhode with a sigh.


    The reddish color of dusk had painted the sky when he walked out of the mirage. He had discussed with Bubble and Canary for a long time about the new swordsmanship. Got to say, it was much more efficient to have the help of two capable, trusted aides who truly understood his thoughts. In fact, Rhode might even carry on the discussion till midnight if he wasn��t feeling fatigued from the long journey back to the Fortress.


    ��Alright then, I��ll make a move now to see what that bunch of idiots are doing. Leader, Big Sister, see you around,�� Bubble waved her tiny hand and left, leaving Canary and Rhode behind on this vast grassland.


    As Rhode turned his gaze away from Bubble, an aromatic smell assailed his nostrils and he felt two soft, ample objects pushing against his arm. He turned around and saw Canary��s gentle smiling.


    ��I didn��t expect something this great to happen to you, Rhode. Creating a swordsmanship is something that the players have thought about for a long time. It��s awesome that we have a chance to do it. Alright, in order to celebrate���� Canary slid her slender, fair fingers down Rhode��s top and teased between his legs. Then, she looked up with a crafty smile. ���� You get what I mean. Rhode? You��re finally back after a long time and you should make up for it, right?��


    ��Of course.�� Rhode felt the hot blood rolling and flowing in his body. He embraced her slender waist and his unsettled right hand fondled her soft buttocks. Canary trembled slightly and revealed a flushed, alluring expression. Then, she whispered. ��Here�� or somewhere else?��


    ��Let��s����


    Suddenly, a crisp, loud voice sounded. ��Ah! Leader and Sister Canary, you��re both here!��


    Canary stepped back grudgingly and maintained a distance with Rhode while he retracted his right arm and shook his head helplessly. At this moment, Anne was waving her right arm and scampering hurriedly as though she didn��t sense the awkward atmosphere. She grumbled breathlessly. ��Really�� Leader, where�� have you two been. Anne�� Anne has been finding you�� For a long time�� If it wasn��t for�� Bubble�� who said you��re at the Training Ground����


    ��Is anything the matter, Anne?�� Rhode expressed a look of ��apology�� to Canary before turning to Anne. Anne nodded and said sternly. ��Of course, Leader. There��s a group of men who came to our Fortress and they look similar to the group that you��ve chased away. They requested to meet you!��


    ��The same group of people? Can��t you just chase them away?�� Rhode puckered his brows.


    He didn��t have a favorable impression of the Alchemists. Although they were indeed an arrogant bunch who looked down on the mercenaries and noble families who weren��t established for a long time, they actually had the rights to do so. After all, not everyone could easily recruit an Alchemist Master like Rhode. Even though Alchemists were unarmed and defenseless, many military teams, Guilds, and even murder associations had to maintain a good relationship with the Alchemists to receive alchemy potions and Constructs. However, even though the Alchemists were highly regarded in other regions, Rhode didn��t give a damn about them, especially after they had daringly stepped into his territory to snatch his man��


    ��No no, Leader,�� Anne quickly shook her head and denied. ��This group of men dressed similarly, but they seemed more pleasing to my eyes. Oh, by the way, their leader was a white-bearded old man. I��m not too sure of his name�� But he seems really powerful.��


    ��White-bearded old man?�� Rhode sulked slightly and nodded after exchanging glances with Canary. ��I��ll head over now.��

 Chapter 578 - Lapis’s Worries

    Shortly after, Rhode met the group of men which Anne had mentioned standing by the Fortress entrance.


    Indeed, judging from their appearance, they seemed like the bunch of idiots that had tried to barge into the alchemy workshop. They were dressed in the same red and white striped robe and a hat with a wide brim which only Alchemists wore. However, Rhode quickly detected the differences between them and that bunch of idiots. This group of men was slightly older at about 50 to 60 years old while the oldest man of the earlier bunch was at most over 30. Besides, these Alchemists gave an impression which was more in line with what most people had of them��cultivated and refined in manner. Compared to them, the bunch of idiots was more like uninvited bandits.


    Due to the previous conflicts, the mercenaries weren��t that friendly against uninvited guests. They encircled the Alchemists with weapons in hand while the Alchemists watched on silently without any grumbles or resentment.


    However, Rhode wasn��t too mindful of this. Instead, the senior that stood in the front of the group caught his attention. The tall and sturdy senior had a long white beard that extended to his waist. He wore a golden-framed monocle over his right eye and carried a thick, hardcover golden book under his armpit. He resembled those NPC scholars who would appear in hero games and guide adventurers who had lost their way. However, Rhode��s heart sank slightly as soon as he spotted him.


    ��I didn��t expect this guy to be here.�� Rhode knitted his brows and turned to Canary. ��Canary, I��ll leave them to you. Although the Alchemist Association won��t stir trouble for no good reason, it must be regarding something difficult since they sent this old fellow here. Help me ��receive�� them and I��ll be right back.��


    ��Where are you heading to, Rhode?�� asked Canary.


    ��I��m gonna look for Lapis,�� Rhode perked up his eyebrow. ��I think she must be hiding something from me. Got to say, I didn��t expect that she kept such a secret�� I��m rather curious to see what else other than the Behermes Lapis is keeping a secret from me.��


    As soon as Rhode entered the alchemy workshop, he spotted Lapis sitting by the corner nervously, as well as Christie and the little mermaid. Got to say, Christie indeed had a unique charm. Rhode discovered that his spirits had favorable impressions of her. Not only Gillian and Celia, but even Celestina with the vicious tongue seldom commented about Christie. Celestina dared to mock anyone before Rhode, but she always remained opinionless about Christie. It was the same for Snow. She was a newborn summoned spirit who had just been created in this world and was filled with curiosity and fear. Ever since Rhode had summoned her, she had never left Rhode��s side at all and had always hidden from others including Anne and Lize during their way back to the Fortress. Although Anne and Lize had constantly showered Snow with smiles and care, she still wasn��t willing to interact with them. On the contrary, Snow and Christie only looked face to face with each other and they had gotten so close together as though they were sisters who didn��t meet for years. Although Rhode didn��t know how Christie interacted with the little mermaid who couldn��t speak, he felt fortunate that he could hide from the little mermaid and meet up with Canary and Bubble to discuss his new swordsmanship.


    The little mermaid hovered in the air and looked through her water ball curiously at the white paper on the desk. Meanwhile, Christie revealed her rare, excited side as she drew on the white paper. Both of them were so engrossed that they didn��t notice Rhode��s presence. On the other hand, Lapis jumped off her chair and peeped at Rhode with uncertainty and a pale complexion, like a child who was afraid of her parents reprimanding her for failing a test.


    Rhode let out a bitter laugh inwardly as he observed Lapis�� behaviors. He beckoned to Lapis for a talk in the room. Lapis hesitated for a moment before dilly dallying her way there. She was behaving as though she was about to step into an execution ground.


    ��Have a seat.�� Rhode closed the door and gazed at the bewildered Lapis. He didn��t expect that this young lady who appeared to be reserved and often trembling with fear had actually hidden a secret from him. He was too surprised by this��


    Lapis nodded with her conditioned reflex and sat on the chair over cautiously. However, before she had even adjusted her posture properly, she quickly stood to her feet and gazed at Rhode like a puppy who was about to be abandoned by its owner. ��S-Sir Rhode, I didn��t mean�� mean to hide it from you�� I����


    ��Alright, Lapis, calm down.�� Rhode felt somewhat amused as he gazed at the frantic young lady. It seems like I must pay more attention to Lapis in case she gets headhunted by others.


    Come to think of it, it was actually hilarious that the Alchemist Master of the Behermes Royal Family actually has such weak mental qualities. If Rhode could transform Lapis�� attributes into values, perhaps her ��determination�� points didn��t even have 5 points.


    ��I��m not blaming you. No matter the problem between you and the Alchemist Association, you are still a part of the Guild and the Alchemist Association must be daydreaming to think that they can simply snatch anyone away from me. So just relax and tell me what exactly is going on. Why are the people of the Alchemist Association here for you?��


    ������ Lapis finally heaved a long sigh of relief. She hopped back on her seat and rubbed her hands together before gazing at Rhode worriedly. ��Sir Rhode�� You won��t chase me away�� Right?��


    ��I won��t.�� Rhode felt angry and hilarious at the same time and he was left speechless by this pitiful Alchemist Master. After all, most Alchemists were required to go through events for growth and their temperament, character, and willpower would be polished from them. However, Lapis was different. If it weren��t for the opportunities and coincidences, she wouldn��t have received the Behermes�� Alchemy knowledge and alchemy techniques in the Master Stage. It could also be said that they had fallen into her lap and even though she held skills in the Master Stage, her way of thinking was still that of a little apprentice.


    However, this wasn��t the problem that Rhode was mindful about. He was more concerned about when Lapis began to ��fool around�� with the Alchemist Association.


    After Lapis had been assured that Rhode wouldn��t chase her away from the Guild or shut her in afterward, she laid down the burden and explained everything to Rhode in full details. Actually the entire situation wasn��t that complicated. After Rhode had left the Fortress and headed into Paphield, a visitor from another region came to the alchemy workshop and hoped that Lapis could concoct a potion for him. Lapis was curious about his request, but even though she was cowardly, she wasn��t foolish. Her alchemy workshop was the Guild��s property and it shouldn��t be used to help outsiders concoct potions and create Constructs. However, that man was sincere and persistent. Not only did he fork out huge sums of money as remuneration, but he had also revealed his identity: the visitor was a member of the Alchemist Association and he came to the Fortress after he had heard about Lapis. Not only that, but he also told Lapis that if she could help her concoct the potion, he would write a recommendation letter for her to join the Alchemist Association.


    This was also the point that had caught Lapis�� attention. After all, even though she possessed alchemy skills of the Master Stage, she was still an apprentice in status. If Lapis could be recommended by someone and enter the Alchemist Association to be ��recognized�� as a true Alchemist, it would undoubtedly be a dream come true for her.


    ��So, have you agreed?�� Rhode said with twitched brows.


    He knew that Lapis wasn��t a firm person and that her true status was only an apprentice. However, he didn��t take these matters to heart because, firstly, he had been occupied with other matters and Lapis�� ��apprentice�� status wasn��t something within his considerations. Secondly, Rhode didn��t know that status was something important to her. So what if Lapis was an ��apprentice��? She was an Alchemist Master who had the authentic skills, so why must he be bothered about the false reputation?


    Got to say, Rhode��s thoughts were indeed somewhat biased. When one had reached the high standards which Rhode had accomplished, false reputation was no longer important. The true Alchemist Masters in the game mainly lived in the faraway mountains and forests with strange personalities and were unconcerned about fame. No matter how skillful Lapis was, her mentality was the same as ordinary humans who thirsted for fame and recognition to stand on a bigger stage�� Which wasn��t a crime at all.


    ��N-No!�� Lapis waved her hands frantically. She lowered her head and trembled in fear. ��I didn��t know what I should do too�� Sir Rhode, I have thought of discussing this with someone, but Miss Canary and Miss Bubble weren��t around most of the time�� As for the others�� they couldn��t help much�� Besides�� Besides����


    ��Besides what?�� said Rhode.


    ��Besides�� That man said�� If I can become an approved Alchemist, I can apply for some free alchemy materials from the Alchemist Association�� That way, the Guild��s alchemy equipment can be����


    ������ Rhode let out a long sigh.


    After going through all these, it seems like I��m still the one responsible��


    Indeed, Rhode knew that there was such a rule in the Alchemist Association and the higher the level of the Alchemist, the more free alchemy materials the Alchemist could receive. It was only reasonable that Lapis couldn��t resist this temptation. After all, even though Lapis could create alchemy equipment and concoct potions in the Guild, most of them were extremely basic in conditions. Even Rhode wouldn��t be willing to if he had to do things simply and thriftily forever. Moreover, Lapis had a lot on her shoulders and the modification of the Stone Construct itself could waste a whole lot of her time and energy. It was also related to the lack of sufficient materials in Rhode��s hands.


    ��This isn��t your fault, Lapis���� Rhode let out a bitter laugh and patted her shoulder. ��Alright, lift your head. I guess the situation isn��t that simple, right? Although I��m not too pleased that you��ve made a decision without permission, this, after all, is my responsibility. If the situation of the Guild wasn��t this terrible, I��m sure you wouldn��t have chosen such a solution�� You��re not the one at fault. Lift up your head, Lapis. I guess you��re not only worried about this, right?��


    ��Yes���� Lapis wiped the corners of her eyes lightly and lifted her head. ��Although it is also partly because of this�� But, Sir Rhode�� I��m afraid����


    ��You��re afraid?�� Rhode puckered his brows slightly. ��What are you afraid of?��


    ��T-The potion���� Lapis��s expression turned pale once again and she stuttered in uncertainty. ��That man�� asked me to concoct�� a bad potion����


    ��Is it poison?�� Rhode��s heart skipped a bit. If that was true, the situation would be troublesome.


    ��I-I don��t know,�� Lapis shook her head and tears rolled down her cheeks. ��That man told me that it was to test my alchemy skills. The recipe and materials were provided by him while I was only responsible for completing it�� A-Although I didn��t know what the potion was, the composition of the materials used seemed to be something immoral�� I don��t think it will poison someone to death, but it might trigger a serious illness to weaken someone����


    ������ Rhode knitted his brows as he had vaguely figured out the truth of the incident. ��Lapis.��


    ��Yes�� Sir.��


    ��Is that bottle of potion difficult to concoct?��


    ��Yes�� Yes, Sir,�� Lapis pondered with a frown and nodded firmly. ��Ordinary alchemy techniques will not be able to complete it because the timing and content of the materials must be captured perfectly. Besides�� the potion also required some knowledge of the Behermes Family in order to concoct.��


    Rhode nodded. ��Got it, Lapis. Don��t leave the alchemy workshop for now and stay with Christie and Snow. I will get Anne and Lize to accompany you. Don��t worry about the Alchemist Association because you have me, Canary, and Bubble around.��


    Lapis cheeks flushed and lowered her head shyly. Since Rhode was aware of the reason, there was no further purpose for him to stay here. He told Christie and Snow to stay put and look after Lapis before heading back into the Fortress.


    As Rhode was about to enter the Fortress, Joey rushed over hurriedly with sweat pouring down his face. ��Ah, Boss, I finally found you. I thought of looking for you in the workshop and I didn��t expect to meet you here. But that��s fine too���� Joey let out an awkward cough after remembering his purpose of finding Rhode. ��By the way, do you remember telling me to dispatch my men to tail the few men in flowery clothes and see what they��re up to in the Land of Atonement? Heh, those Alchemists are a bunch of idiots. They weren��t even aware that they were being followed at all. If you didn��t get us to track them only, our brothers would��ve����


    ��Get straight to the point,�� Rhode interrupted harshly.


    The young Thief let out an awkward laugh and continued. ��Uh�� Although those idiots weren��t on high alert, they weren��t that foolish to spill the beans. Our men followed them for a while and managed to acquire some information�� According to them, those people are here because�� because���� Joey displayed a face of disbelief. ��They said Lapis poisoned someone from the Alchemist Association.��

 Chapter 579 - Tit For Tat (1)

    Chapter 579: Tit For Tat (1)


    When this remark came out of Joey��s mouth, almost everyone who heard it displayed the same expression as him. He rolled his eyes ridiculously and wrinkled his nose as though he had tasted something horrible. This proved that even Joey refused to believe such nonsense. Lapis would surely be placed at the top of the list for being the most harmless person in the entire Guild. Moreover, Joey had been with Randolf and Lapis for a long time and he knew better than anyone else what sort of a person Lapis was. If they claimed that Lapis dared to poison someone to death, then the others would surely be homicidal maniacs.


    ��Continue,�� said Rhode.


    Rhode had almost figured out everything regarding this matter. Fortune favored the fool and it was fortunate that they had looked for Lapis of their own accord. If that was the case, Rhode was confident in handling this situation.


    Joey looked at Rhode��s uninterested expression and he pulled himself together to continue his report. ��We haven��t investigated the specific situation, Boss. But those people seem to be grumbling that an important person in the Alchemist Association had gotten into trouble and they blamed it on us.�� Joey pouted in disdain. ��I also heard that those bastards were extremely arrogant. Boss, you have chased them out of the Fortress and they still blabbered a bunch of nonsense. They said something about getting the overlord to resolve the situation for them and that we, mercenaries, are a bunch of unreasonable barbarians. They also said that�� Uh����


    Joey came to an abrupt stop. He gazed at Rhode awkwardly and coughed to clear his throat. ��That�� That��s about all, Boss.��


    Rhode swept a glance at Joey. He knew what the other party had said about them judging from Joey��s attitude, but he had no intentions of looking into them. The current problem was much more important than the senseless lies and slanders.


    ��Good, continue to monitor those guys and see if they have left the Land of Atonement. It would be for the best if they were tactful enough to get out of this place on their own. But if they don��t�� You should know how to teach them a lesson. Our Starlight Guild isn��t specially here for them to cause a ruckus.��


    ��Got it, Boss, I��ll get going now!�� Joey jumped on his feet and saluted swiftly before leaving Rhode��s sight.


    Rhode shook his head hopelessly and continued to head into the Fortress.


    At the same time, the Alchemists who were walking in the Fortress were awed by the scenery before them.


    Unbelievable.


    The white-bearded senior sat down at the glittering drawing room and gazed at everything before him with amazement flowing from his eyes. As a high-level personnel in the Alchemist Association, there were no doubts that he had heard rumors about Starlight and their mysteriously strange Guild Leader. The senior had treated all the rumors as interesting anecdotes and didn��t expect that he would personally witness everything himself.


    The doubts that the senior had about Starlight were gone. Alchemists were craftsmen of art and he recognized the true formidability of this mighty Fortress. Not only was it grand on the surface and easily guarded, but it also had a vast, powerful ritual circle enveloping the entire fortress. Although the senior didn��t know what exactly the ritual circle was, he was sure that it wouldn��t be as simple as launching fireworks once the ritual circle was activated.


    ��Amazing���� The senior turned his gaze away from the tall arrow tower outside the window and mumbled under his breath. It was unbelievable that this place here was just a barren landscape few months ago. Even with the help of Mages and Alchemists, it shouldn��t be possible to build this towering Fortress in a matter of months. However, the intelligence the Alchemist Association gathered had always been accurate. In other words, this young man named Rhode had truly built this massive Fortress in a few months.


    How did he do it?


    This was an interesting subject for the senior. However, he didn��t have the time to research about it now. The troubles in the Alchemist Association were huge and also implicated Starlight, which was rising in the Munn Kingdom. Due to this reason, the senior led his team here for an investigation just to be cautious. It seemed that his decision was correct. The fact that this Fortress was built in a few months proved that the Guild Leader had powerful strength and strong backing. If that was true, it wouldn��t be smart for him to go head to head with him.


    And�� his subordinates.


    The senior lifted his head and gazed at the graceful presence standing by the window. Although this lively and adorable lady appeared to be in her teens, he sensed the immense spiritual energy gathering around her clearly. He also saw the energy flow of the Three-rings Inner Circle that represented the three levels of spells, which proved one point: this young lady was a Grand Mage who had entered the Legendary Stage.


    If it was said that this Fortress had astonished the senior, then this young lady had left him shell-shocked. A young lady who was barely the age of 20 was a Legendary Grand Mage. The senior had never seen this happen before and now, she was the subordinate of this young man?! What kind of backing and trump card does this man, who has a subordinate in the Legendary Stage, have?


    At this moment, the senior was incomparably glad that he had made this wise decision. The reason why he chose to lead the team was because he lived in the Golden City and he knew that Lydia and the King��s Party were interested in this newly established Guild. Furthermore, after considering that the heir of the Senia Family in the Munn Kingdom and Lydia��s sister were in this Guild, things would get troublesome if the Alchemist Association didn��t handle the situation appropriately.


    Although the Alchemist Association and the Church were continental institutions, the strength of the Alchemist Association was nowhere near the Church. After all, the Church had the backing of the Twin Dragons of the Country of Law, while the Alchemist Association had ordinary humans. Besides, the King��s Party and the Senia Family didn��t need to operate with considerations to the Alchemist Association even when they had impressive magical and alchemical technologies. This was why the senior stayed cautious and it proved that he had made a wise choice.


    Simply judging from the Fortress and the young lady, he knew that this young man wasn��t as simple as the rumors had described. He couldn��t possibly be only a noble and there were rumors spreading that he might be from an ancient family with such strength and techniques. Not only that, but the strange Ocean Elves had also left the senior astounded. As a knowledgeable Alchemist, he had heard about the Ocean Elves. They were creatures that lived in the Water Plane of Existence and seldom interacted with humans, not to mention coming to the main Plane of Existence to work for humans. However, he had already spotted a dozen Ocean Elves tidying the Fortress neatly and willingly, which also proved another point. No matter who the Guild��s backing was, they were powerful enough to communicate, interact, and even sign contracts with the creatures in the Plane of Existences.


    The senior puckered his brows once again�� After that incident, all the investigation had pointed at Starlight and a lot of them in the Alchemist Association��s internal department thought that this Guild was no big deal at all. But it seemed that this Guild wasn��t as simple as it looked. They also heard that the Country of Light��s Parliament had stirred trouble with the Guild, which ended with Mist Sword Saint crippled and he couldn��t even remember who he was�� The senior prayed that they wouldn��t become the second Light Parliament��


    The senior was deeply worried and sick at heart. If this incident was related to Starlight, the Alchemist Association might face an unprecedented calamity, which wouldn��t be a good thing for them, who were on the decline.


    As the senior knitted his brows worriedly, the heavy wooden door opened and an unfamiliar young man��s voice sounded. ��Everyone, welcome to Starlight Guild.��


    The senior lifted his head and narrowed his eyes. A thin, young man clad in a black robe stood by the door. He had a full head of black long hair just like the rumors and an exquisite face like that of a young lady. The young man looked at his guests without any changes to his expression as though his face were carved from a rock.


    What a difficult guy.


    The senior sighed inwardly. Then, he pressed down the creases in his attire and stroked his white long beard, lifting his head and standing to his feet. He nodded at the young man with a smile. ��Hi there, Mr. Rhode. I��m Dasos Bell from the Alchemist Association. This time, I represent that Alchemist Association to discuss matters with your Guild.��


    Of course, I know who you are.


    Rhode let out an inward sigh.


    Dasos Bell. One of the personnel with the highest authority in the Alchemist Association of the Munn Kingdom. Any players who learned alchemy couldn��t avoid his tests when leveling up. Rhode had also learned alchemy due to his Spirits Swordsman identity and had no lack of fights with this old man. However, after coming to this world, Rhode didn��t spend any effort upgrading his alchemy levels after randomly recruiting an Alchemist Master and didn��t meet this old man at all.


    However, even though Rhode thought of it this way, he didn��t express it on his face. He gestured to Dasos and nodded. ��Please take a seat, Master Dasos. I��ve heard that you��re a very popular person in the Alchemist Association.��


    Dasos forced out a bitter smile. Even though it sounded like a polite greeting, the senior couldn��t figure out if Rhode was being polite or sarcastic due to the tense atmosphere and his aloof expression. However, Dasos had long passed his prime of youth and he didn��t mind even if Rhode was really mocking him. He sat down and gazed at Rhode sternly. ��This was what happened, Mr. Rhode. This time, We, Alchemists, came to your Fortress to seek your cooperation on something important�� If it is possible, I hope we can discuss about it privately.��


    Rhode twitched his brows before snapping his finger to Canary who was admiring the scenery from the window. Canary turned around, swept a glance at them, and nodded with a smile. ��Alright, Rhode, I will go check on Christie.��


    ��I��ll leave it to you,�� said Rhode.


    Canary nodded to the Alchemists and left the drawing room. At this moment, Kasos was incredibly stunned. He had seen through Rhode��s strength��he was only in the Master Stage. But even so, this young man actually commanded a Grand Mage in the Legendary Stage so easily and she didn��t dislike it at all. Powerful beings had strong feelings of pride and were rarely ordered about. However, the young lady accepted his orders so willingly�� This wasn��t something that ordinary nobles could accomplish.


    Could it be that they have an intimate relationship?


    This thought flashed in Dasos�� mind for only a second. After all, he didn��t come here to gossip. He lifted his head and looked at Rhode solemnly. ��This was what happened�� Mr. Rhode. About half a month ago, the Chairman of the Alchemist Association, Volta, fell ill and went into a comma. It was due to this that the entire Alchemist Association turned into utter chaos����


    Before Dasos finished his sentences, Rhode��s sneer interrupted. ��This is really interesting, Master Dasos. If I recall correctly, there should be three Vice-Chairmen in each organizational branch of the Alchemist Association. Even if the Chairman had fallen ill, the entire Alchemist Association shouldn��t stop its operations. If the Alchemist Association is really that unorganized and fragile, perhaps it would��ve been completely destroyed during the Third High Cliff Campaign.��


    Dasos�� expression stiffened slightly as soon as he heard the term ��Third High Cliff Campaign��. However, he pulled himself together quickly and nodded with a smile to Rhode��s subtle ridicule. ��Indeed. It��s just as Mr. Rhode has said. If the Chairman had simply fallen ill, the situation wouldn��t have ended up in this plight now. After our investigations, we have concrete evidence to prove that the Chairman didn��t fall ill due to the infection of diseases. Instead, he was poisoned by someone.��


    Dasos twitched his brows and scrutinized Rhode silently. However, he was disappointed to see that Rhode remained unaffected even after hearing this news as though it had nothing to do with him at all. Well, that was actually the truth. Rhode adjusted his posture to a more comfortable spot on his seat. At the same time, he interlocked his fingers and gazed at the senior nonchalantly. ��That��s interesting, Master Dasos. If I recall correctly, you said you��re from the Alchemist Association, right? So shouldn��t your Alchemists�� be knowledgeable about creating antidotes?��


    ��Just as you��ve said, Mr. Rhode,�� Dasos nodded. ��If it were an ordinary poison, the Alchemist Association could surely get rid of it. However, this poison is incredibly unusual and we��ve tried all methods, but to no avail. All we could do was to temporarily slow down the invasion of the poison to the bloodstream. According to our investigations, the concocting methods for this poison is extremely rare and ordinary Alchemists can��t achieve it.��


    ��So?�� Rhode sat up straight. He knew that this was the true, crucial moment.


    Dasos didn��t respond immediately. Instead, he reached into the fold of his top and retrieved a small crystal potion bottle and placed it on the table. The senior looked up and stared at Rhode. ��I think Mr. Rhode must be familiar with this.��

 Chapter 580 - Tit For Tat (2)

    Chapter 580: Tit For Tat (2)


    Rhode didn��t move an inch after he swept a glance at the potion bottle on the table. ��What��s this?��


    ��This is the bottle that stored the poison, Mr. Rhode. I can guarantee you that this is the result that our Alchemist Association came to after thorough investigations.��


    ��Oh.��


    Rhode��s short reply was as though a reaction of a civilian who didn��t strike the lottery; apathetic and completely indifferent. Rhode remained in silence as though he was waiting for the senior to continue his sentence. However, Dasos was feeling incomparably awkward at this moment. Because he had said all that he was supposed to and he imagined that the young man would at least have more reactions than this. He didn��t expect Rhode to remain this calm even with the evidence laid clearly before him. It seemed that this young man didn��t rely on luck to have such a massive backing and powerful strength�� Rhode��s silence made Dasos increasingly worried. He didn��t know if Rhode was unconcerned because it had nothing to do with him or he was simply feigning innocence to get himself out of the situation. However, no matter which was the truth, neither was a good scenario for Dasos. He let out an awkward cough and forced himself to continue. ��We found an Alchemist logo on the potion bottle and it��s the exact same logo as the one on the potion bottles that your Starlight Guild sells in Paphield. It is because of this that we have arrived at your Fortress. I hope to seek your cooperation with it.��


    This time, the drawing room fell into complete silence. Rhode looked at the senior without batting an eye. If Rhode��s eyes weren��t opened, they would��ve thought that he had fallen asleep. Dasos didn��t feel frustrated over Rhode��s silence. No matter what Rhode wished to do, Dasos had to make his intentions clear. Although the Alchemist Association wasn��t as powerful as the Mercenary Association and the Church, they wouldn��t allow themselves to be bullied.


    Of course, it was another matter about how much courage was behind Dasos�� determination.


    Seconds passed and the atmosphere was strangely depressing. Apart from Dasos, the other Alchemists were beginning to feel restless and were about to stand to their feet. However, the mighty senior glared at them and they sat still obediently.


    The sun had set and scarlet radiance spilled through the clear, french windows. After an unknown amount of time, Rhode twitched his brows, shook his finger, and shifted his position slightly as though waking up from his nap. But this time, he swept a glance at the crowd before him and said lazily, ��No wonder there was a bunch of idiots who trespassed into my Guild��s alchemy workshop and demanded us to hand over the murderer. So it was for this matter?��


    ����!�� Dasos�� expression sulked slightly. He had long suspected if Rhode had some opinions about him. If not, why would they be stopped by the mercenaries when they first tried to enter the Fortress? Moreover, Rhode had even sent out a Grand Mage in the Legendary Stage to display his strength. And now, Dasos finally realized why the Guild Leader had paid no attention to this!


    Dasos laid down the cup in his hand. Although he appeared calm, his heart was pounding. Initially, when this incident happened, there were two extreme attitudes toward this incident in the Alchemist Association internal department: radical and conservative. The extremists believed that Starlight Guild was nothing more than a tiny organization formed by crude mercenaries and didn��t require their permission to investigate them. If these mercenaries dared to reject, they would show the mercenaries the powers of the Alchemists!


    Most of these extremists were the members of the headquarters. They lived far from the Munn Kingdom and didn��t understand the strength of Starlight. Judging from the information listed on paper, it was simple to be misled that this Guild was only lucky to have succeeded in the Midsummer Festival and there was nothing worthy of their concerns. The other conservative group led by Dasos mainly lived in the Munn Kingdom. Due to the advanced technologies in the Munn Kingdom, the Alchemists had occasional interactions with the higher-ups of the King��s Party and they were aware that Starlight wasn��t just lucky and acting rashly would surely bring them loads of trouble. Of course, this was only a problem between the two internal parties. While the Chairman was in a comma, there were also power struggles between the Alchemist Association. However, none of these had anything to do with Rhode.


    Dasos heard that the headquarters formed an investigations team and they headed to Starlight for investigation. He also knew about their bossy and domineering attitudes, which was why he quickly formed an investigations team on his own and rushed to the Land of Atonement, with hopes to reach out to Rhode earlier. This way, he hoped that his reputation in the Munn Kingdom would allow a more efficient and peaceful discussion and stop the headquarters from taking over the case. However, he didn��t expect that he was too late. It had exceeded his expectations that those normally lazy fellows would take actions this quickly. If the Alchemist Association was this hardworking most of the time, perhaps they wouldn��t even be worse off than the Mercenary Association��


    Dasos puckered his brows and let out an awkward cough. Then, he said. ��Mr. Rhode, I think there may be some misunderstanding����


    ��I don��t care if it��s a misunderstanding, Master Dasos. I respect your Alchemists, but this doesn��t mean that I can allow them to cause a ruckus in my turf. That bunch of idiots has been chased out by me and I don��t wish to see them again���� Rhode interrupted Dasos�� words harshly and stared into his eyes. ��If they continue to stir trouble on my territory, I can��t promise that I will treat them nicely. I hope you can understand what I mean.��


    ������ Dasos�� expression turned ashen.


    However, Rhode gestured before he responded. ��But those idiots have nothing to do with us. Master Dasos, I respect you a lot and that is why I have invited you into the Fortress. Can you tell me�� How do you intend to carry out investigations with my Guild?��


    ��We���� Dasos felt relieved after hearing Rhode��s assurance.


    It was apparent that this young man had seen through their internal problems. Besides, Dasos also understood what Rhode had meant. Dasos heaved a subtle sigh of relief after gaining Rhode��s support for them to carry out the investigations instead of chasing them away.


    As for those guys from the headquarters�� Dasos only hoped that they would be smart enough to not provoke this dangerous young man, who definitely wasn��t a compassionate person. Dasos was also present during the Midsummer Festival and he had personally witnessed how Rhode crippled the Sky Sword and Liberty Wings Guild. He didn��t want the Alchemist Association to end up in the same predicament as them.


    ��This�� If it��s possible, I hope to speak to the Alchemist who concocts potions for your Guild.��


    Rhode didn��t answer immediately. Instead, he pondered for a few moments and looked to the side slightly. Shortly after, he contacted Canary, who was sipping on tea in the workshop, using his spiritual communications. ��Canary, bring Lapis to the drawing room. Tell her that the Alchemist Association wants to meet her. Ask her not to be nervous and she just needs to repeat everything that has happened.��


    ��Alright, Rhode,�� said Canary.


    Rhode faced the senior and nodded slightly. ��No problem, Master Dasos. But I do have a request. I hope that I can be around with her during the interrogation in order to prevent any misunderstandings.��


    ��There��s�� no problem with that.�� Dasos was rather hesitant when he heard Rhode��s suggestion. However, the situation wasn��t advantageous enough for him to disagree. Although the senior seemed to be in a difficult position, he was actually somewhat proud. Even though it was disadvantageous for Rhode to stay behind during the interrogation, he could use this opportunity to sound out Starlight��s attitude. If Rhode pointed fingers of blame or secretly pressurized them using his authority, this matter would surely be related to Starlight without any doubts. If Rhode really made this suggestion only for the purpose of protecting his subordinate, then the possibility of this being just a coincidence would be much greater. As for Dasos, he would be glad to see it happen.


    However, even though Dasos was mentally prepared, he was still astounded when he met Lapis trembling with fear as she appeared through the Teleportation Door. She seems about 16 to 17 years old and a little, innocent child�� Is she really capable of concocting that alchemy potion?


    ��S-Sir Rhode��!�� Lapis felt immense pressure on her shoulders as soon as she spotted the Alchemists. She clasped her cloak nervously and turned to Rhode with tears rolling down her cheeks. Lapis had no idea what happened before teleporting to this place. She even thought that Rhode had decided to abandon her to the terrifying Alchemists. ��I-I didn��t mean to����


    ��Alright, Lapis, don��t be so nervous,�� Rhode gestured and said. ��The Alchemists are here to investigate about the potion. You know that you��re the only one responsible for concocting the alchemy potions in the Guild, so don��t be nervous. I asked you here to answer their questions and I don��t intend to chase you away or punish you. Alright, relax. I��m around, so they won��t dare to mistreat you.��


    ��Ah���� Lapis heaved a long sigh of relief and turned to the Alchemists simultaneously with flushed cheeks. Lapis had always been bashful and after displaying a blunder to the outsiders, she felt even more embarrassed. However, she knew how important this matter was and she calmed herself down quickly.


    There wasn��t anything special that was worth mentioning for the interrogation process. With Rhode around, the Alchemists didn��t dare to be too aggressive. Besides, Lapis was also being truthful. Initially, she was concerned that she would be punished for concocting a potion for an outsider privately, which was why she was that nervous and cautious. However, she revealed the rare calm side of herself before the Alchemists and she was even a little furious. If it weren��t for you people from the Alchemist Association who got me to do it, I wouldn��t be this on edge.


    Lapis had no intentions of hiding the truth because it was just an ordinary job for her. The Alchemists were stunned that this young lady had the advanced skills to complete the poison where even an Alchemist Master like Dasos would have a difficult time concocting it successfully. Initially, Dasos thought that Rhode had paid lip service and randomly picked Lapis to fill in the spot. But he realized that this timid young lady actually answered his difficult alchemy questions easily, ones that most experienced Alchemists needed to ponder for a long time. Besides, Dasos had also gotten the information about the recipe from Lapis which was extremely beneficial to them. This unexpected gain allowed this senior alchemist with virtue and prestige to lay his burdens down. Although there were many suspicions regarding the Chairman being poisoned, he realized that this matter indeed had nothing to do with Starlight.


    The interrogation ended swiftly without any hiccups.


    Dasos verified the young lady��s skills and a fresh idea popped up in his head. ��Miss Lapis, I would like to receive your help for something.��


    ��I-I���� Lapis tensed up immediately.


    Once bitten, twice shy. After she had been duped by the people of the Alchemist Association, she instantly entered her nervous mode whenever anyone from the Alchemist Association needed her help. The young lady took two steps back frightened before turning to Rhode and looking back at the senior. Dasos was caught between laughter and tears by her behaviors. However, he let out a bitter laugh and sounded his request.


    ��Through your descriptions, we learned that you��re innocent in this incident, Miss Lapis. But I know you��re aware that the poison is very harmful and difficult to get rid of. No matter what, since you��re capable enough to concoct the poison, could you please concoct the antidote for us?��


    ��I����


    Lapis was a little hesitant while Rhode let out a soft cough. Even though Rhode didn��t respond, Kasos understood what he meant. Shortly after, the senior unrolled a wide smile. ��How about that. I know that concocting the antidote will be really tough. I will provide you with the materials that you need in order to complete the antidote. Our Alchemist Association will do our best to provide the materials for assistance.��


    ��If that��s the case���� Lapis�� eyes glimmered and gaped immediately.


    The leopard can��t change its spots. As she was about to agree, Rhode let out another cough and interrupted. Then, he stood up and held his hand on her shoulder while looking straight at Dasos. ��Master Dasos, I respect everyone here, but I have some objections.��


    ��Please speak your mind, Mr. Rhode,�� Dasos kept the smile on his face and displayed a stern expression. He knew that this young man wasn��t easy to deal with at all.


    ��It��s simple, Master Dasos. I guess you��re aware now that my subordinate has no intentions of harming your Chairman. She merely complied to the request of someone in your association to concoct a bottle of potion and our Starlight has nothing to do with whatever happens to the potion. Don��t tell me that you will find trouble with the bladesmith when someone uses a sword that he had forged to kill someone?��


    ��That���� Dasos was left speechless. However, Rhode wasn��t graceful enough to give them a chance for explanations. He simply gestured and continued. ��That��s why I��m discontent with your way of saying that ��It is up to her to make up for her mistake��. Even if the bottle of potion was made by Lapis, she doesn��t have the call as to what it is used for. If your people used it to water the plants, wouldn��t there be no problem at all? So, this isn��t the responsibility of my subordinate. If you wish for her to concoct the antidote���� Rhode paused and gazed at Dasos proudly. ��You will need to pay the corresponding remuneration.��


    ��T-This��!�� The group of Alchemists including Dasos exchanged bewildered looks with one another. They didn��t expect this young man to righteously come up with such fallacious reasoning. They thought that they were being polite for not finding trouble with them by coming to Starlight personally for the investigations. They didn��t expect that he would take advantage of their kindness. Not only did he deny his responsibility, but he also requested for the Alchemist Association to pay him for it!


    This is ridiculous!


    A few of the Alchemists wanted to rebut, but they didn��t know what to bring up against Rhode�� Indeed. If the things that happened were as Lapis described, the responsibility didn��t fall on her even if she was the one who concocted it. Most importantly, if they insisted that Lapis was responsible for the antidote, wouldn��t it mean that they were implicated with it as Alchemists too?!


    Dasos forced out a bitter smile. He knew that this young man wasn��t easy to deal with and the so-called remunerations perhaps would bleed out the association. But now, he had no other choices. ��Alright, I agree with your opinion, Mr. Rhode. Let��s get down to the details.��


    Knock knock knock! As Rhode and Dasos were about to enter the next stage of the discussion, there were sudden loud knocks on the door. Rhode twitched his brows curiously and said. ��Come in.��


    The door sprung open and Joey panted his way into the drawing room. He spotted Dasos and the group of Alchemists and he smartly dashed toward Rhode to whisper into his ear. ��Boss, the bunch of Alchemists that we are tailing are up to no good.��

 Chapter 581 - Tit For Tat (3)

    Chapter 581: Tit For Tat (3)


    ��This is too much!�� The middle-aged Alchemist glared fiercely and ground his teeth. Then, he turned his gaze away with a disgusted face as though the magnificent fortress in the distance was a pile of dog feces.


    ��Those barbaric bastards actually treated us this badly! Sir, we can��t let this matter go to rest! We must show them that we don��t accept such humiliations from a small and unestablished Guild! We must let them know how powerful we are! If not, how can we uphold the pride of our Alchemist Association!�� The group of fuming Alchemists complained to the middle-aged man.


    As elites of the Alchemist Association, they were praised and revered wherever they went. Indeed, the Alchemists weren��t any powerful in battle strength, but their knowledge and skills revolving alchemy equipment and potions were far superior to most humans. It was also due to this that most Alchemists were overly proud and looked down on mercenaries who relied on muscles and Mages who survived with their talents. Mercenaries and Mages were nothing more than shameless stealers and if it weren��t for their talents and strength, they would be worth nothing at all. However, Alchemists were different. They didn��t need talent or muscle and only relied on their knowledge to gain powers. It was also due to this that most Alchemists saw themselves as superior and it was utter humiliation for them to be threatened by a group of mercenaries!


    When Rhode��s murderous intent emanated, intense fear brewed from the bottom of the Alchemists�� hearts. In that instant, they felt as though the Grim Reaper was waving his sickle to the death tune behind their necks. The Alchemists couldn��t hold their wrath in any longer�� But they definitely wouldn��t admit it due to their pride.


    ��That��s right! Would those barbarians even be able to chase us out if we, Alchemists, weren��t willing to let the matter off just like that? We shouldn��t be too civilized against people like them. Everyone, the ones with the biggest fists are the boss! Let��s show that arrogant young man how powerful we are!��


    ��That��s right, that��s right! Our intelligent words can��t get into the heads of those barbarians! We need to show them how great we are!��


    ��Alright, alright.�� The middle-aged man gestured for them to give him some peace. Then, he lowered his head and gazed at the ground sulkily before letting out a snort. ��Since they refused our soft approach, let��s give them the rough treatment! You guys are right. We, Alchemists, are unlike the crude mercenaries, and we have our own ways of resolving this problem����


    The man revealed a sinister smile and turned to the Alchemists. ��Have the Egrets entered the fortress?��


    ��Yes, they have, Sir. We have received news that the Egrets have sneaked into the fortress and weren��t discovered by the mercenaries. They are searching for an opportunity outside the alchemy workshop. We have also heard that the Guild Leader has strengthened the defense around the alchemy workshop after we��ve left. There are more mercenaries patrolling the area now and perhaps we will have a harder time entering and snatching the criminal.��


    ��Hmph. How hilarious that a small little countryside mercenary organization even sets up an alchemy workshop! Get them to continue monitoring���� The middle-aged man revealed a creepy smile. ��By the way, tell them to execute plan B.��


    ***


    ��That��s impossible!��


    Smack! Dasos slammed the paper on the table and gazed at Rhode sternly. He spread his arms apart and his aged, rough face wrinkled to his strong disagreement. On the contrary, Rhode didn��t even bat an eyelid while Lapis was almost startled to death.


    It was no wonder that Dasos was this furious. He thought that they would only need to fork out an insignificant sum of money for the corresponding remunerations. However, when Rhode presented the long list of items, even Dasos who had great self-restraint couldn��t help but smack the table. ��Mr. Rhode, this is totally unreasonable! Everything on the list is an expensive material that our Alchemist Association can��t afford! I��m sorry, we will not agree to this request!��


    From the Demon Grass, Magic Crystals to the Angel Tree Heart and the Shadow Nucleus, all the listed items had absurd price tags. Some of them were so rare that they didn��t even have market prices and couldn��t be purchased from the markets. But now, this young man actually asked for every material in the quantity of carts! Carts!


    He��s better off robbing the sellers!


    Frankly speaking, Dasos would rather provide the corresponding value of the materials in gold coins instead so he wouldn��t feel the heartache. Although the Alchemist Association wasn��t as powerful as the Mercenary Association and Church, they weren��t financially tight with their outstanding alchemy skills in concocting unique potions for sales. Dasos wouldn��t even wrinkle his forehead if Rhode asked for hundreds of thousands or even millions of gold coins. However, no Alchemists would agree to provide the equal value worth of alchemy materials because, after all, it was much harder to gather these valuable alchemy materials than to acquire them using gold coins.


    ��Don��t be that agitated, Master Dasos. It��s not good for your age,�� Rhode said with a casual expression while sipping his tea.


    Dasos shook his head with an ashen expression. ��It��s impossible, Mr Rhode. I��ll say it once more. The Alchemist Association can��t provide that many materials!��


    ��I��m really surprised. An Alchemist Association with branches all over the Dragon Soul Continent can��t even hand over this little amount of materials?��


    ��You��!��


    Dasos finally understood what Rhode��s true intentions were. Initially, Dasos rejected firmly because he was indeed incapable of providing all the materials. Although the Alchemist Association was wealthy in the Munn Kingdom, Dasos couldn��t hand over that many materials even if they sold the entire Alchemist Association. Dasos realized that this cunning young man didn��t intend to make him pay the price from his pockets because he had laid his eyes on the entire Alchemist Association!


    But, even so, the Alchemist Association Headquarters would also have a hard time providing them.


    ��I know what you��re thinking about, young man. But that is impossible. You should also know that the Alchemist Association Headquarters is far away from the Munn Kingdom. Besides, the materials that you requested are too precious and frankly speaking, I don��t think the Headquarters will be willing to give them to you����


    ���� Even in exchange for your Chairman��s life?�� Rhode took over the conversation. He laid the cup on the table and gazed at Dasos calmly. ��I see. So the life of your Chairman isn��t valuable at all. Forget it. Master Dasos, this spells the end of our negotiations. Since your association doesn��t value your Chairman, I won��t be bothered by it either. I will also not look into the matter where you people have trespassed into our fortress. That��s all.��


    Rhode stood up and gestured to see his visitors out.


    ��This���� The senior looked on blankly.


    Initially, he thought that he could use the name of the Alchemist Association Chairman to pressure this young man. But he didn��t expect that he would use the Chairman against him instead. Dasos was speechless. The Chairman was the most important figure in the entire Alchemist Association and that was why the association had sent out an investigations team in such a short period of time. Dasos also knew that the internal department was having a power struggle and an uproar would arise in the Alchemist Association once they were aware of Rhode��s ridiculous request. But what else could they do? The Alchemist Association didn��t have any powerful beings in the Legendary Stage to fight for their rights and even the Mist Sword Saint of the Light Parliament failed. The Light Parliament only dared to resist Lydia diplomatically, so how is it possible that the Archangel will even regard those guys highly? Even the Light Parliament had failed to win his favors, so what else can the Alchemist Association do? Moreover, Dasos had even witnessed the logo of the Church, which meant that their collaboration wasn��t baseless�� Even Dasos didn��t know how he should face such a horrifying monster that was related to the formidable forces. ��You can��t put it this way, Mr. Rhode. You have to understand our difficulties����


    ��This is a business, Master Dasos. You��re an Alchemist, but you should also understand this. If your association can concoct the antidote yourselves, you wouldn��t need our help at all, right? I think that my conditions are more than reasonable. Of course, we perhaps can negotiate further in the specific details.��


    ������


    Dasos was left speechless because he knew what Rhode said was the truth. This poison was too mysterious where none of the top-rate Alchemists could concoct the antidote for it. This was also why the Alchemist Association took actions this quickly after investigating that Starlight had concocted the poison. Although the Chairman was still in a coma and didn��t show any critical symptoms, everyone knew what would happen to the Chairman would be if he continued to survive only through potions to extend his life.


    Rhode wasn��t the one rushing for time. He could leisurely wait and perhaps the Chairman would have passed on by then�� This way, he would undoubtedly offend the Alchemist Association. But what could they do to him? Stop selling alchemy potions to him? Rhode had such a young, top-rate Alchemist Master by his side so would he even need to care about them? Moreover, the King��s Party and the Senia Family were also widely known for their advanced magical technologies. Since Marlene Senia was still a part of the Starlight, it meant that Rhode could receive magical equipment from the Senia Family, so would he even be bothered by the Alchemist Association��s suppression?


    Dasos let out a long sigh and sat down to scan the list of items once more.


    It seemed that there were no other solutions other than going through another negotiation with Rhode.


    While Dasos and Rhode were engaging in their ��friendly negotiations��, it was a whole different atmosphere in the alchemy workshop for Christie and group.


    ��Ah�� How boring���� Anne stretched and wiped her drool sleepily. Then, she looked at Christie and the little mermaid with a pout. Both of them were softly talking to each other by the table. Or perhaps, Christie was the only one speaking since the little mermaid couldn��t speak at all and both of them interacted using hand gestures. Anne wished to use this opportunity to get closer to the adorable little girl who always stuck around Rhode��s side. However, she felt helpless because the little mermaid was still equally afraid of her. Apart from Rhode and Christie, she didn��t dare to approach anyone else�� But Anne wasn��t a person who would resign to her fate. At this moment, an idea cropped up in her mind and she jumped to her feet. ��Christie, Cutie, are you two bored? Want to accompany Anne outside?��


    ��Outside?��


    Anne��s suggestion piqued Christie��s curiosity. Christie was here to assist Lapis, but Canary had asked Lapis away, leaving Christie with nothing on her hands. However, even though she was bored, she continued to stay in the workshop obediently.


    ��That��s right, Christie. Cutie has just arrived here, right? We can show her around the fortress and spend some time too. Isn��t that good?��


    ��That���� Christie looked at the little mermaid beside her and she was somewhat interested in Anne��s proposal. In fact, Christie also adored this extremely adorable little girl floating in the water ball. Their closeness made Christie felt as though she had a younger sister. Besides, Rhode had also asked of Christie to take good care of Snow, which gave her a sense of responsibility. Perhaps Christie might be hesitant if Anne suggested heading out of the fortress. However, she swiftly nodded in agreement since they would be roaming about in the fortress and Anne was with them. ��Alright, Sister Anne.��


    ��Let��s go!�� Anne grinned and hopped toward the two little girls.


    The little mermaid displayed a frightened expression and hurriedly shrunk her body. Along with her movements, the water ball nimbly shifted to behind Christie. Although the little mermaid couldn��t touch Christie due to the separation of the water ball, this behavior was more than enough to explain her thoughts. However, Anne wasn��t mindful of it at all. She carelessly pulled Christie��s hand with an excited smile. ��I��ll bring you two to see something fun in the fortress!��


    The massive fortress was exceptionally bustling as more and more people had moved in. Even though the originally deserted fortress had slowly become lively, there were still close to no incidents of harassments and riots caused by the migrants because Rhode had laid down strict rules. If one caused a ruckus in the fortress, one would be blacklisted and immediately deported. With such rules and the presence of the mercenaries and Ocean Elves, ordinary civilians didn��t dare to stir any trouble. Therefore, although the entire fortress was bustling, there weren��t any disorderly uproars and chaos.


    Christie and the little mermaid attracted a lot of attention. However, no one was foolish enough to stop their paths as they knew the rules of the Guild. Although the little girl floating in the water ball appeared interesting and adorable, she seemed much more normal than the Ocean Elves with tentacles fluttering all over their bodies.


    ��Let��s go to the garden! Anne always loves to go there for a nap everytime Anne returns to the fortress. Christie, Cutie, do you know? The best way to have a nice dream is to find a warm and quiet place, shut your eyes and think about happy stuff�� That��s how Anne does����


    As Anne gesticulated excitedly to teach Christie and the little mermaid about her ��Nice Dream Philosophy��, some men clad in cloaks emerged in the crowd out of a sudden. They appeared to be ordinary humans who had blended into the crowd and were approaching the three young ladies gradually. While Christie listened attentively to Anne��s exciting speech, the little mermaid looked around worriedly as though she had detected something and inched closer to Christie.


    Shortly after, the group of men in cloaks brushed passed the three young ladies. They drew out three short staffs from the fold of their clothes secretly and struck forward.


    Clang! Anne raised her right arm instinctively without turning around. Along with this movement, the shield hung on her back sprung up and crashed to the ground heavily to protect Christie and the little mermaid from the ambush. At the same time, a violent whirlwind rose from the ground and swept across the streets. The group of men in cloaks lost their footing and rolled on their backs. But a faint magical radiance emanated from their bodies quickly and they stabilized their footing.


    ��Who are you? What are you trying to do?!�� Anne clasped her shield and protected Christie and the little mermaid bravely.


    The group of men didn��t answer. Then, another group of men in similar outfit emerged from the ground mysteriously and encircled the three young ladies. The man leading the group reached into the fold in his clothes and retrieved a shimmering dagger. ��Get them!��


    The group of men instantly transformed into ghostly shadows and pounced forward!

 Chapter 582 - Asking For Death

    Chapter 582: Asking For Death


    ��You��re asking for death!��


    Anne bellowed and pulled a steel chain connected to her shield with her left hand which expanded the shield swiftly and roared a violent gust. The ambushers didn��t expect Anne to react this quickly. They had pounced in midair and couldn��t dodge her retaliation at all. They smashed into the shield and were flung away like ragdolls.


    The crowd surrounding the trio had dispersed as soon as the commotion began and they observed from a distance away. The ambushers were unusually strong. Although they were struck away by Anne��s shield, they got onto their feet swiftly and brandished their daggers forward like quick, slithering vipers.


    ��Eh?�� Anne shrieked in horror.


    Even though she didn��t cast any spiritual powers into her attack, her raw strength and the weight of the shield should have been enough to at least cripple them. She didn��t expect that these men were as capable as cockroaches. They can still get up after my shield hit them? Something��s off!


    However, Anne didn��t lose her calm. Although she disliked leading a team, her individual strength was exceptionally outstanding and she had plenty of experiences in battle. Anne retreated hurriedly and guarded Christie and the little mermaid against the ambushers. At the same time, she swung out her shield again, but this time, the ambushers dodged nimbly and hastened their speed forward. Two of them leaped over Anne��s attack and wielded their daggers to Christie and the little mermaid.


    ��Got them!�� One of the men exclaimed excitedly.


    Christie shrieked in fear, but even so, she gritted her teeth and spread out her arms to protect the little mermaid. However, she didn��t notice that when she extended her arms, a strange shadow emerged in her right hand and shattered into thin air in the blink of an eye.


    At the same time, Snow finally displayed her strength as a summoned spirit. Although she had just been created by Rhode, she was nonetheless a summoned spirit. She swam in the water ball at lightning speed and pushed her hands forward as though she was splashing water. Then, whirling, semi-crystalized radiance splattered gracefully and solidified into an ice crystal barrier from the fluttering snowflakes.


    The barrier blocked the ambusher from piercing further and their razor-sharp blades scratched the barrier that was whirling non-stop. The two ambushers frowned at their missed opportunity, sprung backwards, and brandished their daggers forward from the other direction.


    Clang! A dagger emanating with shimmering radiance emerged before them and resisted their attacks. Then, Joey flitted by with a mysterious grin. ��Aiya, this won��t do, Brothers. I won��t let you touch this young lady here.��


    ��You��!�� The ambusher was taken aback.


    As a Thief class, he knew the dangers of letting someone sneaking to his side. Moreover, this young man actually possessed such formidable strength. However, before the ambusher displayed his astonished expression, Joey had thrust his foot onto his stomach. Then, Joey somersaulted to the ground and swept a glance to Christie and Anne with a grin. ��Aiya, sorry for coming this late, Anne, Christie, and this adorable Miss Mermaid.��


    ��Ah�� Joey���� Christie heaved a sigh of relief, but the little mermaid didn��t have a favorable impression on this frivolous Thief and she drew a distance away from him.


    ��You��re quite fast this time, Joey,�� Anne took a step back and guarded Christie and the little mermaid with Joey from the other side. She clasped her steel shield and said. ��Anne thought you ran off to a pub for drinks.��


    ��Heh, that��s not right, Anne. I��m working right now. Working.�� Joey revealed an awkward smile as he tightened the grip around the liquor flask hanging by his waist and waved his dagger. Back then, after Joey had dispatched his men to tail the group of Alchemists, they discovered that they had been secretly contacting someone, which Joey quickly reported to Rhode. Then, Rhode ordered Joey to continue monitoring and find out their exact numbers and background, which was why Joey was following the group of men from far behind. Joey thought that this group of people was here to inquire information about the fortress, but he didn��t expect them to lay their hands on Christie and Anne�� He didn��t know if he should treat them as courageous or dumb.


    ��No matter what, help Anne to keep them back! These people are quite strange!��


    ��Don��t worry, Anne,�� Joey said relaxedly. He swept a glance at the ambushers and shrugged. ��Our reinforcements are here.��


    Boom! An ear-deafening explosion numbed their ears and the aggressive ambushers fell flat to the ground as though an invisible large hand had swatted on their backs. Their faces flushed and pumping veins popped up on their foreheads. Faint magical radiance flickered on their bodies, but it didn��t seem to be effective.


    At this moment, Canary descended from above with her signature smile. She rushed to Christie and the little mermaid��s side and scanned them from head to toe. ��Are you hurt, Christie?��


    Christie smiled and shook her head in response. ��No�� Thank you�� Sister�� Canary����


    ��Glad to hear that,�� Canary��s smile turned even gentler. She extended her hand and stroked Christie��s long hair lightly. ��Don��t worry, you did well, Christie. You even tried to protect the people around you under such a dangerous situation. You��re really brave�� You��re indeed Rhode��s����


    Canary paused abruptly. However, she simply nodded and turned around to face the ambushers. ��Is this all of them?��


    ��Uh�� Y-Yes, Madam Canary,�� Joey said with a pale expression.


    Even though this Grand Mage was smiling widely, Joey had clearly spotted the ice-cold, merciless glint in her eyes, which left him shivering and gulping his saliva. Canary looked to the side and extended her right arm. Then, the ambushers who were on the ground flew up to the sky and crashed into one another. Canary swung her arm slightly and tossed them onto the empty field in a stack. She clapped the filthy dust off her palms. ��I��ll leave them to you. Dismantle their equipment and wait for further instructions from Rhode. As for the others, Bubble has gone to settle them.��


    Dasos took down his monocle and leaned back on the sofa, letting out a long sigh. The Alchemists around him were also exhausted. It wasn��t easy negotiating with Rhode and Dasos didn��t expect this young man to be that demanding. Moreover, he was extremely familiar with the operations of the Alchemist Association and was relatively sure of his judgment, leaving Dasos without a chance to act stupid. He didn��t have an easy time wrangling with Rhode over the alchemy materials either. If Rhode didn��t give up a little at the final stages, perhaps both parties couldn��t come to an agreement.


    But now, everything had finally ended.


    ��Alright then, that settles it, Mr. Rhode,�� Dasos raised his spirits and lifted the material list. ��According to our agreement, we will provide you with half the materials first. After we have received the antidote and verified its effects, we will provide you with the other half�� Of course, this transaction has to go through the review and confirmation of the Church. Is everything accurate as to what we have discussed?��


    ��Of course,�� Rhode lifted his head and nodded.


    Dasos felt rather ridiculous at his response, but he didn��t dare to speak anymore. After all, the wrangling over the alchemy material was enough to bleed them dry and if Rhode suddenly thought of something new, he would need to�� The Chairman was in a critical condition and they didn��t have the time for chit chat. Dasos stood to his feet. ��Alright then, Mr Rhode. There��s no time to lose. Don��t you think we should����


    ��Hold on a moment,�� Rhode extended his arm and gestured.


    Dasos�� heart skipped a beat. ��I-Is there any other problems? Mr Rhode?��


    ��If I recall correctly, Master Dasos, you said that this investigation team that you led represents the Alchemist Association Headquarters, right?��


    ��That��s�� Of course.��


    Although Dasos didn��t know why Rhode chose to verify this question again at this moment, he eventually nodded. Then, Rhode handed over another sheet of paper. Dasos took over the paper and scanned through the contents. He was flabbergasted. ��Mr. Rhode, what do you mean by this!��


    ��It��s simple,�� Rhode said with his usual expression. ��This is a ransom, Master Dasos.��


    ��Ransom?��


    ��That��s right,�� Rhode lowered his voice. ��Alchemists from your association have attempted to attack and harm my subordinates in my fortress. If your association isn��t willing to hand over this sum of money, be prepared to find their corpses hanging on our fortress walls.��


    ��What did you say?!�� Dasos exclaimed.


    The sun had set and colors of the night shrouded the entire sky. Rhode stood on the steps of the fortress and gazed down at the group of men who were trussed up. Among them were the ones who ambushed Christie and those who had tried to barge into the alchemy workshop. They cowered miserably under the flames and the radiance of magical crystals. Dasos looked on with an ashen expression behind Rhode and stared at the bunch of idiots. ��Master Dasos, allow me to verify. They belong to the Alchemist Association, right?��


    ��They���� Dasos hesitated for a moment. Frankly speaking, he didn��t wish to admit that they were. However, he couldn��t bring himself to deny the fact. Among the group of Alchemists, the leader, Thomas, was extremely talented and well-liked by the higher-ups of the Headquarters. However, his weaknesses was that he was overly proud and domineering, and he was simply considered one of many eccentric Alchemists.


    As for the ambushers Rhode had mentioned, Dasos was also familiar with them. They were a part of an Elite Alchemy Equipment Battle Team, the ��Egrets��. Dasos finally understood why the Headquarters dared to barge their way here. With the ��Egrets�� backing them up, Guilds indeed would have a hard time against them. But��


    Dasos glanced with lingering fear at the smiling young lady in Mage robe and the fuming little girl with two ponytails in a Cleric robe standing left and right below the steps.


    _This time�� They really messed with the wrong person. _


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode, they��re indeed members of our Alchemist Association.�� Dasos let out a helpless sigh.


    He could imagine that if he denied the fact, Rhode would surely take actions against them and he would see their corpses swaying to the wind on the fortress walls the next morning. Although Dasos cursed this group of idiots who had spoiled his plans, he couldn��t possibly not extend a helping hand to them. No matter what, the ��Egrets�� were an Elite team of the Alchemist Association and Thomas was a highly-anticipated, talented figure. It would be a mistake that couldn��t be made up if they were to lose them here.


    ��So then, Master Dasos, you should know what to do now.��


    ��Er�� Yes, Mr. Rhode. I will inform the association immediately to handle this situation,�� Dasos hung his head dispiritedly. So many things had happened in a day and he was mentally and physically exhausted. He couldn��t even care less about this group of bastards�� Can��t they take actions after investigating?!


    ��Dasos! How can you listen to the nonsense of these barbaric mercenaries!�� The tied up middle-aged Alchemist berated and glared furiously at Dasos and Rhode. ��And you! You shameless mercenary. How dare you treat me this way! Do you know who I am? I��m Thomas Kruvo! I��m the number one talent of the Alchemist Association Headquarters and you have offended the entire Alchemist Association! The association will destroy you and your useless Guild! Who do you think you are!? You weak little sissy!��


    Smack! Bubble dashed forward and slapped his cheek so hard that the birds chirping on the tree branches flew away fearfully. Thomas flinched and collapsed to the ground.


    ��Shut your damn mouth, you NPC! Who do you think you are to scold Leader? I stomp, stomp, stomp on you bloody idiot! Just a little NPC who isn��t worth a single point of EXP actually dared to spout nonsense in front of Leader?!�� Bubble berated and thrust her foot on Thomas. Although she was young, her strength was incredibly powerful as a being in the Legendary Stage. Thomas wailed desperately and the surrounding crowd either watched on silently or were worried about their fates, so no one went up to stop Bubble��s violent tortures. On the other hand, Dasos summoned up his courage to request for mercy after hearing Thomas�� miserable shrieks as though he was a pig being slaughtered. ��Er�� Mr. Rhode����


    ��Alright, Bubble, that��s enough. It won��t be fun anymore if you kill him,�� Rhode said.


    Bubble launched a final kick to Thomas�� back and faced the night sky with folded arms.


    Rhode turned to Dasos. ��Master Dasos, this is all that I can do. I can guarantee their safety until the Alchemist Association pays the ransom and compensates us for the losses. If your association doesn��t respond within the indicated timing, I will not waste another drop of my precious foodstuff to feed a group of worthless crap. Do you understand?��


    ��I-I understand, Mr Rhode.��


    ��Good,�� Rhode nodded and turned to Joey. ��Joey, dismantle all their equipment and throw them into the water jail. As for that fellow���� Rhode gazed meaningfully at the moaning middle-aged Alchemist who had curled up into a ball. His face was no longer as arrogant as he was when he first tried to barge into the alchemy workshop. ��Lock him into the dark cell.��


    The torch flames flickered in the pitch-dark, damp prison. The friction on the hinges of the heavy iron door let out ear-piercing screeches as it opened and the mercenaries tossed Thomas into the cell like a dead dog. Bam! The iron door slammed shut behind him.


    ��That damn bastard!�� Thomas crawled to his feet with clenched fists. He gritted his teeth as his entire body was filled with bruises and pain. Thomas had never been this humiliated. A talented Alchemist like him was actually treated like a prisoner! This is ridiculous! That damn, barbaric bastard! I will give that sissy a taste of the Alchemist Association��s wrath after I leave this place!


    Suddenly, a burst of deep chuckles sounded from the dark corners of his cell. ��Hey, who is this? A newbie? Brothers, we have a new companion.��


    Five to six exceptionally burly mercenary-looking men emerged from the darkness. Judging from their attire, they seemed to be locked up for committing a certain crime. Thomas was disgusted by their rough faces and the glaring tattoos on their bodies. He acted as though he didn��t see them and turned around to let out a grunt proudly. The group of men burst out into laughter. ��Heh? Didn��t expect that he��s got a huge temper����


    One of the men tried to place his hand on Thomas�� shoulder, but Thomas struck his hand away. ��Get away from me, you barbarians!��


    Thomas turned around and glared fiercely at the man. He had never felt this powerless. He didn��t have his alchemy equipment, potions, and anything. At this moment, he was nothing more than an ordinary, defenseless human. But, so what if he has the equipment? Thomas remembered back then when they were waiting for good news from the ��Egrets�� outside the fortress, the petite and arrogant little girl descended from the sky and wiped them all out with a few hand gestures.


    Could it be that strength proves everything in this world?


    I refuse to accept!


    I refuse to accept!!


    The man looked at Thomas�� vengeful eyes and let out a chuckle. ��This isn��t up to you to decide, Kid. Brothers, get him!��


    Two other prisoners charged forward and pinned Thomas to the wall by his arms. Even though Thomas was powerless, he hadn��t given up just yet.


    ��What are you trying to do? Get lost, you insolent bastards! Do you know who I am? I��m���� Thomas choked on his words abruptly as his pants were pulled down by the prisoners! ��W-What are you trying to do? What are you trying to do?!��


    Thomas didn��t receive an answer. Shortly after, a pair of thick arms began to roam his body. ��Heh heh, not bad�� Soft flesh feels so good to the touch�� I wonder where that rascal managed to find such a pampered son of a wealthy family�� Heh, this feels so much better than those bastards����


    ��W-W-What are you trying to do!? Let me go! Let me go! I��m a man!�� Thomas couldn��t hold in the fear in his heart anymore. He struggled to break free frantically, but he couldn��t escape from their clutches. The man laughed cheekily at his snarls. ��Of course I know that you��re a man, Kid. I wouldn��t even want you if you weren��t a man�� You must be great to have such fair skin. Come, let me show you a whole new world.��


    ��What?! N-No, get lost�� Ahhh!�� Thomas waved about frantically and at this moment, a thick, warm object penetrated his body from the back.


    In an instant, every word that came out of his mouth became ear-piercing screams.

 Chapter 583 - Blackblade Guards

    Chapter 583: Blackblade Guards


    Of course, Rhode couldn��t care less about the treatment that the pathetic man had received in the dark cell. On the second morning, Dasos left the Land of Atonement with his team hurriedly and returned to the Alchemist Association. Rhode knew clearly that the pitiful senior would have a hard time convincing the association to hand over that much material. However, he wasn��t worried at all. Their agreement had been reviewed and confirmed by the Church and if the Alchemist Association breached the contract, their reputation on the entire content would reach rock bottom.


    Although it was an ��unexpected calamity�� for Rhode that the Alchemist Association had come to his doorstep, this served as a reminder to him that his care for the fortress wasn��t enough. The matters regarding Lapis especially made him realize what he wasn��t doing enough. He was considering appointing an assistant for Lapis, which would be essential for her. Lapis had a reserved and bashful personality which not only reflected in her daily life but also on her job. Lapis required a lot of material to create alchemy equipment, but she was always too embarrassed to request from Rhode and would rather think of other solutions. It was also due to this reason that Lapis was won over by that bunch of idiots from the Alchemist Association. If there was someone by her side to guide her and communicate with Rhode during times of necessity, it could prevent similar incidents from happening.


    Things were easier said than done and it wasn��t easy to find someone suitable. Firstly, the person must be trustworthy and would be best a female. Apart from that, she must possess great communication skills and could sharply detect Lapis�� true thoughts. At the same time, she must have a certain level of battle strength to protect Lapis in times of dangers. Finally, the most important point��Lapis must accept her. And it definitely wouldn��t be easy for her to open up her heart to trust someone.


    After listing out the conditions, Rhode realized that there were no members who fitted the requirements. Starlight was still in its early stages and everyone had their own position. Although Canary and Bubble were around in the fortress, they weren��t suitable to stick around in the alchemy workshop the whole day. Besides, Bubble had to train the mercenaries and also lecture the Clerics on PVP battle techniques. Canary had to stand in for Marlene to ensure smooth operations within the fortress. As for Anne and Lize, they had to follow Rhode for missions and couldn��t possibly remain in the fortress. Gillian might be idling around, but considering her personality, perhaps she would treat Lapis as her puppet rather than be her assistant.


    Although Christie and Lapis were close, she wasn��t well physically and she didn��t have the capability to protect Lapis and herself. Although Celia met the requirements, it was a pity that she wasn��t a Core Card. As a high-level summoning card, Celia would drain a high amount of spiritual energy from Rhode. It was still possible for Rhode to maintain her presence like in Fiat for up to five days, but if he had to do it 24/7, it would apply a lot of pressure to his body. The Holy Sword Card Deck didn��t contain created spirits like Snow and they consumed a large amount of spiritual energy for their summons. For safety��s sake, Rhode couldn��t possibly diminish one-fifth of his spiritual energy every day to maintain Celia��s presence. Moreover, the amount of spiritual energy consumed had a direct relation to their physical distances. If Rhode had headed into the Golden City and left Celia in the fortress, the amount of spiritual energy that he needed to consume would perhaps leave him insufficient for other purposes.


    Rhode couldn��t help but think of Marlene.


    Although Rhode had been spending most of his time on the reorganization of the Guild after he returned to the fortress, he didn��t block himself out from the happenings in the outside world. The reports from the intelligence net of Old Walker and the ��Silent Blade�� had been delivered to Rhode��s desk daily.


    The internal war between the North and South hadn��t ended. The Reformist Party��s army arrived at Callenbach ��peacefully��, so the members were elated. On the other hand, the Northern King��s Party allied army didn��t have any large-scale movements after forming a half encirclement apart from carrying out besieging exercises. Outsiders might even misunderstand that they were there for military drills.


    Rhode was sure that the fish had taken the bait.


    Although there were 70,000 defending troops in Callenbach to face the King��s Party 60,000, the number of foodstuff supplies that the 70,000 troops had to consume was also massive. The foodstuff reserves in the South had been burned to ashes by Rhode. Previously, the Southern Parliament opened up the granaries to the public and the remaining foodstuff was almost to the bottom of its bucket. Rhode was curious to see how the Southern Parliament could come up with foodstuff for the 70,000 troops. Callenbach was a remote city and didn��t have that many reserves.


    According to Old Walker��s report, the emissaries of the Light Parliament had arrived in Golden City, but Lydia was nowhere to be found. It was said that Lydia had heard about the strange rumors that the Frozen Lake had melted and went for a tour in the Cranmore region�� Perhaps only God knew when she would be back.


    Although both sides didn��t have such a large-scale war before, there were a lot of small-scale conflicts. Rhode had also heard about a lot of rumors regarding Marlene leading the Senia Family��s Magician Guards and driving off the Southern Legion. Not only her, but many families in the Munn Kingdom had also sent out their heirs and trusted aides to gain frontline experiences and express their attitude to the King��s Party. As the largest family in the Munn Kingdom, the Senia Family was naturally the most eye-catching of them all.


    Rhode had mixed feelings whenever he heard about Marlene. He was delighted that Marlene could walk on the right path and as long as Marlene could perform outstandingly in this battle, her position in the King��s Party would rise and stabilize. Marlene could then use this opportunity to rise in the King��s Party��s ranks officially.


    Although Marlene��s future would be bright and hopeful, Rhode didn��t feel great about parting ways with her. They had an intimate relationship and Marlene��s abilities were a huge help for Rhode. As a talent born in the political world, not only did Marlene have exceptionally gift, but she also stuck out like a sore thumb politically. For Starlight to grow from a team of fewer than 10 members to a powerful presence now, a lot of the credit belonged to Marlene. If it was possible, Rhode wished to make Marlene his adjutant forever�� He could get her to handle some matters while he could handle her if there was nothing else going on�� Argh. Sidetracked.


    However, it was a pity that Rhode could only think about such blissful days in his head. Although Marlene liked Rhode and they had a relationship closer than friends, Rhode didn��t believe that Marlene was a woman who would be bound by such emotions. She was born in the powerful Senia Family and brought up as an heir to their family. She couldn��t possibly be those women in novels where they go: ��As long as I can be with you, I will give up everything. As long as you love me, I will live without any regrets����


    Such words were to trick children and a mature person would understand her own responsibilities. Marlene would be too childish if she behaved that way. Rhode was sure that Marlene wouldn��t behave that way based on his observations.


    But it would be difficult to determine if it were Anne or Lize.


    ��Haa���� Rhode laid down the feather pen and let out a long sigh. He shook his head helplessly at the pile of documents on his desk. Things had gotten troublesome after Marlene��s departure. Although she had set up a perfect workflow and set of rules for the Guild before she left and everything would operate perfectly, it would still be useless no matter how great the motherboard was if the CPU wasn��t up for the task. Without Marlene around, Rhode and Canary were rather flustered in the final few management steps. In the game, neither of them needed to be concerned with lodging and food for the players.


    Forget it, it��s useless thinking about it now.


    Rhode shook his head and threw the image of Marlene to the back of his head. Then, he lifted a bell on his desk.


    Ding-a-ling. The study room door opened and Agatha entered with two tentacles extended below as though she was lifting the hem of her skirt like a human servant. She bowed politely and asked with a monotonous voice. ��Master, may I help you with anything?��


    ��How is the fortress currently doing?�� Rhode pondered for a moment and said.


    As elemental creatures, the Ocean Elves were able to communicate spiritually with one another. Agatha had the highest level among them and she could easily lay her ��tentacles�� on the fortress situation through the other Ocean Elves. Agatha closed her eyes for a few moments. Then, she opened her eyes and said, ��The operations of the fortress are normal. But the Constructs that you��ve designed are going through official trials today.��


    ��Oh?�� Rhode twitched his brow. ��Bring me there.��


    The sun shone brightly on the vast, serene prairie and the grass rippled to the gentle breeze. Dozen Calvarymen formed an offensive formation swiftly and darted across the prairie with raised pikes, shattering the tranquility. Countless grass clippings were engulfed in their darting gust.


    When Rhode arrived at the prairie, a group of Calvarymen reorganized from an offensive triangle formation to a right side attack in mere seconds. At this moment, the leading Cavalryman blew a whistle abruptly as though he had sensed Rhode��s presence. The group of Calvarymen changed their direction and charged toward Rhode magnificently. The loud clip-clops of the horseshoes were as though the sound of deep, rolling thunder. However, Rhode stood still with his hands behind his back and gazed calmly at them.


    As the group of Cavalrymen charged closer, they slowed down their speed abruptly and regrouped uniformly, coming to a halt within three steps like a controlled robot. At this moment, the leading Cavalryman approached Rhode and dismounted his horse. He lifted open his black armor mask and revealed a youthful grin. ��Good day, Sir Rhode.��


    ��Seems like you��re doing well, John. How does it feel?�� Rhode nodded slightly.


    This young man was John Grayer, who Rhode had recruited to Paphield. After the mercenaries left the Paphield frontline, John abided to Rhode��s orders and led over 60 of his Cavalrymen to the fortress. However, instead of being Rhode��s mercenaries, they were his private soldiers and henchmen.


    Frankly speaking, John was still doubtful about Rhode before he came to this place because there must still be a limit to a young noble��s strength. If not, Rhode wouldn��t have stooped so low as to lead mercenaries into the battle himself. However, this massive fortress left John dumbfounded. Moreover, Canary and Bubble��s presence in the Legendary Stage had convinced the young man to give his all to work for Rhode. A noble who owned such a massive fortress and had that many powerful subordinates must have a bright future ahead.


    At this moment, John had also experienced the benefits of being Rhode��s henchman.


    ��It��s great, Sir.�� John revealed an excited smile and he knocked on his body armor proudly. Unlike the light-weight, half body armor Cavalrymen were usually clad in, this full body armor was incomparably sturdy and every inch of their bodies was completely protected. Not only was there a prismatic shield on their arm which allowed for the tip of a pike to poke through the front, the back of the shield also had two cone-shaped tips like razor-sharp teeth extending out. This design made the Cavalrymen look like monsters with teeth all over their bodies.


    ��Frankly speaking, I thought this armor would be really heavy, but I didn��t expect it to be almost as light as the leather armor. I don��t feel burdened by it at all! Not only that, but this strange weapon is also extraordinarily great to use. Sir, I didn��t know you could create such equipment!��


    It wasn��t without reason for John��s excitement. He grew up in a noble family so he wouldn��t be as naive as ordinary soldiers. After putting on the equipment, he immediately realized that they weren��t ordinary at all. They were alchemy equipment��extremely rare in the market and almost impossible to provide in batches to the soldiers. John remembered that even the top elites of the Southern Legion didn��t have such a great treatment!


    But now, he had just arrived and this generous young man had given him such a precious gift, which further assured him that his choice wasn��t a mistake.


    Rhode nodded slightly as he observed John��s blissful expression. He knew why John was that excited. This set of alchemy equipment wasn��t imagined by Rhode. Instead, it was invented by the future Country of Darkness. Not only were they light, but the weapon also had strong damage output, which had a relation to why the Country of Darkness was able to breeze their way through all the enemies on the continent during the war. During the creation of the equipment, Rhode and Lapis had considered the differences between the Undead Spirits and Humans and modified them to be more suitable for human usage.


    ��This set of equipment is still under modification. If you feel there��s anything wrong when using it, feel free to let me know and I will get Lapis to fix it�� By the way, I told you to think of a name for this team. Have you done so?�� said Rhode.


    ��Of course, Sir Rhode.�� John pushed out his chest proudly. ��I��ve decided to call us the ��Black Rose��. What do you think?��


    ������


    was surprised to see the corner of Rhode��s mouth twitch and his expression seemed to have become somewhat complicated.


    ��Black Rose?�� Rhode lifted his head and shot a strange look at John. He sized up John and the group of Cavalrymen in full black armor behind him. Argh. I understand why the word ��black�� was used. But�� Why do I feel this uncomfortable with the word ��rose��?


    The thought of going into battles with this ��Black Rose�� made him shudder. He scanned John from head to toe peculiarly and muttered inwardly.


    Could it be that this young man is also gay like Garcia? If not, why did he choose the word ��rose�� out of so many possible names in this world?


    Rhode was suddenly reminded of some impure memories�� What a shocking discovery. If I knew he was a gay, I wouldn��t have brought him back from Paphield. I should��ve just left him with Garcia and let them rub out some sparks with each other.


    ���� Sir Rhode? Is anything wrong?�� John asked with some doubts.


    He felt that the name was actually decent. Or perhaps, this was the only name that he came up with after so many days of racking his brain. Although John had gathered his men to brainstorm for, the suggestions he received weren��t all that favorable with names like ��Black Whirlwind�� or something�� John didn��t dare to mention such names to Rhode.


    ��Uh���� Rhode let out an awkward cough. Then, he calmed himself down and looked at the group of Cavalrymen. ��I think this name feels rather weak. In future, you are going to be the first line of attack to charge and break through the enemy lines. ��Rose�� is a little too�� Alright. Let��s name you guys ��Blackblade Guards��, how about that?��

 Chapter 584 - A Tough Period

    Chapter 584: A Tough Period


    Rhode regarded the Blackblade Guards as even more important than his guild. Although his mercenaries were the base forces of the guild, the Cavalrymen would still be the highlight in times of war. Not only that, but the Cavalry team was also an important part of his battle tactics. He wasn��t delusional to think that the 60 Cavalrymen would be enough against the Undead Army. However, with John and his Cavalrymen around, Rhode could train even more Cavalrymen, which was what he needed. No matter what, John used to be a military soldier and mercenaries were mainly typical forces. Even though they could work together as a team, it would almost be impossible to ensure strict obedience in the mercenaries for them to give up their lives during times of dangers. This was pre-determined by their individual values on life and identities, which Rhode wouldn��t be able to change.


    After officially forming the Blackblade Guards, Rhode finally had his very own team of private soldiers. Although they were still rather weak, Rhode was sure that they could become his competent trusted aides one day. Not only that, Rhode also authorized John to select among the mercenaries and laborers at the peak of their lives within the Land of Atonement to expand his team. Of course, Rhode also knew the logic behind taking a step at a time. Therefore, he allowed John to take in a maximum of 300 Cavalrymen and the next cycle of recruitment would re-commence after this batch had passed the test and reached levels of military Cavalrymen.


    It seemed that the rumors and views about Rhode��s guild becoming the Munn Kingdom��s number one guild weren��t exaggerating at all. The other guilds had authority restrictions no matter how much they developed, but Rhode carried the identity of being both a guild Leader and a Noble. Although Rhode��s identity as a Noble wasn��t too useful during missions, he could mobilize more manpower than the other guilds and organizations in times of conflicts. His double-identity could also be said as his best cover too. If Starlight got into a conflict with another guild, Rhode could send out thousands of Cavalrymen to overwhelm the other guild just by flaunting their presence. If the other party accused Rhode of breaking mercenary rules, Rhode could even turn around and bite him, claiming that one had humiliated his honor as a Noble. Rhode could also claim that he had been using his Noble identity to ��discuss the problem�� instead of his guild Leader identity. If this happens, the other party would be devastated��


    In fact, many mercenaries noticed these loopholes in the rules and the Mercenary Association had also discussed it. After all, Rhode was the first guild Leader who had a Baron rank. Most mercenaries were born in the lowest social class. They might perhaps collaborate with the higher class or form alliances, but they mostly wouldn��t desire to serve the ruler directly. However, Rhode��s unique identity had put the Mercenary Association in a difficult position and there was no conclusion to it. No matter what, they couldn��t possibly come up with special rules to restrict Rhode��s authority due to his identity because this would surely upset Rhode and cause an uproar among the mercenaries. Since Rhode��s men were still acceptable of this arrangement and Rhode didn��t seem to be expanding his guild on a large scale yet, the Mercenary Association would be glad to hide their heads in the hole like an ostrich.


    Although Rhode was busy with his guild and the construction upgrades of his fortress, he wasn��t idling around in other areas. The internal war between the North and South was still on-going in the Munn Kingdom. From the start, Callenbach put up a strong defense against the King��s Party��s encirclement after they received reinforcements. But their foodstuff was depleting quickly and the reserves received from the back end wasn��t enough to feed 70,000 of them. Although the Commander had continuously cut down on the amount of foodstuff distributed to the troops, it wouldn��t resolve the ultimate problem because there were just too many of them.


    The frontline was in a dire situation and the back end was equally chaotic. In various regions of the South, the price of foodstuff had risen drastically as many trade associations stocked up their supplies to ensure their own survival. In the bigger cities, civilians complained while residents in towns were dissatisfied about being unable to purchase enough foodstuff for their daily lives. The Southern Parliament��s internal department had gotten into a huge headache as they consisted of merchants in large trade associations and wealthy nobles. The trade associations had the network and abilities to stock up their supplies, but the nobles couldn��t, which was why many nobles had requested for the trade associations to sell their foodstuff. The trade associations rejected their proposal while asserting that they had the freedom of trade. We make the call over how we operate our business and how much we want to sell our supplies for and no one can intervene!


    However, the nobles didn��t accept this answer from the black-hearted merchants. The more conservative nobles hurled abuses while the more violent nobles even dispatched their private soldiers to snatch the food supplies from the trade associations.


    Apart from these problems, the refugees of the Grosso Plain also exploded with anger in this crisis. They could no longer wait foolishly for the empty promises of the Southern Parliament to be fulfilled and they ��relied on themselves��. Many of the refugees stole, robbed, and tried all ways to obtain food and money. The wealthy people of the city became their prime targets because the refugees believed that these apathetic wealthy people landed them into this predicament and they had even turned a blind eye to their suffering.


    The entire South lost its peace and harmony and beautiful sceneries no longer existed. The bustling streets had turned into cold, deserted paths stained with trash and sewage. The dark alleys were filled with people in tattered clothing roaming about like crazy men. Robbed, naked corpses laid in the gorges on both sides of the street. Pubs and shops had shut their businesses down. People stayed home, cowering in fear. Fully armored guards stood outside the trade associations, wielding weapons from any possible ambushes from the nobles�� private soldiers. The nobles stopped organizing celebratory parties and every one of their doors were shut tight to prevent womenfolk from becoming the target of thugs and the tool of their frustrations.


    People were horrified and shuddered in fear. They never expected things to develop in this direction. The sky above them was so azure and the air that they breathed smelled of freedom when they first gained independence from the Munn Kingdom. They could determine their own future and was no longer in the invisible hands of someone high above. Everyone in the Southern regions had as though freshened up. They grouped up spontaneously to maintain order, rebuild, and establish new authority organizations. The people joined in and spoke their opinions actively. The Southern Parliament members heard their views and promised to consider their thoughts, which gave a huge sense of satisfaction to the people. They looked forward to a greater tomorrow and live their own lives like the Country of Light. Everyone worked hand in hand to build a great homeland and determine the fate and future of their nation.


    But now, the beautiful bubble bath had been destroyed.


    The victories, fresh flowers, cheers, and hopes were like a nice little dream for the Southerners. Dreams had to end one day. They would wake up from their slumber and see the pitch-black grave of despair and the choking fear that had crept into their minds.


    They��re awake.


    The Southern Parliament was powerless. Their internal department had been divided. The merchants refused to agree to the nobles�� terms while the nobles gathered their private soldiers to attack their trade associations. Both sides had gone against each other completely. Some weaker noble families attempted to escape. They abandoned the parliament and stepped onto ships heading into the Country of Light with all their assets. Fewer and fewer members attended the meetings. Although the core members had clearly recognized the calamity of the situation, they were hopeless�� The situation had developed too quickly and was out of their control.


    Although the Southern Parliament had requested assistance from the Light Parliament several times and even slapped the desk and glared their eyes, the Light Parliament was unperturbed. They had dispatched emissaries to Golden City, but Lydia was away to view the natural scenery of Frozen Lake. Not only that, she had also decided to take a stroll in the Cranmore region to experience the local customs�� Anyone smarter than a dummy would know that Lydia was delaying her time from meeting with the Light Parliament��s emissaries.


    This swept up another storm in the Country of Light. Many accused Lydia of being vicious and overly indulged in her self-enjoyment. Her own country was in such a danger and she still had the mood to travel and enjoy herself. This is ridiculous!


    However, despite all the accusations, they couldn��t do anything to Lydia. Moreover, it hadn��t only been a day or two since Lydia��s bad reputation in the Country of Light. She had gotten used to those people calling her a tyrant, executioner, or evil woman and she naturally wouldn��t care less. No matter what they said, Lydia wouldn��t sway from her position as the ruler of the Munn Kingdom and as an Archangel. She continued to eat, play, and sleep as she used to.


    Perhaps this was what the civilians of the Country of Light hated her the most for.


    Although Lydia��s whereabouts were unknown and the King��s Party army staying put was a good thing for the Reformist Party, the Reformist Party had hoped for something more. They wished that the Light Parliament could mediate and they could sign an official armistice and an independence treaty with Lydia under the Light Parliament��s lead. This way, Lydia wouldn��t be able to rip up the treaty and they could officially gain their position.


    But now, Lydia was nowhere to be found and even though the King��s Party army hadn��t launched their attacks yet, there were still possibilities of danger as long as both sides hadn��t signed an official armistice. Even if the Light Parliament��s emissaries were in Golden City, they wouldn��t serve any purpose if they couldn��t find Lydia before the war began.


    The Southern Port had always been the most strategic location for commercial trade in the Dragon Soul Continent. Intelligence spread quickly that this once flourishing place had turned into a hell-like place, sinking slowly into the Bottomless Abyss and attracting a lot of attention from the nations and forces.


    However, they didn��t realize that on the other end of the Dragon Soul Continent, a transformation was slowly emerging in a place shrouded in unlimited darkness.


    Under the dark night sky, the scarlet moon hung high up and illuminated the lonely tower in the wilderness. A man clad in a black cloak from head to toe stared at the desolate scenery. Then, a ghostly shadow emerged behind him and gradually transformed into a human figure. ��Hi there, Sir Duke.��


    ��You��re late by three seconds.�� The man turned around and said.


    He appeared to be slightly over 30. His face was manly and mesmerizingly beautiful. However, his pale skin tone and scarlet eyes exposed his identity��a Vampire. The shadow let out a laugh to the man��s words. ��I��m so sorry, Sir Duke, something came up just now. I heard that our eastern neighbor has gotten into a messy situation, so I unknowingly stayed behind to hear more about it.��


    ��Hmph.�� The man let out a snort and lifted his chin arrogantly. ��Those lowly, shameless humans are asking for death. Their short, fragile lives have caused the locked up pigs to forget about their duties. They have caused it upon themselves and their plight deserves no sympathy. How hilarious that the livestock tries to disobey their owners.��


    The man extended his arm and in an instant, a glass of red wine appeared in his hand. ��How��s His Majesty doing?��


    ��No changes, Sir. The Four Legendary Generals haven��t received orders for mobilization yet. His Majesty recently has some interest in our neighbors. Not sure if it is just a form of entertainment for him or�� But this isn��t up to me to talk about it, Sir.��


    ��The Four Legendary Generals may not have moved out now, but it doesn��t mean that they won��t in the future. Don��t belittle His Majesty��s knowledge and capability. He��s the most outstanding being in the history of the Dragon Souls. Not only was he relentless against the Twin Dragons, but even the crippled Light Dragon�� Hmph. It seems about time to settle the grudges between our Country of Darkness and the Country of Light.�� The man sipped the delicious wine in the glass. ��But, we cannot watch from here idly. Di, you��re also aware that His Majesty hates subordinates who lack initiative the most. Since our eastern neighbor has gotten into trouble, I guess it��s about time we give them a little surprise. By the way, I heard�� Not long ago, Nefarian��s favorite subordinate died there? That��s interesting. But the dignity of our Country of Darkness mustn��t be stained. Di, you should know what to do.��


    ��That��s for sure, Sir,�� Di lifted his head and presented a malevolent, excited smile. ��In fact, I already have a target, Sir. I guess you must have heard about the happenings in Soraka Mountain?��


    ��Soraka Mountain? I have indeed heard some rumors�� But aren��t they just rumors? So? What��s the good idea you have?�� The man twitched his brows curiously and turned around.


    Di lowered his head deeply with respect. ��To tell you the truth, Sir, there is a fascinating person in the Land of Atonement located along the border of the Munn Kingdom and our country�� Perhaps he could lend us a hand.��

 Chapter 585 - Countdown to Destruction

    Chapter 585: Countdown to Destruction


    The elderly man sat quietly around the round table, holding his breath. The atmosphere in the brightly lit conference hall was extremely depressing. A well-dressed man standing beside the elderly man read every word on the piece of paper in his hand with an unusually agonized voice. ��Currently, our nation is suffering from a serious case of famine and the price of foodstuffs has skyrocketed. The other regions, apart from the Port region, have also broken out into riots and are experiencing famine. Not only that, but the civilians who support us in the battle have fallen to less than two-thirds. We also can��t find sufficient helpers to eradicate the thugs because most of our soldiers have been sent to the frontlines. Furthermore, the barbarians have invaded the borders����


    ��Alright, alright.�� The elderly man waved his hand weakly.


    He shifted his lower body stiffly like an ill, handicapped person and struggled to shift his head. The dazzling sunlight spilled through the windows into the spacious conference hall, but the place once bustling with activities was nowhere to be seen. About a dozen representatives from different organizations and forces sat around the round table before him. The dense mass of crowd which should��ve been behind them was only a dozen. The elderly man gasped for air. He knew that the situation was terrible, but he had overestimated the unity of the nobles and merchants. He was once optimistic that it was the combined responsibility of the nobles and merchants to establish the Southern Parliament. They would share the benefits no matter what happened; they would defend their interests and overcome the predicament together. But now��


    The elderly man looked at the people with his turbid eyes. He knew that these people would immediately withdraw and leave this place as soon as the situation got worse. However, they couldn��t leave because there would be hope as long as they stayed. They had put in so much hard work for this day and they would see the glimmer of hope as long as they hung on!


    The elderly sat up straight slowly and gazed at his surrounding. ��I think�� Everyone must have heard and seen�� everything that��s happening right now. I admit that our nation isn��t doing too well and due to this reason, some have chosen to escape and avoid reality. I will not blame them because that is their choice. But you should also know that such situations are inevitable when we have chosen to start this journey. Every step is arduous, but this is always the case on the road for freedom. Just think about the Country of Light��s Parliament. They snatched the authority that belonged to humans from the hands of the Light Dragon, but were they very successful? Are we going to just give up after facing such a small obstacle?��


    ��This isn��t our responsibility, Chairman!�� One of the men rebutted. ��If the despicable King��s Party didn��t destroy our foodstuff reserve, would we even fall into this predicament?��


    ��Is there any purpose to point fingers now?�� A glint flashed in the elderly man��s eyes and the man shut his mouth abruptly. ��They��re our enemies now, so how can you expect them to show us mercy! Besides, we don��t have any evidence to prove this point and it is meaningless to be in a tangle with this problem. We have to think of a solution to resolve the difficult situation right before our very eyes.��


    The elderly man paused and panted for air. Then, he turned to face a man who appeared to be a merchant. ��Saville, have you handled the matter I asked you to?��


    ���� Chairman, I have followed your instructions to contact the trade associations in the Country of Light for foodstuff assistance. But�� their prices are too high! Almost triple to quintuple more than usual! This will be a huge burden for us!��


    ���� Agree to their demands!�� The elderly man gritted his teeth.


    When the Southern Parliament sought reinforcements from the Light Parliament, they had also requested for foodstuff to replenish their supplies. However, the Light Parliament had been delaying their response and eventually didn��t promise their request. Without any choice, the Southern Parliament could only seek assistance from the trade associations in the Country of Light and their merchants asked for unreasonable prices. The Southern Parliament had decided to negotiate for lower prices, but now, the circumstances had forced them without a way out.


    ��But, Chairman! We can��t satisfy everyone even if we managed to transport the foodstuff from the Country of Light. Moreover, the lack of food for the 70,000 soldiers on the frontlines hasn��t been resolved yet. We����


    ��We don��t have any other choices for the lack of foodstuff. But everyone, don��t forget our strength.��


    ��Strength?��


    Many of them lifted their heads and fixated their eyes on the elderly man. The Chairman nodded in satisfaction and the atmosphere in the conference hall freshened up entirely. Although the Chairman had some doubts about this plan, he was left with no choice if he wished to maintain this bleak little hope.


    ��That��s right. Everyone, you are aware that various regions in our nation have different degrees of disaster due to the food shortage. However, only the Port region is able to keep their peace. Do you know the reason why?�� The Chairman paused. ��The Port region��s main source of food comes from the sea, which is why they weren��t affected too badly. It is currently fishing season and we can order the fishermen in the name of the Parliament to work continuously and deliver processed seafood to the famined regions as quickly as possible! This way, we can temporarily alleviate the crisis and get ready for our next operation!��


    ��But Chairman.�� One of the men had a different opinion. ��How should we go about transporting the seafood to every region? This will require a large sum of money. Also, the Port region��s operations are always limited. What will happen to the coming years if we capture more fish unrestrictedly? Moreover, this ��seafood solution�� wouldn��t be for the long term. The Country of Light��s Parliament��s emissaries have arrived at the Golden City, but the woman has been giving excuses to delay their meeting. How long can we hold on if she continues to drag it out?��


    ��There will be no future if we can��t even hang on now.�� The Chairman sucked in a deep breath of air. He stared at everyone and uttered each word forcefully. ��We have to hang on no matter what! That woman can��t avoid us forever! As long as we hang on for three months, the dawn of a new era will shine on us!��


    ��Three months?��


    ��That��s right. The Dragon Soul Ceremony will commence in three months and that woman will definitely represent the Munn Kingdom to meet the Light Dragon Soul in the Country of Light. By then, she will not be able to avoid the interrogations of the Country of Light��s Parliament! And we will be victorious!�� The Chairman punched his fist into the air with all his might.


    The sulking parliament members came to a realization and summoned up their courage and faith immediately. Just as the Chairman had said, obstacles were unavoidable on this path they had chosen and it would be meaningless no matter how they hung on if there was no future for them. It would be the beginning of the real nightmare if the days with the lack of foodstuff and internal chaos hadn��t come to an end. But now, every problem would be resolved if they hung on for three months.


    The conference hall with the depressing atmosphere livened up. Parliament members stood up one by one and brandished their fist determinedly.


    ��That��s right, we shouldn��t give up yet. Everyone, don��t forget our initial ideal and expectations!��


    ��You said that right! Those cowards who escaped will regret it one day!��


    ��Good!�� A glint of pleasure revealed in the Chairman��s eyes. He let out two deep coughs and raised his hand to get everyone��s attention. Then, he continued. ��That settles it since there are no objections. Now, please inform this matter to the civilians and maintain the social order in the streets. The ongoing struggles are due to the civilians feeling worried about their future and a lot of these problems will resolve themselves as long as we guarantee their life stability. Also, I request that the Southern Fleet heads into the Strait of Light to defend the commercial channel from the King��s Party army. From now onward, the Port region must operate at its peak in order to guarantee the flow of food to other regions. Inform and assure the fishermen that we will purchase their harvests with double the price.��


    The Chairman stood to his feet gradually. ��Everyone! We must fight alongside the frontlines and cannot fall. Only the victors will stand until the end and we will be the victors!��


    The bustling noises faded.


    The parliament members left one by one and the spacious conference hall fell into silence. The Chairman stood before his seat and gazed at the empty place. This was the first time that he revealed a pleased smile. Then��


    Cough cough�� Cough cough! The Chairman bent his trembling, frail body over and his ear-piercing coughs resounded in the conference hall. After a few moments, the Chairman caught his breath and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, only to find a ghastly trail of fresh blood smeared on it.


    ��I can��t fall�� It hasn��t ended yet�� We can still emerge victorious���� the Chairman muttered under his breath. He straightened his body and turned toward the exit.


    ***


    The chilly breeze blew along an aromatic white smoke.


    ��Indeed. Fresh fish are always the most delicious.�� Lydia hugged her knees on the lakeside and admired the vast, royal blue lake presented before her with a witty smile. From the distance, the azure sky and lake reflected off each other perfectly as though they were a single, gorgeous portrait. ��Spring leaves and autumn arrives. The changes in their colors are the most beautiful in this world. Ice melts into water while water freezes into ice. This is the most magnificent scenery in this world. Always ever-changing, and none identical. Even one will have a different realization, viewing the same leaf from different angles. The leaves will still dance in the wind and shudder in violent storms. This is the best proof of survival and the world.��


    The Archangel turned around and faced the elderly man sitting near her. ��You don��t agree, Minister Amund?��


    ��Your Highness, I do hope that you can be a little quieter. The fishes that are about to take the bait have been startled by you,�� Amund sighed.


    ��There��s no such thing, Minister Amund. Clever fish will not be enticed while enticed fish will not be startled that easily. Once the fish have such thoughts, they will pounce up regardless of perils even when there is no bait on the hook. Although this may sound silly, it is due to this silliness that they can satisfy the hunger of others, which is a happy ending for all. Silly fish will not regret their decisions and the fishers can satisfy themselves. Everyone is happy this way, right?��


    ��Haa���� Amund let out a long sigh. ��You��ve left the Golden City for some time, Your Highness. But, it seems that the emissaries of the Country of Light��s Parliament have no intentions of leaving.��


    ��Let them be. I guess they must be so mesmerized by the beauty of Golden City that they can��t bear to leave. Well, isn��t that great too? I want to see more of the scenery. Come to think of it, the autumn leaves in the Northern mountain range should be changing their colors soon. Doesn��t it feel good to savor on tasty chestnuts while strolling in the red, autumn forest, Teacher Amund? You wouldn��t mind taking a walk in the autumn forest with me, right?��


    ��Haa�� Your Highness. Now isn��t the time for that.��


    ��Ah, you��re right, the fish is about to be cooked,�� Lydia displayed a cheeky smile and picked up a grilled fish beside the bonfire. She savored with tiny bites. ��Mm�� The timing is perfect. Grilling fish requires knowledge and skills too. Leaving it too long in the flames will burn it badly, but it will have a fishy smell if it isn��t left long enough. If one can��t grasp the heat control and timing accurately, one will not be able to relish its flavor. No matter if the fishy or burnt smell is too heavy, no one will think that the fish is tasty.��


    ���� Your Highness, do you think it is about time?��


    Lydia��s movements came to a gentle stop. ��This fish smells great, Teacher Amund�� This fish is mine. This lake is also mine, and the fish in the lake naturally belonged to me. I won��t allow the greedy people to snatch my possessions. They may have forgotten that the delicacies belong to the Munn Kingdom and are my assets. The delicacies shouldn��t be given and wasted on rapacious mice.�� The corner of Lydia��s mouth perked up into a pretty curve. ��Inform the 3rd Royal Fleet that it��s time for their appearance.��


    ��3rd Royal Fleet?�� Amund looked curiously. ��Your Highness, is it necessary?��


    ��It��s the season of the wind now, Minister Amund.�� Lydia let out a chuckle. She stretched out her fingers and felt the gentle breeze blowing between them with her eyes closed. ��Sometimes, the cat doesn��t reveal its claws just to capture its prey. Instead, it serves as a warning: to threaten the mice harboring evil thoughts. I haven��t fallen to such a weak position yet.��


    ���� Understood, Your Highness,�� Amund said and vanished along with the gentle breeze, leaving Lydia sitting on the boulder by the lakeside.


    She displayed a playful smile and gazed at the long line connecting the azure lake and the sky. Suddenly, the fishing rod shook violently which attracted Lydia��s attention. She turned around curiously and lifted the fishing rod to pull a big, fat fish out of the lake. Lydia cupped her hand over her mouth cheekily and narrowed her eyes.


    ��The fish has taken the bait�� And now, it��s time to cook it.��

 Chapter 586 - Whistling Wind

    Chapter 586: Whistling Wind


    _15th day. Month of the wind pursuit. Clear weather._


    It has been three days since we left port. We are sailing through the Strait of Light and heading into Port Eland of the Country of Light. I know how arduous this mission is. The fate of the entire nation lies on my shoulders. I must gather sufficient foodstuff in the shortest period of time and transport it back to the Southern Port to alleviate the food crisis. But I know that this isn��t an easy task. Although the Southern Fleet has sealed off the waterway, I can��t put my heart at ease and I can��t fall asleep almost every night. Every smashing of the waves has startled me off my bed. What worries me most is the King��s Party��s ambush.


    Besides, I know that dangers don��t exist only on the outside. I saw the evil glints in the eyes of the greedy sailors. They know what we��re shipping. I have given them a sufficient amount of money with hopes that they can pour their hearts into their jobs and not eye the wealth inside the cabin. However, I don��t know if this is useful. I have dispatched enough guards to protect the wealth. But even so, I can��t put my heart at ease.


    I don��t know if we��re walking on the wrong path. We have overly relied on the Country of Light��s Parliament. Up until this point, they don��t seem to be passionate whenever we request for their helping hand. Although this may let down Chairman, I��m still really concerned. Even if we make it safely on the Country of Light��s port, we��re still unsure if we can receive the supplies that we have agreed upon��


    Saville put down the feather pen and let out a sigh subtly. Then, he closed his dairy and pressed down the creases on his attire before stepping out of the cabin.


    The ship sailed across the calm, limitless ocean. All he heard was the splashing of the waves into the hull and peals of laughter from the sailors. The salty sea breeze brushed his face and he calmed down upon gazing at the two escorting warships of the Southern Fleet by the sides. This time, they were headed to the Country of Light to purchase foodstuff and the Southern Parliament had specially approved for four escorting warships to defend them against enemy ambush. Moreover, the Southern Fleet had sealed off the entrance to the Strait of Light. With the double assurance, the King��s Party couldn��t easily break through the blockade no matter how powerful they were.


    At this moment, a deep voice sounded behind him. ��Sir Saville, what are you doing here?��


    Saville turned around and revealed a smile upon meeting the man with a captain hat. ��I��m only here to admire the view, Mr. Captain. I hope I didn��t disturb everyone from working.��


    ��Hahaha. Not at all, Sir Saville. Don��t worry! We are about to enter the Strait of Light. Once we sail through the strait and enter the Pearl Archipelago, we will just need another three days to arrive at Eland. Please rest assured that sailors here are all first grade. Besides, with so many warships escorting us, the enemies will need to reconsider if they are capable of taking us down! Hahahaha!�� The captain smacked on Saville��s shoulders as he burst into laughter while Saville revealed a bitter smile and tolerated his tough slap.


    Suddenly, a strong sea breeze blew into Saville��s mouth as he gaped, leaving the man in a well-ironed attire curling up and coughing loudly. After a few moments, the wind weakened and Saville caught his breath. He lifted his head and gazed at the surrounding with lingering fear. ��What was that about? Mr. Captain? That wind����


    ��Ah, don��t worry, Sir Saville. This is normal for us, the maritime men. This is in the direction of the tempest. Every year during this period, the tempest will pass through here and bypass the Mermaid Summit before returning. We may even arrive at our destination if we make good use of it, which would be a great thing for us.��


    ��I see���� Saville nodded.


    Perhaps due to the choking from the sea breeze, he felt his heart pounding fiercely. An unknown sense of nervousness had emerged inside his body. He looked around worriedly and everything was as tranquil as before. The azure sky, white clouds, and sailing warship. Everything was just fine.


    Maybe I��m a little too sensitive.


    Saville mocked himself and nodded at the Captain. Then, he turned back to the cabin for a rest.


    ����!��


    At this moment, a deep horn sounded.


    Saville came to an abrupt stop and scanned the surroundings quickly. The captain looked at him curiously and said. ��Sir Saville, what��s wrong?��


    ��Didn��t you hear that? Mr. Captain?�� said Saville.


    The captain gazed blankly at Saville. As he was about to respond, the deep horn sounded again. This time, the captain finally responded. As a sailor, he knew that sound. He nodded at Saville with a stern expression before rushing over to the deck and yelling at the top of his lungs. ��Watch out for the surroundings! Full alert!��


    The captain hurriedly retrieved a monocular from his pocket and viewed it to the front. The peaceful ocean had no signs of hostile warships. At this moment, commotion had broken out in the other warships. Sailors climbed to the observatories and couldn��t discover anything strange around them. Then, the deep horn sounded again and it was even clearer this time.


    ��Where? Where?! Watch your surroundings! Be cautious of all directions!��


    The sailors were getting restless. They frantically laid by the edge of the warships and widened their eyes to search for the source of the horn. Most of the crew members on the ship were superstitious and if it were currently night, perhaps they might even believe that it was a ghost ship playing a prank on them. The sailors widened their eyes to the size of copper bells, but they couldn��t discover anything at all.


    ��Waaa��!��


    Suddenly, a blood-curdling screech rang in their ears and an ashen sailor fell to the ground. Everyone turned and glared at him furiously. The stupefied sailor ignored their stares, lifted his wobbly arm and pointed his shaky finger at the sky. ��T-T-That����


    ��What��s wrong? Calm down! Look at your shameful self!�� The captain frowned and dug his foot into the sailor��s fallen body. He lifted his monocle to see what exactly had scared his sailor into a mouse that has just seen a cat. However, he raised the monocle halfway and blanked out entirely.


    Spotlessly white and thick layers of cloud hovered in the azure sky. A massive pitch-black figure emerged within like a razor-sharp claw slashing through the cotton clouds and presented itself before everyone. A warship of 200 meters long and 56 meters wide blocked the brilliance of the sun and cast a vast dusky shadow on them. Magic cannons densely lined the three floors of cannon decks. The massive hull made with a combination of oak and steel gave an unprecedented amount of pressure like a roaring storm on the ocean. One couldn��t hide and one could only pray to get by it peacefully.


    Dozens of meters long steel ship oars oscillated at the lower hull and adjusted its balance. Looking from afar, this massive ship was as though a floating whale descending from the sky and charging toward everyone. Five slightly smaller warships emerged from the clouds and followed closely in a tight formation. Magical radiance flickered on their hulls and four green ritual circles suspended in all directions of their hulls emanated faint radiance. As the enormous warships sailed, rays of glorious light trailed in the air.


    The large, spotlessly white sail depicted a mermaid stroking her fingers on the harp while an extremely familiar flag fluttered at the tip of the mast.


    Double-sword Angels.


    Royal Fleet!


    How�� is this possible��!


    Saville stood blankly on the deck. Disaster came so quickly that he didn��t even have the strength to tremble in fear. At this moment, he felt as though his strength had been sucked away by someone. If it weren��t for the wall, he would have chosen to collapse to the ground directly and not think about anything. Oh, Lord. What is this?


    Indeed. They knew that the King��s Party had a fleet, but no one had seen them before. The Reformist Party had investigated the ports around the Golden City several times and they had never received any data on the Royal Fleet. In fact, the Munn Kingdom usually dispatched the Southern Fleet to manage maritime conflicts. As time passed, the rumored Royal Fleet had become only a ��rumor��.


    But now, they actually presented themselves before him in this spectacular fashion.


    What a joke!


    He looked unbelievably at the six massive magic warships turning and aiming their cannons at his ship. This middle-aged noble had the urge to lift his head high and burst into laughter.


    Hahahaha. In the end, we��re nothing but a bunch of clowns who foolishly thought we could seize our fate, eh? I��m really an idiot and the group of men in the parliament is just a bunch of dotards. Wasn��t the Munn Kingdom the one who first developed the Ocean Trade Route and built the floating boats? Since they were able to build merchant ships that were able to pass through the ocean trade route to transport merchandise, how difficult is it to build a few warships? How hilarious that the dumb Parliament still dispatched people to investigate the ports. Has no one thought of looking above them?


    What a joke! We are seriously a bunch of clowns!


    Saville felt like everything was just a ridiculous dream. He knew that the King��s Party could rely on these magic warships to take them down even after the South had declared independence successfully. He thought back to how alike the Southern Parliament were as comical clowns when they were all righteous and serious in submitting their independence declaration. The Duchess in the Golden City must be laughing her butt off. She could have taken action to take them down immediately. Why did she choose to play along with them for so long? Could it be that this isn��t a game for the Duchess and we are just chess pieces in her game?


    At this moment, the deep bugle horn sounded once more. Then, a crisp voice filled the entire seas. ��This is the 3rd Royal Fleet. In the name of the Munn Royal Family, the Strait of Light will be sealed off entirely from today onward. Disarm yourselves and surrender or suffer the consequences.��


    ��W-What should we do�� Sir?�� The captain had lost his cool. He gulped his saliva and turned to Saville with an ashen expression. The enemies were high up in the sky and their warships had no chance of beating them at all. They couldn��t hit the enemies even if they retaliated. Besides, a single glance would be enough to know that the enemies weren��t equipped with budget cannons. The magic cannons that they had were only used in large cities and Fortresses and the damage of every shot would be powerful enough to shatter a warship like his to bits. And now, six warships with close to 300 magic cannons had aimed at them. The captain was sure that nothing would remain after the enemies bombarded them. They would shatter into powder and dissipate even before the fishes at the seafloor had the chance to be fed.


    The captain saw Saville standing there blankly. He hesitated for a moment and hurriedly ran up to Saville. ��Sir, should we surrender?��


    ��Surrender?!�� Saville felt a chill down his spine as though he had woken up from a nightmare. The captain realized that this calm and collected noble widened, bloodshot eyes and was behaving like a lunatic. Saville stared at the captain and lifted his head at the magic warships before breaking into laughter. ��Surrender? Surrender? You bitch! Don��t you wanna play anymore?! Alright then, I shall play with you until the very end!��


    Saville drew out his sword and pointed at the magic warships. His face flushed and veins popped up on his forehead. At this moment, Saville knew that he no longer had any chance of survival. But he refused to give up. You want me to surrender? Hahaha. Lydia, do you think we will play along with you until the end?!


    ��Inform everyone that we��re charging over! We shall let them know that they can��t get everything that they wish for in this world! For freedom! For the Southern Parliament! For the honor of victory! Attack!!!��


    ��Ooo�� Ooo�� Ooo��!��


    The sound of bugle horns filled the entire sea and the warships on the ocean surface sailed forward. They changed their directions and raised their sails, launching their final attack at the magic warships.


    This was his only chance for survival. If they could escape from the enormous floating magic warships, it meant that there would be a chance��a very slight chance.


    ��Reporting, Sir.�� A black-haired soldier entered the cabin and gazed at the figure standing by the window. The soldier paused for a moment before saluting and said. ��They refuse to surrender and are charging their way toward us.��


    ��How foolish,�� Gaya said plainly.


    The Court Musician was no longer dressed in her elegant robe. Instead, she wore a glorious, pitch-black light armor. The only thing unchanged was the harp beside her.


    ��The weak have no right to resist. If they don��t comply with their obligations, then send them to their deathbeds.�� Gaya stroked the harp strings gently and a crisp, melodious tune resounded in the cabin. ��Slaughter every single one of them except our target.��

 Chapter 587 - Road of the Dead

    Chapter 587: Road of the Dead


    Clink. The luxurious wine glass shattered upon crashing to the floor, splashing burgundy wine onto the expensive carpet. The ashen Chairman fixated his gaze at the guest before him. His aged, vein-popping pair of hands trembled uncontrollably. ��W-What did you say? Say that again!��


    ��Yes�� Yes�� Chairman. We have received news that the King��s Party has sealed off the entire Strait of Light and stopped every ship from entering. Also, they have put a ban on fishing and forced the fishermen to return back to the ports.��


    ��How is this possible?! How is this possible?!�� The Chairman snarled and staggered forward to grab the orderly��s collar. He panted for air like a wild animal trapped in a cage, pushed the other guard away, and paced up and down like an injured tiger. Then, he picked up the wine bottle on the desk and hurled it to the wall furiously, splattering the burgundy wine on the white wall like dark, fresh blood. The orderly held his breath and stood quietly at the side.


    ��What is the bloody Southern Fleet doing?! Why didn��t I receive any news about it? Where did the damn Royal Fleet come from to seal off the Strait of Light!�� the Chairman yelled.


    ��R-Reporting, Sir. T-They came from the sky����


    ��The sky?!�� The Chairman turned around abruptly and stared at the soldiers with his blood-shot, fearful eyes.


    The guard standing nearest to him stepped back subconsciously. He was afraid that the senior would pounce on him and rip him apart like a crazy monster. He said with trepidation. ��Y-Yes, Sir. I heard that the Royal Fleet has made use of the wind direction outside the Strait of Light and dispatched the Floating Magic Warships to seal off the entire sea. This was why the Southern Fleet didn��t discover them and they have entirely broken up and are encircled by the Royal Fleet. They��re waiting for your instructions����


    ��Instructions my *ss!�� The cultured and refined senior blurted out a rare vulgar remark. He bellowed deeply and paced back and forth in the room. Then, he raised his head abruptly and glared at his guard as though something cropped up in his mind. ��Is there any news on Saville?! What��s the situation with their fleet?��


    ��They���� the guard stuttered.


    ��Speak! Speak up!�� the Chairman demanded.


    The guard swallowed his saliva and looked around the room before lowering his head. ��According to the information we received, Sir Saville��s fleet was the first to be encircled. They tried to break through but eventually failed. All the warships except for the flagship have sunk to the enemies�� attacks and Sir Saville died in the line of duty. As for the flagship�� It has been seized by the Royal Fleet�� The specific situation����


    The Chairman blanked out. His vision blurred and he fell back to the chair beside him. His furious eyes had turned empty, gazing at the ceiling in nothingness. The Strait of Light had been sealed off and the isolated Southern Fleet didn��t have any backup. Although the Reformist Party had spent a lot of effort in investigating everything about the Royal Fleet before their declaration of independence, they received no successful results. The Royal Fleet belonged to a relatively independent military branch in the Munn Kingdom where even the Captains of the Southern Fleet and Northern Fleet had never seen the Royal Fleet��s captain and crew members. Although the Reformist Party had dispatched men to monitor the various ports in order to prevent the King��s Party from mobilizing the Royal Fleet, the Reformist Party never expected that this Royal Fleet was never a maritime fleet��


    But what��s the point of saying this now?


    The Southern Fleet had been surrounded by the Royal Fleet. The Strait of Light had been blockaded completely and the fishermen of the Port region were slapped with a fishing ban. And most importantly, the wealth that they had accumulated with all their hearts and souls and for the purchase of foodstuff from the Country of Light��s trade associations had fallen into the King��s Party��s hands.


    In order for this plan to succeed, he had staked everything on one throw. Not only did he agree to the ridiculous foodstuff price of the Country of Light��s merchants, but he had also forked out all his assets. Moreover, the Chairman had also convinced many nobles and merchants to put out a large sum of money to get through this crisis. It could almost be considered to be the patrimony of the Southern Parliament. But now, the King��s Party actually intervened and snatched them away boldly like bandits!


    What do we have left? There��s no more foodstuff, money, nor manpower. We have nothing left. How can we get by these next three months? And how do we continue to fight against the King��s Party?


    The Chairman imagined the reactions of the parliament members when they heard this news. He could understand their feelings. There was only one choice for anyone who was met with such a situation. But he refused to accept that choice.


    The Chairman let out a bitter laugh and sat straight up. He gazed at the guard before him and said. ��This incident�� has been widely spread, right?��


    The guard revealed a worried expression. He hesitated for a moment from informing his Master about the truth. However, the imposing manner of the Chairman forced him to speak up. ��Yes�� Yes, Sir. The public is aware that the Royal Fleet has sealed off the surrounding channels outside the Port region. There are many people heading to the Parliament and protested. Not only that, but Sir Magath also����


    ��Okay, okay. Stop. I understand now.�� The Chairman waved his hand helplessly and stood to his feet slowly. The frail Chairman looked as though he had just experienced another 20 years in an instant. He walked slowly to the window and gazed at the tranquil scenery silently. At this moment, the Chairman appeared exceptionally calm as though the cornered beast from before wasn��t him at all. After a few moments, the Chairman let out a sigh and turned to the guard with a smile. ��Inform the rest that I have something else to manage. Don��t let them disturb me no matter what happens, understand?��


    ��Yes�� Sir.�� The guard nodded slightly. However, he felt rather worried about the Chairman. ��Sir�� Are you going to be okay? Do you want me to����


    ��That��s not necessary. You can leave now,�� the Chairman said with a gentle smile. The guard gaped, but he eventually closed the room door and left quietly.


    The depressing sound of the closing door resounded in the silent room. After a long while, the Chairman tottered to the seat before his desk and picked up a feather pen. He lowered his head and wrote at a rapid speed. Then, he laid the feather pen by the side and retrieved an exquisite small glass bottle from his pocket. The senior squinted at the bottle and muttered to himself. ��I��ve given my all. I have no regrets. I have done everything that I can. I won��t give up and I won��t tolerate the humiliation of being a captive. We didn��t do well enough. We have put in countless effort and energy into this. And this is the only thing that I can do. Don��t be afraid of failure. Don��t give up. We still have a future ahead of us. This failure doesn��t mean that we will fail in the future. One day, we will reach our goal�� I hope that day will come sooner. Royal Highness Lydia, I have to admit that I have underestimated you. But our determination for freedom will not break down that easily.��


    The senior opened the bottle cap and without any hesitation, he drank the entire bottle in a single gulp. Then, he laid down the bottle and closed his eyes with a smile on his wrinkled face.


    The afternoon sun spilled through the window and shone on the Chairman as though he were taking an afternoon nap.


    But he would never wake up again.

 Chapter 588 - Gap in the Heart

    Chapter 588: Gap in the Heart


    ��The Reformist Party is done for.�� Rhode read the final line of the intelligence report and muttered under his breath.


    It was yesterday when the core figure of the Reformist Party, also known as the Chairman of the Southern Parliament, committed suicide by consuming poison. This news caused an uproar in the entire Reformist Party and their internal department had broken out into complete chaos with some of them considering whether they should raise a white flag to the King��s Party. However, some of them insisted to hang on because the King��s Party army hadn��t engaged in any large-scale attacks yet, apart from putting up a show. Those who insisted hoped to drag it out as long as possible.


    Rhode understood the reasons for such thoughts. The Royal Fleet had sealed off the Strait of Light and cut the Southern Parliament��s final lifeline. There were no doubts that they would be hung up on the gibbet by Lydia if they surrendered. Since the King��s Party didn��t attack, it meant that they still had some glimmer of hope. Although most of the parliament members had agreed to surrender, Rhode knew that they couldn��t influence the decision-making of the Reformist Party. This was because they were mainly external figures and if Lydia wished to settle scores at a later date, they wouldn��t be punished as severely. However, the consequences were different for the Southern Parliament. Once they surrendered, every single member in the Southern Parliament would be slaughtered and used to nourish the Golden City��s forest as fertilizers. Therefore, they definitely wouldn��t raise the white flag. They tried searching for a way of retreat, even though they had no choices left.


    Rhode wasn��t worried that the Southern Parliament would be driven into desperate actions because there weren��t any more actions left. In the game, the Munn Royal Family was pestered beyond endurance by the South as they were bent on facing the threat from the Country of Darkness. But now, the border regions of the Country of Darkness was peaceful and the King��s Party could mobilize their trump card, the Royal Fleet, to block off the entire Strait of Light. Under such a situation, the Reformist Party would be blasted to bits if they tried to escape via ship. The other choice they had was to escape to the border regions and associate themselves with the Barbarians. However, Rhode couldn��t imagine these prideful ��lords�� tolerating the banishment. Instead of suffering in those places, they were better off dying honorably.


    ��The problems that you��ve been worried about has finally come to an end.�� A sweet voice sounded behind Rhode.


    He turned back and Canary��s adorable face came into view. The young lady leaned on the chair armrest beside him and read the report in his hand with her usual smile.


    ��That��s right, Canary. The Reformist Party is done for. There shouldn��t be anything serious happening in Munn anytime soon.�� Rhode let out a long sigh.


    Although Rhode appeared calm and unaffected, he was actually really nervous deep down. Even though his arrival in this world had foiled several attempts of the Light Parliament in the Munn Kingdom and changed their fate and future, Rhode was still concerned. Although his familiarity with the game allowed him to have a unique and wide field of view of this continent, history, after all, had been altered and what presented before him now was a brand new, unknown start. Would the situation develop in the direction he had hoped for, or would the fixed story missions stay the same as the game? No matter which he chose, would it still end in the same way?


    Such worries had been bugging his mind and he finally let them go now. He didn��t need to worry about the leader-less Reformist Party anymore. Lydia wasn��t facing any foreign aggression, and it seemed that she had clear ideas and goals in dealing with internal problems. The only possible way for the Reformist Party to turn over the tide was if they fled to the Deepest Labyrinth, awakened the Void Dragon, surrendered at its feet, and led the Void Dragon��s army back to the continent.


    Rhode instantly felt a sense of relief at this thought. He scrutinized the beautiful young lady beside him and wrapped his right arm around her slender waist. His playful hand slid down nimbly to her upper thighs. Canary flushed and gasped for air faintly. Her soft, alluring body leaned onto Rhode��s embrace. Then, she pressed her lips gently on Rhode��s and her agile little tongue slithered through, craving for his. ��Mm�� Mm����


    Muffled, yet sensual kisses resounded in the quiet study room. After a few seconds, they separated and a thread of saliva slipped from the corner of their lips. Canary unrolled an enticing smile and placed a finger on his chest. ��We haven��t done it for a long time, Rhode. You must��ve accumulated a lot since Miss Marlene isn��t around, eh? I��ve worked myself to death for you, so it��s about time for my reward. As my boss, you must treat your subordinate well to receive your reward too.��


    Canary knelt on the ground between his legs and teased with her fingers. Rhode��s full load of desire rose skyward and agreed on his behalf.


    ��What an unbeatable holy sword.�� Canary sized up the rock-hard presence before her with a crafty smile and let out a chuckle. Then, she tugged her hair behind her ear. ��Alright then����


    ��Mm���� Rhode let out deep moans as he felt Canary��s soft, gentle lips.


    As though taking that as encouragement, she strengthened her suction increasingly. In an instant, the study room was in complete stillness. Rhode shut his eyes and enjoyed her gentle strokes and warm sensation��


    Knock knock knock.


    Suddenly, someone visited and the door opened slowly with Lize entering the room.


    ��Mr. Rhode, are you there? I have something to report to you�� Mr. Rhode?�� Lize looked curiously at Rhode sitting behind the table.


    At this moment, Rhode��s face was slightly flushed and he awkwardly tidied his messy clothes before sitting straight up with his expressionless face. ��Lize, is anything the matter?�� Rhode said and swept a glance at his legs��Canary was kneeling between his legs under the table, teasing him with her adorable winks and cunning smile.


    She must be doing it on purpose.


    Rhode let out a cough and turned his attention away from her ��little tricks��. At this moment, his only thought was to settle the situation with Lize and make her leave. Then, he would punish Canary for her mischievous behavior.


    ��Mr. Rhode, the Clerics and I have discussed regarding the Blackblade Guards. They weren��t willing to leave the Guild and go on operations with the private soldiers. I don��t have too great of a solution for it too�� What do you think I should do about it���� said Lize.


    ��No problem. If they aren��t willing to, then leave them be. Don��t worry about it, Lize. This isn��t too surprising because they were born mercenaries, after all. Although they have gotten used to battles, wars and battles are entirely different. Besides, they aren��t familiar with my private soldiers yet and it is normal for them to be reluctant. That��s about all for this matter. I will get Bubble to see if we can recruit more manpower from the Church. After all, the Church has sought our help to train a team of Clerics who can coordinate in battles. This perhaps may be a great opportunity�� Mm���� Rhode had a change in expression and he returned to normal in a split second.


    ���� Mr. Rhode, is anything wrong?�� Lize sharply detected Rhode��s peculiar behavior. Not only that, but Lize also felt that the atmosphere of the study room was a little different from usual as soon as she stepped in. She couldn��t explain the specific difference, but the atmosphere made her heart pump faster and a strange nervousness emerged inside her as though she was about to face or reject something.


    ��It��s nothing, Lize. I��m feeling a little unwell. I��ll be fine after a rest.��


    ��Unwell? Mr. Rhode, let me diagnose your illness. If you fall ill as a Guild Leader���� Lize walked forward but before she arrived at his side, he waved his arm and interrupted.


    ��It��s fine, Lize. I understand my body the best. It��s just a lack of sleep and I��ll recover after a good sleep�� Mm���� Rhode laid his right hand down. The current situation was exhilarating. Canary had quickened her head motion while Lize was only two steps away from taking in the whole scene at once. Not only that, but Rhode could also see the smear of red across Canary��s fair, tender cheeks. It was apparent that she was also stimulated by this unprecedented situation.


    ��Mr. Rhode, do you really not require my help?�� Lize was a little hesitant. She instinctively felt that Rhode was acting a little strange, but she couldn��t put a finger to it. And now, Rhode felt that Lize��s favorable, meticulous care had become the biggest problem. It would be awesome if she was as easy as Anne to get rid of. ��There��s no need, Lize. You can get on to work. I have something else to�� handle����


    ���� Okay, Mr. Rhode,�� Lize revealed a slightly disappointed expression. Then, she nodded and left the study room.


    Up until this moment, the stimulation that Canary had been pumping on reached its climax.


    ��Mm��!�� Rhode groaned and clutched the young lady��s head deep down, gushing out a burst of lust in full.


    After a few moments, Rhode released his grip and Canary licked the remains at the corner of her lips gently, adding a few seductive charms to the pure, innocent-looking young lady. Then, she got up on her feet and sat on Rhode��s thighs with her legs spread apart. ��Don��t tell me this is all, Rhode?��


    ��Of course not. This is just the start,�� Rhode said evilly and thrust forward mercilessly.


    ��Ah��!�� Canary moaned uncontrollably and embraced the man before her. She enjoyed the pleasurable pounding. ��Haa����


    Lize ambled along the corridor with a rather gloomy expression. Mr. Rhode didn��t look too great and yet, he wasn��t willing to let me help�� Could it be that Mr Rhode hates me? If not, why didn��t he allow me to check on his condition? Isn��t now the best time for a Cleric like me to come into good use?


    A glint flashed in Lize��s eyes.


    That��s right. I received a snack from before that can relieve fatigue. With this snack��


    Lize walked back to the study room and when she was about to knock, she hesitated. Mr. Rhode might be asleep by now. Maybe I shouldn��t disturb him. I might as well take a peek and if Mr. Rhode is asleep, I will leave him alone.


    The young lady opened a slight gap in the door.

 Chapter 589 - Faltering Heart (1)

    Lize turned the doorknob slowly and pushed the door as lightly as possible. Then, she heard deep, hastened breaths before she peeked through the gap. Lize froze to the spot. Although she was born in the Royal Family, she had met with several incidents after joining mercenary groups. Even though mercenaries didn��t dare to engage in such ��activities�� before Lize, she had also witnessed her companions supporting a drunk female dancer up the stairs to the rooms. From the start, Lize didn��t really understand what exactly happened. However, she slowly understood the meaning of it after spending a long time in mercenary groups.


    But she didn��t expect to hear such voices in this place.


    Lize almost ran off because Canary��s gasp was like an iron hammer pounding on her heart, leaving her breathless. Rhode was a man and he had the same needs as all other men, which wasn��t strange. However, Lize felt that she couldn��t accept it. She stood at the same spot and gazed at the door blankly. She felt as though her body had been ripped apart, but she didn��t understand why. In the past, she had accidentally faced such situations, but she would usually feel awkward and turn around immediately. But it was entirely different now. Lize felt as though her soul had been snatched and she had fallen into a dark eternal abyss through the solid ground beneath her feet. Fear, uncertainty, sadness, and pain. All the complicated emotions poured out of her heart. She had never felt this unbearable mix of emotions before.


    Lize wished she could run off and burst into tears at a corner. However, her body went against her will and kneeled itself to the edge of the door and peered into the room.


    What am I doing? Go! I don��t want to witness anything!


    Although Lize yelled loudly in her heart, her stubborn eyes continued to gaze through the gap. And she was stunned.


    It was a scene where Lize had never imagined. No matter if it was a situation that was happening before her or the two main characters involved, the shock came like a bolt from the blue for Lize. Canary had spread her legs apart on the table and wrapped her arms around Rhode. Her flawlessly fair body bounced under his violent thrusts. Canary was no longer the gentle, elegant young lady in Lize��s mind. Instead, she had become a fierce, obscene beast who had lost its rationality and indulged in its lust. Canary��s eyes wandered and a thin, silver thread dripped from the corner of her soft lips. The entire study room was filled with an unbreathable desire, so intense that it could make one vomit.


    However, Lize didn��t feel disgusted or furious. Instead, she widened her eyes and took in everything in her sight, as though she had been deeply attracted.


    ��Mm�� Rhode���� Canary murmured softly.


    Rhode responded to her thirst with a quickened pace and his voice became deeper and wilder. In the end, Rhode came to an abrupt stop and Canary let out a long, satisfied moan that filled the entire room. Lize felt her body trembling and warming up. She gaped like a fish that had come to shore and struggled to catch its breath. Lize sensed that the intense atmosphere had as though wrapped her entire body where an unprecedented heat struck her and she couldn��t find the strength to lift a finger�� as though she had been caught up in the situation.


    ***


    ��Huah�� What a good sleep,�� Anne stretched her arms and yawned her way down the stairs.


    This was one of Anne��s habits. Every afternoon, she would run up to the roof of the Fortress and find a comfortable spot under the sun. It was no different today. Anne tottered to the corridor and squinted her eyes to enjoy the cooling breeze from the window. She raised her arms and gave a satisfied stretch again. At the same time, her ears twitched and she turned around curiously to find a person who she couldn��t be more familiar with at the other end of the corridor. ��Lize?��


    Anne muttered dubiously because Lize was half-kneeling on the ground and peering through the gap of the room door sneakily. Besides, Anne had also heard the voices in the room with her sharp hearing.


    That should be Leader��s room. Why is Lize kneeling and peeking from there?


    Anne felt curious because Lize had always been a steady and mature person. But now, she was actually peeping like a little child. What is Leader doing? Judging from the sound, is he taming some dangerous wild animal?


    Anne playfully sneaked up behind Lize and tapped her shoulder. ��Lize, what are you doing?��


    ��Waaa!�� The defenseless Lize let out a shriek as soon as Anne��s lively voice rang in her ears. Not only that, but she also jumped and crashed her head into the solid door.


    Bang! The door sprung open and Lize fell flatly into the room.


    Rhode and Canary were just recovering from their climaxes and they were shocked and caught unprepared by the widening door. They gazed at the door together and saw Lize falling to her stomach and Anne standing by the door.


    ������


    The entire room fell into an awkward silence. Canary sat on the table half-naked with her hands around Rhode��s arms while the latter leaned forward with his hands pressed against the tabletop. Lize lifted her head clumsily and widened her mouth as soon as she spotted both of them. Anne��s curious eyes spun and sized up everything before her. ��Leader? Sister Canary? What are you two doing?��


    ��Waaaaaa!��


    Lize returned to her senses as though she had been released from a binding curse. She jumped up and stuttered like a child embarrassingly like a child who had just discovered her parent��s secret. ��S-Sorry! Mr. Rhode, Miss Canary! I didn��t see anything at all! Sorry, I didn��t mean to do it! Sorry, I��m really sorry����


    Lize freaked out completely. Her head was in a blank and she didn��t know what else to say apart from apologizing. The despair and pain in her mind had as though been flung to another world. She wished that there was a hole she could jump into immediately and never climb out of forever. ��S-Sorry, I really didn��t see anything! Sorry��!��


    Lize hurriedly turned around and bolted out of the room. She slammed the door shut and dragged Anne away.


    ������ Rhode and Canary exchanged a bitter smile and shook their heads. ��What should we do, Rhode? Should we chase after her? This must��ve been too thrilling for Lize, I guess.��


    ��Forget it, let her calm down first. Perhaps there are no women who can stay calm after looking at this scene����


    ���� Are you reminded of the incident where my classmate found out about us along the corridor together?��


    ��Hmm���� Rhode��s expression stiffened and he let out a soft grunt. ��Ultimately, isn��t it always because you want to satisfy your bad little habit everytime and everywhere? If you weren��t that impatient back then, perhaps we wouldn��t have been caught up in that awkward situation����


    ��It��s fine to let it happen occasionally, isn��t it?�� Canary��s smile remained unremorseful. ��I feel even more thrilled to be seen by someone.��


    ���� I��m not sure what your mother will think about you if she knew you were a perverted exhibitionist.��


    ��Isn��t it you who made me this way, Rhode?�� Canary chuckled and bound her arms around Rhode��s neck. ��What should we do next? Shall we do it again? I hope you are still capable of it after this small little hiccup.��


    ���� Of course. But this time, I need to lock the door first.��


    ���� Hmph�� That��ll spoil all the fun, Rhode.��

 Chapter 590 - Faltering Heart (2)

    ��Haa�� Haa����


    After running for a long time, Lize finally came to a halt and let go of Anne��s hand. She leaned on the wall and panted for air. She was too focused on peeping that she didn��t realize Anne was sneaking up on her. Lize could feel her heart pounding so hard that it almost jumped out of her throat. Her mind was in complete chaos. Lize had already known about Canary and Rhode��s close relationship for a long time, so she didn��t have the rights to grumble. If she weren��t discovered, perhaps she might simply find a lonely spot to cry it out. Although she didn��t know why she felt heartbroken, she knew she could face Rhode and Canary normally the next day after letting out her frustrations. But the situation was different now. Rhode and Canary had seen her and they surely knew that she had been peeping, so what would they think about her? Would they hate her? Or think that she went overboard? Lize was unsure and she hoped to maintain a friendly relationship with them. But she had destroyed it��


    What should I do?


    ��What��s wrong, Lize? Why did you drag Anne here?�� Anne gazed curiously and turned to the direction where they came from. ��What were Leader and Sister Canary doing just now? They seem to be having fun. Anne also wants to try!��


    Anne turned around and decided to head back while Lize lunged forward to grab her hand. ��Wait wait wait wait! Anne, don��t go! Don��t go!��


    ��Eh?�� Anne came to a halt and stared at Lize with her emerald-green eyes curiously. ��Why? Anne feels that Leader and Sister Canary are having a lot of fun. Anne also wants to have fun too.��


    ��This�� This isn��t for you to have fun!�� Lize flushed.


    She felt that she couldn��t handle the situation at all. The current problem hadn��t been resolved and she had to educate Anne��s mindset. This innocent little rascal had always been unaffected and she didn��t have any common sense regarding such matters. Rhode and Canary might be in an awkward situation after their intimate secret was discovered and it would surely make matters worse if Anne rushed right back now. Lize could only try and explain to Anne helplessly at this point in time. ��That isn��t a game, Anne. It is something that you should do with a man that you like!��


    ��As long as you do it with a man that you like?�� Anne spun her eyes around. ��So�� as long as Anne finds a man that Anne likes, Anne can play such interesting games?��


    ��No, no, it��s not like that!�� Lize shook her head in panic.


    She knew that Anne��s definition of ��like�� was different from most people��wrong. From everyone would be most appropriate. If Lize didn��t explain it properly, who knew what Anne might do next. Perhaps this young lady might find some mercenaries to play that ��interesting game��. Lize didn��t wish to see her innocent, close companion being taken advantage of due to the lack of knowledge. Therefore, she pulled over Anne��s shoulder and corrected her mindset.


    ��Listen carefully, Anne. Only a pair of man and woman who likes each other can do such a thing. Besides, it must only be with the person who they like the most! In other words, you can only do it with the man that you like the most, understand?��


    ��Only with the man that Anne likes the most and not anyone else?�� Anne gazed at Lize with dubious, round eyes.


    Lize let out a long sigh because it was as she had expected. Anne��s understanding of such matters was truly peculiar. If she didn��t explain herself clearly, no one knew what Anne would be up to. Lize nodded with might. ��That��s right, only with a man that you like the most and not anyone else. Understand?��


    ��Hmm���� Anne puckered her brows and pondered for a while. Then, she nodded. ��Anne understands. Anne likes Leader the most, so there��s no problem! Thanks, Lize!��


    Anne tried to turn away and Lize quickly pulled her hand back. ��Wait wait wait wait wait! You can��t go now, Anne! It isn��t a game! You can��t just do it in front of anyone! You didn��t see anyone doing it in the wild, right?��


    ��Hmm���� Anne knitted her brows and tried to recall for a moment. She nodded with some hesitations. ���� Anne hasn��t seen anyone playing such an amusing game����


    ��Phew���� Lize heaved a sigh of relief.


    She felt exhausted from her head to toes as though she had just experienced an intense battle. She wished that she could find a peaceful place for a rest. However, she didn��t feel at ease because she wasn��t sure if Anne would come up with some strange thoughts. As Anne��s close friend, it was only natural that Lize worried about her. But at the same time, Lize vaguely had some other thoughts deep down in her heart. She didn��t want Anne to do ��it�� with Rhode�� This left Lize concerned and a little moody. ��Besides, Anne, both parties must like each other before you can do such things. Understand?��


    ��What does that mean, Lize?��


    ��To put it simply, you like him and he must like you too. If not, you can��t do it. I know you like Mr. Rhode and Mr. Rhode likes you too, but this is different. Such a ��liking�� is different from that kind of ��liking��. Understand?��


    ��Anne doesn��t get it at all,�� Anne shook her head firmly.


    Lize let out a helpless sigh. ��In other words, it shouldn��t just be a normal ��like��. It must be a ��like�� that feels different from the usual. Anne, it is something that you can do when you feel that your fondness for Mr. Rhode and your fondness for others is different. Do you understand? It wouldn��t work if your fondness for Mr. Rhode is the same as the fondness you have for others.��


    ��Hmm���� Anne frowned and thought for a long time before forcing a nod. ��Anne understands now. As long as Anne��s feelings for Leader is different from others, right? Anne can��t show it to others and Anne must make Leader like Anne�� Yes, Anne understands now. Don��t worry, Lize. Anne likes Leader, so there are no problems. Besides, Leader also likes Anne. By the way, Lize, what about you? Anne sees that Leader likes you a lot. Do you like Leader?��


    ������ A reddish blush smeared across Lize��s face.


    She stood blankly on the spot and loosened Anne��s hand subconsciously. Anne��s last sentence had struck her inner heart entirely. This was when Lize finally discovered her true feelings.


    I like Mr. Rhode, and this is completely different from normal affection.


    Lize felt her heart pumping fiercely. When did it begin? Was it from the day he protected me on the Floating Boat? When he escorted me out of the forest? Or was it the day he decided to rebuild the mercenary group with me from scratch? Perhaps, it was during this period? Is this my true feelings for him? Am I jealous of Canary? Which is why I became heartbroken and furious��


    ��Eh?�� Anne tilted her head suddenly as though something came up in her mind. ��But Lize, didn��t you say that such things shouldn��t be seen by others? So, why did you look at them?��


    ��It is because we shouldn��t see and that is why I peeped!�� Lize exploded in anger and screamed at the top of her lungs.


    Anne jumped in shock and her emerald-green eyes scanned Lize from top to bottom in bewilderment. Both of them exchanged looks and Lize let out a long, painful groan like an injured wild animal. She hugged her head and squatted to her feet slowly, curling up like a caterpillar.


    ��Lize?�� Anne approached her carefully and looked with worried eyes. ��Are you okay? Is your head or stomach aching?��


    But now, Lize no longer had the mood to answer Anne��s concerns.

 Chapter 591 - illusion of the Dreamland

    It��s that dream again.


    Rhode lifted his head and gazed at the dusky sky before him. A flight of stairs spiraled under his feet and extended into the clouds along the stone tower. A chilly breeze blew against his face.


    When Rhode arrived at the tower roof, he once again met the petite figure who looked like Christie. She stood silently in the center of the roof and gazed at Rhode with a slight smile.


    ��Who are you?�� Rhode puckered his brows.


    At this moment, Rhode could clearly sense that this was only a dream. The bizarre feeling of bewilderment and haziness in his mind interwoven as though devouring his rationality. However, Rhode had no ways of resisting it. He gritted his teeth and held on, staring at the little girl before him. He widened his mouth and repeated his question.


    After the incident involving Gracier and Madaras, Rhode no longer treated this as a simple dream. In the game, he had encountered several plots that communicated with him through such dreams. No matter if it was the face that resembled Christie or if she could activate and awaken the Holy Swords, Rhode knew that this was a mystery that he must solve. Apart from that, Rhode was most curious about this little girl.


    Although she had the same appearance as Christie, Rhode sensed clearly that she was a totally different presence. Not only that, Rhode also instinctively sensed that he was extremely familiar with her. Seeing this girl was like seeing a friend who had not seen each other for many years and they randomly met on the roadside. Her name was clearly on the verge of escaping his lips, but he just couldn��t say it out loud.


    The sound of wind whistled past and the little girl reacted to Rhode��s question. She placed a finger on her smile and requested for silence. Then, she beckoned before walking to the edge of the tower. Rhode followed uncontrollably as though something was pulling him forward.


    The entire world had become incomparably desolated. Not only did the flat surface not have any other buildings, but there was also no vegetation. It felt like the calm before the storm, leaving an unsettling feeling in his mind.


    As Rhode paced to the edge of the tower, the little girl chuckled slightly and pointed her finger forward.


    Rhode raised his head subconsciously and the scenery before him changed abruptly. The dusky sky and wildland burst into rays of black and white brilliance. In the blink of an eye, the scenery before him turned into a green dense forest and tall mountain range. The thick clouds dispersed to reveal the azure sky and the warm sunshine beamed on the earth.


    Rhode was gobsmacked. However, it wasn��t due to the extreme changes to the environment that surprised him. Instead, he couldn��t be more familiar with what was presented before him: it was the scenery of the Land of Atonement, where his Fortress was located in.


    What does she mean by this?


    Rhode puckered his brows and turned to the little girl with a dubious look. However, the little girl didn��t respond. Instead, she raised her right hand and pointed forward. The sound of the wind changed abruptly. Rhode looked forward. The azure sky had been engulfed and devoured by thick layers of dark clouds that flooded from the horizon, blocking off the vibrant sunlight. As the dark clouds approached, the exuberant green hills and clear waters abruptly deteriorated; withering and drying at a rapid pace. The fertile mother earth cracked and a violent thunderstorm rolled in.


    Rhode wasn��t scared or bewildered. Instead, his heart was pounding like a tense, excited prophet who had seen his future! He knew what this meant! He knew how and where it was going to happen! Swish! Swish! Swish! As though proving Rhode��s imaginations, the sound of waves crashing into rocks sounded in his ears gradually. Shortly after, specks of blue-whitish flames gradually burned in the darkness.


    Those are the Undead Flames.


    Undead Army.


    Rhode lifted his head and endured the roaring storm. He squinted and examined everything before him. At this moment, a bolt of lightning flashed within the dark clouds and illuminated everything in sight. Rhode instantly witnessed a sea of white skeletons within.


    A clap of thunder boomed and vanished abruptly.


    At the same time, the little girl moved her finger slightly and a dazzling ray of light streaked across the sky shrouded in dark clouds. Shortly after, the pitch-dark, deadly world had as though been swept away by an invisible large hand. The dark clouds dispersed and revealed a dense forest which caught Rhode by surprise. After all, just a second ago, he was still under the pouring storm and facing the invasion of the Undead Army. The emergence of the green exuberant forest with birds chirping left him perplexed. However, he quickly realized that there was a pair of daggers laid down in the empty field of the forest.


    Gracier and Madaras.


    Rhode turned around and gazed at the little girl. At this moment, the little girl laid down her arm and nodded to Rhode. Then, she took two steps back and lifted the hem of her skirt to bow politely. Along with her actions, Rhode instantly felt the ground beneath his feet crumpling and gravity dragged him down like a monster��s claw.


    ��Hey, wait up. You����


    The ground beneath his feet shattered and he fell right into the endless darkness��


    Rhode sat up abruptly.


    Luminous moonlight spilled through the window from the bright full moon hanging silently. Christie was still in deep sleep beside him. Ever since Christie had begun accompanying Rhode at night, she received further guidance from Gillian to treat this as part of her nightly duty. This wasn��t a bad thing for Rhode. With Christie accompanying him, he could often calm down quickly and feel exceptionally relaxed. Of course, this had nothing to do with lust.


    But even so, there was still a disadvantage. Rhode had to shift his ��night activities�� to a much more suitable time. Just like the morning activity that he had engaged with Canary in the study room. No matter what, Rhode couldn��t possibly do it before Christie.


    ��Mm���� Christie had entered her deep slumberland.


    Rhode stroked her long hair gently and looked over. On the other end of the bed, the little mermaid was also sleeping soundly, curling up inside her water ball. Her sleeping posture was rather amusing and a string of bubbles blew out of her tiny mouth and floated within the water ball.


    But Rhode knew it wasn��t the time for him to admire this scene. He got his feet off the bed carefully to not wake the two little girls and moved quietly to the open window. He gazed at the Land of Atonement under the beaming moonlight with knitted brows. After Mini Bubble Gum and Canary led the mercenaries to eliminate the points of defect, the social order had stabilized a lot. The day and night times weren��t as chaotic as when Rhode��s group first arrived. Back then, this territory had long nights and short days with unstable climates. Even though there was only a mountain between the Deep Stone City and the Land of Atonement, the former was like a smooth running clock while the latter was like a damaged clock with irregular speed. Fortunately, this territory had been slowly getting back on track.


    But that dream just now��


    Rhode��s heart sank slightly. He had watched that scene countless times. It was the scene when the Undead Army of the Country of Darkness attacked. Why did the little girl display it before him? But the answer didn��t require many thoughts. History was still continuing and the threat of the Country of Darkness perhaps was unavoidable. Ordinary humans couldn��t defend against the powerful forces of the Country of Darkness. The bunch of idiots in the Light Parliament thought that they could get their share of the action after witnessing the conflict between the new and old forces in the Country of Darkness. However, they didn��t see through the true, hidden meaning behind that. If the Country of Darkness didn��t grow stronger day by day where the strength of the rising factions was enough to fight against the long-standing nobles, how would it be possible that they would dare to do that in the Country of Darkness with the tough level restrictions?


    The Light Parliament tried pulling chestnuts out of the fire, but they invited trouble instead. In the Country of Darkness, there were almost 300 beings in the Legendary Stage and thousands in the Peak Master Stage under the Four Legendary Generals. Even the low-level Skeletal Soldiers with no self-judgment could rely on their Undead attribute to utterly defeat ordinary soldiers. The Country of Darkness would definitely crush the pathetic forces of the Country of Light.


    Although Rhode had Bubble and Canary as his assistants and most of the Undead Army couldn��t harm them due to their current ��Supreme Privilege�� in level standards, Bubble and Canary would surely flee in defeat when several beings in the Legendary Stage fought them at once or when either one of the Four Legendary Generals or the Dark Dragon Soul emerged. Moreover, the two young ladies were equipped with pitiful, plain equipment and weren��t even close to being fully equipped. Under such circumstances, it would pose some difficulty even if they fought their enemies one by one.


    It could be seen from here the difference between the strength of the powerful Country of Darkness and the declining Country of Light. The Country of Darkness had Undead Creatures as their main forces and sufficient time to accumulate experience to strengthen their forces. However, the Country of Light was a nation dominated by mankind and the Light Parliament operated with an ideology of human supremacism and didn��t trust species with longevity. They believed that humans could only trust themselves and feared that long-living creatures would dominate them. This was why humans, Vampires, Dark Elves, Dwarves, and others could join the war in the Country of Darkness and also why the Angels were unseen by the humans and the Elves and Dwarves seldom communicated with them in the Country of Light. This made up most reasons why they viewed the Munn Kingdom as an enemy. Lydia was obviously looking to restore the sacred status of the Light Dragon and the humans would then be ruled by a non-human being with longevity, which was absolutely unacceptable. As for the half-beast, their existences would be expelled.


    Although the Humans had strong learning abilities and outstanding talents, their longevity was a big problem, after all. It was only a problem of time for the beings with longevity to break through, but it would be pointless if a human couldn��t transcend into the Legendary Stage in a short period of time because he would only live up to a 100 years. This was also the reason why the Light Parliament didn��t dare to take further actions against Rhode after the Mist Sword Saint had been crippled by Mini Bubble Gum. Compared to the other races, it wasn��t easy for the humans to cultivate powerful beings. If it happened to the Country of Darkness, they could simply dispatch three more Sword Saints for revenge and even if the next three Sword Saints were defeated, there would still be a whole group of Sword Saints waiting for their turn��


    This was the difference.


    At the beginning of the game, the average level of all the forces in the Country of Light was 60. The Country of Law had an average level of 70 while the Country of Darkness had the highest average level of 75. As the game was updated, the Void Dragon transcended and became the strongest BOSS in the entire Dragon Soul Continent. The average level of forces under the Void Dragon was 75. In other words, any random soldier would possess the strength of the Master Stage and the BOSSes were in the Legendary Stage. If players didn��t exist, the natives would surely be doomed.


    Rhode had no intentions of going against the Country of Darkness because it wasn��t worth it and unnecessary. It would be even better if he could invite trouble to the certain originators of evil practices.


    But�� Why?


    Rhode frowned at this thought.


    In the game, the Country of Light relied on their self-awareness and territorial scope of Soraka Mountain to provoke the Country of Darkness recklessly. But now, the Duke Fiend had been defeated by him and Soraka Mountain had become a dead region. Even if the Light Parliament wished to get their hands on the region, perhaps the Country of Darkness wouldn��t mind at all since it had been tainted by Chaos and became unstable after losing the seal. In other words, it basically had no value to them at all. Following the historical process of the game, the Country of Light��s fuse for the provocation should have been extinguished by him.


    Or perhaps, they have other motives?


    Rhode shook his head hopelessly. He thought he could take a break, but the warning of this strange dream had tensed him up. Although he didn��t know who that little girl was, he felt that she wouldn��t lie to him. At the very least, it was her who helped him repair Gracier and Madaras.


    Besides��


    Rhode recalled the final scene the little girl had pointed to: Gracier and Madaras laying silently in an empty field of the forest. After being a gamer for many years, Rhode��s grasp of the plot��s hint was truly accurate. Up until now, the two daggers hadn��t transformed into a part of the summoning cards. Perhaps the hint that the little girl had given him might be deeply linked to it.


    But��


    Rhode rubbed his forehead at the troublesome thought. He knew where that place was and it wouldn��t be easily accessible.


    The Sacred Forest.


    The Country of Law��a sacred place dominated by the Elves.

 Chapter 592 - Brave First Step

    Specks of pale flames lined up along the dim canopied passageway. Di ambled and gazed at the scene filled with an aura of death and sadness before him. The young Vampire presented a vague smile, at the same time, stretching out his slender, pale fingers and arranged his cuffs, collar, and the hem of his attire. Sinister-looking stone statues could be seen curling up above the eaves on both sides of the path. As the footsteps approached, their empty eyes glowed with faint spiritual radiance. However, they quickly faded into pitch-darkness after spotting Di��s arrival.


    Di flattened every crease on his attire meticulously like a robot. When he arrived at the heavy stone door at the end of the path, he hung his arms by the side of his body. The Dark Elf clad in steel armor standing by the stone door puckered his brows while resting his hand on the dagger hilt by his waist. He scanned the uninvited guest from top to bottom. After a few seconds, he gestured to his companion and they saluted respectfully before making way with their heads lowered. Deep rumbles sounded as the tightly shut stone door opened gradually. At this moment, the smile on the Vampire��s face vanished and was replaced by a stern expression.


    A deep, hoarse voice sounded as though from the bottom of the graveyard. ��I didn��t expect that you bats would actually head out for visits�� Rascal, what do you have for me?��


    ��Your Honorable Sir Nefarian.�� Di lowered his head immediately and bowed deeply to the darkness. ��I��m really sorry to visit you while you��re busy. Please pardon my rudeness. I wouldn��t have come and disrupted your peace if it weren��t for something important. This is related to you, Sir, so����


    ��Cut the crap. Get straight to the point,�� the mysterious voice interrupted harshly.


    Di��s words came to an abrupt stop and his expression remained unperturbed as though he wasn��t the one getting interrupted. After all, the presence before him wasn��t someone who a small Vampire like Di could argue with. It was the strongest out of the Four Legendary Generals and the most reputable presence among them, the ��Spirit Chaser�� Balende. Nefarian could be said to be the protector of the Country of Darkness. Although the Country of Darkness was a nation of immortals, death wasn��t actually rare in this place. Of course, almost all the deaths were abnormal and unnatural in nature.


    After experiencing countless conspiracies, schemes, assassinations in the thousands of years, it proved how powerful and terrifying Nefarian was to still be one of the Four Legendary Generals. No one knew exactly how long Nefarian had existed for. Rumors said that he had been protecting generations after generations of Dark Dragons loyally even before the Four Legendary Generals existed. Di knew that no ordinary presence could deal with such a formidable presence. There were also several ��pioneers�� who had challenged the ��Spirit Chaser��, but they weren��t successful at all. Those that issued the challenges had all died and he still existed as though he would live on forever.


    But Di was different.


    ��Yes, Sir. I��m truly sorry for my rude behavior�� But this matter is indeed related to you. This is how it goes, Sir. I have received orders from Royal Highness Ashvril to investigate the Munn Kingdom and I��ve unintentionally discovered the murderer of your student, Sir Vulture. This is extremely important, so I didn��t dare take matters into my own hands. That is why I��m reporting this to you. According to my investigations, I��m sure that the highly reputable ��Mercenary Noble�� in the Munn Kingdom, Rhode Alander, is the culprit,�� Di lowered his head. Even though there was no response, Di didn��t reveal a single trace of annoyance on his face. He continued to lower his head and waited patiently for a response. After a few moments, Di heard a snort. ��Alright. Get lost now.��


    The stone door closed slowly and the Dark Elves that were hidden in the darkness took big strides forward and guarded it. Di bowed respectfully to the door and turned around. In the blink of an eye, his body distorted and blended into the darkness, vanishing in a puff of smoke.


    The Dark Knight in steel armor leaning against the wall like a decoration moved forward. Spiritual radiance burned in its eyes as it approached the stone door. ��Sir, those scheming Vampires����


    ��I know what you��re going to say. But no one can get away scot free from killing my student. I��ve also heard about that human. Rumor has it that he has two Legendary beings in his territory. Hmph. Those little bats are truly simple-minded. Although His Majesty indeed has intentions to lay hands on the Country of Light, it isn��t wise to blindly provoke the Archangel. I��ll leave this matter to you. I hope you won��t disappoint me.��


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    The Dark Knight bowed solemnly, turned around and left the passageway with big strides. The specks of Undead flames lined up beside him extinguished suddenly as though a strong gust of wind had blown over them and only endless darkness remained.


    ***


    Roar! The gigantic Tree Monster released storm-like sawdust from its trunk rapidly. Then, it let out a bellow and struck its thick, long roots out of the ground. The roots fluttered everywhere like tentacles.


    ��Waa!�� Anne yelled out in horror.


    She swiftly sprung up and somersaulted backward to avoid its attack. However, she couldn��t balance herself in midair and the razor-sharp roots aimed toward her.


    Shing! Suddenly, an ice wall rose from the ground and deflected the flying roots. The Tree Monster shifted its massive trunk fumingly and lashed forward the thick roots.


    At this moment, a beam of gloomy radiance struck the Tree Monster from above and the ferocious creature instantly became dispirited. The roots it lashed out lost momentum and flopped to the ground like soft noodles. Then, dazzling blade rays erupted in a vast sky full of stars. Spiritual radiance linked up the specks of starlight and formed an enormous net of blades that slashed toward the Tree Monster. The pitiful creature collapsed heavily to the ground and shattered into a pile of debris.


    ��Yay��! Leader is the best!�� Anne jumped up to her feet and cheered with raised arms. Rhode sheathed his sword and moved forward while Lize displayed a bitter smile beside him. The little mermaid gazed curiously and timidly at the defeated Tree Monster. Rhode stared at Anne with an expressionless face. ��There��s still a distance away from our destination. Don��t provoke these meaningless things.��


    ��Understood, Leader!�� Anne nodded with all her might.


    She chuckled and ran up to Lize and the little mermaid. Rhode shook his head helplessly. After receiving the ��guidance�� from the little girl in his dream, he had chosen to head off immediately into the Country of Law. To Rhode, the earlier he could restore the twin daggers into Holy Sword Cards, the better it would be for him. Although Gracier and Madaras were equally great as weapons even without awakening, Rhode had a preference for their special ability [Stealth] as the Carlesdine, ��Elves of the Wind��, in human form.


    [Stealth] wasn��t a high-level swordsmanship technique. Instead, it was an ability similar to a Class talent. It was similar in a sense that, as a Spirit Swordsman, Rhode could summon spirits to battle while other swordsmen could only summon spirits through magical equipment no matter how hard they cultivated. [Stealth] would be a relatively useful technique in future battles. Once Gracier and Madaras could take up human form, Rhode could even use them as ultimate assassins. Their experienced assassination skills and [Stealth] skills as ��Elves of the Wind�� would make them equal to two squadrons of experienced Dark Elves.


    Not only that, when the twin daggers joined the Holy Sword Card Deck and officially became Rhode��s summoning spirit, he could use the ��Pursuit�� talent technique to receive the [Stealth] effects for himself. This would make his battles much easier.


    It was due to this reason and the prophecy of the Country of Darkness he had received in his dream that he decided to leave the Land of Atonement and search for a method to fully awaken the twin daggers. Of course, Rhode had requested for Mini Bubble Gum and Canary to continuously patrol the border of the Land of Atonement. He didn��t keep the dream a secret from them. Although the dream might be an illusion which was formed using his memories as a basis, he thought about it through a player��s perspective. The two young ladies didn��t believe that it was as simple as just a dream either.


    They had also experienced the strength of the Country of Darkness��s Undead Army with Rhode in the game, which was why they agreed firmly. Also, for the sake of safety, Rhode had given them half of the management rights to the ��mercenary construction system��. If there were any strange presences crossing the border and stepping into Rhode��s territory, the system would trigger an alarm and the young ladies could eradicate the intruders as quickly as possible. Besides, they had rich experiences dealing with Undead Creatures, so there wasn��t a chance that they would be duped by their tricks.


    However, Rhode faced a small problem before leaving.


    He had thought of heading there alone for the sake of convenience. However, Anne took advantage of the opportunity and pestered him to let her join. Rhode didn��t refuse because he saw that the slaughtering of creatures along the way could gain him some EXP. At this current stage, ordinary bandits and critters weren��t able to provide him with a significant amount of EXP anymore. Moreover, almost all his missions were randomly triggered in this world. This was why Rhode couldn��t choose missions just like in the game and clear dungeons to level up. After all, this was the real world and a dungeon wasn��t enough for him to clear several times.


    Without the methods of accomplishing missions and clearing dungeons to gain EXP, Rhode could only use the most mainstream and primitive way to strengthen himself��grinding monsters. Coincidentally, there was a location with wild monsters between level 40 to 60 along the way. Although the monsters were high in level, they weren��t as difficult to deal with as the Elite monsters in dungeons. Grinding higher-level monsters would give him a lot more EXP and the location was near the Land of Chaos, which increased the respawn rate. This was why Rhode planned to strengthen himself on the way there and also level up the little mermaid. He welcomed Anne in strengthening herself since she was willing. After all, it would be much more efficient to get into battles than to sleep the whole day.


    However, Rhode was surprised that there was also an unexpected guest apart from Anne.


    It was Lize.


    Rhode felt curious because Lize wasn��t the type who liked to head out for adventures. She would normally be by his side when he requested. After she heard Anne request to join Rhode into the Elf Dominion, whiteness spread across her face and lifted her hand to request the same.


    After the ��accident�� that day, Lize had been behaving awkwardly whenever she met Rhode and Canary. She would blush, stutter, and consciously avoid them. Rhode couldn��t do anything about it because this was Lize��s nature. On the other hand, Anne was entirely different. Although she had also witnessed the scene, she behaved as per usual the next day as though nothing had happened. However, Lize couldn��t do that. After all, time was the best cure for everything. As long as Rhode gave her enough time, perhaps she would recover from it.


    But he didn��t expect Lize to make such a surprising move��


    Rhode sensed that the young lady hadn��t untied the knot in her heart. Although she took the initiative to join Rhode on the adventure, she had been avoiding him and spoke more to Anne instead as though she was nervous.


    It��s really hard to guess what women are thinking.


    ��Leader! Leader!�� Anne skipped to Rhode and hugged his arm passionately. ��Anne is tired! How much longer do we need to reach the Elf Dominion?��


    ��Don��t worry.�� Rhode gazed at her and shook his head. ��If we continue at this pace, it will take about three days. But I want to inform you beforehand that their social custom is different from human society, so you must be careful with your behavior. Also, the uneven road to the Elf Dominion will be filled with dangers and troubles. I hope you��re ready for it.��


    ��Of course, Leader!�� Anne brandished her shield proudly before clasping to Rhode��s arm once more. ��With Anne around, there will not be any problems!��


    No one noticed that Lize had lowered her head with a complicated expression while her eyes revealed a glint of the worries deep in her heart.

 Chapter 593 - Confused Heart (I)

    The Country of Law was politically neutral and also neutral in standpoint. Its territory wasn��t massive and was even smaller than the Munn Kingdom. The Country of Law��s territory was located in the center of the common boundary of the Country of Light and Country of Darkness. Using patterns as an analogy, the Country of Law would be like a ��V�� cutting down from the middle of an oval formed by the Country of Light and Country of Darkness, dividing them into two.


    However, the transportation environment in the Country of Law wasn��t that convenient compared to the Munn Kingdom. The Elf Forest and the Slumber Mountain which divided the Country of Light and Country of Darkness weren��t easy to get through. They were covered densely by forests and surrounded by mountains. Moreover, the Elves�� passionate love and care for the forest made it extremely difficult for humans to open up commercial roads through the mountainous terrain. Furthermore, the Elves weren��t easy to convince and interact with. This was why most merchants would rather use the Ocean Trade Route opened up by the Munn Kingdom to engage in commercial trade.


    Although the traffic wasn��t convenient, it wasn��t a problem for residents of the Country of Law: the Half-Elves and Elves. They lived in the forest and the craggy surface of routes was no issues for them. Besides, most Elves were apathetic in their natural disposition, unlike humans who highly regarded money. This was why even though the commercial trade in the Country of Law wasn��t prosperous, they could still lead carefree lives.


    Even if the Country of Law wasn��t the economic hub of the entire continent, none of the other nations dared to belittle its influence. As the largest sacred place for religion, the believers of the Church could be found throughout every corner of the continent. Besides, even if the Country of Law wasn��t a financial hub, their Church played the dual role of the bank and the notary office. Due to their neutral standpoint and the influence of the Judgement & Ruling Twin Dragons, the Church��s credibility and prestige was extraordinary. In the game, after the Munn Kingdom was attacked by the Country of Darkness, the Country of Darkness stopped giving chase to the players and refugees who had escaped into the Country of Law. They paced back and forth by the borders of the Country of Law and eventually left.


    There were different sayings regarding the reasons why the Country of Law had such a high standing on the continent. Most of them believed that although the Country of Law wasn��t comparable in strength to the Three Archangels and the Four Legendary Generals, it had two Creator Dragon Souls with them. Even if the Country of Light and Country of Darkness united, it would still be a two against two in Dragon Souls. Besides, the Country of Law had a great geographical advantage. Not only was it easily guarded and difficult to break through, but attacking it would also offend the two Creator Dragon Souls, which no one would be foolish enough to attempt. Moreover, the Country of Law��s Church had always been advocating and protecting Order while destroying Chaos. When most overlords developed their territories and maintain Order, they had more or less received assistance from the Church and the Country of Law.


    There were many routes that led to the Country of Law and Rhode chose the comparatively remote route along the border connecting the Munn Kingdom and Country of Law. Due to the unique territorial shape, most of the routes linked to the Country of Law had to go through the Country of Light. Rhode knew that he had become a thorn in the Light Parliament��s side after Bubble had crippled the Mist Sword Saint. If he chose those routes, he might be spotted by the Light Parliament and he didn��t wish for side issues to keep arising.


    Blackberry Town was a remote town located along the way and the residents there were mainly Half-Elves. Due to their human bloodline, they couldn��t withstand the harsh conditions of living in the deep mountains and forests like pure Elves. However, the Elf bloodline made them yearn for nature and as a result, the Half-Elves had compromised by building small towns and villages around the perimeter of the Elf Forest. Not only were they able to be surrounded by nature, but they could also get in touch with the bustling human lives of the outside world.


    And it was the same here.


    ��Wow���� Anne exclaimed in admiration as soon as she witnessed the scenery of the small town.


    Unlike human hamlets, Blackberry Town presented a harmonious, easy-going atmosphere and displayed the beauty of vitality and tranquility perfectly. The style of house was entirely different and even though they were also made of wood, they appeared more casual and wild with fine vines and broad foliage blending them into the surrounding trees as compared to the neatly builts houses for humans. If it weren��t for the man-made staircases, doors, and the exquisitely crafted signs hanging on the tree branches, perhaps no one would believe that this was a town. One might even believe that one had stepped into a strange woodland.


    Rhode��s group attracted a lot of curious gazes. After all, seldom would there be a group of travelers who visited such a desolate place. A glance at Rhode��s beautiful face and his pitch-black noble attire was enough to see his extraordinary imposing manner. Moreover, the little mermaid swimming in the water ball and Anne, who carried an eye-catching huge shield at her back, were equally eye-catching. This trio was capable of attracting the attention of the bustling city crowd, let alone this remote place.


    Compared to the trio, Lize, who was clad in a Cleric robe, didn��t seem as conspicuous. But this was what she wished for too.


    Although the Half-Elves loved liveliness, they weren��t as fond of joining in the fun as the humans usually did. This was why most of them simply laid down their work and gazed curiously at them while children followed them and chased the little mermaid playfully. The little mermaid appeared a little tense, but she didn��t hide from them too much. After all, she had slowly gotten used to the life of being surrounded by everyone.


    ��Anne, it will be the territory of the Country of Law from here onward. You must be obedient and not stir trouble like just now, do you hear me? This isn��t the Munn Kingdom anymore. I will not be able to rescue you if they capture you and you will need to be kept in the water jail forever.��


    ��Anne knows, Leader. Don��t worry, Anne will be fine.��


    ��I hope so.�� Rhode twitched his brow and headed deeper into the small town.


    The biggest difference between Blackberry Town and other human small towns was its serenity and peacefulness. The ��liveliness�� of the Half-Elves equaled the tranquility that Anne and Lize who came from the human city had experienced. Although there were many shops in the small plaza under the shade-giving foliage, they couldn��t hear bustling bargains and loud chattering as they did in human markets. The shop owners lined their merchandise neatly on their stall while the consumer picked their choices before asking the price and making payment. The entire process was engaged quietly where one couldn��t hear any grumbles of unreasonable prices.


    ��This is your last chance if you want to buy anything.�� Rhode said to the group. ��The money we have on us will be useless after we entered the Country of Law, so if you want to spend on something meaningful, it will be here.��


    ��Eh?�� Anne tilted her head. Although she had heard from Rhode about the social custom in the Country of Law, she didn��t expect something as unimaginable as this. ��Useless? Why?��


    ��Because the Elves aren��t mindful about money. The gold coins in our possession aren��t in circulation in the Elf Dominion. Elves don��t like gold coins and commercial trades and they would rather barter instead. But even bartering is uncommon among them because they basically don��t have many desires for anything.��


    ��Eh��?�� Anne puckered her brows instantly. ��What if Anne wants to eat and sleep when we��re there?��


    ��Seldom are there people allowed into the Elf Dominion. Even if one enters, the Elves have specialized stations to serve the guests, so you don��t need to worry about that. But if you want to purchase anything inside, the Elves will see if you have anything interesting in exchange for it.�� Rhode paused for a second and swept a glance at Anne with a smirk. ��By the way, the Elves are rather skilled in crafting accessories.��


    Indeed. No matter how different Anne��s mentality was, she was still a girl nonetheless. Her eyes brightened instantly. ��Really? Anne wants them if they are really good�� By the way, Lize, what do you want to have?��


    Anne turned around and asked Lize who was standing behind her. Lize lifted her head blankly and came to her senses abruptly. Then, she waved her hand. ��Ah, there��s nothing that I want, Anne����


    ��Eh��? How boring,�� Anne pouted and skipped to Rhode��s side to wrap her arms around his. ��Leader, Anne thinks that Lize will suit some beautiful accessories, like����


    ��There��s no need!�� Lize exploded in anger, shattering the serenity of the entire place, and startling everyone. The little mermaid widened her eyes in fear and leaned onto Rhode while Anne turned around in astonishment and gaped as she looked at Lize. Rhode puckered his brows slightly and faced the young lady.


    Sensing everyone��s gazes, Lize finally realized what she had just done. She hurriedly lifted her head and waved her hand. ��S-Sorry, Anne. I didn��t mean to�� I�� I��m just feeling tired from the traveling�� Sorry�� I didn��t mean to����


    ��Okay! It��s nothing, Anne is in the wrong,�� Anne went up to Lize and held her hand. ��Sorry, Lize, Anne shouldn��t have disturbed you. Let��s go find a place to rest for a while. Anne also wants to have a good sleep.��


    Lize lowered her head guiltily and a depressed glint flashed in her eyes, but no one realized it.


    ���� Okay�� Sorry, Anne, I really didn��t mean to���� Lize murmured.


    The group had lost their interest in shopping after the incident and they entered the only inn in the small town. Then, Lize mentioned that she was feeling unwell and she locked herself in her room. Even though Lize didn��t reveal the reason, the people around her knew that she had been behaving peculiarly.


    ��Leader�� What��s wrong with Lize?�� Anne tossed an apple from hand to hand and displayed a worried expression. ��Is she sick? If Anne knew she was sick, Anne would have been quieter����


    Rhode didn��t answer. He sat by the table and gazed out the window with furrowed brows. It was evening and the sun had gradually sunk beneath the horizon. As nighttime arrived, the moonlight grass displayed its amazingness. The night-active plant lifted its head and its semicircular flower bud blossomed slowly to reveal a luminous radiance that illuminated the dark land. However, Rhode wasn��t in the mood to admire the view now. Rhode felt that something was off ever since Lize tagged along in the journey. Lize wasn��t one who would take initiatives or was unyielding. Besides, she had also behaved strangely during the journey. Although Lize was reserved and gentle, she wasn��t one who had little to say. Ever since they left the Land of Atonement and headed into the Country of Law, Lize spoke little and responded absent-mindedly to Anne and Rhode as though something had been occupying her head.


    Not only that, but Rhode also realized that Lize had been strangely engrossed in her performance during the battles on their way here. It was unlike her usual self at all. It almost felt as though she was rushing into battle with Bubble��s reckless mentality.


    Rhode had tried speaking to Lize a few times, but she kept finding excuses to avoid him. Rhode thought that this was the follow-up effect of that incident. However, it seemed that the situation wasn��t as simple as he had thought. Lize wasn��t petty and narrow-minded, so her sudden burst of anger left Rhode on high alert. He had had several relationships with young women and he knew an honest and submissive girl like Lize would turn out the scariest after she exploded in wrath because it usually meant that she couldn��t tolerate something anymore. Moreover, she would be capable of doing anything cruel after losing her rationality and control over herself. On the contrary, a cheerful, outgoing young lady like Anne would only last no more than three days even if she flew into a terrible rage.


    Rhode couldn��t find a good counter-solution at the moment. ��All in all, Lize doesn��t seem to be in a good mood recently, so you��d better stay quiet.��


    ��Okay,�� Anne nodded obediently. Then, she revealed a concerned look. ��Leader, for some reason�� Anne feels that Lize is a little scary�� Anne is afraid of this Lize����


    She��s indeed a Half-Beast. She must have sensed the danger emanating from Lize.


    ***


    ��Sorry to keep you waiting.��


    The inn owner moved his round body and approached them with a smile. He widened his eyes in astonishment at the little mermaid floating beside Rhode before shifting his attention to Rhode. ��Would you like to have something? We have local, freshly made wine, grilled fish, and blackberry bread, which are our well-received specialties. I��m sure everyone will enjoy it.��


    ��Bring us all your signature dishes. If they aren��t enough, we will order some more,�� Rhode said after gazing at Anne��s big, round puppy eyes.


    The owner looked blankly before revealing an even more passionate smile. He turned around and instructed the waiter softly. The waiter scuttled away while the owner stood on the spot. He turned back and gazed at Rhode and Anne. ��May I ask where are you heading to?��


    ��We have some matters to attend to in the Elf Forest,�� said Rhode.


    Rhode wasn��t mindful of the owner��s bold enquire. He knew that most of the Half-Elves gathered here in the outer region of the Country of Law had contact with the Elf Dominion. As the Elf Dominion strictly limited entry of races other than Elves and Half-Elves, anyone who appeared in the border of the Country of Law and was heading into the Elf Dominion would be reported secretly to the internal department of the Elf Dominion and the Elf Dominion would decide if they would grant entry to the visitors. This location was a remote small town and their purpose for coming here was self-evident. Rhode��s purpose wasn��t to slaughter or set fire to their homeland, so there wasn��t anything worth hiding since he wasn��t a Druid.


    ��I see,�� the owner nodded firmly.


    Shortly after, he revealed a hesitant expression and rubbed his hands together. ��Hmm�� Please pardon me if I sound rude. But I need to inform you that it will be better if you pick another route if you wish to enter via the Emerald Valley.��


    ��Are there any problems?�� Rhode laid down his wine glass and puckered his brows slightly. ��Could it be that the Emerald Valley has been sealed off?��


    ��That isn��t it, my dear guest,�� the owner smiled and shook his head hurriedly. ��Recently, the Chaos near the Emerald Valley has been spreading and evil monsters are wreaking havoc. So, I suggest a change of route if you decided to pass through the Emerald Valley.��


    I see.


    Rhode nodded and said. ��Then����


    Suddenly, a familiar notification rang and a system prompt he hadn��t seen for ages emerged before him.


    [Triggered Special Mission �� Perishment in the dark. Accept Mission?]

 Chapter 594 - Confused Heart (II)

    [Spirit Swordsman Advancement Special Mission �� Perishment in the dark]


    [You have touched the doors to the spiritual road and are about to enter a whole new realm to experience the spiritual test. Use your spiritual powers to eliminate the presence before your eyes and as long as you overcome this obstacle, you will receive new summoning powers��]


    [Requirement: Destroy the Mind Devil]


    [Mission Reward: 329,000 EXP. Talent Skill Level +1. Receive Advancement Ability ��Reflective Blade��. Skill Point +1. Activate one of the Talent Skills without using a Skill Point]


    [Mission Progress: 0%]


    Isn��t this ridiculous��


    Rhode let out a long sigh. He had suspected that there were some flaws in the game system. Normally, the game system wouldn��t respond when Rhode represented the Guild to accept missions, which made him believe that this was the difference between reality and the game. However, to his surprise, the game system would distribute some missions randomly. Apart from the Guild construction missions that were traceable, the other missions would pop up without any reason, which left Rhode somewhat annoyed. Although he could receive a lot of EXP from completing missions, the random occurrence of missions was similar to driving an uncomfortable old car that was close to being scrapped. The system didn��t distribute any mission to him when he wished for it, but when he didn��t ask for it, he would be forced to accept some random missions�� That didn��t feel good.


    Fortunately, Rhode wasn��t an OCD sufferer who had to accept and accomplish all missions before proceeding. If not, he wouldn��t have given up the ��Fiery Rose�� mission in the Fiat region. However, it was different this time. As the Spirit Swordsman Class Advancement Mission, it would be tremendously beneficial for him. The Talent Skill Level +1 would allow him to enjoy endless benefits because the skills in the Talent Tree couldn��t be increased further once they were maxed out. However, if he could complete this mission, he could forcefully upgrade one of the skills above its maximum capability by 1 level. Take the Taboo Halo, for example. Rhode could increase its effects to boost the summoned spirits�� offense and defense by 4 points, instead of 3 points in its maximum capacity. If he used it to strengthen the Legion Horn, he could decrease the amount of spiritual energy consumption by one-fifth.


    Rhode was familiar with the mission which required to eliminate the [Mind Devil]. It was a monster born between the cracks of Chaos. However, unlike most Devils, the Mind Devil didn��t possess powerful strength. Although it was a level 55 Elite monster, its physical and magical attacks were about the standard of level 30. However, it relied on its special technique��Mental Manipulation. It would capture those with weak willpower and enlarge the emotions and trauma in their hearts endlessly. The emotions would be materialized and used to engage in battle where even an innocent-looking rabbit would become terrifyingly powerful as an Elite Devil.


    Although this monster seemed hard to deal with, Rhode wasn��t afraid. After annihilating the Duke Fiend, the [Sisko��s Fantasy] equipment that Rhode looted would be effective against it. Even though the Mind Devil��s Mental Manipulation was a rare mental attack, it wasn��t high in level. After the Mind Devil lost the support of this skill, it would become as week as an Elite monster between level 30 to 35 and Rhode wouldn��t have any problems dealing with it. This wasn��t the first time Rhode faced such an enemy and he knew what its weaknesses was. Therefore, there wouldn��t be many dangers with sufficient mental preparation.


    Although the inn owner didn��t give too many descriptions about Emerald Valley, Rhode didn��t need to consider the possibility of other monsters emerging since the system mission had indicated that it was the Mind Devil.


    The monster wasn��t powerful and Rhode had the ability to go against it. The biggest problem for him now was candidates.


    There wouldn��t only be the Mind Devil in the Devastated Grounds, just like how there wouldn��t only be a BOSS in the dungeon without its critters. Rhode wouldn��t enter Emerald Valley alone because the situation would be dire if he expended most of his strength in dealing with the critters before facing the Mind Devil.


    Normally, Rhode would bring Anne and Lize along. Anne was straight forward and survived on instincts which would be effective against the Mind Devil. The Mind Devil was an expert in facing enemies with clouded minds and would be helpless against a Half-Beast like Anne who relied on instincts. Whereas for Lize, she wouldn��t be in huge trouble if she cast spiritual defenses using her spells.


    However, the situation was different now. Lize was acting really peculiar and her emotions had been fluctuating a lot recently. It would still be fine for normal battles, but for a battle that involved mental strength, it was hard to guarantee that Lize wouldn��t be bewitched by the Mind Devil.


    In the end, Rhode made his decision.


    After resting for a night in the inn, Lize seemed to have returned to normal. When Rhode exited his room and arrived at the hall, Lize and Anne were having breakfast. Anne presented a rare, quiet side of her and savored the delicious bread. She spotted Rhode and the little mermaid and she waved her arm cheerfully.


    ��Ah, Leader, good morning.��


    ��Good morning, Anne, Lize. It seems that you two had a great rest.��


    ��Good morning, Mr. Rhode.��


    Lize lifted her head hurriedly. Then, she lowered her head in uncertainty.


    ��I��m really sorry about yesterday����


    ��You don��t have to apologize to me. I was the one who didn��t consider the monthly troubles that every female has�� Sorry about that.��


    ��Ah����


    ��Hmm?��


    Anne tilted her head curiously as though she didn��t understand what Rhode meant. On the contrary, Lize looked with a little flush across her face as though she had a fever. She tried to explain, but she eventually lowered her head and quietly ate her food.


    ��Leader, what are we doing next?��


    Anne looked at Lize and shifted her gaze to Rhode obediently without skipping and clinging to his arm like she usually did. Rhode pondered for a moment.


    ��Lize.��


    ��Ah. Yes, Mr. Rhode, is anything the matter?��


    Lize laid down the utensils and wiped her lips with a handkerchief before standing up and pressing the creases on her clothes. Rhode nodded in satisfaction before sweeping a glance to Anne who was watching them curiously.


    ��You went back for a rest early yesterday, so you weren��t aware of the possible dangers on the route toward Emerald Valley. We heard from the inn owner that Chaos is wreaking havoc there, so we may not act according to plan. I have decided to bring Anne along to check on the situation. During this period, I hope you can purchase some supplies from the market, so we can have some suitable food for ourselves after we enter the Elf Dominion. Although the Elves don��t treat wild animals like how the Druids worshiped them, it will still get under the Elves�� nerves if we hunt wild animals under their watch. I��ll leave this matter to you.��


    ��Alright, Mr. Rhode. No problem.��


    Lize didn��t suspect anything strange. After breakfast, she left the inn and headed into the market. Anne always loved the bustling environment and she had almost gone along with her. However, unsure if she was held back by Rhode��s gazes or due to the conflict from the day before, Anne sat quietly beside him and awaited his orders.


    After confirming that Lize wasn��t within their sight anymore, Rhode placed the wine glass which he had been fiddling with on the table and stood to his feet, caressing the sword hilt by his waist lightly.


    ��Get ready to move out, Anne. It will be dangerous this time, so be prepared.��


    ��Yes, Leader. No problem!��


    Anne raised her shield and responded with a smile.


    This was the final solution Rhode had come up with. He didn��t wish to risk their lives by bringing Lize along. Considering her unstable emotions, and he felt that safety was the main priority. However, it wouldn��t be kind of him to leave her behind without giving a proper reason. This was why Rhode came up with this excuse to occupy her, while Anne and the little mermaid followed him into Emerald Valley. Although they would be without a Cleric��s support and healing, the little mermaid who had been by his side wasn��t just there for display. After experiencing battles along the way, Snow had leveled up several times and she currently had 8 Offense and 12 Defense, which was comparative to the high-defense Nether Tentacles. Moreover, the little mermaid had also learned quite a few support skills, which included ��Healing Rain��, ��Frozen Barrier��, ��Water Cell��, and ��Detoxify��. Even though these support skills weren��t as powerful as a Cleric��s, they had the upper hand on variety and were useful to a certain extent. Rhode was confident that the little mermaid could stand in for Lize��s absence.


    Emerald Valley wasn��t far from Blackberry Town. It took the trio two hours to arrive at their destination and the merciless, afternoon sun was at its peak. Exuberant trees spread across the Country of Law borders and Emerald Valley was no exception. Lush shrubs and forest could be seen everywhere, and the stream flowing along the river course. Normally, such scenery would be picturesque and magnificent.


    However, it was entirely different here.


    Chaos had eroded the edge of Order. The warm sunlight had become dark and dull. Even the bushes on either sides looked like pitch-dark nests as though monsters were hidden within. Turbid water flowed through the river silently like a thick layer of grease.


    ��Leader, is this the place?��


    Anne furrowed her brows. Rhode had told Anne everything about the Mind Devil along the way. However, she didn��t expect that the invasion of Chaos could actually turn such a beautiful place into this unbearable state.


    ��That��s right, we��re here.��


    Rhode nodded slightly and gestured to the little mermaid. The little mermaid revealed a cheerful smile and nodded with might. She swiped her tiny webbed hands to the side and a trail of light emerged in the water ball, releasing clear bubbles out of the water ball and cooled the sultriness. Then, specks of ice crystal crystallized around them and formed a translucent ice shield. Although the ice shield wasn��t as powerful as a Cleric��s protective barrier, it would still be useful in resisting ambushes.


    ��Let��s go.��


    Rhode drew the twin daggers from his waist in a smooth motion while Anne took down the shield from her back and the trio entered Emerald Valley.


    It was noon.


    ��Hu����


    Lize wiped the sweat beads off her forehead and gazed at the items she had arranged neatly before her. It was already noon and Rhode and Anne hadn��t returned yet. Lize felt ill at ease. She walked to the window and gazed out with complicated emotions. However, the view of Blackberry Town failed to assure the young lady��s anxious spirits. Rhode suspected that Lize had taken the initiative to join their journey into the Elf Dominion due to the complex emotions that she was feeling after witnessing Anne��s actions.


    Anne was an adorable, straightforward young lady with well-defined likes and dislikes, which were her good points. But now, they had become the reasons that Lize was worried the most.


    Lize had been observing along the way and tried to pluck up her courage to compete with Anne. However, the more she observed, the less confident she felt. She wasn��t as cheerful and outgoing as Anne, and she couldn��t disregard others�� opinions like Anne could. Lize wished that she could be like Anne��rely on Rhode. Wrap her arms around his arms. Speak to him casually about daily topics. However, she just couldn��t do it. Whenever she tried to, something from deep in her heart always stopped her.


    I want, but I don��t dare to.


    I can��t do it.


    It��s still the same now.


    Lize turned her gaze into the room with much more complicated emotions. Mr. Rhode brought Anne along to check on the situation and he left me here. Lize didn��t wish for this to happen. She didn��t want Rhode to be alone with Anne.


    She equally disliked having such thoughts, but��


    ��Why is Mr. Rhode not back yet����


    Lize murmured. After a few moments, she lifted her head firmly as though she had made up her mind. She looked out of the window once again, but this time, her eyes weren��t wandering worriedly anymore. She fixed her gaze on the indistinct mountain in the distance.


    If I wasn��t mistaken�� Mr. Rhode said that they were heading into Emerald Valley to check on the situation��

 Chapter 595 - Confused Heart (III)

    ��This is����


    Lize sucked in a deep breath. She immediately spotted the unusual environment. Everything before her eyes were emanating with unprecedented dangers. Her instincts were warning her to stay away from this dangerous region.


    What should I do?


    Lize stood by the entrance of the valley hesitantly. She had never entered any dangerous regions alone as a Cleric. In the beginning, she used to be incapable of doing it, but now, she didn��t have such a chance even if she wanted to. Even though she had learned quite a few battle techniques from Mini Bubble Gum, she had never done this before. Besides, she also knew the dangers of the spreading Chaos. The terrifying, lurking monsters might charge out from anywhere and everywhere. If she were to be encircled by the monsters, she would definitely have a hard time escaping. Besides, Mr. Rhode didn��t allow me to enter the valley. If I enter on my own accord��


    ��Argh����


    Suddenly, Lize heard a deep groan and she widened her eyes as soon as she turned around. Anne was covered in ghastly scars and blood everywhere as she leaned on a large boulder. The shield that had never left her side was nowhere to be seen.


    ��Anne?!��


    Lize shrieked in horror. She hurriedly cast a protective barrier on herself and bolted forward.


    ��Anne, what happened? Where��s Mr. Rhode? Anne?!��


    As Lize was about to arrive at Anne��s side, a burst of strong wind blew against her face and forced her to shut her eyes. In the blink of an eye, Lize opened her eyes and realized that Anne had vanished.


    ��Anne?��


    There was nothing before Lize except for the swaying shrubs. There were no signs of Anne as though she was never there.


    Have I been tricked?


    Lize was no longer the newbie from before anymore. She swiftly turned around and leaned back against the boulder. Then, she waved her arms and two protective halos spread apart with her in the middle. She felt much more relieved now. She puckered her brows and scanned the surroundings cautiously. However, nothing had changed. The entire river valley was equally silent. Although it felt like an illusion, Lize knew that she was like a butterfly who had flown into a spider web. If she didn��t escape sooner, she might be eaten. But��


    Lize turned her gaze to the entrance where she came from and it was replaced by dense, lush shrubs and forest. She frowned and extended her arm forward to cast a spell that could break the illusion. However, it was ineffective.


    I��m in trouble��


    Lize approached the dense forest. The densely packed tree branches and vines had interwoven. The hard shrubs on the ground and the entire forest seemed like a natural barrier and it was impossible to pass through. Lize touched the texture of the withered bark and she realized that it wasn��t an illusion at all. However, if it was real, how did it appear? Lize remembered that only the Elves were capable of manipulating nature. However, she didn��t offend any Elves. Besides, Elves wouldn��t lure her inside by creating an illusion of an injured Anne.


    Lize turned around and her heart sank. She had only been attracted by the scenery inside and when she turned around, she discovered that the environment around her had changed itself entirely. The valley was nowhere to be seen. It was replaced with an endless, dark forest surrounded by shrubs and vines. Apart from the indistinct path that led the way, there were no other ways.


    Is this an illusion spell or trap?


    Lize hesitated no more. She tapped on her earring lightly and the deep blue earring glowed warmly. Then, the invisible magical signal spread forward.


    ��Mr. Rhode? Mr. Rhode? Can you hear me? I��ve met with some trouble����


    ������


    No response.


    This Magic Transmission Device which Lapis made was only worn by the higher-ups of the Guild and it didn��t seem to work.


    It seems like the only way is to move forward.


    Lize hesitated for a few moments as she looked into the indistinct trail that led into the forest. In the end, she made a desperate decision.


    Lize didn��t think that her choice was right. But she had no other choice.


    Perhaps due to the dense trees blocking out the sunlight, the forest was strangely dark. Lize had to widen her eyes to see everything clearly before her. She didn��t dare to cast her illumination spell because she knew that it would attract trouble and danger. Besides, she wasn��t powerful as a Cleric. Although Mini Bubble Gum had taught her well and wholeheartedly, the differences in their personalities couldn��t be changed.


    After walking for up to two hours, or even longer, the dark space finally brightened and the surrounding tree branches and vines that resembled snakes became sparse. Lize hurried her footsteps toward the source of light.


    ��Hu hu hu����


    As Lize was about to step out of the forest, suddenly, a burst of chuckles sounded in her ears. She came to a halt abruptly and scanned the surroundings. At this moment, a figure in the forest caught her attention.


    ��Mr. Rhode?��


    Rhode��s back was facing her as though he was focused on something else. Lize yelled out in surprise and scuttled two steps forward subconsciously. However, she reminded herself of Anne��s illusion which made her fall into this situation. She didn��t wish to be had for the second time.


    Lize inched forward sneakily from the side.


    That is really Mr. Rhode.


    Lize was sure of it. Rhode seemed to be doing something there, but the dense shrubs had blocked her vision. Lize stepped forward and this time, she heard someone gasping for breath��a really familiar voice.


    However, everything revealed before her eyes before she figured out who it was.


    Anne laid on the ground without a single piece of cloth on her. Her beautiful curves were trembling. She let out satisfied and alluring moans. Rhode was thrusting this enticing, active body.


    ��Ah�� Leader�� So strong�� Anne feels so comfortable�� Leader��!��


    Anne lifted her head high and pressed her hands on the ground. Her legs were trembling and her twisting waist welcomed Rhode��s invasion wildly. Smack smack smack�� The collision of their bodies rang loudly in Lize��s ears. Lize stood blankly on the spot. Although she was standing by the edge of the shrub, neither Rhode nor Anne seemed to realize her presence. Rhode bent over and rubbed his hands around Anne��s soft, ample chest, at the same time biting her earlobe. Anne shuddered violently.


    ��Ah�� Leader. Anne likes you so much! Continue to like Anne more and more, Leader��!��


    Lize turned around and her head was in a complete blank. Although she knew that such weird things wouldn��t happen in reality, the immense stimulation forced her away. Even though she had turned around, she could still hear the resounding collision of their bodies and their moans. She couldn��t hold it in anymore and she darted away.


    ��Haa�� Haa����


    Lize came to a half after the voices had vanished entirely. She held onto the tree trunk for support and panted for air. Her heart was in a mess. That was just an illusion. Just an illusion. It wasn��t real. Although she kept telling herself that, she felt that her heart was about to explode as soon as she thought about that scene. Wake up, Lize. That��s the enemy��s illusion spell. Don��t be fooled�� Lize gritted her teeth and lifted her head. Then, she froze on the spot.


    ��Mm�� Mm����


    Canary poured her naked self into Rhode��s embrace. They kissed passionately and separated thereafter.


    ��Rhode�� How was it? My skills are still the best, right?��


    Canary glanced forward with a taunting look as though she was mocking Lize.


    ��No, you��re not. Rhode, it should be my turn next.��


    Lize turned around stiffly, fearing to witness the next woman.


    Marlene crawled up from behind Rhode and wrapped her arms lazily around his neck. She was also completely naked. Rhode stretched out his left hand and touched between her legs. Marlene closed her eyes and let out a satisfied moan. At this moment, Canary chuckled.


    ��How seductive, Marlene. Is this fine? Lize is watching from there.��


    ��Lize?��


    Marlene opened her eyes and turned toward where Canary was pointing. However, she hugged even closer to Rhode.


    ��So what? Just let her watch if she wants. Anyway, Rhode is the most important to me�� Mm�� Rhode, stop teasing me. Give it to me����


    ��That��s right. Lize won��t join us anyway, right?��


    Anne walked out with her usual smile. Like the other two young ladies, Anne was also fully unclothed and white, sticky liquid was flowing down her thighs from between her legs. She lifted her head high and gazed at Lize in disdain.


    ��Besides, she wouldn��t dare to do it. Leader belongs to us. Cowards should go away and stop annoying Anne from having fun.��


    ��S-Sisters, don��t go overboard.��


    Lapis licked her lips as she peeked her head out from behind Canary and enviously observed her interactions with Rhode.


    ��Lize also wants to join us, but she��s just not brave enough����


    ��No! I�� I don��t��!��


    Lize reacted as though she had regained her senses. She stepped a few steps back subconsciously and shook her head as though the world was collapsing before her very eyes.


    ��I-I��m not thinking of����


    ��How dare you lie. Anne knows what you��re thinking. Hmph, you also wish to crawl before Leader and sway your bum to satisfy him, isn��t it? Isn��t it normal for females to crave for males to mate? Anne hates people who act all high and mighty like you.��


    ��No! I have never thought of this before! I-I have never�� Never����


    ��You see, Anne. Didn��t I tell you that Lize wouldn��t have such thoughts? To her, we are just a bunch of animals craving for love and indulging in carnal desires.��


    ��No! Marlene, it��s not like that! I have never thought of it that way. I have never, never thought about that����


    ��Still trying to deny? What a stubborn little girl. But isn��t it better since she doesn��t wish to? We have one less competitor snatching Rhode away from us. That��s fine. Lize, go get yourself another man and stop annoying us. How about that?��


    ��I�� I�� No! I beg you girls! Don��t say that! I have really never thought of it this way!��


    Their every remark crushed her heart like an iron hammer. She shook her head in denial and screamed frantically. Lize didn��t dare to look forward anymore. She turned around to escape the horrifying nightmare.


    At this moment, a pair of gigantic, blood-red eyes came into view.


    And Lize��s conscious came to an end.

 Chapter 596 - Confused Heart (V)

    How strange.


    Rhode brandished his dagger and smashed a Chaos critter into nothingness. He couldn��t help but furrow his brows. They had entered Emerald Valley for about two hours and they should have covered half the distance by now. The spread of the Chaos here wasn��t that rapid and the critters that were tainted by the Chaos were low-level creatures which didn��t pose any problems. Although the journey had been smooth, the most crucial Mind Devil hadn��t been discovered yet. He suspected if his over-cautiousness had prevented the Mind Devil from showing itself. He had indeed felt traces of spiritual-probing slipping by him and Anne when they entered the valley. However, nothing happened afterward. Back then, Rhode thought that as long as they moved forward, the Mind Devil would surely strike for them. A human��s mental strength and thoughts were its best food and he believed that it wouldn��t let this delicious meal slip.


    But now, Rhode didn��t detect the same mental interactions from before as though the Mind Devil had lost its interest.


    Or perhaps I��ve behaved too prudently?


    Rhode let out an inward sigh. Of course, he couldn��t be blamed because the Mind Devil focused on mental attack, which was unlike magic or any other physical attacks. Rhode certainly didn��t wish to be outplayed by it, which was why he acted more cautiously. But now�� What��s going on?


    Rhode didn��t believe that the Mind Devil would obediently wait for someone to annihilate it. If that was the truth, Rhode would have a much easier time and it would be as easy as having a meal to fight a level 30 BOSS that didn��t use any mental attacks. However, Emerald Valley wasn��t a path that would lead to a dead end and the Mind Devil naturally wouldn��t be waiting at the end�� Rhode had even considered tricking the villagers into being bait for the Mind Devil.


    ��Leader, something isn��t right.��


    Anne said and Rhode came to a halt as he had also sensed the unusual environment. Thick white fog was spreading and enveloping everything. It was so fast that they almost couldn��t even react in time.


    ��Stand beside me, Anne. Hold my hand and don��t let go!�� Rhode yelled out.


    Anne nodded hurriedly and grabbed his hand�� At this moment, the fog shrouded them completely.


    ��W-What is this? Leader?��


    Anne gazed curiously at the murky smoke that had masked their vision of everything within two meters of their sight. If they weren��t holding hands, they wouldn��t be able to confirm each other��s position. However, the duo didn��t stop moving forward.


    ��This isn��t fog.��


    Rhode swept glances around him. He didn��t feel any water vapor from it and the little mermaid��s skill failed to disperse it. This proved that the fog was just an illusion to conceal their vision.


    Rhode took large strides forward while holding onto Anne��s hand. In the white fog, no one could verify time and distance accurately. However, Rhode continued to move forward regardless until the fog disappeared before his eyes.


    ��This is����


    Anne widened her eyes in astonishment. It wasn��t the picturesque scenery of a valley. Instead, it was a long, dozen-meters wide corridor with a pitch-black ceiling. Tall, round pillars of stone lined along the corridor supported the dome. Anne turned back and realized that the path that they had come through from turned into an ice-cold wall.


    ��Hu����


    Rhode let out a long breath, but Anne didn��t know if he was relieved or felt helpless.


    ��Alright, we��ve found it, Anne.��


    ��Eh? Is this the ��something Devil�� that Leader mentioned?��


    Anne turned around in surprise and Rhode nodded firmly.


    ��That��s right. The place that we��re in now is a mental world created by the Mind Devil and as long as we walk into the core of this world, we can find that fella and annihilate it. It��s that simple, but����


    Rhode paused for a while. At this moment, he was rather doubtful of the situation. It wasn��t strange of the Mind Devil to call upon a mental world, but neither of them seemed to be affected by it at all. As for the little mermaid, Rhode could understand her every action since she was his summoned spirit and there weren��t any signs of her being attacked mentally.


    However, this phenomenon didn��t appear to be an ��illusion spell�� used by the Mind Devil when capturing prey. Instead, it was a true mental world, which was the most powerful part of the Mind Devil. Although it had weak strength, it could materialize its prey��s mental world and receive powerful strength from it. Or perhaps, the Mind Devil wasn��t powerful itself, but it could borrow its prey��s mental strength to create such things, which was the most terrifying.


    But this was where the problem presented itself. Whose mental world did this belong to? Rhode wasn��t affected by it and it was impossible for Anne to have such a strange mental world. The mental world was built from the deepest scenery in one��s heart and it wasn��t possible that Anne was interested in such quiet and lifeless buildings. But now, it meant that someone had been affected by the Mind Devil, which was why this mental world existed. But who exactly was that?


    ��Let��s go. Be careful.��


    Rhode shook his head and beckoned.


    The stone corridor seemed never-ending. Rhode scrutinized the view as he sought out some features of the mental world owner. However, what took him by surprise was that this mental world wasn��t as simple as it seemed.


    This corridor resembled those in lofty palaces and the Church. As a matter of fact, the spotlessly white, round pillars and oval dome proved this point. Moreover, the dignified and gorgeous floral patterns added a bit of a solemn atmosphere to this place. Rhode��s first impression of this place was that this was a mental world which belonged to a serious and noble person.


    Yes, that��s right. First impression. However, it was entirely different after he scanned the details.


    And the reason laid in the statues on the round pillars.


    In the Church, these statues were Angels carved on the round pillars. They widened their arms and spread their elegant wings apart, posing magnificently. However, the statues on the pillars were rather�� Hmm�� How should I put it��


    Rhode turned his gaze away from an Angel statue that was hugging the round pillar tightly as though it was ��rubbing it for electricity�� to the other end. Another Angel statue that had her hands rubbing her chest and legs tightening with each other while exposing an infatuated expression�� Yes�� This is�� How should I put it�� In other words�� Undignified. Yes, really undignified.


    Compared to the stern, elegant patterns on the corridor, the statues were frivolous and obscene, which was unbearable for Rhode to look at. On the contrary, Anne made a big fuss.


    ��Woah, Leader. Those two are hugging in a weird head to leg position. How strange!


    ��Woah, Leader. Her legs are wide open. What is she doing, anyway?


    ��Woah, Leader. That statue��s legs have split into a straight line.


    ��Woah, Leader. Look at that����


    Rhode felt that he had made a great decision in bringing Anne with him. If it were Marlene, Canary, or Gillian, perhaps they would be so embarrassed that they couldn��t even move. Even Rhode couldn��t bear to lay eyes on the ridiculous statues. After all, they were far worse than those movies prohibited for under 25 years old. Rhode had seen lots of adult movies on the web, but he had never seen such creative poses. If this happened in the game, he would surely record them down and show it to everyone. It would definitely cause an uproar and possibly change human views on sexual positions.


    Fortunately, there was still an end to the corridor where a heavy wooden door presented itself. Rhode stepped forward without hesitation and pushed it.


    A round hall, which wasn��t as indecent as the corridor, revealed itself. The entire hall was spacious and tidy with a round fountain in its middle. Clear spring water sprayed from it and covered the entire hall while plain, simple black and white stone stelae were erected in the surrounding.


    As Rhode and Anne stepped into the hall, a voice sounded in their ears.


    ��You��re finally here, Mr. Rhode.��


    ��Lize?��


    Rhode and Anne lifted their heads to the source of the voice. They widened their eyes in astonishment.


    Lize stood above one of the black stelae. However, she was totally different. Her smile wasn��t as warm and she lifted her chin to look down at them with a proud, arrogant smirk. Not only that, but her dressing was also shocking. She wasn��t wearing her usual Cleric robe. Instead, she wore an extremely revealing two-piece leather clothes that covered her most feminine parts like a set of bikini. She also wore long boots and black leather gloves that extended to her elbows. Lize lashed the whip in her hands and gazed at Rhode.


    ��I��ve been waiting for you, Mr. Rhode. Ah�� You��re finally here. I thought I had to wait for you forever. But now, you��re finally by my side. Fate has proven that you��re eventually mine and you can only return to me�� Huhuhu. Come, Mr. Rhode. Come to me and follow my orders. As long as you��re willing to, I��ll give you the paramount award in this world. You shall indulge in never-ending happiness and become my most loyal servant forever!��


    ��L-Lize?��


    Anne shrieked in horror.


    ��What are you doing here? And why are you dressed like that? You����


    Lize��s expression darkened and she lashed out the whip at Anne.


    ��Shut up, you bitch.��


    ��Huh��? Huh??��


    ��You thought that I was unaware? You oestrus bitch are always pestering Mr. Rhode for his attention to satisfy your shameless desires. Hmph. How daring of you. Let me tell you clearly. Mr. Rhode belongs to me. Don��t touch him with your dirty hands, or you��ll be sorry!��


    ��Ah����


    Anne was left speechless. Then, at this moment, Rhode disappeared in a flash and two blade rays emerged beside Lize, striking for her neck. Lize instantly sprung back and lashed her whip forward, colliding with Rhode��s twin daggers. Then, she somersaulted backward using the recoil and landed steadily on another stela. But this time, her face had distorted.


    ��Mr. Rhode, how can you attack me because of this bitch. I��m really disappointed. It seems that I must teach you a lesson�� I must make you mine and you will listen to all my orders. This is your duty as my servant! I will make you understand this!��


    Then, Lize vanished in the blink of an eye.

 Chapter 597 - Confused Heart (VI)

    Rhode furrowed his brows and shook his head slightly at Lize��s disappearance. Then, he landed back on the ground and realized that Anne was looking at him with a pale complexion.


    ��L-Leader, did Anne�� Anne do something that Lize dislike? Why����


    The innocent and cheerful young lady appeared really depressed. Her body was trembling slightly as she clasped her shield as though she would fall without this support. Rhode had rarely seen Anne behaving in this manner. However, Rhode understood why she felt this way. After joining Starlight, Anne had the closest relationship with Lize. Their relationship had always been great and Anne was always the one responsible for protecting Lize and her subordinates. They had never quarreled. But now, it was no wonder that Anne suffered such a huge blow after Lize had berated her. Anne was innocent but wasn��t a dummy, after all. It was apparent that Lize had some opinions about her.


    And this was where it hurt Anne the most. A close friend who had always been with her suddenly fell out with her and treated her as worthless. Such humiliation and insult far exceeded the abuse from strangers.


    ��No, Anne. This isn��t your fault.��


    Rhode had to diminish the thought of chasing after Lize after looking at Anne who was as though a puppy abandoned by its owner. Anne was in an unstable condition and Rhode didn��t expect this to happen. If he didn��t resolve the bewilderment in her heart, the Mind Devil would capture her weaknesses and worsen the situation.


    Fortunately, it was much easier for Rhode to console Anne than Lize.


    ��Although that person you saw was Lize, she actually wasn��t Lize at all.��


    ��Anne doesn��t understand����


    Anne lifted her head and gazed at Rhode with tears welling in her eyes.


    ��You do remember that the Mind Devil doesn��t have powerful strength, which is why it will manipulate the willpower of others and use their mental world as a battle weapon, right? I told you about it plenty of times along the way.��


    ��Yes����


    Anne nodded and wiped her tears to listen attentively. Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he positioned in front of her and continued.


    ��But, if that monster traps us by materializing other��s mental world into physical form, how is it possible for it to manipulate the person to attack us? For example, let��s say you��ve been affected by the Mind Devil��s attack and I��m trapped in your mental world. Will you still attack after you realized it��s me?��


    ��Of course not!��


    Anne shook her head with all her might.


    ��Anne will never, ever lay hands on Leader. No matter what the monster does, Anne will never do it!��


    ��That��s right, you wouldn��t. But that monster naturally wouldn��t act in accordance with your intentions. It will cast a series of illusions before you and in the illusions, I will betray, hurt, or abandon you. In other words, you will see every scenario that will make you hate me. As long as your mind is swayed by it, the monster will take advantage to control your mind to reach its goals.��


    Rhode lifted his head and gazed at the oval-shaped hall.


    ��Just as you��ve thought. If Lize knows that we��ve entered her inner world, she will not destroy us. But before that, the Mind Devil must have shown her something to sway her mind and it seized the chance to enter her mind and magnify her negative emotions. It is as though a simple, harmless joke turning into a humiliating, shaming, or even vengeful insult under the Mind Devil��s instigation. Her subconscious will instinctively drive out or eliminate the things that make her feel painful and unbearable. And we����


    Rhode pointed at himself and to Anne.


    ��Have become the subject of her anger. This is why the Lize that you saw wasn��t the real Lize. She was just a phantom created by the Mind Devil. Besides, didn��t you realize��?��


    Rhode shrugged and spread his arms apart.


    ��If that was the real Lize, do you think she would be able to dodge my attack?��


    ��Ah����


    Anne widened her mouth in enlightenment. She gazed at Rhode with glinting eyes. Indeed. Anne also knew the strength of her companions. If that were the real Lize, she surely wouldn��t be able to dodge Rhode��s attack and retreat swiftly without casting any spells.


    ��So, the phantom is simply a puppet who resembles Lize only in appearance. You have to remember that we are currently in Lize��s mental world controlled by the Mind Devil, so the Lize who appears here isn��t real. She will think of all ways to make you suffer in pain and the Mind Devil will manipulate you if you take her words for real. You should trust your friend, Anne. You know how Lize is. Do you think she is a shrew who would hurl abuse at her friends?��


    ��Of course not!��


    The uncertainty and sorrows showing on Anne��s face had faded completely. She shook her head firmly and raised her right fist, displaying a brilliant smile at Rhode.


    ��Anne believes Lize. Lize isn��t someone like that!��


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction and patted her shoulder.


    ��Let��s go.��


    In fact, Rhode had only told her half of the truth.


    That Lize was indeed extracted from deep inside her heart by the Mind Devil. However, the Mind Devil could only manipulate her mind and couldn��t create something from nothing. As a matter of fact, the phantom wasn��t as simple as a puppet controlled by the Mind Devil. It was born from the deepest parts of Lize��s spirit and mind and its performance was the manifestation of Lize��s will. In other words, Lize actually detested Anne deep down. However, Rhode felt that this was ridiculous since Anne and Lize always had a close relationship together. Besides, even though Anne might be lively and playful, she was never disruptive. This shouldn��t have caused Lize to have such thoughts about Anne at all. Also, the phantom��s last sentence��


    I didn��t expect Lize to be a hidden sadist��


    At this moment, Rhode finally understood the saying that was passed down from the ancestors. One may know another for a long time without understanding their true nature.


    If this was a game, Rhode and Anne would be facing a never-ending maze filled with side-roads and dead ends. They might need to eliminate many monsters and increase their levels before facing the BOSS. Fortunately, Lize��s mental world wasn��t that complicated. Her mind was like a magnificent, massive church without several perplex pathways and confusing maze. However, this didn��t mean that their road ahead would be easy.


    Shing!


    Rhode dodged the slashing blade from the statue. At the same time, Anne leaped forward with her shield. She struck the statue and crushed it into exploding bits. The statue flew off and shattered into fragments on the ground, damaging the flawless marble ground. Another Angel Statue leaped down from the stela and slashed her sword. However, a thick, ice wall prevented it from hacking further. The little mermaid had spread her tiny arms apart and the water ball rippled to the surrounding. Then, ice blades shot out from the water ball and struck the statue, sending the Angel Statue to the ground. As it crawled to its feet, Rhode emerged sneakily and slashed it into chunks.


    The decorative statues had become their only enemies along the way. Besides, perhaps due to the words that ��Lize�� had said earlier, the statues were mainly headed for Anne. Fortunately, the statues weren��t powerful in strength and Anne was capable enough to deal with them. Moreover, with Rhode and the little mermaid around her, she wasn��t in any form of danger.


    ��In front of you!��


    Rhode gazed at the gorgeous, dignified door ahead after eliminating another statue. Anne and the little mermaid nodded with might. The little mermaid extended its arms and chilly aura emanated from her water ball to form a halo which extended in all directions. Shortly after, the ground beneath their feet froze and formed specks of hoar frost. The statues that had entered the halo slowed down slightly. Even though the little mermaid��s containment of the statues was next to nothing with her current level, this instant was more than enough for Anne.


    Anne took half a step forward and swung out her shield which swept forward like a gigantic boulder. At the same time, she stepped back and pulled back the handle and steel chain in her hand abruptly. Then, dazzling green elemental radiance glowed on her body.


    The large shield roared a violent whirlwind from the ground and engulfed everything in its path. The statues were drawn into it like filthy dust and their shattered fragments launched out of the whirlwind and smashed into the stelae and walls. Anne laid her hand down and the devastating whirlwind came to an abrupt end.


    ��Let��s go.��


    Rhode twitched his brows as he gazed at the destroyed place. Then, he turned around and headed for the white door.


    He opened the white door slowly and shortly after, a new location revealed before Rhode and Anne.


    But after taking a closer look, both of them were stunned.


    ������


    Rhode thought that he had seen enough things that had overturned his impressions after entering Lize��s mental world. But now, he was left speechless.


    ��It��s truly Mr. Rhode, indeed. It seems that the worthless crap out there was totally useless.��


    In the sacred hall filled with warm sunlight that had spilled through the roof, Lize crossed her legs and sat on the throne in the middle of the hall, wearing pitch-black leather clothes. She lifted her chin proudly and looked at her guests in disdain. Her dress wasn��t too different from when they met previously. The only difference was this time, Lize held a steel chain in her hands.


    The pitch-black steel chain drooped beside her and the other end of the steel chain was locked onto a scarlet collar that was attached on a young lady��s neck. The fully naked young lady was kneeling beside her with her arms bound behind her back and she could only lift her upper body upward. Her eyes were concealed by a black eye mask.


    ��I shall give you one more chance, Mr. Rhode.��


    Lize stood up and rested her arms on her waist.


    ��Surrender now and kiss my toes. Swear that you��ll become my possession. Obey me forever and I shall bestow you the supreme happiness in this world. I shall make you indulge in unforgettable happiness. Now! Get down on your knees!��


    Lize raised her voice and lashed the whip in her hands.


    ��Whereas for that slut beside you�� She has to leave. I��ve had enough of her. I feel disgusted every time I see her spinning around you like an oestrus bitch. You belong to me and not to that slut!��


    ��Sorry, I��m not interested.��


    Rhode gave a snort of contempt and chuckled.


    ��I��ve always loved to dominate women and have never preferred being dominated by them, especially when I��m unwilling.��


    ������


    Lize sulked. But, shortly after, the cunning smile returned.


    ��That��s fine too, Mr. Rhode. I shall satisfy you since you defy me�� Huhuhu. I feel so excited just imagining your groans and yells to my whips. That��s right. I love those eyes of yours. Those eyes that show rejection and disdain shall be conquered by me completely. Ah�� Just this thought makes me����


    Lize placed the whip between her legs and rubbed her upper thighs together. Then, she lifted her head with a little flush across her fair face. She drew out the whip between her legs slowly and translucent, thick liquid trickled down from its surface.


    ��Did you see it? Mr. Rhode, I��ve become like this just by looking at you. Would you like to have a taste of it? It is surely a kind of blissfulness which other females can��t give you, you know?��


    Lize shuddered and let out a chuckle. She lashed the whip in her hands heavily on the young lady kneeling beside her. The resounding sound of the whip echoed and left a ghastly scar on her fair delicate skin.


    ��Ah��!��


    The young lady let out a blood-curdling screech.


    ��Ah�� That��s right. It��s this voice. The kind of pleasure that creates a sense of supreme conquest! Mr. Rhode, I can��t wait to hear this voice of yours!��


    Rhode and Anne laid eyes on the young lady because they recognized her voice.


    ��L-Lize?��


    Anne stared unbelievably at the young lady. The kneeling young lady curled up after hearing Anne��s voice and struggled to cover up her naked body.


    ��Ahhh! Please don��t look! Mr. Rhode! Anne! Please, don��t look at me!


    ��Shut up, you whore!��


    the phantom grabbed ��Lize��s�� hair and pulled her up furiously.


    ��A whore like you likes it, isn��t it? Bare naked before others and eager for them to rape you! Look at your slutty self! How about it? Mr. Rhode is standing right there and looking at you. It seems that he is looking down upon you. Hmph, I guess Mr. Rhode isn��t aware that this adorable-looking young lady is actually such a filthy slut!��


    ��No�� Don��t say that�� Don��t say that����


    Tears flowed down Lize��s face and she shook her head in denial. However, she didn��t dare to resist.


    ��Was I wrong? You relied on your innocent appearance and tricked so many people. Actually, you wish that others would ridicule you, mock you, beat you up, and enjoy themselves by treating you like a toy. You derive thrills from these sufferings, am I right?��


    ��You��re wrong�� You��re wrong����


    ��Shut your mouth!��


    Smack!


    The phantom lashed out on Lize��s chest. Lize shuddered, but this time, her groans were somewhat flirty. The phantom let out a snort and threw her to the ground heavily. Lize gasped for air and trembled all over. At this moment, the phantom raised its right boot and stamped on her body.


    ��You see, Mr. Rhode.��


    The phantom spread her arms apart.


    ��This is Lize. She carves to be your pet and plaything. She��s a psychopath who enjoys a good beating and humiliation. Her pure, innocent looks are all fake. This is her true self. But I��m different. I don��t wish to be your pet. Instead, you should become mine! Only I have the rights!��


    The phantom lashed her whip once again and pointed to Anne.


    ��You, and that Canary, and the Half-Elf. All of you met Mr. Rhode later than me, so he belongs to me. You cheating bitches keep trying to touch my possession again and again. I will make all of you pay. Not only you bitches, but also the women who touched Mr. Rhode. I will punish them myself and make them suffer in pain forever and ever!��


    ��Haa����


    Rhode let out a sigh and drew out his dagger.


    ��Are you ready, Anne?��


    ��Anne is ready, Leader!��


    Anne nodded immediately.


    ��Anne will not forgive the Mind Devil for treating Lize this way!��


    Rhode glanced at Anne before shifting his attention back to the front.


    Not sure if she��s easy to convince�� or easy to trick��


    ��You��re asking for death.��


    The phantom sulked and the bright sacred hall darkened instantly.


    ��Mr. Rhode. I will make you my only plaything and you will stay with me forever�� As for you, cheating bitch�� I will turn you into fodder!��

 Chapter 598 - Confused Heart (VI)

    This battle wasn��t easy for Rhode.


    If the phantom possessed Lize��s actual strength, Rhode would��ve gotten rid of her in a split second. Although he wasn��t sure what the Mind Devil had done, it had magnified Lize��s mental strength and in her mental world, she possessed powerful competence and strength. It was due to this reason that Rhode and Anne didn��t have an easy time against her.


    From their previous encounter, Rhode realized that the phantom was a BOSS between level 60 to 65. Fortunately, the phantom didn��t have Lize��s strength and its speed, strength, and reaction was similar to the BOSS. Apart from that, she couldn��t use any special skills nor the usual spells which Lize used.


    However, the fight was still tough.


    Because Lize understood Anne and him too well.


    As a Cleric, Lize had always acted as the supporting role during battles and she naturally had to understand her companions�� battle styles. But now, her experiences had become Rhode and Anne��s deadly weakness. Even though the phantom couldn��t cast any spells, it managed to dodge Rhode��s fatal ambushes with its level 60 BOSS attributes. Not only that, but the phantom had also deflected Anne��s attack and healed herself.


    Clang!


    The ear-deafening crash numbed their ears.


    The twin daggers and the pitch-black whip collided, releasing countless sparks into the air. The phantom twitched her brow and let out a chuckle. Then, she swung forward with all her might. Rhode felt an immense might coming from the whip and he retreated decisively with a somersault. At this moment, a dazzling spiritual radiance exploded from the whip and streaked across the air, brushing Rhode��s clothes. Bam! The flat marble ground shattered with trails of ghastly damages and the powerful blast pushed Rhode forcefully away for up to 10 meters.


    ��Aiya. What a waste. You��ve avoided it again, Mr Rhode.��


    The phantom withdrew her whip and caressed it gently. She revealed a tyranny grin that Rhode had never seen before.


    ��But this makes it interesting, doesn��t it, Mr. Rhode? I��ve never seen you yelling out in pain. You��ve always looked like this: confident, like nothing can waver your spirit. But, what now? Do you think you can defeat me here? What a foolish thought. But I don��t care at all. You can try, Mr. Rhode. And I will let your taste the pain of failure and despair. By then, I will make you kneel by my feet and pray for my favor. Ah�� Just this thought is enough to send chills down my spine!��


    The phantom trembled as she spoke. She let out a soft moan and lashed the whip in her hands forward, breaking the sound barrier in the air.


    Rumble��


    A deep rumble like rolling thunder sounded. Then, the sky above him darkened instantly. He stepped back subconsciously and he disappeared into the shadow that expanded wildly. At this moment, a massive figure descended from above and landed before him.


    It was a massive, 3 meter tall Angel Statue. But, unlike the other statues, it didn��t have feathers on its wings. Instead, the wings were bare bones, moving like spider legs. It held a large stone hammer in one hand and a shield in the other, facing forward expressionlessly like a puppet. Frankly speaking, it indeed was only a puppet.


    There��s no end to this.


    Rhode puckered his brows. In this mental world, the owner of this space was the most powerful. Although the Mind Devil could entice, it couldn��t manipulate the mental world. This was why it borrowed this method to lure its prey and destroy the threatening enemies on its own accord. This process was also used to lure its prey into repeating itself and for self-recognition. There was a saying that a lie that was repeated thousands of times would become the truth, which was especially applicable in this mental world. If the Mind Devil continued to misguide Lize into thinking that Rhode and Anne were enemies which she must annihilate, Lize would be brainwashed into thinking that it was the truth. Even without the guidance of the Mind Devil, Lize would make the same decision and this phenomenon had already shown itself. Initially, there was nothing else apart from the phantom and Lize in this sacred hall, which proved that the Mind Devil could only manipulate the phantom in the deepest part of her mind. But now, with the appearance of other enemies, it showed that Lize was slowly repeating this knowledge and recognizing their existence.


    If Rhode didn��t get rid of the Mind Devil quick enough and release Lize from the mental world, Lize would take over the baton from the Mind Devil and destroy them while following the repeated process. When that happened, Rhode and Anne would be incapable of saving the situation. This was Lize��s mental world and in other words, it was a micro world where Lize was the God. In this place, nothing could stop her from doing as she pleased.


    Even after Rhode defeated the Mind Devil and released the mental world, it might also permanently affect Lize��s spirit and mind. There was such a setting in the game where there was a limited time for players to stay in the mental world. If the player defeated the Mind Devil in the given time and released the mental world, the victim would be safe. However, if the player exceeded the timing, the victim��s spirit and mind would be impacted due to the deep brainwashing by the Mind Devil. The victim could count themselves lucky if they were left in an unstable mental state after being released. Some might even become walking corpses or go crazy in worse case scenarios.


    Rhode didn��t wish to face such a situation, so he had to put an end to this battle as quickly as possible. However, meeting force with force wasn��t a great solution in the mental world. Lize didn��t know any swordsmanship and she used simple battle techniques to resist and attack Rhode.


    If it were others, they would be seeking death if they did that. However, this was Lize��s mental world and she held the most authority. Her strength, speed, and reaction were above Rhode, which was why even though the phantom used only the basic techniques, Rhode couldn��t deal with her easily.


    ��I��ll leave the statue to you, Anne.��


    Rhode said without turning around.


    ��I will get Snow to help you. Protect yourself well and it will be good enough to contain it. Don��t think about destroying it entirely, understand? Hold it back as far as possible away from me.��


    ��Anne understands, Leader.��


    Anne nodded. She raised her shield and stared at the statue. At this moment, Rhode activated his [Dark Dance] and in the blink of an eye, he blended into the shadows and bolted toward the phantom like a slithering viper.


    ����!��


    The Angel Statue detected Rhode��s movements. It raised its stone hammer and smashed it on the ground, sending a deep, deafening impact that shook and resounded in the entire sacred hall. The slithering shadow slipped past its stone hammer and struck forward swiftly. The Angel Statue lifted its weapon once again��


    Boom!


    Anne��s shield streaked across the air and crashed heavily on its chest. The Angel Statue flinched and forcefully stomped its feet on the ground. Then, it turned to face Anne.


    ��Come on, big guy!��


    Anne had no sense of fear at all. She smacked her shield loudly to taunt the enemy.


    ��Show Anne what you��re made of!��


    The Angel Statue lifted its stone hammer and brandished forward without hesitation.


    The shadow emerged.


    The crisscross blades flitted by the phantom and she sprung back to dodge Rhode��s attack nimbly. She displayed an arrogant smile and gazed at Rhode.


    ��Mr. Rhode, it��s useless no matter what you do. Isn��t it easier to be obedient? No, that��s fine too. It��s more fun for you to disobey me. Huhuhu. I like the way you are now, Mr. Rhode. Only will I feel the blissful happiness after dominating you this way. Resist all you want, but no matter how you resist, Mr. Rhode, you will eventually become mine.��


    ��I didn��t expect that you longed for me that much, Lize.��


    This time, Rhode didn��t launch forth another attack. Instead, he laid his daggers before him in a crisscross stance and gazed at the phantom.


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode. You��re too naive.��


    The phantom narrowed her eyes.


    ��I��ve always been by your side, but you��ve never known my feelings for you. Why? Why have you always been unwilling to respond to me? Forget it. It��s useless talking about it now because from now onward, you will become mine. You��re only allowed to live and die for me. You can��t hug other women other than me and you can��t do shameless things with them all the more! Your entirety belongs to me!��


    The phantom clasped the straight, stiff whip in her hands and bent it so hard that it cracked slowly. The corner of Rhode��s mouth twitched and he revealed a mocking smirk.


    ��I didn��t know that you��re so possessive, Lize. But it��s a pity that I don��t belong to you.��


    Kacha.


    The air around them froze instantly and it felt as though a thick layer of ice had enveloped the entire sacred hall. The phantom widened her eyes, bit her lips, and gazed at Rhode with a pale expression. Her ears revealed anger, hatred, and disbelief.


    ��What�� What did you say?��


    ��As for me, I don��t like to be controlled by a woman and I don��t belong to only one woman because I have too many women around me.�� Rhode spread his arms apart and revealed a prideful smile. He gazed at the ashen phantom. ��That��s why, I can only say that there are too many women who wish to have their share of me. Ah, I guess you knew about Canary already. After all, you��ve seen it with your own eyes that day. Whereas for Anne�� Yes, her body is nicer than yours, but she��s still too young for me. It��s not too late for me to enjoy her after she��s grown up. Oh, by the way, I guess you wouldn��t have expected this other woman, Marlene. We have had our wild encounter during the Midsummer Festival and she was extremely satisfied with my performances. It is too boring to be bound by only one woman����


    ��Shut your mouth!��


    The phantom bellowed and lashed her whip at the distasteful man before her. But this time, Rhode didn��t dodge her attack surprisingly. Instead, a glint flashed in his eyes and he brandished his daggers.


    Countless stars exploded in an instant. Specks of starlight connected to form an omnipresent ocean of light above them. The phantom was taken aback. She never knew that Rhode could use such a swordsmanship. Besides, Rhode came in strong this time and the powerful blade rays struck the phantom distinctively. At this moment, the phantom��s weakness in the lack of battle techniques revealed itself. She stepped back and swung the whip before her. Along with this motion, two spiritual rays flickered like razor-sharp blades that tore into the dense layer of stars.


    But Rhode was no longer there.


    On the left!


    The phantom turned around and defended with the whip. As expected, the black chain sword ejected forward and drew two mysterious arcs in the air. Although Rhode was exceptionally quick and his movements were mysterious, the phantom��s attributes were much higher than his and she swiftly lifted her whip to deflect the viper fangs that were about to tear into her neck.


    Clang!


    The pitch-black chain sword sideswiped the whip, but the phantom didn��t let this opportunity slip. She rotated her wrist and flicked the whip upward, striking the chain sword once again. This time, Rhode flung to the side after he succumbed to her immense force. The phantom let out a snort and took a step forward. Then, she came to a stop abruptly and desperately rolled to the side.


    Shing!


    The meteors brushed her cheeks and strands of her golden hair fell gently to the ground. She turned around and gazed at Rhode with an ashen expression. How did Rhode emerge behind her when he was just in front of her seconds ago? The phantom turned around and she had gotten her answer. Celestina held her thorny whip and looked at her with twitched brows.


    ��Ah, I forgot to introduce to you, Lize. She is also one of my women. Perhaps you��re also aware that she��s a Demon. Yes�� You said that you will give me happiness, but I got to say, I��ve received supreme enjoyment from Celestina. So, I don��t think I have to give up the entire forest for a single tree.��


    ��Master is right, Little Girl.��


    Celestina glared at Rhode and continued.


    ��I��m much more attractive than a little girl like you, isn��t it?��


    ��No!��


    The phantom��s facial expression distorted completely.

 Chapter 599 - Confused Heart (VII)

    Chapter 599: Confused Heart (VII)


    ��No!��


    The entire sacred hall shook as the phantom screamed at the top of her lungs. She lifted her head and glared fiercely at Rhode. Rhode had never seen such an expression on Lize��s face. It felt as though the herbivore had turned into a ferocious carnivore.


    ��No! Rhode��! You��re mine��! I will never let you go. You��re mine forever�� Forget it, it doesn��t matter even if I can��t win your heart. Having your body is good enough! You shall forever be mine and be my pet like that bitch over there!��


    She raised her whip and lashed out violently. The invisible sharp blade tore the air and struck one of Rhode��s afterimages. Then, a white radiance emerged before the phantom and transformed into a bolt of lightning that struck into her chest. The phantom let out a snort and took half a step forward, brandishing her whip.


    ��Dream on, Little Girl!��


    Celestina��s thorny whip arrived in time. It wrapped the phantom��s wrist tightly and halted her from moving forward. But it made the phantom even more furious.


    ��Get lost, you slut!��


    The phantom shook her wrist and lashed the thorny whip. Celestina felt as though a gigantic hammer swinging toward her and she hurriedly released the whip in her hands and expanded her wings to escape. However, the phantom��s body vanished in the blink of an eye and charged forward.


    ��Argh!��


    Celestina let out a horrified shriek. The flesh in her arms ruptured instantly and the powerful force penetrated her body like an enormous claw slashing from above and its razor-sharp nails tore her clothes. Her dark bat-like wings snapped like a fragile tree branch and the force threw her into the air like a tattered doll. She crashed to the ground heavily, crushing her usual arrogance. Every part of her body below her collarbone had been ripped apart with her skin turned over and blood splashing everywhere, tainting the white marble floor. Her body twitched, but she couldn��t stand up. The phantom disregarded her and struck toward Rhode immediately.


    Clang!


    The pitch-black whip collided with Starmark and sparks splattered in all directions. The immense pressure from above shook Rhode��s stance. At this moment, the phantom decisively lashed out her whip once more and in a loud_ clang_, Rhode��s Starmark flew out of his hands. This time, Rhode finally failed to withstand the force and he flung to the ground and rolled miserably. Before Rhode stood to his feet, the phantom had followed him closely. She gritted her teeth and gave a resentful look at the man. This was the third time she lashed out her whip with such a powerful might.


    However, she failed this time.


    Shing!


    Two spiritual blade rays struck out from Rhode��s sides and deflected the phantom��s attack. She had no choice but to retreat and dodge the daggers aiming for her neck and chest. Rhode used this chance and sprung up, laying the twin daggers before him in a crisscross stance to defend against her attack. But this time, Rhode revealed a strange smile.


    ��I haven��t finished my sentence, Lize. It isn��t a good habit to be too anxious.��


    Rhode stole a glance at Celestina who was gritting her teeth and crawling to her feet. Although she was gravely injured by the phantom and he had thought of withdrawing Celestina, he didn��t expect this proud Demon young lady would stop him. Even though he could forcefully withdraw her from battle as her summoner, he agreed to her request.


    ��I��ve just told you that I won��t be yours. But I haven��t finished my sentence. Have you forgotten? Lize? You belong to me, so I can��t belong to you.��


    ��What did you say!?��


    The phantom��s expression changed slightly and she weakened the pressure applied in her whip instantly.


    ��Have you forgotten what I told you before I left the Paphield front line, Lize? You��re my woman, just like Marlene and Canary. All of you only belong to me. But it seems that you��ve forgotten about it����


    ��No! I haven��t!��


    The phantom revealed a complicated expression. However, it lasted only for a second and she returned to her vengeful self.


    ��I can��t possibly share you with other women, Mr. Rhode. I want you to be mine only. I want you to speak and listen to me only. I want you to look at me only. I want you to stand beside me only. I don��t want to see you with other women! Never!��


    The phantom brandished her whip angrily. However, Rhode was ready for it. The instant she moved her arm, Rhode leaped up and dodged, landing on the other side cleanly. Then, he revealed a stern expression.


    ��I knew you would say that. But, whatever. Because I didn��t say it for you.��


    ��What�� What did you mean?!��


    The phantom��s movements stopped abruptly. She raised her eyebrows and gazed at Rhode in bewilderment.


    ��It��s simple.��


    Rhode spread his arms apart and turned to the throne. On the steps, the fully naked young lady chained to the steel chain like a dog had curled up her body and was trembling slightly.


    ��I��m speaking to the other Lize. I want her, and not you�� Lize.��


    ��What�� What did you say?��


    The phantom��s expression turned ashen.


    ��Am I wrong?��


    The corners of Rhode��s mouth perked up and he poked fun at her.


    ��I��m a man, Lize. What kind of woman does a man want to have? A man wants to have an obedient, submissive woman who will not be jealous of rivals and stay by his side forever and never betray him. So, isn��t the Lize over there more suitable for me? Just like you��ve said. She craved to be my pet and she would feel the thrill even if I insult her or beat her up, so isn��t she better? I don��t have to worry about her betraying or leaving me. Besides, I can tease her anytime I want. She won��t hate me for abandoning her after I��ve had my fun with her. Isn��t such convenience and fun better than anything else? What about you? You said I belong to you only, so wouldn��t I be the unlucky one if you were sick of me one day, Lize? Furthermore, you and her have the same body with different personalities. Since that is the case, what��s the difference between me enjoying her and enjoying you? I like Lize and I want her. But, I don��t want you�� Now, do you understand?��


    ������


    The phantom didn��t launch an attack on him instantly. She widened her eyes and looked blankly at the man. Then, her body trembled and a complicated glint emerged in her eyes��filled with astonishment, fear, anger, distortion, and hatred.


    ��Ah��!��


    The phantom hugged her head and yelled at the top of her lungs. The sacred hall shook violently as though an earthquake of 8 magnitude had struck, spreading cracks on the walls wildly. However, the phantom disregarded everything. She knelt on the ground and continued to scream.


    The gamble paid off!


    Rhode heaved an inward sigh of relief.


    This was Lize��s mental world and the two Lizes that emerged before them were two phantoms ��refined�� by the Mind Devil. Although the Mind Devil could misguide her, it couldn��t force or brainwash her into making decisions. This meant that Lize��s true consciousness had always been accepting information from the outside world through these two illusory ��terminals��.


    After entering the sacred hall, Rhode immediately realized that things were off, especially after witnessing the extreme cases of Lize becoming a masochist and sadist individually. He discovered another important factor. No matter which Lize it was, her dependability on him was really high. However, both of them performed on the other extreme end. The Masochist Lize would rather become his pet and follow around him while the Sadist Lize would rather treat him as a pet.


    No matter which Lize it was, they reflected an important point in Lize��s true willpower and that she wished to be with Rhode and didn��t wish to leave his side.


    And this had become the lethal weakness of the Mind Devil.


    The Mind Devil created these two extreme personalities to force Lize into a dead end. The Sadist would be for battle while the Masochist��s job was to humiliate. Just as the Sadist had said, the Masochist had the constitution of being abused, but when she realized that Rhode and Anne were watching her, the extreme humiliation made her escape instinctively and finally escape from her mental world as though nothing had happened. By then, the Mind Devil could happily take over Lize��s abandoned control and devour its prey entirely.


    But now, Rhode��s method had wavered the Mind Devil��s manipulation.


    He had chosen the Masochist which Lize felt shameful of and kept the Sadist out of the picture. And this time, even though her subconscious was being manipulated, she could receive the information from the two ��terminals��. This was what Rhode had been gambling on: Lize hoped to be with him, so she wouldn��t reject his advancements. However, he had clearly rejected the Sadist��s request and accepted the Masochist instead.


    So, how would Lize make her decision through knowing everything from the ��terminals��?


    If she truly wished to be by his side, there was only one thing that she could do now.


    And that was to expel the Sadist and destroy her entirely.


    And now, the current situation had proven that Rhode��s guess was correct. The sacred hall was crumbling while the Sadist knelt on the ground and yelled at the top of her lungs. Her body was deteriorating. Her fair tender skin was cracking wildly like a damaged wall. She clawed the ground like a crazy wild animal and rays of white radiance erupted from the cracks of her skin. At the same time, powerful mental strength had wrapped her up entirely.


    This was Lize��s mental world and she was the only presence in this place.


    And now, she was exterminating the phantom for the sake of herself.


    Which was irresistible.


    Suddenly, the mental powers enveloping the Sadist became pitch-black. At the very next moment, the pitch-black powers exploded into thick billows of smoke that shrouded the entire space. In an instant, the sacred hall, statues, Anne, and every single thing were gone. The only thing remained was the phantom in front of Rhode.


    It was dead silent in the pitch-black space.


    ��No�� No����


    The Sadist shuddered as she stood to her feet. She had returned to her usual self. She was no longer that powerful queen and was nothing more than an ordinary young lady. She looked at Rhode with bloodshot eyes, but she was less threatening than an exhausted kitten baring its fangs and brandishing its claws.


    ��I will not lose, Mr. Rhode. I will definitely not lose�� You��re mine�� You��re mine����


    How stubborn.


    Rhode puckered his brows. Lize was a stubborn person to begin with, and it seemed that this hadn��t changed no matter on which personalities. He thought that this stimulation would bait out the Mind Devil hiding behind the scenes, but it seemed that Lize��s extraordinary stubbornness had become a double-edged sword. On one hand, her stubbornness had stopped Rhode from breaking the Mind Devil��s cage quickly and on the other hand, her stubbornness was like a solid fence keeping the Mind Devil out. After all, the Mind Devil was only capable of inducing and didn��t have the ability to intervene directly. If Lize didn��t give up on her own accord, things would be troublesome.


    It seems that I can only resort to that now.


    Rhode knitted his brows as he gazed at the Sadist before him. This wasn��t the mental world of the true Lize. This was the ��space�� of the Sadist herself._ So, if I��m not mistaken��_


    Rhode disappeared in a flash and in the blink of an eye, he appeared before her.


    ��I��m not yours, Lize. Instead, you��re mine. And now, I will make you understand it.��


    ��You����


    Rhode lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers roughly.


    ��Argh�� Argh����


    The Sadist widened her eyes in bewilderment. She pushed Rhode��s shoulders away, but he didn��t budge. When she tried to bite his lips, he pinched her mouth and forced his way through.


    ��Argh����


    The Sadist struggled violently, but Rhode didn��t care at all. The Sadist had lost the support of its original self and she had the same strength as a normal human, which was no match for Rhode.


    ��Let me go! Mr. Rhode, don��t even think about����


    ��Sorry, I just had to.��


    Rhode grabbed her wrist with one hand while the other ripped apart the leather top covering her chest. Her soft round bosoms bounced and he grabbed them ruthlessly.


    The Sadist let out a painful moan, but even so, she glared fiercely.


    ��Don��t even think you can get away with it, Mr. Rhode. I��m not that perverted slut. Unless you agree to be mine, I will not let you do that�� Ahh!��


    Before she finished her sentence, Rhode had pushed her to the ground.


    ��You�� Stop�� You bastard. I will never�� Ahhhh!��


    A thick, warm presence penetrated and broke her defense mercilessly. The wild, violent thrusts disrupted her thoughts and she instantly lost her strength to resist.


    If this happened in real life, perhaps I��m considered a perpetrator already.


    Rhode let out a bitter smile inwardly as he gazed at the young lady glaring intensely at him with tears welled up in her eyes and her body twitching painfully to his pounding. However, Rhode didn��t pull any punches. This sadistic personality craved to dominate and not be dominated. As long as he broke her persistence completely, everything would be resolved.


    Making love should have been an enjoyment, but it had become humiliation for her. She fought to break free from Rhode��s restraint, but he pressed himself on her body and invaded her mercilessly. The pain from her lower body spread to her fingertips and a sense of numbness enveloped her entirety. There was nothing more suitable to describe Rhode in this scene as ��worse than a beast��.


    Her clothing had been brutally ripped off and her fair tender skin was scarred with bloody gashes while Rhode pushed her down like an irascible beast and disregarding her painful groans and screams, just to satisfy his own desires.


    ��I�� I will never�� surrender�� Don��t think�� that you can make me�� Argh�� I��m not that�� pervert�� You don��t����


    ��Although you said so, your body is reacting really honestly, Lize.��


    Rhode ridiculed softly into her ear.


    ��You��re also a part of Lize and you��re aware of it, right? She��s just like you and you��re just like her, isn��t it? Just like now�� Even though you said no, your body is still responding truthfully.��


    ��I-I��m not�� I��m not that kind of pervert�� No! That isn��t me�� Don��t think you can dominate me! I will never�� Ah�� Ah����


    Suddenly, she widened her eyes that were filled with unprecedented fears. She felt Rhode��s presence becoming bigger and stronger. Even though she didn��t understand why, she instinctively felt that danger was approaching.


    ��You can��t�� You can��t do that!��


    ��I can.��


    Rhode held her down and lowered his head with a dangerous smile.


    ��Didn��t you wish to be with me? Lize? From now onward, we will become one.��


    ��No! No! No! This isn��t what I wanted. This isn��t��!��


    Rhode entered into her deepest and spurted out the warm, slimy liquid.


    ��Ahhh!��


    She lifted her head blankly and extended her arms in despair. Specks of light dust slowly emerged from her body.


    Then, the pitch-black space shattered entirely.

 Chapter 600 - Confused Heart (VIII)

    Chapter 600: Confused Heart (VIII)


    The darkness that had shrouded everything receded. Rhode and the Sadist reappeared in the sacred hall again. She gritted her teeth and laid on the ground with tears welling in her eyes, gazing at Rhode in desperation. However, Rhode simply disregarded her and pressed down the creases on his clothes before walking toward the throne.


    ��Mr. Rhode. Ah�� Mr. Rhode��!��


    The Masochist bound by the steel chain attached to the throne stuck out her chest and turned to Rhode. Then, she stooped down like an obedient dog and rubbed her head against Rhode��s leg. ��Ah�� Mr. Rhode, I��m so touched that you��ve chosen me. I��m yours. My everything belongs to you. My body, my soul, my skin, and every single strand of my hair belong to you. No matter how you treat me and no matter what you make me, I will do it with all my heart. As long as you allow me to stay by your side, I don��t need anything else, not even my dignity. You can treat me as a bitch, a pet, or anything else. As long as you like it, I don��t mind being a tool to sate your lust!��


    ��Are you willing to do everything for me?��


    Rhode lowered his head and caressed Lize��s cheek. Lize shivered in excitement.


    ��Yes, Master. I��m your most humble servant. I will do anything that you ask me to!��


    ��Good. Now, I have something that I need your help for, Lize.��


    ��No problem, Master. What do you need me to do?!��


    ��It��s simple.��


    Rhode��s voice and merciless dagger pierced into her chest. The Masochist widened her mouth and the flickering dagger stuck in her chest emanated faint radiance. Scarlet blood flowed out of her wound, tainting her body and ground. She shuddered and opened her mouth to yell, but sucked in a deep breath of air instead due to the immense pain.


    ��Your suggestion is pretty attractive, but I��m sorry. I prefer the usual Lize, and not a pet who has lost its self-conscious and only knows how to beg for pity. If you��re my enemy, I��d be glad to see you behaving like this. However, as my companion, I don��t wish to wipe out your conscious.��


    Rhode stroked her cheek. It would be a lie if he apparently wasn��t moved by her words. Just imagine how arousing it would be for a close, beautiful young lady who had abandoned her pride and displayed a defenseless manner before one. It was especially so when she was ready and compliant and one could do anything to her without any follow-up responsibilities. This was exactly a man��s dream.


    But Rhode had no intentions of doing so.


    Because he understood Lize��s feelings and he had no need to deal with her using such a cruel method. Besides, he didn��t wish for such a Lize.


    Although this personality appeared harmless, Rhode had to kill her because these two personalities weren��t naturally created in Lize��s mental world. Instead, they were extreme personalities formed and misguided by the Mind Devil. If Rhode kept this personality alive, Lize would slowly draw close to it and grow into that personality. However, Rhode didn��t wish to see this happen.


    That was why this had become the only choice for Rhode.


    ��Wake up, Lize. The dream is over.��


    Rhode drew out his dagger.


    Blood spurted out from her chest and splashed into the air. The Masochist fell on her back and gaped, but she didn��t make a sound. Shortly after, specks of light dust emerged from her body and fluttered into the sky while parts of her transformed into a pile of sand completely.


    ��What a�� heartless human, Master����


    Celestina crawled to her feet and her wounds were slowly recovering. She ground her teeth and gazed forward. After Rhode murdered the Masochist, the Sadist on the other side crumbled and shattered into light dust simultaneously. Celestina lifted her proud chin and let out a snort.


    ��Humans have strong desires and these are the sins for us, Demons, to lure them into the trap. Desires that are too strong will only lead to destruction and this is the same for both Humans and Demons. However, Humans are incapable of self-control. They know that it is a glass of poisonous wine, but those idiots still fly into the flames bravely like moths. They abandon their rationality, all for the sake of their instinctive enjoyment. How foolish.��


    Celestina turned to Rhode.


    ��Frankly speaking, I thought that you wouldn��t make this decision. But it seems that you still pass as my master.��


    I see.


    Rhode twitched his brows to Celestina��s remarks. He was still wondering why she stayed behind despite her grave injuries. It was actually because she was observing his choice. Indeed. Lize with the masochist personality was indeed attractive and it was extremely difficult for a normal man to reject her advances. But even so, Rhode had chosen to annihilate her.


    ��Since I��ve seen the interesting ending, I shall return for a rest. I hope you will remember this, Master. Human sins and desires are extremely amusing, yet dangerous����


    Celestina gazed at Rhode with a complex glint flashing in her eyes before transforming back into a hovering summoning card. Then, the card flew to Rhode��s hand in a beam of light and he captured it subconsciously.


    But strangely, the card didn��t land in Rhode��s palm. Instead, it seemed to have maintained its summoned status and spinned non-stop. The pitch-black card emanated specks of magical radiance and the residual light spots in the positions where the two Lize personalities had died floated toward it. When the light spots arrived, the pitch-black card suddenly released dark ripples. The light spots responded and slowly gained shape. Shortly after, they transformed into equally pitch-black cards with scarlet pattern by their borders and appeared before Rhode.


    Celestina��s voice sounded once again in Rhode��s ear.


    ��Take this as a reward for satisfying me, Master. Be grateful in accepting it.��


    ��Leader!��


    At this moment, Anne��s loud voice sounded behind him. He turned back and saw Anne darting toward him with her raised shield.


    ��What happened? That huge monster suddenly shattered. What about Lize? How is Lize doing?��


    ��Lize is�� Be careful!��


    Rhode��s response turned into a warning. Anne rolled to the side swiftly and plunged her shield into the ground. At this moment, two dark tentacles struck the shield and the collision released glaring sparks. Rhode dodged to the side abruptly and brandished his daggers without hesitation. The dazzling blade rays instantly interwove into a net of light and shredded the ambushing shadow into bits.


    ��You��re finally here. I thought you would be hiding forever.��


    Rhode lifted his head and gazed at the sky in the distance. A pitch-dark round sphere hovered in midair and countless dark tentacles fluttered around it. Above the sphere was a pair of red eyes, which made the monster looked exceptionally strange. However, Rhode disregarded it and shifted his vision downward. He spotted his target. Beneath the pair of red eyes, the true Lize was there. The Mind Devil was devouring its prey slowly. If Rhode failed, Lize��s will would be affected deeper and deeper under the Mind Devil��s influence. In the end, her mind, will, and spirit would be devoured completely. When that happened, the Mind Devil would leave Lize��s body and seek for a new prey. Then, Lize would be dead.


    Hiss!


    It was apparent from the fluttering tentacles that the Mind Devil was exceptionally furious. But it couldn��t be blamed. Its delicious meal had indeed been disrupted by Rhode and Anne.


    Shing!


    The Mind Devil hissed and struck several black tentacles forward. However, they were no threat to Rhode and Anne at all. Without Lize��s mental strength, the Mind Devil was nothing more than a basic level 30 BOSS and for Rhode who had reached level 40 and with a swordsmanship standard that had entered the Legendary Stage, it was nothing hard for him.


    ��Anne!��


    ��Got it! Leader!��


    Anne raised her shield and threw it forward instantly, which deflected and tore apart the black tentacles. The Mind Devil instantly realized the source of danger and retreated desperately. However, Anne��s spinning shield was much quicker than it.


    Clang!


    The shield crashed into the Mind Devil��s body and it trembled violently. The powerful impact flung Lize out of its body and she fell toward the ground. The Mind Devil saw its escaping prey and it extended its black tentacles to recapture her.


    However, dazzling spiritual blade rays erupted in an instant and ripped apart the black tentacles nearing Lize. Facing this ambush, the furious Mind Devil released a dozen more tentacles toward the other direction.


    A meteor-like radiance shot out from the shadows and streaked across the darkness.


    Rhode emerged in the blink of an eye. He grabbed Lize��s wrist and dragged her out of the Mind Devil��s control. Then, he gazed at the Mind Devil with a smirk.


    ��You��ve had a hard time. But my apologies. This is the end for you.��


    The Mind Devil didn��t launch another attack on Rhode. Instead, it exploded into a burst of blood-curdling screeches because Rhode��s dagger had penetrated one of its red eyes.


    Kacha.


    Along with a crisp crack, the sacred hall shook violently. Rhode looked up and the ceiling had revealed ghastly lines of cracks. However, the fragments flew upward instead of falling to the surface. It wasn��t the azure sky that Rhode saw through the cracks of the ceiling. Instead, it was dazzling white. The glaring radiance spilled through the cracks and shone on the sacred hall, tearing the walls and ground like an incoming typhoon. The Mind Devil shuddered and collapsed under the bright radiance. The radiance shone increasingly brighter and pure whiteness shrouded the entire place. Then, Rhode felt a cold breeze blowing against him.


    The dazzling radiance blinded his eyes and when he opened his eyes again, the view of Emerald Valley appeared before him. However, Emerald Valley was no longer as dark and murky as before. The limpid, downward-flowing river refreshed his mind, the exuberant shrubs swayed to the wind, and the warm sun comforted him.


    ��Eh? This is����


    Anne widened her eyes in astonishment and touched herself. There were no signs of injuries and the shield in her hand was behind her as though both of them had just experienced a long dream. However, this was actually the truth. The mental world and reality was different. They might have spent a few hours in Lize��s mental world, but in reality, that was nothing more than 10 seconds.


    But Anne wasn��t too mindful of such details because someone was more important than the situation.


    ��Lize!��


    Lize was lying unconscious on the prairie. Anne yelled out and bolted forward. She shook Lize��s body to wake her up.


    ��Lize! How do you feel? Wake up, Lize!��


    ��Argh����


    Lize groaned softly. She opened her eyes and looked into the sky above vacantly as though she was lost in thought. Shortly after, she regained her focus and she was startled by Anne.


    ��Anne?��


    ��Lize!��


    Anne pounced forward and hugged Lize tightly.


    ��You scared Anne�� Lize, you��re finally awake!��


    ��Anne����


    Lize was at a loss and her expression stiffened shortly after. It was impossible for Lize to remember everything that had happened as she was being manipulated the whole time. It felt more like an indistinct dream to her. But the vague impression she had about this dream was enough to make her realize what she had done. She extended her trembling arm and hugged Anne dearly.


    ��Lize?��


    Anne gazed curiously. Lize hugged the young lady before her closely and shut her eyes. Tears escaped the corner of her eye.


    ��Sorry�� Anne�� Sorry, Anne�� Forgive me��!��


    ��L-Lize?��


    Anne was at her wits�� end.


    ��What��s wrong? You didn��t do anything that needs Anne��s forgiveness. It��s all that monster��s fault and the monster had been gotten rid of by Leader. Don��t worry, Lize.��


    ��Anne��!��


    Lize couldn��t hold it in anymore. She buried her head in Anne��s chest and burst into tears.

 Chapter 601 - Confused Heart (IX)

    As everything had happened in the mental world, no one was hurt physically. However, their minds were drained extensively��especially Lize��s. After experiencing that many stimulations in the mental world, her consciousness almost couldn��t hang on any longer. The threats surrounding Emerald Valley appeared to have vanished after the elimination of the Mind Devil. Rhode wasn��t in a hurry to continue their journey and he brought Anne and Lize back to Blackberry Town for the time being.


    Anne was seemingly obedient of Rhode��s advice. He told her not to take the fake Lizes�� words to heart and she threw the troubling matters to the back of her head. She looked after Lize along their way back as though nothing had changed. On the contrary, Lize was having a tough time responding to her concerns. Even though it wasn��t her actual self in the mental world, it was still part of her consciousness. It felt as though a drunk blabbered bravely and after he sobered up, he couldn��t wait to hide in a hole after realizing the embarrassing things that he had said. The situation was the same for Lize now. Although Anne believed that it was the monster��s fault, Lize knew it was otherwise. However, she was at a loss in responding to Anne��s genuine comforts, and it was almost as painful as when she was interrogated in the mental world.


    Rhode watched from the side and let out an inward laugh. No matter what, the main cause of this situation was that Lize disobeyed his orders and came to Emerald Valley. Therefore, she deserved a small punishment and since she currently wasn��t fit for ��physical punishment��, it was best to let her reflect upon herself using this ��emotional torture��.


    After returning to Blackberry Town, Rhode made Anne and Lize return to their room, while he informed the inn owner about the situation in Emerald Valley. The inn owner was delighted that the troubles had been eliminated. He received Rhode passionately and sent out men to check on the place. However, Rhode didn��t accept the inn owner��s cordial reception because he had something more important to attend to.


    And that was to check on the spoils of war.


    After leaving the mental world, Rhode received the corresponding system prompt for the mission accomplishment. After the Frozen Lake battle, Rhode had reached level 43. As his level increased, the EXP requirement for the next level also increased. Moreover, he had often led his team to accomplish lower-level missions in order to avoid unnecessary sacrifices of men, which led to him receiving insignificant EXP. Although the completion of this mission only increased his level by one, the additional EXP from defeating the Mind Devil was rather rewarding. In the end, he increased his level by two and reached level 45.


    Got to say, the Mind Devil was really ��useful��, apart from its annoying and lethal mental attack. If Rhode was immune to its mental attack, this monster would be nothing more than a level 30 BOSS, which was the best EXP grinding tool for players. Rhode would surely grind out the Mind Devil��s nest by himself for up to five days if it existed and perhaps he might even break through level 60 and transcend into the Legendary Stage.


    But it was a pity that the Mind Devil��s nest didn��t exist.


    However, Rhode wasn��t concerned about these small details at the moment. He extended his arm and two black cards emerged in his palm. They were the ��presents�� that Celestina had given him. They had the same black background and red borders as Celestina��s card. However, the pattern was totally different. One of them had a massive steel coffin and it appeared to be a medieval torture instrument. Its cover was opened to the left and right sides and revealed densely packed razor-sharp thorns within. Rhode turned the card around and a line of system prompt emerged before him.


    [Received the Seven Sins Deck 1/7. Artifact Card. Spell Card �� Lustful Maiden]


    [Lustful Maiden (Artifact Card Attribute): Use on one target. Infusible. Mental Elemental Attribute. Seven Sins Materialize. Holder can specify an individual target and summon the Lustful Maiden to restrain and extract the target��s spiritual powers. Inescapable. Unavoidable. Can be dispelled]


    [Extraction of Greed: Nothing can compare to the craving for greed (Extracts spiritual powers)]


    [Fearlessness: Endless desires do not require restraint and reasons (Ignores level and defense. Unlimited duration)]


    [Self-Destruction Tendency: Any attempt to recapture will be deemed as suicide (Automatically explodes when dispelled. AOE Spiritual Attribute Attack. Power is based on the value of the spiritual powers extracted)]


    [Undaunted By Dangers: The greediest snake can��t swallow an entire elephant (When the target��s level surpasses the holder��s, the dispelling effect will deal equal damage to the holder)]


    Rhode blew a whistle. He scrutinized the card in his hand, at the same time looking at the tightly shut door subconsciously. He realized that this card was summoned by Celestina using Lize��s personality fragments. But�� Rhode fell into deep thoughts.


    This card appeared to be a pretty decent addition, judging from its descriptions. It was also a double-edged sword?especially its final effects. If the limitations from the [Undaunted By Dangers] didn��t exist, this card would have the potential to be one of Rhode��s trump cards. By then, as long as he summoned the [Lustful Maiden] when he faced higher level enemies, he could extract their spiritual powers. If the enemy forcefully dispelled it, it would also be dealt with the self-destruction damage. Afterward, Rhode could easily annihilate it. However, with the [Undaunted By Dangers], Rhode couldn��t possibly do it. No matter what, the side-effects of being hurt by the damage wouldn��t be beneficial for him.


    Rhode shrugged his shoulders and laid down the card in his hand to pick up the other. Unlike the [Lustful Maiden], this card presented an image of a young lady tightly bound by steel chains on a circular shield. This was only a mimicry and she didn��t have any facial features, fortunately. But, even so, the posture of the young lady was extremely shameful. Her legs were spread apart by the pulling chains and it displayed her most private part bizarrely. The young lady��s arms were wrapped around her knees and a thick, black eye mask had covered her eyes. At first glance, this was a really obscene picture.


    [Received the Seven Sins Deck 2/7. Artifact Card. Spell Card �� Prison of Mad Love]


    [Prison of Mad Love (Artifact Card Attribute): Use on one or multiple targets. Infusible. Mental Elemental Attribute. Seven Sins Materialize. Holder can specify an individual target or multiple targets and summon the Prison of Love for defense. Comprehensive Protection. Elemental Absorption. Can be dispelled]


    [Protection Duty: Give up everything for its loved ones (Any types of attack against the user will be resisted)]


    [Oppressive Tendency: Pain isn��t a punishment, it is the praising song for love (When the Prison of Mad Love resists an attack, there will be a certain chance to absorb damage of up to a maximum of 5 levels above the user)]


    [Love Connection: The gift bestowed by the master is the supreme enjoyment (When the Prison of Mad Love emerges in battle, the user will consume 5% of spiritual powers per hour to maintain its presence)]


    Pfff!


    Although Rhode wasn��t drinking water, this line of system prompt almost made him spit out his saliva. He swore that he had never seen Artifact Decks with such introductions and properties without moral principles. Come to think of it, Internet games had to go through audit before publishing; after all, and such contents obviously weren��t beneficial for the development of young teens�� Hmm��


    This card was equally impressive from its description. As a card that specialized in defense, Rhode could summon it to increase his mental strength and focus dramatically. There would be many times where he could even give up his defensive stance and launch attacks with this card around him. Besides, the [Love Connection]��s side-effect wasn��t as thorny as the [Undaunted By Dangers]. This card could be considered to be really useful. But��


    Rhode shifted his attention to the front of this card.


    Sometimes, the binding steel chains weren��t only be present on the card picture.


    Rhode was sure that if he summoned this card with a licentious young lady in public, his reputation and integrity would go down the drain completely. Although there were many times when Rhode was unconcerned about the evaluations of the outside world, he wasn��t a masochist who would feel excited over others�� disdainful looks, after all. It would be nothing more than a disaster for him.


    This is a really sinful summoning card��


    Rhode flipped the two cards around and let out a hopeless sigh. No matter if it was the [Lustful Maiden] or the [Prison of Mad Love], both were considered outstanding spell cards. If they were used appropriately, their potential could be unleashed to the best of their abilities. However, there were indescribable traps hidden beneath these enormous enticements. The [Undaunted By Dangers] was still fine because it was still a special effect that came with it and he could understand it as to maintain the balance of the deck. As for the other card, it would depend on whether Rhode could abandon his pride and sense of shame.


    However, as a human, abandoning his sense of shame was too difficult for him.

 Chapter 602 - Confused Heart (X)

    In the end, Rhode had decided to temporarily put the two cards aside and he wouldn��t use them unless the situation was extremely dire and critical. Got to say, he struggled a lot while making this decision. On one hand, the [Prison of Mad Love] was too outstanding and there were a few times when he convinced himself to not give up on such a great summoning card due to maintaining his reputation. I��m a player, so I must consider things from a player��s point of view. But, on the other hand, I��m a human, after all. And as a human, is it a good idea to give up on my self-esteem in such a degrading manner?


    Rhode had even suspected if Celestina was just seeking revenge and throwing him into the pit.


    But Rhode didn��t grumble too much. After all, what was done couldn��t be undone, and he quickly arranged his frame of mind to get prepared for what was coming next. After accomplishing the Frozen Lake mission, Rhode input all the 6 Skill Points that he had gained into his newly created swordsmanship, Fantasy Daybreak. And now, he had decided to input all the 5 Skill Points that he received from accomplishing the mission and leveling up into his Talent Tree. After returning from Soraka Mountain, there weren��t too many adjustments made to his Talent Tree and it was mainly because it had provided sufficient support to him and it didn��t require drastic improvements. On the other hand, it was also because this was the first time that Rhode had met with the fusing of the three Talent Trees. He had to figure them out clearly before making reckless decisions.


    There should have been a total of 11 Talents on the fourth layer of the three Talent Trees. However, there were only 5 Talents available after the Talent Trees had fused. There was a mission reward which Rhode could activate a Talent without inputting 1 Skill Point while the other Talents would require his 5 Skill Points. Moreover, there was also another Talent strengthening reward waiting for him.


    This time, Rhode didn��t hesitate for too long. After experiencing so many battles, he had confirmed his battle style and the build for his Talent. With the additional Skill Points and the various summoning cards, he didn��t need to waste Skill Points on Active Skills which required consumption of spiritual energy. Instead, he could focus more on Talents which didn��t require too much consumption of spiritual energy and could enhance himself simultaneously.


    In the end, Rhode chose [Throne Territory] and [Silver War Flag].


    The [Throne Territory] was an AOE Passive Skill. When its effect was triggered, Rhode��s abilities would be enhanced by one-tenth of all his summoned spirits�� offense and defense values. In other words, it could be considered an evolved version of the [Pursuit] skill. However, unlike the [Pursuit] skill, the [Throne Territory] could only stack the values, but it couldn��t magnify the summoned spirits�� special effects. Therefore, if Rhode wished to summon the Spirit Bird and soar into the air, it would only be effective if he chose the [Pursuit] skill instead.


    It was hard to come by that the [Silver War Flag] wasn��t targeted on the summoned spirits. Instead, its buff halo targeted all the creatures within its certain range. Not only could it buff the defense of all the creatures around the user, but it could also automatically cast a protective barrier of the Spiritual Attribute. This would be a useful technique in large-scale battles.


    Rhode gave the Talent Attribute Enhancement Point from the mission reward to [Taboo Halo]. In the battle with the Angel in Soraka Mountain, Rhode had witnessed the benefits of [Taboo Halo] on Celia and Celestina. In the range of the halo, both of them broke through their limits and entered the Legendary Stage even though their true strength was sealed. And now, after strengthening the effects of [Taboo Halo], not only could Celia and Celestina enter the Legendary Stage, but they could also reach the level of the Legendary Stage.


    Normal summoned spirits wouldn��t be able to reach this standard because it would be so overpowering that the balance would be broken. In fact, Rhode had to thank his lucky stars if the other summoned spirits even reached the Master Stage within the effects of the [Taboo Halo]. Only the blessed [Holy Sword Card Deck] that exceeded basic attributes could reach such an extent.


    Rhode was a little hesitant at this thought. Once he had collected all the ten Holy Swords, perhaps he wouldn��t need to rely on Canary and Mini Bubble Gum anymore. As long as he cast [Taboo Halo] and transformed the ten Holy Swords into human forms, it would be equivalent to a 10-men party.


    But the amount of spiritual energy required to maintain the human forms of the Holy Sword Card Deck would be a big problem.


    ��All settled.��


    Rhode closed his eyes and stood up to stretch his arms. It was already evening. He gazed out of the window and there was nothing apart from the faint radiance emanated from the moonlight plant. The little mermaid was quietly curled up in her water ball and sleeping soundly. Judging from her blissful smile and the continuous string of bubbles escaping her tiny mouth, she must be having a sweet dream.


    Knock knock knock.


    Someone knocked on his door.


    ��Come in.��


    Rhode twitched his brows and the door gradually opened.


    ��Lize?��


    Rhode was slightly surprised by her visit. He thought it would be Anne; he never expected it to be Lize who should be lying and resting on her bed.


    ��Is anything the matter? Where��s Anne?��


    ��Anne�� is still sleeping.��


    Lize closed the room door and answered while lowering her head. Both of them stood quietly and the air in the room seemingly stopped flowing. After a few moments, Lize bit her lips and lifted her head determinedly.


    ��Today�� It��s all my fault. Sorry, Mr. Rhode. If I didn��t act on my own accord, you and Anne wouldn��t face such an accident�� I��m really sorry, I shouldn��t have done it����


    ��You really shouldn��t have done it. You should know it too, Lize. The consequences are serious for disobeying my orders.��


    Rhode said without moving an inch as he stood by the window. A reddish blush smeared across her face and she bit her lips, looking at the man before her with complicated emotions. Although Lize had been resting on the bed after returning to the inn, she wasn��t able to fall asleep properly. Everything that had happened in the mental world including the fuzzy, perplexed phantoms, and the dreamland kept spinning in her head. The agony, wrath, sweetness, and sorrows lingered in her heart.


    Besides�� it��s about time that I make the move now.


    ��I know that, Mr. Rhode.��


    Lize lifted her head and gazed at Rhode with her clear, round eyes.


    ��I know I must be punished, so�� I��m here to accept my punishment.��


    ��Oh?��


    The corner of Rhode��s mouth twitched. He approached the young lady while looking at her fair, delicate face.


    ��So then, what kind of punishment are you thinking of, Lize?��


    ������


    Lize didn��t respond. She simply looked into Rhode��s eyes and unknotted her robe.


    The snowy Cleric robe dropped gently to the floor and she displayed her youthful body entirely to Rhode. Her fair cheeks blushed as she hugged her chest. Her slender body trembled slightly, but no one knew if she was nervous or uncertain.


    ��Please punish me, Mr. Rhode�� I guess�� This is the punishment that I deserve.��


    Rhode didn��t respond immediately. Instead, he extended his arm and made a hand gesture. In the blink of an eye, the little mermaid disappeared to nowhere and he stepped forward to gently stroke her reddish cheek.


    ��Is this a punishment, Lize? Alright then. As punishment, I guess you should be more active. There are some things that you haven��t told me, right?��


    ��Yes�� Yes����


    Lize��s body stiffened and she gazed blankly at Rhode. She gaped but spoke nothing, as though this simple sentence required more courage than baring herself naked. But, even so she had to say it out. She sucked in a deep breath, placed her right hand on her chest as though to control her pounding heart. Then, she opened her eyes.


    ��I like you, Rhode�� I want to be with you forever����


    ��Good. That��s the correct answer.��


    Rhode wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace. He lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers.


    ��Mm��!��


    Lize trembled instinctively. She pressed her hands against Rhode��s chest and her reflexes tried to push him away. But, she stopped rejecting abruptly and closed her eyes to clumsily take in everything. This wasn��t the first time Lize kissed Rhode. Previously in the Cloud Summit Fortress, Rhode could be considered to have stolen her first kiss. Back then, Lize felt that her head was in a complete blank and a sense of unprecedented fear and shock took over her. It was due to this reason that she rejected Rhode��s hug.


    But it was different now.


    Lize wasn��t afraid. She welcomed Rhode��s advancement and allowed his hands to roam around her body. Lize discovered that his fingers were as though a magical presence where numbness spread from where he had touched. She trembled and her body temperature rose. When Rhode finished savoring her lips and separated his lips from hers, she felt as though she had lost the strength to stand upright. She laid limp in his arms while he hugged her and placed her on the bed.


    ��This time, I won��t stop, Lize.��


    ��Okay����


    Lize responded instinctively. She felt that her body fit snugly with his as his lips and hands continuously invaded every inch of her skin. This unprecedented sensation stimulated her senses and body. Her conscious fuzzed and a white haziness shrouded her eyes. Everything that was happening had seemingly linked up with the illusions that she saw in the mental world. Like a dream of fantasy.


    ��Mm�� Mm����


    Rhode revealed a cheeky smile as he gazed at the moaning young lady. He gently stroked and teased her soft, pretty bosoms and even though they weren��t huge in size, they were tender to his touch. Lize��s complexion had become red through and through. She gasped for air and shifted her body innately, unsure if she was avoiding or encouraging Rhode to take further actions against her.


    ��How adorable, Lize.��


    Rhode muttered under his breath. Then, he leaned forward, pressed on her slim waist, and thrust strongly.


    ��Ah��!��


    Lize widened her eyes as though her beautiful dream was shattered. The thick, massive presence ruthlessly crashed into her body, sending stimulating thrills and pain throughout her senses. Lize hugged defenselessly to the man above her, groaning and whimpering to every pounding. Then, the pain slowly faded and she felt the flames in her body burning even wilder. In the end, the burning flames spurted out and shrouded her entirely.


    ��Haa�� Haa����


    After a few moments, both of them regained senses with their arms around each other. Rhode looked at the lustful young lady who was drenched in sweat. She blushed to Rhode��s gazes, but shortly after, she looked up with blissfulness and hungry desires in her eyes.


    ��Mr. Rhode�� I don��t think�� It��s enough����


    A glint of surprise flashed in Rhode��s eyes. Then, he smirked.


    ��Don��t worry, I will make sure you��re well fed.��


    Then, the battle began once more.

 Chapter 603 - Resurging Waves

    Swish.


    The light arrow pierced the falling leaf and left a perfect circle in its middle. The Elves standing around the Archery Practice Ground observed in awe and clapped in admirable respect.


    ��Hu����


    Corina lowered her chin and gazed at her palm. Then, she stepped out of the practice grounds after greeting her compatriots with a wide smile. After she left, the surrounding Elves lined up and began their practice session.


    What a peaceful life.


    Corina shut her eyes and listened to the sound of arrows ripping through the atmosphere and the chirping of birds in the forest. The young Moon Elf returned to her mount, a Pegasus with spotlessly white wings, walking at a relaxed pace, and gently caressed it. The Pegasus stopped chewing on the grass around its hoofs and let out a comfortable snort, making Corina break into laughter. Then, she adjusted her glass armor and longbow before flipping herself up to the saddle.


    ��Madam Corina.��


    A clear, crisp voice sounded and Corina turned around curiously. Shortly after, an Elf lady leaped out from between the shade of the trees and landed on her feet like a nimble cat. She saluted to Corina and said, ��Sorry to disturb you, but I have something to report to you.��


    ��Is anything the matter?��


    ��We received news that the spread of Chaos troubling Emerald Valley has been eliminated.��


    ��Oh?��


    Corina twitched her nicely shaped eyebrow curiously. She was also aware of the happenings in Emerald Valley. Although the Elf Dominion hadn��t had wars for years on end, the Elves didn��t exactly lead boring and tranquil lives. The Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons lived in the Elf Dominion and the Elves naturally had to do their part in maintaining the stability of Order. It was especially so for the border regions of the Elf Dominion because their borders were connected to the Country of Light and the Country of Darkness. This was why the Country of Law had to face troubles arising from both sides simultaneously and the Elves were responsible for handling them. Although the Elves handled the tasks easily in the forest, they weren��t more capable of managing the Chaos and distorted evil than humans.


    Recently, the power of Chaos had increased and Corina rode on her Pegasus to patrol the borders everyday in order to assist the regions in eradicating the Chaos. Emerald Valley was desolate and the Chaos wouldn��t cause too much harm, which was why Corina had arranged her patrols at the end of her daily schedule. Now that the problem had been resolved, it piqued her curiosity.


    ��Eliminated? Which team of Elf Guards did it?��


    ��No, it wasn��t, Madam.��


    The Elf Lady shook her head.


    ��It was eliminated by outsiders. They are looking to enter our territory and have applied for entry. After the outsiders knew about the troubles in Emerald Valley, they headed there to resolve the problem. We also dispatched a team to investigate the area and it was verified to be true.��


    ��I see.��


    Corina nodded slightly and she was rather interested in meeting the outsiders. But shortly after, she shook her head. After traveling in the human world, she had understood the personalities and habits of humans. Humans were unlike Elves. Regardless of whether they were kind hearted or evil, they had endless desires in the eyes of the Elves, and there were motives for everything they did. They treated one well in exchange for something that they wished for and the Elves couldn��t accept what the Humans viewed as inevitable and right. It was the same for Corina. It wasn��t due to the difference between their moralities or the Elves had some psychological bias. Instead, it was solely due to the differences between their cultures and lifestyles. If the Humans didn��t need money and relied only on the sun, forest, and fruits for survivability like the Elves, they would become saints.


    But no matter what, since these outsiders were willing to risk their lives to eliminate the Chaos, they were their friends.


    ��Alright, I understand. Since they were willing to assist us in eradicating the Chaos, they��re undoubtedly our friends. Send some men to receive them in. By the way, do you know their purpose for visiting the Elf Forest?��


    ��I��m not too sure����


    The Elf lady shook her head helplessly. But she revealed a curious expression shortly after.


    ��But I heard that those people are rather interesting. Besides, there is still a little mermaid swimming in a floating water ball among them, it seems. Also, Madam, according to the residents of Blackberry Town, the group leader appeared to be a really, really beautiful man and he appeared rather similar to us, Elves. Although many humans have visited the Elf Forest, we have never met such interesting and peculiar people.��


    ��Hmm?��


    Corina��s heart skipped a beat. She rested her arm that was pressing on the saddle and turned to her subordinate with a grave expression.


    ��A beautiful-looking man? Where did they come from? Do you know his name?��


    ��Hmm����


    The Elf lady tilted her head. Madam Corina doesn��t seem to be the kind who loves to gossip. Then, she puckered her brows and nodded.


    ��They came from the Munn Kingdom, and that man is�� Rhode Alander.��


    Corina��s finger twitched.


    Rhode��Soraka Mountain.


    The frightening, enormous shadow emerged in her mind instantly and she felt dizzy.


    Corina was 300 years old and she wasn��t considered too old for an Elf. As one of the most talented figures among the Elves, she had entered the Legendary Stage for quite some time. Even though she was the Elf Dominion Queen, she had had a lot of battle experience with other Elves who were also in the Legendary Stage. Although she had lost to them in battles sometimes, her persistence never wavered because she took battles as opportunities to improve herself and she believed that she could catch up with them after clearly identifying their differences in strength.


    But the battle in Soraka Mountain was the first time Corina��s unswerving determination had been swayed.


    It was the first time that she felt so close to the threatening grip of death. Her strength was suppressed by the horrifying giant who possessed powerful strength and limitless Chaos and it almost squashed her like a bug. The unprecedented feeling of powerlessness made her deeply sense what fear and despair were. Back then, she didn��t realize it, but she had lingering fears every time she thought about it afterward.


    Within half a year of returning to the Elf Dominion, Corina didn��t sleep well for a single night. She would dream of that battle and the terrifying giant every night and the feeling of powerlessness which she had never experienced felt, like binding chains on her back.


    However, even though it was just a dream, Corina felt at ease as soon as she saw that man.


    Rhode.


    If he wasn��t there to lead them, she couldn��t have imagined how they would flee out of Soraka Mountain peacefully. She had personally felt the dangers of the Duke Fiend and after returning to the Elf Dominion, she often hugged herself tightly and sobbed secretly. She deeply felt that it was a miracle that she was able to make it back safely.


    The Duke Fiend was formidable and almost unbeatable. Back then, Corina had no other solutions. Her strength had been suppressed and the Chaos Flames had almost destroyed her Order Forcefield. The land that had lost the Dragon Soul��s protection made her feel strange and frightful.


    However, just looking at that man��s back made her feel relieved. Even in such a dangerous situation, he was so reliable and it was as though they wouldn��t fail as long as they listened to his orders.


    Corina reminded herself of the end of the battle. Although they escaped the Chaos Realm under Rhode��s lead successfully, the terrifying monster caught up to them and it almost eliminated their presences in a single swat. But it failed.


    Corina had never seen a human with such powerful strength. The two human young ladies appeared younger than 16 years old. However, the strength that they possessed made her shiver in fear. Corina had never felt such formidable strength and pure elemental powers. The terrifying giant who couldn��t be defeated by the alliance of presences in the Legendary Stage was annihilated by the two human young ladies in less than three moves. There was an instant when Corina felt that she was in an utterly absurd dreamland.


    Why are there such powerful Humans and I��ve never heard of their names before?


    And what is their relationship with that man?


    After returning to the Elf Dominion, Corina had investigated on Rhode out of curiosity. However, the results that she gathered made her furrowed her brows. According to the intelligence, Rhode was a sinister, cunning, despicable, shameless, and cruel thug. Such a person wasn��t welcomed in the human society, not to mention with Elves.


    Got to say, Corina didn��t understand why she felt rather disappointed. Perhaps she thought that this man was a great person after they had fought shoulder to shoulder. He should have been an educated, kind hearted, passionate, and straightforward man and not as terrible as she had heard. It might be due to disappointment or other reasons that Corina had gradually sealed the memories of that man and Soraka Mountain deep in her memories and never thought about it again. No matter who exactly that man was and what he did, it served no further purpose for her, since Humans had a short lifespan.


    But now�� That man had come knocking on her doors.


    What is he doing here?


    Corina felt her heart pounding for unknown reasons. Due to the relationship between the Elf Dominion and the Country of Law, Corina knew that the Church was in a working relationship with Rhode��s Fortress. She also knew that there was a young lady with a strange name who taught the Church��s Clerics how to battle. Frankly speaking, Corina was also curious about it too. After all, her understanding of Clerics were similar to ordinary humans who viewed them as capable of healing and supporting in terms of defense.


    But they didn��t need to pass through the Elf Dominion if they just needed to visit the Church. There were thousands of Church believers on this continent and there were several of them coming to the Country of Law to visit the Church to make a pilgrimage every year. If those people had to apply for entry through the Elf Dominion every time, the Elves would be annoyed to death.


    But if they aren��t here to visit the Church, are they here to look for the Elves? Or could it be�� He��s here to look for me?


    When this thought cropped up in Corina��s mind, her heart skipped a beat and almost jumped out of her chest! What is this situation? Am I unwell? Or have I been struck by a curse?


    ��Madam Corina?��


    The Elf lady gazed curiously. Corina felt a shiver down her spine and returned to her senses. Then, she lowered her head hurriedly, held the saddle and jumped to her mount.


    ��I shall visit Blackberry Town to check on them. I��ll leave here to you.��


    ��Eh? Wait a moment, Madam. Didn��t you ask me to send our men����


    The Elf lady widened her eyes in astonishment. But before she finished her sentence, Corina whistled and the Pegasus expanded its spotlessly white wings and soared into the sky. In the blink of an eye, they became a black dot in the sky and vanished to nowhere.


    The Elf lady blinked curiously.


    ��How strange, what��s wrong with Madam Corina?��


    She muttered under her breath.


    ��Hu����


    Rhode walked up the uneven hill slope with a painful expression while he rested his hand on his waist. The little mermaid beside him pushed her hand forward and released cooling air to remove the pain and soreness in his waist. Anne hopped behind them and occasionally chased the colorful butterflies dancing in the forest while Lize followed the group at the back and she avoided looking at Rhode.


    It seems to be true that when you��re constantly in contact with someone, you will have to get along with her no matter what��


    Rhode turned to Lize and shook his head helplessly. They had an intense night and most of the credits had to be given to Lize. Rhode thought that once was enough for her, but the truth had exceeded his expectation and imagination. Her innocent enticement had hooked him dearly as though an obedient young lady who tried wearing bold, transparent lingerie before one seduced another clumsily. The stimulation from this contrast was indeed addictive. Therefore, Rhode tortured Lize for the entire night and only ended at dawn.


    According to his script, both of them should be hugging one another and talking about their worries before whispering sweet nothings into each other��s ears and falling asleep together. However, Rhode��s joy turned to sorrow. In their final battle before dawn, he experienced what it meant to meet with unexpected failure. In order to pleasure Lize and enjoy her body simultaneously, Rhode exerted too much strength and suffered the consequences��he strained his waist.


    Fortunately, Lize was a Cleric and she healed most of his injuries. However, a strain couldn��t be easily cured and Rhode could only rub his waist and head into the Elf Forest. According to the inn owner, the Elves�� dispatches should be here to welcome them anytime now.


    As Rhode forced out a bitter smile, suddenly, a shadow flitted across at lightning speed above them. Then, the group witnessed a white Pegasus flapping its wings and landing before them.

 Chapter 604 - Sacred Land of the Elves (1)

    The group stepped back subconsciously as they stared at the mighty Pegasus. It was no wonder that they had such a reaction because the Pegasus was a rare, holy beast. Rumor had it that they only lived in the Elf Forest and only the Elves had the rights to be their riders. The relationship between them was unlike Humans training and raising a warhorse. Instead, there was a sense of equality between them. There were Humans who spent a lot of effort and used various means to get their hands on a group of Pegasi from the Elf Forest. However, the group of Pegasi opposed strongly and they ended up escaping or committing suicide instead of surrendering to the Humans. In the end, the Humans failed to domesticate the group of Pegasi and they suffered a double loss instead, provoking the Elves and Church. Thereafter, no Humans tried to domesticate the holy beasts anymore and the rare Pegasi only lived in the Elf Forest.


    Anne and Lize laid their eyes on the white holy beast, but Rhode focused his attention on the slender figure leaping off the Pegasus��s back. The Elves were mostly lithe and beautiful beings, but this Elf was a cut above the rest. Most importantly, Rhode knew who she was��


    ��Long time no see, Mr. Rhode.��


    Corina��s mind was clouded with complex feelings. On one hand, the battle that they had experienced against the Duke Fiend together wasn��t that easily forgotten. On the other hand, the bad rumors that she had heard about Rhode made her feel conflicted about her views on him. Along the way, she was hoping that this was nothing more than just a coincidence. But it was a pity that her prayers didn��t come true.


    ��Hi there, Miss Corina.��


    Rhode didn��t think as much as Corina did. He didn��t commit any crime that offended the Elves and had no grudges with the Country of Law. Moreover, he had a close relationship with the Church, so the Elves wouldn��t make things difficult for him. The only thing that surprised him was that Corina actually received them personally. Or perhaps it is because we have met in Soraka Mountain back then, so she specially made the trip here?


    Corina let out an inward sigh as she gazed at Rhode��s expressionless face. She realized that she wasn��t ready and didn��t know what to say to him. Should I be asking for an explanation regarding the rumors about him? Corina surely wouldn��t do that, but she felt as though something was clogging her mind.


    But as a presence in the Legendary Stage, Corina naturally wouldn��t allow the negative emotions to affect herself. Her expression didn��t change the slightest and she walked slowly to Rhode��s group with a gentle smile like the spring wind.


    ��Honestly speaking, I thought I heard wrongly when I was told about this matter�� Mr. Rhode. Welcome to the Elf Forest. If it is possible, I would like to know if you have any urgent matters to attend to in the Elf Forest?��


    Corina looked at Rhode with her emerald green eyes and revealed some vague signs of anticipations. On the other hand, Rhode simple nodded slightly in response.


    ��That��s right, Miss Corina. There��s indeed something important���� Rhode paused. He hesitated whether he should tell her the truth. Although he didn��t know what the relationship between his twin daggers and the sacred land of the Elves was, he had to give it a shot since it was just a simple path ahead. With Rhode��s abilities, it wasn��t difficult for him to make up a lie and sneak into the sacred land after entering the Elf Forest. However, he denied this thought. If the other party was from the Country of Light, he wouldn��t feel pressured at all and he might even slaughter her. However, the Country of Law had a decent reputation among the players and the sacred land of the Elves wasn��t as important as the sacred grounds of the Humans. The sacred land of the Elves was more of a place with high spiritual status. It shouldn��t pose a problem if he told her the truth.


    ���� Miss Corina, although this might sound offensive, I hope to enter Ivory Valley in the Elf Forest to investigate something important.��


    ��Eh?��


    Corina widened her eyes in surprise. At the same time, she let out a long inward sigh, but she didn��t know if she was relieved or disappointed. But her thoughts weren��t crucial at this point in time.


    ��Mr. Rhode, what you meant was�� You��re heading into our sacred land?��


    ��Yes, Miss Corina.��


    Rhode lifted his head without a change of expression and welcomed her examining gaze firmly. On the other hand, Corina was highly suspicious of his intentions. Ivory Valley was the sacred land of the Elves for a reason. The heroes of the Elves who had contributed to the prosperity of the Elves were buried in Ivory Valley after they died. That place was blessed by the Creator Dragon Souls and the heroes�� souls would be blessed forever in the embrace of nature peacefully. It was due to this reason that Ivory Valley was termed as the sacred land of the Elves. In order to not disturb the resting souls, the Elves wouldn��t head there without permission. They would only enter Ivory Valley when there were specific festivals to offer sacrifices to the heroes who had given up everything for their former generations.


    It was also due to this that Ivory Valley had a special place in the hearts of the Elves, but not in the Humans��. Besides, Corina didn��t believe that Rhode had anything to do with the former generations of Elves, so why did he request to enter Ivory Valley?


    This request could be said to be simple and difficult at the same time. Ivory Valley wasn��t as heavily guarded as the Humans�� so-called sacred land where only the Humans with unique identities could enter. As long as Rhode promised that he wouldn��t blaspheme against the heroes spirits, there would be no harm letting him in. However, on the other hand, a Human entering Ivory Valley might cause unhappiness among the Elves. Although the Elves didn��t hate the Humans, they were wary of Humans due to their differences in cultures and lifestyles. If Rhode entered the sacred land of the Elves, Corina couldn��t guarantee that the Elves would react badly and take actions against Rhode. Moreover, according to the intelligence gathered about Rhode, Corina knew that this Human definitely wasn��t any kind hearted person��


    ��About this matter����


    Corina frowned. After returning to the Elf Forest, she didn��t become the leader of the Pegasus Knights as Rhode had predicted. Instead, she became the Commander of the Queen��s Royal Elf Guards. She had the authority to approve if a Human was qualified enough to enter the Elf Forest. She would surely agree if Rhode was here for a tour or for reminisce sake. However, this matter was overly sensitive and she couldn��t make the decision on her own accord.


    ��Mr. Rhode, if you don��t mind, may I ask what important matter do you have exactly that requires you to enter Ivory Valley? I��m sure you��re aware of its status in the Elves�� hearts. Although it isn��t as grand as the human temple, it is still an irreplaceable presence for us. As a Human who tries to enter Ivory Valley����


    Corina didn��t finish her sentence, but Rhode knew what she meant. However, Rhode had no intentions of turning back because greeting Corina now was only a peaceful measure before using force. If Corina allowed him to enter Ivory Valley, everything would be fine. But if Corina disapproved, Rhode would simply find another chance to sneak in. Even though this was of rude him, their relationship hadn��t reached the stage where he had to be sensitive of her feelings yet.


    Rhode didn��t respond and he unsheathed his daggers swiftly. Corina��s fingers twitched to their reflexes, but she relaxed shortly after, because Rhode didn��t draw his weapons to attack. Instead, he turned his wrist and showed her the daggers.


    ��This is what happened, Miss Corina. I received these two daggers and according to my investigation, they seemed to be deeply related to Ivory Valley, which is of utmost importance to me. As for how important it is, I can��t answer you for now. But I can promise you that it is crucial enough for me to boldly request entry from you.��


    ��Oh?��


    Corina��s curiosity piqued and she took over the daggers from Rhode.


    Corina instantly felt a connection with the daggers. These two weapons reflected an elaborate and delicate design that was unique to the Elves, whether it was the hilt carved with patterns of nature or the magical powers contained in the blade. Corina grew increasingly curious because Elves disliked using weapons such as daggers or long swords. They felt that these weapons were too lethal and capable of shedding too much blood, which was why their general weapons were thin-bladed, blunt swords. Both the Rangers or Mages among the Elves preferred to carry them for close combat purposes.


    Among the Elves, only the Queen��s Elf Guards welded the long swords. However, their long swords were forged from crystal glass and not from steel.


    Corina empathized with Rhode��s feelings because she also felt curious over which Elf these two daggers belonged to. After all, she couldn��t remember which popular Elf used daggers as their main weapon and if Rhode��s investigation results were accurate, there might be some place they had neglected or forgotten in Ivory Valley.


    ��I understand.��


    Corina pondered for a moment and nodded.


    ��I have sensed Mr. Rhode��s sincerity, but this matter is especially important and I can��t call the shots. Please follow me, Mr. Rhode and���� Corina swept a glance to the little mermaid in the floating water ball and scanned her curiously. Got to say, this little mermaid��s strange appearance would attract attention everywhere she went. ����the three ladies. I will guide all of you into the Elf Forest, but please comply with the Elves�� rules as we enter. As for the matter regarding Ivory Valley, I will report this to the Queen and if the Queen approves of your request, you can then enter Ivory Valley, Mr. Rhode.��


    ��No problem.��


    Rhode nodded in agreement. He didn��t seem to be dissatisfied, which Corina heaved a sigh of relief and presented a smile. She returned the daggers to Rhode and stroked the Pegasus beside her. The Pegasus moved its neck comfortably before heading into the depth of the forest. Then, Corina beckoned.


    ��Welcome to the Elf Forest, everyone.��


    On the surface, the Elf Forest didn��t appear any different from other forests. There were dense shrubs and thick, long vines all around. Warm sunlight spilled between the thriving green leaves and they heard the cheerful birds singing their merry little tunes. As they proceeded further, they discovered the biggest difference. They felt a gentle breeze and the fatigue and soreness drifted away from their body like filthy dust. Not only that, but there was also an indescribable tranquility and harmonious atmosphere. Time had as though frozen in the moment. The tunes of the chirping birds and their footsteps were as though shrouded in a layer of gauze, turning their vision fuzzy. The group observed the surrounding and listened to the calm breathing of nature. However, Anne was an exception. She widened her mouth and let out a long, satisfying yawn as though she hadn��t slept for days. But even so, she slowly followed the group and rubbed her eyes. Judging from her sleepy look, Rhode suspected if she would just fall asleep immediately.


    Lize and the little mermaid admired the picturesque sceneries of the Elf Forest. Perhaps due to the influence of the Elves, the forest emanated a graceful atmosphere.


    It seems that Rhode isn��t angry.


    Corina stole a glance at Rhode. In fact, after Rhode revealed his true colors during the battle in the Soraka Mountain, Corina felt apprehensive for a while. Rhode had always been expressionless and she suspected if he had any objections. Later on, she unintentionally heard from the other mercenaries from the Fortress that it was normal for the young man to be expressionless. On the contrary, it would be a sign of danger if he ever smiled.


    Corina didn��t know if these remarks were trustworthy. However, she believed that the situation should be fine judging from the three young ladies following him casually.


    Corina felt that the Queen wouldn��t approve Rhode��s request. But no matter what, this man was her ��comrade�� who had faced the Duke Fiend alongside her and it wouldn��t be nice of her to reject him directly. So she might as well invite him into the Elf Forest to satisfy his little curious heart.


    If Corina knew that Rhode didn��t care about her approval and he would surely enter the sacred land of the Elves no matter what, perhaps she wouldn��t harbor such thoughts.


    The Elves�� gathering place didn��t blend in with nature as much as Blackberry Town did. Instead, if it weren��t for Corina who informed them of it, perhaps Lize and Anne would have misunderstood that it was just an ordinary open field. There were no traces of man-made buildings and only densely packed vines and shrubs existed all around. The shade-giving foliage and the calm, flowing river were so natural that it seemed as though no one stayed here��


    ��Please wait here for a moment. I will report to the Queen now.��


    Corina turned around and suddenly, hundreds of birds fluttered and sang in harmony, symbolizing a grand welcome. Corina puckered her brows and pondered in silence before turning around solemnly.


    ��Mr. Rhode, the Queen wishes to see you.��

 Chapter 605 - acred Land of the Elves (2)

    Chapter 605: Sacred Land of the Elves (2)


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode was astonished. He wasn��t surprised that Corina had requested to report to the Elf Queen herself because he knew that the Elf Queen seldom met guests personally. Although this had nothing to do with the difference in viewpoints of each unique race, identity, and arrogance, the Elf Queen actually demanded to meet him. Rhode swept a glance at Corina. He believed that she had reported to the Elf Queen about the entire happenings of Soraka Mountain. However, the Elves didn��t take any actions thereafter and it seemed that they were waiting for his arrival here��


    Rhode hesitated no more and nodded before turning to his group.


    ��Wait here for awhile.��


    ��Alright, Leader. Come back soon. Ah���� Anne let out a huge yawn. She leaned on a tree, slid her bum to the ground, and closed her eyes comfortably. ��Anne will be napping for awhile. Anne��s too tired�� Ah����


    Lize nodded in agreement. After the wild, crazy night, her condition appeared much better than Rhode��s. Not only was she in high spirits, but she also emanated an unprecedented, dazzling glamor. Rhode lamented. No wonder the ancestors said that there were no fields that were destroyed by constant plowing; instead, only cows died from exhaustion. He worked like a bull for the entire night and had even strained his waist, but on the contrary, Lize was bustling with energy. Rhode didn��t expect that Lize would be so alluring after she was released by the Mind Devil. Each time after Rhode ejected his warm desires, she would get him burning after she turned around and moaned seductively. Her moans were even more powerful than ��love drugs��. Rhode had experienced this from Celestina, but it wasn��t anything strange because Demons were born to entice mortals using their thoughts, words, or bodies. There were some powerful Mages who caught some dainty Demons or Succubus and bound them as slaves using contracts. Most of the Mages were addicted after enjoying their bodies and headed down a road of destruction step by step due to the Demon��s enticement.


    However, Lize wasn��t a Demon, but a mixed-blood of an Angel and Human. Therefore, this had nothing to do with bloodline and came totally natural from her. Come to think of it, perhaps it is due to this reason that it is so terrifying.


    If it weren��t for the fact that black magic didn��t exist in this world, Rhode would��ve suspected that Lize had practiced some Taoist cultivation method that he had seen on the Internet.


    Lize didn��t know what was going on in Rhode��s mind. She detected his gaze and lowered her blushing face slightly. Last night felt like a dream for her. Although Rhode held back at the start, it was her first time, after all, and the painful experience left a lasting mark in her mind. However, she didn��t back down either, just like how the phantom behaved in the mental world. Lize had the tendencies of self-harming and she knew that she had done things that had let Anne and Rhode down. However, she failed to be frank with Anne, which was why she accepted such a method to punish herself. Although Rhode was violent in bed and every thrust gave her tremendous pain, she gritted her teeth and didn��t reject or scream in pain.


    However, an unprecedented feeling replaced her suffering after the pain subsided gradually. It was a crazy feeling. There were many times when Lize felt that she had given up on her rationality. She didn��t know what she was saying or yelling as she laid before Rhode loosely like a puddle of mud. She couldn��t remember exactly how many times they had done it. Until the radiance of dawn spilled through the window and broke the melody in the darkness, both of them came to a shocking realization about how crazy they were.


    What astonished Lize the most was that she felt extremely energetic. It was a miracle that they could still walk after a night of crazy activities and apart from the discomfort and soreness between her legs, she felt that she was in high spirits.


    However, Lize��s personality was gentle and reserved, after all. She shyly nodded in response to Rhode.


    In contrast, the little mermaid appeared reluctant to part and she laid against the wall of the water ball to gaze at her master. However, she had grown to be independent. Although she couldn��t bear to be separated from Rhode, she didn��t stick to his side stubbornly like a fish that had left its pond and couldn��t find a way to survive on the dry land. Although it looked like it, that was.


    Rhode turned to Corina and nodded. Then, he followed her lead into the deep forest.


    The Elf Forest was the Elf Queen��s palace despite it not being as grandeur as human palaces or as dignified as human temples. And now, Rhode was heading to the Elf Queen��s throne.


    The tiny path ahead was hidden within the shrubs and shade-giving foliage. The long, intertwining vines were as though curtains draping from tree branches. As Corina stood before them, the vines and branches slowly withdrew and revealed the inner path. Although there weren��t any glorious buildings or perfectly polished ground that could reflect as a mirror, Rhode sensed a solemn and serene aura drifting toward him from the front.


    Not only that, but Rhode also felt his daggers trembling to the aura. He had never felt this response in Gracier and Madaras where their spiritual powers rippled violently like waves crashing and cleansing his soul�� Suddenly, his vision whitened and he felt slightly dazed.


    But it was only for an instant. Shortly after, he returned to his senses and felt two soft, ice-cold hands holding his. Rhode glanced with the corner of his eyes and saw two petite, whitish figures beside him. The Elf sisters looked the same as when they first met. Snowy robe and a wide hood that covered their youthful, adorable faces, exposing only their smooth chins. Even though the Elf sisters remained unfazed by his gaze, he felt their responses from the energy spreading from their tiny hands.


    ��Mr. Rhode, is anything the matter? Are you feeling unwell?��


    Corina asked out of concern while Rhode shook his head.


    ��It��s nothing, Miss Corina. I was just feeling a little tired after the long journey.��


    ��I see.��


    Corina nodded in relief and continued to move ahead.


    This is crazy��


    Rhode was astounded by her response. Although Corina had just entered the Legendary Stage, her awareness as an Elf was amazingly sharp and seldom would there be anyone who could hide from the Elves�� perception. But now, Gracier and Madaras were standing beside him, only two meters away from Corina, and she didn��t notice their presence at all. The [Stealth] Skill was too absurd. This had almost surpassed the technical limits and could be considered a system ��bug��.


    Rhode looked at Corina��s back and harbored some evil designs. Gracier was right behind her and if she launched forward to stab Corina in her back, would she be able to avoid it?


    Rhode wasn��t sure of the Elf sisters�� specific strength as they hadn��t transformed into cards. However, he observed that they hadn��t transcended into the Legendary Stage yet so their strength hovered between the Peak Elite and Master Stages. But, even so, that would be terrifying enough because this was the real world, where no one, apart from Undead Creatures, could survive from getting their hearts pierced and throats slashed. This was the same for Corina.


    As this thought flashed in Rhode��s head, they had arrived at the Elf Queen��s throne.


    In a single glance, this place didn��t resemble a palace at all. A young woman who appeared to be in her early 20s sat quietly on a benched formed by the vines under an enormous, ancient oak. Rhode immediately recognized that she was the Elf Queen.


    She had a full head of dazzling, long green hair that draped to the ground and her soft expression was filled with a holy, natural charm as though she were an elegant and refined byword in humanity. As long as she gazed at any ordinary folk with her thousand years old eyes, they would throw all the distractions in their heads away and serve her. She was like nature itself and could only be viewed from afar and not be disrespected. But Rhode preferred those that he could trifle with because it would be easier to get closer to them after intimate interactions, after all.


    Apart from the two Elf Knights clad in glass armor who stood beside her, there were several elderly Elves standing around the Elf Queen. Witnessing Rhode��s arrival, the Elves shifted their attention to him and he sensed that their gazes were filled with complicated emotions: astonishment, confusion, and puzzlement. It seems to be a bad idea for me to come to this place.


    ��Your Majesty, I��ve followed your orders and brought Mr. Rhode Alander.��


    Corina stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the Elf Queen before moving to the side. The etiquette and hierarchical system among the Elves wasn��t as distinct and complicated as the Humans where there were many times when one respected another due to their moral conduct and not their statuses. However, this was meaningless for Rhode. As a player who had built his reputation in the Country of Law after the Munn Kingdom was destroyed, he knew how he should behave before the Elf Queen. After Corina backed down to the side, he took a step forward and placed his right hand on his right shoulder and bent over slightly.


    ��Nice to meet you, Your Majesty. The melodious tunes of the cheerful birds and the fresh green tender leaves swayed in the monsoon that blew through the forests, mountains, and rivers. It is of my utmost honor to be summoned by you.��


    Not only did the Elf Queen��s mesmerizing eyes glint, but the other Elves who shot doubtful looks at Rhode also revealed friendly and astonished expressions. The tense atmosphere lightened instantly.


    Rhode didn��t speak any further and he stood appropriately on the spot. He knew that the Elves loved silence and they disliked spontaneous humans because they deemed it as offensive and barbarous behavior. This could be considered the difference between the civilizations of Elves and Humans.


    Perhaps an ordinary human would be at one��s wits�� end, but this wasn��t the first time the Elf Queen had summoned for Rhode. This was why he didn��t appear tense at all. He had even leisurely sized up the wide treetop that almost shrouded the entire sky and compared it to the scenery in his memories.


    Not only did his calmness exceed the Elf Queen��s expectations, but even Corina was flabbergasted. After all these years, she had never seen a Human behave so calmly before the Elf Queen. The Humans usually appeared flustered as soon as they met the Elf Queen, but this wasn��t the case for Rhode. In an instant, Corina��s assessment of him had raised. But��


    Corina puckered her brows and scrutinized the space around him. Strange�� Why do I feel like there is something unusual there?


    ��Hi there, Mr. Rhode. I��ve heard from Corina about you.��


    As expected, the Elf Queen had taken the initiative and spoken shortly after.


    ��I want to thank you for your courage and resourcefulness. If it weren��t for you, we, Elves, would have lost an incredibly important soul and I would have lost my daughter forever���� The Elf Queen paused and turned to Corina.


    ��Corina is a good girl. Perhaps you aren��t aware, but I was so worried for her safety when I learned about the happenings in Soraka Mountain. The Chaos is evil and dangerous. The Duke Fiend is the most terrifying presence and threat of this world. Fortunately, it has been eradicated from this world. If not, I can��t imagine how many living things will suffer in its presence.��


    ��You flatter me, Your Majesty,�� Rhode said without expressing any emotions.


    ��Although I��ve indeed done my part in eradicating the Duke Fiend, Miss Corina also performed outstandingly well. If it weren��t for her, perhaps I would have lost my life in its hands and everything would have ended for me right there.��


    What Rhode said wasn��t false. Back then, if Corina didn��t offer her helping hand and drag him along, perhaps he wouldn��t be able to stand here in one piece. To Corina, perhaps the Duke Fiend would still be annihilated even if Rhode died during the battle, but Rhode knew that if he was dead, all the systems with him as the base would lose their effects and everything would be done for.


    ��I admire your humbleness, Mr. Rhode.��


    The Elf Queen smiled and entered straight into the topic.


    ��I��ve heard from Corina about your intentions, Mr. Rhode. I have to put it up front that Ivory Valley is the sacred land of the Elves and our heroes are buried in that place. Ever since its existence, no humans have entered the place. This is why����


    The Elf Queen didn��t finish her sentence, but Rhode had puckered his brows. It seems that this is getting troublesome.


    ���� I can��t agree to your request just yet. But you��ve indeed helped us and saved the beautiful, determined souls of us Elves from the contamination of the Chaos and falling into an eternal abyss. For that, if you agree, we shall����


    The Elf Queen paused and expressed a difficult expression. However, Rhode understood that as a ruler of the Elves, the Elf Queen had to maintain the traditions while his actions were indeed worth the Elves�� praises. It was apparent that the Elf Queen was thinking of a solution that could satisfy both parties.


    Suddenly, a voice sounded.


    ��I have a suggestion, Your Majesty.��

 Chapter 606 - Sacred Land of the Elves (3)

    Chapter 606: Sacred Land of the Elves (3)


    ��I have a suggestion, Your Majesty.��


    Everyone turned to the voice. An Elf clad in elegant glass armor stepped forward in large strides. He removed his helmet and revealed a clean, pretty face. He bowed to the Elf Queen before turning to everyone with a smile.


    ��Just as Your Majesty has mentioned, we have to uphold the traditions. But we have to also admit that there isn��t a rule in Ivory Valley which prohibits entry to Humans. It is solely because it was the sacred land of the Elves, so the Humans seldom requested for entry. We can��t deny this young man��s identity and rights because no matter what, he fought the Duke Fiend bravely and our adorable Corina was able to return to us in one piece. We must thank him for that and besides, his moral conduct shouldn��t be an issue either.��


    Corina��s expression became a little peculiar. She gaped and looked at the Elf who had stepped forward, but she hesitated after gazing at Rhode��s expressionless face. Everyone focused their attention on the Elf and wondered if he had come up with a solution to resolve this problem. Indeed. There wasn��t a rule which prohibited human entry into Ivory Valley. However, Humans basically weren��t willing to enter Ivory Valley due to various reasons over the changes in thousands of years. Therefore, it had become an unspoken rule that was agreed upon tacitly.


    However, an unspoken rule was an unspoken rule, after all.


    ��But we have to admit that if we allow a human to enter our sacred land, it will cause dissatisfaction among the Elves. Therefore, I have a suggestion.�� The Elf paused and shot a meaningful gaze at Rhode. Shortly after, he revealed the answer.


    ��We can determine his qualifications through the Sword Dance Rite.��


    The Elf Queen��s eyes flickered while Rhode twitched his brow. He stared at the Elf who appeared to be about 30 years old silently. Although the Elf appeared to be speaking up for him, Rhode wasn��t a newbie who didn��t understand a single thing about their customs. In player term, the Sword Dance Rite was considered a dueling rite. However, the Elves�� battles were non-lethal, lacked bloodshed, and were more artistic. But if one were to belittle this rite, one would be on the suffering end. The Elves who were capable of participating in the Sword Dance Rite weren��t any random newbies. They had been through years of tough training before becoming the most elite Swordsmen.


    And most importantly, there was a clearly written rule about the Sword Dance Rite��only Elves could participate.


    Even though this Elf sounded generous, Rhode knew that the Elf had actually turned him down. No matter what, the Sword Dance Rite was the pride of the Elves and it wouldn��t be comfortable regardless of whether Rhode won or lost. If he lost, the Elves would think that he had sullied their sacred rite. If he won, the Elves wouldn��t be delighted and they would feel that he had damaged their pride and tarnished their honor. Therefore, even though the Elf appeared to be providing a reasonable solution, Rhode knew that this was not much different from being rejected.


    ��Please wait a moment, Sir Dale.��


    As expected, an Elf Mage stepped forward with a stern expression and furrowed brows.


    ��The Sword Dance Rite is a grandeur tradition for us, Elves. Don��t you think your suggestion is a little rash? Besides�� this isn��t a suitable suggestion for our guest, is it?��


    ��I know about that, of course. But apart from the Sword Dance Rite, is there any other way to make our fellow Elves recognize this man and willingly allow him into Ivory Valley?��


    This Elf was truly cunning. His remark sealed the mouths of the others completely. Indeed. The Sword Dance Rite was the most supreme in the hearts of the Elves and the winner would gain respect from all the Elves. This was the only rite that would fit Rhode��s requirement, but conversely, the other Elves couldn��t find a substitute for it due to it supremacy.


    Rhode twitched his brows slightly and gazed at the Elf Knight named Dale. Dale detected his gaze and didn��t reveal any awkward or hateful expression. Instead, he winked to Rhode slyly as though one was pranking his friend. From Dale��s actions, Rhode didn��t see it as hatred or dissatisfaction. Instead, it felt more like��being mischievous?


    What does this mean? Testing me?


    Indeed. This was a tough question.


    The Elf Queen pondered in silence and shifted her glances between Dale and Rhode. On the contrary, Corina was a little nervous. She placed her hands on her chest and looked worriedly at Dale. She frowned and wished to speak her mind, but nothing came out of her mouth. As for the other Elves, they were whispering into one another��s ears, discussing if Dale��s suggestion would work.


    But no one expected that Rhode would speak up out of a sudden.


    ��I��m extremely thankful for your kind intentions, Mr. Dale.��


    Everyone shifted their attention to him. They were curious to hear what this young man had to say for himself. Rhode continued to display his ice-cold expression.


    ��I know the Sword Dance Rite is sublime and highly regarded by the Elves. Not only is it a test, but it is also the symbolization of the Elves�� courage and glory. As a Human, I don��t think I��m suitable to participate in it.��


    Several of the Elves looked at Rhode with much kinder and warmer gazes. After all, Rhode had shown the respect he had for the Sword Dance Rite. Besides, he had once again proven that he revered the Elves�� customs. Indeed, as Rhode had expected, the reason why the Elves discussed the issue was that most of them couldn��t accept him taking part in the rite. It was because it would imply that he was the strongest warrior among the Elves if he won�� Although the Elves were naturally gentle and kind hearted, none of them would feel comfortable if that happened.


    However, Rhode hadn��t finish his words.


    ��But����


    Rhode continued.


    ��I have to say this. It is of utmost importance to me for heading into Ivory Valley this time and I don��t wish to give up this chance. So, I do have a small little suggestion.��


    Rhode gazed at Dale and nodded with a smile.


    ��The Sword Dance Rite that Mr. Dale suggested was a good idea, but I can��t participate as a Human. So I suggest that my companions participate in the Sword Dance Rite on my behalf. If they become the final victors, I hope we will be granted entry to Ivory Valley. How about it?��


    The Elf Queen sized Rhode up from head to toe curiously. Dale��s charming face revealed some doubts and curiosity.


    ��No problem with that. If your companions are capable of winning the Sword Dance Rite, they will be the strongest warriors of the Elves. But Mr. Rhode, I��m sure you��re aware that only Elves could participate in the Sword Dance Rite. But���� Dale turned to Corina. ���� You wouldn��t be thinking of letting Corina take your place, right?��


    ��Of course not, Mr. Dale.��


    Rhode lifted his head and clapped his hands.


    ��It��s time to show yourselves. Gracier, Madaras.��


    The girls standing beside him let out a crisp chuckle. Then, they took half a step forward in unison.


    The entire atmosphere changed.


    The Elves were curious to know who would be substituting Rhode for the Sword Dance Rite. However, as they were deep in thoughts, their vision flashed and two petite figures in snowy robes emerged out of nowhere.


    ����!��


    In an instant, the Elves aimed their bows at Rhode with fully drawn strings and the Elf Knights standing guard beside the Elf Queen unsheathed their swords and stood before her.


    It was no wonder that they had such drastic reactions because only the strongest could serve the Elf Queen. Although Corina had entered the Legendary Stage, she was still one of the weakest among them. It could be said that almost everyone present was in the Legendary Stage apart from Rhode. Moreover, Elves were born with sharp senses and no one could escape their detection. But they felt as though the truth of the world had crumbled entirely for them �� They were certain that there was no one beside Rhode just a moment ago. However, those two girls emerged beside him in the blink of an eye! They knew that it was neither a diversionary tactic nor a teleportation spell. As a race that possessed advanced magic powers, the Elves were sensitive to the undulation of magic. However, they were sure that there wasn��t any undulation of magic, not even from the two girls��no!


    They didn��t detect the presence of the two girls!


    Corina��s hands trembled. She instinctively aimed her bow at the two girls, but she discovered a problem shortly after. She was sure that she had aimed at the two girls and as long as she released her fingers, the light arrow would pierce their bodies in an instant. However, she couldn��t lock on to their auras! Not only that, but she also couldn��t sense if they were dead or alive. Although the two girls were standing before her, everything else had proven that they didn��t exist in this world!


    No. Corina couldn��t even rely on her eyes. She had a misconception that if her focus shifted for a bit or she relaxed for one second, the two petite figures would vanish entirely. She squinted and stared, fearing to lose sight of them. She didn��t feel so pained and exhausted before. It felt as though she was chasing two imaginary figures.


    Even though the Elves reacted drastically, none of them surpassed the Elf Queen��s reactions. The Elf Queen who had been sitting calmly jumped to her feet abruptly and her gorgeous face turned pale. She stared at the two girls and muttered under her breath.


    ��Carlesdine����


    The Elf Queen kept her warm smile and revealed a stern expression.


    ��Mr. Rhode, I respect that you��re our guest, but�� this joke isn��t interesting at all. Do you understand what I mean?��


    ��Of course, Your Majesty.��


    Rhode shrugged and spread his arms apart.


    ��But I can guarantee that this isn��t a joke. Besides, this is the main reason why I wish to enter Ivory Valley. I think you should understand what I mean now.��


    Gracier and Madaras had pulled down their hoods and shown their faces, revealing their heads full of white long hair which complimented their delicate, snowy skin. Their mesmerizing golden eyes, pointy ears, and a complex pattern that extended from their cheeks to neck presented them gracefully.


    Ghastly whiteness spread over the faces of several Elves.


    ��They are�� White Elves? Oh, Lord! Are they truly the White Elves?!��


    The Elf race had branched out over the millennium. Some existed since a long time ago while some varied due to certain occurrences. An example would be the Behermes Alchemy Elves and the Dark Elves, who were the result of the Creation War. The Elves had gone through two differentiations��one was when the world was shaped. Due to unspecified reasons, the Elves split up, left the main Plane of Existence, and lived in the elemental Planes of Existences. The Ocean Elves summoned by Rhode belonged to one of the branched out Elf races. Apart from the Ocean Elves, there were also the Blaze Elves, Wind Elves, and Ground Elves. However, as the four races were the result of the elemental Plane of Existences, they didn��t have much connections with the Elves in the main Plain of Existence. On one hand, the relationship between the Dark Elves and their distant relatives had unresolvable feuds. On the other hand, the Behermes had basically died out. It was due to this that apart from the Dark Elves and Alchemy Elves, most of the Elves on the continent consisted of the Earth Elves, Moon Elves, and High Elves. The Moon Elves and High Elves were the remnant of the ancient age while the Earth Elves were a new branch that emerged afterward.


    But, there was another race that was above them all��the White Elves.


    Rumor had it that the White Elves had true, royal blood and were the original rulers of the Elves. However, after the Creation War, the White Elves had basically gone extinct and due to that, their relatives, the High Elves, took over the rule. The Moon Elves were responsible in assisting and serving the royals while the Earth Elves became the people of the Elf Kingdom.


    In the current Elf Kingdom, the Elf Queen was a High Elf while Corina was a Moon Elf. But, even so, their appearances were similar and only had differences in their eyes, skin, and hair colors. No matter which Elf race they were, they had dark colored eyes except for the White Elves because rumor had it that the White Elves were the first batch of Elves created by the Creator Dragon Soul according to the Creator Dragon Soul��s appearance. This was why their eye color was identical to the Creator Dragon Soul��golden.


    The emergence of the two girls was like two atomic bombs dropped into the ocean, giving rise to enormous billows. Even Elves who had lived for thousands of years couldn��t stay calm. After all, the mysterious and terrifying strength emanating from the two girls was bone-chilling. Not only did the Elves not notice their presence before they emerged, but their royal identities as While Elves was also equally astounding. The White Elves had vanished from this continent for millenniums and even the longest living Elves had become legends. But now, the legends had re-emerged and become reality before their very eyes.


    Some of the Elves turned to the Elf Queen worriedly because they knew that the Elf Queen wasn��t one who showed emotions on her face and she was an extremely gentle, peaceful person. Who exactly were those two girls who triggered such a huge reaction from her?


    The Elf Queen realized that she had lost her self-control and she extended her slender arm to calm the Elves around her. Then, she combed her long hair with her slim fingers and looked at Rhode with complicated glints.


    ��I understand, Mr. Rhode. I was suspicious of your request before. But now, I understand your request to enter Ivory Valley����


    The Elf Queen paused and gazed at the two girls with complex emotions. Then, she let out a slight sigh.


    ��I agree with your suggestion, Mr. Rhode. Please have a rest while we select a competitor for the Sword Dance Rite.��


    The Elf Queen firmly decided.

 Chapter 607 - Sacred Land of the Elves (4)

    ��Mr. Rhode, how did it go?��


    Lize stood up hurriedly and said. Rhode spread his arms apart and shrugged. ��Everything went well. If I wasn��t mistaken, we will resolve this troublesome problem soon.�� Rhode casually glanced at the dagger hilts by his waist lightly.


    ��Let��s go. During this period, I will bring you girls to shop around the Elves�� gathering place. I��m sure you will be interested.��


    Rhode turned to the towering oak that punctured through the clouds.


    It seemed that there were many things required of them to handle.


    As Rhode had imagined, the Elves scrambled into a complete mess after he left, which was rare for beings who loved silence. But even so, they didn��t kick up a fuss like the Humans. The Elves�� debate were basically done in calm whispers because they loads of time in their lives and they wouldn��t feel annoyed by an unresolved problem. If a problem couldn��t be resolved swiftly, they could leave it aside for months, years, or even decades. However, the Humans found this behavior annoying because they didn��t have the longevity to accompany the long-living Elves in discussing whether bread should be eaten sweet or salted. But on the contrary, this was viewed as impatience in the Elves�� eyes��


    Sometimes, the barrier between cultures was truly difficult to eliminate.


    Ranks weren��t as rigid among Elves. However, no one dared to misbehave before the Elf Queen. At this moment, the Elves had gathered into smaller groups and whispered about their concerns. The elderly Elves were concerned about why the extinct White Elves would suddenly reemerge after thousands of years, while the Elf Knights were curious about how the White Elves concealed themselves from their sharp senses. It wasn��t too ridiculous if the White Elves could conceal their own aura, but not anyone was capable of concealing themselves from the Elves�� vision.


    However, the Elves were aware that their behavior was inappropriate before the Elf Queen and they swiftly retreated. The Elf Queen, Corina, Dale, and a few others remained. The Elf Queen had restored her usual peaceful expression, but her eyes were glinting in an unprecedented, intense radiance. No one knew what was going on in her mind.


    As Rhode mentioned, the Carlesdine had vanished entirely after the Creation War. As a class among the Elf race that was unfit to be seen by the public, most Elves knew very little about them. Basically, there weren��t many Elves who knew about this class and it was due to this reason that the Elf Queen revealed a rare surprised look when she saw the two girls.


    ��Carlesdine����


    The Elf Queen murmured and let out a sigh.


    Unlike the Dark Elves, the Carlesdine wasn��t considered a taboo among the Elf race. However, they were rarely mentioned by others. The assassination skills that the Dark Elves possessed wasn��t a result of their enlightenment after living in the underground. Instead, they were the fruit of labor refined from their hard work. But after the Creation War, the Carlesdine had vanished in the history of the Elf race. One of the reasons was that even though the Carlesdine were Elf Assassins, not every Elf was capable of becoming assassins.


    ��Your Majesty?��


    Corina gazed at her dubiously. The Elf Queen had always presented a gentle, yet calm image, like this piece of vast land that contained every single thing. Corina had never seen the Elf Queen troubling over anything as far as she could remember and this was a first.


    ��Is there anything troubling you?��


    ��It��s nothing. I��m just feeling a little troubled, Corina.��


    The Elf Queen revealed a warm smile. ��I didn��t expect a day where I could see the Carlesdine again����


    ��Your Majesty, what exactly is the Carlesdine?��


    This time, Dale was the one who asked. He kept his smile and looked at the Elf Queen with a solemn expression. Corina was also curious to hear the answers to this question and it was also the biggest doubt in the hearts of all the Elves present. Almost all the Elves who witnessed the two girls were in the Legendary Stage. Their auras overlapped like radars with unique wave band functions enveloping everything, weaving into layers of gigantic nets where nothing could escape their senses. If they didn��t see it for themselves, perhaps none of them would have believed their words. But this was the first time they felt frightened.


    Corina��s experience wasn��t an individual phenomenon. In fact, Dale also felt the same. As the most outstanding and powerful Elf Knight of the Elf Queen, he failed to lock on the position of the two girls even after they had appeared. Although Dale was able to locate the presence of the two girls using his eyes, he couldn��t lock on to them as though they didn��t exist. What astounded Dale the most was that he was incapable of sensing the spiritual undulation from the two girls.


    This was entirely impossible because spiritual energy was the core in driving all living things in the world, where even the Undead Creatures of the Country of Darkness were no exception. However, the two girls were as though illusory and without any life or soul where everyone could only see the imaginary figures in their minds and not the actual presence.


    If it weren��t for the fact that Rhode wasn��t a Mage, perhaps the Elves would believe that this young man had cast an illusion spell to trick their senses. However, even the Creator Dragon Soul couldn��t cast an illusion spell that could deceive the Elf Queen��s eyes.


    ��Carlesdine����


    The Elf Queen revealed a bitter smile. She turned to the azure sky with a sorrowful and helpless expression.


    ���� Is an ancient title for the Elves�� true heroes who had disappeared forever after the Creation War. It may be too distant for you guys. They have entirely been forgotten by our people, but we can��t deny their contributions for our entire Elf race.


    The Elf Queen paused and muttered to herself irresolutely. Then, she continued.


    ��The Carlesdine were the assassins of the Elf race.��


    ��Eh?��


    The Elves didn��t react any calmer than Lapis when she heard about this news from Rhode. Instead, they reacted much more drastically because they understood the honor and spirit of Elves more than anyone else. Assassins��a class that was related to darkness and evil and shouldn��t be present in the Elves at all. The Dark Elves unleashed the assassination techniques that they had learned from the Carlesdines to their maximum potential while the ordinary Elves would rather become Rangers or Foresters because assassins were a degrading symbolization.


    But now, the Elf Queen��s words overwrote their thoughts.


    ��Y-Your Majesty? You must be kidding. How is this possible����


    Corina stammered and widened her eyes unbelievably. This news was much more shocking than when the Duke Fiend emerged before her eyes!


    ��I��m not joking, Corina.��


    The Elf Queen said with a smile. Corina reminded the Elf Queen of herself when she first heard this news and she understood why Corina appeared so flabbergasted.


    ��All of you should remember that during the Creation War, we, Elves, almost faced the danger of extinction. Our proud techniques were useless in the face of the tyrannical and absolute strength of the enemies. In order to live on, we had no choice but to find everything within our grasp and save ourselves from vanishing in the terrifying war like insignificant, filthy dust. Of course, you know about the consequences too. Back then, some of the Elves sought stronger strength and chose to violate the path of nature while others chose to escape from the unbearable hardships����


    Corina and Dale knew how it all began for the Dark Elves. The Dark Elves�� aspiration to escape couldn��t be considered as sinister or corrupted. Back then, the Creation War was at its peak and the Elves were close to being demolished completely. It was due to immense pressure that some of them abandoned the war because they had suffered enough hardships and couldn��t see the glimmer of hope for the future anymore. They would rather be humiliated and leave a tinder for the Elves�� future.


    Got to say, the Dark Elves�� aspirations weren��t wrong, but the pace in which they abandoned everything was too quick. The Elves on the surface were still fighting for their honor and glory while the Elves who were under tremendous pressure escaped to the underground and in order to survive, they took to unscrupulous means and even their minds and bodies were as though tainted by darkness. In the end, they abandoned their oath and served the Demons. This was the start of the war between the Elves on the surface and the Dark Elves.


    However, the Elf Queen had no intentions of explaining this in detail.


    ���� But there were several Elves who fought bravely for us. In the end, they chose a different path and became the Carlesdines, Elves of the Wind. They were the assassins in the wind, silently seizing formidable lives that were threatening our race. But there was a price to pay.��


    The Elf Queen paused and bit her lips gently. For the first time, the pair of eyes that had seen countless history and time revealed unparalleled sorrows.


    ��The Carlesdines possess a unique ability and I��m sure you��ve experienced it yourselves. They exist, but don��t exist, at the same time. No one can detect their presence or even spiritual undulations if they aren��t willing to reveal themselves. But not every Elf is capable of it. In fact, the Carlesdines were mainly made up of White Elves.��


    ��Why is that so, Your Majesty?��


    Dale placed his hand against his chin.


    ��Because, in order to become a Carlesdine, one had to go through a holy, yet terrifying test.��


    The Elf Queen let out a soft sigh.


    �� Elves who passed the test had their existences erased from this world entirely. In other words, when an Elf became a Carlesdine, their identity and entirety was abandoned. From then on, they would no longer be a member of this world and none of our skills or spells would be effective on them because they don��t belong in this world anymore. But there was also a horrifying side-effect. The Elves who became a Carlesdine couldn��t live for more than a century. Not only that, but they would also be erased and forgotten completely after they died and even their closest friends couldn��t remember that they existed.��


    The Elf Queen revealed a sorrowful, bitter smile.


    ��And it��s the same for me. Although I��m the Queen of the Elves, I��m only aware that Carlesdines were a class that once existed. There might be a lot of powerful beings or heroes who have sacrificed their lives for the Elves among them, but no one knows about their names. Even those who knew their names would forget about them completely after they died.��


    ������


    Corina fell into deep silence. She clenched her fists and laid them by her chest. She had never felt this pained. Don��t the Carlesdine who had abandoned everything for the sake of the Elves deserve the rights to be commemorated? Corina recalled Rhode��s request at this thought. Ivory Valley��the place that had buried all the Elves�� heroes. Will the forgotten Carlesdines be able to sleep in peace in the beautiful valley? No one commemorated them and no one felt sorrowful or pained for their sacrifices. The Elves didn��t even know that such heroes existed. Is this the right way?


    ��This is fascinating, Your Majesty.��


    Dale��s voice sounded in her ear and Corina looked up subconsciously at his eyes that were glinting with amusement.


    ��If it was as what you��ve said, the Carlesdine had vanished from this world and couldn��t live for more than a century. So then, how did that young Human get into contact with them?��


    ��I��m not too sure about that too.��


    The Elf Queen shook her head slightly.


    ��But I��m sure that the young man named Rhode has an out of the ordinary background. As for the two Carlesdine girls, I didn��t sense the aura of the Undead in them, so I��m sure that they aren��t Undead Creatures. But the Carlesdine has a unique skill to isolate themselves from all detection, which is why even I failed to verify their true identities����


    ��This isn��t difficult, Your Majesty.��


    Dale unrolled a graceful, confident smile.


    ��If you agree, it would be my honor to take up their challenge in the Sword Dance Rite.��

 Chapter 608 - The Rite Begins

    Chapter 608: The Rite Begins


    As the Elf Queen was deciding on their representative for the Sword Dance Rite, Rhode led Lize, Anne, and the little mermaid for a stroll around the gathering place.


    The gathering place was entirely different from human parks and markets. Large trees and greenery surrounded the area with two clear, slow-flowing streams forming a circular plaza. The Elves sat on tall tree branches and lawns on both sides, listening to the harmonious tunes of the performing Elves in the middle. The Elves were talented musicians and singers and their suave, melodious voices resounded in the vast forest.


    If the performers were the Humans, perhaps the crowd would have applauded for their graceful performance. However, the Elves didn��t have the habit of doing so. Before gathering at this place, Rhode had warned Anne and Lize that they shouldn��t applaud no matter how well the Elves sang because the Elves deeply valued the beauty of nature. Those who truly respected their performance would be showing their deepest respect by listening quietly.


    The arrival of Rhode��s group had attracted a lot of curious gazes since Humans rarely visited them. Due to various reasons, seldom would there be Humans who entered the Elf Forest as most of them couldn��t withstand the strange, rigorous rules, and they would rather stay in the resting points ran by the Elves than to find trouble for themselves. Moreover, Rhode��s beautiful facial features weren��t too different from the Elves and the little mermaid floating in water ball was also fascinating to them.


    The Elves were more curious that even though Rhode was in their gathering place, he didn��t seem anxious at all. Instead, the hidden paths in the underbrushes and bushes didn��t pose a problem for him. He seemed really familiar with this place as though he had lived in the Elf Forest for years. However, the Elves were sure that they had never seen him around.


    Not only did the Elves feel strange, but Lize and Anne also felt dubious. Logically speaking, Rhode shouldn��t have visited this place before. However, he led them around like a tour guide on a ��Free One-day Elf Forest Tour��. Lize and Anne barely recognized the man-made buildings and plants in Blackberry Town, but they failed to find any traces of man-made constructions in this Elf territory. Although the Elves also lived in wooden houses, their wooden houses were different from the Humans��. The Elves joined and stacked branches to create their own space. Looking from a distance, their wooden houses appeared like a dense greenish treetop. However, not only could Rhode recognize which were the Elves�� houses in a single glance, but he also educated the three young ladies from time to time about the history, interests, and accomplishments of the residents. He sounded so convincing that Lize suspected if he was a locally born and bred Elf disguised as a Human.


    ��What a beautiful place����


    Lize turned to the circular plaza where the melodious voices sounded from. It was simply a paradise of her dreams �� Tranquil, cozy, and peaceful. She felt as though the mundane matters of the world had gone far away and the troubles bugging the Humans were unseen on the Elves. The Elves got by everyday peacefully and had no conflicts about money, fame, and status. If it were possible, Lize hoped to stay here forever to get away from all worries��


    ��Yes, such a great place!��


    Anne nodded with might and bite on the red apple in her hand. The apple was a gift given to Anne by an Elf child and there was nothing more satisfying than food for Anne.


    ��Woah�� So delicious. Lize, Little Cutie, do you want one too?��


    Anne retrieved two more apples from her pocket and waved them around playfully. Lize accepted her offer gladly while the little mermaid pushed against the wall of the water ball and curiously scrutinize the apple in Anne��s hand. She hesitated for a moment before extending her hand. However, she quickly retracted her hand as soon as she touched the outer wall of the water ball as though she had scorched herself.


    ��What a pity.��


    Anne let out a chuckle before biting on the apple in her hand once more, letting out a crisp, refreshing sound. This was also a method that Anne had come up with to get along with the little mermaid. She knew that the little mermaid was afraid of strangers and wouldn��t approach others closely apart from Rhode. Although Anne and Lize had been by the little mermaid��s side along the way, she appeared much closer with Rhode instead. Even though Anne had been ��determined�� in enticing the little mermaid, the little mermaid had been keeping a distance from her, which troubled Anne a lot. But Anne refused to give up. Anne liked this little fella a lot because such a cute and amusing playmate was hard to come by. There were even a few times when Anne felt like drooling whenever she saw the little mermaid�� However, Anne felt hopeless because the little mermaid had been rather wary of her. If Rhode had to leave her side, the little mermaid would rather get close to Lize than to be with her.


    If Rhode knew about this, he would surely lament that the existence of the food chain was truly significant..


    ��Mr. Rhode.��


    Suddenly, the group heard a voice. Rhode lifted his head and witnessed Corina leaping off a tree and landed gracefully on the ground like an agile cat. She nodded to Rhode.


    ��You guys are easy to spot.��


    ��Is anything the matter. Miss Corina?��


    Rhode twitched his brows while Corina pondered for a moment before responding.


    ��Mr Rhode, the Elf Queen has decided. If it is convenient for you, we shall hold the Sword Dance Rite tonight. If both of them�� pass the test, we will agree to your request for entry into Ivory Valley,�� Corina said with a complicated expression. She subconsciously swept a glance to Rhode��s side, but failed to spot the two girls anywhere near him. Corina was also confused by her emotions. Ever since she heard the past achievements of the Carlesdine, her mind had been clouded with complex thoughts. She realized that she had understood why Rhode wished to enter Ivory Valley now. If the two girls were indeed Carlesdine, there must be something related to them in Ivory Valley. However, it was due to this that Corina felt guilty. Although it wasn��t her responsibility, she felt that the two heroes who had sacrificed themselves for the Elves weren��t treated well enough.


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode didn��t notice Corina��s reaction. Instead, he was surprised by her words. He thought that his request wouldn��t be that easily approved because, no matter if it was Ivory Valley or Sword Dance Rite, they were the traditions of the Elves. Participating or entering as a Human would definitely cause discomfort to the Elves. According to Rhode��s experience in the game, any of the Elves�� discussions usually lasted days before decisions were finally made. Such situations were common in the later stages of the game, after his reputation in the Country of Law had reached new heights and he gained the authority to enter the Elf Dominion to seek assistance. This was why Rhode was used to it. Whenever he required assistance from the Elves, he would send out his application a few days earlier and head out for missions meanwhile. After Rhode completed the mission and received the mission reward, the Elves might not have even come up with a solution. But this time, he didn��t expect that the Elves actually approved the Sword Dance Rite suggestion so quickly.


    Although he didn��t know why the Elves were so unusual this time, it was naturally a good thing for him to settle this problem as quickly as possible. He nodded hurriedly.


    ��No problem, Miss Corina. We��re ready for the Sword Dance Rite anytime.��


    Corina smiled and nodded in agreement.


    ��We have prepared dinner and rooms for all of you. After your dinner, I will bring you to the rite.��


    Corina turned around and headed into a path that led into the shade.


    Rhode shrugged and followed her lead. On the other hand, Lize puckered her brows slightly and gazed at Corina with suspicion. Although Corina behaved composedly, Lize sensed the complications and hesitations hidden under her facade. Lize looked curiously at Rhode before shifting her gaze to Corina. Although their interactions were normal, she felt that they had an unusual relationship. The Moon Elf young lady seemed to have some special views on Rhode. This wasn��t a conclusion derived from observation. This was a woman��s instinct.


    The dinner prepared by the Elves weren��t sumptuous because they didn��t like eating meat or cooked food. In fact, most of the Elves only needed fruits to satisfy their cravings. However, this didn��t mean that the Elves�� food wasn��t delicious. The wine and Elf biscuits that they made had always been popular in the Human world.


    However, Rhode didn��t focus his attention on the tasty food. Instead, he caressed the dagger hilts around his waist and sensed their spiritual undulation. He realized that his relationship with Gracier and Madaras had become closer after meeting the Elf Queen and now, he could detect their emotions through their spiritual undulation. The nonstop flowing spiritual undulation was long and steady, which represented that Gracier and Madaras were feeling calm. They didn��t appear in the least bit tense for the upcoming battle.


    The final ray of sunset shone at its finest before falling below the horizon. Then, the bright moon emerged from the darkness and illuminated the dusky forest with gentle, soft light. The sound of birds singing also gradually softened.


    Rhode lifted his head and turned to Corina.


    ��We��re ready, Miss Corina.��


    Although the Sword Dance Rite was a solemn rite for the Elves, the location wasn��t as holy and inviolable. In fact, it was held in the circular plaza which Rhode had brought Anne and Lize to in the morning. However, it was currently empty and the moon had brightened the entire venue with its gracious, soft radiance.


    The Elves stood patiently and silently by the perimeter, observing everything that was taking place. Rhode lifted his head and spotted the Elf Queen standing on the plaza platform. The Elf Queen revealed a smile to Rhode and turned to the surrounding Elves.


    ��My compatriots. My people. Today, we are holding a sacred rite to recognize two pure, great souls. They shall prove their honor, bravery, and pride with their blades. And now, under the watch of the moon and the Twin Holy Dragons, we promise and pledge the fairness of this Sword Dance Rite.��


    The Elf Queen��s speech caused a slight uproar among the Elves. Many of the Elves who ��didn��t know the truth�� expressed different extents of astonishment and doubts. Although the Elves had witnessed several Sword Dance Rites, this was the first time that they had heard the Elf Queen evaluating the challengers as ��pure, great souls��.


    Rhode twitched his brows as he sharply detected something abnormal. When the Elf Queen mentioned the Creator Dragon Soul, she used ��Holy�� to describe them instead of calling them ��Gods��.


    Although the pronunciation was similar 1, they had totally different meaning.


    ��Alright then, please welcome our representative.��


    Shortly after, a familiar, yet unfamiliar figure walked out of the crowd. He was clad in fine glass armor, luxurious helmet and a polished sword emanating magical radiance hung by his waist. But even so, Rhode immediately recognized who he was as soon as he sensed his amusing gaze. It was Dale, the Elf Knight who had suggested this Sword Dance Rite to the Elf Queen.


    What is this guy up to?


    Rhode puckered his brows and scanned the Elf Knight who had stepped into the middle of the plaza from head to toe. He gently caressed and stroked the daggers around his waist and a wave of dizziness hit him out of a sudden. His vision blurred in a flash and two petite Elf girls emerged before him.


    ��I��ll leave it to you. Gracier, Madaras.��


    Rhode nodded. The two girls let out crisp chuckles and stepped into the middle of the plaza while holding hands. Then, they pulled down their hood in unison to reveal their extraordinary faces.


    ����!��


    The crowd cried out in alarm and exclamation. It was apparent that they didn��t notice Gracier and Madaras�� presences until they had decided to show themselves. The two Elf girls presented their gentle smiles and stretched out their right arm forward. Then��


    Shing!


    Snowy short blades emerged from their sleeves.

 Chapter 609 - Double-edged Sword Dance

    ����!��


    Several Elves sucked in a deep cold breath. Rhode squinted and scrutinized the young ladies before him. This was the first time Gracier and Madaras revealed their weapons and they were extraordinary.


    Snowy razor-sharp blades shimmered in a dark, menacing radiance. The length were slightly longer than their palms, which fit perfectly like a pair of viper fangs in a glance, ready to strike anytime.


    Concealed blades��


    Rhode��s heart skipped a beat.


    Concealed blades were highly popular among the players. After all, one could carry them around conveniently to assassinate and dash through the cluster of flowers suavely. Most Thief class players tried using concealed blades as their main weapon, but their luck was on the down side because concealed blades was the main weapon of the Dark Elves and the players had to enter the deep underground, avoid the wandering high-level monsters, search the underground city of the Dark Elves to become one of them, and finally, accept their path. However, the players�� reputation in the Elf Kingdom would fall to ��Hostile�� instantly as soon as they had chosen to join the Dark Elves and they could never win their trust back. As for their reputations in other Human nations, they would fall to ��Indifferent�� and ��Normal�� no matter how much reputation one had earned previously. Their only home left would be the Country of Darkness and they had to find their meaning of existence under the hands of the Undead Creatures.


    The loss of their reputation was secondary because the most troublesome area was to increase their mastery of the concealed blades. 15 Skill Points were required to upgrade from Mastery E to D, which exceeded the total degree of difficulty for every other swordsmanship technique. Even the Legendary swordsmanship techniques would require 6 to 8 Skill Points, which was extremely tough. However, the concealed blades required 15 Skill Points at the start and needed 20 Skill Points thereafter, which meant that players would face difficulties in building other techniques.


    However, concealed blades were tough to master unlike other weapons. They had high level of concealment and was extremely dangerous. Rhode remembered that there was such a saying in Chinese wuxia novels: longer blades would have a wider range of stronger attacks and although the shorter blades would have a shorter and riskier attack range, they could be used to launch much quicker attacks. The dangers of concealed blades were double-edged. They were difficult to use as daggers for attack and defense because they were only longer than their palms by a little. In fact, the players would often feel helpless whenever their PVP opponents in the Assassin and Swordsman class were welding concealed blades.


    But now, the atmosphere had changed.


    When Gracier and Madaras flashed their concealed blades, Rhode sharply detected the bewilderedness in the crowd. The Dark Elves�� assassination technique came from the Carlesdine and they had naturally inherited the Carlesdine��s specialized weapon. But after the disappearance of the Carlesdine, there naturally weren��t any places for the existence of concealed blades. Even in the game, most of the players treated concealed blades as the Dark Elves�� specialized weapon, which explained the crowd��s reaction.


    If Gracier and Madaras didn��t have the distinctive features of the White Elves, perhaps they might have been judged as the Dark Elves�� scouts.


    ��Oh?��


    Dale was also astonished when he witnessed their weapons. He slowly drew his sword and widened his stance.


    ��Leader, who are they?��


    Rhode turned around and saw Anne��s curious emerald eyes gazing at himself. Not only Anne, but even Lize and Snow also looked at him dubiously. After all, they had never met the two young girls and it would be even more suspicious if they didn��t have any doubts.


    But Rhode didn��t answer. Instead, he placed a finger on his lips.


    ��I��ll tell you about them later.��


    Rhode turned his attention to the circular plaza. The battle was about to begin.


    Dale raised his sword in an upright stance without any traces of hesitation in his eyes. Shortly after, powerful blade air streams rose from the ground and shrouded his body. In the blink of an eye, Rhode sensed that the Elf Knight had merged with his sword as one. Sharp, bone-chilling blade air stream emanated from his body and rustled the innocent leaves on the tree branches.


    What a powerful blade aura.


    Rhode��s heart skipped a beat. As a Spirit Swordsman, he clearly knew what a blade aura meant. Currently, Rhode could only accumulate his blade aura slowly before emanating it. However, Dale was different. He was like a sword that withdrew out of the sheath in a clean draw and the ice-cold blade aura burst into the air instantly. This speed was sufficient to prove that Dale was an exceptionally powerful swordsman. Rhode was sure that he would die under Dale��s sword miserably if they dueled using swords only.


    It was due to this that Rhode was curious to witness Gracier and Madaras��s performances.


    Dale had made it clear that he wasn��t holding back. So, could Gracier and Madaras stop an Elf who had entered the Legendary Stage? Rhode knew that their current strength was powerful. Both of them hadn��t enter the Legendary Stage and he had no idea about their swordsmanship standard. Their Stealth Skill could hide them from detection, but could it guarantee their victory?


    If it was true, then these two daggers would be too important for him.


    Rhode focused his attention and stared at the circular plaza.


    The two young girls were unfazed. They presented gentle smiles and took two steps back, dropping their arms to their waists relaxedly.


    Then, everything flashed before the crowd.


    Dale stepped back abruptly and let out a deep grunt. The glass sword in his hand exploded with immense radiance, spreading wild air streams forward.


    However, there was no one to receive his attack.


    As the dazzling, ice-cold radiance ripped through the air in a sharp, ear-deafening screech, everyone shockingly realized that the two young girls had disappeared as though they didn��t exist in this world.


    However, Dale��s reaction was equally quick.


    He drew a circle swiftly with the tip of his sword before leaping backward. In the blink of an eye, layers of protective crisscross blade rays spread all around him.


    But there were still no signs of the two young girls.


    As though they didn��t exist.


    How powerful.


    Dale kept his sword and made a defensive stance. Although he stared forward calmly, he wasn��t as composed as he appeared. Even when the two young girls were standing before him, they were like phantoms that didn��t exist. And now, he had proven that it wasn��t his misconception. Dale had struck out a wave of powerful attacks to force the two young girls into fighting him face to face. However, he didn��t expect that they would vanish into thin air as soon as he struck. Even though his senses had been heightened to the maximum, he still couldn��t spot their tracks!


    It��s truly the Carlesdine.


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. The Carlesdine weren��t swordsmen but were assassins instead. Therefore, they couldn��t tire their enemies through battles before taking their lives suavely. Instead, they sought after one-strike-kill and silent battle techniques. Even though Dale was capable of brandishing his sword to protect himself from the surrounding, he couldn��t detect their presence at all. As soon as he stopped, he had to defend from all directions. This mental pressure was much more intense than a true sword fight.


    However, Dale seemed to have realized this and he didn��t attack blindly anymore. He laid his sword by his side and scanned the surrounding vigilantly. Not only him, but even the crowd also widened their eyes curiously. Oh my goodness. I��ve never seen such a Sword Dance Rite!


    Where exactly did the two young girls go to?


    Dale felt a shiver and turned his body abruptly, at the same time slashing his sword to his own neck. The crowd was stunned. They thought that this Elf Knight had gotten crazy and tried to commit suicide.


    Dale was indeed quick. He flicked his wrist and slashed an arc blade ray toward his neck. Clang! The violent collision shook the atmosphere. A petite figure retreated silently with her hood concealing her face from the crowd. However, Dale didn��t stop. He charged forward and slashed his sword at the young girl!


    This time, Dale��s attack wasn��t flowery, but was swift and lethal instead. In the blink of an eye, the tip of his glass sword had arrived at the young girl��s chest! Gracier swung her left arm and flashed her concealed blade to strike off his attack. Dale rotated his wrist to the recoil and struck forward at her neck instantly. Gracier welcomed his attack and pushed her right hand forward to extend the razor-sharp concealed blade and strike toward his chest.


    This was clearly using one��s life in exchange for another��s!


    ����!��


    The Elves shrieked in surprise while the Elf Queen closed her eyes sorrowfully. She wasn��t worried that both of them would end in mutual defeat. However, Gracier��s determination to end in mutual destruction filled the Elf Queen with unprecedented pain. This was the way the Carlesdines battled: they abandoned everything and sacrificed themselves for the Elves. They were the true heroes.


    Dale was equally gobsmacked as he didn��t expect Gracier to be this firm. This instantly forced him off his attack and he retreated backward to avoid her attack. But, even so, Dale brandished his sword to apply some pressure on Gracier�� At this moment, he lowered his head abruptly!


    Clink!


    Madaras emerged behind him and the concealed blade in her hand brushed Dale��s helmet. Then, Madaras sprung back and laid both arms before her. At this moment, Dale had stomped his right leg forward.


    Clang!


    Madaras retreated in a rather miserable manner. Her fluttering white robe made her look like a specter and she vanished like a soap bubble. Not only her, but Gracier who had been obstructed by Dale also disappeared to nowhere.


    They��re really hard to deal with��


    Dale kept his sword and scanned the surrounding sharply. He had fully understood the terrifying aspects of the Carlesdine now. He had once fought with assassins and as an Elf Knight, he had been responsible for border patrols and had no lack of fights against the Dark Elves. This was also part of the hostility between the Elves and Dark Elves. Whenever the Dark Elves grew to adulthood, they would hold a coming of age ceremony and that was to come to the surface via the underground tunnels and slaughter the Elf Patrols. The more Elf Patrols they murdered, the better the treatment that they would receive in the underground world. This was how the hatred between the Elves and Dark Elves gradually solidified.


    Dale had his own methods of dealing with assassins, especially the most threatening Dark Elf Assassins who were agile and silent in movements. Although the Dark Elves�� weapon was designed to be silent, Dale understood their attacking styles and he wouldn��t be afraid even if he was surrounded by five to six Dark Elf Assassins.


    But now, this was the first time he felt fearful.


    The Carlesdine��s true strength is horrifying.


    Normally, the assassin��s strongest point was also his weakness. Perhaps he could stay hidden and undiscovered, but when he took actions and destroyed the balance, he would leave traces of aura in his movements, no matter how slight they were. As long as he grasped the timing right, he would be able to counterattack.


    But the Carlesdines were unlike that at all!


    In the two continuous attacks, Dale realized that things were looking terrible after he had been struck by the two young girls. Although he was quick, he was also miserable under the Carlesdines�� silent aggression. Besides, Dale sensed that they were being lenient on him. This was especially true when Gracier first attacked. Dale had sensed the slight pause in movements in her razor-sharp blade when it was about to pierce his throat, which felt like a warning. If this was a true battle, perhaps his throat would have been slashed by their first attack.


    Dale revealed a smile and caressed his neck gently. There weren��t any gashes which proved that Gracier��s attack wasn��t filled with murderous intention. But even so, she was extremely formidable.


    It seems impossible for me to win the two young girls using swordsmanship.


    Dale clasped his sword with both hands and stooped forward slightly. He closed his eyes.


    Alright. Let me have a taste of the Carlesdines�� true powers, both of you.


    Dale widened his eyes.


    In an instant, the crowd felt the air around Dale distort, flicker, and form a solid polygon that spread in all directions. In an instant, the crowd witnessed a ice barrier around him.


    Clink!


    Gracier and Madaras emerged from thin air and they drifted apart from the left and right directions. Dale witnessed a flash and he adjusted his posture.


    The two young girls slowed down abruptly.


    It was similar to the curses cast by Clerics. Instead, everything around them was as though a slowed down video replay. The hem of their robes swayed along with their movements, but their speed was so slow as though they were dragging themselves in water��


    This was Dale��s true ability.


    Air Domain?


    Rhode knitted his brows together. Although Rhode was familiar with the higher-ups of the Elf Kingdom, he didn��t have many impressions of Dale. But now, the Elf Knight displayed such formidable strength. The legendary powers of the Air Domain were phenomenal. Rhode didn��t expect that Dale would resort to freezing the air around him to force out Gracier and Madaras!


    Rhode shot a glance at Anne. At this moment, Anne was folding her arms and focused fully on the battle.


    As an elemental holder, would Anne reach this stage one day?

 Chapter 610 - Ivory Valley

    Gracier and Madaras didn��t react at all as though they were caught off guard by Dale��s attack. At this moment, they were bound by the semi-frozen air like trembling puppets. Dale had no intentions of letting this chance go. In a flash, Dale slashed his sword forward.


    But his sword failed to reach them when he was about two meters away. The crowd was baffled as to why Dale didn��t seize the opportunity to seal the deal and he slashed his sword on the spot ridiculously instead. But he answered their doubts shortly after.


    Along with his ��missed�� attack, the air around him rippled into billows. His sword strike was as though a pebble that fell into the pond, spreading visible, clear air rippling from the center. Strong threatening winds rose from the ground.


    Apart from Gracier and Madaras, no one knew exactly how powerful the waves were. However, it was apparent that Dale had given everything he had, judging from how the waves crashed into the defenseless young girls who were bound in the air.


    When the waves arrived at their bodies, the incredibly powerful wind pressure contained them thoroughly. Their hoods were forcefully lifted open and their hair fluttered like a waving flag. The violent airstream smoothened the creases in their clothes, but this was only the start�� It was imaginable how the two young girls would end up like after the waves struck them.


    The crowd exclaimed in awe and even the Elf Queen adjusted her position uncomfortably. After all, Gracier and Madaras were totally trapped and if Dale didn��t hold back, who knew what would happen to them.


    Suddenly, everyone witnessed a scene that they had never imagined.


    The two young girls looked forward with smiles. But shortly after, Rhode realized a weird change in the situation. Gracier and Madaras widened their eyes slightly and their golden pupils emanated with faint radiance. Then, they shrunk into a thin, narrow line like the eyes of reptiles!


    Boom!


    The powerful air waves devoured and shattered them into nothingness. In an instant, dust fluttered wildly and formed a fierce hurricane, rustling the innocent leaves and forcing the crowd to turn away.


    Clink.


    A faint sound was heard, but it was devoured by the sound of wind before the crowd heard it.


    After a few moments, the sound of wind weakened and when the crowd turned back to the circular plaza, they were astounded. Dale half-knelt on the ground while the two young girls stood in front and behind him simultaneously. They had placed their right hands by Dale��s neck. Although the crowd couldn��t see clearly from their positions, it was apparent that their concealed blades were pressing against his neck.


    What exactly happened?


    The crowd exchanged blank looks. Just a while ago, Dale had grasped the situation and pressured the two young girls entirely. But how did the situation took a turn in the blink of an eye? What did the two young girls do? How did they escape from Dale��s Air Domain that easily? Not only did the two young girls escape, but they also turned the situation around?


    Dale displayed a hopeless, bitter smile, but his helmet concealed his true disappointment.


    From the beginning, the situation had developed as Dale expected, especially after he activated his Order Dimension. Dale clearly felt that he had grasped the positions of the two young girls, which gave him some confidence and courage. After all, from their previous exchange of attacks, he couldn��t spot their positions as though they didn��t exist. This gave him a much deeper understanding of the powerful and terrifying Carlesdines. In fact, he felt that the two young girls had shown mercy. If this were a true duel, perhaps he would have died twice.


    Dale didn��t give up, but he wasn��t that thick-skinned to not admit defeat. Instead, there was one reason why he wished to continue this battle. He wanted to enjoy this battle fully. Carlesdines��they were presences of the Creation War and this was his only chance to battle them. Since this was only a competition and not a fight to the death, he had even more chances to feel the terrifying legendary presences.


    And Dale got what he asked for.


    After casting his Order Dimension to trap Gracier and Madaras, he thought that he had found the key to victory. But he knew that the since the Elf Queen had mentioned how frightening the Carlesdine were, they must possess some secret techniques. Therefore, in order to prevent accidents, Dale struck fast to curb their chances of counterattacking.


    But he didn��t expect that he had misjudged the Carlesdine��s capabilities.


    When the powerful air waves erupted, Dale felt that the presences who he had restrained suddenly vanished. Or perhaps, they had as though blended into the air and he couldn��t locate their positions. However, before he followed up with his attack, he felt an ice-cold sensation on the front and back of his neck. He knew that the opponents were telling him that the game had ended.


    This is too terrifying.


    Dale shook his head slightly. In fact, as one of the strongest in the Elf Kingdom, he was rather proud and arrogant, especially after hearing the Elf Queen��s description of the Carlesdine. After all, the Elf Queen sounded as though the Elves would be extinct if the White Elves didn��t sacrifice themselves to become the Carlesdines. Dale was a Moon Elf and not a White Elf. Although he respected the White Elves and admired the heroes of the Creation War, he wasn��t too satisfied with the Elf Queen��s interpretation. It was due to this reason that he wished to experience the strength of the Carlesdines personally, which was why he suggested to participate in this Sword Dance Rite.


    And now, he finally got what he asked for.


    Dale was confidence in his strength, but it wasn��t arrogance. He discovered that the strength that he was so proud of stood no chance against the Carlesdines. The two young girls didn��t waver to his attacks and taunts at all. They were this formidable and confident.


    Creation War��


    Dale felt that it was such a pity that even the powerful presence like the Carlesdines vanished entirely in the Creation War�� Just how horrifying was that war? He was regretful that he couldn��t participate in that war. But�� He considered this as realizing one of his dreams.


    ��Thank you.��


    Dale let out a sigh and said softly. Gracier and Madaras didn��t respond. Instead, they nodded slightly and laid down their arms. Along with this motion, the concealed blades in their palms retracted silently into their sleeves.


    Dale stood to his feet and took down his helmet. He had restored his plain, warm expression and no one could read his emotions. He didn��t react to the gazes of his compatriots and he turned to the Elf Queen to bow respectfully.


    ��Your Majesty, the two young ladies have passed the Sword Dance Rite. I can guarantee that they possess pure souls and graceful, formidable skills. They are the pride of us Elves and I��m certain of that!��


    Dale lifted his head and gazed at the Elf Queen. The Elf Queen nodded with a smile and shifted her gaze to Rhode on the other end. Although the Elf Queen didn��t comment, Rhode knew that his request to enter Ivory Valley had been approved.


    The Sword Dance Rite had come to an end without a grand ceremony. The Elf Queen gave Gracier and Madaras their blessings and ended the entire rite. Afterward, the crowd stayed behind to discuss about the fascinating duel instead. As for Rhode��s group, they left the plaza and headed off under Corina��s lead. Anne pestered Rhode about the identities of two young girls curiously and he told the group everything about them. Of course, he didn��t reveal his secrets as a Spirit Swordsman and told them that they were his summoned spirits just like Celia and Celestina. As the two young girls had some wishes that weren��t granted yet, he had come to this Elf Kingdom to fulfill their wishes.


    Anne and Lize trusted him. After all, they had been following him for a long time and it wasn��t particularly strange that he was capable of summoning mysterious things and characters. In fact, Rhode had also been cautious and the young ladies didn��t suspect him of keeping any secrets. This was a reason caused by their differences in statuses and standpoints. For natives like Lize and Anne, the world was full of extraordinary things. Therefore, they simply believed that Rhode was one of the rare people who was capable of summoning spirits in battle. As for Rhode, he instinctively looked at things from the standpoint of a player who was familiar with the game, such as understanding the specific types of military soldiers in different countries, specific classes in races, and specific skills in forces. Players would get curious as long as there was knowledge to be learned and investigated. This was why Rhode seldom displayed his strength and preferred to remain mysterious than to expose his true identity. Even though he was close to Lize, Anne, and Marlene, he wouldn��t unnecessarily explain to them in details because it wasn��t that straightforward��


    Anne and Lize knew the strength of Rhode��s summoned spirits. Just Gillian and the little mermaid��s performances were enough to take on a fully armored mercenary team. There wasn��t anything wrong for Rhode to come here and fulfill one��s obligations and increase the strength of the Guild simultaneously. Moreover, they had also witnessed how powerful the two Elf girls were.


    But��


    ��Leader, you sure have a lot of pretty girls among your summoned spirits.��


    Rhode felt a peculiar gaze from Lize after Anne gave this innocent remark.


    But Rhode knew how to handle Lize. He had used all sorts of methods to resolve the conflicts back home and successfully led Lize into a satisfying, sweet dream. Not only that, but he had also used physical actions to prove that the setback was only an accident. He didn��t always strained his waist.


    But these were only the small details. After passing the test of the Sword Dance Rite, he finally achieved his goal to enter Ivory Valley.


    ��Mr. Rhode, please be careful.��


    Corina turned back and said softly. On the second morning, Corina looked for Rhode with the Elf Queen��s orders. The Elf Queen had granted his entry to Ivory Valley, but for safety��s sake, she had assigned Corina to accompany them and bear the responsibility of being their guide.


    Rhode didn��t feel that there were any problems with this arrangement. After all, Ivory Valley was a sacred place for the Elves and he didn��t wish to have any misunderstandings with the Elves if he entered alone. With Corina by his side, he could avoid unnecessary such problems. At this moment, Rhode was following Corina and heading into the depth of the forest, casually chatting about the Sword Dance Rite that happened last night.


    ��Frankly speaking, Mr. Rhode, I��m really surprised. Dale has never suffered such a straightforward defeat. After the rite last night, we learned about the identities of the two young ladies from the Elf Queen. But�� They were much more formidable than I��ve imagined.��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode twitched his brows. He discovered that the corner of her mouth perked up amusingly when she spoke about Dale, which was unusual to see in her.


    ��Miss Corina, you seem really close with Mr. Dale?��


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode. Because Dale is my����


    Corina shut her mouth and came to a halt abruptly. She turned to Rhode and beckoned.


    ��Mr. Rhode, we have reached Ivory Valley.��

 Chapter 611 - Twin Elves

    Chapter 611: Twin Elves


    Ivory Valley��the Elves�� sacred ground and eternal resting place for all Elven heroes. From this description, perhaps one would think that it was an extraordinarily grand place. But this place didn��t seem any much different from other parts of the Elf Forest. Verdant and lush forest, beautiful streams, dense treetops, and bright sun light spilling in from between the leaves. Curious little wild animals like the squirrels jumped down from the branches and peered curiously from the bushes at the two guests. Ivory Valley appeared nothing more than a perfect place for a picnic.


    However, the truth was otherwise.


    The only sign that could symbolize Ivory Valley was the cloud of white fog permeating in the forest, but it wasn��t dense enough to conceal vision. As one walked through it, one could hear indistinct and faint breathing��the sleeping spirits�� hymns of glory.


    And now, Rhode had stepped onto the sacred ground.


    He stepped on the fresh, soft grass and took in a deep breath of the fragrant flowers that filled the air. Then, he lifted his head to gaze at everything before him quietly. The twin daggers around his waist trembled and their spiritual undulation surged strongly. Corina followed by his side, but he didn��t need her guidance. He knew what he had to do and where he had to go. He held the dagger hilts gently and stepped into the depth of Ivory Valley.


    Corina gazed at him from the back curiously. Although Rhode had informed her of his intentions, she was still curious as to what he was about to do here. Not only that, but this Moon Elf was filled with unprecedented curiosity. Where did he come from exactly? How did he manage to get into contact with the Carlesdines who had vanished entirely? And what does he intend to do here?


    Such questions popped up in her mind one by one. As she followed Rhode closely, she realized that this was the first time she was so interested in a Human.


    The spiritual undulation guided him.


    There weren��t any smaller pathways in Ivory Valley. But he knew where and how he should go ahead because two spiritual undulations that were similar to Gracier and Madaras gradually became distinct. They intertwined and responded with one another as though an obvious signal reflected on a radar. Rhode strode through the underbrush, shrubs, and brooks patiently.


    The sound of wind gradually became louder.


    ��T-This is����


    Corina widened her eyes in astonishment because she sharply sensed the abrupt transformation in the atmosphere. The peaceful Ivory Valley was slowly becoming lively as though a tranquil lake was rolling and boiling over violently. This was nothing that she had ever seen!


    The leaves rustled loudly along the strong wind and the surrounding animals were nowhere to be seen. Rhode lifted his head nonchalantly and looked into the depth of the forest with his pitch-black eyes. His vision had as though seen through entire Ivory Valley.


    ��Mr. Rhode����


    Corina came to a halt and gaped uneasily. Suddenly, the entire Ivory Valley darkened and a scene that she had never seen emerged before her.


    Not only did the light green radiance burst with spiritual aura from the land of grass and specks of light dust float skyward, but the surrounding bark also emanated equally dazzling radiance. The two different tones of green blended together perfectly and formed a path that led them deeper into Ivory Valley. As this corridor of light emerged, indistinct figures emerged behind the bushes one by one and watched the two visitors quietly. Some were clad in glorious armor, Mage robe, and Ranger attire.


    ��This is����


    Corina looked in disbelief. She had been to Ivory Valley several times, but she had never seen it in this state. The Queen Elf often reminisced about the memory of holy spirits. But the holy spirits had never shown themselves before anyone!


    Spiritual aura permeated and gentle breeze blew against Rhode as he walked down the corridor of light. The tree branches and tangled vines made way to both sides while the grass obediently paved way for him.


    Magnificent.


    Rhode didn��t reveal any signs of excitement, but he was exclaiming in awe inwardly. The little girl who resembled Christie didn��t reveal this scene to him, so everything that happened astonished him. He was clear about Ivory Valley��s history and he also knew the ones who had emerged before him. They were generations and generations of Elf heroes and only they were qualified to be buried here. But now, the heroes who should have been fast asleep forever actually appeared. Rhode knew that the holy spirits weren��t here to welcome him. Instead��


    He lowered his head and gazed at the twin daggers. Then, he furrowed his brows slightly.


    He had always been suspecting that the identities of his spirits in the Holy Sword Card Deck weren��t that simple at all. It was apparent from their offense and defense values and their incredible growth rates. Besides, when the summoned spirits reached their peak, they would possess strength in the Legendary Stage, which wasn��t ordinary at all. The standard, high-end deck for a Spirit Swordsman included a Core Card, Venue Card, various spell cards, and subordinates of the unique element to the deck. Although some luckier players could get their hands on two to three decks, the strength of the decks were insignificant. On the contrary, the Holy Sword Card Deck was entirely different. Like Celia and Celestina, they could reach the Legendary Stage even without unlocking their seal and just by being under the influence of a talent skill. A deck with full 10 cards of legendary level was basically cheating in the game.


    The overwhelmingly powerful card deck was also the start of Rhode��s doubts. After he had discussed with Celia and Celestina, the doubt in his heart grew even deeper.


    Spirit Swordsmen were different from Mages. Spirit Swordsmen could summon presences that existed on this continent while Mages could only summon presences from other elemental Plane of Existences. This was why Rhode��s summoned spirits mostly appeared normal while Mages�� summons were all a mess. From his conversation with Celia and Celestina, he sensed that they had high statuses and existed since generations ago. Normally speaking, the earlier the generation they came from, the higher their strength would be.


    This was the same for Gracier and Madaras.


    The thing that Rhode suspected the most was that their backgrounds were pointing toward the same thing��the Creation War.


    Yes. The background history which was only described by lines of words in the opening music of the Dragon Soul Continent game.


    Rhode didn��t understand the specific details to the history. In fact, apart from the players who were interested in archeology, most of them were only concerned about getting their hands on legendary weapons or magic scrolls and no one knew about the explicit details.


    But, even so, Rhode understood this clearly: Gracier and Madaras held high status among the holy spirits!


    Their presences woke the holy spirits up from their long slumber, which proved a powerful point. After all, the Carlesdine were rarely seen. But there were up to thousands of Carlesdine during the Creation War. So who would be worth the welcome of that many holy spirits?


    The spiritual undulation around his hands surged violently. Rhode lifted his head and spotted two short, unremarkable pine trees before him.


    Perhaps due to the long time, their trunks and branches had withered and drooped lifelessly. The towering trees around them had as though submerged their irrelevant presence entirely.


    Rhode approached the two pine trees and laid his daggers before him. Then, the daggers flew out of his hands and slowly drifted forward, emanating warm, dazzling spiritual radiance from their blades.


    The two pine trees lit up like Christmas trees and specks of green radiance spread upward from their roots. Then, every branches and leaves emanated a glorious luster.


    Corina stood behind Rhode and looked at the scene blankly. She was flabbergasted.


    At this moment, the radiance on the twin daggers flickered and two young girls emerged before Rhode.


    However, Gracier and Madaras were no longer dressed in their usual plain robe. Instead, they were clad in pure, white cloaks inlaid with golden lining. Not only that, but flashy golden threads were also embroidered on the backs of their cloaks. The skin-tight clothing that they wore previously had become spotlessly white and were embedded with leather of beautiful patterns.


    An immense air pressure struck forth.


    Rhode took a step back uncontrollably as he almost half-knelt to the ground with his weakened knees. He had never sensed such a tremendous might from the two young girls, and not even from Lydia. They were announcing to everyone their strong, absolute authority.


    However, Rhode withstood it.


    His body shook slightly and he turned to find the pale Corina half-kneeling on the ground with sweat beads spread across her forehead. She didn��t dare to lift her head up.


    At this moment, the two young girls turned around and gazed at Rhode with adorable smiles. Gracier and Madaras extended their hand forward. Their sweet, crisp voices sounded in Rhode��s ears like a gentle whisper of the spring breeze.


    ��You��ve finally awakened us, Master.��


    ��Our blades will fight for you and our glory will shine for you, Master. We will follow your path to the end. This is our promise and duty���� The two young girls let out a crisp, lovely chuckle before turning around and drifted to the two pine trees. They extended their finger forward and touched the branches.


    The two pine trees erupted into a blinding radiance and slowly shattered into countless specks of light, which flew into their petite bodies. Shortly after, the pine trees vanished like melted snow. The brilliant rays on Gracier and Madaras shone increasingly brighter and at the same time, the spiritual radiance on the ground rippled as though responding to their presence. Every tree, branch, leaf glittered fascinatingly like an ensemble. The ground trembled as though the powerful energy contained in them was roaring and trying to break through to the surface��


    And they finally emerged.


    Boom��!


    An ear-deafening, thunderous explosion numbed their ears and everything before them were enveloped in complete whiteness as though the entire world had been devoured.


    If Rhode stepped back farther, he could see two light beams emitting from the ground, ripping through the dense clouds, blending into one with the azure sky as though they were pillars that connected heaven and earth. In an instant, the bright sun seemed inferior to the two light beams. The pale green radiance had become the main theme of the world.


    ��Your Majesty����


    Dale looked up with astonished, widened eyes. Not only him, but the Elf Knights around him were also stupefied and lost their calm. They gazed at the two pillars rushing into the sky in bewilderment.


    The Elf Queen neglected the inappropriate behavior of her knights because she also stood to her feet and gazed at the two light beams with a complicated expression. She let out a slight sigh.


    ��It seems�� This is the fate that we certainly have to experience.��


    The Elf Queen closed her eyes and listened quietly to the almost inaudible whispers that echoed in the depths of her soul��

 Chapter 612 - He & She (I)

    Chapter 612: He & She (I)


    Marlene stood by the window and gazed at the picturesque city glowing in radiance of gold. However, her thoughts had drifted to the far southern seaside. She remembered how the sun shone on the clear azure sea and the fishy smell that assailed her nostrils. There wasn��t a single trace of cloud in the sky as the massive magical fleet sailed and stole the show from the sun slowly. Billows of smoke hovered above the harbor city and indistinct screams and mourns could be heard from the distance.


    The battle had ended.


    The farce of the Reformist Party��s independence that lasted almost half a year was finally about to end in this late autumn. As winter approached, autumn would end completely like withered leaves that had fallen to the ground. After the Chairman of the Southern Parliament committed suicide by consuming poison, the Reformist Party crumbled entirely as they lost their main backbone and turned into a complete mess. Not only that, but internal chaos also arose among them. After the Royal Fleet had sealed off the Southern Port, the entire Southern region had been crippled and the Southern Parliament also faced unprecedented fears and pressure. The Chairman had it easy because, no matter what, he was safe from the fate of getting his neck hung in Golden City. However, the others weren��t that fortunate. The Southern Port had been sealed off and no ship could enter or exit. The current battle in the front line was intense while the unstable rear was filled with Barbarians penetrating into the Southern hinterland. The core members of the Reformist Party were petrified and the magic fleet��s emergence also meant the chances of the Country of Light��s Parliament sending help had become zero. Therefore, their only choices left were to either give up, run to the Barbarians�� territory with all their lives, or pass through the borders to enter the Country of Darkness.


    However, all the three choices led to death for members of the Reformist Party.


    They knew how vicious Lydia was and nobody would believe that she was an honorable and kind-hearted Archangel. In fact, there were many times where many people��s evaluation of her were accurate and that was her ��tyrannical�� trait. She sought riches, pleasures, and loved grand banquets. She would cruelly put down those who resisted her and perhaps even Humans couldn��t be this demanding. But she could.


    This was also why the Reformist Party would rather grit their teeth to struggle than to give up. They knew that the gibbet would be awaiting them at the end of the road as soon as they surrendered. Of course. Lydia wouldn��t execute their whole family unto the third generation, like ancient sovereigns. However, she also wouldn��t capture the principal offender and let the others off��no one would be spared.


    It was due to this understanding of Lydia that the Reformist Party��s core members wouldn��t surrender no matter what.


    However, the other two choices weren��t hopeful for them either.


    The wasteland of the Barbarians wasn��t enveloped in the Order Forcefield and the people there were barbaric, violent, and recognized strength only. It didn��t matter how high one��s position was in the Munn Kingdom was or the amount of wealth one had because they were meaningless. Moreover, it was located near the Dragon Souls where the Order Forcefield had become unstable with and days and nights were of varying lengths. The areas which wasn��t enveloped in the Order Forcefield was much more terrifying and it was basically impossible for ordinary humans to survive.


    The Country of Darkness wasn��t a great choice either.


    Everyone knew that the Country of Darkness was a nation of Undeads and Humans had low statuses there. Even though the statuses of the Humans had increased due to the existence of one of the Four Legendary Generals, ��The Conqueror��, Garcia, it only influenced some of the Humans. In the Country of Darkness, most of the Humans were either slaves or meals for the Vampires. Therefore, even if they passed through the borders safely, they wouldn��t face any better endings.


    What left the Reformist Party in desperation was that although the Country of Darkness and the Country of Light had a terrible relationship, their ties with the Munn Kingdom were rather decent. If Lydia requested for the Country of Darkness to hand over the Reformist Party��s core members, there was no guarantee that they wouldn��t send them back!


    They could either turn into corpses instantly or serve as slaves before eventually turning into corpses. It was only the difference between death penalties and deferred death sentences, which wasn��t a huge difference for them because there weren��t any possibilities for them to appeal for their cases.


    As of now, they could only drag it out day by day and for as long as possible.


    However, they had forgotten that human nature was selfish, where one could neglect the death of others as long as one could survive.


    The core members of the Reformist Party were the minority, after all. Most of the other members weren��t willing to die along with them. Previously, they didn��t dare to wreak havoc when the Chairman was still alive. But now, they had toughened up and believed that the Chairman��s suicide meant that everything had ended entirely and they had no chances of winning! If they didn��t surrender, only death would be waiting for them!


    It was due to this that the internal department of the Reformist Party erupted into chaos.


    ��A small stubborn core molecule�� failed to take effect in the ��vast ocean of people��. Not only that, but the ��traitors�� also took the initiative and released the Southern Legion��s ex-chief commanders who were captured by the Reformist Party. And this marked the end of the so-called Southern independence of the Reformist Party.


    What happened next wasn��t worth mentioning. The Southern Legion that was stationed in Callenbach City broke out into chaos after they learned that the Chairman had committed suicide. The King��s Party seized this chance and encircled Callenbach City from the rear and cut off their source of supplies, which trapped the Southern Legion entirely. After three continuous failed attempts to break through, the defenders in Callenbach City surrendered without any resistance.


    Everything that Marlene saw when she entered the Southern Port had been etched in her memories. She had been to the Southern Port in the past and it used to be an orderly and beautiful city. The pedestrians on the streets wore brightly colored clothes and conversed courteously with their heads held high as though their futures were filled with glimmering hope. Got to say, those Southerners indeed had the qualifications to look down on the Northerners who always behaved crudely and wore roughly manufactured clothing.


    But this time, it was entirely different.


    Bloody corpses and carcasses had tainted the clean streets and putrid smell spread all over the city. Several bloated corpses were also seen on the beautiful, azure bay. Residents who appeared malnourished and sickly hid in their homes in shabby clothes, peeping from the windows at the King��s Party soldiers entering their city. No one maintained the neatly aligned houses and the recent riots had crushed the magnificent city into a pit for beggars.


    What a disaster.


    Marlene shut her eyes and tried to forget about the unpleasant scenes in her mind. If it were Lize, perhaps she would pity the unfortunate people. However, Marlene wouldn��t because she didn��t feel that they deserved sympathy. This was their choice and they paid the price for it. As for whether the price was a bit too high, it wasn��t within her concerns.


    In just two days, Lydia had taken decisive actions against them. She captured every single one of the core members and threw them into jail. Her punishment for them was exceedingly grave: she confiscated all their property and wealth and turned them back to ordinary civilian status. Apart from those that were confirmed to be hanged, the others would receive different extents of punishment.


    To the Reformist Party, Lydia��s actions were drastically vicious because almost everyone who participated in the armed rebellion was a noble or a merchant. They held large properties under their names, which was why they dared to fight against the King��s Party.


    Almost all the trade associations and nobles of the South had been wiped out by Lydia and it could be considered pulling the rug from under the Reformist Party��s feet. This also meant that they wouldn��t have sufficient strength to resist the King��s Party in the future.


    Lydia��s actions would certainly raise protests from the civilian workers because her actions weren��t just about wiping out the foundations of the Reformist Party. All the trade associations were managed by civilian workers and now that the trade associations had all been seized by the King��s Party, it would mean that the livelihood of all civilian workers would be affected. Perhaps a riot would have been in place in peacetime.


    But now, the high and mighty Southerns accepted this arrangement without saying a word. They were like beautiful greenhouse flowers and Lydia had smashed the protective glasses and completely drenched them under the violent storm. After the cleansing of the storm, the fully bloomed flowers withered thoroughly. The cruel reality smashed their imaginations and educated them that a war wasn��t only just about glory and cheers. Instead, a war was a path that led to destruction and deaths and they had chosen this path foolishly.


    ��Miss Marlene.��


    Marlene turned around and spotted her personal female servant looking at her respectfully.


    ��The banquet is about to begin����


    ��Got it. I will get changed now.��


    Marlene stole a final glance at the tranquil sceneries of Golden City. Then, she turned around without hesitations and entered the room.


    ***


    Rhode stepped out of the chariot and gazed at the lofty, majestic castle beaming in golden radiance. He couldn��t help but whistle in awe.


    After awakening Gracier and Madaras, Rhode didn��t return to the Land of Atonement immediately. This was because Gillian had informed him of the invitation letter from the King��s Party to participate in the grand banquet organized in Golden City. Although Rhode��s time had been occupied by the twin daggers and he disregarded the battle between the King��s Party and the Reformist Party, he had confirmed that the Reformist Party was done for. In fact, it was as Rhode had expected.


    Lydia wiped out the entire Southern base, where it was the home for hundreds of nobles and trade associations. After the battle, the Southern Legion and their fleet had to be cleaned and rebuilt on the large scale. It was impossible for no one to be disinterested in a huge slice of cake placed before them. Rhode was also clear that even though Lydia organized this grand banquet to celebrate the victory against the Reformist Party, she had no intentions of sharing the cake.


    It was due to this that Rhode had left the Elf Forest and brought Anne and Lize into Golden City. But this time, he had an uninvited guest with him.


    ��So�� This is Golden City����


    Corina stepped out of the chariot and gazed in awe at the magnificent castle.


    Rhode turned around and stole a glance at her.


    Rhode was surprised that Corina had joined him here. In fact, he didn��t expect the Elf Queen to request sending Corina to the Land of Atonement with him when he took his leave.


    Of course. Rhode knew that young Elves would often travel while undertaking some obligations. Back then, Corina had traveled into Soraka Mountain as the representative for the Country of Law and her duties were naturally fulfilled now that Soraka Mountain no longer existed. However, Rhode didn��t expect that the Queen Elf would send Corina to the Land of Atonement!


    The Queen Elf explained that she wished to closely examine the aftermath which the Duke Fiend had left. However, Rhode knew that this was a lie that would only work on children. If she truly wished to observe, why didn��t she send Corina over and get Rhode to go to the Elf Forest instead? Rhode wasn��t sure why the Queen Elf had made this decision. However, he approved of her decision because he knew that the Country of Light and Country of Darkness would break out into a war soon and his Land of Atonement would definitely be one of the front line. When that happened, with Corina helping in the Fortress, perhaps she could drag the Country of Law into the situation and strengthen his forces. So, how would Rhode let this opportunity slip? Moreover, Rhode was clear of Corina��s talents and with her help, he would have an easier time defending his Fortress.


    Strictly speaking, it wasn��t a good thing to allow Corina to be by his side. Rhode knew that his method of work would be disapproved by the Elves based on the understanding of human culture. However, he couldn��t care less. The war would begin in about a year and as long as he didn��t take it too far and upset Corina, everything would be fine. Anyway, Rhode was an expert in disguise and it wouldn��t be anything tough for him.


    But now, Rhode had focused his attention on the golden castle. His mind was thinking about another person who he hadn��t seen in a long while: Marlene.


    Strictly speaking, Marlene was the first woman who Rhode had after he came to this world (Canary wasn��t counted, of course.). First love would always be etched into one��s memory, not to mention one��s first sexual encounter. Even though she hadn��t been following him for a long time, her contributions in developing Starlight weren��t anywhere less insignificant than his. It could also be said that Starlight perhaps wouldn��t be growing this steadily if she didn��t exist.


    However, Rhode was clear that Marlene couldn��t possibly stay in Starlight as his adjutant forever. She was the only heir of the Senia Family. Besides, compared to a less important character like Rhode who only ambushed enemies from the rear and did nothing else, her performances were striking. Not only did she lead her team of Mages and resist against the Reformist Party continuously, but she had also coordinated the encirclement around Callenbach City. Of course, this wasn��t due to her natural talent in military tactics. After going on countless adventures with Rhode, she had tremendous growth in her understanding and mastery of magic.


    It was also due to this that Marlene performed outstandingly well in the battle. She had taken off the title of a ��rare magical genius who only appeared once in a hundred years�� and was officially recognized as a ��young and formidable Mage��. It could be said that her hard work had been recognized.


    On the way to Golden City, Rhode had heard several rumors about the remarkable Marlene. Some also mentioned that she might join the Court Mage Guards and become Grand Mage Amund��s assistant or possibly the next Court Grand Mage. There were some rumors that mentioned she might receive brand new territory and an honorable title.


    Rhode knew that Marlene was more than qualified to receive these rewards. Unlike him, she was born into a prestigious family and had always been the center of attention. This was why such results weren��t surprising at all. Everyone knew that she was the heir of the Senia Family and a rare magical genius and she would definitely succeed if she worked hard for it. However, the situation was different for Rhode. No matter how outstanding his performances were, he had only appeared before everyone in a short period of time. As a result, the nobles were much more dubious of him as compared to Marlene. This was apparent from when Lydia bestowed him the feudal rank. She must have considered this factor and therefore, given him the lowest Baron rank. On the contrary, perhaps Marlene might be bestowed the rank of an Earl if she were in his place.


    Rhode felt rather reluctant to part with her.


    Perhaps Marlene��s feelings toward him wouldn��t change, but who knew? They would see each other so much less after she left the Guild and distance was always the biggest enemy to a loving relationship. Based on Rhode��s experiences, he knew that their feelings would become dull if they couldn��t meet due to various reasons. Moreover, Rhode had no lack of women around him. If everything didn��t work out, the Senia Family would perhaps search for another well-matched family in order to continue the family lineage or Marlene wouldn��t consider marrying others at all. No matter what, that had nothing to do with Rhode.


    Rhode felt annoyed at the thought of this possible future. He had always been snatching women away from others and never lost�� Is this the rhythm leading to failure?


    Rhode didn��t know what to feel. He was glad that Marlene��s growth had been recognized, but the thought of her leaving Starlight left him feeling out of sorts.


    But��


    Rhode let out a helpless sigh and threw this matter to the back of his head.


    At the very least, he was about to meet Marlene soon.

 Chapter 613 - He & She (II)

    Chapter 613: He & She (II)


    When Rhode stepped into the hall of the castle, he sensed plenty of gazes on Lize and himself from the nobles. But that lasted for only a while. The nobles continued their passionate conversations with one another. The banquet would be held on the evening of the 15th and the nobles had rushed their way back to Golden City. Of course, they were aware that the banquet wasn��t just a grand dinner. Instead, it was more like a session to share a delicious cake. The King��s Party army was mainly formed from the nobles�� private soldiers and legions. After this war, the higher-ups of the Southern Fleet and Southern Legion would be re-selected. Although the current Southern Legion Commander didn��t participate in the armed rebellion and was imprisoned by the Reformist Party for resisting, everyone knew that this was enough to get him out of his position.


    However, military affairs weren��t related to the nobles. The Munn Kingdom had always treated the military and nobles as unique entities. Therefore, even though the Southern Legion had suffered huge damages, it was imaginable that the King��s Party would eventually select outstanding candidates from other legions to replenish vacant roles. Therefore, it was impossible for nobles to poke their noses into military affairs. This time, the nobles were most concerned about the remaining slices of cake left behind by the southern nobles and merchants. They had been eyeing them for a long time, but they couldn��t find excuses to have them. But now, since the other party had to bring about their own destruction, it would be rude of them to stop them. Please go ahead bravely. We won��t have any issues safekeeping the things that you left behind.


    Rhode held a low feudal rank and his performance wasn��t as outstanding as Marlene��s. Apart from a few remarkable performances in the Cloud Summit Fortress battle and assisting General Garcia in defending the Southern Legion��s attack twice, he was nowhere to be seen in contributing to other areas. Not only that, but one of the battles was also commanded by Lize and he couldn��t claim credit for that. The only achievement he could present was capturing General Dade, a leading commander of the Southern Legion.


    Judging from this, Rhode��s achievements were unmatchable to Marlene��s. However, the nobles had their own news channel and they knew that even though Rhode didn��t perform outstandingly well, the conflagration in the Grosso region and the collapse of the underground mine in the Fiat region were closely linked to him, which was the key to dissolving this war swiftly. The strength of the armed rebels weakened drastically after losing their source of food supplies and the Reformist Party lost their resources to forge armor and weapons after the Royal Fleet sealed off the Southern Port. During the final days of the war, many of the Southern Legion soldiers didn��t have food for days and the blades in their possessions were terribly blunt.


    In such a condition, it went without saying how they performed against the perfectly well-equipped King��s Party army.


    However, these rumors were only spreading among the nobles. Lydia had kept this matter a secret and not many nobles noticed it. But they knew that they shouldn��t make irresponsible remarks about such matters. Therefore, they didn��t appear exceptionally passionate or show disdain when Rhode��s group arrived. Since Lydia had appointed such an important task to Rhode, it undoubtedly meant that this mysterious and powerful young man would be a force to be reckoned with in the King��s Party.


    The banquet hadn��t begun yet. The nobles were waiting and chatting in the hall. However, not many of them spoke to Rhode and he didn��t seem interested in joining their circle either. Although he was indeed a member of the nobles with a low feudal rank, he wasn��t close to any of them. He had been busy managing operations of the Land of Atonement, his Guild, and accomplishing various missions. He seemed more like a mercenary than a noble and he didn��t have time to invite nobles to his territory and build relationships.


    Therefore, even though the nobles were curious to know more about this impressive young man and the forces behind his back, they couldn��t do much as they weren��t familiar with each other. Moreover, Rhode had shown that he was a tough and dangerous character in the Midsummer Festival and it would be best for them to not act recklessly before understanding his interests. If not, it would be troublesome if they messed with such a mysterious and formidable person.


    It was due to this that many of the nobles carefully kept a distance away from Rhode. On the contrary, Rhode enjoyed the momentary peace that he was getting. He stood far away from the crowd and leaned on the wall at a relatively isolated corner, shutting his eyes for a rest while Lize and Anne stood beside him quietly. Corina didn��t come to Golden City to participate in the banquet. Instead, she was here to report to Lydia about her transfer matters. No matter what, as one of the important members of the Elf Dominion, it was nothing out of the ordinary to greet the ruler of the Munn Kingdom.


    Although it was a solemn occasion, Anne didn��t behave appropriately at all. Since the crowd hadn��t gathered and there was no sight of delicious food yet, she curled up, hugged her legs, and leaned on her shield for a short nap.


    Although her actions weren��t respectful, they were resting at a relatively remote corner, fortunately. Even if she were seen by one, one would at most show a hopeless smile and move on. They weren��t that sick of living to mess with Rhode yet.


    Lize would have usually reminded Anne to not sleep so soundly with that many people around her. Although Anne had an adorable sleeping face, she still had to be aware of the environment and venue�� But Lize didn��t do so because her mind was wandering off��


    And the reason to her absent-mindedness was similar to Rhode��s��Marlene.


    Lize felt perplexed. She didn��t know how to explain everything that had happened. Besides, she couldn��t discuss this problem with Rhode because this was a problem between Marlene and her.


    In Lize��s mental world, Rhode had admitted his relationship with Marlene. It was due to this that Lize��s phantom went out of control entirely and gave Rhode the chance to dominate the situation. Even though Rhode didn��t mention this matter after returning to reality, Lize subconsciously realized that what he said was the truth. The increase in intimacy between Rhode and Marlene had actually existed for a long time. However, Lize didn��t have any experience in love and she thought that they were simply close with each other. Although Lize did feel that there was something unusual between them, she couldn��t put a finger to it.


    But now, she detected their relationship after experiencing it for herself and putting some thought into it.


    Although Lize had overcome the hurdles in her heart with Rhode��s help, this matter still bothered her to a certain extent. She took advantage and dove into Rhode��s embrace when Marlene wasn��t around. If Marlene were to find out, what would she think about her? Lize had been tortured by her own thoughts and she didn��t have the time to consider this question. And now, she discovered the bigger trouble that she had to face.


    Fortunately, the Dragon Soul Continent didn��t practice monogamy and Lize was clear that similar situations had emerged among the nobles. If two good friends fell in love with the same man, they could marry him with their families�� approval. Not only that, but strange rumors were also spreading in the nobles circle. Lize heard that the daughter of the Chelton Family loved and adored her best friend, the daughter of the Burlington Family. Therefore, after the daughter of the Burlington Family married off to a man, the daughter of the Chelton Family also married him.


    This scenario prevented a soap opera with a third-rate plot involving two close friends who had fallen in love with the same man and ended up becoming enemies. However, Lize wasn��t concerned about this. She wasn��t worried that Marlene would make her leave Rhode��s side after she found out the truth. Instead, she felt guilty for not discussing with Marlene over her ��adultery�� beforehand and was concerned that this would destroy their friendship. After all, they had grown up together since a young age and it would be a pity if cracks were to form in their friendship over a man.


    Everyone had their own standpoint. As time passed, more nobles arrived in the hall and they crowded over and struck up conversations with the more reputable ones. In this internal battle, the three largest families in the Munn Kingdom were the most dominant apart from the Northern Army. Although there would be many forces rising abruptly to towering positions after this internal battle, everyone knew that the three largest families still influenced the nation the most. Besides, they had also received several compliments on this celebratory banquet. As long as one supported them, perhaps one could build a favorable relationship with them, which was of utmost importance for any nobles.


    Rhode puckered his brows as he leaned on the wall and gazed at the passionate nobles. It was apparent that these people were elated and glad for victory and the end of the internal battle. But what was there to be happy about? The conflict between the King��s Party and the Reformist Party couldn��t be considered a war. It could only be considered a local dispute at the very most. And yet, they were overflowing with confidence and behaving arrogantly. How would they react when the war between the Country of Light and Country of Darkness broke out and when the Undead Army crossed their border?


    Lydia was a great ruler, but what about her subordinates?


    Rhode shook his head helplessly. He didn��t need to worry about blindly for her since she was more than capable of reading the situation.


    Suddenly, Rhode felt the lively atmosphere quietened abruptly. He subconsciously looked toward the hall and spotted a familiar figure.


    Marlene.


    Marlene was no longer clad in the Mage robe that he had always seen her in. Instead, she wore an elegant burgundy dress that showed off her slim waist and splendid curves. Layers of interweaving ruffles lined her skirt and let off a mysterious, luxurious vibe. Not only that, but he also saw faint silver magical radiances flashing around her like protection circles. Rhode couldn��t help but twitched his brows slightly.


    It seems like I��m not the only one who has grown from this battle.


    Marlene had attracted a lot of attention as soon as she arrived in the hall. Many young nobles widened their eyes and came to her side one after another, greeting and praising eagerly for her achievements in the battle. The smarter nobles knew that Marlene would surely be awarded with generous rewards by Lydia and it would definitely be a great help for their families if they could build a close relationship with her. Moreover, they might even have the chance to capture the heart of a beauty.


    Marlene presented a calm smile in response. No matter how much they flattered, she wasn��t moved at all. At this moment, Rhode spotted a young man clad in a black attire stepping out of the crowd. He approached her side, placed his arm before him and bowed respectfully. As he was seemingly speaking about something, Marlene puckered her brows as though she had sensed something and turned toward where Rhode was standing. The smile on her face instantly widened to a charming grin and she stepped forward.


    Marlene��s every action attracted the nobles�� attention. Their gazes followed her and they were astonished after spotting Rhode at the corner. Then, her next action left the crowd startled.


    Rhode nodded to her as a greeting. According to his understanding of her, he was confident that she would respond politely in such a formal occasion. At this moment, Lize had also returned to her senses. She saw Marlene approaching them and she revealed an awkward smile while waving her hand.


    ��Marlene, long time no����


    Before Lize finished her sentence, Marlene had stood before Rhode and did something unimaginable: she embraced him tightly and tiptoed to press her lips against his.


    The air froze in an instant.


    Lize looked at Marlene vacantly while the nobles widened their eyes unbelievably. Rhode was slightly taken aback by her actions, but he swiftly wrapped his arm around her slender waist and pulled her in.


    Marlene��s aromatic fragrance assailed his nostrils and her soft tongue slithered around his. She closed her eyes and her fair cheeks were smeared with reddish pink. After a few moments, both of them separated.


    ��What a passionate welcome, Marlene. It seems that you��ve found yourself another man.��


    Rhode looked at the beautiful face before him and said softly. Marlene winked cheekily.


    ��How did you know. Rhode?��


    ��I was the one who taught you this and you haven��t changed at all. So, I��m really confident.��


    Rhode extended his finger and slid across her back in a teasing manner. Marlene tensed up immediately and he let go of his embrace.


    ��You��re still the same.��


    Rhode pressed down the creases on his clothes and looked at the crowd behind her. Time had as though frozen. All the nobles stood blankly on the spot as though they had just witnessed a nightmare.


    ��It seems that you��ve had a hard time holding it in for a long time�� Is this considered a punishment for me?��


    Rhode swept a glance to the crowd and gazed meaningfully at a young noble walking out of the crowd and beckoning for Marlene. He looked with an ashen complexion and bloodshot, widened eyes. However, Rhode had no interest in entertaining him.


    ��Huhuhu, I know that you are aware, Rhode.��


    Rhode shrugged. In the past, Marlene seldom appeared this cute and helpless-looking. It seemed that the ancestor��s way of saying ��absence makes the heart grow fonder�� made perfect sense in this case. They used to meet each other everyday and she had always revealed her feminine side only when they were alone. It was extremely rare for her to behave this brazenly before everyone.


    ��Lize, long time no see.��


    After a series of passionate, thrilling kisses, Marlene relaxed herself and greeted Lize with a smile. Lize nodded awkwardly in response and Marlene turned to Anne who was snoring away and let out a chuckle. She stroked Anne��s hair gently.


    ��Anne still loves to sleep this much. I didn��t expect to see her sleeping so soundly in Golden City����


    ��Mm�� Hmm��?��


    Anne puckered her brows and opened her eyes in a daze. She instantly unrolled a wide smile as soon as she recognized the person before her.


    ��Sister Marlene! Long time no see! Anne misses you so much!��


    Anne jumped to her feet and embraced Marlene tightly. Then, she let loose of her embrace after a while.


    ��Sister Marlene, what have you been up to? Anne feels so bored without you around. Everyone misses you a lot. When are you coming back?��


    Rhode twitched his brows, but Marlene simply nodded to Anne and wrapped her arms around his.


    ��Rhode, my father has gone to meet the Royal Highness. The banquet is about to start, let��s go.��


    ��The banquet is about to start?��


    Anne threw her questions to the back of her head and darted to Marlene��s side. She gazed with glinting eyes.


    ��Anne heard that there will be plenty of food, right?��


    ��Of course. There��s so much food that you can fill your whole tummy up, Anne.��


    ��Great!��


    Anne jumped with joy.


    ��What are we waiting for? Leader, let��s go!��


    Lize lifted her head hesitantly to gaze at Marlene. But, the latter was speaking to Anne and she didn��t notice Lize�� I-I don��t intend to give up, Marlene. I will let you know the truth.


    Lize approached Rhode��s left silently and wrapped her arms around his. Then, she bit her lip and looked at the man before her bravely.


    ��Let��s go, Mr. Rhode.��

 Chapter 614 - He & She (III)

    Chapter 614: He & She (III)


    This scene was unbelievable for the nobles gathered in the hall. They stared in astonishment at Rhode and the two young ladies hugging his arms. Every movement and even glance had specific meanings to the nobles, especially on such a grand occasion. An unwed woman wrapping her arms around a man��s elbow only represented one thing��their unusual relationship with each other. And now, the two young ladies beside Rhode had extraordinary identities.


    Although Lize had announced her departure from the royal family, she was still reputable among the noble circle. Besides, she had an innocent and adorable appearance, with no lack of pursuits from young nobles. Even though the attention on her lessened after she left the royal family and the noble circle, she regained her fame after her outstanding performance in the Midsummer festival. An ordinary Cleric wouldn��t usually be worthy of their attention, but Lize��s blood relation with Lydia and her impressive abilities gathered the attention of the Church. Fortunately, Lize had going on adventures with Rhode and Starlight was based in the far Land of Atonement, where the young nobles had a hard time pestering her.


    As for Marlene, she was highly reputable within the noble circle and her capabilities were strongly recognized after this internal battle. She could also be considered the shining star of the Munn Kingdom. On the other hand, even though Lize had left the royal family on paper, she was still Lydia��s sister, after all. On a certain extent, Marlene and Lize each represented the forces of the noble and royal family individually, and now, they actually stood by the same man and displayed such intimate actions.


    The nobles were astounded because they knew what this meant. Marlene wasn��t an innocent and naive young lady who would give up everything recklessly for the sake of love. She was bright and had never flustered when dealing with every matters. For her to behave this way in this formal occasion�� Did this represent the Senia Family��s will?


    The senior noble family leaders focused their attention on the man beside her. This young man must have a powerful backing, so powerful that he received the likes of the Senia Family. Everyone in the Munn Kingdom knew that the Senia Family was one of the ancient families and it could also be said that they had existed since the beginning of the Munn Kingdom. It was due to this that it wasn��t easy to have an arranged marriage with this powerful family where any impressive young man could simply be accepted by them. There were many times where the family��s strength, identity, position, and even political standpoint were taken into consideration as part of the important factors of marriage. This was the sorrow for many families, just like it was Romeo and Juliet. Of course. Talk was cheap. However, the nobles didn��t treated it this way, especially the sons who would be the heirs to their families. Their relationship didn��t only concern them, but affected the entire family too. Marlene was the only heir and if she fell in love with a noble who supported the Reformist Party or perhaps an ordinary handsome young man, would the Senia Family agree to it?


    This was definitely impossible.


    Because she was the one and only one who would inherit the entire Senia Family and their fate and future laid in her every action. Marlene was also aware of this point, so she had been keeping her hands clean. Several of the patriarchs of well-established noble families had secretly admired how blessed the Senia Family was to bear such an outstanding heir. Not only was Marlene skillful and talented in politics, but she could also contain herself. There were no lack of talents in the noble circle because the education that they received was much more prestigious than that of ordinary folks and they could get in touch with things that ordinary folks could only dream of. However, the smooth sailing environment led to young men��s arrogance. They often believed that they were talented and capable in ��breaking free�� from the chains of fate. Although the young men matured as they grew older, the troubles that they had caused when they were younger left the patriarchs with headaches. Many of them had discussed privately how wonderful it would be if they had a confident and capable heir like Marlene. Look at the bunch of useless playboys! What else can they do apart from drinking and enjoying the pleasures of life every now and then!


    To the young nobles, they didn��t care about the political significance of this matter. Instead, it was more of being envious and jealous of Rhode.


    After all, Marlene had always been the prime target of the young nobles. Some chased her for her beauty while some valued the strength and support that the Senia Family could provide. However, this wasn��t anything strange because it was normal in marriages between nobles, where romance was nothing more than a stepping stone. The truth behind arranged marriages between noble families was an undisguised political transaction. As the heir of the family, one had to be prepared that the other party wouldn��t only be valuing one as a person. Instead, one��s family background might be the main reason for marriage and this went for both men and women. A pampered noble wished to pursue a pure, beautiful love? It was impossible for all the great things in the world to be taken up by all of them, right?


    Ever since Marlene was 14 years old, she had had countless of young men pursuing her and she rejected them all. Fortunately for her, the young men who were left out in the cold didn��t persist. After all, they had to consider their own values against the massive Senia Family. Moreover, Marlene had strict requirements for herself. She never joined hideous drinking parties and apart from going for formal occasions while representing her family, she seldom went for any private gatherings. She valued the relationships with the people around her highly. She didn��t interact with strangers much other than her few close female friends. However, as the saying went, ��one that touches the pitch shall be defiled��, Marlene had almost fell head-first in the Midsummer Festival.


    If Marlene had chosen a remarkable young man with a strong background, others would��ve admitted defeat convincingly. However, most of them were stunned when they saw that she had chosen Rhode. Although Rhode performed outstandingly, he wasn��t especially impressive and the type of guy who would make them accept defeat wholeheartedly. After all, Rhode had been accomplishing missions privately and he wasn��t flamboyant about them. Therefore, a lot of nobles had an impression of him hailing from the Eastern Plain with powerful swordsmanship, resisted two waves of attack from the Southern Legion in the Paphield front line, and captured an enemy commander. These ��achievements�� didn��t seem glorious enough, so why did Marlene choose him?


    They couldn��t understand the exact reasons and were extremely discontented.


    Antonio was one of them.


    He gazed at Rhode with an ashen expression and clenched his trembling fists. If he were closer to them, the gritting of his teeth could even be heard.


    Antonio Williams was considered one of the popular young nobles in the Munn Kingdom. When he was still a child, he had outstanding talents in military affairs and swordsmanship and was termed as a talented member of the Williams Family. It was due to this that Antonio had been longing for Marlene, who was also called a ��rare magical genius of the Munn Kingdom��. He was a proud, arrogant man and he didn��t believe that any other woman had the qualities to match against him like Marlene. Although he had also witnessed Marlene rejecting other young men, this piqued his interest toward her even more. Unlike the bunch of foolish men who wagged their tails to Marlene, he knew clearly that it was impossible for them to be in the good books of the Senia Family. As long as he worked hard and attained high achievements, status, and honor, he would surely be qualified to pursue Marlene. The beautiful and confident young lady was like a Goddess in his eyes and the one and only person in his life who he must pursue.


    Antonio had a great scheme and he had fortunate luck too. During the internal battle, the Mage team led by Marlene had coincidentally arrived at the Flourishing Blossom Fortress that he was administering, which presented a great opportunity. Antonio dispatched his troops and personally led his soldiers in assisting Marlene against the Southern Legion. It could also be said that one-third of the credit belonged to him.


    Perhaps due to this reason, Marlene had been behaving politely toward him. Both of them would often have tea sessions after the battle ended. It wasn��t that Antonio wished to be spending time alone with her in a room, but he was glad that Marlene had accepted his invitation. He had intended to seize the chance to bring himself closer to her, and he had chosen to invite Marlene as his dance partner in this banquet.


    However, he didn��t expect this from Marlene and he couldn��t accept the reality.


    Why? Why him?


    Antonio looked down upon Rhode. Even though Rhode had proven his capabilities in the Midsummer Festival, Antonio had always treated the Midsummer Festival as merely a game and a so-called honor which the mercenaries valued highly. One with true strength and status wouldn��t give a damn about that. In the noble circle, one couldn��t rely solely on a great swordsmanship to succeed. One must have connections, strength and prestige, but did that Rhode have any of them?


    Antonio saw that Rhode wasn��t capable in military affairs and held the lowest feudal rank among the nobles. He also believed that the rumors of him having a couple of subordinates in the Legendary Stage were nothing but a coax. He had been in the noble circle for years, so surely he understood how the nobles behaved, right?


    But Antonio didn��t expect that Marlene had actually chosen such a man as her partner.


    He felt deeply betrayed!


    This was especially so after Marlene and Rhode had kissed before his eyes like a razor-sharp blade ripping through his heart. Judging from their actions, he believed that their relationship wasn��t only just that and he was sure that they had a much more intimate relationship.


    The inferno in his heart blazed wilder at this thought, especially after he imagined his Goddess laying nakedly before the sissy-looking man. Not only that, but Rhode had also swept a glance at Antonio as though he was worth nothing! Even though Rhode didn��t say anything, Antonio could sense the disdain in his gaze.


    That bastard. How dare he look down upon me!


    I��m an Earl and he is nothing more than a Baron! I��m the main commander of the Flourishing Blossom Fortress of the Munn Kingdom and what about him? He is just a lowly guild leader! What rights does he have to look down upon me?! Who does he think he is?!


    Antonio could feel his blood boiling. He gritted his teeth and breathed deeply like a grunting injured beast. He no longer regarded the people around him and he had totally forgotten about the occasion he was in and how he should behave��


    Rhode couldn��t care less about anyone��s opinions on him. Or perhaps, he was unconcerned about any men��s views. Although he had noticed Antonio��s ashen expression and fiery eyes, he didn��t give a damn at all. The barks of a defeated dog mean nothing to a winner like me, so must I fuss over such minor matters with a loser?


    Instead of focusing his attention on the jealous losers, Rhode was more interested in another matter. Marlene had hugged his right arm while Lize hugged his other. Anne hopped around at the back carelessly. However, this didn��t mean that everything was calm and peaceful. When Lize came up and hugged his arm, Marlene shot a meaningful look and he felt Marlene��s grip tightening and dragged his arm into her round, ample bosoms. Lize didn��t back out either. She wasn��t as experienced as Marlene, so she stretched her arms out clumsily and tugged his elbow toward her. Fortunately, the trio was standing closely to one another. If not, they would have been mistaken to be in a tug-of-war competition.


    This was a blissful torture for Rhode and fortunately, this lasted only from the hall to the banquet venue. After Rhode��s group arrived at the grandly decorated banquet hall, Marlene and Lize let go of their arms simultaneously. No matter what, this occasion wasn��t appropriate for them to show off their intimate relationship with their partners.


    Nobles arrived continuously at the banquet and Rhode, Lize, and Marlene gathered a lot of attention. However, unlike before, Rhode sensed that the gazes toward him were filled with complexities and even hostilities. Of course, most of them came from the young men.


    Lize lowered her head with a blush as though she were embarrassed at her daring behavior. However, she quickly found something to turn her attention toward�� She approached Anne and instructed her softly to stand obedient on the spot. The banquet hadn��t begin, so she shouldn��t lay her hands on the sumptuous food immediately��


    Rhode shrugged and shook his head as he gazed at Lize and Anne. Then, he turned around and spotted Marlene��s smile.


    ��You haven��t changed one bit, Rhode.��


    ��On the contrary, you��ve changed a lot, Marlene.��


    All sorts of feelings welled up in Rhode��s heart. In the past, although Marlene had always been behaving steadily before him, she would occasionally reveal an inexperienced side of her. However, she had become much more mature and steady now. The battles had polished a beautiful diamond like her into emanating a dazzling radiance.


    ��Can I treat this as a compliment? Rhode?��


    ��Of course.��


    Rhode nodded while Marlene winked cheekily. Then, the corners of her mouth perked up and she revealed a crafty smile.


    ��So then, Rhode�� Later�� Shall we����


    Suddenly, a deep, loud bugle horn sounded and caught everyone��s attention. Marlene winked at Rhode and turned around swiftly, putting a pause to their conversation.


    At this moment, the majestic doors gradually opened.

 Chapter 615 - He & She (IV)

    Chapter 615: He & She (IV)


    Everyone stopped their conversations and turned toward the front with solemn expressions. The white, heavy doors embedded with golden floral patterns widened gradually. Then, Lydia emerged before their eyes.


    She wore a white, flowy long dress with glinting golden threads. The split of her translucent muslin skirt revealed her perfectly slender legs and her bare shoulders and arms dazzled under the faint radiance. The close-fitting ceremonial dress shaped her ample bosom and her mesmerizing eyes and elegant blond hair stood out gracefully.


    Rhode shook his head at her grand appearance. He recalled a rumor that had once spread in the forums. There was once a player with too much free time on his hands who visited Lydia everyday and he uncovered that the clothes she wore were unique every day, noon, and night. Although the colors and styles might resemble each other occasionally, he had never seen her appearing in the same outfit continuously. This player tracked and observed her for more than a year and he discovered that she would wear an entirely new attire every day. He uploaded the captured images to the forum for everyone��s admiration. Of course, most of the players didn��t know how to appreciate the style of clothes and they belonged to the group where ��beauties look great in whatever they wear��. Therefore, they weren��t that idle to research what attire she wore everyday and it was due to this that the specific player had become a laughingstock after they realized the small details he had unveiled. After all, this was only a game and the producers could be praised for their hard work in details. However, it would be a true waste of time and a sinful crime if it happened in reality��


    And now, Rhode was truly surprised seeing Lydia in attire that he hadn��t seen before. Come to think of it, the clothes she wore when they met were all different��


    Lydia seemed to have noticed his gaze. She turned around slightly and took a good look at him, perking up her mouth. Then, she swept a glance at Lize and widened her eyes a little as though she realized something was on. Thereafter, her eyes revealed an interesting glint as she shifted her gaze back to Rhode.


    This happened only in an instant and nobody noticed the changes in her expression at all. Lydia continued to lift her prideful, confident chin and strode through the red carpet with the escort of the nobles and attendants. She arrived at the throne and all the nobles focused their attention on her with gazes that were filled with respect and admiration.


    Lydia was a wise ruler and the nobles had experienced it for themselves. She possessed outstanding political experience and strong, aggressive political means. She had a warm, gentle side and a tyrannical character. Frankly speaking, many nobles weren��t confident in this young lady who took over the throne in a hurry. Back then, they had often crowded around her in order to protect their positions and benefits because they were part of the King��s Party and their authority was naturally linked to the royal family. They would be heading down a road to ruin if they didn��t support Lydia. But thereafter, Lydia exceeded their expectations by taking down the Reformist Party��s conspired armed rebellion, which delighted the nobles. However, some of them were still dubious of her. Even though it was considered a ��political need�� for the Reformist Party to smear the King��s Party��s name, as the saying went ��there��s no smoke without fire��. Lydia��s actions against the Reformist Party weren��t overboard. Honestly speaking, not only was the Reformist Party unaware, but many of the nobles also expressed unprecedented bewilderment at Lydia��s vicious slaughters. The Munn Kingdom had been founded for so long and there wasn��t a ruler like Lydia who brazenly sought fame and pleasures of life and was a cruel Archangel. Therefore, they were concerned if their choice in supporting this ruler was the right one.


    But now, they felt that they had made a brilliant choice.


    Because Lydia had wiped out the entire Reformist Party!


    This was an achievement none of the rulers of the Munn Kingdom had ever attained!


    There were many reasons as to why the Reformist Party had grown so strongly. One of them was because even though the previous few Archangels were dissatisfied with them, they merely gave them verbal warnings about not sinking the nation into chaos. However, this boosted the Reformist Party��s confidence because they thought that the Archangels were afraid of laying hands on them. The Munn Kingdom was a nation ruled by Angels and it was impossible for Angels to slaughter the innocent because wouldn��t they be called Demons if they murdered the civilians?


    Therefore, the Reformist Party grew increasingly unbridled and of course, they didn��t expect to overthrow the Archangel to rule the Munn Kingdom. As long as the South could declare independence and become a nation of their own, it would be more than enough for them.


    The Reformist Party launched their attack when Lydia was about to take over the throne. Back then, she was only a young girl and they disregarded her presence completely. Over the hundred years, generations of Archangels didn��t dare to take action against us, the Reformist Party, so what can a young girl like her do to us?


    In the end, Lydia used physical actions to make them understand how terrifying she was.


    The Reformist Party shuddered in fear after the bloodbath. Perhaps due to the gentle pressure applied to them from the previous Archangels, Lydia��s flickering butcher��s knife was extraordinarily frightening to them and they had chosen to form an armed rebellion.


    Then, they personally experienced how sharp her butcher��s knife was.


    The Reformist Party was wiped out thoroughly in a river of blood. Although the Reformist Party supporters wouldn��t all be eliminated, it was completely impossible for them to revive with Lydia around, which excited the King��s Party, who had been in conflict with the Reformist Party for centuries. Previously, although they hoped to eliminate the Reformist Party completely, they were unfortunate that they were following an Archangel. Angels disliked massacres and meaningless deaths, which was why the King��s Party felt powerless. There were plenty of opportunities for the King��s Party to strike down the Reformist Party, but the kind hearted Archangel was unwilling to and they couldn��t do anything about it. It could also be said that the nobles grew less confident in the King��s Party over time. They could only watch the Reformist Party grow stronger day by day and eventually look down on them. Goddamn it! The group of newly-rich Southerners don��t have any inside information, army, history, and they dare to look down upon us?! What in the world?!


    Lydia��s actions took revenge on their behalf. The threat was exterminated and they had a larger portion of the cake now. They didn��t even imagine that such a perfect ending could happen!


    It was due to this that Lydia received the support of everyone in the Munn Kingdom. Of course, apart from the guys waiting for their death penalty in the jail.


    The smile on Lydia��s face remain unchanged as she sat idly on the throne. Although she was a petite young lady, everyone who sensed her gaze felt a misconception that she was sitting among the clouds and overlooking every small detail before her.


    At this moment, Court Grand Mage Amund stepped forth and let out a cough to capture everyone��s attention.


    ��Everyone! Today, we will be celebrating an unprecedented victory. We have eliminated a malignant tumor from the side of the nation and freed our nation from dangers and crisis. Those traitors who tried to split up our nation will receive their deserved punishment! Their greedy and foolish behaviors have led to countless deaths and they will pay a price for their actions! Those who have stopped them and defeated their ambitious warriors will also be awarded for their bravery!��


    The nobles looked at Lydia and Amund with joy and exhilaration overflowing in their eyes. After all, the well-established noble families could stabilize their position even more firmly if they could receive the generous rewards, be it additional wealth, commercial channels, or territories. If the new and rising noble families could receive them, their strength of their forces would be increased multi-folds and could even be shoulder-to-shoulder with the three largest families, Oor even overtake them!


    The awards presented were as expected. The three largest noble families received sovereignty of the main Southern territories and the Southern Port, as the main location for the riot, wasn��t handed over to anyone. Instead, the King��s Party administered it directly and the other new and rising noble families took over the slices of cake left behind by the Reformist Party.


    But there was something that exceeded everyone��s expectations.


    And that was Marlene��s rewards.


    Many of the nobles believed that Marlene would at least receive the title of an overlord, the feudal rank of an Earl, or an identity as a Court Grand Mage. However, never did they expect that Lydia would merely praise her for her outstanding performances and confer her a title of a Scholar and an Honorable Court Mage. And�� that was all.


    Is that all?


    The crowd widened their eyes in astonishment. The title of the ��Honorable Court Mage�� and ��Court Scholar�� were indeed respectable. However, they were merely literal statuses and positions with practically no obligations. She wasn��t rewarded with private soldiers, territories, and authority. Such an award was usually conferred to those unimportant figures. However, Marlene performed remarkably and was regarded highly by everyone. This was also why rumor had it that she would surely receive generous rewards in this ceremony.


    But�� What��s this situation now?


    Could it be that Royal Highness Lydia felt that the Senia Family has become a threat to the King��s Party and she has decided to weaken their strength?


    Marlene lifted her head proudly, unlike what the nobles had expected��a face of disappointment. Even her father, the Patriarch of the Senia Family, smiled throughout the entire process. No one knew if it was because he was mentally prepared for it.


    But Lydia called out the next name before the nobles reached a conclusion.


    ��Rhode Alander.��


    Rhode puckered his brows. He was equally astonished as to why Marlene received such a nominal honor. However, he didn��t have anymore time to consider this question. He tidied his attire and stepped forward to the throne, stooping forward and giving a respectful bow. Lydia displayed a gentle smile in response.


    ��Baron Rhode. You��ve done your part well. You and General Garcia shattered the conspiracies which the Reformist Party had plotted to invade Paphield and successfully completed your mission���� Lydia stood to her feet and gestured. Shortly after, a Battle Angel stepped forward with a crimson velvet pad in hand and a medal��a silver-whitish medal!


    A silver-whitish medal!!


    The crowd widened their eyes in surprise. They tiptoed and extended their necks to take a closer look. When they saw the badge, they were instantly reminded of another matter!


    However, Lydia wasn��t affected by their curiosity. She picked up the silver-whitish medal and displayed it to everyone. It was a cruciform medal carved with sacred runes on both sides and a design of an Angel with her wings expanded grandly could be seen from the middle.


    ��Baron Rhode. For your impressive achievements, I hereby represent the royal family in conferring you the Holy Cross Medal and the rank of Earl. From now on, you shall become the overlord of Grenbell. I hope you will continue to work hard and not disappoint this honor and responsibility.��


    Lydia��s words caused an uproar among the nobles.


    Holy Cross Medal! Not anyone could simply receive this honor, and not that easily! In the Munn Kingdom, the Holy Cross Medal was second to the Creation Sacred Medal and those who received the Holy Cross Medal performed brilliantly in military services. In fact, the nobles didn��t expect anyone to receive this badge because this internal battle wasn��t considered too tough nor large-scale. Therefore, they had never thought about this possibility at all. But now, this young man actually received such an unexpected reward!


    Not only did the Holy Cross Medal represent honor, but it was also a symbol of identity and status. In the Munn Kingdom, one who received this medal would receive equal treatment and authority as that of a General. Moreover, one could even mobilize any troops other than the local army. Furthermore, almost every person who had received the Holy Cross Medal in the history of the Munn Kingdom grew and led one of the strongest forces!


    It was apparent to all that Rhode didn��t perform outstandingly well in this internal battle and yet, he was conferred the Holy Cross Medal. Some of the nobles came to their senses and realized that this young man was related to the conflagration in Grosso. Indeed, from a certain point of view, Rhode had contributed greatly. Although Lydia didn��t speak forthrightly, any normal person wouldn��t openly speak about it.


    As an experienced player of the Munn Kingdom, he knew the meaning behind the Holy Cross Medal. However, he didn��t expect that Lydia would confer it to him�� He bowed solemnly and extended his hand to accept the medal. However, as their hands came into contact, Lydia held his hand and he looked up in astonishment to find her cheeky smile. She winked playfully as though she had gotten away with a prank. Rhode couldn��t figure out what she was up to, but he was smart to not question. He took over the medal solemnly before turning around.


    The award ceremony came to an end and the brisk music announced the start of the banquet. The nobles relaxed themselves and indulged in the joys of the melodious music and delicious feast. Some of them tried to curry favors with Rhode because, after all, even a dummy was aware of who the real winner was.


    But at this moment, they saw a young man with an ashen expression charging out of the crowd and stood before Rhode.


    ��Hold it right there, Sir Alander.��


    He gazed with deep blue eyes like a falcon eyeing its prey.


    ��Who are you?��


    Rhode twitched his brows and said.


    ��My name is Antonio Williams. I��m a member of the Williams Family. But this isn��t important for you and I, Sir Alander.��Antonio straightened his posture and removed the glove on his right hand. ��I��m here to request for a duel with you!��

 Chapter 616 - He & She (V)

    Chapter 616: He & She (V)


    Rhode��s poker face worked to its best after hearing Antonio��s words. On the contrary, the nobles who tried to curry favors with Rhode instantly widened their eyes in disbelief.


    They couldn��t understand why Antonio was this brave to taunt Rhode. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that apart from the three largest families, Rhode was the only one to receive the most generous rewards. Lydia had conferred him the rank of Earl and also given him the land of Grenbell. Grenbell wasn��t a richly fertile land as it was a mountainous region close to the Land of Atonement. It was deserted and could be considered as a wasteland, therefore it simply meant that Rhode��s territorial control merely expanded into the narrow mountain range. However, in the Munn Kingdom, there was a rule when rewarding territories. Unless one was a noble without a territory, one would always be rewarded with a territory that was close to one��s existing territory. If this happened before the Midsummer Festival, Rhode would��ve chosen a territory in the South. But since he had already chosen the Land of Atonement (this was considered one area in the territory), he wouldn��t be able to snatch a Southern territory anymore according to the rules. Grenbell was, in fact, divided from Paphield in the Land of Atonement. This way, Rhode could be considered an official overlord with an independent territory.


    Fortunately, the Land of Atonement was located by the border of Paphield and this division and merger was just a matter of formality. If Grenbell was located in the middle of Paphield or in the core areas, perhaps he would need to give up on this reward or give up his Fortress to choose another territory.


    Without the Holy Cross Medal, the nobles would perhaps think that the territory was just a consolation prize for Rhode. However, the meaning was entirely different with the Holy Cross Medal because Grenbell was a T-shaped narrow mountainous range that was linked to Paphield, the Fien Plain, the Silent Field, and the Eastern Plains. Apart from Paphield, the Fien Plain and Silent Field were territories governed directly by the royal family. One with a discerning eye could see that Lydia had given him a chance to expand his territory by gifting Grenbell. If Rhode had any heroic contributions in the future, either the Fien Plain or Silent Field would be bestowed to him according to the rules. When that happened, his territory would be large enough to contend against the three largest families in Munn Kingdom. Wasn��t this obvious enough?


    Although Antonio performed well this time and he had also received generous rewards, he was still miles away from Rhode. So, what was the reason that made Antonio confront Rhode?


    Some of the nobles were startled while others weren��t surprised. This banquet had gathered everyone who had contributed heroically for the Munn Kingdom and among them were younger generations who possessed capable strength and confidence. Rhode��s achievements weren��t too impressive to them and they would accept the fact if Lydia had only given him the territory and the Earl rank. However, she had actually given him the Holy Cross Medal?!


    That was the Holy Cross Medal!


    It was something which they couldn��t receive even after they had put in herculean effort and lost so much blood and sweat. How could they hold it back now that Rhode had snatched it away from them?


    Antonio was one of them.


    In fact, Antonio couldn��t hold in his wrath anymore as soon as he witnessed the Holy Cross Medal presented to Rhode. He refused to believe that this young man was worthy of it and was stronger than everyone else here. He didn��t even have his own military-trained soldiers and merely fought using his mercenaries. How powerful could a group of mercenaries be that it was worthy of Royal Highness Lydia��s praises?! And what about me? I spent so much effort in bringing down the Southern Legion��s attacks in the Flourishing Blossom. Without my contributions, perhaps Flourishing Blossom Fortress would have collapsed. Why am I not the one receiving the Holy Cross Medal?! Why is it that guy?!


    Fortunately, the remaining trace of calmness in his mind held him back and he didn��t question it before Lydia. He understood that the awarded medal had been unanimously acknowledged by the royal family and if he doubted their choice, it would mean that he was defying them. He wasn��t that stupid to give up everything for the sake of vengeance. Moreover, Lydia wasn��t like the previous ruler who was good-natured. She valued her authority strongly and anyone who challenged her would be dealt with seriously. Just take look at the Reformist Party��


    However, Antonio didn��t find trouble with Rhode over the Holy Cross Medal and his ��inability��. They were merely the ignition of his wrath. It was the fact that this bastard had actually stolen his Goddess that made him erupt in anger!


    Rhode didn��t know what was on Antonio��s mind and he didn��t care at all. His first reaction to Antonio��s challenge was to look over him and gaze at Marlene. Rhode had faced a similar situation before. However, he didn��t take action the previous time and Marlene didn��t need him to do it for her. She wasn��t anyone��s possession and no one could decide her fate on her behalf. But, this time��


    ��Okay.��


    Rhode nodded without any hesitation and answered firmly to Antonio��s duel request.


    In fact, he had noticed that the gazes were filled with ��envy, jealousy, and hate�� from the nobles after Marlene came to his side and he received the Holy Cross Medal. Rhode didn��t feel that it was unusual because he had met similar incidents, but it happened in a more civilized and modern society where people wouldn��t take off their gloves and issue challenges. It was more like ��Hey, pretty boy, find me behind the school building after class. You��re a coward if you run!��


    But come to think of it, there were no differences in the situation apart from someone getting killed.


    Rhode knew that many of the nobles disliked him and this man was one of them. However, he didn��t mind because there was a saying in this situation where he could ��kill the chicken to scare the monkey��. He didn��t need to trouble over which chicken to kill because it had presented itself to him. It would be a waste not to sacrifice it.


    The nobles held their breaths. The Williams Family wasn��t considered a powerful force in the King��s Party, but they had been around for a long time. Antonio had always been a potential star, but his beaming popularity turned rather dull this year after being overrun by Rhode and Marlene. The crowd was anticipating that the new generations of the Munn Kingdom could work along well and unite strongly. However, they didn��t expect that Rhode and Antonio actually tore into each other in such a formal occasion for a duel!


    This shouldn��t be the case for two gentlemen to resolve issues! Dueling in such an occasion would mean that the loser would forever be unable to lift his head in the noble circle! Pride and glory were most important for the nobles and losing the duel might mean a lifetime of vengeance!


    Some of the nobles gazed at Lydia, hoping that she would put a stop to them. The Williams had intricate connections among the networks of the noble circle and on the other hand, Rhode was a rising star who was linked in countless ways with the Senia Family. What should they do if both sides fell out and erupt into an internal conflict in the King��s Party? They had finally defeated the Reformist Party and was a new problem already brewing?


    But it was a pity that Lydia didn��t stop them as what the crowd had hoped for. Instead, she rested her chin in her hand, laid languidly on the throne and observed with curious gazes as though she were appreciating an interesting drama. The smile on her face didn��t change the slightest.


    Antonio stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Lydia while the latter nodded with a kind smile and spoke nothing. But even so, the crowd knew what her stand was. Antonio turned to Rhode and drew out his sword in a shimmering flash. Shing! He pointed his sword in Rhode��s face.


    ��Come on, Sir Alander. For glory and pride, I swear in the name of Williams! We shall prove who is most qualified to match the glory of Miss Senia!��


    Several of the young noble applauded instantly. They were just like Antonio��enraged that Rhode had stolen their Goddess. It was especially so when Marlene acted all high and mighty before them, but smiled so sweetly in front of him. How was it possible that such an enviable bastard hadn��t been cleaved to death yet!


    Rhode stood on the spot nonchalantly and looked at Antonio as though he was an idiot. Then, he let out a snort.


    ��Hmph.��


    As soon as the crowd heard his snort, their vision flashed in a dazzling, earth-shattering radiance that blossomed grandly above them like fireworks and swept toward Antonio.


    Antonio was wide-eyed. Although he was prepared that Rhode would strike anytime, he didn��t expect Rhode to be this decisive. Moreover, Rhode was empty-handed and in the blink of an eye, Antonio sensed an immense sword aura emanating from him. It was so intense that his cheeks hurt.


    Where did his weapon appear from?!


    Antonio didn��t have the time to ponder on this question anymore. As one of the most outstanding young men in the Munn Kingdom, he didn��t gain his reputation out of nothing. He responded swiftly. Snarling and brandishing his sword that erupted with a dazzling spiritual radiance that resisted Rhode��s attack like a shield.


    Cling! Cling! Cling! Cling!


    A series of sword clashes echoed throughout the hall and sparks constantly dazzled the crowd. However, this lasted only for a moment. In the blink of an eye, Antonio retreated swiftly from their collision with a pale complexion. Then, he pushed himself off the wall forcefully and rebounded with his sword striking forward.


    Almost simultaneously, the vast starry sky shrunk and coalesced into a single brilliant sword ray that pierced toward Antonio. He clamped his feet down to the ground and laid his sword horizontally to resist the powerful either. Then, his blade erupted in magical radiance. It seemed that his weapon wasn��t ordinary too.


    Clang!


    When the swords crashed, the massive collision discharged a rippling blast that shook the ground and some of the weaker nobles even felt their hearts pumping violently. An unbearable and choking sensation emerged within their bodies.


    I stopped him!


    Antonio exclaimed inwardly. Rhode��s initial attack had indeed surprised him. Although Rhode��s aggression grew increasingly ferocious and the constant attacks were as though strong crashing waves, the anger in Antonio boosted his strength to resist him. And now, he had stopped Rhode��s attack and opportunity only comes once! Now��s the chance to counterattack!


    Antonio readjusted his posture and clasped his sword hilt with both hands, thrusting forward with all his might. He sensed that he had deflected Rhode��s blade and he followed through with the momentum and transformed into a violent hurricane with his sword!


    ��Ah��!��


    At this moment, Antonio heard the sudden exclamations of the crowd and before he knew it, severe pain struck his back. He instantly stopped his movements and rolled forward to dodge Rhode��s striking blade. Then, he brandished his blade and hacked into the ambushing razor-sharp blade from behind.


    Clang!


    Antonio realized that a pitch-black chain sword was brandished in the air like a long whip. After Antonio slashed it down, it slid away nimbly and at a single glance, it looked like a viper slithering in the air.


    Wait!


    Antonio came to a sudden realization.


    From the side?


    But, it was too late for him.


    An ice-cold blade aura exploded behind him and permeated through his skin and bones mercilessly. Then, he blasted off into the air with tremendous pain on his back. His vision blurred and starlight shrouded him entirely. At the next moment, the excruciating pain was the only sensation that he felt.


    Bam!


    Time had as though stopped. Antonio crashed to the ground heavily and felt the coldness of the marble floor on his chest. He had lost all control over his body. He struggled to turn his body around and realized that he was covered in bloody gashes. His luxurious attire had been tattered utterly and only half his blade remained�� The tremendous pain spread from his back to every part of his body. He groaned painfully and fought to lift his head. However, the only thing he saw was Rhode��s expressionless face with his hands behind his back. Then, Rhode��s chilly voice echoed in Antonio��s ears.


    ��It��s over, Mr. Williams.��


    The world around Antonio had as though dimmed as he shut his eyes and entered an endless coma.

 Chapter 617 - She & She

    Chapter 617: She & She


    The entire banquet hall was in total silence.


    It could be said that this was the shortest duel the crowd had ever seen. The duel ended in less than a minute and before some of the nobles clearly witnessed what exactly happened.


    However, the main point was that the gazes projecting at Rhode became rather off.


    Most of them were watching with curiosity and hostility before the start of the duel, but the result of this duel was enough to change their thoughts completely!


    From Antonio��s point of view, he didn��t know how he lost the duel. However, there were formidable swordsmen among the crowd who had witnessed everything and their gazes were filled with unprecedented astonishment.


    In fact, it was still considered a normal duel up until the point where Antonio escaped from Rhode aggressive attack. Then, when Antonio backed off and Rhode��s blade ray struck forward, the duel had completely deviated from the scope of all common sense and developed toward an illogical direction.


    The crowd had seen it clearly when Rhode drew a distance apart from Antonio, the specks of starlight transformed into white, dazzling blade image that struck at Antonio. Antonio brandished his sword and resisted the attack, at the same time counterattacking speedily. Then, the crowd witnessed the blade image shattered like a rock that had smashed into a piece of mirror and Rhode reemerging behind Antonio sneakily.


    Many families had also passed on similar shadow cloning skills. Lower-level shadow cloning skills relied on speed to create afterimages to confuse the enemies while concealing one��s true position. Higher-level shadow cloning skills could gather power and clones also possessed equal damage output as the main body. However, no matter which clone it was, their defenses were basically zero and fragile, like a beautiful bubble that would disappear forever once broken. Rhode had displayed this side of him in the Midsummer Festival and no one was surprised that he was capable of shadow cloning.


    However, everything that had happened later made their jaws dropped.


    Antonio heard the exclamations from the crowd and instantly dodged Rhode��s attack. He had to turn his body around, so he didn��t notice what the crowd had witnessed. Within two seconds as he turned, the fragments from the sword image that he had shattered were as though attracted by a mysterious force, gathering and coalescing into a brand new sword image instantly and pierced toward Antonio!


    That scene left the crowd stupefied.


    Even Lydia, who rarely stopped smiling, widened her eyes in astonishment and witnessed how the defenseless Antonio was struck by the sword image, flinging into the air and crashing to the ground into a bloody mess. This duel could be said to have embarrassed the Williams Family and from now onward, they had become enemies with Rhode.


    But no one was actually concerned about the grudges between Antonio and Rhode. Even Grand Mage Amund puckered his brows slightly and caressed his white long beard, observing the situation meaningfully. Mages possessed some tricks that could create illusionary clones, but it was impossible to restore a shattered one no matter the swordsmanship or spell to launch another attack like it had self-conscious! What was even more frightening was that the strength of the sword image wasn��t any weaker than the actual blade! This proved that Rhode had enhanced the strength of the sword image to an unprecedented height.


    There were decent swordsmen among the nobles and they knew clearly how dangerous such a swordsmanship was. The Shadow Clone Technique was difficult to deal with and if the clone could restore itself and launch another attack, how could the enemy possibly defend against them?


    However, this wasn��t a problem for Rhode to be concerned about because even he didn��t know the reasons behind it. He merely followed the system guide to design this swordsmanship and learned how to use it. As for the illogical reasoning, he didn��t care about it at all. He pressed down the creases on his clothes and left without shooting another glance at Antonio, who was covered with wounds all over his body. Two Battle Angels stepped forward and treated to Antonio��s bleeding before lifting him away. Shortly after, harmonious music once again filled the banquet hall and the crowd came to their senses and discussed the duel. However, this time, they didn��t need to prepare any topic of idle conversations. Rhode��s mysterious swordsmanship and his future with the Williams Family were enough to keep their conversation going for a long time.


    ��Huhuhu, how amusing.��


    Lydia chuckled and shifted her gaze to Lize who was standing among the crowd. Although Lize was here for the banquet too, she didn��t dress up as gorgeously as others. She wore a plain, white dress and appeared seemingly like an inconspicuous servant.


    It felt rather strange. The older sister loved to be in the limelight and the younger sister was modest and often stayed low-key. This was indeed interesting.


    Lydia revealed a warm, gentle smile at this thought. She gestured and a female servant came to her side. Lydia spoke softly and the female servant nodded slightly before heading off.


    ��Welcome back, Rhode.��


    When Rhode returned to his position, he saw Marlene��s lovely smile and Anne feasting on delicious food. Anne waved the roasted lamb leg and cheered loudly.


    ��Leader! Great job, you struck him off in a single attack! How useless was he!��


    If Antonio were to hear Anne��s remarks on him, perhaps he would vomit blood and faint once more.


    ��It was alright.��


    Rhode nodded and his gaze wandered. He realized that Lize was nowhere to be seen. She didn��t love bustling crowds and she actually wasn��t willing to join this banquet. She had also asked if she could return to the Fortress in the Land of Atonement on her own. However, Rhode rejected her request because he felt that she had done well in the internal battle and deserved some recognition. Moreover, she was slowly unleashing her potential as a qualified adjutant under Gillian��s and his training. Although she wasn��t an expert in laying her eyes on general situations like Marlene, her observation for details had indeed saved him a lot of extra effort. This was why Rhode decided to bring her along as a reward even though she wasn��t too willing.


    ��Where��s Lize?��


    ��Royal Highness Lydia sent someone to call for her.��


    Marlene revealed a trace of complication on her expression. Rhode looked forward strangely and discovered that Lydia was missing from the throne. This kind of suited her style, as always.


    At this moment, Rhode felt a soft, warm hand touching his. He lowered his gaze and saw Marlene��s adorable smile. She stole a glance at Anne, who was focusing all her attention on the huge plate of delicious hams, lamb legs, and fruits before looking up at Rhode.


    ��Rhode, let��s go for a walk.��


    Marlene suggested.


    Lize appeared rather uncomfortable as she sat before Lydia. She lifted her head and gazed at her sister, but she didn��t know what she should say. Lydia lifted the teapot with her usual smile and poured a cup of warm red tea for Lize.


    ��You did well, my sister. I heard from Gaya regarding everything that you��ve done. I��ve always believed that you can do it, but you just aren��t too confident in yourself. In fact, this result has proven everything to me. I really need to say my thanks to Earl Rhode.��


    ��Big Sister����


    Lize said with an uncomfortable tone while Lydia interlocked her fingers and sat back, gazing at her younger sister. For some unknown reasons, Lize felt that Lydia��s gaze was rather different from usual. Then, Lydia spoke.


    ��But, don��t you think you have something important to report to me? Like your relationship with Earl Rhode?��


    ����!��


    Lize blushed instantly.


    The Golden City was a tranquil and peaceful as ever. The melodious music played from the banquet hall resounded in the bright, spacious corridor. The gentle breeze rippled on the nearby azure lake and invited the lush greenery and colorful flowers for a dance. However, this picturesque view wasn��t attractive enough to steal their attention away from each other.


    ��Mm�� Mm����


    Marlene��s back was against the door of the storage room as she hugged the man before her tightly. Deep breathing and the sound of their slippery tongues resounded in the narrow room. After a few moments, the two of them separated their lips from each other and a silver thread of saliva slipped to the floor.


    ��You are unusually active, Marlene. It seems like you can��t hold it back any longer?��


    Rhode perked up the corners of his mouth as he looked at the blushing young lady. After they hid from the crowd and left Anne behind in the banquet hall, they headed to the flowery garden for a stroll. However, Rhode quickly realized that Marlene��s so-called ��stroll�� had an ulterior motive and he smartly led her into a remote storage room. He was surprised that Marlene��s enthusiasm was far more aggressive than he had ever imagined. Before he managed to lock the door, she had pounced into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck for passionate kisses.


    ��Because we haven��t met for a few months����


    Marlene pouted in dissatisfaction, which showed an adorable and irresistible side of her. Marlene spoke as she pushed her soft, ample bosom against his chest to feel his heartbeat.


    Marlene had never understood how painful the feeling of separation was.


    If it were in the past, she wouldn��t feel this painful in separating from Rhode for a short period of time. Although she felt lonely at times, it was just loneliness, after all. After she had tasted the joys of being a woman, such separations were cruel and torturous. She felt empty every night and yearned for his consolations, but he was never around. This sense of emptiness and loneliness made it hard for her to fall asleep. During the day, she focused all her attention on the commanding matters and battle tactics. But she would miss him and his warm hugs as soon as she had the free time.


    And now, the person who she had missed so dearly was standing right before her. She couldn��t hold it in anymore.


    ��Rhode�� Hug me����


    She shut her eyes and groaned softly. She sensed Rhode��s hands roaming around her body and fondling her bosoms through the thin clothing. She even felt his hand entering deeply from underneath her skirt. Then, she was lifted off the ground.


    ��Marlene����


    Rhode responded with a deep voice. He looked at her delicate face with complex emotions. He wasn��t aware why Marlene wasn��t awarded with much more generous rewards from Lydia and from the fact that Marlene didn��t answer Anne��s question as to when she was returning to the Guild, he had guessed the answer. Even though he wasn��t hopeful that Marlene would return to the Guild, he felt rather disappointed to receive this affirmation. However, he threw this thought to the back of his head. At least for now, it was enough that Marlene belonged to him. He lifted her skirt and spread her snowy legs apart. Marlene closed her eyes tightly and wrapped her arms around his shoulders to feel his fiery thrusts.


    ��Mm����


    When the warm presence penetrated her body and filled the void, she let out a seductive moan.


    The violent, yet thrilling sensation rushed to her head. The incomparable satisfaction had almost forced out the fervor that was hidden deep inside her. But a trace of rationale clamped onto her neck like stocks and chains, stifling her screams in her throat.


    This is Golden City�� If I��m discovered�� in this place�� My life will be ruined��


    Such hesitations boggled Marlene��s mind as Rhode dragged her into this storage room. However, the scorching love she had for him blocked out all reasoning and she eagerly sought blissfulness from him. She was clear of the consequences for doing such a thing in Golden City. But it was due to this that she felt even more tense and thrilled. She pushed against the door with her back and turned her head to the side to listen to signs of activity from the outside while withstanding Rhode��s strong penetrations. If anyone were to see us doing such a thing��!


    Marlene tensed up at this horrifying thought. However, this tension stimulated her unprecedentedly like melted steel flowing throughout her blood vessels, heating up every inch of her body. She shrunk and clamped her legs around his waist.


    ��Mm����


    Rhode charged forward like a bull. His instinctive passion had repressed his emotions. He went in harder and the sound of slapping water grew increasingly louder. Marlene��s breathings hastened, shaking her head left to right as though she wished to escape from him. Reddish pink smeared across her face and soft, fair chest. At the next moment, she widened her mouth and bit onto his shoulder.


    ����!��


    A warm, burning sensation gushed deep into her body and Marlene felt as though her senses and body had melted completely to the heat.

 Chapter 618 - Leaving?

    The banquet was still going on when Rhode and Marlene returned to the banquet hall. Their departure didn��t catch too much attention and most of the nobles thought that they had just gone out for a stroll. Some of them knew about their relationship and they believed that Rhode might have gone out to accompany and console her. After all, the rewards she had received weren��t comparable to the other young nobles, which left her depressed inevitably. However, perhaps no one could imagine how daring they were to do such a thing in the majestic and sacred Golden City��


    Many nobles approached Rhode and praised him for his swordsmanship. At the same time, they were also interested in his past contributions. Some consulted him on how he had cultivated this wonderful swordsmanship while some were more amused by the construction of his Fortress in the Land of Atonement. On the other hand, a group of beautiful young noblewomen gathered over and hoped to gain his liking. After all, everyone could see that this young man had a bright future ahead after Lydia conferred him the Holy Cross Medal. No one in the history of the Munn Kingdom had received the Holy Cross Medal at such a young age. But come to think of it, they weren��t astounded as to why Lydia had made this decision because there weren��t any Archangels who were as flamboyant and vicious as her, anyway.


    It appeared seemingly reasonable for special ones to experience extraordinary situations.


    But politics was cruel.


    The young nobles forced Marlene out of their way as they warmly crowded around Rhode and none of those who admired her in the past went up to speak to her. However, they couldn��t be blamed for this behavior because, no matter what, it was bizarre that her rewards were this unimpressive. From a certain standpoint, this might possibly be due to the dissatisfaction of the Royal Family due to the Senia Family being overly powerful. Lydia��s desire to dominate was much stronger than previous Archangels, but what about the Senia Family? With their advanced magical technologies, it could be said that they had monopolized the magical equipment production in the Munn Kingdom. Besides, although they were one of the three largest families in the Munn Kingdom, they were unlike the two other families at all. None of the Senia Family members had ever engaged in intermarriage with Royal Family members and they maintained their pure bloodline. If this happened in another nation, where a powerful noble family refused to merge with the royal family, perhaps the noble family would be long gone. Fortunately, the past rulers of the Munn Kingdom were Angels and they didn��t have much desires for authority. On the other hand, the Senia Family had been working closely with the Royal Family too, so no one dared to shoot their mouths off.


    But it was different now. Lydia valued authority and prestige heavily and disapproved of anyone from taunting. Meanwhile, Marlene wasn��t rewarded generously. Could this be the start of a threatened monarchy?


    Many nobles kept a respectful distance away from Marlene. The Senia Family was formidable, like an unwavering tree that towered into the sky and with roots that infiltrated every corner of the earth. Therefore, it had been a long while since the Royal Family tried to control the growth of their strength. However, the other noble families were different in the situation. Their strengths were incomparable to the three largest families and this was the best chance for them to extend their strength.


    The young nobles weren��t as concerned about their families�� future as their elders. Since Marlene had clearly expressed that she belonged to Rhode and they had witnessed the tragedy of Antonio from acting recklessly, they wouldn��t be that foolish to risk their lives��


    Marlene leaned on the wall and gazed at the crowd that was swarming around Rhode. Instead of displaying a resentful and furious expression, she revealed a gentle smile. It wasn��t a fake smile that a noble had to express in order to maintain her poise. On the contrary, it was a sincere and genuine one. Then, a frail voice sounded beside her.


    ��You seem rather delighted, Marlene?��


    ��Father.��


    Marlene turned to the Patriarch of the Senia Family. Then, she nodded with a smile before shifting her gaze to Rhode once again.


    ��That��s right, Father. Look, this is the first time that I didn��t receive any attention in a banquet with no one currying favors or confessing to me. I��ve never thought that such peaceful times were possible. It seems that it was a right choice to turn down Royal Highness Lydia��s reward. If future banquets would stay this way, perhaps I might even miss such times.��


    ��Hahaha.��


    The elderly man squinted and followed her gaze. Then, he nodded and continued.


    ��Have you told him about your decision?��


    ��Not yet, Father. But I can guess what��s on his mind, so it��s fine letting him wait a while longer. Serves him right for leaving me behind for that long. This is also a small punishment for him���� Marlene extended her finger and placed by her lips cheekily. ��When that day comes, I��ll need Father to be in on it with me, alright? Rhode is smart and my little tricks will go to waste if he notices anything strange.��


    ��That��s for sure, Marlene. You��re my daughter, so why would I help the rascal who stole my daughter than to help you?��


    The elderly man revealed a satisfied smile. He looked at his young daughter with a gentle gaze before letting out a long sigh.


    ��Marlene. Frankly speaking, after bringing you up for all these years, I never expected that I would say this to you. Go and do whatever you want�� As long as you like it����


    ��Same goes for me, Father.��


    Marlene lifted her head.


    ��I��ve never thought that this day would come. I��ve told myself that my life belongs to the family and it��s my duty to carry out the responsibilities of what the family asks of me. But now, I don��t feel that it��s a heavy burden. Instead, I feel fortunate and blessed, which is more than enough for me, isn��t it?��


    ��You��re right.��


    The elderly pondered before nodding with a gentle smile. He turned to Rhode once more and revealed a stern glint.


    ��By the way, Marlene. I��ve heard from you that there��s some trouble with Starlight? I can send our Alchemists to help if you wish to.��


    ��No, Father.��


    But, before the elderly man finished his sentence, Marlene interrupted firmly.


    ��Rhode is a proud man and he doesn��t like to receive help from others. Besides, I have my own solution. Our family doesn��t need to step in for now because I��m sure that Rhode has sensed that we didn��t approach him because we were simply attracted to him. Moreover, I��m sure that Rhode would believe it after this incident. Perhaps we will need to tell him the truth one day, but it isn��t the time now. I will tell him everything myself when the time is ripe�� Everything about me, our Senia Family and him����


    Marlene bit her lips and complicated emotions flickered in her eyes.


    ��This is my duty and I should be the one to come clean with him about it.��


    The elderly man shook his head and patted on Marlene��s shoulder before heading toward the noble circle on the other side of the hall. He had his own duties too. Many of the nobles believed that this might be the start of the Senia Family��s collapse after Marlene��s disappointing rewards. However, the nobles weren��t aware of the inside information and the Senia Family wouldn��t spread word about it either. But even so, the Patriarch had the duty to let others understand that the Senia Family was still a massive figure in the Munn Kingdom and they wouldn��t bow down to others.


    It was late at night and the celebratory banquet had ended with nobles leaving Golden City with all smiles. This event represented the end of an old age and also the start of a new phase. To some extent, the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Darkness were rather similar. They were powered up and rising young forces who went against the ancient families. However, their paths were entirely different. The Country of Darkness had chosen to expand externally in order to dampen the new forces�� desires while the Munn Kingdom had chosen to adjust internally. As for the Reformist Party, they were the best sacrificial offerings for them.


    But no matter if it was external or internal, they represented the same thing: this was the beginning of a new wave of power expansion.


    It was the same for Rhode too.


    Although Grenbell was a deserted mountainous range, it didn��t mean that there weren��t any benefits for him to uncover. He knew all the hidden locations with maze dungeons, treasure chests, missions, and even classes and organizations. All these were all too easy for him as an experienced player of the Munn Kingdom. Although the nobles treated Grenbell as simply a symbolic compensation for Rhode, he knew clearly that this ��extra territory�� contained an abundance of treasures!


    He didn��t have the time and strength before. But now�� if everything turned out as smoothly as he had imagined, he wouldn��t need to worry about the Country of Darkness invading his territory anymore. He would kick them back to where they came from!


    However, nothing was perfect and as to Rhode, he won some and lost some.


    Marlene had left.


    After the banquet had ended, Marlene and her father left Golden City. She didn��t have the time to bid goodbye to Rhode��s group. Although Anne was grumbling over why Marlene didn��t leave with them, Rhode felt that his guesses might have possibly come true. Even though he couldn��t understand why Lydia had only given Marlene the symbolic rewards, he understood the importance of the heir of the Senia Family. Besides, after this incident, Marlene might need to put more priority in her family matters and Rhode believed that this was perhaps the end of his fate with Marlene, especially after her unusually passionate behavior. Perhaps Marlene knew that she wouldn��t be able to be by his side in the future, which was why she gave her all for her desires.


    Rhode couldn��t bear to part with her. He wasn��t iron-hearted, after all. Besides, it wouldn��t be right of him to simply forget about Marlene just because he had Lize and Canary by his side. Every woman was unique in their own way. If they were all the same, why would men even have extramarital affairs? Wouldn��t they be satisfied just from hugging their wives at home? But many situations weren��t within their grasps. He didn��t have any feud with the Senia Family. Also, Marlene wasn��t a melodramatic princess who was imprisoned by her family and waiting for her prince to rescue her. She had her pride and honor. If Rhode barged into her home, dragged her away with him, and threatened anyone who tried to stop him with his sword�� He would count his lucky stars if Marlene didn��t give him a tight slap and fall out with him.


    But now��


    On the second day, Rhode didn��t leave Golden City immediately. Although he had packed his luggage in the morning, he stayed in the inn for the entire afternoon. In the end, he didn��t get to see the scene he had hoped for.


    Forget it. I knew that this would happen and this is nothing more than a confirmation.


    Rhode shrugged and exited the inn.


    ��Let��s go, Anne, Lize. There are many matters in the Fortress waiting for us to handle.��


    Lize sensed that Rhode��s thoughts were wandering and she knew the reason why he behaved this way. It seemed that Marlene had left them.


    Lize couldn��t bear to part with Marlene either. They were the best of friends and even though they had to be separated due to certain situations, their friendship didn��t fade over time. However, it was different this time. Not only did Lize feel reluctant, but she also felt regretful because she was determined to confess to Marlene about her encounters with Rhode. But now that Marlene had left them, perhaps they wouldn��t have a chance to talk about it anymore.


    It was due to this that Lize also appeared to be preoccupied. On the contrary, Anne had the purest of hearts. One without any troubles would be free from headaches. Apart from grumbling over why Marlene didn��t return to the Fortress with them, she wasn��t bothered by anything else because since Marlene was still a member of the Guild, she would surely return one day. Anne believed that Marlene was merely tied down by family matters and she would return once she had dealt with them.


    The chariot drove off and Lize gazed at Rhode who was admiring the picturesque views through the window. Her head was filled with the exchange of words that she had with Lydia the day before.


    ��As your elder sister, I have to give you my blessings in finding your happiness, Lize. This is what you deserve. A diamond will eventually emanate a unique, shimmering radiance after wiping off the filthy dust. But I hope you can understand, Lize. Not only will a beautiful diamond bring happiness, but it will also bring danger. You must know that you��re not following an ordinary man. You will face all sorts of unimaginable dangers whenever you��re with him and the dangers won��t be as simple as those that you��ve experienced as a mercenary. Lize, the immense pressure might overwhelm and crumble you. I��m not trying to scare you. You should also know that he isn��t an ordinary man by now.��


    Yes, Sister. I��m clear about this.


    Lize shifted her gaze to the azure sky.


    If this man didn��t rescue me by the Floating Boat, would I have survived until now? Perhaps I would��ve turned into an ice-cold corpse like the rest.


    Back then, she knew that this man wasn��t ordinary at all. But now, she felt that she could accept this reality.


    As long as I stay by his side�� No matter what sort of danger and difficulties I face, I won��t be afraid.


    She was confident.


    ������


    As the chariot reached Golden City��s gate, it abruptly slowed down and came to a halt.


    What happened?


    Rhode and Lize came to their senses and exchanged curious glances. Seldom would there be chariots stopped when they were leaving the city.


    Could it be that there was some kind of a roadblock? But they had never heard of such problems arising in Golden City. Or could it be that members of the Reformist Party had escaped?


    Suddenly, someone knocked on the chariot and the door opened.


    The trio curious turned toward the door.


    ��Rhode, why did you come so late?��


    Clad in her usual Mage robe, Marlene stepped into the chariot and sat beside Anne, twitching her brows and displaying her gorgeous smile.


    ��I��ve been waiting this entire afternoon.��

 Chapter 619 - Strong Expansion

    Marlene��s return was a total surprise for Rhode. He never expected that Marlene would return to the Guild with him. Of course, Marlene didn��t explain the details over this stunt. However, he was sure that this had some hidden meaning. But since Marlene could return to his side, it was naturally a great thing for him and he welcomed her with open arms. However, this wasn��t the only surprise she had for him.


    ��Who are they?��


    Rhode twitched his brows as he gazed at the over 30 young adults clad in Mage robes. Most of them were female with only two to three male among them. Judging from their appearance, they seemed to be about the same age as Marlene, all youthful and energetic. Marlene revealed a grin.


    ��They��re all your men, Rhode.��


    ��My men?��


    Rhode was slightly taken aback. Then, he understood the whole sequence of events from her. They were her schoolmates in the Mage School.


    As the largest magical sacred ground in the Munn Kingdom, the Mage School had always occupied a high position in the hearts of the large noble families. Not only was the school in charge of teaching Mages, it was also responsible for cultivating the elite talents of noble families. Therefore, the school was mainly filled with students from large noble families like Marlene. However, even though some of the students didn��t have as grand identities, they were still allowed to enroll. But talented students could be admitted into the school for free while ordinary students had to pay a considerable price. Due to the school��s special features, many rich merchants enrolled their children and their intentions weren��t solely to educate their children into becoming formidable Mages. Instead, they sought opportunities to widen their social network and get in contact with heirs of large noble families in order to squeeze their way into the upper class. Other groups of people hoped to enter the school to change their fates and become henchmen to nobles, who were much stronger than their parents.


    As a well-known figure in the Mage School, Marlene had no lack of admirers. Before leaving Golden City, she specially returned to school and recruited over 20 trustworthy friends, including classmates and juniors. Although most nobles kept a respectful distance from Marlene after the celebratory banquet, these people didn��t mind at all. They were born into poorer families without strong backing. Although they worked hard in school, they were rarely outstanding in the eyes of the nobles. After Marlene enticed them to head into the Land of Atonement, they were eager for their new journey because, after all, Rhode��s name had been spreading in Golden City. They were glad to be able to work for a young noble with such a bright future.


    Marlene had picked suitable candidates according to Rhode��s requirements. They were mostly failed Mages, but they possessed decent results in academics, political economy, and alchemy. This was the only chance for them if they wished to rise in society. Being an official Mage required natural talents and this couldn��t be forced. However, knowledge could be acquired through hard work and both nobles and civilians began from the same starting line. If civilians performed outstandingly and were favored by nobles, they could be hired as a financial affairs officer, which would be a lucrative job. As long as they worked harder, they would still have a chance to join the upper class. Even if the nobles weren��t impressed by them, they could seek employment from various feudal lords using their academic background.


    This was the gift Rhode needed the most currently. Its value far exceeded the Holy Cross Medal.


    After all, Rhode most lacked manpower.


    Although outsiders envied the rapid development of Starlight, they didn��t know that this problem had been bugging Rhode��s mind for a long time. Frankly speaking, he had underestimated the difficulties of properly building a Guild. He thought that it would be similar to how it was in the game, where he simply had to discuss with a few guild members in laying out a set of rules and adjust accordingly. Then, he realized that it was much more complicated than he had imagined.


    There was one ultimate reason��the difference in educational level.


    Rhode had neglected this important point. He had attained a high level of education from Earth, where even most players were either high school or university graduates. Of course, there were also players like Mini Bubble Gum who were in the second grade of secondary school. However, the education level and information communication of the Internet age on Earth was much more advanced than in the Dragon Soul Continent. Compared to players, his mercenaries were nothing more than a bunch of semi-illiterates! Most of them were only capable of reading and Rhode would thank his lucky stars if they could even write their names. There were several times when they couldn��t understand the things that Rhode had come up with. Moreover, they only knew simple mathematics involving addition and subtraction with zero knowledge over multiplying and dividing. This didn��t pose a serious problem in the past, but as Starlight Guild expanded, Rhode had the urge to flip whatever table was before him as he watched his mercenaries fail to do a simple headcount. This was why the operations of the Fortress had been affected. Although well and healthy mercenaries could be seen all around the Fortress, it was extremely tough to find one who had received high education and was literate!


    The only ones who had met his requirements could be counted with two hands. Due to various reasons, Marlene, Lize, and Lapis could be considered talents who had received a high level of education. For some unknown reasons, Christie had been able to write and calculate. Shauna was once a mercenary group leader and she was capable of simple writing. In addition, there was also Old Walker and John Grayer, who had just joined. (He naturally had to be literate as a commander). There was a total of less than 10 members and it was conceivable how painful it would be for Rhode to manage that many members in the Fortress with them.


    Frankly speaking, the educational level of the Munn Kingdom wasn��t considered too low as it was unfair to compare it to where Rhode had come from. However, most civilians in cities were literate and capable of calculating. Rhode was partially to blame for choosing a bunch of uncouth mercenaries while expanding his mercenary group. There wasn��t a single city in the Land of Atonement and most of the farmers that had arrived here were illiterate. Even though the merchants were astute, Rhode wouldn��t be naive enough to allow them in managing his Fortress.


    The people that Marlene brought to him could be considered critical help in a time of need. Not only were they able to resolve Lapis�� manpower issues, but they could also help out in other areas. Rhode wasn��t too concerned about their loyalty because they had clean family backgrounds which weren��t related to other forces. Furthermore, it would be simple to nurture a sense of belonging in these young people who had just stepped out of the Mage School.


    Rhode stepped forth.


    Although this was the first time that they met him, it was difficult for them to not hear about his name in the Golden City. They tensed up as the man in the rumors approached them.


    Rhode looked meaningfully them. Some young ladies cowered and hid behind their companions while some of them gazed curiously and cautiously. However, Rhode focused his attention on the three young men on the other side.


    Marlene was a cautious person and she rarely mixed around with males in the Mage School and in noble circles because she knew of her unique identity. One careless error could be used against her. This was why she had always hung out with female friends and the presence of the three young men piqued his interest. Marlene had recommended them because she trusted them, which was very rare. This could also mean that there was something worthy of his attention in them.


    The three young men wore ordinary-looking robes and appeared to be typical academic nerds: skinny and seemingly weak. However, this gave Rhode an unusual sense of closeness. After all, there were several such schoolmates in his university due to the exam-oriented education system, where everyone focused only on results and neglected their health conditions. Seven out of ten university students wore spectacles while the two wore contact lenses and the luckier one had perfect eyesight. Rhode didn��t have a sturdy built to begin with, so he chose a contrasting, burly man in the game.


    The three young men behaved uniquely different under his gaze.


    One of the young men in thick-framed glasses smiled at Rhode shyly while hugging a thick, heavy book in his arms. Then, he scratched his unkempt hair and lowered his shifty gaze to the ground. On the other hand, the brown-haired young man beside him bowed respectfully while the third young man standing on the far right stuck out his chest bravely and exchanged glances with Rhode for a few moments. Then, he lowered his gaze instinctively after losing to Rhode��s stare. He lifted his head again as though he had realized something, but Rhode had turned his attention away from him.


    ��What an amusing trio.��


    Rhode had figured out their personalities even though their interactions took only a couple of seconds. This forced a twitch to his brow and he turned to Marlene.


    ��How did you manage to get them here?��


    ��They used to be a popular trio in the Mage School. Although their magical talents aren��t outstanding, they were still capable of passing tests. I��ve suspected that they were cheating from the start. Even the school carried out investigations and they discovered that the trio indeed has some tricks up their sleeves�� However, they were only given stern warnings as what they did was still within the rules. There is something special about them and although they aren��t formidable in terms of magic, I think you don��t need them to be some excellent Mages, right?��


    Rhode nodded and turned to the group.


    ��I guess all of you knows who I am, but I should formally introduce myself. I��m Rhode Alander, the overlord of Grenbell, an Earl, and the guild leader of Starlight. I trust Marlene��s judgment that you��ll surely be capable of accomplishing the missions and duties that I��ll assign in the future. But I have to make it clear that Grenbell isn��t a flourishing territory and the dangers and hardships will be unlike those in Golden City. If any of you are afraid, this is your last chance to leave.��


    The group stared blankly. They had never seen an overlord, who was also a noble, making such bold statements. In an instant, a few of the young ladies were stricken into silence and they glanced left and right before facing Marlene. It was apparent that Rhode��s words had frightened them, but on the contrary, the three young men appeared calm as they stood quietly without speaking a word.


    In the end, none of them chose to leave. They didn��t have superior identities and backgrounds and it was necessary for them to bear hardships if they wished to stand out among their peers. Although Rhode informed them of the potential risks, they knew that being timid and unadventurous would bring them nothing.


    They knew that this was their only chance to change their lives. Rhode promised the group that as long as they performed well, they could become his henchmen. Moreover, there was a chance for them to receive generous rewards, which instantly pumped them up. They knew that Grenbell was a new territory and even though Rhode told them about the potential dangers, they treated it as a great opportunity. If they could seize the chance and succeed, they could change their lives forever.


    Thereafter, Rhode led Marlene, Lize, Anne, and the newcomers into the Fortress.


    Rhode had to manage several matters after returning to the Fortress. The main priority was to divide the management level. He used to be only the guild leader of Starlight and the Land of Atonement was his only territory. However, it was different now. He had become the overlord of Grenbell and managing a territory was different from managing mercenaries. In the past, he would make use of any human resources available. But now, he had sufficient manpower and naturally had to divide them into different management levels. Of course, he wouldn��t divide them immediately because Grenbell didn��t require too much attention at the moment. However, it was necessary to establish new processes in order for the newbies to accumulate a certain amount of EXP in the Land of Atonement. This would make it much easier for him after they had expanded in the future. If he used the methods of managing mercenaries to manage territories, there would surely be chaos.


    After having a discussion with Marlene, Rhode had decided to divide the management levels into three divisions. They would be responsible for the internal affairs for the territory, management of the mercenaries, and management of his private soldiers. Apart from the newly joined Alchemists in the group of young people who were handed over to Lapis, the others would be responsible for internal affairs under Marlene. Lize would be responsible for looking after the mercenaries and she would be assisted by Mini Bubble Gum and Canary. Judging from this, the difference between mercenaries and ordinary civilians were apparent. Civilians mostly wouldn��t have any psychological conflicts as long as one��s identity and status was known. On the contrary, the mercenaries would only accept those who were reputable, powerful, and willing to brave through fire and water with them. Therefore, it was most probable that the powerless school members who just joined the Guild would be overthrown if Rhode were to appoint them in managing the mercenaries. The private soldiers, on the other hand, would be managed by John temporarily because they were only a small group of cavalrymen and were still miles away from the other nobles�� private soldiers. Of course, Rhode was still the final decision maker. Whenever he wasn��t around, Marlene would take over his duties and if she wasn��t around, Canary would step in.


    Of course, specific details would be left for Marlene and her subordinates to ponder over before making a decision. Rhode wouldn��t be meddling with their decisions either because he had more important things to handle. On the second day after returning to the Fortress, Rhode called for Mini Bubble Gum and Canary to his study room.


    ��Rhode, is anything the matter?��


    ��What��s wrong, Leader?��


    The two young ladies asked curiously as soon as they entered the room. But instead of replying instantly, he gestured for them to take a seat and proceeded to stroke the feather pen in his hand swiftly across a parchment. Shortly after, Agatha drifted across the room and served piping hot red tea. The two young ladies exchanged looks with each other and shrugged helplessly, sipping on the fragrant tea carefully. After a few moments, Rhode laid down the feather pen and looked at them with an emotionless face. Then, he lifted the parchment to their eye level.


    Pfff!


    Canary showed a rare side of her as she burst into laughter. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum spurted out a mouthful of tea and hugged her tummy as she tumbled to the ground and rolled exaggeratedly.


    ��Leader, you��re too talented! I can��t take it anymore�� Hahaha! I really give in to you�� Hahahaha!��


    Rhode remain unmoved as he looked at them with his poker face. On the parchment was a line of bold, striking text.


    ��Newbie looking to leech off pros in the monastery��

 Chapter 620 - Saint Monastery (I)

    Chapter 620: Saint Monastery (I)


    In the Munn Kingdom, there was an unfrequented leveling sacred ground located in the deep mountains of Grenbell. Countless monsters roamed the area and a single trip would not only award a player with chunks of EXP, but also fill their inventory with rare equipment and gold coins. It could also be said that this was the ultimate destination to farm gold coins and rare pieces of equipment for the players in the Munn Kingdom (before it was publicized to all the players). Therefore, in Golden City, often there would be low-level players roaming the plaza and raising their signboards with the words of����Newbie looking to leech off pros in the monastery��.


    And that was referring to the Saint Monastery.


    Strictly speaking, it could be considered the gathering place of the Cultists.


    The Saint Monastery used to be in the territory of one of the three Archangels, Archangel Serene, under the Light Dragon during the Creation War. However, due to the stalemate and change in situation, Archangel Serene abandoned this territory and the Saint Monastery was buried in historical dust. But some in the Saint Monastery survived like the Elves who escaped to the underground and became the Dark Elves. This organization was formed by Half-Angels and Humans and it gradually changed as the years passed. No one knew if they had abandoned their beliefs in the Light Dragon or the Light Dragon abandoned them. All in all, the members had formed a new, independent radical organization��the Saint Knights, also called the blood heathens by others.


    This organization occupied the Saint Monastery illegally and abandoned their glory in exchange for stronger powers. They hated the Dark Dragon and were uninterested in the Light Dragon who had abandoned them. The Saint Knights believed in destruction and death and trusted that everything existed to be turned into nothingness. They were the representatives for destruction and used practical actions to spread the truth of destruction to every corner of the continent.


    In fact, they were a group of extremists who engaged in terrorist activities. However, their strength was much more powerful than car bombs.


    The Saint Knights were currently living in seclusion and were rarely heard of even within the Munn Kingdom. They became widely-known after the Country of Darkness started the war against the Country of Light and believed that the war was the omen of the continent��s perishment and enlightenment by fate. Thereafter, the knights charged out, wreaking havoc everywhere.


    Most of the players felt that the Saint Knights were annoying because they fought whoever they met even though they weren��t powerful. There would occasionally be times when the Country of Light and Country of Darkness were fighting fiercely and the group of Saint Knights clad in crimson armor rushed out of nowhere, yelling slogans no one understood��


    Got to say, not everyone had the courage to ��go against the world��.


    Besides, the Saint Knights were known for being fearless. They regarded their death as a part of destruction and it was supreme honor for them to create a more devastating destruction before sacrificing themselves. Therefore, they bugged the Country of Light, Country of Darkness, and Munn Kingdom. No one would be glad when their war was interrupted by uninvited guests. Of course, the Saint Knights appeared rather useful to the players too. This was because they were naturally hostile to the Country of Darkness, which was filled with Undeads and suited the definition of ��destruction�� even more. There were many times when Saint Knights rushed out of nowhere and fight to their deaths with the Undead Army when the players were overwhelmed by the Country of Darkness. Although Saint Knights had proven that they were only mantises trying to stop a car, their interruption earned the players some time for them to return to town or something��


    However, after the players familiarized themselves with the Saint Knights�� every moves in battles, the players discovered that the knights were the best source of EXP.


    The Saint Knights were mainly Half-Angels that became Fallen Half-Angels, thereafter. But no matter what, their average levels were high��between 55 to 65��which appeared seemingly frightening. But on the contrary, they didn��t possess threatening skills and were easily predictable in their movements. Not only did they have a long lead time, but their speeds were incredibly slow too. Even though they were ��Knights��, most of them were infantry and knights were just the minority. In addition, they loved to overwhelm their enemies by charging forward as a whole, which was a thorny problem for equal-leveled players. However, it couldn��t get any better for the higher-level players. After eliminating one or two of the Saint Knights, their entire spawn in the map would rush toward the intruder. The higher-level players could blast them over and loot their corpses for equipment without much effort.


    Therefore, veterans in the game who led new players would arrive at the Saint Monastery and easily defeat one of the Saint Knights. Then, the Saint Knights would flood toward them while yelling ridiculous slogans and the veterans would wipe them all out.


    The players would never get sick of grinding such monsters with high attack, low defense, low speed, few abilities, and provided a chunk of EXP. Besides, although the Saint Monastery was considered the gathering place of the Cultists, there were still rare pieces of equipment left behind from the Creation War. As long as one was lucky, one could earn a huge profit from selling them. Furthermore, the Saint Knights were also generous in their monetary drops��


    It was due to this that solo-classes like the Mages, Spirit Swordsmen, and Rangers could grind the Saint Monastery whenever they reached the same levels with the Saint Knights. Even a class like the Thief with low defense and health could rely on traps to farm for EXP. Of course, it was impossible for classes like Shield Warriors and Clerics to grind the area with the same level as the Saint Knights because they didn��t possess formidable AOE skills and it was too tough for them once the enemies attacked in waves.


    In the game, Rhode��s level and wealth were farmed from the Saint Monastery before the Munn Kingdom was destroyed. Thereafter, he established the guild and helped level-up the newbies there too. Therefore, when Lydia handed Grenbell to him, he was immediately reminded of this sacred training ground. However, it wasn��t only the EXP, gold coins, and equipment that he valued highly. Instead, it was the two secret items hidden in the Saint Monastery as they would be optimal against the Undead Army.


    However, this idea didn��t come across his mind previously. Although he was aware that the Saint Monastery existed, he knew that he wasn��t capable of grinding the area alone. Even though the players often farmed the area like an EXP bank, it was under the conditions that they were at least the same level as the Saint Knights. Currently, Rhode was still between 10 to 20 levels away from them. Strictly speaking, the Saint Knight��s level might be on the high side, but their abilities weren��t considered as insane as those who had entered the Legendary Stage. However, Rhode��s level was even lower and it would undoubtedly equal to death if he headed to the Saint Monastery in his current form. Moreover, the couple engaged in an illicit love affair in the Saint Monastery wouldn��t be easy to deal with��


    But it was different this time. Grenbell had become his territory as he had confirmed the expansion of his territorial forces in his system interface, which also meant that Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had a wider activity range now. They had always been trapped in the Land of Atonement and were unable to roam around freely. Although they weren��t resentful, Rhode felt that this was unfair to them. Even though the two young ladies weren��t considered Humans and were only images from his memories, they could be considered as summoned against their will to a familiar, yet unfamiliar world. It was still great to have two familiar companions even though they were only phantoms.


    So, this time, Rhode decided��he would only bring Canary, Mini Bubble Gum into the Saint Monastery and others weren��t allowed to follow. Not even Anne, who loved to tag along with him everywhere.


    Rhode wasn��t worried for the safety of the Fortress at all. Corina had arrived in the Land of Atonement after completing her report to Lydia, but it was impossible for her to enter Starlight��s Fortress with her identity. Instead, she used the identity as representing the Elves to be with the members of the Church. With her in the Legendary Stage to watch over the place, Rhode didn��t need to worry about anything. Moreover, Gillian was around too and she would come up with all sorts of ideas to teach visitors harboring malicious intentions a lesson.


    All this while, Gillian had been lying low and no one except Rhode knew what she was up to. After he got rid of the brazen group of Alchemists, he spoke to her about it and she quietly disappeared without revealing herself even though she was still within the Fortress. Rhode had no intentions of explaining her actions because he had other ideas.


    It was late autumn.


    The withered leaves fell to the ground and the bald tree branches shook in the chilly breeze that blew from between the mountains, announcing the departure of autumn and arrival of winter. There wasn��t a single cloud in the azure sky, leaving an impression of bleak emptiness. Then, a lively voice broke the silence and the colorless world turned vibrant instantly.


    ��Frankly speaking, I never expected this day where I would see you dressed up as a newbie, Leader.��


    Mini Bubble Gum turned around and waved her hands joyfully like a vivacious skylark. ��Especially when you show us that expression. Hahaha. I can��t help but burst out into laughter whenever I think about that. Ah�� What a pity. If we were in the original world, I would surely upload a screenshot of that to the forum. Of course, I��d will also charge money for it! The title shall be ��The Number One Player in the Dragon Soul Continent��Rhode��s secret adorable side��! I��m sure this would blow up in the forums!��


    ��That��s right, Bubble.��


    Canary nodded in agreement.


    ��Rhode and I know each other well in reality, but I��ve never seen him doing such a thing before anyone�� What a pity. I should��ve kept a screenshot as a souvenir. But since Rhode is willing to take things this far for us, Bubble, we will need to kill the Dark Dragon for him, not to mention the Saint Monastery�� Of course. The premise is that the Dark Dragon dares to come to our territory.��


    ��With your current set of equipment, perhaps it is still too daunting for you two to deal with the Dark Dragon.��


    Rhode shrugged and revealed a glad smile. This was the reason why he brought Canary and Mini Bubble Gum along. He could reminisce the enjoyable feelings of the game and discuss about his level, equipment, ways to grind the dungeon, and how to destroy the BOSS before them. It was impossible for Rhode to discuss about all this with Marlene, Lize, or Anne. After all, they didn��t come from the same world and Rhode was merely a passerby in this world.


    From a certain perspective, Rhode could be considered a loner in this world. Although he had attained a lot of achievements, they were mainly caused by inertia. This world was exactly the same as the game that he had played in. He was able to gain success in the game and as long as he relied on his experience, he would be the same here. In fact, this was the truth. But, apart from that, Rhode was only a human and he felt other pressures too. In the game, no matter how many people were hostile against him, he could at least be with his like-minded companions to clear dungeons, chit chat, despise and mock the losers who had challenged them. Whenever they were free, they would speak of trivial matters leisurely, share the latest news, and scream ��You dumb*ss, if you don��t put in the effort in fighting the BOSS, you can get lost!�� when fighting dungeons.


    Even if their team was eliminated, they would gather around and discuss about their mistakes.


    But he couldn��t do so here.


    If it was said that Rhode, Canary, and the others fought for their pride and reputation as top players in the game, everything that he did now was to stop the horrifying war that would devour everything. It was impossible for him to goof off before the BOSS and he couldn��t tolerate his team being eliminated because not only did this relate to his reputation, but it also concerned his life.


    In the game, one could respawn if one was dead. But here�� death would be forever.


    And now, he could finally lay down the burden before Canary and Mini Bubble Gum and return to being an ordinary player. This was why he didn��t allow Anne and the others to follow him because he couldn��t possibly have casual conversations with Canary and Bubble with them around. Besides, he would be preaching to deaf ears because they couldn��t understand the topic at all.


    ��It isn��t your fault that the equipment isn��t great enough, Rhode. But I have to put it up front. If we find the Prayer Suit while clearing the monastery, you can��t snatch it away from us, okay?�� Canary said as she flattened the creases on her robe.


    Both of them were wearing the most ordinary robes without any special magical abilities. In gaming terms, they could be called as plain, insignificant clothes with a simple description of ��An ordinary robe��. Although Rhode managed to get his hands on some random magical equipment in the later missions, they didn��t catch the eyes of the two young ladies. It was no wonder as even Rhode didn��t want these items��


    Besides, with Canary and Mini Bubble Gum��s current strength, as long as they didn��t meet opponents who were about the same level as them, the weak equipment on them wouldn��t matter. Therefore, their requirements for equipment had always been ��beauty�� first and ��attributes�� second.


    ��Don��t worry, Canary. I will let you and Bubble share the Prayer Suit equally if we find one and I will not snatch it from you.��


    The corners of Rhode��s mouth perked up. Canary nodded in satisfaction before turning to Bubble and discussed about how they should share the Prayer Suit�� Suddenly, they heard a loud commotion ahead.


    What��s wrong?


    The trio came to an abrupt halt and exchanged glances curiously.


    The rugged mountain roads of Grenbell were surrounded by cliffs and lush forests. The trio strode along the path, turned the corner, and spotted the source of the loud noises. Two groups of mercenary-looking men had unsheathed their swords and were confronting one another.

 Chapter 621 - Saint Monastery (II)

    Chapter 621: Saint Monastery (II)


    The trio turned around the corner and spotted a dozen men who looked like mercenaries wielding their swords and confronting one another. Rather than saying it was a confrontation, it looked more like a group of mercenaries surrounding six to seven bloodied mercenaries in the middle. The mercenaries in the middle leaned against one another��s back and gritted their teeth as they stared at the other party. A young man in his teens and clad in noble attire was protected them.


    ��Morris! You bastard!��


    One of the burly mercenaries trapped in the middle yelled at a man dressed like a Thief in the encirclement and the latter laughed grimly while hiding behind another mercenary. He fiddled with the nifty dagger in his hand and gazed at the burly man in disdain.


    ��You can��t say that, Leader. I��ve my difficulties too.��


    Pah!


    The burly man spat his saliva and glared so fiercely that his eyes almost blasted flames. He never expected that there would be a traitor in his team. Another man standing beside him with a sword and shield in his hands berated furiously.


    ��Stop finding excuses, you bastard. If Leader didn��t rescue you back then, a scoundrel like you would still be fighting hooligans for bread in the dark alley! Damn it. I must be blind to not see how ungrateful you are!��


    ��Your bad judgment is to blame then, Brother Wood.��


    Instead of showing some signs of remorse, the Thief let out a mischievous laughter.


    ��To be frank, I didn��t intend to do this either. But who else should we blame for being useless? After mixing around for so many years, you aren��t even capable of forming a mercenary group and you��re still a lackey for some young nobles. Don��t you think you��re being a worthless loser? Honestly, I can��t take it anymore. You��re lucky that this Sir here offered shelter to you. Of course, the premise is that you must be willing to work for him. But it��s a pity that you aren��t willing to accept his kindness. That��s only your opinion and I��ve had enough of wandering about in the streets.��


    ��You����


    The leader of the group puckered his brows.


    The Thief was right. His group of men had formed a mercenary team for six years now. Although they wished to become an official mercenary group, reality was too cruel for them. Their years of hard work wasn��t able to bring them success and they were still struggling strenuously. This time, they were entrusted by a young noble to search for his missing elder sister in Grenbell. However, they didn��t expect to face an ambush from a group of men, demanding this young noble. Moreover, they were surprised to find that their companion actually turned against them at this moment?!


    ��I will kill you!��


    The burly man charged forward with a raised sword and slashed with all his might, sweeping up a powerful gust. The mercenary standing before the Thief dodged swiftly and revealed the Thief. The Thief��s expression twisted in fear, but his reaction was quick. He threw a sharp dagger that pierced the burly man��s shoulder. However, that wasn��t enough to stop him. The burly man pounced forward like an injured beast with bloodshot eyes and brandishing claws!


    A ghastly whiteness spread over the Thief��s face and suddenly, a Mage donned in black cloth behind the group pointed a finger forward. Then, a green ray of light shot out from his fingertip and struck the burly man��s arm.


    ��Argh!��


    The burly man let out a blood-curdling screech. In the blink of an eye, his arms melted like butter and his ruptured flesh corroded at a rapid speed, revealing ghastly white bones. The pitiful man succumbed to the piercing pain and fainted on the spot.


    ��Oh, Lord!��


    The surrounding mercenaries were stricken into silence. They stared in disbelief at the black-clothed Mage. Even though they didn��t know his name, they already knew his identity.


    He��s a Necromancer!


    ��Morris, you have even ganged up with a Necromancer!?��


    ��Heh, that��s right, Leader.��


    The Thief restored his pleased smile. He tidied his attire and looked at his past companions.


    ��I��m still young and I don��t want to die anytime soon. If I follow this powerful Sir here, not only will I survive, but I will also receive a gift that you can��t receive in your entire life��and that is an eternal life! You are aware of the enemy you��re facing now, so I advise you to hand over that little rascal obediently if you don��t wish to bring trouble to yourself. Besides, if you��re willing to serve this Sir here like me, I might even put in some good word for you.��


    ������


    The mercenaries fell into deep silence. Then, the young noble protected by them gazed at the black-clothed Mage in terror and ordered frantically. ��Q-Quick! Kill that Necromancer! H-Hurry up! Didn��t I give you money to protect me? Kill him right now!��


    The group of mercenaries by the perimeter burst into laughter and even the Thief swept a glance at the young noble as though he was an idiot.


    ��Leader, that��s the little bastard��s attitude for you. He is staring death in the eye and still behaving like an arrogant ass. Pah! I look down upon him. What right does he think he have to order us like his slaves, even with his filthy money! I can��t tolerate it anymore, even if you can! I��ve suffered enough from this bastard. I do want to see how much longer can he maintain that disgusting arrogance of his before the great Sir here! I can��t wait to hear his sorrowful laments!��


    The leader of the group pondered in silence. Then, he turned to the young noble with a complicated expression. The latter sensed his gaze and panicked instantly.


    ��Hey! What are you looking at! Attack and kill them all! Didn��t you say you were powerful when I hired you guys? Why have you shrunk after facing just this small group of enemies?! Attack!��


    ������


    The mercenaries standing nervously around the young noble revealed discontent expressions while their leader��s expression remained unchanged. After a few moments, he let out a long sigh and raised his sword at the Thief before him. The Thief was astonished.


    ��Leader, you can��t be for real, eh? What is so worthy of this little brat that you��re willing to sacrifice your life for? Isn��t it just for a sack of gold coins? You are also aware of his attitude toward us along the way! And now, why are you����


    But before the Thief finished his sentence, the leader interrupted firmly.


    ��I know what you��re thinking about, Morris. I admit that you��re right.��


    Then, he shot a glance at the young noble with an ashen expression.


    ��But I��m not fighting for him. Just as you��ve said, we don��t need to. But we��re mercenaries.��


    The leader lowered his gaze and quickly lifted his head up as though something cropped up in his mind.


    ��We��re mercenaries and mercenaries work for money, which is the most natural thing to do. Indeed. We can hand him over right here and end everything and nobody would know as long as we keep this a secret. But I won��t do that because this violates my principles���� The leader turned around and gazed at his subordinates.


    ��You guys can surrender. This is my choice and I won��t force you if you aren��t willing to.��


    The leader waited for a response, but no one left his side. Shortly after, the mercenary holding a sword and shield beside him let out a chuckle.


    ��Leader, it��s rather disappointing that you don��t seem to trust our moral qualities. Indeed. None of us thought that this kid here was likable. But I would rather die than to violate a mercenary��s faith and become the accomplice of a Necromancer!��


    ��You guys����


    The Thief sulked instantly. He turned to the Necromancer and gritted his teeth before extending his arm forward.


    ��Go to hell then!��


    He swung his arm down and the mercenaries beside him charged forward with their menacing swords. It appeared that a bloodbath was unavoidable at this stage.


    At this moment, a cheerful, effortless remark captured their attention.


    ��Woah, what��s the situation? PK? Group assault?��


    The attacking mercenaries turned to the voice and even the trapped mercenaries in the middle stretched their necks curiously. This might be their only chance to escape this predicament!


    It was three young people. One of them was empty handed and wore a noble attire. The two young ladies beside him were also without any weapons on them and wore plain robes and cloaks. It seemed that the trio was a group of nobles on an excursion, and their appearances were quite striking. Although Canary and Bubble didn��t look stunning, their beauty still stood out. Moreover, they brought along an entirely different aura that didn��t belong in this world like a smear of vibrant colors that forced all attention to them.


    Several mercenaries licked their lips instantly, fantasizing the scenes after they dragged them over for a wild time. How satisfying would that be? The mood of the pitiful men surrounded in the middle sunk all the way to the bottom. Judging from the trio��s appearances, it was apparent that they were nothing more than nobles without any fighting strength and had perhaps secretly slipped out of their homes for some pointless adventure. Just look at how idiotic they were to not bring any weapons in the wild! The black-haired girl with two ponytails even made a huge fuss. Can��t she figure out the situation here? Does she think that this is just a street fight?


    Mini Bubble Gum indeed was in the mood to enjoy watching a bustling scene.


    She couldn��t be blamed since this was a habit of players. In the game, any conflicts between players were great sources of materials. If they were civilians of this world, then it would be better to stay out of trouble and keeping oneself clean. However, it was different for the players. Such conflicts might possibly bring them new missions from new forces that players couldn��t join or attain through formal channels. If players chose to help in these situations, perhaps they might get their hands on some admission ticket to some organization or something��


    Although such a scenario was common in the game, it was even more fascinating for Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, who had always been ��imprisoned�� in the Land of Atonement. This was also why they chose to walk to Grenbell on foot instead of instantly teleporting themselves here, wishing to reminisce about the history of the game as players: roaming on the big map while looking to meet some hidden NPCs, triggering special missions, killing rare monsters, uncovering treasures and weapons. This was the nature of players. A game was meant to be entertaining, after all.


    And Mini Bubble Gum had the means to treat this as entertainment, of course.


    The black-haired girl skipped forward and waved toward the group of people.


    ��Hey! The people in there! Need any help?!��


    Help?


    No matter the group of mercenaries who were by the perimeter or those who were trapped, they stared blankly at the unarmed and defenseless black-haired girl. She must be crazy. Can��t she figure out the situation just by looking? What is she? An idiot?


    ��Capture them!��


    The Thief finally yelled out a command. He gazed at the black-haired girl with avaricious eyes while licking his lips. In an instantly, the dozen brawny mercenaries turned around and pounced toward the trio.


    ��Be careful! Run!��


    The trapped mercenaries yelled helplessly. They couldn��t help them and could only watch the hungry, wolf-like mercenaries pounce at the fragile guests. However, the trio didn��t move an inch at all as though they were frozen to the spot. Some of the trapped mercenaries turned around as it was too unbearable for them to watch.


    At this moment, a crisp, loud voice echoed in their ears.


    ��You��re asking for death!��


    Boom! An ear-deafening explosion numbed their ears instantly and airwaves blasted at their faces. The air had as though solidified and stuffed their nostrils and mouths, flustering the mercenaries. When the crowd widened their eyes and witnessed the scene before them, they were petrified.


    The dozen mercenaries surrounding them had collapsed to the ground with twisted, ashen expressions, and crimson blood gushing out of their nostrils. More importantly, they weren��t breathing at all! They were all dead!


    What exactly happened?!


    The mercenaries looked up and the trio hadn��t shifted an inch. The black-haired girl who asked if they required any help was tidying her attire aggrievedly��


    At this moment, a faint green radiance flickered and the Necromancer extended his arms forward. Then, an enormous green sphere exploded from between his palms and a dark, gloomy cloud of smoke shrouded forward. In an instant, the aura of death pervaded the air and the grass withered rapidly before their eyes.


    Suddenly, a vibrant, red radiance flashed.


    ��Arghhhhh!��


    Without any signs of warning, the cloud of smoke lit up in flames and engulfed the Necromancer. The Necromancer was like ignited firewood as he exploded in the merciless flames that devoured his body. In the blink of an eye, there was nothing left apart from a pile of pitch-black ashes.


    The group shivered as they turned around. However, the only thing that they saw was the glaring red brilliance flickering between Canary��s fingers.

 Chapter 622 - Saint Monastery (III)

    Chapter 622: Saint Monastery (III)


    The mercenaries felt as though they had just been on a roller coaster ride from hell to heaven. Just a few moments ago, they believed that they would undoubtedly die and were merely fighting to protect their dignity. However, they didn��t expect the situation to turn around entirely within half a minute. The terrifying enemies crumbled and even the Necromancer had turned into ashes. The trio who had rescued them didn��t seem to be passersby at all, but shortly after, they realized that they were wrong.


    ��How boring.��


    Mini Bubble Gum clapped the dust off her hands and pouted as she looked at the corpses laid before her. She gazed at the man with the rotten arms and unconscious on the ground and let out a snort. Then, she stretched out a finger and emanated a dazzling ray of light that healed the ruptured flesh on his arms. In the blink of an eye, his arms were fully cured. Then, Mini Bubble Gum stretched her body lazily.


    ��They��re nothing more than a bunch of useless crap. Let��s go, Big Sister, Leader.��


    Mini Bubble Gum turned around and left without glancing at the mercenaries. She behaved so casually as though she had just killed a colony of ants instead of Humans. Rhode and Canary had no opinions about this. The blustering mercenaries were slightly more than level 20 while the Necromancer was only level 30. Rhode��s level was even higher than them, so how was it possible for the level 85 Canary and Mini Bubble Gum to regard them highly?


    The trio left swiftly and continued with their journey, leaving the group of mercenaries who had escaped death. The mercenaries widened their eyes in disbelief. They thought that they were dead for sure, but the sudden appearance of the trio dragged them from the claws of death entirely, which they were extremely thankful for. Normally, the rescuers would have approached them to check on their condition and the victims could express their gratitude. However, the trio��s actions had surprised all of them. They just left without looking at the victims even once?!


    What should we do next?


    The mercenaries were left in an awkward situation. They wanted to catch up to them and express their proper gratitudes. However, the trio seemed uninterested in them and their strength had proven how powerful they were. On the contrary, these guys were only mercenaries and they naturally couldn��t figure out how powerful the trio was exactly. Most powerful beings had strange behaviors. If one were to accidentally offend them, perhaps one would die to a wave of their hands�� The mercenaries shuddered at this frightening thought. Then, their leader took a final look at the trio and heaved a sigh of relief. He pulled himself together and clapped his hands to gather the attention of his men.


    ��Alright, Brothers. Let��s tidy up and leave. We��re really fortunate today����


    But before the man finished his words, the young noble who they had been protecting bolted toward the trio!


    ��That idiot!��


    The leader chased the young noble hurriedly. After spending some time with him, he knew what sort of temper he had! He knew exactly what the young noble was planning to do, suddenly running up to the trio!


    Rhode��s group had thrown this matter to the back of their heads as soon as they turned around and they didn��t even discuss anything about it. Instead, they spoke about their experiences in the game which involved the BOSSes, equipment, dungeons, and also the future. Suddenly, someone yelled from behind.


    ��Hey, the people in front. Wait up��!��


    Rhode puckered his brows while Canary maintained her usual gentle smile. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum sulked instantly because the voice had disrupted her from sharing her mighty achievements in the dungeons with Rhode. Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum were the only survivors in a 25-men dungeon when they faced the final BOSS. In that battle, Mini Bubble Gum had as though enlightened everyone with her perfect wisdom. Her responses were superb and not only did she dodge the BOSS��s attack, but she also protected Rhode at the same time. The tempo of her healing and casting of supporting skills were timed perfectly. In the end, the duo took down the BOSS and this achievement earned Mini Bubble Gum the number one Cleric spot in the Guild. She was bragging about how she coordinated with Rhode flawlessly and someone actually interrupted her before she reached the most exciting part of the story!


    She glared in the direction where the voice came from while harboring malicious intentions. At this moment, the young noble panted his way toward them. He wore showy noble attire with a cape draped over his shoulders and a fine sword hanging by his waist. However, his flashy appearance exposed that the sword was only meant to show off rather than be used in actual battle. He looked about 14 years old and almost the same age as Mini Bubble Gum. He ran as quickly as possible and looked at the trio with a pleased smile. For unknown reasons, Rhode felt that his smile hinted superiority.


    The young noble spoke.


    ��You guys have decent strength. Wanna work for me?��


    ��Huh?��


    Mini Bubble Gum revealed an ice-cold expression while Rhode and Canary exchanged looks with each other. Then, Rhode folded his arms and gazed at the young man with a bantering glint. However, before he got the chance to speak, Mini Bubble Gum had exploded.


    ��What a joke! Kid, who do you think you are? You want us to work for you? Get your pitiful self away from our sight! You��re asking for death!��


    Mini Bubble Gum clenched her fists and glared at the young noble. The latter stuck out his chest proudly and gazed at them with a proud, arrogant expression. ��I have no lack of money! I will give you 50k gold coins as long as you help me rescue my younger sister from the hands of the Cultists. How about that? My father is a rich merchant in the Kohl region and I��ve loads and loads of money. As long as you rescue my younger sister, the money will be yours! How about that? That sounds great, eh?��


    ��Do you even understand Human language? Idiot����


    Mini Bubble Gum let out a snort and lifted her chin high. Although the young noble was slightly taller than her, she still showed a look of disdain.


    ��Who cares about your filthy money. Our leader has more than enough of that and he doesn��t fancy yours. I have money too. My family owns a multinational corporation. I get all the pounds and dollars that I want�� Forget it. No one gives a damn if your family is a whatever Kohl region millionaire. Don��t mess with us or I will smash you with a sack of money. Now, scram!��


    ��What did you say?! My father is really, really rich! Do you think I��m afraid of you?!��


    ��Come on! What can 50k gold coins even afford? It isn��t enough to buy a part of my equipment. So what if you have 50k gold coins?��


    ��You����


    Rhode rubbed his forehead and shook his head helplessly at their childish argument.


    Bubble was indeed powerful, but she never grew up. Although she could be considered one of the best Clerics in the gaming world, she had always been surrounded by controversies in real life because she was the daughter of a multinational corporation boss. In other words, she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and never avoided this topic and would often splurge on any great items. Many players detested her arrogant behavior and moreover, she was in the rebellious phase of life and always loved to compete against others. The more the players despised her, the more she got back at them. The more you look down upon me as a pay-to-win player, the more I will use money to crush and infuriate you to death. The more you say that Cleric can��t PK, the more I will defeat you. You deserve it!


    Everyone had such moments. But it was rare to see one as extreme as Mini Bubble Gum. Therefore, Mini Bubble Gum received a lot of criticism in the game because many players saw that she was just a rich, young daughter who threw her weight about using money and didn��t feel disgraceful at all. I��m just fortunate to be born into a rich family. I have the money to spend while you poverty-stricken peasants got nothing. Hahaha, I will infuriate you all to death!


    If she was only verbally arrogant, she wouldn��t provoke that much resentment from the other players. After all, although young players dominated the game, there were still mature adults too. An ordinary pay-to-win player treated her as a pampered young lady and their hearts couldn��t grieve over what their eyes couldn��t see. Unfortunately, Mini Bubble Gum relied on her extreme personality and came up with the ��Treating foes as friends�� insane technique. Thereafter, she dominated the arena and rarely did she face worthy opponents. Her name had always been in the top five player rankings. There were spiteful players who satirized her for obtaining legendary equipment by splurging money in order to achieve her results. As a result, she started a thread in the forums stating that she was capable of buying legendary equipment and get into the top five while worthless crap like the other players couldn��t even reach the top 5000 even if they had the money and equipment��


    A rich, powerful, and smug person naturally gathered a lot of hate and dissatisfaction among the players.


    Therefore, even in the guild, Mini Bubble Gum seldom had any close friends. This was also why she had always been Rhode��s dedicated Cleric because he and Canary were the only ones capable of handling her. Perhaps Rhode could control her actions because they had known each other for a long time. They met each other after the Munn Kingdom was destroyed and he wanted to get revenge. Back then, he met Mini Bubble Gum who was also furious that her home was destroyed and she gathered players using money to take revenge on the Country of Darkness. The stakes made them hit it off instantly and Mini Bubble Gum eventually joined Starlight.


    Rhode didn��t deny that during the starting phase of Starlight, Mini Bubble Gum��s funding had benefited him a lot. He didn��t feel that relying on others was considered an embarrassing behavior. During the process, he understood that Mini Bubble Gum��s behavior was mainly related to her family. Although she was fortunate to be born into a wealthy family, she was actually lonely. Her mother had a difficult birth and met with an early demise as she gave birth to Mini Bubble Gum. On the other hand, her father had been working non-stop and rumors about him keeping a mistress had spread. Mini Bubble Gum led a boring life with the servants at home and this was why she searched for a sense of belonging in the game. Splurging money on the game naturally became the quickest method, just like how one flaunted his 15 ghost-tiger mounts on the forums. No matter how realistic the results, he had indeed attracted eyeballs.


    On the other hand, although Mini Bubble Gum had indeed garnered a lot of attention, no one was willing to curry favors with her for the sake of money. Perhaps one might succumb to the pressure of life if it was in the real world. However, it happened in the Internet: a virtual society. In here, regardless of if one was rich or not, everyone was equal. No matter how rich one was, one couldn��t use money to call it quits. So why must I give in to you? How shameless is that?


    Although there were some players who bowed down to everything she said for the sake of money, she wasn��t that foolish to keep them around her, which resulted in her terrible reputation. It was due to this that Rhode��s willingness to rely on her money to develop the guild naturally gave her a favorable impression. This was the first time she felt needed by someone and she felt great.


    As Starlight developed, there were a lot of controversies. The main part came from how Starlight relied on Mini Bubble Gum��s funding in the early stages and many players mocked Starlight as a group of hired thugs and traitors paid by Mini Bubble Gum. Rhode had also become the main target of mockery for bowing down to money. They often said that ��If Rhode didn��t betray himself over money, perhaps he would be worthy to be called a top-rated player����


    But Rhode remain unmoved because he didn��t care about their views at all. After Munn Kingdom was destroyed, Rhode��s only goal in the game was to establish a powerful force to seek revenge for their sufferings. In order to not waste one��s time, it was necessary to spend real money in the game. Without a proper foundation, how could a Guild develop quickly? Mini Bubble Gum was willing to spend the money, so it naturally became a great thing. He didn��t feel that he had any reasons to reject. After all, he wasn��t targeting her money for his personal use. Mini Bubble Gum felt satisfied to be needed by others and she had even thought of ��providing for�� Rhode and make him accompany her in playing the game�� But her suggestion was rejected by him, of course.


    In the end, Rhode succeeded and Starlight became the strongest force in the Dragon Soul Continent. The elite players of Starlight occupied almost all the top 50 player rankings. They changed the course of the game once and once again, opening new chapters to the game by becoming the most influential force.


    Before Rhode left the game, Mini Bubble Gum had matured a lot. As she grew older, she wasn��t as hot-tempered like a gunpowder bucket that would explode once ignited. Besides, perhaps due to her satisfaction, she rarely debated with other players in the forums or game about meaningless matters. Unlike the past, not only did she stop wasting time in typing a whole passage of words to ridicule the other party, but she also stopped pursuing relentlessly and force those irritating players off the game. That was both physical and mental tortures. From another point of view, she was the role model of one who had loads of time and money on one��s hands.


    If Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum��s relationship could be considered to have developed after understanding each other deeply, then Mini Bubble Gum and Canary��s relationship could only be described using two words: natural enemies.


    ��Canary.��


    ��Got it, Rhode.��


    Canary stepped forward with a smile and held onto Bubble��s shoulder.


    ��Bubble, stop fighting. Be good.��


    ���� Yes, Big Sister.��


    Canary said softly and Bubble deflated like a leaking balloon. She grudgingly stared at the young noble and stopped speaking. Then, Rhode came forward. He truly wasn��t interested in entertaining a quarrel of such low standard.


    ��We aren��t here for sightseeing. We have something else to attend to, so we can��t help you. Goodbye.��


    Rhode turned around while Canary patted on Bubble��s shoulder once again as though to console her. Then, they left the place following his lead. The young noble��s expression turned ashen. He puckered his brows and stared at the trio, clenching his fists. However, he didn��t know what to say. At this moment, the leader who was standing quietly and observing their bicker said.


    ��Y-Young Master, let��s go back. We��d better leave this place as soon as possible and find a place outside to regroup. Then����


    But, the young noble disrupted his words.


    ��No let��s continue!��


    ��Young Master?��


    ��I must find my younger sister. You guys are hired by me and I have made my payment, so you��ve to heed my orders. I know my younger sister is still in the deep mountains!��


    The young noble gritted his teeth and let out a snarl. The leader pondered in silence and let out a helpless sigh.


    ��


    It seems that I don��t have a choice.


    Lize stood before the heavy door with a hesitant expression. She mustered up her courage, sucked in a deep breath, and knocked firmly. Then, she heard the voice she knew so well.


    ��Come in.��


    Lize ground her teeth and pushed the door open. Marlene was sitting by the table with a book in hand. She looked away from the book and widened her eyes curiously as soon as she spotted Lize.


    ��Lize, it��s late now. Is anything the matter?��


    ��Yes�� Marlene.��


    Lize felt that her throat was rather dry. She rubbed her sleeves anxiously and gazed at the ground.


    ��Yes�� Marlene�� I�� have something important to�� let you know�� So�� I����


    Marlene gazed silently. She laid down the book and approached Lize.


    ��What��s wrong?��


    ��It��s�� It��s����


    Lize felt suffocated as though boulders weighing a thousand kilograms were pressing on her chest. She could almost hear her violent heartbeats. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to look into Marlene��s eyes.


    ��It��s regarding�� Mr. Rhode����


    ��Rhode����


    Marlene cocked her head to one side and nodded subsequently.


    ��I see. Lize, this isn��t the place to talk about it. Follow me.��


    Marlene checked her attire before heading out the room while Lize followed with her shaky hands on her chest. Both of them entered the hall and down the staircase. Then, they arrived at the spacious hall in the underground. Marlene raised her staff and chanted softly to light up a dazzling radiance.


    ��M-Marlene?��


    Lize asked worriedly as soon as the space before her transformed into whiteness. She didn��t expect that Marlene would bring her to the training ground in the Sphere of Mystery. What was she trying to do?


    At this moment, Marlene turned around and extended her right hand.


    The air around her vibrated and flickering rays of light coalesced into razor-sharp blades that were aimed at Lize.


    ��Alright, we can start talking about it now, Lize.��


    Marlene revealed a smile as she gazed at Lize who was stricken into silence.

 Chapter 624 - Saint Monastery (V)

    Chapter 624: Saint Monastery (V)


    ��Get lost!��


    Mini Bubble Gum let out a bellow and collided right into the enemies with her pike. However, the situation didn��t develop in the direction that the Archbishop had imagined. The swords didn��t penetrate through the Battle Angel��s body and the expected broken pike didn��t fall to the ground. Instead, the Archbishop witnessed countless sparks as the pitch-black blades slashed into the Battle Angel. Then, the Destroyer Guards clad in strong armor were blasted away as though they were punched in the gut by a massive fist. In the blink of an eye, they lost their strength entirely. Before the hopeful Destroyer Guards collapsed, he saw the Battle Angel lifting the pike in her hand again as she struck forward with all her might. Shortly after, the glaring light beam instantly devoured everything in its path.


    ��A bunch of worthless crap! You must be sick of living to try and stop me!��


    Mini Bubble Gum landed on her feet nimbly and scanned the empty surrounding. The Destroyer Guards who tried to stop her had turned into corpses that scattered everywhere. Most of them had been crushed to death from the powerful blast.


    What a terrifying presence!


    A chill ran down the Archbishop��s spine as he didn��t expect this Battle Angel to be that powerful. His Destroyer Guards were the descendants of Half-Angels, who were much stronger than ordinary Humans. Besides, although they had given up the Light Dragon guidance, they had received new strength as a result. But it seemed that they were entirely useless against the Battle Angel!


    Who is she exactly? Is she one of the three Archangels?


    But she doesn��t seem like one, judging from her way of speaking and style��


    The Archbishop shook his head and gritted his teeth hard. This wasn��t the time to ponder on this question. The aggressive intruder came prepared and it wasn��t the time to stand idly and watch the show now! The Archbishop pulled in a soldier beside him and bellowed.


    ��Go! Release the ��Hound��. I will personally seek assistance from our two superiors. Remember. We must stop her at all cost! Don��t let her enter the sacred hall!��


    The Archbishop turned around and swept a glance at Mini Bubble Gum before bolting off hastily.


    Rhode placed both hands behind his back and strode nonchalantly on the path that Mini Bubble Gum had triumphed her way through. Meanwhile, he looked at the flying line of system prompts and summoned the little mermaid. Since he had non-stop flowing EXP, he didn��t mind using this chance to conveniently increase her levels too. Although several Saint Knights charged forward and launched attacks on them, they weren��t able to harm them at all.


    Canary pointed her finger forward and a strong whirlwind rose from the ground, forming an unbreakable barrier that locked every single threat out. Shortly after, countless, meteor-like flame arrows streaked across the night sky and exploded in every corner of the Saint Monastery. The twisted flames spread wildly and flourished into an enormous, mysterious monster with her magical powers. It widened its menacing mouth and pounced forward at its prey.


    This was only the start.


    Everything��s going well.


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction.


    ***


    The blazing swords crashed on the invisible barrier and smeared the spotlessly white space with a vibrant, scarlet radiance that heated their throats. Lize held her palms together and golden runes unfolded around her to form a circular barrier that resisted the continuous batter. She extended her right arm forward and her slender fingers did a complex hand gesture. Shortly after, she emitted a glaring, golden beam like a razor-sharp blade that ripped through the smoke and flames as it aimed for the figure in the distance. But a heavy ice shield emerged out of thin air and collided with her attack, exploding into ice fragments. However, this wasn��t enough to break Marlene��s strong defense.


    ��Are you sure, Lize?��


    Marlene emerged from behind the ice shield and floated into the air. As dazzling bolts of lightning and roaring blaze interwove around Marlene, her silhouette appeared to be tiny, yet terrifying. She stretched out her right hand. Flickering radiance surrounding her flowed and coalesced at her fingertips. At this moment, Lize felt the light around her dim all of a sudden and the figure hovering in the air had instantly became the ruler of this space. The air pressure clutched Lize��s heart like an invisible hand, leaving her breathless.


    Marlene has become stronger again.


    Lize let out an inward sigh. Marlene has always been better than me in terms of studies, etiquettes and spell learning. I didn��t choose to become a Mage and I��ve become a Cleric. But even so, I wasn��t able to become as great as her and this goes in every aspect�� But this time, I won��t give up anymore.


    ��Y-Yes, Marlene. I like Rhode and I want to be with him. I just want to let you know about this����


    ��So, what if I disapprove?��


    Marlene lifted her finger and the dazzling radiance coalesced on her fingertips flowed rapidly into a tiny light sphere. Deep blue thunderbolts spun around the light sphere and shortly after, along with an ear-deafening explosion, a dazzling bolt of lightning exploded like a long, powerful whip that drew a glaring arc across the air. The golden barrier before Lize dazzled with sacred runes that permuted and reinforced her shield. At this moment, the lightning whip broke the sound barrier and crashed heavily on Lize��s shield.


    Boom!


    The deep, resounding impact echoed and numbed their eardrums. The lightning bolts flickered non-stop and filthy dust fluttered recklessly. Cracks formed on the ground while billows of smoke concealed their visions. But shortly after, a whizzing gust cleared the area and Lize reemerged before Marlene��s eyes. She panted as her shoulders shuddered. Her extended arms shook and the revolving golden barrier flickered as though a screen low on battery. It was apparent that she wasn��t Marlene��s match. But she didn��t give up just yet.


    ���� Hu�� Hu�� Hu����


    Marlene��s attack had applied tremendous pressure on her. She panted with her mouth wide open and her smooth forehead was drenched in sweat. But even so, her look of determination remain unchanged. She looked at Marlene with a firm gaze.


    ��I don��t know, Marlene. But I will not give up. I will not let go of this happiness!��


    Lize waved her arms. The radiance on the defense barrier around her flowed and coalesced into tiny ritual circles above her in the blink of an eye. Then, flawlessly white swords of light emerged from within the ritual circles and aimed at Marlene.


    ��I know it��s wrong of me to do this, Marlene. But this is the only desire I��ve left. Everything that I��ve relied on has disappeared and now, this is the only desire that I can fight for! Marlene, it doesn��t matter if you stop me because I will never back down!��


    ��But Rhode and I were together first, Lize.��


    Marlene sulked and pushed her hands down beside her. The lightning bolts flickered in the air and revolved around her before shooting up like snakes lifting their heads high, looking down upon the young lady before them.


    ��How can you do this behind my back?��


    ��You were in the wrong first, Marlene!��


    Lize sucked in a deep breath of air and yelled at the top of her lungs.


    ��Mr. Rhode has always been with me from the start! Not you! It is my freedom to do whatever I want!��


    Lize swung her arms with all her might and launched the swords of light that were bound in the ritual circles. At the same time, Marlene twitched her brows slightly. The lightning snakes fluttering above her widened their vicious mouths and dove toward Lize.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    The swords of light and lightning snakes collided and whiteness consumed every inch of space. The powerful holy and magical powers ripped apart the sky and earth. Then, everything restored to its tranquility��


    Their vision gradually returned and the white space was replaced by the ice-cold floor, pitch-black walls, and the bright torches that hung on the walls. The two young ladies panted as they faced each other. But unlike before, they were revealing smiles.


    ��Hahaha����


    Marlene burst into laughter and even though Lize stared with a blush across her face, she couldn��t help but laugh too. Their crisp laughter resounded in the empty underground hall and the hostility between them was nowhere to be seen.


    ��This is the first time that I��ve seen you so spontaneous, Lize. I was the first to be with Rhode. Hahaha�� We should really let Royal Highness Lydia look at you right now. I��ve known you for so long, but I��ve never seen you arguing with me over a person.��


    ��You��re the one in the wrong, Marlene. And you knew�� My feelings for Mr. Rhode. But you actually did such a thing behind my back. It hurt me a lot. I never expected this day where I would quarrel with my close friend over such matters.��


    ��I��m aware of your feelings for Rhode, of course, Lize.��


    Marlene nodded with a gentle smile.


    ��This is why I��m here to apologize, but it isn��t for betraying your feelings, Lize. Instead, I have to do this no matter if you like Rhode or not.��


    ��Marlene?��


    Lize looked vacantly with widened, astonishing eyes.


    ��What? What did you mean by that? Don��t you like Mr. Rhode? If you do like him, why����


    ��I don��t mean that, Lize.��


    Marlene revealed a bitter smile. She stepped forth and stretched out her right hand to stroke Lize��s cheek gently. Then, Marlene looked up at the pitch-black ceiling and let out a subtle sigh. She shifted her gaze back to Lize and said.


    ��I do like Rhode a lot and I��m satisfied with my life at this moment. But I��m just fortunate to meet someone that I really like, that��s all. So, I want to apologize to you for it. I��m not apologizing for snatching your beloved. Instead, I��m apologizing for my fate. I��m destined to stay by Rhode��s side and this is an irreversible fate. I can only say that much, for now.��


    ��I-I still don��t quite understand what you meant, Marlene����


    Lize displayed a complex expression.


    ��Did the Senia Family give you orders? Why must you����


    ��I can��t reveal the truth because this is something that I must keep private, Lize. But now, at least we��re both able to receive the happiness that we earnestly hope for and isn��t it enough?�� Marlene gazed at Lize and couldn��t help but let out a chuckle.


    ��But, come to think of it, I actually don��t feel great, Lize. You never told me that you would do this and things turned into this state after I simply went for a trip to the Flourishing Blossom. This has made me����


    ��Me too, Marlene. You don��t know how angry I was when I first knew about your relationship with Mr. Rhode����


    Lize let out a chuckle.


    ��I never expected that my close friend would actually do such a thing behind my back. How infuriating! But now����


    The two young ladies exchanged looks and shook their heads simultaneously.


    ��Lize, let��s treat as a secret between us and don��t tell Rhode about it, especially about my situation. I know Rhode has begin to suspect, but it still isn��t time for me to come clean to him, nor you. I can understand your doubts, but I hope that you can understand my difficulties too.��


    ��Alright, Marlene.��


    Lize nodded in agreement. She held Marlene��s hands and looked at her with a worried gaze.


    ��But I hope you wouldn��t do anything dangerous and I know Mr. Rhode wouldn��t want you to either. So if there��s anything wrong, I want to be the first person to know. You are my best friend, Marlene, and this will never change.��


    ��Got it, Lize. I will never forget your advice.��


    Marlene showed a gentle smile and cheekily winked at the other young lady.


    ��But no matter what, this is a trouble that Rhode caused for us. Without him, maybe we wouldn��t have had this quarrel. So, I have a good idea, Lize�� We have to let him know that he can��t simply mess with us, alright? We aren��t just a part of his flower vase collection on display for everyone to admire. We must make him pay for making us this miserable!��


    ���� But, Marlene, how do you intend to do it? Even if we worked together, we wouldn��t be able to defeat Mr. Rhode����


    ��We��re indeed not his match if we fought him face to face. But Lize����


    The smile on Marlene��s face widened. She extended a finger and spoke with a cheeky tone.


    ��Heh. Don��t forget that we have superiorities that were blessed by the heavens.��

 Chapter 625 - Saint Monastery (VI)

    Chapter 625: Saint Monastery (VI)


    The loud impact reverberated from the distance and the underground hall shook with falling dust. The candle flames trembled. The nun, Sister Helen, knitted her long brows and lifted her head to face the crowd before her. A tall, burly man clad in pitch-black armor stood beside her. He held a large flail in his hands and a thick mask concealed his facial features. Before Sister Helen were ten similarly-dressed nuns in scarlet robes, surrounding a stone-made altar on which a young lady laid with her eyes shut.


    What��s going on out there!


    Sister Helen cursed inwardly. This ritual was extremely solemn, sacred, and exceptionally important. The Saint Knights had detected strange movements in Soraka Mountain a few days ago and as the advocate of the Saint Knights, Sister Helen had also received a revelation from the dark abyss. Through the revelation, she learned that the era of darkness and destruction was about to come. The Order on the continent would be completely toppled and this was the best opportunity for the Saint Knights to resurface. The revelation Sister Helen had received was that they needed a qualified heir to lead the Saint Knights. She had put in a lot of effort in searching for the sacrificial offering required. As long as she sacrificed the offering in the sacred, yet evil ritual, the young lady��s body and soul would belong to their race entirely. The holy God they worshiped would come to this world using the young lady��s body. The Saint Knights would return to the continent and bring destruction and death to all living things!


    But now��


    The ritual had been interrupted thrice, which infuriated Sister Helen. If they were to miss this opportunity, they would need to wait for a few more decades before they could summon their holy God back into this world. It was intolerable for the Saint Knights! It was due to this that Sister Helen had requested for everyone to be fully focused in defending the monastery tonight. But now, their ritual had been disrupted again and again within ten minutes. Although there were still a few hours available in the night, Sister Helen was concerned that the interruptions might keep happening, which had made her extremely furious and helpless at the same time.


    ��Do you want me to check on the situation, Helen?��


    The knight beside her spoke with a low muffled voice behind the thick mask. Sister Helen pondered in silence before eventually shaking her head. ��No, we will continue. The Archbishop is standing guard and he will report to us if necessary����


    Bam.


    As though proving Sister Helen��s insights, the tightly sealed doors pushed open widely and the Archbishop entered with a heavy expression. His forehead was drenched in sweat, glittering under the radiant flames. He came to an abrupt halt after witnessing the ritual and stepped forward cautiously. Sister Helen held back her anxious and irascible mood.


    ��Archbishop, what exactly is happening? Our ritual has been interrupted three times already. What��s going on out there? Where��s our people?��


    Although Sister Helen said in a calm tone, she couldn��t stifle the dissatisfaction deep down in her. The Archbishop shook his head helplessly and gazed at Sister Helen and the knight beside her.


    ��The situation doesn��t look good. We have intruders attacking the monastery!��


    ��Who are they?��


    Sister Helen sulked instantly. She knew the constant interruptions were too unusual. If it weren��t for this crucial ritual, she would have gone out to check on the situation herself. After all, the Saint Monastery had always been in isolation and peace. They survived until now because they had been prudent and kept a low profile. They knew that they weren��t as powerful as before, so they had to be cautious. Apart from kidnapping their sacrificial offerings, they had never shown up before the people for years and the entire continent had almost forgotten this place that was abandoned by the Archangel. But now, someone actually knocked on their doors?!


    Did something happen during the kidnap that led to this disruption?


    Sister Helen shook her head helplessly. Not only were they careful in the entire kidnapping process, but they also didn��t reveal their identities and their target was just the young daughter of a wealthy merchant. Moreover, they had also investigated the merchant��s background thoroughly. Although the merchant was wealthy, he didn��t have too many strong backings. This was why the Saint Knights weren��t concerned that he would slaughter his way to their doorsteps. But now��


    ��It��s a Battle Angel! A truly formidable Battle Angel! Our people couldn��t stop her at all! I suspect that she might be one of the Archangels!��


    ��What?!��


    The atmosphere in the underground hall froze and murderous intent filled the entire place.


    The Saint Knights harbored a hatred toward the two largest forces: the Country of Darkness and the Country of Light, represented by the three Archangels. In the Creation War, the Saint Knights were the pawns of the Archangels and the target of the Country of Darkness. As Half-Angels, Saint Knights were incomparably powerful. Therefore, the Saint Knights carried the responsibility to lead the charge against the Country of Darkness. Their battles with the Country of Darkness were full of violence. Countless Saint Knights died in the exchange and their corpses couldn��t receive peace, which led the Saint Knights to abhor the Country of Darkness. In the history of the Saint Knights, their hatred toward the Country of Darkness had become a part of their culture. As long as one was a member of the Saint Knights, one would view the Country of Darkness as enemies.


    It was almost like justice and evil. Day and night. Inevitable and irreversible.


    The other target for vengeance was the Archangels.


    They had guarded the monastery for years for the Archangels. But instead of hearing back from the Archangels, they actually abandoned them entirely and left them to their own demise. If the Saint Knights were pure Angels, perhaps they wouldn��t object even if they were dissatisfied. However, almost all of them were Half-Angels. The blood of the Angels and Humans were flowing in them and they couldn��t accept this truth. They had given their all for the Archangels, but all they got in return was betrayal!


    No one knew if it was premeditated or simply an accident that Archangel Serene abandoned the final defensive line of the Saint Monastery against the Country of Darkness. However, love and hate were two extremes. After losing the attention and support of the Archangels, the Saint Knights�� pride and conviction had shattered into nothingness. Thereafter, in order to survive in the cruel Creation War, they had no choice but to move to the underground like the Elves. For the survival of their race, they had given up on their pride, glory, and everything. It didn��t matter even if it twisted their values and convictions. Beliefs of the dead were meaningless and couldn��t be passed on.


    If hatred toward the Country of Darkness was a kind of inertia, then the hatred toward the Archangels would be an extension of a twisted resentment and faith. And now, as soon as they heard that an Archangel had come knocking on their doorsteps, their emotions were indescribable by words. However, judging from Sister Helen��s dignified expression twisting as though she were an injured, howling wolf, it was probably enough to understand the thoughts going through their heads.


    ��Archangel?! Great!��


    Sister Helen nodded with a sulk. She turned to face her companions and subordinates.


    ��This is the final test from our holy God. Light has abandoned us and it is time for the representative of light to know our presence! We shall be the final winner! Now, let��s use the fresh blood and corpse of the Angel to offer our greatest respects for our holy God!��


    Sister Helen raised her right arm high.


    ��Everything! For the sake of eternal destruction!��


    The heavy, massive stone sculpture shattered as it crashed to the ground and Mini Bubble Gum let out a snort. She stood in the middle of the monastery plaza, facing the Archbishop and the group of Saint Knights who had gathered. However, the Saint Knights didn��t charge forward like their companions. Instead, they watched attentively at the trio, unsure if they were plotting something or were simply not ready to run into their deaths. But no matter what, they wouldn��t stand a chance against Mini Bubble Gum and Canary. The two young ladies were as familiar with the Saint Monastery as Rhode and they knew that there were no traps that could threaten them at all.


    ��What a bunch of cowards.��


    Mini Bubble Gum plunged the golden pike to the ground and lifted her chin proudly, looking at her enemies in disdain. Hundreds of Saint Knights corpses were piled up before them. After Mini Bubble Gum entered the plaza, the heavily-armored knights charged toward the little girl. Then�� There was no more thens.


    The Saint Knights were around level 50 on average and perhaps they could bully the NPCs or lower-level players. However, in the face of the level 85 Mini Bubble Gum who was even in her plain equipment, they stood no chance at all. Mini Bubble Gum swung the golden pike in her hand swiftly and blasted the Saint Knights into the air before sending them crashing to their deaths.


    A hundred of them turned into corpses in an instant.


    Even the Saint Knights who believed in destruction and death shuddered in fear under this efficiency.


    Although the Saint Knights glared like tigers watching their prey, Rhode didn��t give a damn about their presence at all. He sized up the monastery before him and looked at the little mermaid. Although Rhode hadn��t specifically calculated the amount of EXP he had received, it might be able to bring him above level 50. Not only that, but even the little mermaid grew tremendously. Even though she still wasn��t comparable to Gillian and was less dazzling than Celia and Celestina, she was much more formidable than both the Hell Hound and Spirit Bird now.


    Besides, not only did the little mermaid grow stronger in card values, her physical body also grew too. She used to be slightly taller than one meter in the water ball, but now, she had as though entered puberty, growing as she took in all the EXP. She was about the same height as Christie now, and the water ball had transformed slightly.


    ��How strange, Rhode.��


    Canary gazed curiously at the plaza and rested a finger on her chin.


    ��The Archbishop should be out by now. Why haven��t we see him?��


    ��Who knows? Perhaps it��s a bug?��


    Rhode shrugged. Along the journey, the roles of Mini Bubble Gum and Canary had completely switched around with Rhode. According to the classes, Mini Bubble Gum, who was a Cleric, should be the one protecting Rhode. Of course, with Rhode��s rich gaming experience, it would still be possible for him to strike a few of the Saint Knights and flee the area if an accident were to happen, even if the enemies were higher in level than him. This was because the level difference between the Saint Knights and him was less than 10 after the amount of EXP he had gained. Moreover, he had Celia and Celestina with him and even if they couldn��t handle the enemies, he could summon all four Holy Sword Cards and use the ��Taboo Halo�� skill to transcend them into the Legendary Stage. So, what��s the difficulty in slaughtering their way out?


    The trio didn��t loot the corpses as they knew that they were always unlucky and Saint Knights wouldn��t drop any useful items anyway. It was widely known that many great loots weren��t on the BOSS itself. Instead, they were in the BOSS�� room. This was why many player groups would triumph their way to the end and defeat all the monsters and BOSS before returning to pick up their spoils of war.


    However, there was a point in which the game was incomparable. In reality, the corpses wouldn��t disappear�� They would lay quietly and wait for one to wipe out everything on their bodies�� Yes, Rhode wasn��t sure if this was a great thing or not.


    After slaughtering their way into the monastery, the trio didn��t stop at all. Mini Bubble Gum charged ahead while Canary cast her whirlwind barrier and flame spells to defend and sweep the area. The trail left by them had been reduced to ruins. The cold moonlight penetrated the clouds and spilled on the lifeless corpses and destroyed buildings.


    ��Don��t give a damn about them. Let��s move on!��


    Mini Bubble Gum let out a snort and pointed the golden pike at the enemies before her. The Saint Knights clad in scarlet armor tensed up and raised their shields hurriedly to guard the doors as though using their lives to maintain this final defensive line. Mini Bubble Gum showed a smirk and��


    At this moment, a loud, imposing voice sounded.


    ��Who are the ones breaking into the Saint Monastery!?��

 Chapter 626 - Saint Monastery (VII)

    Chapter 626: Saint Monastery (VII)


    ��Who are the ones breaking into the Saint Monastery!?��


    A tall figure rushed out of the monastery entrance and shook the ground with his heavy footsteps. It was a man clad in steel armor from head to toe, clasping an enormous flail in his hands. There were two dazzling dots of radiance illuminating from the pitch-black helmet. Even though he didn��t move an inch, the imposing aura emanating from him spread wildly like a towering mountain. In an instant, the spacious plaza fell into total silence as though a transparent curtain had muffled everything. This was the symbol of a power being in the Legendary Stage.


    But this meant nothing for Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��Hmph. Worthless trash.��


    Mini Bubble Gum let out a snort of disgust and it was this remark that sent the man shuddering as though an invisible punch had landed an uppercut on his chin, forcing him half a step back. The man��s reaction forced exclamations out of the Saint Knights lined behind him. The man was Sister Helen��s bodyguard and one of the strongest knights here. But now, he actually lost to this young girl in presence!


    The man secured his footing and sucked in a deep breath before gazing at Mini Bubble Gum with a stern expression. He thought he could use his imposing presence to probe her strength. However, he didn��t expect that it would surpass his expectations. The little girl��s snort to his pressurizing presence felt as though a hot knife through butter, shattering his mighty presence!


    In this instant, he thought his heart had stopped beating, which stunned him to the spot. He thought that Mini Bubble Gum was only an ordinary Battle Angel. But her imposing presence was shoulder to shoulder to the three Archangels!


    But��


    The man knitted his brows in suspicions. To the legendary presences, their imposing presence were the product of their character and vigor. However, he didn��t sense any holiness and dignity of the Angels in the young girl��s aura. Instead, it felt as though fury waves that were full of arrogance and disdain. It could also be said that he didn��t feel anything related to the Angels on the young girl. On the contrary, there were qualities that resembled the Demons��the extremely arrogant attitude treating the Saint Knights as though they were even lower than ants.


    If it wasn��t for the genuine pair of golden wings behind her, perhaps the man would��ve suspected if she was a Demon disguised as an Angel.


    But he wouldn��t back off!


    ��O Holy Guardians, disciples of destruction, and representatives of death! Respond to my summons! We shall be victorious before your gaze. All the destruction and all the honor shall belong to you. Please give us the powers to destroy the enemies!��


    The man raised the flail in his hand high and glared fiercely at Mini Bubble Gum. The enormous flail emanated a glaring radiance and shortly after, a golden hammer emerged above him out of thin air. Vibrant colors illuminated from the flat ground, enveloping the man and the group of Saint Knights in a dazzling light. The Saint Knights were no longer afraid. They raised their weapons mightily and took large strides forward with the man!


    ��There will be a whole chunk of EXP in this bunch of trash����


    Mini Bubble Gum twitched her brow and a delightful glint flashed in her eyes. Although the man before her was a presence in the Legendary Stage and the other Saint Knights had their strength boosted under the holy blessing, they were truly nothing more than a colony of ants. Even though a dense mass of ants appeared terrifying, they would scatter as long as one stomped one��s foot on them. And now, she couldn��t wait to relieve the joy of stomping and crushing hundreds of knights under her feet.


    The young girl swung the pike in her hand and gazed at the crowd proudly. But before she struck out, a soft hand held onto her shoulder.


    ��Bubble, it��ll be faster if you leave them to me. Besides, we know the loots too.��


    ���� Alright then, Big Sister.��


    Mini Bubble Gum pouted in discontentment before taking two steps back and returning to Rhode��s side. Then, the golden armor and wings vanished to reveal her usual attire while Canary stepped forward leisurely with a plain smile.


    What��s this situation?


    The Saint Knights looked blankly, but they didn��t give up just yet. They clutched their weapons and the man standing before all of them raised his flail. He looked at the young girl in silence.


    Unlike the petite young girl, he couldn��t feel any imposing presence from this young lady who was stepping forward. She appeared like an ordinary Human and wasn��t as arrogant and mighty as the young girl. But for some unknown reasons, he sensed that this young lady was much more threatening!


    ��Those guys are in for a bad time.��


    Mini Bubble Gum pouted as she gazed at Canary. This scene was too cruel for them�� On the other side of the plaza, the hundred fully-armored, buffed knights were facing a thin, innocent-looking young lady. She ambled along slowly to the bold and powerful knights as though she were a sacrificial offering for the legendary beast. But now, in the eyes of Mini Bubble Gum, the sequence and roles of the legendary beast and offering had swapped around completely��


    Canary was usually a gentle and submissive person. But Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum knew that that was only how she appeared. The truth was that she possessed a fiery side, but she would only present that side on the Internet. In reality, anyone who saw Canary would have the impression that she was an obedient, quiet, and beautiful campus belle. Therefore, there were many times when people couldn��t link Canary to her image on the Internet. If Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum were to evaluate her, they definitely wouldn��t assess her as a gentle person like a ��skylark�� or ��kitten��. Canary was more like a ��lioness�� in Rhode��s opinion.


    In the animal world, the lioness was responsible for hunting. No matter how much weaker a lioness appeared than the lion, it was always the lioness who hunted in the territory.


    And now, the lioness had spotted its prey. She stooped over and stepped closer to the herd of sheep, flashing its menacing claws.


    ��Attack!��


    The immense pressure grew increasingly as the young lady closed the distance between them. The man felt his heart pumping violently. The sense of danger would rarely be a misconception for powerful presences like them and since his body had reacted honestly by expressing fear and foreboding, it went to show how dangerous this young lady was!


    The man let out a snarl and charged forward with his raised flail. The Saint Knights behind him yelled out in unison and stomped forward. Canary came to a stop gradually and displayed a calm, gentle smile as though the sea of enemies flooding toward her weren��t worth a mention.


    At this moment, the distance between both sides was less than 200 meters. In the blink of an eye, the Saint Knights, who were boosted by the buff of the legendary weapon, covered the distance between them and brandished their weapon to crush their enemy to bits.


    But this wasn��t the case.


    The Saint Knights had strange difficulties charging forward as though time had slowed down drastically. No matter how much they pushed forward, they couldn��t close in to her. The blessings of the legendary weapon were still present, but they felt exhausted. They widened their mouths and panted, but��


    Boom!


    A Saint Knight collapsed to the ground with widened eyes and ashen expression, clutching his shield and weapon. But there was no luster of life in his eyes. Not only him, but the other Saint Knights also collapsed one by one as though a domino effect. None of them stood back on their feet!


    Same went for the one who led the pack.


    Why? Why!?


    The man widened his mouth and breathed heavily through his thick helmet. He had never felt this powerless. The powers of the legendary weapon flowed in his body, boosting him with unprecedented strength. However, he had never felt this drained. He gazed at the figure closing in and his footsteps became increasingly slower. As a being in the Legendary Stage, he shouldn��t be feeling this at all. But now, his hands and legs were as though cuffed by heavy steel chains and couldn��t move freely. The young lady came to a halt and smiled at him. Although she didn��t seem to have done anything, the nonchalant smile plastered on her face affirmed the man that it was all her doing!


    Stomp! Stomp!


    He finally arrived before her with heavy feet, panting and lifting his flail. The distance between them was less than four steps and as long as he brandished his weapon, he could easily crush her skull to fragments. But, even so, Canary continued to smile at him.


    The man clutched the flail in his hands and suddenly, his knees weakened.


    Boom!


    His collapse resounded in the silent plaza. He stubbornly lifted his head and gazed at the young lady in disbelief. Then, his head plunged to the ground uncontrollably.


    At this moment, a sharp scream pierced their ears.


    ��No! My beloved!��


    A glaring red radiance flashed in the entrance. Then, a woman donned in a scarlet robe rushed out. Her dignified expression distorted to her furious emotions.


    ��Renault! My beloved! You can��t leave me alone here! Have you forgotten about our promise?!��


    The woman lifted her scepter high.


    ��Stand up, my beloved. Do it for our eternal promise and fight for me!��


    Suddenly, the thick, black armor on his body sparkled in countless magical runes. Then, the man��s lifeless eyes sprung open and he stood up abruptly!


    ��I��ll fight for you! My����


    Before the man finished his dramatic confession, Canary extended her fingers and flicked lightly.


    The man��s heavy armor cracked to the pressure and ripped apart as though it was made of paper. The man let out a blood-curdling screech as the immense force blasted him away and fresh blood spurted from the cracks of his armor. It was apparent that it wasn��t only the armor that Canary had twisted.


    Sister Helen screamed mournfully and she was blasted back into the pitch-black entrance as though a battering ram had rammed into her body.


    Canary clapped the dust off her palms. She turned around with her unchanged smile.


    ��All done, Rhode.��

 Chapter 627 - Saint Monastery (VIII)

    ��Argh�� Ahh!��


    Sister Helen curled up on the smooth, marble floor illuminated under the bright moonlight spilling through the window of the monastery hall. However, she couldn��t conceal the patches of bloodstain and miserable, pale complexion.


    Why�� Who are�� those people��


    Sister Helen looked up vacantly at the religious image before the monastery hall. It was no longer the statues of the Archangels and Light Dragon. Instead, it was a gigantic hammer held in a Demon��s claw. Sister Helen couldn��t understand why such a situation would happen. She didn��t know where those intruders came from, and they possessed incomparable strength. It could also be said that they were here to eliminate the Saint Knights!


    Strictly speaking, this was a disaster for the Saint Knights. Rhode, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum arrived here simply because this place would become a dungeon in the future. But the reputation of the Saint Knights would be terrible by then. As a popular BOSS for the players, it was common for them to take turns annihilating it. However, it was different now. The Saint Knights would be destroyed even before they had the chance to re-emerge and put into practice their firm belief.


    But the Saint Knights�� opinions had nothing to do with Rhode and it was enough for him to simply grind for EXP.


    Sister Helen had never felt this powerless. An incomparable force had blasted her into the entrance of the monastery and everything had ended by the time she woke up.


    Every part of her body was burning in intense pain and she could feel blood flowing out of her body. The flame of life was weakening and about to extinguish. Her beloved died and she was about to join him anytime soon. Moreover, the Saint Monastery was about to crumble entirely�� Could this be my fate?!


    ��No!��


    Sister Helen struggled in lifting her head. Then, she raised her right arm and gazed at the sculpture.


    ��O Holy, mighty presence. We��ve met with unprecedented dangers. But I don��t intend to give up just yet. I shall offer you my blood, flesh, soul, and everything. My despair and pain shall become yours to collect. I use my entirety in requesting humbly and praying that the ritual�� must�� continue�� Our Saint Monastery�� shall����


    Sister Helen spat out a mouthful of crimson blood, collapsed to the ground, and coughed acutely like deep bellows. She shuddered pitifully and her voice softened into silence.


    The monastery hall returned to its stillness, but�� Something had changed.


    The crimson blood flowing out from her body slowly crept forward as though it had self-conscious, climbing the flight of steps and arriving before the sculpture to be absorbed completely by it. The brilliance in the sacred hall dimmed abruptly and became pitch-black.


    ��Oh, Lord.��


    The Archbishop anxiously scrutinized the young lady who was in deep sleep on the altar. The nuns around him displayed the same worried expressions. Sister Helen had been gone for a while, but they hadn��t heard back from her. There were no signs of activities at all. What was happening up there?


    The Archbishop wished to check on the situation, but the main priority was to protect the sacrificial offering.


    ����!��


    Suddenly, an eerie breeze trembled the candle flames and sent a chill down the Archbishop��s spine. He came to his senses and heaved a sigh of relief. But�� Wait�� this is the underground hall, so where did the wind come from?


    Before he figured out the answer, the rows of candle flames extinguished abruptly and everything fell into eternal darkness.


    ��Isn��t it strange, Leader?��


    Mini Bubble Gum scanned the surrounding curiously as she stood on the plaza full of corpses. Since the BOSS had been defeated, they would be searching for treasures and equipment in the BOSS room next. Although the couple engaged in an illicit love affair in the Saint Monastery had kept their relationship a secret, it was no secret to the players that this venue had been stamped flat by them.


    ��What��s wrong, Bubble?��


    ��Normally, there should be a lot of low-level critters outside the BOSS room. Why haven��t I heard of anything? Could it be that they��ve fled after witnessing their BOSS getting slaughtered?��


    ��Now that you��ve mentioned����


    Rhode was a little curious too. In the game, there would indeed be waves of critters roaming along the path to the BOSS room after the BOSS was defeated. However, the critters wouldn��t be as difficult to deal with as the Saint Knights were because they were only ordinary presences. The Saint Knights had other duties for clothes, food, shelter, cleaning, and whatsoever and they couldn��t possibly be relied upon for every single matter. But now, the trio couldn��t even spot Sister Helen��s corpse that should��ve been in the hall after they entered the monastery entrance. There was only her scarlet robe, shattered scepter, and a pool of blood declaring their presence.


    If this was the game, it could be explained as the refreshing of map had removed her corpse. But this was the real world and even if this was in the game, Sister Helen��s corpse wouldn��t disappear just like that.


    ����!��


    At this moment, the trio heard a mourning scream from the underground. They were astonished because they had never faced such a situation in the game!


    ��Leader, did you trigger some hidden mission?��


    Mini Bubble Gum turned to Rhode with glinted eyes. Rhode scanned through the system interface before his eyes and spotted a glaring line of golden words.


    [Triggered Mission �� Revival of Destruction]


    ��The decisive summon has called upon the spirit of darkness and vengeance. It shall finally awake from the seal and bring upon blood and destruction����


    ��A mission!��


    As Rhode spoke, a dark beam suddenly burst from the ground, penetrating through the ceiling and into the sky. In an instant, crushed rocks fell from above and struck the ground. Then, the trio witnessed a dark figure emerging from the ground with a highly lifted double-handed longsword. Without any delay, the dark figure pointed her sword at Rhode and bolted forward!


    Canary puckered her brows slightly. Then, she extended her right hand and clenched, slowing the dark figure��s movement. But the dark figure appeared unaffected as it forcefully brandished its sword and slashed a crack in the barrier, which emitted strong streams of air.


    ��Bubble, I need your help!��


    Mini Bubble Gum let out a snarl as she pounced forward. It was apparent that this enemy was much harder to deal with than the previous couple. The enemy wasn��t hurt from Canary��s attack and it proved just how formidable it was. Normally, Mini Bubble Gum could stand by idly and watch as Canary annihilated the enemies. But now, both of them were donned in plain equipment and this BOSS had suddenly emerged. For safety, they should attack it together!


    The Battle Angel Suit once again emerged on Mini Bubble Gum in a glaring, golden flash. Almost immediately, she struck forward and brandished the enormous pike in a dazzling radiance, landing heavily on the dark figure��s double-handed longsword.


    Clang! The pike and sword collided fiercely and released countless golden sparks. The dark figure retreated abruptly and the fog surrounding her had completely dispersed. At this moment, the trio had finally witnessed the dark figure��s true identity.


    It was an Angel. But, unlike ordinary Angels, she wore a pitch-black armor with a pair of rotten wings revealing ghastly white bones. Instead of a fair, beautiful face, she looked pale and was filled with the stench of death. These signs had clearly proven her identity as a Fallen Angel.


    ��Foolish mortals!��


    The Fallen Angel emanated fierce, murderous intent as she stared with bloodshot eyes and clasped her longsword.


    ��What you��re doing is struggling on your deathbed. I��ve come to this world and it will finally be destroyed!��


    ��BOSSes always speaks the most crap. Big Sister, let��s get rid of her!��


    Mini Bubble Gum rolled up her sleeves for battle while Canary extended both arms and magical powers coalesced between her hands into a matchless, formidable spell.


    But at this moment, Rhode��s voice interrupted their focus.


    ��Wait.��


    ��What��s wrong, Leader?��


    Mini Bubble Gum turned to Rhode in dissatisfaction. Rhode rubbed his chin with knitted brows, sizing up the Fallen Angel fluttering in midair.


    ��Somehow�� I seem to have seen her from somewhere before����


    Rhode stretched out his right hand. A spotlessly white summoning card emerged in a dazzling flash and spun on his palm gracefully.


    Eternal Holy Sword Number 10��Star Mark.

 Chapter 628 - Saint Monastery (IX)

    Holy radiance ripped through the darkness. Celia walked out of the glaring radiance and gazed at the Fallen Angel with a complex glint. Then, she raised the sword in her hands. Silver-whitish flames erupted and blasted into the sky. The Fallen Angel hovering in midair suddenly sulked and widened her eyes unbelievably at Celia.


    ��Celia��?��


    ��I never expected that we would meet each other again in this state.��


    Celia��s expression remain unchanged, but her eyes glinted with traces of regrets. Then, she shook her head and responded. The Fallen Angel shivered and the dark aura around her expanded abruptly.


    ������


    As though an injured animal, the Fallen Angel let out a deep roar and her eyes flickered with scarlet luster. However, Celia simply laid her sword horizontally before her and expanded her pure white wings majestically.


    ��Miss Canary, Miss Bubble, please stand back. This is between me and her.��


    Celia soared into the sky, leaving Mini Bubble Gum and Canary exchanging looks with each other. Although they didn��t know what Celia was up to, they were curious to see what new developments there were to the monastery that they had cleared it countless of times before. But even so, Mini Bubble Gum laughed up her sleeve and pointed a finger at Celia. Shortly after, a golden crown emerged above Celia��s head and holy powers rushed into her body. The silver-whitish flames on her blade blazed increasingly brighter. Mini Bubble Gum placed her hands behind her back and looked at Rhode and Canary.


    What a surprise.


    Rhode shrugged at the sight of the Battle Angel and Fallen Angel. He had never expected that Celia would be related to this monastery. He arrived here for the sake of farming EXP, but it seemed that he had gained an unexpected result. Previously, Rhode��s Holy Sword Cards didn��t respond at all. However, after the Fallen Angel had appeared, he sensed an unprecedented and incomparably intense spiritual undulation from Starmark. This proved that the Fallen Angel and Celia had some sort of relationship between them.


    It was due to this that Rhode had summoned Celia for this battle.


    Among the Holy Sword Card Deck, Celia was the spirit who had spent the most time with Rhode. However, she was also the one who he understood the least. Although Celestina was arrogant, she often spoke a lot, so she was bound to slip up at some points. There were many times when Celestina got onto the hook whenever Rhode enticed her and she exposed all her secrets to him accidentally. On the other hand, although Gracier and Madaras had rarely spoken, they didn��t specially keep their identities a secret. Although they didn��t introduce themselves to Rhode formally, they often stated and hinted their thoughts. However, Celia was an exception. Compared to her sisters, she was a tough nut to crack. No matter how Rhode enticed or inquired, she wouldn��t reveal what she shouldn��t. Even though she might express her opinions about Rhode��s actions, she had never spoken about her true identity like Celestina, Gracier, and Madaras. This was why even though Celia had been by Rhode��s side the longest, he didn��t understand her as much as the other summoned spirits. And this time, it was a great opportunity.


    ��I��ve never thought that you would end up in this state.��


    Celia let out a sigh while the Fallen Angel��s eyes turned bloodshot.


    ��You��ve never, Celia?! What about you? Look at what you��ve become! You��ve lost the pride of Angels and allowed a Human to order you about like a dog. What rights do you have to pity me? We chose a completely different path from the start and ended up with the same results! I��m no longer who I used to be! Celia, I have long given up the desires that you and I have fought hard for! No matter if it was justice or kindness, it would eventually dissipate into nothingness. On this continent, everything that we��ve protected for is ephemeral!��


    The Fallen Angel raised the double-handed sword in his hands abruptly.


    ��Only destruction is forever, Celia. It��s the same for you and I.��


    ��I understand your feelings, my friend.��


    Celia pointed her sword forward.


    ��But everything is meaningless now. I��m no longer who I was, but I still have to accomplish my mission. This is our fate and you can��t neglect its presence no matter how hard you escape from it. Haven��t you realized it?��


    ��I��m not escaping from it!��


    The Fallen Angel bellowed and bolted forward in the speed of light. Her longsword tore the sound barrier and as she slashed at Celia!


    Celia watched calmly. The silver-whitish flames on her blade proliferated instantly and illuminated the pitch-black dome. At this moment, the longsword had collided heavily on Celia��s blade.


    Clang!


    The dark fog and silver-whitish flames interwoven and tore at each other. Celia shook slightly, but she brandished her sword forcefully and it exploded with glaring flames that devoured the massive, pitch-black double-handed longsword. In an instant, countless sparks splattered and the sound of friction screeched as she pushed back the longsword in the Fallen Angel��s hands. The Fallen Angel��s pale, dead complexion twisted under the flame radiance.


    This wasn��t an evenly matched battle. Although the Fallen Angel appeared to be much stronger than Celia and perhaps Celia would have a hard time dealing with her if Rhode didn��t cast the ��Taboo Halo��, the Fallen Angel had suffered from Canary and Mini Bubble Gum��s joint attacks previously and she was lucky to have survived. At this moment, the Fallen Angel was as powerful as a spent force and Mini Bubble Gum had cast ��Imperial Blessing�� on Celia to increase her attack attributes by nearly 50%. Under the circumstances, the Fallen Angel naturally wasn��t Celia��s match.


    The holy powers sliced through the dark fog as though a razor-sharp knife, leaving a myriad of cracks on the longsword blade. The Fallen Angel��s arms eroded and shriveled instantly.


    ��Ahhh!��


    The Fallen Angel didn��t give up. She snarled, pushed her arms forward, and the weakened evil aura blustered into force once again. But she was merely putting up a meaningless struggle in Celia��s eyes. The dark aura pressurized Celia and as it was about to consume her entirely, she flapped her wings and agilely dodged the dangerous longsword. Then, the fiery blade in Celia��s hands erupted.


    Boom!


    The dark fog dispersed.


    The Fallen Angel succumbed to the silver-whitish flames and crashed heavily to the ground from the high altitude. Celia sheathed her sword and gently flapped her wings to descend to the surface.


    ������


    The Fallen Angel opened her eyes. Her thin body trembled weakly and her face distorted to the holy powers that had crushed her soul. This was an omen of death for a Fallen Angel.


    ���� I didn��t expect to see your swordsmanship after so many years�� Celia����


    The Fallen Angel revealed a smile as she gazed at Celia flapping her wings toward her.


    ��I truly miss those days�� Back then, I��ve always admired you. Your swordsmanship is just like you. Sharp, pure, and dazzling. But�� after all, everything has ended�� We��ve been abandoned by Archangel Serene. I know�� that wasn��t her fault, but�� I����


    The Fallen Angel extended her trembling hand.


    ��Celia, do you know? Back then, if I��d chosen to leave with you, perhaps everything would be different. But I chose to stay. I thought that it was the right choice�� But���� she gazed at her shriveled hand, ���� this is the end. I��ve given up on my beliefs. My path����


    The Fallen Angel��s voice became softer and softer. Finally, she closed her eyes and her body dissipated into smoke and dust. Celia gazed quietly before closing her eyes and letting out a sigh. She raised her sword and the smoke fluttered as though they were alive, winding the silver-whitish blade. Holy flames blazed on the blade and enveloped the smoke completely.


    Then, Celia lowered her head.


    ��Rest in peace, my friend.��


    She said softly.

 Chapter 629 - Saint Monastery (X)

    Chapter 629: Saint Monastery (X)


    The journey to the Saint Monastery had come to an end.


    Celia appeared in low spirits. After the battle, she stood blankly on the spot. After a few moments, she returned to Rhode��s side and saluted before transforming back into her card form without leave, which was rarely seen from her. She wasn��t as disobedient as Celestina, but this battle was sufficient to prove the close relationship between her and the Fallen Angel. However, Rhode didn��t pester her for explanations because he knew that she would explain if she wanted to.


    However, now wasn��t the time to discuss about this. Rhode didn��t come all the way to the Saint Monastery just to watch a couple flirt and grind EXP. The most important reason was that the equipment that he valued highly was bound to appear here: the Tear of Asha.


    If the Tear of Asha were to be distinguished accordingly to the game, it would undoubtedly be considered a legendary artifact. Rumor had it that it was a teardrop of gratification from the spent Light Dragon when it saw the radiance of the rising sun that was full of vitality and hope. This teardrop eventually solidified into a beautiful crystal��the Tear of Asha.


    Although it was a powerful equipment, it was also a construction equipment that was basically useless to the ordinary players, which was a pity. In other words, only players who had their own territory or guild would be able to use it to construct the Holy Maiden Statue.


    The Holy Maiden Statue was made up of a massive, transparent crystal. She folded her arms before her chest, closed her eyes, and prayed piously. Its abilities were out-and-out of those legendary artifacts. Within five kilometers of the radius guarded by it, any Undead Creatures would be weakened after entering the range and this even went for those that had entered the Legendary Stage. Even the specters and Vampires who were experts in infiltration would be spotted as soon as they entered the zone. Not only that, but after the Holy Maiden Statue reached a certain level, it would also release holy beams at the Legendary Stage to strike down intruders. It was a legendary artifact that could be used against the Undead Creatures and this was how the Saint Monastery resisted against the Country of Darkness during the Creation War.


    The Tear of Asha was considered a useful artifact. But in fact, it was considered worthless trash in the game by the players.


    The reason was fairly simple. The Holy Maiden Statue was only effective against the Undead Creatures. Besides, even with the Tear of Asha, construction of the Holy Maiden Statue required an astronomical amount of money. From the beginning, several jubilant players cheered after getting their hands on the Tear of Asha because they could sell it to player guilds and overlords. But later on, they slowly realized that even though it was a legendary artifact, it wouldn��t have an effect on anything other than the Undead Creatures. The players needed to defend against other player forces too and the Holy Maiden Statue required at least 300k gold coins and 100 kg of Magic Crystals. It was still the first generation of the game and players were mostly unfunded, where even the player guilds possessing hundreds and thousands of gold coins were considered one of the best. Player guilds had to defend against other player guilds from the Country of Darkness and even though the Vampires, Undead Knights, and Liches couldn��t invade their territories, the player guilds were still able to. If the opposing player guilds sneaked in and shattered the Holy Maiden Statue, wouldn��t it be all for naught? With this huge sum of money, they were better off reinforcing the walls and purchasing more arrows and kerosene, which would have the same effects at a much cheaper price.


    It was due to this that until the end of the first generation and the release of the patches, there were only three player guilds who had built the Holy Maiden Statue on the entire continent. One of the player guilds was Starlight. Even though the Holy Maiden Statue had flaws, its effects against the Undead Creatures were still comparable to a nuclear warhead. As for the money��


    With a pay-to-win player like Mini Bubble Gum in the guild, what was there to fret?


    However, after the Country of Darkness was destroyed, the Holy Maiden Statue basically lost its value. It went from a legendary artifact used to annihilate the Undead Creatures to an expensive decoration used to show off one��s wealth. In the game, several rich players loved to possess such trophies in their territory. Not only did it look beautiful, but it also flaunted how rich one was. That was how degrading the statue had become. Thereafter, no matter if it was the veterans splurging money or newbies grinding for EXP, no one basically could get their hands on the Tear of Asha. Even if they did, it was only used to exchange for some money from the Church.


    Later on, the Tear of Asha also become a symbol to evaluate the players�� standard and qualifications. If there was a player who jumped into the forum or main channel to flaunt that he had found the Tear of Asha, he would surely be deemed as a newbie.


    At this point, the Tear of Asha could be considered one of the most boring and useless legendary artifacts in the history of the Dragon Soul Continent.


    However, Rhode needed it now. Although it was slightly expensive, he had earned quite a lot from selling Lapis��s potions. The minerals that were extracted in the Land of Atonement would be sufficient to construct a Holy Maiden Statue. He planned to construct at least three Holy Maiden Statues before summer next year. If he could do that, the safety of the Fortress would be guaranteed.


    But he had something else to handle before that.


    ��Leader, what do we do with her?��


    Mini Bubble Gum pointed at the unconscious young lady lying on the altar. The young lady emerged after the Fallen Angel faded into dust. It was apparent that the Fallen Angel had used the young lady��s body as a vessel to come to this world and the young lady��s ashen complexion had proven that Celia��s damage onto the Fallen Angel had been inflicted on her. If she weren��t a Human, perhaps she would��ve been dead by now.


    ��Get the others to handle her.��


    Rhode gazed at the unconscious young lady and twitched his brows. He lifted his right hand and the ring on his finger emitted a glaring ray of light that shot into the sky. After a few moments, two fuzzy figures emerged beside the ray of light.


    ��Rhode? What��s wrong?��


    ��Mr. Rhode? Where is this place?��


    Marlene and Lize widened their eyes curiously. As the Guild Leader, Rhode had the capabilities to summon his subordinates using the system whenever he wanted to. It was also due to this that he wasn��t worried about only bringing Canary and Mini Bubble Gum with their ��unfortunate looting hands�� to the Saint Monastery as he knew he could summon Marlene and Lize to this place. No one would say no to free, amazing equipment, isn��t it?


    ��This is the gathering place of the Cultists. Canary and I have just eliminated the creatures here. Marlene, you��re in charge of looting the place and Mini Bubble Gum will stay by your side. Lize, take care of that young lady. Canary and I will take a look inside.


    ��Ah. Alright, Mr. Rhode.��


    Lize blushed as soon as she heard his voice. She hurriedly lowered her head and answered softly while Marlene rolled her eyes before nodding helplessly. She knew about his strange habits. No matter where the battle had taken place, she basically was the one responsible for looting the place. Although this was a sign of trust and honor for the mercenaries, Marlene was born in a noble family, after all. Surely she wouldn��t be glad to dig corpses all day. She was also curious as to why Rhode was so persistent in having her do it. There were so many members in the Guild, so even if Lize and Anne couldn��t do it, weren��t there Canary and Mini Bubble Gum too?


    But as Marlene raised this question to Canary, the latter��s smile stiffened and she patted Marlene��s shoulder.


    ��Marlene. Rhode��s future, the Guild��s future, and our future are all in your hands.��


    Although Marlene didn��t understand what Canary meant by that, she summoned up her courage and stepped forward.


    On the other side, the moist, cold air hits Rhode��s face. Under the radiance of the flames, the heavy doors could be seen to be tightly secured by steel chains. Rhode swung his right arm and a shimmering radiance cut through the steel chains. Then, the doors opened gradually.


    A bright, dazzling crystal emerged before his eyes.


    It was half a meter long in the shape of a teardrop. It was the treasure of this place: the Tear of Asha. This legendary artifact hovered in midair calmly, emanating in luster. Under it was a damaged ritual circle emanating in a faint magical radiance.


    This is what I need.


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief and Canary��s voice rang in his ears.


    ��Will we succeed this time, Rhode?��


    ��Ah����


    Rhode stepped forward and caressed the crystal lightly. Then, he nodded with might.


    ��Of course. We will meet our demise if we don��t succeed.��


    He said in a resolute and decisive tone.

 Chapter 630 - The Power to Change

    Chapter 630: The Power to Change


    Canary gazed at Rhode in silence.


    Although she was merely a phantom from his memories, she was still the one who understood him most. It was due to this that she knew how much determination was in the sentence that he said.


    The nature of players was always selfish.


    After coming to this world, Rhode had always presented a tough and calm image. He was always confident and firm in his decisions before Lize and the others. However, Canary knew that it wasn��t easy for Rhode to make this decision. There wasn��t only one path laid ahead of him. He could��ve chosen to enter the Country of Darkness, a great, developed nation, to search for acknowledgment and not the Munn Kingdom, where he could foresee a tough future in resisting powerful enemies. This wasn��t only about dealing with pressure in the future, but also being wary of conspiracies behind his back. However, the reasons why Rhode had chosen this difficult path wasn��t due to the favorable sense of belonging that he had in the Munn Kingdom or his affections for Lydia. Of course, it was undeniable that these factors had affected a part of Rhode��s decision. But Canary knew that his choices weren��t limited to only this.


    Although there were a lot of choices available, the truth was otherwise. Rhode could have gone to the Country of Darkness, but Humans would only be second or third-grade presences in a nation dominated by Undead Creatures. He wouldn��t have picked to become a slave when there were other choices for him. The Country of Light was never in his list of choices. He would rather commit suicide than join the Country of Light and become an accomplice of the traitors. If Rhode was powerless, he would have no choice but to choose this reality. Just like in reality, if one wasn��t capable enough to stand out, one would become just one of the masses of common people, where one��s life and death had no influences on the society or world. One��s purpose among the billions of people was merely the increase and decrease in the population��s arabic numerals, that��s all.


    It was the same for the Dragon Soul Continent.


    But it was different now. Rhode possessed rich experience and knowledge. His strength was also slowly recovering. So, why must he follow the crowd blindly and only resist when the shadows of destruction were about to descend above him?


    He wished to change everything: the history that had been set in stone. From the start, he had a vague idea, but as time passed, his thoughts had become clearer. From a fuzzy silhouette into a distinct, definite picture.


    And now, the final piece of the puzzle was finally about to fit into place.


    ��Let��s go.��


    After placing the Tear of Asha into his spatial bag, he pondered for a few moments.


    ��We still have many matters to attend to.��


    Marlene truly had a lucky pair of hands. Mini Bubble Gum led her to the hidden treasury and discovered the piles of treasures. The Prayer Suit that Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had been constantly keeping in mind was undoubtedly picked out by Marlene. This set of equipment could be considered decent for mid-level spell-casters. Not only did it come with a small spell-deflection shield, but it also came with three storage spell slots, which allowed spell-casters to store three spells for emergencies. Apart from the Prayer Suit, they had also managed to loot a Ruler Suit and some other decent magical equipment. Although the equipment was unimpressive for Rhode and Canary, they would be good enough for others.


    And the main highlight was next.


    Thereafter, Rhode ransacked the entire monastery. Not only did he pillage the wealth that had been kept hidden in the monastery for millennia, but he also didn��t let off the armor and equipment in the storehouse. The Saint Knights were able to be this powerful because their equipment had been meticulously maintained. Although the armor and equipment had survived thousands of years and had some modifications to their designs, they were still great overall. Judging from their attributes, their value was comparable to level 30 equipment.


    Rhode didn��t touch the armor on the corpses, but he wiped out every single armor and equipment in the storehouse. He thought that he might as well bring them back for his private soldiers without the need to spend any money. After he decided to construct the Holy Maiden Statue, he was determined to live frugally. Even though they had received generous remunerations from constant victories and mission accomplishments, monetary rewards were still limited, after all.


    Rhode had thought about expanding the forces of his private soldiers. Apart from Cavalrymen like John, Infantries and Archers were also necessary for a noble. It could also be said that the Infantries and Archers were necessary to form the main members of his private soldiers. Currently, Rhode only had a team of pathetic Cavalrymen and it wouldn��t be long-term without regular military units like the Infantries and Archers as he needed his private soldiers to protect and defend the safety of his territory. Although the mercenaries of the guild could do the same, the difference in identities between them determined the differences in their positions. Mercenaries worked for money, but private soldiers were devoted to the overlord. Besides, mercenaries were laid-back in handling affairs while the private soldiers were subjected to strict rules and regulations. Moreover, their attitudes and perceptions were entirely different. Previously, Rhode didn��t expand his private soldiers because he didn��t have enough weapons and armor. Since he had gotten his hands on so many good items, it would be a waste to leave them to collect dust in the storehouse.


    Lize and Marlene gawked in disbelief. Rhode, Mini Bubble Gum, and Canary displayed their player characteristics in ransacking the place. Apart from the items that were tainted by evil rituals or overly heavy items that they couldn��t move, every single item from drawings and carpets to armor and weapons were swept into the semi-plane of existence. In other words, anything that wasn��t damaged was snatched away completely. Rhode could use some for himself while others could be sold for money. Even though they wouldn��t worth a lot, it was still better than nothing.


    Rhode��s group took everything away with clear consciences. The Saint Knights had been destroyed and it would be a waste to leave the items behind, so he might as well give them opportunities to shine. On the contrary, Marlene and Lize didn��t know what to say. Mini Bubble Gum and Canary carried the items around and forced everything reflected in their eyes into the semi-plane of existence, which was unimaginable since both of them were formidable presences in the Legendary Stage. If outsiders were to see them in this manner, perhaps they would��ve been treated as victims of disasters or even bandits��


    Fortunately, Canary, as a Mage in the Legendary Stage, was able to summon the semi-plane of existence. If not, it would be too difficult for Rhode to carry all the stuff back himself.


    This was an absolute harvest for Rhode. Not only did he lay his hands on the Tear of Asha, but he had also gotten two magical suits, a legendary weapon (even though no one could use it), 500 fine suits of armor and swords, and wine pots and cups made of silver. He could make a huge profit off them. Besides, this trip to the monastery had brought Rhode to level 50. This went to show that the monastery was indeed the must-go destination to farm EXP and equipment for all players. The only pity for Rhode was that he couldn��t grind this map repeatedly. If not, he would��ve stayed here for another two weeks and transcend into the Legendary Stage��


    After ensuring that nothing was overlooked, Rhode got Canary to clean this lifeless place up by lighting it into flames. From here on out, the Saint Monastery no longer existed in Grenbell.


    Rhode��s group returned to the Fortress quickly through the extremely convenient Teleportation Door. No matter where they were located on the continent, it would only take a blink of an eye to return to the Fortress. They threw everything from the semi-plane of existence to the Fortress and started dividing the ill-gotten gains�� Hmm, why did it sound so strange?


    Other than handing out the spell-caster suits to Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, Rhode distributed 50 suits of armor to his mercenaries. Even though recruiting manpower was important, it was still necessary to have trusted aides by his side. Fortunately, there were many soldiers who were discharged from their military service due to various reasons in the Guild and Rhode intended to pick 50 of them who were loyal and devoted to him, promoting them as his private soldiers. This was also considered as laying the foundation for future recruited members. Of course, the mark of the Saint Knights must be removed from the armor first.


    But nothing could surpass the importance of the Tear of Asha.

 Chapter 631 - Tear of Asha

    Chapter 631: Tear of Asha


    [Tear of Asha (Legendary Artifact)]


    [Buildable �� Holy Maiden Statue]


    [Requirement: Guild Fortress / Territorial level above the middle level]


    [Consumption: 300k Gold Coins. 100 kg of Magic Crystals]


    Rhode twitched his brows. The requirement of 300k gold coins was tough for him. Although he had received a lot of money from the Midsummer Festival, Paphield Battle, and the 5 Star Missions, the money had come and gone too quickly. Constructing the Fortress almost wiped out all his savings. Even though he had received some money in exchange for building the Fortress, the money was invested in the training of the Cavalrymen, establishing his private soldiers, and paying the mercenaries�� salaries. The operations of the guild had been especially rough for him as other guilds received income from their backings. However, in order to remain independent, Rhode had chosen to maintain the livelihood of the guild himself. Currently, his income was made up from the contributions of the merchants working in the Fortress, profit-sharing from the mine extraction, and sale of Lapis��s alchemy potions. It could also be said that Lapis was one of the crucial supporters of Starlight. Due to enhancements from an Alchemist Master, her potions had exceptional effects and were relatively popular in Paphield and nearby regions. During auctions, the various potions put on sale by Starlight often sold for high prices and this had become a major financial backing for the guild. In other words, without Lapis, perhaps Starlight would have a tough time operating smoothly.


    Even though Lydia had conferred Rhode a territory, bluntly speaking, since there wasn��t anyone residing in Grenbell, this trip to the monastery would probably result in more profit than if he had raked Grenbell for 10 years.


    And now, Rhode��s guild probably wouldn��t receive too much financial support even in the foreseeable future. This was also the reason why he had been thrifty. According to Marlene��s report, he had no more than 500k gold coins and this amount included all the wealth rummaged from the monastery. Although there was an agreement with the Silver Libra Trade Association to receive free Magic Crystals for support, Rhode was still helpless in terms of finances.


    Rhode puckered his brows.


    He wasn��t actually left without a choice, as the Senia Family was wealthy by the millions. If he sought assistance from her, he could receive five million gold coins in a snap of fingers. However, he wouldn��t do that and it wasn��t due to embarrassment. In the game, Rhode was righteous in using Mini Bubble Gum��s money and he wasn��t upset that players had accused him of living off a woman. However, it was different back then. Mini Bubble Gum��s money came from her and if there were any disputes or opinions over the fundings, it was a problem between Rhode and her. But unlike the large families, even if Marlene and her father were willing to support him, the funding ultimately belonged to the family. Even if Marlene didn��t mind, the Senia Family members might pressure her over the issue and make it difficult for her. The power disputes and conflicts of interests in large families were complicated and Rhode didn��t wish to get involved before settling his other issues.


    Moreover, Rhode had a doubtful attitude toward the Senia Family.


    Rhode knew that the Senia Family definitely admired him and the situation wasn��t simple. It could be seen from the fact that Marlene continued to stay by his side after the internal battle. If Marlene was considered to be learning through experience in the past, it should have ended by now no matter what. However, she returned to him and stayed as his adjutant instead. Although he had become an overlord, his identity wasn��t as grand as Marlene��s.


    So then, what is the Senia Family plotting?


    Rhode decided to keep a distance from the Senia Family before fully understanding their intentions. His relationship with Marlene was private. However, the Senia Family was a massive noble presence and there were no interpersonal sentiments involved. If he came into contact with the Senia Family like how he did with Marlene, he would surely get into huge trouble. And he wasn��t keen on masochism.


    Knock knock knock.


    Agatha��s apathetic voice sounded from behind the door.


    ��Master, Chairman Matt is here.��


    ��Let him in.��


    Rhode switched off the system prompts running before his eyes. Then, he folded his arms, leaned back into the chair and answered to the calling. Shortly after, the door opened and a fat merchant greeted with a warm, passionate smile. He bowed respectfully to Rhode.


    ��Long time no see, Mr. Rhode�� Aiya. Wrong. Should I call you Sir Overlord instead?��


    ��Sticking to the same will do, Mr. Matt.��


    Rhode nodded and beckoned to Matt for a seat. Agatha drifted forward and poured a cup of tea for the guest before leaving quietly. Matt shifted his gaze from the strange-looking Ocean Elf and revealed an awkward smile after she left the room.


    ��I��ve brought what you wanted, Mr. Rhode. Two chariots of Magic Crystals. I think it will be sufficient for your usage, but�� this is really unexpected.��


    Matt gazed at the young man and sighed as he shook his head.


    It was the start of spring when that incident happened. Matt discovered and rescued this unconscious young man in the mountainous forest. However, he didn��t expect that this young man would save his life in return, escorting him out of the dangerous forest. Not only that, but this young man also turned a lowly mercenary group that was about to be disbanded into a dominating guild. Even now, he had received the title of a noble and become an overlord.


    Everything happened in half a year��s time��


    Matt was deeply moved as he gazed at Rhode. It was all thanks to this young man that his Silver Libra Trade Association had reached this impressive scale. After the previous incident, the Silver Libra Trade Association had met with grave dangers and recovered thereafter. However, his trade association had been struggling and he had even considered selling it and returning to his hometown to live in a manor for the rest of his life. But he eventually gritted his teeth and chose to work with Rhode.


    And now, Matt had tasted the fruits of labor from working with Rhode. The abundance of minerals in the Land of Atonement and the alchemy potion business handed over to him to manage allowed his trade association to make a huge fortune! Matt had never expected that Rhode was capable of producing that many alchemy potions. Besides, Alchemist Apprentices weren��t capable of making such potions. Every veterans would lift their thumbs after looking at the contents and quality of the potions and purchase them with high prices. It was due to this that the influence of Matt��s trade association was spreading in the surrounding regions. There were many nobles that Matt couldn��t even meet before, but now, they greeted him amiably and hoped that he could assist them in selling their alchemy potions��


    This was a feeling that Matt had never felt before and he decided to keep a close relationship with Rhode. He eagerly provided the supplies as soon as Rhode asked for two chariots of Magic Crystals. However, he was still rather curious.


    ��But, Mr. Rhode, what do you need that many Magic Crystals for?��


    ��This����


    Rhode twitched his brows. Then, a glint flashed in his eyes.


    ���� Now isn��t the time to talk about this, Mr. Matt. I��m sure you will see it with your own eyes soon.��


    The night darkened.


    The pitch-black, dense night curtain had enveloped the entire sky. Rhode stood by the balcony and gazed at his majestic Fortress. Apart from the faint flames flickering, the entire Fortress was in complete stillness. It was midnight and everything had fallen asleep. This was the best opportunity for Rhode.


    ��Are you ready, Leader?��


    Mini Bubble Gum and Canary stood behind him and looked with anticipation. Rhode nodded slightly and extended his arm forward. A massive beautiful crystal emerged and hovered in midair, emanating a gentle radiance. Then, a system prompt emerged before him.


    [Detected the Tear of Asha�� Activated�� Buildable. Holy Maiden Statue. Confirm to build?]


    Confirm.


    Rhode answered inwardly. The Tear of Asha dazzled and glass-like thin threads dispersed and spiraled to the center of the Fortress. Then, the threads abruptly came to an abrupt halt as though they had frozen into ice. A hazy 20 meters tall white figure emerged under a shimmering light shining from above like the cloth over an artistic artifact had been dragged out, displaying its true self before everyone. As the white figure emerged, the Tear of Asha shone increasingly brighter.


    ����!��


    A crisp, deep boom spread across the continent and the cooling breeze hit Rhode comfortably in his face. In an instant, the fatigue on him had as though been washed away. A warm, white barrier of light emerged over them and extended over the Fortress before vanishing entirely.


    Rhode gazed forward. A towering, spotlessly white statue of a young lady had been erected in the middle of the Fortress. Her eyes were shut and arms were folded before her chest. She lifted her chin as though praying to the heaven.


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief.


    It worked.

 Chapter 632 - Winter is Coming

    Chapter 632: Winter is Coming


    It wasn��t hard to imagine how the residents of the Fortress would react as soon as they spotted the majestic and glorious crystal statue. They wouldn��t have imagined how this beautiful statue had emerged on the empty plaza overnight. Such a situation would only happen in their wildest dreams and they were astounded. Word spread that the first few people who saw the statue were scared witless, rushing about to seek assistance from the mercenaries. However, the mercenaries were equally astonished as soon as they spotted the statue. Within 30 minutes, news regarding the statue had spread to every corner of the Fortress. Then, the crowd finally calmed down after Marlene represented the Guild and announced that the statue was built by them. But it was also due to this that the crowd was even more in shock.


    No one in the Fortress knew that Rhode took only half a day to build the Fortress back then because, even though it was a proud achievement for Starlight, not everyone believed in such rumors and even the mercenaries felt it was absurd. After all, there was only a small group of mercenaries that followed Rhode to clean up the Land of Atonement and most of them didn��t witness how the Fortress was built. This was also nothing surprising as they didn��t believe the rumors.


    But this time, after witnessing such a miraculous scene, the mercenaries changed their opinions entirely. After living in the Fortress for such a long time, they were sure that there was nothing in the plaza the day before. But now, a 20 meters tall crystal statue carved with elegant patterns at the bottom had merged as one with the heavy marble floor and was erected on the plaza. It looked as though it had been there all these while and no one realized it.


    But that was impossible.


    Marlene didn��t explain much, but almost everyone knew that it was Rhode��s doing.


    How did he do it?


    In just a night and without even hearing any sounds of construction, they unbelievably discovered this statue the second day. Things that appeared in exaggerated myths and legends had just happened to them. They felt amazed and revered Rhode even more.


    Rhode had always been a mysterious and solemn presence in the hearts of the mercenaries. However, as he was just a young man. It was inevitable that the mercenaries were rather scornful against him. In fact, such emotions had been around in Starlight and not every mercenary accepted him. Most of them joined the guild because they valued its potential and strength��not because they thought highly of Rhode. Most of them with such mindsets were newcomers. They had strength, potential, and ambitious. However, as far as Rhode was concerned, their respect were merely superficial.


    As for Shauna, Joey, and Randolf, who had been following Rhode from the start, they had witnessed him achieving unimaginable things time and time again. Therefore, they were devoted to him from the bottom of their hearts and understood his terrifying points and strength. These ��veterans�� were naturally unhappy when they noticed the disrespect of the egotistical newcomers who lacked respect for Rhode. On the other hand, the newcomers felt that the veterans�� descriptions of Rhode were over exaggerated. Although they admitted that this young man was indeed powerful, the myths and legends about him were just too unbelievable. Therefore, many of them thought that the veterans were making up stories to frighten them.


    Look at the massive size of this Fortress that��s almost as big as half a city. Do you think we��re fools who would believe that it was built in less than a day?


    But now, their thoughts wavered.


    Because they couldn��t find any reason to explain it. This had happened right before them. They didn��t hear anything over the night, but this statue actually emerged before them!


    Could it be that what the veterans said were true?


    This thought cropped up in their heads and sent a shiver down their spines. Oh, Lord. If this is true, what can he not do? The proud and arrogant mercenaries turned humble instantly. If what the veterans said was the truth, then they couldn��t being this naive anymore, since they heard that the young Sir had a bad temper.


    Rhode hadn��t expected that this Holy Maiden Statue would help him strengthen his reputation and position in the guild. However, he didn��t have the time to handle these things now. Although most of the matters were handled by Marlene before they returned, there were many important issues that required Rhode��s nod of approval.


    The problem regarding the Alchemist Association��after dragging on for half a month, the Alchemist Association had finally obliged to his request and sent the alchemy materials he requested over. Rhode kept his promise and had gotten Lapis to concoct the antidote and also hand over that idiot Thomas who led the team of Alchemists to stir trouble in his Fortress. However, that pitiful guy had gone insane in the dark cell and the precious genius from the Alchemist Association was nowhere to be seen anymore.


    Things were looking good for Lapis too. At the start, the Alchemist Apprentices who Marlene had brought back were contemptuous of Lapis because she was younger than them. However, after Lapis displayed her impressive Alchemist Master��s knowledge and skills, the Alchemist Apprentices grew humble and worked wholeheartedly for her. As a group of close friends who Marlene had trusted, their moral conduct was rather decent. This was why they got along well with Lapis. With their help, Lapis didn��t have as much pressure on her shoulders and she didn��t need to handle everything on her own.


    Apart from that, Rhode had received another news. The young lady who they had rescued from the monastery had regained consciousness.


    ���� Argh����


    The young lady opened her eyes and squinted at the glaring sunlight spilling through the window. She knitted her brows and tremendous pain from her limbs engulfed her entirety as though her blood vessels were pumped with lava. She groaned instinctively.


    The tall ceiling came into view. The white bedsheets and curtains fluttered from the cooling breeze blowing through the clear windows.


    ��This is����


    The young lady looked out of the window at the azure sky. The warm sunlight and crisp, greenish leaves were filled with vitality. At this moment, she recalled everything that had happened. Yes, she was kidnapped and dragged to a terrifying place full of horrifying adults. They locked her up and tried to make her��


    ����!��


    The young lady sat up abruptly, but severe pain all over her body forced her back to the bed. At this moment, a gentle voice sounded beside her.


    ���� I think�� you��re better off not moving about����


    ��Eh?��


    She turned around and saw a young girl sitting by her bed and gazing at her worriedly. The latter revealed a gentle and glad smile.


    ���� You��re finally awake����


    ��Who are you? Where is this place����


    The young lady asked curiously to the petite, slim young girl. The young girl stood up with a smile.


    ��My name is Christie�� This is�� Rhode��s Fortress�� Don��t worry, nobody�� will hurt you here����


    The young lady felt assured perhaps due to Christie��s gentle voice and after she realized that the situation wasn��t as bad as she had imagined. She leaned on the bedhead and gazed curiously at everything. Indeed. She realized that the room was unlike the ice-cold, filthy cell from before. Although it wasn��t beautifully decorated, it was still warm and cozy enough to calm her frantic mind. Could it be that I��m no longer in the terrifying place? But how did I escape?


    As the young lady��s mind was in a mess, someone knocked on the door. Then, a young man in noble attire entered.


    ���� Rhode����


    Christie scuttled into his embrace. The young lady widened her eyes in astonishment at the little girl who darted off and shifted her gaze to the black-haired young man. After all, they looked exactly the same apart from the obvious age difference. Could it be that this young man was her older brother?


    ��Hi there, Miss.��


    Rhode caressed Christie��s long hair and nodded to the young lady.


    ��I��m Rhode Alander, the overlord of Grenbell and guild leader of Starlight. May I ask for you name?��


    ��My�� name is Ann.��


    Although the young lady tensed up to the young man��s poker face, she responded quickly.


    ��H-Hi there, Sir. My name is Ann Clark.��


    ��Hi, Miss Clark.��


    Rhode pondered for a moment before continuing.


    ��I know you must have a lot of questions on your mind. But before that, I hope to understand exactly what happened to you. Do you still remember? Can you tell me about it?��


    ��S-Sure����


    Although Ann was rather hesitant, she nodded eventually. The entire situation started a few days ago. Back then, she was out on the streets shopping with her companions, but bandits targeted her, knocked her out, and brought her back to their filthy nest. At the start, Ann thought that they had kidnapped her in exchange for her father��s wealth, but she quickly realized that the truth was otherwise because the bandits brought her out of Kohl City and to a relatively remote mountainous forest. They handed her over to a group of strange, terrifying men clad in armor. What happened afterward left her stunned. Not only did those men murder the bandits who had kidnapped her, but they also brought her to a fearful place in the deep mountains and locked her up in the cell. Ann learned that she was about to be sacrificed to a frightening monster as an offering. Although she had thought of all ways, she wasn��t able to break free and escape. She stayed in the ice-cold, damp cell, fearing the passing of everyday in despair. Finally, the door to her cell opened and a nun donned in scarlet robe led a group of terrifying men in and told her that the ritual was starting. Ann struggled with all her might, but was quickly knocked out by someone�� She couldn��t recall what happened afterward.


    Rhode gazed at her in silence, which pressured her tremendously. But she tried her best in explaining her predicament, to which Rhode nodded. Then, Rhode recalled the brief interlude that they had experienced before arriving at the Saint Monastery. Could she be the one that the little rascal who quarreled with Mini Bubble Gum was trying to find?


    But they wouldn��t have been successful as they were a group of mercenaries less than level 20 challenging a level 60 dungeon. It was no wonder that players often spotted mercenary corpses in that dungeon��


    Rhode gave a simple explanation to the situation to Ann. Of course, he didn��t tell her the entire truth. He mentioned that he was the overlord of Grenbell and heard about a group of Cultists roaming in the mountains, which led him to leading his men and resolving the problem. During the process, he discovered her on the altar and brought her back thereafter.


    ��I understand your feelings, Miss Clark. You��ve just woken up and haven��t fully recovered yet. You can rest for a while here and I will get my men to notify your esteemed father. When your body has fully recovered, I will get my men to send you home. Is this arrangement fine?��


    ��Yes, Sir Overlord.��


    The burden on Ann��s shoulders was gone and she hurriedly revealed a smile. Rhode nodded in satisfaction, but his expression remain unchanged.


    ��Alright then, please have a rest. I will leave Christie here to accompany you. Let her know if you��ve any needs. I��ll get going now.��


    ��Ah����


    Anne looked vacantly at Rhode��s back. Although they had only met for a few minutes, Rhode left a deep impression on her. He was an ideal gentleman to a young lady who had just escaped death. He was gentle, urbane, and considerate of females. The only flaw was perhaps his lack of smiles��


    However, Rhode wasn��t concerned about others�� opinion. Winter was approaching and there was something more important for him.


    The Winter Ceremony organized by the Mercenary Association.


    On the Dragon Soul Continent, winter was the hibernation phase for all living things and the resting days for mercenaries who had been busy all year around. Due to the harsh conditions of winter, accidents often happened, which was why most mercenaries wouldn��t take on risky missions that required them to venture into the deep mountains or forests. Instead, they would take a break for one to two months and continue their missions after enduring the cold climate. The Mercenary Association would use this chance to evaluate various regional Guilds and decide their rankings. Unqualified guilds that didn��t accomplish the required missions would be demoted back into mercenary groups while outstanding mercenary groups would be promoted to guild status.


    Previously, the Burning Blade mercenary group had always been promoted and demoted in the Winter Ceremony and the mercenaries in the Paphield region didn��t dare lift their heads proudly. It was until Rhode��s Starlight rose to a powerful position that the Paphield region had finally stabilized. And this time, Rhode had also led his mercenaries to outstanding accomplishments of two 5 Star Missions and he wasn��t worried that his guild would be disbanded like the Burning Blades. However, he also knew that the Winter Ceremony was extraordinarily important.


    Because he had heard a lot of rumors that were unfavorable to his guild.

 Chapter 633 - Three Big Shots

    Chapter 633: Three Big Shots


    There was a saying among the mercenaries when Rhode was conferred a feudal rank by Lydia that his noble identity would be an excellent shield for his guild. The restrictions of manpower in a guild was limited to 800 members, but Rhode��s feudal rank had given him the rights to another 2000 private soldiers. If there were any conflicts with other guilds or mercenary groups in the future, would they be facing Rhode��s mercenaries or his private soldiers?


    The former would be easier for them since they were mercenaries. However, it would be different if they faced the latter. Mercenaries didn��t have the background of nobles and the mercenaries would be unable to bear the consequences of failure if they despised the nobles. When that happened, what would the mercenaries do if Rhode used the chance to expand his forces? Rebel? Or cooperate?


    From the start, this was nothing more than random concerns. However, after Rhode became the overlord of Grenbell, such voices of concern became louder. As an overlord, he could basically have as many private soldiers as he wanted as long as he didn��t cause dissatisfaction to the Royal Family. It was due to this that the criticism and worries revolving him had gotten much stronger among the mercenaries. They were concerned that his forces would expand so quickly that he would suppress all other mercenary groups. Besides, his identity as a noble wasn��t well-received by the mercenaries. Moreover, there was still a problem bugging their mind��Starlight belonging to Paphield. But now, he had become the overlord of Grenbell and looking at it this way, did Rhode having both mercenary forces in Grenbell and Paphield comply with the rules of the Mercenary Association?


    Rhode knew that there was a name given to him by the outsiders��Mercenary Overlord.


    However, this term of address wasn��t a good one. Normally, nobles and mercenaries didn��t have a favorable relationship with each other. The nobles believed that they had higher status and becoming a mercenary would be demeaning. Previously, Marlene often faced disapproval from her family whenever she left home and learned through experience. However, she was determined and didn��t receive any official feudal rank and identity. Therefore, it wasn��t beyond reasonable limits. But Rhode was different. He had the official identity of an overlord and still had to lead a team of mercenaries to complete missions all around the continent. How ridiculous would that sound.


    Not to mention, mercenaries were born with a lack of favorable impressions of the nobles. They believed the nobles were devious, crafty, and only took advantage of others. It went without saying that the noble identity of the overlord was naturally unpopular among the mercenaries.


    There were also rumors that several mercenary group leaders had joined hands and requested the Mercenary Association to disqualify Rhode��s guild. This was because he had already become a noble, was no longer the working class, which was deeply ingrained in a long-standing resentment, and had no rights to own a guild. Besides, they felt that if they didn��t restrict him, Rhode��s forces would overpower everyone one day.


    And they were right about that.


    Those were Rhode��s intentions.


    Although it sounded strange for others to manage a guild and territory at the same time, Rhode didn��t feel anything wrong about it because many players had done so in the game. They established a guild and gathered sufficient strength, equipment, and EXP before opening up land and receiving the rights to the territory. Then, everyone treated it as normal for guild leaders to expand their forces toward the territorial rights.


    Although Rhode realized the differences in educational level between reality and game and that he couldn��t imitate everything that he had done in the game, this didn��t mean that he would just give up on the guild. Even though the right of being an overlord was much more important than being a guild leader and it was pointless for him to hang onto the guild, Rhode knew clearly that both were great on their own.


    In a territory, mercenaries were much more popular than the town guards because the guards�� main duties were to guarantee the stability of the land and they wouldn��t abandon their duties to penetrate into the deep forest to search for a civilian��s lost kin. If a group of bandits ambushed the towns, the guards wouldn��t protect civilians vigilantly due to a lack of manpower. So, who would be responsible for the damage?


    This was the difference between duties and identities. The guards�� main duty was to safeguard the town, not to search for missing people in the mountains and plains. The mercenaries were the experts in that, and so they were well liked by the civilians.


    But now, Rhode intended to set up his private soldiers to defend the land and maintain safety while the guild would carry the responsibilities of ��serving the people��. Of course, they would get paid doing that.


    In the Land of Atonement, Rhode��s thoughts had relatively been put into practice when he led the elites in his guild to carry out the 5 Star Missions. The other mercenaries in the guild didn��t sit by idly either. They formed small groups and accepted simpler missions like searching for missing kin in the forest and escorting the merchants. The mercenaries were relieved with Rhode��s background as an overlord in Starlight. After all, even though mercenaries disliked the nobles, ordinary civilians and merchants treated the mercenaries as crude, barbaric, and unreasonable. Currently, since the guild leader of Starlight was a noble��that person should be a reasonable and trustworthy person. At the very least, they didn��t need to worry that the members of Starlight would turn into traitors and seek riches and annihilate them�� This was the main concern of many merchants when hiring mercenaries.


    In order to maintain ��peace and harmony�� in his territory, mercenaries were a necessity. If Rhode abandoned his guild and troubles arose among the mercenaries, he would be treated as an intimidator. Therefore, he might as well keep the guild under his control and it would be easier for him to learn of any slightest signs of disturbance. Besides, there would also be unexpected surprises�� when gathering forces.


    So, Rhode had decided that Starlight would develop alongside wherever his territory had expanded to.


    This was also what the other mercenary groups were worried about.


    But now, it was tough for the Mercenary Association to change this rule.


    Rhode was the only mercenary who had a noble identity. If the Mercenary Association changed the rules, it would undoubtedly be announcing to everyone that they were going against Rhode. It would still be fine if Rhode was weak and gullible, but the Mercenary Association wouldn��t commit the same mistake as the Alchemist Association. Besides, there was another lethal point��Royal Highness Lydia��s standpoint on this.


    After settling the chaotic battle in the South, Lydia was discontent with several mercenaries who had participated in the rebellion. She had even formally warned the Mercenary Association to constrain the mercenaries under them and not do anything that was ��above their identities��. The Mercenary Association was undoubtedly frightened. After discussing over it with the Royal Family, the Mercenary Association had no choice but to cooperate. Thereafter, the Munn Kingdom would temporarily not adopt the methods they had been using to evaluate and promote mercenary groups into guilds. Instead, the Purple Lily Guild, Cole Falcon Guild, and Starlight Guild would share the management rights of all mercenary groups in Munn Kingdom. This also meant that the three big shot guilds in the Munn Kingdom would take shape!


    Under such circumstances, Rhode��s expansion of forces would also be a matter of course and the Mercenary Association had no way of stopping him.


    But even so, Rhode had to personally express his opinion to make the idiots understand this point. They would pay a huge price if they went against him!


    But this wasn��t his only purpose in participating in the Winter Ceremony.


    When the first layer of snow slowly descended, the chariot Rhode was on had just arrived at the entrance of the Munn Mercenary Association HQ, located in Sphinx City. Unlike the low-key Mercenary Association in Deep Stone City, the building in Sphinx City was much more massive and prestigious. It was the day before the Winter Ceremony, and countless mercenaries entered and exited the building. Rhode��s arrival had captured their full attention.


    Rhode wore his black noble attire, which had become his signature style. However, there wasn��t a sword hanging by his waist. Instead, he held a small bag in his hands. Under everyone��s gazes, he entered through the entrance and spotted Viktor and Barter chatting in the hall. They turned around and saw Rhode too.


    ��Hi there, Sir Rhode. Long time no see.��


    Viktor displayed an elegant smile and bowed slightly. Meanwhile, Barter burst into laughter and waved his big, strong arm at Rhode.


    ��Yo, Kid. Long time no see. Seems like you��re doing well!��


    ��Hi there, Mr. Viktor. Mr. Barter.��


    Rhode nodded in response. Then, he stepped forward and�� revealed a heartwarming smile, exchanging handshakes with Barter.


    ��Long time no see, Mr. Barter. I hope you still remember our bet.��


    He said in a resolute and decisive tone.

 Chapter 634 - A True Man Admits Defeat!

    Chapter 634: A True Man Admits Defeat!


    Viktor couldn��t restrain his strong urge to smile as he turned to Barter. The latter revealed a rare look of dismay and scratched his head dubiously. Then, he sprung his eyes open and nodded with might.


    ��Oh, yea yea yea! That��s right, Kid. Hahaha. I��ve forgotten about it�� That was after the Midsummer Festival, eh? Don��t worry, I always keep my promise.��


    ��Yes, Mr. Barter.��


    Rhode maintained the pretentious, passionate smile on his face.


    ��Just as I��ve thought. Seems like you��re a true man who keeps to his promise. So then, please accept this and I look forward to seeing you during the Winter Ceremony.��


    Rhode passed the small bag to Barter and the latter took it over with a puzzled look. Barter tossed the bag between his hands and when he looked down, Rhode had taken half a step back and bowed slightly.


    ��Alright then, I have to report to the association. See you guys at the Winter Ceremony.��


    Rhode entered the passage without turning back and disappeared into the corner. The duo exchanged gazes and Barter shrugged, letting out a long sigh.


    ��Never did I expect him�� to succeed.��


    ��That��s right. I thought so too.��


    Viktor nodded in agreement. Frankly speaking, even though Rhode��s Starlight had been promoted to a guild after the Midsummer Festival, Viktor and Barter wasn��t that optimistic because according to the Mercenary Association, a guild had to accomplish at least two 5 Star Missions in a year and the missions were usually extremely challenging. It wasn��t strange that Barter and Viktor were confident in their guilds. Even though they had focused all their time preparing for the Midsummer Festival and didn��t have much time for the 5 Star Missions, they, as experienced and veteran guild leaders, had begun the search for the two 5 Star Missions as soon as they completed the 5 Star Missions of the previous year. Therefore, they weren��t fully unprepared and to them, Rhode was the one who wasn��t ready. His mercenary group had just been promoted to a guild and he was slapped with this tough task. Moreover, Starlight was known for their lack of manpower. Honestly speaking, they did see some hope in Rhode after many mercenaries yearned to join Starlight, but Rhode��s strict recruitment requirements made their jaws drop. Although the mercenaries�� level of strength were all over the place, they would still be useful no matter what since they were mercenaries. If Rhode recruited the maximum of 800 mercenaries, he wouldn��t face any problems in tackling the two 5 Star Missions. But his actions had taken them by surprise, where less than 500 mercenaries were eventually recruited into Starlight. That was incomparable to the Purple Lily and Cole Falcon Guilds. Although the duo understood Rhode��s ��quality over quantity�� mindset, they believed that one must still bow down to reality. Indeed, some mercenaries might not be strong enough to be efficient, but they were still obedient, nonetheless, and were willing to contribute for the guild. Wasn��t this a sufficient reason to have them around?


    It was due to this that they weren��t optimistic about Starlight. Rhode had to gather that many mercenaries in a short period and also accomplish two 5 Star Missions. Moreover, Rhode didn��t start preparing as they did a year ago and it would be a miracle if he managed to accomplish the missions!


    Then�� a miracle happened.


    Not only did Rhode complete the missions, but he was also the fastest among the three guilds to complete them. According to internal news, Rhode didn��t send out a massive army like Barter and Viktor for the missions. Instead, the total number of mercenaries involved were less than 100 for both missions. Got to say, Barter and Viktor were astounded when they heard about this news. They couldn��t imagine how Rhode had accomplished this feat, with the limited manpower too.


    But now, he actually did it.


    Barter and Viktor had also heard about the rumors spreading in the Mercenary Association, but they weren��t concerned because the three guilds had their personal fiefs and Rhode��s situation wouldn��t affect them no matter how overpowering he was. Besides, they were also opposed to those views for the sake of their own benefit. Although it was an exception that Rhode was conferred the feudal rank by Lydia, the Cole Falcon Guild and Purple Lily Guild were still loyal to the King��s Party. Besides, in the process of stopping the armed rebellion, their mercenaries had provided the King��s Party with useful intelligence. Therefore, perhaps they might also receive the same honor from Lydia one day, which was why they wouldn��t be that foolish to support the voices of objections. After all, no one would complain that one had too much authority in their hands. If they supported the Mercenary Association in stripping Rhode of his mercenary title, wouldn��t they face the same fate in future too?


    But��


    ��Barter, do you really still remember the bet?��


    Viktor said, sizing Barter up with playful eyes to see if the latter was feigning his calmness. Barter scratched his head.


    ��Of course. I agreed to give him one of the commercial channels within my territory if he won. It isn��t anything much, so what��s there to talk about?��


    ���� Sigh����


    Viktor let out a long, helpless sigh. Then, he patted on Barter��s shoulder.


    ��My friend, seems like your memories are failing you day by day. You should find a successor for Purple Lily soon.��


    ��Why?��


    Barter was at a loss. Viktor didn��t explain further as he patted once again on Barter��s shoulder and pointed to the bag that appeared seemingly tiny in his huge hands.


    ��You will understand when you look into that. Hahaha. Barter, you said that you��d always keep to your promise and it��s too late to go back on your words now. So�� I shall take my leave and I look forward to a good showing by you.��


    ���� What gives?��


    Barter gazed at Viktor��s departure dubiously. He murmured under his breath and opened the bag.


    ��Aaaah��!��


    As though a gigantic bear bellowing, the bustling hall of the Mercenary Association fell into silence abruptly. The crowd turned to the tall man in the corner, but Barter was uninterested in their curious gazes. He gritted his teeth while staring at the contents of the bag palely.


    ��That little bastard��!��


    Rhode didn��t hear Barter��s snarl and perhaps he would laugh it off even if he had heard it. Barter was the one who asked for it, so who could he blame�� Rhode decided to teach this man a lesson from the start of the Midsummer Festival. He beat his brains out to come up with this gift which he hoped Barter would love. Rhode had been looking forward to this moment for a long time.


    Rhode leaned languidly by the window frame and gazed at the clean, white world outside the window. Early winter snow fluttered in the chilly breeze while the warm fireplace indoors formed a layer of thin white fog on the glass.


    This reminded him of the conversation he had with the Mercenary Association Chairman, Lauren.


    Chairman Lauren appeared much more haggard than when he was in the Midsummer Festival. As Rhode had expected, Chairman Lauren expressed concern about Rhode��s identity. According to him, this was the craze among the internal department of the Mercenary Association. However, the situation was unique, after all. In normal circumstances, mercenaries were always under the administration of the Mercenary Association. However, they were pressured by Royal Highness Lydia. It could also be said that from today onward, the Mercenary Association in the Munn Kingdom would be under the control of the three guilds and the Mercenary Association would exist only to run errands and pass messages.


    Rhode wasn��t concerned about the future of the Mercenary Association. After the conversation, he had clearly expressed his stand that he wouldn��t give up his identity as a mercenary or his guild because it wasn��t part of the rules. But he had given Chairman Lauren a way out of the predicament. In exchange for maintaining his identity, Rhode expressed that he wouldn��t intervene with the management of southern mercenary groups and would hand over the forces to the Purple Lily and Cole Falcon Guilds. He knew the hostile view Southern mercenaries held toward him and he didn��t want to manage a group of guys who harbored hard feelings against him. Although the expansion of forces was naturally a great thing for ordinary guilds, it wasn��t enough to satisfy Rhode anymore.


    Lauren had no reasons to object to his suggestion because he knew that this young man was at the peak of his powers in the Munn Kingdom. Even though Lauren was the Mercenary Association Chairman, he found it hard to lift his head before the young man even without these troubles. He was worried that Rhode would demand for his share of the loot of the southern mercenary groups. Since Rhode wasn��t interested in that, Lauren would gladly agree to his request. Besides, the mercenaries weren��t able to find any excuses to object Rhode anymore.


    How boring.


    Rhode threw the annoying matters to the back of his head. He had received some unfavorable news from Gillian regarding the development of the ��Skynet Plan��. Although Rhode had gotten Matt��s help, the latter was only a regional merchant and his trade association hadn��t expanded to a massive scale yet. But this was fine too. Even though it would be rather tough to carry out this plan, it would lower others�� vigilance, which was fortunate for Rhode�� At least no one would suspect this plan immediately.


    But�� Rhode was most concerned about another matter.


    He extended his hand and a spotlessly white card emerged on his palm.

 Chapter 635 - Genuine Menfolk

    Chapter 635: Genuine Menfolk


    Holy Sword��Star Mark.


    The card spun above Rhode��s palm. He shut his eyes and the quiet room had as though vanished into nothingness. The warm fireplace drifted away and an ice-cold breeze blew in its place. A collision of weapons could be heard from the distance and it slowly became louder and clearer to his ears. The solid ground beneath his feet turned into muddy water while the air was filled with the putrid smell of sulfur and blood��


    Clink!


    Rhode opened his eyes wide. The illusion around him disappeared abruptly. The cold touch of the solid, flat ground beneath his feet returned and the crackling firewood engulfed him in warmth once again. The sky gradually darkened and the snowfall became heavier.


    I failed again.


    Rhode shrugged and gazed helplessly at the card in his hand. Shortly after, the flawlessly white card vanished from his palm. He was currently level 50, but the system didn��t reward him with any special rewards. In the game, a level 50 character wasn��t worth any celebration because it was in the middle of nowhere. A level 40 and 60 player could transcend into the next stage while the level 50 was in an awkward position even for various dungeons. In the game, level 30, 50, and 70 were the tougher hurdles to cross because not only were there significantly fewer dungeons in the range of these levels, they were also uninteresting. In terms of strength enhancement, although level 50 was stronger than the Master Stage, it was still weaker than the Legendary Stage. All Rhode received was 10 Skill Points and nothing else.


    Skill Points were forever insufficient for players, where even a thousand Skill points wouldn��t satisfy them. As his skills and Talent Trees upgraded, the amount of Skill Points required for the upgrade also increased. Six of the 10 Skill Points were used to upgrade his mastery of the ��Fantasy Daybreak�� Swordsmanship, increasing it to A grade while the remaining four Skill Points were pumped into the brand new [Source Tracing] talent in the fifth stage of the Talent Tree.


    Rhode had never seen this skill in the game because it had emerged after the three Talent Trees merged together. [Source Tracing] wasn��t a special active or passive skill. Instead, it only had one capability.


    [Source Tracing: Touch the past of the soul and feel its historical mutters. Certain success rate to penetrate into the summoned being��s memories and receive its memory fragments. Available once every 10 days. Success rate depends on the card level]


    It was this introduction that made him pump all the remaining Skill Points into it because this allowed him to understand his Holy Sword Card Deck.


    Rhode had confirmed that the strongest cards came from this deck. However, they were still in a state of being sealed. In other words, he had to use various methods to investigate their past before fully understanding their background and unleashing their true powers after unlocking their seal entirely. However, it wouldn��t be a simple task. Every Holy Sword Spirit had their own will and opinion and Rhode couldn��t possibly understand their past fully. But this skill would help him out a ton.


    However, he had used the skill twice and failed both times. It seemed that the Holy Sword Card Deck��s high level was indeed the key limiting factor. Although he had failed twice in a row, he almost figured out the operating conditions of this skill. It used his mental powers to infiltrate the memories of his spirits and view their entire history through their eyes. Perhaps it was due to their overly-high card level or that their lack of mutual understanding that he failed��


    It seems like I can only take one step at a time.


    Rhode sighed and stood to his feet. Coincidentally, someone knocked on his door.


    ��Mr. Rhode, Chairman Lauren wishes to inform you that the Winter Ceremony is about to start.��


    ��Got it.��


    Rhode tidied his attire and responded with a smirk.


    It��s time to witness if you��re a true man, Mr. Barter.


    This ceremony organized by the Mercenary Association wasn��t that grand. It could also be said to be in a wretched condition. A round table had been placed in the middle of the hall with all kinds of delicious food and alcohol. Chairman Lauren represented the association in making a few statements. He talked about the promotion and demotion of the mercenary groups and guilds and the problems between the mercenaries of the Munn Kingdom. The remaining time was given to mercenary group leaders and guild leaders to have conversations with one another.


    However, Rhode instantly felt the unwelcome atmosphere targeting him as he entered the hall.


    A group of chatty mercenary group leaders shut their mouths abruptly and gazed at the young man with vigilant and complicated glints. Rhode stood by the entrance and lifted his head to sweep a glance at the crowd nonchalantly. Then, he adjusted his lapels.


    Although he didn��t say anything, everyone sensed the aloof glint in his gaze, which left them shuddering and instinctively avoiding him. The attendants guided him to his seat. According to the rules, there should be 5 seats meant for the 5 biggest guilds in the Munn Kingdom. However, due to the predicament of the Sky Sword Guild and Liberty Wings Guild, only Starlight, Purple Lily, and Cole Falcon were left. Starlight��s seat was placed between the two other guilds, which expressed the Mercenary Association��s attitude toward them.


    Viktor had arrived at the venue early and he stood up hurriedly to greet Rhode. Rhode bowed in response before taking his seat. The position for Purple Lily on his left was still empty.


    ��Mr. Barter isn��t here yet?��


    Rhode swept a glance to the side and said. Viktor revealed a bitter smile and spread his arms apart.


    ��Yes, Sir Rhode. That��s strange. Barter used to love the bustling scene����


    Although Viktor didn��t finish his sentence, both of them knew clearly the reason why Barter wasn��t here.


    Shortly after, the mood in the hall returned to its liveliness as no one stirred trouble with Rhode. Several mercenaries held cups of alcohol and spoke joyously. As every second passed, more and more people entered the hall and the atmosphere became much more enthusiastic. On the contrary, Rhode and Viktor were the only ones uninterested in socializing as they sat back on their chairs and gazed at the entrance in anticipation.


    Finally, a burly, formidable figure emerged.


    ������


    The air froze in an instant.


    The mercenaries had as though been struck by a curse that bound their activities. They turned around and stared blankly. An uninvited guest.


    An enormous, muscular man in a shirt the color of a pink ballerina skirt stood by the entrance. His shirt was so tightly stretched that it clearly revealed his muscles and six pack underneath. A large, white bow knot at the back of his waist fluttered wittily along with its owner��s movements. The short skirt that covered only his upper thighs revealed two elephant-like thick, strong legs. The white stockings failed to conceal the mass dense of leg hair and at the bottom, a pair of scarlet, round-tipped leather shoes advertised his mighty presence.


    Barter pulled a long face, stepping into the hall that had as though turned into an icehouse with his longsword behind his back. He blushed at everyone��s gaze and let out a snort of disgust. At this moment, a burst of claps broke the uncomfortable silence.


    ��This is awesome, Mr. Barter. You��re indeed a man.��


    Rhode leaned on his chair and gazed at Barter striding forward in large steps. Barter glared fiercely with an even more embarrassed face before plunging to his seat. Then, he turned to Rhode and lifted his chin proudly.


    ��That��s for sure, kid. I��m a man, and a true man sticks to his words! Heh, kid, I hope you will still have the appetite to drink the alcohol that I��ll pour for you later.��


    ��I��m a man too, Mr. Barter.��


    Rhode narrowed his eyes slightly.


    ��Don��t worry, as a man, I will never back down. But����


    Rhode scanned the beautiful, white lace ribbon around Barter��s neck and his drifting head accessory.


    ���� It looks like you��re having a great time in this costume.��

 Chapter 636 - A Battle Between Men

    Chapter 636: A Battle Between Men


    Barter��s costume quickly became the center of attention, where even Chairman Lauren frequently turned toward Barter as he was giving his speech. It was apparent that Barter��s dress up was too shocking for the mercenaries. But even though most of them were perplexed, they still behaved appropriately, knowing the purpose of the Winter Ceremony.


    Just as Rhode had expected, Chairman Lauren represented the Mercenary Association in giving an evaluation of the mercenaries�� performances over the year. Everyone should have been cheery, but the atmosphere was rather tense due to the Southern rebels. The two most formidable guilds in the South had been disbanded and the mercenaries involved in the rebellion were mostly executed. Therefore, the mercenary leaders representing the South were sick at heart. Chairman Lauren had also received instructions from the Royal Family to request all leaders to watch over their men strictly.


    Chairman Lauren didn��t bring up the issue regarding Rhode��s identity and he announced the integration of the Southern mercenary forces. Rhode��s Starlight didn��t receive jurisdiction over the southern mercenary forces while Purple Lily Guild and Cole Falcon Guild would temporarily replace the management of the Sky Sword Guild and Liberty Wings Guild. Although it wasn��t explained in detail, everyone knew that this was a transaction between Rhode and the Mercenary Association. They knew that grumbling wouldn��t change anything since the decision had been made and no one dared to mess with Rhode.


    After the brief interlude, the banquet began with a merry rhythm. The carefree nobles danced with their female partners in the glorious hall as harmonious music played while chatting idly with their fellow nobles. The mercenaries weren��t interested in such boring activities. They would rather indulge fully in good food and drinks.


    The cold and cheerless hall as a result of Chairman Lauren��s speech had gradually livened up. Many of them raised their alcohol and conversed loudly. Melodious music flooded their ears and perhaps they couldn��t even hear each other if they didn��t raise their voices.


    However, the clamor wasn��t as disruptive on the upper deck of the banquet hall. Although there were three men seated, it was in a strange silence. The mercenaries who lifted their cups high and drinking their fill instinctively lowered their volume when they passed by the trio.


    Viktor sat back on his seat and toyed with the cup of alcohol in his hand. However, he wasn��t enjoying the moment. He was considering how to pick up the terrible mess left behind by the Sky Sword Guild. Unlike Barter, Viktor was politically sensitive and he sensed from the Royal Family��s intervention in this matter that the Munn Kingdom might use this chance to change the traditions of the Mercenary Association. If he was able to manage the situation, Cole Falcon might gain control over the mercenary forces forever. For that to happen, he would need to attain some achievements to gain the recognition of the Royal Family and Royal Highness Lydia. He might also receive commendations and rewards from the Royal Family like Rhode��


    Viktor turned to his side and Barter��s loud voice sounded.


    ��Come, kid. Have another drink!��


    Barter��s expression restored quickly after the ceremony had began. His wide grin was as though he had forgotten about his humiliation. However, Viktor knew that he wasn��t convinced to admit defeat just yet. It was obvious from his behavior that he intended to regain his reputation using another method.


    ��Come, kid. Go on. Hahaha. How is it? The alcohol��s great, eh?��


    Barter burst into laughter and poured another cup for Rhode. Barter admitted defeat like a true man and since it was said that the loser of the bet would need to refill drinks for the winner in a female costume, it wasn��t strange that Barter was doing so.


    But�� whether it was done in moderation was another matter.


    The cups used in banquets for mercenaries weren��t as exquisite as the crystal glasses for the nobles. Strictly speaking, crystal glasses were more for tasting than drinking due to their tiny capacity. The mercenaries weren��t keen on such a humdrum way of ��drinking��, which was also why the cups used in this banquet were about the size of their fists, manufactured by coarse wood and secured with a round of iron hoop. Mercenaries loved to have their cups filled to the brim, lifting their heads high to pour everything down their throats in one go. This was the most comfortable way of drinking for men.


    However, even the best drinkers among the mercenaries would reach their limits before the twentieth cup.


    ��Haa����


    Viktor shook his head helplessly and observed Barter��s ��passionate�� smile while pouring Rhode��s alcohol cup to the brim once more. Of course, he knew what was going on in the head of his buddy. No mercenary could beat Barter in drinking. Not even three buckets of strong alcohol could. Barter had also set a heroic achievement for making every mercenary drunk in the Winter Ceremony by repeatedly filling their alcohol cups. It could almost fit a nightmare. All the mercenaries laid flat on their stomachs and couldn��t stand on their feet while Barter laughed heartily on his seat in perfect condition. Thereafter, all the mercenaries knew that they shouldn��t compete with this monster in drinking. Because it wasn��t blood flowing in his blood vessels. It was all alcohol!


    It was apparent that Barter had intended to fill Rhode drunk and humiliate him before everyone as payback. However�� Viktor gazed at the empty alcohol buckets and the corner of his mouth perked up.


    Is it that simple?


    Rhode showed no responses. He maintained his poker face and drank all that Barter had poured.


    ��Great!��


    Barter stuck out his big thumb and poured another drink for himself. He lifted the alcohol cup up and gush it all down his throat. Then, he cheekily showed Rhode his empty cup and continued to pour another for Rhode.


    The bustling banquet hall quietened gradually. The ��competition�� between Rhode and Barter above had caught the attention of the feasting mercenaries. Four empty alcohol buckets laid sideways on the ground, but the two guild leaders were still taking turns drinking as though they couldn��t stop. The mercenaries finally understood the reason why Barter was wearing such an insane choice of costume, but this scene let them astonished.


    Everyone was aware of Barter��s drinking capacity and it seemed that Rhode would be drunk anytime. Most of them were resentful toward him and were anticipative in watching him humiliate himself. The nobles were just a bunch of effeminate, weak fellows to the mercenaries and they looked down on Rhode��s feminine appearance. If it weren��t for his impressive performance at the Midsummer Festival, perhaps no one could imagine that he was a Swordsmaster.


    The mercenaries had been waiting for Rhode to slip down his seat hilariously with weakened knees and they would at least have something to mock him about in future. However, the sky had darkened as time passed and there was an unprecedented change to the situation. They looked in disbelief and even Viktor turned around with a curious gaze.


    Seven empty alcohol buckets rolled around Rhode and Barter, but they didn��t seem to be stopping anytime soon. However, Barter appeared a little flushed and he was slurring his words. What about Rhode?


    ��One�� One more, kid�� Y-You��re good����


    Rhode calmly lifted the full alcohol cup that Barter had pounded before him and finished it in a go. Rhode was still as steady as ever. He placed the empty alcohol cup at the side. But his expression was as fair as before without any signs of flushes.


    Just how insane is this young man?!


    Several mercenaries cursed inwardly. The alcohol provided here was strong and wasn��t shoddy alcohol mixed with water. Although the alcohol was delicious, they had a strong kick afterward. Perhaps the mercenaries would forgot their surnames after gushing down two buckets. However, both of them had drank almost 10 buckets! Oh, Lord. Even if they weren��t drunk, the amount would have stuffed them to death!


    ��Good��!��


    Barter shook his head and stood to his feet to show a thumbs up. He lifted the alcohol cup and finished it instantly. Then, he displayed a cheeky smile and stooped over for another bucket. But his knees weakened. His head crashed on the table and the loud impact shocked everyone. As the mercenaries once again looked up, Barter had shut his eyes and gone into slumberland��


    This scene was comical. A burly man donned into a tight, pink dress with white stockings and a lace head accessory had plunged his head on the table, extending his tongue while kneeling on the ground. The strong smell of alcohol and sweat was all over his miserable self, but no one ridiculed him. This was the first time that they saw this man drunk�� What about Rhode?


    Rhode gazed at Barter, but he didn��t collapse as they had expected. Instead, he stood up and arranged his attire leisurely before nodding to Viktor.


    ��Mr. Viktor, I��ll leave Mr. Barter to your care.��


    Rhode left his seat and exited the banquet hall under bewildered gazes. Only when he vanished at the end of the passageway did the mercenaries return to their senses and exchange perplexed looks with one another. Rhode didn��t seem affected at all. But�� How was this possible?


    The heavy doors closed in a resounding echo and separated the stillness in the banquet hall from himself. Rhode headed to the corridor along the courtyard. He turned his palm around and a white radiance flashed. Celia emerged beside him.


    ��Master, is anything the����


    She paused and frowned.


    ��Master, you��re����


    ��Ah�� Celia, please send me back. I don��t think I can make my way back myself����


    Rhode waved to Celia and turned the other direction. The latter swiftly grabbed his arm.


    ��Master, there��s a railing! Are you drunk?��


    ��A guy tried to make a joke out of me, so how can I�� Blargh��!��


    Celia finally dragged Rhode back to his room and no one spotted them along the way, fortunately. But Rhode couldn��t hold it in anymore. He didn��t enjoy drinking alcohol to begin with, and even if he had to drink, he often drank grape wine or red wine only. But this time, he didn��t avoid Barter��s taunt. He knew that many of them were hoping to see him make a joke out of himself, so he had to ensure that they wouldn��t have a chance. Fortunately, although Rhode didn��t know what attributes he possessed, his constitution values were on the high side, which guaranteed his victory in the drinking ��competition��. Even ordinary poisons weren��t able to harm his strong constitution, not to mention strong alcoholic drinks.


    But there were limits to everything.


    Drinking 10 buckets of plain water could take one��s life. In fact, when Barter was about to collapse, Rhode sensed that he was reaching his limit too. He was even prepared to ��suffer a mutual death�� with Barter. But he was fortunate that Barter gave in earlier and he got the final laugh. However, it was merely the pot calling the kettle black.


    ��Master, please wait����


    Celia let out a sigh. She had never imagined to facing this situation as a summoned spirit. She thought that Rhode had summoned her out for the same reasons��to discuss what happened in the Saint Monastery. However, she wasn��t willing to talk about it, at least for now. She didn��t expect that�� she would face such a situation.


    ��Master, please take care of yourself. Drinking too much will take a toll on your body. My sacred spells can alleviate your pain, but it can��t sober you up���� Celia extended her right arm and suddenly, Rhode lost his balance and pushed her from the front..


    ������


    The room was in complete stillness. Celia widened her eyes in shock, gazing at Rhode above her. After a few moments, she let out an awkward cough and pushed Rhode away. But Rhode sprung open his eyes and grabbed her right hand.


    ��M-Master?��


    Celia was bewildered. She gazed blankly into Rhode��s pitch-black pupils, but she didn��t know how to respond. Before she had the chance to retaliate, Rhode lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers.


    ����!��


    Celia felt that her head was in a blank. The heavy alcoholic smell and his unique scent assailed her nostrils, leaving her slightly dizzy. However, that wasn��t all. Rhode caressed her body gently and pressed his palm on her chest armor.


    ���� Ah!��


    Celia trembled to his touch and at the same time, Rhode lifted his head and blinked to gather his focus.


    ��What�� It��s Celia�� No wonder�� it feels harder than Celestina��s����


    Rhode closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep, leaving Celia with a red blush across her cheeks��

 Chapter 637 - A Night has Passed

    Chapter 637: A Night has Passed


    Rhode had no idea how long he had been sleeping for. When he opened his eyes, the glaring morning sun pierced his eyes and forced a groan out of him. He pulled himself up and his head was spinning. The immense headache from the hangover left him incredibly pained. This was the first time he experienced a hangover. In the past, no matter if he was in the original world or here, he had never become completely drunk before. Last night was like a dream for him. He remembered that his brain was in a complete mess, but incredibly, his conscious was fully awake the whole time as though his conscious had totally disengaged from his body, floating in the air and observing his every action like he was playing a computer game that controlled himself. But��


    Rhode held his throbbing forehead and sucked in a deep breath of air. When he finally stood on his feet, he realized that he was only wearing a white shirt while his black coat had been neatly folded by the bedhead. Not only that, but there was also a cup of plain water on the table. Rhode drank it and the chilly sensation permeated in his warm body, driving away the intoxication. He let out a shiver and slowly recovered from the headache.


    At this moment, a question cropped up in his mind: who poured this cup of water?


    Rhode puckered his brows. His memories were fuzzy after making his way out of the banquet hall and he recalled that he had gotten someone to help him. He couldn��t remember who it was, but he was sure that it was someone who he trusted�� But�� who was it?


    He stood before the table with the cup in hand, pondering for a long while. When he decided to summon his spirits to interrogate them, someone knocked on his door and spoke.


    ��Sir Rhode, Chairman Lauren is here.��


    ��Got it.��


    Rhode threw the question to the back of his head. He felt relieved that he didn��t vomit all around the place and saved himself the time from cleaning up. But even so, he swiftly cleaned himself and changed into a new set of clothing before heading out of the room.


    Although the jurisdiction and duties of the three guilds had been decided the day before, it was only briefly mentioned during the banquet, after all. Chairman Lauren was looking to explain the details. Even though Rhode had given up a huge portion of the cake, it was still necessary to account for him. If not, it would be disrespectful toward Starlight if he had decided on Purple Lily Guild and Cole Falcon Guild��s jurisdiction behind Rhode��s back.


    The members attending the meeting weren��t only the three guild representatives and there other mercenary group leaders were involved too. But this time, when Rhode emerged before them, the gazes were less frivolous and had become much more respectful. The mercenaries always respected strong beings and not only did Rhode presented his impressive side in the arena, but he was also strong in drinking. Thus, the mercenaries dropped their biased opinions about him and accepted him as a Mercenary Overlord. In the past, the mercenaries disliked Rhode due to their prejudice against the nobles. In the eyes of the mercenaries, although the nobles had grandeur identities, they lacked the spirit to endure hardships and were hypocritical and deceitful. However, Rhode didn��t seem like them. As a man who led his mercenary group to guild status single handedly, accomplished two 5 Star Missions, and also ��double-killed�� Barter in the arena and drinking table, he naturally deserved all respect.


    However, Rhode realized that Barter was nowhere to be seen. Instead, his aide-de-camp, the ��Snow Woman�� who wore a steel mask, sat in his place and nodded to Rhode as a greeting while Viktor waved his hand.


    ��Sir Rhode, Barter is still lying in bed and he won��t be up without at least two days, I guess.��


    I see.


    Perhaps due to the large portion of cake that would be distributed, there wasn��t as much hostility between everyone as he had expected. The Purple Lily Guild and Cole Falcon Guild were experienced guilds and they knew that they couldn��t wave a magic wand and get what they wanted in this world. Therefore, it was rare to see that there weren��t any conflicts between both sides regarding the guild management agreements. Instead, there was even some modest and mutual declinations. In the end, under the confirmation of Chairman Lauren and the mercenary group leaders, Cole Falcon Guild and Purple Lily Guild had basically taken over the territories that belonged to the Sky Sword Guild and Liberty Wings Guild. Of course, there were also some adjustments to the details over the territorial range due to the locations of both guilds. No matter how much they had adjusted, they subconsciously kept a distance away from the central regions that had Paphield and Grenbell placed right in the middle. It was apparent that the Mercenary Association was also clear of Rhode��s intentions. Even though the mercenary groups in the territories were still managed by themselves in name, everyone knew that Rhode��s Starlight would definitely become their dominator in future. Many of the mercenary group leaders had considered currying favors with Rhode and Starlight in order for a better future.


    But Rhode wasn��t interested in exchanging pleasantries with the mercenaries. After the Winter Ceremony ended, he quickly returned to the Land of Atonement as he knew that the winter days were the most crucial period. In the game, the Country of Darkness caused a commotion by the borders of the Country of Light and the Munn Kingdom at the start of winter and there were no lack of new missions relating to Undead Creatures. As time passed, the Country of Darkness launched an ambush on the Country of Light and the Munn Kingdom. They sent out Undead Creatures in a large-scale attack under the camouflage of snow and harsh conditions. The Country of Light and the Munn Kingdom couldn��t respond in time and they landed in a great catastrophe. History had been tweaked by Rhode��s interventions. The rebels of the Country of Light had been taken out, and the Munn Kingdom had restored its peace. Moreover, Soraka Mountain, which was the fuse for both sides, had been razed to the ground. If history worked out according to the memories of Rhode, there would be zero possibility for both sides to start a war. But for unknown reasons, Rhode felt that the situation wasn��t that simple.


    But after Rhode returned to the Fortress, he was faced with another difficult problem he had to solve before he could focus his attention on the possible trend of the Country of Darkness.


    And that was Anne��s unusual behavior.


    ��Anne is acting strange?��


    ��Yes����


    Lize nodded worriedly.


    ��I��ve only found out recently�� She appears to be a little�� peculiar.��


    Anne used to be a cheerful person. Her daily life could be described with four words: eat, drink, play, and sleep. As Rhode��s private attendant, Anne was free from work whenever Rhode had nothing on his hands. She would either wander around Christie��s side or take a nap in the park. However, she had been behaving peculiarly. Not only did her appetite increase, but she also seemed irascible. Normally, she would ask others to accompany her whenever she was bored, but she had become extremely willful. Even if everyone told her that they were busy, she would repeatedly insist in having them play with her and also kick up a huge fuss. Marlene and Lize were stunned to see her behaving this way. They had known her for a long time, but had never seen her behaving this way. Therefore, they were concerned about her extreme changes in attitude.


    ��Irascible?��


    Rhode knitted his brows, but he couldn��t find an explanation.


    ��What did the rest think about her? Have you asked Lapis? Did Anne behave this way in the past?��


    ��The others guessed that perhaps Anne isn��t used to the cold weather�� I��ve also asked Lapis and Randolf, but they said that Anne never behaved this way before. Even in the coldest of winter days, she had never acted���� Lize pondered for a while, ���� so�� peculiarly����

 Chapter 638 - Anne’s Transformation

    Chapter 638: Anne��s Transformation


    Frankly speaking, Rhode felt strange about the whole situation too. Although Anne had always been optimistic and vivacious, she knew how to read body language and had never bothered others persistently. But now, it seemed that something was amiss. But what was the reason behind it?


    ��I understand now.��


    Rhode nodded.


    ��I��ll check on Anne in awhile.��


    Rhode heard the opinion and views of the others regarding Anne. But the more he listened, the more unusual the situation became. Marlene was one who complained the most about Anne because the latter would always look to play with her everyday. But Marlene couldn��t find the time as she had too many matters on hand. If it was Anne in the past, she would��ve left obediently after being rejected. But now, for some unknown reasons, she kept forcing Marlene to accompany her and even retaliated when Marlene disagreed, leaving Marlene in a headache.


    Lapis had more grumbles on her side. Usually Anne would sit beside her and watch curiously, which Lapis had gotten used to. But now, Anne often pestered her over the various objects in the alchemy workshop and touched those that she shouldn��t, leaving everyone speechless.


    Even Christie, who was closest to Anne, expressed her concerns. Although Anne wasn��t as headstrong and mischievous as when she messed with Marlene and Lapis, Christie sharply sensed that Anne appeared rather impetuous and distracted as though holding in something unbearable.


    On the other hand, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had also detected Anne��s strange behaviors. Canary wasn��t that familiar with Anne, but she tactfully informed Rhode that the others didn��t seem willing to be around Anne. On the contrary, Mini Bubble Gum bluntly hit the nail on the head. She pointed out that Anne was mentally unsound as though she had taken some wrong medication. However, both of them guaranteed that Anne definitely wasn��t under any curse or spell that manipulated her body. Of course, it had nothing to do with the time of the month for a female.


    Randolf and Joey indicated that Anne used to join the mercenaries for drinks in the afternoon, but she avoided them now. If the mercenaries greeted her, she would respond unkindly and slip away��a drastic difference from her usual behavior.


    It seems that the situation is grave.


    Got to say, even Rhode felt strange after gathering all the information. According to everyone, Anne was totally behaving like another person. If it weren��t for Canary and Mini Bubble Gum��s guarantee, Rhode would think that Anne was under some sort of black magic. But now, since she wasn��t affected by any curses or spells and it had nothing to do with a female��s physiological response, what was the exact cause?


    Seeing was believing. Rhode decided to check her out personally.


    Perhaps because Anne realized that her behavior was disruptive to others, she had been locking herself up in her room and basically wouldn��t come out unless for food.


    When Rhode arrived at her room, he heard some banging behind the thick, locked door. He knitted his brows and knocked. The noises in the room stopped and Anne responded.


    ��Who is it?��


    ��Anne, it��s me.��


    ��Leader?!��


    Anne��s voice went up by an octave and another burst of thumps sounded as though someone was tearing down a house. After a few moments, the door unlocked and Anne peered out with a worried expression.


    ��Can I go in?��


    ��Y-Yes, Leader!��


    Anne hesitated, but nodded and opened the door.


    Rhode instantly spotted the source of the noises in her room. It was a whole clutter of mess. The bed beside the wall had been shifted to the middle while the slanted wardrobe laid by the window. Even though the table and chairs were scattered all around, he knew that this was Anne��s perception on tidying up her room. Those who didn��t know would have believed that her room had been ransacked.


    ��What are you doing?��


    Rhode frowned and questioned. Anne revealed an awkward smile.


    ��This�� Leader, Anne is tidying up the room, but the room is too messy�� By the way, Leader, want some tea? Or alcohol? Anne has some delicious drinks from the merchants. By the way���� Anne skipped over the pile of ��junk�� and flipped through the contents of a cabinet, which released some clanking sounds. Rhode��s suspicions had gotten deeper.


    Anne had always been the most cheerful member of Starlight Guild. But her liveliness was more like an atmosphere that she brought with her. She was like the morning sun and a smile from her would relax one��s mind. In fact, Anne wasn��t that talkative and didn��t like meddling in others�� affairs. However, her behaviors now�� Mini Bubble Gum was rather right with her description. Anne just couldn��t stop moving as she spoke like she would die if she didn��t move an inch.


    What exactly is going on?


    The doubts in Rhode��s heart grew deeper. He finally realized why Marlene, Lize, and Christie were confused about Anne��s condition. He believed that he understood Anne well, but what was the cause of this sudden transformation? He couldn��t remember anything that was capable of affecting her this way.


    Rhode waved his hand.


    ��It��s not necessary, Anne. I��m not here for tea with you.��


    ��Eh? Leader�� You don��t want to be with Anne?!��


    Anne put down the items in her hands and turned around abruptly. She stared at Rhode with her emerald-green eyes and Rhode discovered that something was amiss. Her pupils shrunk into a thin black line instantly and an unprecedented, dangerous aura emanated aggressively from her as though a hungry wolf widened its mouth and flashed its shimmering, razor-sharp teeth.


    Rhode positioned himself for self-defense and at this moment, Anne felt a shiver and took half a step back as though she had woken up from her sleep. Along with this movement, the omnipresent enmity gradually vanished and she lowered her head apologetically.


    ��S-Sorry�� Leader, Anne didn��t mean to����


    ��I know, Anne.��


    Rhode let out a sigh. It seemed that the overwhelming emotions had failed to manipulate her. Rhode stepped forward to console her. But before his hand patted her shoulder, she shrunk and took a step back hurriedly.


    ��S-Sorry�� Leader. Anne�� Anne doesn��t know why�� Anne knows that Anne has been feeling uncomfortable�� And Anne feels terrible without doing something�� Anne also knows that everyone doesn��t like Anne behaving like this. Everyone seems to hate Anne now, so Anne hides in the room�� But�� But����


    Anne lifted her head and her emerald-green eyes were full of uncertainty and fear.


    ��Leader, is Anne sick and can��t recover from it? Anne has also seen a mercenary become like this in the past. He was a great person, but he slowly became hot-tempered and often bad-mouthed others. In the end�� he even tried to harm his companions. Back then, the leader killed him and he told Anne that the man was ill in his head and couldn��t be cured. The leader had no choice but to kill him�� Is Anne also����


    ��Don��t let your imagination run wild, Anne.��


    Rhode frowned and knocked on her head.


    ��You��ll get such an illness the more you think about it. Don��t worry, you won��t harm anyone here with me around. I will think of a way, so just be yourself like how you always do.��


    ��Okay����


    The panicky young lady calmed down and nodded to Rhode.


    But neither of them saw the indistinct green radiance flashing in her eyes.

 Chapter 639 - Unsolved Problem & a Problem that Should be Solved

    Chapter 639: Unsolved Problem & a Problem that Should be Solved


    Anne��s emotions appeared to have calmed down after Rhode returned to the Fortress. She wasn��t behaving extremely differently, at the very least. Rhode let Anne stayed by his side for the time being to check on her situation. No one could give an accurate explanation of Anne��s behaviors. Although one��s emotions might be affected during the change of season, a change as dramatic as Anne��s was rarely seen. Gillian was the only one who seemed to know what was going on with Anne. This cunning fox-eared young lady currently was out of the Land of Atonement and handling some matters following Rhode��s orders. Even so, she heard about Anne��s situation from Rhode��s spiritual communications. But she wasn��t worried about it.


    ��Don��t worry, Master. This is really, really normal for Half-Beasts, especially for Anne, who has just awakened her powers.��


    ��But why didn��t she behave this way before?��


    Rhode frowned and gazed at Anne who was snoring away by the table. Gillian responded with a chuckle.


    ��That��s because the beast powers in Little Anne��s body hadn��t been awakened yet. Back then, she had more Human blood, so there weren��t any issues. But now, the beast powers in her are affecting her, which explains the changes.��


    ��Will this continue forever?��


    Rhode knitted his brows. If that was the case, it would become a troublesome problem. He was experienced in interpersonal communications. Although everyone in the guild adored Anne, that was due to her cheerful personality, after all. If Anne continued to behave this way, no one would be able to tolerate it in the long run. This would mean that leaving the guild was her only choice left. If that happened, Rhode could imagine how painful her life would be.


    ��Huhuhu����


    Gillian let out a pleasant laughter.


    ��Master, you seem to be really worried for Little Anne. I��m so jealous. Aiya, what should I do? I��m also a woman and jealousy is in my blood. You care about another woman before me and don��t even care about my wellbeing. Sigh�� Master, how can you be so heartless? I��m all alone out here and all I need is some encouragement and care from my beloved. If not, maybe I will head the streets alone, find a pub to drown my sorrows away, and sleep with a random man in my drunk self. What if I��m pregnant with his kid and he is a married, reputable noble, who isn��t concerned about a homeless woman with no background like me? My only choice left is to give birth to the child and leave the city, leading a painful life alone�� Master, do you bear to leave me regretting my whole life due to my silly mistake?��


    ��You seem rather clear that it��s a silly mistake though.��


    Rhode rolled his eyes hopelessly. Gillian giggled and continued.


    ��Uh-huh�� Actually, you don��t need to worry too much about Little Anne��s situation because this will happen every year for a period of time. But there are different types of beast races, each with unique behaviors. But�� that will depend on you. If you handle it well, Little Anne will not suffer from this problem in the future. But if you don��t handle it well�� You��ll just have to tolerate it once a year.��


    ��So, how exactly should I do it?��


    Rhode felt a sense of relief after learning from Gillian that this transformation was only temporary. He was worried that such changes would keep affecting Anne and eventually transform her entire personality. The conditions sounded like a seasonal allergy, where it wouldn��t affect one too much even though it couldn��t be cured. But even so, it would be a headache for everyone. If it was possible, Rhode hoped to solve this ��problem�� once and for all.


    This time, Gillian didn��t give Rhode a firm answer that he had anticipated. Instead, Rhode heard the amusing chuckles from her.


    ��Regarding that�� It will depend on yourself, alright? I��ve said it before that I��m a jealous woman. You cared for another woman before me and that makes it unbearable for me. So as a small punishment, I will let you find the answer yourself. Alright then, goodbye for now�� The ��Skynet Plan�� is going smoothly, so don��t worry about it�� Huhuhu����


    Rhode shook his head helplessly. He knew that Gillian wasn��t a petty person. But he admitted that he did screw up the situation a little and allowed Gillian to take advantage of it. Even so, he accepted the sins he had committed. Gillian had hinted to him the key to resolving this problem and that he would be able to do it as long as he worked for it.


    Anne��s problems wouldn��t be easily resolvable in just one or two days. But since Anne wasn��t behaving ridiculously whenever she was around him, he didn��t mind observing her for a while longer. But there was another matter that he couldn��t drag any longer.


    The recruitment of his private soldiers.


    An official military army was definitely necessary for the upcoming war. Although John��s Cavalrymen had improved in strength and received stronger armor and weapons, it still wasn��t enough. Rhode decided to recruit some civilians into his private soldier team during this winter season. This way, he could form a team of up to thousand soldiers by spring next year.


    Although Rhode had thought about this in the past, most of the objective conditions disallowed him in doing so. In other regions, the recruitment of military troops was done among the civilians too because there were enough locals to fulfill the requirements. The Land of Atonement and Grenbell were basically deserted and he failed to recruit anyone. Thereafter, even though he had built his Fortress and several people moved in, the number of people was too small and it wasn��t even enough to maintain the operations of the Fortress, not to mention becoming a private soldier army.


    And now, the population in the Land of Atonement had slowly increased, with an influx of foreigners searching for opportunities to live. Moreover, the status of Starlight brought an increasing number of mercenaries to his territory. It was currently winter: the best time to recruit private soldiers. Therefore, Rhode had decided to form a team as quickly as possible for the upcoming crisis.


    Although there were rumors among the mercenaries that only those who performed outstandingly could become Rhode��s private soldiers, in fact, Rhode had no intentions of recruiting too many mercenaries. This was because soldiers were required to ensure strict obedience, where they couldn��t say no to throwing their lives away. However, the mercenaries would mostly choose to protect themselves and they would likely abandon their team in the face of calamity, which naturally was a bad thing. Therefore, Rhode had decided to pick most private soldiers from civilians and recruited some experienced or retired mercenaries. They would go through adjustments under John and train up in the Sphere of Mystery, eventually forming a qualified team.


    Rhode didn��t set his heart on this matter due to him being an official overlord. Instead, it was more of coordinating with his battle tactics. After personally experiencing this world, he was clear that there was bound to be a war between him and the Country of Darkness and Country of Light. In order to prepare for then, he needed to have ways to deal with both countries. The earlier he set up his private soldier team, the stronger the camaraderie they would have. Besides, he had also decided on his battle style and he intended to ��import�� all the tactics he had used in the game and enhance them.


    In the game, his tactic in leading Starlight and dominating the whole world was fairly simple. Ultimately, just one word would be sufficient to describe it��backstabbing.


    Rhode knew the tactics by heart in the game. Most of his forces would be used to gather the attention of most enemy troops and lure them out of their fortress and stronghold. He would lead another elite squad from the rear to occupy or destroy their stronghold. Then, he would coordinate with the front troops and sandwich the enemies from both sides. This was actually a really simple trick that many other players loved to use too. Everyone was familiar with ��luring the tiger from its domain in the mountains��, but Starlight was the only one that mastered backstabbing to the highest level. Thereafter, the opposing guilds, player overlords, and even NPCs knew that Starlight would only resort to this tactic no matter if it was in positional, defensive, or attacking battles. Luring the enemies out of their territories and backstabbing them.


    But knowing was one thing and deciphering was another. Just like ��The Little Li Flying Dagger��, everyone knew that he needed just one dagger to kill someone, but they couldn��t dodge it no matter how. Rhode��s Starlight had dominated the game for years and everyone knew about their tactic unless they were newbies. However, almost no one could decipher it. Although the tactic appeared simple, there were countless variations involved in adapting to the various environments and situations in battle.


    The reason why Rhode had chosen this tactic wasn��t solely because he was familiar with it. Instead, it was mostly because it didn��t demand too much from individuals. In the game, he didn��t need players to possess impressive PK skills. Instead, it was most important that they followed his orders. As long as they met the requirements, he would be pleased to add even the newer players into the main team. If they didn��t meet the conditions, he would kick them out even if they were ranked top 10 in the player rankings.


    Of course, it wasn��t enough to just be disciplined. There were also disciplined and even iron-blooded groups in the player community. Back then, a commander with a great overall view and a keen tactical touch was needed to coordinate with Rhode and this position was taken up by ��Old Man Runs�� and ��Jade Heart��, who were also the vice-leaders of Starlight. Their camaraderie was so strong with Rhode that they coordinated without the need of communications. Rhode had intended to put John in place of their positions. A strong assault and ability to act by the troops that were led by John were a necessary part of Rhode��s tactic. Although there were still some gap between their tacit understanding of cooperation, Rhode believed that there wouldn��t be too much of an issue if he used the time to polish it.


    In this tactic, the most important point was to penetrate the enemy��s rear with the elite squad. In the game, the elite squad, led by Rhode, contained Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. However, unlike the large forces, not only did the elite squad have to abide by all orders, but they also needed to be responsive, have adaptable capabilities, and deal lethal damage. Although penetrating from the rear had to be an ambush, players who were used to being ambushed by Rhode had their own counter responses like applying counter-strategies or luring them into their encirclement. Everyone was aware of all the possible schemes and stratagems. And now, powerful strength had become necessary.


    This also led to high requirements in becoming part of Rhode��s elite squad. Among the hundred players in Rhode��s elite squad, at least half of them were ranked top 100 in the player rankings and the others were hovering around the top 200, which was enough to see the high requirements.


    If Rhode used this requirement to recruit the current team, all of them would surely be eliminated. But he was fortunate that the Humans on this continent weren��t as powerful as players, where even the Undead Legion, which was known for their outstanding strength, were only a quarter of the players�� strength at the same level. Rhode, Celia, Celestina, Gracier, Madaras, Gillian, Lize, and Anne��s strength would be enough to face them. Moreover, mercenaries like Randolf, Marfa, and Joey had improved their strength tremendously in the Sphere of Mystery. Therefore. Rhode was confident in facing the Undead Legion as long as there weren��t BOSSes like the Four Legendary Generals.


    However, he also knew that there were some awful flaws in his current elite squad. The biggest problem was the lack of powerful AOE skills in them. In the game, one of the reasons why Rhode��s tactic worked was that AOE skills were perfect for cramped environments like the stronghold and fortresses. They were lethal and accurate and this was why Rhode requested for more individuals with powerful AOE skills in his elite squad. Currently, only Gillian and Marlene met this requirement, but this wasn��t enough. Moreover, these people couldn��t only be Mages and they had to be offensive on a higher level. And these people were rarely seen in his guild.


    Although it wasn��t impossible to cultivate now, time was limited, after all. Fortunately, Rhode had his ways in managing such a situation.


    Knock knock.


    Marlene entered the room and saw Anne snoring away by the table. She shook her head with a bitter smile and approached Rhode.


    ��You were looking for me, Rhode?��


    ��Yes, Marlene. I need your help.��


    Rhode nodded and handed two envelopes to her.


    ��I hope you can send someone to deliver the two envelopes to the Demon Hunter Squad in the Black Fin Coast and the Battle Mage Group in the Eastern Plain. I want to invite them to become my private troops in the name of Grenbell��s overlord. I��ve written the specific conditions and requirements in the letters within.��


    ��Demon Hunter Squad and Battle Mage Group?


    Marlene was taken aback. She looked at Rhode dubiously.


    ��Rhode, do you know that they have bad reputations��? If you do this����


    ��Of course I��m aware, Marlene. But they aren��t as terrifying as the rumors described. Besides, I need their strength now and I hope to receive sufficient magical suppressing powers and strong members. These guys are good choices�� And they will be much more useful than the fragile Mages from the Mage School.��


    ��I understand, Rhode.��


    Marlene nodded and took over the two envelopes. However, she didn��t instantly leave. She gazed at Rhode hesitantly and pondered in silence.


    ��But�� Rhode, if you really need some help, I guess�� the Senia Family can perhaps provide you with some.��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode perked up when he heard the good news. He switched his pose and gazed curiously at Marlene.


    ��What kind of help?��


    Marlene thought about it for a moment.


    ��If you hope to have powerful members who can suppress magical powers, then�� I think our Senia Family��s Mage Equipment might be useful for you.��

 Chapter 640 - Cooperation

    Chapter 640: Cooperation


    ��Mage Equipment?��


    Of course. Rhode knew about the Senia Family��s Mage Equipment since the Senia Family started manufacturing it. Besides, almost all the Mage Armed Forces in Munn Kingdom were equipped with their Mage Equipment. Using a description from Rhode��s generation, the Senia Family was just like the exclusive weapons and ammunitions supplier. It was due to this that they rose in reputation and became one of the three leading families in Munn Kingdom. This was also why the Alanic Foundation of Country of Light had targeted Marlene. As the family heir, she naturally had insights about the high-end Mage Equipment and it would mean that they had captured the key to the Senia Family��s secret if they could grab a hold of her. Therefore, Marlene seldom mentioned her family matters.


    However, Rhode didn��t expect her to take the initiative this time. Although the Senia Family��s Mage Equipment were indeed powerful, they had never transacted with any parties apart from the Royal Family. Besides, Rhode also knew that he couldn��t afford them, so he didn��t consider it.


    ��Yes.��


    Marlene nodded.


    ��Our Senia Family has developed a new type of Mage Equipment, but I don��t know the specific principles�� All in all, we intended to create smaller and portable equipment that is similar to the magic cannons. Currently, the results have been seen. They were really powerful and suitable for range suppression.��


    ��There��s such a thing?��


    Rhode was genuinely surprised. There was no doubt that the Senia Family��s Mage Equipment were mighty, but those were merely ordinary ones. The weapon developments in this world and the real world were entirely different. Cold weapons like sword, shield, and pike were related to the Mage Equipment. Actually, Anne��s shield could also be considered as a Mage Equipment. However, in terms of firearms, it was rather limited in the Dragon Soul Continent. Perhaps due to the existence of Magic Tools, the development of Mage Equipment were far from expectations. As for far range weapons, the Dwarves did indeed manufactured modern weapons like the firearms. However, these firearms served no value against bows and crossbows because the metal-made firearms functioned by using magic crystals, was short-ranged, and couldn��t cast a magic ritual with its bullet. On the contrary, not only could a bow and crossbow enhanced with magical powers to shoot farther than firearms, but they would be much more powerful with magical arrows.


    There were distinct differences between Magic Tools and Mage Equipment too.


    Magic Tools also referred to both weapons and armor and possessed impressive effects. However, the downside was that there were no variances in their effects and they had to be activated with the user��s spiritual energy. Not only that, but the power of Magic Tools would also fluctuate. In many legends, heroes would raise their weapons and their magical weapons would unleashed extraordinary might in the face of death. From this aspect, the powers of Magic Tools were unstable. When one discharged one��s full powers, perhaps the Magic Tool might release formidable strength. However, when one was low on spiritual energy, the strength of the Magic Tool would be weakened too. Even weapons and armor that came with magic attributes had this weakness. Of course, there were still some powerful Magic Tools that could provide formidable strength to the user. However, such Magic Tools were usually rare and legendary in grade.


    On the other hand, Mage Equipment was streamlined and stable. Although spiritual powers were also required to activate them, their powers wouldn��t fluctuate along with the user��s condition because it drained the powers contained in the equipment itself and not from the external environment. The Mage Equipment wasn��t too useful for some powerful beings, but was extremely useful for ordinary people. After all, not everyone��s spiritual powers were strong enough to reach the extent of the Elite or Master Stage.


    As the development of science and magic advanced, the technologies used in making the Mage Equipment and Magic Tools slowly merged and in this age, there were already countless end products as a result. They possessed the might of the Mage Equipment and the stability and diversity of the Magic Tools. However, the end products were much more similar to Magic Tools in comparison, just like the ��Four Elements Badges�� which was made by Lapis and the long-range remote communication accessories. But even so, these products weren��t able to be assembled on the assembly line as they required outstanding alchemy techniques and even some special techniques of the Behermes.


    If it was said that the equipment created by Lapis using Behermes alchemy techniques focused on diversity, then the Senia Family��s Mage Equipment emphasized stability. Back then, when Rhode faced the Fallen Angel corrupted by Chaos in Soraka Mountain, the Holy Hymn weapon was one such equipment. It used magical technologies to accumulate holy powers. Not only could it trigger the defense spell on the Holy Hymn, but it could also release a positive wave blast to the enemies.


    But no matter which Mage Equipment it was, the so-called generalization was only a relative statement. With the Senia Family��s strength, the Mage Equipment provided to Munn Kingdom was merely sufficient for their elite team. High-end products like magic cannons were only seen in massive cities with strategic significance because the requirements to manufacture Mage Equipment were high. Besides, the materials required were expensive and rare, so they weren��t suitable to be produced on a large-scale.


    From this aspect, magical technologies were only a form of support to enhance the powers of the magic weapons and armor. However, it wasn��t possible to lower the manufacturing cost of Magic Tools and mass produce them for ordinary civilians.


    But��


    Rhode gazed at Marlene dubiously. He felt that the situation wasn��t that simple because in the game, the Senia Family didn��t reveal such a weapon until the very end, when they were almost destroyed by the Country of Darkness. But now, Marlene revealed that such a thing existed�� Rhode was clear that any modifications of weapons wouldn��t just emerge like that. If Marlene said that her Senia Family had such a weapon in their arsenal, it would mean that they had been working on it for decades and didn��t reveal it.


    This was too illogical. As a modern person, Rhode understood the capabilities of RPGs more than anymore. If the Senia Family had indeed developed a portable equipment that was as powerful as a magic cannon, it could perhaps rewrite the entire history of war in the Dragon Soul Continent completely. But such a thing disappeared without even being seen at all?


    ��Yes, Rhode. It is the ��Final Pike�� that our Senia Family is working on. I tested it during the armed rebellion repression. There were no issues with its power or range. It will be fine as long as the well-trained soldiers can operate it. But��


    As expected. There��s still a ��but�� at the end.


    ��But what?��


    Rhode crossed his arms and gazed curiously. It seemed that the Mage Armed Forces were testing on this new weapon. Since Marlene had tested it herself, there should be no doubt about the weapon��s powers. But it sounded as though there were some hidden dangers, which was why it wasn��t developed further?


    ��It requires high consumption.��


    Marlene spread her arms apart helplessly.


    ��The current state of the Final Pikes requires the purest magic crystals that contain the strongest powers in order to be activated. Besides, they don��t last as long��a standard magic crystal can only last for half an hour under constant activation and deal damage up to the range of three fireballs. Even though its damage is guaranteed, the energy consumption is still a problem�� I��ve calculated that one military campaign will consume one million gold coins. So our Senia Family has decided to give up developing this weapon.��


    Ssss��!


    Rhode sucked in a deep breath of cold air. He finally understood why the Senia Family had given up on this weapon. Who would be so insane to use a weapon with a damage range of three fireballs and required one million gold coins? In fact, if Mages purchased fireball spell scrolls, every scroll would only cost them 100 gold coins and it would only be justifiable if the weapons possessed the might of a nuclear bomb. However, this weapon was a weaker version of the magic cannon and yet, the amount of money required was higher. This weapon couldn��t be used for strategic deterrence, couldn��t be mass produced, and required high consumption. What a worthless piece of junk. No wonder the Senia Family had given up on it in the game. Wouldn��t the effects be the same if they spent the money to train a few Alchemists and Mages to create fireball spell scrolls? Besides, it would save them money too. But��


    ��Surely you aren��t thinking that we have that much money and magic crystals, Marlene? I need a long-term squad, and such a weapon isn��t suitable.��


    Rhode had no intentions of taking up the responsibility of rewriting the history of the Dragon Soul Continent. Besides, he didn��t feel that he had some advantage over the Senia Family. Although he��d transmigrated into this world, his knowledge on Mage Equipment actually wasn��t that deep. Also, since the Senia Family, who was known for manufacturing Mage Equipment, had no control over it, what could Rhode do?


    If it was just a matter of attacking, Rhode might be able to provide some advice using shooting mechanisms such as machine guns and sniper rifles that he had seen on Earth. However, the problem was in the source. Just like on Earth, if spending a thousand dollars could only manufacture a single bullet, no one would use guns at all and they would be better off using choppers. Moreover, there were many other substitutes in this continent.


    ��Of course, Rhode. But I think the Final Pike��s formidable powers suit your requirement. Although they can��t be mass produced, I want to see if Miss Lapis is able to modify them into something great.��


    ��Lapis?��


    Rhode said while Marlene nodded with a smile.


    ��Yes, Rhode. Our Senia Family has been using alchemical techniques from ancient times. However, the technique belonged to us, Humans, after all, so there might be surprising results from Miss Lapis��s Behermes alchemy techniques. If possible, I hope to work with Miss Lapis to see if improvements can be done on the Final Pike.��


    Rhode pondered in silence. This indeed was a great idea. When facing the Undead Legion��s human wave attack, it was best to have a lethal AOE weapon. Magic cannons were overly expensive and required high consumption. Although Rhode��s mercenary system could build them, the prices were too high. The price of one magic cannon would equal three Holy Maiden Statues. With his current finances, he could only stare as he drooled. But if he could lay his hands on the Final Pikes, perhaps��


    ��Will your family object to it?��


    ��I can represent my family in making this decision, Rhode. Besides, the weapons has been abolished. If Miss Lapis is able to modify them, we will respect your wishes and hand them to you.��


    ��Alright, I��ll leave them to you, Marlene.��


    He nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 641 - Two Letters. Two Paths (1/3)

    Chapter 641: Two Letters. Two Paths (1/3)


    Although Rhode had agreed to Marlene��s suggestion, he was clear that the weapons wouldn��t be of any use at the moment. The research and development of Mage Equipment required a long, complicated process. Even with Lapis��s alchemy knowledge, modifying Mage Equipment wouldn��t be that easy. Right now, what he needed was more straightforward battle strength. His requirement for subordinates was to be able to use wide AOE spells and also possess a certain amount of strength in order to have an advantage in close-combat battles. These requirements were easily satisfied by players. Even players like Canary and Mini Bubble Gum would choose various suitable close-combat techniques as player skills and spells weren��t learned over the decade, but through the system instead. However, the natives weren��t that blessed. They could only focus on one expertise and it was tough enough for them, not to mention cultivating both spells and combat skills.


    And it was due to this that Rhode had focused his attention on the Demon Hunter Squad and Battle Mage Group.


    Both of these groups were unpopular in the Dragon Soul Continent, where some feared and refused to have dealings with them. The Demon Hunter Squad was basically made up of Half-Demons who were born through the evil transactions of Humans and Demons. It was due to this that many Half-Demons had the distinctive features of the Demons and one of the reasons why people were afraid of their appearances. In that group of people, some had abandoned themselves while some had chosen to challenge fate. They hoped to change the views that others had on them and blend into society. The Demon Hunter Squad was formed with this mission. They gathered the Half-Demons who weren��t convinced to abandon themselves and used their sharp senses to detect Demons and evil energy, roamed about the continent, defeated evil presences that threatened the people, and also rescued the other Half-Demons who had their hopes dashed. However, although these people were hardworking, the outside world was unwelcoming of them. But Rhode was clear that the Half-Demons were powerful in strength as they had the tainted blood of Demons flowing in them. Not only did they possess strong constitution, but they also had an abundance of spiritual energy. Some of the Half-Demons even possessed the talent and skills of the Demons. They also could manipulate flames, ice, and lightning, which was what Rhode needed.


    As for the Demon Hunter Squad, Rhode wasn��t as worried as Marlene about them. He had completed a series of ��The Light of Sorrow and Glory�� missions of the Half-Demons. Players had to become the middlemen between the Half-Demons and Humans in Black Fin Coast, resolve the misunderstandings of both sides, and fight alongside them to gain the Humans�� trust. The Half-Demons had a perfect ending when the mission ended. They gained the trust of the Humans and gained their own residential area in Black Fin Coast. On the other hand, the players received the Half-Demons�� thanks and precious equipment as gifts. Any players who had completed the missions had no doubts about the true hearts of the strange looking Half-Demons thereafter.


    However, their blissful days didn��t last long. After the Country of Darkness destroyed the Munn Kingdom borders, the Demon Hunter Squad moved out to defend the people and eventually died in battle�� Not sure if this could be considered as a venerable or lamentable ending.


    Rhode was confident in the Demon Hunter Squad. Moreover, he had dispatched his men to gather intelligence in Black Fin Coast. The information that he had received was similar to that in the games, which pumped up his confidence.


    It was the same for the Battle Mage Group. Most people knew that the Battle Mage Group was formed by Mages who had broken away from the Mage Association. Strictly speaking, the Battle Mage Group and Cultists were rather alike. However, Rhode knew clearly the history of the Battle Mage Group. The reason why they were formed was to search for a weapon that had gone missing in the long history and had utmost importance to them. Besides, he also had ways to guarantee that the Battle Mage Group would take the bait.


    Rhode was a player, after all, and players were the most sensitive about various legendary artifacts.


    After sending out the two letters, Rhode started waiting quietly.


    He believed that he would have two power teams of elites in his arsenal soon.


    ***


    The ice-cold wind whizzed.


    Sol paced by the entrance and gazed worriedly at the snowstorm. The freezing wind squeezed through the gap between the doors, but he didn��t feel the coldness at all. The middle-aged man wore leather armor covered with animal fur while an iron sword hung by his waist. He looked full of dignity with his bronze skin and burly physique, but a single glance was enough to differentiate him and ordinary Humans: there were two black, striking, backward-curving horns sticking out of his thick, messy brown hair.


    ��Sol, can you stop pacing up and down? I��m feeling dizzy already.��


    A woman sitting by the fireplace grumbled. Her slender body wrapped in a black armor and beautiful facial features were seductive and alluring. Of course, it was another matter for her fire-red, snake-like eyes and long hair that was burning in flames. This wasn��t just a figure of speech. If one took a closer look, one would discover the faint flames twitching between her red, long hair with specks of sparks bursting forth.


    ��I��m worried about Aboni and Elizabeth, that��s all.��


    The man came to a halt. He turned around and spread his arms apart, revealing a face of innocence.


    ��They��ve gone for a little too long. Although winter came early this time, they should have returned by now. Why haven��t I seen them yet?��


    ��Maybe they were captured?��


    Another woman curled up by the fireplace and donned in a cloak shivered. She opened her eyes wide and said anxiously. The man shook his head and shifted his gaze around the simple and crude building. This wasn��t their residence. Instead, it was merely an abandoned chapel in the wilderness. He had over 30 companions seated in the broken hall and their expressions were filled with fatigue and helplessness. But now, they had nowhere else to go�� Although they worked hard, reality was cruel. Most of the people here weren��t willing to accept them. Even though the rumored Battle Angel Army didn��t appear before them as they had expected to brandish their swords to eliminate ��bastards with tainted blood�� like them, Sol was worried that it was only a matter of time.


    ��Leader, they��re back!��


    A man yelled out. Sol looked out of the window and spotted two black figures lumbering forward. Shortly after, a young man and lady entered the chapel with a whole bag of items. They patted the snow off their bodies and sucked in a deep breath.


    ��Woah�� It��s freezing����


    The young man laid down the large bag and darted for the fireplace. The young lady took down her hood and revealed a sweet smile to Sol.


    ��Ah, Brother Sol, we��re back.��


    ��You two are finally back, Aboni, Elizabeth.��


    Sol heaved a sigh of relief.


    ��What happened? Why did you two go for so long? Didn��t I give instructions to purchase some rations from Old Carl to get through the winter? Why? Did something happen? Were you two captured by someone? Or perhaps�� Old Carl����


    ��No, Brother Sol. The snowstorm was too strong and it delayed our trip, so we took more time�� Ah!��


    The young lady let out a cry as though she had thought of something. She retrieved an envelope from the fold of her clothes.


    ��By the way, Brother Sol, this is for you.��


    ��An envelope?��


    Sol took it over and gazed at the young lady dubiously.


    ��Where did this come from?��


    ��I��m not too sure too. Mr. Carl handed the envelope to us and he said that it was a few days ago when someone requested him to pass it to us.��


    ��Oh?��


    Not only did the young lady who sat by the fireplace approach Sol, but the others gathered around the fireplace also crowded over. It could be considered an extremely fresh experience for the people of the Demon Hunter Squad. They had never received a letter from anyone and had always been the symbol of hatred and avoidance everywhere. Everyone feared being cursed just from simply speaking to them. And now, there actually was a letter?


    ��Hahaha. Is this written by Royal Highness Lydia? I heard that the Royal Highness is rather kind. Perhaps she will agree to let us find a job in the Munn Kingdom?��


    ��What are you talking about? Have you had too much to drinks? Royal Highness Lydia is an Archangel. Even though she is different from past Archangels, do you believe that she will care about people like us?��


    ��Aiya. Cut the crap, guys. Brother Sol, quickly open the envelope up and let us know!��


    ��Yea! Do it!��


    Under everyone��s urges, Sol opened up the envelope and retrieved the letter within. Then, his expression changed instantly as soon as he laid eyes on the letter. He eagerly read the entire content and lifted his head in a daze.


    ��What��s wrong? Sol? What��s written on it?��


    The red-haired young lady said impatiently while the others gazed curiously. Sol revealed a rather flustered look and swallowed his saliva. After calming himself down, he spoke.


    ��This�� came from the Land of Atonement�� The overlord of Grenbell has personally invited us to become his private soldiers����


    ��What?!��


    Everyone was rooted in their place.

 Chapter 642 - Two Letters. Two Paths (2/3)

    Chapter 642: Two Letters. Two Paths (2/3)


    ��Really?��


    Sol��s companions crowded around him to catch a glimpse at the content. Even though Sol was the most steady person in the entire group, he appeared seemingly to be struck heavily by a large hammer on the back of his head and couldn��t differentiate between coordinates. However, he forcefully sucked in a deep breath to calm himself down and shook his puzzled head.


    ��I don��t know, but the stamp on it looks real. The other party wants us to join and fight for him. As a reward, he will permit us to have our own homes in the Land of Atonement and guarantees that we will not be persecuted there����


    ��Let me take a look.��


    The red-haired young lady took over the letter and the crowd shifted to her side to listen attentively. ���� As the overlord of Paphield, I invite everyone to my territory in the name of the overlord. If you are willing, I believe that we will have a great time working together. I need your strength as Half-Demons to fight for me. As a reward, I will accord you the privileges of residing in the Fortress of my Land of Atonement. You will live as an official civilian of the Munn Kingdom. I understand your predicament, and I guarantee that none of you will be mistreated in my territory����


    The bustling broken hall gradually quietened to a silence as the red-haired young lady read aloud while the ice-cold wind whizzed. ���� As keepsake, I have included this badge. If you are willing to visit my Land of Atonement, head to the Fishermen Tavern in Black Fin Coast. I��ve prepared chariots there and as long as you flash this badge, the chariots will transport you to the Land of Atonement and there won��t be any obstructions along the way. I sincerely look forward to your arrival. Grenbell Overlord, Rhode Alander����


    The red-haired young lady lifted her head and turned to Sol. The latter took the letter over from her and slid the hard object out of the envelope. A badge in the shape of a four-pointed star emanating faint magical radiance landed on his hand. Sol gazed with a complicated glint and the others broke the silence.


    ��What should we do? What do you guys think?��


    ��Why does this sound like a trap to me? Is the Grenbell overlord really that kind? We��re Half-Demons! Aren��t they afraid that the Church will reproach them for offering shelter to us?��


    ��I feel that it��s strange too�� The overlord wouldn��t be thinking of sacrificing us for some mysterious and terrifying rituals, right��?��


    ��How is that possible? That guy��s an overlord and Munn Kingdom��s overlords are recognized by Royal Highness Lydia. If they were to carry out some evil rituals, how would Lydia allow them to? Besides, since the overlord appeared to be sincere in his invitation, I don��t see anything wrong with us trying it out.��


    ��But the Land of Atonement isn��t near and it��s winter now. Even if we move out tomorrow, we will need several days to reach there. I heard that the Land of Atonement is by the borders of the Munn Kingdom, so wouldn��t that be dangerous?��


    ��You��re such an idiot. The letter clearly stated that the overlord needs our strength for battle, so why would he need our help if it isn��t a dangerous place? Do you think that the military troops under the overlord are just for show? Surely there must be some dangers around for him to accept us. Can you use your brains?��


    ��I think�� There��s no harm in us trying. Since the other party appears sincere in inviting us, we might have a chance to break away from this nomadic life, isn��t it? Didn��t we escape all the way from the Country of Light for this opportunity? I don��t care what you guys think, but I��m definitely going!��


    ��What if it��s a trap? Aren��t you afraid? Besides, if he just wants to make use of us����


    ��What has that got to do with anything? Even if the situation gets worse, it won��t be much worse than now, right? We will at most die and finally free ourselves.��


    ������


    The remaining group pondered in silence. Indeed. Just as their companions had mentioned, how bad could the situation turn? They had inherited the powerful strength of the Demons, but it didn��t bring them any benefits at all. Their strange appearance scared everyone wherever they went and they had to sneak around like thieves even when purchasing food. Humans weren��t willing to get along with them and were afraid to be seen as the believers of the Demon. If this group of Half-Demons didn��t rescue this honest old man from the hands of the Cultists, perhaps he wouldn��t be willing to help them.


    However, they knew that they couldn��t move forward relying on such kindness. Perhaps they might change the opinions of one or two people, but they couldn��t alter the opinions of most people. It was this reason that the members of the Demon Hunter Squad was mentally exhausted. They felt that they were going against a massive, invisible fate and couldn��t resist and overthrow it no matter how hard they tried. Some of them even considered leaving the territory of the Country of Light once and for all to seek shelter in the Country of Darkness. Although the Country of Darkness wasn��t all that nice in treating Humans, the Half-Demons weren��t fully Humans already, after all.


    Under such a predicament, this letter that came from the Land of Atonement sparked their hopes. They didn��t know if this was a request from heaven or enticement from hell. In an instant, tongues were wagging in the group, but no one could convince anybody. Although all of them suffered from persecution and gathered together as a result, their opinions weren��t aligned at all. Some of them had enough of the torturous days of banishment and wandering aimlessly in their lives, which was why they were determined to take the risk. However, some were worried that it would be a trap to bait them into another conspiracy.


    ��Brother Sol, we��ll leave it to you to make a decision.��


    In the end, the group failed to come to a conclusion. Therefore, they shifted their gaze to Sol who was pondering in silence. However, before Sol voiced out his opinion, the red-haired young lady beside him let out a cough. After making sure she had captured everyone��s attention, she continued.


    ��Overlord of Grenbell�� I��ve heard about him. He��s the popular Mercenary Overlord, eh?��


    ��Now that you��ve mentioned����


    ��It��s indeed him����


    The title of ��Mercenary Overlord�� instantly reminded them. Even though they hadn��t been to the Munn Kingdom for a long time, they did hear about Rhode��s famous name, especially the rumors spreading among the mercenaries. He led a mercenary group with insufficient members to guild status and also became a noble overlord, which sounded too ��encouraging�� for the mercenaries. Various rumors about him had been spreading and even the Demon Hunter Squad which normally didn��t interact with Humans had also heard about this ��Mercenary Overlord��.


    The group had a mix of complicated emotions. An overlord born from a mercenary was much easier to approach than pure nobles. However, rumor has it that this overlord wasn��t one to mess with. He was considered a public enemy of the South, but on the contrary, Northerners were singing praises for him. But no matter which side it was, there were still worrying signs in the evaluation of the ��Mercenary Overlord��. All in all, he didn��t seem to be a kind-hearted man.


    ��I��ve decided.��


    Sol lifted his head and gazed at his companions. He sucked in a deep breath and continued.


    ��We shall head to the Land of Atonement�� No matter what he wants us to do, this is our only chance, after all.��


    ��But Brother Sol, that man doesn��t seem to be a nice person����


    ��It is this reason that we must head over all the more.��


    ��Eh?��


    The group jumped back in surprise because why would Sol take the risk despite knowing the dangers? Sol let out a bitter laugh and spread his arms apart.


    ��You see. Since even we know that the evaluations of this overlord aren��t great, I��m sure he knows about it too. We naturally will be on the alert after hearing the rumors and since he still invited us, it proves that he isn��t helping us out of sympathy. Instead, he truly needs our strength. The letter clearly indicated that he needs the strength of us, Half-Demons, to fight for him, so there surely won��t be easy battles in future. This isn��t giving alms to the poor, but rather a business transaction. We contribute with our strength and he gives us a shelter where we can fit in. I think that��s a fair exchange. So I��ve decided to head into the Land of Atonement. No matter what, this is our only chance left.��


    The group pondered in silence, but eventually nodded in agreement. However�� Some of them were still concerned.


    ��I don��t really trust that overlord. It��s understandable that he welcomes us, but he guarantees that we wouldn��t be discriminated in the Land of Atonement�� This sounds more like boasting to me.��


    Although the group was dubious, they were clear that they had no other choices left.

 Chapter 643 - Two Letters. Two Paths (3/3)

    Chapter 643: Two Letters. Two Paths (3/3)


    Pure white snow covered the contrasting black mountains. Rhode stood by the window and admired the snowflakes falling gently. The crackling fireplace behind him warmed the entire room. He turned around and gazed at the black-haired man donned in a Mage��s skin tight robe instead of the usual wide coat. The black-haired man had an extraordinary sword by his waist. It had a long sword hilt, which was almost as long as half a magic wand. On the contrary, its blade was extremely short and was slightly longer than a dagger��s. This was the unique weapon of the Battle Mage Group. Its design not only guaranteed Mages a convenience in spell casting, but also ensured the usage of menacing swordsmanship techniques.


    ��I know the reasons the Battle Mage Group has for breaking free of the Mage Association, Mr. Buster. The ancestor of the Battle Mage Group chose an unimaginable path in search for the integration of physical body and spells. He believed that the origin of spirits were unanimous and it was the same for spells and swordsmanship, apart from the way they displayed themselves. He longed for the integration of both and formed a new faction and would have succeeded were it not for the eruption of the Creation War. It was a pity that the ancestors of the Battle Mage Group weren��t able to survive after the long and drawn-out war. The members left one after another and the Battle Mage Group went through intense unrest. It was due to this reason that this staff the Battle Mage Group created through gathering the knowledge and intelligence of their ancestors disappeared to nowhere. It recorded the knowledge of the Battle Mage Group��s founder, Gran Berros, and his wisdom on the ultimate path. It was due to this that the Battle Mage Group has always been in search for the staff and longed for their past glory. But it was a pity that you guys haven��t been able to find it.��


    The black-haired man twitched his brows, sitting up straight on the chair like a javelin. His imposing manner made him look more like a strict, disciplined soldier than a Mage who sat in the library reading books all day. He stared at Rhode and emanated a solemn aura.


    ��Sir Overlord, I know that you understand the history of our Battle Mage Group after reading your letter. But I never expected you to know the details in depth. Frankly speaking, I even suspected if you were a member of our Battle Mage Group.��


    ��I wasn��t able to join the Battle Mage Group, but I have some insights.��


    Rhode replied calmly.


    ��Just as I��ve mentioned in the letter, I know your Battle Mage Group has been searching for the ��Soul Road�� Staff. But I��ve my own conditions too����


    ��Join your army and become your subordinate?��


    Buster interrupted and placed his hands on his knees, lifting his head to reveal a razor-sharp radiance from his eyes.


    ��Sir Overlord, since you understand the origins of our Battle Mage Group that well, I think you��re also aware that our Battle Mage Group has always been searching for the coming of honor and truth. It is due to this that we have fought against the Skeleton Creatures in the Eastern Plain for years. Although we haven��t given up in the search for the staff, we haven��t received any clues regarding it yet. And now, what kind of evidence do you have to prove that you know where the ��Soul Road�� is?��


    Rhode��s expression remain unchanged to Buster��s overbearing inquiries.


    ��I don��t need evidence. All I need is a promise.��


    ��Promise?��


    Buster frowned dubiously.


    ��That��s right, a promise, Mr. Buster. I can tell you everything you need to know about the ��Soul Road�� now���� Rhode reached into the fold in his clothes and retrieved a stack of parchment papers. ���� And you can lead your members to search for it there. My only request is that if the Battle Mage Group finds the staff, I hope that your group will join my army and become my subordinates. Your group will vow your loyalty and devotion and fight for me. I know the battle strength of the Battle Mage Group, Mr. Buster. Also, do you think I invited you all the way here just for fun?��


    Rhode placed the stack of papers on the table before Buster and the latter gazed silently.


    Unlike the Demon Hunter Squad that was at the end of their ropes, the Battle Mage Group was living freely in the Eastern Plains. In fact, just as Rhode had mentioned, even though the Battle Mage Group��s main goal was to search for the ��Soul Road�� Staff, they didn��t forget about their honor and that was to integrate their bodies and spiritual powers into one though endless battles and investigate the mysteries of the supreme spirits. It could also be said that if Rhode didn��t mention that he had clues to the Soul Road in the letter, the Battle Mage Group wouldn��t have sent someone out of the Eastern Plains and negotiate with him all the way in the Land of Atonement.


    Of course, Rhode understood the current situation of the Battle Mage Group. As a player who had his prestige at the ��Worship�� level in the Munn Kingdom, he had interacted with all sorts of different forces and he knew their weaknesses and distinctive features. After the years, the search for the Soul Road Staff was no longer just the simple recovery of a legendary artifact to the Battle Mage Group. Instead, they regarded it as a sign of their supreme belief, which Rhode trusted that they would take the bait.


    Indeed, After a few moments, Buster lifted his head and nodded in agreement.


    ��No problem, Sir Overlord. If your information helps us to recover the Soul Road, our Battle Mage Group will fight for you until the very end.��


    ��Alright then, that��s a deal.��


    The glint in Rhode��s eyes flashed. He extended his hand and pushed the stack of papers to Buster. The latter took it over without any hesitations and scrutinized the contents. His eyes widened in astonishment after reading the first two lines.


    ��Sir Overlord, this is����


    ��I guarantee that every single word written on it is true. You can check it out if you don��t trust me.��


    Rhode knew why Buster was so surprised because the content explained the specific location and attacking strategies which included the positions, routes, kinds of monsters, and BOSS��s weaknesses. This was the first time his calm, relaxed eyes revealed complex uncertainty because no matter how he got his head around it, he couldn��t understand how Rhode was that familiar with the details..


    ��Sir Overlord, but�� how did you����


    ��This is a trade secret, Mr. Buster. I can guarantee the authenticity of everything that��s written. You don��t have to know where I got my hands on the information.��


    ���� I understand, Sir Overlord.��


    Buster stood to his feet. Although he had the frame of mind to test the authenticity of Rhode��s words when he arrived at the Land of Atonement, his opinion had completely changed now. If what Rhode had written was all true, Buster would have no doubt that this young man wasn��t that simple in his identity. Even though Buster skimmed through the rest of the paper, he was no longer dubious of the authenticity of the information because it contained insider��s information that only the Battle Mage Group knew and such information couldn��t be fabricated based on one��s understanding of them. Besides, Buster suspected that there might be some secrets to Rhode��s true identity. Although he knew that Rhode came from the Eastern Plains, ordinary nobles weren��t too sure about the history of the Battle Mage Group as everything was kept strictly secret to the outside world. Moreover, the details revealed were only known to the higher-ups of the Battle Mage Group. Therefore, there were two possible scenarios: first, one of the higher-ups of the group had betrayed and leaked the secrets, or second, the young overlord had a close relationship with an ex-higher-up of the group.


    No matter which possibility it was, Buster couldn��t keep calm. He tucked the stack of paper into the folds of his clothes and bowed solemnly.


    Rhode gazed at Buster��s hasty departure on his horse and smiled with his eyes. He was sure that the Battle Mage Group had taken the bait completely.


    At this moment, the room door opened and Rhode heard Marlene��s voice behind him.


    ��Mr. Rhode, how did it go?��


    ��Everything��s great, Marlene.��


    Rhode turned to the young lady and shrugged while the latter faced him with complicated emotions. Rhode had explained to her why he wished the Demon Hunter Squad and Battle Mage Group would join his army, but she couldn��t accept his explanations as she couldn��t understand why Rhode would take this dangerous risk as an overlord. The dangers of leading a team of elites and penetrating from the enemy��s rear was much more dangerous than leading a whole army of soldiers attacking upfront. Not only that, but Rhode was still the overlord and his identity didn��t belong just to himself. If an accident happened to him, it would mean that everything would be destroyed. Therefore, Marlene objected to Rhode��s risky tactics.


    ��I still don��t agree with your method, Rhode. Such a risky way isn��t suitable for an overlord or noble.��


    ��But we have to do this for the sake of victory, Marlene. We will lose our lives if we fail. My territory will be razed to the ground. My people will be slaughtered and I will also be murdered. If we fail to secure ourselves the victory, the end will never change.��


    ��But�� I��m still worried����


    Marlene pressed her hand on Rhode��s chest.


    ��Do you really think this is fine, Rhode?��


    ��Don��t worry, Marlene. I won��t fail.��


    Rhode stroked her soft cheek gently and lowered his head.

 Chapter 644 - Criticism & Raid

    Chapter 644: Criticism & Raid


    The young lady in Rhode��s embrace leaned in closely. Both of them were extremely familiar with this sensation after their long-term intimate interactions. Rhode had expected to have a sweet ending for the night, but��


    A finger pushed against his lips and stopped his advances.


    ��Marlene?��


    Rhode gazed dubiously at her. He realized that Marlene appeared a little off at the moment. Her smile was filled with a sense of confidence and something else he couldn��t explain clearly. Although her soft, slender body had leaned into him, she behaved peculiarly.


    ��Don��t think you can get away with it, Rhode.��


    ��I don��t intend to.��


    Rhode shrugged in surprise. In fact, what he said was the truth. He was confident that he wouldn��t fail, but it served no purpose for him to explain further. However, what astonished him was that Marlene shook her head unexpectedly.


    ��I wasn��t referring to that, Rhode�� It��s regarding Lize. Don��t you have something to say to me?��


    ������


    Rhode stood in amazement.


    Back then, he had expected the day would arrive when he first pushed Lize down on the bed. However, he also had mixed emotions regarding this matter because, strictly speaking, Marlene was his woman. But he didn��t treat her as his girlfriend, or perhaps, if Rhode were to assess her as the one who he had to love with all his heart, pamper, and marry in the future, then their relationship wasn��t this way at all. The start of their intimate relationship was an accident and things developed naturally thereafter. Marlene had never requested for Rhode to call her loving names while he had never intended to say that he would only love her forever. The development of their relationship had always been mutual. Rhode viewed the situation regarding Lize with an open mind. But he also knew that Marlene wouldn��t simply nod and agree to his words.


    Therefore, Rhode had left this matter aside just like his relationship with Canary. Even though Lize and Marlene knew about their relationship, they had never mentioned it. But now, Marlene raised this question to him and he didn��t know how to give an answer.


    Fortunately, Rhode was experienced in these situations. His expression stiffened for a short moment. Then, he looked into the young lady��s eyes quietly and revealed a smile.


    ��It seems that you know about it?��


    ��Of course. Lize is my best friend, so how can I not know?��


    Marlene displayed a smile abruptly and took a step away from his embrace. Before Rhode came to his senses��


    Smack!


    A sharp, intense pain struck his cheek and forced a painful shriek out of him. Marlene swung her right wrist and showed a satisfied expression. ��I��ve finally taken my revenge, Rhode. Ah, but I��ve to put it up front. I didn��t slap you because you did things with Lize behind my back. Instead, this is for my defenseless best friend who was discontent that you pushed and held her down on bed, that��s all.��


    ��If you put it that way�� I don��t really have any reasons to retort.��


    Rhode touched his stinging cheek and let out a bitter laugh. He had to admit that Marlene had indeed found a decent entry point which he could only accept hopelessly. Marlene nodded in satisfaction and took a few steps back. She smiled, lifted the hem of her skit and bowed respectfully.


    ��Alright then, Rhode, I hope you��ll have a good dream.��


    Marlene turned around and left, leaving Rhode alone in the middle of the room. The room door shut tightly. Rhode laid down his hand and shrugged helplessly. It seemed that this young lady wasn��t as mindful as he thought she would be�� Nevertheless, is this considered my punishment? Rhode turned around and let out a sigh at the sight of the empty room.


    I should just go to bed��


    ��Is that really fine? Marlene?��


    Lize waited anxiously by the corridor. She turned to her close friend worriedly as soon as the flames in Rhode��s room were extinguished.


    ��Will Mr. Rhode be fine�� Should I�� check on him����


    ��Don��t think about slipping away, alright, Lize? Didn��t we agree to it? If you give up so easily, wouldn��t it spoil everything that we��ve done?�� Marlene unrolled a witty smile and stuck out her lips.


    ��Besides, weren��t you the one who suggested this?��


    ��But�� If we treat Mr. Rhode this way����


    Lize lowered her head with a hesitant expression. ���� Besides�� Should we do it? Marlene�� I�� feel embarrassed thinking about it����


    ��Don��t worry too much. We��ll have to do it sooner or later.��


    Marlene stroked Lize��s hair gently.


    ��It��s late now, so let��s call it a day�� Eh?��


    Marlene turned around abruptly and looked at the other end of the corridor. There was nothing apart from the flickering candle flames. Lize lifted her head curiously and followed Marlene�� gaze.


    ��What��s wrong? Marlene? What happened?��


    ���� That��s weird. I thought I saw someone walking by there, but there isn��t anyone����


    Marlene frowned and scanned the corridor. Then, she shook her head.


    ��I��m probably too tired�� Let��s go, Lize.��


    Although Rhode considered it a loss to miss an opportunity to spend a great night with Marlene, he didn��t dwell on it. He entered dreamland as soon as he laid on the bed. The dense darkness of the sky shrouded the whole Fortress, where even the magic crystal candles along the corridor dimmed drastically. At this moment, the magical candle flames flickered as a gust of wind emanating green radiance blew through the corridor. It penetrated through the thick doors and fluttered the curtains. Then, it whirled on the spot and transformed into a slender, beautiful figure.


    ������


    Anne emerged in the middle. Her emerald green eyes wandered about and emanated an indistinct brilliance. The bright moonlight penetrated the thick clouds and illuminated her flawless, fair naked body. Instead of standing upright, she was on all fours and let out a soft growl in her throat. Then, she got closer to Rhode while the green whirlwind twined around her silently.


    Surprisingly, Rhode didn��t sense her presence at all. Anne twitched her tiny nose. She swiftly pulled herself back and extended her right hand with a confused expression as though she didn��t know what she should do. She wanted to grab his arm, but withdrew as though she was afraid. Then, she stretched her hand out again and shrunk back again.


    ���� Grrr����


    Anne let out deep mournful sounds in her throat after her continuous failed attempts. Then, she stooped over and shut her eyes.


    Shortly after, the room once again returned to its tranquility.


    It was already morning when Rhode opened his eyes. The morning sunlight could be seen beaming down from the azure sky after the darkness of the night had given way and melted away like snow. Rhode took in a deep breath of air and sat up. But something captured his attention as soon as he tried to get down the bed. He was speechless after he looked down closely.


    A fully naked Anne was curled up beside his bed and snoring away. Her face was full of contentment and blissfulness. If one didn��t consider the location where she was lying on at the moment, then this would just be another scene in Anne��s lazy day.


    But now�� What��s this situation now?


    Rhode would have believed that there was some ��accident�� if he found a naked Anne beside him on the bed. But now, she was sleeping on the floor instead. What��s going on?


    What made Rhode puzzled the most was�� How did Anne sneak into his room?


    Rhode was currently level 50 and even though he hadn��t transcended into the Legendary Stage, his senses weren��t all that bad too. Apart from presences in the Legendary Stage or beings like Gracier and Madaras who possessed unique techniques, it had always been tough for others to sneak up on him even when he was in deep sleep. And now, he didn��t realize that Anne actually came into his room?


    However, now wasn��t the time to think about this problem. Rhode puckered his brows and held her shoulder to push her gently.


    ��Anne, wake up. Anne.��


    ��Mm��?��


    She opened her eyes dazedly. She slowly lifted her head in bewilderment and showed a sweet, cheerful smile when she spotted him.


    ��Ah�� Leader�� Good morning�� Did you come�� and wake�� Anne up?��


    ��That��s my question for you, Anne. What were you doing in my room?��


    ��Hmm?��


    Anne��s emerald green eyes glinted with doubts. She looked around curiously before jumping to her feet and opening her eyes wide.


    ��Ehhh?! Why is Anne here?��


    ��You don��t remember?��


    Rhode knitted his brows. The young lady didn��t seem to be lying and she didn��t have the habit of telling lies either. But that would be too strange and it sounded even more ridiculous than a horror story for Anne to not have any impressions of her coming into his room. Could it be that Anne sleepwalks? That��s impossible. No one has seen her sleepwalking.


    ��Anne doesn��t remember at all.��


    Anne firmly shook her head.


    ��Anne remembers clearly that Anne was sleeping in Anne��s room�� and never came to Leader��s room.��


    ��How strange.��


    Rhode shook his head. Anne��s disruptive behaviors had decreased a lot after his return. She usually wouldn��t run around all over the place and would either observe Rhode doing his work or be soundly asleep on the table. However, her peculiar behaviors could still be seen such as when she approached the male mercenaries, where she would be as frightened as a kitten and keep a distance away from them. Not only that, but she would also ridiculously emanate an unprecedented aura. All in all, Rhode felt that Anne��s situation was turning for the better.


    But now, it seems that her conditions have deteriorated?


    ��Anyway, put this on.��


    Although there were many unsolved problems at the moment, the issue with her dressing was the main priority now. Rhode knew that Anne loved to sleep naked since the guild was still a mercenary group. It wasn��t only once or twice that he had seen her feeling the breeze in her half-naked self. Fortunately, she had restrained herself a lot under Lize��s guidance and she wouldn��t run about naked before everyone.


    But now��


    Rhode was glad that he didn��t do ��it�� with Marlene last night. If not, the situation would turn really awkward if Anne were to sneak into his room in the middle of the night. But even so, the current situation was equally dangerous. Fortunately, Rhode had the habit of waking up early to work out in the cooling morning after coming to this world. If not, he wouldn��t be able to clear himself of the accusation if Lize and Marlene were to see Anne sleeping naked in his room.


    Most of them were still sleeping at this hour. After covering Anne up with the blanket, Rhode dragged her out of his room and got her to return to her room. She didn��t grumble to Rhode��s decision. In fact, she was still in a daze and didn��t figure out what exactly had happened.


    ��Mmm����


    Anne closed her room door and plopped into her comfortable bed, squinting and letting out a comfortable groan. She opened her eyes wide and gazed at the ceiling in silence.


    What��s going on��


    Her head was full of doubts as her eyes wandered around her room. Like Rhode, she couldn��t figure out why she had gone into his room. She should have been in her room all night, but why�� She shook her head and pulled the blanket over her, twitching her nose.


    It��s Rhode��s smell.


    After smelling the familiar scent, she felt her heart pumping uncontrollably and numbness spread throughout her body like a jolt of lightning. She felt as though she was floating in the air; comfortable and light. There was an instant where Anne hoped to be immersed in this state forever, abandoning everything and not thinking about anything else.


    So comfortable��


    Anne stared blankly�� She remembered that she felt this way before�� Yes, that was a long time ago. Rhode had once grabbed her bosom and she felt equally comfortable as though something was burning inside her and longing to be released. Could it be due to Leader��s presence that my body has become so strange?


    ��Leader����


    Anne shut her eyes and mumbled to herself.

 Chapter 645 - Town of Miracle (1/2)

    Chapter 645: Town of Miracle (1/2)


    That��s the fortress of the Land of Atonement.


    Sol sucked in a deep breath of cold air and placed his hand on his chest. He had never felt this nervous before. The Demon Hunter Squad had decided to try their luck in the Land of Atonement and everything went smoothly. They brought the badge included in the envelope and found the massive chariot. Even though they were interrogated several times along the way, they were let through safely after displaying the badge. Fewer and fewer of them believed that the invitational letter wasn��t deliberately sent by their enemies or from one trying to play a prank on them. But it was due to this that they grew more nervous as they approached the Land of Atonement, and even the livelier ones became uncharacteristically quiet.


    Sol shook his head. He knew what was going through their heads and in fact, he felt the same. They were assured that this Mercenary Overlord was indeed sincere, but would they be able to take up this heavy responsibility? What if their performance failed to satisfy the overlord? Would they be driven out by him?��


    We can��t fail.


    Sol clenched his fists. This was their first and probably last chance.


    At this moment, the chariot came to a halt. Then, a frail voice sounded.


    ��Alright, everyone, please get down. Chariots can��t enter the Fortress unless they have special approval.��


    Sol pulled down his hood and beckoned to his companions. Although Rhode��s letter clarified that they wouldn��t be judged in his Fortress, they were used to letting their guard up after living in isolation for years. They put on their cloaks and concealed their faces before jumping off the chariot.


    ��Oh, Lord����


    The Half-Demons exclaimed in awe as soon as they looked up at the majestic, towering fortress. They murmured under their breath. Even though they had seen several cities and fortresses along the way, none of them were as magnificent as this fortress in the Land of Atonement. The solid walls, gigantic arrow towers that shot into the clouds, and straight, pitch-black sword piercing the ground. The group couldn��t breathe in this pressurizing atmosphere. They had never seen such an imposing fortress, especially when they spotted the towering walls blending into one with both sides of the mountain range.


    It was noon and there weren��t too many people roaming outside the fortress. However, the Demon Hunter Squad��s strange outfits attracted a lot of attention. Shortly after, two to three fully-armored mercenaries approached them from the huge entrance. They pressed their hand on the sword hilt and vigilantly scanned the strange-looking group of fellas wrapped up in cloaks.


    ��Who are you guys? What business do you have with the fortress?��


    The Demon Hunter Squad flustered instantly, but Sol gestured for them to remain calm and pulled down the edge of his hood to ensure that his face was fully covered. Then, he took large strides forward, but he was astonished after scrutinizing the mercenaries.


    As Half-Demons, Sol��s sensitivity toward magical powers was naturally sharper than others. He instantly sensed traces of magical powers emanating from their equipment. The badge on their chest and sword by their waist let out a faint aura and even their armor let out an indistinct radiance. If the mercenaries were equipped disorderly, perhaps it could be said that they were wearing their own items. But the magical undulation spreading from their bodies was similar and this explained that the magical equipment was prepared specially for them, which left Sol astounded. He had been living the life of a nomad and seen lots of situations. With his experiences, he knew that even the official private soldiers perhaps wouldn��t be gifted with that much magical equipment! But now, even the mercenaries on gatekeeper duties were treated this well in this fortress?


    Sol was terrified by this thought, but he calmed himself down, taking large strides forward and displayed the badge.


    ��We��re not suspicious personnel. We��ve received an invitation from Sir Overlord to come here.��


    ��Leader��s invitation?��


    The leading mercenary was surprised. He took over the badge and narrowed his eyes to scan it in detail. Then, he nodded. ��Yes�� This seems right. But���� the mercenary looked at Sol curiously and shifted his gaze to the group of people wrapped in black cloaks. He puckered his brows.


    ��Why are you guys being so secretive? What��s there to not show yourselves? Pull up your hoods! Not anyone can just enter the fortress like this. How would we know who you are if you don��t show your faces!��


    ��This����


    Sol felt rather helpless. He let out a cough and considered risking it. Suddenly, an aloof voice sounded from behind the mercenaries.


    ��What happened?��


    ��Ah, Madam Agatha.��


    The mercenaries instantly stood upright and turned back with respectful expressions.


    ��This is what happened�� These people said that Sir Leader has invited them to the fortress, but they are all wrapped up so tightly and seem to be up to no good����


    Sol and the other Half-Demons followed the gaze of the mercenaries. Then, they were rooted in their place.


    A young lady emerged from under the shadow leisurely. She had a cute face with fair skin and her light blue eyes revealed an indifferent glint. If they were to look at her upper body only, she would no doubt be an adorable lady to their likings. However, as they shifted their gaze down, even they, the Half-Demons, were left speechless.


    Countless slippery tentacles swayed below her waist, sliding the young lady forward in silence and a few drops of water flowed down from it. Unlike the Human��s straight long hair that draped over their shoulders, her hair was curled up and tiny suction pads of the tentacles could be clearly seen under the beaming sun.


    W-What is that?!


    Logically speaking, the Half-Demons who were feared by Humans shouldn��t have too much of a reaction toward Half-Human creatures. However, they stepped back in fright as soon as they witnessed Agatha. They couldn��t be blamed though. Even though the Half-Demons appeared different from Humans, there weren��t too different, after all. They would at most grow horns on their heads or have a pair of goat hooves on their feet. But now, this young lady looked nothing like a Human at all!


    On the contrary, the mercenaries weren��t astonished by her looks and they bowed respectfully before passing the badge over. Agatha took over the badge gently and ��drifted�� toward Sol after scrutinizing it. She approached with a calm, indifferent expression and brought along an ice-cold air that sent a chill down the spine of this robust Half-Demon.


    ��You represent the Demon Hunter Squad, right? Master has been waiting for your arrival. Please follow me.��


    A tentacle extended from her side and returned the badge to Sol. Sol took half a step back and realized that his behavior was rather embarrassing�� Therefore, he gritted his teeth, pulled up the hood that was covering his face and accepted the badge.


    ��Thank you, Miss.��


    ��You��re welcome.��


    Even though Sol revealed his face, Agatha��s expression remain unchanged as though she were an expressionless statue. The mercenaries looked at Sol��s face curiously. They exchanged a few words with one another and returned to their posts. This surprised Sol��s group as they expected the mercenaries to yell out in horror and draw their swords while surrounding all of them. They had experienced such a scenario in many other places.


    Most of the Half-Demons felt relieved. They carefully pulled up their hoods and followed Agatha into the Fortress. What astonished them was that even though there weren��t many people in the Fortress, no one was giving them weird looks. Although some passersby would look curiously, they quickly turned back as though it was just another normal day. Some of the Half-Demons felt glad yet disappointed because this was the first time that they had revealed their faces in public and they didn��t gather too much attention. Although this was the treatment that they had hoped for, they felt some conflicting emotions when their wishes had come true.


    Of course, they didn��t think that the people here hadn��t seen any Demons before. In fact, some of the people had indeed revealed horrified expressions, which the Half-Demons had gotten used to. But instead of running off, these people only subconsciously kept a distance.


    As Sol��s companions were sizing up the residents and fortress with curious gaze, he attentively examined everything. He had discovered that the reason why his people didn��t gather too much attention. There were too many ��abnormal�� presences in the entire fortress. He saw a dozen ��people�� who were extremely similar to Agatha passing by them and no matter the mercenaries or residents, they were already used to them��


    But who are they exactly?


    Sol shifted his gaze from a ��young lady�� who was extending her tentacles and wiping the statue on the plaza to Agatha. He was sure that he had never heard or seen these ��people��. The young ladies�� adorable appearance and pointy ears were similar to that of the Elves. But�� was there such a race in the Elves?


    As Sol thought about this question, Agatha came to an abrupt halt. Then, her apathetic voice sounded.


    ��We��re here.��

 Chapter 646 - Town of Miracle (2/2)

    Chapter 646: Town of Miracle (2/2)


    The group of Half-Demons was bewildered as they entered the entrance and strode through the clean, spacious corridor. These pitiful nomads had never been to such formal and elegant venue since they were born. Sol cautiously followed Agatha and turned back to ensure that his companions were fine from time to time. These dauntless warriors in the battlefield had become nervous and timid like little rabbits. How amusing.


    As the group neared the hall, a dark figure flitted by and stopped them from moving farther.


    ��Agatha, are they the helpers that the fellow has mentioned?��


    A young lady donned in an elegant dress placed a finger on her lips and let out a chuckle. Her two black ponytails swayed along with her movements. Then, she narrowed her burgundy eyes and lifted her chin, gazing at the Half-Demons in disdain. She let out a snort.


    ��I thought that fellow was referring to some powerful helpers. At the end of the day, it��s just a group of bastards. What a waste of my time to check on them personally. How disappointing. That fellow could have told me if he wanted such a standard of helpers. There��s a bunch of slaves in Hell that are much more useful than them.��


    ���� De�� Demon����


    Although Celestina��s words were full of disdain and arrogance, Sol��s group weren��t furious at all. Instead, they looked on with ashen expressions and trembled on their feet. The red-haired young lady behind Sol turned pale and pea-sized sweat beads dripped from her forehead. Without the need of explanation, the tainted bloodline in them was enough for them to recognize the Demon��s identity.


    A high-class Demon.


    Everyone including Sol had the urge to kneel down and serve Celestina immediately as soon as they heard her voice. The Demon bloodline flowing in them shuddered and the strict hierarchy between the Demons struck them. If it weren��t for the other half of the Human bloodline diluting the urge and their prides holding themselves back, perhaps they would have held their breaths before the black-haired young lady.


    ��Demon!��


    The red-haired young lady bellowed and flashed her curved blade. She ground her teeth and stared at Celestina. The latter squinted and revealed a menacing glint in her burgundy eyes.


    ��What? Who do you think you are to challenge me? How brave. Come on, show me what you��re worth����


    Celestina stretched out her hand and several thorny whips flew out from her sleeves. Sol��s group stared in disbelief. They didn��t know what they should do in this situation. Even though they tried to draw their weapons to resist this terrifying Demon, the Demon bloodline in them held them back entirely. The respect from deep down in their soul and blood was conflicting violently with their willpower.


    On the other hand, neither did Agatha react to Celestina��s actions nor console Sol��s group. She watched on from the side nonchalantly as though it was just a plain wall before her and nothing was there.


    The tense atmosphere around them was on the verge of breaking. At this moment, a white figure dove from above.


    ��Big Sister!��


    Celia spread her gorgeous wings and stood by Celestina��s side in resentment.


    ��Master only allowed you to meet the future members who will fight alongside us and not let you frighten them. How are you going to answer to Master if you do this?��


    ��Why must I care about what he thinks?��


    Celestina glared fiercely at Celia. She folded her arms and nodded at Sol��s group.


    ��You see, Celia. Are these guys worthy of fighting alongside us? Look at them. They can��t even control the urge flowing in their blood and they still want to battle? Hmph. Wouldn��t the other Demons laugh their heads off if they knew that this bunch of noobs were fighting shoulder to shoulder with me? What a joke!��


    ��Master thinks that they are capable enough and I trust Master��s judgment.��


    ��You��re only good at following his bum and you��ve always been this way. You wouldn��t know what you should do without being a follower. Hmph. A rascal will always be a rascal. Anyway, this bunch of noobs to me are����


    Before Celestina finished her sentence, she felt an invisible large hand choking on her throat that forced her to swallow her words. In an instant, two petite figure emerged beside her.


    Two Elf young girls who looked between 12 to 13 years of age appeared, wide, white robes wrapped around their petite body, making them look like friars. Their pointy ears and silky, long golden hair revealed their identities. However, what surprised the Half-Demons was that they didn��t realize when exactly when the two young girls appeared beside Celestina.


    ���� Big Sister Gracier, Big Sister Madaras, I����


    A ghastly whiteness spread over Celestina��s face, overwhelming the arrogance and disdain which turned into horror. The two Elves stood silently and nodded to Celia. Then, they each held Celestina��s hands and the Demon young lady was stricken into silence. She was like a puppet with its lines cut off and dragged away by Gracier and Madaras.


    ��Phew����


    Celia heaved a sigh of relief. She approached Sol��s group and bowed solemnly.


    ��I apologize on behalf of Celestina. She has always acted this way, so please don��t take it to heart. Master is waiting for your arrival and I will take my leave now.��


    Celia turned around and left.


    Sol��s group returned to their senses. They exchanged puzzled and confused looks with one another. After all, everything that had just happened surpassed their common sense and reached an unknown realm.


    ��Oh, Lord. W-What exactly is going on? What on earth is this place?��


    The red-haired young lady kept her curved blade, but her complicated expression represented the thoughts of all the other Half-Demons. They believed that they had fallen into a trap as soon as they sensed the formidable demonic powers emanating from Celestina. But they were dumbfounded when Celia descended from above and rescued them from the predicament. Angels and Demons should have been sworn enemies and it would be as expected of them to settle their scores here. But they didn��t expect that the Battle Angel young lady actually conversed with the High-class Demon and even called her big sister!


    This was the first time that they suspected if they were under the influence of an illusion spell. If not, how would they even witness something this absurd?


    Moreover, the Demon who threw her weight about before the Battle Angel turned into a frightened mouse who had seen a hungry cat as soon as the two Elves emerged. Is this still the Dragon Soul Continent that I know? Is this still the world that we��re living in? In an instant, these questions filled their heads.


    But, at this moment, Agatha��s apathetic voice sounded once again.


    ��Please follow me, everyone.��


    Agatha dragged their confused heads back to reality. They sheathed their weapons and followed Agatha closely. But, this time, they were thrilled, curious, and worried in meeting this Mercenary Overlord. Not only did they see the strange Ocean Elves, but they also witnessed an incredible, peaceful scene which involved an Angel, Demon, and Elves�� So then, what would that Mercenary Overlord who conquered the fortress and territory be like?

 Chapter 647 - Formal Tactic

    Chapter 647: Formal Tactic


    The group arrived in Rhode��s study room at the top floor of the fortress. The pitch-black, solid wooden door was brimming with dignity. Sol swallowed his saliva while the Half-Demons behind him were unusually anxious. No matter what, a person who could dominated Elves, Angel, and Demon must be a terrifying presence. However, Agatha had no intentions of consoling the faraway guests. She stepped forward without turning around and knocked on the door.


    ��Master, the guests are here.��


    ��Come in.��


    A deep voice sounded inside the room. Agatha opened the door and beckoned to the Half-Demons beside her.


    We have no way out now.


    Sol sucked in a deep breath. He pressed down the creases on his clothes and lifted his head with all the courage that he had mustered. He entered the room in big strides while his companions followed closely. Then, they witnessed the young man sitting in the center of the elegantly decorated room.


    Before they headed to the Land of Atonement, they had done some research regarding this overlord. Apart from the rumors surrounding him, the most that they had heard about was the number of beauties around him and his beautiful facial features��of course, they knew not to mention about this before him.


    They discovered that the rumors weren��t even close to describing this young man. Although they were mentally prepared in meeting him and imagined his appearance, their heart skipped a beat as soon as they saw him with their own eyes. If it weren��t for Rhode��s ice-cold expression and the male noble attire, perhaps they would��ve mistook him for a young, gorgeous lady.


    ��Hi there, everyone.��


    Rhode nodded to them. But he remained seated and squinted to scan the Half-Demons in his room. It was apparent that they were being overcautious and flustered. Some of them peeked at the chairs for a seat while some stood nervously on the spot. Although this was their first meeting, Rhode was sure that they were the ones that he remembered clearly in his memories and they had fought with these NPCs shoulder to shoulder in the game. But now, he had become their commander and he felt that fate was an amazing thing. He sized up Sol, the leader of the Half-Demons. In his memories, Sol had always been a calm, steady person and well-liked by the players. Some of the female players who had too much time on their hands had even ranked him as the ��Top 10 man to marry��. However, Sol appeared seemingly nervous and uncomfortable. He didn��t dare to speak a word, but it made Rhode even more fascinated about him.


    ��Please have a seat. Don��t stand on ceremony.��


    Rhode extended his hand and gestured. The Half-Demons carefully sat down on the chairs, but they fidgeted uncomfortably as though they were worried that they would dirty the luxurious chair and get reprimanded for it. However, Rhode wasn��t mindful about that at all. He nodded as a greeting.


    ��As the overlord of Grenbell, I welcome all of you here. I know you��ve thought about it deeply before making this decision. I won��t be elaborating too much, and all I have to say is that you won��t regret your choice.��


    ��Sir Overlord.��


    Sol stood up and bowed respectfully.


    ��It is our honor to receive your invitation�� But I have a few questions that I wish for clarifications. I hope you won��t be offended by it.��


    ��What questions?��


    Rhode nodded inwardly even though his expression remain unchanged. Although he appeared rather tense when he entered the room, he calmed himself down just like he was in the game.


    ��Sir Overlord. Although you��ve mentioned about it in the letter, we still aren��t too sure about our duties as your subordinates. Sir, you are also aware that we��re Half-Demons and it doesn��t seem like you��re simply recruiting us into your private army only. Also�� Sir, where did you hear about us, the Demon Hunter Squad? We are sure that we��ve never met before����


    Of course we have never met before. Not in this world, that is.


    Rhode displayed an inward smile. He folded his arms and sat back on his chair. He gazed at the man before eventually nodding.


    ��Good questions, Mr. Sol. The reason why I��ve invited you guys here isn��t because I hope your group will just become my subordinates. Instead, I need your strength as Half-Demons, which is why I��ve chosen your group. I know that you guys have received criticism and unfair treatments for possessing the powers of the Demons. But now, I need your strength for battle because, in the future, we will face a dangerous war and I need formidable people I can trust. You guys fit my requirements and as for how I know your group exists����


    Rhode spread his arms apart and shrugged.


    ��It��s only a coincidence. I unknowingly heard from the traveling merchants that there��s a group of Half-Demons who specially assisted Humans by Black Fin Coast. I began my investigations on your group thereafter and believed that you guys are trustworthy, which was why I sent out an invitation letter.��


    ������


    Sol nodded and pondered in silence. Rhode��s explanation was as he had expected. However, he didn��t expect that this young noble overlord would be this straightforward. Sol thought that nobles loved to beat about the bush, but Rhode��s behavior surpassed his expectations. It seemed that the rumors regarding this ��Mercenary Overlord�� was reasonable. Sol felt like he was speaking to a guild leader instead of a noble��straightforward and open-minded, which was much easier to maintain the conversation.


    At this moment, Rhode continued.


    ��Of course, I��m not forcing everyone here. I have to put this up front. If you guys become my subordinates, you will undoubtedly face unprecedented dangers. I need to make this point clear. I need you guys to fight alongside me, which means that you will face enemies that are several times larger in quantity and death will be inevitable. If any mistakes are made, I will possibly abandon and sacrifice your members to ensure the victory and success of the battles. I hope you will be mentally prepared for that. But, as a reward, I will allow you to reside in the Land of Atonement and obtain the legal identity I mentioned in the letter. I��m sure you��ve experienced that this city doesn��t discriminate special beings such as yourselves and the mercenaries and soldiers under me won��t hold any prejudice against you. But if you hope to change the impression you leave on others, you��ll need to change it yourselves. All I can do is to give you a chance and I hope you won��t let me down.��


    ��Yes, I understand. Thank you for your kind reminder, Sir Overlord.��


    Although Rhode��s words sounded rather irresponsible, Sol bowed deeply to him. As Half-Demons, he knew clearer than anyone else the importance of Rhode��s words. As the saying went, ��whoever is pitiful must have a cause to be despised��. Nobody could wash one��s hands of innocence no matter how pathetic and despised one was. It was due to this reason that Half-Demons had a bad reputation in people��s minds. Their unique appearances was only one aspect. Humans barely accepted the looks of Elves, dwarves, and even Half-Beasts. But as for the Half-Demons, humans could never accept them. This had something to do with the Half-Demons�� behaviors. As they were mainly the product of a tragedy, there was no future for a life born between a Demon and Human. Living in such a hopeless life and under fearful gazes, many Half-Demons abandoned their pride. They lived in self-pity over their tainted bloodline and betrayed their body and soul to bring pain and hatred to the living creatures of this world. On the Dragon Soul Continent, there were many Half-Demons who were Demon worshipers and it was due to this that the Half-Demons were viewed as enemies. This was an unbreakable vicious cycle. The more the Humans were hateful toward the Half-Demons, the more the Half-Demons abandoned themselves to harm Humans, in turn getting hated even more. To ordinary Humans, the Half-Demons were a symbol of evil and danger. It could also be said that Sol was part of the minority who was desperate to change his life around. This minority was as rare as the precious pandas.


    Therefore, Rhode didn��t even try to console them. Instead, he hit the nail on the head and told them that if they wished to change others�� judgment on them, they had to work hard in order to succeed. This was what Sol wished to hear. If Rhode emphasized that everyone welcomed them here and the Half-Demons didn��t need to worry about their lives here, perhaps Sol would suspect if Rhode was deceiving him. But it seemed that Rhode indeed had a deep understanding of their identities. The truth usually wasn��t nice to hear, but it was also equally hard to confess. Besides, it was regarding changing others�� impression of them, which was a rare opportunity to come.


    ��I understand what you mean, Sir Overlord.��


    Sol had decided. He turned around and gazed at his companions. Then, he turned back and bowed solemnly.


    ��Frankly speaking, we��ve had a lot of doubts about the content of the letter before we came here. But now, I��ve made up my mind. Our Demon Hunter Squad accepts your invitation and become your subordinates. We will fight for you no matter how dangerous the battles will be and as long as you give us an order, we will not back down even if we have to head down to the depths of Hell.��


    ��At least you won��t need to head down to Hell, for now.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Sol revealed an awkward expression and Rhode stood to his feet.


    ��Alright then, as the overlord of Grenbell, I officially welcome you�� I believe you��ll soon realize that this is the right decision.��


    Sol seemed to have noticed a smile glinting in the young overlord��s eyes, but he wasn��t sure about that.


    The puzzle in Rhode��s hands was almost complete with the arrival of the Demon Hunter Squad. The final piece of the puzzle left was the Battle Mage Group. However, Rhode had no intentions of starting the training sessions after confirming the addition of the Battle Mage Group. Therefore, he officially announced his battle tactic.


    The elite squad was the most important role in his battle tactic and the commander of the squad would be Rhode, of course. Apart from that, Randolf��s Ranger team and Joey��s Thief team would also join him. Randolf��s Ranger team would be responsible for scouting the enemies and providing assistance from the rear while Joey��s Thief team would be in charge of penetrating routes and opening up ways, at the same time assassinating the main sentry troopers.


    As the situation turned out smoothly, the mercenaries led by Marlene and the Half-Demons led by Sol would dash forward and use their formidable strength and the Half-Demons�� natural AOE skills to suppress and bombard the enemy��s base. Lize��s Cleric team would follow behind them and be responsible for protection and healing. Of course, Anne would be by Lize��s side and ensure that they were safe. Then, Rhode would sneak his way to the enemy��s commander alone and assassinate him in the shortest time possible to take over the entire location. However, this wasn��t the end yet. Instead, it was only the start. After taking over the location, Rhode would request for his men to set up defenses instantly, in preparation for retaliation from the enemies.


    With the Sphere of Mystery around, it wasn��t complicated to practice this battle tactic. The mirage could replicate the holder��s imaginations and due to this reason, Rhode could make use of a fortress he had attacked before for their repeated practices.


    The group didn��t feel that the training was easy and they discovered that it was overly difficult for them. In order to ensure that everyone experienced the effects and the might of this battle tactic, Rhode trained them up with the requirements of the players. However, this high intensity training was far too torturous for some, where even the Half-Demons who were great in enduring hardships found it tough to follow.


    Rhode��s requirement wasn��t complicated. It could be simplified to one word: quick.


    No matter how complicated the layout of the fortress, they had to eliminate the sentries, open up the path, and suppress the defenders in the shortest time. Then, they had to set up their defenses and traps before the enemy��s main troops recovered and retaliated. This also meant that Rhode��s men couldn��t be too gravely harmed during the process.


    And this was also the most painful point for them. Although they were able to take down the fortress a number of times while training in the mirage, they had suffered ��grave damages�� and failed to sustain their forces while resisting the retaliating enemies. In the end, they crumbled miserably. They also tried to conserve their energy and eliminate the defenders of the fortress, but they failed to hold back the retaliation from the enemies and collapsed completely.


    But the training still wasn��t enough. The mirage could be used to simulate the situation, but it couldn��t replace reality. In order to allow his subordinates to understand the might of this tactic, they had to gain experience through actual practice.


    And this time, Rhode had focused his attention on the ice field above the Northern Mountains.


    Winter had just begun and the same went for the Orcs�� migration period.


    The time to farm for EXP had also arrived for Rhode.

 Chapter 648 - Eve of Departure

    Chapter 648: Eve of Departure


    Flames blazed under the pitch-black night sky. Bloody corpses laid flat in the dark, narrow corridor. Rhode lifted his head and gazed in satisfaction at the endless black field. He snapped his fingers.


    ����!��


    The gloomy scenery distorted and vanished like a painting tainted with flowing water. The boundless white space reemerged and slowly disappeared in golden rays. Shortly after, the chilly night breeze and shining, clean moonlight dispersed the shadows above everyone. No one who stood before Rhode could hold on any longer. Carefree people like Joey flopped down on the snowfield and panted for air desperately.


    ��Well done.��


    Rhode nodded in fulfillment at the sight of the exhausted group. After experiencing high intensity training sessions, they finally figured out the way of coordination. However, the training sessions were indeed a heavy burden for the natives. Not only Joey, but even the mature and steady Randolf, Marfa, and Sol were also drenched in sweat. The mercenaries and Half-Demons behind them discussed the successes and failures in the simulated battle. A delightful glint flashed in Rhode��s eyes because this was what he wished to see. In fact, it was necessary for him to raise the difficulty of the training sessions and allow the mercenaries and Half-Demons to know one another better. After all, people in the same plight would empathize with others in the same predicament and grow closer. No matter the veteran mercenaries or the newly joined Half-Demons, they were all drilled miserably in his special training. As a team that required trust, the tight bonds with one another was extremely crucial.


    ��That��s all for the training today. You guys can head back for a rest. Tomorrow, we will head to the Ice Field and get rid of the annoying Orcs. It will also be a great chance to test our combat capability. Dismiss.��


    ��Hooray!��


    Joey raised his arms and cheered loudly. Then, he jumped up to his feet and revealed a charming smile at a young lady clad in a Ranger attire.


    ��Miss Betty, do you have time today? Can I treat you to a drink? Just one����


    ��Hey, Joey, who says you can approach my girl?��


    Randolf chided in a playful tone while Joey shrugged and grimaced. ��Randolf, when did Betty become yours? You two aren��t married yet. Heh����


    ��Hahahaha����


    The fatigue mercenaries burst into laughter at their comical bickering. As Rhode turned around and intended to leave, Lize��s voice held him back.


    ��Ah, Mr. Rhode, please wait for a moment����


    ��Is anything the matter, Lize?��


    Rhode came to a halt and turned back to find Lize scuttling toward him. Although Lize��s Cleric team didn��t carry as much responsibility as the others in this tactic, they had also put in a lot of strength. Her face blushed and sweat beads filled her forehead. She stalled abruptly and rubbed the hems of her robe nervously. After a few moments, she sucked in a deep breath and looked at Rhode in his eyes.


    ��I-It��s like this, Mr. Rhode�� Are�� you�� free tonight? I�� I want to treat you to some tea����


    Rhode was astonished, but he quickly understood the meaning behind those words. He nodded without hesitation.


    ��Of course, Lize.��


    The sky darkened.


    The bustling Land of Atonement had quietened drastically, where only the clamor of the mercenaries could be heard from the pubs in the vicinity. Rhode strode along the corridor of the fortress and sensed the tranquil atmosphere before him with a smile. They would be heading into the Ice Field the next day and most of the mercenaries had returned for their rest. At the moment, the Ocean Elves were cleaning up the hall and corridor. Under the radiance of the candle flames, the fortress appeared seemingly serene and peaceful.


    Rhode came to a halt and tidied the creases on his clothes before knocking on the door. Shortly after, Lize��s voice responded.


    ��P-Please come in.��


    Rhode pushed the room door open. Then, he spotted the young lady seated by the table.


    Lize looked very different. She was no longer clad in the usual plain robe and had put on a white, silky muslin dress instead. Her fair, delicate skin revealed a faint layer of blush under the candle flames.


    ��Ah, Mr. Rhode����


    She stood to her feet and lowered her head shyly. She shrunk back a little and gazed at the teapot and teacups as though avoiding his gaze. Rhode entered the room slowly. His eyes had locked on to the young lady before him. Lize��s expression blushed even more and appeared exceptionally adorable.


    How amusing.


    Rhode smiled inwardly and lifted Lize��s chin to force her to look into his eyes. She instinctively tried to turn away to avoid his stare, but he didn��t grant her wish. Lize felt increasingly uneasy. Her eyes wandered and her chest pumped up as she breathed heavily. However, Rhode seemed to have become rather slow in his reactions as though he didn��t notice her nervousness.


    ��Where��s the tea?��


    ��Eh?��


    Lize was taken aback as though she couldn��t figure out what Rhode was talking about.


    ��Didn��t you want to treat me to some tea?��


    ��Ah, right, yes�� Yes����


    Lize appeared as though she had just woken up from her dream. She nodded and lifted the teapot to pour a cup of tea with shivering hands.


    ��Mr. Rhode�� P-Please enjoy. This is a first-rate black tea. I��m sure you��ll like it����


    Rhode maintained his poker face. He looked into Lize��s eyes and savored the fragrant tea.


    ��Yes, it tastes great, Lize. Your tea-making skills have improved again.��


    ��Thanks for your compliment, Mr. Rhode����


    ��But�� It��s boring to just drink tea. I do want to taste some dessert.��


    ��Eh?��


    Lize looked dazedly. But before she reacted, Rhode��s face leaned in to hers abruptly��he kissed her lips.


    ��Mm��!��


    Lize resisted instinctively and his tongue slithered in and pried open her mouth to tangle with her tongue before she could even speak. Lize widened her eyes. Her eyes wandered in a blur and she softly fell into his embrace.


    After a few moments, they separated slowly and the silver thread of saliva between their lips dripped, which went to show how strong their passion was. Rhode extended his hand and stroked her soft cheek, leaving her trembling as though she was electrocuted. Out of a sudden, an aromatic scent assailed Rhode��s nostrils and he felt two soft presences pushing against his back. Shortly after, Marlene��s voice filled the room.


    ��Lize, didn��t I say you couldn��t escape?��


    ��Marlene? Why are you here?��


    Rhode turned back and spotted Marlene��s grin.


    ��Because this was decided by Lize and I, Rhode.��


    Marlene revealed a witty smile.


    ��Since you��ve bedded both Lize and I�� we would like to know if you favor one and discriminate against the other. This is our challenge for you. Rhode, I��ve been worried that you would treat the other coldly after you��ve satisfied one.��


    ��Oh��?��


    Rhode narrowed his eyes and took a few steps back to gaze at Marlene who had gone to Lize��s side.


    ��A challenge for me?��


    ��That��s right, Rhode. Do you accept it?��


    A man wouldn��t reject it, of course.


    ��Argh�� Argh����


    The candle flames had been extinguished, leaving only the bright moonlight spilling through the windows and illuminating a hazy illusion in the room that enveloped the trio on bed.


    ��Ah�� Ah����


    Lize sat by the bed, pressed her hands on her cheeks and looked through the gap between her fingers with widened eyes. Marlene had leaned over to between Rhode��s legs and served his needs attentively. This was just a simple foreplay, but Lize had never felt this stimulated. Although she had also given her entirety to Rhode, she had never done this to him before. It could also be said that she didn��t know this could be done between a man and a woman. Not to mention, it was her close friend who was doing it.


    Marlene actually put that huge thing into her mouth��


    Lize stared in disbelief. Is it�� delicious? It seems as though Marlene is savoring on a delicacy. But�� Isn��t it filthy? Besides�� Mr. Rhode seems really comfortable��


    Lize lost her usual calmness on her beautiful face. On the contrary, Rhode shut his eyes and enjoyed the sensation along with Marlene��s actions. He gasped for breath slowly and Lize didn��t know why her body was burning.


    She placed her right hand between her legs while her left hand caressed her chest uncontrollably. Her mind was crumbling and her hand movements were getting quicker.


    ����!��


    Marlene��s actions stopped abruptly while Rhode let out a deep moan. At the same time, Lize felt as though something had broken through her constraints and the burning sensation spread throughout her limbs, leaving her mind in a complete blank.


    ��Ahhh!��


    Lize��s own stimulation had broken her final line of defense.


    ��Huhuhu, it seems that Lize has already prepared herself.��


    Marlene looked at Lize who had collapsed to the bed and let out a chuckle. Lize opened her eyes in bewilderment as though she was lost in a trance.


    ��Seems like this is too stimulating for Lize����


    Marlene said softly before lowering her head. Then, four light-pink, fleshy lips pressed against one another.


    ��Mm����


    Lize shuddered abruptly. She opened her eyes wide and her throat moved up and down as though she was swallowing something. After a few moments, their lips separated and Marlene maintained her usual graceful attitude as she arranged her long hair.


    ��How was it, Lize? Was it good?��


    ��This is����


    Lize gazed blankly at her close friend who had a white, muddy liquid dripping down the corner of her mouth. Lize had as though lost her consciousness and was only answering instinctively. Marlene couldn��t help but display a smile before turning to Rhode.


    ��Alright then. Since I��ve enjoyed your first shot�� I��ll leave Lize to you, Rhode. It seems that she��s prepared for you. I hope you won��t strain your waist again, okay?��


    ��Don��t worry, that was just an accident.��


    Rhode twitched his brows as he didn��t expect Lize to reveal the ugly truth to Marlene�� Although there was a saying of ��He that touches a pitch shall be defiled��, that was just an unlucky accident, after all. It seemed that he had to give Lize a little punishment.


    Rhode lifted Lize��s legs as she lay paralyzed on the bed. She instinctively shook her head as though to resist and yet, she seemed anticipative. Rhode didn��t let her wait for too long. Almost in an instant, he struck from between her legs and began his violent thrusts.


    ��Argh��!��


    Lize yelled out innately. She clutched the bedsheets and her dainty body twisted, but no one knew if she was escaping from his brutal penetrations or welcoming his advances. However, Rhode disregarded her defenseless resistance because a child who shot their mouth should be punished. He increased his thrusting speed and infiltrated her like a violent storm that swept her into endless crashing waves that shattered all rationality in her mind. In the end, the young lady screamed and struggled to wave her hands in the air. Then, she collapsed powerlessly on the bed as a burning gush of liquid blasted into her body and engulfed everything.


    ������


    Marlene observed everything from the side and her breathing hastened. Although she had more intimate experiences with Rhode, this was the first time she had admired everything as a bystander. The gentle and adorable Lize had become this wild, hungry animal. There was an instant when Lize had totally forgotten about Marlene��s presence and innately craved for the arrival of pleasure from Rhode. Marlene had never thought of seeing Lize��s pure, innocent face becoming so seductive and womanly.


    Could it be that�� I look this way too?


    Marlene felt her heart pounding hard and filled with nervousness and some anticipation��


    ��Phew����


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief and suddenly, he felt a fervent body rubbing and hugging him from the side.


    ��It��s my turn now, Rhode����

 Chapter 649 - Battle on the Ice Field (1/3)

    Chapter 649: Battle on the Ice Field (1/3)


    The silver-whitish snow covered the vast land. The winter breeze blew and swept along a bone-chilling coldness. Lize cupped her cheeks and let out a soft sigh before shyly looking at Rhode ahead of her.


    It was a crazy and preposterous night for the trio, and it was especially so for Rhode. Although he had plenty such experiences, he had never hugged two women so blissfully in bed in modern society. It would have been a waste if he missed this great opportunity that was gifted to him. Moreover, Lize and Marlene were each their own. The differences in their personalities and the way they vulnerably laid on bed made it irresistible for any men.


    It was the same for Lize and Marlene. They were the closest of friends, but,even as best friends, they had never seen this wild side of each other. This feeling of freshness and taboo made them lose their senses. They let themselves go as they craved for instinctive happiness.


    The trio��s wild activities only ended at the break of dawn and they fell asleep in the pleasant lingering effect of their passion.


    But even so, Rhode was the first to wake up. Lize couldn��t wrap her head around how Rhode was able to remain so skillful after such a long night. If it were her, perhaps she would have strained her waist and her head would be spinning. However, she wasn��t all that terrible because, on the contrary, Marlene couldn��t sustain Rhode��s penetrations and she had been sleeping for the entire day. When Rhode led his men out of the Land of Atonement, Marlene was still sleeping away in her room.


    ��Phew����


    Although a few days had gone after that night, Lize couldn��t help but blush whenever she thought about it. The wildness brought along an unprecedented thrill for Lize who had always been cautious and timid. Whenever she was reminded about the night between the three of them, she wished that she could dig a hole and jump right into it. But on the other hand, she couldn��t resist the enchanting happiness that derived from their activities�� It doesn��t seem too bad?


    Rhode didn��t know that this was going through Lize��s mind because there was no point dwelling on that night and he would have other chances in the future. At the moment, he stood on the peak of the hills. He squinted to scan the snow-covered Ice Field in search for traces of the Orcs.


    Orcs were a type of evil creature on the Dragon Soul Continent. Unlike the Half-Beasts who had Demon bloodline flowing in them, the Orcs were more like a race of unevolved barbarians. They were tall and strong and devouring blood had become their second nature. They never learned to plant crops or raise livestock. Instead, they plundered wherever they went to, which was why they were hated. Besides, they were never long-term residents of a certain place and they would migrate all around the continent like locusts. The places that they had been to would either end up being robbed or left in conflagration. Not only that, but the Orcs�� quick reproduction was also a huge headache. Although various nations had encircled and annihilated these annoying crooks, thousands of them would often return after two to three years.


    ��We have to slaughter them all. If not, as long as one male and female survives, we will face thousands of them in years to come.��


    Although this statement from the people was rather exaggerated, it clearly showed the amount of trouble that the Orcs had caused. Besides, Orcs possessed powerful strength and sturdy physique. Moreover, they often used the human wave attack, where even the garrisons weren��t willing to go against them. Fortunately, after years of perseverance in cracking down on the Orcs, they seldom emerged in civilized zones. As of now, they mainly roamed the remote border regions of various nations and robbed whatever they could.


    The distance between Rhode��s Land of Atonement and the Northern Ice Field wasn��t too far. But for the sake of safety, Rhode had inquired the residents about matters regarding the Orcs. As a player, Rhode knew that the Orcs were a typical case of brainless creatures that lived day by day. They often robbed and ate like a swarm of bees and never stored food for backup because, to them, they could snatch food once their current haul was all consumed. It was winter right now and there weren��t any animals for them to hunt. The only choice left was to plunder the nearby villages. As long as Rhode followed the trail, he was confident that he could spot them.


    Indeed, the group had received clues about the Orcs�� location from the nearby villagers. They had also heard that a neighboring village had been attacked by two waves of Orcs continuously. However, the villages were long prepared and the Orcs failed to get away with it. But the Orcs weren��t ready to give up just yet and would definitely attack again, which was why Rhode led his men into the Ice Field to search for them.


    ��Sir Rhode.��


    Randolf emerged beside Rhode.


    ��We��ve discovered the Orcs�� location.��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode turned to the young Ranger.


    ��How��s the situation?��


    ��There are only about 800 to 900 of them, Sir. Besides����


    ��Continue monitoring them and work according to our training. You should be aware of it.��


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    Randolf left swiftly. On the other hand, John, who had been quietly observing their conversation, arrived at Rhode��s side. This time, Rhode had moved out in the name of the private soldiers and not the mercenaries. Therefore, John��s Cavalrymen would naturally join forces with Rhode��s elite squad. Although the individual strength of his elite squad was definitely stronger than the Cavalrymen, his elite squad failed to be as neat and orderly in terms of discipline, which was why Rhode had arranged for John to assist in disciplining his elite squad. John was the only one with this experience on the entire continent. Although Rhode was experienced in commanding, he was still a player with unorthodox methods. Even though the players had their expertise, the soldiers had their strong points too, which couldn��t be easily taught in two to three months.


    Under John��s training, there were significant changes in the discipline of the mercenaries. Although it wasn��t perfect yet, most of them had gotten rid of their rogue mannerism and became iron-blooded and rigid. And this also meant that their identities were slowly transforming.


    ��Sir Overlord.��


    John jumped down from his horse and bowed respectfully. Although John was dubious of Rhode from the start, he was slowly convinced by him. Although Rhode was younger than him, there were many aspects where John was weaker. As a soldier, John was aware of this point. Since Rhode was worthy of his trust, John would show the amount of respect that he deserved.


    ��What��s wrong, John?��


    ��Please pardon my rudeness. I think that you might need to consider not choosing such a risky method, Sir����


    John was equally resolute in opposing to Rhode��s ��backstabbing�� tactic, just like Marlene. Rhode was an overlord of a territory, the chief commander of an army, and held a mighty status. Rushing in as the first line of attack wasn��t suitable for him, not to mention penetrating the enemy��s rear. As a soldier, John understood the high rate of success for Rhode��s tactic. However, it appeared rather foolish for Rhode to risk himself. An army commander must protect himself at all costs and not bring about one��s own destruction. Even though they would be capable of luring most of the enemies away, the enemies would be extremely protective of their own base camp no matter what kind of enemies or race they were. Furthermore, no matter how powerful Rhode was, it would be impossible to penetrate the enemy��s rear with too much manpower and the chances of losing would increase dramatically. John wouldn��t mind others taking Rhode��s place in the rear ambush, but the situation would be entirely different if Rhode were to be involved.


    This honest and frank soldier strongly opposed from the start, but Rhode neglected him. John could only helplessly coordinate with his elite squad in training and even though everyone performed well during their training, John was still worried because his troops would follow this main tactic in future. Once or twice would be fine with Rhode��s standard. However, it would be a devastating blow for his men if any mishap were to happen within a hundred battles. John had no doubts about Rhode��s strength. But he was afraid of bad luck, which was extremely normal. There were many times when the powerful army failed due to some inexplicable reasons. Strength was in them, but luck wasn��t within their control.


    ��I know what��s on your mind, John. But I��ve made up my mind.��


    Rhode shook his head and denied John��s suggestion firmly. He knew what was John thinking about because he had mentioned his concerns previously. John hoped that Rhode would take things one step at a time. However, Rhode was familiar with the historical process and he knew he didn��t have the time to stabilize the situation. He knew that ��backstabbing�� might be risky and was highly related to luck. Even in the game, Starlight had failed several times due to ridiculous reasons. However, high risk meant high reward. If the opponent��s forces were only a fraction of his own, Rhode wouldn��t be foolish enough to stab their backs. At least in the foreseeable future, Rhode knew that he wouldn��t have sufficient forces to go against the Country of Light and Country of Darkness up front.


    Taking the risk was his only choice.


    Of course, Rhode definitely wouldn��t tell John that he knew the Country of Darkness and Country of Light would launch attacks on the Munn Kingdom in the near future. Besides, futuristic situations were difficult to explain. Moreover, such secrets wouldn��t be kept for long and who knew what would change in the future. Therefore, all Rhode could do now was to prepare for everything and welcome the impact of fate in waves.


    ��We don��t have sufficient manpower and this method has the highest success rate for now. You can��t possibly lead a hundred Cavalrymen and overwhelm a thousand men defensive line. This is the only risk that we can take and trust me, everything will be fine.��


    ������


    John shook his head hopelessly. He knew that he had failed to convince Rhode. What surprised him the most was that he could see the extraordinary confidence Rhode had, something he witnessed in countless commanders in the past. He had heard the rumors of Rhode, but he didn��t seem to have led an army into war before. Besides, Rhode didn��t usually appear like a soldier, so where did his confidence come from?


    Perhaps, this might be a good chance for me to witness it.


    Joey and Randolf reported to Rhode once again. There were 800 to 900 Orcs gathered on the Ice Field and most of them were strong, muscular adults. They were currently residing in an abandoned fort and had set up lookout posts on the sentry towers. Although they appeared slow-witted and clumsy, they had the natural talent and instinct for battle. Moreover, the Orcs had sharp sense of smell and they were able to detect the presence of other creatures through their scent.


    Judging from the intelligence reports, Rhode had more or less figured out their strength. This should be a medium-sized Orc tribe and wasn��t weak in strength. If they fought head on, they would have a hard time securing victory even with Rhode��s contribution. Although it seemed difficult to attack the fort, this fitted Rhode��s training requirement. Rhode gathered everyone and gave an order.


    ��You��ve heard the specific situation from Randolf and Joey. The Orcs have occupied an abandoned fort. They have the upperhand in manpower, but they��re relatively simple-minded�� John.��


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    John stepped out of the group with a solemn expression and slapped his right hand onto his chest.


    ��Just like in the training, I want you to lead your men to lure the Orcs away. The Orcs have failed in their previous ambushes and I believe that your plump warhorses will be deliciously tempting for them. Grasp the distance and speed well and don��t force the situation. Understood?��


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    John nodded. Rhode swept a glance at the young commander and turned to Sol.


    ��There are usually three to five Shamans in an Orc tribe and they are almost as strong as intermediate Mages. I need you and your men to suppress their strength. Shamans mostly use the elemental powers of nature and as long as you take note of that, you will be fine.��


    ��I understand. Please don��t worry, Sir Overlord. We will surely accomplish this mission.��


    Sol hurriedly nodded. He knew that this battle was a great opportunity for them to display their value and they wouldn��t let this chance slip. Rhode turned to Randolf, Joey, and Marfa on the other side.


    ��Both of you are aware of the Orcs�� characteristics. They��re powerful and have strong recovery skills. It won��t be as easy to face them as ordinary Humans. I hope you can wipe out their sentries in the shortest time possible, just like in the training sessions�� Marfa, you��re responsible for taking the charge. But you have to be attentive of Lize��s Cleric team and your coordination with Sol��s group. I will be responsible in suppressing their core. Everything will follow our practice. Remember your roles. Do you understand?!��


    ��Yes! Sir!��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Then, he looked forward at his target.


    ��Move out!��

 Chapter 650 - Battle on the Ice Field (2/3)

    Chapter 650: Battle on the Ice Field (2/3)


    Bobo munched on the meat bone in his hand while staring into the wilderness. He grunted in resentment. Their harvest had been terrible. The cunning Humans had been on the alert and Bobo��s tribesmen failed to plunder any foodstuff. The foodstuff that they had managed to snatch wasn��t enough to feed them fully. Moreover, the Orc patrol group had a hard time catching even rabbits under this harsh, ice-cold weather. Furthermore, the wasteland covered in snow was barren. Their Rhino Beast had not eaten for a long time. If this continued, perhaps his tribe would crumble this winter.


    This won��t do. I need to find some meat to eat and survive this winter��


    The burly Orc patriarch bit on the meat bone fiercely. There was not a single bit of meat left and the entire bone had frozen like a hard rock, which left him in a bad mood. He gritted his teeth and gnawed on the bone grudgingly. Then, he stood up and tossed the bone into the bonfire.


    ��Grr! Grr!��


    Suddenly, Bobo heard the hurried whooping from his companion nearby. He turned around and witnessed his trusted aide jumping off the wall and gestured with an excited grin toward him.


    ��Bobo! Bobo! There are Humans and fat horses! Human Cavalrymen!��


    ��Oh?!��


    The glint in Bobo��s eyes flashed. He immediately pushed his tribesman aside and strode forward to the fort wall. Indeed, Bobo clear spotted a dozen dark figures in the brilliant white snow cover, which got him excited. Orcs generally had low IQ, but they weren��t as dumb as idiots. He recognized those guys as Human Cavalrymen because they wore clothes that were tougher than rock and rode on the tall horses. Orc tribes often met those annoying guys during their migration process. However, these guys seemed more delicious than annoying to Bobo at this moment�� He took a gulp of his saliva. The two razor-sharp fangs poking out of its lower jaw twitched along with his movements and made him appeared exceptionally vicious.


    ��Get ready to fight. Capture them! The Humans and fat horses!��


    A glint of greed flashed in his eyes. He was fantasizing how tasty the fresh meat would be after they were barbecued�� Bobo��s nose could even smell the fragrance from the delicious meat!


    ��They��re here.��


    John rode on his warhorse and examined the abandoned fort in the distance. He didn��t charge forward mightily and announce his arrival. As a commander, John had fought against the Orcs in the past, so he knew how powerful they were. Most Humans treated Orcs as lowly idiots due to their clumsy appearances. But John knew clearly that they were indeed crafty and savage. Besides, their burly body didn��t obstruct their movements at all. An Orc darting at full speed could be as quick as a soldier on his warhorse. Back then, when John was still in the Southern Legion, he had witnessed an Orc dash past one of his men and the Orc dragged his man down from the warhorse mercilessly. Besides, the Orcs had a unique mount��the Rhino Beast. These tall, gigantic beasts were similar to rhinoceroses, but were much larger and stronger. They were terrifying creatures that could even defeat the elite Cavalrymen. There would surely be no lack of Rhino Beasts in this massive Orc tribe. If John were to approach them too closely, perhaps he might be ambushed by them. The Mage Equipment had enhanced their stats and even though the strength of John��s Cavalrymen was stronger than the Southern Legion, he wouldn��t resort to such a dangerous method. Therefore, John led his men slowly from a far distance away from the fort as though they were patrolling. John knew that the Orcs had definitely seen them and with their current predicament, they would surely charge their way out of the fort.


    As expected, John witnessed a hundred Orcs bolting out of the fort on their Rhino Beasts. They screamed loudly and whipped the enormous beast below them, darting toward John��s group.


    ��Everyone get ready. Listen to my command!��


    John raised his hand high and ordered firmly. He sensed that the people behind him were nervous and terrified. Rhode had been strengthening his team and he didn��t forget about John��s Cavalrymen. John��s team of Cavalrymen had expanded from their initial 50 to their current 100 members. Although the newly joined soldiers had passed the strict test and were rather decent in terms of strength, this was still their first battle, after all. The Orcs�� frantic, imposing manner was indeed threatening. The magnificent view of the snow beneath their feet fluttering into the air pressured John into feeling a little tensed.


    ��Stay calm!��


    John stared at the incoming enemies and yelled out calmly. The young commander gritted his teeth at the powerful and overwhelming pressure. The Orcs�� cries could be heard clearly now and they sounded like hungry wild animals snarling at their prey. The Cavalrymen behind John were getting restless. But at this moment, John��s training sessions had come into great effect. Although they were frightened, many of the newcomers clutched onto their reins and urged on their warhorses to stay on the spot. It would be the biggest nightmare for the soldiers if their warhorses fled in fear.


    The distance between both sides shrunk quickly. Bobo led the charge and revealed a delightful glint as soon as he witnessed the Humans standing foolishly on the spot. It seemed to him that the Humans were scared out of their wits and his tribe would instantly wipe them all out! Bobo raised his right arm and brandished the huge stone axe.


    ��Brave warriors! Capture the Humans and fat horses! Let��s have a feast!��


    ��Oooooh!��


    Bobo stirred up the emotions of his tribesmen. They locked eyes on the hundred Cavalrymen and displayed their avaricious and beast-like hunger. The Orcs were moving increasingly faster and they could see the Cavalrymen��s faces now!


    ��Move out!��


    John commanded.


    Then, the Orcs witnessed a scene that left them stunned.


    The Cavalrymen swiftly turned back and bolted off in two directions, and the Orcs couldn��t react on time. Although the Rhino Beasts were quick in their movements, there were still weaknesses to these massive beasts. They couldn��t nimbly adjust their charging direction. Therefore, even though the Orcs were powerful in their assault, their nimbleness was nowhere close to the Cavalrymen��s. The Orcs were unable to make head or tail of the Humans�� ��escape��. They slowed down perplexedly and gazed at the fleeing Humans in a daze.


    These cunning, cowardly Humans!


    Bobo let out a bellow and smacked the Rhino Beast under him.


    ��Go! Grab whatever you can!��


    The Orcs howled to their patriarch��s command. Then, they instantly dispersed toward the fleeing Cavalrymen.


    Everything��s going well.


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. He squinted and observed the Orcs scattering like headless houseflies. He revealed an ice-cold, cruel smile in his eyes. But shortly after, he turned around and beckoned to Marfa, Sol, Lize, and the others who were hidden on the other side.


    The action has begun.


    Joey lowered his body and sneakily reached the walls of the fort, which didn��t look abandoned. A majority of its construction was still in good condition, with exceptions to the left and rear, which had collapsed due to years of wearing down. The young Thief nimbly leaped over the broken wall and stooped over to detect the wind direction with his hand. Then, he scanned left and right.Read the next chapter on our novelhall.com


    Although most Orcs had launched their attacks with the lead of their patriarch, there were still almost 200 Orcs standing guard in the fort. However, they appeared to be idling, perhaps due to the harsh coldness and hunger. The Orcs who were patrolling above the fort walls returned to the watchtowers and curled up beside the bonfire for warmth after their patriarch had gone out to battle.


    Joey revealed an excited smile. He rubbed his hands before retrieving a dagger from his waist. Then, he rotated the badge pinned on his chest and a faint white radiance shrouded him entirely. Joey lowered his upper body and approached an Orc who had his back facing him. At the same time, a few other Thiefs also stealthily approached their targets.


    Joey was right behind his target, but the Orc didn��t realize anything. The latter murmured under his breath and rubbed his hands before the bonfire. Joey held his breath and leaped up in a flash. His dagger streaked across the sky and penetrated the back of the Orc��s head.


    Perhaps due to the Orc��s instincts in sensing dangers, he stood up hurriedly and his companions beside him swiftly grabbed their weapons. However, the deadly figure had flitted across their bodies.


    The sudden movement of Joey��s target caused him to miss his critical strike. But he didn��t fluster. After experiencing adventures, training in the mirage, and enduring various strengthening exercises after the Midsummer Festival, Joey was fully equipped with everything that a top-rated Thief would possess. Moreover, he had been tortured by Mini Bubble Gum and Canary in the mirage countless of times and he had learned to face failures and accidents calmly. He swiftly adjusted the direction to his strike and pierced into the Orc��s neck fiercely.


    ����!��


    The Orc shrieked in horror. These filthy and terrifying creatures would only die to lethal damage to their heads and hearts. Even if they were punctured in their throats, they wouldn��t die instantly.


    The bone-chilling aura emanating from the razor-sharp blade froze the Orc��s throat and silenced all noises. The Orc��s expression stiffened instantly and its body stopped moving as though it was frozen. At the same time, the two other Orcs who were attacked by Joey��s companions weren��t as lucky. Before they even realized what had exactly happened, several daggers enhanced with water elements on their blades pierced into their hearts and skulls and they instantly collapsed to their death.


    Joey heaved a sigh of relief. He turned around and beckoned to his men to move forward. However, at this moment, Joey caught a glimpse of a shadow that had shifted. It was an Orc who had turned a corner and witnessed everything in bewilderment. Joey instantly clutched his dagger and darted forward.


    Shing!


    A shimmering ray of light flashed and the Orc collapsed heavily to the ground. An arrow had punctured its skull and let the pitiful Orc motionless.


    ��Hu����


    Joey wiped the sweat off his forehead before turning back and sticking out his thumb. Randolf and two other Rangers leaped above the fort wall agilely. Randolf smiled at Joey and beckoned to his companions. Shortly after, the other Rangers swiftly hid themselves in the shadows of the abandoned watchtowers. They raised their bows and aimed vigilantly at every Orc inside the fort who had not yet realized that their companions on the fort walls had been eliminated. A dozen Orcs were curled up around the bonfire burning in the center of the empty field in the fort.


    ��What do we do, Boss?��


    ��Get ready. Just like in the training sessions.��


    Both of them communicated softly. Then, Joey led his Thief companions and disappeared into the shadows. On the other hand, Randolf raised his bow and withdrew a fiery red arrow from his quiver. He aimed at the enemy before him and�� blew a whistle.


    ����!��


    The crips whistle echoed clearly in the silent fort. The Orcs surrounding the bonfire stood to their feet immediately. They grabbed their weapons and scanned the surrounding vigilantly. But at this moment, Randolf released his fingers.


    Red radiance flashed through the sky.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    The scarlet flames exploded on the field. The constant explosion and blaze devoured the horrified Orcs, leaving them charging around like headless houseflies in the fort. However, as soon as they escaped the devastating flames, ice-cold arrows pierced through their skulls like a bolt of lightning and turned them into frozen corpses.


    At the same time, many of the Orcs rushed out of the fort continuously. As a race who was naturally born to battle, the Humans were incomparable to them in terms of keenness in combat. Although they were faced with an ambush, they remained calm swiftly and didn��t panic at all.


    Until the next moment.


    ����!��


    The crisp warbling and whirlwind rising from the flat ground engulfed the vicious blaze. The Spirit Bird emanating in holy radiance expanded its long, majestic wings while soaring into the air. It hovered above and looked down upon the Orcs before screeching and flapping its powerful wings.


    A burst of rumble and dazzling lightning bolts struck the pitiful Orcs who couldn��t dodge in time. They were scared out of their wits and they retreated to avoid the terrorizing attacks from above. But this was only the start.


    The constant bolts of lightning vanished abruptly and the Orcs discovered that a dozen well-equipped Human soldiers had encircled them. Rhode extended his hand forward with a card spinning above his palm. Then, he crushed it into bits.


    ��Attack!��

 Chapter 651 - Battle on the Ice Field (3/3)

    Chapter 651: Battle on the Ice Field (3/3)


    These cunning Humans!


    Bobo rode on the massive back of the Rhino Beast, gazing palely at the snow field before him. The Orcs surrounding him panted for air. Bobo thought that he just needed to chase the cowardly Humans and eventually capture them because the Rhino Beast��s speed was much quicker than a warhorse��s and the thick snow field slowed them down even more. However, he didn��t expect these Humans to be that crafty. Even though the warhorses weren��t as quick, they around turned the corners and were unlike any of the Human Cavalrymen Bobo had seen in the past, charging forward in a straight line. But he had to admit, even though this tactic didn��t look impressive, it was exceptionally effective. The Rhino Beast weren��t flexible enough to catch up when their prey darted in another direction abruptly. What made the Orcs even more furious was that they had been chasing the Humans for a long time and failed to laid their hands on them. The Orcs were hoping to capture the Humans and their warhorses to fill their stomachs. But now, not only did they not have food on the table, but they were also drained. The chilly breeze cooled the Orcs�� fuming aggression.


    As Bobo glared fiercely at the dark figures in the distance, his fellow tribesman yelled loudly and rushed forward to tug his arm. Then, the tribesman pointed back frantically.


    ��Bobo, behind! Black smoke! Huge black smoke! On fire!��


    What?


    Bobo turned around anxiously. He witnessed the billows of smoke in the distance and his heart sank instantly. He knew where the smoke was from. The scheming Humans! Is this what they were plotting all along?!


    ��G-Go!��


    Bobo turned around without any hesitations. He lifted a gigantic ox horn hanging by the saddle and blew with all his might. The deep horn resounded on the Ice Field. The Orcs swiftly turned around and berated their massive mounts to return to the fort in the fastest speed.


    ��It seems that Sir Overlord has succeeded over there.��


    John sighed helplessly. In order to maintain coordination with Rhode, they had decided on several secret signs. Billows of black smoke that meant success and also requesting for John��s Cavalrymen to retreat and provide reinforcements. However, John still felt somewhat hopeless because he believed that Rhode was walking on a dangerous path. A tactic that worked against these Orcs didn��t mean that it would work against strong opponents. Although, strictly speaking, John��s expertise was in berserk assault tactics, his personality was completely the opposite. This young man was a reserved and meticulous person and he naturally didn��t wish for Rhode to take such risks in battle. But now, he had no say in it.


    ��Alright, Brothers!��


    John shook his head and threw bizarre thoughts to the back of his head. He raised his right arm, shouted out loud and swung his arm down.


    ��It��s time for us to shine!��


    The sword blade penetrated an Orc��s solid chest, forcing a painful groan out of the exhausted creature. The Orc struck his stone ax forward while Marfa withdrew his blade and rolled to dodge the retaliation. But that wasn��t all. The Orc neglected his punctured chest and extended his left hand forward with a bellow. Suddenly, a thin, golden barrier flickered before Marfa and slowed the Orc��s attack. Marfa seized this chance and leaped up. His razor-sharp blade flashed into a bolt of lightning that penetrated the Orc��s forehead. The Orc collapsed heavily to the ground lifelessly.


    Marfa withdrew his sword. He turned to the petite, adorable Cleric and nodded with a smile. The Cleric lowered her head shyly.


    After the mercenaries broke into the fort, the situation took a quick turn. The abandoned fort was built by the Humans and wasn��t suitable for the massive size of the Orcs, so they couldn��t unleash their powerful might. The Orcs couldn��t stabilize the situation when they faced the ambush. The mercenaries agilely used the narrow surroundings to their advantage and led the flustered enemies about. However, there was one exception.


    ��Go to hell!��


    Anne raised her steel shield and charged forward like a human tornado, crushing into an Orc that was launching an attack on the Clerics. Her formidable strength propelled the strong, burly Orc away, but that wasn��t all. She smashed her shield into the ground with all her might and the immense shock wave blasted into the pitiful creatures and their blood everywhere. Perhaps ordinary Humans would have been crippled in shock by the savage scene, but it was nothing unusual for Anne. She swung her shield into an Orc who had jumped down from the tall wall. Their weapons clashed and Anne sunk slightly upon the impact.


    ����!��


    No one noticed that Anne let out the deep growl of a wild animal. Her emerald green eyes glinted in a bright green radiance. Before the Orc responded, she drove him into the stone wall with her shield. The wall crumbled instantly and buried them under crushed rocks. Anne gritted her teeth as she crawled out from the pile of rocks. The worn down walls around her started swaying. Shortly after, stones fell from above like rain drops.


    ��Anne! Danger! Run!��


    Lize shrieked in horror. Anne didn��t return to the Clerics instantly like she always did. Instead, after crushing her enemy, she stood up slowly and scanned around her as though she didn��t realize the predicament she was under. As Lize ran over to drag her out of danger, Anne extended her right arm to Lize.


    ����!��


    Lize felt a strong gust of wind blowing against her. Then, she turned around and spotted fragments and blood splashing all around. An Orc��s head had been blown away and it collapsed to the ground. Its eyeball flew in the air and landed on Lize��s defense shield like a ball of mincemeat.


    Lize looked on palely and was disgusted by the scene. But, she quickly turned around and shockingly discovered that Anne had already returned to her side.


    ��Don��t worry, Lize. Anne will protect you girls. Just continue to charge forward!��


    ��Okay�� Okay����


    Lize nodded in hesitation. For unknown reasons, she felt that the innocence in Anne was nowhere to be seen and there was suddenly a wild, irascible beast inside her. Even Lize who understood Anne the most became cautious of her.


    The flames flickered.


    Sol retreated with his curved blade in hands. The red-haired young lady hidden behind him extended her arm and her pupils shrunk into a thin line. She sucked in a deep breath of air and widened her mouth. Roaring flames blasted out as though a flamethrower.


    The fiery red flames struck the large doors. Shortly after, the Orcs inside let our mournful screams. However, the Half-Demons had no intentions of letting them off. The red-haired young lady closed her mouth and retreated at the same time. Another young man with long horns on his head extended his arms and chanted softly. A highly toxic, deep green fog exuded from his finger and blended with the flames. Then, the sorrowful groans turned softer and vanished entirely.


    Not bad.


    Rhode was satisfied with their performances. Although this was their first actual battle and their strength wasn��t comparable to his elite squad, Rhode didn��t wish to simply watch them defeat the Orcs. Instead, he hoped to see their discipline and execution capability. No matter if it was Joey, Randolf, or the newly joined Sol and his Half-Demons companions, they had all displayed strict discipline. Even though there was still room for improvement for the camaraderie between them, they would still be able to secure this win safely. The Half-Demons mostly possessed the abilities to control flames and ice and create poison and dark fog. It was also due to this strength that Humans had alienated them. But now, Rhode needed this strength from them. In fact, their strength had been proven lethal. In the narrow space, no matter how strong the Orcs were, none of them could escape the envelopment of the poison fog and blaze. Although this wouldn��t be advantageous against the Country of Darkness, it would be great against the maggots of the Country of Light.


    As Marfa and Sol��s group suppressed the Orcs within the fort, Joey and Randolf on the outside didn��t watch idly. Joey led his team of Thieves to set up traps for the Orcs riding on their Rhino Beasts while Randolf and his Rangers scanned the surrounding from the arrow towers.


    Everything is going as planned.


    Rhode was rather spellbound by this scene. He didn��t contribute too much in this attack this time. The Orcs were on the average of level 30 and they were still a little too threatening for his men. But these Orcs weren��t worth any EXP for him, which was why he observed from the side after annihilating two dangerous Shamans for them. Rhode felt as though he had returned to the game just by looking at this scene. The noise and clamor brought back a lot of memories.


    ��Suppress the east! We can��t hold on any longer! Don��t lure the creatures here. Hold them back with your AOE skills!��


    ��Number 8! Where the hell are you?! Get your *ss back here within 10 seconds or I��ll kick you out of the party!��


    ��What the?! Those shameless skeletons are insane! Blast the bridge off now!��


    But this wasn��t the game.


    Rhode returned to his senses. Memories of banter between his players slowly faded. Every battle here involved life and death, unlike the game, where one could restart once again if one died. In the game, the player who died and laid on the ground could still joke with the Clerics in their spiritual status while waiting to be revived. But here, Rhode didn��t wish to test if he had the ability to revive on the spot even with the system support.


    He wanted to live on and win.


    And now, it was just the start. In order to prepare himself for the upcoming battle, he had prepared for a full year. Although his current forces weren��t as powerful as he had in the game, this was still a great start for him and he wished for a wonderful ending.


    ��Reporting, Sir! We��ve suppressed the entire fort!��


    Marfa��s voice rang and dragged Rhode back into reality. Rhode nodded, but he spotted the hesitant look on Marfa��s face. As expected, the middle-aged mercenary voiced out his concerns.


    ��Sir, this was what happened. Our brothers discovered some Orcs when they were searching the fort. They����


    Rhode extended his hand and interrupted.


    ��Where��s Lize?��


    ��Ah?��


    Marfa was taken aback by Rhode��s question, but he swiftly answered.


    ��Miss Lize and her team is currently treating our injured companions outside the fort, but the situation isn��t grave. We can still manage����


    Rhode once again interrupted him. He turned around and spoke to the other mercenary.


    ��Tell Lize to back out from the fort with Sol��s group and get ready to face the Orc riders.��


    Rhode turned back to Marfa and nodded.


    ��Bring me there.��


    Rhode said.


    Under Marfa��s lead, Rhode arrived at the deeper parts of the fort that was in a terrible shape. Rhode spotted several fully-armored mercenaries looking out anxiously from the stone-built hall. Then, he saw everything inside.


    30 to 40 young Orcs had curled up and gathered in the hall. They hugged one another in their shuddering arms and gazed worriedly at the intruders with widened eyes. A few female Orc corpses laid before them.


    ��We have just discovered this place and faced resistance from the Orcs. Our brothers have gotten rid of a few of them, but����


    Marfa paused. The young Orcs were still dangerous, but he couldn��t bear to snatch their young lives even though they were evil. This was why he reported to Rhode about it and hoped that he could make a satisfactory decision.


    Rhode stood by the entrance of the hall and scanned the curled up, young Orcs. The young Orcs sensed his gaze and stood up bravely with wooden clubs in their shivering hands. Rhode looked on quietly before gesturing to his mercenaries and turning to Marfa.


    ��You do know that we��re here to rescue the residents in this region from the raids and threats of these wild beasts in the next decades.��


    ��Sir, I do understand that�� But����


    Rhode extended his hand and stopped Marfa from speaking further. He swept a glance to the young Orcs once more and swung down his right arm. Along with this movement, a scarlet card emerged in his hand and a blaze erupted. The Hell Hound leaped out and locked eyes on its prey. Its razor-sharp claws dug into the ground and it let out a deep growl before pouncing forward.


    Boom!


    An explosion blasted into the sky and devoured everything.


    ��It��s settled now.��


    Rhode turned to Marfa and said in a calm tone.

 Chapter 652 - An Accident?

    Chapter 652: An Accident?


    Bobo urged the enormous beast under him with deep, furious growls. He was getting closer to the fort and could see that his home had been completely destroyed. The shelter for his tribesmen had crumbled into ruin. Thick billows of smoke emerged while the flames burned fiercely. Those damn Humans. They resorted to such a scheme to trick us. I will make the Humans taste the wrath of the Orcs after I capture them!


    ��Get ready����


    Randolf ordered. He drew an azure arrow from his quiver and locked his bow on the enemies. Over 20 Rangers stood in a row on the fort walls. They stared sharply at the terrifying Orc riders and waited for their next move. Sol��s group of Half-Demons had also drawn their weapons and stood in support behind the Rangers. Although they had experienced several battles, it was still a first for them to defend a fort. Moreover, there were so many more enemies than allies. Even though they didn��t sustain too many injuries under Rhode��s guidance, their manpower was indeed too little, with less than 80 heads. After excluding Joey and Lize��s teams who weren��t experts in frontal battle, their current strength was only about 50. There was a sea of more than 600 Orc riders swarming toward them and their frantic roars and bellows were pressurizing. Although the Orcs were stronger in strength and there was support from the fort walls, Rhode��s men weren��t confident that this short, abandoned wall could provide much protection. The fort wall was only three to four meters tall while the Orc riding on the Rhino Beast had reached about two meters in height. The Orcs could pull themselves over the wall. Through the previous engagement, everyone understood the terrifying strength of these Orcs. If they were to fight in close-combat, the fort walls around them become a disadvantage from the Humans.


    Randolf held his breath and scanned the approaching Orc riders. The ground shook from their dashes and even the fort walls were vibrating. There was an instant when Randolf thought the wall under his feet would crumble entirely from the Orc��s assault and he would fall and be buried in the eternal abyss. But shortly after, the young Ranger shook his head and threw the frightening image to the back of his head. Then, he squinted and locked on his target. He released his fingers.


    Swish!


    A dozen Rangers also released the bowstring in their hands and azure arrows streaked across the sky and headed for the Orc riders.


    Bobo was astonished by the sudden emergence of the radiant arrows. But he quickly steadied himself because the sparse arrows didn��t seem threatening at all. He had led his tribesmen against other Humans and compared to their rain of arrows, this was nothing at all. So what if the arrows struck down 20 of his tribesmen? He had 600 more tribesmen with him!


    What left Bobo bursting into laughter was that the arrows didn��t hit any of them at all as they flew over their heads. This refreshed him. The Humans must be fearful of us. Look at them! They can��t even hit us with their arrows! They must be afraid of our aggressive attack and it is time to let them have a taste of our strength!


    But Bobo��s desires weren��t fulfilled because he heard a loud explosion beside him.


    Boom!


    An ear-deafening explosion startled him off his mount. He stood to his feet quickly and looked back. Then, he shockingly realized that a dozen of his tribesmen had collapsed to the ground and tainted with black smoke. Not only that, but even the strong Rhino Beast had crumbled with ghastly wounds all over.


    If Bobo had eyes behind his head, perhaps he wouldn��t be this stunned. The azure arrows had flown past their heads. Then, they shrunk and gathered to form a small, blue light sphere. When the light sphere coalesced to its maximum capacity, it exploded abruptly, dispersing dazzling, roaring lightning bolts that wreaked havoc. This caught the Orcs off guard and they suffered grave injuries.


    Although Randolf and his fellow Rangers weren��t able to eliminate most of the enemies, their attacks had disrupted their momentum. The leading Orc riders couldn��t stop while those at the back were caught off guard. Many of them couldn��t avoid the attack and the Rhino Beasts rammed into one another in a complete mess.


    ��All settled!��


    Randolf clenched his fist excitedly. Although their risks were the highest as Rhode��s elite squad, the equipment all over their bodies was also the best. With an Alchemist Master like Lapis around, almost every member of the elite squad were equipped with Mage Equipment and Randolf��s team was no exception. They had 10 pure elemental arrows that were capable of dealing AOE damage each and there were even fire, lightning, ice, and poison arrow types. As a mercenary, Randolf knew how precious these arrows were. If they were sold on the black market, they would be valued at a few hundred gold coins each. And now, they actually had the honor of possessing 10 of them and could even replenish thereafter. With such great equipment and supplies, it would be humiliating if they couldn��t defeat the Orcs!


    ��Hmm?��


    Although Randolf��s fellow Rangers performed outstandingly, Rhode felt rather dubious. He lifted his head and gazed at the horizon. According to the original plan, John should have led his Cavalrymen back by now and completely divide the Orc riders before coordinating with the mercenaries in the fort and eliminainge the enemies. But now, it was in total silence at the back and there were no signs of any Cavalrymen at all.


    ��Why isn��t Mr. John and his Cavalrymen here yet?��


    Lize asked anxiously. After experiencing so many battles, Lize had gotten used to her identity as Rhode��s aide-de-camp. She observed the situation with Rhode as soon as the Clerics treated the wounded personnel. Not only did Rhode mention the upcoming plan to her, but she had also practiced the battle tactic several times in the mirage and she had gotten familiar with it. However, John��s Cavalrymen were nowhere in sight and they couldn��t get in touch with them. What exactly is going on?


    ��Accidents are bound to happen.��


    On the contrary, Rhode was extremely calm. Even though it surprised him that John had fallen behind in the first actual battle, accidents couldn��t be avoided whether in the game or reality, after all. If they were to raise the white flag just because a part of their plan didn��t work out, Rhode��s ��backstabbing�� tactic wouldn��t be invincible for that many years.


    ��Lize, send your Clerics over and hold them back.��


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode.��


    Lize nodded without any hesitations. After working with Rhode for a long time, the Clerics in Starlight weren��t just capable of providing support and healing. Shortly after, Lize led her team of Clerics to above the fort wall. They extended her hands forward and swept several complicated gestures. A golden barrier emerged in a flash like a tall, solid stake before the Orc riders.


    The Orc riders would have crushed the stake to bits if it were made of wood. However, the barrier formed from the Clerics�� spiritual powers was much sturdier. Not to mention, the barrier emanating with faint golden radiance was almost invisible in the white snowfield. The Orc riders crashed into the barrier heads first and the massive recoil propelled them into the air before sending them crashing heavily to the ground.


    They��d instantly be dead if they were Humans. However, the Orcs had a stronger constitution, after all. Moreover, the soft, fluffy snowfield acted as a cushion for them. The Orcs crawled to their feet swiftly. They bellowed in anger and charged toward the fort with their highly raised weapons.


    ��What��s going on?��


    Not only Lize, but Joey, Randolf, and Sol��s group also sensed that something was amiss. The group thought that John��s Cavalrymen were just delayed, but now, the situation seemed to be worse. No matter the soldiers or mercenaries, all of them were particular about luck. Even though they had been trained toughly in the mirage, this was their first actual battle, after all. They wished for a good beginning that would result in successful results, where everyone coordinated well and they could delightfully slaughter the enemies. This way, not only could they be victorious, but they would also be confident in Rhode��s risky battle tactic. But now, John��s Cavalrymen who should be providing reinforcements from the rear didn��t turn up and that left everyone worried. At this moment, John��s close to 100 Cavalrymen was their biggest support and only they had true battle strength. Could it be that we have to face the 600 Orcs ourselves? They are 10 times larger in forces than us!


    ��Calm down. Look at your panicky selves. Accidents do happen on the battlefield and you guys should be aware of this. Now, stay calm and go according to plan.��Read the next chapter on our novelhall.com


    Although Rhode��s voice wasn��t loud, his strong words rang in everyone��s ears. The wavering group felt a chill down their spines. Then, they calmed their frantic minds. Yeah. Why did we forget that Sir Rhode is around? Most of the mercenaries had fought alongside Rhode in the past and they had witnessed the miracles that he had created. The terrifying Undead Creatures failed to threaten him at all, so what could these Orcs do?


    However, Rhode wasn��t simply rooting for his subordinates. If a few words of encouragement from him could calm them down and make them risk their lives against the enemies, he would rather shoot his mouth off to the enemies to make them bow their heads to the ground. Even though Rhode was rather dissatisfied that John didn��t appear in the stipulated time, he knew that John definitely wouldn��t comply in appearance and oppose in heart. Although John had objected to his views, he was confident that John wouldn��t purposely hold him back. Some problems must have happened, which was why John hadn��t appeared yet. But now, Rhode didn��t have the time to consider this problem. He would need to readjust his tactic.


    ��Joey, have you done what I asked?��


    ��All done, Boss. The traps have been set up completely and I guarantee that none of them will be spared!��


    Joey gestured hurriedly while Rhode nodded and turned to the group.


    ��Randolf, lead your men to both sides of the fort wall and continue to attack the Orcs. Sol and Marfa shall stay behind the fort walls. As for the remaining Orcs����


    Rhode swung his hand with might and a pitch-black sword emerged in his hand.


    ��Leave them to me.��


    ��Yes, Boss!��


    The group found their pillar of support after hearing those words. Everyone apart from the Half-Demons had witnessed Rhode��s formidable strength. Moreover, Rhode could also summon powerful presences to battle for his behalf and he alone could take on a team of soldiers.


    Shortly after, the group withdrew from the fort walls and this was a sign of weakness in Bobo��s eyes. As expected, these Humans lack the brave spirits of the Orc. Just look at them. Running away after facing some resistance. How weak!


    ��Attack! Kill the scheming, hateful Humans!��


    Bobo��s tribesmen lifted their arms and yelled fiercely. Then, they charged toward the broken fort entrance.


    However, at the next moment, a series of dazzling flashes blinded his eyes. The earth shook to a loud explosion and a huge blaze rushed into the sky while engulfing the Orcs.


    ��Argh!��


    The powerful air stream struck Bobo head-on and he fell heavily on the ground. When he lifted his head, the scene before his eyes left him stunned.


    The fort walls had completely crumbled. The corpses of his fellow tribesmen laid in a pool of blood everywhere. The 200 Orc riders who led the charge lost their lives in this sudden explosion. Not only that, but the crumbled walls had also buried their only path and they no longer had any other ways to enter the fort.


    Facing continuous setbacks, the Orc riders had lost their courage. Their morale fell drastically after John��s Cavalrymen had fooled them previously. And now, they hadn��t even touched a single hair on the Humans and they had lost almost half of their tribe. Even though they still had 300 tribesmen around and were still far advantageous against the Humans in numbers, the Orcs had grown timid. They came to an abrupt halt and paced about hesitantly. These Humans are too cunning and terrifying. We haven��t even taken a good look at their faces and so many of us have died. If this continues��


    ��What are you guys doing?!��


    Bobo turned around and saw his tribesmen coming to a halt. He berated and pointed forward.


    ��Humans! Scheming! We must kill them! We, warriors, will not back down! Our tribesmen and children are inside! Kill the Humans!��


    The hesitant Orcs raved fiercely to Bobo��s words. They urged on their Rhino Beast and charged toward the fort with all their might. And now, they were getting closer and closer to the fort!


    At this moment, they spotted a dark shadow leaping down from the fort wall. Then, a dazzling spiritual blade ray erupted and enveloped the Orcs like a wild rainstorm.


    Rhode had struck!

 Chapter 653 - Uninvited Guests (I)

    After several years, Sol was still deeply moved by this scene. Back then, he had become a powerful and respectable commander. He thought about when they first fought the Orcs on the Ice Field and let out endless sighs.


    ��Frankly speaking, I thought that we were doomed when the Orcs flooded toward us. There was a huge slip-up in our first battle and there were 10 times more enemies than us. All we had was a tattered fort and most of us bore a grudge against Sir Overlord. Although he appeared to be really calm, I thought that he was merely feigning it. But I finally understood where his confidence came from after witnessing his attack�� I��ve never seen anyone with such powerful and threatening powers. The strong Orcs shuddered before him�� And everything ended swiftly.��


    Rhode leaped down from the fort wall and dashed toward the sea of Orcs in a dark shadow. The Half-Demons gazed in awe and even though they had been through training sessions with Rhode, they had never fought alongside him. Therefore, they weren��t aware of this young overlord��s strength. They exclaimed in astonishment as he faced the 300 Orc riders alone. On the other hand, the group of mercenaries who had fought shoulder to shoulder with Rhode looked on calmly. They didn��t fluster like the Half-Demons. Instead, they quickly hopped on to their preparations to coordinate with Rhode in his attack.


    The Orc riders bellowed fiercely. Not only did they fail to capture any Humans after being led about by John��s Cavalrymen like fools, but they also fell into the Humans�� trap, where the fort wall collapsed and buried 200 of their companions. As soon as they witnessed a fearless Human dashing toward them, they howled fiercely and challenged him. The skinny, fragile Human wasn��t worth a mention to them at all. They wanted to capture him, break his hands and legs, and leave him dying in endless pain. This was the only way to vent their frustrations!


    ��Human! Attack!��


    A murderous glint flashed in Bobo��s eyes. He stretched his hand out to push the Human down. But Rhode lifted his head and swept a glance at him.


    A cold, shimmering light flashed.


    The earth-shattering, vast sky of stars dazzled and the razor-sharp sword aura whizzed toward the defenseless Bobo. The flickering radiance ripped through his massive body without any resistance. Fresh blood splashed and the impact propelled him into the air. Then, he crashed lifelessly on the ground.


    At the same time, Rhode struck forward.


    No one could keep up with his speed. A series of afterimages leaped across the snowy field and in the blink of an eye, Rhode arrived in the middle of the Orc rider group. Even though he was surrounded by a dozen massive Orcs, he didn��t fluster at all. In the Dragon Soul Continent, this was the favorite scenario for the Spirit Swordsman, one of the three best solo classes.


    Grrrr!


    The Orcs raised their weapons and brandished at him. However, the heavy weapons didn��t hit their target. Rhode rolled through an opening and extended his right arm. A scarlet card emerged and blazing flames erupted in his hand.


    Boom!


    A dazzling, scarlet flare exploded and the Orcs around him retreated in fear. At the same time, the Hell Hound leaped out of the blaze and bolted toward the Orc, flames burning in each of its three mouths.


    ��Monster! Fire! Monster!��


    The Hell Hound��s grand appearance forced the Orcs back. As an ignorant and backwards tribe, the Orcs were extremely fearful of unusual presences. Although the Hell Hound was only capable of taking down two to three Orcs, Orcs had never seen such a creature that should belong to Hell.


    The pitch-black shadows twisted and countless tentacles scurried from within to twine around the Orcs and Rhino Beasts, limiting their every movements.


    But this was only the start.


    A fully-armored Centaur Knight rushed forward with its pike and punctured an Orc. Then, it swept its pike into the air and flung the corpse away like a rag doll before taking down another target. Not only that, but the little mermaid also hovered in midair and unleashed sleet as arrows.


    This ambush left the Orcs in confusion and disorientation. They couldn��t understand why so many mysterious beings appeared all at once. The Orcs trembled in fear. The Hell Hound and Nether Tentacles were beings from Hell and naturally weren��t pleasing in appearance, which deepened their fears.


    ��Human! Demon! Human! Demon!��


    Facing this outrageous scene, the confidence in them had dwindled to nothingness. They cried frantically and turned away from the terrifying black-haired Human. The Half-Demons looked on vacantly from the fort wall. They didn��t realize that Rhode possessed such a strange battle style. What exactly are those battle techniques?


    Lize and her team of Clerics chanted softly. Flickering golden runes emerged above their palms and linked up to form a perfect gold chain. Randolf and his team of Rangers lifted their longbows and aimed at the enemies.


    Lize stopped chanting and pushed her hands forward to send a golden, dazzling sphere of light forward. It flew across the sky and struck their way of retreat. Shortly after, the tiny sphere of light spread in two directions, forming a golden wall that obstructed their retreat.


    Randolf and his Rangers didn��t stand by idly either. They knew that they could only rely on themselves in the absence of John��s Cavalrymen. They released their precious magic arrows at the enemies and in an instant, a harmony of lightning, thunder bolts, and fireballs bombarded the frantic enemies. The Orcs tried to escape, but could not break the invisible wall. At this moment, the Centaur Knight and Hell Hound pounced forward from both sides and launched their attacks.


    The situation had become one-sided in an instant.


    This wasn��t anything surprising for Rhode. He was level 50 and his summoned spirits had also grown dramatically in strength. Apart from the Spirit Bird with low inner qualities and could only rely on elemental powers to bring trouble to the enemies, summoned spirits like the Hell Hound and Centaur Knight had increased tremendously in strength. The Nether Tentacles�� defense values had increased to 15 points and could be considered an elite card at its peak. This meant that spells or swordsmanship techniques that were weaker than the Peak Master Stage couldn��t breakthrough the Nether Tentacles�� restraint and defense. It went without saying for the Orcs. If Rhode was capable enough to fill the entire venue with the Nether Tentacles, perhaps the Orcs would be bound tightly and obediently waiting to be shot dead.


    As the situation took a drastic turn, the group defending the fort turned around and launched their attacks on the Orcs altogether. The evil, mysterious creatures and Humans combined hands to take on the Orcs, which stirred up the Orcs�� aggression. The Orcs turned around and yelled as they pounced toward their enemies.


    But this was their final assault.


    The tri-headed Hell Hound leaped across the snow field with its widened mouths burning in sulfuric-smelling flames and blasted everything in its path. Instead of dodging the attack, an Orc clutched the Hell Hound��s neck in spite of the flames burning on his lacerated chest and arms.


    The Orc didn��t realize that Rhode had raised his pitch-black sword.


    Rhode twitched his brows slightly as he gazed with smiling eyes. A dazzling spiritual radiance emanated from Succubus in his hand. Then, he swung forward.


    Countless meteor-like blade rays sliced through the air. The immense air stream swept up the thick snow and the broken sound barrier pierced their ears and enveloped them entirely.


    At the next moment, a contrasting red smeared across the white, fluttering snowflakes. The incredible explosion of scarlet flames devoured the pure white snow as though an oil painting changing its colors in an instant.


    The battle had ended.


    The Orcs had been scared witless. They were caught off guard by the alliance of Sol and Marfa��s groups from the rear and the magic traps set up by Joey previously. Then, Randolf��s magic arrows had wiped out nearly 200 Orcs. Moreover, Rhode��s appearance instantly increased the count to over 500 deaths. The remaining Orcs had no chance against the well-equipped elite squad and were wiped out in the blink of an eye.


    This was also why Rhode was so confident in this battle. In fact, if he wished to eliminate the Orcs, he wouldn��t need their help at all. As long as Celia, Celestina, Gracier, and Madaras were around, he could slaughter his way into the fort, activate the Taboo Halo, and grant freedom to the four presences in the Legendary Stage to wipe out even thousands of Orcs.


    However, Rhode didn��t take action until the very end in order to strengthen the coordination of his men. He realized that the situation at the end was rather concerning, which was why he had chosen to settle the Orcs by himself. But he wasn��t feeling delighted because, even though his men coordinated well at the start of the battle, he wasn��t able to test out his tactic fully. Although his men were trained in the situation where the reinforcements from the rear failed to appear, that was established under the fact that the main forces were trapped or defeated by the enemies. Under such a circumstance, there were only three choices for Rhode. Firstly, he could choose to retreat instantly and escape to the Land of Atonement using the Teleportation Door. Flee if one couldn��t win in battle��that was the essence of guerrilla warfare. Second, Rhode could shield the others as they retreated. Even though he was level 50, the four Holy Sword Cards in his arsenal were as strong as the Legendary Stage. Even though the four cards were restricted by their seals, the Taboo Halo could only transcend them to the Legendary Stage and they couldn��t use the Order Dimension like other legendary weapons, Rhode trusted that he would have a high chance of success with the average low battle strength and level of the NPCs in this world, unless he was facing presences such as the Four Legendary Generals or the heir of the Dragon Souls.


    The third choice was to defend their position and wait for the main forces from the rear to arrive before launching the pincer attack. Rhode had intended to use this third method to train his men. However, John��s sudden disappearance was too unusual and he might as well end the battle as soon as possible.


    ��Mr. John�� Where could he be?��


    Lize murmured behind Rhode and scanned the surrounding ice field worriedly. However, there were still no signs of him or his Cavalrymen at all. After sweeping up the battlefield, everyone gathered around with unique expressions. But their suspicions were all the same. Even though eliminating the Orcs wasn��t an important mission, this was their first time engaging in a coordinated tactic, after all. However, John vanished into thin air without any proper reason, which left them rather resentful. They also wished to see this tactic succeed. Everything had gone smoothly from the start, but the unexpected situation at the end forced Rhode to take actions himself. Although this could also be considered part of the tactic, some of them felt dissatisfied. It would be fine if Rhode assisted them in the face of the Undead Legion. But it wasn��t desirable that these Orcs landed them in such a miserable state.


    At the same time, everyone had the same doubt. Where in the world are John and his troops?


    Everyone was informed beforehand the tactic and they were clear of the Cavalrymen��s strength. Although in terms of individual strength, the Cavalrymen weren��t comparable to the elite squad, their gathered forces shouldn��t be belittled. No one believed that they were murdered by the Orcs. But if that wasn��t the case, what else could explain it?


    ��Boss, do you want a few of us to search for them?��


    Joey flipped the dagger in his hand and scuttled toward Rhode. His usual witty smile had been replaced by a stern expression.


    ��We didn��t find any spoils of war from the Orc corpses. I guess that fella John wouldn��t be defeated by them that easily. Perhaps an accident has happened?��


    ��Ah, Leader. Look!��


    As Rhode nodded in agreement, suddenly, Anne jumped up and yelled loudly. She pointed forward and everyone followed her gaze. They were astonished. On the horizon of snow, a black figure emerged and darted toward the group. Even though the figure was sprinting, it appeared seemingly slow in the eyes of the anxious group. They opened their eyes wide and stared at the figure in the distance. But at this moment, Rhode frowned and instantly recognized that the figure was indeed one of the Cavalrymen. However, he felt that something was amiss. The Cavalryman didn��t seem to be injured and there were no signs of damage on his armor. On the contrary, his expression was filled with anxiety. What happened?


    In a few moments, the Cavalryman witnessed the pile of Orc corpses and his eyes brightened instantly as soon as he spotted Rhode. He urged on his warhorse and flipped down his saddle hurriedly before the warhorse came to a halt.


    ��Sir! Sir! It��s great that everyone��s doing fine�� W-We have met with trouble!��


    ��Calm down.��


    Rhode twitched his brows and responded softly. The Cavalryman took in a deep breath and held himself together.


    ��Sir John and the others have been trapped!��


    ��What?!��


    The men exclaimed in shock. Rhode waved his hand for them to remain silent before gesturing to the Cavalryman for him to keep talking. This was what happened. While John��s Cavalrymen lured the Orc riders away, this Cavalryman had led his warhorse much farther away from the others due to fear. As a result, he failed to return to the group immediately. He knew that John was strict on discipline, so he desperately tried to return before John led his Cavalrymen back to the fort.


    However, he never expected that an accident would happen at that moment. A group of Mage and Warriors emerged out of nowhere and surrounded John��s group. The Cavalryman smartly came to a halt and flipped down his mount to peek at the situation from behind the snowy hills. The intruders came aggressively and John seemed afraid to take them on bravely. Shortly after, John��s group were stripped of their equipment. This lucky Cavalryman realized that the grave situation and he hurried back to the fort to report the situation to Rhode.


    ��Stripped of their equipment? Who dares to do that?��


    Marfa exclaimed in surprise.


    ��We��re the private soldiers of Sir Overlord, so even regional corps have no rights to do this!��


    Many of them nodded in agreement. Yes, they weren��t mercenaries anymore. Instead, they were private soldiers governed directly by a noble and weren��t restricted by any regional corps. The regional corps by the borders wouldn��t dare question them at all as soon as they announced Rhode��s name. But now, there was a group of people who dared to do that?


    Rhode wasn��t as astonished as Marfa. He calmly listened to every word of the Cavalryman and said.


    ��Have you seen who they are?��


    ��Y-Yes, Sir. As clear as crystal.��


    The Cavalryman sucked in a deep breath and stuttered.


    ��T-They are�� the Country of Light��s army.

 Chapter 654 - Uninvited Guests (II)

    ��What?!��


    The group exploded into a commotion.


    ��Country of Light? What are their bastards doing in the Munn Kingdom? Don��t they have enough trouble on their hands?��


    ��Sir Overlord, this is ridiculous! Those bastards dare to come to our land and capture our people!��


    The group was agitated, where even Lize and her Clerics sulked and appeared furious.


    Although the Country of Light and Munn Kingdom didn��t have a close relationship, it had worsened over the years and the Northerners in the Munn Kingdom would grit their teeth at the mention of Country of Light. The ultimate reason was the ��Myriad Flowers Battle�� 50 years ago.


    In summer, 50 years ago, the Country of Light border troops ��Glory of Light�� entered the territory of the Munn Kingdom, the Myriad Flowers Plain, in the name of military exercise. This invaded the vagrants�� gathering place and the vagrants responded quickly by asking them to leave. However, not only did they not leave, but they also launched attacks on them, which resulted in destruction to their gathering place. This incident shook the entire Munn Kingdom. What made them even more furious was that when the former ruler interrogated the Country of Light��s parliament about it, the latter made a false countercharge and justified that they were defending themselves as it was the barbaric vagrants who attacked them first. Their soldiers had warned the vagrants of the consequences but were neglected and the vagrants retaliated instead. Not only that, but the Country of Light parliament also accused the Munn Kingdom of fabricating facts about a crime and attempting to smear their reputation and troops. In the end, the Country of Light did engage in hearings and trials, but the savage executioners expressed that it was all a ��misunderstanding�� that they had entered the Munn Kingdom��s territory by mistake. It was a ��tragedy�� caused by ��wrong judgments�� and the Country of Light��s parliament let the murderers go off scot-free!


    Thereafter, this caused a complete standoff with both sides. The Munn Kingdom Northern Army crossed the borders of Country of Light in the name of military exercises. The trade associations and merchants who were related to the Country of Light in the Munn Kingdom had taken a huge toll, where the Country of Light forcefully closed the distribution trade routes from Munn Kingdom.


    In Munn Kingdom, that was when the conflict between the North and South became worst. The North representing the Myriad Flowers Plain condemned the Country of Light of being barbaric and tyrannical. Besides, it wasn��t the first time that the Country of Light army had entered Munn Kingdom borders. Many residents of the North had often been harassed by them. However, the situation wasn��t that serious back then, so the residents swallowed their anger. On the contrary, the Southern representatives who were close with the Country of Light��s parliament chose to trust the Country of Light. Not only did they believe that Country of Light did no wrong, but they also felt that the Northerners were being unreasonable and smearing the Country of Light��s reputation. The entire incident was a misunderstanding, but they reacted dangerously without thinking everything through, which led to the ��forced protection�� of the Country of Light troops. If they could calm down and appeal through reasonable channels, this tragedy wouldn��t have happened. Besides, many of the Southerners used the chance to criticize the Northerners of being crude and weak and they believed that the Northerners deserved it.


    Back then, the Southern overlord raised up this incident on the royal banquet and called on the Northerners to reflect on their mistakes and stop making continuous mistakes. In the end, the Northern Army couldn��t take it anymore. They berated the Southern nobles for being a bunch of incompetent swines.


    But it was a pity that the ruler back then wasn��t Lydia. Even though the former ruler was also furious about the entire situation, she had never taken actual actions, which led to a non-conclusive end. On the contrary, the Country of Light used the information against them and ridiculed Munn Kingdom for shifting the blame onto others. With conclusive evidence, most of the Country of Light civilians accepted the Light Parliament��s explanation and believed that Munn Kingdom was in the wrong while they were the victims! Some even proclaimed that the entire incident was a scam. The people were murdered by assassins sent by the Munn Kingdom, in order to shift the attention of the residents and maintain their crumbling dictatorship.


    This left burning wrath in the hearts of many in the Munn Kingdom and deepened the hatred between them, the Country of Light, and the South. Thereafter, every newborn child in the North grew up listening to this story from their parents, which described how painful, humiliating, and tyrannical the Country of Light was. This hatred passed on for generations and this was why so many Northerners gathered around and cheered when Lydia hung the Reformist Party. The Reformist Party and Country of Light was just as terrible as each other to them. Back then, they gloated over the situation and even helped outsiders to deal with their own people. They deserved to die!


    It was due to this reason that even though the Southerners were unfortunate and pained due to various reasons, no one pitied them.


    Just like karma and how the Reformist Party treated the North in the past��they brought it upon themselves, so they didn��t deserve sympathy.


    Apart from Old Walker who had experienced this incident, the others were still young. However, this didn��t falter their hatred toward the Country of Light. It wasn��t as simple as the pain of word of mouth. In fact, even though the Country of Light had held back with their activities in the Munn Kingdom borders thereafter, their arrogant behavior was still present. Moreover, the disagreement between the people of the Munn Kingdom and Country of Light were huge. People of the Munn Kingdom respected the Light Dragon and believed that the Creator Dragon Souls created this continent. But on the contrary, the people of Country of Light believed that they built their current nation through with hardships and the Creator Dragon Souls were just using this reason to enslave them. It was due to this that both parties hated each other. The people of the Country of Light thought that the people of the Munn Kingdom were a bunch of slaves who worshiped a dictator while the people of Munn Kingdom saw the people of Country of Light as a bunch of traitors who betrayed the Creator Dragon Souls.


    After Lydia took over the throne, her iron-willed self finally broke the pressure that the Country of Light had been applying on the Munn Kingdom and turned against them. If it wasn��t because the Light Dragon was nominally the ruler of the Country of Light, no one could guarantee the development of the situation.


    It was due to this that everyone exploded into a commotion when they heard this news. They were instantly reminded of the bloodbath from 50 years ago. Now, the Country of Light army had intruded Munn Kingdom once again and captured their companions? Was this how much they disregarded Munn Kingdom?


    The Half-Demons were stunned. Based on their experience, perhaps others would instantly be at their wits�� end when they heard such news. No matter what, the Country of Light��s forces were still massive on this continent. In fact, it wasn��t only Munn Kingdom who didn��t have friendly ties with the Country of Light. The other overlords were mostly dissatisfied, but they didn��t dare to speak about it. After all, they didn��t have an Archangel as their backing. Even in the Munn Kingdom, not everyone was brave enough to stand against the Country of Light.


    However, Rhode��s Starlight was an exception. Rhode��s group had been pushing the Country of Light and Reformist Party away as they developed. Rhode had no respect for the Country of Light at all and his subordinates naturally had the same attitude. Therefore, not only were they not afraid, but they also gritted their teeth and expressed their hatred in eliminating the sluts. Sol had never faced such a situation before. Although he had roamed to several places in the Country of Light while leading the Half-Demons, most of them revered and evaded as long as the Country of Light was mentioned. Sol never expected such reactions from the others.


    ��What should we do, Boss? Just a word from you and our brothers will fight them without any hesitation! We will go wherever you want us to!��


    ��That��s right! We haven��t had enough from these Orcs. I have always longed to kill that bunch of idiots!��


    Rhode looked on with his poker face. On the contrary, Lize frowned and turned to him.


    ��Mr. Rhode. I feel that this matter is a little strange����


    ��What��s wrong, Miss Lize?��


    The bustling crowd quietened. After the Paphield battle, Lize��s position in their hearts as the aide-de-camp had been established strongly. Joey asked with puckered his brows and Lize nodded slightly.


    ��We��re currently located by the perimeters of the Silver Moon Forest on the Ice Field, so it isn��t wrong to say that we��re near the borders of the Country of Darkness. However, this area isn��t bound by the Country of Light, is it? If I recall correctly, we will reach the border of Country of Law if we head down deeper into the Silver Moon Forest and pass through Mr. Rhode��s Grenbell. There isn��t an inch of territory that belongs to the Country of Light along the line, so why did the Country of Light army penetrate into Munn Kingdom?��


    ��Now that you��ve mentioned����


    The crowd pondered in astonishment. Indeed. The location they were at was by the border of the Country of Darkness and the Country of Light was right at the other end. The intersection of the three nations wasn��t close along the borders at all. If that was the case, the Country of Light had entirely crossed over to Munn Kingdom territory and came all the way from the back to the front line of the border. According to the Cavalryman, there were about 300 troops including Mages that encircled John��s team. With that much manpower, it would still be explainable if they sneaked through the borders. However, it didn��t make sense for that many troops to penetrate into the hinterland without being discovered by the Munn Kingdom.


    At this moment, many of them had calmed down. They looked at one another with resentment, wrath, and helplessness in their eyes. After following Rhode for such a long time, they had a general sensing of the situation now. Moreover, most of them in the elite squad were rather sharp in their senses. They felt that these intruders perhaps didn��t simply intruded by accident. Royal Highness Lydia was no longer the kind ruler of the past. She would surely take action if she knew about this. But now�� If these people had received permission from Royal Highness Lydia to enter the Munn Kingdom, what could they do?


    Rhode lifted his head and the corners of his mouth perked out. Then, he revealed a brilliant smile.


    ����!��


    Sol was rooted in his place and he sucked in a deep cold breath.


    There were two most common rumors surrounding Rhode. First, one should never mention Rhode��s face before him. If not, one would receive unimaginable pain and torture.


    Second, it definitely wasn��t a good sign if Rhode smiled widely before anyone else other than Christie.


    Sol had witnessed the close interactions between Rhode and Christie. Back then, the smile on his first was indeed unlike his usual expressionless face. The warm, gentle smile was relaxing and pleasing to the eyes. But now, his smile was full of indescribable threats.


    Sol felt a chill running down his spine as though he had been led to the guillotine and waiting for the ice-cold blade to take his head off. The shadow of death had shrouded him, but he couldn��t escape the fear and despair.


    Not only Sol, but the others also watched in silence. Even Anne had curled up and hid behind the Clerics, peeking at Rhode from behind them.


    ��There��s no meaning for us to guess what they��re here for.��


    Rhode looked ahead and said with a smile.


    ��We will have to ask them the reason if we want to know����


    The tone of his voice was as calm as usual, but the next line sent chills down everyone��s spines.


    ���� Get ready for battle and move out.��

 Chapter 655 - Uninvited Guests (III)

    Chapter 655: Uninvited Guests (III)


    What did these guys come from?


    This questioned cropped up in John��s mind. He vigilantly stared at the soldiers who had surrounded him. He was sure that these soldiers weren��t disguised as bandits. They had strict discipline, were well-equipped, and also skillful. Moreover, their armor had the logo of the Country of Light. No matter how they looked, they were no doubt the soldiers of Country of Light.


    But why are the people of Country of Light here? And they also got us surrounded?


    ��We��re the Cavalrymen of Grenbell��s overlord. Who exactly are you guys and why are you doing this?!��


    John held down his inner wrath. Even though he held his men back from confronting these guys, he didn��t feel great being surrounded like criminals. But then again, this was because John hadn��t been Rhode��s subordinate for a long time. Besides, he had been living in the South and his hatred toward the Country of Light wasn��t as deep as the Northerners. Besides, after living in the South for so long, John had become rather timid against the Country of Light. He had no lack of smart brains, having been promoted to a commander in the Southern Legion. These powerful soldiers from the Country of Light came in aggressively and they appeared bold and confident with justice on their side. Just in case these soldiers were under a mission, John felt the need to restrain his troops from getting into a conflict with them.


    If John knew about the clash between Rhode and the Country of Light, perhaps he wouldn��t have such thoughts.


    The soldiers kept hush to John��s interrogation, which let John fuming. He was worried about the situation on Rhode��s side because he knew his team held a crucial role in this tactic. But now, he was held back by these soldiers. There were a few instances when he almost led his men to charge out of the encirclement. However, there were more enemies than they could handle and they would suffer grave injuries even if they managed to break the encirclement. Therefore, he swallowed his anger and hoped that they would give him a reasonable explanation. But these soldiers rudely disregarded him.


    Suddenly, the soldiers made way for a man in heavy armor and an old Mage in red robe. John looked over hurriedly and sized them up. It was apparent that they were their commanders.


    ��Who are you guys exactly? Why are you surrounding us! You����


    John stepped forth grudgingly. The surrounding soldiers drew their swords out of the sheaths and stopped him from moving an inch farther. The man in heavy armor turned to the old Mage.


    ��Sir, what do you think we should do with them?��


    ��Hmm����


    The old Mage pondered in silence. He scanned the armor on John and his Cavalrymen before turning back to the other commander.


    ��Judging from their appearance, their armor does indeed look like they��re from the Country of Darkness����


    ��Then, that confirms it! Drag them away!��


    The man gestured to his soldiers instantly as though he heard the answer that he had anticipated. The soldiers pressed forward to John��s group, but the Cavalrymen weren��t willing to surrender just yet. They drew their weapons and resisted. John sulked and even though he had been tolerating them, these guys from Country of Light were too unreasonable, so he couldn��t tolerate any longer.


    ��I repeat. We��re the Cavalrymen of Grenbell��s overlord. What rights do you have to do this!��


    ��We��re the Investigation Guards of the Light Parliament.��


    This time, the man lifted his chin arrogantly.


    ��We have an official document from the Light Parliament. Now, we suspect that you��re related to a serious terror attack. I request that you lay down your weapons and follow us. If not, we won��t hesitate to kill!


    ��Pah! What rights do you think you have�� You bunch of bastards����


    John��s Cavalrymen chided while raising their swords. The man twitched his brows and gestured.


    The soldiers from the Country of Light lifted their swords and pointed straight at John��s men. At the same time, a dozen Mages in white robe flew ahead from the back, aiming their staffs forward. John and his men trembled in fear.


    ��We, in the name of the Light Parliament, once again ask that you lay down your weapons and surrender immediately. If not, we will����


    ��What will you do?��


    An indifferent voice sounded from the back. John revealed a glad smile and turned around quickly. He spotted a tall, thin, dark figure strolling toward them.


    ��Sir Overlord!��


    Rhode nodded to him. He narrowed his eyes and gazed at the crowd with an apathetic expression.


    ��I was wondering why my subordinates didn��t join us back in time. So�� They��re being pestered by a bunch of crazy wild dogs����


    ��How dare you!��


    The man in heavy armor sulked and drew his sword to point at Rhode.


    ��In the name of the Light Parliament, I ask that you take back your words. If not, you��ll suffer the consequences!��


    Rhode��s expression remain unchanged. He lazily lifted his chin and gaze at the man as though none of his words had gotten into his head.


    ��Light Parliament? So the Light Parliament is only capable of robbing and behaving like bandits? You stopped my subordinates without reasons and even tried to hold them captive? How daring of you�� But come to think of it, it isn��t strange that the Light Parliament is an expert in this aspect����


    ��Shut up! You arrogant man!��


    The man let out a furious snarl.


    ��I won��t allow you to humiliate the honor of the Light Parliament. If you����


    At this moment, an overwhelming icy-cold sword aura had as though risen from the snowy field. It spread wildly and enveloped everything in its path. The heavily-armored man trembled and no words could come out of his mouth. The old Mage beside him also realized the incoming danger.


    ��Just a group of idiots from the Light Parliament isn��t enough for me to care.��


    Rhode held his sword hilt by his waist and slowly approached the soldiers with his unprecedented, pressurizing aura.


    ��This is the territory of the Munn Kingdom. I don��t care why the Light Parliament sent you here. You won��t have your way to detain my men. Now, I, in the identity of Grenbell��s overlord, order that you lay down your weapons and get lost. If not����


    Rhode looked at the heavily-armored man in disdain.


    ��Suffer the consequences.��


    ��You��!��


    The heavily-armored man twisted in his wrath. Rhode��s immense sword aura had held the man in his place and he couldn��t budge at all. At this moment, he felt as though razor-sharp blades were pushing against him from head to toe and as soon as he spoke a word, the invisible blades would penetrate his body instantly.


    ��You��ve gone too far.��


    Suddenly, a deep voice sounded. Rhode��s sword aura stagnated slightly and was pushed back as though it had struck an invisible shield. However, he didn��t concede defeat. He let out a snort and kept his smile, staring forward with stern eyes. The immense sword aura emanating from him strengthened and blasted to the surrounding.


    ��What?��


    It was apparent that the other party was taken aback and his imposing aura to push back Rhode��s sword aura had stagnated. Then, Rhode sensed a strong, choking pressure as though a gigantic boulder had rolled over the mountain and crashed on him. He narrowed his eyes and tapped his sword hilt with his right index finger.


    ����!��


    Without any warning, the snowfield before Rhode crumbled as though the ground couldn��t withstand the two invisible and overwhelming pressure, forming a pitch-black deep crevice while snow and crushed rocks fluttered in midair. Shortly after, the quakes stopped.


    At this moment, the deep voice sounded once again.


    ��Sword Aura Materialization? When was there a young sword saint in Munn Kingdom?��


    One of the men emerged from the crowd.


    Rhode twitched his brows as soon as he saw him.


    It��s him?

 Chapter 656 - Uninvited Guests (IV)

    Rhode knitted his brows and scanned the man before him. He was a middle-aged man about the age of 40, broad-shouldered and tall. It could be clearly seen from his neatly back-combed brown hair and determined face as tough as granite that he wasn��t one who would be easily fazed. He wore a luxurious, neat military uniform and held an ordinary-looking silver-whitish sword. He gazed silently at Rhode while emanating a falcon-like aura.


    Lauren Ellac Cyan Goshawk. The Country of Light��s Holy Blade Army Commander.


    Rhode puckered his brows. However, he returned to his usual expression shortly after. In every race, nation, and group, there will always be good guys and bad guys. If the degenerates of the Country of Light were the parliament members, this man here could be considered a representative of the good guys. Of course, judging from a political and religious standpoint, he, Rhode, and the Munn Kingdom were entirely different. He loved his country, defended the Country of Light, and agreed in the Light Parliament��s way of fighting for freedom and authority instead of relying on the Creator Dragon Soul. However, he also objected to the Light Parliament��s Human supremacy policy and disliked watching the Light Parliament intervene in other nation��s affairs. It was especially so during the conflict with the Munn Kingdom. Lauren had objected to their actions because he believed that the Country of Light should focus their priorities in managing domestic affairs and not intervening in the internal affairs of other nations in the name of promoting freedom and justice. Of course, this wasn��t due to the fact that Lauren respected the standpoints of other nations. Instead, he believed that the conditions of the internal department of the Country of Light weren��t stabilized yet. In the game, he was the first senior general from the Country of Light who stepped out and hoped to abandon former hatred to work closely with Munn Kingdom.


    However, a person like him was destined to not be well-liked by the people due to decades of brainwashing by the Light Parliament, where almost everyone believed that they lived in a land of freedom and harmony. They used their strength to create and build this wonderful nation and they had the responsibility to spread freedom and righteousness to every corner of the world. Anyone who refused to accept their kindness was evil. Cruel dictators had to be overthrown and eliminated.


    It was due to this that Lauren wasn��t favorable in the eyes of the Country of Light��s people. One aspect was his political views while the other was his bloodline. This man was actually a Half-Elf with the blood of the Elf and Human flowing in him, which was an awkward problem for the Light Parliament, who trusted in their own Human race only.


    However, Rhode was clear that Lauren was formidable. His strength was even stronger than the Mist Sword Saint who was crippled by Mini Bubble Gum. He had reached the peak level of all mortals on this continent��Peak Legendary Stage. He was a holder of the ��Mystic Realm�� and one of the most powerful beings in the Country of Light. In the Country of Light, there were only five beings who had reached the standard of the ��Mystic Realm��. It was due to this that the Light Parliament accepted his words and actions tacitly.


    However, in the game, Rhode didn��t have many chances of battling him as Lauren had spent most of his time leading his army in the front line against the Undead Legion. Although he was powerful, he was still at the peak standard of mortals, after all, where he could only kneel before the Four Legendary Generals who had broken through the limits. In fact, Lauren was murdered by ��The Angel of Sorrow�� Charlie in the end and died what was considered a worthy death. At least, he didn��t personally witness the horrifying calamity caused by Rhode and the players he led when they wiped out the Country of Light.


    ��I didn��t expect to see Sir Cyan Goshawk in person. How surprising.��


    ��You know who I am?��


    The man opened his eyes wide in surprise. However, Rhode didn��t answer directly. He nodded slightly and said with a poker face.


    ��Never would I expect that Sir Cyan Goshawk would actually do such a thing. Do you need me to explain the details to you? This is the territory of Munn Kingdom. I��m an overlord while these guys here are my soldiers. According to the treaty signed by both parties, you can��t arrest a noble who had the title of the overlord and his subordinates without the approval and assistance of the Royal Family, no matter the reason or purpose. I want to know what exactly are you doing here.��


    Lauren stared at Rhode in silence while the latter didn��t budge at all. Rhode pressed his hand on the sword hilt. Got to admit, Lauren��s appearance had indeed surprised him. However, the soldiers around him weren��t from the Holy Blade Legion. Instead, judging from their appearance, they seemed more like the troops of the Light Parliament. Rhode couldn��t get his head around why Lauren was with these guys instead.


    Lauren shifted his gaze to the group around him. Then, he let out a snort and stepped forward.


    ��We represent the Light Parliament to investigate the truth of the raid on the Ocean Trade Route!��


    ���� Huh?��


    This was the first time Rhode revealed an astonished look. At the same time, the thousands of alpacas in his heart galloped wildly. He had almost forgotten about the wrath in his head. He was indescribably stunned and speechless. It was inexplicable that the track of history couldn��t be changed�� He had never expected that such retribution would fall on him in the midst of this.


    In the game, the Ocean Trade Route incident was the fuse for the war between the Country of Light and the Country of Darkness. Back then, the Country of Light dispatched their investigations team to work on the Ocean Trade Route incident and launched an attack on Soraka Mountain in the name of this. Then, the rumors of Soraka Mountain seeking support from the Country of Darkness spread at the same time. In the end, the soldiers sent out by the Country of Light occupied Soraka Mountain while the Country of Darkness also dispatched their army and that was how the war began.


    However, Rhode thought that this incident should have been put to an end entirely. After he came to this world and rescued the Burning Blade Mercenary Group, he borrowed Gillian��s strength to get rid of the mastermind behind the Ocean Trade Route incident. Thereafter, the Duke Fiend was awakened and Soraka Mountain turned into a piece of rotten, unwanted meat in the eyes of the Country of Light. Rhode thought that he had gotten rid of the source of all conflicts. But now, he actually met the investigations team sent by the Light Parliament to investigate the Ocean Trade Route incident? Were they the ones who transmigrated into this world instead of him? Moreover, Rhode remembered clearly that he was the one who reported the whole Ocean Trade Route incident to Lydia, so logically speaking, shouldn��t the entire matter have ended by now? It had been half a year and these people were still wandering around the Munn Kingdom. How hardworking.


    ��If I recall correctly, this incident should have ended a long time ago.��


    Fortunately, Rhode��s poker face had taken great effects. Although the mythological river crabs and alpacas in his heart were battling it out frantically, his expression remained unchanged. Back then, Rhode had vaguely guessed if this was related to the Ocean Trade Route incident or even the black-cloaked Necromancer and the Jade Tears Mercenary Group. If he wasn��t far off with his estimations, the entire incident was caused by the Country of Light themselves. Rhode thought that this incident had come to a close after Gillian��s flames had burned the black-cloaked Necromancer to death. But now, he didn��t expect that the Country of Light was still grabbing onto this matter. Were they senseless or did they have other motives?


    The Light Parliament wasn��t just senseless, of course. They were dumb��greedily dumb.


    ��This matter hasn��t come to an end yet.��


    Perhaps with Lauren as their support, the pale soldier regained his arrogance and let out a grunt of disdain.


    ��Of course, the Light Parliament has received the report from the Munn Kingdom. But the Light Parliament deems that the report is full of suspicion and this is why we represent them in coming here to investigate the truth! Although this incident is over, the raid on the Ocean Trade Route has brought about devastation and serious damage to the entire Country of Light. We will never allow such a mishap to happen again. We need to excavate the truth and bring the justice of light upon this world!��


    ��Truth? I think you guys are looking for the truth that only you wish to see.��


    Rhode let out a snort and swept a glance at Lauren. It was apparent that this group of people was definitely here to find trouble with the Munn Kingdom. On the other hand, Lauren always had political disagreement with the Light Parliament. But this time, he actually joined the investigations team and didn��t bring his own subordinates. The Light Parliament might be considering discharging him from the force since Lauren couldn��t do much in the Munn Kingdom. Rhode had some evil guesses. Perhaps the Light Parliament was hoping that Lauren would cause some trouble in Munn Kingdom and get taken out by someone. This way, they could kill two birds with one stone. Not only could they use this chance to tackle Munn Kingdom, but they could also remove a thorn in their side.


    ��Hmph!��


    The man sulked instantly to Rhode��s ridicule.


    ��What rights do you lackeys of a dictator have against us?��


    ��This is the territory of the Munn Kingdom. I��m an overlord of the Munn Kingdom and the guys you have detained are my men.��


    Rhode��s voice gradually deepened. The sharp sword aura he emanated against Lauren once again erupted.


    ��I repeat. Let my men go and leave this place. If you want to find trouble with us, put on a record with the Royal Family. If not����


    ��What will you do?��


    The man lifted his head in disdain.


    ��Suffer the consequences.��


    ��How dare you!��


    The man gritted his teeth and widened his eyes furiously.


    ��Do you know that you��re threatening the diplomatic envoys of the Country of Light? You country bumpkin! Great. Since you don��t know your place, I don��t need to speak any further. Soldiers! Capture this man. I suspect that these guys are secretly communicating with the Country of Darkness and are the main culprits of the Ocean Trade Route route! Catch them now!��


    The Country of Light soldiers strode toward Rhode. The latter showed a smile and the whizzing sword aura abruptly shrunk.


    Not good!


    Lauren sulked instantly. However, it wasn��t Rhode��s sword aura that shocked him. Instead, it was the speed of its withdrawal. The sword aura vanished in an instant, which was enough to prove the young man��s swordsmanship attainment. Lauren sensed a clear trace of danger. Even though the young man was smiling warmly, Lauren, as a famous sword saint, instantly detected the hidden dangers.


    That was a clear murderous intent as though one unsheathing his sharp sword!


    But before Lauren spoke, Rhode struck out!


    Rhode darted forward in a flash, leading a trail of afterimages toward the dozen soldiers. The soldiers weren��t prepared for this attack at all. They were used to being overbearing and bossy in the Country of Light, where no one in the Munn Kingdom dared to lay a finger on them. But they had never expected this young noble to take actions! When they came to their senses, Rhode had already dashed into their group!


    Shing!


    The pitch-black chain sword in Rhode��s hand fluttered like a viper. In an instant, fresh blood splashed blood-curdling screeches filled the sky.. Four to five soldiers collapsed to the ground while the other soldiers finally reacted and charged forward with their swords. However, Rhode had no intentions of backing off. He smiled and roamed about the group of soldiers like a fish in water. Even though the soldiers were military trained, their movements were much slower than Rhode��s. Moreover, the differences in their strength were on extreme ends.


    ����!��


    The pitch-black blade elegantly slid through the blade trajectories and struck a soldier��s neck. The soldier widened his eyes, gurgled the blood in his throat, and instinctively tried to hold his neck with both hands. At this moment, Rhode pulled out his sword and a trail of crimson blood spurted into the air. Then, the soldier fell to the ground lifelessly.


    The other soldiers looked on in fear. Although Rhode wasn��t moving incredibly quick, they couldn��t grasp his true position. When they thought that their razor-sharp blades had penetrated the black-haired young man, they realized that it was one of the afterimages that they struck. Each time the terrifying young man brandished his sword, a soldier would fall instantly. If it weren��t for their commander observing from behind, perhaps the soldiers would have ran for their lives.


    ��Stop. Retreat. Mage team attack!��


    The man gritted his teeth and ordered loudly, where the soldiers gladly retreated in a hurry. Then, the Mages in white robe raised their hands in unison. It was obvious that they had also been through stern training. Their movements were meticulous and they captured the timing perfectly. When the soldiers retreated, the Mages had raised their arms. Shortly after, they blasted a harmony of blaze, lightning bolts, and windstorm from their hands. In the blink of an eye, the dazzling colors enveloped Rhode entirely.


    ��Sir Overlord!��


    John shrieked worriedly. He ground his teeth and tried to stand up, but the soldiers held him down roughly. John felt powerless. All he could do was watch Rhode get bombarded continuously. The snow on the Ice Field had melted completely and the attack finally stopped after the pitch-black ground was revealed.


    The Mages in white robe laid down their hands and the entire place was in complete silence. John��s group gazed at the Ice Field anxiously. Although they knew how powerful Rhode was, would he be able to withstand the formidable spells of the Mages?


    The smoke gradually dispersed and revealed a figure.


    ��Oh, Lord����


    Many of them were stunned.


    Rhode stood silently in the middle. A flickering barrier with strange, simple patterns revolved around him, emanating faint magical radiance. Even though the terrifying magical powers had bombarded the place and the corpses around Rhode weren��t spared, Rhode wasn��t hurt at all!


    ��My turn.��


    Rhode lifted his head and raised the pitch-black sword in his hand. He continued to display his gentle smile, but at this moment, the soldiers felt a chill down their spines.


    Lauren stepped forward.


    ��Young man. I admit that you��re formidable. But�� don��t go overboard.��


    ��That isn��t my problem, Mr. Lauren.��


    Rhode sulked slightly and kept his smile.


    ��I shall say it again. Let my men go and leave this place immediately. This isn��t the territory of the Country of Light. Although the Country of Light is used to terrorizing, it��s a pity that�� this isn��t the place for your oppression.��


    ��Good.��


    Lauren revealed a furious glint in his eyes. He slowly unsheathed his sword.


    ��Alright then. Let me see how powerful you are.��

 Chapter 657 - Uninvited Guests (V)

    He��s finally up for it.


    Rhode clutched his sword hilt. He wasn��t surprised at Lauren taking up the challenge as he knew that this battle was inevitable as soon as he made this choice. Even though Lauren was considered the upright party in the Light Parliament, this was just a problem of principles and standpoints and had nothing to do with personal emotions. No matter how disrespectful Rhode was to the Light Parliament, Lauren would still stand up for the nation that he protected no matter how much he hated the bunch of swines in the Light Parliament. This was why Rhode didn��t unleash his full powers when he faced the soldiers�� attack. Instead, he shuttled between them and made use of every second and inch. Although, strictly speaking, the soldiers were slightly stronger than the Orcs, Rhode could still eliminate them if he were to deal with them face to face. However, Rhode couldn��t do that. Ever since he struck out, he felt that Lauren��s aura had locked on to him. If he was distracted, Lauren would surely take him down. Therefore, Rhode placed all his focus on Lauren��s aura while slaughtering the soldiers became his second priority.


    Mosquitoes were still mosquitoes no matter how many there were. Numbers were still EXP no matter how small they were.


    Lauren was formidable.


    And Rhode knew about this. He wouldn��t have any pressure against Lauren if he was at his maximum level. But now, he was 20 levels lower than Lauren, which was a disadvantage in terms of constitution and attributes. The only advantage he had was being a Spirit Swordsman because he had four Holy Sword Cards in his arsenal, which would be enough to offset the level differences. Moreover, he had a legendary artifact in his hand�� He was confident in this show down with Lauren.


    Rhode��s expression remained unchanged as the tall, burly man clasped his sword and strode toward him. However, he was eager to give a shot, which was a common problem for players. They had talents, skills, and equipment. But they couldn��t help but feel excited and nervous when they faced an opponent in the higher levels. This was like a practical test for them. Was the equipment as effective as they thought? Were their talents as amazing as they had imagined? Were their skills able to deal enough damage to the enemy BOSS?


    Thrill, excitement, and anticipation were factors that urged the players to constantly explore and seek for the essence of origin.


    What a strange young man.


    Lauren gazed with glints of interest. He had never expected to meet such an amusing young man by the border glacial land. However, he was equally dubious about Rhode as he was with any other enemies. Judging from the sword aura that Rhode emanated, his swordsmanship must have entered an extraordinary realm. Bu, strangely, his imposing manner was rather weak. Of course, it was rare for him to have such an extent of aura for his age, but Lauren felt that something was amiss.


    This young man is interesting, powerful, and smart.


    Lauren clutched his sword hilt and narrowed his eyes. As a being who had transcended into the Peak Legendary Stage, he could sense the atmosphere around him clearly. His aura had locked onto the black-haired young man. If it were the others, perhaps they would have been shuddering under the immense pressure. However, this young man had no reaction at all. On the contrary, Lauren sensed a razor-sharp, chilly aura flowing skyward from him as though he was holding a sharp blade in his hand and he would cut his palm after applying pressure in his grip.


    Lauren seldom met young men with such imposing aura in the Country of Light. Although the Country of Light was a vast territory with abundant resources and with countless young talents, the young talents were mainly arrogant and proud. However, Lauren wasn��t worried about that. In his opinion, this was a period that every young talent would go through and this proved the strength, ambition, and pride that they possessed. Those who learned from their failures to control their desires had the right to step on the path of becoming an elite. On the contrary, those failures who indulged in their desires would eventually face elimination.


    But this young man was different.


    He was arrogant, but his arrogance didn��t stem from his confidence in his strength. Instead, it was an arrogance forged from the vicissitudes of life like the presence of superior steel that wouldn��t be easily bent or shrunk. What has this young man gone through in his life? Lauren remembered that there was only one person who was similar to this young man in the Country of Light. However, even that person was less menacing. If Rhode wasn��t a member of the Munn Kingdom, Lauren would even recruit him into his army to become his subordinate.


    But��


    Lauren shifted his gaze to the burned corpses by Rhode��s feet and let out a subtle sigh.


    The black-haired young man had killed Light Parliament soldiers. No matter what reason he had, Lauren couldn��t watch with folded arms. Even though the investigations team was indeed reckless, such matters could only be discussed behind closed doors and they couldn��t show weaknesses to outsiders. The honor of the Country of Light mustn��t be insulted, questioned, or defiled.


    Even though the truth was otherwise.


    Lauren displayed a bitter smile and pointed his sword at Rhode.


    Here he comes!


    Lauren��s aura coalesced into an invisible pressure that engulfed Rhode entirely. Rhode knew that this was only the prelude. He laid Succubus horizontally before him while gazing at Lauren. In his head, he searched for the ��tag�� regarding Lauren and flipped open the book page labeled with his name.


    If I recall correctly, Lauren��s talent powers are��


    The sky gradually darkened and an unpleasant smell exuded in the air. Faint lightning radiance flashed and flowed into the air like ripples in a transparent stream. Lauren slowly lifted his sword. The silver-whitish blade edge flowed in a blue radiance. Although his movements weren��t quick, his every action brought along a string of afterimages, as though the entire world had slowed down in this instant.


    Then, a bright radiance flashed.


    At the same time, the sword radiance on Rhode��s blade erupted. He darted forward with his sword in a dazzling radiance while Lauren slashed his sword downward. Then, an incredible scene happened. The air exploded in roaring thunder and lightning bolts as though Lauren��s sword had attracted them. In the blink of an eye, Rhode was struck by the bolts of lightning. A glaring white radiance erupted and forced everyone to turn away.


    It was due to this that they didn��t witness the smear of darkness in the spotlessly white scene.


    Shing!


    The pitch-black sword slashed through the air in an engulfing air stream. Rhode��s expression didn��t change at all. The bolts of lightning struck toward him, but they weren��t able to move an inch closer. A black, unremarkable ring on his right index finger emanated a layer of faint, colorful radiance that shrouded him entirely. No matter how the lightning bolts attacked, they were immediately deflected as soon as they struck the barrier.


    ��Oh?��


    A curious glint flashed in Lauren��s eyes, but he returned to usual shortly after. Every powerful beings more or less had some magical equipment on them. Therefore, he didn��t find it strange that Rhode managed to resist his lightning bolts. He rotated his wrist and struck forward with his sword.


    Lauren darted forward with his silver-whitish sword in the speed of light. However, Rhode wasn��t any slower. He let out a snort and swung his sword forward to resist Lauren��s attack. The swords collided and a deep, ear-deafening sound of friction rang in their ears. The lightning bolts in Lauren��s sword erupted and Rhode swiftly retreated in two steps.


    It looks like I still can��t do it.


    Rhode let out a hopeless sigh after sensing the numbness in his hand from the collision. As Rhode��s bloodline had always been sealed and was unknown, he could only guess his attributes, strength, dexterity, and other values. Even though they were mostly within his control, the drawbacks of a lack of accuracy were apparent when facing such a powerful being. However, Rhode��s reaction was quick as he seized the opportunity to retreat. He slashed Succubus forward and resisted the second wave of lightning strikes. At the same time, he stretched out his left hand and a card emerged in his hand: the front of the card had a picture of a dark, opened steel coffin.


    [Lustful Maiden (Artifact Card Attribute): Use on one target. Infusible. Mental Elemental Attribute. Seven Sins Materialize. Holder can specify an individual target and summon the Lustful Maiden to restrain and extract the target��s spiritual powers. Inescapable. Unavoidable. Can be dispelled]


    Dark fog erupted.


    ��Hmph, little tricks.��


    Lauren had no intentions of dodging the dark fog at all. He swung his sword forward and dazzling lightning bolts struck out like flexible whips from his blade, ripping apart the dense, dark fog. At the same time, Lauren spotted a huge, dark steel coffin flying toward him. The coffin lid widened to both sides and revealed its countless sharp nails under the radiance of the lightning bolts.


    What is that?!


    Lauren was wide-eyed, but as an experienced swordsman, he swiftly adjusted his sword. However, to his surprise, his sword actually penetrated the solid steel coffin as though it was nothing more than an image. What astonished Lauren even more was that it was too late when he instinctively retreated. The gigantic steel coffin had arrived at his face and closed its lid heavily to devour its prey.


    Boom!


    Lauren heard the loud slamming of the steel lid. At the same time, his vision distorted for a moment, but it quickly restored to normal as though it was nothing more than an illusion.


    What exactly happened?


    Lauren couldn��t figure out what happened and Rhode had struck out again.


    The pitch-black sword blade tore into the flawlessly white, dazzling lightning bolts like a pair of viper fangs, sneakily stabbing toward Lauren��s neck. Lauren had no time to consider the mysterious black coffin anymore. He thrust his sword forward and in an instant, dazzling lightning bolts struck out from the ground like a tsunami. Then, his blade suddenly split and several white light blades burst out and pierced toward Rhode.


    Rhode raised his arm in defense. However, the lightning bolts whirling on the ground erupted and bound his limbs tightly like shackles. Then, the light blades penetrated through his body.


    ��Phew����


    Rhode didn��t collapse. Instead, under the devouring of the lightning current, his body twisted abruptly and in the blink of an eye, it vanished entirely like melted snow. But shortly after, a whizzing sword airstream struck out from behind Lauren��s back and aimed for Rhode��s neck.


    The crowd observed the battle with their jaws dropped. The sky had darkened while Lauren emanated a contrasting, dazzling lightning radiance. The lightning bolt that belonged to nature had as though been completely controlled by the man. All around him was rolling thunder current that had blended into one with the white snow. On the contrary, Rhode was like a tiny leaf in the stormy waves, where he was devoured within from time to time and re-emerged thereafter.


    John was speechless. All he could do was stare at the striking smear of darkness among the white radiance with wide-opened eyes. Although he tore to the glaring brilliant rays, he continued to look ahead as he was afraid that the pitch-black figure would be thoroughly devoured by the lightning bolts.


    Lauren brandished his sword.


    The pitch-black and silver-whitish swords collided and struck out dazzling sparks. Lauren gazed at the black-haired young man who was still looking as calm as ever. Even though Rhode was in a disadvantageous situation and basically couldn��t win, Lauren sensed that his imposing aura hadn��t weakened at all. On the contrary, Rhode��s sword aura became stronger as though something was breaking out of its shell.


    Lauren retaliated, but Rhode once again slipped away like a slippery fish. As Lauren had decided to give chase, he suddenly felt a sense of dizziness, which forced him to come to a halt. He sulked slightly and clearly detected the slight, constant lost of his energy!


    How is this possible? What exactly happened?


    Lauren was sure that the changes to his body must be related to the young man. He had intended to hold back his strength and capture the young man back to the Country of Light. But now, it seemed that the young man was much harder to defeat than he had expected. Besides, the young man also had some ridiculous moves that he had never seen before.


    I can��t drag this on any longer!


    Lauren raised his sword high and the dark clouds directly above him whirled into layers of circles and spun in flying speed. A flickering radiance occasionally flashed within them and suddenly, the loud roaring thunder numbed their ears.


    No one had imagined this scene. The endless lightning strikes from the dense, dark clouds shrouded everyone within like a heavy downpour. At the same time, three distinctive halos emerged and expanded in all directions wildly!


    Now��s the chance!


    Rhode gritted his teeth. He knew clearly what Lauren was up to. This was a technique that belonged to the Peak Legendary Stage and a supreme proof of their strength����Mystic Realm��. A unique world created by the beings of the Legendary Stage, where he became the God of this world.


    Rhode passed his sword swiftly to his left hand and resisted another lightning bolt that struck at him. Then, he extended his right hand. The quaint brass wrist guard changed its color.


    At this moment, the halo that was expanding alongside the roaring thunder and lightning bolts had arrived before Rhode.

 Chapter 658 - Uninvited Guests (VI)

    The dazzling halo emerged.


    Rhode had never been this calm. Countless lightning bolts struck from the sky and constantly flowed around him. Moreover, there was a faint, unpleasant smell lingering in the air. Even with the enhancement of elemental resistance from [Sisko��s Fantasy], he felt the electricity permeating through his body. The piercing pain engulfed him entirely, but he didn��t give up or escape. He gazed forward silently at the dazzling halo and stretched out his hand.


    The brass wrist guard on his right wrist changed its color instantly. Then, his right hand was quickly covered in a layer of pitch-black, dense shadow. Not only that, but the dazzling lightning brilliance also exposed the distorted impurities within the shadow.


    At this moment, Rhode��s right hand touched the dazzling halo.


    Boom��!


    No one knew what happened. The crowd simply heard a loud explosion and they felt as though the world before them had been completely destroyed. The ground trembled violently. The dark clouds in the sky rolled and rumbled, and the lightning bolts dispersed in all directions. In an instant, everyone laid down to the ground quickly and the neighs of the warhorses were completely devoured by the loud explosion. All the men could do was hug their heads and await the end of this horrifying scene.


    Argh!


    The explosion blasted Rhode into the sky and he crashed heavily to the ground. He groaned from the immense pain from his back. The numbness, tingling, and piercing sensation were as though the lightning bolt had penetrated his body and wreaked havoc all around. However, Rhode ground his teeth and resisted the dizziness before flipping around and standing to his feet. He held his chest and forcefully swallowed the substances that were almost thrown out of his throat. He clutched his sword and lifted his head to look forward.


    It was a ghastly sight. The dark clouds above had dispersed to nowhere, revealing the azure sky and warm sun that illuminated the place. However, the snow-covered field had as though turned into a large, mushy puddle of mud and was riddled with scars. In the distance, everyone laid twisted on the ground. Even though they weren��t seriously injured, the lightning bolts that had gone out of control brought a certain extent of harm to them.


    Lauren stood blankly on the spot. His collected expression had become overwhelmed with shock and astonishment. He looked at Rhode with wide-opened eyes, revealing an unbelievable glint. Even though he appeared to have the upper hand, it was apparent from his messy hair and tattered clothes that the truth was otherwise.


    But now, Lauren couldn��t care less as his mind was filled with unprecedented shock. He never thought that this young man could actually break through his Mystic Realm!


    I succeeded.


    Rhode revealed a glint of satisfaction as he gazed at Lauren��s expression. He knew why Lauren was surprised, of course. The strength of his swordsmanship had merely exceeded the basic standard of Legendary Stage while Lauren was at his Peak Legendary Stage. Logically speaking, Rhode shouldn��t have been able to dodge the Mystic Realm because it was the symbol of the Peak Legendary Stage and also the materialization of ��one person, one world��. In that world, Lauren was the ruler and God. Those who weren��t as powerful as him would be dead. As for his Mystic Realm, it was basically impossible to break through.


    But players were beings who turn impossible into possible.


    A long time ago, the forum broke into a controversy when the players transcended into the Legendary Stage and attained the strength of the Order Dimension and Mystic Realm. Did level difference necessarily represent the difference in player strength? In the early stages of the game, many players who entered the arena and met top-rated players who possessed the Mystic Realm didn��t stand a chance at all. The players were resentful as this destroyed the balance of the game in their eyes because, previously, the differences weren��t that huge even though level differences existed. There was no hope for players with a 10 level difference, but with three to five levels apart, players could rely on their equipment and skills to survive. However, the existence of the Mystic Realm broke the conditions. Even with a level difference of one, one would still head down a dead end if one only had the Order Dimension and not the Mystic Realm.


    This problem had been discussed spiritedly on the forums. Some players felt that it was unfair and unreasonable, while some believed that this was the welfare for top-rated players and it was the weaker players�� own problem if they wished to challenge someone stronger than them. Some other players used the construction mechanism of the Mystic Realm for theoretical discussions to find a way to crack the Mystic Realm.


    Got to say, ideas were always thought up by humans. After all, two heads were better than one, and finally, the players found a way to crack the Mystic Realm.


    The Mystic Realm was a superior technique. In the Dragon Soul Continent, the stronger the might of the technique, the more time it needed for preparation, just like Lize��s spiritual spell casting. Although basic spiritual spells could be cast instantly, advanced spiritual spells required chantings. The time needed for formidable magic spells by Mages was even longer, which was also why the Mage players had created the ��Flawless Casting�� technique. As for the Swordmasters, they needed time for ��charge up power�� before releasing advanced swordsmanship techniques. All these skills could be interrupted and the same went for the players and BOSSes. In fact, one would also require time to cast and expand one��s Order Dimension and Mystic Realm. Of course, the time required was only three to four seconds. However, the players wouldn��t let off even a one-second technique when the opportunity was presented to them.


    So, what about the Mystic Realm? How to disrupt it if one could do it? Physically? Or magically?


    Ordinary spells and swordsmanship techniques were useless against the Mystic Realm. The powerful being casting the Mystic Realm was as though the protagonist of a magical girl anime, in a state of invincibility. No matter if one was stripped naked and posing, one wouldn��t be harmed one bit, even from formidable spells and swordsmanship techniques. This was also why many players were dissatisfied with it. Thereafter, there were many players used the Mystic Realm as an invincible protection skill. Not only could they be invulnerable, but they could also revive in perfect condition within it. At the same time, their offense and defense values increased drastically and they could use unique techniques with high damage output. Fortunately, the Mystic Realm required a massive amount of spiritual energy to maintain. If not, every player would cast their Mystic Realm wherever they went.


    But in the end, the players discovered the weakness of the Mystic Realm.


    It was a brand new world created from a powerful being in the Peak Legendary Stage using one��s special qualities. In other words, it was an Order Dimension.


    And the sworn enemy of Order was Chaos.


    Everything was most vulnerable in the early stages of growth. As long as one cast a Chaos technique that was capable of destroying Order while the enemy was casting his Mystic Realm, it would break the Mystic Realm entirely.


    Coincidentally, Rhode had an artifact with him that was capable of this.


    Rhode gazed at his wrist. The brass wrist guard was no longer covered in dark fog and it had returned to its usual look. An indistinct magical radiance flashed through the complicated and mysterious pattern before vanishing to nothingness.


    [Historical Wing (Ancient. Fantasy. Bronze) �� Created in Chaos. Forged in death as its smelting furnace. Comply with Order to exist within the crack]


    [Guardian of Space �� Any attacks targeted at holder will miss with a chance of 35%]


    [Will of Order �� Order Scepter (Level 5) (Available once per day) Holder can cast an Order territory with the size of (5S x 5S). Immune to the effects of the Chaos Forcefield]


    [Devastating Chaos �� Chaos Shadow (Level 1) (Available once per day) Holder can cast a Chaos Shadow with the size of (3S x 3S) and those apart from the holder will go through a round of resistance identification (30 Willpower) Those who do not pass will be affected and the effects will be similar to the Chaos Realm]


    [Eternal Presence �� Artifact will not be destroyed]


    [Meteor Force �� Holder��s strength level +3]


    Chaos Shadow.


    It was this skill that Rhode had used to break Lauren��s Mystic Realm. He cast the Chaos Shadow on his right hand and extended his hand into Lauren��s Mystic Realm, allowing the Chaos power to disrupt the formation of Order. This was why Rhode wasn��t afraid of dealing with Peak Legendary beings. After obtaining this artifact, he was basically unthreatened in the face of an Order Dimension or the Mystic Realm. Of course, the prerequisite was that he met only one Peak Legendary being per day.


    However, he didn��t cast this skill against Lauren riskily. After all, this skill needed to assess the target��s willpower in order to work. With Lauren��s strength and level, it wasn��t difficult to pass the assessment. Besides, Rhode didn��t want Lauren to detect his Chaos energy. On this continent, Chaos energy was detested by everyone. He was sure that if Lauren sensed that he was able to release Chaos energy, he would be dragged into the Church for investigation even if the Ocean Trade Route incident had nothing to do with hi. Breaking the Mystic Realm only required Chaos energy to interfere with the formation of new Order and it wasn��t necessary to launch attacks on the Mystic Realm caster.


    ��What did you do?��


    Lauren stared at Rhode vigilantly. He had never heard that the Mystic Realm could be destroyed by someone. In his eyes, Rhode had turned from an admirable young man to a threatening presence. The domain of Order was an amulet for beings in the Legendary Stage. It was also the source of their arrogance and strength. And now, Lauren��s Mystic Realm had been completely destroyed!


    ��That��s a trade secret, Mr. Lauren.��


    Rhode sensed immense pain permeating throughout his body. As a user of Chaos energy, even though it was only an instant, the devastation of the Order energy had inflicted serious damage to him. Fortunately, Rhode had a strong constitution. If he were an ordinary Human, perhaps he would be crippled even if he weren��t dead. But even so, Rhode tolerated the immense pain and gazed at Lauren.


    Lauren twitched his brows. He lifted his sword and strode toward Rhode. Even though Lauren was injured from the backlash of the Mystic Realm devastation, he naturally wouldn��t be gravely hurt as a powerful being. Besides, Lauren could see that Rhode had been harmed heavily as he was as powerful as a spent force.


    Lauren tried to capture Rhode due to obligation previously, but now, he hoped to capture him because he wished to know the truth. What did Rhode do to break his Mystic Realm? This hadn��t happened in the past! But Lauren also knew that this stubborn young man wouldn��t expose his secret this easily.


    Since he isn��t willing�� I��ll have to use force then.


    Here he comes!


    Rhode lifted his sword and stood silently on the spot. Even though Rhode was injured, it didn��t mean that he didn��t have any strength left in him. Lauren had made a wrong judgment once, and Rhode didn��t mind letting him commit another again. On the battlefield, forcing the enemy to make mistakes was the best way to win.


    One step, two steps, three steps.


    Lauren approached closely. Rhode sensed that Lauren was preparing himself, just like a jogger on his warm up phase. At this moment, Lauren was using the opportunity to regulate his strength and get ready for a one-shot-kill. On the contrary, Rhode stood sideways on the spot. His right hand clutched onto the pitch-black sword while his left hand was behind him.


    Four steps, five steps.


    Lauren��s right arm muscle tightened. The sword in his hand trembled. Everything was developing in the right direction, and next would be a matter of life or death.


    Rhode twitched his wrist.


    Shing!


    He swung out his pitch-black sword and its straight blade instantly transformed into a menacing viper, widening its mouth and pouncing at Lauren!


    ��Hmph!��


    Lauren let out a cold snort. At this moment, his sword aura had reached its peak. He stepped forward.


    When Lauren took the first step, his sword and him were still individual entities. However, they merged together on the very next step. The dazzling lightning sword aura enveloping them pulsed. The spirit and strength coalesced from years of tough training became a perfect embodiment. The violent, choking aggression felt as though a gush of stream that formed into a huge sword aura wave!


    The dark shadow vanished in the enormous wave, but Lauren turned around along the momentum and streaked across an indistinct trail of blade ray, slashing toward nothing. However, at the next moment, a razor-sharp black blade emerged and crashed heavily into Lauren��s silver-whitish blade.


    ��That��s the end for you, young man!��


    Lauren thrust his sword down with all his might while Rhode couldn��t resist the powerful force, especially in this condition. Rhode hurriedly retreated and at the same time, Lauren deflected his black sword away. Rhode was defenseless and a single slash would take his life��


    A single slash.


    Clang!


    A crisp collision rang.


    Lauren widened his eyes at the pure white blade obstructed him. Behind the blade was Rhode��s smiling eyes, which Lauren didn��t see. Rhode laid the sword horizontally before his chest and the holy, white blade resisted Lauren��s lethal attack. Damn it. Where did this other sword come from?!


    Lauren��s movements stagnated, but he didn��t stop. He struck out again and again and grew increasingly terrified. This young man��s calmness had exceeded his expectations. Although Lauren knew that Rhode wasn��t easy to deal with, he recognized him as merely a potential junior back then. But now, Lauren discovered that this young had become a worthy opponent and enemy!


    Lauren knew that this young man��s strength was far from his. But he observed that this young man��s movements had surpassed his expectations from their exchange in slashes. He didn��t know what the young man did to weaken his strength and even destroy his Mystic Realm. Moreover, how did this sword appear out of nowhere? Lauren swore that this young man definitely didn��t have a second sword with him!


    I can��t drag this any longer!


    Lauren stared fiercely.


    The ear-deafening thunder roared.


    The lightning bolts permeated on the silver-whitish blade erupted in all directions, shaking Rhode��s footing in the deep explosion. Rhode swiftly retreated, but Lauren struck his blade forward closely. A dozen incomparably dazzling light blades exploded and engulfed Rhode entirely.


    Cling! Cling! Cling! Cling!


    Rhode sprung back in a crisp clashes of swords. Lauren didn��t hold back anymore. He leapt forward and the lightning bolts under his feet struck like a powerful stream.


    This is the final battle.


    Rhode lifted his right hand. Two cards emerged between his fingers and vanished seconds after. Then, he widened his palm and a faint halo spread with him in the middle.


    Boom!


    Rhode collapsed heavily to the ground. At the same time, Lauren thrust his sword toward Rhode��s shoulder with all his might while Rhode had as though given up all resistance. He laid on the snowfield and quietly welcomed the menacing attack.


    Suddenly, two daggers crisscrossed and negated Lauren��s attack.


    ����!��


    Lauren stared in disbelief. Two Elf girls wrapped in snowy white cloak stood before Rhode and the daggers in their hands stopped the silver-whitish blade from penetrating farther. Endless lightning bolts pulsated on the silver-whitish blade, but it failed to get closer to them.


    Then, Lauren watched as Rhode stood to his feet slowly. A battle angel clad in sky-blue armor walked out from nowhere. She held a sword with a blade burning in holy flames and placed it before Rhode.


    Legendary Stage.


    Lauren sulked as soon as he sensed the strength emanating from the three young ladies. He never expected that the young man would have companions of such a supreme caliber. Although the three young ladies had only just entered the Legendary Stage, judging from their aura, Lauren sensed that their strength was extraordinary. He had never seen a Battle Angel shrouded in such immense holy powers. The two Elf girls were even more mysterious. Although they had stood before him, he couldn��t lock onto their aura at all. He couldn��t even sense their presence using senses other than his sight as though they were nothing more than phantoms. Lauren lifted his head and scrutinized Rhode. Where did this young man come from?


    Then, he heard Rhode��s calm and apathetic voice.


    ��Shall we continue, Mr. Lauren?��

 Chapter 659 - Uninvited Guests (End)

    Lauren sunk into silence.


    If Lauren were to choose, he wouldn��t be willing to end just like this. But he knew that he had no other choices left. If his opponent was merely a strong noble, Lauren would capture him for investigation. Even if the investigations were proven wrong, he would at most show up personally and apologize to the Munn Royal Family. But now, Lauren couldn��t do that. Of course, he could choose to force his way through, but this young man had shown that he wasn��t easy to deal with. Moreover, Lauren was concerned that this young man had more tricks up his sleeves. If Rhode��s outstanding swordsmanship and confidence could still be considered acceptable, his capability in breaking Lauren��s Mystic Realm had left the latter stunned. When Lauren thought that Rhode was at his wits end, three beings in the Legendary Stage emerged out of nowhere.


    Lauren felt that it would only pose a thorny problem for him if the three beings were in the early phase of the Legendary Stage. Even though his Mystic Realm had been destroyed and he was still confident that his strength should be able to teach these people a lifelong lesson. Should be able to? Lauren twitched his brows. His instincts from countless battle experiences told him that this matter wasn��t as simple as he thought. He had failed to lock onto the aura of the two petite Elf girls and felt from their blades that they weren��t even worth a mention in strength. However, he couldn��t feel their presence at all. Failing to sense the enemy presence was much more terrifying than failing to see them for a formidable being like Lauren. Besides, for unknown reasons, he felt a chill down his spine when he saw the two petite girls as though an instinctive reaction when a creature was in the face of a death threat.


    Those two girls are dangerous!


    As for the Battle Angel who stood before Rhode, even though she didn��t appear to be as dangerous as the two Elf girls, her rich battle experience was obvious from her imposing manner and presence. Not only that, but the overwhelming holy aura emanating from her left Lauren hesitant. He was clear that one wasn��t a simple figure when one had a Battle Angel by one��s side no matter in the Munn Kingdom or the Country of Light. If Lauren had treated Rhode as an up-and-coming young star of the Munn Kingdom previously, he finally understood that this young man was definitely looked upon by the Munn Kingdom. If not, it would surely be impossible for a Battle Angel to serve a Human.


    Moreover, Lydia was a real piece of work. They were in the territory of the Munn Kingdom and Lauren wasn��t willing to make a huge fuss out of this situation. Although the relationship between the Munn Kingdom and Country of Light was terrible, both sides were still able to get along on the surface, after all. Besides, Lauren was unlike that bunch of politicians who couldn��t wait for the Munn Kingdom to be destroyed and disintegrated. As a soldier, Lauren knew how important the Munn Kingdom��s geographical location was to the Country of Light. If it was possible, he didn��t wish to have a falling out with the Munn Kingdom. Furthermore, as one of the higher-ups of the Light Parliament, he understood everything that had happened in the Munn Kingdom and he had vaguely sensed that the incidents were linked to the Light Parliament in countless ways.


    During such a sensitive period, he had better not go overboard. Besides, who knew what tricks that this young man had up his sleeves?


    Lauren pondered in silence and withdrew his sword. The two Elf girls took a step back simultaneously. They slid smoothly like a stream of water to the left and right and quietly stood beside Rhode. Rhode gazed at Lauren calmly. The fatigue on Rhode was nowhere to be seen anymore. In Lauren��s eyes, Rhode appeared much more confident now��


    ��What is your name?��


    Lauren asked the black-haired young man. He had a premonition that this young man would possibly be one of the future prospects of the Munn Kingdom. Even though it would be tough for a person to influence the harmony of two nations, it would still be possible judging from the person��s status. There were many outstanding young people in the Munn Kingdom. Royal Highness Lydia was only a young Archangel, but her iron-willed self was unseen in past Munn Kingdom rulers. Apart from her, there was also a rare magical genius as the heir of the Senia Family. According to the rumors and intelligence collected by the Light Parliament, the commander of the Royal Family��s most secretive and ancient Royal Fleet was also a young man, but no one knew the commander��s true identity.


    ��Rhode Alander.��


    ���� So�� It��s you����


    Lauren nodded in surprise. Even though he didn��t recognize Rhode, he had long heard about the big name of ��Mercenary Overlord��, After all, he and the investigations team had been roaming around the Munn Kingdom all these time. This young man��s background was like a legend, but Lauren was clear that a young man who had attained such achievements in a short period of time didn��t rely only on luck and support from the Royal Family. Lauren had thought of investigating how special this young man was too.


    And now, this young man appeared before him��


    Lauren shot a glance at Rhode once more. Then, he turned around and approached his men.


    ��Let them go. We��re heading off!��


    ��Sir?��


    The man in heavy armor questioned.


    ��We can��t do that. There��s a high chance that these people are related to the incident. As long as we carefully investigate, we can surely find some evidence against them����


    ��Enough!��


    Lauren let out a bellow. He glared at the man beside him and let out a hopeless sigh. Lauren wasn��t no longer as furious as before. Instead, he appeared seemingly worried. After his clash with Rhode, he realized that the situation was getting out of hand. Currently, even though there wasn��t such manpower from the Munn Kingdom here, they had eminent statuses, possessed youthful vitality, and threats. Once they identified that the Country of Light was their enemies, how would the situation develop in future? In contrast, even though the huge financial groups had no lack of young talents, they were rarely put in charge. The Light Parliament was lifeless and every member was ��striving�� for the sake of gaining power and self-interest. On the contrary, the younger, vigorous group was dissatisfied with the fact that the older, conservative group only cared about their own money. The younger group sought opportunities to overthrow the conservative group to build their reputation while the conservative group clashed with the younger group in order to protect their benefits. Among them, the various financial groups were completely unscrupulous in order to take their share of the loot. The military was also involved and tried to strength their army�� Currently, the Light Parliament was ununited. The senior chairman��s reputation had fallen rapidly. The support he received locally had dropped to its lowest point. But even so, he hadn��t given up serving another term of office�� Lauren felt downhearted as he gazed at the people around him�� Haven��t they figured out the situation?


    But at this moment, Lauren heard a voice that he didn��t wish to hear. Not only did the man beside him not execute his order, but he also blocked him from moving ahead.


    ��Please pardon me, Sir Lauren. Your doings are tarnishing the supreme honor of our Light Parliament. We will never succumb to any threat of oppression or violence from the outside world. I, as the representative of the Light Parliament, have no need to comply with the threat of those dictator��s lackeys! You are the invited guest for this investigations team, but I��m their commander. I will not follow your order. I want to detain these people here for interrogation. If they dare to defy, execute them on the spot!��


    ��You��!��


    The corner of Lauren��s eye twitched and at this moment, Rhode��s stone-cold voice sounded.


    ��It seems that your subordinates have different opinions.��


    ������


    Lauren turned to Rhode and saw that the latter raise his arm.


    ��But, it doesn��t matter. It isn��t as if I��m unprepared.��


    Rhode placed the tip of his fingers between his lips and blew a sharp whistle.


    ����!��


    The crisp whistle resounded.


    Figures appeared from the back of the snowy hills one by one and encircled the investigations team. The Rangers lifted their longbows and aimed at their target. The warriors held shields and swords, standing solemnly. Spell-casters in white robe behind them chanted and magical radiance flickered in their hands.


    We��re surrounded!


    Lauren looked at Rhode with a fearful glint. He didn��t know how many people had surrounded them, but it seemed that the young man was well-prepared. Even so, this young man didn��t released this trump card during their clashes no matter how unfavorable the situation was for him.


    ��I hope you will reconsider your choices, Mr. Commander.��


    Rhode said with an apathetic tone. However, the crowd felt a chilly sensation from his voice. Terror held them like a vice-like group. They convinced themselves that it was due to the cold temperature of the atmosphere in this ice field.


    ��D-Do you know what you��re doing?��


    At this moment, the commander had lost all arrogance. Previously, he was presumptuous as he thought that he had the upper hand in manpower. Besides, the young man appeared miserable during his clash with Lauren. Even though the young man had some impressive performance, any outsiders who witnessed the battle could see that Lauren was overpowering. However, he didn��t know why Lauren had chosen to give up. He had about 400 people including Mages in his force, and it wouldn��t be a problem dealing with these people. Moreover, he had kept a group of Cavalrymen captive, so why would he hand them over just because of Lauren?


    But now, his thoughts had wavered. No matter who it was, no one would feel great being surrounded by fully-armored men. Besides, the other party seemed to have a lot of manpower. If he continued to put up a fight, perhaps he would be the one to suffer. Even though he was a firm activist of the Country of Light and he wholeheartedly felt that he did nothing wrong, he had to reconsider if his choices were worthy.


    But I��ve just spoken my thoughts. If we leave now��


    ��Enough! Russell!��


    Lauren snarled. He knew what the commander was thinking and he wasn��t willing to risk it. Lauren was sure that the young man would surely take actions if this stalemate continued! After Lauren heard Rhode��s name, he knew that he shouldn��t mess with him. Previously, this young man had even crippled the Mist Sword Saint before the representative of the Light Parliament, so it meant nothing for him to eliminate another investigations team!


    ��Let��s go! This investigation mission has ended! We should return to the Country of Light!��


    ���� Yes, Sir.��


    The commander no longer refused the smart suggestion. He hesitated for a moment, but eventually took half a step back and lowered his head in fear.


    Then, Rhode��s voice sounded once more.


    ��Good. It seems that you��ve made the right choice and saved yourself from being murdered. You should really thank him for his barely working brain.��


    ��You��!��


    The man sulked and lifted his head subconsciously. However, a ghastly whiteness spread over his face the very next instant.


    The two Elf girls emerged before him in an ice-cold flash. They kept their daggers pushing against his neck. They lifted their heads and smiled gently before pulling down their hoods to hide their delicate, adorable features and revealed only their chins. They took a step back and vanished before their eyes in the whistling wind.


    ������


    The place was left in complete silence.


    The commander looked with an ashen expression. Sweat filled his forehead and he subconsciously caressed his neck. The other soldiers behind him exchanged astonishing looks. They didn��t realize when the two Elf girls appeared before their commander. Their appearances were so striking it was impossible that they didn��t spot her.


    ��Enough. Let��s go!��


    Lauren lowered his voice. He swept a glance at Rhode. He had never felt this nervous and frightened ever since stepping into the Legendary Stage. But when he witnessed the two Elf girls withdrawing their daggers on his subordinate��s throat, his heart skipped a beat. He couldn��t sense the aura, murderous intent, or movements of the girls at all. He even had the misconception that the girls had purposely emerged before his eyes. If not, perhaps he wouldn��t even have noticed if they assassinated that commander.


    The group from the Country of Light fled hurriedly with their heads down. They felt humiliated, indignant, and they had to lower their arrogant heads. They felt insulted and the honor of the Light Parliament had been tarnished. When was the last time Country of Light soldiers had fled from someone? After the White Cloud Summit incident from 70 years ago, the proud Country of Light soldiers had never lowered their heads before anyone. They swore that they would use their blood and lives to defend everything they had. But now��


    ��Hmph.��


    Rhode let out a snort after the Country of Light soldiers disappeared from his view. He recalled his Holy Sword Cards and approached John��s group. In fact, Rhode had merely created a misconception. His manpower had been divided to both sides and they stood wide apart from one another to make it seem as though there were countless men.


    ��Sir.��


    John scuttled forward and bowed solemnly. He knew that his performance wasn��t impressive today. Not only did he not successfully carry out his role in battle, but he had also ended up in this miserable state. As a person who had lived in the South for almost all his life, John knew that the people of Country of Light were arrogant and terrifying. He was sure that Rhode would surely offend these people. What if they��


    ��I��m dissatisfied with your performances, John.��


    As expected. Rhode spoke as John hurriedly lowered his head.


    ��I��m really sorry, Sir Overlord. This was an error in my judgment. If I were a little more careful, this conflict wouldn��t have happened. If this incident causes inconvenience for you, I��m willing to bear the responsibilities!��


    ��No, no, no. You��ve mistaken.��


    But as John was reflecting on his actions, Rhode waved his hand.


    ��I don��t care about that bunch of idiots from the Country of Light. I��m talking about you, John.��


    ��Eh?��


    He doesn��t care whatever happens with the Country of Light? Then, I��


    ��You shouldn��t have surrendered to their threats, John. Perhaps you haven��t been with me for a long enough time. But now, I want to tell you clearly����


    Rhode paused. Then, he spoke with a firm tone.


    ��My men don��t need to kneel down to the Country of Light.��

 Chapter 660 - The Guilty Party Files a Suit

    The sky darkened gradually. Gazing out of the window, a distinct, scarlet speck of flames in the city shone upon the frosty surface, enveloped by descending, fluttering snowflakes. Contrasting with the dark clouds above, the scenery was tranquil and picturesque.


    Lydia laid languidly on the scarlet velvet sofa in a plain white robe that wrapped around her graceful figure. The burning flames in the fireplace brought warmth to the chilly, spacious room.


    The melodious sound of harp resounded in the room. Lydia lifted the letter to her eye level and scanned the content. She let out a soft giggle and the melody came to a spontaneous end.


    ��Your Highness, did you read something interesting again?��


    Gaya sat on the floor with her legs crossed while holding onto the harp beside her. She looked up and gazed curiously at Lydia. Lydia extended her hand with a smile. Along with this movement, the letter between her fingers drifted across the room like a light feather and landed in Gaya��s hands. The black-haired young lady gazed at Lydia��s crafty smile before lowering her sight to the letter. Then, she stared blankly.


    ���� A report regarding the clash with the Country of Light��s investigations team?��


    ��That��s right.��


    Lydia widened her smile. She sat up straight and crossed her arms as though a young girl anticipating a Christmas present.


    ��This is the report from the overlord of Grenbell. His subordinates and him have encountered the ambush of the investigations team. Both parties got into a conflict and thereafter, the overlord of Grenbell delivered this report over.��


    ��Is it that guy again?��


    Surprisingly, the always-detached-Gaya curled her lips like a willful child. However, Lydia wasn��t mindful of her response. She gazed at Gaya playfully as the latter read out every word in the letter. Then, Gaya lifted her head and placed the letter on the table.


    ��What do you intend to do, Your Highness?��


    ��Isn��t it obvious?��


    Lydia revealed a smile that was warmer than the brilliant sun in June.


    ��Although I��ve given the Country of Light investigations team permission to enter our territory, raiding and attempting to arrest an overlord is behavior that has crossed the line. The Country of Light seems to think that our Munn Kingdom is a territory under them and not an independent nation. I will immediately protest to the Light Parliament. As for the conflict with the investigations team, we will need to make them leave.��


    Gaya shook her head in silence and gazed at Lydia, who stepped to the table and wrote a letter swiftly. After a few moments, Gaya let out a sigh.


    ��Are you sure you want to do this, Your Highness?��


    ��Of course, my adorable little Gaya. The Country of Light has been poking their noses into our matters too much recently. The Dragon Soul Ceremony is coming up and such preparations are essential before the grand opening ceremony, okay? The more prepared we are, the more bustling and memorable the ceremony will be.�� Lydia put down the feather pen and sealed the envelope. Then, she stood up and clapped for attention. Shortly after, a Battle Angel opened the door, entered the room and bowed respectfully. Lydia handed the envelope to her.


    ��Get the Royal Mage Guards to deliver this envelope to the Light Parliament through the night and ensure that the Chairman receives it personally. Huhuhu. I guess it��s gonna be a long night for them.��


    The Battle Angel took over the envelope and left swiftly. At this moment, Lydia brought a gentle smile to the long French window and admired the snowy view.


    ��You see, Gaya. Nature is wonderful and incomparable. It has a passionate, fiery side and also a soft, gentle side. The immaculate snow bundles everything within like a mother waiting anxious;y to give birth to her precious child. The child will eventually grow, mature, and die�� But death isn��t the eternal end. Instead, it��s the start of a new life.��


    ��It��s only snow, Your Highness.��


    Gaya stroked her fingers along the harp strings and crisp notes echoed in the room. The melodic tune flowed like clear running water and brought a poetic flavor to the snowy scenery.


    ��It sounds beautiful, Gaya����


    Lydia shut her eyes and mumbled to herself.


    ��Back then, the snowy night was similar to this����


    Lydia had as though returned to that night from several years ago. The descending, fluttering snow as though concealed all the crimes and sins��conflagrations. Smoke from the aftermath. Death. Everything had been covered by snow, the contrasting crimson blood staining the ground.


    Lydia had clutched her swords and gazed at the male corpse before her. He was a Human. A Human��s desire for power always blinded their rational and drove them into some crazy actions. He craved to challenge traditions, rules, and himself. But in the end, he failed. Not only him, but his family too.


    Jingle.


    Suddenly, a bell twinkled. Lydia turned around and saw a black-haired little girl who was about 6 to 7 years old hugging a toy wooden harp in her tiny arms. There were no traces of impurity in her big, round black pupils. She took tiny steps to the male corpse and shook his shoulder lightly. But, the lifeless man didn��t respond to her calling. The little girl lifted her head and gazed at the Archangel.


    ��Is he dead?��


    ��Yes, he��s dead.��


    Lydia looked into the little girl��s eyes and nodded. The latter lowered her head and gazed at the corpse in silence. After a few moments, she lifted her head again.


    ��Did you kill my father?��


    Her voice was totally void of emotion. There wasn��t any traces of hatred, wrath, and fear.


    ��Yes.��


    Lydia simply nodded. Then�� the little girl revealed a smile.


    ��Alright then. From now onwards, you��ll be my owner, Big Sister.��


    ��It has been a long while����


    Gaya played the final note of the musical piece. Lydia opened her eyes and turned to the black-haired young lady behind her. Gaya sensed her gaze and lifted her head to display a smile in response��an incredibly beautiful smile that was as clear and pure as spring water.


    ��Your Highness. You don��t have to trouble yourself over it. The strongest survive in this world. My father was weak. He had foolishly chosen to challenge the strong and lost. That was the results of being weak. I never sympathized with my father for his silly choice. He had chosen a wrong path and received his consequences. Back on that snowy day, I made my decision when I saw you standing by my father��s corpse. I favor the strong and as long as you remain strong, I will follow, serve, and contribute my everything to you.��


    Lydia revealed a witty smile.


    ��In other words, you will leave me if I��m defeated? Is that right, Little Gaya?��


    ��Of course, Your Highness. Your failure means that you no longer have the power to protect yourself, this country, and its people. Since that is the case, you��re nothing more than a weak being even if you��re an Archangel�� I will leave your side when you��re defeated and the country crumbles because I will not follow the weak. They don��t have the right and ability. They aren��t for us to follow, but to dominate instead. They don��t have the authority to rule the world. I only abide by the orders from the strong and not prayers of the weak. Compassion for them is just sinful forgiveness that doesn��t have any effects at all.��


    Gaya spoke sincerely. Her smile was still as bright and sweet. Lydia stuck out her little tongue.


    ��That��s really strict, Little Gaya. Is this your answer as my friend or subordinate?��


    ���� As your subordinate, of course, Your Highness. If I were to express my thoughts as a friend, I don��t wish to see the arrival of that day�� But if that day comes, I will fulfill your wish before I leave you. This is my promise to you as a friend.��


    ��Thank you for your honesty, Little Gaya.��


    ��You��re welcome, Your Highness.��


    The snow fluttered without any intentions of stopping. Everything fell into silence. On the other side, the scenery in the Fortress in Land of Atonement presented a different view.


    ��The report has been delivered to Royal Highness Lydia. Do you think this is a good choice, Mr. Rhode?��


    Lize puckered her brows worriedly.


    After Rhode returned to the Fortress, he had explained the entire happenings to Marlene, got her to write a report about the clash in her name and deliver it to the Royal Family. Lize was shocked that Rhode actually fought Lauren face to face and even killed members of the investigations team. Even though she belonged to the Royal Family and naturally had a lack of favorable impressions of the Country of Light, her nature was relatively peaceful. Although she was furious that the investigations team tried to detain Rhode and his subordinates, she felt that Rhode had taught them a sufficient lesson and he actually wished to take one step farther�� Was this really fine? Besides, Lize was rather concerned that if Lydia was aware that Rhode and the people of the Country of Light had broken out into a fight�� What would she think about it?


    Besides, in Rhode��s description, he had pushed all responsibilities to the investigations team and listed out their crimes: encircling and detaining his subordinates without official permission, laying their hands on the overlord and others�� Even though this was the truth, Lize felt that something was amiss.


    ��Of course, Lize. Don��t worry.��


    In contrast, Marlene was unconcerned.


    ��No matter what Rhode has done to them, the investigations team only has themselves to blame. Besides, Rhode��s actions were sensible. Even though they were in the wrong at first, they suffered grave losses judging from Rhode��s descriptions. If they were to deliver the report ahead of us, perhaps it would be disadvantageous. They could hide the truth of their rude behavior and emphasize that they were victims of Rhode��s abuse. This way, the Light Parliament may possibly apply pressure on us and in order to prevent this, we have to deliver our report as soon as possible so we can gain the upper hand.��


    ��Marlene is right.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. However, this wasn��t solely the truth. Rhode��s main reason to send out the report was to take the lead because he knew how shameless the Country of Light people was. They had sent over the investigations team in the purpose of smearing the reputation of the Munn Kingdom before taking advantage of the predicament. Although Rhode felt great to vent his frustrations on them, he was sure that this was within the Light Parliament��s expectations as the investigations team was basically a bait thrown out by the Light Parliament. If no one took the bait, they would tyrannize the Munn Kingdom people. If one took the bait, they would have the chance to open fire on Munn Kingdom��


    Even though Rhode had swallowed the bait, it didn��t mean that he was willing to be fished out and cooked by them. Therefore, he immediately got Marlene to write up a report and sign it off with his stamp as Grenbell��s overlord. The report was then delivered to Golden City through the magical teleportation and handed over to Lydia. Rhode didn��t need to care about what happened next. But he believed that Lydia would make a right judgment over this.


    As for the secondary reason�� As the saying ��it is impolite not to reciprocate�� went, the Light Parliament tried to stir trouble, and Rhode wouldn��t hold back in getting back to them by provoking their internal department.


    As a parliamentary country, the internal conflicts in the Country of Light had always been ongoing. Even though Rhode wasn��t a Country of Light player, he had often read on the forums about the various political forces in the Country of Light and financial groups clashing with players of military organizations. It had always been a serious issue in the internal Light Parliament in fighting for power. Rhode knew that the conflict between the military and Light Parliament had broken out because Lauren joined the investigations team without his personal guards by his side. This was actually the Light Parliament��s scheme to kill two birds with one stone. If one was able to destroy the investigations team��s plan, Lauren, as one of the most reputable and strongest among the investigations team, would have to bear the blame. Besides, Rhode had also observed that the investigations team didn��t acknowledge Lauren as their superior through their clash. But this wasn��t strange as this was their tradition.


    The Country of Light was considered a more exotic nation on the entire Dragon Soul Continent. In other countries, the formidable beings were respected as they should be and also held high positions. But it was disparate in Country of Light. The strong might hold high positions, but in terms of respect�� it was hard to say. In fact, even though there were countless formidable beings in the Country of Light, their lives were hard as they believed in the equality of life. They despised authority and it was due to this that they were armed with vigilance instead of a mindset for worship to the formidable beings. Besides, the Country of Light often had this view that even though formidable beings were indeed strong, they were still ordinary beings. Perhaps they might be capable of razing down a town with an extension of their arms, they still existed as Humans. They had family members who needed to survive in this society and world. If no one provided them with shelter and food, they would still be in precarious situations! Besides, what if one was formidable? One��s family couldn��t possibly be as strong. They would still need to live in this society with ordinary Humans.


    Therefore, we don��t need to fear the strong! Without our help, their strength would be meaningless!


    Of course, the essence of this statement was to make the people not succumb to the fear and oppression of powerful forces. However, this statement became twisted under the influence of the Light Parliament. It was especially so after they grasped the Creator Dragon Soul successfully. The attitude of the entire Country of Light and its people took a drastic turn to the other extreme. In their opinion, even a presence like the Creator Dragon Soul wasn��t able to leave their side and had to rely on them for support, so wasn��t it the same for formidable beings? Slowly, the people believed that they were more honorable and mightier than formidable beings, so they didn��t give a damn about the two Archangels who protected the Creator Dragon Soul.


    This was why formidable beings had to act carefully in the Country of Light as they might possibly be accused of using their powerful strength to bully the weak. They would then be suspected of being an authoritarian tyrant who abused their strength and their families would also sink into a storm of accusations and criticisms. Although there were formidable beings that had left the Country of Light due to such treatments, most of them stayed behind helplessly as they held high positions in the nation and had huge families. Therefore, it wasn��t an easy matter for them to leave the country just like that. Moreover, they had to shoulder a blackened name after leaving the country and this was intolerable for those who treated reputation as more important than their lives.


    This had also become one of the reasons for the tense relationship between the Country of Light and the Munn Kingdom. The cultural background from both sides had determined this point. Country of Light people believed that they had the ��higher�� system of values in this world where everyone was equal and no one could override others. They naturally saw themselves as ��superior�� and defended freedom, fairness, and justice.


    On the contrary, Lydia, who used her authority as an Archangel to push about the people, was undoubtedly deemed as a tyrant. Those who faced Lydia��s tyranny and had no rebellious beliefs were naturally ��inferior slaves��. They lacked the courage of revolution and to face death! They didn��t know that freedom and justice would not befall without countless deaths!


    They said it well, since they weren��t the ones who were dying. If the Munn Kingdom could stand united and revolt Lydia��s ��tyranny��, it would still be for the best if the bloodbath flowed into a river with corpses lay across the country because regeneration was only possible with destruction. Without the countless sacrifices, how are you people going to receive the true freedom and justice? Your deaths will be worth it and respected. We will watch the magnificent show of your performance with tears in our eyes and cheer for your bravery!


    Due to such a background, Rhode was confident that the Light Parliament would pin all the responsibilities on Lauren and also dampen the arrogance of the military. Meanwhile, the Country of Light military wasn��t any pushover and they would definitely kick up a fuss with the Light Parliament over it. Moreover, the Light Parliament��s Chairman had an unstable position this year and younger groups were also clashing heads with senior groups.


    Heh heh heh��


    Rhode laughed inwardly at the possible internal disorder in the Light Parliament.


    Lize and Marlene gazed at Rhode before looking at each other curiously. At this moment, someone knocked on the door and broke the silence. Then, Agatha��s apathetic voice sounded.


    ��Reporting, Sir. Miss Shauna is requesting to see you.��


    ��Shauna?��


    Rhode returned to his senses and he felt rather strange. After he returned from Golden City previously, he made Shauna responsible for external reception and liaison work. However, this job was considered as logistics housekeeping and there shouldn��t be any serious issues she couldn��t resolve. It was currently late at night and she surely wouldn��t look for him just for tea and chit-chat. So, what would it be about?


    ��Let her in.��


    Shauna opened the room door and entered.


    This woman who once led a mercenary group for a living appeared completely different. She had taken off her leather armor and wore a comfortable, flowy dress, which made her look much more gentle. As her main job scope could be considered as dealing with public relations, it wasn��t necessary for her to be fully-equipped in armor. As Rhode��s representative to meet with external parties, Shauna had to interact with many people, so she couldn��t behave like an ordinary mercenary like she did in the past. Fortunately, she was still capable at social intercourse after leading a mercenary group for years, which was why she had done well up until this point. She was also satisfied with such a life as she wasn��t too ambitious and she only hoped to prove herself. Her life now was comfortable and she didn��t need to risk her life everyday like a mercenary, so she didn��t have too many complaints.


    Shauna bowed respectfully to everyone present and lifted her head.


    ��I��m truly sorry for disturbing you while you��re on a busy schedule, Sir Overlord.��


    ��It��s fine. Is anything the matter?��


    ��This was what happened����


    Shauna revealed a helpless look.


    ��The young lady who you had me send to Cole Plateau����


    ��Ann?��


    Rhode thought of the young lady who he rescued when he, Mini Bubble Gum, and Canary visited the Saint Monastery. Ann had recovered after resting for several days and he dispatched his subordinates to send her back to her home in Cole Plateau. Rhode had also informed her family and they were thrilled and thankful that their daughter could return to their side, safe and sound. He assigned Shauna to handle this matter and he threw this matter to the back of his head. Now, it seemed that there were some problems along the way.


    ��Yes, she����


    Shauna paused as she didn��t know how to continue her explanations. After a few moments, she said helplessly.


    ��She�� has been sent back to us.��

 Chapter 661 - Pitch-black Fetal Movement

    Chapter 661: Pitch-black Fetal Movement


    What��s the situation?


    Everyone including Rhode was surprised. Frankly speaking, even though everyone sympathized with the pitiful young lady, they didn��t feel anything more than that. It was just like when one watched an actor on television who suffered hardship; everyone would at most lament with a statement such as ��Ah, how pitiful. It isn��t easy living such a horrible life����, since they were only strangers coming together by chance. As a guild and territorial leader, Rhode had plenty on his hands to handle and he wouldn��t care about a pathetic NPC.


    He thought that this matter had come to an end. But it seemed that the young lady��s family had other ideas. Do they think that I��m running an online store and provide free merchandise return?


    ��What happened?��


    Rhode returned to his senses. He felt that this situation sounded too fishy. It could still be considered premeditated if she were to get lost or be assassinated along the way home. However, according to Shauna, they had sent her to the family��s doorsteps, and they actually sent her back? What in the world?


    ��This was what happened����


    Shauna explained the detailed happenings. This whole incident was basically like a 8pm fantasy drama. Shauna and her group had indeed sent the young lady back to her home in Cole Plateau. Back then, her family was extremely grateful for their kind actions and not only did they host a feast for them, but they also requested Shauna pass on their gratitude to Rhode. Everyone had a joyous and harmonious night. Shauna��s group had intended to stay in Cole Plateau for two days to visit and draw closer ties with the Cole Falcon Guild before returning to the fortress.


    This was how simple the situation would have been. However, when Shauna��s group was about to leave, the weeping young lady scuttled to Shauna.


    There were actual reasons as to why Ann had been chased out of her home. Various rumors about her had spread after she returned home, as she was captured by the Cultists. The Cultists were evil presences in the hearts of ordinary people. Not to mention, this young lady had been held captive for so long, so it wasn��t hard for them to imagine how she was tainted by the Cultists��


    Besides, Ann was born into a wealthy family in Cole Plateau and the sharing of benefits had constantly been eyed by other family members. As the eldest daughter, she was fated to receive a huge portion of the wealth. However, after she had been captured by the Cultists, others eyed her portion of the wealth and believed that she wouldn��t return anymore. But who knew that she came back safe and sound�� That left a horrible taste in their mouths.


    Therefore, the family members hurriedly found a Cleric to do a series of examinations on her and the results were unfavorable: pitch-black energy had been found hidden within her soul.


    The family members used this information to chase her out of the family. They verbally attacked her one after another and even suspected that the Cultists had used sorcery to swap her soul and it was actually a Demon inside her instead of her true soul. This Demon was trying to use Ann��s body to destroy their family! This statement frightened the family members and even relatives who were close with Ann shunned her. Not only that, but some were also concerned that their family might crumble completely if the Church Knights knew about this!


    The Clark family instantly gathered and tried to burn Ann to death. Facing such a death threat, the young lady had no choice but to seek assistance from Shauna��s group. In the beginning, Shauna was rather hesitant because they had also more or less heard about the rumors. No matter if it was regarding darkness, evil, Demons, or Cultists, it wasn��t anything favorable for ordinary people, which was why Shauna had no intentions of getting involved with this problem. However, her family had gone overboard. They demanded for Shauna to hand Ann over and even tried snatching her over. Shauna had no choice but to make a decision. No matter what, this young lady was rescued by Rhode and they, as his subordinates, couldn��t watch the person get slaughtered before their eyes. In the end, Shauna stepped forth and stopped their barbaric acts. However, dragging this situation on wouldn��t resolve it, which was why Shauna had decided to bring Ann back to the fortress to seek Rhode��s opinion. Anyway, Ann would surely be dead if she were left there. Even though she might also be killed after returning to the fortress, there was still some hope left, right?


    Therefore, Shauna��s group brought Ann back.


    ��How ignorant and barbaric.��


    Marlene puckered her brows and let out a snort. Rhode let out an inward smile as he felt this sounded rather amusing.


    In his actual world, superstitions about evil monsters had been deemed as a sign of ignorance, backwardness, and barbarism due to the advancement of science. But, such superstitions were also scorned by those who were knowledgeable in this Dragon Soul Continent. However, unlike Rhode��s world, the people here didn��t consider the issue from a scientific perspective, but from magic perspective instead. No matter if it was science or magic, they were all subjective. Superstitions were imaginary empty talk without any persuasiveness at all.


    Taking the Demons for example: there were always rumors that mentioned that the goals of the Demons was to dominate this continent. They would crawl up from Hell and turn the entire surface into a sea of flames. However, anyone with some knowledge of planes of existences would know that a Demon��s main battlefield was in the underground and they were busy snatching territories from the Devils. Although Demons would occasionally be up to no good on the surface, it was considered more as leisure time for them, just like a man who was exhausted from work and went for a game of golf. One couldn��t expect the man to play like a professional golfer. In fact, in the later stages of the game, the Dragon Soul barrier crashed and those who appeared on the surface were mainly Devils and not Demons.


    As for the dark energy, it wasn��t all evil. In fact, even in the Mage School, dark magic was well respected. However, most of the people didn��t understand this point. They relied on their fears and generalized the Necromancers and Dark Mages into one��no matter who they were, there were no doubts that they were terrifying and dangerous presences!


    From this, it could be seen that barbarism and ignorances aren��t problems of civilization itself. Instead, it was the people��


    ��Where is she now?��


    Rhode wasn��t interested in being a philosopher. He got straight back to the topic.


    ��In the meeting room, Sir.��


    ��Got it.��


    Rhode nodded and stood to his feet.


    ��Let��s head there now.��


    Shortly after, Rhode spotted Ann who was seated on the chair.


    Rhode didn��t have a deep impression of her. He vaguely remembered her as a quiet, introverted young lady with young vitality. But now, she had an ashen expression with swollen, red eyes. Her cheeks had thinned and she curled up on the chair at the corner of the room, shivering like a squirrel waiting for an enormous monster to devour it in a single bite. She stood up hurriedly as soon as Rhode entered the room and bowed deeply.


    ��I-I��m really sorry to trouble you, Sir Overlord. I����


    ��Don��t speak a word.��


    Rhode waved his hand and interrupted. Anne shrunk violently as though she was about to be murdered. She gazed pitifully and even Lize and Marlene couldn��t help but feel sad for her. But Rhode continued to put up his emotionless face while sizing her up. Then, he beckoned to Lize.


    ��Lize, take a look.��


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode.��


    Lize knew what Rhode wished for her to do. She stepped forth and extended her arms before Ann.


    ������


    Shortly after, a white radiance emanated from Ann��s body. It was the radiance of her soul. Ann trembled even more violently. She shut her eyes and lowered her head as though tolerating the pain.


    ��Hmm?��


    Rhode and Marlene widened their eyes in astonishment.


    The radiance of Ann��s soul slowly transformed��a pitch-black sphere emerged in the center of the flawless soul radiance as though a sphere of burning dark flames hovering in the center of her body. Rhode twitched his brows.. It seemed that it was the source of the so-called dark energy hidden deep in her soul.


    ��How is it, Lize?��


    ��This�� is hard to determine.��


    Lize displayed a difficult expression. She gazed at Ann and carefully thought through her words, afraid to upset this young lady who was exhausted and mentally drained.


    There seems to be some dark energy within her soul�� But�� I don��t sense any evil aura. Besides�� I think this energy isn��t similar to those of the Demons����


    Isn��t similar�� is it?


    Rhode gazed meaningfully at the young lady and the latter curled up instinctively. Rhode lifted his arm. A magical radiance flashed and Celia emerged beside him. Ann trembled slightly at the Battle Angel��s sudden emergence as she didn��t know how this Battle Angel appeared out of nowhere. Is she here to kill me?


    ��Celia, give it a try.��


    ���� Yes, Sir.��


    Celia hesitated before taking a step forward. Then, she placed her right hand on Ann��s forehead. Ann shut her eyes tight, waiting fearfully for the coming death and destruction.


    But Celia had no intentions of taking her life. She closed her eyes and shortly after, her palm emanated a gentle, white radiance that shrouded Anne entirely. After a few moments, Celia knitted her brows slightly and retracted her hand. She turned to Rhode with a stern expression.


    ��That�� Master, can I speak to you in private?��


    ��Sure.��


    After Rhode had gotten Lize and Marlene to comfort the pitiful young lady, he and Celia arrived at the room next door. Then, Celia blushed slightly and her eyes wandered about.


    As expected.


    Rhode knew what was going on in her mind. The battle in the Saint Monastery was between Celia and the Fallen Angel. And now, there were some problems with this young lady who was used to maintain the existence of the Fallen Angel. As a Battle Angel, Celia would probably know something he didn��t. It was due to this that Rhode had summoned her to get to the bottom of this matter. However, he gazed at her quietly and as expected, Celia finally gave up resisting. She lowered her head and let out a sigh.


    ��Master, how much do you know about how Angels�� reproduce?��


    ��I do have some rough understanding.��


    Although he wasn��t sure why Celia would ask him this question, he answered swiftly because this wasn��t a secret among the players.


    Angels were magical existences with both asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction, and this was why Angels possessed stronger vitality than Humans. Therefore, normally speaking, Angels could reproduce without the need of mating no matter if they were in love or single. Every Angels would coalesce a life essence in their body as they grew to a certain phase and as long as this life essence was coalesced out of their body, they could create an egg-like matter, which was how new Angels would be given birth to.


    This could be considered the ��inheritance�� of the Angels.


    However, Angels could also mate with other races, get pregnant, and give birth to their offspring. But this way, their offspring would be Half-Angels and not pure Angels. In fact, this was the case for the most popular sisters in Munn Kingdom. Lydia was a pure Angel born from the life essence of the former ruler while Lize was a Half-Angel and the product of love between the former ruler and her Human lover.


    The reason why Rhode was familiar with this wasn��t because the Dragon Soul Continent had taught the players about Angels�� biology. Instead, this information was researched and exchanged by the ��gentlemanly�� players with their countless blood and sweat. Of course, as for the reason why they were motivated to study the reproduction methods of the Angels had nothing to do with the game�� And everyone knew why.


    ��As Angels, we have our own life essence in us. When the time is ripe, we will use our vitality to coalesce the life essence and a new life will be born from it�� This is how we Angels reproduce and same goes for�� Fallen Angels.��


    ��What you meant was����


    Rhode twitched his brows.


    ��That young lady is pregnant with the child of that Fallen Angel who has possessed her? If I recall correctly, that Fallen Angel was also a female����


    ��Ah. N-No!��


    Celia waved her hands in a fluster and a blush smeared across her fair cheeks.


    ��That�� life essence is the source of life and the source of life comes from ��light��. Fallen Angels give up on looking to light and fall into darkness completely, so they can��t possibly possess life essence. But�� It would still be possible if they were to coalesce their own powers. The young lady was once an offering for the Fallen Angel to enter her body and it goes to show that the young lady��s spiritual undulation is suitable for the Fallen Angel. Perhaps, due to this reason, the Fallen Angel chose this method to implant her final spiritual essence in her before leaving this world����


    Whenever Celia mentioned the ��Fallen Angel��, her tone was filled with complications. She lifted her head and gazed at the boundless night sky through the window with grief in her eyes.


    ��What will happen to the young lady?��


    Although Rhode was curious about the relationship between Celia and the Fallen Angel, Celia wasn��t willing to talk about it and he quickly jumped back to the main topic.


    ��Since she has the spiritual essence of the Fallen Angel in her, will she become a Fallen Angel in future?��


    ��That��s impossible, Master.��


    Celia shook her head firmly.


    ��Her soul has been purified by the flames of light and the remaining spiritual essence is just an empty shell without any will on its own. Of course, the young lady��s soul will merge with the dark energy if this continues and this won��t affect her thoughts. But����


    Celia made a rare pause.


    ���� It isn��t uncommon for Humans to degrade themselves and bow down to one who is under the influence of the dark energy. But all in all, the dark energy inside her body is nothing more than pure spiritual powers only.��


    ��I understand now.��


    Rhode nodded. He had made up his mind.

 Chapter 662 - Pre-Ceremony Preparation

    Chapter 662: Pre-Ceremony Preparation


    Ann was looking much better when Rhode returned to the drawing room. Perhaps thanks to Marlene and Lize��s comfort, the young lady no longer looked as pained anymore. She stood up and gazed at Rhode worriedly as though a convict on the defendant��s seat apprehensively waiting for the judge to announce his judgment.


    ��I��ve understood your situation.��


    Rhode said without any hesitation. Ann shivered and looked at the man before her. However, before she had the chance to speak, Rhode swiftly spoke his mind.


    ��Miss Clark, you can stay in my Land of Atonement. The dark energy inside you is nothing more than a sequela left from the Cultists�� ritual. It��s a pity that this energy has merged with your soul and can��t be removed. You can only accept your fate that you��ll need to live on with this energy for the rest of your life. But you don��t need to worry about this. I will get someone to resolve this problem for you. If you wish to stay in Land of Atonement, you will need to work for me. What do you think? Miss Clark, I don��t keep any subordinates who idle around doing nothing.��


    Rhode��s frightening words weren��t just to scare her off. In fact, it was the truth. Even though Anne always ate and slept all day, she showed outstanding determination whenever she headed into battle. Even though Christie had no contributions in battle, she was still responsible for designing the Constructs for Lapis in the alchemy workshop. If Ann were to stay in the fortress, she would need to do some work too.


    ��I agree!��


    Ann nodded without any hesitation. This was her last hope as only death awaited her if Rhode didn��t lend a helping hand to her. And now, since the Sir Overlord was willing to provide shelter for her, she was willing to do whatever he wanted!


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction before turning around.


    ��Agatha, prepare a room for this young lady here. Miss Clark, its late now. Have a good rest and we��ll discuss everything else tomorrow.��


    ��Okay�� Thank you very much, Sir Overlord.��


    After laying down the burden that had been bugging her for a long time, Ann quickly sensed deep exhaustion hitting her heavily. She had been drowned in despair, worries, and the fear of death along the way. She hadn��t had a good sleep in a while. Ever since she was forced to leave her home, every night had been torturous to her. Back then, surviving had become an extravagant hope for her. But now, the dark clouds clouding her mind finally dispersed. She bowed respectfully to Rhode and left the drawing room under Agatha��s lead. Rhode shrugged before turning to the two young ladies.


    ��Marlene, Miss Clark will temporarily follow your lead starting tomorrow. You can let her play second fiddle and I think she��s capable of that. I hope that you can educate her with some positive knowledge regarding dark energy so as to avoid her worrying if she will become a walking corpse one day.��


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode.��


    Marlene let out a chuckle and nodded swiftly. However, she knew that Rhode was serious about his remarks. Ordinary people who weren��t educated in magical knowledge treated all magical and spiritual powers as though the curse of the Devils. As a Mage, Marlene definitely wouldn��t tolerate such ignorant behavior. In fact, even if Rhode didn��t mention it, Marlene would also find the right time to talk to Ann about it. After all, this problem wasn��t a small one.


    Humans were always afraid of the unknown and deep fear would only lead to two outcomes: one would either escape or yield to extreme fear. It was just like the phrase ��if you can��t beat them, join them��. There were many times when those born with gifted strength failed to overcome the concept of fear in their mind and ended up falling from grace and becoming the thing they feared the most. This way, there would be nothing that they were afraid of anymore.


    ��Lize.��


    Rhode turned around.


    ��I guess this matter regarding Miss Clark will spread throughout the entire Land of Atonement in a few days. I want you to represent us in speaking to the Church about this. Inform them about the truth and seek their corporation.��


    ��No problem, Mr. Rhode.��


    Lize agreed without any hesitation. After receiving their affirmations, Rhode finally felt relieved.


    In fact, even though Rhode had acted apathetically to Ann, he actually valued her highly as she would be a great addition to his forces.


    In fact, when he had heard from Shauna that Ann had sought assistance from them, an idea cropped up in his head. Rhode lacked manpower the most. In terms of politics, the schoolmates whom Marlene had recruited could barely fill the gaps. But there was a distinct shortcoming in another aspect��and that was business.


    Even though Rhode had been working with several trade associations, they were simply partners, after all. The only merchant he had authority over was Matt. But Rhode wouldn��t hand over every business operations to the fat merchant. First, one shouldn��t put all eggs in one basket. Secondly, Matt was a wily old fox, after all. Although he worked well with Rhode, he was still an adult who had gone through challenging experiences while climbing up the business world and cultivated his personality and independence. Even though he felt delightful working with Rhode, it wasn��t possible for him to stay loyal. Moreover, Matt had built up his own career from scratch and there were many times he wished to be responsible for his own business. This was a factor of objective. Rhode couldn��t possibly request Matt to sell his family away and give all his life to him. However, Rhode currently didn��t have great candidates on hand and could only temporarily make do with what he had. Marlene was born in a noble family. Even though she had a keen political mind about the general picture, she held the arrogance of the nobles and wasn��t interested in interacting with lower classes like the merchants. Rhode also couldn��t imagine Marlene being a traveling merchant and bargaining with others�� The image didn��t match her at all.


    He didn��t need to consider Lize as a choice because while she might be a kind young lady, kindness would be a lethal flaw as a merchant. Besides, Lize wasn��t great in this aspect either. As for the others�� They weren��t even worth mentioning.


    It was due to this that an idea cropped up in Rhode��s mind after he received Shauna��s report.


    Even though he didn��t have too many interactions with Ann Clark, he understood a little about her background after rescuing her back then. She was born into a merchant family in Cole Plateau and was the eldest daughter of the Clark family. She lived a decent life and there weren��t any ridiculous rumors about this rich young lady. Most of the comments about her was that she was a quiet and obedient young girl. Apart from this, she had also inherited her father��s talent in commercial business. After Ann turned 15, she had often followed her father for commercial negotiations while her father had praised her highly.


    Of course, it might be an overstatement, judging that the praises were from her father. But even so, this was a great start for Rhode. If he could make use of her talent, it would be great for Starlight and the business development of Grenbell. Besides, unlike Matt, Ann had been cut off from her close ones and could only rely on herself to survive in this world. Rhode wasn��t worried that she would become a traitor. It would be good enough as long as she wholeheartedly worked for him.


    The only problem now was that this young lady wasn��t as capable as the rumors had mentioned. After all, after meeting Ann for a few times, Rhode did acknowledge that she was indeed quiet, submissive, and innocent-looking. However, he didn��t spot any outstanding talent in her in terms of commerce. Of course, Rhode currently didn��t have any business matters to hand over to her yet.


    However, Rhode had other means for her even if her business talent was exaggerated. She had undoubtedly received proper education as she was born into a wealthy family. Even if she didn��t have any business talent, she would still be a great asset serving as Marlene��s support.


    This was only a brief interlude for Rhode.


    Under the same starry sky, there was an unprecedented commotion on the other distant side.


    ***


    The senior slammed the letter on the table. He gritted his teeth and with an ashen expression, he read every beautiful, graceful words written on the letter inlaid with gold by its edge. However, the graceful words were as though slithering vipers. Disgusting! The crowd who sat around the round table before him gazed with unique expressions. Some were worried, and others furious and looking at him in disdain. Even though the meeting hall was in complete silence, it couldn��t conceal the surging billows.


    ��Everyone. What do you think of this?��


    The senior sat down hurriedly as he realized that his actions were inappropriate. One of the men in the crowd who wore a black formal suit laughed grimly.


    ��The Munn Kingdom is protesting against us? What kind of joke is this? The investigations team was approved unanimously by us, Light Parliament. They hold sufficient authority to do anything, anywhere. Since they have found the possible culprits of the Ocean Trade Route incident, it is only right that they capture them back for interrogation. But now, not only did the Munn Kingdom resist using force, but they also wish to gain the upper hand by a show of strength? We shouldn��t remain silent any longer. We must protest in the strongest way possible and request the Munn Kingdom to hand over the culprits. If they aren��t willing����


    ��Then? Don��t tell me you want to dispatch troops to deal with the Munn Kingdom?��


    Before the man finished his sentence, another man seated opposite him extended his arm and pushed up his spectacles. He said in an ice-cold tone.


    ��What can we do to the Munn Kingdom based on the current situation?��


    ��We have to bring out the honor of the Light Parliament and show them what we��re worth! The investigations team represent the prestige of the Light Parliament! How should we give grounds for the justice, freedom, and fairness that we��ve been persisting all this while if we allow the tyrant of the Munn Kingdom and her lackeys to humiliate us? Besides, what will the other territorial leaders think about us if they know about this?��


    ��Now isn��t the time to discuss this. We should pay attention to more important practical issues! The financial income for Country of Light has been terrible for the year due to unusual movements in the Ocean Trade Route and poor harvest in surrounding border regions. What if the tyrant of the Munn Kingdom cuts off the funding to us if we pose a tough attitude toward them?��


    ��What in the world are you talking about? Aren��t the freedom and justice that our generations who have used blood and sweat to exchange for enough to match gold coins that are filled with the stink of copper? Are you insulting the ideals and beliefs our ancestors have held?��


    ��I don��t mean that. I just want you guys to treat this issue with a more practical view. Due to the series of problems back then, there is serious dissatisfaction among the people against the Light Parliament. If we don��t receive funding from the Munn Kingdom this year, there will be a huge hole in our capital chain. We don��t have enough on our hands to fill this gap anymore. If we lose their funding, at least three of our territories will declare bankrupcy instantly. How should we resolve this problem? Don��t tell me we should increase taxes? Is this what you wish to see? The people of Barce, Glenk, and Drex are already resentful that the Light Parliament used their hard-earned taxes to assist remote regions instead. If we were to increase taxes, the support for the Light Parliament would surely fall! Besides, the new year is����


    ������


    The place fell into complete silence.


    No one spoke. But everyone knew what that parliament member��s words meant. The upcoming year would be an election year, which occurred every quadrennial, and the people��s support was the most important. However, the Light Parliament didn��t satisfy the people for the past two years and this year, the Ocean Trade Route incident and subsequent problems left the Light Parliament in a huge headache. Many of the financial groups had expressed their dissatisfaction. Not only that, but people were also resentful that the Light Parliament didn��t resolutely assist the Reformist Party. Back then, the Light Parliament watched on as the cruel tyrant of the Munn Kingdom suppressed the Reformist Party. According to investigations, the support for the Light Parliament led by this senior chairman had dropped from 48% to 35%. On the contrary, the opposition parties were eyeing the chairman��s seat covetously.


    ��It is due to this that we need to present a strong side for the people and let them know that we��re not afraid of the threats from a tyrant! Our Country of Light is still the beacon for freedom, justice, and ideal on this continent!��


    ��But empty promises can��t fill our stomachs. If we can��t replenish the financial hole, how should we answer to the interrogations of the lower chamber? Besides, the Munn Kingdom is an independent nation. According to the Light Dragon��s rule, we have no rights to interfere in their internal affairs. We have protested against the brutal repression that has taken place in their territory and done our part. It is meaningless to keep persisting on with this matter!��


    The man who snarled was filled with indignation. At this moment, they were reminded of the fact that the Munn Kingdom was a sovereign and independent nation.


    The senior puckered his brows. He pressed his hand on his forehead and let out a long sigh. The letter had left him feeling vexed. Of course, he knew what Lydia was up to when she protested at such a timing. But�� He couldn��t do anything to stop her. What could he do? The senior sulked and gazed exhaustedly at the parliament members contending with one another on strong grounds. He was the one who had decided to dispatch the investigations team because he wished to serve for another term of office and it required the support from huge financial groups in the Country of Light. The Ocean Trade Route incident had caused a certain extent of damage and influence to various financial groups. In order to appease them, the senior had to do something. But now, he realized that his hopes of serving for another term of office were getting uncertain. But was he willing to give up just like that?


    The senior held the armrest on his chair subconsciously.


    Suddenly, a deep voice sounded.


    ��Everyone. I have a plan to resolve this problem.��


    Everyone stopped their discussion and turned to the man. He stood to his feet and gazed at his companions with confidence and arrogance.


    ��I guess everyone is clear that the Dragon Soul Ceremony is coming up soon�� Perhaps, we can make an issue out of it.��

 Chapter 663 - Between Light & Light (I)

    The situation surrounding Ann was nothing more than an interlude for Rhode. Soon after, he would be facing the most important event of the year. He would be participating in the Dragon Soul Ceremony with Lydia and meet the Light Dragon Soul Heir of the rumors. Besides�� this was the best opportunity for him to experience the changes to the Country of Light.


    The Dragon Soul Ceremony was an annual event to show appreciation to the Light Dragon Soul��s protection to this continent��this was the official statement from the Country of Light, but players who had inside information were aware that this was a trick that the Munn Kingdom had thought up to hate on the Light Parliament. This was because the Light Parliament had spared no effort to deliberately tarnish the Light Dragon Soul��s reputation in all parts of the continent. They hoped that people would slowly forget about the Light Dragon Soul and that they would replace its existence. However, this trick from the Munn Kingdom spoiled all their moves. The annual Dragon Soul Ceremony had crushed their plans completely, which infuriated the Light Parliament. Every year, they did their utmost to inculcate the people that the Light Dragon Soul wasn��t important to them. Although the Light Dragon Soul had created this land, the Humans were the ones who built homes and great lives. Therefore, they didn��t need to be so respectful to an illusory existence. Just as they were about to use an eraser to wipe out the picture on the paper, the Munn Kingdom stepped out unexpectedly from within and informed the people of the grand Dragon Soul Ceremony and that the reason why they were able to live such tranquil lives. It was due to the Light Dragon Soul��s protection enveloping the entire continent. The Munn Kingdom reminded the people to be grateful and to respect their protector.


    This left the Light Parliament gritting their teeth. But they could do nothing to stop the ceremony as the financial funding from the Munn Kingdom was essential to them.


    Although the Country of Light was three times larger than the Munn Kingdom in terms of territory, the former��s financial income was much less than the latter��s. Of course, this didn��t mean that the Country of Light was in a state of poverty. Among the three largest families in the Munn Kingdom, Senia Family was the only one who could be considered wealthy. But apart from the five largest financial groups in the Country of Light, there were many families that were rich beyond anyone��s dreams. Arranging in the sequence of total wealth, the Country of Light was five times or more than the Munn Kingdom��s.


    But�� money had nothing to do with the core authority of the Country of Light. Instead, they belonged to the private assets of financial groups.


    Even though the Light Parliament had the authority to demand their assets, they didn��t dare to do so as the political figures of the Country of Light were supported by each of the financial groups. They needed huge sums of money to publicize and draw people to vote for them in all parts of the Country of Light. This sum of money came from the support of major financial groups. Since that was the case, the politicians of the Country of Light naturally wouldn��t wrap their heads around it. Not only that, but they also had to lower the taxes on huge financial groups in order to please them. As for increasing taxes, they would need to target the wool on the flock of little sheep instead.


    However, the wool on the flock of sheep was limited; after all, shaving too much would enrage the people. Therefore, the Light Parliament could only hang on to what they had and due to this reason, the funding from the Munn Kingdom was crucial for them. Although, in name, the sum of money from the Munn Kingdom was to express devotion to the Light Dragon Soul, the Light Dragon Soul had become the puppet of the Light Parliament. The Light Dragon Soul definitely wouldn��t have the chance to even touch this sum of money. As its subordinate, it was ��only right�� that the Light Parliament used it instead.


    But the Munn Kingdom wasn��t mindful of this. Anyway, their main purpose was to sweep the Light Parliament��s reputation and secure the Light Dragon Soul��s position on the continent. The Munn Kingdom treated it as spending money to leave the Light Parliament uncomfortable since they had the money to do so.


    As for the various huge financial groups, they didn��t give a damn if the Munn Kingdom was trying to fight for the Light Dragon Soul��s position or sweep the Light Parliament��s reputation. As long as they didn��t need to fork out money, they would resolutely applaud and warmly welcome the ceremony even if a Demon were to rule this nation.


    They didn��t care as long as there was money to be made.


    Participating in the Dragon Soul Ceremony was naturally a huge event for Rhode and several of his subordinates had followed him there too. After all, this was considered ��going abroad�� and even though the Country of Light��s reputation wasn��t great in the Munn Kingdom, visiting another country was still full of excitement and anticipation. Moreover, it was the Dragon Soul Ceremony, where the participants could see the Light Dragon Soul Heir personally and receive blessings. This was naturally something to long for to the people of the Munn Kingdom, who had always worshiped the Light Dragon Soul.


    Rhode initially intended to not bring that many people along because he knew that the Country of Light was unstable at the moment. The quadrennial election was coming up and according to the intelligence Rhode had gathered, the Munn Kingdom��s reputation was terrible in the Country of Light due to the former wiping out the Reformist Party. Not only that, but all the parliament members of the Light Parliament also criticized the Munn Kingdom fiercely in order for them to receive support from their people. Under such circumstances, it was easily predictable as to what the Munn Kingdom��s representative team would face in the Country of Light. Of course. Rhode didn��t wish for his subordinates to get into trouble and he picked out three candidates.


    Lize, as Lydia��s younger sister, and also a Royal Family member, was sure to follow. Even though Rhode didn��t wish to bring Anne along, he considered that she could only behave well when she was by his side. Moreover, the start to the end of the Dragon Soul Ceremony would take more than half a month. It would be a waste of effort if Anne were to return to her strange behavior while he wasn��t around. Therefore, he had finally decided to bring her along.


    As for Christie and Lapis, Rhode didn��t allow them to come with him as he knew that he was hated in the Country of Light. The two young girls had no ability to keep themselves safe and bringing them to the Country of Light would only draw them into the whirlpool.


    The last candidate was Marlene. Although Rhode wished for her to stay in the fortress, she must follow no matter what.


    Even though Marlene didn��t receive huge rewards from Lydia back in the celebratory banquet, her political position in the Munn Kingdom didn��t fall due to it. This time, she represented the Senia Family and joined Lydia in partaking in the Dragon Soul Ceremony. Rhode didn��t wish for her to go because it was a busy period in the Land of Atonement at the moment. The strange movements of the Country of Darkness were also worrying. It would be for the best if Marlene could stay in the Land of Atonement��


    But this matter wasn��t determined by Rhode.


    Fortunately, Land of Atonement was no longer an empty shell like it was in the past. The schoolmates Marlene had brought over from the Mage School had gotten used to life there and familiarized with their new identities. They displayed their young vitality completely; affairs in Land of Atonement had become neat and tidy, so there wouldn��t be drastic changes in the fortress even in Marlene��s absence. But this time, Rhode wasn��t most concerned about political issues. If the Country of Darkness were to have some abnormal movements, his territory would require a figure who could keep everything under control. Fortunately, Canary was around to take the job.


    Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were invited by Lydia and Rhode knew the purpose of her invitation. But it was a pity that they couldn��t leave his territory, unless the Country of Light was determined to be his territory by the system.


    But Canary and Mini Bubble Gum weren��t mindful of that since they detested the Country of Light bitterly.


    Apart from this, there was another matter that left Rhode surprised.


    When he received Lydia��s official invitation letter, the always-random-system once again prompted a new mission.


    [Territory Construction Mission �� Between Light and Light. You shall be heading into a sacred ceremony and become the center of attention in the surging storm. Will you be able to search for the path that decides your future in the ravishing brilliance��]


    This mission was inexplicable for Rhode. He had played this game for years and faced countless missions of different varieties. However, he had rarely seen such a strange construction mission. Missions distributed by the system usually would come with an objective and direction. For example, the player had to reach a place and pass something to someone. Or perhaps, the player had to murder an NPC or escort someone to gather materials. These missions had distinct objectives, but this [Between Light and Light] mission was completely baffling. Everything else was a mystery apart from knowing that he had to participate in the Dragon Soul Ceremony.


    But Rhode couldn��t remain calm after witnessing the system reward.


    [System Reward: Unlocks a Phantom Guardian]


    A line of words without EXP and special techniques. However, this was the best reward that Rhode could ask for.


    He was given the opportunity to unlock three Phantom Guardians when he first received the Sphere of Mystery. However, he could only unlock two out of three as his levels were too low. Rhode didn��t give much thought about it as the emergence of Mini Bubble Gum and Canary was astonishing enough. Besides, their performances left him genuinely satisfied and he stopped thinking about the third Phantom Guardian. In any case, he believed that the chance to unlock the third Phantom Guardian would come naturally when his level had reached the requirement.


    But he didn��t expect to receive an additional opportunity to unlock another Phantom Guardian.


    This meant that, in the future, he could have a total of four Phantom Guardians if he completed this mission and his levels reached the requirement of the Sphere of Mystery. Since this was the case�� There were many formidable beings on this continent like the three Archangels and Four Legendary Generals of Country of Darkness. Would he be able to create four of his best companions too?


    Rhode had made up his mind. No matter how harsh the conditions were, he would need to complete this mission and receive the reward. Although Marlene and Lize coordinated well with him in battle, they lacked the farsightedness and unique perspectives of the players. Currently, he didn��t have the spare time to training up his subordinates. He eagerly hoped to search for a companion and helper who could see through the enemies�� plans in the shortest period possible. In such an ��accelerated�� process, Phantom Guardians were naturally the best choice.


    This Dragon Soul Ceremony was the best opportunity to fulfill his wish.


    Howling Gorge.


    The ice-cold wind raged over the towering cliffs, engulfing the entire world with fluttering snow. The chariot transporting Rhode��s group had reached the waist of the mountain. Rhode squinted at the tiny flames dancing in the distant. Got to say, Lydia��s invitation was indeed original and ingenious. She didn��t make Rhode��s group head into Golden City. Instead, she invited them to the Howling Gorge to head out from there together to the Country of Light.


    ��Why must we come to such a place, Leader?��


    Anne yawned and gazed at the snowy scenery lazily. If it was spring, perhaps she could have admired the picturesque view below the mountains. But now, the whistling snow had whitened the surrounding entirely. Why would Lydia choose this place?


    Rhode twitched his brows and didn��t answer. He also wasn��t clear as to why Lydia had chosen this place. The players weren��t knowledgeable about the Howling Gorge. Even a ��walking library�� like Rhode wasn��t too clear of the situation as this was considered a forbidden ground of the Munn Royal Family, where players would be prohibited from entering. Rumor had it that only a specific class of players who had gained a certain level of prestige could enter the Howling Gorge. Fearless players who barged their way in were punished mercilessly by the Battle Angel Army. Not only that, but their reputation in Munn Kingdom fell to ��Hostile��. Thereafter, no other players were foolish enough to test the system after the previous pitiful players knowingly violated the law and got punished for it. According to the players who had once entered the Howling Gorge, there were some hidden secrets about the Munn Kingdom in that place, but they didn��t know the specific details.


    But now, this wasn��t a problem for him to resolve. The chariot slowly approached the flickering radiance, standing out in the fluttering snow.


    Shortly after, a majestic, enormous stone-made castle emerged before them with the solid curves and lines of the cliff accentuating its shape. Even though the snow was whistling strongly, the group could vaguely see the dazzling, brightly lit indoors.


    They stepped down from the chariot and arrived at the castle entrance. Shortly after, the heavy, pitch-black door opened wide and two female servants emerged. As soon as they witnessed Rhode��s group, they hurriedly approached them and bowed respectfully. Rhode nodded in response before handing over Lydia��s invitation letter. One of the female servants took over the invitation letter and scanned the content. Then, she extended her right hand and touched the letter with the ring on her index finger. In the blink of an eye, a light blue radiance emanated. She returned the letter to Rhode and said.


    ��Welcome to Purple Lily City, Sir Rhode. Please come with me. Royal Highness has been waiting for your arrival.��


    ��Woah����


    Anne exclaimed in awe at the decorations of the majestic castle as soon as the heavy doors closed behind them and cut off the whistling snow. Not only Anne, but even Rhode and Lize also widened their eyes in astonishment.


    If Golden City had given them an incomparable sense of luxury, then this Purple Lily City was more of a city filled with magical coloration. Several magical light spheres were suspended in the air above the dome, a few meters high, emanating gentle brilliance that illuminated the hall. Not only that, but the magical rays on the sleek walls also zipped skyward as though they were bouncing and flashing to an unknown fluctuation frequency.


    At this moment, an indifferent, yet familiar voice greeted them.


    ��Welcome to Purple Lily City, Sir Rhode. It��s been a while.��


    Rhode turned around and spotted a black-haired young lady approaching him with a harp in her hands. Her black pupils were glinting with obvious dissatisfaction.

 Chapter 664 - Between Light & Light (II)

    ��Hi there, Miss Gaya. Long time no see.��


    Rhode let out an inward bitter smile after witnessing Gaya��s resentful eyes. He knew what she was discontent with him about. During the Paphield battle, Rhode made her help them through Lydia in order to ensure that Lize could accomplish her mission smoothly. Thereafter, Gaya had been dissatisfied with him, but since he didn��t have much interaction with her, he wasn��t too worried about it.


    But honestly speaking, Rhode was actually rather fearful of Gaya.


    The reason was simple. Gaya was a native born in the Eastern Plain and she knew the place like it was her own backyard. The Eastern Plain had been relatively sealed off from the outside world. Rhode was able to fool outsiders with the identity that he was born in the Eastern Plain, where even Marlene and Lize had never suspected him.


    On the contrary, it was due to this enclosed region that the people inside it were extremely familiar with one another. The outsiders might not know anything about the people of the Eastern Plain, but the people of the Eastern Plain knew even the gender of their neighbor��s newborn puppy. Under such an environment, it was tough for Rhode to fabricate anything before Gaya.


    This problem had given Rhode a headache. The reason why he was able to put up a strong front before others was that they misunderstood that he had a mysterious and massive family backing. Anyone would think twice before getting into a conflict with him, who had such a ��fictional�� background as his backing. Besides, Rhode indeed had the capital to fabricate this feint with his current strength and companions. But the situation was different with Gaya around.


    Gaya was stronger than him and Lydia trusted her much more. Rhode knew that Lydia had perhaps guessed that he wasn��t from the Eastern Plain (although Rhode didn��t mention it before), but even so, she was still willing to entrust him with important duties. Even though Rhode didn��t know what Lydia had up her sleeves, it wouldn��t be a problem if he dominated the forces under him well no matter if she was making use of him or cultivating him.


    But Rhode wasn��t afraid of Lydia because he knew that she was a smart person who knew what she should or shouldn��t speak about and she wouldn��t publicize her doubts about Rhode��s identity. However, Gaya was different. She had firmly called Rhode out as a ��liar�� the first time they had met and this went to show how unfavorable her impression was of him. Besides, compared to Lydia, Gaya had much lesser scruples. It would surely cause a huge headache for Rhode if she were to speak out about her doubts on his identity and background because he couldn��t possibly come up with the name of a mysterious and powerful family in the Eastern Plain to be his shield. Besides, he had no other way around her if she were to expose his secret. Without discussing if he was capable of defeating her, she, as Lydia��s trusted aide and the identity of the Court Musician��he wouldn��t be able to do anything to her. Therefore, Rhode had always been basically avoiding Gaya in order to avoid trouble. But he didn��t expect to meet her here.


    ������


    Gaya rolled her eyes before glaring fiercely at Rhode. Then, she shifted her gaze to the young ladies around him and nodded.


    ��Royal Highness is waiting for you; please come with me.��


    Gaya turned around and headed to the wide corridor on the left. Rhode shrugged and entered the corridor with the group.


    The deeper they entered, the stranger Rhode felt. He had been immersed in the game for years and it could be said that he understood the style of every force. However, the architectural style of Purple Lily City was extremely unique, where he had never seen similar designs before. This was something abnormal because, in the Munn Kingdom, most of the architectural styles had been influenced by the Archangel. Many of the fortresses followed the style of the Angels: sacred and glorious. Even the luxurious Golden City also adhered to the design, but had some additional magnificent effects on top of the sacred, glorious style of the Angels.


    But the architectural style of Purple Lily City consisted of a variety of styles.


    Judging from its overall structure, it was as though designed by the Dwarves while in the interior structure, it was a mixture of Angels and Elves. Not only that, but the castle interior used the designs of alchemical structures. Looking upward, one could see golden circular pipes extend from both sides of the dome. On both sides of the corridor, one could see round, polished magic crystals lined up and emanating brilliant rays to brighten the path. Moreover, the entrance door of this castle was entirely different from other places. It was made of heavy steel as though a weird design of cross-biting gears while the doors of other places were made of mixed stone and metal. It gave one a feeling of being a science fiction movie in a single glance.


    If this was in the game, perhaps Rhode would have immediately taken a screenshot and uploaded it to the forums to discuss if this was the 51 district of the alien world. Could it be that this Archangel had dug up flying saucers or some sort? If that was the truth, this world-view was too amazing��


    Of course, that was only exaggerating. In fact, Rhode had vaguely guessed the purpose of this place.


    As everyone knew, the Munn Kingdom was known for its magical technology. Although Lydia��s powerful strength had been the shelter to the rainy storm for the Munn Kingdom, its magical technology was the reason the Munn Kingdom had a footing on the Dragon Soul Continent. On this continent, the Munn Kingdom��s magical technology was only second to the Country of Light��s and the Country of Darkness��s, where they were even stronger than the Alchemist Association. The floating boats that worked under tempests and the magic cannons were well-known among them. The emergence of floating boats had directly established the Munn Kingdom��s position. Even though the floating boats could only be used to transport vessels using the strong wind element of the tempests and soar freely in the air, the Country of Darkness�� Gargoyle Army was unmatchable to the Munn Kingdom��s Magic Warships if they were to compare their air forces. Of course, it was another story for presences like the Four Legendary Generals and Dark Dragon.


    It was due to this that in terms of magical technology, the Munn Kingdom was considered a strong nation on the continent. However, since the Archangel and her Battle Angel Army had been stealing the limelight and the Magic Warships had rarely appeared, there were misconceptions among the people on their perception of the Munn Kingdom��s strength. The people thought that the Munn Kingdom was powerful only because of magical weapons and the Battle Angel Army and they neglected the most fundamental elements that made all this up.


    The architectural style of Purple Lily City was built with alchemy and magical construction techniques, which made Rhode��s heart skip a beat because he had almost figured out the essence of this castle. But what had this castle have to do with them, even if it was the same as he had imagined? They arrived here with Lydia��s invitation to participate in the Dragon Soul Ceremony in the Country of Light and not come to this mysterious place�� What was the Archangel up to?


    At this moment, Gaya came to a halt before a five meters tall metal gates. She extended her hand and the ring on her finger emitted a glaring magical radiance. Then, the enormous metal gates squeaked as it opened gradually to both sides.


    Ssss��


    Chilly wind sneaked through the gap between the gates caught the group unprepared. Rhode narrowed his eyes and gazed at the scenery behind the huge metal gates. Lize shuddered while Marlene and Anne looked on curiously.


    ��Please come in.��


    Gaya turned around to face the astonished group. She led the group through the gates and they were instantly stunned.


    It wasn��t a luxurious hall that they had imagined. Instead, an endless abyss presented itself before them! Two towering mountains made way to form an entrance of more than hundred meters. The group stood on the sleek black slate and looked up at the precipitous mountain walls that had rushed into the clouds. The whizzing snow from the other side fluttered wildly and brought about a bone-chilling sensation.


    ��This is awesome����


    Anne stared unbelievably while Marlene sucked in a deep breath of air as she placed her hands on her chest. The supernaturally fine craft of nature had presented its optimal sight. The Humans experienced for themselves just how tiny they were while standing before the two towering mountains. No matter how formidable their strength was or how high their statuses, they felt like tiny sand that wasn��t worth a mention at all. However, the various metallic devices installed all around and between the two mountains left them emotional as though the tiniest of lives were proving their values in conquering the world.


    ��Welcome to Purple Lily City.��


    Lydia��s crisp voice rang and pulled everyone back to reality. Rhode turned around and spotted the Archangel in her unfitting outfit for this harsh season. Winter in the Munn Kingdom was extremely cold and due to this, everyone was donned in their winter clothes for this trip. Rhode and Lize wore a thick fur coat to resist the cold. Marlene wore an elegant fur robe to keep herself warm. As for Anne, she had also obediently clad on a thick armor and cloak to keep out the cold.


    On the contrary, Lydia wore a skin-tight, snowy, thin long dress made from top quality silk, which accentuated her slender curves. The dress stitched with golden lace draped to the ground and surprisingly, it wasn��t stained with any filthy dust. Flawlessly white elbow gloves wrapped her lustrous arms and her attire was one that would instantly attract everyone��s attention in a ball or banquet. Not only that, but the pair of wings emanating golden radiance behind her back was majestically compelling. In addition to her unmatched beauty, she was the perfect masterpiece of glamor to all living things.


    But�� considering the countless fluttering snow behind her and the bone-piercing chill striking their skin, this gorgeous view looked more like the best portrayal of ��torturous elegance��.


    Your Highness�� Do you really love to show off this much?


    Rhode rolled his eyes. Of course. He knew that Lydia, as an Archangel, wouldn��t fall sick to the cold. But she must also be considerate of the mortals, right? Even Anne, who has the warm blood of a Demonic Beast flowing in her, has wrapped herself up, so could you please not brag to us as though you��re saying ��Look at me. I��m not afraid of cold at all. Are you green with envy?�� �� Forget it. She��s like this, to begin with.


    But Rhode only cursed inwardly. He stepped forth hurriedly and bowed to Lydia.


    ��Sir Rhode, you��re finally here. I was still worried that you were gonna arrive too late. The snowstorm out there is huge. If you came any later, you would miss the amazing show.��


    The snowstorm out there is huge?


    Rhode lifted his head and gazed at the whizzing snowstorm on the other side. He knew that he would surely lose if he roasted her for it, so he let out a cough and ignored her words before shifting the topic.


    ��Your Highness. If I recall correctly, we should be participating in the Dragon Soul Ceremony, right?��


    ��That��s right, Sir Rhode.��


    Lydia winked wittily and said with a smile.


    ��I��ve invited everyone here because we��ll be heading into the Country of Light from here. I guess you are prepared for the journey, right?��


    ��From here?��


    Rhode gazed at Lydia with a curious glint. He recalled that there were only two routes that led from the Munn Kingdom to the Country of Light. One of the routes was through the Southern Port by sea, leading into the Country of Light��s port. They would need to board a chariot thereafter in order to reach the capital. The other route was through the Northern Sacred Dragon Path, where they had to board a chariot that headed to the Country of Light��s border and enter the capital. But now, they were in neither of them. It would still be possible if they gathered at Golden City and headed out from there. However, Lydia had gotten them to come all the way to Purple Lily City�� She was always acting unexpectedly.


    ��That��s right. From here.��


    After answering Rhode��s question, Lydia tilted her head slightly as though she had heard something. Then, she revealed a delightful smile.


    ��It seems that the time is just right.��


    Ssss��!


    Suddenly, everyone heard a deep horn that sounded from the snowstorm.


    ����!��


    Another deep, loud horn sounded. But, this time, a massive figure slowly emerged from the snowstorm�� An enormous magic warship appeared before their eyes!


    The magic warship sailed forth silently and steadily slid through the from between the mountains before coming to a halt. The berserk storm did no damage to the massive metallic warship at all, not even to the five highly erected masts with the spotlessly white sails. The flowing magical radiance resonated with the metallic luster. Magic crystals were arranged irregularly with charming effect, emanating brilliant rays continuously. The sculpture on the ship��s bow was a beautiful Angel young lady with her arms crossed on her chest, praying devoutly to the heavens. A glorious pair of wings expanded grandly behind her.


    Rhode widened his eyes in astonishment. He knew what it was, but he didn��t expect to see it at this moment.


    Heavenly Class Magic Warship��Saint Lady Vessel.

 Chapter 665 - Between Light & Light (III)

    In the game, there were two military campaigns that left the deepest impression in Rhode��s mind. One of them was when the Disaster Army retreated, leaving Lydia to withstand the attacks from the Four Legendary Generals and Dark Dragon herself, leading her to dying in the battlefield. From that moment on, Rhode loathed the Country of Light and set off the beginning of using the players�� strength to change the history of the entire Dragon Soul Continent.


    The other military campaign was the Diamat Campaign before it.


    Back then, the Munn Kingdom was a mess both domestically and abroad. The Undead Army leading the battlefront of the Country of Darkness came in strong while the Country of Light backstabbed from the rear. Even with the help of the Battle Angels, the Munn Kingdom��s front and rear defense was shaky under the violent, storm-like aggression. In the end, the northeast defensive line crumbled due to the lack of manpower and millions of Undead Creatures swarmed like a broken dam and flooded the Munn Kingdom.


    At that moment, Rhode and 200 more other players who had the highest reputation in the Munn Kingdom were summoned by a special mission. They had to work together and head into Diamat while boarding the First Fleet of the Royal Magic Fleet to stop the enemies and buy time for the Munn Kingdom to rebuild their defenses. Back then, it was this Heavenly Class Magic Warship that Rhode and his fellow players had boarded.


    It was the largest floating magic warship on the entire continent. The Saint Lady Vessel was 333 meters in length, 39.6 meters wide, and 22 meters high. Its deck was 332 meters in length and 71 meters wide, equipped with a total of 3500 siege magic cannons, almost equivalent to a hovering fortress in the air. Two Battle Angel Armies boarded the warship. But, in fact, no one had heard about this magic warship. It was the top secret of the Munn Kingdom and even players like Rhode only got to know about its existence after boarding it. Their mission was to protect the warship from enemy destruction. Back then, the average player levels wasn��t too high, only about level 45. They felt powerless against the terrifying creatures of the Country of Darkness.


    If the scene where Lydia died in battle left Rhode indignant and sorrowful, the Diamat Campaign had brought him overwhelming fervor. He still remembered the scene until now.


    They stood on the deck and watched the massive magic warship sail along the tide like a heavy, razor-sharp sword slicing through the clouds. When the white cloud layer vanished, the view left them astounded. Millions of Gargoyles like migratory locusts had shaded the entire sky. Looking down from the edge of the deck, countless of Undead Creatures could be seen flooding forward like a raging tide. This spotlessly white warship flickering with sacred radiance was like a canoe that had intruded into the black tide alone and only an instant was needed to devour it entirely.


    This scene left the players trembling while some could hardly stand on their feet. Even though they were players and could respawn unlike the NPCs, the shock and terror perceived from their sense of sight was enough to freeze them to the spot.


    Then, everything changed completely.


    A deafening horn sounded. The warship shook as rays of brilliant light beams erupted from its hull, converging into a river of light that shone upon heaven and earth. Then, a series of brilliant explosive sparks dazzled before their eyes. Countless Gargoyles were shattered by the artillery fires and the concealed sky once again revealed its azure base as though the filthy dust had been wiped off in a single swipe. The Undead Creatures on the surface turned into dust as flames blazed through the land. A glaring magical radiance blasted in a loud rumble and ignited a series of explosions that burst skyward �� This scene was deeply imprinted in Rhode��s memories. If the Munn Kingdom could create a few more ultra warships like the Saint Lady Vessel, perhaps they wouldn��t be in that miserable state.


    The strength of a single warship was enough to last them 5 days in Diamat and the amount of Undead Creatures destroyed during this period was countless. The players had taken turns on duty on the deck and assisted the Battle Angels in annihilating the Undead Creatures that descended from above. However, no matter how formidable a warship was, it wasn��t a match for the existence of rules. It was the end for this most formidable warship when the Four Legendary Generals formed an alliance and attacked. No matter how strong the warship was, it was still a man-made product, after all and was no match for the creator of rules. Under the attack of the Four Legendary Generals and even with the desperate struggles of the players, the Saint Lady Vessel fell from the sky and crashed on the surface.


    After the Munn Kingdom was destroyed, several players, forces, and guilds had tried to get their hands on the design diagram of the Saint Lady Vessel because they knew that even though this powerful warship could only operate in the tempest areas, it would be more than enough to threaten their enemies. But players returned without attaining any of them. Not to mention an ultimate warship like the Saint Lady Vessel, they couldn��t get their hands on even the information of ordinary floating magic warships.


    Never in the world that Rhode had expected to have the chance to step onto it once more. And this wasn��t even during war.


    Rhode stood on the flat, spacious deck and gazed meaningfully at Lydia. This was simply thought-provoking for him. The ruler of a nation would normally take an ordinary plane and train when they went on a visit in an official capacity. But, have you ever seen a ruler boarding a fully-armored aircraft carrier or fighter aircraft for this purpose?


    Moreover, the Dragon Soul Ceremony wasn��t only a matter between the Country of Light and Munn Kingdom. As this was related to the Light Dragon Soul, the guild leaders and overlords of various territories protected by the Light Dragon Soul had to participate. This could be considered as an ��international�� ceremony.


    Under such a circumstance, Lydia actually boarded the Saint Lady Vessel into the Country of Light?


    Rhode knitted his brows. The development of history had changed once again. In the game, he had never heard of Lydia boarding the Saint Lady Vessel to participate in the Dragon Soul Ceremony. If this had happened, the massive size of the Saint Lady Vessel would have created a big disturbance among the players in the Country of Light. And now, Lydia actually decided to do this?


    Interesting.


    Rhode took a good look at the hull and there wasn��t a single weapon at all. Magic crystals and exquisite, gold-embossed relief sculpture in picturesque disorder were as though a part of the ship. But Rhode knew that this warship could strip off its elegant and beautiful veil and reveal its malevolent side. Perhaps the entire Country of Light capital would need to be rebuilt if this warship blasted all its magic cannons��


    ��I didn��t expect to see you here, Mr. Rhode.��


    As Rhode was gloating over the disaster of the Country of Light��s capital, razed down to a sea of flames by the magic cannons, a voice dragged him back to his senses. He was surprised when he turned around.


    ��General Garcia? Long time no see�� I��ve never thought that I would see you here.��


    Garcia was still presenting the same sloppy look. However, he wore a much more formal attire compared to back when they were in the Cloud Summit. He wore a straightly-ironed military uniform and pinned with various shiny badges like an honorable soldier. However, his lazy posture exposed his idle personality.


    ��Not only me. Look.��


    Garcia smiled in response and pointed over. Rhode turned around and quickly spotted the other group of people. There was a dozen of them which included male and female nobles and soldiers. They looked like an ordinary representative team at first glance. But Rhode took a closer look and realized that they were mostly young adults who weren��t older than 30 years old. Apart from Grand Mage Amund and a few others, most of the participants joining Lydia were young people with an average age of 20, which was rather strange. Besides, from Garcia��s introduction, Rhode realized that these young people had extraordinary identities. Most of them were famous among their generation. Some were future stars whom Rhode had heard of while some were unheard of. However, no matter what, they were outstanding talents from various regions and were well appreciated by Lydia.


    Although these people had enjoyable conversations with one another, their attitude toward Rhode was rather cold. However, Rhode wasn��t too surprised. According to Garcia, most of them were famous talents and were usually proud and arrogant, which was fine as they had their own opinions. However, Rhode had sprung up too quickly, where most of the people in the Munn Kingdom weren��t even aware of his name just a year ago. Then, Rhode rose abruptly to a towering position, gathered a whole lot of attention, and even received Lydia��s recognition. It seemed that Rhode was the first person among them to have received a feudal rank from Lydia personally.


    Rhode knew that it was understandable that these people remained at a respectful distance from him. Just like in the game, there were several other top-rated players in the Dragon Soul Continent apart from him. Perhaps they had incompatible temperament, but it was inevitable for the players to sympathize with one another after being the top players of their class in the world��s most popular game. But no matter what, their reputation was built up and accumulated from dominating countless dungeons and arenas. If a mysterious person who the top-rated players hadn��t heard of emerged out of nowhere and was termed by the officials and players as the ��Number One Player of the xx Class��, nobody��including Rhode��would be pleased about that. In order to maintain their reputation, they would confront that fella and shatter his legacy as this didn��t conform with their rules.


    Although young, rising stars had heard of Rhode��s well-known reputation, Rhode had been in the border regions most of his time and wasn��t around the central zone like Golden City, after all. Therefore, the young rising stars were rather concerned when this ��newcomer�� appeared out of nowhere. But, fortunately, they understood the current situation and didn��t naively look for trouble with Rhode. After all, some idiots had personally experienced that finding trouble with Rhode wouldn��t end with a great result. Besides�� They didn��t have benefits that were worth disputing for.


    Rhode knew what was going on in their heads. Even though he had a reputation that spread far and wide, it wasn��t anything impressive in their eyes. After all, they had never personally seen Rhode unleash his potential. Although he had performed well in the Midsummer Festival and celebration feast, this could only prove that he was powerful individually. So what was the point? This group of young people here was the future of Munn Kingdom and their strength naturally wasn��t in individual capabilities in slaughtering and killing. Unless Rhode could be as impressive as Grand Mage Amund who could turn about the situation in a battlefield alone�� If not, there was no purpose with his strong individual capability.


    This was why he didn��t bother socializing with them. He was clear that he needed to display his skills to them. And that wasn��t only referring to his individual capabilities because it wouldn��t be enough for him to be a member who would be accepted by the ruling class. During such times, he could only go with the flow and observe the situation first.


    ��Everyone! Welcome aboard the Saint Lady Vessel!��


    A voice so loud that even the chilly winds couldn��t resist sounded. Rhode turned around and spotted an old Dwarf striding toward them. A thick, whitish long beard had covered half his face and almost touched the ground. The group watched on, worried that the old Dwarf would trip on his beard. However, the old Dwarf was surprisingly nimble. He took large strides forward and chuckled before bowing respectfully to Lydia. Got to say, it wasn��t easy doing this motion with his stature.


    ��Hi there, Your Highness Lydia. Welcome to Saint Lady Vessel! I guarantee that this ship will send you and everyone to wherever you wanna go!��


    ��I��m glad to see you��re doing fine, Mr. Gunter.��


    Lydia showed a gentle smile while Gunter burst into laughter. He raised his right foot and stomped the deck thrice.


    ��Your Highness., I haven��t been feeling much better than now. Frankly speaking, I would��ve preferred to step on solid ground than this rocky thing! You see. The sky���� Gunter let out a shiver, ���� I suspect that once I leave the surface, I will be sucked into the sky immediately! But I feel relieved whenever I��m on board this ship! It��s like a reliable mountain with a pair of legs!��


    Pfff.


    Anne couldn��t help but burst into laughter. She leaned to Rhode and chuckled.


    ��Leader, that Grandpa Dwarf speaks funny. He doesn��t have wings, so how is it possible that he will fly into the sky����


    ��Hey hey hey, that girl over there!��


    Gunter rolled his eyes and glared.


    ��Who are you calling a Grandpa? Call me Uncle! I, Gunter, haven��t reached the age of being called a Grandpa yet!��


    ��Anne won��t call you that.��


    Anne replied without any fear of consequences before hiding behind Rhode and peering out to look at the old Dwarf.


    ��Anne knows it. You are surely a Grandpa with such a long beard. You��re already so old but you��re still pretending to be young! Shameful! Shameful!��


    ��You�� You����


    Gunter raised his arm furiously and pointed at Anne with a trembling finger. Anne stuck out her tongue and put up a comical face while hiding behind Rhode. The crowd around the amusing duo laughed up their sleeves. Lydia even turned around and couldn��t restrain a smile.


    ��Hmph!��


    Perhaps sensing that he was wasting his breath, Gunter let out a groan and glared at Rhode.


    ��Watch your tiny wolf cub, young man. This isn��t a damn zoo. I, Old Gunter�� Damn it. I��m not old at all!��


    ��Mr. Gunter.��


    Lydia gazed playfully and spoke.


    ��We��re all here and ready to move out. Could you please����


    ��Oh, sure! Your Highness! Don��t worry! We can move out anytime!��


    Gunter bowed respectfully to Lydia before making eyes to the group around him. But his expression turned solemn instantly as soon as he spotted Gaya who stood quietly beside Lydia. The thick beard on his face concealed the drastic change in his expression so that even Rhode didn��t notice.


    Then, Gunter turned around and scuttled to the gigantic bugle horn. He sucked in a deep breath and blew with all his might.


    Ooo�� Ooo��.


    The deep bugle horn filled the atmosphere and the massive magic warship emanated an incomparable magical radiance.

 Chapter 666 - Between Light & Light (IV)

    Chapter 666: Between Light & Light (IV)


    Magical radiance shone from the hull. Spotless white luster enveloped the entire warship slowly to the top. An invisible barrier expanded and in the blink of an eye, the whizzing, chilly winds vanished to nowhere. Then, this enormous warship sailed forward.


    Rhode looked into the distance from the trembling deck. He felt as though he had become one with this warship. He keenly sensed the roaring tempest beneath his feet engulfing this warship like a fury of huge waves. Most of the passengers stopped their conversations abruptly. They lifted their heads and gazed forward simultaneously. The ground had slowly ��sunk�� and the distant sky was approaching them. The pointed warship bow split the soft bread-like dense clouds into two. There was an instant when they were shrouded in snowy clouds and mist entirely.


    At the next moment, the warship broke out of the dense mass of cloud.


    In the blink of an eye, the dense layer of cloud gradually faded away to the sides of the warship as though they were shredded into cotton by a violent storm. The bright, dazzling sun and azure sky re-emerged before their eyes. The boundless blue shaped a brand new world as though the enormous warship was soaring in the clouds and riding valiantly through the wind.


    ��Woah����


    This dreamy, scenic view left Lize and Anne exclaiming in awe. Even though most of the people in the Munn Kingdom had experience boarding floating boats, but the floating boats couldn��t reach such heights, after all. The basic floating boats for civilians were only capable of hovering and moving along the wind due to the insufficient powers of their magical mechanisms. Only magic warships that were designed and built exquisitely were capable of self-driving.


    Rhode gazed at the sky with a curious glint. During the day, it didn��t seem to be any different from the sky on earth. But the difference was apparent from the suspending full moon and halo in the night sky. Since the magical technology in the Dragon Soul Continent was so advanced that magic warship could reach this incredible height, would the magic warship be able to break the atmosphere if the technological development improved in future? If that happened�� What would the view of the entire continent be?


    But this was just his senseless guess.


    No matter how breathtaking the view was, the day would come when one got sick of looking at it. Rhode turned around and headed into the warm cabin. Marlene, Lize, and a few other young nobles were gracefully chatting over tea and marveling at the stunning view through the French windows. This scene instantly reminded Rhode of an old movie, The Titanic�� How ominous.


    ��Rhode, I didn��t expect that you��d be here. Wanna have a chat with us?��


    Marlene stood up and greeted with a gentle smile. Her behaviors instantly attracted the attention of the nobles, and they turned to Rhode in unison. Rhode shrugged helplessly and approached the group.


    ��Sure, Marlene. As long as I��m not intruding your conversation.��


    ��You��re not intruding into our conversation at all, Earl Rhode.��


    A young man who appeared to be in his mid twenties stood up and revealed a passionate smile. He stretched his hand forward for a handshake.


    ��Hi there, Earl Rhode. Nice to meet you. I��m Derick Vas.��


    ��Hi there, Mr. Vas.��


    Rhode twitched his brows. He knew who this man was. The Vas Family was one of the three largest families in the Munn Kingdom and their ties with the Senia Family was like the sunlight and shade. The Senia Family was mainly responsible for producing ��hardware�� like Mage Equipment for the Munn Kingdom, while the Vas Family��s mission was to nurture the ��software�� like spell-casters for the Munn Kingdom. In the game, Derick Vas was a popular, good-looking talent in the Munn Kingdom. As Rhode didn��t compare him directly with Marlene before, he didn��t know who was more formidable. But now, he was sure that Marlene was ahead of him. Moreover, the player-created spell-casting techniques that Marlene had learned from Canary was more than enough to beat him.


    Derick wasn��t well-known for his strength or wisdom. Instead, it was his marriage that garnered all the attention. When he was 25 years old, he married his biological elder and younger sisters. His elder sister was one year older than him while his younger sister was only 16 years old. Both of their appearances were as lovely as flowers. Even though the Vas Family had upholded this tradition of maintaining the pure blood within their family, this had gathered a whole lot of envy, jealousy, and hate among the players. Back then, several players had lamented that their deaths would be worth it if they could enjoy such a blissful life�� This damn life winner should be burned to death!


    And now, Derick, who was nominated by the players into the rankings of characters who should be burned to death on the flame rack, was full of mettle. It was apparent that he was valued highly by Lydia too, which was why he had joined the representative team. In fact, Rhode had also discovered that, apart from him, the others were also more or less excited in participating in the Dragon Soul Ceremony. Perhaps the ultimate reason was that they were people of the Munn Kingdom, after all, and they were educated since young about worshiping the Light Dragon Soul. It was considered a supreme honor for them to witness the Light Dragon Soul personally and receive blessings. Even a carefree young lady like Anne appeared seemingly excited. On the contrary, Rhode felt rather dispirited like an unsociable person who drank alcohol to drown his sorrows at the corner of a crazy dance party. As a transmigrator and a player who had been implicated by the Light Dragon Soul in the game, Rhode found it hard to look forward in meeting the Light Dragon Soul ��innocently��. Although he knew that the uselessness of the Light Dragon Soul hadn��t brought any disaster to the Munn Kingdom yet, and the conflict between the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Light was still going on privately and hadn��t exploded to the surface. Rhode loathed the Country of Light��don��t ask why. He just hated them to the core.


    ��You came at the right time, Earl Rhode. We were just talking about you.��


    Although Rhode appeared rather apathetic, Derick didn��t seem mindful at all.


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode gazed at the group curiously. As expected, there were glints of curiosity and fascination in their eyes.


    ��I hope you guys aren��t saying things behind my back.��


    ��Of course not, Earl Rhode. We were just a little curious.��


    At this moment, a young lady seated beside Marlene pushed up her golden-framed spectacles.


    ��We heard that Royal Highness Lydia also invited your two legendary companions to the Dragon Soul Ceremony, but they aren��t here�� This was something that has piqued our curiosity.��


    The nobles nodded slightly. Lydia��s invitation wasn��t kept a secret and the list of names were public to them. Mini Bubble Gum and Canary��s names had naturally garnered a whole lot of attention. Not to mention their strange names, the rumors regarding them were enough to attract their eyeballs. They were only about 16 years old and yet, possessed the formidable strength of the Peak Legendary Stage. Many of them were dubious about the rumor of them defeating the Duke Fiend hand in hand. However, it further proved their credibility when Mini Bubble Gum crippled the Mist Sword Saint thereafter. After all, no one had ever seen the Duke Fiend, but the news that the Mist Sword Saint was moving about as a handicapped person had spread all around the continent.


    Many of them had hoped to meet the two legendary figures in this ceremony and witness their heroic mannerism. But they didn��t expect that they actually refused Lydia��s invitation and didn��t turn up!


    Fortunately, Lydia was respectful of Rhode and she didn��t question their absence. On the other hand, Rhode had no way to explain the existence of the Phantom Guardians. It would be incredibly absurd. He didn��t need to explain to Lydia, but he had to face the inquiries of others.


    But he was prepared for them.


    ��They were ecstatic when they received Royal Highness�� invitation. But they have their own research to complete and couldn��t find the time to join us. Moreover, they aren��t too favorable of the Country of Light, so, frankly speaking, they dislike heading into there.��


    ��I remember that Miss Canary and Miss Bubble used to be your subordinates, right, Rhode?�� Marlene said. ��If that��s the case, they��ve been to the Country of Light with you in the past?��


    ��That��s right, Marlene.��


    Rhode turned to Marlene. Of course, he knew the reason behind Marlene raising this question. In order to receive the recognition of these young talents, they had to be convinced that Rhode had rich experience, knowledge, and wasn��t only powerful in strength. Marlene was giving Rhode a chance to come out strong to dispel their hostilities. This was a kind of rule in the circle and Rhode wasn��t about to give this opportunity a miss. He didn��t wish to make enemies without good cause. Even though he had several enemies, he was aware of their capabilities. He didn��t want to be struck down for no apparent reason by some unknown haters��


    ��Previously, I��ve been going on adventures with my companions and subordinates for a long time, exploring and unraveling the secrets and mysteries of this continent. There was a saying in my hometown that reading thousands of books isn��t as fulfilling as traveling thousands of miles. There will be many times when you personally experience the benefits that books can��t provide. Of course, I��ve been to Country of Light and the experience left unpleasant memories in my head. I guess you��re aware that in the Country of Light, they will treat you passionately like any ordinary person if they aren��t aware that you��re from the Munn Kingdom. As soon as they knew that you��re from the Munn Kingdom, they will instantly put up a long face as though they��re looking at a bunch of thugs, villains, and rogues����


    Rhode shrugged and let out a long sigh.


    Was Lydia a great ruler? Of course she was. What about her domination? Of course she was wise and brilliant.


    But it was definitely impossible to say that the ruling class in Munn Kingdom was perfect. In fact, Rhode found that there was a lethal shortcoming.


    And that was their arrogance.


    Why was the Country of Light able to receive strong support from their people? One of the reasons was that their politicians often dove into the crowd of their people and announced their thoughts and heartfelt wishes to the people through means of speech and propaganda. Regardless of the amount of lies in their speeches, the politicians had at least gotten off from their high horses and enjoy the experience with the people together, in exchange for their respect, value, and favorable impression on the Light Parliament. In contrast, perhaps due to the difference in races, Lydia and the Battle Angels had never done so. They had never stepped down to explain, encourage, or incite the people with their thoughts and goals. They were only responsible for giving out orders and ensuring the people abide by them. The same went for the nobles. Taking Marlene for example. Although she could usually communicate and stay in contact with the civilians in peacetime and listen to their thoughts and opinions, she didn��t regard the civilians highly because their opinions were only worthy as references. As a noble, it was impossible to change their own thoughts and ideas with the opinions of civilians because it would be an insult for the nobles.


    The lack of the right to speak was a weak spot and shortcoming of the Munn Kingdom. The Reformist Party was able to receive the support of their people because the people had learned the methods that the Country of Light often carried out. Even though Southern nobles and merchants didn��t reveal themselves in public, they manipulated mercenary groups and guilds under them to subtly spread rumors that were beneficial for them, at the same time smearing the reputation of the Munn Kingdom. Ordinary tax collection could be manipulated into Lydia wished to purchase new furniture and satin, which was why she tried to exploit the people��s assets. A group of bandits attacking a regular military team could be exploited into people rebelling against the tyranny. Anyway, the Royal Family wouldn��t get off their high horses to refute the rumors. Moreover, the Southerners were generally far from war and threats. People who lived in peaceful society for a long time would naturally believe whatever they listened. As the saying ��a thousand lies transform into the truth�� goes, the Reformist Party spared no effort in tarnishing the Munn Royal Family while the Munn Royal Family did nothing to retaliate, which led to social unrest and turmoil. The Munn Royal Family appeared to be adopting a ��the wise man knows he knows nothing, while the fool thinks he knows it all�� kind of passive response. They believed that as long as their conscience was clear, they wouldn��t need to clarify the situation like a crime suspect.


    The reason why the Northerners didn��t believe the rumors was that the stability of their lives were different from the South��s. They were directly threatened and the Myriad Flowers Battle was the shame and pain for all Northerners. Under such a circumstance, the North naturally leaned to the Royal Family for support and also presented the spirit of ��we must support those who the enemies oppose and oppose those who the enemies support�� in resisting the South. Therefore, from this aspect, the main reason why the North wasn��t affected by the rumors from the South was that they were protecting their benefits and Lydia��s charisma and had nothing to do with the Royal Family at all. The entire ruling class had always been apathetic to people, apart from occasionally announcing important events publicly or revealing themselves during ceremonies or banquets to speak a few words to inspire the people. This was because the arrogance and pride of them as nobles made them feel like they were superior. It would be too embarrassing for them if they were to respond to whatever the people commented.


    The Light Parliament was smart in capturing and exploiting them, spreading words among the people that the Munn Royal Family was domineering and treated people as animals. The Munn Royal Family looked down on the Light Parliament to begin with, and had never thought of retaliating, which resulted in them sinking even deeper. From a certain perspective, the reasons for the Munn Kingdom��s sufferings from the accusations weren��t totally unrelated to them.


    But Rhode knew that this was a profound social and cultural issue, where over a thousand years weren��t sufficient to come up with a solution to resolve this problem, even on Earth. No matter which country, the privileged class was always above the civilians and the only difference was that some knew how to manipulate and take advantage of the public opinions to attain a positive facade. But even so, that was only on the surface. In fact, a beggar roaming the streets would never be compared to the glamorous tycoons cruising down Wall Street. The latter could manipulate the media to his benefits while the former could only protest, protest, and protest. Even if they protested to their deaths, the problem wouldn��t be resolved. The only meaning of their existence was that they had protested.


    That was in Earth where the strength of Humans were almost equal. In this alternate world where the constitution of each unique races were in a serious unbalance, it was almost impossible to convince the privileged class nobles to respect the opinions of the civilians. Rhode felt that this was too exhausting and he lacked the capabilities to do so. He was neither Martin Luther King nor Abraham Lincoln. Furthermore, even they had proven that shooting their mouths off wasn��t omnipotent��a bullet would be able to stop them in the shortest time possible even without the existence of magic and spiritual powers.


    However, Rhode could only process such thoughts privately and had never mentioned this to Marlene before. He also couldn��t mention this complex social problem before this group of people. Therefore, he changed the topic and talked about his ��Adventure History�� on the continent. With his rich experience in the game, he could easily come up with something that would be an eye-opener for them.


    In fact, that was the truth.


    Even though there were experienced ones among them who had traveled abroad and seen the world, they definitely couldn��t beat Rhode who had left his footprints on almost every corner of this continent, including Hell and the bottomless abyss. Rhode appeared exceptionally aloof, but the group was astounded when they realized that he wasn��t reticent at all. Not only was he familiar with the unique customs and cultures of various places, but he was also knowledgeable about the mysterious, historical rumors. Besides, he was eloquent and instantly intoxicated the group with his stories.


    When Rhode��s stories came to an end, the group realized that it was already dusk. The sun had fallen into the clouds below and painted a layer of golden brilliance to them.


    ��It��s unimaginable, Earl Rhode.��


    A young lady folded her hands and placed them by her chest. She gazed at Rhode with widened eyes.


    ��I��ve never expected that someone could experience such plentiful adventures. You make me wanna report back home immediately after the ceremony and request for permission to travel abroad for some time. After hearing your stories, I realized that the knowledge gathered from the books are so inadequate. Perhaps�� we shouldn��t only rely on our heads to think of the problems because experiencing them for ourselves are equally important.��


    ��You��re right.��


    Another man beside her nodded meaningfully. During the conversation, he had raised a few doubts to Rhode about the contents in some books, but Rhode managed to resolve them easily. Not only that, but Rhode also corrected him about the misconceptions between the book contents and reality.


    ��Now�� I think I understand why you were able to achieve such accomplishments in a short period of time.��


    Derick Vas revealed a pensive expression and looked at Rhode with an admirable glint.


    ��Honestly speaking, Earl Rhode, I have previously thought that luck played a huge part in your success. But it seems that your rich experiences was the fundamentals to everything. I hope�� we will have more opportunities in the future to seek your guidance.��


    ��Sure. I would be glad to do so.��


    Rhode nodded slightly and shook hands with Derick.


    Rhode sensed that the hostility and doubts in Derick��s eyes had turned into admiration, astonishment, and even some respect.


    Rhode turned to Marlene while the latter presented a warm smile. Her eyes glinted with flashes of smiles.

 Chapter 667 - Between Light & Light (V)

    Chapter 667: Between Light & Light (V)


    ��Sigh����


    Standing on the sleek, towering platform, Carl let out a helpless sigh. He put his hand to his forehead and stared into the distance. But he didn��t see what he had expected.


    ��Could Royal Highness have gotten the time wrong����


    He murmured under his breath and couldn��t calm his anxiousness. Then, this pitiful old man turned around and looked down the flight of steps at the clamoring, disgusting mass of people by both sides of the road. As the diplomatic envoy of the Munn Kingdom, Carl knew that these people weren��t there to welcome Lydia. Instead, they were holding a protest against her. This had become an annual program for the people of the Country of Light whenever the Dragon Soul Ceremony was held. They would raise highly all sorts of portraits with dishonoring slogans to ��welcome�� the ruler of the Munn Kingdom. Not only that, but Carl also knew that this was undoubtedly the trick of the Light Parliament. But what could he do to them? The Light Parliament announced that their people had the freedom and privilege to enjoy parades and Carl could only watch from behind as the crowd treated Lydia like a joke. However, Lydia was indeed a figure beyond expectations. She had participated in the Dragon Soul Ceremony annually and had never been bothered by the hateful crowd as though the deafening clamors were nonexistent.


    Carl had arrived in the Country of Light a month ago to begin preparations to receive the guests. Independent duchies and territories would normally dispatch their diplomatic envoys to get in touch with the Light Parliament. However, Lydia took things one step further. After she took over the throne, she revoked the envoy stationed in the Light Capital with the reason that the Munn Royal Family were the subordinates of the Light Dragon Soul and there was no reason for them to report to the Light Parliament. If the Light Parliament wished to contact the Munn Kingdom, they could dispatch their envoys to the Munn Kingdom or report to the Light Dragon Soul directly.


    The Light Parliament was naturally discontent as Lydia��s methods obviously treated the Light Dragon Soul and Light Parliament as separate existence. All this while, the Light Parliament had been considering themselves as the ��supervisor�� of the Light Dragon Soul. But Lydia��s actions clearly told them that they had nothing to do with the Light Dragon Soul and they should stop taking the name of a great cause as their shield.


    Due to this reason, the Munn Kingdom didn��t have any diplomatic envoy in the Country of Light. They would dispatch men to the Country of Light a month before the start of the Dragon Soul Ceremony in preparation to receive their great ruler. Of course, the Country of Light deliberately made things difficult for the Munn Kingdom. However, they didn��t dare go too overboard because they would be at the losing end if Lydia knew about it and cut down the sum of money offered to the Light Dragon Soul.


    Even though there would be parades at this period of time every year, the situation was a little different this year. Carl scanned the high-raised written slogans in the parade.


    ��Evil dictator! Get out of this land of freedom!��


    ��Release the Reformist Party! Return their freedom and justice!


    ��Cruel murderer! Your hands are stained with the blood of Humans, but we will never back down!��


    ��Angels are a group of whores! Get off the surface that belongs to us Humans!��


    ��Oppose the vicious suppression! Oppose the bloody massacre! Lydia has to apologize to the Humans! Angels have no right to conduct trials on Human behaviors!��


    ��Get out of here! The Country of Light doesn��t welcome you! Dictator! Tyrant!��


    ��Make the South independent! That��s their rights! They should be free!��


    ��Suppressing the freedom-seekers is a disgraceful move! We have no need for friendship with a tyrant!��


    The written slogans were strangely glaring under the beaming sun. Some of them even lifted a portrait of a prostitute with a pair of blackened, rotten wings and Lydia��s head. The prostitute spread her legs wide with a heavy, bold ��X�� between her legs.


    Carl felt his blood boiling in wrath. He wished so hard that he had the spiritual power to roast all the hateful and disgusting people to corpses. But now, all he could do was to wait for Lydia��s arrival. He wasn��t sure what she would feel if she saw the disrespectful signs. Carl lifted his head and gazed into the distance. He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the glaring sun rays. However, he soon realized that the spotlessly white clouds shrouding the entire sky dispersed as a long, an enormous object that broke through the cotton-like layer of cloud.


    What�� is that?


    Carl widened his eyes in astonishment. An incredibly gigantic magic warship emerged from the clouds. Its flawlessly white, towering hull glittered in sacred radiance under the passionate sun. This massive presence slowly descended along with the wind and silenced the noisy haters instantly. The haters opened their eyes wide. The warship brought about an incomparable pressure before them, as though a floating mountain was above them. No one was sure if it wouldn��t come crashing down on them.


    In an instant, the bustling noises were muted.


    ��It seems like there��s a large group welcoming us warmly down there.�� Rhode gazed at the dense mass of people. As the warship descended, he saw all the various written slogans and portraits raised highly in their hands. Even though he couldn��t read the text clearly from the far distance, he knew that they weren��t saying anything nice.


    There��s so many people. There must be thousands of them��


    Rhode was entranced as he scanned the crowd. At the same time, he was fantasizing the moment this Saint Lady Vessel stripped off its veil and reveal the rows of magic cannons to raze the entire capital to the ground. Soaring blaze. Flying limbs. Screams and blood-curdling screeches. Crimson blood that stained the roads. Thoroughly mashed corpses lying flat across the ground. Not good. He almost drooled at his delusions.


    Rhode wiped off the non-existent saliva from the corner of his lips. At this moment, the sound of the deep bugle horn filled the sky.


    The show was about to start.


    The gigantic warship adjusted its direction in the strong winds and leaned toward the tall platform. Then, a metallic flight of stairs was released from above that connected to the ground. Shortly after, the group stepped down the flight of stairs following Lydia��s lead.


    Lydia donned a splendid dress for the event. But compared to what she usually wore in the Munn Kingdom, this dress was rather ��conservative��: a white dress with golden outlines and embroidered with the mark of the Munn Kingdom wrapping her curvy body closely. Gaya and Amund followed closely behind her. The black-haired young lady presented her usual, aloof expression, carrying her precious harp in her hands. The elderly Mage held his staff and displayed a calm, steady face. Marlene, Lize, Derick, and the others were the next to follow.


    ��This����


    The crowd was left speechless. Lydia��s representative team was mainly filled with young, rising talents. Even though they were mostly capable, they had basically never been to the Country of Light. This was because they were mainly the pillars and heirs of their large families in the Munn Kingdom. Due to the sinister relationship between the two nations, the Country of Light surely wouldn��t mind causing some trouble for the families. If any of these people died in the Country of Light, it would be too much of a loss for the families. Due to this reason, the young people mainly never went to the Country of Light. However, they were reminded by Rhode before they stepped down from the warship that they would face hostile treatment here. But even so, they had never imagined that the Country of Light��s people were this unfriendly. Just look at the written slogans in their hands. Damn it. That��s totally blasphemy!


    ��Oh my goodness�� I thought I��ve just arrived in an enemy country����


    The female scholar in golden-framed spectacles sucked in a deep, cold air and mumbled under her breath. But shortly after, Rhode��s voice pulled her out to her senses.


    ��This IS an enemy country, Miss Cohen. Stand strong. Don��t let them see your weak side. They��re gathering here to make a joke out of us. If we look weak to them, we may even become the laughing stock of the Munn Kingdom.��


    ��What should we do, Leader? Should Anne give them a good bashing?��


    Anne asked curiously with clenched fists while the others turned to Rhode. Rhode had entirely convinced this group of people with his experiences and erudition over these few days. Perhaps due to the differences in standpoints and identities, Rhode��s reputation in this representative team was one of the highest.


    ��I don��t mind if you can handle all of them.��


    Rhode didn��t sound like he wanted to stop Anne at all.


    ��Staying calm will do. Don��t take their words to heart. Everyone, you��re nobles while they��re civilians. You should know what to do. Perhaps you can also try to block out their meaningless clamor and treat as though they are welcoming us wholeheartedly.��


    Rhode paused for a moment. Then, he revealed a gentle smile.


    ��Like this.��


    Rhode extended his arm and waved warmly to the civilians, leaving them exasperated. They pushed forward and berated at Rhode while pointing their fingers.


    ��Lackey of the tyrant! How dare you smile and even be willing to become the slave of the Angels!��


    ��Get out of our country! We don��t welcome you!��


    ��You aren��t suited to be a Human! Bastard! You��re nothing more than a lover of that Angel whore!��


    The smile on Rhode��s face remain unchanged. He perambulated along the carpet and waved his hand continuously. Perhaps due to the overwhelming pressure that they felt from the massive warship from Munn Kingdom, the civilians blew their tops. They decided to use all their strength to show the tyrant��s lackey that even the strongest violence wasn��t enough to stop them from upholding justice and determination!


    ��You see. They��re getting even more furious now. Don��t you think that��s kinda fun?��


    Rhode turned around and said to the group behind him.

 Chapter 668 - Between Light & Light (VI)

    Chapter 668: Between Light & Light (VI)


    As elite talents who could enter the representative team, these young rising stars were not to be trifled with. They felt relatively flabbergasted by the ��overwhelming support�� from the people of the Country of Light. However, they quickly returned to their senses under Rhode��s lead, descending the ramp and stepping on the solid ground with calm, collected expressions. They lifted their heads and fixated their gaze forward. Just as Rhode had mentioned, they were nobles, while the crowd was composed of civilians. They didn��t need to lower themselves to their levels. Some of the nobles even mimicked Rhode in waving back to the civilians ��passionately��, and, of course, they stirred up yet another wave of curses and criticisms. However, it sounded like rumbles in their ears as the place was overly noisy. Even though it got under their skin, the nobles couldn��t hear the buzz clearly as though a swarm of houseflies were dancing around their ears.


    Lydia led the way and it went without saying that she had garnered the most hatred among them. If it weren��t for the soldiers maintaining the order, perhaps the civilians would have encircled her. However, Lydia wasn��t in the least bit concerned. She strode forward and waved her hands to the two rows of civilians lined along the passageway. It was apparent that she was used to such treatment.


    ��Your Highness, you��re finally here.��


    Carl wiped the sweat beads off his forehead before bowing deeply to Lydia. At that moment, a soldier in a straightly-ironed attire walked forward in large strides and gave the Country of Light��s military salute to Lydia.


    ��Greetings, Your Highness Lydia. I��m the 3rd Guard��s Commander of the Light Dragon Soul. I��m abiding by the Light Parliament��s orders to receive you. The chariots are ready. Please follow me.��


    The soldier revealed a smile.


    ��I apologize for this unsightly scene. This is spontaneously organized by the civilians. All we could do was to maintain order. Please don��t take offense.��


    ��It��s fine. I know the people of the Country of Light have always been passionate.��


    Lydia said with an unchanged expression. She nodded slightly after sweeping a glance to the civilians.


    The distance from the ramp to the chariot wasn��t far and the process was smooth without hiccups, except for the annoying verbal abuse, humiliating written slogans, and insulting portraits. Yes. Everything was smooth.


    ��This is ridiculous!��


    Marlene exploded in wrath as soon as she board the chariot.


    ��They��re too much! This is the solemn and sacred Dragon Soul Ceremony. How can the Light Parliament shame us this brazenly!��


    ��Ah����


    Lize let out a long, subtle sigh. Her exhausted expression said it all.


    ��Anne feels that it��s quite fun to see them screaming from behind the soldiers and they didn��t dare to pick a fight with us. It��s interesting to infuriate them to death.��


    Rhode wasn��t surprised by their reactions at all. Even though the Dragon Soul Ceremony was held in the Light Capital, all the duchies and territories under the Light Dragon Soul protection would also participate in it as it was closely related to the Light Dragon Soul.


    However, not every territories and duchies shared the same pair of trousers. Even though they were equally under the Light Dragon Soul protection, there were several conflicts between the Country of Light and other territories. The Country of Light always made use of the Light Dragon Soul presence and they believed that they should be the dominator of all the territories under the Light Dragon Soul��s protection. This left the overlords resentful. It was mentioned previously that many regions of the continent were enveloped in Chaos and had lost their Order. In order to receive one��s territory, one had to penetrate deeply into it and awaken the slumbering Dragon Soul��s powers. Thus, according to the treaty, one would gain the rights to receive the territory after fulfilling the requirements. Apart from the Country of Light, several overlords had taken great pains and sacrificed countless men to awaken the Dragon Soul power and receive their territories. They didn��t receive a single bit of help from the Country of Light. After the overlords built their nation, the Country of Light emerged before them like a savior and told them that they should respect the Light Dragon since it was due to the Light Dragon Soul��s protection that their territories were in a stable condition. Of course, there must be substantive representation to their respects�� And everyone knew that.


    The overlords were naturally dissatisfied with this attitude. They fought hard for their territories and not only did the Country of Light not assist them, but they also demanded for their service? Just because the Light Dragon Soul was in the Country of Light? Alright then. Retract the Light Dragon Soul��s protection if you��re capable and we shall see if it listens to you.


    Therefore, there were plenty of conflicts between the Country of Light and several territories. However, even though the overlords were furious, they didn��t dare speak about it. Some of them had even turned to the Country of Light and became one of their protected members, while some had chosen the other path: joining the Anti-Country of Light Alliance.


    And the Munn Kingdom was the head of this ��Anti-Country of Light Alliance��. Even though this alliance didn��t officially exist, there were indeed presences of this alliance. Although the Munn Kingdom and the other territories had vastly different goals and weren��t as determined as Lydia in restoring the Light Dragon Soul��s dignity and status, they had the same enemy: the Light Parliament.


    Lydia was determined to weaken the authority of the Light Parliament while strengthening the dignity of the Light Dragon Soul. On the other hand, the overlords were mostly looking to weaken the Light Parliament��s forces and stop them from their criticisms. It would be more justifiable for the Munn Kingdom to take the lead. Lydia, as one of the three Archangels and a subordinate of the Light Dragon Soul, would be easily accepted by others. But it would most probably be deemed as mortals attempting to disobey the gods if the overlords opposed the Country of Light instead. Perhaps their people wouldn��t even dare imagine such a terrifying future. As a result, the only choice the Anti-Country of Light Alliance had was to follow the Munn Kingdom��s lead under Lydia��s flag to reach their goals.


    With this level of relationship, it wasn��t hard to see that the Light Parliament and the Munn Kingdom was as incompatible as fire and water. If it weren��t for Country of Darkness eyeing territory covetously and the Light Parliament not being foolish enough to snatch the Light Dragon Soul��s authority and position, both sides would have erupted into a huge war a long time ago.


    The Munn Kingdom had expectations to bring order out of chaos and allow the Light Dragon Soul to regain its deserved authority and position.


    The various overlords hoped to diminish the strong, imperialism influence that the Light Parliament had on this continent.


    On the contrary, the Light Parliament hoped to remove the Light Dragon Soul entirely, turn the Country of Light into a true master of their own affairs, and not entrust their lives and hopes on nations ruled by other races.


    Unless one party gave way, conflicts were inevitable.


    But none of the parties would give way.


    It was only right that Lydia, as an Archangel, treated the Light Dragon Soul as her main priority. A parliament that tried to snatch the Light Dragon Soul��s authority away wasn��t necessary.


    The various overlords were naturally more concerned about their territories. If their territories had been squeezed dry by Country of Light, their roles as overlords wouldn��t last long.


    The Light Parliament had established in the hearts of their people through years of propaganda that they were heroic Humans who went against the pressure and resistance from other races. They definitely couldn��t lower their heads before the Light Dragon Soul as this would destroy their authority, wealth, position��everything. This was why they had to suppress the Munn Kingdom and hold down the Light Dragon Soul��s most powerful assistant forever. If not, they weren��t sure if the Light Dragon Soul would borrow the strength of the Munn Kingdom in overthrowing the Light Parliament.


    There shouldn��t be any emotions involved in a fight for authority, just like how there would only be one winner standing at the end of a war. There could only be one side with the most authority. With their background and standpoint, there wouldn��t be a chance for other parties to share the authority. Either you or I will live in the end.


    This was a zero-sum game.


    The chariot slowly moved ahead as the soldiers in front cleared the road of the protesting civilians. Not only that, but perhaps civilians had also realized that their disorganized protest wasn��t effective. They lined up neatly and yelled out in unison.


    ��Get out of our land of freedom! You bloody butcher!��


    ��Even though you��ve killed our people, you can��t kill their freedom-seeking hearts!��


    ��Release the brave warriors of the Reformist Party and oppressed civilians under you!��


    ��You lackeys of the Angel betrayed yourselves for authority! You lackeys aren��t fit to be Humans!��


    ��The Country of Light isn��t a place for a tyrant like you who devours the flesh and blood of your people to enjoy luxury!��


    The objections got louder and clearer. Marlene put up a gloomy expression as she clutched the handle beside her. Lize covered her ears and closed her ears in her lowered head, rejecting everything that was booming at them. On the other side, Anne looked on listlessly as the chariot traveled at a snail��s pace as though she were a criminal trapped in a prison car and humiliated on a street show.


    ��I��m really sorry, Your Highness Lydia.��


    The soldier once again emerged by the chariot door and presented a fitting smile. But it was obvious that his smile wasn��t genuine.


    ��We��re doing our best. But there are too many of them, so we can only travel slowly����


    ��Sure. No problem.��


    Lydia��s smile was still as wide as before. She admired the view as though she was unfazed by the curses and insults. On the other side, Grand Mage Amund had closed his eyes to attain his mental composure while Gaya suddenly opened her eyes wide. She displayed an emotionless face and pressed her hand against her precious harp.


    ��Cover your ears!��


    Rhode sat up with knitted brows and yelled out hurriedly.


    ����!��


    In an instant, the clamors were gone.


    The yelling civilians instantly felt as though their voices had materialized. A strong, invisible force had as though plunged into their mouths, followed by a hammer that crashed down onto their throats.


    ����!��


    The choking pain was simply unimaginable. In an instant, the crowd around the chariot rolled their eyes and plummeted to the ground with their wide-open mouths were like desperate, beached fish gasping for air. The civilians who were blocking the way ahead also lost their enthusiasm. They held their throats and scattered in retreat. Those who were less fortunate either sat down or leaned on the walls weakly. The high-raised banners and portraits had fallen to the ground and submerged in the collapsing crowd.


    The chariot picked up speed and dashed forward.


    Gaya put down her slender right hand and turned to the annoying crowd that was suffering in pain. She let out a soft grunt as a glint of disdain flashed in her eyes. Then, she shifted her gaze back before shutting her eyes for a rest.


    ��A group of lowly maggots.��


    The black-haired young lady said in an ice-cold tone.

 Chapter 669 - Between Light & Light (VII)

    Chapter 669: Between Light & Light (VII)


    The journey was smooth thereafter. Even though there were still protests going on in the background, at least nobody was hindering them any longer. But even so, the atmosphere in the chariot wasn��t all that nice. Marlene gazed out of the window gloomily and her eyes flickered in wrath. Lize puckered her brows and didn��t hide her resentments from her face at all, which was rare to see from this meticulous young lady. On the other hand, Anne had fallen asleep in the comfy seat, drooling and snoring away.


    Shortly after, the Light Capital, Casabianca, presented itself before everyone.


    Casabianca and Golden City were somewhat similar in appearances��white, tall city walls, wide streets, buildings in picturesque disorder. However, Golden City had more natural, scenic views with lush forests under its golden castle and mountains that blended in with the calm, beautiful lake, forming a magnificent, picturesque scroll. In comparison, the Light Capital appeared more like the miracle of human civilization. The most eye-catching feature weren��t its natural views, but high-rise buildings instead. A spotlessly white, towering building stood head and shoulders above others, announcing its heavy presence.


    The most striking presence was the Light Dragon Temple situated to the east of Casabianca. Unlike the castles with distinct edges and corners, the Light Dragon Temple appeared more like a majestic flower with petals unfolding in all directions, revealing its pure, sacred stamen. On its sides, the circular pillars supported the temple that penetrated deep into the clouds. That was where the other two Archangels resided. Unlike Lydia, the two Archangels lived in seclusion. They secretly ensured the safety of the Light Dragon Soul while also commanding the remaining Battle Angel Army.


    In the game, many players discussed about why the other two Archangels didn��t establish themselves like Lydia. This was because if they also established their own countries like Lydia, there wouldn��t be a need for the Country of Light. As long as the three Archangels worked hand in hand, they could establish a sacred nation that belonged to the Light Dragon and didn��t need to lead such sorrowful days. This was especially so in the past. The existence of the two Archangels were close to nothing when the Light Parliament offered the Light Dragon Soul to the Dark Dragon, where almost nobody remembered that they had once existed. Under such circumstances, the two Archangels should have stepped out to protect their master, but they were nowhere to be seen. Some of the players concluded that they had been secretly annihilated by the Light Parliament, while some players claimed that they were discouraged after witnessing Lydia dying in battle and as a result, gave up on their duties and chose the fallen path. But even the players of the Country of Light weren��t sure where the two Archangels had gone to.


    Although the Light Dragon Temple emanated dazzling brilliance under the bright sun, for some unknown reason, Rhode felt that it looked rather dull, as though he was looking at it through a pair of sunglasses��


    Apart from the Light Dragon Temple, there were two buildings that captured their attention. They were neither luxurious nor beautiful in appearance. But the extravagant, imposing round pillars surrounding and supporting the tall triangular dome, as well as merging with the quadrangular roof and rectangular walls as one, brought about a sacred and solemn presence. This was where the Light Parliament was located and it was also the political center of the Country of Light��s parliament�� Or perhaps their core.


    But the Light Capital wasn��t only famous for this.


    Rhode shifted his gaze to the southern beach. He spotted a tall structure carved from stone in the shape of a massive right hand. It lifted a torch and stood far apart from the Light Dragon Temple.


    That was the most famous structure in the country: the Lighthouse of Liberty.


    It was built at the centennial celebration of the Light Parliament��s establishment. Back then, the Light Parliament built this lighthouse to ��warmly celebrate the gained independence and freedom of mankind.�� They no longer needed to take their cues from the Creator Dragon Soul and Archangels and could dictate their own future!


    Rhode shook his head helplessly. He didn��t know what was going through the Light Dragon Soul��s head. As a Creator Dragon Soul who had taken part in the Creation War and sacrificed many in exchange for peace, hadn��t the Creator Dragon Soul seen through the nature of Humans yet? Humans were filled with desires and essentially, Rhode wasn��t much different from the Light Parliament. Humans yearned to receive authority, stabilize their forces, and dominate as much as they could. Why couldn��t the Light Dragon understand this? Rhode didn��t believe that the Light Dragon had low IQ. If that was the case, the Light Dragon wouldn��t possibly be in possession over such a large piece of land after the Creation War ended. The land would��ve been squeezed into a corner by the Country of Darkness and Country of Law instead.


    Why did the Light Dragon do that?


    Perhaps only the Light Dragon back then in the Creation War knew the answer because its heir would only inherit all its wisdom and strength, and not its memories. Therefore, for the answer�� Rhode wouldn��t be able to hear it even if he asked the current Light Dragon Soul.


    The chariot slowly came to a halt as it arrived before the Light Parliament entrance.


    Then, the door opened.


    Lydia exited the chariot and met the formally dressed parliament members smiling warmly at her. They revealed smiles one after another. Their smiles were from deep in their hearts, especially after they learned of what had happened just now. Apart from the Light Parliament members, several overlords and representatives stood on the long flight of stairs from both sides. They had differing expressions. Some appeared hesitant while others appeared to be mocking Lydia��s group. Some even looked as though they were watching a good show from the side. It was apparent that they knew what had just happened.


    ��I represent the Light Parliament in welcoming you here, Archangel Lydia.��


    The chairman brought on a smile and bowed deeply. Then, he gazed at the group behind Lydia and revealed a regretful and apologetic smile.


    ��I represent the Light Parliament in apologizing for the disturbance caused. I seek your understanding on this. As a country of freedom, we have no right to stop the people��s protest unless they take it too far. If not, we can��t do much about them in order to prevent unnecessary conflict. But I believe that our people are reasonable and wouldn��t behave recklessly����


    Most of Lydia��s group sulked instantly.


    No one who followed Lydia here was an idiot. They instantly understood what the old chairman��s words meant. Even though he appeared apologetic over what happened, the fact that he defended the people��s actions proved otherwise. He said that the people wouldn��t behave recklessly, so that was to say that this protest was an organized, disciplined, and intelligent move by them. Wasn��t he ridiculing them with those words?


    ��Of course I understand the situation, Mr. Chairman. It is a difficult challenge to manage a city or a country.��


    Lydia spoke as though she didn��t realize the nuances in the chairman��s statements. Then, she stretched out her right hand gracefully. But she wasn��t about to shake his hand as a greeting; instead, she placed her hand before the chairman��s face with her palm facing down.


    ������


    This time, the Light Parliament members glowered, while the overlords and representatives widened their eyes in astonishment!


    They knew what Lydia meant by that. She was getting the chairman to kiss her hand!


    On the Dragon Soul Continent, a kiss on the hand was a solemn and formal custom of the upper class. But, this was where the problem lay.


    A kiss on the hand was an etiquette between the top and bottom class among the upper class. Lydia��s actions signified that her position was higher than the elderly chairman and that she was the direct subordinate of the Light Dragon Soul and one of the three Archangels! It was like saying, ��on the contrary, you people are just underlings! Your statuses are lower than mine!��


    Lydia had never behaved this way in a previous Dragon Soul Ceremony!


    If the elderly chairman followed suit, he would need to be half-knelt to kiss Lydia��s fingers. An ultimate humiliation of the Light Parliament in public!


    They had worked so hard, but in the end, the representative of Light Parliament had to fawn an Angel!


    The reputation of the Light Parliament would be swept to the ground if he obliged! But it would undoubtedly mean that they were officially breaking off their relations with the Munn Kingdom publicly. Lydia was the ruler of Munn Kingdom. If the elderly chairman were to refuse her, their relationship would completely shatter before the eyes of the overlords and representatives!


    The Light Parliament members didn��t expect that karma would come so soon after they mocked Lydia��s group. This was a formal diplomatic event��what should the elderly chairman do before the observant eyes of the bystanders? Lydia had placed her dewy hands before his face perfectly and he had no time to hesitate. Lydia��s strength was only second to the Creator Dragon Soul while the elderly chairman was an ordinary mortal. In terms of level and attributes, he wasn��t even level 10.


    It was impossible for Lydia to let him off the hook.


    In an instant, the air froze.


    Rhode watched on amusingly. The representative group around him also presented righteous smiles to the Light Parliament. Lydia was an Archangel who served the Dragon Souls and it was only right that the mortals greet her with a kiss to her hand due to the major difference in identity. Besides, she was doing them a favor by not requesting them to kneel down fully.


    The air became incredibly dense. The bystanders looked on in disbelief as they didn��t expect that both parties to clash as soon as they met. Currently, all eyes were on the elderly chairman. Would he do it?


    No one knew.


    Many of them were aware that the elderly chairman��s position in the Light Parliament was shaky due to the string of muddleheaded policies and decisions that he had implemented. The support he received in the Country of Light had fallen to its lowest, where even the internal Light Parliament department had discussed the possibilities of replacing him. And now, if he were to yield, it would mean that his hopes serve for another term of office would be dashed. A person who abandoned the traditions of the Light Parliament in public views had no right to manage this country.


    But what if he refused?


    The hostilities between the Light Parliament and the Munn Kingdom would instantly be materialized. Perhaps they might face an obstacle in the form of the Country of Darkness due to it and not only that, but it was also almost for sure that Lydia would reduce the sum of money to be presented to the Light Dragon Soul. This would undoubtedly be a huge blow to the Country of Light, which had sunk into financial crisis! If they weren��t able to replenish the financial deficit, it was pretty much predictable what riots regions that didn��t receive fundings would put up in the coming year. Perhaps they might even affect the entire stability of the Country of Light!


    Should I go for my political prospects? Or for the future of the Country of Light?


    The elderly chairman lifted his head and looked at Lydia��s gentle, yet determined smile. That was her answer. She was firm and unwavering. The elderly chairman gazed past her and spotted his old rival, Amund, supporting himself with his erected staff, watching in silence. Behind him were young people who observed the show quietly. Their eyes were filled with resolute and definite will.


    So they��re the Munn Kingdom��s future��


    The elderly chairman let out a long, inward sigh. He finally understood why Lydia didn��t bring members of the three largest families this time. Instead, she brought along a group of young, determined people. Besides, they had also experienced the torturous trip in the chariot�� So then, what would become of our Country of Light��s future? The elderly chairman didn��t turn around, but he sensed the gazes from his companions. Glinting with hatred, helplessness, worries, and ridicule. Were they doing it for the country��s benefits? They believed that the elderly chairman��s strategic decisions were frivolous, which brought the nation to this current state. But what else could they contribute? They would always come up with hundreds and thousands of excuses to protect their benefits. But what else could he do? Could he defy them? Could he ignore their opinions? He would be seen as a tyrant if he did. Perhaps he might be instantly fired, not to mention serving another term in office. And now, even though it concerned the honor and pride of the Light Parliament and the entire Country of Light, they weren��t even standing on the same side as him. In contrast, some of them were even treating him as a joke?


    Could it be that they��ve forgotten that they are also a part of the Light Parliament and people of the Country of Light?


    I��m already old��


    This thought cropped up in his mind. Then, he felt his breathing became heavy. He knew what he should do now.


    He lowered his old and white-haired head.


    The bystanders�� pupils shrunk. Some clenched their fists and took half a step forward subconsciously while some gaped in disbelief. But, they couldn��t stop the elderly chairman. He stooped down and got down on one knee!


    The parliament members behind him felt chills all over. They widened their eyes in disbelief.


    This embarrassment had ruined the Light Parliament��s pride and glory over the centuries!


    Does he know what he��s doing?!


    ��I welcome your arrival, Your Highness.��


    The elderly chairman greeted with his hoarse voice. Then, he softly held Lydia��s right hand and kissed her fingertips.


    Everything ended in this moment.

 Chapter 670 - Between Light & Light (VIII)

    Chapter 670: Between Light & Light (VIII)


    None of the participants of the Dragon Soul Ceremony expected that the representatives of the Munn Kingdom and Light Parliament would be this hostile to each other. From the thousands in the parade in the Light Capital to the arrival of the massive magic warship from the Munn Kingdom and the clash between Lydia and the elderly chairman, this series of unusual movements made many people aware that the situation was abnormally strange. Although the Light Parliament and Munn Kingdom always clashed heads in the Dragon Soul Ceremony, such an acrimonious falling-out had never happened before. In an instant, the participants of the Dragon Soul Ceremony turned panicky. Even though they mostly had clear standpoints, that was during a period when the Munn Kingdom and the Light Parliament hadn��t torn into each other yet. Although they backstabbed each other, they appeared warm and affable on the surface. But this time, the Munn Kingdom obviously displayed a side that was tougher than ever. It was totally possible for both sides to fall out in this Dragon Soul Ceremony.


    After all, the news of the Reformist Party��s rebellion in the Munn Kingdom had spread throughout the entire continent. The various representatives clearly knew that the Reformist Party was secretly supported by the Light Parliament. However, Lydia was merciless and could even be considered cruel in taking them down in a pool of blood. The Light Parliament seized the chance to make a fuss and sniped at the Munn Kingdom, leading to an unprecedented deadlock on both sides. This time, the Light Parliament used the people��s protest to display their strength. But Lydia retaliated with the ��kiss on the hand�� without showing any mercy. In a formal diplomatic event, this was basically considered thoroughly breaking off their relations with each other. Even though both sides were enemy countries, it was impossible to be this cruel.


    It was due to this that the overlords and representatives re-evaluated their standpoints and attitudes. Previously, they were able to express their views because there weren��t too many critical conflicts between the Light Parliament and Anti-Light Parliament forces, where it was more beneficial for them to make clear their position. Some territories that leaned toward the Light Parliament��s side wasn��t because they recognized their authority. Instead, they had simply taken a fancy to the huge and generous welfare policies of the Light Parliament. Those who relied on the Munn Kingdom were the same. Although not everyone agreed with Lydia that the Light Dragon Soul should regain its power and status, the Munn Kingdom was rich in natural resources, well-developed in commerce, and had high-end magical technology, after all. Moreover, the existence of floating boats had expanded the Munn Kingdom��s influence over them.


    But everything was different now.


    The Munn Kingdom and Light Parliament. It would definitely be a courageous fight at bayonet-point if both sides tore into each other. With the opposing ideas and accumulated grievances of over hundreds of years, it would surely result in a bloodbath if the bucket of gunpowder were to explode. Perhaps the entire Country of Light would sink into an unprecedented chaos of war. Facing such a possible circumstance, the duchies and territories representatives leaning towards the Country of Light were forced to make a choice��their final choice. If they chose the wrong side, it wouldn��t be as simple as being blocked off to receive punishment. They might face the crisis of having their nation perish to the ground.


    Some of them were considering how to survive between the conflicts from both sides, while others were thinking of obtaining generous profits from it and some were looking to persuade and convince Lydia and the Light Parliament, with hopes that their hostility wouldn��t brim so vivaciously. After all, the Country of Darkness had always been eyeing territory covetously. The Munn Kingdom would be the first barrier for the Light Mainland to defend against the Country of Darkness and consequences would be devastating if the Country of Darkness started a war with the Country of Light. The ��people�� of the Country of Darkness weren��t modest gentlemen. There were no two ways about it that their Undead Army would infiltrate the Country of Light. For the sake of the entire Light Mainland, representatives prayed that they would calm down and compromise with each other by making some sacrifices.


    What assured most of them was that the situation barely came to an end after the elderly chairman greeted Lydia in humiliation. The satisfied Lydia let the Light Parliament off thereafter and even though the Light Parliament was extremely resentful, the elderly chairman seemed to have transformed into a totally different person. He was no longer as stubborn and overbearing as he usually was. Even though several Light Parliament members had blown their tops at the elderly chairman��s actions, they were still rational, after all. They knew that it wouldn��t be smart of them to interrogate the elderly chairman in public. Although the support that this elderly chairman received in the Country of Light had reached its all time low, he was still the chairman of Light Parliament before the end of the election. If the parliament members objected in the public��s view, it would sweep the Light Parliament��s dignity to the ground.


    But this didn��t mean that the folks in the Light Parliament were clueless on what they should do next. After the greeting ceremony, they shut their doors and left the dotard to suffer alone!


    No matter what was going on in the elderly man��s head, there would still be room to maneuver since the Light Parliament hadn��t fallen out with the Munn Kingdom yet. Currently, the parliament members were also in a precarious situation themselves, so who would be concerned about a dotard who had one foot in his grave?


    The representative team of the Munn Kingdom headed to the imperial residence in the Light Dragon Temple for their rest. This was their only privilege in the Country of Light. As one of the three Archangels, even though Lydia wasn��t by the Light Dragon Soul��s side all year round, she still held the authority to have her own imperial residence in the Light Dragon Temple. Of course, her room wasn��t as huge as the two other Archangels.


    On the other hand, the other representatives came up with random excuses to swiftly take their leave. This was the first time that they had joined such a dangerous welcome ceremony. It was as though they were walking on thin ice. Even though the Light Parliament organized the welcome ceremony rather grandly, their minds weren��t on the gorgeous female dancers or delicious food. They widened their eyes and held their breath while watching the back and forth between the Light Parliament and Munn Kingdom��s representative team, afraid that a foolish person would ignite the huge bucket of gunpowder.


    Fortunately, both sides were rather calm about it.


    Many of them left the venue and felt their backs were filled with cold sweat when they stepped up onto their chariots, as though they weren��t here to participate in a banquet, but a trip around the gallow in the execution ground. Fortunately, none of them kicked the stool beneath their feet. At this moment, the crowd that finally escaped the gallows retreated hurriedly and considered their rightful choice. There were two more days left before the start of the Dragon Soul Ceremony. This was their only chance to reflect on their choices clearly. To follow the Light Parliament or Munn Kingdom? Or to look on with cold indifference? No matter what, they had to make a choice.


    It wasn��t only them who had such doubts.


    ��I didn��t expect Royal Highness Lydia to do that.��


    Marlene held the teacup in her hands and puckered her brows as she gazed out the window. It was pitch-black outside, but the fluttering goose feather snow could be vaguely seen under the radiance of the torches, which brought about a dreamy view to the night. On the other side, Anne laid on her stomach by the window and drew on the misty glass with her finger. Lize sat by the side and listened to Rhode and Marlene��s conversation.


    Rhode knew that Marlene��s suspicions weren��t unreasonable. Although Lydia��s actions had made the Munn Kingdom proud in the face of the Light Parliament�� This wasn��t normal at all. Ultimately, it was due to the system of the Munn Kingdom. The reason why the Munn Kingdom and Light Parliament had never fallen out with each other all these years wasn��t because their strength, wealth, and allies were weaker than the Country of Light��s. There was a fairly simple reason. The Munn Kingdom��s ruler was one of the three Archangels under the Light Dragon Soul, so it was only right that she abided by the Light Dragon Soul��s orders. On the contrary, it was due to this that the basis of the Munn Kingdom falling out with the Country of Light never existed as the Light Dragon Soul was the owner of the Country of Light in name. Moreover, it would mean that the Archangel had rejected the Creator Dragon Soul if the Munn Kingdom were to fall out with the Country of Light.


    This was definitely, definitely impossible.


    This was why the Light Parliament dared to go so brazenly against Munn Kingdom, as though a hooligan who had kidnapped a beautiful pair of mother and daughter wasn��t worried that they would retaliate. Thereafter, the Munn Kingdom gradually grasped the Country of Light��s lifeline through economics, which led to changes in their forces. When it reached the era of Lydia��s rule, she swept out the past Archangels�� meekness and gentleness and brought about unyielding resistance.


    But she was still an Archangel, after all.


    Rhode regarded the scene today heavily because a wrong step would lead to a full-scale war. Even though the eventual results were decent, he knew that they were just being fortunate. If luck wasn��t on their side, perhaps the Munn Kingdom and Country of Light would announce war in the Dragon Soul Ceremony.


    But why did Lydia dare to do that?


    In an instant, Rhode��s thoughts developed into a whole new direction.


    ��Could it be that Royal Highness Lydia wanted to show the Light Parliament our strong side? And warn them that we��re no pushovers?��


    Lize knitted her brows and said. Marlene shook her head slightly and disagreed.


    ��Royal Highness Lydia isn��t a reckless person. That spectacle was dangerous and everyone present knows it. Perhaps we would be discussing about tactics against the Country of Light now if the Light Parliament Chairman acted tough back then.��


    ��That����


    ��Rhode, what do you think about the whole thing?��


    Marlene lifted her head and turned to Rhode. The latter knitted his brows slightly.


    ��I have a thought. But I shall put it up front first. I will not admit that I��ve said these words once I step out of this room.��


    ��Mr. Rhode?��


    Perhaps due to Rhode��s overly stern tone, Lize tensed up a little. She placed her hands on her chest and watched worriedly at the black-haired young man. On the other hand, Marlene opened her eyes wide as though she had thought of something. At this moment, Rhode said in a calm tone.


    ���� I suspect that Royal Highness Lydia is forcing the Light Dragon Soul to make a decision.��


    ��What��!��


    This statement came out like a rolling thunder. Lize and Marlene jumped to their feet. The former looked on palely while the latter had as though made a sudden realization. They knew why Rhode said that��this statement definitely shouldn��t be heard by others.


    The Light Dragon Soul was a mysterious presence on this continent. Almost 90% of the people living under the Light Dragon Soul��s protection had only heard its name and never seen it before. But no matter what, as the Dragon Soul Heir, the Light Dragon Soul had a certain reputation on this continent, where it was a taboo that no one could mention the name of the Light Dragon Soul as it would be deemed as a major disrespect. Even in the Country of Light, the Dragon Soul Heir itself was a taboo. Seldom would there be people mentioning it in public. As to the Light Parliament, they naturally wouldn��t wish for the Dragon Soul Heir to be a huge existence in the people��s hearts. Therefore, they disregarded its presence completely.


    And now, this statement from Rhode equalled an ��insult�� to two of supreme presences.


    But Rhode didn��t care, as he really thought so. His judgment came from his experiences in the game. Back then, even though no players had seen the Light Dragon Soul personally, Rhode had concluded that the Light Dragon Soul lacked self-awareness and thoughts judging from its behavior or perhaps, it found it hard to persevere with its own views. Even after Lydia died in the war, the Light Dragon Soul didn��t display the grandeur the master of the three Archangels should have. Not only that, but it actually also obediently allowed the Light Parliament to offer it to the Dark Dragon.


    Weak.


    This Dragon Soul Heir was as though an extraordinarily weak presence who couldn��t express itself. Reserved personality. Timid. A yes-man. Lacked one��s own view. Followed the crowd blindly. Left its fate in the hands of others. It would be acceptable if it were an ordinary mortal who lived this way. But considering the formidable strength of the Dragon Soul Heir, its personality was the only reason for it to live like a coward!


    Lydia��s actions were literally the same as telling the Light Dragon Soul that her relationship with the Light Parliament couldn��t be resolved, where even maintaining peace on the surface was absolutely impossible!


    So how would the Light Dragon Soul make its choice?


    Rhode didn��t know if his guess was accurate and all he could do was to wait and see. If this was Lydia��s intention, the clues would reveal themselves during the Dragon Soul Ceremony!


    Rhode shifted his gaze out of the window.


    ***


    The deep night had devoured the entire sky.


    Warm flames burned in the fireplace, setting off the crackling firewood and driving away the chilliness. But that was only the chill on his body.


    The elderly chairman curled up on his chair and looked at the furious group of colleagues before him. They clenched their fists as though they couldn��t wait to shred him to strips. How ridiculous.


    The elderly chairman felt like bursting out into laughter. He felt like he was part of a mime show. He looked at his companions and wasn��t afraid for the first time. In the past, he had beat his brains out to pull them together in order to receive more authority. But now, he realized that everything was senseless. He was like a clown, while they were a group of clowns.


    ��We��re waiting for your explanation, Thomas Kryan.��


    Finally, one of the men broke the silence. He took half a step forward with clenched fists, staring at the elderly man with wide-opened eyes and omitting his title as the ��chairman��.


    ��You��ve brought about shame and humiliation to our predecessors who struggled for us and the Light Parliament! For generations, we��ve stood up and fought hard to be independent! But now! The blood and sweat of our ancestors were destroyed in your hands! You, alone, have destroyed the entire glory of the Country of Light! Don��t you have anything to say for yourself? Why?! Why did you make such a humiliating move in front of that woman!��


    ��Hahaha����


    The elderly chairman didn��t panic or fly into a rage at all. Instead, he burst into laughter.


    The elderly man curled up on his chair and this was the first time he felt this carefree.


    ��Explanation? All of you should be clear of that, isn��t it? Are there any other choices left for us?��


    ��But why must you choose such a foolish method? We still have����


    ��We still have other choices?��


    The elderly man interrupted. He lifted his head and squinted at his raging colleagues calmly.


    ��Do you really think that we have other choices? We need money and that woman can give us what we need. You think we should give up on that huge sum of money for the sake of a false reputation? Tell me, then. How do you intend to fill the financial deficits for the upcoming year?��


    ��We can increase taxes! We can even increase commercial tariffs!��


    ��From who? Do you think we have the right to do that?��


    ������


    The elderly chairman scanned his colleagues from left to right and right to left.


    ��Now, you��re furious. You��re outraged. You��re roaring at me like I have abandoned the glory of the Light Parliament all by myself. Stop feigning innocence. You��ve seen that woman��s actions, but who stepped out back then? And now, you��re berating me for not protecting the honor of the Light Parliament. Why didn��t any one of you step out alongside me back then?��


    The elderly man stood to his feet and glared fiercely. The group of men subconsciously took a few steps back.


    ��I know you��re only waiting to see my decision and you��ll criticize me no matter which choice I take. Just like now. You claim that I��ve abandoned the Light Parliament��s honor since I knelt before that woman. But what if I rejected?�� The elderly chairman spread his arms apart and displayed an ironic smile.


    ��Wouldn��t you accuse me of failing to grasp the bigger picture and making a dangerous move in order to save my reputation?��


    ������


    The group of men was at a loss for words because that was indeed what they would do.


    ��You said that I��ve insulted the Light Parliament��s honor, but I know that many of you hoped to see me embarrass myself by kneeling before that woman! You must be feeling great inside! Not only would you have an excuse to kick me off my position, but you also get to see my desperate side! Have you considered the honor of the Light Parliament just now? Have you considered everything that our ancestors have done for us?!��


    The elderly chairman raised his voice while the others remained silent. However, the elderly chairman wasn��t expecting a response from them.


    ��I��m different. I still love this country. I can forgo my reputation. You see, just like now, at least we aren��t worried that the woman will cut down on the sum of money that��ll be given to us. She might even increase the amount if she��s in a good mood. If that��s the case, our financial deficit can be fully covered and there may even be surplus. Isn��t that great?��


    ��Sir Chairman, please conduct yourself with dignity!��


    Finally, someone couldn��t hold it in any longer.


    ��What you��re saying now is totally����


    ��I don��t care.��


    The elderly man waved his hand and interrupted.


    ��I know more than anyone that I can��t serve for another term of office anymore. So, if there is still some value in this old pile of bones in me to allow the people of the Country of Light to lead a comfortable, peaceful life, what��s there not to do? Besides, didn��t you wish that I do the same?��


    The elderly man straightened his back. The group surprisingly discovered that this cautious yes-man who always carried a smile on his face was actually this tall.


    ��But I��m still the chairman of the Light Parliament. As long as I��m still in position, I will ensure that you follow my orders.��


    The elderly man had never revealed such unswerving determination in his eyes until today.


    ��I will give my all for the sake of the Country of Light.��

 Chapter 671 - Between Light & Light (IX)

    Chapter 671: Between Light & Light (IX)


    The next two days were considered the final two days for many people.


    If one were to look over the entire situation from above, one would discover that secret documents containing all sorts of information were rapidly being delivered to every corner of the continent using teleportation spells. Even though Casabianca appeared to be in a state of tranquility, the signs of peacefulness gave rise to more fear. What left the people hopeless was that no matter if it was the Light Parliament or Munn Kingdom, after the clash, neither of them had privately dispatched their men to engage in communications with each other! This meant that both sides had no intentions of weakening the possible crisis and were determined to remain tough to the end!


    That was the way with politics; one could say anything as long as one was willing to talk. One would only be afraid if the other party wasn��t willing to because this meant that there was no more room for negotiation. The development of the situation was extremely critical. Some people tried to persuade both sides to calm down, but the representative team of the Munn Kingdom expressed that Lydia was getting ready for the Dragon Soul Ceremony and wasn��t convenient to meet anyone. On the other hand, the Light Parliament was also busy with preparations and refused to meet anyone. This meant that they weren��t willing to listen to any advice at all.


    In an instant, this situation sunk the other territories into the mourns of despair. Not an inch on them was willing to get sucked into this large-scale conflict. But the problem was that the fuse wasn��t in their hands. The two parties holding onto torches and could light the fuse weren��t willing to step away. Perhaps those people felt unlucky, as though they were trapped beside a time bomb and apart from watching the clock run down, there was nothing they could do. Even though they were only ��pitiful onlookers affected by the unknown truth��, who would give a hoot about them?


    Compared to other chaos, this conflict was unprecedentedly peaceful as they didn��t need to make a choice. They had no alternatives and could only just follow. It was due to this that the representative teams of both parties weren��t as busy as others. Rhode suggested to take a tour since he was idling around anyway and Lydia was frequently missing, so he couldn��t discuss anything to prepare for the negotiations with the Light Parliament. But�� Rhode had neglected something when he raised this suggestion��


    ��Mr. Derick?��


    Rhode gazed helplessly at the man who displayed an elegant smile, standing in front of a large group of people.


    ��What��s going on?��


    ��This was what happened, Earl Rhode,�� Derick said.


    ��I heard that you have plans to bring Miss Marlene and the others for a stroll outside, so we came here. If we aren��t disrupting you, can you bring us along for the tour in the city? We aren��t familiar with this place; after all, and we will easily stir trouble if we head out alone. But with you leading us around, everyone feels much more assured. After all, you seem to be more familiar with this country and city than us.��


    ��What does Mage Amund think about this?��


    Rhode let out an inward sigh. Even though the group was young and talented, they were young people with playful mentalities, after all. They had great self-control to restrain themselves from leaving the imperial residence, but they couldn��t control themselves after hearing Rhode��s words. Have I already become the fella to lead their way in running the red light?


    ��Grand Mage Amund has agreed to our request. It will be fine as long as we return before night.��


    They sure are prepared for this��


    Rhode couldn��t help but roll his eyes. He gazed at the group before him and didn��t feel like he was an Earl at all. He looked more like a tour guide to them. Where��s my yellow flag printed with ��Munn Kingdom Tour Group�� that I need to wave later when we��re on the streets?


    Suddenly, an idea cropped up in his mind. A small plot had been shaped. This might be a great idea��


    ��No problem.��


    Rhode nodded. He looked sternly at the group.


    ��But before that, I will need to put some things up front. I hope everyone has realized that the people here aren��t friendly to us. Also, be prepared to face hostile speech and commotions. When that happens, I hope that you��ll remain calm and not get into any conflict with them. If we are to get ourselves into trouble, the Light Parliament will be sure to use this chance in making us suffer. This is their territory, after all, so I hope you��ll promise to never leave my side, not get into conflict with the people around us, and not disclose your identity as the Munn Kingdom��s diplomatic envoys�� If you can fulfill these three points, I will bring you along.��


    ��But�� Earl Rhode?��


    The lady scholar pushed up her spectacles worriedly.


    ��There were so many of them when we stepped down from the warship�� Even if we don��t disclose our identities, they will also recognize us, isn��t it? Should we disguise ourselves��?��


    ��Don��t worry about that, Miss.��


    Rhode gazed at the young lady.


    ��Dogs will always bark at anyone who isn��t their owner.��


    The ��Munn Kingdom Tour Group�� had been confirmed. There were a total of 18 people, including Marlene and the other young ladies, who were willing to join Rhode in touring Casabianca. But Rhode wouldn��t be bringing them to view the historical sites and scenic spots.


    He had his own plans.


    Got to say, Rhode��s opinion was correct. They didn��t attract too much attention after they sneaked out of the imperial residence and arrived on the streets of Casabianca. Rhode had warned them to be low-profile in the Country of Light and not dress up too elegantly. Such elegant costumes would only be suitable for upper class balls and it would be insane to roam streets in them. The group donned their plain, basic attire. Marlene and Lize followed closely behind Rhode while Anne was sandwiched between them��just in case.


    Although there weren��t many problems with their attire, their group eventually garnered a lot of attention. After all, most of them had striking appearances and fortunately, foreigners were common in Casabianca due to the Dragon Soul Temple.


    As the ��tour guide�� of the ��Munn Kingdom Tour Group��, Rhode had led them to the most ��popular�� venue in the heart of Casabianca: Freedom Square. It could easily accommodate 100,000 people, but Rhode didn��t bring them here to admire the view. They were here to enjoy watching a bustling scene.


    ��What is that, Mr. Rhode?��


    Lize blinked curiously. Although this public square was huge, it looked mediocre without any beautiful sculptures or famous scenic spots. There were some stone platforms present and a man stood on one of them, appearing to be doing something in front of the crowd gathered below him.


    ��Is he a poet?��


    The group squinted for afar and one of the young men asked with knitted brows. But his companion denied the possibilities.


    ��How is that possible? I don��t hear any music. Besides, I guess we can��t hear his performance with the clamor around.��


    Most of the people were curious while the minority who had come here before displayed rather gloomy expressions. They puckered their brows at the man on the platform and didn��t hide their disgusted expressions. Then, Rhode revealed the answer.


    ��They��re giving a speech.��


    ��Speech?��


    ��That��s right. I guess you��re aware that the quadrennial election is coming up. They are giving a speech to win the favor of the people in order to be selected as the new parliament chairman. Unlike the Munn Kingdom, the leaders of the Country of Light are voted by the people and as long as they can keep the people happy, they will have a big chance of winning.��


    As Rhode��s group spoke, they approached one of the stone platforms. Shortly after, they heard the impassioned speech from the man above.


    ��I promise you, my dearest people! I know the dangers which the Country of Light is facing now. We��ve lost what we should have had and our lives are getting tougher with many of us losing our jobs! I know where the source of the problem is! This isn��t your fault, my people!


    ��In order to bring us back to our blissful days of life, I will reduce your taxes! I promise that I will lower the taxes by half! Not only that, but I will also give you stable jobs. I assure you with my reputation! The jobs will be full of rewards, safe, and have reasonable working hours. Besides, you won��t be working under the arrogant and naive people from the Munn Kingdom! Your salary will increase multi-folds! Everyone, the nation ruled by that evil Angel dictator is a sinister monster. We will not be bullied and humiliated by it! I promise you that once I��ve taken over as the new parliament chairman, I will do my best to make that evil country disappear from this continent! This Light Mainland doesn��t need those tyrannic dictators. Their times are long over! Now is the time for us, Humans, to make the call! No matter the Elves, Dwarves, or Angels��they have no right to criticize our decisions and fate. My people, open your eyes wide, and don��t be fooled by their friendly appearance. They are no different from the Undead Creatures of the Country of Darkness. They are our eternal enemies! They are an obstacle and threat to all Humans on the continent! I will instill our Human values and make everyone aware that we, the Country of Light, are the final and most perfect hope on the entire continent. My people, let��s stand together and face the challenges with me. The path ahead may be tough, but with your support and trust, we will overcome it together. We have never forgotten this truth: our fate and justice isn��t decided by the heavens. It is within our grasp instead.


    ��So I earnestly request for you to write a great, new chapter with me. Not only will we win this election if you vote for me, but we will also reshape this country and continent together!��


    ��Oh my goodness.��


    Many in Rhode��s group sucked in a deep cold hair. The young lady standing beside Derick looked with an ashen expression. She gazed worriedly at the impassioned man above and couldn��t believe her ears.


    ��Are they announcing war against the Munn Kingdom?��


    ��This means nothing.��


    Rhode displayed an incomparably calm expression. He shrugged and curled his lips.


    ��Destroying the Munn Kingdom has always been the standard catchphrase of every parliament candidate. The elderly man who knelt down before Royal Highness Lydia yesterday once said that he would raze the Munn Kingdom to the ground within three years of his service. And now, eight years have already passed.��


    ��But����


    A young man in a thick-framed glasses knitted his brows.


    ��This man must be quite capable, isn��t it? The financial deficit of the Country of Light isn��t small and they can��t even support themselves without help from the Munn Kingdom. Now he��s even suggesting cutting down taxes and promising them rewarding jobs����


    ��Those are just empty promises.��


    Rhode waved his hands and interrupted. The group widened their eyes in astonishment.


    ��Empty promises?��


    ��That��s right. Everyone, perhaps you��re unaware that there��s a saying in the Country of Light: I may not be able to fulfill my promise, but if I don��t make a promise, I won��t even have a chance to fulfill it�� The Light Parliament elections have been going on for years and almost every candidate has expressed that they can make the Country of Light stronger and better. If everyone did as they promised, there would be no sightings of Dwarves, Elves, Angels, Undead Creatures, Demons, Devils and others anymore. But now����


    ��But this is deceiving their people!��


    Another man shook his head and expressed a look of disbelief.


    ��The people aren��t fools either. What will they do if they realized that the things they were promised can��t be fulfilled?��


    ��Simple. Just elect another one.��


    Rhode provided a short and sweet answer that left the group flabbergasted. Then, Lize gazed anxiously at Rhode.


    ��But, Mr. Rhode�� Even if they elect another chairman�� Wouldn��t the�� four years be wasted?��


    Rhode twitched his brows and turned to her.


    ��Remember, Lize. They have the privilege to be silly while we don��t have the right to stop their idiocy.��

 Chapter 672 - Between Light & Light (X)

    Chapter 672: Between Light & Light (X)


    Frankly speaking, Rhode��s statement was partially right and wrong because the people of the Country of Light could still ridicule them. At the very least, we have the privilege to be silly while you people don��t even have the rights to.


    Rhode was clear that both sides weren��t wrong. The Country of Light��s aspirations in establishing the parliamentary system was to prevent the emergence of a powerful ��dictator�� like the Light Dragon Soul. If another powerful dictator were to emerge after they finally broke free from the Light Dragon Soul and became independent, they would be better off remaining under the Light Dragon Soul��s guidance. Since the Light Dragon Soul was still one of the Creator Dragon Souls, it would be better than being under a Human dictator.


    This was mostly so in the case of the Munn Kingdom. The reason why the Munn Kingdom was able to last throughout the ages was because the dictator wasn��t a Human, but an Angel instead. Angels were born kindhearted and their positions were preordained that they wouldn��t do anything cruel like a tyrant would (But this concept started to reshape through the emergence of an unusual presence like Lydia). However, Humans were different. Rhode had been educated on history. On Earth, there were no lack of great rulers building up a powerful, wealthy empire, but it was eventually destroyed by their muddleheaded descendants. The emergence of elections was meant to stop this possibility. There would no longer be a single family that ruled the nation. Instead, candidates would take up the post through competition and the most supported one would have the right to rule the nation. Although this sounded like a perfect solution, it was only an ideal, after all.


    Reality was cruel.


    There were differences in social classes, race, gender, and many other factors, which predetermined that they couldn��t abandon the differences in one another. This was also why great rulers and leaders often emerged in times of war as only then would people temporarily abandon the differences in themselves to fight together as one. But they would once again confront one another after the war ended and the country entered a process of prosperity and peace. This was why aliens invading Earth type scenarios were the best at promoting peace among Humans.


    The candidates couldn��t possibly support the poor and wealthy, nobles and civilians, merchants and workers all at the same time as it was extremely difficult to find a perfect balance between the different social classes and statuses. Even if one had unrivaled wealth, one couldn��t possibly satisfy every social class. It was due to this that every candidate would target a social class in which they would fully support. Just like the man whom Rhode��s group had listened to��he had clearly announced that he would create more job opportunities and also increase their salaries. But where would the increased salary come from? An increase in the workers�� salaries meant that the trade associations would fall lower in profits, which would leave the merchants dissatisfied. Of course, they could cut down on taxes to appease the merchants, but this sum of money had to be replenished. No matter how they replenished, there would be a social class that would take a hit and no one would be willing to be the victim. The poor had insufficient wealth to fill up the deficit while the rich were unwilling to suffer losses. But there would be debt if this deficit wasn��t filled up and in the end, it would be like a dam crumbling entirely due to a crack in its wall.


    There was no perfect solution for it. The merchants craved for more benefits while workers hoped for more rewards. The poor yearned for more welfare while the rich wished to gain more resources. The size of the cake still remained the same. The more you have, the less I have. Therefore, they would pick candidates who would represent them in fulfilling their wishes and oppose other candidates who wanted to damage their welfare. The conflicts between social classes became clearer. The workers berated the merchants for being heartless as they paid the workers little in comparison to the amount of hard work they put in. The merchants complained that the workers were a lazy bunch who craved for more rewards without working up to five hours a day. The poor wished that the rich would provide financial assistance. The poor roamed the streets in tattered clothes while the nobles wore luxurious fur coats. The rich believed that the poor should work hard in searching for jobs, rather than begging for help on their bums all day. Our money didn��t drop from the sky! We worked hard for it!


    It was due to this that conflicts between social classes were apparent. Every social class did their utmost in protecting and receiving more benefits while strongly resisting other social classes as they would possibly become the culprits that violated them. Although such situations more or less existed in every country, it was much more prominent in the Country of Light as the supporters of each social class might possibly be the next ruler of their nation.


    And in a country with a strong government, the clashes between social classes were less prominent as no matter if one was a merchant, worker, civilian, or noble, one wouldn��t have any advantage in the face of absolute authority. Just like the malicious increase in price in the Paphield region previously��Lydia gave a word to lower the price and those who refused were hung to death. She didn��t need to consider the benefits of merchants like the Country of Light. Perhaps they might be resentful of her decision, but the peace and stability of the Munn Kingdom was far more important than the merchants�� petty profits in Lydia��s eyes. And she didn��t need to wag her tail to express goodwill in exchange for the merchants�� support.


    But there were also flaws in her policies. If not, the Munn Kingdom wouldn��t have ended up in this sad state in the game. But�� the world wouldn��t be in your favor forever.


    Many in the group had differing thoughts in their heads after experiencing the scene in the Freedom Square. Even though they more or less heard about the situation in the Country of Light, it was still shocking for them to experience it personally. This was because no such things existed in the Munn Kingdom. Perhaps people would head to the pubs to chatter, but they surely wouldn��t make such a crazy speech in public. On the other hand, the nobles were even more cautious. They had to uphold their dignity before the civilians while also being aware of political spies. They surely wouldn��t be blabbering such ridiculous words out in the open.


    But as a qualified ��tour guide��, Rhode wouldn��t allow his group to continue sulking. Shortly after, he led them to another bustling venue��Glory Theater.


    ��This is�� a theater?��


    The group gazed at the building in astonishment. Derick turned to Rhode curiously.


    ��Earl Rhode, are you inviting us to watch a play?��


    ��Yes, Mr. Derick.��


    Rhode replied with a smile. A cunning glint flashed in his eye.


    ��I promise that this will be rewarding for all of you.��


    Watching plays was a popular entertainment activity in the Dragon Soul Continent. This time, the play that the group was about to watch was named ��Sword of Justice��. The plot was fairly simple. It told the story about a group of people living in Annas, a place in the Country of Light. The protagonist was an ordinary mortal who led a normal life in this small town of Annas. One day, their peace was broken. A group of red-skinned Demons intruded their town and not only did they kill the protagonist��s lover, but they also set fire and burned down his homeland. Most of the victims died in the conflagration while the protagonist and his friends resisted and drove off the red-skinned Demons. But shortly after, they learned another truth: the red-skinned Demons had another tribe that was even more powerful and they were looking to destroy this small town. The residents of the small town united in strength and gave up their conflicts and clashes to protect their homeland by battling. In the end, under the protagonist��s lead, the group defeated the red-skinned Demons and slaughtered their leader to save their homeland.


    The play was so enchanting that it captured the full attention of the entire group. Anne was excited. She had a lively personality to begin with, and she couldn��t help but scream and jump on her feet as she watched the fascinating play. On the other hand, Rhode sat in the corner and watched everything with a faint smile.


    In the end, the story ended with the protagonist gaining the victory with his companions.


    ��Awesome!��


    Anne skipped out of the theater while brandishing her fists.


    ��Anne has never seen such an interesting play. The residents of that small town are so brave when facing the Demons. They actually protected their homeland. Leader, is this real?��


    ��Yes. It is based on a true story.��


    Rhode shrugged. He displayed a mocking smile, but no one noticed.


    ��There is indeed a place called Annas in the Country of Light and this story is true, which was why the Country of Light has adapted it into a play.��


    ��I didn��t expect there to be people who are this brave in this country�� Anne thought that everyone in this country is a bunch of baddies. It seems that they will still protect themselves by fighting with their all.��


    ��That��s right, but there��s something that I must correct. In the original story, the residents of Annas were the intruders while the red-skinned Demons were the true owners of that piece of land.��


    ��Eh?��


    The group stared blankly while Anne who was hopping around suddenly froze like she was under an ice spell. Rhode shrugged.


    ��The story was true, but they didn��t include the premise. The red-skinned Demons were the actual natives of Annas. Back then, the Country of Light sent out their men to Annas. The natives assisted them in passing through the turbulence of Chaos and successfully awakening the Light Dragon Soul. But everything changed shortly after. Country of Light dispatched their army and annihilated the natives of Annas. At the same time, they migrated their people to Annas to build their own homeland. However, it goes without saying that the original residents of Annas were unwilling to let their home soil be occupied by outsiders. As a result, the Country of Light once again mobilized a fully-equipped army to slaughter the remaining red-skinned Demons. Most of them were killed while others either escaped or captured to become slaves. Those who escaped regrouped and launched attacks on the Country of Light��s soldiers in order to snatch their home back and you��ve seen the results for yourselves����


    Rhode spread his arms apart.


    ��They failed.��


    ��That��s shameless!��


    Anne gritted her teeth and brandished her fist furiously.


    ��Those people are liars. How dare they lie to Anne. They��re too much!��


    ��They��re not lying to you, Miss.��


    Derick shook his head with a smile.


    ��They��ve only told you the truth since this is the truth, isn��t it?��


    ��Hmph. Anne still doesn��t like it. How annoying����


    Anne said indignantly. At this moment, a sharp, annoying voice sounded from behind the group.


    ��Eh, aren��t they the lackeys of that prostitute Angel? What are they doing here?��

 Chapter 673 - Between Light & Light (XI)

    Rhode reacted as though he didn��t hear the insults and he shot a glance to the sky. Then, he clapped his hands.


    ��Alright, you guys must be tired after a long day. We should head back for our meals and take a break. I��ll bring you to another place later on. Even though it��s interesting to look at the monkey show here, you��ll still feel sick of it after awhile, won��t you?��


    The group revealed playful smiles and followed Rhode��s lead as they ignored the clamor behind them. Anne looked around curiously and also followed Rhode obediently.


    That voice became louder after it was ignored.


    ��Hah. Why aren��t you bunch of degenerate lackeys who have abandoned your prides willing to talk? Could it be that you know that you��re the disgrace of all Humans?��


    ��Lize, what do you wanna eat?��


    ��I want to have something light�� The food here is too greasy����


    ��Me too. The food isn��t too healthy here����


    ��Anne feels that the food is decent. All the big chunks of meat are quite delicious.��


    ��Anne, you should be more cautious. Eating too much meat is bad for your skin.��


    ��Eh? Is that so, Sister Marlene?��


    As the group faded into the distance, none of them turned around to see who uttered those hateful words. That sharp, annoying voice became even more agitated.


    ��Hey! You bastards, I��m talking to you! Bastard! Stay there!��


    Of course, Rhode wouldn��t stop as he knew what the other party was plotting. If he were to obediently stop, wouldn��t it mean that they were indeed the ��Prostitute Angel��s lackeys�� and ��Bastards��? Only an idiot would take a general comment as a personal attack, which was why nobody bothered with the idiot at the back. However, Rhode found it strange that even Anne was able to keep calm. Perhaps she really didn��t know that the idiot was speaking about them, judging from her inquisitive glancing about.


    Natural foolishness was rather useful at times.


    But the other party apparently wasn��t convinced to give up just yet. Rhode heard a burst of hurried footsteps behind him. He slowed down his pace and rolled up a smile on his face while placing his hand on his sword hilt hanging by his waist. The sword wasn��t one of the Holy Sword Cards. Instead, it was just an ordinary sword. As a noble, a sword was also a symbol of one��s identity at times.


    Rhode looked sideways and shortly after, a young man just over 20 years old with freckles across his whole face and wearing an expensive-looking attire rushed over to block Rhode��s group.


    ��Bastard, I told you to stop! Who do you think you are to not obey my words! Listen here, lackeys. This is our land, the Country of Light! We don��t welcome you. Get lost to your doghouse! You have no right to be here!��


    ��I guess you��ve mistaken, Mister.��


    Rhode twitched his brows and stroked the hilt gently. At the same time, he revealed a gentle smile while narrowing his eyes.


    ��I have to correct you. This piece of land here belongs to the Light Dragon Soul. You��re nothing more than its people, just like us. Therefore, you have no rights to make us leave.��


    Even though Rhode spoke in a collected tone and without any obscenity. It left the young man before him in an ashen expression because he had mentioned exactly the weakest spot in the hearts of the Country of Light��s people! Although the Country of Light people believed that they were the true owner of this country, the Light Dragon Soul was the one and only ruler of the Country of Light regardless of legal principles or procedures!


    This was a taboo among the Country of Light��s people. It humiliated them whenever an outsider spoke about it before them as they, Humans, were most proud of their achievements in snatching authority in ruling the nation from the hands of the Creator Dragon Soul. This was the Country of Light��s people��s biggest pride and the source of confidence that they had to look down on other countries. Undead Creatures who were born to follow orders in the Country of Darkness were completely worthless in their eyes. The Dark Dragon was a sinister and horrifying presence of darkness and a nation of death wouldn��t have a bright future. On the other hand, the Elves of Country of Law were rigid, bound by convention, and lacked the courage to change. The Dwarves who hid in the mountains all day led backward, barbaric underground lives were meaningless. Only the Country of Light��only them, Humans��could overthrow the tyrannical rule of the Creator Dragon Soul. This was Country of Light��s eternal pride and was something that they were proud of over the other nations and races!


    But��


    There was an absolute flaw in their pride. It wasn��t identified this way in terms of jurisprudence and order. In fact, in the records belonging to every country, the Country of Light��s ruler was the Light Dragon Soul, and it had always been this way.


    This left the Country of Light��s people stamping with fury. They felt that the other nations were just jealous of them. Grow some eyes to see for your pitiful selves! It��s the Light Parliament that is ruling and managing the Country of Light! The Light Parliament established by us Humans! How is it possible that the Country of Light belongs to that Creator Dragon Soul?!


    Their reasons were fairly simple. The day that the Light Parliament was established was the day that it had become one of the affiliates of the Light Dragon Soul. This was why there were no issues with recording the Light Dragon Soul as the ruler of Country of Light, which left the Country of Light��s people fuming in rage. They couldn��t do anything to change this fact that was recorded in historical accounts belonging to other nations. They had sacrificed their blood, sweat, and lives in exchange for everything. But they weren��t recognized for their efforts, which was unacceptable for them. It was due to this that the Country of Light��s people would fly into a rage immediately whenever this topic was mentioned before them.


    And now, this was what Rhode was plotting.


    ��What did you say!?��


    The young man blew his top. He widened his mouth with a flushed expression and pointed at Rhode��s group. But suddenly, his face turned incredibly pale. The reddish radiance on his complexion turned into a ghastly whiteness in the blink of an eye. Not only that, but his eyes had also widened so much that they almost popped out of his eye sockets. He shuddered and shrunk his extended right hand, clutching his neck as though a beached fish gasping for air.


    Rhode squinted and gazed at the man with a gentle smile. But no one noticed that Rhode��s thumb was slowly drawing out the sword from its sheath inch by inch. At that moment, their conflict had garnered curious gazes and crowd. Marlene and Lize stood quietly behind Rhode because they knew that Rhode wouldn��t let off anyone who found trouble at his feet.


    The scene was exceptionally strange to the gathered crowd. They naturally couldn��t bear the sight of Rhode��s group after knowing that they hailed from the Munn Kingdom and they gloated over their predicament after witnessing the young man pointing to their noses and shouted curses. Then, many of them gritted their teeth after Rhode completely shattered their pride as the Country of Light��s people. They couldn��t wait to teach his pretty boy a tough lesson with their clenched fists. Some of them even looked up to the freckled young man to represent them in chewing out this bunch of bastards.


    But they were disappointed that the highly arrogant young man had become so miserable as though he was drowning in water. What exactly is happening to him?!


    No one knew what happened to him and he was the only one who knew. He saw the glint in Rhode��s eyes and instantly felt an ice-cold, invisible sword piercing into his throat. Even though he knew that this was just a misconception, the sensation felt so real as though the razor-sharp blade was sliding down his throat inch by inch and could split him into two in the blink of an eye. If it wasn��t for the fact that he saw nothing penetrating his mouth, he was bound to believe that a sword had indeed been plunged into his throat!


    ��Argh�� Argh����


    The young man breathed painfully. He clutched his throat and put up a meaningless resistance. Rhode watched him quietly with a graceful smile. But at this moment, the crowd realized that something was amiss and the place gradually quietened into completely stillness. They gazed forward worriedly, not knowing what to say.


    ���� Ah��. Ah�� Ah����


    The pitiful young man couldn��t utter a word and his eyes rolled.


    ��What��s wrong, Mister? You blocked our way and now you��re not speaking? What do you want exactly? It seems that you��re not feeling too well?��


    ��Stop right now.��


    A stern voice sounded. A man in military attire separated the crowd and stepped forth with a team of fully-armored soldiers behind him. The soldiers rushed in and surrounded Rhode��s group while the leading man in military attire went up to Rhode. The smile on Rhode��s face remain unchanged.


    ��What exactly is going on here?!��


    ��Just as you��ve seen, this man here is blocking our way. It seems like he wants to speak, but for unknown reasons, he can��t speak a word at all���� The corner of Rhode��s lips perked up. He shrugged. ���� That��s interesting. Even though I want to hear what he has to say to us, it��s a pity that w have to head back for lunch. If it��s possible, can you please make way for us?��


    The man in military attire didn��t answer immediately. He stared at Rhode silently. At this moment, the freckled young man staggered to his side as though seeking for help.


    ���� He�� Hel�� Help����


    The man in military attire stepped aside and made way for Rhode��s group.


    ��I��m sorry to hold you back, you guys may leave now.��


    ��Thanks a lot.��


    Rhode nodded and beckoned to his group. When Rhode��s shoulder brushed the freckled young man, the latter said grudgingly into Rhode��s ear with lowered voice.


    ��This is the Country of Light��s territory. I hope you Munn Kingdom lackeys will look out for yourselves. Stop strolling around because you won��t be that lucky every time.��


    Rhode didn��t answer. Instead, he lifted his head and looked at the man with a smile. At the same time, he pushed the sword hilt down with his right hand. The razor-sharp blade slid back into its sheath, letting out a crisp sound from their collision.


    ��Ahh��!��


    The freckled young man widened his mouth abruptly and spurted out fresh blood. The crowd shrieked in horror and hurriedly stepped back to avoid him. The freckled young man had lost his mind out of fear. He spread his arms wide in despair as though seeking for help. However, more crimson blood gushed out of his mouth as soon as he started talking. Then, his eyes rolled and he collapsed to his death.


    This scene had caused a stir instantly. The crowd screamed and stepped back fearfully while the soldiers hurriedly maintained order to prevent any accidents. The man in military attire sulked. He extended his arm to command his subordinates and at this moment, Rhode��s voice sounded beside his ear.


    ��You get what you deserve. Some idiots will never understand this�� What a pity.��


    The man in military attire turned around furiously, but Rhode had disappeared into the crowd. This left the man��s expression incomparably gloomy. He glared into the crowd and clenched his fists.


    ��I didn��t expect that guy to be here.��


    The group restored their playful mentalities after getting away from the center of the turmoil. Derick came to Rhode��s side with a smile and said with some regrets.


    ��Frankly speaking, Earl Rhode, I thought that things were about to take a terrible turn when that man walked up to you. I didn��t expect him to let you off so easily�� But please be careful. He isn��t easy to deal with.��


    ��Mr. Derick, you know him?��


    Rhode twitched his brows curiously. In fact, he had realized that something wasn��t quite right with the man in military attire. Even though the man was as disgusted with Rhode as the other Country of Light people, Rhode sensed a burning wrath and murderous intent in his eyes. Those emotions weren��t imaginary, but were true detest and loathe instead. Even though Rhode didn��t know where he had offended him before, he knew that this man wouldn��t be easy to deal with due to the fact that he held back his anger on the spot.


    Derick was stupefied. He shook his head and let out a bitter laugh.


    ��Earl Rhode, you actually don��t know who he is? But come to think of it�� Hahaha. If that guy knows about this, he will surely be angered to his death.��


    ��???��


    A few question marks emerged in Rhode��s mind. In the game, Rhode had clearly remembered the threats in the Country of Light. But he couldn��t recall a man like him at all. As a player, who would care about an NPC who wouldn��t drop exclusive items when he was killed? But judging from Derick��s reactions, should I know this man?


    ��Please pardon my rudeness.��


    Derick thought that he was behaving rather inappropriately. He kept the smile on his face.


    ��His name is Kramer Belson. I guess you must be very familiar with his grandfather because he��s the grandson of the Mist Sword Saint, Daviet.��

 Chapter 674 - Between Light & Light (XII)

    This was considered an episode for Rhode. Meeting an unfortunate enemy in Casabianca was nothing more than a common thing. But the enemy indeed had a reason to detest him. Daviet was a legendary being who was hard to come by, but he was crippled by Rhode. Even though it wasn��t Rhode who had done the deed, the culprit appeared the same for the Light Parliament. Rhode sighed at how amazing the world was. Two of the five legends in the Light Parliament had fallen under his hands. Other than the Mist Sword Saint, the Cyan Goshawk had also been messed with by him. Although his views didn��t align with the Light Parliament��s, they still stood on the same side while facing external threats.


    Even though there were a few hiccups along the way, the group��s following tour went rather smoothly. They had returned to the imperial residence safely and benefited a lot from this tour. On the other hand, Rhode had achieved what he wanted. It seemed that the group had begun considering and facing the precarious situation and the Country of Light itself��


    The group could be said to have fulfilled their wishes after the day tour and everyone started preparing for the Dragon Soul Ceremony. They knew that this Dragon Soul Ceremony was exceptionally important, so,for the sake of safety, they were better off being better prepared, where even Lize and Anne were forced to take up etiquette training from Marlene. After all, this was an important ceremony to meet the Light Dragon Soul, so distinguished and complicated etiquette were essential. Who knew what a naturally foolish young lady like Anne would do during the ceremony��


    Everyone was busy with their preparation while Rhode had nothing on his hands. In fact, he wasn��t feeling thrilled or nervous meeting the Light Dragon Soul, so he didn��t value the ceremony as highly as the others. But when one entered a village, one had to follow their local customs and the same went for Rhode. He wasn��t that silly to remain idle before Lize and Marlene. He found an excuse to slip away and dodge Marlene��s harsh etiquette training. I��ll leave such things for Anne and Lize to suffer.


    Lydia��s imperial residence was situated halfway up the mountain of the Dragon Soul Temple. Even though she wasn��t a permanent resident of this place, she had her own palace as one of the three Archangels. But the palace would only be occupied whenever she visited the Country of Light. But even so, the palace was comfortable and luxuriously decorated. Sleek floors. Soft, extravagant carpets. Beautiful and expensive murals. They appeared rather inharmonious with the temple emanating in a sacred aura, but who cared, as long as Lydia didn��t mind?


    ��Phew����


    Rhode laid back leisurely on a stone bench in the garden and enjoyed the picturesque scenery. He looked down to view the entire Casabianca presenting a gentle whiteness under the glaring sun as though it existed in pure, spotless radiance. Judging from this, the reputation of Casabianca was indeed well-deserved. But�� that was a false sense of prosperity, after all.


    The corners of Rhode��s lips perked up as he once again recalled the memories he had of Casabianca in the game. It was a city that sunk entirely in the war. In the game, the Country of Darkness sliced through the Country of Light like a hot knife through butter, leaving them in an extremely miserable state. This was especially so after losing the Light Dragon Soul and its protection, where the Country of Light sank into turmoil from the envelope of Chaos. Back then, even if Rhode or Dark Dragon didn��t infiltrate the Country of Light, it would still perish on its own. But Rhode was determined to do it himself. After all, he would be letting them off easy if he didn��t personally destroy them with his own hands and allow them to head into a path of destruction themselves.


    Rustle.


    Suddenly, the bush beside him shook. He turned around curiously and spotted a petite figure emerging from it.


    It was an adorable little girl who was about 10 years old. Her exquisite facial features and delicate face complemented one another perfectly. She wore a relatively plain white robe inlaid with a golden-stitched design and the glory of the sun set off her silver long hair as it draped over her shoulders, emanating a dazzling sight. She spotted Rhode and appeared seemingly surprised as she subconsciously came to a halt. Then, she asked in a timid manner.


    ��Who�� are you? Why are you here?��


    ��This should be a question from me, Miss.��


    Rhode shrugged. He stood up and waved to the little girl.


    ��I��m a guest to this place. One of Royal Highness Lydia��s subordinates. My name is Rhode Alander, and I am the overlord of Grenbell. You are����


    ��Ah����


    The little girl appeared seemingly to have understood the situation and nodded slowly. Then, she relaxed her tensed body like a tiny squirrel watching its natural predator walked away. She lifted her head and hesitated for a few moments.


    ��You�� You�� can call me�� Lily. I��m the�� the�� Yes. Someone from here.��


    Lily?


    Rhode twitched his brows, but he didn��t probe further. He nodded to the little girl and beckoned to her. ��Alright then, Lily. Are you here to admire the view too?��


    ��Yes, Mister.��


    Lily nodded hesitantly as though she was Little Red Riding Hood who knew that the Big Bad Wolf had disguised as her Grandma and didn��t know if she should step one foot closer. After a few moments, she approached Rhode step by step. She sized up his face before quietly sitting on the other end of the stone bench. Rhode rolled his eyes hopelessly and sat back on the stone bench with a shrug.


    The little girl rested her chin on her hands and she was entranced in the awesome view before her. Then, she mumbled to herself.


    ��I like the view from here. I feel peaceful every time I sit here and look down at the scenery below. Everyone seems to be really happy living their blissful lives�� No one in pain. No one is crying. A happy city. A blessed country����


    ��Ha.��


    Rhode curled his lips and let out a subtle sneer. Although he didn��t like to destroy a little kid��s dream, he instinctively felt hilarious listening to the little girl��s portrayal of this perfectly wonderful city. The little girl turned over in displeasure.


    ��What��s wrong, Mister? Am I wrong?��


    ��No no no.��


    Rhode waved his hand without showing any emotions.


    ��I didn��t say anything, Lily. You must��ve misheard me.��


    ��No, I did hear something.��


    The little girl pouted and stared at Rhode in dissatisfaction.


    ��Don��t treat me like a small child. I know what you��re thinking about, Mister. You think that I��m a naive and silly little girl who loves to daydream, right?��


    ������


    Rhode didn��t refute and he had no intentions of denying her either. For unknown reasons, he felt rather strange as soon as he saw her as though somewhere in his body felt particularly close with her. It also felt as though he had met a familiar person in a foreign land, which gave him a kind and nostalgic feeling. But he couldn��t explain why he had such emotions because, no matter what, he had never seen this little girl in the past. It would still be possible if she was born in the Eastern Plain like Gaya, where they might have familiar appearances. But this little girl�� I have never seen her before and yet, I don��t feel like I��m speaking to a stranger at all.


    ��Well, that��s the truth, Lily. This world isn��t as peaceful as you think.��


    Rhode curled his lips and gazed at Casabianca before him.


    ��Especially this city. I don��t find it beautiful at all. Instead, I hate this place.��


    The little girl opened her eyes wide. She stared in shock as though she had heard something that toppled all the truth in her world.


    ��Why, Mister? This is Casabianca, the city under the Light Dragon Soul��s protection. Under the sacred brilliance, isn��t it normal that people lead blissful lives? Why do you hate this place?��


    ��Because all I see here are terrifying, meaningless battles.��


    Rhode shrugged and answered her doubts casually. Even though he knew that he shouldn��t speak to a little child this way, he instinctively felt that it didn��t matter even if he said it.


    ��On the surface, this place is indeed protected by the Light Dragon Soul. But what about the truth? The people holding on to authority fight against one another to secure their positions, berated one another to expand their strength, incited hatred and blinded everything with lies. These people are living in the false dreams of lies. They think that they are the center of the world, but they are nothing, in fact.��


    Rhode pointed to a place in Casabianca.


    ��Have you been there. Lily?��


    ��Yes. It��s a beautiful and quiet place.��


    Even though she didn��t know why Rhode asked her this question, she answered swiftly anyway. Rhode shrugged and pointed at another place.


    ��What about there?��


    ��It is�� Ah. Freedom Square. Of course I��ve been there.��


    ��Then, what about there?��


    Rhode pointed at a white region in western Casabianca. This time, the little girl didn��t answer instantly. She knitted her brows and tried to recall its name. Then, she shook her head helplessly.


    ��No�� Mister. I��ve not been there before. Where is that place?��


    ��That place is called ��Dalkest��. It is the largest slum in Casabianca.��


    ��Slum?��


    Judging from her vacant expression, it was apparent that she didn��t understand the word at all.


    ��It is a place where the poor lives in. They are undressed, poor, and have never eaten a full meal before. People there kill for a piece of bread. No one dares to roam the streets with money because they will be robbed at the very next moment. The corners of the dark alleyways are filled with scrawny thugs with sharp weapons. They widen their eyes greedily while scanning for their next prey. They may even be lucky enough to drag a person into the dark alley and kill him to rob his assets. That is all that they can do to survive in this city.��


    Rhode shot a glance at the little girl beside him who had frozen to the spot. She widened her eyes unbelievably at the direction where Rhode was pointing to and mumbled to herself.


    ��That��s impossible. How�� Why are those people�� Why are they so poor����


    ��There are many reasons for poverty. Some who have lost their abilities to carry out labor were chased out by their employers. Their physical disabilities prevented them from searching for work and they could only resort to living this way. Some are born in that place and they don��t know what else can help them with their lives. Those who are simply unlucky might have ended up in that state after losing their wealth and families. Of course, some people are just purely lazy. No matter what�� such people are everywhere. But some places have more of them while some have much fewer.��


    Rhode reminded himself of Golden City. The Munn Kingdom strictly prohibited the free movement of population, which resulted in no slums in their region. But similar places still existed. The rich and poor were like a pair of brothers. The poor couldn��t purchase their own houses and gain a foothold in the big cities, which was why they had to come together. This was unavoidable everywhere, where even the legends and beliefs reflected the same shadows of slums. Hell was meant to take in such people.


    ��I�� I don��t believe it����


    The little girl paled and covered her mouth tightly. Her eyes were filled with fear.


    ��I don��t believe it�� This isn��t real����


    ��Don��t be that surprised, Lily. Don��t let your imagination run wild. This is the world. With the existence of beauty, there will always be ugliness, which is extremely normal. Not everyone can lead a blissful, happy life. It��s good enough if most people can lead such lives.��


    ������


    The little girl sunk into silence. After a few moments, she spoke with her trembling jaw.


    ��Mister�� You mean we can ignore that one poor man as long as the other 100 people live well?��


    ��What I meant is to not forget their existence or purpose, that��s all.��


    Rhode spread his arms apart.


    ��Many of them indeed require help, but manpower is often limited. However, this is much better than covering one��s eyes and turning a blind eye to the situation. Lily, haven��t you met with such similar situations whenever you headed out?��


    ������


    This time, the little girl pondered in silence before lowering her head that was in complete chaos and contradiction as though what Rhode said had crushed her views on this world. She was worried, fearful, and dubious. On the other hand, Rhode wondered if he had gone overboard with his words. She was only a little girl and was still years from entering the society�� But this was the only chance for him to say these words since he was only speaking to her.


    ��I don��t believe this�� Light should shine and protect everything equally. Everyone is living in bliss�� But�� I know�� I����


    The little girl bit her lips and lifted her head as though she had made up her mind. She turned to Rhode determinedly.


    ��I-I don��t believe your words. If you want to prove that what you said was true, then bring me there!��

 Chapter 675 - Between Light & Light (XIII)

    Rhode felt like a tour guide for the past two days.


    He wouldn��t usually agree to such demands, but he eventually agreed after pondering for a while. Then, both of them slipped out of the imperial residence and headed to Dalkest. Back then, Rhode didn��t bring Derick and the others for a trip there because most of them were young adults who had seen such places, so it wouldn��t alter their thoughts even if they were to visit the slums. But the situation was entirely different from a little girl like Lily. But Rhode brought along another person for safety.


    ��Leader, where are we heading to? Who is this little girl?��


    Rhode rescued Anne from Marlene��s ��etiquette hell�� and the little girl who followed Rhode around piqued Anne��s curiosity. Marlene��s etiquette education wasn��t tolerable for most people. She was brought up in an environment where her ceremonial postures were accurate to the extent of centimeters. This was also why Rhode slipped away immediately after watching Lize and Anne suffer under Marlene��s lectures. In the game, the players�� greetings to the NPCs were more like they were pretending to be elegant and grandeur, allowing for a sense of incorporation. Who would even bother with learning the proper noble etiquette? Of course, if one could receive aid from the dark by displaying precise hand gestures to illegal gang�� It would be a whole other situation.


    Marlene showed no mercy. Perhaps she knew that Anne wouldn��t understand any noble etiquettes judging from her carefree nature, she instantly force fed Anne and requested that she repeated the proper greetings a thousand times! Since Anne couldn��t remember everything, Marlene might as well force Anne into remembering them instinctively!


    Anne was suffering bitterly. It was imaginable how painful it was for this lively young lady to repeat the complicated ceremonial etiquette a thousand times, so she was thrilled when Rhode asked for her as though she had been rescued from concentration camp. She was so deeply grateful for Rhode that she treated him like a benefactor.


    ��She��s Lily. She wants to look around the place where the poor lives, so I got you along to protect her. You should know what to do, Anne.��


    ��That kind of place?��


    Rhode knew that Anne wouldn��t understand what ��slum�� meant and he explained to her simply for her to understand the situation. Mercenaries mostly lived in the bottom of the social class and often interacted with the poor people in the slums. Rhode shook his head at this thought. Come to think of it, this was the first time that he had such an innocent and unaffected young girl beside him who didn��t understand the pain and difficulties of the world. Lapis, Anne, and Lize had been mercenaries for a long time and they knew it inside out. As for Christie, perhaps she had experienced the darkest side of the Humans, much more so than most people. But even then, she was still able to maintain her kind side, which went to show how determined she was. As for a rich young daughter like Ann Clark, she had tasted the warmth and heartlessness of humanity after she returned from being kidnapped by the Cultists. But Lily was unlike all of them. Rhode felt that this little girl was like a fragile flower in a sterile greenhouse, protected by glass walls, warm temperatures, and having grown up in fertile soil. She had grown up in an incredibly comfortable environment and was never exposed to heat, storms, harsh chills, and dry, barren soil. None of them existed in her entire world and she firmly believed it.


    Anne widened her eyes in astonishment and turned to the little girl.


    ��What do you want to do at a place like that? It is very dangerous there. A cute girl like you may be kidnapped and sold away in the blink of an eye.��


    ��Eh?��


    A ghastly whiteness spread over the little girl��s face. But she plucked up her courage and lifted his head. She said with a shaky voice.


    ��But�� Miss Anne, haven��t you����


    ��Ah, Anne will do. Don��t call me Miss. Anne can��t stand hearing people calling me with ��Miss��.��


    ���� Ah. Sorry. But, Anne, haven��t you�� been to those places too?��


    ��That��s right.��


    Anne shrugged.


    ��Anne often followed my previous mercenary group leader to those places. They were dirty, messy, and terrible. There were many times when people tried to snatch me away. Hehehe. But, those guys aren��t Anne��s match at all! Anne swings my fist and those guys ran away! Hahaha. How funny.��


    ��But����


    Lily puckered her brows as though she was dissatisfied.


    ��Those people are so pitiful����


    ��Anne knows that they��re pitiful, but what has it got to do with Anne? They��re in the wrong for finding trouble with Anne in the first place!��


    ������


    Rhode let out an inward laugh as he gazed at Anne brandishing her tiny fists about and Lily who looked at her at her wits�� end�� It seemed to be a right choice to bring this duo along. From a certain perspective, Anne was also a child. But she was one who had witnessed the hypocrisy of the world. The personalities of those people who experienced what Anne had gone through would usually change. The elderly mercenary group leader who fostered her died and it led to the cracks in the mercenary group due to them snatching the benefits and Anne was dragged into the situation too. One who got involved in such a predicament would more or less change mentalities. But Anne was different. She firmly left the mercenary group, but it wasn��t for the sake of stabilizing the harmony of the mercenary group by sacrificing herself. It was purely because she didn��t like the tense atmosphere of power struggles in the mercenary group. It was due to this that her every decision was based on her mood and she basically wouldn��t consider what others thought of her. From this perspective, Anne was still indeed like a child.


    It was due to this that Rhode had chosen to bring her along.


    Marlene belonged in the rational party while Lize was in the gentle camp, and their reasoning couldn��t get into a child��s head. Rhode knew that most children grew up without listening to major principles from their parents. The children defined matters by whether they liked it or not, and it was apparent in Lily��s case. Although Marlene and Lize could protect Lily well enough, their mentalities were too far off from the little girl��s. As for Anne�� to put it bluntly, Anne and Lily��s mentalities were quite identical from a certain perspective.


    Dalkest.


    The trio didn��t attract a lot of attention as they strolled along the streets like yesterday. This was the place of residence for commoners and was filled with busy workers or shoppers. Rhode��s ��beauty�� and Anne��s splendid body, along with the large shield on her back garnered a few looks. But onlookers merely gave some curious glances and turned back to continue with their businesses.


    Lily wrapped herself in a white cloak and stood close to Anne while curiously scanning the place. Rhode noticed a few looks of disapproval on her expression as it was apparent that this place wasn��t what Rhode had described. However, he had chosen this place for a reason. As the saying ��nothing can surpass your enemy in understanding you the most�� went, Rhode had led players into death clashes in the Country of Light and he could even remember how many bricks were there on the street of Casabianca. He knew how to give this fragile flower the biggest shock of her life.


    ��This is the place.��


    Rhode turned the corner at the end of the street and came to a halt. Then, he turned to Lily.


    ��Here?��


    Lily revealed a discontented expression. She turned around the corner and scrutinized dubiously. Then, she froze to the spot.


    Unlike the clean, orderly streets, what presented before her very eyes was a pitch-black, muddy inclined path. Shabby houses made up of straws and wood extended along both sides of the path. The ground was uneven with trampled mud ponds. Some people in their tattered shirts trembled in the chilly winds as they curled up in the corner and gazed vacantly at the sky bleak of hope.


    ��T-This is����


    Lily gawked at the horrible sight before her. She stepped back subconsciously and faced the street on the other side. Flat, clean paths and neatly aligned houses that dazzled exceptionally under the bright sun. But here, just a turn of a corner, the world had as though transformed itself from light to shadow. It was only a step apart.


    ��H-How, how is this possible����


    The little girl stood on the spot blankly, but it wasn��t the tragic scene that she couldn��t accept. Instead, it was the heartless attitude of the people. They were leading their own busy lives blissfully, roaming the streets, and completely oblivious to the dark place separated by a wall as though what the trio saw was an illusion that didn��t exist. Not only that, but it was also obvious that no one was willing to get close to it. They wouldn��t even look toward this direction as though it was tainted by evil and darkness.


    ��Alright, Lily. From here onward, it will be the main dish. Anne, protect her well.��


    ��Yes, Leader!��


    Anne nodded swiftly before retrieving her heavy shield. Shortly after, in a series of mechanical noises, the shield expanded and revealed countless barbs by its side. Anne winked at Lily.


    ��Alright, come here, Anne will protect you. Don��t leave Anne��s side, ok?��


    ��I-Is this necessary?��


    Lily was taken aback by Anne��s actions. Then, she gazed at the people curled up in the dark corners with sympathy.


    ��T-They are just a group of pitiful people, there��s no need����


    ��Lily, it isn��t only those fierce-looking people who are bad guys. Do you know why the people there aren��t willing to come close and even steal a glance at this place?��


    Rhode extended his hand and pointed at the blessed, peaceful street.


    ��Why?�� asked Lily.


    ��Because this is the gathering place of thieves, bandits, and prostitutes.��


    Rhode lifted his head and narrowed his eyes. His voice was filled with indifference.


    ��These thieves will steal their assets when the owners aren��t home. At night, the bandits will weld their sharp weapons and hide in the shadows to rob their targets. The prettified prostitutes will stand on the streets and seduce every man they meet. These people are just a bunch of criminals to the residents here, and not people who are worth their sympathy. You can ask any of them. If it��s possible, they would rather this place and its residence disappear forever.��


    ��But����


    Lily puckered her brows and displayed a discontented look.


    ��Mr. Rhode, you��ve mentioned that the people here are pitiful. They��re also the residents here, so why aren��t those people helping them����


    ��Help?��


    Rhode let out a snort disdainfully. He lowered his gaze and pointed forward.


    ��Do you know how many people live here, Lily? Hundreds? Thousands? Ten thousands? How to help them? Don��t forget, those living on the clean streets and houses are just ordinary people who neither have the authority of nobles nor the wealth of merchants. They work to provide a living for their families and themselves. Do you think they��ll put in unnecessary energy in caring for those who rob and steal their assets and are unrelated to them in any way?��


    ��But isn��t the parliament meant to����


    Rhode shook his finger and continued walking. Lily closed her mouth hurriedly and followed him into the dark corridor-like passage as though leading her into hell.


    Lily sploshed across the muddy path in her expensive, buckskin leather boots. Even though it was winter, they could still smell the stench lingering in the air. In the total darkness filled with death and the ugly side of Humans, Rhode��s group, which was donned in vibrant clothes, garnered a lot of attention. Even though they had put on cloaks to conceal their luxurious apparels, the finely manufactured cloaks and outerwear was striking enough for this place, where people couldn��t afford decent clothing.


    As they headed deeper, they felt an increase in malicious gazes projected on them. But it appeared that the presence of Anne��s massive shield forced them to give up on their wicked plans.


    Lily looked forward with a heavy expression, but Rhode had no intentions of covering her mouth and nose from the pungent smell.


    At this moment, a drunkard who screamed loudly was seen taken down by several rogues who pounced on him and held him to the ground. Lily puckered her brows, but the people around her appeared to be oblivious. Then, she witnessed one of the rogues lifting a large rock and smashing the drunkard��s skull.


    Boom!


    The drunkard twitched uncontrollably and took in a final breath of air. Just a little distance ahead, a woman in revealing clothes was being pinned to the wall by a man and they were breathing rapidly in their short-lived enjoyment, totally heedless of the pitiful drunkard who had gotten his head smashed. The group of rogues sneered as they searched the drunkard��s body. Finally, everything including his ragged, filthy coat was snatched away, leaving a naked corpse in the muddy, dark alley. Lily shrieked in horror.


    ��Mr. Rhode! T-They just killed someone!��


    ��I saw it.��


    Rhode simply swept a glance, which left Lily increasingly worried.


    ��Q-Quick. Call the city guards. The murderers�� They����


    ��The city guards wouldn��t care. They have never come here.��


    Rhode continued walking.


    ��To them, it is best for the people here to massacre one another until there are no survivors.��


    ��Why����


    Lily lowered her head and gazed in silence. Suddenly, a filthy child ran up to Rhode��s group from the side with a smile. Then, he extended his hands dirtied with mud.


    ��Dear sir and misses, please give me some money. I��m so poor that I can��t afford food. I beg you. Just one silver coin and I can survive. Please, kind=hearted sir����


    ��Ah, please wait a moment.��


    Lily retrieved a sack of coins from the fold in her clothes. As she untied the strings, suddenly, the child revealed a malevolent expression and pounced on Lily with a dagger that he had hidden!


    ��Get lost!��


    Anne snarled and swung her steel shield to strike off the rascal. The rascal rolled on the ground continuously before coming to a stop. Then, he quickly stood to his feet and glared at Anne. Anne was not at all afraid. She welcomed his sinister gaze and plunged her shield into the ground.


    ��Don��t even think of it with Anne around. Get lost, or Anne will crush you into mince meat!��


    ��Tsk. Bitch!��


    The rascal spat disdainfully before disappearing into the dark alleys.


    ��He�� He����


    Lily looked vacantly at the commotion. She couldn��t believe her eyes. She was petrified when the rascal darted toward her with his dagger. She felt as though he wasn��t a Human, but a ferocious beast instead! If it wasn��t for Anne who came in time to strike him off��


    ��Why did he�� I agreed to give him money already����


    Lily couldn��t find an explanation. Meanwhile, Anne curled her lips.


    ��Don��t be silly. He isn��t just begging for your money. Anne has seen this many times. This group of people will appear to be begging for money, but they are actually waiting for you to whip out the coin sack so they can snatch it away! What��s the point of you giving him one or two gold coins? They will still be living in this horrible place after they finish spending them, isn��t it? Only large sums of money can make them get away from here. Hmph. But that rascal is really stupid. Even if he snatched your money, Anne guarantees that he won��t survive for more than 2 hours. With that many people around and without Anne��s protection, he must be really blessed to be able to leave this place safely.��


    ������


    For unknown reasons, Lily��s expression turned incomparably complex when she heard the word ��blessed��. She opened her mouth as though to speak, but she eventually didn��t say a word.


    The trio headed forward, but the dark inclined path seemed to be endless. The farther they entered, the more uncomfortable Lily was. Her pale expression due to the harsh winter had become ashen. She leaned close to Anne and if it weren��t for Anne, perhaps she would��ve collapsed.


    Rhode came to a halt as they had arrived at a small plaza, which was also considered a market in the slum. There were some shabby-looking street vendors and several poor people gathered around. They stared at Rhode��s group almost simultaneously. There were hostilities, hatred, disdain, and uncertainties in their eyes. Rhode understood these emotions as nobles wouldn��t normally step into such places, after all.


    ��Mr. Rhode. They are����


    Lily was at a loss. She couldn��t finish her sentence.


    ��They��re losers. Losers who are abandoned by society. I think you can see it for yourself, Lily, that many of them don��t belong here. They��ve left their homes and came to Casabianca to start a brand new, better life. But they failed. They can��t find jobs and no one was willing to employ them. They��ve been abandoned by the city and can only gather in this place and live day by day.��


    ��Why didn��t they leave?��


    ��Leave?��


    This time, it wasn��t Rhode who answered her doubt. It was an elderly man seated near them. He laughed grimly and gazed at the little girl.


    ��You think that we don��t want to leave, Miss? But how can we leave? Do you know how much hard work we��ve put in to come to this city? Some of us sold our properties while others gave up everything just to come here, for the sake of living the days of their dreams. But those sons of bitches who rule Casabianca are nothing more than vicious, ruthless devils!��


    The elderly man pointed his trembling finger at himself.


    ��Look at me. My leg was broken off by cruel thugs and no one is willing to hire me. My family is gone. The financial groups and politicians got together and snatched my everything away! I hate myself for believing that this is a great, magnificent city. Ha! Have you heard what the group of politicians say? Casabianca was snatched away from the Light Dragon Soul by them and a paradise built by them, Humans! This place welcomes everyone equally! That��s a complete lie! The politicians don��t give a damn about our benefits. All they think about is themselves!��


    The elderly man displayed a bitter smile.


    ��Back then, a politician specially visited us and brought a few men out. He claimed that he was the companion of the poor people and would assist us in breaking free from poverty! But what happened thereafter? After the elections, those men were thrown back into here like trash! Those sons of bitches politicians don��t care about our lives at all. We��re merely their bargaining chip to display their kind heartedness and loving care during the election! We instantly became a pile of worthless rubbish after they succeed. No matter the politicians, nobles, or anyone else, no one gives a damn about us at all!��


    The elderly man coughed violently before spitting out a mouthful of pitch-black blood. He lifted his head and waved his hand weakly.


    ��Leave this place, Miss. This isn��t a place for you people. We��re just like the kind of people who that person beside you said��losers. We have no value in existing. Even though the Light Parliament claims to help us, they��re just a group of liars. Those politicians are busy fawning over the big bosses and trade associations everyday. How is it possible for them to care about people like us? We don��t have the right to vote and can��t help them gain their reputation and position in any way.��


    ��But shouldn��t the Light Parliament be watching over everyone? For the sake of equality, freedom, and happiness����


    ��Hahaha. Things have reached a stage where even a little child like you believes in their nonsense.��


    The elderly man interrupted with his laughter.


    ��They only think about themselves. Why would they care about such things as long as they have authority, position, and wealth?��


    The elderly man lowered his gaze.


    ��Leave this place, Miss. This isn��t a place for you people, neither for us. Ultimately, we��re still outsiders in this place�� We were never the owner and we won��t ever have the right to be one. Hah�� Not only us, but also the Elves, Dwarves�� None of them like this city, this nation.��


    ���� Thank you, Sir.��


    Lily said. She retrieved a few gold coins from her pocket.


    ��This�� Please have it����


    ��These things are useless to me.��


    The elderly man waved his hand with an airy gesture.


    ��Money is the source of all evil in this place. I��m old and I don��t dare to accept the money. Perhaps I won��t survive to see the moon tonight after you people leave, so you��re better off leaving this place����


    It was already dusk when Rhode��s group returned to the imperial residence. The clear, vibrant glints in Lily��s eyes had as though been contaminated with darkness and became dull.


    ��Today�� thank you, Mr. Rhode.��


    Back to the place where they first met, Lily seemed to have suffered from a huge blow, judging from her appearance.


    ��I��ve never known�� that these people exist. I��ve always thought that the Light Parliament existed to bring happiness and freedom to the people and everything that they have done is to make the lives of their people better because only Humans can change themselves�� I��ve always believed that light will shine on everyone and nothing will change����


    Lily lowered her head.


    ��But�� is this right? Mr. Rhode?��


    ��This isn��t a problem that I can answer.��


    Rhode shrugged. Then, he gazed at the sky.


    ��But I can tell you a story, Lily. A story between the northern wind and sun.��


    ��Northern wind and sun?��


    Lily looked curiously while Rhode nodded slightly.


    ��The northern wind issued a duel with the sun to see who was more powerful in strength. They chose a travel in their sight and whoever could make the traveler remove his cloak would be the winner. The northern wind blew as hard as it could, but the traveler didn��t remove his cloak in the ferocious gust. Instead, he held it even tighter. Then, it was the sun��s turn. The sun used its warm rays to shine on the traveler. After a while, the traveler took off his cloak due to the stifling heat����


    Rhode shrugged.


    ��In other words, if the northern wind continues to blow and the sun doesn��t appear, the traveler won��t remove his cloak.��


    ���� Thank you, Mr. Rhode.��


    Lily revealed a complex look. She pondered for a moment before nodding.


    ��Today�� I��ve learned things that no one has taught me before. I��m deeply grateful for that�� Alright then, I shall take my leave now.��


    The little girl turned around and her petite figure vanished as she turned the corner of the lush bush in the garden. The corners of Rhode��s lips perked up and he said softly.


    ���� You��re welcome.��


    Rhode turned around and faced Casabianca.


    The scarlet brilliance of the setting sun illuminated a layer of bright, fiery red that had as though devouring the spotlessly white city. Rhode squinted and his eyes revealed a merciless smile.


    ���� Since everyone is being used for their selfish benefits, you��re better off being used by me, Your Majesty.��


    He mumbled under his breath.

 Chapter 676 - Between Light & Light (XIV)

    Chapter 676 Between Light & Light (XIV)


    Dragon Soul Ceremony.


    The grand ceremony to praise the Light Dragon Soul. After two days of anxious and anticipated preparation, it was finally about to begin.


    Everyone gathered in two rows in the spotlessly white palace hall with solemn expressions. The Dragon Soul Ceremony wasn��t open to the public, so the Light Dragon Soul wouldn��t step out and speak to the people like Lydia in the Midsummer Festival in the Munn Kingdom. This was also considered a small resistance from the Light Parliament as they were afraid that the Light Dragon Soul would mention ��inappropriate�� topics that weren��t favorable to them and it would be in a huge headache if chaos broke out in the people. On the other hand, the Munn Kingdom didn��t care about such minor details and nodded in agreement. But the Munn Kingdom had bad intentions of their own. According to their conditions, in every annual Dragon Soul Ceremony, every person in the Light Mainland would be given three working days off to express their gratitude to the Creator Dragon Souls, which left the Light Parliament as disgusted as if they were forced to swallow a housefly. Rhode knew what the Munn Kingdom was plotting. This was just like how people remembered Children��s Day, Labor Day, and National Day clearly as these days more or less provided them with benefits and holidays. As for a celebratory day like the Youth Day which didn��t provide them with a holiday, most people would forget about them. The Munn Kingdom requested for the Light Mainland to provide three working days off for the people during the Dragon Soul Ceremony so the people would surely remember this ceremony in their heart. Whenever people asked about it, they would know that the three days were meant to thank the Creator Dragon Soul, which entirely destroyed the Light Parliament��s hopes of wiping out the Dragon Soul��s existence.


    Rhode stood in front of the representative team with Grand Mage Amund in the first row. Marlene, Derick, and Gaya stood in a row behind them, while Anne, Lize, and the others positioned themselves at the back. Even though Lize had the right to stand at the front in terms of identity, she didn��t like standing out in the crowd and she had to look after Anne well, just in case she caused any troubles in this grand, solemn ceremony.


    Even though the ceremony was closed to the public, there was still a huge number of overlords and representatives under the Light Dragon Soul protection. But even so, the spacious, bright hall was more than enough to accommodate them. The brilliance of the sun spilled through the coloured-glass on the dome in the ceiling, bringing a fantasy-like radiance to the serious atmosphere.


    Even though it was a solemn occasion, Rhode��s thoughts weren��t revolving around it. Instead, he scanned the crowd curiously to find any familiar faces and as expected, he found some friends and even enemies. Overall, enemies made up the majority.


    The groups in the hall had indistinctly been divided into two camps. The Anti-Parliament camp led by the Munn Kingdom massed on the left while the Light Parliament camp stood on the right. The neutral parties stood at the end to draw a distance from both camps and express their standpoints.


    Rhode noticed a skinny, elderly man putting up a gloomy face at the corner of the Parliament camp while maintaining a distance away from them. He glared menacingly at Rhode and let out a snort after detecting Rhode��s gaze. Then, he turned around as though nothing had happened. But Rhode knew why this elderly man presented such an expression.


    The elderly man was Walter Chelis, the patriarch of the Chelis family, and also the overlord of Barce.


    What a gathering for sworn enemies.


    Rhode shrugged helplessly. He remembered clearly when he annihilated the third heir of the Chelis family in Deep Stone City for the sake of regrouping his mercenary forces. The heir used money to gather the Jade Tears Mercenary Group and went against Rhode. However, the fallen ritual turned him into a Devil and he was sent to his grave by Rhode, caringly buried underground mine below Deep Stone City. Thereafter, Rhode dug deep for the clues to the schemes of the Country of Light that caused the Ocean Trade Route incident and Paphield battle. However, Rhode wasn��t too vigilant toward that elderly man. He merely swept him a glance and shifted his gaze away. If it were other overlord representatives, perhaps Rhode would have taken it to heart. However, Rhode held no high regards since the elderly man was from Barce.


    The reason was fairly simple. The Barce Dominion was an extremely unpopular existence.


    Unlike the groups that were willing to seize risky opportunities to gain benefits, the Barce Dominion was forced into being a neural party instead of being self-willing.


    This was because neither the Parliament nor the Anti-Parliament camp welcomed them.


    Barce used to be part of the Anti-Parliament camp and was considered an ally of the Munn Kingdom. Barce had a tradition of resisting the Light Parliament. They were situated in a commerce-rich region and gathered a whole of of wealth. As a result, Barce had been looking to break out from the Country of Light and become an independent nation. For this reason, they once launched an armed rebellion against the Light Parliament and it was during that period when the Anti-Parliament camp led by the Munn Kingdom had joined in.


    The Light Parliament sent out their troops to suppress Barce��s armed rebellion, but what happened next stunned everyone.


    In the start, Barce Dominion��s army was able to put up a fight against the Light Parliament. However, as time passed, their fallen soldiers retreated while the Light Parliament��s army infiltrated them. But, the General leading Barce Dominion��s army didn��t give up and he continued to fight while seeking assistance from the Munn Kingdom. Back then, many territories of the Anti-Parliament agreed to his appeal for help and sent out reinforces. If the war was successful, perhaps it could start a prairie fire against the Light Parliament and perhaps more territories would be willing to break free from the Country of Light.


    But�� this was only perhaps.


    When the Anti-Parliament overlords gathered their army and were ready to give a beating, a piece of news left everyone dumbfounded: Barce surrendered.


    This piece of news came as a bolt from the blue. It was unacceptable and even treated as an inappropriate joke. However, it was the truth. Barce didn��t wait for the reinforcements while suffering from the Light Parliament Army��s aggression. Instead, their knees weakened and not only did they give up instantly, but they also handed over General Lorraine. Of course, he was eventually sentenced to the death penalty.


    This black comedy had left everyone in the Anti-Parliament wide-eyed and completely speechless. They discovered that Barce was only a paper tiger who was only great at growling, but was, in fact, terribly weak. This large-scale battle that might possibly turn into an independence battle ended abruptly. What made the Anti-Parliament even more furious was that Barce actually handed over the documents regarding the Anti-Parliament to the Light Parliament in order to express his devotion. This had caused the Anti-Parliament to be suppressed by the Light Parliament for a brief period. Fortunately, the Anti-Parliament had the Munn Kingdom as their pillar; if not, they would have been extremely miserable.


    It was due to this that Barce Dominion wasn��t well-liked in the Anti-Parliament camp. Enemies were meant to be detested, while traitors were meant to be hated�� Thereafter, many of the territories belonging to the Anti-Parliament camp severed ties with Barce entirely.


    Judging from another perspective, perhaps Barce could be considered the lackey of the Light Parliament, right?


    Wrong!


    Even though their desires for independence had failed, Barce couldn��t forget the potential ��great feats�� if they broke free from the Country of Light. Even in the Country of Light, the territorial wealth of Barce was considered huge. Their wealth had been used by the Light Parliament to assist territories in poverty, which strongly dissatisfied Barce as they believed that the large sums of money were meant for them to receive more support from the Light Parliament and not meant to be donated. As a result, they wanted to be independent from the Country of Light for using their money to support the poor people. But this time, they only spoke about it without taking action. However, the problem was that this thought had been spread by the overlords of Barce in public venues. Not only that, but the prominent figures of Barce Dominion also used their own way in expressing that Barce should be an independent country and not a territory of the Country of Light. The Light Parliament became aware of this and detested Barce Dominion to the core. However, they couldn��t take actions against them. After all, these ��rumors�� weren��t illegal. But it was as annoying as a swarm of houseflies flying around their ears. Not only that, but also on large-scale gatherings, Barce Dominion would fly their own flag and not the flag of the Country of Light, which placed the Light Parliament in a horrible position. Many of the parliament members complained about why they didn��t get rid of this bunch of worthless bastards.


    The Anti-Parliament watched a good show from the sidelines at the Light Parliament��s predicament. But once bitten, twice shy. They were obliged to watch the show, but never in favor of recruiting Barce back into their forces.


    Rhode shifted his gaze and narrowed his eyes. The atmosphere in the hall was tense. At this moment, the Anti-Parliament members were also displaying stern expressions as they knew that this wasn��t as simple as dividing the camp. It could be considered as the only choice to divide between enemies and allies.


    Ooo��


    The deep, loud bugle horn filled the hall. Rhode and the crowd turned to face the wide, scarlet carpet that led to the large doors. Shortly after, the grand doors opened gradually and two Battle Angels emerged with the flag of the Light Dragon Soul.


    Unlike Munn Kingdom, the Battle Angels mostly had their tails tucked in the Country of Light. Battle Angels seldom reveal themselves in the public of the Munn Kingdom due to Lydia��s self-discipline. After all, it would be disturbing for the people if Battle Angels were to fly around in the sky all day. But Battle Angels were still highly respected in other territories apart from the Munn Kingdom and Country of Light as they possessed powerful strength, were kind-hearted, and willing to assist the people. However, the situation was different in the Country of Light. After years of brainwashing by the Light Parliament, the Country of Light people were exceptionally vigilant against the Battle Angels, where they treated them as presences like Demons and were unwilling to accept their kind gestures. They believed that the Battle Angels had ulterior motives in their kind gestures and that was to make the people recognize the rule of the Angels. However, the people would never give up their prides as Humans!


    It was due to this that Battle Angels basically wouldn��t appear before the people in the Country of Light. Rhode had even heard that almost two-thirds of the Battle Angels in the entire Battle Angel Army had been assigned to Lydia. Of course. In name, they existed to exterminate evil presences and maintain peace and harmony. But Rhode was clear that even Buddha would be furious to face such treatments. Battle Angels weren��t respected in the Country of Light so they were better off going to places where they would receive the respect that they deserved. Taking down evil presences was nothing more than an excuse. Everyone knew that the nobles of the Country of Light were the ones who were most closely linked to dark magic, curses, and Demons on the entire Light Mainland.


    Rhode sensed as though the atmosphere in the entire hall had frozen, which made him feel rather uncomfortable. Shortly after, the two rows of Battle Angels raising the flags stood before the crowd and formed a barrier to keep the people away from the red carpet. Then, two Battle Angels holding white bugle horns in their hands flew into the hall and spun above everyone before quietly landing on both sides of the empty throne. Once they were in position, they blew the bugle horns.


    00�� Oo�� Oo��


    Two long notes followed by a short one.


    A petite figure emerged from in between the large doors under everyone��s watchful eyes.


    Lily.


    I knew it.


    Rhode twitched his brows and revealed a smile in his eyes for a split second.


    Unlike her outfit yesterday, Lily wore an exceptionally glorious white silk robe that dragged along the carpet up to three meters. Not only that, but she also wore a wide triangular hat and held a white staff that was taller than her. Standing beside her were the three Archangels.


    Lydia wore her usual luxurious dress, while the other two Archangels were dressed differently. Archangel Serene wore a baggy, judge-like white gown. She appeared to be about 30 years old. Even though she wasn��t as young as Lydia, she emanated a mature and grandeur aura. She held a thick, golden-edged, red book and had a gentle and calm look.


    That should be the Book of Law in the legends.


    As a devoted follower of the Light Dragon Soul, it went without saying that Archangel Serene possessed unique abilities. Rumor had it that the Book of Law recorded the treaty and rules made during the Creation War, the operations of the entire continent, as well as the development of the statutes. In the game, players heard rumors that this Book of Law could alter the laws of this continent to a certain extent. If that rumor was true, Serene��s abilities would be comparable with Lydia��s. However, what was strange to the players was that even though she held such a formidable legendary artifact, her presence had always been close to nothing. In the game, she disappeared to nowhere after the Light Dragon Soul died. Before that, she seldom emerged on the battlefield and before the public. No one knew what her true job was.


    Archangel Boulder on Lydia��s right was entirely different. He was a handsome, charming man with a head full of red, fiery spiky hair and a stern look on his face. His brows were knitted tightly and thick lips sealed closely as he gazed solemnly at the crowd. One could feel like he was like a ball of flames that was unapproachable just by looking into his eyes.


    But�� this Archangel�� in Rhode��s eyes��


    Rhode shifted his gaze to the sword completely burning with flames hanging by Boulder��s waist. The scorching flames materialized into the shape of a blade from the sword hilt, emanating extreme heat. However, it didn��t set his white armor and cape on fire. Then, Rhode pondered in silence before looking away.


    At this moment, Lily slowly approached the throne at the farthest end of the palace under the three Archangels�� escort. The little girl sat down with a serious expression, but Rhode could sense some emotions hidden behind that facade.


    It was apparent that the shock to her earlier was a huge blow.


    Rhode lifted his head at this thought. At this moment, his gaze came into contact with Lydia��s and the latter winked playfully at him. Her eyes revealed some praise. Rhode was slightly taken aback. But shortly after, he understood what was going on.


    It seems that a good show is coming up soon.


    At this moment, Lydia stepped forth with an alluring smile.


    ��Everyone. It is the sacred Dragon Soul Ceremony today. Under the Light Dragon Soul��s protection, we��ve gathered here to express our gratitude to the Dragon Soul who has been selflessly protecting us from Chaos and evil, and to offer our most sincere greetings and respects to the supreme existence on this continent����


    Lydia turned around and half-knelt to the little girl before her.


    ��Your Majesty. These are your people who are offering their supreme honor and respect. With your protection, your people are able to live such blissful, peaceful lives. Perhaps we may have faced difficulties, but with your protection, we will walk out from the shadows of failure and darkness and return to the holy radiance.��


    Grand Mage Amund stepped out with a stern look. He held an exquisite box and stood behind Lydia, lowering his head and extending his hands respectfully. Everyone knew that this scene would happen in the Dragon Soul Ceremony. Lydia would present wealth from the Munn Kingdom and this sum of money would undoubtedly be accepted by the Light Parliament.


    Shortly after, the elderly chairman tidied his clothes and stepped out in large strides from the other side. He stood before Lydia and nodded before extending his hand��


    ��Please, wait a moment.��


    Suddenly, a childish, crisp voice broke the solemn atmosphere.


    Everyone lifted their heads and gazed at the little girl in astonishment. Lydia revealed a rare look of anxiousness. But shortly after, the worry in her expression faded away.


    ��Serene, accept this gift on my behalf. Just as Lydia has said, I think it��s about time to present this wealth�� For much more meaningful purposes.��


    Everyone were rooted in their place by this bold statement!


    The elderly chairman sulked instantly. Not only him, but the crowd behind him widened their eyes in disbelief. Most of them had participated in the Dragon Soul Ceremony more than twice, but they had never seen the little girl speak a word before as though she was nothing more than a decoration for the throne. But now, she actually made such a firm decision before everyone!


    Everyone knew that the wealth the Munn Kingdom presented every year would be taken by the Light Parliament to fill up their financial deficits. But now, the Light Dragon Soul actually decided to take it away.


    What would happen to the Light Parliament? What should the Country of Light do? No, most importantly��


    Why did the Light Dragon Soul make such a statement?


    Could it be that she has decided to snatch back her authority that was stripped away from the Light Parliament?!

 Chapter 677 - Between Light & Light (XV)

    Chapter 677: Between Light & Light (XV)


    The Light Parliament members sulked instantly while others shifted their gaze immediately while holding their breaths. As the supporters and opposition of the Light Parliament, they knew what the Light Parliament��s strongest and weakest points were.


    And that was the Light Parliament��s ��existential purpose��.


    All of this had begun from the first establishment of the Light Parliament.


    That was during the Creation War. Perhaps due to the first generation of the Light Dragon Soul being touched by the Humans�� hard work in building their homeland, it suggested an idea to assist them, to allow the Humans to lead their own nations, selecting reputable people to form a team through various regulations to be responsible in running the nation. They represented the people and worked to fulfill the wishes of their people.


    The Dark Dragon Soul despised it and considered that the Light Dragon Soul was indulging in its fantasy. The Dark Dragon Soul believed that people were just a herd of sheep, where there must be a shepherd and sheepdog responsible in restraining their movements and guiding them into the right direction. If not, they would only head down the path to destruction if they acted according to their own will.


    All in all, the Light Dragon Soul founded the ��Light Parliament��, an independent organization with administrative authority apart from the Light Dragon Soul and three Archangels. The Light Dragon Soul handed its authority to the Light Parliament and resigned from its leading post with the three Archangels.


    In the first century, the Light Parliament performed well. It was all thanks to the wise leadership of the Light Parliament leaders that the Country of Light could possess such massive national land and power. But�� Humans couldn��t live for long. Their views on problems were vastly different with long-living presences like Angels, Elves, and Dwarves.


    The Light Dragon Soul felt reassured to leave matters to the Light Parliament��s hands. However, Humans had boundless desires. After losing the restrictions from the Light Dragon Soul and three Archangels, the respect that the Light Parliament had for the Creator Dragon Souls and three Archangels faded increasingly. As their ambitions grew, the Light Parliament treated them as a thorn in their side. The Light Parliament sharply sensed and manipulated the trust that the Light Dragon Soul had given them and came up with a series of schemes as though boiling the frog slowly, slowly shifting everything from the Light Dragon Soul to them. In the end, the Light Parliament succeeded in replacing the position of the Light Dragon Soul and became the ruler essentially.


    If this happened in the real world, the Light Parliament would completely cripple the Light Dragon Soul and three Archangels, waving the banner of reform and making themselves the justified ruler of the Country of Light. Or perhaps, they could give the Light Dragon Soul and three Archangels the noble treatment, but disallow them from handling and intervening with political affairs. After all, no matter how sacred one��s position was in the real world, one would only have a nose and a pair of ears, where one bullet would be enough to take one��s life. However, it wouldn��t work this way in the Dragon Soul Continent. The entire Country of Light was under the protection of the Light Dragon Soul. Without its protection, Chaos would infiltrate the world instantly and turn it into a dead land. Therefore, the Light Parliament didn��t dare to go overboard. If they killed the Light Dragon Soul, they were bound to be doomed.


    It was due to this that the Light Parliament had to linger on the edge of the victory cliff and recognize the presence of the Light Dragon Soul and three Archangels. However, the Light Parliament was clear that the Light Dragon Soul and three Archangels were deeply dissatisfied, which was why they gave their utmost in brainwashing the people, weakening the respect they had for the Light Dragon Soul and instigating the people against other races. This way, the Light Dragon Soul had to think twice about the feelings of the people even if it came up with any great ideas.


    But there was a lethal, weak spot in the Light Parliament.


    The authority that they held was ��delegated�� to them from the Light Dragon Soul. This was clearly written when the Light Parliament was first being established and recorded in the Creation Pact.


    Since their authority was ��delegated��, it could naturally be ��withdrawn��. It was perfectly legal if the Light Dragon Soul wished to retake the Light Parliament��s authority. If the Light Parliament refused to acknowledge and turned a blind eye to it, the Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons from Country of Law would be the first to disagree. The Judgement & Ruling Twin Dragons existed to maintain the Creation Pact. The Light Parliament would be asking for death if they were to defy the Country of Law.


    The Light Parliament knew about this, but they were powerless. All they could do was to refrain from shooting at the rat for fear of breaking the vases and intimidate the Light Dragon Soul into not regaining its authority. This way, the authority to rule the Country of Light would still be in the Light Parliament��s hands, which was more than enough for them.


    But now, the little girl sitting on the throne made a statement that scared the Light Parliament members witless.


    Rhode wasn��t sure how the Light Parliament had been dealing with the Light Dragon Soul. However, he had a rough idea of the situation after his meeting with Lily the day before. If it was true, perhaps it was premeditated for Lily to run into Lydia��s imperial residence��


    But now�� Heh heh heh��


    Rhode looked on as he enjoyed the show while the Light Parliament members froze with ashen complexion. It was especially so for the elderly chairman, where cold sweat dripped down his face like a stream of water. The Light Dragon Soul actually wanted to snatch away the sum of money that Lydia had presented!


    Some of the Light Parliament members had the same thoughts as the elderly chairman. Even though it was humiliating for them when they first greeted Lydia, they merely lost self-respect and it wasn��t as important as the tangible benefits. As long as Lydia was willing to hand over the money, they could fill their financial gap and that was the most important. But now, if the Light Dragon Soul were to snatch the money away, the Light Parliament would suffer a double loss!


    The financial debt wasn��t a small number. The Light Parliament had used the sum of money to support two to three of their territories and it added up to five to ten percent of the financial revenue of the Country of Light.


    ��Y-Your Majesty!~!��


    Unknown if the elderly chairman was overly nervous or horrified, his shaky voice almost left Rhode bursting out in laughter. However, he knew that it wasn��t an appropriate time for that.


    ��This�� this�� our Light Parliament has always been responsible in receiving it�� Besides, we have came up with plans that require it. If you were to����


    ��Please pardon my rudeness, Your Majesty.��


    Rhode sulked as soon as he spotted a young man stepping out in large strides from the Light Parliament camp. Rhode recognized him immediately, but the young man didn��t seem to have noticed Rhode��s presence. He bowed respectfully to the Light Dragon Soul.


    ��The Light Parliament has always been using the sum of money in aiding our people. In fact, we��ve came up with a series of plans that would benefit many people this year. Your Majesty, if you do this����


    Lily revealed uncertainties on her young, tender face. Then, at this moment, a calm, apathetic voice interrupted the young man.


    ��How interesting, Mr. Andre.��


    Rhode stepped out of the crowd and gazed into the young man��s eyes. The young man was the disciple of ��Thunder Sword�� Soderfast and also one of the ��Sword Guardians�� members, Andre Kesot. Rhode met him in Fiat previously.


    ��This sum of money is presented to the Light Dragon Soul from our Munn Kingdom. In other words, it belongs to Her Majesty and I believe that Her Majesty has her reasons in managing it. I trust that Her Majesty wouldn��t come up with ridiculous decisions. On the other hand, everyone in the Light Parliament����


    Rhode lifted his head and faced the group of the Light Parliament. He let out a snort without concealing his ridicule and contempt.


    ���� has set your hearts on Her Majesty��s wealth as her people. Don��t you think it��s inappropriate?��


    ��You����


    This statement from Rhode came out as a devastating criticism. Indeed. Everyone present knew that this sum of money presented to the Light Dragon Soul would be used to fill up the financial gap by the Light Parliament. Although the Light Parliament had been doing so for years, it shouldn��t be expected as a matter of course, after all. It was as though one had just received one��s yearly bonus and it was taken away by another party as they didn��t have enough money to repay their houses and cars. Besides, Rhode wasn��t wrong in his statement. The Light Parliament was, in fact, an affiliate of the Light Dragon Soul and it should be the Light Dragon Soul who should decided on the amount of money to be passed down. But now, the Light Parliament had planned ahead before even receiving the funds? Everyone could see�� the meaning behind this.


    Andre displayed a strange expression. He blinked while gazing dubiously at Rhode. Logically speaking, he shouldn��t have seen Rhode in the past. Even though they had clashed heads in the underground mine in Fiat, Rhode was disguised as ��Miranda Seren��, after all.


    Andre widened his ears as though the monster in his nightmare had materialized before him. He was stricken to the spot and couldn��t speak a word in his pale expression.


    At this moment, a deep snort broke the tense silence.


    ��Hmph!��


    A burly middle-aged man strode forward. He was towering above others in his 1.9 meters height. However, it was his face that had left the deepest impression in others. Just like a vulture, thin and dangerous. His imposing aura struck their faces as he lifted his chin and looked at Rhode in disdain.


    ��Young, ignorant brat. There��s no need for doubts about our Light Parliament��s loyalty to Her Majesty. Your baseless slanders are smearing our reputation! As a member of the Munn Kingdom representative team, don��t you think you should restrain your arrogant attitude before Her Majesty?!��


    Rhode narrowed his eyes as though a viper revealing an ice-cold glint.


    ��You shouldn��t simply speak of your devotion to Her Majesty without any actions, Sir Soderfast. As a member of the Light Parliament, do you think that you��re wiser than Her Majesty to doubt her decision before everyone?��


    ���� Hmm?��


    Soderfast stared blankly as he didn��t expect Rhode to not falter to his imposing pressure.


    ��You are����


    ��Rhode Alander�� I��m the overlord of Grenbell in the Munn Kingdom.��


    Rhode unrolled a warm, vibrant smile that he hadn��t shown for a long time.


    ��I apologize for my lack in manners, Sir ��Thunder Sword�� Soderfast. But it��s a pity that I don��t intend to take back my words.��


    ���� So�� It��s you����


    Almost everyone in the Light Parliament including Soderfast sulked as soon as they heard Rhode��s self-introduction and their eyes spewed flames. This young man could be considered the biggest enemy of the Light Parliament over the last year. Not only did he crippled the Mist Sword Saint, but he had also messed with the Cyan Goshawk. Apart from that, this young man was involved in the series of failures for the Light Parliament��s schemes. To the Light Parliament, Rhode was second only to the hatred they had to the Archangel.


    ��Enough!��


    Suddenly, a loud voice numbed everyone��s ears. Archangel Boulder stepped forth in big strides, pressing his hand on the fiery sword hanging by his waist and glaring at the crowd furiously.


    ��What are you thinking causing a racket before the holy throne?! Shut your mouths!��


    ��Yes, respectful Archangel Boulder. Please pardon my lack in manners.��


    Rhode turned around and bowed respectfully before stepping back. On the other hand, even though Soderfast was sulking, he had no choice but to dwindle his hateful expression and bow deeply. He turned back and returned to the Parliament camp.


    Although the sacred place had restored its tranquility, everyone knew that the conflict between the Munn Kingdom and the Light Parliament had completely been incited��public confrontation.


    The atmosphere turned strange, yet dignified. Lily restored her calm expression. She lifted her head and gazed at Rhode with appreciation. Then, she broke the awkward silence.


    ��Parliament Chairman, do you still remember what you told me in the past?��


    ��Y-Your Majesty?��


    The elderly chairman lifted his head and gazed dubiously at Lily.


    ��Haven��t you told me that the Light Parliament exists and works hard to make everyone lead happy and blissful lives? That was why I left everything in your hands. Besides, you��ve also promised me that there wouldn��t be any issues. Isn��t that the case?��


    ��Y-Yes, Your Majesty.��


    Even though he wasn��t sure why Lily asked this question at such a moment, he braced himself in giving an answer. Then, this was the first time that Lily revealed an angered expression. Even though the little girl��s furious expression wasn��t anything threatening, the drastic difference from her usually emotionless expression was frightening.


    ��So then, why wasn��t it the same as what I��ve seen, Parliament Chairman? I��ve seen so many homeless people without any proper clothing, curled up in the dark alleys, and living lives bleak of hope. Parliament Chairman, you��ve never mentioned this to me before!��


    ��Your Majesty?��


    The elderly chairman looked up with an ashen expression. He widened his eyes unbelievably.


    ��Your Majesty, where did you hear these rumors from? I can guarantee that such things don��t exist����


    ��I��ve seen it for myself! Yesterday!��


    ��That�� When did you�� No, it��s impossible. This�� Weren��t you preparing for the Dragon Soul Ceremony with the three Archangels yesterday����


    The elderly chairman turned around and quickly spotted Lydia with her delightful smile. All of a sudden, the elderly chairman felt powerless. That��s impossible. According to the informer report, Her Majesty has been in the palace all day and shouldn��t have left at all. Why��


    The elderly chairman let out a long, helpless sigh.


    He knew that nothing could be redeemed anymore.


    At this moment, Lily��s voice once again rang in his ears.


    ��I��ve made my decision. Do you have any objections, Parliament Chairman?��

 Chapter 678 - Between Light & Light (XVI)

    Chapter 678: Between Light & Light (XVI)


    The entire Dragon Soul Ceremony went on smoothly thereafter. The Light Parliament members showed ashen, frozen expressions while the people from the Munn Kingdom were exceptionally passionate and delightful. However, they knew that this was only a victory on surface and was insubstantial. The Light Parliament definitely wouldn��t let this matter rest after being humiliated by the Munn Kingdom.


    The first phase of the ceremony ended after Lily gracefully blessed everyone who was present. Then, everyone moved to the platform outside the Dragon Soul Temple to watch the military parade. But this time, no one was in the mood to enjoy it, especially the Light Parliament members who knitted their brows worriedly. Even though Lily was a puppet, she actually had the most right in regaining her authority. This should have been a clash between the Parliament camp led by the Light Parliament and Anti-Parliament camp led by the Munn Kingdom. If that was all, perhaps the others could support the Light Parliament. However, the situation was entirely different after the Light Dragon Soul had gotten involved. They didn��t dare to go against the Light Dragon Soul and no matter how transparent the Light Dragon Soul was in the Country of Light, she was one of the Creator Dragon Souls, after all, and wasn��t a presence that mortals could defeat. Once the Light Dragon Soul had fixated her eyes on snatching back her authority, together with the strength of the three Archangels, it would cause a huge headache for the Light Parliament. If the Light Parliament were to take action, the threats that they would face would be greatly increased with the presence of Archangel Boulder and Archangel Serene.


    Humans were always fearful toward powerful beings. Although the Light Parliament was great in inciting public opinion about Angels, the biggest problem laid on the Angels�� powerful selves. Angels possessed enormous sacred strength and longevity, as well as beautiful appearances. These were what Humans lacked the most and it was due to this that they accepted the Light Parliament��s opinions into rationalizing their envy and hate toward Angels. Not only that, but many people also had a misconception that they had equal statuses with Angels. Even the strongest of all Angels have to take cue from us Humans. So, we, Humans, are the rulers of this nation!


    However, this was just a beautiful dream of theirs. The Light Parliament knew this situation that they had created was meant to compel the Battle Angels. They took advantage of the kind and lawful views of the Battle Angels as they knew that the Battle Angels wouldn��t do anything too radical. But the situation was different now. The Light Dragon Soul intended to regain her authority and, as a result, the Battle Angels�� actions would be justifiable. If the Battle Angel Army were to attack�� perhaps a worrying future would emerge before the Light Parliament and their supporters soon.


    ��I didn��t expect to see those guys in this miserable manner.��


    Sitting on the tall platform and gazing at the Light Parliament members in their ashen expressions, Lize couldn��t help but chuckle. Although she had a gentle temperament, even Buddha would be angered after facing unjust treatments from them.


    Not only Lize, but even the other representatives of the Anti-Parliament camp also gazed at the Light Parliament members while rejoicing in their misfortune. This wasn��t surprising at all. After all, it was rare for the Light Parliament to encounter such a situation after throwing their weight about on this continent for years. Not only did the elderly chairman become the scapegoat of the Light Parliament in losing every scrap of reputation in front of Lydia, but he had also failed to receive a single gold coin from her. Their financial debt could no longer be filled and everyone knew that the Country of Light had been going downhill over the years. They meant to rely on the Munn Kingdom for the sum of money every year to fill the financial debt. Now that the sum of money had grown wings and flown away, the Light Parliament was in for a huge headache as they faced a dangerous crisis!


    But Rhode knew that it was impossible.


    He was sure that the Light Parliament would definitely be capable of filling the financial debt.


    The Country of Light was a nation that ran on an election system, which meant that there would be an election every four years. Every candidates from various parties would visit territories of the Country of Light to publicize their ideas and win the people��s support. It was widely known that this required a huge sum of money and the parties was only capable of raising only one-tenth of the amount, which was widely insufficient. At this moment, it was about time for the Country of Light backers from ��behind the scenes�� to emerge.


    That was the Country of Light��s trade associations and financial groups. Specifically speaking, the five largest financial groups.


    Pilt Financial Group, Lockos Financial Group, Manny Financial Group, and�� Alanic Financial Group.


    The five largest financial groups controlled more than 85% of the Country of Light��s wealth and were also the true, secret rulers of this nation. They used their wealth to assist the candidates into ascending the grand throne. As a result, parliament members naturally bowed down before them and had no choice but to act in accordance with their orders cautiously. Not only that, but they also had to be wary in not violating their Gods of Wealth��s will. Anyone who violated their interests would be ditched and replaced by other representatives. It was due to this that even though the Country of Light was much wealthier than the Munn Kingdom, the wealth wasn��t in the Light Parliament��s hands. Not only could they not increase the tax rate of the five largest financial groups, but they also had to reduce the taxes that they paid through various methods. On the surface, they appeared to be creating more job opportunities and retaining a better market. However, anyone who used their heads knew the Light Parliament��s true thoughts. It was due to this that the Light Parliament��s financial expenditures were miserable every year. Not only did they need to rob Peter to pay Paul, but they also had to lower their heads shamefully before the Munn Kingdom and rely on their gifted sum to get through their days.


    What made the matter worse was that the Light Parliament couldn��t lay their hands on the five largest financial groups.


    The cooperation between both sides had to be traced back to a hundred years ago. Back then, the Light Parliament tried to gain the people��s support and snatch the Light Dragon Soul��s authority in the shortest time possible. However, they couldn��t achieve it just by simply speaking about it. They also needed massive monetary support and due to this reason, the Light Parliament sought assistance from the five largest families and promised all kinds of benefits in exchange for funding and support. In the end, the five largest families agreed to their requests and they worked well together. As for the result�� everyone knew it.


    The Light Parliament pursued a narrow gain and neglected a greater danger. Their mouths had been watering at the sight of the Light Dragon Soul��s authority, but they weren��t aware that the five largest families were eying covetously too. Of course, the five largest families knew how hungry the Light Parliament was toward gaining authority (if not, the Light Parliament wouldn��t even wrap their heads around the Creator Dragon Soul��s authority). In order to prevent being kicked to the curb after they had outlived their usefulness, the five largest families began plotting their plans and operations. After the Light Parliament finally snatched the authority from the Creator Dragon Soul, they were stunned to realize that the five largest families had completely monopolized the supply distributions in the Country of Light. The Alanic Family dominated the Northern foodstuff and minerals. The Dudek Family monopolized the manufacturing of all the equipment and weapons for the Country of Light��s army. The Lockos Family devoured the transportation industry. The Pilt Family controlled all the magic materials and spell-casters in the nation. Lastly, the Manny Family became the leader in the commercial areas.


    From then on, the five largest families became the five largest financial groups that monopolized almost all of the Country of Light��s industries. If the Light Parliament retaliated, the Country of Light would crumple entirely. This left the Light Parliament utterly depressed. They had worked so hard to snatch the authority from the Creator Dragon Soul, but they realized the tragedy where they had become others�� puppets before they could even enjoy the moment.


    However, the five largest financial groups and the Light Parliament were standing on the same side in going against the Munn Kingdom. Although they were doing business with the Munn Kingdom and had earned quite a lot, this didn��t mean that they would support the Munn Kingdom as the Munn Kingdom��s ultimate goal was to recover the Light Dragon Soul��s authority. If that truly happened, the five largest financial groups would be placed in difficult positions. They currently didn��t need to pay more taxes to the Light Parliament and if there was any loss in their investments, the Light Parliament would rely on their political resources to be their scapegoat and provide subsidies while the five largest financial groups hid behind the scenes and led their comfortable lives. However, their good days would come to an end as soon as the Light Dragon Soul regained its authority. Not only would they not receive the benefits anymore, but they would also be forced to make sacrifices. Just like the Munn Kingdom, a financial group and trade association wouldn��t be more powerful than Lydia no matter how successful they were. A word from Lydia could make them reduce their prices or step into the gallows if they refused. If their fooling around brought losses to the nation, Lydia would be sure to use their wealth to take the blame and never use her own to clean up others�� mess.


    The five largest financial groups were clear that if they lost the sum of money from the Munn Kingdom this year, the Light Parliament��s finances were bound to be doomed. The Light Dragon Soul had also revealed her intentions in regaining her powers and she would surely take advantage of the situation as soon as the Light Parliament crumbled. This was why Rhode was confident that the five largest financial groups would definitely replenish the sum of money to the Light Parliament. Moreover, even though this sum of money was a huge issue to the Light Parliament, they were merely peanuts to the big five.


    The corners of Rhode��s mouth perked up. The five largest financial groups were a real piece of work. Back then, they earned huge profits through assisting the Light Parliament in dealing with the Creator Dragon Soul and thereafter, the Light Parliament became fearful of them and it wouldn��t be easy for them to request for financial support. Rhode was sure that the five largest financial groups would take advantage of this situation to strengthen their influence, which was what the Light Parliament didn��t wish to happen. However, they could only agree before this threat of the Light Dragon Soul�� This way, the circumstances in the Country of Light would become even more complicated. Rhode had no intentions of reaching his goals just from inciting Lily. Perhaps many people weren��t aware of what kind of a person the Light Dragon Soul was, but Rhode was convinced by his experiences in the game that this little girl didn��t have definite opinions of her own. Besides, for some unknown reasons, the two Archangels who should be assisting her didn��t give her too much support, which was visible from the ceremony this morning. Back then, Lily had obviously been swayed and become hesitant to Andre��s words, which showed that she was easily manipulated. Rhode was sure that, from today onward, the Light Parliament would be on their toes against Lily. No matter what was going on in Lily��s head, it would be a victory to Rhode as long as the Light Parliament believed that Lily was a threat to them.


    ��Northern wind and sun����


    Rhode lowered his head and his eyes glinted with ice-cold smiles.


    There isn��t only one way to make the traveler take off his cloak.


    At that moment, the resonant bugle horn and military music interrupted Rhode��s thoughts. He looked down at the plaza below the tall platform. Military soldiers marched forward neatly in pairs with flags in their hands. The crowd temporarily kept their emotions and admired the military parade.


    The representatives of the five largest financial groups weren��t present on the tall platform because they had never participated in such political ceremonies. Of course, they called themselves merchants and had no rights in joining these rituals and ceremonies. However, everyone knew that the five largest financial groups deliberately maintained a distance away from the Light Parliament. This was because, even if the Light Parliament did anything that would harm the benefits of the five largest financial groups, no one could criticize them for anything.


    Teams of well-equipped soldiers marched past the crowd. Guards, Infantries, Cavalrymen, and followed by the Country of Light��s trump card, Magician Knights, who held pikes in their hands while riding strong warhorses, striding forward in a consistent pace as accurate as a robot. The heavy armor flickering in magical radiance seemed incomparably mesmerizing under the glorious sun and left the crowd exclaiming in awe. The strong warhorses were two meters tall and donned in heavy plate of armor around their bodies. Not only that, but their bodies were inlaid with several gems and magical patterns. It was apparent that these warhorses might be the product of alchemy constructs.


    The military exercise began shortly after with the soldiers squaring off. It was apparent that the Magician Knights were in the limelight. Even though there were about a hundred of them, they pushed forth and retreated in an orderly fashion. Not only that, but the pikes and shields in their hands displayed tremendous might with rays of magical brilliance that flickered and defeated their opponents utterly. The crowd watching from the tall platform gasped in admiration repeatedly and even Rhode widened his eyes subconsciously. Even though he was exceptionally disgusted with the Country of Light, he couldn��t deny that this team of Magician Knights was rather decent. He would be on cloud nine if he had a team of Cavalrymen who were as disciplined and powerful as them.


    But it was a pity that the Cavalrymen led by John were still far from this standard.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a loud explosion shook the ground, which also signified the end of the military exercise. The hundred Magician Knights regrouped in neat rows and their Commander turned around with his raised pike. The crowd exploded into applause and instantly turned up the atmosphere. The elderly chairman��s ashen complexion had faded slightly and became much calmer. He stood to his feet and arrived at the edge of the tall platform, facing the Magician Knights.


    ��You��re indeed the Magician Knights. Your performance was truly outstanding. I believe that with the powerful pikes in your hands, you can protect our people and country. Alright then, as the victor of this military exercise, do you have any wishes?��


    The Commander urged on his warhorse forward. Then, he took down his helmet and revealed a charming face with unswerving determination. He lifted his head to gaze at the tall platform.


    ��We��ve long heard the big name of Mercenary Overlord, Earl Rhode, from the Munn Kingdom. His brave deeds have been spreading among the people in the Country of Light. So, our Magician Knights would like to experience Sir Rhode��s strength personally. Not sure if Sir Rhode is interested?��


    This remark caught everyone by surprise!

 Chapter 679 - Between Light & Light (XVII)

    Many people turned to Rhode. They knew that this was a signal of retaliation from the Country of Light to the Munn Kingdom. However, this wasn��t too surprising. Ever since the start of the Dragon Soul Ceremony, the Light Parliament had been suffering before the Munn Kingdom and they had even suffered a double loss in the end. If they didn��t retaliate at all, others would think that the Light Parliament was nothing more than a hooting paper tiger. They would be asking for death if they were to taunt Lydia. So, the only choice left in the representative team of the Munn Kingdom was Rhode.


    Many people had done their research about Rhode. Even though he had risen in popularity in the Munn Kingdom within a short period of time, there were no lack of grudges between him and the Light Parliament. In just a year, the Light Parliament had fallen under his hands several times. Not only that, but he had also crippled the Mist Sword Saint and made the Cyan Goshawk leave the Munn Kingdom with his tail between his legs. Two of the five Peak Legendary beings in the Light Parliament had been taken down by him mercilessly. As long as one had a brain, one could definitely tell that he was a member of the Anti-Parliament party.


    With such a hostile relationship in place and in addition to his ridicule and refute to the Light Parliament in public earlier, Rhode had gained many more enemies. This was why it wasn��t too surprising that the Light Parliament had targeted him.


    But even though this was the case, many people were still curious. They gazed at Rhode passionately, hoping that he would take up the challenge. It was no wonder that the people had such thoughts. Although it was an intense juncture, they couldn��t wait to witness Rhode��s strength.


    This was because his strength was still a mystery on the entire continent.


    The only time that they had witnessed Rhode��s strength was through his battle with Barter in the Midsummer Festival. Back then, the strength that he had displayed was only in the early Legendary Stage. Even though he was just over 20 years old in age and it was incredible that he possessed the strength of the early Legendary Stage, it was still mostly acceptable as the people merely treated him as young and promising.


    However, they couldn��t understand his display of strength thereafter. The Mist Sword Saint was in the Intermediate Legendary Stage and yet he was crippled by Rhode��s subordinate. The Mist Sword Saint was currently laying in bed without the ability to move or take care of his urination and defecation. Even though many couldn��t accept this reality, the state of the Mist Sword Saint was more than sufficient to change their minds of how powerful Rhode was.


    But if one could argue that the Mist Sword Saint was crippled by Rhode��s subordinate, then the retreat of the Cyan Goshawk was the doing of Rhode alone. After the clash between Rhode and the Cyan Goshawk, several forces had heard of the details in battle. The Cyan Goshawk had been famous for a long time and almost reached the peak of all mortals��the Peak Legendary Stage. The fact that he had to retreat with his tail between his legs before Rhode piqued a whole lot of curiosity in the people. Is he really in the Basic Legendary Stage only? If that��s the case, how did he defeat the Cyan Goshawk? Did he rely on his dirty tricks? But the Cyan Goshawk is a presence in the Peak Legendary Stage. Wouldn��t the Peak Legendary Stage be too worthless if he was able to be defeated by some just dirty tricks?


    Seeing was believing. No matter where they heard the news from, it was more or less twisted and exaggerated. They wouldn��t let this chance to witness Rhode��s true strength off because this wasn��t as simple as watching a great show. They were clear of how this formidable young man could change the situation before them. In an instant, everyone turned around and fixated their gazes at Rhode, waiting anxiously for his response. The Parliament camp hoped to expose Rhode��s cheap tricks with this opportunity and prove that his victory was nothing more than just luck. On the other hand, the Anti-Parliament camp wished to witness Rhode��s true strength. If Rhode was truly as powerful as the exaggerated rumors, it would mean that they would have a formidable force in their hands. Not only that, but they would also rope him in with hopes of gaining more benefits from this young man with a bright future.


    Rhode stood to his feet. However, he didn��t agree immediately. Instead, he revealed a difficult look and bitter smile to the elderly chairman.


    ��Sir Chairman, that won��t be too nice.��


    Almost everyone was taken aback. They opened their eyes wide because they couldn��t believe that he would show his softer side in front of everybody. Hasn��t he figured out the situation? Wouldn��t it mean that the Munn Kingdom is lowering their heads before the Light Parliament if he shows weakness? This isn��t his style, isn��t it?


    In an instant, the Anti-Parliament camp was left dumbfounded. On the other hand, the parliament supporters gazed at Rhode with mocking smiles. I knew it! The ridiculous rumors about this guy is nothing more than made-up lies! He isn��t powerful at all!


    ��Is anything the problem? Mr. Rhode?��


    The elderly chairman��s pathetic face instantly transformed into a smiling one. He didn��t expect that Rhode would take it lying down. It would be enough if he could save some grace for the Light Parliament before the widened eyes of the crowd.


    ��Of course there��s a problem, Sir Chairman.��


    Rhode spread his arms apart helplessly and revealed a difficult expression with the slight trace a of smile.


    ��There are no eyes on the blades. It wouldn��t be nice for either of us if I accidentally killed someone in such an occasion, isn��t it? Although I don��t really mind, it would be too inappropriate for Her Majesty if it becomes too bloody. So���� Rhode shrugged and ended with a hanging sentence. At that moment, everyone knew clearly what he meant. But,this appeared to be more like an excuse to them.


    ��Oh? That isn��t right, Mr. Rhode. I��ve heard countless times about you dueling against others in the Munn Kingdom. Why have you become so careful in here?��


    One of the parliament members laughed grimly while Rhode twitched his brows without speaking a word. He gazed at the elderly chairman silently and the crowd on the tall platform burst into discussions. The parliament supporters ridiculed Rhode for avoiding the challenge while Marlene, Lize, and the others who understood Rhode��s personality kept quiet. They knew clearly that nine out of ten times there wouldn��t be anything great coming out from the smile on his face when he revealed it to anyone else other than Christie.


    ��This����


    Even though Rhode appeared to be showing weakness, the elderly chairman couldn��t help but mutter to himself irresolutely. Although he could continue to push Rhode into accepting the challenge, it would be too obvious. Besides, even though the situation was in a deadlock, it would be an entirely different matter if blood were to be spilled. Moreover, the Magician Knights were the elites of the Light Parliament. If they were to stir up trouble with Rhode��


    ��Sir!��


    The Commander of the Magician Knights lifted his pike high and showed a serious expression.


    ��We��re soldiers and soldiers display their honor on the battlefield! We will not fear any threats. We will never back down no matter what because we��re carrying the expectation and glory of our people! We will not be afraid even in the face of death threats!��


    Several people among the crowd in the tall platform applauded.


    ��Well said! That��s the pride of our Country of Light!��


    ��Yes! There are no cowards in the Country of Light! We will never back down even in the face of death threats!��


    ��Hahaha.��


    The elderly chairman laughed heartily before turning to Rhode and spreading his arms apart helplessly.


    ��You��ve seen it for yourself, Mr. Rhode.��


    ��Since that��s the case����


    Rhode revealed a grin. But, for unknown reasons, the elderly chairman sensed a chill ran down his spine as though a viper had fixated its sinister eyes on him. He uttered but nothing came out of his throat. All he could do was to look at Rhode nodding to him.


    ���� I don��t mind embarrassing myself then, Sir Chairman. Please accept my deepest condolences.��


    Condolences?


    The elderly chairman was taken aback. But, before he figured out what Rhode meant, Rhode had turned to the young lady beside him.


    ��Anne, want to have some fun with me down there?��


    ��Eh?��


    Anne, who was bored stiff and sandwiched between Marlene and Lize, instantly sprung up and widened her eyes as though a puppy craving for a bone from its owner.


    ��Leader, are you really asking Anne to join you?��


    ��Mr. Rhode, should we also����


    Marlene and Lize stood up vigilantly after hearing Rhode calling out Anne��s name. After being Rhode��s subordinates for a long time, they had already cultivated this habit. But this time, Rhode had no intention of bringing them along. No matter what, they had unique identities and it wouldn��t be easy to pick up the pieces if the Light Parliament were to deal with them harshly. Moreover, Rhode had observed from the military exercise that the Magician Knights were clad in Mage Equipment that were high in magical resistance. Marlene and Lize wouldn��t be too useful in the battle. He firmly shook his finger.


    ��There��s no need, Marlene, Lize. Weak scum like them aren��t worth your effort. Just let Anne and I have some fun.


    Rhode beckoned to Anne before leaping off the platform nimbly. The latter excitedly jumped up and followed closely behind him.


    Their actions caused an uproar among the crowd. Although the platform wasn��t too tall, it was still four to five meters in height. The crowd was surprised that both of them simply leapt off without any hesitations. Some of the timid young ladies shrieked in horror and turned around with their eyes shut while some of the guys whistled in cheers. Some of the crowd members even stood to their feet and gazed at the plaza below with grave expressions. This wasn��t just any simple performance! This was a battle that would determine their fate!


    Such a height couldn��t deal any damage to Rhode and Anne at all. Rhode landed on the ground as light as a feather. On the other hand, Anne crashed into the ground with a loud ��boom�� like an artillery shell that descended from the sky. This impact left the crowd thinking if she was dead on the spot. Then, Anne sprung up in high spirits and cleared their doubts.


    In an instant, Anne captured everyone��s attention.


    Everyone was extremely familiar with Rhode, but most of them didn��t know who she was. Moreover, not only did she have a lively personality and slender body, but her splendid blonde hair and round, beautiful emerald eyes were exceptionally attractive. Even though Anne wasn��t the type who was devastatingly beautiful like a Goddess, her youthful character, innocent temperament, and sweet-looking face brought about a celebrity-like charm. Furthermore, unlike Marlene and Lize who were born as nobles, Anne wore a skintight white armor which revealed her long, jade-like legs and smooth arms. There was a strong contrast to this beauty who was complemented by the enormous shield on her back. When Anne jumped down with the shield on her back, many of them were worried that her slender waist would crack under the pressure.


    The Magician Knights instantly sulked after spotting the young lady beside Rhode. Their Commander stared at Rhode with a grim expression. After a few moments, he let out a cough.


    ��It seems that Mr. Rhode is really confident in yourself. Alright then, allow me to pick the few stronger ones in my team����


    ��No no on, there��s no need to, Mr. Andre.��


    Rhode brought on a smile. It was apparent that Andre hadn��t realized that Rhode was the ��Miss Miranda�� from before. But this was fine too. Rhode had a strong premonition that Andre would become a thorn in his side ever since they met and there was nothing more important than nipping the danger in the bud.


    Rhode shook his finger to Andre��s words with an airy gesture.


    ��We hate being the strong who bullies the weak. Since the Magician Knights is a team as a whole, it��s only right that every one of you take both of us on.��


    ����!��


    Rhode��s remarks left the crowd stunned. Not only did the crowd stared blankly at Rhode, but even Andre and his troops also sulked with ashen expressions. Even though Rhode appeared seemingly casual and polite in his tone, everyone clearly heard his insult to the Magician Knights behind those words! He only brought one other companion and wished to take on the entire team of Magician Knights!


    The crowd had witnessed the formidable strength of the Magician Knights in the military exercise previously. Even though there were only a hundred of them, the might that they displayed was nothing weaker than a thousand Cavalrymen. Moreover, they were donned in Mage Equipment and riding on Alchemy Warhorses. They were a group of powerful existence that couldn��t be ignored no matter where they were. But now, Rhode declared that he had totally disregarded them!


    In an instant, the crowd jumped to their feet and gazed at the tense commotion with distinct emotions. They widened their eyes while awaiting the start of the battle.


    ��Mr. Rhode, you seem to look down on the strength of us Magician Knights.��


    Since both sides were on the battlefield already, there was no need for them to mince their words anymore. Andre gritted his teeth and glared at Rhode fiercely. On the other side, Rhode lifted his head and welcomed his stares with a warm smile.


    ��Mr. Andre, it��s important for one to have accurate self-assessment and not utter nonsense. Since you��re asking for it, I don��t mind sending you to your deathbed.��


    ��Great!��


    Andre couldn��t keep his wrath in any longer. He abruptly swung the pike in his hand.


    ��Alright then. Show me the true strength of the Mercenary Overlord! Assault Formation! Get ready!��


    ����!��


    The Magician Knights behind Andre immediately got into positions. In the blink of an eye, they formed their attack formation as swiftly as flowing water and pointed their razor-sharp pikes at Anne and Rhode on the other side. In an instant, the entire plaza was filled with an aura of murderous intent. The cheers and applause on the tall platform had also weakened significantly. However, Anne and Rhode remain unfazed. They grinned widely as though it wasn��t a team of fully-equipped Magician Knights before them, but a group of clowns instead.


    ��Attack!��


    Andre roared at the top of his lungs. The Magician Knights urged on their warhorses and charged toward Anne and Rhode!

 Chapter 680 - Between Light & Light (XVIII)

    The crowd watched in horror as the hundred of Magician Knights raised their pikes, shouted battle cries, and darted toward Rhode and Anne fiercely as though nothing could survive their devastation. The crowd froze to the spot as they put themselves in Rhode and Anne��s shoes because they knew that they would be powerless before this aggressive momentum. So, how would Rhode deal with this situation?


    ��Interesting. How interesting.��


    Rhode��s expression remain unchanged. The corners of his mouth perked up into a faint smile.


    ��Anne, let��s go!��


    ��Got it! Leader!��


    Anne��s eyes glinted. She retrieved the shield on her back and stooped over like an athlete at the starting line. Then, she clenched her right fist tightly before pounding on her shield.


    Boom!


    The deep impact resounded in the entire plaza, overwhelmed the tramples of the galloping horseshoes and send chills down the spines of the crowd. The crowd widened their eyes in horror as Anne raised her shield with both hands and dashed forward! At the same time, Rhode darted in a flash and followed closely!


    ��Oh my goodness, what��s going on?��


    ��What are they thinking?!��


    The crowd stared in disbelief. They didn��t expect that Rhode and Anne would oppose the knights by clashing with them!


    Dust rose rapidly from the bolting horseshoes as though a surging wave sweeping everything in its path. Anne appeared like an agile, vigorous wolf hurtling past the prairie, where the heavy, steel shield on her hands was as though weightless. On the other hand, Rhode flitted by like a shadow and before the crowd could spot their position, the two parties on the battlefield had clashed.


    ��Heyaaaah!��


    Anne leaped up without any hesitation. The shield in her hands expanded in an instant and she dove into the middle of the group of Magician Knights like an artillery shell!


    The Magician Knights kept their cool and displayed their disciplined organization. Not only did they not slow down, but they increased their speed even more. The Magician Knights instantly raised their pikes and aimed for Anne, who was crashing down from above!


    The crowd on the platform broke out in screams. Most of them turned around and couldn��t bear to witness the tragic sight. There was only one possible result for Anne, and that was to be pierced to death by the razor-sharp pikes. Marlene and Lize clenched their fists nervously. Lize revealed unprecedented worries on her face because she could have casted a defensive barrier for Anne if she were to be in the battlefield. But now��


    The steel shield and razor-sharp pikes collided.


    ��!


    Along the sharp screech of friction, the seemingly indestructible pikes twisted like weak pieces of paper and the warhorses modified from alchemy constructs squealed. But this was only the start! The pikes flew off to the unbearable force and Anne crashed down on one of the knights with her heavy shield!


    The knight flew off upon impact like a distorted steel plate while the warhorse under him neighed in distress before rolling away under the immense impact, smashing into its companions. No matter how well-trained the Magician Knights were, those at the rear had to slow down their pace to avoid crashing into their companions. However, this didn��t mean the Magician Knights had given up their attacks or broke out of formation. On the contrary, their movements became even quicker. The knights by the rear came to a halt and dispersed into two groups abruptly. They picked up speed to close in around Anne. Then, the two knights closest to Anne struck their pikes toward her back at lightning speed!


    Anne had just landed on the ground and was oblivious to the danger behind her. The quick Magician Knights left her no chance to escape!


    However, Anne wasn��t an ordinary Human, after all. As a mercenary and a Shield Warrior, she had taken the lead against enemies countless times before. She instantly rolled over to dodge the pikes before holding the handle of the steel shield with her left hand while her right grabbed onto its edge. She tugged with might.


    Kacha!


    With the sound of this mechanical crank, razor-sharp blades instantly flipped out from the edge of the steel shield and she threw the shield out, sweeping the ground!


    Even though the knights and warhorses were fully-equipped and normal attacks couldn��t deal any damage to them, they had a lethal weakness, and that was their hoofs!


    The Magician Knights and their warhorses had no ways of guarding against this threat. The razor-sharp blades on the spinning shield slashed through the warhorses�� legs and in an instant, the warhorses screeched in agony while blood and filthy dust splashed.


    ��Kill her!��


    The warhorses were as though the knights�� lives. The knights were furious that Anne had sliced off the warhorses�� legs. As the most elite presences in the Light Parliament, they wouldn��t be thrown off their saddle and collapse pathetically on the ground. Instead, they had already leapt off the backs of the warhorses as soon as Anne threw out her shield. The Magician Knights formed bolts of incredibly glaring lightning with their pikes and aimed for her.


    But at this moment, a pitch-black viper emerged.


    Clang!


    A pitch-black blade negated the assault of the pikes. Rhode��s smiley face appeared before them, but only for a split second.


    The knights didn��t see what happened, but the crowd from the platform had witnessed it as clear as crystal. When the knights launched their attacks at Anne, Rhode suddenly leapt out from the shadow with his horizontally-laid, pitch-black sword and deflected one of the knight��s pike. Then, he disappeared in a flash. At the next moment, he emerged out of thin air behind that knight and adopted a pose where he was about to pierce the knight��s back.


    ����!��


    The pitch-black sharp blade pierced into the knight��s throat through the gap between his helmet and armor. The knight widened his mouth with blood-shot eyes, stretching out his hand helplessly. But at the next moment, Rhode thrust his leg mercilessly onto the knight��s back and the pitiful latter crashed into the ground like a pile of worthless metallic trash.


    But this was only the start!


    The remaining knights were extremely furious to see their companion murdered. They repositioned their pikes at Rhode, but Rhode remain unfazed by their intentions. He simply smiled and swung down his right arm abruptly. Along with this motion, the pitch-black blade instantly extended like a black whip that lashed out at the Magician Knights who had surrounded him.


    Unlike the warhorses, the Magician Knights wore thick, heavy armor with strong pike and shields in hands. Rhode��s attack that had caught them off guard wouldn��t penetrate their armor at all. But they realized that they had made a huge mistake.


    Almost everyone of them felt an enormous force from the black whip when it struck their bodies, leaving them totally defenseless and they were struck away!


    Even though the situation appeared to be complicated, all it took was only three to four seconds. Before the crowd figured out the happenings, they witnessed Anne striking away another knight while the other knights around her abruptly leaped up in a complete mess. Rhode emerged and before the crowd knew what Rhode had done, they saw the knights who were tossed into mid air fly off in all directions before smashing onto the ground heavily.


    Everything happened so quickly that one would miss it if one blinked.


    But this wasn��t the end of Rhode��s attack. He had stretched out his left hand as the Magician Knights were being struck off. A dazzling magical radiance emanated from his palm and dispersed countless rays that formed a massive, complex summoning ritual circle just above him. Three cards of unique patterns hovered and spun within. Then, they transformed into three razor-sharp blades flickering with brilliance.


    Holy Sword �� Star Mark.


    Runes Dagger �� Madaras.


    Dawn Destroyer �� Gracier.


    Rhode raised his left hand and clenched.


    The three blades struck out at the knights who had flown off in the air!


    Oh no!


    The Magician Knights shrieked in horror as they witnessed the blades shooting toward them. One of the knights hurriedly lifted his shield and threw away the heavy pike to draw a sword that was hanging around his waist to resist this attack.


    But he couldn��t sense the presence of the blades flying toward them.


    As the blades flickering in magical brilliance arrived before him, he felt his vision blur in a glaring flash. Then, an Elf girl clad in a robe emerged before him. Half of her face had been concealed by the hood, revealing only her delicate chin and light pink, perked up lips.


    What��s going on?!


    Terror held the knight like a vice-like grip. He subconsciously raised his sword to slash at the mysterious enemy. However, the Elf girl didn��t back off. Instead, she extended her left hand and a concealed blade flew out from her sleeves to resist the knight��s first and final attack.


    No one noticed that when the three blades flew out, Rhode had snapped his left fingers and an almost transparent, pale yellow halo expanded with him in the middle.


    Taboo Halo. Activate.


    In an instant, the Elf girl emanated a gentle and gorgeous radiance from her head to toes. Then, an array of golden laces emerged on her plain white robe and cloak and spread upward to form a complex, sacred pattern.


    This was the final view that knight witnessed.


    Shortly after, he felt a cold sensation across his throat before boundless darkness overwhelmed and devoured his weak, flickering flame of life.


    Bam!


    He was already a lifeless corpse when he fell to the ground.


    ������


    Andre opened his eyes wide and stared in disbelief. The Magician Knights originally in a neat and orderly formation had instantly scattered like sand. The formation by the rear was still perfect, but they couldn��t move ahead anymore. Rhode stood before them without making a single noise while Anne presented a delightful smile behind him as they gazed at the Magician Knights. Two petite Elf girls in white cloaks and large hoods that concealed their faces had positioned themselves beside Rhode. However, it was the concealed blade extending out of their sleeves and dripping with fresh blood that caught the most attention. And one couldn��t forget the ice-cold corpses lying by their feet. Not only that, but a Battle Angel also expanded her snowy wings gracefully behind Rhode as though his personal shield. She held a sword with burning, silver-whitish flames on its blade and gazed solemnly at her enemies.


    Around Rhode��s group were the warhorses with their legs cut off by Anne. They weren��t dead yet and were suffering from even greater pains as they lay helplessly on the chilly ground, lifting their heads and crying miserably. The knights who were lashed at by Rhode also groaned painfully around them.


    No one had expected the Magician Knights to end up in this state!


    How dare he!


    Andre gritted his teeth furiously. The victims were his companions, subordinates, and friends who had battled alongside him through countless dangers. He even had deep emotions for the warhorses as they were brought up by him from the start. He watched them grow up from weak, thin young horses to impressive, strong warhorses. But now, they had all become worthless! While their riders also laid on the ground, unknown if they were dead or alive!


    Andre clenched his fist. He wouldn��t give up just like that. This was only the start!


    He lifted his hand.


    ��Everyone, change your formation! Attack!��


    The knights swiftly regrouped to surround Rhode��s group. Then, the knights raised their pikes and shouted battle cries. The plain-looking pikes in their hands suddenly emanated a glaring magical brilliance. Then, the knights hurled their pikes at Rhode!


    ������


    Rhode was unimpressed. He casually stretched out his hand to stroke through his hair.


    ��Is this all?�� He snapped his fingers.

 Chapter 681 - Between Light & Light (XIX)

    The tense situation on the battlefield left the crowd breathless. Only about a minute had passed but the situation on the battlefield had taken earth-shaking changes. The Magician Knights were indeed the elites of elites. They didn��t panic to the heavy damage at all. On the contrary, they followed orders strictly to encircle Rhode��s group. But this time, Rhode��s group finally launched their attacks!


    The knights hurled their pikes twinkling with magical radiance across the air. But shortly after, the pale blue, chilly air dispersed and ice walls rose abruptly from the ground, forming a solid defensive barrier.


    The little mermaid suspended behind Rhode shed off her former pure, innocent image. Under the effects of the Taboo Halo, her strength had transcended to the Intermediate Master Stage. At this moment, she appeared as though an 18 years old lady in the prime of youth. The water ball wrapped around her had grown twice in size while her dewy skin left the crowd dazzled. Her azure, crystal-like long hair swam in the clear water and also concealed her chest. The fish tail below her had grown much larger. She extended her hands forward with a stern expression. The whizzing storm gusted with her in the middle, forming transparent and crystal-clear ice walls.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    The pikes collided on the ice wall helplessly. In an instant, ice fragments splattered everywhere, but they weren��t able to penetrate the little mermaid��s defensive barrier. No matter what, as a water elemental creature, she was much more powerful than Humans in terms of manipulating elemental forces.


    The Magician Knights unsheathed their swords with silver-whitish blades. The magic gems embedded on the edge of their heavy armor emanated a bright radiance. Shortly after, the radiance responded with one another, forming a layer of transparent magical brilliance over their armor. Not only that, but the magical radiance also formed various ovals that drifted on the surface of their armors like circles of oil floating above water.


    At this moment, a scarlet magical radiance emerged behind the crystal-clear barrier and�� Boom! The ice wall that had been scraped down by the impact of the hurling pikes finally broke. The razor-sharp ice fragments splattered in all directions like sharp arrows and what came next was a flood of scarlet flames!


    Grrrr��!


    The tri-headed Hell Hound leaped out of the splattering ice fragments. It glared at the knights who had surrounded it with its three pairs of fiery eyes and spurted dark flames from its mouth. The saliva that dripped from its mouth fell to the ground paved by sturdy slate, and black smoke instantly emerged from the melted slate.


    ��Oh my goodness����


    Almost everyone shrieked in terror.


    Most of them had investigated on Rhode and they knew that apart from his beautiful appearance and incredible movement speed, he was popular for summoning all sorts of strange creatures during battles. However, the crowd didn��t feel like there was anything too unusual about this as there were all kinds of presences on this continent. It was possible for noble families to possess some family treasures or magical artifacts to protect their family members. Moreover, Elves and Rangers could also summon wild animals to battle on their stead, so it wasn��t too conspicuous that Rhode could summon creatures.


    But they were stunned to realize that Rhode��s summons were totally unlike what they had imagined after witnessing for themselves!


    Hell Hound, Battle Angel, Mermaid, and Elves��these mysterious beings definitely weren��t summonable from ordinary summoning spells or family treasures. Besides, one could sense the pure, formidable strength in the beings beside Rhode as long as one possessed some strength. Most of them were in the Master Stage and some had even entered the Basic Legendary Stage!


    This is too unusual!


    Most summoned creatures couldn��t possibly possess such powerful strength. If all the summoned creatures on this continent possessed strength of the Master or Legendary Stage, everyone would be focusing wholeheartedly on studying the summoned creatures, summoning spells, or perhaps disband the military and use a group of summoned creatures in wars, but the truth was otherwise.


    The levels of the summoned creatures from Mages were linked in levels. Even a Mage who was an expert in summoning creatures could only summon creatures that were weaker in strength than him. No matter how powerful the creatures were, there was still a limit to their strength. Besides, there would be more load on the Mage the more powerful the summoned creature became. As for family treasures, even though they possessed powerful strength, it was extremely tough to utilize them as they might require years of cooling down after one usage or might be simply destroyed after one use.


    But��


    Many of them sensed the imposing aura emanating from Rhode. Anne held her shield before him while the Hell Hound rocked its heads by his feet. The Battle Angel behind him expanded its spotlessly white wings and clasped the sword burning with silver-whitish flames. The two Elf girls wrapped in robes and cloaks lowered their heads and gazed at the ground silently beside him. A two meters wide water ball and Mermaid hovered above him while he looked forward with an ice-cold smile. Facing such a powerful group with diverse races, no one wouldn��t be nervous.


    At this moment, they finally understood why the reports regarding Rhode would often mention his mysterious battle style.


    And what left the crowd dubious was: How did Rhode do that?


    But now, Andre had no time to consider this question. It wasn��t important to him as to how Rhode managed to do it. Most importantly, Rhode did it! And his threat had greatly increased!


    Hmph. Is that all you can do?


    Rhode perked up the corner of his mouth. He couldn��t get clearer on the strength of the Magician Knights. If he were to evaluate them using a player��s perspective, the average level of the Magician Knights was only about level 40. Their levels as a Human army wasn��t considered high, but their strength was stronger than average. For example, if the average strength of the Undead Army from Country of Darkness was level 30 in normal standard, then the average strength of the elite troops in Human countries would be level 30 in elite standard. Normal and elite standard. This was the biggest difference. And this applied to this team of Magician Knights. They were only about level 40 elite standard. Of course, they were much stronger than ��ordinary�� NPCs with the same level. But the army fought collectively, after all, unlike players and beings in the Legendary Stage who could take on a whole group by themselves. Andre was the only one in the Magician Knights who could take Rhode on alone, and this was still under the circumstance where Rhode didn��t summon his spirits and use his swordsmanship. Andre would surely be doomed if Rhode were to deal with him using his summoned spirits.


    Not only that, but even in terms of average level, Rhode wouldn��t face any difficulties dealing with the Magician Knights with the strength of his group.


    Anne��s strength was among the best in Rhode��s subordinates and it was especially so after she had awakened the high-class Demonic Beast bloodline and grown under the influence of the Sphere of Mystery. If Rhode didn��t instruct Canary and Mini Bubble Gum to restrain Anne in not leveling up too quickly and figure out her potential meanwhile, perhaps Anne would have entered the Legendary Stage much earlier than Rhode. After all, it wasn��t as logical in the NPC��s leveling system. Players had to rely on gaining experience and improving their mastery bit by bit while the growth of NPCs was basically like how one good-for-nothing in a typical novel breaks out into a formidable being after facing a stimulating situation. This was especially so for Anne and Lize. Sometimes, their growth in levels wasn��t reliant on the amount of EXP they had gained through battles. Instead, it depended on the purity of their bloodlines. As long as one possessed bloodlines that were pure enough, one could unleash incredible potential that would leave players dumbfounded and envious as soon as one fought their first battle.


    If Anne were to be assessed based on levels, she would be in the standard of a level 50 Intermediate Master Stage and only five levels lower than Rhode. With the enhancement from her pure wind elemental Demonic Beast bloodline, the Magician Knights wouldn��t stand a chance against her pure elemental powers even if they were equipped in great Mage Equipment.


    Under the enhancement of the Taboo Halo, the ladies in the Holy Sword Card Deck had entered the Legendary Stage, where the Magician Knights wouldn��t stand a chance against them even if they wore legendary armor, not to mention slightly more exquisite magical armor. On the other hand, even though Hell Hound and Snow couldn��t enter the Legendary Stage yet, they possessed unignorable strength under the influence of the Taboo Halo.


    Rhode was confident in facing this team of Magician Knights. After all, the Spirit Swordsman was recognized as one of the three best solo classes in the Dragon Soul Continent by players and not any Spirit Swordsman could get their hands on a set of cards that possessed legendary strength.


    Rhode lifted his head and gave a funny look to the Magician Knights who had surrounded him. His eyes glinted with an ice-cold murderous intent.


    ������


    The atmosphere had as though frozen to the lowest point and it crumbled entirely at its peak.


    ��Attack!��


    ��Got it, Leader!��


    Rhode��s voice was almost inaudible. On the contrary, Anne responded excitedly and the group positioned around Rhode instantly launched their attacks!


    The forever energetic Anne had as though found her target to work off her remaining strength. She raised her shield high and darted forward like an enormous boulder rolling off the cliff. On the other hand, the Hell Hound let out scary roars and followed closely. Both of them charged forward like a pair of beauty and beast.


    Anne gave no heed to the situation before her as she darted into the group of knights with her shield positioned in front. She crashed heavily on the leading warhorse and sent it flying upon the explosive impact. She instantly created a large opening in the Magician Knights�� formation. But before the knights could push up to fill the deficit, the Hell Hound had seized the opportunity and made its way in. It widened its mouths and spurted three scarlet beams of flames. In the blink of an eye, dark billows of smoke rose into the sky with flares splattering in all directions.


    ��Don��t panic. Maintain your formation. Defend!��


    The flames from hell weren��t effective against the Magician Knights. The knights had raised their shields flickering with faint magical radiance and resisted the dark flames that were capable of melting rocks. It seemed that their equipment was rather decent��to a certain extent.


    ��Surround it. Attack!��


    The knights swiftly shifted their spots and limited the Hell Hound��s movements. At the same time, a team of knights rushed out from the side and headed for Anne. But this time, Anne strangely held back her attack and displayed a proud smile. Then, she sprung up and retreated.


    Because, at this moment, the knights�� razor-sharp blades had penetrated the Hell Hound. who reached a dead end.


    Boom!


    In an instant, a dazzling radiance blinded everyone and swallowed the sky. Darkness hiding in every corner of the world had as though been devoured by the brightness. A gigantic, scarlet column of flame burst into the sky and through the fluffy clouds while the surging waves of dust rolled and the crowd on the platform had no choice but to crouch for safety. Not only that, but the flags hung on the high walls also fluttered in the violent gust.


    But this was only the start.


    ������


    A petite figure flitted by with her white cloak fluttering in the wind. The knight before her maintained a perfect posture: sword in his right hand, shield in his other. However, his eyes had lost the radiance of life and showed no signs of the enemy. The figure drifted above him elegantly like a leaf that had fallen from its branch. Then, the knight fell from his warhorse in a splash of crimson blood that splattered into the air. He widened his mouth; the fresh wound on his neck had explained everything.


    The shield and sword collided.


    Silver-whitish sacred flames exploded on the surface of the shields and were ineffective to the knights.


    ��Damn you, Angel. Don��t even think of defeating me!��


    The knight riding on his warhorse snarled and brandished his shield forward. Celia flapped her wings to dodge his aggression nimbly. At the same time, she beat her wings abruptly to raise a powerful whirlwind from the ground that instantly blew off the arrows that were shot at her.


    Shortly after, the little mermaid beside her raised her arms slightly and suddenly, hundreds of sharp, ice crystallized blades emerged out of thin air. She raised her even higher and clenched her fists.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    The ice blades shot forward and enveloped the Magician Knights like a violent storm, clashing into their solid armor and breaking into fragments. However, this sudden eruption of storm slowed the knights�� attack, which gave Celia an opportunity to raise her sword with both hands. The sacred flames spread down swiftly and shrouded her entirely. Then, she brandished her silver-whitish sword.


    The rolling silver-whitish flames devoured everything mercilessly.


    ��Arghhh!��


    Andre raised his azure sword with bloodshot eyes. Cold air in the blustering gale materialized into wind blades that dispersed the thick smoke that had engulfed everything. He had lost his imposing aura. His face was full of black smoke stain and his cape was badly tattered. Not only that, but his magical armor had also lost its brilliance, only emanating weak, intermittent radiance.


    Rhode struck through the thick billow of smoke with Succubus and aimed for Andre. Andre snarled with widened eyes and laid his sword horizontally before him.


    Clang!


    The swords clashed. A combination of pitch-black and scarlet flares and sparks splattered. Andre witnessed Rhode��s face clearly before him. Under the engulf of smoke and shadow, Rhode��s beautiful face was as though the menacing smile of the Grim Reaper. His black eyes were glinting with the chilliness of death.


    At this moment, a gentle, ice-cold voice sounded in Andre��s ears.


    ��This is the end, Mr. Andre.��


    ��Go to hell!��


    ��Hmph!��


    Rhode let out a snort in disdain. Then, he retreated swiftly while Succubus in his hand instantly transformed into a sky full of stars that shrouded the entire world!


    Fantasy Daybreak!


    The endless dazzling stars shrunk and coalesced in the blink of an eye to form a dazzling meteor that struck at him!


    ��Heyah!��


    Andre clutched his azure sword and unleashed a burst of mighty sword aura that materialized into a raging tempest. At the same time, layers of ice crystals emerged and rapidly shrouded his entire body. Then, he swung his sword down with all his might.


    ����!��


    The razor-sharp ice blade ripped apart everything in its path and danced its way to the meteor. Both attacks crashed into each other heavily. Andre seized the chance and sprung up from his warhorse, transforming into a lightning bolt together with his sword to breakthrough Rhode��s sword aura and strike toward him!


    Clang!


    The ear-piercing collision and immense vibration in the sword left Andre pleased. He lifted his head, but all he saw was Rhode��s emotionless face, and that was only for an instant.


    Rhode vanished into thin air like a collapsed sand sculpture. Andre was dazed, but he instinctively turned around and his sword erupted to form a solid defensive barrier before him.


    Clink! Clink! Clink!


    A series of sword clashing filled the air. Andre��s hair stood on end at the sight of the closely approaching black sword. He witnessed Rhode��s ice-cold eyes and smile as though Rhode was looking at a corpse.


    Suddenly, Andre caught a glimpse of a dazzling radiance from the corner of his eyes. Then, he felt a razor-sharp, violent sword aura bombarding his back.


    Bam!


    Even though Andre was clad in magic armor, this ambush had almost sent him to his death. The impact blasted him into the sky before crashing to the ground heavily. Then, Rhode emerged beside him like a ghost. He aimed for Andre��s throat and struck out the pitch-black sword in a twisted trajectory!


    This shall seal the deal!


    ��Stop!��


    Suddenly, along with this old, hoarse voice, Rhode sensed an incredible force breaking through the smoke and aiming for him!

 Chapter 682 - Between Light & Light (XX)

    Chapter 682: Between Light & Light (XX)


    Soderfast��s sword ripped through the thick smoke as he struck for Rhode. Even though Soderfast had considered the possibility of Andre losing this battle, he didn��t expect that he would fail that quickly. Not only that, but Rhode was also determined to take Andre��s life! Soderfast couldn��t wait any longer after sensing Rhode��s murderous intent. He would rather break the rules than watch Andre die in that black-haired young man��s hands because Andre wasn��t only his disciple, but also��


    ��Ahhh!��


    In an instant, Soderfast arrived beside Rhode. Just a little more and he could stop this young man! But, even an experienced Sword Saint like him shivered at Rhode��s ice-cold expression.


    His beautiful face glowed with a dazzling smile. However, it also revealed a hysterical madness. Soderfast sensed that Rhode��s gaze wasn��t filled with surprise, terror, or hesitation at all. Rhode didn��t even flinch to the sword that was about to take his life as though he was prepared to die in exchange for his life!


    Oh my goodness��


    Soderfast let out a shiver. He felt that this young man had as though gone berserk. There was no traces of rationality in his eyes, only endless madness. But even so, Soderfast continued to strike forward. No matter what, he had to rescue his beloved disciple!


    Shing!


    Suddenly, countless tentacles struck out from the shadow beside Rhode. As a Sword Saint, Soderfast instantly recognized how difficult it was to deal with them, and time was precious. He bellowed and the sharp blade in his hand erupted with brilliant sword rays that shredded the pitch-black tentacles. Then, his sword was about to pierce into Rhode!


    Rhode didn��t dodge. Instead, his smile turned into a grin and he extended his left hand.


    ��!


    Soderfast��s sword penetrated through Rhode��s palm and into his chest. But Soderfast couldn��t force out a smile because Rhode had gripped firmly onto his blade. At the same time, Rhode pierced the pitch-black sword in his other hand into Andre��s chest.


    ��No��!��


    The world before Soderfast��s eyes had as though collapsed. Their long-cherished wishes, ideals, and everything. Were they all about to end?


    Dang it!


    Rhode sulked. Even though he had resisted Soderfast��s final attack, the force of impact shifted his attack trajectory and he failed to pierce Andre��s heart!


    You��re asking for death!


    The immense pain in his palm and chest had angered him. Rhode came to an abrupt halt. He clutched onto Soderfast��s sword that had penetrated his chest with his left hand and swung his right arm upward!


    Succubus slashed a ghastly gash on Andre��s body before drawing a strange arc in the air that aimed for Soderfast��s head! The Sword Saint immediately sensed the unprecedented dangers. He let loose of his grip on the sword without any hesitation to dodge swiftly from the menacing attack. However, he was too late. The pitch-black, razor-sharp blade slashed his face in lightning speed, leaving a blood-curdling screech that filled the sky.


    ��Ahhhhh!��


    Soderfast retreated while burying his face with his right hand. A deep, horrible gash that revealed his bones could be seen across his left eye. The flesh twisted and squirmed as crimson blood spattered everywhere.


    At this moment, the smoke had dispersed.


    The clean, tidy plaza had turned into a bloody terrain. Rhode��s summoned spirits stood silently in their positions with the slaughtered corpses of Magician Knights and warhorses around their feet. The strong stench of blood exuded in the air.


    ��Leader!��


    Anne darted toward Rhode. She widened her eyes in shock after witnessing the sword that had pierced into this chest through his palm. Then, she turned around to Soderfast who was in a bloody mess.


    ��How dare you�� do this to Leader�� Grr����


    The young lady gritted her teeth and revealed two penetrating canine teeth that had slowly extended. She let out a beast-like, deep growl in her throat while her emerald eyes emanated with incredibly dazzling radiance. Within a few seconds, the shield in her hand swiftly transformed its shape and became a gigantic, steel claw that had wrapped around her arm.


    ��How dare you�� How dare you����


    ��Stop right now!��


    As Anne stooped over and was about to pounce forward, Archangel Boulder let out an outburst of anger. Rhode let out a short, grim laughter and extended his hand to stop Anne.


    ��That��s enough, Anne.��


    ���� Grr�� Grr�� Grr�� Grr����


    The deep growls in her throat changed constantly while her emerald pupils that had shrunk into a thin, narrow line slowly regained its round contour. Anne lifted her head and gazed at Rhode in dissatisfaction.


    ��But Leader����


    ��Don��t have to act on impulse. They��re going to die sooner or later, anyway.��


    Rhode displayed a bright smile, but the battlefield aftermath made him look even more frightening. He extended his right arm and the pitch-black sword transformed into a card before vanishing into thin air. He looked up at the crowd on the tall platform before clasping to the sword hilt whose blade had punctured his left palm and chest and pulled it out slowly.


    ������


    The crowd on the tall platform fell into a dead silence. No matter if it was the Parliament or Anti-Parliament camps, everyone held their breaths. They placed their hands on their chests tensely as though the sword was being withdrawn from their chest. Many of them knew that this would be an incredibly painful sensation. Even if the blade didn��t strike his vital points, it was still enough to hurt him greatly. The unwavering smile on his face left the crowd horrified from the bottom of their hearts. They could accept the outcome if Rhode were to grit his teeth and suffer in the immense pain, but the abnormal smile in this hell full of blood, corpses, and death appeared so bizarre that they were left speechless. No one noticed that Anne��s eyes were fixated on the fresh gash and dripping blood on Rhode��s chest and flickering in a faint radiance. Then, she stuck out her tongue and licked her lips.


    ����!��


    Rhode drew out the razor-sharp blade and fresh, scarlet blood instantly flowed from the wound. He staggered and swayed a little, but he straightened his posture and gazed at the pale elderly chairman observing from the tall platform.


    ��Such trash is still far from capable to kill me.��


    This deep, cold statement resounded in the silent plaza. Then, Rhode tossed the sword that was bathed in his blood to the side. The crisp collision of the blade and the ground echoed.


    The military exercise segment had come to an end.


    The parliament members stepped away from the tall platform in ashen expressions. They had never expected that the Magician Knights would be defeated so miserably when they first agreed to Andre��s request. A hundred, fully-equipped Magician Knights had no chance of retaliation in the face of Rhode and his summoned spirits. None of them survived except for Andre and even Andre was gravely injured and unconscious. Even though Soderfast didn��t receive any punishment from the Light Parliament due to their leniency, he was also seriously injured and had lost an eye.


    It could be said that not only the Light Parliament was looking dejected, but they had also suffered huge losses in this clash. It was easily imaginable that the reputation of the Light Parliament in the Country of Light would continue to fall after this piece of news spread among the civilians.


    As for Rhode��s performance�� Many people were astounded.


    Just like how a beauty would often be treated as just a pretty face or flower vase, most of the members in the Anti-Parliament camp had the impression of Rhode as even though he was powerful, he must be someone who would toy around with his dirty schemes. After all, Rhode had beautiful, feminine facial features. Not only that, but he was also slim and tall, and didn��t look anywhere like the strong soldiers. It was no wonder that people would think that Rhode wasn��t as tough as the soldiers, but was more like a Commander ordering his troops from behind the scenes.


    But the crowd overturned this view after witnessing the battle. Rhode had displayed his unyielding and uncompromising side. He had no hesitations when facing Soderfast��s attack and continued his assault on Andre. Not only that, but he also used himself as a shield in the process. As a result, he withdrew the sword that had punctured his palm and chest before everyone��s watchful eyes without groaning at all. Even soldiers couldn��t be this tough.


    The Anti-Parliament camp also felt a sense of relief because some parts of them had suspected Rhode previously. After all, Rhode was a Human and Humans lacked definite standpoints unlike Angels. This was especially so when Rhode was a smart person and smart people would often prepare retreat routes and not be inflexible and stubborn. But Rhode��s strength and potential were unquestionable at this point. Normally, such a person would be the most indecisive. But now, Rhode��s unyielding performance had proven them wrong. Most of them decided to search for opportunities to build a closer relationship with this young man. After all, it would be beneficial for their developments if they could gain favorable impressions from Rhode since they were all in the Anti-Parliament camp.


    Even though Rhode was injured, his wounds weren��t as serious as Andre��s. This was partly thanks to the mysterious bloodline flowing in him that he had such a strong constitution. Moreover, he had used his palm to resist Soderfast��s sword, which altered its path that missed his vital point. Besides, Lize and Lydia were present to provide treatment for him. Shortly after, his injuries were healed and just a few more days of rest and he would recover completely.


    It was due to this that he had quickly fallen into a deep sleep after returning to the imperial residence.


    But he didn��t realize that a test was waiting for him.


    ��Hu����


    It was late at night when Rhode opened his eyes. The bedroom was shrouded in complete darkness. He could still feel some stinging pain from his left hand, but this wasn��t the reason why he had woken up.


    ��Mm�� Mm����


    A faint voice resounded in the bedroom. He sensed a comfortable numbness from between his legs. He couldn��t be more familiar with this sensation. But�� when he lifted his head and looked down, he was surprised.


    ��Anne?��


    ��Grr����


    A nude Anne had laid on her belly between Rhode��s legs and stuck out her little tongue like a kitten licking milk from its bowl. The bright, silver moonlight illuminated her dewy skin and long, blonde hair. She narrowed her eyes and licked gently as though she was in dreamland. Not only that, but Rhode could also see a green radiance emanating from her eyes.


    ��Grr�� Grr����


    Anne let out whimpers of unknown significance before adjusting her head and rubbing with her cheek. The soft sensation and fresh scent from her youthful self assailed his nostrils. Then, Anne appeared seemingly restless. She stared at between Rhode��s leg while swaying her smooth, round hip constantly. At the same time, she let out a deep growl.


    ��Grr�� Grr����


    She widened her little mouth.


    ����!��


    Almost instinctively, Rhode shrunk to dodge her ambush and Anne snapped her teeth together.


    Oh my goodness��


    This was the first time Rhode felt so close to death. If it wasn��t for his instincts in sensing that something was amiss, he wouldn��t even dare think of the consequences of being bitten by her. At this moment, Rhode��s back was full of cold sweat. He wasn��t even this frightened when he faced the Duke Fiend.


    ��Anne?��


    ��Grr�� Grr����


    Anne revealed a resentful look after missing its prey. She looked up at Rhode with pitiful eyes as though a puppy who had its delicious bone taken away by its owner. Then, she slid herself up his body slowly, sticking out her little tongue like a puppy licking its owner from his stomach to chest. She reached the wound on his chest. Even though the injury had fully healed, she continued to lick on it.


    Rhode sensed that something was off with her.


    It felt as though she had completely turned into a wild animal and showed no signs of answering his questions. But, wait�� He was quickly reminded of the words that Gillian had told him. Anne��s strange behavior along with the bloodline in her�� In other words, is Anne�� in estrus?


    ��Mm����


    As though responding to Rhode��s thoughts, Anne turned around and laid on the bed on all fours, exposing her most private female part in her lifted hip. Then, she turned back and gazed at Rhode with a look full of desires while swaying her soft, snowy hip. Moisture could be visibly seen under the bright moonlight. It seemed that Anne was all ready.


    ������


    Rhode swallowed his saliva at this alluring view. Even though he had countless of intimate encounters with many females, they had all retained the rationality and pride of Humans, no matter how wild they were. However, Anne was totally different. She had as though thrown away all the respect, dignity, and reasonings of Humans and became a wild animal who act in accordance with the instinct of lust and mating.


    There was no reason for him to reject the tasty meat that was placed by his mouth and he also wasn��t an eunuch, even though he had nearly joined their ranks. (He was only unsure if Lize and Lydia��s spiritual spells could help him regenerate or re-transplant��)


    Rhode smiled at this ridiculous thought. Then, he knelt on the bed and held the young lady��s slender waist. Anne narrowed her eyes delightfully like a kitten who was enjoying the caress from its owner and let out impatient purrs.


    Perhaps due to the reason that Anne often exercised, her body was tender, yet compact. The female fragrant exuding from her struck his face like a storm that almost extinguished the remaining flames of reasonings in his head. Rhode sucked in a deep breath and stooped over her. Then, he thrust his hips forward forcefully and broke the layer of tight, necessary barrier.


    ����Mmm!��


    Anne��s body stiffened instantly. That wasn��t an act of rejection, but a symbol of anticipation. Rhode felt her body tensed up to the immense pain, but she didn��t cower. Instead, she gritted her teeth tightly and let out ambiguous growls in her throat.


    Rhode slowed his movements and caressed her body gently. She gradually relaxed and shut her eyes to enjoy the intense pounding. Pain faded while scorching blissfulness erupted between them and engulfed their senses. Rhode picked up speed while she clawed her hands into the sheets, letting out indistinct moans, and lifting her hips higher for his violent thrust.


    Their shadows merged completely under the lustrous moonlight while the bed frame squeaked to their momentum. Then, the burst of flames exploded and devoured them entirely.


    ���� Ah�� Ahhh��.!��


    Anne lifted her head and let out a loud, satisfied moan before collapsing powerlessly. Rhode stooped over and held her warm, soft body while soaking in the pleasant lingering comfort. But he knew that this wasn��t the end.


    ��Mm�� Mm�� Mm����


    Anne turned to Rhode as though she was begging for more and even though she spoke nothing about it, he could read her desires through her moist, round eyes.


    It��s gonna be a long, long night ahead.

 Chapter 683 - Between Light & Light (End)

    Chapter 683: Between Light & Light (End)


    The first thing Rhode saw when he opened his eyes was pure whiteness.


    Anne hugged him tightly like a human-size doll. She showed a satisfied, blissful smile and blushed cheeks. Rhode revealed a bitter smile at the thought of the crazy night. He had never faced such a tough ��opponent�� like Anne before. Perhaps due to her Half-Beast bloodline, she was exceptionally energetic and had strong resilience. If the spraining of his waist with Lize was an accident, then this ��violent battle�� with Anne would be considered a ��war of attrition��. There were no techniques or shortcuts involved. It was purely based on who could gain the victory by lasting until the end.


    What left Rhode between laughter and tears was that during the final ��fierce battle��, Anne had fallen into a deep sleep, snoring away. He was working his way through and realized that something was amiss. He flipped her around to find her widening her mouth in her sweet dreamland, leaving him speechless. But even so, he perked up his senses and finished his job before leaving the battlefield.


    ��Hmm����


    Anne hummed in her sleep perhaps sensing Rhode��s movements. She wrapped her arms around him and pushed her firm, upright bosoms against his back. Got to say, Anne��s body proportions were great. Even though Lize and Marlene were also soft to the touch, they were still smaller in size, after all. Anne��s chest presented a perfect shape and even though Rhode didn��t favor women with balloon-sized chest, it would still be a shame if their chest was too small. The shape of Anne��s chest was still the favorite type for males. They were neither too small nor huge. Not only was the tactile sensation was just right, but her delicate skin was also perfect.


    Perhaps due to the overly fierce battle, Anne was still snoring away in her sleep after Rhode had washed up and changed into his clothes. It seemed that she wouldn��t be awake without staying in bed for the whole day.


    The imperial residence was oddly peaceful, but Rhode knew that the entire Casabianca was in the state of an unprecedented storm after the Dragon Soul Ceremony yesterday. The Light Parliament had embarrassed themselves before the people and even though the military exercise had taken place behind closed doors, the people of the Country of Light would surely hear about this news regardless if the ones spreading it harbored ill intentions or not. This was unacceptable humiliation for them because the Light Parliament had to come up with something to shift the people��s attention and also guarantee that their authority could be consolidated. This was the simplest way for them to kill two birds with one stone��


    Rhode lifted his head and gazed out the window. He couldn��t spot a trace of darkness and shadow under the brilliantly lit sky.


    ��Ah, Mr. Rhode.��


    Even though Marlene and Lize were surprised to find Rhode stepping out of the room, they approached him immediately with smiles.


    ��Rhode, how are you feeling?��


    ��Everything��s okay. I��m almost fully recovered.��


    Rhode waved his left hand. Even though this world wasn��t logical enough, the effects of treatments from spiritual and alchemy spells were truly incredible. If he were to be injured this way in the real world, perhaps he might need a few months to recover fully. Not only that, but he might also undergo chest operations. On the contrary, in this Dragon Soul Continent, one could recover with spiritual spells no matter how hurt one was. Just like an illness, as long as the spell-caster was formidable enough, one could be treated from hard-to-treat cases or even minor flu and coughs. Of course, there were still ��illnesses�� that couldn��t be cured like Christie��s or ones caused by curses, bloodlines, and other unchangeable reasons and non-illnesses.


    It was due to this that there were so many Clerics in the Dragon Soul Continent, as they didn��t need to specialize in medical knowledge of various disciplines such as internal medicine or surgeries. As long as one was sick or injured, the Clerics could treat them using spiritual spells. But if one��s illness wasn��t cured, it wouldn��t be due to the failure of surgery or intake of wrong medication, but purely due to the incapability of the Cleric��s strength or perhaps one wasn��t just simply hurt.


    Lize and Marlene let out sighs of relief after witnessing that Rhode��s palm wound had been healed. Then, Lize clapped her hands together as she just thought of something.


    ��Ah, right, Mr. Rhode, Royal Highness Lydia has sent someone to pass a message earlier. Please head to the Dragon Soul Temple.��


    ��Dragon Soul Temple?��


    Rhode frowned and nodded.


    ��Got it, I��ll get prepared.��


    ��By the way, Rhode,�� Marlene said.


    ��Do you know where Anne is? Lize and I went to her room to look for her, but she wasn��t there. The others don��t seem to know where she has gone to.��


    As soon as Marlene finished her sentence, the door behind Rhode squeaked open. Then, a naked Anne peered out from the door with blurry eyes.


    ��Hmm�� What��s wrong, Sister Marlene? You were looking for Anne? Anne is so tired����


    Anne cupped her mouth and let out a long yawn.


    ������


    Time had as though frozen at this moment.


    Marlene and Lize widened their eyes in disbelief at the naked young lady. In an instant, the air had as though turned ice-cold.


    ��R-Rhode? What�� What��s going on? You and Anne����


    Marlene��s fair cheeks flushed. She gazed at Anne blankly before turning to Rhode and he shrugged helplessly. In fact, this was the worst development that he could imagine. But before he answered, Anne shook her head curiously.


    ��What��s wrong, Sister Marlene? Is anything the matter?��


    ��A-Anne�� Y-You and Mr. Rhode. Did you two����


    Lize was wide-eyed. She shifted her gaze between Rhode and Anne, but was speechless. On the other hand, Anne nodded happily and wrapped her arms around his arm. Then, she lifted her head proudly.


    ��Uh huh, Anne and Leader have done it, Lize. Just like you��ve said, Anne likes Leader the most, so Anne wants to play with Leader. It was really a comfortable thing. So fun!��


    ��T-This isn��t anything fun! Anne!��


    Marlene exclaimed in a sharp, loud tone and it resounded in the empty corridor. She gazed at Anne blankly and couldn��t utter another word.


    ��Waa!��


    Anne shrunk back subconsciously and hid behind Rhode. But, she quickly peered out bravely and gazed at Marlene with puffed cheeks.


    ��Sister Marlene is so petty! You two can play with Leader, so why can��t Anne too? Anne knows that you and Sister Lize have played with Leader a few times because Anne can smell Leader��s scent from your down-there!��


    ��What��!��


    Marlene��s pale complexion instantly turned reddish. She pointed her trembling finger at Anne, but couldn��t utter a single word. Lize let out a shiver and placed her hands on her upper thighs subconsciously. At this moment, Rhode, who was watching the show all these while, let out a helpless sigh.


    ���� Lize, help Anne get dressed. She can��t run about in this manner. Alright then, I��m heading to the Dragon Soul Temple.��


    Rhode patted on Anne��s head before swiftly fleeing the scene. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the corner of the corridor. The atmosphere was incredibly awkward and he got out while the going was good. Three women made a market, and he was better off leaving them alone.


    It was already noon when Rhode arrived at the entrance of the temple.


    As the residence of the Creator Dragon Soul, the architectural style of the Light Dragon Temple was incomparably majestic and oppressive in the form of white jade. A hundred wide steps spread along the hillside to the large entrance doors with two railings carved with sacred and exquisite designs into the spotlessly white temple. A ten meter tall, round stone column supported the dome ceiling and the dazzling sun spilled through the wide windows on both sides. It was apparent that the entire layout of this building was meticulously designed. No matter how the sun shifted through its course, the perfectly-placed skylight could guarantee that every corner of the temple would be blessed by warm sunlight. The tinted glasses and tulle curtains provided a layer of comfort, ensuring that the sun wasn��t overwhelming, at the same time adding some beautiful coloration to the charming place.


    Come to think of it, this is the first time I��ve entered this temple during a time of peace��


    After announcing his name to the Battle Angels, they led him inside the Light Dragon Temple. Rhode sized up the temple curiously because, in the game, he wasn��t a player of the Country of Light and the Light Parliament had put up several ��layers of protection�� for the Light Dragon, so it wasn��t easy for him to enter this place.


    He had only been to this place once in the game. But that was after he led the players to destroy the Light Parliament. The Light Dragon Soul was long unoccupied and there were no signs of Battle Angels anywhere. All that remained was an empty temple. Rhode wandered about and all that came into view was the spread of burning flames, wreckage, and ruins scattered from the explosions. But now��


    Rhode shifted his gaze forward and spotted Lydia at the end of the spacious corridor. She was squinting at himself with interest and presented a smile as Rhode approached.


    ��I didn��t expect you to be this punctual, Earl Rhode.��


    ��Your Highness, is anything the matter?��


    Of course, Rhode wouldn��t be that foolish to tell Lydia that he was dying to get out of the tangled and complicated situation between his subordinates, so he appeared this eager. He bowed respectfully and greeted. Lydia shook her head slightly and winked playfully at him.


    ��I��m not the one who��s looking for you, Earl Rhode. It��s Her Majesty who wants to see you.��


    Lydia beckoned to him with a gracious smile. Rhode pondered for a moment and followed her.


    Upon entering through the large doors, Rhode saw what seemed to be an indoor botanical garden. The wide, transparent glass filled the entire ceiling from top to bottom. He looked up and spotted white clouds drifting in the clear blue sky in the distance. Vibrant flowers and lush vegetation had filled the spacious, round room while a stream flowed gently in the sound of soft splashing water. What was more surprising was that there was a huge lake in this spacious indoors and in its middle floated a green island about five to six meters large. On the green island, there was a round table with exquisite chairs and tea set. Not only that, but a detailed small bridge also spanned the lake, connecting the green island to the edge of the river bank. A petite figure could be seen sitting by the round table under the warm, glorious sun.


    This is truly the extravagant life of capitalism.


    Rhode commented inwardly. Even though she was the Creator Dragon Soul and it shouldn��t be surprising that she owned such a luxurious palace, Rhode suddenly realized that his previous thoughts about her weren��t exaggerated at all after witnessing this view.


    This place was indeed the ideal ��greenhouse�� that separated itself from reality.


    ��Ah����


    Lily revealed a smile and waved her tiny hand in the air to capture his attention. Rhode crossed the small bridge, went up to her, and gave a slight bow.


    ��Good afternoon, Your Majesty. It is my utmost honor to receive your summon����


    Rhode lifted his head and gazed at the little girl before him.


    ��Alright. Should I call you Lily? Or Your Majesty?��


    The little girl stared blankly before shaking her head and let out a soft, awkward cough.


    ��About that�� I��m sorry, Mr. Rhode. It wasn��t with ill intention for me to hide the truth from you. Alright then, allow me to introduce myself once again.��


    The little girl laid her hands down and sat upright. She looked at Rhode sternly.


    ��Hi there, Mr. Rhode, I��m the Light Dragon Soul Heir, Lilian�� You can call me Lily here.��


    ��Alright, Lily.��


    Rhode nodded slightly and sat down on the other side of the round table. The tea set and desserts were ready on the table. It seemed that Lily was clear of her motive in inviting Rhode here. But when Rhode shifted his gaze, he realized that there was no one else apart from both of them.


    ��Have you always been alone here, Lily?��


    ��Serene will usually be here to accompany me, but she isn��t around today�� I��ve gotten her to handle the situation involving Dalkest.


    The little girl fiddled with the teacup in her tiny hands and displayed a heavy look.


    ��Mr. Rhode, thank you for your guidance. If I didn��t see it for myself, I would still believe that this world is perfect without any tragic lives. I thought that everyone led their blissful lives without any worries, troubles, or pain. Everyone in the Light Parliament told me that and with their management, the people of Country of Light are living peaceful and wonderful lives. This was why I didn��t see the need to intervene with their jobs. But����


    Lilian lowered her head and bit her lip. Her body was shaking, but it wasn��t due to anger. It was more of nervousness and uncertainties. She lifted her head and gazed at Rhode worriedly.


    ��Mr. Rhode, do you think what I��ve done is right? I hope to use my strength to change this world and not rely on others. But do you think this is the right choice?��


    ��This isn��t a question that I should answer on your behalf, Lily.��


    Rhode shook his head slightly.


    ��There��s a saying in my hometown: Man proposes, but God disposes.��


    ��What does that mean��?��


    Lilian said and Rhode continued his statement.


    ��Since it wouldn��t change anything by maintaining its current state, what��s there to not make some changes? Lily. The result aren��t most important. It��s the determination instead. I do what I think is right. Perhaps I won��t receive the best results, but, this is my choice�� I won��t regret the decision I��ve made. Perhaps the result that I gain isn��t as perfect as I��ve imagined and it may bring pain, sadness, and failure�� But I will never regret them because there��s no purpose in regrets. Lily, I��m only a mortal. I don��t know if every decision I make is correct or if it can lead me to the desired result. But the only thing that I��m sure of is that once I��ve made my decision to work hard for my desires, I will give it my best and also rely on some luck to ensure that I reach my goals. No matter if I succeed or failed, I��ve tried my best, at the very least.��


    ��Man proposes, but God disposes����


    Lilian lowered her head and murmured under her breath. After a few moments, she raised her head as though she had figured things out. She presented a genuine smile.


    ��Thank you, Mr. Rhode. I think I know what I should do now.��


    Rhode gazed at her in silence and suddenly, a golden radiance flashed across his eyes, revealing a line of system prompt.


    [Mission Completed �� Between Light and Light]

 Chapter 684 - Mission Reward & System Upgrade (1/3)

    [Everyone has their own decision and fate. You��ve chosen a path full of thorns, with dangers, difficulties, and obstacles, but you braved on��]


    Rhode shifted his gaze away from the system prompt. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief.


    This mission is finally complete.


    Rhode was ready for a prolonged war with this ridiculous mission without any specific goal. No matter what, the reward for this mission was incredibly generous. Even though there were no EXP and monetary rewards, it was still unbelievable that an additional Phantom Guardian could be unlocked. However, Rhode didn��t have any clues until the start of the Dragon Soul Ceremony and the situation took a turn after he met Lilian.


    The Light Dragon Soul and Light Parliament.


    As a player, Rhode sharply realized the hints from the title of this mission and its contents, so he was determined to give it a shot. No matter what, the Light Dragon Soul was only a puppet in the original history of the game. It would be enough for him if he successfully instigated her even if the mission wasn��t complete because he could still cause some troubles for the Light Parliament.


    Thereafter, Rhode and Lilian spent a wonderful teatime together. He described the adventures that he and his companions had experienced on this continent, which included scenarios that had happened in this world and some that he had gone through in the game. For Lilian, who had always stayed home, they were full of keen interest and pleasure. She even exclaimed in awe as she listened to the exciting parts of the stories.


    At the same time, Rhode ingeniously pried some information from Lilian. Got to say, even though this information wasn��t some top secret, it left Rhode stunned.


    The Dragon Soul Heirs were unlike the Archangels who bred offspring through asexual or sexual reproduction. In fact, the Dragon Soul Heirs couldn��t bear children even if they were married. Perhaps this was due to their supreme power, where the vitality of other races couldn��t withstand it. Even though the Dragon Soul Heirs possessed supreme powers, they weren��t immortal. For instance, the Dragon Soul Powers were dominant sources of strength and the Dragon Soul Heirs were nothing more than vessels who sustained and transmitted them. However, just like how any energy vessels would wear out after long years, Dragon Soul Heirs would also grow old and be affected by various reasons and couldn��t contain the Dragon Soul Powers. As a result, they had to search for a new heir.


    But the heirs weren��t selected through any beauty pageants. Angels, Elves, Humans, Dwarves, Undead Creatures, Vampires and other ordinary lives couldn��t bear the power of the Creator Dragon Souls. As long as they were not the selected ones, they would be completely devoured by the supreme powers and would disappear forever during the transmission of the Creator Dragon Soul Powers.


    As the Creation Poem stated, this continent was formed from the bodies of the Creator Dragon Souls. Whenever the current Dragon Soul Heir grew weak and old, a new heir who possessed the essence of the Dragon Soul Powers and capable of bearing the Creator Dragon Soul Powers would emerge before the Dragon Soul Heirs on this continent. After the birth of this new life, they could carry out the inheritance ceremony and pass on the Dragon Soul Powers. The current Dragon Soul Heir would lose its aura, return to an ordinary life, and live the rest of its life peacefully until death.


    The average age of the Dragon Soul Heirs spanned from 300 to 500 years old. If they were to engage in battles which diminished their Dragon Soul Powers, their life span would be drastically decreased and this was the same for Elves, Humans, and Undead Creatures. Even though they were the Dragon Soul Heirs, they weren��t the Creator Dragon Souls themselves, after all. They were only the vessels of spiritual powers and naturally couldn��t merge together as one. But even so, their life span was much longer than other races.


    And it was the same for Lilian. It was 20 years ago when she received the powers from the former Dragon Soul Heir and became the new Dragon Soul Heir. However, what surprised Rhode was that she had never stepped out of this temple in the 20 years. She would only leave this place whenever the Dragon Soul Ceremony took place and take a stroll in Casabianca under the escort of the Light Parliament (But to Rhode, this felt more like allowing a prisoner out for exercise). Under the tight, watchful eyes of the Light Parliament, Lilian had no idea about the outside world. Even though her age was only a little younger than Rhode judging from a Human��s perspective, she was only a newborn in the eyes of the Dragon Soul Heirs. Not only on her appearance, but her mentality was also as that of a child. It could also be said that even Lapis, who was the most innocent and pure subordinate under Rhode, was more mature than Lilian�� In fact, Rhode felt unimaginable after knowing this truth. He let out an inward sigh of helplessness after gazing at this naive and innocent little girl. Either she was an extremely shrewd person who was an expert in disguise or the Light Parliament was too great in brainwashing, it wasn��t easy for Lilian to maintain such a harmless character for the past 20 years��


    ��Your Majesty.��


    Suddenly, a deep voice sounded. Rhode and Lilian turned around and spotted Archangel Boulder on the other end of the bridge. He gazed at both of them silently.


    ��The Light Parliament Chairman is requesting to see you.��


    ��Now?��


    Rhode let out an inward smile as he observed Lilian��s excited little face crumbling instantly. This Dragon Soul Heir before him was behaving like a little child who was having a lot of fun with her toy, but her parents took it away from her and urged her to do her homework. Lilian eventually lowered her head and let out a hopeless sigh.


    ��Mr. Rhode�� I��m sorry, it seems that this is all for today����


    ��It��s a shame, Your Majesty.��


    Rhode stood up and bowed slightly to Lilian. He knew why she expressed such a lonely expression. After all, they were here to participate in the Dragon Soul Ceremony only and now that the ceremony had ended, they had to leave the Country of Light and return to the Munn Kingdom.


    Lilian pouted in dissatisfaction. Shortly after, she sighed, stood to her feet, and presented a smile to Rhode.


    ��Thanks for accompanying me, Mr. Rhode. I��ve had a great time. Can����


    Lilian hesitated for a moment. She stole a glance at Archangel Boulder before leaning in to Rhode��s ear.


    ���� Can I go to the Munn Kingdom to play with you next time?��


    ������


    Rhode widened his eyes in astonishment. Then, he showed a passionate smile.


    ��I will always welcome your arrival, Your Majesty.��


    Rhode sensed the gazes of reluctance and anticipation from Lilian as the large doors closed tightly behind him. But it seemed that his instigations worked to a certain extent�� And this was enough. But�� this wasn��t the end.


    ��Hi there, Parliament Chairman.��


    Rhode gazed at the elderly man before him and greeted with a smile.


    ���� It��s you?��


    The elderly chairman sulked slightly, but he quickly dwindled his look.


    ��I didn��t expect to meet you here, Earl Rhode. Have you recovered from your injuries?��


    ��Thanks for the concern, Parliament Chairman.��


    Even though Rhode sounded respectful, his attitude was otherwise. He didn��t show any respect to this elderly man at all. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, lifted his chin proudly, and looked down on him in disdain. He perked up the corners of his mouth.


    ��It��s merely a bite from a crazy dog and countless dogs have died under my sword, so I don��t mind a few more. I might as well kill all of them and cook them up in a hotpot. What do you think, Parliament Chairman? It��s the harsh winter now, so you might as well have some piping hot food for your frail body, isn��t it?��


    ������


    The elderly man��s complexion turned ashen. He knew what Rhode was hinting, but what could he do? Fall out with him? What could he do even if he fell out with Rhode? Moreover, he wasn��t here to bicker with him. The elderly man let out a snort and shifted his gaze away from Rhode. Then, Rhode��s voice captured his attention.


    ��By the way, Parliament Chairman, I just thought of something. If I recall correctly, I was the victor from the battle yesterday, right?��


    ���� What are you trying to say?!��


    The elderly man glared fiercely at Rhode while the latter twitched his brows before shrugging with a sigh.


    ��If I recall correctly�� What is it called? Forget it. I��m not interested in remembering the name of that man who challenged me and was defeated. According to the rules of the Dragon Soul Ceremony, the victor should receive a generous reward, isn��t it? I left too hurriedly yesterday and didn��t manage to request it. Your honorable parliament wouldn��t keep everything to yourself, huh?��


    ���� What do you want?!��


    The elderly chairman no longer looked ashen. Instead, he had turned purple. Indeed, such a rule existed for the military exercise in the Dragon Soul Ceremony. Apart from receiving the blessings of the Light Dragon Soul, the final victor could also gain a generous reward. The Magician Knights were killed in the overly bloody battle and Andre was left gravely injured. The problem was that not only was Andre��s life in danger, but according to the Clerics who treated him, he was also suffering from a mysterious and terrifying curse where spiritual spells couldn��t remove it. Even though such a curse wouldn��t take Andre��s life, it would leave him incredibly weak and he couldn��t get up on his feet. It could also be said that even if Andre wasn��t dead, he would be no different from a handicapped person.


    [Holy Sword Succubus��Curse Property: After striking its target, there is a 30% chance of inflicting a weakness curse. Undispellable.]


    If Rhode knew about it, perhaps he would exclaim in awe on how lucky Andre was to hit the 30% probability. But�� as for whatever happened to Andre thereafter, it had nothing to do with him anymore.


    Even in true battles, the Magician Knights had never suffered such a terrible loss. This led to complete chaos in the Light Parliament and them forgetting about the rule in rewarding the victor. The elderly chairman didn��t expect that this young man to be that shameless to ask for it!


    Rhode didn��t care if he was being shameless or not, since it was only right for him to receive the reward and it would be a waste not to. Furthermore, this could leave the Light Parliament fuming. Such a method to kill two birds with one stone was as great as gulping down an ice-cold drink on a warm, summer afternoon�� Why would Rhode even reject it?


    ��I won��t ask for too much.��


    Rhode revealed a smile and spread his arms apart.


    ��If I recall correctly, in the collection of your honorable parliament, there is a ��King��s Protection��, right?��


    ��What��!��


    The elderly chairman opened his eyes wide. His aged, weak body swayed and he extended his trembling finger at Rhode.


    ��King��s Protection�� was one of the most valuable gems in the Light Parliament��s collection. Rumor had it that it was one of the weapons used by the King who worshiped the Light Dragon during the founding of the Country of Light. It was a completely white shield embedded with magical runes filled with divine guardian powers. This shield was enormous and heavy, where ordinary humans couldn��t move it at all. In fact, ever since the establishment of the Light Parliament, the ��King��s Protection�� had been hidden deeply in their treasure chest and conserved as a symbol of human bravery.


    ��This�� I����


    ��There shouldn��t be a problem, right, Parliament Chairman?��


    Rhode said with a smile.


    ��This is my privilege as the victor, right? If you aren��t willing to, I will need to discuss with Her Majesty. I guess, according to the traditions����


    ��Alright! Alright!��


    The elderly man interrupted. He gritted his teeth and glared at Rhode as though he were his father��s murderer. After a few moments, he let out a long sigh.


    ���� Alright, I will hand the King��s Protection to you before you leave tomorrow. Is this arrangement fine?! Earl Rhode?!��


    ��Sure, I��m glad, Parliament Chairman.��


    Rhode��s smile broadened into a grin. Anyone would burst into chuckles when a few words could exchange for a legendary artifact. But this was only the start for him.


    ��Alright then. Next����


    ��Next?!��


    The elderly man snapped.


    ��Earl Rhode! Our Light Parliament will not tolerate being bullied! If you go overboard, we����


    ��How can this request be too much, Parliament Chairman?��


    Rhode spread his arms apart and looked at the elderly man with an innocent-looking face.


    ��Have you forgotten? Only Anne and I have stepped onto the battlefield. In other words, both of us should receive a reward. The previous reward was for Anne and the next should be for me�� Do you have any objections to this?��


    The elderly man gawked, but couldn��t utter a single word. His beard trembled constantly. Rhode wasn��t sure if the elderly man would collapse to a heart attack. Finally, the elderly man lowered his head, perhaps due to Rhode��s reasonable explanations or perhaps he was too fatigued.


    ��Alright then. Earl Rhode, what do you want?��


    ��My request is fairly simple.��


    Rhode extended three fingers delightfully.


    ��I just want 30 of the best Soul Cores.��


    ���� Just like that?��


    The elderly man widened his eyes in astonishment. He was mentally prepared for Rhode to raise a request that would rip him off. But he never expected that this young man only asked for 30 Soul Cores? Even though Soul Cores were indeed hard for ordinary people to lay their hands on and the best ones were rarely seen in the market, it wasn��t surprising for a massive force like the Light Parliament to possess some. Although Soul Cores were precious, they were merely expensive and rare�� On the other hand, a legendary artifact like the King��s Protection was true wealth!


    ��That��s right, Parliament Chairman. I think this shouldn��t be tough for you.��


    ������


    The elderly man hesitated for a moment. Then, he frowned and shook his head.


    ��I��m sorry, Earl Rhode. Even though we have Soul Cores in our possession, we don��t have 30 of them. I��m sure you��re aware that they are precious and rare. Moreover, you��re asking for the best Soul Cores�� I can give you 10 of them at most.��


    ��No problem.��


    Rhode agreed instantly.


    ��Alright then, I look forward to you fulfilling your promise, Parliament Chairman.��


    Rhode nodded slightly before turning away without hesitation, leaving the elderly chairman before the large doors in a daze. He didn��t expect that Rhode would agree to his words so straightforwardly.


    What exactly is going on in his head?


    The elderly man remain perplexed despite much thought.

 Chapter 685 - Mission Reward & System Upgrade (2/3)

    Two days had past since Rhode��s group returned from a ��rewarding journey�� from the Country of Light. Not only did he strike down the Light Parliament��s prestige, but he also weakened their strength, at the same time extorted a legendary artifact, completed the mission, and ��devoured�� Anne. Rhode recalled the grudgeful faces of the parliament members when they handed over the ��King��s Protection�� to Anne. The solemn atmosphere appeared like the losing country in war paying reparations: full of humiliation and resentment. However, for Rhode, who was always glad to grow his happiness on the suffering on others, this was the most wonderful comedy.


    Not only that, but Anne also behaved dramatically when she accepted the ��King��s Protection��. She knocked on the shield a couple of times before nodding in satisfaction. Then, she pushed open an opening on the shield hanging on her back and squeezed the ��King��s Protection�� into it like a sandwich. The parliament members rolled their eyes and almost fainted on the spot.


    Even though Anne handled the shield negligently, it didn��t mean that this ��King��s Protection�� was just a ��fake legendary artifact�� that would turn useless after the game updated its patches. As a fantasy-level item, the [King��s Protection] and [Historical Wing] in Rhode��s possession didn��t only exist physically, but were also merged with rules and concepts. A single look at the attribute would be enough to show how insane this shield was.


    [King��s Protection (Ancient. Fantasy. Bronze)��The King has the duty of protecting his people. When darkness closes in, it will turn into a sacred fortress that stands tall and exists as the final barrier under the glory.]


    [Perseverance��Enemies below the Master Stage cannot deal any damage to the holder. The damage received from enemies above the Master Stage will progressively decrease by 5% and up to 35%. The holder will not die on the spot even when harmed by lethal attack]


    [Holy Inscription��Immune from curse and poison attacks. Enhance the holder��s attack with Holy Attribute powers. Increase strength by 5%]


    [Rule Watcher��Immune from attacks with Chaos Attribute. Resistance to Rule Attribute +100]


    [Eternal Presence��Artifact will not be destroyed]


    [Requirements to equip: Strength Attribute Above 30]


    Rhode sucked in a deep breath of cold air after witnessing the amazing enhancements to the attributes and he flinched as soon as he read the final line of [Requirements to equip: Strength Attribute Above 30]. In the game, even a Berserker who had focused on the strength build and was equipped with the highest quality items couldn��t exceed a value of 30. It was already great enough to exceed 20 and even Barbarians and Giants couldn��t possibly exceed 15. Due to Rhode��s bloodline, he possessed powerful strength. Even though he couldn��t view accurate values due to the seal, he was sure that his strength was hovering between 15 to 20 and this meant that, for example, he could lift up a light armored tank high in midair. This strength was considered formidable on this continent, but he didn��t expect that Anne was much more insane than him. But come to think of it, Anne had always been carrying this steel shield of a few hundred kilograms around singlehandedly and not anyone could achieve this. Even though Rhode could lift it up, it would still be too tough for him to brandish it freely like a light feather.


    The matter between Marlene, Lize, and Anne was resolved unexpectedly successful. Perhaps due to Lize venting her frustrations in the Mind Devil��s mental world previously, she was the first to forgive Anne. On the other hand, Marlene sulked along the way and gave up helplessly after being thoroughly defeated by this remark from Anne: ��Anne likes Leader so Anne wants to play with Leader. Sister Marlene, don��t you like Leader too?�� This also extinguished the backyard flames that Rhode was expecting to spread. Even though Rhode was confident enough that he could settle this trouble if the flames spread, he was clear that there were many times when a guy shouldn��t intervene with women��s problems. It would be for the best if they could resolve the problems by themselves. If he intervened, perhaps he might cause an estrangement among them. It was especially so when this specific problem was involved. No matter which side he stood on, he would offend the other party and he would offend everybody if he didn��t side with anyone. He might as well hide in the corner and wait for their conflicts to resolve.


    It seemed like it worked out well.


    Rhode twitched his eyebrows and smiled at this thought. Then, he gathered his thoughts and summoned the system interface. The dense list of his subordinates�� names emerged, but, unlike before, there was an additional status bar behind them.


    This was the hidden reward for completing this mission��System Upgrade. After Rhode upgraded the construction system, he received an unexpected function��Reputation System.


    Frankly speaking, Rhode was surprised as players weren��t aware of this in the game. The players had always built up their own reputation, but never heard of NPCs working on theirs. But it seemed that the construction system in this world had changed. It was apparent that, no matter what, the system had recognized Rhode as a unique force and he could check on his subordinates�� loyalty and reputation using this Reputation System.


    Rhode tapped lightly with his finger. Shortly after, the entire name list was sorted out in terms of levels. However, Gillian, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum weren��t indicated on the list. It was apparent that the system didn��t recognize them.


    Rhode��s name was on the top of the list, followed by Anne who held the highest level among his subordinates; level 50 Elite Stage. Next were Marlene and Lize with level 45 and level 40 respectively. Joey, Marfa, and Randolf were ranked lower with levels relatively lower than Lize at 38, 39, and 37. Everyone else further down the list were averaging between level 35 to 36. This was almost the highest level for humans who didn��t have any special encounters. Even if Rhode were to train them up and modify their equipment, their strength would only reach level 40 Peak Elite Stage.


    On the other hand, Lapis��s level was really, really low. Even though she was an Alchemist Master, she was ranked at the bottom of the list at slightly over level 20. It could also be said that she had no battle capabilities.


    With this Reputation System, Rhode had a certain extent of understanding on his subordinates.


    The members who had been following him since Starlight was a mercenary group held maximum loyalty. This included Shauna and Old Walker, whose respect for Rhode was [Worship]. The other mercenaries who had fought alongside him mostly had maximum respect and almost entered [Worship]. On the contrary, those mercenaries including John��s Cavalrymen who didn��t fight alongside him were relatively lower in respect.


    Rhode realized that there was a variation in this Reputation System, where only Marlene, Lize, and Anne didn��t have [Worship] indicated behind their names, but [Love] was indicated instead. As for the reason�� It went without saying.


    But�� this was a bonus, after all.


    Rhode shifted his gaze to the ten first-rate Soul Cores lying quietly on the table before him. The Light Parliament didn��t do anything funny with them because, after all, these Soul Cores were nothing precious in comparison to the legendary artifact ,[King��s Protection]. However, it was apparent from the darkish color on the Soul Cores that they mostly came from Demons. It was apparent that, even though the Parliament Chairman had agreed to Rhode��s request, they purposely chose Soul Cores with dark energy as they weren��t as useful as ordinary ones. The best usage of these Soul Cores was to summon various Demons in dark rituals or create some equipment with dark and undead spells. The Light Parliament was determined to mess with Rhode, which explained why they had given him these.


    But, it was a pity that�� Rhode didn��t need the Soul Cores to create magical equipment or for summoning rituals.


    The reason why he requested for them was for the mission reward.


    After completing the [Between Light and Light] mission, he quickly took a peek at the rewards. Just as the system had stated earlier, he could unlock and summon an additional Phantom Guardian the moment he completed the mission. But after scanning through the rewards, he realized that this so-called ��additional unlock�� wasn��t as simple as increasing the name list with another Phantom Guardian. Most importantly�� It provided an additional unlock method.


    The first method was the same as summoning the existing Phantom Guardians. It would allow Rhode to restore one of the most familiar characters from his memories unconditionally just like Mini Bubble Gum and Canary. They would come to this world without any equipment, but with supreme strength and limited movements within Rhode��s territorial space. This was the basic summoning method of the Phantom Guardian.


    As for the other method..


    It would require ten Soul Cores and all Rhode had to do was to project one of the characters from his memories into one of the Soul Cores and create a set of summoning cards. Then, he could assign this card as the Core Card of one of the 10 Strongest Spirit Decks and materialize it. There was also a flaw to it. This Core Card would be born from level 0, but the benefits were also self-evident. It wouldn��t be restricted within Rhode��s territorial space like Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, where it could freely roam to every corner of the continent.


    Judging from this aspect, this Core Card appeared more like a player instead. It could level up, complete missions, roam freely, possess its own class, Talent Trees, and technique masteries. More importantly, as a summoned card spirit, it could respawn upon death like any other players in the game. Apart from its identity as Rhode��s summoning card, it could be considered totally like a player.


    Rhode instantly chose the second method without any hesitation. Since the territorial space under him wasn��t considered large, it would be enough to have Mini Bubble Gum and Canary to guard his them. Moreover, it wouldn��t serve too much purpose to increase the number of Phantom Guardians. As for the other areas, Rhode needed an assistant who could work perfectly with him. Lize, Marlene, and Anne performed well, but they didn��t come to this world like Rhode, after all, and there would be inconveniences in communication. It would be better for him if he could have someone whom they were mutually familiar with each other.


    Even though Canary and Mini Bubble Gum met his requirements, they couldn��t leave his territory, after all. Although Gillian was a suitable fit, he felt that their mutual understanding wasn��t great enough and it would be for the best if he could have someone who understood him well.


    Rhode didn��t see the ��level 0�� as a problem at all. Anyway, it would be a summoning card spirit and it would respawn upon death. Besides, it could also utilize other cards from the deck, just like how Gillian was the Core Card in the Red Lotus Card Deck, where she could use [Sulfur River], [Seven Hells], and [Flame Killer]. It would possess its own class skills, battle techniques, and the summoning spirits belonging to the Spirit Swordsman were quite formidable. Rhode was sure that it would catch up to his level quickly after grinding it out for awhile.


    Currently, in the summoning ritual of the Spirit Swordsman, Gillian occupied the ��Wisdom�� position in the 10 Strongest Spirit Decks and the remaining cores were empty. All this while, Rhode had no intentions of placing Celestina, Celia, Gracier, or Madaras into those positions. After all, they were also limited in usefulness for him even if they were materialized in those forms and they were better off maintaining their state in card forms for battles.


    Since that��s the case, who should I choose?


    Knock knock.


    When Rhode was frowning upon this question, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary entered the room.


    ��Rhode, you were looking for us?


    ��You two came at the right time.��


    Rhode showed a relieved expression. He beckoned to them to take a seat before activating his system mission and informing them of the rewards that he had received. The two young ladies�� eyes glinted as soon as they heard about the additional Phantom Guardian.


    ��Leader, can you assign us for it?��


    Mini Bubble Gum stood to her feet and swung her tiny clenched fist.


    ��I really want to go out for a stroll. There��s no entertainment in here at all! It��s so boring! Last time, I can at least play some games even when I stayed home all day! Ah, if I can head out, I will surely head to the Country of Light and show those stuck-up guys how powerful I am����


    ��Bubble, didn��t you hear what Rhode said? We are summoned beings and we can��t be assigned to it.��


    Just as Mini Bubble Gum was brandishing her tiny fists and fantasizing on her wonderful future, Canary poured cold water on her and left her pouting resentfully. Mini Bubble Gum plunged back to her seat.


    ��I know, Big Sister. I was just thinking about it. Really����


    Canary smiled to her grumbles and turned to Rhode.


    ��Alright then, Rhode, what do you think about this? If you need someone who can help you, there are many available in the guild, isn��t it?��


    ��You��re right about that.��


    Rhode spread his arms apart helplessly. This was also why he had chosen to discuss with Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. There would be nearly a hundred candidates among players who could provide assistance to him. In the beginning, Rhode had considered Mini Bubble Gum and Canary as suitable candidates because they worked well together and were extremely familiar with one another. In fact, apart from the enhancements of the Sphere of Mystery, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were also effective in their training sessions. No matter if it was Lize, Marlene, Anne, Randolf, Joey, Marfa, and the others, everyone had benefited from their ��drills��. However, Rhode had decided that two persons were enough as instructors. No matter what, there was still a limit to the strength of the natives of this world. Most of them might not even reach their peaks in their whole lives and as a result, there were no need to teach them complicated and exquisite battle techniques.


    Alright then, what role should the next Phantom Guardian take up?


    ��How about that old fella?��


    Mini Bubble Gum kicked her legs under the chair.


    ��Isn��t Marlene lacking manpower on her side? That old fella did rather well in the guild, so why not get him to help?��


    ��There��s no need to.��


    Rhode shook his head.


    ��Olden Rascal is more fit to deal with players and his expertise isn��t useful here. Also, Marlene is better off managing her matters on her own.��


    Rhode shrugged helplessly. Indeed, as one of the vice-leaders of Starlight Guild, Olden Rascal was popular among the players and was responsible diplomatically. However, Rhode realized that reality and here were entirely different. As a matter of fact, even Canary and Mini Bubble Gum weren��t used to the customs here. But natives like Marlene and the others were. This world had strict classifications, where every social class had their own unique rules. Even though the restrictions were tight, players wouldn��t mind bowing down all the way to show respect for others as they only treated it as just a game. On the contrary, this was extremely important for the natives and as a result, it was better to appoint Marlene to manage such serious matters. If the role was only responsible in providing suggestions, Canary and Rhode could carry out this duty out perfectly and it wasn��t necessary to waste one precious summoning spot.


    ��How about ��BunBun__��?��


    ���� Who��s that?��


    ��It��s Stupid@Rabbit.��


    ���� Why would you think of her?��


    ��Everyone in the guild knows that she��s interested in you, Leader. Since no one cares here, how about you summon her out and be a couple with her?��


    ��I��m not running a love variety show here. Be serious, Bubble.��


    ��Eh? I just thought that it��ll be quite interesting����


    Canary lifted her head and let out a cough. Mini Bubble Gum instantly shut her mouth and turned to the other young lady. Then, Canary spoke softly.


    ��I think we can focus more in terms of our army.��


    Rhode sulked slightly.


    After the battle with the Cyan Goshawk on the ice field, the army had become the chief of Rhode��s worries. Even though John wasn��t wrong in his response, Rhode was clear that if his Cavalryman weren��t that unfortunate to be captured and returned to their formation in time, perhaps Rhode wouldn��t even know that his men were detained by the Light Parliament. It was also from that moment onward that Rhode realized his slip-up. Indeed, he knew that John Grayer was an impressive and brave commander in the game. However, he had neglected a point that this wasn��t a game and everyone in this world grew up to the current state that they were in. This wasn��t in the game where he could uncover a character with hidden attributes and groom him or her into a formidable character.


    Even in reality, there were often times when the trend of events brought forth the heroes. If it weren��t for the experiences that they had gone through in the past, perhaps they wouldn��t even become well-known characters and would only become historians or young shepherds. John had the potential, but his experiences weren��t rich enough for him to handle complicated situations. Rhode originally had the intentions of handing over all his private soldiers to John��s leadership, but he changed his mind after that incident. John was still too young, after all, and was incapable of carrying this heavy responsibility. Currently, Rhode needed a talent who could command the army.


    Rhode didn��t have such a candidate, but a person came up in his mind after Canary mentioned the key word.


    Rhode stood to his feet and Canary smiled to his expression.


    ��Have you decided, Rhode?��


    ��That��s right. I��ve made up my mind on a suitable candidate.��


    Rhode nodded firmly.

 Chapter 686 - Mission Reward & System Upgrade (3/3)

    Chapter 686: Mission Reward & System Upgrade (3/3)


    Rhode walked to the center of the room and extended his right hand.


    ����!��


    Dazzling magical radiance flickered from the back of his hand like a soothing stream flowing from along his arm to the ground. A summoning ritual formed by three rings unfolded and the ten Soul Cores gradually hovered in midair as though guided by invisible strings. Rhode stood in the middle while lines of system prompt revealed before his eyes.


    [Additional Phantom Guardian Unlocked. Please choose your target.]


    Rhode lowered his head and a long list of names emerged before his eyes. He tapped on one of the names and in a dazzling flash, golden rays emanated from between his fingers as though running electric current.


    [Target confirmed. To project into Soul Core?]


    Yes.


    Rhode gave a slight nod.


    The spiritual radiance surrounding him abruptly transformed.


    Columns of spotlessly white light from the summoning ritual rushed into the sky and enveloped the ten Soul Cores. A twinkling light beam connected them and they trembled like sandstones washed by a strong waterfall, allowing the spiritual radiance to infiltrate them from the inside out. Then, an explosion occurred.


    Clink!


    The ten Soul Cores surrounding Rhode cracked harmoniously in the crisp sound of rupture and transformed into ten cards that spun constantly on the spot. However, he didn��t check their contents immediately. On the contrary, he shifted his gaze to the card hovering before him and a line of system prompt emerged.


    [Detected the Core Card]


    [Please appoint the card]


    Without any hesitations, Rhode extended his finger and tapped lightly on the card with a black base and white edges.


    [Core Card appointed��Joining the 10 Strongest Spirit Decks��Success]


    Boom!


    At the same time, a beam of pitch-black flames burst skyward from the ground. The cards hovering around him vanished to nowhere. The pitch-black flames slowly weakened, faded away, and was replaced with a slim figure.


    It was a young lady who was about 20 years in age. She had fair, clear skin and dark, shoulder-length hair complemented her pretty facial features. The black-framed glasses gave her a knowledgeable boost in looks. She wore a black, thin skin tight top with a knee-length skirt, long socks, as well as a dark brown martens boots. Not only that, but she also had a black, red-lined fur shawl. Under the bright lights, strange magical patterns were seen flashing by.


    The most eye-catching thing on her was the thick book with a gorgeously patterned hard-cover and stringed together by golden chains. She held it by her waist and she looked more like a scholar than a warrior in the battlefield.


    Mini Bubble Gum��s first reaction after seeing the young lady wasn��t surprise, but utter disappointment instead.


    ��Ah�� Really! Why aren��t you naked!��


    ��Sigh����


    Even though Canary didn��t speak, her exaggerated sigh had shown her thoughts.


    So, after a long time, you two are only here for that?


    Rhode rolled his eyes. It seemed that these two young ladies still remembered how they were fully naked when they first came to this world and now they were expecting the same sort of treatment to her? But it was a pity that she wasn��t purely a Phantom Guardian. Instead, she was being appointed as a summoned spirit. This was why, even though her strength was forcefully brought down, the equipment on her wasn��t stripped off. Gillian was also clothed when I first summoned her, isn��t it?


    ��Ahh�� Rhode, Bubble, Canary, long time no see����


    The young lady stifled a yawn before greeting them in her semi-conscious state. Rhode and Canary nodded in response while Mini Bubble Gum let out a ��tch�� and hid behind Canary. Then, she peered out and stuck her tongue out.


    ��Tch. Sister Heart didn��t change one bit!��


    ��Ahh����


    The young lady didn��t have any response to Mini Bubble Gum and she appeared as though she was about to fall asleep anytime after staying up for the whole night. However, the group was long used to this behavior from her. This young lady was one of the vice leaders of Starlight Guild��Orchid Heart.


    Just like Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, Orchid Heart and Rhode knew each other in real life. She was Rhode��s senior in university and they were also in the same activity club. However, he didn��t get to meet her more than ten times throughout his life in university.


    The reason was fairly simple. She lived life like a shut-in.


    The first time Rhode met Orchid Heart was during the university freshmen party. Back then, this senior of his caused an uproar among the students as though she was a huge star. The freshmen felt ridiculous. Even though she looked decent with delicate and pretty facial features, she wasn��t close to being the campus belle at all. Then, Rhode realized from the other seniors about the reasons behind the uproar.


    In fact, Orchid Heart had also caused an uproar when she first entered this school. Back then, she entered the school with the best examination scores and was chosen to represent the freshmen in giving the opening speech. However, the school quickly learned about her odd side thereafter. Although she had been chosen to represent the freshmen, she didn��t attend the freshmen ceremony at all. Ever since she entered her university dormitory, she never stepped out of her room to attend classes. Perhaps this wasn��t too surprising if that was all. After all, many students let themselves go and pigged out after entering university and it was a common occurrence for them to skip classes. However, what astounded the students was that even though she basically didn��t step out of the dormitory, the school had never given her any warnings or expelled her before. No one knew about the reason, but Rhode had once heard plenty of rumors. One of the rumors mentioned that she was a genius who came to this university to work on some research, which was why the school gave her the lenient treatment. Moreover, even though her sense of presence was frighteningly low, she always passed all her exams smooth and steadily. This was why she had become a legendary figure in the school.


    Then, it was after Starlight Guild became formidable that she joined them. Rhode wasn��t especially mindful about her, but he discovered that Orchid Heart was actually that legendary figure in his school after someone reminded him. Orchid Heart had also admitted her identity and that was when they started to know each other.


    In the game, Orchid Heart advanced from the Scholar class to the special, hidden class of ��Spellcaster Scholar��. It was a support class within a support class, but unlike a Cleric like Mini Bubble Gum, the Scholar��s expertise was in excavating remains, archeology, and analyzing the ancient text left behind in dungeons. It wasn��t great in battles��in fact, Orchid Heart��s attacking skills were rather average. In terms of battling technique, she was only above average at best among Rhode��s subordinates and was totally incomparable to Mini Bubble Gum and Canary.


    But on the contrary, she was a total genius in commanding armies and unearthing hidden messages. A Scholar should have been a support class, but everything changed after she excavated the advanced ��Spellcaster Scholar�� class. Not only did her abilities as a Scholar improved drastically, but she could also cast some AOE support spells like the Mages and Clerics and possess high level attack techniques. What was the most insane was the unique technique of the ��Spellcaster Scholar����[Eternal Bibliography]


    Through this technique, the Spellcaster Scholar could analyze any techniques being cast before her and once the analysis succeeded, she could store the technique into the [Eternal Bibliography]. Then, she could use the technique for her attacks and defenses, but it would only be limited to one usage. With sufficient time, the Spellcaster Scholar could choose to not cast the technique and undergo deeper learning of it. As long as the learning worked, the Spellcaster Scholar could grasp the technique and use it as her own. No matter if it was the Mage��s magic spell, Cleric��s spiritual spell, or Swordsman��s swordsmanship, the Spellcaster Scholar could imitate and discharge them perfectly and wouldn��t be faced with any class limitations.


    But this class wasn��t all that godlike and the reason was simple. The stronger the technique was, the harder it would be for the Spellcaster Scholar to analyze and learn it. Even though, theoretically speaking, the Spellcaster Scholar could also analyze and learn a BOSS��s technique, it would take a long time for her to accomplish it as often times would it require the BOSS to cast the technique a few times before she could fully analyze it, which made the learning part even more challenging. In the past, Orchid Heart had once succeeded in copying the Dark Dragon��s technique, but she realized that one and a half years was needed to learn this technique. And it was one and a half years of time in real life.


    In one and a half years, perhaps the Dark Dragon would��ve died eight to ten times already.


    Due to this reason and in addition to her low level of mastery, her combat skill only hovered above average even with assistance from Rhode and the other top-rated players.


    On the contrary, when one door closed, another door opened. Even though she was incompetent in many aspects on combat skills, she was a talented commander who was rare to come by. Everyone knew that commanding a guild battle in game was tough as players weren��t soldiers who strictly abided by instructions. Moreover, chaos was bound to happen when there were that many players in large-scale battles. Therefore, even though the battle tactic appeared doable in large-scale battles, it would often erupt into utter chaos thereafter.


    However, Orchid Heart was entirely the opposite. No matter if there were 50, 500, 5000, or even 50,000 players on the battlefield, she could command them perfectly with her exceptional decision-making and quick reactions. Normally, there would be some delays when commanders gave their orders during chaotic warfare, but Orchid Heart was so quick that she could give out accurate instructions even before the situation took a drastic turn. Apart from formidable players like Canary and Mini Bubble Gum who had assisted Rhode��s Starlight in dominating the game and unleashing the best of their backstabbing, Orchid Heart��s commanding skills had also contributed greatly in that aspect. If it wasn��t for her capability in sorting everything out clearly and orderly in the battlefield, perhaps Rhode��s tactics wouldn��t have succeeded so easily.


    However, she was often mistaken for being a person who would be full of zeal whenever she indulged herself in the game. In fact, no matter if it was reality or game, she would always appear sleepy as though she could close her eyes and fall asleep anytime after pushing through several days and nights of gaming without a break. Those who weren��t aware of this often advised her to take a break if she couldn��t endure the fatigue, as health was the most important. Then, they realized that she looked sleepy no matter if she had just gotten up in the morning, eaten her lunch, or before she turned in for the night. Everyone was used to seeing her sleepy eyes that were without any traces of tension. Not only in group battles, but also when their group was wiped out by the BOSS, she would always seemed to be lacking energy and vigor as though she didn��t have enough sleep.


    ��Senior Heart, I guess you��re aware of our current situation, right?��


    Orchid Heart looked with modestly downcast eyes and nodded slightly. She held the in her right hand while her left hand scribbled across the page. She leaned on the wall and her neatly cut fringe swayed along her movements. After a few moments, Orchid Heart gave a firm nod.


    ���� Yes, I got it, Rhode. Don��t worry, I know what to do.��


    ��Good to know.��


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief.


    ��Alright then, Senior Heart, have a good rest while I get Canary to arrange a room for you. I will inform you of my upcoming plans later.��


    ��Sure. I��ll leave those kids to you then, Rhode.��


    Orchid Heart let out a tired yawn before gazing at the card in Rhode��s hand. Then, she pushed up her black-framed glasses from her nose bridge. Rhode turned to Canary and Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��Find a room for Senior Heart. As for the others, I will introduce them to her afterward.��


    ��Okay, Rhode, I��ll go get prepared.��


    ��Ah�� How boring, but I do want to see their reactions when they meet Sister Heart. Hahaha, it��s gonna be fun. Let��s go, Sister Heart!��


    Rhode shook his head with a bitter smile. He sat back to his table and scanned the ten cards before him. The ten cards had an above average level due to the top-rated Soul Cores used to summon them. Besides, some of them had even raised his spirits.


    All the ten cards had black base and white edges and exposed some murderous aura within its solemnity. The ten cards were led by Orchid Heart as the Core Card and on her card showed the with a black hard cover floating before her widely spread arms and behind her were several metallic pillars.


    [Received the Ultimate Army Deck 10/10]


    [Orchid Heart. Summoner (Number 1 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Human) Offense 3 Defense 5. Rare Spellcaster Scholar. Unfuseable. Analyzes, copies, and learns techniques. Incantation. Techniques Possessed: (Everything in the world has its own meaning. Follow the footsteps of knowledge and wander into the endless ocean.)


    Reverse Time Flow (Time Attribute)


    Core Card (Can summon all cards)


    Range Reward (Extend effective range of techniques by 3 x 3)


    Time Manipulation (Accelerate or delay the technique casting time. Duration increases along with levels)


    All in one (No punishment for using techniques from other classes)


    Proficiency (Increase the speed of growth for mastery levels by 50%. Increase strength of techniques with max mastery levels by one-tenth)


    Rate of Growth: 0%]


    Apart from the godlike support techniques, her offense and defense values were unremarkable. But Rhode was able to accept this fact as she was level 0, after all. Moreover, she was more like a General who commanded everyone from the back and didn��t need to lead the charge, so it didn��t matter even if she had low offensive values. She could respawn even if she died, anyway.


    Even though Rhode was mentally prepared, he was stupefied when he glanced over the ten cards. He was confident that the strength of these ten cards would be sufficient to take on an entire legion!

 Chapter 688 - Rhythm Catcher

    After proposing the challenge, John and Orchid Heart came to the underground space projected from the Sphere of Mystery. Orchid Heart had chosen the ground troops made up of mercenaries and garrisons while it went without saying that John led his Cavalrymen. Of course, Orchid Heart had just arrived to this world and had no knowledge if the people under her. Therefore, the practical commander of this unit was Marfa while Orchid Heart was responsible in giving orders for him to implement. But even so, John was confident in running them over with his Cavalrymen. His team was clad in impressive equipment and had been through difficult challenges and training and was completely disciplined in abiding by his orders. On the other hand, Orchid Heart had nothing. Even though Marfa could provide some assistance, her troops were only ordinary garrisons and mercenaries. If John were facing Marfa and Sol��s elite squads, perhaps he might feel some tension. But he totally disregarded the garrisons and mercenaries. So what if they ensured strict obedience? A single assault would shatter them entirely with such a huge difference in strength.


    ��Mr. Rhode, is this really fine?��


    Lize asked out of concern as she gazed down from the valley.


    ��Should we let Miss Heart familiarize with her team first and start the battle a few days later? She doesn��t have any rapport with her team. What if����


    ��Don��t worry, Lize.��


    Mini Bubble Gum waved her hand with an airy gesture from her cross-legged posture. Then, she pouted and looked at the battlefield in discontent.


    ��Don��t be fooled by Sister Heart��s looks. She��s the baddest of us all. Hmph. Even though she looks to be in her own world, she has many evil tricks up her sleeves. Besides, compared to the newbies who will scramble in panic as soon as the situation turns messy, the quality of these soldiers are still rather decent. As long as they are willing to listen to orders, John will be a goner.��


    ��Sigh����


    The group expressed confused looks. They glanced at one another with doubt, puzzlement, and even some anticipations. After all, Marfa and Sol were old, experienced warriors and they were long used to commanding and battling on the battlefield. On the other hand, Joey and Randolf were basically considered experienced mercenaries after the long amount of training. As for Lapis, she was simply here to watch a show.


    But no matter what, the gazes directed at Orchid Heart were filled with anticipation. After all, Rhode appeared to be confident in Orchid Heart��s capabilities and she was praised highly by Mini Bubble Gum, which proved that she must have some abilities. But�� how would she go about commanding a unit she had never met and secure the win against John?


    Everyone observed attentively while Orchid Heart was still in her same old sleepy self. She swayed from left to right while riding on a short, thin warhorse. At the same time, the thick, gorgeous book in her hands was spread out before her. She held the book in one hand while the other gently rubbed the page corner. Her downcast eyes hid her thoughts from everyone.


    John��s Cavalrymen had formed an assault formation on the gentle slope of the valley. Sun rays shone from behind him illuminated the entire plains and valleys. This was the best terrain for the Cavalrymen and this triangular assault formation was apparent of John��s abilities in commanding his subordinates.


    ��How should we go about doing it, Miss Heart?��


    Marfa narrowed his eyes as he gazed toward John��s majestic group of Cavalrymen on the other end. However, the glaring sun made it impossible for him to carefully observe their every movement. Even though he had gathered the mercenaries and garrisons together, the young lady sitting casually on the back of the warhorse remained silent. Although the mercenaries and garrisons were abiding by orders strictly�� This wasn��t a test for them, after all.


    ���� Hmm����


    Orchid Heart didn��t immediately respond. On the contrary, she lowered her head and fiddled with the page with her right hand. After a few moments, she let out an indistinct hum.


    ��Defensive formation. Spread out on both sides.��


    ��Spread out?��


    Marfa was taken aback by her answer. He turned around and gazed at the clutter of a hundred soldiers. Then, he shifted his narrow eyes to the neatly-grouped and heavily-equipped Cavalrymen in the distance. He couldn��t understand what Orchid Heart was plotting. A hundred infantries against Cavalrymen was already tough enough and she still wished to spread their positions out?


    ��Let��s start.��


    Before Marfa could fully understand the situation, Rhode gave his order and Canary extended her hand forward. She shot a dazzling fireball into the sky to signal the start of the battle.


    ��Everyone! Attack!��


    John lifted his pike with a proud smile. Then, he swung the pike down before taking the lead and charging forward. The Cavalrymen behind him screamed a battle cry in unison, leaped down the slope like a mountain torrent, and aimed for their targets on the other end.


    ��Defensive formation. Spread out!��


    Marfa raised his sword and commanded loudly without any hesitation.


    Even though the troops under him weren��t as powerful as players, they perfectly displayed their strict discipline. Without any delay or question, the troops split into three rows to form a narrow line of defense. At this moment, John��s Cavalrymen were within close range.


    ����!��


    The bystanders held their breaths. John took the lead while the Cavalrymen behind him were inseparably close. Their united formation was as though a sharp blade slicing forward.


    On the other end, Orchid Heart sat slanted on the tiny warhorse as though she was just a passerby while the flustered Marfa appeared more like their commander.


    ��Hmm?��


    Perhaps due to Marfa being unable to accurately understand Orchid Heart��s command, John��s Cavalrymen had already charged forward when he got his troops to put up a defensive formation. John was astonished as he had experienced many battles and this was the first time that he witnessed last minute changes to formation and in such a slow speed too. What was the purpose of putting up a defensive formation when he had arrived in their faces?!


    ��Charge!��


    John swiftly gave a command and his Cavalrymen accelerated! Both sides finally met!


    Boom!


    The Cavalrymen mercilessly ripped through the defensive formation that was formed in a hurry. In the blink of an eye, more than 30 troops in the defensive formation flew off upon impact. Even though they wouldn��t suffer from lethal damage and die in the mirage, injuries were still unavoidable. And now, the system had labeled them as ��Dead�� as they lay unconscious on the ground.


    John��s ruthless assault was as though a razor-sharp blade slicing through a gauze. Not only did the defensive line crumble, the surrounding troops also panicked and their formation turned into a terrible mess, where another assault from the Cavalrymen would leave them in a dead end. Marfa turned to the young lady beside him hurriedly and she lifted her head and swept a glance forward.


    ��Advance. Forward.��


    Advance?


    Marfa felt that this command was incredibly strange. The opponents have punctured a hole in our formation so what��s the point of us charging forward?


    If Marfa was a player, perhaps he would have ridiculed Orchid Heart for having a lagging Internet connection. But Marfa wasn��t in the mood to mock her judgment. He bestirred himself desperately and yelled for the troops to charge forward. Even though Marfa��s orders were senseless, the troops eventually abided. Orchid Heart watched leisurely from the back while Marfa shook his head and let out a hopeless sigh. Although the formation was messy, the troops managed to maintain their formation with their long hours of training and experience.


    ��I guess this is asking too much of her.��


    Marlene let out a subtle sigh. She had led the Mage team in Flourishing Blossom, fought against the Reformist Party several times, and more or less understood situations on the battlefield. Currently, it appeared that the troops under Orchid Heart were a spent force. Even though they managed to maintain their neat formation, Marlene was sure that they would crumble completely as soon as John led another assault. The Cavalrymen had the upper hand against infantries in the first place, and it didn��t seem possible for Orchid Heart to turn the situation around.


    Indeed. As though proving Marlene��s prediction, John led his Cavalrymen around the plain and regrouped into an offensive formation to deal the final onslaught through Orchid Heart��s troops from the back. This time, Orchid Heart would be utterly defeated if she didn��t come up with any adjustments.


    ��Stop. Gather. Turn around.��


    Even though the situation was incredibly tense, Orchid Heart didn��t show any signs of nervousness at all. She lowered her head and scanned the page in her hand before giving another command. Marfa hurriedly urged the troops who were charging forward to stop and regrouped them. At this moment, Orchid Heart gave another command that left Marfa speechless.


    ��Form a triangular assault formation.��


    Assault?


    Marfa grew increasingly suspicious of her capabilities. In fact, from the start, he felt that this young lady performed like a newbie and had slow reactions. Not only that, but she also misjudged the situation, which led to the loss of over 30 troops on their side. So what if they gathered into an assault formation? They were infantry while the opponents were Cavalrymen! There would still be a chance to win if our men have pikes, but what can they do against the Cavalrymen��s assault? Isn��t this asking for death?


    Even though Marfa cursed inwardly, he could only follow Orchid Heart��s orders since Rhode had instructed him beforehand. This time, Marfa reacted swiftly, but the result was almost the same as before: John��s Cavalrymen had arrived before them when they finally regrouped.


    ��Sigh����


    Many of them sighed as they believed that the conclusion had been made. John��s first assault had shattered Orchid Heart��s troops and it went without saying that she would surely fail if he were to penetrate her troops once again�� There were no two ways about it.


    Even at this crucial moment, Orchid Heart nodded her head as though she was about to fall asleep on her warhorse and forced herself to stay awake like a student nodding off in class. The furious gallop of the warhorses had arrived before her. At this moment, she lifted her head suddenly.


    ��Charge.��


    That was all she said.


    ��Charge!��


    Even though Marfa couldn��t read her mind at all, he charged forward with an intention to end this battle with alacrity! It was better than not retaliating at all! Marfa raised his sword and brandished forward!


    The two triangle formations collided heavily. The Cavalrymen crushed the troops below them with no difficulties and everything would end as soon as they punctured the opponents before them. But��


    ��Eh?��


    Anne widened her eyes in astonishment. The crowd surrounding her also had a change of expression.


    John didn��t gain the victory as the bystanders had expected. Instead, the Cavalrymen panicked and their inseparable formation stirred like a pot of hot soup. In order to maintain the speed of their assault, the Cavalrymen maintained a certain gap between them. But now, they had totally lost the ��safety distance��. The Cavalrymen from the front and back crashed into one another. Some tried to avoid, but lost their balance and fell to the ground. The luckier Cavalrymen weren��t any better. They lost their threat after losing their acceleration. In addition, the Cavalrymen couldn��t even turn around among the chaos, during which the infantries took advantage of the situation and dragged the Cavalrymen down from their warhorses.


    Simply speaking, it was like two triangular blocks crashing together and in the sound of a crash, the blocks mixed together as one.


    In a short instance, the outcome of the battle was reversed. The strong warhorses and heavy armor of the Cavalrymen were completely useless in this tight, chaotic warfare. On the other hand, the nimble infantry unleashed their biggest potential and dodged the attacks of the Cavalrymen.


    ��How did this����


    No one could decipher what had just happened. They couldn��t understand why John��s Cavalrymen failed to exploit and penetrate through the defensive formation that was hurriedly arranged. At this moment, Rhode extended his hand and gestured to Canary.


    ��Alright. That��s the end.��


    A fireball flew into the air and exploded, capturing everyone��s attention. The chaotic battlefield abruptly came to a stop. Rhode strode down the gentle slope while everyone followed closely and observed with confused looks.


    John was no longer as mighty as he was. On the contrary, he appeared perplexed. His helmet had been struck off during the battle and his hair had messed up into a bird��s nest. Even though he was still riding on his warhorse, his expression showed that he had taken a huge blow.


    How did this happen?


    The bystanders might not understand why John had lost, but he knew the reasons clearly. Indeed. He had similar thoughts as Marfa when he broke through the defensive line for the first time. Orchid Heart��s simple commands had no meaningful purpose in assault. But John finally realized the true reason of her hiding in the back when she ordered the infantries to clash against his Cavalrymen.


    On the surface, the strength of both sides were on a totally different level, but Orchid Heart did something that left John incomparably frightened.


    She broke my rhythm!


    Everyone knew that there was rhythm in the battlefield, That was a kind of aggression, an imperceptible and unexplainable presence. Just like John��s Cavalrymen, perhaps they were still a group of separate men when they began their assault. But slowly, they merged together as one. Breathing, galloping, and moving in unison. It was this rhythm that glued them together as a whole.


    Even though Orchid Heart��s assault was gruff, she captured the timing to perfection. The instant both sides collided, John sharply sensed that the cohesiveness and rhythm were instantly broken like how a dancer was in his zone and someone stepped in to interrupt his wonderful moves. This was what happened to John��s Cavalrymen. The camaraderie between them and consistent rhythm were disrupted and replaced with complete chaos. Moreover, the glaring sun had caused them the chance to regroup instantly. Not only that, but the sun also snatched John��s chance to observe his opponents�� movements clearly, which led to them sinking into this sticky puddle of mud. The result had been determined a long time ago.


    John shivered at this thought. He gazed at Orchid Heart blankly. He finally understood the meaning behind her strange commands. From the start, it wasn��t due to her slow reactions that he could break through her defenses easily. Instead, she was using the chance to probe and analyze his attacking rhythm! Then, she ordered the troops to charge forward and turn around in order to use the glaring sun to her advantage in preventing his Cavalrymen from regrouping instantly. Moreover, it wasn��t due to her incapable commanding skills that her troops regrouped so slowly. Come to think of it, for both times, her troops put up their formation just when he had arrived at their faces and it was too late for him to come up with any changes!


    Even though the sun shining on him was so warm, he felt as though he had fallen into a dreadful ice cave. If this was a true battle, perhaps he wouldn��t even know how he died. Just some troops without special training and a few ordinary commands could actually lead to such achievements? Moreover, even though it appeared simple, it was extremely difficult and almost impossible to perceive the opponent��s attacking rhythm and search for an instantaneous gap to disrupt it. But this young lady actually did it so effortlessly��


    ��How was it, John?��


    Rhode said and John just realized that the former had arrived before him. He hurriedly flipped down from his warhorse and bowed respectfully. Then, he shot a glance at Orchid Heart fearfully before lowering his head deeply.


    ��I��ve lost, Sir Rhode.��


    Apart from John, no one knew exactly what happened except for Sol and Marfa, who spotted the gateway to Orchid Heart��s victory. Their respect for Orchid Heart grew deeply as they knew how difficult it was to achieve this. But the most important point was that they couldn��t see her intention of interrupting John��s attacking rhythm at all. Her reckless assault blinded everyone from her true motive and just this reason was enough to leave them exclaiming in admiration.


    Since John had no more objections, the matter naturally came to a closure. The Sphere of Mystery deactivated and returned Rhode and the others to the underground and they spotted Agatha.


    ��Is anything the matter, Agatha?��


    Rhode said curiously while Agatha lifted the hem of her skirt and bowed.


    ��Yes, Master. Miss Gillian and Mr. Walker have returned.��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode��s eyes glinted.

 Chapter 687 - Ultimate Army

    Chapter 687: Ultimate Army


    Orchid Heart��s offense and defense values weren��t remarkable as this was due to the price that she paid for being projected into the Core Card as a Phantom Guardian. However, the passive skills that came with her were sufficient to scare enemies away. Moreover, as the assigned Core Card of the 10 Strongest Spirit Decks, Orchid Heart didn��t require Rhode��s spiritual energy to sustain her presence and she could benefit from the special reward of utilizing one-tenth of her spiritual powers when summoning cards belonging to the same deck as her. Furthermore, even if she wasn��t overpowered in terms of strength in her ��Spellcaster Scholar�� class, it still wouldn��t pose any problems for her to sweep enemies away.


    The Ultimate Army Deck led by Orchid Heart was a rare set of cards that summoned groups of creatures. Normally, a Spirit Swordsman��s summoning card mostly summoned individuals rather than groups no matter the equipment, magic, or spirits. Currently, only the [Sacrificial Shift] spell card in his arsenal could summon a huge group of Undead Creatures. But these Undead Creatures weren��t true summoned spirits and were more of derivatives from the [Sacrificial Shift] spell card. Only with powerful Soul Cores would it be possible to summon strong groups of creatures.


    Fortunately, it seemed that the ten top-rated Soul Cores that Rhode had extorted from the Light Parliament came in great. Every one of them turned out to be of best qualities in the Ultimate Army Deck. Even though their offense values weren��t comparable to the Holy Sword Card Deck, they were considered impressive as ordinary cards.


    Apart from Orchid Heart, there was a Venue Card, two Spell Cards, two Equipment Cards, and four Summoning Spirits in the Ultimate Army Deck. This was the first completed deck Rhode had gained ever since he came to this world. However, it wasn��t only simply the completion of numbers. Every deck belonged to a unique world and was the materialization of their stories. When they came together as a whole, the potential that they unleashed would be completely different from individual cards. Every deck possessed distinct special effects that would only be unveiled when all the cards came together and the same went for this Ultimate Army Deck. Rhode shook his head and laughed in spite of himself after scanning through the entire deck. This deck appeared seemingly to be created with Orchid Heart as the core, where her tactical footprints could be seen in every aspect.


    Summoning Spirits��In the second and third positions of the Ultimate Army Deck were the [Dark Rangers] and [Spear Defenders] respectively, while the [Ultimate Judge] and [Dead Enchantress] were in the fifth and eighth positions respectively.


    [Dark Rangers (Number 2 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Human) Offense 9 Defense 7. Ranger Class. Unfuseable. Set Equipment Attribute. Long-range attacks. Techniques Possessed��Deadly Snipe (The figure flitting by the prairie of Casali in the night wind is the start of a nightmare.)


    Enhancement in night abilities (Dark Attribute)


    Elemental range shooting (Magical Technology)


    Child of the Night Wind (30% chance to deviate long-range attacks)


    Set Equipment Attribute (Double all allies�� movement speed when two or more similar sets of cards are present)]


    [Spear Defenders (Number 3 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Human) Offense 8 Defense 9. Spear & Shield Class. Unfuseable. Close & Mid-range attacks. Set Equipment Attribute. Techniques Possessed: Cybust Formation (The barriers built by flesh and blood are insurmountable.)


    Enhancement in night abilities (Dark Attribute)


    Increase damage dealt to Cavalrymen (Spear & Shield Attribute)


    Fortification (Formation will not be destroyed)


    Set Equipment Attribute (Lower all allies�� chance of receiving critical attacks by 70% when two or more similar set of cards are present)]


    [Ultimate Judge (Number 5 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Human) Offense 7 Defense 7. Close-Combat Class. Unfuseable. Close-range attacks. Set Equipment Attribute. Techniques Possessed: Final Judgment (Everything comes to an end)


    Enhancement in night abilities (Dark Attribute)


    Armor Crusher (Increase in damage)


    Desires of the Grim Reaper (5% chance to inflict instant death on enemies)


    Set Equipment Attribute (All allies offense +3 defense -1 when two or more similar sets of cards are present)]


    [Departed Succubi (Number 8 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Succubi) Offense 6 Defense 5. Spellcaster Class. Unfuseable. Long-range attacks. Set Equipment Attribute. Techniques Possessed: Temptation of the Succubi (Even a hero will eventually become a slave to beauty)


    Enhancement in night abilities (Dark Attribute)


    Live and die for me (Doubles morale of allies once this card is summoned to the battlefield)


    Imaginary Succubi (Doppelg?nger)


    Set Equipment Attribute (All allies�� attack range increase by 3 x 3 when three or more similar set of cards are present)]


    From the descriptions of the four cards, they were obviously the best tools for group battles. Their strength wasn��t exceptional, but Rhode valued that their set equipment effects could enhance all allies. Even though he wasn��t sure if the effects would be able to differentiate allies from enemies in reality, he threw this thought to the back of his head temporarily. Just like the Fantasy Daybreak that he had created, even though he wasn��t sure of the reasoning behind the afterimage attacks, it didn��t affect his unleashing of it, wasn��t it?


    [Dark Rangers] could increase their speed. [Spear Defenders] could increase their defenses and also guarantee that their formation wouldn��t be destroyed. [Ultimate Judge] and [Departed Succubi] could increase allies�� battle strength and range. Once these four cards were summoned, even a General with mediocre skills would crumble instantly. It was imaginable how formidable Orchid Heart would be when she used all these cards in war.


    Apart from the four summoning spirits, the remaining Spell Cards and Equipment Cards shouldn��t be belittled either.


    [Disillusioned Spear (Number 4 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Magic Equipment) Targets a group��s equipment. Unfuseable. Magical Technology Attribute. Holder can appoint a card to be equipped with the Disillusioned Spear and engage in attack. (They are like a forest of steel, piercing into the sky, undisputedly proclaiming their existence.)


    Courageous Assault (Armor Crusher Attribute. Certain chance to ignore enemies�� armor defense)


    Fragile illusion shall return to nothingness (Spell Breaker Attribute. Destroys defensive spells below the Middle Circle)


    [Dusk of Annihilation (Number 7 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Magic Equipment) Targets a group��s attack. Unfuseable. Magical Technology Attribute. Engages in an 8 x 8 AOE attack when holder summons this card to the battlefield. Devastation of damage depends on the number of casualties. (Flesh and steel are the only remaining existences on the battlefield)


    AOE Damage (The earth shall tremble before heavy artillery)


    Chain Reaction (Certain chance to detonate an explosion attack in a 3 x 3 range)


    Uniqueness (Can only be summoned once per day)]


    [Mighty Flag (Number 6 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Spell Card) AOE Spell. Fusible. Dedicated spell card for the Core Card of the Ultimate Army Deck. Not to be used in addition with other cards. Summoner can trigger it by using experience. (The flying flag points to the direction of the heart)


    Effects: Specify an area and conduct a round of will evaluation. Destroys enemies�� formation if the will evaluation fails and also weakens attribute values by one-third. Resistible. Unavoidable. Once merged with other spells, attribute shall inflict additional damage]


    [Recovery Breath (Number 9 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Spell Card) AOE Spell. Unfuseable. Dedicated spell card for the Core Card of the Ultimate Army Deck. Can be used in addition with other cards. Summoner can trigger it by using experience. (The breeze of recovery brings the breath of life and praises)


    Effects: Cast on a specified area. Allies within the range will slowly recover from injuries. Eliminates poison. Unable to dispel curses. Can be dispersed]


    [Casali under the Night Sky (Number 10 Position in the Ultimate Army Deck. Venue Card) Enchanted Field Spell. Unfuseable. Dedicated spell card for the Core Card of the Ultimate Army Deck. Can be used in addition with other cards. Can be used by summoner. (The war on the grassland under the dark moon has become the dust of memory.)


    Effects: Envelope the battlefield entirely. Duration depends on enemies�� strength.


    Whispers under the night sky (Engage in uninterrupted will evaluation of the enemies. Enemies who failed the evaluation will face stagnation in movements, be blinded, and become desperate and fearful.)]


    Rhode twitched his brows slightly after analyzing the last Venue Card with a picture of a breathtaking prairie under the night sky. This was the first ever Venue Card he had received in this world. The Venue Card was somewhat similar to the Order Dimension of beings in the Legendary Stage. When the Venue Card was activated, all creatures on the entire battlefield would be dragged into the depicted venue of the card and engage in battle. However, unlike the Order Dimension, the holder wouldn��t have a god-like position within the Venue Card. But the holder would be advantageous in the favorable terrain while the enemies would be in calamitous grounds. Even so, there were still limits to the Venue Card. It would still work against ordinary armies, but was useless against beings in the Legendary Stage. No matter what, the Venue Card was a ��knockoff��, after all. The Venue Card would be destroyed as soon as legendary beings activated their ��Order Dimension�� or ��Mystic Realm��. It was also totally impossible to drag beings like the Archangels and Creator Dragon Souls into it.


    But Rhode felt accomplished with this set of cards. After completing two mercenary missions, he had been focusing all his time on his territorial constructions and wrangling with the Light Parliament and basically lacked the energy to search for Soul Cores to summon these cards. Now that he had gained a decent deck of cards after extorting ten Soul Cores from the Light Parliament, he felt much more relaxed. With the help of this deck, it wouldn��t that simple for the Dark Dragon if it tried to attack him anymore.


    Rhode kept the cards and shook the bell on his table. Shortly after, the doors opened to the presence of Agatha who entered silently. Rhode nodded to her slightly and said. ��Get Marlene and the others here.��


    Rhode gathered his subordinates and introduced Orchid Heart to them. Even though the group was surprised by the sudden emergence of this young lady, they didn��t appear flabbergasted or nervous. After all, similar instances such as this had happened in the past and they were used to it already. But��


    ��Leader, Anne feels that the people around you have really weird names.��


    Anne suggested her thoughts and lazily kicked her legs under the chair. Even though the others didn��t speak, the look on their faces showed their agreement. Indeed. Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Orchid Heart. They didn��t sound like any decent names and were more like nicknames instead. But even though they were dubious, they didn��t specifically mention it. It was apparent that the three of them had out of the ordinary relationship with Rhode. Moreover, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary��s intimidating strength were out in the open. In this world dominated by the strong, it was solely their right to do whatever they wanted and no one had the right to intervene.


    ��You��ll get used to it.��


    Rhode shrugged and looked at the group with a stern expression.


    ��Orchid Heart can be considered my senior as we��ve learned together in the past. I��ve also decided to make her responsible for commanding and leading my army. Do you guys understand?��


    ��Eh?��


    The group exchanged confused looks with one another and swiftly shifted their gaze to Orchid Heart. The looks that they had given her were filled with curiosity before, but they were mostly full of doubts now. Everyone knew what Rhode meant by this. This young lady would become the General of the entire Grenbell armed services, which was a role of utmost importance for the territory. Even though Rhode��s territory didn��t require too much protection at the moment and his subordinates were also capable, everyone knew that they would grow even stronger in the future and this role would become incomparably important.


    But��


    Marlene puckered her brows. Not only her, but many present also sensed that this sleepy-looking young lady wasn��t that formidable. In the Dragon Soul Continent, even an army commander was a powerful being. However, they couldn��t sense the matchless strength in this young lady that they felt from Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. On the contrary, she left them a weak impression and defeating her wasn��t difficult, at least in the eyes of Marlene. But why would Rhode assign such a critical role to her? Who is she exactly? Where did she come from?


    Even though Marlene and the rest had heard from Rhode about the details, they still lacked understanding of this young lady. Such a crucial role�� If given to the wrong person��


    ��Sir.��


    Marfa stepped forth and bowed respectfully.


    ��I would like to know if we����


    ��No.��


    Rhode knew what Marfa was about to ask and shook his finger to interrupt him.


    ��You, Randolf, Joey, Sol, and others leading my elite squads will still listen to my commands. She will be responsible for the mobilization and promotion of the Infantries, Garrisons of the fortress, and Cavalrymen including John in future. Understand?��


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    Marfa nodded emotionlessly and stepped back. At this moment, everyone shifted their attention to another man: John. His face appeared a little stiff and bitter, and everyone knew the reasons why.


    Ever since the clash with the Cyan Goshawk, many members had shown their disapproval at John��s performance as he didn��t react in time and was detained by the enemies like a dummy. Even though Rhode seemed to have suppressed the Cyan Goshawk entirely, he might really need to slaughter as many as he could if the Cyan Goshawk were to command his team and retaliate with all their might. Then, Rhode would need to bring everyone back to their territory and summon Canary and Mini Bubble Gum to destroy the corpses and any traces. On the other hand, Rhode had also heard an opinion spreading among his subordinates: John must have gotten used to being the lackey of the Light Parliament as a Southerner and wouldn��t dare to move an inch before the Light Parliament. If it were them in his shoes, they wouldn��t get their hands tied and have waited to be captured no matter what. If it wasn��t for Rhode meeting the lucky Cavalryman who escaped the ordeal, who knew what would happen to John and his Cavalrymen.


    Rhode had only occasionally heard such discussions among his subordinates, but he admitted that this was rather truthful. Most of his subordinates were Northerners and loathed the Light Parliament. Moreover, they were disgusted by the Reformist Party licking the toes of the Light Parliament. John��s position as the commander of the Southern Legion was already awkward in Starlight and in addition to that incident, neutral people also grew to have such thoughts about him.


    In the past, many of them believed that Rhode groomed John for the sake of having a competent military personnel. If not, he wouldn��t have spent so much efforts in recruiting a loser from the Southern Legion. Although John did perform well, it was a pity that�� a wrong step led to more wrongs. Rhode��s pronounce that Orchid Heart would be responsible for military affairs in his territories and this meant that he had cut off all chances of John being promoted to a higher position and he might perhaps stay a Cavalrymen Leader forever.


    ��John.��


    Rhode turned to the ashen-faced Cavalrymen leader. How was it possible that Rhode wasn��t aware of what was going through his mind? In the game, such similar instances had happened in Starlight too. It was a common occurrence among players about who should command the team, loot the corpses, or receive spoils of war for contributing more.


    ��Do you have any objections?��


    ���� Sir, no objections on my part.��


    Even though John appeared rigid, he lowered his head and answered. However, Rhode wasn��t satisfied with this answer.


    ��Tell me the truth. Are you trying to make a fool out of me as an overlord? Or do you treat me as an idiot?��


    ��This����


    John stuttered while Joey couldn��t watch any longer. He jumped out and gesticulated.


    ��Aiya, just speak when the boss asks you to! Everyone clearly knows what you��re thinking so what��re you hesitating for? Stop acting like an unhesitant woman! Uh�� Sorry, Madam Canary, Madam Bubble, Madam Marlene, Madam Lize, and Miss Anne. I��m not referring to you. My stupid mouth�� always shooting itself off���� Joey instantly sensed sharp daggers pointing at him. Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Marlene gazed at him while harboring evil designs. Even the most innocent Lapis stared at him fumingly and left him shrinking, blending back into the group with embarrassed smiles and nods.


    The atmosphere eased a whole lot after this silly commotion, while John had plucked up his courage, lifted his head, pushed out his chest, and stepped forward to face Rhode.


    ��Sir Overlord, I admit that I made a mistake in the past and I should receive my well-deserved punishment. But, I find it hard to accept this order of yours. We aren��t aware of Miss Orchid Heart��s capabilities and yet, you��ve made her the General of our three armed services. I guess, she should at least show us her skills!��


    Not only John, but Marlene and the others were also filled with curiosity. Indeed, commanding an army wasn��t as simple as individual battles. Orchid Heart wasn��t powerful and could be considered weak. This way, it was impossible for her to convince the others just like how Canary and Mini Bubble Gum relied on their legendary strength.


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded and turned to Orchid Heart who was leaning against the bookcase.


    ��Senior Heart, what do you think?��


    ��Hmm����


    Orchid Heart gave an ambiguous response before swaying from left to right as she stood upright. Then, she lifted her head. But even so, her eyes remained half-shut as though she could fall asleep anytime.


    ���� No problem, Rhode.��

 Chapter 689 - Skynet Plan

    Chapter 689: Skynet Plan


    The first thing that Rhode saw when he entered the room was a fluffy, swaying tail that he hadn��t seen for a long time.


    ��Ah�� Master, I��m back~!��


    The fox-eared young lady threw herself into Rhode��s arms. She rested her head on his chest. Her soft body trembled in comfort.


    ��Boohoo. This trip has been really hard, Master. I��ve been to so many places and met with a lot of dangers�� You have no idea how many baddies eyed me. I was almost kidnapped and sold away by them. Not only that, but I��m also no longer pure. Mr. Old Walker�� Boohoo. He looks to be a decent man, but he��s a terrible, crafty pervert at night. My body has acclimatized to a promiscuous slave even without him around. Along the way, Mr. Old Walker sold me for my body more than once and I was manhandled by the filthy men. Master, sorry�� I��ve been stained. From now onward, my body and heart belongs to Mr. Old Walker����


    Rhode listened with an emotionless face. On the other hand, Marlene and the others raised their heads and looked dubiously at the old man sitting in the corner. Old Walker stood up hurriedly with the alcohol bottle in his hand and waved his arms in denial.


    ��Hey hey hey, don��t listen to that little rascal. I��m already so old. Where do you think I��d find the energy to mess around? Also, she would��ve been burned me to death if I tried to do anything!��


    Gillian unrolled a vibrant smile on her beautiful, tear-stained face. ��Heh heh. Sure enough, it��s still the most fun to do this when I��m back. But Master���� she paused and gazed meaningfully at Anne. Then, she gave a chortle. ��It seems that you��ve found the solution to help little Anne.��


    ��Alright, that��s all for the jokes.��


    Rhode patted on Gillian��s head. Of course, he knew that this sly, little fox was kidding. She was his Core Card, and if she were to get into any trouble, he would be the first to know. Besides, she had a crafty personality and she might even be the one bringing trouble to others.


    ��Welcome, Miss Gillian. Long time no see.��


    Everyone returned to their senses from Gillian��s characteristic greeting and sent their regards to her. But they were dubious about her return as they weren��t aware of what she had been up to. All they knew was that Old Walker and her left together shortly after the end to the Paphield battle. Rhode didn��t provide further explanations on their departure and all he said was that they were off to execute a special mission. Now that the duo was finally back, it was time to know where they had been to.


    ��Alright, let me in on the results of the Skynet Plan.


    Rhode sat by the table and said. He also beckoned to Marlene and the others.


    ��Join us. This is essential to us.��


    ��Alright, Master. Leave it to me.��


    Gillian stuck out her chest, lifted her head proudly, and swayed the fluffy tail behind her from left to right. She retrieved a map from the fold of her clothes and unrolled it above the table. Marlene and the rest had gathered around curiously. It was a map of the Dragon Soul Continent, drawn with several circles in scarlet and labeled with all sorts of symbols.


    ��Following Master��s orders, Mr. Old Walker and I have settled our preparations in most regions of the Light Mainland, which include the Country of Light. Currently, there are about 30 pubs in this area�� Meh. Even though we weren��t able to set up pubs in every region, we��ve picked out the traffic hubs. The scale of the pubs aren��t huge. In terms of the manpower we��ve recruited, Mr. Old Walker has a name list. They appear to be trustworthy and were mostly born in Munn Kingdom, as per Master��s request.��


    Gillian took over the name list from Old Walker and handed it to Rhode. Rhode scanned the names and included them into his system data. Most of them didn��t have high prestige. They were mostly hovering between ��Friendly�� and with some minorities in ��Respectful���� But this was within Rhode��s expectations.


    ��Did you attract any unwanted attention?��


    Rhode scrutinized the map and said. Gillian shook her head.


    ��Don��t worry. As most of the pub owners that we��ve gotten were honest chaps, there were no major problems apart from having some local ruffians and rogues coming to their doorsteps and asking for death.��


    ��Pub?��


    Lize gazed at the map with suspicions. She looked at Rhode and couldn��t figure out the meaning behind them.


    ��Mr. Rhode, I don��t understand�� Why do we need to run so many pubs? Besides�� What is that Skynet Plan����


    ��Aiya, Little Lize, those pubs weren��t opened for nothing, okay?��


    Gillian revealed a sly smile. Then, she extended her finger.


    ��Master has decided to use the pubs to form an intelligence network. With the pubs in place, we can easily obtain intelligence no matter from within or outside the Munn Kingdom as long as there is any activity. The intelligence will be sent to us using the long-distance transmission device produced by Little Lapis. We��ve divided the entire Light Mainland into ten regions and there is a person in charge in every region who collects and collates all the intelligence before sending it to us.��


    ��How often will he be sending us the data?��


    ��This isn��t the Internet age, after all, Master. As long as you��re willing to put up with it, I will get him to send a report once every three days. It would be another matter if there are any emergencies.��


    ��I will need more manpower, Kid.��


    Old Walker interrupted.


    ��I��m getting old. Perhaps my weary old body will give way soon if you don��t provide more manpower for me.��


    ��Don��t worry about that, Mr. Walker. I will get the candidates ready.��


    ��In other words, we��re gonna have an intelligence network in future?��


    Joey jumped up in exhilaration. As a Thief class, he knew how crucial an intelligence network was.


    ��Boss, since that��s the case, we are gonna be the first to receive news if anything happens on this continent. That��s awesome!��


    ��That��s only a small part of it, Joey.��


    Rhode swept a glance at Joey.


    ��Gathering intelligence is only the start. Our ultimate goal is to disseminate the information with purpose.��


    ��Send out?��


    Everyone looked in astonishment while Rhode nodded firmly.


    ��That��s right. You guys still remember the behavior of the civilians in Golden City after we defeated Liberty Wings in the Midsummer Festival, right?��


    Many of them nodded in agreement. Among the high-ups around Rhode, most of them had participated in the Midsummer Festival and they were aware of the civilian��s reactions in Golden City. Rhode spread his arms apart and shrugged.


    ��Back then, most of the crowd who witnessed the competition hurled abuses at us, accused that we had an unfair advantage, and called us scheming, right?��


    ��That��s because they are sore losers. Hmph. Leader, those scaredy-cats only dare to hide in the back and find excuses for themselves!��


    Anne grumbled and let out a snort. But Rhode shook his head in denial.


    ��In fact, what they said were true. You guys still remember my plan before the battle commenced, right? I had intentions to diminish Rosen��s battle desires through Lize, Joey, Anne, and Randolf, while I took him out on the battlefield. As long as Rosen was dead, the Liberty Wings would be down without any threat. Therefore, they weren��t wrong about their accusations in this aspect. Honestly speaking, even our supporters didn��t deny this. But unlike the opposition, our supports didn��t see that as being scheming and shameless. Instead, it was a well-planned strategy. Besides, you guys may not know it, but there weren��t too many of our supporters who witnessed the competition personally and yet, they supported us unwaveringly. On the contrary, those who witnessed the competition hated us to the core. Hmm�� Of course, perhaps some of the overly brutal scenes were one of the causes.��


    Rhode swept a glance to Anne and the latter was baffled as she didn��t know that Rhode was referring to her. At this moment, Lapis spoke hesitantly.


    ��But why, Sir? Why did those people who didn��t watch the competition support us����


    ��This is just an issue of perspective, Lapis.��


    Rhode shook his finger.


    ��You guys witnessed from the competition that most of the audience came from the South and were supporters of Liberty Wings. This was why we were their natural rivals and as a result, they definitely wouldn��t put in good words for us. Furthermore, Rosen died a miserable death and they couldn��t accept the truth. On the other hand, the people of Golden City were mainly Northerners. They hated the South, detested the Reformist Party, and loathed the Liberty Wings. If we lost, they wouldn��t speak up for the loser. But since we won, they have all the reasons to support us. Besides, most of them didn��t witness how terribly Rosen had died and they couldn��t sympathize with the emotions of those in the audience. It was like a war. I guess you guys are aware and have heard of how devastating wars could be. But it is entirely different when you step into one and experience everything personally.��


    Everyone nodded in agreement.


    ��Therefore, those who didn��t witness the competition couldn��t imagine how bad Rosen��s death was and we were the representatives of the North who have defeated the South. As a result, they naturally didn��t have any reasons to humiliate us and chose to defend us instead. In fact, there was only one truth: we carried out the tactic of having several people take turns to tire Rosen out and eventually murder him. Then, we defeated the Liberty Wings Guild and gained the victory. This was the truth. But the truth was otherwise for others who viewed it from another perspective.��


    Rhode spread his arms apart.


    ��Lize, Marlene, and Anne. You girls still remember the show I brought you to watch in the Country of Light, right? That was the same. Standing from the perspective of the Country of Light��s people, they definitely wouldn��t dig their own graves and mention the historical background as this would sway their claim to legitimacy. Would you still think that the town residents who defended against the ��Red Demons�� were putting up a battle of justice after you knew that the land under their feet actually belonged to the ��Red Demons�� who they slaughtered? On the other hand, the ��Red Demons�� wouldn��t think that the town residents who confronted them were righteous because they were the violent, cruel invaders who stole their homes. The town residents were the true Demons instead.��


    ��I think I get what you mean now, Rhode.��


    Marlene nodded. After all, she was considered the only person who was in the noble circle among them and she understood the harmful effects of lies and slanders. But��


    ��But�� They are only civilians. So what if they received such information? They will merely perceive the information as a leisurely pastime since this incident has happened a long time ago. Shouldn��t they focus on living their lives, instead of getting involved in the rumors and slanders?��


    Rhode let out a sigh to Marlene��s doubts. Frankly speaking, Marlene��s thoughts represented the thoughts of most of the nobles in the Munn Kingdom. They believed that life was about working hard in their daily lives and paying taxes since they couldn��t go to war and it wouldn��t threaten their statuses. There were no reasons for them to be concerned about what the people listened to all day. It would be sufficient as long as they managed their affairs properly and ensured that they could live a decent life. Rumors and slanders were vulgar and in poor taste for the nobles, where they weren��t willing to get involved and even hear about them.


    ��I understand, Marlene. Indeed, for most people, it would only be a chat and pastime for them after meals. But as a matter of fact, the information will gradually infiltrate their minds deeply and become a fixed opinion.��


    Rhode lifted his head and revealed the trace of a smile to everyone.


    ��I know a whole lot of you loathe the Country of Darkness. Why?��


    ��This����


    Everyone gazed in astonishment. Then, Lapis answered.


    ��Because�� Because the Undead Creatures rule that country����


    ��Right. Humans are only slaves and serve as meals in there����


    ��Besides, their corpses will even be summoned by Necromancers to become materials for the Undead Army����


    Everyone broke out into discussion at this topic. No matter what, the reputation of the Country of Darkness was resounding on this continent. As the people of the Light Mainland, they heard no few stories about the Country of Darkness.


    Rhode smiled.


    ��Alright then. Which one of you have been to the Country of Darkness and seen it personally?��


    ������


    In an instant, everyone fell into silence. They looked at one another and shook their heads.


    ��None of you have seen it for yourselves, so why are you sure that it��s a living hell in there? Even though Humans are slaves in there, they might be well-fed and living in luxurious houses. Perhaps they are living a better life than most of us here apart from serving the Undead Creatures. Isn��t that possible?��


    ��B-But�� Everyone says that.��


    Anne explained despite being unable to put forward any convincing arguments. Rhode twitched his brows.


    ��That��s right. Everyone says that�� Now, do you understand?��


    ��This����


    Most of them finally understood the meaning behind the words that Rhode conveyed.


    ��It��s the same for the Country of Light. We say that the Country of Light��s people are arrogant and opinionated, while they believed that they are the symbol of freedom and justice, the protectors and representatives of Humans. They overthrew the Light Dragon��s rule and established a nation ruled completely by Humans. This was why they are prideful of their achievements and contemptuous toward the people of other nations and territories. In the Country of Light�� Everyone says that, and that is why they believe so.��


    ������


    Marlene frowned and pondered in silence.


    ��Same goes for the South��s armed rebellion. Why did the people support the group of idiots in the Reformist Party? That��s because the Reformist Party did well in this aspect. They magnified and twisted Lydia��s views and actions for their own benefits. For example: a group of bandits attacked a group of merchants. If the guards didn��t provide assistance in time, people would accuse the guards of being vermin who get paid to do nothing. The people worked so hard to pay taxes for the guards�� services while the guards can��t even chase the bandits away. On the contrary, if the guards arrived on time and defeated the bandits, the people could accuse the guards for not informing them earlier of the lurking bandits since they were already aware. This led to them losing some of their men and resources. Was that a self-directed show put up by the guards to increase their presence?


    ��In any case, the people would still be the ones in the right. That��s just shoving false arguments down others�� throats.��


    John shook his head helplessly. As a commander of the Southern Legion in the past, he knew what Rhode said wasn��t fabricated, but the truth instead. Joey grumbled in discontentment on the other side.


    ��That��s right, there is only one truth. Whether the guards received the report and arrived on time or not, and whether they managed to defeat the bandits or let them escape, that was the truth. But this is meaningless to the Reformist Party. They had to weaken the legitimacy of Lydia��s rule, so they stood with this position and re-described the whole situation. This way, the people would believe that Lydia��s Royal Family was incapable of protecting them and they couldn��t rely on the greedy, weak, sinister officials, and could only trust their own hands to change everything. This was why the Reformist Party received so much support from the people when they began their rebellion. Everyone was speaking ill of the Royal Family and believed that they failed to handle proper business, wasted their money, and threw their weight about. On the contrary, the Reformist Party who claimed to be representing the people was naturally the popular choice.��


    Rhode stood to his feet.


    ��This was why I proposed the Skynet Plan. Through various intelligence reports, not only could we gather information from various regions, but we can also manipulate them into being in line with our standpoint and disseminate them out in our benefits. At the very least, we can��t allow our potential allies to be suspicious and resistant to us due to slanders and rumors.��


    Almost everyone nodded in agreement. In fact, what Rhode had mentioned was a common matter in the information age, where people understood the importance of grasping public opinion and right to speak. But it was different here. The information dissemination on this continent wasn��t developed yet and could even be considered lacking. In general, the channels in which people obtained information were either from rumors heard in pubs, or from stories told by travelers. The Country of Light was the best in manipulating public opinion on this entire continent. Of course, words couldn��t defeat blades and firearms. Even though the Country of Light could manipulate public opinion, defame, misrepresent, and vilify the Country of Darkness, words wouldn��t aid them in being victorious when the Undead Army flooded into their country. Failure would still be failure while death would still be death.


    ��But Rhode����


    Marlene scanned the map before her and said dubiously. Almost half of the intelligence hubs Rhode had set up were located in the Country of Light. What does this mean? Why would Rhode do that if he��s only gathering information? Besides, these places are strategic locations for military affairs. Could it be that�� Marlene gazed at Rhode and shook her head.


    ��What��s wrong?��


    ��No�� Nothing.��


    She lowered her head in silence. But she puckered her brows and scrutinized the map.


    Could it be that�� this Skynet Plan which Rhode came up with is designed to target the Country of Light?

 Chapter 690 - Storm Clouds Approach

    Rhode completed his final piece of the puzzle with Gillian��s return. It could also be said that a complete system had been established. Marlene would be in charge of the territory, controlling the finances, internal affairs, and diplomatic works of Grenbell. On the other hand, Ann Clark had officially become Rhode��s subordinate and worked for him. Also, as Marlene��s assistant, Ann was responsible for business negotiations with foreign trade associations and merchants. According to Marlene, this young lady had great potential. Even though she lacked experience in dealing with people, she was sensitive to economic changes and business negotiations. She could sharply catch the loopholes and traps in discussions and contracts. Although she was still too immature to be an ��evil businesswoman��, Marlene believed that she would be a capable assistant in the near future.


    Orchid Heart was put in charge in terms of military. She was responsible for the recruitment of soldiers, training, and mobilizing, which could also be considered the busiest department in Rhode��s territory. Currently, Rhode didn��t have a specific military concept and he left John in charge of administering it for the time being. As John had to manage his Cavalrymen, he didn��t have much time to put in enough attention on the Infantries. Therefore, even though Rhode��s subordinates appeared seemingly impressive, there weren��t a lot of private soldiers under him. Moreover, John had about a hundred Cavalrymen under him and fortunately, Rhode only had to maintain the social order in the Fortress and Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were around to watch over things. If not, the small number of private soldiers under him would be in complete chaos.


    But the situation took a huge turn after Orchid Heart took office. She only had one requirement for the soldiers under her: obedient. It didn��t matter if they lacked an arm or leg; it would be sufficient if they fulfilled the requirements, could battle, and display their loyalty.


    Under such ��loose�� terms, the vigorous recruitment work began instantly. The Fortress was much livelier than before, with the massive migration from the people of nearby regions. Now that people had heard of the overlord��s recruitment to his private army, there were a whole lot of people who signed up and most of them passed the interview. However, even though they were recruited, they didn��t have rich battle experiences. This was why Rhode promoted a group of experienced mercenaries from Starlight and with the support of the Reputation System, he could easily pick out those who were loyal and respectful toward him to manage and train the newcomers. Among the mercenaries, many of them were kicked out of the military and were extremely familiar with the military style. Besides, they were skilled at their jobs, which resolved a huge trouble for Rhode. The mercenaries welcomed this decision with opened arms. The reason why they had joined Starlight earlier was because they hoped to be valued highly by Rhode to eventually become his henchmen. And now, not only did they join Rhode��s army, but they also received various titles such as captains or instructors.


    With the prestigious titles, statuses, and wealth, the other mercenaries were naturally envious. They also wished to perform outstandingly to capture Rhode��s attention and eventually become his henchmen. Moreover, many mercenaries had also joined the guild and hoped to develop themselves, which started Starlight in the orbit of a virtuous cycle. Within a few days, the strength of Rhode��s private soldiers had grown to about 3,000 men. Thereafter, Orchid Heart had also temporarily stopped the recruitment works in order to keep the stability. But even so, there was still an impact to the Fortress with that sudden increase of soldiers, which led to more burden on another person: Lapis.


    Even though the alchemy department under Lapis had become much more stable with an increase of members, they had to focus their energy in concocting more alchemical potions and equipment with the drastic increase in private soldiers, temporarily suspending the research. Lapis had some grumbles over it, but she understood that Rhode lacked the resources to support her creations. After all, they required a lot of materials and even though Rhode had extorted a whole lot of materials from the Alchemist Association, those were only sufficient for creating equipment. Perhaps even double that amount of materials wouldn��t be enough to research and develop newer products.


    Although Lapis��s production speed had become much quicker with the help of Marlene��s schoolmates, there was still a limit, after all. In this aspect, Rhode took reference from the in-game players with the Production Class and gave Lapis a suggestion. In the game, there were no lack of Alchemist players. Even though they concurrently searched for ingredients once in awhile, it was too demanding for them to also be responsible for engraving to producing a series of arts and crafts. Not only would they need to spend a lot of time, but they also had low efficiency. Therefore, the Alchemist players often purchased required ingredients and semi-manufactured goods in order to assemble and sell them instead.


    Due to this, Rhode proposed a reform plan for Lapis�� alchemy department. In the past, he didn��t suggest it as Lapis was the only Alchemist around. But now, she had helpers who were more or less proficient in alchemy. He would be dividing her helpers into groups. The ones weaker in alchemy would be responsible in gathering magic herbs, creating vessels, or perhaps working on carving and casting shells. On the other hand, Lapis could gather some blacksmiths, herbalists, and craftsmen to complete the design plans, before handing them to Marlene��s schoolmates for supervision. The schoolmates would assemble after the production process and Lapis could also use the chance to select some talents and groom them into being disciples who could speed up the production of alchemical equipment.


    Lapis objected to Rhode��s suggestion from the start. In fact, it wasn��t only her, but Marlene and the others also didn��t understand it either. Got to say, the people in this age were rather conservative in their thoughts. They universally believed that one couldn��t engage in the production of alchemy products without sufficient knowledge because one didn��t understand the essence of the items at all. What if there was a problem during the production?


    However, Rhode wasn��t mindful of their objections as he saw it as the responsibility of the creator. In fact, it wouldn��t affect one��s ability in producing tires even if one couldn��t operate a vehicle. Of course, it would be another issue if one decided to design new tires.


    Got to say, the strength of tradition was formidable.


    Even though Rhode had tried his best to convince Lapis and Marlene, they were still dubious of his suggestion. Although they admitted that Rhode��s plan was workable to a certain extent, they still thought that it was impossible to produce a list of equipment with magical powers that required alchemy knowledge. Rhode couldn��t do anything about it. No matter what, he was just a player and not a game designer. Besides, in the game, even though the Alchemist players�� semi-manufactured goods were also made by other players in the Production Class, that didn��t require them to create it just like in reality, after all. Instead, the players simply needed to place all the materials before him and activate his skill would do. This way, even though there was a certain failure rate, it would become a ��qualified product�� that met the system specifications if it succeeded. But that was in the game, and there might perhaps be some differences in this world��


    In the end, both sides took a step back. Lapis and Marlene agreed to hand the less important duties for them to fulfill and leave the important equipment embedding and engraving works to themselves. Of course, if everything worked out, they would consider taking Rhode��s suggestion further�� After all, Lapis was an Alchemist Master in terms of magical technology while Marlene��s Senia Family was a well-known magical family. Both of them were experts in this aspect and he had done what he could. He could only slowly observe the effects in the future.


    Among all these issues, Christie was the one who left Rhode the most gratified. She had completely become Lapis�� important assistant. Not only were the drawings and drafts that she had come out with beautiful and elegant, but they were also practical, where even Lapis, whose entire head was filled with the alchemical knowledge of the Behermes, couldn��t help but praise.


    But Marlene had expressed some concerns to Rhode privately. According to her observations, not only were the magic circuits designed by Christie pleasing to the eye, but they also appeared to be designed according to the laws of some alchemical techniques. It was almost impossible for one without rich knowledge and experience in alchemy to design it. But Christie�� She didn��t seem to know any alchemy at all. Besides, she wouldn��t have reached such heights even if she started learning since she was born. Moreover, Marlene and Rhode knew clearly what sort of life Christie had been leading before. Under such circumstances, how was it possible for her to learn the designs for magical technology? Furthermore, Marlene was perturbed when Christie didn��t understand what she was asking about the designs. Christie merely thought that the design looked pretty and that was all. It would be a coincidence for a blind cat to catch a dead mouse once or twice. But, it had always been the case for Christie. Wasn��t that strange enough?


    Rhode didn��t provide any explanation to the situation and he comforted Marlene to not worry too much. In fact, even though he didn��t know why Christie could understand these, he vaguely had an answer in his mind. Everything Christie had done subconsciously perhaps had something to do with the ��other Christie�� from his dreams. Even though he had met the ��other Christie�� twice, she had always given him a lot of help. She aided him in repairing Madaras and Gracier before showing him the location of the two Holy Sword Cards. That ��Christie�� surely wasn��t an ordinary character. Not only that, but what also left Rhode baffled was that he seemed to have seen that scenery in his dream somewhere before�� But he just couldn��t recall it.


    There wasn��t any regular pattern for the appearance of the ��other Christie��. Although Christie often slept with Rhode, the ��other Christie�� had only appeared in his dreams twice.


    Recently, Rhode didn��t allow Christie to spend the night with him anymore. The reason was simple. He was entangled by Anne.


    Ever since the start of her estrus, Anne had been fulfilling her sexual desires. She looked for him practically every night, which left him intolerable. Even though Marlene and Lize also had such behaviors after giving their first to him, they had the reservation of young ladies, after all, and would at most provide some subtle hints. However, Anne was completely different. As long as no one was around and no matter if it was day or night, Anne would always take the initiative. On the other hand, Rhode responded without the slightest hesitation to the meat that was delivered to his door. Not only that, but Anne would also look for Rhode every night, which he had no choice but to stop Christie from sleeping in his room at night, just in case she saw something unsuitable for children.


    Fortunately, Rhode��s constitution was beyond Human values. If not, he would��ve long been dried out by Anne. But, even so, sometimes he felt as though the lower part of his body had become numb without any perception�� He only hoped for Anne��s estrus to end quickly. If not, he would need to sneakily and shamefully get Lapis to concoct a few potions to cure Anne.


    Of course, it was just an anecdote for his leisure time. Apart from mixing with Anne all day, he naturally had other important matters.


    Ever since the launch of the Skynet Plan, first-hand, useful information from various regions of the Light Mainland had been flowing in constantly. Even though Rhode could be said to have experienced everything that happened in this continent as a top-rated player who had transmigrated to this world, he wasn��t a history record, after all. He could remember large-scale and personal history, but he had no idea on the specific day and time of happenings that were rumored. And now, according to the ��Skynet��, he could thereby determine the clues and use his memories to form a picture as to what was about to happen.


    He was most concerned about the news regarding the Country of Light.


    After the Dragon Soul Ceremony, he slipped back to the Munn Kingdom while leaving things in a mess. The Light Parliament had sunk into chaos. The news of the Parliament Chairman half-kneeling and kissing Lydia��s hand and the devastating loss of the Magician Knights had spread throughout the entire Country of Light. In an instant, the Light Parliament got caught in the heart of the struggle with many people bawling out on them for humiliating the ancestors who had given their all for the sake of freedom and beliefs. Some groups of people had even named that day as a ��national humiliation day�� and thought that the Light Parliament had fallen from grace and betrayed their freedom and righteous beliefs. The lower chamber of legislative body represented the people in proposing a serious protest to the Light Parliament. Not only that, but the people also organized demonstrations before the Light Parliament and resisted their incapability. Moreover, judging from the situations of the territories around the Country of Light, most of them who supported the Light Parliament remained silent and kept a distance away from the Light Parliament. It seemed that they were also worried that the Light Parliament wouldn��t stabilize the situation.


    On the other hand, Lilian had taken actions.


    It could be seen that she was an idealist. She dispatched men to Dalkest to speak to the people there and made a series of decisions to transform the place in order to ensure the people there could live ordinary lives and hold jobs. But these solutions definitely weren��t thought of by Lilian. The people of Casabianca had a different appraisal on this decision. They had huge opinions about Dalkest and it would be for the best that Lilian was willing to resolve this problem. But on the other hand, many of them were worried that this was the first step of the Light Dragon in recapturing her sovereignty.


    The Light Parliament��s prestige was swaying. The Light Dragon Soul had gotten involved in the internal affairs of the country. The country was in a complete mess. The people were feeling a mix of emotions which included worry, anger, and restlessness. According to the intelligence, people from other cities apart from Casabianca were also putting up demonstrations and protesting the Light Parliament. Furthermore, the Light Parliament didn��t receive the funding from the Munn Kingdom this year. Even though Lilian used the funds for internal affairs, she definitely wouldn��t use them to fill the Light Parliament��s financial deficit. It was imaginable of the crisis if the Light Parliament failed to make ends meet by next year.


    Rhode knew that the five largest financial groups definitely wouldn��t take actions immediately. If they truly wished to manipulate the Light Parliament, they had to allow the financial holes to expose themselves and when the Light Parliament were incapable of resolving the problems, they would emerge with the identity of the savior.


    Why were heroes always popular and well-liked? That was because they often emerged during the worst scenarios. When the Demon ravaged the surface. When the ruler oppressed its people tyrannically. When blood flowed to form a river. When the world was suffering from war and deaths. �� Only under such circumstances where a hero stepped out and defeated the bad guy was respected. How many people would respect the hero if the hero immediately slaughtered the Demon King who had just emerged to the surface and burst into laughter, saying, ��Hahaha. I��m going to destroy this world!��? No one.


    The Light Parliament also knew that this was the five largest financial groups�� scheme. But Rhode knew that they wouldn��t let the five largest financial groups take advantage of this situation. The reasons why the Light Parliament dared to snatch the authority from the Light Dragon Soul was because of themselves. Even though the five largest financial groups often applied pressure on them, the Light Parliament held political rights, after all. If the Light Parliament were to fall into their tricks and become their puppets, they might as well rely on the Light Dragon Soul, since the Light Dragon Soul was still one of the Creator Dragon Soul��much greater than a group of Humans.


    Rhode was sure that things wouldn��t end so easily. Besides, the more miserable the Light Parliament was as stated in the intelligence report, the more Rhode couldn��t force out a smile. Even though he couldn��t wait for the Light Parliament to perish, he had a premonition as though one was standing on the plain and watching thick, dark clouds rolling over and covering the entire sky. It was apparent that a huge storm was brewing without the need of a weather report.


    Indeed, things were slowly changing.


    The Light Parliament had kept quiet all these while. However, another problem was slowly growing and that was regarding the rumors of the Country of Darkness. The rumors of the Country of Darkness launching ambushes on the Country of Light��s border guards were spreading within the Country of Light and its people were slowly shifting their attention away from the Light Parliament��s embarrassing situation and discussing about this issue.


    Everyone was aware that the Country of Darkness was a nation dominated by Undead Creatures and some Humans had tried all sorts of ways to cross the border and arrive at nations dominated by Humans like the Country of Light or the Munn Kingdom. The defectors had various reasons. Some did it for their research on undead spells and some were spies, or for whatever reasons. Of course, the Country of Darkness definitely wouldn��t admit that they were the ones at fault. The Munn Kingdom and the Country of Light didn��t count on them admitting that either. It was just like how the Eastern Plains had always been the front line of a war between the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Darkness, where it was common for Humans and Undead Creatures to get into conflicts.


    But now, the rumors of Country of Darkness�� ambushes and that they were about to invade the Country of Light were spreading. The people weren��t too aware of such rumors as they were mostly stopped at the borders. But now, there was an obvious problem with the speed of spread for these rumors. It would still be unavoidable if only a few regions were spreading the rumors as there were bound to be loopholes. However, the situation was completely different if the entire Country of Light was spreading them.


    These rumors had left the Country of Light��s people in a state of unrest. Moreover, there was also a rumor that mentioned that the Light Parliament had lost every scrap of reputation, the Light Dragon Soul tried to snatch its authority back, and the Country of Darkness had the intentions of attacking the Country of Light!


    Got to say, such opinions were popular among the people and based on the intelligence report, many of the Country of Light��s people agreed with this view too.


    At this moment, the Light Parliament who had been maintaining silence had some activities.


    They formally protested to the Country of Darkness through diplomatic channels, requesting them to hand over the murderers who killed their border guards!


    The Country of Darkness definitely wouldn��t regard their words highly. They expressed that it was merely an accident and there was no evidence which proved that it was the Country of Darkness�� regular army that attacked the guards. They believed that it was the doing of some fleeing Undead Creatures, sent their condolences for the mishap of the guards, and announced that they would investigate the case. But the Country of Light actually asked for them to hand out the murderers�� That was impossible because the murderers didn��t exist, so how were they able to hand them over?


    The Light Parliament was oddly stubborn on this matter. They provided a massive number of evidence and witnesses to prove that it was Country of Darkness�� regular army that had attacked and once again issued unyielding arguments that requested for the Country of Darkness to provide an explanation.


    In the end, Country of Darkness was no longer interested in playing games with the Light Parliament. They expressed that there must have been some misunderstandings in the situation and they could communicate with the Light Dragon Soul�� It went to show that the Country of Darkness knew the situation happening in the Country of Light inside out and they wouldn��t mind messing with the Light Parliament.


    But the situation took a turn thereafter.


    The Light Parliament was still unwilling to forgive the Country of Darkness. They definitely wouldn��t allow Country of Darkness to communicate with the Light Dragon Soul. As a result, the Light Parliament once again requested for Country of Darkness apologize and compensate them for their losses. But this time, the Light Parliament weren��t only speaking. They had mobilized several of their troops to the rumored border region where their guards were ambushed and announced to the public that this was the military exercise of the new year. However, everyone knew what they were up to.


    Rhode understood from the intelligence that war was inevitable.

 Chapter 691 - Undercurrent

    The Light Parliament mobilizing their troops to the border had captured the attention of the entire continent. However, the people refused to believe that the Country of Light and Country of Darkness would go into war. After all, they knew that such clashes had always existed and were well aware that the Light Parliament would be so unyielding. Therefore, the Light Parliament mobilizing their troops was only making a tough stand. Sometimes, international politics were like two people pointing at each other��s nose and taunting: ��Hit me if you dare!��, ��Touch me and I will kill you!��, or ��Come on, I��m not afraid of you!����


    Even though both sides cursed while spitting saliva across, neither would do anything even if the situation escalated. Therefore, everyone was only concerned about the clash between them at a general level. They believed that the Light Parliament was only expressing their tough stance to regain support from the people and wouldn��t send out their troops to attack the Country of Darkness.


    Indeed. That was their intention. But the Country of Darkness might have other ideas!


    Unlike the Country of Light with an accumulation of contradictions and internal and external problems, the Country of Darkness could be said to have expanded in strength and thrived under the guidance of Dark Dragon, Ion. They possessed formidable military forces, wealth, and apart from the four largest families led by the four legendary generals, various smaller family forces were also rising. Ion was clear that there was only one path to take on if the Country of Darkness yearned to unleash all their potential. If they didn��t expand their forces, they would inevitably get into a conflict with the four legendary generals as the emerging families rose in forces��there were possibilities of internal wars and disputes. The Dark Dragon was neither Lilian nor the Light Parliament, so he definitely wouldn��t allow such calamities to happen under his watchful eyes. Starting a war, dominating the territories, and expanding their forces was the inevitable ending.


    Rhode had gotten ready as soon as he heard of the possible upcoming war. The Country of Darkness didn��t retaliate up until this point while the Light Parliament continued to clamor for attention, and that was all. Neither did the Country of Darkness mobilize their army nor sternly warn the Light Parliament. Therefore, everyone saw this as only an ordinary international conflict.


    But Rhode was clear that the Country of Darkness had no need to mobilize their army. All they were doing now was concealing their true motive. This was what they did in the game: paralyze the opposition before launching lightning swift raids in one swoop.


    The undead properties of the Country of Darkness��s undead army proved that there were no flaws in their blitzes. As Undead Creatures, they didn��t need to replenish their health on the spot and could mobilize their army beforehand. Besides, they wouldn��t feel exhausted and could travel day and night constantly. As long as Necromancers were present, the corpses on the battlefield would be awakened by them to become a part of their forces. In addition, the corpses were tireless and fearless of death, which decided that almost no one could resist their attacks whenever the undead army mobilized.


    This was one of the reasons why the Country of Light fell a thousand miles in the game. After all, they were humans with lives and would naturally feel fatigue, exhaustion, and fear. Facing such a tactic from the Country of Darkness, the Country of Light had no means of resistance at all. It was only until later, after they sacrificed a large portion of their territories and manpower to rely on the mighty fortress and defensive line, that they defended against the Undead Creatures�� attack. However, as any solid defenses would crumble from the inside first. Rhode led the players from the rear and seized the chance to wipe out the Light Parliament before the Country of Darkness managed to.


    Even though the Light Parliament would still be destroyed by the Country of Darkness even if Rhode didn��t take action, that didn��t mean that the strategy to defend to their deaths was useless. Most importantly, although the Light Parliament was a group of good-for-nothing, adopting the strategy to defend to their deaths could slow down the Undead Creatures�� attack to a certain extent. This was proven to be an effective strategy against the Country of Darkness. After all, blitzes were to catch enemies off guard with a surprise attack and it wouldn��t be too effective if the enemies were ready for it.


    Of course. Rhode didn��t forget about sending reports to Lydia to warn her of the possibilities of the Country of Darkness launching an ambush. This time, he didn��t bother to disguise his knowledge and had written the report based on the analysis of players on the forums about the cause of this war. He had also expressed to Lydia that he was 100 percent sure the Country of Darkness would take advantage of the situation to invade the Country of Light and Munn Kingdom. After all, it would be hard for the Munn Kingdom to avoid getting caught in the crossfire based on its geographical location.


    However, Lydia��s response left Rhode dumbfounded. This eccentric Royal Highness didn��t mention her opinion in her reply letter. Instead, she sent an internal meeting record on this matter regarding the Country of Light. It could be seen from this document that most people believed that this conflict was as per usual, where the Light Parliament had embarrassed themselves during the Dragon Soul Ceremony and used this chance to recover. Even though they also agreed that there were risks and didn��t believe that the Country of Darkness would launch an ambush, Rhode could see that instead of believing that the Country of Darkness wouldn��t start a war, the people were ��wishing�� that the Country of Darkness wouldn��t. No matter what, the Country of Light and the Country of Darkness were the largest nations on this continent. The instant a war broke out between them, the consequences would be devastating. Besides, as both countries were powerful, it wouldn��t be as simple as a large country devouring a smaller country or a short-lived war between two weak countries. Speaking in exaggeration, this war might last for years, decades, or even centuries��and this wasn��t a groundless fear. Come to think of it, back then, many races went extinct in that devastating Creation War that fought for centuries. Moreover, some races also split up like the Elves and Dark Elves, and Angels and Fallen Angels. This time, no one knew if this war between both nations would become another Creation War.


    Everyone��s concern was not just out of fear of this imaginary war. They believed that as soon as the Country of Darkness went all out, there would be disastrous consequences and perhaps the Country of Darkness might develop some misunderstandings or ill intentions toward them. Rhode snorted disdainfully. But he had to admit that these sayings weren��t all dependent on weakness.


    Other countries had a huge weakness against the Country of Darkness and that was that they couldn��t receive any information regarding the higher-ups of the Country of Darkness. The reason was simple. The higher-ups of the Country of Darkness were mainly Necromancers, Vampires, Death Knights, Dark Elves, and others who were capable of reading and manipulating minds. Vampires could extract information from the blood of their preys. The Necromancer could exploit every intelligence from the brains of the dead. Dark Elves had a unique spell to judge if the other party was lying. In this dark country, they would use these skills almost without any moral restrictions and no one would despise them for it. The Country of Darkness was a formidable nation and as long as one was capable, one would be right no matter what one did. Even if one wasn��t strong enough, one could still be made use of as long as one was loyal. But those who weren��t strong and were always daydreaming would become the prey of others.


    It was due to this that it was harder for people to gather intelligence in such a country than climb to heaven. Even if they could get their hands on thought-provoking artifacts or had immunity against mind-reading spells, they would still be captured by the Undead Creatures and locked up for research as soon as they were discovered. When that happened, not only would they not attain any intelligence, but they would also reveal absolute classified information after the Undead Creatures extracted them from the blood and brain.


    It was due to this that there were basically no countries on the Light Mainland that dared to send spies into the Country of Darkness. The best that they could do was to send Humans to mix with the underclass. But there was limited information in those places and it wouldn��t be effective. On the other hand, many nobles and high officials in the Light Mainland were willing to betray their souls and intelligence to the Undead Creatures in exchange for false, eternal lives.


    Unable to receive accurate intelligence meant that one couldn��t have accurate judgment of their enemies. Therefore, many people judged the Country of Darkness based on what they had done. But everyone knew that this sort of evaluation wasn��t reliable.


    However, not everyone thought so because there was one person who had a clear-cut stand on Rhode��s side in this meeting record: Gaya.


    She had clearly indicated that according to the report from the Eastern Plains, there was a massive decrease in the number of Undead Creatures and invasions, where many times were just routine businesses. Although they were usually doing routine business, it felt more like they were putting up a show now and they weren��t true battles. Therefore, she had reason to believe that the Undead Creatures were planning a huge event. Besides, as one born in the Eastern Plains, Gaya would perceive the Undead Creatures�� intentions in the worst way possible, so she wouldn��t believe that the Country of Darkness was being sincere no matter what they said. This happened to be the same view as Rhode��s. How foolish would it be to believe that the dead could live harmoniously with mortals��


    The parties with different opinions struggled endlessly in the entire meeting while Lydia didn��t mention a word. In the end, the final record consisted of opinions which indicated that they wouldn��t take public precautions, but would be on guard privately instead. Rhode realized that even though Lydia didn��t openly announce that she would mobilize the Battle Angel Army for defense, it was ambiguously expressed.


    Rhode shrugged. In fact, the results were somewhat better and worse than he had expected because he didn��t know how effective the private preparations would be. But fortunately, at least the Munn Kingdom was mentally prepared for the Country of Darkness��s attack after this meeting. Therefore, they wouldn��t crumble instantly even if they were ambushed. As for the Country of Light, Rhode had no interest in minding their business. He also wasn��t aware if Lydia would warn Lilian about it. Although Lilian was trying her best, Rhode knew that she was too weak. Such weakness wasn��t merely her age and strength, but more of an ability to command such a large-scale battle. In the end, the Light Parliament would still take authority over her.


    He might as well count on himself than count on the Country of Light.


    Within this period, Rhode had been working with a low profile. He used the excuse of an increased number of private soldiers to purchase foodstuff through the Silver Libra Trade Association and also decreased the production of magical potions to the public. Rhode also remain tight-lipped within the fortress. He had discussed this with others, but Marlene and Lize thought that such a massive war wouldn��t break out anytime soon. On the contrary, Old Walker agreed with Rhode��s views. But the latter didn��t mention much and merely got them to manage their individual duties.


    The days went by.


    The harsh winter appeared to go by extremely slowly for Rhode. He felt that this winter was incomparably long as though it lasted a decade. He was clear that if the Country of Darkness were to launch an ambush on the Country of Light, winter would be the best time. Their Undead Army wouldn��t be affected by the harsh weather conditions and the severe winter could even be their best camouflage. The Country of Darkness definitely wouldn��t wait for spring. They weren��t any upright gentlemen who would announce the start of a war before they attacked.


    The huge snowstorm fluttered wildly and dark clouds covered the sky densely almost everyday. Goose feather-like snow descended and enveloped the surface into a silver-whitish place. Winter had become the main melody of this world.


    Night fell.


    The pitch-black night sky devoured every inch of brightness. The thick clouds concealed the high-hanging moon and spread the shadows of darkness like slow-moving dark ink and venom��


    ***


    ��Argh��!��


    The little girl opened her eyes wide, clutched her chest tightly with both hands, and her petite body trembled constantly on the bed. Her weak, painful groans resounded in the spacious, warm bedroom. Shortly after, a few Battle Angels rushed into the room and to her side.


    ��Your Majesty! What��s wrong? Your Majesty!��


    ��Argh�� Ahh����


    Lilian gritted her teeth. Her adorable face was as pale as a sheet of paper. She widened her mouth and panted for air. There were no traces of radiance in her eyes as though her consciousness had left and drifted to a faraway land.


    ��Step aside.��


    A deep, calm voice sounded. Then, Archangel Serene emerged beside Lilian and placed her right hand on the latter��s chest. A spotlessly white brilliance emanated from her palm and shrouded Lilian completely. The little girl��s painful expression softened and her tensed up body relaxed.


    ��Ha�� Ha�� Ha�� Ah����


    Lilian laid paralyzed on the bed. She widened her eyes and was drenched in cold sweat. She lifted her head and gazed Archangel Serene worriedly.


    ��Serene�� I-I think�� someone�� has invaded my territory!��


    ����!��


    Archangel Serene turned around hurriedly and looked at Archangel Boulder who stood by the door. She nodded slightly and said with a stern tone.


    ��Gather the Light Parliament immediately!��


    ***


    The snow continued to flutter about.


    ��This goddamn weather.��


    The guard captain gazed at the snowy scene from his tent, but he wasn��t in the mood to admire the magnificent view. He picked up an alcohol flask placed on a brazier, opened the cap, and gulped the warm content down. He let out a comfortable shiver.


    ��Those bastards from the parliament actually made us suffer in this border wilderness. I would��ve been having fun with wifey if I were home! I don��t understand why must we be in this ridiculous place. When are we going back!��


    ��Alright, alright, cut the crap.��


    His companion curled his lips and passed another alcohol flask to him.


    ��We��re here to put up a show anyway and we can go back after those guys finish speaking their piece. Alright, shut your mouth and get ready to patrol. Be prepared to stay here even longer if the chief hears your complaints. Look around you, damn it. It��s just night duty, so cut the crap and save your energy. Drink a little less. There��s not much alcohol left!��


    ��I know, I know. I was just complaining. Those bastards�� Huh?��


    ��What��s wrong?��


    ��That��s strange����


    The guard captain knitted his brows and listened carefully to the surrounding. He shook his head.


    ��Why do I hear some ��swish�� swish���� sounds like the waves?��


    ��Have you drank too much? There isn��t any river around, not to mention an ocean�� Argh. It��s freezing. How can the weather be so cold. I��m about to freeze to death�� Damn it. My armor has frozen together! Why is this winter����


    Boom!


    At this moment, a soldier barged into the room from the snowstorm.


    ��R-R-Reporting, Captain! We��ve been attacked! Ambush! Ambush!��


    ��Calm down! Where��re the enemies?!��


    The guard captain berated and drew out his sword. He strode out of the tent was instantly stricken into silence.


    A steady stream of white waves whizzed in like waves that engulfed the land. The strong snowstorm was as though powerless breezes that weren��t worth any mention. In this vast white ocean, vague, greenish-white radiance resembling candle flames could be seen dancing in the distance.


    The guard captain felt his blood freeze up completely.


    ��Undead Army����

 Chapter 692 - War Against Fate (I)

    Boom!


    Rhode pushed the doors to the meeting hall open and gazed at everyone who had gathered around the round hall. Not only were his subordinates present, but even the representatives of the Church, Elves, and Merchants were also here. Everyone gazed worriedly at the young overlord because they didn��t know why he had gathered everyone in the middle of the night. Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, Gillian, and Orchid Heart looked on with calm expressions. As Rhode��s summoning spirits and subordinates, they had already received this news from him earlier on.


    Rhode sensed the doubt and curiosity in everyone. He walked to the center in large strides and looked at everyone sternly.


    ��I know everyone must be feeling strange as to why I��ve gathered you here. Time is pressing. I will cut the nonsense and get straight to the point.��


    Rhode paused and gave them some time to mentally prepare themselves.


    ��I��ve received news that the Undead Army has crossed the border and is heading toward our Fortress under the Dark Dragon��s protection. There are about 50,000 of them in total.��


    ��������!��


    Everyone was rooted in their place. They gazed at one another blankly as they were confused and disoriented by this overwhelming news. After a few moments, they broke out into panic discussions and even Lize and Marlene were pale in complexion. The two young ladies had discussed with Rhode regarding the chances of the Country of Darkness dispatching their army. But back then, they believed that the Country of Darkness wouldn��t take actions so quickly. And now, the truth had given them a tight slap and left them speechless.


    ��Quiet. I hope everyone can keep quiet.��


    Rhode��s voice pierced through the clamors in the hall. At the same time, an invisible, ice-cold chilliness enveloped the hall, which shut their mouths instantly. They turned to Rhode altogether and felt a firm sense of security from his expressionless face. In the past, they had always inwardly cursed him for being unsociable and often putting up a long face. But now, everyone felt so much more at ease. Even though they didn��t know what this young overlord had in mind, it seemed that he did have some tricks up his sleeves.


    ��You guys should know what this means. The Undead Army is only 30 minutes away from us and we have to get everything ready by then.��


    Rhode turned around and roll called one by one.


    ��Senior Heart, get all the soldiers ready for Category A battle. Also, set up defenses, seal off the entrance doors, and pull up the drawbridge. Lapis, you��re in charge of preparing all the alchemical armor and weapons. I want everyone equipped in the shortest time possible.��


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    Lapis stood upright and responded with a trembling voice. On the other hand, Orchid Heart pondered in silence and nodded slightly before letting out a yawn. It seemed that she really hadn��t woken up yet. Rhode turned to the others upon hearing their affirmations.


    ��Joey, from now onward, the Fortress will be sealed off entirely. Anyone is prohibited from heading out unless granted permission. I want you to lead your men to patrol the area. John, I request that you gather your Cavalrymen to maintain order within the city in the quickest time possible and ensure that there is no chaos among the people. I will get Agatha and her Ocean Elves to assist you on that. If anyone creates trouble or wreaks havoc, kill them without hesitation! Also, dispatch a squad out of the Fortress to gather the villagers and prepare them for evacuation.��


    ��Yes, Sir Overlord!��


    ��Got it, Boss.��


    John replied urgently and even Joey, who usually put on a cheeky smile put up a stern expression. Time was of essence now and Rhode wasn��t in the mood to care about such details. He even felt that giving commands were a waste of time. If only he could use his cursor and click on everything that he had to do, just like in the game��


    ��Anne, stay in the Fortress and protect Christie and the rest. I will assign a team to assist you too. Mr. Walker, I want you to head to the Golden City and Deep Stone City and issue an emergency notice. You have to inform them of our situation immediately.��


    ��No problem, Kid.��


    ��Leave it to Anne! Leader! Anne will protect everyone well!��


    Old Walker drank a gulp of alcohol and nodded with might. Anne jumped up energetically and brandished the shield in her hand, which scared the others into cowering. They were afraid that their heads would be crushed to death even before the battle started.


    ��Marfa and Sol. Both of you are still directly under my command. Same goes for Lize and Marlene. Gather the men immediately and wait for me on the city walls after the preparations. Listen to all my commands. Don��t act without permission. I will let you know what to do.��


    After ordering all his subordinates in the quickest possible speed, he turned to another group at the corner. Those weren��t his subordinates, but the representatives of various forces within his Fortress. But now, they were all companions on the same boat.


    ��I guess you��re aware of the situation now. 50,000 Undead Creatures are coming, but they aren��t heading here for teatime. You should also know how far away our Land of Atonement is from other areas. In this Fortress, I��m confident in protecting your safety. But I can��t guarantee your safety if you leave the Fortress. You can only depend on yourselves.��


    Rhode puckered his brows slightly. Then, he turned to the Moon Elf young lady.


    ��Miss Corina, I hope to receive the Church��s and your support. The Undead Army has crossed the border and we don��t have sufficient manpower now. I hope to receive any assistance that you can provide. Even though it isn��t my intention to implicate your kingdom, this is all that I can do for now.��


    ������


    Corina didn��t respond immediately. She represented the Country of Law and the Church, and she wasn��t a citizen of the Munn Kingdom. If she retaliated against the Undead Army and was found out, it might implicate the Country of Law. Therefore, it wasn��t easy for Corina to come up with an answer. She might even need to discuss further with the Country of Law before she could make a decision. But Rhode quickly turned around before receiving her reply as time was pressing and he couldn��t wait. Anyway, Corina was in his territory now and he had a lot of ways to make her join this battle ��willingly��.


    Rhode ordered with a solemn expression.


    ��Let��s move out.��


    The pitch-black curtain drew in and shrouded everything.


    Rhode stood on the tall city wall and gazed into the distance. Even though everything had been covered in darkness and snowstorm, it wasn��t what it seemed to be in his eyes. In fact, the reason why he received news of the Country of Darkness�� invasion was credited to the system. As soon as the Country of Darkness�� army stepped into his territory, he instantly received a system prompt, which gave him time to respond.


    The Fortress was as though a sleeping giant that had awakened and flew into operation. As Rhode had trained the soldiers specially for such events, they didn��t appear to be flustered at all. They had gotten ready in an orderly fashion and stood on the city wall, gazing sternly into the distance. The archers on the towers were also ready with their bow and arrows, aiming at the dark border.


    ��Hu�� Ha�� Hu����


    Standing at the peak of the city wall, Rhode breathed deeply. He felt his body trembling subconsciously, where even his right hand was trembling. That was a mix of nervousness, thrill, excitement, and fear, like snow water flowing in his body. He had prepared a long time for this moment. Now that the Undead Army was approaching, could he change the fate he wished to?


    This was just the beginning.


    Swish�� Swish�� Swish��


    This faint sound echoed in the whizzing snowstorm.


    It sounded like waves splashing on the shore.


    Rhode lifted his head and gazed into the distance. He wasn��t able to see through the darkness, but he knew what was behind it.


    Thousands of skeletons swarmed forward uniformly like computerized robots. They were fearless as they silently harvested every life in their path with the Death Knights, Vampires, and Necromancers following closely behind.


    Lightning raid.


    Rhode perked up the corners of his mouth and revealed a smile. Raid was to catch an enemy off guard with a surprise attack, which was similar to Rhode��s ��backstabbing�� tactic. So, would he allow himself to be ambushed by others?


    Now��s the chance.


    He narrowed his eyes. Shortly after, a dazzling golden radiance emerged before him and a line of system prompt appeared before his eyes.


    [Activated Holy Maiden Statue]


    Silver-whitish, holy radiance blasted abruptly into the sky.


    The crystal Holy Maiden Statue erected in the middle of the plaza blasted a beam of radiance that was as dazzling as the sun. It rushed into the sky and ripped through the clouds. As soon as it reached the highest point, it expanded in all directions to form a divine barrier that shrouded the entire Fortress. Then, the whizzing snowstorm gradually weakened, dark clouds faded, and shadows enveloping the land retreated like the tide which revealed everything that was hidden beneath.


    The Undead Army camouflaged in the darkness was instantly exposed by the divine brilliance. Everyone clearly witnessed the burning spiritual flames in their eyes and blades shimmering in ice-cold radiance. The Undead Army slowed down to the abrupt environmental changes and it was apparent that they didn��t expect to be discovered.


    Good.


    Rhode looked down at the Undead Army with an ice-cold expression. The Undead Army was so close to launching their ambush, but now, the situation had been reversed. Since they had barged into Rhode��s turf, they could forget about turning back now.


    Rhode raised his right arm and swung forward with all his might.


    ��Attack!��

 Chapter 693 - War Against Fate (II)

    Saiborn lifted his head and gazed into the sky with his eyes burning in spiritual flames. Even though the dense dark clouds had concealed his vision, he could clearly sense the pitch-black, pure, powerful force pushing forward. Although it wasn��t fast, it devoured everything steadily as if a dark abyss.


    Everything��s going smoothly.


    Saiborn unrolled a smile. Perhaps the pathetic mortals didn��t expect us to attack at this juncture. They are timid, foolish, and only fit to live as slaves. The Light Parliament��s false bravado means nothing to Undead Creatures who have lived for one to two centuries. The Undead Creatures deemed the Light Parliament as unqualified to interact with them and they were only a group of immature, egotistical rascals.


    But now��


    Saiborn lowered his head. He looked forward and rubbed his chin with his hand covered in steel armor against his white skeletal jaw. It let out a sound of friction and that was Saiborn��s favorite sound. The sound that would leave his mind calm and peaceful, which wasn��t easy for Undead Creatures, especially for presences like Death Knights, like Saiborn. As warriors with returning souls, their hearts were filled with either vengeance, murderous intent, or endless wars. Peace of mind was as rare as an oasis in the desert, where it could be discovered but not sought. As for Saiborn, the sensation and sound of the friction between his jaw and steel armor was able to temporarily calm the surging flames in him. He liked it this way as this momentary peace meant that there would be much more violent eruptions ahead. He couldn��t wait to charge forward, lead his subordinates against the enemies, and trample them into ashes.


    ��S-Sir Commander.��


    A feeble voice sounded.


    Saiborn came to a slight halt and turned to the flustered young man, who appeared to be no different from the short-lived slaves. He looked miserable, skinny, and had messy long hair sticking to his face. A pitch-black cloak wrapped his body and the red substrate could be vaguely seen. The young man hugged a white cat in his arms, nodding, and bowing to Saiborn. His name was Schrodinger, a Vampire who was sent here just before this war. Death Knights had always been annoyed by the Vampires who used crafty plots and machinations behind their backs, which was why Saiborn let out a snort in disdain.


    ��W-We��re reaching our destination soon.��


    ��Oh.��


    Saiborn replied in a perfunctory tone. He shifted his gaze forward and spotted a silhouette of a pitch-black, imposing structure. That was their destination: the Land of Atonement��s Fortress and the most important defensive line in the western Munn Kingdom. As long as they broke through the defenses, they could penetrate the Paphield Plain and slaughter their way to Golden City. At this moment, Saiborn pondered for a moment. He randomly recalled the report regarding a dangerous young overlord in this territory. Besides, according to his companions, Vulture and Darke had died by his hands. Not only that, but he had also eliminated the entire secret army that executed the mission with Vulture. This achievement itself was enough to make Saiborn view him in a new light.


    I didn��t expect that there would be such an interesting fella among the Humans.


    Saiborn let out a grunt. He wasn��t interested in Vulture��s death. Even though they were all Death Knights, friendship between Undead Creatures was only a joke. On the contrary, he was amused by the young overlord. He heard that the Fortress was built in half a day. No matter if the rumors were true or false, that young overlord must be truly capable. If there was an opportunity, Saiborn wished to turn him into his own subordinate��


    I��m thinking too much.


    Saiborn kept his thoughts and shook his head slightly. The spiritual flames in his eyes flickered. It was in total darkness at the Fortress, apart from sporadic dancing flames. It seemed that the people hadn��t sense the dangers yet and this night was nothing more than an ordinary one.


    But it would be a different story soon.


    ��Dispatch the Bone Griffins to check on the situation ahead.��


    Saiborn ordered and Schrodinger nodded. He turned around and made a few hand gestures. Shortly after, four Bone Griffins flew into the sky and headed for the Fortress.


    ��Sir, you��re too careful.��


    Schrodinger turned to the Death Knight with a pleasing smile.


    ��It��s impossible for the shameless mortals to detect our arrival. Everything that they have done will be for naught. In just a few moments, we will shatter their peaceful and blissful dreams of fantasy and present everything to our supreme His Majesty, the Dark Dragon.��


    ��Hmph.��


    Saiborn let out a snort. He lifted his hand to give another command��


    However, at this moment, a dazzling, bright light column soared into the sky.


    Saiborn instinctively shielded his eyes from the blinding, divine brightness. The silver-whitish light column burst through the dark sky and lit up the clouds. The dark clouds dispersed, and a white radiance spread throughout all directions. In an instant, a translucent barrier was formed over the Fortress and the sporadic flames suddenly changed.


    The flames on the city wall blazed as though responding to the silver-whitish light column and the bright radiance revealed soldiers lined densely on the city wall with their raised torches, shields, and bows, staring forward with determined gazes. Heavy, enormous ballistas aimed forward on the towers on both ends.


    Saiborn sulked instantly and glared forward. Even a dummy knew what the situation was/ Those Humans were ready and waiting for our arrival! Damn it! Damn it! How did they know? Our plan should��ve been perfect!


    ��H-How is this possible����


    Schrodinger shrieked and yelled in horror. Then, at this moment, the annoyed Saiborn swatted Schrodinger��s cheek, which sent him falling to the ground.


    ��Impossible for them to detect our arrival? You worthless trash!��


    Saiborn glared fiercely at the shuddering young man. Even though he wasn��t aware of how the Humans found out this top secret which only top commanders in the army knew, he had no choice but to face it since there was no other way out!


    Saiborn raised his hand at this thought.


    ��Att������


    ��Do it.��


    Rhode swung his right hand down and said coldly.


    Countless arrows streaked across the sky. Saiborn let out a grim laughter. Ordinary arrows were harmless against Undead Creatures and the most common method that the mortals used to eliminate them was by shooting arrows wrapped in burning clothes. However, even though the omnipresent arrows in the air appeared threatening, they weren��t lit with flames, after all�� Then, Saiborn realized that something strange with the arrows.


    They were entirely scarlet.


    At this moment, the rain of arrows struck and engulfed the Undead Army.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A series of loud explosions filled the air with rolling flames spreading among the Undead Army. The powerful explosions and scorching flames raised the snow surface and crumbled the Undead Army. Many of the Skeleton Soldiers were blasted into midair and they shattered into bits as soon as they crashed into the ground. Although the Skeleton Soldiers lacked the emotions or fear, the force of impact had stopped them from advancing forward. In an instant, their front line was left in a complete mess.


    ��Damn it!��


    Saiborn let out a bellow. He just realized that the arrows were unusual. Those weren��t ordinary arrows. Those were magic arrows! Damn it. Why would there be so many magic arrows in this ridiculous place? Even a regular elite army doesn��t possess so many of them!


    ��Necromancers! Strengthen our defense! Bone Griffins, attack!��


    Saiborn ordered instantly. Several Necromancers stepped forward in large strides. They raised their white bone staff and chanted the evil curses. In the blink of an eye, barriers of pitch-black halos spun, expanded, and enveloped the Undead Army.


    ��It��s ��Lion�� Saiborn. Dang it.��


    ***


    Rhode gazed at the flag with puckered brows. Then, he turned to the rest beside him and shrugged.


    ��This is trouble. He��s the subordinate of Balende, ��The Spirit Chaser��. Damn. I just hope that old bastard won��t treat us as the main target of assault�� Forget it. Fortunately, it isn��t Ashvril, ��The Blood Countess��. At least we don��t need to worry about Vampires backstabbing us. Marlene, Canary, you two know what to do next, right?��


    ��Of course, Rhode. Don��t worry.��


    Canary smiled and turned to Marlene.


    ��Marlene, I will dispel their defense curse. You will take charge of retaliation and attack. You��ve fully grasped the ��Flawless Casting technique��, right?��


    ��Yes, Miss Canary.��


    Marlene nodded and both of them turned to the Undead Army with raised arms.


    ***


    ��Sam, Kukuleczka kuka, chiopiec panny, szuka.��


    ��Gtupi ten kawalir co z majatkiem.��


    The young ladies chanted spells while their fair, slender fingers streaked across the air. flickering magical runes flashed across them and transformed into invisible powers that spun and coalesced.


    ��Grr����


    The Necromancers�� raised staff trembled. They gritted their teeth and the spiritual flames in their eyes blazed. Their defense barrier formed by pitch-black, sinister runes shivered violently and gradually shrunk as though an invisible, large hand was crashing it. The magical undulation grew increasingly chaotic and frantic.


    At the same time, Canary elegantly gave a final swipe of her finger in midair. Her fingertip emanated a radiance that traced a perfect circle.


    ����!��


    The disorderly protection barrier crumbled instantly. The twisted, dark runes collided with one another and shattered into nothingness like fragile bubbles. On the other hand, the Necromancers maintaining the barrier were blasted away as though they were hit by a powerful punch. It seemed that they wouldn��t be getting back on their feet anytime soon.


    ��Trash! Nothing but a pile of worthless trash!��


    Saiborn exclaimed in exasperation. Then, he witnessed the soldiers on the city wall raising their bow and arrows once again.


    Rhode looked down at the Undead Army without any change in his expression. His gaze was stone cold, determined, and had some traces of berserk.


    ��Second wave of arrows. Get ready.��

 Chapter 694 - War Against Fate (III)

    Chapter 694: War Against Fate (III)


    The string of flares like tiny suns emerging and fading away almost instantly, leaving large holes in the ground. However, the holes were quickly replenished with the Undead Creatures swarming forward like a colony of ants. Although they had lost a substantial amount of fighting strength, they had no intentions of backing off at all!


    ��Attack! Advance!��


    Saiborn pointed his sword at the majestic Fortress. The spiritual flames in his eyes shone brighter. Even though this battlefield situation was out of his expectations, he didn��t cower. Since the ambush has failed, we should force our way through! That��s the battle style of the Undead Army!


    Indeed, the magic arrows had stunned Saiborn, but so what? Magic Arrows were extremely precious, so how many could that young man possibly have in his arsenal? Saiborn had 50,000 troops and they had only lost less than one-fifth of them! How many more magic arrows would that young man have to destroy all of them?


    Continue to fire at us.


    Saiborn revealed an ice-cold glint in his eyes as he witnessed the flares and explosions ahead. The Skeleton Soldiers around him rushed forward like a massive wave with their swords and shields. This was only the start. The Skeleton Soldiers by the rear had also lifted their bows and fixated their eyes on the Fortress.


    ����!��


    As though responding to the fire arrow rain pouring from the Fortress, the Undead Army returned the favor with arrows of their own.


    ��Defensive barrier!��


    Lize raised her right hand and commanded. Golden spiritual radiance emanated one after another and connected to form a translucent defensive barrier which protected the soldiers solidly. At the same time, the newly emerged defensive barrier deflected the incoming arrows. The soldiers beside the archers hurriedly raised their shields to prevent any ��fish that had leaked through the net�� from infiltrating.


    ��Tsk. Just the same old stuff from the Undead Creatures.��


    Rhode curled his lips as the Undead Army pushed through the flames and explosions. He knew clearer than anyone what the Undead Army was plotting. The Undead Army was an expert in a war of attrition and that was their fundamental. It could be seen that Saiborn had intended to sacrifice his troops to consume the magic arrows. Even though the magic arrows were devastating with every arrow basically consisted of the might of a small-scale rockets, they were extremely costly, after all, and Rhode was confident that Saiborn wouldn��t believe that Rhode would have too many of them. But��


    Rhode revealed a sinister smile.


    Indeed. This was true judging by common sense. Magic arrows were expensive and Rhode couldn��t afford too many of them. Even if he stored them in his inventory, he wouldn��t obtain too many of them in a short while. However, the magic arrows weren��t prepared only recently. Ever since the day this Fortress was established, Rhode had been ready for this moment before his very eyes! Apart from producing alchemy equipment and the stone constructs, Lapis��s most important job was to focus all her time and energy on the creation of magic arrows! This was also why the speed of her coming up with new inventions wasn��t quick. Rhode had requested to place her top priority on making the magic arrows to respond to this situation! Moreover, even though it was a fierce battle, the truth was that Rhode was ready to aim at this situation. He had divided his archers into three squads and every squad would take turn to release the magic arrows. This was why the explosions were constantly happening on the surface. After the shooting from the third squad had ended, it was then considered the end of the wave attack. Through this tactic, Rhode could maintain powers and save time to a maximum. Even though the Undead Army pushed through, Rhode knew that he might gain a perfect victory if they didn��t come up with a change of their tactic.


    Right now, the amount of magic arrows in stock were enough to last them for up to five days. As long as they hung on during this time, it would surely be enough. On the other hand, it would be another question if Saiborn��s Undead Creatures could hang on for that long.


    The biggest advantage that the Undead Army could rely on was their ability to manipulate corpses and make them join their forces, which made it difficult for them to lose in the battlefield. This was because they were increasing their forces as they eliminated the enemies. Rhode had fought the Country of Darkness for years and he knew them inside out. The Undead Army��s biggest advantage was also their most lethal flaw. Why did the Undead Army��s attack stop after the Light Parliament adopted the tactic to defend their deaths? The reason was simple. They lacked sufficient corpses to turn into their troops. Their unharmed enemies hid behind the high walls, while the Undead Army suffered huge damages. Without the replenish of troops, even the formidable Undead Army would crumble.


    My city walls are rock solid and I have constant, ferocious firepower. What can you do to destroy my Fortress?


    ��Sir! Enemies spotted in the air!��


    Randolf pointed ahead. Rhode turned to find a large patch of shadow soaring across the sky as though a pitch-black cloud heading toward the Fortress.


    So, it��s this move.


    Rhode twitched his brows. Even though the battle was going on fiercely, he felt laid back and relaxed. Saiborn was only an intermediate commander in the Country of Darkness without any outstanding feats. Therefore, his commanding skills were nothing out of the ordinary, which meant they were all the standard assault moves of the Undead Army. All of their moves in this battle were within Rhode��s expectations and it was making it boring for him.


    ��Don��t worry, I have a plan. Pass this order and ignore them.��


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    Randolf left immediately. At this moment, Rhode extended his right hand and the ring embedded with a scarlet gem on his index finger flickered in a faint magical radiance.


    Activate Alchemy Constructs��Divine Unicorns.


    ��������!��


    No one noticed that on the edge of the city wall, peak of the tower, and tall platforms of the Fortress, the decoration-like Divine Unicorns had trembled. The dust that had covered them fell off and spiritual radiance emerged in their lifeless eyes. Then, they expanded their majestic wings!


    Boom!


    In an instant, hundreds of tall, strong Divine Unicorns stone statues soared into the night sky and split up into groups like birds hovering and dancing in the air. Under the silver-whitish brilliance of the Holy Maiden Statue, the Divine Unicorns emanated specks of light on their body. Shortly after, they streaked across the sky in circles, gathered, and hovered in midair as they glared at the enemies before them.


    Hovering before them were thousands of Bone Griffins beating their wings and letting out deep, menacing growls. The Bone Griffins were one of the main air forces of the Country of Darkness. They looked as though their bodies had completely rotted with only a white skeleton left��there were no traces of any flesh or feathers. The pale blue radiance burning in their eyes and the faint spiritual radiance from the edge of their flapping wings reflected the differences between them and pure bone specimens. The pitch-black shade that spread across their white skeleton frame was the truth of them being undead spirits.


    ��������!��


    The Bone Griffins dove in with an ear-piercing screech. At the same time, the Divine Unicorns neighed, beat their wings strongly, and flew forward. In an instant, both sides clashed.


    The masses of black and white collided, merged, and broke out in a violent confrontation. The Bone Griffins exposed their sharp claws as they pounced on the Divine Unicorns. The razor-sharp claws failed to leave an obvious scratch on the white, stone-made bodies. As alchemy constructs, the appearance of the Divine Unicorns had been through unique enhancements and modifications. No matter what, Lapis was an Alchemist Master and with the unique skills from the Behermes and her high production standards, even the most basic alchemy constructs wouldn��t shatter to such attacks. Facing the Bone Griffins�� attacks, the Divine Unicorns thrust their horns forward like cone-shaped battering rams, which punctured their chests and extinguished their spiritual flames of life. At the same time, the Divine Unicorns stomped their hind legs on the other Bone Griffins. In the blink of an eye, the pitiful Bone Griffins shattered to the enormous impact and fell from the night sky.


    Everything��s going according to plan.


    Rhode displayed a smile. If the Bone Griffins were light surveillance aircraft, his Divine Unicorns would be medium-sized attack aircrafts. The parties didn��t belong in the same category. At the same time, Rhode let out an inward sigh of relief. Normally speaking, the Bone Griffins were the investigative units of the Undead Army while the Gargoyles were used for air warfare. The Gargoyle Legion was basically the direct subordinate of Death Knights and Necromancers. At this point in time, Saiborn had dispatched the Bone Griffins and Gargoyles were almost non-existent. This meant that Rhode��s Fortress wasn��t the main target of their attack. If not, the situation wouldn��t turn out this way, so it was much better than Rhode had expected. He initially thought that his Fortress was the first line of defense for Paphield and perhaps the enemies might prioritize their attacks. But it seemed like�� This group of b*stards totally disregarded Rhode��s presence.


    But�� it was hard to determine if their opinions would stay this way after this battle.


    Rhode looked down from the city wall.


    After two waves of constant bombards, the front troops of Saiborn��s army were heavily damaged. Even though many fishes had slipped past the net of defense, they were swept away by the torrential current of the moat instantly and vanished to nowhere. Up until this moment, the defense was still solid and stable. But Rhode knew that this was only the start of the war and it was going to be a long night.


    ��Gillian, Marlene. Ready?��


    Rhode said softly and the two young ladies nodded firmly. He swung his hand to the left and commanded.


    ��Get ready for the second part!��


    ***


    Saiborn had never thought that this battle would be so tough. That��s right. Ever since he had become a commander, he had never experienced such a headache when he fought with the mortals. The opponent��s aggression had forced his head down. He thought that the Bone Griffins�� ambush would scatter the defense and attention on the city walls so he could swarm the opponent. But he didn��t expect to face so many alchemy constructs�� Damn it!


    Saiborn was sure that not only was the young man aware of their plans, but he was also prepared for it! It was apparent that the magic arrows had been stored for a long time. In this time and age, every elite squad possessed a formidable weapon. But a regular army definitely wouldn��t have so many alchemy constructs. Saiborn was sure that these alchemy constructs were built to deal with his Bone Griffins!


    In an instant, this Death Knight was horrified and fuming in rage. He clutched the rein in his hand. His head burned like boiling magma. He didn��t know what went wrong. It was a top secret for them to ambush the Light Mainland, where not even every superior commanders knew about. It was impossible for the alchemy constructs to be produced at the very last minute. They must have been built for this moment!


    That was an instant when Saiborn had thought of retreating to report this matter to Balende. But his pride as an Undead Creatures took the better of him. It��s only a small set back, so must I give up?


    ��S-Sir?��


    Schrodinger��s voice disrupted Saiborn��s thoughts and the latter glared fiercely at the flustered young man. At this moment, Saiborn suddenly felt something strange going on in the battlefield. The intensive explosions had gradually weakened. He lifted his head hurriedly and gazed at the top of the city wall where torch-like flames were burning. Saiborn revealed a malevolent smile. Of course. He knew what those things were: fire arrows. One of the most common weapons used by Humans against the Undeads.


    Instead of worrying about this threatening scene, Saiborn��s eyes glinted!


    As expected! Their magic arrows are almost used up!


    Saiborn felt a burst of excitement rushing into his head. He finally understood the enemies�� tactic. It seemed like the enemies had used the powerful magic arrows to delay their advancements and forced them back. In fact, that was indeed effective. Facing this tough nut to crack, Saiborn had temporarily thought of retreating. But it seemed like the enemies were a spent force! They couldn��t hang on until we retreat! They��ve finally used up their magic arrows! Even though the fire arrows could also deal a certain extent of damage to the Undead Creatures, such damage wasn��t as significant as the magic arrows. The next thing that Saiborn could do was to make their move! He didn��t know if this was a trap or not, but so what if it was? Would the enemies purposely keep their magic arrows and only launch them at a critical juncture instead? I shall let them realize what��s the true assault of our Undead Army!


    ��Attack!��


    Saiborn ordered with his sword pointed forward. The Undead Creatures gathered and swarmed forward like a ferocious wave that engulfed its way toward the mighty Fortress!


    The explosions had stopped entirely. The rain of fire arrows descended from above and shrouded the Undead Army within. But they were an utterly inadequate measure. The Undead Army braved the burning arrows even as they pierced into their bodies. Some of the Skeleton Soldiers collapsed in a body full of flames, but were immediately extinguished as the wave of Undeads washed forward.


    The fish has taken the bait.


    Rhode let out a snort. He turned and gestured to Marlene and Gillian.


    ��Do it.��

 Chapter 695 - War Against Fate (IV)

    Chapter 695: War Against Fate (IV)


    The Undead Army��s assault was indeed full of aggression and momentum.


    Gazing from above the city wall, the Undead Creatures resembled an earth-shattering, pitch-black dye running on an artist��s canvas. Everything on the surface was concealed by the dense, neat, and frightening movements. If they were Humans, perhaps the most elite of soldiers couldn��t charge forward as neatly as them. Even though flames were spreading around them and explosions had blasted them away, their pace was still consistent, unified, without the slightest confusion. It was this display from them that the Humans realized clearly that what they were facing was an entirely different existence.


    They weren��t Humans.


    Many archers who had lifted their bows let out shivers. Even though they stood on the solid city wall and had the upper hand, while the Undead Creatures were swiftly vanishing before their eyes, a sense of fear and horror instantly devoured their souls. They subconsciously retreated one by one. They were afraid that the terrifying torrent would sweep them away as soon as they blinked.


    They��re still too inexperienced.


    Rhode shook his head slightly. This was also within his expectations. This was one of the reasons why Humans, Elves, and Dwarves feared facing the Undead Army. Even Rhode dared to face them only with the help of the tall, solid Fortress, and the incomparably precipitous mountain range that had penetrated the clouds. Besides, this Undead Army wasn��t the direct army of the Dark Dragon or the four legendary generals under him, but was just a small army of the four legendary generals.


    Rhode definitely wouldn��t consider this if he didn��t have the help of the four Holy Sword Cards, Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, Gillian, Marlene, Lize, and others. Even though he was a player�� No, or perhaps, it was because he was a player that he knew how aggressive the Undead Army��s frontal attack was. In the game, there were no chances of winning against the Undead Army even when there were millions of players. In fact, it was also the case when Rhode killed the Dark Dragon. Back then, his guild was the number one in the game. Even though he had a large group of elite players under him, he eventually appointed Orchid Heart and Olden Rascal to lead the main army and lure the enemies away from their territories. Then, Rhode would lead thousands of men to carry out their ��backstabbing��.


    Of course, it was undeniable that this was also related to the players�� level limit back then, which was level 70 and the standard of Intermediate Legendary Stage. Even with the assistance of talents and equipment, it wasn��t an easy task to slaughter the maxed level Dark Dragon. Due to this reason, the battle was an intense one. The thousands of elite players suffered huge losses before the Dark Dragon. In the end, only Rhode and four other players survived when the Dark Dragon was taken down. Not only that, but they were also in critical health, where their raid would fail instantly if critters pounced on them and gave a swing of their blades.


    Even though there was also a problem with levels, almost all the players admitted that they had never again experienced the formidable assault of the Undead Army even when they leveled up to 85 and faced the Void Dragon��s Destruction Army. Although the Destruction Army held more than double the grade of strength than the Undead Army, the players couldn��t feel the same amount of ��shock�� as when they faced the Undead Army.


    Perhaps the first was always etched in one��s memories, or maybe the players�� levels were too low in the start, which was why there was some deviation from the truth to their memories. But no matter what, based on the fact that even the number one Starlight Guild only dared to ambush from the rear and not confront the Undead Army head to head showed how unmatched their assault was.


    This is only 50,000 of them��


    Rhode was lost in his thoughts. Although 50,000 Undead Creatures seemed a lot for Humans, they were just slightly more than a battle column in the Undead Creatures�� eyes. In order to defeat them, Rhode had to use almost all the trump cards in his arsenal. This time, he didn��t make Mini Bubble Gum or Canary attack them. Even though they could eliminate them all in seconds, he didn��t dare to.


    Yes. He was afraid.


    Because he knew that this was still the primary stage of the battle. If he were to display overly powerful strength and garnered the attention of the four legendary generals, he would be doomed for sure. Although Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were on equal footing with the four legendary generals, the problem was that they lacked the legendary artifacts they had in the game and their battle strength would fall by one-third at the very least. They might be able to hold off one versus two with the legendary generals. But if more than two legendary generals were present�� The results would be devastating.


    This was why Rhode had chosen to hide them away. It would be great enough for Mini Bubble Gum to be kept hidden in the team and cast defensive spells to protect the soldiers once in a while. On the other hand, Canary��s biggest responsibility now was to destroy the Necromancers�� protection barrier and interference spells and not show herself. This was also why Rhode had chosen to partner up Marlene and Gillian. At least for now, he wasn��t willing to attract the attention of the four legendary generals. Wasn��t the flow of RPG games usually to first kill the critters, chief critter, medium BOSS, huge BOSS, and finally the hidden BOSS? He wouldn��t be that foolish to provoke the hidden BOSSes at this stage. Only after the situation had stabilized and the four legendary generals were fully occupied would he summon Mini Bubble Gum and Canary.


    As for now�� they were better off doing simpler jobs.


    ��Do it!��


    Rhode dwindled his train of thoughts and ordered firmly. At this moment, Marlene finally launched her attack!


    Her incantation had come to a full stop. Her fair, slender finger also reached its final destination and she pushed her hand down!


    Surging magical powers dispersed in a mysterious rhythm and they quickly showed their values.


    The vast, flat ground before the Undead Army trembled, cracked, and struck out razor-sharp boulder thorns that formed an incredibly solid obstacle, which ripped through their formation. Many Undead Creatures were punctured by the ambush of the boulder thorns and vanished into powder instantly.


    But this was only the start!


    ��All right, all you cute little skeletons!��


    Gillian said in a ringing, lively voice as she emerged in the pitch-black sky. This fox-eared young lady hovered above the city wall, placed a finger on her lips, and revealed a cheeky smile. Then, she stretched her right hand forward.


    ��Now��s the time to head home for dinner, alright?��


    A scarlet card appeared and spun above her palm. Then, she raised her hand and crushed it!


    ������!


    The scarlet card shattered into bits. At the same time, a gigantic, scarlet dazzling ritual circle shone, spun, and expanded with Gillian in the center.


    Magic Symbol��Seven Hells.


    That was a scene plucked out from a dream.


    The Undead Creatures rushing forward came to an abrupt halt. They lifted their heads subconsciously to gaze at the illusionary beauty transformed into their most terrifying threat. Blaze flickered. Then, countless fireballs emerged from within it.


    In the blink of an eye, the fireballs linked up and blasted toward the ground in an arc trajectory as though a lashed whip. A string of dazzling, gorgeous barrages filled with the hunger for murder and destruction expanded in the sky. Then, this magnificent rain of flames descended and engulfed the Undead Army.


    This time, the Undead Army were completely rooted to the ground.


    In fact, individual fire balls weren��t powerful, but they were lethal with their massive quantities. An Undead Soldier could defend against one or two fireballs. But, what about three, four, even five of them? In an instant, the one-sided warfare had flipped around. The Undead Soldiers charged forward with their raised weapons despite the fire balls erupting on their bodies, but they collapsed one after another in a string of flares.


    ��Damn it! Useless pile of trash!��


    Saiborn berated. He extended his arm and grabbed the panicky Vampire who was hugging a white cat in his arms.


    ��What are your Necromancers doing?! Didn��t they learn to interfere and cancel out the enemies�� spellcasting in school?! Dumb*ss! A bunch of dumb*sses! What are they doing?! Damn it, how did this happen?! Say something, you bastard!��


    ��S-Sir, please calm down����


    Schrodinger cowered and gazed at Saiborn��s fuming expression. He didn��t know how the situation turned into this. The Necromancers had been through strict and tough training. In such a battle, they held essential importance because everyone knew how terrifying the Necromancers�� large-scale spells were. Therefore, Necromancers held crucial roles within the Undead Army. Not only were they needed to protect the army from spell attacks, but they also had to detect and counteract the enemies. They would immediately take actions to disrupt enemies from casting spells whenever they sensed that the enemies were charging up to release large-scale, lethal spells.


    This was the reason why Saiborn was this furious. He had left the safety of this army in the hands of the Necromancers and those bastards couldn��t handle this duty properly!


    ��S-Sir, this isn��t our problem�� I-It��s their powerful Mages who oppressed our defenses!��


    ��Powerful?��


    Saiborn glared coldly at the Vampire.


    ��How powerful can they be? Aren��t all your Necromancers in the Inner Circle? Don��t tell me those shameless Humans are stronger?!��


    ��I don��t know, Sir. But, our spells have indeed been suppressed�� And can��t be released!��


    ��Damn it����


    Saiborn pushed Schrodinger aside. He lifted his head and scanned the Fortress. The constant problems left him worried. It seemed that the enemies were well prepared for this battle. Besides, if what that useless Vampire said was true, it wouldn��t be easy to find formidable presences who could suppress the Necromancers. Although Saiborn had a lot of complaints about Schrodinger��


    The Death Knight couldn��t ponder this question anymore. The spiritual radiance in his eyes glinted. He jumped off his warhorse and drew a glaring, purple radiance in midair with his sword. Then, the blade emanating purple radiance collided with the scorching flames.


    ��������!��


    The flames devoured Saiborn��s presence instantly, leaving a deep, ghastly mark on the ground, and blasting the Undead Creatures in its path into ashes.


    The radiance vanished.


    Saiborn emerged once again, but he appeared miserable. His armor was stained with filthy smoke and his cape was burned with several holes. He lifted his head to the sky and gritted his teeth tightly. A fox-eared young lady was seen floating leisurely in the night sky. Behind her was a dazzling, spinning magical ritual with countless fire balls launching from within. At the same time, Saiborn witnessed the coalescing energy in its middle. Then, another matchless beam of flames launched out and tore the ground.


    This time, Saiborn felt entirely powerless. He could choose to continue their assault, but he couldn��t guarantee that he would succeed. Even though most of the Undead Creatures were still present, this horrible terrain had limited their advantage in quantity. Both sides were tall, precipitous mountain ranges, where Undead Creatures couldn��t possibly climb over them. The only way left for Saiborn was to restrict the Undead Army within the empty space before the Fortress. It was apparent that they couldn��t disperse to avoid the attacks under such a tight space.


    ���� Retreat.��


    Saiborn lowered his head and made a hard decision.


    The Undead Creatures slowly retreated while the soaring Bone Griffins flew away swiftly. But Rhode kept his vigilance at the highest level. He lifted his head and fixated his vision at the distant horizon. All the way until Saiborn��s Undead Army vanished entirely from the horizon, Rhode nodded in satisfaction and turned to his subordinates.


    ��Well done.��


    ��Hooray!��


    The soldiers on the city wall cheered in excitement. They tossed the weapons in their hands and hugged one another tightly. Many of them were newly joint soldiers and had never fought in battles between Humans, not to mention a war with the Undead Creatures. In fact, many of them fell into the pit of desperation when they first witnessed the countless Undead Creatures. If they weren��t standing on this solid city wall and had the help of Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, perhaps their limbs would be so weak that they sat paralyzed on the floor.


    ��R-Rhode, did�� we win?��


    Marlene watched in disbelief while Rhode shook his head.


    ��This is only for the time being. The Undead Army won��t give up so easily. They merely retreated to regroup after facing our unexpected ambush. Don��t think that we won this battle without breaking a sweat. We have just taken advantage of them and they will present a bigger threat after stabilizing their footing.��


    Rhode paused and turned to Marlene.


    ��Inform Old Walker to report to Golden City once more. I hope to understand the current battle progress and rough direction of the Undead Army. Also, get the soldiers ready for temporary breaks and replenishments. The night is still long. They won��t give us too much space to breath the next time they��re here.��


    Rhode turned around and looked into the distant, pitch-black horizon, where endless darkness had shrouded everything.


    ��The battle has just begun.��

 Chapter 696 - War Against Fate (V)

    Chapter 696: War Against Fate (V)


    Even though the Undead Army had retreated, Rhode didn��t let loose. He simply praised his subordinates and got them to quickly get prepared for the upcoming wave of attacks. Frankly speaking, the soldiers were still too inexperienced. Just a few days ago, less than one-tenth of the 3,000 soldiers were his original troops as he didn��t find suitable candidates. It was only until Orchid Heart was summoned that he slowly built on his army. He was always a cautious person, especially after he had managed a player guild and understood the dangers of blind expansion. Even though it wouldn��t be a problem for him to form a 10,000 troops army with the population in his Fortress, this would cause a huge problem for him without sufficient team leaders, commanders, equipment, and foodstuff. Besides, they wouldn��t have camaraderie without training and cooperation, so what was the point in having such a huge army since they would scramble to a pile of loose sand in war? Rhode had no intentions of leaving the Fortress, so he put himself into defending the city walls. It was due to this that even with the threat of the Undead Army, he only recruited 3,000 soldiers who were most fitted and that was sufficient.


    But this was just the beginning.


    It had been a long time since the Light Mainland and Darkness Mainland broke out into a war. Currently, only the Eastern Plains, Battle Angel Army, and Holy Knights from the Church would occasionally eliminate Undead Creatures, Demons, Cultist, and others. As for ordinary Human armies, they didn��t have the experience of fighting against Undead Creatures at all. It was still the same even for Rhode who had several experienced, senior soldiers who had left the military. They were basically the same as the newly joined soldiers in the face of the Undead Army. Fortunately, Rhode had no intentions of making these soldiers the main forces against the Undead Army. If not, the Fortress would have submerged into a sea of flames without Gillian and Marlene around.


    And now, it seemed like they were effective. The Undead Army had retreated temporarily while the soldiers found their confidence. But Rhode knew that he had wasted a lot of resources��Gillian��s ��Seven Hells�� would require a day of cool down so she could only use ��Sulfur River�� and earth-shattering fireballs. But without the enhancement from the specialized spell, the damage of the fireballs would be decreased significantly. Rhode had also activated the alchemy statues in order to resist the Bone Griffins. The Soul Cores in the alchemy statues were the Human Soul Cores he had collected in the Southern battle, so they were basically defective products that would last up to five hours. Besides, Rhode was sure that the enemies wouldn��t send out Bone Griffins the next time since they were aware of his alchemy air force. He would most probably face the Gargoyle Legion in the upcoming battle. He actually had intentions of not awakening the alchemy statues so soon. But judging from the capabilities of his soldiers, perhaps they would collapse in fear as soon as the Bone Griffins dove toward him, so he had no choice but to call upon the alchemy statues for support.


    On the other hand, even though Marlene was a Mage in the Middle Circle, she didn��t have it easy against the Necromancers. If it weren��t for Canary who was secretly suppressing the Necromancers�� spells, perhaps Marlene would have become useless. If that continued, she couldn��t possibly bring harm to the Undead Army with the spells that she had mastered. Moreover, Marlene wasn��t a perpetual motion machine either and her spiritual energy would also deplete. On the other hand, the strength of Sol��s group was too limited against the huge volume of Undead Creatures. Rhode had assigned Sol��s group the duty of sweeping the Undead Creatures who had arrived at the city walls through bombardments and they performed well.


    As for Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, Rhode decided not to send them into battle before confirming the main direction of Balende��s attack in order to prevent any accidents. This was also why the effectiveness of their presences were also limited.


    The only fortunate aspect was the Holy Maiden Statue. As a legendary artifact, it could maintain itself after it was activated until Rhode shut it down. It was generally stronger than most ordinary magic tools; if not, its title as a legendary artifact would be of no purpose.


    Rhode shook his head and sighed. In the game, he didn��t need to consider morale at all. If his soldiers were players, they would have jumped for joy at the sight of Undead Creatures because it would bring them a whole chunk of EXP and he didn��t need to motivate them or encourage them at all. Back then, Rhode��s only concern was to constrain his subordinates from being overly excited. In here, not only did he need to ensure his subordinates wouldn��t flee from their positions, but he also needed to think of a way to boost their morale and ignite their beliefs in victories. Rhode felt that this was a tragedy��


    But this was still fine too. After putting in some effort, the soldiers�� morale was boosted and there were visible changes in them, where they were no longer as timid as before. Even though their morale was still fragile, he knew that the victories from battle after battle could strengthen their confidence. This was only the start.


    But Rhode still wasn��t aware of the changes that the enemies would come up with.


    He knitted his brows and gazed into the distance.


    Bam!


    A shriveled palm smashed on the solid rock table. In an instant, ice-cold spiritual flames splashed, turned into light dust, and disappeared.


    Vidal glared at the battle map with gritted teeth. The spacious commander room was in dead silence apart from the whizzing night wind blowing through the tent entrance. The fluttering of flags could be heard indistinctly. It should have been the ensemble of victory. But it sounded worrying for him instead.


    As the Country of Darkness��s chief commander of the 3rd Northern War Zone, Vidal was confident in securing the victory in this battle. He knew how that the important role to attack the Munn Kingdom was, and it had fallen on his shoulders, but the Munn Kingdom��s unique geographical location had predetermined that they would be a tough nut to crack. Before heading into battle, General Balende Nefarian had handed everything to his care and at that moment, Vidal was full of confidence. He had even promised General Balende that he would need three days maximum before they could encircle the entire Golden City!


    But now, reality had given him a cruel slap!


    ���� Damn it����


    Vidal growled in his throat deeply. Before they headed into the Munn Kingdom, he predicted that the Munn Kingdom would put up a strong resistance. In fact, he had never respected the group of idiots in the Country of Light. Even though they were under the Light Dragon Soul��s protection, he was sure that those idiots were non threatening presences and were only great with their mouths. On the other hand, the Munn Kingdom would be harder to deal with. Although the Munn Kingdom had always kept silent, was unlike the Country of Light who expressed hostility to the Country of Darkness, and was considered more of a dominion from the Country of Darkness�� perspective, no one in the Country of Darkness dared to belittle their strength. Even the four legendary generals would express some envy and admiration whenever Lydia was mentioned.


    Vidal knew that the Munn Kingdom would be hard to deal with, but he still accepted this mission. He was clear that the harder the mission, the more precious his victory would be. It would be an entirely different concept from when he led the Undead Army to take down more than half of the Munn Kingdom as compared to taking down more than half of the Country of Light��s territories, even though the Country of Light was much larger than the Munn Kingdom in terms of territory.


    But the extent of difficulties in attacking the Munn Kingdom was far harder than he had expected.


    As Balende was a well-respected commander, Vidal had given plenty of considerations for this ambush. Even though the Munn Kingdom was formidable, they definitely wouldn��t set up defenses in the very first minute. Of course, with their strength, they could respond quickly as soon as they detected the attack and this would require Vidal��s army to be fast, aggressive, and ferocious enough in order to secure the victory. This way, even if they paid a return visit, he would have enough space to deal with them. If the Munn Kingdom was a large flat bread, Vidal��s method would be as though to take a huge bite no matter if he could swallow it or not. At least that part of the bread was in his mouth and that was more than enough.


    But he quickly realized that things were amiss. Almost every battle lines that he was responsible for had shown problems.


    The first news he received was from the Eastern Plains. According to the report, the Undead Army had faced a tough retaliation and the Undead Creatures had even faced ambushes and suffered grave losses. At this moment, they were slowly retreating and requesting for reinforcements.


    This was still within Vidal��s expectations. If the Munn Kingdom was considered a tough nut to crack, the Eastern Plains would be the hardest one of all. Unlike the other territories, there were innumerable conflicts between the Eastern Plains and the Country of Darkness, where they would take place almost everyday. Both sides knew each others�� roots, which was why it wasn��t an uncommon occurrence for them to face retaliations. Vidal had even prepared to not take down the Eastern Plains because it would take a long time for them to accomplish it. As long as he could restrict the Eastern Plains��s manpower and occupy their attention, it would be enough.


    But the next news came like a bolt from the blue.


    The battles by the border between the Country of Darkness and the Munn Kingdom had split up into five regions. Eastern Plains, Sygram, Dragon Canyon, Silent Field, and Paphield-Grenbell. Apart from Eastern Plains which he could abandon, he was confident in taking down the other four battle lines. He had even imagined that if he took down the four regions, his army could wrap around and take down Eastern Plain from the rear altogether. But now, the situation was far from what he had expected.


    Aside from Eastern Plain, the news that came from Sygram and Dragon Canyon weren��t pleasant. Even though the Undead Army had broken through the first defensive lines, they were quickly obstructed and the battle had fallen into a stalemate. And now, according to the report, although the Undead Army was advancing, their speed was incredibly slow. Sygram��s and Dragon Canyon��s defenses gathered quickly and there were even traces of the Battle Angel Army: one of the enemies that gave the Undead Army their biggest headaches.


    If the Undead Creatures were advantageous in their massive quantities, the Battle Angels would be superior in qualities. Besides, due to their contradicting holy attributes, the Battle Angels could deal lethal damage to them. Even an ordinary Battle Angel who casually swung her sword could easily wipe out a hundred Skeleton Soldiers, not to mention a group of them. Furthermore, the Undead Creatures wouldn��t be able to resist their powerful holy powers and spiritual spells without valiant strength. Moreover, it was even more so for this siege warfare.


    The news from Silent Field was a little more ��encouraging��. Although the Undead Army attacking Silent Field also faced retaliation, they spotted an opening in the defensive line, broke through, and was currently invading the region. But according to the report, the residents appeared to have been evacuated before the Undead Army broke through the defenses and most of the troops had quickly retreated. It was apparent that they were building a third line of defense. But no one knew if the Undead Army could break through it too.


    This was too strange.


    Vidal puckered his brows. The reports indistinctly revealed an odd taste. Their attacks were supposed to be raids, and even if the enemies were aware, they should be prepared hurriedly. However, the reports sounded as though all the enemies were aware of their plans. How was it possible?


    Some of the commanders like him weren��t even aware when the battle would start. It was during one fine day when they were called in and given this order out of a sudden, which left even the commanders flustered. This was why it wasn��t possible for the enemies react so swiftly. In fact, the battles in the Country of Light proved this point. The reports had shown that the Country of Light couldn��t even put up proper defenses and was completely overrun by the Undead Army. Currently, the Undead Army had passed through the Red Leaf Riverbank that was regarded as the major road, which was much faster than he predicted. Vidal was sure that if this continued, the battle in the Country of Light would end much quicker than expected.


    But why is the Munn Kingdom so hard to crack when we��ve already taken down almost half of the Country of Light? Are the people of the Munn Kingdom that adamant? Are they able to remain unperturbed in the face of the Undead Army��s attack? This is�� too illogical.


    At this moment, Vidal could only wait for the report from Paphield-Grenbell. Up until this moment, Saiborn hadn��t send any information to him.


    Does this mean that he has succeeded? If that��s the case, I should consider gathering the troops and focusing our attack on that battle line.


    ��Reporting, Sir!��


    A Necromancer rushed into the room with a crystal ball emanating pale blue spiritual radiance in his hands. He gazed at Vidal and gave a deep bow.


    ��I��ve received news from Saiborn.��


    ��Oh?��


    The spiritual flames in Vidal��s eyes glinted. Then, he took over the crystal ball and placed it on the table before him. Shortly after, Saiborn��s face emerged on the surface of the crystal ball.


    ��Saiborn? How��s the situation? Have you broken through the Paphield-Grenbell defensive line?��


    ������


    Saiborn hesitated for a moment.


    ��I��m sorry�� Sir Vidal. We����


    Saiborn clenched his teeth. It was apparent that he didn��t wish to describe the situation with such jarring words. But, he had no choice.


    ��We�� have been driven off����


    ��What?!��


    Vidal sulked instantly. He glared at the crystal ball and the spiritual flames burning in his eyes were as though about to melt it. After a few moments, Vidal let out a long, heavy sigh as he fixed his eyes on the Death Knight.


    ��Give me the details!��


    He yelled at the top of his lungs.

 Chapter 697 - War Against Fate (VI)

    Vidal stared at the crystal ball sullenly. Even though he wasn��t speaking a word, it could be seen from his expression that he was on the verge of exploding with wrath. In fact, if what Saiborn said were true�� he couldn��t find any areas of rebuttal to prove that this Death Knight was merely using a clumsy lie to hide his failures. Perhaps he would feel better if it was a lie. But it was a pity that he was still clear-headed.


    Vidal almost agreed with everything that Saiborn had reported to him and that was referring to the Munn Kingdom being ready for their raids. The reason was simple. The Country of Darkness had investigated the situation of Paphield-Grenbell, which included the sudden emergence of a young Human overlord and the massive Fortress being built within one day. No matter if the rumors were genuine, there weren��t any signs of human habitations or buildings in the past. On the other hand, it was only half a year ago when that young overlord went to Land of Atonement to build the Fortress. Vidal felt that this young overlord was well prepared. Even though it was only right for them to stay vigilant for lurking Undead Creatures by the border, this young overlord��s cautiousness had surpassed all limits. It felt as though he was aware of the Country of Darkness�� planned raids.


    ��You said�� They have Mages who suppressed the Necromancers?��


    ��Yes, Sir Vidal. At least that��s what that damn Vampire said.��


    ���� Is it Amund?��


    ��I��m sorry, Sir. I didn��t see him around.��


    ������


    Vidal puckered his brows and held his forehead. Things shouldn��t have been this way. If they had investigated a little more before the raids, perhaps they could locate the source of the problems. One of the reasons that they didn��t do so was because the intelligence network set up in the Munn Kingdom by the Country of Darkness had been instantly destroyed after the Battle Angel Army received the Bone List. Another reason was that it would attract the attention of the Munn Kingdom if they were to send spies to retrieve information. This was why they would rather renounce the preceding period of investigations to prevent startling the enemies.


    But now, Vidal felt that they were more like an impetuous hog dashing into the hunter��s trap.


    The plan didn��t turn out as successful as he had thought. The four battle lines ended up in stalemates while Saiborn��s case was even worse. He was driven off by the enemies?!


    Vidal pondered in silence. This was extremely critical on the battlefield. Every second of hesitation would bring about an entirely different ending. But he didn��t care. He was considering a serious question, which might directly affect the future war situation. In the end, Vidal lifted his head and gazed at Saiborn coldly. At this moment, an ear-piercing voice sounded.


    ��Please pardon me for turning up despite being uninvited. I heard that you��ve gotten into some trouble?��


    Vidal turned toward the voice. A Necromancer clad in a pitch-black robe slowly approaching him. Vidal narrowed his eyes.


    ��Master Simon.��


    Simon let out a laughter so disturbingly sharp that even Vidal couldn��t help but knit his brows. Vidal held down the fury inside him as he gazed at the aged face.


    ��Is anything the matter?��


    ��Just as I��ve said, Sir Vidal.��


    Simon extended his shriveled finger and caressed his white bone staff gently. This movement looked as though a few wiggling caterpillars with self consciousness.


    ��I heard that you��ve faced some troubles? Perhaps you might need some assistance from us Necromancers? If you have the need����


    ��Hey, you����


    Saiborn bared his teeth uncontrollably. Vidal stopped him from speaking and fixed his eyes on the Necromancer. After a few moments, he nodded and turned to Saiborn.


    ��Saiborn. I order you to retreat immediately and hand over the war zone to Master Simon.��


    ���� Understood, Sir.��


    Saiborn revealed a look of disdain and rage. But shortly after, he lowered his head helplessly and accepted his fate. On the other hand, the Necromancer let out a satisfied laughter, nodded to Saiborn with a cunning smile, and placed his left hand on his chest before drifting silently out of the tent.


    ��Don��t worry, Sir Vidal. I will guarantee your satisfaction.��


    Then, he vanished out of sight.


    ***


    ��Rhode, when do you think they��ll attack again?��


    Marlene stood on the city wall and gazed worriedly into the sky. She realized that the night sky was totally unlike what she had seen. Not only that, but the dense, pitch-black darkness had also enveloped everything before her like a thick, black curtain. Marlene knew that it wasn��t only the dark color of the sky nor the dense clouds or any other ridiculous thing, but was the protection of the Dark Dragon Soul and the sky belonging to the country of death.


    ��I don��t know. Frankly speaking, I hope they come sooner.��


    Rhode shook his head. In fact, these were his sincere words. If the Undead Army once again launched their attack, it proved that they were only temporarily moving back to regroup. But there would be huge trouble if they didn��t respond for a long time. Rhode was only able to observe the situation in his territory, but was completed blinded by darkness in terms of the situation in other territories. Even though he knew that his Fortress was in the road that the Undead Army would take, he couldn��t help but feel some nervousness as though the calm before the tsunami: unsettling and frightening.


    He didn��t know how the Undead Army would retaliate. It was without doubt that they would increase the number of troops, but what about their types? Skeleton Soldiers and Bone Griffins were the lowest of grades and there wasn��t much pressure dealing with them. But the outcome would be uncertain if there were other types of enemies. Canary was around to suppress the Necromancers, so Rhode wasn��t worried about them at all. With Canary��s strength, there were almost no Necromancers who could avoid her spell suppression.


    ����������!��


    Rhode twitched his brows. He stood up and his expression instantly turned ice-cold.


    ��They��re here.��


    ��Huh?��


    Marlenne gazed blankly and before she could react, Rhode gave his command.


    ��Get everyone ready for battle immediately!��


    Warning bells rang instantly. The soldiers rushed up the city walls and got ready in the quickest time possible. After driving off the first wave of Undead Army, the soldiers were beaming with more confidence and lesser fears. They readied their bows and arrows forward while the silver-whitish light column blasted into the sky and illuminated every inch of surface clearly.


    But this time, the situation appeared to be different as they heard deep noises from afar.


    Boom�� Boom�� Boom��


    It sounded as though a gigantic monster was slowly stomping through the surface. Everyone felt the solid city walls trembling. In an instant, the soldiers looked at one another worriedly. Unlike the group of newbies, Rhode lifted his head and gazed straight into the distance. His familiarity with the Undead Army had reached a high enough level where he could distinguish their forces through the sounds they made.


    At this moment, the truth unveiled itself before them.


    ��Oh my goodness����


    Many of them sucked in deep breaths and muttered under their breaths.


    They were pale-green, obese, and sturdy creatures with the height of three Humans and thick like enormous boulders. However, this wasn��t the worst. Their sturdy bodies were full of sewed up scars like patched up puppets. They had four muscular arms clutching enormous blades and their facial features were mashed up, where bloody flesh and eyeballs were dangling out of place. Lize turned around immediately and covered her mouth to hold herself back from throwing up.


    More importantly, there wasn��t only one of it.


    Thousands of the same creatures emerged from the pitch-black shadow in slow, steady steps, but their massive bodies and disturbing appearances left the soldiers shivering. Rhode��s pupils shrank into single lines. As expected, the Undead Army had quickly come up with counter solutions after suffering the previous setback.


    Abomination.


    As one of the top five species with the highest defenses in the Undead Army, Abominations didn��t have any weaknesses apart from their slow-moving speed. Rhode didn��t spot them previously because they weren��t suitable for raids. But their formidable powers would be displayed when it came to besieging a city.


    Abominations were covered in rotten flesh, where the explosions from magic arrows wouldn��t deal lethal damage. Not only that, but when they died, they would also explode and shroud the place in a putrid and poisonous stench. Rhode was clear that the corpses of these bastards would burst out into innumerable blood maggots: they could be considered the most disgusting of all disgusting existence.


    The Skeleton Guards following closely behind the Abominations weren��t easy to deal with either. They were the upgraded version of the Skeletal Warriors and their attacks and defenses were stronger by a hundred times. Rhode immediately understood their intentions as soon as he spotted the Abominations. It was apparent that the Undead Army would get into a besieging formation. Behind the Skeleton Guards were the Necromancers, Archers, and followed by the Gargoyles��


    ��Grrr��!��


    As though proving Rhode��s guesses, the furious growls from wild animals sounded from afar. Shortly after, countless pitch-black figures as though thick, heavy dark clouds flew forward. That was the Gargoyle Legion that Rhode had been waiting for. Unlike the weak Bone Griffins, the iron-solid Gargoyles could be considered the hegemons of the sky. Even though their levels weren��t high, their solid body could withstand damage from most spells. Besides, they could also use their razor-sharp teeth, claws, and tails to rip everything apart. At this moment, the Gargoyles were soaring in the night sky and heading toward the Fortress.


    ��Hmm?��


    Rhode was taken aback after spotting their flag. It didn��t belong to Saiborn, the Death Knight. Instead, it was an entirely different white skeleton flag without the symbol of ��The Spirit Chaser��. But Rhode knew who it belonged to����Sinister Death��. An intermediate Necromancer symbol.


    What��s going on?


    Rhode was sure that it was Balende��s Death Knight army previously and even though they had revised their formation, this war zone should still belong to Balende��s subordinate. Why did they��


    Suddenly, Rhode��s eyes glinted!


    Why am I so foolish? Didn��t the Country of Darkness attack the Light Mainland for this purpose?!


    ��Bubble!��


    Rhode turned around and yelled without any hesitations. Mini Bubble Gum ran out of the crowd and scuttled toward him.


    ��Yes, Leader?��


    The corner of Rhode��s lips perked up into a smile. He extended his hand and beckoned to her.


    ��Wanna go and have some fun with me?��


    ��Sure!��


    Bubble exclaimed in excitement. She clenched her fist and nodded. On the other hand, Marlene turned to Rhode in astonishment.


    ��R-Rhode? What are you two gonna do? The enemies are����


    ��Balende��s troops have retreated. This is the best time to eliminate all the threats before us!��


    Rhode didn��t explain too much as it would be too time consuming to explain the internal relations of the Country of Darkness and the conflicts. All in all, even if the enemies were Humans, Rhode could finally lay down the burden in his heart. Oh my goodness. All of them are walking EXP. If I��m lucky, I may even break through level 60 and enter the Legendary Stage! How can I let this chance go?


    ��From now onward, I will leave Orchid Heart with full responsibility here. All you guys have to do is to act in accordance to her commands. The enemies are the subordinates of the Necromancer. Canary, prepare for full spell suppression. Lize, the Abominations have long attacking range. You and your squad must put up defenses in the quickest time possible!��


    Rhode extended his right arm and a dazzling card spun above his palm. He threw it upward and in a sparkling eruption, the Spirit Bird soared into the sky. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum also emanated a pure, white radiance. Then, the light rays coalesced on her back and formed a pair of tiny wings.


    ��Let��s go! Bubble!��

 Chapter 698 - War Against Fate (VII)

    Rhode raised his right arm abruptly. The Spirit Bird emanating a sacred, dazzling radiance expanded its wings majestically. It slowly turned transparent and merged with Rhode as one, where, in the blink of an eye, a pair of azure spiritual wings unfolded behind him, releasing a faint breeze sparkling in lightning bolts and silver-whitish aura.


    Bubble let out a chuckle beside him.


    Then, dazzling, wavering brilliance shone skyward with her in the middle, coalesced into rays of light, and eventually transformed into two pairs of light wings on her back.


    ��Sir, you two are����


    Randolf stared blankly while Rhode waved him aside with an airy gesture. Then, he looked ahead and revealed a gentle smile. Upon witnessing Rhode��s smile, Randolf felt a razor-sharp, chilly blade striking his spine, like a sense of fear pinning him to the ground.


    ��It��s time to farm some EXP. Lets go, Bubble.��


    ��No problem, Leader. This is what I��ve been waiting for!��


    Rhode lifted his head and blew a sharp whistle. Shortly after, the Divine Unicorns hovering in midair quickly regrouped and soared forward. At the same time, Rhode and Bubble flew forward like blasted artillery shells and transformed into two fast shadows!


    ��Grrrr��!��


    The Gargoyles had arrived before the Fortress. They let out deep growls in their throats, exposed their sharp claws, and beat their wings fiercely. On the other hand, the Divine Unicorns lowered their heads, aimed their pointed horn forward like the knights�� pikes, and darted forward.


    Bam!


    Both sides clashed.


    The Gargoyles were much harder to deal with than Bone Griffins.


    Even though the Divine Unicorns�� horns had penetrated the Gargoyles�� chests, the Gargoyles didn��t crumble immediately like the Bone Griffins. On the contrary, it enraged them further and they snarled, stretched out their sharp claws, and slashed the Divine Unicorns�� skulls. If the Divine Unicorns were Humans, perhaps their skulls would have turned into smashed watermelons. But the Divine Unicorns didn��t have it any better though. They winced to the powerful impact, but it was apparent that the Gargoyles wouldn��t let them off this easily. As the backlash threw the Divine Unicorns to the side, the Gargoyles turned around abruptly and lashed their pitch-black, long tails on the Divine Unicorns. Fragments splattered and the Divine Unicorns had no choice but to retreat instantly. However, the Gargoyles seized the opportunity to chase forward and deal the final blow.


    A dazzling, meteor-like blade ray flashed.


    At the same time, a Gargoyle pouncing on one of the Divine Unicorn was split into half from the middle. The magical energy supporting its movements scattered and in the blink of an eye, it returned to being a heavy boulder, descended from the sky, and smashed into the ground.


    Rhode kept his blade and drifted away like a spirit that dodged an oncoming attack. In an instant, Rhode was caught up in his thoughts. He gazed at his sword and recalled the moment when he first came to this world, where he experienced the most dangerous battle in Twilight Forest against two Gargoyles. Back then, he felt as depressed as a tiger that had left the deep mountains and was bullied by the land dogs. He used to be able to fight ten of them at once, but he had to pull out all the stops to defeat two Gargoyles in his gravely injured condition. However, the situation was totally different now.


    An ice-cold glint flashed in his eyes. He sped forward while with his two daggers and dragged two shimmering silver trails of lightning bolts across the night sky. The Gargoyles along the trails shuddered as though they were struck by an invisible force and blasted away instantly. The Divine Unicorns swiftly stomped with their iron hooves and thrust their horns to shatter them into worthless stone fragments.


    On the other side, Mini Bubble Gum was having a much more brutal battle.


    ��Heyaaaah!��


    The little girl clenched her fists in a fighting stance while staring to a Gargoyle pouncing on her. At this moment, four to five consecutive rays appeared out of thin air and shrouded her entirely. Then, she landed her punch heavily on the Gargoyle��s rock-solid body and in the blink of an eye, it shattered into powder and the indescribable, immense impact spread, and rippled wildly across the sky. The dense air filled with the presence of Gargoyles was immediately blasted away into an empty space, where hundreds of Gargoyles were destroyed entirely by Bubble with nothing spared.


    ��Awesome!��


    Mini Bubble Gum let loose of her clench and exclaimed in delight. Then, she flew straight into the black, dense mass of Gargoyles like a dazzling meteor. However, the Gargoyles didn��t retreat. They didn��t have such intentions either.


    Dozens of Gargoyles darted toward Bubble from all directions and almost shrouded her tiny stature within. But everything was completely reversed at the next moment.


    ��Get lost, scums!��


    She punctured one of the Gargoyles with her tiny right fist. She raised her arm with a proud grin, and tossed it toward the other Gargoyles, where they crashed into a complete mess. Then�� there was no more ��then��.


    Ssss��!


    A Gargoyle emerged behind Bubble and struck out its black, sharp claw at her �� But sparks splashed instantly as a transparent barrier negated its attack. Before it could respond to the situation, the light wings behind her transformed and extended like vines that whipped across the sky. Not only was the ambushing Gargoyle was struck, but even the other Gargoyles around it were shattered completely.


    ��Hmph. Worthless trash!��


    Mini Bubble Gum turned around, curled her lips in disdain, and raised her tiny fists. Her wings unfolded and beat to bring her to the area most concentrated with the Gargoyles.


    ��Oh my goodness����


    The soldiers stared blankly in the night sky from the city walls. In an instant, they thought that they were present in a legendary battle that had unfolded in their wildest dreams. The Divine Unicorns soared in the sky and fought a violent battle with the pitch-black, distasteful Gargoyles. On the other hand, the constantly flickering blade rays and holy radiance got their blood racing. None of them had expected to witness such a fantasy-like scene.


    But now�� They had become one of them and were about to battle the terrifying creatures like legendary heroes! Many of them were fired up. They fixed their eyes on the sky and cursed themselves for not having a pair of wings behind them like Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum and flying into the air and facing the creatures. How glorious would that be?!


    ��Everyone. Get ready. Enemies have entered our attacking range��!��


    Randolf��s yells dragged the soldiers back from their fantasy. They pulled themselves up and gazed at the Undead Army. The Abominations were approaching them step by step. Gillian extended her right hand with a stern expression. The scarlet flames on her palm throbbed constantly while Marlene crossed her hands and chanted under her breath. Not only them�� But this was also our battle!


    In an instant, the soldiers sensed an unprecedented calmness even though a hot blooded desire for a fierce battle had erupted in their bodies. They felt as though their skin had been completely frozen by the whizzing, cold winds. However, that wasn��t due to fear. Instead, it was because of excitement and thrill. The soldiers raised their bows and aimed at the enemies in the distance. Their eyes were no longer glinting with fear or uncertainty.


    ��Release your arrows!��


    Randolf ordered.


    A string of blaze and explosions erupted, which devoured the Undead Army. Simon let out a grim laughter as he squinted at the army ahead. Behind him stood 12 Necromancers clad in black robes. They had formed a perfect circle with their positions. They held white bone staff and quietly waited for their orders. Simon was ready. It could be seen that Saiborn��s report wasn��t exaggerating at all. In fact, Simon couldn��t help but exclaim in awe when he witnessed this massive, majestic Fortress, where even his White Bone City wasn��t as beautiful or flourishing. In an instant, Simon had come up with intentions of snatching this place into this own. If he could receive such a castle and guard this strategic location and major road, it was imaginable how powerful he could become.


    Just as Rhode had expected, even though the Country of Darkness was powerful, there were signs of internal disputes and this was the reason why the Country of Darkness wished to expand their territories. Therefore, apart from the four legendary generals who had taken part in this battle against the Light Mainland, there were also many other families involved. In fact, they were the most active participants in this battle because they knew why the Dark Dragon started this battle. This presented a great opportunity for them. If they could grasp it, they would have a chance to expand their forces and grow from an ordinary family into a massive, powerful family. They might even reach the social class of the four legendary generals.


    But now��


    Simon dwindled this thought. He stepped toward the middle of the circle formed by the Necromancers in large strides. Even though Saiborn was foolish, he did suffer a defeat with reasonable reasons. Simon had checked the nearby terrain and it was undeniably unsuitable for the Death Knights. But it was entirely different for Necromancers. Even though he wasn��t aware if what Saiborn said was true, he wouldn��t belittle the enemies. In fact, he had a strategy ready.


    ��Let��s begin.��


    Simon lifted his head and gazed at the Fortress. Then, he extended his hands and the white bone staff in his hand hovered slowly in midair. He lowered his head and chanted a curse softly. The 12 Necromancers followed his lead and chanted in harmony.


    The darkness turned deeper.


    Another string of explosions flashed.


    Marlene puckered her brows at the Abominations who were still braving forward even after they were blasted with heavy damage. They were truly hard to deal with just as Rhode had mentioned. Since the battle commenced, the soldiers had fired two waves of arrows. Although the explosions had slowed the Abominations down, they didn��t seem to have intentions of stopping. Their tall, obese bodies were full of pitch-black large holes with forest green blood gushing out. The night breeze swept the putrid stench along and polluted the air.


    Living creatures would have died countless times by such injuries, but these Undead Creatures continued to move forward stubbornly. Even though their thick, short legs limited their speed, their defenses were still high. Even if their upper bodies had exploded into a bloody mess, they could still advance with their lower bodies.


    Not only that, but also��


    A shadow flitted by and struck at Marlene. She shrunk back subconsciously and heard a deep collision.


    Bam��!


    A gigantic hatchet connected to a steel chain hacked into the thick, solid city wall before Marlene. The Abomination��s four muscular arms dragged the steel chains. After missing its target, it pulled its steel chain back and moved forward.


    This is real trouble.


    Marlene knitted her brows. She turned to the side to find Orchid Heart leaning back leisurely on the chair. The chair had slanted toward the back and if it weren��t for the city wall, perhaps she would have fallen to the ground. But Marlene couldn��t understand how she was able to keep this calm before this violent battle. Even though the soldiers were fighting hard and Lize and her Clerics were doing their best to summon and maintain the defensive barrier, Orchid Heart was still looking sleepy. She had only given two commands ever since the start of the battle and they were the simplest of all: ��Stop�� and ��Attack��.


    Would these commands be useful?


    An explosion attracted Marlene��s attention. She turned to see Gillian aiming her right index finger at the ground. Then, a light trail streaked across the sky and a wall of flames extended abruptly from the ground. The scorching flames instantly devoured the massive Abominations. Shortly after, the Abominations collapsed and exploded like water-filled balloons. The putrid forest green liquid splashed everywhere, but the companions behind them weren��t affected at tall. They climbed over the wall of flames and continued their assault.


    What should we do next?


    At this moment, Marlene saw Canary standing on her feet and gazing forward.


    ��The Necromancers have made a move. They��re summoning a strategic spell.��


    ��What?!��


    Marlene let out a cry. She knew how terrifying strategic spells were. Not only were they AoE spells that contained incomparable might, but they could also last for a long duration. Apart from that, they required a lot of high-level spellcasters in order to work. Even though Marlene didn��t know how powerful the Necromancers were, this move would expose the extent of their strength.


    ��What should we do, Miss Canary?��


    ��Don��t worry, Miss Marlene.��


    Perhaps sensing Marlene��s worries, Canary revealed her signature, gentle smile.


    ��Rhode left me here to prevent such a situation from happening. Leave it to me.��


    Canary extended her right hand.

 Chapter 699 - War Against Fate (VIII)

    Simon lifted his head and gazed at the deep, dark sky. He sensed the dense energy of death coalescing from all directions. He narrowed his eyes and felt the energy flowing past his fingertips. This was Simon��s favorite moment. He felt like he was the king of the world and every living creature in this world could only bow by his feet. He could control every single one of them. At this moment, he was God! The greatest presence in this world!


    Even though this was only a misconception for one who possessed powers, Simon didn��t think so. He was totally immersed in the moment and guiding the ice-cold energy of death using his spiritual powers. He lifted his arms and along with this movement, the white bone staff hovering between his arms became dull in appearance. Not only that, but billows of black smoke also rose with occasional flashes of spiritual radiance.


    The chanting became louder. Then, the Necromancers surrounding him also raised their arms. They offered their spirits and powers respectfully. If one could see it, perhaps one would find a violent, magical tornado whirling around their massive ritual circle.


    Everything is going to end soon.


    Simon stared at the Fortress in the distance. Flares burst into the sky and the constant explosions left him lamenting. It seemed that Saiborn wasn��t wrong in his judgment. It was impossible for the enemies to defend against the Undead Army for so long if they were unprepared, which had proven that they were well-prepared for this raid. It might possibly mean that the Country of Darkness�� raid plans were leaked a long time ago.


    Simon revealed a smile. He was clear that this entire plan had been kept as an absolute secret and he was almost sure that only the four legendary generals might know about it in advance. And now, the Munn Kingdom was ready for their raids and this meant that the plan was divulged. If he could occupy this Fortress and propose a protest with the Dark Dragon, the four legendary generals�� positions would definitely become unstable. As a Necromancer who had operated within the Country of Darkness for centuries, he understood the affairs of the nation extremely well.


    The spell has reached its peak.


    Simon clutched his hands together to control the surging magical powers that were merging with the death aura. Simon was full of confidence in this legendary strategic spell. The 12 Necromancers were the best from the ��Sinister Death��, and all had entered the Inner Circle (Advanced Legendary). With his strength, the strength of this spell could reach Peak Legendary: it could even breakthrough all man-made boundaries. Simon was getting all fired up. If that were true, it meant that he might even injure or kill all the extraordinary presences who existed in this world. Simon��s heart pounded violently at this crazy thought.


    So, does it mean that I can possibly become��


    Simon knitted his brows and dwindled this thought. That was in the faraway future. He was an Undead Creature. He had sufficient time and patience to fulfill his wildest desires. But, before that, he had to possess enough strength, forces, and territories to establish the foundations.


    ��Umyasi!��


    Simon lifted his arms and called out the final character of his curse. Almost instantly, the invisible strength materialized. A harmony of scarlet and pitch-black energy surged, shot straight into the sky, and blended into the sky as one. Shortly after, it transformed into a whistling, devastating storm. This was the secret technique of the Necromancers. Rumor had it that during the Creation War, they had once used this technique to wipe out all the enemies who obstructed the Dark Dragon no matter if were the Elves, Angels, Dwarves, or Humans. No one could survive before the face of absolute destruction and death!


    Shortly after, the massive Fortress would be shrouded entirely and transformed into a city of death!


    ��What?��


    A crisp voice rang in Simon��s ears.


    Although the voice was soft and melodious, it came as a bolt from the blue. This was a strategic spell that had reached Peak Legendary. Everything was within his grasp, so where did that voice come from?!


    He turned around and the spiritual flames in his eyes burned even brighter. An azure human silhouette coalesced from magical energy was spotted floating by the edge of the dark, roaring torrent of death. Simon instantly knew what that was: a phantom clone created from its holder��s magical energy. But�� that wasn��t the main problem!


    This was the strategic spell that he had unleashed fully and all the magic powers in the surrounding had been infiltrated by this energy of death and destruction. If one were to release any spells, it would undoubtedly be like one was winding a yarn ball around a wheel that was spinning at incredible speed!


    But now, the young lady��s figure was hovering quietly right there and the vicious energy torrent appeared to be ineffective at all. Simon knew that this was impossible because only when one had coalesced enough magical energy that one could prevent its phantom from being devoured by the vicious chaos. But such a Human didn��t exist, not even Amund, which was why Simon was confident when he unleashed this spell. But now�� Damn it. Who is that young lady? Is she a Mage? When was there such a powerful Mage in the Munn Kingdom? Could it be Lydia? It can��t be. She��s an Archangel and I��ve never heard that an Archangel could use magic spells. Besides, she doesn��t have the pair of light angel wings behind her!


    Simon couldn��t focus his attention on where this young lady had come from anymore. There was one thing for sure that he knew clearly: she wasn��t here for a good cause!


    As expected. The young lady stretched out her right arm and pressed lightly on the blustering, spinning dark magical barrier.


    Then, Simon��s vision blinded.


    ����!��


    In an instant, the darkness in the atmosphere was completely devoured by a dazzling blaze. The aura of death and horrifying dark powers around Simon and the Necromancers were as though petroleum being ignited and illuminated the entire sky and earth by scarlet flames. The blustering gales swept along the scorching flames which engulfed all the Necromancers.


    ��No!��


    Simon spread his arms apart desperately. He couldn��t imagine how all this happened. He knew how tough it was to forcefully intervene with a Peak Legendary strategic spell. Perhaps in the entire Country of Darkness, there were no Necromancers who could accomplish that!


    Even though the flow of the magic spell was as though the regulated operations of a machine, where it would be easy to disrupt its gears by sticking a metal crowbar into it, the size of the machine was still a factor. If not, not only would the metal crowbar not get stuck, but it would also be dragged into it and get crushed.


    And that was the consequence which most Necromancers faced. It wasn��t difficult to disrupt a magic spell at its preparation phase, but it would be as hard as climbing to the heavens once its preparation phase was over and it had erupted entirely. But now, Simon witnessed a scene that had twisted all his knowledge. The human who suddenly appeared forcibly distorted the [Tide of Destruction] which he had cast. Not only that, but she also used her strength to analyze it?!


    This can��t go on!


    Simon swiftly realized the source of the problem. As the leader of the ��Sinister Death�� and a Necromancer, he immediately displayed his decisive side. He gritted his teeth and gazed at the surrounding that was engulfed in twisted flames and crumbling magical trajectories. Then, a sinister thought cropped up in his mind.


    ��Tch!��


    He pointed at the young lady and the white bone staff in his hand instantly shattered. The raging wind of magic powers rose from the ground. However, not only did the surging flames not burn stronger, but it also became much more dull. In the blink of an eye, the earth-shattering, blazing flames darkened. Then, countless dark beams emitted from within the flames and struck toward the illusory young lady!


    ����!��


    The azure young lady suddenly became pitch-black and dark. At the same time, the suppressed flames blazed even brighter and only a dazzling, scarlet radiance was left before Simon��s eyes.


    Boom!


    A violent explosion and flash ripped through the night sky. The soldiers going against the Undead Creatures on the city walls lifted their heads to see the situation.


    ��Argh��!��


    Marlene witnessed Canary pointing her finger forward and exclaiming in surprise. Then, Canary��s right hand erupted with flames and dense, blue wind elemental aura that exuded throughout. Even Marlene had the urge to yield to this powerful force. But shortly after, she realized the problem.


    A trace of shadow flashed across the blistering, scarlet blaze in Canary��s hand. Then, the blaze turned into dark flames that rushed toward her and caught her off guard. Canary was instantly devoured by the dark flames and the immense force blasted her to the wall behind her.


    ��Miss Canary!��


    Marlene shrieked in horror, rushed over to Canary hurriedly, and saw her ashen complexion as though she was on the verge of death. Marlene held Canary��s wrist and an ice-cold, piercing chilliness spread to her hands immediately.


    ��Miss Canary. Wake up. Are you alright? Lize! Lize!��


    Marlene had never expected that Canary would collapse and this left her hysterical. Although Marlene had also experienced countless battles, this was the first time that she had witnessed the near-death condition of a close one in a battle. Moreover, Canary had always been gentle and elegant and both of them had gotten along well. Besides, Marlene was also aware that a lot of credit had to be given to Canary��s meticulous guidance for her amazing improvement. Canary was a being in the Peak Legendary Stage and yet she could guide her along so patiently. This left Marlene extremely grateful. Furthermore, as Marlene��s understanding of magic grew deeper, she could sense how powerful Canary was even clearer now. It felt as though an endless, wide valley where all magical knowledge was presented, along with countless techniques and battle strategies. Even though Canary wasn��t familiar with magical theory at all, this didn��t disrupt her from casting and making use of elemental magic to create unique moves.


    In fact, Marlene always thought that all the time she had spent in the Mage School was a waste whenever she listened to Canary��s lectures. Marlene had spent so much effort in understanding the principle, structure, and origin of magic and she wasn��t even close to a Mage who held unorthodox views in magic.


    But now, the unbeatable young lady had fallen before her.


    Cough! Cough!


    Perhaps woken up by Marlene��s scream, Canary opened her eyes and let out a few painful coughs. Marlene saw a blue breeze spinning around Canary and in the blink of an eye, a dark aura emerged from her body and vanished into thin air.


    ��I was a little too careless. Sigh�� The lack of great equipment is indeed a shortcoming�� The magical resistance is horrible����


    ��Miss Canary, are you alright?��


    Even though Marlene couldn��t understand what Canary was murmuring under her breath, she asked worriedly. Canary lifted her head and presented a smile.


    ��I��m fine. It��s just a little injury. Bubble can heal me up later.��


    Then, Canary��s expression turned solemn out of a sudden. At this moment, a person swayed her way to behind Marlene. It was Orchid Heart who had always been silent. She stood with her thick book and gazed quietly at Canary.


    ��Canary, all settled?��


    Canary revealed a graceful smile to Orchid Heart.


    ��That��s right, Sister Heart. My job is done here. The Undead Army has temporarily lost the protection from the Necromancers. I guess Leader and Bubble won��t let this chance slip. I shall leave the rest to you.��


    ��You��ve had a long day����


    Orchid Heart displayed a smile and turned around. Then, she stretched out her left hand and several pitch-black cards emerged around her.


    ��I will take over from here,�� Orchid Heart said. ��Canary succeeded.��


    Rhode twitched his brows to the flares and rolling billows of smoke bursting into the sky. He lowered his gaze to the battlefield below. The Abominations were still advancing. Most of them had broken through the explosions of magic arrows and Gillian��s fire wall and arrived at the city walls. Even though the soldiers had tried their best, they were only capable of slowing them down and couldn��t stop them.


    I still need more soldiers��


    Rhode shook his head. If it wasn��t for Orchid Heart, perhaps it would still be too challenging to gain victory with the soldiers. But now, he wasn��t worried about the issue over at the Fortress anymore.


    ��Bubble, now��s the chance!��

 Chapter 700 - War Against Fate (IX)

    Chapter 700: War Against Fate (IX)


    ��Bubble, now��s the chance!��


    As Rhode spoke, the wind direction changed.


    The bone-piercing, chilly wind whistled. But, this time, it had a warm sensation within it like the faint scent of wild grass and soil. That used to be their eternal memory. In there, it was the history, battles, glory, and deaths that they had experienced. That was the only thing in their world��


    Orchid Heart raised her left hand while holding a card. The icy moonlight sprinkled and shone upon it.


    ��The war on the prairie under the dark moon and sky has become dust in people��s memories.��


    The young lady chanted softly and lifted her head.


    In an instant, blustering gales blew.


    The storm that was raised from the ground instantly swept the Undead Creatures off their feet. The soldiers on the city walls instantly shut their eyes and turned around to avoid the sudden gales. But,when they once again opened their eyes, they were astonished.


    Where are we?


    It was no longer the pitch-black sky and tall mountainous ranges presented before them. Instead, it was an endless prairie with exuberant grass dancing along the gentle breeze. A full moon hung high in the night sky. Its silver-whitish radiance generously illuminated the prairie and in an instant, the entire battlefield seemed to have frozen in place, with only the echoes of ��swishes�� resounding under the night sky.


    The Fortress was still erected firmly under them. However, they didn��t know where they were exactly. They couldn��t see the familiar mountain ranges or narrow valleys anymore. As far as their eyes could see, the boundless prairie stretched across the entire world and the Undead Army who had reached the foot of the city walls were seen trapped in a big, pit-like sunken hill. Not only that, but a river with surging waves and more than ten meters wide also flowed before it. Under the glistening moonlight, the splashing water sprinkled and reflected off the silver-whitish rays that appeared like gemstones before the soldiers.


    This was the 10th Position of the Ultimate Army Deck. Venue Card��[Casali under the Night Sky]!


    ��This����


    Although even the experienced soldiers were stunned, they reacted swiftly. The towering city walls of the Fortress were now above the hill while the Undead Army was trapped below them as though they were prey that had fallen into a hunter��s trap. Even though they didn��t know how they came to this state, what else would they do if they didn��t take action now?!


    ��Fire!��


    The Undead Army had completely lost their formation and became a chaotic mess. The Abominations who led the pack and was responsible for being the meat shield had been trapped in the middle like the filling inside dumplings. Wrapping around them were the Death Knights, warhorses, Skeleton Guards, followed by the scattered Necromancers. This shift in venue completely changed their formation and the Undead Army had entirely brought about their own destruction.


    After all, their previous formations were well-prepared. But now, they were squeezed together and couldn��t budge at all. The Fortress had launched a new wave of attacks, which left them completely flustered. The Abominations had thick flesh and were unaffected by the exploding magic arrows, which they continued to advance in large strides. However, the Death Knights around them were less fortunate. Even though they weren��t any weaker than the Abominations in strength, the ones with bigger body mass in such a narrow space were most advantageous. The Abominations pushed their way through and squeezed the Death Knights away. However, there were also a huge group of Skeleton Guards beside the Death Knights. Not only that, but the Skeleton Guards were also clad in thick, solid armor and they gathered like a city wall and blocked the Death Knights�� attack unintentionally. Since the Death Knights couldn��t possibly break through a path, all they could do was to shield themselves from the descending flares and charge forward blindly.


    The Death Knights forced their way through and pushed the Skeleton Guards aside. However, no matter how disciplined the Undead Army was, they couldn��t possibly disperse and regroup after being trapped in this sunken hole. Therefore, they had quickly fallen into a complete mess.


    The Necromancers by the outer circle had it worst. Previously, Canary had forcibly destroyed their strategic spell and even though Simon had also dealt a heavy blow to her at the final, critical juncture with his remaining strength, that was his remaining strength, after all, and most wase reversed by her previously. The powers of 13 Necromancers had coalesced and as a result, the backlash from her dealt grave damage to them. At this moment, they couldn��t even stand on their feet and were instantly bound up among the Skeleton Guards miserably.


    ��What exactly is����


    Simon pulled himself up. The spiritual powers flowed inside him wildly and brought about a piercing pain. Canary��s strength had exceeded the Peak Legendary Stage, but the magical resistance in her equipment was still too low, after all. On the other hand, her attack was still incredibly strong and he had a hard time against her. Simon widened his eyes and gazed at the prairie and hills before him in astonishment. He was sure that this definitely wasn��t the ice-cold Land of Atonement. Damn it�� Where exactly is this ridiculous place?!


    Could this be the Order Dimension? When did the Munn Kingdom have another person in the Legendary Stage?


    Simon dwindled this thought in this head. Even though he wasn��t strong enough to access the Order Dimension and Mystic Realm, he sensed that this wasn��t the usual Order Dimension and Mystic Realm. The reason was simple. Order Dimension was the materialization of the strength and Order of a being in the Legendary Stage, which had high demands of one��s strength. Normally, it was impossible for beings in the Legendary Stage to drag that many soldiers and troops into its Order Dimension and Mystic Realm. Moreover, the Fortress had also been dragged into it, which was never heard of. Besides�� It was due to this that Simon sensed that this definitely wasn��t the Order Dimension and Mystic Realm.


    The reason was simple. In the world formed from rules, the holder held a status similar to the Gods. If one was capable of dragging the entire army into one��s world, one could destroy them in a single thought without any chance of resistance. But, come to think of it, there was no one in the Peak Legendary Stage who could pull an entire Undead Army into one��s world. Perhaps apart from the four legendary generals and Dark Dragon, no one could achieve this.


    If this world belonged to a being in the Legendary Stage, they didn��t need to do such a thing. But now, Simon and all his troops had been swept into this world and the enemies were still relying on their Fortress in increasing firepower? Simon was confident that this definitely wasn��t the rule world of the legendary being!


    If that��s the case, what is this place exactly?!


    Simon faced the Undead Army gathered around him and the soldiers on the city walls releasing a rain of magic arrows. The ground shook as the magic arrows exploded. If it was in the previous battlefield, Simon would still be able to cast defensive barrier to protect his army from the magic arrows and regroup in the quickest time possible. However, he couldn��t do so now. He sensed his powers flowing away from him at a rapid speed. The immense impact from the previous explosion had broken all his defenses and even brought upon severe damage to his spirit. Simon had no intentions of continuing this battle anymore. All he had in mind was to escape this battlefield and recover from his injuries. But he knew that he wouldn��t fully recover without spending at least 40 to 50 years��


    ����!��


    Simon hesitated no more. But, when he lifted his head to the surrounding, he heard a sharp, whistling sound. He turned toward the sound and spotted a spotlessly white meteor streaking across the sky, followed by a loud explosion.


    Boom!


    Mini Bubble Gum crashed into the middle of the Undead Army and sent a strong, matchless force across the sunken hill. The Abominations which the magic arrows couldn��t defeat were instantly smashed like flattened balloons. The putrid stench filled with poisonous gas and liquid splattered. However, the silver halo around the little girl cleansed them before they could get into contact with her.


    ��Trying to escape? Let me see where you can run to!��


    Mini Bubble Gum was oddly excited. She had totally neglected the fact that the Undead Army was actually attacking and wasn��t retreating. At this moment, she yelled, extended her right fist, and punched the ground heavily!


    ����!��


    This powerful punch shook the city walls, which left the soldiers trembling in fear. Then, they looked down at the sunken hole and instantly spotted cracks under the bright moonlight. Not only that, but they also clearly witnessed the Undead Army shaking up and shattering into bits. Many of them plunged into the pitch-black fissure.


    ��Oh my goodness����


    The soldiers mumbled subconsciously. They had spent so much effort and could only cause some chaos in the Undead Army. But just a simple attack from Mini Bubble Gum completely shook up the thousands of Undead Creatures. The threat of this pure, powerful strength had left them frightened.


    But this was only the start.


    Mini Bubble Gum lifted her head with a smile.


    Silver-whitish, divine flames erupted from the fissure. The blistering blaze overflowed mercilessly and engulfed the Undead Creatures altogether.


    ��Damn it!��


    Simon��s face couldn��t turn any uglier.


    He had totally unexpected that this remote Fortress would have so many powerful beings Who exactly is this little girl! How is it possible that she possesses such formidable and sacred powers? Is she from the Church? Does the Country of Law have intentions of joining this battle?


    Simon felt a chill down his spine.


    Almost instinctively, he turned around to retreat. At the same time, two shimmering blade rays transformed into lightning bolts and struck at him. Simon raised his arms and emanated an ice-cold radiance with his shriveled palms. In the blink of an eye, a shield made up of white bones emerged before him.


    Clang!


    Simon witnessed two swords colliding on his bone shield. Then, a black-haired young man emerged out of the darkness casually and gazed silently at him. Even though this young Human didn��t speak a word, Simon knew that he was the young Human��s target.


    Good reactions.


    Rhode narrowed his eyes at the Necromancer. Everything had been planned by Orchid Heart, Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and him. After sensing that Simon was from the ��Sinister Death��, Rhode naturally knew what to do with him. A group with Necromancers as their main force would usually make use of Undead Creatures to attract the enemies�� attention while they released strategic spells from the rear. Rhode definitely wouldn��t allow his Fortress to receive such powerful damage. After all, not only were the undead spells formidable, but they were also like contaminating nuclear bombs. Even if the Holy Maiden Statue could withstand the attacks, it was imaginable how the environment of Land of Atonement would be after they were stained with the aura of death. It would surely turn into a dead land.


    This was why Rhode had drawn up this plan. As soon as they detected that the Necromancers were preparing their strategic spell, Canary would instantly intervene and destroy it. With her current strength, there was nothing that she couldn��t disrupt unless they were the techniques and magic spells from the four legendary generals and Dark Dragon. After the strategic spell intervened, the Necromancers would suffer from the backlash while Orchid Heart would trigger the [Casali under the Night Sky] Venue Card to drag the entire Undead Army into the venue card of the Ultimate Army Deck. The reason why he had chosen to do this after the Necromancers had suffered from the backlash was so they wouldn��t be able to hinder their later plans. As long as the whole Undead Army was dragged into the venue, Mini Bubble Gum could brazenly unleash her strength without anyone detecting her.


    But there was still a limit, after all. Orchid Heart used spiritual communications to remind Rhode that [Casali under the Night Sky] could only be maintained for five minutes with her current strength. As soon as five minutes were up, the Venue Card would lose its effects.


    Five minutes��50,000 Undead Creatures.


    Rhode sprung back while fixing his eyes on the Necromancer before him. Even though the latter��s robe was tattered and his miserable look made him look like he survived multiple bombings, Rhode could still sense the rich aura of death exuding from him. It was apparent that this Necromancer was the commander of this Undead Army.


    And he was also Rhode��s target.


    ����!��


    Simon gritted his teeth. He no longer cared for his troops anymore. He only wished to leave this place immediately to save his life. As for the next move��he would think about it later!


    Simon raised his right index finger and his finger shattered into powder and burst out a rich, dense forest green smoke that aimed for Rhode. Rhode dodged swiftly and released shimmering flashes from his swords that sliced through the smoke. Then, he struck straight for Simon!


    ��Tsk!��


    Simon flinched. Then, he spread his arms apart and chanted under his breath. Several bone spears emerged behind him and shot at the swords aiming for him.


    At this moment, the situation took a sudden turn.


    The two swords released a dazzling radiance as soon as they collided with the bone spears. Then, two figures emerged!

 Chapter 701 - War Against Fate (X)

    Chapter 701: War Against Fate (X)


    The soldiers on the city walls were stunned.


    Even though they should have also launched their attacks while coordinating with their overlord and others to eliminate the Undead Creatures, most of them stood and stared blankly with widened eyes at the middle of the vortex��and that little girl.


    ��Heyaaaah!��


    Mini Bubble Gum swung out her fist and struck an Abomination in its stomach. Even though she wasn��t even half as tall as it was and seemed like a kid confronting an adult, the Abomination instantly split into two from the middle. The massive creature that didn��t receive any damage from the countless magic arrows was instantly ripped apart like a low-quality ham sausage. At the same time, another Abomination rushed over from behind her with deep growls. It brandished its gigantic hatchet across the night sky and struck out a string of sparks after colliding on a solid surface. Then, Mini Bubble Gum turned around, stomped her foot on its body, which sent it flying and crashing into the Death Knights that couldn��t escape in time.


    ��Oh my goodness����


    Not only the soldiers, but even Marlene, Lize, and the others also felt shivers down their spine. Even though they had received Mini Bubble Gum��s guidance in the past, this was the first time that they witnessed her merciless attacks. At this moment, everyone finally understood how fortunate they were that they had survived up until this point without any injuries. If Mini Bubble Gum were to show such enthusiasm during the training sessions, perhaps they would have turned into corpses back then. Lize lowered her head and looked at her hands.


    ��Can I do that too?��


    ��Miss Heart, this����


    ��I know.��


    Orchid Heart shrugged sleepily to Marlene��s doubts.


    ��That��s just Bubble��s bad habit. Maybe I should have reminded her that we don��t have much time for her to enjoy,�� Orchid Heart said and placed her right hand by her mouth. Then, her sharp whistles filled the sky.


    ��I know! Sister Heart!��


    Mini Bubble Gum pouted in disdain. Then, she extended her hand and struck another Death Knight before her into the air. After glancing at the mess around her, she nodded in satisfaction.


    ��Not bad. Now, it��s time to destroy the corpses. No matter what, I��m still a Cleric. Leave it to me!��


    Mini Bubble Gum quickly expanded the light wings behind her and soared into the air. Then, in the blink of an eye, the light wings transformed into four silver lines that weaved into a complicated ritual, where Mini Bubble Gum floated above it in the middle and looked down at the Undead Army below her.


    ��I can never get enough of such superiority.��


    She shook her head and lamented. Then, she extended her arm and chanted.


    Celia raised her sword and deflected the incoming bone spears. On the other side, Celestina lifted her hands before her and released countless thorn whips from her sleeves to form a solid barrier. Simon widened his eyes in horror. He had heard that this young overlord possessed strange abilities. But witnessing this scene personally still left him frightened. It was especially so after he spotted the pair of wings behind Celestina and Celia. He suspected if this was just an omen for the blurred vision of his old self, but he swore that he had never seen an Angel and Demon battling alongside each other.


    But now��


    Simon retreated immediately. He sensed the powerful aggression from the two young ladies. He had been gravely injured and couldn��t possibly put up a fight against them. At this moment, he had made up his mind to protect his life and flee from this place. Shortly after, the surrounding Skeleton Guards rushed forward. Even though their heavy armor had slowed down their movements, their strength shouldn��t be belittled.


    ��Hmph!��


    Celia let out a snort. As a Battle Angel, she had no lack of experiences in dealing with Undead Creatures and knew what she should do. She sulked and laid her sword before her with both hands clutching to the sword hilt. At this moment, one of the Skeleton Guards struck its blade down.


    Clang!


    The blades clashed and let out a deep sound of collision. Celia shook slightly and took a step forward swiftly. She slashed her sword sideways, hacked into the Skeleton Guard��s body, and released holy powers that devoured it entirely.


    ��You lowly, shameful Undead Creatures even dare to stop me?!��


    On the other side, Celestina was unwilling to fall behind. Even though she wore a dark, tight dress which restricted her movements like Celia��s armor, she quickly proved that the Skeleton Guards were nothing more than worthless trash with her unique combat skills.


    Shing!


    Celestina released several pitch-black long whips with razor-sharp steel blades from her sleeves, which whistled across the air and sliced the Skeleton Guards into half. In an instant, several bodies, skulls, and limbs flew up high.


    Oh my goodness!


    Simon shivered at this ghastly sight. Just this move from Celestina was enough for him to sense their legendary powers�� Damn it. Aren��t they summoned by that young overlord? What kind of Human can summon beings in the Legendary Stage? Moreover, they��re Angel and Demon��! Simon came to an abrupt halt, turned around, and lifted his right hand. Shortly after, a mass of ice-cold air erupted beneath his feet. Sharp ice thorns struck out in all directions like blooming flower petals with Simon in the middle.


    Clink!


    Rhode��s swords clashed and slipped on the smooth, razor-sharp ice thorns. Simon opened his eyes wide and at this moment, he had given up all intentions to escape because he sharply sensed that the young man was the key in this situation! As long as I can kill him��


    Simon lifted his right hand and pointed at Rhode. Then, he chanted a curse softly. The bloomed ice thorns around him instantly spun, expanded into a huge circle in the air, and pierced at Rhode!


    On the other hand, Rhode��s expression remain unchanged. He had already guessed that this would happen when he launched his attack. In all fairness, Simon had lost to him this time due to the lack of intelligence gathered. If he knew the true strength of Rhode��s subordinates, perhaps he wouldn��t have lost so terribly. But it was a pity that he wasn��t aware. And on the battlefield, intelligence warfare was also a crucial segment.


    Simon had no idea about Rhode at all.


    ����!��


    The criss-cross blade rays before Rhode weaved into a dense, huge net. The ice thorns that had struck out at him shattered and dispersed instantly. Simon hurriedly waved his arms in preparation to cast another magic spell. Then, at this moment, scarlet flames exploded.


    The Hell Hound emerged out of nowhere. The blistering scarlet flames on its body melted the fluttering ice fragments in the air and turned them into droplets, which eventually evaporated. At the same time, the Hell Hound leaped into the air with its widened jaws!


    ��Siya!��


    Simon finally couldn��t keep his cool any longer. He let out a snarl and the pitch-black ring on his finger erupted in an unprecedented, glaring lightning flash as though an artillery shell had just been blasted. The dazzling beam struck the Hell Hound and blasted it into the mass of Skeleton Guards. But shortly after, a scorching flame pillar rushed into the sky in an ear-deafening explosion. Then, Simon witnessed several Skeleton Guards flying upward and getting completely devoured by the flames.


    Ssss��!


    Simon sucked in a deep breath of cold air.


    It had been centuries since he had given up his life to become a Necromancer, but he had never seen such strange battle tactics and summoned creatures. If he didn��t blast that self-exploding creature far away, perhaps he would have been dead by now! Simon gazed around him and realized that none of the Skeleton Guards existed. He looked into the distance and found all his 50,000 Undead Creatures enveloped in wild, sacred flames. Not only that, but he had also sensed unprecedented, intense holy powers from the enormous ritual hovering above him. Is everything the doing of that little girl?


    This thought flashed in his head for a mere second. He didn��t have much time to ponder this question anymore because three figures had struck toward him in the sound of the shattered ice thorns.


    Celia clasped her sword with an unwavering expression and charged forward like a war chariot. Everything that obstructed her silver-whitish, sacred flames and holy white wings were shattered into filthy dust. On the other hand, Celestina had expanded her bat-like wings majestically and flew over nimbly. The chain sword in her hands spun and trembled non-stop before eventually transforming into a viper that slithered with its wide opened poisonous fangs.


    ��!!��


    Simon took a step back hurriedly. He had no time to weigh the pros and cons of the situation anymore. He had just used up the only amulet and he wouldn��t face any fortunate consequences no matter if he ended up in the hands of the Angel or Demon. But now, he only had one last chance!


    He turned around and pounced at Rhode. The latter was obviously ready for this. The shadows before Rhode extended and countless, pitch-black tentacles fluttered to wrap Simon.


    Unknown if it was due to Simon��s desires to survive, he unleashed extraordinary strength. He dodged the incoming tentacles and darted forward. He was only two arms away from Rhode now.


    Simon let out a grim laughter and extended his arms.


    But at the next moment, Rhode pierced two swords into Simon��s body.


    ��Wahahahaha!��


    Simon wasn��t feeling afraid or regretful. Instead, he was wild with joy. Rhode twitched his brows to Simon��s peculiar behaviors because it was apparent that he had neglected some kind of trouble.


    But Simon wouldn��t allow Rhode to come up with a response.


    A dense mass of dark energy spurted out from Simon��s body and locked onto Rhode��s swords and arms like fetters and handcuffs. At the same time, Simon aimed for Rhode��s skull and struck out his hands.


    ��Master!��


    ��Hey!��


    Celia and Celestina shrieked in horror. They might be quick, but Simon was one step ahead. The difference of this one step was the distance between heaven and earth. The two young ladies watched helplessly as Simon��s shriveled, sharp fingertips struck out at Rhode��s skull. The strength of Undead Creatures had nothing to do with their class as they weren��t Humans. In fact, a Necromancer��s strength wasn��t anywhere weaker than a sturdy, muscular Swordsman. However, it was their skinny stature that made them look extremely weak.


    But�� such a misconception could be deadly at times.


    And sometimes it wouldn��t.


    ������


    Simon��s fingertips were just a few inches away from seizing Rhode��s life. But, he couldn��t move any farther.


    ��What�� What did you do?!��


    This was the first time that the eyes filled with spiritual flames of death emerged with absolute fear. The reason was simple. Simon couldn��t control his body at all as though a powerful, unquestionable external force had snatched his soul.


    Simon realized that there was something emanating a faint radiance from Rhode��s collar.


    ��I know what you��re thinking, Mr. Necromancer.��


    Rhode lifted his hand. The dark energy binding his arms shrunk and returned to Simon��s body. Then, Simon noticed an azure ball in Rhode��s hand which didn��t exist before. Not only that, but it also trembled and pumped like a heart.


    ��You�� You����


    ��Don��t worry, I won��t kill you that easily.��


    Rhode toyed with the ball in his hand and sheathed his weapon. Simon stood on the spot like a puppet, but judging from his widely opened eyes and trembling voice, it was apparent that it wasn��t due to Rhode��s beauty that he was mesmerized and didn��t leave instantly.


    ��You��re still useful for us,�� Rhode said.


    The beautiful, twinkling stars and round, silver moon hanging in the sky cracked in an instant with snowy radiance spilling through and shining even brighter as though responding to a calling. Shortly after, a storm arose again and everyone shut their eyes. When they opened their eyes, the boundless prairie and river had disappeared to nowhere and were replaced by the silent mountainous range and valleys. However, the remains of the Undead Army and traces of battles reminded them of the brutal war that had taken place.


    ��Everything seems to have ended�� for now.��


    Rhode let out a sigh. He lifted his head and gazed into the horizon.


    The sky was turning bright in the east.


    Morning arrived.

 Chapter 702 - Prologue — The Country of Darkness

    The night sky was limitless.


    The scarlet, round moon hung silently on the night sky above this nation of eternal night with no sunrises. Its reddish radiance emanated in the endless night of darkness.


    Garcia stood on the platform and gazed at the scenery below him. The dark, mesmerizing cities��Drekoen, Eternal Night City, and Death Capital. They were the last palaces of all the dark and undead races. Unlike Casabianca of the Country of Light, Drekoen was constructed in the shape of a square, which had obviously set apart four regions that represented four families and the four largest races in the Country of Darkness. The four regions served the gigantic, pitch-black castle in the center��and its owner.


    At this moment, this city was sleeping under the gentle moonlight. The corners of Garcia��s lips twitched. This massive city could never be treated as luxurious. Even though there were also business negotiations and communications in this city, they couldn��t be as lively as the human countries. To put it bluntly, judging by Garcia��s views on this city as a Human, he saw this place as an exquisite, lifeless graveyard with countless tombstones and graves exuding a faint blue aura.


    What a foolish and meaningless thought.


    Garcia shook his head slightly and caressed his beard. At this moment, a voice sounded behind him.


    ��All ready, Sir.��


    ��Got it.��


    Garcia instantly put up a stern expression. He turned around and entered the spacious room with large strides. Even though there were exquisite decorations set up in every corner of this well-decorated room, there wasn��t a single piece of furniture. In the center of the spacious room, there was a mysterious, yet complicated ritual emanating with faint radiance. The ritual was laid out in the shape of a cross with empty circles at all four corners. Garcia stepped onto one of the four circles. Then, the entire ritual cross emanated a faint radiance and shortly after, three other indistinct, illusory silhouettes emerged above the other three circles. Even though Garcia couldn��t see their facial features, he knew that it was the same for how others viewed him �� This was the communication method for the four legendary generals. Unless they received orders, they would never gather at a single place. They had never appeared before anyone and always controlled everything in secret.


    It��s almost time��


    Garcia let out a snort as he gazed at the three fuzzy figures. The war against the Light Mainland had begun, but the four legendary generals didn��t launch all their attacks. Instead, as per usual, ��The Spirit Chaser�� Balende and ��The Angel of Sorrow�� Charlie were responsible for leading the battles, while ��The Blood Countess�� Ashvril and ��The Conqueror�� Garcia remained in the nation. According to plan, they should have overcome a large portion of the Light Mainland��s territories and searched for further breakthroughs. However, Garcia knew that the situation wasn��t that simple.


    ��Our operations have faced some problems.��


    ��The Spirit Chaser�� Balende said coldly. As usual, he decisively discarded the red tapes and got straight into the main topic.


    Our operations in the Munn Kingdom have faced resistance, which caused the slowing of our progress. It seems that they are well-prepared for our raids. Our first wave of raid has almost failed completely. We need to regroup our troops and revise our strategies.��


    ��How surprising.��


    A flirtatious, melodious voice sounded. Even without the need to look at her appearance, almost every man would fall into a delusion that they couldn��t extricate themselves from. However, Garcia remained silent and gazed at the slender magical silhouette with narrowed eyes.


    ��We have predicted that the Munn Kingdom��s defenses would be impressive. But, all the battle lines have crumpled? General Balende, you must be joking, right?��


    Garcia shook his head slightly. As the only human race among the four legendary generals, he was much more capable than the other three in extracting intelligence from the human society. In fact, Garcia was sure that Balende wasn��t exaggerating in his words. There would be a risk of losing all their troops if they didn��t retreat immediately. Even though they had broken through the defenses in Sygram and Dragon Canyon, they failed to dominate the territories they had expected. Besides, their enemies had also smartly withdrawn from battle, which made it difficult for the Undead Army to kill the Humans and replenish their manpower on the spot. The situation in Silent Field was still acceptable. However, Garcia was clear that the Undead Army there had become a lonely army with Silent Field��s geographical location. If they didn��t come up with any solutions, they would surely be eliminated by the Battle Angel Army.


    The situation in Paphield-Grenbell was even worse. According to the report that Garcia had received, not only did the enemies defeat Balende��s first wave of army, but they had also destroyed the ��Sinister Death��. Even though the ��Sinister Death�� was a Necromancer family with intermediate forces and wasn��t regarded highly by the four legendary generals, they were considered powerful to the humans. It was unbelievable that this Necromancer family had been utterly destroyed.


    ��Everything is normal in the Country of Light.��


    Charlie was as reticent as ever as though speaking a few more words would kill him. But, the other three present understood what he meant.


    Their attack on the Country of Light couldn��t get anymore normal.


    Initially, the Country of Light dispatched their troops to the border to put up a strong stance and disregarded the Country of Darkness entirely. The day before Charlie launched his attack, the Country of Light was still focusing their attention on dealing with the Light Dragon Soul and winning the trust from their people. This gave Charlie the chance to overwhelm the borders and invade all the way through. Not only that, but they had also accomplished their mission earlier than expected. However, due to the resistance from the Munn Kingdom, Charlie couldn��t advance farther.


    If the Country of Light was a wine bottle while the Country of Darkness�� attack was like forcing water into the wine bottle opening, then Munn Kingdom would be the cork. Logically speaking, the water would gush into the wine bottle in the shortest time possible as soon as the cork was removed. But, if they were to find an opening in the bottleneck and pour water through, no one knew how much time it would take to fill the wine bottle.


    Of course, another way was to break the bottleneck and pour all the water in. But, this way, Country of Darkness would inevitably enrage the Twin Dragons of Country of Law, which would be extremely dangerous. Not to mention that Elves and Dwarves were far more troublesome to handle compared to Humans and Angels, the Country of Law also had two Creator Dragon Souls. Back then, they had the number advantage during the Creation War. Now that the Country of Darkness had started a war with the Country of Light, they naturally would want to avoid stirring trouble with the Country of Law.


    The Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons were the ones who had emerged and ended the Creation War. Even though the Country of Darkness had the Dark Dragon��s protection, the Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons represented the final rules and judgment of Order. And, on this entire continent, order was everything.


    ��What does His Majesty think about it?��


    Garcia shook his head and said.


    ��His Majesty didn��t have any views on this. This is an issue that we, four legendary generals, should resolve.��


    Ashvril let out a crisp chuckle. However, Garcia didn��t take it to heart as he knew that Ashvril was just an annoying troublemaker. Back then, this raid plan had been approved by the Dark Dragon. Now that the progress wasn��t going well, the Dark Dragon would definitely pay attention to it. However, Garcia had to admit that Ashvril was right. This was a problem between the four legendary generals. If they couldn��t even handle such a problem, wouldn��t the tempted clowns who were eyeing their positions from below be jumping for joy?


    ��We should retreat and reevaluate the situation.��


    Garcia ignored Ashvril��s words and suggested his own.


    ��General Charlie��s army have reached their target and we can act according to plan. No matter what, His Majesty��s prestige can protect our troops. Judging from the reactions of the Light Dragon, perhaps she can��t do anything to resist His Majesty. The Dragon Soul protection naturally has its inertia, but the Light Dragon��s current status is apparently not enough for her to recover lost ground. I suggest that we go steady and strike hard. Consolidate our battle lines first before launching another attack.��


    Garcia gazed to the figure at the side.


    ��Silent Field isn��t a good choice for us. If it is possible, hand it over to others to defend.��


    ��Oh.��


    Charlie responded, but no one knew if he had agreed to this suggestion.


    ��But this isn��t our focus, General Charlie.��


    At this moment, the flirtatious voice let out some crisp chuckles as it spoke.


    ��Indeed. We recognize the strength of the Munn Kingdom. But this time, they actually performed so well against our raids. Shouldn��t we consider the possibilities of internal personnel leaking our information? This is a serious problem. According to our intelligence report, no matter which territories on Munn Kingdom��s battle lines, they are more or less prepared against our raids. General Garcia should be clearer in this than me. If we can��t resolve this problem, how should we go about discussing about others?��


    Garcia sulked slightly.


    Indeed. This was their biggest problem to a certain extent.

 Chapter 703 - Nightfall (I)

    Rhode let out a long sigh and tossed the letter on the table. Then, he lifted his head and looked at everyone before him.


    It had been two days since the end of the battle. After annihilating the ��Sinister Death�� and driving off the Undead Army, it appeared that there would be peaceful days for the time being. However, Rhode kept his guard on. He quickly engaged in an inquest on Simon and received first hand intelligence on the Undead Army.


    Got to say, Simon was thoroughly pitiful. Even though he couldn��t create a phylactery like the Liches to live for eternity, he also had some backup plans as a Necromancer. In a place full of mutual deception like the Country of Darkness, no one knew when they would die. Therefore, as the patriarch of the family, it would be too pathetic if he didn��t have any means to ��restart�� his life.


    However, it was a legendary artifact in Rhode��s possession that had defeated Simon. Rhode had gotten his hands on this artifact from the Duke Fiend��s corpse, thanks to Marlene��s lucky hand: [Spirit��s Prisoner] could choose a target and extract its spirit. Even though, strictly speaking, Necromancers couldn��t be considered alive and they were more like magical creatures that lived on spiritual energy, they still had spirits, after all. Moreover, Simon was also gravely injured and couldn��t resist the binding of the [Spirit��s Prisoner]. As a result, his spirit was instantly captured by Rhode and forced into the necklace.


    Soul Cores for Necromancers were as though the phylacteries for Liches: the source of their presences. Necromancers and Liches were different. The latter used magical powers to engage in life and death transformations to turn themselves into Undead Creatures. However, Necromancers were mainly Undead Creatures with spellcasting talents. From this aspect, their Soul Cores were more important than the phylacteries, which could also be treated as the Necromancer��s CPU. Whoever grasped it could grasp its presence. Therefore, as long as the Soul Core was in Rhode��s hands, Simon wouldn��t be able to hide any secrets and couldn��t even lie��


    Although Simon had limited knowledge as the patriarch of an intermediate family, Rhode managed to uncover a lot of useful information.


    The Undead Army came in strong this time, led by ��Angel of Sorrow�� Charlie and ��Spirit Chaser�� Balende. The latter was responsible for the development toward the Munn Kingdom, while the former was in charge of the battle lines in the Country of Light. Frankly speaking, Rhode wasn��t surprised at all when he heard this news. In fact, he knew that it was definitely Charlie��s responsibility in conquering the Country of Light. This wasn��t based on his knowledge as a player, but it was based on Charlie��s past.


    Many weren��t aware about this, but Rhode knew that Charlie��s identity wasn��t only as one of the four legendary generals. He also had another identity. Previously, he was one of the three Archangels. Charlie spent more time being an Archangel than being one of the four legendary generals. Besides, he was loyal to the Light Dragon and made heroic contributions in the Creation War. It could also be said that most of the credit had to be given to Charlie for the vast land in the Light Mainland.


    But everything changed after the battle ended.


    Charlie was worried and resentful that the Light Dragon handed her authority over to the Humans. He had similar thoughts with the Dark Dragon that Humans were just a flock of sheep who had lost their way and needed a shepherd to guide them ahead. If not, they would surely become prey of the wolves.


    Of course, Charlie��s loyalty made him give up on his opinions and failed to convince the Light Dragon. He grew increasingly enraged as the Light Parliament flourished because he learned of their wild ambitions, as well as their arrogant and offensive views. But he could only watch on from the sidelines. No one had noticed the wrath burning underneath his facade.


    As a result, the Light Parliament seized the authority and that was the day they established the Lighthouse of Liberty. Charlie gave up on his identity, abandoned the [Fury Blaze] that proved him as the Archangel, left the Country of Light, and joined the Country of Darkness. Perhaps due to the fact that the deeper the love, the deeper the hate, Charlie swore to make the Humans who had brazenly stained and snatched the Light Dragon��s throne and position pay. They would exist as slaves of the undead nation and serve under a greater rule to complete his wish and revenge.


    Back then, the players gossiped that the reason why Charlie had made such an irrational move was that he loved the Light Dragon Soul deeply. However, the Light Dragon Soul Heir was just a vessel, after all. Not to mention, no Dragon Soul Heirs would survive for long in that violent Creation War. As a result, the person whom he loved dearly left his side�� And it was possible that this caused him to join the enemies in order to fulfill his wish in saving the nation.


    Rhode felt that he understood Charlie rather well because he put himself into his shoes. After the Munn Kingdom was destroyed, he had the urge to join the Country of Darkness to eliminate the Country of Light. However, he dwindled this thought after realizing that players could rely on their strength to change everything. After all, from a certain perspective, the Country of Darkness was still his enemy.


    Although Charlie was the strongest among the four legendary generals in terms of individual strength, Rhode wasn��t concerned that he would attack the Munn Kingdom. This was because, from a certain perspective, the Munn Kingdom was still upholding the traditions of the Light Dragon, which meant that they were Charlie��s ally to a certain extent. Besides, his relationship with Lydia had always been decent and attacking the Country of Light was much more fulfilling to him. This was why Rhode didn��t believe that Charlie would be the one to attack the Munn Kingdom.


    On the contrary, Rhode was more concerned about the remaining three legendary generals. None of them were easy to deal with and it was especially so for [Conqueror] Garcia. He was promoted to be ��By the God�� as a human. Back then, he didn��t have any unique race and was only an ordinary human born into a slave family within the Country of Darkness. In fact, he was the only one on this continent who had advanced in rank as a human to be ��By the God��. None of the players or NPCs had ever achieved this, which went to show how terrifying he was. If Rhode had a choice, he would rather go into a 300-round battle with [Spirit Chaser] Balende or exchange flirting glances with [Blood Countess] Ashvril than to provoke this legendary fellow.


    Apart from the two main, largest armies, the remaining smaller armies were troops from various powerful families within the Country of Darkness, which was similar to the human nobles�� private soldiers. However, the troops were considered a type of official army for the Undeads. In fact, they were the main forces in this battle.Read the next chapter on our novelhall.com


    After Rhode received the news, he immediately sent the reports to Lydia. The information was extremely crucial in evaluating the future battles. On the other hand, Rhode didn��t slaughter Simon instantly after digging all the intelligence from him. Instead, Rhode ordered Simon to write out everything that he knew in a locked cell. Perhaps this unfortunate fellow was still transcribing everything with tears and mucus flowing down his face.


    Rhode had other matters to focus his attention on.


    ��How��s the situation in the fortress?�� He asked.


    Everyone exchanged glances and Orchid Heart let out a long yawn.


    ��Everything is going well, Rhode. We��ve lost less than a hundred men in the previous battle and there aren��t any army deserters�� So it��s considered alright.��


    ��The merchants have decided to leave temporarily, but the residents have no intentions of moving away for the time being. I��ve negotiated with them and they agreed to defend the Fortress together. Some of the residents by the periphery and Deep Stone City have decided to leave,�� Marlene said.


    Rhode twitched his brows, but this wasn��t beyond his expectations. The residents had nowhere to go to and the reason why they previously tried to leave was that they were afraid that the Fortress would be destroyed. And now, not only could the Fortress withstand the attacks, but the soldiers had also eliminated the Undead Army. Compared to the stalemates in other regions, the Land of Atonement was much safer.


    ��How about our resources?��


    Rhode turned to Lapis. The latter cowered slightly and stood up nervously.


    ��T-That�� Sir, the�� alchemy constructs��. w-will need more time to recover. As for the magic arrows and other Mage Equipment�� If the enemies were of the previous standard, we will have no problems holding on for a week. If we have materials, my subordinates and I can produce more of them����


    ��There will be materials, don��t worry.��


    Rhode nodded to her and turned to everyone else.


    ��This is only the start. I guess you��ve experienced this battle personally now. The attack from the Country of Darkness will be fiercer here on out. Don��t let your guard down even though we��ve won the previous battles easily. We didn��t win because we��ve prepared ourselves well. All we did was to disrupt their plans, that��s all. When the Undead Army is ready for the next battle, we will have a much tougher fight. The next six months are the most dangerous period. As long as we hang on, the ultimate victory will be ours.��


    Everyone glanced at one another. Then, Lize raised her hand dubiously.


    ��Mr. Rhode�� Why the next six months?��


    ��It��s simple.��


    Rhode looked at her.


    ��Because this battle is only a warm-up for the Country of Darkness,�� Rhode said in an apathetic tone.

 Chapter 704 - Nightfall (II)

    Many of them widened their eyes in disbelief. Even though they won the previous battles easily, it didn��t feel good for them, after all. Everyone hated battles, even the easy ones. Although two days had passed, many felt disgusted as soon as they recalled the scenes and mental pressure which the Country of Darkness had brought upon them.


    ���� Boss, what do you mean?��


    Joey scratched his head, but plucked up his courage and asked. In fact, his doubt also represented everyone��s thoughts. Rhode observed everyone��s expressions. Most of them were filled with suspicions and confusions. Only a handful of them, such as John, Marlene, and Old Walker had fallen into deep thoughts. Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Orchid Heart weren��t concerned over this issue. As players in the past, they knew the causes and effects of the entire situation. Rhode let out an inward bitter smile. Apart from a few of them, most were mercenaries who were used to fighting and killing, so how was it possible that they would consider the meaning and problem behind the causes?


    But it seemed about time for them to attend a lecture.


    Rhode spread his arms apart.


    ��I want to ask everyone of you a question. What do you think was the reason of the Country of Darkness��s attack on the Light Mainland?��


    Everyone looked blankly and replied hesitantly.


    ��This�� Because the Undead Creatures are sworn enemies with other living creatures����


    ��Because the Country of Light dispatched troops to the border and enraged the Country of Darkness����


    ��Both sides have been in conflicts ever since the Creation War. Perhaps the Country of Darkness is determined to dominate the Light Mainland now?��


    Everyone gave all sorts of reasonable answers. After all, they were only natives of this continent and weren��t modern players who had received all sorts of intelligence and news. They had done well to provide such analysis. Much better than��


    ��Who cares what they��re here for! All we have to do is hit them back!�� Anne brandished her tiny fist and yelled in disdain.


    See. She��s an exception.


    Rhode shook his head and finger helplessly. Shortly after, the bustling room turned quiet and everyone looked at him for the answer. Then, Rhode said, ��You guys have to remember that war is an extension of politics. It��s means to achieve political goals. If they can��t achieve what they want, then war will be meaningless. You used to be mercenaries who act in according to orders. But now, I need you to grow up and watch the complicated meaning behind this war everything else.��


    Rhode spread out the Dragon Soul Continent map on the table and pointed here and there. Everyone crowded over.


    ��I guess you��re aware of the Undead Army��s structure through Simon��s confessions. But I have to warn you that this was only the tip of the iceberg. Their true strength is far from these. In the previous battles, they have only dispatched medium to low-grade troops, with none of the high-grade troops which included the Skeletal Trolls, Death Scythes, Liches, Vampire Army, or Shadow Demons. All of them are the Undead Army��s ultimate killers and there is also the Dark Elves and another group of a dark race. Currently, none of them have appeared at all. Perhaps you haven��t experienced how powerful they are, but I can tell you that if they emerged, even Mini Bubble Gum and Canary would avoid meeting them face to face. In fact, they also didn��t dispatch any the medium-grade troops. All that you��ve seen are the Abominations and Death Knights. You didn��t see any Specters or Ghouls at all, right?��


    Everyone turned to Mini Bubble Gum and Canary and the two young ladies nodded in agreement.


    ��In other words, if they sent out a fully-equipped Undead Army, they should be led by Skeleton Soldiers, Skeleton Archers, Death Knights, Abominations, and Skeleton Guards and accompanied by Necromancers, Specters, and Gargoyles. According to the special characteristics of the army, there will also be Skeletal Trolls, Death Scythe, or Vampires. If the army is directly under the four legendary generals, you may have a chance to meet the Shadow Demons. They are illusory creatures like shadows shuttling in the darkness. Unless you have a weapon enhanced with holy powers, you don��t even think of dealing a single bit of damage. They can easily pass through obstacles, so your armor will be meaningless. Even after you��ve killed them, they will instantly transform into Skeletal Trolls. Just think of the Abominations and multiply their threats by a few times and that��s what you get for the Skeletal Trolls.��


    Many of them paled. They knew how terrifying the Abominations were. In fact, most of their companions had died to their attacks. Not only could their hatchets crush the Cleric��s defensive barrier into bits, but the Abominations also didn��t even flinch to explosive magic arrows as they advanced. If it wasn��t for Orchid Heart who used the [Casali under the Night Sky] and reset the battlefield to reposition them away from the Fortress, no one could predict what the consequences were.


    At this moment, no one was concerned over why Rhode understood the Undead Army so well. They stared at Rhode and digested the words that he said. Perhaps they might not be qualified commanders or generals, but they were still experienced warriors after all, and they recorded every detail of the enemies in their heads.


    ��This also means that if the four legendary generals sent out a standard, official army, it will be as great as a fantasy story if we can successfully defend them. Perhaps the only thing that Mini Bubble Gum and Canary can do is to drag out the time and allow us to evacuate safely. However, it is totally impossible to rely on them to defend this place. At least that��s how it is now.��


    Rhode gestured with his hand and continued.


    ��But what did you see in this battle? The low-grade Skeleton Soldiers, Death Knights, Abominations, followed by Skeleton Guards, Gargoyles, Bone Griffins, and Necromancers. I��ve just mentioned that none of the high-grade troops have appeared. Do you know why?��


    ��Because they��re preserving their strength?��


    After all, John used to be an official commander and he was stronger in this aspect.


    ��Why are they preserving their strength?��


    ��That����


    Rhode revealed a trace of laughter in his eyes.


    ��This involves the political purpose of this war and was also their final goal. You may or may not be aware of this, but, currently, the Country of Darkness is a prosperous nation���� Rhode said and noticed the astonished expressions before him. Everyone widened their eyes in disbelief as though he had just said something ridiculous. But, they couldn��t be blamed because the nation of death should have been a graveyard to them��ice-cold, lifeless, and had nothing to do with the word ��prosperous��. But Rhode didn��t explain the reason why and continued. ���� In the past, the Country of Darkness is as what you imagined. Under the control of the four legendary generals, the Country of Darkness was as peaceful and lifeless as a graveyard. But everything changed ever since the new Dark Dragon Soul, Ion, emerged. In order to change the situation, he strongly supported the small and medium family factions and changed the rules of the Country of Darkness, which granted them more opportunities to rise. It was this opportunity that the Country of Darkness grew livelier. Many families who were struggling on whilst at death��s door or attached to other forces began to rise, and eventually brought upon the current, powerful the Country of Darkness.��


    Rhode shrugged.


    ��But, prosperity doesn��t only bring about benefits. The cake is just this size and that is the same for every forces and nation. When the families rose, they affected the four legendary generals�� benefits. As the most four ancient, largest families in Country of Darkness, the four legendary generals definitely wouldn��t allow anyone to provoke their dignity. Even though they have means to utterly annihilate the smaller families, they will still be others to fill the deficit and they also have no lack of desires for authority and ambitions.��


    ��But, Rhode, the four legendary generals are so powerful and others try to replace them�� Is that possible?��


    Marlene expressed her doubts while Rhode nodded slightly.


    ��That��s right. It would be impossible if they were Humans. But Marlene, don��t forget that they��re Undead Creatures who have no lack of time and patience. Back then, ��Spirit Chaser�� Balende was only a small team captain of a regional legion, while ��Blood Countess�� Ashvril was just the illegitimate child of two Vampire families, and ��Conqueror�� Garcia was only an ordinary child of a human slave family. If they can climb to where they are now over time, why can��t others do the same?��


    ��That����


    Marlene was speechless. Indeed, humans had short life spans and could only grasp authority whenever the opportunity presented. The so-called patience was about 30 to 50 years and compared to the Undead Creatures who could wait up to centuries, they weren��t even worth a mention at all.


    ��The capable families who could challenge the four legendary generals didn��t give up while the four legendary generals weren��t willing to hand their wealth and land over to them. However, the cake is only this huge and a tiger can��t withstand the pack of wolves. Both sides might end up in mutual destruction if the conflicts escalated and it is the Country of Darkness�� national power that would take the hit. Under such a circumstance where they can��t share the cake, there is only one way for them��getting more of it to distribute fairly.��


    Rhode pointed to the map.


    ��And the Light Mainland is this cake.��


    ��But�� Sir����


    Sol swallowed his saliva to wet his dry throat. He was a Half-Demon and all he thought everyday in the past was about leading his companions across the continent in search for a place of residence. The furthest he could think ahead was what kind of life he would have. But now, all this discussion about war and the future of this continent sounded too surreal for him.


    ��I-Is this related to what you��ve mentioned before?��


    ��Of course.��


    This time, it was John who spoke. After figuring out the situation from Rhode��s information, he had his own judgment now.


    ��Just as Sir has said, the Country of Darkness is just sounding us out at the moment. This is like a battle between two men, where no one will rush ahead immediately. If we can��t defend against the Country of Darkness�� attack, they will be determined to devour us entirely. But if we resisted against them successfully, they will consider if they have a need to continue their attack�� Is that right, Sir?��


    ��That��s right.��


    Rhode nodded in agreement. The game had also proven this point. From the start, the Country of Darkness indeed had no intentions or perhaps they didn��t think that they could dominate the entire Light Mainland. This situation was similar to as though a rogue who had groped a beauty and perhaps he would back off after the beauty gave him a tight slap. However, on the contrary, if the beauty trembled and gritted her teeth without retaliating, that would encourage the rogue to continue grabbing her to fulfill his selfish desires.


    ��The Country of Darkness doesn��t seem interested in breaking out in an all-out war against the Light Mainland��at least for now. Their main goal is to plunder more land and resources to supply their domestic, emerging forces. This is also why the four legendary generals didn��t lead their armies to the battlefield in the first place. At the same time, this also serves as a test and knockout competition for the various forces in the Country of Darkness. The battlefield is like an examination hall. Those who fail will be crushed and only the true elites will survive.��


    Rhode couldn��t help but recall the scenarios in the game. After the Country of Darkness launched their attack and dominated the Light Mainland, they agreed to sign a truce agreement with the Light Parliament. Back then, many players couldn��t understand this move. The Country of Darkness came to an abrupt halt in their actions and gave Light Parliament more than a year to recuperate. But, eventually, the Country of Darkness tore up the agreement and continued with their abuse. Come to think of it, perhaps this might be due to them distributing the portion of the cake. In the previous battles, the dazzling new stars from the Country of Darkness emerged one by one and proved their capabilities, which also destroyed all the foolish people in the Country of Light. As a result, the Country of Darkness��s appetite increased. But they eventually needed to digest after consuming too much. Moreover, letting the Light Mainland rest for a year was nothing to them. The characteristics of humans had predetermined that they couldn��t create an army with a million troops within one year.


    The pitiful idiots in the Light Parliament saw the opportunity for peace and presented the Light Dragon Soul for negotiations. How foolish they were. Up until this point, Rhode still wasn��t sure how those idiots saw this as a ��sign of peace��.


    ��I said all this for you to have an entirely new outlook on the entire situation.��


    Rhode shifted his gaze from the map to everyone before him.


    ��This isn��t just a simple war. The Country of Darkness��s battle lines have faced resistance in the Munn Kingdom, but this isn��t their true strength. I want you to remember this. They are regrouping their troops, reevaluating their strategies, and mobilizing their army. But just as I��ve said, the four legendary generals won��t show up that easily because this might trigger the involvement of the three Archangels, turn into a battle between the Creator Dragon Souls, and become the second Creation War.��


    ��Don��t we have any ways to stop this battle?��


    Lize placed her hands on her chest and said worriedly. Rhode twitched his brows slightly.


    ��There are indeed some ways. As long as we do our best in defending against the Undead Army��s attack and eliminate their forces, the Country of Darkness will back down as soon as they realized that the damage is far more than their benefits.��


    Frankly speaking, Rhode also wasn��t confident in this. This was simply a ��what if�� that the players had came up with.


    ��What if this����


    ��What if that����


    ��What if the Munn Kingdom stopped Country of Darkness�� attack����


    ��What if the Country of Light joined forces with the Country of Law to launch attacks against the Country of Darkness����


    But history can��t be changed. This was why all their what ifs remained a presumption. However, the ��what ifs�� had a possibility of happening in this world. If the Munn Kingdom could resist the Country of Darkness��s attack, would this stop the raging war that would spread throughout the continent?


    Rhode had no idea about that too. He could only give it a shot.


    Thereafter, everyone left the room with unprecedented solemness in their expressions. If they were only mercenaries who fought for the sake of fighting in the past, they naturally felt the heavy pressure on them now after realizing that this battle that they were involved in was related to the fate of this continent. But this was fine too as there wouldn��t be motivation without pressure�� Rhode shifted his gaze to Anne who had laid flat on the table and snoring away. It was apparent that she wasn��t concerned about all this reasoning.


    Knock knock.


    Agatha��s calm voice sounded from behind the door.


    ��Sir.��


    ��Is anything the matter, Agatha?��


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    She ��slid�� into the room quietly and bowed.


    ��The Battle Angel Army has arrived in the Fortress.��

 Chapter 705 - Nightfall (III)

    Rhode wasn��t surprised by the late arrival of the Battle Angel Army. This was like common scenes in a Hollywood movie where the leading role saves the world before the government dispatches their reinforcements. In fact, even though Rhode had requested for reinforcements, it was only to prepare for any eventualities. Besides, he was sure that there were other regions that required the attention of the Battle Angel Army more than his. But, he didn��t expect the Battle Angel Army to arrive much quicker than he thought. It seemed like the Undead Army attacking the Munn Kingdom had all retreated for the time being.


    Rhode quickly spotted the neat rows of Battle Angels lined silently and solemnly on plaza. Under the glaring sun rays, their white-gold armor and pure white wings emanated a dazzling, sacred aura, to which Rhode couldn��t help but suck in a deep breath. The nearby mercenaries and soldiers observed curiously and discussed with one another over the grand scene. They couldn��t be blamed for this behavior since the Battle Angel Army seldom revealed themselves before others. Although they were considered the top elite soldiers of the Light Mainland, it was also due to this that Lydia had to conceal their presence. It was rare for one to meet a Battle Angel, not to mention meeting a Battle Angel who was fully geared.


    There were more than a thousand Battle Angels before Rhode. He descended the flight of stairs, at the same time scanning them with narrowed eyes.


    In the game, Battle Angels were all-rounders who could attack and defend outstandingly, had no pressure in short to long range battles, and possessed sacred powers. However, most of their standard weapons were single-handed swords, shields, and bows. They were capable of interchanging between two battle forms and no matter which battle form they took, they brought threatening dangers to their enemies. Currently, the Battle Angel Army had split up into different formations. The first formation had the most Battle Angels. Rhode gave a rough scan and counted about 700 of them. They appeared to be about the size of ordinary humans with swords and shields hanging by their waists and longbows behind them.


    The second formation stood out from the masses as they appeared much more petite and as slim as Elves. They stood in rows on the left and right, holding gigantic bugle horns made of conchs in their tiny hands. Apart from that, they also weren��t wearing sacred armor made of white-gold. Instead, they wore exquisite and beautiful robes which made them look more like musicians and Mages.


    Bugle Angels.


    Rhode squinted at the sight of them. They were an alternate form of the Battle Angels. Their individual strength among Angels weren��t considered strong, but their support capabilities were superb. An army that was blessed by a Bugle Angel could unleash 10 times more battle strength. In other words, if Rhode had Bugle Angels under his command, he would have long opened the gates and made John lead the thousands of soldiers against the 50,000 Undead Creatures.


    The number of Angels toward the rear got even fewer. They lined up in two rows: the Angels in front held pikes and appeared to have the toughest figures. Unlike the previous Angels, they were twice as tall as an adult human and had four arms. Two arms held pikes while the other two held a staff and a balance scale.


    Those are the Judge Angels.


    Rhode��s breath was taken away. The Judge Angels were considered the most violent fellows. Although there weren��t a whole lot of them, every single one of them was a combat experts. Their four arms guaranteed that they could fight and cast spells simultaneously. In addition, the mighty, sacred aura emanating from them gave them huge advantages against the Undead Army. Rhode had witnessed a party of 30 idiotic players who fought against a Judge Angel and lost miserably. They died continuously 10 times and couldn��t deal a single point of damage to the Judge Angel. Back then, even though the players�� average level was about 60 and had the support of their talent, they couldn��t retaliate at all, which proved how powerful the Judge Angels were. In fact, the Judge Angels were also considered elites among the elites at slightly more than level 70.


    In the last row, there were about 50 Angels. They were about the height of average humans, but were equipped with eye-catching Angel weapon��they carried a human-tall golden crossbow that resembled a large cannon.


    What the�� Dawn Angels?!


    This time, Rhode couldn��t conceal his astonishment anymore. The Dawn Angels were the top elites in the entire Light Mainland. Their average level was also around 70 and they only had a single means of attack: long-range shooting.


    However, its might was devastating.


    The might of a Dawn Angel��s arrow was equivalent to a magic cannon with extreme ranges and lethal accuracy. It could also be said that every Dawn Angel was like a walking cannon. Not only that, but the Dawn Angels also had different styles of long-range shooting. They could blast out a light beam that was as powerful as magic cannons and also secretly release ordinary light arrows. The latter could be termed as an assassination move due to its stealthiness. Moreover, the arrows that the Dawn Angels release are enhanced with magic-destroying attributes, where even magic-resistant armor would also be shattered by it.


    During the Creation War, the Dawn Angels slaughtered countless Mages in the Peak Legendary Stage using this attack and were the most well known Mage-killers on this continent.


    It seems like Lydia really does look highly on me��


    Rhode shrugged and cracked a joke inwardly. Of course, he knew why Lydia had sent the Dawn Angels here. The Land of Atonement was Paphield��s first line of defense. As soon as this region crumbled, the Undead Army would infiltrate and sweep their way to Golden City. It could be said that due to geographical factors, the Land of Atonement had become the first and final defensive barrier for Paphield-Grenbell and the southwest Munn Kingdom. At this moment, Rhode felt more at ease. After all, no matter how valiant he was, it was impossible for him to deal with the entire Undead Army by himself. Besides, with the Battle Angel Army here, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary could attack with fewer concerns. At least this could lower the chances of them being noticed by the enemies.


    Rhode had guessed the scenario before him in an instant. He descended the flight of stairs and stood before the Battle Angel Army. Then, one of the Battle Angel took large strides toward him. She looked around 24 years old, had about the same height as him, and her blonde hair tied into a ponytail. However, Rhode knew that age wasn��t a reliable factor for races with longevity.


    ��Greetings, Sir Overlord.��


    The Battle Angel bowed respectfully. Her voice was crisp and sweet to his ears. Moreover, coupled with the unique tone of the celestial accent, even an ordinary greeting sounded pleasant to hear.


    ��I��m Beni, head of the 5th Battle Angel Legion. I��ve arrived in accordance to Royal Highness Lydia��s orders to assist in defending the Land of Atonement Fortress. From now onward, my troops and I will fight under your command. These are Royal Highness Lydia��s orders.�� Beni handed a letter stamped with red wax to Rhode. ��We��re the first team of reinforcement. The subsequent two teams will arrive within the next 10 days.��


    ��Thank you.��


    Rhode took over the letter in astonishment. The Battle Angel Army was so dominant and yet, she handed them to him without any hesitation at all. He thought that she would dispatch a trustworthy commander and coordinate with him for the battle. Never did he expect that she would hand them directly under him.


    Rhode shook his head. Then, he turned his attention to another issue.


    ��The subsequent two teams?��


    ��Yes, Sir Overlord. Royal Highness Lydia has also ordered the Glorious Knights and part of Paphield��s garrison team, followed by the 3rd Royal Fleet. Paphield��s overlord has also agreed to provide various logistical supplies for your Land of Atonement��s Fortress.��


    What a massive lineup��


    Even though he was mentally prepared, he couldn��t help but suck in a deep breath of cold air. With the mobilization of the Glorious Knights and 3rd Royal Fleet, it went to show how important this line of defense was to Lydia.


    ��How��s the situation with the other regions?��


    Rhode kept the letter.


    The gentle smile on Beni��s face faded.


    ��The situation is bad, Sir Overlord.��


    She let out a long sigh.


    ��The Undead Army has been frantically attacking. Our defenses have had a tough time and due to the lack of preparations, many of them had sunk into conflagration. At the moment, Land of Atonement��s Fortress is the only front line that hasn��t fallen.��


    Beni forced a smile.


    ��Frankly speaking, I heaved a sigh of relief when I first arrived at your Fortress, Sir Overlord. There weren��t any crumbled walls, stains from pitch-black smoke, and corpses. This may be the only consolation that I can receive���� Beni��s expression became stern. ��Sir Overlord, although the Undead Army��s temporary retreat has given us a breather, we couldn��t recover what we have lost. Therefore, we should protect everything that we can. Royal Highness Lydia had entrusted me to pass this message that she will do her best to fulfill all your requests as long as it protects this battle line.��


    ��I understand, Miss Beni.��


    Rhode nodded. Then, his eyes glinted.


    ��Wait, Miss Beni. You said�� Royal Highness Lydia will fulfill all my requests?��


    ������


    Beni revealed an odd expression. Even though she wouldn��t think of ��fulfill all my requests�� at a crooked angle as an Angel, the complacency and greed flashing in Rhode��s eyes were obvious to all, and that left her rather dissatisfied. However, she pondered for a moment and eventually nodded.


    ��Yes, Sir Overlord.��


    ��Good,�� Rhode said and gazed at Beni. ��Alright then. I have a small, little request����

 Chapter 706 - Nightfall (IV)

    Chapter 706: Nightfall (IV)


    Amund entered the large doors with his golden staff. He scanned the Battle Angels standing silently with solemn expressions by the corridor. This originally gorgeous castle appeared like a fortress that couldn��t be sunken, filled with an intense atmosphere. The city guards�� clamors were heard from outside the window. Amund felt a little distracted. Just a few days ago, he was still enjoying rather peaceful days. But now, everything had changed.


    War comes so quickly.


    ��Grand Mage Amund.��


    A Battle Angel descended from above with her widely spread wings. She landed before him, bowed respectfully, and beckoned.


    ��Please follow me. Her Royal Highness is expecting your arrival.��


    ��Okay.��


    The hall was still as tranquil and elegant. Amund instantly spotted some familiar faces: nobles and soldiers. But no matter their identities, their faces were filled with obvious fatigue and seriousness. It seemed that this sudden war had brought upon tons of pressure on them. Amund subconsciously touched his face. He tried to retrieve a small mirror to see if he was also looking this miserable. However, he quickly gave up on this thought after realizing the gazes shooting at him and he had gotten his answer.


    ��Teacher Amund.��


    Lydia stood up leisurely. This time, she was no longer in her luxurious robe. Instead, she was clad in a neatly-ironed, white uniform and the sacred patterns on the collar and skirt made her look full of mettle. Lydia winked playfully at Amund with a smile.


    ��You��re back. How��s the situation in Silent Field?��


    ��Your Highness.��


    Amund lowered his head and bowed deeply.


    ��The residents of Silent Field have evacuated safely. Currently, they��re on the second defensive line in Deransas. The Undead Creatures didn��t give chase, but according to the scouts, the Undead Creatures are replenishing their forces. Even though we cremated most of the corpses before we left, they����


    Amund didn��t finish his sentence, but everyone present knew what he meant. Perhaps they had cremated the corpses, but they could do nothing about the deeply buried human remains. They were sure that the corpses would definitely be awakened by the Undead Creatures, made to join their army, and lift their butcher��s knife against their families and friends.


    ��I understand, Teacher Amund.��


    Lydia kept her smile.


    ��The Undead uses sorcery to manipulate the souls. One day, their painful souls will receive their undisturbed peace����


    Lydia shook her head before sitting back down and shutting her eyes. After a few moments, she opened her eyes while the distress across her face had faded away and was replaced with unprecedented confidence. Amund nodded.


    She stands out from the masses, that��s for sure.


    As the Court Grand Mage who had served two generations of Duchess, Amund knew how outstanding Lydia was in comparison to the previous Duchess who was overly kind. Even though being kind was part of an Angel��s value, she was still too weak to rule a nation. Although she had strong times too, she was overall too fragile. On the contrary, Lydia was completely different. Ever since she was born, Amund had sensed something extraordinary: the spirit of determination and honor behind her lively, dazzling aura. No matter what difficulties Lydia faced, her gaze was always toward the front. Perhaps she might suffer and be downhearted by this arduous, thorny path, but she didn��t stop or slow down her pace at all. She braved forward and was always full of confidence.


    ��Alright. Since everyone is here, let��s move on to the next problem.��


    Lydia played with the feather pen in her hand, lifted her head, and revealed a crafty glint in her eyes. Perhaps due to her soothing smile, everyone felt the heavy, intense atmosphere lighten up and they heaved sighs of relief.


    ��The enemies have retreated, but only temporary. Even though we have strengthened our defenses, we will still need more time since it is winter. There are no issues with the soldiers�� transportation. But we may face some difficulties in terms of supplies.��


    Unlike the Country of Light, the Munn Kingdom had the advantage of the strong gales in assisting the transportation of supplies. Strong gales were a natural phenomenon unique to the Munn Kingdom. They were famous for their abundance of wind element, forming a circular wind belt above the nation and enveloping it entirely. There were different opinions about the strong gales. Some said that this was a certain effect released from the first Archangel who had obtained the Munn Kingdom territory. Some also said that this was a natural phenomenon due to the common boundary between the Light Dragon Soul and Dark Dragon Soul. Some even said that the strong gales had already existed and was discovered by the Archangel, which eventually built a country below it.


    But no matter what, it was the truth that Munn Kingdom had built floating boats to take advantage of the strong gales, which was tantamount to airplanes in the real world. Of course, unlike airplanes, the floating boats could only fly in reliance to the dense wind elements in the strong gales. Without strong gales, the floating boats would be no different from scrap metal. This also became the only flaw that restricted the Munn Kingdom from being the sky dominator of the entire Light Mainland. If the floating boats could fill the skies of the entire Light Mainland, perhaps the Light Parliament wouldn��t even be worthy of being clowns.


    But judging from the current situation, the Munn Kingdom was the only country capable of using floating boats to transport supplies and soldiers despite the blocked off roads due to the harsh snow. This was also another reason why the Munn Kingdom could resist the Country of Darkness��s attack. The floating boats wouldn��t be stopped by snow. Of course, like airplanes, harsh weather was also their enemies.


    ��Their retreat is only temporary. The Undead Army won��t give up that easily. According to the report, Sunset Valley to Fog Plain in the Country of Light have crumbled completely. If we don��t react, perhaps we may also need to face the enemies coming from the sides.��


    ��Currently, the defenses are still stable, but we don��t know what further actions the Undead Army will take����


    ��We don��t have sufficient manpower in the front lines. Maybe we should mobilize some reinforcements from the rear����


    ��From the rear?��


    Lydia��s curious question interrupted them. She fiddled with the letter in her hands and gazed at the soldier before her. The soldier, Dagus, looked into her bright, clear eyes with some uncertainty. Even though he was considered one of the valiant military leaders in the Munn Kingdom, he couldn��t help but feel worried. But shortly after, he nodded firmly.


    ��Yes, Your Highness. The front line is having a tough time. Currently, even though the situation has stabilized with the help of the Battle Angel Army and Garrisons, we still lack manpower. Moreover�� The South suffered serious damage from the previous internal war����


    Indeed. The previous internal war between the North and South had struck the South hard. Of course, Rhode was responsible for a large part of this. If it wasn��t for him who dealt with most of the city guards using the Undead Creatures, perhaps they wouldn��t land in this miserable state. However, the restoration and maintenance of the post-war was also essential. Therefore, after the internal war, the Royal Family had mobilized soldiers from the North to maintain order in the South. Even though the victory was won easily, both sides more or less received damages and it surely wasn��t an easy task to deal with the Country of Darkness��s attack at this state.


    ��Hmph, those cunning Undead Creatures. I was rather dubious when I heard that they��ve appeared in the South. Now that I think of it, they must have seized the opportunity to attack us after hearing about our internal war. We should��ve investigated on the strange Undead Creatures, but I never expect them to come this quickly!��


    Poor Country of Darkness. It seemed that they had been made the scapegoat. But Rhode wouldn��t care less about it anyway.


    ��I have a letter here.��


    Lydia pointed gently at the letter.


    ��It is from our adorable Earl.��


    ������


    The bustling atmosphere fell into an awkward silence instantly. They gazed at the letter with complicated expressions. Of course, they knew who wrote the letter, but didn��t know if they should mention it. It was because, back then, only two people had clearly expressed their different opinions during the meeting about the Country of Light mobilizing their troops: Gaya and Rhode. The former thought that Country of Darkness��s movements were odd and problematic. On the other hand, the latter clearly expressed that the Country of Darkness would use the opportunity to launch a raid soon.


    Of course, everyone took a compromise. Lydia requested everyone to strengthen their defenses and they acted accordingly. But they were still humans, after all�� Everyone was always nonchalant about the unknown dangers. They felt that Lydia was overreacting, while Rhode��s and Gaya��s views were just behaviors of young people being overly cautious.


    Harboring such thoughts, they were careless and heedless when carrying out their duties.


    And now, it seemed that Rhode and Gaya weren��t being overly cautious. Instead, it was them who were too unflustered.


    The truth had given them a harsh, tight slap.


    Everyone knew that they were to be blamed that the Country of Darkness could infiltrate so easily. If they had taken Lydia��s orders seriously, perhaps the situation wouldn��t end up this desperately. Even though Lydia was magnanimous to not look into it, everyone was experienced enough to know that they had lost to their judgment and were feeling extremely awkward. Moreover, if it wasn��t for Rhode��s fortress that had withstood the Undead Army��s attack and alleviated the pressure by turning the five battle lines into four, perhaps they might not even have the time to construct more defensive lines.


    Furthermore, that young overlord withstood the Undead Army��s raid and attack with his own forces, which was incredible.


    ��What is written on it, Your Highness?��


    Amund let out a cough. He was the one who was the least awkward because he was the Court Mage, after all. He wasn��t responsible for the mobilization of the border guards and soldiers, so he didn��t give too many thoughts. Lydia revealed a smile in response.


    ��He wants us to be wary of the Light Parliament��s raid.��


    ��Light Parliament?��


    Everyone gasped in disbelief. On the other hand, Dagus showed a look of astonishment.


    ��The Light Parliament raiding us? They can��t even take care of themselves and still wanna find trouble with us? Don��t those bastards know that our Munn Kingdom is their first defensive line? Aren��t they digging their own grave if they lay hands on us?��


    ��How did the young overlord describe the situation?�� Amund said curiously while Lydia shrugged.


    ��Nothing much. He has only reminded us of the possibility of the Light Parliament ��betraying the nation for the sake of glory��. It��s just that simple.��


    ��Just that simple?��


    Amund lowered his head in deep thought as he scanned the letter filled with thickly dotted words. It shouldn��t just be that simple��


    ��It��s not impossible.��


    A deep voice captured everyone��s attention. Then, Callan Senia, Patriarch of Senia Family, stepped out.


    ��There have always been a lot of friction between the Country of Light and Munn Kingdom. Moreover, Her Majesty has also shown her intentions in restoring her authority during the Dragon Soul Ceremony. If Her Majesty truly intends to do that, the Munn Kingdom will become her strongest backing. Perhaps the Light Parliament can��t do anything about that, but it is different now. The Country of Darkness has invaded and attacked the Munn Kingdom and Country of Light, which proves that their goals are not limited to a certain country. This way, we can perceive that the Light Parliament may seize the chance to weaken our strength because it isn��t impossible for them to lay hands on us in order to reach a secret, armistice agreement with the Country of Darkness. I believe that the Light Parliament is capable of doing this and it will be better if their agreement is made under the witness of the Country of Law.��


    ��This����


    Everyone revealed grave expressions. It was apparent that if this was the truth, it would be the biggest threat to the Munn Kingdom. The Munn Kingdom might not be afraid of the shimmering blades before them, but they had to defend against the poisonous blades from behind. If the Light Parliament had intentions of betraying the Munn Kingdom to reach their goal, the Munn Kingdom wouldn��t have too many choices left.


    In an instant, everyone sensed the danger and urgency of the situation. The Undead Army��s attack wasn��t the most serious problem now. After all, it wouldn��t be simple for them infiltrate with the Battle Angel Army in place. But it also wouldn��t be easy to deduce the facts from the Country of Light�� Moreover, they were also unsure if they were capable of retaliating against the Country of Light. Without mentioning the dangers of war, wouldn��t it mean that the Archangel had defied the Dragon Soul��s edict by going against the Country of Light due to the Munn Kingdom��s unique identity?


    Everyone shifted their gaze to Lydia and waited for her decision. But it seemed that she didn��t have any great ideas at the moment. At least for now, she remained silent, but her gentle and witty smile reassured them.


    ��We can resolve this problem at a later date.�� Lydia gestured. ��We can mobilize a portion of the troops from the rear. Besides, we can compress the battle lines to resolve this problem.��


    Lydia pushed the letter forward.


    ��Earl Rhode has promised me that he can defend the Land of Atonement. We can split up the troops to alleviate the crisis in other regions for now. But����


    Lydia paused and revealed a look that was caught between laughter and tears.


    ��You guys will know.��


    ��This is����


    Amund picked up the letter and scanned the content curiously. Apart from the usual greetings and reminder of the Light Parliament��s ��backstab��, there were only a few other sentences�� What is the whole dense text below about?


    Amund read on and then, he widened his eyes in astonishment.


    ��This�� This����


    Amund couldn��t finish his sentence. He lifted his head, gazed at Lydia, and rubbed his eyes. He suspected his blurred vision of an old person. The reason was simple. All he saw in the densely written words was nothing more than a request for a list of supplies.


    10 million gold coins. 30 carts of magic crystals. Five carts of various elemental gems. Not only that, but Rhode also hoped to receive the ��Holy Spirit�� armor set and ��Magic Prayer�� robe set. Amund knew what they were. The ��Holy Spirit�� armor set and ��Magic Prayer�� robe set were premium treasures hidden in the Munn Kingdom��s warehouse. In addition to the magic crystals and elemental gems, they amounted to more than 50 million gold coins in value. Amund thought that Rhode would merely request for more reinforcements, weapons, armor, or supplies. In the end�� This was what he wanted?


    The Munn Kingdom might be rich and it was also possible for Lydia to fork out her own money to Rhode. But why did Rhode need that much money? Did he have the intention of crushing the Undead Creatures to death with the gold coins?

 Chapter 707 - Nightfall (V)

    Amund was right. Rhode indeed had the intentions to do so.


    Rhode came up with a few ideas after listening to Beni��s words. In fact, he lacked manpower the most at this moment. Even though many troops were stationed in the Fortress, he knew that they would leave for the other regions that required their attention more when situations arose. This was also the reason why Lydia had dispatched the Magic Warships here as they were responsible in defending the place and had to also act as transportation for the soldiers to other regions. This was the situation in war. Rhode was only an overlord, after all, and it would be a fantasy story if he counted on Lydia to hand all the troops to him.


    It seems like I will need to rely on myself.


    However, troops wouldn��t simply fall from the sky. Rhode��s only summon gate was linked to the Water Elemental world and it would be wishful thinking to count on the Ocean Elves to go against the Undead Army. If he had the summon gates that connected to the Star Temple or Steel Land, perhaps he could summon creatures that could deal with the Undead Army.


    He had more than 3000 soldiers at the moment, which went to show how difficult it was to recruit them. On the other hand, it was extremely easy for the Undead Army in this aspect. They could recruit forces in any battlefields and graveyards. Also, they would correspond in large groups immediately without any grumbles and complaints.


    Since he lacked the quantity, he would need to work with quality. Since he couldn��t rely on quantity, he would need to count on their equipment. This was the current solution that he had. It was a pity that this wasn��t the game. If not, he would have a much easier time gathering players and attacking the Country of Darkness from the rear.


    Even though Rhode��s request was asking for too much, he didn��t think that there was anything wrong with it. In fact, Marlene��s complexion turned pale as soon as she heard his views because this was disrespectful toward the Munn Kingdom. However, Rhode thought otherwise as it was only right for players with a high reputation to receive influential rewards. Therefore, Rhode��s line of thought as a player came online when he heard Beni��s words. Anyway, Lydia owed him a wish since she failed to cure Christie and had personally promised Rhode to keep the wish.


    Of course, in the eyes of the ordinary people, using the wish to exchange for a bunch of wealth was simply an unspeakable behavior. However, Rhode didn��t think so as he lacked money the most now. The reason was simple: after the previous battle, the construction system could once again be upgraded.


    For him, this was a story full of blood and tears.


    Previously, he thought of gaining EXP from eliminating the Undead Army. In fact, the two continuous victories had given him a lot of confidence and since there weren��t any players around, he wouldn��t need to share the EXP gained. Even though Mini Bubble Gum and Canary had terrible equipment, they were at their maximum level, after all, and had no demands for EXP. However, Rhode had miscalculated and missed out one person.


    Orchid Heart.


    As the only other presence that could level up on the battlefield, Orchid Heart had naturally took in a whole chunk of EXP. Even though the amount wasn��t considered a lot compared to when Rhode had gained in the late game, she started from level one here, after all, and instantly reached level 35 after the battles, transcending into the Peak Elite Stage. But Spellcaster Scholar was unlike the battle classes like Mages and Swordsmen, so most people didn��t realize it. But this was a tragedy for Rhode.


    He discovered that he lacked 1500 EXP to reach level 60. 1500 EXP wasn��t a lot as it was the amount from killing an Abomination. But now that the Undead Army had retreated, where could he find an Abomination to slaughter?


    In the end, he had no choice but to choose another sacrificial product: Necromancer Simon who he had trapped in the cell.


    Come to think of it, this fellow was truly unfortunate. His fate shouldn��t be this tragic. Rhode always wished for an Undead Creature as his subordinate. Even though Humans in this world detested the Undead Creatures, they had to admit that the Undead Creatures had unique talents in achieving some insane attacks. Moreover, Rhode wasn��t afraid that Simon would be up to no good since he had his Soul Core in possession, which was also why Simon could barely live on in the cell. But now�� For the sake of the 1500 EXP, Rhode had no other choices.


    Poor Necromancer. He died in Rhode��s hands and even his ashes were taken in as EXP. What a tragedy.


    After getting rid of Simon, Rhode took in 2000 EXP and broke through the level 60 barrier. From now onward, he had stepped into the Legendary Stage. But he couldn��t find the time to upgrade his techniques and swordsmanship due to the need to deal with the battle aftermaths. However, he received another surprise. The system prompt reminded him: System Construction Upgrade.


    And it was precisely because Rhode had seen the upgrade prompt that he made this choice.


    After the system was upgraded, there were much more enhancement options for the city walls, Fortress, and bunker. But these weren��t as important because Rhode discovered that a defense mechanism had also been unlocked: magic cannons.


    Magic cannons were the most common defense weapons for medium to large-sized cities and fortresses. Due to the long manufacturing time and expensive cost, most fortresses used the magic cannons as their main defense and were assisted by catapults and supported by Archers and Mages, which formed a qualified and complete defense set-up. Judging from this aspect, Rhode��s fortress was still incomplete. He didn��t have magic cannons in his arsenal during the previous battle and only had a few catapults. If it weren��t for Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, perhaps he wouldn��t have won so easily.


    However, this world was different. Although magical technology was advanced, they didn��t invent movable artilleries like in the real world. Rhode asked Marlene out of curiosity and learned that the construction of magic cannons was complicated and it was challenging to move them about after assembly. Normally, it would take at least half a year to assemble one magic cannon and the amount of time needed also depended on the specific model and size. Magic cannons with stronger firepower required more time, so it might even take decades. Although it wasn��t impossible for them to install wheels, there was no rubber in this world, after all. The wooden wheels jolting on bumpy grounds would damage the magic cannons and it would be terrible if it exploded from external damage. Unless they were in relatively stable environments like on the floating boats, it would be a bad idea to directly use the magic cannons on the battlefield. Therefore, in a besieging war, the Spellcasters were the main attacking force. A primitive equipment like the stone catapults were meaningless to both sides because a complete fortress had a defense barrier to defend against long-range attacks. Moreover, in this magical generation, there were countless ways to deal with the simple siege weapons.


    All Rhode could do was to shrug helplessly. He thought that he could come up with some sort of tanks using the magic cannons, but it seemed impossible at this point.


    But now, this was a good thing for him.


    There were three biggest problems in the making of magic cannons: expensive, long manufacturing time, and rare raw materials. But these weren��t problems for Rhode. He might not have enough money, but it didn��t mean that the Munn Kingdom and Royal Highness Lydia lacked them.


    The manufacturing time wasn��t a problem for him. Even though he didn��t know how exactly his system worked in this world, it was apparent that it was effective. He had built this Fortress quickly despite Mages needing years with their own methods. Not to mention, the production of a legendary artifact like the Holy Maiden Statue was much more challenging and complicated. However, everything would be created as long as he was willing to spend money and tap on the confirmation button on the system interface. Of course, perhaps he might require some materials like magic crystals, but the manufacturing speed would be much faster than usual.


    The magic cannons operated on magical powers sourced from the magic spring. Every fortress would need a location to build the magic spring. In fact, it was the same from the Land of Atonement. Due to its location near the boundaries between two Creator Dragon Souls, the surging huge stream of magical powers had flown into the underground. Rhode had intended to build the magic spring here because not only could it provide unlimited source of power for the magic cannons, but it could also allow Mages to awaken their strength. It would be great if he could use this chance to form a team of Mages as he couldn��t possibly make Canary and Mini Bubble Gum dominate the battlefield while others watched idly from behind. BOSSes would still bring their critters into battles.


    This was also why Rhode had conveniently requested for two legendary armors and he felt rather guilty for Canary��s injury. Of course, no matter how powerful a player was, a high-level armor was necessary apart from techniques and talents. He had Canary wear a level 40 armor to defend against a level 75 spell. Unless she had a hidden bloodline, she wouldn��t win even with higher magical resistance.


    However, Rhode had held back. Even though he wanted the legendary armors, he would only be borrowing them. Although the two armors were considered extraordinary in ordinary people��s eyes, they were still lacking in the players�� eyes. Back then, Mini Bubble Gum��s ��Pure Storm�� and Canary��s ��Infinite Element Protection�� armor sets were supreme and had made countless players crazy over them. Of course, the two young ladies had spent a lot of time and effort in completing a series of insanely difficult missions to receive them.


    However, it would be great enough for them to use the armor temporarily.


    After the arrival of the Battle Angel Army, the entire Fortress had entered a state of peace and tranquility and Rhode also finally had the time for a break to ponder on his ��promotion��.

 Chapter 708 - Nightfall (VI)

    Lize scuttled down the stairs and arrived at the first floor of the palace. She knitted her brows, scanned the surroundings, and let out a long sigh. At this moment, a calm voice sounded.


    ��Is anything the matter, Madam Lize?��


    ��Miss Agatha.��


    Lize turned toward Agatha and the latter appeared as apathetic as always. In fact, almost everyone was rather fearful toward her, where even Marlene grumbled that Agatha was stricter and more terrifying than her etiquette trainer. However, she was still full of respect toward Agatha. On the other hand, Lize couldn��t help but feel uneasy every time she gazed at her wiggling tentacles.


    ��Ah. I��m looking for Mr. Rhode, but he isn��t in his room����


    ��Master is out at the moment.��


    Agatha extended her left, glossy tentacle forward and picked up a cleaning rag.


    ��Master said he has something important to attend to and Miss Bubble and Miss Canary have accompanied him. He also said that if there isn��t anything critical, don��t bother him.��


    ��Huh?��


    Lize was baffled. This was the first time that she had heard Rhode giving such a stern order. Even though he had behaved this way in the past, he was usually tactful and gentle. This left her dubious�� What is Mr. Rhode up to?


    ��Huu����


    Mini Bubble Gum chuckled behind her tiny hand. She rubbed her hands together at the sight of the white smoke.


    ��This day has finally come����


    She muttered under her breath and turned to Canary beside her.


    ��Big Sister, what do you think of Leader��s character?��


    ��I don��t know.��


    Canary shook her head slightly. Then, she looked at Rhode with warm, gentle gazes.


    At this moment, Rhode stood on the vast open field with a solemn expression. Snow fluttered, descended from the sky, and piled up around his feet. Not only that, but there was also snow on his shoulder and head, which proved that he had stood there for a long time. However, he wasn��t mindful at all. In fact, perhaps an ordinary human would have frozen to death or one like Christie who had weak constitution might fall sick. But this was nothing to Rhode. On the contrary, he enjoyed the breeze cooling his heart and mind.


    There was only one reason. He was nervous.


    ��Huu�� Ahh����


    Rhode took in and let out a deep breath. He had fixed his eyes on the system prompt before him.


    [350050/350000. Level 59. Confirm to upgrade?]


    It was just a few words, but he couldn��t make up his mind.


    The reason was simple. After achieving level 60, the players�� talents would be awakened. In the legends of the Dragon Soul Continent, one who had transcended into the Legendary Stage would activate the Spiritual Path in them. But, there was only one purpose for the talent awakening: and that was to decide their destiny.


    The hidden talents in everyone was unique and it would determine their future Mystic Realm and Order Dimension. What��s more important for players were the Supreme Privileges that they could control.


    Just as the term suggested, Supreme Privilege was the highest and strongest source of power, which meant that when a player obtained their Supreme Privilege, they would become the master of that power. Taking Mini Bubble Gum and Canary for example: they could manipulate all the skills those with lower levels had cast. Mini Bubble Gum possessed holy powers, which meant that apart from the Three Archangels and Light Dragon Soul, anyone who used magical weapons with holy attributes against her would be asking for death. It was the same for Canary��s wind and fire powers. In terms of authority, she was equivalent to the presence of Wind Elemental Lord and Fire Elemental Lord.


    However, the truth wasn��t that simple. The Mystic Realm was a perfect individual world for those who had reached the Peak Legendary Stage. They would pull enemies into their world and unleash their true strength. However, it was different for the Supreme Privilege. This meant that no matter if the player with Supreme Privilege was dragged into another player��s created world, the player could unleash his powers and wouldn��t be influenced as long as there was a type of control that they held in the world. Of course, this was regarded as a means of balance in the game. After all, if one were to be instantly killed as soon as one was dragged into the enemy��s world, there would be no purpose for player groups in BOSS fights. What��s the point of fighting if they can��t defend at all?


    In fact, player talents depended on their moral qualities and it would be forever if the talent was horrible and many players had deleted their characters for this reason. One could imagine a Tanker having an attack talent or a Mage having a swordsmanship talent. An inappropriate talent undoubtedly equaled to a total negation of the skills that one had built. It was imaginable how depressing it would be for a player who had focused all Skill Points on magic and received a physical swordsmanship talent. The player would either ��rewash�� all his stats and rebuild or treat the talent as nothing. However, this would be a rare case.


    In fact, most of the players had ordinary moral qualities and it was extremely rare for them to receive outstanding talents. But this didn��t mean that talents would pull apart the distance between players. Indeed. Rare talents were beneficial for players, but their nature was still consciousness and skills.


    Rhode swept a glance to the two young ladies beside him as they were the best proof. Mini Bubble Gum had awakened the holy talent and thereafter, she became the number one Cleric. On the other hand, Canary was the model case of breaking clear all troubles and hardships with her ordinary talent. In fact, not every player could attain the Supreme Privilege at their peak. Players would receive a series of talent missions after reaching level 85 and could only receive the key to Supreme Privileges after completing the challenges.


    Canary possessed the fire elemental talent, which wasn��t rare among players. However, she was the first to complete the privilege missions with SSS perfect evaluation. As a reward, the system had given her the privilege of having double talents, which was how she became the holder of wind and fire. Thereafter, she became undefeated in AoE attacks. It could also be said that her double talents was the main reason why Rhode��s elite team stood strong against enemies who were hundred times larger in quantities.


    On the other hand, the talents for Spirit Swordsmen were mostly neutral because this class was built on magical and physical attributes. Therefore, no matter which talent they received, it wouldn��t affect them too much. But Rhode knew that rare talents would still benefit them the most. In this world, he didn��t have too many players or companions to rely on, so it was essential to strengthen himself.


    Thanks to the Composition Adornment in the past, he had broken through into the Legendary Stage twice during his battles with Barter and the Duke Fiend. His talent was abnormally strange and indescribable. Back then, even though he successfully maintained his Order Dimension in the Duke Fiend��s Chaos Realm, it wasn��t too strange since almost every Order Dimension was a space in Order. Back then, Rhode cursed that everyone could enter his Order Dimension freely like boarding a public bus, but he knew that it was because he hadn��t completely conquered his talent, which led to him failing to materialize his entire talent strength. But now�� He was finally about to figure out what his awakened talent was.


    Rhode held his hand on his chest at this thought. He was as nervous as a lottery player who had to strike the first prize no matter what. He calmed himself down and tapped on the interface lightly.


    [50/5000000. Upgraded to level 60. Transcended into the Legendary Stage]


    [Talent Awakened]


    In an instant, the surroundings around Rhode turned dim.

 Chapter 709 - Nightfall (VII)

    Chapter 709: Nightfall (VII)


    The dusky radiance enveloped the world in a flash.


    No, this description wasn��t accurate.


    Rhode lifted his head to gaze at the snow-capped mountains and land. The fortress in the distance had vanished entirely. Shortly after, he witnessed a golden brilliance. Countless rays spread from him in the middle and scanned everything in their path.


    At the same time, Rhode trembled. A dusky beam of light erupted from his body and rushed into the sky.


    ��This is����


    Rhode gazed at the system interface before him that had displayed an entirely different system of gorgeous, sacred, and ancient text. But for unknown reasons, he realized that he understood their meaning.


    [Detected a breakthrough in boundary. Interface Extension.]


    [Countdown begins��]


    [3, 2, 1��]


    [System reboot]


    The instant this row of words emerged, Rhode let out an abrupt shiver! Violent, immense pain erupted from his body as though his internal organs trembled instinctively from an assault. Then, an invisible, powerful blast spread out!


    ������!


    Lilian dropped the exquisite teacup in her tiny hand and it shattered on the white marble floor. The steaming tea splashed, but she wasn��t mindful of it. She looked up at the azure sky with widened eyes.


    The little girl trembled from her head to toe.


    Lilian clenched her fists before her chest. Her clear, round eyes glinted in astonishment. She stood up abruptly and disregarded the Light Parliament members who were grumbling to her. Archangel Serene, who was supposed to remind Lilian of her etiquette and behaviors, also knitted her brows. She lowered her head with a stern expression and gazed at the thick book in her hands.


    ��.. Ahh����


    Rhode half-knelt on the ground and clutched his chest with his right hand. The immense pain had faded away, but the aftermath left his heart throbbing in pain. At this moment, he felt as though he was a rusty robot.


    ��Phew����


    After a few moments, Rhode came back to his senses and gasped for air. He sensed the surging energy inside him gradually calming down as though his body were slowly getting used to it. He wasn��t too surprised because he had often heard a rumor among players that it was common to suffer in pain when breaking through into the Legendary Stage. In that instant, the sealed power in their bodies surged like flames from an open-lid stove. The more powerful the talent was, the more damaging it was. Therefore, a tough body was definitely necessary to endure the pain. However, players basically didn��t need to endure it since they couldn��t feel the pain in the game. This was strictly prohibited among all virtual technologies.


    Rhode subconsciously forgot about this point. After all, players in the game didn��t have such experiences. It felt as though they were just randomly tapping on the system interface and finding out what their new talent was.


    I almost died��


    Rhode shook his head and stood to his feet. Then, he was speechless.


    There was no heaven and earth before him.


    It was complete darkness from top to bottom. Or perhaps, it could be said that this world didn��t exist at all. There was no gravity, but he couldn��t feel himself floating. He merely existed there.


    Where am I?


    Rhode extended his hand curiously and his sleeves swayed along with his movement. However, that stopped shortly after. He relaxed his arm and stood quietly on the spot. He wasn��t feeling any restraint and even his strength had completely lost its effectiveness. It was too illogical.


    Rhode knitted his brows. He didn��t recall breaking into the Legendary Stage to be this state. He subconsciously scanned the surroundings and what surprised him was that the system interface didn��t emerge for once! Everything before him was in complete darkness.


    What exactly is going on?!


    Rhode lost his head. Then, he calmed himself down quickly. He turned around but couldn��t spot anything apart from the pitch-black space as though he were in the deep sea, but miraculously, he didn��t feel frightened at all. Instead, he had a premonition that this was what he was supposed to experience, just like a player triggering certain missions while following the strategies.


    However, he had no idea what was going on.


    In this space, time didn��t seem to exist. He gazed forward blankly. No. Perhaps standing was incorrect and yet, he couldn��t be described as floating in air. It could be said that he was as though waiting silently in a strange environment. At this moment, a crisp laughter sounded.


    ��Hehehe����


    An indistinct human silhouette emerged before him. Shortly after, just like a painter sketching his work, the silhouette slowly materialized and shaped into clothes, limbs, and a delicate face. Then, the dusky figure turned vibrant and a little girl finally emerged. Rhode��s heart skipped a beat.


    ��Christie?��


    That little girl was indeed Christie. Purple pupils, straight, long hair, and a face like Rhode��s. However, unlike the Christie that he remembered, this little girl wore a pitch-black, luxurious dress with layered white ribbons and lace that shaped into a beautiful pattern. Despite these, Rhode wasn��t unfamiliar with her.


    ��You are����


    ��Greetings, Master.��


    The little girl gently lifted the hem of her skirt and bowed. Then, she lifted her head and presented a gentle smile. Her voice was ringing and melodious, but her tone was completely different from Christie��s. Christie��s tone had always been innocent, childish and harmless. On the other hand, this little girl sounded elegant, confident, and even filled with a deep sense of pride.


    ���� This shouldn��t be our first meeting, right?��


    Rhode pondered for a moment while the little girl grinned in response. He knew that the little girl��s proud behavior was due to his presence. But he couldn��t figure out which part of him did the little girl value. Could it be due to Christie?


    ��Yes, Master. We��ve met twice before. Back then, you didn��t have enough strength, so I couldn��t express my intentions. But it seems now that you��re much wiser and farsighted, which assured me�� It seems that my guidance wasn��t too bad.��


    Anyone would figure out with such obvious ��guidance��.


    Rhode cursed inwardly. Now that the little girl had mentioned, it was due to his lack of strength that he couldn��t hear what she tried to tell him before. But��


    ��Where is this place?��


    Rhode looked around and the place was still as dark as ever even with the emergence of the little girl. It seemed that this wasn��t the usual venue where he met the little girl. The little girl let out a chuckle and shook her head slightly.


    ��I��m sorry, Master�� I can��t reveal it. Besides, I��m unable to tell you where we are right now because this isn��t up to me and it isn��t something that I should know.�� The little girl extended her tiny finger and placed by her lips. Her purple pupils emanated a faint radiance.


    ��This is only a world that you know and I��m merely being summoned here.��


    ��By me?��


    Rhode gazed blankly. Why would I summon her here? Even though he cared a lot for Christie, he wasn��t too familiar with this little girl, after all, so why would he summon her?


    As though reading Rhode��s mind, the little girl smiled and shook her head.


    ��There are always hundreds of millions of fates in this world, Master. In the intertwined world of destiny, I sensed your callings. Your strength has reappeared in this world and awakened the rules that have been sleeping for a long time. This isn��t an established destiny, but everything is in your eyes.��


    ������


    Rhode rolled his eyes. In the game, he was used to hearing such artistic, yet puzzling words from NPCs. But the problem was that this little girl looked too similar as his sister and Christie. In addition to her style of speaking, he couldn��t get used to it instantly as neither did his sister nor Christie had such a strange style of speech. But he also had other questions. Even though he didn��t know how the little girl emerged, this was the best opportunity for him to raise his doubts.


    ��Who are you? Why do you look exactly the same as Christie?��


    Rhode scanned the little girl from top to bottom.


    ��What relationship do you have with her? Or, are you merely using her as your physical form?��


    In fact, Rhode had such suspicions for a long time. Normally speaking, it was extremely rare for two resembling individuals to meet each other, not to mention three of them. To describe it with pure fate or coincidence would simply be a slap in the face. However, the little girl didn��t seem surprised by his questions.


    She nodded and said, ��Please believe my sincerity, Master. I have a deep connection with the child. I��m not her, but she��s my most cherished presence. Now isn��t the time yet. That child is too weak�� Too weak to bear the heavy responsibility and pressure of the cruel fate. But, please don��t worry. The day will come when I appear before you�� But, now isn��t the time����


    The little girl lifted her head and along with this movement, the mysterious, pitch-black venue slowly distorted. Then, white radiance permeated and Rhode felt his body slowly burning as a warm sensation spread throughout his limbs.


    ���� It seems like time is up, Master. Please remember that this is only the start����


    The little girl vanished and a dazzling radiance enveloped everything in sight��


    Ssss��!


    Rhode opened his eyes wide. The freezing cold wind brushed his cheeks. The familiar snow-capped mountains and land reemerged before his vision. At this moment, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary had stood curiously before him.


    ��Leader, are you fine?��


    ��What happened to me?��


    Rhode shook the confusion off his head and patted the thick layer of snow piled on his shoulders. Canary extended her hand to gently swipe the snow off his clothes and arranged his hair neatly.


    ��You have been standing here in a daze. We spoke to you, but you didn��t respond at all. I thought you��ve gotten into an accident����


    ��Ha, if this were in the game, I would have thought that you disconnected, Leader.��


    ��By the way.��


    As soon as he heard the word ��disconnected��, he hurriedly extended his right hand and swept before him. The system interface showed up, but this time, the text was somewhat different. A string of strange golden text flew up continuously. After a few moments, they came to an abrupt halt and revealed the original character attributes interface.


    What was that all about?


    Even though he was dubious, he knew that this wasn��t the time to consider this problem. He shifted his attention to the character attributes interface and the two young ladies gathered around him curiously.


    [Rhode Alander]


    [Race: (???)]


    [Race Characteristics: Locked]


    [Race Reward: Locked]


    [Class: Spirit Swordsman (Hero Class)]


    [Talent Awakened: Former Talent �� Eternal Fantasy]


    ��Huh? What is this? Leader?��


    Mini Bubble Gum exclaimed in astonishment. She remembered clearly that there were only three types of player talents��Low-level, Mid-level, and Advanced��Rhode had never heard of ��Former Talent�� even after playing the game for so many years.


    What��s this? And what��s the ��Eternal Fantasy����?


    Rhode knitted his brows and tapped on the attribute description column. Shortly after, he saw the detailed content.


    [Talent Characteristics: Self-Affirmation Lvl 1 �� Holder can appoint any attribute and raise it to the expected value. Can be used once per day. Lasts for 30 minutes. (Affirming one��s will is the most powerful force)]


    [Talent Rule: Absolute Presence Lvl 1 �� Holder��s equipment cannot be destroyed (Even the passage of time cannot shake the truth itself)]


    [Talent Technique: Igniting Wrath Lvl 1 �� Certain probabilities to absorb the opponent��s strength during battle and reflect with double damage. Level and defense will be ignored. (Anyone who dares to provoke will get the punishment they deserve)]


    Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum were stunned.

 Chapter 710 - Nightfall (VIII)

    Chapter 710: Nightfall (VIII)


    ��This should be the�� Rule Talent, right?��


    Mini Bubble Gum puckered her brows. Canary and Rhode nodded in agreement.


    Normally speaking, there were two types of awakened talents after transcending into the Legendary Stage: Rule Talent and Attribute Talent. Mini Bubble Gum and Canary belonged to the latter and the former was extremely rare. Rule Talents were usually superior, but there would be no gain without a loss. Mastering the Rule Talent was challenging, especially after the players reached level 85 and accepting the Privilege Mission. This was because the core of the Privilege Mission was for the players to find the essence of their talents. Attribute Talents were relatively simple in this aspect. Many players had complained that the Privilege Mission of the Rule Talents were as though solving puzzles after puzzles, where they couldn��t even figure out what exactly their cores were.


    ��But this is really rare, huh? I don��t remember seeing anything similar to this.��


    Canary scanned the attributes introduction on the interface and shook her head slightly. Eternal Fantasy��sounded like an Attribute Talent that existed like a rule. However, no one knew the specific conditions. Even though Rhode sensed the surging strength in him, he couldn��t grasp the core and essence of it. He shook his head and threw this thought to the back of his head.


    ��But, even if Leader doesn��t master the unlimited privileges, there shouldn��t be too many opponents capable of taking him down, right, Big Sister?��


    Mini Bubble Gum pondered deeply. Then, her eyes glinted and she lifted her head to Rhode.


    ��Leader, do you wanna try?��


    Rhode hesitated and turned to Canary. It was apparent that Canary��s eyes were also revealing such intentions. In fact, he had also intended to give it a shot. No matter how powerful the words had described the talent, he had to try it personally to feel its actual effects. He gestured for the two young ladies to make way and swung his right arm down. Shortly after, a sword shimmering in white holy radiance emerged in his hands. Then, a line of words emerged before him.


    [Self-Affirmation. Activated.]


    [Please choose attribute to enhance and its level]


    ��Hmm?��


    Rhode stared blankly because there weren��t only basic attributes such as strength, constitution, and willpower. Instead, enhanced attributes such as [Magical Resistance] and [Strength Recovery] and swordsmanship attributes like [Explosiveness] and [Flexibility] were also listed. It appeared that there was a wide range of selection for the attribute enhancement. This was great for him as he would have more variety of choices to strengthen himself in battles. He nodded in satisfaction and swiftly shifted his gaze to the most intuitive strength attribute since this was only an experiment.


    [Increase Strength Attribute]


    Increase to its maximum.


    Rhode answered in his head and the strength attribute bar quickly flickered. But��


    ������


    An ear-deafening system error sounded. The flickering radiance instantly dimmed and at the same time, another line of system prompt emerged.


    [Unrecognizable. Unable to upgrade. Please select another choice]


    I see.


    Rhode finally understood what it meant. Even though he had chosen to enhance the strength attribute to its maximum, he wasn��t aware of how it would be for the strength attribute to be enhanced to its maximum. Would a punch from him crush a star? Or would it devastate the entire world? Rhode lacked sufficient understanding of himself and the system naturally couldn��t proceed. It seemed that this enhancement had to be within his cognition�� If that��s the case��


    Rhode twitched his brows.


    Enhance 30 + 15.


    This time, the strength attribute bar shone once again. In an instant, the ��??�� representing the strength attribute bar transformed!


    [Strength Attribute: 30 + 15 (??)]


    Rhode raised his sword.


    He sensed a massive strength coalescing on his blade and gazed forward in silence. At this instant, he had as though returned to the burly, tall, and strong character in the game. He lifted his sword high and brandished!


    The land shook violently.


    A deep, bottomless, three-meters-wide fissure emerged on the solid ground as though a knife slicing through butter. Snow fluttered as the long, enormous fissure spread forward. After three seconds, the ��rumbling�� finally stopped.


    If others were to witness this, perhaps their jaws would have fallen to the ground. However, Canary��s and Mini Bubble Gum��s eyes merely glinted in surprise. Then, Mini Bubble Gum turned to Rhode excitedly.


    ��Leader, have you recovered your strength?��


    ��It��s the effects of the technique.��


    Rhode shrugged and kept his sword. Through this experiment, Rhode had finally understood the appropriate style of this technique. It seemed that under the same conditions, this technique could unleash the strength in which he remembered and was familiar with, which would be a tremendous help for him in the future. The only restriction was that the strength that was unknown to him couldn��t seem to be enhanced. This was as though a modifier altering the game data, where the highest number was 65535, but he just had to force it to 99999. This would undoubtedly result in data error. However, his only suspicion now was what the ��cognition�� in this technique was referring to. Was this technique really that simple? Apart from this, he also knew the numerical data of other classes at the tip of his fingers. If such a cognition was effective, did it mean that he could target any attributes from any class to enhance himself?


    Even though every class had unique attribute values, they essentially had core attributes of their own. For example, Rangers, Thieves, and Assassins were naturally high in dexterity. Classes like Swordsmen and Shield Warriors focused on attacking strength, while Mages and Clerics were experts in willpower. Rhode was familiar with the attribute values of all the top players in each class and this was why he stood above everyone and was called the ��Walking Library��.


    Whereas for [Igniting Wrath], Rhode instantly recalled this technique at a single glance. If he recalled correctly, he had triggered this technique back then when he used [Self-breakthrough] twice in a row. The first was during his battle with Barter while the second was with the Duke Fiend. Barter was struck off the platform by Rhode��s brandishing sword while the Duke Fiend had lost an arm. Back then, Rhode was oddly amazed that he was capable of dealing damage to a superior presence like the Duke Fiend. And now it seemed that it was due to this technique that had absorbed strength and reflected with double damage.


    As for [Absolute Presence], it was a decent choice, but it came too late. Rhode recalled the devastating moment when his Zero Refining Equipment was shattered by the Duke Fiend, which was also the treasure of the Behermes. Back then, perhaps he would have kept the equipment safely if he possessed this Rule Talent.


    However, this didn��t mean that the Rule Talent was useless. In fact, Rhode had instantly thought of its purpose as soon as it caught his eye. With the rule power from the Rule Talent, he could casually pick up a scrap metal as a shield that would be as tough as Anne��s King��s Protection Shield. His rule would only be destroyed and disrupted by even stronger rule power. In other words, unless the opponent��s Rule Talent power was above his, even the most ordinary black metal shield would turn into a legendary artifact in Rhode��s hands. It could also be said that with this talent, Rhode could save on wearing a magical armor. Although his Spirit Swordsman character in the game had an attacking build with basic speed, he mainly focused on having a speed build in this world as he refused to face opponents head to head because, no matter what, players wouldn��t feel pain in the game, but the pain was unavoidable here.


    In fact, on this Dragon Soul Continent, the attribute enhancements of many magical equipment were decent. But their defense attributes were mainly terrible. This was one of the reasons why Mages like Marlene and Shield Warrior like Anne mostly wore lighter armor and not heavy metal ones. Not only would the heavy metal armor affect their movement speed, but they also wouldn��t come with useful magical effects. Therefore, among the top 10 legendary armors, only one was heavy armor while the rest were light armor, leather armor, or robes.


    After obtaining this technique, Rhode��s defenses would be comparable or even stronger than wearing heavy armor even if he wore a robe.


    After a simple experiment, Rhode, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum returned to the Fortress. Although he still had a lot of doubts, he knew that he couldn��t rush everything at once. On the contrary, he had to settle the Skill Points quickly. After reaching level 60, Rhode discovered that five Skill Points could be exchanged for one Sword Creation Point. Currently, he had 20 Skill Points and according to this quantity, he could fill the Talent Tree to the bottom second tier, or perhaps exchange and build on the Sword Creation Points. However, this was no easy task because he would need to build on other swordsmanships which he had learned in order to upgrade the Fantasy Daybreak Swordsmanship, which would waste another three to five Skill Points. He needed more time to consider this question.


    When Rhode entered through the main entrance, he immediately spotted Lize sitting on the chair by the corridor in a daze.


    ��Lize?��


    Rhode twitched his brows curiously. This was the entrance hallway and even though there weren��t too many people around, this wasn��t the best choice to admire the view. She would be better off in her private room, which went to show that she was waiting for someone.


    ��What are you doing here?��


    ��Ah!��


    Lize came to her senses abruptly. Then, she quickly stood up and bowed to Canary and Mini Bubble Gum before turning to Rhode.


    ��Ah, Mr. Rhode, you��re finally back. I was looking for you. Did something happen out there? I heard a loud rumble����


    ��It��s nothing, I was just experimenting something.��


    Rhode shook his head. He had no intention of explaining in details to Lize and the others. After all, players and natives had different views on such topics, which was why he sneaked out with Canary and Mini Bubble Gum in the first place.


    ��You said you were looking for me. Is anything the matter?��


    ��Ah. Yes.��


    Lize revealed some traces of disappointment in her eyes. Then, she pulled herself together and said.


    ��Grand Mage Amund has arrived at the fortress. He wishes to meet you.��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode pondered in silence before lifted his head.


    ��Where is he?��


    Rhode pushed the guest room doors open and saw Amund by the window. The most reputable Grand Mage of the Munn Kingdom had his back turned to Rhode and was admiring the picturesque view in the distance. He turned around and revealed glints of astonishment in his eyes.


    ��I hope my uninvited visit didn��t cause you any unhappiness, Earl Rhode.��


    ��Of course not, Sir Grand Mage. In fact, I��ve never thought that you would come here. If you informed me in advance, I would have personally expected your arrival, Sir Grand Mage.��


    ��Hahaha. Don��t stand on ceremony, Earl Rhode. An old sack of bones like me isn��t interested in such unnecessary and over-elaborate formalities.��


    Amund shook his head and gazed at Rhode with narrowed eyes. Even though he appeared to be extremely calm, violent waves were crashing in his heart. As a being who had entered the Peak Legendary Stage and one of the best Grand Mages on the Dragon Soul Continent, he naturally recognized the radiance emanating from Rhode��s body. It was a faint, ray of light that was undetectable by the eyes and moving along with the young man��s every movement. Amund knew clearly what they were.


    Rule Threads��


    Amund was astounded. This young man had actually transcended into the Legendary Stage?!


    In fact, rumors of Rhode being in the Legendary Stage had already been spreading after the Midsummer Festival. However, those were the views of civilians and mercenaries and in fact, any beings in the Legendary Stage like Amund, Lydia, and Gaya could instantly recognize Rhode��s true strength. Perhaps his swordsmanship techniques were exceedingly great, but they saw that Rhode was still a mortal and wasn��t in the Legendary Stage yet. The reason was simple. They didn��t see the Rule Threads circulating around him. The Rule Threads were the most distinct difference between mortals and legends. With the Rule Threads, they could blend into the rules of this world and become a member of the Legendary Stage.


    However, for the sake of the King��s Party��s reputation and to suppress the Reformist Party��s aggression back then, no one exposed Rhode��s true strength. From a certain aspect, it was indeed accurate to say that he possessed swordsmanship techniques in the Legendary Stage, so it also wasn��t considered deceiving.


    But Amund didn��t expect that in just half a year, this young man had transcended into the Legendary Stage! In just half a year!


    Even though Amund had no lack of talents around him such as Lydia and Gaya, their situations were unique, after all. As an Archangel, it went without saying that Lydia was born in the Legendary Stage. On the other hand, Gaya was born in a family with the purest and most sacred blood, which wasn��t surprising that she broke through into the Legendary Stage. However, Rhode was entirely different from them. The last time when Amund met him, his strength was only in the mid Master Stage. But now, he actually broke the bottleneck and stepped into the Legendary Stage?! How did he do it? It was extremely common for the powerful beings to be stuck in the Peak Master Stage for three to five years before transcending into the Legendary Stage. But this young man actually did it in such a short period of time. Could it be that he had an incredible birth?


    Such thoughts clouded Amund��s head. But, he didn��t show them on his expression.


    ��May I know is anything the matter for you to visit me personally, Grand Mage Amund?��


    ��This was what happened.��


    Amund let out a cough and presented a smile.


    ��I��m following Royal Highness�� orders to check on the situation here and also deliver the list of items that you��ve requested, Earl Rhode.��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode��s eyes glinted.

 Chapter 711 - What’s This Rhythm?

    Chapter 711: What��s This Rhythm?


    Lydia had kept her promise.


    Of course. No matter what, she couldn��t possibly provide Rhode with 10 million gold coins. Not mentioning the problem of how many chests were needed to store that many gold coins, the amount of gold coins was too large a number. Therefore, Lydia used platinum coins, where one platinum coin was equivalent to 100 gold coins and platinum coins were the highest currency circulated in the upper society. Apart from the platinum coins, there were also the magic crystal coins. However, the magic crystal coins weren��t distributed to public and they were only used by the Church for transfer and transport, which was meaningless to Rhode. But he didn��t really care what type of coins he received, as long as he got the value he wished for.


    Apart from these, the various elemental gems and magic crystals were also delivered to the fortress. Got to say, the Munn Kingdom indeed was wealthy. Rhode believed that he wouldn��t be capable of gathering all of them even if he searched the entire Paphield, but he didn��t expect that Lydia already had them ready. He was rather regretful about this. He cursed that he should have been greedier and asked for more. 50 times more than the amount he asked for would be great�� Of course. He wouldn��t do it.


    However, all these items on Rhode��s wish list didn��t need to be delivered by Amund personally. No matter what, he was the number one Mage in the Munn Kingdom and it would be demeaning to assign him as a transport supervisor. In fact, Amund didn��t come to the fortress for an idle chat either.


    ��This is the request that you��ve made to the Royal Highness, Earl Rhode.��


    Amund extended his right hand and along with his action, a black crack appeared in the air before him. Then, two flat boxes emerged from within. The boxes were carved with mysterious patterns and were emanating silver-whitish, scarlet radiance. The emergence of these two boxes instantly brought about a mystical and powerful strength, which went to show how extraordinary they were.


    The ��Holy Spirit�� armor and ��Magic Prayer�� robe.


    ��I don��t know where you heard of them from, Earl Rhode.��


    Amund lifted his head and his deep gaze were as though seeing through Rhode entirely. Rhode calmly received his gaze emotionlessly.


    ��Secrets are always circulated in the form of rumors to the nobles. Please don��t worry, Sir Amund. I don��t intend to keep these two treasures for myself. I��m only borrowing them for now and will return them when the time is right.��


    ��Oh?��


    Amund stared blankly. In fact, almost everyone thought that Rhode hoped to keep the two legendary equipment for himself. However, most of them weren��t mindful about it. Even though both legendary equipment were extraordinary, they had always been stored safely in the Munn Kingdom for years. But frankly speaking, most of these treasures were only heard of and never seen, which explained why no one had desires for them. The reason was simple. Advanced magic armor were mostly robes or light armor and rarely heavy armor, where only warriors would require such armor. In player terms, their class had predetermined that they wouldn��t need the two legendary equipment and very few were qualified to request for them in the Munn Kingdom. Amund was considered one of them, but he couldn��t possibly put on a tattered, plain robe and run about as a legendary Mage in the Munn Kingdom. In fact, the ��Rule Protector�� that Amund was wearing wasn��t inferior to the ��Magic Prayer�� robe. Even though Clerics had the rights to request for the ��Holy Spirit�� armor, no human dared to challenge the Angels�� powerful spell-casting abilities in a nation full of Angels. On the other hand, the ��Magic Prayer�� robe was more often seen as a means and goal to motivate young talents in the Mage School.


    It was due to this that even though everyone found it ridiculous for Rhode to make such a request, they didn��t take it to heart. But Amund was curious because Rhode definitely wouldn��t request for them for the fun of it. He expected that Rhode wouldn��t secretly sell them away too, so the two equipment were surely meant to be worn by others. But�� who did he intend to give them to?


    Shortly after, Amund received the answers to his doubts.


    ��Bubble, Canary, I��ll leave them to you.��


    Rhode nodded at the two floating boxes and beckoned to the two young ladies. Mini Bubble Gum and Canary stepped toward Amund.


    So it��s them?


    Amund gazed blankly.


    Amund was aware of Mini Bubble Gum��s strength. He had witnessed her valiance during her battle with the Mist Sword Saint. No matter if it was her dense spiritual aura or the terrifying, yet mysterious spells, they were all eye-opener for him. Although he had also witnessed Lize��s improved spiritual spell techniques in the Midsummer Festival, the disciple wouldn��t defeat her master, after all. Amund swore that it was his first time witnessing a Cleric using such violent moves. Mini Bubble Gum had used her bare fists and crushed another powerful being in the Legendary Stage.


    But Amund had to admit that even though the girl was young, she had far exceeded him in the in-depth exploration of spiritual powers. Amund showed a humble smile to Mini Bubble Gum, but the latter let out a soft snort and said nothing in response. However, Amund wasn��t affected by her rude behavior at all. He turned to Canary and was stumped for words.


    Unlike Mini Bubble Gum, Canary had always been keeping a low profile. Back then, Amund had met Canary when she stepped up to stop Mini Bubble Gum after she crippled the Mist Sword Saint. The situation was chaotic and Amund couldn��t probe more about her. It was only until this moment that he finally sensed her powerful presence.


    Her pure, terrifying aura startled him. He narrowed his eyes and sized up the young lady before him. Then, his pupils shrunk abruptly!


    Oh my goodness. What did he just witnessed?!


    This young lady of 16 to 17 years old emanated a glaring Rule radiance that was even brighter than Rhode��s. This meant that she had transcended into the Legendary Stage and possessed Peak Legendary strength. However, this wasn��t what stunned him the most. Instead, it was the blue and fiery colors flickering within the radiance.


    Double talents!


    Amund gulped. No matter how he stared at the young lady, he couldn��t understand how Rhode managed to recruit that many young legendary beings. As a Spellcaster, he sharply sensed the aura exuding from her. Even though the aura was faint, it was filled with majestic and oppressive powers.


    Amund felt like he was going insane because it was too illogical. He scanned the two young ladies and was sure that they were pure humans and weren��t long-living mixed races. Besides, they didn��t cast any delusional spell to conceal their appearances. They were indeed teenagers.


    But how can ordinary humans obtain such powerful strength?


    Amund turned to Rhode and the latter maintained his calm expression. Amund knew that there was a rumor regarding this young man that he had a massive, mysterious family as his backing. However, no families were this powerful to appoint two young legendary beings to be bodyguards. Even though Lydia held legendary forces under her, there were only about two to three of them, including Amund. But now, he sensed that the two young ladies were much more powerful than him�� What is this about?


    ��No wonder you��re so confident, Earl Rhode. Now I finally understand why those unfortunate skeletons failed to take down your fortress,�� Amund said.


    In fact, he also knew why Rhode required the two equipment now. He easily perceived that the magical armor on Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were of intermediate grades, which were severely inconsistent with their strength. With the two legendary equipment, they would surely turn into tigers with grown wings. However, Amund was a little dubious. Powerful beings would more or less possess some formidable equipment, so why didn��t the two young ladies have any?


    Rhode shrugged while Canary nodded with a smile.


    ��You��re�� Miss Canary, right?��


    Amund looked at her and asked courteously.


    ��Please pardon my rudeness. I��ve never heard of your name. Are you a graduate of the Mage School?��


    ��My apologies, Sir Amund.��


    Compared to Mini Bubble Gum, Canary was much gentler. She bowed politely.


    ��I never entered the Mage School. In fact, I��m a Self-taught Mage.��


    ��Self-taught Mage��?!��


    Amund was flabbergasted and revealed a look of disbelief. On this Dragon Soul Continent, many people possessed spellcasting talents. However, as they didn��t go through systematic learning, it was arduous for them to take their learning journey further. Most of them would degenerate into being vaudeville artists or vulgar, low level Mages and they were mostly called Self-taught Mages. Of course, this was a term to mock them.


    But��


    Amund gazed at Canary who was putting up a sincere and gentle smile. However, he sensed the pride within her that was regarding her identity, and this was the thoughts of a player.


    Players were mostly ordinary, but they unwilling to admit that. They looked down on those who rapidly went up in the world. On the contrary, they were more interested in those who were self-reliant. Just like in martial arts novels, a chivalrous person born with the identity of a nobody was definitely more popular than one who was brought up in a prestigious family. This was the same in the game. Mages who were brought up in Mage School were proud and arrogant against Self-taught Mages. To the players, Self-taught Mages represented taking on unusual journeys. They were like wild grass: lowly, ordinary, and seen everywhere. However, even a prairie fire couldn��t destroy the grass. They didn��t have exquisite education like the spellcaster nobles, relied on themselves step by step, and mastered their extraordinary techniques. Wasn��t this much more satisfying? Especially after looking at the NPCs with faces full of shock yelling: ��What?! Such a powerful being is actually a Self-taught Mage?!��


    That feeling of satisfaction��


    ��You must have felt great.��


    Standing on the tall platform and gazing at the scenery in the distance, Rhode looked at Canary with smiles in his eyes. After listening to Canary��s self-introduction, Amund��s amazed expression was obvious to all. However, this shock was apparently too much for him. He stayed around for a while and eventually left hurriedly after politely declining Rhode��s persuasion to stay. Of course, Rhode knew what was going on in Amund��s mind. Rhode had two formidable forces under him and it was impossible that Amund wouldn��t worry about it at all. Perhaps he might even investigate on Canary��s background. After all, a powerful Spellcaster was actually a Self-taught Mage. This was a totally shocking news.


    ��That��s for sure, Rhode.��


    Canary stood quietly beside him. She put on the ��Magic Prayer�� robe. It was a deep red, gorgeous robe with two pieces of ribbon hanging from the shawl that were inlaid with black iron in the shape of burning flames. The young lady wore a slanted, heavy Mage hat, as well as a pair of black leather gloves stitched with golden threads that showed a mysterious pattern. She seemed so endearing and also slender and petite under the thick Mage robe. Upon hearing Rhode��s words, Canary twitched her brow and revealed a proud smile.


    ��Isn��t this what all Self-taught Mages seek for? Just look at Sir Amund��s face. This is all worth it. Hehe����


    ��Good things are all taken up by you, Big Sister.��


    Mini Bubble Gum stomped her foot and pouted.


    ��Damn it. I also want to show my strength to the Church. Haha. Those idiots will surely kneel before me and sing high praises�� Hmph. What a pity. If it isn��t because I can��t leave this place, I will surely storm my way to the Church in the Country of Law and show them how capable I am!��atchoo!��


    The little girl��s proud delusions were dashed in this sneeze. At that moment, she had already put on her ��Holy Spirit�� armor, but it looked rather strange as compared to Canary��s standard robe. Even though they were made from magical cloth, the upper part of the ��Holy Spirit�� armor set was made from a combination of leather armor and noble robe that accentuated her youthful body. The collar and cuffs were decorated with sacred silver crosses while the lower part of the armor set was a pure, white long skirt with simple designs. Not only that, but she also wore a silver chain belt around her waist and a pair of white leather boots. She looked more like a Battle Angel than a Cleric at this moment.


    The ��Magic Prayer�� robe and ��Holy Spirit�� armor were considered top notch equipment for level 80, but they were barely usable for Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. The equipment that they needed was the standard of armor that Lydia wore. Only with such armors would they restore their original strength.


    But Rhode knew that first-rate armor wouldn��t simply drop from the sky. Even though the two armors weren��t the best, at least they could prevent Canary from getting injured from legendary-tier spells again.


    ��Ah�� It��s freezing, Leader. Get it done and head back for our sleep already.��


    It was midnight, but unlike the past, the entire Fortress was in pitch-blackness and the patrolling soldiers had been withdrawn. Rhode had given strict orders to stop anyone from heading out. Of course. This wasn��t the first time for the residents. Besides, they knew what would happen every time Rhode gave such orders.


    Rhode stood at the top of the tower and looked down.


    It was completely pitch-black in the distance. The chilly wind blew in his face and he stretched out his hand.


    Shortly after, a line of system prompt emerged before him.


    [Activate System Construction]

 Chapter 712 - This is The Rhythm of Heartbreak!

    In the blink of an eye, the flickering interface enlarged before him and revealed the bird��s-eye view overlooking Rhode��s territory with the additional weapons and buildings that emerged after the system upgrade. Rhode estimated that if he could upgrade the weapons and buildings to their maximum level, perhaps the Four Legendary Generals would have a hard time dealing with him. Now, not only could he construct magic buildings, but he could also construct hero buildings. The latter was somewhat similar to the existence of a class-advancement palace in the game. In those buildings, experienced NPCs could advance in their classes and they could also recruit and train various military units. However, the buildings were expensive to build and a lot of them were required to be effective. Moreover, every hero buildings had to appoint a qualified personnel to manage the place and they were usually rare to find.


    In order to construct and upgrade all the weapons and buildings, he would need to spend at least one billion, and this didn��t include subsequent maintenance costs.


    Therefore, this could stay as a fantasy for him.


    All in all, he was better off focusing on the matters on hand.


    Rhode twitched his brows as he shifted his gaze away from the dazzling list of weapons and buildings. Then, he tapped on one of the icons.


    [Holy Maiden Statue (Quantity: 1) selected. Please choose to build or upgrade]


    Rhode nodded and made his decision. Suddenly, two golden light beams erupted from the ridges on the left and right sides of the fortress and rushed into the clouds. The glaring, holy radiance responded to the Holy Maiden Statue inside the Fortress and blended into one. Two spotlessly white Holy Maiden Statues emerged within the light beams, just like the one inside the Fortress.


    ��Ah����


    Rhode let out a long sigh. Even though this seemed like a simple procedure, 600,000 gold coins had been used in the process instantly. 600,000 gold coins��a small to medium-sized Trade Association was far from earning this amount in its entire lifetime. These statues were truly the legendary artifacts of the Dragon Soul Continent.


    But�� this wasn��t all.


    Rhode shifted his gaze to the system information.


    [Holy Maiden Statue (Quantity: 3) selected. Please choose to build or upgrade]


    [Holy Maiden Statue Level Upgrade. Level 2 �� 300,000 Gold Coins. Lv 3 �� 500,000 Gold Coins. Total gold coins required to upgrade all Holy Maiden Statues: 2.4 Million Gold Coins. Confirm to upgrade?]


    Even though Rhode was mentally prepared for this, he still gritted his teeth. The Holy Maiden Statue indeed had its deserved reputation. At this moment, its value had once again proudly proven to Rhode why they were the best choices for rich players to show off their wealth. There were a total of three levels for the Holy Maiden Statues��it would require a total of 800,000 gold coins for each statue to reach from the first to third level. With the three statues in place, Rhode had to spend a total of 2.4 million gold coins to upgrade all to their maximum level. In addition, he had also spent 600,000 gold coins to construct the other two new statues. In the blink of an eye, three million gold coins were gone. Even for the wealthy merchants and superior nobles, they would have a hard time forking out this amount.


    But it was necessary to spend them.


    Upgrade!


    Rhode nodded with might and the radiance of the environment suddenly dimmed.


    The radiance bursting into the clouds from the Holy Maiden Statues gradually dimmed. Their dazzling brilliance weakened and the barrier enveloping the sky disappeared, leaving countless light balls encircling the crystal statues.


    Then, the Holy Maiden Statues reacted.


    Their crossed arms slowly stretched forward and displayed a gripping posture. The light balls slowly gathered as though attracted by their extended palms. They twisted, transformed, and shrunk abruptly. Countless light dust fluttered and formed a pure, white spear.


    The statue maiden clutched the spear with both hands and pointed it to the sky.


    The dazzling white radiance vanished entirely. But everyone felt the holiness in the air. The sacred, elegant, and brisk atmosphere had as though merged with the land, air, and water as one.


    I succeeded.


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Even though the statues didn��t seem as conspicuous after their level upgrade, their effects had highly increased. Everything within their range would possess holy attributes, where even the rivers of the moat had become holy water. Of course, their effects wouldn��t be as effective as the Church��s holy water. But, the water had become no different from sulphuric acid for the Undead Creatures. Not only that, but the Holy Maiden Statue range had also expanded after the upgrade, where they enveloped a part of Grenbell, Deep Stone City, and even the territory belonging to the Undead Creatures. Any Undead Creatures that entered the range would be weakened immediately. Only those in the Peak Master to the Legendary Stage and possessed their own rules and awakened talents could save themselves from death. Not only that, but the holy power would also corrode their bodies from time to time and the weaker Undead Creatures would self-destruct to the holy powers even before the battle started.


    The Holy Maiden Statues�� most valiant weapons were their holy spears, which possessed the most powerful, long-range attack spell among all the legendary weapons with holy attribute. The holy spears could eliminate thousands of Undead Creatures. Low level troops were useless trash before its might and medium level troops would also be harmed. Even though high level troops wouldn��t be damaged too badly, they were also evasive of this spell. Unless one was a being in the Peak Legendary Stage, one could forget about resisting this spell. Besides, as legendary artifacts, the Holy Maiden Statues had unlimited source of power as long as they were under the protection of the Light Dragon Soul.


    Of course, the flaws of the Holy Maiden Statues were that their effects were only effective on Undead Creatures and the holy spears needed to charge up. However, this was also why Rhode spent such a huge price in constructing the three statues��with the three Holy Maiden Statues, he could rotate the usages of the holy spears without interruptions.


    But this wasn��t enough.


    Rhode admired the upgraded Holy Maiden Statues and shifted his attention to the system interface. As a Fortress built by the border, more safety arrangements were required and he didn��t have an official and complete defense system on hand. Previously, he succeeded in taking down the Undead Army from catching them off guard. Moreover, the Undead Army had only ambushed and didn��t attack the Fortress directly. It could be said that there was not much to choose from between both sides. Rhode relied on Mini Bubble Gum and Canary to settle the opposition, but this wasn��t a permanent plan, after all. It was essential for any border fortresses to set up a complete defense system.


    He already had a plan as to how to build a complete defense system.


    He extended his hand and swiped on the system interface. Shortly after, a few familiar names emerged.


    [Core Building: Magic Spring (The tide of magic flows under the earth) Construction Cost: 50,000 Gold Coins]


    [Magic Building: Spell Tower (The supreme spell above the sky represents all matters) Construction Cost: 150,000 Gold Coins]


    The Magic Spring was the core strength of all fortresses with magical attribute. It could coalesce the magical powers of the region and provide energy for the equipment, buildings, weapons, and enchanted fields. Back then, Rhode didn��t possess such an artifact and also had no intentions of purchasing one. The reason was that the Magic Spring��s construction blueprints were in the hands of the Royal Mage Association and various Mage organizations and never sold to the public. If he wished to rely on them in building the Magic Spring, he would need to give them some benefits. Besides, the Magic Spring was the driving core of the Fortress and he wasn��t confident in handing it to outsiders. Moreover, it would take a long time to build the spring, where more than a couple of years was needed to search for the magic coalescing point.


    It would be better if he didn��t need to spend any money��


    The Spell Tower was commonly referred to as the Mage Tower. If the Magic Spring was the driving core, the Mage Tower would be a steady tool. Powerful Mages would distribute and utilize the powers gathered from the Magic Spring in their own Mage Towers. During battles, they could also use the interactions between the Mage Tower and Magic Spring to release large-scale defense enchanted field and attacking spells to drive enemies away.


    Of course, this was only the start. A computer with only hardware would be useless without software and operating system. But it was Rhode��s priority to settle the hardware and operating system first before dealing with the others.


    Rhode quickly made a decision.


    Build the Magic Spring, Spell Tower, upgrade the city walls to level three, and build the Silver Tower.


    The ground trembled.


    The Fortress swelled and twisted strangely. The three-meters-wide city walls beneath his feet extended and ascended to the peak of the mountain by the side and distinct steps emerged from the flat surface. The tall, cross-shaped platform on the Silver Tower formed a stable defense net. But miraculously, even though Rhode was among the transformation, he felt that his footing was oddly stable. If he shut his eyes, perhaps he wouldn��t feel anything as though nothing had changed.


    Rhode shook his head and turned the other direction. On one of the empty fields, a fountain-like construction emerged from the ground and azure ��spring water�� squirted from its center��that was the matchless, abundant magical powers.


    A pitch-black, tall tower twisted into shape.


    The gigantic tower rose silently with the Magic Spring in the middle. The solid city walls were as though soft soil that merged together with the six to seven floors tall, circular tower with a spire. At the same time, magical rays flashed from the pitch-black tower, which formed exquisite, hovering runes. The surface of the tower cracked, shattered, and revealed its white, beautiful appearance. The platform floating in midair was connected by a silver-whitish suspended spiral stairs that extended downward. A round gem flashing with colorful magical powers hovered at the peak of the tower while faint magical rings expanded with it in the middle and brought about a mysterious vibe.


    ��Phew����


    Rhode let out a sigh of relief. He had spent much less than he did on the Holy Maiden Statues. The upgrading of the Magic Spring to level three had cost him a total of 180,000 gold coins while the Spell Tower cost 300,000 gold coins. The extension and strengthening of the city walls cost much lesser at 50,000 gold coins only. In fact, Rhode had already realized that the cost was much cheaper than he had to pay to the Mage associations, where the lowest price that they charge would be starting from 500,000 gold coins while he didn��t even need to spend more than 180,000 gold coins using his system. It seemed that the system only calculated the cost of raw materials and manufacturing, without the consideration for manpower and transportation.


    However, the next was the main event.


    ��Leader, surely you don��t intend to rely on these things to defend the Fortress?��


    ��Of course not.��


    Rhode shook his head.


    ��Our biggest problem now is the lack of manpower and it won��t be enough to rely on you two and the mercenaries. We need much stronger firepower to defend the Fortress!��


    ��Heh�� Huh?�� Mini Bubble Gum responded instinctively. Then, she exclaimed in astonishment and gazed at the system interface. ��Hey, wait. Leader, don��t tell me you��re��!��


    ��Of course.�� Rhode curled his lips. At this moment, a line of system text emerged before him.


    [Weapon: Mid-range Magic Cannons (This angry attack is unstoppable) Level 1. Cost: 50,000 Gold Coins]


    [Quantity: 100]


    The sleek city walls transformed while square holes emerged in the walls. Enormous cannons forged from fine, gold steel spurted white steam. Steel capstans taller than humans spun continuously and pushed the cannons out from the holes of the city walls. In the blink of an eye, hundreds of magic cannons arranged in two straight rows were seen. Not only that, but dozens of holes for the cannons also emerged in the observation tower wall above. The cannons reflected an ice-cold radiance under the illuminating moonlight. In an instant, the entire Fortress appeared seemingly like a threatening monster baring fangs and brandishing its claws.


    ��Thicker armors. Stronger firepowers. Higher quantities. This is the essence of my cannon turrets.��


    Rhode gazed at the menacing cannon tower and snapped his fingers proudly. ��It��s a pity. If I have enough money, I would have built more than 500 magic cannons����


    ��Tsk. How boring. What��s the point of having that many cannon turrets?�� Mini Bubble Gum let out a snort.


    Rhode turned around with his emotionless face and swept a quick glance at her. ��What��s wrong with relying on the cannons?��


    ��Hmph.�� Mini Bubble Gum sneered while Rhode shrugged.


    ��Alright alright. Both of you. Stop bickering�� Isn��t everything fine as long as the cannon turrets are useful?�� Canary showed a bitter smile.


    It seems like they haven��t changed at all.

 Chapter 713 - Toughest Problem

    Rhode��s choice of possessing that many magic cannons wasn��t purely due to his dedication to being a part of the Multi-Cannon Turret Party. There were also other basis and reasons. The Diamat Campaign had been in the focus of debate between the Multi-Cannon Turret Party and RPG Party in the game. As the largest magic warship in the Munn Kingdom, the Saint Lady Vessel that carried 3500 magic cannons was the materialization of ��Billion of turrets. Billions of glory��. Standing before this Heavenly Class Magic Warship, the Undead Army��s ��human wave attack�� was completely stomped, where millions of Undead Creatures were annihilated by the pouring light beams from above.


    However, no matter how powerful the Saint Lady Vessel was, it was still a man-made object, after all. It didn��t stand a chance against the Four Legendary Generals. Therefore, the re-emergence of the RPG Party meant that the Multi-Cannon Turret Party was ultimately the historical dust and the RPG Party remained unified throughout the ages. Of course. The Multi-Cannon Turret Party refused to believe in such fallacious reasoning. They didn��t think that their cannon turrets were too weak. Instead, they expressed that they just didn��t have enough cannon turrets. Some people even hooted to create a thousand Saint Lady Vessels to blast the entire Country of Darkness. Many others also expressed that Four Legendary Generals were required to deal with a single magic warship, so how about facing thousands of warships?! The Four Legendary Generals would surely be annihilated by the Multi-Cannon Turret Party!


    There were indeed many players who believed that the Diamat Campaign had explained that quantity was a good solution to deal with the Undead Creatures. Of course, the individuals must have high attacking strength to overcome the Undead Creatures. In fact, in the later stages of the game, many player tactics in dealing with Undead Creatures was created based on this. This was because the players�� strength was stronger than the NPCs and following appropriate commands, a large group of players could easily oppress the Undead Creatures. In the later stages after the Country of Darkness attacked, the Light Mainland, player territories, and regions with spellcasters could defend against the Undead Creatures successfully. For example, the Mage Association��s Sky Castle or the Church��s Glory City. Both organizations had far-range attacking units and powerful AOE spells.


    It was due to this that Rhode had chosen to build a hundred mid-range magic cannons. Quality was definitely necessary against the Undead Army��s ��human wave attack�� attack. However, it wouldn��t be too effective if he emphasized too much on quality. Taking the Holy Maiden Statue, for instance��Rhode could produce five to six of them with his money and rely on their holy spears to envelope almost half the Land of Atonement with their aura. However, the holy spears needed to charge up beforehand with targeted enemies and it was meaningless because the enemies�� tactics were ever changing. If the enemies chose to descend from above, the Holy Maiden Statues wouldn��t be able to react swiftly as their holy spears couldn��t attack the sky and ground simultaneously.


    Rhode wouldn��t be afraid if the Holy Maiden Statues�� attack range was large enough to cover Paphield entirely.


    But it was only a fantasy.


    The next morning.


    Everyone was taken aback after they woke up, prepared, and stepped out of their rooms. Although Rhode had merely modified the defense buildings, many of them were flabbergasted as they couldn��t comprehend how the changes happened overnight. But, they had gotten used to such transformations after living in the fortress for a long time. Previously, they were astounded by the emergence of the Holy Maiden Statue and now, the city walls had rose and extended further while an additional white Spell Tower was built. They felt more amazed than doubtful. After all, many of them had guessed that this young overlord was up to something after he ordered a curfew.


    On the other hand, Beni looked for Rhode with her doubts. She was unwilling to accept his orders because it didn��t make sense to issue a curfew with the current defenses in place. However, Rhode expressed that he had something important to attend to, which was why Beni eventually accepted. But now, she couldn��t hold her curiosity in any longer.


    Of course, Rhode couldn��t tell her the truth. He merely told her that he did it by himself in order to strengthen the Fortress�� defenses and kept the construction process a secret.


    Even though Beni was still dubious, she respected Rhode��s decision in not revealing it since she didn��t feel any evil aura within the Fortress. As long as it had nothing to do with evil, she didn��t mind what methods Rhode used to build them.


    If she were a human, perhaps she would have used all ways to seek the secret in constructing building overnight due to its overwhelming benefits. But Angels were kind, fair, uphold justice, and took no notice to the technological advancements of humans�� Since Rhode didn��t use any evil means to harm any innocents souls and violate the meaning of Order, it didn��t matter to her at all.


    Now that the new buildings were constructed, they needed to be filled with residents. The owner of the Spell Tower would undoubtedly be Canary and as a max level 85 legendary player, she was familiar with its operations. Besides, Rhode had also adjusted correspondingly to shift Lapis��s alchemy workshop into the tower. The existence of the Magic spring was beneficial for the creation success rate of the alchemy equipment.


    It was also necessary to recruit apprentices who would cultivate into being Mages. Rhode had passed down his order to select some members with spellcasting talents to enter the Spell Tower and receive guidance from Canary. With the Magic spring��s enhancement, the Sphere of Mystery��s training ground, and Canary��s guidance, the members would definitely become a powerful force in the future.


    In fact, in order to be fair, Rhode had intended to build a hero sanctuary for Mini Bubble Gum too. As long as he appointed Mini Bubble Gum as the owner, she could train the Clerics even better. But he gave up on this idea after considering that the Church was located near his territory. Currently, he didn��t have any Mage Associations in his Fortress and it was still fine for him to build a Spell Tower. However, it would mean trouble if the Church knew that he had built a hero sanctuary as he couldn��t explain how he had built such a majestic building overnight.


    But this wasn��t the biggest problem at the moment.


    ��Sigh����


    Rhode leaned back on the chair, tossed the document to the side, and rubbed his forehead. Money would forever be insufficient. Lydia had given him ten million gold coins and he was left with almost none after one night from constructing and upgrading the Holy Maiden Statues, strengthening and extending the city walls, building the Spell Tower, Magic spring, and Silver Tower. Not only that, but he had also spent on a hundred mid-range magic cannons. Almost nine million gold coins just escaped from between his fingers in an instant. The chest full of coins was immediately left with a pitiful amount�� That was an indescribable sadness��


    This problem didn��t seem too huge on the surface. The remainder of around one million coins could last for a long time. However, Rhode wasn��t having a headache over this. Instead�� He currently didn��t possess any means to make money.


    Although his territory was huge and appeared influential on the map, they were located in uninhabited regions without villages, towns, commercial routes, and agriculture. On the contrary, the other overlords had cities and received benefits from the towns and villages, just like Paphield region. Although Papield��s overlord lived in Deep Stone City, there were still a number of towns and villages within Paphield. Moreover, Paphield had a mature commercial system, where there weren��t any issues with foodstuff reservation and cash flow.


    But what else did Rhode have apart from the Land of Atonement Fortress?


    Nothing.


    There used to be a small village, but Rhode brought the villagers into the Fortress in order to maintain its operations. Currently, that village had lost its function and appeared more like a sentry camp. Rhode��s source of income mostly came from the Silver Libra Trade Association, Keller Trade Association, and selling Lapis�� concocted potions.


    As for taxes?


    Most of the residents in Land of Atonement were workers, civilians, and mercenaries. How much taxes could he expect with this population structure? Moreover, most of the mines had stopped operating for safety reasons after the war began. In such a situation, it was debatable that Rhode didn��t fork out money to provide them a living, so how could he even levy taxes from them? He wouldn��t be able to gain a few copper coins even after peeling their skin.


    Perhaps Lydia was aware of Rhode��s situation, which explained why she had given him ten million and provided supplies at no cost. If not, how could she make a territory with insufficient funds to mobilize soldiers and recruit soldiers against the Undead Army? It wasn��t an issue for Rhode to spend his own money to purchase foodstuff to feed the residents of the fortress. However, it was still far from possible for him to recruit enough soldiers.


    He couldn��t only rely on Lapis in concocting the alchemy potions, after all, but he didn��t have any other means. Wars burned money and he was deeply aware of this. He regretted not asking for fifty million back then.


    ��Huhuhu. He who takes charge knows the price of fuel and rice, Master.��


    Rhode turned to the crisp, lively voice and saw Gillian sitting by the side. Even though it was winter, she wore a black off-shoulder robe, skirt with red linings, stockings, and buckskin boots as though she wasn��t afraid of the cold at all.


    She rested her elbows on the chair back, placed her chin on her hands, and swayed her head boringly. Her red, fluffy tailed shook left and right.


    ��We used to rely on Bubble, but it��s all on you now, Master. This is the sad truth for players who spent money on the game. As soon as the currency can��t be used, they will turn into pieces of crap����


    ��If you have the time to crack wise, why not help me think of ways to earn money?��


    Rhode rolled his eyes. He was no longer concerned about Gillian��s true identity as to why she, as an Elemental Lord of this world, would understand him and the people around him so well. Rhode tried asking Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, but both of them had no impression of the name ��Gillian�� at all��


    Gillian let out a chuckle. Then, she lifted her head and shook her finger.


    ��There are indeed some ways, Master. Besides, it��s right under your nose. Don��t tell me that you��re not aware of when wars are the most prone to happen in which places and eras? This is a low-input, and high-yield trade.��


    ��War money?�� Rhode puckered his brows. ��I know wars are great opportunities, but we have nothing. Gillian, don��t tell me that you��re thinking of relying on Lapis��s alchemy potions to make earn a living?��


    ��Hehehe���� Gillian stood up and shook her head. She gazed at Rhode and extended a finger. ��Of course not, Master. You��ve guessed it wrong, but it��s close enough. Little Lapis doesn��t even have enough potions for us, so what��s the point of her selling them for money? We can grasp the trump card to make money and if everything goes well, that will be a profitable sale.��


    ��Trump card to make money?�� Rhode knitted his brows and scanned the fox-eared young lady before him. He thought about it for a moment and eventually shook his head. He knew that he had something on hand, but didn��t think that they were qualified to make a huge fortune. But, other than them, he couldn��t think of anything else�� Suddenly, his eyes glinted. Could it be��


    ��Currently, tjr Munn Kingdom�� No. The entire Light Mainland is in crisis.��


    Gillian strolled to the window and gazed at the scenery. The mountains covered by snow and the Holy Maiden Statues with their raised spears.


    ��The group of idiots in Country of Light can��t handle it and it seems unlikely for other regions of the Munn Kingdom. Master, the aura from the Holy Maiden Statues turns misfortune into blessing, but the others aren��t that fortunate. They can��t hold back the Undead Creatures and can only cower in the face of death.��


    The young lady turned around.


    ��But now, they don��t have to worry about the threats anymore. Just look at our Holy Maiden Statues, Master. Such beauty and elegance. More importantly, they can detect the Undead Creatures, provide wide protection, and weaken their attacking strength. Not only can they beautify your territory, but also save you from troubles. Pick up your phone now and order to receive a 20 percent discount. Only spend 998 and you can prevent the Undead Creatures from infiltrating, receive a defense enchanted field, holy spears, and beautifying effects for your backyard. It has been through ISO9001 verifications and received authorized license. The first one hundred customers will stand a chance to win a set of magical potions! How about that? Just 998. It��s so cheap. Pick up your phone and order now!�� The fox-eared young lady snapped her fingers. ��How��s this advertisement? Master?��


    Rhode gazed at her in silence. After a few moments, he finally spoke. ��What you mean was�� They can be used for other purposes?��


    ��Yes, Master.�� Gillian narrowed her eyes. She winked with her long eyelashes and revealed a mysterious smile. ��Even though you��ve made them using your system, they do exist in reality. Apart from the gold coins, you also needed magic crystals to build them, right? If they don��t exist, you can simply see them in your head, so what��s the point of spending so much money then?��


    ��But���� Rhode was speechless.


    In fact, he had indeed neglected the Holy Maiden Statues. The reason was simple. They were within his territory and created by the system, which was why he subconsciously categorized them as to be used within his territory and perhaps predicted that they would be utterly destroyed as soon as they were out of the range. But now��


    ��Gillian.�� Rhode gazed into her eyes; the pair of clear, mysterious eyes. ��Is this world�� real?��


    ��I remember you��ve asked me this question in the past, Master. I understand your worries, but I can clearly tell you that this is a real world, so don��t worry about you having tubes stuck into the back of your head or actually being in an endless dream. Of course, I think those who realized that they have tubes stuck into the back of their heads and found it necessary to abandon their blessed virtual lives for the sake of living without enjoyment are extremely strange, that is.��


    ��But, this construction system and I����


    ��I understand what��s going on in your head.��


    This was the first time that Gillian��s voice was this gentle and calm. She laid down her hands and gazed silently at Rhode.


    ��I guarantee that you��re alive, Master. The blood flowing inside you isn��t data. Your body isn��t made up of 00 and 01 components. This world is the same, just like earth; a living world. Little Lize, Little Anne, Little Lapis are all the same. In here, they are neither data nor illusion. They exist.��


    ������ Rhode pondered in silence. After a few moments, he let out a long sigh. ��Whereas for the reason why I��m here and everything that has happened to me, you still won��t tell me about it, right?��


    ��That isn��t something that I can say, Master.�� Gillian displayed her usual, cheerful and witty smile. ��I��m not qualified and in no position to tell you all about it. But I believe that you will find out the truth one day.��


    ������ Rhode lowered his head. He was having mixed feelings in his head. Some excitement and ridiculous disappointment. But, shortly after, he shook his head and took in a deep breath to calm himself down. Then, he looked at the fox-eared young lady. ��Alright. Let��s discuss the next issue.��

 Chapter 714 - Reinforcements

    Bayer loosened his grip on the reins and his warhorse gradually slowed down to a halt. He turned around and gazed at the long, orderly rows of soldiers struggling forward. The thick snow had obstructed the army��s speed. The infantries trudged through the ten-meters thick snow, where even the tall, might warhorses grunted. Moreover, if it wasn��t for the leading troops who cleared the path, perhaps the supply chariots at the back would be caught in the snow entirely.


    ��Old man, is anything the issue?��


    A young knight came to a halt beside Bayer. The latter turned around and glared fiercely, which the young man quickly changed his form of address.


    ��Sir, is anything the matter?��


    ��Nothing. I just think that we��re advancing rather slowly. The weather is great. We should move faster.��


    Bayer shook his head and let out a long sigh. Then, he shifted his gaze to the sky. The weather was sunny and cloudless at the moment. Moreover, it didn��t seem to be snowing anytime soon. Perhaps this was the only good news in the most recent days.


    ��No problem, old man. We have enough time to reach our destination as long as those guys in front work hard enough.��


    Unlike Bayer who had put on a stern expression, the young man shook his head casually. He had a head full of light chestnut-colored short hair and his face resembled Bayer��s to a certain extent. Bayer cursed inwardly at the sloppy character of this younger son of his. He thought that his son would learn seriousness and discipline by sending him to the military. However, he learned the craftiness of the experienced soldiers, which left Bayer in a headache. Even though this young man also had outstanding military service, Bayer stubbornly believed that his son was simply lucky. This time, it was a huge matter for Bayer to lead the army into the Land of Atonement Fortress to defend against the Undead Creatures�� infiltrations. If it was possible, Bayer hoped to not bring his troublesome son along, but he didn��t know why the young man insisted in following after knowing that his fianc��e, Serena, would be joining as a military Mage. However, the young man behaved rather well along the way. Even though he was still as rude as ever, he didn��t overstep the bounds of what was proper.


    ��Our responsibilities for this mission are huge. You need to hide your bad habits and not screw things up, Frederick!��


    Bayer pulled down his mask and berated. On the other hand, Frederick turned around and secretly pulled a face. Then, he turned the horse around.


    ��By the way, Serena, do you know what kind of place is the Land of Atonement Fortress? Gosh. Don��t tell me that it is an out-of-the-way uncivilized territory.��


    ��As a noble heir, you should watch your words, Frederick.��


    The young lady wrapped in plush mink coat and sat on the white warhorse lifted her head. She gazed at her fianc����s frivolous smiling face and shook her head while sighing.


    ��Although Land of Atonement is desolate, it isn��t located in the hinterland. I��ve heard from merchants that it has a tall, majestic city fortress. Even though most of the rumors were exaggerated, I think they might be reliable since the fortress has defended against the Undead Creatures�� raid.��


    ��That��s interesting�� By the way, I heard that there is a popular ��Mercenary Overlord��, right? Serena, you should have seen that Sir Overlord since you��ve participated in the Dragon Soul Ceremony as a diplomatic group. Does he look like a beauty just like the rumors mentioned?��


    ��You should watch your mouth, Frederick.�� Serena glared. ��That Sir Overlord isn��t one who is nice. I advise you to not poke fun of his face because even your father can��t protect you if anything happens.��


    ��I know. I know. I��m just trying to hype up the mood.��


    Frederick spread his arms apart helplessly and curled his lips.


    ��Alright, I��ll stop joking around. Serena, what kind of a person is that Sir Overlord?��


    Frederick glanced to the side and saw his father slowly approaching them on his warhorse. It was apparent that the old man was also interested in the young overlord. But, come to think of it, who in the entire Munn Kingdom wasn��t interested in this rumored ��Mercenary Overlord��? Not only did he perform well in the Midsummer Festival, but he also participated in the Dragon Soul Ceremony and thrashed the Light Parliament��s Magician Knights. Moreover, he relied on his forces to defend against the Undead Army. His achievements were known far and wide in the entire Munn Kingdom. It was especially so for his abilities in dealing with the Undead Army because the other reputable nobles and army leaders were caught unprepared against the raids.


    Even the Eastern Plains that was most experienced in dealing with Undead Creatures had also sunk into a stalemate. However, they were doing much better than others. The pitiful old overlord of Silent Field had crumbled entirely. Lydia was extremely dissatisfied that the old overlord evacuated his own family and disregarded the civilians. Even though his sin wasn��t worthy of death, it was an equally harsh punishment to strip his noble title off.


    Only Rhode��s Land of Atonement Fortress stood strong against the Undead Creatures. Not only that, but he also repelled their attacks twice, which surprised many. They didn��t expect that a young overlord who obtained the territory for less than a year to perform so well. Besides, no matter the Land of Atonement or Grenbell, they were located in remote, uninhabited places. Although Rhode had mercenaries in his command, the nobles were clear that the mercenaries weren��t reliable. If not, they wouldn��t need to have their own private soldiers.


    But the young overlord successfully relied on that small number of people to defend against the Undead Army?


    Is he really that powerful?


    Serena let out a sigh. She turned around and gazed at the chariots and knights who were donned in exquisite, yet different style of armor. They were representatives of noble families and local armies and were headed for Land of Atonement to assist in defending and transporting supplies. However, Serena knew what was going on in their heads. They wished to witness how Rhode went into battle and defeated the Undead Creatures. After all, this was the most important matter on hand.


    I hope they don��t get into trouble.


    Serena turned to her fianc��. No matter what, I must watch this fellow closely.


    ��He is an outstanding young man just like the rumors, Frederick. No matter which generation of young noblemen, such a talent is rare to find. Even though he is always expressionless, he is surprisingly not a man of little words. He is knowledgeable and smart����


    Serena said and recalled the things that Rhode had told them when he led them on a ��one day trip�� in Casabianca. She had to admit that the ��trip�� had moved her.


    ��But he isn��t easy to deal with, and nor is he soft-hearted. So I advise you to act meticulously. Don��t stir trouble or mess with anyone once we��re there. Also���� Serena swept a glance to the back. ��We��re following Royal Highness Lydia��s orders to come here and provide reinforcements. Don��t be half-hearted when mixing with those people behind.��


    Serena paused and turned to Frederick.


    ��Keep all your bad habits.��


    ��I know. I know. Serena, you��re always worrying too much. Relax. I know my limit.��


    Frederick yawned and as he was about to leave, he caught a glimpse of a majestic shadow.


    ��Our final batch of reinforcements are here.��


    Rhode stood on the balcony and observed the densely moving black spots on the mountainous path.


    This was the final batch of reinforcements that Lydia had promised Rhode and they were the local nobles and armies. But there were only 1500 of them. Most of them were crossbow shooters while the others were knights and swordsmen. Of course, the reason was simple why they didn��t board the floating boats, but went on foot: because they were also serving the task of escorting supplies.


    Apart from food supplies and weapons, logistics workers like craftsmen were also included. It could be seen that Lydia understood the situation of Rhode��s fortress well, which didn��t surprise Rhode at all. She was a smart ruler and this was to be expected.


    ��Marfa.�� Rhode turned around. ��Watch those guys and make sure they don��t stir any troubles.��


    ��Yes, Sir. I��ll get going now.��


    The middle-aged swordsman nodded with might before leaving. Rhode turned around and squinted at the slow moving troops on the mountainous path. The reason why Rhode had given this order was that he knew this army constitution was complicated. Even though they were reinforcements, more than half were originally assigned reinforcements. The remaining ones were noble and army representatives from other regions sent here as ��helpers��, which included some Mages and Clerics. Rhode didn��t investigate on purpose. Instead, when the name list was presented to him, their family names were already included, which was considered a noble etiquette.


    On the other hand, Marlene reminded Rhode that he had attracted a lot of attention due to his outstanding performances in the previous battles. Several noble and army representatives were here because they were eager to express their attitudes to Lydia and probe Rhode��s true strength and background.


    But Rhode wasn��t afraid of them finding out any secrets. In fact, their arrival fitted his intentions well. It was especially so for the ��998 Sales Plan�� that Gillian had thought of.


    ��Rhode.��


    At this moment, Marlene��s voice sounded.


    ��They��ve entered the city fortress.��


    ��Let��s go.�� Rhode turned around and gazed at the young lady beside him. ��As the owner, it��s time for me to welcome my guests.��


    ��Wow��!��


    Frederick lifted his head and awed at the tall, majestic city walls and buildings. The mountains had merged into one with the impregnable city walls. Serena��s eyes glinted at the amazing sight. There weren��t any traces of battles on the streets and walls. Fully-armored mercenaries were seen roaming the area and gazing curiously at them. The situation was far from what Frederick had imagined. He thought that this place would be suffering from the aftermath of war and needed extra assistance against the Undead Army. He had even fantasized the warm welcome that he would receive when he led the soldiers into the fortress. The fallen, injured soldiers who laid on the ground had tears flowing down their faces at the sight of his arrival and the anxious Sir Overlord welcomed them with thankful smiles��


    But it was a pity that reality and dreams were usually opposite.


    The fortress appeared indestructible as though it would stand strong even after the world collapsed. Although there weren��t too many civilians roaming the area, the place seemed prosperous. The flat, wide streets weren��t crowded at all and looking into the distance, one could even see the mountains on the other side.


    ��What a wonderful place�� Hey, Serena! Look!��


    Frederick pointed forward excitedly.


    ��That��s a Spell Tower. It��s so beautiful. Serena, do you know who owns that?��


    ��Stop pointing, Frederick.�� Serena said bitterly. She rushed to Frederick��s side and held down his pointing finger.


    ��It��s a huge crime to disrespect the Spell Tower. The Spell Tower is the symbolization of their honor and positions. Your actions are just like a civilian gesticulating on a noble��s family crest! Surely you don��t want to be fed to the dogs, right?��


    ��Argh����


    Frederick pulled his hand back. He even took out a handkerchief and wiped his fingers. Then, he turned to Serena with an embarrassed smile.


    ��This�� Of course I don��t hope for that. If not, how do we get married if that happened? Why don��t you let me give you a kiss like in the fairy tales?��


    ��Get away!��


    Serena glared fiercely while Frederick let out a chuckle.


    At this moment, a crisp, melodious, yet apathetic voice sounded the front.


    ��Greetings. Is everyone the reinforcements from Shafir?��


    Frederick laughed cheekily. Then, he turned to the voice.


    ��That��s right. We��re�� What?!��


    The young knight jumped and tugged his reins back instinctively. At the same time, he drew out his sword in a sharp sound of friction. Judging from his natural and unforced movements, it appeared that he was skillful. He displayed a look of astonishment as though he had just seen a ghost. On the other hand, Serena covered her mouth with both hands and stared in disbelief. At this moment, the surrounding knights also sensed the abnormality and swiftly drew their swords. They stared forward dubiously.


    Agatha stood silently before them. Her expression was as cold as ice. She disregarded all the shimmering, razor-sharp blades, lifted her head, and gazed at the young man.


    ��If that��s the case, can I check your documentation?��


    ��This�� This����


    ��What��s wrong? What happened?��


    Bayer emerged from the crowd on his warhorse. He was wide-eyed as soon as he saw Agatha and fortunately, he didn��t fall off his saddle.


    ��Y-You are����


    ��I��m Sir Overlord��s general manager, Agatha.��


    She stooped over and the tentacles beside her spread out as though a lady lifting the hem of her skirt.


    ��If it is possible, I would like to check everyone��s documentation.��


    ��Of�� Of course. No problem.��


    Even though Bayer was stupefied, he nodded in agreement. Shortly after, he retrieved an envelope from his pocket. Agatha extended her ��hand�� and along with her movements, everyone witnessed her tentacle extending toward Bayer and they were nervous. They leaned in to Bayer, clutched their sword hilts, and stared anxiously at the slowly extending tentacle.


    However, Agatha wasn��t mindful of their behaviors at all. She took over the letter from Bayer and held it with both hands. Two strands of hair on the side of her head danced and extended to open the envelope and retrieve the letter. She narrowed her eyes and scanned the content before finally nodding. Then, the two strands of hair placed the letter back into the envelope, sealed it back, and returned it to Bayer. It was apparent that Bayer��s thoughts were wandering. He flipped the envelope in his hands with a look of disbelief.


    ��Sir Overlord has been waiting for your arrival. Please follow me. As for the soldiers, we will arrange to bring them to their accommodation. Thank you everyone for coming all the way here to provide assistance.��


    ��T-This�� Haha�� You��re welcome����


    Frederick let out an awkward laugh. Then, he gazed at Serena.


    It seems like my choice to come here is right.

 Chapter 715 - Meeting

    Rhode stood on the tall platform and gazed at everyone approaching him. He tidied his collar and descended the flight of stairs. At this moment, everyone finally saw the young overlord following Agatha��s lead.


    ��Greetings, Earl Rhode.��


    Bayer flipped down from his warhorse. He took large strides toward Rhode, placed his right hand across his chest, and bowed respectfully.


    ��Shafir��s 13th local army, abiding by Royal Highness Lydia��s orders to provide reinforcements. I��m the army commander, Kolov Bayer.��


    ��Don��t stand on ceremony, Sir Bayer.��


    Rhode��s expression remained the same as he nodded.


    ��I represent our Land of Atonement Fortress in thanking your assistance. It is definitely better to have more manpower to deal with the Undead Creatures and it is our fortune to have brave companions like you guys to battle alongside us.��


    Bayer felt much more assured now. The nobles in the Munn Kingdom had been judging Rhode as an arrogant and conceited person. Besides, he didn��t appear to be someone who was respectful toward the elderly. Before Bayer��s arrival, he was worried that Rhode would be dissatisfied with his men. But it seemed that even though this young man was expressionless, his words sounded rather nice.


    Even though Bayer felt relieved, he continued to put up a solemn expression and nodded slightly.


    ��It is our duty to defend against the Undead Creatures��s invasion. On the other hand, Earl Rhode, you��re so young and you led your men to defeat the opposition��s aggressive attack twice. It seems like an old man like me can��t keep up with the times.��


    ��You flattered me, Sir Bayer.�� Rhode shook his head humbly. ��There��s a saying in my hometown that old men have invaluable experiences of their own. Even though we have struck the enemies back, my men are only new soldiers, after all. They will surely be relieved to battle alongside experienced warriors.��


    Rhode and Bayer exchanged looks and they realized the smiles in each others�� eyes. Even though this conversation was superfluous, this was a necessary motion for nobles to go through. Bayer flattered Rhode and the latter was well aware, which was why he returned the favor. Of course. In terms of official, polite set phrases��


    This meeting between them was carried out in a friendly atmosphere.


    They knew that this meaningless conversation was essential. The troops would be stationed in Land of Atonement Fortress for a long time and they might possibly become Rhode��s most reliable reinforcements. As the Battle Angel Army was powerful, they might possibly be mobilized to other stricken regions. When that happened, only the army from Shafir would be the ones fighting alongside Rhode in this fortress. If it was possible, Rhode didn��t wish for both sides to have a hostile relationship. Moreover, Bayer had expressed his goodwill and Rhode couldn��t possibly walk around with his nose in the air, unless he didn��t wish for future days of peace in his fortress.


    At this moment, Rhode saw the young man with chestnut-colored hair striding toward him. Then, he bowed deeply.


    ��Greetings, Earl Rhode. I��m Frederick. I��ve heard your big name for a long time. I�� Aiya!��


    The young lady wrapped in white fur robe scuttled forward worriedly and obstructed him. She lifted her head and gazed at Rhode.


    ��My apologies, Sir Rhode. Please pardon his rudeness. He didn��t mean to����


    ��You are����


    Rhode gazed at the young lady and puckered his brows.


    ��Miss Serena?��


    ��Yes, Sir Rhode. I didn��t think that you would remember me.��


    The young lady revealed an astonished expression. Back then, they didn��t interact too much since she was in the diplomatic group, so she didn��t carry too much hope that Rhode would remember her. But it seemed that he still did, which left her surprised. She extended her hand hurriedly and bowed with the Mage��s etiquette.


    ��I��m truly sorry, Sir Rhode. Frederick didn��t do it on purpose. He��s just�� erm����


    ��It��s fine.��


    Rhode waved his hand casually, at the same time gazed at the young knight. At this moment, Frederick was showing his cheeky smile. He looked at Rhode and stooped over slightly, but didn��t show any sense of remorse or fear. How interesting.


    ��I know Mr. Frederick has no ill intentions. I have also heard of him in the past.��


    This time, Rhode wasn��t exchanging pleasantries. In fact, a large part of the reason why he remembered Serena was due to Frederick. In the game, they were a popular couple, especially Frederick. In the Munn Kingdom, Frederick was considered a capable battlefield commander who was an expert in ambush and guerrilla warfare, which was rather similar to Rhode in style. Such commanders were common, but Frederick stood out against the Undead Army. This was especially so since Frederick was an NPC and not a player. However, there were extreme views on this commander with decent capabilities. In the game, Frederick was always seen battling with his fianc��e, Serena. He led his men and recruited players to accomplish his mission, which was not much different from other NPCs. However, there was something strange with Frederick and it was his personality.


    No matter in which situations, this talented commander was always carefree while his fianc��e was the serious type. The most hilarious point for the players was that the couple��s bickering resembled a crosstalk. Players played the game for fun and it was naturally a great thing for them to have additional entertainment during battles. Therefore, Frederick often had no lack of players under him. Many people had joined their forces for the sake of hearing their crosstalk. Besides, this young man had unique line of thoughts and often astonish others with his speeches.


    Their fate in the game wasn��t all that tragic. After Lydia was defeated and the Munn Kingdom perished, Frederick didn��t form an army to go against the Undead Army like the others. Instead, he instantly led Serena and his men to the Mage Association. Then, he officially married Serena and became a member of the Mage Association with the identity of a Mage Guard.


    Back then, many were surprised by Frederick��s actions. Some thought that this was a wise choice. After all, the Munn Kingdom had perished and he had done all he could. Since the nation which he vowed to protect was no longer around, it wasn��t wrong for him to take his personal love life into consideration seriously. Some judged him as laid back, sloppy, and had no loyalty and patriotism. Compared to the heroes who continued to fight after the Munn Kingdom perished, Frederick, on the contrary, had the mood and courage to sneak to the Mage Association and live off a woman.


    But Rhode didn��t have much thought about this since everyone had their own ambitions. Besides, he more or less understood Frederick��s thoughts.


    ��You see, Serena.��


    Frederick instantly revealed smiles of exultation.


    ��I��ve told you. I did well in the North and nothing can go wrong with me around. You see. Even Sir Rhode has heard of my name. Doesn��t this prove how capable I am?��


    ��You�� shut up! Now isn��t the time for this!��


    Serena gazed worriedly at Rhode. Then, she glared fiercely at her fianc��.


    ��Can��t you see the occasion? Really����


    ��It��s due to this occasion that I must perform well, isn��t it?��


    ��You dummy. I��m not referring to that�� You����


    This is interesting.


    Rhode was unable to restrain a smile. He wished that he could sit down and admire the show. But, he remembered that this was a formal occasion and passed it off with a ��haha��. Since this couple would be around for a long time, he wasn��t afraid of missing another chance��


    This time, apart from Bayer and the couple, there was also the representatives for Glorious Flag and Honorable Blade. They individually brought 50 well-trained elite infantries as reinforcements. Even though the numbers weren��t a lot, their qualities were much better than Rhode��s soldiers. The two representatives were conservative and reserved. They greeted Rhode sternly and rigidly, but they loosened up a lot more after Rhode��s ��sincerely�� invited them to training his new soldiers.


    Lastly, there were the noble representatives from Shafir. They used the chance to suck up to Rhode and their sickening words made him cringe. If it wasn��t for the fact that they were considered his men, he would have drew his sword and slashed their mouths.


    Only Marlene, Lize, and Gillian accompanied Rhode in welcoming the guests. Anne was never interested in such formalities and chose to sleep in her room. Meanwhile, Lapis was captivated by her newly built alchemy workshop and she might never even step out of it even after the Undead Army had arrived. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum was drilling the group of Clerics from the Church. Even though the Country of Law wasn��t involved in the battle, the Church was. It was an opportune time to strengthen the Church��s Clerics.


    Canary was even busier. Her duties in recruiting Mage apprentices went smoothly. Many were eager to receive guidance from this young, beautiful, and outstanding legendary Mage. However, Canary was only responsible for teaching practical skills. As for the basic magical theories, the natives would still need to understand to a certain extent. But it was fine too. Even though the apprentices Marlene brought from the Mage School weren��t powerful yet, their theoretical knowledge were great. Rhode picked two members in joining Canary��s Spell Tower and they were responsible for teaching magical theory. Although everything was simplified due to the close approaching battle, there must also be a process too. Therefore, Canary didn��t have the time to be responsible for other small, troublesome matters.


    Orchid Heart and Christie didn��t turn up either. The former was overlooking the military training while the latter wasn��t fit to be on such occasions. This wasn��t a family gathering, after all.


    ��Ah����


    Rhode let out a long sigh after Agatha led the others to their rooms.


    ��How��s the situation?��


    ��I suppose�� everything��s fine.��


    Marlene shook her head.


    ��They appear fine, at least for now. The army doesn��t seem to have any opinions about you, Rhode. But I��m not too sure about the nobles.��


    ��I think that the chap named Frederick is rather interesting. Don��t you think so, Master?��


    Gillian let out a cheeky laughter and swayed her fluffy tail. Marlene and Lize was caught between laughter and tears. It was apparent that they had watched the crosstalk between Frederick and Serena. At this moment, someone spoke.


    ��Reporting, Boss.��


    ��How��s the situation?��


    Rhode turned around and saw Joey. The latter lowered his head and bowed respectfully.


    ��Everything��s settled, Boss. There��s nothing suspicious with most of them. But a small group of them appeared sneaky. Some of them have entered the city and mixed with the crowd, but our men are following them.��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode��s brows twitched. Ever since the reinforcements arrived at the fortress, Rhode dispatched Randolf and Joey to investigate them. Marlene had reminded Rhode that many people were curious, mindful, and sure to probe about him. Rhode was mentally prepared for this. He allowed Lydia to investigate him because she was the Archangel, so there wouldn��t be much trouble. However, these guys were different. Rhode didn��t want them digging holes like rats. But he didn��t expect them to be this anxious to take action so soon.


    ��What about their identities? Have you done your checks?��


    ��They��re Taiman��s private soldiers.��


    ��Taiman?��


    Rhode pondered and quickly recalled who he was. This man had also appeared in the representative team. But he wasn��t eye-catching. If Rhode recalled correctly, Taiman was only an ordinary noble and his behaviors conformed with the norm of society. But in addition to Joey��s information, the situation became thought-provoking. If Taiman was here to scout out information, he was rather too anxious. Could it be that he treated Rhode��s men as a group of idiots who didn��t realize?��


    ��You have men watching over the main forces, right? Be careful not to get caught.��


    ��Don��t worry, Boss.��


    Joey patted on his chest and said confidently.


    ��We sent out some men to trail them while the others are observing the main forces. We will receive reports as soon as they��re any signs of trouble.


    ��Good.��


    Rhode paused and at this moment, Gillian��s ears twitched. Then, she swept a glance at Rhode and he also seemed to have noticed it. He turned to the fox-eared young lady and received his answer from the spiritual communications.


    The Undead Creatures had emerged.

 Chapter 716 - The Hunt

    Chapter 716: The Hunt


    ��Greetings, Sir Bayer.��


    Bayer subconsciously took a step back as soon as he met Agatha. Even though they had heard her self-introduction, they didn��t see such creatures before. Although Agatha appeared harmless, humans were still vigilant against the unknown.


    Bayer held his sword hilt before returning to his senses. A blush of embarrassment smeared across his face and he awkwardly lowered his arm.


    ��Is anything the matter?��


    ��This was what happened,�� Agatha said.


    She looked at the guest with azure eyes that resembled emotionless gems. It seemed that she wasn��t mindful about his reactions, or perhaps she didn��t care. She stood quietly while her hair swayed, twisted, and hung down.


    ��Master is about to head out for a hunt. He hopes that everyone can join him if they��re interested.��


    ��A hunt?��


    Bayer stared blankly. He couldn��t figure out what was going on in the young overlord��s mind. Hunting was indeed an entertainment for the nobles. But he would need to read the occasion too. Not to mention, hunting was usually done after lunch. They had just arrived at this place and didn��t catch their breaths yet. It was rather rude to invite them so hastily, wasn��t it? On the other hand, the Undead Army was lurking by the border and he still had the mood to hunt?


    Although Bayer cursed inwardly, it was equally rude of him if he refused the owner��s kind invitation. As a result, he nodded in agreement. On the other hand, Frederick was eager to give it a try. It seemed that he had had enough from the boring journey.


    But they realized something strange after they arrived at the entrance. Bayer didn��t find any the young man��s subordinates who were always around his side. Instead, apart from Rhode, Marlene, Lize, and Gillian, there were only five mercenaries. There was also a sleepy-looking young lady in her twenties. She wore a set of thick, long robes that restricted her movements and held a heavy book in her hands.


    They��re going hunting in those outfits?


    Bayer raised his doubts and even Frederick and Serena were equally curious. They recalled that nobles brought a large group of members for their hunts, but Rhode didn��t arrange for that. Besides�� who is that young lady?


    ��Greetings, Sir Bayer. I know you and your men are exhausted from the long journey. Please pardon me for inviting everyone over.��


    Rhode nodded to Bayer who rode over on his warhorse. The latter accepted his sincerity and he knew that there must be a reason behind this. On the other hand, Frederick peered out and gazed curiously at Rhode.


    ��Sir Overlord, what is gonna be our prey?��


    ��Nothing.��


    Rhode shrugged and answered vaguely.


    ��A bunch of walking skeleton, that��s all.��


    ��Huh?!��


    The group was flabbergasted. At this moment, Bayer��s relaxed expression became solemn.


    ��Sir Overlord, what you meant was�� the Undead Creatures have attacked?��


    ��They sent out some scouts. It seems that our alliance has attracted the attention of those creatures lurking in the darkness.��


    Rhode gestured.


    ��Even though they��re our guests, we should be aware of their intentions. As owners, we should be prepared to welcome them and ensure that they��re gone forever. How about it? Everyone. Are you interested in heading out with us and playing a game of ��eagle catches chicken�� with the skeletons?


    ��Great! Let��s do it! Sir Overlord!��


    Frederick nodded without any hesitations. In fact, he couldn��t hold in his excitement any longer. Weren��t they here to annihilate the Undead Creatures? Frederick thought that he would only have the chance to battle after the war commenced and didn��t expect the Undead Creatures to send themselves to their doorsteps so soon. Besides, he was even invited to join in this early fight!


    Bayer wasn��t as thrilled as Frederick. He knitted his brows and revealed traces of determination in his eyes. Indeed. As a soldier, it would be best if he could grasp the opponent��s strength and threat. But�� he was rather concerned.


    Although Rhode spoke leisurely, Bayer understood the meaning behind his words. It was apparent that there were Undead Scouts and Rhode was about to deal with it. But�� Bayer felt worried. Everyone knew that the Undead Scouts were exceptionally strong. Moreover, they were hard to deal with as Undead Creatures and Rhode only had a few men with him��


    ��Sir Overlord, is this all the manpower you��re bringing? Will it be sufficient?��


    ��Yes.��


    Rhode was unconcerned.


    ��There are only a small number of them and we will frighten them if we visit with great fanfare. This is sufficient, Bayer.��


    ��A small number of them?��


    Bayer gazed at Rhode in astonishment. If Rhode didn��t strike the Undead Creatures back twice, Bayer would have believed that Rhode was just a noble who talked big. Indeed. There might not be a large number of them as Bayer didn��t hear of thousands of dispatched Undead Scouts. It was due to their small numbers, which increased the possibilities that they were dangerous elites. Moreover, they were scheming and hard to deal with. But Rhode appeared to be confident. Bayer was speechless. After all, Rhode��s accomplishment was known and as a Master Stage Swordsman, Bayer sensed the extraordinary aura emanating from the young man.


    It seemed like the rumors of this young overlord holding strength in the Legendary Stage was true. Bayer spoke no more and nodded in agreement. Rhode read his expression, but didn��t point it out. He urged his warhorse forward and revealed Orchid Heart at the back.


    ��This is Miss Orchid Heart. She��s my companion and the military commander of this fortress. I hope everyone will listen to her commands. Everyone is a soldier, so I��m sure that you��re aware of the importance.��


    ��She?��


    Everyone exclaimed in surprise. They scanned the young lady who was dozing off on her warhorse. After a few moments, the young lady seemed to sense everyone��s gazes. She lifted her head and nodded to everyone as greetings. Then, she covered her mouth and let out a long yawn before lowering her head again.


    ���� This young lady is so�� fascinating.��


    It was almost praise to a certain extent for Frederick to make such a remark. This young man with an unconventional approach to life gazed at Orchid Heart in astonishment. He let out a dry laughter and suddenly, he heard a scream.


    ��Ah��!��


    ��What��s wrong, Serena? Didn��t you always tell me to remain steady no matter what?��


    Frederick instantly realized that it was the voice of his dearest fianc��e. He turned around with a funny expression. It had always been Serena who educated him and he was used to it. Now that he finally had the chance for revenge, he wouldn��t let it slip. However, he realized that Serena wasn��t looking at him after he turned around. Instead, she gazed at the young lady before her with a pale expression and covered her mouth with her hand.


    ��What��s wrong, Serena? You look as though you��ve seen a monster. That��s too rude.��


    ��How�� how�� how is this possible����


    Serena ignored her fianc����s bicker. She stared at Orchid Heart with widened eyes and muttered under her breath.


    ��She��s a�� Nafranka Spellcaster Scholar?��

 Chapter 717 - Ambush (I)

    Chapter 717: Ambush (I)


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    The group exited the fortress and snow shrouded everything in sight.


    The battle aftermath had been completely covered by the huge snow. The warhorses stood still instinctively after stepping onto the graveyard of Undead Creatures.


    ��I didn��t expect to see you behaving in this manner, Serena.��


    Frederick rode on his warhorse and teased Serena. The latter blushed and glared fiercely. However, Frederick was used to it. He put up a cheeky face and admired her embarrassed expression. Rhode didn��t comment about Serena��s lack of manners, which left her feeling anxious. Frederick knew that his fianc��e was much more self-disciplined than most others and perhaps she regretted letting out a shriek in public as though she was possessed.


    ��Stop mentioning it, Frederick. I didn��t do it on purpose. I was just surprised����


    Serena lowered her head shyly. At the same time, she stole a glance at Orchid Heart. The latter swayed on the warhorse back sleepily. Everyone else was worried that she might fall from the saddle anytime.


    ��By the way, Serena, what��s that something something scholar that you mentioned? I��ve never seen you this shocked.��


    ��It��s the Nafranka Spellcaster Scholar!��


    Serena raised her voice, but quickly held back. She understood that Frederick was giving her an out. From this aspect, he was rather considerate. But his nonchalant attitude often left her fuming.


    ��This�� But�� I��m not too sure. I����


    ��Aiya. Come to your senses, Serena.��


    Frederick curled his lips.


    ��Aren��t you highly regarded by the group of old men in the Spell Tower? Master Rowan said that you��re gonna be the future star of the Spell Tower. Really�� You��ve always been bold and confident in reprimanding me, so why have you become hesitant after meeting her? Don��t tell me you were mesmerized by that young lady�� I didn��t know you had such interest. Could it be that you and Aisha�� That��s fine too. Will Aisha join us after our marriage����


    ��Shut up! Nothing good comes out from your mouth!��


    Serena rolled her eyes. Fortunately, she had been with Frederick for a long time. If not, she would have been angered to death.


    ��You don��t understand, Frederick. A Nafranka Spellcaster Scholar is a legend of legends. It has been the dream of scholars and even the Sunset Sky Association pays close attention to it����


    ��Scholar?��


    Frederick knitted his brows. He tilted his head and sized up Orchid Heart.


    ��What��s strange with scholars? Don��t our old man have a few scholars around him. Oh, by the way, that young lady looks rather amusing and seems different from the group of old men,�� Frederick said. ��But Serena, there��s no need for you to be this surprised, isn��t it? Scholars and Mages don��t differ too much. Both are knowledgeable, but Scholars can��t cast spells, that��s all. No matter how powerful that something something Scholar is, isn��t she still a Scholar? They can��t go on the battlefield and even if they know magic spells, they can��t be compared to Mages, isn��t it?��


    ��It��s totally different!��


    Serena held her forehead as she felt her head throbbed. But, she patiently explained.


    ��Although we don��t seem to be too different, the level of research Scholars conduct is more detailed than what Mages would. The Nafranka Spellcaster Scholar is one of the representatives. Rumors has it that they use knowledge to obtain the presence of strength and rule power. In the eyes of the Nafranka Spellcaster Scholar, everyone��s techniques and rules come from the same origin. They can use it to trace the source, seek the existence of the world at the beginning of its creation and receive answers.��


    ��Oh�� Sounds incredible.��


    Frederick gazed blankly. He scratched his head and spoke tongue in cheek. Of course. Serena knew that and she couldn��t be more familiar with Frederick since they were childhood friends. Serena used another method to answer him.


    ��Rumor has it that there are no secrets in the eyes of the Nafranka Spellcaster Scholar. As long as they witness any techniques, they will record, copy, analyze, and use. No matter the swordsmanship, spiritual spell, or magic spell.��


    ��That sounds powerful.��


    Frederick��s vacant eyes glinted.


    ��They can use anything? That god-like? A Mage like you can��t do that, right?��


    ��Yes, Mages can��t do that. We perhaps can analyze low-level magic spells, but we are helpless against swordsmanships and spiritual spells. On the other hand, rumor has it that the Nafranka Spellcaster Scholar can unleash any techniques. In other words, if one displays one��s swordsmanship that one has cultivated for decades, the Nafranka Spellcaster Scholar can copy and use the technique with the same or even higher level of mastery. Not only that, but even though the Nafranka Spellcaster Scholar doesn��t have any weapons on hand, they can also release the skills.��


    ��Oh my goodness. That��s awesome!��


    Frederick cried in awe. He whipped on his warhorse and headed for Orchid Heart. Fortunately, Serena swiftly pulled his arm.


    ��Wait wait wait. What are you up to, Frederick?��


    ��Don��t you know? Since she��s that powerful, I should use this chance to make her accept me as a disciple. Think about it. I can use any techniques that others have learned, even spiritual spells and magic spells. Hahaha. Aren��t you interested too?��


    ��Teacher Brad will hack you to death if he hears that!��


    Serena had given up all hopes on her fianc��.


    ��Do you know how long a Nafranka Spellcaster Scholar has to be submerged in the sea of knowledge before obtaining such strength? It has always been a mystery as to how one can become one. In fact, this special class lost its inheritance a millennium ago. I was lucky to randomly catch a glimpse of their records. The Sunset Sky Association has spent half a millennium, but failed to search for clues����


    ��But didn��t you say that the young lady is the something Spellcaster Scholar?��


    ��That��s why I said�� I��m not sure����


    Serena lowered her voice and glanced at Orchid Heart. The four silver rings embedded on her scarlet robe was glaring. The four silver rings were connected by seven golden threads and gathered to the center in a sophisticated way. That was the symbol of the Nafranka Spellcaster Scholar and represented the way of Order. The patterns were so exquisite that only those with the knowledge of Order could recognize. But it was so complicated that even the most impressive artisans couldn��t reproduce it.


    Therefore, Serena was uncertain. From one aspect, she was sure that this special class had vanished for a thousand year. On another aspect, the Order pattern on Orchid Heart wasn��t a replica. But she was still a young lady, after all. She could possibly recognize at first sight if she was a Grand Mage, but she wasn��t capable yet.


    This is fascinating.


    Rhode��s eyes glinted with smiles as he overheard their conversation. Although they had purposely lowered their voices, he found it amusing. He finally understood why players loved to follow the couple for missions because they could hear their fascinating conversation during boring times. Rhode even had the intentions of bringing them for non-dangerous adventures in future. Anyway, Frederick��s Shafir region and Serena��s Spell Tower didn��t have any hostile history with him, so he didn��t mind cultivating a couple of alliances.


    But now wasn��t the time for crosstalk.


    Rhode came to a halt and flipped down his warhorse.


    Everyone behind him tugged their reins and slowed to a stop. Any animals would leave footprints on snowy field and snow was the best recorder. The trampled traces remained untouched and awaited for others to uncover.


    Rhode knelt down and scanned the trampled traces. He knitted his brows and gently touched them. Then, he lifted his head.


    ��A team of Ghouls. A team of Skeleton Cavalrymen. Four Specters. One Death Knight.��


    Rhode said and looked forward.


    ��It seems that the Undead Army has come out huge this time, but we don��t know if their commander is a Vampire or Lich. It should be a Lich since there are no footprints of Necromancers and Vampires aren��t active in the morning.��


    ��Sir Overlord, should we gather more men?�� Bayer asked.


    Even though he didn��t know why Rhode was this knowledgeable about the Undead Creatures, he knew that Rhode had the right to make such judgments since he fought with the Undead Creatures. But, no matter if Rhode��s observations were correct, Bayer sucked in a deep breath of air. The Ghouls and Skeleton Cavalrymen weren��t difficult to deal with, but the Death Knights and Liches would be troublesome. High-level Liches were nightmares for any mortals. But Bayer knew that his suggestion would surely be rejected.


    ��It��s not necessary.��


    As expected, Rhode shook his head and jumped on his warhorse.


    ��Those guys don��t dare to get close to the fortress, but they��re thinking of ways to go around it�� We can head there earlier and ambush them.��


    ��Ambush?��


    Bayer said curiously.


    ��Sir Overlord, do you know where they��re heading to?��


    ��Of course.��


    Rhode nodded. Then, he looked confidently at the system interface. It was a holographic map formed by golden rays and a team of black dots was advancing slowly.


    ��Let��s give our guests a surprise.��

 Chapter 718 - Ambush (II)

    Chapter 718: Ambush (II)


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Rhode observed the black figures from the high cliff. Even though they were as small as sand, Rhode wasn��t as short-sighted as ordinary humans after transcending into the Legendary Stage. He quickly recognized their formation.


    Just as he had predicted, the pitch-black, shriveled Ghouls and Skeleton Cavalrymen were the main scouts. They were led by a Death Knight in pitch-black armor and a human-like figure clad in tattered black robe stood in the middle amongst the Skeleton Cavalrymen. Even though Rhode couldn��t see the figure��s appearance clearly, it was apparent from the white staff that it was a spellcaster. Four translucent spiritual creatures drifted around it and they were the most common scouts in the Undead Army��Specters. These convenient creatures were the favorites of the Undead Army.


    ��How strange����


    Frederick knitted his brows and put away the monocular in his hand. He patted his head dubiously.


    ��Strange? What��s strange?��


    Bayer took over the monocular and leaned back on the boulder. He curled up in the shadow to avoid direct sunlight from being reflected off the monocular lenses. They were here to ambush and not to be discovered by the enemies.


    ��Hmm�� The Undead Creatures appear rather listless as though plants drying up from the scorching heat of the sun.��


    What an interesting analogy.


    ��Mr. Frederick is right.��


    Rhode smiled inwardly. In fact, this was the truth. Apart from the Liches who were surely in the Legendary Stage, the other creatures were about level 50. However, perhaps their levels weren��t even above level 40 now because, as soon as the Undead Creatures entered his territory, they were instantly weakened by the enchanted field of the Holy Maiden Statues. This was also another reason why the Undead Army feared approaching the fortress. The three Holy Maiden Statues were laid out in a triangular position and he ensured that his fortress was within the overlapping enchanted fields. In other words, the closer the Undead Army approached, the weaker they would be. The Undead Army had realized this, which was why they took the long route.


    But Rhode was clear that the Undead Army was like blind men who lit candles. The mountains extending from Land of Atonement reached the Wind Canyon and the enveloping range of the three Holy Maiden Statues had shrouded the entire front line. Strong gust of wind blew 365 days a year in the Wind Canyon. The Undead Army would be out of their minds if they wrapped around the fortress, headed for the Wind Canyon, and attacked from there. Moreover, they would reach others�� territory if they headed even farther, which meant that they abandoned the Paphield-Grenbell battle line and was favorable for Rhode. It wouldn��t be his concern if the other battle lines were overwhelmed by the Undead Army. He was only the overlord of a territory and not the king, after all.


    But Rhode knew that this was wishful thinking. How would the Undead Army possibly abandon this battle line?


    ��Go according to plan.��


    Rhode turned around and gestured.


    ��Sir Bayer, lead your men and follow Senior Heart to the left. You will see a ditch where it leads to the Undead Army��s rear. They will retreat instantly once they discover that something is wrong. You guys need to move fast to prevent accidents. I will lead the others and launch attacks from the front. We will work together and surround them.��


    Rhode drew a circle on the map.


    ��We��ll strike if the Undead Creatures flee, but you��ll wait for my orders if they stay. Understand?��


    ��No problem, Sir Overlord.��


    Frederick lifted his sword and nodded with a grin. It seemed that he was itching to get on with it. He turned to Rhode curiously.


    ��But I didn��t expect you to be so familiar with this place, Sir Overlord. I��m sure you��ve often patrolled the area, right?��


    ��It is the duty of every overlord to be familiar with their territories.��


    Rhode gazed at the holographic map before him and said. He realized that his ability to lie through his teeth had improved tremendously after he came to this world.


    On the other hand, Serena watched the black dots in the distance dubiously. Then, she turned to Rhode.


    ��Sir Rhode, why will the Undead Creatures flee? They have a Lich among them, so�� The differences in strength between us aren��t that huge����


    ��The differences weren��t that huge, but it is different now, Miss Serena.��


    Rhode laughed in his head.


    ��But, now isn��t the time for this. There��s a saying that seeing is believing. Oh, by the way, Miss Serena, don��t treat the Lich as a legendary creature when you face it later. Treat it as���� Rhode paused and pondered for a few moments. ��An enemy between intermediate to high-level strength in the Middle Circle.��


    ��Huh?��


    Serena gazed in disbelief. Everyone knew that Liches were creatures in the Legendary Stage and this was why they were terrifying. Of course. There were also exceptions, such as the Lich who used an Angel as the phylactery in the past. But it was a rare case, after all, and most Liches weren��t that brainless. Since the enemy was a Lich from the Country of Darkness, it would be the real deal in the Legendary Stage. But now, Rhode told her that this Lich was weaker. What did he mean��


    ��Alright, Serena, let��s go.��


    Frederick dragged her away impatiently. Serena stared blankly at Rhode and hoped for a clear explanation. However, Rhode watched her back vanishing around the corner. He shook his head and stooped over to observe the enemies through the gap.


    The Undead Creatures were moving quickly and getting closer to Rhode��s men. He had to admit that the Undead Creatures were great with choosing spots. Even though they couldn��t climb over the steep cliff and precipitous rock faces, there were natural rock platforms on the mountain waist, which made great lookout posts. Although it would be hard to come down after they climbed up, they didn��t need to consume food and water, after all. In fact, the Undead Creatures�� lookout posts were often set up this way in the game. The players watched helplessly from the foot as they couldn��t climb up.


    But the Undead Creatures didn��t appear to be in high spirits. On the contrary, they moved with heavy feet. The Specters floating around the Lich appeared lifeless. The Death Knight leading his army seemed powerless. His long, black tail feather hanged down from his helmet as though he had lost a battle.


    Heh. You didn��t expect this, did you?


    Rhode let out an inward, gleeful sneer. In the game, it was challenging to scout out the Undead Creatures. Apart from their tough defensive line, their stench was also a huge problem. Ordinary humans lasted for half an hour at most and even players were affected by the weakening effects in the stench. The players escaped the sufferings after they put on their blessed armor and weapons. Back then, this annoyed the humans greatly and now was the time for them to have a taste of their own medicine.


    The Undead Creatures were vigilant, but the Holy Maiden Statues�� enchanted fields had held their attributes down, where perhaps they couldn��t release half their strength now. Rhode silently shifted his position along the edge of the boulder and arrived by the enemies left. He squinted at the holographic map before him. A few light dots had successfully dodged the Undead Creatures�� search and arrived at their destination.


    Everything��s ready.


    Rhode lifted his head and stared at the Death Knight.


    It��s about time to let you have a taste of an ambush.

 Chapter 719 - Ambush (III)

    Chapter 719: Ambush (III)


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    The Undead Creatures didn��t expect to be ambushed by their enemies.


    They were stunned after realizing that Rhode leaped up from behind the boulder. However, their reactions were quick. In the blink of an eye, the Skeleton Cavalrymen got into position while the Ghouls let out sharp, menacing screeches and extended their razor-sharp claws.


    Rhode was mentally prepared. His movement speed had greatly increased after transcending into the Legendary Stage. He dodged the oncoming enemies and led a trail of afterimages over their incomplete defense. The holy white word in his hand emanated a dazzling radiance as he brandished.


    At this moment, the Death Knight let out an outburst of anger. He drew and swung his long sword.


    Clang!


    The crisp collision of steel rang in their ears. The silver-whitish holy flames erupted from Rhode��s blade and instantly engulfed the Death Knight. The skeleton warhorse under him let out a sorrowful neigh before shattering into bits as though a discounted artistic piece breaking into pieces. The Death Knight above the warhorse rolled away desperately using the impact from Rhode��s attack.


    Hahaha. How does it feel?


    If Rhode wasn��t used to putting up an expressionless face, he would have burst into laughter. The Death Knight��s powerful defense was extraordinary among the Undead Creatures. However, it became so fragile after being weakened by the enchanted field and burned by the holy flames. Rhode felt that his blade slash was as though slicing through butter.


    That was a satisfying sense of revenge. In the game, it was always the Undead Creatures who used their enchanted fields to weaken the players before swarming forward. The tides had turned now and it was finally his turn to enjoy the results!


    This thought flashed in his head for only an instant. The moment he landed on the ground, he darted forward with his shimmering blade and the Death Knight frantically laid his sword before him to negate his attack.


    The Skeleton Cavalrymen and Ghouls turned around hurriedly and pounced on Rhode. But at this moment, they heard a crisp voice.


    ��Finty Nue Maira!��


    An enormous fireball whizzed across the sky, landed among the Skeleton Cavalrymen, and exploded into air streams that engulfed them entirely. Marlene stared at the enemies sternly while Lize stood beside her with her arms raised and magical runes flickered above her palms.


    A translucent, golden barrier emerged as soon as the fireball exploded as though a wall protecting the young ladies. Not only did the wall resist the storm and flames, but it also stopped the Ghouls pouncing on them. The shriveled, pitch-black, and putrid creatures revealed their razor-sharp claws, but crashed into the barrier. However, they didn��t give up. They rolled on the snowfield and stood back up��


    Scarlet waves of flame devoured everything.


    Gillian sat on a boulder with a wide smile. She extended her right, dewy index finger and lit up a tiny flame. Then, she threw it forward.


    A wall of scorching flame extended to form a solid wall that blocked the Undead Creatures from advancing. In the blink of an eye, the Undead Creatures were stopped completely. The Skeleton Cavalrymen and Ghouls were unfortunate as they weren��t especially powerful creatures, to begin with. The Skeleton Cavalrymen were quick in their movement and nimbleness while the Ghouls were protected with strong skin and had razor-sharp claws and poisonous fangs. It would have been through for Rhode��s team if it was a face-to-face battle. However, Rhode had had countless experiences in eliminating thousands of Undead Creatures, so how was it possible for them to fail? Moreover, with the restriction of space and effects of the enchanted field, the Skeleton Cavalrymen and Ghouls weren��t even worth a mention. Most of them were instantly dead under Marlene��s fireball attack and Gillian��s wave of flames.


    On the other side, Rhode struck off the weakened Death Knight in a couple of slashes. He didn��t want to drag this on anymore. He brandished his blade, but this time, he targeted the Lich behind the Death Knight.


    Everything happened in less than half a minute even though the battle seemed long. Although Rhode was confident that he could take down the Death Knight instantly, he held back after considering the Lich at the back. Liches were extremely cunning creatures. If Rhode appeared too threatening, perhaps the Lich might abandon this physical body and transfer its soul to escape, which would be a wasted opportunity. Even though Rhode had ways to deal with that move when it happened, there was insufficient time. This was why he purposely dragged his fight with the Death Knight to give the Lich a misconception that Rhode had the upper hand because he was the one who ambushed, but wasn��t capable to defeat them at all.


    Now was the time to see if the Lich would take the bait. After all, they were here as scouts to gather information. Besides, Liches were mostly confident in themselves. If the Lich believed that Rhode��s men weren��t threatening enough, most likely it would stay for a killing before heading back�� If it had such thoughts, Rhode guaranteed that it would be dead.


    Rhode knew that he must make the Lich take the bait and not fall for the Lich��s bait. If not, he would be doomed.


    ��Oh my goodness����


    Frederick and the others waited to provide assistance as they watched from the rear. They were speechless. Bayer had also widened his eyes in amazement. There were about 30 Undead Creatures in this scout squad which included the Ghouls and Skeleton Cavalrymen. But Rhode and his three other subordinates instantly wiped out more than half of them. Even though Bayer didn��t have experience in dealing with Undead Creatures, he knew that they were doomed, judging from the situation. The best case scenario for the Undead Creatures would be to have one or two of them escape. But, Rhode would definitely disallow it.


    No one noticed that Orchid Heart was also observing the battlefield. She mumbled under her breath and placed her right hand on the opened book. In an instant, large runes and strange texts hovered above the white, empty pages.


    Rhode deflected the Death Knight��s attack and his pupils shrunk abruptly because the Lich had raised its staff. Two of the four Specters hovering around it pounced forward while several pitch-black rune emerged on the Lich��s body.


    The Lich is escaping!


    ��Lize!��


    Rhode called out hurriedly. Lize instantly pushed her hand forward and blasted a silver-whitish beam from her palm that struck the ground around the Lich. Then, the silver-whitish beam expanded and washed away the pitch-black runes on the Lich.


    ��All settled!��


    Rhode heaved an inward sigh of relief. Fortunately, he had made Lize prepare for the spiritual spell, Dimension Blast. Dimension Blast could disrupt and destroy a teleportation spell and the victim wouldn��t be able to use its teleportation spell for a period of time. However, this would only be effective after the victim had begun casting its teleportation spell. Only an experienced player like Rhode could instantly detect the Lich��s intentions from its moves.


    Since the Lichs couldn��t escape anymore, Rhode wouldn��t need to hold back now. He unleashed all his strength on the blade that punctured the Death Knight in a single brandish.


    That��s an afterimage!


    Dazzling, meteor-like blade rays erupted and engulfed the Death Knight entirely. This time, the Death Knight couldn��t defend itself anymore. It clutched its long sword helplessly as the meteor-like rays continuously slashed its pitch-black armor. The sword in its hands shattered and as though a signal to the blade rays, they coalesced into one enormous, dazzling blade of light that struck and pierced into its body.


    Boom!


    The Death Knight collapsed to the ground lifelessly. Rhode shifted his attention to the Lich. He didn��t need to worry about his back with Lize, Marlene and Gillian supporting him. He darted forward and skimmed across the snowfield with his flickering blade.


    Ever since Lize��s Dimension Blast disrupted the Lich��s teleportation, it knew that something was gravely wrong. It raised its bone staff and floated to midair hurriedly. The four Specters around it transformed into a strong gale that assisted in its retreat. It was apparent that they were fleeing!


    At this moment, Orchid Heart��s brows twitched.


    ��It��s our turn.��

 Chapter 720 - Ambush (End)

    ��Attack!��


    Frederick couldn��t wait any longer. He raised his sword and charged forward. Serena and Bayer jumped out from their concealment with the remaining three soldiers and formed a row to stop the Lich from escaping.


    The Lich was taken aback, but it swiftly pointed its finger forward and emitted a black ray of light at Frederick.


    ��Waa!��


    Frederick shrieked in horror, but he swiftly rolled aside safely, struck his blade into the snow, and slashed upward.


    ��������!��


    The fluttering snow blocked the Lich��s line of sight. Even though Frederick appeared as a careless person, he was actually experienced in battles. But, this was to be expected since he had led his men in the Northern mountain battles. However, he was too inexperienced in dealing with a Lich.


    The Lich didn��t slow down. As an Undead Creature, it had a unique way of viewing this world unlike humans. Therefore, the snow didn��t affect it too much. It wasted no time and swung its arms to sweep the snow away. However, Bayer and the others had already surrounded it.


    The Lich let out a snort. It clapped its hands and a black flare emerged before it. Thick billows of smoke burst out from the black flare and formed human shapes that held magic blades in their hands while their eyes emanated an ice-cold radiance. They looked as though human-shaped clouds wielding weapons and pouncing on everyone.


    ��It��s the Nightmare Warriors! They��re non-physical creatures! Don��t get too close to them! Attack the coalesced point in their foreheads!��


    Serena yelled out and raised her arms.


    ��Nuy mira!��


    The earth trembled. Sharp, crystal-clear ice blades burst out from the ground, struck the Nightmare Warriors, and ripped through two of them. However, they merely took two steps back and restored their damaged body.


    Serena gritted her teeth. Even though she didn��t have experience in facing Undead Creatures, she had heard a lot about them. She knew that the Nightmare Warriors were tough to defeat unless they could take down their summoner or strike the only coalesced magic point on their foreheads.


    But�� Oh no!


    They weren��t here to deal with the Nightmare Warriors! She lifted her head hurriedly and spotted the Lich flying across them. At the same time, Frederick emerged after breaking free from the Nightmare Warriors.


    ��Make way, Serena!��


    Frederick shouted and raised his sword that was shimmering in a green brilliance of wind. Then, he brandished.


    The green, wind-elemental gale whizzed like a cheetah leaping in midair with its widened mouth and razor-sharp teeth��this was the swordsmanship which Frederick inherited; Wind Hunter Blade.


    However, the Lich didn��t stop as three spinning bone shields emerged around it. At this moment, the green wind cheetah crashed into them and shattered into light dust instantly. On the other hand, the shields cracked into bits.


    ��Hmm?��


    Serena stared blankly. As a Mage, she was well aware that the bone shields were one of the most common spells of the Necromancers and on the contrary, the bone shields cast by the Liches in the Legendary Stage were extremely solid. She was clear that Frederick��s strength was in the Basic Master Stage, where he had been pacing back and forth for years. But now, it was almost unbelievable that his sword technique crushed the Lich��s bone shield.


    Or�� Is this Lich an imitation?


    ��Heyaaaah!��


    Frederick arrived at the Lich��s side as quickly as the wind cheetah. The Lich didn��t expect that its bone shields would be destroyed and Frederick wouldn��t let this chance off. He clutched his sword hilt with both hands and punctured the Lich with the razor-sharp blade.


    I did it!


    Frederick exclaimed in joy inwardly. However, he heard a crisp voice.


    ��Back off!��


    That voice was rather familiar. It was the voice of the sleepy-looking young lady from before. Even though he didn��t understand why he couldn��t deal the final blow to the Lich, his sharp senses as a warrior made him withdraw his sword and retreat instantly. At the same time, he felt a breeze blowing against his face and a sharp wind blade almost cut off his throat. He looked up and discovered the scarlet radiance emanating from the Lich��s furious eyes. Even though he had heard of how terrifying it was to deal with the Undead Creatures, one would only know it after personally dealing with them. His blade attack was stored with wind elemental powers, where living creatures would be gravely injured if not dead by now. He didn��t expect that the Lich was this unfazed and perhaps he wouldn��t even know how he died if he darted forward to deal the killing blow.


    Even though Frederick had always been sloppy, he knew the crucial points in situations. He somersaulted, landed safely on the snowfield, and retreated vigilantly while fixing his gaze at the Lich.


    The Lich had no intentions of continuing this battle. It took a step back with the thoughts of fleeing.


    But it wasn��t that simple anymore.


    A golden, holy barrier in the shape of an arc emerged out of thin air and stopped the Lich from escaping. At that moment, Serena and Frederick saw a person approaching the Lich��s back. Orchid Heart casually rode her horse while holding onto the thick, black, hardcover book. Serena noticed that the pages were full of densely written words.


    ������


    The Lich turned around and stared at Orchid Heart with menacing, scarlet eyes. Then, it raised its staff.


    At the same time, Serena saw that Orchid Heart placed her right index finger on the page and spoke increasingly faster as though she was chanting. Several bone spears emerged above the Lich and shot toward Orchid Heart.


    ��Be careful!��


    Serena and Frederick exclaimed in horror. They weren��t that powerful, so they empathized with Orchid Heart��s strength because she appeared to be an ordinary human without impressive magical powers, swordsmanships, and constitution. The chances of her surviving this attack were slim.


    Suddenly, Orchid Heart pointed her index finger forward.


    ��������!��


    The incoming bone spears shattered into dust and vanished entirely. Then, three bone shields emerged out of thin air and spun around her slowly.


    What��s this situation?


    Serena and Frederick were stunned.

 Chapter 721 - A Scholar’s Battle Style

    ��Isn��t that����


    Serena stared in disbelief at the bone shields revolving around Orchid Heart. The bone shields should have been from the undead spell which only Necromancers and Liches could cast. Orchid Heart was obviously a living creature and not an Undead and it was apparent that the holy barrier was cast by her because that there weren��t too many spellcasters around. Bayer and the soldiers were occupied by the Nightmare Warriors, so it was even more impossible for them to cast it. Serena was a Mage, so she was out of the question. Whereas for Frederick, he didn��t have any conceptions about spiritual spells at all. But not only did Orchid Heart cast a spiritual spell, but she also released an undead spell?


    Serena bit her lower lip subconsciously.


    Could it be that she is��


    The Lich stared blankly at the bone shields. It was apparent that the Lich was fired up even though its expression was concealed by the hood. It took two steps back and scanned the young lady cautiously with its staff in hand. It felt that this situation was extremely odd.


    But Orchid Heart didn��t have any intentions of giving it a chance to survive. She stroked her finger across the page and pointed forward��


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Deep explosions filled the sky. Everyone witnessed thick billows of smoke erupting around Orchid Heart, which quickly transformed into ten, black human-shaped figures in a row. They stood by her left and right and were made entirely out of dark smoke. They held blades coalesced from magical powers and their eyes burned with spiritual flames as they fixed their gazes at the target before them.


    ��What��? This�� can��t be.��


    Serena stared in disbelief and even Frederick realized that something was terribly off. Oh my goodness, aren��t those the Nightmare Warriors that the Lich summoned to deal with us?


    Orchid Heart wasn��t in the mood to admire the amazed expressions. She pointed forward and the Nightmare Warriors raised their weapons and pounced on the Lich.


    The Lich was in for a pitiful time. The Nightmare Warriors were Undead Creatures and due to the principle behind attribute immunity, the Lich��s spells were ineffective on them. Of course, it could target Orchid Heart who was the mastermind over the Nightmare Warriors. However, also due to the same principle, the Lich��s undead spells were useless on Orchid Heart as she was protected by the bone shields around her. The bone shields could still be destroyed by high-level spells, but under the enchanted field, the Lich had weakened and fallen off to the Master Stage. It showed what miserable state it was in for Frederick to shatter its bone shield in a single strike. Besides, even though Frederick destroyed its bone shields, it was due to the difference in elemental attributes, after all, so there wasn��t any immunity or weakening effects. However, it was different from the Lich. It could only cast spells of the same attribute. Even though, as Mages, they had also learned other spells for emergencies, they were limited, after all. Moreover, some elemental spells were totally the sworn enemies to the Undead Creatures, just like how some Liches couldn��t learn the ��Tongue of Flame�� spell.


    But there were still other solutions.


    The Lich raised its staff and chanted. The dull-looking bone staff in its hand instantly brightened in a glaring radiance. Then, bolts of lightning struck out like lashing whips and two to three Nightmare Warriors turned into dust, which revealed an opening in the tight row of defense. But at the next instant��


    A scorching, pure fire-elemental wave of flame pounced on the Lich. The high temperature melted the snowfield and steam filled the sky. In the blink of an eye, it engulfed the Lich and three Nightmare Warriors. But shortly after, a strong gale from within the flames blasted an opening, where the Lich desperately escaped from. It clasped its staff, but it was no longer as confident as before.


    ��That��s strange����


    Serena knitted her brows. She was sure that the Lich was incredibly weak right now. Of course, she would be asking for death if she charged forward. But the Lich��s reactions were odd. The spells that it cast weren��t high-level ones and they didn��t seem stable.


    But, there was something even more odd.


    The Lich wasn��t in a safe territory yet after dodging the fire wall. Orchid Heart tapped the book in her hand and an enormous fireball emerged in the air which blasted forward. The Lich raised its staff and cast a bone shield before it. Shortly after, it released a web of lightning bolts that formed a barrier. At this moment, the enormous fireball had arrived before it and exploded completely.


    Boom!


    The explosion blasted in all directions. But Orchid Heart��s hand didn��t stop moving. She sat upright on her warhorse like a statue and didn��t move the slightest. She held the page down with her left hand while moving her right hand about like an orchestra conductor. Serena witnessed a streak of dazzling lightning bolt emitted from Orchid Heart��s fair fingertip that headed into the explosion.


    Boom!


    A series of contrasting white radiance flickered in the thick, black smoke. The Lich frantically flew out of it and it was apparent from the dancing electricity on its body that it was seriously injured.


    But everyone��s jaws dropped at the next moment. Orchid Heart swept a glance at the Lich. She lifted her right arm and brandished!


    A green blade ray erupted along with her movements. The wind cheetah snarled as it leaped into the air and bit merciless onto the Lich��s shoulder. The Lich finally couldn��t escape. It crashed heavily into the holy barrier behind.


    ��What in the world?!��


    Frederick exclaimed at the top of his lungs. He widened his eyes and stared at Orchid Heart in disbelief. Of course, he knew what was that move. It was his Wind Hunter Blade technique. However, even he required the wind-elemental ��Raging Storm�� magic sword to achieve such a perfect result and yet, this young lady cast it with bare hands!


    Could it be that this young lady is a Sword Saint?


    Serena watched with an ashen expression. She finally realized what Orchid Heart had done. When the Lich cast its spell, Orchid Heart had been watching its every movement. After the Lich cast its spell, the empty page beneath Orchid Heart��s left hand emerged with lines of text and magical runes. Just like how the line of words emerged above the page when the Lich released the lightning chain spell to strike off the Nightmare Warriors. Moreover, the instant the Lich was caught in the fireball explosion, Serena noticed that Orchid Heart lithely swiped her right hand across the line of words before pointing forward. Then, she emitted a lightning chain from her fingertips that struck the Lich.


    All in one��


    Serena trembled in shock. She finally understood why Orchid Heart remained silent after the battle began. She had been analyzing the spells used in battle and only released them now. This was extremely terrifying. Just think about how terrifying it was for one in battle to face an opponent who could copy one��s techniques and use it as their own��


    ��Is it over?��


    Rhode said and startled Serena. She returned from her daze and looked forward with a complicated gaze. The Lich didn��t seem to have any strength left anymore. It leaned on the holy barrier in silence.


    ��It��s your turn now, Rhode�� Yawn����


    Orchid Heart tilted her head, rubbed her eyes, and moved aside. Rhode nodded and stepped forward. He sized up the powerless Lich and stretched out his right arm.


    [Activate Spirit��s Prisoner �� Spirit extraction activate. Choose your target]


    Rhode pointed forward.


    But the next scene stunned him.


    ��Argh!��


    Logically speaking, Rhode should have extracted the Lich��s spirit right after activating this skill. However, the Lich stood up abruptly, clutched his chest, and let out a blood-curdling screech before falling on its head lifelessly. Then, Rhode saw a spiritual radiance streaking across the sky like a meteor and it entered the necklace hanging on his chest.


    [Imprisoned Spirit �� Undead Spirit (Dark Attribute Resistance +10 / Spiritual Capacity Expansion 100 / Overall +9)]


    ��Huh?��


    Rhode gazed in astonishment at the Lich before him.


    Isn��t this a Lich? Why has it become an Undead Spirit? Both should be presences on entirely different levels.


    Rhode stepped forth, drew his sword, and flipped the Lich around. He slashed the cloak open and witnessed its true identity.


    ��What��s going on?��

 Chapter 722 - Zombie Puppet

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    In fact, it wasn��t a Lich. It was a dead human instead. Even though Liches were also dead, there were significant differences between them.


    It was a corpse of a young lady laid who appeared to be 17 years old and with an adorable face. It seemed as though due to malnourishment, she had become sickly in appearance and her ashen, stiff body proved that she was dead for a long time. Strangely enough, she didn��t rot and her corpse was still in perfect condition. At this moment, everyone crowded around and was astonished.


    ��Sir Overlord, is this a�� Lich?��


    Serena asked hesitantly. It wasn��t surprising for her to raise this doubt because Undead Creatures were mostly fleshless and only structured with skeletons. Apart from the Abominations, the Undead Creatures were basically bones and this was no exception to the Liches. It could also be said that as a magical body, Liches had removed all their flesh and even stronger-tiered Liches didn��t even need a human body as they roamed about in their naked, skeleton body. On the other hand, apart from appearing a little malnourished, this corpse seemed like an ordinary human.


    ��Should we kill her?��


    Frederick scratched his head and said in uncertainty. He thought that a Lich was a terrifying-looking creature, but felt that something was wrong after witnessing a young lady. Rhode shook his head slightly.


    ��No, she��s already dead. It was only her corpse that was fighting us.��


    Rhode knelt down and stripped her clothes in a single tug. Serena shrieked, but before she said anything, she was stumped. A black crystal was embedded in the middle of her chest. Blood vines-like presences were deeply rooted into her skin and spread around it. The black crystal was lifeless and dull like an unremarkable stone.


    ��What a pity.��


    Gillian skipped toward Rhode from the other side. She knelt down and poked the corpse��s cheek.


    ��Ah, it is so hard and cold, Master. Do you want me to heat it up for you to have a go?��


    ��What are you talking about? Do you think that I��m such a person?��


    Rhode shot a look at her.


    ��You must at least clean and disinfect her first.��


    ��I knew it. Master, you��re always attentive to the details.��


    ��Alright, cut the crap.��


    Rhode accepted Gillian��s ��praise��, stood up, and scanned the corpse with puckered brows. If he wasn��t mistaken, this corpse should be a ��Zombie Puppet��, which was a manipulation technique that the Liches had come up with. Simply speaking, the Liches used the ��Life Rock�� to connect their spirits with the corpses before manipulating them as puppets. However, this wasn��t all that rare because there were countless manipulation spells that the Liches were capable of.


    Not only could the ��Zombie Puppets�� serve as ��scouts��, but they could also inherit and utilize all the Lich��s abilities within a short period of time like clones with similar powers. When the clone was destroyed, the Lich wouldn��t be harmed because the Lich had targeted the clone to receive all damages on their behalf.


    ��How cruel.��


    Serena knitted her brows.


    ��Why must the evil Undead Creatures use such a method?��


    ��Even though they��re the Undead Creatures, they aren��t truly ��undead��. It is the same even for Liches who possess a phylactery.��


    Rhode spread his arms apart.


    ��Indeed. If we don��t destroy the actual Vampire and Lich, they could revive, albeit requiring processes and some time. Besides, no matter what, they will also be hurt from battles and the damages are on a spiritual level, which won��t fade quickly. On the other hand, the Undead Creatures don��t only have us as their enemies. I guess you��re aware of this, Miss Serena. The internal struggles for authority among the Undead Creatures has always been serious. If any of the Liches are killed by us, perhaps their positions will be snatched instantly while they used the phylactery powers to revive themselves. This is why they created the ��Zombie Puppet��. They choose the victims who have the closest spiritual undulations with them as vessels and carve the ��Life Rock�� on them. This way, the victims will become their clone and they can manipulate it to release its powers. Whereas for being attacked���� Rhode gestured. ���� Just like this. The Lich can use the victim��s spirit as a shield while it remains in its sanctuary. When this happens, it will simply lose a puppet while ensuring that its safety, which is a reasonable trade to the Undead Creatures.��


    If Rhode recalled correctly, it was during the late game when the Zombie Puppets first appeared. Back then, the Battle Angels and players held similar techniques to directly deal damage to the spirits of the troublesome Liches and other presences, which eventually prompted the Undead Creatures to create this ��Zombie Puppet�� technique. Players were disgusted because Zombie Puppets could possess all the Lich��s powers in a short period of time. Therefore, many players met these creatures when they headed into the underground city. They held the powers of the BOSS, but didn��t drop equally outstanding equipment. Moreover, every Liches raised several Zombie Puppets to harass and annoy the players.


    But no matter how disgusting they were, they weren��t comparable to the despicable and shameless players. The only flaw that the Zombie Puppets had was that when they were activated, the Lich��s spirit had to be inside their bodies. Even though the Zombie Puppets possessed the Lich��s strength, they lacked the magical and physical resistance which the Lich had. During this process, the Lich was unconscious, which was why the players didn��t bother to fight the Zombie Puppets. They simply cast entrapment spells like the ice cage to capture the Lich��s consciousness inside the Zombie Puppet. Then, if they were lucky, they would charge their way to the Lich and slaughter it before it broke out from the entrapment spell and regained its conscious. Even though the Lich might regain its conscious before the players arrived, the latter merely treated it as an ordinary BOSS fight. After all, no matter how godly the Lich was, it couldn��t possibly manipulate Zombie Puppets and resist the players simultaneously.


    Rhode let out a sigh of regret. He had rich experiences dealing with Zombie Puppets. But, he didn��t expect that the Zombie Puppet that would emerge only in the late game actually turned up now. He only treated it as an ordinary Lich and if he were aware of the truth, he would have ordered Lize to cast the ��Spirit Imprisonment�� spell and captured it. The Lich had perhaps detected that its spirit was extracted and instantly abandoned this vessel. It was no wonder that the system described the spirit as an ��Undead Spirit�� and not a ��Lich��.


    But judging from the state of this ��Life Rock��, this Zombie Puppet didn��t seem as experienced as the ones that he had faced in the game. Perhaps this was only in the testing phase?


    Rhode let out a snort. If he didn��t guess it wrongly, the manipulator of this Zombie Puppet would be the inventor and it was apparent that the inventor had used this chance to experiment. Based on this situation, Rhode and his men had become its perfect testers, but it was fine too since the Lich would continue its development after being successful this round. Of course. It wasn��t aware that Rhode had ways to deal with its genius invention and he wouldn��t mind teaching it a lifelong lesson.


    ��What should we do now, Mr. Rhode?��


    Lize was bewildered. She revealed uncertainties in her expression. Rhode shook his head and threw his thoughts to the back of his head temporarily. He looked at everyone and said.


    ��Bring her back with us.��


    ��B-Bring her��?��


    Frederick shrieked and stared at Rhode with widened eyes.


    ��But, Sir Overlord, she��s�� already dead, isn��t it?��


    ��That��s right.��


    Rhode nodded.


    ��Sometimes, the things that we can get from the dead aren��t anywhere less than from those alive.��

 Chapter 723 - The Dead & Alive

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Rhode had to admit that this statement was quite the style of a ��Necromancer�� and even Bayer had a whole new level of respect�� for him. Rhode got someone to place the corpse above the horse back and brought all the ��spoils of war�� back to the fortress. Upon sensing the aura of death, one of the Battle Angel inquired and Rhode came clean with everything since he wasn��t the one who cast the evil undead spell anyway. After confirming that there wasn��t any evil aura exuding from him, the Battle Angel left without saying a word. Bayer and Frederick were equally speechless.


    Thereafter, Rhode invited them to inquire about the ��Zombie Puppet��. Serena hesitated for a moment and eventually nodded after failing to resist her curiosity. On the other hand, Bayer refused politely, but this didn��t mean that he bore a grudge against Rhode. Instead, this was his first battle with the Undead Creatures, after all, and the treacherous enemies had left him baffled and mentally exhausted. He felt even more uncertain after hearing Rhode��s description of the situation, which was why he looked for his men to talk about his ��personal experiences�� in dealing with the Undead Creatures. Whereas for the ��Zombie Puppet��, he wasn��t too mindful. Since Rhode had arranged a time to share with him the findings on a later date and Serena and Frederick were also with him, he didn��t have much to worry about.


    Bam.


    Rhode tossed the corpse on the ice-cold floor in the prison cell and the deep sound echoed between the walls. Serena knitted her brows in silence while Frederick whistled as he was more interested in this underground prison than the corpse.


    Rhode had chosen the cell at the extreme end. Back then, the designer of this prison seemed to have the intention of imprisoning massive creatures, which explained the enormous, circular space with manacles and leg-irons. Rhode currently didn��t have anyone worthy of being imprisoned in this special cell, but for the sake of avoiding panic and trouble, he had chosen it.


    The underground prison was dark and dim. Chilly air shook the candle flames and sent chills down Serena��s spine. She had never been to such a place. She looked around while trembling with fear. The echoing mourns of grief from the prisoners left her uncomfortable.


    ��Sir Overlord, how do you intend to����


    Frederick pointed at the corpse curiously. After a few moments, he felt that something was amiss. He approached the topic from another direction, but didn��t know what to say. He let out an awkward cough.


    ���� do it?��


    ��You guys will know soon.��


    Rhode didn��t give a specific answer. As a player who had fought against Undead Creatures for years, he knew what condition this young lady was in. Indeed. No matter how they saw it, she was a corpse, but the situation wasn��t this simple. Rhode spotted traces of corpse solidification. In other words, her body had been modified when she was alive perhaps for the sake of maintaining this form after her death. For example, they could treat this young lady like a human-shaped balloon. When she was filled with spiritual energy, she wouldn��t be different from ordinary humans. But, when spiritual energy left her, she would deflate and become a corpse.


    Since that was the case, it would work after pumping spiritual energy into her like a balloon.


    Rhode held the necklace hanging on his chest and injected spiritual powers.


    ��Ah��!��


    Everyone widened their eyes in disbelief.


    The young lady��s stiff, ashen skin slowly softened and ��restored�� with signs of life. Her stone cold body became warm and in the blink of an eye, a show of the resurrection of the dead was staged before them, where even Lize and Marlene were baffled. They had never seen similar things happened��


    ��Argh����


    The bewildered young lady opened her eyes and groaned weakly. Frederick stared at Rhode at a loss.


    ��S-She revived?! Sir Overlord, how did you do it?��


    ��Argh��!��


    Frederick��s scream resounded in the chilly underground prison. The young lady knitted her brows and was horrified as soon as she saw the people around her.


    ��W-Who are you people?!��


    She cowered at the corner and widened her eyes in terror. Lize went up to console her, but Rhode pulled her back. Then, he approached the young lady.


    ��Think harder. You should know who we are.��


    The young lady quietened and became calm. But shortly after, she turned terrified and acted cautiously.


    ��Y-You are from the Light Mainland?��


    Serena, Frederick, Marlene, and Lize felt rather fresh with her inquiry. They had never been asked this question. After all, most humans lived under the Light Dragon��s soul protection and were basically the people of Light Mainland with only differences in the regions and countries where they resided. This young lady��s strange way of asking proved her identity.


    ��That��s right. Do you still remember what happened?��


    Rhode didn��t feel anything wrong. In fact, he was also amused when someone asked him this question when he first arrived in the Country of Darkness. However, he had gotten used to it after all these years.


    ������


    The young lady lowered her head as though trying hard to recall. Then, she muttered.


    ��My�� my master ordered me to head into Light Mainland�� to�� investigate. T-Then, we met an ambush�� Master lost�� and�� I�� I����


    She shuddered, lifted her head, and revealed the look of fear again.


    ��M-My spirit. Master has����


    ��Your spirit is with me, young lady.��


    Rhode lifted the necklace on his chest and swayed it before her eyes. She fixed her gaze on it and after a few moments, knelt respectfully as she laid her forehead on the ground.


    ��Dear master! I beg for your kindness. Please don��t destroy my spirit. I��m willing to heed all your orders. My body and spirit shall belong to you forever. You can do whatever you want to me, but please don��t punish me. I��m willing to be your most despicable, lowest servant����


    ��S-Sir Overlord?��


    ��Mr. Rhode?��


    ��Rhode?��


    Perhaps due to the drastic change in the young lady��s attitude, everyone was speechless, except for Gillian who laughed cheekily at the side. Rhode wasn��t surprised by the young lady��s behavior. Even though there wasn��t such customs in Light Mainland, this was extremely common in Dark Mainland. Spirits were more like a currency for transactions. Almost everyone��s spirit belonged to their masters and as long as they committed a mistake, their masters would torture their spirits as punishments, which was the most unbearable pains in this world. The pain spread from inside out to every corner of their spirit, where even death wouldn��t rescue them and vanishing in a puff of smoke was their biggest fear. It was due to this that they treated their masters who held their spirits as superior beings.


    ��Anyway, stand up first.��


    Rhode was a modern man, after all. He didn��t find it interesting for a young lady to shudder and sprawl before him. He took two steps back and put away the necklace. The young lady hesitated before slowly standing to her feet. But even so, she wrapped her arms around her fearfully like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow. Everyone couldn��t imagine her being the sly Lich. After all, both of them felt so different to them.


    ��Tell me your name.��


    Rhode said. The young lady kept her head low and replied softly.


    ��Reporting, my dearest master. My name is Sara�� I was Sir Cullen��s Corpse Slave.��

 Chapter 724 - An Unfamiliar Country

    Chapter 724: An Unfamiliar Country


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Cullen?


    Rhode twitched his brows. Then, he quickly scanned for the relevant data in his head.


    ��Cullen Fachel. Patriarch of the Night Lich Family?��


    ��Yes, dear master.��


    Sara lowered her head and responded hurriedly. On the other hand, Serena turned to Rhode curiously.


    ��Night Lich? Sir Overlord, are you familiar with them?��


    ��Understanding the enemies is always the first step in war. Intelligence is essential, Miss Serena.��


    Rhode strongly believed that his ability to ��lie through his teeth�� had gone through the roof.


    ��The Night Lich Family is one of the stronger Lich families in the Country of Darkness. They are one of the core forces under the ��Undead Tide�� army and also the trusted aides of ��Spirit Chaser�� Balende. This family is expert in undead alchemy and knowledgeable in magic spells. Their purpose under Balende is similar to���� Rhode paused. He turned to Marlene and continued. ���� the Senia Family��s in the Munn Kingdom. They are responsible for providing firearms to the Undead Army. Of course, they manage the transformation and strengthening of the Undead Creatures. Apart from that, they are one of the rarer family who are closer in relationship with the Vampires within the Undead Tide. That is how they got the name of Night Lich. Cullen is an expert in air battles. It seems that we��re facing a large group of air forces like the Gargoyles����


    Rhode shook his head, but the corners of his lips raised to show an unnoticeable smile. Back then, the Undead Army lost terribly on ground, so it was a perfectly reasonable choice for them to go the air route. Perhaps the situation would be tricky if this happened months ago. But now, air force? Ha! Rhode imagined countless EXP flashing by eyes after taking them down.


    ��Since you��re here to investigate as Cullen��s Zombie Puppet, you should know the specific progress of the Undead Army that is mobilized here, right?��


    ��Just a little, dear master.��


    Sara lifted her head and gazed curiously at her new master. She had served Cullen for years and it went without saying that she knew that the Zombie Puppet was his scheme, which was why she had become the experimental product. Sara knew that every spell caster��s experiments were absolute secrets. But she was astonished to find that her new master appeared to be familiar with it. However, the years of habit made her hold back her doubts.


    ��I know that Sir Burks�� and Sir Duran��s armies have arrived at the front line. I��m more familiar with Sir Cullen��s situation. Currently, he has around 50,000 Gargoyles and Soul Griffins and 10,000 Black-winged Knights. There is a total of 100,000 troops currently under the Undead Army. But this is just what I know. I was only Sir Cullen��s Corpse Slave, after all, and I��m not too familiar with other situations.��


    ��Burks and Duran, is it��?��


    Rhode puckered his brows. They were true noblemen with authority in the Country of Darkness and core strength of the four largest families. It seemed that the new and rising noble families in the Country of Darkness had taken a hit, which explained why the four legendary generals had decided to move out their troops. Rhode knew what they were planning. If the new and rising noble families lost, not only could the four legendary generals, also known as the experienced veterans, expand their forces, but they could also quell the insignificant ones. This would re-stabilize the entire Country of Darkness. But Rhode wasn��t willing to fight for the sake of the enemy nation��s stability. If the four legendary generals didn��t send out their direct subordinates, Rhode wouldn��t mind making them lose all the way. Failure was the sharpest blade to slash through contradictions. Rhode couldn��t ask for more if he could send the Country of Darkness into a state of turmoil even though the possibilities weren��t high.


    ��Corpse Slave?��


    Frederick was more mindful about this term.


    ��What is that?��


    ��Just as the term suggests. Corpse Slaves are slaves produced from corpses.��


    Rhode replied plainly and pointed at the young lady.


    ��Just like what you��ve seen. Liches will extract the spirits from humans before specially modifying their bodies which includes anti-corrosion and maintenance modifications. Then, they will inject their spirits into spirit crystals, which will produce Corpse Slaves who can serve them. Corpse Slave won��t rebel and obey orders perfectly. Besides, they are much stronger than the skeleton creatures. This is the reason why most Liches have Corpse Slaves around them.��


    Rhode turned to Sara.


    ��Am I right?��


    ��Master is truly knowledgeable. I��ve never known that people in the Light Mainland understand our situation this well.��


    Sara answered frantically.


    ��Just as master has said. I��ve served Sir Cullen since 30 years ago. Due to my impressive performance, Sir Cullen turned me into a Corpse Slave����


    ��Hey, w-w-wait!��


    Frederick interrupted with an odd expression. He stared at the young lady dubiously.


    ��My ears are fine, right? Why did he turn you into a Corpse Slave due to your impressive works? What is going on? Didn��t you do well? Why did that fella treat you this way? Is his head still working well over the years?��


    ��Sir Cullen turned me into a Corpse Slave as a reward for me. Humans will eventually die due to old age or sickness. On the other hand, we won��t fall sick, feel hurt, or die of old age after turning into Corpse Slaves. Besides, we can continue to support our masters with our experience and wisdom. Doesn��t this make sense?��


    ��This����


    In an instant, apart from Rhode and Gillian, everyone was stumped and speechless. They stared blankly at Sara with puzzled expressions and felt chills running down their spines like electricity current. In the past, if their fear toward the Undead Creatures of Country of Darkness only hovered on the surface, they finally understood the frightening truth of this nation of undead now. It was a complete subversion and betrayal of their values and the world as a whole. It was the existence of fear that had almost infiltrated their bones.


    ��Oh my goodness����


    Serena placed her hands on her chest and muttered under her breath. Lize shook her head, turned around and was speechless. On the other hand, Frederick scratched his head and said.


    ��So�� Miss Sara. What will happen if you perform badly?��


    ��Master will slaughter the servants who don��t fit his requirements and turn their corpses into Undead Soldiers to guard his territory. The spirits of losers will turn into materials for his spell castings and experiments.��


    Sara spoke about this terrifying situation in such a calm, monotonous tone that it left them shivering. Rhode crossed his arms and observed everyone in silence. He thought of this as a great opportunity for them to experience the horrors of the Undead Creatures, which would strengthen their consciousness of their heavy responsibilities. The Undead Creatures�� infiltration wasn��t as simple as a war between the two countries. It was more of a conflict of values between the undead and mortals.


    ��In other words, death is the only end?��


    Frederick muttered in disbelief. Sara shook her head.


    ��That isn��t true, Sir. Even though one can��t fulfill their master��s request, many of them continued to live on as humans. After all, masters need slaves to reproduce the next generation, so there are many human ethnic groups and towns in the masters�� territories. The humans will live within and serve their masters by reproducing. Those who perform well will be rewarded with honor and status.��


    Sara pushed out her chest rather proudly.


    ��My mother has given to a dozen children with over 20 men and was awarded with supreme honor from Sir Cullen. This is also the reason why I was fortunate enough to serve Sir Cullen and become his Corpse Slave.��


    ��Over 20 men? Tsk tsk tsk!��


    Frederick shook his head.


    ��I admire your mother. Her husband must be so generous. If it were me, I can never accept that. If it��s my wife�� Hey, why did you kick me? Serena?��


    ��Husband?��


    Sara tilted her head curiously.


    ��What��s that?��


    ��That is�� a form of address used by a woman to the man after they marry each other.��


    ��What��s marry?��


    ��Marry����


    Frederick was at a loss for words. He scratched his head and turned to the other young ladies around him, but their minds seemed to have shut down like a computer that crashed. After pondering for a few moments, Frederick braced himself as whoever started the trouble should rightfully end it.


    ��Simple speaking. A pair of loving man and woman marry, form a family, live together, and give birth to children�� Don��t you have such customs over there?��


    ��No.��


    Sara shook her head firmly.


    ��It is the duty of all females to give birth in our territory. As soon as we reach adulthood, we will need to give birth as much as we can. In fact, if I didn��t serve Sir Cullen for a long time and become a Corpse Slave, perhaps I would be working hard like my sisters.��


    Marlene and the others felt as though they had returned to the world where they belonged upon exiting the underground prison and feeling the dazzling sunshine pouring on their faces. As humans and females, they felt as though they had fallen into the darkest abyss after hearing Sara��s story. Serena didn��t take it well. She covered her mouth all the way while exiting the underground prison and finally threw up. Just imagining the scary scenes was enough to make her faint.


    ��Oh my goodness�� I��ve never thought that�� the humans living in darkness are leading such lives.��


    Lize clutched her hands before her chest and looked down on the ground. Even though they had heard of rumors regarding the Country of Darkness, most of them were unfounded and altered to satisfy the listeners�� ears. But now, the harshest truth was presented to them. If they didn��t witness how Sara returned from the dead and confirmed that she was one of the Undead Creatures who they had fought, perhaps they would never believe that her words were true. Compared to her confessions, the rumors about the evil, scheming Undead Creatures were nowhere close in reality.


    No. At this moment, they hoped that the young lady was lying to them, which was shameless fun to the Undead Creatures. They rather believed that the young lady was exaggerating on purpose because it would be horrible if such things existed in this world


    Perhaps it wasn��t this situation that was frightening. Instead, it was how Sara behaved as though everything was inevitable and right when she spoke. The moral values, social order, and common sense in the Light Mainland were non-existent. Even though social order existed on the land of darkness on the other side, they were that twisted, evil, and fearful.


    ������


    Marlene appeared to have accepted it much better than the rest. Rhode noticed that she placed her hands on her chest and calmed down after taking a few deep breaths. Just this determination was a world of difference from the pale, miserable Serena who seemed to have taken a huge hit.


    ��Rhode. That young lady�� what do you intend to do with her?��


    Marlene knitted her brows and asked worriedly. Rhode put Sara alone in the cell and wasn��t concerned that she would escape since her spirit was in his possession. Manipulating spirits was a profound strength. No matter what the other party was thinking or doing, Rhode was well aware of them. Whenever he gave an order through the spirit, he could make the other party abide obediently. Although he knew that Sara wouldn��t leave the cell even if he didn��t lock the gate, he had chosen to lock it to make others feel at ease. Sara was a Undead Creatures and didn��t need to survive on food and water. Besides, she also wasn��t fit to roam around in this situation.


    ��Lock her up for the time being and talk about it when the time is right. She has given us valuable insights albeit the lack of information. I��m sure we can obtain a more specific number on the Undead Army after she thinks over it,�� Rhode said.


    In fact, Rhode knew that the difference of opinions between the Country of Light and Country of Darkness weren��t that simple. Twisted Order was still Order, which was one of the reasons why the Country of Law wasn��t concerned about this situation which Marlene and the others treated as insane. The second reason was that in the Country of Darkness, this traditional and ancient rule had lasted for millenniums, where it could also be said that even though the humans residing in the Country of Darkness were humans in appearance, their moral values and views on life and death were entirely different from the Light Mainland. It was just like how Marlene and the others were baffled by what Sara felt proud of living to reproduce. But�� this was the truth.


    ��Organize a battle meeting. We have to inform others of this information. The Undead Army are coming in aggressively this time. We need to strike them back and tell them that this isn��t the place for the skeletons like them to stay�� Not in my territory.��


    Rhode lifted his head and gazed into the distant sky which presented an azure brilliance under the protection of the Light Dragon Soul. But he was clear that the situation wasn��t this simple.


    ������!��


    At this moment, a crisp warble rang in their ears. Everyone witnessed a homing pigeon descended and landed on Gillian��s extended hand. She took over the letter from its feet and scanned it through. Then, she revealed a meaningful smile.


    ��Master, there��s good news.��


    ��Hmm?��


    Rhode retrieved the letter and read. He puckered his brows and displayed an obvious smile.


    ��Those Parliament idiots. I didn��t expect them to fall this quickly.��


    ��What��s wrong, Rhode?�� Marlene said curiously while he shook his head slightly.


    ��It��s nothing, Marlene. It��s just some idiots who are looking for a scapegoat.��

 Chapter 725 - Protest

    Chapter 725: Protest


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Boom!


    Lilian slammed the table furiously and her palm tingled. But she wasn��t in the mood to mind such small details. She stared at all the parliament members fiercely.


    ��What do you mean by this!?��


    ��We have no intentions of offending you, Your Majesty.��


    A middle-aged man stood up, swept a glance to the elderly parliament chairman who had shut his eyes to rest, and said with a smile.


    ��We��re asking on behalf of the people. These are their concerns and uncertainties. Of course, we refused to believe. But, perhaps you aren��t aware, Your Majesty, similar rumors have spread throughout the entire Country of Light, so it isn��t surprising to see our people panicking. The Country of Darkness��s ambush came so sudden that our troops by the border have crumbled. But, Munn Kingdom has suffered minimally. The Undead Army has even failed to break down their first defensive line. Isn��t this strange, Your Majesty? Why is Munn Kingdom, who is totally unrelated to Country of Darkness, able to defend the attacks? According to our intelligence received, the Munn Kingdom mobilized their defenses before the Country of Darkness attacked. But they didn��t inform us about that. So����


    ��So you think that the Munn Kingdom and Country of Darkness are colluding?!��


    ��No, Your Majesty. We don��t see it this way. But this is what the people say.��


    ������


    Lilian gritted her teeth and glared at the man. However, the latter smiled and lowered his head respectfully, seemingly to be completely convinced. But,even so, Lilian sensed the evil intentions in him, which left her fuming. She forced the wrath down and said.


    ��Lydia is one of the three Archangels. It is impossible for her to be entangled with the Undead Creatures. I think this is just nonsense from some people. Now, we should focus on the problem in the front line. After the previous attack, many territories have fallen and occupied by the Country of Darkness, isn��t it? I think this is more crucial than the speculations by some people.��


    ��Of course, Your Majesty. This is naturally the most essential for us to discuss.��


    Another parliament member stood up, bowed slightly, and said.


    ��But, the people are most concerned about the ties between the Munn Kingdom and Country of Darkness. Of course, we believe your judgment as the Light Dragon Soul, but our people need a peace of mind. Frankly speaking, the rumors have not only affected the people, but also affected the front line army. They can��t face the Undead Army with a peace of mind, which resulted in repeated crushing defeats. This is why we have to act upon it to appease our people.��


    Lilian clenched her fists, bit her lip, and stared at the parliament members in dissatisfaction. They kept using the name of the people to pressurize her, which was hard for her to ward off. Even though she intervened with political issues after the Dragon Soul Ceremony, she saw little success because the Light Parliament often used the people to push their weight about. Lilian was young, after all, and even though she was clever, she couldn��t rely solely on wisdom and knowledge in terms of political confrontations. Even if she had the determination to change the state of this country, at the deepest level, she wished to give her people good lives. This was why she had always been hesitant whenever the Light Parliament mentioned about their suffering people. Not only that, but she was also resentful and such a thought even emerged in her head.


    Those foolish people��


    ��Huh?��


    Lilian was stunned. The thoughts weren��t clear, but she instinctively felt frightened. She returned to her senses and clenched her fists. The stinging pain spreading from her palm counteracted the hazy thoughts in her head. Then, she realized that she was drenched in cold sweat.


    At this moment, one of the parliament members�� voices sounded in her ears.


    ��Your Majesty, please make a decision.��


    ���� What exactly do you people want?��


    Lilian hung her arms down on her knees, stood up, and gazed at everyone sternly. Her hands were ice-cold and filled with sweat. She hurriedly readjusted her emotions.


    ��It��s simple, Your Highness. We hope that Royal Highness Lydia can come to Casabianca and assist in our investigations. Once we��ve proven her innocence before our people, we will not have anymore unfounded rumors and concerns.��


    ��What you people are doing isn��t right. Lydia is the ruler of the Munn Kingdom and one of the three Archangels. Y-You can��t do this based on some rumors. Besides, the situation by the front line is critical. Safety is most important with the Munn Kingdom as our protective barrier. Who will handle the problems If Lydia left leaves the Munn Kingdom?��


    ��Your Majesty. We understand your concerns.��


    Another parliament member stood to his feet. He simply nodded as a greeting. Which was basically equivalent to perfunctory.


    ��But, if this continues, no one knows what will become of the people��s rumors. They have affected our army and we think that the people have the right to know the truth. As long as we can make them understand this point, they will lay down the burden in their minds and we can defeat the Undead Army! Whereas for the problem in the front line����


    The parliament member smiled and Lilian hated it.


    ��Didn��t the Undead Army stop attacking? The Munn Kingdom stopped their attacks, so they won��t launch another anytime soon. I think we should use this opportunity to invite Royal Highness Lydia to Casabianca for the investigation, Your Majesty. If we can prove that Royal Highness Lydia and the Munn Kingdom are innocent, it will be advantageous for us to work together in getting rid of the Undead Army.��


    ������


    Lilian puckered her brows as she knew why the Country of Light was routed. It was because their army didn��t resist at all. Moreover, most of them were instantly devastated as soon as they saw the Undead Army arriving at their doorstep. As a result, they put up a short fight and crumbled almost immediately. Lilian was extremely dissatisfied because she thought that the soldiers didn��t fulfill their duties and she didn��t expect that the Light Parliament would push the blame of their army��s failure to the Munn Kingdom��


    Lilian scanned the surrounding while hoping for someone to speak up for her. But, she couldn��t find any. The other two Archangels had gone to the front line to stabilize the situation. Logically speaking, they didn��t have to take actions into their own hands. But no one expected the Country of Light to crumble that quickly. They couldn��t possibly allow the Undead Army to invade their way to Casabianca.


    But deep down, Lilian also knew that even the two Archangels were around, perhaps they wouldn��t speak up for her because they didn��t usually communicate with each other. Unless it was a formal occasion, Archangel Boulder wouldn��t be around her and Lilian was afraid of this Archangel who never smiled. Even though Archangel Serene taught her a lot, she knew that this was just a relationship between teacher and student and apart from that Archangel Serene wasn��t too concerned about her. Lilian had always felt lonely. She couldn��t find anyone to talk to in this imperial palace and even if she wished to make friends with the Battle Angels, the Battle Angels were worried about the differences in their identities.


    Until Lydia appeared.


    Lilian remembered fondly the scene when Lydia was appointed as an Archangel and that was their first meeting. Back then, Lilian was as curious as a cat and she gazed at the young lady in anticipation. Lydia appeared to be older than her by a few years, but Lilian didn��t feel the detached and indifferent vibe from her. On the contrary, Lydia was full of life and vigor and wasn��t fearful of Lilian.


    When Lilian looked at Lydia, the latter had even winked playfully and that was when Lilian knew that she finally had a close friend. Thereafter, just as Lilian expected, Lydia didn��t keep a distance away from her like the other two Archangels. Lilian and Lydia occasionally chatted and spent time intimately and even harmlessly exceeded their master and servant relationship. Although these interactions were minor, it made Lilian happy. Ever since she was born, she had never felt this delighted. It was due to this that the annual Dragon Soul Ceremony became Lilian��s only festival, where she didn��t neglect authority and political position because it was only during the ceremony that it was perfectly justifiable for her to meet Lydia.


    But for unknown reasons, the person that came to her mind wasn��t Lydia. Instead, it was another young man with long, black hair, and deep colored eyes. At this moment, one of the parliament members disrupted her thoughts.


    ��There��s another person worthy of an investigation.��


    ��Who?��


    Lilian held down her dissatisfaction. Then, the name shook her.


    ��Rhode Alander.��


    ��Why?��


    ��According to our intelligence gathered, some regions within the Munn Kingdom crumbled to the Undead Army, but not only did Grenbell, in the sovereignty of this young overlord, resist the attacks, but they had also done so twice. He seems to be aware of this attack and is mentally prepared for them. We think that this is problematic. If he holds information in this regard, why didn��t he provide it to us? Also, he became the overlord of Grenbell for only half a year and it was originally uninhabited territory. Yet, he defended against the enemies which even the Munn Kingdom��s two largest armies and Eastern Plains couldn��t do. We believe that there��s a high possibility that this man is the key person to this entire incident.��


    ��I��ve heard about this too.��


    Lilian clutched her hands, lifted her head forcefully and stared at everyone.


    ��Paphield-Grenbell is Munn Kingdom��s main front line. If it weren��t for their hard work in defending against the Undead Army, perhaps the Munn Kingdom is in a complete mess now����


    It was impossible that Lilian didn��t have any doubts about this. It was mentioned earlier that even though Lilian was naive, it was simply a personality and not an intelligence issue. Even the group of idiots in the Light Parliament had raised such doubts, so how was it possible that she wasn��t aware of it? However, also due to her personality, she didn��t think of the situation negatively. Even though she also hoped that Lydia could give them an explanation, she wished to privately grumble, communicate, and understand the situation from her as friends, instead of investigating and probing in a solemn court.


    ��We suspect that he has secret connections with the Country of Darkness. In fact, we have evidence to prove our point.��


    ��Huh?!��


    Lilian was baffled. She bit her lips and frowned.


    ��Evidence?��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty. According to our intelligence, this overlord has once appeared in Soraka Mountain and interacted with a Vampire noble from Country of Darkness. Moreover, his territory was damaged the least in that battle. It is hard for anyone to not relate him with the Undead Creatures.��


    ������


    ��Your Majesty!��


    The remaining parliament members stood up and Lilian shrunk to their imposing manner. But she stood firmly and gazed at them with an unwavering expression.


    ��The enemies are approaching. We don��t have much time to hesitate. We sincerely beg your permission. The people are hoping for an answer. Our neighboring territories and nations are waiting for us to seek justice, freedom, and truth. We have to ensure that our people aren��t stained and tempted by darkness before we deal with our external enemies!��


    ������


    Lilian sucked in a deep breath. She subconsciously shifted her gaze to the silent elderly chairman as though he was her last hope.


    ��Chairman, what do you think of this?��


    Lilian asked. The elderly chairman lifted his head. He looked as haggard as a 90 years old man and a flickering flame in the lamp that was about to extinguish. He stood up calmly, shifted his gaze between Lilian and the others. Then, he shook his head and let out a long sigh.


    ��I��m sorry, Your Majesty. I�� I don��t have any thoughts on this. Since everyone has made their decision, I think�� their stand is firm.��


    Lilian felt her limbs freezing as though one had thrown her into an ice cave. She stared at the elderly chairman while the latter looked at the ground blankly.


    After a few moments, Lilian broke the silence.


    ��I�� I understand. But�� This is a major matter. I-I must consider it carefully.��


    ��Please make an early decision. This is for the lives of all humans in the Light Mainland. You should know this, Your Majesty.��


    ��I��!��


    Lilian lifted her head in a reflex action and glowered at the man who said that. But after a few moments, she looked down again.


    ��I�� understand. I will consider it.��


    The bells rang and announced the end of this meeting. The parliament members stood up, bowed, and left. Shortly after, the crowded room instantly became cold and cheerless. The elderly chairman gazed at Lilian in silence before leaving his seat.


    Boom��


    The heavy door closed and Lilian was alone in the spacious room.


    ��Grr�� Grr����


    She clenched her tiny fists. Tears flowed down her cheeks and fell on the back of her hands. She didn��t even realize that she had bitten her lips tightly and her eyes were red and bloodshot. She lowered her head and allowed the surging sorrow and pain to overwhelm her. After a few moments, she wiped her tears and sobbed as she picked up the pen beside her. She paused, but eventually inked the spotlessly white piece of paper while crystal clear tears dripped from her chin.

 Chapter 726 - Unsteady, Snowy Night

    Chapter 726: Unsteady, Snowy Night


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Snow fluttered.


    Pure white snowflakes descended and landed in the silent fortress. Apart from the soldiers serving sentry duty above the city walls, the rest had returned home or headed to pubs and enjoyed alcohol by the warm bonfire. But the peaceful atmosphere couldn��t conceal their nervousness. They knew that the sinister, large-scale Undead Army would launch their attacks anytime. It was due to this that the soldiers appreciated such tranquility because this might be the last time that they could gossip, chat idly with their companions, whistle at flirtatious dancers, or accompany their families and loved ones.


    However, the war had already begun for some.


    ��The skeletons are insane. They sent five scout squads in three days.��


    Rhode tossed the report on the table and shrugged. The enemies had been dispatching scouts increasingly quicker and their range widened. But it was a pity that they had lost the instant they stepped into Rhode��s territory. Rhode definitely wouldn��t deal with every single scout by himself. The reason why he took the initiative the first time was because he wanted Bayer and his men to witness how powerful the Undead Creatures were and he didn��t need to worry about them thereafter. Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were more than powerful enough to eliminate them.


    But Rhode was resentful that perhaps he had used too much of his Spirit Extractions that the enemies no longer sent high-level creatures like the Liches or Vampires. Instead, the enemies dispatched low-level Skeleton Cavalrymen and Specters. It was apparent that they were using their advantage in quantity for their intelligence gathering and avoiding leaking crucial information to Rhode. Rhode was left with no choice. Spirit Extraction was a precious technique and there wasn��t any value in capturing low-level Undead Creatures without much wisdom and information. Besides, they held low attribute values and weren��t comparable to a Zombie Puppet like Sara. Rhode discovered that even though Sara appeared as respectful as a lowly Undead Creature, she was at least level 45, which was higher than Marlene and Serena. Although she was groomed as the trusted aide of a Lich, it wasn��t strange that she held such strength. But Rhode thought about it and realized that apart from Mini Bubble Gum and Canary who were basically ��cheat codes�� in this world, only Marlene and Serena were level 40 while the external Mages among the nobles and armies were around level 35. On the other hand, Sara was a Zombie Puppet and held strength of a level 45 Mage. There were at least ten of such Zombie Puppets around each Liches. If it wasn��t for Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, Rhode guaranteed that his side would be devastated in terms of spell casters.


    The only flaw about Sara was that even though her level was higher, her skills were rather uniform. She learned undead spells, some alchemy skills, and minimal elemental spells, but they were only low-level spells like the lightning chain and fireball. However, Rhode was surprised that Sara��s alchemy skill level was high. Judging from a player��s point of view, her alchemy skill had reached an advanced level, which was the standard of an Elite Alchemist. But it was inevitable since a Zombie Puppet��s duty was to serve the Lich and Lich didn��t need food, water, sleep, or mate. The Zombie Puppet��s service to the Lich was naturally the management of spells and production of alchemy spells. Since Sara had been valued highly by the Lich to become a Zombie Puppet and was even chosen to become the experimental product of a Zombie Puppet, it proved that she was outstanding in her work. If not, the Lich wouldn��t have chosen her for such an important experiment.


    Another surprised came about. As Cullen��s trusted aide, Sara knew his potion research, recipes, and techniques inside out. It went without saying that the Undead Creatures were expert in undead spells. On the other hand, it was the technique and essence of their poison that Rhode valued highly. Undead Creatures had no moral values and it was apparent from how they turned a living human like Sara into a Zombie Puppet. The Undead Creatures gathered data through cruel experiments on humans to perfect their potion concoction and process. Even though some fallen Liches and Necromancers had also done this, they were the minority, after all. Besides, it was reprehensible and they would be doomed if they were found. However, it was different in the Country of Darkness. Research on living creatures was officially permitted. Liches could publicly dissect their slaves and even if they chopped and sewed them up afterward, no one would utter a word.


    Through such bloody and cruel means, the Undead Creatures had invented unique techniques such as the ��Flesh Cream��, where a small amount of herb would be refined and produced an alchemy medicine. Sara had provided him with that. As long as one who wasn��t gravely injured applied the medicine on one��s wound, one could recover in a short period of time. This method was simple, effective, and cheaper than the healing potions by almost half. Rhode knew how useful this medicine would be for the army. And ironically, this medicine was only a sub product which Cullen had conveniently invented while experimenting on a main, flesh-eroding spell.


    Almost every alchemy recipes that Sara provided was attained through the sacrifice of thousands of lives. Of course, Rhode felt no psychological stress on this since the ones trapped in the poison gas chamber or gunned to death before getting dissected weren��t him. Besides, literarily, those who died were also humans and they used their lives to create things that benefited other humans, so they weren��t sacrificed in vain. Rhode copied every recipe and handed them to Lapis for testing. Whereas for the poison and other recipes that would leave Lapis blushing in embarrassment, Rhode didn��t pass them to her.


    In fact, he also had the intentions of building a group of alchemists around Sara. There were no doubts with her abilities and she was pure and kind-hearted, after all, which was a good and bad thing. There were many things that alchemy potions could achieve. Besides, he also knew that the Behermes Family had several dark, evil alchemy techniques and one of the most popular was their outstanding ��blood alchemy��. This was their origin and the reason why alchemical elves and other elves parted ways. The Behermes Family was the foremost expert in body modification. Rhode didn��t believe that Lapis knew nothing about that. No matter what, she was the final heir to all the wisdom of her family and it would be ridiculous if she didn��t know the core secrets of the alchemical elves. But Lapis refused to mention anything and had never applied them. Since she opposed them, Rhode didn��t find it nice to force her to use them.


    On the other hand, Sara was different. Thanks to the Lich, she lacked the slightest morality that existed in the Light Mainland and Rhode needed such a subordinate. Those who grew up in the Light Mainland had more or less received guidance from humans, and unless they hated humans to the core, even there would be days where barbaric bandits discover their conscience. It was impossible for Rhode to appoint any humans to do such crazy things. But he also knew that this was essential. Just like when Christie was attacked in the Midsummer Festival, perhaps the situation wouldn��t have ended that easily if Rhode didn��t kidnap the opposition leader��s son. Every force had their bright and dark sides, where even Lydia also had a team of secret spies. Of course, this team wasn��t her direct subordinates, but she knew what they were up to. She wouldn��t do some things personally, but this didn��t mean that others wouldn��t. Just like when Rhode lit the entire plain into conflagration during the internal battle and slaughtered thousands of people. Lydia definitely knew that it was his doing.


    Rhode was aware that such conflicts existed even in his team. Marlene and Anne weren��t supportive of the use of such methods, but they didn��t oppose either. Lize and Lapis felt uneasy while Marfa and Randolf weren��t in the right position to criticize their leader. Sol and Joey were born in poor conditions and didn��t take it to heart after witnessing the nice and ugly sides of humans. However, a soldier like John who had gone through regular professional training found it hard to accept.Visit on our novelhall.com


    But Rhode knew that his enemies weren��t only the Undead Army. He was almost convinced that this preparation wasn��t for the war between them and Country of Darkness. The war with the Country of Light would erupt sooner or later. When that happened, he would use some effective, homicidal means which he had applied in game. But he was aware that it was merely a game for the players and NPCs were eventually NPCs. They wouldn��t feel guilty no matter how many NPCs they slaughtered and cared more for the reward, reputation, and missions. Rhode led his army from the rear when he retaliated against the Country of Light and burned down every inhabited land, including player territories and NPC residences. Rhode��s popularity took a huge hit in the Country of Light and fell from ��Friendly�� to ��Hostile��.


    He had a unique way of gaining back his popularity. He led his player army in destroying the Country of Light and removed them from the surface of the gaming world. Then, the ��Hostile�� popularity in his data column instantly disappeared.


    Of course, that was killing to their hearts�� content from the players�� point of view, but it was complete hell for the NPCs. The places where Rhode and his men had been to perished and the NPCs had given him a nickname: Destroyer.


    Rhode was the only one who received a title from other means apart from clearing missions and gaining reputation.


    He had no doubts that Marlene and the others would stay by his side and do the cruel work. But they were natives, after all, and multiple attempts would destroy their trust and relationships. He met some players with stubborn opinions, which eventually led to rebellion. All in all, his subordinates couldn��t accept their honorable leader��s moral values.


    A subordinate like Sara who lacked the ��mainstream moral values�� was even more precious. She fit Rhode��s requirement and as a Zombie Puppet, he restrained her every movement, which was why he kept her for some unscrupulous activities. But it was a pity that he couldn��t take actions as the Battle Angel Army was distributed all around the fortress. He wasn��t interested in starting a second war in his fortress.


    Rhode let out a sneer, sat on the chair, and gazed out of the window at the snowy scene.


    ��It seems that the Undead Army is approaching soon. Any concerns to raise?��


    ��All we can do is to strengthen our defense now.��


    Marlene knitted her brows, pondered for a moment, and replied softly. On the other hand, Lize nodded. In this huge meeting room, apart from Rhode��s close companions, Bayer, Frederick, Serena, and their men were also present. Of course, representatives from the nobles, army and Beni, the leader of the Battle Angel Army was also present.


    Everyone discussed softly after hearing Rhode��s question. Rhode looked at everyone and felt a slight sense of accomplishment as an overlord. Now he finally understood why real world rulers often organized meetings every other day: it felt rather great.


    ��But Sir Overlord, the intelligence we received is incomplete. If we rely solely on that�� We are still unable to accurately judge the enemies�� quantity and strength based on the young lady��s report.��


    Frederick stood up and said. He pondered hesitantly at the thought of Sara and continued.


    ��This is a problem.��


    Rhode nodded in agreement. In fact, Sara was captured rather early. A few days had passed, but the Undead Army didn��t take any action, which worried him. No action was usually good news, but he knew that it wasn��t that simple. Even though the Undead Army was flexible in their maneuvering, he knew that some high-level creatures had slow movements, but held massive strength and defense, like the Abominations. They were as though movable hills with rock-solid skin. Rhode was concerned that the Undead Army didn��t launch their attacks as they were waiting for the arrival of the Abominations. Besides, it was crucial for them to gather the enemy quantity and this wasn��t as simple as determining how long they could hang on in the battle.


    Rhode didn��t send out scouts because the Undead Creatures were scheming. As soon as his scout was captured, the entire situation in his fortress would be crystal clear to them and all his efforts in wiping out the enemy scouts would go to waste.


    ��Are there other concerns?��


    ��In�� In terms of supplies����


    Lapis raised her arm timidly and shrunk as everyone gazed at her.


    ��Sir Rhode�� We should have sufficient supplies, but with the increase of people in the fortress�� We may be running out of them sooner than expected����


    ��The Battle Angel Army is around to share our burden.��


    Rhode gestured for her to calm down.


    ��We don��t need to produce more magic arrows and there isn��t time for that. Lapis, from now onward, you can try to produce other flammable items. They are easier to make, convenient and won��t take too much time.��


    ��Okay, Sir, I understand.��


    Lapis let out a sigh of relief. She nodded and sat down while another person stood up. Orchid Heart sleepily placed her hand on the thick, black hardcover book. She yawned with narrowed eyes.


    ��As for the garrisons�� Yawn�� They have improved swiftly with the assistance of the two army commanders�� Yawn�� Don��t worry, Rhode, there are no issues.��


    ��Sir, I think we should investigate the status quo of the Undead Army.��


    Randolf spoke.


    ��Our soldiers are most worried about the enemy��s formation and quantity. Miss Sara has given us useful information, but it isn��t enough. If you allow me to, I can lead the elites while Sol can����


    ��The situation isn��t as simple as you think, Randolf.��


    Rhode waved his finger.


    ��It is an entirely different concept to investigate humans and the Undead Army. The latter leaves putrid air everywhere and ordinary humans can��t withstand it for long. Besides, they can extract information from your brain and blood even from your corpse and everything that we��ve done will go to waste.��


    ������


    The air froze instantly. Many of them were aware of how terrifying the Undead Creatures were, but they didn��t know it was to this extent. If that was true, sending scouts to investigate would be as though falling into their traps. But if they didn��t investigate�� How were they going to fight enemies which they had no information of? Only through knowing oneself and knowing one��s enemies would one come unscathed through a hundred battles. No matter how strong the fortress�� defense was, there was still a limit, wasn��t it?


    ��Leader Beni.��


    Rhode knocked on the table and lifted his head after pondering for a few moments. He looked at the leader of the Battle Angel Army who was silent throughout the meeting.


    ��How��s the situation with the Dawn Angels? Is there any movement in the enemy camp?��


    Rhode��s only way of investigation was through the Dawn Angels�� incredible line of sight. But such observations were limited, after all, so he didn��t look forward to receiving great information from them. Actually, the best method was to let the Angels be scouts. But Rhode wished to keep them as his final trump cards and not only did he request Beni to stop the Battle Angels from flying in the air, but he also secretly kept the magic fleets behind the mountain ridges. Only the unexpected changes in the beginning of the confrontation between two armies could change the direction of the entire war and all that had been achieved would go down the drain if the enemies were prepared.


    ��Currently, there are no movements.��


    Beni shook her head.


    No movements meant that the enemies weren��t deployed yet and there was a guarantee of at least three days before the start of the war. Rhode was familiar with the Undead Army and naturally knew their troop deployment styles and movements.


    ��I will handle the issue with the scouts,�� Rhode said.

 Chapter 727 - Pre-War Scouting

    Chapter 727: Pre-War Scouting


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Darkness and light enveloped the entire world.


    Rhode looked up at the sky engulfed in darkness in the near distance. Darkness and light were separated distinctively as though an invisible barrier had divided them. Even though they were only a barrier apart, the scenery was entirely different.


    At that moment, he heard footsteps on the thick layer of snow. He turned around and saw Celestina approaching him grudgingly. She had put on a relatively lightweight costume, but was as luxurious as usual. Apart from that, a thick, plush cape also draped over her shoulders and hung behind her. She appeared a little pale and upon detecting Rhode��s gaze, she glared fiercely. But Rhode shrugged and turned his gaze away as she looked as though she was putting up a deceptive show of strength. Celestina gritted her teeth and let out a sneer of disdain. Of course, Rhode acted like he didn��t hear it.


    After the meeting, everyone had reached a consensus that the scouts must be sent. But there were controversies on the candidates. In the end, Rhode expressed that he would be responsible, which triggered several disagreements. No matter what, Rhode was the commander and overlord of this fortress and it was too risky. The consequences were unimaginable if he failed. Not only Marlene, but Lize and the others also objected. Bayer thought that Rhode was overly adventurous and was risking the fate of the fortress. As soon as Rhode was discovered and killed, everything would be over. Of course, not everyone objected, such as Anne who chimed in with Rhode, but the latter knew that she simply wanted to join him in the adventure.


    Randolf and Joey naturally disagreed with Rhode��s suggestion because they understood the dangers as scouts. They raised their opinions which involved dispatching scouts who weren��t familiar with the fortress situation and carry self-destructing magical tools. If things went south, the scouts could ignite the tools and explode themselves. However, some of the scouts guaranteed that they wouldn��t be discovered and would instantly return to the fortress using the ��Return Ring�� as soon as there were any problems.


    Rhode didn��t reject their suggestions. Instead, he crossed his arms and waited for everyone to express their thoughts.


    ��I don��t underestimate your courage and loyalty. I also think that you are capable. But I will need to handle this myself because there is something that none of you can do.��


    ��What is it, Sir?��


    Joey asked curiously. Rhode heard the dissatisfaction in his tone and swept him a casual look.


    ��Even if you see them, do you know what kind of troops they are?��


    ������


    Everyone looked at one another guiltily because Rhode��s words had hit their weak spots. Indeed, Rhode was much more experienced in knowledge regarding the Undead Creatures. In fact, everyone learned about the Undead Creatures from Rhode, as it was a taboo for scouts because even among humans, the slightest difference in details on the soldiers could affect the outcome of the entire battle. This was also why scouts were mainly experienced veterans who wouldn��t confuse between the Flame Knights and Crimson Infantries.


    Even though Marlene and Serena had knowledge about Undead Creatures, it was two different matters between illustrations and actual presences. They wouldn��t detect the exact differences between Skeleton Soldiers and Skeleton Guards even if they memorized everything inside out.


    On the other hand, Sara was extremely familiar with them, but Rhode didn��t send her. Even though her spirit was in his hands and he wasn��t worried that she would betray him, he was aware that the Corpse Slaves of Liches mostly had magical crests on them. Although the Corpse Slaves wouldn��t betray their masters, it wasn��t surprising that they would be captured or kidnapped in the Country of Darkness. This was why the Liches planted magical crests on their Corpse Slaves. The Holy Maiden Statues�� enchanted field over the fortress cut off the enemies�� magical detection and as soon as Sara stepped out of the door�� Haha. They would just have to wait for the Lich to find its way here using its GPS. Rhode had a counteractive plan for this. He could get Canary to wipe out the magical crest as soon as he found it. But the trouble was that even Sara wasn��t aware of where the magical crest was and a detailed examination was required to find it. At least for now, Rhode didn��t have the time to do it.


    Finally, he had decided to head out alone and was confident. He had entered the Legendary Stage and with the four holy sword cards in his arsenal, there were a total of five legendary beings. It would be the Undead Army��s wishful thinking if they thought they could hold him down. Besides, Rhode didn��t need to sneak into their camp. He just needed to find a suitable location and summoning Madaras and Gracier would do��the Carlesdine��s ��Stealth�� skill didn��t exist for nothing.


    Rhode understood well that the skeleton creatures held valiant anti-detection abilities. In the early stages of the game, many players had suffered and due to the distinct differences between the living and dead, they emerged on the Necromancers�� and Liches�� ��radar�� like shiny gems.


    This led to players getting easily intercepted by the Undead Army, where dividing and encirclement were extremely common. Back then, many players were at their wits�� end. They berated the game developers for being crazy, but bit their teeth for the sake of the rich remunerations. Humans always came up with ideas. After endless torture, the players thought of an idea to dodge the Undead Army��s detection. Thereafter, the players had easy times investigating the Undead Army.


    This was one of the reasons why Rhode brought Celestina along. He knew that the Undead Creatures�� detection spell basically tracked for signs of life or kindness. He didn��t think of himself as kind, but for the sake of safety, he sent Celestina out to be his scapegoat. This demon young lady was 100 percent in the evil camp and even her bloodline had assured it.


    But, Rhode knew that this was merely an insurance and had another set of preparations ready.


    ��What a magnificent tower.��


    Serena exclaimed in awe as she ascended the spotlessly white flight of stairs. Marlene, on the other hand, remained silent, but it was apparent from her expression that she agreed with Serena. After all, it was the dream of almost every Mages to own a Mage Tower. It wasn��t as simple as just coalescing powers, but it also represented the Mage��s glory and destiny.


    Shortly after, both of them arrived at the vast hall on the highest floor of the tower. Picturesque scenes could be viewed in all directions. The chilly breeze blew, but instantly vanished as soon as they struck the magical barrier. They lifted their heads and saw the patterns representing the wind and fire elements on the semicircular dome. The entire hall looked unfrequented. Rhode couldn��t be blamed because the simple decorations were all that he could afford for now. If he were to decorate them completely, he wouldn��t be left with much money. If the cost of constructing the Holy Maiden Statues was ranked the third in his most spendings in this territory, the renovation of this Spell Tower would definitely be the first. In fact, the constructions of simple walls and exquisite decorations wasn��t expensive. It was the magic botanical garden, various alchemy and magical devices, defense enchanted field, Mithril Library and such that were the most costly.


    ��You��re here.��


    Canary stood in the middle and turned to the two young ladies with a smile. Marlene nodded in response while Serena stood nervously in attention. She frantically presented a solemn, Mage bow.


    ��G-Greetings, Mage Canary. It�� It is my honor to be invited to your Mage Tower. I��m Serena Kanders, an Elemental Mage from the Mage Association. I����


    ��Relax, Serena.��


    Canary said gently. ��Don��t be nervous. I��m about the same age as you. You can call me by my name just like Miss Marlene.��


    ��Yes�� Miss Canary.�� Serena said in a trembling voice, but Canary��s peaceful tone calmed her down.


    Serena lifted her head and scanned the young lady curiously. Indeed, she appeared like her age. But there was an obvious difference between them: the surging wave of magical powers in the Peak Inner Circle.


    Serena had heard the rumors about Canary before arriving at the Land of Atonement. But she didn��t take them seriously. She was the up and rising star of the Mage Association. Even though she wasn��t as outstanding as Marlene, she also held the pride and confidence that an impressive star should have. She believed that the rumors were exaggerated. She knew how challenging it was for ordinary humans to break through the barriers and enter the Inner Circle. Even though Marlene was more talented than her, wasn��t she only in the Middle Circle? If someone that young defied the rules and transcended into the Inner Circle, why didn��t she heard of it before?


    After arriving at Land of Atonement, Canary had been busy with the Mage Tower construction. It was Serena��s first time meeting Canary and Mini Bubble Gum during the meeting today.


    But just this one time was enough.


    Serena sensed the dense, over-the-charts energy exuding from Mini Bubble Gum and Canary and her world has as though crumbled entirely. What surprised her further was that Canary was a Self-taught Mage! Oh my goodness. Does logic exist at all?!


    In that instant, Serena felt as though the title that she received in the Mage Association was not worthy at all. Standing before the true talent, she was nothing more than a beggar. Serena felt uncomfortable as her previous contempt and newly-gained reverence toward her were mashed together.


    Marlene let out a chuckle. She knew what was going through Serena��s mind. In fact, Marlene also held such thoughts about Canary when they first met. Besides, Rhode was dragged into their relationship which made things even more complicated. But she had gotten used to it as time passed. She realized that there was nothing she couldn��t accept as long as she had an open mind.


    ��Rhode has reached the borders and it��s up to us next.��


    Canary beckoned to Marlene and Serena. They weren��t here to simply observe the Mage Tower. Instead, they were assisting Canary in casting detection spells. Mages could use this spell like activating the satellite radar, which could explore other areas. But it wouldn��t be effective on areas with stronger magical spell resistance. In fact, Canary had also detected numerous occasions when the enemies investigated their territory. But there was a limit to the undead��s detection spell, after all, and under the Holy Maiden Statues�� enchanted field, Canary easily shattered them. And now, Canary had decided to respond in kind.


    ��I need both of your powers. Please stand here.��


    Canary pointed. Marlene and Serena spotted the silver-whitish ritual triangle emanating a faint, glorious radiance. There were circles on the three pointed edges, which were for their positions. Apart from this, there was also the most glaring eye symbol in the middle and circular, mysterious runes hovering around it. Serena shrieked in astonishment.


    ��T-This is the Occult Field?��


    ��That��s right.��


    Canary nodded without any changes in her expression. Serena was overwhelmed. She knew clearly that the Occult Field was an ancient, combined spell used by Mages. It could perfectly merge all the Mages�� powers involved and the might would be much stronger than an ordinary spell. But Serena was also aware that the Occult Field had vanished in history after the Creation War. The Grand Mages in the Mage Association had spent centuries and only recovered one-tenth of it. If Serena wasn��t fortunate enough to become one of the Grand Mage��s disciples and saw data regarding the Occult Field, perhaps she wouldn��t have imagined seeing a perfect Occult Field here!


    Serena was sure that if she told this matter to her teacher, perhaps her teacher and the other Grand Mages would flock their way here to see it even if the end of the world was before them. But��


    ��B-But, Miss. Canary, the activation of the Occult Field should require 12 members if I recall correctly����


    ��We don��t need that strong of a spell at the moment. Besides, we don��t have enough manpower too. This is why I��ve simplified it, so the three of us will be enough.��


    Simplified it��


    Serena was rooted in her place.


    Shortly after, the three young ladies stood in their positions while facing the triangle. Serena was nervous. Marlene put up a solemn expression while Canary maintained her smile.


    ��Don��t worry, I will use my powers as a guide. The eyes of the storm will be used to detect secrets. The powers of the flames will be used to maintain defense. Miss Marlene, you��ll be in charge of the earth protection. Miss. Serena, I��ll leave the snow protection to you.��


    ��Y-Yes��! Miss Canary!��


    Serena responded hurriedly as though a student called out by her form teacher. Then, she realized that she was behaving overly nervous. She shook her head before nodding firmly.


    ��Leave it to me, Miss Canary.��


    ��Alright then, let��s begin.��


    Canary raised her arms forward and the other two young ladies followed suit. They chanted in harmony and shortly after, a whizzing snow storm emerged in the magic image displayed before them.


    The strong snow storm whistled.


    Canary opened her eyes. The snowy scene as though taken from an aerial camera slowly advanced forward, which they eventually entered the pitch-black territory.


    ��Argh����


    Serena gritted her teeth. Even though she was only responsible for casting a snow spell to conceal the presence of magic to prevent enemy detection, she instantly felt an evil, dark energy after they crossed the Country of Darkness�� border. The ice-cold chills numbed her fingertips.


    Light turned into darkness.


    In the blink of an eye, an endless sea of Undead Creatures emerged and filled the entire magic image. Canary twitched her brow while Marlene and Serena held their breaths. This was the first time that they witnessed that many Undead Creatures so clearly. Gazing at this scene alone was enough to leave them in a sense of despair.


    Fortunately for them, this scene only lasted for a few seconds as the scene in the magic image moved forward. But it became distorted out of a sudden.


    ��They detected our presence!��


    Serena sensed dark energy piercing through her snowstorm and aiming for their source of power. However, the dark energy crashed onto Marlene��s defense barrier. Marlene instantly turned pale to the immense strength. She ground her teeth and the magical radiance emanating on her hands shimmered increasingly brighter. Canary didn��t give up. She swiped her right hand and the scene before them instantly spun 180 degrees to scan the situation. Then, pitch-black flames emerged.


    ��Move back!��


    Canary commanded and the other two young ladies stepped back hurriedly. The surging, powerful dark energy erupted from the magical image. But at this moment, Canary released a dazzling brilliance from her right hand and instantly subdued it.


    ��Phew����


    Canary clapped the dust off her hands and let out a sigh of relief.


    ��We��ve confirmed the enemy��s specific location and destroyed their detection barrier. We��ll have to leave it to Rhode next����


    Canary gazed at Marlene and Serena with a smile.


    ��Alright. Time for some tea.��

 Chapter 728 - Penetrate the Backlines (1)

    Chapter 728: Penetrate the Backlines (1)


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Scarlet flames spurted and dazzling sparks ripped through the darkness as they scattered wildly. The dark figure let out a snort and dodged the flaming ambush. Cullen sulked as he laid his hand forward and clenched. Shortly after, dark matter between his shriveled fingers surged forward and instantly extinguished the blazing flames. The area that shone brightly had as though been reoccupied by darkness and everything went silent. After a few moments, a green radiance lit up the space. Cullen stepped ahead and gazed at the crystal ball with a sullen expression. His dark pupils glinted with curiosity and astonishment.


    This ��Night Lich�� didn��t appear too different from other Liches. Or perhaps, Undead Creatures looked the same to humans. Similar to other Liches, Cullen was also a walking skeleton and it was unbelievable that he was a highly experienced Lich due to his dry, crumpled skin and age-marks on his face. If it weren��t for his pupils lit with spiritual flames in the empty eye sockets, perhaps others would regard this Lich clad in a violet robe as an old man who didn��t have much time left.


    Ordinary Liches didn��t have skin and muscles. They abandoned their bodies after transforming into Undead Creatures and the higher tier Liches didn��t even need physical bodies. But Cullen was an exception. Even though he was a Great Lich, he was persistent in keeping his body. Even before he transformed into a Lich, he used alchemy spells to modify his body, which was why he appeared rather similar to humans now. This interest of his had become a source of amusement for the dark spell caster community. Some even ridiculed him that he might as well become a Vampire since he loved his body that much. Thereafter, Cullen had indeed became close to the Vampires, which turned him into a laughingstock in Country of Darkness. But, as he rose in strength and position, the sneers and ridicules vanished.


    ��The enemy countered my detection spell.��


    Cullen��s hoarse voice echoed in the darkness. He stared at the extraordinary crystal ball, which was also his spell casting tool. Even though it was expensive, it couldn��t withstand the powerful strength and crumbled entirely. Not only that, but Cullen was also left with filthy smoke stains and the shimmering accessories on him dulled instantly. Unlike many spell casters who weren��t engaged in honest work, Cullen was currently below the Intermediate Legendary Stage because he focused all his effort on alchemy research. However, this wasn��t too surprising since Undead Creatures had unique traits over humans that helped them transcend into the Legendary Stage: they weren��t alive, didn��t have friendships, relationships, and lovers��wrong. It was because humans had double protection with their flesh and mentality, so even if they failed to transcend into the Legendary Stage, they had the chance to restart if they protected themselves from the backlash of failure. However, the Undead Creatures didn��t have flesh as defense and could only rely on their spiritual energy to break through. Once their breakthrough failed�� They would vanish into thin air.


    But the Undead Creatures were ��undead��, after all, and as long as they didn��t die to schemes and assassinations, they could live on forever. It was due to this that the Country of Darkness held such powerful forces over the years, unlike the Light Mainland where legendary humans would be dead at the maximum of 150 years old. Judging from the entire situation, the Country of Darkness was much stronger than the entire Light Mainland. Even though Elves, Dwarves, and Angels had longevity, their flaw was that there were too few of them. Besides, it was hard for these three races to reproduce the next generation. Although there were a lot of humans, they were also the most fragile, where they wouldn��t live for more than 150 years. On the other hand, the Undead Creatures might have just transcended into the Legendary Stage after the 150 years.


    Judging from this aspect, the advantage of the Undead Creatures was their longevity while humans had fast speed growth. Both sides had weaknesses too. Humans couldn��t live for long while Undead Creatures required a long time to reach the Legendary Stage, where almost every Undead Creatures took at least 200 years. This meant that if all the legendary creatures in the Country of Darkness died, they would a minimum of 200 years to recreate a new generation of legendary creatures while humans only needed 40 to 50 years.


    This was one of the reasons also why Rhode led the legendary players and swept the Country of Darkness continuously. After they eliminated the high-level Undead Creatures, they didn��t feel the pressure even when they faced the thousands of level 50 Undead Creatures thereafter�� Besides, they didn��t lose in terms of quantity. In the early stages of the game, a player who trained all day only needed less than half a year to reach the maximum of level 60 and those who trained fewer needed less than a year. The rate of growth for the Undead Creatures was totally incomparable to the humans.


    Cullen was the perfect proof. Before he became a Lich, he was only an ordinary human apprentice under a Necromancer. Thereafter, he worked hard to change his destiny and touched the gates of the Legendary Stage within 40 years. In the end, in the face of death, he staked everything on one throw and became a Lich to break away from the Necromancer��s control and eventually kill it. That was when Cullen inherited its assets, treasure, and territory and this became his foundation to strengthen his developments.


    However, within the 300 years of being a Lich, Cullen had slow understanding of magic spells. In player terms, he merely leveled up from level 60 to 67 in the 300 years. Increasing by seven levels in 300 years. This pace was insanely slow to the players.


    But this was the ordinary pace of the Undead Creatures.


    No matter the Lich, Necromancer, or Vampire, their rate of growth were extremely slow. Besides, in addition to the numerous conspiracies and internal family frictions, some rising talents were killed before they revealed their outstanding feats. But due to long accumulation of time, not only did the internal family frictions not turn the Undead Creatures weaker, but they also separated the wheat from the chaff and uncovered the terrifying, powerful figures.


    Although Cullen wasn��t considered the best among the Liches, his expertise in creating magic equipment and alchemy potions was stellar. He didn��t mind using external powers to compliment his magic equipment in boosting his strength into the Intermediate Legendary Stage. This was his proudest achievement because the higher the spell caster��s level, the deeper they entered the Magic Circle and the lesser the assistance was required from external factors. It didn��t mean that Cullen was weak and his magic equipment boosted him into the Legendary Stage. Instead, the magic equipment proved his achievements.


    Cullen was proud of this. But this time, he realized that the situation was different from what he expected.


    He sensed that there was a Mage spying on him and his army. Then, he stepped up and stopped them. This was a common situation for him and he was full of confidence because detection spells were incredibly fragile. No matter which type of detection spell it was, they were cast using the spell caster��s mental strength and the farther the distance and wider the range, the more mental strength it required. But no matter what, there was no endless source of mental strength to support the spell, just like a kite that flew far away would eventually fall after its string was cut.


    However, Cullen sensed the surging, powerful strength when he resisted and attacked simultaneously.


    That pure, formidable magical power was as though a pouring storm, which caught him off guard. If it wasn��t for his quick reaction to activate his defense accessory, perhaps he would be a goner by now. He was baffled.


    Oh my gosh. That was so powerful. Will I stand a chance against the enemy when we face each other?


    ��It��s a Mage in the Peak Legendary Stage.��


    Cullen sulked and muttered under his breath. He stretched out his hand and touched the crystal fragments hovering in midair. They appeared to be burned by flames. Cullen narrowed his eyes and scanned carefully.


    ���� Was it Amund?��


    A Necromancer beside Cullen asked with weakened spiritual radiance in his eyes. It was apparent that in the previous clash, this unfortunate Necromancer didn��t hold as much protection equipment as Cullen, which resulted in his injury. But his plight wasn��t too bad considering that the other two Necromancers assisting Cullen had perished into dust due to their low levels. This proved just how powerful Canary was.


    ��It wasn��t Amund.��


    Cullen shook his head. He sensed pure flames within the powers. Amund wasn��t a fire elemental Mage, so this powerful strength definitely didn��t belong to him. Not only that, but Cullen also sensed the presence of the wind element, which confused him.


    ��T-That����


    A timid voice sounded. Cullen turned around and spotted a young Vampire clad in a black, long robe. The latter gazed at Cullen hesitantly and subconsciously tightened his hug on the white cat in his arms.


    ���� I-I heard that the young overlord has a subordinate who is a spell caster and has entered the Legendary Stage�� Besides, in the previous battle, she was present too.��


    ��Oh?��


    Cullen��s eyes glinted as he stared. At this moment, he recalled that this Vampire named Schrodinger standing before him was involved in the previous battle and was fortunate to escape. This time, Cullen had also brought him along in order to receive some intelligence and it seemed that his choice was right.


    ��Really?��


    ��Y-Yes, Sir.��


    The young Vampire answered worriedly.


    ��B-Back then, Master Simon was about to activate the supreme spell, but the young lady��s spiritual body emerged out of nowhere. Then, she extended her hand and broke the supreme spell from Master Simon��s supreme spell�� It was the same back then. The gushing, dazzling flames almost devoured everything and Master Simon was gravely injured by it. That�� It was the same for me, so����


    Schrodinger didn��t finish his sentence, but Cullen understood what he meant. It was apparent that the scene had scared him witless, which he fled and escaped death, unlike Simon and his pitiful men who were annihilated. It was punishable to flee at the last moment, but Schrodinger had the highest level among those who escaped and his life was spared so he could describe the entire situation perfectly. If it wasn��t for Cullen who was heading into Land of Atonement fortress and needed someone to help him familiarize with the situation, perhaps Schrodinger would have been thrown into prison.


    It seems that this battle is gonna be tough.


    Cullen narrowed his eyes. A Peak Legendary Mage was unlike a Warrior. Mages�� powerful spell casting abilities predetermined that they could control the entire battlefield. But for unknown reasons, Cullen felt that the enemy was stronger than the Peak Legendary Stage. He couldn��t put a finger on it. After all, he was only in the Intermediate Legendary Stage and wouldn��t understand things which he didn��t grasp.


    But apart from this, what made Cullen worried the most was the other report which mentioned that Simon��s Undead Army suddenly disappeared from the battlefield. Any legendary beings could imagine this to be dragging others into their Order Dimension. But�� how much strength was needed to drag the entire army in? Perhaps even the Light Dragon Soul couldn��t achieve it.


    Cullen felt that the situation was getting out of hand. The Undead Army had stationed here for a long time, but failed to capture detailed information about the enemies as the scouts that he sent were all discovered. Not only that, but he had also lost his precious Corpse Slave �� Back then, Cullen was scared witless after he discovered that the black-haired young overlord tried to capture his spirit. If Cullen didn��t abandon his ideas and flee right away, perhaps this entire army would have a new commander now. It was due to this that Cullen stopped dispatching high-level scouts whose might possibly be captured. All he could do was to use magic spells to observe the fortress from a distant. But the amount of information he could gain from it was limited.


    It seems that the young man is retaliating�� But this is fine too.


    Cullen revealed an ice-cold smile. Then, he turned to his subordinates.


    ��My detection spell has been destroyed and can��t be cast for the time being. I expect the enemy to dispatch their troops to investigate our whereabouts any time soon. Strengthen our defenses and immediately report if there are any findings.


    Cullen swept a glance at the empty seat and said in dissatisfaction.


    ��Where��s Nell?��


    ��Sir, she has left the campsite early in the morning. She said she has a mission to complete.��


    ��Hmph.��


    Cullen let out a snort.


    The group of lowly Dark Elves was unpleasant to his eyes for a long time. If it wasn��t for Balende, he wouldn��t have led them here. Even though the Dark Elves held a higher status than the humans in Country of Darkness, they were nothing more than slaves and playthings to the Undead Creatures. Cullen had always suspected that the Dark Elves had other motives for coming here, but it had nothing to do with him.


    Cullen was better off minding his own business.


    Rhode came to a halt.


    He scanned the surroundings. At this moment, there wasn��t a single ray of light in the forest apart from the blood moon hanging high above. The pitch-black Dragon Soul protection from above had concealed all other radiance. Rhode found it amusing because, simultaneously, the sun was shining brightly on the other side of the boundary line. It seemed that science was completely cut off from this world.


    Scarlet, dusky radiance from the blood moon illuminated and formed indistinct shadows from between the dense, withered branches. Rhode slid along the snowy path lithely without leaving any footprints. Ever since he entered the Legendary Stage, he realized that his nimbleness had reached a new height.


    Celestina, on the other hand, didn��t have any reasons to worry about this problem due to the pair of black wings behind her: she didn��t need to walk.


    ��Just a little more in this direction�� We��ll reach our destination after climbing over that mountain.��


    Rhode leaned against a boulder. He looked up and pierced through the darkness with his sharp gaze. According to Canary, there was a hill with deathly stillness on the other end. It was desolate and barren with white snow covering its gray grounds. Although it looked empty, Rhode detected the ��dead�� hidden under the snowfield and the magic eyes concealed within the forest, which proved that he was on the right path and was getting closer to the Undead Army.


    ��How troublesome. Those lowly Undead Creatures are still as annoying as ever.��


    Celestina knitted her brows and let out a snort. She crossed her arms and her scarlet eyes glinted with obvious disdain. ��What do you intend to do, Master? Why don��t we slaughter our way through? Isn��t this your specialty?��


    ��We����


    Rhode turned to her, but as he was about to respond, he gestured hurriedly. Celestina nodded slightly and dark smoke erupted from her. After a few moments, she vanished and Rhode blended into the shadow between the two trees.


    At this moment, three shadows leaped from above and surrounded Rhode silently.

 Chapter 729 - Penetrate the Backlines (2)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Three shadows leaped from above and landed on their feet lithely. They were wrapped in white cloaks and in a single glance, they were as though blended into the environment as one. But their levels were only at the Peak Master Stage. It was due to this reason that they were detected by Rhode.


    They aren��t Undead Creatures. How rare.


    Rhode twitched his brows as he watched from the shadows. He sensed their heat and odor, which proved that they were living creatures. But it wasn��t easy to find living creatures in the Undead Army because living creatures were usually burden to the Undead Creatures who didn��t need food and water to survive and especially in such an occasion.


    The three figures didn��t speak a word. They leaned against one another��s back in a triangle formation. They unsheathed their sleek sword while scanning the area. After a few moments, they put away their swords, turned around, and silently gestured. The hand gestures were complicated, but Rhode was familiar with them.


    ��This is strange. I clearly saw two figures just now.��


    ��You must��ve seen the wrong thing. There aren��t any signs of life and footprints here.��


    ��Maybe it��s the shadow of the swaying branches. We have more important missions to attend to. Let��s go.��


    After interacting with their hand gestures, the three figures sprung up to the branches dexterously and one of them even passed Rhode without realizing. They leaped from branch to branch and finally disappearing into the distance. But Rhode didn��t have the intention to leave immediately. He used his spiritual communication to request Celestina not to move unnecessarily and observe the situation. Indeed. After the three figures left, two more figures flitted through the shrubs. They came to an abrupt halt, but moved out after a few seconds.


    After a few moments, Rhode stepped out and realized that the shadow on the ground was slowly twisting. Not only that, but the shadow of the branches also gathered as though attracted by a force and laid out to form a straight path. Celestina walked out like a sulking princess and arrived at Rhode��s side.


    ��Those annoying maggots.��


    She knitted her brows and grumbled as she swept a glance toward the direction where the figures had headed to.


    ��They are nothing more than slaves and even dare to act presumptuously before me. If it isn��t for�� Hmph. I will teach them a lesson sooner or later!��


    They are the Dark Elves��


    Rhode neglected Celestina��s grumbles completely. He knitted his brows and considered the entire situation with a heavy expression. In fact, he knew their identity after witnessing their interactions with hand gestures. The Dark Elves were deceitful and ruthless. It was due to this that they were rather popular in the dark world. But life had been rough for them. Even though they were experts in assassination techniques, there weren��t any presences worthy of their assassination in the underground kingdom. On the other hand, they also couldn��t defeat those who were worthy. Ever since they came to the underground after abandoning their relatives on the surface, they had as though lost their rights to dominate their destiny. They either became the Demon��s or the Undead Creatures�� slaves and the only time for them to feel proud and superior was when they met the Dwarves who had also defected to the underground.


    But it was rather too embarrassing for them to feel superior over the Dwarves. Wasn��t it?


    However, now wasn��t the time to mock the Dark Elves. They might not be effective against the Undead Creatures, but their poison blades and ability to lurk in the darkness were lethal to humans, Elves, and Dwarves. It seemed that the Undead Creatures�� brains were still working fine even after living for such a long time. The Holy Maiden Statues�� enchanted field worked well against the Undead Creatures, but weren��t as effective on living creatures such as the Dark Elves. Although they might feel more or less uncomfortable to the holy aura, their reactions wouldn��t be as huge as the Undead Creatures. Moreover, judging from their actions, they were obviously heading for Rhode��s fortress.


    This is trouble.


    Rhode was aware that there would be no peace if the Dark Elves sneaked into the fortress. Fortunately, the map gadget in his system could detect their presence as soon as they entered his territory. But he had to think of ways to get rid of them quickly because they were vicious and frightening, where the terrorists in the real world weren��t comparable to them at all. There was an instant when Rhode decided to give up his plans and eliminate them first since he had Gracier and Madaras. The Carlesdine were the trump card in assassination, where the Dark Elves were nothing before them.


    At this moment, Celestina��s crisp, ringing voice sounded.


    ��Lowly clowns can be irritating too, Master. Those worms make me uncomfortable. I think that we should squash them to death first.��


    Rhode looked into her scarlet pupils while she let out a snort and turned around. Rhode curled his lips. Even though she sounded the way she usually spoke, he understood the meaning behind her words.


    In the end, he shook his head.


    ��It��s not necessary, Celestina. Leave this matter to Canary and the others. They��re more than capable of dealing with the Dark Elves who haven��t reached the Legendary Stage. But����


    Rhode swept a meaningful glance at Celestina.


    ��I do appreciate your concerns for me, Miss Celestina.��


    ��W-What are you talking about! Foolish human!��


    A smear of red emerged across her pale expression. She turned around, folded her arms, and stomped her foot. She glared at Rhode with knitted brows as though he had offended her.


    ��I only felt that those hateful bugs are annoying! What has it got to do with you?! Those Dark Elves are nothing more than my lowly slaves in hell and how dare they offend their superior by leaving their putrid stench in my territory. Just this point alone is enough to tear their limbs apart!��


    Even though Celestina appeared fuming and gritted her teeth, Rhode thought that she looked rather hilarious. It was apparent from her deliberately stifled voice that she was abiding by his order even though she wasn��t willing. If she threw her temper, she wouldn��t care about screaming and attracting the Undead Creatures. But now, it seemed that��


    ���� What are you looking at?��


    After softly ��venting�� her frustrations, she realized that Rhode had been gazing at her amusingly, which left her puckering her brows. He didn��t answer immediately. Instead, he observed her delicate and adorable face before shifting his gaze to her ample chest and finally stopping by her slender legs. Celestina stepped back subconsciously. At this moment, Rhode said.


    ��I��m sorry, I didn��t realize your thoughts earlier�� Miss Celestina, you��ve been holding in for a long time, right?��


    ��What��!��


    Celestina blushed and glared fiercely. But, shortly after, she let out a grunt and turned away in disdain.


    ��I don��t know what you��re talking about, foolish human. Only a lowly race like you, humans, will succumb to desires. Hpmh. Don��t think that I��m not aware that you��ve been mating with other women in the fortress, especially the estrus bitch! As my master, I hope you can watch your behavior and stop swinging your broken male tool wherever you go!��


    Rhode felt rather awkward because Celestina was right. Anne��s estrus had been out of his expectations, where she almost reported to him almost every night. Every time he rejected her, she would put up a pitiful-looking face as though she hadn��t eaten for a long time. On the other hand, even though Marlene and Lize didn��t mention anything, they had been hinting him to not favor one and discriminate against the others��


    Fortunately, even though Anne had strong needs during her estrus, it lasted only for a month. Besides, it wasn��t a tough job for men in these situations. Watching such a beautiful young woman lingering around their feet could naturally satisfy their desire and satisfaction of being a man. But Rhode felt that if it wasn��t for his mysterious bloodline that had strengthened his constitution, perhaps he would��ve been ��juiced�� dry by Anne. It was due to this that Rhode had some speculations that this was why most of the half-beast families were of single parent. How could ordinary humans tolerate such an extent of ��juicing��? Moreover, their partners as Half-Beasts were much stronger in constitution and bloodline. Rhode felt sorry for Anne��s father because his partner was a pure beast�� My prayers to you�� Lascivious activities can lead to bitter consequences. This saying from ancient times was indeed accurate.


    After transmigrating into this world, Rhode had always been energetic, where sleepless nights didn��t affect him at all. Even after ��battling�� it out with Marlene and Lize, he felt that he had endless flow of energy inside him. Unless he was seriously injured, he seldom took naps. But, during the month when Anne pestered him every night, he woke up to the sun shining on him every morning. Even though this was the normal timing for others, it explained everything for a person like him who usually woke up at 6 am when the sun was still down.


    Unsure if he was fortunate or unlucky, the nights of ��pain and happiness�� had finally ended and Anne returned to her usual, cheerful self. But what left him helpless was that whenever he consulted Gillian over this matter, the latter always told him not to worry because Anne had only inherited the half-beast bloodline. As a half-beast, she would only behave this way in that month and wouldn��t be any different from ordinary humans in other months.


    Wouldn��t be any different from ordinary humans��


    Wouldn��t be any different from ordinary humans��


    Wouldn��t be any different from ordinary humans��


    It��s fine too as long as it isn��t her estrus.


    ��Hmm?��


    Rhode stared blankly.


    ��How did you know?��


    Rhode admitted that he always kept his secrets well. Besides, he usually disconnected the spiritual link between his spirits and him to protect everyone��s privacy. But it seemed that it wasn��t effective on Celestina.


    ��Hmph!��


    Celestina didn��t answer. She turned around and looked at the dark sky proudly. Rhode shrugged because he knew her personality inside out after spending so much time together. It would be a miracle if she were kind enough to tell him the truth. Therefore, he stopped probing and informed Orchid Heart, Mini Bubble Gum, and Canary about the Dark Elves using his spiritual communication. Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were spell casters and they weren��t suitable in dealing with assassins. But their overpowering level overcame the Dark Elves�� Peak Master strength. On the other hand, Orchid Heart treated it as a chance to take in some EXP. The three young ladies gladly accepted the order. Mini Bubble Gum rolled up her sleeves for battle while Canary asked if they should keep them alive. Rhode understood the Dark Elves well and knew that it was impossible for them to reveal any secrets even if they were caught. Therefore, Rhode ordered them to eliminate them as priority and imprison those who survived. All in all, they must not let them enter the city or escape sneakily.


    Rhode turned around and approached Celestina. He stretched out his right hand and gave her bum a tight squeeze. Even though she was on her guard, she didn��t expect that he would be this despicable. She frowned and questioned, but he had turned around expressionlessly.


    ��The problem is solved. Let��s continue.��


    Celestina held in her wrath. But she had cursed him inwardly for over 180 times already.


    If her curses were effective, Rhode would have fallen into hell, been burned by the demonic flames, and get executed by the most painful punishment. Fortunately for him, he wasn��t aware of that. He lay on the hill and scanned the Undead Army below. Then, he decided to not rush his way down. Even though he had transcended into the Legendary Stage and enhanced his Dark Dance Swordsmanship to blend into the shadow like the legendary Shadow Warrior, he wasn��t a genuine one, after all. He could last a long time if he remained in the state of silence. However, it would be impressive if he could even maintain one minute while moving.


    In the end, he chose a longer route. He dodged their line of sight by sneaking through the other side and arrived at a relatively steep mountain wall shadow.


    The Undead Army presented itself before him.


    Magnificent.


    If natives like Marlene, Lize, and Frederick were here, perhaps they would have shrieked in horror. Even players like Canary and Rhode were astounded and horrified when they faced the Undead Army for the first time. Although years had passed and he was mentally prepared, his heart skipped a beat.


    It was an endless darkness.


    Undead Creatures filled the flat mountainous region in orderly rows and the snowy field had as though been covered by a thick, black carpet. Soul Griffins and Gargoyles hovered in midair and between the mountains stood up to 10 structures resembling furnaces of five to six meters wide. The burning magma inside them splashed back and forth while Skeleton Guards stood by it��


    That��s the elemental summoning door?!


    Rhode squinted and was glad that he made this trip here. It was apparent that this army had spell casters who were experts in summoning. The furnace was a teleportation door that connected to the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. If Rhode recalled correctly, this should be linked to the Burning Plain. The fire elemental creatures in the Burning Plain were tough to deal with and it was due to this reason that not only did they possess powerful offense and fire immunity, but they were also walking bombs. Almost no player wished to touch them at all. Creatures with the lowest level in the Burning Plain possessed self-destructive might that matched a grenade. On the other hand, the stronger creatures could explode and kill everything up to a hundred miles and they were also known as the most terrifying terrorists in the Dragon Soul Continent. It was obvious that the Undead Army had learned their lesson and intended to summon the ��terrorists�� from the Burning Plain as the main attacking force.


    It seems that they��re coming in hard this time.


    The problem was that Rhode couldn��t specifically find out which elemental creatures they would summon. After all, the elemental creatures in the Seven Fantasy Boundaries held different strength. For example, even though the Silver Ocean contained massive creatures like the Soul Whales and smaller Ocean Elves like Agatha, it was apparent that the Undead Army wouldn��t be summoning any low-level fire elemental creatures as they built the elemental summoning door here. Rhode couldn��t find out what the highest level of creatures that they could summon was. After all, the benefit of the elemental summoning door was that one could prepare the resources beforehand and instantly summon thousands of creatures at once.


    If it was possible, Rhode wished to destroy the elemental summoning door. But he quickly diminished this thought after gazing at the ten enormous furnaces. He shifted his gaze to the Undead Army. Of course, he wouldn��t be that foolish to count each and every one of them. Instead, he could estimate their numbers from their flags. The results appeared to be similar to what Sara had provided. Cullen��s family flag was erected in the middle while Burks��s and Duran��s were planted on the left and right. There were about 150,000 troops in total. Apart from the Death Knight, Skeleton Guards, and Skeleton Soldiers, Rhode also noticed the huge number of Ghouls and Specters. Moreover, he also discovered the high-level troop that he had reminded others to take note of: the Skeletal Troll.


    This horrifying-looking seven-meters tall creature was made of strong, bulky bones. Even though it looked as though it would easily crumble, Rhode knew that its skeleton was specially modified. Not only was it as hard as fine gold, but its magical resistance was incredibly high. The Skeletal Troll��s standard weapon was its two enormous chain hammers. Its shoulders were also embedded with two-meters wide rectangular, iron plates which were used as ��towers�� to transport Undead Creatures. When the battle began, the Skeletal Troll would arrive at the city walls while the Undead Creatures lept out and fight against the soldiers. The Skeletal Troll was also strong in attack and defense and held high health points.


    There were more than a hundred of such monsters in this entire campsite. Rhode was appalled. Even though he had faced wars of such a similar scale, that was during the late stages of the game. But now, his forces weren��t as ready to take on that many of them.


    On the other hand, the Vampire army shook him. They were stationed insignificantly at the dark corner of the cliffs. However, judging from their heraldic flag, there should be 500 to 1000 of them. If they were all Vampires, they could be treated as the elites of a large family.


    I can only pray that they are mostly mixed-blood species now.


    Fortunately, he didn��t discover the Shadow Demons, which he let out a sigh of relief. Currently, there weren��t any problems for his forces to take on the Skeletal Trolls and Vampire army. But it would be troublesome if the Shadow Demons emerged.


    At this moment, Rhode felt Celestina tugging on his sleeve unwillingly. He saw her lifting her chin and nodding at a certain direction. He turned over a discovered a strange presence��


    It laid quietly on the mountain peak with its pitch-black body blending into the night sky perfectly. Its massive pair of wings folded around its body and it stretched its neck out with its eyes sparkling like dazzling stars.


    What?! Must you be this insane?!


    Rhode sucked in a deep breath. He finally understood why there were no signs of any Shadow Demons. It was because they didn��t need them!


    This massive creature was the strongest battle unit in the Country of Darkness.


    Night Wyvern.

 Chapter 730 - Penetrate the Backlines (3)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    In the legends of this world, the Creator Dragon Souls sacrificed themselves and created this continent. But they weren��t chosen to follow a solitary path. They had dependents like the Angels, Elves, and Undead Creatures and also their direct subordinates: the Wyverns.


    Wyverns were basically the Creator Dragon Souls�� guards and held an average of level 80. It could also be said that they were considered the most powerful existence above mortals. The only beings who were qualified to be ranked above them were the three Archangels, four legendary generals, and six Deity Wardens.


    Rumor had it that Wyverns existed in the thousands. But most of them died during the Creation War when they served as the vanguards for the Dragon Souls. Currently, there were less than a hundred of them and they confined themselves after the Creation War. Some said that they were recuperating in the ��Wyvern Nest��, which was out of bounds to mortals, and were waiting to resurface. Players only had the chance to witness their graceful bearings through the Creation War images and videos.


    But what baffled the players was that not all Dragon Souls summoned Wyverns. Even though, according to the players�� textual research, all the Five Creator Dragon Souls should have personal, devoted Wyverns, such as the Night Wyverns of the Dark Dragon Soul, Rule Wyverns of the Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragon Souls, Holy Wyverns of the Light Dragon Soul, and Void Wyverns of the Void Dragon Soul, players had only seen the Night and Rule Wyverns in the game. The presences of the Holy Wyverns and Void Wyverns were the greatest unsolved mystery. Logically speaking, the Light Dragon Soul wouldn��t be that useless to not summon the Holy Wyverns. On the other hand, it was even stranger for the Void Dragon Soul. Many players heard that the Void Wyverns should be located inside the Deepest Labyrinth and guarding the Void Dragon Soul. However, only Rhode and his men, who had eliminated the Void Dragon Soul, knew that this was untrue. The Void Dragon Soul��s subordinates were basically creatures of the Deepest Labyrinth while the most relatable creature to the Void Dragon Soul was the Void Guard, which was a totally different concept. In the game, the Holy Wyverns and Void Wyverns were as though hiding in their nest and not revealing themselves. No one knew what was going through their heads.


    It was during the mid to late stages of the game when players saw the Night Wyverns and Rule Wyverns. The Night Wyverns emerged only when Rhode and the players were at the peak of their fight against the Country of Darkness. On the other hand, the Rule Wyverns appeared after the Country of Darkness was destroyed and Dragon Soul protection crumbled to fight against the Devil Army.


    This was why Rhode was flabbergasted. If this happened in the game, he would have taken a screenshot, post it on the forums, and hurled vulgarities.


    Just how much vengeance do they have?


    Huh?


    How much?!


    Did I sleep with the Dark Dragon��s wife or mess with its sister? Country of Darkness, must you take it this far? Is it necessary to repeat the Creation War with your Night Wyvern just to attack a fortress? Why?!


    Rhode babbled nonsense inwardly. Then, he took in a deep breath and calmed himself down. After all, such a situation wasn��t rare for him. Back then, when they applied the ��backstabbing�� tactic, they had also met characters they didn��t expect. If this happened in the game at this stage, even a cliff full of players wouldn��t be able to defeat a level 80 Night Wyvern. But the thought of the level 85 Canary and Mini Bubble Gum set his mind at ease. At the same time, he was relieved that he requested for two level 80 sets of armors from Lydia. If not, they were surely doomed if they fought the Night Wyvern in their plain armor.


    A total of 150,000 troops: Skeleton Guards, Skeleton Soldiers, Death Knights, over a hundred Skeletal Trolls, an army of nearly a thousand Vampires, 300 Spell Casters led by the Necromancers, Liches, and the Night Wyvern��if Rhode didn��t witness it for himself, perhaps he wouldn��t have believed that this army was formed to take down his newly built fortress. He would��ve thought that they were formed to attack Golden City instead.


    Fortunately, it��s a Night Wyvern.


    Rhode comforted himself. In fact, there were two totally different concepts in the way players and natives viewed troublesome creatures. Night Wyverns held strong attack, defense, and their strength were enhanced by the Dragon Halo and dark spells, but that was all to the players. Even though Night Wyverns were powerful, they weren��t disgustingly strong. Players often faced BOSSes of the Night Wyverns�� caliber, which was a necessary process to them. On the contrary, the Shadow Demon belonged to the category of an overwhelmingly powerful BOSS, especially with its ability to resurrect and turn corpses into Skeletal Trolls. One could imagine how annoying it was when one was focused on taking down the BOSS while powerful creatures harassed and broke one��s momentum.


    On the contrary, the natives had different views. No matter if they were the people of the Light Mainland or Darkness Mainland, they believed that the Night Wyvern was stronger than the Shadow Demon because the latter was a half-physical and half-virtual creature, which was why it would receive more damage when physically attacked. Besides, its biggest flaw was its low resistance to high-level spells, where it would die instantly when its lethal spot was struck.


    Forget it. Forget it.


    Rhode threw the issues regarding the Night Wyvern to the back of his head. Was there anything in the game that had escaped his blade other than the Country of Law, which didn��t mess with him? He had killed the Archangel, four legendary generals, Dark Dragon, Void Dragon, Demon Lord, and Duke Fiend. Except for the six Deity Wardens, Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons, and the Queen of the Elf Kingdom, he had basically killed every other BOSS.


    What can a mere Night Wyvern do? Just let it be.


    Rhode extended his hands and clenched. Then, two petite figures wrapped in white robes emerged before him.


    ��I��ll leave the rest to you. Gracier, Madaras.��


    Rhode said softly to the girls. The Carlesdine��s Stealth Skill allowed them to easily sneak into the enemy camp without detection. If he could seize the chance to assassinate their army commander, the Undead Creatures would surely erupt into chaos. But, even if he killed Cullen the Night Wyvern would instantly retaliate and he admitted that the strength of his cards wasn��t enough to defend against it. The strength of the holy sword cards in his arsenal was similar to him at around level 60. Even with the enhancement of the Stealth Skill, the chances of two level 60 Elves taking down a level 80 Night Wyvern was too slim.


    But they were still useful for other situations.


    ��I need your help. Search for the Fantasy Key to those elemental teleportation doors,�� Rhode said softly.


    Similar to the Seven Fantasy Boundaries teleportation door in the fortress, this elemental summoning door also needed the support of the Fantasy Key in order to unlock. But he found it a pity that this situation wasn��t as simple as those in the movies or novels, where the protagonist could save the world after destroying the core energy of the summoning spirit. What was the purpose of a summoning object if it could be destroyed that easily? Why would a qualified producer expose such weakness to outsiders? The Fantasy Key��s purpose was to unlock the door that leads to the tunnel of the Seven Fantasy Boundaries and keep them in place. But now, the ten furnaces had been put in place, so it would be impossible to shut down the tunnel by destroying the Fantasy Key just like a Hollywood movie.


    However, this wasn��t totally meaningless for Rhode. He could confirm what level of fire elemental creatures the Undead Creatures would summon judging by the Fantasy Key. And��


    ��It has to be in the middle of all the surrounding elemental teleportation doors. Find it and if possible, bring it back.��


    So what if the Night Wyvern was up there? Players didn��t forget about their spoils of war even after defeating the Void Dragon. Besides, without the support of a Fantasy Key, the elemental teleportation door would automatically shut down after using up its energy, which was great news for Rhode. The huge sea of Undead Creatures was sufficient to give him a headache and he didn��t wish to face endless fire elemental creatures too.


    The two elf girls nodded slightly and took a step back. Then, they leapt up and disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    The Carlesdine��s stealth indeed lives up to their reputation.


    The Undead Soldiers hidden under the thick layer of snow, magic eyes hovering in the sky, and numerous detection spells cast by the Necromancers were as though an inescapable net that prohibited any creatures from leaving and entering, where even a legendary being like Rhode had to go the long route. However, that was nothing to Gracier and Madaras. They penetrated their defense line directly and none of the Undead Creatures detected them!


    Their Stealth Skill is truly incredible��


    After hearing that they had entered the Undead Army campsite, Rhode exclaimed in awe. In the past, players had numerous guesses and analyses about this skill, but according to Rhode, it was a hundred times more insane than what the players imagined. It wasn��t just a skill, but also a rule. The Carlesdine who could use this skill were the materialization of this rule. In the Elf Kingdom, Rhode realized that this skill was extremely competent. Gracier and Madaras could instantly break free from the enemies�� restraint, which proved everything. More importantly, the powers of this skill wouldn��t disappear because it didn��t ��exist��!


    How could one detect something that didn��t exist?


    But it wasn��t invincible, after all. If not, the Carlesdine wouldn��t go extinct along with the White Elves after the Creation War. However, now wasn��t the time to think about these matters. Rhode shifted his attention to his spiritual communications and ordered them to take action while he observed everything through their eyes.


    What a fascinating line of sight.


    The two girls didn��t sneak through the shadow like typical scouts or spies and advance only after the guards left. Instead, they pulled down their hoods and paced as though they were in their own garden. From time to time, Death Knights and fully-armored Skeleton Guards passed by them, but no matter what, no one detected them. Even though Gracier��s and Madaras��s white robes were extraordinarily glaring among the sea of pitch-black Undead Creatures, they were as though nonexistent.


    Shortly after, the two girls arrived at the middle, where the elemental teleportation door was. Through their line of sight, Rhode saw a thin, invisible barrier decorated with luxurious looking runes that stopped their path. Behind the barrier was a stone platform in the middle and five Necromancers stood around it with staffs in their hands, scanning the place. It was apparent that they were maintaining the operations of the defensive barrier and those who trespassed would instantly be found.


    Little tricks by the Undead Creatures.


    Rhode let out a snort. He was familiar with how annoying this defense formation was after years of experience. But Gracier and Madaras weren��t taken aback. They strolled forward gracefully without the slightest hesitation.


    In an instant, they passed through the defensive barrier that was secured by numerous webs of detection spells, and the Necromancers who stood 15 meters away from them didn��t notice anything. They clutched their white staffs and focused their attention forward.


    The two girls arrived before the slate. Indeed, through their line of sight, Rhode spotted his target.


    Fantasy Key.


    It was a hexagonal crystal which resembled his water elemental Fantasy Key. But after taking a closer look, he discovered that the ball of flames burned continuously in its center, which showed that the Fantasy Key was in an activated state. Rhode also realized that several magical trap protections surrounded this small crystal, but he knew that they weren��t effective on Gracier and Madaras.


    Rhode sensed a spiritual signal from the two girls asking if they should snatch it. But he pondered for a while and came up with an amusing idea.


    ��Gracier, Madaras, let��s put on some fireworks,�� Rhode said.


    Schrodinger put away the work in his hand and stepped out of the tent hesitantly. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he scanned the surroundings. All he saw was the Undead Army preparing for battle silently. The Necromancers were also engaged in their jobs. He felt that he had made a wrong decision joining this front line. If it was possible, he would rather be imprisoned, but perhaps the situation would be even worse. He knew that among the Vampires, many had mocked him for fleeing from the battlefield while some Undead Creatures disapproved his actions. Even though the higher-ups were interested in his story and experience from that battle, what purpose did it serve? Schrodinger was born into a Vampire family far from civilization and always reared of rumors as one with a low status. He heard that the mighty Vampires were resentful for his humiliating actions and were going to punish him by sunbathing him: this was the most painful and terrifying punishment for Vampires. They would store him in a sealed jar, toss it into the Light Dragon��s territory, and reveal a small opening. The sun would rise and shine into the jar while he couldn��t break free from the shackles and waited in pain to be slowly burned to death. He heard about this rumor and the thought of it made him shiver. It was due to this that he had chosen to return to this place with Cullen once again.


    But now, something was off.


    Schrodinger��s nose twitched. He felt unsettled as though some kind of danger was approaching. This was his only talent. He was always able to sense dangerous omens. Of course, many Undead Creatures ridiculed him for being craven and only interested in saving his neck, which was the evilest insult to an Undead Creature.


    ����!��


    At this moment, the ground trembled.


    Bam!


    Schrodinger widened his eyes in shock. Suddenly, the magma inside the enormous furnace in the middle surged. Then, a monster of flames emerged from within. It looked around fiercely and slashed its razor-sharp claws at the Skeleton Soldiers around its feet. Then, it snarled and shattered one of them into dust.


    Oh my goodness, what exactly is going on?!


    Schrodinger hugged the cat in his arms tighter and stepped back frantically. The surrounding furnace teleportation doors shook and scarlet, scorching flames spurted. Then, several fire elemental creatures jumped out and attacked everything in their line of sight. The entire camp was in a tizzy.


    ��What happened!��


    Cullen stepped out of his tent in big strides and his expression froze instantly. At the same time, a fire elemental creature detected him, let out a snarl, and pounced on him. Of course, Cullen didn��t feel threatened at all. He brandished his staff and the fire elemental creature shattered instantly as though it was squashed by an invisible hand. It shrunk abruptly into a small ball of flame and vanished into thin air. Cullen stepped forward and his expression turned ashen as soon as he spotted the other fire elemental creatures leaping out of the furnaces.


    ��Who activated the summoning stone?!��


    After Cullen stomped his way to the summoning stone, most of the fire elemental creatures had been wiped out. Fortunately for them, the fire elemental creatures weren��t high in level, so they weren��t threatening at all.


    Then, Cullen noticed that the magical barrier, which he easily dispelled at the swing of his hand, was still in place. On the other hand, the five Necromancers stood in their original positions and everything appeared to be fine.


    ��Who activated the summoning stone?!��


    Cullen repeated, but no one answered. Not only that, but he also discovered that the Necromancers behaved strangely.


    He sulked and approached one of the Necromancers. The Necromancer clasped its staff and stood still in its place. However, the spiritual radiance in its eyes were gone.


    A gentle breeze blew.


    ������


    The Necromancer collapsed like a doll and its bone scattered everywhere. Shortly after, the other four Necromancers also crumbled before him.


    Cullen gritted his teeth. After he lowered his head and gazed at the pedestal, he clenched his fists and the spiritual flames of his eyes burned in wrath.


    The Fantasy Key was missing.

 Chapter 731 - A Big Trouble

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Rhode felt refreshed as soon as he stepped out of his Summon Gate. He knew that it would trigger disorder and destruction to the spiritual connection of the summoning stone if it was touched by unqualified ones and this would cause the summoned elemental creatures to be uncontrollable. Due to this reason, Rhode made Gracier and Madaras handle the situation. Since it wasn��t his campsite, he couldn��t care less if the fire elemental creatures wreaked havoc.


    ��Rhode, you��re back!��


    Marlene and Lize rushed over worriedly.


    ��Are you alright, Mr. Rhode?��


    ��With me around, what trouble can this damned human possibly get into?�� Celestina said with a gloomy expression.


    She glared at the two young ladies, lifted her head, and let out a snort. On the other hand, Marlene and Lize showed bitter smiles to each other. Even though they didn��t interact much with Celestina in the past, they knew that there were numerous strange beings around Rhode.


    ��I��m fine, thanks for the concern.��


    Rhode wrapped his arms and gazed at Celestina. The corners of his lips curled up and a trace of smile glinted in his eyes. Then, he turned to the two young ladies with a stern expression.


    ��I��ve gained huge results from this trip. Gather everyone. There��s something important to discuss.��


    ��Okay.�� Marlene and Lize nodded without hesitation and headed off.


    Rhode��s brows twitched. He couldn��t help but feel exhausted. Even though he had decided on how to resist the Undead Creatures�� upcoming attack after the investigations, this choice wasn��t one that he liked. If only he could get rid of the enemies as easily as how he dealt with the Necromancer back then�� It was a pity that this world wouldn��t grant his wishes that simply. But�� he wasn��t the only one who had it tough and this point alone was enough to make him feel better. Nothing was more fun than establishing his happiness on others�� misfortune.


    That Lich must be infuriated.


    Rhode��s guess was right because on the other side, Cullen was so furious that his lungs were about to explode. If he had this organ inside him, that was.


    Bam!


    Cullen smacked the table heavily and the map made from parchment trembled. The entire tent still. Schrodinger hugged his cat for assurance as he cowered in the corner and gazed at Cullen who was exuding dense murderous intent. Schrodinger wouldn��t be alarmed if Cullen turned around and crushed him to death in the next moment. He looked around and the others were silent. Duran, the vampire patriarch, sat on a chair in the darkness while the mighty Death Knight stood quietly by the side. Through the gap in his helmet, the spiritual radiance in his eyes were flickering, which meant that he was pondering deeply.


    ���� It seems like we��ve underestimated our enemy.��


    After a few moments, Cullen ground his teeth and said unconvincingly. In fact, he admitted that he was careless this time. Even though that foolish Simon had failed previously, Cullen didn��t take his failure to heart because he believed that Simon was simply useless. Besides, just as Rhode had thought, the Undead Army��s deployment wasn��t complete back then while his side was ready for them, so it wasn��t surprising that Simon had lost. But this time, Cullen had a complete army including more than a hundred of Skeletal Trolls and the formidable Night Wyvern. Cullen was angered at this thought. In fact, this young Night Wyvern joined Cullen��s army because it was curious and Cullen knew how beneficial the Night Wyvern would be for his army with its powerful strength. Even though Cullen daringly sent scouts into Rhode��s territory��they were eventually eliminated��Rhode didn��t take action, which was why Cullen didn��t expect him to send scouts into his camp.


    But reality was always harsh and he still hadn��t come to terms.


    Cullen didn��t think that he was too careless. He commanded his men to check all magical eyes, barriers, and look-out posts. However, the results stunned him. Everything turned out normal. None of them were destroyed and there were no signs of damage. In fact, the enchanted field around the summoning stone wasn��t disrupted at all.


    When Cullen heard this news, he was more baffled than when he heard someone had infiltrated his camp. If it wasn��t for his experiences, perhaps he would think that he was listening to mad men. But, after scanning the area, he admitted that everything was true. If it weren��t for the flame traces and the missing Fantasy Key, he wouldn��t have believed that someone had trespassed his campsite.


    Besides, not only was the Fantasy Key stolen, but five Necromancers were also killed. They were Cullen��s trusted aides and even though they weren��t comparable to a Corpse Slave like Sara, they were his trustworthy subordinates. The enemy sneaked through the magical barrier, stole the Fantasy Key, and even purposely activated the elemental teleportation door to give him a hard time�� More importantly, the enemy killed five Necromancers!


    Cullen checked the Necromancers�� corpses. Every one of them died in a single blow. Their Soul Cores were destroyed completely and their defensive spell didn��t seem to be activated. Although Cullen didn��t see it for himself, he was sure that they were slaughtered simultaneously. He understood his subordinates well. If they were ambushed by enemies, they would definitely report the situation to him. But based on this result, they didn��t seem to have noticed the enemy at all.


    This is weird.


    The enemy strolled in his camp and slaughtered whoever they wanted to. Bu, none of the detection spells and magical eyes caught onto them. Cullen swept a glance at the vampire patriarch hidden in the shadow. Even Vampires who were the best at concealing their presence couldn��t achieve this. Moreover, the Night Wyvern was present too. Perhaps the four legendary generals were capable, but Cullen was aware that they wouldn��t come here to fool with him.


    What about the three Archangels? This guess was even more ridiculous. It would be impossible for the Undead Creatures to not detect their overbearingly holy, positive powers.


    Cullen slammed the table impatiently. He gazed at the two figures, but he knew that they wouldn��t help. Everyone was clear from the cruel, violent battles in the Country of Darkness. Cullen felt humiliated that the humans had sneaked into his camp, killed five Necromancers, and stole the Fantasy Key. If this was reported to the higher-ups, perhaps Cullen��s position as the commander would be stripped.


    Although he strengthened his defenses thereafter, he knew that this was only for show. Since the enemy successfully sneaked through his meticulously laid-out defensive net, the results would still be the same even with 100 more layers. Fortunately for him, his army was complete and the teleportation door was ready. Even though he didn��t have the Fantasy Key, he could create a replica using his specialized skills in creation. Of course, the replica wouldn��t be as useful as the authentic one.


    ��Fortunate, our army has fully gathered. Although the weak, lowly humans may have possibly gathered intelligence on our strength, they can��t come up with a solution to threaten us within this short period of time.��


    Cullen wasn��t lying when he said this. In fact, if it were a battle between the Undead Creatures, perhaps the intelligence would be useful. But, the humans were too weak and drastically different from them. What could they even do with the information? They would only feel more hopeless about the state that they were in. However, for some unknown reasons, Cullen believed that everything wasn��t as perfect as he deemed after thinking about the enemy murdering the Necromancers and stealing the Fantasy Key.


    ��Everything go according to plan. We will attack the Land of Atonement three days later. Everything is for the sake of His Majesty��s honor!��Read more chapter on our novelhall.com


    As Cullen gave out his determined order, inside the fortress in the near distance, Rhode described everything that he saw in the Undead Army camp. Everyone listened solemnly. There was a total of 150,000 Undead Creatures while they only had up to 20,000 troops. If it weren��t for the Battle Angel Army, Magic Fleet, and legendary spell casters like Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, they wouldn��t even need to step on the battlefield and were better off retreating.


    At this moment, even Frederick kept his smile. He knew the serious consequences of this matter.


    ��But we don��t have to be so worried.��


    Perhaps sensing the heavy atmosphere, Rhode clapped for everyone��s attention.


    ��Just as I��ve mentioned. They may have a 150,000 troops army, but most of them are low-level creatures like the Skeleton Soldiers, Skeleton Guards, and Death Knights. who we had slaughtered countless of. Besides, we have a secret weapon and with the Battle Angel Army around, this fortress definitely won��t fall. I guarantee this. Of course, everything that I��ve said here is a top secret. I guess everyone here understands what I mean.��


    ��Don��t worry, Sir Overlord. For the sake of victory, I��m willing to risk my life to stop every Undead Creatures from stepping into this fortress.��


    Bayer stood up and bowed respectfully. He displayed a gloomy expression and appeared rather anxious. It was apparent that he understood the concept of a 150,000 troops army as a veteran and after recalling their previous battle with the Undead Creatures, he didn��t feel too hopeful. He merely treated Rhode��s ��impassioned�� statement as a morale booster and the latter let out a bitter smile. After all, the young were fearless and had never seen that many enemies in their lives, which explained why they weren��t feeling as helpless as Bayer.


    But Rhode was assured by Bayer��s action because even though the situation was looking bleak, Bayer declared his will to fight to the death. Although they came here as reinforcements, Rhode was aware that it was only human nature that they would flee after hearing about the number of enemies they were facing. Nothing was more admirable than knowing the threats before them and still continuing to fight to the last moment.


    But Rhode was better off appointing someone to watch and keep Bayer from committing suicide. When that happened, it would surely turn into black comedy.


    ��Luckily, the enemies won��t have additional reinforcements. I��ve discovered during my investigations that their disposition of troops are ready, which means that they��re only waiting to move out. If I guess correctly, they will launch their attacks in three days.��


    ��Why is it three days later, Sir Overlord?�� Serena blinked curiously and Rhode shrugged.


    ��The Country of Darkness worships the number ��three��. Legends say that the Darkness Mainland was created by the first Dark Dragon Soul in three nights, where there were eternal nights thereafter and darkness ruled everything. This is why the Country of Darkness is tangled with the numbers ��three�� and ��nine��. For example, the Country of Darkness�� capital is divided into three regions while the Darkness Castle has nine floors. It is also a rule for them to launch their attacks three days after the complete disposition of troops because they believe that they will be blessed by the Dark Dragon Soul��s protection and be victorious.��


    Rhode clapped.


    ��We only have three days to prepare ourselves and will face a fierce battle. Remember my words. We don��t need to be concerned about the massive amounts of Skeletal Warriors, Skeleton Guards, and Death Knights. Instead, the Skeletal Trolls and Vampire army are our greater concerns. Alright, go get ready!��


    Everyone stood up without hesitation and left with stern expressions. Three days. They didn��t know what they could do within this period of time. But now, all they could do was to hope for the best.


    Shortly after, the spacious meeting room turned empty without only a few members left: Beni, Gillian, Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Orchid Heart. Rhode had given them a few looks and even though they didn��t know what he wanted to say, they quietly stayed behind.


    Rhode closed the doors and ordered Agatha to stop anyone from entering. Then, he turned around and said.


    ��Everyone. We��re in trouble.��


    ��We heard that just now, Leader.��


    Mini Bubble Gum lifted the tea cup and said nonchalantly.


    ��What��s so great with those little Undead Creatures? Besides, isn��t the Battle Angel Army here too?��


    Rhode spread his arms apart helplessly.


    ��I didn��t mention it earlier because I don��t want to frighten the rest and this spells trouble.��


    ��What��s the trouble, Leader? Look at your nervous self. Don��t tell me the Dark Dragon Soul will be paying us a visit personally?��


    ���� Apart from the Undead Army, I saw a����


    Rhode paused.


    ��Night Wyvern.��


    Pfff! Bang!


    Mini Bubble Gum spurted the tea in her mouth while Beni stood up abruptly and accidentally flipped the chair beside her. She pressed her hands on the table and glared at Rhode.


    ��Sir Overlord, are you sure it��s a Night Wyvern?!��


    ��I can��t be more sure than this. Even though it hasn��t grown fully yet, it is definitely a Night Wyvern.��


    Rhode took in a deep breath and looked ahead. Not only Mini Bubble Gum, but Canary, Gillian, and Orchid Heart also turned pale.


    ��That��s why I said we��re in trouble.��

 Chapter 732 - Expand the Elemental Tunnel

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The Night Wyvern was serious trouble. But Rhode did have the ability to resolve this issue. A young Night Wyvern was between level 75 to 80 and with Mini Bubble Gum��s and Canary��s strength and level 80 armor, they could resist it. However, they weren��t guaranteed the victory since they were expert spell casters who were disadvantageous in close combat by nature. Moreover, the difference between their height and a five-floor-tall monster��s was massive.


    This would disrupt Rhode��s battle deployment and this left him in a huge headache.


    Rhode originally planned to make Mini Bubble Gum responsible for defense while Canary took on the high-level Necromancers. He lacked spell casters and there were only a number of them in the Legendary Stage. Gillian��s seal was still in place and couldn��t be unlocked due to the cooldown period. Other than her, Celestina was considered the only one left as a legendary spell caster. But she mostly used curse spells, which were ineffective against the Undead Creatures. Judging from the current situation, the 300 Necromancers team led by Cullen were above average in strength, but it was impossible for them to deal with the pincer attacks. Without the Night Wyvern, Rhode was sure that there wouldn��t be any problems.


    The Night Wyvern made the situation complicated instantly. The Battle Angels definitely couldn��t take it down, so it was more practical to rely on Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. However, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum would be occupied and Rhode had to find another way to destroy the Necromancers. Moreover, apart from the Necromancers, there was also the Vampire army. Fortunately, the Vampires could only unleash their powers in close combat and their strength would be greatly weakened in the enchanted field. Many of them would become weak and useless, which was the only good news.


    It was due to this that Rhode handed the duties of handling Necromancers to the Battle Angel Army, especially the Dawn Angels. He had hoped that the Dawn Angels could reserve their strength and serve as the trump card. But based on the current situation, they were the only ones who could easily settle the problem. Even though Rhode was unwilling to reveal his trump card beforehand, he tolerated it after considering the Night Wyvern.


    Beni accepted the order and left after the meeting. Although Rhode confidently promised her that Canary and Mini Bubble Gum could deal with the Night Wyvern, Beni insisted on reporting this situation to Lydia. But she couldn��t be blamed because the re-emergence of the Night Wyvern was a problem beyond this. After the Creation War, almost every Wyvern went into isolation due to their injuries and never revealed themselves. This definitely wasn��t a good sign.


    Although the biggest problem was resolved, this didn��t mean that Rhode��s job was much simpler now. A war wasn��t simply a conflict between the strong troops. The lower-level troops were equally important. If not, why did the formidable five Creator Dragon Souls drag the entire population on this continent into the Creation War where there wasn��t a winner?


    In terms of miscellaneous soldiers, Rhode was in a complete disadvantage. He wished to pin his hopes on Gillian to manipulate the fire elemental creatures and turn them against the Undead Army. But Gillian told him regretfully that even though the Fiery Plain was an extension of the fire elemental plane of existence, the creatures living in that space weren��t obedient. Perhaps she could control them if she regained her strength, but based on her current condition, it would be impossible.


    However, Rhode did have other countermeasures.


    The lobby of the fortress was as serene as ever. The whistling wind swept along the fluttering snow and tapped the windows along the corridor. Rhode stood in the middle of the lobby and looked up at the huge, majestic mural. Complex, luxurious patterns extended to the dome and outlined the shape of a towering tree. Among the seven light circles found in the diverse branches, the leftmost one emanated a faint blue radiance. That was the first Fantasy Key Rhode had gotten��unintentionally. Through this key, he summoned Agatha and the Ocean Elves. Although they weren��t powerful, their careful and conscientious works were the biggest contributor to the fortress��s operations. And now, Rhode needed to borrow the strength of their companions. In order to deal with the fire element, he would need the water element to extinguish their burning desires. The residents of the Silver Ocean from one of the Seven Fantasy Boundaries was the best choice to take down the fire elemental terrorists.


    Agatha stood behind him silently. Her tentacle hairs wriggled while she gazed with her round eyes emotionlessly. Rhode swept her a glance before turning back and activating his system interface.


    [Fantasy Tree��key. Silver Ocean. Upgradeable (Level 1) Can be expanded (Level 1)]


    [Upgrade requirements: Azure Sapphires x 10 and 25,000 Gold Coins]


    [Expansion requirements: Azure Sapphires x 10, 35,000 Gold Coins.]


    [Summonable Creature: Ocean Elf]


    Luckily I planned ahead and asked for elemental gems from Lydia.


    Rhode shrugged. He thought that apart from using elemental gems to fulfill the system requirements, he could hand them to Lapis as materials. However, he didn��t expect to use them now, which became a huge disappointment for Lapis. He recalled her devastated expression when he told her that he would be needing them for other purposes. She looked as though the Christmas present she yearned for even in her dreams was forcefully taken away by the delivery man after it was wrongly delivered. Even though she looked pitiful�� Rhode had no other choices.


    He retrieved the other Fantasy Key from his pocket. According to his observations, this key to the Fiery Plain was level 3 and the elemental summoning door created by this key could summon 100 fire elemental creatures every five minutes. In other words, they could summon up to 12,000 one hour using the 10 furnaces. What he had to do now was to upgrade the water elemental key to level 4 or 5 and he would be able to summon high-level water elemental creatures to serve him. Besides, unlike the elemental summoning door that the Undead Army had created, this fortress formed using the construction system already had a perfect summoning system in place. With the Magic Spring��s enhancement, the channels linking to the other planes of existence would be much stronger.


    ��Alright then, let��s begin.��


    Rhode stretched out his hand and shut his eyes. The mural emanated an azure radiance and gradually lit up like a river flowing through the complex patterns. Shortly after, the temperature of the lobby fell drastically while a thin layer of frost emerged over the clean, spotless floor. Lines of system prompt emerged before his eyes.


    [Key Upgraded. Silver Ocean (Level 2). Expand (Level 2)]


    [Key Upgraded. Silver Ocean (Level 3). Expand (Level 3)]


    [Key Upgraded. Silver Ocean (Level 4). Expand (Level 4)]


    [Key Upgraded. Silver Ocean (Level 5). Expand (Level 5)]


    [Fantasy Plane of Existence Expanded. Strengthened. Upgrade Complete��]


    In an instantly, whistling cold wind rose from ground level. The chilliness infiltrated his bones and spread throughout his veins. The magical crystal lights hanging on the walls flickered while a thick layer of ice froze the transparent window glass. The ground trembled. Both sides of the flat road outside the fortress sank while snow melted to form two crystal clear streams. The flat ground swelled, the water in the streams splashed, and the snow fluttered simultaneously. Shortly after, the streams froze and transformed into a brand new fountain along with the snow.


    [Key Upgrade Complete]


    Rhode laid down his hand and gazed at the system interface in satisfaction. After the upgrade, the Fantasy Key had much more detail. Now that the Silver Ocean key was upgraded to level 5, he could summon 500 high level water elemental creatures every five minutes. Not only that, but after the channel connected to the other plane of existence was expanded, the Ocean Elves under his command would be strengthened greatly. The essence of the Fantasy Key was to build channels between this world and other planes of existence. The firmer and more stable the channel was, the more influence the plane of existence had on this world. For instance, there was a [Water Elemental Strength +5] displayed in the system interface, which meant that within Land of Atonement, all spells related to the water element would be enhanced and Ocean Elves like Agatha would also become stronger.


    ��Hmm?��


    Rhode realized that there were some changes after reading the creatures column. Previously there was only a short line of words indicating the presence of creatures and now, there were five pictures that resembled summoning cards. But there weren��t any offense or defense values on them. Moreover, they lacked the core serial numbers a set of cards should have. Apart from their introductions, there was only a bit of description.


    ��Agatha, do you know what are they?��


    Rhode swiped the system interface toward her. Agatha took two steps forward in silence and gazed at the cards. After a few moments, she spoke calmly.


    ��Reporting, Master. That��s a Fantasy Card.��


    ��Fantasy Card?��


    Rhode twitched his brows.


    ��Yes, Master. Unlike your summoning cards, the Fantasy Card acts as a medium to us elemental creatures. You can only summon the creatures shown on the Fantasy Card here because you��ve attached them to the Fantasy Tree. You won��t be able to summon them wherever you like.��


    ��I see.��


    Rhode nodded. He thought that he fulfilled some conditions to receive another set of cards after witnessing five of them. It seemed that these Fantasy Cards were simply mediums to summon elemental creatures like the ten furnaces. He focused his attention on the five cards.


    The first card was the Ocean Elves. In the picture, they drifted, played in the depths of the Silver Ocean, and appeared to be having a lot of fun. Below the picture was a complicated rune which resembled the Elves, yet was completely different. That looked like the Ocean Elves�� symbol.


    [Ocean Elves��they roam the eternal seas and their angelic singing voices are unparalleled (Water Elemental Attribute +3)]


    The picture on the second card showed a crystal clear and incomparably beautiful fish. Unlike ordinary fish, its fins were as massive as the size of bird wings. Rhode knew that it was one of the species of fish, named Crystal Star, that lived in the Silver Ocean. They would occasionally appear in the shallow sea of this world. Rumor had it that if fishermen captured one and were unwilling to let them go immediately, their seacraft would be devoured by sea storms and vanish completely.


    [Crystal Star��the brilliance that shines in the waves is the most fascinating (Storm Spell. Fury Waves)]


    The third card was a flat, strange-looking creature emanating spiritual radiance and had a pair of flat wings. It had three long tails at its end and both sides of its body were filled with blades coalesced from spiritual radiance.


    [Batfish��beautiful, elegant, yet deadly (All creatures with the same elemental attribute +2. Aura Restoration)]


    Unlike the Ocean Elves, the Crystal Star and Batfish were only useful in water. Since there weren��t any oceans or rivers around, it was meaningless to summon them. Even though they didn��t need to survive in water as they were elemental creatures, they were useless without it and Rhode wouldn��t waste his time summoning them. He was most mindful about the remaining two creatures. But after he gazed at them, he was astonished.


    ��Hmm?��


    The two cards didn��t resemble any fish or seem related to the ocean at all. One of them was bent over and held its two razor-sharp claws onto the stone step below. Its deep blue, translucent body exuded a bone-chilling aura and bubbles. Behind this strange-looking creature was a long, ice tail.


    On the other hand, the last card looked even weirder. It didn��t have any specific shape and looked more like a mirror hovering in midair. If it weren��t for the two hands dancing beside this ��mirror��, perhaps one would have treated it as an ordinary mirror.


    [Phantom Beast��dangerous and invisible in the shape of death. (Semi-physical creature. Water Arrow Spell)]


    [Phantom Mirror��you are what it is. (Able to copy shapes of any creature. Phantom Attribute)]


    ��Phantom Creatures?��


    Of course, Rhode knew what they were. But this was an expansion of the water elemental plane of existence, so why would there be Phantom creatures?


    Agatha explained in her monotonous voice.


    ��The Silver Ocean is the reflection of the water elemental plane of existence, Master. Phantoms and mirror images are two of the water element��s distinctive features. It is due to this reason that many Phantom Creatures live in the Silver Ocean. Water represents illusion. They are easy to destroy, difficult to hone and grasp powers. As long as you see through their illusion, you can sense their true strength.��


    ��I see.��


    Rhode nodded. Indeed, many spells related to illusions required items that were related to the water element. He wasn��t a Mage and didn��t care too much about this before. Now that Agatha had mentioned, he realized that this was actually logical.


    At this moment, he came up with an idea.


    ��Agatha.��


    ��Yes, Master. Is anything the matter?��


    ��Even though you aren��t a creature summoned from my card, you are still considered my card creature, right?��


    ��Yes, Master. Strictly speaking, this isn��t wrong to say so.��


    Even though Agatha didn��t understand why Rhode asked this question, she pondered for a while and answered. Rhode twitched his brow and his eyes glinted with confidence.


    ��Good. It seems that our trouble isn��t as huge as what we��ve thought.��


    Rhode raised his right hand. This time, it was the Fantasy Key he had stolen from the Undead Army.


    ��Now, it��s time to welcome our new friends.��

 Chapter 733 - Darkness Approaches

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Boom!


    Lilian pushed the door open and entered the room with her head held high. The parliament members were waiting around the table for her arrival. They bowed respectfully, but their eyes were filled with impatience and disdain. Perhaps Lilian would be stumped by their imposing manner, but now, she stood firmly by her beliefs. She clutched the sweat-soaked letter in her skirt pocket and gazed at everyone in dissatisfaction.


    ��Your Majesty, we��re awaiting for your fair judgment and decision.��


    After the brief and almost unwilling greetings, one of the members represented the others in expressing their concerns.


    ��So many days have passed. The people are waiting and praying for the truth. If we don��t seize the moment and give them an answer, perhaps they will remain uncertain in the upcoming war.��


    ��I understand what you mean.��


    Lilian knitted her brows and answered impatiently. After their previous meeting, these people had been finding all sorts of excuses to remind her to bring Lydia and Rhode to Casabianca for investigations. They were so annoying that even Lilian couldn��t tolerate. In the past, she wasn��t as affected because she didn��t intervene with political affairs. But now, she realized how irritating the Light Parliament was now that she had to make a decision. They criticized all her decisions and often used the name of the people to pressure her. But now, she no longer wished to hear their complaints anymore. Lilian lifted her head rather proudly, held in her excitement, and forced a calm expression.


    ��I��ve made my decision to temporarily not summon both of them to Casabianca for the investigations.��


    ��What?!��


    Everyone sulked and the atmosphere in the entire room tensed immediately. The parliament member who brought up this subject said, ��Why? Your Majesty? Why did you make such an unwise decision? Can you bear to let your people live in fear?��


    ��I didn��t say that!��


    Lilian��s tone was mixed with anger. She glared at the man while holding onto the armrests of her throne. If it was in the past, Lilian would have been hesitant after hearing their claims. But this time, she believed that she had a good reason to refute them.


    She took in a deep breath and said, ��In fact, I sensed that the Country of Darkness is launching another wave of attacks on us soon. Now isn��t the time to investigate and probe on something like this. Leave this matter til after the war.��


    ��What?!��


    The parliament member stared at Lilian like a father glaring at his disobedient daughter. Lilian shrunk instinctively, but she lifted her head firmly.


    I��m not wrong. It should have been this way all along�� What I said was the truth. I��m not lying. That��s right. What I did was right. There��s nothing to be afraid of��


    ��Your Majesty, we didn��t receive any report regarding the Undead Army��s attack.��


    At this moment, another parliament member stepped forward with knitted brows as though he was thinking of ways to express his thoughts. In the end, he decided to use a more direct method.


    ��Of course, we understand your thoughts. But now, the people need to be calmed and our soldiers craves for the truth. Please don��t judge the situation based on your����


    ��Are you saying that I��m lying?!��


    Lilian snapped. This was the first time she stood up abruptly from her throne. She fumed and her pair of large, round eyes burned in wrath. The parliament members stared blankly because they couldn��t remember when she had ever behaved this way.


    ��What I said is the truth! I sensed that the Undead Army has entered my dragon soul protection and are about to launch their attacks. You people rather waste your time suspecting me than gathering the soldiers for defense?!��


    ��We����


    If it was in the past, perhaps they would have treated her like a kid throwing tantrums. But now, they had to come up with an answer. The parliament member who last spoke looked around for help, but it was apparent that no one dared to intervene. He let out an awkward cough and continued.


    ���� Your Majesty, we didn��t mean it this way. But just as we��ve said, the people will be concerned if we don��t investigate the truth and the soldiers����


    ��Again?!��


    Lilian frowned. If it was in the past, she wouldn��t have acted this way. But ever since they suspected her of lying, the grievance and anger in her exploded. Words that she didn��t speak due to fear had all erupted.


    ��You say the people are worried. Isn��t it the job of your parliament to console them? As for the soldiers, didn��t they enlist into the military to protect our country? The enemies are right before us and they can��t even stop them! What��s the point of keeping them!��


    ��But Your Majesty, they are humans, after all����


    ��Mr. Rhode is also a human and didn��t he defeat the Undead Army?! There are so many human generals in the Munn Kingdom and didn��t they also stop the Undead Army in their tracks?! Besides, Boulder and Serene have gone to the front lines, so why aren��t you people capable of stopping the Undead Army!!��


    Lilian clenched her fists and screamed at the top of her lungs. Her head was in a blank. She didn��t know what she was yelling about. She felt the burning ball of flame suppressed inside her that must be released.


    ��But Your Majesty, it is indeed due to those reasons that made us suspect the relationship between the Munn Kingdom and Country of Darkness����


    ��You suspect them just because you didn��t do as well as them? What kind of excuse and reasoning is this! Why don��t you people think about the source of your problems instead? Our two Archangels have led the Battle Angel Army to the front lines and I don��t want to hear any news of failure!! Did you hear what I say!!��


    ��Y-Your Majesty, you can��t����


    ��Get out!! Every one of you!!��


    Lilian snarled. She glared at everyone with bloodshot eyes and pointed at the huge doors.


    ��Get out! I don��t want to see any of you! If you don��t leave����


    Lilian paused and eventually bit her teeth.


    ��I will send people to chase you out!��


    Bam!


    The entire room was fired up. Many of them stepped out in large strides. They clenched their fists and widened their eyes in disbelief at the little girl on the throne. Some of them even rushed up to Lilian and hurled abuse.


    ��What rights do you have to chase us out of here!��


    ��Tyrant! Tyrant! Why does the Country of Light have a tyrant like you!��


    ��You can kill us here, but the blood of freedom won��t be shed for nothing!��


    ��You can push us down with your authority, but the people will not stay quiet! They will rebel! Your foolish actions will lead to the destruction of this country!��


    ��You�� You��!!!!��


    Lilian gritted her teeth. The rage in her eyes were almost at their limit. A voice resounded in her head and it became increasingly louder,and louder�� You people forced me into this! You people forced me into this! You people forced me into this! You people forced me into this! You people forced me into this!!!!!!


    ��Enough!��


    An old, resounding voice filled the room and brought down the explosive atmosphere. Everyone turned around and saw the elderly chairman approaching them in large strides. He bowed deeply to Lilian and lifted his head.


    ��I sincerely apologize, Your Majesty. We have no intentions of offending your dignity. My companions were overly agitated. Please forgive our foolish actions.��


    The elderly chairman quickly turned to face the parliament members.


    ��It��s late now and Her Majesty was right. Our priority is to defend against the Undead Creatures. No matter how we push off the responsibilities, it is the land of our Country of Light that will sink and our people will be the ones suffering. Her Majesty isn��t in a good mood now, so we, as subjects, should empathize with her and not foolishly offend her dignity and glory!��


    The elderly chairman raised his voice. Some instinctively tried to refute, but he swept them a fierce glance. At this moment, the elderly chairman��s eyes were bloodshot like a wild animal struggling on death bed. Judging from the elderly chairman��s appearance, many suspected that he would pounce on them and snap their necks if they retorted.


    After ensuring that no one spoke, the elderly chairman nodded in satisfaction before turning to Lilian and bowed.


    ��My apologies, Your Majesty. Please forgive our rudeness. Just as you��ve said, it is our duty to protect the nation. We will get prepared now to handle the upcoming attack. Please allow us to take our leave.��


    ������


    Lilian didn��t speak a word and simply nodded with her exhausted expression. The elderly man turned around and beckoned to the others to leave. Shortly after, the last person left the room and closed the doors. Lilian sat quietly on her throne. Her tiny body trembled from the eruption of her emotions. Her heavy breathing slowed down and after a few moments, she curled up, hugged her knees, and buried her face into them.


    Then, sobs echoed in the silent room.


    Smack!


    A crisp, hard sound of a slap.


    The elderly chairman gazed coldly at the parliament member who had fallen to the ground. The latter couldn��t even crawl to his feet to criticize the elderly chairman about his ��violent abuse��. His left cheek swelled in red while some of his teeth had scattered on the floor. This amount of strength didn��t look like what an elderly man should have.


    ��A bunch of idiots!��


    The elderly chairman disregarded the man howling in grief on the ground and stared at the others.


    ��Have you guys gone silly from sleeping with too many women? Did you ejaculate even your brains?! You idiots want to destroy the Light Parliament?!��


    ��But, Chairman, Her Majesty was���� One of them said grudgingly. But before he finished his sentence, the elderly chairman shot him a look.


    ��Her Majesty is only a child. Are all of you children? Where are your brains? To think you even quarreled with Her Majesty like children in public! Be careful that Her Majesty orders the Battle Angels to drive all of you out and disband the Light Parliament. Don��t cry when that happens!��


    ��H-Her Majesty wouldn��t do that�� After all, if she����


    ��Idiot! That��s why I said you people are a bunch of idiots!��


    The elderly chairman berated.


    ��Didn��t I say that Her Majesty is still a child?! Do you think that she will consider the situation as thoughtfully as you? What happens if Her Majesty instantly disband the Light Parliament? Do you think she won��t do that? She doesn��t care about the people or her reputation. Many of you have children, so aren��t you clear of their temper? Are you crazy to confront her face to face?!��


    ������


    Everyone was speechless. In fact, they admitted that their actions were indeed childish and didn��t look a tiny bit like thoughtful politicians. Back then, they were flabbergasted when they heard from Lilian that she would chase them out. She had always been a yes-man and due to this reason, they dared to manipulate her as a puppet. But after witnessing the drastic change in her behavior, the fear in their hearts overwhelmed them. They were afraid that Lilian would get rid of everyone who had used her, which was why they jumped out desperately. But they had totally forgotten that even though they knew her for a long time, her mentality was like that of a child after growing up in the ��sterile greenhouse��.


    No matter how timid and obedient the child was, there would be a day when she rebelled.


    ��Now, get prepared for the battle with the Undead Army immediately. Due to the Munn Kingdom, there aren��t too many Undead Creatures that we have to face. With the two Archangels and Battle Angel Army overseeing the situation, we must defend against the Undead Army. Just as I��ve said, this is our land and where our people live, after all. Do you intend to debate with skeletons about authority after the Light Mainland has crumbled completely?��


    The parliament members listened in silence. Then, they turned around and left swiftly. The elderly man let out a long sigh. His exhausted face made him look like 10 years had caught up with him instantly. But shortly after, he pulled himself together and headed down the corridor. Meanwhile, he didn��t realize that there were two pairs of eyes watching him from the shadow. All the way until the elderly man disappeared into the corner, the two figures stepped out of the shadow. One of them was a middle-aged man who wore a luxurious attire while the other was wrapped in a purple robe like a Mage.


    ��It seems like this old man is quite useful and not as worthless as I thought.��


    The middle-aged man let out a snort.


    ��Although the parliament members are basically helpless trash, I didn��t expect them to compete against a child. Hmph. This old man has just helped me a bunch. It seems that he isn��t as foolish as the others think he is,�� he said, and the Mage in purple robe stooped over.


    ��Sir, the situation isn��t looking good. Should we����


    ���� No, let it be for now.��


    The middle-aged man interrupted.


    ��That old man is right. The Country of Light shouldn��t panic. Although the situation is out of our expectations, it is still within our acceptable range at this point.��


    ��But regarding the Munn Kingdom����


    ��I know what you mean.��


    The man revealed some sternness in his tone.


    ��Hmph. Since they failed to use the Light Dragon Soul��s authority to summon them to Casabianca for investigations, we can use another method that doesn��t require Her Majesty��s approval. It will work as long as we receive a nod of approval from the Light Parliament/ I have my ways around this. But now isn��t the time����


    The man let out a snort. He lifted his head and gazed at the bright sky in disdain.


    ��Mortals are just so timid, naive, and easy to manipulate. They don��t understand that�� Order is short-lived while Chaos is for eternity.��

 Chapter 734 - Darkness Falls (I)

    Chapter 734: Darkness Falls (I)


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��They��re here.��


    Rhode stood above the city walls and gazed into the darkness. The world wouldn��t be changed by the will of people. No matter how much they disliked it, the Undead Creatures wouldn��t care about their feelings. Fortunately, it was peaceful in the fortress during this period of time. After they heard that the Undead Army was about to launch their attacks, the soldiers appeared rather anxious. Rhode secretly observed that his men who participated in the previous battle were more confident. On the other hand, Bayer��s men seemed concerned as it would be their first experience taking on the Undead Army. In order to prevent accidents, Rhode split and merged them with his soldiers to ��infect�� them with the confidence of the ��veterans��. Sometimes, simple speculations were more frightening than reality and Rhode didn��t wish to see his side crumble to delusions and fear before the war began.


    Moonlight illuminated the leaves that rustled in the chilly night breeze. In contrast, the snowy field seemed as though a sheet of pure, white paper: eye-catching and dazzling. Rhode knitted his brows, at the same time cursing the Undead Creatures for always attacking at the worst possible times. But, he was also aware that they did this to make the enemies uncomfortable and for their own benefits. As Undead Creatures whose powers came from the source of darkness, they would be heading down a path of destruction if they revealed themselves under the sky of the Light Dragon Soul. They didn��t send out a thousand Vampire just to see them perish.


    Everything will officially start tonight.


    Rhode took in a deep breath. The only thing that both sides had to do was to compete on patience and resources. The last side standing would be the victor while the loser would lose everything.


    ��Leader Beni.�� Rhode turned around. ��I��ll be relying on you next. Everything will be fine if you go according to our plans.��


    Beni pondered for a moment with her eyes closed. Then, she looked at Rhode and nodded firmly without any signs of fear and nervousness in her eyes. They were as clear as usual and with some burning determination.


    ��Of course, Sir Overlord. We��re ready.��


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. He turned around and his expression became stern. He gazed at the map in his system interface where darkness was spreading across his territory.


    ��The battle has begun.��


    Cullen raised his arms high. His eyes were surging in excitement and craze. He clenched his fists and even his ice-cold body was as though heated up once again. He lowered his gaze. Countless Undead Creatures. Skeleton Soldiers assembled neatly in rows while Death Knights and Skeleton Guards stood by their far ends and rear. The Skeletal Trolls stood among them and shoulders were full of Ghouls and Skeleton Archers with their large crossbows aiming forward. On the other hand, the hills were filled with Gargoyles and Soul Griffins while Vampires waited in silence below them. However, their scarlet, dazzling eyes showed their eagerness to strike.


    ��This will be the start of our glory! From now onward, darkness will fall and take over every corner of this continent. The dead will be resurrected and we will gain supreme honor! Everything is for the sake of the Country of Darkness. We will make mortals taste the true meaning of death and bow down to the Undead forever! This supreme honor will be offered to our mighty majesty. He shall lead us to victory!��


    Cullen swung his arm. The spiritual flames in his eyes pulsed intensely.


    ��Attack!��


    The Necromancers stood in their positions hurriedly in a perfect circle with the summoning stone in their middle. Then, they chanted curses in unison and magical powers flowed through the ritual circle beneath their feet. As their chants became louder, the ten furnaces around them reacted. Magma spurted wildly into flame columns and thick sulfuric air exuded from within. The powerful magical energy captured the worthy creatures to be brought into this world and created a channel for them. Shortly after, they entered the widely opened doors to this world��


    ��������!��


    Along with an ear-deafening screech, the peak of the flame columns erupted and spread in all directions to form an enormous, burning ��cloud��. Then, the ��cloud�� headed toward the indistinct fortress that was illuminated by the bright moon. As the cloud soared forward, the layer of snow on the ground melted and evaporated into white mist while the ice-cold soil softened. Shortly after, the magma overflowed from the furnaces and engulfed everything. They twisted, gathered, and transformed into the shape of a wild animal.


    The burning ��cloud�� charged ahead.


    They��re here.


    Rhode gazed at the exceptionally glaring scarlet cloud in the distant dark sky, where the ground beneath lit up like in conflagration.


    That was neither a cloud nor forest fire.


    The flames in the air formed the shape of an enormous bird flapping its wings while its three, dazzling long tails streaked across the sky. The ravaging flame creatures on the ground darted across the snowy field, melted everything in their path, and revealed the ghastly pitch-black soil.


    ��W-What��s that!��


    Many soldiers screamed in horror and were at their wits�� end. Rhode��s brow twitched after watching their reactions and shook his head slightly. But this was the reaction he had expected. After all, the natives weren��t players and he didn��t intend to rely on them from the start.


    ��Master.��


    An apathetic voice sounded and he recognized it immediately. Agatha and the other Ocean Elves had arrived. They stepped to the front end of the city wall and even though the soldiers didn��t know what the Ocean Elves were up to, they quickly made space for them.


    ��We��re ready.��


    ��I know.��


    Rhode nodded. He stretched out his right hand and shortly after, a golden interface emerged before him.


    [Activate the Fantasy Channel��Silver Ocean]


    ��������!��


    ��What happened?��


    The soldiers heard sounds that resembled waves crashing the shore and looked over the city walls. Shortly after, they witnessed the moat receding like the tide as though they were attracted by a force. Then, the receded water spurted.


    Boom!


    The spurted water created a barrier over the city walls while chilly air spread to form a thin layer of frost. Waves threshed continuously and crystal-like wild beasts leaped out from within. They snarled and extended their claws. Not only that, but there was also a school of translucent, elegant Batfishes hovering above. They flapped their fins and their thin, shining tails were as though beautiful masterpieces under the bright radiance of the moon.


    ��Oh my goodness����


    Frederick murmured under his breath and clutched his sword hilt blankly. Even though he had been guessing what Rhode relied on to resist the Undead Army, he finally realized that the situation was beyond his wildest imaginations. He felt as though he was in a legendary, fantasy story right now.


    But this wasn��t the end.


    Rhode gazed at the rising numbers on his system interface. Unlike the Undead Army��s pathetic elemental summoning door, the Fantasy Tree in his possession was much purer and stronger. In fact, it didn��t require much magical power to summon creatures from other planes of existence. What was more important was to establish a secure channel and provide them with presences that allowed them to ��attach�� to. As the Undead Army��s ritual was too impromptu, they needed to rely on numbers to win, which was why they built ten elemental summoning doors. On the contrary, Rhode didn��t need to rely on these numbers to secure his sufficient manpower.


    The quantities of [Batfish] and [Phantom Beast] had been increased to 5000. The silver-whitish clouds and flickering ice radiance on level ground had almost blended into one. The only ones unlucky were the soldiers standing above the city walls, where the bone-chilling cold air left them shuddering.


    But quantitative advantage wasn��t the only thing which Rhode wanted to secure.


    He snapped his fingers.


    Shortly after, a dark halo spread out with him in the middle!


    [Taboo Halo]. Activated.


    At the same time, all the elemental creatures around him reacted.


    Grrrr!


    The Phantom Beasts lifted their heads and let out menacing growls.


    Their body became even clearer and larger. In the blink of an eye, the wolf-sized Phantom Beasts became as huge and tough as rhinoceroses. Not only that, but razor-sharp ice thorns also extended from their shoulders. In midair, the transparent Batfishes were now equipped with thicker ice armor. Their beautiful long tail had extended by more than two-meters while the sharp, dazzling ice edges on their tails let off an ice-cold radiance. On the other hand, the Ocean Elves became taller, took up the shape of the standard Elves, and their tentacles turned into ornament-like ribbons and sleeves that connected their bodies. Not only that, but their hair also became smoother and silkier and the constantly moving tentacles looked as though seaweed swaying in the sea.


    Rhode looked ahead and gave a short command.


    ��Attack.��


    At the next moment, the scorching sea of flames and silver-whitish waves clashed heavily.


    Water versus fire.


    The Ocean Elves above the city walls chanted in harmony and under the enhancements of Taboo Halo, their abilities were enhanced to about the standard of Elite Stage Mages. Moreover, they had advantages over fire elemental creatures with their water element attribute. This was also why Rhode brought Agatha and the Ocean Elves into battle. Besides, they didn��t need to gather elemental powers like humans through long, complicated chants.


    They extended their tentacles and gestured swiftly. Then, ice-cold mist erupted from level ground and their coldness froze the water element floating in midair, which devoured the fire elemental creatures.


    What��s an archenemy?


    An archenemy is one who understands your weakness the most.


    The burning flames on the fire elemental creatures were weakened drastically as soon as they charged into the mist. But this was only the start because at this moment, the Phantom Beasts pounced and slashed their menacing claws. Even though the Phantom Beasts became as enormous as rhinoceroses after the enhancement from Taboo Halo, their movements were surprisingly quick, like fish swimming freely in the water. The flames burning on the wolf-sized fire elemental creatures extinguished immediately after they crashed to the ground. However, they stubbornly widened their jaws and blasted scorching flames which struck the Phantom Beasts and left ghastly, melted scars on their crystal clear bodies. But even so, the Phantom Beasts crunched the enemies�� throats and the enemies died in their self explosions. After a few moments, the smoke dispersed and the Phantom Beasts shifted their attention onto other enemies.


    On the other hand, the battle between the Flame Crows and Batfishes were equally unstoppable.


    Silver radiances flashed.


    One of the flexible, elegant Batfishes flew over and slashed its tail on one of the Flame Crows. Steam burst out from the Flame Crow��s wound and it let out an anguished wail. However, it extended its razor-sharp claws to retaliate and both sides clashed it out in the dense steam.


    The soldiers above the city walls were completely stunned.


    They stared blankly at the scenes in the air and on the ground that were filled with steam and chilly mist. Bright flares flashed from time to time and loud explosions were heard.


    ��Leader Beni.��


    Rhode wasn��t in the mood to admire this beautiful scene.


    ��How��s the situation?��


    ��We don��t have a chance yet.��


    ��Hmph.��


    Rhode twitched his brow and let out a grunt.


    ��Don��t worry. I shall see how long they can hold back.��


    Rhode extended his arm and along with his movements, the waves that were as tall as the city walls extended once again. Then, tens of thousands more water elemental creatures emerged and joined in the battle.

 Chapter 735 - Darkness Falls (II)

    Chapter 735: Darkness Falls (II)


    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Cullen stared at the crystal ball before him, where he clearly saw the battle between the fire and water elements. The inherent confrontations made the fire elemental creatures almost unwilling to listen to his commands. Cullen was no longer furious about the chaotic nature of the fire elemental creatures. Instead, he felt incredibly shocked.


    The enemy is so prepared?!


    Cullen was mentally prepared for the enemy to retaliate correspondingly after the Fantasy Key to the Fiery Plain was stolen. After all, it proved that the enemy knew what they were doing to activate the summoning stone to create some trouble for him before stealing the Fantasy Key. Moreover, Cullen had considered the high possibility that the enemy had stolen the Fantasy Key in order to deal with the fire elemental creatures from the Fiery Plain. But back then, he only expected the enemy to increase the number of elemental Mages to set up counteractive spells or summon fire elemental creatures in response. However, never did he expect the enemy to hold the Fantasy Key to the water plane of existence!


    Come to think of it, since the enemy was aware of the elemental teleportation door, it wasn��t surprising that they also had a Fantasy Key. But how did they summon that many water elemental creatures in such a short time? Cullen knew how difficult it was to establish and expand the elemental channels. But now, judging from the water elemental creatures darting out of the surging waves shown inside the crystal ball, the enemy��s elemental channel wasn��t only stable, but also high in level. This left Cullen baffled because in the previous battle, there were neither reports of the enemy holding onto the Fantasy Key to Silver Ocean nor mentions about them summoning water elemental creatures. On the other hand, they heard that there was a fox-eared young lady who held formidable fire elemental powers, which prompted Cullen to activate the Fantasy Key that led to the Fiery Plain. If the enemy had a Fantasy Key, they should have summoned the water elemental creatures. If he knew that it was the Fantasy Key belonging to the Silver Ocean, he wouldn��t have done something so foolish!


    Could it be that the enemies built the teleportation door that linked to Silver Ocean after the previous battle? Are you kidding me?! Establishing the channel required a lot of time and it had tougher requirements for high-level ones. This was why Cullen chose to use quantity to make up for quality. If it was possible, he wished to build teleportation doors of the highest level continuously and simply end the war by summoning the ultimate Flame Demon.


    But the prerequisite was that the enemy must be patient enough to give him five to ten years to build them and it was obviously impossible.


    ��What��s going on!��


    Cullen scanned the crystal ball. After a few moments, he turned to the panicky Schrodinger with a gloomy expression. Schrodinger shuddered in an ashen expression as he sensed the wrath and murderous intent exuding from Cullen��s eyes. Schrodinger was equally puzzled over this situation.


    ��I-I don��t know anything, Sir Cullen. I swear that the enemy didn��t summon any water elemental creatures in the previous battle. General Vidal and Commander Saiborn can testify it!��


    ��Hmph! Are you trying to say that the enemy managed to get their hands on such a high-level teleportation door in just a few days?��


    Cullen let out a grunt. It seemed that it was meaningless finding trouble with this useless bastard any longer. The advantages and disadvantages in battles were largely due to the collection of intelligence. However, the results of Cullen��s intelligence gathering had been terrible. All the scouts, including his Corpse Slave that he sent out, were eliminated. There were also no news from Nell, the group of black-skinned fallen ones, so Cullen supposed that they were murdered. Moreover, there was a dense, extraordinary holy aura in the enemy territory, which kept them away from the fortress. Therefore, the intelligence that he gathered up until this point was all from Simon��s battle. Cullen didn��t believe that the enemy could come up with huge changes to their forces in a short period of time, but it seemed that he was too naive.


    Although both sides seemed to be evenly matched, Cullen was aware that if this continued, the fire elemental creatures on his side would be worn out. Moreover, the distance was also a big problem. The water elemental creatures fought from their doorsteps while the fire elemental summoning door was a distance away from the battlefield. Even if he increased the number of fire elemental creatures summoned, they still wouldn��t match up to the water elemental creatures. Cullen had initially planned to use the fire elemental creatures�� self-explosion and igniting properties to catch the enemy off guard. But he didn��t expect to receive this severe blow from them. If he continued this battle, perhaps his fire elemental summoning door would shut down due to over-exhaustion before he broke the ice barrier.


    However, as a military commander, he had to always have the ability to adapt. Otherwise, Undead Creatures wouldn��t be this powerful.


    ��Order the fire elemental creatures to back down and regroup. First, Third, and Fifth legion! Get ready for battle!��


    Cullen commanded.


    The chaotic battle instantly ended.


    The fire elemental creatures suddenly turned around and headed off in the opposite direction. In the blink of an eye, the violent sparks vanished and the dusky, scarlet creatures retreated and left the attacking range of the fortress. On the other hand, Rhode gestured and the water elemental creatures abandoned the thought of giving chase, which was closely tied to their personalities. Water elemental creatures were mostly calm and submissive while fire elemental creatures were rowdy and hot-tempered. Shortly after, the chilly wind swept the fog along and revealed the traces of explosions, burns, and presence of the shimmering Phantom Beasts and Batfishes.


    The whole city walls was in complete silence. The soldiers were dumbfounded. They had never expected to witness such a fantasy-like battle. After the fire elemental creatures retreated into the distance, the soldiers broke into loud cheers. Although they weren��t involved in the battle, they were fired up by the magnificent scene.Read more chapter on our novelhall.com


    However, Rhode wasn��t as delightful as them. He gazed forward coldly.


    ��Lize, order the Clerics to cast the defensive barrier. Now!��


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode!��


    Lize turned around and commanded hurriedly. The Clerics scuttled forward and chanted softly in unison, where sacred, complex runes appeared and merged together. Shortly after, a golden spiritual radiance flashed and a translucent barrier emerged over everyone. On the other hand, Agatha and the Ocean Elves stepped back while their tentacles spiraled gracefully in midair to draw azure runes one after another. In the blink of an eye, a new, smooth, solid ice barrier grew over the fortress.


    At the same time, sparkling radiances that resembled stars emerged in the darkness on the opposite side.


    Those weren��t the brilliance of stars. Those were arrows lit up with spiritual flames.


    ��Ambush��!��


    A rain of countless arrows streaked across the dark sky and engulfed the entire fortress. The soldiers lifted their shields and hid behind the walls, only to find the arrows clattering on the invisible, defensive barrier over them. For the time being, all they could do was to take cover and wait for the arrow attack to end.


    Rhode stood on the peak of the tower proudly. The arrows that were about to reach him were deflected by an invisible strength. He clasped his sword hilt and narrowed his eyes. Although there seemed to be nothing ahead, he sensed his heart pumping fast because he was familiar with this feeling. In the game, this was a usual scene from his battles with the Undead Creatures and now, the entire battle had set onto the path which he was most familiar with.


    The rain of arrows lasted for about six minutes. The soldiers lifted their heads frantically. The ones who fought the Undead Creatures in the previous battle appeared fine. However, it was shocking for the newer soldiers to experience such a terrifying arrow attack. There was an instant when they thought that the arrows were indefinite and they would be buried by them like a wave.


    Shortly after, they heard a deep sound from afar.


    Boom�� Boom��


    Boom��


    That was the sound of heavy objects falling to the ground and resembled the footsteps of a massive creature approaching them. The soldiers gripped their bow and arrow in anticipation. The Phantom Beasts by the foot of the walls instinctively retreated and gathered while the Batfishes swayed anxiously and let out warnings that ordinary humans couldn��t hear.


    ����Gaaaaa!


    The deep night sky was like an invisible creature with its mouth opened wide. Everyone witnessed the twisting night sky transforming into a large burning, scarlet cloud with tens of thousands of Flame Crows howling and soaring in the sky. Not only that, but the flames spreading on the ground also erupted and charged forward like a wave.


    But this time, behind them were numerous shadows that were as tall as the city wall. After taking a closer look, they were creatures made of bones and clutched warhammers as they shambled forward. The flat iron plate above both sides of their shoulders, which served as platforms had expanded entirely. They were laid out with lightweight arrows and bows and groups of Ghouls and Skeletal Warriors. Even though, logically speaking, these top-heavy presence would likely lose their balance and crumble in taking one step, Rhode was aware that he couldn��t count on science in this world.


    ��Oh my goodness! What are those!��


    Many soldiers yelled in fear and subconsciously stepped back.


    At this moment, the Undead Army launched their attacks.


    Scarlet flames and crystal clear ice collided again. This time, the fire elemental creatures who had gathered all their strength were matched evenly with Rhode��s water elemental creatures. At this moment, a dozen Skeletal Trolls lumbered forward and stood up straight.


    Swish!


    Skeleton Archers who stood above the Skeletal Trolls�� shoulders shot out arrows one after another, which struck the solid, ice city walls. But, the purpose of these arrows wasn��t to damage the city walls only. Under the bright flames, pitch-black ropes were also seen attached to them.


    ��Cut the ropes! Quick! Burn them off!��


    The commanders ordered the soldiers to cut off the ropes immediately. But at this moment, another wave of arrows streaked across the sky and overwhelmed them. Not only that, but the dark, shriveled Ghouls had also climbed up the ropes already!

 Chapter 736 - Darkness Falls (III)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    That was like a scene from a nightmare.


    The entire world was filled with a mixture of black and red. In the sky, Flame Crows and Bone Griffins launched their most ferocious attacks on the Batfishes while fire elemental creatures and the Undead Army swarmed forward on the surface. As soon as they fell under the attacks of the Phantom Beasts, darkness quickly filled the gaps. The battlefront shrunk, but the soldiers above the city walls weren��t in the mood to care.


    ��Sume!��


    Serena extended her arms and transformed strong gales into razor-sharp blades that swept a pitch-black, shriveled, and putrid Ghoul off the city wall. But at the same time, another shadow arrived at her side.


    At this moment, Frederick also attacked.


    His blade shimmered in a green radiance as he punctured the Ghoul��s body. The Ghouls�� skin should have been as strong as steel where sharp blades couldn��t deal serious damage to them. However, they had lost their solid defense in this enchanted field. Frederick��s blade ripped through its flesh knife through like butter and the Ghoul extended its claws at him. Frederick shrieked in surprise, but drove his foot forward with one powerful thrust to draw some distance apart. Then, he brandished his green blade and a whirlwind rose from the ground abruptly. In a series of painful screeches, the Ghoul flew out and crashed into its companion.


    ��������!��


    Frederick whistled proudly. After he turned around, he realized that another Ghoul had leapt up from the wall and slashed at one of the Clerics.


    ��Be careful!��


    Frederick yelled frantically. He always thought that Clerics were fragile and a class that wasn��t great in combat. He stood too far away from the Cleric and couldn��t assist her. At this moment, he hoped that someone around the Cleric would notice and strike the Ghoul away. But it was a pity that only a miracle could save her.


    But the miracle didn��t happen��because there was no need for it.


    Just an inch closer and the Ghoul��s razor-sharp claw would tear into her soft skin. However, it failed. Its claw struck an invisible barrier which deflected it in midair. The young lady was startled. She turned around in panic and saw the Ghoul rolling on the ground. Then, her behaviors were out of Frederick��s expectations. Even though she appeared nervous, she hurriedly extended her arm and in the blink of an eye, she blasted a dazzling ray on the Ghoul. The nimble Ghoul looked as though it were bound by manacles and leg-irons and couldn��t budge at all. The Cleric made a few hand gestures, and a white light beam descended from above, struck the Ghoul heavily, and turned it into ashes.


    Clerics are so powerful?


    Frederick couldn��t believe his eyes. Back then, he cursed Rhode inwardly for being so heartless to place a bunch of Clerics with ��no combat abilities�� in the front lines. During the few days of staying in the fortress, Frederick knew that Rhode had been training the Clerics�� combat abilities. However, he didn��t take them seriously as he thought that the training sessions were to teach them how to protect themselves using some basic sword moves or something. But why did it seem like�� this group of Clerics was much stronger than him?


    Brilliance from spiritual spells and magical spells shone from above the city wall. The soldiers had calmed down from the initial chaos where they were stunned by this tactic that the Undead Army deployed. But they pulled themselves together and eliminated the Ghouls rushing up the city walls while being protected by the spiritual barrier. The Ghouls were powerful and the weakest ones were at level 30. Their sharp claws had poisonous effects and their strong skin made them tough enemies in close combat. Due to the effects of the enchanted field, the Ghouls were weakened by more than half of their strength and were currently at around level 15. The holy powers completely overwhelmed their mighty features and fast speed. But the only problem now was that the black rope connected to the arrows were too strong, where the soldiers�� blades and Mages�� flames were useless in removing them.


    At the same time, the Undead Army slowly approached.


    The fire elemental creatures were exhausted while Rhode��s water elemental creatures also couldn��t keep up. The coldness that they let off was enough to freeze a human to death, but was meaningless to the Undead Army. The Phantom Beasts snarled as they darted across the surface and shattered the Skeleton Soldiers standing in their way with their sharp claws. But the Undead Creatures seized the chance and quickly swarmed forward. They brandished their swords and lances at the Phantom Beasts and mourned their death. Observing from the top of the tower, it was apparent that darkness was slowly devouring the snow field.


    ��Mr. Rhode, is it about time?��


    Lize clenched her fists and asked worriedly. Rhode didn��t answer instantly. Instead, he turned to Beni.


    ��How��s the situation, Leader Beni?��


    ���� Not here yet, Sir Overlord.��


    ��This skeleton commander of theirs sure is careful.��


    Rhode let out a grunt. Cullen was a meticulous person. Perhaps he was baffled by the water elemental creatures that he became even more careful. But Rhode had another way to deal with him. Since he wasn��t willing to show up, he just needed to lure him out. The Undead Army was still in the probing stage, where they used this typical strategy in deploying low-level troops like Ghouls and Bone Griffins to sound out Rhode��s forces.


    This was just like a card game. Both sides received their cards, laid them out, and turned them around.


    Alright then. I shall start first. This is my first card. Do you want to follow, Mr. Lich?


    Rhode caressed the white jade-like ring on his right index finger. At the same time, a line of system prompt emerged before him.


    [Activate the Holy Spear]


    ��Heyah!��


    Frederick brandished his sword and struck off a Ghoul who tried to climb over the city wall. On the other hand, Serena launched ice blades that took down a dozen Ghouls, and they fell off the wall in no time. The remaining Ghouls were taken down by the soldiers, but this didn��t alleviate their pressure.


    ��Haa�� Haa�� Damn it.��


    Frederick clutched his sword and watched the menacing Bone Griffins launching almost suicidal attacks on the Batfishes. Perhaps the Batfishes were advantageous in their water elemental attribute over the Flame Crows, but they weren��t experts in close combat, after all. Frederick also saw groups of Ghouls climbing to the Skeletal Trolls�� shoulders and leaping onto the ropes connected to the city walls. Even though the Skeletal Trolls moved forward slowly, Frederick knew that their encounter would happen in just a few minutes.


    What should we do?


    Frederick felt unprecedented fatigue and worry. The exhaustion wasn��t physical, but was more on his mental strength. This exhaustion was intensified whenever one observed the enemies charging forward without any fear of death.


    If Frederick was facing human enemies, perhaps he would have thought the situation different. But even Serena also felt helpless in the face of this endless sea of Undead Creatures. They were as though drowning in a pitch-black sea and struggling instinctively. But this resistance was only temporary and they would eventually die.


    Frederick couldn��t help but admire Rhode. He couldn��t imagine how it felt like to face this attack alone. He was confident that if it were him, perhaps he would have abandoned this fortress. However, what solutions did they have now?


    Does he not intend to deploy the Battle Angel Army?


    Frederick caught a glimpse of a dazzling radiance from the corner of his eye. He turned around curiously and was baffled.


    There was a crystal sculpture of a young lady emanating a spotlessly white radiance in the deep mountain. The holy radiance grew increasingly brighter, and almost enveloped the entire sculpture. Frederick turned around and spotted the exact same scene from the other end.


    What��s going on?


    Frederick asked dubiously.


    Then, deep, loud explosions boomed.

 Chapter 737 - Darkness Falls (IV)

    In that instant, everyone lifted their heads instinctively. Three beams of holy light burst through the clouds and into the sky. Then, strong gales dispersed every layer of cloud and presented a clean, night sky before their eyes. However, it was different this time. There were three ritual circles hovering above, which shrouded the entire sky and endless golden lines extended to the horizon. The radiances from every sacred rune were as bright as the full moon. They were rules from the past, present, and future and they coalesced to form the most glorious poem and praise.


    That was from the source of the Rule of Light and the core of the Holy Poem, which was recorded and engraved in every corner of the rule framework on this continent. Up until this moment, it was summoned to display the power of the world with everything it had.


    ��That��s the����!��


    This was the first time Cullen revealed a horrified expression as he stared in the direction of the fortress. Not only him, but the Undead Creatures around him were also flabbergasted. They might hold high positions and were scheming, but now, they stood on the spot and gazed into the night sky blankly.


    A silver-whitish line that was as thin as a finger projected from the sky and shone on one of the Skeletal Troll. It appeared harmless because the Skeletal Troll continued to move forward while the Undead Creatures on its shoulders were unaffected. But shortly after, they knew that they had made the wrong choice.


    The runes that had filled the night sky shone.


    ��Au mo si ter lor.��


    After the final rune lit up, dazzling golden radiance from the three ritual circles flickered. Shortly after, the most sacred powers in this world coalesced and erupted.


    A ten-meters, brilliant light beam descended from above and silver-whitish flames spread in all directions like the rushing tide as soon as it struck the ground. The Undead Creatures in its range couldn��t escape the flames�� devour and before they left a final trace of their presence in this world, they were instantly swept away. The light torrent gushed and nothing could stop its assault.


    Clang!


    Frederick stared in disbelief. His sword slipped from his hand and fell on the ground. He had totally forgotten his oath about the ��sword is a knight��s life��. His head was a complete blank. He saw the terrifying, enormous Skeletal Trolls falling to the white torrents and shattering into specks of dust. Not only that, but sacred flames also merciless devoured every Undead Creature.


    Then, it came the second. Two gigantic light beams shone from above and purified the sins and deaths on the surface. However, it seemed that only the Undead Creatures were harmed by them. On the contrary, the soldiers above the city walls felt a warm, powerful energy blessing them. Then, their injuries instantly healed like the snow that melted entirely to the sun.


    The white light beams slowly dispersed. Tens of thousands of Undead Creatures who had pushed their way to the moat vanished completely. There were no traces of corpses anywhere and the pitch-black darkness that enveloped the sky and surface were nowhere to be seen as though they didn��t exist.


    The relentless Undead Army finally came to a halt. Cullen shut his eyes and turned around to avoid the glaring radiance. He finally understood why the enemy valued his secrets so highly that he didn��t dispatch any scouts no matter what. That was because he had the ancient heritage! How was this possible? No one had ever seen this ancient heritage after the holy war from 350 years ago! Who exactly is he? Where did he get them from?


    At this moment, the Undead Creatures moved ahead again. Their spirits were long gone and nothing could stop them forever, after all. Shortly after, they advanced like ink that spread across a white sheet of paper. Cullen watched and for some unknown reasons, his heart skipped a beat abruptly. He looked at the fortress ahead and another beam of light descended from the sky.


    ��Retreat! Retreat now!��


    Cullen ordered in a fluster while the Undead Creatures around him watched in silence. Suddenly, another dazzling light beam shone from above and in the blink of an eye, thousands of Undead Creatures vanished.


    Cullen lowered his head. The spiritual flames in his eyes seemed incomparably dull. But shortly after, they burned stronger.


    ��Retreat. Order everyone to retreat.��


    He issued the order in a hoarse, deep voice.


    The Undead Army retreated like the tide toward the protection of the Dark Dragon Soul and waited for their next attack. On the other hand, the soldiers above the city walls exploded into cheers. They knew that this was just a temporary victory, but it was equally precious.


    ��Sir Overlord, they��ve retreated.��


    ��I know.��


    Rhode squinted and spoke with knitted brows. Although the others were excited that the Undead Army had retreated, Rhode wasn��t delighted at all because he knew that this was only an intermission. The Undead Army wouldn��t give up just yet, even after they realized the existence of the Holy Maiden Statues. The Undead Army had other ways to deal with them. If not, the Light Dragon and Dark Dragon wouldn��t be evenly matched during the Creation War. Of course, one of the reasons was also because the Light Dragon didn��t have an overpowering construction system like Rhode��s. If not, it would have constructed multiple Holy Maiden Statues to deal with the Dark Dragon.


    Rhode turned around.


    ��I have something to attend to. I��ll leave everything to you here, Leader Beni. Please report to me immediately if you discover any signs of the enemies.��


    Unlike the previous meetings that were filled with hopeless emotions, everyone revealed excited expressions this time. Most of them were like Frederick, who didn��t feel confident against the Undead Army during the clash. But the tide turned instantly after Rhode activated the Holy Maiden Statues, which instantly gave them strong hopes. It was due to this reason that when Rhode entered the meeting room, he felt everyone��s trustful and confident gazes. If it was in the past, many of them would doubt in his abilities to resist the Undead Army.


    But, it was a pity that he wasn��t here to solidify their confidence. Instead, he was here to pour cold water on them.


    ��I know what you��re going to say, everyone.��


    Rhode sat down and this statement muted the bustling meeting room. Everyone looked at him dubiously.


    ��Perhaps you may think that we��ve won the battle. But I��m sorry to tell you that this is still far from it. Do you still remember how it felt during the battle? I��m confident that you will be extremely familiar with that feeling in the future and that will be the most common situation for us.��


    ��But Sir Overlord.��


    Frederick stood up and said.


    ��Previously, even though we indeed struggled to deal with the Undead Creatures, didn��t you activate the statues? They��re so powerful, which instantly eliminated tens of thousands of the enemies and forced them off. If we continue with this arrangement, how can they defeat us?��


    ��Their retreat is only temporary because they aren��t prepared for this situation, Mr. Frederick.��


    ��But, Sir Overlord, it affects the troops to retreat all of a sudden. Besides, their internal department will����


    ��Mr. Frederick.��


    Rhode gestured to interrupt.


    ��We��re talking about the Undead Creatures here. Their morales will not fall, and neither will they feel disheartened. They only have one belief and it is to charge forward, fight, and reap deaths. That is why I��m confident that they won��t be hesitant and wavered by the formidable holy spears. Besides, the Holy Maiden Statues aren��t invincible and they have their weaknesses.��


    ��Weaknesses?��


    ��Yes.��


    Rhode spread his arms apart.


    ��They need time to store their powers and the range which their holy spears cover is limited. Each attack requires a charging time of 10 minutes. If the Undead Creatures capture the timing accurately, we will still be overwhelmed. I believe that the enemy commander has realized this, which was why they retreated.��


    ��In other words, if you have more of the statues, we would be able to drive them out of your territory?��


    Rhode gazed curiously at Frederick because he didn��t expect that this young man would possess the players�� line of thoughts. After all, no one around Rhode had thought of this shameless tactic. Rhode nodded firmly.


    ��Logically speaking, that��s right. The Holy Maiden Statues are ancient heritages which possess the holy rule powers of the Light Dragon Soul protection. If I have more of them, we can definitely force the enemies off. But it��s a pity that I can��t create that many of them in reality.��


    ��Why is that so? Sir Overlord?��


    This time, it was another commander who asked. Rhode looked at him meaningfully and shrugged.


    ��It��s simple. Money.��


    ���� Huh?��


    Perhaps due to Rhode��s overly ��simple and direct�� answer, everyone stared blankly with widened eyes. They returned to their senses, but couldn��t figure out why.


    ��Creating a Holy Maiden Statue requires six million gold coins and a huge number of magic crystals and expensive gems. I��ve spent almost everything to make these three Holy Maiden Statues and I can��t afford anymore of them,�� Rhode said.


    The commander nodded and said, ��I see. May I ask how long does it take to make one Holy Maiden Statue?��


    ��One can be built in less than half a month if everything is done quickly.��


    Rhode believed that his ability to lie through his teeth had absolutely reached the Legendary Stage too.


    The commander nodded in agreement and sat down. Rhode observed that some thoughts were going through their heads, but he didn��t expose them. Instead, he advised them not to let loose over the next few days and at the same time, requested them to behave like the Vampires��sleep in the morning and work at night. The Undead Army detested the holy powers of the Light Dragon Soul��s protection and wouldn��t possibly attack in the day, especially in this situation where there was a huge difference in their strength in the enchanted field. After a few moments, Rhode dismissed the meeting and everyone departed. However, Rhode was aware that they definitely had something to discuss in private. But it was fine too since this was part of the ��998�� sales plan that Gillian and he had discussed.


    It seems like everything is going rather smoothly.


    Mini Bubble Gum and Canary smiled as they approached Rhode. They didn��t turn up for the battle today, which was one of the reasons why the battle was tough. For the sake of safety, Rhode appointed Canary to provide a certain amount of assistance from the Mage Tower. However, they would need to conserve their energy just in case the Night Wyvern attacked. It was due to this that he revealed one of his trump cards so soon. If the cunning and meticulous Lich believed that Rhode had been forced to the edge of the cliff, Rhode wouldn��t mind showing him the other trump cards in his hands.


    ��What��s wrong? Is anything the matter?��


    ��Do you still remember the Dark Elves you��ve seen earlier, Rhode?��


    ��Yes. What about them?��


    Rhode vaguely remembered. After he returned to the fortress to prepare for the battle, he had thrown this matter to the back of his head. It seemed that there were some troubles?


    ��Don��t tell me you let them slip away?��


    ��Nope, Leader.��


    Mini Bubble Gum shook her head hurriedly. Then, she displayed a proud grin.


    ��But we��ve captured one of them. Do you wanna check it out?��

 Chapter 738 - Darkness Falls (V)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Cullen felt like his army��s assault was rather comical this time, where they attacked aggressively, but retreated with their heads held low. He expected a strong start, but not a weak finish. If he was leading a human army, perhaps their morale would have fallen to rock bottom by now. However, just as Rhode expected, the Undead Army didn��t have morale at all. They had no frustrations, negative emotions, and feared nothing��because they were the personification of despair.


    Even though Cullen had a hard time in his battles, the other Undead Generals didn��t laugh in his face. The emergence of an ancient heritage was totally unexpected and not even ten Cullens could resist the strength that came from its origin. It was especially so when they looked up at the golden radiance enveloping the entire sky. No matter what, every creature would respect it regardless of positions.


    But respect wasn��t an excuse for failure.


    Cullen sat before his desk and stared at the military sand table in silence. The pitch-black chess pieces had retreated and were positioned far away from their target. He pushed forward his shriveled right hand which held the Undead Army flag and saw the other black flags crumbling. But he didn��t stop. He continued to push and repeat this motion. Every time he repeated the motion, the spiritual flames in his eyes burned ever brighter. In the end, he revealed a sinister smile.


    He had to admit that the young human indeed was capable to not activate the holy spears from the start. Instead, he lured them in and only activated them after they arrived at the foot of his fortress. Besides, he also understood the weakness of the holy spears��the time to charge up, which was why launched them in intervals. However, the weaknesses were concealed in the advantages. On the surface, the ancient heritage was threatening. But there was also a problem�� Why did that human activate the ancient heritage at that moment?


    ��Why did I activate the holy spears at that moment?��


    Rhode descended the flight of stairs in the dark underground tunnel. The flames burning on the torches cast distorted shadow behind him. He answered Lize��s question without turning back.


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode. The holy spears are our strongest trump cards. The Undead Creatures may have retreated, but honestly speaking, we didn��t deal too much damage to them. We did a rough estimation and found out that only about ten thousand of them are eliminated. If it is as what you��ve mentioned, there are many more enemies than this. Isn��t it a little too�� reckless?��


    ��You��re right about that. But we have no other choice.��


    Rhode shrugged.


    ��We don��t have enough Clerics to handle their attacks and currently, only Marlene and Serena are formidable spell casters apart from Bubble and Canary. But what can they do? There is easily a whole bunch of them in the Undead Army with similar standard. At this point, Marlene and Serena are unable to deal massive damage to the enemies.��


    ��Not only that, but Bubble and I also have to prepare ourselves in dealing with the Night Wyvern��s attack. We have to conserve our strength before that.��


    Canary approached them and continued Rhode��s sentence


    ��Defending the fortress is an uninteresting matter. It is especially so in this situation. We can��t come up with too many strategies like the battles between two armies. The enemies aren��t humans and their determination is as strong as steel. Ordinary strategies won��t work on them. Since that��s the case, we can only meet force with force and frankly speaking, we may not be able to defeat them. Lize, I guess you��re aware that if Bubble and I don��t show up and if Rhode didn��t activate the holy spears, your Clerics would have a hard time dealing with the enemies.��


    ������


    Lize and Marlene fell into silence. In fact, that was the truth. They lacked too much manpower. In the two battles, most of the soldiers didn��t contribute much and mostly relied on Rhode and his powerful trump cards. The first clash ended with Orchid Heart, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum joining forces. This time, they relied on the Holy Maiden Statues to strike off the Undead Army while the others above the city walls were more like bystanders who cleaned up the remaining Undead Creatures.


    ��What other choices do we have? The soldiers are too weak.��


    Mini Bubble Gum shot her mouth off.


    ��If this were in the past�� No matter how many skeletons climbed over the walls, we would slaughter them all. But, there are really too few soldiers here. If the enemies were to climb up and overwhelmed the soldiers, this fortress would have become theirs. This is why Leader beat his brains out to keep the battle outside the fortress. You people should be glad that you��re not the main attacking force. If you are, that means that Leader��s fortress will be doomed entirely. How can you take on that many enemies? We would have been buried to death by them.��


    ������


    Marlene knitted her brows, but she wasn��t offended by Mini Bubble Gum. The truth was that they lacked too many manpower. Perhaps they had the Battle Angel Army and Magic Fleet as backing, but Rhode had told them that trump cards must be revealed one by one. They wouldn��t scare the enemies away if he revealed them simultaneously. But��


    ��But if that��s the case, our weaknesses were exposed to the enemies. Normally, wide-range spells are essential during such battles. But, we didn��t do so and activated the holy spears instead. This equals to telling the enemies that we have a lack of spell casters����


    Marlene clenched her fists and felt cold sweat in her palms.


    ��But�� The enemy must have investigated beforehand and if they have records of our previous battle, they should be aware that there are two legendary spell casters in the fortress.��


    ��Yes, but Bubble and I didn��t attack.��


    Canary shook her head. Her smiling eyes glinted with some cheekiness.


    ��Why?��


    ��Hmm����


    Marlene and Lize asked. At this moment, the group had arrived at the end of the dark prison and they heard echoing mourns from prisoners. The two young ladies racked their brains over Canary��s statement. Then, Marlene��s eyes glinted.


    ��Could it be that it has something to do with the water elemental creatures that Rhode summoned?��


    ��That��s right.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction.


    ��In the previous battle, I didn��t expand the Silver Ocean channel. This is the first time I summoned the water elemental creatures into battle after the expansion. Cullen��s scouts were all destroyed by me and they don��t know that I have the Fantasy Key to the Silver Ocean. Since that��s the case, they will need to seek an explanation as to why there are so many water elemental creatures.��


    Rhode gazed at Marlene.


    ��Marlene, as a Mage, you should be aware of how cumbersome and time-consuming it is to expand plane of existence channels, right?��


    ��Of course, Rhode.��


    Marlene nodded without hesitation. Every spell caster was taught about the main and four elemental planes of existence, Seven Fantasy Boundaries, and hell in their learning journey.


    ��So, what conclusion will you have from a Mage��s point of view if I summon so many water elemental creatures all of a sudden and the legendary spell casters in the report didn��t show up?��


    ��I will����


    Marlene revealed a look of enlightenment.


    ��I will believe that the legendary spell casters were using their powers to support the plane of existence channel! In such a short period of time, it is impossible for ordinary humans to activate the channel and summon high-level water elemental creatures. On the other hand, Miss Canary didn��t reveal herself to the enemy, which shows a high possibility to the enemy that she is supporting the operations of the channel! Since that��s the case, there won��t be any spell casters available in the fortress to threaten the enemy because maintaining the channel requires a large amount of spiritual powers! Even if Miss Canary joined the battle, she can��t provide too much support either.��


    ��Based on the elements that we presented, it is simple for him to come to this conclusion.��


    Rhode shrugged.


    ��What we have to do next is to ensure that he confirms that his judgments are correct. I��ve said that Cullen is a meticulous person and he won��t trust the information that we��ve presented. But as long as we make him think that his judgment is correct again and again, he will eventually believe it. A meticulous person generally takes responsibilities and once he believes firmly in his judgment, we won��t be far from a complete victory.��


    ��B-But, Mr. Rhode.��


    Lize puckered her brows and felt rather uncertain.


    ��What if he thinks otherwise? What if he suspects that we have other trump cards and that was why we recklessly activated the holy spears?��


    ��This involves the purpose of this war, Little Lize.��


    Gillian let out a chuckle. She skipped to Lize and poked her cheek with her finger.


    ��Didn��t Master explain that clearly to you before? The Undead Creatures aren��t here to protect their country or eliminate evil. They��re here to accomplish goals, expand their forces, and promote their family��s position within the Country of Darkness. Do you think that Lich will be patient enough to wait for one and a half years while his companions and subordinates become his superior? Of course, Master welcomes him if he has this patience. But no one knows if the other Undead Creatures eying covetously will be willing to�� As for the trump cards�� Huhuhu. How will he know if Master doesn��t show it? Imagination will always remain as imagination before it becomes reality and all we have to do is not let him see the truth, isn��t it?��


    ��Gillian is right and what Lize said is also reasonable. The situations in battles change rapidly, after all, and not every one of them will go our way.��


    Rhode came to a halt and before him was a tightly-shut, heavy iron door.


    ��And now, I��m here to remove one of the unknown factors.��


    Rhode pushed the door open.

 Chapter 739 - Darkness Falls (VI)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Nell Bailey opened her eyes and gazed into the darkness that appeared as though daytime for her. She was beset by hunger and cold because she hadn��t eaten for days. As the second daughter of the third family in Carlesodar City, she wasn��t unfamiliar with this feeling. The Dark Elves were a race full of betrayal and conspiracies, where every family member craved to step on others�� shoulders and corpses in order to climb their way to the supreme throne��the number one family title and the position as the matriarch. These were the goals of the Dark Elves.


    However, Nell wasn��t one of them because she was a ��defective product��.


    In history, Dark Elves escaped from the cruel Creation War and headed into the underground world. They broke off all their relations with nature, but their pride disallowed themselves to toy with soil and rocks like the Dwarves. They inherited keen magical senses from their distant relatives on the surface and still used the powers. However, this also brought them unimaginable situations.


    The dark energy flowing in the deep underground merged with the Dark Elves over a long period of time, which caused their skin to lose the fair Elves appearance and be tainted by dark colors. However, none of this was important to them because it wasn��t only their skin that was tainted, but also their hearts and souls.


    Using the strength of dark energy, the Dark Elves developed their unique magic civilization, which was evil, sinister, yet powerful. They were the closest users of dark energy and its most humble servants. Almost every family had powerful Mages as backing and only the females with the most powerful magical powers and keen dark energy stood a chance to become the matriarch, and they would then lead their family to the peak of glory. It was due to this that almost every female Dark Elves was a natural spell casters who grasped the energy of darkness and death.


    Almost.


    Because not every female Dark Elves possessed such talents.


    Nell was one of them, unfortunately. She was evaluated to be without magical talents when she was born and she couldn��t sense the flow of dark energy. Not only that, but her skin also wasn��t as pitch-black as the other Dark Elves. On the contrary, her skin was pure white and this color had given her endless pains, where almost every Dark Elves ridiculed and mocked her. If it wasn��t for her mother and matriarch treating her as a curious plaything, perhaps she would have been offered as a sacrifice on the day she was born.


    But she survived until now.


    Due to this reason, she trained insanely. She didn��t possess magical powers, but she still had a pair of hands to work her way through. Shortly after, she rose above others and became the most outstanding warrior in her family. If it wasn��t for the fact that there were no precedents in the history of the Dark Elves, Nell was confident that she would replace that foolish male and become the first female martial arts chief.


    But she was also aware that it was impossible.


    In the society of the Dark Elves, magic was everything. Sword-brandishing warriors would never be respected and only the lowly male Dark Elves would take on this duty. They were merely the blades and shields to the females and mothers in eliminating threats. On the other hand, a female Dark Elf like Nell who had the blood of nobility flowing in her wouldn��t degrade herself to join the ranks of the lowly slaves even if darkness abandoned her.


    She grew stronger, but realized that she wasn��t compatible with the society of the Dark Elves. She wasn��t respected for her strength and was mocked and humiliated by other Dark Elves just like when she was young. She was furious and often tossed about in bed imagining herself slashing the throats of those who looked down on her and hearing their dying howls.


    But in the end, her revenge failed. Perhaps sensing the disharmonious flame burning deep inside her daughter��s heart, Nell was offered as a part of the transaction to the Undead Creatures by her mother, where she represented her family and led several male Dark Elves to the surface and became the humble subordinates of ��The Spirit Chaser�� Balende. This was almost the first opportunity for many Dark Elves to reach the surface. The nobles in the Country of Darkness looked down on the losers who hid in the deep underground and treated the Dark Elves as allies that could be utilized. On the other hand, the Dark Elves were also aware that if they disappointed the Undead Creatures, all the hard work that they had established in the underground would vanish in a puff of smoke. Therefore, in the dark underground world, almost every Dark Elves family sought assistance from the Undead Creatures on the surface in order to secure their positions. Nell��s family obtained the ruling rights to Carlesodar City because they were the servants to one of the four legendary generals. However, her living experiences in theCountry of Darkness made her aware that all these weren��t important. If one brought more benefits to the four legendary generals, the latter definitely wouldn��t mind swapping their supporters. There were many times when the undead families encouraged their supporters to massacre one another in order to serve themselves better.


    Living in the Country of Darkness wasn��t any better than the underground for Nell. In the underground, at least some of the Dark Elves were terrified of her as the second daughter of the third family and simply ridiculed her. But she learned what the true meaning of actions speaks louder than words in the Country of Darkness. The flowery speech between the Dark Elves was a waste of time to the undeads and they lacked the desire that all living beings had. Nell couldn��t comprehend their train of thought at all. She witnessed some of the female Dark Elves who were loved by their families slaughtered and turned into Corpse Slaves by the Liches, Vampires, and even Death Knights. Everything was simply because they didn��t adapt quick enough to obey the undeads due to the arrogance that they had developed living in their families. When they realized that they made a huge mistake, it was all too late and their flowery speeches to spare their lives was meaningless to the undeads.


    Whenever the slaughters happened, Nell watched quietly from the side because this was a common punishment for the pampered ��princesses�� who thought that they came to the surface as important allies and peacemakers. But in fact, they were nothing more than slaves and humble servants to the Undead Creatures and died because they couldn��t understand this point. However, Nell would never be one of them. She had learned to live humbly in the underground, which was why she adapted to the life in the Country of Darkness and earned Balende��s trust quickly.


    Nell came here only for one mission��the overlord of this territory had enraged Balende and killed his subordinate. Although this wasn��t a huge problem, this piece of news had spread in the Country of Darkness and embarrassed Balende. Therefore, he sent Nell to kill the young overlord in order to warn others not to doubt the four legendary generals�� prestige.


    But, she failed.


    It was apparent the enemy was ready for her. When Nell led her men and sneaked up to the fortress, she was bombarded by earth-shattering magic spells before she had even thought of a way to enter and the four elites that she brought along died instantly. The two Mages were too powerful. Even though they appeared to be ordinary, fragile, and lowly human females, Nell was sure that even her matriarch wasn��t as powerful as them.


    Nell almost died to the magic spells too. However, her skin color saved her life. After discovering her fair skin from under the cloak, the two young ladies were astonished. Then, they captured and threw her into the cell. Nell didn��t know what kind of treatment she would receive. In the Country of Darkness, she heard a lot of rumors regarding the residents of the Light Mainland. They were kind (this term definitely wasn��t commendatory in the Darkness Mainland), foolish, cowardly, and at the same time scheming and despicable. Nell recalled the history lessons that she attended in the Dark Elves school, where it talked about the shameless surface Elves forcing the current Dark Elves into battle in order to save pure Elf bloodline. In the end, the current Dark Elves broke free from the enslavement of their companions and went into the underground to live the life that they dreamed of. However, Nell had never forgotten the cruel, evil acts of the surface Elves, which had forced them to escape from the ugly surface engulfed in flames.


    That was a price that they had to pay.


    So what about the humans?


    Nell heard rumors about humans and also saw several human slaves in the Country of Darkness. They were indeed fragile, naive, and full of desires. But now, she had fallen into the hands of this shameless race, which left her extremely anxious. She puckered her brows and waited for her sentence. Even though she didn��t understand the customs of the Light Mainland at all, the meaning of prison, manacles, and leg-irons were the same everywhere.


    At this moment, she heard footsteps as though a group of people were coming toward her cell. The footsteps became increasingly louder and finally stopped behind her door. Then, the door opened and glaring torches hanging on the wall shone into her pitch-black cell.


    The bright radiance forced her eyes shut and she turned around��

 Chapter 740 - Darkness Falls (VII)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Rhode pushed the door open and entered the room while Nell turned around to avoid the glaring light. Rhode stared blankly at her.


    She was a young Elf lady with white, dewy skin and looked about 18 years old in human years. Not only that, but she was also slender and appeared beautiful and alluring. This was the biggest difference between the Dark Elves and Elves. If the Elves were the spokesperson for purity, the Dark Elves would obviously represent sex appeal. But, before that��


    ��Dark Elf?��


    Rhode knitted his brows and turned to Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. Mini Bubble Gum proudly stuck her chest that was only slightly bigger than a flat chest.


    ��Interesting, isn��t it? Leader? This is the first time that I saw such a ��black skin��. If it isn��t for this reason, why would we even capture her? You think it��s amusing too, right?��


    Yea.


    Rhode nodded in agreement. This was a completely typical thinking of a player, where they discovered rare and precious elites among the monsters and captured them as pets to show off in the forums or think of ways to unleash their potentials. Apart from that, there were also various unique missions attached to them, just like how Rhode triggered the Behermes family mission after meeting Lapis and attained an Alchemist Master from it. Even though this young lady looked like a pure Elf from every angle, he saw the essence of the Dark Elf through her snowy hair and eye color. If he were to spot her in a group of Dark Elves, he would definitely capture her too.


    What left him dubious was that the females usually held high statuses among the Dark Elves and were mostly spell casters. But, he couldn��t find any ��blood circuit�� that were unique on Dark Elf Mages on her. Besides, judging from her firm muscles and hands full of callus, she was apparently a warrior. But, this was strange because he had never heard of a female Dark Elf as a warrior�� Hmm? Hold up��


    Rhode twitched his brows. He seemed to have found an answer in one of the corners in his brain. He pondered deeply and after a few moments, his eyes glinted.


    Suddenly, he recalled that there was indeed a strange rumor spreading in the dark underground in the late game, which happened when he led his team into hell to ��farm for new armor and weapons��. Along their way, they passed by the Dark Elves�� city and one of his men received a wanted criminal order for a female Dark Elf who killed numerous matriarchs. If he recalled correctly, the reward and equipment for it were extraordinary. However, he had always seen the Dark Elves as cunning and difficult to deal with. If he were to enter the underground alone, perhaps he would have accepted the mission since it was conveniently along his way. But, he had more than a hundred members with him at that time, so it wasn��t logical for them to roam the underground world blindly for this mission. Moreover, the Dark Elves were known for their cunningness and perhaps the Dark Elves might even find trouble with him after he completed the mission. Therefore, he didn��t accept the mission and led his men away instantly.


    This wanted criminal order became a pastime for his members in the boring underground world. After all, according to the wanted criminal order, the number of matriarchs who died in the criminal��s hands had reached double digits, which was something that none of the players had accomplished. After all, the scheming Dark Elves often sent out others and refused to battle personally. Not only that, but the matriarchs were also in the Legendary Stage and were incomparably evil, where almost none of the players could take advantage of them. Even though a player��s strength was powerful enough to destroy a Dark Elf family back then, it was a totally different matter in terms of crafty plots and machinations.


    Under such a circumstance, this topic about a female Dark Elf slaughtering that many matriarchs and remained uncaught was a popular one among the players. The more experienced players sharply realized that this was definitely an enormous and ambiguous branch of the underground world story line. They were confident that if they found the wanted Dark Elf, they would trigger a whole new, massive story.


    As for why the wanted criminal killed that many of her companions, the players had different views. Some thought that she did it for love while some believed that it was due to the hatred between families. After all, betrayal and revenge happened all the time in the Dark Elves�� society and players also represented families in eliminating other families too. But, it was a first for them to hear about a female Dark Elf roaming every Dark Elf cities and recklessly massacring in the underground world.


    That was all the information he had about ��a female killer of many Dark Elf matriarchs��, where perhaps the entire information would only make up to three pages. He gazed at the ��Dark Elf�� before him and wasn��t sure if she was the wanted criminal. However, he thought that it was worth a try. After all, he had never seen a female Dark Elf who was a warrior.


    Besides, her skin color was a sufficient reason for her to ��racially discriminated�� in the world of Dark Elves.


    Nell kept her head turned stubbornly and her expression was full of disdain. This was an orthodox view which the Dark Elves had on humans and other races; trash and unworthy slaves. There would only be one consequence for the Dark Elves who lowered their heads to humans��death.


    But, this wasn��t important. Rhode smiled inwardly.


    If he recalled correctly, the name on the wanted criminal order was��


    ��Nell Bailey. The second daughter of the Bailey Family in Carlesodar City. I didn��t expect to see you here.��


    Rhode said.


    Nell didn��t understand what he was talking about in his lowly human language.


    She turned around and the dazzling radiance hurt her eyes. Then, she sensed the young man��s curious gazes and he turned around to speak to the other human young ladies. Nell didn��t care about her fate since she would be dead sooner or later.


    Then, she heard the young man��s voice once again.


    ��Nell Bailey. The second daughter of the Bailey Family in Carlesodar City. I didn��t expect to see you here.��


    Nell lifted her head in shock. This was the first time that she had forgotten her pride as a Dark Elf and gazed at the black-haired young man before her. The latter looked at her expressionlessly as though it wasn��t him who said that. However, Nell was sure that she didn��t misheard the pure Dark Elves�� pronunciations. There was an instant when she thought that this human was actually disguised by a Dark Elf. But, shortly after, she realized that this thought was too ridiculous.


    But, how did he know my name?


    Nell knew that she was well known person in Carlesodar City, where almost every Dark Elves knew who she was. But, a human?


    ��Who are you? Human?��


    Nell knitted her brows and scrutinized the young man.


    Right on target.


    Although Nell didn��t respond to his greetings, her expression had betrayed her train of thoughts. Rhode inwardly nodded in satisfaction.


    It seems like I��ve caught a big fish.


    ��It isn��t important who I am, second daughter of Bailey Family.��


    Rhode gestured for the others to not act rashly and said. Apart from his looks, everything else about him at that moment was as though a true Dark Elf. In fact, as the most popular and powerful player of the game, Rhode had learned every single languages and their texts �� This was another reason why he had been termed as the ��walking library��.


    ��What��s more important is that you��re my prisoner here and perhaps you��re about to become my spoils of war.��


    Rhode gestured with a sign that the Dark Elves used to flaunt.


    ��Or an ice-cold corpse. Everything will be decided upon your attitude and choice.��


    ��My attitude?��


    Nell felt ridiculous. Although she didn��t interact much with males in the dark underground world, the pride flowing in her blood restrained her from being friendly toward any humans��especially males.


    ��It seems like you understand a lot about us, Dark Elves. Since that��s the case, you should also be aware that females won��t bow down to males. It is especially so for a lowly race like yours. You don��t have the rights to make a deal with me, you rotten maggot. If you��d like to, you can torture or kill me, but I will never yield.��


    ��Good.��


    Rhode shrugged and didn��t seem to be angered at all. However, this didn��t mean that he was liberal. Instead, he clearly knew that this was the Dark Elves�� attitude. The way Nell spoke and behaved proved that she was an authentic Dark Elf under her white skin. She might be a little different, but��


    ��Since that��s the case, I shall grant your wish, second daughter of Bailey Family.��


    ��Mr. Rhode, what are you two talking about?��


    Lize asked curiously. Previously, they spoke to Nell to learn more about her motives, but she totally disregarded them. But now, Rhode used an unknown language and their conversation went smoothly, which magnified their faith in him much more.


    ��I��m communicating with this visitor to see if I can gain more information about the Undead Army. But, it seems that she isn��t too willing to cooperate����


    Rhode said with his usual expression, but no one knew if he was joking or not.


    ��But, I have my ways to deal with such situations. All of you can head back and rest now, but do stay alert for the night patrols. I��ll be here to see if I can enlighten and lower the guard of our friend here.��


    ���� Okay.��


    Lize hesitated for a moment and eventually nodded. In the past, she witnessed her mercenary companions interrogated the bandits and didn��t like it. However, she knew that she couldn��t change anything. Even though Rhode didn��t say it clearly, she imagined what he would do. She lacked the courage to watch, which was why she nodded in agreement and left. At this moment, Marlene stepped forward and said softly in Rhode��s ear.


    ��I��ll inform you if anything requires you.��


    ��Okay.��


    Marlene smiled and left the cell while Canary and Mini Bubble Gum followed. Canary knew clearly what Rhode was up to and Mini Bubble Gum merely felt bored because she couldn��t understand the language that they used.


    Shortly after, only Rhode and Nell were left in the entire cell. The latter looked at him in disdain while he remained expressionless. But, shortly after, the corners of his lips curled up into a smile.


    Nell had to admit that this young man was rather good-looking. Besides, his smile was beautiful��but she quickly sensed an ice-cold chill running down her spine as though something bad was about to happen.


    ��I��m not surprised by your stubbornness, Miss Nell.��


    Rhode lowered his gaze at her and his smile became ever so elegant.


    ��We have a lot of time to discuss the problems��firstly, it is about the difference between our statuses����


    Under the flames, the obvious shadow behind the black-haired young man distorted abruptly. Then, pitch-black tentacles emerged from within.


    ��This is your first lesson.��

 Chapter 741 - Darkness Falls (VIII)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��T-This is����


    Nell froze at the sight of the fluttering tentacles. Even though she wasn��t a Mage, she knew what they were because there were no lack of chances to interact with magic in both Carlesodar City and the Country of Darkness. At that moment, Nell revealed some fear in her eyes but shortly after, she came back to her senses, let out a snort, and lifted her head proudly to shoot a look of disdain at the young man before her.


    ��I thought you were gonna be an interesting human. It seems like you��re just a lustful dog. Hmph. Lowly human. You can do whatever you want with me, but you would be a fool if you think that I��d surrender. Do you think I will tell you everything that you want to know, you maggot?��


    ��You can��t say it this way, Miss. Nell.��


    The smile on Rhode��s face didn��t change at all. On the contrary, it widened into a grin.


    ��This is the nature of humans. Besides, I��m not foolish enough to think that a Dark Elf will provide me intelligence for free. Come to think of it���� Rhode scanned her meaningfully. Among the female Dark Elves, Nell��s figure was considered relatively slender and this might be related to her being a warrior and not a spell caster. In the game, most female Dark Elves had great figures with well developed chest and this ��Dark Elf�� here looked as though a leopardess who would pounce on one anytime. There was a tough, powerful side of her in her soft body which let out a strange, wild charm like Anne��s. However, if Anne was just a puppy who loved to shake her tail before its owner, Nell would be a dangerous, yet charismatic leopardess. It was especially so for her spotlessly white, dewy skin. She was like the perfect combination between the surface Elves�� refined elegance and the Dark Elves�� gorgeous eroticism. Her armor and weapon had been completely stripped and nowhere to be found. Currently, she was only clad in a skintight thin top and shorts. Although the clothes were made of coarse material and weren��t appealing, they failed to conceal her natural beauty.


    ���� I just haven��t seen a Dark Elf like you, that is.��


    Nell gritted her teeth to his sarcastic remark. Of course, she knew what he meant and his eyes were roaming brazenly on her body. Although she had been criticized for her skin color since young, it didn��t mean that she was used to such remarks, especially from a shameless male human.


    Damn it. No matter if it��s the surface or underground, humans are so weak and cowardly. They��re nothing more than slaves. What rights do they have to remark upon my appearance?!


    ��As an owner, it seems that my hospitality to my guest isn��t good enough.��


    Rhode scrutinized her. Around four days had passed after Nell was captured. She didn��t consume any food and only drank water. Not only that, but she also couldn��t shower, of course.


    Due to the grease on her scalp, her white long hair had stuck together in chunks and became terribly messy. Filthy dust also stained her dewy skin, which made her uncomfortable. Although she was a warrior, she was still a woman, after all. No women could tolerate such days.


    But even though Rhode sounded apologetic, he didn��t appear sincere. He stretched out his hand and snapped his fingers. Shortly after, the little mermaid emerged from behind him and gazed curiously at her master. Then, she shifted her gaze to Nell. Rhode didn��t say much but simply gestured. The little mermaid nodded happily, extended her hands, and a round water ball emerged before her to wrap Nell entirely.Read more chapter on novelhall.com


    ��������!��


    Nell struggled instinctively. She pushed her head above the water ball, but before she spoke, the black tentacles lurking in Rhode��s shadow darted out.


    The tentacles slithered into the water ball smoothly, bound Nell��s ankles, and pulled her long, slender legs apart. One of the tentacles slipped into her top and in the blink of an eye, her soaked clothes were ripped violently and her alluring, naked body was revealed.


    ��You��!��


    Nell snarled instinctively. She subconsciously tried to cover her chest, but the steel chains stopped her. She struggled for a while and quickly gave up after realizing that it was all meaningless. However, she glared fiercely at Rhode and treated him as a complete enemy. Rhode was sure that if he released her now, she would surely tear himself apart.


    But based on her current strength, it was impossible.


    Rhode didn��t respond. He shifted his thoughts and shortly after, the pitch-black tentacles roamed her body. They wrapped around her perky chest, slim waist, slender legs, and firm arms to give her a clean scrub.


    Feels great.


    Rhode felt the texture of her body from the tentacles and nodded inwardly. This was another enhancement to his swordsmanship technique after he transcended into the Legendary Stage. With the enhancement of the Dark Dance Swordsmanship, he obtained the ability to control shadows to a certain extent. Apart from being able to blend into the shadow, he could also use the shadow as a part of himself to manipulate and attack. Of course, he could change their usage occasionally�� At this moment, the tentacles were as though his extended self and a materialization of his will.


    ��Y-You this lowly�� Argh!��


    Nell felt ashamed and resentful as the slippery tentacles slid across her body recklessly. She glared at Rhode with wide-opened eyes and cursed him in the evilest terms in the Dark Elves�� language. Then, at this moment, a tentacle wrapped around her neck and tugged her head into the water.


    ��������!��


    Nell struggled to keep her head above the water ball, but the tentacle held on firmly. After a few moments, it finally let loose and retracted, to which she hurriedly gasped for air.


    ��Haa�� Haa����


    Then, Rhode��s calm, apathetic voice sounded.


    ��It seems that apart from cleaning your body thoroughly, you need a mouthwash too.��


    ��You��!


    Rhode��s smile remain unchanged to her murderous stare. But at this moment, one of the tentacles extended and made a taunting gesture, and Nell froze speechlessly.


    ��Argh����


    Shortly after, she felt that something strange was happening to her body.


    The ice-cold water stimulated her skin while the tentacles skillfully cleaned every inch of her body. Nell felt that they weren��t only washing, but also searching for her weaknesses. They tangled, wrapped, and touched her body that was rather numbed by the ice-cold water. Then, a burning sensation inside her spread throughout her body and dissipated the cold sensation. At this moment, she had lost all mood to ridicule and berate Rhode. She gritted her teeth to strongly refuse the unfamiliar sensation. At the same time, the wrath inside her burned wilder.


    Damn human. I��m gonna kill you! I��m definitely gonna kill you!


    Although she was full of hate and vengeance, her instinctive reactions failed to follow the will of the Dark Elves. Shortly after, the deep groans which she let out when tolerating pain turned into somewhat sensual gasps while reddish pink smeared across her white, fair cheeks. She trembled to the stimulating touches of the tentacles, but unlike how she avoided them before, she seemed to be craving for them much more.


    Rhode narrowed his eyes.


    ��I didn��t expect that you��d be feeling lustful in this situation. Rumor has it that all Dark Elves are lustful creatures. It seems that it is true.��


    ��You�� I��m�� not�� ahh��!��


    Nell instinctively refuted, but at this moment, one of the tentacles slid up her legs and the thrilling sensation interrupted her train of thought, which forced a moan out of her. This infuriated her because Elves, in general, were extremely sensitive to touches. The surface Elves avoided body contact and only friends who they approved could touch them. But the Dark Elves were the complete opposite, where they used their bodies to entice others in order to gain supreme happiness. Not only that, but the motive of their sexual intercourse wasn��t purely an act out of love, but was generally for the sake of reproduction. If they could give birth to powerful girls with formidable magical abilities, it would be beneficial to the entire family.


    But within the family, only the matriarch held the rights to reproduce. After all, pregnant females were fragile. If they didn��t possess powerful strength or positions worthy of being protected by bodyguards, their lives would be at risk from the other family members.


    Nell had never touched any men before. Dark Elves in the underground world spurned her skin color and her lack of magical talents predetermined that she couldn��t give birth to offspring with magical abilities. On the other hand, most of the population in the Country of Darkness was undead. One couldn��t count on the undeads for having interests in mortals. Perhaps the Vampires who treated lust as etiquette might have a market, but for the Death Knights�� Forget it.


    It could even be said that this was the first time she had been touched by ��someone��. This fresh, unfamiliar feeling terrified her. She ground her teeth and focused her will of the warrior in resisting the waves of assault. However, she stiffened as soon as the tentacle slid between her ample buttocks. Although she was inexperienced in this aspect, she knew what Rhode was up to as a promiscuous race of the Dark Elves.


    ��Wait, human. T-That isn��t for����


    ��I��ve told you, Miss. Nell. A thorough cleaning of every inch of your body�� Including the inside.��


    This was the first time Nell��s complexion turned pale and Rhode snapped his fingers with a grin.


    At the very next moment, Nell felt an incomparable pain entering from behind her and it tore through her body and soul.

 Chapter 742 - Darkness Falls (IX)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Ahh~!��


    Nell had never tasted such great pain before. As a warrior, she believed that she had experienced enough interrogation and torture. But she never expected this day��the distinct pain that turned her head completely blank. She had as though abandoned all her pride and rationality and reacted to it like an ordinary living creature.


    Nell��s eyes rolled and her stiffened body shuddered. She stuck her tongue out her wide-open mouth and saliva flowed from its corner. Her horrible shrieks turned into indistinct, distressing moans while the pitch-black tentacles gripped and twisted her ample chest. This double punishment left her head in a blank. Her screams turned into pleads for this suffering to end.


    She clutched the steel chains that clashed in her violent struggles. Rhode watched idly and after she appeared to have calmed down, he gestured to the little mermaid who was observing everything curiously. The little mermaid nodded and extended her hands. Along with her actions, the water ball that engulfed Nell entirely let loose and splashed. Nell fell heavily to the ground with a loud thud. She curled up and breathed hard for air to alleviate her misery.


    Rhode nodded and as his thought shifted, the tentacles wrapping her body retracted from the young lady who seemed traumatized. She laid on the ground stiffly and only the sound of her heavy breathing echoed in the ice-cold cell. It was currently winter and the temperature of this underground prison had almost reached zero. Moreover, she was soaked in the cold water ball. It must have been harrowing for her naked self, but the pain that she felt was more than this.


    ��Y-You����


    She lifted her head stubbornly and glared furiously. Rhode stepped ahead and looked down.


    ��I guess you��re clear of your position now, Miss Nell, the second daughter of Bailey Family. Here is neither Carlesodar City nor the Country of Darkness. I hope you have figured out our master-servant relationship. You��re my captive and slave, so you��d better understand this point.��


    ��You��!��


    Nell gritted her teeth and the stinging pain between her legs forced her mouth shut before she retorted. Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Then, he half-knelt and looked straight into her eyes.


    ��Good, Miss. Nell. It seems like you understand your identity and position now. Alright then, I guess we can now have a much more relaxed environment to discuss the problems between us. I can see that you��re a student with strong comprehension. You will definitely benefit from the content of this second lesson.��


    Nell shrunk instinctively. She expected to see the greed and lust of humans in his eyes, but all she saw was his ice-cold stare. In that moment, she finally realized that he didn��t treat her as a female, but as a tool instead. Everything that he did was to toy with her like�� those people in Carlesodar City�� Nell couldn��t help but shiver at this thought. The fear that she thought that she had buried deep inside her was revealed once again. There was an instant when she felt that she had returned to her youth: defenseless, isolated, and helpless. But shortly after, she returned to her senses.


    That��s right. That��s all in the past.


    She was no longer a weak little girl. She was a warrior now and a master in assassination! Everything she had wasn��t alms from others, but something she worked hard for! She never sought help from others. Although she craved assistance, no one was willing to lend her a helping hand. The competitions in the world of Dark Elves were cruel. Any compassion and consciousness for companions was the most deadly weaknesses. That was what she learned from a young age and was the only thing she learned from her sisters.


    After she grew up, she didn��t need the worthless sense of reliance and weakness anymore.


    ��Foolish human, it is useless no matter what you��re trying to get out of me. I will not tell you anything because����


    ��Because of this?��


    Rhode interrupted and stood up. The tentacles emerged, wrapped around her body, and pulled her toward him. Then, they forcefully pulled apart her legs which she had closed tightly together. Just like that, the most shameful part of her was presented entirely before him. This left Nell at a loss. She gritted her teeth and tolerated the humiliation because there was one simple reason.


    Rhode stroked his right index finger over her upper thigh and stopped right below her stomach, where a black imprint was. It looked like a smiling devil and there was also a small line of words.


    ��Merinael sta yur.��


    ��H-How did you know����


    Nell widened her eyes in fear. At this moment, she had as though forgotten everything that this human had done to her and that she was bare naked before him because this wasn��t supposed to be a secret that he was aware of!


    ��Offered to the Demons.��


    Rhode read out the line of words that were written in the language of hell. He even felt her body tightening as he read.


    ��You��re a sacrificial offering to the demons. Am I right?��


    ��Hahahaha!��


    Nell burst into laughter and stared at him. Her eyes were filled with unprecedented craziness.


    ��That��s right, human! I��m bound by the oath of darkness! If you try to gain any intelligence or evidence that will make me betray them, my soul will be sent to hell instantly! Give up on your useless attempts. You can simply kill me or play me to death, but you��ll never get what you want! My body and soul belongs to the eternal, dark underground and not even you can stop it! Lowly human, everything that you��ve done is for naught!��


    Rhode twitched his brows and remained in silence. Soul sacrificing had been a ritual of the Dark Elves for a long time. The Dark Elves would select a suitable offering and sign a soul contract with the demons from hell in order to receive their assistance. In exchange, the sacrificed souls would be sent to hell as soon as their living bodies were dead and be in the demons�� possession. Sacrificial souls were actually a way for the Dark Elves matriarchs to offer in exchange for benefits. The Dark Elves who were offered as the sacrificial souls would be cursed to ensure that they wouldn��t betray the demons.


    But before that��


    Smack!


    The tentacle lashed heavily on her body and stopped her mockeries.


    ��It looks like you��re a forgetful student, Miss Nell.��


    The tentacle fluttered around Rhode continuously. Nell shut her mouth and there was a glaring, bruised scar on her fair body. However, Rhode had no regrets in doing so. She was a Dark Elf and he would be stupid to believe her words. He was clear of the underground world��s history in the game. If he were to speak with her using the logic of the surface world, he would definitely be on the losing end.


    ��You have three options now, Miss Nell.��


    Rhode took out a handkerchief and wiped his finger. Then, he twitched his brows.


    ��First option: you don��t have to reveal any information and you can use death to defend your so-called loyalty. But before that, I will savor your body to my heart��s content until you die. It will be a waste if I kill a beautiful young lady like you without having some fun. Even though I can still make do with it after you die, there��s still limited time, after all. Besides, unfortunately, I don��t have a Necromancer to turn you into my Corpse Slave.��


    Rhode shrugged. He leaned forward and lifted her chin with his hand to force eye contact with him. Then, he revealed a gentle smile.


    ��Second option. I will not kill you, but I will send you back to Carlesodar City. I guess Matriarch Brisha will be glad to see your return and willing to offer a huge price as a reward. What do you think about this, Miss Nell?��


    ��������!��


    Nell displayed a horrified expression upon and she wasn��t even this terrified when Rhode gave her a thorough cleaning. He continued to hold her chin and admired the emotions inside her eyes. She felt extremely uncomfortable to be gazed at willfully by a man. But his previous threats were as though a saw diminishing her courage bit by bit. Both options weren��t favorable at all and it was especially the case for the second option. The thought of Brisha��s disgusting face and the punishment Nell would possibly receive after she returned to Carlesodar City sent a chill down her spine. She would rather be humiliated and murdered here.


    ���� What about the third option?��


    She waited for a long time, but Rhode didn��t continue with his words. She held down the anger in her and asked resentfully. Rhode revealed a victorious smile and even though Nell couldn��t wait to smash his nose with a punch, the shackles held her back tightly.


    ��It��s simple. Even though I can��t remove the curse on you, I can change it. But your body and soul will become mine thereafter. Miss Nell, you��re a Dark Elf. I will not treat you the way I treat humans, so I think this is beneficial for you. I request that you engrave my seal on your soul and become my humble slave and servant just like how your companions in the dark underground world serve the demons and Undead Creatures.��


    Rhode paused. Then, he smiled at the pondering young lady.


    ��So then, what��s your decision?��

 Chapter 743 - Darkness Falls (X)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Nell pondered in silence. But shortly after, she looked up and gazed with determined emotions.


    ��Foolish human, do you think you can waver my thoughts just by those few lines of yours? You can kill me, but you will never change my views and decision.��


    ��Perhaps I have a different opinion on this.��


    Rhode scanned her from head to toe interestingly before taking two steps back, Then, he extended his arm and a black card emerged in his palm. Suddenly, the card broke out in a black radiance and a cloud of fog which dispersed quickly. Shortly after, a loud, prideful voice sounded.


    ��I was taking a nap. Can you not disturb me if it isn��t for battle?!��


    Celestina stepped out of the fog. She frowned upon seeing Nell and the tentacles that wrapped around her. She crossed her arms and turned to Rhode in dissatisfaction.


    ��Master, what are you doing?��


    ��Nothing, Celestina.��


    Rhode behaved calmly. He spread his arms apart and shrugged as though nothing much was going on. He scrutinized Nell meaningfully. ��I just thought of finding a servant for you. How about it?��


    ��Oh?��


    Celestina twitched her brows amusingly. She approached Nell and scanned her like a person entering a pet shop and selecting a new pet. Then, she revealed a glint of disdain in her scarlet eyes.


    ��A lowly Elf? I��m able to accept her because having a slave around me is the way of the nobles. It seems that you��ve finally understood this point, Master. But this bitch��s eyes make me uncomfortable. She��s merely a lowly being and yet, she looks at me with those eyes? Master, if you don��t mind, I can take your place in teaching this lowly being how to become a proper slave. Lowly being, did I give you permission to lift your head?��


    ��I��m sorry��!��


    Nell hurriedly lowered her head. Ever since Celestina emerged, the anger in Nell vanished instantly. At this moment, she shuddered like a little rabbit facing a tigress. As a Dark Elf, Nell instantly recognized Celestina from her wings and tail.


    A high-class Demon!


    This human actually has a demon companion?!


    The Dark Elves were the race that interacted the most with demons and Nell had seen several demons in the past. But in the eyes of the demons, Dark Elves were overly insignificant and even if the Dark Elf families tried all sorts of ways, they were only able to interact with middle-class demons. Demon nobles were as though presences who were out of reach to the Dark Elves. Just like how the Dwarves feared the Dark Elves, Dark Elves had a sense of innate respect to the demons��especially the high-class demon nobles.


    ��Hmm?��


    Perhaps due to Nell��s extreme sense of respect, Celestina shot her a curious glance. At this moment, Rhode seized the opportunity.


    ��Don��t be too picky. Such a Dark Elf is a rare find.��


    ��Master, you said that this is a black-skinned degenerate?��


    Celestina revealed a look of astonishment before shifting her gaze from Nell��s fair skin to her long, snowy hair. Perhaps Celestina would never have expected her to be a Dark Elf if no one told her.


    ��I didn��t expect such an interesting thing among the bunch of black-skinned slaves.��


    ��But, there��s a problem����


    ��I know what you��re gonna say, Master.��


    Celestina gestured and interrupted. Then, she swept a glance to Nell��s stomach and left out a snort.


    ��It��s just a small, useless soul engrave from a lowly family. Hmph. They dare to keep something so interesting to themselves instead of giving her to me? Wait till I get back to hell and let them have a taste of true despair and pain!��


    A black whip instantly emerged in her hands. She lashed the whip heavily and the loud, crisp whipping sound echoed in the cell, to which Nell shrunk instinctively. After venting her frustrations, Celestina turned to Rhode.


    ��Alright, let��s begin, Master. After you engrave your seal on her, I will take over the contract and make her mine forever,�� Celestina swept a glance at Nell and grunted. ��You feel honored eh, lowly being? You, as the lowest of all races, are extremely fortunate to be my servant. From now onward, your body and soul will belong to me and my master. Even until death, your contract will not be voided����


    Celestina��s voice became softer while her scarlet eyes shone increasingly brighter. Suddenly, the temperature in this damp, cold cell rose and the atmosphere turned eerie. Celestina completely froze Nell��s body and soul with her prestige. At this moment, Rhode also took action.


    Pitch-black tentacles fluttered and flipped Nell around while she revealed a horrified expression.


    ��Y-You can��t�� I��m not�� Stop�� Ah!��


    Rhode pressed her cheeks with his hand and forcefully widened her mouth. Then, he leaned in with his lips.


    ��Mmm�� Mmm��!��


    Nell trembled and struggled left and right to break free from his assault. But his hand was as though an iron pincer that clamped tightly on her cheeks, which she couldn��t even bite off his tongue. Rhode forced his way through and after a few moments when Nell was about to suffocate, he pulled himself away.


    ��Hu��! Haa�� Haa����


    Nell gasped for air and stared at Rhode with an ashen expression. However, the latter gazed at her amusingly.


    ��I didn��t expect this, Miss Nell. Could this be your first kiss?��


    ��What�� What did you say?!��


    Nell��s heart skipped a beat. She lifted her head instinctively and stared at the man in disdain. ��What are you talking about, foolish human! I��m a Dark Elf and what kind of male have I not played with with my beauty? Just a human like you����


    ��Then they must have neglected their jobs.��


    Rhode answered nonchalantly.


    ��Did nobody tell you that you don��t need to hold your breath when kissing?��


    ��What��!��


    Nell blushed. What experiences did she not go through as a warrior? At this moment, she finally realized that there were many things she needed to experience for herself in order to understand.


    ��Forget it, this is nothing more than a surprise for me.��


    Rhode realized it judging from her behavior. His rich sexual experiences made him capable of instantly detecting if the other party was sexually experienced or not. Just like what Jia Baoyu in Dream of the Red Chamber mentioned��women were flesh made of water while men were flesh made of mud. It would be difficult for them to separate from each other after they were mixed. Women with sexual experiences were surely different in their reactions and it would still be possible for them to trick virgin men. However, they could forget about lying to an experienced man like Rhode.


    Irrelevant thoughts went through his head while his hand motion didn��t stop. The tentacles around him continued to caress every part of her body brazenly. But, unlike the ��thorough cleaning�� from before, they were much more gentle now. They slowly turned her around, stroked her sensitive areas. Rhode didn��t stand by idly watching the show either. He slid his hands from her upper thighs to her slender waist before grabbing onto her perky chest.


    ��Mm�� Mm����


    Nell was suspended in midair with her legs wide open while her arms were bound tightly by the tentacles. She had lost all her stubbornness from before and as Rhode assaulted her inch by inch, her eyes revealing more traces of panic and uncertainty. No matter how many people Nell murdered in the past, she was still a newbie in this field. Even though she personally witnessed similar situations like this countless times before, it was entirely different when she was involved.


    She felt her body burning as she bit her lip. The numbness in her body spread throughout like waves crashing and washing away her rational. She had thrown all her thoughts and missions to the back of her head and was fully focused on this matter on hand. Rhode��s fingers slithered on her body nimbly like tiny snakes and she let out a deep, soft moan. Then, Rhode retracted his fingers from between her legs and saw thick, viscous liquid flowing down from them.


    ��I didn��t expect you to be this sensitive. If you were Marlene and the others, perhaps it would take more time����


    Rhode gazed at his finger and muttered under his breath. Then, he approached Nell and retrieved his ��holy sword��.


    ����Ssss��!��


    Nell sucked in a deep breath of cold air.


    What? Are you kidding me? It��s so huge�� How can it enter?


    ��Firstly, this is the proof of the contract.��


    Rhode positioned himself and took in a deep breath. Then, he thrust forward with all his might.


    ��Ssss��!��


    She couldn��t hold on any longer.


    ��Ahhhhhhhh!��


    The pain ripping through her forced her to scream at the top of her lungs. She trembled, tolerated the violent pain, and her reaction was so huge that Rhode came to an abrupt halt. As this was her first time, the alluring qualities inside her bloodline were revealed from her actions, and the tight sensation even left him rather distracted. Fortunately, times had changed after he ��thoroughly cleaned�� Lize, Marlene, and Celestina up. At least he definitely wouldn��t sprain his waist this time.


    ��This is only the start. Please slowly enjoy it.��


    Rhode got into work. Along with his thrusts, the pain on her expression became increasingly obvious. But even so, she tolerated everything.


    ��You��ll feel better if you yell it out. Perhaps.��


    ��Grr�� Mmm�� Ahh! You�� You will not�� get to�� listen�� what you want��. to�� ahh! Mmm��. ahh!��


    Nell responded furiously, but Rhode apparently didn��t care.


    ��That��s why I said that you don��t understand, Miss Nell. Men do also love deep, stifled moans like yours.��


    ��Humans�� like you�� Mmm����


    She felt her body slowly changing.


    Rhode sharply sensed that the painful sensation on her body dissipated slowly. Not only that, but she also relaxed and took the initiative to complement his movements.


    They��re indeed worthy to be called the sensual technique masters.


    Rhode exclaimed inwardly. In the game, players looked forward to the Dark Elves�� sensual techniques, but it was a pity that the Internet censorship existed. After he transmigrated to this world and especially after ��devouring�� Celestina, there was more than one time that he had thought about doing this with the Dark Elves, which could also be considered as granting the wish of all the male players.


    But he didn��t expect to have this chance that quickly.


    ��Haa�� Ahh����


    Nell relaxed entirely. She looked up at the ceiling with her mouth opened, letting out indistinct moans. The waves of thrilling, painful sensation crumbled her mental defense and sent her mind into complete chaos. She instinctively welcomed his assault and her rationality slowly sank into an endless bottom.


    ��Hmph!��


    Celestina let out a snort of disdain and turned around. However, the uncontrollable moans from the Dark Elf rang in her ears, which made Celestina subconsciously placed her hand between her legs. But shortly after, she frowned and put her hand away.


    ��That damn human����


    She grumbled under her breath.


    ����! ��!��


    Nell shuddered and shook her head, but Rhode didn��t know if she enjoying the moment or moaning painfully. But this didn��t matter at all.


    ��There��s still a lot for you to get used to.��


    One of the tentacles hovering around him darted forward and stuck at her mouth. Nell widened her eyes in shock, tears flowed down her cheeks, and her indistinct voice became anxious.


    But she didn��t expect that this wasn��t the end.


    Almost there.


    Rhode gritted his teeth and swept a glance to the side. Another tentacle emerged before him and along with his movements, it whipped her bum harshly.


    ��Argh��!��


    Nell trembled violently while her hands clasped onto the two tentacles that wrapped around her arms. At this moment, Rhode let out a deep grunt and thrust forward!


    In an instant, a scorching heat exploded inside Nell.


    ��Ahhh!��


    She rolled her eyes and kicked her legs helplessly. The stimulating sensation and thrilling pain numbed her senses. Celestina approached her and placed her hand on Nell��s stomach.


    ��O mighty powers, feel this mark and record it deep inside this soul no matter dead or alive forever. You will forever serve your supreme master!��


    Celestina chanted softly. The dark mark on Nell��s stomach quickly vanished and was replaced by a pitch-black mark of a viper and lily. Rhode stepped back and the tentacles released Nell to the ground before returning to the shadow. Nell was in a trance with saliva and foam flowing from the corner of her mouth.


    ��Hmph.��


    Celestina snorted. Then, she turned around and a black fog shrouded her. But this time, she didn��t take her leave immediately.


    ��Master, what else are you up to?��


    Celestina turned back resentfully. Then, Rhode grabbed her arm and pulled her into his arms. She lifted her head frantically, but before she said anything, he lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers.


    ��Mmm�� Mmm��!��


    Celestina froze to the spot, but quickly melted in his arms. Both of them tangled for a few moments before separating unwillingly.


    ��Celestina, looks like you��re not as good as before. Wanna practice?��


    ��Hmph!��


    She lowered her head and a blush emerged across her fair cheeks.


    ��S-Since I have nothing else better to do and for the fact that you consider me, I don��t mind accompanying you even though I��m reluctant.��


    Celestina turned around and answered so softly it was almost inaudible.

 Chapter 744 - Darkness Falls (XI)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    It was noon when Rhode stepped out of the underground prison.


    Everything was going on normally in the fortress and just as he had predicted, the Undead Army feared to expose themselves in the glaring day, which was why the Dark Dragon attacked the Light Dragon before announcing the start of the war.


    The clash between light and dark didn��t only bring about changes to the environment, and this was the difference between Dragons and battles between nations. Both sides didn��t only want to dominate each other��s land, but they also wanted to conquer the skies. In the beginning, the Dark Dragon attacked the Light Mainland, which caused the Light Dragon Soul protection to crumble entirely. But the shattered Light Dragon Soul slowly restored over time and resisted the Dark Dragon��s attack. And this way, if they wished to attack and completely dominate each other��s territory, not only did they need to defeat the army, but they also need to search and destroy the core which was used to awaken and support the Dragon Soul Powers. This was the only way to banish the Light Dragon Soul protection from this continent and allow darkness to invade forever.


    In the mid stages of the game, this was one of the main reasons why the Country of Light and Country of Darkness got into a stalemate. Even though the players and NPCs lost their territory and army, they gathered around the Light Dragon Soul��s core to execute guerrilla warfare and defend against the Undead Army until the Light Parliament offered the Light Dragon to the Dark Dragon. That was when the Light Dragon Soul protection crumbled, eternal darkness enveloped the entire Light Mainland, and the hard work of players and NPCs were shattered.


    This was also when the Light Parliament paid their price for this naive mistake. Rhode led his guild and launched a ferocious assault on them from the rear. In the process, many players who were born in the Country of Light were infuriated that their hard work went down the drain due to the Light Parliament��s foolish actions and they joined Rhode to take them down. In the end, tens of thousands of players infiltrated and massacred the merchants and nobles Casabianca. Not only that, but Rhode also led a group of elites into the Light Parliament hall and slaughtered every parliament member.


    Thereafter, they launched their final, successful attack on the Undead Army and even eliminated the Dark Dragon. But after the Dark Dragon and Light Dragon died, their Dragon Soul protection over this entire continent crumbled completely and that was the beginning of chaos, where demons and devils came to the surface. This was the start of the second chapter: ��Chaos and Order��.


    ��Chaos and Order�� was a strangely magnificent chapter to the players. Even though the continent became a terrifying world to the natives, where cities, towns, and villages were threatened by demons and devils and massacres happened everywhere, they were the best conditions for the players to arise. Territories without the Dragon Soul protection ultimately needed a stable environment. Thereafter, many formidable guilds received the title of ��Knights of Order�� from the Country of Law as they raised their flags proudly and demolished Chaos.


    According to the game settings, after they eliminated all Chaos and reawakened the Dragon Soul protection, they would become the rightful and legal rulers. This way, they received countless benefits such as the support from natives, legendary artifacts, missions, territories, and recruitment of unique NPCs. This second chapter could also be considered to be the generation for players. Apart from some NPC nations that survived the war, most of the player guilds or empires were rampant and Rhode��s Starlight who activated this new chapter was highly thought of and respected. Of course, it went without saying that Starlight benefited the most. As the strongest guild in the game, they dominated a huge territory which included the Munn Kingdom and one-third of the Country of Light and Country of Darkness. This became one of the reasons why more players joined his Starlight later on.


    But now��


    Rhode looked at the azure sky and white, fluffy clouds. The holy ritual circle made up of Rule Threads were clearly enveloping the entire sky. Rhode shrugged and his eyes glinted with a trace of a smile. Then, he turned to Nell behind him. Upon sensing the glaring sun, she pulled her hood down hurriedly.


    At this moment, she had put on her usual equipment: a pitch-black leather armor and two curved blades around her waist which clearly marked her as an assassin. Rhode judged from her aura that she was around level 57 at the Peak Master Stage, which was decent for an assassin. But judging from his experiences in the game, he was aware that she would enter the Legendary Stage in the future. If not, she couldn��t have murdered the matriarch who was in the Legendary Stage.


    But her behavior didn��t look as though she was an experienced assassin. She limped, held her waist from time to time, and refused to speak. But Rhode knew that this was too stimulating for her first experience��


    After the event in the underground prison, Rhode successfully altered Nell��s curse with Celestina��s help by engraving his spiritual energy into her soul. Nell would forever obey and serve as his loyal servant. Even though Rhode controlled Nell��s and Sara��s souls, both were entirely different cases.


    Rhode activated his system interface.


    After gaining the rights to Nell and Sara, the system reflected them as his subordinates. However, their relationship statuses were unlike the mercenaries. Sara��s relationship status was marked at a fixed peak, gray in color, and described as [Obey]. On the other hand, Nell��s relationship status presented a faint green and hovered around [Indifferent].


    This wasn��t too surprising since Corpse Slaves weren��t living creatures, strictly speaking. Sara was more like a robot with self-conscious. Perhaps she had self-judgment, but she definitely couldn��t defy the owner who held her controller. Therefore, there basically weren��t changes to her feelings toward Rhode just like when Rhode received her soul from Cullen and she immediately revealed everything about Cullen even though she spent more than a decade serving him. This was because the word ��loyalty�� didn��t exist in her dictionary. As a Corpse Slave, she could only become the slave of her spirit holder, just like how robots couldn��t choose their owners.


    To the contrary, Nell was different, where she, as a sacrificial soul, was more like under a type of curse that restricted her entirely. She would be punished as long as she broke the rules. But as long as she obeyed the content of the curse, she would be relatively free��at least more than Sara.


    Just in case, Rhode added the command of ��Without any permission and under no circumstances shall she harm or kill anyone�� when he altered the curse. This was a broad request, but Rhode knew how cunning the Dark Elves were. The society that they lived in wasn��t any kinder than the Country of Darkness. It could also be said that if he released Nell and Sara and made them battle alongside others, the others who grew up with morals and conscience of the Light Mainland would surely be traumatized. If there was a need to kill a crying baby, Nell and Sara would do it without any hesitation. But if it were Marlene and Lize, perhaps they could never do it.


    This was not only the difference between characters, but also the difference between social values. In order for his team to remain united, it was essential to prevent unstable factors from disrupting them.


    Nell followed Rhode in silence and turned a deaf ear to everything happening around her. She had been behaving this way ever since she woke up from her traumatic experience, but it seemed that she accepted Rhode as her master. Moreover, Rhode felt some extent of respect in her actions and tone. It was apparent that she was completely convinced after their intimate interactions.


    That was just how the Dark Elves were��strength, status supremacy, so-called dignity, and determination weren��t essential to them. But deep down, she actually disagreed with Rhode, which was why [Indifferent] was shown in the system. However, Rhode knew that it could be improved in the future.


    After Rhode and Celestina ended their affectionate moments, the latter left in satisfaction. But, Rhode had more work to do as he needed to ask Nell about crucial matters. Even though women usually dislike men who talked about business right after their intimate moments were over, Rhode didn��t care at all. He had no feelings for Nell and their sexual intercourse was purely due to his desire. If it wasn��t for the troublesome curse, he wouldn��t have done it with her and would resolve the problem later. After all, it was more important to resolve the problem. As for the next one�� Since she was already in his hand, why would he need to be afraid that she escaped?


    Although Nell didn��t approve of him, her soul was engraved with his spiritual energy, after all. Therefore, she narrated everything in full details to him.


    Rhode finally received the information that he needed.

 Chapter 745 - Darkness Falls (XII)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Rhode didn��t think that it was strange for a Dark Elf to join the Undead Army. However, he was surprised after hearing about Nell��s background��she was actually the leader of an assassination squad directly under Balende, which was not an easily achievable position. It was due to this identity that Rhode instantly had a hunch that he might be able to get more information than he expected.


    In fact, this was the truth. Rhode received a lot of intelligence that left him baffled.


    She was the leader of the 1st ��Night Blade�� assassination squad directly under Balende and was responsible for murdering and eliminating opponents who taunted Balende��s prestige. Simply speaking, if one were to treat Balende as a giant, Nell and her men would only be a tiny presence in his gigantic toe. The reason why she came to Rhode��s territory left him speechless. He thought that Nell was abiding by Cullen��s order to investigate on his army. After all, the enchanted field was present and he eliminated several of Cullen��s scouts, so it wasn��t too surprising that Cullen dispatched Dark Elves who were experts in assassination and spying.


    But Nell��s answer stunned Rhode because the Dark Elves were actually here for his life. The reason was simple. Balende knew that Rhode was the main culprit who eliminated his elite team. Not only that, but Rhode had caused them to lose the Bone List, which led to the intelligence network set up in the Munn Kingdom by the Country of Darkness to be destroyed. It was due to this that Balende sent Nell to teach Rhode an unforgettable lesson.


    Rhode��s expression remained unchanged, but he cursed inwardly.


    It was during the Midsummer Festival when I killed the Vulture. It��s late winter now and Vulture isn��t even Balende��s trusted aide. Must Balende bear a grudge for such a small matter?


    However, when Rhode learned from Nell that it was Di who passed the news to Balende about Rhode killing the Vulture, Rhode instantly cursed that shameless Vampire for biting the hand that fed him.


    Rhode admitted that Balende was ruthless. The latter ordered Nell to sneak into the fortress and investigate Rhode and the people around him. If it was possible, they could find an opportunity to kill Rhode and if Rhode��s strength exceeded their expectations, they could target the ones around him and assassinate the person with the highest authority to wreak havoc in the fortress. Not only that, but they could also light the fortress up in flames as Cullen attacked with the Undead Army.


    Fortunately for him, he discovered this group of Dark Elves before they struck. If not, it would be a tragedy. Rhode was an expert in backstabbing, but he definitely couldn��t tolerate others in returning the favor. Besides, he was clear that Nell held a high chance of success in assassination. Just based on her level, she was stronger than Marlene, Lize, Serena, and the others. Apart from Anne, almost no one could survive her attack. Moreover, the young ladies were fragile spell casters and wouldn��t usually cast defensive spells out of battles. Their lives would be over if Nell were to sneak into their room while they were sleeping.


    Not only them, but even Lapis and Christie would also be in danger. Even though the former was the last Alchemy Elf of the Behermes family, she surely couldn��t survive an assassination. As for the latter, she was always delicate and poor in health. Even though Lydia had given her a magical accessory that made her immune to disease, it was useless in improving her health. Currently, she still couldn��t overexert and would be drenched in sweat even after basic activities. If a delicate girl like her were to be targeted by the Dark Elves, it would be as though a lion targeting a defenseless sheep who was just born.


    Although Rhode arranged for many Thief class mercenaries including Joey to secretly watch over others, they would still be useless in the face of a master assassin.


    Perhaps it��s about time to train a group of Thieves.


    Rhode didn��t need the protection of the Dark Elves because strictly speaking, Nell wasn��t as powerful as him. Besides, as a player, he was more experienced in assassination than her. But he could introduce her to Joey and the others to learn how to become true assassins. Of course, the Dark Elves�� natural traits couldn��t be passed on, but it was possible for them to teach the assassination techniques that they mastered.


    Yes. I just hope they won��t suffer too miserably during the training.


    For a second, Rhode mourned inwardly for the coming tragedy for Joey and the others. Then, he asked the most important question��the background of the Night Wyvern.


    Rhode asked Sara about it after he returned from his investigation. But she was Cullen��s personal Corpse Slave, after all, and held no rights to attend military meetings. On the other hand, Cullen was an army commander and naturally wouldn��t spout nonsense before his servants, which was why Sara wasn��t aware that a Night Wyvern had joined the army. But Nell was different. She was Balende��s direct subordinate and even though she held a lowly status, she was still a squad leader and had the right to join military meetings.


    But even so, when Rhode and the others heard the truth from Nell, they couldn��t hide their horrified expressions.


    ��Out of boredom?��


    Mini Bubble Gum lifted her teacup and widened her eyes in astonishment. On the other hand, Canary elegantly covered her lips and pondered. As usual, Orchid Heart looked as though she was half awake and no one knew if she heard it or not.


    ��Yes.��


    Nell stood in the shadow at the corner and sensed the presence of three legendary beings including Rhode in the room. It was especially so for the two young ladies, where their imposing aura left her breathless.


    This young man��


    Nell gazed at Rhode with complicated emotions. Then, she continued.


    ��This is all that I��m aware of, Master. Sir Cullen didn��t wish to have a Night Wyvern joining his army either, but Her Highness Erin insisted on joining the front line out of boredom, so he can only agree.��


    ������


    The entire room went into silence. Mini Bubble Gum puckered her brows while Canary held a finger to her chin. Rhode��s and Orchid Heart��s expression remain unchanged.


    ��Got it, Nell.��


    Rhode nodded and gestured to her.


    ��We have something else to discuss. You may leave first.��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    Nell turned around, left the room, and shut the door. Rhode wasn��t worried that she would do something in his disfavor. The curse oath bound her soul and body, where it would make her taste torturous pain whenever she harbored any sinister thoughts. Moreover, Rhode was confident in grasping the Dark Elves�� aura. At this moment, he sensed that she stood in the shadow around the stairs. It was apparent that she was still confused about her current position after she was ��reborn��. But Rhode wasn��t in the mood to console her.


    Rhode let out a bitter smile.


    ��This time�� Our troubles are really huge, everyone.��


    ��Yes�� Leader. Huge trouble����


    Mini Bubble Gum revealed a bitter smile too while Canary sighed helplessly and shook her head.


    ��Is anything the problem, Mr. Rhode?��


    Marlene looked curiously. Then, she shifted her gaze to Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. She didn��t understand what left the three of them were feeling so helpless about. Marlene remembered that Rhode and Canary were always confident and never showed such emotions. What was the reason behind this��?


    ��Is it about the Night Wyvern?��


    ��We don��t really care if it��s just an ordinary Night Wyvern, Marlene����


    Mini Bubble Gum shook her head, lifted her teacup, and pursed her lips. However, she just didn��t drink.


    ��The problem lies in the name.��


    ��Name?��


    What��s wrong with the name? The Night Wyvern seems like a troublesome enemy. But�� Why haven��t I heard anything about a powerful being named Erin in the Country of Darkness?


    Marlene pondered.


    ��You haven��t heard this name before, but I can give you a short, simple introduction.��


    Rhode let out a bitter laugh.


    ��In the Country of Darkness, there��s only one Night Wyvern named Erin, whom they call Her Highness. You may not know her, but I��m sure you know who her older brother is.��


    Rhode paused.


    ��The current Dragon Soul Heir of the Country of Darkness��the Dark Dragon Ion.��

 Chapter 746 - Darkness Falls (XIII)

    Even though Rhode and Canary were legendary players who shook the gaming world, they couldn��t help but feel a headache in this problem. The identity of Erin was enough to give them a hard time. If it were an ordinary Night Wyvern, perhaps Canary and Mini Bubble Gum could join hands and take it down. But��how do they defeat Erin?


    Erin was the princess of the Country of Darkness and they would be in huge trouble if they crippled or even killed her. Rhode was confident that if that happened, the Dark Dragon would surely charge his way here to destroy the forest into a puff of smoke. Currently, he didn��t have the same number of players in the game here to take down the Dark Dragon and even if he invited Lydia over��there were still the four legendary generals around to keep her company.


    Another way for him was to grind his teeth, think of a way to imprison Erin, use her as a hostage to stop the Country of Darkness from attacking, and make them sign an armistice agreement with the Munn Kingdom. The more time, the better for him and he could go through the Country of Law��s notarization�� This way, at least he wouldn��t need to face imminent danger. But, he was sure that he would be dead thereafter because it would almost be impossible for the Dark Dragon to forgive him. But meanwhile, at least Rhode would have the time to improve. If he, Orchid Heart, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum were able to reach the maximum level before the armistice agreement expired and unlock another Phantom Guardian after upgrading the system to its peak, all five of them could still take down the Dark Dragon��


    Yes. Maybe. Perhaps.


    But�� would Erin be captured that easily?


    Although she was the princess of Country of Darkness, she was unlike the weaklings in the legends where they were captured and locked up by the Demon King and cried everyday for the arrival of brave knights to rescue them. In the game, a saying among players was that if they treated the four legendary generals as the four emperors in a hackneyed plot, Erin would be the hidden fifth.


    In a monarchy and as the Dark Dragon Ion��s younger sister, Erin didn��t need to be involved in politics and military. But her strength was second to none among the four legendary generals. In the mid stages of the game, almost every player knew the title of ��Moon Princess Erin��. Some players were even tricked by her ��Moon Princess Erin�� title, where they thought that she was a pushover and launched their attacks on the Country of Darkness. There was no need to mention the obvious results of their assault. Moreover, almost every player who entered the ��Moon Castle�� dungeon perished miserably. Although there were indeed players who cleared the Moon Castle dungeon, they failed to get the first kill on Erin because�� They completed the dungeon in her absence.


    Apart from her terrifying strength, her valiant attribute also left the players speechless. After using countless ways to investigate details about her, her attribute was finally revealed.


    As the second most powerful presence below the Dark Dragon, Erin could be said to be stronger than Lydia. Her rule strength was the moon, which was why people called her the ��Moon Princess��.


    She represented the highest authority under the moon in the mortal world��she lived and died with the moon. In other words, as long as the moon was up in the sky, she would never be killed. Not only that, but her attribute powers would also strengthen as the moon shone brighter. If the moon was in the shape of a crescent, her ability values would be upgraded by one point. But if it was a full moon, her ability values would be multiplied and she would be immune to debuffs. Not only that, but she would also be immune to dark attribute magic, critical attacks, backstabs, and all magical damage inflicted on her would be instantly halved.


    After getting a clear idea of her attribute, players everywhere howled in grief because the Country of Darkness had eternal night and the moon wouldn��t vanish from the night sky, which also meant that Erin was invincible in the Country of Darkness. The players who intended to enter the Country of Darkness and kill her to demonstrate their powerful strength instantly changed their minds.


    Thereafter, many player groups tried to lure Erin out of the Country of Darkness and launch their attacks under the Light Dragon Soul protection, and they almost succeeded. But what left them in despair was that Erin��s moon attribute wasn��t only effective in Country of Darkness��as long as the moon was in the sky, her powers wouldn��t be weakened. Therefore, the only way was to kill her during daytime. But Erin wasn��t foolish. How would she obediently wait for daytime to be surrounded by players? Moreover, even without the presence of the moon, would the players be able to contend against her legendary strength? Furthermore, she was a dragon��


    Fortunately, she was gentle, sweet-tempered, and didn��t favor battles. In fact, the title of ��Court Scholar�� was also given to her in the Country of Darkness, where according to the players in the Country of Darkness, her favorite hobbies were art and history. Many players in the Country of Darkness received requests from her to search for ancient books and art pieces, and they were rewarded hugely thereafter. Therefore, Erin was popular among the players in the Country of Darkness, just like how players in the Munn Kingdom liked Lydia. The players adored Erin so much that when players in the Light Mainland formed an alliance to take her down, many players in the Country of Darkness grouped up to protect her.


    Judging from this point, Erin was a princess who was very much in line with the ��princesses�� in the players�� imaginations.


    The premise was to ignore her terrifying strength.


    In the game, many players discussed this question��why didn��t Erin join the war between the Country of Darkness and the Light Mainland?


    Her authority under the moon wasn��t restricted by Dragon Soul protection and as a result, unless they fought in a region where the moon wouldn��t rise, no one could defeat her. On the other hand, some players even called upon Lydia and Erin to befriend each other because they had similar personalities; they loved and admired beautiful art pieces. But the only difference was that Lydia was outgoing and adored luxury and elegance. On the other hand, Erin was more introverted. Besides, their abilities appeared to complement each other��Lydia was invincible under the sun while Erin was indestructible under the moon. If one could have them as one��s subordinates, conquering this continent wouldn��t be just a dream.


    But if both were to fight each other, perhaps there would be no definite end.


    There were several conclusions after the players discussed this problem. Most of them believed that the reason why Erin didn��t lead the army was related to the monarchy. After Ion took over the throne, he carried out a great degree of reform to the ruling class and swore to grasp all authority in his hands. Erin, as his younger sister, held the royal blood and was also a female, where it would cause instability if she held too much authority and status. On the other hand, Erin disliked battles and wasn��t strongly attached to them. Even though players often messed with her, her attacks were all in self-defense and she never initiated fights with others.


    In the game, Rhode didn��t get the first kill on Erin because his ultimate target was the Dark Dragon Ion while he couldn��t care less about Erin since she didn��t obstruct him. Although Starlight didn��t attack her, she was slaughtered completely by the encirclement from members of the Glorious Edge, which was Rhode��s rival guild.


    But the Glorious Edge Guild got into huge trouble thereafter, where they instantly substituted Rhode in being the prime target of the players in the Country of Darkness, which wasn��t surprising. After all, Erin didn��t offend them and yet, they eradicated her ruthlessly.


    Thereafter, Glorious Edge suffered from various beat downs from the players in the Country of Darkness. Although their strength improved greatly after gaining the spoils of war from defeating Erin, they were no match for all the players in the Country of Darkness, which resulted in their guild being disbanded.


    Rhode didn��t pity Glorious Edge at all because they were established by players in the Country of Light. They should count their lucky stars that Rhode didn��t slaughter them right after he took down the Dark Dragon. Since they asked for death by killing Erin, Rhode didn��t mind watching them perish from the sidelines.


    But now, he couldn��t stand idly by anymore.


    No matter how Erin disliked battling, she definitely wouldn��t look on helplessly at her army crumble to the enemies. Rhode was sure that she would jump into the battle at the critical juncture and might possibly destroy the three precious Holy Maiden Statues. The holy spears were devastating to Undead Creatures, but Erin was a living creature, so they wouldn��t deal much damage to her. But, even if Rhode could��would he dare to hurt her?


    Rhode��s head hurt at this thought.


    This was truly an unresolvable problem.

 Chapter 747 - : Darkness Falls (XIV)

    ��Phew����


    It was already noon when Rhode stepped into the park. The sunset glowed in a scarlet radiance by the horizon. Soldiers and mercenaries rotated their duties anxiously. Entire streets were filled with nervous tension because they knew that the battle would begin after the sun set completely.


    Rhode felt worn out. He looked around him before sitting on the stone chair in the park. As the most bustling public area in the Land of Atonement, this park was always filled with laughter and conversation. However, the solemn atmosphere of war turned it into a strange, chilly place. Rhode gazed at the sky boringly and occasionally toggled his system interface. If it was possible, he wished to go ��offline�� just like in the game and return to the casual, real world for a couple of drinks or meet up with friends to tease their younger female juniors. That was where he didn��t need to worry about war or survival even though he complained that jobs were hard to find, queues were insanely long, or he couldn��t find a great job even with a dozen diplomas��


    Perhaps in that world, he might be busy paying for his mortgage and car or finding a new job. But he would never need to worry about risking his life. He lived in a country that was peaceful, where all worries were insignificant��graduation thesis, work, interview, love, break-ups, mortgage, marriage, and divorce. All these should be his concerns. On the other hand, it was never his concern about the future of this continent and his survivability. Even in the game, he mostly achieved his ambitions for the sake of players. But that was just a game, after all. Perhaps one might lead a group of players to conquer the entire game, but the achievements and reputation added no value to their resume. Just like Old Ryu, who was Rhode��s trusted aide in the game and a Grand Mage who dominated the game but was simply a white collar worker in reality. Even though many players respected him or shivered at the sight of his back, he didn��t benefit from it in real life. In fact, Rhode often heard about Old Ryu��s grumbles about his mundane job, incompetent boss, worthless colleagues who only knew how to flatter their higher-ups, vain wife who loved buying knockoff leather goods, and daughter who often returned home late. Rhode remembered clearly that when he first led Starlight to the world competition organized by the gaming company, they almost failed to compete due to their different real life working professions. There were many average players in Starlight, which led to a whole lot of troubles in the competition. For instance, Canary had to pay tuition and write a research report, Mini Bubble Gum��s summer vacation homework had piled up on the table, and Old Ryu wasn��t sure if his request for leave application could be approved��


    If it wasn��t for the gaming company that reimbursed the flight tickets, meals, and lodging, perhaps Rhode would have been the only one to participate in the individual matches and there would be no way for Starlight to attain the glory of being on top of the world. But no matter how glorious it was, it was just a game. Perhaps it was honorable for the players to participate in the world competition and be crowned the best in the world. But what purpose did it serve in reality? Even if Canary won, it wouldn��t add an additional point to her exam results. There also wouldn��t be anyone helping Mini Bubble Gum with her assignments after she soaked in cheers for her victory. Even Old Ryu would need to worry about explaining to his wife that he was only participating in a competition and not carry on a clandestine love affair with his colleague.


    This was only a game. No matter how honorable it was, it didn��t affect the society or world. Their victory wouldn��t change the fate of the world while failure wouldn��t lead the world into destruction. Although online gaming was getting more recognized, accompanied by the ever-changing technologies, they couldn��t compete against large scale events like the Olympics or World Cup at all.


    Perhaps it was due to this reason that they could enjoy the fun of it.


    But now�� Rhode didn��t enjoy it one bit. He only wished to live on and even if he couldn��t care less about the changes that would happen to this continent or the lives of others. The overwhelming pressure left him breathless.


    ��This isn��t fun at all����


    Rhode toggled the system interface off and murmured.


    Previously, he discussed with Canary and the others for a long and felt utterly hopeless. Although Erin was still young and her abilities weren��t as terrifying as she was in the game yet, her moon attribute was still the same. As long as the moon existed, it was impossible to defeat her and if she destroyed the three Holy Maiden Statues, Rhode was sure that his side would be completely wiped out. Even though concealing the moon might be a great idea, the problem was that not even Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were capable of doing so.


    What left him between laughter and tears was that Erin came to the battlefront simply because she heard that the Land of Atonement had repelled the Undead Army. Although other regions had different degrees of stalemates, the Land of Atonement was the only battlefront that completely repelled the Undead Army. This was what piqued Erin��s curiosity and she wished to personally see who their enemies were.


    Rhode was speechless. It seemed like being too outstanding was also a crime. If he knew that this would attract this troublesome figure of Erin, he would have kept a low profile and struggled in the battle much more. This way, perhaps Erin wouldn��t find it interesting and would return straight home, which would be best for everyone.


    But it was a pity that there wasn��t any medicine for regrets.


    Rhode blinked��the massive golden ritual slowly rotating in the sky was so striking.


    Is anything else more interesting than this?


    ��Sigh����


    He wouldn��t reveal such an expression before anyone. As a leader, it was most important that he maintained his majesty and confidence at all times. If his men were to see him in a miserable state, they would also be worried. Even if the situation was horrible, Rhode would need to convince them that it wasn��t as bad as they thought. But, the fact was�� it was really terrible.


    Rhode wasn��t confident in facing Erin at all. Most of the time, she spent her days in the Moon Castle, royal library, or enjoyed operas and symphonies in theaters. Back then in the game, when Rhode led his men into battle with the four legendary generals on the Light Mainland or ambushed the Light Parliament, Erin didn��t look for him at all, which was why he didn��t interact with her and couldn��t figure out her personality or thoughts. All he could do was to read up about her on the forums regarding the Country of Darkness. But even so, he refused to believe that she would watch idly by as the Undead Army crumbled��because this would be treason.Read more chapter on novelhall.com


    In the end, the conclusion he had gotten after discussion was that Canary and Mini Bubble Gum would spare no expense to stop Erin from destroying the Holy Maiden Statues while he eliminated the Undead Army as quickly as possible. After Erin realized that her side was utterly defeated, perhaps she might leave immediately. Of course, Rhode was also aware that Canary and Mini Bubble Gum could only delay Erin for a short while even if Gillian was present with her powers unsealed. Also, there would also be around 150,000 Undead Creatures, which was an astronomical number.


    At this moment, a crisp, gentle voice sounded.


    ���� Rhode��?��


    Rhode felt a rather cold, tiny hand caressing his cheek. He lowered his gaze and saw a face that looked exactly like his, but was much younger and tender.


    ���� What��s wrong��? Are you feeling unwell��?��


    ��I��m fine, Christie.��


    Rhode straightened his back, revealed a gentle smile, and held her tiny hand softly.


    ��I��m resting because I feel a little tired.��


    Rhode paused and scanned her. All this while he had been busy dealing with the Undead Army and didn��t spend too much time looking after her. But she never grumbled. Her exceptional maturity made her understand what was appropriate at certain times. Rhode learned about her situation from Lapis from time and time and found out that Christie was doing fine. Besides, according to Lapis, Christie held alchemy talents and a certain extent of magical powers, which was affirmed by the Mages who Marlene had brought from the Mage School. They also thought that Christie could consider learning alchemy or magic spells, which would be an achievement for her.


    ��How are you feeling, Christie? It��s dangerous during this period of time. Are you feeling alright?��


    ���� Yes�� I��m good����


    Christie nodded with a smile.


    ���� Sister�� Lapis�� Everyone�� takes good care�� of me�� I��m also�� working hard�� to help everyone�� But�� I feel�� lonely�� because I haven��t seen�� Rhode�� for a while����


    ��Glad to hear that you��re feeling well.��


    Rhode felt as though his fatigue had been washed away. The problems troubling him before didn��t seem as important anymore. He stroked her hair gently while the little girl narrowed her eyes and leaned her cheek closer to his palm like an adorable kitten.


    He felt rather guilty. Even though she was leading a good life, he felt as though he had abandoned her, just like he rescued a child begging on the streets, handed her to the welfare agency, nodded at the sight of her having fun with other children, and turned his back on her. Was this what she wanted?


    Rhode clearly sensed that she was fondly attached to him and he was the same toward her. He never treated her as a replacement for his younger sister, but he cared for her. He could send her to a safer place and give her a better life. But he knew that she wouldn��t like it.


    ���� Are you really okay��? Rhode��?��


    ��I��m fine, Christie. I��m feeling great.��


    Rhode shook his head. But the little girl knitted her brows slightly and gazed in uncertainty.


    ��But�� I feel like Rhode�� is feeling troubled����


    ������


    Rhode pondered in silence. The peaceful park became even quieter at this moment. He lowered his head, gazed at the ground, and it was due to this that he didn��t notice the purple flare glinting in her eyes.


    Clang! Clang!


    After a few moments, the sound of bells broke the serenity. Rhode looked ahead and the sun had fallen below the horizon. Darkness emerged and enveloped every part of this world ever so slowly.


    The Undead Army is here.

 Chapter 748 - A Stalemate

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Dazzling radiance flashed. Erin raised her long neck and scanned the area ahead. Shortly after, two dazzling light beams descended from above and struck the pitch-black land heavily. Then, the darkness that enveloped the sky and land dispersed and dazzling light filled up the gaps. Shortly after, a string of flares and explosions erupted on the city walls. Erin narrowed her eyes because she was aware that she would be witnessing an incredibly beautiful view soon.


    As expected, after a series of explosions, the fortress in the distance had as though been submerged in darkness and death. But, in the blink of an eye, dense flares emerged across the sky and bombarded the land like pouring rain, where the land lit up in flames instantly. But the Undead Army charged forward again as chilly blue spiritual flames erupted.


    Erin shook her head slightly before shifting her attention away because she didn��t need to watch this battle anymore. The marble white color of dawn emerged on the other side of the horizon. Soon, the sun would rise and the Undead Army would be retreating in no time. Then, hours later when the sun set again, they would continue their attack in the darkness. Such a similar scenario had repeated over a span of 10 days. As soon as darkness fell, Cullen��s Undead Army attacked and the humans used the holy spears to defend against them.


    Indeed, in less than half an hour, the Undead Army retreated in order. As the first ray of sun struck the ground, the Undead Army left the land that was protected by the Light Dragon Soul and returned into their eternal darkness.


    ��Damn it����


    Rhode stared at the battlefield from above the city wall��blood, corpses, and putrid stench polluted the land and air. Not only that, but black, filthy blood belonging to the Undead Creatures and humans also stained the city walls.


    It had been over 10 days since Cullen launched his attack with the Undead Army. Every night, Rhode led his men and fought with them. But he was clear that Cullen was conserving his strength because the latter occasionally changed his tactics with different troops as though to catch the former off guard. However, Rhode knew that Cullen did that to see if he had other trump cards up his sleeves. Rhode admitted that Cullen was rather smart. Since the latter failed to obtain intelligence with his scouts earlier on, he was better off forcing the former to reveal all his trump cards.


    Therefore, within the 10 days, Rhode faced all kinds of attacks from the Undead Army. The Skeletal Trolls and Ghouls launched frontal attacks, Gargoyles, Bone Griffins, and Vampires used airborne tactics, and the Necromancers strengthened the Undead Army��s attack and speed with their spells. However, no matter which tactics Cullen deployed, Rhode only retaliated with the holy spears before coordinating with Gillian��s fire elemental spells to bombard the enemies. Meanwhile, the soldiers defended the city walls and sometimes Mini Bubble Gum would counteract the Necromancers�� spells. As for the Battle Angel Army and Magic Fleet, Rhode continued to keep them a secret. Even though Leader Beni and the commander of the Magic Fleet requested to join the battle, Rhode stood firm on his decision that they were the final trump cards for the victory and requested for them to stay patient.


    Strictly speaking, Rhode��s side was capable enough to withstand the attack without sending out the Battle Angels, Magic Fleet, or blasting off his newly-built magic cannons. At most, he would need Gillian to cast her ��Seven Hells�� and ��Sulfur River�� to defend against the Undead Creatures.


    Rhode was aware that both sides were competing on patience and the side that lost its patience first would lose. Cullen was also meticulous. He spent all his attention on probing in the last 10 days, lost nearly 30,000 troops, and wasn��t able to find anything new in Rhode��s camp. However, it wasn��t right to also say that Rhode didn��t suffer any losses.


    Although Rhode used the holy spears as the main attack, assigned Gillian and Mini Bubble Gum in alternate offense and defense, and placed Marlene and the others to guard the city walls, their losses increased day by day. Up until this moment, almost a thousand soldiers had died. Rhode was sure that he would need to recruit more of them after this battle ended.


    But this wasn��t the main problem. What was most important was that�� they were exhausted from the relentless attacks.


    Morale was the biggest headache for Rhode. The Undead Army didn��t require morale support and could strike continuously even if they failed. But, humans were different. The Undead Army always attacked at unearthly hours which turned his soldiers into night owls. It was imaginable how much mental pressure was placed on them to adjust their biological clocks and simultaneously fight the enemies to their death. The only thing supporting them now was their continuous victories and Rhode��s prestige. Rhode was glad that even though hierarchy was strict in this world, there were also benefits, such as his subordinates respecting him as the commander and not making a fuss over anything. If not, he couldn��t guarantee how the situation would develop.


    All he could do now was to appoint the Clerics and Battle Angels to cure the injured soldiers with their healing spells and also treat the soldiers to delicious feasts in order to boost their morale. However, he knew that the effects were limited.


    Rhode gazed at Serena at this thought��this rising star from the Mage Association no longer looked as clean as before. Her long, silky hair had wrinkled. Her fair, dewy face was full of dirt and blood stains. Not only that, but the filth on her expensive magic robe also made her look like a pitiful beggar. She looked forward with her eyes half-shut while yawning non-stop. The mannerism of a rich young lady in her was nowhere to be seen.


    War��nothing could spur on growth in humans quicker than cruel wars. After all, even though the Undead Army��s relentless attacks pressured Rhode��s side, the latter gained a vast range of knowledge about the Undead Army��s tactics thanks to Cullen, which was a great asset to the Munn Kingdom. After all, almost no one had experienced battles with the Undead Army in the past, not to mention understood their tactics. Never would Cullen expect to be used by Rhode in this aspect. The various tactics which he deliberately thought of became the best source of information for Rhode to teach and demonstrate the characteristics and tactical skills of the Country of Darkness. Under Cullen ��selfless�� dedication and Rhode��s theories, almost all the soldiers who participated in the battle understood everything about the enemies.


    ��Miss Serena�� Miss Serena?��


    ��Hmm�� hmm?! Ah! S-Sir Overlord, is anything the matter?��


    Serena nodded and responded while dozing off. Then, she lifted her head abruptly and blushed embarrassed at the sight of Rhode. She hurriedly tidied her hair.


    ��You must be exhausted. Go and get some rest.��


    ��Yes, thank you, Sir Overlord. I was just����


    ��Oh-no, Serena, stop trying so hard. Everyone can see that you can��t hang on any longer.��


    At this moment, Frederick turned around the corner. His armor was also stained with filthy blood. Even though he had been through a rough night, he appeared cheerful. He scrutinized his fianc��e while she puckered her brows slightly and rolled her eyes.


    ��No one will treat you as a mute even if you don��t speak, Frederick. Come to think of it�� those Undead Creatures are so stubborn. We��ve struck them off several times but����


    ��They��re not stubborn. They��re just brainless, Miss Serena.��


    Rhode shrugged and spread his arms apart.


    ��Alright, I suggest you take a shower and have a rest. After all, we��re gonna have a busy night.��


    In order to maintain morale, Rhode helplessly withdrew some money to build three hot springs (men and women were separated, of course) in the fortress, campsite, and Mage Tower. The hot springs were supplied with the underground spring water from the nearby mountains, which allowed the bloodied soldiers to relax themselves. Apart from the hot springs, Rhode also hired many experienced chefs to cook delicious meals for the soldiers, and the results were great. But this was all because they were fighting from the fortress. If they were in the wild and facing the Undead Army, perhaps they would have crumbled much earlier on.


    Of course, this required a lot of ingredients for cooking. Rhode��s system could set things up for him, but it couldn��t produce ingredients out of nothing. He assigned Shauna to purchase fresh ingredients from Deep Stone City and Paphield Plains in the name of Lydia��s order and transport them back using the teleportation door. This left some people dissatisfied, but Rhode didn��t care at all. If his fortress fell to the enemies, those people didn��t even have the right to be unhappy.


    Serena revealed an obvious, glad expression. Every woman fancied being beautiful, especially a well brought-up, young lady like her. She almost fainted every time the violent battles ended, since her robe was smeared with blood and the rotten stench from corpses assailed her nostrils. If it wasn��t for the hot spring in the Mage Tower for her to clean her fatigue away, she didn��t know how much longer she could tolerate. As for her filthy clothes, the Ocean Elves were her best servants. They quietly washed every piece of clothing and armor and make sure that they were sparkling clean before the next battle started.


    ��Perhaps you can shower with Frederick?��


    Rhode gazed at Frederick and said. The latter��s eyes glinted and he let out a whistle.


    ��That��s a good idea. Serena, let��s go!��


    ��You can go and have a shower with the skeletons instead!��


    Serena blushed instantly. Then, she glared fiercely at Frederick, stomped her foot, and stormed off. Frederick saluted to Rhode in a playful way to signal his departure and cheekily gave chase to Serena. It seemed that Frederick intended to turn Rhode��s words into reality.


    Rhode shook his head. His exhausted mind became slightly energized after cracking a joke with them. At this moment, the sun revealed itself from the horizon. The dazzling rays shone on him and brought him warmth while he squinted at the pitch-black darkness in the distance. Perhaps others didn��t discover it, but he sharply realized that the battle last night wasn��t as intense��the Undead Army seemed to be conserving their strength and their attack appeared more like harassment.


    This means that��


    ��Are you ready, Cullen?��


    Am I ready?


    Cullen sat on the stone chair while gazing at the military sand table with black flags filling the battlefront. He prodded them with his finger and pondered in silence. After the days of probing, he believed that he knew the young overlord inside out now. It seemed that the holy spears were indeed his only trump card. Cullen admitted that this young overlord, as a human, held quick and accurate judgment about the Undead Army. But the strength of humans was limited, after all. All the young overlord did was to rely on the holy spears with massive attacking range while other humans dealt with the scraps. This didn��t surprise Cullen. Instead, it was the young overlord��s accurate predictability on the Undead Army��s movements, where the holy spears identified and devastated the core units of each wave of attacks that astonished him.


    Of course, this was also related to the fact that Cullen didn��t dispatch too many Undead Creatures. Ever since his first failure, he regrouped his troops and sent only small teams to probe the situation. Not only could he probe the humans�� trump card, but he could also test the bottom lines that they could bear.


    There were a few times when Cullen thought that he had a grasp on the range of their tolerance. But the young overlord was too capable. Even though his side was in a flurry, he could instantly stabilize his defense and ready his attacks. If it was possible, Cullen hoped to pressure them again and again before completely overwhelming them. But it was a pity that Rhode��s resistance was more than he expected, which forced him to make another decision. Up until this moment, he lost nearly 50,000 troops and was left with only 100,000. What would happen if he increased the number of troops and changed the tactic to harass the humans? Even though the humans seemed rather miserable, they were still able to defend their fortress. How long could he hang on?


    If I lose another 50,000 Undead Creatures, what else will be left for me to battle with?


    Cullen pondered deeply. The usages of the fire elemental teleportation doors was almost at their end. Meanwhile, he couldn��t sacrifice too many troops anymore. What remained were the elites��Cullen heard that Burks and Duran were dissatisfied with his meticulous tactics. If Cullen were to use Burks��s and Duran��s elites as bait, they would surely be unwilling.


    The Bone Griffins and Gargoyles had also suffered different degrees of damage. If Cullen held an army of 500,000 troops, perhaps he would dare to do so. But now, only 100,000 was left from the 150,000 troops�� The young overlord also didn��t show anything surprising�� Was there a need for Cullen to continue probing?


    Cullen had an answer in his mind. But he was searching for a reason for him to give him the confidence.


    He stood up and stepped out of the campsite. Then, he looked up at the massive shadow at the peak of the mountain.


    ��Tonight will be the night����


    He said softly. His hoarse voice revealed some determination while the spiritual flames in his eyes burned as though they seeked to demolish everything.

 Chapter 749 - Into the Night

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Tonight��s the crucial night.


    Rhode looked at the sky��this became his habit ever since the start of the war. Every time the moon rose and the sun set, he would gather his attention and walk up a flight of stairs leading up the city walls. The soldiers would already be lined up with solemn expressions. They held bows in their hands while arrows soaked in kerosene and scarlet magic arrows laid beside them in the quiver. Although this scene didn��t appear out of the ordinary, there were some new characters among them.


    The Bugle Angels held pure, white bugles in their hands and stood in front. Their spotlessly white wings were folded and they didn��t seem any different from humans. At the same time, the Dawn Angels in the tall, circular tower also retrieved their crossbows and aimed forward. The soldiers turned to Rhode. They were clear that if it wasn��t for this fortress and young overlord, perhaps they couldn��t have withstood the Undead Army for so long. Even though this young overlord didn��t like to smile and seemed unapproachable, for some unknown reasons, they felt more at ease whenever they witnessed his expressionless face. This young overlord��s presence seemed to be telling them that everything was fine and there was nothing to worry about.


    Rhode stepped on the platform in the middle and gazed ahead. The sky turned darker as chilly wind blew in his face. There wasn��t snow today. The bright moon descended from above slowly and merged with the sacred light beams that blasted into the sky from the Holy Maiden Statues. Everything appeared so magical. But Rhode was clear that it would soon turn into a horrible, bloody nightmare.


    Rhode scanned the area. This time, he deployed almost all of his men and even mobilized Anne to the battlefront. In this crucial battle, he needed all the strength he had. Anne was level 50 and as a half-beast Shield Warrior, her strength couldn��t be belittled. At this moment, she stood by the edge of the wall, widened her eyes, and looked ahead in anticipation. It was apparent that she had been waiting for this moment for a long time.


    On the other side, the nobles led by Bayer were solemn and tense. Although they fought against the Undead Creatures more than once, they were still too inexperienced. To the contrary, Marlene and Lize were oddly calm, where they were even meditating peacefully. It was apparent that they were already familiar with the Undead Creatures�� attack pattern and slowly started to resemble players.


    Rhode smiled inwardly. Then, he shifted his attention forward. He received a system prompt that massive herds of Undead Creatures had swarmed into his territory. Cullen had finally decided to go all out, so Rhode didn��t have any reason to hold back now. Let��s see whose trump card can last until the end!


    Oo�� Oo�� Oo��!


    The deep bugle horns sounded from the darkness ahead as though the mourns of countless humans being executed and tortured. The soldiers got into stance, equipped arrows onto their bows, and aimed forward. The sacred light beam had as though responded to the death aura and instantly surged.


    The gentle, silver radiance blasted forward and struck the pitch-black barrier. Shortly after, darkness retreated like the tide and was replaced with Undead Creatures who were hidden beneath. They emerged from the darkness with sinister spiritual flames burning in their empty eye sockets. Although they had stepped into the enchanted field where sacred energy infiltrated their entirety, they continued to charge forward in obedience to their orders��death.


    Bu, they weren��t the ones who attacked first.


    ��Gaaaa����!��


    The Bone Griffins and Gargoyles flocked into the sacred enchanted field like huge, dark clouds being blown by the gale and the chilly wind smelled of rotten stench. They flapped their wings, circulated above the fortress, and howled as they pounced on the soldiers.


    This was their most common air raid. But Rhode was clear that their true killer move weren��t dependent on the Bone Griffins�� sharp claws or Gargoyles�� brute force. Instead, it was the Vampires hidden among them��their ambush and concealment in darkness were huge threats. Besides, unlike the Dark Elves, they had the ability to turn their murdered prey into zombies. Although the zombies had slow movements, it wouldn��t feel good for the humans to see their companions turned into them. This was also one of the trump cards for the Undead Army to break solid fortresses. In fact, Rhode��s men panicked when they faced similar air raids in one of the previous battles. But this time, they were prepared. Even though they were inexperienced, it was a piece of cake for Rhode no matter the Undead Army��s tactics. Don��t you dare look down on players.


    ��Step back! Cast the light screen!��


    ��Soldiers defend. Clerics get ready!��


    Anxious commands filled the air. The soldiers surrounded the Clerics with their raised swords and shields hurriedly while the Archers behind aimed their bows upward. The Clerics raised their arms and in the blink of an eye, rays of light shone in all directions as light barriers emerged over the fortress one by one. The light barriers didn��t have any defense or do any damage, but were first class in illumination. The light barriers merged with one another and shortly after, the entire fortress lit up dazzlingly as though countless searchlights shone.


    The light barriers contained sacred powers as they were cast from the Clerics�� spells. To the humans, the radiance full of sacred energy was like an incandescent light which they couldn��t look at directly. However, to the Undead Creatures, it was as painful as when one looked at the sun without wearing a pair of sunglasses. The Bone Griffins let out miserable screeches instantly since they were low level creatures and instinctively flapped their wings away.


    This immediately caused chaos in the enemy��s sky formation, where the Gargoyles ignored the sacred radiance and continued to charge forward. The fleeing Bone Griffins and attacking Gargoyles crashed into one another and they revealed the core troops of the Vampires within.


    The Gargoyles didn��t respond. To the contrary, the Vampires couldn��t react even if they wanted to because they were hidden in masses of Gargoyles and Bone Griffins. The entire fortress was shrouded by a light barrier that was as dazzling as the Holy Maiden Statues. Although this wasn��t the real sun which would burn them to death, the sacred aura within the enchanted field and dazzling radiance was still their biggest enemies.


    ��Wintu yor!��


    Marlene and Serena led the Mages while Agatha led the Ocean Elves and they chanted loudly in harmony. The moat around the fortress instantly surged and streams of water blasted skyward like water snakes rushing into black clouds.


    ��Ahhhhhhh!��


    Streams of water weren��t effective on the Gargoyles, but were extremely painful to the Vampires. Shortly after, several pitch-black figures fell from the sky. In addition to the Holy Maiden Statue��s effects, water sources within the enchanted field were enhanced with sacred properties and became as terrifying as acid for the Undead Creatures��especially pure Undead Creatures like the Vampires. The Vampires lost their balance while the sacred water corroded their skin. In a single glance, one could see them covering their faces with both hands, their wings rotting and deteriorating, white smoke emerging from their body, and falling powerlessly to the ground. Even though the Vampires were Undead Creatures, it wasn��t possible for them to not suffer any damage by falling from such a height. In an instant, some of them became like bloody, squashed frogs while some of the unfortunate ones crashed into the moat and were corroded entirely. Even though some were fortunate to escape the tragedy and reach the city wall, they were quickly dealt with by the soldiers. Although the Gargoyles and Vampires were higher in level on average than the humans, they couldn��t display half of their abilities in the enchanted field. To the contrary, the illumination from the Holy Maiden Statues boosted Rhode��s army��s confidence greatly.��Access webnovel.live if you like watching manga,comics.


    Apart from that, the [Harvest Field] effect from the Sphere of Mystery also fastened the soldiers�� rate of growth. After the previous few battles with the Undead Creatures, the soldiers had almost reached level 40. Moreover, with Mini Bubble Gum��s and Canary��s merciless training, they stood a chance against the omni-present enemies.


    The Undead Army��s air troops scattered��Bone Griffins mourned in their retreat while Vampires frantically escaped. However, the rain of arrows streaking across the sky shrouded them completely. The remaining Gargoyles weren��t too lucky either. As an alchemical creatures, they didn��t possess much wisdom, which explained why they didn��t react promptly. Shortly after, they were caught in a battle with the soldiers on the city walls. They were around level 15 to 20 at the moment and even though they were sturdy, they were no match for the level 40 soldiers in the Peak Elite Stage.


    But this was only the start.


    The Undead Army on the ground turned a blind eye to the crisis happening in the sky. They swarmed forward like a raging wave that crashed into the huge dam. Rhode narrowed his eyes, clutched the sword hilt, and waited patiently. At this moment, he witnessed a blood-red lightning bolt flashed in the ��clouds�� before striking the city walls, which the immense explosion stunned the soldiers. Then, a middle-aged, pale-looking Vampire who wore luxurious attire stepped out of the smoke. He clutched his sword and his eyes glinted with fiery radiance.


    Duran? He��s joining the battle personally? That��s interesting.


    Rhode let out a snort. He swung his left arm and Celestina emerged from the erupted black smoke.


    ��It��s all up to you, Celestina. Get rid of that old fart!��

 Chapter 750 - Scarlet & Pitch-black Colors

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Duran stepped out of the black smoke. The sacred air left him uncomfortable. If it was possible, he didn��t wish to lead the army in the battlefront personally despite his close relationship with Cullen. But it was a pity that this wasn��t a request. It was an order instead. In a nation like the Country of Darkness that respected hierarchy, orders were above all else. Even though Duran, Burks, and Cullen were similar in rank and strength, Cullen was the commander, after all. Since he was the commander, he had the rights to command them. Although Duran was dissatisfied, he could only nod in agreement.


    Damn it!


    Duran gnashed his teeth. His crimson eyes glinted in faint radiance at the thought of his fallen men. He scanned the place that was full of lowly, weak humans�� Then, he turned to the soldiers who rushed toward him with a raised weapon.


    The soldiers were baffled to see this mysterious man appearing out of the smoke, but they hurriedly raised their swords and charged ahead. Then, they realized that this enemy was on a different level.


    ��Heyah!��


    One of the soldiers brandished his sword and the razor-sharp blade streaked a glaring, silver arc in midair. But it was immediately stopped by a pitch-black, armored hand that clutched it firmly. The soldier realized that no matter how hard he tried, his sword just couldn��t break free from that menacing hand. The soldier looked up and all he saw was a crimson radiance.


    Duran swiped his other hand in front of him as though running his fingers along piano keys. Then, the soldier was as though struck by an invisible, gigantic hammer, which blasted him away and blood from his ghastly neck wound splashed in a perfect arc. At the next moment, the blood arc solidified in Duran��s control. The soldier shriveled like a deflated balloon and the solidified blood arc turned into a lethal whip. Duran lashed at the surrounding soldiers and sent them flying off the city walls.


    ��Hmph, lowly humans.��


    Duran laid his hand down and gazed at the soldiers in disdain. With his abilities in the Legendary Stage, these soldiers weren��t even worth his attention. The other soldiers came to an abrupt halt. They looked at one another in hesitation.


    Then, a proud voice filled the sky.


    ��Get lost! Useless trash!��


    Duran turned around and saw a pitch-black arc erupting from the crowd which pounced on him. The engulfing wave of air pushed the soldiers off their balance and this time, he finally wiped off his look of disdain. He sulked and leaped back, at the same time extended his pale right arm which instantly turned pitch-black and ice-cold sharp, iron scales struck on the black chain sword.


    Clang!


    An ear-deafening collision rang. Duran sensed a mighty force from the chain sword which indicated that the enemy was also in the Legendary Stage. He swung his right arm forward and three sharp, crescent black blades shot out from his hand. The enemy let out a snort. It swiftly retracted its viper-like chain sword and transformed it into the shape of a solid shield to negate his attack.


    Up until this moment, Duran finally saw what his enemy looked liked and was flabbergasted.


    Celestina clutched the chain sword and lifted her head proudly. She narrowed her scarlet eyes which revealed glints of contempt and arrogance. If it were others who looked at Duran in this way, he would have taught them a lesson. Moreover, despite being in battle, she wore her usual pitch-black, luxurious nightgown, which was so clean that there weren��t any blood stains at all. Duran took two steps back in vigilance and the reason that explained his behavior was simple��Celestina��s bat-like wings and pitch-black, long tail clearly displayed her identity.


    A high-class demon?


    Duran questioned inwardly. As a noble in Country of Darkness, he had interacted with several demons and knew that demons generally lacked interest in this surface world because they focused all their attention on the endless battles with the devils. Even though it wasn��t taboo to summon demons in the Country of Darkness, no one would like to find trouble with them out of boredom as demons were sinister. Compared to the demons, the Undead Creatures in the Country of Darkness were much less sinister. Demons viewed Vampires just like how Vampires treated humans��full of unparalleled sense of superiority.


    But�� Why is there a demon?


    Duran swept a glance to the side subconsciously.


    That��s right, this is the Light Mainland. If I recall correctly, the Light Mainland treats demons and devils with the same attitude, don��t they? The Munn Kingdom is a nation ruled by an angel, so why is there a demon here?


    Duran knitted his brows, staring at Celestina hesitantly.


    ��You are����


    ��Cut the crap, lowly species. I don��t have the time to chat with you. Go to hell!��


    Celestina clearly wasn��t in the mood for chitchat. She interrupted his words cleanly as though proving that she was truly rushing for time. She brandished her chain sword and the chain sword as though a viper, revealed its fangs and pounced on Duran.


    ��Hmph!��


    Duran sulked. No matter what, he was the proud patriarch of his family. Celestina a high-class demon, but her strength was also around the same level as his. Since she attacked without talking things out, he didn��t need to hold back anymore! Duran��s eyes glinted. He extended his right arm and clenched his fist��the blood on the walls rushed forth and formed a shield around him which defended against Celestina��s attack. Shortly after, sparks flashed as her black chain sword clawed the shield.


    After transcending into the Legendary Stage, one��s rule power would materialize. Duran��s rule power was the ��blood��, which was one of the most common talent Vampires had. But it was apparent that he wasn��t one who would take a beating without retaliating. After negating Celestina��s attack, he let out a grim laughter and swung his right hand in the air��the blood shield erupted instantly and bit into her chain sword like a blood monster. Celestina didn��t expect this move at all. Before she reacted, the blood had flown along the chain and rushed toward her.


    ��Lowly one, how dare you!��


    Celestina knitted her brows and snarled. She treated her enemy as a lowly race and it was only right that he abided by her orders.


    It is only right that you crawl to my feet for me to hit you and lay your head before me for me to kill you. How ridiculous that this lowly Vampire not only defied my orders, but also retaliated!


    Celestina��s trains of thought weren��t logical to begin with��


    She flew into a rage. Her chain sword was bit into tightly by Duran��s blood monster, but it didn��t leave her panicky. Instead, she glared fiercely at Duran and a faint radiance glinted in her scarlet eyes.


    ������!


    Suddenly, black flames burned on her body and flowed along her chain sword which swarmed the blood monster. The black, mysterious flames didn��t extinguish. Instead, the blood monster howled in grief after being tainted by it. In the blink of an eye, it collapsed and fell apart and this left Duran baffled!


    As an experienced and knowledgeable Vampire, he had read about legends and documentary records about the black flames��the negative flame!


    It was rumored that this black magic flame came from the core of the burning hell��pure and dangerous. Unlike ordinary flame, this black magic flame was full of negative energy which would devour every magical flow related to the rule powers. It could also be said that this was the nightmare of every legendary being because after entering the Legendary Stage, one of the privileges that they held was the ability to attack using their rule power, where they would simulate magical flow in order to manipulate the rule power.


    To the contrary, the negative flame was entirely different, where it could forcefully change the magical flow and return it to zero. For example, if a legendary being who cast its rule power was like how one drew a picture on a white paper, the negative flame could turn the picture to nothing and return it to the state of the clean, white paper before burning it in flames.


    Why did she have such powers?!


    Duran had no doubts that it was the negative flame. But why was it here? The documentary records clearly stated that the negative flames were completely sealed after the Creation War. How did this woman possess such powers?!


    Unfortunately, he wasn��t granted the time to search for an answer because Celestina brandished the chain sword that was burning in black flames at him. Duran gritted his teeth and braced himself. He had no way of retreat now.


    In the blink of an eye, scarlet and pitch-black colors collided, erupting in dazzling sparks.

 Chapter 751 - Drive Forward

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Rhode wasn��t concerned about the battle progress between Celestina and Duran. In fact, after he summoned Celestina, the Undead Army responded. While the air troops kept the soldiers busy, the ground troops led by the Skeletal Trolls quickened their pace as they swarmed like huge waves that crashed into the towering ��dam��.


    Barrages of arrows that were released from the enemy rear disrupted the soldiers. Although Agatha cast ice walls to deflect the arrows, many defenseless soldiers were still struck. The battle progress above the city walls was chaotic as the Gargoyles and Vampires attacked simultaneously.


    Rhode knitted his brows. He thought that Cullen would distribute his forces in order to lower the holy spears�� lethal threats, but didn��t expect Cullen to do the very opposite. It seemed that Cullen had grasped his biggest weakness��the lack of manpower!


    Cullen held 100,000 troops while Rhode had less than 10,000. Although the holy spears were powerful, each of them could only eliminate up to 1000 Undead Creatures in each attack. Not only that, the holy spears also had ��cooldowns�� before the next attack. On the other hand, the Undead Army advanced quickly too. Would it be worth it for them to sacrifice up to 6,000 Undead Creatures in order to arrive at the city walls for close combat?


    Rhode knew the answer clearly.


    However, he didn��t expect Cullen to be this determined. Cullen gathered his troops together and charged forward in waves! As long as Cullen succeeded, Rhode would be doomed!


    Rhode had to admit that this tactic was great. But he had no intentions of switching his moves. Another dazzling light beam descended and struck the Undead Creatures, which blasted a wide gap in the sea of Undead Creatures.


    However, the gap was quickly refilled by the surrounding creatures. The Undead Creatures didn��t stop until the second light beam��


    ��It seems like this human is running out of ideas.��


    Not only was Cullen not enraged that his attacks were stopped time and time again, but he also revealed an evil smile. Quantitative change led to qualitative change. As long as he had enough troops, how effective would the holy spears be? The Undead Army swarmed forward and the threats of the holy spears became insignificant. The Undead Army was just about to reach the city walls. Just a little more�� And victory would be theirs.


    But this still wasn��t enough.


    Cullen gazed at the fortress in the distance. The spiritual flames in his eyes burned abnormally brighter. He sensed that Duran seemed to be in some sort of trouble because the city wall didn��t become as chaotic as he expected. He lowered his head and looked at the Necromancers around him.


    ��Get ready to cast your spell.��


    Dark energy flowed.


    ��Sir Overlord, we��ve spotted our target!��


    ��Wait for a while more!��


    Rhode said without changing his expression. At this moment, no one noticed that he clutched the sword hilt with his right hand. He swept a glance to the massive pitch-black waves before him. Then, two dazzling light beams descended and shattered them into bits. But the darkness regrouped and pushed forward continuously. He heard the sound of whistling wind, footsteps, soldiers�� roars, and weapon collisions. However, his mind was in an odd state of calmness.


    A lightning bolt flashed.


    Marlene extended her right arm and released a lightning bolt that struck one of the Gargoyles, which it erupted into fragments. Then, she turned to another group of Vampires and raised her arms. However, at the same time, a Ghoul let out a snarl, leaped, and extended its razor-sharp claws for Marlene��s neck.


    ��Go to hell!��


    Anne rushed forward like a whirlwind��her shield shimmered vibrantly in the green wind element. She brandished and tore the Ghoul apart instantly while sweeping away Undead Creatures that climbed up the city walls. Then, she darted toward Marlene and raised her shield.


    ��Thank you, Anne.��


    Marlene had just cast a magic spell that struck the group of Vampires. As a spell caster, even though Marlene possessed defensive spells, it was still challenging to protect herself in such chaotic situations. This was why Marlene and Lize loved to team up with Anne. With Anne around, they could focus on doing their offense well. However, Anne had to defend the rear in the previous few battles, which was why Marlene and Lize were made to pair up and one of them had to attack while the other defended, which gave them huge mental pressure. Now that Anne was here to support them, they were completely unrestrained in casting their spells��they didn��t need to worry about any dangers because Anne would definitely protect them.


    ��I don��t know how long this battle will last����


    Marlene frowned and scanned the place. The number of Vampires and Gargoyles had decreased gradually. Although Rhode��s side gained the upper hand, the Undead Army was still advantageous in quantity. Marlene wasn��t sure which side the advantage was leaning to.


    Marlene no longer resembled the heir of Senia Family or held the image of a beautiful young lady. She was covered in blood stains from head to toe. Her silver-whitish hair was also stained by filthy dust and sweat as though there was a failure in her hair dying process. However, she wasn��t in the mood for that now because the area where she had led two Mages to defeat the enemies was once again filled with Undead Creatures. Although Rhode stopped most of the Undead Creatures with the holy spears, many that slipped through the net had climbed up and worsened the situation.Read comics on our webnovel.live


    Rhode has no intentions of attacking yet?


    Marlene shook her head. This wasn��t a question that she should consider now because all she had to do was wait. She looked ahead in astonishment��she sharply sensed surging magical powers��the invisible, massive powers that flowed a dark trajectory��


    ��Sir Overlord.��


    Beni said in a rather nervous tone, which was rare to see. She knew how ingenious Rhode��s plan was, but the situation was too intense as though two boxers were continually probing each other with light punches in the ring and the one who found their opponent��s weakness first would throw a heavy punch for the win. There would only be one winner.


    One winner.


    ������


    Rhode unsheathed his sword slowly as though he was pondering. But shortly after, he pushed the sword back in and said in an ice-cold tone.


    ��Do it.��


    Dark magical powers coalesced.


    Cullen raised his arms and gazed at the fortress. The group of 300 Necromancers behind him stood in their positions inside the forest. They chanted in unison as the dark magical powers twisted into infinite strength.


    This shall be the start of our victory! Cullen said inwardly. But a glaring golden radiance flashed before his eyes. His heart skipped a beat almost instinctively and he had a premonition��


    Boom!


    The golden radiance blasted Cullen into the sky like a rag doll and he crashed to the ground heavily. Not only that, but the golden radiance also splashed and engulfed the flabbergasted Necromancers. Before the Necromancers reacted, a dozen more golden radiances flashed from above the fortress once again.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    That was an incredibly strange scene, which the Necromancers�� skulls and bodies exploded to the sacred golden radiance for no apparent reasons. Although the sacred golden radiance brought about a dreamy view, it was a complete nightmare for them.


    ��Ambush! Defend!��


    The Death Knights who stood before the Necromancers summoned their bone shields. But�� was it enough?


    Above the silver-whitish tower.


    The Dawn Angels squinted, lifted their heavy, enormous crossbows, and aimed ahead. Shortly after, golden arrows appeared out of thin air and slotted into their crossbows. Then, they pulled the crossbow string back and golden radiance dazzled in a flash.


    The sacred golden arrows streaked across the sky, penetrated the bone shields, and instantly exploded as they struck the Necromancers.


    Boom!


    Cullen crawled to his feet. He looked incredibly terrifying with half his skull already blown off. If it wasn��t due to the fact that his Soul Core wasn��t present in this body and the magic tool activated itself in the sense of danger, perhaps all he could do now was to return to his phylactery in his Mage Tower.


    ��They are Dawn Angels! Don��t reveal yourselves!��


    Cullen commanded and gritted his teeth, which the Necromancers scrambled to behind the hillsides and boulders.


    However, they were too late. The sacred golden arrows pierced their bodies and erupted in massive explosions that enveloped them completely.


    But this was only the start!


    ��The Necromancers are eliminated, Sir Overlord.��


    ��Good, Miss Beni.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Then, he snapped his fingers.


    ��Alright. It��s about time for our guests to enjoy a passionate hospitality.��

 Chapter 752 - Rumbling Gunfire

    This situation isn��t looking good.


    Cullen felt breathless. He laid behind the hill miserably with a complete lack of grace. Large holes were blasted in his left chest and half of his skull. Ordinary Undead Creatures would have died to the attacks, but fortunately for him, as a Lich who was an expert in alchemy, he had many more ways to protect himself. But even so, he sensed his strength fading away quickly. Logically speaking, he should return to his campsite and heal himself immediately. However, he didn��t have the time for that. He gritted his shattered teeth and felt more anxiety and frustration than ever before.


    Cullen was sure that the enemy didn��t just received the help of the Dawn Angels a few days ago and it was apparent from their plan to instantly eliminate his 300 Necromancers in a single wave of attacks. The Dawn Angels were the natural enemies of Mages. During the Creation War, countless Liches who were much stronger than Cullen harbored grudges against the Dawn Angels�� sacred arrows and Cullen counted himself as fortunate to survive. At this moment, he gazed ahead with his magic eye tool and realized that he made a huge mistake. It was obvious that it was premeditated and the enemy had sniped his Necromancers. If not, the Dawn Angels would have wiped out his air troops easily beforehand. Instead, the enemy mobilized the Dawn Angels to only launch their attacks after the Necromancers revealed themselves. This left Cullen baffled and another thought came to his mind.


    Since the enemy has the Dawn Angels for support, does it mean that he still has other trump cards?


    Cullen glanced at the battlefront. Just a few more steps and the Undead Army would arrive at the base of the city walls. Although he lost quite a number of troops to the holy spears, the Undead Army led by the Skeletal Trolls pushed forward determinedly. As long as they reached the city walls��


    But why do I feel so uncertain?


    Rhode gazed ahead.


    Beneath his feet, the city walls rumbled and shook as the gigantic steel plates embedded on the city walls revealed their menacing, iron magic cannons.


    The magic cannons fired off without any warnings.


    More than a hundred blazes streaked across the night sky and one would surely be blinded at the sight of the dazzling brilliance. The surging magical powers erupted out of the barrels and the scorching heat devoured and evaporated all obstacles in their paths. The Skeletal Trolls came to a halt and lifted their arms instinctively to defend against the artillery barrage. However, as more magical beams struck their bodies, their bodies shattered completely and the close distance left them without a chance to escape.


    This was the first time the Undead Army was stopped in their tracks. There were catastrophic reactions for every magical beam that landed into the sea of darkness��the entire darkness shrunk, swelled, and exploded into flames that burst through the clouds.


    But this wasn��t the end.


    The Gargoyles and Vampires suspended in midair launched their ferocious attacks once more. This time, the Death Knights had joined them as they charged forward with their pikes.


    At the same time, the Battle Angels finally emerged.


    In a slogan of glory, the Battle Angels shimmering in holy radiance lifted their swords. They soared in the sky and clashed with the pitch-black forces. The Death Knights were fearless against the Battle Angels and the scarlet radiance in their eyes emanated brighter.


    Not enough!


    Rhode stood on the platform. He could hear nothing around him no matter if it was the screams, snarls, commands, or weapon clashes. Everything had as though been submerged in the loud explosions and the ground shook like the end of the world was approaching. Scorching heat from the scarlet flames turned the pitch-black Undead Army completely into ashes. Enormous white light beams descended and proved the eternal powers in the rule of light. Rhode felt calmer than ever. The ear-deafening explosions were as though separated by an invisible wall. He stretched out his arm and the system interface emerged before him.


    [Summon Phantom Mirrors]


    Boom!


    The calm moat around the fortress surged into tall aggressive waves. Then, the streams of water twisted and transformed into mysterious creatures that resembled thin oval mirrors. Behind them were as though translucent, fluttering octopus tentacles.


    [Phantom Mirrors summoned. Please select target to copy.]


    Battle Angels!


    Suddenly, the momentum on the battlefield shifted.


    The Phantom Mirrors tilted upward and their smooth mirrors flickered with the images of the Battle Angels. Shortly after, they transformed��their thin, oval bodies suddenly softened, and reshaped like plasticine.


    In the blink of an eye, a thousand more Battle Angels emerged in midair. They didn��t seem any different from the real Battle Angels, but the only difference was their crystal-clear bodies. Rhode stretched out a finger. Then, this crystal army launched forward like sharp blades and punctured the shadow in the sky mercilessly.


    Cullen watched in disbelief. At this moment, he felt like a strong man who thought that he could easily win this battle, but was forced into the corner, cowering and begging a skinny rascal to spare his life. The fortress became a ferocious beast with its jaws snapped open at its prey. The formation which he gathered to strengthen his attacks seemed useless now. Although both sides were in a stalemate, Cullen was sure that if this continued��


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The dazzling radiances that streaked across the night sky disrupted his thoughts. He looked up frantically��a gigantic battleship gradually emerged from behind the mountain with its hull facing the battlefield. Shortly after, another string of glaring brilliance erupted.


    The momentum has shifted.


    Cullen understood clearly that he was guaranteed to lose this battle if this continued. The enemy was ready and had been waiting for him to take the bait. As a commander, he was aware that the Undead Army��s struggles were only instinctive. The emergence of the magic cannons and Battle Angel Army became the last straw that overwhelmed the balance. If he didn��t come up with changes, it would be almost inevitable that he would fail.


    Almost�� but it wasn��t for sure. If he held a powerful force to completely overwhelm the enemy, he might still stand a chance to defeat them and conquer the fortress!


    Cullen turned around and gazed at the back. The spiritual flames in his eyes burned intensely as though he was making a tough decision. Finally, he gritted his teeth and pulled a Necromancer toward him.


    ��Report to Her Highness Erin that the situation is critical and we need reinforcements!��

 Chapter 753 - World’s Number One Princess (1)

    The situation is looking critical for our army��


    Erin lifted her long neck and gazed forward in silence. Even though she wasn��t an expert in war studies, she was taught related knowledge as a royal. In fact, anyone with a keen eye could see that the Undead Army was in a disadvantageous situation. The Magic Fleet and magic cannons that filled the city walls wreaked havoc on the battlefield. This couldn��t be considered a battle. It was more like a massacre. In the sky, the Battle Angels completely overwhelmed the Ghouls, Bone Griffins, and Vampires while the Death Knights continued to put up a strong fight. However, they couldn��t last for much longer.


    Erin��s eyes glinted curiously at the sight of the ��crystal angels�� soaring in midair. They weren��t as formidable as the true Battle Angels, but there were so many more of them. At this moment, the ��crystal angels�� leaped from the moat into the sky, which disrupted the Undead Army. Even though the Undead Army resisted and tried to gain the upper hand, they were only heading towards a path of destruction.


    Big Brother is too impatient.


    Erin shook her head slightly. She was neither a pacifist nor a militant and didn��t hold any sympathy for the mortals and undeads that perished. But even so, she wasn��t optimistic about her big brother��s plan. She thought that Ion was overly-impatient and shouldn��t have blindly attacked. However, Ion didn��t heed her advice and she knew that his self-confidence was both his greatest strength and weakness. He was convinced that everything in this world would act according to his will. No matter what accidents might occur, the final result would be as what he predicted. This kind of self-confidence was the power that allowed the entire Country of Darkness to abandon previous disputes and gather their forces together. But at the same time, Erin thought that this was her big brother��s biggest flaw. What left her in a headache was that Ion wasn��t blindly arrogant. Instead, he considered situations carefully before finally making a decision. It was also due to this that it was nearly impossible for her to persuade him.


    At this moment, Erin received a call for help from Cullen.


    He wants me to lend him a hand?


    Erin didn��t respond immediately. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and pondered for a while. If it was possible, she didn��t wish to join this battle. Currently, their attack was in a state of stagnation. Even though she couldn��t get involved in politics, she actually hoped that her big brother would reconsider his decision. Time and patience weren��t their enemies, but Ion just couldn��t understand this point. If she were to attack personally, this fortress would likely crumble and she wouldn��t reach her goals�� Erin shook her head at this thought.


    She was royal of the Country of Darkness, after all. As the princess, she held neither the choice nor the right to interfere with the decisions and trends of the entire empire. Since that was the case, her only choice was to display utter loyalty. No matter what, since the commander requested for her help�� She could only nod in agreement. Besides�� she wished to personally see how exactly did the human who spoiled her big brother��s plans time and time again looked like.


    Erin lifted her head, expanded her huge wings, and flew into the night sky in deep, strong gales.


    In an instant, she arrived at the edge of the battlefield. The dazzling explosions were as though celebrating a grand festive night. She shifted her gaze to the majestic fortress and magic cannons and let out a sigh. Then, she widened her mouth.


    ����������!��


    In an instant, her loud, resounding roar stunned the entire battlefield and the menacing artillery barrages had as though been softened. Not only that, but her roar also swept the place like an invisible blast. The soldiers looked up to the source of the voice and some fearful ones even fell to the ground weakly.


    That was the fear that mortals portrayed instinctively when they perceived a stronger existence.


    ��She��s here!��


    Rhode felt a shiver down his spine even though he was mentally prepared for this moment. Indeed, it was the Night Wyvern. She expanded her wings, spiraled silently in the sky, and emanated a bright radiance from her eyes. Although she was still a distance away, her massive presence left him trembling.


    ��Canary, Bubble, attack! Keep her away from the city wall!��


    Rhode commanded immediately. He knew that it wasn��t his weak mentality that caused his trembles. Instead, it was due to the effects of the dragon��s prestige. As the spokesperson of the moon, Erin��s dragon��s prestige wasn��t only just the dragon��s prestige. Instead, she also held high-level privileges which suppressed low-level privileges. Even though Rhode wasn��t affected too hard by it, he was sure that if Erin approached the city walls, the others would surely raise their hands and surrender under her dragon��s prestige just like how one��s footstep was enough to scare a mouse even though one wasn��t doing anything. When that happened, all his hard work in shaping a great ending would be wiped out completely.


    Rhode swept a glance to the battlefield and gritted his teeth. The Undead Army was indeed stubborn. If it were the human army, they would have crumbled a long time ago. On the contrary, even though the Undead Army staggered, they continued to advance like thousands of moths flying into lamps. Although the lightman could easily crush the moths, the endless moths wouldn��t avoid him and would continue to pounce on their target. Such troublesome enemies were the most annoying!


    ��It��s time for us to attack, Bubble.��


    This was the first time Canary kept her smile back and put up a stern expression as she gazed at the Night Wyvern. Mini Bubble Gum nodded and unlike Canary, she revealed an excited expression. She clenched her fists and looked ahead in anticipation.


    ��No problem, Big Sister. Haha, I��m dying to see if a top level 85 player can defeat a Night Wyvern!��


    ��Alright then, let��s begin.��


    Erin lifted her head and gazed at the night sky��the silver-whitish round moon illuminated a gentle radiance that shrouded her entirely. Then, silver-whitish rays emerged from her body which formed sacred, circular rule runes. Just like how the Holy Maiden Statues connected their light rule, Erin had also connected with the moon rule.


    ��Mony sta gir.��


    Three mysterious runes flashed before her. Then, she raised her head high. The empty void around her set off waves of ripples and hundreds of ritual circles emerged around her. Shortly after, dazzling magical radiance blasted forward.


    This was the most powerful attack coalesced from the rule power. Each light beam contained the same strength of an enormous magic cannon. A wave of such an attack could shatter the fortress into ashes completely.


    Well�� If the attack hits, that is.


    ��I announce in the name of supreme privilege��light barrier!��


    A tender voice sounded.


    In an instant, the air around the fortress trembled��a single dot of light emerged above the fortress and it shone shimmering rays in all directions to form pictures of tree-shaped structures that brimmed with large, mysterious patterns. Shortly after, a hundred meters-wide rectangular barrier appeared out of thin air. Then, the silver-whitish light beams struck this thin, transparent barrier.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Within a few seconds, peace was quickly restored. Erin widened her eyes in astonishment because a petite young girl hovering in midair was looking at her proudly.


    Mini Bubble Gum suspended in midair with four dazzling light wings behind her. However, unlike the angels, the halo behind her was made up of silver-whitish lines which resembled the main circuit of this tree-shaped structure and divided into branches. The little girl appeared more like a CPU at this moment.


    What is this strength?


    Erin sensed the presence of pure light from the barrier, but she had never seen such a strange-looking rule ritual that resembled a vascular pattern made up of straight silver-whitish lines. Not only that, but the silver-whitish lines were also split into different tiny branches which was totally unlike the usual circular rituals. On the other hand, some text that she couldn��t recognize was written behind the horizontal lines at the end. The texts were as though made up of several squares: mysterious, fascinating, and strangely attractive.


    ��Phew�� finally stopped her.��


    ��How are you doing, Bubble?��


    Mini Bubble Gum wiped her sweat as Canary arrived at her side. The former let out a casual shrug. Even though in terms of privilege level, Mini Bubble Gum and Erin were in the same tier, the former almost couldn��t withstand the latter��s moon rule attack. If it wasn��t for the light rule that merged into part of Erin��s attack, Mini Bubble Gum wasn��t confident of defending against Erin��s attack.


    ��She��s the princess alright. So hard to deal with. Big Sister, let��s do it!��


    Mini Bubble Gum lifted her head with a smile.


    ��I��m sorry, princess. I don��t hate you, but since Leader has given his order, don��t ever think that you��ll get by us so easily!��


    She swung her right arm.


    ��Privilege. Light Judgment!��


    One of the ��runes�� at the end of the tiny branches shimmered in a dazzling radiance. Then, it coalesced into a dot of light which swiftly flowed along the branch and into her. In the blink of an eye, the dot of light merged with her and countless runes flashed across the tree-shaped structure. Then��


    The ground rumbled.


    A warm energy like the scorching sun rose and pounced on its enemy.

 Chapter 754 - World’s Number One Princess (2)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The light column transformed into an enormous blade that streaked across the night sky. Even though Erin attacked with her moon rule powers, she didn��t dare resist resolutely. Besides, Mini Bubble Gum��s rule was the ��light��, which was a tier higher than her ��moon�� rule. If this battle took place in the day, Mini Bubble Gum could stand up against Erin without Canary��s help. But it was nighttime and the moon was hanging high above them��


    As the light blade brandished, numerous silver-whitish runes flashed around Erin. Then, they linked up one by one to form a barrier that collided with the light blade.


    Clang!


    Even though the barrier split into half, Erin dodged swiftly.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The light blade struck the ground and thunderous explosions sounded while several meters-wide, bottomless fissures emerged on the surface. In the blink of an eye, the fissures extended to one of the hills and it crumbled completely.


    ��Ahh, this damn moon!��


    Mini Bubble Gum wasn��t the least bit proud that she created a canyon out of a single strike. She yelled in anger and stared at the moon��even though it wasn��t the full moon, it was still illuminating brightly. If it was possible, Mini Bubble Gum wished to blast the moon away, which was why she grumbled while focusing her attention on casting her spell. Erin��s strength would fluctuate according to the shape of the moon. If it was the full moon, Mini Bubble Gum��s attack would only tickle Erin even if the latter didn��t cast any defensive spell.


    But as a top player, Mini Bubble Gum definitely wouldn��t lose her mind to anger. Even though she constantly grumbled, her attacks didn��t stop as Erin quickened her pace and flew toward the fortress once again. Erin was aware that this wasn��t the time to mess with this little girl. Moreover, she realized that this little girl might possess a rule power that was a tier higher than hers. She was curious and astonished as to how such a formidable being came to the Munn Kingdom without the Country of Darkness knowing��if they were aware of it earlier, the Country of Darkness definitely wouldn��t allow Cullen to lead 150,000 Undead Creatures to their death.


    But it was meaningless to think about this problem now. Erin knew that she wouldn��t be killed under the protection of the moon rule, which was why she might as well avoid Mini Bubble Gum and target the fortress instead. As long as she destroyed the fortress, her mission would be accomplished.


    However, the situation wasn��t this simple.


    ��Please stay.��


    Erin heard a crisp, gentle voice and what came next was a raging tornado.


    The powerful, massive winds swirled to form a vortex that engulfed Erin entirely. She lifted her head in surprise and spotted another young lady hovering in midair��unlike Mini Bubble Gum, Canary triggered her rule power and four light bands constructed of runes spun around her arms and ankles. What left Erin even more astonished was that this young lady��s rule ritual was in an odd shape��countless, straight red and green lines with round solid dots flickered on her as though a diagram of an electric circuit on a humanoid robot.


    ��My apologies, Your Highness. We don��t wish to use violence. If it��s possible, I hope you can stay where you are.��


    Canary smiled and said in a gentle, elegant tone. If this was all, perhaps it might sound like they were negotiating. However, the violent tornado of flames enveloped everything as they spoke. No matter the Bone Griffins in the sky or the Skeleton Soldiers on the surface, all of them were burned to ashes instantly. This scene made it look as though Canary was threatening and not requesting.


    This is�� a double rule talent?


    Erin��s eyes glinted, but she wasn��t worried about this situation. Instead, she was full of joy. It seemed that she had made a right choice to come to this battlefront. If not, she wouldn��t have witnessed such an interesting sight.


    ��Both of you are the overlord��s subordinates?��


    Erin turned around and asked curiously while Canary and Mini Bubble Gum exchanged looks in surprise. Just like Rhode, they hadn��t battle Erin face to face before. However, they didn��t expect Erin to have such a reaction. Mini Bubble Gum lifted her head proudly.


    ��That��s right, we��re leader��s companions.��


    ��I see����


    Although Erin was trapped in the fire tornado, she didn��t seem to be in any discomfort. On the contrary, she murmured under her breath casually, which astonished Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. Even though they had unleashed their strongest attacks, Erin seemed to disregard them entirely. If it were the four legendary generals, perhaps they wouldn��t have behaved this way. However, before the two young ladies figured out the reason, Erin nodded slightly.


    ��I understand now. Thank you.��


    Then, Erin expanded her wings wide.


    In an instant, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum sensed an invisible, massive strength erupt from Erin, which dispersed the fire tornado and tore the sky and ground as it blasted toward them. Mini Bubble Gum raised her arms hurriedly and along with her actions, one of the runes flowed along the silver-whitish magical trajectory to her side. Shortly after, countless hexagonal, golden barriers merged to form an unbreakable wall before them. But even so, the powerful blast crashed and released endless sparks. Erin seized this chance to fly above them and headed straight to the fortress with the speed of a jet fighter.


    ��Damn it!��


    Mini Bubble Gum snarled after being played by the ��NPC�� and gave chase quickly while Canary sulked and transformed into a dazzling green radiance that followed Erin closely.


    In order to ensure that nothing went wrong, both of them had gone up to Erin as soon as she entered the Light Dragon Soul��s protection, which was why there was still a distance between Erin and the fortress. However, this distance was nothing more than a few flaps of her huge wings. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum refrained from shooting at the rat for fear of breaking the vases. They couldn��t cast spells in the presence of the fortress to prevent disaster to the innocents, which was why they increased their speed to stop Erin as quickly as possible. Mini Bubble Gum struggled to keep up, but Canary was slightly better. However, the spell that Canary cast couldn��t stop Erin from advancing.


    ��This is bad!��


    Rhode frowned. Strictly speaking, it wouldn��t be difficult for Canary and Mini Bubble Gum to stop Erin together, especially when the latter wasn��t an adult yet. Even with the protection of the moon rule, her strength was almost on par with them. However, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were disadvantageous because they lacked understanding on Erin��s attacking style. Rhode also didn��t expect her to respond quickly and determinedly.


    However, there was no use crying over spilled milk. If this happened in the game, they could still make up for their wrong judgments. But now, any mistake would lead to lethal consequences. Erin was getting increasingly closer to the fortress. Rhode turned to Orchid Heart. At this moment, she looked as though she was falling asleep. But lines of complicated text had emerged across the pages of her pitch-black book.


    ��How much longer do you need, Senior Heart?��


    ��At least five minutes.��


    ��Five minutes�� alright, I��ll leave it to you!��


    Rhode gritted his teeth and turned around. Shortly after, a pair of green wings expanded behind him and he leaped into the sky.


    In an instant, he saw the massive, pitch-black shadow closing in. Although he had entered the Legendary Stage, he was still 20 levels away from her. This level gap had predetermined that he wouldn��t hurt her at all even if he gave all his might.


    But Rhode definitely wasn��t attempting to do the impossible.


    [Talent Characteristic: Self-Affirmation (LV1) Activate]


    [Please select the attribute to strengthen]


    Swordsmanship��Essence of the Eternal Night. S Grade!


    Rhode answered inwardly and raised his right arm. A holy, white sword emerged in his hand. The surrounding darkness slowly coalesced onto the blade. He clutched the sword hilt and swung his left arm across. Then, darkness rumbled.


    He slashed the blade and the darkness before him split into half. Dark specks within exploded in invisible energy, which led the air to twist, tear, and blast countless fragments at the enemy.


    ��What?��


    Erin let out a curious shriek. She came to an abrupt halt and folded her wings around her. At this moment, the invisible energy arrived before her.


    Boom!


    It struck her wings and time had as though stopped at that instant. Then, the surging dark energy from the collision spread to the Undead Army, where one of the enormous Skeletal Troll instantly shattered into bits.


    Erin expanded her wings. But this time, she didn��t charge forward. Instead, she gazed at Rhode with a dubious glint in her eyes.


    ��This is Big Brother��s swordsmanship�� who are you, Human?��

 Chapter 755 - World’s Number One Princess (3)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Sh*t�� I forgot about it.


    Even though Rhode��s expression remained unchanged, he cursed inwardly.


    This Essence of the Eternal Night swordsmanship was one of the spoils of war that he gained after defeating the Dark Dragon in the game. As this swordsmanship was high in damage output and the pure dark energy that it coalesced could penetrate all defenses, it became his most commonly used swordsmanship. When he first came to this world, he tried to activate this swordsmanship. However, as an ancient swordsmanship inheritance, he needed 20 Skill Points to activate it. Even though he could receive two Skill Points for every increase in level thanks to the system, he needed to grow 10 levels to gather 20 Skill Points in a short period of time, which was impossible for him at that point in time. Thereafter, he held other priorities to focus building his Skill Points on. If he was a pure Swordsman, perhaps he could grind for the Skill Points. But, he was a Spirit Swordsman, after all, and the strength of his spirits were still the most essential. It was only after he had transcended into the Legendary Stage and attained [Self-Affirmation] where he had other ways to unlock swordsmanships��but there was still a time limit.


    In the face of danger, he instinctively recalled this swordsmanship which he had mastered in the past. But he had totally forgotten that this Night Wyvern was the younger sister of Dark Dragon Ion.


    What should I tell her? Tell her that I killed her big brother and learned this swordsmanship from the spoils of war?


    This thought only flashed in his mind for a second because Mini Bubble Gum and Canary had quickened their pace and arrived at his side. The two young ladies didn��t seem to be in a great mood, but they couldn��t be blamed since they were fooled by an ��NPC�� in front of so many people, which was utterly humiliating.


    ��Leader, leave her to us. I guarantee she won��t slip away this time!��


    Mini Bubble Gum said fumingly while staring at Erin. Although Canary remained silent, it was apparent from her extended arms that she was ready.


    Erin looked at the two young ladies leisurely. She blinked, gazed at Rhode in silence, and let out a sigh.


    ��So you��re the overlord�� I didn��t expect you to be a woman.��


    ��I��m sorry, Miss Erin. I��m a man.��


    Rhode said coldly as the corner of his lips twitched. Erin widened her eyes in astonishment and scrutinized him. After a few moments, she nodded slightly and answered.


    ��I see. My apologies for being rude����


    At this instant, Erin extended her claws and swept at Canary and Mini Bubble Gum fiercely. This time, they were ready. Mini Bubble Gum��s hand shone brightly in radiance and in the blink of an eye, countless, inverted triangular light wings bloomed behind her and wrapped around her completely. On the other hand, Canary waved her arms and a berserk vortex emerged before her to stop Erin��s attack.


    Boom!


    The large, pitch-black claw crashed on their shields and sparks splashed in all directions. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum didn��t flinch to her massive strength. Instead, they chanted in harmony and their defensive vortex and light wings launched forward and swept across the night sky��the razor-sharp airflow of the vortex ripped through every Undead Creatures in its path while spurting scorching flames. On the other hand, the shimmering light wings exposed their sharpest edge like those of broken glass and darted forward��after their previous clash, the two young ladies had learned that they shouldn��t follow her rhythm, which was why they attacked decisively this time in order to take charge of the battle.


    Erin had no choice but to dodge their linked attack and quickly draw a distance apart.


    But that was only a feint.


    Shing!


    As soon as Erin backed off, Rhode sensed a strong gale from behind and turned around almost instinctively. Then, a slender, pitch-black tail swung from above, brushed him, and drew a perfect arc before lashing at Mini Bubble Gum. Mini Bubble Gum dodged swiftly, but Erin stretched out her dragon claw and struck off the former��s light blade. Then, she turned her claw for Rhode!


    Damn!


    He didn��t expect Erin to be this sly��he dodged and tried to blend into the shadow. But he felt his body became heavy as the illuminating moon radiance dragged him down like shackles locked on his limbs.


    This damn moon rule!


    Rhode cursed inwardly, at the same time swept a glance above.


    The sky was cloudless and the moon shone brightly in this pitch-black darkness.


    He didn��t expect that Erin��s moon rule would be this insane, where the invisible moon light could be manipulated in this manner.


    Oh lord, no wonder the players couldn��t even touch a strand of her hair under the moon.


    ��Bubble!��


    Rhode yelled and Mini Bubble Gum turned around swiftly. She swept a glance and understood the plight that he was in. Shortly after, she folded her palms together and chanted under her breath.


    ��Light rule. Unlock!��


    Rhode felt his heavy body restored to its usual weight instantly. At this moment, Erin��s claw had arrived above him. He stared at the menacing claw and brandished his sword upward��two streams of pitch-black aura exuded from his blade. The invisible, twisted berserk energy blasted on her claw.


    Erin retracted her right hand quickly. However, she didn��t give up attacking. She flapped her wings and spiraled in the night sky.


    This was a scene that no one had ever witnessed��in the night sky, the enormous dragon flapped its wings and launched its attack while Rhode, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum encircled it. Whirlwinds and flames like giant serpents snarled and widened their mouths at Erin. On the other hand, countless white light blades drew dazzling trajectories in the darkness as they headed for their target. The energy twisting in midair exploded in silver-whitish radiance from time to time and collided with the dazzling blade air.


    The Undead Army around them was less fortunate. Canary��s flame tornado sucked the surface like a vacuum cleaner while Mini Bubble Gum��s light blades wreaked havoc across the surface mercilessly, which caused fissures all over. Meanwhile, almost no ordinary humans could resist Rhode��s Essence of the Eternal Night swordsmanship. No matter what, it was a swordsmanship that had reached the Legendary Stage.


    One minute!


    Rhode brandished, but Erin agilely dodged and the powerful impact crashed the mountains. In a deep explosion, the triangular mountain peak shattered and boulders that were as big as houses rolled and were trampled. However, Rhode didn��t have the time to admire the destruction that he caused. After missing his target, he swiftly retreated. Erin blasted a silver-whitish light beam that struck one of his afterimages. On the other hand, hundreds of fireballs struck her and erupted in a series of explosions on the silver-whitish barrier around her. Shortly after, she swung her huge tail and struck Mini Bubble Gum��s light barrier.


    30 seconds!


    Rhode turned around and hid behind Canary and Mini Bubble Gum for protection. Even though it was tough for Erin to capture him alive with his current strength, it still wasn��t impossible. But he couldn��t retreat because he sensed that Erin had focused her attention on him and gave up attacking the fortress. If he retreated, there was a high probability that she might target the fortress instead. But he sensed that this battle was getting tougher. Canary��s and Mini Bubble Gum��s attacks didn��t deal too much damage while Erin had diminished their strength quickly. Rhode finally understood why players failed to defeat her. Apart from the enhancement of the moon rule, her ability to cope with combat was also impressive. She searched for an attack style that suited her best in the shortest time possible and wouldn��t launch uncalculated attacks like other BOSSes, which was similar to the players�� battle tactics. In fact, what left Rhode baffled was that if Erin possessed such strength in the game, perhaps he and his men wouldn��t be able to defeat the Dark Dragon if she wasn��t drawn away by the other guilds. Moreover, based on this battle alone, he felt that she was much harder to handle than her older brother!


    10 seconds!


    Rhode brandished his sword once again to force Erin away. But he felt extremely exhausted. Even though [Self-Affirmation] could appoint an attribute and enhance the holder, he couldn��t handle the pressure from using a powerful swordsmanship like the ��Essence of the Eternal Night��. He calculated the time inwardly, at the same time sweeping a glance to the fortress behind.


    Is it not ready yet, Senior Heart?


    The battle continued.


    The Undead Army wasn��t defeated yet��only 50,000 troops were left from the 100,000. After the waves of ��cleansing�� from the magic cannons and holy spears, the Undead Creatures that came into battle were much more experienced and lethal. Orchid Heart stood above the city wall quietly. A shattered Skeletal Troll had collapsed beside her while the city wall had caved in deeply. However, she focused her attention on the book in her hands and mumbled words with a speed ordinary humans couldn��t accomplish. Complex, ancient text emerged in rows on the white pages slowly as though one was writing calmly.


    Five, four, three, two, one��


    Finally, the final rune appeared and marked a full stop at the end of the page. At this moment, Orchid Heart lifted her head, slid her finger over the pages, and pointed forward. Several circular, silver-whitish runes emerged and expanded with her in the middle.


    ��That is����


    Erin gazed in astonishment. She stretched her neck and turned to the fortress��a silver ray descended from above. Then, three mysterious, yet familiar runes emerged.


    ��Mony sta gir.��


    ��Attack.��


    At the same time, Orchid Heart pointed her right hand forward.


    Hundreds of silver-whitish rituals lined up behind her in rows. Shortly after, dazzling, surging magical radiance spurted��the energy of destruction that represented the supreme moon rule had merged in the blast of the magic cannons.

 Chapter 756 - Utterly Defeated

    The surging torrent swarmed across the land. If the magic cannons and Magic Fleet were like a crazy storm after a devastating typhoon, this rule torrent that Orchid Heart cast would be a huge wave to break the dam. The Undead Army that was still struggling to survive was instantly caught in the tide.


    Damn it!


    Duran cursed. He was no longer as high-spirited as when he arrived at the city wall. Instead, he looked unusually miserable. Celestina was almost on par with him in terms of strength. However, the lethal negative flames were so terrifying that they forced him back. Initially, he counted on the surface Undead Army to swarm forward and coordinate with him in battle. In the end, he gave up on this hope after the Battle Angel Army and Magic Fleet emerged. Vampires were unlike the Death Knights who had to finish what they started. He immediately fled at the sight of the unfavorable situation, but Celestina kept dragging him back. Now that the main forces of the Undead Army were completely annihilated, he was so frightened that he didn��t have the faith to battle anymore. He dodged Celestina��s chain sword and extended both arms��his pitch-black cape expanded and two mysterious shadows darted toward her with their razor-sharp fangs. Then, he erupted a cloud of black fog from his body that shrouded him entirely before leaping to the night sky.


    However, he struck an invisible barrier as soon as he flew. He widened his eyes in astonishment and realized that it was a holy defensive barrier. Lize panted as she stood behind the barrier with a pale expression. Even though she seemed exhausted, she gritted her teeth and raised her right arm.


    ���� You!��


    The fragile barrier lasted for only a few seconds before vanishing into nothingness which was also Lize��s limit. However, she had successfully stopped Duran from escaping and the latter pounced on her furiously.


    At this moment, a dark lightning bolt struck and penetrated his heart from behind. Then, dark flames burned from inside-out. Duran let out a blood-curdling screech, staggered, and collapsed to the ground. The dark flames blazed and turned his body into a pile of ashes that drifted into the night sky.


    Lize fell to the ground weakly. If any Undead Creature were to attack her now, perhaps she couldn��t even move a finger to defend herself. She gazed forward blankly. Not only did the flashes and growls from above the city walls weaken, but the magic cannons also gradually stopped firing. But this didn��t mean that they weren��t operating anymore. Instead, it was because the enemies were getting fewer. Lize held onto the ice-cold wall for support and looked up at the night sky. At this moment, she only had one thought.


    It��s over.


    Rhode, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum came to a halt while Erin also stopped launching her attacks. They kept a distance apart and did the same action��they turned to the battlefield before the fortress. There were no signs of the Undead Army anymore. Under the bombardment of the magic cannons, Magic Fleet, and holy spears, the battlefield had been completely scorched. Moreover, the aftermath of the battle between the four legendary beings in the sky was enough to devastate the battlefield. At this moment, the battlefield no longer looked the same��the smooth slope and flat land was replaced by a 10-meters-wide and 100-meters-deep gully. The mountains collapsed and boulders rolled along the slopes. The remains of some Undead Creatures could be clearly seen at the bottom.


    ��Do you still want to continue, Your Highness?��


    Rhode took in a deep breath and turned to Erin. The latter gazed at the human with narrowed eyes that glinted with the trace of a smile. Then, she expanded her wings.


    ��Since the army that requires my assistance no longer exists, there��s no reason for me to stay.��


    Erin said in a calm, gentle tone that didn��t change even during their intense battle.


    ��I��m glad to have this battle, two young ladies and Mr. Overlord. If it��s possible, may I know your names?��


    ������


    The three of them exchanged looks with one another because Erin sounded so gentle and relaxed that it didn��t feel like a response from one who just lost a battle. It also wasn��t right to say that she didn��t care about the Undead Army at all. Back then, she had indeed tried to take down the fortress. If it weren��t for the trio, perhaps the fortress would have crumbled already. However, it also wasn��t right to say that Erin took this matter to heart. Judging from the fact that she stayed around to speak to them without fleeing immediately, it went to show that she took things philosophically. If it were Rhode, he surely wouldn��t have taken his defeat so easily.


    Also, have you figured things out yet, Your Highness? This is a battle between two armies and not a party. Is it really right for you to do this?


    Even though Rhode cursed inwardly, he knew that he had to answer because Erin was focusing her gaze on him. It would still be possible to refuse if it was a young lady looking at him. But the pressure that he felt from this wyvern was too much. Besides, his name also wasn��t any top secret and he knew that the Country of Darkness could almost instantly find out his identity after some investigation. He took in a deep breath and sheathed his sword.


    ��I��m the overlord of Paphield��Grenbell, Rhode Alander. They��re my subordinates, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. Even though it sounds strange to say this now, I��m still delighted to meet you, Your Highness Erin.��


    ��Interesting names�� but you��re aware of who I am?��


    Erin blinked curiously, while Rhode nodded.


    ��Of course, the distinguished title of the ��Moon Princess�� has spread across the entire continent. But I didn��t expect you to show up personally.��


    ��I was only here to assist someone.��


    Erin let out a chuckle and gazed behind Rhode where the Battle Angel Army was rushing forward.


    ��Alright then, I shall take my leave now, Mr. Rhode and both of you young ladies. I hope we can meet in a place that��s more suitable for a chat next time.��


    Erin flapped her wings and spiraled skyward before vanishing into the pitch-black darkness. The trio let out sighs of relief instantly.


    ��Oh gosh, it was so tough, Leader. I��m not playing anymore. I don��t wanna do something so dangerous next time.��


    Mini Bubble Gum stretched her limbs and said with some lingering fears. Canary knitted her brows slightly and nodded in agreement.


    ��That��s right, Rhode. If this were in the game, I��m pretty sure she��s in the top ten in terms of threat.��


    There were many times when the threat rankings of BOSSes were gravely different between players and natives. The players didn��t care about how powerful the BOSSes were. Instead, the BOSSes with outstanding combat skills and awareness were their biggest enemies. The Dark Dragon might be powerful, but he was overly-stubborn. Once the battle developed into a stage where both sides had to meet force with force, this was when Rhode and his team felt as though they were fish back in the water. Players weren��t afraid of meeting force with force. Instead, a BOSS like Erin who they couldn��t fathom, often made unpredictable moves, and was as cunning as players gave them the most headaches.


    Before interacting with Erin, Rhode didn��t understand too much about her. However, after this battle, he instantly placed her in the top three of the most dangerous enemies that he would face. Initially, he, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum thought that Erin was only dangerous with her rule power. But they didn��t expect her to be this skillful. Although she didn��t enjoy battles, this was obviously different from not being an expert in battles!


    Rhode also nodded in agreement. He turned around and saw Beni leading the Battle Angels toward them. Under the moonlight, the majestic fortress seemed so ever clear as though announcing that this wasn��t a dream.


    ��No matter what it has finally ended.��

 Chapter 757 - Post-War

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    After the Undead Army was annihilated entirely, the folks in the fortress were finally relieved of the tension that lasted for a month. However, the soldiers were the only ones who were relaxed as Rhode delegated the sentry duties to the Battle Angels and let the soldiers off on an extended holiday. The exhausted soldiers cheered with both arms raised, but this didn��t mean that Rhode had it easy. He was still responsible for the post-war losses and personnel replenishment.


    In terms of war damage, there was nothing particularly worthy of his attention. As the Undead Creatures failed to breakthrough the city walls, the fortress didn��t suffer any damages internally apart from the destruction the Skeletal Trolls and Vampires left on the city walls. However, these issues were minor and one could easily repair it or Rhode could simply tap on the system interface and spend some money to fix them.


    On the contrary, the situation with the number of casualties wasn��t as simple.


    He had lost nearly a thousand soldiers, which was an acceptable number. No matter what, he used up to 10,000 troops to defend against an army of 150,000 troops. On the other hand, the regional army that Bayer led suffered grave losses, especially at the start of the battle when they were inexperienced in facing the Undead Army. Even though the number of casualties slowly decreased as the days passed, two-thirds of their forces were gravely injured post-war, which was a huge number. Although they successfully repelled the enemies and defended the fortress, Bayer displayed a rather gloomy complexion. However, this was a war and no matter how prepared one was, unexpected situations were bound to happen. If they were to speak about anything fortunate, they could be thankful that the Battle Angel Army was around to heal their injuries and only a few number of them died during the war.


    In addition, there were many areas that needed to be cleaned up. The Battle Angels were responsible for clearing the remains of the Undead Creatures by stacking and burning them into ashes. Thereafter, they held carnival banquets to celebrate their victory. Apart from the Ocean Elves who weren��t interested in festive occasions, almost everyone in the fortress participated and used this method to heal their pain in losing their family members and friends.


    On the other hand, the ��998�� sales plan that Rhode and Gillian came up with succeeded. After confirming that the Undead Army was completely destroyed, the reinforcements returned to their territories to recuperate and regroup their forces. Before they left, their representatives asked Rhode about the Holy Maiden Statues. Even though everyone was aware of the Holy Maiden Statues�� advantages and flaws, the situations that they were in were different from Rhode��s, after all.


    Rhode had a lack of manpower which was why he had no choice but to use the Holy Maiden Statues to make up for their offense. But this didn��t appear as a problem to the reinforcements as they had sufficient manpower and assistance from the magic cannons. If they could also obtain this legendary artifact in their territory, they would be more confident in facing the Undead Army in future.


    Rhode nodded and agreed without much hesitation. He passed the details to Gillian and appointed her and Ann for negotiations. The other party agreed to hand over the deposit first and pay the remaining amount after Rhode completed building the Holy Maiden Statues. There also weren��t issues with the delivery. Although the Magic Fleet couldn��t be used as cargo ships, it wasn��t tough to search for a few floating merchant ships to transport the item.


    At this moment, there were dramatic changes in the other battlefronts.


    Unsure if it was due to the annihilation of the Undead Army led by Cullen, the other Undead Armies slowed down their pace and showed signs of hesitation for the first time. Even though the other defensive lines in the Munn Kingdom suffered different extent of damages, they were still stable and strong. Not only that, but the Country of Light��s defensive line also repelled the Undead Army. It was also rumored that the Country of Light tried to recover their lost ground and Rhode was astounded when he heard this news. He doubted that his knowledge had been completely subverted by this world and only until he knew that the defensive line was guarded by Archangel Boulder and the Battle Angel Army that he let out a sigh of relief.


    Thank goodness logic still exists in this world.


    Rhode was neither happy nor depressed that the Country of Light defended against the Undead Army since they would either be destroyed by him or the Country of Darkness in the future anyway. He would be thrilled if the Country of Darkness were to defeat Country of Light and leave them weeping and howling desperately. But if the Country of Light defended against the Country of Darkness, he wouldn��t mind taking matters into his own hands since he had done so in the game and wouldn��t mind repeating reality once more. Although he wasn��t hateful toward Lilian, based on his understandings of the Country of Light, he knew that it was almost impossible for her to accomplish and correct things.


    Shortly after, Rhode threw this matter to the back of his head and shifted his attention to the plan before him. But he didn��t expect that the aftermath from repelling the Undead Army being this tough to eliminate, where it had affected places of up to a thousand miles away.


    Casabianca.


    The heavy doors opened gradually. A young lady with an aqua-blue, waist-length silky hair stepped forth in her luxurious noble attire. She lifted her head proudly and confidence filled the gaps between her brows. She swept a glance with her pitch-black eyes and her imposing aura instantly muted the servants who whispered into one another��s ears and lowered their heads humbly. She let out a snort and shifted her attention to the front��an Elf young lady in a white robe scuttled toward her with a vibrant smile.


    ��You��re finally back! Sonia!��


    ��Yes, I��m back, Cheryl.��


    The young lady, Sonia, revealed a gentle smile. She spread her arms apart and embraced the Elf young lady. After a few moments, they separated.


    ��There are some troublesome matters this time. How is he doing?��


    Cheryl��s smile stiffened. She lowered her head and sighed.


    ��Not good�� I think�� You��d better see it yourself.��


    The clean, tidy room was in complete silence. The thick curtains concealed the vibrant rays of the sun. Andre leaned against the head of the bed vacantly with layers of white bandages wrapped around his chest. He no longer looked as arrogant and confident anymore. Instead, he looked like an ice-cold corpse.


    ��He has been behaving this way ever since the Dragon Soul Ceremony ended����


    Cheryl bit her lips and turned around unbearably.


    ��He didn��t speak a word after he woke up. Although we have gotten the Archbishop from the church to dispel his curse, he has become an entirely different man. I think�� He still hasn��t stepped out of his trauma from the Dragon Soul Ceremony. He blames himself for the death of his men and Teacher Soderfast��s injuries. I�� I don��t know how to console him.��


    Sonia knitted her brows and gazed at the man before her. Then, she bit her lip before greeting softly.


    ��Andre?��


    ������


    Andre didn��t respond. He gazed forward in silence like a dead man.


    ��Andre!��


    Sonia raised her voice, but the man didn��t move at all. Then, she stood before him, held his shoulders, and stared straight into his eyes. However, Andre continued to look blankly.Read more chapter on novelhall.com


    ��Look at me, Andre! What happened to you? Do you intend to stay this way forever?��


    ������


    ��I know you can��t accept that painful failure����


    Sonia felt her heart skipped a beat. Back then in the Dragon Soul Ceremony, she personally witnessed the tragedy and empathized with his failure. She had met many of the Magician Knights where they cracked jokes about her and Andre, which left her fuming and helpless. But it was those familiar faces that vanished entirely in that bloody ceremony. The knights who smiled at her became ice-cold corpses. This nightmare of the bloody arena and the demon standing in the middle bothered her for a long time and she often experienced night terrors��


    ��But it is all in the past!��


    Sonia raised her voice, but didn��t know if she was encouraging the man before her or feeling embarrassed for her fears.


    ��We can��t live in the past, Andre. This is what you told me. No matter how tough it is, you must stand, step forward, and overcome the obstacles. You��re still alive and you��re capable of lifting your weapon once again. Mr. Soderfast doesn��t blame you; nobody does! If you want to seek revenge for them, you shouldn��t be here like a coward. You should be facing the nightmare and defeating it!��


    Sonia held her hands on his cheeks gently.


    ��Do you remember what you told me? We will change this country and turn it into the true Country of Light. Isn��t this your ideal and wish? I will wait for you, Andre. I know you can pull yourself together. When that day comes, I will tell you my����


    The young lady pondered for a few seconds. Then, she let out a sigh, stood up, and exited the room.


    The door closed behind her and Andre��s finger twitched. A trace of hope glinted in his eyes, but was quickly extinguished.


    ��Andre isn��t looking good.��


    Sonia puckered her brows.


    ��The parliament is changing their attitude toward him. You know it�� Those people always loved to push the blame onto others. Cheryl, I��ll leave him in your care. I believe that Andre will pull himself together. He isn��t a man who will be defeated so easily.��


    ��I will, Sonia.��


    Cheryl nodded with might and gazed at the door with sorrowful eyes.


    ��I will do my best to take care of Andre. Back then, if it wasn��t for him who rescued me from the slave dealer, perhaps I would also be in the darkest abyss now. It is my chance to repay him for what he has done for me.��


    ��It��s the same for me.��


    Sonia revealed a bitter smile.


    ��Without his support, maybe I would still be a puppet in my family. But now, I��m independent and own my status and identity. It was all thanks to his help and I��m willing to do my part for him. After hearing your words, I��m more assured to leave this place now, Cheryl.��


    ��You��re heading somewhere?��


    Cheryl asked curiously while Sonia nodded with a stern expression.


    ��That��s right. I��ve received an order from the parliament earlier on. I will lead a team to Paphield��Grenbell to investigate their possible connections with the Country of Darkness.��


    ��Paphield��Grenbell?��


    Cheryl instantly recalled a terrifying figure.


    ��Isn��t that����


    ��That��s right.��


    Sonia nodded and couldn��t conceal her anger and murderous intent.


    ��I know. That��s why I took the initiative to head there.��


    ��But Sonia, that��s too dangerous.��


    Cheryl said worriedly.


    ��That man isn��t easy to deal with. Have you forgotten what happened to Sir Lauren��s investigations team? This matter still gives Sir Lauren a huge headache even until now.��


    ��Don��t worry, Cheryl.��


    Sonia unrolled a confident smile.


    ��The situation is different now. Besides, I have the support of the Lockos Financial Group and am officially sent by the Light Parliament. The Light Parliament has also agreed to my request for Sir Aiken to join us.��


    Sonia bit her lip, clenched her fists, and her eyes glinted in determination.


    ��I won��t let Andre suffer in vain.��

 Chapter 758 - Unwelcome Guests (1)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The fortress restored its usual peace as the days went by. The reinforcements temporarily withdrew to reorganize their troops while the Battle Angel Army and Magic Fleet left to assist the other regional fortresses. All these were within Rhode��s expectations and also the reason why he annihilated the enemies at once. If the battle dragged on for too long, the Battle Angel Army and Magic Fleet might possibly be mobilized to other regions and he wouldn��t have sufficient forces to handle the enemies. But now, he got to enjoy a period of peaceful time and wasn��t afraid even if the Battle Angel Army wasn��t around to provide support. Although he had lost quite a number of soldiers, he wasn��t concerned that the Undead Army would return anytime soon.


    This wasn��t a battle between the Country of Darkness and the Country of Light where only one side could survive. As soon as the Country of Darkness realized that their input and output weren��t proportional, they quickly changed their decision. In the game, one of the reasons why the Country of Darkness was so powerful was that they could ��recruit�� the dead on the battlefield. Every time they won, the corpses on the battlefield would turn into their replenishment��it was this snowball effect that was the most crucial in their growth in terrifying numbers. However, the Undead Army��s snowball failed to roll as the Munn Kingdom was prepared beforehand, which led to the Undead Army lacking the low levels yet most important troops. As a result, they needed to mobilize their other forces.


    The Country of Darkness�� every movement was as though proving that Rhode��s inferences were coming true step by step. They shrunk their military strength and defensive line like never before. It seemed that the Country of Darkness was at a loss after their continuous attacks failed. Rhode wasn��t worried that the four legendary generals would finally turn up by his doorsteps. Previously, he was afraid of this possibility because the Country of Darkness��s attack was like a hot knife through butter. Although the four legendary generals knew that this warfare would strengthen the forces of the lower-level families, this was the Dark Dragon��s ��basic national policy�� and they had no choice but to ensure that the operations went smoothly. But now, not only was the war in a surprising stalemate, but the lower-level families had also gotten themselves into trouble like how Cullen would be reprimanded for being incapable in commanding. On the other hand, his elite troops were all eliminated in this battle and these results might slowly be seen from the other battlefronts. When that happened, the four legendary generals would surely be watching the fire burn from across the river. After all, this ��basic national policy�� was approved by the Dark Dragon personally and the middle to lower-level families were the ones who benefitted. Since that was the case, the middle to lower-level families would need to take up the responsibilities of failure and the four legendary generals wouldn��t mind letting the Munn Kingdom eliminate the threats and annoying pests on their behalf.


    Rhode predicted that since the Country of Darkness was pulling back, the next battle would likely develop in two possible directions: one, the Country of Darkness would pull back entirely, reorganize their forces, and start a war with the Light Mainland once they were ready; or two, after Munn Kingdom destroyed enough ��cake sharers�� of power in the Country of Darkness and opened up new positions for the old, ancient families, this would force the Country of Darkness to abandon the following battles, conduct peace talks, and cease fire.


    But no matter which direction the battle developed in, Rhode��s fortress would have at least a three-months of rest in the coming year, which was extremely crucial. This was because his insufficient number of soldiers had decreased even more in the battle with Cullen. He had no choice but to recruit a large group of mercenaries from his guild into his private army. He previously planned to observe these people to see if they were qualified to join his army. However, after this latest battle, the mercenaries had proven that they were devoted and strong enough to stay behind, so there weren��t any issues in recruiting them.


    It was due to this that he roped in about two-thirds of the mercenaries from the guild, which was about 600 members, to become his private soldiers. The remaining mercenaries who were less than 100 in numbers continued to stay in the guild. However, he naturally wouldn��t favor one and discriminate against the other. He promoted the remaining mercenaries as respective team leaders to lead the newly-joined mercenaries in serving the guild. As for the recruitment works, Shauna was placed in charge.


    However, Rhode couldn��t only rely on mercenaries to be his private soldiers. Therefore, he roped in the mercenaries and also recruited soldiers from Paphield in the name of Lydia��s order. Of course, the soldiers weren��t as powerful as mercenaries, but gaining numbers was his priority while quality could be improved as they received training.


    ��Interesting.��


    Rhode let out a snort after reading the content of the delivered letter and tossed it on the desk. His dense murderous intent filled the entire room that was in complete silence.


    There was only one reason that could make him this furious��he received the letter from Lydia, which stated that the Light Parliament had dispatched an investigation team to his fortress in the name of observing Rhode and learning how they repelled the Undead Army. However, their true motive was to investigate the possible connections between the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Darkness.


    It seems like the Light Parliament hasn��t given up yet. They have gotten into trouble internally and externally, but aren��t forgetting to smear our reputation. It seems necessary to destroy this country. If not, I won��t ever lead a peaceful life on this continent. Rhode thought inwardly. Moreover, what left him speechless was that Lydia didn��t obtain this information through her intelligence network. Instead, it was Lilian who wrote to her about it.


    Rhode didn��t know that the relationship between Lilian and the Light Parliament had turned sour after she had lost her temper in their meeting. However, even though the Light Parliament gave up in summoning Rhode and Lydia to Casabianca for investigation, they used their authority to dispatch an investigation team. This was where the Light Parliament was most sly in. In name, Lydia was Lilian��s subordinate, so it would require Lilian��s approval to summon Lydia to Casabianca. However, if this was requested in the name of the Country of Light��s benefits, the Light Parliament could call the shots and didn��t need Lilian��s approval. Besides, the reason that they used was great��Rhode and his fortress repelled the Undead Army twice in a row, which proved that they had an excellent method of dealing with the Undead Creatures. Wasn��t this information what the Light Mainland needed the most? Therefore, this investigation team had been sent to learn as much as they could in order to protect the people of Light Mainland.


    Of course, Lilian knew what the Light Parliament was truly up to, but couldn��t find any powerful reasons to retort. As a result, all she did was to write a letter to inform Lydia of their doings and the grievances that she suffered during this period of time. If the Light Parliament were to find out, they would surely accuse Lilian of having illicit relations with a foreign country.


    Or perhaps having illicit relations with an enemy country.


    ��Hmph.��


    Rhode gazed out of the window. According to the letter, the investigation team had entered the Munn Kingdom and was heading into the Land of Atonement.


    It seems like the Light Parliament has rolled up their sleeves. Alright then, I shall play along with them��I hope they won��t regret it.


    Rhode��s eyes glinted with an ice-cold, evil smile.

 Chapter 759 - Unwelcome Guests (2)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    It has been three days since we entered the Munn Kingdom.


    Aiken rode his warhorse and gazed at the straight, flat ground before him, as well as the two rows of fully-armored knights. Even though it was also winter in the Country of Light, the temperature wasn��t as cold as it was in the Munn Kingdom. He was well prepared before arriving here, but the harsh coldness was unbearable. He took in a deep breath and grumbled for accepting this mission.


    Aiken wasn��t a citizen of the Country of Light. Instead, he was born in a neighboring territory by the sea. Currently, he was serving as a priest in the church of Casabianca and was rather popular among the nobles. However, he didn��t expect that he would get caught up at the heart of the struggle��the Light Parliament found an excuse to dispatch an investigations team and needed a third-party ��independent organization�� to supervise. In this case, it was the church, so they sent Priest Aiken as a representative.


    If it was possible, he wouldn��t have come to this place. Even though the Light Parliament announced to the public that this investigations team was to ��learn from the successful experiences on defending against the Undead Army��, he knew what they were secretly plotting. If not, why would they come to Paphield��Grenbell out of all places?!


    Currently, almost everyone in the Country of Light knew who Rhode was, be it due to hatred, fear, or for the fact that he crippled the Mist Sword Saint and slaughtered the Magician Knights. The Country of Light had never been so humiliated throughout the decades and the terrible incidents that happened to them this year were all related to this young man. Although Aiken had never met Rhode, he was sure that the latter wasn��t one who was easy to deal with and lacked respect for the Country of Light.


    Why must I be made the scapegoat since it��s the Light Parliament who wants to stir trouble? Oh my goodness. Am I really this unfortunate?


    Aiken cursed inwardly, but his expression remain unchanged. He scanned the dozen of Holy Knights around him before shifting his gaze to the fluttering church flag which comforted him slightly. He heard from his companions that the church was somewhat related to the young man and he hoped that the young man wouldn��t behave too flagrantly toward him�� If not, he would be in huge trouble.


    Aiken turned to the chariot beside him and shook his head. This chariot was the most eye-catching among them��not only was there the symbol of the Country of Light, but there were also the crests of the Light Parliament and Lockos Financial Group, flaunting the identities of the passengers. The exceptionally luxurious appearance of the chariot and escorting knights around it made him rather uncomfortable as a member of the church��they put up solemn expressions as though their parents were wrongly killed and exuded an unapproachable, menacing aura.


    What exactly is the Light Parliament thinking in those heads of theirs?


    As Aiken pondered on this question, they turned around the corner of the road and arrived at the mountain foot of the Land of Atonement��s fortress. He felt a chill down his spine at the sight of the majestic fortress. He thought that it was indeed strange that Rhode defended against the Undead Army successfully. But just a glance at this fortress convinced him that it was possible.


    There were bustling crowds and chariots by the entrance of the fortress. After the war ended, many had returned and were lining up to receive checks before entering the fortress. The investigations team from the Country of Light was at the end of the queue.


    Aiken didn��t mind since he held the modesty of a sacred personnel. However, the knights who led the way were getting impatient. They threw their weight about in the Country of Light and no one dared to stop them even after they entered the Munn Kingdom. But now, this bunch of country bumpkins disregarded them entirely as though the fluttering Light Parliament flag was nothing in their eyes.


    Can��t this group of filthy country bumpkins see that we��re the emissaries of the Country of Light and make way for us? How uneducated!


    Although the knights were dissatisfied, they didn��t hurl abuse at the people because it would only stain their mouths by speaking to these barbarians living by the border. However, this didn��t mean that they had no other means. Shortly after, the leading knight urged on his warhorse using a whip and headed forward.


    ��Hmph!��


    The leading knight let out a strong snort and startled one of the chariot horses in queue. The horse lifted its front legs, neighed fearfully, and galloped forward to safety. The people hurriedly dodged and scattered to the sides, but the unfortunate ones were still struck by the scrambling horse. A pair of mother-daughter on the chariot burst into tears as they hugged onto each other and screamed at the top of their lungs.


    A few of the knights burst into laughter while Aiken was speechless and puckered his brows. He knew that these knights from the Country of Light was an arrogant bunch. But for them to behave this way here�� Sigh��


    The startled horse galloped toward the entrance and soldiers stepped forward frantically. At this moment, a slender figure pushed them aside.


    ��Make way!��


    Anne darted forward with her lifted shield��the horse crashed into the shield and the powerful impact forced Anne back a few steps. The dazed horse came to an abrupt halt, staggered, and knelt on the ground. At this moment, the frightened crowd let out sighs of relief while soldiers supported the shaking pair of mother-daughter from getting down the chariot. Anne revealed a wide smile at the sight of their safety before turning and glaring at the unwelcome guests.


    ��What are you trying to do?��


    ��We did nothing, young lady.��


    The leading knight lifted his head proudly, scrutinized, and let out a demeaning laughter. Anne gritted her teeth furiously.


    ��Stop pretending. Don��t think that Anne is stupid. Anne knows that it is your doing! Why did you do that!��


    ��I repeat, young lady, we did nothing and don��t know what you��re talking about.��


    The leading knight��s eyes glinted in surprise. He was in the Master Stage and all he did was coalesced his sword aura and blast it forward to startle the horse, which usually wouldn��t be seen through by ordinary humans. Of course, he didn��t know that Anne was nearing the Legendary Stage and sensitive to such auras, so she instantly spotted the ��culprit��.


    The leading knight spread his arms apart and revealed a look of disdain.


    ��This only proves that this bunch of country bumpkins are receiving their just dessert for being rude and not����


    Before he finished his sentence, Anne��s emerald-green eyes emanated and she threw her shield forward��the shield swept a trail of afterimages as it broke the sound barrier and crashed onto his chest. The knight didn��t expect that Anne would attack straightaway. Moreover, the significant difference between their strength instantly propelled him off the warhorse. The other knights watched in horror as they froze on the spot. They had always been the arrogant ones and no one dared to lay hands on them. But now, they were attacked in this uncivilized territory? It felt as though they were noble patriarchs who were slapped by a lowly servant out of a sudden.


    At this moment, an ice-cold voice pulled themselves together.


    ��Why are you guys in a daze?!��


    The knights turned to their escorting chariot with its door opened and a young lady stared at them with menacing eyes from inside.


    ��She laid hands on the emissaries of the Country of Light. This is intolerable. Capture her right now and kill her if she defies!��


    ��Miss Sonia!��


    Aiken flustered. He didn��t expect a fight to break out even before they entered the entrance. He scuttled to the young lady, but the knights had already charged ahead.


    ����!��


    Anne��s emerald-green eyes emanated increasingly brighter. She lowered her head and let out the deep growl of a wild animal. Then, she heard Rhode��s voice.


    ��Back down, Anne.��


    The knights witnessed a lightning-fast shadow lea down and in an instant, countless, dazzling blade arcs ripped through the air and enveloped them entirely.


    ��Arghhhhhh!��


    Not only the knights were slashed in the blink of an eye, but their warhorses were also dismembered by the razor-sharp blade air streams. Even though the knights didn��t die on the spot, their severed limbs had fallen to the ground and grieving mourns filled the place.


    The shadow vanished into thin air and at this moment, Rhode exited the entrance in large strides. This was one of the techniques of his Fantasy Daybreak. After upgrading his level, this self-made swordsmanship allowed him to project a phantom up to a certain distance and launch attacks��the knights just became his first victims.


    Sonia clenched her fists, but Rhode disregarded her completely. He nonchalantly held his sword and approached them. He swept a glance at them before revealing a smile.


    ��Good. It seems like you haven��t figured out where this place is and whose soil is under your feet right now. I don��t mind letting you know that this is the Munn Kingdom and you��re stepping on my territory: Paphield��Grenbell. You��ve laid hands on my men, so I want you to drop your weapons and surrender.��


    ��What if we refuse?��


    Sonia said after taking a deep breath. Then, Rhode twitched his brows and��


    Boom!


    A dazzling light beam from a magic cannon blasted above them and exploded in the empty field behind. Aiken��s knees weakened instantly. If he wasn��t riding on the warhorse, perhaps he would��ve collapsed to the ground in paralysis.


    ��I guess you understand now. I don��t mind staining my blade with blood, especially with blood from the Country of Light.��


    ���� I advise you to think it through, Sir Overlord.��


    Sonia said in her ashen expression.


    ��This means you��re announcing war on the Country of Light if you do that! All your doings will drag both countries into war!��


    ��I��ve told you, young lady����


    Rhode lifted his head and his pitch-black pupils forced her to take in a breath of cold air. His eyes appeared so berserk, ice-cold, and terrifying as though a crazy person craving to kill someone to satisfy his urge.


    ��I don��t mind staining my blade with blood, especially with blood from the Country of Light.��

 Chapter 760 - Unwelcome Guests (3)

    ��Sir Overlord, I believe that there must have been some misunderstanding����


    Aiken stood in the living room with a bitter look and said to the expressionless Rhode. Even though he had heard about Rhode��s brutality in Casabianca, this was the first time that he witnessed how terrifying the young man was. Thereafter, Rhode ordered his men to detain Sonia and the knights in the underground jail. However, he was kind to Aiken as he was a member of the church. Aiken thought that he would be captured and thrown straight into the cell by this crazy overlord like the others, but he didn��t expect Rhode to treat him courteously as a host. If the ��misunderstanding�� didn��t occur, perhaps everything would be on the right track. But Aiken was scared witless after witnessing how Rhode ruthlessly imprisoned Sonia and the knights.


    Aiken had been to many places as a priest and learned that many people in the Light Mainland criticized the Country of Light for their strong, overbearing attitude. Most of the people of the Country of Light was brainwashed into thinking that they were the strongest and most important country in the entire Light Mainland, and were provided peace and freedom. If they didn��t exist, the entire Light Mainland would fall into darkness. This explained why they were arrogant and acted superior over others. On the other hand, some of the other regions submitted to the humiliations while some appeared friendly, but cursed behind their backs. However, no matter where, no one dared to go against the Country of Light. It wasn��t because they were afraid of what the Light Parliament would do, but they were most fearful of the Light Dragon Soul. If they opposed the Country of Light, the Light Parliament would definitely take them down. No matter what, all the territories were under the protection of the Light Dragon Soul, so what else could they say?


    The Country of Light was so arrogant that they treated their country as the only and most developed, glorious, beautiful, free, and prosperous land. Other than the Country of Light, the other countries were either located in uncivilized territory or barren land and their people lived under cruel dictatorship. Those people were barbaric, ignorant, and foolish, so they naturally had to accept their teachings. If they refused�� they would need to understand why they ��had to�� accept their ��help�� because it was necessary to turn them into civilized people.


    To the people of the Country of Light, the people of other nations were just undeveloped barbarians. Some of the extremists even believed that they were the only ones fit to be called humans. As for the others? Hahaha. They were nothing more than undeveloped barbarians. Therefore, Aiken wasn��t surprised when he witnessed the knights drive off the people in the queue. In fact, the knights were considered ��courteous�� already. At least they harassed the people using their imposing presence and in the name of emissaries and didn��t lash their whips. Perhaps to the emissaries, they were considered to be extremely polite and respectful of the barbarians. If this happened in other regions, the people wouldn��t even dare to utter a word. After all, Sonia was right. This investigations team was an official diplomatic group sent by the Country of Light and any conflict would lead to a conflict between the two nations. Ordinary overlords definitely wouldn��t dare stir up trouble over such a small matter.


    However, this overlord actually did. His gaze wasn��t filled with hatred, anger, or concern. Instead, it felt like he was looking at mice and pests in disdain which astonished Aiken. He had never seen anyone looked down upon the people of the Country of Light. After all, the Country of Light��s arrogance had been around for centuries and people of other regions would subconsciously lower their heads whenever they met. But this young man didn��t show any signs of such behavior. On the contrary, even though this young man appeared calm, Aiken felt like he was a beggar who had barged into a wealthy noble family and was discovered by the patriarch.


    ���� I know their actions were inappropriate. But Sir Overlord, we are the emissaries sent by the Country of Light, after all. If you do this����


    Aiken pondered and came up with an explanation. If he wasn��t facing Rhode, he would have pointed out that this would worsen the relationship between the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Light and might lead to a war. However, it was apparent that this young man wouldn��t take all of it down.


    ���� If it is possible, you can give them another chance. I think�� they understand their mistakes now����


    ��The Country of Light has never changed for centuries. I don��t think these idiots will repent anytime soon, Priest Aiken.��


    Rhode said calmly while Aiken let out a bitter smile. If the people of the Country of Light were present, they would have flown into a rage. But Aiken was sure that Rhode would surely kill whichever idiot did that without any hesitation.


    ��I know what you mean, Sir Overlord. But I represent the church as the third-party supervisor�� The Light Parliament��s emissaries may have gone overboard, but�� you��re also aware that there is immense tension in Light Mainland due to the influence of the war with the Country of Darkness. Although they were in the wrong, there isn��t any irreversible damage and no one lost their lives����


    Aiken carefully worded his sentence, at the same time cursed the Light Parliament inwardly.


    Those shameless bastards are making me apologize for their troubles! Do they really think that the church is a pushover?!


    Aiken gritted his teeth and swore that he wouldn��t ��side with anyone�� and would represent the church in making the most ��righteous�� investigations.


    Rhode shook his finger. After pondering for a few moments, he lifted his head and said.


    ��I understand your position, Priest Aiken. In fact, I��ve had a great time working with the church. However, one can be exemptible from the death penalty but hardly from punishment. These people need to be imprisoned for at least 15 days. If they behaved acceptably well in jail, I will release them. But if they challenge my authority����


    Rhode��s eyes glinted in an ice-cold radiance.


    ��Then that��s too bad, Priest Aiken.��


    ��Yes, of course, of course. I understand.��


    Aiken nodded hurriedly. He had done his best to receive such a generous treatment from this young man so what else could he ask for? Moreover, Aiken believed that he was merely dragged into this trouble despite not doing anything wrong.


    Why did I become the one who has to put up a smile and ask for mercy? Damn it. I wasn��t the one in the wrong!


    Aiken also agreed to letting the bunch of idiots suffer from their mistakes. But��


    ��What about Miss Sonia����


    ��There are no exceptions, Priest Aiken. She has to receive the same punishment. But don��t worry, I will lock her up in an individual cell.��


    ������


    Aiken let out a helpless sigh. The Lockos Financial Group was a huge, powerful force in the Country of Light and Sonia was one of the important figures. If there were any accidents, perhaps he would be implicated despite being from the church.


    ��Hmm�� Sir Overlord, I have to report to the higher-ups about the happenings since I��m the supervisor. So, if you may pardon my rudeness, can you allow me to meet Miss Sonia once per day to check on her situation? Perhaps you may not know, but Miss Sonia��s Lockos Financial Group is a strong organization in the Country of Light. If anything were to happen to her����


    ��I understand. I agree to your request, Priest Aiken.��


    This time, Rhode displayed an ��understanding�� attitude. Aiken acknowledged awkwardly and left the place. After all, he felt really unlucky today and hoped to settle down peacefully to think carefully about his next steps.


    Although this unfortunate day was about to end for Priest Aiken, it was only the beginning for Rhode.


    The underground prison was as ice-cold as always. Rhode pushed the large, heavy cell door open and instantly sensed a furious gaze projected on him. He spotted Sonia standing by the wall and glaring at him coldly as though he was the murderer who killed her father. However, Rhode wasn��t mindful at all.


    ��I hope you can explain your doings, Mr. Rhode.��


    Sonia said harshly. She clenched her fists and her eyes glinted in fuming flames.


    ��Do you know the consequences for unofficially detaining the emissaries sent by the Country of Light? Do you want to start a war between the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Light? I��m the third executive officer of the Lockos Financial Group and a member of the Light Parliament! Do you know what the consequences are?!��


    ��Stop finding excuses, Miss. Sonia.��


    Rhode shot a look at her.


    ��The Country of Light has always been looking to attack the Munn Kingdom. They would have come if they have the guts, isn��t it? But I��m aware that the useless trash in the Light Parliament is only great in barking. Would they come up with that many ridiculous reasons if they truly wished to attack Munn Kingdom? I will welcome them with open arms if they want to start a war. But�� why would they dare to take on the Munn Kingdom based on their current situation?��


    ��You��!��


    Sonia gritted her teeth and couldn��t utter a word��in fact, just like what Rhode said, the Country of Light was unlike the Munn Kingdom. They couldn��t defend against the Undead Army and crumbled until the two Archangels assisted them in stabilizing the defensive line. The Country of Light��s army was miserable and couldn��t even take care of themselves. If the Light Parliament were to start a war with the Munn Kingdom, the army would definitely not agree to it.


    ��It seems like you haven��t fully understood your position here, Miss Sonia.��


    Rhode let out a snort and approached her slowly. Sonia tensed up and as Rhode was only a few steps away, she drew her dagger and brandished.


    Rhode had to admit that she was rather skillful judging from her posture��she was also around level 30. If she faced one who didn��t learn any swordsmanship, perhaps one would be subdued by her completely. But Rhode was undoubtedly much more skillful than her. At this moment, a shadow with a shimmering dagger flitted by and clashed with hers heavily. Sonia shrieked and dropped her dagger. Then, Nell extended her arm, stopped Sonia from her next move, and held her down on the ground. Even though Sonia struggled, she couldn��t break free from Nell who was an expert in assassination.


    ��Your actions are the ones that will lead to a war, Miss Sonia.��


    Rhode swept a glance to the dagger by his foot. There was a layer of strange radiance above the pitch-black blade, which appeared like poison. He didn��t expect that this young lady was so vicious.


    ������


    Sonia gritted her teeth and glared at him.


    ��You can kill me, but I will not give up. I don��t have any intention to return alive. You destroyed Andre. If it wasn��t for you����


    ��Oh����


    Rhode squinted and revealed a grin.


    ��I didn��t expect to hear his name here. It seems like he��s rather popular. How is his recovery? Is everything fine? I��ve been concerned about his health ever since the end of the Dragon Soul Ceremony.��


    ���� Hmph!��


    Sonia grunted and turned around in disdain. Then, Nell clutched her neck and looked at Rhode.


    ��Do you want me to kill her, Master?��


    ��No.��


    Rhode waved his hand casually. Then, he lifted Sonia��s chin with his foot and forced her to look at him. He showed an odd smile.


    ��I actually had such intentions. But now�� I changed my mind.��


    ��Have you decided to turn her into your slave, Master?��


    Nell asked curiously. As one of Rhode��s slaves, Nell instantly recalled what he did to her��engaged in a soul sacrificial contract and turned her into his slave. However, Rhode shook his head to her surprise. He squinted and gazed coldly at Sonia.


    ��No, Nell. I think it��s about time for me to own a pet.��

 Chapter 761 - Pet Feeding Manual (1)

    Sonia trembled instinctively. But shortly after, she realized that her behavior would show weakness to the enemy, so she restored her initially stern expression, lifted her head, and glared at Rhode.


    ��Shameless man, do you think you can make me yield so easily? You can lay hands on me, but I will never give in!��


    ��Haha.��


    Rhode let out a laughter, stooped over, and scrutinized the young lady in arrogance and ridicule. He curled his lips and showed a look of disdain.


    ��Miss Sonia, you��re overconfident. I have no lack of women around me, so why would I lay hands on a pet? Besides���� Rhode squinted as his eyes roamed her body. ���� You don��t appear beautiful. I have so many beautiful young ladies around me who are much better than you. Even Nell is so much prettier than you. But you��ll perform outstandingly as a pet, so I can consider giving you a reward.��


    As though to prove his words, Rhode winked at Nell.


    ��You��!��


    Sonia knitted her brows tightly. The biggest blow to a woman was comparing her to other women. If one were an ugly or average-looking woman, one would suffer humiliation and cry in the corner. However, Sonia wasn��t ugly and was even the dream girl of many nobles in Casabianca. At this moment, she was fuming in rage as Rhode remarked upon her appearance and even compared her to other women. Moreover, even though Nell looked rather pretty, she was still lacking in comparison to noblewomen like Marlene, Lize, and Sonia. If Rhode were to use Marlene or Celestina as a comparison, Sonia would merely be speechless. But it sparked rage in her after Rhode mentioned Nell.


    ��What rubbish are you uttering. A woman like her����


    ��Everyone has their own interest, Miss. Sonia.��


    Rhode waved his finger.


    ��Some prefer large breasts while others favor smaller breasts. Some like older women while some love younger ladies. This is about interest, at least to me. Or perhaps, you want to show me your charm to prove that you��re better than Nell? How do you intend to do that? Strip naked like a bitch in estrus?��


    ��You�� How is it possible that I��ll do such a thing!��


    ��Sigh����


    Rhode shrugged.


    ��This is why I said some women are troublesome. I��m interested in you, but you think that I��m up to no good. And when I��m not fascinated by you, you accuse me of not appreciating your beauty. What do you want exactly? Give me a clear answer, Miss Sonia. If you don��t crave to seduce me, why do you care if I think that you��re beautiful or not?��


    ��You�� You�� You����


    Sonia was so furious that she turned pale. She glared at Rhode and if it weren��t for Nell who held her down, perhaps she would have pounced on him and choked him to death. Besides, even though Rhode didn��t speak any obscenities, he was rather apparently humiliating her. After Sonia let out a snarl, she finally decided not to retort so he couldn��t use her words against her. However, she also wasn��t easy to deal with.


    ���� You��re right, Mr. Rhode. I��m not as beautiful as you. Yes�� As a man, your looks make the hearts of many men waver. If you lived in Casabianca, perhaps you would receive a pile of love letters from the wealthy nobles����


    Before she finished her sentence, the temperature in the cell dropped drastically. The bone-piercing chills struck, infiltrated, and disrupted her body wildly. This was the first time Sonia felt this horrified. She lifted her head in fear and saw Rhode��s vibrant smile.


    ��Thanks for your compliment, Miss Sonia. But it seems like a wild animal isn��t easy to raise and needs to be educated.��


    Rhode lifted his head and gestured to Nell.


    ��I��ll hand her to you. She can do anything apart from fleeing and committing suicide.��


    Rhode shifted his gaze to Sonia and showed his gentle, elegant smile.


    ��Alright then, have a good rest today, Miss Sonia. We will be busy from tomorrow onward.��


    Rhode nodded politely, bent over with a perfect bow of the nobles, and left the room. It was only until the heavy door slammed shut and the ice-cold, pressurizing aura finally dispersed did Sonia let out a sigh of relief.


    After leaving the cell, Rhode didn��t return to the stronghold immediately. Instead, he turned into the other narrow, pitch-black corridor where it suddenly lit up in cyan��those were the spiritual flames.Read more chapter on vipnovel.com


    As the spiritual flames burned, the pitch-black corridor was smeared in a layer of white and blue radiance. There was a heavy, steel door at the end of the corridor. Rhode stood before it and it gradually opened. Then, Sara emerged from the darkness and bowed respectfully upon lowering her head.


    Rhode entered the circular cell that had turned into another look. Various alchemical equipment and tools were laid by the walls. The boiling alchemy pot above the cyan spiritual flames exuded a strange smell. In addition to the alchemy ingredients placed on the shelves, it looked just like a home where an evil witch captured and cooked children. In fact, this was Sara��s alchemy workshop. After the Battle Angel Army pulled back, Rhode was no longer as careful. He restructured the underground prison and divided a space for Sara��s personal alchemy workshop to produce things that weren��t suitable for Lapis. The reason was simple as to why the underground prison was chosen��there were sufficient ingredients and experimental products. Besides, this was much better than sentencing the offenders to death since they could ��benefit society�� with this punishment.


    Simply speaking, Sara��s and Lapis��s workshop was similar. The latter was responsible for creating magic tools, healing and strengthening potions, and antidotes. On the other hand, the former was in charge of creating lethal poison and menacing cursed items. Even though Sara��s alchemy technique wasn��t as great as Lapis��s, the former couldn��t be considered weak. It was only because Lapis inherited the godlike alchemy techniques from the Behermes Family that Sara couldn��t be compared to her. If Sara were in the Alchemist Association, her alchemy mastery would definitely place in the top few.


    Besides, the alchemy mastery that she cultivated from Cullen was also powerful. After all, Cullen was responsible for contributing to the magic equipment and techniques of the Undead Army and Sara naturally learned a lot from him. Moreover, Rhode had spoken to Sara a few times and realized that she held outstanding comprehension abilities, which explained why Cullen was impressed by her. However, in terms of creations, Sara was lacking. She couldn��t be blamed because as a Corpse Slave, her duties were to focus on fulfilling Cullen��s every task and not to think about creating new techniques. Corpse Slaves had low self-awareness and unless Cullen ordered Sara to produce new potions or equipment, she definitely wouldn��t consider it. This had nothing to do with the spiritual contract and was totally the instinct of a human who survived in the Country of Darkness and behavior from after long-term slavery.


    Magical equipment��


    Rhode let out an inward sigh. Although the previous war ended well from an overlord��s perspective, he felt that it was a complete failure from a player��s perspective. There were 150,000 Undead Creatures, but the EXP he gained was only one-tenth due to the system level restriction. He couldn��t gain too much EXP from overly low-level creatures. Currently, he was level 60, which meant that he could only gain up to 10 points of EXP for each creature killed. Previously, Cullen sacrificed 30,000 troops in 10 days but he only received 50,000 EXP. Although he relied on slaughtering elite creatures like Vampires and Skeletal Trolls and gained a huge amount of EXP, it amassed to only about 550,000 EXP. In total, he received 600,000 EXP.


    But the problem was that�� after transcending into the Legendary Stage, players needed an astronomical amount of EXP for each upgrade in level. Rhode used 350,000 EXP to go from level 59 to 60. However, he needed 500,000 just to upgrade from level 60 to 61!


    In other words, after he fought hard and annihilated Cullen��s 150,000 Undead Creatures, he only leveled up�� once.


    In fact, this wasn��t too strange. In the game, players didn��t rely on defeating armies to gain EXP after they reached level 60. Instead, they accomplished war missions and cleared dungeons which didn��t take too much effort nor time. The players participated in wars with the identity of mercenaries. In other words, after the war began, players would receive a mission from the commander and be responsible for defense or offense. If they won after the war, they could redeem their reward and huge amount of EXP from the commander. As there were endless wars between players in the games, it wasn��t too difficult for them to accept war missions.


    However, there weren��t such conditions here.


    This system interface with random behaviors didn��t hand out a mission to Rhode when he defended the fortress. Therefore, he didn��t receive additional rewards or EXP after the war ended. Not only that, but he also couldn��t keep clearing the same dungeon repeatedly. If not, he would have led Canary and Mini Bubble Gum into the Saint Monastery and cleared it a 100 times back then and transcended into the Legendary Stage a long time ago��


    Although it was possible that due to this reason, the system was modified to increase the BOSS EXP multiple times to compensate for the non-existent war mission, the problem was that�� Rhode didn��t kill any creatures that were of the BOSS tier. Cullen had escaped, so he didn��t receive any EXP. On the other hand, he didn��t take down Erin either. Although he received some worthy EXP after Celestina defeated Duran, she didn��t know the concept of looting corpses. She tossed Duran��s corpse to the side instantly and when Rhode received the news, the corpse was long gone.


    This left him speechless. He put in so much hard work and finally defeated a 150,000 troops army. As a result, he only leveled up once without killing a single BOSS tier creature or receiving any great equipment. If he defeated Erin, he would undoubtedly receive an EXP amount so huge that he could reach level 70 instantly. However, the problem was that�� he failed to kill her.


    The only benefits that he received were the ��spoils of war����Sara and Nell.


    ��How does it feel?��


    ��Good, dear Master. I��ve arranged everything according to your instructions. If you need anything, I will do my best to fulfill your requests.��


    ��Good.��


    Rhode��s eyes glinted with traces of smiles. Then, he turned to Sara.


    ��Alright then. I have something that needs your help.��

 Chapter 762 - Pet Feeding Manual (2)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Sonia wrapped her arms around and shivered in the chilly winter. The entire cell was quiet, cold, and dark without heating facilities like a fireplace. Not only that, but the damp moisture in the cell was also unbearable. Sonia was still wearing the clothes that she wore in the chariot and the wet clothes stuck on her skin. She cowered in the corner and was no longer as high-spirited as before.


    How long has it been?


    She looked up blankly, but the cell was in total darkness. She could vaguely see the flickering flames through the gap below the door, but people were completely numb to time in this place. Not only did she feel cold, but she was also famished. After the young lady named Nell left, Sonia felt as though she had been forgotten by others. No one visited, spoke, or delivered food to her. The endless darkness, silence, and coldness were her only companions.


    There were a few times when Sonia felt like she had been completely defeated. But she gritted her teeth whenever she recalled Rhode��s annoying face and pulled herself together.


    That��s right. I can��t back down. I can��t admit defeat. That man is gonna use shameful ways to make me surrender. He won��t get away with it!


    Thud�� Thud��


    At this moment, footsteps broke the silence and Sonia tensed immediately. She widened her eyes at the steel door and bit her lips tightly. Then, she straightened her posture proudly and stood up. She definitely couldn��t reveal such a miserable sight to her enemies.


    The footsteps became louder and a shadow emerged before her cell door.


    Kacha.


    The door opened and a slender figure clad in a robe emerged.


    ��Please follow me, Miss Sonia. Master wants to see you.��


    The voice was cold and plain. Sonia let out a snort.


    ��What if I refuse?��


    ��Master said that he doesn��t like women who waste his time. If you refuse, he will kill your knights��one every 10 minutes. If you don��t turn up, he will kill them all and feed them to the dogs.��


    ���� Despicable!��


    Sonia sulked, clenched her fists, and glared at the person. However, the latter didn��t respond and simply turned aside to make way for Sonia with an inviting gesture. Sonia bit her teeth. She knew that the man was threatening her, but it was clear that he was capable of doing so. She took in a deep breath and stepped out of the cell with her chest stuck out.


    Sonia thought that she would be led out of the underground prison, but she was entirely wrong. They passed through pitch-black tunnels, went down a flight of stairs, and turned a few corners. Sonia didn��t know if they were heading up or down. After a few moments, they reached the end of a corridor where a heavy steel door stood before them. The young lady who led the way pushed it open gently. The door creaked and a dazzling radiance shone from within. As the door opened halfway, the young lady beckoned to Sonia.


    ��Please come in.��


    ������


    Sonia hesitated and couldn��t see what was happening behind the heavy steel door. However, she instinctively felt that something bad was awaiting her. But since she was already here, how could she back down? No, she couldn��t! No matter what that shameless man wanted to do with her, she would never surrender!


    Sonia lifted her head and tidied her clothes. Then, she stepped into the room nonchalantly.


    Warm air blew in her face.


    It wasn��t a terrifying torture room that she imagined. Instead, it was a strangely luxurious, warm, and comfortable-looking room. Not only did the fireplace chase the harsh cold away, but it also provided warmth and illuminated the room with signs of life. Sonia saw huge sofas, delicate wooden tables and drawers, and a large silk bed. If it weren��t for the manacles and fetters hanging on the walls, Sonia would have believed that this was an luxuriously decorated guest room.


    Is this prepared for me? Is that man trying to rope me in with this method?


    The warm air in this harsh weather made her comfortable. Then, she detected a shadow from the corner of her eye and Rhode emerged before her.


    Rhode presented a smile, but this made her even more nervous. She instinctively sensed that even though Rhode was smiling, he actually wasn��t delighted at all. The temperature also dropped drastically.


    ��Good, Miss Sonia. I��m glad that you arrived on time.��


    Rhode approached her while she instinctively backed off. But, shortly after, she realized that her behavior was shameful. She let out a snort and lifted her head proudly.


    ��What��s there to be glad about? If it weren��t for your threats, do you think I��d be willing to come here? You��re a despicable man who bullies women, Mr. Rhode. I never expected you to be this shameless!��


    ��Thanks for the compliments, Miss. Sonia.��


    Rhode��s smile widened into a grin.


    ��I don��t think that what I��m doing is wrong. But, Miss Sonia, you��re in the wrong for saying one thing and doing another. Why don��t you admit it?��


    ��What�� What did you say?��


    Sonia knitted her brows while Rhode maintained his smile.


    ��It��s simple. You can say that I threatened you, Miss Sonia, but you should be sick of living in that chilly, damp cell too, right? Could it be that you don��t intend to come out of it?��


    ��You��!��


    Sonia��s blood boiled because Rhode��s words were as though sharp daggers that pierced her truest thoughts. But shortly after, she regained her ice-cold expression.


    ��Rubbish. You can say whatever you want since anything that I say is useless. But don��t you ever think that everyone will harbor such filthy thoughts like you! If it weren��t for your threats, why would I obey your orders? I would rather freeze to death in the cell and not let you manipulate me!��


    Rhode twitched his brows.


    ��It seems like wild animals aren��t easy to tame. To think that it disobeys its master�� But, whatever. I have all the time I need to teach you the right attitude a pet should have toward its master.��


    Rhode swung his right arm out of a sudden.


    A shadow flitted across and an immense shock wave struck Sonia. She flew back and crashed into the wall behind her. But before she returned to her senses, the manacles and fetters moved on their own and locked her wrists and ankles, raising her arms above her. She glared in terror at the young man strolling toward her with a pitch-black whip.


    ��What�� What are you trying to do!?��


    ��I��ve said it. To teach the right attitude that a pet should have toward its master.��


    Rhode strolled toward her, extended his arm, and held her collar. Then, Sonia seemed to understand what Rhode was trying to do. This was the first time she revealed such horror in her eyes.


    ��What are you trying to do? You can��t. You can��t����


    Rhode lashed.


    Ssss��!


    Sonia��s coat was instantly ripped apart and tossed to the fireplace. Only a thin undershirt was left covering her delicate body.


    In the radiant flames, Sonia��s silk undershirt reflected a gentle luster and accentuated her well-rounded chest. She shivered��her spotlessly white lace panties and sling stockings that wrapped her voluptuous figure let off a pure, gentle charm.


    ������


    Sonia gritted her teeth and turned away from Rhode. No matter how determined she was, she was a young lady, after all. Her precious body that was reserved for her beloved man had been seen entirely by a shameless scum. If it weren��t for her stubbornness and arrogance, perhaps she would have cried her eyes out.


    ��Hmm�� Your body isn��t bad.��


    Rhode scrutinized from her head to toes as though selecting a slave from the black market. He caressed her hair and skin. Sonia shivered instinctively, but where could she hide?


    ��You��re a wealthy young lady indeed. You��ve maintained your skin so well that it��s soft to the touch. Your hair is silky smooth too.��


    After a few moments Rhode retracted his hand and his comments were as though a merchant evaluating his goods. Sonia had never been so insulted all her life. She was neither an object nor animal! But shortly after, she felt a wave of tremendous pain.


    Smack!


    Sonia shrieked instinctively as a glaring, scarlet mark emerged across her tender chest. The thin undershirt had been ripped apart and exposed her soft, dewy skin.Read more chapter on vipnovel.com


    Rhode didn��t stop. He gazed at her amusingly and the whip in his hand transformed into several shadows that enveloped her entirely.


    Smack! Smack! Smack!


    The final defense on Sonia��s upper body finally fell off.


    ������


    Sonia gritted her teeth stubbornly. Her body was filled with stinging pain all around. Rhode twitched his brows, but said nothing. Then, he lifted his right arm.


    ��Ah!��


    Sonia couldn��t hold it in anymore. She looked down and found a glaring scarlet mark on her inner upper thigh. Her gaze was filled with traces of horror.


    ��Wait��!��


    Rhode struck again.


    ��!


    The pitch-black whip was as though a viper slowly infiltrating her. Every lash was inching closer to her most private area. She couldn��t hold it in any longer and screamed in horror��the immense pain, numbness, and ice-cold sensation manipulated her.


    Suddenly, the immense pain turned into a strange numbness like a flow of electricity running through her senses and changed the tone of her screams.


    ��Ah��!��


    ��Hmm?��


    Rhode laid down his hand while Sonia gazed at him blankly. Not only did the scream not sound like a howl in grief, but it also sounded like a moan.


    Did I yell in that way? Why did I do that?


    Sonia��s head was blank. She couldn��t understand why this happened.


    On the other hand, Rhode revealed a cheeky smile.


    ��I didn��t expect you to be a masochist, Miss Sonia.��


    ��What�� What did you say?��


    Even though she didn��t understand what he meant, she instinctively felt that it wasn��t something good. Rhode didn��t respond immediately. Instead, he caressed her body gently and said.


    ��Alright then, can you tell me how you felt just now?��


    Sonia puckered her brows and tolerated the uncomfortable sensation from his touches. She forced out a look of disdain and reprimanded.


    ��What can I possibly feel? Did you think that I would feel good, treated this way?��


    ��You can��t be too sure about that. Why did you moan just now?��


    ��T-That����


    Sonia was speechless. Then, Rhode stroked his fingers from her chest to her belly where the stinging wounds, soft touches, and warm air stimulated her. However, she quickly realized that the situation was far from good. She tightened her legs together subconsciously, but was restricted by the fetters.


    ��M-Mr. Rhode����


    ��Hmm?��


    ��P-Please put me down. Please. I-I����


    Sonia said palely with traces of panic in her eyes.


    ��I-I need to�� Please put me down. Please. Please let me����


    ��How dare you order your master as a pet?��


    Not only did Rhode not agree to her request, but he also raised his right arm where another shadow flitted by and lashed her body.


    ��!!!��


    Compared to the painful lash, the urgency in her lower body was much more intense. She gritted her teeth and finally revealed a pleading look.


    ��I beg you. Please let me go, Mr. Rhode. I only need one minute��!��


    ��I will never listen to my pet��s request. If you��re finally willing to yield, kneel down and beg for pity like an adorable pet. I will then consider if you do that.��


    ��No�� I��!��


    This was the first time that she was trapped in an impossible situation. Her pride disallowed her to do something like that. But��


    Smack!


    Rhode lashed out��the immense pain engulfed her entirely and she screamed in grief. At the same time, a strange numbness like electricity flowed through her body once again.


    She finally crumbled.


    ��Nooo! Ahhhhhhh!��


    A golden, smelly stream of liquid spurted from between her legs and splashed on the floor. Sonia��s self-esteem was instantly shattered.


    ��I didn��t expect this wild animal would be so uncultured to pee all around.��


    Rhode gazed at Sonia in disdain. The young lady had lowered her head and sobbed pitifully. The liquid dripped down her thighs to the ground. She had as though lost her senses and didn��t respond at all.


    It seems like this is for today.


    Rhode snapped his fingers.


    ��Sara.��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    Sara reemerged in her cloak.


    ��Clean her up and give her a change of clothes before throwing her back into the cell.��


    ��Understood.��


    Sonia couldn��t remember how she left the room, got cleaned up, and returned to her cell. Thereafter, she felt as though her head was in a complete blank and couldn��t respond to anything. When she returned to her senses, she was already in the cell and clad in a relatively ordinary cotton robe. There was also a cup of water and a piece of black bread before her.


    ����������


    Her stomach rumbled with hunger. She stared blankly at the food and after a few hesitant seconds, she extended her arm, grabbed the hard cold bread, and forced it into her mouth.


    ������


    Her indistinct sobs resounded in the cell before slowly vanishing into the darkness.

 Chapter 763 - Pet Feeding Manual (3)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��The overlords of Glorious Edge, Eastern Plains, Sygram, and Dragon Canyon have officially given their quotes, Master.��


    Gillian��s fluffy ears twitched as she fiddled with the letters. It could be seen from her glinting eyes that she was extremely excited.


    The Land of Atonement had repelled the Undead Army and revealed their trump card before everyone. Previously, the four territories had sent their representative nobles to observe how Rhode defeated the Undead Army and thereafter returned to their territories and reported the matter to their superiors. It was impossible that no one was attracted by the legendary Holy Maiden Statues. In an instant, envelopes flooded Rhode��s room and envelopes from the four overlords were the most urgent. After all, they had the urgency to defend against the Undead Army as the border territories. They didn��t mind spending huge sums of money to resist the Undead Army! The overlords were much richer than Rhode and it wasn��t any problem for them to fork out the money!


    However, the overlords had different attitudes on this matter. Some expressed that they could provide financial support and materials in exchange for a cheaper price. On the other hand, some generous ones expressed that money wasn��t a problem for them!


    Rhode had no intentions of raising the price ridiculously because it would be inevitable for gossips to spread if he seized the opportunity to cheat too much of their money. Therefore, he merely increased the production fees from 3 million to 5 million gold coins. He would also decrease the price to 4 million gold coins if the other party provided their own materials. This way, even though he earned less, his reputation in the Munn Kingdom would still be favorable. Besides, his main goal was to protect the Munn Kingdom. Moreover, the Holy Maiden Statues were only effective against the Undead Army and weren��t harmful to humans like exploding cannons. If the system didn��t need 3 million gold coins to produce, he would have lowered the price, sold thousands of them, and lined them all along the borders of the Munn Kingdom. When that happened, even trillions of Undead Creatures would be annihilated��


    It was just what the overlords wished for to spend 4 to 5 million gold coins to get their hands on one legendary artifact. Based on the letters, some requested for two while the most was four. Even if Rhode raised the price by 1 to 2 million gold coins, he would still be earning. Not only was he able to earn profit, but he was also able to improve his relationship with others, which was killing two birds with one stone. On the other hand, he had laid eyes on the Country of Light to make a killing. Compared to the Munn Kingdom, the Country of Light was in a more urgent position and Rhode instantly raised their minimum price to 15 million gold coins! They could forget about it without paying 20 to 30 million gold coins! Rhode couldn��t care less even if they couldn��t fork out the money since the Undead Army would focus their attention away from the Munn Kingdom and onto them.


    ��Who gave the highest quotes?��


    Rhode sat back and pondered with knitted brows. Marlene took over a few envelopes and scanned the letters.


    ��Currently, Glorious Edge and Dragon Canyon have given the highest quotes. Glorious Edge is responsible for the front line so they��re highly interested. As for the Dragon Canyon����


    Marlene paused and said awkwardly.


    ��They��re under the control of the Senia Family, so I understand their situation quite well. Currently, they defended against the Undead Army with the help of the Battle Angel Army. But they could have lost everything if the war dragged any longer.��


    I see.


    Rhode gazed at Marlene and realized why she felt rather awkward. Dragon Canyon was indeed the border territory of the Senia Family. Besides, the Senia Family had been generous, so they wouldn��t be afraid to fork out huge sums of money. As for the Glorious Edge��


    ��How about this, Marlene.��


    Rhode came up with an idea and crossed his arms.


    ��I can sell the four Holy Maiden Statues to Dragon Canyon for 3 million gold coins each. But I hope the Senia Family can prioritize and provide us with three Floating Boats.��


    ��Floating Boats?��


    Marlene knitted her brows.


    ��Did you mean the magic warships, Rhode? I can��t make the decision�� The magic warships are the national secrets of the Munn Kingdom and developed by the Munn Royal Family. We don��t have the rights to produce and sell the magic warships. Besides����


    ��No no no. I��m not referring to the magic warships.��


    Rhode waved his hand.


    ��I��m speaking about the Floating Boats, which shouldn��t be a problem for you, right? I guess you��re also aware that the Holy Maiden Statues need to be transported after production. But we lack transportation tools now. This is why it is essential for us to have large Floating Boats.��


    ��I see.��


    Marlene nodded in agreement. The Senia Family was the only family that could produce Floating Boats and magic warships in the Munn Kingdom. Not only that, but the Senia Family��s financial resources came from the business transactions of the Floating Boats. The main purpose of the Floating Boats was to transport goods and as a result, there were huge differences in their defenses, firepower, and functionality compared to the magic warships. However, as a transportation tool, the magic warships weren��t as quick and safe��of course, it was a totally different matter for Rhode when he first came to this world and met the horrifying group of flying serpents.


    The reason why Rhode needed the Floating Boats wasn��t to transport the Holy Maiden Statues. Instead, he could also use them to transport other goods. Why did the Munn Kingdom become the wealthiest country in the Light Mainland? It was because they developed the trade routes and Floating Boats. A normal delivery time of one week was shortened to three days and nothing was more important than time and efficiency.


    ��No problem, Rhode. I will handle it,�� Marlene said firmly.


    The Senia Family held their own territory, so Marlene was clear about the needs for territory turnovers. If nothing was done to turn this territory into an effective system, it would be troublesome in the future.


    Marlene looked up after recording this matter into her journal. She revealed a rather concerned look.


    ��Erm�� Rhode, when do you intend to release Miss Sonia and the others? The Country of Light will����


    ��Don��t bother.��


    Rhode sulked slightly and waved his hand. He imprisoned the emissaries so quickly that the Country of Light wasn��t aware of their plights yet. On the other hand, Priest Aiken didn��t reveal any information after he received some hints from Rhode. Priest Aiken had been laying low in the church all day. However, this wasn��t important for Rhode. He didn��t capture Sonia just because he hated the Country of Light.


    ��I will release that young lady after she becomes obedient.��


    ������


    Marlene sighed helplessly. She knew what Rhode had been up to in the underground prison. Even though she wasn��t sure of the details, she guessed what he had done based on her understanding of him. However, she had no intentions of interfering with his decision because she trusted that he would make sane decisions and there must be a reason behind this. Besides, as the heir of a noble family, Marlene didn��t believe that this world was pure. She was clear of the cunning, sinister, bloody conflicts between nobles. However, she couldn��t help but deeply empathize Sonia as a female��she knew that Rhode didn��t have protective feelings for the fairer sex and all she could do was hope that Sonia wouldn��t be too sorrowful.


    However, her prayers weren��t effective.


    When Rhode arrived at Sonia��s cell once again, the latter was already waiting. She wore a thin robe and had lost all her arrogance and pride. On the contrary, she revealed uncertainties and lowered her head in silence.


    Rhode let out a chuckle.


    ��What��s wrong, Miss Sonia? Where did your awe-inspiring authority go?��


    ��You��!��


    Sonia instinctively lifted her head, but as soon as she saw the pitch-black eyes, she instantly recalled that scene where her pride shattered into bits. He also used the same gaze on her back then��


    An inexplicable chill emerged inside her and stifled her words. Then, she lowered her head again and objected in silence. Rhode swept a glance and said.


    ��Good, Miss. Sonia. It seems like you��ve understood the situation. Alright then. I hope to see some practical actions. Take off your clothes.��


    ��Huh?��


    Sonia looked up in terror. She thought that she had misheard, but Rhode��s ice-cold gaze told her that he was being serious.


    ��Take off your clothes. Or�� do you want me to do it for you?��


    ������


    Sonia pondered for a few moments. Then, she slowly took off her top and revealed her smooth, dewy body. She wrapped her arms around her chest and lowered her head with tears circulating her eyes. She felt humiliated and pained to strip herself naked before a man. But even so, the pride deep inside her held back her tears and supported her final honor.


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded. But, he didn��t do anything like what she expected. Instead, he retrieved a small bottle and extended his arm.


    ��Drink this.��


    ��W-What is that?��


    ������


    Rhode stared in silence and Sonia didn��t dare to ask again. She reached out for the bottle with her shivering hand. Then, she mustered her courage and drank the finished the entire bottle as though it was poison.


    ��Grr����


    She sensed a strange warmth surging and enveloping her. Then, she felt powerless at her limbs and collapsed to the ground.


    ��W-What did you do to me?��


    She glared at Rhode, but the latter continued to stare in silence. He retrieved a leather red collar and clipped it onto her neck.


    ��You��!��


    She struggled instinctively, but couldn��t budge at all. As soon as Rhode clipped the collar on her beck, she instantly felt the strange warmth dispersing and regained her strength. However, she realized that she couldn��t get up no matter how she tried to stand on her feet.


    What did he do to me?


    Rhode clutched the rope that was attached to her collar and presented a smile.


    ��Alright then, Miss. Sonia. Let��s go for a walk.��

 Chapter 764 - Pet Feeding Manual (4)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    A walk?


    Sonia trembled. She would have been glad to leave this dark, horrifying cell for a stroll before. But now�� She was completely naked. The thought of everyone surrounding and looking at her nude body sent fears into her mind. She gazed at Rhode fearfully and even though she knew that this man was a terrifying monster, she didn��t expect him to be this crazy!


    Why? Why did he treat me this way?


    1


    Sonia thought that this man craved her body. But now, this train of thought had vanished in her mind. After she was imprisoned, Rhode had all the chances to violate her, but he didn��t do it and it also wasn��t right to say that he didn��t harbor such intentions�� Sonia lowered her head and gazed at her naked self.


    Could it be that this man has a sick fetish?


    Sonia felt shivers down her spine. As a noblewoman who grew up in the bustling city of Casabianca, she heard no little of the nobles�� crazy interests such as laying hands on underage girls, having special likings for the female horses, goats, chickens, and even adoring other males.


    Could it be that this man has such interests too?


    Sonia stole a glance at Rhode. If that was true, then this man�� was too terrifying.


    ��Let��s go, Miss Sonia.��


    Rhode wasn��t aware that such rude thoughts were running through her mind and fortunately for her, he didn��t know how to read minds. If not, he would have instantly changed his mind and taught her an unforgettable lesson about what was appropriate and inappropriate to think about.


    Rhode tugged the rope while Sonia naturally didn��t wish to leave. No matter what, she was an unmarried virgin and wouldn��t allow her naked self to be exposed to the public. She had made up her mind that even if she would be lashed to death by Rhode, she would definitely not leave this cell!


    But shortly after, she discovered that her body wasn��t obeying her commands. Although she didn��t wish to move at all, her body got on all fours and followed Rhode closely. Not only that, but she also found out that her movements were so fluid as though she had been walking on all fours for her whole life.


    ��What exactly did you do to me?��


    Sonia berated in shame. She knew that it must have something to do with the bottle that Rhode made her drink. He turned around and swept a glance at her.


    ��Don��t worry, Miss Sonia. The situation isn��t as bad as you think.��


    Sonia didn��t know what could be worse than this.


    No matter how unwilling she was, she continued to be led by him. At this moment, she realized that there were more unexplainable matters. Previously, the coldness was unbearable for her even when she was clothed. Now, she crawled through this dark, ice-cold corridor without any clothes on, but didn��t feel cold at all. Not only that, but the sharp stones on the ground didn��t pierce her palms and body as though there was an invisible barrier separating her from the world. What exactly was going on?


    As a noblewoman, she had learned about magic and even though she wasn��t born as a Mage like Marlene, she knew that this situation was absurd. However, Rhode had led her to the flight of stairs by the underground prison exit before she figured out the reason. At this moment, she became calm.


    That��s right. Come to think of it. Isn��t this a chance for me? No matter what, this is Munn Kingdom, a land ruled by the Angels. Although I don��t know what this man is trying to do, won��t I have a chance to be rescued if he drags me into public? Also, there��s Priest Aiken. If he hears about my plight, he will definitely help me as a member of the church. Moreover, isn��t this the best chance for me to escape?


    This was the first time that she willingly followed Rhode as they ascended the flight of stairs. Then, she watched as Rhode pushed the heavy door open.


    The dazzling sun spilled through the opening which forced her to turn away. She didn��t know how long she hadn��t seen the sun and couldn��t help but have the urge to cry as though she had been imprisoned for centuries.


    Rhode wasn��t mindful of her thoughts as he continued to stroll forward. Shortly after, they left the underground prison and came to the hall. Sonia curled up instinctively at the sight of the clean, massive hall. But, she gritted her teeth and followed him.


    At this moment, she heard a sweet, crisp voice.


    ��Mr. Rhode?��


    Sonia turned around and saw a blonde young lady in a Cleric��s robe descending the steps and scuttling toward him. Rhode came to a halt, turned around, and greeted.


    ��Lize? What��s wrong?��


    ��Ah. This was what happened,�� Lize said gently. ���� Because the Clerics performed well during the war, the church hopes to invite Miss Bubble to train a new batch of instructors in order to promote the Clerics�� battle tactics within the church����


    ��If Bubble is fine with it, I don��t have any opinions.��Read more chapter on vipnovel.com


    Rhode pondered for a few seconds before shrugging and nodding in agreement. Then, Lize let out a soft sigh of relief and shifted her gaze to Sonia curiously.


    ��Mr. Rhode. She is����


    ��My pet. What do you think? Cute, eh?��


    Rhode patted Sonia��s head, which left the latter blowing her top. However, she didn��t forget her ultimate goal. This blonde young lady didn��t seem a crazy monster like this man, but when she looked at Sonia��


    ��It��s so cute!��


    Huh?


    Sonia widened her eyes in astonishment. Lize folded her palms together and gazed at Sonia fervently as though she didn��t notice the latter��s expression. Not only that, but Lize also extended her arm and caressed Sonia��s head like Rhode.


    ��What an adorable puppy, Mr. Rhode. Where did it come from?��


    ��Someone got me to raise it for a few days.��


    ��Oh, what a pity. It��s really an adorable puppy.��


    Huh? Huh??


    Sonia was bewildered. She stared at Lize blankly, but the latter didn��t seem to notice the former��s expression. On the contrary, Lize smiled and caressed Sonia��s hair.


    What��s going on?


    At this moment, another voice sounded.


    ��Lize? What��s going on?��


    ��Ah, Marlene.��


    Lize turned around and waved to Marlene.


    ��Look, this puppy is adorable, isn��t it?��


    ��Puppy?��


    Marlene shifted her gaze to Sonia and twitched her brows.


    ��Not too bad indeed. It looks like a purebred. Rhode, do you intend to raise it into a hunting dog?��


    ��I do have such intentions, but pets aren��t easy to raise. It is still wary of me even until now.��


    Rhode shrugged and spread his arms apart.


    Sonia had lost her ability to think. She laid nakedly on the floor, but for unknown reasons the two young ladies couldn��t seem to see her.


    Could it be that��


    Sonia subconsciously turned to the sleek marble column and widened her eyes in disbelief.


    There was a pet dog in the reflection.

 Chapter 765 - Self-Fear

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Sonia was at a complete loss.


    She didn��t know what Rhode did to make everyone see her as a dog which she couldn��t even seek help. Her screams were just barks in others�� ears and no matter what she did, she was just behaving like a pet. She felt unprecedented despair like this world had abandoned her. Her determined will had faltered.


    However, this wasn��t what she was most terrified of.


    She wasn��t afraid of Rhode treating her like a real pet, others turning a blind eye to her, or she was lying on the ground like a dog. Instead�� she felt that her views slowly changed.


    As a noblewoman who had well upbringing since birth, she had never exposed her body to anyone. To Sonia, her body was the most precious and sacred asset that she would only present to her beloved man and not to be admired by anyone like a wild animal. However, as time passed, she felt that her views changed. Every time one gazed at her, she felt embarrassed and furious. But, apart from this, she also sensed that her deepest fears and anger had faded while an unprecedented thrill and comfort overwhelmed her. She walked the streets in her naked self, but no one knew the truth. This mysterious sensation became stronger like a mischievous child who enjoyed the thrill from stealing even though the stolen item meant nothing to him. The guilt from not being captured turned into feeling of happiness and excitement. She knew that this wasn��t right, but the excitement from not being punished was as though a poison eroding her soul.


    As a noblewoman, she definitely couldn��t behave in such a shameful manner like a naked dog with four limbs on the floor and swaying its hips. If this illusion weren��t present, perhaps her most private area would be seen clearly by everyone. When that happened, how would she be treated by others? Perhaps she would be insulted and despised as a woman who was more lecherous, perverted, and unscrupulous then the pub strippers and street prostitutes.


    Sonia trembled to this thought, but the thrill that spurred under the fear of being captured and punished struck her. She laid naked before the men, women, elders, and children. There were also lower class people like the farmers, artisans, and mercenaries. If they knew that a wealthy young noblewoman crawled before them like a dog, how would they react?


    This train of thought became stronger in her mind. From the start, there was only fear. But now, it had subconsciously turned into a fantasy. She gazed at everyone and instinctively imagined their reactions if this illusion suddenly vanished. She gritted her teeth and no one knew if she was holding back or soaking in the enjoyment of this terrifying scenario.


    ��How does it feel, Miss Sonia?��


    ��Huh?!��


    Sonia shivered and was dragged back to reality. Just a few moments ago, she was imagining herself being dragged into the dark alley and humiliated by a group of thugs. However, the more she thought about such a scene, the more vivid her sinful innermost feelings became. She looked up and all she saw was Rhode��s ridiculing eyes as though he knew what was going through her mind.


    Oh gosh. What was I thinking? How can I possibly think about that?! What kind of expression did I have? Has he discovered it? But��


    This young lady sure is bizarre.


    Rhode twitched his brows. He was a veteran in the playing field of females and naturally held a huge understanding about them and their unique interests. For example, Canary loved the ��shame�� play because the sense of release from taboos was the perfect way for a top student like her to relax herself. Rhode realized that Sonia was much more exaggerated. He thought that the humiliation would shatter her pride after taking her out on a stroll and it would be the first step to make her obey him. However, he didn��t expect that her ��qualities�� exceeded his expectations. After the initial anger and terror, she became almost totally immersed in the thrills of her fanatical humiliations.


    It seems like my judgment is right. This young lady is a pure masochist!


    ��I didn��t expect that a noblewoman from the Country of Light to have such an interest. How perverted.��


    ��W-What are you talking about!! Rubbish! It is all because you brought me out and����


    ��In other words, everything is my fault?��


    ��Isn��t that the case?��


    Sonia blew her top to Rhode��s innocent question.


    ��If it weren��t for you, why would I face such a treatment! You��re a sick, cruel, evil pervert! Loser! Scum! Noble��s disgrace! Barbarian! Don��t think that this matter will end just like this! I will make sure you��re regretful for treating me this way! You look just like a woman, but you��re so sick! Utterly disgusting!��


    ��Oh����


    Rhode nodded as though he didn��t mind. Then, he scratched his ear and looked at her with a taunting smile.


    ���� I didn��t expect you to crave a punishment this badly, Miss Sonia. It seems like you��re enjoying it.��


    ��You��!��


    Sonia sulked and even though Rhode spoke softly, she felt his words piercing her chest like razor-sharp daggers which forced her back. After reprimanding him, a trace of doubt emerged inside her��how will he punish me?


    No, it could also be said that she was anticipating. What will this man do to me next?


    This tiny thought that hid safely in her thick spiritual shell was slashed and shattered by Rhode��s words that transformed into razor-sharp blades.


    ��I��m not����


    ��I don��t want to listen to your cr*p.��


    Rhode interrupted and gazed curiously at the young lady. Then, he squinted between her legs.


    ��Hmm, how about this�� Miss Sonia. I want you to do it yourself����


    Rhode gestured.


    ��You should understand what I mean. You shouldn��t be unfamiliar about it for a young lady of your age. It��s also fine if you aren��t willing to. I will tie you here and you can do whatever you want. But let me tell you this. The illusion potion only lasts for a day. As soon as it strikes midnight, you will�� poof and return to a human.��


    ������


    Sonia bit her lips because she knew what Rhode was referring to. But�� here?


    Sonia looked around. They were in the middle of a plaza. After the war ended, the residents had returned to the fortress city and the unfrequented plaza was filled with people again. Lively music and clamors could be heard from behind the trees and shrubs. But�� do that sort of thing here?


    She wouldn��t have even considered if it was her in the past. But this time, she didn��t resist and insult him. Instead, she pondered for a few moments and gritted her teeth.


    ��I will do it����


    Rhode squinted and his eyes glinted in a dazzling, ice-cold radiance.


    As a young lady yearning for love, she naturally had beautiful dreams of being in love with her Prince Charming and fulfilling her needs. But she did so when she was alone and in private. Now, she sat on the stone bench, widened her legs according to Rhode��s instruction, and behaved so humiliatingly. Although others would simply see her as a pet dog on the stone bench, she couldn��t help but tremble to Rhode��s razor-sharp gaze.


    ������


    She ignored the man before her and focused on caressing herself while shame brought on a strong thrill to her. Shortly after, the warm sensation engulfed her entirety. She bit her lips, breathed hastily, and touched her sensitive areas. The surging happiness crashed into her barrier of rationales.


    ��Mmm����


    Sonia shivered and her fingers moved quicker.


    No one��not even Andre��knew about her doing such a thing in private. Her most embarrassing side was exposed in public.


    Do I have the right to be liked by Andre?


    Tears welled up in her eyes, but shortly after, this harsh, self-abuse mental torture and sweet, sinful pleasure once again emerged.


    I��m no longer a pure woman. I don��t have the right to be seen by Andre. I didn��t come here for this�� Why? Andre�� Don��t look at me. My body is filthy. I can sense that the man is looking at me like a toy�� Andre! I hope you can rescue me. But, am I still worthy of your rescue now?! Andre!!


    ��Mm.. Ahhhh��.!��


    Sonia yelled inwardly at her beloved man��s name. She lifted her head, but all she saw was Rhode��s ice-cold, pitch-black eyes that were filled with mockeries and penetrated her soul. She had reached her peak. Her fingers moved increasingly quicker and finally, she erupted entirely.


    ��Don��t look at me�� Don��t look at me�� Don��t��!��


    A burst of spasms overtook her body and all her strength was zapped away entirely. She laid lifelessly on the stone bench while a translucent liquid spurted from between her legs. She looked at the azure sky blankly and her eyes were a complete gray. Embarrassment, anger, and self-blame flooded her heart, but sweet sin and delight also germinated.


    At this moment, Rhode��s chilly voice rang in her ears.


    ��Well done, Miss Sonia. It��s time to head back now.��


    Andre�� I��m sorry��


    Sonia shut her eyes and said inwardly in remorse.

 Chapter 766 - Hidden Poison Fangs in the Darkness

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Aiken stood before the door and gazed through its small window��Sonia sat on the chair and lowered her head in dejection. He shook his head helplessly. Even though he didn��t have a favorable impression of this young lady, he felt unbearable to watch her in this miserable state. But he was clear that it was pointless to plead with Rhode. All he could do was to sigh.


    ��Sorry to trouble you, Sir Overlord.��


    ��You��re welcome, Priest Aiken.��


    Rhode shrugged.


    ��No, Sir Overlord, even though this isn��t my problem, the Light Parliament will�� Sigh����


    Aiken shook his head helplessly. Yesterday, the Country of Light requested for a report and after acquiring Rhode��s agreement, Aiken reported that the emissaries had been imprisoned. Of course, considering the tension between the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Light, Aiken didn��t disclose that Sonia was also imprisoned despite Rhode mentioning he wasn��t afraid of the Country of Light at all. As a member of the church, Aiken didn��t side with the Country of Light. For the sake of peace in the Light Mainland, he also didn��t wish for any problems to arise between the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Light��after all, the Undead Army��s infiltration was a huge headache for the humans.


    Of course, Aiken described the happenings in the report in a neutral position and without the intention of siding with the Country of Light. However, what left him dissatisfied was that the Light Parliament didn��t view it the same way. The Country of Light was extremely discontent with Aiken ��taking sides��. They asked him to ��re-evaluate�� the situation from another ��neutral�� angle and not to be ��blinded by the lies of some despicable scum��.


    You, Light Parliament, aren��t the church��s superior. Haven��t I told you everything out of kindness already? In the end, you bastards turned the situation around and pointed fingers at me? You said you wanted me to be neutral in my views. Wasn��t I neutral enough? If you��re that capable, why don��t you ask for forgiveness with me for the trouble that you created? If you��ve got the guts, why not request for the church to be involved too? Do you think that I��m an idiot who loves to get caught up between both parties?!


    Aiken cursed and tore the letter into bits. He felt like his kindness wasn��t appreciated at all.


    The group of idiots in the Light Parliament is obviously asking me to side them while making things difficult for the overlord. But I��m not a member of the Light Parliament, so why must I be the scapegoat? Do you really think that the overlord won��t lay hands on me just because I��m from the church?


    Aiken knew that the church higher-ups were working closely with Rhode. He had also witnessed a group of Clerics arriving here and almost everyone held the potential to become an impressive bishop or priest in future. They were instructed by a little girl and he heard that the church higher-ups had a transaction with the overlord where the little girl imparted them new battle tactics while the church provided a certain form of support. With such a relationship in place, how would Aiken dare to intercept?


    ��Priest Aiken, if you don��t mind, I would like to ask a question,�� Rhode said.


    ��Please tell me what it is, Sir Overlord.��


    Aiken turned around.


    ��I should��ve asked this question after you guys are here. But due to various reasons, I didn��t have the time. Now�� I want to ask if this is the Light Parliament��s idea to send the emissaries?��


    ��Yes, Sir Overlord. According to what I��ve heard, it is a resolution passed by the entire Light Parliament with the mission of observing and learning from the battle experiences between you and the Undead Army.��


    In other words, both of them knew that this was an excuse. If not, why didn��t they head to the Eastern Plains who had more experience in dealing with the Undead Army? After all, Rhode was also identified to have been born in the Eastern Plains so wouldn��t it be better to send the emissaries there?


    Every insider knew how dangerous it was to dispatch the emissaries to the Land of Atonement of all places because it was almost like sending them to their deathbeds. After the end of the Dragon Soul Ceremony, almost everyone in the Light Mainland knew that this young overlord was against the Light Parliament, as he even slaughtered the Magician Knights during the ceremony. No matter if he supported the Light Parliament or not, Rhode wasn��t a presence who one should ignore. Although his forces weren��t huge and his individual abilities weren��t considered the best, his presence was too imposing. Ever since the establishment of the Light Parliament, almost no one dared to retort against them like him. However, Rhode did it and in a violent, bloody way which slashed their skin to reveal their flesh and bones.


    In fact, after the Dragon Soul Ceremony ended, the Light Parliament didn��t only lose substantial wealth, but their reputation was hugely impacted. One of the main reasons was due to Rhode. He forced the previous investigations team away, crippled the Mist Sword Saint, blinded one of Soderfast��s eyes, and annihilated the entire Magician Knights.


    But what did the Light Parliament do in return?


    Nothing.


    It was due to this that many of their supporters were resentful and couldn��t understand why they chose to do this now.


    Not even them, but Rhode also couldn��t understand.


    Normally, in order to avoid unexpected disputes, the investigation team would require a powerful person like the Cyan Goshawk and Mist Sword Saint from the two previous investigations teams. They were proud, mighty, wouldn��t lower themselves to the level of those beneath them, and could manage their soldiers from stirring trouble. But this time, Rhode didn��t find such a person among them albeit Sonia holding a tall status. Apart from her duties as the executive officer of the Lockos Financial Group, her position in the Light Parliament was equally important because according to the promotion system of the Light Parliament, she was basically one of their reserved elites and would become an official member whenever there was a chance. Based on this situation, Sonia indeed held a promising future, but why did the Light Parliament send her to the Land of Atonement without additional securities?


    Could it be that they were afraid of Rhode crippling another high-level being? This perhaps might be explainable, but there still wasn��t a need to send Sonia here. Wouldn��t it be the same if they sent someone who held a lower status? Moreover, the Lockos Financial Group was one of the five biggest financial groups in the Country of Light. Sonia was one of their important personnel, so why did the financial group agree to send her here?


    Rhode raised a question.


    ��Why did they send Miss Sonia here? Did she volunteer?��


    Judging from her hateful behavior toward Rhode, it wasn��t surprising that she did. Aiken pondered for a while and said, ��Even though her volunteering is also one of the reasons, according to the rumors, I heard that she was appointed, Sir Overlord.��


    ��Appointed?��


    ��Yes, that��s what I heard from the nobles in the Country of Light. Someone in the Light Parliament appointed her to be the in charge of this investigations team and Miss Sonia was also willing to accept it.��


    ��I see. Why aren��t there any powerful beings accompanying her for this trip?��


    ��That����


    Aiken revealed an odd expression and gazed at Rhode.


    ��The Light Parliament said that they��re tight on manpower. Most of the members are needed to fend off the Country of Darkness. Besides, the investigations team doesn��t need to be involved so their protection was left to the church.��


    I see. This is reasonable.


    Rhode nodded. However, he was still doubtful especially after he learned that someone appointed Sonia as the person-in-charge. Such a sabotaging action was too obvious. Sonia was a noblewoman and naturally wasn��t under too much restraint. On the other hand, the knights from the Country of Light appeared to be unbridled��


    ��Do you know who suggested it?��


    ��I��m sorry, Sir Overlord, I��m not too sure about it. I guess Miss Sonia is aware.��


    I see.


    Rhode realized that he might have found the source of the problem.


    After sending off Priest Aiken, Rhode returned to Sonia��s cell. The steel door creaked as it opened gradually and the young lady who sat on the bed turned around. She trembled at the sight of Rhode, stood up quickly, and stripped her clothes. Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Then, he let out a chuckle.


    ��Alright, don��t be so anxious to take off your clothes. Miss Sonia, I have a question for you.��


    ��Ah����


    She stopped her actions and his ridicule left her ashamed and furious. The relaxation inside her mind gradually faded away and was replaced with a sense of disappointment and emptiness��


    What is going on with me? She questioned in astonishment.


    Then, Rhode spoke.


    ��I heard that you��ve been appointed to lead the investigation team here?��


    ��Investigation team?��


    Sonia looked up blankly. After being locked up for days, she had forgotten about her mission completely. Now that Rhode mentioned it, she pondered for a moment before nodding helplessly.


    ��Yes����


    ��Who suggested it?��


    ��It was the parliament member, Sir Nakvard Hughes.��


    It��s him?


    Rhode knew who he was. This man was popular within the Light Parliament for his extreme humanism. In his opinion, only humans enjoyed the right to survive in this continent and other races were beneath the humans, serving as slaves and servants. His views influenced some humans and other races greatly where many treaties and bills that discriminated and expelled Elves, Dwarves, and even Angels were also proposed by him. This man loved to make suggestions behind the scenes almost never revealed himself. Besides, he held a high reputation in the Country of Light because he treated humans well and did many great things for them. This was why many people in the Country of Light supported him while the border areas with mixed-race hated him to the core. Due to his ��hard work��, many areas in the Country of Light were legally approved for slave trafficking of the Dwarves and Elves.


    In the game, Rhode didn��t get to meet Nakvard personally because he was already dead when Rhode led his team to eliminate the Light Parliament. Not only that, but the graves of the parliament members were also wiped out cleanly by the players of the Country of Light. Back then, Rhode realized something��some of the non-human players who suffered from Nakvard��s ��policies�� tried to dig up his corpse to burn him into ashes. However, they failed to locate him. Rumor had it that the game creators removed his corpse for the sake of harmony while some said that he might possibly have a few graves. Some also believed that the possibility of him falling ill and dying on his bed were close to none and he was still alive. But�� no one heard about him thereafter and the players merely treated him as dead.


    And now, he was the one who appointed Sonia to lead the investigations team?


    Rhode returned to his senses and revealed a smile as he teased the young lady.


    ��Good, thanks for your cooperation, Miss Sonia. Alright then, you should know what to do next.��


    ��Yes����


    She lowered her head and replied softly. Then, she stripped her robe to reveal her snowy body. This time, she no longer tried to conceal herself. Instead, she wrapped her arms around and turned her head to the side. Rhode nodded slightly, swung his right hand, and a pitch-black whip emerged in his hand.


    Swish!


    ��I shall start my lesson of the day.��


    Sonia turned around instinctively and shivered at the sight of the whip in his hand. But this time, there was unprecedented desire and anticipation in her eyes.

 Chapter 767 - Awakening

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    A pitch-black figure flitted by��its eyes glinted with menacing radiance and its blade struck forward.


    ��������!��


    Andre opened his eyes wide and stared at the ceiling in horror. The darkness of the night enveloped his entire room. He gazed blankly into the darkness and despite the beautiful moonlight gently shining into his room, he wasn��t in the mood to admire it. He calmed down gradually like a candle flame approaching its end.


    He was troubled by the same nightmare of a pitch-black figure almost every night. Whenever he shut his eyes, the image of Rhode clutching his shimmering blade and piercing into his chest re-emerged clearly. Every time he woke up abruptly, he felt his chest stinging in pain as though he was being penetrated once again.


    However, the truth was otherwise. He had recovered fully after receiving treatments. Not only that, but the curse infection left behind by Rhode��s blade had also been expelled by the Battle Angels. From the surface, Andre seemed as though he had recovered completely. However, only he knew that his soul was still deeply damaged.


    Everything that he worked so hard to build had instantly shattered. Only the ice-cold tombstones of his buddies, friends, and companions who risked their lives alongside him were the proof of their existences. But what was the point of this? Who would still remember them? Only Andre.


    Andre remembered when he first gathered everyone for the sake of this dream. They weren��t elites and most of them were still problematic figures within the military. Andre spent a lot of effort gathering them and fighting for the same goal. They looked forward to the same future as him��to change the future of this country and world.


    But now, the boat of dreams had sunk to the bottom before it even sailed off.


    There were a few times when Andre hated himself so much. Why was he the only one who survived? If he died with his companions, wouldn��t it be easier for him? All his hard work vanished in an instant. Nothing was left. What rights did he have to continue living in this world?


    What else could he do?


    Andre shifted his gaze to the side table and there was a small, delicate flower in the vase, as well as a white envelope. It appeared as though the flower had been there for a few days. He let out a sigh and shut his eyes. But the white envelope piqued his curiosity. He reached out for it and read the letter under the moonlight. There were lines of beautiful writing.


    To Andre:


    I don��t know if you��ll ever read my letter, but I still wrote it because I believe that you��re not one who gives up. Although we are facing a lot of troubles now, I believe that you��ll pull yourself together. I understand what��s going through your head, Andre. This is a painful failure for us. But we have to hang on. Do you know, Andre? When they cremated the Magician Knights, there was only me, Cheryl, and Teacher Soderfast present. The Magician Knights�� value was gone as soon as they died on the battlefield. Solent, Beldo, Karam�� Who will remember their names after decades? Only us, Andre. We will never forget them. But we will truly let them down if we stop now. They��re already dead, but we��re still alive. They died for everyone��s ideals so you must live on because this is the responsibility that you have to bear. Do you still remember what you told me? Everyone has their own future. They can succeed as long as they don��t give up. Don��t tell me that you��ve decided to give up? They sacrificed their lives for the sake of your dreams. If you don��t achieve them, how are you going to face them?


    I trust that you��ll be back, Andre. This isn��t the end. We have to continue working hard for our dreams. I��ve made my decision to not avoid it anymore. The Light Parliament has appointed me to head into the Land of Atonement for an investigation. I understand the risks behind this, but I still accepted. Andre, I��m not avoiding the terrifying monster and you don��t have to hide. Lift your head and look forward.


    I trust that you��ll be back. I��ll be waiting for you.


    ������Sonia L.


    ������


    Andre read the letter in silence. The faltering flames in his eyes surged. Sonia��s every word had as though turned into sharp blades that penetrated his heart.


    That��s right. What do I want exactly? Die? But everything that I��ve worked hard for will be for naught if I leave this world. My companions who died for me�� How will I ever face them?


    He stepped down from his bed, came to the window, and gazed at the night scenery of Casabianca. The white city was tranquil and peaceful under the luster of the moon. However, it appeared like a burning sea of flames in his eyes where the majestic palace crumbled completely with corpses filling the streets and sorrowful mourns being heard everywhere. Then, pitch-black flags were raised��in the middle was a dazzling pattern of a white star. Under the backdrop of flames and blood, it looked like a devastating army from hell��


    1


    Andre felt a chill run down his spine and returned to his senses. The illusion shattered into bits and revealed the same, peaceful city.


    In the past, he always thought that it was just a dream. Then, he finally realized that this was a future instead��a future that would possibly become reality.


    ��I will not give up����


    Andre clenched the letter in his hand, lowered his head, and his eyes glinted in determination. The dazzling flames in his eyes reignited his soul.


    ��Thank you�� Sonia.��


    I promise that you��ll see a whole new me when you return!


    1


    The pitch-black whip lashed forward like a viper and struck the young lady��s snowy skin heavily.


    ��Ah��!��


    Sonia shivered as she laid on the ground. She lifted her head and screamed in pain and happiness. Her entire body was filled with welts. Rhode stood before her and looked down upon her amusingly.


    ��You sounded comfortable. Does the whipping make you so excited?��


    ��Grr����


    Sonia bit her trembling lips and her teary eyes wandered. But to the contrary, the wet, dripping stain below her showed her true sensation. Rhode looked at her in disdain and caressed between her thighs with the whip.


    ��������!��


    She lamented and lifted her head to beg for pity, at the same time avoiding his touches.


    ��I-I��m not��!��


    ��Oh? You still don��t want to admit? But it makes sense since if you admitted, that would mean that you��re a downright pervert. Miss Sonia, would any ordinary women be this wet after being exposed nakedly to the public and being whipped? I didn��t expect you to be this licentious.��


    Rhode lashed the whip.


    ��Ah��!��


    Sonia yelled and her eyes glinted with wavering flashes.


    ��Ah�� Ha�� Haa�� Haa�� Pain�� Pain����


    Her screams echoed in the cell, but they didn��t mean grief at all. Instead, they were filled with an odd, trembling lust. At this moment, there was no longer fear and panic in her eyes whenever she saw the whip in Rhode��s hand. On the contrary, she was anticipative. Rhode smiled, raised the whip and stroked her body.


    ��Ah����


    The stinging pain and thrill struck her once more. The burning sensation and ripping pain made her incomparably excited. She moaned softly as though craving for more affection and torture.


    ��Hmm��?��


    However, Rhode came to a halt abruptly just when Sonia got caught up in it. She looked up in a daze at the man before her. Rhode retracted his right arm and gazed at her with a smile.


    ��Have you forgotten, Miss Sonia? You��re not my pet yet. As a master, only pets who serve me have the right to enjoy the fun that I give it. Are you willing to be my pet, Miss. Sonia?��


    As the master, only the pet who surrenders to be my pet is qualified to enjoy the fun I give.


    ��I����


    Sonia��s eyes wandered blankly. Deep inside her mind, her rationale and instinctive desire to receive happiness confronted each other. Her rationale pulled her back to her senses and reminded her that she couldn��t do it. She was a human so how could she serve a scum?


    No! I can��t give up on my pride! Have I forgotten? Andre is waiting for me to return. I��m going to return to Andre��


    Andre?


    This name struck her heart like a lightning bolt.


    How do I return to Andre in this manner? My body has been violated by this man and even I didn��t expect that I would have such a licentious and perverted side. I actually felt so excited and happy to be whipped, insulted, and looked down upon in disdain. I can��t wait to soil myself from head to toe and inside-out to become a filthy woman. Since I��m already stained, why don��t I just fall into it entirely?


    At this moment, another gentle voice emerged inside her head.


    Do you still have a choice, Sonia? Isn��t this fine? Isn��t that good? Give up your restraint as a noblewoman, enjoy the purest and supreme pleasure, forget everything, and serve this man completely as his pet. Is there anything more important than this? You��ve lost everything and Andre doesn��t belong to you anymore! Give up on what you have been pursuing and embrace rebirth! Your body has been violated many times by that man. Do you still intend to dedicate this impure body to Andre?


    Rhode��s finger slid across her skin. The numbing sensation tickled her soul. Under the instinct that desired happiness, she felt that her screams and rationale were slowly crumbling.


    ��Ha�� Ha�� Mas-����


    ��Hmm?��


    ��Mas-�� Master! I��m your pet! I swear! I��m willing to be your pet!��


    Sonia��s tears flowed down her cheeks. She felt an unprecedented sense of excitement and relief after abandoning her dignity. She had given up everything like a wild animal succumbing to its instinctive desires! This acknowledgment left her in utter despair. But it was due to this hopelessness that she felt a strong thrill.


    ��Please, Master! Give me the supreme happiness! I��m a filthy, perverted woman. Please whip me as hard as you can and humiliate me!��


    ��Good.��


    Rhode��s eyes glinted with smiles. He lifted the whip in hand.


    Swish!


    ��Ahhhhhhh!��


    Sonia felt her pain and happiness reaching their peak. This time, she didn��t feel ashamed or afraid. Her head was blank. Her body shivered non-stop and she had completely given up control over it. She opened her mouth wide while saliva flowed and let out moans that were full of joy and despair.


    At this moment, her final hint of soberness vanished entirely.

 Chapter 768 - Rebirth

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Morning.


    Cheryl laid her hand on her chest. Just a few moments ago, she woke up from a nightmare and she couldn��t recall what exactly happened. However, for some unknown reasons, she felt rather uncomfortable. She came to the window and gazed at the sky��thick layers of dark clouds hovered above Casabianca. As an Elf who was sensitive to the weather, she sensed that a storm was brewing. Or perhaps this was the reason for her uncertainties?


    However, she widened her eyes in astonishment when she lowered her gaze to the garden.


    ��That��s����


    A razor-sharp, azure blade slashed through the air. It was Andre brandishing his Neptune��s Sigh��the ice-cold air swept along a layer of frost that struck forward menacingly. In an instant, a huge vortex rose with fluttering tree branches and leaves from the garden.


    It still isn��t right!


    Andre knitted his brows and came to a halt. He shut his eyes and recalled the dark figure��Rhode. That man used an incredibly strange swordsmanship that he couldn��t defend at all. As the holder of the Neptune��s Sigh, Andre was clear of his advantages and flaws in his swordsmanship. He was able to launch an AOE attack with the Neptune��s Sigh��s elemental attribute enhancement. During his battle in the Dragon Soul Ceremony, Rhode exposed all his weaknesses entirely. Although he had refined them�� He didn��t know why whenever he recalled the dark figure of Rhode, he instinctively felt that he couldn��t defeat him based on this swordsmanship.


    Maybe I should seek guidance from Teacher Soderfast��


    ��Andre!��


    At this moment, a crisp voice interrupted Andre��s thoughts. He looked up and saw an Elf young lady flying toward him like a nimble bird. Her eyes were filled with unprecedented happiness. She threw herself into his arms and embraced him tightly.


    ��Andre�� Andre�� You��re finally����


    ��Yes, I��m back, Cheryl.��


    Andre blushed to her passionate hug. Then, he whispered into her ear gently.


    ��Sorry for making all of you worry for me�� I��m truly a useless man. But don��t worry anymore. I��m back on my feet.��


    ��Andre����


    Tears welled up in her eyes, but she bit her lips to keep them from flowing out. Then, she took a few steps back to draw a distance away from Andre. The latter looked away shyly and let out an awkward cough.


    ���� Cheryl, I suppose everything is fine these days, right?��


    ��Hmm����


    Cheryl lowered her head shyly and nodded.


    ��Yes, the Light Parliament has been busy with the election for the next chairman, so�� nothing much happened.��


    ��Election����


    Andre puckered his brows.


    ��Do you know who the candidates are?��


    ��I heard that the potential candidates are parliament members Nakvard, Carlson, and Greig.��


    ��What?!��


    Andre instantly revealed a look of helplessness and uncertainty. He knew clearly what kind of people the three of them were. Nakvard and Carlson held strong popularity among the people. However, they acted in ways that defeated their purpose. Nakvard upheld human supremacy and incomparably rejected the Elves, Dwarves, Battle Angels, and other races, which led to a terrible relationship between the Country of Light and their neighboring non-human societies. The Country of Law held a neutral attitude toward the Country of Light. However, Nakvard only targeted against beings who were non-human. Within the human community, he strongly advocated integration, coexistence, encouraged immigration, communication, and was therefore deeply loved by the public.


    However, Carlson was entirely different. He opposed Nakvard��s racist policies and believed that they should remove such policies and regulations that treated the other races unfairly and promote communications between races. Carlson was also Andre��s most respected senior. However, Andre was also aware that he wasn��t popular within the parliament and many people were uninterested in his suggestions. As a result, it was difficult for him to attain victory.


    What worried Andre the most was parliament member Greig.


    Unlike the other two, Greig was a pure supremacist of the Country of Light. He opposed immigration and on various occasions publicly and strongly condemned the immigrants in the Country of Light. He exerted that the immigrants brought chaos and disorder to the Country of Light and diminished their resources instead of contributing. He believed that the immigrants were either thieves or mice who had no contributions apart from their greedy demands in the Country of Light. Therefore, Greig thought that they should investigate and drive out the illegal immigrants for the sake of safety and unity. His ideas had received plenty of support from people who were troubled by the immigrants.


    Among the three, Nakvard had the most support. Greig was second while Carlson was the last. After all these years, the Country of Light lacked favorable impressions of the other races and didn��t intend to treat them equally as humans. An Elf like Cheryl mostly held an identity of a slave or servant in the noble families. This was why the people were unwilling to take Carlson��s suggestion to treat the Elves equally because they would lose their high and mighty position above them. Compared Carlson��s unrealistic and illusory political idea, Nakvard and Greig were more in line with the interests of everyone.


    ��Got it. I will look for Teacher Soderfast in awhile before finding Sir Carlson.��


    ��Okay, Andre.��


    Cheryl displayed a relaxed smile. She watched quietly as Andre left, placed her hands on her chest, and let out a sigh of relief.


    It seems like Andre is really back��


    At this moment, the strange uncertainties inside her mind had vanished to nowhere.


    ���� I sincerely apologize for the troubles that we have caused. We will compensate for the damages to your people from our reckless behavior.��


    Sonia lowered her head. Her voice was soft and depressing. The knights from the Country of Light stood behind her and they were no longer as arrogant as they were before. No one who was locked up for days in the underground prison would feel good. If they were captured by others, perhaps they would charge out and dispute. However, they were unfortunate to fall under Rhode��s hands. The Magician Knights who the Light Parliament valued highly were slaughtered by Rhode without even blinking. Who cared about the average knights?


    ��Please lift your head, Miss Sonia.�� Rhode spoke as though this was his first meeting with her. Sonia��s eyes glinted. She raised her head and looked at Rhode before shifting her gaze to Aiken.Read more chapter on vipnovel.com


    ��My apologies, Priest Aiken. I��ve implicated the church.��


    ��That��s nothing, Miss Sonia.��


    Aiken nodded hurriedly in response and the dissatisfaction inside him appeased. He didn��t expect that this young man was capable of making this young lady so obedient. But this was fine too since he didn��t become a scapegoat for nothing. If this young lady was still as arrogant after her release, Aiken swore that he wouldn��t wipe their *sses anymore.


    Aiken departed after ensuring that nothing was wrong with Sonia. Thereafter, Rhode arranged for Lize to lead the knights to the guest rooms while he had some ��important�� matters to speak to Miss Sonia about.


    Shortly after, the door closed behind them and there were only both of them in the silent room. Up until this moment, Sonia revealed a smile. She gazed at Rhode as though craving for his compliments. Rhode narrowed his eyes slightly and sat on the chair.


    ��Well done, Sonia. Alright then, let me see it.��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    Sonia��s eyes glinted with excitement. Then, she stripped the coat on her.


    If Priest Aiken were here, he would definitely be bewildered because Sonia was completely naked under it. Rhode leaned back on the chair, rested his chin on his right hand, and admired the glorious view before him leisurely.


    ��Exciting, eh?��


    ��Yes, Master. It is too exciting����


    The thought of her only wearing a coat with nothing inside sent her adrenaline rushing. She was so thrilled that her legs shivered.


    ��Come here.��


    Rhode beckoned to her and the latter scuttled toward him like a puppy. She felt complex emotions as she gazed at the man��s face. She still hated this man, but couldn��t retaliate. Then, a smear of red emerged across her cheeks.


    ��Master, please pardon me����


    Sonia lowered her head and clumsily pushed her lips on his. Rhode was surprised, but quickly responded to her desires. He stretched out his tongue, pried open her teeth, and stuck deep within. Sonia��s vision blurred and her breathing became heavy. After a few moments, she pulled away from him unwillingly.


    ��What��s wrong, Sonia?��


    ��Master����


    Sonia spoke with a blush.


    ��That was�� my�� first kiss. I want to give everything to Master and become Master��s possession forever����


    Sonia widened her legs and used her hands to spread her most private area apart before him.


    ��Please, Master, Sonia is willing to give everything to you. I hope you can accept����


    After being imprisoned for days and even though she had been tortured by Rhode countless times, she didn��t understand why he didn��t breakthrough her final defense. This left her feeling satisfied and empty simultaneously. It felt especially so as the ��lessons�� progressed, where she craved to receive her complete happiness. She hoped that the emptiness inside her could be filled to the brim, so she could enjoy it entirely. However, Rhode didn��t seem to be interested at all. It was due to this that although she had become so licentious, she was still a virgin.


    Rhode smiled and caressed her gently. Then, he retracted his arm and squinted at her calmly.


    ��I know what��s going on in your mind, Sonia.��


    ��Hmm��?��


    ��You want me to have you, so no matter if you want to or not, you will always be mine, right?��


    ������


    Sonia became rather panicky and trembled.


    ��No, Master. I really����


    ��But I��m not one who enjoys forcing others. Free will is important to me. Besides�� You also don��t wish for this to end, right?��


    Rhode revealed a beautiful smile. Then, he stood up, leaned forward, and said softly into her ear.


    ��So, I shall give you a chance, Sonia. If you succeed, you can break free from everything and return to your usual life. I shall give you a test and you can choose to accept or give up�� This is your final chance. Do you understand, Sonia?��


    The entire room was in complete silence. Rhode��s voice sounded as though the whispers of the demon: tempting and sweet.

 Chapter 769 - Choice of Freedom

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Everything seemed to have returned to normal thereafter.


    Sonia led the investigations team and Priest Aiken for the official inspection. Of course, Sonia was no longer interested in searching for clues that related Rhode to the Undead Army. She followed through the process, probed on the previous battles, and didn��t find trouble on purpose. The entire matter ended successfully and after ten days, they accomplished their mission and left the Land of Atonement.


    ��Is this fine, Rhode?��


    Canary stood on the Mage Tower and gazed at the investigation team that disappeared around the corner of the mountain path. She twitched her brow and smiled at Rhode cheekily. As his ��old companion��, she naturally knew what he had been doing to her all this while. In fact, it was Canary who personally made the collar that consisted of the illusionary effects��


    ��You finally got your hands on that young lady and you��re letting her leave just like that?��


    ��She doesn��t belong to me yet, Canary.��


    Rhode shrugged.


    ��I��ve given her a test and told her to make a decision. If she��s willing, she will continue to serve me. If not, it��s better to let her go,�� Rhode curled his lips nonchalantly. ��I��m not afraid even if she tells the truth to the Light Parliament. I��ll be more than happy to welcome them if they arrive at our doorsteps because I��m itching for an opportunity to kill them.��


    Canary didn��t respond too much to the second half of his words. As a player, she loathed the Country of Light as much as Rhode did. However, the first half of his statement piqued her curiosity.


    ��A test? What test?��


    ��That��s����


    Rhode whispered into her ear and the latter revealed an astonished look which turned complicated. Then, she gazed at him with a bitter smile.


    ��Indeed. This is your style, Rhode. I have to say�� You��re so naughty. Did you learn all this meaningless stuff in university?��


    ��Of course not. I��m just doing research based on my personal interest. Besides, you��re wrong in saying so, Canary.��


    Rhode shrugged innocently.


    ��I only gave her a chance to make a decision. You see�� It isn��t nice to take things too far, right? Or I should say that I merely opened a door to another world for her and made her enjoy the scenery. It is ultimately still up to her to decide if she wants to enter the new world.��


    Rhode narrowed his eyes and they glinted with traces of smiles.


    ��You see, Canary, I respect the choice of freedom, don��t I?��


    ��You��re better off lying to the young girls.��


    Canary rolled her eyes helplessly.


    ��How long do you think we��ve been together, Rhode? Come to think of it, what if your plan fails?��


    ��Everything is based on her choice of freedom. Just let her be then.��


    Rhode shrugged without a care in the world. Then, he turned toward the stairs. ��After all, this has nothing to do with us anymore, right? Canary, we still have more important things to attend to. A casual game is just a game, after all.��


    ��Yea����


    Canary sighed and turned to the sky. The game was a game, after all, and they had more important things to attend to. As for the broken young lady who Rhode had played with�� Canary shifted her gaze to the mountainous path. They were no longer there.


    Let her be then, since she isn��t the first woman Rhode has broken.


    Just as Rhode mentioned, even though Sonia was a chest piece that he planted into the Country of Light, no one knew how effective she would be. Therefore, it was for the best if she succeeded and failure didn��t matter at all. The next most important matter was��


    The ��transaction�� of the Holy Maiden Statues.


    Within five days, the Senia Family had prepared three of the largest Floating Boats for Rhode, which were massively different from the ones that he had seen in the past. They possessed exceptionally hard shells and wide spaces. Their hulls were even enhanced with defensive enchanted fields and equipped with arrow launchers that could fire continuously. It seemed like the Senia Family spared no efforts in his request. They also provided 15 million gold coins and magic crystals. It was apparent how wealthy the Senia Family was.


    However, Rhode didn��t instantly produce three Holy Maiden Statues for them. Instead, he made them wait for a while longer. Although they were pressed for time, he didn��t wish to reveal his secret. Even though many within the fortress knew how remarkable this young man was to build majestic buildings in the blink of an eye, it was still too unrealistic for the outsiders. Unless they saw it for themselves, who would believe that it was possible? If they knew that something illogical existed in this world, what would they think about it? The noble higher-ups weren��t as uncivilized as the crude mercenaries and farmers. They definitely wouldn��t simply exclaim in awe like lower-level civilians saying ��Wow, this Sir Overlord is amazing! He��s capable of everything!�� without taking action.


    Therefore, in this period of time while Rhode ��educated�� Sonia, he had been finding excuses to drag time. He wasn��t worried that their forces would be affected. After all, apart from the Land of Atonement, the other regions had held on so long without the help of the Holy Maiden Statues. Although damages were inevitable in long wars, they still wouldn��t crumble entirely, which was why Rhode wasn��t concerned that dragging time would lead to any problems.


    After Sonia left, Rhode��s ��time dragging�� strategy came to an end. However, this didn��t mean that he wasn��t concerned about it. Gillian promised him confidently that the objects created from the system could be used anywhere. However, he was still doubtful because the objects used real materials to create, after all. So just in case, he decided to step up and observe the situation personally because it would be troublesome if any accidents were to happen. Based on Marlene��s trust in Rhode, the Senia Family paid all the money in one go without delay. If the Holy Maiden Statues turned into useless rocks after leaving his territory, he would be utterly embarrassed.


    However, Rhode wouldn��t be heading there alone.


    The chilly wind blew and struck the invisible magic barrier around the hull. It was currently dusk and the radiance on the ground had dimmed. Rhode stood on the prow and gazed ahead at the last warm, golden rays of the setting sun shining through the clouds.


    ��We��re reaching the Dragon Canyon soon, Rhode.��


    Marlene��s voice sounded from the back. Rhode turned around and nodded.


    ��How are the statues?��


    ��No problem. Everything is fine.��


    ��Good����


    Rhode let out a sigh of relief. He lowered his gaze to the system interface and clearly saw the status icon of the Holy Maiden Statues in normal conditions. It seems like Gillian was right. But he couldn��t let loose yet. After all, no matter what, he couldn��t let his guard down before confirming that they would work in actual scenarios. At this moment, he heard a crisp voice.


    ��Leader��!��


    Anne pounced on Rhode like a kitten. She embraced tightly, ��purred��, and rubbed her cheek on his.


    ��What are you doing here with Sister Marlene? Anne is so bored. When will we reach there? Can Leader play with Anne for awhile?��


    ��Anne, now isn��t the time to play.��


    Marlene sighed helplessly. This time, Rhode had brought Anne, Marlene, and Ann along. Ann was Marlene��s representative who was responsible for business negotiations, so she naturally had to tag along for the work of ��acceptance�� and ��verification��. The others remained in the fortress since Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Gillian were around to hold down the fort. If the Undead Army were to attack, they wouldn��t succeed anytime soon. For the sake of safety, Rhode gave half of the management rights to Canary, so even if he wasn��t present, she could activate the magic cannons and Holy Maiden Statues. Moreover, if necessary, Rhode and the others could return to the fortress straightaway with the teleportation door.


    ��Hmph����


    Anne pouted, let go of Rhode, and grumbled.


    ��Sister Marlene is so unfair. You had so much fun with Leader last night, but you don��t allow Anne to have fun too. How petty.��


    ��You����


    Marlene blushed instantly. Anne��s personality was different from Marlene��s and Lize��s. In fact, not only did she not mind Marlene��s and Lize��s relationships with Rhode, but she was also actively trying to get involved, which was a huge headache for them. After all, Marlene and Lize had been childhood friends, so they accepted each other��s deepest side to some extent. On the other hand, even though Anne had a great relationship with them, it was an entirely different thing for the matters in bed�� However, it was apparent that Anne held different views.


    At this moment, the Floating Boat pierced through the clouds, descended slowly, and headed into the Dragon Canyon. Anne leaned on the railing, pointed forward, and yelled.


    ��Leader, Sister Marlene, look! It seems like there��s a battle there!��


    ��Hmm?��


    ��Huh?��


    Rhode and Marlene turned toward the direction where Anne pointed. It was far away, but they could clearly see a group of Undead Creatures swarming toward the fortress. Although the fortress hadn��t crumbled completely, Rhode knew that it was going to be a tough battle for them after witnessing the Undead Creatures leaping and climbing on the city wall.


    If the Holy Maiden Statues weren��t here, that was.


    It seems like we��re here right on time.


    Rhode twitched his brows and a cheeky smile glinted in his eyes. Then, he turned to Marlene.


    ��Marlene, get ready to move the statues.��


    ��Now?��


    Marlene asked in surprise.


    ��But Rhode, we haven��t reached our destination yet. Besides, we haven��t found a suitable location to place the statues����


    ��Don��t worry about it.��


    Rhode let out a chuckle and gazed at the Undead Army below them.


    ��We shall attack from above.��

 Chapter 770 - Air Support

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    As the Floating Boat lowered from above, everyone witnessed the situation clearly. It was apparent that the first defensive line of Dragon Canyon had crumbled completely. The Undead Creatures were low-level troops and there weren��t any Death Knights or Skeletal Trolls present. The Bone Griffins and Skeleton Soldiers launched a pincer attack, which was sufficient to mess up the soldiers�� defense. Although they worked hard, their strength was limited, after all. The city walls here were also much lower than Rhode��s fortress walls, at about three meters tall. The Skeletal Trolls didn��t require ladders as they pushed their way through with the nimble Ghouls. At this moment, many Skeleton Soldiers had climbed over the city walls and several soldiers screamed and collapsed. Even though they held on, it appeared that defeat was heading their way sooner or later.


    1


    ������


    Marlene sucked in a deep breath anxiously. She realized how sturdy and powerful Rhode��s fortress was after witnessing their plight. If it weren��t for the tall walls and wide moats, perhaps they would be as miserable as them. No, perhaps they might end up in a worse state. No matter what, Dragon Canyon had a defensive line that operated for years with 30,000 to 50,000 soldiers. This number was a few times more than what Rhode��s fortress could provide. Besides, unlike the new soldiers, these soldiers here were veterans and their top-grade armor and weapons were provided by the Senia Family. Although this was the case, they struggled in the face of this Undead Army with about 10,000 to 20,000 troops.


    However, it was this army with less than 20,000 troops that caused the human soldiers to fall.


    There was neither the support of the enchanted fields nor sacred powers. The Skeleton Soldiers that Marlene and Anne crushed displayed their true strength now. Although the Skeleton Soldiers appeared to be fragile walking skeletons, their bones were stronger than steel as they were shaped by spiritual flames. Furthermore, people usually wouldn��t know where the Skeleton Soldiers�� spiritual core was and blind attacks would bring them death. Marlene witnessed a soldier pierced his sword into the Skeleton Soldier and get it stuck between its ribs. Before he withdrew his sword, the Skeleton Soldier stepped forward instantly and brandished its menacing blade, killing the soldier on the spot.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Shortly after, a dozen magic cannons fired, but they were greatly insufficient before the might Undead Army.


    ��Those skeletons are so powerful?��


    Anne widened her eyes in astonishment.


    ��Didn��t they shatter instantly when we hit them in the Land of Atonement?��


    ��That��s because the enchanted field weakened their spiritual powers, which is why they became so fragile in the Land of Atonement. In fact, this is their true strength,�� Rhode stood on the prow and explained.


    ��Not only that, but due to their pure spiritual powers, they also have strong resistance against magic spells. In such a situation, you can forget about causing damage to them unless you possess supreme magic spells. Besides, the spiritual powers that are maintaining the operations of the Skeleton Soldiers are relatively powerful. If you can��t diminish their spiritual powers in a single strike, the remaining spiritual powers will continue to control them.��


    Rhode pointed to the defensive line where a soldier brandished his sword at one of the Skeleton Soldiers. However, he wasn��t strong enough to defeat it. The Skeleton Soldier with only its upper body left crawled forward with its arms and the soldier wasn��t mentally prepared at all. He shrieked and was instantly pushed down to the ground, dying before their eyes.


    ��Woah, so troublesome.��


    Anne knitted her brows and grumbled. However, Rhode knew that the enemies weren��t threatening to her because she was level 50. With her beast bloodline and wind element attribute, Death Knights might not even withstand her attack.


    ��Rhode, we should get ready soon.��


    Marlene was more concerned. No matter what, this was the Senia Family��s territory and the soldiers belonged to them. Even though she wasn��t the official matriarch yet, she felt worried after watching the soldiers suffer miserably.


    ��It��s almost time.��


    Rhode calculated the rough range and timing and nodded. Then, he raised his hand and gestured to the captain.


    ��Open the cargo hold.��


    ��Open the cargo hold��!��


    The captain picked up the loud hailer and screamed. Shortly after, the entire Floating Boat transformed��the bottom of the cabin opened to the sides like an open wallet and revealed the Holy Maiden Statue that was suspended horizontally with magically-enhanced steel ropes tied across its head, body, and legs. At this moment, the ropes loosened their grip and the statue gradually erected. In the sound of gears cranking, the deck slowly opened and the statue stood majestically in the middle of the Floating Boat.


    ��Decrease speed. Get ready to stop��!��


    The Floating Boat slowed down gradually and fortunately, the Munn Kingdom had considered having the Magic Fleet as reinforcements when they first built their defensive lines and fortresses. This was why their locations were under the cover of the strong gales. If not, Rhode surely could only watch the fires burn across the river.


    Rhode squinted and fiddled with the jade-like ring on his finger. He twitched his brows.


    ��Go to hell!��


    One of the veteran soldiers clad in armor brandished his flail and crushed a Skeleton Soldier to bits. Then, he followed through and swept the flail forward to strike a pitch-black Ghoul over the city wall. The veteran laughed heartily before turning around and swinging his weapon over the head of a young man who squatted in panic.


    ��Waaaa! Sir, are you trying to kill me?��


    ��Of course not. Do I look like I have the time to do that? I can��t even manage all these Undead Creatures!��


    The veteran stared and berated.


    ��What are you doing here?!��


    ��S-Sir, this defensive line is crumbling. We should retreat to the second defensive line. Sir Kuba is ready and waiting for your����


    ��Bah! Do you think I��m such a coward like Kuba? There are no cowards in our Heins Family and no failure in our dictionary! I��ve defeated these bastards 30 times and I don��t mind doing it again. If you have the time to surrender, why don��t you help me kill some of the Undead Creatures instead? Get moving. Be careful that I throw you down to feed them!��


    ��Ah, Y-Yes! Sir!��


    The attendant hurriedly charged forward with his raised sword and joined the team who was defending the city walls. The veteran narrowed his eyes and scanned the situation. He already knew that this defensive line couldn��t hang on any longer. But was he about to give up?


    What a joke. I will never give up! I will hang on as long as I can!


    The veteran glared and brandished his flail in a snarl.


    Boom!


    At this moment, a dazzling light streaked across the pitch-black night sky.


    What happened?


    He turned to the glaring light and couldn��t recall Kuba having such a large-scale weapon in his defensive line, as even the flares of the magic cannons weren��t this bright. The stunning silver light beam spurted like the fountain, enveloped the sky and merged with the Light Dragon Soul��s protection as one. As the glorious radiance diffused, the air that was exuding with the stench of the skeletons turned clearer and pleasant in scent. Not only that, but his exhausted body also regained its strength!


    ��Oh my goodness, what��s going on?��


    Not only did the humans felt recharged, but the Undead Army also slowed down their pace drastically. At this moment, the Skeleton Soldiers didn��t appear as terrifying and brave, and their movements became sluggish. Although the humans weren��t sure what happened exactly, it was apparent that this was advantageous for them. The veteran hesitated no more. He lifted the flail and charged forward in large strides.


    ��For the sake of the Munn Kingdom, attack with me!��


    ��Oh!!��


    The soldiers were pumped up like the veteran as the light of hope had given them the courage and strength to defeat the Undead Army. At this moment, they realized that their enemies were much weaker now, where their solid, steel-like bones had turned into soft bean curds. Despite some of the soldiers suffering injuries from previous clashes, their wounds weren��t as ghastly as before.


    ��What��s that thing?��


    At the same time, the Necromancer leading the Undead Army looked up at the omnipresent radiance. He was confident in taking down this defensive line today and tackling the enemies�� base camp. But now, it seemed that it was no longer possible. What left him even more terrified was that he realized that his magic spells were weakened dramatically under the radiance. Moreover, the entire air caused piercing pain to his soul!


    Wait!


    The Necromancer sulked as he instantly recalled the intelligence that he received.


    This shouldn��t be right. How is this possible? Shouldn��t that thing be in the Land of Atonement?!


    Then, a phenomenon happened.


    Golden rays whistled across the night sky and shaped into an incredibly gorgeous array of sacred runes. The Necromancer looked up in horror as he clutched his bone staff.


    ��Au mo si ter lor.��


    At the next moment, the torrent of light gushed and devoured everything in its path.

 Chapter 771 - Excellent Value for Money

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Thereafter, the battle swiftly ended.


    The enemy commander was wiped out in the first wave of attack. In a short while, the weakened Undead Army turned into ashes under the effects of the enchanted field and bombardment of the holy spears, which led the battle into its end. As the final Skeleton Soldier collapsed, the soldiers above the city walls burst into cheers. Previously, they felt helpless as it was apparent that their defensive line was failing. Their only hope left was to delay so the next defensive line could get ready for the second wave of the Undead Army. They were prepared to die, but as the dazzling radiance emerged, a miracle happened.


    Some of the soldiers stood blankly above the city wall and couldn��t believe their eyes. The skeletons almost killed them, but they were all gone now?!


    ��Oh my goodness!��


    ��Oooooh!��


    The omnipresent golden array of runes and torrent of light gradually vanished. Shortly after, the silver light beam shrunk and disappeared before them.


    Perfect.


    Rhode fiddled with the ring on his finger and nodded in satisfaction. This was considered a ��preview�� for the Holy Maiden Statue and it seemed that they worked excellently like the ones in the Land of Atonement. No matter the operations of the rule power or enchanted field, everything seemed normal. Rhode let out a sigh of relief. It seemed that Gillian was right that it could be used anywhere.


    Rhode gestured to the captain who was dumbfounded.


    ��Get ready to dock and unload.��


    ��Yes, Boss!��


    The captain came to his senses abruptly and answered humbly, yet frantically. After all, he had never seen the might of the Holy Maiden Statue and the immense strength that this legendary artifact released left him in unprecedented awe. The thought of him being fortunate enough to transport such a legendary weapon made him incredibly proud.


    As a border defensive line under the strong gales, a port for the Floating Boats was essential. After the captain sent out the signal, the people around the port guided the Floating Boat into the specialized platform built by Dragon Canyon. At this moment, several generals and commanders of high ranks already stood there. They thought that it was yet another new weapon developed by the Royal Fleet and were astonished when they witnessed that it was just a merchant boat.


    What exactly is going on?


    The veteran stroked his beard and stared at the massive merchant boat with wide eyes. He recognized that it was the Senia Family��s merchant boat.


    But�� Why is it here?


    Shortly after, the Floating Boat came to a halt on the platform. The veteran strode forward and greeted the passengers.


    ��Miss Marlene? Isn��t this Miss Marlene? Why are you here?��


    ��Greetings, General Anton.��


    Marlene smiled and nodded slightly.


    ��Long time no see and you��re still looking as healthy as ever. I��m glad.��


    ��Aiya�� You��ve grown up�� You were still a little girl the last time I saw you. Back then, I said that you would become a beauty and look at yourself now����


    Anton shook his head and exclaimed. Then, his gaze turned curious.


    ��But, Miss Marlene, why are you here? Is anything the matter with the Senia Family?��


    ��This was what happened.��


    Marlene kept her smile and beckoned to Rhode.


    ��Allow me to introduce to you the overlord of Paphield-Grenbell, Mr. Rhode.��


    1


    ��Oh?��


    Anton shifted his gaze to Rhode and was speechless after looking at his beautiful face. However, Marlene shot a look at him, to which the latter shrugged and changed his thoughts.


    ��Greetings, Sir Overlord. I��m the commander of the Dragon Canyon defensive line, Anton Heins. Welcome to Dragon Canyon.��


    Even though Anton sounded respectful, his eyes continued to wander to Marlene dubiously. As a relatively close subordinate of the Senia Family, he was slightly aware of what Marlene had been up to all this while. However, he knew that they weren��t here just for a chat.


    ��This was what happened, General Anton.��


    Rhode let out a cough after sensing his doubts.


    ��We��re here for a business transaction with Dragon Canyon.��


    ��Transaction?��


    General Anton knitted his brows with a puzzled gaze. At this moment, his young adjutant sneaked up to him and whispered into his ear. ��General, you��ve forgotten about it. Didn��t we receive news that Dragon Canyon will be renovated����


    ��Oh��!��


    General Anton came to a sudden realization. About ten days ago, he had indeed received news from the headquarters that they purchased a secret weapon to defend against the Undead Army. The reason why he remembered this matter was solely because the secret weapon cost 3 million gold coins. Back then, he smacked the table and chided the group of brainless idiots who purchased this broken toy. He would rather they invested the money into the defense facilities and soldiers�� armor and weapons. But now�� His eyes glinted.


    ��Could it be that����


    ��That��s right, General Anton. The first Holy Maiden Statue has been built, which is why we��re transporting it here. Based on the negotiations, this statue will be placed in the center of the first defensive line. We will leave its specific position to you. As for its might����


    Marlene paused and let out a chuckle.


    ��You��ve seen it for yourself.��


    ��Miss Marlene. The statues that you mentioned are the ones we wanted?��


    Anton stared at Marlene. He naturally knew how formidable the massive light beam that descended from the sky and torrent of light was. He stood above the city wall and witnessed how the light beam turned thousands of Undead Creatures into ashes within seconds!


    Oh my goodness. Such a powerful strength is about to be mine?


    Anton became excited at this thought like a child getting a new toy.


    ��Where is it? Miss Marlene. Where is it at?��


    ��Please come with me.��


    Marlene and Rhode revealed bitter smiles at each other and led General Anton to the Holy Maiden Statue. The statue had been shut down and wasn��t emanating silver-whitish radiance like before. However, light dust like fireflies fluttered around and brought a sense of sacred tranquility.


    Not only General Anton, but his subordinates also widened their eyes in astonishment. They circled and scanned the statue. If they didn��t witness its might, they would have never imagined a statue could possess such powers.


    General Anton stood before it and scrutinized while Ann promoted its abilities, range, advantages, and flaws. Rhode had specially written an instruction manual based off on his system and given it to her beforehand, so she had no problems remembering the details. However�� Although Ann��s explanations were clear and logical, somehow Rhode felt as though she was promoting multi-level marketing instead��


    ��Did you teach her that?��


    Rhode puckered his brows and turned to Marlene. He was certain that he wasn��t the one. The instruction manual was written in an official format and wasn��t as extravagant as Ann made it out to be.


    Could it be that her talents in negotiations are finally blooming? But this is a little too much��


    ��That����


    Marlene revealed an awkward expression.


    ���� Miss Gillian was the one who taught her. She said it was a compulsory business course����


    I see.


    Rhode and Marlene whispered behind General Anton��s back, but the latter wasn��t in the mood to entertain his precious guests. He caressed the statue in awe after hearing that its enchanted field could envelope a radius of up to ten miles, weaken the Undead Creatures drastically, and turn all water sources into holy water.


    Oh lord! I didn��t expect something so powerful to exist in this world! With this in my defensive line, do I even need a second or third defensive line at the back? I swear that with this, the skeletons can��t get past me!


    If this happened in the past, perhaps Anton would have asked for a discount. However, he had no doubts now after personally witnessing its strength! He had the urge to punch his brains out after thinking of his previous complaints. Back then, he was disgusted with the group of idiots who spent 3 million gold coins on a piece of useless junk. Now it seemed that not to mention 3 million, but 30 million gold coins were still worth it!


    The other generals revealed delightful expressions while listening to Ann��s explanations and Rhode nodded in satisfaction.


    Everything��s going great.

 Chapter 772 - A Test

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Casabianca.


    Sonia knitted her brows as her chariot approached the spotlessly white city. About a week ago, she craved to return to this city. But now, she felt sick of this place, and even hateful. She touched herself and the mild pain made her shiver. Then, this sensation disappeared quickly.


    ��Sigh����


    Sonia shifted her gaze away from the scenery and shut her eyes. But to her surprise, it wasn��t the face of that man who she thought it would be. Instead, it was the ice-cold expression of a man with black hair and pupils.


    Master��


    Sonia lowered her head and muttered under her breath. The image of Rhode speaking to her in the room reemerged in her head.


    ��I��ll give you one chance, Sonia����


    Back then, Rhode��s voice was so gentle yet dangerous that it gave her a sense of thrill and pain. Just hearing his voice was enough to make her tremble. This was an instinctive reaction Rhode had trained her to have, where she hoped to be reprimanded, thrashed, and looked down upon by a disdainful gaze that scorned her dignity. All of these stimulated her senses. The sense of comfort from abandoning her self-esteem, beliefs, and surrendering completely to a certain powerful will was like a sweet poison that seeped into her heart.


    ��This is a test. A test for you to possibly return to the past and become the old you����


    Rhode��s ice-cold, gentle voice rang in her ears. But this time, she wasn��t happy. In fact, she didn��t feel glad or delighted at all. On the contrary, she was worried that her master would abandon her! The thought of her leaving Rhode��s side and returning to Casabianca alone left her incomparably anxious and unwilling. Back then, she couldn��t even recall that Andre and Cheryl were waiting for her return. There was only one thought in her mind��to be with Rhode until she died.


    And now, she was getting closer to the city.


    Sonia lifted her head. This spotlessly white city was so indistinct before her eyes. The figure who supported her beliefs had long disappeared. She didn��t even know what was going through her head now. However, she was certain that she didn��t wish to return to Casabianca.


    This wasn��t purely due to her longing for Rhode. She knew why the Light Parliament had sent her to represent the investigation team in the Land of Atonement. Although no one openly said that the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Darkness were related, she was clear that they had this intention. This time, they didn��t have any strong proof for her to go to the Land of Atonement and the Light Parliament was only using her as a pretext to make a fuss in order for them to wrest some control of authority from the Munn Kingdom. But now, she had nothing, which left the Light Parliament desperate. She knew that her failure would tarnish the reputation of the Light Parliament even further while the anti-parliament forces would become stronger, which might affect the Country of Light.


    Although the Light Parliament wouldn��t make things too difficult for her with the Lockos Financial Group as her backing, they still wouldn��t have an issue with showing their disapproval. The thought of those bastards messing with her later on left her fuming. But��


    ��Miss Sonia, we��re here.��


    The chariot came to a halt. Sonia gazed into the hall, took in a deep breath, and exited the chariot. Then, she saw several parliament members waiting for her with gloomy or furious expressions while some rejoiced in her misfortune.


    How strange��


    If it were in the past, she would have felt uncertain upon meeting them. But now, she was feeling exceptionally calm. The blame and pressure on her��she couldn��t feel anything at all. She gazed at them expressionlessly as though watching a bunch of clowns.


    So what if the parliament strikes my name off or if my family drives me out? I still have Master. And in Master��s eyes, they are just a pile of worthless trash.


    Sonia swept a sharp glance at everyone and they were perturbed. They had never seen such an ice-cold expression from her, which were as though ice blades penetrating their bodies. In an instant, everyone subconsciously kept their expressions and turned away guiltily.


    ��Welcome back, Miss Sonia.��


    At this moment, one of the parliament members stepped forward in large strides. His expression was also rather awkward, but he swiftly returned to normal.


    ��We know that you��re exhausted. But the parliament wishes to receive first hand information, so����


    ��No problem.��


    Sonia interrupted coldly. Then, she ascended the flight of stairs without looking at the man.


    ��I��ll report to the parliament now.��


    Sister Sonia is back!


    Cheryl scuttled along the corridor and ran up the stairs with a grin. She arrived at the study room, tidied her attire, and knocked on the door gently. Then, Andre greeted her.


    ��Cheryl? Is anything the matter?��


    ��Sister Sonia is back. She��s heading to the parliament to report the situation now.��


    ��Oh?��


    Andre��s eyes glinted. Cheryl was the only one who was aware of what Sonia was up to before her departure. Back then, Andre was still in his daze while Cheryl, as an Elf, couldn��t leave the place without Sonia��s or his protection. After all, Cheryl had often been mocked and humiliated by the nobles. It was due to this that in order not to have anyone find trouble with Cheryl and Andre, the former stayed indoors and never showed herself. Everything returned to normal only after Andre pulled himself together.


    After Cheryl heard from Sonia that the latter was appointed by the Light Parliament to head into the Land of Atonement, Andre was incredibly worried. He understood what the Light Parliament was plotting and believed that they were overly anxious to recover some lost ground in their battle against Rhode. However, they made a foolish decision, especially after they heard that the investigation team was locked up for causing harm to the locals in the Land of Atonement. There were a few times when Andre tried to head out and check on Sonia. However, he gave up on this thought in the end. After all, he still had many things on hand. Even though Sonia was important to him, he was also clear that he would be doomed if he didn��t pull himself together after reading her letter.


    Andre had worked hard and the aftereffects from his failure slowly vanished. With the help of Teacher Soderfast, Andre contacted parliament member Carlson and conspired a comeback. Even though it was predictable that he would face a lot of resistance from the Light Parliament, there wasn��t a better chance than this: the infiltration of the Country of Darkness.


    But it wasn��t the time to consider this problem now. Sonia was back and this was the most important matter!


    ��Get the chariot ready; we��re heading to the parliament hall!��


    It was already evening when Sonia exited the parliament hall. The sun had sunk under the horizon while the dark night sky enveloped the spotlessly white city. However, the gloomy and dissatisfied look on her face was nowhere to be seen. In the hearing, she reported all her information to the parliament and as expected, they made things tough for her. They questioned if Rhode had threatened her, blamed that he treated the emissaries badly, and judged that from his hostility against the Country of Light, he must have some relations with the Country of Darkness, etc.


    However, Sonia wasn��t interested in this topic at all. Just like Priest Aiken, she answered everything and instead of listening in silence to their complaints, she retaliated, which stunned many parliament members. Sonia had always been low profile in the Light Parliament and no one expected her to blow her top. Not only that, but she also grumbled that the knights who accompanied her were a bunch of idiots. If it weren��t for their arrogant behaviors, would the investigation team be this embarrassed? The army would need to be responsible for this blunder.


    Sonia��s words left the army representative��s face as black as charcoal and he stormed off in a huff. In an instant, the atmosphere became extremely awkward. However, no one suspected that Sonia had changed because to them, she was only venting her frustrations from suffering in the Land of Atonement. They didn��t know that while she ridiculed the army and parliament, her heart wasn��t filled with anger at all. On the contrary, she felt fearless in this world whenever she thought of Rhode��s support. The Light Parliament was merely a bunch of maggots to her.


    After experiencing darkness for 15 days, she realized that she had surprisingly changed a lot.


    At this moment, she saw two familiar figures at the bottom of the stairs.


    ��Sonia!��


    ��Sister Sonia!��


    Sonia gazed blankly at Andre and Cheryl. Then, her world had as though turned dark. She heard Rhode��s voice in her head and she had as though returned to that day.


    ��I give you one chance. This is a test, Sonia.��


    Rhode��s sweet, ice-cold voice.


    ��You love Andre, don��t you? Miss Sonia? Alright then, let��s see how strong the power of love is, shall we? Miss Sonia, I��ve always believed that one should give everything to their beloved, no matter if they were beautiful or disgusting. You can give it a shot to see if you can receive true love�� This is my final test for you. You can seek his hug, protection, and stay by his side. Then, we shall see if you can return to how you were in the past����


    Rhode revealed his warm, gentle smile.


    ��This is your final test and choice, Miss Sonia����


    ��Sister Sonia?��


    Cheryl��s calls dragged Sonia back into reality. Then, the latter realized that Cheryl and Andre had arrived before her and looked at her curiously.


    ��Your complexion looks terrible. Did the parliament members bully you?��


    ��No, I was only����


    Sonia forced out a smile and looked at them while adjusting her mood.


    I��m finally back! Andre! Cheryl! I��m finally back! I miss you two so much! I finally see you two again! This makes me so happy�� Am I really happy?


    No matter how she changed her thoughts, she realized that her emotions weren��t moved at all as though they were only acquaintances. When she looked at Andre, she no longer blushed. She unrolled an awkward smile and shifted her gaze to the floor.


    ��The��. The parliament��s interrogations left me breathless. Thank you, Cheryl and����


    Sonia lifted her head and gazed at Andre.


    ��You��re finally back, Andre. I knew that you would succeed.��


    ��It��s all thanks to your reminder, Sonia.��


    Andre rubbed his nose and revealed a shy smile.


    ��If it weren��t for your letter, perhaps�� I wouldn��t have pulled myself back up so soon. Thank you, Sonia.��


    ��It��s nothing, Andre. Good to have you back����


    Sonia looked at him and was speechless. This voice that comforted her was no longer as warm. This face that she felt amusing and it was as if they became strangers��


    That��s right�� You��re back, Andre. But I�� may never return.

 Chapter 773 - A Foolish Idea

    The situation was utterly terrible for the Light Parliament.


    Just as Rhode predicted, the Light Parliament was strapped for cash without the Munn Kingdom��s financial support in the upcoming year. Moreover, it wasn��t only the shortage of budget that left them badly battered. They were also affected by the wave of refugees from the battlefront while their military budget increased and the homeless people also needed comfort. Furthermore, large amounts of pensions for the fallen soldiers were also required. The amount of funds needed to provide relief and support to several other economically underdeveloped areas had reached an unprecedented stage. The Light Parliament initially hoped to coax or receive some financial support from Lilian. But ever since she flew into a rage, she never showed them any kindness. Even though the Light Parliament had braced themselves when meeting her, they were all rejected.


    Under such helpless circumstances, they could only turn their attention to a final lifeline��the five largest financial groups. However, just as Rhode predicted too, the five largest financial groups responded evasively to their pleads by mentioning that they were tight on cash flow or hiding from them.


    The Light Parliament knew what the five largest financial groups were plotting, but they were at their wits�� end. The Light Parliament knew that they would take advantage and make several requests, but what could the Light Parliament do? Although the Light Parliament disliked them intervening with parliamentary matters, they didn��t have any other choices now. The financial deficit was too huge. Without the support from the Munn Kingdom and five largest financial groups, it would be impossible.


    On the other hand, the military was left with a rather huge budget, which the Light Parliament intended to extract. Or perhaps they could provide pensions for the fallen soldiers while saving on another aspect.


    However, they didn��t expect that the military would be this determined in refusing. They were resisting the Undead Army��s attack, so they couldn��t lack a single cent of their financial budget for next year! If the Light Parliament were to detain their portion of the budget, the Light Parliament would be better off fighting the skeletons on the battlefront!


    The Light Parliament could only suck it up towards the military��s stand. The military might need more budget to resist the Undead Army, not to mention decreasing it. They were fortunate that the border territory that connected to the Country of Darkness wasn��t huge and the Country of Law and the Munn Kingdom were sandwiched by the sides. The Country of Darkness didn��t dare to attack the Country of Law while the Munn Kingdom managed to defend against the Undead Army. It was due to this that the Country of Light��s losses were still within the acceptable range. If it weren��t for the Munn Kingdom that served as a shield to the Country of Light, perhaps two-thirds of the latter��s territory would have sunk and surrendered.


    ��The Light Parliament is facing an extremely serious problem.��


    Andre sat on the chair and gazed sternly at the bald senior who seemed to be in his sixties. However, the gully-like, deep wrinkles on his forehead and lifeless eyes made him look as though he were in his eighties. He was Andre��s strongest supporter in the Light Parliament, parliament member Carlson.


    ��We��re aware of the financial deficit. In fact, this problem isn��t hard to resolve because the five largest financial groups will still stand up for them eventually. It is no longer avoidable that the Light Parliament loses their dominance. But���� the senior paused and revealed a look of despair. ��This isn��t the biggest problem on hand. The Light Parliament isn��t willing to face their enemy face-to-face. I know there are many parliament members who believe that the five largest financial groups intervening with this matter would be an advantageous one and they can urge them to deal with Her Highness, the Light Dragon Soul!��


    The senior let out a snort.


    ��This is ridiculous. The Undead Army is eying the situation covetously, but all they think about is consolidating and recovering their authority. It is due to them the people turned their attention to whether the Munn Kingdom has private transactions with the Country of Darkness. But what��s the purpose of this? No matter if the Munn Kingdom has any agreement with the Country of Darkness, the fact that we��ve fallen to the attack of the Country of Darkness won��t change!��


    The senior raged.


    ��Hilarious. The people of Casabianca aren��t afraid of the Undead Army that is attacking their city walls right now, but are more concerned if they are the victims of the dealings between the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Darkness. How hilarious! The Light Parliament is heading down a path to destruction! So what if they proved that the Munn Kingdom has relations with the Country of Darkness? If it weren��t for the Munn Kingdom that stood against the Undead Army, our defensive line would have been long gone. Do they think that they can send out their troops to attack the Munn Kingdom as long as they capture evidence?!��


    ��Why does the Light Parliament lack foresight?��


    Andre knitted his brows to Carlson��s grumbles and asked curiously. Andre had met some of the parliament members. While some of them were indeed less intelligent, some were extremely cunning, so it was impossible that they couldn��t foresee what crisis would fall upon them. So why did they make such a judgment?


    ��I don��t understand it either.��


    Carlson spread his arms apart.


    ��Many people in the parliament think that everything will be fine as long as they give verbal attention to the Munn Kingdom. After all, the problem belongs to the Country of Light and as the parliament, we should make our own decision. However, parliament member Nakvard has a different view on this. I guess you��re aware about this too, Andre. As a determined human supremacist, he never believes in other races. He made it clear in parliament that the Country of Darkness attacked the Country of Light solely due to their dealings with the Munn Kingdom and the goal was to sway the rule of parliament�� Got to say, many people agreed with his reasons because in the previous Dragon Soul Ceremony, I��m sure you��ve witnessed�� Her Royal Highness Lydia and that man named Rhode�� Nakvard believes that everything is carefully planned by the Munn Kingdom while the man was Lydia��s chess piece����


    Carlson shook his head helplessly. Andre knew what he meant. Indeed, this latest Dragon Soul Ceremony was too different from those in the past. This wasn��t the first time that he participated in one, but�� this was the first time that such a situation happened��the Light Parliament crumbled to one person and might possibly lose their position��


    Andre shivered instinctively as the black figure emerged in his head.


    The sense of fear still existed, albeit gradually faded away. However, Andre knew that he hadn��t overcome his fears yet.


    ��Not only that.��


    Carlson lowered his voice, scanned the surroundings, and said, ��But I��m also aware of their plan�� And it is related to that man����


    ***


    ��Do they really intend to do so?��


    Rhode��s smile of disdain emerged on the other side of the crystal, which exhilarated Sonia. She licked around her lips, nodded, and said softly, ��Yes, Master. I think they should be taking action soon.��


    Before Sonia left the Land of Atonement, her only ��parting gift�� was this crystal ball, which she could use to contact and report to Rhode about situations she deemed as important. But this time, Rhode didn��t request to contact her. It was her who took the initiative because she couldn��t live a day without hearing her master��s voice and command.


    ��They��re just a group of idiots. I don��t mind if they wish to humiliate themselves.��


    Rhode curled his lips and didn��t take what she said to heart. On the contrary, Sonia didn��t feel furious or insulted by his actions. Instead, she felt a sense of comfort and delight.


    Indeed. This is my master and he isn��t afraid of the idiots in the Light Parliament!


    ��Forget about such a boring matter. Did you follow my instructions?��


    ��Of course, Master.��


    Sonia blushed and placed her hand between her legs. Her azure eyes glinted in her over excitement.


    ��I followed your order and did so during�� the meeting����


    The numbing sensation between her legs re-emerged as she recalled the scene��she sat in the back row of the meeting while the others were debating over the future of the Country of Light. She wasn��t involved in their debate at all. She stretched out her right hand and secretly touched between her legs under her robe. The sense of thrill was heightened especially when she was present in the most solemn place in the Country of Light and doing shamelessly shady business behind everyone. It was so comfortable that she almost fainted and the pleasure had as though been imprinted inside her. At this moment, she would accept without hesitation if Rhode were to order her to run around the plaza naked.


    ��Alright then, let me have a look.��


    ��Yes! Master!��


    Sonia��s voice was filled with trembling excitement. Then, she shamelessly leaned back on her chair, lifted her skirt, and spread her legs wide apart��she didn��t wear anything underneath?!


    ��How did you do it during the meeting? Demonstrate to me.��


    ��Yes�� Master����


    Sonia��s breathing hastened. She exposed her most private area and skillfully caressed between her legs under Rhode��s gaze. Even though they were divided by a crystal ball, she felt as though she was struck by lightning upon sensing his look of disdain and ridicule. The numbing sensation once again returned to her. She couldn��t find such a feeling from Andre at all��


    ��Mas�� Master��!��


    Shortly after, her right hand movement quickened while her left hand rubbed her chest. She instinctively craved the desire for sensuality.


    Fingers�� My fingers can��t stop�� No�� No��!


    Knock knock knock.


    Someone knocked on the door and startled her, and she subconsciously stopped her actions. Then, she realized that Rhode had disappeared from the other side of the crystal ball. Disappointment and anger surged inside her as the thrill that was about to reach its peak was interrupted. She tidied her clothes simply, turned around, and asked in an annoyed tone:


    ��Who is it?��


    ��It��s me, Sonia.��


    ��Andre?��


    Sonia stared at the door blankly and finally recalled this rather unfamiliar name. She knitted her brows, but quickly restored her usual expression. Then, she opened the door and saw Andre��s uncertain expression.


    ��What��s wrong, Sonia? You don��t seem too well.��


    ��No�� I was just�� resting.��


    Sonia forced a smile and stroked her hair languidly. Andre fixed his eyes on her, but she was no longer joyful of the attention that she was receiving. On the contrary, she felt annoyed and asked with puckered brows. ��Is anything the matter?��


    ��Ah, yes.��


    Andre shifted his gaze away shyly and rubbed his nose in an awkward manner.


    ��Sonia, if�� it is possible, can I have dinner with you tonight? I don��t think a thank you from me is enough. I����


    ��I����


    Sonia��s face stiffened. If it were in the past, she would be jumping for joy if Andre were to invite her for dinner. But now, her first reaction was to seek permission from Rhode. It was due to this that she instinctively tried to reject him. But at this moment, Rhode��s sweet, devilish voice rang in her head.


    ��This is a chance, Miss. Sonia. You can break free from everything and return to the past�� I always believe that true love accepts everything. If this man truly loves you, wouldn��t the perverted and licentious side of you be part of who he loves too? Miss Sonia. This is your final test and choice����


    Can I really return to the past?


    Sonia was baffled. She stood blankly on the spot while thoughts spun in her head.


    Can I really break free from everything?


    Abandon everything to return to the past?


    Just as I��ve anticipated��to receive Andre��s love and be with him forever?


    Is this what I wished for?


    Most importantly, do I want to break away from this?


    ��If you��re tired, we can have dinner another day.��


    Andre was slightly disappointed upon noticing her expression. However, he pulled himself together and showed a gracious smile before turning away. Then, Sonia made her decision.


    ��Please wait, Andre.��


    ��Sonia?��


    Andre turned around in surprise and witnessed her smile.


    ��I��m willing to go to dinner with you, Andre.��

 Chapter 774 - A Crazy Invitation

    Sonia laid down the glass of alcohol and gazed at the man she deeply loved in the past before her. However, for unknown reasons, she felt nothing for him despite her still clearly remembering the place they first met. Back then, she was proud, arrogant, and disinterested in a crude man like Andre. She looked down upon other races like the nobles of the Country of Light and it was due to this that she mocked Cheryl, which led to Andre��s dissatisfaction.


    Thereafter, Sonia came up with ways to defeat Andre, but eventually failed. It was at that moment her emotions toward this man had a strange transformation. Andre was a smart and powerful man to her, but he often got himself into trouble over meaningless matters and was willing to offend powerful nobles for his Elf servant. Sonia couldn��t understand what was going through his head at all and it was from that moment she found herself interested in him.


    Then, under all kinds of chances, she got close to that man, and the latter had given her encouragement that she never expected. When she almost gave up due to tremendous pressure from family conflicts, Andre encouraged her to pull herself together, and she finally became the third executive officer of the Lockos Financial Group. Up until this moment, Sonia still remembered that night��Andre looked at her deeply and spoke about his incomparably childish dreams under the moonlight.


    Perhaps it was the moment when she saw the glint in his eyes that she became deeply attracted to him.


    His every word and action caught her eyes. She was intoxicated by his serious attitude, as well as the shy, innocent, yet hilarious smile that he displayed whenever he felt awkward. There were many times when she hoped to confess to this man, in exchange for his love and recognition. But now��


    That was the past, after all.


    The memories of the past emerged in her head. But deep down, she felt differently. If it were in the past, perhaps her heart would be pounding. But now, she was so oddly calm that she couldn��t believe herself.


    What��s wrong with me? What have I become? Why? Why don��t I feel anything?


    Sonia clutched the glass and took a sip.


    ��Sonia, are you alright?��


    Andre asked curiously as the strong, stimulating sensation from the alcohol diffused inside her mouth, leaving her a little dizzy. Sonia shook her head.


    ��I��m fine, Andre����


    Sonia looked at him with a smile.


    ��Andre, do you like me?��


    ��Huh?��


    Andre stared blankly and blushed.


    ��S-Sonia, what are you talking about����


    ��Answer me, Andre.��


    Sonia stood up and went up to him. Currently, they were the only ones in this private VIP room that Andre had booked, which was why Sonia had no concerns. She placed her hand on his chest and leaned into his ear.


    ��Do you like me, Andre? Do you want me?��


    ��S-Sonia?��


    Andre appeared rather miserable at her sudden advancement. He instinctively stood up as though to avoid her.


    ��What��s the matter with you? You��re drunk, Sonia�� Don��t����


    ��I like you�� Andre����


    A confession that he yearned for even in his dreams.


    But for unknown reasons, Sonia didn��t feel the excitement and embarrassment she had expected. At this moment, she felt as though an actress on stage and whatever she did was simply acting according to the script.


    ��Sonia, you����


    ��Do you like me, Andre?��


    Sonia took one step closer and pushed herself onto him. She looked up silently at him. Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck.


    Will you be able to help me break free from this incubus so I can restart all over again, Andre? Can you do it?


    ��D-Don��t do this, Sonia!��


    Just as Sonia��s lips were about to touch Andre��s, the latter shrunk and pushed her away. Sonia staggered and widened her eyes in astonishment. The atmosphere turned strange instantly. Andre blushed and let out an awkward cough while his eyes wandered.


    ��I��m�� sorry�� Sonia, I didn��t����


    ��Huhuhu����


    ��Huh?��


    ��Hahahaha��!��


    Sonia stooped over and burst into laughter. After a few moments, she straightened her posture.


    ��You��re so easily tricked by me, Andre. Aren��t you a little too stupid? I didn��t expect you to be this gullible. It seems like I should get Cheryl to watch over you whenever you go to the ball. If not, how am I supposed to explain to Cheryl if you��re bewitched by a noblewoman?��


    ��T-This has nothing to do with Cheryl.��


    Andre rubbed his nose helplessly and let out a long sigh.


    ��Really. You almost scared me to death, Sonia. I thought you were drunk����


    ��This is a compulsory lesson from me, Andre. You should get used to it.��


    Sonia lifted her head and looked at him wittily.


    ��Thanks for the lesson, Sonia.��


    Andre shook his head and gazed out of the window.


    ��It��s late already. Let me send you back.��


    ���� Okay, Andre.��


    Sonia turned around with her back facing Andre. She gazed at the night scenery outside the window. Although the room was brightly lit, she felt as though she had entered an abyss with nothing beneath her feet�� It was an eternal darkness. She shut her eyes, lowered her head, and mumbled under her breath.


    Master��


    To Rhode, this period of time could almost be considered his days of making fortune.


    After sending the first Holy Maiden Statue to Dragon Canyon, the other regions quickly contacted the Land of Atonement with hopes to attain one of the statues for themselves. It was no wonder that they were this passionate about the statue. Back then, even though the statues performed outstandingly during the battle, Rhode��s fortress was supported by the Battle Angels and Magic Fleet, after all. They weren��t sure if the statues would be equally useful in their territories. But now, they clearly witnessed the improvements to Dragon Canyon after they attained the Holy Maiden Statue and immediately let go of their concerns and sought help from Rhode. No matter what, they were desperate to have this legendary artifact that only Rhode could create in the entire Light Mainland.


    The Holy Maiden Statues indeed weren��t omnipotent. Although Ann sounded as though she was promoting it, this was the war period and it wasn��t a great idea to hide their weaknesses. In fact, Rhode told General Anton that although the Holy Maiden Statues were the natural enemy of the Undead Creatures, they were only statues apart from this purpose, so they couldn��t withstand any damage. Even though they were made of magic crystals with a certain extent of magical resistance, they would be completely doomed if smashed by catapults or battering rams. However, these minute problems didn��t seem to stop the purchasers. Nothing was perfect in this world and even after decades, there were still no safety resolutions to the violent trembles which the powerful magic cannons brought upon when firing. Besides, the statues weren��t so fragile that they would shatter instantly. The purchasers valued the statue��s massive enchanted field and powerful holy spear. Moreover, it could enhance the area within its range with the holy attribute. Not only would the water sources turn holy, but the soldiers�� armor and weapons would also be enhanced with the holy attribute, which would be great against the Undead Creatures who were weakened by the enchanted field. Furthermore, after the Undead Creatures crumbled, Necromancers wouldn��t be able to awaken their corpses to replenish their forces because the evil energy would be demolished under the sacred rays and lose their effects entirely.


    It went to show that with the presence of the Holy Maiden Statue, the Undead Army��s forces were dramatically weakened, where they couldn��t pollute the water source, lower the soldiers�� morale, attack using their sturdy bodies that were enhanced by spiritual powers, or increase their forces by awakening corpses. Although the Undead Army��s high-level troops were strong, at least the humans would be fighting a battle where they held an advantage.


    This was more than enough for them.


    It was due to this that letters from all around the Munn Kingdom flooded Rhode��s table. The Eastern Plains and Sygram, which saw the most aggressive battles, were in more urgent need. Apart from them, some of the letters came from the regions that were bordered the Country of Light and it was apparent that they weren��t confident in their army at all. Instead of relying on the Light Parliament, they were better off relying on themselves.


    These overlords weren��t as poor as Rhode. Of course, they wouldn��t carry a few million gold coins around with them. Instead, the platinum coins and diamonds were the most commonly circulated currency on the continent. They didn��t hesitate to fork out a value of 3 million gold coins as deposit at all, which left Rhode feeling a touch of envy.


    I worked hard for so long and could finally rely on the system to earn some money. These rich overlords handed over millions without batting their eyes. Why is the gap between humans so huge in this world too?


    But strictly speaking, Rhode didn��t earn much because money was the capital to create the statues, after all. He would only receive his earnings after handing over the statues.


    However, there was always good and bad to everything. In this world, human nature was an existence that couldn��t be described with kindness. As the passionate letters flew to his desk, visitors to the Land of Atonement also gradually increased and some weren��t here for travel. In fact, Joey and his team had caught a few fellows who tried to sneak into the Mage Tower. Moreover, there were also a lot of unfamiliar faces in the fortress. Not only that, but Rhode also heard from Marlene that some nobles raised their doubts to Lydia about how Rhode obtained this legendary artifact. Even though Lydia ignored the requests, Rhode was clear that doubts and opinions about him existed in the Munn Kingdom. He couldn��t be blamed, since he was indeed overly powerful and rose to the top as an overlord from his past identity of just a mercenary leader. The nobles could still accept explanations if he had gotten the statues from the Senia Family. But now, he relied on himself to lay hands on the production process of the statues.


    How did he do it? How is it possible? What secrets does this man have? What is he trying to do?


    Rhode wasn��t in the mood and couldn��t have a way to clear their doubts, so why not leave all the questions aside? He knew clearly that these weren��t the only problems. In fact, it wasn��t wrong to say that he was an ��unregistered resident�� of this world.


    On the other hand, what left him astonished was that the Magic Fleet also dispatched a representative to ask if the Holy Maiden Statues could operate in air, which was an unexpected development for him. However, he considered and didn��t find it too surprising because he had once used the Holy Maiden Statues on the Floating Boat in Dragon Canyon and turned the tide against the enemies. They valued the coverage of the Holy Maiden Statues, as well as the enchanted field that weakened the Undead Creatures, which explained why they wanted to move it onto their ships. Rhode admitted that this was a great idea. If it worked, the Munn Kingdom wouldn��t need to fear anymore even if the Undead Creatures wrapped around from the other side or purposely avoided the enchanted field.


    Frankly speaking, Rhode was rather astonished after hearing their request. In the game, none of the players had done so, but this wasn��t due to the players�� line of thoughts. Instead, it was because the players couldn��t get their hands on the blueprints of the Magic Fleet, so they wouldn��t even consider this possibility. However, Rhode admitted that this might be possible now. Of course, it had its obvious flaw, where if the enemies targeted the Magic Fleet that was transporting the statue, everything would be doomed if the Magic Fleet crashed. If they were to protect the Magic Fleet endlessly, it would be much easier on land. On the other hand, the Magic Fleet in air could avoid ambushes from enemies�� This indeed was a great idea.


    Rhode left the negotiations of this matter to Marlene. After all, the Senia Family had always been responsible in producing the Magic Fleet with the royal family and she was more familiar with those people than him.


    However, this didn��t mean that Rhode had nothing on his hands. After receiving Sonia��s report, he learned that his troubles hadn��t ended yet. A planted agent made things more convenient for him. He heard from Sonia about the views that the Light Parliament had toward him and Lydia. He couldn��t help but acknowledge that Nakvard was skillful in manipulation. As a human supremacist, he deeply understood the logic behind humans supporting their own race and there definitely was a market for his ideas because the Light Parliament was fearful of Lydia. Rhode was sure that if Nakvard gave a public speech in the plaza and incited the people��s emotions, he would successfully brainwash them into thinking that the Munn Kingdom was an enemy that they must defeat.


    The battle had not ended yet. It had simply changed its location.


    Besides, there were many times when the battles in the rear were much more thorny than the front.


    On the surface, the fortress in the Land of Atonement was still as peaceful as ever, with everything going according to Rhode��s arrangements. Nell was currently in charge of training Joey and his team of Thieves and Rhode learned from Joey that the progress was great. Even though Nell couldn��t possibly teach them the characteristics of the Dark Elves, the assassination techniques that they had created were beneficial enough for the Thieves.


    On the other hand, Orchid Heart had finally gained the recognition that she deserved after her crucial performance at the previous battle. Previously, even though many soldiers seemed rather respectful toward this young lady who always looked sleepy, they actually held doubts about her. It was thanks to Marfa and Sol that they learned to obey orders. However, after Orchid Heart eliminated the Undead Army, the doubtful voices vanished entirely. Even though they didn��t figure out if Orchid Heart was a Mage or another class, there were no doubts about her formidable strength anymore, which was why Rhode appointed her to lead the army against the enemies in the game. Another reason was that she wasn��t an expert in PK, unlike Rhode, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum, who were the last ones standing in the PK arena. With Orchid Heart��s current level, they could thank the heavens that she entered the third round of elimination matches.


    This was also due to her being a Spellcaster Scholar because this class didn��t possess many battle abilities. They solely relied on the enemies�� attack to launch counter attacks. If she could survive the mid to late stages of a chaotic battle, it meant that she controlled the entire battle and could be the champion. However, anyone could defeat her in the early stages of the battle. Besides, the biggest problem of the Spellcaster Scholar was that they could only copy techniques and not enemy attributes. Therefore, they were at a disadvantage against pure attacks that didn��t rely on technique. If Anne were to battle Orchid Heart, the latter would surely kneel before the former within half a minute. This was because Anne didn��t need any techniques to deal with her, and where her shield would crush Orchid Heart immediately.


    However, there weren��t any issues with her commanding an army. Not only could she ensure her safety by staying in the back lines, but she could also accurately gather the techniques and magic spells the enemy cast. She would wait for an opportune timing and with a light stroke of her finger, various magic spells and techniques would instantly erupt to shatter the enemy��s defense and attack.


    On this continent, the casting of almost every technique required spiritual powers and it was no exception for Rhode��s Spirit Swordsman class. However, the Spellcaster Scholar was the only class that didn��t need to expend any spiritual powers. In other words, under the right conditions, Orchid Heart could instantly release a legendary spell that a dozen high-level Mages needed to cast together. This was because she didn��t need to expend her spiritual powers in order to cast this spell, so there wasn��t any issue even if she casted continuously.


    Even though Spellcaster Scholars didn��t need to expend their spiritual powers, they still had flaws. She could release a technique with the light tap of her finger if she just recorded the enemy��s moves in her book. But if she were to release other techniques she learned before the battle, she would need a ��charge up�� period. This was why the class was so insane, yet easily defeated in elimination matches. Elimination matches required speed and efficiency. Under such conditions, Orchid Heart wouldn��t be able to respond appropriately and the enemy obviously wouldn��t give her time to charge up her technique and magic spells. Even if she learned all the magic spells and techniques in this world, she still couldn��t make up for this flaw.


    After the previous battle, Orchid Heart��s position in the Land of Atonement had stabilized. The new soldiers were no longer as brazen as they were and didn��t need Marfa and Sol to keep them on their toes.


    Everything seemed to be running on the right track.


    But shortly after, the situation took a turn.


    As their front line faced the attacks from the Undead Army, the Country of Light could no longer rely on themselves to defend. As a result, they officially requested reinforcements from the Munn Kingdom.


    At the same time, an envelope marked with the crest of the Light Parliament and Archangel arrived on Rhode��s desk.

 Chapter 775 - Give Me a Reason

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��I expected someone to be here, but I didn��t know that it would be you, Grand Mage Amund.��


    Rhode put away the letter in his hand, crossed his arms, and leaned back on his chair. Just a few moments ago, he calmly read the letter sent by the Light Parliament. The so-called ��calmly�� referred to him not smacking the table furiously, ripping it apart, or cursing before throwing it into the flames��yes, he had indeed read the letter calmly.


    ��I don��t understand what the idiots of the Light Parliament are thinking and I don��t care at all, Grand Mage Amund. The front line is in an urgent situation and I have to stay here in case the Undead Army attacks. Moreover, I have a shortage of manpower. So, I apologize. I can��t respond to the pleads from those idiots. They have to clean up the mess they��ve created and are better off using their corpses to defend against the Undead Army.��


    Amund displayed a bitter smile to Rhode��s ruthless words. Of course, he understood clearly that this young man was evading the matter on hand. Everyone knew that the Land of Atonement held the most stable front line, where 150,000 troops were burned into ashes. Judging from the current situation, the Country of Darkness temporarily lacked sufficient troops to launch another attack. However, Rhode was smart to respond with this reason because the Light Parliament wouldn��t have any other ways to retort.


    ��I��m sure you��ve also seen Her Royal Highness Lydia��s suggestion����


    ��Yes, Grand Mage Amund. Her Royal Highness Lydia has indeed ��suggested�� it. If it is her ��order��, I, as the subject, will have the obligation to comply. However, if this is just a ��suggestion��, then I apologize. I won��t send my people to die for the sake of the Light Parliament��s foolish actions.��


    Rhode narrowed his eyes and swept a glance to the letter on his desk. He admitted that Lydia was an understanding person. In this letter, the Light Parliament explained that they were admirable of Rhode��s abilities to repel the Undead Army. Currently, the Winter Castle was facing the threats of the Undead Army and in order to defeat them, they needed stronger reinforcements such as Rhode��s forces. If it were possible, they wished to receive the support of the Holy Maiden Statues. Not only that, but they also hoped to receive help from the Munn Kingdom and other nations to form an alliance!


    If this was all to the content in the letter, Rhode would have tossed it away. Lydia��s suggestion was the only reason stopping him from ripping it up. She didn��t mention that Rhode had to accept the Light Parliament��s proposal. Instead, she tactfully ��suggested�� for Rhode to take more considerations into this matter and stated a few reasons. For example, once the Winter Castle collapsed, the front lines by the border of the Munn Kingdom would need to be extended. However, the preparation by the rear wasn��t ready yet. If the Winter Castle crumbled, the Undead Army could directly wrap around the defensive lines of Paphield-Grenbell, Dragon Canyon, Eastern Plains, and Sygram and launch their attacks on the Munn Kingdom. Rhode was aware that if the situation ended up in this state, it would be useless even if his fortress was secure.


    However, this wasn��t what made him curious. Instead, Lydia clearly hinted that this wasn��t the reason she wished for him to head into the Winter Castle. As for the specific information, Rhode could ask Amund for them. It was apparent that there were some essential matters Lydia didn��t reveal in the letter.


    It was due to this that Rhode waited for Amund��s explanation with crossed arms while totally neglecting the ashen-looking soldier around��from the start, Rhode didn��t give a damn about this armored knight from the Country of Light. The knight held in his wrath as he listened to Rhode��s disdain and ridicules toward the Country of Light. However, what could he say? Did he dare to refute? If it weren��t for Amund, this knight wouldn��t even dare to step into this ridiculous place. The Land of Atonement had become a place of devils and monsters to the people of the Country of Light. Whoever stepped into it would be cursed with misfortune!


    But now, the knight finally couldn��t tolerate anymore. He stepped forward perhaps due to his pride as the people of the Country of Light or because Amund stood beside him. He knitted his brows and said loudly.


    ��My apologies, Sir Overlord. I don��t agree with what you said! The Undead Army is currently eying the situation covetously. We, as humans, should abandon our grudges and work hand in hand. This will bring us a chance to defeat the disgusting Undead Creatures!��


    ��Ha!��


    Rhode let out a grunt. The knight spoke forcefully with justice, but it was a pity that it didn��t work on him. Rhode couldn��t care less about the hackneyed arguments about humans joining forces against external threats, which was also why he hated Hollywood movies. The group of idiot scientists who were so-called exploring the truth provoked aliens who then attacked earth. After countless people died and finally defeated the aliens, the group of scientists basked in glory as though they were the ones who rescued the world. This made Rhode sick. If it weren��t for the group of idiots from the Country of Light that deployed their army by the border, would the Country of Darkness see it as an opportunity to invade the Light Mainland?


    Rhode didn��t respond to the knight because the latter was just an unimportant character who wasn��t worthy of his time. Rhode knitted his brows and gazed at Amund, hoping for an explanation. Amund let out a sigh and gestured for the knight to step back,to which the latter complied. The knight didn��t understand why many people in the Country of Light hated this young man and now, he finally understood the reason. This young man held no respect and treated the Country of Light like a weak-minded concentration camp and disregarded the Light Parliament. This left the knight extremely dissatisfied. If he didn��t come here with the identity of an emissary and if Rhode��s reputation wasn��t so notorious, he would have drawn his sword for a showdown��but he was also aware that his head would be hung on the entrance of this fortress if he lost his mind and made such a foolish decision.


    After the door closed, Amund let out a bitter laugh and shook his head helplessly at Rhode.


    ��Mr. Rhode, you don��t have to be this critical sometimes. After all, the problems with the Country of Light�� Everyone is aware.��


    ��But if I don��t say it, they will act as though they aren��t aware. This makes me sick, Grand Mage Amund. I have to criticize and infuriate them because it makes me feel great.��


    Rhode shrugged, spread his arms apart, and revealed a distasteful expression. All Amund could do was to shake his head with a bitter smile. However, it was this moment that Amund became more favorable of this young man. In the past, he had always seen Rhode in his cunning side. Even though most successful people behaved this way, Rhode was still too young and it wasn��t great for him to put up a poker face everyday. Now that Amund saw him behaving this way, he felt that this young man had some stubbornness that young people should always have. Amund knew a lot about the matters in the Country of Light as the Court Grand Mage. However, due to his position, he couldn��t say much even if he wanted to. He naturally felt great to hear Rhode mocking the Country of Light and Light Parliament. But he couldn��t admit it, of course. Moreover, there were more important matters that they had to discuss.


    ��Alright, Mr. Rhode. This isn��t the main discussion.��


    Amund let out a cough and lowered his voice.


    ��Regarding the contents of the letter, Her Royal Highness Lydia wishes for you to head into the Winter Castle and provide assistance to their defense. If you��re concerned about anything, she can dispatch the Battle Angel Army to secure your fortress in the meantime. Besides, if your fortress is under attack, you can return immediately. Of course, regarding the suggestion to the Holy Maiden Statues, Her Royal Highness Lydia has also read it and thinks that it will be a good idea if it can be done. Sure, producing the Holy Maiden Statues requires money and it will be at the expense of the state treasury.��


    ��Hmm?��


    Rhode puckered his brows and gazed at Amund dubiously. It was rather strange that Lydia had given him so much respect, but this wasn��t the reason that made him curious. He sharply detected the meaning behind Amund��s words��it would be best that Rhode headed to the Winter Castle while Lydia was willing to send the Battle Angel Army to support the fortress?


    This was the question that he was most concerned about.


    Why must it be me?


    Rhode ignored the words of the Light Parliament and treated them as farts. In fact, if he were an ordinary overlord, he could send a team of soldiers to the front line and express to the Light Parliament that he was occupied with other matters. Even if the Light Parliament accused him of anything, he wouldn��t be hurt in any way.


    But now, Lydia wished that he could head over personally and this meant that the problem was huge. What was so important that he had to head there personally?


    ��This was what happened.��


    Amund lowered his voice.


    ��Her Royal Highness Lydia was aware of this news before making this decision. The news was that Her Majesty will be heading to the Winter Castle to boost morale and observe the battle. So����


    So this is why!


    Rhode��s eyes glinted. He finally understood the reason now. There was only one person in the Light Mainland who was worthy to be called Her Majesty��the Light Dragon Soul Heir, Lilian.


    Previously, Rhode couldn��t figure out the reason because he didn��t consider Lilian as one of the factors. In the game, Lilian��s presence was almost close to none, where she didn��t influence any situations at all and the players weren��t too interested in her. But now, it seemed that Rhode had changed the story. After the Dragon Soul Ceremony, Lilian slowly shaped into the ruler and heir that she should have been. Of course, she didn��t do a great job and some things were even done poorly. However, this was for the best that Rhode could change the future. More important, anything that Lilian did could be seen as a lethal blow to the Light Parliament. The Light Parliament would surely try all ways to stop Lilian from recovering her authority.


    It was due to this reason that when he heard that Lilian was heading to the Winter Castle to boost morale of the soldiers, he instantly understood what Lydia had planned. Previously, it definitely wasn��t an ��accident�� for him to meet Lilian in Casabianca. Judging from Lydia��s actions, it appeared that she looked favorably on their meeting and now, she even hinted to him to visit the Winter Castle. It was apparent that she wished that Rhode could influence Lilian even more. As the Archangel, Lydia couldn��t often leave her territory, so someone had to do it on her behalf.


    However, Rhode didn��t expect that even though Lydia indeed had such an intention, the one who suggested that he headed into the Winter Castle was Lilian!


    It was previously mentioned that Lilian was a kind, innocent child and the Light Parliament exploited this part of her. From the start, they stopped her from heading into the front line and naturally parted on bad terms. Then, the Light Parliament found another way. They agreed with Lilian, but at the same time raised a ��suggestion��. It was imaginable how an innocent girl like Lilian would believe in the good guys joining forces in dealing with the evil enemies. Moreover, the Light Parliament somehow managed to learn about the relationship between Rhode and Lilian, which they purposely suggested to Lilian to invite Rhode into the alliance. This was great news for Lilian because she would be delighted to meet Rhode, which was why she agreed without any hesitation.


    See? We��ve received the authorization from the Light Dragon and this is her seal of approval right here. What are you gonna do about it, Munn Kingdom? Hahaha. You called yourselves the loyal subjects of the Light Dragon, eh? Surely you won��t defy her, right?


    This was also why the Light Parliament brazenly raised such a request.


    As expected.


    Rhode knitted his brows. The Light Parliament had indeed forgotten their past pains after their wounds were healed and dared to provoke him. Since Lilian agreed to their invitation for Rhode, it meant that Lilian wished to meet him. However, she was still the Light Dragon, after all. If the Light Parliament taunted Rhode on purpose in the Winter Castle, things would be in big trouble. Lilian definitely wouldn��t wish to see Rhode attacking the Light Parliament. If the Light Parliament manipulated her properly, they might even make Lilian dissatisfied with Lydia, which would surely influence the Munn Kingdom.


    However, if Rhode submitted to the humiliation, the Light Parliament would definitely climb all over and vent their frustrations on him.


    Their scheme is quite well-thought.


    But��


    Rhode revealed a gentle smile.


    ��I got it, Grand Mage Amund. I accept the invitation.��

 Chapter 776 - More Than One Condition

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Even though Rhode accepted the invitation, he wouldn��t make things easy for the Light Parliament.


    Do they really think that I��m a pushover?


    Although Lydia hoped for him to go and there were reasons for him to do so, he had no intentions of letting others know about it. Since the group of bastards ��pleaded�� for him to join them as though he was their savior, then they should show some sincerity.


    No problem, I��ve prepared a whole list of conditions here.


    Rhode didn��t hold back at all and requested for the right to fight independently. Although he would be joining the Winter Castle��s defensive line as a reinforcement, he wouldn��t accept orders from the Country of Light��s military commanders, and they would only hold the right to suggest and not command. In other words, Rhode had the final say as to when he wished to show up. Apart from this, he had also stated that the commanders couldn��t command his army without permission�� On this piece of paper, he listed down around a dozen conditions. However, this wasn��t completed yet. Or perhaps, this was just the start!


    Alright, the conditions regarding the battle are settled. On to the Holy Maiden Statues.


    The Light Parliament wants me to bring the Holy Maiden Statues to the Winter Castle? No problem! Let��s talk about price: the Holy Maiden Statues are my private assets, so I don��t have any issues transporting them there. However, I am the only one who can use them. If any of you wishes to receive assistance from the holy spears or move them about, you will need to pay!


    Not only that, but you��ll also write a report to me and can only use them after gaining my approval. But let me put this up front. If any of your dumb commanders cause damage to them, you will need to compensate. As for the price�� 50 million gold coins! If the statues are destroyed entirely, the Light Parliament will need to compensate for a total of 100 million gold coins!


    Yes, this isn��t all. Combat needs to pay particular attention to the slightest details and no errors should be made. This is why we have to talk about pensions for my casualties. I will be leading 5,000 soldiers and their pensions will be covered by the Light Parliament entirely. As for the amount, I��m a generous man and as long as you offer an acceptable sum, there won��t be much issues.


    Of course, just in case, Rhode also requested for this contract to be signed under the witness of the church in order to remove any possibility of the Light Parliament shrinking responsibilities!


    Rhode didn��t fire blindly with this final request. The church was a superior organization and the Country of Law was the strongest nation on this continent. They held two Creator Dragon Souls and directed the church to control the economic flow. All churches had the dual functions of being notary offices and banks. If this were in the real word, no country would accept their own economic channels and wealth to be in the hands of other countries. However, this was the Dragon Soul Continent, where the Creator Dragon Souls were mightier than all. The churches were fair and independent, which was why they were the best choice to witness the signing of contracts. This was especially so when the contract involved compensations. Normally, one shouldn��t worry about the other party reneging on the contract as long as the church witnessed the signings just like in the conditions that Rhode had listed��once the church witnessed the signings it would mean that as long as the Holy Maiden Statues were damaged or destroyed, the Light Parliament would need to fork out a compensation amount of between 50 million to 100 million gold coins.


    What if the Light Parliament couldn��t afford it? Simple. Rhode could apply for enforcement from the church while the latter would store everything in the Light Parliament��s possession into their accounts. It would also be fine even if the Light Parliament couldn��t repay the debt because the church would then retrieve the amount from the Country of Light (no matter where they had gotten the money from).


    What would happen to the unfortunate idiots of the Light Parliament? The church wouldn��t care about them. An agreement signed at the national level meant that the entire country was the executor and it would simply be a question of who was the one who executed it.


    This might not sound fair, but what could they do since it was the Country of Law who maintained law and order in this continent with two Creator Dragon Souls? The Country of Darkness didn��t even dare to lay hands on the Country of Law and could only focus their attention on the Country of Light. The Light Parliament wouldn��t be that foolish to mess with two Creator Dragon Souls either. Even though many people with insights thought about leaving the church��s financial circulation system and breaking free from the Country of Law��s control, the Country of Law��s system had been ongoing ever since the end of the Creation War. As a figure of speech, if the entire Dragon Soul Continent was a human, the Country of Law��s and church��s financial circulation system would be the blood vessels and nerves, so it wouldn��t be easy to remove them.


    From a certain perspective, the Country of Law was the true ruler of this continent.


    Of course, Rhode didn��t forget about his obligations. After all, everything needed to be fair. At the end of the list, he wrote that he would do his best to help the alliance in defending against the Undead Army for the sake of peace among humans.


    At this point in time, we��re the world�� No, we��re the people of the Dragon Soul Continent, regardless of race and gender. We will face the same threat and I will do my utmost for the sake of peace in the Light Mainland under the lead of the Light Dragon! This is the rightful obligation of a mortal, human, and person of this continent. I believe that under the lead of the Light Dragon, the alliance will attain victory and show our courage and honor to the evil Undead Army!


    Rhode appointed Marlene to deliver the letter and negotiate with the Light Parliament. At this moment, he didn��t require any political assistance. All he wished for was to vent his frustrations.


    You idiots think that you can climb all over me after gaining Lilian��s nod of approval? Dream on!


    In fact, everything was as he predicted. The reason why the Light Parliament was so passionate this time was that they wanted to try to take him down. However, Rhode always held his guard up against them as though they were bandits. All the conditions served as countermeasures against hindrances that they might possibly cause. If anyone were to read the conditions, they would definitely raise doubts on the Light Parliament. After all, the conditions were extremely unique and detailed.


    Rhode heard that the representative of the Light Parliament flipped the table instantly after reading the conditions. However, he wasn��t afraid even if they accused him as the sinner of the entire Light Mainland. No matter what sort of tricks the Light Parliament would come up with, Rhode was determined��either you agree to them or I can simply not go!


    The Light Parliament finally realized that they buried themselves in the hole they had dug. Initially, they decided to use Lilian to intimidate Rhode. However, they didn��t expect to go for wool and come home shorn. Never in the world would they expect Rhode to be this shameless. The situation at the moment was like in a Hollywood science fiction movie where the aliens invaded earth and humans suffered gravely after defeating the evil visitors. Humans forgave the misunderstandings between races, beliefs, and cultures and remain united without national borders and hatred. All the humans united and fought for the freedom of mankind!


    But now, Rhode��s action was as though he suddenly raised his arm and requested to talk about profit distributions shamelessly just when everyone had given up their differences in the impassioned alliance meeting.


    However, Rhode didn��t care because players were synonymous with shameless. As the top player, he undoubtedly held a despicable side of him. Moreover, the Light Parliament��s dispirited roars weren��t as professional as adult video actresses in his ears. So what if he became the sinner of the human race? It wouldn��t hurt him a single bit and money was the most practical.


    The Light Parliament had considered passing the list to Lilian to make her witness how shameless this man was. However, they held back because Rhode had obviously laid out the conditions in order to guard against them. What if Lilian found out that the Light Parliament was planning to lay hands on him? The Light Parliament didn��t have a great relationship with Lilian. Previously, the Light Parliament had gotten their chairman to speak to Lilian about their support in her heading into the Winter Castle because she disliked interactions with them. What would they do if she knew that they were making use of her?


    Actually, the reason why the Light Parliament had fallen into this state was because of them being enmeshed in a trap of their own devising. Their biggest problem was their huge quarrel with Lilian back then, where they neglected the fact that Lilian was still a child regardless of age and mentality. Therefore, they were nervous when Lilian began recovering her authority and treated her as a political opponent. However, Lilian was still a child after all��


    1What do you want to compete with a child for?


    This resulted in Lilian having an unfavorable impression of the Light Parliament because she didn��t think that she was in the wrong and the Light Parliament had apparently wronged her. Not only that, but they also weren��t sincere and didn��t apologize to her thereafter. Besides, they even tried to frame Lydia, which infuriated her. The Light Parliament could only treat Lilian carefully as though coaxing a child. But what if she felt that they were harboring unfathomable motives?


    �� Do we admit it?


    Of course they wouldn��t. This involved a huge sum of money! If the church were to witness the signing, it would be a huge headache for them. The Light Parliament was already tight on finance and couldn��t afford 50 million gold coins easily, not to mention pensions for the casualties��


    What does this have to do with us?


    The other alternative was that they could show the agreement to Lilian and trick her, but everything would be done for after she headed to the front line and met Rhode. Of course, they could accuse Rhode of lying, but it was apparent who Lilian trusted.


    At this moment, the other overlords and forces had also heard about the agreement because they were part of the alliance. It could also be said that some of them belonged to the anti-parliament camp. The reason why they agreed to help the Light Parliament was so they could use this chance to pull strings with Rhode. The Light Parliament didn��t invite Rhode to the Winter Castle just for Lilian. In fact, they had also intended to form an alliance to defend against the Undead Army. But the problem now was that no one held sufficient strength and prestige to join them.


    It was due to this reason that the Light Parliament had thought of Rhode. Even though conspiracy theories regarding the Munn Kingdom were spreading in the Country of Light, only the brainwashed idiots of the Light Parliament believed them. On the contrary, the news of Rhode defeating the Undead Army with 150,000 troops had spread widely. As long as Rhode was willing to join the alliance, the alliance would definitely be powerful, which was also the reason why others joined the alliance.


    But they also understood the issues between Rhode and the Light Parliament, which was why they were exceptionally curious about the Light Parliament��s invitation to Rhode.


    After learning about Rhode��s conditions, many were baffled! They didn��t expect him to put everything on the table without showing any sympathy! As for the impassioned words at the end, anyone would read it as a form of sarcasm after matching with the conditions that he listed above.


    Of course, many thought that Rhode wasn��t being too�� careful. No matter what, this was an alliance against the Undead Creature, so what would the others think of him? However, some laughed up their sleeves inwardly. They knew how badly the Light Parliament and Rhode got along and the former must have some conspiracies to invite him over. If it weren��t for Rhode, the others wouldn��t even join this alliance!


    What gave the Light Parliament the biggest headache was that the forces who supported them mostly remained silent. Initially, the Light Parliament hoped that the forces could step up and pressure Rhode a little. However, none of them spoke a word and it was apparent that the Light Parliament was rather disappointed.


    Initially, they wished to negotiate with Rhode about the conditions. However, they had to make a decision��because Lilian had heard of the rumors and began questioning what exactly was happening!


    If this continued, no one could guarantee what sort of information she would hear. When that happened��


    The Light Parliament had no other choices left and could only nod in agreement. However, they weren��t willing to give up just yet. Instead, they requested Rhode to secure the defensive line in the Winter Castle!


    If you fail to do so, don��t blame us! Hahaha!


    Rhode expressed no concerns over it. However, since this was the case, they would need to discuss the commanding rights to the alliance��


    The Light Parliament instantly shrunk.


    They feared giving Rhode authority. Most of the forces that joined the alliance supported the Light Parliament. What if Rhode had some tricks up his sleeves to send the troops to their graves? What would be the purpose of securing this defensive line if that happened?


    In fact, Rhode also wrapped his head around this idea. If the Light Parliament was so foolish to hand the commanding rights over, Rhode would definitely torment their troops. In the future, he would have a much easier time when he attacked the Country of Light��


    Their true enemy was each other��not the Undead Army.


    In the end, the Light Parliament nodded helplessly to all of Rhode��s conditions. Both sides signed the agreement under the witness of the church and the matter came to an end. The Undead Army couldn��t care less about their negotiations and continued to swarm forward. If the Light Parliament were to haggle with Rhode any longer, the Winter Castle would collapse and the alliance would turn into a joke.


    But even so, the Light Parliament hadn��t given up yet. When they signed the agreement, they emphasized that Rhode would bring along 5000 troops and the Holy Maiden Statues. If not�� They could also abolish their agreement based on the breach of contract! Not only that, but they could also tackle Rhode even more.


    When that happens, we shall see who has the last laugh!


    Based on Sonia��s report, the Light Parliament knew that Rhode had less than 2000 soldiers. They were interested to see where could Rhode find another 3000 soldiers to make up for the difference!


    Marlene had also asked him this question because she didn��t know where he could recruit the soldiers from.


    But Rhode��s response surprised her.


    ��We won��t be mobilizing our troops, Marlene. I won��t let my adorable subordinates die for the idiots of the Country of Light.��


    ��Where do you intend to recruit 5000 soldiers then, Rhode?��


    Rhode twitched his brows.


    ��Don��t worry, I have my ways,�� he replied confidently.

 Chapter 777 - 5000 Soldiers?

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Rhode stipulated that he would bring 5000 soldiers to the Winter Castle, but where could he find that many of them?


    Not only Marlene, but other members such as Marfa, Joey, Randolf, and Sol also had this doubt as team leaders of this fortress. However, all four of them held vastly different duties. Marfa was responsible for frontal attacks and maintaining order in the fortress. Joey led the Thieves and was mainly in charge of investigation and observation. Randolf��s team of Rangers was responsible for scouting and defensive duties outside the fortress. As for Sol, his subordinates of half-demons were mostly in an elite squad who followed Rhode closely and only helped Marfa maintain order in needed times.


    In the previous battle with the Undead Army, they suffered huge losses. Fortunately, Randolf and Sol did much better because Rangers mainly used far-range attacks while half-demons were typically stronger than humans. Marfa��s mercenaries suffered the most and he lost one-third of his men, which became a huge problem.


    Even though it was only right to recruit soldiers to make up for the numbers, their recruitment methods were widely different. Marfa had the simplest method because mercenaries who were experienced in close-combat were the most common, which was why he could easily transfer more mercenaries from Starlight or train up newly recruited mercenaries. On the other hand, Joey and Randolf needed to be more picky because they required the Rangers and Thieves to be experienced. After all, their duties weren��t training Rangers and Thieves. Sol��s half-demons were the hardest to replenish because just as the name suggested, half-demons had difficulties fighting alongside humans. However, this wasn��t due to discrimination. Instead, it was because the half-demons held many unique abilities such as immunity against flames. What could humans do apart from staring blankly after the half-demons leaped over the flames in battle?


    It was due to this reason that Sol knew the number of half-demons he could recruit was limited. Rhode had suggested Sol to not focus his attention only on the half-demons because beings like the half-beasts and half-elves weren��t treated well in the Country of Light. Due to the racial discrimination policy in the Country of Light, the treatment that they received in the Country of Light wasn��t great. Rhode suggested that if it was possible, Sol could recruit them from the Country of Light. After all, the range would be too narrow if he were to search for half-demons only while humans couldn��t keep up the pace with them. Even though half-beasts and half-elves lacked certain abilities of the half-demons, they held unique strength, after all, and could make up for the half-demons�� shortcomings, which wasn��t a bad choice.


    But even if this was the case, they didn��t replenish too many forces successfully. A few days had gone and the number of soldiers gathered, including the mercenaries transferred from Starlight, was still less than 2000. Rhode said that he would bring 5000 soldiers, so where could he possibly find them?


    Marfa asked Rhode about it despite his ice-cold expression. Marfa had spent a long time with him and realized that his expressionless face was only a habit and he wasn��t a man of little words. This was why his men weren��t terrified of Rhode and they recommended Marfa to ask Rhode if the latter would be bringing them to the Winter Castle. If yes, they would surely need more soldiers��


    However, Rhode��s answer surprised everyone. He stated that this time, he wouldn��t be leading his usual elite squad to the Winter Castle because they had suffered gravely and were still regrouping. Moreover, the fortress needed forces to stabilize any situation. This was why he wouldn��t lead Marfa and his team and not even John. There were only three confirmed members who he would bring��Orchid Heart, Anne, and Gillian. Rhode intended to bring Orchid Heart to gather some EXP. Besides, her abilities as the Spellcaster Scholar might turn out handy against the Undead Creatures. As for Anne, it was just out of his habit. After all, he knew that even if he didn��t bring her along, she would sneakily follow him. As for Gillian, she slowly recovered her strength as Rhode��s abilities rose, and she had also reached the Legendary Stage like him. When Rhode reached the maximum level of 85, Gillian would also restore her strength as the fire elemental lord, so there weren��t any issues bringing her along.


    As for the others, Rhode made them stay in the fortress. He needed Marlene and the others to maintain order in the fortress, at the same time negotiate the transactions with the other regional representatives about the Holy Maiden Statues.


    Days passed and Marlene and Lize didn��t receive any news from Rhode at all. The Light Parliament had guessed right that the fortress in the Land of Atonement lacked manpower. Of course, there were more than 5000 residents in the Land of Atonement, but Rhode couldn��t possibly bring a bunch of kids and elderly women into battle.


    Rhode remained silent to their doubts. The only preparation that he had done was to make Marlene prepare two Floating Boats. The rear of the Winter Castle was yet another border junction between the Munn Kingdom and Country of Light, where Limestone City resided. According to Lydia��s orders, Limestone City would dispatch 2000 soldiers to join Rhode and his team before heading into the Winter Castle. Of course, along the way, Rhode could negotiate the transaction of the Holy Maiden Statues with Limestone City��s owner.


    However, the most important soldiers were nowhere to be found.


    Everyone had different views as to where Rhode had gotten the 5000 soldiers especially after he told Marlene that he wouldn��t mobilize the forces from the Land of Atonement. Some believed that he might be waiting for the arrival of the Battle Angel Army because Lydia had once dispatched the Battle Angel Army to support the Land of Atonement. Some thought that he might mobilize some garrisons from Paphield and the Deep Stone City. But this wasn��t practical because 5000 was a huge number and there were considerations of replenishments and reinforcements. This wasn��t a strategy game where one swiped one��s mouse around before heading into battle. Previously, Bayer brought 2000 troops to support the Land of Atonement and already needed two months of preparations.


    An army marched on its stomach and this was the top priority. However, apart from informing Marlene to get the two Floating Boats ready, Rhode had been spending time with Christie all day��he didn��t have the time to accompany her due to his busy schedule and now that he was finally free, he spent them having tea and chit-chats with her.


    Finally, the time to move out had arrived.


    ��Rhode, what exactly do you intend to do?��


    Marlene knitted her brows as she stood on the platform of the empty Floating Boat. Gillian let out a chuckle beside her and seemed as though she was enjoying the show. On the other hand, Anne wasn��t concerned about this problem at all. She hopped around the platform curiously and nothing was important to her as long as she was with Rhode. As for Orchid Heart, she stood beside Rhode sleepily and no one knew what was going on in her head.


    Not only Marlene, but Lize and the others also gazed curiously at the empty platform of the Floating Boats.


    ��I have my ways.��


    Rhode caressed Christie��s hair and shrugged to Marlene. Then, he shifted his gaze to behind Marlene and said.


    ��All ready, Agatha?��


    ��Yes, Master, everything is ready.��


    Agatha emerged from behind the crowd and this time, she wasn��t alone. Shortly after, a sea of about 500 Ocean Elves emerged from behind her and came up to Rhode. However, unlike in the past, the Ocean Elves appeared different now. The shape of human limbs could be seen from their soft tentacle limbs. Even though the tentacles on their hair and skirt didn��t change, the structure of arms and legs were apparent on their bodies, which made them look as though they were Elves wearing clothes weaved from tentacles. In the previous battle with the Undead Army, the Ocean Elves had gained much EXP and as battle units, they naturally held the rights to level up and were above level 30 now.


    Marlene gazed at Agatha in astonishment.


    ��Rhode, could it be that you intend to����


    ��That��s right.��


    Rhode nodded. He narrowed his eyes and gazed at the city wall beside him��five enormous torches burned in scarlet flames above the roof of the towers.


    Then, the system interface emerged before his eyes.


    [Activate Fantasy Channel��Fiery Plains]

 Chapter 778 - Flame Army (1)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    It was an extraordinary day in the Winter Castle.


    No matter the high and mighty figures or the patrolling guards, this day was incredibly tense for them. The air in the Winter Castle was exceptionally heavy, but this didn��t mean that the Undead Army had broken through the third defensive line and was arriving. Instead, there was news��the overlord of Paphield-Grenbell, Rhode, had led his troops and converged with the alliance in the Winter Castle.


    Upon hearing this news, the entire Winter Castle got into first class war readiness, which was rare to see and could be considered to have not happened before. The arrival of an ally actually led a state of affairs that was comparable to the war.


    However, as long as one understood the problem, one would understand why Rhode��s arrival had turned the situation even more tense than them facing the Undead Army. This time, the alliance that the Light Parliament formed mainly consisted of the neighboring countries and territories. However, the closer their territories were to the Winter Castle, the more anti-parliament forces there were. In fact, this was the truth. This time, almost half of them were anti-parliament and they were here for the sake of preventing the Winter Castle from crumbling. This was because if the Winter Castle collapsed, they would be the ones facing the Undead Army. When that happened, they wouldn��t only be sacrificing soldiers. Their people and territories would even face death threats. It was due to this concern that the anti-parliament forces agreed to join the alliance.


    However, this didn��t mean that they were obliged to listen to the Light Parliament��s commands. They were equally concerned that the Light Parliament would send their soldiers to death in order to weaken the anti-parliament forces. But now, in name, it was still the Country of Light��s military taking charge of the command and they couldn��t find a reason to retort. However, they weren��t overly concerned because the ��savior�� would be arriving soon.


    And that was the overlord of Paphield-Grenbell, Rhode.


    This overlord was the pioneer of the anti-parliament forces and was even more eager than everyone else. Previously, it was apparent that he definitely wasn��t one who could tolerate humiliations for the sake of his goal. Most importantly, he held outstanding achievements against the Undead Army and was superior than the useless trash called the Country of Light. The anti-parliament forces wouldn��t mind even if they were to lose their soldiers under Rhode��s command because, at the very least, they could resist the Undead Army. However, if the Country of Light were to command the troops, perhaps their troops would die for nothing!


    It was due to this that the alliance was divided into two factions. One supported the Country of Light and its forces while the other was the anti-parliament forces and this worried the Light Parliament. They could see that once Rhode arrived, the Country of Light��s army might not even secure their authority in being the commander even on paper. Those guys would surely support Rhode and wouldn��t be afraid of him rejecting them. After all, these territories held a close relationship with the Munn Kingdom and Rhode was considered the representative of the Munn Kingdom.


    But when that happened, the alliance would surely be divided into two!


    This was what the Light Parliament hated to see. Back then, they had put in so much effort in forming this alliance because they weren��t confident in defending against the Undead Army. The other reason was for the sake of showing the might of the strongest nation, the Country of Light, to the entire Light Mainland. If this plan worked, the Light Parliament could offset the negative impacts that they had suffered from the Dragon Soul Ceremony, at least a little bit. This was because they understood that if the Winter Castle collapsed, they weren��t the only ones in hot soup, so everyone should obey their orders if they wished to survive.


    From the start, the Light Parliament��s plans went on smoothly. Even though the anti-parliament forces cursed the Light Parliament, they still had to obey their commands obediently. No matter what, the ��Everyone dies together and no one can escape�� fact by the Light Parliament was the truth. Therefore, despite their unwillingness, they held it down and acted according to the Light Parliament��s instructions��


    Damn it. What a shameless bunch of bastards! They made it out as though we��re begging them for help!


    However, the Light Parliament��s biggest mistake was making things difficult for Rhode.


    They didn��t expect him to be this shameless. Not only did he disregarded their dignified excuses, but he also came up with his own conditions. As a result, the anti-parliament forces held the courage to raise their heads proudly and no longer respected the Country of Light. They waited for Rhode to arrive at the Winter Castle and discuss strategies with him as the most important person of the entire anti-parliament forces. They weren��t worried about not being able to resist the enemies. If they were led by the idiots of the Country of Light, perhaps they would be extremely tense now. However, they were much more confident in Rhode.


    Of course, there was a deeper reason that forced them to choose a side. They knew that the Light Parliament wouldn��t forget about the grudge so easily after Rhode made them pay bitterly. Even though the Light Parliament didn��t dare to lay hands on Rhode, it was still possible that they would vent their frustrations on others. Therefore, in order to not be the scapegoats, they had to find and hang on to a sturdy tree that wouldn��t sway to the gales and fall in the lightning storm.


    Rhode was that tree for them.


    The Country of Light intended to scatter thm, but the anti-parliament forces were determined to stay and their reason was that ��the members of the alliance haven��t fully arrived yet, so it still isn��t time to scatter the forces��. However, everyone knew that they were waiting for their backing. As soon as Rhode arrived, they would directly go to his side in the blink of an eye. As for the Country of Light�� They could continue dreaming!


    And now, Rhode was about to arrive and finally, the surging tide erupted.


    The entire atmosphere in the Winter Castle was incomparably solemn. The various representatives had gathered around the platform while waiting for Rhode��s arrival. Dozen flags of different shapes, sizes, and designs fluttered in the wind. However, when one took a closer look, it was apparent that there were two factions that greeted Rhode with an invisible ��red line�� that existed between them. The people spoke with one another, but never looked at the other side as though there were no one.


    The grudges between anti-parliament forces and the Light Parliament had been around for decades.


    Shortly after, the bugle horns sounded and everyone looked forward with different expressions.


    A gigantic Floating Boat emerged before them.


    Everyone witnessed the massive boat slowly descended in the whistling gales and the two huge, 10-meter long flags by the sides. Those were Rhode��s flags.


    A dazzling white cross inlaid in the middle of the pitch-black triangular flag. Simple, yet full of unprecedented sense of presence.


    Andre trembled at this sight instinctively. He clenched his fists and the scenery around him had as though twisted into the plains of flames, death, an abandoned city��


    ��Andre?��


    Sonia��s voice pulled him back into reality.


    ��I��m fine, Sonia.��


    Andre lowered his head and clenched his fists. It was due to this that he didn��t notice Sonia��s eyes glinted in an odd, vibrant radiance.


    The Floating Boat gradually docked to the platform. Then, Rhode emerged before them. He stared forward in his black coat with two hands behind his back. Gillian, Anne, and Orchid Heart stood behind him. The appearance of these three young ladies with unique personalities instantly gathered everyone��s attention, where some even cursed inwardly because they had heard about this young overlord having the company of several beauties and it seemed that the rumors were true. They rarely saw such beautiful women, and yet Rhode had three of them by his side!


    Gillian was the most eye-catching among them in terms of appearance. Moreover, her fluffy fox ears and tail naturally garnered their attention. Besides, she was an alluring young lady to begin with and her smiling eyes were enough to make them go wild.


    Unlike Gillian, Anne was more like a lively idol to them. Her attractive blonde hair, round emerald eyes, youthful face, and slender body and legs made them drool continuously.


    Even though Orchid Heart wasn��t as dazzling as the other two in terms of appearance, her sleepy look and rare Spellcaster Scholar��s costume made her stand out.


    As for Rhode�� No one dared to comment. They looked at his ice-cold expression and knew that the rumors were true. Even if they were sick of living already, they would rather die under the blades of the Undead Creatures than to offend this young man.


    Rhode stepped onto the platform. At this moment, one member from the Country of Light��s army who was responsible for managing this alliance approached him with a stiff smile.


    ��I represent the alliance in welcoming you and your army, Sir Overlord. I��m not sure if you��re ready���� he directed his gaze to the back. Then, he froze to the spot. Not only him, but the other representatives who welcomed Rhode were also baffled. They widened their eyes in astonishment.


    Agatha led the Ocean Elves off the boat and lined up neatly behind Rhode on the platform. Their snowy, writhing tentacles let them speechless.


    Who are they? They look like Elves, but I��ve never seen such Elves. Also�� Those wriggly tentacles�� What exactly are those things?


    Before everyone came to their senses, the smell of sulfur and scorching winds struck them in their faces.


    Boom�� Boom��


    Pitch-black figures emerged on deck, one by one.

 Chapter 779 - Flame Army (2)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Many gazed in astonishment with their mouths wide open. Even though the strange-looking Ocean Elves had stunned them, the black figures were even more terrifying.


    They were two-meters tall, enormous creatures like knights clad in heavy armor. Pitch-black, solidified lava formed their structure while scarlet lava flowed within the visible openings on their bodies.


    They stepped out of the deck and the entire platform was in complete stillness. Everyone gazed at one another at a loss. Of course, they were concerned about Rhode failing to recruit 5000 soldiers. However, this was ultimately his own problem, so they couldn��t gather any data even if they wanted to. But they didn��t expect that the so-called 5000 soldiers were these terrifying creatures!


    After a few moments, one of the knights stepped forward in large strides. He let out a snort.


    ��Mr. Rhode, I hope you can give us an explanation.��


    ��Explanation?��


    Rhode lifted his chin and looked at the knight arrogantly in disdain, which left the latter grinding his teeth and holding in his wrath.


    ��They are your soldiers?��


    ��Yes. Is there any problem?��


    Rhode twitched his brows and shot a look, to which the knight turned pale instantly from his imposing legendary aura despite Rhode having just entered the Legendary Stage not long ago. Rhode��s harmless glance was as though sharp knives brushing against the knight��s skull. The knight kept his smile and the thought of a retreat emerged in his head. However, he gritted his teeth and said, ��Alright then, can you please explain how you got into contact with the demons?!��


    The others weren��t too surprised by the knight��s words. After all, these huge creatures were indeed too horrifying. Even though the Ocean Elves were also strange-looking, at least they were pleasing to their eyes. However, these huge creatures were pitch-black and burning in flames from head to toe. Their eyes resembled two round, dazzling red gems and their menacing mouths resembled the extended jaws of wolves. Moreover, their fiery spears made them look as though they were the private guards of the demon lord.


    Without a doubt, the anti-parliament forces didn��t believe that Rhode would lead a group of demons here. This was the Light Mainland and the Munn Kingdom was a country ruled by an Archangel. However�� they were still curious to hear his explanations. After all, these creatures were unsettling.


    ��Demons?��


    Rhode��s tone was full of the superiority that city people had when they spoke to country bumpkins.


    ��Don��t spout nonsense if you don��t know anything, Mister. You even dare to speak off the cuff without being able to differentiate elemental creatures from demons? Please show us the evidence before you accuse me of my connections to the demons. If not, I will need the Light Parliament to give me an explanation.��


    ��You��!��


    The knight turned ashen instantly while members of the anti-parliament forces behind him chuckled because it was usually the people of the Country of Light behaving this arrogantly toward the people of other regions. This was the way they spoke to others��with their heads held high and looked down upon the other party as though they were the most brilliant humans in this world while the other party was nothing but beggars and country bumpkins. But now, Rhode gazed at this envoy from the Country of Light like he was a retard, which thrilled the members of the anti-parliament forces.


    The knight widened his mouth, but was speechless because the fire elemental creatures were mostly aggressive, which was why Rhode only allowed the Ocean Elves to roam the fortress and didn��t summon the fire elemental creatures after attaining the Fantasy Key to the Fiery Plains. After all, even though the fire elemental creatures were bold and powerful in the battlefield, they would impose too much pressure on the humans if they roamed freely in the fortress. Of course, Rhode could summon them to serve sentry duties. But after serious considerations, it would truly appear as though fire creatures protecting their demon lord��s castle no matter how one saw it�� Moreover, there was also a clear relationship between the fire elemental creatures and hell. Many low-level fire elemental creatures fought against demons, which was why the fire elemental creatures were often mentioned in the legends of the demon army. However, it would be the subjective views of humans to judge the fire elemental creatures as evil based on the legends. The creatures from the four elemental worlds basically held no moral principles. To put things nicely, they were considered neutral in their stand and to put things bluntly, whoever provided milk was their mother and as long as one summoned them, they had the duty to serve their master.


    From this point of view, the elemental creatures were indeed model laborers.


    The reason why the fire elemental creatures emerged around the demons in large quantities wasn��t because they loved demons. Instead, it was because the demons held natural abilities to manipulate the power of flames, which made summoning the fire elemental creatures easier. On the other hand, the demons would have a hard time summoning a water elemental creature like Agatha. One would be judging blindly if one were to determine that the water elemental creatures belonged to the kindness camp while the fire elemental creatures belonged to the evil camp. In the ice prison on the fifth floor of hell, there were tons of Ocean Elves who served the ice demon lord. However, ordinary players didn��t have the opportunity to enter the depths of hell, so they couldn��t possibly know this fact.


    The knight glared at Rhode fiercely before stepping back in silence. At this moment, the alliance representative who stood beside him wiped his sweat. He gazed at the mysterious ��fire elemental creatures�� behind Rhode cautiously and gestured.


    ��Alright then, please come this way����


    ��Hold up!��


    Suddenly, someone growled and a burly middle-aged man strode out of the crowd with an enormous double-handed sword on his back. He wore an exquisite set of armor and there was a pattern of a blooming scarlet flower on his white cape. Many of the observers involuntarily shrunk while Rhode��s brows twitched. However, thanks to his poker face, no one detected the change in his expression. The middle-aged man went up to Rhode and stared coldly. Then, he turned to the alliance representative.


    ��As a member of the alliance, I think that these creatures will bring factors of uncertainties and instabilities to our alliance. I don��t allow these creatures to get off the boat!��


    ��But, Sir Gorden����


    The alliance representative put up a troubled look.


    ��Sir Overlord has said it. They aren��t����


    ��I don��t believe the lies of the barbarians from the Munn Kingdom. I only believe my eyes!��


    The man named Gorden let out a grunt.


    ��I think we should investigate these creatures and shouldn��t bring risks into the Winter Castle just based on the rubbish from the people of the Munn Kingdom!��


    ��Haha����


    Suddenly, Rhode burst into laughter. He squinted and gazed at the man arrogantly.


    ��I recall that the agreement the Light Parliament signed clearly stated that the alliance has no commanding rights over me, isn��t it?��


    ��I have no interest between your agreement with the Light Parliament, country bumpkin.��


    The man lifted his head proudly.


    ��This is my castle and I have the final say! Do you hear me?��


    ��What if�� I refuse?��


    Rhode narrowed his eyes.


    ��Refuse?��


    The man knitted his brows and his stone-cold, statue-like face forced out a menacing smile.


    ��You don��t have the authority to refuse.��


    ��That��s too bad then.��


    Rhode shrugged. Then, he held his sword hilt with his right hand.


    ��Even though I dislike battles upon meeting, I��m already prepared for this. As a dog of the Light Parliament, it seems that you��re lacking discipline���� Rhode said and the place turned deadly silent.

 Chapter 780 - Whipping Dogs

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Although everyone had heard about this young man��s heroic stories against the Light Parliament, it was still the first time they heard his hostilities personally. It was due to this reason that they didn��t react immediately to the true meaning behind Rhode��s words.


    Their reactions were too slow.


    Rhode drew a black arc from his sheath.


    Shing!


    Gorden hadn��t come back to his senses, but as a soldier, his instincts saved his life. He flinched, drew his double-handed sword, and rose a powerful whirlwind from the ground to negate Rhode��s attack.


    However, this didn��t mean that Gorden had it easy.


    Clang!


    The pitch-black lightning bolts collided with Gorden��s double-handed sword. At the same time, Gorden felt as though his double-handed sword was struck by a giant boulder, which deflected it to the side. He flustered, stepped back hurriedly, and at this moment, he witnessed an incredible scene.


    Not only him, but the people around him also shrieked in horror. They witnessed Rhode brandish his blade from above and clash into Gorden��s double-handed sword. The latter dodged quickly, but at the same time, Rhode��s black blade also streaked a half arc in the air. What seemed to be an ordinary move left everyone in disbelief.


    Because a phantom suddenly emerged from Rhode��s body and struck forward like a lightning bolt along with its sword as though there were two Rhodes coordinating their attacks!


    How is this possible?!


    Gorden was stumped. He initially thought that he could retreat and order his soldiers to attack altogether. However, he didn��t expect that Rhode would be this quick. Gorden clearly witnessed the young man taking a step back and yet, he re-emerged before him at the next moment. Gorden took in a deep breath and held his double-handed sword horizontally before him. At the same time, the phantom��s blade clashed.


    Clang!


    The trembles shook Gorden��s arms violently, but before he gathered his strength, the dazzling, black blade ray above him turned into a vast sky of stars that enveloped him entirely.


    ��Argh!��


    Gorden couldn��t hold on any longer. In fact, the continuous attacks had punctured his defenses. After his double-handed sword was deflected, he instantly felt hundreds of spiritual blades striking his body and bone-piercing pain engulfed him completely.


    Boom!


    Gorden collapsed to the ground with ghastly wounds all over his body and everyone stared blankly.


    This ��battle�� lasted for less than 15 seconds�� No, perhaps less than 10 seconds. Some of the more formidable beings figured out what just happened. However, to the weaker ones, it was just a show of dazzling lights before Gorden flew into the air and crashed to the ground.


    After a few moments, the crowd returned to their senses, but before they reacted, Rhode swung his arm in his poker face. Then, the terrifying creatures behind him strode forward with their raised spears and stopped Gorden��s subordinates who had rushed forward with their weapons. Rhode sheathed his sword, slowly went up to the groaning Gorden, and looked down in disdain.


    ��This is how it should be��a dog will always remain a dog. Who do you think you are? So what if you��re the leader of the Mayflower Legion?�� Rhode stepped on Gorden��s cape and cleaned his sole on the blooming scarlet flower.


    ��Stop it! Munn Kingdom��s bastard!��


    Gorden��s subordinates snarled and pushed forward, but were immediately stopped by furious snarls.


    ��������!��


    The fire elemental creatures darted forward and brandished their fire spears at the soldiers, who shrieked and defended instinctively. However, they were too slow. The burning spears pierced into their bodies like butter. Then, blood-curdling screeches filled the sky as the soldiers burned from head to toe and struggled for survival. Within a few seconds, they crumbled lifelessly.


    ��P-Please stop! Sir Rhode!��


    At this moment, the alliance representative came back to his senses, ran up to Rhode, and pleaded.


    ��P-Please stop! Sir Rhode, the Mayflower Legion is governed directly by the Light Parliament. If you����


    ��Of course, I��m aware.��


    Rhode swept a glance and the alliance representative sensed a bone-piercing chill.


    ��As someone of the Munn Kingdom, how would I not know about the Mayflower Legion? They��re well-known in the Munn Kingdom����


    Rhode stomped his foot on Gorden, which the latter let out a painful moan. Rhode looked on expressionlessly, but his thick aura filled with murderous intent explained everything. At this moment, no one around him dared to utter a word because they knew what the Mayflower Legion meant to the Munn Kingdom.


    Deep vengeance and hatred.


    It was previously mentioned that a few decades ago, the Country of Light dispatched a legion into the Munn Kingdom��s border and eliminated a tribe with the excuse of ��being attacked by a group of barbarians��. Thereafter, the Munn Kingdom interrogated for answers, but the Light Parliament expressed that this was a military affair and they couldn��t intervene. On the other hand, after the military put up an act of investigation, they fired two of their lower ranked commanders. Not only that, but also, the reason for their expulsion wasn��t because they had annihilated the people of other countries. Instead, it was due to them leading the army through the wrong route for the military exercise, which led to the Country of Light��s legion entering the Munn Kingdom ��accidentally��.


    This raised an uproar of disapproval in the Munn Kingdom, which many treated as a national humiliation. There were some generals who even swore to invade the Country of Light to make those bastards pay for their doings! However, it wasn��t Lydia who sat the throne back then. Even though the then-Archangel was equally furious, she wasn��t willing to have a conflict with the Country of Light as she was a kind Angel, after all. Therefore, she objected with a few statements and appeased her subordinates, which disappointed the King��s Party deeply. Back then, the King��s Party even believed that it might not be a good thing for this country to be led by an Angel. Fortunately, Lydia took over the throne and her unique, iron-willed personality changed the views that the King��s Party had on Angels.


    This was also the start of the division between the King��s Party and the Reformist Party because as the people of the Munn Kingdom, not only did the Reformist Party not think that the Country of Light did something wrong, but they also accused the King��s Party of not being strict enough in managing their people, which led to barbarians attacking the Country of Light��s legion that entered their territory by accident. If the barbarians held a friendlier attitude and guided the Country of Light��s legion to the correct direction, such a disaster wouldn��t have happened! The Country of Light was only protecting themselves and wasn��t responsible for anything! Everything was due to the Munn Kingdom��s internal issues and if it weren��t for the Munn Kingdom being ruled by the King��s Party, people wouldn��t foolishly take such dangerous actions. Everything was the fault of the King��s Party!


    Thereafter, the King��s Party and Reformist Party became sworn enemies.


    And it was the Mayflower Legion that started all this.


    Even though the soldiers who served in the Mayflower Legion had already retired, the hatred of the people of the Munn Kingdom toward the Mayflower Legion was never appeased, especially for the Northerners. This matter was well known in the entire Light Mainland. It was a humiliation to the Munn Kingdom and an honor for the Country of Light. This time, it was apparent that the Light Parliament sent the Mayflower Legion here to find trouble with Rhode.


    They found trouble just as they wished. But they weren��t aware that they weren��t up for it.


    If it were another legion, perhaps others might try and stop the fight. However, everyone knew about the vengeance between the Munn Kingdom and the Mayflower Legion. It was apparent that if the Mayflower Legion laid hands on Rhode, the latter would definitely annihilate them all. When that happened, perhaps everyone would celebrate in cheers and wouldn��t object at all.


    ��Put down your weapons! Put down your weapons!!��


    The helpless alliance representative knew clearly that the Light Parliament dispatched the Mayflower Legion to spite the Munn Kingdom. However, they underestimated Rhode greatly and it was obvious that this young man wasn��t a pushover! If they were to go all out��


    ��Put down your weapons!��


    The alliance representative didn��t expect a fight to break out inside the Winter Castle because he thought that the Light Parliament had only intended to make things difficult for Rhode. The situation would turn grave if a fight were to break out! He hurriedly darted to the soldiers of the Mayflower Legion who had drawn their weapons and ordered loudly. Even though the soldiers were unwilling, they had no choice but to obey as military troops.


    The alliance representative let out a sigh of relief and went up to Rhode with a forced smile.


    ���� Sir Overlord, you see�� This is just a misunderstanding����


    ��I don��t think that this is a misunderstanding.��


    Rhode swept a glance to him and his statement made the latter��s heart skipped a beat. But, shortly after, Rhode turned around and left.


    ��But I shall treat this as one.��

 Chapter 781 - A Miserable Start

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Even though it was said to be a misunderstanding, everyone knew that it wasn��t. The Light Parliament that kept causing trouble for Rhode finally got the chance to interrogate him as to why he attacked their men. Not only that, but they also admonished him about the effects that this would bring to the united situation in the Winter Castle and made him the biggest sinner.


    However, what infuriated the Light Parliament was that Rhode didn��t defend himself at all. Instead, he responded simply��as a noble, overlord, and officially conferred Earl, he held the rights to punish those who disrespected and threatened him. Gorden disregarded his identity, continuously taunted, and even attacked him. No one could stop Rhode from exercising his authority.


    Rhode spoke confidently and left the Light Parliament speechless because he was actually right. Besides, many among the crowd could testify that it was Gorden who spoke rudely first. Even though Rhode was young, this time he actually represented the Munn Kingdom as an emissary and in addition to his overlord and Earl title, his status was undoubtedly much higher than Gorden, who was only the leader of a legion. Although it was somewhat despicable that Rhode used his status to apply pressure on others, it was extremely effective. Of course, one could argue that Rhode, as a noble, shouldn��t retaliate with violence and one could report this matter to the Light Parliament�� However, Rhode disliked this style of method.


    The Light Parliament let the matter off because there was another main problem that they could stir trouble with��his 5000 soldiers!


    This was acknowledged in the agreement. Back then, the Light Parliament thought that Rhode only casually mentioned about the 5000 soldiers because they knew that even though his fortress appeared glorious on the surface, he had a hard time maintaining its operations. Apart from the Land of Atonement, the other regions under Rhode were basically uninhabited and there naturally weren��t any sources for him to recruit new soldiers. Although Rhode rose from being a mercenary leader and Starlight had become popular in Paphield, the mercenaries didn��t come from only one territory. Every territory needed a stable number of soldiers and financial support, but Rhode lacked them. This was why the Light Parliament instantly caught onto this and was confident to nullify the agreement as soon as Rhode failed to provide the 5000 soldiers.


    But now, Rhode succeeded. However, the problem was��they weren��t humans!


    The Light Parliament initially publicized that ��all humans should join forces and fight against the Undead Creatures�� and many regional overlords were aware that they held human supremacy. However, they didn��t mind at all because they were humans, after all. Perhaps there were beings of other races in their territories, but they were the minority. Besides, even if the minorities joined the army, they would be assigned to special groups since, for example, there wouldn��t be enough Elves to possibly form an infantry squad.


    However, Rhode openly brought 5000 non-humans here, which was a slap to the Light Parliament��s face!


    Smack! Smack! Smack!


    See, their cheeks were swollen already.


    The Light Parliament claimed that the 5000 soldiers weren��t humans, which violated their agreement, and they complained to the church. However, the church ultimately expressed that there wasn��t any requirement for the race of the soldiers when both sides signed the agreement. Therefore, despite the race and as long as the soldiers weren��t demons, Rhode wasn��t breaching the agreement as long as he brought 5000 of them.


    After getting the cold shoulder from the church, the Light Parliament wasn��t discouraged. They looked for the Mage Association and requested for their Holy Knight to identify who exactly the soldiers that Rhode had brought were.


    As a knight who fought against demons and devils, he definitely could differentiate between demons and the elemental creatures. As a result, the answer that the Light Parliament received was the same as what Rhode told them��they were fire elemental creatures and non-demons or devils.


    This left the Light Parliament in mixed emotions. They initially thought that they could climb over Rhode��s head, but ended up going for wool and coming home shorn again. They finally understood why Rhode was determined in making the Light Parliament compensate for the pensions of his soldiers. Back then, they were secretly excited that they could mess with 5000 of his soldiers, which would be a huge hit to his forces. When that happened, they wouldn��t mind forking out the pensions. But now�� they surely wouldn��t be willing to anymore.


    The Light Parliament��s only mental comfort now was that ordinary people couldn��t get their hands on 5000 elemental creatures (This was the truth. If not, the Light Parliament would have expected Rhode to do so back then). This time, Rhode led 5000 of them and if they were to all crumble, it would also weaken his forces.


    Yes�� Maybe�� Perhaps�� Should be��


    This was still a mystery to them and the situation regarding the Winter Castle��s front line was more serious for them. The Country of Light��s army was responsible for the front line, but they had a huge headache because the situation in the Winter Castle developed in a direction they hated to see.


    After Rhode��s arrival, many of the anti-parliament forces instantly sided him. From the start, they felt uncertain, but to their surprise, Rhode was relatively passionate toward them��even though he put up a poker face, many had heard about this rumor of his and didn��t take it too seriously. The representatives gathered around him as the core of their anti-parliament forces.


    This led to an obvious division between two forces in the Winter Castle during the alliance meeting thereafter��the Light Parliament led by the alliance representative and the anti-parliament forces led by Rhode. Under such a circumstance, the hopes of them cooperating unanimously were dashed.


    However, the military personnel were much more practical than the group of idiotic parliament members. Since they had lost their authority to command every troop, they might as well leave some rights to Rhode. The entire Winter Castle was divided into two fronts in the North and South. The military personnel handed over the commanding rights of the southern battlefront to Rhode while they led the Light Parliament��s forces to the northern battlefront. This way, not only could they prevent communication errors, but could also minimize any possible conflicts.


    The Mayflower Legion was furious after Rhode injured Gorden and couldn��t wait to start a fight with his troops. However, the military personnel weren��t willing to witness such a scene, so they separated them. Although this wasn��t beneficial for the battlefronts, it was still better than keeping the foul atmosphere between both rivals.


    However, this also posed a difficult problem for the alliance representative. After receiving this news, the anti-parliament forces instantly mobilized their troops to the southern battlefront, which left him in an extremely awkward position. The communication between both sides was also a crucial problem. Although separating them had indeed removed the uncertainties, a war needed cooperation in order to succeed. But��


    ��Who is willing to take up this responsibility?��


    The alliance representative puckered his brows and gazed at his companions. However, all he saw were troubled expressions. After all, they knew that whoever became the liaison officer between the alliance and Rhode would have to deal with the terrifying young man. The thought of Gorden groaning in bed sent chills down everyone��s spines. No one wished to risk their lives!


    ��The Undead Army is slowly approaching. I guess all of you are aware that we must work together in order to win.��


    The alliance representative puckered his brows, spread his arms apart, and gazed at everyone helplessly. This time, Rhode brought the Holy Maiden Statue and the side that needed its support would need to interact with him. But the problem was that�� This young man wasn��t easy to approach.


    Could it be that no one is willing to step up?


    The alliance representative knitted his brows. Then, a crisp voice sounded.


    ��Please leave it to me.��


    ��Miss Sonia?��


    Many turned to her in astonishment. Sonia stood up and gazed silently. Andre couldn��t conceal his surprised expression.


    ��Sonia, you����


    ��I led the investigation team and met Sir Rhode before, so we��re no strangers. Therefore, I think I��m capable of taking up this responsibility.��


    Sonia placed her hand on her chest.


    ��May I ask if there are any objections?��

 Chapter 782 - Dark Clouds

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Wait, Sonia.��


    Andre scuttled and arrived before her worriedly.


    ��Is anything the matter, Andre?��


    ��Do you really intend to do that?��


    ���� What you meant was����


    ��To become the military representative and remain in contact with that guy?��


    ��That��s right, Andre.��


    Sonia��s brows twitched when she heard Andre addressing Rhode as ��that guy�� and a look of dissatisfaction emerged on her face. However, Andre didn��t notice as he knitted his brows and spoke hesitantly.


    ��I don��t think this is a good idea, Sonia. You��ve indeed interacted with that guy. But have you forgotten? Back then, didn��t that guy treat you badly?��


    Andre sensed Sonia��s body tremble. Even though her expression remained the same, her reactions affirmed his thoughts.


    ��Sonia, I can ask them to send someone else instead����


    ��Are you willing to go with me, Andre?��


    Sonia asked and Andre was astonished. He gazed blankly, knitted his brows uncomfortably, and nodded after a few seconds of hesitation. It was due to this that he didn��t notice Sonia��s sense of disappointment hidden deep in her eyes.


    ��Of course, Sonia. If it is possible, I will surely accompany you.��


    ��I just casually said it, Andre. You don��t have to take it so seriously.��


    Sonia revealed a gentle smile and shook her head slightly. Then, she took a step back.


    ��Don��t forget your duties, Andre. You didn��t come here to have a chat with me. Didn��t parliament member Carlson fight for your permission to assist in the front lines? Don��t you want to use this chance to start afresh? Have you forgotten the words you said to me before you came here? This is your chance for rebirth. You won��t crumble just like this and will stand up once again�� This is your belief, isn��t it?��


    ���� Of course, Sonia.��


    Andre gazed solemnly at the young lady.


    ��I��ve never forgotten this, Sonia. I won��t hide from my fate. This time, I will embrace all challenges bravely. This is the courage that you��ve given me and I will remember it forever.��


    ��That��s good to hear. I believe that you��ll succeed.��


    Sonia smiled and turned around.


    ��Alright then, I should get going. I have work to accomplish.��


    She spoke so softly that it was almost inaudible.


    Anne laid across the wooden table and yawned lazily. Beside her was Orchid Heart who seemed to have entered dreamland. She sat quietly on the chair, rested her hands on the black book on her thighs, and nodded as though dozing off.


    They couldn��t be blamed for feeling bored. After all, this was a fortress on the front lines and there was no entertainment. Even though the military didn��t arrange for Rhode and his team to live in a place like the pigsty, there weren��t too many luxurious rooms around either. As a military base, the room decorations were extremely plain. Even in this commander��s room where Rhode resided, there was nothing special. Apart from the wooden table, shelf, and fireplace, there was only an ice-cold, hard single bed. The other ordinary rooms were narrow and only had wooden tables and beds.


    Fortunately for Anne, she had been a mercenary for a long time and was used to leading such a life. In the past, she had spent nights in the open and a bed was precious enough for her. Even though she felt bored, she was glad to be spending time with Rhode now.


    However, Rhode wasn��t as idle as her.


    He knew what it meant by ��the enemy of the enemy is a friend��. The anti-parliament forces turned up by his room and expressed their goodwill. Rhode used the opportunity to rope in potential allies. Of course, he was aware that this Winter Castle battle was essential to his status and influence to others in the future. In the past, Rhode��s individual influence was only limited within the Munn Kingdom and the northern region of Paphield. The people of other regions had only heard news about the young overlord and if they were able to maintain a favorable relationship with Rhode, it would be beneficial for his plans in the future. With such a great chance to raise his reputation, Rhode definitely wouldn��t waste it.


    It was due to this that while Anne and the others were idling by doing nothing, Rhode and Gillian were incredibly busy. Since people hoped for him to command the army, Rhode surely wouldn��t reject them. He regrouped the army of the southern battlefront by making his 5000 troops the core. Of course, if this was the only matter on hand, he and Gillian wouldn��t be this busy. In fact, there was something which involved a goal that Rhode couldn��t let others in on.


    ��According to the intelligence report, the group of skeletons is getting closer to the Winter Castle, Master.��


    Gillian fiddled with the report in her hand and chuckled confidently.


    ��How long more?��


    Rhode said and continued to gaze at the military sand table. This left Gillian sticking out her tongue and displayed a pitiful face as though she was emotionally hurt. However, she quickly regained her usual smile.


    ��Around two days. By the way�� I heard that the internal group is having a huge quarrel. ��Her Majesty�� may not be able to arrive here as soon as she thought.��


    Rhode twitched his brows. He knew what Gillian meant. Last evening, there was a report from the front lines that the final defense of the Winter Castle had crumbled to the Undead Army. If it weren��t for the Light Dragon Soul��s protection that stopped them from advancing during the day, perhaps this Winter Castle would have also collapsed.


    According to the news, there would be around 70,000 Undead Creatures that would attack the Winter Castle and what made him glad was that the Angel of Sorrow�� Charlie wouldn��t be here. At this moment, Charlie was being restrained by Archangel Boulder and Serene. However, it should also be said that thanks to Archangel Boulder and Serene, the Winter Castle didn��t manage to receive timely assistance from the Battle Angel Army��this was also why the Light Parliament had no choice but to revolve their thoughts around Rhode��s Holy Maiden Statues.


    But this way, there were changes to the plans.


    The Light Parliament had initially planned to allow Lilian to arrive at the Winter Castle before the Undead Army, in order to boost the morale of soldiers in the battlefront. However, to their horror, they didn��t expect the Undead Army to be this quick. Under such a circumstance, they could only delay sending Lilian here until the Undead Army was defeated.


    There didn��t seem to be any problems on the surface. However, Rhode had some suspicions after receiving this news.


    If Lilian was an ordinary young queen, there would be nothing wrong if the Light Parliament did so. However, she wasn��t an ordinary human, but was the Light Dragon. Under the protection of the Light Dragon Soul, Lilian should be invincible. In other words, the Undead Army would not be threatening if she was here. The holy spears of the Holy Maiden Statues relied on the source of power from the light rule. Besides, as the Light Dragon Soul Heir, Lilian could easily melt the Undead Army in the power of light in the swing of her arm. But now, the Light Parliament actually stopped Lilian from coming and protected her instead?


    How strange�� Why did they do that? Could it be that the Light Parliament isn��t aware of how strong the light power is? Or are they afraid that Lilian will display her might and win over the people?


    This wasn��t totally impossible and Rhode realized that the situation was rather fishy.


    Knock knock.


    At this moment, someone knocked on his door and interrupted his thoughts.


    ��What��s the matter?��


    He looked up and asked.


    ��Reporting, Sir Overlord. Miss Sonia is here to report to you as the representative of the alliance.��


    ��Sonia?��


    Rhode twitched his brows.


    ��Let her in.��

 Chapter 783 - This is Also a Choice

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The bloody moon hung high in the night sky.


    The spotlessly white castle on the peak of the cliff glowed to the gentle shine of the moon. If this were an ordinary night, perhaps there would be a flock of nightingales hovering above the castle and singing beautiful tones that added colors to the lifeless night sky. But the glorious night creatures cowered in the deepest caves, succumbing to the mighty presence.


    The soothing sound of the pipe organ resounded in the wide, rectangular room lit by a ceiling that emanated a soft radiance. Beautiful tapestries of various patterns hung on the sleek, white walls and the weapons between them glowed a magical radiance, where one could instantly recognize its value without any knowledge of weapons. The tall shelf that was made of obsidian and embedded with golden and silver-colored threads displayed all sorts of ancient books that were held in utmost care.


    The doors with floral decorations opened gradually. A magical servant entered and stood by the side respectfully. It gazed at its master with eyes that glowed in spiritual radiances��a young lady elegantly playing the pipe organ.


    Under the magical radiance, the young lady��s dewy cheeks and gentle, smiling eyes were clearly seen. Her pupils that were as dark as the deep night emanated spiritual radiances like the reflection of the moon in the pond. Her snowy, slender neck appeared oddly eye-catching against the contrasting pitch-black night gown, while the youthful, charming curves of her body were filled with lethal temptations. Her smooth, black hair hung to the ground and her fragile, unsullied beauty seemed as though they would break at a soft touch��breathtaking.


    The young lady kept her eyes closed as she immersed in her melodious music. After a few moments, a pitch-black figure enveloped her, and she opened her eyes and stroked across the last few keys of the pipe organ with her slender, dewy fingers. Then, she stood up, turned around lithely, lifted the hem of her skit and knelt before the man.


    ��Greetings, Your Majesty.��


    The man twitched his brows and spoke in a deep voice.


    ��You may rise. This isn��t the palace, so you don��t have to be this formal, Erin.��


    ��Yes, Big Brother.��


    Erin straightened her posture and gazed at the man in silence. In human terms, he appeared to be around 26 years old, slightly older than Rhode. However, his tone was as solemn as a reserved old man. He was tall and burly, and had a face that resembled a granite stone statue that a craftsman had sculpted��distinct lines and incomparably stubborn. His determined eyes glinted with confident, razor-sharp radiance. His aggressive line of sight forced others away except for Erin, who looked at him calmly.


    He was her elder brother and the ruler of the Country of Darkness��the Dark Dragon Ion.


    ��Erin, I��ve heard from Balende and should warn you about your curiosity. You should be aware of your identity and the importance of this battle to us. You��re no longer a child and I can��t allow you to act rashly anymore, do you understand?��


    Even though Ion was speaking to his younger sister, his voice was as stern and pressure-inducing as usual. He held his hands behind his back and stared at her. Erin lowered her head respectfully and Ion nodded. No one knew what was going through his head. The atmosphere in the room turned deadly silent, but Ion broke the silence soon after.


    ��I��ve seen Balende��s report. What exactly is going on?��


    ��I��m sorry, Big Brother, I got involved too late. I didn��t expect the enemy to eliminate our army that quickly. If only I were faster����


    ��I know about that.��


    Ion interrupted coldly.


    ��Apart from this, is there anything that you need to report? According to Balende��s report, you seemed to be pestered by the humans back then. In the Munn Kingdom and apart from the Archangel, who can give you a hard time? Don��t you think you need to explain the situation to me?��


    ��This is my responsibility, Big Brother.��


    Erin lowered her head deeply.


    ��I seek your forgiveness. In fact, those humans weren��t too powerful. But I was only surprised to meet beings in the Legendary Stage not in our report on the Munn Kingdom. I thought I could probe their strength, but I didn��t expect them to use the opportunity and destroy our army, which ruined the battle for us����


    ��What about the human overlord?��


    ��I admit that the human overlord possesses outstanding judgment and interesting views. But his strength����


    Erin recalled the scene when Rhode launched his attack on her. He predicted her movements and held skillful judgment on her rule powers. Not only that, but he also held the same sword that Ion had��


    ���� He has just entered the Legendary Stage and has considerable achievements as a human, but that was all to it.��


    That��s right. That was all.


    Erin lowered her gaze to the ground��her eyes glinted with witty flames. Ion let out a snort and looked at his young sister. After a few moments, he puckered his brows.


    ��You have to change your bad habit, Erin. You shouldn��t let your curiosity get into the way of things. But this time is fine since you didn��t cause too many losses. The Munn Kingdom��s retaliation was indeed surprising, but as long as we pull ourselves together, we will eventually succeed. Next time, you aren��t allowed to participate in battles without my permission, do you understand? Currently, we have no intentions of going into an all-out war with the Light Mainland. As a member of the royal family, you must be cautious of your identity. Fortunately, the other party didn��t seem to recognize your true identity. But such a situation won��t happen time and time again. Don��t forget your identity, Erin. You shouldn��t need me to remind you of this.��


    ��I��m sorry, Big Brother. I was too willful.��


    Erin responded. She was clear of her elder brother��s temperament. He was a confident ruler with great skills and strategies in others�� eyes. However, in Erin��s eyes, being incomparably stubborn and self-opinionated was also a part of him. He wasn��t willing to listen to others�� opinions, not to mention their objections. He believed that everything he did was right and his decisions didn��t require criticism. Even though accidents happened occasionally, they were only minor obstacles and the consequences weren��t worthy of a mention. In fact, Ion had indeed never failed. No matter his decision, he always proved that they were right.


    But Erin disagreed.


    She had grown up with him since young and personally witnessed how he became the ruler and steered this dark country toward the path of glory and prosperity. But instead of feeling glad, Erin felt uncertain. She didn��t appreciate the style of plain sailing and this was the reason for the difference in opinions between them and why Ion criticized Erin.


    Erin firmly believed that one had to figure things out before making a decision. One shouldn��t watch idly by when there were unexpected changes, but should search for the cause of the changes and resolve it instead. It was apparent that Ion disapproved of this. He believed that Erin��s method wasted too much time. Besides, some changes happened quickly and there wasn��t enough time for them to respond. The best solution was to maintain the status quo. No matter the type of accidents, one would surely succeed as long as one stuck to their original intentions and goals. In fact, truth also proved that he was right, which was why he had never failed up until now.


    However, Erin had a different view on this. Ion was proud of his judgment and decision while Erin was uncertain. She thought that a little failure wouldn��t affect the main situation greatly, but would make victory even sweeter. There was nothing perfect in this world. The more perfect something was, the easier it was to receive great damage.


    Ion wouldn��t listen to her and she was aware of this. But�� she also had her own ideas.


    Because her elder brother had made a mistake.


    Erin recalled clearly that during the battle the human overlord had indeed addressed her as ��Your Highness�� and this piqued her curiosity because she wasn��t in her human form back then. It wasn��t easy for humans to differentiate between Night Wyverns. Moreover, she had kept a low profile and very few beings in even the Country of Darkness knew about her. Not only that, but she also didn��t interact with the people of the Light Mainland. However, that human overlord recognized her immediately and was confident of his judgment��


    What an amusing human. Perhaps why Big Brother made a misjudgment is because the human overlord knew the reason why the Archangels didn��t appear. Based on this logic, if I arrived at the battlefield, the Munn Kingdom surely wouldn��t send an ordinary human overlord to defend the place. Just as Big Brother said, I have an extraordinary identity. It would be fine if no one recognized me, but if I were recognized��


    That human overlord actually made Big Brother misjudge the situation. Interesting. Perhaps he might become my useful helper.


    ��Alright then, I��m heading off now.��


    ��Yes, Big Brother.��


    Erin looked up and gazed forward as the burly man turned around and headed toward the other end of the room at an unswerving pace. He exited from the room and the door closed behind him.


    Boom��


    The deep sound echoed in the empty room and faded away.


    Erin sat on the chair and placed her hands on the keys of the pipe organ. She shut her eyes and after a few moments, she said.


    ��Chris, get ready. We��re going for a long trip.��


    ������


    No one responded. Erin lifted her hands and played the keys elegantly.


    The melodious sound of the pipe organ filled the room once again.


    ***


    Everything��s good.


    Rhode leaned back on the chair and scrutinized Sonia. He wasn��t surprised that she arrived at the Winter Castle because she reported her situation to him everyday despite them not meeting. Sometimes, her passionate attitude made Rhode feel as though she wasn��t a pet who he had groomed and humiliated. Instead, she seemed more like a lover who was painfully separated from him�� Of course, he also learned from her that Andre would be coming to the Winter Castle and also of the Light Parliament��s plans.


    On the other hand, Sonia seemed rather nervous under his gaze. She clutched the hem of her skirt and lowered her head while peeking at his face. Her eyes were filled with anticipation and desire. There were only two of them in the entire room. After Sonia arrived, Gillian found an excuse and dismissed herself. As a symbolic gesture, the Light Parliament arranged for two guards to be by her side and they stood outside the room at the moment. It was apparent that they weren��t willing to interact with Rhode. However, Sonia couldn��t wait any longer and felt extremely complicated.


    After returning to Casabianca, Sonia had been struggling internally. Even though she obeyed Rhode��s command to look for Andre with hopes that he could rescue her from the nightmare, the fact was that even Sonia wasn��t aware if she wished to leave Rhode. After leaving the Land of Atonement, she recalled everything that she experienced every night. Then, an emotion that spread from deep inside her to her body made her shudder. However, this emotion wasn��t fear. Instead, it was thrill and indulgence. Thereafter, she was almost intoxicated like a young lady recollecting loving memories with her beloved��full of joy and sweetness.


    Sonia knew that this wasn��t right. She should have felt painful, disappointed, and depressed. She was confused as to whether she was born a sick, licentious woman. The more this emotion struck her, the more she was affirmed of this thought. Not only did the humiliating thoughts not hurt her, but she also felt excited instead. The more excited she was, the more she degraded herself and this became a vicious cycle. She felt that she had changed completely. She didn��t look for Andre because she knew that he couldn�� rescue her. Instead, it was due to Rhode��s command that she did it.


    Now that she had arrived before Rhode, she was extremely excited. As for Andre, she had long forgotten about him.


    ��You��re saying that you��ll be representing the group of idiots in contacting us?��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    Sonia lowered her head and replied humbly. Rhode scanned her and after a few seconds, he smiled.


    ��Interesting. Sonia, you should know what to do, right?��


    ��Yes�� Yes����


    Sonia��s voice trembled. She looked up with her glinting eyes before slowly taking off her coat. In just a few seconds, she had stripped naked before him.


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Then, he gestured to her, and she came to his side hurriedly and allowed his fingers to roam around her body. She wasn��t ashamed, furious, or sad. All she felt was excitement.


    ��Good. It seems that you still remember my teachings, Sonia.�� Rhode spoke softly while his right hand roamed like a viper on her soft, dewy skin.


    The young lady trembled. ��Mas�� Master����


    Her moans were filled with pleads and desires, but Rhode disregarded her entirely. He continued to caress as though stroking a pet. Then, he squinted.


    ��Since your job is to stay in contact, I��m sure you know what to do, right?��


    ��Of course, Master.�� Sonia answered. ��I will report everything regarding the Light Parliament��s latest movements to you, Master. As long as they are matters Master wishes to know, I will tell you everything!��


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded firmly. Sonia��s behavior didn��t surprise him at all. Previously when Sonia yielded to him in the Land of Atonement, her name had appeared in his reputation system with the description of [Promiscuous].


    However, what amused him was that after she left his side, her affections toward him in the reputation system didn��t fall off. On the contrary, it slowly rose day by day. Even though Rhode didn��t know what happened to her after she returned to Casabianca, it seemed that she had failed the test that he had given her and her affections toward him became [Obedience].


    Rhode smiled at this thought. Then, he whispered into her ear.


    ��I have a matter that I need you to investigate�� If you can do it well����


    Rhode slid his hand in between her legs. Sonia moaned flirtatiously and leaned on him, craving for more. But to her disappointment, Rhode retracted his arm. She looked up in desire, at the same time rubbing herself on him with hopes for more. Yet, Rhode remained unmoved and spoke softly.


    ���� I will give you the reward you want the most. Understand?��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    Sonia��s eyes glinted.


    ��I will obey you completely.��

 Chapter 784 - Before The Battle

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Rhode could finally focus on the enemies with the help of a loyal and reliable pet like Sonia. Objectively speaking, Sonia was a capable person who possessed political talents judging from her position as the third executive officer of the Lockos Financial Group and a secondary parliament member of the Light Parliament at the age of 17. Although she was similar to Marlene in this aspect, she didn��t possess extraordinary magical abilities and her sword skills were only average. She was just a wealthy young lady who received formal noble education. If it weren��t for Rhode to uncover her strange fetishes, perhaps it would be tough to completely subdue her.


    However, Rhode wasn��t concerned because Sonia was an intelligent person. Even though intelligence was a good quality during most of these times, sometimes it might turn against them, like in the cases of Canary and Sonia. Both of them were intelligent, where they considered various problems despite some being unresolvable. Such situations would leave them dazed, but Canary walked out of her shadow and faced everything calmly. On the other hand, it was apparent that Sonia had fallen deeper and eventually lost herself completely. However, their wisdom brought them great results. Rhode didn��t intend to make Sonia stay with him permanently. In the past, he indeed had this thought. But now, he had other ideas after witnessing how loyal she was. He had always hoped for someone to stir trouble in the Light Parliament and Sonia was doing just fine. Not only that, but she also had a strong backing and trump card. Besides, as a secondary parliament member, she should be able to officially join the Light Parliament without much issue. When that happened, she could participate in the elections, then�� Possibly become the chairman.


    If that happened, Rhode could destroy the Light Parliament effortlessly.


    There were some difficulties, but it wasn��t impossible.


    However, this was a matter for the future, after all. Rhode only thought about it roughly and wasted no more time in ordering Sonia to investigate the reason why Lilian couldn��t come to the Winter Castle on time. Therefore, he focused his attention on the Undead Army that was arriving soon.


    Although the Winter Castle sounded majestic, its defensive line was nowhere near Rhode��s fortress in the Land of Atonement. Their entire defensive line was messy and damaged. Their city walls were only two-storeys tall with five magic cannons. Due to the long years of neglect, the uneven city walls were full of filth and would perhaps collapse easily as soon as the Undead Army swarmed forward.Update by vip novel


    However, the defensive line wasn��t as bad as Rhode thought. Even though the Light Parliament was naive, they also truthfully wished to stop the enemies. If not, they wouldn��t humiliate themselves by asking for Rhode��s help. Their military spent huge efforts in repairing the defensive line and the gorge that didn��t seem to exist became somewhat useful now. This was a common situation with the border regions, where the Dragon Canyon��s defensive line wasn��t anywhere better than the Winter Castle��s. Core cities like the Golden City and Casabianca were the only ones capable of securing their defenses. Although there were also well-equipped fortresses like Rhode��s, they mainly defended the major roads and couldn��t possibly be placed by the borders. Besides, with the current standard of civilization in the Dragon Soul Continent, it wasn��t possible to build strong city walls or fortresses in uninhabited regions.


    Rhode, who was used to living in his mighty fortress in the Land of Atonement, could no longer appreciate the two-storeys-tall city walls and magic cannons that he wasn��t sure were still working. On the other hand, Anne also expressed that this place was too shabby.


    In addition to the 5000 soldiers that Rhode led, the total number of anti-parliament soldiers reached about 15,000 people: neither too much nor too little. The overlord that Lydia mentioned whose territory was close to the Winter Castle brought about 2000 soldiers. The other overlords whose regions surrounded the Country of Light dispatched about 3000 soldiers individually. They had interests in recruiting private soldiers because they needed them for their own security, albeit with the Country of Light providing support.


    Rhode felt that the world was unfair whenever he witnessed such a scene�� He worked so hard and the number of soldiers in his entire territory was still less than 2000. On the contrary, the other overlords instantly dispatched thousands of soldiers and didn��t seem concerned if all of them perished in the battle.


    On the other side, the Light Parliament had sent out 20,000 troops and there would be about 60,000 Undead Creatures due to Archangel Serene��s and Boulder��s containment of Charlie. In fact, the predicted number of Undead Creatures on the battlefront shouldn��t be this much. Based on the report Rhode received from Sonia, there should have been only 30,000 of them�� It went without saying which idiots had given the enemies another 30,000 troops.


    If the Winter Castle crumbled, Rhode was sure that the fallen soldiers would be awakened by the Necromancers as Undead Creatures and they would attack their fellow humans in the future. The only fortunate thing was that the reawakened corpses weren��t intelligent and would only obey orders, unlike the Undead Creatures who lived long enough to possess a certain extent of self-awareness and wisdom. This was the only advantage they held over the Undead Army.


    Frankly speaking, the Munn Kingdom��s battlefront also had some issues. However, they were strong enough to turn the battle into a stalemate. Every time they retreated, they did their best to carry the corpses of their companions, in case they were turned into their enemies by the Necromancers. Not only that, but they also set fire to stop the Undead Creatures from advancing, at the same time burning the corpses into ash. On the other hand, the Country of Light instantly fled after they crumbled and didn��t consider retrieving the corpses at all. In the end, the Necromancers seized the chance and reawakened the corpses as their forces.


    The sun gradually set.


    Rhode stood on the shabby tower with his hands behind his back. He gazed at the horizon in the far distance expressionlessly while the fire elemental creatures stood around him. They were the strongest fire elemental creatures he could command: Magma Guards.


    [Magma Guards������Their passion in battle melts steel]


    As the most common fire elemental creatures in the Fiery Plains, Magma Guards held high offense and lower defense and weren��t afraid of death at all. Even if they lost their physical presence, they would still return to their elemental plane eventually. It was due to this that they were reckless and their self-exploding traits left the enemies frightened.


    Magma Guards held 8 defense points, but 7 offense points which seemed rather weak. However, they possessed magic spells like [Blaze Mantle] and [Fireball], which Fire Elemental Mages possessed. [Blaze Mantle] could form a barrier of scorching flames around them and any creatures who approached them would be inflicted with flame damage. On the other hand, [Fireball] was one of the most powerful elemental spells that Elemental Mages could utilize. They were as strong as grenades and came enhanced with the burning effect��the best solution in dealing with the Undead Creatures. Moreover, the fire elemental creatures were powerful, which made them the most suitable in defending city walls.


    After the battle in the Land of Atonement fortress ended, Rhode realized that the summoned creatures, namely the Ocean Elves, had also leveled up! Previously, he used the Taboo Halo to upgrade them to level 30. However, he didn��t expect them to level up after the battle ended. This was why he brought Agatha and the Ocean Elves here. There weren��t too many Undead Creatures here and Rhode no longer relied upon these low-level enemies for EXP. However, EXP was essential for the Ocean Elves and Orchid Heart, especially for the latter. Rhode looked forward to her transcending into the Legendary Stage so he would have enough capital to show off his strength.


    As for the Ocean Elves�� Rhode had no intentions of sending them to their death like the Magma Guards. On the contrary, their purpose in the fortress would become much more valuable in the future. Since they could level up, he might as well bring them out for a grind, at the same time weakening the Undead Creatures.


    At this moment, the Magma Guards stood in rows beside Rhode. They held flame spears and their eyes glinted in a faint, scarlet radiance. The human soldiers subconsciously kept a distance away from them. Even though they were now aware that the Magma Guards weren��t evil demons, they still appeared too�� dangerous.


    On the other hand, the Ocean Elves were much more popular. Rhode witnessed many soldiers approached the adorable Elves. Although they also appeared rather strange, they looked more like humans and were beautiful. Not only that, but they were also mostly gentle, which attracted the soldiers�� attention.


    However, this wasn��t the time for them to tease the adorable Ocean Elves. The entire defensive line was filled with a solemn atmosphere. All the soldiers clenched their weapons, stood above the city walls, and gazed at the horizon with uncertainties. Just a few moments ago, they received a piece of news��Undead Creatures were spotted.


    They are finally launching their attacks.


    Most of the commanders and soldiers in the alliance had basically not seen or fought any Undead Creatures before. At this moment, their hearts were pounding as they fixed their eyes on the empty horizon.


    On the contrary, Rhode and his men seemed rather relaxed. He stood above the shabby tower with his hands behind his back and gazing forward. Anne stood behind him and looked around excitedly as though she couldn��t wait for the battle to start. On the other side, the young lady with fox ears and tail sat nonchalantly and even held a cup of tea in her hand?!


    What astonished the soldiers the most was that black-haired young lady in an odd robe. She leaned on the wall, yawned, and shut her eyes�� Did she just fall asleep?


    Oh my goodness. What kind of people are they��


    Don��t they feel nervous at all?


    It seems that they have indeed annihilated the Undead Army��


    Rhode waited for the arrival of the Undead Army patiently. He wasn��t worried as to how they would deal with them because he would coordinate the Magma Guards�� aggression with the Ocean Elves�� defense and thereafter engage the holy spears in wiping out the battlefield. Besides, since he had so many soldiers under him, this situation was much better than before. He wasn��t afraid that he would fail and suspected that the northern battlefront on the other side wouldn��t successfully defend against the Undead Army.


    No, he was sure about it.


    Since the matter depended on the individuals��


    Rhode turned to the other side of the Winter Castle where the soldiers stood above the city walls and everything seemed to be in order.


    However, Rhode knew that they would definitely be in trouble after the Undead Army arrived.


    Rhode wouldn��t allow these people to survive this disaster that peacefully and was sure that the Light Parliament also held the same idea. They must be praying that he would perish along with the Undead Creatures. This way, they could ��mourn�� for his sacrifice and cheer inwardly while tears flowed down their faces. However, what made them so confident that he wasn��t thinking about the same thing?


    ��They��re here!��


    Suddenly, there was a commotion among the soldiers and Rhode turned his attention to the front.


    Indeed. An endless shadow had emerged above the horizon��the Undead Creatures marched forward at an unswerving pace.


    The final rays of the setting sun gradually vanished and pitch-black darkness enveloped the entire land.


    The Undead Army is finally here.

 Chapter 785 - More Than One Enemy (1)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The soldiers above the city walls watched nervously as the pitch-black waves of Undead Creatures gushed toward them.


    On the other hand, Rhode was extremely calm because he understood the approximate structure of the enemies. This Undead Army consisted of low-level troops. Even though the Country of Light��s scouts didn��t find any clues about the enemy��s numbers and formation, he knew that the situation wasn��t as complicated as they thought. Each squad consisted of 100 Skeleton Soldiers and a Death Knight was responsible for 10 squads. Rhode deduced that the Necromancer who led this Undead Army was between level 40 and 50, which was based on the 30,000 troops formation. This was common sense for the players who had fought the Country of Darkness. Back then in the mid-stages of the game, the Undead Army had up to tens of thousands of troops as vanguards. But, in fact, they would be glad if most of the troops belonged to their own forces. This was because they would always have the most number of low-level troops due to their snowball strategy. Of course, if one were to include the soldiers between level 5 and 10 that the Necromancers awakened from their graves, their total number would reach a billion�� But that would be meaningless.


    This was why it was common to see a player pointing at an Undead Army with a million troops and said that there were only thousands of them. They only considered the troops that belonged to the Undead Army and neglected the presence of the worthless troops that were awakened from their graves.


    Compared to the army that Cullen led to attack the Land of Atonement, which consisted of the Gargoyles, Bone Griffins, Vampires, Skeletal Trolls, and a Night Wyvern, this bunch of enemies now wasn��t even worth a mention. If Rhode wanted, he could jump over the city wall, slash his way through, and end everything after annihilating the Necromancer. Although the Undead Army would scramble after losing their commander, this wasn��t Rhode��s territory or the Munn Kingdom, after all, so he didn��t give a damn. But�� he had no interest in doing his utmost for the Light Parliament.


    He was better off seizing the chance and eliminating the Light Parliament.


    Rhode swept a glance to Gillian and the latter turned around upon sensing his gaze. Both of them exchanged a look and Rhode gestured to the orderly.


    ��Get ready to attack.��


    ��Huh?��


    The orderly looked in astonishment and subconsciously gazed ahead.


    ��The Undead Army is still a distance away. Why are we attacking so soon? Isn��t this�� too quick?


    He hesitated and at this moment, Rhode repeated.


    ��Get ready to attack.��


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    Even though he didn��t know what was going through Rhode��s head, he quickly retrieved the bugle from his belt and blew.


    Oo�� Oo�� Oo��!


    The bugle echoed in the entire defensive line loudly. The soldiers were as baffled as the orderly and couldn��t understand the meaning behind this command.


    The enemies are like black dots in our eyes now. Why must we get ready to attack so soon?


    Some of the soldiers turned to the tower to check if the orderly was mistaken. But shortly after, the dazzling flare affirmed that this was undoubtedly an order to launch their attacks.


    Despite their doubts, the soldiers held the duties to obey orders. If it was necessary, they would even leap over the city walls and into their deaths. Shortly after, the other towers were also lit with flames. The bugle sounded once again and the soldiers raised their bows instantly. The Country of Light had learned how to deal with the Undead Creatures after losing that many manpower previously. Their soldiers drew their flame arrows and pointed. However, they weren��t paying particular attention to the enemies. Instead, this was just their instinctive behavior as soldiers. In fact, it would be meaningless even if they released the arrows because they wouldn��t be able to hit their enemies.


    ��What��s going on? What happened?��


    On the northern battlefront, the Light Parliament was also surprised to hear the bugle that signaled the launching of attacks because they felt that this was too early. They would normally start defending when the enemies were approaching the city walls�� This should be the standard way. But now, the enemies hadn��t even entered the danger zone yet.


    Is your brain rusty? The enemies are still so far away. The soldiers can��t possibly keep their bowstrings drawn for half an hour.


    ��It seems like an order by the young overlord.��


    ��What a joke. He wants to get ready for attack? He must be kidding.��


    Unlike the southern battlefront, the commanders on the northern battlefront disregarded Rhode��s command and signals. However, Rhode wasn��t under the command of the Light Parliament and vice-versa. Even if the commanders were doubtful, they couldn��t do anything about it.


    ��What does General Bill say about this?��


    Andre asked the adjutant. He held the sword hilt and and gazed forward with knitted brows.


    ��General Bill says to observe the situation and not act rashly.��


    The adjutant said and shook his head. Logically speaking, this was the correct response. But��


    ��Inform the rest to get ready for battle.��


    ��Sir?��


    The adjutant gazed blankly upon hearing Andre��s command.


    ��I don��t think that man is here to mess with us, especially in this situation. Undead Creatures are unlike humans. Perhaps the man has some ideas. Go!��


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    The adjutant nodded, turned around, and scuttled to pass down Andre��s command.


    The soldiers of the southern battlefront swiftly drew their bowstrings despite not knowing the reason behind Rhode��s order. Then, before the generals and representatives of the anti-parliament forces understood the reason, they received the answer��the Undead Army had quickened their pace.


    The pitch-black Skeleton Soldiers clutched swords and shields in hands and strode forward in large strides. The calm, quiet river had turned into a raging wave!


    ��Oh lord. How are they this quick?!��


    The soldiers were baffled. The Undead Creatures weren��t mortals, so their maximum speed could even be comparable to the speeding Cavalrymen. Moreover, the possibilities of them being left behind and causing chaos to their formation were minimal due to their strict discipline. In the blink of an eye, the Undead Creatures that were far away had bolted forward!


    ��Get ready to attack!��


    The commanders of the unprepared northern battlefront instantly ordered in panic. At this moment, Rhode extended his right arm and swung down.


    ��Do it.��


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Countless flame arrows were released into the enemies like a storm and scarlet flares erupted almost immediately. Even though the effects of these flame arrows weren��t as effective as the fire elemental arrows that Lapis created, they shouldn��t be belittled too. The tips of the arrows were soaked in kerosene that was specially modified. Not only would they light up and spread instantly, but their burning duration was also long. Moreover, the putrid corpse oil on the Undead Creatures were the best fuel for ignition.


    However, this wasn��t able to stop the Undead Creatures�� aggression. Although many of the Skeleton Soldiers had crumbled, their formation remained perfect without any signs of letting loose. Then, Rhode gave another command.


    ��Do it.��


    Agatha and the Ocean Elves raised their arms. Shortly after, pure water element powers coalesced in their hands. They pushed forward and the powers transformed into a force that engulfed the land. Then, in a series of rumbles, enormous cone-like pillars of ice struck out from the snowy field. They spread forward with sharp edges pointed at the Undead Army.


    The first few rows of Skeleton Soldiers were crushed by the pressure from the rear and the ice pillars penetrated their bodies mercilessly. If they were humans, their attack would have failed completely. But this was nothing to the Undead Army. Their eyes burned with spiritual flames and they neglected their companions beneath their feet. They only had one goal!


    The ice pillars couldn��t resist them for long. They were like layers of thick glasses which shattered quickly after the Undead Army continued to push forward.


    The soldiers were scared witless despite them standing safely above the city walls. Logically speaking, the Undead Army wouldn��t be able to climb up the walls immediately even if they had arrived at the bottom. However, their aggression was too terrifying, which gave the soldiers an illusion that they would make the entire city wall collapse and the soldiers would be submerged in the pitch-black wave.


    Although the soldiers had heard about rumors, they finally realized how terrifying the Undead Creatures were after experiencing it for themselves!


    Rhode swept a glance to the restless soldiers in the defensive line. In fact, it was great news for him that the soldiers didn��t toss their weapons and flee immediately��


    ��Gillian.��


    Rhode let out an inward sigh and nodded to Gillian. The latter smiled.


    ��Got it, Master!��


    She placed two of her fingers between her lips and blew a sharp whistle.


    ��Alright, little ones. It��s time for your show!��


    The Magma Guards strode toward the edge of the city wall and gazed at the Undead Army. Then, they lifted their right arms, aimed at their targets, and hurled their flame spears like javelins!


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    The flame spears streaked across the air and erupted a series of explosions as soon as they struck the enemies. As fire elemental creatures, the might of their flames was much stronger than the flame arrows that the soldiers released. The Undead Army slowed down immediately and many burst into bits from the explosions, causing their tight formation to be scrambled. However, the cannon fodders that served as vanguards were mostly weak corpses that they had awakened from the previous battlefields, so the losses weren��t much at all. If they were to be judged according to Rhode��s card values, they would be around 1 to 2 points in offense and defense, which was completely worthless and could only be relied on for quantity to gain the upper hand.


    They finally revealed their ��true identity�� under the bombardment of the fire elemental creatures. They lost their advantage in quantity and crumbled against the fire elemental creatures�� attacks.


    ��Oh! Oh! Oh!��


    The soldiers above the city walls cheered loudly. Just a few moments ago, they were scared witless, but now, their confidence had boosted and they had forgotten all their worries completely. They hurriedly drew their bowstrings and launched another wave of attack.


    It seems like everything is going rather smoothly.


    Rhode gazed at the scene in satisfaction. He didn��t activate the Holy Maiden Statues because the cannon fodders wasn��t worthy of them. Moreover, the Ocean Elves and Magma Guards were more than sufficient to take them down. Unless the Undead Army pushed his forces back, he wouldn��t activate them. After all, the enemies would be prepared since they already knew of their existence from the previous battles. Rhode didn��t come here for a war of attrition. If it was possible, he wished to end everything quickly.


    On the other hand��


    Rhode squinted at the far distance ahead. The Light Parliament had previously rejected his proposal to pay for the rights to use the Holy Maiden Statues and now it seemed like they would be begging for help anytime soon. But would begging be enough?


    I wonder how well those idiots from the Light Parliament are doing now.

 Chapter 786 - More Than One Enemy (2)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The situation was terrible.


    The army by the northern battlefront totally didn��t expect the Undead Creatures�� assault abilities to be even stronger than the Cavalrymen. This sudden attack had caught them off guard and they hurriedly raised their weapons to retaliate. However, it was too late. Unlike the southern battlefront, the Undead Army that attacked the northern battlefront hadn��t stopped at all. They darted all the way to the foot of the city walls and shortly after, the unfortunate soldiers instantly experienced their terrifying might.


    The Undead Creatures crashed into the walls and were instantly pushed to the ground by their companions from the rear. Then, the entire Undead Army was like waves crashing onto the shore continuously. The impact shook the city walls and the soldiers were so frightened that they scrambled on the ground.


    ��Don��t let loose. Chase them down the city walls. Don��t let them climb up!��


    Andre brandished his sword and the biting cold wind froze a huge group of the enemies. Then, he slashed his blade and shattered the frozen creatures. But before he caught his breath, the Undead Creatures from the rear had rushed forward and rammed into the city walls.


    Boom!


    Andre felt trembles in the ground beneath his feet. Although he expected the Undead Creatures�� assault to be powerful, he didn��t expect them to be this strong. The city walls were sturdy, but he felt as though it would crumble anytime. The area which he was responsible for was doing fine. After all, he had reminded the soldiers to stay vigilant unlike the other areas which had already broken out into chaos. Some of the Undead Creatures had climbed over the walls and initiated battle with the soldiers! It would be too dangerous if this continued!


    ��Continue to defend. Don��t let loose!��


    Andre commanded loudly. At the same time, the magic cannons that were fixed on the towers fired��dazzling magical beams struck the Undead Army by the foot of the city walls and blasted them to the sky. However, this wasn��t too effective against them. The Winter Castle��s defensive lines only possessed a total of five magic cannons because this region wasn��t an important defensive line to begin with. The five magic cannons were located in the middle of the Winter Castle between the northern and southern battlefronts in order to support both ends. At this moment, all five magic cannons turned to face the enemies by the northern battlefront and launched attacks on the enemies. It was apparent that their damage was as though one throwing a pebble into the pond. Although there were ripples, the pond quickly returned to silence again. Andre bit his teeth and gazed at the endless Undead Army swarming toward them��failure would happen only in a matter of time if this continued!


    That��s all they��ve got?


    Rhode placed his hands behind his back and gazed at the endless waves. With the assistance of the 5000 fire elemental creatures, the soldiers on his side had pulled themselves together and coordinated their attacks to stop the enemies from coming closer. On the other hand, the Ocean Elves cast water elemental spells to slow down the enemies. Their ice pillars burst from the ground and penetrated dozens of Undead Creatures at once. Then, flame spears and arrows rained down from above, leaving ghastly burning wounds on the pitch-black creatures.


    It was all too simple to deal with the 60,000 Undead Creatures. No, in fact, there were only 30,000 Undead Creatures and 30,000 corpses. Moreover, due to their comprehensive attacks, there were up to 20,000 cannon fodders attacking Rhode��s southern battlefront now. If they were the regular troops, perhaps he might notice. However, the Magma Guards, Anne, and Gillian were more than enough to annihilate the cannon fodder and the 20,000 EXP he received wasn��t even one-fiftieth of the amount of EXP he needed to level up once.


    ��S-Sir.��


    As Rhode admired the battle before him, an orderly scuttled toward him. Rhode turned and gazed at the pale, nervous orderly. The latter took in a deep breath and said.


    ��Reporting, Sir. The situation in the northern battlefront is extremely critical. They may possibly be run over by the Undead Creatures. Should we����


    ��That��s not necessary. I know what I��m doing.��


    Rhode waved his hand and interrupted the orderly.


    ��We don��t have enough forces to send as reinforcements. I will pass my orders when the time is right.��


    Of course, Rhode was aware of their concerns. Even though the Light Parliament and anti-parliament forces were as incompatible as fire and water, everyone was on the same boat in protecting the Winter Castle, after all. Neither the northern nor southern battlefront should crumble. If the northern battlefront crumbled to the Undead Army so soon, the enemies would take down the southern battlefront thereafter. When that happened, everyone would be doomed.


    However, Rhode didn��t think so. After all, the northern battlefront had many troops on their side and wouldn��t crumble anytime soon. On the contrary, he was concerned that if he dispatched his forces to support them, those bastards would retreat and let the reinforcements replace their own troops in resisting against the Undead Creatures and make them clean up the terrible mess�� After being a player for years, Rhode couldn��t guarantee the level of shamefulness of the Country of Light��s military. It was due to this that he didn��t give a damn about the survival of the northern battlefront. The idiots from the Country of Light were better off defending on their own until the end and even after the Undead Creatures broke through their defenses, Rhode still had the Holy Maiden Statues to salvage the situation.


    But now wasn��t the time yet.


    He extended his right arm and fiddled with the white ring on his index finger. The cannon fodders weren��t his target at all and he focused his attention on the 30,000 troops at the rear�� This was the reason why he didn��t activate the Holy Maiden Statues even now. He was still waiting for the moment the enemies lost their awareness and sunk deeper into his trap�� Rhode knew the method to entice the enemies inside-out. The reason why the fortress in the Land of Atonement had defeated two waves of Undead Army was all due to his experiences from the game. The way to make up for the difference in strength was to attack when the enemies weren��t prepared for it. Intelligence gathering was also one of the other ways and sometimes, a battle had already begun before it officially started.


    How weak.


    As Rhode casually admired the battle, the Necromancer who was in command of the Undead Army let out a hoarse grunt. This human defensive line was as weak and fragile as ever�� Yes. At least this was the case for the northern battlefront. On the other hand, the southern battlefront resisted the assault of his army and even slowed down their pace. He heard that the humans had even gathered an alliance in order to secure this ridiculous place and it seemed to be working for them. However, this was all there was to it.


    The Necromancer instantly recognized the difference in strength in the two battlefronts. If he didn��t need to mobilize his troops to attack both battlefronts simultaneously, perhaps the northern battlefront would have already crumbled.


    So then, what should I do now?


    The Necromancer pondered in silence and looked ahead at the southern battlefront with spiritual flames burning in his pitch-black eye sockets. Coincidentally, another series of flares erupted and he heard the loud explosions from ahead. The Undead Creatures crumbled once again, but were quickly replenished from the rear. However�� it wouldn��t work if this continued. The Necromancer didn��t expect that these humans would defend the southern battlefront so successfully. The poor performance on the northern battlefront should be the results that he expected.


    There weren��t many choices left for the Necromancer. He could transfer some troops from the southern battlefront to the northern battlefront in order to provide support and apply pressure to the humans. This way, his Undead Army could infiltrate deeply, devour the human soldiers, and conquer the Winter Castle completely. However, there were also risks involved because transferring the soldiers away would weaken the pressure that they were applying on the southern battlefront, which might lead to the southern battlefront sending reinforcements to the northern battlefront. The Necromancer was curious. As a spell caster, he naturally sensed the formidable might of the elemental powers from the fireballs that descended from above, which proved that the humans had a great number of fire elemental spell casters. However, why were they all gathered at the southern battlefront only? Such powerful beings should be distributed fairly to both battlefronts. Since this was the case, wouldn��t it make the battle much easier for them?


    What does this mean?


    No matter what the purpose of this was, it meant that he stood a chance.


    The Necromancer swept a glance to the side.


    He couldn��t lessen the pressure applied on the southern battlefront and couldn��t stop his attacks on the northern battlefront. It seeeds like there was only one safest solution.


    The Necromancer extended his arm and waved.


    Shortly after, the dark waves crashed forward once more.


    They��re here!


    Rhode stared at the rear of the Undead Army and his pupils shrunk abruptly. The true power of darkness had swarmed forward.


    On the surface, the Undead Creatures by the rear didn��t seem any different from the cannon fodders. However, anyone who was familiar with the Undead Army could instantly sense their difference��the cannon fodders by the front possessed no will at all and were more like tools who acted instinctively. However, the creatures from the rear were entirely different. Their pace and every action was determined with obvious goals��destroy the mortals and everything before them and dye this world pitch-black.


    The sky had darkened completely, but everyone clearly witnessed the Undead Creatures swarming toward them under the bright flares. The enemies looked like they were born from the darkness. The soldiers gazed ahead, but only saw an entire sea of Undead Creatures who devoured everything in their path. They shuddered��will we be able to stop them?


    The time has come.


    Rhode narrowed his eyes. As a being in the Legendary Stage, he didn��t need any flares to clearly witness everything that was shrouded in darkness. He was sure that within the next few moments, the true Undead Creatures would be charging to the foot of the city walls and the northern battlefront would crumble completely.


    That was with the premise that he didn��t intervene.


    Now�� is the time.


    Rhode��s lips curled into a smile. Then, he twisted the jade-like ring on his index finger.


    [Activate: Holy Maiden Statue]


    In an instant, a dazzling silver beam of light burst into the clouds and lit up the night sky.


    ��That��s��!��


    The Necromancer stared in astonishment. He knew what that was��it was all because of this sacred barrier and enchanted field that the Undead Army had lost in the Munn Kingdom. He didn��t expect them to be here at all!


    Damn it! Didn��t those things belong to the Munn Kingdom? Why are they here in the Country of Light?


    The spiritual flames in his eyes surged. He finally realized that he might have possibly been had by the humans who apparently had been waiting for him to send out his 30,000 regular troops!


    However, what confused him the most was that he didn��t know of anyone who understood them this well.


    This wasn��t the time to ponder on such a question now. The Necromancer was uncertain because he might fall deeper into the enemy��s plans if his troops advanced. However, it was all too late. Even though the Undead Creatures were disciplined, it would still require time to make them retreat from their assault. If the humans seized this chance to retaliate�� His Undead Army would suffer grave losses. It was apparent that the humans had predicted this!


    The Necromancer gritted his teeth and made his decision.


    I will continue attacking! I will gather my forces to invade the northern battlefront and take down the Winter Castle in one go!


    Shortly after, the formation of the Undead Army changed. The pressure applied on the southern battlefront decreased significantly as the Undead Creatures flowed toward the northern battlefront on the other side. It seemed like the Necromancer had made a firm decision. He had decided to risk everything on the northern battlefront!


    Now��s the chance!


    Rhode��s eyes glinted. Then, he unsheathed his shimmering holy sword from his waist.


    ��Senior Heart, I��ll leave this place to you. Gillian, Anne, let��s go!��


    Rhode leaped from the tower and brandished his blade!

 Chapter 787 - More Than One Enemy (3)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The soldiers were baffled to see Rhode leaping down the city walls. Although the Undead Army had given up their assault on the southern battlefront, their presence was still clearly visible in the distance under the flares. Even though they were battered, their imposing presence was still there. If this sturdy city wall didn��t exist under the soldiers�� feet, they wouldn��t have the guts to fight the enemies. On the other hand, this young overlord actually leapt down alone?! Wouldn��t he be a lamb in a tiger��s den?


    But Rhode didn��t think so.


    His feet landed on the ground softly and caused an uproar among the Undead Army. However, before they took any actions, Rhode struck��he held the sword hilt of Star Mark in his right hand and brandished. Snowy, flickering silver radiance streaked an elegant arc across the pitch-black sky. The Undead Creatures within several meters of his range instantly erupted into sacred flames and it appeared as though a ten-meters-wide semicircular fire pit. The Undead Creatures mourned and scrambled before turning into piles of dried bones. But Rhode didn��t stop. He darted forward and a phantom emerged and split from his body like the reflection of a mirror. They leaped across each other in midair and slashed their blades.


    ������!


    Silver-whitish flames in this mighty blade airstream turned into raging waves that engulfed and swept the Undead Creatures into the air, where their bodies were immediately corroded by the sacred flames. It seemed as though a boulder had crashed into the pitch-black sea and snowy spindrift fluttered. However, the spindrift this time stunned them��after all, they were ten-meters in height.


    ��Oh, lord..!��


    The soldiers and commanders above the city walls stared in astonishment. They knew that the young overlord was powerful after witnessing his skills during the Midsummer Festival and Dragon Soul Ceremony. However, they underestimated his greatness: his strength had exceeded all expectations. Maybe even the Holy Knights of the church couldn��t release such an impressive attack!


    In an instant, the soldiers came to an abrupt halt and widened their eyes blankly. All the Undead Creatures died to Rhode��s ruthless blade air streams. Like raindrops, their burning limbs fell to the ground and even on the city walls. However, everyone wasn��t mindful at all because they were enchanted by Rhode��s formidable strength.


    But this wasn��t the end.


    ��Heyah����!��


    Anne yelled and jumped over the city wall with shield in hand, crashing into the Undead Army like a boulder released from a catapult. This lively young lady couldn��t wait to get into action.


    Boom!


    In a deep rumble, the entire Undead Army trembled and overwhelmed this unexpected guest and it appeared that they were successful. The area which Anne had blasted was instantly replenished by the surrounding darkness and she was nowhere to be seen anymore. The soldiers gawked and were convinced that they would surely be dead if it were them who had jumped into the group of countless enemies.


    Why did she act so rashly? Sigh��


    But, a strange scene emerged in their eyes��the army of darkness that had enveloped her entirely suddenly bulged like a balloon. Then, they abruptly exploded.


    ��Go to hell����!��


    Anne brandished the enormous shield in her hand like a hammer that swept across the enemies in all directions. The whistling gales rose to form a violent tornado that linked the heaven and ground. In the blink of an eye after the tornado wreaked havoc, the whole area turned into an empty, flat ground with Anne standing in the middle. No matter the Undead Creatures or snowy field, nothing was seen around her anymore as they had all been blown away.


    ��Huhuhu, not so bad from little Anne.��


    Compared to Rhode��s and Anne��s bombastic appearance into the battlefield, Gillian was more low-profile. She covered her mouth with her slender hand and let out a series of chuckles. Then, she floated down the city wall gently like cotton and took gracious steps forward. It seemed as though she wasn��t in a battlefield, but was participating in a dance instead. Her movements were neither as huge as Rhode��s nor as imposing as Anne��s. However, the influence which she brought to the battlefield was obvious to all. As she strode ahead, the Undead Creatures who were a distance away suddenly burned as though an invisible barrier of scarlet flames had expanded toward them along with her movements and devoured everything into ashes.


    In fact, this wasn��t too surprising because Rhode and Gillian were in the Legendary Stage and there were no doubts about their strength. Besides, Gillian didn��t gain her strength through ��upgrading�� of levels. Instead, she ��restored�� them. As a fire elemental lord, Gillian was naturally enveloped by the fire elemental halo. Although she hadn��t fully restored the strength of her peak, she had already regained the characteristics of the fire elemental halo. On the other hand, even though Rhode��s rule power didn��t come from the elements, the Fantasy Daybreak swordsmanship which he created was enhanced by legendary attributes and incomparably powerful, where ordinary humans couldn��t withstand it.


    Moreover, these cannon fodders were nothing more than low-level creatures. In the game, their only purpose of existence was to assist players�� growth to level 15, which made it apparent how much threat they held. Facing two legendary figures and Anne who had reached level 50, these cannon fodders weren��t even worth any significant EXP. Moreover, they were weakened further and became more fragile with the enchanted field activated. At this moment, they were as though sheets of paper.


    This was also why Rhode instantly jumped into the battlefield. If it was said that he was rather fearful of the Undead Army��s assault (this had nothing to do with level; instead, this was one of the greatest headaches that players had whenever they faced the Undead Army), now with the Magma Guards�� help, the enemies couldn��t gather any imposing assaults anymore. Furthermore, 30,000 of their regular troops had also been transferred to support the northern battlefront, so this was the best chance for Rhode now!


    After the three of them joined the battle for a few moments, their powerful strength moved the soldiers emotionally. Previously, they would surely think that the other party was speaking blindly if they said that the three of them could annihilate thousands of Undead Creatures. But now, nothing was more satisfying and exciting than witnessing the enemies crumble before their very eyes. At this moment, the soldiers cheered with their arms raised. Then, they saw the Magma Guards leaping off the city walls one after another and a strange doubt emerged in their heads.


    What are they trying to do? Could it be that they��


    ��Attack!��


    Rhode brandished his sword forward��a dazzling silver radiance shone from within the pitch-black sea which stopped them from advancing and tore an enormous, ghastly scar. This was the chance that Rhode had been waiting for and also the best opportunity in which he had discussed with Gillian for a long time!


    The Magma Guards snarled, raised their flame spears, and bolted toward the Undead Army with Rhode and the others. The Magma Guards were like blades that were lit by scorching flames as they charged forward. On the other hand, Rhode, Anne, and Gillian were like the sharpest edge of the blades, mercilessly ripping through the massive presence before them, and aimed for its heart!


    They intend to attack?!


    Everyone was baffled because they didn��t expect that Rhode would attack at such a timing. After all, not all the soldiers had the capability to leap down from the second storey easily.


    Should we join them? Or should we continue defending?


    Fortunately, Orchid Heart stepped forward and commanded.


    ��Transfer 5000 soldiers to the northern battlefront from the rear, but don��t defend with them. The rest of you stay and continue defending.��


    ��Transfer to the northern battlefront from the rear, but don��t defend with them?��


    The commanders responsible for defense asked in astonishment. The Undead Army that attacked the southern battlefront had crumbled while Rhode led his men and retaliated. At this moment, they should transfer manpower to support the northern battlefront. After all, they were aware of their plight and knew that the Light Parliament was overwhelmed and at the brink of collapse. After hearing this piece of news, the commanders were glad and worried at the same time. They were glad that they made the right choice because Rhode skillfully defended against the enemies while the northern battlefront almost crumbled at this point. Even though they were dubious of the Magma Guards at the start, they were totally convinced by their extraordinary abilities now. No matter what they were, at least they were here to help!


    What they were worried about was that the northern battlefront would crumble. Previously, they ridiculed the Light Parliament for being worthless. But now, they hoped that the Light Parliament wouldn��t be as useless as they thought because if the northern battlefront was broken through, they would also be on the suffering end!


    Therefore, taking the big picture into consideration, they had to set aside the differences in their political standpoints. Moreover, they were militants and didn��t value politics as highly as the people and politicians. At this point in time, they didn��t need political correctness. All they needed was to win!


    Everyone thought that Rhode had intended to transfer manpower to support the northern battlefront after he led the Magma Guards into battle. The northern battlefront was slowly crumbling and even though the magic cannons had kept most of the Undead Creatures from climbing up the city walls, the city walls were in complete chaos. If reinforcements didn��t arrive any sooner, they would be totally overwhelmed.


    But now, Rhode intended to transfer 5000 soldiers, but instead of assisting the northern battlefront, he mobilized them to the rear��


    Could it be that�� They will be there as barrier troops?


    The commanders felt shivers down their spines.


    It can��t be�� Is that young man so daring? In other words, if the northern battlefront crumbles, our barrier troops will also need to deal with the fleeing soldiers,


    Even though the commanders knew about the grudges between Rhode and the Light Parliament, this order still sent chills down their spines. However, what if they held different opinions? It was previously mentioned that the commanding rights of the southern battlefront was handed to Rhode and since he had given the order, the commanders could only execute them. Besides, not all of them were worried. Some were secretly enjoying it because it was rare for an opportunity to threaten the Light Parliament this openly to come by. Moreover, they weren��t worried that the southern battlefront would fall anytime soon because Rhode had displayed his enormous strength where the Undead Army was eliminated by him, one after another.


    The soldiers got into action while Rhode and his men had no intentions of stopping.


    The Holy Maiden Statues released golden rule threads that enveloped the entire sky. Then, white beams of light bombarded the area and slaughtered the Undead Creatures who charged forward to stop Rhode and his men.


    Rhode, Gillian, and Anne bolted forward. They only had one goal��to annihilate this Undead Army!


    ��������!��


    Dark, twisted ripples emerged in midair and coalesced into razor-sharp edges that struck toward them.


    ��Anne!��


    ��Got it, Leader!��


    Anne sprung up, at the same time expanding her shield like a full-blown flower to protect them.


    Boom! Boom!


    The sharp edges made from dark magical energy crashed into her shield before vanishing into thin air. Anne brandished her shield and the dazzling wind element flickered, blasting away dozens of Death Knights that had darted forward. Then, Gillian swayed her fluffy tail and extended her arm with a lady-like smile across her face.


    ��Huhuhu����


    A beam of flames erupted from the tip of her finger, devouring the Undead Creatures mercilessly. Then, she gestured and the beam of flames split into two, which formed a corridor between them. At the end of the corridor, there was a filthy, miserable-looking Necromancer who was retreating. He clutched his bone staff and erupted a black mist that shrouded himself entirely.


    At this moment, Rhode unsheathed his holy sword.

 Chapter 788 - More Than One Enemy (4)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The Necromancer was stunned by Rhode��s ambush. In order to control the situation, the Necromancer ordered his troops by the rear to push forward. In fact, he didn��t have any other choice. The holy spears were too powerful and his army couldn��t retreat even if they wished to. He also sensed the suppressing effects of the enchanted field and naturally understood how weak his army was right now. Instead of being annihilated while retreating, he might as well use this chance to retaliate. If they could break through the northern battlefront, perhaps he could take down the legendary artifacts, which would be a huge achievement because no one had done so yet.


    The Necromancer was aware that he had been had. But he had no other choices left and could only stake it all on one throw.


    However, he didn��t expect that Rhode would counterattack at such a quick pace��the Necromancer witnessed his cannon fodder burning in flames and a string of flames blasted toward him shortly after like an ignited detonation line. In the blink of an eye, he realized that Rhode was within his line of sight.


    The Necromancer turned around and fled instantly, at the same time casting undead spells on Rhode and his men to slow their pace. However, he didn��t expect that the attacks would be completely useless. As soon as he sensed that the situation was far from good, Gillian released a scorching beam of flames toward him. The Necromancer had no other others. He gritted his teeth and summoned the bone shield before him to resist her attack.


    However, he instantly realized that he had made a wrong move as soon as he got into contact with the flames. Gillian��s flames weren��t any ordinary spell as they were a force coalesced from pure fire element! This proved that she didn��t require any means and could freely manipulate the fire element!


    The humans have a fire elemental lord among them!


    This discovery scared the Necromancer out of his wits. If he knew this earlier, he wouldn��t have launched his attacks at all. However, it was too late for regrets. All he could do was to grit his teeth and escape. He had no plans to save his 30,000 regular troops anymore.


    They have the support of legendary artifacts and a fire elemental lord. I��m doomed. I should flee!


    The menacing flames dispersed the bone shield and engulfed the Necromancer. However, all he saw next was a dazzling silver radiance.


    Without any resistance, Rhode��s holy blade penetrated his skull and sacred flames erupted. In an instant, they devoured the Necromancer and all he could do was to stretch out his arm helplessly. Then,het fell to the ground lifelessly like a ragged building block.


    The difference in their strength was too huge. Rhode swept a glance to the Necromancer who was burning into ashes. He swung his blade and gave a firm order.


    ��Attack.��


    The Magma Guards�� bodies instantly erupted and surged with blistering scarlet flames. Then, they pounded on the Undead Creatures before them.


    ***


    The Undead Army shivered.


    Andre brandished his blade and swept across a dozen Skeleton soldiers who had climbed over the walls. He sensed that after the enchanted field had activated, the enemies were much easier to deal with now. Even though he detested Rhode, he had to admit that the legendary artifacts were indeed effective. If it weren��t for them, perhaps they wouldn��t have resisted the enemies. Just a few moments ago, Andre thought that he was doomed. However, the situation took a turn after the Holy Maiden Statues were activated and the enchanted field enveloped the entire Winter Castle. This boosted the morales of the soldiers after they witnessed the enemies shattered into bits by their blades. At this moment, Andre heard a panicky scream.


    ��Sir!��


    ��What��s the matter?!��


    Andre clutched the Neptune��s Sigh in his hands and slashed forward��an ice pillar rose from the ground and struck the Skeleton soldiers and Death Knights away. Then, he turned to the adjutant.


    ��The Undead Army��s aggression seems to be rather chaotic at the moment. General Colin thinks that we should seize this chance to retreat and regroup our forces����


    ��Tch.��


    Andre let out a grunt. He knew what General Colin was plotting. In fact, General Colin had already harbored such thoughts earlier on. However, as the Undead Army was too aggressive like crashing waves, they had no choice but to hang on with what they had. But now, the enemies had been weakened and General Colin seemed to be making moves again. To retreat and regroup were only excuses while fleeing was his true motive. In fact, this wasn��t surprising to Andre because the southern battlefront was supported by Rhode. On the other hand, even though the northern battlefront was led by the Light Parliament, Andre was clear that the militants weren��t united unanimously. The situation had become even more apparent now. Although the Undead Army was weakened by the enchanted field, the soldiers on the battlefront also suffered grave losses, where the remaining soldiers could only hang on with all their might and would fall sooner or later. Even though the Holy Maiden Statues�� holy spears eliminated plenty of Undead Creatures, those that were removed were from the rear and it didn��t alleviate the situation by the front��considering the grudge between Rhode and the Light Parliament, this wasn��t too astonishing.


    If the northern battlefront had a commander who everyone respected and was capable of controlling the chaotic situation, perhaps the situation wouldn��t be this terrible. But the problem now was that there wasn��t any camaraderie between the soldiers here and in addition to the continuous failures, the Light Parliament��s prestige had fallen greatly. As one of the members, Andre understood this point clearly. This alliance wasn��t united at all. Therefore, they instantly revealed their true selves in the face of the Undead Army, just like how General Colin asked to retreat�� Without a commander who could convince the masses, the alliance was tossed about by the wind and rain.


    Andre once hoped that he could be the commander of this alliance because he was capable enough. But his failure in the Dragon Soul Ceremony caused him to lose his authority. Therefore, all he could do now was to lead a small team and defend against the Undead Army. He couldn��t and wouldn��t back down. This was his only chance to start afresh. He had to succeed for his fallen companions!


    But if this continued, they wouldn��t be able to repel the enemies.


    No wonder the others wished to retreat.


    But�� Andre looked ahead. The Undead Creatures continuously climbed over the walls and launched their attacks. Thousands of enemy corpses had piled up by the foot of the city walls that was as tall as the city walls. The other Undead Creatures could even step on the ��hill�� of corpses and ascend into the city walls directly. The reason why they could hang on was because they were located advantageously above. They would descend the city walls if they were pushed back. When that happened�� Could they still escape?


    Andre imagined that if they retreated like what General Colin said, the Undead Creatures would swarm forward and devour everyone completely!


    Andre turned back instinctively. Then, his pupils shrunk abruptly.


    What is that?!


    Andre realized that rows of soldiers had lined a distance behind them. The soldiers gazed at the city walls in silence, holding torches, shields, and swords.


    Who exactly are they? Reinforcements? If they are reinforcements, why are they standing by the rear?


    Andre remembered clearly that there weren��t any soldiers there before the battle started.


    Could they be reinforcements from the southern battlefront? That shouldn��t be. If they are, why don��t they support us instead of enjoying the show from the rear? Could it be��


    Andre shifted his gaze to the fluttering flag above them and shrieked inwardly. Yes, it was the flag of the southern battlefront! This proved that they were the soldiers of that man and didn��t seem to have the intentions of providing support. This meant that��


    ��Tell Colin to check the situation behind us. If he isn��t afraid of death, he can back down anytime! I will not retreat. I will stay here until the end! Order everyone to defend the battlefront!��


    Andre ordered his adjutant without turning around. Then, he raised his sword and darted forward while one of the pitch-black Death Knight also leaped and brandished his sword.


    Clang!


    Their blades clashed.


    Even though the Undead Army continued to attack, they weren��t as uniform as before because they had lost their commander. It was especially so for the cannon fodders that didn��t possess any intelligence after being awakened into battle. Normally, they would require at least three months before developing basic intelligence and anytime before that, they were as though puppets driven by spiritual energy and required someone to control. The death of the Necromancer instantly turned them into headless mosquitoes that attacked instinctively. Not only that, but some of the Undead Creatures also attacked their fellow beings��this was another reason why the pressure on the northern battlefront was alleviated.


    At this moment, the 5000 Magma Guards impelled rapidly.


    They didn��t gather as a whole. Instead, they lined up into rows and trapped the enemies. Anne was like a wild tornado that drew everyone into it and those who resisted were shredded into bits by the wind element. On the contrary, Gillian released her fire elemental halo which expanded and devoured everything within its path.


    The flames surged on the battlefield as the Magma Guards strode forward in large strides toward the Undead Creatures. They brandished their flame spears and shattered the enemies before them into powder. The ferocious heat and splattering flames lit up everything around them. Shortly after, the dark sky was smeared by a glaring scarlet radiance as though the end of the world was near. The land burned in flames and all beings were devoured within. All they could do was to yield to the destruction.


    The Undead Army appeared to be struggling with the attack from their rear. They were like a bag of trapped worms. From the start, they struggled to escape the shrinking opening of the bag, but the holy spears splashed and they were wiped out by the sacred powers. Even though the holy spears also killed several Magma Guards, there were more benefits than harm in doing so��the annihilated Magma Guards caused a string of explosions that linked up the entire land. They were so dazzling when they burst into the clouds and massive shockwaves swept across the dense Undead Army, leaving gaps in their formation. Then, the Undead Army slowly decreased in numbers while flames burned on the wild grasses. Even though the Death Knights attempted to eliminate the enemies coming from the rear, they were eliminated by Anne and Gillian before they had the chance to.


    In addition to the 30,000 Undead Creatures that the Necromancer sent forth, Rhode and his men were facing around 40,000 of them. Logically speaking, around 5000 Magma Guards wouldn��t be effective against them. But as each Magma Guard exploded in their death, the Undead Army also suffered unprecedented damage. As the order that they received to attack the northern battlefront was never removed, they could only keep attacking, which led to them having one leg caught in the trap��struggling helplessly, but not able to escape no matter what.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    One Magma Guards darted forward, slashed its flame spear, and shattered a dozen Skeleton soldiers. Then, several other enemies pierced their weapons on its body from behind. In the blink of an eye, a glaring white radiance shone while a massive explosion erupted. Yet another scarlet flare bloomed in the pitch-black sea.


    The continuous flares surged and broke up the Undead Army.


    Rhode watched in silence and revealed a smile across his face. Then, he put away his sword.


    They were winning this battle for sure.

 Chapter 789 - A Surprising Conclusion

    The battle had already ended for quite a while when the sun rose above the horizon.


    It seemed like a rare first victory for the Country of Light ever since the Undead Army started attacking them. Although the Light Parliament appeared formidable and should be making known of their achievements to boost morale, the truth was otherwise. After the battle ended, the furious military commanders complained to the Light Parliament that Rhode ordered his barrier troops to attack the other soldiers from the rear!


    Even though Andre knew what Rhode was planning, the other idiots couldn��t figure him out at all. They were sure that they couldn��t have resisted the enemies and would have seized the chance to flee. However, they didn��t expect that the barrier troops blocked their path and requested them to return to the battlefield. The soldiers who finally had this chance to escape refused to obey their orders and as a result, they were annihilated on the spot by the barrier troops. The other soldiers who were about to flee the battlefield gave up on this thought after witnessing their plight.


    It was impossible that they didn��t harbor any grudges against them and this was especially so after the battle ended and the Light Parliament interrogated. However, the answer that they received was that�� It was all Rhode��s command.


    ��I was worried that the northern battlefront would crumble under the enemies�� constant attack. Therefore, I specially sent troops to provide ��assistance��,�� Rhode said. He leaned back and watched the ashen military representative who clenched his shivering fists. No one knew if Rhode purposely emphasized on the word ��assistance��.


    ��Even though we belong to different camps, our goals are aligned and that is to defend the Winter Castle, stop the infiltration of the Undead Army, and protect the people from death threats. For the sake of this goal, we should abandon our differences in opinions and work together. I was extremely worried when the northern battlefront almost crumbled to the Undead Army, so I had to take some extreme measures to ensure that our victory was secure from the foolish actions of some people�� In fact, the truth has proven that my judgment was right.��


    The military representative gazed silently with an ashen expression. In fact, this was the truth. Many had witnessed the injured soldiers retreating with intentions of fleeing. However, after the others witnessed their unfortunate plight, they had no choice but to change their opinion and continue battling. If no one was watching them from the rear, perhaps they would have already escaped. No matter what, they had secured their victory now and didn��t sacrifice the direct army of the Light Parliament. Rhode��s method could be considered to have preserved the military��s honor.


    However, the problem was that Rhode��s brazen behaviors showed no respect to the military. Of course, they knew that Rhode didn��t need to react to their objections. But they just couldn��t tolerate such a treatment which explained why they reported the matter directly to the Light Parliament. The Light Parliament was overjoyed when they heard the report and asserted to the church that Rhode had violated the agreement because it was agreed beforehand that the military couldn��t command Rhode and Rhode couldn��t intervene with the military��s orders. His actions had clearly nullified this agreement!


    Rhode calmly expressed that he didn��t intervene with their orders because he didn��t give any commands to the northern battlefront. As for why he sent the barrier troops to the rear of the northern battlefront, he also gave a firm answer.


    ��I want to ensure that the southern battlefront wouldn��t be affected.��


    In the end, the church didn��t accept the Light Parliament��s accusation and declared that the agreement was still in effect because Rhode didn��t directly suggest or command the Light Parliament��s army. Not only that, but the agreement also didn��t specify the consequences for launching attacks on the Light Parliament��s direct army, so it wasn��t within the church��s concern. This left the Light Parliament utterly speechless.


    As the core member of the anti-parliament forces, Rhode was always up on his feet against the Light Parliament. A few moments after the Light Parliament raised their objections, Rhode requested from the church for the pension that the Light Parliament had agreed!


    In the earlier battle, Rhode had generously sacrificed 4500 Magma Guards and their self-explosions broke down 30,000 troops of the Undead Army, which was a cost-effective trade. On the other hand, only 500 Ocean Elves narrowly escaped. Rhode had plans for Agatha and the Ocean Elves to gain EXP here and wasn��t foolish enough to send them to their graves. However, it was another matter for the fire elemental creatures��


    The Light Parliament was undoubtedly unwilling to fulfill his request because according to the agreement, the pension per casualty was 3000 gold coins!


    3000 gold coins!


    In the Light Mainland, the pensions for ordinary soldiers were estimated to be a few hundred gold coins and yet he requested 3000 of them! This was one of the main reasons why their negotiations weren��t successful in the beginning. The Light Parliament believed that even if Rhode��s soldiers were made of gold, they wouldn��t even be worth 300 gold coins, not to mention 3000! Of course, Rhode wouldn��t go easy on them. He even mentioned that his precious soldiers were priceless and 3000 gold coins was a steal. If not, he would have asked for at least 5000 gold coins.


    As a result�� It meant that the Light Parliament had to compensate Rhode a total of 13.5 million gold coins!


    Of course they weren��t willing to. Perhaps they might still accept this truth if Rhode had sacrificed 4500 elite human soldiers. After all, the high quality equipment and amount of training spent on them was worth quite a lot. But for 4500 fire elemental creatures�� What was this all about?


    There was no meaning in objecting because they would have done so earlier. Back then when Rhode had just arrived at the Winter Castle, the Light Parliament thought that they could use the chance to nullify the agreement. However, the church disagreed because there wasn��t any specification that the reinforcements must be humans. What could the Light Parliament say now? Of course, they could only tell bald-faced lies that Rhode��s reinforcements weren��t effective at all and weakened their importance. But was that possible? The problem was that this was an alliance and everyone was clear that if it weren��t for Rhode��s forces and the Holy Maiden Statues that he brought, they could only dream about annihilating the enemies.


    In the end, the Light Parliament had no choice but to fork out the pension. Initially, they looked forward to Rhode sending someone to collect the money so they could vent their frustrations. However, they waited, waited, and finally, it was the church��s representatives that arrived. They came to verify the amount of pension and transport it to Rhode.


    From the start until the end, Rhode didn��t give the Light Parliament a single chance to vent their anger.


    Rhode didn��t give a damn about the financial situation of the Light Parliament. Even though the commercial trade in this world wasn��t as advanced as in the real world, it wasn��t considered too backward either. The other reason why he had gotten the church to receive the pension on his behalf was so he didn��t need to show himself as he could make use of the church��s financial network. The 13.5 million gold coins were instantly transferred into the Land of Atonement fortress. Of course, this didn��t mean that the church had to physically transport 13.5 million gold coins with them. The Dragon Soul Continent had its own mature financial system. Normally, gold, silver, and copper coins were used for daily transactions. However, platinum coins and diamonds of equal values were used when the transfer amount was large. If the amount was astronomical, they would use the unique currency of various large forces such as the heaven coin of the Light Mainland which was made of platinum and magical crystals. A single heaven coin held the same value as 10,000 gold coins. Therefore, the church only needed to transport 1350 heaven coins to the Land of Atonement. When Rhode used to wish them, he could exchange them into platinum coins or gold coins. Of course, he wouldn��t even need to exchange if he directly used them in his construction system��


    However, the currency value was different for each unique force, just like the heaven coin for the Light Mainland and spirit coin for the Dark Mainland. The former was made with platinum and magic crystal while the latter was made with spirit prisms. They were considered currencies that were available in the Dragon Soul Continent. But on the contrary, the blood coin that was worth a few copper in hell was meaningless. The church completely unified the different currencies and formed a complete financial circulation system in the Dragon Soul Continent. From a certain aspect, it could be said that the Country of Law had dominated this world.


    However, this wasn��t a problem for Rhode to be concerned about. After defeating the Undead Army, he didn��t return to the Land of Atonement immediately. Firstly, Lilian was heading toward the Winter Castle now and he had to meet her. Secondly, he was also waiting for Sonia��s report.


    Sonia visited him in the name of the Light Parliament��s representative. Of course, on the surface, she was here to represent the military to oppose him. But in fact, she was here to report about the insider news regarding Lilian��s delayed schedule to the Winter Castle.


    However, the conclusion of Sonia��s investigation astonished him.


    ��Are you sure?��


    Rhode sat on the chair and gazed at her with knitted brows. Sonia nodded and gave a firm answer.


    ��Yes, Master, I��m sure. The reason why Her Majesty Lilian hasn��t arrived at the front line was due to safety reasons. The Light Parliament thinks that it is too dangerous for her to come to the Winter Castle when a war is brewing. This was why they delayed her schedule and she also accepted their reason to come only after the war ended.��


    This wasn��t any different from the rumors that he had heard. However, it was due to this that he found it amusing because this reason was�� too, too, too�� How should he put it? He didn��t know how to explain. Back then, he thought that the Light Parliament was incomparably clumsy to bring out this excuse. But now, he realized that this was the truth and learned that Sonia was truly loyal to him��if not she definitely wouldn��t bring out such an idiotic investigation result.


    But�� How is this possible?


    Rhode couldn��t figure it out. Lilian was the Creator Dragon Soul, where even Charlie might have a hard time facing her if he were present, not to mention an insignificant Necromancer. Safety issue? This was clearly an excuse. But it seemed that this was the truth. Could it be that the Light Parliament was so unprofessional in finding an excuse for themselves?


    Rhode had a doubt in his mind.


    ��Sonia, is no one in the Light Parliament worried that Lilian would defeat the Undead Army and recover her position?��


    ��Defeat the Undead Army? Her Majesty Lilian?��


    Sonia gazed with an astonished expression. She dazed for a few seconds and puckered her brows.


    ��This�� Master, I��m sorry. I��ve never heard such discussions within the Light Parliament.��


    ��Not even from the official parliament members?��


    ��No, Master.��


    ��What do they think about Her Majesty Lilian��s strength?��


    Rhode gazed at Sonia and asked.


    ��Strength?�� Sonia pondered for a while and finally said, ��Master, Her Majesty Lilian is only a child����


    ��Do you think that she��s stronger than a Battle Angel?��


    ��I����


    Even though Sonia didn��t reply, Rhode knew her answer through her perplexed expression and this surprised him. As a secondary member of the Light Parliament, Sonia knew nothing about the strength of a Creator Dragon Soul?!


    At this moment, Rhode had a surprising conclusion.


    Could it be that the Light Parliament knew nothing about Lilian��s true strength?


    If that is the case, this situation may be more interesting than I thought��


    Rhode returned to his senses and looked at Sonia with a smile.


    ��You did well, Sonia.��


    ��Ah����


    Sonia��s eyes glinted. She bit her lips gently and gazed back with desire. Then, she heard the answer that she had yearned for for days and nights.


    ��Be a good girl and stay in your room tonight. I will give you the reward you��ve always wanted.��

 Chapter 790 - Leaving His Side

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Although the Light Parliament suffered heavily, it didn��t mean that they didn��t gain at all. When Sonia reported to Rhode about the happenings, the Light Parliament had begun bragging about their victory to console the panicky civilians. Even though Rhode made them suffer in terms of finance and manpower, the Light Parliament��s biggest political goal was achieved no matter what and that was enough for them.


    The Light Parliament��s public-opinion-machine had gone all out, where every corner of the streets and alleys were filled with crowds around the platform, listening to the stories about their glory in the Winter Castle. Of course, the Light Parliament wasn��t that naive to let Rhode take all the credit. As experts in manipulation, they knew how to fabricate a logical and touching story. Therefore, their description was about the alliance working together to reach their goal in the Winter Castle. However, the Undead Army came in strong and forced them to a crisis. In an instant, the defensive line almost crumbled and the alliance felt that all hopes were lost. But! At this moment, the hero of the Country of Light stepped forward bravely, yelling his slogan, and pulled the muddleheaded alliance together. In the end, everyone abandoned their fears and united as one. The hero led the alliance and defeated the Undead Army while the latter was totally caught unprepared by the massive human forces and was annihilated completely.


    A movie with an expenditure of a million gold coins! Famous movie stars gathered and directed by the Light Parliament! The most impactful Oscar for the Best Actor! Best Screenplay! Best Director! Huge Production! The movie of the century: War of Freedom!


    To make a successful movie, villains were essential and Rhode had undoubtedly become the best candidate second to the Undead Army. The Light Parliament depicted him as the villain who broke up the alliance for his own benefits (in actuality, this was true) and even hindered the alliance when the Undead Army attacked, forcing them into dangerous territories. As the director, the Light Parliament subtly hinted that Rhode colluded with the Undead Army and attempted to destroy the alliance��s plans. Of course, his plan eventually failed because the alliance saw through his lies and conspiracies and repelled the Undead Creatures. In the end, Rhode went for wool and came back shorn, losing his entire army (judging from the results, this was actually true) and sneaked away as the alliance was on the verge of victory.


    Rhode was already aware of this false story thanks to Gillian��s intelligence network��she had received the script and read everything to him and Anne even before the Light Parliament premiered their movie. Anne was infuriated. She regretted that she couldn��t charge into the Country of Light and brandish her shield at the nonsensical rascals. On the other hand, Rhode was extremely calm as he responded with a smile. His reputation had been tarnished entirely by the Light Parliament. Whenever his name was mentioned in the Country of Light, people treated him like a brutal, sinister overlord. Rumor had it that he devoured babies in order to gain strength and even laid hands on the women in his territory. No matter if they were married or not, they were kidnapped into his castle and tortured to death. This ruthless overlord didn��t even let their corpses off and fed them to the wild dogs in his backyard. The people under his rule couldn��t earn a living or escape and their whole family would be slaughtered once caught defying the laws.


    Of course, the Light Parliament didn��t forget to conveniently tarnish Lydia��s reputation. They made it out that she, as an Angel, was aware of Rhode��s terrifying and barbaric actions and yet did nothing to stop him. This went to show that they were jackals of the same tribe and the Light Parliament reminded the people that Angels weren��t reliable because they weren��t the same race as humans. Just take a look. The Angels didn��t even care when the humans suffered under the brutal rule. What does this tell you? This proves that humans�� lives had to be in the hands of humans and the other races shouldn��t be trusted!


    Justifiable and favorable.


    Rhode was unmindful. On the contrary, he got Gillian to sprinkle additional details such as he loved to bathe in the blood of virgins, only ate cakes while his people chewed on grass, and thousands of people starved to death in his territory every year and spread the story to other regions of the Country of Light. All he needed was the horrifying effects that it had on their people. The Light Parliament had been wantonly exaggerating how terrifying the Undead Army was during the previous few days in order to appeal and solidify objections from their people and tell them that if they didn��t oppose, they would lead horrible lives under the rule of the Undead Army. This method was effective from the start, but the terrified soldiers broke down entirely as soon as the Undead Army look overbearing. This was what happened in the game and such signs were also showing now, just like the three defensive lines earlier on in the Winter Castle. It actually wasn��t such a big deal for the defensive lines to collapse because they could still regroup and retreat safely. However, the instant their defensive lines collapsed, the thought of the ruthless Necromancers dissecting and soaking them in skin-rotting poison emerged in their heads. As a result, fear took the place of rationals and eventually the entire battlefront collapsed.


    And now, Rhode had intentions to use a similar method because, despite having a tough start when he attacked the Country of Light in the future, it would be much easier after they broke down to their fears.


    Sometimes, an evil reputation was easier to make others listen.


    The villain was easy to find, while the protagonist was harder to be decided. The Light Parliament found no difficulties in tarnishing Rhode��s reputation because his supporters were forces outside of the Country of Light. Therefore, the Light Parliament wasn��t worried even if they shaped him into the villain because no one would oppose their decision. But on the contrary, they couldn��t fabricate a story about the hero that rescued the alliance because this figure would be rewarded greatly and promoted to a high official position. If they handled the situation badly, they might possibly draw dissatisfaction from their supporters.


    In the end, the Light Parliament decided on the hero they needed, and that was Andre.


    In the earlier battle, Andre led his men until the very end and this spoke for itself. Moreover, his background fitted the role that the Light Parliament announced. He suffered a crushing defeat by Rhode in the Dragon Soul Ceremony, but this time he wasn��t defeated by fear. He braved through the enemies and fought alongside the man who had merciless slaughtered his subordinates, all for the sake of the Country of Light��s people. He abandoned his personal grudges and gathered the alliance for the final victory.


    The return of humanity, sacrifice, tolerance, redemption, and trust. These were all popular at the Oscars.


    Of course, apart from the fabricated stories, his performance was outstanding in the northern battlefront. The Light Parliament couldn��t deny that he held on until the final moments. This way, as the hero of the Winter Castle, it was only right that the Light Parliament commended him��


    I did it!


    Andre stepped out of the entrance and gazed at the envelope imprinted with the seal of the Light Parliament in his hands. He gritted his teeth and his face beamed with joy. Just a few moments ago, he received news from the military representative that the Light Parliament wished to award him with the medal of honor after Lilian arrived at the Winter Castle. Not only that, but he would also regain his status as the leader of the Magician Knights and his position would rise within the military!


    He knew the reason why the Light Parliament commended him. Frankly speaking, his popularity in the military was decent, albeit not as well-known in the Light Parliament. If it weren��t for the Light Parliament that wanted to smear Rhode��s reputation, Andre knew that he wouldn��t be awarded. However, he didn��t think that he was unfit to receive the award anyway. He had indeed led his subordinates and stayed strong until the end. Even though part of the credits were due to the Holy Maiden Statues and Magma Guards, he had done his part and no matter if the award was a ��political need�� or not, it was the truth that he earned it.


    Previously, he convinced parliament member Carlson to let him come to the Winter Castle so he could start afresh. He wasn��t willing to give up. He craved to prove himself. His dreams weren��t shattered just yet.


    At this moment, he noticed a familiar figure.


    ��Sonia?��


    ��Andre?��


    Sonia turned toward him. He realized that she was dressed differently. She wore an attractive dress as though she were joining a banquet.


    ��You��re����


    ��Ah�� I����


    Sonia��s expression stiffened, but quickly restored her smile.


    ��I��m here to meet you, Andre. Congratulations on receiving the Light Parliament��s commendation.��


    ��This�� is nothing much, actually.��


    Andre rubbed his nose shyly before turning around. He didn��t notice the flash of complicated emotions in her eyes and replied rather awkwardly.


    ��It��s all thanks to you, Sonia. If it weren��t for your support, perhaps I may not have the courage to come here�� Thank you, Sonia.��


    ��You��re still talking about this even now, Andre?�� Sonia chuckled. ��This is the result of your hard work. You deserved it. If you can��t pull yourself together, it will be useless no matter what I say, isn��t it?��


    ��Although that��s true�� I still want to thank you.�� Andre punched his palm as though reminded of something. ��By the way, why don��t we go for a drink?��


    ��Huh?��


    Sonia knitted her brows and was about to reject his offer. However, an unnoticeable look of astonishment emerged across her face for a split second before she presented her smile and nodded.


    ��Sure, let��s go to your room.��


    The night darkened.


    Andre wasn��t sure of how much he had drank. He rested on the table while holding onto the wine glass in his hand. He finally got what he wished for and it would be a new start for him next. This time, he swore that he wouldn��t be as rash and reckless.


    ���� I know�� I still have many areas�� that I do poorly�� Sonia����


    He lifted his head and gazed at Sonia who was just so beautiful under the shimmering moonlight.


    ���� My previous failures�� were because I was�� too naive�� But this time, I�� will not make the same mistake�� I guarantee�� Sonia. No matter if it�� is you�� or Cheryl�� I will protect both of you�� I����


    He raised and dropped his arm slowly. Sonia gazed at him in silence.


    ��I�� am no longer the same guy�� as before�� Sonia�� I����


    Andre paused.


    ���� Sorry�� Sonia�� I��m�� not ready yet�� When I think that I��m qualified one day�� I will tell you�� When that day comes�� I will tell you�� my����


    Andre rested his head on the table. After a few seconds, snores sounded and he fell into deep sleep under the effects of the alcohol.


    ��Andre��?��


    Sonia stood to her feet, went up to him, and gently shook his body. However, he had no reactions at all. He continued to shut his eyes and snore away. Up until this moment, an ice-cold voice emerged.


    ��He��s sleeping so well.��


    The shadow behind Sonia twisted and Rhode stepped out of it nonchalantly. He extended his arms and hugged Sonia from behind. His hands roamed around her body like vipers. He softly pinched her chest and she gasped for air uncontrollably.


    ��M-Master�� Don��t����


    ��Don��t?��


    Rhode squinted.


    ��Don��t you want your reward? Sonia?��


    ��N-Not here����


    She bit her trembling lips and answered almost inaudibly. But it was apparent that Rhode wouldn��t care.


    ��You seem to have forgotten your identity, Sonia. You��re just my pet. What pet defies their master? Good. If you don��t want it, forget it.��


    Rhode removed his hands from her and at the same time, Sonia turned around hurriedly and gazed at him.


    ��N-No, Master! I don��t have the intentions of defying you. No matter what you want me to do, I will not grumble anymore.��


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Then, he squinted at the young lady.


    ��So you should know what to do next.��


    ���� Yes.��


    Sonia pondered in silence. Then, she lifted the hem of her skirt��there was nothing underneath.


    ��I wonder what Mr. Andre will think of the woman he loves if he finds out that she��s not wearing anything underneath.��


    Rhode stroked his finger between her inner thighs. Sonia trembled to his warm touch and let out a soft moan. Rhode lifted his finger and gazed at the viscous, translucent liquid around it.


    ��It seems like you��re truly licentious, Sonia.��


    ��It��s all because of Master����


    She lowered her head in embarrassment. A few moments ago when she accompanied Andre with his drinks, Rhode��s Nether Tentacles had been teasing her between her legs, leaving her thrilled and terrified. There were many times when she almost couldn��t tolerate the stimulation anymore. But she persevered and gritted her teeth until the very end.


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Then, he swept a glance to Andre who was snoring away on the table. His eyes glinted with traces of smiles.


    ��Good, you should know what to do next, right?��


    ��Yes�� Master����


    Sonia��s eyes burned with passion as soon as she felt a solid object pushing against her from behind. Then, she slowly lifted her skirt and Rhode held his hands around her waist. The warm, solid ��holy sword�� pushed against her and she instinctively stopped moving. She knew what this meant��she was about to lose her most precious virginity. She hoped to dedicate it to a man whom she loved, but now�� everything had changed.


    ��Please�� have my everything����


    At the next moment, an immense, ripping pain struck her.


    ��Argh��!��


    She yelled out instinctively, but Rhode swiftly covered her mouth and turned her screams into stifled groans.


    Smack smack smack��


    Andre continued to sleep on the table while Sonia gritted her teeth and tolerated the thrusts from Rhode right before him. She covered her mouth with both hands while Rhode slid his hand to her ample chest. The violent pounding spread a thrilling sensation to every corner of her body. The ripping pain was unbearable, and yet she immersed herself in it entirely. Rhode leaned forward and whispered in her ear.


    ��How does it feel to be violated before the man you love, Sonia?��


    ��Mas�� Master��!��


    Sonia bit her lips and tried to answer, but the thrill and excitement of being intensely violated before Andre turned her on even more. She fantasized seeing Andre waking up and witnessing everything.


    What will he think of me? Will he think that I��m a shameless woman? Will he cast me aside like trash? Will he refuse to see me in the future anymore like I��m a disgusting object?


    Sonia shivered at the thoughts. She grew increasingly excited and final traces of rational almost perished her passionate desires.


    ��S-Sonia only belongs to you and has nothing to do with that man. Sonia belongs to you, Master�� Please destroy me completely. I don��t care anymore. I only hope that Master will continue to leave me by your side as your most loyal pet�� Master�� Master��!��


    ��Good. Let me reward you as my obedient pet.��


    Sonia instantly felt the mighty presence penetrating deep inside her. The pain and thrill were as though a lightning bolt piercing her senses and soul.


    ��������!��


    She widened her eyes and gazed blankly at the ceiling. Her slender body shuddered and her wide open mouth couldn��t utter a sound. Her mesmerizing eyes had lost their focus. A white viscous liquid mixed with red blood flowed down her thighs to the floor. After a few moments, her legs weakened while she leaned back into his embrace. At this moment, Andre continued to snore away on the table and it seemed like he wasn��t waking up anytime soon. He didn��t seem to have heard anything from the exciting battle.


    ��It seems like you��ve been waiting for a long time.��


    ��M-Master����


    Sonia looked at Rhode with pleading gazes. The latter curled his lips into a smile.


    ��This is only the start�� Let��s show your true self in front of this man.��


    Sonia��s eyes lit up with passionate flames once again. She knew what he meant and this gave her unprecedented agreement.


    ��Yes, Master.��

 Chapter 791 - Arrival of the Light Dragon

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Mmm����


    Andre opened his hazy eyes and groaned to the tremendous pain in his head. He looked up and realized that he was lying above the table. Everything was in a mess before him with a tray, bottles, and wine glasses splattered everywhere.


    What happened?


    Andre knitted his brows and the painful hangover was like needles piercing his head, to which he ground his teeth. After a few moments, he gazed blankly at his surroundings. It was his room, but there was no one else.


    Right��


    He recalled that he received the award from the Light Parliament and went drinking with Sonia. Then�� he stood up at this thought and discovered a cloak over his shoulders.


    It seems like I��ve drank too much��


    However, it had indeed delighted him because he didn��t expect to receive a chance for rebirth so soon. Everything was due to the support from Cheryl and Sonia. If it weren��t for them by his side and encouraged him, perhaps he would still be sinking in oblivion.


    ��Sonia����


    Andre reached out for the cloak. It must have been Sonia who covered it over him. His heart skipped a beat as soon as he thought about her beautiful face. They used to not get along well when they first met, but now, this young lady had become such an important person in his life. Last night, he almost confessed under the influence of alcohol. But in the end, his final trace of rational made him give up on this thought.


    Am I right to do that? Sonia has a bright future, but what about me? I��m a failure who finally got the chance to start anew. What rights do I have to confess to her? Besides�� Cheryl is also around��


    The thought of this Elf young lady who had been following him around complicated his emotions. In the end, he decided to keep the thoughts to himself.


    ��Sigh����


    Andre stretched his aching body and let out a sigh. This messy sight before him astonished him. He didn��t recall getting wildly drunk last night, but the mess, dried water stain, and stink of the room made him doubtful.


    It seems like I have had a crazy night��


    Andre opened the windows and chilly winds whistled into the room, freshening everything including his hazy head up. He clenched his fists, nodded firmly, and turned to the door. He heard that Lilian would be arriving at the Winter Castle soon and couldn��t possibly meet her in this manner. He needed to wash up, have a change of clothes, and prepare himself. At this moment, he swept his glance to the floor where there was a crimson stain on the navy blue floor tile.


    What is that?


    Andre puckered his brows, shrugged, and threw this matter to the back of his head. Perhaps he had drank too much last night and spilled the wine on the floor�� He pushed the door open and closed it. The entire room restored its usual silence.


    The Undead Army was completely annihilated and the Winter Castle was peaceful momentarily. In fact, it was peaceful for most of the time. Back then, after Charlie was restrained by Archangel Serene and Boulder, he dispatched an army to launch an attack on the Country of Light in order to continue applying pressure on the front lines. Charlie did so with the mindset of ��better than doing nothing�� and it didn��t matter much even if he lost, which was apparent from the absence of a single high-level troop. However, it was surprising that the Light Parliament managed to perform this badly and gave an opportunity for this temporary Undead Army to overwhelm the Winter Castle. If they managed to take down the Winter Castle, they could launch their attacks on the Country of Light through this opening. When that happened, it would become Charlie restraining Archangel Serene and Boulder instead.


    Therefore, it was extremely important to the Country of Light that the Undead Army was stopped. Due to the human supremacy of the Light Parliament, there weren��t many Battle Angels in the Country of Light and most of them had gone to the Munn Kingdom as Lydia��s subordinates. A long time ago, Battle Angel Armies existed in every territory of the Country of Light, just like the Munn Kingdom. They didn��t get involved with territorial affairs, but would strike when territories were faced with threats. If the overlords did something that threatened the people, the Battle Angels would also stop them. However, they basically didn��t have any sense of presence apart from this.


    However, after the Light Parliament wielded political powers, they were concerned that the Battle Angel Armies in every territory would threaten their actions on the entire nation. But this wasn��t surprising because the Battle Angel Armies were powerful and devoted to the Light Dragon. One day, if the Light Dragon wanted to gain her authority back from the Light Parliament, the Battle Angel Armies would completely suppress any objections and the Light Parliament wouldn��t stand a chance in retaliating. Therefore, they spared no efforts in disbanding all the Battle Angel Armies of all territories while the Battle Angels had no choice but to leave the Country of Light and continue their mission under Lydia in the Munn Kingdom. The only Battle Angel Armies that remained were those under Archangel Serene and Boulder and the guards who were responsible for protecting the Light Dragon.


    From the start, the Light Parliament had also come up with ways to make up for the loss of their high-end forces. Even though humans didn��t live as long as Battle Angels, they could ��level up�� quickly and the Light Parliament recruited many legendary figures. However, humans held many more desires than the Angels, which gave the Light Parliament huge headaches. As a result, the number of legendary figures that they recruited had gotten fewer. The Light Parliament hoped to gain devotion from legendary figures who were willing to die for them and the Country of Light. However, how many humans who had transcended into the Legendary Stage would be willing to abandon their pride and be tail-wagging dogs?


    On the other hand, civilian forces like the Mage Association and Dark Brotherhood also rose in strength. Moreover, Rhode had even crippled two of the Light Parliament��s legendary figures, which was why the Light Parliament had a hard time dealing with the Undead Army.


    If it were the Munn Kingdom in their position, Lydia would only need to send out a team of Battle Angels and the matter could be resolved immediately. However, due to the lack of high-end forces, Archangel Serene and Boulder had no choice but to deal with the Fallen Angel Army that Charlie led. Not only that, but there also weren��t any available Battle Angels to support the Country of Light, so the Light Parliament had to form an alliance with great fanfare and even invite Rhode over.


    However�� it could be considered as the Light Parliament enmeshing themselves in a trap of their own devise and wasn��t worth any pity at all.


    It was due to this that after annihilating the Undead Army that attacked Winter Castle, the threats on the battlefronts had finally ended. In a short period of time, it was unlikely that Charlie would mobilize another army to attack the Winter Castle again. Now, with the threats dispelled, the other problem was also resolved��the matter of Lilian heading to the Winter Castle.


    As the Undead Army��s pace was too quick, the Light Parliament had to stop Lilian from coming to the Winter Castle for safety��s sake. Back then, Rhode doubted that it was part of their scheme to weaken Lilian��s influence on the nation. But he learned from Sonia the puzzling truth. He didn��t spend too much time thinking about it because he would be meeting Lilian personally soon and nothing was more important than that.


    Snow drifted in the wind


    Rhode stood silently on the plaza before the Winter Castle and gazed ahead. Anne wrapped her arms around his elbow excitedly and scanned the place. Her soft, ample chest pushed against him, amd he glanced at the people around her. Last night, he had a wonderful time with Sonia and only stopped after she fainted. Then, he carried her to her room before discovering Anne waiting for him like a loyal dog in his room. Anne expressed her rage and dissatisfaction and in order to appease her, he had to hand his remaining night to her��


    Two long battles in one night left him rather exhausted, especially the second battle. Sonia was still a human, after all, and it was her first experience, which was easy for him to handle. However, Anne was a half-beast with great stamina. Moreover, she had also ��hung out�� with him for a few months during her estrus and they were already familiar with each other. Therefore, in order to appease her, Rhode had to give his all and only until midnight did he make this little rascal sleep in satisfaction�� Fortunately, Rhode had a strong constitution. If he were an ordinary human, perhaps he would have been squeezed dry like a mummy.


    After a night of ��nourishment��, Anne��s face glowed as she energetically looked around. On the other hand, Rhode appeared rather sleepy. Even though he had also washed up and changed his clothes�� He still felt rather tired.


    ��This is terrible, Master. Don��t you think you went overboard last night?��


    Gillian chuckled and whispered into his ear. Orchid Heart stood behind her with her usual sleepy look. She hid behind the group with her arms hugging the heavy book. Perhaps even the whistling snowstorm wouldn��t be able to wake her.


    Rhode twitched his brows.


    ��Don��t belittle me. I can still go on even for 300 more rounds.��


    ��Wanna prove it to me? Here?��


    ��Here? That��s not a good idea.��


    Rhode turned around and a team of shadow emerged from behind the fluttering snow.


    The first to appear before them was a dozen royal soldiers clad in golden armor, holding lances and shields in their hands. Then, it was a white chariot with golden edges escorted by four Battle Angels. On the chariot was an emblem of a dragon outline by golden lines��only one person in the entire Light Mainland held the rights to use a dragon as the symbol of the emblem.


    The symbol of the Light Dragon.


    Rhode��s eyes glinted with the trace of a smile as he recalled Sonia��s report where it mentioned that the Light Parliament had advised Lilian to give up on this trip to the Winter Castle. However, not only did she not listen to their suggestion, but she also persisted to come. This left the Light Parliament extremely discontented. But on the contrary, Rhode felt glad that Lilian reacted that way because it proved that his hard work wasn��t wasted.


    The bugle sounded.


    Everyone including Rhode stepped forward and lined up into two rows to welcome the Light Dragon. The chariot slowly came to a halt in the plaza and before the Winter Castle.


    Then, the chariot door opened and a petite figure stepped out.

 Chapter 792 - Lilian’s Wish

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    I��m finally here.


    Lilian felt excited as she gazed at the castle under the fluttering snow. She laid on the window and felt the chilly wind blow against her tender face. As the Dragon Soul Heir, she naturally wasn��t concerned that the cold would make her ill. However, her mentality was still that of a little greenhouse flower. She wished to leave the ivory tower and personally experience the outside world.


    Before the commencement of the Dragon Soul Ceremony, the experience that she had gone through with Rhode and Anne gave her a huge realization. Previously, she had always cooped up in the Dragon Soul Temple and it was everything that she had. As for the outside world, she learned about them through books and reports from the Light Parliament. In the past, she didn��t think that this was anything bad. Or perhaps, the thought of heading outside didn��t occur to her. But after seeing it for herself with Rhode and Anne, her peaceful mind was disturbed. She was no longer satisfied with hearing the reports from the Light Parliament. Moreover, her experience told her that what the Light Parliament said might not always be true.


    But, these weren��t the most important. Instead, she held desires to meet Rhode and Lydia.


    Lilian had no friends in Casabianca and was used to leading such a life. But now, she couldn��t tolerate it any longer. She often recalled the scenes which she saw with Rhode��s and Anne��s company. Even though that outing left her with plenty of unpleasant memories, great memories still existed. She remembered how Anne gesticulated about the battles and interesting lives about mercenaries and the sceneries Rhode led her to. She had never heard about such things from others, not even from books. Everything was an eye-opener for her. Although she also had a close relationship with Lydia, this was the first time that she walked on the streets unrestrained and admired the picturesque views while chit-chatting with friends.


    But in the palace, she didn��t have such friends.


    Serene never chit-chatted with her and was only responsible for instructing her homework. Although the Battle Angels were respectful to Lilian, she felt that there was an invisible barrier between them and they just couldn��t be friends.


    Thereafter, the two Archangels left urgently to deal with the Country of Darkness�� invasion and she felt incomparably lonely. In the past, Serene was around to accompany her, but she was the only one left in the vast palace. She waited from day to night and no one spoke to her.


    Lilian felt incredibly pained and it was due to this reason that her eyes glinted with excitement when she heard from the Light Parliament that they invited Rhode to join the alliance in the Winter Castle. If it was said that she couldn��t meet Rhode because they resided in different countries, she could finally meet him in the Country of Light now! This was why Lilian decided to visit the Winter Castle personally, at the same time to boost the soldiers�� morale.


    In the beginning, the Light Parliament resolutely disagreed with Lilian��s decision to head to the Winter Castle. But this time, her desire to meet Rhode took the upper hand and she uncharacteristically refused their objection. As a result, the Light Parliament could only raise their hands and surrender to her request.


    Now, she was finally meeting Rhode.


    As the chariot approached the Winter Castle, she grew increasingly excited. She clenched her little fists and adjusted her breathing. Previously, she was worried that the Undead Army would break through the defenses of the Winter Castle and feared that Rhode would be injured. Fortunately, the results let her heave a sigh of relief. The Winter Castle was secure and Rhode was safe. This was great news for her. She had also heard about the progress of the battle from the Light Parliament and they described the progress from a neutral point of view, which proved that they were sharp enough to realize that Lilian��s trust level in them had tumbled to the bottom. If they uttered rubbish to her, perhaps they might never gain her trust in the future.


    The chariot gradually came to a halt. Then, the door opened.


    She narrowed her eyes to the whistling cold wind. But shortly after, she opened her eyes wide and revealed a calm smile. At this moment, the Light Parliament��s military representative stepped forward and bowed deeply.


    ��The Winter Castle welcomes your arrival, Your Majesty.��


    ��You may rise.��


    Lilian nodded slightly. Even though she had always been a ��mascot��, she didn��t forget about all the formal etiquette. She glanced at the representative, lifted the hem of her skirt, and slowly stepped down the chariot to the solid slate floor.


    The instant she stepped down from the chariot, the snowstorm suddenly weakened and snowflakes drifted gently in the air. It was all due to the existence of one person��the heir of the Light Dragon Soul��this delicate, petite little girl. Under this sky of light, all things including nature bowed down to her respectfully. Nothing would act brazenly before her.


    Lilian looked around her and spotted Rhode among the crowd. In an instant, her eyes glinted with joy and her mouth unrolled into a smile.


    ��Leader, Her Majesty seems to be looking at us.��


    Anne whispered into Rhode��s ear curiously. Even though Anne wasn��t aware of Lilian��s identity when they led her around Casabianca, she eventually learned about it after the Dragon Soul Ceremony ended. But even so, Anne didn��t change her attitude toward Lilian too much. But, this wasn��t surprising because she didn��t care much about status or rank, just like Rhode. He was now an Earl and overlord and his men addressed him as ��Sir�� or ��Sir Overlord��. However, Anne was the only one who called him ��Leader�� as though he was still the same mercenary leader she first met and not some prestigious overlord.


    Rhode remained silent. He looked at Anne and nodded. This time, Rhode didn��t come to the Winter Castle to help the Light Parliament defend against the Undead Army. It was all for the sake of his goal and plan. Everything was for this moment.


    Lilian strode forward while everyone who was lined up in two rows stooped over to bow and show their respects. No matter how childish she appeared, she was the Light Dragon Soul Heir, after all. Even if the Light Parliament spared no effort in diminishing her influence, the shimmering light above them reminded them deeply that she was the reason why this continent survived.


    No matter how they denied the existence of the Light Dragon, they still had to show their respect.


    ��Your Majesty.��


    When Lilian approached Rhode, the latter placed his right hand on his chest and bowed. Anne and Gillian imitated him while Orchid Heart looked as though she had already fallen asleep.


    ��Earl Rhode, long time no see. You look as good as ever. I��m glad.��


    Lilian came to a halt. She gazed at the young man before her and revealed a dazzling smile. Although she was delighted to meet him once again, she had to control her excitement before everyone.


    ��I��ve heard about your contributions in the Winter Castle, Earl Rhode. I represent the people of the Country of Light in thanking you for your selfless support. I admire your decision and willingness to come a long way to the Winter Castle and fight for the sake of the Country of Light and her people. In order to express my gratitude�� You can request anything and as long as it is within my means, I will satisfy you, Earl Rhode.��


    ������


    The military representative who was escorting her instantly felt awkward. After all, Lilian came here to represent the Light Parliament in conferring a title and giving rewards to military heroes. However, she appeared much more interested in this ��foreigner.�� But what could he say?


    Rhode smiled in response.


    ��Thank you, Your Majesty. I was just doing my part. But since Your Majesty is so generous, I shall accept your kindness. I shall be as bold as to beg for your blessings, Your Majesty.��


    Rhode stooped over. Then, as everyone watched, he held her tender hand and pecked.


    ��What��!��


    Everyone widened their eyes in astonishment. They knew that Rhode was a daring person, but they didn��t expect him to be this brave! She was the Light Dragon Soul Heir��the ruler of the Light Mainland! What did he just do?!


    The ashen military representative stared in silence.


    ��Ah����


    Lilian blushed to his ��ambush��. Then, after Rhode released her hand gently, the little girl retracted her hand and gazed in bewilderment. On the other hand, Rhode was exceptionally calm and he took a step back.


    ��Your Majesty, I hope I didn��t offend you.��


    ��N-No, Earl Rhode.��


    Lilian returned to her senses and said after lowering her head shyly.


    ��I shall grant you supreme blessings, Earl Rhode. I hope that the light will guide you forward, the filthy darkness will stay away from staining your soul, and you will step onto the ladder leading to glory.��


    Lilian nodded to Rhode, turned away hurriedly, and continued heading forward. Even though she appeared calm on the outside, Rhode saw the fluster across her face that lasted for a split second. He smiled and lowered his head.


    ��Thank you, Your Majesty.��


    He said softly, at the same time gazing forward at the distinct system prompt hovering before his eyes.


    [Race: Dragon Soul Heir]


    [Level: ?? (Locked)]


    Rhode��s brows twitched.

 Chapter 793 - Rhode’s Doubt

    The meeting between Rhode and Lilian was only an interlude and everything went back on track thereafter. Lilian commended the soldiers who fought bravely in the battlefront and prayed for the souls of the deceased, hoping that they found peace in their afterlife. Then, she represented the Light Parliament and conferred the honor that Andre and his men deserved and hosted a grand celebration feast. Rhode had to admit that Lilian performed rather earnestly in public.


    Even though Lilian knew that Rhode was most deserving of all the credit in this battle, it was already obvious that the Light Parliament was hostile toward him and he was also from the Munn Kingdom, so she couldn��t put in good words for him. However, she expressed her gratitude to Rhode for bringing the effective Holy Maiden Statues and Magma Guards into battle. Of course, this upset the military, but what could they do to her?


    But Rhode and his men were unmindful. There was only delicious food in Anne��s eyes while Orchid Heart symbolically attended the feast and yawned her way back to her room shortly after. This was fine too, since Rhode could focus his thoughts on some other problems.


    The biggest doubt in his mind was the line of system prompt which emerged after he touched Lilian��s hands.


    In the game, it was essential to receive information and statuses of NPCs. However, the Dragon Soul Continent was rather unlike other games. In other games, players could read the NPCs�� name, race, and other information with a click of the mouse button. However, the Dragon Soul Continent was known as a real virtual game and wasn��t as simple as the other games. There were many times when players relied on NPC traits and clothes to identify their race, identity, class, and level. From the start, many players had made jokes out of themselves when they confronted NPCs who appeared weak, only to realize that they had disguised their true selves. On the other hand, some NPCs might seem superior, but the players didn��t expect that the silvery spear points were actually made of pewter; impressive-looking but useless. But, thereafter, the players had gotten used to observing the NPCs. An experienced player could instantly detect if NPCs were poisoned, injured, or cursed judging from their complexions and actions. However, it wasn��t merely observation because if one could detect these problems and interact with the NPCs, they might trigger a series of hidden missions and gain remunerations. In the mid-stages of the game, there was a simple mission named ��Pure Flower��, which required players to retrieve a flower from the deep Moon Forest to cure a rich young lady of her illness. For most of the players, they simply accepted the mission, found the flower, and handed over the flower to complete the mission. However, there was one player who sharply detected that the young lady wasn��t merely sick judging from her complexion and symptoms. Instead, he suspected that she suffered from some sort of curse.


    Of course, the Dragon Soul Continent had no intention of turning every player into deities of observations since it was just a game, after all. Therefore, the game added a feature where the players would receive a system prompt that informed them of the NPCs�� status whenever they touched one. If the NPC was lower in level than the player, there wouldn��t be any secrets kept hidden from the player. On the contrary, if the NPC was higher in level, the player could only find out the name or race while other information wasn��t revealed. However, there were also other ways to detect an NPC��s status. Many classes had specific skills that could examine the NPC��s status and some needed special conditions. Taking the ��Pure Flower�� mission as an example, when the player realized that there was something wrong with the rich young lady, he informed her of his doubts, requested to conduct a medical examination, and received a line of system prompt after getting into physical contact with her��


    [This lady appears weak and pale. But you sharply detected the evil presence flowing inside her��]


    It was due to this reason that the player activated the hidden mission of the ��Pure Flower��, defeated the secret fiend, and received a huge amount of EXP, legendary equipment, and special techniques.


    Thereafter, the player posted his experience in the forum with screenshots and videos as evidence and broadened the purpose and importance of observations in NPCs. Many players had even tried to re-trigger the ��Pure Flower�� mission, but it was a pity that this mission was only a one-off.


    As a top player and ��walking library�� of the game, Rhode was an expert in observation. There were many times when he didn��t even need to touch the other party and a glance from him was enough to see through their level, class, and skill mastery. Back then, he swept a glance at Marlene when they first met and instantly realized her battle style. This time, the so-called ��blessing�� was just an excuse for him to touch Lilian and it provided much more information than he expected.


    It was the information that he received that troubled him.


    [Lilian


    Race: Dragon Soul Heir


    Level: ?? (Locked)]


    Rhode wasn��t surprised that everything turned out to be ��question marks�� because as the Dragon Soul Heir, there was no doubt that Lilian��s level was at the maximum. According to the system setting, players couldn��t find out the NPC��s level if their level gap was more than five. Therefore, it was understandable that her level wasn��t indicated. However�� he just couldn��t understand the (Locked) status in the back.


    In fact, the [Locked] status was common in the game, just like Rhode��s race or some legendary weapons that were sealed for centuries. On the other hand, some players�� strength was also sealed due to various reasons. Therefore, even though they held high levels, their strength was even weaker than lower-level players. This wasn��t uncommon for the players, where they had also met powerful beings with their strength sealed and needed help to escort them to certain places and unlock the seal. While the NPC unlocked its seal, the players would need to protect them from harm�� The players were already sick of completing such missions.


    However, it was too strange for this situation to happen on Lilian��


    She��s the Light Dragon, so how can her strength be sealed?


    Rhode pondered on this question throughout the entire feast. He realized that he might have possibly triggered a crucial point that he didn��t in the game. This was the key to the Munn Kingdom��s collapse and the Country of Light��s failure and the turning point of the entire Dragon Soul Continent��s history.


    Why is the Light Dragon so useless?


    Many players had pondered over this question and debated several times, but they just couldn��t reach a conclusion. Not only that, but they also couldn��t figure out why the Light Parliament offered the Light Dragon as a sign of peace because this was simply courting disaster. Besides, the Light Dragon was one of the Creator Dragon Soul, so why was she so obedient? Could it be that the Light Dragon was just a puppet?


    Rhode seemed to have found the correct answer. It wasn��t because Lilian wasn��t aware of her position��if not, she wouldn��t have come to the Winter Castle despite the Light Parliament��s discouragement. It was completely because�� She didn��t have the strength to resist?


    Her strength is sealed? Who sealed it?


    Rhode gazed at Lilian who was under the protection of the Battle Angels and knitted his brows. Ever since they first met, he felt that Lilian was unlike all the other Creator Dragon Souls he had met. Rhode could be said to be one of the rare players who had seen all the Creator Dragon Souls. He was familiar with the Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons while he annihilated the Dark Dragon and Void Dragon. However, these four Creator Dragon Souls weren��t as low-profile as Lilian.


    The Creator Dragon Souls were no different from gods under their own Dragon Soul protections. It was due to this reason that when the players fought them, they sensed their incredible prestige and mighty presence. However, Rhode sensed none of that from Lilian. It seemed that it was due to her strength being sealed.


    But�� why is the Light Dragon��s strength sealed?


    Rhode couldn��t figure out the reason. However, he couldn��t be blamed since the Light Dragon had never emerged before the players unlike the other Creator Dragon Souls. Even in the legends, the Light Dragon had never launched an attack after the Creation War ended.


    If they didn��t meet during the Dragon Soul Ceremony, perhaps Rhode would have never believed that she was the heir of the Light Dragon.


    Judging from her behavior, it appeared that Lilian also wasn��t aware that her strength was sealed. But before that�� the most important question was�� who is powerful enough to seal the strength of a Creator Dragon Soul?


    Currently, Rhode only thought of the Light Dragon herself as the possibility. After all, she even dared to hand her authority over to the Light Parliament, so what was difficult in sealing her own strength? However, Rhode felt that she wasn��t that moronic. Back then during the Creation War, it was entirely a conceptual struggle between her and the Dark Dragon and not due to her idiotic ideals. If not, the Country of Light would have lost and wouldn��t be able to hold onto such a huge plot of land.


    Could it be the Light Parliament?


    This thought amazed Rhode. If the Light Parliament was capable of sealing the strength of a Creator Dragon Soul, wouldn��t they have conquered the entire continent? Besides, if they dared to do so, did they really think that the Battle Angel Armies and three Archangels didn��t exist?


    Rhode leaned on the wall and gazed at the military representative and Light Parliament��s supporters who were speaking to Lilian. At this moment, Lilian seemed to sense his gaze and turned around swiftly. She blushed slightly while Rhode nodded in response.


    It seems like my hard work isn��t wasted.


    Rhode also learned from Sonia that Lilian didn��t have a great time in the Country of Light and hoped to receive some assistance, which was perhaps the reason for her arrival here.


    It will be a waste if I don��t make use of this chance.


    At this moment, one of the Battle Angels approached Rhode quietly.


    ��Mr. Rhode, Her Majesty hopes to inspect the Winter Castle with you after the feast ends. May we hear your answer?��


    She��s finally making a move.


    Rhode smiled. ��As a person of the Light Mainland, it is my obligation. Please inform Her Majesty that it would be my honor.��

 Chapter 794 - A Perplexing Journey

    Lilian stood above the city wall and gazed at the battlefield. The fluttering snow wasn��t able to cover the aftermath of the battle. The corpses had been cremated and what remained was the pitch-black vestiges and blood.


    ��Just as Mr. Rhode said, if I don��t look at the world personally, I won��t see anything.��


    The little girl said in her shaky voice without turning back.


    ��Due to our incapabilities, the flame of wars continue to spread across the land with countless people sacrificing their lives����


    Lilian held her hands together tightly and looked down as though it was unbearable to witness everything before her. Rhode shrugged in silence. There was only two of them here. The Light Parliament��s military representative had also intended to join them, but Lilian rejected his suggestion. Her purpose of coming here was to meet Rhode and she didn��t wish for others to interrupt them.


    But now, she felt as though she made the wrong decision. This was the first time that she felt so powerless after witnessing the land that was perished in the flames of war. She heard the war reports earlier on and the Light Parliament constantly assured her that they were ��properly handling�� the situation. Even though they sounded respectful, Lilian understood what they meant.


    But what could she do? She didn��t know anyone outside of the palace. Apart from the Light Parliament, she had no other ways to receive any information and all she could do was hear from the Battle Angels. After Serene left, Lilian felt incredibly helpless. Casabianca was so huge, but she felt as though she was all alone.


    ��Lily.�� Rhode called.


    Lilian had stopped him from addressing her formally and he complied. Anyway, to the players, it was the same no matter what they called her because they lacked the fear that the natives had. Shortly after, Rhode continued.


    ���� Even though I want to lie and say this isn��t your responsibility, I can��t do that. In fact, you should be responsible for everything.��


    ��Mr. Rhode����


    Lilian turned around in astonishment. In fact, she disagreed that this wasn��t her responsibility. However, after hearing what he said later on, her heart started pounding. But this wasn��t due to sadness or anger. Instead, it was a sense of agitation. Lilian had been searching for her personal problems and their solutions. Should she continue to sit on the throne like a decoration? Or work hard to carry out her own will?


    But�� would her decisions always be right? The Country of Light was facing a crisis and if she acted on her own accord, would it cause the country to sink into further chaos and destruction? If that would happen, wouldn��t she be better off listening to the Light Parliament?


    When Lilian opened the doors that she had never opened before, what presented before her wasn��t just brand new scenery. It was also a whole different path that she had never stepped foot on. The path was uneven and wasn��t as beautiful and clean as she had expected. Instead, countless vines and potholes obstructed her way. More importantly, it was complete darkness at the end of the path. She couldn��t see anything and didn��t know if she would fall over the cliff and sink into the endless abyss at any point.


    Right now, Lilian stood before the door with her hands clutching the handles, gazing forward hesitantly. She knew that if she put her foot forward, she couldn��t turn back anymore. After she stepped out of the greenhouse, the door would shut tightly behind her and she would have no other choices apart from moving forward.


    ��I��ve said that this is your problem and you have to make your own choice, Lily.��


    Rhode stared at her, which left her rather panicky because she had never looked face to face with anyone before. Rhode��s gaze was so sharp that it had as though penetrated into her heart and seen through all her secrets. She turned around instinctively, but quickly gritted her teeth and lifted her head bravely. Rhode revealed the trace of a smile in his eyes��it seems like my choice was right.


    However, this wasn��t enough.


    ��I know what you��re thinking. You��re afraid and worried that your choice may bring terrifying consequences. But in fact, you have already made your choice.��


    Rhode extended his arm and pointed at the pile of burnt ashes on the battlefield.


    ��That is the result of your decision.��


    ������


    Lilian trembled, bit her lip, and lowered her head. After a short while, she looked up once again.


    ��B-But I can��t do anything alone!��


    Lilian felt much more relaxed now. She had never spoken to anyone about her troubles and distresses before, not even Lydia. But now, for some unknown reason, she held the urge to confess everything to Rhode.


    ��I��m alone and can��t do anything! Rhode, do you know? In Casabianca, I can only think about Sister Lydia and you. Only both of you!��


    ������


    Rhode widened his eyes in astonishment. He was truly surprised because he thought that Archangel Serene and Boulder would be around her no matter what. But now, it seemed like she was alone and helpless in Casabianca?


    What are the two Archangels doing?


    Boulder����forget it. Rhode couldn��t care less about that bastard. But what about Serene? He heard from Lydia that Serene was considered Lilian��s tutor and babysitter. Logically speaking, Serene had been watching Lilian grow and the latter should be closer with her than with Rhode. In all honesty, he had only met Lilian twice and didn��t make her consume any mind-controlling drug, so why?


    Lilian would rather grumble to him than seek help from the two Archangels?


    Rhode found this situation increasingly strange. He felt that the two Archangels maintaining silence might possibly foretell some unfavorable inside stories. As Archangels, wouldn��t they do their best to protect Lilian?


    This strange thought emerged in his mind for a split second. Then, he quickly calmed down.


    ��You need to find your companions, Lily. Sometimes, if you don��t take the initiative����


    Rhode showed his palm to her.


    ��It will not grab anything for you because it doesn��t know if it should do it.��


    ������


    Lilian gazed at his palm and pondered for a few moments. Then, she lifted her head and saw his smile.


    ��Alright then, are you willing to hold my hand? Lily?��


    Lilian didn��t reply. But she quickly placed her hand onto Rhode��s.


    The path before her was still full of uncertainties, yet she felt like she wasn��t as unhesitant as before because there was someone by her side now and that person was holding onto her hand and whispering to her that he would be joining her journey.


    She was no longer alone.


    Sonia opened the door to her room. The celebration feast left her exhausted. She personally witnessed Andre receiving the blessings and conferment from Lilian. He was so thrilled and agitated. Sonia knew what this meant for him. But now, she no longer held the same feelings toward this man. She became unfamiliar with his smile and on the contrary, she was delighted with Rhode. Her master had finally seized her entirety and up until this moment, the thought of her being wantonly toyed with before Andre left her excited. Ever since she presented her entirety to Rhode, she felt that it was harder leaving his side.


    Andre��s smile had been removed from her memories completely.


    Just as Sonia took off her coat, she heard a voice from behind.


    ��Good evening, Sonia.��


    ����!��


    Sonia was appalled. She turned around and let out a sigh of relief after spotting Rhode sitting casually on the chair. Then, she approached him and lowered her head humbly.


    ��Greetings, Master. It��s late now, why are you����


    Sonia gazed with passionate desires in her eyes. Even though she still felt the aching from between her legs, it made her crave for more of his teases and ravages��just like that night when he ripped through her soul.


    ��I know what you��re thinking, but it��s a pity that I have official matters to discuss with you.��


    The corners of Rhode��s lips curled into a smile. Sonia felt rather disappointed, but quickly put her mood in order and asked.


    ��Please tell me your orders, Master.��


    ��It��s simple.��


    Rhode stood up suddenly and gazed at her.


    ��Sonia�� Are you interested in being the Light Parliament��s chairman?��


    ��Huh?��


    Sonia stared blankly. Indeed, she once held such desires. But�� she had given up on them entirely. She realized that all that she wished for was just a pile of dog excrement with Rhode by her side now. The high-and-mighty parliament members were just so in her eyes, which was why her attitude towards the Light Parliament had taken a 360 degree turn. However, she didn��t expect that her change in attitude made her position in the Light Parliament even more stable. If it were in the past, perhaps she would have taken this chance to further her progression. But now, she was no longer interested.


    ��I��ve indeed had such thoughts in the past, Master, but I��ve given up on them now. As long as I can continue to serve you, I don��t care about the group of trash in the Light Parliament. Besides�� Even if I wish to, it will be impossible because the Light Parliament has no tradition of making females hold power����


    ��I know about that, but it��s fine. So�� wWhat if this is my order?��


    ��No matter what you want me to do, I will do it for you, Master.��


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Then, he lifted her chin with his hand and looked into her eyes.


    ��Alright then. I have a very important mission for you����


    Rhode said.


    ��A mission that is related to Her Majesty Lilian, the Light Parliament, and the Light Mainland�� And you will be the only one doing it����

 Chapter 795 - Destiny at the Intersection (I)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    This plan was so bold for Rhode that he felt agitated whenever he thought about it. Even though he had led the players in annihilate almost everything in existence, the victims were only unimportant external forces. Of course, that had nothing to do with the players�� mentality. After all, they were just passing travelers of this world and didn��t care about the destruction of nations as long as they were satisfied. They didn��t realize that their moment of folly had led to the breaking up of families and spreading of flames that destroyed homes and livelihoods.


    After all, the victims were only NPCs and there were limits to how much emotions the players engrossed themselves in the game.


    However, after transmigrating to this world, Rhode realized that the people around him weren��t as detached as the players. Therefore, his previous measures wouldn��t work here. He had been seeking a breakthrough from the restraint of this world and used the rules to search for a path that led to his goal. He finally found it now.


    ��Y-Your Majesty, what did you say?��


    The Light Parliament��s representative gazed blankly at the little girl.


    ��I want to head into the Munn Kingdom and discuss with Her Royal Highness Lydia about reinforcement problems.��


    Lilian sat on the chair and looked at the ashen man before her. At this moment, she was no longer as panicky and helpless as she was with Rhode. Instead, she put up a calm and confident expression.


    ��The Undead Army is overbearing and from what I observed, we will still have a hard time dealing with them. As a result, I want to discuss with Her Royal Highness Lydia, with hopes to mobilize troops from the Munn Kingdom to provide reinforcements. This way, we can gather our forces in preparation for threats.��


    Even though Lilian was childish in mentality, she wasn��t entirely without talent as a ruler. Although she was as though a decoration to the throne, she received an education from the Archangel and was brought up as the Dragon Soul Heir, after all.


    However, no one was concerned about what she said. Instead, it was the way she made her statement. Ever since she announced that she was heading into the battlefront to check on the situation, the Light Parliament heard the warning bells where Lilian would officially regain her authority. Such rumors had spread among the people, especially after the Country of Light��s army was continually defeated and had to rely on the Battle Angel Army. The Light Parliament realized that many people had grown doubts about their capability and even grumbled that they were nothing more than a group of worthless trash and the situation would be better off if the Light Dragon Soul led the Country of Light. Even though the Country of Darkness was under the dictatorship, they were strong, after all. So even if the Country of Light was also ruled by a dictator, they would at least be able to defend against the terrifying Undead Army!


    Of course, such voices were minimal in the Country of Light. Instead, they were loud in regions affected by the war, among refugees and radicals who couldn��t stand defeat in war. The Light Parliament was an expert in manipulating public opinion and naturally understood what would result from this. The freedom and glory of humans were all false. When one faced the butcher��s knife, one wouldn��t care who was the ones rescuing one as long as they could be safe. So what if it was a dictator? If the Battle Angel Army and Light Dragon could defeat the Undead Army, who would be concerned about the so-called freedom and independence that humans sought after?


    The Light Parliament knew that what everything they built was established on and as long as that foundation crumbled, they would be done for. Even though the Munn Kingdom was a wealthy nation, their people didn��t have freedom and such prosperity was only an illusion. If the Munn Kingdom��s proud economy was destroyed, social unrest would surely erupt. The Light Parliament made a solemn vow that the Country of Light��s people would follow continue to follow them loyally for the sake of freedom no matter how poor they were.


    Of course, only the heavens knew if the Light Parliament thought about it the same way.


    The Light Parliament wouldn��t be this afraid if it were only the rumors among the people and the change in opinions brought along from performances from the Battle Angels. What they were afraid about was Lilian taking action. Previously, Lilian held similar thoughts which frightened them. Thereafter, they realized that their control over Lilian was rather successful��at least in Casabianca, where she would be alone and helpless without Boulder and Serene��s support. In the past, there were political forces that supported the Light Dragon. However, there were none now because they were viewed as supporting authoritarianism after they expressed their views. Thereafter, there was no more place of belonging for these forces among the nobles and political members of Casabianca, while Lilian couldn��t cause any uproar with the less-than-10 Battle Angel guards.


    However, the Light Parliament was nervous after Lilian decided to head into the battlefront for investigation. They were worried that she would influence the people and win them over, but they couldn��t possibly disallow her. As a result, they could only agree to her request��


    It seemed like whatever they feared kept coming for them!


    ��Y-Your Majesty, I don��t think this is a good idea����


    The Light Parliament��s representative said with a pale expression while cold sweat filled his back. Even though the Light Parliament basically disregarded her presence, that was in Casabianca where it was their home turf, after all. They were currently in the border region where the Light Parliament held little to no influence.


    ��It is an extremely crucial matter to request for the Munn Kingdom to mobilize their troops. I think you should return to Casabianca and discuss it over with the Light Parliament����


    They couldn��t decide on this matter, so the representative might as well kick the ball back to Casabianca and leave the headache to his superiors! However, Lilian��s next statement caused the temperature in the room to fall below negative.


    ��Why must I discuss it with the Light Parliament?��


    ������


    Everyone widened their eyes in disbelief. Even though the fireplace was surging in flames and warm heat formed a layer of fog over the window pane, everyone felt as though they were standing barefoot on ice��a bone-piercing chill struck their soles and rushed all the way into their heads!


    Oh lord, this can��t be��


    ��I think my idea is great.��


    Lilian almost chuckled at the sight of their pale expressions. In the past, they disregarded her entirely and made her feel discontent. But as an obedient child and the Light Dragon, she could only tolerate without grumbling. But now, she was joyful over how she scared them with this little revenge of hers. In the past, she definitely wouldn��t dare to utter a word because the Light Parliament would reprimand her as no one stood up for her. She was like a little child who was often chided by the adults and no one consoled her for it. As time passed, she had learned to listen obediently and not retort. But now, she realized that she wasn��t alone anymore. She let go of all restrictions after knowing that someone was willing to support her.


    Even the most obedient child would be rebellious at times.


    ��Didn��t the alliance do well this time? We defeated the Undead Army with Earl Rhode��s help, so why can��t we work with them again?��


    ��B-But, Your Majesty����


    The representative swallowed a gulp of saliva.


    ��This�� This requires the Light Parliament��s�� Besides, this is between the two countries����


    ��I don��t think there are any problems, are there?��


    Lilian stooped forward a little and felt that this was fun. However, in the eyes of the Light Parliament, the reason why she behaved this way was perhaps because she was looking to regain her authority. In fact, she only wanted to give them a hard time because she knew that they would definitely oppose. But now, she was no longer afraid. Why wouldn��t she behave more impudently since she had this chance?


    ��B-But����


    ��I��ve already made up my mind.��


    LIlian interrupted coldly. She tried hard to put up a solemn expression and smacked her tiny palm on the chair handle. The resounding impact shook everyone.


    ��That��s all for this meeting.��


    No one opposed her and they immediately left the room to report this situation to the Light Parliament! However, this wasn��t because of their obedience. Instead, they were entirely frightened! No one had ever thought that this well-behaved girl in Casabianca showed this unyielding side of hers! They were at a loss for words and at their wits�� ends!


    Through the magical communications, this piece of news was swiftly presented to the Light Parliament in Casabianca.


    Members of the Light Parliament had the same reaction as those people��frightened!


    They guessed that Lilian had her own plans for going to the Winter Castle. Back then, they thought nothing much about it like a strict, scary father who finally allowed his daughter to go for a date and at most give a kiss to a man. But they didn��t expect her to elope with him in just one meeting!


    After coming to their senses, the Light Parliament was infuriated and panicked. Earlier on, Lilian��s actions left them feeling ill at ease and she was going to request for troop assistance from other nations now? Moreover, she would be speaking to Lydia directly without discussing it with the Light Parliament?


    Is there still justice?


    Is there still law?


    Does she even respect the Light Parliament that represents the voice of the Country of Light��s people?


    ��T-This is ridiculous!��


    One of the parliament members slammed the table. However, his pale expression showed that he was more fearful than angry.


    ��How can she do this! She is disregarding our authority!��


    ��I thought it was strange when she said she wanted to head to the battlefront. Now it seems like there is indeed something fishy!��


    ��Maybe Lydia was the one who arranged this. She must have already had this intention back in the Dragon Soul Ceremony! I didn��t expect them to take action so soon!��


    ��This is too much. The Country of Light is in such a crisis and yet she stirs up trouble for the sake of authority!��


    It seems like the Light Parliament knew themselves clearly.


    At this moment, a deep voice interrupted.


    ��Shut up!��


    The elderly chairman stood up and gazed at everyone. His term of office would be ending in less than half a year, but he showed his unprecedented abilities during this period. He had become much tougher than the yes-man he used to be.


    ��Now isn��t the time for grumbles and blames. Her Majesty has made up her mind and doesn��t need our permission anymore. Everyone, what you��re doing now is wasting your saliva. Think of a way to resolve this problem instead!��


    The elderly chairman sat down, crossed his arms, and glared at everyone. Many parliament members turned to avoid his gaze subconsciously. In fact, they couldn��t come up with any great ideas, which was why they criticized and complained. They had to admit that this move from Lilian caught everyone by surprise.


    ��We can request the military to escort her back! Then we can discuss this problem!��


    One of the parliament members suggested. But judging from his teeth-gritting expression, the ��escort�� didn��t consist of only ��escort��. But, shortly after, someone opposed his idea.


    ��But who is gonna do it? According to the report, Her Majesty seems to be determined about her decision! What if she refuses? Don��t forget. It is the alliance in the Winter Castle and not our troops. How should we manage the situation if things were to happen?��


    That was indeed an issue. If the Light Parliament sent their troops to ��escort�� Lilian back, the damage to the Light Parliament would be lethal if Lilian were to be unhappy. The reason why the Light Parliament could do whatever they pleased was because the entire Light Mainland was under the protection of the Light Dragon. The Light Dragon resided in the Country of Light while Light Parliament was the representative of the Country of Light�� Who are you gonna listen to apart from me?


    But now, if people were aware that they were on bad terms with the Light Dragon and they had even used such means on her, they couldn��t guarantee that the anti-parliament forces wouldn��t seize this chance to cause trouble��


    ��But�� Do we just let her go to the Munn Kingdom? Lydia is a tricky person. If she mixes around with Her Majesty�� What if�� Her Majesty decides to stay in the Munn Kingdom?��


    ��I think�� We should approve her decision and let her discuss whatever she wants with Lydia. Anyway, we will just disagree resolutely after she returns!��


    ��But what if that woman takes action right after her discussion with Her Majesty? She can receive Her Majesty��s permission and directly send out troops to the Country of Light!��


    ��This����


    The parliament members knitted their brows and couldn��t come up with any ideas. This move from Lilian had exceeded their expectations. Besides, no one could feel relieved under this circumstance, not to mention the still ongoing threats from the Undead Army..


    At this moment, a middle-aged man who wore a straight, black formal shirt stood to his feet. His glossy hair was combed back neatly. Although he had a rather long face, his tiny pair of eyes was filled with an inspiring glint. The wrinkles on his forehead and corners of his eyes made him look frail. However, the tight, pursed up lips gave him an imposing presence.


    ��I think that it��s fine to let Her Majesty head to the Munn Kingdom.��


    ��Sir Nakvard?��


    Everyone gazed at him in astonishment.


    ��That����


    ��Since Her Majesty has this desire, it isn��t nice of us to stop her.��


    Nakvard continued.


    ��But for the safety of the Country of Light, we can��t just let this matter go to rest. I think that we should send a representative to accompany Her Majesty into the Munn Kingdom. After all, Her Majesty is still a child and there will be complicated matters that require thoughtful consideration. So the representative can provide her with suggestions and opinions in order to ensure that we reach a resolution that is beneficial for both parties.��


    That��s right!


    Everyone��s eyes glinted with hope. It seemed that this suggestion was great. No matter what, Lilian��s suggestion would concern the Country of Light. So, as the representative of the Country of Light��s people, the Light Parliament held the responsibility to join in the discussions, didn��t they? This way, not only could the monitor Lilian, but could also stop her from reaching an agreement with Lydia that benefited her! Moreover, it wouldn��t be nice of Lilian to refuse their company! This was a wonderful idea! Not only could they resolve this crisis, but they could turn passive to active and control the situation to a certain extent!


    2


    Shortly after, the Light Parliament came to a consensus. The elderly chairman remained in silence, sat back on the chair, and gazed at the high-spirited Nakvard�� It seems like he will be one of the candidates to take over my position next year.


    The discussion between the parliament members had gotten much smoother after confirming their decisions. But there was still a crucial problem to resolve.


    And that was�� Who was going to accompany Lilian into the Munn Kingdom?

 Chapter 796 - Destiny at the Intersection (II)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��I refuse.��


    Sonia replied without any hesitation. She stared coldly at the parliament representative without concealing the look of disgust and annoyance.


    ��I��ve had enough of that barbaric country and its foolish people! You guys are also aware that I��ve suffered in the Land of Atonement! I will never return to that ridiculous place! You��re better off finding someone else to accompany Her Majesty Lilian!��


    ��I hope you can reconsider, Miss Sonia.��


    The parliament representative displayed a helpless, bitter smile. Of course, he knew why she was this furious. She had indeed suffered a lot in the Land of Atonement earlier on and began giving attitude to the Light Parliament after she returned to Casabianca. The gentle young lady slowly became unyielding, but what could they do to her? She was the third executive officer of the Lockos Financial Group and was a pearl in the palm of the old man, Lockos. There was no doubt about the influence that the five largest financial groups held in Casabianca. Therefore, the Light Parliament could only tolerate it whenever Sonia gave them a harsh attitude.


    ��The parliament agrees that you have the experience of heading into the Munn Kingdom and as a female, you will most likely be welcomed by her. Besides�� among the parliament members in the Winter Castle, you��re most qualified to handle this mission. I hope you can consider the overall situation, Miss Sonia.��


    ��Overall situation?��


    Sonia puckered her brows.


    ��Alright then, will my accidental death in the Munn Kingdom be considered as a sacrifice for the overall situation?��


    ��That�� if required, we can send someone to ensure your safety�� Miss Sonia, the parliament hopes that you can accept this mission.�� The parliament representative��s expression turned heavy. ���� This is also Mr. Lockos�� intentions.��


    Sonia��s expression changed slightly. She understood what virtues her father had. As long as the situation was beneficial, there were no reasons to not accept it. In fact, she was only an interchangeable chip in her father��s hand a long time ago when she wasn��t impressive at all. However, after she worked hard and attained the position of the third executive officer and secondary member of parliament, Lockos realized the rich political and business talent in her. But Sonia was aware that the reason why her father agreed with the parliament this time was because he sought after the benefits behind it, which was why he accepted without hesitation. On the other hand, Sonia couldn��t do anything about it��


    As a result, she nodded reluctantly.


    ��Alright, I accept this mission. But I request that the Light Parliament dispatch a team of guards�� And not the type of soldiers who will land me into jail!��


    After their discussions, the door closed behind the parliament representative and Sonia was left alone in her room. Then, she revealed a delightful smile.


    I didn��t expect things to go well this soon.


    After learning that Lilian was alone and helpless in Casabianca, Rhode came up with an idea. He couldn��t manipulate the two Archangels, but he could lay hands on his own chess piece��Sonia. Thereafter, he had given her a mission to get as close as possible to Lilian and become her best friend and most loyal subordinate, so Lilian wouldn��t be too lonely in Casabianca. Moreover, Rhode had also told Sonia to use this chance to connect the forces in the Light Parliament with Lilian. This was only a concept on paper initially. After all, Sonia didn��t have many chances to meet Lilian as the secondary member of the Light Parliament. If Sonia took the initiative and approached Lilian, perhaps the Light Parliament might be suspicious. But now, she held the best excuse and reason�� and this was a wonderful piece of news for her.


    Alright then��


    Sonia smiled.


    She knew what she needed to do next.


    The coldest period of winter seemed to have passed and the unfrequented Land of Atonement gradually became lively. Christie sat quietly on the long bench in the park, gazing at the snowy scene and painting away on the canvas before her. The gentle rays of the winter sun brought warmth to her.


    Christie felt like her life was extremely fortunate at this moment.


    Everything that happened in the High Cliff Village was long over, but she had never forgotten about it. She had never forgotten about who rescued her from that painful fate and brought her into this fortunately life. This used to be her biggest dream and it was almost coming true. But��


    ��Sigh����


    Christie lowered her head and let out a sigh. She gazed ahead in silence. If there was one thing that she wasn��t satisfied with, that would be�� She couldn��t do anything for others.


    Even though Christie appeared gentle and fragile, she was staunch. Back then in the High Cliff Village, she never blamed her fate of suffering from the villagers who feared her ��curse�� and placed a mask over her face. In order to survive, she dragged her weak body and herded the flock of sheep and traveled over land and water to graze livestock.


    But now�� even though she no longer lived in that painful life, she didn��t wish to continue living this way.


    She craved to help Rhode, Marlene, Lize, Anne, and those who rescued her from hell. But she couldn��t do anything with her fragile self. Even though the gift that Lydia had given her protected her from illnesses, it couldn��t change her weak constitution. Christie would feel exhausted and gasp for air despite carrying a few books up the stairs.


    She wasn��t resigned to it and yet, she couldn��t change anything. Although she helped Lapis draw designs for the alchemy equipment, it was far from enough for her. She wished that she held magical talent or possessed a healthy body, so she could use magic and sword skills in battle with Rhode�� If only that were possible��


    ��Sigh����


    But that was only a dream.


    Christie sighed. She felt that she shouldn��t only be helping Lapis. Besides, apart from assisting Lapis with the equipment designs, she couldn��t do anything else��Lapis didn��t allow her to touch the dangerous alchemy materials. Frankly speaking, Christie could continue living this way, but she just felt not resigned to do so��


    Even though she felt vexed, she had never mentioned her troubles to anyone because she knew that everyone was busy especially during this period. She couldn��t distract them with her personal problems. However, at this moment she felt rather lonely. Rhode had left the Land of Atonement for a while now and she didn��t know when he would return��


    Christie painted the final stroke on her canvas and put away her painting brush. Then, she heard a gentle voice from behind.


    ��What a masterpiece.��


    ��Huh?��


    Christie turned around in surprise. It was a young lady with silky long hair that was as black as the deep, night sky. A glint in her dark eyes reflected spiritual radiance while her long lashes trembled. A gentle, elegant smile emerged across her soft, dewy face and the snowy cape wrapped her slender figure, accentuating her alluring charm.


    ��You are����


    ��Ah, my apologies.��


    The young lady revealed a complex look. Then, she smiled.


    ��I��m a traveler. Sorry for disturbing you, adorable little lady. I just didn��t expect to see such a masterpiece here�� I was surprised and unknowingly exclaimed in awe. I sincerely apologize if I��ve alarmed you.��


    ��Ah�� No�� It��s nothing����


    Christie shook her head hurriedly. She stood up and bowed to the young lady politely.


    ��I��m fine�� Just a little surprised����


    ��But�� What a masterpiece indeed.��


    The young lady stepped forward and caressed the white canvas with her slender fingers.


    ��Such elegant strokes, painted with the glaring flames of life, beauty of vibrant colors, and dainty implicit charm�� I��ve never seen anyone paint such a beautiful work like this, with the dazzling brilliance and talent of art masters�� This is clearly a still scenery, and yet its beauty flows�� It is even better than the art masters of the dark ages.��


    ��?��


    Christie tilted her head curiously. But it sounded as though the young lady admired her work, which she was delighted to know.


    ��Do you like it�� Big Sister? If you do, I can give it to you����


    ��Huh?��


    The young lady revealed an astonished look. She turned around and gazed at Christie with widened eyes.


    ��Are you serious about giving it to me? It��s a masterpiece�� I��m sure you��ve spent a lot of time and effort on it. If you sold this in the market, it would definitely be worth hundreds�� No, maybe even thousands. It looks just a scroll of the deities.��


    ��It��s nothing much����


    Christie shook her head.


    ��I�� only drew this�� to pass time�� If you like it, I can give it to you����


    ���� Since that��s the case, I shall accept it with all of my heart.��


    The young lady pondered for a few moments. She carefully lifted the canvas and kept it in her carrying bag. Then, she turned to Christie with a satisfied expression and bowed respectfully.


    ��I didn��t expect to meet such a talented artist here. I��m incredibly blessed�� Adorable little lady.��


    The young lady reached out her hand.


    ��I��m Erin. May I know your name?��

 Chapter 797 - Destiny at the Intersection (III)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Lilian gazed at Sonia with knitted brows. Even though she knew that she would be stopped by the Light Parliament and expected that they would send out men to bring her back, she had decided to look for Rhode if they did so!


    If they did, this would be seen on the diplomatic level that a head of state sought to avoid political persecution from the country and it would be imaginable how the future between the Munn Kingdom and Country of Light would become if this situation escalated.


    Lilian felt mixed emotions like a child who turned rebellious and threw tantrums to her parents for the first time in order to go on a holiday and yet her strict parents agreed instantly. However, they had sent someone to watch over her.


    Lilian didn��t expect that the Light Parliament would agree to her request, just like most children in their rebellious stage where they resisted their parents, but didn��t dare to behave overly spontaneous. Instead, they found unacceptable reasons that would leave their parents feeling helpless such as doing things that they disliked. If their parents stopped them, they could forcefully do what they wanted and this was the same for Lilian. She hoped to leave Casabianca and spend time with Lydia and Rhode. However, she knew that it was impossible, which was why she made such a request. She knew that the Light Parliament would definitely disagree and probably force her back to Casabianca��


    But in the end�� They agreed.


    Lilian curled her lips and obviously looked discontented. However, as a kind hearted child, even though she wasn��t delighted to see Sonia, she held no intention of venting frustrations on her. It appeared that the Light Parliament understood Lilian well. If it were some rigid parliament member who dealt with Lilian, perhaps she would stir up more trouble. On the other hand, Sonia was only a few years older than Lilian and appeared like an elder sister. Moreover, she was a gentle and beautiful young lady, so even if Lilian was furious, she wouldn��t abuse her. After all, she wasn��t a spoiled brat who would throw tantrums whenever things didn��t go her way.


    As Lilian sized up Sonia, the latter also observed the former secretly. Even though Sonia had seen Lilian during the Dragon Soul Ceremony, that was only a hurried glance and Lilian had put up a stern look and kept a low profile. However, it was different now. After formally meeting Lilian, Sonia realized that the former was surprisingly easy to get along with as though the little girl who sat on the throne wasn��t the Dragon Soul Heir and was more like the neighbor��s adorable younger daughter. Moreover, Sonia realized that Lilian didn��t seem to like hiding her true emotions, just like how she appeared perplexed on her cute face now. It was apparent that Lilian didn��t enjoy having Sonia beside her, but the former didn��t vent her anger on her��


    Sonia felt amused at this thought. Even though she had received Rhode��s order to accompany Lilian, she didn��t know what sort of a person Lilian was. Even if Lilian was a bully who abused women whenever she pleased, Sonia would have to obey without any grumbles because it was Rhode��s orders. But now, Sonia felt rather motivated. After all, even though it was still a mission for her, it was better to complete it happily rather than getting hurt all over, wasn��t it?


    Lilian didn��t conceal her dissatisfaction toward Sonia and this comforted the latter. Although Sonia was still a young lady, she had mixed around in the political grounds, became the third executive officer of the Lockos Financial Group, and had met many hypocrites who put up a solemn attitude and poker faces to conceal their true thoughts�� Of course, Rhode was an exception. He didn��t put up an expressionless face to hide his emotions. It was merely a bad habit��


    A pure, innocent superior like Lilian was a rare find. Moreover, this little girl held qualities which made others wish to show tender affection for her. This explained why Sonia wasn��t concerned when she saw Lilian��s resentful expression. To the contrary, this further strengthened her determination.


    ��Greetings, Your Majesty. I��m a secondary parliament member, Sonia Lockos. I represent the Light Parliament in accompanying your journey into the Munn Kingdom. During this period of time, I will arrange and take charge of your schedule. If you have any needs, please speak to me. As long as I can achieve it, I will do my best.��


    ��Hmph��!��


    Lilian let out an instinctive grunt. However, she realized that this wasn��t nice of her, so she quickly gestured and nodded with might as though apologizing for her rudeness.


    ��Okay. I got it����


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    Sonia stooped over hurriedly with a smile across her face. Even though they had just met, Sonia already knew how she should complete the mission that Rhode handed her.


    While Lilian and Sonia met, Rhode had already left the Winter Castle and returned to the Land of Atonement. He was aware that Lilian was heading into the Munn Kingdom. Besides, he also heard from Sonia about the latest plans from the Light Parliament. However, he was only curious and couldn��t take any actions. After all, the discussions between Lilian and Lydia was the communication between the superiors of two nations and he didn��t hold any right to intervene. Even though everyone knew that Rhode had a bright future ahead of him and was well-liked by Lydia, his identity was only that of an Earl and overlord.


    Rhode was also aware that many people in Golden City were watching him from the sidelines cautiously. If he behaved overly passionately, it wouldn��t be surprising that they treated him as a threat��Rhode wasn��t the only person living in the Munn Kingdom. What would happen to others�� rice bowls if he got involved with military affairs, internal affairs, and diplomacy? Marlene had advised him a lot of times to focus his attention on the Land of Atonement and Grenbell and try not to get into trouble with matters beyond his identity. As the saying ��a tall tree attracts the wind�� went, Marlene naturally held her own intelligence network as the heir of the Senia Family. She was aware that Rhode was in a risky position after being in the limelight for too long. Even though what he did was beneficial for the Munn Kingdom, there wouldn��t be conflicts between the King��s Party and Reformist Party if humans could stay united. Lydia was the Archangel, so she wouldn��t bother with small details. However, the other nobles wouldn��t accept Rhode so easily��especially when he might possibly steal their portion of the cake.


    Besides, Marlene was indeed reasonable. In the Land of Atonement, there were a lot of other problems waiting for Rhode to resolve. The problems weren��t military affairs, but internal affairs and the source of problems was�� his construction system.


    After Rhode became the overlord, the Land of Atonement hadn��t been developed. Apart from the fortress, the other areas were uninhabited mostly due to their positions by the border and inconvenient traffic. The other reason was that Rhode��s construction system was too convenient.


    Of course, ordinary overlords couldn��t possibly repair and build their fortresses without paying a huge sum for smiths and other specialized workers. However, this was also a cycle��to the contrary, Rhode��s construction system was as though a cheat code that could save him from weeks to months to complete projects. The workers were mostly burdened with families and needed to head to the construction site for work. This way, it would naturally form an industrial zone. As various needs and demands increased, this industrial zone would expand. Examples of needs would be broken tools needing repair and building requiring logging. There were also needs for the workers�� entertainment after their work apart from resting, which required facilities like stores, logging areas, and blacksmith shops. An industrial zone would slowly grow from nothing and a complete distribution system would be completed at the end.


    Rhode wasn��t aware about this earlier on, but finally understood what it meant to have ��more haste, less speed��.


    Even though the construction system could build a majestic fortress in the blink of an eye, it couldn��t build the various distribution systems. The level of prosperity of a territory mainly depended on the residents, where the commercial trade would prosper if the residents were rich and would encourage production to attract more people. However, there were none of those in Rhode��s territory. The entirety Grenbell was not as mighty as it looked.


    Rhode had already tasted this poor result. When the Undead Army attacked his fortress in the past, he tried to use delicious food as a booster to the soldiers�� morale. However, he couldn��t find a qualified chef in this vast piece of land and even had to find them from the Deep Stone City and Paphield!


    That went to show how underdeveloped the Land of Atonement was. However, Rhode had no other choices back then. If he focused his resources on building facilities in the territory, his fortress would have crumbled to the Undead Army.


    On the bright side, at least they were safe from external threats. As for the other areas�� He could slowly develop them.


    Rhode returned to the Land of Atonement, harboring such a thought.


    ��Rhode����


    The Floating Boat docked and he stepped onto the platform. Shortly after, he spotted a familiar, petite figure scuttling toward him. He smiled, extended his arm, and embraced her.


    ���� You��re finally�� back����


    Beads of sweat had filled her forehead from this short sprint which showed how weak she was. Rhode retrieved a handkerchief to gently wipe them off and caressed her silky long hair. He looked up and saw Marlene, Lize, and Canary. They were basically the ones who always welcomed his return. Lapis was too occupied with her workshop. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum��s appearance depended on her mood and she would turn up if she was free. However, Rhode wasn��t mindful at all since they held a close friendship.


    ��How are you feeling, Christie?��


    ��Good����


    Christie smiled and nodded with might, which Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. Even though the accessory which Lydia had given her ensured that she wouldn��t be plagued by illness, it couldn��t protect her from being injured, especially when Christie was so fragile and prone to injury. However, it seemed like everything was great��


    ��You��re back, Rhode.��


    ��Mr. Rhode, Anne, Miss Gillian�� Long time no see.��


    ��You��re finally back, how��s the battlefront?��


    The three young ladies greeted.


    ��Everything is going according to plan.��


    Rhode had spoken to Marlene using the magical communications before his return and they knew everything that had happened in the Winter Castle. But��


    ��By the way, Marlene, I heard from you that some problems occurred?��


    Rhode continued to stroke Christie��s hair and asked curiously.


    ��Yes, Rhode.��


    Marlene showed some signs of helplessness.


    ��It has something to do with that Dark Elf lady����


    ��Nell?��


    Rhode gazed blankly. Of all things, he didn��t expect her to be the cause of the trouble. He had clearly restricted her movements by the oath, so what else could she do?


    ��What happened to her?��


    ��This was what happened����


    Marlene spread her arms apart.


    ��A few days ago, Miss Corina represented the church and spoke to us regarding the Undead Army��s attack. Then���� Marlene let out a sigh and revealed a complicated expression as though she didn��t know how to continue.


    ��She was attacked by Nell.��


    ��Huh?��


    Rhode was surprised. He didn��t expect this to happen�� Corina had been staying in the church all this while and as the representative sent by the Country of Law, she wouldn��t turn up unless it was regarding matters of the church. After all, Corina��s identity was the diplomatic emissary and if she had gotten involved in the battle between the Country of Darkness and Light Mainland, she might drag the Country of Law into it and it would turn into the prelude of the second Creation War.


    Rhode was more than satisfied to have Corina here as the means of communication with the Country of Law. But he didn��t expect that��


    ��What happened in the end?��


    Rhode gazed at everyone and no one seemed too nervous, which meant that the consequences weren��t too serious.


    ��Thank goodness Miss Canary was around so nothing happened. But�� Miss Corina hoped that you can provide an explanation for having a Dark Elf as your subordinate.��


    ��She��s aware? How did she find out?��


    Rhode was astonished because Nell��s appearance didn��t resemble the Dark Elves at all. In fact, he wouldn��t have believed that she was a Dark Elf if she didn��t explain to him.


    Hold up��


    Then, Marlene proved his guesses.


    ��It was Miss Nell who told her,�� Marlene said.

 Chapter 798 - Destiny at the Intersection (IV)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    After Rhode left the Land of Atonement, Nell had been responsible for training Joey and his team of Thieves, secretly watching over Sara��s alchemy workshop, and monitoring situations around the fortress. Rhode had to admit that the ordinary Thieves couldn��t be compared to Dark Elves. However, Nell��s relationship with the others was limited, unlike Canary who had known Rhode for the longest period and was most familiar with him, which made her the leader among the people. Moreover, she was gentle, powerful, and despite her appearance not being the most beautiful, almost no one opposed to her commands. On the other hand, as Marlene and Lize were childhood friends who had slept with Rhode, so they imperceptibly formed an alliance. Of course, they got along well with Canary and Anne too, which explained why they weren��t disgusted after knowing about their intimate relationships with Rhode.


    Even though Lapis liked Rhode, their relationship didn��t develop into ��that stage��, so she was out of the picture. On the other hand, Gillian was difficult to read. As for Christie, everyone knew that Rhode treated her purely as a kin.


    In the case of Nell and Sonia�� They were less accepted by the other females. Even though Rhode didn��t mention publicly his relationship with Nell and Sonia, the other females were extremely sensitive in this aspect. Therefore, Anne, Lize, and Marlene seldom interacted with Nell. On the other hand, Sonia was a member of the Light Parliament and the conflict earlier on by the entrance of the fortress placed her on their list of unpopular women. Canary held a superior position and clearly understood the position of these two women in Rhode��s heart.


    It was due to this that Marlene grumbled about the trouble that Nell had caused. This wasn��t due to jealousy, but was due to their lack of interactions. Besides, Nell was in the wrong for attacking first. After all, it was too much for her to attack a diplomatic emissary from another country without logical reason!


    Therefore, Nell was captured after her failed ambush, but Marlene didn��t request to lock her up in the underground prison. Instead, she allowed Corina to detain her��one reason was to appease Corina while the other reason was that as Rhode��s woman, Marlene disliked a Dark Elf like Nell. Fortunately, Marlene knew that Rhode wasn��t emotionally attached to Nell. If Rhode were to be deeply in love with Nell, Marlene would surely explode in jealousy��


    Even though Marlene didn��t speak too badly about Nell, Rhode sensed the deep discontentment inside her. Just as Marlene thought, Nell was more like a tool for Rhode��s physical desires. Previously, in order to make her yield and alter her soul contract completely, he had to ��make love�� with her, which also fulfilled his curiosity for intimate experiences with the Dark Elves. In terms of emotional attachment, perhaps Rhode was more attached to Celestina than Nell because in his mind, Nell was nothing more than a servant��


    It was due to this reason that Rhode didn��t bother eliminating Marlene��s and Lize��s dissatisfaction toward Nell. This time, Nell had indeed gone overboard and left them in some trouble.


    He listened and nodded firmly to their grumbles because he understood their characters. They complained about Nell for the sake of expressing their dissatisfaction and weren��t using the chance to kick her out of here. It was especially so for Lize because she was training the church��s Clerics and now that this situation happened, it left her in an awkward position. On the other hand, Marlene stepped in as the person in charge whenever Rhode was absent and had to handle the effects of this matter on an internal and diplomatic level, leaving her in an incredible headache.


    Rhode consoled both of them and of course, this wasn��t enough to solve the problem. This situation required him to take action personally��


    No matter what, Corina was the Country of Law��s representative, so Rhode had to meet her personally. However, the lack of a solution wasn��t a problem for him.


    After a series of preparations, Rhode quickly made his way to the church located inside his fortress. It was a tall, triangular building made of black bricks, unlike the magnificent churches that he saw in the real world. The churches in this world appeared low-profile and dignified like the merging of a bank and court. The most glaring object was the symbol hung above the entrance��a badge of two dragons holding a sword and scale each: the symbol of the Country of Law.


    Corina lived in the church and didn��t require any lavish living conditions as an Elf. After notifying the church of their arrival, Rhode and his men were brought to the courtyard where they saw Corina, and Nell who was locked up in the water cell.


    The Elves�� so-called water cell wasn��t the dark, putrid prison that Rhode built under his fortress. Instead, it was a cube formed by a barrier of water. Rhode was rather curious because Nell didn��t seem to be in any discomfort. On the contrary, she gritted her teeth and glared fiercely at Corina as though the latter had murdered her parents�� However, wasn��t it usual for the Dark Elves to annihilate others�� families?


    Corina turned to Rhode and shortly after, dubious glints flashed in her eyes.


    Rhode didn��t arrive at the church alone. Instead, he brought a surprising group of beings��apart from Canary, there was also Agatha, Lapis, and two petite figures wrapped in their white cloaks.


    Gracier and Madaras.


    ��Greetings, Sir Overlord.��


    Corina felt rather dubious, but quickly stood up and nodded. Rhode bowed in response.


    ��Sorry for interrupting your busy schedule, Miss Corina.��


    Rhode lifted his head.


    ��I guess you��re aware of the reason why I��m here, Miss Corina. I sincerely apologize for my subordinate��s unruly behavior toward you. It is all due to my negligence. Please accept my apologies.��


    ��This isn��t the problem, Sir Overlord.��


    Corina��s expression turned solemn instantly. She puckered her brows and gazed in resentment.


    ��I��m deeply disappointed in you. I thought that you were a great friend to us, Elves, but now�� You actually mixed with a Dark Elf. This has baffled me. What do you have to say for this?��


    ��I think this is just a misunderstanding.��


    Rhode twitched his brows slightly before answering.


    ��Nell is one of the captives I captured from the previous battle. She became my devoted subordinate. I understand the grudges Elves hold against the Dark Elves, but please pardon my rudeness, because the grudges don��t seem related to a human like me. As for the loss and shock that this matter has caused you, I sincerely apologize and am willing to offer compensation. Apart from this�� I can��t promise anything else.��


    ��She��s a Dark Elf, Sir Overlord. Even though she doesn��t look like one�� You should know what the Dark Elves represent.��


    ��Of course, Miss Corina. I won��t try to convince you about the Dark Elves, but Nell is my subordinate, after all. No matter if she��s a Dark Elf or not, anyone is the same as my subordinate.��


    ������


    Corina didn��t respond immediately. After all, the people around him were overly convincing. If there were only Dark Elves around him, Corina would believe that he was finding excuses for himself. However, she was speechless after witnessing the other Elves surrounding him.


    Rhode gazed around him and felt rather amused because this could be said to be a historic gathering of the Elves��an elemental Elf, Moon Elf, Alchemy Elf, Dark Elf, and two White Elves��the Elemental Elves were the earliest to branch out from the Elves and enter the elemental world. The White Elves were the most ancient and honorable race. The Moon Elves took over the White Elves�� honor after the Creation War. On the other hand, the Alchemy Elves and Dark Elves separated themselves from the Elves in order to avoid the terrifying Creation War.


    ��But I would like to remind you that the Dark Elves are different from the other Elves, Sir Overlord. They are evil, brutal, and����


    ��Rubbish!��


    Out of a sudden, Nell snarled. She glared at Corina from inside the water cell.


    ��You are the ones who are evil and brutal! You slaughtered our family and children on the surface and forced us into the dark underground! You call us the betrayers, but in fact you are the ones who were the most hypocritical and evil betrayers! Despite us having a brand new start in the dark underground, you have never given up on eliminating us. We craved peace, but staining your blades with our blood is your only answer!��


    ��Wha������


    Corina widened her eyes in disbelief.


    ��The Elves who defied or held different values were expelled and annihilated. These were the hypocritical doings of you surface Elves! All we could do was to hide in the shadows of the underground and mix with the demons and spirits. It was all due to your vicious doing!��


    ������


    Lapis revealed a rather affirmative expression. The Behermes Family was expelled for having ideals to modify nature and life, which eventually led to their destruction. Judging from this point, Lapis and Nell were on common ground and it went to show that the Elves weren��t as innocent as Corina made it out to be.


    On the other hand, Agatha watched everything in silence. As elemental Elves, they had been living in the elemental world, so the clashes and wars on the main plane of existence had nothing to do with them. On the other hand, Gracier and Madaras tilted their heads curiously. After all, they could be considered the ones who had personally experienced and created the existence of this conflicting history.


    ��This is only a lie that the Dark Elves fabricated!��


    It seemed that Corina had never expected to receive such an answer from a Dark Elf and she was flustered.


    ��Back then, you abandoned the battle against the enemies and escaped into the underground! It had nothing to do with us! What you just said was a bunch of nonsense!��


    ��The victor��s history.��


    Rhode shrugged, turned to Canary, and said. The latter smiled in silence. In fact, no matter the Moon Elves, Dark Elves, or Alchemy Elves, they held a certain extent of subjectivity to the records of history. In this aspect, perhaps only the Elemental Elves and White Elves held enough right to speak their minds.


    However, Rhode didn��t come here to help the Elves align their views on the right history.


    ��Alright, both of you.��


    He stepped forward to intervene. Then, he turned to Nell and said with a gloomy expression.


    ��Miss Nell, I guess you understand that it isn��t the dark underground here. No matter what sort of a past the Dark Elves have, it has nothing to do with us. You��re my subordinate now and the grudges between the Dark Elves and Elves are long gone in the dust of history. I don��t wish to see you causing trouble in my territory for this matter anymore.��


    ������


    Nell gritted her teeth and lowered her head. At this moment, Rhode turned to Corina.


    ��Miss Corina, I��m sorry for the danger you faced. I guarantee that I will punish Nell and ensure that she stops this unruly behavior of hers. If you need anything, please let me know. As a form of compensation and as long as it is within my means, I will gladly do it.��


    ��But����


    Corina knitted her brows as she gazed at Rhode. Then, she shifted her gaze to Gracier and Madaras. After pondering for a few moments, she nodded helplessly.


    ��Alright, I hope you can keep your promise. I will not look into this matter anymore and won��t report this to the Country of Law. But I don��t wish to see such an incident again. I shall take it as you owe me a commitment, Sir Overlord.��

 Chapter 799 - Destiny at the Intersection (V)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    In the end, Rhode ��rescued�� Nell and even though she was displeased, she knew that she shouldn��t enrage him. Rhode surely wouldn��t let her off easily because no matter what, she caused trouble in his territory and deserved to be punished. But his punishment for her was rather different from what others imagined. He didn��t lock her up in the cell. Instead, he gave a command which others couldn��t understand��make her in charge of lookout duties on the fortress platform for a week!


    This punishment appeared ridiculous to others, but Nell��s reactions baffled them. After hearing Rhode��s decision, she became as pale as a sheet of paper. Even though she had a healthy-looking and fair skin tone, it looked as though the blood flowing inside her had instantly froze into ice.


    She couldn��t be blamed because most underground creatures were afraid of a common thing.


    Height.


    However, the fear of heights of the underground creatures was unlike that of humans. They weren��t afraid of overlooking the scenery beneath them. Instead, they were fearful of lifting their heads and looking at the sky. The Dwarves were an extreme representative. One of the rumored reasons why Dwarves seldom headed outdoors was because they preferred living within the mountain range and disliked adventures. There was no doubt that Dwarves hated the outdoors, but it was untrue that they disliked adventures and the main reason was�� they were afraid of the sky.


    There was once a King Dwarf whose famous sayings spread widely in the underground world.


    ��The moment after I stepped out of the cave and onto the land, I swore with my beard that I��ve never been this frightened. When I looked up at that damn sky, my knees trembled. If my legs weren��t tied up with chains and boulders, perhaps I would have escaped this boundless land!��


    No one on the surface understood such a reaction. However, all the underground creatures including the Dark Elves held the same sentiments. Not only that, but apart from ��fear of heights��, there was also something else that hurt them. They had lived in the dark underground for years and evolved a strong night vision. They could see clearly in a dark environment without the need of the sun. As a result, it was radiance that the Dark Elves were most afraid of and it was the same for the Dark Elves living in the Country of Darkness where the radiance of the night sky wasn��t as glaring as the morning sun, so they could tolerate it. On the other hand, in the Light Mainland�� It was an entirely different matter.


    Nell was no exception. She basically hid herself in the shadow or underground training grounds during the day, which was why not only did Rhode put her on lookout duty on the tower, but also make her work an entire day�� Nell felt so desperate that she wished she could die on the spot.


    But what other choice did she have? She was in the wrong to begin with. In fact, after she saw Corina, the blood and tears of the Dark Elves flowing inside her surged. After she came back to her senses, she had already laid hands on Corina�� This was the instinctive reaction that the Dark Elves held toward the Elves. Therefore, Nell didn��t retort and admitted her wrongdoing.


    This incident was only an accident and Rhode quickly shifted his attention to the main topic. But before that��


    ��Erm�� Rhode, there��s something that we want to apologize to you about.��


    ��Hmm?��


    Rhode widened his eyes curiously at Canary and Mini Bubble Gum who put up awkward expressions. He rarely saw them behaving this way. Canary was always smiling while Mini Bubble Gum was full of confidence. Rhode was baffled.


    ��This was what happened, Rhode�� A few days ago�� Hmm�� Her Highness Erin came to the fortress.��


    ��What?!��


    Rhode exclaimed and stood up in attention.


    ��Did you two�� Forget it. I guess everything should be fine. So then, what exactly happened?


    Canary showed a helpless bitter smile and explained everything that happened.


    Back then, after Christie gifted her painting to Erin, she returned to the fortress and met Mini Bubble Gum�� In the Land of Atonement, only Anne and Mini Bubble Gum had the time to accompany Christie. Anne had been brought to the Winter Castle by Rhode, so Mini Bubble Gum was the only one left. Christie was delighted after her painting was complemented by a stranger and she told everything to Mini Bubble Gum. Initially Mini Bubble Gum didn��t take it to heart, but quickly broke into cold sweat after hearing the name ��Erin�� and hurriedly looked for Canary.


    Fortunately, even though Canary was also baffled, she was much calmer than Mini Bubble Gum. She didn��t take precautions in the fortress because she knew that mortals were nothing more than ants to a superior being like Erin. The number of people in the Land of Atonement was also insufficient for dealing with her. Not only that, but the situation would also turn horrible if the army messed with her and she destroyed the fortress thereafter. As a result, Canary said nothing about it and secretly investigated the entire territory with Mini Bubble Gum. But Erin was nowhere to be found. Of course, Canary didn��t reveal this matter to startle others and it appeared to be a wise choice for Rhode to hand over the management rights to Canary.


    ��I think she must have left the Land of Atonement already����


    Canary was uncertain. Rhode shook his head and let out a sigh.


    In fact, even though Canary and Mini Bubble Gum took responsibility for this matter, Mini Bubble Gum held lingering fears because she should have been accompanying Christie in Anne��s absence. It was due to her not waking up on time, so Christie headed out alone and allowed this matter to happen. If Erin killed Christie, Mini Bubble Gum wouldn��t have known how to explain to Rhode and even committing suicide to apologize for her offense wouldn��t bring the dead back��


    However, they couldn��t be blamed for not being on their guard because Rhode had perfect preparations. He passed the system rights of the Holy Maiden Statues to Canary, so there shouldn��t be any hiccups. In fact, he wasn��t too surprised because no Undead Creatures could escape the detection from the statues�� enchanted field. The only ones who could escape detection had to be stronger than Canary and Mini Bubble Gum and weren��t Undead Creatures�� How many of such beings were there in this continent?


    Indeed, there weren��t many of them, but it didn��t mean that they didn��t exist. Didn��t Erin just make her way here?


    Erin was on par with Canary and Mini Bubble Gum in terms of strength. Moreover, her strength was enhanced with the powers of the dragons and she wasn��t an Undead Creature, which made it impossible for the enchanted field to detect her. However, Rhode didn��t expect her to come all the way here. The Undead Army had been repelled, so what was she doing here? Besides�� she had also taken one of Christie��s paintings?


    Rhode felt that it was ridiculous. In the game, there were sayings that Erin was just a princess version of Lydia. However, compared to Lydia who represented the glaring sun, Erin was as reserved and gentle as the moon. Now it seemed that Erin was truly a young lady who appreciated fine arts, which made her a perfect match with Lydia. Canary mentioned that Erin wasn��t found anywhere in the Land of Atonement. Erin couldn��t have gone to the Golden City to talk about art with Lydia�� right?


    If it were others, Rhode would have believed that they had gone into the Munn Kingdom to wreak havoc. However, it wasn��t possible for Erin. Rhode was Lydia��s loyal supporter and knew clearly of her eccentric personality. There were many rumors regarding Lydia sneaking into the Country of Darkness for the sake of collecting beautiful and expensive masterpieces and now it seemed like they were similar in this aspect��


    ��Since we can��t find her, we��ll just treat it as if she��s gone.��


    Erin didn��t capture Christie as hostage, destroy the fortress, or murder anyone, so Rhode heaved a sigh of relief and became rather curious about her. In the game, his understanding of Erin was only that of what ordinary players knew about her. He couldn��t figure out whether Erin passed by his fortress while on her way to the Golden City or held other motives. Judging from her actions, the latter possibility was more probable. After all, the mountain ranges couldn��t stop that formidable strength of hers. As long as she concealed her identity, she could enter the Munn Kingdom without anyone��s detection and didn��t need to show herself in the Land of Atonement.


    ��But we need to inform Lydia about this. Remember, don��t let anyone else know about this. Inform only Lydia.��


    If the Munn Kingdom was aware that the princess of the Country of Darkness had entered their country, perhaps chaos would break out immediately.


    The problem regarding Erin had ended. Although Rhode was still dubious, he wasn��t that concerned since she was no longer in his territory. However, this proved that his method was wrong. No matter what, there were a limited number of figures who could avoid the detection of the Holy Maiden Statue, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum�� This unfortunate case was just an exception.


    Apart from this surprising piece of news, everything else in the Land of Atonement was going on smoothly. On the other hand, Marlene brought a piece of good news for Rhode��the Battle Mage Group finally arrived at the fortress. Back then, he valued their abilities, which was also what the Land of Atonement was lacking the most. They appeared at the right time as it would replenish his insufficient manpower. But the problem was that��


    ��They��re not doing as well as you think, Rhode.��


    Marlene poured cold water over him.

 Chapter 800 - The Unfortunate Battle Mage Group

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Rhode remembered the Battle Mage Group as brave, powerful, and equipped with the resilience of Warriors and might of Mages. They were fighters of their souls and inheritors of magic, walking on this continent and striving for their ideals��


    Memories were often wonderful, but the truth wasn��t always so.


    Rhode was baffled when he witnessed the group of Battle Mages cowering in the corner like refugees and beggars.


    ��I��m sorry, Sir Overlord.��


    The Battle Mage Group��s representative said with an awkward look. He was one of the vice leaders, Sovann. Like the others, he wore a set of tattered clothes, but the magic cloak draped over his shoulders made him stand out as a Mage.


    ��What happened?��


    Rhode couldn��t understand how the Battle Mage Group ended up this miserable in the Eastern Plains. According to Marlene, there were more than 900 members in this group who came to the fortress. Although it sounded like a lot, about two-thirds of them were feeble women and young children while there were less than 200 true Battle Mages. Not only that, but most of them were also badly hurt. If it weren��t for Lize and the Clerics, perhaps they would have died a long time ago.


    Anyone could see that they didn��t have it easy, but no one knew the reason behind it. However, this wasn��t an issue for Rhode because he came here to receive answers.


    The source of the problem stemmed from the ��Soul Road�� Staff.


    Back then, Rhode hooked the Battle Mage Group with this bait and specially wrote a detailed attack strategy for them. The Battle Mage Group quickly took actions and just as Rhode thought, the ��Soul Road�� Staff was their lost inheritance and if they could retrieve it, they wouldn��t mind becoming his hired thugs. Dream on!


    Even though the ��Soul Road�� Staff was a lost inheritance, it had been missing for centuries and was more like a legend to most of the members in the Battle Mage Group. The legend sounded beautiful, yet it had nothing to do with them. It was due to this reason that when Buster returned to them with this piece of news, there were objections. The Battle Mage Group was unlike the Demon Hunter Squad, after all. The Demon Hunter Squad had a hard time surviving everywhere they went and as soon as someone was willing to take them in, they couldn��t care less if it was a trap and instantly sought shelter. On the other hand, the Battle Mage Group had led a comfortable life in the Eastern Plains. Even though they had separated from the Mage Association, they were considered pagans and not cultists. People were mostly unaware and fearful of them and didn��t detest them like they did the cultists. Moreover, the Battle Mage Group was also considered one of the mountainous kings in the Eastern Plains, so how was it possible that they were willing to become an overlord��s hired thugs for the sake of something that was lost for centuries?


    However, the objections were from the minority and most of them hoped to retrieve the inheritance. Therefore, they embarked on their journey but didn��t expect that things were out of their expectations.


    There were a total of three vice leaders in the Battle Mage Group with Sovann and Buster supporting the leader. Even though the other vice leader, Lennon, supported them in searching for the ��Soul Road�� Staff, he held different opinions from the other two vice leaders. It was clearly written in their traditions that whoever found the ��Soul Road�� Staff would become the true leader of the group and this presented the best chance for him to seize the throne. Moreover, he also thought that it was humiliating for them to become an overlord��s hired thugs. As one of the vice leaders, he held relatively strong authority so he privately reached out to those who weren��t interested in the ��Soul Road�� Staff and persuaded them to join his squad. Not only that, but he also promised that if they assisted him in retrieving the inheritance, he would support their views and not leave the Eastern Plains for Grenbell.


    It was imaginable what the result would be, searching for the ��Soul Road�� Staff under such circumstances.


    Even though the Battle Mage Group was rather successful in retrieving the ��Soul Road�� Staff with the help of Rhode��s strategy, they weren��t players, after all, where their leader, Buster, and Sovann sacrificed a lot of their men. However, Lennon smartly preserved his forces and ��backstabbed�� the defenseless Battle Mage Group at the crucial moments in the end. As a result, Buster died in battle while Sovann and their leader killed Lennon and secured the ��Soul Road�� Staff. However, their forces still took a huge hit.


    As the proverb went, blessings never come in pairs and misfortune does not come singly; soon after the Battle Mage Group returned home, they met an ambush from the Undead Army. If it were in the past, they would have resisted easily. But, this time�� they were powerless.


    The exhausted Battle Mages had no choice but to evacuate with their families from the place that they had lived for centuries. On the other hand, their leader led his men to defend against the Undead Army and stop them from advancing.


    The Battle Mage Group could no longer survive in the Eastern Plains after losing their leader, home, and forces. Their only choice was to evacuate, but they had nowhere to go.


    In the end, Sovann recalled Rhode��s suggestion. Even though he was embarrassed, he led the Battle Mage Group to Grenbell to ��seek shelter�� from Rhode.


    Sovann felt rather embarrassed because Rhode had requested them to join him back then. Not only that, but Rhode had also paid them the remunerations in advance. Even though the Battle Mage Group had indeed retrieved the ��Soul Road�� Staff, their manpower suffered gravely and most of the members who they brought were mainly old, feeble women and young children without any battle strength. Therefore, he was uncertain when making this decision. It felt as though a man who adored a beautiful young lady had tried to win over her heart by giving her several benefits. However, due to various reasons, not only did the young lady not receive the love from the other man whom she desired, but she was also toyed with and insulted by others, turning from a sweet-looking flower to an unwanted, withered cabbage. In the end, she couldn��t live this way anymore and could only return to the man who loved her, hoping that he would still accept her��


    Of course, Rhode didn��t suffer huge damages because he merely came up with a strategy for them. But�� this current situation was a huge, unexpected headache. Thereafter, Rhode consoled Sovann and allowed them to stay in his territory. As for the specific matters, he left it for next time.


    ��What do you intend to do, Rhode?��


    Marlene asked while Rhode shrugged.


    ��I don��t know as of now. But I think you must have some ideas, right, Marlene?��


    ��That��s right, Rhode.��


    Marlene smiled confidently. Then, she handed a plan to him.


    ��I think this is our chance.��


    Even though the Battle Mage Group contained mainly old, feeble women and young children, they could be useful apart from the battlefields too. The Land of Atonement required much more manpower for the tasks that the Ocean Elves couldn��t handle. Moreover, the Ocean Elves were uninterested in remunerations and money, which made it impossible to motivate them to promote commercial distribution. However, these refugees were different. They might not be powerful, but they could fill in the crucial gaps in this territory.


    The biggest problem in Rhode��s territory was the lack of human resources. Most of the people here were mercenaries and workers and the development of a territory required the results of various jobs. The lack of manpower had been causing headaches for Marlene. She persuaded her schoolmates to develop their skills here, but couldn��t possibly convince residents of other regions to migrate here. Since that was the case, how could the population grow?


    Then, when the Battle Mage Group brought their entire family to the Land of Atonement, Marlene quickly realized that this was a great opportunity; one that could make Rhode��s territory prosper! People wouldn��t migrate for no particular reason, but it would be an entirely different matter if they were compelled to migrate! Most people couldn��t stand the chaos of war, so they moved out of their countries. If Marlene could gather them in Grenbell, it would resolve a huge portion of Rhode��s problems.


    Not only that, but Marlene also knew that refugees were much easier to manage than migrants because after suffering from war, their immediate hope was to lead stable lives after settling down. On the other hand, the migrants left their countries to seek better living conditions that Grenbell currently didn��t offer. But speaking about a safe, stable environment, Grenbell had them!


    Moreover, Grenbell had a small population and held more than enough spaces to help settle down the refugees. Marlene had even decided to speak to other overlords and if they were willing to, they could send all their refugees to Grenbell. This way, not only could it resolve the population issue in Grenbell, but it could also resolve the other overlords�� problems. Killing two birds with one stone, so why not?


    The more Marlene thought about it, the more doable this plan sounded. Therefore, she prepared this plan before Rhode��s return. Not only did she describe the benefits of accepting refugees in detail, but also considered the safety issues they might cause. However, she was confident in dealing with this matter. Currently, the Land of Atonement was the territory of Starlight. With the mercenaries and guards patrolling the place, it wasn��t possible for the refugees to cause trouble. Moreover, now that they had finally found a safe, stable environment, the probabilities of chaos happening were low even if they were incited by others. Of course, as the number of refugees increased, it meant that Grenbell��s military forces had to put more emphasis on internal security, rather than external threats. Fortunately, Marlene was confident that the elemental creatures in Rhode��s arsenal would be enough to deal with them.


    Rhode was impressed by her plan and nodded firmly in agreement. No matter how great he was, he was only a player. Even in university, he didn��t study urban and rural construction management. He could easily slaughter a BOSS, come up with strategies, and find legendary artifacts. But he just couldn��t handle territory constructions, set tax rates, and others�� Moreover, earning money was different in game than in reality. In the game, some parties farmed gold while other parties specialized in selling equipment, materials, or leading newbies into dungeons for a fee. These were the sources of income for guilds and organizations. But all in all, these were the needs in game, and not in reality. If Rhode could continuously raid BOSSes for legendary artifacts, making money would naturally be easy for him. But the problem was that�� this wasn��t the gaming world.


    There were some suggestions in this plan that astonished him, which included spending some money on the refugees. Of course, the money wouldn��t be used to sponsor their daily expenses. Instead, it would be to aid them in settling down and starting their own businesses. Then, they could use their businesses as mortgages if they wished to expand further. This way, they could borrow financial support from Rhode after setting a repayment period with the church. If they couldn��t repay before the end of their agreement, their businesses would be seized and returned to Rhode. The amount would be determined by the value of their mortgage.


    Rhode twitched his brows as this seemed so familiar. Wasn��t this how bank loans work?


    ��This is also your idea?��


    Rhode gazed at Marlene.


    Could it be that she has also transmigrated into this world like me?


    But shortly after, her answer cleared his doubt.


    ��No, this was Ann��s idea. She believes that we should support the refugees�� development in our territory. I talked to Miss Canary and Miss Bubble and this is the conclusion.��


    I see. No wonder it sounded so familiar.


    In the early stages of the game, Mini Bubble Gum threw tons of money into Starlight. Then, in the later stages, she came up with many ideas to earn income. However, Rhode didn��t expect that it was Ann who came up with such an idea�� It seemed that the commercial genes inside her were authentic.


    With this plan, Rhode was no longer worried about the future of the Battle Mage Group. As long as things worked out as Marlene had predicted, the results shouldn��t deviate too much. Therefore, he handed this matter to Marlene. However, this didn��t mean that he had nothing on his hands because soon after he returned to the Land of Atonement, he received a new system upgrade mission��[Return of a Hero].

 Chapter 801 - Return of a Hero

    It was before dawn when Rhode woke up.


    He felt two warm, soft sensations on his elbows. He slowly sat up on his bed and through the slight glimmer from the window, he admired the two fair young ladies laying beside him and their fragrant scents. Marlene and Lize clung onto his elbows in their slumber. He gazed at their calm sleeping faces and found it unimaginable how wild they were last night. He shook his head helplessly, extended his arms, and caressed their long hair. Ever since the three of them experienced their first night together, Marlene and Lize had been making advances on him as a duo and Rhode always dealt with them effortlessly. To the contrary, Anne was a totally different case, which was why he never agreed to Anne even though she had always tried to join in their fun. If Rhode were another man, he would be thrilled to spend the night with three gorgeous young ladies at the same time. But he didn��t think of it as something great because he only needed a few hours to handle Marlene and Lize. If Anne were to join them, who knew when he could finally get some sleep.


    Rhode shook his head at this thought. Then, he got off the bed without waking them up, changed his clothes, and left the room.


    ��������!��


    Rhode brandished his sword. The burst of blade air streamed across the night sky in trails of starry radiance. Then, the shimmering trails coalesced into silver rays that weaved across one another into a large net. Rhode took half a step forward and thrust his right hand��a shadow clone emerged and retreated from his body simultaneously. Rhode opened his eyes and flicked his wrist.


    In an instant, the sacred white blade in his hand was dyed in dark colors and he lashed it forward like a black whip. Along in his movements, the huge net of silver blade rays that he had brandished slithered in all directions before him like vipers. Then, almost instantly, the net shattered and vanished into thin air.


    ��Tch.��


    Rhode grunted and shook his head helplessly.


    The experiment failed again.


    Ever since he created the ��Fantasy Daybreak�� swordsmanship with a sword creation point, his new form of entertainment was to master it. After all, all players desired having their unique swordsmanship. Even though they could modify their swordsmanship in the game, it was ultimately others�� swordsmanships. Now that Rhode finally had his very own swordsmanship, he definitely wouldn��t let this opportunity slip, especially after experiencing the sweet taste of success.


    Rhode had seen small successes with his experiment earlier on. He deployed an attacking style that was similar to the ��Internet lag�� in the game and created this shadow clone that was effective against individuals or a range of opponents. After he transcended into the Legendary Stage and gained the enhancement of the legendary attribute, the ��Fantasy Daybreak�� was especially effective against the Undead Army. But it still wasn��t enough.


    From the start, he had hoped to create three ��lag�� shadow clones to coordinate with his attacks. This would allow him to maintain a battle with three clones of himself, which meant that the enemies would be facing four of him simultaneously. The difficulty of this technique was whether the time of execution and remaining time could be perfectly connected, but this wasn��t a huge challenge for him. Not only could he easily create a shadow clone anytime, but the shadow clone would also possess equal strength and defense as him. In other words, the shadow clones wouldn��t be shattered easily anymore. When he faced lower-level enemies, he could simply defeat them by releasing the shadow clones.


    However, Rhode wasn��t satisfied with this result. After achieving successes, he came up with a new idea.


    He held four holy sword cards, namely Star Mark, Succubus, and Gracier and Madaras as a set and could switch around with three unique sword skills continuously in battles. Star Mark could unleash powerful attacks while Succubus��s chain sword could deploy mid-range ambush. Gracier and Madaras were useful for close-combat battles. All this while, his shadow clones were only able to release a sword skill that he released on the spot. So, how could he make them cast other sword skills too?


    In other words, for example, he wanted to summon a shadow clone that attacked using Star Mark while summoning Succubus, Gracier, or Madaras from the rear to launch an ambush.


    Or perhaps he could go much deeper by turning the sword skills into unique identities which allowed him to use two summoning cards at once. But this was only a thought.


    If it were a regular sword skill, Rhode surely wouldn��t have such wild thoughts. But since he had created the ��Fantasy Daybreak��, he dared to imagine the impossible. Anyway, the later stages of ��Fantasy Daybreak�� hadn��t been developed yet, so he might as well test it out at this phase. He had even considered summoning a dozen shadow clones at once, where the leading shadow clone would be the main tanker while the shadow clones at the back would summon different cards simultaneously. If that were possible, the instant burst of attack would surely be enough to take on an army even if Rhode were alone in battle!


    But the experiments weren��t successful because as soon as he switched his weapon, the shadow clone that he summoned would vanish into thin air immediately.


    ��Sigh����


    Rhode swung his right arm and the pitch-black sword in his hand returned into the form of a card, spinning above his palm and vanishing into thin air. He retrieved a pocket watch from his pocket and looked at the time. He had set a rule for himself to practice for an hour after waking up every morning. In fact, he had cultivated such a habit in the real world, but he went for jogs instead. After coming to this world, he woke up on time almost every morning unless there were unexpected events or nights related to Anne��


    After checking the time, he put away the pocket watch. Then, he stuck out his finger and the system interface emerged before him.


    [The king is steadfast and seeks lost glory. His subjects have scattered and disappeared, but eventually they will return. With your twin in the reflection, protect the sacred glory from being stained. At the end of the ancient era, will the throne of the soul inheritance be crowned?�� Triggered Mission: <>]


    This mission wasn��t complicated. All it asked was for Rhode to assist the Battle Mage Group in completing the long-lost inheritance ritual and make the Battle Mages of the legends return to this mortal world. In the past, the Battle Mage Group had failed this ritual. Not only that, but they also suffered gravely when they fought for the staff. Before they returned home safely, they were ambushed by the Undead Army on their way back. Without many choices, Sovann could only retreat with the staff because no matter what, he couldn��t allow the key of the soul inheritance to be snatched by the Undead Army. It was apparent that this mission was triggered due to the re-emergence of the Battle Mage Group in his fortress.


    This situation seemed really simple. Sovann obtained the ��Soul Road�� Staff and needed a place to complete the ritual. However, there was a problem��the ritual altar was located in the Eastern Plains where they used to live before the Undead Army attacked. In other words, they had to sneak in under the Undead Army��s watchful eyes now��


    Of course, it would also be a decent idea to set up an altar in the Land of Atonement. But�� how could Rhode rely on one to remember how a centuries-old ritual altar looked like?


    If the mission reward was only gold and EXP, Rhode would have given up just like the ��Fiery Rose�� mission.


    However, its rewards attracted his attention.


    Apart from EXP, there was also another reward��the [Astral Key].


    The Astral Key was similar to the Fantasy Keys that unlocked the channels to the Silver Ocean and Burning Plains. It was also one of the keys to the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. After receiving the Astral Key, Rhode could unlock the channel that led to the Astral Temple. Not only that, but a projection of the Astral Temple would also be added into his construction system.


    [Astral Temple: The holder can summon his high-level creature into the projection and it can call forth its lower-level creatures into battles. When the appointed high-level creature is present, it can upgrade and strengthen the lower-level creatures.]


    In the legends of the Dragon Soul Continent, the Astral Temple was the eternal resting place for heroic spirits and this excited him. He currently had four extraordinary holy sword cards: Celia, Celestina, Gracier, and Madaras. After the Astral Temple was built, it meant that they could summon their heroic spirits into battle! Did this also mean that godlike figures like the Carlesdine could also be summoned?


    If that was the case, who could still defeat him if he used Gracier and Madaras and summoned 80 Carlesdines into battles?


    Despite the exciting prospect, Rhode didn��t rush off to complete this mission due to one reason��a particular statement in the mission description.


    ��With your twin in the reflection, protect the sacred glory from being stained����


    Twin in the reflection. There was only one person who came to mind.


    Christie.

 Chapter 802 - In a Difficult Position

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    With your twin in the reflection, protect the sacred glory from being stained��


    If it weren��t for this statement, Rhode would have dragged Sovann to the Eastern Plains already. But now, he had to reconsider his decision. Since the mission indicated for him to bring Christie along, it meant that she played a critical role and as a player who had completed years of missions, Rhode was well aware of this. After analyzing the mission, the other ��Christie�� emerged in his head instantly.


    Up until this moment, Rhode still hadn��t fully figured out the identity of that ��Christie��. However, it was apparent that she was kind toward him. Not only did she repair the daggers of Gracier and Madaras that were severely damaged in the battle against the Duke Fiend, but she also pointed out the location of their holy sword cards. Moreover, she had even warned him of the Undead Army��s invasion��


    Rhode thought that the other ��Christie�� was mysterious. Judging from this mission, it seemed that she might be related to the Astral Temple. A mission and its corresponding rewards were always associated, so it was no exception for Christie in this mission. If he didn��t bring Christie along for this mission, perhaps this mission couldn��t be completed and the rewards would be wasted.


    But Rhode wasn��t willing to bring her there��


    Christie��s weak, frail body was a huge problem where even running a hundred meters would leave her panting. How would it be possible for Rhode to bring her out for an adventure? Even though the accessory Lydia had given her ensured that she was protected from illnesses, it didn��t mean that she wouldn��t get hurt and the situation would be grave if she was harmed. From a player��s perspective, Christie��s defense value was almost negative, where a single hit could be a critical blow. Most importantly, Rhode couldn��t revive her if anything were to happen to her.


    Of course, Rhode could board the floating boat and summon the fire elemental creatures to deal with the Undead Army roaming around the altar. After the battle ended, he could then safely bring Christie along and complete the mission. However, this wasn��t possible because he wasn��t sure if the Eastern Plains welcomed his army into their territory. Moreover, the Undead Army in the Eastern Plains wasn��t as easy to deal with as the one in the Winter Castle. The Undead Army that attacked the Winter Castle was a group of miscellaneous soldiers. On the other hand, the clashes between the Eastern Plains and the Country of Darkness had been going on for centuries, where the Country of Darkness wouldn��t be that naive to send out only low-level troops. Rhode learned from Sovann that the Eastern Plains were far from peaceful with Gargoyles flying in the air and Death Knights wreaking havoc in the streets. Not only that, but oftentimes Skeletal Trolls and Abominations would also show up and cause trouble. The number of high-level Undead Creatures in the Eastern Plains were almost as much as the number of Undead Creatures that Cullen had led to attack Rhode��s fortress. This was also why the Battle Mage Group instantly left the Eastern Plains because they failed to defend against their invasion.


    In turn, this also showed how powerful the Eastern Plains were. Rhode dealt with the high-level enemies by relying on his construction system, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum. On the other hand, the Eastern Plains depended solely on their strength. In the early stages of the game, the Eastern Plains was one of the rare non-core regions, but held guards with an average level of 50. Back then, players at maximum level weren��t even level 50 yet��


    The Eastern Plains held the most number of formidable figures in the entire Light Mainland. Rhode knew there were three figures who were in the Peak Legendary Stage and 12 figures in the Intermediate Legendary Stage. The Eastern Plains was the only place in the Munn Kingdom that had a human army with an average level of 55 and above.


    The Eastern Plains�� powerful strength was their strongest capital to keep away from disputes within the Munn Kingdom. They were focused only on eradicating the courageous Undead Creatures who trespassed into their territory and cared nothing about external matters. If not, they would have become the Munn Kingdom��s star forces.


    In the game, players had also investigated the Eastern Plains�� history because they were too strange and mysterious. There was lots of common boundary between the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Darkness. However, the Undead Creatures were fixed on dealing with the Eastern Plains and their clash lasted for centuries. Some players had even dug up evidence indicating that ever since the Creation War ended, the Undead Creatures�� attacks on the Eastern Plains had never stopped. In other words, the Eastern Plains was the only region that maintained a state of war since the Creation War ended. Although neither sides launched any large-scale attacks, everyone knew that the Eastern Plains had never been peaceful.


    But the problem was why the Undead Creatures were so ��passionate�� toward the Eastern Plains.


    The players never came to a conclusion. Some players believed that there were some legendary artifacts hidden in the Eastern Plains while some players asserted that the Eastern Plains might have imprisoned one of their superiors while the Undead Creatures had been trying to rescue him. However, these were just speculations because the Eastern Plains was an excessively confined region where even the NPCs didn��t have much information about them. But the players were sure about one thing��there must be a top secret in there!


    They weren��t so certain without reason because in the game, the Eastern Plains couldn��t hold on any longer after the Munn Kingdom crumbled. Instead of fleeing their territory, the Eastern Plains made a secret move and blew up entirely!


    The Eastern Plains was about 10,000 square kilometers wide and yet every inch of it had been blown up completely by its own people. It was the scariest explosion the players had witnessed in their lives. The white glaring radiance erupted across the land, burst into the clouds, and was clearly visible from Casabianca in the distance. The ground shook and waves crashed as though the omen of the end of the world. After the horrific explosion ended, the curious players gathered and were almost scared out of their wits. The mountain ranges of the Eastern Plains became a deep, bottomless pit as though an invisible, enormous hand had dug into it!


    From the start, the players suspected if it was one of the latest weapons created by the Country of Darkness. But the players of the Munn Kingdom quickly learned that it was the doings of the Eastern Plains�� people because earlier on, the players had received a mission to help the Eastern Plains complete a ��crucial ritual��. After completing the mission, the players were transported away immediately. Even though they didn��t know what exactly was going on, they witnessed an explosion in the Eastern Plains clearly��


    This was why even the inexperienced players determined that there was a top secret hidden in the Eastern Plains. If not, the Eastern Plains didn��t need to take things so far. A territory with 100,000 people all vanished in a puff of smoke! Not even a nuclear bomb was that powerful, so how did they do it?


    It was a pity that this secret also disappeared in the black billows of smoke.


    This was the impression the Eastern Plains had given to everyone��tough, powerful, and mysterious��which was also why the nobles of the Munn Kingdom believed that Rhode was born in the Eastern Plains. The people of the Eastern Plains mostly had black hair and pupils and were mysterious and formidable.


    This went to show that the Eastern Plains was definitely not a peaceful place. In the early stages of the game, it was a highly restricted area where players couldn��t enter recklessly. Rhode��s fire elemental creatures could deal with the low-level creatures easily, but they would be completely powerless against high-level creatures like the Skeletal Trolls.


    What gave Rhode a huge headache was that there seemed to be signs of a Shadow Demon among the Undead Army that attacked the Battle Mage Group��s home��


    A Shadow Demon�� It was a creature that even Rhode didn��t wish to face. Was the system fooling with him to have him bringing Christie along?


    It was due to this reason that Rhode was troubled. He didn��t want to lose the rewards, but he also wasn��t willing to risk Christie��s life. The lowest level of the Undead Creatures was 40, where Marlene would have a hard time, not to mention a fragile little girl like Christie.


    The difficulty of this mission was so high that it didn��t seem to be possible for him to accomplish.


    Rhode didn��t ask Christie if she was willing to go with him because he knew that as long as he asked, she would surely accept without any hesitation. Despite her gentle, fragile appearance, the people around her knew that she was a determined person who would never refuse Rhode��s invitation.


    Therefore, he had to make his own decision. But��


    At this moment, Canary turned up and smacked the table before him.

 Chapter 803 - You Should Trust Others

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Rhode was obsessed with completing this mission flawlessly. His head was fully occupied with ways to accomplish it without Christie getting hurt. He could use the teleportation ring to return to the fortress instantly. But the problem was how he could reach his destination safely��


    This challenge ignited his fighting spirit.


    If it were others, perhaps they would have chosen not to risk it. Christie was so important to him while the Fantasy Key was ultimately a lifeless object. Moreover, he already had the keys to the Silver Ocean and Fiery Plains. Was it still necessary for him to risk Christie for the Astral Temple?


    That��s right. It wasn��t necessary.


    But he was determined in getting the Astral Temple without Christie getting hurt at all!


    He knew that this was greedy of him as though requesting for a 50-man party to not lose a single point of health against a BOSS. Was it possible? Of course not, and every player knew it. Even though there might be a slim possibility, players were humans, after all, and there were times where they were distracted. What if someone couldn��t keep up with the pace? What if one of them had their ears twisted by the wife and had to go ��offline�� temporarily?


    This was just a game. If it were reality, more accidents would have happened. What if Christie sprained her ankle? What if she ate something bad? What if she got poisoned by the Undead Creatures? These were all sorts of ��what ifs�� waiting to happen. So this became an impossible mission for him. On the other hand, these challenges ignited his fighting spirit.


    He loved challenges in the game. The more that others thought something was meaningless, the more he found them meaningful. He wished to attain flawless victories. No matter the accidents or what the enemies came up with, there were no ��what ifs�� in his dictionary because he ��had to�� succeed in them. After the Munn Kingdom was destroyed, many players lamented that this was ultimately just a game and no matter how strong they were, they were only players. That was how the script was planned and they didn��t have any other paths to take apart from following it. However, Rhode didn��t think of it this way. In the end, he found Mini Bubble Gum, formed a group with players who were equally unwilling to give up just yet, and rewrote history.


    If Rhode didn��t annihilate the Dark Dragon back then, the new chapter wouldn��t become the ��Chaos and Order��, the players�� era wouldn��t befall, the demon army wouldn��t invade and start the Deepest Labyrinth that led to the return of the Void Dragon�� Everything would only be froth and shadows.


    In order to ensure that everything was absolutely safe, Rhode came up with tons of ideas. He had even come up with the ridiculous idea of boarding the thousands of fire elemental creatures on the floating boat and crashing into the group of Undead Army directly like a terrorist attack. But it was a pity that the natural gales weren��t blowing in the direction toward the Battle Mage Group��s encampment, so the floating boat wasn��t usable in this case. The other method he thought of was to wipe out all the Undead Creatures before bringing Christie in. However, this was basically impossible because the number of Undead Creatures was endless due to their years of clashing with the Eastern Plains. If Rhode eliminated all the Undead Creatures in the encampment, the Undead Creatures from other regions would swarm over and they would be submerged completely.


    The other method was most commonly used by players. They escorted the NPC, sneaked past the Undead Army, and completed the mission. However, Christie had a weak body and slow movement, which made it almost impossible. Moreover, the Undead Creatures were sensitive to the presence of mortals��


    Rhode had been considering the problem whenever he practiced his sword skills, ate, walked, or slept. He considered all the possibilities of accidents and solutions to resolve them perfectly. He was as though one who held onto broken blocks and tried to build them altogether. However, it just wasn��t that simple.


    He was so obsessed with ��building blocks�� that when Canary smacked the table and dragged him back to reality, he didn��t respond immediately.


    1��What? What did you say, Canary?��


    ��I asked if you��re facing a tough problem.��


    Canary folded her arms helplessly. She revealed a bitter smile.


    ��How long do you think we��ve been together? Even Marlene and the others have realized that something is wrong with you. Do you think that I won��t know it? This problem shouldn��t be harder than you annihilating the Country of Darkness and Light Parliament in the game, right?��


    ��In fact, it isn��t anywhere simpler from a certain aspect.��


    Rhode shrugged hopelessly. He gazed at the sky through the window and realized that it was already dusk. The tea on his table had turned cold�� If he recalled correctly, this was the tea that Agatha poured after he returned to his room in the morning.


    ��I��m back to my bad habit.��


    Rhode showed a bitter smile at the mess on his table with papers filled with words, drawings, and meaningless doodles. They were all written inadvertently while he pondered on his strategies and he couldn��t even recognize them. He lifted his head, sat back on the chair, and rubbed his temple. When he reopened his eyes, Canary had leaned in closer to him.


    ��Alright, you can tell me the truth now, Rhode.��


    Canary said with a smile, but her tone was stern.


    Rhode shook his head. However, he admitted that he alone wasn��t invincible at times. He let out a sigh and told everything about the situation to Canary.


    ��I see����


    Canary nodded slightly. It seemed that Rhode had tried his best in considering all the necessary matters. If the chance of accidents didn��t exist, there wouldn��t be any difficulties for him. But now��


    ��You can get Anne to protect her. Haven��t you done so all this while?��


    ��It was different back then. Besides, without the Holy Maiden Statues, Anne will have a harder time facing the skeletons. There are basically no low-level Undead Creatures in the Eastern Plains. I��m afraid that Anne will not be able to handle the pressure.��


    ��I do believe that Anne is more than capable.��


    Canary refuted to his surprise.


    ��Anne is great in this aspect. Don��t forget that we��re the ones who trained her. Also, there are basically no players who can defeat Anne at her level. No matter if it is PVP or PVE, Anne does it all impressively. Why don��t you give it a try?��


    ��We only have one shot in this.��


    ��But how will you know if you don��t try?��


    ��Because the risk is huge.��


    Rhode puckered his brows. Then, he gazed at the young lady and spread his arms apart.


    ��If we fail�� We can��t revive and start over again just like in the game.��


    ��Isn��t it the same for you?��


    Canary knitted her brows and pointed at Rhode.


    ��You are unlike us, Rhode. Have you forgotten that you��ll die? If you��re dead, this place will be doomed and we will all vanish from here. Not only that, but perhaps this fortress built from the construction system will also crumble completely. Everything that you��ve done up until this point will go down the drain. Why are you not afraid of death?��


    ��Because I��m confident enough.��


    Rhode was oddly calm when he said it. He knew that he would die to his negligence, but he didn��t believe that he would. This was the confidence and experience of a top player. If he faced the Shadow Demon, he was confident in defeating it and could escape safely even if he failed. He wasn��t worried because he knew that he was capable enough.


    ��Anne is too.��


    But it seemed that Canary was here to specially deal with him.


    ��She��s a mercenary. I heard from her that she has been in this line since she was five where she had seen countless corpses and slaughtered many. Although you��ve also killed countless people after transmigrating into this world, can your experience compare to Anne��s?��


    ��But I have experience in dealing with the Shadow Demon����


    ��So you��re resting on your laurels now? What if a creature that you��ve never seen before emerges in this world like the Void Dragon back then? Would you use your lack of experience as a reason to avoid battle?��


    ������


    This time, Rhode didn��t answer immediately. He crossed his arms and gazed at the smiling young lady.


    ��We have our pride and I know that you��re confident in dealing with everything. But sometimes you just need to trust others. Think about it. How many times did we die in the game to gain the precious and valuable experiences to reach where we are today? No matter if it was me, you, or Bubble, haven��t we all been through that path? Which one of us didn��t die during a BOSS raid? Just like you said, this is the real world and we can only live once. But haven��t Anne and Lize lived until this day? Judging from this, players like us aren��t even as good as them. If I transmigrated into this world when I was a newbie, perhaps I would have died a long time ago. Why did you think that the experience they��ve earned is less than ours?��


    ������


    Rhode didn��t reply, but he knew that Canary was right. He held so much confidence because he had turned blood into rivers in the game and had gotten used to attacking and resisting. In fact, when he first played this game, he was also a complete newbie who had never experienced a real virtual-reality game. As a result, he explored the woods and was frightened to death by a creature that ran out of the bushes. It could also be said that Rhode had died many times due to such ambushes. But it was just a game. If he transmigrated into this world in that state�� Rhode thought about it deeply and believed that he would be a rotten corpse by now.


    Rhode knew everything about the geographical locations, cultures, raid strategies, and characteristics of BOSSes that the natives weren��t aware of. Come to think of it, Anne had been by his side whenever they went for adventures, but he wasn��t worried about her at all because it seemed to him that as long as he reminded her of the dangers, everything would turn out fine. He gave some serious thoughts about Canary��s words��was everything turning out due to the way he thought it was?


    In the game, no matter how he commanded, there would always be players who couldn��t adapt and end up getting killed. However, Anne had always followed his commands and ensured that he wasn��t hurt in any way. Was it really all about him and his guidance?


    Rhode came to the realization that he seemed to have neglected something important. He looked up and instantly saw Canary��s mesmerizing pair of eyes. Her soft, gentle voice rang in his ears.


    ��You must learn to trust others too, Rhode.��

 Chapter 804 - A Battle For Them

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Canary��s enlightenment worked. All in all, Rhode was most afraid of failure and death, especially because he knew he couldn��t be revived. This made him brave, yet conservative when making decisions. He took on any possible mission with his rich experiences and made extra sure that the people around him were safe. Judging from this point, his protection of Marlene, Lize, and Anne wasn��t any less than Christie��s��just that he wasn��t as extreme.


    After thinking it through, Rhode came up with a new idea. But before that��


    ��Sir Overlord, is anything the matter?��


    Sovann stood before Rhode��s desk and greeted him. After a few days of rest, this miserable-looking refugee finally looked like a decent man with his clean set of robes. Along with his straight, soldier-like posture, his graceful bearing of a Battle Mage was clearly visible. Rhode noticed that Sovann treated him with much more respect and admiration now. Earlier on, Sovann still behaved rather awkwardly.


    This was clearly due to the fact that Rhode had accepted them. In Marlene��s plan, the refugees played a huge role, so Rhode couldn��t possibly let them live as beggars. Sovann had initially hoped that Rhode could grant them the permission to settle down in his territory. But he didn��t expect that not only did Rhode agree, he also arranged for accommodations in the fortress. Apart from that, Sovann heard that the ��scattered remnants�� of the Battle Mage Group would be accepted as Rhode��s private soldiers, where their families could also apply for jobs in the fortress.


    Sovann was delighted because he thought that Rhode would chase them out of his territory for bringing a group of injured members. It was due to this that Sovann gained a lot more respect for Rhode and was extremely grateful for his kindness.


    ��This was what happened, Mr. Sovann.��


    Rhode fiddled with the feather pen in his hand and gazed at the man. His eyes glinted with the traces of a smile, but Sovann didn��t notice.


    ��I suppose you��ve heard from Marlene about the arrangements. The Battle Mage Group is powerful, which is the reason why I initially hoped to receive your support. But I didn��t expect that such an incident would happen����


    Sovann bit his lips because he was regretful about the current state of his group. Who knew that the formidable Battle Mage Group would end up in this mess? But ultimately, it was the leader��s and his responsibility for belittling Lennon��s ambitions. They didn��t expect that Lennon would ��backstab�� them for the sake of authority. Up until this moment, Sovann couldn��t understand why. He, Buster, and Lennon were close childhood buddies. Weren��t years of brotherhood more important than some illusory authority?


    However, such sadness only lasted for a second because Sovann felt dubious. He didn��t understand why Rhode brought this matter up. But, shortly after, he received his answer.


    ���� I think�� that the Battle Mage Group shouldn��t come to an end this way. Mr. Sovann, are you interested in rebuilding the Battle Mage Group?��


    ��What?��


    Sovann lifted his head and widened his eyes at the emotionless man before him. Sovann had discussed the future of the group with his companions, but they felt hopeless. Their leader was dead and most of the young generation whom they had placed high hopes on were gone. Not only that, but they also would become the overlord��s private soldiers. Sovann didn��t think so far ahead. But now, he didn��t expect Rhode to raise this question.


    ��S-Sir����


    ��You��ve already gotten the ��Soul Road�� Staff. Could it be that there are issues with the revival of the Battle Mage Group?��


    ��Yes, Sir Overlord.��


    Sovann nodded hurriedly.


    ��Even though we do have the ��Soul Road�� Staff in our hands, it is a pity that�� We failed to complete the inheritance ritual. Honestly speaking, the inheritance of the Battle Mage Group is extremely unique, where only the leader of the Battle Mage Group knows about the secrets. Although I��m the vice leader, I don��t have experience in inheritance rituals. Besides, our leader died in battle. Not to mention����


    Sovann shook his head. This was the second reason why he wasn��t hopeful that the Battle Mage Group could rise again. According to the ancient traditions, their leader of the Battle Mage Group would pass on his powers to the heir before he died. After the heir gained the powers, a mysterious rune would emerge on his body, which represented that he had passed the test and became the new leader.


    It was due to this reason that there wasn��t much internal strife in the Battle Mage Group. However, the situation changed after they had gotten the ��Soul Road�� Staff. The inheritance of the ��Soul Road�� Staff also meant that one could also receive the leadership rights of the Battle Mage Group, which was why Lennon came up with the idea of snatching the inheritance. On the other hand, Sovann could also do the same thing as one of the three vice leaders. But��


    ��The inheritance ritual can only be completed at our altar. But it has been occupied by the Undead Creatures����


    ��We can still snatch it back.��


    Rhode said nonchalantly.


    ��The Battle Mage Group��s inheritance shouldn��t be lost. Besides, strictly speaking, I��m also partly responsible for the current state of your group����


    ��S-Sir! It is not����


    Sovann replied anxiously. Indeed, there were grumbles spreading in the Battle Mage Group about Rhode. Just like how some did everything they could to get their hands on the ��Soul Road�� Staff, some couldn��t accept the reality. After Sovann made the decision of coming to the Land of Atonement, some of his companions complained that if Rhode didn��t ��incite�� their leader with his strategy, their group wouldn��t end up in this state now.


    However, Sovann knew that this was unreasonable of them because what Rhode provided them was indeed useful. Even though Sovann didn��t know how Rhode managed to do it, the fact that they had gotten past obstacles with the smallest price paid was all due to Rhode��s reminder and guidance. If it weren��t for the traitor, they wouldn��t have suffered gravely. Therefore, their grumbles were meaningless judging from this point. But this was human behavior after all�� Humans often pushed the blame to others, especially those whom they weren��t familiar with.


    Sovann felt cold sweat trickling down his back because he thought that Rhode had heard the nonsense from his companions, which was why he raised this suggestion. If it was true, Sovann would be in for a bad time!


    ��It isn��t your fault, Sir. Besides, it is too dangerous����


    ��No no no. I��m not joking with you. I��m serious about it.��


    Rhode waved his hand. In fact, this was his true thoughts. The Battle Mage Group had always been a powerful force. In the game, the average level of the Battle Mage Group was around 50, which was what Rhode valued in them.


    In the entire Light Mainland, the maximum level an ordinary human could reach was 40. Even with the assistance of the Sphere of Mystery to upgrade the leveling process in his territory, Rhode��s men like Joey and Randolf hit the cap at level 40. The only ones who broke through the level 40 cap were mixed-blood humans like Lize and Anne or talented humans like Marlene. In other words, ordinary humans simply couldn��t achieve it.


    To the contrary, the Battle Mage Group succeeded. Rhode observed them closely and discovered that their average level was truly above 50. In other words, they possessed the strength of the Master Stage. However, they were only pure mortals without any talent. So how did they achieve it?


    Sovann was right. Rhode indeed didn��t have the intention of developing the Battle Mage Group as an independent organization. Instead, he wanted to grow them as his bottom line and raise the strength of his other subordinates using their secret to breaking through the level cap. The Battle Mage Group surely had a unique style of their own. But he had to let them have a sweet taste of success before asking them to hand the secret over.


    Of course, completing the mission was still the most important reason.


    ���� It would be a pity if the Battle Mage Group were to fall. I��m interested in your unique battling style, so I hope that not only your group can provide me with firepower, but also raise the strength of my men����


    Sovann understood what was going through Rhode��s mind. Sovann had to admit that if this were the case, he could accept Rhode��s explanation. Indeed, just as Rhode expected, every group must have an outstanding capability in order to stay independent in this continent. Sovann knew that Rhode was clearly asking for their ��secret���� But the conditions that he mentioned were��


    ��I understand, Sir Overlord.��


    Sovann gritted his teeth and agreed to his suggestion albeit feeling rather unwilling. He could forget about it if the staff didn��t exist. But now, it was clearly in his hands and he might possibly become the first person to receive the ancient inheritance in a century. It was impossible that he wasn��t tempted.


    ��As long as I can fulfill the Battle Mage Group��s dream, we don��t mind going for an adventure once more. We will accept no matter what kind of price that you need us to pay!��


    ��No.��


    Rhode waved his hand.


    ��There��s no need to bring so many people. You just need to bring yourself along.��


    Sovann stared blankly.


    After their meeting and Sovann��s departure, Rhode sat on the chair and gazed at the system prompt in silence. After a few moments, he extended his arm and rang the bell on his desk. Within a few seconds, Agatha opened the door.


    ��Inform everyone to gather in the study room.��


    Agatha headed off and after a few moments, everyone gathered around Rhode. This time, he wasted no time in making his decision known. Everyone had different opinions about his decision. Marlene objected, but she knew that since Rhode had already made up his mind, her persuasion wouldn��t work��


    ��It is dangerous heading into the Eastern Plains. We will face many obstacles and meet high-level Undead Creatures. It won��t be as easy as the battle we have from the city wall����


    Rhode gazed at Marlene.


    ��Marlene, I remember that the Eastern Plains contacted us earlier with hopes to receive a Holy Maiden Statue, right?��


    ��Yes, Rhode. They have given us the deposit. But their request isn��t urgent so I put them at the back of the list.��


    ��I need you to load the Holy Maiden Statue onto the floating boat and let Ann send it to the Eastern Plains.��


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode.��


    Even though Marlene didn��t understand why, she agreed swiftly.


    ��As for the people selected for this adventure����


    Rhode pondered, gazed at everyone and gritted his teeth.


    ��Anne.��


    ��Got it! Leader!��


    Anne jumped for joy and brandished her tiny fists. The others didn��t have any opinion because Anne had always joined Rhode for adventurers.


    ��Nell.��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    Nell took a step forward, lowered her head, and answered softly. After spending days under the sun on the tower, Nell looked like a withered eggplant now and lacked her imperious presence.


    ��Lize.��


    ��Huh? I��m going too? Mr. Rhode?��


    Lize was surprised. Even though she was Rhode��s aide-de-camp, he basically didn��t bring her along for adventures unless it was for battle. Only then Rhode would bring her and the team of Clerics along. Lize had slowly gotten used to being an aide-de-camp and not a mercenary anymore, so she didn��t expect that she would have the chance to join him into the Eastern Plains��


    ��Lastly����


    Rhode paused. Then, he swept his gaze across everyone and fixed his eyes on a little girl.


    ��Christie, are you willing to come with me?��


    ��Huhh!?��


    Everyone in the room exclaimed.


    ��Leader?!��


    Anne widened her eyes and gazed in astonishment. Lize covered her mouth with her hands and stared blankly. The others also put up strange, different expressions. They heard clearly that this trip to the Eastern Plains would be especially dangerous and it was apparent from his choice of Anne and Lize for defense. But this time��


    Why is Christie going with him?!


    ��Rhode, what are you����


    Marlene asked with knitted brows while Rhode didn��t explain his decision. He merely gestured for the crowd to calm down. Then, they gazed at him while a petite figure pushed her way out gently.


    ���� Rhode�� wants to bring me.. to the Eastern Plains��?��


    Christie clenched her fists and placed them on her chest. She looked at Rhode and the latter nodded firmly.


    ��That��s right, Christie. I need your help this time. It will be dangerous and you may even die. Are you willing to come with me?��


    ��Yes��!��


    Christie nodded without any hesitation.


    ���� I��m willing to�� go with�� Rhode����


    The little girl replied in a slow, confident tone.

 Chapter 805 - Wind From the East

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Eastern Plains.


    Rhode held the reins and was entranced by the picturesque scenery. Not only him, but Anne and Lize also held their breath as they gazed ahead at the majestic waterfall gushing from above and the water vapor turning into clouds that barely concealed the entrance to the valley. The green bamboo forest on both sides of the path rustled in the wind and looked as though an exquisite, tranquil painting that captured everyone��s eyes.


    The entrance to the Eastern Plains was between the valleys and also the only way for them to communicate with the outside world. However, the path was uneven and narrow and could barely fit two chariots driving side by side at once. The path made of slab and bricks extended all the way into the mysterious fog in the distance.


    ��Look, look, Leader.��


    Anne rode the horse ahead and touched the bamboo before her. She turned to Rhode curiously, waving her hand.


    ��Leader, you see. These trees look so strange. Anne has never seen such odd trees. Their surfaces are smooth and their leaves are in a weird shape.


    ��Alright, we have to get going now.��


    Rhode shook his head. Anne, Lize, Christie, and Nell looked at the surrounding in astonishment. In the entire Dragon Soul Continent, the only bamboo forest was located in the Eastern Plains. Rhode let out an inward sigh because he had to admit that he started missing home upon witnessing this scenery.


    In fact, the presence of the Eastern Plains in the game had caused debates among players because the Dragon Soul Continent was generally a fantasy fiction game, which was why the races were mainly European and American. No matter the Country of Law, Country of Darkness, or Country of Light, the people were basically the same, apart from the barbarians and other races residing in isolated lands or mountains. To the contrary, the style of the Eastern Plains was entirely different from other regions as their scenery, buildings, and people were filled with rich oriental flavors. This was a fresh experience for the overseas players, but it felt rather awkward for the locals as though one was eating pizza with rice toppings or burgers with noodles as fillings. Many players couldn��t understand why the game designers had specially created this place. However, most of the players thought that the reason was because they wished to please the massive market for the online players, which was why they added a region with an oriental style into this fantasy fiction theme. Of course, there were also players who tried searching for the Eastern Plains�� history in order to find any evidence that proved that their existence wasn��t accidental. But everything vanished into puffs of smoke after that enormous explosion.


    The group heeded Rhode��s words and continued with their journey. But even so, they were mesmerized by the exotic scenery before them. The mountainous path outside the Eastern Plains was steep, narrow, and filled with uneven rocks along the way. This was another reason why the Eastern Plains seldom got into contact with the outside world. The external merchants found it hard to enter the Eastern Plains. If the Eastern Plains was interested in interacting with the outside world, they would have already opened a path. It was apparent that they were totally disinterested, which was why there weren��t many people using this path. Since Rhode��s group wasn��t in a hurry to reach their destination, they took a short, casual break and used the opportunity to admire the beautiful, refreshing scenery.


    What surprised Anne and the others was that it was still winter, but the bamboo forest preserved their greenish colors. This was especially so for the bamboos on both sides of the road that had twisted and intertwined to form a dome over a natural corridor. The gentle sunlight spilled through the gaps. Fresh green bamboo leaves and snow merged as they covered the land in a delicate, gorgeous layer.


    The group felt more relaxed as they advanced.


    Rhode retrieved the pocket watch and looked at the time. It was noon and they should be arriving at the first assembly point soon. However, they had to move at a slower pace because Rhode had to care for Christie. There would be no issue for them to reach their destination by night if they continued with this speed. Rhode shook his head at this thought. He expected that Lize and Marlene would strongly oppose bringing Christie along for this adventure. Marlene thought that he shouldn��t risk Christie��s life for the sake of the Battle Mage Group. Without a choice, Rhode lied to her that completing this mission could improve Christie��s conditions, so Marlene eventually agreed. Anne didn��t object at all and guaranteed that she would protect Christie no matter what.


    ��Hmm?��


    But, at this moment, Rhode heard a scream from the distance and realized that something was amiss. He knitted his brows, looked toward the direction, and gestured. Nell nodded and quickly disappeared into the shadows.


    ��Is anything the matter, Sir Overlord?��


    Sovann leaned toward Rhode and asked. The latter nodded and looked ahead without replying. Sovann shifted his gaze forward��billows of black smoke had stained the azure sky in the distance.


    What happened?


    Sovann widened his eyes. Then, before he returned to his senses, he heard a voice from ahead.


    ��Reporting, Master.��


    ��!!!��


    Sovann instinctively flinched as soon as he realized Nell was standing before him and Rhode. He was baffled because he didn��t detect her presence before she spoke a word!


    Nell swept a look of disdain at Sovann before shifting her gaze to Rhode.


    ��A chariot ahead has been attacked by Undead Creatures.��


    Scorching flames devoured everything ahead with two broken chariots by the sides of the road and baggage scattered to the ground. Ghastly blood and corpses stained the snowy field.


    When Rhode��s group arrived at the crime scene, the battle had already ended. Four to five young men stood around the chariots with swords in hand and contended with the Undead Creatures. There were about six to seven women; some old and some young. They clutched one another��s hands worriedly, gazing at the terrifying enemies in despair. In the middle of their group was a pale old man. He raised a piece of gem in his hand and the white radiance emanating from it formed a barrier that protected them.


    They appeared so desperate and helpless. Perhaps the only thing that they could do now was to resist until they get slaughtered by the Undead Creatures. There was a team of Death Knights riding Incubi and circling the chariots. Standing before the Death Knights was an enormous Abomination. A Necromancer stood behind the entire team with a staff in hand and chanted a sinister curse under its breath.


    This is indeed the Eastern Plains, Rhode exclaimed inwardly. What surprised him was that these ordinary humans actually succeeded in resisting the attack from a team of Death Knights, an Abomination, and Necromancer.


    If the enemies were to turn up in other regions, perhaps the humans would have been annihilated on the spot. But now, they actually held on for so long. Judging from this, it could be seen that the average level of strength in the Eastern Plains was much higher than other regions. Rhode had even witnessed the young men releasing blade airstreams to ward off the Undead Creatures, which meant that they were around level 25 to 30!


    However, Rhode��s group wasn��t only here to enjoy the show. He had to admit that even though the humans were strong, the Undead Creatures were much stronger. What made the situation worse was that the humans had to protect their loved ones cowering behind them. The gem in the old man��s hand was obviously meant to counter the Necromancer��s undead spell. However, the flickering barrier proved that it couldn��t last much longer.


    ��Sovann and Anne, deal with the Death Knight. Nell, I��ll leave the Necromancer to you. I��ll get the Abomination myself. Lize, support us!��


    Rhode leaped and dashed forward with his blade in a glaring radiance.


    Anne grabbed her shield and jumped off the hillside like a huge bird with its expanded wings. She brandished the shield at the Death Knight below her!


    ��Be careful, Miss Anne!��


    Sovann broke out in cold sweat. He had only joined Rhode��s group a while ago and wasn��t familiar with their abilities, which was why he was shocked to see Anne charging into the group of Death Knights with her shield. Sovann was born in the Eastern Plains, so he knew how strong the Death Knights�� assault was. But now, this young lady actually tried to attack by force?


    Sovann swiftly gestured and four magical light circles emerged around his limbs. He lifted his head and glared at the Death Knights.


    Damn skeletons. This is the Battle Mages�� revenge!


    At this moment, Anne crashed her shield into a Death Knight and sent it flying�� The unfortunate Death Knight spun in midair before crashing to the ground and shattering into a pile of remains.


    Sovann��s jaw dropped at this sight��


    On the other hand, the unlucky Abomination didn��t expect to be ambushed. As soon as it detected a dangerous presence and turned around, Rhode��s shimmering holy sword had penetrated through the middle of its skull!


    ��������!��


    The ambush infuriated the Abomination. It stretched two of its four strong arms for Rhode while the other two arms brandished the scimitars at him. If Rhode were an ordinary human, he wouldn��t be able to dodge this attack. But Rhode was obviously much stronger than one.


    The two scimitars slashed through his body without any resistance. Then, Rhode��s figure distorted and a bright arc of blade ray slashed off the Abomination��s skull. The Abomination couldn��t resist this lethal blow. It flinched and its body instantly bulged like a balloon. The young men around the chariot were terrified by this scene because they knew what this meant. As soon as the Abomination swelled, they frantically hid behind the broken chariot to dodge the almost avoidable explosion.


    At the same time, a glaring white radiance descended from above and struck the Abomination heavily.


    Boom!


    The Abomination swelling body instantly deflated like a shriveled balloon. Then, silver-whitish holy flames surged and devoured its entirety.


    ��What?!��


    The Necromancer was stunned because Rhode was simply too quick. The Necromancer was dazzled and before it realized, the Abomination had been destroyed. However, the Necromancer also let out a sigh of relief because this proved that the humans weren��t familiar with what the Abomination was capable of. In normal circumstances, the humans should attack the Undead Creatures�� leader, but this young man targeted the Abomination instead. Didn��t he know that the Abomination would self-explode?


    But, at the next moment, the Necromancer changed its opinion because the holy light beam that descended from above was clearly a Cleric��s attack. Judging from this point, the humans obviously knew the Abomination��s moves!


    Since the humans know about us so well and didn��t attack me instantly, could this mean that��


    Shing!


    A dagger flickering in magical radiance streaked across the sky and aimed for the Necromancer��s back. But at the same time, a bone shield emerged behind it and blocked the ambush. Nell remained expressionless and thrust her right arm forward��


    The strong bone shield cracked and shattered instantly. Then, she penetrated the pitch-black dagger into the Necromancer��


    ��No��!��


    The Necromancer raised its hands helplessly. The spiritual flames in its eyes dimmed as it turned around to catch a glimpse of the ambusher. But it failed to do so because Nell had brandished the left dagger into its neck. She swung her arms, decapitated it, and its skull spiraled into midair before rolling on the ground. Its headless body collapsed and its spiritual flames extinguished to nothingness.


    The battle ended quickly.


    Even though Rhode didn��t bring a lot of men with him this time, they were mostly the best forces under him. Anne and Nell were talents who had transcended into the Peak Master Stage. On the other hand, Sovann was the vice leader of the Battle Mage Group with the strength of the Intermediate Master Stage. Although Lize had just entered the Master Stage, she wasn��t far away from level 45. What about the enemies? Apart from the Abomination, the Death Knights were only around level 40 and the unlucky Necromancer wasn��t even level 45. No matter if it was in terms of strength or level, the enemies couldn��t stand a chance against Anne and Nell. Therefore, this battle wasn��t challenging for them at all.


    On the other hand, the young men who fought bitterly stared blankly at the scene. Just a few moments ago, they thought that they were dead. But in the blink of an eye, heaven and hell swapped places. They held onto their weapons blankly and watched as silver-whitish flames devoured the corpse of the Abomination. They were speechless.


    Rhode sized up the group of people curiously. It was apparent that they were ambushed while leaving the Eastern Plains. There were less than 10 of them and it was surprising that they managed to resist the Undead Creatures for so long. However, Rhode was more concerned with their intentions than identities��could it be that the Undead Army was dominating the place that they had to escape?


    If that were the case, Rhode had to rethink his plan. He didn��t wish to get caught in a random huge explosion for nothing later on.


    At this moment, someone spoke.


    ��Thank you for your help�� Sir.��


    Rhode returned to his senses and realized that a young man had walked before him and expressed his gratitude. However, judging from his awkward gaze, it was apparent that this young man wasn��t sure of Rhode��s true identity (or perhaps gender)��


    ��You��re welcome. It��s nothing much, really.��


    Rhode said and gazed at the group of people behind the young man. Some of them were consoling the sobbing women while others packed their bags.


    ���� Are you from the outside?��


    The young man scanned Rhode curiously, hesitated, and asked. Even though Rhode also had black hair and pupils, his style of clothes showed that he wasn��t from the Eastern Plains. Rhode wore straight, black noble attire which wasn��t low-profile, ordinary, or convenient for his movement. However, this attire was the best identification for others to not mistake his gender and it seemed that his persistence was effective. Even if he looked imposing and unkind, at least others wouldn��t mistake his gender, right?


    Anne, Nell, and Lize came up to Rhode and affirmed the young man��s guesses. No matter what, the Eastern Plains was an isolated area and ordinary outsiders wouldn��t visit for no particular reason.


    ��Yes.��


    Rhode nodded and shifted his gaze to the young man.


    ��If I��m not mistaken, you��re heading out of the Eastern Plains, right? Did something happen? Why were you attacked here? This is the Eastern Plains�� hinterland�� Could it be that the Undead Army has invaded their way here?��


    ��This was what happened����


    The young man looked rather helpless as he explained.


    ��Recently, the Undead Army��s attack on the Eastern Plains has been getting increasingly aggressive with many places erupting into chaos. But the biggest problem is that the Undead Army has occupied Falcon Peak! The Battle Mage Group failed to defend the place and the Undead Army wrapped around the frontline and turned up in our village from time to time! There isn��t a problem for the bigger towns, but a small village like ours can��t handle it. This is why we decided to temporarily leave the Eastern Plains and return only after the situation has stabilized. But now����


    The young man sighed and shrugged.


    ��A few days ago, I heard that the overlord from Grenbell will be delivering something effective against the Undead Creatures. I hope the elders can use this chance to repel the Undead Creatures.��


    Rhode swept a glance at Sovann who put up an awkward expression. It was apparent that he had heard the young man��s grumble about the Battle Mage Group, but what could he say? However, this wasn��t Rhode��s concern.


    ��How��s the situation in Falcon Peak? Are there a lot of Undead Creatures?��


    ��There��s quite a lot of them and they are hard to handle. But the elders are recruiting forces to snatch the Falcon Peak back and stabilize the situation in the front line. I just hope that they��ll succeed.��


    Recruiting forces?


    Rhode twitched his brows.


    This seemed to be a wonderful chance for them.

 Chapter 806 - The Falcon’s Beacon (I)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    It was already dusk after Rhode��s group arrived at Bamboo Leaf Town. Along the way they met militias from Bamboo Leaf Town rushing toward the thick smoke. However, they were relieved after realizing that Rhode��s group had rescued them. As a way to express their gratitude, they guided them into Bamboo Leaf Town. Rhode knew that the Eastern Plains had a confined society, which made it harder for outsiders to blend in. The locals also weren��t as willing to reveal matters or accept assistance from the outsiders. However, it was another matter to be guided by the locals and Rhode gladly accepted their offer.


    Even though Lize and Anne had seen all kinds of conditions and customs as mercenaries, this town still surprised them greatly because most of their houses weren��t constructed with stones and logs. Instead, they were built from the bamboo they had seen along the way.


    They couldn��t understand why these light, slim, fragile-looking things could be used to build houses. Weren��t they afraid that the houses would fall to gales? Moreover, how could the people survive in it during winter? Wouldn��t they freeze to death?


    After entering the Bamboo Leaf Town, most of the militias provided the group of people who Rhode had rescued with chariots and they eventually decided to leave the Eastern Plains. After all, the battles were endless and no one knew how long they would last. Besides, the ambush that they met today further solidified their decision to leave the Eastern Plains. Since that was the case, Rhode wouldn��t stand on ceremony anymore�� He warmly recommended the Land of Atonement to them and guaranteed that even though it didn��t have scenery as enchanting as the Eastern Plains, the territory there was safe and required manpower where stable jobs were readily available. However, if they were to head into other places, there might be issues with overpopulation and discrimination. Moreover, it wouldn��t be easy to search for jobs to make a living. Rhode also reminded them that if they lived comfortably in the Land of Atonement, they could also inform their friends and relatives to seek shelter there if needed�� If others were to hear this from Rhode, perhaps he would have been chased out of the Eastern Plains.


    But Rhode��s ��sales plan�� was rather effective and the group of people considered his proposal. After all, they had also heard the rumors about the Land of Atonement annihilating the Undead Army continuously and twice��even though the Eastern Plains was relatively remote and unconcerned about many matters, they were still sensitive toward matters like defeating the Undead Creatures. If the Eastern Plains wasn��t aware of Rhode��s Land of Atonement defeating the Undead Army twice, it wouldn��t be due to the Eastern Plains standing aloof from worldly affairs. Instead, it would be more like they had sealed themselves off entirely.


    This made Rhode rather proud.


    It seems like even if I didn��t transmigrate into this world, this mouth of mine might be capable enough to make me a property sales manager or something. I would then drive my girlfriend in my BMW�� Yes, but now isn��t the time for that.


    Thereafter, Rhode��s group was led into an inn surrounded by streams. Similar to the houses in Bamboo Leaf Town, this three-story inn was also made with bamboo as the main construction material. However, Lize and the others were glad that cement and logs were also part of the construction. If not, they would constantly be up on their toes, doubting if this residence would collapse anytime.


    This inn was built with an exquisite structure with clear streams flowing from the nearby mountains around its circumference. The guest rooms were connected by bamboo and logs and suspended above the streams, forming a perfect circular shape around the calm pond behind the inn. There was also a spacious courtyard to park the chariots and a stable nearby. The place seemed perfectly equipped and was relatively beautiful, brimming with a picturesque charm.


    However, a small episode happened before the group entered the inn. After Anne stepped onto the bamboo stairs, she randomly jumped a few times on it. Of course, there wouldn��t be much of a problem if only Anne jumped on it. However, she was also carrying an almost 300kg steel shield on her back! Although the weight didn��t pose a problem to Anne, it didn��t mean that others weren��t concerned.


    However, it seemed that the building was well-constructed. Even though the stairs didn��t crumble, they sank in a little and shook the footing of Christie and Lize as though they were about to fall. Rhode let out a cough and the excited Anne obediently behaved herself.


    Sovann was baffled at this sight.


    Strictly speaking, Sovann had only become Rhode��s man for less than one week. Even though he heard about the glorious achievements of Marlene, Anne, and Lize, he didn��t personally witness them and wasn��t fully convinced. This was the same for most powerful figures. They didn��t believe in rumors and were more willing to believe what they saw. Moreover, the three young ladies were also so young. Even mercenaries like Joey and Randolf were still newbies about a year ago. Although they had grown a lot throughout the year, they couldn��t possibly turn into veterans just like that. Compared to them, the Battle Mages had fought against the Undead Creatures for decades. With such strength and qualities, Sovann indeed held the rights to doubt the young humans. After all, there were plenty of outstanding young people in the Eastern Plains, where even the random refugees Rhode met along the way were between level 25 to 30. Therefore, Sovann didn��t hold too many expectations for the so-called talents in the outside world having grown up in the Eastern Plains��


    However, after the previous battle, Sovann realized that he was wrong. These people were much stronger than what the rumors described!


    Taking Anne for instance: Sovann didn��t expect that this slender and elegant young lady would turn into a wild animal in battle. When he witnessed her brandishing her shield to smash the charging Death Knight away, his jaw almost dropped to the ground. He had fought with the Undead Creatures for more than a decade and knew clearly how strong the Death Knights�� assaults were, where even the Battle Mages didn��t dare to resist head-on. If he didn��t witness this battle, perhaps he wouldn��t have believed that anyone could resist the Death Knights�� assault. But now��


    Not only did Anne perform impressively, but Nell��s showing also sent chills down his spine. Sovann had never interacted with an Elf. Moreover, Nell was habitually silent and rarely communicated with people other than Rhode. There were many times that Nell��s presence was non-existent, but what stunned him the most was her abilities.


    Earlier on, before Nell reported to Rhode, Sovann didn��t sense her presence at all. If she didn��t speak, perhaps Sovann wouldn��t have known that someone was standing in front of him. This was exceptionally dangerous for Sovann who had transcended into the Intermediate Master Stage. Furthermore, Nell seemed to be familiar in dealing with the Undead Creatures, especially the Necromancer. What shocked Sovann the most was that judging from her skills, she seemed to be an assassin?!


    Do Elves even become assassins?


    Sovann thought that the reason why Rhode wished to rebuild the Battle Mage Group for him was because he valued their formidable strength and this made him rather proud. But now, he realized that he was so wrong�� The strength of the people around Rhode wasn��t inferior to his group��s and could even be said to be stronger. The Battle Mage Group was considered a formidable group in the Eastern Plains. Sovann was capable enough to be a vice leader which proved his capabilities. However, the young ladies around Rhode were even stronger than him��


    As for Lize, even though she only attacked once in the battle, Sovann knew clearly that she was capable of dealing with everything here since Rhode had appointed her for this adventure.


    After Rhode��s group entered the inn, everyone except Sovann immediately garnered a lot of attention. After all, he was one of them in the Eastern Plains. On the other hand, they had never seen these fresh faces, not to mention that Lize, Anne, Nell, and Christie possessed extraordinary qualities and beautiful appearances that were pleasing to their eyes. Of course, Rhode wasn��t exempted either��


    However, everyone merely looked and didn��t stir any trouble. As the Eastern Plains was a relatively confined region, its people were also much more conservative. Cases where men whistled at the sight of beautiful women in the bar were rarely seen here. Furthermore, Bamboo Leaf Town was a hub for communications to the outside world, so outsiders weren��t entirely rare in this place.


    ��Greetings, would you like to order something?��


    The boss greeted with a grin across his face. With his years of experience, he instantly recognized that Rhode was the leader of the pack and began to introduce the menu warmly.


    ��We have lots of delicious delicacies that I��m sure will fulfill all your taste buds. Besides, it is the late winter season now, so we have first-rate berry mead to keep you warm����


    ��Get us something light and less oily. I��ll leave the rest for you to decide. Give me five of each order and we need four of your best guest rooms. You know what to do.��


    Rhode interrupted and tossed a diamond into the boss��s hands. The latter squinted at it and after ensuring that it was the real deal, he knew that he was in luck!


    ��Yes, Sir. I��ll get ready for you right away�� But����


    He gazed at the people around Rhode and lowered his voice.


    ��Will five of each order�� Be too much?��


    ��I��m afraid that it won��t be enough.��


    ��Huh?��


    ��Nothing.��


    Rhode answered and swept a glance at Anne who scanned the decorations of the inn curiously. What pained Rhode the most was his wallet whenever he brought Anne out on adventures because she could finish whatever was presented on the table�� Sigh. How tough would it be if one had a girlfriend with such a huge appetite? Moreover, she didn��t seem to get fat despite all the food that she devoured. Sometimes, Rhode couldn��t help but feel curious whenever he looked at her slim figure.


    This little brat eats so much each meal. Where do all the nutrients go?


    Rhode rubbed his hands.


    Hmmm, I guess they all went into her chest.


    In the late winter season, there weren��t too many outside visitors in the Eastern Plains, with only some locals having conversation over beers. The inn boss attentively assigned a relatively quiet corner by the warm fireside with windows displaying a lovely view. Lize and the others thought that cold winds would leak through this bamboo-made building, but it seemed that this strange establishment wasn��t any worse than the buildings that they were used to seeing.


    After rushing for an entire day, the group felt rather exhausted. They simply hoped to savor warm, delicious food by the fireside soon. Lize and Anne let out sighs of relief while Nell sat quietly beside them in a shadow that concealed her expression.


    ��Christie, how are you feeling?��


    Rhode sat beside her and asked softly. At this moment, Christie had already taken off her purple cloak. A slight blush could be seen spreading across her pale complexion. She took short breaths and sweat had formed on her forehead. She seemed exhausted, but in fact, everyone basically rode their horses apart from the battle and yet, it seemed like Christie had just returned from a marathon.


    This went to show how weak her body was and why Rhode wasn��t willing to bring her along.


    ��I��m�� fine�� Rhode����


    Christie looked up and presented an adorable smile. Rhode gazed at her in silence and gently combed her hair with his fingers. In fact, Rhode didn��t know why this mission involved Christie. Moreover, he wasn��t sure when the other ��Christie�� would appear. Would everything be fine for this little girl to run around like this?


    ��Excuse me, may I know what��s your purpose of visiting the Eastern Plains?��


    The inn boss asked curiously. In fact, he was also curious because Anne was dressed up as a mercenary while Rhode and Christie were clad in noble attire. Besides, there was still an Elf�� The inn boss had to admit that in his years of work, he rarely saw such a strange combination. Rhode didn��t answer him. Instead, he gazed at the inn boss and asked.


    ��I��ve previously heard that the Eastern Plains is recruiting forces to regain the Falcon Peak. Is this true?��


    ��You��re right about that.��


    The inn boss nodded hurriedly and his plump, smiling face sulked.


    ��Sigh. Frankly speaking, ever since the Falcon Peak fell into the hands of the Undead Army, the rear of the Eastern Plains hasn��t been peaceful. I guess you��ve seen it for yourself today. Normally, the Undead Creatures wouldn��t even be here at all. But now�� The elders are discontented and recruiting forces everywhere they can just for the sake of regaining the Falcon Peak.��


    ��How��s the progress?��


    This piqued Rhode��s curiosity and he asked.


    ��Still alright, I suppose. To be honest, Sir, the strength of our people in the Eastern Plains is rather strong. The damn skeletons have fought with us for years and never gained the upper hand. I heard that people from various places have applied to head into the Falcon Peak and defeat the Undead Creatures�� Sigh. I don��t know what the Battle Mage Group was doing. How did they lose the Falcon Peak����


    Sovann turned awkward after hearing his complaints. However, no one noticed because he sat in the corner. Rhode swept a glance at him, but had no intention of speaking up for him.


    ��We��re interested in this matter, Boss. Do you have any ways to introduce us to them?��


    ��You want to join in the battle at Falcon Peak?��


    The inn boss widened his eyes. He puckered his brows and gazed at Lize, Anne, and Christie. His gaze fixed on Christie for a few seconds before answering hesitantly.


    ��This�� isn��t too good, Sir. The Undead Creatures are dangerous. These young ladies will����


    ��I hope you can contact them for me.��


    Rhode interrupted and the inn boss nodded hurriedly upon sensing the change in Rhode��s tone and left quickly to prepare dinner.


    After a few moments, piping-hot food was delivered to them. Rhode had to admit that it was indeed tasty and not oily. Anne was delighted to dig in while the food was to Lize and Christie��s likings. Nell isolated herself, ate some fruit, and consumed some water. However, the others didn��t take it to heart because they knew that this was the Elves�� habit.


    At this moment, a tall, slim young man clad in armor came to their table.


    ��Greetings, I heard that you��re interested in joining the Falcon Peak battle?��


    ��That��s right. You are����


    Rhode turned around and scanned the young man. But before he completed his sentence, Sovann stood up abruptly and stared at him.


    ��Are you�� Bryan?��


    The young man gazed dubiously at Sovann. Then, he puckered his brows as though recalling something. After a few moments, he exclaimed.


    ��Big Brother?!��

 Chapter 807 - The Falcon’s Beacon (II)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Rhode��s brows twitched and he shifted his gaze from Sovann to the young man curiously. It was apparent that neither of them were mentally prepared for this meeting. They stared at each other blankly while Rhode shrugged and let out a cough to disrupt the awkwardness. Both of them returned to their senses and looked away in embarrassment. At this moment, many people in the inn had turned toward them.


    ��Why are you here, Big Brother?��


    After sitting down, the young name named Bryan questioned. He shot a look at the people around him and couldn��t figure out their identities. However, he was sure that they were powerful, especially the one in the black noble attire who appeared to be younger than him as he sensed a rare, massive aura.


    ��I��ve something to attend to.��


    Sovann looked at Rhode. However, the latter didn��t continue the conversation because he had entered his ��television-watching�� mode. In fact, Sovann felt somewhat guilty and uncertain for this return trip to the Eastern Plains. This was also why he didn��t feel elated when he heard Rhode��s suggestion to revive his group. The Battle Mage Group seldom interacted with anyone outside of their group. However, their contributions in stopping the Undead Creatures helped maintain a peaceful relationship between them and the people of the Eastern Plains. But now, the Battle Mage Group had lost their homes and brought danger to the locals, which made Sovann feel ashamed of his failure.


    Therefore, Sovann had kept a low profile after returning to the Eastern Plains, but he didn��t expect that fate would mess with him. He hadn��t even spent an entire day in the Eastern Plains and was instantly recognized by someone. Bryan wasn��t his biological younger brother. Instead, he was once a resident of the Battle Mage Group��s encampment. However, not everyone was capable of joining the Battle Mage Group and Bryan was one of them. He was strong, but wasn��t quite there yet, so he left the Battle Mage Group and sought another way out in life. After hearing what happened to the Battle Mage Group, he hurriedly returned and found that the group had fled entirely. He didn��t expect that Sovann would return once again.


    Both of them talked about their recent situations and quickly got into the main topic.


    ��Big Brother, don��t tell me that you want to snatch the Falcon Peak back?��


    Bryan puckered his brows.


    ��If that��s the case, you��d better be mentally prepared. The elders have started recruiting forces to attack the Falcon Peak and one of the rewards include being termed as the owner of the Falcon Peak if the Undead Army is eradicated. Many people are eyeing this title, so it won��t be as easy as you think����


    ��This����


    Sovann hesitated. Even though the Battle Mage Group had fled from the Falcon Peak, they actually didn��t have any intentions of returning there anymore. However, they had lived on the mountain peak for generations and were bound to be emotionally attached. If they failed to regain the Falcon Peak, they were also unwilling to head into the Land of Atonement. But now, since he had returned once again, he realized that their home had become a bargaining chip and no one would feel good hearing this.


    However, Sovann was one of the vice leaders, after all. Despite the uncomfortable emotions, he quickly pulled himself together.


    ��I have no intentions of regaining Falcon Peak. I��ve only returned for some private matters regarding the Battle Mage Group����


    ��So you��re heading to the Falcon Peak?��


    Bryan knitted his brows. Then, he looked at the people around Sovann. He realized that Sovann was holding back on his words, which was rare to see. No matter what, he was still one of the three vice leaders, and the people around him were much younger than him.


    So why��?


    Bryan scanned the group before shifting his gaze to Rhode.


    ��Who are they?��


    ��This����


    Sovann was rather hesitant. No matter what, Rhode was the overlord of Grenbell and there weren��t any issues with him coming to the Eastern Plains and heading into the Falcon Peak. However, after learning from Bryan that the elders would grant the Falcon Peak to the ones who repelled the Undead Creatures, he had to watch his words. At this moment, it would be troublesome if he exposed Rhode��s identity. However, if he didn��t reveal it and others were to realize later��


    Sovann looked at Rhode, but the latter remained expressionless without even a single hint.


    Is Sir Overlord giving me a test or has other thoughts?


    But, Sovann knew that he couldn��t delay for too long. As a result, he made his decision. He gazed at Rhode and the group around him and said.


    ��He�� He is the overlord of Grenbell, Mr. Rhode.��


    ��Grenbell?��


    Bryan was startled as he scanned Rhode. However, he didn��t raise any doubts because Rhode was already a popular figure with his unique features. As long as one met him, one wouldn��t fail to identify him�� At this moment, Bryan stood up and bowed solemnly.


    ��I didn��t expect that the overlord of Grenbell would be here personally. I was lacking in manners, please accept my apologies����


    ��It��s fine.��


    Rhode said plainly and waved his hand. No one knew if he was discontent that Sovann revealed his identity.


    ��I��m the overlord of Grenbell, not the Eastern Plains. You don��t have to bow. Here, I��m a visitor while you��re the owner. That��s the way it is.��


    ��Yes, I know what you mean, Sir Rhode.��


    Bryan let out an inward sigh of relief. However, he sized up the emotionless man before him carefully while organizing his wordings.


    Rhode wasn��t aware that there were lots of rumors about him in the Eastern Plains. It was mainly because the Land of Atonement had recently fought to the death with the Undead Creatures, which made the Eastern Plains sympathize with them. In the past, the reason why the Eastern Plains performed extraordinarily well in the Munn Kingdom was due to their reserved personality. Another reason was that they didn��t have much to interact with other regions. The people of the Eastern Plains faced threats from the Undead Creatures everyday. But even though the other territories had troubles of their own, they were merely trivialities.


    On the contrary, Grenbell emerged as a new force to be reckoned with, which moved the Eastern Plains. They didn��t mock Grenbell for having a small population unlike other territories because population didn��t matter to the Eastern Plains. On the other hand, Rhode��s success in defeating the Undead Army was what sparked an interest in them, which led to the Eastern Plains purchasing the Holy Maiden Statues thereafter. They weren��t proud over the fact that they held years of experience in dealing with the Undead Army. Instead, they saw how effective the Holy Maiden Statues were in dramatically decreasing the threats of the Undead Army. Rhode had initially decided to prioritize other regions over the Eastern Plains, but he might as well hand the Holy Maiden Statues to the Eastern Plains earlier with Sovann��s matter on hand.


    After gaining the Holy Maiden Statues, the pressure on the Eastern Plains�� battlefront alleviated instantly, which was also why the elders had the time to recruit forces in regaining the Falcon Peak. After the Holy Maiden Statues unleashed their formidable strength in the battlefront, Rhode��s name was spread even wider. Moreover, there had always been a rumor from the outside world about Rhode being born in the Eastern Plains. This speculation caused great waves and many wondered where he was born exactly. How was it possible that they had never heard of his name? Many people in the Eastern Plains were interested in him, especially after the eye-catching things he did. No matter the Midsummer Festival or Dragon Soul Ceremony, he had displayed an imposing side of him. This was what the Eastern Plains admired him the most. If Rhode had truly earned a name for himself, it would also be bringing glory to them!


    Due to these reasons, Rhode was actually rather popular in the Eastern Plains. However, as this territory was relatively enclosed, he wasn��t aware of the thoughts that the people had about him.


    Therefore, after witnessing Bryan��s baffled expression upon hearing his name, Rhode didn��t take it to heart. On the other hand, Bryan felt rather confused. He knew about Rhode��s big name, but couldn��t figure out why he had come to the Eastern Plains.


    ��If I may ask, Sir Rhode, do you have�� something on for coming to the Eastern Plains?��


    ��Yes.��


    Rhode nodded, looked at Christie beside him, and caressed her long hair gently.


    ��The main reason that I came here is to treat my�� hmm�� younger sister, Christie. I suppose you can see that she��s feeling quite unwell now. I know the Eastern Plains has tons of unique herbs and spiritual techniques, so I came to try my luck. Since Sovann is my subordinate and has something to attend to, I came along and gave him some help.��


    What Rhode said was mostly true. He didn��t clarify or explain that he was born in the Eastern Plains, which made it easier for him to resolve any future problems.


    ��I see����


    Bryan nodded and looked at Christie. It seemed that he trusted Rhode��s words. After all, Christie indeed didn��t look like a lively and healthy little girl. There were indeed plenty of herbs and spells unique to the Eastern Plains that could strengthen one��s constitution, which was why Rhode wasn��t wrong in saying so. However, Bryan wouldn��t simply believe that an overlord would come all the way here for this reason��


    In the end, Bryan and Rhode exchanged pleasantries and the former left. After all, this matter was too important. It was tough to not suspect the cause of the visit for Rhode, as the overlord of Grenbell, to come to the Eastern Plains without announcing his visit. Moreover, Sovann was also implicated in the situation and they were heading into the Falcon Peak��


    Thereafter, everyone returned to their rooms and this was also why Rhode requested for four guest rooms. Lize and Christie would spend the night together. With Lize��s meticulous care, Rhode was assured that Christie would be in safe hands. In the other room, Anne and Nell stayed together. Even though Anne protested, Rhode didn��t budge because he knew that she just wanted to sleep with him.


    According to this arrangement, Rhode should also be sharing a room with Sovann. However, he had no intention of sharing a room with a man since he wasn��t penniless. Therefore, Sovann also had a room to himself.


    Almost everyone slept peacefully throughout the night and no Undead Creatures came knocking on their doors.


    Sovann laid on his bed and stared at the ceiling, gritting his teeth. His thoughts were in a mess. Before returning to the Eastern Plains, he didn��t consider the state of the Falcon Peak too much. He thought that the Eastern Plains was in a chaotic mess and the big figures in the battlefront wouldn��t have the time to be concerned about the Falcon Peak. In fact, he wasn��t wrong to have such thoughts because earlier on, he had also requested for assistance from the battlefront when the Undead Creatures attacked their homes. But back then, the battlefront was fully occupied by the enemies and couldn��t send reinforcements, so the Battle Mage Group eventually had no choice but to flee. When he finally thought that he found a new source of life in the Land of Atonement, the Eastern Plains became available to deal with the Falcon Peak.


    Of course, Sovann didn��t expect that the Eastern Plains would be free to deal with the Falcon Peak due to the Holy Maiden Statues that Rhode delivered to them. The reason why Rhode delivered the Holy Maiden Statues in advance was due to Sovann and his group retreating to the Land of Atonement�� Even if everything restarted, the Battle Mage Group still wouldn��t stand a chance.


    However, this wasn��t the problem that Sovann was troubled with. Instead, after hearing Bryan��s words, a thought emerged in his head.


    Since one can gain authority over the Falcon Peak after defeating the Undead Creatures, why can��t we snatch it back ourselves? That��s our territory to begin with�� But I promised my loyalty to Sir Overlord. If I do that�� But�� the Falcon Peak is so important to the Battle Mage Group��


    The more he thought about it, the more he couldn��t fall asleep.


    The next morning.


    Everyone looked refreshed when they gathered around the hall. Although the facilities looked rather usual, Lize and the others had a comfortable rest, where even Christie looked much better than yesterday. On the other hand, the dark eye circles around Sovann��s eyes showed how little rest he had gotten.


    Rhode gazed at Sovann in silence. After Bryan mentioned the situation of the Falcon Peak, Rhode knew that Sovann would be troubled. However, he wasn��t particularly worried because he was confident of the situation.


    To put it bluntly, even if Sovann and the Battle Mage Group wished to return, the Eastern Plains wouldn��t welcome them.


    As expected, the young man named Bryan turned up at the inn as everyone was having breakfast. But unlike yesterday night, there were a few other people who were dressed luxuriously��but, the problem was that��


    ��Miss Gaya����


    Rhode gazed at the young lady who stared coldly at him and instantly felt a headache. He had never expected to meet such a troublesome person in the Eastern Plains so soon.


    ��What are you doing here?��


    ��I just came back from vacation and happen to hear that you��re here. So, I just came to say hello to you, Mr. Rhode.��


    Gaya held the harp in her arms and gazed silently at Rhode. Her black pupils glinted in a peaceful, mysterious smile.


    ��Oh. By the way, I��m in charge of leading the attack on the Falcon Peak.��

 Chapter 808 - The Falcon’s Beacon (III)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Falcon Peak was located in a corner of the Eastern Plains. It used to be peaceful, but everything had changed.


    When Rhode��s group arrived at the bottom of the Falcon Peak, the picturesque scenery that they saw elsewhere was nowhere to be found as all of it was replaced with the burning flames, clashes, smoke, and bones. One could clearly see that the buildings on the Falcon Peak had all turned into charred ruins. The Undead Creatures turned this place around entirely and was building a new base of operations. Sovann sulked and lowered his gaze to the ground, unable to witness the cruel reality of the Undead Creatures trampling on his home.


    On the contrary, Rhode wasn��t as emotional as Sovann. The former scanned the Falcon Peak with knitted brows. He had to admit that this was indeed rather challenging to take down. The Battle Mage Group��s base of operations was located on a relatively flat hillside on the Falcon Peak, where it was easy to defend and hard to take down. Perhaps ordinary soldiers couldn��t successfully take it down without a couple of weeks, but they weren��t like the Undead Creatures, after all�� The Falcon Peak served as a rear channel to the inner Eastern Plains, which explained why the road was much flatter and more convenient for transportation. Perhaps this was the only advantage that the alliance of the Eastern Plains had.


    However, Rhode had no intention of joining the fight. That wasn��t his plan for coming to this place.


    He looked ahead at the relatively huge army camp with densely packed tents laid out neatly below the hill. There were all kinds of flags fluttering in the wind. Rhode shrugged. In fact, this was also a symbol of the Eastern Plains.


    The Eastern Plains was unique in many aspects, unlike the outside world. The organizational structure was one such aspect. Normally, apart from the local bullies like bandits in various regions, most of the organizations showed up in branches in the Light Mainland, just like the official organizations of the Mercenary Association, Mage Association, and Alchemist Association. However, the organizational composition in the Eastern Plains was entirely different. Apart from the largest ruling organization, namely the Elder Regime in the Eastern Plains, the remaining smaller forces were basically independent and distributed like the Battle Mage Group where they occupied a mountain peak. Even though the Elder Regime held the rights on paper, the Battle Mage Group was basically the ones who made the decisions and served as the core to their own group.


    All in all, the various forces in the Eastern Plains resembled the factions in martial arts novels where they each ran their own base of operations. One would never see the Shaolins build their temples on the Ermei Mountain or flirt with the nuns�� This was all due to the terrain of this territory. The Eastern Plains was basically steep mountain ranges filled with dangerous paths. Although floating boats also existed to overcome such purposes, not everyone could afford them. Therefore, due to the terrain restrictions, no faction could strengthen their forces even if they wanted to as there wasn��t enough manpower to climb over the mountain ridges. Moreover, the Eastern Plains was under the constant threat of the Undead Creatures. Everyone was busy enough dealing with them, so no one had the effort to start an internal strife.


    With such a background, it wasn��t hard to understand why so many forces responded to the Elder Regime��s offer because they lacked the time and energy to expand their territories. Right now, since the Elder Regime announced that whoever could drive the Undead Creatures out of the Falcon Peak would gain the rights to it, they wouldn��t waste this rare chance. It could also be seen from the patterns and colors of the flags. Most of the forces that had arrived were equally as strong as the Battle Mage Group. Of course, some of the smaller forces were also present. However, no one but themselves knew if they were here to curry favor with the stronger forces.


    When Rhode��s group arrived at the camp, the alliance��s attack on the Falcon Peak had also come to an end. There were injured soldiers being lifted down and the camp was filled with sounds of painful groans. Lize couldn��t bear the sight while Sovann gazed with a complicated expression. Even though these people were here to eradicate the Undead Creatures and seek revenge for the Battle Mage Group, Sovann felt perplexed at the thought of them claiming the Falcon Peak in mind��


    Shortly after, a group of soldiers came up to Rhode��s group and greeted them politely.


    ��Madam Gaya.��


    One of the men bowed respectfully. Gaya remained unmoved as she hugged the harp in her arms and knitted her brows slightly.


    ��You guys started attacking?��


    ��Yes, Madam.��


    The man revealed an uncomfortable look, but summoned up courage and answered. Even though Gaya didn��t say much, everyone around her instantly felt the temperature of the air drastically drop��


    ��Who gave the command?��


    ��It��s me, Gaya.��


    At this moment, a high-spirited man clad in lightweight leather armor and equipped with two swords around his waist approached. He appeared to be around 30 years old. In fact, he was beaming in confidence as he strode forward in large strides and waved his hand. The subordinate who was scared witless by Gaya quickly retreated. Although Gaya��s expression didn��t change, Rhode saw the glint of disdain in her eyes.


    ��If I recall correctly, the elders have handed the commanding rights for this battle to me, right?��


    ��Of course I know about that, Gaya.��


    The man smiled, but it seemed as though he ertr consoling a disobedient younger sister.


    ��But I��m the battlefront commander and need to probe the enemies�� strength from time to time. After all, the Undead Creatures are behaving strangely up there. We have to be prepared for them as quickly as possible, Gaya. I don��t know how you��re doing out there, but this is the Eastern Plains and we have our own solutions.��


    ���� Is this your only excuse?��


    Even though no one else noticed, Rhode had detected the dense murderous intention exuding from Gaya. He had no doubt that this idiot would be in huge trouble if he continued to spout nonsense. Rhode took a step forward and stood before Christie. No matter what, Christie shouldn��t witness a bloody scene.


    ��He is����


    The man looked curiously at Rhode while Gaya swept a glance at the latter. Gaya��s dark pupils glinted in complex emotions when she witnessed Rhode hiding Christie behind him. However, she remained calm and introduced.


    ��He is the overlord of Grenbell, Mr. Rhode.��


    ��Oh��?��


    The man appeared to be surprised. He widened his eyes in astonishment. Then, he restored his passionate smile and bowed respectfully to Rhode.


    ��Greetings, Sir Overlord. My name is Don. I didn��t expect to meet you here, so I��m rather surprised. The Holy Maiden Statues that you��ve given us worked so perfectly that I��ve never seen the Undead Creatures so miserable����


    This man named Don didn��t possess the conservativeness that the people of the Eastern Plains had. Instead, he was somewhat passionate and good with his words. Not only did he compliment Rhode, but he also flattered Lize, Anne, and the others after learning their names and said something like ��You young ladies are beauties, lovely as fully-bloomed flowers. I have never seen any women who are as devastatingly beautiful as all of you in the Eastern Plains����


    Lize felt rather shy while Anne joyously accepted his compliments. After beating about the bush, Don finally got into the main subject.


    ���� May I know what matters you have on hand to come all the way to the Eastern Plains?��


    ��It��s for some private matters, that��s all.��


    Rhode gave a perfunctory response, to which Don��s passionate smile stiffened for a few moments. Then, he nodded.


    ��I see. Alright then, please let me know if you need any help. We will do our best as long as we can be of help to you.��


    Don shifted his gaze to Gaya.


    ��Gaya, we��re about to start a meeting for the upcoming battle. Many have joined the alliance while you were away. I think there are some adjustments to be made.��


    ��I got it.��


    Gaya nodded slightly and looked at Rhode.


    ��Alright then, Mr. Rhode. Please follow Bryan to my residence for now. I will handle your problems after I��m done.��


    Gaya turned around and left the place. Thereafter, Rhode��s group followed Bryan to a small manor located in the uphill corner of the camp. This camp was originally a town by the foot of the hill. After escorting Rhode��s group into the manor, Bryan took his leave and got a maid to receive them instead. Even though this wasn��t too polite of him, it was a great opportunity for Rhode to clear the doubts in his head.


    ��About Madam Gaya?��


    Sovann gazed in astonishment. Rhode nodded slightly and put away the cup of tea in his hand.


    ��That��s right, I feel that Miss Gaya isn��t�� really popular in the Eastern Plains. What��s going on? I guess you must have heard of something regarding this.��


    Rhode had already felt rather strange when they first met Don. Logically speaking, even though Gaya wasn��t an overlord of a territory, she should almost be on equal footing with the 12 elders of the Elder Regime with her identity and strength. On the other hand, Don was merely in the Peak Master Stage, so what gave him the rights to behave this rudely? It also wasn��t right to say that they were childhood friends because the murderous intent from Gaya was obvious. However, why wasn��t the man afraid?


    Not only that, but Rhode also discovered that Gaya��s situation in the Eastern Plains seemed to be in a rough spot and this was apparent from the state of this manor. Logically speaking, she should be viewed as a core figure within the camp as the commander, unlike now where she was only called upon for a meeting and living in this remote place. They wouldn��t be able to find her in times of emergency, wouldn��t they��?


    Gaya had always been a mysterious figure and was a target to the players�� research. Now that Rhode had the chance to uncover some truth, he wouldn��t let this chance slip. He believed that Sovann would have additional information about her that the players couldn��t discover.


    ���� I��ve indeed heard some rumors.��


    Sovann revealed a difficult expression. Just as Rhode expected, Sovann did know something about Gaya, which wasn��t convenient for them to talk about in public. But now, since it was Rhode who asked, he didn��t have any reason to hide the truth.


    ��Miss Gaya is smart and has an innate talent. She was the heir of one of the 12 elders when she was a little girl. She possessed skills of her father��s potential and musical talent in playing the harp from her mother. Back then, everyone believed that Miss Gaya would join the prestigious Elder Regime in future and become one of the leaders����


    ��She was the heir?��


    Rhode emphasized while Sovann nodded firmly.


    ��Yes�� Something happened in her family thereafter. I��m not too sure about the specific situation, but according to the rumors it seems that their family was too powerful and reputable, so they came up with thoughts of leaving the Munn Kingdom����


    ��Oh?��


    This piqued Rhode��s curiosity. The Eastern Plains was a mysterious place for the players and there were so many rumors that they couldn��t possibly hear them all. But even so, Rhode knew that the Eastern Plains had always been a King��s Party��s supporter. However, he didn��t expect them to have the intention of breaking away from the Munn Kingdom.


    ��This�� is just a rumor that I��ve heard because many people were spreading this back then. However, most of them didn��t think that it was possible until later on when there was news about her family attempting to assassinate Her Royal Highness Lydia. Everyone was stunned and�� Of course they failed and were basically put to an end. Rumor has it that Gaya wasn��t even 6 years old when that happened. She survived as Her Royal Highness Lydia brought her out of the Eastern Plains. In the end, the Elder Regime re-elected the candidates to replace the family, which is why no one talked about this matter since it isn��t something honorable.��


    I see.


    Rhode finally understood the situation. He knew that the people of the Eastern Plains had always been proud of their loyalty to the Munn Kingdom. Now that there was a traitor amongst them who had tried to assassinate the duchess, this was a great hit to their pride. Gaya was the only survivor and heir of that family, so she naturally suffered the sins for her elders. Besides, she was taken away by Lydia from a very young age, so this perhaps made her the same as himself��outsiders.


    Rhode let out a sigh. He didn��t have much to comment about Gaya��s plight. Moreover, based on his understanding about her, he knew that she didn��t need any sympathy.


    It was already dusk when the meeting ended and Gaya brought a piece of news after returning to the manor.


    ��Tomorrow morning, we shall be launching an all-out attack on the Falcon Peak. If you have any personal matters to attend to, feel free to do so.��

 Chapter 809 - The Falcon’s Beacon (IV)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The next morning.


    The alliance advanced toward the Falcon Peak and launched their violent attacks on the Undead Creatures. The Undead Creatures defended strongly with their terrain advantage. This was a critical battle for both sides and neither had the intention of giving up.


    It was the same for Rhode too.


    ��It seems like the battle is rather intense.��


    Rhode twitched his brows at the loud explosions that echoed throughout the valleys. Even though there were no guns, armored vehicles, and airplane support in this world, the clash between magical and spiritual powers were still as exhilarating.


    However, this wasn��t what Rhode was concerned about. He swept a glance at his group.


    ��Let��s continue.��


    Of course, Rhode wasn��t leading them into the chaotic battle happening on the Falcon Peak. Moreover, the Eastern Plains didn��t have favorable impressions on outsiders like them unless they could be their saviors from crises. If not, Rhode knew that they would be snubbed despite showing good intentions. Furthermore�� He had the intentions of letting this happen in the first place.


    Why did Rhode get Marlene to deliver the Holy Maiden Statues to the Eastern Plains much earlier than planned after receiving this mission? It was for the sake of decreasing the battle pressure on the Eastern Plains and lowering the risks that they would face. As long as they could ease the dangers in the battlefront, it didn��t matter who were the ones dealing with the Undead Army because his group would ultimately be benefiting.


    And now, it was time for him to recoup his investments.


    Rhode didn��t choose to enter the Falcon Peak from the front because it wasn��t necessary. The Battle Mage Group had operated in the Falcon Peak for years, so they naturally held secrets of their own, ones Rhode was aware of. Even though there were tons of secrets in the Eastern Plains, the players accomplished lots of missions for them. Rhode had once gone on a mission for the Battle Mage Group, which explained why he understood how powerful they were. Not only that, but he also knew about their core secret��


    The Cloud Walkway was located on the side of the Falcon Peak. It was a plank walkway built with wooden sticks and constructed along the steep mountain wall. The whistling cold gales blew and beneath them was the dark bottomless pit. This plank walkway was only a meter wide without railings. They could only use the wall as support and one could possibly fall if one wasn��t careful.


    This was one of their secrets. After losing the ancient inheritance, this was their only heritage��Cloud Walkway.


    Only the strongest in the Battle Mage Group held the rights to pass through, head into the deep sacred land, and accept the test and baptism of the spiritual path. Even though they had lost the inheritance, they kept this tradition for the sake of regaining it one day. It seemed like this persistence was right. Of course, this plank walkway wasn��t too challenging for the others with Lize, Nell, and Anne clearing it easily. To Rhode��s surprise, even Christie wasn��t frightened at all as she followed Anne nimbly��


    ��Just ahead.��


    Sovann pointed at the cave that was connected to the end of the walkway. He recalled the first time when he stepped onto this Cloud Walkway. Back then, he was still a passionate young man who desired to be like his seniors who brought the Battle Mage Group to glory. But now�� He had already passed that age. He looked at the dispirited manner that he was in now and let out a hopeless sigh. But shortly after, he gathered his focus and stepped forward in big strides.


    The pitch-black cave was oddly quiet. However, Sovann didn��t seem mindful about it. He stepped into the cave��


    At this moment, something happened.


    ������!


    A glaring blade ray erupted from the darkness and slashed toward him!


    Sovann was shocked, but he leapt back swiftly to dodge the ambush. Then, he extended his arms and magical runes emerged above them. The magical radiance weaved across to form a solid shield before him. At the same time, another dazzling radiance burst out from the darkness.


    Clang!


    The dazzling blade ray struck heavily on his magical shield and scattered into dust. Sovann sulked and focused his attention forward. Then, everyone saw the ambusher��s true identity.


    ��What is that?��


    Lize exclaimed in horror while Anne widened her eyes curiously at the ��enemies��.


    They appeared to be strange, translucent figures clad in armor that resembled Specters. However, the appearance of the Specters in the Country of Darkness was much blurrier like water vapor with an indistinct shape of human. Moreover, the Specters usually served as scouts, so they were rarely seen together.


    However, these ��Specters�� were entirely different.


    They seemed like living humans, at least judging from their faces and the folds in their clothes, which was extremely rare to find in Specters. This was because even though the Specters were basically dead, they were presences that were reluctant to leave this mundane world. However, most of them had already lost most of their spiritual energy after they died and survived mainly on their obsession to stay in this world. Despite the obsession, they couldn��t remember their names or looks and this explained why they mostly appeared blurry. Although high-level Specters could appear as silhouettes of humans, they were presences restricted by magic like wild beasts�� They didn��t have any sense of consciousness at all.


    And now, not only were the shape of these ��Specters�� distinct, but they obviously also had consciousness! If it weren��t for their translucent appearance, perhaps they would be mistaken for Specters.


    ��They are the Guardian Spirits of this spiritual tunnel.��


    Sovann heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly stopped Anne and the others from attacking.


    ��They are our ancestors. The generations of guardians in the Battle Mage Group are allowed to rest their souls here after they pass away and test if their heirs are capable of inheriting their entirety��.��


    Sovann took half a step forward, retrieved the staff on his back, and raised it high. It was an ordinary-looking staff made by black wood. On its tip was a sharp pike instead of a shimmering gem that everyone expected. However, several mystical blue gems were embedded in a certain trajectory from the staff body to its tip, shaping into a mysterious rune.


    ��I seek your approval and hope that you can return to your eternal resting place and make way for us!��


    ������


    The Guardian Spirits didn��t seem to have any intentions of moving away. Instead, they closed in while several other Guardian Spirits walked out from the walls simultaneously with weapons in hand.


    ���� They�� are�� angry����


    Christie clutched Anne��s sleeve and peered from behind. Not only Christie, but even Rhode and the others also felt the atmosphere turning intense. Lize held her hands together and stepped back. Although Rhode��s expression remained unchanged, he placed his right hand on his waist. Shortly after, a dazzling white card emerged and spun before him and he held it between his fingers.


    ��My sacred ancestors!��


    Sovann knitted his brows. He also sensed that something was amiss. He raised his staff and exclaimed.


    ��This is the ��Soul Road�� Staff in my hand. Please accept my humble prayer to open the path of inheritance. Please make way!��


    ������


    The Guardian Spirits had no intentions of making way. They lifted their heads and to everyone��s bewilderment, their faces had already twisted! They widened their eyes abruptly and emanated a scarlet radiance. The corners of their mouths split to their ears like demons. Then, they pounced forward and brandished their weapons!


    ��Attack!��


    Perhaps Sovann wouldn��t attack recklessly as they were his ancestors, but Rhode didn��t have such concerns. He didn��t instantly attack earlier as a form of respect to Sovann. Since Sovann couldn��t control the spirits, he had no choice but to do it. Rhode darted forward!


    Unlike Sovann, when Rhode saw their malevolent facial features, he instantly knew that the spirits were under the control of undead spells! He couldn��t be more familiar with the unique dark aura exuding from the undead spell. Although he didn��t know what exactly happened, he was certain that the situation wasn��t as easy as Sovann thought!


    Shing!


    Rhode extended his right arm and the dazzling white card in his hand transformed into a shimmering sword bursting with a holy aura. The powerful force rose into a violent whirlwind as he thrust his blade forward and struck the leading Guardian Spirit heavily. Then, the tall, burly Guardian Spirit howled in grief and turned into scattered dust that vanished into thin air.


    But,at the same time, two Guardian Spirit had brandished their swords in a pincer attack! Rhode reacted swiftly. He swung his sword to the left while a shadow clone emerged to deflect the threat from the right like a mirror image.


    Clang! Clang!


    The Guardian Spirits�� swords were deflected. Rhode and his shadow clone shook and an omnipresent starlight erupted, enveloping the two Guardian Spirits. Then, countless spiritual blades punctured them and they vanished completely.


    They have strong attacks but weak defenses.


    In their clash, he sensed a rule power from their weapons. Even though the strength was weak, they still shouldn��t be belittled. Perhaps it was due to them being in spiritual form, so their defenses weren��t too strong. They were only at around level 50.


    Despite that, everyone other than Rhode would have a hard time dealing with them!


    ��Follow me closely, these guys are hard to deal with!��


    Rhode struck forward to penetrate another Guardian Spirit in its chest. Then, silver-whitish flames erupted and surged��Celia emerged from within. She held the sword with burning flames on its blade and thrust forth. Rhode raised his right hand. The summoning ritual circle on the back of his palm flickered and a pitch-black card emerged and spun at the center of his palm.


    A dark viper spiraled and drew an arc across the air to disperse the Guardian Spirits that were closing in. Rhode brandished Succubus in his hand and a dimmed aura ripped through one of them, devouring it entirely in dark flames. Before the Guardian Spirits responded, Rhode let go of his right hand and in the blink of an eye, Celestina emerged from a puff of black smoke. She extended her arms and endless thorny vines shot from her sleeves.


    The Guardian Spirits were stunned and instantly retreated into the depths of the dark cave.


    ��What exactly is going on?��


    Sovann hadn��t returned to his senses yet. He didn��t expect that the Guardian Spirits would neglect the presence of the ��Soul Road�� Staff and even attack them.


    Oh my goodness. What��s going on?


    Sovann clutched the staff in his hand and gritted his teeth. He couldn��t understand why this happened.


    ��They seem to be manipulated by an undead spell.��


    ��Undead spell? How is it possible?��


    Sovann was bewildered.


    ��The Guardian Spirits are the strongest in the Battle Mage Group�� How is it possible that they are being controlled by the Undead Creatures? Besides, this is a secret location and one can��t possibly step into this place without being spiritually baptized, not to mention the Undead Creatures! We have fought the Undead Creatures for years. They can��t possibly enter our sacred land and humiliate our ancestors!��


    ��But the situation now isn��t as simple as you think it is, Sovann.��


    Rhode swept a glance to the pitch-black tunnel ahead with knitted brows. He had once accomplished missions for the Battle Mage Group, so he knew the relationship between the Guardian Spirits and this place. If he recalled correctly, the Guardian Spirits should have been resting in this place and defending the altar while waiting for the right heir to appear. But it seemed like the situation wasn��t as simple as he thought�� Rhode gazed at Christie who hid behind Anne. Up until this moment, he hadn��t figured out why the mission required Christie to be here because she didn��t seem critical to any scenario. She also didn��t give him any meaningful tips or guide him like the other ��Christie�� did.


    Could it be that I have mistaken the mission hint? After all, this mission didn��t clearly state her name.


    But could he even turn and send Christie back now?


    ��Let��s continue.��


    He commanded.

 Chapter 810 - The Falcon’s Beacon (V)

    Everything��s going well.


    Gaya gazed at the battlefield silently. She stroked her fingers gently on the harp strings.


    ��������!��


    An indescribable impact sounded. The solid walls crumbled completely as an invisible sound wave destroyed everything in its path and turned all obstacles into powder. In an instant, white powder fluttered in the air and the Undead Creatures were nowhere to be seen.


    That��s all they got?


    Gaya let out a grunt and approached the burning battlefield that was covered in smoke. The Undead Creatures stood no chance against her attack, but they weren��t what Gaya was concerned about. She gazed in disdain at the soldiers charging forward in the distance. They yelled bravely with weapons held high. All this was meaningless to Gaya.


    How unsightly. These weaklings are greedy with desire and are just like moths drawn to a flame. They care only about the things before their eyes and neglect the dangers of flames. They will eventually die meaninglessly.


    How disgusting!


    Gaya stroked her fingers across the harp strings as yet another sound wave blasted forth, crashing and shattering into the mountain peak in the near distance.


    ��Huhuhu�� I��m really surprised���� A pair of maroon eyes stared at this scene from the darkness. The radiance from its eyes brightened abruptly in frantic spiritual flames. ���� I never thought that I would be this lucky. I shall let you, dear Madam Gaya, have a taste of this supreme strength����


    The shadow figure raised its arms. Then, it blasted a maroon lightning bolt forward.


    ����?!��


    Gaya came to a halt abruptly. For some unknown reason, she felt an unprecedented chill run down her spine. At the same time, she realized that her surroundings became dull and lifeless. The azure sky, greenish bamboo forests, snowy field, and dazzling sun all gradually lost their brilliance. A dense shadow had as though enveloped everything before her like ink dripping into the pond.


    ��This is��!��


    Gaya knitted her brows and leaped up swiftly. But at the same time, the shadow beneath her feet transformed into the shape of a massive palm that lifted off the ground and grabbed for her.


    Gaya watched in silence and gently stroked the harp strings, and a crisp, melodious tone sounded. The enormous hand beneath her instantly cracked. Not only that, but the solid ground also crumbled in the blink of an eye. The ground shook, but it wasn��t intense enough to stop the grabbing hand.


    The gigantic hand that was shredded by the ��sound blades�� instantly continued to charge forward. Gaya dodged swiftly and released several crisp notes from her harp. As the melodious music spread, she stepped lightly in midair and sprung up once more. She stared at the enemy before her and attacked again.


    Her fair, slender fingers strummed the harp strings.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A series of explosions sounded. The entire ground trembled while the shadow creature smashed its hands on the ground and widened its mouth. At the same time, hundreds of warriors fell within the fissures and vanished into the dark abyss. The other warriors witnessed their fate and frantically retreated. The entire battlefield was a chaotic mess.


    But no one could escape the clutches of the shadow creature.


    When the shadow creature stood back on its feet, its illusory presence had as though materialized into a physical body and countless soldiers fell off from its body, crashing to the ground, swept by the sound wave. The shadow creature straightened its posture and glared at its prey. At the same time, it exuded a strange aura that transformed the ground and sky.


    ��This is�� the power of Chaos.��


    Gaya displayed a solemn expression. She pressed her fingers on the harp strings. Then, the strings released a faint radiance, along with lines of mysterious runes.


    ��Be prepared to die, Chaos Lackey!��


    The air around her rose and coalesced into an enormous wave before blasting forward.


    ***


    Shimmering blade rays erupted in the dark tunnel. The Guardian Spirits fell to the ground and shattered into green sparkles that vanished into thin air.


    How troublesome.


    Rhode held his sword and gazed ahead with knitted brows. He realized that things had gone out of his expectations after the Guardian Spirits kept attacking them from every corner. Even though Celia and Celestina had joined the battle and the Guardian Spirits didn��t threaten Rhode��s group too much, the endless attacks were vexing. At this moment, Rhode heard a weak voice.


    ���� Rhode����


    ��Christie?��


    Rhode turned to her quickly. The latter was panting and looking pale. She had almost exhausted all her strength from running and it seemed as though she would collapse at anytime. Even though Lize had cast several spiritual spells to strength and maintain her strength, there were still restrictions to spiritual spells, after all. It seemed like Christie couldn��t hang on anymore.


    ��Do you need a rest, Christie?��


    Even though Rhode knew that this was a bad idea, he could only blame himself for bringing her along. Anne and Lize agreed to his suggestion. Although it was dangerous for them to stay here, Christie would be in huge trouble if they continued running.


    But to everyone��s surprise, Christie shook her head and gazed at Rhode.


    ��Be�� Be careful����


    ��Be careful?��


    Everyone raised their vigilance instantly. They held their weapons and scanned the surroundings. But�� apart from the dark tunnel, there was nothing for them to be wary of. The Guardian Spirits that harassed them before were nowhere to be found too.


    ��Be careful of what, Christie?��Rhode asked. He knew that this little girl wouldn��t make up any lies. Christie knitted her brows and shook her head worriedly.


    ���� I don��t know�� Rhode�� But�� I don��t feel safe�� Something bad is about to�� Ahh��!��


    Before Christie finished her sentence, the entire tunnel shook and the strong trembles shook their footing and they fell to the ground. However, unlike the others, Christie cowered and screamed painfully at the top of her lungs. Then, indistinct purple light flowed from her body!


    ��Christie!��


    Rhode reached out for her immediately. But as soon as he held onto her shoulder, everything before him turned pitch-black and an immense pain broke out in his head. The unbearable pain left him grunting. He clenched her fists, lowered his head, and found himself sinking into total darkness��

 Chapter 811 - The Falcon’s Beacon (VI)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Christie!��


    Rhode looked up and the tremendous pain in his head vanished almost instantly. Then, he realized that something was amiss. It was no longer the dark tunnel before him. Instead, strong gales brushed against his face and beneath his feet was a leveled brick tower. A desolate wilderness could be seen in the distance. But�� it was entirely different this time.


    The clouds that covered the horizon shifted quickly in the winds and through their gaps, Rhode witnessed the silhouette of an enormous building. He looked down and saw a figure that he had expected.


    ��Christie.��


    ������


    The little girl stood before him. But unlike the gentle and calm ��Christie�� he knew, this time, she appeared unprecedentedly stern and uncertain. She gazed at Rhode, turned around, and pointed ahead. Along with her actions, the thick layers of clouds rolled apart to both sides. Then, dazzling sunlight spilled through.


    In an instant, the world before him transformed.


    In the past, he had come to this place in his dreams twice. But the impression that he had of this world was particularly desolate. The barren land and withered trees were as though shriveled, lifeless bones standing on a dead desert and there was nothing else apart from this tower��


    But now, Rhode finally witnessed the other side of this world.


    The gentle moonlight filtered through the clouds and set a soft brilliance to this originally dimmed world. The azure sky dazzled and thick black clouds turned into fluffy white clouds. Fresh, rejuvenated greenery filled the dried up land. However, this wasn��t what surprised him the most. After the clouds dispersed, he was baffled to find a towering, majestic city hovering above! Its buildings slowly drifted through the night sky and the entire view of this city resembled one in a dreamy painting��glorious and honorable as it merged with the starry sky as one.


    But this beautiful painting transformed at the next moment.


    Rows of illusory, translucent soldiers emerged in the distance with their weapons raised. They took on a square-shaped formation and marched ahead sternly. Then, the ground shook.


    Rhode looked down and discovered that black waves had crashed from the horizon, devouring and engulfing everything in their path. The soldiers resisted the waves, but were eventually submerged within. The black waves of rage gushed their way into the tower beneath him.


    Boom!


    The impact shook his footing. Then, Christie turned around, gazed at him with mournful eyes, and spoke.


    ���� I need your help�� Rhode����


    ��Leader!��


    Rhode opened his eyes abruptly.


    It was Lize��s worried expression. He lifted his head and saw Christie in Anne��s arms. She had closed her eyes as though in a coma. He stuck his hand out to feel her constant breathing and heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he stood up and shook his head.


    ��I��m fine�� Is everyone okay?��


    ��We��re fine, but Christie����


    Lize gazed at Christie anxiously. She placed her hand on the little girl and her palm glowed a radiance that enveloped her entirely. Christie��s pale complexion instantly turned better, but didn��t seem to be waking up anytime soon.


    ��Sir Overlord, are you okay?��


    At this moment, Sovann came up to them and asked. He was stunned when Rhode and Christie fainted out of a sudden. Fortunately, it only took awhile before Rhode restored his senses fully. But Sovann was astonished that Rhode gazed at him with knitted brows.


    ��Sovann, if I recall correctly, you need to have the staff to receive your ancestors�� inheritance. Am I right?��


    ��Yes.��


    Even though Sovann didn��t know why Rhode asked this question now, he nodded firmly.


    ��Alright. Can you tell me exactly how you will receive the inheritance?��


    ��Hmm����


    Sovann was hesitant. After all, this was their absolute secret. But now, since Rhode was his master in name and it didn��t seem like he was only asking out of curiosity, Sovann braced himself and answered.


    ���� We aren��t too sure about it either. According to the legend, the fated person who holds the inheritance symbol will take on the spiritual path. They will follow the ancestors into their eternal resting place, receive their blessings, and eventually be recognized����


    Sovann explained and quickly realized Rhode��s sulk.


    Rhode finally understood the ins and outs of this mission.


    An eternal resting place? In the entire Dragon Soul Continent, the only place worthy to be named as an eternal resting place for the heroes was the Astral Temple in the Seven Fantasy Boundaries! It was a place that gathered all the heroic spirits on this continent after their death. Rhode didn��t know that this was related to the Battle Mage Group. After all, only legendary heroes like the Carlesdine or high-class figures like Celestina were worthy to head into the Astral Temple. On the other hand, the Battle Mage Group? Ha. Despite their formidable strength, they weren��t popular in history. They had never fought in important wars or made any crucial sacrifice or contributions. This was why Rhode didn��t link them up with the Astral Temple at all.


    But, just a few moments ago, after receiving guidance from the other ��Christie��, Rhode finally realized why the system presented mission rewards related to the Astral Temple. It was apparent that the ancestors of the Battle Mage Group weren��t worthy of entering the Astral Temple, but they could still be guardians to the entrance! More importantly, based on Sovann��s description, their ancestors had apparently found a communication method for the Astral Temple and the heroic spirits!


    And now, the Guardian Spirits protecting the path were manipulated by the undead spells.


    Damn it!


    Rhode broke out in cold sweat. It was apparent that the Undead Creatures were attempting to unlock the seal and manipulate the channel connected to the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. Even though the heroic spirits in the Astral Temple were unlike elemental creatures, they still held their own persistence and honor as heroes in the past and would never listen to the Undead Creatures�� commands. However, it was obvious from the fact that the Undead Creatures manipulated the Guardian Spirits to attack Rhode��s group that they didn��t need to request the permission of the heroic spirits in the Astral Temple. It would be enough for them as long as they summoned the heroic spirits and controlled them with undead spells!


    Rhode had to admit that this was a great move from them. If they succeeded, the Eastern Plains would surely break out into chaos. No�� Most importantly, Rhode��s group was situated in this horrible location. If the Undead Creatures succeeded, wouldn��t they be tortured to death by an army of heroic spirits?


    Of course, it was still possible for them to return to the fortress with his teleportation ring. But if he missed the opportunity, who knew when he could come back to accomplish this mission.


    ��The situation isn��t looking good. We have to hurry up.��


    After explaining the situation simply to everyone, Rhode quickly ordered. Sovann was terrified after learning that the Battle Mage Group��s spiritual path might possibly be controlled by the Necromancers. Shortly after, everyone got ready and darted forward.


    Strangely, after the ��earthquake�� the Guardian Spirits who attacked Rhode��s group from all directions were nowhere to be found. Even though the group felt rather relieved, they didn��t slow down their pace. After a few moments, they reached the end of the tunnel under Sovann��s lead where a tightly sealed stone door stood before them.


    ��In the name of the spiritual symbol, I request to unlock this ancient seal!��


    Sovann raised the staff in his hand hurriedly. This time, the stone door finally responded as mysterious magical runes shone from it. It slowly opened and revealed the venue.


    It was a huge underground plaza that could contain up to a thousand people. Surrounding the plaza were various 5-meters-tall sculptures and judging from their appearance, they seemed like incarnations of the Battle Mage Group��s heroes. In the middle of the plaza, there was an altar that looked like a pyramid and the brazier at its center burned in blue flames.


    ��That��s a spiritual flame! How is this possible? It shouldn��t be ignited without the spiritual symbol!��


    Sovann exclaimed.


    At this moment, the flames burned wilder, where a human silhouette emerged from within and walked out slowly.


    ��Hahaha�� I didn��t expect your return, Sovann.��


    ��What?!��


    Sovann stared at the figure. He never thought that he would hear this voice again.


    ���� It��s you?��

 Chapter 812 - The Falcon’s Beacon (VII)

    ���� It��s you?��


    Sovann looked in confusion. Within the blue flames was a silhouette of a man walking toward the edge of the altar. He appeared to be around the same age as Sovann. But unlike Sovann, the man appeared to be sinister with his stretched, wolf-like face. Then, a ghastly whiteness spread over Sovann��s face as soon as he recognized the man.


    ��Lennon?! How is this possible?! Aren��t you already dead?��


    ��Hahaha�� Sovann, is that the only thing you can say toward this old friend of yours?��


    Lennon burst into a cold laughter. The tattered black robe on him trembled while something below it bulged and shrunk almost immediately. Rhode twitched his brows at this sight. He took two steps back and gestured, which Nell, Lize, and Anne shifted their positions cautiously. They stuck close to one another with Celia in front of them, wielding her sacred sword. Celestina looked up proudly, and the thorn whip in her hands transformed into a pitch-black, razor-sharp steel whip. She strolled to Rhode��s side and her scarlet eyes glinted in an odd maroon radiance. Nell laid her arms before her and two daggers emerged from her hands. Lize hid behind Anne��s raised shield while Anne carried Christie in her other arm, scanning the surrounding vigilantly.


    ��Boss and I killed you ourselves. I watched you fall off the cliff!��


    Sovann gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He had never expected to see Lennon again.


    What exactly is going on? Why is this traitor of the Battle Mage Group here? Didn��t Leader and I kill him?!


    But unlike the bewildered Sovann, Rhode was much calmer. Earlier on, he realized that there was likely a mole in the Battle Mage Group as soon as he realized that the Guardian Spirits were manipulated by undead spells. If not, why would this altar that only elite members of the group could enter be stained by undead spells? The only explanation was that the Battle Mage Group had been infiltrated by the Undead Creatures and someone became their lackey��no, it wasn��t this simple��


    ��Why are you so surprised, Sovann?��


    Rhode��s voice broke the silence in the darkness. Sovann and Lennon shifted their attention to him. Lennon narrowed his eyes and scanned the young man in silence. On the other hand, Sovann gazed dubiously and couldn��t understand what he meant.


    ��I don��t get what you mean, Sir Overlord����


    ��It��s simple. You killed him and yet he��s standing here chatting with you. There��s only one reason for this. He sold his soul to some fella who doesn��t wish to be buried in the soil in exchange for something that he wanted.��


    Rhode swept a look of disdain at Lennon who stood on the altar. The latter revealed a proud smile, but his expression instantly turned distorted at the next moment.


    ���� But, I have to say, Mr. Lennon, you��ve got bad tastes. Frankly speaking, it��s true that humans would betray their soul for immortality. I don��t object to such thoughts of yours, but even if you��re a traitor, you should also be aware of the other party��s identity. It is understandable for traitors to join the ranks of the undead, but it is an entirely different matter if one gives up on Order and turn into the claws of Chaos.��


    ��What did you say!?��


    Everyone looked at Lennon in astonishment. Lennon took two steps back, gritted his teeth, and glared fiercely at Rhode. The black, flat robe on his body bulged and shrunk once again as though there were another source of life in his body.


    Just as Rhode expected, it wasn��t considered a huge matter if humans sold their souls to Undead Creatures because they couldn��t resist the temptation to immortality by joining the undead. Even in the real world, evil BOSSes in Hollywood movies often sought this ambitious goal by destroying the world. However, the stories were fictional and weren��t true. On the other hand, the Country of Darkness existed in this world, so it appeared to be an act of defection to the enemies when humans sought support from the undead.


    However, it was an entirely different matter when one threw oneself into the lap of Chaos. In the entire Dragon Soul Continent, devil worshipers were public enemies, where they weren��t welcomed in the Light Mainland, Country of Darkness, or even in hell. The evil demons, Undead Creatures who sought immortality, and mortals saw them as eternal enemies.


    If the Undead Creatures were considered ��enemies�� to the mortals, the followers of Chaos were their ��arch-enemies��. There would come a day when the hatred between enemies was untied (in the unknown future), and the ��arch-enemies�� meant that they would fight to their last gasp.


    Therefore, everyone was bewildered after Rhode revealed Lennon��s identity. Nell was no exception. Perhaps the Dark Elves were seen as brutally heartless, but they were ultimately beings of Order, after all.


    ��Is this true, Lennon?��


    Sovann asked at man before him. At this moment, he wasn��t as anxious anymore. Instead, he put up an unprecedented solemn expression. Lennon��s face twitched slightly.


    ��I don��t know what you��re talking about. This is getting boring. Since you people are here, don��t ever think of leaving. Sovann����


    Lennon extended his arm.


    ���� Hand over the spiritual symbol and I will consider killing you painlessly. Not only that, but I can also help you be reborn to join me as a companion.��


    ��Tch! Disgusting!��


    Sovann grunted. He gritted his teeth and glared at Lennon.


    ��Dream on! I would rather destroy it than let a bastard like you stain the ideals of our ancestors!��


    ��Well, that��s a pity then. You��re aware that the Battle Mage Group has been fighting hard all their lives to seek the spiritual symbol and gain the inheritance from our ancestors, right? If Leader were here to hear your thoughts, he would be so disappointed.��


    ��If Leader were here, he would surely agree with me.��


    ��Perhaps.��


    Lennon nodded in agreement which surprised Sovann.


    ��That stubborn fart always acted that way. I knew that he didn��t like me for a long time. He only cares about chess pieces who listens to him because he will then be able to do what he likes! Hmph! He didn��t mend his ways even in the face of death�� Did he really think that he was the king of the Battle Mage Group? But it doesn��t matter anymore. After all, the spiritual symbol is here. Since you��re not willing to hand it over, I shall take it from you myself.��


    ��You��re alone, Lennon.��


    Sovann knitted his brows. Lennon��s fearless behavior astonished him because he was the weakest among the three vice leaders and never focused on enhancing his strength. Even though he wasn��t liked by the higher-ups of the Battle Mage Group, Sovann had to admit that Lennon held a certain extent of influence on the subordinates. This was also why he managed to convince members who weren��t willing to leave the Falcon Peak to join him. Of course, from the final results, those members were only taken advantage by him.


    ��Alone?��


    Lennon let out a chuckle.


    ��My foolish friend. Did you really think that I��m alone?!��


    Lennon raised his arms and the blue flames burning in the brazier behind him surged. Then, the flames splashed to the ground before everyone. Then, they didn��t fade away. Instead, they spread to both sides and burned even wilder with figures emerging one by one��Spirit Warriors!


    ��They��re once my brave warriors. They carried the crucial responsibility of defending the doors to the spiritual path. But now, they have become my subjects and loyal servants! Sovann, do you have anything else to say?��


    ��This����


    Everyone sulked at this sight. There were about 600 Spirit Warriors clad in armor standing before them and equipped with spears and shields. Their faces were distorted and exuded an incomparable murderous intent and aura of death that sent chills down everyone��s spines. This proved how terrifying the strength of these Spirit Warriors were!


    ��Oh my goodness����


    Lize clutched her hands and widened her eyes at the enemies before her. She sensed the rule powers exuding from them and knew what this represented��they were an army of warriors in the Legendary Stage! Would she still stand a chance against them?


    Clap�� Clap�� Clap��


    Out of the sudden, Rhode started clapping as he strode forward. He looked at Lennon with an unnoticeable smile. Then, he shook his head helplessly.


    ��To be honest, Mr. Lennon, I have never�� hmm, how should I put it? Yes, I should say that it��s been awhile since I have seen such an idiot like you. Even though the worshippers of Chaos are as erratic as their followers, it is rare that one can be as stupid as you.��


    ���� It��s useless no matter what you say.��


    Lennon let out a snort.


    ��All of you shall eventually die here, but be assured that I will awaken your corpses to become my most loyal servants, especially you, Mister. You have such a beautiful face. It would be a pity if it gets destro����


    Lennon couldn��t finish his sentence.


    Because the air temperature dropped drastically and made the Spirit Warriors restless. At the same time, Rhode lifted his head and revealed a vibrant smile.


    ��Good, Mr. Lennon. I suppose there are many problems for us to discuss. But I have to tell you something����


    Rhode extended his right arm. Then, a glaring ray of light erupted from the back of his hand. In the blink of an eye, a massive ritual circle emerged beneath his feet with several cards spinning and circling him. Rhode pointed forward.


    ��You��re not the only one who has reinforcements����


    [Activate Card Deck: Ultimate Army]


    Heavy footsteps sounded.


    A dozen heavily-armored warriors holding spears and shields emerged out of thin air. They lined up in two rows and erected their shields into the ground. They raised their spears and set it up in the recess of the shield. The second row of warriors lifted their shields and held them above the warriors before them. Their formation was as though an enormous monster who had snapped its jaw opened at the sky.


    [Spear Defenders��The barriers built by flesh and blood are insurmountable.]


    But this was only the start.


    Rhode raised his right arm and another card flashed in his hand. Then, a dozen Dark Rangers emerged behind the two rows of Spear Defenders. They lifted their weapons and released black smoke that shrouded the Spear Defenders.


    ��What��s that?��


    Lennon was taken aback. He stared in fear at the enemies who appeared out of nowhere. However, he hesitated no more and swung his right arm forward.


    ��Attack!��


    ��������!��


    The Spirit Warriors advanced in large strides to launch their attack, not giving a damn about the defensive barrier set up by the Spear Defenders. They crashed forward like a fierce, persistent wave.


    ��Hmph.��


    Rhode��s eyes glinted with a trace of evil smile. Then, he lifted his right hand again.


    This time, another summoning card glowed in his hand. Shortly after, a scarlet flag also emerged in his hand. He raised it high and pointed the flag at the Spirit Warriors.


    Boom!


    In an instant, the Spirit Warriors�� perfect formation crumbled. Although they continued to push forward, an invisible strength split their assault instantly.


    How is this possible?


    Lennon stood frozen to the spot. He couldn��t understand how the young man summoned so many humans at once.


    Could it be that he also has the power to manipulate spirits? But, no matter how I see it, they all seem to be humans with physical bodies!


    Rhode had no intention of slowing down. He put away the scarlet flag in his hand and swung his left arm forward��a dark mist emerged and a dozen archers in light-armor leaped out. They aimed their crossbows at the enemies ahead.


    What��s going on?


    Not only Lennon, but even Sovann was also stunned. This was the first time that he witnessed Rhode cast his skills as a Spirit Swordsman. He had never expected that so many reinforcements would emerge in the blink of an eye. But, before he figured out the exact situation, Rhode raised his right arm. This time, in an eruption of a dazzling lightning bolt, the Spirit Bird soared with its majestic wings.


    Rhode pointed forward with his finger. Then, he let out a snort.


    ��Attack.��

 Chapter 813 - The Falcon’s Beacon (VIII)

    ��Attack.��


    A faint halo expanded from him as the center. The Dark Rangers who stood behind the Spear Defenders raised their crossbows and aimed ahead. As the halo swept past them, the crossbows in their hands instantly transformed. Their bows extended and the crossbow arms became wider with dazzling, faint runes shining across them. As the magical radiance flickered, the bowstrings pulled back on their own and an elemental arrow shot in from thin air.


    Shing!


    The arrows shot a dazzling magical trajectory and through the gaps in the shields. The Spirit Warriors slowed down abruptly to the attack. They lifted their shields to defend against the menacing arrows, but it was useless.


    Boom������!


    The elemental arrows pierced through their shields and into their bodies. Shortly after, a bright, lightning-like whiteness shone. Explosions erupted and the weapons restrained by the magical force were instantly dismantled.


    ��This����


    Lize and Sovann gawked.


    Nets of lightning bolts erupted one after another, wreaking havoc in the Spirit Warriors�� already chaotic formation. Even though the Spirit Warriors were in the Legendary Stage, they seemed terribly miserable in this magical bombardment.


    How is this possible?


    They couldn��t figure it out. Although the arrow explosions were powerful, they shouldn��t have caused that much damage to the Spirit Warriors.


    ��H-How is this possible��!��


    Lennon stared in disbelief.


    ��How is this possible? My Spirit Warriors are in the Legendary Stage. Why did they fall to such an attack?!��


    At this moment, Rhode��s voice sounded.


    ��That��s why I said that those who follows Chaos are mentally-ill, just like one driving a car without learning how to stir the wheel. It isn��t surprising if that person drives right into the drain. But it seems like this world is still rather logical, after all.��


    ��You��!��


    Lennon gritted his teeth and glared fiercely at Rhode who had folded his arms and stood behind the Spear Defenders. Rhode shrugged and continued.


    ��It seems like you aren��t aware, Mr. Lennon. All spirits have only one trait after they��re dead regardless of their unique traits when they were alive, and that is the spiritual trait. In other words, these Spirit Warriors may possess strength in the Legendary Stage, but those are only the legendary presence of the spiritual trait. Moreover����


    The corners of his lips curled into an obvious mocking smile.


    ���� All beings who turned into spirits after sacrificing themselves will gain the right to stay in this world. In other words�� Mr. Lennon, all the spiritual creatures are the ��people�� of Order and yet you keep controlling them with spells of Chaos. This causes them to be devoured by Chaos while they slowly lose their power of Order to maintain their form. Even though their strength is still maintained at the Legendary Stage, their defenses are only at the Elite Stage now. Besides, due to the corrosion of Chaos, their strength is also weakened to a certain extent. I don��t know if I should say that you��re brainless or simply an idiot.��


    ��You��!��


    Lennon blew his top. But, at this moment, Rhode snapped his fingers.


    Snap!


    ��������!��


    The Spirit Bird expanded its wings, erupting a dazzling, sacred radiance. Lennon let out a blood-curdling screech and turned away instinctively. Then, the combination of thunder and lightning struck and swept the entire place like a storm.


    If the Spirit Warriors truly possessed strength of the Legendary Stage, the lightning bolts that the Spirit Bird cast wouldn��t be effective against them. But now, they were terrified of the lightning bolts glowing with holy attributes due to the corrosion of Chaos. They came to an abrupt halt and shrieked miserably. Silver-whitish electricity flowed throughout their bodies and bound them entirely.


    ��Attack! Attack!��


    Lennon didn��t expect that his hopeful pawns were this useless. He brandished his fists fiercely and the pale blue flames from the altar surged, enveloping the Spirit Warriors who were bound by the lightning attack. Shortly after, the pale blue flames dismantled the lightning attack. The Spirit Warriors hurriedly raised their weapons and charged forward. In the blink of an eye, the remaining 300 Spirit Warriors darted past the range of lightning strikes.


    Rhode twitched his brows slightly. He had to admit that the Spirit Warriors were indeed powerful despite their weakened defenses from the corrosion of Chaos. But at the same time, their attacks were also charged with the Chaos attribute. which was troublesome. Rhode initially thought that he could quickly diminish their strength, but had underestimated them. They were still hard to handle after sustaining two waves of attack from the Dark Rangers and the Spirit Bird��s AOE attack.


    ��Lize! Control!��


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode!��


    Lize raised her arms hurriedly. Then, countless golden, magical runes flashed before her eyes, shaping into a translucent barrier before the Spear Defenders. After receiving guidance from Canary and partaking in multiple battles with Rhode, Lize had slowly became more like a player. As long as Rhode told her to attack, defend, control, or heal, she knew what to do instantly.


    Even though Lize reacted quickly, the Spirit Warriors weren��t too slow either. The vibrant golden barrier emerged before them and they swiftly brandished their weapons.


    Boom!


    The barrier shattered instantly. The Spirit Warriors brandished their blades at the Spear Defenders!


    The Spear Defenders in the first row lifted their shields swiftly and pushed forward, immediately shrinking the distance between them and the enemies. The Spirit Warriors brandished their weapons on the shields, but this sudden decrease in distance between them forbade them from unleashing their maximum strength. But, even so, their strength was in the Legendary Stage, after all, where the Spear Defenders couldn��t withstand it. The Spear Defenders in the first row struggled to hang on and their strong formation shook. Lennon looked on proudly. He had to admit that Rhode��s words indeed surprised him. But it seemed like that young man might not be right at all!


    Lennon licked his lips. He widened his eyes at the view of the Spirit Warriors crashing into the enemies�� defense. But, it backfired.


    The Spear Defenders in the second row took action. After the Spirit Warriors crashed through the first row, the Spear Defenders in the second row quickly clutched their weapons and took half a step back. As soon as the first row crumbled, they thrust their spears forward!


    Cybust Formation!


    This defensive formation by the Spear Defenders had as though came alive like an awakened monster from hibernation revealing its menacing fangs and bit on the enemies who tried to harm it!


    The razor-sharp spears punctured the Spirit Warriors, and at the same time, the Dark Rangers at the back aimed their bows and released a dazzling array of magical radiance that exploded in the Spirit Warriors�� camp.


    ��How did this happen?!��


    Lennon couldn��t believe his eyes. He was confident that the Spirit Warriors would defeat all the Spirit Warriors and annihilate the group of irritating bugs lurking in the back. But he didn��t expect that the tide turned in the blink of an eye!


    How is this possible? How are they stronger than my Spirit Warriors? The Spirit Warriors are the strongest in the Battle Mage Group! How could they be defeated by this ridiculous team?! This is impossible. Something must be wrong! This isn��t possible! This��!


    An ice-cold, piercing pain disrupted his thoughts.


    He lowered his head and found a sharp dagger through his chest with putrid, pitch-black blood gushing from the wound.


    ��I����


    Lennon extended his arm subconsciously. Then, a dazzling white light enveloped him entirely.

 Chapter 814 - The Falcon’s Beacon (IX)

    Gracier sneaked up to Lennon and the blade hidden in her sleeve struck and penetrated his back. Lennon shuddered, his shriveled body bulged abruptly. He tried to turn around with fuming spiritual flames in his eyes to gaze at the ambusher. However, before he witnessed what happened, yet another little girl clad in white robe emerged out of thin air. She laid her daggers in a criss-cross stance and streaked two dazzling trajectories across his neck.


    ������


    Lennon��s skull spun in midair and his balloon-like, swelling body deflated. But Gracier��s and Madaras��s attack didn��t stop. The moment, Madaras decapitated Lennon, Gracier slashed her daggers.


    The dazzling blade rays tore his body apart.


    ����!��


    To everyone��s surprise, Lennon didn��t collapse immediately. Instead, a pitch-black liquid that resembled petroleum squirted from his ghastly wound, flowed on his body and repaired his wounds. He trembled, arms shivering unconsciously. The pitch-black liquid splashed all around in his movements.


    Now��s the chance!


    Rhode��s eyes glinted. He had no intention of dealing with Lennon face-to-face from the start, especially after detecting his identity as a Chaos worshiper. Even though he didn��t know if Lennon had gotten in too deep or was simply foolish to be dragged into this, a Chaos worshiper was the most troublesome presence. But Rhode was fortunate to have Gracier and Madaras as his subjects. Even though there were figures who could detect the presence of the Carlesdine in this entire Dragon Soul Continent, it was apparent that this idiot wasn��t one of them!


    ��Celia!��


    After Lennon was ambushed, the Spirit Warriors who launched their attacks on the Spear Defenders came to an abrupt halt. Celia expanded her wings and soared with her shimmering blade burning in unprecedented holy radiance. She gazed at the twisted darkness in disdain and brandished the sword.


    The silver flames ignited the pitch-black liquid. Shortly after, an indescribable scream rang in their ears. The pitch-black liquid struggled and fled from Lennon��s body, tossing this vessel like a tattered doll. The silver sacred flames continued to rush forward and almost devoured the pitch-black liquid entirely when suddenly, the pitch-black liquid lifted itself and revealed its distorted facial features. It widened its mouth and let out a blood-curdling screech.


    ��������!��


    The darkness stopped once again.


    ***


    It turned around and its scarlet eyes revealed fear and astonishment.


    ��How interesting����


    It rubbed its hands and maroon lightning bolts flashed. Then, it squinted its eyes.


    ��I didn��t expect that you��ve such amusing helpers, Madam Gaya.��


    Boom!


    ��Haa�� Haa�� Haa����


    Gaya fell. She held a two-meters sword in her hand. But after taking a closer look, the sword wasn��t one with a sharp, iron blade. Instead, its blade was made with a smooth, round log and completed by several silver harp strings across it. She stood up, brandished the sword, and the air around her twisted to wrap around the weapon. The creature coalesced from darkness lifted itself off the ground. The enormous wound that almost split it into two quickly restored. In the blink of an eye, quick rolling shadows filled the gaps that were slashed by the invisible blade.


    ������


    Gaya��s breathing stabilized. She clutched the sword and sized up the creature vigilantly. This wasn��t an ordinary Undead Creature nor an Undead Creature that was corrupted by Chaos. It was more of a�� troublesome thing.


    Suddenly, the faces of Rhode��s group emerged in her head.


    What is he doing here? Is he dead?


    Forget it. It��s none of my business. The weak shall eventually perish no matter how hard they struggle. If they aren��t aware of the gap between their strength and ideals, they will be punished just like Father. He indulged in his delusions and received his deserving punishment. I didn��t find any reason to be angry even though he was killed by Her Royal Highness Lydia. Only the strong deserve to be respected��provided they aren��t the enemy.


    Whistling gales blew.


    Gaya leapt back without hesitation and dodged the shadow creature��s attack. But this wasn��t the end. As soon as the shadow creature missed its target, its arm split into two and the razor-sharp claws tore through the air.


    ��Get lost!��


    Gaya shouted and held the sword before her. Then, the harp strings on its blade trembled��the air around her coalesced into a physical barrier that resisted the shadow creature. But this wasn��t enough. She stroked the harp strings on the blade and blasted a sound wave forward.


    ��������!��


    The ear-deafening sound wave merged into a vortex that shattered the shadow creature��s claws. This invisible strength continued to wreak havoc, destroying its arm and body as it advanced. The shadow creature howled painfully like a dog struck by a brick. The piercing sound wave ripped through half its body before smashing the three-story-tall cliff and turning it into powder.


    ��Tch!��


    Gaya let out a snort. This wasn��t the first time that she dealt with an Undead Creature or Chaos Beings. However, this shadow creature left her incomparably dubious. Logically speaking, no matter if it were the Undead Creatures or Chaos Beings, they wouldn��t have endless source of strength especially under the protection of the Light Dragon. Even if she failed to eliminate the power source of this shadow creature, she should be able to diminish its strength. But the shadow creature was as though powered by an endless source of strength.


    The soldiers who attacked the Falcon Peak had either retreated or died in battle. They couldn��t have survived against such formidable foes.


    ��How strong����


    A shadow in the corner squinted at the battle between Gaya and the shadow creature.


    ��Miss Gaya, you��re indeed the Munn Kingdom��s trump card. It seems like you��re much stronger than I��ve thought. Well, that��s fine too, since I need some quality material and an impressive vessel. You��ve passed my test. Miss Gaya, you��re mine from now onward.��


    The shadow curled its lips into a sinister smile.


    ��But, before that, it looks like I need to domesticate you for a bit.��


    The shadow placed its right palm on the ground. Then, his body trembled and the shadow on him blended into the earth and slowly spread to a nearby cliff.


    The ground shook and an enormous shadow that was as tall as the cliff strode out.


    ��This����


    Gaya widened her eyes in astonishment. She clutched her sword and revealed a solemn expression. She was sure that this definitely wasn��t an ordinary Chaos Creature.


    What��s happening?


    Wait��


    Gaya sulked instantly. She suddenly recalled a legend about the Falcon Peak and Eastern Plains.


    Could it be��


    The dense shadow concealed the bright sky. Then, Gaya lifted her head and witnessed its gigantic palm swinging for her. She dodged swiftly.


    Boom!


    The giant palm crashed into the ground and shook the earth. The shadow continued to gaze in amusement.


    ��How interesting����

 Chapter 815 - The Falcon’s Beacon (X)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The silver flames gradually extinguished as the pitch-black liquid vanished within.


    Without its controller, the Spirit Warriors came to a halt like robots that ran out of power. They stood still, melted, and vanished into thin air. Everything returned to peace. The surging flames on the altar became much dimmer. Rhode heaved a sigh of relief after witnessing the Spirit Warriors disappear entirely. But this wasn��t the time for him to feel relaxed. Even though the lackey had been completely annihilated, Rhode wasn��t that naive to think that he was the final boss in this area. His final goal was to complete the mission and make his way back safely!


    ��Sovann, complete the ritual!��


    ��Ah! Yes, Sir Overlord!��


    Sovann returned to his senses. Even though he didn��t understand why Rhode was so anxious after Lennon was nowhere to be seen anymore, he knew that time was of the essence. He darted to the altar with the staff in hand, while Rhode put away his summoning cards and followed Sovann closely with the group.


    ��������!��


    But suddenly, an ear-piercing sound forced everyone to cover their ears. Rhode gritted his teeth. This unbearable sound was as though rubbing a sandpaper to one��s head. On the other hand, Nell was much more unfortunate because she held sharper hearing abilities than humans as a Dark Elf. At this moment, she couldn��t continue to conceal herself in the shadow anymore as she stumbled out and half-knelt on the ground. She covered her ears and her face was as white as a sheet of paper.


    At the same time, the entire place trembled while the tall sculptures collapsed one by one. A crack began to form on the flat ceiling. Then, a lightning bolt struck the ground before them, raising billows of filthy dust and a human figure emerged from behind.


    ��Miss Gaya?��


    Rhode gazed at Gaya in astonishment because she didn��t seem as steady and calm. Instead, she was miserably covered in filthy stains all over her body. The strange-looking sword in her hand had also lost its usual brilliance and turned into a dull object.


    ��Cough�� Cough�� Hmm?��


    The young lady choked on the dust and gazed ahead after hearing Rhode��s voice. Rhode, Anne, and Lize were equally surprised. Even though they didn��t meet Gaya too many times in the past, Gaya had left them a deep impression where she was always a clean and calm young lady, unlike this miserable-looking girl. Rhode and Lize attempted to conceal their surprise, but Anne��s emerald eyes glinted at the sight of her, which made Gaya incredibly awkward. She blushed in embarrassment and let out a cough.


    ��It seems like this is the personal matter that you��re up to, Mr. Rhode?��


    ������


    Gaya��s attempt to divert their attention apparently didn��t work because Rhode continued to gaze blankly. Then, he puckered his brows and scanned her from head to toe. After detecting the Chaos manipulation in the Spirit Warriors, he knew that something was amiss with this Undead Army that had dominated the Falcon Peak. Even though the Country of Darkness and Munn Kingdom were in the state of war, the Chaos Beings were totally unrelated. But now that they were here, it meant that the Undead Army that had occupied the Falcon Peak had been infiltrated by the Chaos Beings.


    However, Rhode wasn��t overly concerned since Gaya was around to oversee the situation, so even if the Chaos Being��s BOSS were to attack, they would target her instead of himself. This was also the reason why Rhode only came to the altar after Gaya launched their attacks on the Falcon Peak. He wasn��t afraid even if the BOSS were to appear because Gaya��s strength was second only to Lydia in the Munn Kingdom. Although she wasn��t in the Peak Legendary Stage yet, she was still formidable in the Intermediate Legendary Stage. According to his observation, she should be around level 75 now, where not anyone could defeat her no matter the Undead Creatures or Chaos Beings.


    Initially, Rhode hoped that Gaya would garner all the attention from the BOSS while he completed the mission and quickly return to the fortress. However, he didn��t expect that Gaya had to escape.


    What kind of joke is this? Shouldn��t she be able to defeat any one of them easily? Could it be that the situation took a turn?


    Only a figure at the standard of the Duke Fiend could make her this miserable. But the problem was that if the Duke Fiend were here, he wouldn��t have not realized it. Back then in Soraka Mountain when the Duke Fiend emerged, Rhode��s Order Dimension instantly gave out a warning. But he hadn��t sensed any issue at all. The power of Order continued to operate normally without any signs of invasion by Chaos.


    These thoughts emerged in his head, but shortly after he thought of another question!


    Hold up!


    Rhode sulked!


    Question One: Why did he head to the altar only after Gaya attacked?


    Answer: In order for Gaya to attract the BOSS��s attention.


    Question Two: Who was Gaya fighting with that left her in this state?


    Answer: BOSS.


    Question Three: Where is the BOSS now?


    Answer: ��


    ��������!��


    At the same time, a deep, loud growl rang in their ears while shadows around the altar distorted and the flat ground trembled violently. Rhode gulped at this sight.


    Damn it! Not only did my plan not work out, but I��ve also gotten myself into trouble!


    Gaya turned to the altar, stroked her fingers across the strings on the blade, and brandished the blade.


    ��Wait��!��


    Before Rhode finished his sentence, a powerful sound wave erupted from her blade and shattered the slab above the altar.


    Boom!


    The altar was completely shrouded in dust.


    ��Hahaha����


    At this moment, a piercing voice rang while gales rose and dispersed the dust. The altar was still in perfect condition, but a mysterious dark figure that resembled a shadow stood in the middle above it. Its presence flickered with the dancing flame torches on the wall as though a shadow on the wall, but at the same time, it was a 3D figure on its own.


    What the��


    Rhode��s stomach turned to ice when Gaya launched her attack on the altar because the mission would be gone if she destroyed it. If that happened, wouldn��t all their hard work in coming to this place be wasted?


    This was the first time that Rhode felt this BOSS was an amusing one. But come to think of it, if it weren��t for the emergence of this BOSS, perhaps Gaya wouldn��t have attacked the altar��


    It seems like BOSSes are nothing but trouble!


    Rhode cursed inwardly and the dark figure said.


    ��I didn��t expect you to be able to escape from me, Miss Gaya. I admit that I��ve belittled you�� But now, you��ve nowhere to run anymore. As for you people���� The dark figure turned to Rhode��s group. ��I��m really surprised that you��re capable enough to destroy my chess piece. But this is the end, my lovely prey.��


    The dark figure raised its arms high, coalescing a dense, massive shadow on the ceiling above him. Then, two fierce-looking shadow creatures emerged. They snapped their jaws and let out a deep growl.


    ������


    Gaya lifted her sword in silence. She swept a glance to Rhode��s group and bit her teeth.


    ��Leave this to me, Mr. Rhode. I will drag it into my Order Dimension. This guy seems to have the same target as you. I hope you can use this time and beat him to it.��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode gazed at the young lady. This was a risky gamble. Even though formidable figures in the Intermediate Legendary Stage possessed their own Order Dimension, almost no one dared to activate them in the face of Chaos Beings because an Order Dimension was the materialization of power and rule. On the other hand, Chaos Beings were experts in corrupting and destroying Order. Even if Gaya managed to kill some of the Chaos Being in her Order Dimension, it would still be substantially contaminated by Chaos. In the worst circumstances, not only would she lose her strength, but she would also turn into crippled human. This was a dangerous risk!


    Rhode knew that Gaya wasn��t favorable towards him. Besides, it was true that his identity was indeed strange, so he couldn��t blame her for having doubts about him. But now, he gained a favorable impression of her after she was willing to use such a risky gamble to stall for time and allow him to complete his mission. However�� he wouldn��t let Gaya do it because he already knew who the dark figure was after witnessing the two shadow creatures.


    ��It isn��t necessary, Miss Gaya.��


    Rhode responded quickly. He knew that Gaya was one whose actions were quicker than her words. If he didn��t stop her, perhaps she would have already dragged the creature into her Order Dimension.


    ��I know how to deal with it. Besides, it doesn��t need to be that troublesome and dangerous. It��ll be fine as long as you coordinate with me.��


    Rhode said without looking at her. Then, he gazed at Christie who was in Anne��s arms and lifted his head.


    ��Anne and Lize. Take good care of Christie and assist Sovann. Then, seal this spiritual path!��


    ��What about you, Leader?��


    Anne asked anxiously.


    ��Me?��


    Rhode stared at the dark figure.


    ��It would be a waste if I don��t spend some time with the deacon from the Chaos Church, right? ��Phantom Tamer�� Gloucester?��


    ��You are��?��


    Even though the dark figure didn��t move, its high-pitched voice revealed its surprise. However, before he finished his sentence, Rhode pointed his right index finger forward��a blue halo shot out from the ring and instantly created a space made up by blue rays that enveloped the dark figure and its two shadow creatures. The two ferocious shadow creatures instantly cowered as though they were facing a horrifying monster. On the other hand, the dark figure shrieked in terror.


    ��This is�� the space of Order. What did you do! Human!��


    ��You will know it soon.��


    Rhode shrugged. Then, a card emerged and spun above his palm. It was a card pictured with a bright full moon illuminating an endless horizon of prairie.


    [Activate: Casali under the Night Sky]

 Chapter 816 - The Falcon’s Beacon (XI)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The prairie rustled in the chilly wind while the waist-tall underbrushes swayed gently like moving green waves. The bright full moon illuminated the entire prairie and every shadow was clearly visible beneath the underbrushes. Rhode stood nonchalantly on the peak of the cliff and gazed at the Chaos Being below him��the dark figure clenched its fists and gazed at him alertly. Two shadow creatures that were around four meters tall stood behind it. They seemed like two enormous gorillas, but compared to before, they had become much smaller now.


    ��How unfortunate, Mr. Gloucester. You were one of the key figures in the Chaos Church. I didn��t expect you to become so weak after cutting off all ties with Chaos����


    Rhode took a step back and allowed Gaya to take the lead.


    ��Who exactly are you�� Human?��


    Gloucester gazed at Rhode and asked in a deep voice that didn��t sound anxious at all. However, Rhode and Gaya sensed his cautiousness and hesitation. Not only Gloucester, but Gaya also turned to the young man behind her with dubious eyes. Even though Gaya was experienced in dealing with the Chaos Beings, she didn��t know much about them. She was only aware that this dark figure before her was definitely a powerful one. On the other hand, Rhode seemed to know everything about him.


    Rhode shrugged. Of course, he wasn��t spouting nonsense. After the dragon souls were smashed and the game entered the third chapter, the devils and Chaos Beings invaded the continent. Rhode led Starlight back and forth into hell more than a hundred times and naturally knew a lot about them.


    Everyone thought that Chaos Beings were emissaries of Chaos and were a bunch of crazy beings. But this wasn��t the truth. Chaos was just a reflection of twisted Order. Even though most of the Chaos Beings were erratic, the core of Chaos wasn��t totally chaotic. Instead, it was twisted, damaged Order.


    To the Chaos Beings, true Chaos wasn��t to destroy Order completely because if Order no longer existed, Chaos would turn into the new Order. They knew clearly that Chaos existed due to the existence of Order.


    It was due to this that the high-ups of Chaos Beings were full of twisted Order, which weren��t understandable to most. Under their ��guidance�� (Chaos Beings would never admit that they were manipulated and commanded because these were words that completely represented pure Order), the remaining erratic people would unleash their chaotic nature unconsciously.


    ��Phantom Tamer�� Gloucester was one of the higher-ups in the Chaos Church. However, due to the insane nature in the Chaos Beings, he could sometimes be the middle-ranking personnel or even core of the Chaos Church. This pattern was commonly seen among the high-tier BOSS and was a huge headache for the players. This wasn��t only the difference in identity and position, but the Chaos Beings�� BOSS with different identities would drop completely different equipment. Moreover, there weren��t any changes to their strength! In other words, if a high-tier BOSS was annihilated when it was a middle-ranking personnel, it would only drop equipment belonging to middle-ranking BOSS. However, its attack would still be at the same level as a high-tier BOSS! This was entirely ridiculous for the players.


    What made matters worse was that there were no order in status promotions among the Chaos Beings and they were determined based on their mood. In other words, the BOSS could be a higher-up or a low-tier member if it wanted. Such twisted, broken, and chaotic order made the players crazy. Therefore, fighting a BOSS would rely a huge part of their luck.


    Fortunately, the third chapter activated the player overlords�� era, which allowed players to manage their territories. If not, the Chaos Beings�� BOSS would dominate the entire game.


    It was due to this that the Chaos Beings didn��t seem to have a supreme leader. The final BOSS of the Chaos Beings had always been a mystery despite players entering the Deepest Labyrinth and completed the third chapter. No one was sure if the final BOSS of the Chaos Beings even existed. Rhode had even led his team through the 900 floors of hell to search for it, but there were no results.


    Rhode understood Gloucester well. The latter was an expert in using the power of Chaos to modify and strengthen other creatures. Rhode had also met some crazy scientists among the Chaos Beings. He was only about level 70, but could create creatures that were between level 75 to 80. This was a classic example of a pet being stronger than its owner.


    But now�� [Casali under the Night sSky] was a created space of Order that kept out all things related to Chaos. Gloucester could count himself lucky if he was level 60 while the two shadow creatures were level 65 at this moment. This was the weaknesses of Chaos Beings��with the Chaos attribute, they couldn��t possibly possess powers of the rule attribute even if they transcended into the Legendary Stage because their attribute was forever the Chaos attribute. Besides, apart from contaminating and destroying the powers of the rule attribute, they were no threat to others. A Chaos Beings�� worst nightmare was to be dragged into an Order Dimension like this!


    Even though it was tough for Rhode to handle them by himself, he didn��t intend to do it alone this time! No matter what, the enemy was a higher-up of the Chaos Church and had transcended into the Legendary Stage. It was draining enough for him to maintain this venue card!


    However, someone else could accomplish the job for him.


    ��I��ll leave it to you, Miss Gaya. They��re between level 60 to 65 and in the Basic Legendary Stage at the moment. You should be fine dealing with them.��


    1��Leave it to me!��


    Although she didn��t understand what Rhode meant by between level 60 to 65, Gaya clearly sensed that the endless source of strength that gave her a huge headache had vanished! Of course, she knew why Rhode included her into this space. Although she didn��t know how he did it, this was the best chance for victory!


    Gaya leapt, holding the sword horizontally before her. Then, she stroked her fingers over the strings and her black pupils glinted. She brandished her sword forward!


    Without any hesitation, Gaya put all her might into this attack��the entire prairie collapsed like soft cloth. The invisible sound wave plowed forward and turned all grass and soil into powder.


    Gloucester lifted its arms hurriedly. Shortly after, one of the shadow creatures snarled and darted forward. The shadow on the prairie gathered toward its body quickly and in the blink of an eye, the shadow creature grew into ten-meters tall! It growled and expanded its arms like a massive wall resisting Gaya��s attack.


    ��Die!��


    Gaya snorted coldly and pointed her sword at the enemy!


    ������


    There was no sound.


    The towering shadow creature instantly disappeared without a trace. The dense shadow that coalesced around it turned into nothingness immediately.


    But the powerful force didn��t stop!


    ��No!��


    Gloucester shrieked in terror. But he quickly retrieved an item from his pocket and squashed it in his clenched hand. In an instant, the other shadow creature mourned painfully before exploding into bits!


    Boom!


    The immense explosion shook the ground and stopped Gaya��s sound wave attack. Not only that, but billows of pitch-black smoke also burst in all directions!


    ��Damn it!��


    Rhode exclaimed inwardly.


    ��Miss Gaya, kill it! Quick!��


    Gaya was also aware that this space of Order couldn��t last any longer. She quickly darted forward with her blade.


    ������!


    At this moment, the prairie under the night sky shattered like a broken mirror.

 Chapter 817 - The Falcon’s Beacon (XII)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��I hereby present the ancient staff and call for the spiritual resonance before my ancestors����


    ��Lize, how long is that uncle gonna keep repeating himself?��


    Anne asked softly. Currently, only Anne, Lize, Nell, and Sovann were left in the wide plaza while Rhode, Gaya, and the enemies had disappeared to nowhere. However, the young ladies weren��t overly concerned as they knew that the mysterious tricks that they witnessed were definitely Rhode��s doings. They quickly ran up to the altar and Sovann began his ritual. Lize, Anne, and Nell guarded the place. Anne held her shield while carrying the unconscious Christie in her arm, scanning the place. However, the only enemies were already lured away by Rhode, so she felt somewhat bored. She was excited when watching the fierce battle earlier, but couldn��t join them as she had to protect Christie. However, she was clear of her duties as a Shield Warrior. Although Anne was usually carefree, even Lize and Marlene wouldn��t be as serious as her during battle. Therefore, even if she was itching to jump into fights, her top priority was protecting the people around her, including the silent Dark Elf��yes, Anne placed her at the last of her priorities since Nell wouldn��t be that easily killed, anyway.


    But even so, Anne felt incredibly bored listening to Sovann��s constant muttering. She thought that the inheritance ritual was something fun, but didn��t expect it to be this dull. What left her discontent was that there wasn��t any result from Sovann��s long-winded muttering, nor any news from Rhode��s situation!


    Lize showed a bitter smile to her grumbles. She knew more about rituals than Anne as a Cleric. In fact, such a ritual shouldn��t be completed by Sovann alone, so it naturally took much longer.


    ���� I, in the name of the Battle Mage heir, hereby summon your arrival!��


    Sovann raised the staff high and ended the incantation. The pale blue flames surged forward and wrapped around the staff. The rune at the top of the staff flickered and the gem at the tip emanated green rays of light that punctured the flames and formed an entrance. Then, the doors opened before them.


    In an instant, the dim plaza was shrouded in a green radiance while green flames splashed out of the brazier and expanded to both sides like rolling clouds. An illusory vast wilderness faintly emerged from between the separated flames.


    Then, majestic figures walked out of the flames one by one. They wore robes and held the same staff as Sovann. The leading elder gazed at Sovann and said, ��I sensed the spiritual energy in your bloodline, my child. You��ve proven that you hold the rights to stand before us and the lost inheritance has found its owner at this very moment. So now�� Tell me your ideals and wish, my child. We once sought a path that no one has walked. We overcame rough thorns and all obstacles. Now, are you willing to accept our staff and continue down this path?��


    ��This is my lifelong wish����


    Sovann half-knelt and lifted his head.


    ��I��m willing to accept the ancient inheritance and continue on the path of the Battle Mage. I swear with my soul!��


    ��Good.��


    The elder spirit nodded firmly. Then, it placed its right hand on Sovann��s head.


    ��I shall grant you the lost inheritance. Bring glory and honor to the Battle Mages as you continue to brave this continent!��


    Swish!


    Rhode half-knelt on the altar and panted with large beads of sweat trickling off his forehead. He gritted his teeth and brandished his right arm which instantly dispelled the venue before him. On the other side, Gaya stared forward sternly. Ghastly wounds could be seen on her dewy complexion and blood flowed from her arm to the ground. Neither of them spoke as they focused their attention at the dark figure standing mightily before the altar.


    1In the blink of an eye, the distorted dark figure twisted and turned.


    ��Miss Gaya, you missed!��


    ��What could I have done? That fella is too strange!��


    Gaya bit her teeth and grumbled. In fact, Gaya couldn��t be blamed. When Gloucester caused one of the shadow creatures to explode, Rhode instantly realized that Gloucester was attempting to use the exploding Chaos power to break his Order Dimension. However, Rhode didn��t have any counter solutions. He exerted almost all of his spiritual powers to maintain the [Casali under the Night Sky] venue card, which proved why he couldn��t move an inch now. All he could do was to watch from the sidelines helplessly.


    Although Gaya was quick, the Chaos Beings had always been experts in taking advantage of a crisis for personal gains. As a result, when the space of Order shattered, Gaya was struck heavily by the power of Chaos albeit her slashing the weapon onto Gloucester. Even though she wasn��t on the verge of death, the strong attack that she unleashed left her powerless at the moment.


    Rhode gazed anxiously at the twisted darkness before them. His spiritual powers had been completely diminished from maintaining the venue card and perhaps he couldn��t even summon a single spirit into battle now. On the other hand, Gaya also wasn��t looking great��


    ��Heh heh heh, what a pity, both of you�� It seems like Order is nothing in the face of Chaos. Hmm��?��


    Suddenly, he paused and broke out into cheers.


    ��The spiritual path that I��ve yearned for has finally opened. Almighty Chaos!��


    Sh*t!


    Rhode turned around and saw the illusory vast wilderness projected before Sovann. He initially guessed that the Battle Mage Group might have possibly found the path that connected to the Astral Temple. But, after witnessing this scene for himself, Rhode threw the word ��possibly�� aside.


    Those guys have actually found the way to the Astral Temple!


    However, the next scene stunned him. After the annoying cheers from the dark figure ended, it transformed into a straight black line in midair with pitch-black liquid oozing from it and dripping on the ground. Then, various disgusting-looking creatures emerged from the pitch-black liquid on the ground, howling and darting toward the altar.


    Damn it, Chaos Beings are indeed truly insane!


    Rhode cursed inwardly. He didn��t expect that this b*stard would forcefully transform into the Chaos door despite his injuries. This was the only passageway that connected Chaos and Order. Even if Gloucester was in perfect health, it would require a lot of spiritual powers to open the Chaos door within the Order Dimension. After suffering from Gaya��s attack, he still had the guts to do it?


    Forget it. Ordinary people shouldn��t be able to understand the Chaos Beings�� logic, anyway.


    However, now wasn��t the time to think about this. The omnipresent creatures of Chaos charged toward him. If Rhode could work together with Gaya to annihilate Gloucester who had completely turned into the Chaos door, they might have a chance to get out of this crisis. But the problem was that Rhode��s strength had completely depleted and Gaya couldn��t make any moves at the moment.


    The creatures of Chaos pounced on them!

 Chapter 818 - The Falcon’s Beacon (End)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Anne, activate the King��s Protection!��


    Rhode commanded. Anne stood up instantly and leapt off the altar with the steel shield in her hands. The mechanical gears inside the shield cranked and the shield changed its form where a white shield emerged from within. Anne plunged it into the ground.


    In the blink of an eye, countless silver lines erupted from the shield and formed a crystal-clear barrier that shrouded the altar. At the same time, Chaos Beings crashed onto the shield like menacing waves.


    Boom!


    Anne��s footing shook, but held on with all her might. Rhode heaved a sigh of relief.


    Despite Anne��s strength, she couldn��t possibly resist that many Chaos Beings. The terrifying part about Chaos Beings was their strength. Moreover, the Chaos attribute in them would contaminate everything that they touched. If Anne got into contact with them, she would be corrupted from her body to her soul entirely. Fortunately, Anne had a trump card.


    [King��s Protection (Ancient. Bronze. Fantasy)������Rule Watcher: Immune from attacks with Chaos Attribute. Resistance to Rule Attribute +100]


    Rhode didn��t expect that this ancient equipment that he had gotten from the Light Parliament would have a chance to shine this soon. He initially thought that the ��Resistance to Rule Attribute +100�� would come in handy when Anne faced magic spells and sword skills. Unless they were incredibly powerful, they wouldn��t affect Anne at all. The King��s Protection was the most useful artifact for a main tanker, which explained why Rhode had chosen it. As for the ��Immune from attacks with Chaos Attribute��, he thought that it would only be useful in the future.


    But he didn��t expect it to be effective so soon.


    However, this wasn��t a long-term solution.


    The Chaos Beings didn��t retreat immediately. Instead, they continued to push forward. Anne gritted her teeth and persisted. However, Rhode knew that she couldn��t hang on for too long. He had to make a decision.


    What should I do next?


    Rhode shifted his gaze from Gaya��s pale face to Lize who was treating her wounds, Nell who watched on expressionlessly, Christie who was unconscious, and lastly Sovann who half-knelt on the ground with his eyes shut. It was apparent that he was in the crucial moments of his ritual. But he didn��t think that Sovann would instantly possess the strength to defeat the enemies as soon as he came back to his senses.


    So then, what should I do next? Should I trigger the teleportation ring as soon as Sovann returns to his senses?


    Rhode gazed at the ring on his finger. However, he wasn��t sure how long Sovann would take to complete this troublesome ritual because according to his experience escorting NPCs in the game, the ritual process usually took a long, long time.


    Try again after Gaya recovers her strength?


    Rhode observed Anne��s pale expression. There wasn��t much time left and she couldn��t hang on for too long. The Chaos Beings had stacked themselves over half the barrier and let out disturbing ��hisses��, at the same time twisting their disgusting-looking bodies.


    Rhode couldn��t delay any further. Even though Anne could still hang on, it would be foolish of him to make a decision after she crumbled. As a guild leader, Rhode wouldn��t allow himself to commit such a mistake. It would be too late to run if the BOSS cast an AOE attack on them!


    ��Nell, interrupt Sovann��s ritual. We don��t have any more time. Lize, get ready. Help Miss Gaya get prepared. We��re leaving this place by teleportation!��


    Rhode made his decision. Although the mission reward was precious, it seems like he was bound to fail this time. He lacked the strength to engage in another battle. At this moment, he couldn��t even summon a low-level spirit like the Spirit Bird while Gaya was also powerless. Anne couldn��t wait for them to recover their strength and Christie��s life was also at stake. Rhode couldn��t risk it anymore!


    ��Yes, Master!��


    Nell nodded, hurriedly went up to Sovann, and stretched out her arm. However, something strange happened before she touched his shoulder.


    A blue flame leapt and pounced on her. Fortunately, she dodged and retreated agilely while the blue flame extinguished upon striking the ground.


    Damn!


    Rhode cursed inwardly. At this moment, he swept a glance to the petite figure.


    ��Christie?��


    Lize shrieked as Christie slowly crawled to her feet and observed everything in silence. Then, she ran up to the little girl quickly.


    ��You��re finally awake�� Christie?��


    Lize sensed that something was wrong with the little girl. At this moment, Christie looked back at her quietly with an unusual expression. Not only that, but her purple pupils also glinted in an eerie radiance.


    ��Christie, you����


    ��I��m fine. Thank you, Lize����


    Christie smiled and turned to Rhode.


    ��Rhode, thanks for your help����


    ��You are����


    Rhode sulked. He was familiar with that smile. But��


    ��You are�� Christie?��


    ��Yes����


    That ��Christie�� nodded lightly.


    ��It��s all thanks to you, Rhode. You helped me stabilize the spiritual path and now it��s my turn to help you����


    Christie slowly floated into the air. Lize widened her eyes in bewilderment. She had never seen this side of Christie. She turned to Rhode as though waiting for his answer. However, Rhode puckered his brows and gazed blankly at the floating little girl.


    The instant Christie floated into the air, the Chaos Beings climbing over the barrier hurriedly fled as though sensing an omen. They let out terrifying shrieks while retreating as Christie extended her right arm.


    Boom!


    Countless purple lightning bolts struck out from thin air and exploded upon hitting the ground. In an instant, the Chaos door stopped operating and Gloucester��s voice sounded. This time, apart from the craziness in its voice, there was also obvious fear!


    ���� It��s you! Why are you here! Why!��


    ��Order exists forever over Chaos.��


    Christie answered softly. A white paint brush emerged in her hand. Then, countless dazzling golden rays emerged before her and formed a huge empty canvas. She lifted the brush and painted all over it.


    ��That is����


    Rhode widened his eyes in astonishment. The painting was exactly the same as the scenery before them. The scrambling Chaos Beings, Chaos door, and this abandoned plaza. It was apparent that this Christie was a talent in painting. In only a few strokes of the brush, the entire painting had been outlined.


    However, it wasn��t her talent that surprised them. Instead, the painting was moving on its own as she painted!


    One by one, the Chaos Beings exploded and disappeared as an invisible force turned them into powder and erased their existence in this world. The pitch-black Chaos door also twisted, trembling before vanishing into thin air entirely.


    The painting was finally completed. There weren��t any Chaos Beings or the Chaos door. There was only an empty plaza.


    ��No������!��


    Gloucester screamed.


    Rhode widened his eyes in bewilderment.


    He swore with his identity as a player that he had never seen this before. As soon as Christie stopped painting, the Chaos Beings and Chaos door cracked, shattered and disappeared as though being erased from the face of this world. In the blink of an eye, they were nowhere to be seen.


    ��No������! This shouldn��t be how this ends! Almighty Chaos! This isn��t����


    Those were Gloucester��s last words.


    Everything returned to its peacefulness with shattered rocks scattered all around the plaza and dancing flames illuminated the emptiness in this place.


    Only lifeless silence existed before them.

 Chapter 819 - The True Legendary Artifact!

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��That��s right�� That��s the way, my adorable Christie����


    Christie drifted in the empty darkness. She stretched out her hand and behind her was a spitting image of herself who held her hands with a smile.


    ��Remember this feeling. This is my strength, and also yours.��


    ���� But�� I����


    Christie turned around and gazed at her other self. But before she finished her words, the other Christie held a finger to her lips and stopped her from speaking. Then, she smiled.


    ��This was also a test for you, Christie. I��ve never doubted your persistence, but I was worried that the peaceful, fortunate life would make you lose the things that you didn��t abandon when you suffered the most. Sometimes, being fortunate is a terrifying weapon. It can dissolve one��s will and make the strongest turn into incredibly weak beings. Although I can only watch you suffer in silence, I have to admit that I��ve recognized your innate character. I thought that you would be indulged in the unprecedented warmth and comfort after leaving that place�� But, it seems like you still remember this point, which makes me glad. Now, it is about time to hand this to you.��


    A white paint brush turned into a dazzling white radiance, wrapped around the little girl��s right index finger, and became a white ring embedded with golden threads.


    ��This is your strength, Christie, but you have to be stronger. I think this is a good start. You need to understand and grasp everything. With your current abilities, you��ll be able to handle it well. I believe that you��ll succeed.��


    ��Christie�� drifted to the front of the little girl. She stretched out her arms and held her hands. Then, harmless blue flames emerged in her hands and a prismatic crystal appeared within.


    ��Christie, this is my present for Master. Please hand this to him����


    ��Christie�� paused and gazed at the spitting image before her with uncertainty. But she quickly revealed a smile.


    ��After this, you will face many situations, both good and bad, and some may even be painful. This world shall be swept into an unprecedented���� ��Christie�� paused with knitted brows as though she wasn��t satisfied with the way she explained. Then, she skipped that part. ���� into a dangerous crisis. On this continent, no matter the angels, demons, humans, elves, Undead Creatures, or anything else, they will all perish. You too, Christie. You can��t avoid it and must make your own decision�� You have to do it. Alright then�� Goodbye����


    ��Christie�� vanished into specks of dust in the blink of an eye. Then, Christie opened her eyes.


    ��Christie!��


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. After eliminating Gloucester and the Chaos Beings, Christie fell from midair and to the ground. Then, her eyes had been closed as though she was meditating.


    ���� Rhode����


    The little girl revealed a blissful smile. She extended her tiny hand and caressed his cheek. On the other hand, Sovann��s ritual had completed. He stood behind Rhode worriedly while Lize and Anne watched anxiously. Nell had sneaked to the shadows without any intention of showing up.


    Shortly after, everyone heard what happened from Christie. She explained that the other ��Christie�� had given her this ring and the so-called ��Astral Key��. After taking over the Astral Key, Rhode finally understood one of the reasons why Christie had to be here. It was apparent that the other Christie was closely related to the Astral Temple and she had to appear in this place through this Christie. Even though Rhode didn��t know the exact reason, he had a rough guess with his player experience. If he didn��t bring Christie here, he wouldn��t be able to receive this reward�� But must this broken system be so secretive as to create this mysterious vibe? Wasn��t the damn mysterious atmosphere in this place bad enough?


    Rhode fiddled with the Astral Key in his hand. This was what he wanted to get from this mission. According to Christie, the other Christie said that after the Battle Mage Group��s strange inheritance ritual was completed, the spiritual path would be completely sealed. As for the new spiritual path�� Christie didn��t mention anything about it. However, the Astral Key provided the answers to him.


    ��She wants to�� give this to you����


    Rhode puckered his brows at the sight of the beautiful white ring on her finger. In fact, the doubts that he held toward Christie��s true strength was much more than the joys of completing this mission. Even though he knew that the other Christie was powerful, it was apparent that she wasn��t willing to reveal her identity. But after witnessing her strength, Rhode was baffled.


    Despite most of Gloucester��s strength being diminished by Rhode and Gaya, it was incredible how Christie annihilated that many Chaos Beings in the blink of an eye. Even though Gaya could also achieve this in her perfect form, she definitely wouldn��t be able to do it this flawlessly��only beings of Lydia��s caliber could. In the game, the only beings that players had never seen their true identity and yet possessed ��god-tier�� strength were the legendary ��Six Deity Wardens��.


    Judging from the fact that the ��Christie�� emerged here, it proved that the players�� guesses weren��t exactly illogical. Perhaps the Six Deity Wardens and Seven Fantasy Boundaries had some unexplainable relationship. But, it would be strange if that were true. It was clearly the ��Seven Fantasy Boundaries��, so why would there be the ��Six Deity Wardens��?


    Rhode shook his head at this thought. What concerned him more was that the Six Deity Wardens were incredibly powerful creatures in the game. Although the players had never fought them, it was imaginable how horrifying they would be judging from the formidable strength of their powerful critters. In the channel that connected the plane of existence, the lowest-level critters were level 70 while the final BOSS who guarded the entrance was level 90! This went to show how terrifying the Six Deity Wardens were, where perhaps even the Void Dragon would have a hard time facing them�� But, who knew?


    Even so, information about the ring on Christie��s finger emerged before Rhode��s eyes as soon as he touched it.


    [Brush (Ancient. Rule. Platinum)��The brush created for painting and recording the source of what is happening, about to happen, and happened in this world. What it records isn��t a lie, truth, dream, nor reality.]


    [Soul Binding������Only the resonance of the soul can be awakened and used]


    [Knowledge Scroll������When the holder activates this skill, the venue that the holder sees will be copied exactly. Infinite range and is undeniable. Any enemy who attempts to remove the effects will be recognized as the enemy of Order. Attributes shall turn into ��Chaos�� and attribute values will fall by 50%. The holder��s critical rate will increase to 120% when hurt. (This beautiful scenery shouldn��t be stained)]


    [Text of Order������Can be used after the activation of Knowledge Scroll. All texts that are in line with the rules and written in the Knowledge Scroll will come true (including Revival/Time Manipulation/Spatial Separation). Any presence targeted by the subject of the text (regardless of spirits or mortals) will be affected. Unavoidable. Non-god presences cannot defy. The effects on Chaos Beings are increased to 300%. (Eternal rules are undeniable)]


    [Painting of Order������Can be used after the activation of Knowledge Painting. All the paintings will come true and the strength will be that of the holder. The holder can depict any existing objects (including in the past/present/future), materialize them, and their strength will be that of their original presence. The strength of imaginary objects (past/present/future) will be presented in a way that the holder imagines for a non-fixed duration. The holder can appoint a presence, repaint it into other shapes, races, or attributes. Can be resisted. (All objects exist in this world)]


    [Absolute Defense������All techniques cast under the presence of Order will be reversed, offset, and enhanced according to the holder��s wish. In 30 seconds after the holder casts Knowledge Scroll, the holder will be immune to all attacks (including rule/time/space). When the holder casts Order spells, the effects will be doubled and enhanced with high-tier spiritual penetration attributes. (Established Destiny)]


    [Soul Amplification������Meditation enhances the holder��s soul by 3%. Increase effects of spiritual powers extraction (Billows of soul)]


    2What in the world is this insanity?


    Rhode had never seen such a godlike existence in the game, not even the Void Dragon��argh, forget about it. After all, he didn��t get a chance to loot its corpse and had instantly transmigrated into this world. As the strongest final BOSS among the five creator dragon souls, perhaps the Void Dragon would possess such a godly legendary artifact. However, he had never seen one that was at a tier above the Dark Dragon and Four Legendary Generals up until now. The ��Non-god presences can��t defy�� description meant that not even presences like the Four Legendary Generals and Three Archangels�� could avoid it!


    Not only that, but there was also the time manipulation and revival abilities of the Text of Order. If that were the case, there would be no limit to Christie��s strength. What a true legendary artifact. With Christie by his side, he could kill whoever he wanted��but, this wasn��t the truth.


    Rhode caressed her hair gently. Even though this item was terrifyingly strong, perhaps she couldn��t unleash 1% of its powers with her current strength. Rhode swept a glance at her attributes and noticed that although her spiritual powers were higher than ordinary humans, it was only about level 10. For her to activate this legendary artifact was almost impossible. Fortunately, he was glad to see [Soul Amplification]. It seemed like he should get Canary and Marlene to teach Christie about magic so she could increase her spiritual powers through meditation and be able to use this legendary artifact in the future.


    Despite his joys, he still felt rather dubious.


    Are the Six Deity Wardens really that powerful?


    With this legendary artifact, even the Four Legendary Generals couldn��t defy her as it was a tier higher than them and the Three Archangels. It seemed like�� only the Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons in the Country of Law could put up a fight.


    If it were possible, Rhode would like to use the legendary artifact. However, it was a pity that it was bound to her soul, so even killing her wouldn��t work. Legendary artifacts that were soul bound to the holders would instantly shatter at the holder��s death. Besides, Rhode wouldn��t lay a single hand on her even if he had gone bonkers.


    Since the threats were gone, no one was in a hurry to leave the place. Instead, they took a break on the altar. Although Lize and Anne were curious about Christie��s sudden changes, this wasn��t the first time that she behaved this way. The battle had already ended when Sovann completed the spiritual inheritance and didn��t witness what happened. On the other hand, Gaya scanned Christie from head to toe. After all, as a figure in the Intermediate Legendary Stage, she had also sensed the powerful strength that Christie unleashed. Rhode wasn��t concerned that Gaya would inform Lydia about this. After all, during the Midsummer Festival, Lydia held doubts about Christie��s bloodline and identity after she attempted to treat her weak body conditions. No matter what, as long as this legendary artifact wasn��t revealed to the public, Christie shouldn��t be in too much danger. In this world, Rhode was the only person who could read the item description at a single touch.


    ��Miss Gaya, what is your next plan?��


    Rhode gazed at the young lady whose eyes were wandering around Christie and had to attract her attention. Although Christie��s identity wasn��t considered a huge secret, he wouldn��t simply reveal it to just anyone. On the other hand, judging from Gaya��s miserable self from the battle, it proved how the others would suffer in the battle on the Falcon Peak.


    ��Next?��


    Gaya stood up slowly and swung the weapon in her right hand which instantly transformed into a harp. Then, the gem on the harp glittered in magical radiance and a crystal ball appeared out of thin air and fell into her hand.


    ��That is����


    Rhode gazed blankly.


    ���� Projection Crystal?��


    ��Yes.��


    Gaya looked at Rhode.


    ��Even though the process was rather dangerous, it is finally secured now. Hmph. I sure want to see if the Undead Creatures have other things to prove!��


    I didn��t expect this young lady to be this smart! Rhode exclaimed inwardly. Of course, he knew what Gaya was about to do. The Projection Crystal could record everything that the holder experienced. If Rhode wasn��t wrong, the Projection Crystal should have recorded the entire battling process on the Falcon Peak. Everything was as per usual until the infiltration of the Chaos Beings!


    On the Dragon Soul Continent, every war and battle must be held within the range of Order, which was why the Country of Law remained silent when the Country of Darkness attacked the Country of Light.


    However, now that there were traces of Chaos Beings in the Country of Darkness��s army, the situation was entirely different.


    If Gaya handed this piece of evidence to the Country of Law, the Country of Law would surely investigate the Country of Darkness to ensure that it wasn��t the Chaos Beings behind this battle. On the other hand, the Country of Darkness would also hold back their forces if the Chaos Beings were indeed involved in this battle. If not, they might possibly face the wrath of the Country of Law.


    Of course, if the Country of Darkness devoured the Light Mainland��s territory step by step, perhaps they might be powerful enough to overturn the Country of Law. But now, the Country of Darkness had suffered heavily and benefited minimally from the Munn Kingdom��s resistance. Moreover, Rhode was continuously selling the Holy Maiden Statues all around the Light Mainland to weaken the Undead Creatures�� strength. Under such a circumstance, if Gaya handed the Projection Crystal over, perhaps the Country of Darkness might recall their army and even sign a truce agreement!


    If that happened, it would be great news for Rhode. He lacked time the most at the moment. If the Country of Darkness could sign a truce agreement for one or two years, he might use the chance to strengthen his forces before dealing with them. He refused to believe that the Dark Dragon would give up his attack on the Light Mainland completely. Perhaps at the end of the investigation, the Country of Darkness would simply execute the families related to the Chaos Beings before making a comeback.


    Although Rhode already had such thoughts when he discovered the contamination of Chaos while heading to the altar and the creatures that he met weren��t Undead Creatures, he didn��t possess a Projection Crystal, after all, so he couldn��t take any actions. But he didn��t expect that Gaya would be this prepared. Although it was common practice for commanders to use the Projection Crystal to record the battles for convenient reports, the Projection Crystal was expensive, after all, and not every commander could afford one.


    Rhode celebrated inwardly.


    It seems like my trip to the Eastern Plains was the right choice.

 Chapter 820 - A Battlefield Without Smoke

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Currently, Her Majesty and Her Royal Highness Lydia have reached a preliminary agreement that the Munn Kingdom will dispatch 300 Battle Angels to the side of the Winter Castle closest to the Munn Kingdom and manage the defensive line there. As for the specific division of responsibilities, judging from Her Majesty��s opinion����


    ��What kind of joke is this!��


    A fuming voice interrupted Sonia��s report. Sonia twitched her brows in silence. Inside the crystal ball reflected a fat nobleman who wore a luxurious attire. He smashed the table before him and gritted his teeth in an ashen expression.


    ��This is treason! Treason! How can Her Majesty hand the managing rights of our territories to the angels?! This is a complete act of treason! Everyone! The territories that our ancestors expanded with their blood and sweat won��t be handed to others just like this! How are we going to face them in the future? Our����


    Perhaps sensing that no one sympathized with him or sensing Sonia��s cold stare, the fat parliament member let out an awkward cough and sat back down. Then, Sonia let out a cold snort.


    ��Can I continue the report?��


    ��Of course, Miss Sonia�� You did advise Her Majesty, right?��


    ��Yes. I��ve informed Her Majesty about the possible disputes regarding the territories, but Her Majesty trusts Her Royal Highness Lydia a lot and doesn��t believe that she will take advantage of her. Besides, Her Majesty believes that it should be us, Light Parliament, to handle the territory disputes.��


    The parliament members in the crystal ball broke into an uproar.


    ��Her Majesty is getting more and more stubborn����


    ��You��re right about that. Back then, I knew that it was a bad decision to let her go into the Munn Kingdom. That sly Archangel will surely use this chance to brainwash Her Majesty. Hmph, if this continues, Her Majesty may even become her puppet and bring trouble for us!��


    1��This can��t continue. Once our people know that they have reached an agreement, what will happen to our pride as the Light Parliament? We have to request for Her Majesty��s return right now. If she isn��t willing to����


    ��Then you will send an army to bring her back? Are you an idiot? That��s the Munn Kingdom! It isn��t the territory of an idiot overlord! Besides, there is tremendous pressure on the battlefront at the moment and we have limited manpower for the Winter Castle battlefronts! I do think that we should accept Her Majesty��s suggestion because no matter what, the Battle Angels can alleviate the pressure in our battlefront. Not only that, but we can also use this as a bargaining chip to make Her Majesty return to Casabianca as early as possible. As long as she returns to us, everything will be manageable. As for the battlefront, there won��t be any problems if we don��t let the people know about this!��


    ��But I doubt that it will be useful because that cunning Archangel might ask for a lot more. When that happens, do you think that we can back off? The position of our Light Parliament will be in danger then!��


    ��But����


    ��This isn��t a question that can be discussed.��


    A deep, stern voice interrupted their discussions, which also made Sonia��s heart skip a beat. Then, she looked up and gazed into the crystal ball where an indistinct figure stood up at the far end of the table.


    ��We will continue this discussion thereafter. Alright then, Miss Sonia, please continue with your duties.��


    ��Of course, I will do my best.��


    Sonia lowered her head and the shimmering radiance emanating from the crystal ball dimmed. Then, Sonia looked up, let out a sigh of relief, and turned around with a gentle smile.


    ��Your Majesty, it has ended.��


    ��Okay����


    Lilian stepped out of the shadow in discontent. It was apparent that she heard each and every word that the Light Parliament said. Sonia shook her head after looking at her expression. Then, she poured a cup of warm tea and placed it on the table.


    ��Please have some tea, Your Majesty.��


    ��T-Thank you����


    Lilian picked up the tea and sat down on the sofa beside Sonia. She smelled the aroma of the tea and felt much better now. She lowered her head, sipped lightly, and said, ��I��m sorry to put you in this position.��


    ��It��s nothing, Your Majesty. I��m mentally prepared for this.��


    Sonia smiled gently and shook her head. Lilian looked at her with complicated emotions.


    At the start, Lilian actually disliked Sonia because she was sent by the Light Parliament to watch over her. Although Sonia had treated her well, the thought of her being sent by the Light Parliament annoyed her. However, as the days passed, Lilian realized that Sonia wasn��t as irritating as she thought. She initially believed that Sonia would be like the majority of the parliament members where she would criticize and give orders to her. However, she was surprised that not only was Sonia unlike them, but she had also never criticized her. Besides, when Lilian wanted to speak to Lydia alone, Sonia would leave of her own accord and give her some privacy. This gave Lilian an unprecedented sense of freedom. In the past, the Light Parliament had always monitored her 24/7. But now�� it was entirely different.


    This was the first time that Lilian felt so comfortable spending time with someone other than Lydia and Rhode. However, Lilian felt that Sonia was more like an impressive subject instead. Even though Sonia wouldn��t console and comfort her like Lydia and Rhode, Sonia would get everything prepared and guide her into completing her tasks. Moreover, what was more important was that�� Sonia was also like a close friend of hers��


    However, Sonia��s background with the Light Parliament left Lilian uncomfortable at times. Ever since Lilian had a falling out with the Light Parliament, she didn��t have favorable impressions of any of the parliament members. It could even be said that she hated them. It was due to this that Lilian didn��t accept Sonia��s kindness immediately. Instead, she slowly probed, ordered Sonia to let her listen to her report to the Light Parliament and requested that she didn��t reveal her presence to the Light Parliament.


    Lilian thought that this command would put Sonia in a difficult position, but she didn��t expect her to agree swiftly and even helped disguise her presence in the corner. If Lilian didn��t personally witness how Sonia reported to the Light Parliament, she would never believe that Sonia was one of them.


    ��Those people are so annoying!��


    Lilian blew her top as soon as she recalled what she heard. Initially, she disliked them because they restricted her every movement and criticized her. But thereafter, she realized that the Light Parliament basically treated her as a fugitive, said bad things behind her back, and even thought of her as an obstacle! Not only that, but they also held hatred toward Big Sister Lydia and Big Brother Rhode just because they stood on her side!


    I hate the Light Parliament so much!


    ��Sonia, why did you join the Light Parliament?��


    Lilian asked and gazed curiously at Sonia. This wasn��t the first time that Lilian witnessed how the parliament members made things difficult for Sonia. Their words were so unpleasant to hear that Lilian couldn��t tolerate it at times. Moreover, Sonia also didn��t seem to like them a lot because she had never shown a gentle expression when she reported to them.


    ��This is my father��s wish.��


    Sonia forced a smile.


    ��Your Majesty, you��re also aware that I��m from the Lockos Financial Group, so it is impossible for me to refuse my father��s request.��


    ������


    Lilian pondered in silence. She lifted her head and finished the red tea in one go. Then, she stood up and lowered her head slightly.


    ��It��s late now. I should get some rest�� By the way, Sonia, the tea is nice.��


    ��You��re welcome, Your Majesty. This is my duty.��


    Sonia lowered her head and said with a smile. After interacting with Lilian for so long, she was confident in pleasing her now. It was just as Rhode told her��Lilian was just a little girl. But�� Sonia had to admit that she liked Lilian a lot and it seemed like Lilian��s attitude toward her had changed for the better. This way, it would be much easier to accomplish Rhode��s mission.


    The room door closed and after making sure that Lilian left, Sonia heaved a sigh of relief. However, she didn��t immediately turn in for the night. Instead, she went up to the crystal ball and gestured with her right hand. Shortly after, a pitch-black shadow emerged inside the crystal and Sonia revealed a blissful smile of indulgence.


    ��Master�� I have something that I need to report to you immediately����

 Chapter 821 - Heroic Spirits

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Interesting����


    Rhode squinted his eyes. He had to admit that the Light Parliament��s concerns were somewhat reasonable. If it were him, he would have used this excuse to dominate that territory because no matter what, he was better off controlling his fate than leaving it in the hands of idiots. Moreover, the idiots were always thinking about ��backstabbing�� all day. However, it didn��t seem like a great idea to occupy the Winter Castle too because the battlefront in the Munn Kingdom would be extended. This was only a skirmish. The Country of Darkness was honing their strength for the final push. When that happened, would the Munn Kingdom be able to resist their true enemies?


    Of course, Rhode wasn��t as anxious as before. With the ability to mass produce the Holy Maiden Statues, there shouldn��t be too many problems. On the contrary, he was more worried about those idiots in the battlefront�� He shifted his gaze to the southern region of the Munn Kingdom on the Dragon Soul Continent map on the wall��the area that was shrouded in Chaos and fog. Then, he shook his head.


    Gaya had already headed into Golden City. Judging from her loyalty to Lydia, she would definitely hand the Projection Crystal over as soon as they met and Lydia would surely appreciate its value. If Lydia wished to make up for the negligence in the defensive line, she should have chosen to make the Battle Angels defend the Winter Castle completely before handing the crystal to the Country of Law. Of course, Rhode thought that it would be better if Lydia and the Light Parliament signed some sort of written agreement for the garrison authority because even if the Light Parliament wanted to back out of the promise, it would be too late for them. But who could have predicted it?


    After all, Lydia wasn��t a human, but an angel. What if she saw this matter as more essential than ��lawfully�� expanding her territory and strengthening her defense? Perhaps she might still deliver the Projection Crystal to the Country of Law immediately. If that happened, the Country of Law would officially summon the Country of Darkness through the church and the battles would cease. The discussions between Lydia and Lilian about the Munn Kingdom sending reinforcements to the Winter Castle would also be unnecessary.


    But�� Rhode instinctively knew that Lydia wouldn��t let Lilian��s effort go to waste.


    However, no matter what decision Lydia made, the Munn Kingdom would regain its peace and harmony in the near future. Albeit, it would be the final calm before the storm.


    And this was Rhode��s only chance.


    Rhode walked up to the enormous map, extended his right hand and pressed on the area enveloped by Chaos. That place was once his most precious and important residence. Right in that place was where he established the absolute dominance of Starlight. Even though the Land of Atonement was also great, this wasn��t a long-lasting territory due to its fragility, after all. As long as he could acquire the other territory, he could turn it into his main territory and coordinate with Grenbell to create a territory with mighty defense. When that happened, not only could he assist the Munn Kingdom in the battlefront, but he could also�� wait to backstab the enemies in the rear.


    It seems like it��s about time for my preparations.


    Rhode shook his head and the system interface emerged before his eyes. There was an eye-catching blue mark.


    After completing the mission, Rhode��s group returned to the Land of Atonement using the teleportation door. As for the problems regarding the Falcon Peak, Gaya handed the responsibility over to the Elder Regime. On the other hand, Sovann had been feeling rather down as though he heard some bad news during the inheritance ritual. All in all, he didn��t mention the Battle Mage Group returning to the Falcon Peak ever since he came back to his senses. After the group returned, Rhode told Mini Bubble Gum and Canary about what happened with Christie and displayed her godly attributes to them. After the two young ladies took a look at the attributes, they were full of envy and volunteered to become her teacher to help her operate the legendary artifact. According to Mini Bubble Gum, it would be a waste to not use this legendary artifact at all! Greed and wastage were the biggest crimes!


    Rhode knew that the reason why Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were this excited wasn��t purely due to seeing this legendary artifact. It was the techniques this legendary artifact could display piqued their attention. If everything went well, perhaps Christie could use this legendary artifact and break the system restraints on them, so they could roam wildly on this continent.


    But�� this wasn��t possible in a short period.


    Apart from this matter, Rhode had succeeded in equipping the Astral Key. However, what surprised him was that the Astral Temple was entirely different from the Silver Ocean and Fiery Plains. Even though the entrance leading to the Astral Temple had been opened, he would need to have a projection of the Astral Temple in this world in order to use it. Not only that��


    ��This is too illogical����


    Rhode sulked as he gazed at the material and gold coin requirements for the Astral Temple projection. Building the Astral Temple projection required 15 million gold coins, 10 carts of magic crystals, and three spirit prisms!


    I worked so hard for this mission reward and this is how it treats me?


    Fortunately, he had quite a sum of money after selling the Holy Maiden Statues, so there weren��t any problems coming up with the 15 million gold coins and magic crystals. On the other hand, the spirit prisms were much more troublesome. They were valued like an expensive diamond down in hell. Besides, evil methods were required to retrieve spirit prisms, so ordinary humans couldn��t achieve it.


    Ordinary humans�� Hmm��


    ����!��


    The chilly night wind blew through the window. Then, Celestina emerged in the study room, raised her head proudly, and extended her arm.


    ��Alright, Master, here you go. How troublesome. Those lowly maggots in the underground jail have no rights to ask me to extract their spirit! Hmph. Each and every one of them were like filthy pigs. It is their honor to have me extracting their spirit, but those lowly maggots cried and rejected my kind offer! How barbaric! Could it be that there is something more honorable than me bestowing their death?��


    ��Thanks, Celestina.��


    Rhode accepted the three crystal-clear spirit prisms. Taking a closer look, one could witness the indistinct, twisted, and desperate faces of the spirits within.


    ��Is this good enough, Master?�� Celestina asked curiously. She already knew the purpose of the spirit prisms. However, as a summoned spirit, this was the first time she would be witnessing how Rhode constructed all the buildings.


    ��I think this should be enough.��


    Rhode shook his head and lifted his right hand and a line of system prompt emerged before his eyes.


    [Construction System Activated��Choose Building��Astral Temple Projection]


    [Summoning: Astral Temple (Residence for the heroic spirits wandering in this world)]


    [Confirm to build?]


    Yes.


    Rhode nodded slightly. Almost immediately, the three spirit prisms vanished into thin air. Then, a quick lightning flashed in the pitch-black night sky.


    ��This is����


    Rhode and Celestina went to the balcony and gazed astonishingly at the sky. The full moon and stars were all concealed by thick, dense clouds. Not only that, but the clouds also revolved with non-stop lightning flashes in the background. Shortly after, countless lightning bolts erupted.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The lightning bolts struck the high cliffs beside the fortress. The mountains shook and even the ground beneath their feet trembled. However, the lightning bolts didn��t disappear. Instead, they flickered, connected, and formed an enormous building outline that resembled a palace. Then, the dazzling lightning bolts gradually merged and emanated a blinding white radiance.


    ����!��


    Rhode turned around subconsciously. After a few moments, the radiance dimmed and he turned back around. Everything had ended.


    A towering temple made of flashy blue crystals sat on the peak of the mountain beside the fortress. However, what astonished him was that it looked so close yet so far. He lifted his head and clearly saw the flight of steps leading to the entrance. But, as he looked closely, he realized that it was as though too high to reach like climbing into the clouds.


    The entire temple was supported by columns of exquisite sculptures, including sword-wielding swordsmen, cavalrymen, warriors, mages, archers, barbarians, and assassins. Yes�� This scene did look somewhat familiar.


    ��This is amusing����


    Celestina twitched her brows. As Rhode��s summoning spirit, she naturally knew the purpose of this Astral Temple. Rhode turned around and looked at the demon young lady with a smiling glint.


    ��By the way�� Celestina, in the Astral Temple, a ritual will be held every few years. Legend has it that it will gather all seven heroic spirits and grant one of your wishes.��


    ��What a boring and foolish legend.��


    Celestina let out a snort without any interest.


    ��Alright then, Master. Which army of heroic spirits do you intend to summon?

 Chapter 822 - Astral Temple

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The flight of stairs paved with crystals emanated a faint radiance that extended toward the end. They floated quietly in the illusory air, unconnected and unsupported by anything. Rhode ascended the stairs and arrived at the entrance of the Astral Temple on the mountain peak. Miraculously, the long flight of stairs that seemed like it required a few hours to climb took less than five minutes. As soon as his feet touched the flat, clean plaza on the mountain peak, he scanned the place and found that the crystal-clear steps behind him had vanished. On the other hand, Celestina flapped her wings and landed lithely on the plaza.


    ��I��ve heard about the Astral Temple��s big name and now it seems like it is true. Even though it is still lacking in comparison to my castle, it is still acceptable.��


    Celestina scanned the temple and criticized. However, this was only her subjective evaluation, after all. In fact, Rhode had never seen such an enchanting temple even in the real world.


    The temple was around 20-meters-tall with 19 columns sculpted with brave heroes supporting the massive triangular roof. The plaza by its entrance was made of green slab and on both sides were dozens of sculptures of young ladies holding lanterns. White gentle radiance emanated from the stone lanterns. Although it resembled the Undead Creatures�� spiritual flames, it didn��t let off a chilly sensation. Instead, it brought warmth in this harsh winter.


    What was most attractive was the Astral Temple which was built by some mysterious and unidentified material. Its tall, sleek walls presented a night sky with dazzling stars.


    Rhode approached the entrance of the entire Astral Temple. The temple emanated a faint radiance while the brilliance from the galaxy flowing beneath his feet shone the interiors of the temple, revealing a hall with three domes above where dazzling stars flickered and transformed into a certain constellation before vanishing. Those were stars that emerged to commemorate and silently tell the history of the heroes.


    Rhode received all the information about the Astral Temple from the system. It could summon all the armies of famous heroic spirits in history. However, he couldn��t simply summon whoever he wanted. As one of the most mysterious and sacred planes of existence in the Seven Fantasy Boundaries, he had to attain their relics to open the channels connected to the Astral Temple and summon them.


    Currently, the Astral Temple was at the most basic level, so Rhode was limited to summoning an army of 100 heroic spirits. It wasn��t that he didn��t want to upgrade the temple��s level, but it was a pity that the upgrading of level wasn��t as simple as the Silver Ocean and Fiery Plains where it only required materials and money. On the contrary, the Astral Temple required EXP in order to upgrade! Its source of EXP would be gathered from the army of heroic spirits through battles.


    Rhode was marveled by this exquisite design. Fortunately, it was only the Astral Temple that required the EXP, so he was glad that the heroic spirits could be summoned at peak form. If not, who knew how long it would take to train and upgrade them to level 70?


    Ring!


    A few moments after Rhode and Celestina stood by the entrance, a crisp knock sounded from inside. Then, a petite figure emerged.


    It was a little girl who seemed about the same age as Christie. She wore a spotless white robe embedded with golden threads and a pair of dark brown leather boots. She held a silver staff as she walked out expressionlessly, coming to a halt upon seeing the two visitors and bowing deeply to Rhode.


    ��Greetings, my master, welcome to the Astral Temple.��


    ��You are����


    Rhode sized up the little girl before him��adorable, delicate facial features and dark hair draped over her shoulders��she looked like an exquisitely beautiful puppet. If he were to criticize her for something, it would be her lifeless eyes and expressionless face.


    Even though Rhode was also expressionless most of the time, the emotions that he presented were mostly calmness and aloofness. However, this little girl was entirely different. There weren��t any signs of life in her eyes. She looked like those NPCs who had completely lost themselves after being mentally manipulated. If she didn��t speak a word and stood on the spot, perhaps one would believe that she was just a puppet.


    ��I��m the psychic of the Astral Temple, Lesa.��


    The little girl responded immediately. However, her monotonous voice sounded as though a computerized response.


    ��I shall communicate with the Astral Temple as Master��s emissary and use its strength to assist you in times of need, including����


    This little girl named Lesa was as though a human computer as she continuously introduced her ��abilities�� and Rhode finally knew her identity. She wasn��t a human nor a heroic spirit. If Rhode were to treat the Astral Temple as a system process, Lesa would be the core controlling AI unit. He had to summon the heroic spirits through her and not only that, she could also determine the location for the summons. This also meant that if Rhode had too many soldiers to lead into battle in future, he could choose to bring Lesa and make her summon the heroic spirits after they reached the battlefield. Moreover, Lesa couldn��t be killed. As an illusory core, she would simply revive if she were to be killed. Of course, her strength would grow and she would gain more support skills as the Astral Temple upgraded in level. But for now�� apart from summoning heroic spirits for Rhode, she was only a mascot.


    ��May I know if Master wishes to summon the heroic spirits now?��


    After nearly half an hour of Lesa��s explanation and Celestina nearly dozing off, Lesa concluded. (Yes, perhaps the introduction would be a hundred page thick book if it were published). However, what impressed Rhode was that despite the long-winded descriptions, the little girl didn��t stop at all.


    ��Of course.��


    ��Alright then, please show me the spiritual proof.��


    Summoning the heroic spirits required a medium and the spiritual proof was his summoning card. This was clearly explained during her detailed introduction. Rhode paused for a second and gazed to the side. Currently, he only had four holy sword cards that he could use to summon heroic spirits. After all, he finally built the Astral Temple, so he couldn��t possibly waste the summons on creatures with the water or fire attributes that he already possessed.


    Rhode had initially planned to let Celestina summon her subordinates. However, he changed his mind after gazing at her anticipative eyes because he didn��t want to summon a group of high-class demons to his fortress��it would basically be seen as taunting Lydia. Moreover, even though the high-class demons could transform into human form, he was also concerned about turning his territory into a chaotic mess.


    On the other hand, he didn��t need to worry about this problem with Celia. But he also couldn��t explain how he managed to get his hands on a Battle Angel Army. One or two of the Battle Angels were fine, but if 100 Battle Angels were to roam the streets, it would surely raise suspicions. Moreover, he also wasn��t confident if the Battle Angels would heed his command judging from his somewhat sinister method of work.


    Since that��s the case, my only choice left is��


    Rhode extended his arm and a card emerged in his hand. Then, he passed the card over.


    Lesa received it with both hands humbly. Then, she gazed silently at the holy sword card. Her lifeless eyes instantly brightened.


    ��������Confirmed. Spiritual Proof������Gracier������About to enter summoning mode����


    Lesa lifted her head and looked at Rhode.


    ��Confirm to use this card as a medium and summon the heroic spirits?��


    ��Of course.��


    ��Understood.��


    Lesa replied firmly. The little girl threw the card in midair and watched it spin. Then, she raised her silver staff and tapped lightly on it.


    Boom!


    A dazzling lightning bolt struck the roof of the Astral Temple in a loud explosion. Shortly after, countless electric arcs shuttled down and formed an oval door that hovered in midair inside the hall.


    Then one by one, figures emerged from within the oval entrance.

 Chapter 823 - Moon Blade Guards

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The young Elf ladies stepped out of the oval spatial door hovering in midair, lining up neatly in their lightweight glass armor. They had a sword around their waist, as well as an exquisite glass bow on their backs. Just like Gracier, they wore a white robe with the hood concealing their faces. Their pointy ears poked out of the two holes in the hood, revealing their true identity.


    Bow Knights?


    Rhode widened his eyes while Celestina snorted and turned around. It seemed like she knew clearly who these heroic spirits were.


    Rhode was knowledgeable about the Bow Knights. Within the Elf race, they were second only to the Carlesdine. They were experts in using bow and arrows, and also strong in close-combat. Not only that, but they were also experienced in manipulating magic and could be considered all-rounders. However, on this continent today, Bow Knights could no longer be seen among the Elves anymore. The reason for their extinction was unlike the Carlesdine, where the Carlesdine disappeared during the Creation War due to grave damage. Moreover, the Carlesdine had also erased their existence in this world, so there was no heir to continue their legacy. Therefore, as the White Elves vanished, the Carlesdine were also completely gone.


    From a certain perspective, the Bow Knights were special units of the Elves just like the Carlesdine. However, the reason for their disappearance was simple��during the Creation War, only one type of Elf was capable of becoming a Bow Knight.


    Moon Elves.


    Only the Moon Elves, who were second to the White Elves, were perfect and possessed abilities for magic and combat in the Legendary Stage. Even though they were mostly in the Basic Legendary Stage, their threat on the battlefield was magnified with their numbers.


    After the Creation War ended, the White Elves were wiped out entirely while the Moon Elves took a huge hit. Then, the royal Moon Elves carried on the responsibility of leading the Elves from the White Elves. They could no longer roam in heavy armor and bows anymore. Moreover, even though the Bow Knights were powerful, they were still cannon fodder in battle. But using the royals as cannon fodder�� of course, it was impossible.


    The Elves had fully lined up before Rhode at the moment. Even though they appeared young, their coordination was neat and disciplined. This was something that Rhode had never seen in Elves before. After all, Elves mostly sought after the beauty of nature. Back then, they merely sacrificed themselves for the sake of protecting their race. Although they had received powerful strength in exchange, they still held onto their Elf nature. But it seemed like these Elves had been in battles and were veterans, judging from their sharp battle aura.


    ��Greetings, Sir Overlord.��


    Shortly after, a Bow Knight who apparently was their commander stepped out and saluted respectfully. Along with her movements, the remaining Bow Knights behind her stood up straight and saluted formally. Then, the Bow Knight took down her hood and gazed at Rhode silently. She had gentle-looking features unique to the Elves, but the determined expression and tightly curled up lips displayed her seriousness.


    ��Elf Guards First Army��Moon Blade Legion. Reporting!��


    ��Elf Guards?��


    Rhode knitted his brows. It was only now that he realized how overly strong these Moon Elves were. He remembered that in the game, the Moon Elves should be in the Basic Legendary Stage. But now, they were basically hovering around the Intermediate Legendary Stage! Although they were spiritual creatures and couldn��t cast their Order Dimensions, they were still very strong. The few Moon Elves standing before him had almost reached the Peak Legendary Stage!


    Although he knew that the Bow Knights who joined the Creation War were insanely strong, it wasn��t until now that he realized it was to this extent.


    ��Yes, Sir Overlord.��


    The commander nodded lightly after sensing his doubts. Then, she gazed at the summoning card in his hand with a complicated glint.


    ��We��re Her Royal Highness Princess Gracier��s direct guards and I��m their commander. You can call me Nightingale.��


    Her Royal Highness Princess Gracier?


    Rhode��s eyes glinted in curiosity and shifted subconsciously to the card in his hand. Even though he knew that Gracier and Madaras were extraordinary beings, he didn��t expect them to be this powerful. Royal White Elves�� They were legendary beings created by the Creation Gods and the ones closest to the Creation Gods. Rumors had it that every royal member possessed strength in the Peak Legendary Stage and reached the levels of the Creation God after becoming an adult. If it weren��t for the problematic reproduction of Elves and for the fact that the White Elves took the hardest hit during the Creation War, who knew who would be ruling the entire Dragon Soul Continent now.


    Of course, Rhode predicted that this army of Bow Knights would definitely attract someone��s attention. However, he wasn��t too concerned because compared to the trouble of summoning a Battle Angel Army, the problems with an Elf emissary like Corina were less critical. Moreover, the Land of Atonement was miles away from the Country of Law, so they could do nothing about him even if he formed a team of Moon Elves as Bow Knights. Besides, since the Queen Elf had already recognized Gracier and Madaras, she shouldn��t be too mindful of the Moon Elves as Bow Knights.


    No matter what, it was still better than producing a bunch of demons and angels out of nothing.


    ��She is����


    At this moment, Celestina approached them. Nightingale gazed at her and paused blankly. Then, she lowered her head and gave a bow hurriedly.


    ��Apologies for my rudeness, Your Highness Celestina. I didn��t expect to see you here.��


    ��You two know each other?��


    This piqued Rhode��s curiosity. Nightingale raised her head and nodded lightly.


    ��Yes, Sir Overlord, Her Highness Celestina and Her Royal Highness Princess Gracier have once����


    ��Cough!��


    Celestina interrupted with a harsh cough. Then, she stared at Nightingale with widened eyes and let out a snort. She turned to Rhode. ��Alright, Master, since the troublesome matters are done, I��ll be heading back to rest now. This ridiculous place is freezing. How annoying!��


    Celestina stomped her foot on the ground before transforming back into the card in the puff of black smoke.


    Rhode wasn��t surprised by her behavior. But, what annoyed him was that whenever he mentioned the relationship between Celestina and Gracier, she would always say that they were once close friends. On the other hand, Nightingale had also sealed her lips on how a demon lady like Celestina met the royal White Elves and even became friends.


    Without a choice, Rhode switched the topic and talked about the heroic spirits with Nightingale. Then, he learned from her that they were the same as the elemental creatures. He could lead Nightingale and the Bow Knights to any place and their strength wouldn��t be weakened from being too far away from the Astral Temple. However, as heroic spirits, they needed to replenish spiritual powers in order to maintain their physical form, which would require Lesa��s help. In other words, at the end of every battle, Lesa had to extract spiritual powers from the surroundings to restore their strength. If the heroic spirits depleted too much spiritual powers, they would disappear entirely.


    But, there weren��t any problems for them to restore spiritual powers in the Astral Temple due to the magic spring that Rhode had built in his territory, where they could extract spiritual powers directly from the magic spring. Of course, if the situation was dire, he could also replenish their spiritual powers. But Nightingale didn��t mention how he could accomplish that.


    What left Rhode in disappointment was that even though Nightingale mentioned he could train others into becoming Bow Knights after building the Astral Temple, she also said that only Moon Elves were qualified to be Bow Knights. This instantly shattered his plans to mass produce them. How could he even find a bunch of Moon Elves to be trained into Bow Knights? Perhaps even the Elf Forest had less than a hundred of them��


    Rhode��s head started hurting��

 Chapter 824 - After the Winter Season

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Winter is almost over.


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction as he stood on the balcony and watched over the bustling streets. Even though he had also built a fortress in the game and developed it into the mightiest city, he felt content watching its huge transformation from nothing. He also didn��t know if it was due to the fact that spring was coming that he felt like he was in a better mood.


    After returning from the Eastern Plains and building the Astral Temple, everything turned out well. Due to his habit of keeping secrets, he didn��t arrange for the Bow Knights to patrol the fortress. He made them stay in the Astral Temple for the time being. Although the residents within the fortress were also curious about the mysterious yet majestic building at the peak of the mountain, they quickly got used to it. After all, having stayed this long enough in the fortress, they knew that Rhode had all sorts of tricks up his sleeves and could build a whole new building overnight. Moreover, the Ocean Elves had been roaming the fortress and they were all used to them already.


    This time, Rhode had gained a lot from his trip to the Eastern Plains��namely Christie��s legendary artifact and the Astral Temple. He had gotten Canary and Mini Bubble Gum to care for Christie, and Marlene joined thereafter. Although Marlene��s mastery of magic wasn��t as great as Canary��s, even 10 Canarys couldn��t compare to Marlene in term of magical theory. As the magic that Christie used wasn��t the true form of magic, magical theory lessons were also critical from a certain perspective.


    As for Sovann, Rhode didn��t know what happened during the inheritance ritual. However, Sovann appeared much better after returning to the fortress, and he was also willing to hand over the training secrets for the Battle Mage Group. However, Sovann told Rhode that the reason why the average strength of the Eastern Plains�� people was so high wasn��t due to some secret training method. To a large extent, it was due to them receiving systematic training from a young age, which produced the results today. As for the mercenaries�� Although Sovann didn��t mention it, Rhode understood what he meant. But Rhode wasn��t concerned because indeed, it would be too late to train even newbies like Joey and Randolf from a scientific angle. However, he didn��t forget that he had the science-breaking Sphere of Mystery�� Hmm? Wrong. It was the system doing the work, so it shouldn��t be considered science, right?


    According to Sonia��s report and the intelligence collected from Gillian��s ��network��, Rhode had a new understanding of the current situation. As more and more Holy Maiden Statues were distributed, the Undead Army��s threats were increasingly eliminated, including those in the Eastern Plains. Currently, even though there were still small-scale clashes in border regions, the chances of large-scale attacks from the Undead Army were getting slimmer.


    As for Lilian, Rhode learned from Sonia that in the final discussions, the Light Parliament had partially agreed to her suggestion. They allowed the Munn Kingdom��s reinforcements to only defend the military frontline and not get involved with non-military affairs by the rear. This left Lilian fuming in discontentment. However, Sonia consoled her and Lilian eventually calmed her anger. She returned to the Country of Light after signing the agreement. What amused Rhode was that he didn��t know what sorcery Sonia used on Lilian, but it was apparent that the little girl liked her a lot. After returning to the Country of Light, Lilian requested for Sonia to be transferred to her side. Of course, this was the best opportunity for the Light Parliament to further monitor Lilian who appeared as a threat in their eyes and they agreed wholeheartedly to Lilian��s request. Not only that, but they also seemed to be glad that Sonia gained Lilian��s likes in such a short period of time and hoped that Sonia could use the opportunity and ��brainwash�� Lilian more.


    Rhode let out an inward chuckle after hearing the instructions that the Light Parliament had given Sonia. That bunch of idiots was totally hopeless. They would never think that Sonia was actually his devoted pet. On the other hand, Rhode had confirmed that Lydia signed the agreement with Lilian despite receiving the Projection Crystal from Gaya. This apparently proved that Lydia didn��t wish to hand the fate of the Munn Kingdom into the hands of others, so Rhode heaved a sigh of relief.


    However, Rhode felt weird at times about how Lydia made her decisions. Logically speaking, an angel��s standpoint and politics weren��t anywhere compatible because angels were members of kindness and order while politics couldn��t be considered as a good or just cause. This was also why the Munn Kingdom was this wealthy and powerful, yet was always behind the Country of Light. The Light Parliament also seemed aware about the differences between angels and humans, which was why they brazenly stained the reputation of angels, knowing that angels wouldn��t get back at them. However, Lydia was special. Her decisiveness and determination left Rhode gasping with admiration.


    Regarding the refugees, Marlene��s plan was surprisingly effective. Even though the number of battles had decreased, refugees continued to leave their homeland. Marlene used her contacts in the Senia Family and got in touch with other territorial overlords, so most of them immediately sent the refugees to the Land of Atonement. Just as Marlene predicted, many overlords were having headaches over this problem as they lacked the funds and foodstuff to provide the refugees. To make matters worse, it was still the winter season. Moreover, conflicts between the refugees and locals had also brought them a whole lot of trouble. Since Rhode was willing to resolve this problem for them, they gladly accepted his help. Of course, there were also clashes and conflicts within the Land of Atonement after the refugees arrived, with some attempting to incite and take advantage of the crisis for personal gains. However, those idiots apparently didn��t understand Rhode or the Land of Atonement. After Rhode hung the corpses of those idiots on his city wall, the people finally knew not to mess with him or stir any trouble in this place.


    Of course, Rhode was clear that this was all an illusion. The main reason why the refugees were willing to spend their lives here was due to his powerful strength and means to suppress defiant ones. After all, the refugees had had enough of wandering helplessly. Therefore, even though he wasn��t considered kind and was actually rather frightening, they could only accept this fact. After all, their home didn��t belong to them anymore.


    On the other hand, Marlene��s ��loan plan�� worked perfectly. Indeed, there were several talents among the refugees including hunters, artisans, blacksmiths, and intermediate alchemists. Also, there were several jobs for merchants. After they settled down in the Land of Atonement, they quickly relied on their skills and experiences in establishing their businesses. The Land of Atonement had become much livelier now. Of course, on the other hand, Rhode requested for Marlene to observe the merchants among the refugees and told her to recruit the talented ones as Ann��s subordinates and form his own independent trade association. This matter was currently in the works and should be completed soon according to Marlene. The only problem was that Ann was Marlene��s assistant and didn��t have the time to manage her daily merchant routines. Moreover, there also wasn��t anyone else who was trustworthy enough to handle the operations of the trade association. Although the refugees seemed sincere, who knew what was going on in their heads?


    As the refugees entered the Land of Atonement, the recruitment of Mages that Canary constantly kept in mind had finally been settled. She found a number of magically talented children among the refugees with the Mages from the Mage School and sent them to the Mage Tower for education. Although they were still young, Canary was confident that with the Sphere of Mystery, they could become official Mages in a year.


    ��Master.��


    The shadow behind Rhode shook and Nell stepped out of it. She gazed palely at the sky and sun, lowering her head.


    ��Our patrol team is back. We��ve searched the border and didn��t find anything.��


    ��I see����


    Rhode puckered his brows.


    ��Is the Order Flame Column still burning?��


    ��Yes, Master. I��ve seen it for myself. There isn��t any problem. But I didn��t discover the strange marks on the Order Flame Column that you wanted us to find.��


    ��Okay.��


    Rhode nodded and gazed at the sky, holding his hands together. Even though winter was slowly over, the thick layer of snow continued to cover the mountains.


    As Rhode pondered deeply, Nell interrupted his thoughts.


    ��Master, there��s another matter I need to report to you.��


    ��What��s the matter?��


    ��Miss Lapis hopes that you can pay the workshop a visit. She mentioned something about a major breakthrough in research and development.��


    Nell sounded rather unnatural when speaking about Lapis, but she couldn��t be blamed. Even though Lapis and Nell were considered descendants who separated from the main Elf race due to unique circumstances, they didn��t see each other as companions. No matter what, the Dark Elves had a horrible reputation. Even though the Behermes also weren��t saints, at least they didn��t commit any outrageous acts on the verge of extinction like the Dark Elves. Besides, Lapis was gentle and peaceful in nature, so it wasn��t surprising that she disliked Nell. On the other hand, Nell knew about it and had no intention of making up for their relationship. Anyway, all she had to do was lurk around Rhode, pass messages, resolve some hassles, and sometimes satisfy his desires. Such a life was much better than living in the underground.


    ��Okay.��


    Rhode nodded while Nell stooped over and vanished into the shadow. Rhode left the balcony, exited the study room, and gazed at the empty corridor. At this moment, Lize descended the flight of stairs.


    ��Mr. Rhode?��


    Lize came to a halt and looked curiously.


    ��Where are you going?��


    ��I received a message from Lapis about some major breakthrough, so I��m heading to the workshop to have a look. What about you, Lize?��


    ��I�� I was just walking around����


    Lize blushed slightly. Then, she lifted her head and revealed her usual gentle smile.


    ��Can I go with you, Mr. Rhode?��


    ��Of course.��


    The duo arrived at the entrance of the workshop. Compared to the broken and tattered room in the past, this looked more like an alchemist workshop��professional, minimalist, and clean�� Yes, the messy sight was nowhere to be seen.


    ��I haven��t seen Lapis for awhile���� Lize said and let out a sigh.


    ��Did you two have a quarrel?��


    Rhode sensed the strange tone in her voice and turned to her curiously. Lize hesitated for a moment and shook her head with a bitter smile.


    ��No, we didn��t, Mr. Rhode. It��s just that����


    Lize bit her lip and said.


    ��It��s nothing. I��m just rather worried about her. You know it too, Mr. Rhode, she often forgets her meal because she��s overly passionate in her work.��


    That��s true.


    Rhode shrugged. Lapis always behaved this way, especially after she accepted the wisdom of the Behermes. In order to digest all of it, she had put in a lot of effort. In the past, perhaps she would��ve starved to death if Christie weren��t around to remind her. But�� Rhode looked at Lize. Based on his understanding of this young lady, he knew that something was amiss. But since Lize wasn��t willing to talk about it, he wouldn��t continue to pester her.


    Rhode shifted his gaze to an exquisite metal bar by the side of the door.


    Hmm�� Looks like she��s still the same old self.


    Rhode picked it up and knocked on the door.


    Knock knock knock.


    Rapid footsteps were heard from behind the metal door. Then, a slight gap opened and a young lady clad in an alchemist robe peered from behind. As soon as she saw Rhode and Lize, she hurriedly bowed.


    ��Greetings, Sir Overlord, Miss Lize.��


    ��Don��t stand on ceremony. I heard that Lapis was looking for me?��


    ��Yes, Sir Overlord. Madam Lapis is looking for you. She said it is something about the����


    Before the young lady finished her sentence, they heard Lapis�� voice.


    ��Who��s here? Is it Sir Rhode? Great! I��m about done here�� Huh? H-Huh?! Oh no! Wait! Hold on! Don��t come in! E-Everyone, run����������!��


    Boom!


    The group witnessed a white mushroom cloud of smoke rising from the backyard of the alchemy workshop.


    She didn��t change at all��


    Rhode shook his head helplessly.

 Chapter 825 - Final Pike (1)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��I wouldn��t be surprised at all if I heard news of your passing, Lapis.��


    Rhode sighed at the sight of the bombarded workshop and the smoke stain all around. But judging from the tall explosion-proof barriers around��yes, at least she had some places to hide from the explosions.


    ��This�� Sir Rhode����


    Lapis spoke with filthy dust all over her awkward face. This was the first time that Rhode saw her wrapped in a cloak like a rice dumpling. However, what amused him was that after possibly thousands of explosions, the cloak was still in perfect condition.


    This can��t be another legendary artifact, right?


    ��Anyway, clean your face first.��


    Rhode retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the stains off her cheeks. No matter what, she was still his subordinate and he didn��t feel pleasant seeing her in this terrible state.


    ��No matter what, you��re still a girl, Lapis. You��ll be in big trouble if you get disfigured.��


    ���� Ah. Yes�� Sir����


    Lapis stood blankly on the spot. As soon as Rhode��s handkerchief touched her cheek, she had as though turned into a blushing petrified wood. Rhode amusingly gazed at her uncertain, yet embarrassed expression before giving her a slight pinch.


    ��Alright, Lapis, you said you were looking for me.��


    ��Ah. Yes!��


    Lapis came back to her senses instantly. She clapped her palms and led Rhode and Lize to the side platform, where a strange-looking item instantly captured their attention.


    ��What��s that, Lapis?��


    Lize asked about the item that resembled a staff. But, unlike an ordinary staff, its body was made of metal and the tip of it was protected by thick armor. Not only that, but Rhode also realized that this item was shaped rather oddly because usual staff for Mages were generally made from cylindrical wood. On the contrary, the body of this item was connected by two circular arcs of metal, forming a small circular hole in the middle.


    It doesn��t look like a staff. It looks more like a miniature magic cannon of some sort��


    ��This is the Final Pike that Miss Marlene brought. I��ve modified it and it can now reach its desired effects����


    I see.


    Rhode recalled that after the battle between the North and South, he had once asked Marlene about the production process of the magic cannons. Back then, Marlene mentioned that her family was developing a miniature and portable magic cannon. Although the invention was successful through countless real-time battles, its price was too expensive and it couldn��t be mass produced, so this project was abandoned as a result. Marlene passed this weapon to Lapis for modification using skills of the Behermes. But Rhode didn��t give too much thought about it and left the matter in Marlene��s hands. After all, he was concerned with an upcoming attack from the Country of Darkness during that period of time.


    ��How��s the progress?��


    Rhode asked with some interest and Lapis began describing the status eagerly.


    ��Miss Marlene��s biggest concern is its disproportionate input and output. So, I broke it down and examined the parts, only to realize that it requires a whole lot of energy consumption. The main reason is that the energy that it releases is stored in the high-purity magic crystal. After triggering the magic crystal, the power within will be released through a transmission route. The biggest problem is that high-purity magic crystals are hard to mine and costly too����


    Out of a sudden, Lapis became excited.


    ���� So, I reverse-engineered it. In fact, this weapon is great, but the problem comes from the rarity of the high-purity magic crystals and the short duration of its effects. I guess ordinary magic crystals can be used in place of the magical powers while mottled crystals can be used for attacks!��


    ��Mottled crystals!��


    Lize exclaimed while Rhode twitched his brows somewhat curiously. Of course, he knew what they were. The so-called mottled crystals were in fact impure magic crystals. Such magic crystals were generally mined from the outermost layer of a magic crystal mine and contained various energies. Due to their impurities, basically no one used them because injecting magical powers into them would trigger explosions. But on the other hand�� Nothing could beat it in terms of price.


    ��But�� Lapis, the mottled crystals will explode after being magical energy contaminates them.��


    It was apparent that Lize was knowledgeable about it. After all, as a spell caster, she knew a lot about magical items.


    ��Of course, so I modified it a little.��


    Lapis revealed a proud, cheeky smile, which was rare to see. Then, she stooped over and pulled out a cone-shaped metal from under the platform.


    ��Look at this!��


    ���� What��s�� that?��


    Lize gazed blankly at the 10-centimeters-long cone-shaped metal wrapped in a layer of brass with a magic crystal within. It was obvious that the magic crystal should be the mottled crystal that Lapis mentioned. Rhode scanned and realized that��


    This sure looks familiar.


    ��After my research, I discovered that it would be a waste to use pure magic to release its power because this weapon can��t cast various spells like staff for Mages. In other words, its purpose is to simply explode and destroy the enemies, which is why I produced a trigger mechanism in the form of a tiny magic crystal at the front of its brass shell. When it ejects and hits the target, the tiny magic crystal will be activated and the transmitted energy into the mottled crystal will cause an explosion instantly! Its might is as powerful as a direct hit. I guarantee!��


    Yea. I believe that you��re in the Legendary Stage in this aspect.


    Rhode exclaimed inwardly. Then, he knitted his brows.


    ��Is this safe?��


    ��It����


    Lapis revealed a depressed expression.


    ���� To be honest, Sir Rhode, this problem hasn��t been resolved and I��m still searching for a solution. There is a problem in the distance between the triggering mechanism and the mottled crystal. If an ordinary crystal is used, the stability won��t be an issue. But, the mottled crystals are too sensitive to external magical powers�� I��ve tested all sorts of magic crystals. The high-purity magic crystals aren��t necessary while the other grades of magic crystals meet the requirements. The mottled crystals are the only troublesome ones����


    ������


    Rhode pondered deeply. He knew what sort of changes this invention could bring to this world, just like a modified technique or strategy in the game. As long as it brought sufficient benefits, it would be spread among the entire player base immediately. He understood that Lapis chose mottled crystals to lower the budget, which was also Marlene��s biggest headache back then. But now��


    ��Lapis.��


    ��Yes, Sir Rhode.��


    Lapis lifted her head and gazed curiously.��


    ��How many people know about this modification plan for the Final Pike?��


    ���� Even though Miss Marlene said that this is an abandoned project, the Final Pike is still a magical weapon developed by the Senia Family after all, so I didn��t mention it to others. Basically, I��m the only one managing it and of course, I��ve also gotten others to purchase the materials.��


    ��Do they know about this modification plan?��


    ��Yes. My assistants do. Christie has also provided a lot of suggestions.��


    Even Christie is aware?


    Rhode held his forehead. Lapis was indeed a pure scholar and it seemed like he couldn��t rely on her keeping secrets about such military affairs. In this aspect, Sara was much better than her�� But, it was a pity that Sara��s expertise was different from Lapis��. If not, Rhode would have appointed Sara as Lapis�� assistant, so the latter would learn to be less careless. Although Lapis didn��t reveal the technical details, the modification of the Final Pike should have been an absolute secret. But now, even Christie knew about it?


    Of course, Rhode didn��t think that Christie would leak the secrets. But the problem was that the more people the people who knew about it, the more dangerous it would be. It was apparent that Lapis wasn��t aware of this.


    It seems about time to change this situation.


    Rhode knitted his brows. It didn��t matter if Lapis talked about producing magical weapons or concocting potions. But it was an entirely different story when it involved a dangerous weapon like the Final Pike.


    It looks like I��ll need to increase the secrecy level of this place.


    Rhode made up his mind.

 Chapter 826 - Final Pike (2)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��I request that you stop everything regarding the modification research of the mottled crystals from today onward.��


    ��Huh?��


    Lapis was stunned. Lize gazed dubiously from beside him. In fact, they knew how important this research was. But, why did Rhode�� make such a decision?


    ��Why, Sir Rhode?��


    Lapis knitted her brows and asked in discontentment. Rhode sighed inwardly because this was what he expected. Lapis had holed herself up for too long apart from society. She was like the scientists who appeared in the movies��indulged in their theory and research, where they didn��t care if their work would destroy the world. Wrong; one should say that they didn��t notice instead. They worked hard and craved to successfully create or resolve the tough tasks. Marlene clearly knew what damage magical weapons could bring to the world, but Lapis��s only resolve was to tackle the problem of ��lowering the Final Pike��s high consumption rate and using the lowest budget to accomplish the desired results��. The concerns about these weapons puncturing holes in innocent people had never been a consideration in her head.


    If it were others, Rhode wouldn��t be mindful. However, Lapis was different. Besides, he considered her background and understood the reason why she worked so hard. He didn��t wish to see his capable subordinate regretting her decision in the future, mourning that everything she did would bring so much harm. Of course, it would be a waste if he lost her after she blamed herself.


    Taking the vaccination early wouldn��t be wrong.


    ��Lapis.��


    Rhode gazed at the young lady. He was aware of her dissatisfaction. However, this was fine. If she could listen to his words under such a circumstance, it would prove that everything he did was right.


    ��Let me ask you. Who were the ones who could use the Final Pike when Marlene brought it to you?��


    ��Hmm����


    Lapis pondered.


    ���� The ones who grasped spiritual powers. After all, the Final Pike doesn��t require their supply of coalesced powers. They only need to activate the weapon with their spiritual powers.��


    ��Alright then. You should be aware of the reason why the Senia Family abandoned this project, right?��


    ��Yes. High-purity magic crystals are too expensive and rare, so they couldn��t mass produce.��


    Lapis gazed curiously at him. Didn��t they just talk about this problem? This was why Marlene brought this weapon to her for modifications, wasn��t it?


    ��So, let��s say that your research is successful. The mottled crystals perfectly fit into your design. Can we mass produce and hand them to everyone?��


    ��That��s for sure!��


    Lapis turned excited and gesticulated for joy.


    ��No problem! Although triggering the mechanism requires magic crystals, they won��t be as rare as high-purity magic crystals. If we succeed, anyone who grasps spiritual energy can����


    Lapis lowered her voice all of a sudden and puckered her brows as though something wasn��t right. Then, she finally discovered the problem.


    ��That��s right, anyone can use them as long as they possess spiritual energy.��


    Rhode nodded.


    ��Mottled crystals can be found all around the streets. If anyone were to get their hands on the blueprint, the Munn Kingdom, Country of Light, and even Country of Darkness can mass produce them. Right?��


    ���� That����


    Lapis nodded.


    ���� Is right, theoretically. B-But����


    Lapis stuttered with an excuse perhaps feeling unconvinced.


    ���� But I��ve changed the structure of this weapon and only I know how!��


    ��I thought I heard that you said Christie and your assistants have helped you with it.��


    ��Yes�� Sir Rhode.��


    Lapis lowered her head gloomily. Then, she quickly raised her head.


    ��B-But, they only purchased the materials and provided the design. I guarantee that they aren��t sure of the contents!��


    ��You see, this is where the problem lies.��


    Rhode clapped his hands.


    ��Imagine�� Alright, Lapis. Imagine the day you��ve created a sword that can instantly kill as long as it touches its target. Moreover, the production of this sword is extremely easy. As long as one gets one��s hand on the blueprint, any blacksmith can produce it. What do you think will happen to this world? Everyone will want to purchase it, right?��


    ��That����


    Lapis couldn��t answer, but her pale expression clearly explained her thoughts.


    ��Alright then, imagine this. If you��re the only one who knows how to create it; do you think those people will let you or the people around you off? Such as Christie, who had given you suggestions? Or perhaps the others who assisted you? If they expressed that they weren��t sure about the content, do you think those people will let them off with a ��Oh, I��m sorry. We��ve made a mistake��?��


    ��I�� I����


    ��You��re lacking consideration, Lapis.��


    Rhode knew that she was aware of the point he was getting across judging from her depressing expression. It was apparent that she treated this matter as a ��research subject��. However, wasn��t a nuclear reactor also a ��research subject�� too? But it was fine because she was still young. Moreover, it still wasn��t too late with his reminders, unlike the senior scientists who had poured their entire lives into their research and couldn��t give up at the point of regret. That was the true meaning of tragedy.


    ��I��m fine with the creation of ordinary magic weapons and potions, but I hope you can be more cautious with such dangerous research. If possible, don��t let anyone know and don��t speak a word about it.��


    ��Yes, I understand, Sir Rhode.��


    Lapis lowered her head pitifully. She was responsible for modifying magical weapons, so she knew how capable she was in this field. Rhode extended his arm and caressed her head gently.


    ��I hope you realize this, Lapis. You are valuable to us and also my very important subordinate. I don��t wish to see you get hurt due to your negligence or other undesirable reasons. Do you know what I mean? This is important. I hope you can understand what you��re doing before you start any research and be aware of the possible consequences. I will keep supporting you.��


    ��Thank you�� Sir Rhode.��


    Lapis pondered for a few moments before nodding with all her might. Then, Rhode revealed a gentle smile in his eyes.


    ��Good, Lapis. Alright then. From now onward, give up on the mottled crystals research. I remember you told me that ordinary magic crystals can achieve even better results. I hope you can research into this more like how the exploding magic crystals can turn into useful magic spells�� Perhaps this will be much more effective.��


    ��No problem, Sir Rhode. I��ll get onto it now.��


    Lapis�� eyes glinted with hope. In fact, many players in the game had achieved this��albeit, they didn��t create a weapon as powerful as the Final Pike�� The reason why it was so simple was because Rhode didn��t seek perfection. Nothing good came out of crossing the finish line in a single step.


    ��Also, come up with a way to decrease its weight.��


    Rhode weighed the Final Pike in his hand before placing it back on the platform.


    ��Not anyone can move this thing around. Perhaps you can only get Anne to use the current experimental products.��


    ��Got it. I will do it now!��


    Lapis turned around and scuttled into the research room. Rhode shrugged helplessly and at this moment, Lize said, ��Thank you, Mr Rhode.��


    ��What for?��


    Rhode turned around to see Lize��s smile.


    ��Nothing, I just feel that�� It is great that I met you in my life.��


    The young lady replied softly.


    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Even though Rhode had successfully corrected Lapis��s mindset, it apparently wasn��t enough to count on her fully. Thereafter, he got Marlene to guide Lapis along. Unlike Lapis, Marlene understood the potential dangers of this research and agreed immediately. Rhode wasn��t concerned about how she would go about doing it. As the heir of the Senia Family, she definitely knew the production process of the Final Pike. Of course, Rhode wasn��t worried that she would tell them about the modifications. In fact, it also wouldn��t matter even if she told them. At least for now, Lapis was the only one with enough skills to modify the Final Pike. To say the least, a large project like the Final Pike was the beginning of the Senia Family��s rising. As a transmigrator, Rhode knew that basics were always the hardest to master. The Senia Family spent a whole lot of resources and finally created this product sample. Although it was rather flashy, yet not substantial, the theoretical effect had still been reached. Just like a man-made aircraft��costly, but at least it proved that humans could fly without a pair of wings, which was the most important result.


    If it weren��t for the foundation that the Senia Family built, perhaps Rhode wouldn��t know how much capital he needed to come up with such a thing. Judging from this point, he didn��t mind letting the Senia Family know of Lapis��s modifications. But�� He didn��t think that the Senia Family was innocent. He believed that their patriarch might have already known about his relationship with Marlene. Initially, Rhode had prepared himself to be interrogated anytime, but he didn��t expect that they didn��t take any actions. Marlene had returned to the fortress for a long time and apart from seeing her writing daily updates to her family, he had never seen any representative from the Senia Family visiting her.


    But Rhode knew that the Senia Family wasn��t only odd about this�� Yes. They definitely knew something about him, judging from Marlene��s behavior. However, he didn��t raise any questions. He believed that she would tell him the truth when the time was ripe. Right now, he had more important things on his hands.


    ��Here it is, Master.��


    Rhode came to a halt and gazed ahead at the six-meters-tall stela erected on the hill, with burning flames on its peak. But they weren��t ordinary flames. After taking a closer look, one could see that a thin straight line winding around the flames, coalescing and merging into it, shining in a white radiance.


    Order Flame Column.


    The Order Flame Column was a simple presence used to maintain the stable Order space. When Rhode first accepted the Land of Atonement, the Order space in this territory was strangely unstable as it was close to the Chaos borders. Not only were the seasons undistinguishable, but the sun also rise and set irregularly. Moreover, dangerous creatures often emerged from the Chaos borders. After Rhode summoned Canary and Mini Bubble Gum in the fortress, they led the mercenaries in sweeping the entire Land of Atonement to eliminate the distorted Chaos locations, and placed the Order Flame Column thereafter. This way, it guaranteed the stabilization of Order, so Chaos couldn��t infiltrate the territory again. All in all, the Order Flame Column was like a plaster over a wound and would only be effective until the Order that was corrupted by Chaos restored its original state.


    But this time, Rhode��s purpose in setting up the Order Flame Column near the border wasn��t to stabilize Order.


    ��Boss, what are we gonna do here����


    Joey muttered hesitantly and scanned the place. Just ahead was the Land of Chaos and the scenery was entirely different there.


    Although it was only a dozen meters away from them, it appeared like a totally different world. The sky was dusky like a sheet of paper stained by spreading ink and oddly-shaped holes emerged from time to time, emanating strange colors. Not only that, but the weather was also incomparably weird. Joey was sure that he witnessed winter and summer interchanging before him twice in just 10 minutes. Lush greenery grew over the land, but instantly turned into an endless desert as soon as strong gales blew��


    What a strange place!


    Rhode realized that everyone looked uncomfortable. Although it sounded as though the view was magical, in fact, the transforming scenes actually left them nauseous. It wasn��t only a sense of discomfort, but also the instinctive hatred and disgust that the people of Order held toward Chaos.


    Marlene and Lize didn��t look better. As spell casters, they were much more closely related to Order, so they felt the effects of the Chaos presence more intensely than others. Lize gazed curiously at Rhode as she couldn��t figure out why he brought them here. Besides��


    Lize turned to the two chariots behind the group stacked with all sorts of goods��mainly food supplies, clothing, and weapons. Could it be that Rhode had a business deal with someone? What about that strange-looking, circular pattern at the feet of the Order Flame Column laid out by stones?


    Boom�� Boom��


    At this moment, loud footsteps were heard.


    Everyone was scared stiff and looked around in panic. The footsteps sounded so strange��they were so close, yet so far. Not only that, but they also seemed to be everywhere around them. Most of the people hadn��t experienced such a situation before. Joey unsheathed his dagger while Marlene and Lize leaned towards Rhode subconsciously. They had never been this close to the Chaos border because they had heard about legends where people who approached Chaos out of curiosity had their souls extracted and never turned back as they headed into Chaos.


    Then, several tall figures emerged from the indistinct Chaos.


    ��That is����


    Marlene widened her eyes in astonishment. There were around three to four burly humans with wild, barbaric appearances. Their style of dress was also unevenly sized. Lize witnessed one strong, muscular man clad in chain mail that couldn��t even cover his stomach. She was sure that the chain mail definitely wasn��t for him! Not only that, but they also carried enormous weapons and a torch burning with Order flames.


    ������


    After they stepped out of the Land of Chaos, the strange, loud footsteps instantly returned to their usual volume. Rhode shook his head at the sight of everyone staring in disbelief. The Land of Chaos was truly a mysterious place.


    It seems like it��s necessary for them to familiarize themselves with that place.


    Rhode was aware that in the near future, he had to lead this group into the depths of the Land of Chaos. Judging from their current state, they would surely be doomed.


    ��Did you light up the column?��


    The mysterious figures arrived before them and their leader asked.


    ��Yes.��


    Rhode gestured for everyone to stay calm and nodded in agreement.


    ��Good.��


    The leader gazed in astonishment and nodded without speaking a word. Then, he lifted a large sack from behind and dropped it before him. Two of the men behind him drew their weapons and pointed forward, to which Rhode��s group instantly tensed up. The group didn��t know who these people were, but they seemed intimidating. The group readied their weapons and gazed at the mysterious men in uncertainty. Up until this moment, they still couldn��t understand why Rhode came to this place. However�� judging from Rhode��s behavior, it seems like he knew those people.


    The leader ignored their reactions. He simply pointed at the stuff on the ground and looked at Rhode.


    ��Deal.��

 Chapter 827 - Response from the Land of Chaos

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Even though Rhode had successfully corrected Lapis��s mindset, it apparently wasn��t enough to count on her fully. Thereafter, he got Marlene to guide Lapis along. Unlike Lapis, Marlene understood the potential dangers of this research and agreed immediately. Rhode wasn��t concerned about how she would go about doing it. As the heir of the Senia Family, she definitely knew the production process of the Final Pike. Of course, Rhode wasn��t worried that she would tell them about the modifications. In fact, it also wouldn��t matter even if she told them. At least for now, Lapis was the only one with enough skills to modify the Final Pike. To say the least, a large project like the Final Pike was the beginning of the Senia Family��s rising. As a transmigrator, Rhode knew that basics were always the hardest to master. The Senia Family spent a whole lot of resources and finally created this product sample. Although it was rather flashy, yet not substantial, the theoretical effect had still been reached. Just like a man-made aircraft��costly, but at least it proved that humans could fly without a pair of wings, which was the most important result.


    If it weren��t for the foundation that the Senia Family built, perhaps Rhode wouldn��t know how much capital he needed to come up with such a thing. Judging from this point, he didn��t mind letting the Senia Family know of Lapis��s modifications. But�� He didn��t think that the Senia Family was innocent. He believed that their patriarch might have already known about his relationship with Marlene. Initially, Rhode had prepared himself to be interrogated anytime, but he didn��t expect that they didn��t take any actions. Marlene had returned to the fortress for a long time and apart from seeing her writing daily updates to her family, he had never seen any representative from the Senia Family visiting her.


    But Rhode knew that the Senia Family wasn��t only odd about this�� Yes. They definitely knew something about him, judging from Marlene��s behavior. However, he didn��t raise any questions. He believed that she would tell him the truth when the time was ripe. Right now, he had more important things on his hands.


    ��Here it is, Master.��


    Rhode came to a halt and gazed ahead at the six-meters-tall stela erected on the hill, with burning flames on its peak. But they weren��t ordinary flames. After taking a closer look, one could see that a thin straight line winding around the flames, coalescing and merging into it, shining in a white radiance.


    Order Flame Column.


    The Order Flame Column was a simple presence used to maintain the stable Order space. When Rhode first accepted the Land of Atonement, the Order space in this territory was strangely unstable as it was close to the Chaos borders. Not only were the seasons undistinguishable, but the sun also rise and set irregularly. Moreover, dangerous creatures often emerged from the Chaos borders. After Rhode summoned Canary and Mini Bubble Gum in the fortress, they led the mercenaries in sweeping the entire Land of Atonement to eliminate the distorted Chaos locations, and placed the Order Flame Column thereafter. This way, it guaranteed the stabilization of Order, so Chaos couldn��t infiltrate the territory again. All in all, the Order Flame Column was like a plaster over a wound and would only be effective until the Order that was corrupted by Chaos restored its original state.


    But this time, Rhode��s purpose in setting up the Order Flame Column near the border wasn��t to stabilize Order.


    ��Boss, what are we gonna do here����


    Joey muttered hesitantly and scanned the place. Just ahead was the Land of Chaos and the scenery was entirely different there.


    Although it was only a dozen meters away from them, it appeared like a totally different world. The sky was dusky like a sheet of paper stained by spreading ink and oddly-shaped holes emerged from time to time, emanating strange colors. Not only that, but the weather was also incomparably weird. Joey was sure that he witnessed winter and summer interchanging before him twice in just 10 minutes. Lush greenery grew over the land, but instantly turned into an endless desert as soon as strong gales blew��


    What a strange place!


    Rhode realized that everyone looked uncomfortable. Although it sounded as though the view was magical, in fact, the transforming scenes actually left them nauseous. It wasn��t only a sense of discomfort, but also the instinctive hatred and disgust that the people of Order held toward Chaos.


    Marlene and Lize didn��t look better. As spell casters, they were much more closely related to Order, so they felt the effects of the Chaos presence more intensely than others. Lize gazed curiously at Rhode as she couldn��t figure out why he brought them here. Besides��


    Lize turned to the two chariots behind the group stacked with all sorts of goods��mainly food supplies, clothing, and weapons. Could it be that Rhode had a business deal with someone? What about that strange-looking, circular pattern at the feet of the Order Flame Column laid out by stones?


    Boom�� Boom��


    At this moment, loud footsteps were heard.


    Everyone was scared stiff and looked around in panic. The footsteps sounded so strange��they were so close, yet so far. Not only that, but they also seemed to be everywhere around them. Most of the people hadn��t experienced such a situation before. Joey unsheathed his dagger while Marlene and Lize leaned towards Rhode subconsciously. They had never been this close to the Chaos border because they had heard about legends where people who approached Chaos out of curiosity had their souls extracted and never turned back as they headed into Chaos.


    Then, several tall figures emerged from the indistinct Chaos.


    ��That is����


    Marlene widened her eyes in astonishment. There were around three to four burly humans with wild, barbaric appearances. Their style of dress was also unevenly sized. Lize witnessed one strong, muscular man clad in chain mail that couldn��t even cover his stomach. She was sure that the chain mail definitely wasn��t for him! Not only that, but they also carried enormous weapons and a torch burning with Order flames.


    ������


    After they stepped out of the Land of Chaos, the strange, loud footsteps instantly returned to their usual volume. Rhode shook his head at the sight of everyone staring in disbelief. The Land of Chaos was truly a mysterious place.


    It seems like it��s necessary for them to familiarize themselves with that place.


    Rhode was aware that in the near future, he had to lead this group into the depths of the Land of Chaos. Judging from their current state, they would surely be doomed.


    ��Did you light up the column?��


    The mysterious figures arrived before them and their leader asked.


    ��Yes.��


    Rhode gestured for everyone to stay calm and nodded in agreement.


    ��Good.��


    The leader gazed in astonishment and nodded without speaking a word. Then, he lifted a large sack from behind and dropped it before him. Two of the men behind him drew their weapons and pointed forward, to which Rhode��s group instantly tensed up. The group didn��t know who these people were, but they seemed intimidating. The group readied their weapons and gazed at the mysterious men in uncertainty. Up until this moment, they still couldn��t understand why Rhode came to this place. However�� judging from Rhode��s behavior, it seems like he knew those people.


    The leader ignored their reactions. He simply pointed at the stuff on the ground and looked at Rhode.


    ��Deal.��

 Chapter 828 - Order Refugees (1)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Deal.��


    Rhode nodded firmly while the leader gestured for his two men. The two men went up to the chariot with weapons in hand. Joey and the others clutched their weapons vigilantly. Then, Rhode waved his arm and had them stand away from the chariot. One by one, the two men threw every single item on the chariot into the sack in their hands. However, even though their sacks weren��t too huge, they easily contained all the items, which surprised Marlene and Lize. They instantly realized that the sacks weren��t ordinary and were likely rare spatial bags. How was it possible that these two men who looked like refugees possessed one each?


    The two men were quick in their actions and shortly after, only three empty buckets were left on the chariot. One of the men opened the lid and looked inside curiously. Then, everyone witnessed an unprecedented joy on his face.


    ��Big Brother! It��s water! Water!��


    ��Oh?��


    Their leader knitted their brows slightly and strode toward the wooden buckets. He stuck his finger into the liquid and tasted it. Then, his eyes glinted in delight and he nodded in satisfaction. He ordered his men to store the buckets of water into the sacks before heading toward Rhode. Rhode swiftly shot a look to Lize and Marlene, asking them to stay away. The two young ladies quickly kept a distance away and gazed curiously at the man.


    ��It is�� quite a�� good deal.�� The man said in a deep voice with stutters and mispronunciations.


    ��I hope�� we can�� work together again. Next time.��


    ��Me too.��


    Rhode said and nodded slightly. Then, the man continued to gaze at him for a few moments before turning around and leaving the place. His two men followed him as they disappeared into the other side of Chaos.


    ��Phew�� Rhode, who are they?��


    Marlene let out a sigh of relief. She looked into the Chaos and turned her head away in discomfort. Just a few moments ago, she clearly smelled a stench exuding from them! If it weren��t for the chilly winds that eliminated a part of it, perhaps she would have fainted on the spot. She was sure that even the lowliest scum didn��t smell this disgusting. Now she finally understood why Rhode made them step away. If not, the situation would have turned awkward if she puked on the spot.


    ��You wanna know?��


    Rhode shrugged. At this moment, everyone had gathered around him and waited anxiously for his explanation. After all, this trip was just too strange. Rhode had them prepare chariots stacked with food, water, and weapons. Then, they came to this ridiculous place and even met these mysterious men for a transaction. Until now, the group hadn��t figured out what the items poured out from the leader��s sack were. They seemed like a worthless collection of plant roots, stones, bones, and some unrecognizable items��they didn��t come all the way here just for this junk, right?


    ��Store these things away in the chariot. I will tell you exactly what they are for.��


    Rhode said and turned to Joey.


    ��By the way, Joey, 15 days from now, I want you to come here once more. Bring the same goods and accept whatever they offer. Don��t get into any fights with them even if they used their weapons to rob you. Just let them do it.��


    ���� Yes, Sir.��


    Although Joey didn��t understand why Rhode gave him such an odd order, he nodded in response. Then, the group began returning to the fortress. They gathered around Rhode and asked anxiously.


    ��I really don��t get it, Sir.��


    Joey spoke. Even though Rhode always appeared cold and unfriendly, the mercenaries knew that he wouldn��t refuse to answer their questions, as long as they didn��t ask wrong questions at inappropriate times��like ��Sir Overlord, what time did you sleep last night after the wild ��battle�� with Miss Marlene?��


    ��Who are they? They look like barbarians judging from the way they speak. Besides, how did they come out alive from the Land of Chaos? No one should be able to come out of there alive, isn��t it?��


    ��That��s right. That is indeed the truth for ordinary people.��


    Rhode nodded.


    ��You people haven��t experienced what it feels like entering the Land of Chaos��there are only broken, tattered rules. In other words, without proper protection, you will lose all your sense of direction. Trust me. The temperature and seasons change randomly just like what you witnessed earlier on. One moment you��re in a steamer and another moment you��re freezing to death. This is the reason why ordinary people can��t survive the Land of Chaos.��


    ��It is really that scary?��


    Everyone revealed horrified expressions and felt a shiver down their spines.


    If we land ourselves into Chaos��


    ��But aren��t those guys fine?��


    Lize asked with knitted brows.


    ��If you look closely, you��ll find that they were holding onto the Order torches. The flames burning on the torches allow them to stay in a limited range of Order where they can retain their sense of direction and won��t be badly contaminated by Chaos. This is also why they put the goods away into their spatial bags because if they drove the chariot into the Land of Chaos, perhaps the food would have turned to stone or water turned into black, viscous liquid. The power of Chaos is massive inside the Land of Chaos.��


    ��But Rhode, who are they exactly?!��


    Marlene shifted her gaze away from the pile of ��broken�� items and stared with widened eyes.


    Oh my goodness. Dragon Root Grass, Moon Crystals�� and even the Heart of the Sun! I��ve never seen such precious magical materials, not even in the Mage School. Where exactly did they get the materials from?!


    Marlene exclaimed while lifting a piece of the ordinary-looking, gray-colored stone. But after taking a closer look, one would discover that this stone was made entirely out of fog where it wasn��t as solid as an actual stone. It was called the Fog Stone. Marlene remembered that she saw this magic stone once during an auction when she was a young child. Back then, the Fog Stone was sold for a heavenly price of 30 million gold coins despite being in the size of a fingernail. On the contrary, the Fog Stone in her hand was as huge as an apple! The Fog Stone was useful in many aspects and worked incredibly well in magic. Marlene knew that the reason why Fog Stones were this expensive was because they could contain up to half of the holder��s soul. With the Fog Stone, the holder could revive with the remaining soul that was stored as long as the holder��s body was still intact. The amount of soul that the Fog Stone could store was based on its size. One the size of a fingernail could only ensure that the holder would revive. But with one in the size of a palm, it was guaranteed that the holder could revive in perfect condition. Of course, the Fog Stone was meaningless when it came to dying of old age.


    This Fog Stone might cost up to hundreds of million gold coins�� And yet, they tossed it to the ground like it was a worthless stone? How did those people get their hands on one?


    Rhode turned to Marlene.


    ��They��re the Order Refugees,�� he said.


    1

 Chapter 829 - Order Refugees (2)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    A long, long time ago, the Dragon Soul Continent prospered and flourished. The continent was incomparably wide with unlimited sources of water and land that extended to the ends of the world. However, everything changed after the Creation War. The bugle that signified the start of the Creation War engulfed the entire world. Sacred areas protected by the dragon souls were destroyed in clashes. The Order protection barrier weakened while Chaos infiltrated the abandoned land and enveloped everything. After the end of the Creation War, the borders of Order once again stabilized.


    However, the people who resided in regions devoured by Chaos didn��t die off completely. Some of them relied on Order Flame Columns and sought refuge in the dark underground, escaping from the corrosion of Chaos. They lived there while struggling on death��s door, hoping that the glory of Order could eradicate the endless Chaos and help them return to the surface.


    These people were called the ��Order Refugees��.


    ��Oh my goodness����


    Everyone gazed blankly. They didn��t expect that this was possible. If they didn��t personally witness the Order Refugees, perhaps they wouldn��t have believed this story.


    ��Why didn��t they move out of there?��


    Lize asked with knitted brows.


    ��It��s impossible. Every refuge has hundreds of people, but only a few of them are permitted to leave and show up outside Chaos because the range of protection under the Order Flame Column is limited. If they move away from there, they would all be devoured by Chaos, which explains why the Order Refugees are in this state now. They occasionally use the Order torches to get through the Chaos barrier and transact with outsiders for supplies. Those who wish to transact with them have to establish an Order Flame Column outside the borders of the Land of Chaos. This way, they could use the resonance of the Order Flame Columns to determine their bearings and ensure that they won��t lose their sense of direction.��


    ��But what if it is only a coincidence?��


    Randolf asked curiously.


    ��Simple. They will form a pattern with stones left around the Order Flame Column for those who understand what they mean. Then, they will proceed with a transaction. Of course, this is sort of a risk for both parties.��


    I see��


    Nell said inwardly. She finally understood why Rhode kept making her check for any strange patterns around the Order Flame Column. But how did he know all this? She just couldn��t figure it out. She had met several knowledgeable Undead Creatures in the Country of Darkness that had lived for a long time. But not even they were able to explain this situation as well as Rhode. On the other hand, why did he make a transaction with the Order Refugees?


    Nell puckered her brows. For the sake of safety, Marlene didn��t tell everyone the value of those items that looked like trash. However, Nell already knew. Could it be that Rhode did it for the precious magical materials? It didn��t seem likely because judging from her observation, Rhode wasn��t a greedy person. He also wasn��t one who would do whatever necessary to get his hands on them.


    So what was the reason?


    ��Mr. Rhode, why did you make a transaction with them?��


    Lize asked as she believed that Rhode wouldn��t do things for no apparent reason.


    ��We need a guide, so we have to maintain a good relationship with them.��


    ��A guide?��


    ��Yes.��


    Rhode turned to her.


    ��If I��m not mistaken, the Country of Darkness should be temporarily ceasing their attacks on the Light Mainland in the near future. When that happens, I will need a group of qualified guides to lead us into the Land of Chaos. No one beats the Order Refugees as they have been living there for decades.��


    ��Into the Land of Chaos?��


    Lize widened her eyes.


    ��Mr. Rhode, what are you going to do in the Land of Chaos?��


    ��Not only me.��


    Rhode��s eyes glinted with traces of smiles.


    ��You��re also going, Lize, Marlene, and everyone�� Our territory is barren and I don��t think Her Royal Highness Lydia will confer Paphield to me anytime soon. Also, I��m not interested in the Southern Port, so we have to rely on ourselves to survive. I think that it is crucial to expand into a new territory, especially one that is full of opportunities and resources.��


    Lize stared blankly. At this moment, she just heard something that she had never thought of.


    As the people of the Light Mainland, she understood what Rhode meant. Back then, after the Creation War ended, in order to strengthen their territories, the Country of Light and Country of Darkness gave development orders to the knights and subjects, where they penetrated territories contaminated by Chaos in order to awaken the hidden Order��the powers of the Creator Dragon Souls. If they succeed, they would gain authority over the territory as the new ruler. This was how many territories and countries came about. However, as time passed, people stopped pursuing and as rules solidified, the territories contaminated with Chaos became much more dangerous. Therefore, there were no more humans who attempted this.


    And now�� It was apparent that Rhode was planning to do this.


    What is he planning exactly?


    Before the start of spring, everything that Rhode hoped for had happened. It could also be said that it was sort of dramatic.


    After endless wrangling, the Light Parliament finally agreed to officially sign the order for the Munn Kingdom��s Battle Angel Army to be stationed in the Winter Castle. The second day after the Battle Angel Army set up their defenses in the Winter Castle, the Country of Law issued a command that requested for the Country of Darkness to explain the situation regarding the Chaos Beings�� emergence in the Eastern Plains. Thereafter, the Country of Darkness retreated from the Munn Kingdom entirely, but this didn��t mean that they had given up hopes of conquering the Country of Light.


    Rhode uncharacteristically burst into laughter. If it weren��t for him being afraid that Sonia would reveal her identity to the Light Parliament, he wished that she could let him see the parliament members�� faces when they heard this piece of news. However, even though he couldn��t witness their bewildered expressions, he felt incredibly good just imagining them blowing their tops, where not even defeating the Undead Army delighted him this much.


    Of course, he would be even more satisfied if he could crush their skulls, burn their city, and trample on their corpses in the crumbled Light Parliament hall like he did in the game.


    But before that, he must be capable enough.


    ***


    The spotlessly white doors embedded with golden floral patterns opened widely. The tune of melodious music and the fragrant scent of red tea assailed his nostrils. Rhode tidied his clothes and entered the room in large strides. Shortly after, he spotted a young lady lying languidly on the sofa as per usual.


    However, Lydia wore a different outfit today��a maroon robe that accentuated her gracious curves and a silky, thin shawl that draped over her soft, snowy shoulders. She smiled and stood to her feet upon seeing Rhode.


    ��Welcome, Earl Rhode. It��s been a while.��


    ��Greetings, Your Royal Highness Lydia.��


    Rhode bowed respectfully.


    ��Earl Rhode, I heard everything you��ve done in the Eastern Plains from Gaya. Thankfully, with Christie��s and your help, the Chaos Beings failed to succeed with their plans. Not only that, but you have also brought us a wonderful opportunity for this armistice. How wonderful���� Lydia pushed the cup of tea and the plate of exquisite slices of cake before him. Then, she narrowed her eyes and scanned him.


    ��By the way, how is Christie doing? Honestly speaking, although I��m aware that she possesses powerful strength, I didn��t expect her to be strong enough to eradicate Chaos. In fact, I��m truly surprised. I��m thinking of giving her a small reward. Even though it isn��t possible to give her a piece of land, a manor is still possible. But����


    Lydia gazed at Rhode and winked playfully.


    ���� I��m not sure if you��re willing, Earl Rhode?��


    ��I still hope for Christie to stay by my side.��


    Rhode replied calmly. He knew that Gaya was loyal to Lydia and didn��t expect her to keep Christie��s powers a secret from her. If Gaya didn��t reveal what she saw to Lydia, it would make Rhode even more suspicious about her true thoughts.


    ��I guessed so too.��


    Lydia smiled.


    ��Alright then. Is anything the matter for your visit today, Earl Rhode?��


    ��Yes, Your Royal Highness Lydia.��


    Rhode put up a stern expression. He took a sip of the warm tea and gazed at her.


    ��I hope to gain your approval and confer me in the name of the Munn Kingdom ruler for a�� Development order.��


    Lydia narrowed her eyes and twitched her brow while Rhode gazed straight at her eyes. He lifted his head confidently in silence. Frankly speaking, he was rather concerned before raising this request. In the past, several rulers had encouraged their men to repair Order in territories contaminated by Chaos after the Creation War ended. However, it was agreed in the post-war treaty that the ones who reawakened Order held the rights to become the overlord of that territory. This was also why in the later stages of the game, there were fewer rulers dispatching their subjects for this goal. After all, no one would wish for their subjects to gain too much independent authority, status, and territories, right?


    It was due to this that Rhode had chosen to personally speak to Lydia about this matter. Even though he was still an overlord in name, he was more like a self-financing army leader judging from his encampment, where he didn��t need to protect too many subjects or territory. This was why he didn��t mind following Lydia��s orders. However, it would be different if he obtained the Land of Chaos. The reconstruction of Order would bring fertility to the land. In other words, it would mean that Rhode would have an endless flow of resources he obtained from the Land of Chaos. There was platinum hidden underground and the amount of materials such as Fog Stones could be weighed in tonnes. Under such a circumstance, would Rhode still listen to Lydia��s command? What if Lydia needed him to sacrifice his territory and benefits in order to protect the Munn Kingdom? Would he be willing to?


    This was a question without an answer. No, perhaps it would be right to say that the answer was already in their minds.


    In an instant, silence permeated the room. After a few moments, Lydia let out a sigh and shut her eyes.


    ��Pioneer�� A synonym for the brave written in ancient books and scrolls. After the Creation War ended, people raised their flags high and headed into Chaos, all for the sake of the same goal. Some sought freedom, courage, greed, and even promise. Humans are complicated beings and it was this reason that they fought for the same goal with different purposes in mind and sacrificed their lives. This is true beauty. Unfortunately, just like the dark clouds that surround our future path, pioneers disappeared in the historical dust. Their once glorious deeds were no longer remembered����


    Lydia paused. Then, she revealed a gentle smile.


    ��I never thought that there would be someone willing to accept this flag covered with dust in this era, Earl Rhode. Even the most ancient of seeds will grow under the nurture of spring water and soil. Earl Rhode, since you��ve made up your mind, I can only bless your courage and ideals. So then����


    It��s here.


    Rhode gathered his attention for this crucial moment. He witnessed Lydia��s statesmanship and even if she was an Archangel, she wouldn��t possibly let loose this easily. Even though Lydia wasn��t sure where Rhode was heading into exactly, the new territory would most likely be connected with the Munn Kingdom. In other words, it was impossible that she wouldn��t ask about it.


    However, what Lydia said next astonished him.


    ���� Are you willing to accept my blessings and become an Honorary Knight?��


    Honorary Knight?


    Rhode knew what she meant. An Honorary Knight wasn��t a knight who would be loyal to the ruler unto death. On the contrary, it was more like a noble title��one that was filled with strong political purpose. Honorary Knights didn��t need to follow all commands from the ruler. Judging from this point, it was more like a symbolic title, just like a relationship that symbolized the relation between the two in the form of an oath.


    Should I accept it?


    Rhode pondered in silence. He knew that there was only one answer.


    ��It would be my honor, Your Royal Highness Lydia.��


    ��Good.��


    Lydia revealed a delightful smile. Rhode realized a trace of slyness from the glint in her eyes.


    Could it be that there are some other issues involved? No, this is just the title of the Honorary Knight. There should be no restrictions��


    ��Alright then, please get prepared, Earl Rhode. Since this is a sacred ceremony, we will need a just witness.��


    Lydia clapped her hands and a Battle Angel opened the door and entered.


    ��May I hear your order, Your Royal Highness?��


    ��Get Rin here. I have something that needs her help.��


    ��Yes.��


    Rin?


    Rhode was astonished. He couldn��t remember hearing one with this name in the Golden City. He thought that the witness would be Grand Mage Amund or Gaya since they were close with Lydia and held suitable identities. But now, who was this Rin��


    The grand room doors opened once again and a beautiful young lady with dark, silky hair strode in. She gazed at Rhode and couldn��t conceal her surprise and curiosity. Then, she revealed a gentle smile and went up to him.


    ��I didn��t expect to meet you here, Sir Rhode. I thought I wouldn��t get to see you again. It��s been a while.��


    ��Excuse me, you are����


    Rhode scanned the young lady curiously. Her voice was somewhat familiar, but he just couldn��t figure out who she was. Even though this young lady was as beautiful as Lydia, she was much more reserved and her clothes were more plain. Lydia chuckled at the sight of Rhode��s confused expression and introduced this mysterious young lady.


    ��Earl Rhode, meet Her Royal Highness, the Princess of the Country of Darkness, Miss Erin. I guess you two have already met earlier on, right?

 Chapter 830 - Order Refugees (3)

    If this was an official ceremony, Rhode would need to go through so many more formalities. Firstly, he had to cleanse himself by soaking in the water for 10 hours. Then, he would need to kneel before the altar for a day before being on night watch duty, where it was almost certain that some unimaginable creatures would find trouble with him. Unless he eliminated them and survived the night, he wouldn��t be qualified to receive the reward.


    Fortunately, Honorary Knights didn��t need to go through all this hassle. Since it didn��t require him to serve Lydia in full devotion and this ceremony was only nominal, it would be sufficient to have a witness who held the sufficient identity. However, Rhode didn��t expect that Lydia would bring such a surprising witness.


    ��Greetings, Miss Erin, long time no see.��


    The corners of his lips twitched. This was the first time that he saw Erin in her human form. He had to admit that she let off a unique charm. Although she wasn��t as eye-catching as Lydia, it was due to this reason that they complemented each other with a mix of strong and gentle attractiveness. Erin was like the moon in the night sky��pure, bright, and illuminating gently. She was as beautiful and elegant as Lydia. However, if Lydia was a proud, dazzling, and attractive elder sister, Erin would be the reserved, quiet, and lovable younger sister. No wonder so many players of the Country of Darkness were willing to do anything for her. It was also because of this reason that Rhode didn��t stir trouble with her back then.


    It was only after the Munn Kingdom perished and Lydia��s death did Rhode��s Starlight rise in force to become such a powerful guild. If he slaughtered Erin during the war, would there also be another ��Starlight Guild�� like his from the Country of Darkness? He considered this question before attacking the Country of Darkness, which was why he didn��t find trouble with Erin directly. Fortunately, Erin didn��t turn up in his final battle with Dark Dragon Ion. But�� some idiots thought that it was a great opportunity to take advantage of this situation and Rhode witnessed his guesses coming true. Even though the infuriated players of the Country of Darkness didn��t manage to form a guild that was as powerful as Starlight, they were still powerful enough to take down Erin��s murderers.


    And now, Rhode realized that the rumors spreading among the players on the forums weren��t illogical at all. Even though he wasn��t clear of the relationship between Lydia and Erin, one could instantly see that they were close judging from their interactions. You see�� Erin went up to Lydia while the latter extended her elbow for the former to cling onto!


    Miss Erin, are you sure you��re not going to ask your father if you were adopted by him from the Light Mainland?


    If this happened in the game, Rhode would surely take a screenshot and post it on the forums. He guaranteed that this would keep the players excited for quite some time.


    ��Rin came here not long after you informed me, Earl Rhode.��


    Lydia seemed to be aware of what was going on in Rhode��s mind. She said with a smile.


    ��Frankly speaking, I was rather surprised when Rin turned up here. No matter what�� Yes, even I didn��t expect that the princess of the Country of Darkness would come here personally. If it weren��t for this political situation, I would have prepared a grand welcome ceremony for you.��


    ��There��s no need for this formality, Big Sister Lydia.��


    Erin shook her head with a gentle smile. With the identity of a princess, it also didn��t seem wrong that she called Lydia ��Big Sister����provided the Dark Dragon wouldn��t mind having another family member come out of nowhere.


    ��Big Sister Lydia, I��ve heard many rumors about you in the Country of Darkness and I thought that we would get along well. It seems like I��m right. Not only did I discover a great artist, but I��ve also gained an intimate friend. This is truly a meaningful trip for me.��


    Do you two really understand the current situation?


    Rhode asked inwardly because this matter was just too strange.


    Princess Erin, no matter what, you��re still the princess of the Country of Darkness. It is fine that you traveled to the Light Mainland, but aren��t you afraid of getting caught for visiting Lydia? Come to think of it, your outing this time isn��t agreed upon by the Dark Dragon, Ion, right? So, aren��t you afraid of getting into trouble if this piece of news gets to him?


    Also, Your Royal Highness Lydia, although you two get along really well, you should also consider your identity and standpoint, isn��t it? Even though it seems like Erin��s identity isn��t a secret, isn��t it ridiculous to invite the enemy princess to stay in your Golden City?


    The benefit of a poker face was that no matter how much Rhode cursed inwardly, his true intentions wouldn��t be revealed. Lydia and Erin spoke casually before quickly getting into the main topic.


    ��Alright then, I��ll need to trouble you now, Rin.��


    ��No problem, Big Sister Lydia. I��ve fought with Mr. Rhode in the Land of Atonement before. I��m sure that he��s qualified to receive this honor.��


    �� Forget it. What else can I say about them?


    Rhode sighed inwardly as he went up to Lydia. At this moment, Erin had quietly stepped aside. The conferring of an Honorary Knight didn��t require a solemn ceremony, which was why Rhode didn��t need to get changed. He stood before Lydia who tidied her attire and gazed quietly with a smile. Then, he lowered his head and half-knelt on the floor. At this moment, Lydia extended her arms and in a dazzling flash, two snowy blades emerged in her hands.


    Then, she slowly lowered the blades.


    ��Rhode Alander.��


    Lydia announced.


    ��I, as an Archangel and in the name of the Munn Kingdom��s ruler, grant you the honor of sacredness and glory.��


    The blades were placed in a criss-cross position before lightly touching the back of his neck. At that moment, Rhode felt the cold sensation from the blade and their rich sacred powers. He had to admit that the power was so much stronger than Star Mark.


    ��Protect this piece of land and be faithful to it for all your life. Honor shall follow you forever����


    The blades landed his shoulders.


    ��I hope you can scrupulously abide by your heart. In this world, the dark, unknown path may be full of thorns and obstacles. But only determined ones can overcome them and pave a way for themselves.��


    Lydia brandished the blades in midair before tapping on his shoulder.


    ��You shall become an Honorary Knight. Don��t forget about the ones who follow you. They shall raise your flag high and head down this entirely different path with you. Everything depends on your decision. I hope you have a clear conscience when you raise the blade in your hand.��


    Hmm?


    Rhode twitched his brow curiously. This wasn��t the first time he participated in this ceremony and Lydia��s words were rather odd as though there were some hidden meanings. He lifted his head and gazed at her. At this moment, Lydia had put away the blades and looked at him with a gracious smile. Rhode stood up slowly and instantly felt an unprecedented excitement��he succeeded.


    The only regret he had in the game was resolved right before him. There were also some improvements to his relationship with Lydia now. He was no longer the heroic figure who fought for the perished country. On the contrary, he would be fighting hand in hand with them in the path toward the same goal.


    ��As you wish, Your Royal Highness Lydia.��


    Rhode said softly.


    ��Good.��


    Lydia displayed a satisfied smile before winking at him slyly.


    ��Alright then, this is my punishment for you.��


    ��Punishment?��


    Rhode was astonished.


    What did I do wrong?


    ��You actually kept such a talented artist for yourself and didn��t tell me about it. This makes me so sad, Earl Rhode. Do you know? When I learned that��.�� Lydia shifted her gaze to Erin ��angrily�� ���� someone received a masterpiece from that artist earlier than me, I have to admit that sometimes, the dazzling radiance makes me neglect the things before my eyes. It seems like I��ve lost this time. But it��s a pity that I won��t give up just yet.��


    ��So�� What you meant was����


    Rhode vaguely guessed the reason why Lydia was upset. But he couldn��t be blamed. Even though he was a top player of the game, he didn��t possess any artistic cells in him, after all. In fact, he did see many beautiful paintings done by Christie, but he wasn��t aware of the artistic value in them and they weren��t in his considerations at all.


    ��It��s simple.��


    Lydia winked proudly.


    ��I hope to receive a painting by Miss Christie�� This should be fine, right, Earl Rhode?��


    ���� Of course, Your Royal Highness Lydia.��


    Rhode was left entirely speechless.


    ��What do you think, Rin?��


    Rhode made his way swiftly after the ritual ended, leaving Lydia and Erin in the room alone. The two young ladies looked at the doors closed behind him and Erin shifted her gaze to the other young lady.


    ��What an interesting person, Big Sister Lydia. I like him a lot. I think he will be a capable subject.��


    ��Is that so?��


    Lydia winked playfully before gazing at Erin quietly with her beautiful pair of eyes.


    ��That��s right, Big Sister Lydia. I can see that he��s more than capable and decisive����


    Besides, he may also possibly be Big Brother��s biggest enemy, Erin said inwardly and her eyes glinted with complicated emotions. But shortly after, the smile returned to her face.


    ��Alright then, Big Sister Lydia, it��s about time for a tea break.��


    After the short ceremony ended, Rhode attained the Honorary Knight title. This way, he held the authority to expand his territory and head into the Land of Chaos. As soon as he succeeded in obtaining the Creator Dragon Souls�� tinder, he would gain the territory which was recognized under the signing by the Creator Dragon Souls in the Creation Pact. Of course, this was only recognition and not compliance.


    But this didn��t hinder his plans.


    The harsh, cold winter slowly ended with warm spring enveloping the continent. The aftermath of war gradually recovered and the atmosphere in his fortress became much livelier.


    Rhode stood before the Order Flame Column and gazed at the Order Refugees before him relaxedly. After two months of transactions, his relationship with them had gotten much better, where they directly called him ��Overlord�� as a form of respect. Throughout the two months, Rhode received plenty of precious magical materials, which increased the pace of Lapis��s research drastically. But this time, he hoped to receive some other benefits.


    ��Why?��


    The leader puckered his brows and asked in a deep voice. He clenched his hands covered with callus tightly.


    ��Why? Overlord. Don��t intend to. Transact?��


    ��No, I have the intention of a transaction.��


    Rhode waved his hand and interrupted.


    ��But the transaction that I hope for is rather different from what you imagined. I hope to receive your help for something more meaningful.��


    ��Help?��


    The man knitted his brows. It was apparent that he didn��t understand what Rhode meant. He shook his head and pointed at the materials before him.


    ��This is. All. We got.��


    ��No, not these.��


    Rhode shook his head before gazing at the man silently with his pitch-black pupils. After a few moments, he spoke.


    ��I hope to know the coordinates of the tinder.��


    ������!


    The man instantly drew the blade on his back. His tall, burly build made him look like a furious bull. He stared with eyes that were as large as copper bells. The two men beside him also drew their weapons and stared at Rhode vigilantly.


    ��No one! Knows! Tinder! Except! Elder!��


    The man glared at Rhode, not sure if it was out of fear or warning.


    ��Everyone. Who searched. Tinder. Died! All! Do you. Also?!��


    ��I don��t think so.��


    Despite being surrounded by the three men, Rhode��s expression didn��t change at all. He narrowed his eyes and gestured for his men to not act rashly. Then, a pitch-black sword emerged in his right hand in a flash.


    ��It��s fine if you don��t believe me. But I can tell you that I��m familiar with your world. Of course, I know what it means to you people in seeking the tinder. So, I still hope to receive your assistance. After all, you people know how much this means to you, right?��


    ��I. Don��t. Think so. Elder. Too!��


    ��Alright then. I hope you can bring me into your refuge, so I can speak to your elders.��


    ������


    The man didn��t reply instantly this time. He lowered his weapon and stared at Rhode.


    ��We. Can��t. Protect you.��


    ��I promise you that I can protect myself. Besides, I promise that if you bring me to your elder, I will give you three times the reward.��


    ������


    The man was almost convinced perhaps due to the persistent confidence in Rhode��s voice or the fact that he wasn��t willing to lose such a huge reward. After all, fresh food and pure water was even more luxurious than gold to them.


    ��Three days.��


    The man said after pondering for a long while.


    ��Three days later. We respond.��


    ��Good.��


    Rhode narrowed his eyes with traces of smile.


    ��I��ll be waiting.��

 Chapter 831 - Into Chaos

    ��Are we really heading to the Land of Chaos? Mr. Rhode?��


    Lize asked as she gazed worriedly at the surrounding. It was the third midnight and also the time for their meeting with the Order Refugees. But this time, there were more members joining Rhode. In the past, it had always been experienced mercenaries like Randolf and Joey leading the teams in place of him. But today, apart from the mercenaries there was also Marlene, Anne, Gillian, Orchid Heart, Randolf, Joey, John, Sol, and Sovann. It could be said that all the higher-ups in the fortress were here. According to Rhode, they were about to be heading into the Order Refugees�� refuge in the Land of Chaos. Rhode would be using this opportunity to strengthen them against the threats of Chaos.


    Lize realized that this situation wasn��t simple based on the arrangements. It had been awhile since so many members joined Rhode in an operation. Even Randolf and Joey had stopped joining him ever since they had their own elite teams, not to mention Marfa, Sol, and Sovann. But now, this move impacted the operations of the fortress to a certain extent. Not only that, but Rhode had also gotten Lapis to produce spatial rings for everyone for the purpose of storing food and water. Fortunately, there weren��t many problems in creating this spatial equipment as Rhode received plenty of precious magical materials from his transactions with the Order Refugees.


    Canary and Mini Bubble Gum remained responsible for the Land of Atonement��s stability while Marlene and Lize temporarily handed their duties to their assistants. Marlene passed down the fortress��s operations and management to Ann. Although Ann wasn��t as impressive in terms of politics and observations, she was the best fit for the temporary job. As for John, he initially wasn��t willing to join this adventure as the cavalry leader. No matter what, he was a soldier and not a mercenary who was interested in adventures. However, since this was Rhode��s order, he had to abide. But how effective could cavalrymen be without their horses?


    ��Of course.��


    Rhode nodded. He turned around and clapped his palms together to gather everyone��s attention. Shortly after, everyone looked at their mighty overlord. Judging from their expressions, they were equally as doubtful as Lize. After all, this was the first adventure for most of them. Moreover, with the recent influx of refugees to Paphield��Grenbell, they were fully occupied with duties and yet, Rhode suddenly gathered them and got them to prepare one month��s worth of food, water, and tents. Not only that, but Rhode also gave them spatial equipment and told them that they would be entering the mysterious Land of Chaos, where legend had it that no one returned safely.


    ��I know what you��re thinking.��


    Rhode said. He clearly saw the fear and doubts on their faces. unlike Anne who was as excited as ever. Marlene appeared oddly calm and didn��t seem anxious. Back then, Rhode was concerned that Marlene would object before he raised this suggestion. After all, he was also aware that this would severely affect the operations of the Land of Atonement. To his surprise, Marlene agreed swiftly.


    ��That��s right. I��ve gathered you because we��re entering the Land of Chaos and I guess that you��re already aware of this. Three days ago, I was here for a transaction with the Order Refugees. If they agree, we will enter the Land of Chaos, head into their refuge, and negotiate with their elders for the coordinates of the tinder. But����


    Rhode put up a stern expression.


    ���� I have to make this clear. The path ahead isn��t easy. I can tell you that in the Land of Chaos, the power of Chaos is much stronger than you imagine! You may die without battle. This time, the reason why I gathered you here is to accumulate your experience in dealing with Chaos. If you aren��t willing to, you can back out now.��


    ������


    Everyone exchanged looks. They had heard of countless reasons on how mysterious and horrifying the Land of Chaos was and it was due to this reason that Rhode informed the public that they were going to attend to something important. If not, the entirety of Grenbell would be in chaos if they knew that they were entering the Land of Chaos. When that happened, no one would believe that they could return safely.


    Although most of them were afraid, they were also rather excited. If it were others who suggested this, they would have turned away instantly. It was especially so for Sol and Sovann because the future of the Half-Demons and Battle Mages would be entirely doomed if something bad were to happen to them. But now, they had chosen to stay because of one reason. The person who suggested this was Rhode.


    In everyone��s eyes, Rhode was almost omnipotent. At least to them, there was nothing that Rhode couldn��t do. He attained glorious achievements from defeating the Duke Fiend and Undead Army. Moreover, they believed that since he was confident, there wouldn��t be any problems.


    We��re heading into the Land of Chaos! After the Creation War ended, I��ve never of anyone entering the Land of Chaos!


    Although Rhode didn��t clarify his intentions, most of them understood that he intended to develop the Land of Chaos when he mentioned the tinder.


    This would be an achievement that no one has accomplished before! Back then, after the Creation War ended, which heroes who raised their flags high and developed new territories didn��t turn into powerful historical beings? Although they knew that they wouldn��t be as honored as the overlord, they could still become the new legends of this continent! This is a gamble. We will all die if we lose. But if we win�� This supreme honor will be written in the historical records! When that happens, won��t all the reputation, status, and wealth be readily available to us?!


    No one had the intention to leave with this thought.


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. He knew that not everyone stayed because they were purely loyal. However, he heaved a sigh of relief because blind loyalty might be more of a hindrance than help at times. It was most important that one was clear in his thoughts to make the best judgment and decision.


    ��Don��t be too nervous. We��re only heading into their refuge to seek the location of the tinder. We will only enter the depths of the uncivilized territory later on. This time, you��ll be experiencing the power of Chaos and it won��t be too late to back out thereafter. But there are a few points that I want to clarify.��


    Rhode raised his voice.


    ��In Chaos, nothing is more dangerous than acting on your own. I hope that you can stay together and not separate from one another. No matter what you see, don��t be attracted by it. I will take the lead. Anne, you��re responsible for the central section. Gillian, the rear is yours. Also����


    Rhode shifted his gaze to Lize, Marlene, and Sol.


    ���� If you��re attacked by Chaos, use low-level magic spells and spiritual spells to protect yourself. Chaos will destroy any spells belonging to Order and the strength of your spells will be entirely different. A basic illumination spell may erupt with the power of an enormous fireball. Lize, if you can��t cast your healing spell properly, you may even kill the victim. It��s the same for you, Sol. I know the Half-Demons are strong, so you need to be cautious when applying your strength.��


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    Sol said hurriedly. At this moment, Marlene and Lize put up solemn expressions. As spell casters, they definitely knew the consequences of their spells going out of control.


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded and extended his right arm.


    His arm guard flashed in a dazzling, silver radiance. In the blink of an eye, thousands of silver threads formed a large barrier that shrouded everyone within. At the same time, indistinct flares emerged in the Chaos before them.


    Three men walked out of the Chaos. They were the ones who had been transacting with Rhode. However, they were surprised because they didn��t expect that Rhode would bring so many men this time.


    ��It seems like. You are. Ready.��


    The leader knitted his brows and gazed at the group with a complicated glint. Under the night sky, the translucent barrier shimmered in a mesmerizing brilliance. It was apparent to them that Rhode possessed a broad-scale ��protection of Order��. The leader scanned Rhode from his head to toe. Although he had transacted with this black-haired young man several times, he didn��t expect that he actually possessed such formidable strength. It was certainly rare to see someone from the outside world who understood the situation of the Land of Chaos this well��


    ��Please lead the way.��


    Rhode extended his arm and gestured. The leader pondered for a few seconds before nodding firmly. Then, he shot Rhode with a sharp gaze.


    ��I will. Lead. Way. But. You don��t. Cause trouble! If not. Die!��


    The leader yelled and swept a look at the crowd behind Rhode. Anne bent her brows instantly. She almost jumped out and argued with that big blockhead. Fortunately, Marlene held her back by tugging her arm. Although the others also didn��t appreciate the big guy��s attitude, they knew that they weren��t in any position to retort as Rhode��s henchmen.


    The leader nodded in satisfaction at the silence. Then, without speaking a word, he turned and gestured to his two men.


    The trio stood before the fog of Chaos and beckoned to Rhode.


    ��Let��s go.��


    Rhode raised his arm and a spotlessly white sword emerged in his hand.

 Chapter 832 - The Broken Land

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Just one more step.


    The instant everyone stepped into the Land of Chaos, they felt as though a wooden club struck the back of their heads. Although the strong Order barrier cleared out the ever present illusionary fog, even Rhode felt like something inside him was cut off entirely. It was the connection between the people and the land of Order, like a fish leaving the water and losing its source of survival. Not only that, but Rhode also felt as though the ground beneath his feet had turned into a soft sponge. He scanned around him and all he saw was blurry illusions.


    The others felt the same. Marlene turned pale instantly and limped like a drunk, holding onto Anne to keep her balance. On the other side, Lize fell on her bum immediately and raised her arms blindly to support her back onto her feet. However, her hands weren��t pressing on the ground at all. Anne did much better than everyone else. She looked left and right curiously at the painful crowd and didn��t seem to be affected by the Chaos at all.


    ��Pardon us. Please wait for a moment.��


    Rhode requested. Of course, he witnessed the smiles of disdain and mockery from the three Order Refugees. However, he wasn��t embarrassed by the reactions of his subordinates because this was absolutely normal. In the game, when players entered the Land of Chaos, they reacted this way after losing their connections to Order. Therefore, players would often remain on the spot for a few moments in order for their bodies to instinctively reconnect to the source of Order inside them.


    But now, Rhode��s subordinates were in so much pain. Joey puked and sprawled out on the ground while Randolf lost his balance and bumped into Sol. The pitiful Sol shivered as though he were on drugs and the push from Randolf instantly brought him to the ground. On the other hand, Sovann and Marfa tried to uphold their strong images as leaders, but they appeared more like rocking tumblers instead.


    On the other hand, Orchid Heart continued to look sleepy as she stood by the side. Gillian stomped her foot onto John��s bum who was running about like a headless mosquito and kicked him back to the team.


    What a terrible mess��


    Rhode sighed helplessly. However, most players who entered the Land of Chaos reacted worse. Many of them ran wildly while some instinctively cast magic spells and relied on the power of their magic equipment to lessen the painful effects. As a result�� They should be glad that it didn��t cost them anything to be revived. If not, Rhode wasn��t sure how many players would have gone bankrupt.


    ��Don��t cast any spells!��


    Rhode warned loudly to ensure that everyone heard him.


    ��Stay where you are! No matter what, imagine that you��re a sculpture that can��t move!��


    The panicky group calmed down gradually after trying their best. A few minutes later, they finally relaxed as the connection to the source of Order in them was restored.


    ��Oh my goodness����


    Marlene stood up with a blush and looked at Anne who was chuckling away. This was the first time that Anne saw Marlene in this manner. As for Marlene�� Yes. This was definitely something that she didn��t wish to recall in the future.


    ���� I didn��t expect it�� to feel so terrible����


    Lize covered her mouth and her pale expression was as though someone had punched her in her stomach.


    ��Now. Your body has connected to the source of Order in this place.��


    Rhode clapped his hand to gather everyone��s attention. Then, he pointed at the beautiful defensive barrier around them.


    ��In here, you will slowly adapt to Order, but as this Order isn��t natural; it will affect you differently from the Order in the Light Mainland. Stay cautious and slowly get used to moving about in this territory. Don��t assert your usual strength here.��


    Rhode wasn��t using frightening words to scare them. In fact, there were huge differences between man-made and natural Order territory as though one leaving earth and stepping on the moon. The effects that one felt on the man-made Order territory included the difference between the stronger and weaker gravity, the thinner and thicker magical space, or even the enhancement and weakening of spiritual powers. When they first entered the Land of Chaos, Rhode analyzed the source of Order in the system interface. Within this space, the speed of casting spells would increase by 30 percent. But at the same time, the recovery speed of their spiritual energy would reduce by 5 percent. Apart from that, everyone would benefit from the immunity against negative effects.


    This spoil of war from the Duke Fiend is awesome.


    Rhode gazed pleasingly at his arm guard��[Historical Wing]. At this moment, its dark yellow surface emanated a shimmering radiance. With the effects of the Order Scepter, Rhode could summon a space of Order with a size of up to 5S x 5S and move about with him in the center. If they didn��t have this equipment, he definitely wouldn��t have led his men for an adventure into the Land of Chaos.


    ��You have a. Great. Order protection.��


    At this moment, the leader said and caught Rhode��s attention. The latter turned around and witnessed the former��s silent, and somewhat admirable gaze. He couldn��t be blamed because the Order torches that were usually distributed in this place could only be used by one person at a time.


    ��Thank you.��


    Rhode replied. Although the Order Refugees were strong, they weren��t powerful enough against him. Therefore, even if they tried to snatch the equipment from him, he wouldn��t mind teaching them how to write the word ��death��, although he wasn��t sure if these guys knew how to write at all. Rhode turned around and saw that most of his men had restored fully to their usual selves. But they were much more vigilant and fearful now.


    It seems like shock therapy really works well.


    ��Let��s continue.��


    After ensuring that everyone was doing better now, Rhode turned around and moved ahead.


    This was indeed an incredible place. As they advanced, all sorts of scenes emerged before their eyes. There would be blazing flames around them for a few seconds before turning into powder at the next moment. Then, the powder coalesced and formed surging waves that crashed toward them from the distant fog. Thereafter, the waves transformed into large crystals while chilly gales blew along grasses and flowers, which turned to scorching desert.


    Fortunately, the protection of Order kept them away safely from the bizarre phenomenons. No matter what transformations took place outside the barrier, everyone was advancing in a stable environment. What astonished them was that as the illusory colors and fog got into contact with the barrier, they quickly dispersed and revealed the flat stone ground paved with slab and lush greeneries before them. But after the barrier moved away from them, they would shatter instantly and disappear into the fog once again.


    ��What you��re seeing now are scenes of this place before it was invaded by Chaos. This place had shattered along with Order and only within this Order protection can you see their original state.��


    ��This is so magical����


    Lize exclaimed in awe. She stooped over, plucked a delicate flower, and scanned. She couldn��t believe that these exotic flowers existed from centuries ago. But before she got a good look at it, the flower crumbled like sand and she sighed helplessly.


    ��Grrrr����


    At this moment, a deep growl caught their attention and the three Order Refugees came to a halt abruptly. They raised their weapons and retreated back into Rhode��s barrier.


    Rhode twitched his brow and unsheathed his sword, streaking a perfect arc in midair before him.


    ��Stay alert. We��ve got trouble ahead.��


    He said.

 Chapter 833 - Chaos Creatures

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    As the group heard the gruesome roars, the scenery outside the Order barrier twisted and turned like the wild, spiraling gales. Lize and Marlene quickly took cover behind Anne. If this happened in the Light Mainland, they would have cast their defensive spells already. However, in the Land of Chaos, even the formidable Marlene had to give up putting up a fight. They knew that as spell casters, the consequences would be devastating if they couldn��t grasp their magical powers.


    Randolf raised his bow and aimed forward while Marfa and Sol in front of him with their raised shield and sword. On the other hand, Joey anxiously fiddled with the dagger in his hand. Sovann sighed and clutched his staff. At the rear, the scorching flames around Gillian blazed. Although the Chaos had affected the spell casters to a certain extent, it didn��t pose a problem to an elemental lord like Gillian. On the contrary, John was at a complete loss. He unsheathed his sword and scanned the surrounding vigilantly.


    At this moment, the three Order Refugees backed into their Order barrier while scanning the surrounding solemnly with their weapons. In an instant, the atmosphere became intense. Anne clutched her shield and watched the Chaos fog excitedly as though she was anticipating a magician to pull a rabbit out of his hat.


    Shortly after, several creatures growled and barged into the Order barrier.


    ��Oh my goodness����


    ��W-What are those monsters?!��


    Everyone widened their eyes in fear. The strange-looking creatures seemed like they were merged from several animals. There was an enormous bear with four spider limbs, a long, tough crocodile tail, and a pair of antlers on its head!


    ��Wow, so cool!��


    Anne exclaimed.


    ��Be careful.��


    Rhode commanded. He knew that these Chaos Creatures were much stronger than they looked.


    ��These Chaos Creatures are different creatures merged together from the shattered Order. They are completely non-existent in this world and no one knows what strength they possess. Remember. Don��t retreat!��


    ��Grrrr��!��


    Suddenly, a tiger-like Chaos Creature with a griffin��s head and bat wings let out a sharp screech. Then, it leapt and flapped its wings, pouncing on Rhode. Rhode narrowed his eyes and extended his right arm. Shortly after, the shimmering white sword in his hand instantly vanished and was replaced by a pitch-black chain sword. Then, he triggered its mechanism.


    Kacha.


    He unlocked the restrictions on the chain sword and it transformed into countless shadow whips that struck the Chaos Creature. This sudden ambush caught the Chaos Creature by surprise. It flinched, but before it retaliated, the shadow whips had struck its body heavily. It rolled on the ground uncontrollably before finally stabilizing its footing. However, its reaction was rather quick. After standing firmly on its feet, it quickly leaped to dodge Rhode��s follow-up attack, where the pitch-black sharp blade missed and struck the ground. Then, the Chaos Creature pounced on him once again.


    You��re asking for death!


    A cold glint flashed in Rhode��s eyes. All players hated the Chaos Creatures because these annoying creatures would pounce on any beings of Order despite the difference in their levels. In the land of Order, Chaos Creatures would still observe their prey before attacking, where if the level difference was more than 10, they usually wouldn��t stir up trouble with the players. However, in this place, even if one was at the peak level 85, the Chaos Creatures between level 20 and 30 would still swarm toward one endlessly. Just how annoying was that! At this moment, this Chaos Creature standing before Rhode was only level 40. It was asking for death by messing with him!


    ��Hmph!��


    Rhode let out a cold snort. Then, shadow clones emerged from him, slashing countless dark blade rays onto his prey. In the blink of an eye, the Chaos Creature was shredded into bits. However, blood didn��t splash into the air. Instead, the creature instantly crumbled like a pile of sand and vanished into thin air. Shortly after, a huge net of blade rays faded away and Rhode reemerged, gazing coldly at the empty spot before him. The three Order Refugees gawked at the black-haired young man. They didn��t expect him to be this powerful, where perhaps their elder might not even match up to him.


    After dealing with the trouble, Rhode casually observed his men at work. The strange bear-looking creature was currently in a hassle with Marfa and the others. On the other hand, John and Sovann were attacking the shark-like creature with eagle wings. Lize and Marlene continued to hide behind Anne while Anne brandished the shield at the crab with boar legs, smashing it flat to the ground��


    Strictly speaking, these Chaos Creatures weren��t too strong because they had barged into the Order barrier and were weakened. The strongest Chaos Creature at the moment was only at level 45, so it was possible if Marfa and the rest worked together to eliminate it. The main problem was that the appearance of these enemies were simply too strange, where mercenaries didn��t know where exactly they should strike.


    Argh!


    Marfa flew off upon impact despite slashing his sword on the creature��s antlers. The bear-like creature widened its jaw and revealed its razor-sharp teeth. Then, it dashed toward the mercenaries.


    Swish!


    Randolf released an arrow that streaked across the air and punctured its eye, leaving it howling furiously from the immense pain. At this moment, no one noticed that Joey had already sneaked up to it.


    Shing!


    Joey brandished the dagger and sliced its legs off, where dark green blood spurted and the putrid scent disgusted everyone. Joey dodged its brandishing crocodile tail and watched it collapse powerlessly. Then, Sol seized the chance and hacked his blazing sword into its skull, devouring its entirety.


    ��You people should relax a little.��


    Gillian chuckled as she strolled at the back. She shook her tail and twitched her ears proudly while swinging her right arm like an orchestra conductor. Along with her movements, flares burned in midair and swallowed the strange shadows pouncing from above, turning them into ashes.


    ��These Chaos Creatures aren��t hard to deal with. Alright, you stupid, stop charging ahead. Unless you want to merge with that lion-fish!��


    Gillian waved her finger across the air, and a fire whip struck the ground before John. This frightened the young man who was darting ahead with his sword into falling to the ground on his bum. Shortly after, the fire whip bounced off the ground and erupted in a blinding radiance that exploded the Chaos Creatures into bits.


    ��Heyah!��


    On the other side, the leader of the two Order Refugees slashed the heavy, enormous bronze hatchet into the Chaos Creature��s skull. He watched in silence as the creature shattered into bits and vanished into thin air. Then, he lifted his head and wiped the sweat beads off his head before turning to the outsiders.


    That��s right. Those are truly newbies.


    The leader had to admit that when he heard this suggestion from the overlord, he thought that this black-haired young man was insane or perhaps an idiot who was blinded by greed. Of course, he was clear of the reason why the overlord wished to enter the Land of Chaos. It was due to the legend�� Wrong. That legend could be considered a story that all Order Refugee parents told their children��Order shall return while the days of Chaos will come to an end one day. The legendary knights shall raise their flags and step into Chaos once again to rescue them from this endless torture.


    But that was just a legend, after all.


    As time passed, the story remained a story. However, the tone used in telling the story changed. The initial tone that was filled with hope had turned into despair. Currently, almost everyone used the tone of mockery whenever they told this story to their children��the savior doesn��t exist. That��s right. This is the Land of Chaos. No one will be rescuing them, not even themselves. It is foolish to rely on outsiders.


    From the start, the leader didn��t think that these outsiders could adapt to the Chaos. But, it seemed like he was wrong.


    Indeed. Most of these behaved and outsiders performed like idiots. However, he was clear that this wasn��t their true strength because even the descendants of the Order Refugees who were born in the Land of Chaos couldn��t perform any better than them after leaving the refuge and being surrounded by the Chaos Creatures. On the contrary, he was surprised by the black-haired young man.


    After entering the Land of Chaos, he had been observing the young man and his subordinates. It was apparent that this young man held experience with regards to this place. Not only that, but some of his subordinates also performed well, especially the young lady holding the huge shield and the fox-eared young lady swaying her fluffy tail about. They performed perfectly and much more impressive than most of the people who lived here could. Besides, that young man��


    The leader quietly scanned the young man who vanished into thin air during his assault on the Chaos Creature. Then, he suddenly emerged behind and shattered it into bits. He had never seen anyone with such mysterious moves and formidable strength in the refuge. They had been battling the Chaos Creatures for all their lives and yet, they couldn��t even match up with this young man?


    The leader became somewhat fearful of Rhode.


    Perhaps his decision was a bad one. Or maybe he shouldn��t have convinced the elder to accept the young man��s request for the sake of food and water. Back then, he was indeed too arrogant because he thought that the young man was certainly another one of those people who were blinded by greed. But, now it seemed like this decision was absolutely wrong. Perhaps this might bring an unprecedented disaster to the entire refuge!


    The leader became anxious at this thought. He thought about leaving this group of outsiders here and letting them die on their own. But, for some unknown reason, he instinctively sensed a sharp, ice-cold aura locking him down to the spot as though one had held a blade against his throat. He had no doubt that if he escaped now, he would be dead instantly. Moreover, he was somehow also certain that this young man would still be able to find the location of their refuge even if he ditched them.


    Rhode put away his sword and instantly sensed the gaze from behind. However, he wasn��t surprised and was well aware of the Order Refugees�� mentality. In a place like the Land of Chaos, one couldn��t count on the Order Refugees who had worked hard to survive to agree on fairness, goodwill, or other sorts. Although Chaos failed to completely shatter the Order barrier over their refuge, it still slowly infiltrated and affected their mentality. Therefore, most players completely annihilated the Order Refugees as soon as they attained their territories. If not, they wouldn��t be surprised to find a group of bandits emerging in their territory if they kept them alive��there was no cure for the mentality and souls that were corroded by Chaos.


    I can only hope that the people in the refuge still have some sense in their heads.


    Rhode turned around and gazed at the leader who had turned away and fought against a Chaos Creature. It would be a pity if their intellect was fully corroded by Chaos because Rhode would then need to turn the refuge into a large graveyard after gaining the coordinates of the tinder. After all, he didn��t wish for them to turn into bandits in this future territory of his.


    However, it would still be a tough task for him. Fortunately, Gillian was around to help, so there shouldn��t be any issues.


    After perhaps several minutes or hours, the Chaos Creatures that kept pouncing on them were nowhere to be seen. Many panted in exhaustion as they sat on the ground. Although the Chaos Creatures weren��t too powerful, they were still difficult to handle. In fact, if it weren��t due to the fact that Rhode��s men were elites of the elites, perhaps some would have died here.


    But everything was fine now. Apart from some injuries on Joey and the others, there wasn��t anything worrying. Moreover, this Order barrier kept them immune from the negative effects of Chaos, so they didn��t need to be concerned about being poisoned. However, what made Rhode glad was that even though almost everyone was panicky when they first met the Chaos Creatures, they still managed to easily adapt and eliminate them, where even John, who improved the slowest, slaughtered a snake with a wolf head.


    ��Alright, let��s get going.��


    After a while of rest, Rhode said.


    ��The weakened Chaos Creatures can��t enter the Order barrier now, so we must use this opportunity to get moving. If not, everything will repeat itself after the Chaos Creatures recover their strength.��


    Almost everyone sighed in fatigue. However, they stood up hurriedly and gathered in their formation.


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Then, he turned around and gestured to the three Order Refugees.


    ��Alright, we��re ready. Time is not waiting for anyone, right?��


    ��Of course.��


    The leader said with a sulk. Then, he turned around, lifted the Order torch, and led the outsiders.


    It was due to this that he didn��t notice the smirk on Rhode��s face.

 Chapter 834 - Welcome to the 71st Refuge

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Thereafter, everyone met with several ambushes, but they had gotten used to their attack patterns and dealt with them easily. However, this didn��t mean that their test had come to an end.


    ��How much longer before we reach our destination, Rhode?��


    Marlene wiped the sweat off her forehead. For a young lady born as a noblewoman, walking for hours was a torture for her. Not only her, but Lize and the others were also exhausted. What made the situation worse was that they didn��t even know how long they had been walking. Was it a few minutes or hours? Marlene retrieved her pocket watch and saw the pointer positioned at three o��clock. If she recalled correctly, the previous time it was at six o��clock and now it was three o��clock�� Could it be that they had been walking for nine hours?


    Then, Rhode��s answer devastated them.


    ��I don��t know.��


    ��You don��t know?��


    Marlene widened her eyes in disbelief. On the other hand, Lize��s complexion turned ashen while Joey rolled his eyes hopelessly.


    ��Don��t say that, Boss. Those people should be aware, right? How about asking them?��


    ��They won��t know the answer either.��


    Rhode waved his hand and narrowed his eyes at the three Order Refugees. At this moment, they were raising their torches and moving in large strides. A dazzling silver thread on the burning torch acted as a guiding line that extended forward into the end of the Chaos fog. Of course, there were no forms of direction in Chaos and there were several times when Rhode felt as though he were walking around in circles. But��


    ��There is no distance, time, or anything that you can imagine here. Everything is shattered. Simply speaking, our connection to Order determines how long it will take for us to reach the refuge. If we��re lucky, perhaps we can see the entrance in about 10 minutes.��


    ��But what if we��re unlucky?��


    Anne asked excitedly. Judging from her looks, it seemed like she was fine with staying around here for much longer. Rhode slowed down his pace and turned to the curious young lady. Then, he shrugged.


    ��Then we will continue walking for days. Of course, this is according to the time that we all recognize. All in all, the destination is right there. We��ll reach the place when we��re there. If it isn��t time for us to be there, then we��re not there. So, it is still the same no matter if you walk or run.��


    ��Oh my goodness. This is crazy!��


    Joey hugged his head and yelled painfully. At this moment, the others were equally bewildered. Ever since entering the Land of Chaos, everything that happened had been illogical.


    ��Since that��s the case, why do we keep walking? Boss, let��s have a rest. Perhaps we may reach our destination after we wake up?��


    Joey sobbed while rubbing his sore thighs. Then, he gazed out of the Order barrier at the Chaos fog. What made the situation worse was that this place wasn��t in complete darkness as there were occasional dazzling flashes of radiance ripping through the darkness and merging to form an orange brilliance. But shortly after, the brilliance would turn azure or green, as though the mercenaries were in a disco. Apart from the glaring yet mesmerizing radiance, shadows would also emerge and dazzle their vision.


    But most of the time, the Chaos fog shone a bright light of an unexplainable color, so no one could even shut their eyes for a rest. Although Marlene had cast a masking spell after getting Rhode��s permission to weaken the brightness, it was still painful for them.


    ��Don��t worry.��


    At this moment, the leader spoke.


    ��In here. Order is stable. It won��t take. Too long.��


    ��I hope so.��


    Rhode twitched his brow before sweeping a glance at Joey.


    ��In this Order barrier, our determination is also a form of strength. As long as we maintain the thought of ��reaching our destination�� and push on, we will strengthen the Order barrier��s strength and eventually reach our destination. So, stop grumbling and move on.��


    ��Oh my goodness����


    1Joey gave up and lowered his head helplessly while the others dragged their feet. Although they didn��t complain, Rhode read their minds from their helpless expressions.


    The influence of Chaos was everywhere. In this place, any action that denied the presence of Order would turn into the strength of Chaos instead and this was no exception to the players. Rhode clearly recalled that there was an unlucky player who lost his sense of time from being nonchalant and couldn��t escape from Chaos. As a result, he had no choice but to restart with a brand new character.


    The land beneath their feet suddenly turned into a path full of dry yellow soil and rocks without any lush greenery. Moreover, there was suddenly a gentle downward slope which perked everyone up. Although they didn��t know what this meant, they instinctively felt that this was a great sign.


    As expected, at this moment, the three Order Refugees came to a halt. Then, they raised their Order torches and yelled in a strange, unrecognizable language. The flames on their torches blazed while the silver thread ejected from within, spreading and merging with the indistinct road mark and strong gales blew out of a sudden.


    ��Wow����


    Anne widened her eyes in astonishment. After the whistling gales stopped, the Chaos fog around the barrier dispersed and revealed everything before them. They discovered that they had arrived at the entrance of a cave where there was a large, circular, and rusty metallic door with two flame torches hanging beside it.


    As the three Order Refugees approached, the two torches hanging by the metallic door surged and shone a golden brilliance to form a dense net of light that spread to both sides. Rhode twitched his brow at this sight.


    Not every refuge is capable of attaining such a pure Order protection.


    ��Who��s out there?��


    A deep, hoarse voice sounded. Then, the leader replied.


    ��It��s me, Sir. I brought. The guests. That you invited!��


    ������


    After a few moments of silence, the deep, ear-piercing screech sounded from the metallic door. The metallic plate on the door rotated and after a loud rumble, the door opened gradually.


    ��Marlene, Lize, Anne.��


    Rhode took a few steps back and gazed sternly at them.


    ��Remember to inform the others that after we enter the refuge, don��t separate themselves from the team and don��t eat anything that they offer us. No matter if the food is given by the seniors or children, just don��t eat them. I don��t want to see any idiots turning into bargaining chips that will be used to blackmail me. Just treat this place as a mental asylum. Understand?��


    Rhode turned around. ��John, Marfa. Look after the rest and don��t let them act alone. That includes going to the loo. Understand?��


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    John and Marfa nodded firmly. Then, Rhode shifted his gaze to the entrance that was opened wide. The leader gazed coldly at Rhode before beckoning to him.


    ��Welcome. To the. 71st Refuge.��


    He said.


    1The refuge. A spectacular miracle.


    In the ancient, indescribable past, the Creator Dragon Souls used their bodies to create this continent and eradicate Chaos. However, Chaos didn��t retreat immediately and did their best to return to this world. Back then, the first generation of ancestors avoided the threats of Chaos and escaped into the underground to establish this refuge. They stored the tinder that was closely connected to Order within it and defied Chaos. After Order stabilized entirely and eliminated Chaos from this world completely, people would walk out of the refuge and lead their lives on the surface and this refuge would also be sealed��


    And now, Rhode and his men were walking in this miraculous history.


    This refuge appeared like an underground city. On both sides of the ten-meters-tall ceiling were several buildings. The entire refuge looked like a cone assembled by countless small squares. The narrow path that only two people could walk side by side at once was built on these square buildings, forming several paths and stairwells. Looking from a distance, it seemed like a dense spider web had enveloped the city.


    However, this city lacked vitality.


    Marlene knitted her brows and gazed anxiously at the surrounding. Perhaps due to the fact that outsiders seldom visited them, the residents scanned them curiously. Marlene had been to slums after becoming a mercenary and thought that the people living in slums were the most pitiful ones. However, compared to the Order Refugees, it was as though the difference between a noble and beggar! The Order Refugees were all skinny, malnourished, and most of them were unclothed, except from being covered by a few tattered clothes. Not only that, but they were also unwashed and unkempt. It was due to this that Rhode��s men who were dressed properly looked more like the weird ones.


    Moreover, there was also an unbearable stench exuding in the entire city, where even Anne pinched her nose��


    ��Boss sure is cool����


    Joey exclaimed in awe as he gazed at Rhode who strolled casually with his hands behind his back. Randolf and Sol nodded in agreement. Although Sol was a Half-Demon and led a tough life, this unbearable stench was still too much for him. On the contrary, Rhode didn��t even bat an eye and this left Sovann admiring him even more. No matter what, he treated Rhode also as a nobleman, so he didn��t expect him to be this tolerant. Since their leader could handle it, they shouldn��t embarrass him further.


    Perhaps due to Rhode��s group being fully equipped, they were especially eye-catching in this place. However, no one tried to stop them. Instead, they quickly moved away like frightened animals as though Rhode and his men were terrifying monsters who would prey on them anytime.


    ��How pitiful����


    Lize gazed at the Order Refugees and muttered under her breath. She shook her head in complicated emotions. In fact, she wasn��t sure why Rhode was searching for the tinder until after Marlene explained to her the relationship between the tinder and the Order Refugees in this refuge. In other words, the ancestors who appeared poorer than beggars had been living here since centuries ago? They escaped to this place in order to avoid the Chaos. But now�� Perhaps no one imagined that they would be living in such conditions.


    Everyone ascended a spiraling staircase and reached the highest point of the refuge. They stood on a triangular, three-storey-tall stone tower. Then, the leader went up to the stone door and knocked.


    Then, the stone door gradually opened. The leader turned to Rhode.


    ��The elder is in here. You people����


    ��I will meet him alone.��


    Rhode interrupted. Then, he swept a glance at his men before shifting his gaze to the person standing by the rear.


    ��Gillian.��


    ��Ah. I��m here. Is anything the matter? Master?��


    ��I��ll leave them to you.��


    ��Got it. Just leave them to me. I guarantee that these idiots won��t do anything stupid.��


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Then, he turned around and entered the stone tower.


    The heavy stone door closed behind him. Rhode strolled forward while dark green radiance shone from both sides of the walls, illuminating the dark tunnel. Rhode held his guard up, narrowing his eyes and laying his hand on the side. The moment he entered this stone tower, he instantly sensed a chilly aura locking onto him. It was apparent that the other party had also entered the Legendary Stage. If not, he wouldn��t possess such strength. However�� Instead of saying that the other party was spying on him, it would be more appropriate to say that he was purposely displaying his strength. Since that was the case��


    ��Hmph.��


    Rhode squinted and let out a snort.


    In an instant, razor-sharp spiritual energy erupted from him and entirely crushed the aura that was locked onto him. Thereafter, hastened coughs were heard echoing through the corridor. Then, after a few moments, a frail voice sounded.


    ��Young man, don��t you think this is too much?��


    ��I apologize, but I don��t think so.��


    Rhode said expressionlessly.


    ��Before you complain, you should consider if what you��re doing is right. Although I��m the guest and am not in the place to grumble, I have to tell you that I dislike being watched from the dark, especially by one who is this brazen. I��m sure you can give me an explanation? If not, I may take actions that involve the Order Refugees out there.��


    ��Hahaha����


    The frail voice burst into laughter instead of being furious.


    ��It seems like. You understand us well. Young man. I think. We can have a good talk. Come in����


    At this moment, the slab on the corridor shifted their positions and formed a black door. It slowly opened and candle flames dazzled from within. Rhode twitched his brow and pushed the door open.

 Chapter 835 - Tinder (1)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Rhode pushed the wooden door open as the refreshing scent of incense entered his nostrils. He squinted while entering the ordinary-looking room, only to realize that it was much colder and damper. Fortunately, the coldness had driven the stench away and its interior appeared much more ��luxurious�� than the outside. Of course, this was only a comparison. At least there were clean, tidy tables and chairs and a thick woolen blanket over the table. A thin, frail elder sat around the table. He wore an old but clean robe and held a huge brass alcohol cup with both hands. A little girl who was between six and seven years old stood behind him. She wore a one-piece overall, but it might be rather forceful to describe it as an overall. Strictly speaking, it was just a piece of long cloth with a hole cut on the top and could barely cover her thighs. She seemed to be as haggard and malnourished as the old man. Her limbs were as thin as stick matches while she stood barefooted on the cold floor, coughing away lightly.


    The little girl watched anxiously as Rhode entered the room. She hid behind the elder and clutched his sleeve. Then, the elder smiled and beckoned to Rhode.


    ��Please have a seat, young man.��


    Rhode didn��t reply to his invitation. Instead, he gazed at the little girl quietly and strolled toward the chair. He rested his hand on the pitch-black sword hilt around his waist and tapped his fingers, wrapped in a white glove, slightly. The little girl took two steps back in fear and instinctively gazed at the elder. Then, Rhode pulled the chair out and sat down. He leaned back, crossed his arms, and nodded to the elder.


    ��I would like to say nonsense like ��It��s nice meeting you��, Sir. But, it��s a pity that you seem to be welcoming me with menacing intentions.��


    ��Hahaha. You��re smart and brave, young man.��


    The elder revealed a smile.


    ��I have to admit that I did have such intentions, but not anymore. I apologize for my rude actions and hope that you can forgive me, for the sake of my age.��


    ������


    Rhode continued to cross his arms and gazed silently at him. In an instant, the atmosphere in the room was awkwardly silent. After a few minutes, Rhode twitched his brow and curled his lips into a smile. Then, the room temperature dropped drastically, where even white frost emerged over the walls.


    ��It seems like you don��t intend to work with me, Sir.��


    ��Oh? How did you know?��


    Not only was the elder not astounded, but he also gazed with curiosity.


    ��If you did have the intention to work with me, you wouldn��t be this polite, Sir. I understand a lot about the Order Refugees and etiquette isn��t a compulsory course for you. I believe that you��re already raising several conditions now if you have no intention of rejecting me.��


    Rhode said.


    ��Alright then, I guess I shouldn��t waste any more precious time�� Hmm. I shall take my leave.��


    Rhode paused slightly before shifting his gaze to the incense plate on the table.


    ��Perhaps you shouldn��t waste such an expensive incense, Sir, because this Hallucinatory Nectar is extremely rare. But, this thing isn��t that popular in the Land of Chaos, I guess.��


    ��You��!��


    The elder widened his eyes and revealed a horrified expression. Then, before he moved, a shadow darted toward him at lightning speed. In the blink of an eye, the incense plate toppled to the floor while a viper-like black blade pressed against his throat.


    ��I advise you to not act rashly, miss.��


    Rhode leaned forward, but his eyes were locked onto the frightened little girl beside him.


    ��I guess you��re aware of my strength, so I hope you can drop your weapon. That��s right, the dagger behind your back.��


    ������


    The little girl sulked instantly. She slowly stretched out her left hand and dropped the blunt copper dagger on the ground.


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction before turning to the elder.


    ��Alright then. I hope you can tell me the coordinates of the tinder. If not, I will need to extract that information from your brain myself.��


    ��I didn��t expect that you��ve actually learned to cast undead spells, young man.��


    The elder��s eyes glinted in surprise. He neglected the razor-sharp blade pressing against his throat and placed the alcohol cup on the table calmly. Rhode shook his head slightly.


    ��No. I don��t have the time to learn those tricks, of course. But I do know someone who loves playing around with them. I��m sure that she won��t mind conducting experiments on a person and also satisfy your curiosity.��


    ��Haha. since that��s the case����


    The elder maintained his smile when suddenly, his expression changed abruptly. He straightened his posture, clutched the chair handle, and widened his eyes. His gracious smile had vanished, with fear replacing it entirely.


    ��You��!��


    ��That��s why I said, Sir.��


    Rhode lifted his chin and gazed at the elder proudly. At this moment, a petite figure wrapped in a white cloak had emerged behind the little girl, pressing a razor-sharp wrist blade against her throat. On the other side, another almost identical petite figure extended her arm and pressed against the elder��s chest.


    ��Don��t act rashly�� Yes, I may not match up to two legendary beings, but I have to admit that it is foolish of you to pretend to be fragile. I think you fully understand how harmful it is now. If you didn��t pretend to be this sickly, perhaps I may fear you even more.��


    ��Hahaha����


    The elder revealed a complicated smile before sitting back on the chair. He looked at the petite figures who emerged out of nowhere and shifted his gaze to the little girl behind him. Then, he forced out an exhausted smile.


    ��I don��t think so, young man. These two are your subordinates, it seems. You do possess formidable strength.��


    ��Thanks for the compliment.��


    At this moment, Rhode��s expression had returned to his poker face. Frankly speaking, he had already discovered that something was amiss when he first entered this room. There was indeed the presence of a legendary being, but it was unlike the eyes that were locked onto him. Even though it felt similar, the difference was as though a brand new sword compared to a sword that had slaughtered countless people. Although the little girl seemed to be younger than Christie and was malnourished, the Land of Chaos wasn��t a place that should be judged with logic! Not only did Chaos divide the connection to Order, but it also changed Order, which led to many people possessing powerful strength as soon as they were born.


    Moreover, players in the game had also witnessed Order Refugees who entered the Legendary Stage as soon as they were born. It was due to this that there were many insanely powerful beings in the refuge. There was once a player who discovered a refuge that was run by a child who was about six years old. He possessed strength of the Legendary Stage and not only did he murder those who opposed and reprimanded him, but he also became the ruler of the entire refuge. Furthermore, he also recruited an entire group of children to manage the refuge while the adults became their slaves. This was as terrible as a black horror comedy. It was due to this that after Rhode detected the legendary aura exuding from the little girl, he wasn��t too surprised. Her aura was pure and she was too inexperienced in controlling it, which explained why she was so ��brazen�� when Rhode entered this room. It might probably due to this reason that she coughed after Rhode showed her his overwhelming aura.


    On the contrary, this elder was much more experienced in controlling his aura. If it weren��t for Rhode��s experience in dealing with tens of thousands of legendary players and could instinctively sense the slightest of pressure from his aura, perhaps he might have neglected him. But it was a pity that there was a huge difference between a pure aura and an aura that had killed countless people.


    Rhode launched his attack in order to confirm his guesses and indeed, the instant he struck, he sensed a trembling aura despite the elder remaining calm. It felt as though a blade was withdrawn and immediately returned into the sheath. However, the dense, bloody aura couldn��t be ignored.


    What made the situation worse was that this elder even pretended to be weak�� If he didn��t pretend, Rhode wouldn��t have secretly summoned Gracier and Madaras to deal with him.


    Since you want to put on an act, I shall play with you until the end.


    ��Now, shall we have a talk, Sir?��


    Rhode narrowed his eyes and gazed proudly.


    At this moment, no one behind the door knew about their clash. Everyone sat in circles and rested under Gillian��s watch. The journey to this place had numbed their feet. Joey weeped exaggeratedly while rubbing his feet until Marfa slapped him on his back.


    ��Sigh����


    Marlene gazed at the hopeless Joey. Then, she squinted at the scenery before her. The refuge was in a strange disorder. Some people walked on all fours like dogs with apathetic expressions, as though they had never smiled in their whole lives and didn��t know what happiness was. Marlene felt a chill down her spine as she watched their lifeless eyes.


    What kind of life are they leading in this place?


    Marlene didn��t dare to think about this question. At this moment, a gentle voice sounded from behind.


    ��Big Sister����


    ��Hmm?��


    Marlene turned around and saw a little boy who was about five to six years old and covered in a tattered cloth looking at her curiously. He held a beautiful flower in his hand gently, which caught Marlene��s attention. However, she quickly shifted her gaze to him.


    ��What��s the matter?��


    ��This. Is for you�� Welcome����


    The little boy lifted the flower and gave it to Marlene. The young lady smiled and accepted his kind gesture.


    ��Thank you����


    Smack!


    At this moment, a stone struck the flower heavily and the flower crashed to the ground. Marlene turned around furiously and saw Anne��s cheeky face.


    ��Anne, you����


    Marlene turned back and discovered that the little boy had already disappeared. Marlene bent her brows but before she berated, Anne hopped toward her and stared with her emerald green eyes.


    ��Didn��t Leader say that we shouldn��t touch anything no matter what the people here give us, Sister Marlene? Have you forgotten? Anne remembers clearly because Leader reminded us about this, Sister Marlene.��


    ��But he was only a child����


    Marlene knitted her brows and thought that Anne was overreacting. However, the passionate flames in Anne��s emerald green eyes convinced her. After hearing Marlene��s explanation, Anne shook her head firmly.


    ��Leader told us that we shouldn��t eat or touch any of those things! This isn��t a tour, Sister Marlene. Do you want to die?�� Anne said.


    Marlene realized that this carefree and lively young lady became so pressurizing on her all of a sudden and she was left speechless. At this moment, Lize went up to them hurriedly.


    ��N-No, Anne. I guess Marlene was only careless. It��s nothing, right?��


    ��Okay����


    Anne blinked and the surging flames in her emerald green eyes weakened gradually. Then, she took two steps back and returned to her usual carefree self.


    ��Sister Marlene didn��t obey Leader��s order. When Leader is back, Anne will tell Leader to not let Sister Marlene into his bed! Hmph!��


    ��This����


    Marlene��s expression stiffened while Lize blushed in embarrassment. The latter looked away and saw John and Sovann speaking about how round the moon was out there and if they might have the chance to see a meteor shower. Yes, they shouldn��t have heard what Anne said. On the other hand, Gillian cheekily rested her chin on her hand and watched the commotion. Her interesting gaze left Marlene and Lize speechless.


    ��What are you talking about?��


    Suddenly, Rhode��s voice broke the silence as he stepped out of the entrance and went up to them. Everyone suddenly shifted their attention to him and Rhode gave them an answer.


    ��There��s no more time to rest. Get ready for battle.��

 Chapter 836 - Tinder (2)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Get ready for battle.


    Everyone instantly went on alert when they heard these four words, standing up and holding their weapons vigilantly. They were anxious about who their enemies were. After all, they didn��t see any armed garrisons apart from the barely naked Order Refugees. So, who were they about to fight?


    ��Hmm?��


    Rhode swept a glance to the surroundings and saw the shattered flower.


    ��Which idiot brought the Hallucination Flower here? But it seems like none of you were brainwashed by that thing.��


    ������


    ��Hehe����


    Marlene lowered her head in embarrassment while Anne let out a chuckle. The latter perked up her chest proudly as though waiting for one to praise her for her good deed. On the other hand, Lize shifted her gaze from Marlene to Anne. She clearly witnessed what happened just now. In fact, she was also surprised by Anne��s actions. After all, it was just a little boy who presented the flower. Wasn��t he fine holding that flower too?


    Lize thought that Anne was overreacting, but for the sake of maintaining harmony within the group, she hurriedly jumped in to resolve their conflict. However, she was baffled after hearing Rhode��s words. She had only heard that the Hallucination Flower was just a precious plant one that grew in the underground. Moreover, it would use its fragrant scent to lure, hallucinate the prey, and turn it into its slave and food. But�� that little boy didn��t seem to be manipulated at all?


    Lize stole a glance at Marlene, but realized that she wasn��t unhappy with Anne��s proud behaviors. Instead, she gazed at the flower with complicated emotions. As a spell caster, of course she knew about the Hallucination Flower. But unlike Lize, she didn��t take that as an accident. After all, Rhode had reminded them before they entered the refuge and yet she still��


    ���� Erm, Rhode, did the negotiations fail?��


    Marlene let out an awkward cough and changed the topic. On the other hand, Anne simply turned and gazed at Rhode quietly.


    ��It was neither considered a failure or success. I guess they won��t tell us the coordinates so easily.��


    Rhode gazed at Marlene and discovered that the three young ladies looked rather off. However, since they weren��t willing to talk about it, it shouldn��t be a big matter. Moreover, Marlene, Lize, and Anne were considered gentle in nature and wouldn��t break into fights over nothing important. It would be another discussion if it were Nell or Sonia, so Rhode treated her as though he didn��t realize that something had happened.


    Although the elder eventually gave up on his tricks and calmly (definitely not sarcastically) negotiated with Rhode, it was apparent that he wasn��t willing to let Rhode in on the coordinates. However, Rhode insisted and displayed incomparable confidence to him. The elder wasn��t affected by him that easily and Rhode also wasn��t willing to give up the chance to find the tinder, so the negotiations were on parallel lines. The elder emphasized about the dangers of lighting the tinder and wouldn��t reveal the coordinates to Rhode. If Rhode were to threaten the elder, the latter would rather bury the entire refuge alive. However, Rhode also expressed that he was aware of the dangers and he must find its location. He also wouldn��t mind slaughtering everyone in this refuge for it.


    Both sides were clever. After the parallel negotiations went on for a while, they realized that their interests couldn��t reach an agreement, which was why Rhode left temporarily. Of course, before he left, he left a list of benefits for the elder��s consideration. The elder nodded in agreement, but both sides knew that this was just a stalling tactic for them to not get into further clashes.


    ��Why?��


    Lize knitted her brows and asked.


    ��Mr. Rhode, I remember that you told us we need to eradicate the Chaos in this land before we can light up the tinder, right? After that happens, everyone can leave this refuge and lead their lives on the surface, isn��t it? So why aren��t they willing to help us?��


    Lize couldn��t understand. If it were her, she would surely agree to it because such living conditions in the refuge weren��t for humans at all! So, why did they give up and stop them from helping?


    ��Because it is too dangerous for them.��


    Rhode shrugged and said helplessly.


    ��I��ve told you that this refuge was established after their ancient ancestors linked up the tinder to the source of Order in order to avoid the disaster of Chaos. In other words, the reason why this group of refugees survived in this place was due to the strength that they received from the source of Order. This is also why I��m asking them for its coordinates because they are the only ones who knew.��


    Rhode gestured.


    ��But the Chaos has willpower on their own and I��m sure you��ve noticed it. When you walked across the Land of Chaos, they sensed the presence of Order on you and launched their attacks. The existence of Chaos is to destroy Order, just like the emergence of light eliminates darkness. It doesn��t matter if they are willing or not because they will simply do it.��


    Everyone nodded in agreement. However, they were still dubious as to why the refugees weren��t willing to help themselves.


    ��I guess you��ve heard the legends of the Land of Chaos where after the Chaos wreaked havoc and devours the land, the tinder fades away while waiting for someone to awaken it. Over years of silence, the strength of Order connecting to this refuge slowly weakened. I don��t know if this is considered fortunate or not because the weakened strength of Order was hidden from the detection of Chaos. This is why they can continue to live here for centuries. But, if we were to light the tinder up, the strength of Order connected to the refuge will increase.��


    ��Could it be that����


    Marlene��s face turned pale as she finally understood what Rhode meant.


    ��That��s right. Once we light up and awake the tinder, the Order protection of this place will be strengthened and eventually discovered by the Chaos. When that happens, the Chaos will gather and launch their attacks to eliminate all the refuge.��


    ������


    Everyone pondered in silence. The Chaos Creatures were so powerful and hard to deal with despite the mercenaries and soldiers being fully equipped. The people living in this refuge weren��t even dressed or armed, so how would they be able to deal with the Chaos Creatures?


    The answer was obvious.


    ��Alright then, Rhode, how long do we need if we��re going to light the tinder?��


    Marlene puckered her brows and asked.


    ��Depends on the situation. I don��t know the specific location of the tinder yet. But, I have to tell you that the tinder usually lies hidden in the core region and in an underground palace or temple. These places were built with complexity in order to protect the tinder. Not only do we need to face threats, but we also need to defy the Chaos Creatures for���� Rhode paused and made a rough guess on the amount of time needed to accomplish this mission.


    The Land of Chaos was a huge dungeon and its city where the tinder was located was a medium-sized dungeon, and finally the palace in the core region was formed with three to five small instance dungeons. After the number of players were confirmed for this campaign, it meant that they wouldn��t be able to leave the Land of Chaos for quite some time and could only leave after attaining the final victory. Most people needed�� Rhode roughly calculated and gave an answer. ��At least 15 days.��


    ������


    Marlene couldn��t believe that the Order Refugees could survive for 15 days of battles. She finally understood why the elder refused to reveal to Rhode the coordinates. They could still live on without being rescued, but if they told Rhode about it, perhaps they couldn��t even survive for the next few days.


    At this moment, Marlene became silent. If it would sacrifice some people to accomplish the mission, she would gladly do it. But, if it would sacrifice everyone here, it would be an entirely different matter. Although it seemed like Rhode didn��t favor the Order Refugees too much, these people were�� so weak that they deserved empathy��


    Screech����!


    At this moment, the door suddenly opened and the little girl who was accompanying the elder earlier on stepped out. She held her pale hands together. Then, she took in a deep breath and walked up to Rhode.


    ��This is�� the elder��s�� answer����


    The little girl said.

 Chapter 837 - Tinder (3)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    It was an ancient key, but despite its long years of existence, it seemed as though it was well-maintained. Rhode gazed silently at the key with knitted brows. Then, the little girl pointed to the stairs leading to the highest point of the refuge where a sealed metallic circular door stood.


    ��Follow me.��


    The little girl said. She turned around and headed toward the stairs. Rhode��s group ascended the stairs under her lead. Unlike the other areas, there weren��t any buildings in sight on both sides. On the other hand, in the distance ahead was a flat plaza and a circular metallic door embedded on the wall. It seemed like the same door as the one they saw when they entered the refuge.


    This old fella has it all planned out.


    ��As long as you defeat all the creatures inside, the elder will hand over the coordinates.��


    The little girl didn��t seem to like speaking. After telling Rhode the conditions, she stepped aside instantly. However, Rhode didn��t agree just yet. On the contrary, he sized up the little girl curiously and made her pale and nervous. When she bit her lip and was about to speak, Rhode shifted his gaze to the door. Then, he ordered.


    ��Lize, Marlene, Anne, follow me. Gillian, I��ll leave the rest to you. Remember. If we don��t return after one hour, destroy this refuge completely!��


    ��Got it, Master. You can count on me.��


    Gillian snapped her fingers and raised her right arm. Then, a scarlet flame column burst into the sky with her in the center. The flames turned into waves that blazed and spread throughout the arc-shaped ceiling. This sudden phenomenon caused an uproar among the residents with many fleeing and peering at the dazzling flames that merged into the shape of a clock. Although the second hand on the clock ticked slowly, the pressurize was massive for them.


    ��Mr. Rhode����


    Lize gazed at the little girl awkwardly, but it seemed like the latter wasn��t too concerned. However, Lize felt that it was too rude of Rhode. No matter what, didn��t the other party agree to hand over the coordinates? It wouldn��t be too nice to do this, right?


    ��I��m going to check on the situation inside. You girls will stand guard here.��


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode.��


    Rhode turned a deaf ear to Lize��s concerns while Marlene gazed at the panicky residents helplessly. The previous encounter with the little boy made her realize that the ��rules�� that she was familiar with weren��t applicable in this place. Indeed, such brazen threats from Rhode definitely wouldn��t be welcomed if they were in another place. But in here�� It seemed like Rhode was familiar with the situation, so she was better off leaving it to him.


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded before taking the ancient key from the little girl and slotting it into the door.


    Click��


    Rhode turned the key and the metal railing used to seal the door shifted while the metal disc rotated slowly. The shackles that were originally aligned with each other loosened and the metallic door opened, revealing a deep, huge tunnel before them. But what surprised them was that the tunnel wasn��t completely dark. Instead, faint radiances from both sides of the wall extended into the depths as though they existed to guide their path.


    ��Anne, come with me.��


    Rhode gestured and entered the tunnel. Anne responded excitedly and waved goodbye to Lize and Marlene proudly with her chest perked out. Marlene and Lize watched them with complicated emotions and the latter let out a long sigh after they disappeared into the tunnel.


    ��Marlene����


    ��Hmm?��


    ��Should we�� practice some sword skills��?��


    ���� Even if we practice, we probably won��t reach Anne��s standard����


    ��That��s true����


    They gazed at each other before letting out a sigh in unison.


    ��Sigh����


    Rhode scanned his surroundings solemnly despite placing his hands on his back nonchalantly. Shortly after, the magical radiance from the back of his right hand shone and formed a large brilliant ritual. Then, summoning cards emerged one by one: Celia, Celestina, Snow, and the Hell Hound. Rhode swung his arm and the dazzling magical radiance in his hand extracted the shadows to form a pitch-black sword in his hand.


    ��Leader, are the enemies strong?��


    Anne asked. Although she strolled casually, her gaze was incredibly serious. In terms of battle, Anne��s instincts were much sharper than the veteran players like Mini Bubble Gum and Canary. It was imaginable how she could become stronger than Rhode when she entered the Legendary Stage in the future.


    ��It will be rather troublesome, so I need your help.��


    Rhode answered softly.


    ��I left Gracier and Madaras outside. I can only rely on you here, Anne. I will attract the BOSS��s attention later and I need you to retrieve the core for me.��


    ��Core?��


    Anne asked curiously. Then, Rhode nodded.


    ��Yes, it is the core that is contaminated by Chaos. In simpler terms, the core existed to strengthen the refuge��s defense against the Chaos. But it may have possibly turned into a channel for the Chaos, which explains the reason why they sealed this place up. What we need to do is to purify it, so the refuge can regain the strength to deal with the Chaos.��


    Rhode paused. The core of the refuge was like a system firewall against viruses. It would filter and eliminate harmful viruses to ensure that the refuge was safe. Therefore, not just anyone could enter this protected place. After hearing from the little girl about the elder��s request, Rhode had no choice but to hold back on the idea of slaughtering everyone here. After all, it was easier for him to eradicate the creatures than them.


    However, Rhode was also aware that the elder harbored ill intentions. Normally, the corrupted core would only react when someone approached. The level limit of the Chaos Creatures that it summoned would be in accordance to the enemy with the highest level. This was the reason why Rhode left the rest outside because they wouldn��t be able to deal with the Chaos Creatures if their strength was based on his level. He brought them here only to familiarize them with the characteristics of the Land of Chaos and didn��t mean to send them to their death.


    Since Rhode might be able to purify the core, the elder wouldn��t let this chance slip as there would at least be a guarantee to the refuge��s safety. If Rhode failed, his men would be in dire straits and might even perish in this place while the refuge would still be in safe hands��


    The older, the wiser indeed.


    The reason why he brought Anne along was that she held a shield that was immune to the corrosion of Chaos. Judging from this, Anne was much more ��invincible�� than Rhode.


    After briefly explaining to Anne that they were about to face a BOSS, they reached the end of the tunnel and arrived at a wide circular hall. Judging from the layer of filthy dust above the decorations, it could be seen that this was once a luxurious place. But now, there were only faint radiances and a dark sphere floating in midair.


    Rhode clutched his sword and took a step forward.


    ��������!��


    Suddenly, the dark sphere bulged and spurted dark liquid from within which shrouded half the hall.


    Then, the dark liquid coalesced and formed individuals one by one.

 Chapter 838 - Cheating Against the BOSS

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Anne, stand back and block the exit with the King��s Protection shield. You will go and grab the core when I tell you to, understood?��


    ��Got it, Leader.��


    Anne stood before the entrance where they came from and crashed the shield into the ground. Shortly after, a translucent, glass-like barrier emerged over her and sealed the entrance completely.


    At this moment, the dark Chaos liquid sensed the pure strength of Order from Anne��s shield and became restless. Shortly after, human-like creatures emerged from it one by one. They stood up slowly and in the position of their right palms were swords coalesced from the dark Chaos. Judging from their appearance, they appeared like Rhode��s shadow that was on the wall.


    �� It��s a pity that Chaos can only replicate appearances and not skills and attributes. How sad for them.


    ��Are those creatures the ones that you said will replicate you?��


    As Rhode inwardly ridiculed the idiotic BOSS, Celestina asked out of a sudden. Rhode looked at her curiously and discovered the glint of excitement in her scarlet pupils as she stared at the Chaos Creatures. For some unknown reason, Rhode felt that her gaze was rather menacing.


    ��That��s right. But����


    ��What are we waiting for? Attack!��


    Celestina jumped into battle right away. She brandished the thorny whip in her hand as she darted forward. The thorny whip lashed across the air and brought a trail of afterimages. The black flames on it erupted, wreaking havoc on the battlefield. The Chaos Creatures instantly realized who their target was and quickly pounced on her.


    Why do I feel like she��s much more eager than usual?


    Rhode shrugged before shifting his gaze to Celestina who sighed in helplessness.


    ��Go on and coordinate with her attacks. Leave here to me and Snow.��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    Celia bowed solemnly before raising her sword that was surging in silver-whitish flames. She expanded her wings and burst forward in a straight line of glaring white radiance.


    At this moment, the other Chaos Creatures also launched their attacks. The core had summoned a total of 10 Chaos Creatures��six were occupied by Celestina and Celia while four darted toward Rhode. Even though they were in human form, their movements resembled wild animals that widened their mouths and growled.


    ��I��m not as easy as you think����


    Rhode gazed at the shadows and his eyes glinted in a cold radiance. He raised his sword, leaped forward, and arrived before one of them. The enemy was also quick in its reaction, where it swiftly brandished the sword as though it was well prepared for his attack. However, how would Rhode be that easily hit?


    The instant the shadow brandished the sword, Rhode laid his sword before him and negated it.


    Clang!


    Rhode followed through, stretching his right arm forward and the sword in his hand meandered like a viper. At the next moment, it extended and aimed for the heart.


    Clang!


    The shadow swiftly swung its left hand where a sharp blade emerged from its wrist. It deflected Rhode��s attack trajectory, causing it to pierce into its shoulder instead.


    ����!


    Rhode felt as though his sword had struck a combination of strong adhesive and rubber as the massive suction gripped onto his blade. At this moment, the other three shadows darted toward him and brandished their swords from all directions.


    Rhode revealed a sinister smile. Then, he loosened his grip on the sword and vanished in a flash.


    ��Snow.��


    Ssss��!


    The little girl inside the hovering water ball brandished her tiny arms and a whizzing blizzard shrouded the enemies. Shortly after, the entire ground was covered in frost that enveloped them entirely. After the blizzard stopped, Snow realized that they weren��t harmed at all. As Chaos Creatures, such a pure attack wouldn��t deal too much damage to them. But even so, this was enough.


    The four Chaos Creatures turned around at the same time and a shadow flitted before them.


    Rhode emerged behind one of them and vanished at the next second. When he reappeared, one of the Chaos Creatures suddenly cracked as though countless blades had struck it from every direction. In the blink of an eye, the pitiful Chaos Creature shattered into bits.


    This ambush stunned the remaining three Chaos Creatures. Then, at this moment, Rhode and Snow struck together.


    ��Tsk!��


    Snow pointed her finger at where 10 crystal birds flew out of the water ball and soared toward the enemies. Their razor-sharp crystal wings streaked across the air and spiraled in deadly trajectories. The Chaos Creatures scattered hurriedly, but as they were disrupted by the ice birds, Rhode emerged behind one of them again and a shimmering radiance flashed, splitting the enemy in half.


    This can��t get any easier.


    Rhode��s eyes glinted. Although the shadow possessed equal strength as him, it was also their biggest weakness. Perhaps the situation would be dire if the shadows replicated someone in another class. However, Spirit Swordsmen were advantageous in this situation because they didn��t possess powerful strength, couldn��t cast magic spells, and held lower-level sword skills compared to pure Swordsmen. The problem for the enemies was that the Spirit Swordsman��s biggest threat was their unique summoning cards. Due to the limitation of the core, it could only replicate the physical being, which meant that it had no access to the summoning cards at all.


    Without the assistance of the summoning cards, the shadows were only second-rate swordsmen.


    The Chaos Creatures raised their swords and disappeared in a flash.


    At the same time, Rhode��s blade had already streaked across the air and his eyes glinted in disdain.


    At this moment, there were none of the so-called beings in this white space. The three shadows had violated all common sense and if it weren��t for the clash of blades and eruptions of blade airs, perhaps no one would believe that a battle was going on.


    ��Snow!��


    Rhode yelled. The little mermaid extended her tiny hands and clapped.


    Smack��!


    An ice column burst out of the ground and struck like a white viper meandering forward. Then, the ice column exploded with countless razor-sharp ice edges bursting in all directions. At this moment, one of the shadows shrieked and emerged out of thin air to avoid the lethal attack. But, before it dodged successfully, a sharp blade had punctured its heart.


    Boom!


    Rhode emerged before it and nailed it to the ground entirely. Then, he extended his left hand and a card appeared and vanished in the next second.


    [Sacrificial Shift]


    Rhode withdrew the sword and dodged another enemy��s ambush swiftly. At this moment, the Chaos Creature that was nailed to the ground suddenly let out a blood-curdling screech, extending its arm to grab the ambusher. Then, the black grease-like substance on its body fell off and revealed a Skeleton Soldier who slowly stood up on its feet. Its empty eye sockets emanated a creepy radiance from its spiritual flames.


    ��That��s the way!��


    The Chaos Creatures were baffled by the Skeleton Soldier��s emergence and it was this delay of a split second that cost their chances of winning. In the blink of an eye, the Skeleton Soldier brandished its weapon and decapitated the Chaos Creatures instantly. Their bodies melted to the ground lifelessly like candlesticks.


    ��Phew����


    Rhode let out a sigh of relief. Although the Chaos Creatures possessed the same strength and sword skills as him, the situation was very much different in battle. After all, Rhode couldn��t bend his waist for 90 degrees to avoid an attack. Judging from this, these creatures couldn��t exactly be considered his replicas.


    I wonder how the situation is over at Celestina��s side��


    Rhode shifted his gaze to the two sisters wrangling with the Chaos Creatures. As usual, Celia fought with her stable attack style. Currently, they were almost at the same level as Rhode. But as a pure ��swordsman��, the level of Celia��s sword skills was higher than his, which was why these enemies failed to threaten her. After all, in terms of sword skill levels, Rhode couldn��t possibly beat Celia. Celia could even see through Rhode��s shadow clones and identify the true presence. Even though the Chaos Creatures were seemingly hard to deal with, they eventually couldn��t withstand the sacred flames.


    On the other hand��


    Shing!


    Celestina lashed the thorny whip on the Chaos Creatures and the dark flames on the whip devoured them entirely. The piercing pain from the negative dark flames was unbearable even for the Chaos Creatures. They screamed while rolling on the ground and begging for mercy, but Celestina didn��t give a damn. She glared at her prey and continued to lash the thorny whip mercilessly.


    ��Who told you to treat me this rudely! Now you know how powerful I am! Hmph! You asked for it! Bast*rd!��


    Smack!


    Celestina smashed the brain of one of the Chaos Creatures into bits with the thorny whip. But, this wasn��t all. Her eyes glinted in a scarlet radiance and she brandished the whip again. The unfortunate Chaos Creature crumbled to the ground and she stomped her foot on it, where a scarlet magical ritual emerged under it and it shrieked pitifully.


    ��Ah�� How wonderful. I��m finally feeling much better! You bast*rd. Do you think that I will obey you like a slave if you treat me this way?! Now, you should know how powerful I am! Bast*rd!��


    ������


    Rhode turned around as though he didn��t witness anything. Yes�� At least he finally understood why Celestina was so passionate about this battle now. As for everything that happened�� He didn��t hear or see anything.


    Boom!


    The scorching silver-whitish flames announced the disappearance of the last Chaos Creature. However, this wasn��t the end because as the last Chaos Creature was ��cremated�� by Celia, the dark sphere floating in midair transformed into a shape stacked by multiple squares. Then, as it changed its form, the scattered shadows on the ground became thicker and denser.


    ������������


    In an instant, a dark brilliance enveloped the entire space. Apart from Anne who was protected by the Order shield, everything was devoured by complete darkness. The ground shook and one by one, the Chaos Creatures emerged in Rhode��s shadow appearance once again. But it wasn��t as simple this time as hundreds of Chaos Creatures surrounded his group.


    As expected. This is their second form, eh? The BOSS is finally transforming it seems.


    Rhode wasn��t worried at all. Instead, his eyes glinted in ridicule.


    Alright then. I shall show you the skills of a Spirit Swordsman.


    Rhode raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.


    Snap!


    Taboo Halo activated.


    The dim yellow halo emerged under his feet and spread across the entire battlefield. Celestina��s dark dress instantly became much more luxurious while Celia��s silver armor emanated a dazzling radiance. On the other hand, Snow grew up immediately. Rhode threw a scarlet card forward, and the Hell Hound burst out from the smoke and snarled.


    Celestina and Celia were familiar with Rhode��s Taboo Halo and they gathered their strength to launch their attacks. But at this moment, something strange happened.


    The Chaos Creatures that surrounded them suddenly twisted and turned like living clay. Not only that, but the Taboo Halo also vanished!


    Master canceled the Taboo Halo?!


    ��Master?��


    ��What are you doing, Master?��


    Celestina stared at him furiously while Celia stared blankly. However, Rhode didn��t respond. He ordered the Hell Hound to charge forward and quickly commanded the sisters.


    ��Use your flames to burn down everything in here!��


    Rhode tossed the blade into the Hell Hound like a javelin��after a series of excited and joyous howls, the Hell Hound exploded!


    Rolling red flames burst out and devoured the Chaos Creatures. Although the sisters didn��t know why Rhode activated the Taboo Halo only for a few seconds, they knew that this wasn��t the time for questions and hurriedly displayed their strength. Shortly after, the dark negative flames, silver-whitish sacred flames, and scarlet flames blazed. The panicky Chaos Creatures hurriedly gathered to avoid the menacing flames. But it was all too late because the tri-colored flames had engulfed the place completely. There was nothing else apart from the blaze of red, white, and black and the twisted Chaos had ways of escape.


    Finally, the tri-colored flames merged at a single point as though being absorbed.


    They were being absorbed to the place where the dark sphere was!


    ������������!��


    There was an indescribable sound. Then, the dark sphere shed its outer layer and revealed its core.


    It was a prismatic white crystal!


    ��Anne!��

 Chapter 839 - Chaos Core (1)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Yes, Leader!��


    Anne responded. She lifted the shield and dashed forward in a powerful whirlwind where the silver and dark flames swiftly made way for her. She leaped and reached out for the white crystal. At the same time, the Chaos also noticed her presence and instantly released multiple shadow tentacles at her. As a Shield Warrior, she was more of an expert in self-defense than anyone. She rolled back nimbly to dodge two of the tentacles. Then, she brandished the shield and the tentacles quickly retracted as though they were electrocuted. If it were an ordinary shield, perhaps the Chaos wouldn��t flinch. But, what could they do to the King��s Protection that was immune to the Chaos?


    Anne seized this opportunity and got out of there. Then, the blazing silver and dark flames merged to stop the enemies from giving chase.


    ��Phew����


    Rhode let out a sigh of relief. Then, he leaned on the pillar beside him while waiting for the end. Snow drifted around him with knitted brows as she watched the blazing heat because water elemental Elves didn��t favor flames at all. On the other hand, Celia and Celestina were speechless as they looked at Rhode in astonishment.


    ��How did he do it?��


    Celestina puckered her brows and whispered to Celia.


    ��These Chaos Creatures aren��t easy to deal with, but I didn��t expect Master to eliminate them just like this. Really. I haven��t had enough fun yet. These Chaos Creatures shouldn��t be this weak, right?��


    ��I don��t know, Big Sister.��


    Celia knitted her brows too. She shook her head while scanning the pitch-black Chaos on the ground. At this moment, they almost vanished due to the flames.


    Rhode gazed at Anne who approached him with a grin. Of course, he heard the conversation between Celestina and Celia. However, he didn��t give them an explanation. This was the ��cheat�� technique of the Spirit Swordsman against a core contaminated by the Chaos, also known as the Chaos core. Everyone knew that after the battle began, the Chaos core would choose the individual with the highest level and there would be no differences from the targeted individual in terms of spells or skills.


    At the start, many player groups were eliminated when facing the Chaos core. The first phase was still manageable, but during the second phase, the Chaos core would replicate as many Chaos Creatures as possible and the player groups would be divided completely. There couldn��t possibly only be attackers and tankers in a group. If the BOSS entered the second phase and coincidentally separated the supporters and healers��the players had to be prepared to run.


    Even Starlight suffered from this tactic by the BOSS. Back then, it was all thanks to Mini Bubble Gum��s formidable strength that they barely made it out successfully. If not, the consequences were unimaginable.


    After several failures, Rhode discovered that the Chaos core was the weakest during its transformation. Starlight adjusted their strategies based on this fact. They waited for it to transform before launching all their attacks. However, it could only transform thrice and the duration was short, less than three seconds, where even Rhode couldn��t demand his men to deal enough damage to eradicate the BOSS.


    But if they could extend the time��


    Before the battle began, the Chaos core would target the strongest individual for replication, But, what if there was another being who turned up and was stronger than its earlier target?


    The Chaos core would be confused and release its form to replicate the stronger being!


    This was the Spirit Swordsman��s ��cheat��. As mentioned earlier, the Chaos core��s replication choice depended on the target��s level. If there was more than one target with the same level, it would then be based on their strength. If only a Spirit Swordsman fought the Chaos core, the Chaos core would undoubtedly replicate the Spirit Swordsman. When the BOSS entered the second phase, the Spirit Swordsman could summon spirits who were stronger than himself. Although it was rare for Spirit Swordsmen to possess summoning cards like Celia and Celestina, Spirit Swordsmen possessed several techniques to enhance the strength of the summoned spirits. As long as the Spirit Swordsman��s summoned spirits possessed an attribute that was stronger than him, the Chaos core would switch its target. The instant the Chaos core switched its target and the summoned spirits were deactivated, it would fall into confusion. When that happened, it would be the best chance to deal the highest damage��


    This strategy was developed by Rhode and also the reason why he deactivated the Taboo Halo almost immediately after activation. Celestina��s and Celia��s strength depended on Rhode��s growth. It could also be said that their strength was only slightly weaker than his. However, with the enhancement of the Taboo Halo, they would temporarily grow into the Intermediate Legendary Stage, which Rhode currently wasn��t in. Therefore, upon sensing the increase in strength from Celestina and Celia, the Chaos core gave up Rhode as a target and switched to the two sisters. At this moment, Rhode canceled the Taboo Halo and the Chaos core fell into confusion. Rhode seized this opportunity and the results�� were decided.


    ��Boss, is this what you want?��


    Anne stretched out her arm and presented the white crystal. Rhode nodded and accepted it. Shortly after, a line of system prompt emerged before him.


    [Received the contaminated Core]


    Good.


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Then, he tossed the core to Celia.


    ��Celia, purify it.��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    Celia caught the crystal and closed her eyes. Shortly after, silver flames emerged on her palm and enveloped the white crystal. As a Battle Angel, she was an expert in purifying the Chaos. After a few moments, the silver flames gradually faded off and a puff of black smoke emerged before vanishing into thin air.


    ��Done.��


    Rhode witnessed the puff of black smoke vanishing into thin air and shrugged before taking it over. Next, all he needed to do was to place it back and reactive the defense module in this refuge��


    ����!��


    At this moment, the group heard a mournful scream. Rhode turned around in shock and witnessed the bulging dark sphere that was devoured in flames. Then, the flames surrounding it retreated and it transformed into a strange, tetragonal, star-shaped crystal.


    A fog erupted from within.


    ��This����


    Celia and Celestina widened their mouths in astonishment. They clearly sensed that the Chaos was about to be eradicated, so where did this powerful force come from?!


    ��Damn it��!��


    On the other hand, Rhode sulked at this sight. He rarely cursed in anger at any occasion, but this thing actually made him.


    ��That damn old man! I knew he was a bast*rd! Damn it!��


    Rhode glared fiercely. Before he explained to Anne and the others the situation, he hurriedly gave a command through the spiritual communications.


    ��Gillian, do it. Destroy this place!��

 Chapter 840 - Chaos Core (2)

    ��Will Mr. Rhode and Anne be fine?��


    Lize prayed as she placed her hands on her chest worriedly and gazed at the metallic door. Although she knew that Rhode could summon a powerful army anytime he wanted, she couldn��t help but feel worried about the situation. No matter what, he was a man she liked and admired.


    ��What if something bad happens����


    ��Lize, Rhode will be fine. Don��t worry.��


    On the contrary, Marlene crossed her arms and scanned quietly at the houses below them. Although they were both concerned about Rhode, they faced the situation with entirely different attitudes.


    ��Rhode knows what he��s doing. If he isn��t confident, he won��t risk his life. Besides, you��re also aware that he would rather go on adventures alone if it is extremely dangerous. This time he brought Anne along because it isn��t too dangerous for them. Perhaps he would have had us tag along if we could grasp our spells in this place.��


    ��I know, but I��m just worried about the what-ifs�� I-I��m not cursing Mr. Rhode in any way.��


    Lize explained upon sensing the dissatisfied gaze from her close friend. In fact, she knew that this wasn��t right of her because it did seem like she was cursing him as he tried his best.


    However, Marlene wasn��t mindful about Lize ��cursing�� Rhode because she was aware of her character. Although Lize had grown a lot after being Rhode��s adjutant for a long time, a leopard couldn��t change its spots, after all. This was why Marlene disagreed inwardly before shifting her attention to the edge of the plaza below.


    Hmm?


    Something isn��t right.


    The residents of this refuge were walking about on the plaza and if one were to neglect the tattered clothing on them, perhaps they would be no different from ordinary humans. Marlene sharply sensed the change in attitude in them as though they were involved with a goal.


    Suddenly, she had a bad omen. But as she continued to observe the situation, she heard Gillian��s voice.


    ��Got it, Master. It��s time for a barbecue session then. Alright, the self-destruction process has been activated. You pitiful NPCs, you shall pass on in peace.��


    Before Marlene understood what Gillian meant, a scarlet flare emerged before her eyes.


    Countless scorching flames spurted in all directions like water pumps, mercilessly blasting on the densely built houses. Shortly after, deep explosions rumbled the ground while the flames wreaked havoc and devoured the people. Lize shrieked instinctively while Marlene turned to Gillian in astonishment. Gillian was nonchalantly moving her finger while she swayed her fluffy tail.


    ��Miss Gillian, what happened? They����


    ��They��re our enemies now, Little Marlene, Little Lize. Are you ready? They��re no longer NPCs we need to rescue. Instead, they��re creatures who you can gain EXP from.��


    Gillian drew a circle with her finger before tapping lightly like an orchestra conductor. Then, the flames that engulfed the entire ceiling merged into a gigantic fireball that crashed to the surface.


    Boom!


    The ground rumbled and everyone drew their weapons. Although they didn��t understand why Gillian launched her attacks on the residents, they knew that this was by Rhode��s order. But why did Rhode give this command?


    Everyone was dubious. Although most of them were veterans, they had never attacked unarmed civilians without any logical reason. Moreover, they had never thought of slaughtering on such a massive scale. But now, Gillian was actually so brazen?


    But��


    ��Oh no, it doesn��t seem as easy as expected����


    Gillian grumbled boringly and everyone widened their eyes in surprise. The residents stood up in the flames and ignored the blaze on their bodies. They looked up to the sky and locked eyes with Gillian and the others on the tower.


    ��������!��


    Everyone including Marlene and Lize instinctively shivered as their gazes were filled with insanity. It was as though the residents were about to shred this world into bits! In an instant, everyone��s hair stood and they had the urge to eliminate these monsters!


    That��s right. Monsters.


    Earlier on, if everyone treated the residents as humans, they instinctively felt that they weren��t humans anymore after witnessing their crazy eyes. Instead, they were more like indescribable monsters, just like the Chaos Creatures that they met outside!


    At the next moment, their fears came true. The residents growled wildly and leaped out of the scorching flames like lizards, neglecting the pain that penetrated their flesh. In the blink of an eye, a dozen of them had crawled up the tower and appeared before them. Then, one by one, they jumped into midair and pounced.


    Boom!


    A scorching wall of flames burst out of the ground and devoured the Order Refugees who leaped into midair. But at the same time, several Order Refugees also passed through the flame wall and launched their attacks.


    It seemed like a battle was unavoidable.


    Everyone watched vigilantly with weapons in their hands. However, it wasn��t anyone of Rhode��s subordinates who attacked first. Instead, it was the little girl who remained silent ever since Rhode entered through the metallic door.


    Shing!


    A shimmering flash.


    The little girl dashed forward and stood before everyone. Then, without a change in her expression, she slashed the dagger and punctured the throat of one of the enemies. She knitted her brows and brandished her right hand.


    ��������!��


    The razor-sharp blade air ripped through the Order Refugee��s body in a sharp whistling gale. Not only that, but the other Order Refugees behind the victim were also struck off. This scene left everyone baffled. They gazed at the little girl blankly and didn��t expect that she would be the one who attacked first. How was this possible? Furthermore, how did she possess such powerful strength despite her age being about the same as Christie��s? Also, they were the ones who launched the attack on the refuge first, so instead of the little girl attacking them, she chose to slaughter the Order Refugees? Shouldn��t the Order Refugees be her companions?


    ��As expected.��


    Rhode twitched his brows. He held his sword and scanned the enemies before him. At this moment, it was no longer the dark sphere. Instead, it was a massive construct formed by Chaos crystals. It let out a menacing roar and glared fiercely at Rhode.


    This old bast*rd��


    Rhode gritted his teeth. It was apparent that this Chaos Creature was unlike the ones they had faced earlier.


    Which idiot designed this damn refuge? Why did that idiot place the central crystal and core together? Were they sick of living?

 Chapter 841 - Chaos Core (3)

    Blazing flames blasted forward and attempted to turn the Order Refugees into ashes. Sol brandished the scarlet sword and slashed one of the Order Refugees who had climbed over the flame wall. However, he felt a chill running down his spine because he realized that the victim actually twisted its neck by 90 degrees and crawled to his feet like some sort of strange bug!


    Isn��t he a human?!


    Sol��s hair stood despite the demon bloodline flowing in him. Although he had seen countless strange and cruel incidents, he couldn��t explain this absurd situation!


    Presences that violated common sense, rules, and Order were annoying and hated.


    Boom!


    Fortunately, before the Order Refugee stood up and launched his attack on Sol, a fireball struck from the side and exploded his body. The violent whirlwind roared from the explosion and devoured him entirely. On the other side, Orchid Heart stroked her finger across the page in her hand and gazed at the countless tiny fireballs hovering around the ceiling with sleepy eyes. At this moment, mysterious runes emerged on the white page�� She extended her index finger and drew in midair. Then, several scorching fireballs emerged and blasted at the Order Refugees climbing over the wall.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The deep explosion shook the ground, filthy dust showered from above, and cracks emerged on the walls. However, the elder sitting in the room didn��t move an inch. He narrowed his eyes and leaned back on the chair with a satisfied smile as though admiring the melodious tune. He let out a long sigh and shut his eyes.


    ��It is just as you��ve said. Alright then, I shall borrow your strength.��


    That old bast*rd!


    Rhode dodged swiftly and the fist made of crystals brushed and crashed to the floor beside him. Even though Rhode had avoided it safely, he didn��t feel assured at all because the instant the punch landed on the ground, the shattered crystals splattered and struck his body. Although the damage wasn��t lethal, Rhode hurriedly disappeared into the darkness.


    This is tough.


    Rhode reemerged behind the stelae. At this moment, he had withdrawn all his summoned spirits and even Celestina and Celia had returned to their cards. Now that Gracier and Madaras were outside the tunnel, Celestina and Celia were the only ones who stood a chance against this enemy.


    On the other hand, Anne had hidden into the tunnel with the core. But she didn��t leave immediately. Instead, she followed Rhode��s order and sealed the exit with the Order barrier once again in order to prevent that Chaos Creature from sneaking out and finding trouble with the people outside. No matter what, Rhode stood a chance against it, but if it were to head out�� The situation would be undesirable.


    Rhode��s brow twitched at Gillian��s report. This elder was truly a real piece of work. Frankly speaking, Rhode didn��t even have the strength to let out a sigh at the sight of this Chaos Creature.


    Crystal Brute.


    In the Land of Chaos, everyone had met all sorts of Chao Creatures. Some were new creatures formed from the mixture of shattered creatures while some were creatures contaminated by Chaos. The Crystal Brute belonged to the latter and was the most annoying creature in this refuge.


    Because it was formed from the central system that was contaminated by the Chaos.


    A refuge that successfully resisted the contamination of the Chaos could be considered a magical building to a certain extent. A magical building naturally possessed a core. If the core was the anti-virus of the operating system, the central crystal would be the operating system itself. Not only did it carry the responsibility of denying the Chaos, it was also responsible for maintaining order within the refuge. In other words, the reason why everything, including water, flame, air, gravity, and food could maintain their form was all due to the existence of the central crystal.


    However, as the core of this refuge, it had been contaminated by Chaos.


    Rhode couldn��t understand why the central crystal and core would be placed together with no one watching over them. However, it was apparent from the central crystal��s appearance that it wasn��t corrupted by the Chaos for a day or two. At this thought, the Order Refugees instantly came into his thought process.


    They were no longer humans and perhaps had entirely become slaves of the Chaos from head to toe. Gillian��s response completely testified his views and after the color of their names instantly turned from green to red in Rhode��s eyes, he quickly gave the command to destroy them without any hesitation.


    But surprisingly, he didn��t expect that the little girl would assist him�� It seemed like this old man was well prepared for this. Ordinary people couldn��t resist the corrosion of the Chaos, but awakened legendary beings also couldn��t possibly not have any resistance at all. Was this one of the reasons why they displayed their legendary aura in the room?


    Forget it. I have to deal with this first.


    Rhode hid behind the stelae and observed the Crystal Brute lifting its head slowly and searching for him. The Crystal Brute��s defenses were as strong as a level 70 BOSS while its attack was around that of a level 65 BOSS. Its overall level would be between level 68 and 70. It could also easily eject shattered stones contaminated by the Chaos in a 180 degrees range. If Rhode were to be hit by them, he could only pray that Celia had purification skills that were as high as Mini Bubble Gum��s��


    Of course, Anne didn��t need to worry about this problem with the King��s Protection��s immunity against the Chaos. In addition to the shield defense, she just had to seal the exit.


    ��Grrrr����


    The Crystal Brute dashed toward Anne after it failed to discover Rhode��s location. Anne clutched the shield and gazed in anticipation because Rhode had told her that her mission was��


    ��As the main tanker, it is your duty to gather the BOSS�� attention.��


    ��Grrrrr!��


    The Crystal Brute roared furiously. It raised its fist and struck Anne��s shield heavily.


    Bam!


    The powerful impact forced her back a few steps while cracks emerged on the walls around her.


    It is strong indeed.


    Anne curled her lips. She admitted that she had underestimated the enemy��s strength and felt a numbing sensation in her hands. However, this fired her up even more because she hadn��t met such a powerful enemy for a long time! She stretched out her left hand, neglecting the numbing sensation, and tugged an internal handle on the shield!


    Kacha!


    Suddenly, the shield in her hand twisted and changed its shape, revealing several gaps. Then, steel chains ejected from within and bound the enemy��s limbs. Anne clutched the shield and lifted it high up.


    ��Heyah����!��


    Boom!


    The steel chains dragged the limbs of the enemy so hard that it crashed into the wall. Although Anne��s strength wasn��t enough to deal lethal damage to it, this was enough to leave it dazzled. Anne yelled in elation.


    ��Leader, Anne did it! Anne caught the BOSS!��


    I didn��t ask you to do it this way�� Forget it. It doesn��t matter as long as the result is the same!


    Although Rhode grumbled inwardly, he had to admit that she was a talented main tanker to hold the enemy down firmly despite the difference in levels between them! This was the best chance for Rhode!


    Rhode flitted across the battlefield like a shadow while wielding Star Mark in his hand. A glaring silver radiance flashed as he stared at the Crystal Brute. At this moment, the Crystal Brute turned around and let out an indistinct growl. Then, its crystal body flickered in several radiances.


    That was a sign of danger, but Rhode wasn��t mindful about it.


    [Talent Characteristic: Self-Affirmation (LV1) Activate]


    [Please select the attribute to strengthen]


    Penetration����Increase by 800!


    [Attribute enhancement complete. Attack penetration increased to 1250]


    Rhode brandished the blade.


    The gentle silver radiance punctured the enemy and sliced into it like a knife into butter. But this was only the start. He raised his sword and brandished it.


    Shing!


    [EXP 450000 received. Level upgrade. (LV 62)]


    [2 Skill Points received. Total Available Skill Points: 4]


    Rhode stood to his feet, gazed at the enemy that had collapsed and almost shattered into bits, and shook his head. Then, he went up to it and retrieved a flickering gem from its carcass. At this moment, Anne had deactivated her defenses and went up to him with her shield.


    ��All settled, Leader?��


    ��Yes. Let��s go,�� Rhode said and looked at the end of the tunnel as he heard some explosions.


    ��That is����


    Joey laid down his dagger that was soaked in blood and gazed in disbelief. In an instant, the Order Refugees who were launching their attacks on them suddenly hugged their heads and screamed in pain. Not only that, but some of the Order Refugees also committed suicide by jumping down the platform.


    ��What is�� going on?��


    Everyone came to a halt while Gillian stood by the side with a grin. Sol, Sovann, and the others started treating their wounds. Although the Order Refugees weren��t powerful enough to be threatening to them, their advantage in numbers was still annoying.


    Thud�� Thud��


    Footsteps sounded from inside the tunnel and everyone turned around hurriedly. Shortly after, Anne and Rhode emerged before them. The former jumped in shock at this scene, but she wasn��t as agitated as Marlene and Lize who had immediately ran up to them. Previously, they heard from Gillian that it was Rhode who gave the command to attack the refuge. Even though the Order Refugees didn��t seem normal, it was Gillian who started the attack first, wasn��t it?


    ��Rhode, what��s going on?��


    ��Mr. Rhode, what��s happening?��


    Although the two young ladies asked tactfully, Rhode understood what was running through their heads because he had also sensed the dubious gazes from everyone.


    ��Why don��t we let the person who made use of us explain the situation instead? Right, elder?��


    Rhode let out a snort and gazed ahead. Gillian waved her hand gently and the blazing scarlet flames vanished in an instant. At this moment, the frail elder was exposed.


    ��Hahaha. I didn��t expect you to succeed, young man.��


    ��I have to do it since you aren��t capable enough. I do have to admit that my judgment was wrong this time though.��


    Rhode twitched his brow and said expressionlessly.


    ��What exactly is����


    ��Hahaha. It��s just like you��ve witnessed, miss.��


    The elder laughed at Lize��s confused expression.


    ��Frankly speaking, I��ve long wanted to kill those people and this place. But it��s a pity that it is impossible to rely on me and her���� The elder gazed at the silent little girl who stood on the platform. At this moment, the white cloth on her had been stained by blood.


    ��But�� Why?��


    Lize widened her eyes in disbelief.


    ��Because�� They��ve lost their purpose of survival, miss.��


    The elder��s expression turned solemn and he bowed to everyone.


    ��I thank everyone for your help. If it weren��t for you, perhaps they would still be wandering in the Chaos painfully and I can only watch them head down the end of this hopeless path. But now, that terrifying future has been destroyed by you, while they have left the grasp of the Chaos and returned to the warm embrace of the Order�� Cough����


    ��I still don��t understand.��


    ��Leave this to me. It seems like this old man with one foot in the grave still isn��t willing to explain much.��


    Rhode interrupted. Then, he quickly explained the situation and the relationship between the Chaos core, central crystal, and this refuge. Everyone finally understood why this refuge didn��t seem normal at all.


    ��Am I right? Elder?��


    ��That��s right.��


    The elder nodded firmly. But it was apparent that not everyone accepted such an explanation.


    ��B-But�� didn��t you purchase water and food from us for these people? If you truly wished to kill them, why did you����


    ��It��s simple, young lady.��


    The elder swept a look at the pale Lize.


    ��They have been corroded by the Chaos and without sufficient food, they will go insane. When that happens, this place will turn into a man-eat-man hell. That��s right. I want them to die, but even more so by my bare hands, instead of sending them to an abyss of eternal pain that no one can rescue them. No matter what�� They��re my people. Besides, if I didn��t give them food�� Perhaps I may have been eaten alive by now.��


    ������


    The elder turned to Rhode.


    ��Hahaha. It seems like you bear a grudge against me, young man. But you can��t really blame me since you��re the one who told me that you can destroy this place. It would have been a relief for me if you succeeded, isn��t it? Now it seems like I trusted the right person to do this task.��


    ��Alright then. Since I��ve accomplished your request���� Rhode said. ��I should receive my rightful remunerations, right?��


    ��Of course.��


    The elder gestured to the little girl.


    ��Soctire!��


    ��������!��


    The little girl lifted her head abruptly. Then, a gentle ray emerged from her petite figure that was wrapped in a white cloth. The white gentle rays eventually turned into illusionary threads that wrapped around her.


    ��You sealed the Order channel into this child?��


    ��Hahaha. It seems like you know a lot about us, young man.��


    The elder narrowed his eyes and nodded.


    ��That��s right. I have to do this in order to preserve the Order�� Now, she��s all yours. Follow her and I��m sure that you can reach your destination.��


    Rhode remained in silence while gazing at the little girl.


    She was the tinder��s coordinates.

 Chapter 842 - Returning Home

    When everyone stepped out of the Chaos onto the solid, flat ground and gazed at the azure sky, dazzling sun rays, and greenery over the hills, their first response wasn��t excitement. Instead��


    ��Argh��!��


    Randolf and the others collapsed and sprawled across the ground while Rhode leaned on the Order Flame Column with his hands crossed and gazing interestingly at his pitiful subordinates who were suffering from the reconnection of the source of Order. However, he wasn��t doing much better judging from his wandering gaze.


    But as their commander, how could he possibly show his miserable side?


    The other person who didn��t have any reaction like him was the little girl wrapped in a black robe��she was his reward and the ��tinder��s coordinates�� that the elder had given him. Rhode didn��t know how the elder managed to seal the channel that supplied the Order power to the connected central crystal and core inside the little girl. However, he knew that the biggest advantage this way was that the Order barrier over the refuge wouldn��t decrease in strength. On the other hand, this little girl could also detect the location of the tinder. Therefore, from a certain aspect, it wasn��t wrong to say that she was the tinder��s coordinates.


    Although the elder didn��t explain everything clearly, Rhode was certain that the sealed strength of Order in the little girl didn��t happen in a day or two. Judging from the fact that this little girl couldn��t possibly possess such powerful strength at this age, the seal could have possibly been done when she was born.


    At this moment, the little girl still didn��t have a name.


    According to the elder, ever since she was sealed by the strength of Order, her original name had vanished entirely. Of course, Rhode and the others couldn��t possibly order her about like ��hey, you��, so it was essential to give her a name; a simple one.


    ��Bell.�� Rhode turned around, gazed at the silent little girl, and said. ��How are you feeling?��


    ������


    Bell nodded slightly. Other than the painful expression that she displayed when Rhode retaliated with his aura in the room, he realized that she was somewhat similar to him. This little girl didn��t speak much and Rhode knew that she was different from the young ladies around him. Even though she appeared to be a quiet girl like Gracier and Madaras, the two Elf girls seldom uttered words and their every expression and action represented their thoughts. But this little girl was different as she resembled a true puppet and Rhode didn��t even know what her views on her current predicament were.


    The refuge was done for.


    The central crystal contaminated by the Chaos was still the central crystal, just like the operating system was still the operating system even after being struck by viruses. However, if the operating system were to be destroyed completely, the entire computer would be useless. The elder refused Rhode��s invitation to leave the refuge and chose to perish along with the refuge. As for the three Order Refugees who had led Rhode��s group into the refuge, they also stayed with the elder as his guards. It seemed like they would rather die in that place than live in the outside world.


    Bell didn��t seem to have any views on the destruction of the refuge that she had grown up in and the death of the elder who had looked after her. She quietly watched the refuge perish before walking to Rhode��s side.


    Rhode had to admit that she was indeed powerful.


    He learned from Gillian that this little girl was particularly strong and she possessed a pure soul, just like pitiful murderers who held a sad fate and were brainwashed from a young age in movies.


    Perhaps it had something to do with the strength of Order sealed in her body for her to maintain such a pure soul despite growing up in such a place. Although she seemed hard to get along with, everyone welcomed her with warm smiles. After all, humans were people of Order. Although she came from a different Order, the strength of Order inside her made it easy for her to attract the likes and attention of Order beings.


    However, Rhode had already guessed that this little girl��s common sense regarding life was basically zero��


    This was also a huge headache.


    Everyone once again returned to the fortress in the Land of Atonement.


    The fortress was as peaceful as ever. However, as soon as they entered the entrance, many of them were indescribably glad. Although Rhode��s intention of bringing them into the Land of Chaos was for them to adapt to the territory and complete the mission, the chaotic environment and rules left a deep, unfavorable impression on them. Therefore, the moment they witnessed the world that they were used to seeing, many of them had tears flowing down their cheeks.


    Ah�� Yes. This is our world, with day and night and the four seasons. The sun still rises from the east��


    In the past, everyone harbored thoughts of entering the Land of Chaos and being on an equal level with the legendary heroes. But after this experience, perhaps they might face the situation with another mood.


    Rhode quickly dismissed everyone. After all, after spending days in a place without a sense of time, everyone felt as though they had spent an unbearable month or two in there. The thought of them having to enter the depths of the Land of Chaos with Rhode in the future completely took over their desired glory of being on an equal level with legendary heroes.


    But unlike the rest who returned to their room and rest, Marlene and Rhode had important matters to attend to as the managers of the territory. On the other hand, Gillian had to sort out the intelligence gathered during this period in order for them to get an understanding of the situation of this place. At the same time, they also had to understand the operations of the fortress.


    ��The operations of the fortress have been rather stable apart from an increase in orders for Holy Maiden Statues. But�� as I couldn��t contact you, I temporarily held back the orders. Also, according to Starlight��s report, they discovered some suspicious people constantly wandering by the foot of the Astral Temple. Although I��ve sent someone to check on their backgrounds, I know nothing about them apart from the fact that they definitely don��t belong to the Munn Kingdom���� Ann gazed at Rhode in fear as her clear, round eyes glinted in uncertainty. She couldn��t be blamed because this was her first most important task after she became Rhode��s subordinate. Back then, she didn��t come to a realization when she learned that she would be taking over Marlene��s duties during their absence. As a result, she was bewildered when Marlene handed all the fortress operations to her and this scared her witless. Even though she possessed some experience working as Marlene��s assistant, her identity was too low, after all. Moreover, although Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were of higher status than her, they didn��t seem to be concerned about the management of the fortress, which applied tremendous pressure on her.


    ���� As for the refugees, everything went smoothly thanks to the funding you��ve provided, Sir Overlord. Currently, the commercial flow in the fortress has been completed and of course, with an influx in the number of refugees, the safety concerns will also increase. But the situation is still within our control.��


    Of course, who even dared to wreak havoc under the watch of a legendary Mage tower?


    ��Got it.��


    Rhode and Marlene exchanged glances with each other. It seemed like Ann did well during their absence. Rhode recognized that Ann wasn��t talented in politics or military, which was why he didn��t concern her with those aspects. On the contrary, Ann was detailed with economic reports and was also fortunate because the Country of Darkness��s invasion had completely stopped and revitalizing the economy became the utmost priority.


    Although the wars had ceased, the orders for Holy Maiden Statues from all around the continent increased, which surprised Rhode greatly. But come to think of it, the various overlords weren��t like the bunch of idiots from the Light Parliament, so they naturally knew that the Country of Darkness wouldn��t give up on their attacks just like this. Therefore, the overlords focused their attention on building up their armies in preparation for the next war.


    ��You did well, Ann. Although there is still room for improvement, this is sufficient for now.��


    The nervous young lady heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she lowered her head hurriedly and bowed.


    ��Thank you, Sir Overlord. I shall take my leave.��


    Ann turned around and exited the doors. Then, Marlene smiled at Rhode.


    ��How��s the situation?��


    ��Not bad. At least there aren��t any problems in the fortress.��


    Rhode nodded and naturally sensed that Marlene was proud of Ann as her subject and student. But��


    ��When do you intend to return to the Land of Chaos, Rhode?��


    Marlene gazed worriedly at him. After this adventure, she finally experienced how terrifying that place was. She had also asked Ann about the total duration that they left for and realized that they were away for around four days.


    According to Rhode, the true tinder would be located in the depths of the Land of Chaos. No matter how fast time passed in the outside world, Marlene felt that if she were to join him again next time, perhaps it would take a few months to accomplish the mission.


    Besides, it wouldn��t only be them the next time. According to Rhode, there would also be soldiers joining them to deal with the Chaos Creatures. But would this be the best arrangement?


    Of course, compared to the rewards of receiving a territory, it would be worth it to sacrifice more people.


    ��No, we��ll leave this matter aside first. Although I will still transfer a group of soldiers over to the Land of Chaos, I want them to maintain order and not be slaughtered by ridiculous creatures along the way.��


    Rhode shook his head and said. He had already decided to activate the powers of the Astral Temple and use it as a core strength in developing the Land of Chaos.


    ��What do you intend to do with the little girl?��


    Marlene swept a glance to Bell who sat quietly at the side. As they had just returned, the little girl didn��t have the chance to get changed yet and didn��t drink the tea that the Ocean Elves had prepared for her. In fact, after the elder handed the little girl over to Rhode, she was like a robot who followed its owner��s instructions. Perhaps she would starve to death if Rhode had forgotten to feed her one day.


    But Rhode had some ideas.


    ��Follow me.��


    He stood up and said to the little girl.


    The Mage tower was still as beautiful and graceful and its path was always filled with a shimmering radiance that emanated from the crystals. Rhode entered through the entrance and spotted Canary with her gentle smile.


    ��Welcome back, Rhode. It seems like you����


    Canary looked at the little girl.


    ���� have gotten an interesting reward from your trip. Don��t tell me you intend to treat her as our daughter and ask me to look after her? This idea isn��t too bad though. Although I don��t seem ready to bear a child for you now, it would be interesting if we adopt one, right? Sigh. It��s a pity that this isn��t Earth. If not, I would surely want to see my parent��s expressions as they witness their undergraduate daughter bringing a child home. I��m sure that will make me so happy.��


    ��I don��t recall you having such a terrible relationship with your parents.��


    Rhode twitched his brows.


    ��Yes, you aren��t aware. Who asked you not to film our process in bed back then? I can��t show my parents my private life even if I wanted to. What a pity.��


    ���� How is Christie?��


    Rhode changed the subject as he realized that the resentment Canary held toward her parents was more than he had imagined��


    ��She��s doing fine.��


    Canary said with a gentle smile, naturally skipping the topic.


    ��Her strength is growing quickly. Currently, it is still too hard for her to activate the Knowledge Scroll and it is an extraordinary legendary artifact indeed. Currently, she can only summon it for less than 10 seconds and it consumes an amount of spiritual powers equivalent to that of a level 60 Mage. It seems like this legendary artifact isn��t that easy to control. Christie clearly has strong spiritual powers and yet she can only activate the Knowledge Scroll and can��t use other skills. I can��t imagine how much spiritual power Christie possessed in the Falcon Peak back then.��


    ��What is she doing now?��


    ��Her meditation is about to end soon. Apart from meditating, she doesn��t have anything else to do. Besides, she feels bored whenever you��re not around. Do you want to see her?��


    ��Of course.��


    Rhode swept a glance to the little girl beside him and nodded.


    ��I will also need to introduce a friend to her.��

 Chapter 843 - Sphere of Mystery—Wind Enchanted Field

    After Rhode entered the Mage tower under Canary��s lead, he spotted Christie kneeling on the ground, placing her hands on her chest and shutting her eyes as though praying. Rhode learned from Canary that Christie had been meditating everyday and this was a technique that every spell caster must grasp. In the game, meditation was used to restore spiritual powers. After all, the amount of spiritual power spell casters consumed was more than that of other classes. Spell casters would be useless if they couldn��t restore their spiritual powers quickly after casting. Not only could meditation restore spiritual powers, but it could also increase the limit of a spell caster��s spiritual powers. However, there was a limit for ordinary humans if they relied solely on meditation. If it weren��t for the additional effects of the legendary artifact that Christie had and the enhancement from the Mage tower, perhaps Christie��s spiritual powers wouldn��t increase by 100 points even if she meditated for days.


    But now, although Christie was restoring quickly, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum purposely slowed down the pace of her growth. According to Mini Bubble Gum, Christie��s constitution was too weak to handle a massive increase in spiritual power. If it were Marlene, perhaps she would possess spiritual powers of the Peak Legendary Stage with the enhancement of the legendary artifact. However, Christie��s weak constitution only allowed her to slowly adapt to the increase in strength. If her spiritual powers were to increase dramatically, she might ��self-destruct��. Rhode didn��t see Mini Bubble Gum around and according to Canary, Mini Bubble Gum was researching a technique for Christie. It was one where she could use spiritual powers for protection and defense anytime, just like a Cleric constantly providing ��buffs��. Mini Bubble Gum deduced that if Christie could achieve it, the final flaw in her body could be made up for it. Mini Bubble Gum hoped to create a technique that would allow Christie to meditate, restore her spiritual powers, and use her spiritual powers to strengthen herself. Rhode had to admit that Mini Bubble Gum��s idea left him in astonishment.


    As the walking library, Rhode knew that if Mini Bubble Gum were to come up with this technique, a spell caster��s threat wouldn��t just stop at far-range spells. But it could be seen that this was hard to achieve because Mini Bubble Gum had almost no results after researching for 10 days. However, Rhode wasn��t concerned that she would give up. Back then, in order to take revenge, Mini Bubble Gum even came up with the ��treating foes as friends�� technique, which proved that her potential shouldn��t be belittled.


    ��She��s impressive.��


    Canary said as Rhode shifted her gaze from Christie��s back to the young lady curiously.


    ��She reminds me of when I was younger. Back then, my test results weren��t great and I often finished last in class. In order to not disappoint my parents and teachers, I worked hard to improve myself just like her, all for the sake of completing their expectations, gaining their recognition, and receiving their praises����


    Canary lifted her head. But this time, she gazed straight into Rhode��s eyes.


    ��But there is often no end to human desires. They wish that I��m forever the number one no matter in school or society. I have to be the most excellent, unique individual and even until my death I have to stand at the peak above everyone. But this isn��t my wish and it makes me tired. What is the purpose of leading a marathon that will not end until my death? Frankly speaking, before I met you, I felt that it would be fine even if someone were to pull me into the alley and rape me because at least this will allow me to break away from the endless marathon with psychological trauma as a reason����


    ��I understand, Canary.��


    Rhode nodded before caressing her long hair gently. He understood her thoughts and this was also why even though they had an intimate relationship, Canary wasn��t willing to let Rhode be her boyfriend or marry him. She didn��t wish to have a normal boyfriend because her parents would also expect him to be as perfect as her. Therefore, she would rather maintain this ��friends-with-benefits�� relationship with him.


    It seems like parents can��t afford to hurt children who are rebellious top students��


    ��I understand Christie��s thoughts very well, but I won��t allow her to keep running forever.��


    ���� I hope so.��


    Canary lowered her head and answered softly after hearing Rhode��s reply.


    Seconds passed in silence with no one speaking. What surprised Canary was that Bell stood behind Rhode and didn��t seem exhausted or bored at all. From a certain aspect, she indeed resembled a robot.


    ������


    After nearly half an hour, Christie let out a soft groan before slowly standing to her feet. At this moment, she turned around and spotted Rhode, and her eyes glinted in a shimmering radiance. She revealed a wide smile instantly.


    ���� Rhode����


    She scuttled toward him and jumped into his embrace. Rhode revealed a warm, gentle smile and hugged the little girl lovingly, stroking her silky hair. After a few moments, they parted unwillingly and Rhode gave her cheek a light pinch.


    ��I can feel that you��ve become stronger, Christie. How do you feel?��


    ���� Yes����


    Christie displayed a rather proud expression before nodding firmly.


    ���� Sister Canary�� said�� my spiritual powers�� are increasing fast�� I think�� I can help Rhode�� soon����


    Christie turned to Canary while the latter nodded with a smile.


    ��That��s right. But I have to tell you this, Christie��this isn��t simple and your foundation is still far from ready. You shouldn��t be too anxious to complete it. If not, not only will you not help Rhode, but you will also distract him. So, you need to grow step by step, understand?��


    ��Yes.��


    Instead of revealing a dissatisfied look, Christie nodded with all her might, and Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. Although she had experienced a cruel life in the High Cliff Village, it was also due to that that she had a calm nature. If it were others, perhaps they would be resentful. However, Christie accepted her Canary��s advice and knew that Canary said it for her own good.


    ���� Rhode��? She is����


    At this moment, Christie spotted Bell who stood behind him. Judging from their appearances, they seemed to be about the same age. In fact, Bell was also rather adorable and perhaps due to her malnourishment, she was thin and weak. Not only that, but her bright blonde hair had also turned pale yellow. Unlike Christie who looked endearing, Bell seemed as though she was the only one in her entire world. After looking at Christie, Bell��s expression changed slightly. Although her head seemed to be blank, judging from her expression, the fact that she lifted her head and shifted her gaze between Christie and Rhode proved that she was affected by their relationship.


    ��Her name is Bell. From today onward, she will be in your care.��


    Rhode said. He patted on Bell��s shoulder and pushed her forward to meet Christie. Bell was obviously astonished. She didn��t say a word, but only widened her eyes slightly and looked at Rhode as though waiting for his explanation. On the other hand, Christie sized her up curiously as though not taking the matter to heart.


    ��Bell.��


    Rhode sighed inwardly at the sight of her expression.


    ��When I��m not around, you��ve got to listen to Christie and Canary, understand?��


    ������


    Bell continued to stare at him. After a few moments, she nodded slightly so Rhode shrugged and turned to Christie.


    ��Christie, I shall hand Bell to you. I hope you two can get along well. Bell came from the refuge�� It��s hard for me to explain. All in all, you just need to know that she doesn��t know anything about this outside world. I hope you can help her and be her friend. Okay?��


    ���� Okay!!��


    Christie had no hesitation at all. She held Bell��s hands and nodded with a grin. It seemed like she was elated, so Rhode let out a sigh of relief. He extended his arm and caressed Christie��s hair.


    ��Alright then. Bring Bell for a shower, get changed, and find a room for her. Perhaps you two can stay together too.��


    ���� Okay�� Rhode����


    Christie said. Then, she brought Bell and left the room together. Perhaps due to Rhode��s orders, Bell didn��t reject Christie��s advances and Rhode nodded in satisfaction.


    He had always wanted to find a person to accompany Christie, but it hadn��t been easy. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were always busy due to their capable strength. On the other hand, Anne basically followed Rhode everywhere as his main tanker apart from occasionally bringing Christie out to play.


    Of course, Rhode had also thought of appointing a playmate and maid for Christie. However, after considering Christie��s importance to him, he didn��t trust others. But now, Bell seemed to be the most suitable choice from a certain aspect. Christie��s maturity had surpassed an adult with her sad past. Even though she was basically invincible after attaining the legendary artifact, the problem was that she was basically not in battle most of the time and would need a powerful bodyguard to protect her and Bell fit this requirement well. Not only that, but Christie could also teach Bell common sense without making her a spoiled child. Moreover, Bell��s body was connected to the strength of Order. As long as the tinder wasn��t completely extinguished, she could live on forever. Such a perfect bodyguard wasn��t easy to find.


    ��Canary.��


    Rhode turned to her.


    ��I��ll hand this to your care.��


    Rhode retrieved a small sphere crystal from his pocket, which was the spoils of war he had gotten from the Crystal Brute��s body.


    ��This is����


    Canary took it over curiously and a system prompt emerged before her.


    ��This is�� a Sphere of Mystery? Did you loot this from the BOSS, Rhode? Are you sure it wasn��t Marlene who looted it? This�� yes, it is indeed looted by you.��


    ������


    Rhode curled his lips as soon as he heard the change in tone in her words. Of course, he knew what Canary saw in the system prompt because he also had the same reaction as her.


    [Sphere of Mystery������Wind Enchanted Field. Core (Damaged. Repairable)]


    Rhode would be considered lucky to have found an ancient Sphere of Mystery. But the biggest problem was that�� it was damaged.


    A legendary artifact was indeed a great find, but a damaged legendary artifact was another matter.


    ��Just like what I thought�� You wouldn��t have such good luck and this proves that I��m right.��


    Canary rolled her eyes and ridiculed. Rhode spread his arms apart helplessly.


    ��How would I know? I haven��t killed a BOSS for a long time and this was just a habit of mine to loot its body����


    ��You didn��t even manage to loot equipment. Not only that, but you also found the core of the Sphere of Mystery and it is even damaged? I remember clearly that you brought Marlene along. Since you know that you��re unlucky, you should let her do it!��


    ���� I forgot about it at that moment.��


    Back then the situation took a turn too quickly and Rhode was occupied with dealing with the Chaos Creatures and Crystal Brute that he forgot about his bad luck. As a result, he instinctively went up to loot the BOSS�� body after defeating it�� Rhode admitted that he should change that bad habit of his��


    ��So then, what do you want me to do with it?��


    ��I hope you and Lapis can find some ways to repair it. No matter what, this is a Sphere of Mystery. I guess the Behermes Family should have a way to fix it. We can��t throw it away since we��ve gotten it, right?��


    Rhode had also always thought that his ��unlucky hands�� could be overcome.


    Perhaps��


    ��Got it.��


    Canary shrugged and like Rhode, she also didn��t wish to toss the core of a Sphere of Mystery away. Since it was repairable, wouldn��t they strike it rich after successfully fixing it? But��


    ��Rhode, please stay away from the BOSS�� body after killing it next time.��

 Chapter 844 - Devil Gulf

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    In this world, there was something one couldn��t change no matter how one improves one��s strength, found how much equipment, or associated with how many powerful beings. That thing would always be beside one as though the most devoted partner no matter how wealthy or poor one was. It was the��


    Unlucky Looting Aura.


    As the three strongest players in the game, Rhode, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum were the most powerful in every aspect��this also included their Unlucky Looting Aura. Canary��s Unlucky Looting Aura was the strongest, where she could only loot money. Mini Bubble Gum��s Unlucky Looting Aura was placed the second, where she could only find plain equipment. On the other hand, the equipment that Rhode found was either damaged or unqualified, which was why none of the equipment in his arsenal was looted by him. They were either found by Marlene, created by himself, or received from mission rewards. A long time ago, Rhode had already given up the ��unrealistic�� hopes of receiving the equipment which he wanted through looting corpses himself.


    Humans�� often lose some of the most important things when they receive strength at the same time��


    The chills gradually disappeared while the breath of spring filled the forest. Fresh green shoots once again showed up on the dry branches and green grass broke through the soil layer covered by snow and fallen leaves, striving to show their presence in this world.


    ��It seems like I��m destined to work hard my whole life����


    Rhode strolled on the mountain path leisurely, constantly lifting his head to gaze at the blue clouds while letting out helpless sighs. Apart from Anne who continuously stuck around him, there was also a young lady wrapped in a white robe joining their journey. She wore a wide triangular hat and held a staff that was taller than her, slowly following them.


    It wasn��t unreasonable for him to feel so bored. Preparations were needed to light up the tinder, but the current biggest threat could be considered temporarily dispelled after the Country of Darkness and Light Mainland signed the truce agreement. In an instant, Rhode became an idler. Although there were matters that he should be concerned with as an overlord, he had handed political matters to Marlene, intelligence gathering to Gillian, and military affairs to Orchid Heart. It could also be said that apart from eating, sleeping, and occasionally having fun in bed with Anne and Lize, he had nothing else to do. Rhode also finally understood why there were so many ancient nobles who loved such a shameless lifestyle. After all, in such an undeveloped society where the Internet didn��t exist for communications or games to spend time on, having fun in bed could satisfy both physical and mental desires, so why not?


    Of course, the others couldn��t be this carefree. Marfa, Joey, Randolf, Sol, and John followed Rhode��s instructions after returning to the fortress to pick a team of elites who could adapt to the Land of Chaos and engaged in training, in preparation to light up the tinder in the Land of Chaos. Rhode hoped that his elite team could receive training using the Battle Mage Group��s secret techniques and breakthrough their limits, reaching at least level 40.


    However, he couldn��t continue slacking away like this. No matter what, he was still a player by blood, and hitting creatures, leveling up, clearing dungeons, and going on adventures were his ultimate desires. In this first year of his arrival in this world, he had led an uptight life. And now that he finally could lay down his burdens and relax, he wasn��t used to it.


    As a Spirit Swordsman, Rhode had never thought of switching classes. Besides, the Spirit Swordsman excelled in many more aspects than ordinary Mages. Moreover, as the walking library, his knowledge was no less than that of the elder Mages who submerged themselves in a sea of knowledge all day. Even though there were no boundaries to the sea of learning, there would still be a limit, after all.


    Moreover, what depressed Rhode was that after he handed Bell to Christie, Christie immediately ��got bored with the old�� and threw him aside. According to Canary, Christie had been spending time caring for Bell when she wasn��t meditating. Not only did she pick clothes for her, but she also guided her in learning various etiquettes. Currently, Bell didn��t even know how to use utensils and used her bare hands to eat. Perhaps it was this rare, enriching lifestyle that led Christie to temporarily ��forget�� about Rhode and for unknown reasons, Rhode felt a heartache��


    Fortunately, after idling for a week, Rhode finally found something that piqued his interest. According to the research from Canary and Lapis, they confirmed that the Sphere of Mystery wasn��t complete trash and there was still a possibility to repair it. Besides, just as Rhode expected, the Behermes Family indeed possessed knowledge about creating its core. As for the material�� It was rather tough to gather.


    And this was also the reason why he was here.


    ��How far are we from the Devil Gulf, Leader��?��


    Anne yawned as she followed him sleepily. But even so, she lithely dodged the branches and stones while the young lady holding the staff beside her was like a nimble bird passing through the gaps, avoiding thorns that could slash her wide robe.


    ��It��s right over there.��


    Rhode came to a halt and gazed down from the hill. There was a 100-meters-wide, pitch-black fissure against the hillside like the enormous smile of a devil. There weren��t any creatures around it, not even any signs of humans were visible.


    This was a border not known to anyone in the Munn Kingdom��the Devil Gulf. A rare place that was connected to the land of devils.


    The Dragon Soul Continent used to be a perfect protection that divided the Chaos and Order. However, during the early battles, the Order protection crumbled. Not only because fragments of the sky revealed a place like the Land of Chaos, the ground also cracked and connected to the bottomless abyss of the devils.


    We shall rely on this for the EXP��


    The old general stepped onto the platform and gazed sternly at the flowing magma river. The smell of sulfur and scorching heat struck his face, but he wasn��t mindful at all.


    ��How��s the situation?��


    ��Our men have repelled five waves of devils today. According to our men from the rear, they will be calling for reinforcements and when they arrive, I guess we can relax a little more.��


    ��This is also due to the skeletons scrambling away from this place.��


    The senior scoffed. He clenched his fists, grit his teeth and his tone of voice turned resentful. As the commander of the Munn Kingdom army encamped in the Devil Gulf, he understood the situation that was happening on the surface. He had the strongest army apart from the Battle Angel Army in the entire Munn Kingdom at the moment. However, he couldn��t go any farther thanks to these devils and couldn��t return to the surface and slaughter the Undead Creatures who had threatened their people. Although the Undead Army had also arrived at the Devil Gulf previously, they immediately left after wandering around the border.


    Hmph. How would I not know why those bast*rds don��t dare to fight me.


    The general��s army was the final line of defense guarding the devil��s seal. If the Undead Army were to infiltrate and defeat them, the seal over the bottomless abyss would instantly lose its effects. When that happened, endless amounts of devils would emerge to the surface. But come to think of it, if it weren��t for the fact that the exit of the Devil Gulf was located in his homeland, he would love to see the changes that the devil army would bring if they invaded the Country of Darkness instead.


    At this moment, the general��s trusted aide spoke hesitantly.


    ��Erm�� Sir General, why don��t we consider the Holy Maiden Statue?��


    ��Hmm����


    The general pondered for a moment and fell into deep thoughts after letting out a deep snort.


    Holy Maiden Statue.


    The weapon that a certain overlord created that was successful against in wiping out skeletons from the Country of Darkness. Frankly speaking, the general was also tempted to purchase one after receiving this report from the surface. According to the report, the Holy Maiden Statue was extremely powerful and also maintained the strength of Order. But��


    The general was also concerned. No matter what, it was a top secret that they were in this place. At least in the Munn Kingdom, not many people knew about this Devil Gulf and the fact that there was actually an army stationed here. Therefore, he couldn��t possibly be like other overlords or commanders to purchase one openly. Moreover, what left the general dubious was that the statue wasn��t actually something in the royal family��s possession. Surely he wouldn��t want to write a report to Her Royal Highness Lydia to purchase one, right? This wasn��t a problem about money. In order to protect the seal, the royal family had been spending billions in this place and he, as the general of this place, couldn��t possibly abuse the royal family��s trust on him to spend money freely, especially when the nation was in this situation��


    ����!


    A series of hurried footsteps sounded as an orderly panted his way to the platform.


    ��Reporting, Sir! I-I received news from the rear that they discovered sightings of devils!��

 Chapter 845 - Fate Exploration

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    They��re there.


    Rhode narrowed his eyes and raised Gracier and Madaras��s cards. Shortly after, an interwoven thread of green and white emerged in midair, merging into a straight line that pointed to the depths of the abyss. Rhode nodded in satisfaction before putting the two cards away and continuing his journey toward the underground tunnel.


    After defeating the Crystal Brute, the amount of EXP he received brought him to level 62 and he had a total of four skill points now. But after serious consideration, he didn��t use the four skill points on his passive talents. Instead, he had chosen to use them on one of the talents in the fourth stage��[Fate Exploration].


    [Fate Exploration: Can be activated when the holder��s card deck fills its quantity by more than one-third. Appoint the card deck for exploration (Duration: LV1/LV2/LV3)]


    This was one of the Spirit Swordsman��s top talents in the Summoning Master talent tree. Through activating this talent, Rhode could specify a deck with more than one-third of cards to confirm the location of the remaining card spirits. This way, Rhode could fill up the entire deck and receive the full force of a complete deck. Currently, he didn��t consider strengthening his skills and masteries of his swordsmanship as it wasn��t necessary at this juncture. Instead, he focused all the four skill points onto this talent because he possessed one of the most powerful card decks possible.


    ��How interesting����


    Rhode shook his head with a bitter smile as he gazed at the cards. Come to think of it, this was his first time taking the initiative to fill up his card deck. Among the four holy sword cards, he had gotten Star Mark first, followed by Succubus which he obtained out of pure luck. He received Gracier and Madaras from Lydia and received the other ��Christie��s�� guidance to turn them into card spirits. He had never taken the initiative to search for holy sword cards because firstly, he didn��t know where to find them, and secondly, he didn��t have the time to. Now that the truce was in place, it naturally became his priority to search for the remaining cards. If he was lucky enough to gather all the 10 cards, he could take his strength to the next level and wouldn��t be afraid of even the four legendary generals!


    ��Fear will only make one miserable~ I��m not afraid no more, not afraid no more����


    Rhode hummed the mixed tune from a collection of old songs as he casually strolled toward the underground tunnel. It would be interesting if one were to only hear the lyrics. But it was an entirely different matter with that poker face of his. Anne and Lesa gazed at each other curiously. They figured that Rhode was singing, but they couldn��t understand at all. However, this didn��t stop Anne from humming along with him. This melody was simple enough, wasn��t it?


    ���� I can��t see the night despite how dark it is~�� Hmm?��


    Rhode came to an abrupt halt. The temperature in the surroundings instantly fell. He knitted his brows and scanned ahead. Shortly after, he sensed a strange, familiar presence coalescing nearby. Anne and Lesa also came to a pause. The former retrieved the shield from her back while Lesa took a step back, clutching her staff��as the guardian of the Astral Temple, Lesa��s strength wasn��t weak at all.


    There was a warm, mysterious stench of rotten eggs in the air, but it was all so familiar to him. In an instant, he recalled the scene of the scorching underground abyss and everything that he saw.


    Shing!


    Rhode brandished his right arm and a dazzling silver radiance streaked across the pitch-black darkness. At the same time, a nearby black mist shrieked and retreated instantly. However, the silver flames burning on Star Mark erupted. Rhode dashed and struck his blade forward. The glaring, unstoppable silver brilliance penetrated the dark mist, which it let out a miserable scream. A claw reached out from the mist and crashed onto Rhode��s shadow. But at this moment, Rhode��s second blade slash had arrived.


    ��Arghhh!��


    The claw was hacked into two while the black mist dispersed immediately after. Shortly after, an incredibly charred, enormous creature burning in flames emerged before everyone. Its maroon eyes flickered in a frantic radiance. It widened its mouth and exuded a putrid stench. At this moment, squeaks resembling mice sounded from the surrounding. Then, several naked, 50-centimeters-tall creatures jumped out from the darkness, shrieking ear-piercing screeches. They lifted their arms and balls of green flames lit up around their hands, which they threw over.


    ��Do they think that they can defeat Anne?��


    Anne twitched her brow. She simply tossed the shield forward like a boomerang and it whizzed a whirlwind barrier over her group, deflecting the fireballs swiftly. At this moment, Lesa also raised her staff and a gentle, shimmering sphere of light coalesced on the tip of it.


    ��Flashing Meteors!��


    Along with her chants, meteoric radiance erupted from the light sphere on her staff, forming a storm of attacks that pounced on the enemies. The meteoric rays streaked across the darkness and struck the Imps to the ground, where they shrieked painfully. The rays of light penetrated their bodies, ripped through large holes on their fragile skin, and snatched their lives away.


    ���� Squeaks��!��


    Although Rhode��s group��s attack and defense appeared perfect, the devils didn��t flee right away. Instead, they raised fireballs and trampled on their companions�� corpses.


    [Imp killed. EXP +5]


    [Imp killed. EXP +5]


    [Irascible Imp killed. EXP +8]


    ����


    Rhode removed the system prompts emerging before his eyes. With this amount of EXP in a year, he wasn��t sure if he could level up at all. He was most annoyed with the low-level critters in the evil camp. Getting past the gatekeeper was the hard part and it seemed like this logic was suitable to describe the evil camp.


    Don��t these level 20 critters know how to make way?


    Now Rhode finally understood why the demon kings in the stories treated those who obstructed him as ��lowly ants��.


    ��Hmph!��


    However, with Anne and Lesa around, he didn��t regard these Imps highly at all. He merely grumbled before shifting his attention to the devil standing before him. Although he was aware that it was the angels�� seal that completely blocked off the Devil Gulf��s entrance and exit, the fish net might fail to keep the small fishes away despite trapping the big fishes. The devils had never given up on sneaking through the chinks, so it wasn��t strange to meet a few fishes that slipped through the net.


    But�� These fishes were just too small and weak.


    ��Grrrrr!��


    The devil who had lost one of its arms charged toward him, raising and brandishing its other arm in blazing flames. But Rhode wasn��t in the mood to dodge at all. He wielded Star Mark and his eyes glinted in a shimmering radiance.


    Shing!


    The criss-cross sword rays ripped through the scarlet flames and punctured the devil��s body. This time, before the devil shrieked in pain, its shredded body flinched and bulged like a balloon immediately��exploding out of a sudden.


    Boom������!


    The violent explosion filled with flames and air current resounded in the tunnel. The deep explosions rang in his ears while his feet shook to the trembling ground. Filthy dust scattered and the Imps who couldn��t avoid the explosion were caught in it.


    ��Cough�� This is why I hate these things��!��


    Rhode stretched out his arm and waved away the dust around him. He gritted his teeth and retrieved a card. Shortly after, the Spirit Bird emerged behind him and flapped its wings to clear the dust away.


    ����!


    But before Rhode could catch his breath, he heard a series of heavy footsteps from the other tunnel, where a dozen fully-armored soldiers ran out from it.


    Indeed. Just like the movies. The police and army only showed up after the crisis ended.


    Rhode let out a helpless sigh at the sight of the dazzled soldiers.

 Chapter 846 - Bloody Agitation

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Who are you people?!��


    The soldiers were stunned to see Rhode��s group, where some even pulled out their weapons and gazed with uncertainty at the strange-looking group. But they couldn��t be blamed for this reaction. Although the Devil Gulf didn��t ban anyone from entering, ordinary mercenaries and locals basically wouldn��t come to this place, apart from soldiers who transported food supplies. And now, who were these people��


    The soldiers were baffled when they witnessed the shiny Spirit Bird hovering in midair.


    ��We��re the 9th Patrol Unit of the Devil Gulf Army. May I know who����


    One of the soldiers who appeared to be their captain put away his weapon and with the radiance from his torch, he witnessed the pile of devil corpses around him, which astonished him. As the patrol captain, he knew how annoying these devils were. But they were actually slaughtered perfectly by this group of trio. Although the number of devils who escaped from the chink was more than this, not ordinary person could eliminate them this easily.


    ��My name is Rhode Alander, Honorary Knight of Her Royal Highness Lydia.��


    Rhode announced and retrieved a badge from his pocket, displaying before everyone.


    ��I came to the Devil Gulf for an important investigation. Could you please lead the way?��


    This young man is the rumored mercenary overlord?


    The general scanned the young man curiously, at the same time recalling the intelligence he received from the surface��Rhode Alander. He could be considered a legendary figure who established a mercenary group by himself and defeated two guilds in a row in the Midsummer Festival. He had also received Her Royal Highness Lydia��s conferment for his outstanding performance in the internal battles, stepping into the realms of the nobles from a mercenary. Not only that, but he also secured his fortress��s defense twice in a row, eradicated the Undead Army, and obtained the production method of the legendary artifact by the name of Holy Maiden Statue. There were a lot of rumors about him among the nobles and soldiers. Most people thought that he was born in the Eastern Plains and entered the Legendary Stage at the young age of 20. He also had two legendary spell casters in the Peak Legendary Stage around his side.


    How strange. Does the Eastern Plains have such a powerful family?


    But there was a point in the rumor that was undoubted.


    ��Mister�� Alander, I didn��t expect to meet you here.��


    The general swallowed the word ��Miss��, thanks to his wonderful self-control. He finally understood why the gossip and rumors often reminded people about not mentioning Rhode��s face. If it weren��t for Rhode who wore a male, straight, black formal attire, perhaps he would have thought that he was a woman.


    ��Rhode will do, General Kaplan.��


    Rhode gestured and said.


    ��Frankly speaking, I also didn��t expect that the man, known as one of the three nation��s lions, who won multiple wars and eventually died from his illness, would show up before me, General Kaplan����


    This was the truth. In the game, even though Rhode had been to the Devil Gulf, he was hired as a mercenary and attended to tasks assigned by the orderly and assisted the garrisons to eliminate the devils. Besides, due to the difficulty of this area, players rarely attempted it. Moreover, the players naturally skipped this place after the Country of Darkness invaded the Munn Kingdom, which was why Rhode had never been sure who the general of the army encamped in this place. But now, it was different. As Lydia��s Knight (although it was only Honorary), his identity was no longer that of a civilian or noble. Instead, he represented the royal family, which explained why Kaplan didn��t mind his presence.


    ��Haha, that is all in the past.��


    Although the general sounded humble, there was some sense of pride in his tone. No matter what, this young man remembered his glory from his young days.


    ��It��s no different from death to be stationed in this place. After all, not anyone can enter this place and the royal family doesn��t want their people to know about here�� But, forget it. There��s nothing much to complain about. So, what matter do you have on hand, Mr. Rhode? Could it be that the royal family����


    ��This was what happened.��


    Rhode put up a stern expression. Of course, he couldn��t possibly tell Kaplan that he was here to search for his holy sword cards.


    ��I��m sure General Kaplan has heard of the happenings in the Eastern Plains earlier on, right?��


    ��That��s for sure.��


    Kaplan responded solemnly. Everything that happened in the Eastern Plains had led to the Country of Darkness signing the truce agreement. The public thought that the Munn Kingdom had successfully resisted the attacks from the Country of Darkness, which was also one of the reasons. However, the true reason that forced the Country of Darkness back was due to the evidence which Gaya presented to Lydia��the record of Chaos Beings among the Undead Army.


    The situation��s development was much faster than Rhode had expected. Within three days of Lydia passing the evidence to the Country of Law, the Country of Law requested for the Country of Darkness to stop the war in the name of the Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons and also asked the Country of Darkness to thoroughly investigate the traces of Chaos that mingled in their own army. The Country of Darkness had no intention to defy or drag the situation. Shortly after their army pulled back, they signed the truce agreement with the Country of Light and began their investigations. On the other hand, the Munn Kingdom had the same response. Lydia immediately dispatched three Battle Angel Armies to surround the Falcon Peak, sweep the place, and stop any Chaos Beings from showing up. Surprisingly, the Country of Light, which wasn��t too mindful about the Chaos Beings, didn��t ridicule and mock the situation. After all, everyone knew how terrifying the Chaos was.


    ��I was also there when we fought against the Chaos Beings.��


    ��Hmm����


    Kaplan wasn��t too surprised. After all, as a militant with the highest rank, he had also seen the report. On the other hand, Gaya also didn��t keep all the credits to herself, so she didn��t try and make Rhode��s group a secret in the report.


    ��Frankly speaking, I thought that it was strange that the Chaos Beings emerged at such a timing. I heard from Her Royal Highness Lydia that there is no progress in the investigation of the Eastern Plains. Whereas for the Country of Darkness, I guess they will only inform the Country of Law if they made any discoveries. This is why I came here, which is widely known to be related to devils and Chaos Beings, thinking that I may be able to find some clues from the devils.��


    ��Oh? Is that so?��


    Kaplan didn��t realize that Rhode had actually played with his words. He said that ��he came here�� and wasn��t ��will come here�� or ��wishes to come here��, which made Kaplan think that Rhode represented the royal family. Besides, his identity as the Honorary Knight was also proven with the badge. Kaplan didn��t know that Rhode��s true intention wasn��t to investigate the Chaos Beings at all.


    Kaplan knitted his brows and pondered deeply.


    ��But, Mr. Rhode, please pardon my rudeness. I��ve been here with my men for a long time and haven��t discovered any abnormal activities with the devils. At least from what I judged, they seem to be behaving as usual; only trying to break through the barrier. But, since you��re investigating the Chaos Beings, we will do what we can to help you.��


    Kaplan let out a chuckle.


    ��Of course, I won��t be able to help if you want to capture a devil for interrogation. After all, none of us here understands their language.��


    ��Don��t worry about that, General Kaplan, I have my ways. But, I��m sure you know a lot about the Devil Gulf after being stationed here for a long time. I look forward to your help.��


    ��No problem.��


    The general nodded proudly.


    A warm, stuffy heat stuck their faces.


    ��We��re almost there����


    Rhode stood by the wall and gazed at the lava river in the distance. At the end of the deep underground was an opening that connected the bottomless abyss. Although the fissure was already sealed by the enchanted field, the devils were still trying to barge their way to the surface.


    That is the place.


    Rhode stretched out his right arm. Shortly after, the radiance of a summoning ritual shone and Gracier and Madaras��s cards emerged in his hand.


    Activate. Fate Exploration.


    A combination of green and white brilliance pointed at the deep underground. But at this time, the instant the gentle magical radiance entered the darkness, it turned maroon and Rhode sensed a strong, bloody agitation!


    ��������!��


    It was only an instant and Rhode felt as though the world before his eyes had been smeared in blood. The strong sense of murderous intent struck and stunned him. Before he reacted, he heard a crisp voice.


    ��What�� are you doing, Master!��


    A pitch-black card emerged before him and its ice-cold, dark aura held back the violent maroon, sending a chill down his spine. Rhode instantly canceled the skill and the overwhelming sensation vanished.


    ���� You��re asking for death, Master.��


    Celestina showed up before him. She erected her brows and glared.


    ��I didn��t expect you to find her. But you��d better be more careful with your current strength.��


    ��Yes, thanks for your reminder. I��ll be careful.��


    Rhode wasn��t embarrassed by her warning, but nodded firmly instead. Honestly, the four holy sword cards didn��t apply such tremendous pressure on him before. That murderous intent earlier on was so crazy, real, and powerful that it left him breathless. It was a pure menacing attitude toward him and theoretically a ��weapon��. But��


    ��I didn��t expect you to care for me this much, Celestina.��


    ��What����


    ��I��m really sorry, my beloved����


    Rhode gazed blankly at the demon young lady and said softly, extending his hand to caress her cheek gently. Celestina stood in astonishment as his fingers moved to her neck and continued to slide down.


    ��You�� You����


    ��Yes�� As a reward, I shall����


    ��Where are you touching!��


    ��Your breasts. Yes, they feel good to the touch. Unlike your younger sister��s, yours are really soft.��


    ��Go to hell!��


    Shing! A pitch-black sword emerged from thin air, slashed, and brushed Rhode��s hand. Then, Celestina furiously disappeared in a black mist.

 Chapter 847 - Knights of the Moon

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Southeast?��


    The general puckered his brows. He spread the map open and scanned.


    ��If it��s in the Southeast, that is indeed the Bloody Field. But����


    Kaplan lifted his head and gazed at Rhode sternly.


    ���� I have to warn you, Mr. Rhode. The Bloody Field is the most unstable place in the enchanted field. In fact, we��ve faced ambushes from the devils in there. Unless necessary, we almost never dispatch any patrols to investigate that place because there may be thousands of devils lurking in there!��


    The general paused, but to his disappointment, Rhode wasn��t affected by his warning at all. The young man continued to scan the map as though memorizing the path. Lesa stood beside him with her staff in hand, not wavered by him either. On the other side, the glinting eagerness in Anne��s eyes proved everything�� It seemed like she couldn��t wait to get into a battle with the devils.


    Who exactly are these people��


    The general rolled his eyes helplessly.


    Although he knew that the people around this young man weren��t ordinary beings, they were still two young girls who hadn��t even reached 16 years old�� Their reactions after hearing about the demons were just too strange.


    Is it ignorance or the pride of the strong?


    The general couldn��t judge, but he had to say what was necessary.


    ��Mr. Rhode, there are countless gathering spots for the devils in the Bloody Field. No matter how powerful the three of you are, you can��t possibly take them all down. Besides, don��t forget that this is the underground. If����


    Kaplan was right about that. With Rhode��s current strength, it was too tough to eliminate thousands of devils. Not only that, but even if they possessed a powerful weapon, they had to consider the fact that they were in the underground. No matter how spacious the area was, there would be a solid layer of soil above them. If Rhode were to activate any powerful weapon, he might risk blasting the entire ceiling, causing it to crumble over them.


    ��Don��t worry, General Kaplan.��


    Rhode took his advice since it was out of his goodwill. He knew that the enchanted field in that area had sealed the space. In other words, the leak in the Bloody Field was entirely a spatial leak, which meant that if he were unlucky, perhaps he wouldn��t see any devils the moment he stepped in. But in the blink of an eye as though a magic performance, hundreds of devils would show up in a flash. That would be disastrous and no one could rescue them. It wasn��t surprising that General Kaplan said he basically didn��t send any patrols to that place. If it were Rhode, he also wouldn��t be willing to do that unless absolutely necessary.


    ��How can one catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger��s lair? I��m willing to give it a shot. Besides, honestly, I won��t be heading into the Bloody Field just like this. I also have my troops with me.��


    ��How can one catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger��s lair?��


    The general was astonished. But he quickly shifted his attention to the other sentence.


    ��Your troops? Sorry for being rude, but Mr. Rhode, I thought that you��ve only brought two young ladies with you����


    ��You will get to see it when the time comes, General Kaplan.��


    Rhode didn��t clarify the situation and Kaplan knew that it would be rude of him to pester. Since the young man said that he had his ways, it wouldn��t be nice to keep asking. As a militant, it was necessary to not be hesitant, which was why Kaplan made a firm decision.


    ��All right, I will dispatch a patrol team to bring you to the place closest to the Bloody Field. The path leading to the place isn��t complicated and I will prepare a map for you. But I hope that you��ll return as quickly as possible if you meet any devils along the way. No matter what, there is a high wall here to obstruct them here and the devils have an upper hand in the underground. So, when do you intend to move out?��


    ��The earlier, the better.��


    Rhode thought that he could show some affection to Celestina for a while, but he didn��t expect that this demon young lady was too proud, so he gave up on this thought.


    ��All right. I thought of organizing a welcome banquet for you, but since you��ve said so�� Hmm. Our 15th patrol is about to depart for their patrol. Just follow them.��


    Kaplan was a straightforward man. Since the young man had stated his intention, he didn��t need to try and keep him back like the nobles. Besides, the timing was also perfect. He had just defeated a few waves of devils and new devils wouldn��t be showing up any time soon. It would be best that they headed off now.


    ��Sure.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction.


    However, not everyone agreed.


    ���� Sir, are we really heading into the Bloody Field?��


    Standing by the fortress�� steel entrance, the 15th patrol team captain asked Kaplan worriedly. Although soldiers had to absolutely obey their superiors, it seemed like there was a completely new set of rules in the underground. However, he couldn��t be blamed because no matter what, the Bloody Field was the most dangerous place to patrol��


    ��Yes.��


    General Kaplan nodded to the fully-armored soldier.


    ��Your mission is to escort the three of them to the entrance. They will then enter the Bloody Field themselves. Got it?��


    ��Yes, Sir. But�� just the three of them?��


    The patrol captain swept a dubious glance to the trio. Rhode, who was wearing noble attire, and Lesa, who seemed extremely weak, didn��t seem to be fit for battles. On the contrary, the young lady carrying a heavy shield effortlessly seemed more reliable.


    Kaplan didn��t answer. In fact, he was curious as to who would be Rhode��s troops. Of course, he was also aware from the reports that this young man held mysterious skills and was able to summon creatures. Besides, he had indeed summoned a shiny bird. But he shouldn��t be treating those things as ��troops��, right?


    ��Lesa.��


    Of course, Rhode knew what was going on in their heads, but he couldn��t care less. The strength of the Astral Temple would be shown to them sooner or later. Besides, this opportunity might turn out to be a great threat��the most important winning factor in modern warfare was intelligence. No matter if it was intelligence regarding his enemies or him purposely revealing his strength, it was all the same.


    ��Yes, Sir Overlord.��


    Lesa immediately understood what he meant. Shortly after, she took a few steps forward, which caught everyone��s attention. Lesa ignored their gazes and raised her staff.


    ��Coordinates��Confirmed��Teleport.��


    Suddenly, dozens of light columns descended from above and shone on the ground. General Kaplan widened his eyes in shock��because at the next moment, fully-armored soldiers emerged and stood within the light columns!


    What��s that?


    General Kaplan was baffled as he sensed the powerful strength from the mysterious newcomers who had transcended into the Legendary Stage. Oh my goodness. A team of nearly a hundred legendary soldiers and what is with this mysterious teleportation spell?


    General Kaplan was aware that some powerful Mages were capable of teleportation for a number of people, but it was impossible to do so with this many! What surprised him more was that these soldiers weren��t humans, but were Elves instead!


    When did the Munn Kingdom get into contact with the Country of Law��s Elves?


    This was the first thought that came into his mind. Most people would think of the Country of Law whenever they saw the Elf Warriors. It was baffling that Rhode, who was an overlord and also Lydia��s Honorary Knight, would have a powerful team of them. It would still be believable if they were Battle Angels or ordinary Elves. After all, the former could be approved by Lydia while the latter could be explained that Rhode loved to collect Elves in his army. After all, in the Munn Kingdom, Elves received much better treatment than in the Country of Light. But, how did he actually obtain almost a hundred Elves in the Legendary Stage?


    Just how powerful is he?


    At this moment, Kaplan finally realized that this young man might be much stronger than he had imagined.

 Chapter 848 - Callings of the Bloody Field

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The bright flares couldn��t disperse the dense darkness in the tunnel leading to the Bloody Field. If it were in the past, the patrol team would be in tremendous pressure gazing at this endless dark tunnel. They knew how terrifying the devils were. Although the devils might be low in level, it was their fearless mentality that frightened the soldiers. If the soldiers couldn��t slaughter them all, they would be submerged and devoured by the bottomless swarm until the true, mightiest devil showed up. Some of them had witnessed such a scene. Unless one was extremely lucky, one wouldn��t escape death.


    But now��


    Everyone gazed in complicated emotions at the Elves who clad in glass armor, carried long bows on their backs, and had thin swords hung around their waists. They had lined up in a triangular formation, protecting the patrols in the middle. The patrols who should have been escorting them became the escorted ones. Although they didn��t feel great about that, they couldn��t find a reason to grumble at the sight of these Elves.


    The soldiers naturally sensed the powerful, overwhelming aura from the Elf young ladies who seemed to be around 17 years old. Even in an army, only the most powerful beings in the Legendary Stage held the right to possess such an aura.


    They didn��t expect to enter the Bloody Field under such a circumstance.


    However�� These warriors were unlike what they imagined.


    ��Lesa.��


    Rhode walked in the middle, knitting his brows at the Elves. Frankly speaking, these Bow Knights indeed made him proud when they first showed up. Besides, they were serious and swift in executing commands, which left General Kaplan gawking in admiration. But after advancing in the underground tunnel for a while, the Bow Knights immediately dismantled their stern selves and began to chit-chat with one another. Although their voices were pleasing to the ears like melodious tunes�� The impression that they had given Rhode was too different from what he imagined. It seemed as though they were here for an excursion rather than a terrifying battle.


    ��Is anything the matter, Sir Overlord?��


    Lesa said.


    ��These girls�� usually behave this way in the Astral Temple too?��


    ��Yes, Sir Overlord. Is anything the problem?��


    ��Nothing.��


    Rhode rolled his eyes inwardly. Perhaps the first impression that the Bow Knights had given him was too deep, so he subconsciously thought that they were a serious bunch. But it seemed like�� Forget it. This was fine too. With this many legendary Bow Knights by his side, the devils wouldn��t stand a chance against them. Although the devils had the upper hand in quantity, he held the advantage in quality. Besides, the carefree atmosphere now was great and much better than the depressed mood as though they were stepping onto the execution platform. But Rhode couldn��t help but recall the scene when he led the players for large-scale dungeons back in the game. Back then, everyone was also chit-chatting leisurely��


    On the other hand, Anne wasn��t mindful about the chatteings. At this moment, she was also having a fun conversation with one of the Bow Knights. On the contrary, the soldiers were somewhat trembling with fear. But they couldn��t be blamed. Although the Elves weren��t speaking too loudly, the gathered voices weren��t too soft either. Their crisp voices spread throughout the tunnel and it would be troublesome if they woke up the underground creatures. The soldiers had been patrolling in the underground for years and naturally knew that the creatures mostly relied on sound to identify direction and prey. Even though they weren��t as annoying as the demons, the underground creatures were also hard to deal with.


    ��This is the place.��


    The patrol captain lifted the torch to illuminate the path before them and said while gazing at the map in his hand. He looked straight into the pitch-black tunnel ahead with some lingering fear. In fact, Rhode had already smelled the bloody scent from the chilly air. It seemed like it was appropriate that the soldiers called that place a ��Bloody Field��.


    The bloody stench was so strong that it instantly stopped the Bow Knights from chattering. It could be seen from their instant regrouping that they turned solemn.


    Rhode held his hands together and shut his eyes. As expected, even if he didn��t use the Fate Exploration, he detected that something was calling for him at the end of the tunnel. It was an ice-cold, menacing, murderous intent. Rhode opened his eyes and nodded to the soldiers.


    ��Thanks for leading the way. You guys can return now. Leave this to us.��


    ��Okay, Sir����


    To Rhode��s surprise, the patrol captain didn��t turn around immediately. Instead, he gazed with hesitation while the soldiers around him also gave complicated looks. After a few moments, the patrol captain had as though made a decision and said.


    ��This�� Sir, please pardon my rudeness. Although our order is to escort your team to the entrance�� If possible, can�� we follow you into the Bloody Field?��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode twitched his brows. He had to admit that he was genuinely surprised. When the soldiers heard that they were heading to the Bloody Field earlier on, their horrified expressions were as though they were being sent to hell. So, what was with the situation now? Why did they take the initiative to follow him into the Bloody Field?


    ��Sure. Come if you want to.��


    Rhode wasn��t mindful at all. No matter what kind of grudge or conspiracies the soldiers had toward the Bloody Field, he was confident that his Bow Knights were strong enough to eradicate everything. He gestured to the Bow Knights and moved ahead.


    Thud�� Thud��


    Everything was in silence.


    Perhaps detecting the bloody stench, the Bow Knights became serious. But they weren��t overly nervous, nor did they draw their weapons like the soldiers. Their bows still hung on their back while the thin sword remained on their waists. But if one were to listen carefully, one would realize that the sound of footsteps was missing.


    Although there were almost a hundred Bow Knights walking in the tunnel, not a single sound of footsteps could be heard from them. At this moment, only the soldiers�� footsteps could be heard��not even Anne��s, Rhode��s, or Lesa��s. Upon sensing this mysterious phenomenon, the soldiers subconsciously went easy on their steps. But what depressed them was that no matter how careful they were, their footsteps could still be heard. On the contrary, the Elves in glass armor completely silence!


    Is this the difference in strength?


    Rhode didn��t care about what the soldiers thought because at this moment, they had arrived in the underground world of the Bloody Field.


    It was in complete red.


    Everyone including Rhode puckered their brows at this sight. Without the need of flares, an underground cave the size of an indoor stadium was presented before them. There were glowing mushrooms all around the oval cave, emanating an ice-cold, snowy radiance that illuminated the world that was supposedly devoured by darkness. There was only blood; thick, gluey blood on the sunken hole that formed an enormous blood lake. All kinds of white bones, armor, corroded weapons piled as high as the hills stacked around it. But this wasn��t the strangest. Instead, it was the silence in this place.


    This is too quiet.


    The stench was so strong that even Anne��s nose twitched and she revealed a distasteful expression. Judging from the pile of bones and vestiges, there were definitely violent battles that took place here, involving humans and non-humans.


    ��This is really troublesome.��


    Rhode knitted his brows. He didn��t expect that the bloody stench would be this dense where the spiritual undulation belonging to the holy sword card spirits that he sensed earlier on had been totally buried in it. Rhode felt rather annoyed, but shortly after, he raised his right arm and summoned Gracier and Madaras.


    Fate Exploration. Activate.


    ��������!��


    A glaring, scarlet radiance that emanated from the two cards illuminated the place instantly. Rhode spat in disdain and put away the two cards.


    It seems like I will need to rely on my instincts to search for that mysterious holy sword spirit��


    ��Let��s go.��


    After pondering for a few moments, Rhode ordered.


    The aura of death and despair was omnipresent. After entering the Bloody Field, everyone instantly felt that the air in the atmosphere had transformed into blood that engulfed them. Some of the soldiers turned pale instantly. The air was so thick that they thought that they had fallen into the blood lake. Their every step was as though walking on an invisible thread: incredibly painful and torturous. Perhaps�� they shouldn��t have come here.


    But they still came for that only�� possibility.


    The slimy blood beneath their feet was disgusting. Rhode puckered his brows while cautiously scanning for any clues to the holy sword spirit. But what left him helpless was that the holy sword spirit who previously hinted its presence had gone into hiding. It seemed like he could only��


    ��Lesa, order them����


    Rhode turned around and gave a command to Lesa. But at this moment, a mysterious tremble interrupted his thoughts and a powerful, bad omen surged in his head. Not only him, but the Bow Knights also lifted their bows and scanned vigilantly.


    At the next moment, the silent space shook and shortly after, hundreds of pitch-black, enormous shadows emerged around them. They were putrid and their ugly faces were full of insanity and killing intent. They clutched their weapons and let out gruesome roars.


    ��It��s the devils!��


    The soldiers screamed in horror and felt as though they had fallen into the bottomless abyss with chills running down their spines. What they feared most had emerged before them in the worst scenario possible. The devils who barged their way through the gaps in the enchanted field had arrived!


    ��Captain, what should we do?��


    The soldiers asked anxiously, wielding their weapons and gazing in despair at the enemies. However, their captain wasn��t able to answer them. He gazed blankly at the enemies as though that day had surfaced once again. Back then, this was how the terrifying enemies suddenly emerged before them, and hundreds of fully-armored elite soldiers couldn��t defy them at all. All they could do was to escape with all their might��


    Shing!


    A dazzling brilliance flashed and interrupted everyone��s helpless thoughts. At this moment, they shockingly realized that the devil standing before them had been sliced into two as its body collapsed to the ground. Faint, blue flames burned and devoured the huge corpse.


    ��Glittering Meteors!��


    Lesa raised her staff, neglecting the three-meters-tall enemy slashing its claw at her. A glaring radiance shone from the tip of her staff and transformed into meteors that penetrated the devil, and pale blue flames erupted and wrapped the shredded corpse. Perhaps she couldn��t match against enemies who were overly powerful, but as the guardian of the Astral Temple, she didn��t have anything to fear against these weak devils who broke through the enchanted field and came to this plane of existence.


    The situation was one-sided.


    Light arrows streaked across the air and bombarded the devils. The Bow Knights didn��t even get to use their swords and merely lifted their bows and released the string with their right hands. Shortly after, arrows coalesced with spiritual powers emerged out of thin air and shot from their bows. No matter how the devils defended or fled, each arrow was able to quickly spot its target and penetrate it completely. The devils who were lethally damaged burst into pale blue flames and turned into ashes.


    However, the number of devils was more than Rhode��s expectation.


    Although the Bow Knights were powerful and could instantly eliminate the devils around them, another wave of more than a hundred devils showed up almost immediately after, which disrupted their formation.


    ��How troublesome.��


    Rhode��s eyes glinted in disdain. Frankly speaking, he wasn��t concerned about these devils at all. In the game, these devils were basically for him to grind EXP. However, what made the situation worse was that the spawn rate of these devils was just too quick! In the blink of an eye, the entire Bloody Field was filled with devils. Although they were low-level devils who couldn��t possibly harm the Bow Knights and him, how could he spot the holy sword spirit if this continued?


    Should I keep this up until we defeat them all or search for the holy sword spirit as we fight and retreat thereafter?


    But the problem was that�� How exactly should he look for it��


    Shortly after, he didn��t need to worry about this problem anymore.


    Boom!


    In a loud explosion, a scarlet light column erupted and the blood-curdling screeches from the devils were heard. At the same time, Rhode felt the strange, yet unique spiritual undulation that was filled with a bloody aura again.


    ��Is it there?��


    Rhode murmured under his breath while gazing at the scarlet light column in the distance.

 Chapter 849 - The Sword Stained by Blood

    1


    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The glaring scarlet light column burst into the ceiling and in an instant, the air around the Bloody Field vibrated. At the same time, Rhode sensed an incredibly pure, powerful aura which silenced the entire battlefield.


    The pure desire to slaughter, destroy, and perish; just like a shimmering blade that was unsheathed, announcing to the world its only purpose. The mighty aura sent chills down everyone��s spines as though one was holding a blade against their backs and at the very next moment, would be slicing through their thin skin and puncturing their hearts, mercilessly eliminating their presence in this world.


    ��Damn it.��


    Rhode clutched the sword. This was the first time that he sensed such a pure, yet horrifying aura. But there wasn��t a single trace of murderous intent or hostility at all. Instead, it simply harbored desires to destroy and slaughter every being. Could this even be considered a holy sword spirit?


    Rhode pondered on how tough his life would be if he managed to obtain it��


    The aura was so strong that even the Bow Knights had to shift their attention away from the devils before them and stare vigilantly at the red light column. On the other hand, the devils had an even more dramatic reaction. They snarled while turning around and launching their attacks at the red light column. It was extremely rare for the devils with disorderly natures to do something together, which proved how threatening the situation was to them.


    ��Let��s go!��


    Rhode came back to his senses. The surrounding devils were constantly ��spawning�� and since most of them had turned their backs to him, it would be a waste if he let this chance go, wasn��t it?


    ��Everyone, attack! Eliminate all the devils!��


    The Bow Knights immediately regrouped and in the blink of an eye, they lined up in the formation of an inverted triangle with Rhode in the middle. Lesa stood behind them in silence and lifted her staff while the Bow Knights aimed with their bows. Shortly after, a dazzling brilliance shone from the tip of Lesa��s staff and the Bow Knights released their arrows.


    At the next moment�� endless torrents of light engulfed the Bloody Field.


    Thousands of light arrows streaked across the air, puncturing countless devils ruthlessly in an instant. Pale blue flames blazed in the sea of corpses and in the blink of an eye, almost half the devils were eliminated. The putrid pool of blood on the ground was devoured by the pale blue flames.


    ��A few of you, follow me. The rest, keep on fighting.��


    This violent attack temporarily cleared out the path leading to the red light column and Rhode led Anne, Lesa, and around 20 Bow Knights to it. The remaining Bow Knights swiftly continued their attacks on the devils who had retaliated.


    However, Rhode didn��t expect that the target had come to him instead.


    As soon as Rhode arrived at the red light column, a sudden sense of nervousness forced him to a halt. Without any hesitation, he held his sword before him horizontally. This had nothing to do with experience or judgment. It was basically an instinct from the countless battles that he had gone through.


    At the same time, danger appeared before him in a physical form.


    The instant Rhode raised his sword, the devils�� encirclement was instantly ripped apart by a whizzing red radiance that blasted from within and aimed for him. Rhode was stunned by this ambush, but he quickly coalesced all his spiritual powers into the blade before him. Shortly after, a translucent, flickering barrier emerged around him and the red radiance arrived.


    Boom!


    When Rhode came back to his senses, he had already been blasted away and watched the inverted scene before his eyes. The sounds in this world had as though been muffled. But after a split second, the familiar sounds returned and overwhelmed his ears.


    ��Leader!��


    Rhode heard Anne��s scream and found himself crashing into something soft. When he forced himself to his feet, he realized that Anne was behind him and gritting her teeth palely, with her shield already tossed aside. She heaved a sigh of relief.


    ��Phew�� Leader, you scared Anne. Are you okay?��


    ��I��m fine����


    Rhode answered softly. But in fact, he was baffled. Although he reacted instinctively to the ambush, the passive defense talent [Spirit Armor LV3] was activated. Not only that, but he had also coalesced almost all his spiritual powers into his sword to form a spiritual barrier. But to his surprise, he was still struck away by the other party and relied on Anne for the rough landing. Moreover, he realized that his right hand which held Succubus was so numb that he couldn��t feel anything!


    Oh my goodness, this holy sword spirit is basically cheating!


    Rhode exclaimed inwardly. The last time he was this desperate was when he fought the Duke Fiend. But even the Duke Fiend wasn��t able to numb his arm. Besides, he was only around level 40 back then, but he had already transcended into the Legendary Stage! Furthermore, he possessed more strength than ordinary humans with that mysterious bloodline of his and yet he was still struck away? The strength of this holy sword spirit must be over the charts!


    When he lifted his head to gaze at the ambusher��s true identity, he was astonished.


    There was a mountain of devil corpses and a man stood above it. He wore a set of armor that only military soldiers would wear. He gazed at Rhode with a pale, lifeless expression and Rhode instantly knew that he wasn��t a human.


    His body was ruptured with bloody organs flowing out from the large hole in his stomach. Not only that, but his arms and shoulders were also punctured with holes. If it weren��t for him standing upright, perhaps no one would think that he was alive. Moreover, blood was flowing out of his body continuously, fast enough to empty out his body within a dozen seconds now.


    However, what caught Rhode��s attention was the huge, red sword in his hand.


    The sword was nearly two meters in length and the blade was crafted from several scarlet materials and embedded with golden floral patterns like waves spreading across the blade, shaping into a bizarre pattern. What was more astonishing was that the sword seemed heavy and yet, the man actually lifted it with one hand. Not only that, but there were also thick steel chains extending out from the sword hilt, wrapping tightly over the man��s right arm, and piercing through his skin and into his body.


    But at this moment, he heard a few shrieks from behind.


    ��Leader!��


    ��Sir! What happened? Why are you in this state?��


    ��Do you guys know him?��


    Rhode turned around and asked curiously. The patrol captain turned to the man and in an instant, all the soldiers widened their eyes in disbelief. He swallowed his saliva and nodded in fear.


    ��Yes, Sir. That man used to be our captain. Our purpose of coming with you here is to look for him. But�� why did he����


    ��Does that sword belong to him?��


    Rhode was disinterested in the man��s past because the sword was the most important detail.


    ��No, that sword�� I heard that he found it while patrolling�� Yes! That sword must be the curse of the devil! Ever since he picked up that sword, he became a totally different person. He became constantly preoccupied and even broke off from the patrol team and came into the Bloody Field by himself! If it weren��t for that sword����


    ��I see.��


    Rhode interrupted. He finally understood why that sword was possibly stronger than Succubus. Although he knew that none of the holy sword spirits were weak, this was still the first time that he witnessed one that was this insane. He lifted Succubus and injected some spiritual powers, when suddenly a familiar presence emerged.


    ��Celestina, still alive?��


    ��Of course. What kind of stupid question is that, Master?��


    Celestina grumbled impatiently.


    ��How much do you know about this spirit?��


    ��I do know a little about it, but you��re really unlucky, Master. Now that Third Sister isn��t around, no one here can hold her down. You can only pray for good luck now. Although Shira certainly respects Sister Gracier and Sister Madaras, you��re better off doing it yourself if you want her to obey you.��


    ��Hahaha��!��


    Suddenly, the man standing above the mountain of corpses burst into a deep, crazy laughter that didn��t resemble a man��s, woman��s, senior��s, or a child��s. Then, what came next was the crisp, melodious voice of a young lady.


    ��Celestina, I��ve finally found you. My adorable little sister, why are you here? Do you want to be with Big Sister? What a spoiled little sister. What do you intend to do if I win this time? Are you ready? Have you made up your mind? You want your Big Sister��s reward? What a greedy child. Big Sister will treat you really gently this time, okay?��


    ��I will never let you cut off my wings again!��


    ������


    Rhode realized that it was a terrible idea to bring out Succubus and wasn��t sure if it was too late to summon Celia instead�� Judging from Celestina��s furious tone, she definitely must have lost to this holy sword spirit named Shira.


    And not just once.


    ��������!��


    At this moment, perhaps unable to bear with the murderous aura, one of the devils pounced on the man fiercely. It raised its arms and scorching flames erupted from its palms. It widened its jaw, but it didn��t realize that what it was facing was more cruel than death.


    Shing!


    The huge red sword glowed, which the man dodged swiftly despite his rotten body and slashed a scarlet arc that sliced through the devil��s left arm like butter. The tremendous pain left the devil bawling, stretching its right arm instead to catch its prey. But at this moment, something strange happened.


    The steel chains that were bound on the man��s right arm flew skyward as though they were self-conscious. Then, they wrapped the devil and the man gave it a slight tug to drag it to the ground. However, this was only the start of its unfortunate fate because when it lifted its head again, the only thing it saw was the massive shadow of a blade.


    ����!


    Without any hesitation, the man brandished the huge sword, instantly smashing its skull and its brain splattered all over his body. But he wasn��t mindful at all. Instead, he raised the sword with a sinister smile and attacked once again.


    Boom!


    A powerful force erupted and blasted off another three devils who pounced on him at the same time. At this moment, the man turned to Rhode, ignoring the disgusting flesh and blood that had splashed on him. He ripped away his own mouth that was corroded by the devil��s blood and revealed an incredibly unsightly smile.


    ���� Celestina, I won��t become like that if I use that sword, right?��


    ��Are you regretting now? Do you think you have any other choice?��


    ��I was just asking.��


    Although the man didn��t say a word, from the fact that he pointed the sword at Rhode, Rhode knew what the holy sword spirit meant��want to be my master? You��ll need to pass my test first.


    ��Anne, Lesa, lead the rest to clear out the remaining devils. Leave this guy to me.��


    ��Okay, Leader. You can do it.��


    Anne gazed curiously at the man before patting on Rhode��s shoulder. Lesa took half a step back and bowed slightly.


    ��Understood, Sir Overlord.��


    Rhode lifted his sword and slowly approached him. However, his gaze wasn��t fixed on the man. Instead, he stared at the huge scarlet blade in his hand. Judging from how the man fought the devil, Rhode realized that the man (or perhaps the corpse) was entirely a puppet manipulated by the sword and it was pointless to analyze his next moves from his eyes. Since this was the case, he could only judge the situation with his experience.


    At this moment, Rhode had heightened his senses. He had blocked off the battles between the devils and Bow Knights and fully focused his attention on the enemy before him. This holy sword spirit was extremely violent and powerful. Rhode was sure that any distraction would be the cause of his death and it also depended on if it was in the mood to show mercy or not.


    However, the thought of that devil��s predicament made him feel that it would still be too hard for him even if it showed mercy�� So, he was better off relying on himself.


    Red radiance flashed across the sky.


    The instant Rhode witnessed the red radiance, a strong sense of fear consumed him. He took a step back hesitantly and a powerful force exploded on the ground before him, sending dust fluttering. Rhode burst forward with his pitch-black sword in hand.


    ��������!��


    The clashes between the red and pitch-black blades shone in the fluttering dust. Rhode seized the chance and disappeared into the shadows. At this instant, a red radiance shot out and blasted the boulder where Rhode��s shadow was, smashing it into bits.


    The smoke dispersed and the man clutching the huge sword stood blankly as though planning his next step.


    At this moment, the pitch-black viper struck.


    Clang!


    The man turned around swiftly, brandished the huge blade against the pitch-black viper that almost tore at him and slashed it away. Then, the man darted forward with the huge blade and showed up behind Rhode.


    Now��s the chance!


    Rhode lifted his left arm where a card shone in his hand.


    [Summon: Nether Tentacles]


    The shadows wriggled and countless tentacles shot out of the darkness and bound their target.

 Chapter 850 - Slaughter—Shira

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The pitch-black tentacles instantly wrapped around the enormous red blade in the man��s hand. However, Rhode didn��t let loose as he had already experienced the strength of this holy sword spirit from the previous attack. Although the Nether Tentacles always succeeded in binding their prey, Rhode was still mentally-prepared for failure against this mysterious holy sword spirit. The instant the Nether Tentacles bound the blade, the pitch-black blade in Rhode��s hand extended and silently struck the man��s right shoulder. If Rhode guessed right, it was the steel chain that punctured into the man��s shoulder that was used to manipulate the man. Therefore, if Rhode were to hack off the right arm, the holy sword spirit would be useless no matter how powerful it was!


    From a certain aspect, his guess was right.


    Shing!


    As Succubus was about to tear into the man��s shoulder, Rhode saw three shadows flitting across him, followed by a powerful force against Succubus. Rhode released it and retreated quickly. Then, two steel chains struck the afterimages he had left behind before retracting.


    This holy sword spirit is tough to deal with.


    Rhode gestured and Succubus, who was entwined by the steel chains, transformed into a card before vanishing into thin air and returning into his hand. Frankly speaking, this was the first time that he faced such a difficult opponent. This holy sword spirit could be said to be strong in offense and defense and he couldn��t find any good solution against it. This holy sword spirit held advantages in strength and length and its mysterious, self-moving steel chains made up for its flaws in close-combat. This was why Rhode didn��t summon Celia, Gracier, or Madaras into this battle. Celia wouldn��t be too useful while Gracier and Madaras were too short for this situation. Rhode had thought of using Gracier and Madaras for ambush, but it was too risky because one wrong move and he might be bound by the steel chains, losing his life completely. It was due to this that he had chosen Celestina, who could switch between a chain sword or ordinary sword, to probe the holy sword spirit��s true strength.


    However, it seemed like the situation was dire.


    Ordinary sword skills didn��t seem too useful against it. Perhaps Fantasy Daybreak could dismantle her frontal attacks, but it might not be able to dodge the steel chains from the back. But�� Rhode scanned the red blade at this thought and clutched his sword.


    I��ll just give it a shot. There��s nothing to lose anyway.


    Suddenly, a shadow clone emerged from him and it darted forward with Succubus.


    Fantasy Daybreak!


    At the same time when the first shadow clone launched its attack, Rhode had arrived beside the man. The man brandished the sword and struck off the shadow clone, but at this moment, the second shadow clone emerged from Rhode.


    Clang!


    However, this apparently wasn��t enough to leave the man frantic. The man slashed the huge sword at Rhode and this time, before the shadow clone was able to launch its attack, it became utterly smashed. On the other hand, Rhode seized the chance and shifted his position to behind the man. This was the most important step in Fantasy Daybreak��the initial attack would also be the last!


    Meteoric radiances streaked across the darkness. Rhode had given up his disguises. He narrowed his eyes and darted ahead with Succubus in a lightning bolt, heading for his target!


    The whizzing blade air tore through the air while dust and gravel fluttered from the ground. The spiritual powers in Rhode��s blade blasted forward like a physical presence, smearing a dazzling radiance across.


    Shing!


    As expected, the steel chains on the man��s right arm shifted swiftly after Rhode launched his attack. Then, the steel chains interwove to form a steel net that pounced on Rhode. But this time, the corners of Rhode��s lips twitched and he revealed a strange smile. He let go of his right hand.


    ��Ah��! What are you doing! Ahh!��


    Celestina emerged among the blade rays, but before she reacted, a strong air stream engulfed her entirely as she crashed head first into the steel net. At the same time, the steel net shrunk like a spider web and caught her tightly.


    ��No!! Big Sister, I��m wrong! Don��t punish me! Ahhhh!��


    1Although Celestina��s screams were indeed pitiful, Rhode didn��t have the time to sympathize with her. He dodged the steel chains and raised his arms, and two daggers emerged in his hands. At this moment, countless blade rays resembling meteors enveloped the man like a storm.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    The endless blade rays struck the red sword like a hail. The meteoric radiance which Rhode��s shadow clones broke out in wasn��t strong enough to break the man��s defense because he had plunged the sword into the ground and used it as a shield against this ambush. However, this also kept him occupied because with Celestina as bait and distractions from the shadow clones, Rhode arrived behind him quickly. Rhode slashed the twin daggers in a criss-cross stance at the man. But at this moment, the man thrust his right arm to break the powerful grip of the Nether Tentacles and threw a powerful punch in retaliation!


    Boom!


    If Rhode didn��t hold back the daggers and laid them before his chest, perhaps he would have been killed instantly. Rhode felt the powerful force against his daggers and body. He was giddy and breathless as though his strength had been zapped away in an instant. But even so, he grit his teeth and rolled away abruptly from the man��s slashing blade.


    A silent shadow flitted across.


    It struck for the man from the side, aiming for his chest. The man didn��t seem bothered by this attack as he continued to swing the huge blade in his hand at the young man. But even so, he was too late.


    Boom!


    The red blade smashed the ground heavily and the violent force ruptured the ground in cracks. Then, Rhode hurriedly disappeared into the shadow for a split second before reemerging behind the man and brandishing the shimmering daggers again. But the man turned around, neglected the mighty spiritual powers from the daggers, and lifted his left hand to defend himself. In an instant, the daggers slashed through his hand and body. But even so, the man didn��t flinch as he swung the red sword and swept an engulfing air stream to envelop Rhode entirely.


    Argh! Damn!


    Rhode cursed inwardly. He had to admit that this holy sword spirit was indeed tough to deal with. He had never seen such powerful strength and terrifying techniques from the other holy sword spirits. It seemed like it wasn��t easy for him to defeat her with his current sword skills. However�� Spirit Swordsmen weren��t really Swordsmen. Since I can��t win you with sword skills, why don��t I try something else?


    Rhode placed his left fingers by his lips while lifting his right arm and pointing at the target.


    [Activate: Legion Horn]


    ��������!��


    He whistled.


    The flashing pitch-black blade and white blade emanating a silver radiance punctured the man in an instant. On the other side, the Hell Hound leaped out from a puff of black smoke, widening its jaw and biting down on the man��s left arm. Then, the Centaur Knight emerged, brandished the pike and punctured the man��s chest. The man finally reached his limit.


    Boom!


    Chunks of flesh and blood splattered. In the blink of an eye, there was nothing left. The large red sword remained stuck in the ground and its incredibly glaring scarlet radiance dimmed gradually.


    ������


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief and sat on the ground. In fact, if it weren��t necessary, he wouldn��t have used the [Legion Horn]. Although this insane skill could guarantee a kill on the enemy he chose, his spiritual powers would be completely wiped out. But now�� since he couldn��t win the holy sword spirit with sword skills, he could only use a small cheat. Fortunately, the man was only a manipulated puppet. If it were the physical form of the holy sword spirit, perhaps Rhode wouldn��t have won even with the [Legion Horn].


    ��Leader, are you okay?��


    Anne asked. Rhode looked up and saw her widened emerald green eyes gazing worriedly at him. He showed a bitter smile and shook his head.


    ��I��m fine, Anne. I��ve just consumed too much of my spiritual powers�� It seems like I don��t need to ask about the situation on your side.��


    Rhode gazed around him and found that the entire Bloody Field had turned into ruins, with fissures across the flat ground. Some of the walls had also collapsed. Other than that, the devils were also nowhere to be found and the Bow Knights had lined up neatly in their defense formation, vigilantly examining the surroundings. The battlefield between Rhode and the holy sword spirit had as though been bombarded, where a huge sunken hole remained beneath his feet. The red sword remained stuck in the middle of the sunken hole, waiting for its master��s arrival.


    ��How unfortunate����


    Rhode murmured under his breath and attempted to shake the giddiness away from his head while walking toward the red sword. When he arrived at the red sword, he discovered that it was much more hostile than he imagined: the hilt was designed and embedded with sinister-looking sharp teeth. The steel chains also laid silently on the ground and the razor-sharp triangular edge on their ends made his hair stand.


    ��Hmm����


    Rhode couldn��t help but think of how the steel chains were embedded into the man��s arm. The pain must have been unbearable and not anyone could tolerate it. Although Rhode wasn��t willing to use himself as the guinea pig, he knew that this perhaps might be the final test that he had to pass. Besides, although all the devils were temporarily wiped out, he had no idea when they would appear again. Therefore, he couldn��t waste anymore time.


    ��Sigh����


    Rhode grit his teeth. Then, he took in a deep breath and held the sword hilt.


    ��!!!��


    As expected, the instant he held the sword hilt, the steel chains quickly wrapped his arm. But before he reacted, three of the steel chains shot up like vipers and struck into his flesh with their triangular edges.


    ����������


    Piercing pain engulfed him. The triangular edges didn��t only puncture his skin and flesh. Instead, they dove all the way into his bones. Rhode widened his mouth in extreme pain, but he couldn��t scream at all. Air flowed into his lungs, but they turned into intense flames burning inside him. He turned red and felt a strong murderous intent flowing through the steel chains and in his body, forcefully taking over his rationality with madness and cruel desires.


    Slaughter everything. Kill everything. Destroy everything.


    Tear into the enemies�� bodies, rip their flesh, and hear their mournful screams. Squash all who defy me and leave not a single one alive. End everything right here and eliminate the enemies��


    1��Shut up!��


    Rhode grit his teeth and howled like an injured wild animal. The violent pain fired up his instinctive murderous intent. The murderous intent from the holy sword spirit merged with his and attempted to manipulate him like a puppet. But shortly after, Rhode suppressed it successfully.


    ��What a troublesome fella.��


    Rhode grumbled to shift his attention away from the pain. Shortly after, he sensed the murderous intent slowly changing its flow and returning quietly into the steel chains. In fact, up until now, he wasn��t sure if he could control his right hand. He attempted to grip the sword hilt, but it seemed like he failed.


    ������


    At this moment, Rhode sensed two streams of cooling, comforting spiritual powers entering his body, smoothing his injuries and anxiousness. Then, the spiritual powers gathered on his right arm and the pain slowly dissipated. Shortly after, a sense of comfort replaced the pain entirely.


    ��Thank you.��


    Rhode instantly knew where the two sources of spiritual power came from. As expected, crisp, gentle laughter rang in his ears before vanishing entirely. He raised the red sword and surprisingly, the sword that should have been incredibly heavy was so light in his hand as though he were lifting Succubus. If he were to shut his eyes, he couldn��t imagine himself holding onto a two-meters-long sword.


    At this moment, a system prompt emerged before his eyes.


    [Received the holy sword: Slaughter��Shira. Slaughter all living things in this world. It only brings destruction to the enemies. Blood Absorption LV3 (Automatically absorb the holder��s blood to replenish its strength). Destructive Nature LV3 (Have a certain chance to completely destroy the enemy��s weapon when in contact. Probability depends on the level of anti-magic) Increase strength by 120% (It will consume twice the amount of spiritual powers when activated)]


    I finally got it��


    Rhode let out a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 851 - Awakening

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Are you sure, Master?��


    Celestina hugged her arms and gazed at the red sword stuck into the ground with obvious fear in her eyes. After the battle ended, Rhode didn��t instantly return to the Land of Atonement using the teleportation door. Instead, he returned to the underground fortress with the Bow Knights. Although his ��purpose�� was to investigate the Chaos Beings, there was also another important matter��grinding EXP.


    Although he couldn��t repeatedly train in dungeons just like in the game, it was entirely different here. The battle in the afternoon had raised his EXP bar to almost half and he could level up if he attempted it again. Moreover, the spawn of the devils was endless, which was the best source of EXP for him right now.


    General Kaplan didn��t comment on his return. On the other hand, the presence of the Bow Knights caused an uproar in the fortress. Not to mention that they were tough and powerful, their youthful, attractive appearances as 18 years old young ladies instantly caught the attention of the soldiers. General Kaplan had no choice but to order his soldiers repeatedly to not harass the Elf young ladies. Although General Kaplan wasn��t concerned that the soldiers would act brazenly, the problem was that he wasn��t aware of the Elves�� true background. The only thing he was sure was that the Munn Kingdom definitely didn��t possess such a massive and powerful army of Elves. If the Elves truly came from the Country of Law, it would be terrible if a ��diplomatic dispute�� were to occur due to the rudeness of his soldiers. Therefore, not only did General Kaplan prepare the best rooms in the fortress for them, but he also provided Rhode and the others a quiet resting venue.


    After General Kaplan ordered the soldiers to free up space for Rhode��s group, the soldiers passionately cleaned up the area and rooms��what simple young men they were.


    However, Rhode wasn��t concerned about such matters. After expressing his gratitude to the general, he dismissed the Bow Knights before returning to his room to deal with the new holy sword spirit. Of course, like in the past, he had to hear the opinions from the other holy sword spirits after turning the newcomer into a card. But this time��


    ��I also think that�� you should seriously reconsider, Master.��


    Apart from Celestina who was obviously frightened and worried, Celia was also surprisingly hesitant and concerned. She gazed anxiously at the huge red sword while clutching the hem of her battle skirt so tightly that her knuckles turned rather pale.


    ��I admit that Sister Shira is one of the most powerful among us. But her personality is too difficult to grasp. I think�� that�� if you awaken Sister Shira�� she�� I think that it is best that you should wait for a safer time.��


    ��Is it really that bad?��


    Rhode gazed at Celia in astonishment before shifting his gaze to the ashen Celestina who nodded firmly. The demon young lady couldn��t help but touch her pitch-black wings while recalling horrible memories. Rhode didn��t expect that Celia would also reject his idea�� This was truly strange. He turned to Gracier and Madaras at this thought, but they didn��t respond apart from exchanging glances with each other. Do you two not object or support my decision?


    This was an equally rare reaction from them.


    Rhode knitted his brows as he understood their concerns. After all, the overwhelming desire for murder and destruction terrified him when he first held the sword. But he still believed that she actually wasn��t that scary. No matter what, she was one of the holy sword cards and besides, he needed such a powerful force on his side.


    ��I think that Celia is right, Master. No matter what, I think you��re better off putting her away for now and waitting for Third Big Sister��s return first. With Third Big Sister around, Sister Shira won��t behave too violently. But if you do it now����


    ��No.��


    Rhode shook his head determinedly and interrupted. Then, he looked silently at the red sword.


    ��I know what you girls are worried about, but I��ve made up my mind. No matter what, you��re still my summoning spirits. I, as the Master, have to take up this responsibility. Indeed, perhaps it will be best if I take Celestina��s advice, but that means that I��m avoiding my responsibilities. If my summoning spirits choose not to obey because of my incompetence. Then, it makes no sense to me.��


    Rhode gazed at the four holy sword spirits.


    ��Isn��t it?��


    ���� I respect your judgment, Master.��


    Celia bowed solemnly. On the other hand, Celestina crossed her arms, shrugged, and let out a helpless sigh.


    ��Forget it. Although this is a stupid choice, I still admire your courage, Master. Since you��ve made up your mind, I have nothing to comment.��


    ������


    Gracier and Madaras retained their silence. Although they didn��t speak, their thoughts were apparent from their nods and smiles. Indeed, just as Rhode said, he was the true owner of the holy sword cards. Perhaps the other holy sword spirits were afraid of this spirit named Shira, but he couldn��t behave like them. If he couldn��t rely on himself to earn recognition from this holy sword spirit, it would be meaningless.


    Rhode placed his palm on the red sword blade. Then, the system prompt emerged.


    [Detected a resonance reaction. Confirm to awaken?]


    Awaken.


    Rhode answered inwardly��the huge red blade emanated a bright scarlet radiance while a bloody scent suddenly exuded the entire room. The steel chains hanging down from the hilt trembled, extended in length, and twirled around the blade. Shortly after, a red whirlwind rose from the ground with the sword in the center. The blade shone brighter and finally, the glaring brilliance blinded the room and everyone��s vision.


    Seconds after the brilliance and whirlwind dispersed, a petite figure emerged before them.


    Although the petite figure was shorter than Celestina, the latter immediately curled up and looked at the young lady in fear. Swish! Celestina quickly shrunk her wings��as though a conditioned reflex.


    She was thin, and even rather malnourished, wrapped entirely in a black robe. However, what startled Rhode was the two steel chains that were as wide as thumbs penetrating her shoulder blades and bound around her body. On her back was a blunt large sword and her tattered dark dress that was full of holes proved that she had been through countless battles. But even so, the young lady lifted her head and traces of scarlet radiance flashed in her deep blue pupils.


    ��Hahaha�� Are you my master?��


    She spoke with a cold, irascible, and crazy voice while glaring at Rhode in silence. She widened her broken jaw and her rather pretty and elegant-looking face twisted all of a sudden, revealing her snowy teeth and a smile of madness. She tilted her head to the side while continuing to stare at him. The temperature in the room dropped drastically.


    ��Well, if you acknowledge me.��


    Rhode said and swept a glance at the four holy sword spirits. Gracier and Madaras didn��t behave strangely, but Celia had gripped the hem of her battle skirt uncomfortably. On the other hand, Celestina had the biggest reaction. She cowered at the wall and curled up with her hands over her head as though praying that everyone would ignore her presence.


    ��You want me to acknowledge you? Sure�� Hahaha����


    The young lady let out an ice-cold laughter and shook her head left and right as though she took too many drugs.


    ��Ah�� You��re a human, right�� I can consider acknowledging you as my master if you can bring me more pain�� All right then, let me feel it����


    Suddenly, the ice-cold, pitch-black steel chains shot out from her and sealed the entire room.


    ���� Let me see how much pain you can bring me�� Hahaha�� Master����

 Chapter 852 - A Crazy Spirit

    Chapter 852: A Crazy Spirit


    Shing����!


    At the same time the spider web-like steel chains spread, Celia, Gracier, and Madaras simultaneously returned to their cards. On the other hand, Celestina was entirely frightened as she continued to stay paralyzed at the corner of the walls and gazed at the end of the world in despair. Rhode twitched his brow in astonishment��this wasn��t too surprising, considering the fact that he was also bound by the steel chains completely.


    ��What do you mean by this?��


    ��Didn��t I tell you?��


    The young lady trembled as she strolled forward and tilted her head to the side. She extended her hand and caressed Rhode��s cheek gently. Then, Rhode discovered something unique in Shira that the other holy sword spirits didn��t have��pale skin. No, her skin tone couldn��t even be considered as that of a human because even Christie��s pale complexion when she was rescued had some signs of life. On the contrary, this young lady seemed entirely lifeless and her skin tone could even be considered ashen. But what surprised him more was that there was a mysterious and twisted beauty in her.


    ��You have to give me extreme pain if you want to become my master. I want that pain to rip through my body and make me feel it forever�� Hahaha�� By the way, before that����


    The young lady swung her arm and a steel chain that was bound to her wrist shot out. Swish! It wrapped Celestina up instantly. The demon young lady didn��t resist at all as though she had given up completely. She gazed blankly as the steel chain wrapped around her and threw her into the spider web like she was a helpless prey.


    ��Heh�� Celestina����


    ������!��


    Upon sensing Shira��s gaze, Celestina shrieked like a rabbit watched by a tiger. The pitiful demon young lady watched Shira strolling toward her, where she instinctively curled up with a horrified expression.


    ��B-Big Sister Shira, long time no see. You��re still as beautiful as ever. Ahahaha�� Ahahahaha�� I��m so happy to finally reunite with you. How are you doing����


    Although it sounded like the exchange of conventional greetings between nobles, Celestina��s expression seemed like she was ascending the flight of stairs leading to the execution platform. Shira was totally unconcerned with her greeting. She was like the tiger with one foot on its prey, lowering its head and sniffing the aroma of its meal. She leaned in to Celestina.


    ���� You��re still as lewd as ever, Celestina����


    ���� Big Sister, don��t say that����


    ��Shut up, you sow.��


    ������!��


    These few words completely stopped Celestina from begging for mercy. At this moment, Celestina��s complexion had turned ashen, surprisingly, she wasn��t furious at the insults. What an interesting development to the story. It could be seen that there was definitely a history between Shira and Celestina��of course, judging from Gracier and Madaras�� reactions, it seemed like they already knew about it.


    But what would happen next?


    Although Rhode was also bound by the steel chains, he wasn��t worried at all. Instead, he watched the two young ladies in amusement. He had never seen Celestina in this manner. Although she had also begged for mercy in bed, this was the first time that he saw her genuinely afraid of someone.


    ��You still have the same disgusting body����


    Shira let out a burst of cheeky laughter before clasping Celestina��s soft, round chest so tightly that the demon young lady shrieked in pain. But even so, Celestina continued to look at the young lady in fear without any intention to resist.


    ��Hmm�� You��ve become obedient. Interesting. It seems like you finally understand what I meant�� after so many years? Hahaha����


    ��Y-Yes�� Big Sister Shira����


    ��Hmm?��


    At this moment, Shira tilted her head and narrowed her eyes abruptly while strengthening her grip on Celestina��s chest.


    ���� What happened, Celestina? You��re no longer a virgin? Who is it exactly? Hmm? Answer me, you promiscuous sow.��


    ��It was me.��


    Rhode finally decided that it was time for him to show his pride as the master. Although it was fascinating to watch Celestina in this deflated state, she was still his woman no matter what, so he had to do something at this moment.


    ��Because Celestina was too alluring, I accidentally ate her up. Can you put her down now, Shira?��


    ��Master������!?��


    Celestina turned around abruptly. Instead of feeling touched by him, she was as though watching an idiot jumping into a tank of sharks.


    ��Hahaha����


    Shira turned around and gazed at Rhode with her tilted head.


    ��Yes�� You��re indeed Shira��s master. You��re so generous to even accept Celestina�� Hahaha�� All right, I acknowledge that you have the right to become a master�� Haha�� But����


    Shira pointed a finger at Rhode. Shortly after, the steel chains around him pulled and tugged him to the floor. Then, Shira quietly sat on him and stared.


    ��But�� you have to give me extreme pain to become my master�� If you can do that�� Hahaha, I will acknowledge you as my master����


    Shira squinted excitedly.


    ��But come to think of it, I realized that�� Hahaha�� Master, you��re a man�� Which makes things easier����


    For some unknown reason, Rhode felt a sense of danger when he heard this statement. He puckered his brows and attempted to restore her into the card. No matter what, Shira was considered his summoning spirit after he awakened her and she should restore into the card immediately. However, when he attempted, Shira was already one step ahead.


    Swish!


    In the blink of an eye, Rhode��s clothes were ripped apart while Shira��s tattered black robe had vanished. Shira placed her right hand on his chest and her eyes glinted in exhilaration. Then, at the next moment, Rhode felt an ice-cold, soft sensation in his lower body.


    ��Hahaha�� You��ve turned hard, Master����


    ��It would be rude of me if I don��t have any reaction to such a beautiful young lady.��


    Perhaps sensing that he wasn��t in a dangerous situation as he imagined, he stopped trying to restore her into the card. At this moment, the young lady��s ice-cold skin stuck closely on him and she didn��t have any body temperature at all. Her under-developed body and pale yellow, messy, curly long hair made her look like a beautiful Barbie doll. Not only that, but her mysterious mint-like scent also attracted him and gave him a strange pleasure.


    ��Alright then, let me have a taste of you����


    Shira��s beautiful face turned into an unprecedented crazy, anticipative expression.


    ��I heard that�� a man can give a woman an unforgettable pain�� Hahaha�� All right, Master, please bestow me this pain as the greatest reward!��

 Chapter 853 - The Start of the Agony

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Hahaha����


    The young lady��s minty scent exuded, merging with the dampness in the room. She revealed a crazy smile while sitting on Rhode and touching his chest softly. She squinted and a glint of danger flashed in her eyes. Not only that, but she also slowly ground her smooth, round rear against his lower body. Perhaps one would view this as a sexual scene, but it was an entirely different matter to Rhode.


    It wasn��t comfortable at all being bound by the steel chains. Besides, although the young lady showed her entirety, it made him uncomfortable instead. Even though her beautiful face plastered with a crazy smile and a youthful body was somewhat alluring, the steel chains that punctured her shoulders were bewildering.


    He wasn��t too mindful when she was clothed, but after looking at the pitch-black steel chains penetrating through her dewy skin and into her flesh, the ghastly wounds were too jarring. Not only that, but he also saw her bones through the two ��bloody holes����


    Besides, it seemed like Shira didn��t feel any pain at all. Every time the steel chains swayed, she merely trembled a little and this was entirely instinctive and had nothing to do with her overcoming the pain.


    However, Shira seemed to enjoy the pain. At this moment, she narrowed her eyes and licked her lips as though indulging in his body. She positioned her left hand between his legs and grabbed his rock-hard ��holy sword��.


    ��Hahaha�� I hope you can satisfy me, Master�� I really do hope so����


    Shira lowered her voice as though a lover confessing her love to her partner. But at this moment, she slid her right hand up his chest and stopped at his neck. Although her touches were soft and cold, Rhode was sure that his neck would break if she used just a little more force.


    How amusing.


    But instead of feeling frantic, Rhode felt somewhat excited at the sight of danger. Frankly speaking, this was the first time he met with such a situation. Although he admitted that he wasn��t a masochist, this was his first experience in making love at the brink of death. Yes�� He tried all sorts of styles which most ordinary people on Earth couldn��t enjoy and now, it seemed like he had to enjoy being forced. It seemed like men were undoubtedly creatures who thought using their lower bodies�� As Rhode indulged in the comfort of his shaft pushing against her soft rear, he anticipated what was next. Although he could restore her into the card, he knew clearly that this was also a test for him. If he couldn��t pass this test calmly, he wouldn��t be able to lift his head proudly in the future as her master.


    However, compared to those little details, it was most important to accept this sexual welfare, wasn��t it?


    ��Hmm����


    Shira let out a satisfied groan while rotating her hips continuously. Then, she revealed a wild, excited smile before plunging down in an instant, where Rhode instantly penetrated her and sensed an obstruction. Suddenly, Shira raised her head and widened her mouth in delight.


    ��Ah��. Yes, it is this�� this�� is what I�� always wanted��!��


    At this moment, Rhode broke her final layer of defense.


    ��Ahhhhhh!��


    She screamed, straightened her back and clenched her right fist. Not only that, but Rhode also grit his teeth at the pain. Normally, while attending to an inexperienced young lady like her, he would have shown tender care to make her ready and lessen the pain. However, Shira was apparently uninterested in this idea as she violently sat on his rock-hard ��little brother��. Although as a man, Rhode couldn��t understand her pain, it was obvious from her painfully twisted expression and shivering body that it wasn��t tolerable by ordinary humans.


    ��Argh�� haaa��. ah�� argh����


    After letting out an ear-piercing screech, she rolled her eyes, leaned back, and supported herself with her hands. Crystal-clear tears flowed down the corners of her eyes and she was as though a fish on the shore gasping for air.


    People who aren��t aware of the situation may think that I��ve raped her�� It should be the other way around, shouldn��t it?


    ��Ha�� ah�� ah�� Haha�� Hahaha�� Hahahaha����


    But shortly after, the tremendous pain turned into a twisted, blissful burst of laughter.


    ��It��s so painful�� so painful�� Hehe�� the sensation is so strong�� that I feel my organs burning�� Ahhh�� My body hurts�� My legs are numb already�� Hahaha�� It��s so painful�� This is the way! This should be the way! I want more pain! Give it to me! More!��


    The young lady��s shrunken pupils glinted in insanity. Shortly after, she shuddered and this time, the steel chains that filled the room fluttered while the ones bound on Rhode��s wrist were released completely. Then, she threw herself on his chest and raised her head slowly with tears and saliva flowing down her face. The immense pain had entirely seized control over her body. But even so, she continued to crave for more.


    ��Please�� Master�� Give me more����


    Of course, Rhode was willing to serve her.


    ��Haa�� Ah�� Ah����


    Under the radiance of the flares, their merged shadows flickered on the wall. The naked young lady rode on him while he held onto her slender waist, thrusting into her petite figure continuously. However, the distressing gasps and moans resounded in the room and her clenched fists were as though she was being tortured.


    ���� No�� It��s so painful�� so painful����


    Shira kicked her legs and struggled instinctively to flee from the torment. But whenever she lifted her waist, Rhode would mercilessly hold her down. At this moment, she seemed to have reached her limit. Although her voice turned faint, Rhode took it up a notch.


    Will she be fine?


    Rhode asked inwardly at the sight of her half dead manner. In fact, this was the first time that he treated a female so roughly without foreplay. If she were an ordinary human, perhaps she would be dead by now. However, it seemed like she was reaching her limits too.


    ��Hmm����


    Rhode became more intense with his thrusts. He groaned, held onto her waist, and thrust up his lower body. Then, the accumulated passion in him finally erupted.


    ��Ahhh!��


    However, what surprised him was that Shira let out an unprecedented scream. Then, she held her stomach with both hands, tumbled to the ground on her side, and curled up entirely. Her petite body shuddered and a blush smeared across her pale complexion. She grit her teeth and her clear pupils turned disorganized and blurred as though she was on the verge of dying.


    ��She��s����


    ��Haa�� Master, don��t worry. Big Sister Shira is fine����


    Celestina said as the steel chains loosened their grip on her as their master shuddered in agony. At this moment, the pitiful demon young lady who was as though a shivering animal in the cage before finally let out a sigh of relief.


    ��She basically can��t be considered as a physical being. Instead����


    ��Undead Puppet.��


    Rhode continued Celestina��s line. She gazed at him in astonishment and nodded firmly.


    Rhode truly felt that the races within the holy sword card deck were getting increasingly ridiculous. Back then, the Law Dragon created its first ideal batch of direct subordinates��the White Elves. On the other hand, the Dark Dragon also created its first batch of direct subordinates��the Undead Puppets. The Undead Puppets were created from the power of death and darkness. However, their fate was much more tragic than the White Elves. The White Elves were physical beings capable of reproducing offsprings, but the Undead Creatures couldn��t. Therefore, beings like the Undead Puppets were unique on their own, where Rhode didn��t have too many opportunities to understand them, even compared to the Carlesdine. He heard about the Undead Puppets after he defeated the Dark Dragon and found information about them in the Country of Darkness��s palace. In Rhode��s guild, there were also several players who were interested in researching the game��s history. Moreover, he was also the walking library, so he naturally knew something about them.


    Rhode didn��t give too much thought to it initially. However, while he was having intimate interactions with Shira, he was slowly uncovering her true identity. Judging from her ice-cold body, he knew that she definitely wasn��t alive. But her physical touches also meant that she wasn��t a spiritual being. The lack of vampire fangs in her mouth eliminated the possibility of her being a vampire, which left the probability of her being a Necromancer, Lich, or Skeleton. The Wyverns were all physical beings and even a sacrificial offering like Sara also had body temperatures after their ��activation��. This way, Rhode could only link Shira with the Undead Creatures. However, she was able to preserve her body from being corroded by the powers of the undead, which meant that there was only one possibility left��the most perfect existence created by the Dark Dragon: an Undead Puppet.


    But if this was the case��


    Come to think of it, the group of young ladies in the holy sword card deck had different races and actually called one another sisters�� Just how did they exist back then?


    ��But what has this got to do with her current situation?��


    Rhode gazed at Shira who was hugging her stomach tightly and gritting her teeth and was sure that she wasn��t struck by an illness. Instead, he was confident that it was due to his doing. But he couldn��t understand how his ��juices�� contained such strength. Could it be that his body properties were altered while ��exercising�� with her, which turned his ��juices�� poisonous? That would be really troublesome if that were true��


    ��Hmm����


    Celestina was rather embarrassed to explain the situation. But she eventually grit her teeth and spoke.


    ��Master, since you know that Big Sister Shira is an Undead Puppet, you should also know that they are the ancestors of the Undead Creatures. They possess pure undead powers, which in turn causes them to have violent reactions towards extremely strong existences. Although Big Sister Shira has strong resistance on the outside where not even the legendary spells can harm her, on the inside����


    Even though Celestina didn��t explain further, it was apparent from her awkward expression after she gazed at the white, viscous liquid flowing out from between Shira��s legs. However, Rhode didn��t expect that his ��liquid�� would be this harmful.


    But honestly speaking, he couldn��t understand Shira at all. If she were an ordinary human, the initial pain would only last for a few moments. However, she was basically in agony all the time, which was hard for him to understand her insanity.


    ��Ah�� Haa�� Haa�� Awesome����


    At this moment, Shira��s faint voice broke the silence in the room. She lifted her head slowly in excitement and joy as she gazed with blurry vision.


    ��It is this pain�� that makes me sense the pain of life and death�� Great�� I acknowledge that�� you��re my master now�� Hahaha����


    ��Alright then����


    Rhode heaved an inward sigh of relief. But before he spoke further, someone pushed the door open and they heard a lively, familiar voice.


    ��Anne is back, Leader! This place looks so boring, but Anne didn��t expect it to be so fun�� What are you doing?��


    Anne stood by the door with a huge bag of food in her arms while Lesa entered behind her and gazed curiously at the group.


    Then, Lesa held Anne��s arm and pulled her out of the room.


    Boom.


    The door shut heavily and echoed in the silent room��

 Chapter 854 - The Sound of Tides

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Dear parliament members and everyone who supports me, I humbly accept your nomination for president in the election campaign. The reason why I��m standing here is all thanks to your support. I understand your troubles and clearly know what kind of predicament we are facing now!��


    Parliament member Nakvard stood on the podium in the middle of the plaza. He wore a formal black suit, spread his hands apart, and gazed at the dense sea of people below him. The incredible sense of accomplishment satisfied him greatly.


    ��It has been a dark year for the Country of Light. Not only did we face the invasion of the Undead Creatures, but we also suffered the betrayal of our allies. Our soil has been stained by the undead and the bones of our dearest were forced to be awakened from their eternal rest and against their will, wreaking havoc on this continent! Are we going to let this matter off just like this?��


    Parliament member Nakvard raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist.


    ��Angels and Elves can��t be trusted. Their first reaction wasn��t to help us when we faced threats from the Undead Creatures. Instead, they seized the chance to gain benefits and rise above us to make us their slaves forever! Same goes for the lackeys who sold their dignity! People of the Country of Light! Our failures in the past shouldn��t be used as an excuse for us to back down now. The former Light Parliament failed to fulfill its rule due to incompetent leadership and even abandoned its dignity before the other races. Back then, when our ancestors established the Light Parliament and raised the torches of freedom and liberty, they hoped that humans could stand alone on this continent. We��re not affiliated with the other races and not their slaves at all! We have to use our hands and language to tell them that we have the right to stand on the same heights as them!��


    ��Oooooh!��


    The people instantly burst into cheers. They raised their arms frantically and waved to the man before them.


    ��I guarantee that I, Nakvard, will rebuild the flags that our ancestors worked so hard to establish and find the glory and pride of our Country of Light. I will use our strength to tell everyone that the Country of Light will forever be the lighthouse of freedom for us humans! My father was born in Sauron while my mother came from the distant Kanali. They arrived in this great country for the sake of glorious freedom. This miracle can only happen here! During this difficult period, we must unite as one. Right now, regardless of gender, identity, and as long as you are human, we should stand in unison! We will always be the strongest race on this continent! We should not listen to words that attempt to split us, let alone shake our own beliefs, and make wrong choices that the non-humans have made. Humans are a race with infinite possibilities! And only we can control our destiny!��


    1���� Noble people of the Country of Light. Listen to me!��


    On the luxurious platform on the other side, a man who wore a scarlet suit spread his arms apart and gazed at his supporters.


    ��Our Country of Light has faced too many unprecedented disasters last year. We��ve lost lives, lands, and jobs. Some people attributed this to the non-humans and evil Undead Creatures, but is that the truth? No! This isn��t the truth. I, Greig Walker, confirm it! The threat from non-humans does exist, and the same goes for the evil Undead Creatures. However, the biggest threat comes from our internal issues as a nation! I��m sure you��ve already seen the refugees who swarmed into our country with greed in mind. They dominated the resources and benefits that should have been owned by us! Do they have the right to do this? No! They don��t! They came here and didn��t provide any help to our country. Instead, they dragged our country into the edge of recession! My people! You know that the Light Parliament is currently in a tough spot and our finances have been greatly affected. For this reason, we can��t even guarantee the support of the frontline army, which led to their defeat!��


    Greig swung his right arm. The dense sea of people also clenched their fists and waved flags that were written with his slogan.


    ��All right. You must be curious of where the taxes we paid have gone to. Aren��t the taxes used to protect our country and people? No! I have to tell you that our money has been snatched by those shameless thieves who sucked our blood like vampires! Noble people of the Country of Light, our ancestors built this country and gave us courage. People with dignity reap the rewards they deserve through labor rather than squandering hard-earned income from others. The refugees came to our country to enjoy our welfare, status, and honor that we exchanged with money and peace that our soldiers used their lives to defend with. And yet, they are despicable to have made not even a little bit of contribution!


    ��People of the Country of Light, can you tolerate this? No! Impossible! I, Greig Walker, swear that after I become the president of the Light Parliament, I will kick those lazy, greedy vampires out of our country. This country established by our ancestors with their blood and sweat doesn��t exist for the greedy vampires! Only people like us with the true blood of the Country of Light are the true owners of this country! Of course, we also will face external threats, but if our internal issues aren��t resolved, we won��t be able to unite and face disasters that will destroy us! Please open your eyes and don��t be deceived by the filthy words of the shameless ones who come from far away. They will only plunder more things from us under the banner of racial harmony. They always demand us to come up with money, status and even jobs for the sole reason of the freedom and glory of the Country of Light. Can we tolerate everything? Can we bear it all? Should we endure it?! No! We won��t suffer in silence anymore!��


    ���� We��ve experienced a tough period.��


    Parliament member Carlson stood on the somewhat decayed wooden platform. The tall city walls blocked the glaring sun while thick, dense shadows enveloped him. The chilly winds blew with a putrid stench. He gazed at the sparse people below him, gritting his teeth and supporting himself with his thin, shriveled hands.


    ��The torment that we suffered from last year was unforgettable. But everyone, the pain should also wake us up from our daydreams. The Country of Light is not just a nation for humans and it is too tough to rely on ourselves to face the disaster of the entire continent. It is precisely at this moment that we should abandon our former suspicions and unite as one. This time, we can��t let fear and anger blind our eyes. There may be endless disputes between us, but death will always be the same despite the differences in our race. No matter if you are an elf, dwarf, angel, or human. No matter if you are wealthy or poor, death will still fall upon everyone. It is at this moment that we should help and support each other!��


    Clap�� Clap�� Clap��


    Sporadic claps sounded and the elderly parliament member took in a deep breath. The chilly wind left him coughing, but even so, he held his head up strongly and looked at his supporters.


    ��Some things will not change by simply relying on our will. We will get through this tough period, but if we can abandon our former suspicions, the final victory shall belong to us! What we need to do now is not to confront one another. Instead, we need to forgive the insignificant arrogance and prejudice in our hearts, and make the choice that is most beneficial to us and our country! No one wants and is willing to suffer and this is awfully clear to us. Think about it�� For your future generations and for them to continue living happily in sunshine on this free land. Shouldn��t we make a little sacrifice for them?��


    Sonia shifted her gaze away from the window and shook her head. Then, she closed the window to block out the wind and clamor.


    ��It looks so ridiculous every time. How boring.��


    Sonia scoffed. At this moment, Casabianca was incredibly bustling. However, Sonia wasn��t interested at all because she knew what those people were on about��it was simple. The Light Parliament election was about to begin.


    In fact, the election should have begun during the second half of last year and the new president would have already been selected. However, due to the invasion of the Country of Darkness, the chairman got to stay in the office for a while longer. But Sonia was clear that his days as the chairman were numbered. The Country of Light��s performance in the wars were horrible. They lost continuously and had to rely on the Munn Kingdom and Rhode to defend the Winter Castle, especially when Rhode was the public enemy of the people of the Country of Light. Under intentional brainwashing by the Light Parliament, the entire Country of Light knew that the young man named Rhode had sold his soul to the angels, betrayed the humans, and was shamelessly reborn to fight for the angels. Not only that, but the Light Parliament also pushed most of the responsibility for defeat to Rhode, claiming that if he didn��t cripple their legendary beings, the Country of Light wouldn��t have suffered this badly in the wars against the Undead Army. It could also be said that in the Country of Light, Rhode��s reputation was at the ��Hated�� level. However, Rhode didn��t give a damn at all because as long as he wiped them all out in the future, his reputation level wouldn��t matter anymore.


    Furthermore, the Winter Castle was currently occupied by the Battle Angel Army now. Although the retreat of the Undead Army had left the Light Parliament in an awkward position, the politicians weren��t at their wits�� end in this situation. They quickly pushed the responsibilities to the shoulders of the elderly chairman, asserting that if he didn��t hand the Winter Castle over due to his misjudgment, the Country of Light wouldn��t be in such a dilemma. This resulted in the elderly chairman being detested wherever he went and it was almost certain that he wouldn��t continue being in office.


    If it were in the past, Sonia would surely be engulfed in it. No matter what, as the five largest financial groups, the Lockos Financial Group had to maintain their strong political influence. On the other hand, Sonia, as the third executive officer, had to guarantee on behalf of her family that the election was successful. But, this time, Sonia was able to stay away from the trouble. The reason was simple. She had been chosen to stay with Lilian and after Lilian��s fall out with the Light Parliament, the Light Parliament wasn��t able to find someone who could communicate with Lilian. Now that Lilian enjoyed being with Sonia, the Light Parliament naturally wouldn��t let this chance slip.


    It was due to this reason that Sonia became one of the most important members of the Light Parliament, where not even the next chairman would be as crucial as her. Not only that, but the Light Parliament also ��promoted�� Sonia in order to let her work better with them. They would be making Sonia take over a vacant position after the new chairman had been elected and she would become the youngest official member of the Light Parliament.


    Sonia knew that the main reason why the Light Parliament trusted her so much was due to the Lockos Financial Group. It was due to the relationship between the Light Parliament and the Lockos Financial Group that the Light Parliament believed that Sonia would definitely not betray them and side with the powerless Light Dragon.


    But it was a pity that the Light Parliament had it all planned out wrongly.


    Sonia revealed a smile at this thought. Then, she turned around and walked down the spotlessly white corridor.

 Chapter 855 - The Mysterious Gem

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Good morning, Your Highness.��


    Sonia pushed the door open and saw the petite figure in her pajamas sitting by the bedroom window. Lilian, who was somewhat bored, revealed a gentle smile and beckoned to Sonia.


    ��Isn��t Madam Serene around today?��


    Sonia closed the door behind her and went up to Lilian. She gazed around and didn��t find Archangel Serene anywhere in the room. In fact, Sonia knew the answer even without looking because Lilian definitely wouldn��t have worn her pajamas to meet her. If others visited Lilian, the little girl would surely be on her guard. But after days of company, Lilian treated Sonia as a personal servant and friend, so she wasn��t particular about it.


    Lilian nodded.


    ��Yes, Serene isn��t around today. She has something to attend to.��


    ��I see����


    Sonia murmured under her breath. But she was filled with suspicion deep down.


    How strange.


    Back then when Rhode gave Sonia this mission to get closer with Lilian, he also requested her to observe the two Archangels. Initially, Sonia felt that this order was rather strange. However, she slowly discovered that two Archangels were definitely quite strange in their actions.


    Sonia considered the situation from the point of view as a parliament member��Archangel Boulder and Serene were considered the biggest obstacles for the Light Parliament to remove the Light Dragon out of the picture. Therefore, she thought that the two Archangels would always be by Lilian��s side to remove any possible trouble that the Light Parliament might create. Back then when Sonia returned to Casabianca, she was mentally prepared to be interrogated by the Archangels.


    But to her surprise, the two Archangels didn��t seem aware of her presence around Lilian at all. Archangel Boulder had never showed up before her. On the other hand, Sonia had the chance to observe Archangel Serene for a couple of days when she visited Lilian earlier on. Although Sonia felt that this was rude of her, she felt that the two Archangels didn��t seem concerned about Lilian at all. Not only did her presence raise any alarm, but the two Archangels had as though handed over their duties to her and left without explanations.


    This isn��t normal�� Could it be that they are watching me in secret and waiting to strike when I reveal my true intentions? But it doesn��t seem like it��


    Sonia was puzzled. But it was apparent that Lilian didn��t give too much thought to this. In the past, Lilian felt bored whenever Serene wasn��t around, but after she got to know Sonia, she hoped that Serene wouldn��t show up as often. No matter what, if Serene was around, Lilian needed to maintain her solemn image as the Light Dragon. But if it was only Sonia and her, she wouldn��t need to worry about it and could just be herself.


    ��By the way, Sonia, it seems to be bustling outside. Is it the spring festival?��


    To Lilian, Sonia was her current channel to the outside world. Perhaps due to her making decisions without permission, Lilian had been put under house arrest in the palace and she couldn��t even step out of the palace after returning to Casabianca.


    ��No, Your Majesty.��


    Sonia said casually while laying out the tea and desserts for Lilian.


    ��The quadrennial election has officially begun. It should have been held during the second half of last year, but due to the Country of Darkness��s invasion, it was postponed until now.��


    ���� I see����


    Lilian seemed rather depressed. She picked up the hot tea and pondered for a few moments.


    ��By the way, Sonia�� I know the chairman is determined through an election, so he will surely be receiving all the support from everyone right��? Then, if I����


    ��That��s not true, Your Majesty.��


    Sonia shook her head.


    ��Ever since the Light Parliament was established, none of the chairmans have had a support rate of over 60 percent. Most of the support rates were between 40 and 50 percent, and some even won the election with a 30 percent support rate.��


    ��Huh?��


    Lilian lifted her head and widened her eyes in surprise.


    ��But didn��t the Light Parliament say that the chairman is always chosen by all the people of the country?��


    ��Yes, but that didn��t mean that the elected chairman is recognized by everyone in the country, Your Majesty.��


    Sonia responded.


    ��Based on the current situation, Sir Nakvard and Sir Greig seem to be in the lead with 38 and 32 percent in votes respectively. The remaining votes will be scattered among the other candidates, so even at the last stages of the voting, the people won��t unconditionally support a candidate. The people may cast their vote for the candidate who they support, but if the candidate fails to be selected, the vote will be nulled. Whereas for the final support rate�� even if it was between 51 and 49 percent or doesn��t surpass half the number of votes, the candidate will still be the new chairman.��


    ��In other words, the new chairman won��t be supported by everyone?��


    Lilian asked hurriedly. At this moment, she had clenched her fists.


    ��But how is this�� Why is it this way? Are there no other ways to gain everyone��s support?��


    ��That��s impossible, Your Majesty.��


    Sonia smiled while shaking her head. Then, she picked up a piece of biscuit and cake.


    ��Take these two desserts for example, Your Majesty. If one says that he will give you an endless supply of biscuits after he becomes the chairman while the other says that he will give you an endless supply of cakes, who will you support?��


    ��Hmm����


    Faced with this sudden question, Lilian puckered her brows and gazed at the desserts. Then, she lifted her head with a complicated emotion.


    ��Can��t there be a person who can let me eat an endless supply of biscuits and cakes?��


    ��Of course there can be, Your Majesty.��


    ��Alright then. I will choose that person as the chairman!��


    Lilian revealed a proud grin before puffing out her chest, which made Sonia smile in response.


    ��So, you��ve made up your mind, Your Majesty?��


    ��Yes, that��s right. I��ve decided to make that person the chairman.��


    At this moment, Lilian seemed to be passing judgment on everything. But she couldn��t be blamed since the chairman position had always been selected by the people and she didn��t understand the process and operations of an election. All she needed to do was to wait in her room for the new chairman to greet her. Although Lilian knew that she was just having fun, she was still amused that she just decided the next chairman.


    ��But it��s a pity, Your Majesty.��


    Sonia laid a plate of desserts before Lilian.


    ��Although you��ve decided, there��s only one slice of cake and one piece of biscuit for you.��


    ��Huh��?��


    Lilian curled her lips instantly.


    ��Why? Wasn��t it agreed that I will have an endless supply of biscuits and cakes?��


    ��That��s right, but you��re also aware that it is impossible, Your Majesty.��


    ��But�� He promised it. This is cheating. I don��t let him become the chairman anymore. Remove him!��


    Lilian grumbled and waved her tiny fist around. But, this time, Sonia shook her head.


    ��I��m sorry, Your Majesty. According to the law, you��ll only have the chance to decide if he can stay in the position after four years. So, no matter if you��ll get only a slice of cake or a piece of biscuit, or even nothing, you won��t be able to remove him before the next election.��


    ��How boring. Hmph! What a big liar!��


    Lilian complained while taking a bite off the slice of cake as though venting her anger. On the other side, Sonia stood quietly beside her and gazed at her fit of pique. After Lilian ate two-thirds of the cake, she suddenly became quiet.


    ���� Sonia, will the Light Parliament�� really treat the people of the Country of Light this way?��


    Lilian lowered her head and gazed in silence at the tea in her hands. She wasn��t that naive. Although Sonia didn��t clarify the situation, Lilian already sensed the source of the problem through their short little game. In the past, Lilian didn��t realize this wasn��t because she was foolish. Instead, she totally didn��t understand how the political system in the Country of Light worked. As the Light Dragon, Lilian had only been educated on how to become the Light Dragon and wasn��t taught anything apart from that. Serene also didn��t mention anything about this to her. Whereas for the elections, Lilian only knew that little bit about them.


    ���� As a member of the Light Parliament, I may not be able to provide an answer, Your Majesty.��


    At this moment, Sonia put away her smile and answered softly.


    ��How boring!��


    Perhaps sensing that this topic was destroying the atmosphere, Lilian shook her head with might and jumped up from her seat.


    ��By the way, Sonia, I want to take a look at the election. Can you go with me?��


    ��This����


    Sonia puckered her brows, but eventually nodded.


    ��No problem, Your Majesty. But����


    Sonia lowered her voice.


    ��Please pardon me, I will need to report this to the Light Parliament.��


    ��Argh�� Okay then.��


    Lilian revealed a resentful expression. But she was an obedient child, after all. Since Sonia was upfront with her, she had to consider Sonia��s identity too. After all, Sonia was her only intimate friend in Casabianca, so she didn��t want to put her on the spot. Besides, Lilian was clear that the annoying fellas in the Light Parliament would find trouble with Sonia if they knew that Sonia brought her out without informing.


    ��No problem. But no matter what they say, I will still be heading out! Come on, Sonia, help me get dressed!��


    Lilian swiftly took off her pajamas and revealed the playfulness and innocence that a child of her age should have. Sonia shook her head with a bitter smile before scuttling to the wardrobe to help Lilian get dressed.


    ��Hmm?��


    But at this moment, a flash of golden brilliance from Lilian��s chest caught Sonia��s attention. Sonia turned around and scanned curiously at the circular golden gem emanating a golden radiance from behind the long blonde hair.


    No, that wasn��t a pendant or accessory. It was a magic gem embedded on Lilian��s chest. Not only that, but flashes of magical stripes emerged across her body and vanished in a blink of an eye.


    Sonia widened her eyes in astonishment.


    What is that?

 Chapter 856 - A Game of Chess

    After awakening Shira, Rhode led the Bow Knights in grinding out the Devil Gulf for half a month. After they eliminated tens of thousands of devils, Rhode received the EXP he needed to reach the next level and realized that continuing would be a waste of time, so he decisively ordered a retreat. However, General Kaplan and his soldiers were reluctant to part with him. Firstly, they lost a great helper in eradicating the devils and secondly, the group of beautiful Elf young ladies was about to leave their side. But, even so, Rhode harvested a lot in the Devil Gulf, where not only did he obtain the materials Lapis needed, but also gained a holy sword card. Besides, he also gained the likes of General Kaplan��s army with the strength of the Bow Knights. Even though General Kaplan��s army was capable of stopping the devils that sneaked through the gaps of the enchanted field before Rhode��s arrival, he had limited manpower, after all, and losing men was inevitable. But after Rhode��s arrival, General Kaplan��s army instantly felt that the somewhat dangerous battles became a walk in the park. Besides, unlike what they imagined, Rhode wasn��t like the typical nobles who sat back and did nothing. Instead, apart from eating and sleeping, Rhode often personally led the Bow Knights in clearing out areas where devils always appeared from (after all, earning EXP was Rhode��s primary goal). This impressed the soldiers and with the glorious results of Rhode repelling the Undead Army twice in a row previously, it could be said that Rhode��s reputation in the Devil Gulf had reached the ��Respected�� level. Before Rhode left, General Kaplan had even patted his shoulder, complimented him for his achievements, and lamented his regrets in not meeting him years earlier because he wouldn��t be this stressed if he had Rhode as his subordinate.


    In the Devil Gulf, Rhode��s biggest harvest apart from the holy sword card was that he reached level 65. Not only that, but he also held a total of 6 Skill Points and pumped them into the ��Fantasy Daybreak�� swordsmanship which he created, successfully upgrading it to the S+ grade and breaking the restriction of the shadow clones being unable to switch weapons. This gave him a little sense of achievement and satisfaction, as the battle between him and Shira damaged his pride a little.


    Although it was said that the Spirit Swordsmen didn��t rely on sword skills for victory, the ��Swordsman�� in the name wasn��t written for no reason. Rhode believed that the ��Fantasy Daybreak�� swordsmanship was rather decent, and yet it yielded no results against Shira who relied on brute strength. This result left him depressed, of course. But now that his swordsmanship mastery had reached the S+ grade, he was confident that his shadow clones would possess much more strength than in the past, which was comforting for him.


    But he didn��t expect that before he was able to heat up his seat in the Land of Atonement, he received a report from Sonia.


    ��Gem?��


    Rhode knitted his brows and gazed at Sonia through the crystal ball. The latter nodded firmly and confidently.


    ��Yes, Master. It��s on Her Majesty��s chest�� There is a golden, circular gem in the middle. I��m sure that it is embedded in her.��


    ������


    Rhode pondered in silence. He couldn��t be blamed for acting this serious. If Lilian was an ordinary Dragon Soul Heir, he wouldn��t have given much thought about it. But the problem was that it was obvious that Lilian didn��t know how to use her strength and wasn��t aware of them. So then, any strange behaviors or conditions on her would possibly be a crucial clue. Back then Rhode had such a motive when he wanted Sonia to get close with Lilian. No matter what, as a female, Sonia was much more convenient in most scenarios.


    And it seemed like that was his result.


    Around the center of her chest?


    Rhode tried to recall and indeed, if it was that area, he definitely wouldn��t have seen it unless Lilian took off her clothes before him. But it was apparent that no matter how close they were, she wouldn��t do that. Besides, that area was extremely sensitive, where unless he was a pervert, he definitely wouldn��t have a reason to put his hand into her shirt and touch it.


    Currently, Lilian couldn��t use her powers. Was it related to the gem? Or perhaps that was something all Creator Dragons would have? Rhode knitted his brows and recalled. Light Dragon�� Forget it. In the game, Rhode wasn��t even aware if the Light Dragon was a male or female. He had seen the Law Dragons, also known as the Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons, quite a few times, but they weren��t as open-minded as Lydia in showing themselves. However, they didn��t seem any different from ordinary people from their appearances. As for the Dark Dragon in its human form��Rhode wouldn��t be that bored to check out a man��s body, wouldn��t he? He wasn��t a ��fujoshi��, after all.


    ��Do you feel any powers from it?��


    ��Erm�� Sorry, Master, that is beyond my abilities.��


    Sonia revealed an apologetic expression. Then, Rhode realized that unlike others, Sonia was born as a noblewoman and politician and wasn��t powerful. Her swordsmanship had only reached the Elite Stage and she couldn��t cast any magic spells. It would be too harsh on her if Rhode were to expect her to detect any magical undulation like Marlene and Lize could.


    ��Alright then, did you sense anything strange from that gem or detect any strange behavior in her?��


    ��Hmm����


    Sonia puckered her brows and tried to remember.


    ��Yes�� If I were to describe something, back then I did feel like�� Her Majesty Lilian seems more dignified than usual����


    ��More dignified?��


    ��Yes�� How do I put it�� Usually, even though Her Majesty Lilian holds the identity of the Light Dragon, everyone feels like she��s just a solemn child. After I followed your order to get close to Her Majesty Lilian, I thought that she was an adorable and pure little girl. But back then when I stood before her and saw the gem, I felt like I would do anything for her if she asked�� Yes�� That�� Although it lasted for a split second, that was what I felt.��


    Sonia felt rather awkward. No matter what, it was an act of betrayal to have such thoughts since she was Rhode��s pet. But even so, she gave her honest answer due to her loyalty to him.


    ��Hmm����


    However, Rhode didn��t take it personally. After hearing her report, he nodded slightly. It seemed like no matter what that gem was, it was definitely related to Lilian��s powers. He wasn��t concerned about Sonia��s devotion to him because she wouldn��t have reported this matter if it changed anything. Now it seemed like there was indeed something wrong with Lilian?


    Humans were people of Order. Under the sky of the Light Dragon Soul��s protection, they naturally favored Order just like Bell who had the Order channel inside her. Even if Bell did nothing, people would adore, be willing to help and care for her. This was the instinctive reaction whenever humans, as the people of Order, were influenced by the strength of Order. But if it were a Dragon Soul Heir like Lilian, she could make a large group of people swear their loyalty to her for no reason as long as the people were willing to. That was truly illogical and wasn��t brainwash or mental manipulation. As long as one was under the sky of the Light Dragon Soul��s protection, one would wholeheartedly fight for her.


    This was also experienced in the game. After the Dark Dragon appeared, all the Undead Creatures on the battlefield immediately received a BUFF to increase their strength. It was the same for the Country of Law, which explained why no one was brave enough to resist the Dragon Soul Heirs no matter how the two nations fought. It was even more so for the higher-class races, taking the four legendary generals for an example. If any of them were to turn against the Dark Dragon, the Dark Dragon could instantly make him put down his weapon obediently, repent for his mistakes, and turn over a new leaf at a single thought.


    Of course, the races under the different Dragon Soul protections wouldn��t feel and show the same closeness and affection to the other dragons. If not, there wouldn��t be a need for troops anymore because as long as one of the Dragon Soul Heirs emerged, all the troops would change sides in a war, right?


    Previously, Rhode didn��t consider the situation in this direction because he wasn��t sure if the descriptions in the game were exactly the same as this world. It was especially so after he met Lilian during the Dragon Soul Ceremony. He didn��t have any urge of kneeling down and devoting his entire life to her. Therefore, there was still a difference between game and reality. No matter what, after coming to this world, Lilian was the only Creator Dragon Soul he met.


    It was after entering the Land of Chaos, seeing that Bell was so unconditionally loved by many with the strength of Order inside her, and after hearing Sonia��s report that Rhode discovered that this wasn��t casually said by players in the game�� But what made him suspicious was why he didn��t feel anything? It seemed like Lilian had a lot of issues with her powers and he wasn��t expecting to have a naked meeting with her in the future to figure things out. However, if it were Bell, although Rhode liked her, he didn��t adore her as much as the others did due to the influence of the Order.


    Could it be that I have a devil bloodline?


    Rhode curled his lips. That would be ridiculous��


    ��Master����


    ��Hmm?��


    Sonia called out to him and brought him back from his daze. He shook his head and stopped thinking about the matter regarding Lilian��s mysterious gem and the immunity against the strength of Order. Then, he crossed his arms, narrowed his eyes, and revealed a gentle smile.


    ��Continue with your report.��


    ��Yes! Master!��


    If it were one who was more familiar with him, one��s hair would have stood at the sight of his smile. On the contrary, Sonia responded excitedly. Perhaps the expressionless Rhode was more comforting than the smiling him. But his devilish smile when he toyed and tortured her in the underground cell was unforgettable. Every time she saw his smile, she would feel a sense of fear and strong lust. If it weren��t for them being separated by the crystal ball, perhaps she would have already knelt before him and begging for him to ravage her body and soul.


    But now, she couldn��t hold back her desires and work hard to report the current state of the Country of Light. However, there was nothing much to report about. This year, the most important issue for the Country of Light was the election of the new parliament chairman. Based on the current situation, Nakvard and Greig seemed to be in the lead and that was considered good news for Rhode. The new chairman would be elected at the end of the year while he could use this time to settle the issue with the Land of Chaos, at the same time expanding his territory. However��


    ��I will still need to congratulate you, Sonia. You have become the youngest parliament member in the history of the Light Parliament, right?��


    Rhode crossed his arms and squinted. Sonia lowered her head shyly like a young lady in love.


    ��That��s right, dear Master. But the Light Parliament doesn��t mean anything to me. As long as I can be by your side, I��m willing to give up everything else����


    ��That day will come, but not now.��


    Rhode smiled and shook his head.


    ��Besides, I still need the current Light Parliament. Yes���� He paused and his eyes glinted menacingly, so Sonia focused all her attention in anticipation because she knew that he was thinking of something dangerous. As expected, at this moment, he broke the silence. ���� Alright then. In order for the upcoming chairman to not remain idle, I want you to find an enemy for him; an enemy who can restrain him. I guess�� You have someone up for it around you.��


    ���� Please leave it to me, Master.��


    Sonia revealed a smile as a suitable candidate emerged in her head. She trusted that person and was confident that he would accomplish this mission that Rhode gave her.


    The illusory image on the crystal ball vanished. Then, Sonia stood up and exited the room. The instant she stepped out of the room, the gentle smile on her face vanished completely and was replaced by an ice-cold solemness.


    This was a new start.


    Andre stood by the window and gazed at the soldiers training below him. His stern expression couldn��t conceal his smugness. The wind of spring blew and brought vitality to the place. He shut his eyes and everything seemed like a dream. In the past year, he experienced all sorts of failures and shocks. Back then, he thought that he couldn��t stand on his feet again. But now, he was here in a mightier position than ever. But��


    He sulked at the thought of the ongoing election. Although it was still too early to determine who would eventually take over the chairman, it was apparent that it would be decided between Nakvard and Greig. Andre held personal grudges against both of them. Besides, due to a series of lost battles, the current prestige of the army had fallen to rock bottom. He was sure that the new chairman would definitely get involved and attempt to control everything. If it were in the past, the military wouldn��t have cared about the Light Parliament at all. But now, based on the news that he received, it seemed inevitable.


    When that happens, where should I go?


    Knock knock knock.


    At this moment, someone knocked on his door and interrupted his thoughts. He puckered his brows and responded.


    ��Come in.��


    ��Andre, it��s me. Big Sister Sonia is also here.��


    ��Cheryl? Sonia?��


    Andre turned around in elation. Cheryl pushed the door open and brought Sonia into his room. Sonia revealed a gentle smile.


    ��Long time no see, Andre. It seems like you��re doing great.��


    ��Everything��s still alright I suppose����


    Andre blushed and gazed awkwardly at Cheryl. He let out an awkward cough and continued.


    ��There��s some trouble with the recent situation. I guess you��re also aware����


    ��I understand that such an internal problem does exist within the parliament.��


    Sonia kept her smile, went up to Andre, and said solemnly.


    ��Andre, you��re also aware that the military has been requesting from the parliament for grants using all sorts of reasons and many parliament members are no longer tolerant of it. Besides, the people need a reasonable explanation for this massive failure by the military. Besides, many parliament members complained that the military has failed in such a terrible state despite huge grants. The situation isn��t looking too good for you. Although the parliament won��t reprimand you for the time being thanks to the successful battle in the Winter Castle, I suppose you��re aware that they won��t take long.��


    ��Of course, I��m aware.��


    Andre held his forehead helplessly.


    ��But we don��t have any better solution, isn��t it? Sir Carlson��s support rate hasn��t even reached 10 percent. Although I��ve received the recognition of many militants, it will be impossible for them to support a candidate who doesn��t stand a chance to succeed.��


    ��I��m clear about this�� But there��s still a solution for that.��


    Sonia��s eyes glinted in a strange, ridiculous smile for a split second.


    ��The current situation is terrible for Sir Carlson and we need to turn it around. But it isn��t enough to only rely on the people. We need to seek the opportunity amidst the chaos among the battles between the two strongest forces. Besides����


    Sonia displayed a smile out of a sudden.


    ���� You know that I��ve been sent to serve Her Majesty Lilian. Didn��t you think of the possibility that�� we can receive some assistance?��


    ��What did you say?��


    Andre and Cheryl stared in disbelief.

 Chapter 857 - Under Starlight’s Flag

    The harsh winter was entirely over as spring spread to every corner of the continent and lush greenery filled the landscapes. The war was over and people had a fresh start to their lives. No matter how much they gained or lost in war, they had to continue living their lives.


    During this period of time, Rhode��s ��Land of Chaos exploration�� had officially taken shape. After grinding for EXP in the Devil Gulf for half a month, not only did he reach level 65, but the Astral Temple also upgraded to level 2 with the selfless contributions of the Bow Knights. But it was a pity that there were only a total of 150 Bow Knights, so despite the Astral Temple reaching level 2, Rhode could only summon an additional 50 while the remaining options were ordinary Elf Knights, Rangers, or Mages�� In the end, Rhode chose 50 Elf Rangers to complement the Bow Knights in battles. Initially, he thought of choosing the Elf Mages. Although they weren��t as powerful as the Bow Knights, their lowest level was level 70 and it would be a steal if he copped 50 of them. But it was a pity that he knew how huge the influence the Land of Chaos had on magic spells. He didn��t wish to have 50 unstable nuclear bombs that would explode randomly, which was why he eventually chose the Elf Rangers. Even though they were experts in long-range attacks, they were still capable of casting spells at a certain range. They also had unique techniques in terms of support and healing. Although they weren��t as strong as the Elf Mages, he could only settle for second best at the moment.


    As for the water elemental creatures and fire elemental creatures, he had no intention of bringing them along. The Land of Chaos held the largest influence over elemental creatures. After all, elemental creatures were beings gathered from pure elements, unlike beings with spiritual properties from the Astral Temple. There would be huge troubles if the strength of Chaos were to disrupt the pure elemental compositions in them. In the past, there were players who summoned elemental creatures in the Land of Chaos and they almost perished due to the influence of Chaos. Although it was definitely more worth it to summon elemental creatures than creatures from the Astral Temple, Rhode wished to be more cautious��moreover, his Order barrier couldn��t contain that many people too.


    However, Rhode also couldn��t possibly bring along his summoning spirits. According to his experience in the Land of Chaos, Joey, Randolf, and John had chosen elites from their teams respectively to form an elite squad. But even so, the number of elites was too small and only made up a total of 60.


    Rhode didn��t intend to rely on ordinary human Rangers and Thieves to develop the Land of Chaos because this would be suicide even for players. What he valued was the biggest advantage he had right now.


    ��������!��


    A dozen glaring rays streaked across the sky and a series of explosions sounded a few seconds later. The solid slab cracked and shattered in an instant with dust fluttering everywhere. Rhode crossed his arms while standing on the platform, knitting his brows and gazing at his armored men. Apart from the biggest strength from the Astral Temple in this ��Exploration Team��, he could also rely on the Half-Demons and Battle Mages.


    However, if one were to look closely, one would discover that no matter if it was Sol��s Half-Demons or Sovann��s Battle Mages, they weren��t using their usual weapons. Instead, every one of them held a staff that were around two meters long and resembled the Cavalrymen��s pikes. However��


    ��Those weapons can no longer be considered staffs����


    Rhode gazed helplessly at the ��metallic staff�� in Sovann��s hand. This was the mage equipment which Lapis modified. At this moment, the tip of the staff had become entirely like a turret constructed with a round, metal tube. Not only that, but there were also three azure gems embedded at the tip, emanating faint magical radiances. As the gems shone, three flower petal-like defense barriers emerged above him. Moreover, what astonished Rhode was the bent, rectangular small box at the bottom of the staff that contained the magic crystal��the source of power for the staff.


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    Lapis held the railing in excitement, unaware of Rhode��s helplessness. This Elf who would cower and hug her head in fear whenever a battle was going on gazed at the battlefield in exhilaration. Her eyes glinted with unprecedented pride.


    ��After that, I reworked the entire magic staff according to your request. Although there are still some flaws in its attacking range, it fulfills your requirement. Please have a look, Sir Rhode. The magic barrier can protect the holder from harm. Not only that, but the spell casting capabilities also aren��t weakened at all. It can use spiritual resonance to enhance its effect too! Also, I��m still researching the concept you told me about and it��ll be completed soon. As long as everything works out well, I guarantee that not even an army with thousands of men and horses can come close to our fortress! Furthermore, if Madam Mini Bubble Gum��s and Madam Canary��s assumption come true, we can completely alter the magical technology on this continent and make it even stronger!��


    Crazy researchers and science madmen are truly a disease��


    For some reason, the scene of a mad scientist wearing a spectacle and standing on the tower amidst a violent storm and laughing hysterically at the collapsing world emerged in Rhode��s head��could this be a common disease for every successful person?


    Rhode let out a sigh. Then, he patted on Lapis�� shoulder.


    ��Lapis.��


    ��Hmm? Is anything the matter, Sir Rhode?��


    Lapis turned around excitedly, but Rhode quickly lifted her chin and pressed his lips against hers.


    ����!��


    Lapis froze to the spot and widened her eyes in shock. Rhode skillfully extended his tongue, pried open her teeth, and tangled with her tongue. After a few moments, he let go of her and licked his lips as though he had just finished his dessert.


    ��Not bad, just that your lips are a little dry. Lapis, no matter what you��re still a girl. You should take care of yourself more.��


    ��Ah�� Yes�� Sir Rhode����


    The high-spirited Lapis was nowhere to be seen anymore as she had returned to the reserved, timid, and innocent young lady. Rhode nodded in satisfaction before patting on her head. No matter what, he wasn��t interested in that Frankenstein side of her. This pure, innocent little Elf was still his preferred type of girl.


    But apart from this, Rhode had to admit that she handled the situation much better than he had imagined. Not only could this weapon cast magic beams coalesced from pure magic powers, but it could also achieve different effects through the magic crystal. However, as the magic spells couldn��t exceed the stored magic power in the crystal, the number of spells were also limited. However, this wasn��t too big of an issue for him.


    The biggest flaw was that even though this upgraded the functionality of the weapon, it also increased the control requirements in other aspects, where only Mages after the Peak Apprentice Stage were qualified to use it in battle. Besides, even though Lapis had also decreased the weight of the weapon, not everyone was capable of using it freely yet. Even right now, apart from the Half-Demons and the Battle Mages, the Mages had a hard time lifting it and it wasn��t viable for battles. Although Rhode hoped that Lapis would decrease its weight more, it seemed like it wasn��t possible for now.


    But this was more than sufficient.


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Even though this weapon was weaker than magic cannons, it was considered strong enough in the hands of troops in battle. Besides, even if the weapons were worn out and couldn��t cast any more magic attacks, their large size could still be useful in battles for physical attacks. No matter the Half-Demons or Battle Mages, they were the core strength of this operation.


    Everything is ready.


    Rhode puckered his brows and displayed a stern expression. He had to admit that this would be a risky adventure. Including the Elves from the Astral Temple, he would be leading almost 400 troops for the exploration of the Land of Chaos. He wasn��t that worried if he were to lead 400 players. However, these troops were natives and could be considered basic NPCs who were less capable.


    Without talent trees, the ability to upgrade levels, and legendary equipment from dungeon drops, would the exploration be successful even if he came up with ways to upgrade their strength and equipment?


    Moreover, the Land of Chaos blocked off all connections to Order and Rhode couldn��t possibly escape to the fortress using the teleportation door. In the game, the players could ��revive�� upon death, but he was sure that everything would be done for if he died in here.


    I might as well give up on this plan.


    There was a split second when he thought of giving up this risky plan. What was wrong with living peacefully in the Land of Atonement? Since the system was around, he wasn��t afraid of the Undead Army��s encirclement. Not only that, but he also had the women, authority, and money. Was it necessary for him to risk his life with this adventure? It would be too late for regret if something bad were to happen. But��


    No.


    Rhode had to give it a shot even if it was risky. No matter what, he couldn��t accept being under other��s control and Lydia was no exception. Although Rhode was a player of the Munn Kingdom and liked Lydia a lot, this didn��t mean that he was willing to kneel down and be subdued by her. Besides, strength that didn��t belong to him would eventually fail to guarantee his safety. He had already experienced this once during his battle with Erin. Her endless, massive strength and unprecedented pressure were deeply imprinted in his head. Back then, he relied on his wit and survived since Erin didn��t have any combat awareness yet, but what about in the future? He couldn��t rely on these factors every time, right?


    What a joke.


    Rhode scoffed before stepping down the platform. He had already decided and since that was the case, he wouldn��t regret or change his mind. He had always behaved this way. It was the same in the past, present, and future.


    ��The time has come!��


    Marlene stood before the table with a stern expression, gazing at the indistinct shadows in the crystal ball.


    ��Guardians of the Senia Family. Everything is turning out just like in the prophecy. The seal on the Land of Chaos is about to be unlocked. This time, we shall return and prove our value and existence. We shall personally witness and partake in this moment that is worth an eternity.��


    ���� I��m aware of this, Marlene.��


    After a few moments, a frail, trembling voice sounded.


    ��We��ve been waiting for the arrival of this day�� Our ancestors have seen the path of our future in advance, but I guess you��re also aware that this path won��t be smooth-sailing, Marlene. Do you have the confidence to accompany the man in completing the path which may possibly be the final journey of your life?��


    ���� Of course, dear guardian.��


    After pondering for a few moments, Marlene puffed out her chest and placed her right hand above.


    ��I am Marlene Senia, the true heir of the Senia Family! I carry this fate and come here to complete my calling. For the sake of that mighty realm, for the sake of the eternal presence, this is my supreme honor and pride which I will not hesitate to sacrifice my life for. For the sake of my family and the great figure who we all follow. This is a sacrifice that we must make!��


    Everything fell into silence. Then, after a few moments, a long sigh sounded.


    ���� Are you sure, Marlene?��


    ��Of course, Father. I have lived for this day since the day I was born. Didn��t you always tell me that when I was young? I��ve prepared myself for it. Besides���� Marlene lowered her head shyly. ���� I don��t have any regrets now. I��ve gotten everything I wished for and it is my time to fulfill the mission. No matter when, I am still Marlene Senia and the Senia Family is my everything. Nothing is more important than my family. Also, this is what I should do and I��m willing to.��


    ���� Is that so����


    The frail voice sounded rather hopeless.


    ��Alright then�� I will leave it to you, Marlene.��


    ��Yes�� Father.��


    Marlene stooped over and bowed respectfully.


    ��This is my mission and honor.��


    Marlene shut her eyes and answered softly.


    Everything��s going well.


    Although Rhode said that, the current situation was otherwise.


    ��What��s going on?��


    Rhode knitted his brows and scanned Christie and Marlene. His initial plan was to let Joey, Randolf, Sol, Marfa, and Sovann to lead their teams, as well as the Elves from the Astral Temple. For safety, he made Lize bring her team of Clerics. However, he didn��t expect that Christie and Marlene would hope to join him on this adventure.


    What kind of joke is this?


    ��Marlene, I have no intention of letting you join us to the tinder coordinates. This is different from heading to the refuge because lighting the tinder will trigger the Chaos vortex, which is extremely dangerous. Previously, the reason why I brought you to the refuge was to let you understand the situation of the territory we will be developing. Besides, you��re also aware that a Mage like you is basically useless in the Land of Chaos.��


    ��Of course I know that, Rhode.��


    Even though Rhode spoke the harsh truth, Marlene didn��t seem affected.


    ��But I have to. This is what I�� and the Senia Family have to do. There��s only one thing that I can say. Please believe me, Rhode. My family and I will definitely not do anything that will hurt you.��


    Marlene smiled while gazing at him slyly.


    ��If you aren��t willing, I will gather all the guards in the Senia Family and we��ll follow behind you.��


    ��You����


    Rhode looked at her in surprise. Marlene had always been an obedient and understandable person, where she wouldn��t throw tantrums out of jealousy. But this time, she was so determined��


    ��Can��t you tell me the reason?��


    ��Not now, Rhode.��


    Marlene shut her eyes and shook her head.


    ��I will tell you everything when the time is right.��


    ���� Okay.��


    Rhode shook his head helplessly before shifting his gaze to Christie.


    ��Alright then, Christie, what is your reason? I��ve asked Canary and she said that you can��t maintain the Knowledge Scroll for more than half a second with your current abilities. The Land of Chaos is exceedingly dangerous and you��re not in the best condition in your health too. Also, didn��t you say that you want to continue improving the set of skills that Bubble taught you? I don��t think that you should join us this time.��


    ��I�� I know�� It��s not nice�� to bother Rhode�� But����


    Christie lowered her head in hesitation. But, shortly after, she said determinedly.


    ��But�� the other me says�� that I need to go����


    It��s her?


    Rhode puckered his brows. Of course, he knew who Christie was talking about. But now�� She actually wanted Christie to head into the Land of Chaos? Rhode shifted his gaze between Marlene and Christie.


    Could it be that the Land of Chaos has another importance I haven��t noticed?

 Chapter 858 - Path to the Tinder

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    15th day in the Land of Chaos.


    Rhode shifted his gaze away from the sandstorm to everyone around him. He opened the pocket watch, looked, and closed it. In this crazy and chaotic world, time was meaningless. But even so, he requested everyone to advance at their own pace because he was clear that once humans lost their perception of time, they were close to the verge of insanity.


    ��Leader, two more are missing.��


    Anne reported. Rhode knitted his brows and put away the watch in his pocket. He lifted his head and looked at the rather depressed young lady. Although they were mentally prepared for this predicament, the number of people who entered the Land of Chaos couldn��t be compared to the previous time. Back then, there were around 20 of them, which Rhode could manage to watch over them. But this time, excluding the Bow Knights, there were around 200 soldiers. Although Rhode��s Order barrier could envelope everyone in safety, the fear and insanity of the Land of Chaos wasn��t tolerable for everyone. Even though everyone looked out for one another, there would still be occasional times when some went ��missing��.


    Fortunately, most of the ��missing�� ones were ordinary mercenaries. This was expected because even with the protection of the Order barrier, they also needed determined minds and will, which they seemed to lack. Perhaps they weren��t afraid of blood through the slaughtering in battles, but the mental torture of being blocked off from the outside world was worse than the agony of physical pain. As they couldn��t tolerate the confusion of their consciousness, they were lured by Chaos and left the Order barrier, which they were eventually shredded in the endless storms.


    I guess this is asking too much of them?


    Rhode sighed. If it were players exploring the Land of Chaos, perhaps a 100-man party with the right coordination and skills could succeed even at his current level. But now, these men were NPCs, which explained why he involved nearly four times the number of players. However, problems still occurred regardless. From the day they entered the Land of Chaos until now, there were around 40 who went missing or died in battles. Although this didn��t give rise to panicky situations, Rhode knew that signs of concerns were starting to show up in his men. Even though everyone was mentally prepared before they came here and they heard about the situation in this place, it was different after experiencing it for themselves.


    However, what caught him between laughter and tears was that under such a circumstance, the Thieves under Joey and mercenaries under Marfa were the ones who were on the brink of going insane. On the other hand, the Clerics led by Lize who he was most worried about couldn��t behave more normally. Initially, Rhode doubted their mental strength to cope with the harsh conditions here and thought they would be crying and asking to return home minutes after stepping foot into here. But in the end, Lize told him that as Clerics, they had gotten used to the nights as they prayed in the church on their knees all day and throughout the night. Compared to the adventures��yes, the difference wasn��t too huge.


    No wonder the Country of Law and church were the ones who defended everyone when Chaos started wreaking havoc on the continent. It seems like they were indeed capable��


    ��How is Christie?��


    ��Not doing well, but Marlene is taking care of her. She will be fine.��


    As expected, Christie fainted the instant they entered the Land of Chaos. She had a weak constitution to begin with and even a split second of disconnection with Order would impact and hurt her hugely. If there was something that Rhode considered lucky, it would be that Christie didn��t suffer the torturous agony of a bulging head and heavy feet. But even so, she was still feeling weak despite being in the Order barrier. She also wasn��t able to walk normally, so Rhode handed her to Marlene��s care since Marlene couldn��t cast her magic spells in the Land of Chaos anyway. The two young ladies were protected in the middle of the team and Marlene carried the heavy responsibility of caring for Christie.


    Come to think of it, what��s going on with them insisting to join me��


    Rhode let out a hopeless sigh. Then, he lifted his head and gazed to the front of the team.


    ��Bell.��


    ������


    Bell turned around and gazed silently. After several days of rest, the wan little girl looked much better now. Her thin, sallow face turned round and smooth while her pale yellow long hair slowly regained its vibrancy. She wore a fitting, simple black dress now. However, what left Rhode speechless were the two daggers she brought when she left the refuge. He had taken a look at them, but deduced that they were just daggers forged with the most primitive method.


    He initially suggested switching her weapons, but was firmly rejected by her. Although she didn��t say anything, her panicky behavior of hiding the two daggers behind her proved her intention. Fortunately, she was in the Legendary Stage and he wasn��t worried that she would be killed by anyone even without a legendary weapon.


    Thanks to the Order channel inside Bell, Rhode faced much fewer troubles in the Land of Chaos this time. The Order channel constantly provided the powers of the tinder, which strengthened the Order barrier and kept the Chaos Creatures away. Not only that, but Bell also used the relation between the Order channel and tinder and engaged in teleportation to shorten the distance from their destination. However, it consumed a huge amount of her spiritual powers whenever they teleported, so Rhode might as well use her as a timestamp. The duration of a day was determined from whenever she restored her strength and used the next teleportation. This was also done in consensus with others, where Anne even used the amount of spiritual powers which Bell restored to determine if it was ��morning�� or ��night��.


    ��How troublesome����


    Currently, they were in the core region. Rhode gazed at the violent storm ahead as he heard the smacking and crashing of the storm against the barrier, which made him worry that the Order barrier might shatter at any moment and everyone would die on the spot�� He shrugged at this thought.


    ��How many more teleports do we need to reach the tinder?��


    ������


    Bell pondered for a few moments before raising her right hand and revealing two fingers. Then, she lifted her left hand and showed three fingers.


    ��Two to three times, is it��?��


    Although it wasn��t clear from her actions, Rhode basically understood what she meant after the amount of time spent with her here. The closer they were to the core, the stronger the Chaos Creatures were. Moreover, her strength would be consumed entirely and instantly after teleporting. It was due to this that the strength of Order inside her used to maintain the Order barrier also weakened, which resulted in them having to deal with the Chaos Creatures�� attacks after every teleport. The battles only ended after Bell slowly restored her strength and the powers of the tinder re-strengthened the barrier. Although Rhode didn��t lose too many men over this, he still didn��t get complacent. Currently, everyone��s mentality was almost at their limit. He only wished that they would quickly get over this; if not, they would continue to suffer the trauma even after they returned to the Land of Atonement safely.


    ��Get ready for teleportation.��


    Rhode gave Bell an order. Then, he turned to everyone and let out a sharp whistle.


    Everyone hurriedly packed their stuff while the Bow Knights stood up and raised their bows in unison to form a circular defense formation around them. The Half-Demons and Battle Mages were responsible for the second layer of defense. The remaining ones were responsible for protecting Bell, Christie, Marlene, Lesa, and the Clerics in the middle.


    After ensuring that everyone was ready, Rhode nodded to Bell, and the little girl raised her right arm.


    A dazzling silver-whitish radiance emanated from her body, swirling to the peak of the Order barrier. The ground shook and the translucent barrier instantly flickered. In the blink of an eye, white radiance enveloped everything. Rhode shut his eyes from the incredibly glaring light of Order. After several teleportations, he already knew what would happen next. Shortly after, the ground beneath his feet was as if a carpet was being pulled away and gravity disappeared, and the world twisted on him��


    ��������!��


    Rhode opened his eyes and swung the silver-whitish blade in his hand.


    ��Owh����!��


    A Chaos Creature resembling a rotten jellyfish was sliced into half by him, and shattered into light dust and scattered all over. However, Rhode didn��t let his guard down. He clasped Star Mark with both hands, tolerating the dizziness from the teleportation. He stared at the Chaos Creature that had turned into dust before him. As expected, the scattered dust once again coalesced, and a razor-sharp triangular horn emerged in midair and propelled to him. He squinted and brandished the sword. The gleaming blade erupted with silver-whitish flames and engulfed the triangular horn and mysterious dust altogether. In a mournful scream, the flames of Order surged and burned the Chaos Creatures into ashes.


    ��What luck!��


    Rhode gnashed his teeth while gazing at the gloomy sky. Even though he was prepared to face powerful enemies, he sulked after watching the enemies take shape before him. The Order barrier had been weakened to a stage where it was barely visible. The frantic storm of Chaos began to corrode their bodies. At this moment, Bell had fainted in Christie��s arms while the latter hugged her tightly and scanned the surrounding palely.


    As expected, the amount of spiritual powers that Bell needed to teleport increased as they ventured closer to the core. Without enough strength to maintain the Order barrier, who knew what in the world would happen if this continued!


    ��Protect Bell. Activate the defense shield!��


    After experiencing several battles, everyone had gotten used to dealing with the Chaos Creatures. Shortly after, the Bow Knights released their arrows on the Chaos Creatures. The Clerics in the middle chanted in harmony and a golden rune emerged in mid air and formed a translucent barrier that kept out the Chaos Creatures�� attacks.


    But this was only the start.


    ��Argh��!��


    One of the mercenaries shrieked. He brandished the sword and was as though struggling to break free from something. But at the next moment, he flew out of the Order barrier after an invisible force struck his chest and vanished completely in the chaotic storm. Everyone froze to the spot at this sight and even Rhode began to feel nervous.


    Something isn��t right.


    The air was filled with the stench of death. The unprecedented threats made Rhode��s hair stand. He clutched Star Mark and scanned the surroundings. Then, at this moment, the storm around them slowly dispersed while dazzling radiances spilled through the clouds behind it and enveloped everyone. However, no one felt warmth from the ��sunlight��. Instead, all they felt were cold chills.


    ��Lize, strengthen the defense!��


    At the same time, something strange happened suddenly.


    The storm gradually retreated as though being attracted by a force. Shortly after, everyone witnessed an enormous shadow flitting across before them. Then, tentacles that were as huge as stone columns emerged in midair and smashed on the Order barrier. Boom! Cracks immediately formed on the barrier!


    Boom! Boom!


    Two more gigantic tentacles struck the barrier heavily. Then, one of the tentacles retracted swiftly as another mercenary flew to it. At the same time, several tentacles emerged from the storm and smashed heavily on the Order barrier.


    ��Celia!��


    Rhode sulked. He swung the silver-whitish sword in his hand and a dazzling, white lightning flashed. As the silver-whitish flames blazed, Celia emerged in midair and pulled the mercenaries who were about to be dragged out of the Order barrier. At the same time, she brandished the sword and sacred flames erupted on the blade, inflicting damage to the tentacles, which withdrew quickly. On the other hand, the Bow Knights hurriedly released their arrows which interwoven into a net of light and kept the tentacles away.


    Then, another powerful storm whirled.


    Everyone narrowed their eyes. The Bow Knights in the front row put away their bows and gazed ahead vigilantly. But at the next moment, the crazy storm dispersed without any warning.


    ��This����


    The mercenaries looked around them in fear. What replaced the storm was a wide, flat land while clouds flashing with golden radiance floated above in the pitch-black sky. Beneath their feet was a flat, gray land. In an instant, many of them thought that they were dreaming. However, Rhode knitted his brows and looked ahead bitterly because he knew that this was neither a dream nor the effects of the Order barrier. Instead, they had been dragged into an enormous, shattered Order fragment.


    ��This is terrible����


    There was a 10-meters-tall octopus floating in midair ahead. Its eight tentacles writhed while its two eyes emanating golden radiances stared silently at everyone from above the clouds. The pitch-black, rotten flesh on its surface disgusted them.


    ��What�� is that��?��


    At this moment, the others also noticed the strange creature floating in midair. They sucked in a deep breath of cold air while Rhode hopelessly swept a glance to the unconscious Bell in Christie��s arms because he knew exactly what this ��octopus�� was. But�� Are you really not the internal response to these creatures, Bell? Players in the game have explored the Land of Chaos over a hundred times and can count with their fingers the number of times they met this creature. Just why is my luck so horrible?


    Rhode lifted his head and gazed at the enemy.


    325th floor of the Bottomless Abyss. The projection of the Duke Devil��Chaos Tentacle, Serras.

 Chapter 859 - The Chaos Projection

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Lize, strengthen the defense! Everyone, don��t look at the octopus��s eyes. Lower your heads and kneel on the ground! Marfa, Anne, and team leaders, be aware of your surroundings. If any idiot goes berserk, knock him out immediately! Bow Knights, focus all your attacks on its eyes. Everyone, don��t step out of the Order barrier! Lize, heal Bell right now. We need the strength of Order inside her to solidify our defense!��


    Rhode gave the series of commands in one go. The strength of Order more or less had something to do with Bell��s condition. Although she wasn��t physically hurt in this latest teleportation, she was incredibly weak and became unconscious. The Clerics could only treat the symptoms and not the root cause, but it would be safer for everyone if Bell could restore her strength even by a little bit.


    As Rhode gave the commands, his hands didn��t stop moving. He raised and brandished his right arm to the side. Shortly after, two cards emerged in midair. The pitch-black and scarlet cards twirled continuously.


    [Holy Sword Card 9th Position����Succubus]


    [Holy Sword Card 6th Position����Slaughter]


    The two radiances flashed and shortly after, Celestina and Shira emerged out of the air. At this moment, Celia, who rescued the mercenary, flapped her wings and descended to the ground silently.


    ��Devil again����


    Celestina curled her lips.


    ��Master, your luck is really terrible. I can��t even remember how many times I��ve seen such disgusting, filthy creatures appearing before you. If you wish to see blood and corpses, we might as well kill some humans, which is much easier than dealing with these creatures. Damn it. I had my fair share of killing last time. To think that I have to do it again����


    ��Hahaha�� Hahaha����


    Shira��s creepy, cold laughter interrupted the demon young lady, and the latter instinctively shivered and the mercenaries subconsciously shrunk. The instant they heard the creepy laughter, they felt as though they were powerless lambs tied by a belt and laying on the cold sacrificial platform while a horrifying shadow raised the butcher��s knife and sliced into them. Some of the female Rangers even fainted without warning.


    ��Enemy?��


    Shira tilted her head 45 degrees and gazed at the enormous octopus. Then, she shifted her upper body like a rusty puppet and swept a glance to Rhode. Her creepy green pupils let off an endless murderous aura.


    ��There.��


    Rhode said and pointed forward. Although he seldom summoned her due to her berserk personality, no matter what, she was still a person who he had intimate interactions with. Just like male and female protagonists who got to know each other for less than a week, they could acknowledge each other as the most perfect existence while being pursued by zombies.


    ��Hahaha�� The devil�� Great�� Great����


    Shira widened her mouth into a scary, blissful smile as though she just received a beloved gift on Christmas. Then, in the blink of an eye, everyone witnessed a red storm whizzing across the horizon, sweeping toward that gigantic creature.


    ��Let��s go.��


    Rhode ordered. It wasn��t strange that the devils appeared in the Land of Chaos. After all, multiple foolish devils were also successful in sneaking through the gaps in places like the Devil Gulf. Therefore, it wasn��t strange that devils emerged in such a place that was completely corroded by Chaos.


    However, the Duke Devil usually wouldn��t appear here that easily.


    Just as the name suggested, no one knew how deep the Bottomless Abyss was. Back then, Rhode led a group of players down more than 800 floors and still didn��t get to meet the BOSS. The devil bosses on every floor weren��t easy to deal with either. But it was due to this that the devil bosses on every floor couldn��t leave the Bottomless Abyss even if they wanted to. All they could do was to appoint one of its projections to leave the Bottomless Abyss and come to the main plane of existence. Although the projection wasn��t as strong as the thing in itself, it was still terrifying.


    Like now.


    Even though it seemed like Rhode��s group had arrived at a safe, peaceful place, he knew that this world was simply part of a large Order fragment controlled by Serras�� projection. In other words, they were now in a thin, fragile sheet of paper while Serras was the kid holding onto it and it would take no effort to tear or rip it apart. The amount of damage was imaginable for Rhode��s group, which was within the sheet of paper.


    As for the reason why they were perfectly unharmed at the moment, it was due to Rhode��s Order barrier. This could also be considered as Serras�� mistake. The Order barrier could strengthen the Order within it and this enormous Order fragment became stronger due to the powers of Rhode��s Order barrier. It was as though the sheet of paper suddenly strengthened into a steel plate. Therefore, it naturally became a tougher task to destroy it.


    But it still wasn��t entirely impossible.


    All Rhode had to do now was to slaughter the enemy completely before it destroyed this Order fragment. No matter what, it was the projection of the Duke Devil and it wouldn��t be an easy task.


    A series of flashes emerged on the ground. The Bow Knights lifted their heads, raised their bows, and aimed at Serras�� huge golden eyes. However, Serras swirled its eyes and quickly shifted the trajectory of the radiances that were powerful enough to penetrate heavy armor to its body. Shortly after, everyone witnessed rotten flesh shed off like a layer of disgusting skin.


    ��Continue attacking. Don��t let it focus its gaze!��


    Rhode had fought against Serras in the game and in its original form, which was why he knew how terrifying it was. In fact, Serras wasn��t considered an exceedingly troublesome target to deal with amongst all the devils. Serras was a master in mental manipulation, mental attacks, and could materialize people��s fears to a certain extent. Apart from this, its strongest ability was focusing its sight on an area and the people inside that area would be devoured by endless insanity, turning into its source of strength. This was why Rhode continued to order the Bow Knights to attack its eyes despite knowing that the attacks were harmless. Fortunately, it seemed like the Bow Knights understood the devil��s attack style well. They followed Rhode��s command and diverted Serras��s attention swiftly. At the same time, the Half-Demons and Battle Mages raised their weapons and stared vigilantly at their surroundings. Not only that, but many of them had also retrieved a golden, curved box and attached it to the tip of the staff.


    Will this be enough?


    Rhode had fused with the Spirit Bird and was currently flying in midair, gazing at the mercenaries beneath him. Then, he shifted his gaze to Serras. Although they were in a precarious situation, it was the same for the creature. The stupidest thing that it had done was reveal its true self, which led to both sides being in a stalemate now.


    ��Celia, go to the left side with Celestina. Remember, attract its attention and attack its eyes!��


    After activating the ��Taboo Halo��, the summoned spirits around him were instantly enhanced in strength. Rhode turned around and clasped his daggers, soaring to the right side of the octopus like an agile bird.


    ����������


    Serras��s three-meters-wide, round eyes swirled along with Rhode��s movements. Then, it shrunk out of a sudden.


    In an instant, a mysterious, pitch-black spatial crack emerged behind Rhode, which spread toward him quickly. Rhode knitted his brows and dove swiftly to avoid it. But at this moment, a gigantic tentacle struck from below.


    ��Hmph!��


    Rhode sulked. At the same time, a shadow clone flew out from him and sliced the tentacle into half. Rhode came to an abrupt halt and brandished Madaras in his hand.


    Madaras collided with the ambushing dark crack chasing from behind. Then, Madaras flickered in magical radiance before melting the dark crack like snow under sunlight. Rhode swiftly retreated without turning back, dodging another tentacle that propelled from the side. At this moment, Madaras spun and streaked an arc in midair before returning to his hand.


    On the other hand, someone else seemed to have a better idea.


    ��Hahaha����


    Shira let out a twisted laughter. The three razor-sharp steel chains in her body shot out and penetrated the thick, viscous body, spiraling and wreaking havoc within. At the same time, she raised her arms and the steel chain tugged the huge sword on her back into her hand.


    Shing!


    The huge sword in her hand erupted in a scarlet radiance, splitting the tentacle before her into two, where a repulsive liquid spurted and shrouded her entirely. It was apparent from the purple liquid and its loathsome stench that it wasn��t a harmless substance.


    However, Shira didn��t dodge at all. Instead, she continued to charge and slash through the tentacle with her blade, slicing it off entirely.


    ��Hahaha�� How amusing�� So painful�� So fun����


    She tilted her neck and revealed a broken smile. The purple liquid burned several holes on her already tattered robe. Not only that, but there were also countless blisters and scars all over her dewy skin. However, not only did she not seem pained, but her smile also widened into a grin. At this moment, the steel chains had pulled her to her destination.


    Boom!


    The enormous octopus shuddered like a rock being thrown into the dead puddle, where ripples emerged across its soft, gigantic body. At a single glance, there was a pitch-black, ghastly wound on its right side. Shira stood up with a twisted smile, where her body was filled with shredded tentacle flesh and putrid blood. Her huge sword had penetrated deeply into its body with only the hilt showing. Then, she let out a laughter that had one��s hair standing on end as she pulled out the blade. This seemed more like a game than a battle for her.


    ��Hmm����


    Celestina witnessed the terrifying scene from the other side. At this moment, she was using her negative, dark flames to deal with the fluttering tentacles while Celia leaned against her back, holding onto her silver-whitish sword, gazing vigilantly at the enemy.


    ��Big Sister Shira is still as sick as ever����


    Celestina said, brandishing her right arm where the thorny whip struck for the octopus�� eye. But shortly after, three tentacles showed up and denied the threat. However, Celestina didn��t give up just yet. She narrowed her eyes and the whip erupted with dark flames once again, and the octopus shrieked upon sensing the menacing force and swiftly retracted its tentacles. Celestina gnashed her teeth and swung the blazing whip on the creature��s rotten body, causing it to mourn in pain.


    ��Argh�� Shameless lower-class race, now you know our might as demons! How dare you stop me! You deserve to be punished!��


    In this world, nothing was deeper than the hatred between devils and demons. As Celestina was immensely pleased with herself, the fuming octopus swirled its left eye and stared at her. Shortly after, its eye exploded with Chaos flames, attempting to engulf its prey entirely.


    A silver radiance flashed.


    Celia clutched her blade and her spotlessly white wings shined ever so brightly. She slashed the barrier formed by the Chaos flames, but she wasn��t interested in getting close to that disgusting being.


    The reason was simple. They were waiting for an opening.


    ��Sir, it��s ready!��


    Sol nodded to his men.


    ��Do it according to Sir Overlord��s command. Get ready!��


    The Half-Demons and Battle Mages raised their weapons and aimed at the enemy.


    ��Fire!��


    There wasn��t a single beam of light.


    There also wasn��t any sound. Only the ones who raised the magic weapons shook and flinched as though they were pushed back by a force. But not only did the tip of their staffs not emanate a magical radiance, but the beams of light also didn��t exist at all. It seemed like nothing had been cast.


    But at the next moment, they heard a mournful shriek.


    Serras instantly let out an unprecedented, frantic scream, fluttering and smacking its eight tentacles on the ground in all directions.


    At the same time, a dozen shimmering, golden ritual circles bloomed like flowers and shrouded it entirely.

 Chapter 860 - Second Phase

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Beautiful golden flowers bloomed all around Serras and it was like a scene of the dream. But despite how mesmerizing it sounded, it was a sound of agony. It let out a loud, painful scream that resounded in the space and left everyone dizzy. Then, its soft body suddenly stiffened and the rotten flesh solidified from bottom-up while the fluttering tentacles also came to an abrupt halt.


    Rhode��s eyes glinted with the trace of a smile.


    It was neither him nor his summoned spirits who did this. Instead, it was the work of the extraordinary weapons in the hands of the Half-Demons and Battle Mages. Rhode had made all sorts of preparations for this operation. Of course, he didn��t want his men to be cheerleaders standing by the rear as he took down all the enemies. Even though they weren��t as useful as players, they couldn��t be too useless as natives, right?


    After his discussion with Lapis, this new, unique function was created��the Order Bomb. Made by the purest magical crystals, its internal structure was produced by Lapis��s Behermes alchemy skill. In other words, the magic crystals could instantly release a force that was as powerful as Rhode��s Order barrier. As long as the Chaos Creature wasn��t overly powerful, it would basically be burned to ashes. This was also the trump card that Rhode had prepared for this adventure. The Chaos vortexes that they would face later on their way to the core were terrifying beyond imagination. However, they could use these weapons to stop the Chaos Creatures from approaching and in other words, these weapons could be used as timely nuclear weapons.


    Besides, it wouldn��t contaminate the place��it was clean and swift.


    If this was Serras��s original form, such an attack would only be equivalent to a mosquito sting. But the problem was that Serras was only a projection in this main plane of existence. Rhode judged that its strength was between level 75 and 80. However, the biggest advantage against the Chaos Creatures was that he wouldn��t need to be afraid of being dragged into its ridiculous Order Dimension and their battles would be solely based on pure strength. Besides, as a projection, Serras��s resistance against Order wasn��t that strong and as a result, it could be defeated in a single blow.


    But this single blow did cost quite a lot��


    An Order Bomb required a magic crystal consisting of the highest purity in order to trigger the Order ritual from the magical powers. The price was also extremely high, where just this explosion alone cost the equivalent of five million gold coins.


    ��Everyone attack!��


    At this moment, Serras was incredibly weak, which was the best time for a massacre. Rhode ordered without hesitation before clasping his daggers and activating [Self-Affirmation].


    [Talent Characteristic: Self-Affirmation (LV1) Activate]


    [Please select the attribute to strengthen]


    Order damage +10086!


    [Strengthening complete. Order damage reached 13020]


    The spiritual radiance on the two daggers suddenly shone as bright as the sun. Rhode squinted and brandished the daggers. At the next moment, countless dazzling light torrents flowed and violently ripped through the creature. The most purest, powerful strength of Order punctured its body and in an instant, the right side of its body began to dissolve with light dust dispersing everywhere. Shortly after, Serras shuddered and exploded while its tentacles cracked and fluttered crazily.


    At this moment, Celia and Celestina launched their attacks.


    Celestina��s blazing dark flames on her sword crashed on its head like a waterfall. Although the scorching flames weren��t as damaging as Rhode��s, it continued to devour the creature inch by inch as the dark flames naturally devoured any existence of magical powers. Perhaps Serras wouldn��t worry if the flames struck its original form, but its projection was just like a massive gas station for Celestina. No matter if it was diesel or gasoline, it would still be lit by fire, right?


    However, Serras wouldn��t give up just yet.


    ����������!��


    A piercing screech erupted��it shook even Rhode, who was in midair. Half of its dissolved head crumbled to the ground. But shortly after, its entire body also sank. Then, the air and ground couldn��t maintain their form any longer and began rolling like boiled water. Apart from the surface within the Order barrier, everything else changed in appearance with tentacles striking out from the ground and exuding an awful stench.


    Its second phase began.


    ��Bow Knights, change your target to the tentacles around the Order barrier. Clerics, cancel the defensive barrier, use this time to rest, and consume restoration potions! Only strengthen the defense after the tentacles break the barrier! Anne, Marfa, lead the mercenaries and beware of the tentacles. Currently, the Order barrier is unstable, so immediately eliminate them if they break through the barrier. Lize, how is Bell doing?!��


    ��I��m working on it, Mr. Rhode!��


    ��Faster!��


    Rhode ordered anxiously. Even though he had strengthened his Order damage with the [Self-Affirmation] and there wasn��t a problem dealing with Serras, [Self-Affirmation] could only last half an hour. He prayed that this damn projection wouldn��t transform into its third phase.


    Rhode pushed his arm forward and two shadow clones emerged from him. Then, Rhode and his shadow clones held Gracier and Madaras in hand and darted across the ground, streaking across six trails of dazzling blade rays and rumbling the land with the powerful strength of Order. In an instant, chunks of sliced tentacles scattered all around the place. But shortly after, a pitch-black torrent emerged and enveloped the cracked land. The Bow Knights were ready. They quickly released their spiritual arrows and struck the tentacles that were about to restore, delaying their attack.


    ��Master, it managed to escape!��


    At this moment, Celia, Celestina, and Shira appeared beside Rhode. Celia stared sternly while Celestina gazed in resentment at the enormous sunken hole that Rhode and his shadow clones struck. Even though Celestina tried to blast the dark flames with all her might when Rhode attacked, she was still too late. On the other hand, Shira��s pitch-black steel chains had punctured Celestina��s wings and she was idly hanging below by the steel chains. Even though her body was fully of ghastly scars, she continued to tilt her head and smiled while swinging in midair and gazed at the tentacles below.


    ��Don��t worry; be wary of your surroundings.��


    Rhode gazed at the pitch-black sky while clutching the sword. If he recalled correctly, in Serras��s second phase, it would turn the entire world into its internal body and dissolve the players. Then, players would need to dodge the AoE acid and attacks from countless tentacles. However, Rhode had a plan that could resolve this once and for all��


    Give it a shot.


    ��Celia, Celestina, Shira, listen to me.��


    Rhode said before shifting his gaze to below him. The tentacles were getting closer to the Order barrier. Although the Bow Knights were hard at work and the Elf Rangers had summoned thorn walls, defense wouldn��t solve all the problems in this place. Currently, Serras was assimilating the entire space and when it was done, the second phase would begin.


    ��Serras is about to enter the second phase. I want you to listen to my orders. Later on, I will launch attacks from two directions. What you need to do is to instantly fly over and unleash all your powers and eradicate every obstacle that tries to stop you. Don��t avoid and be pestered by them. Release all your strength and deal the fatal blow! Then, retreat immediately and if the situation is right, I will seize the chance to deal lethal damage. That creature will instantly be dead if successful, understand?��


    ��What if you fail?��


    ������


    Rhode gazed helplessly at Celestina, who had become a humanoid transport helicopter.


    ��Don��t worry, I won��t die even if I fail.��


    After the brief discussion, the three young ladies got ready around him. Then, Rhode held the daggers tightly. Frankly speaking, if it were possible, he didn��t wish to use Gracier and Madaras in this standard of a BOSS fight at all because it felt like weapon warfare against a full-time assassin, which didn��t feel great at all. Based on the current situation, Gracier and Madaras weren��t too effective against the BOSS, but he could only make use with them.


    There��s only one chance.


    Rhode lifted his head and gazed silently at the pitch-black sky. Serras��s biggest flaw was its two eyes. It was just like no matter how a BOSS transformed, it would always contain the same core. Serras�� core was basically its eyes and the projection also relied on the eyes for magical powers. As long as they destroyed the eyes, they would disrupt the source of strength powering the projection.


    However, this flaw wouldn��t be that easy to target. From the start, everyone had targeted its eyes and Rhode had even activated the [Self-Affirmation] on it. It was apparent that Serras was adapting to their attacks, which was why despite the heavy injuries, it protected its eyes at all cost. But even so, Rhode was confident that its eye must have been hurt. If not, it wouldn��t have entered the second phase so soon.


    All he had to do now was to use the ��cheat code�� he had as a player and take a risk. After Serras entered the second phase completely, it would widen its eyes to scan the enemy��s location before launching attacks. All the players had to do was to instantly launch all-out attacks on them because the defense of its eyes was the weakest the moment it finished its transformation. If the all-out attack worked, it wouldn��t be tough to kill it instantly. But, if it failed, another chance like this wouldn��t appear again.


    Even though Rhode didn��t have a team of players under him right now, he wasn��t facing Serras��s original form, after all. It was still highly possible that he could slaughter it with Order damage in the ten thousands.


    Where are they?


    Rhode scanned the pitch-black sky for any movements. He had coalesced all his spiritual powers onto the daggers and was only waiting to strike.


    At this moment on the surface, the tentacles smashed the Order barrier.


    Boom!


    The top of the Order barrier cracked and shattered glass to the meter-long, swinging tentacles. Shortly after, one of the tentacles slid through the gap like a viper and pounced on its prey.


    ��Heyah����!��


    Anne brandished the shield and a wild whirlwind rose from the ground, with razor-sharp wind blades shredding the tentacle into bits. However, the tentacle quickly regenerated from its root, struck, and wrapped a Cleric who couldn��t dodge in time. At this moment, Marfa slashed the shimmering sword and hacked it into two. This time, it finally turned into dust. The Cleric who escaped death hurriedly drank a bottle of potion. Then, she raised her arms and a golden rune barrier emerged over her and kept the other tentacles out.


    ��Lize, how much longer do you need to treat Bell?!��


    Anne yelled, swinging the shield and sweeping away the tentacles cleanly. Lize knitted her brows and gnashed her teeth.


    ��I��m working on it, but Bell has consumed too much energy this time. It will take much longer than usual.��


    ��Calm down, Lize.��


    Marlene and Christie held onto the unconscious Bell. Even though they were nervous, all they could do now was to stay calm.


    ��Spell casters have to maintain calmness in their mind in order to release powerful spells. Lize, don��t worry. Rhode will get everything done,�� Marlene said while lifting her head and gazing above at Rhode in the distance.


    The situation isn��t looking good.


    Thousands of tentacles had completely suppressed the Bow Knights�� arrows. The Bow Knights swiftly switched to their swords and engaged in close-combat battles with the tentacles instead. On the other hand, the mercenaries overcame their disgust and brandished their weapons to assist the Bow Knights. Even though the Half-Demons and Battle Mages continued to use their magic weapon to blast away the enemies, they were utterly inadequate at this moment.


    Where are they?!


    Rhode puckered his brows. He knew that the situation was far from good albeit being within a manageable range. As long as Bell could wake up, she could strengthen the Order barrier. But it seemed like it wasn��t possible. He was better off relying on his experience��


    ��


    It took only an instant.


    Rhode caught onto a trace of faint, insignificant radiance in the pitch-black sky and this was enough for him.


    ��On the right!��


    Rhode yelled. He swung his hands down and two snowy, dazzling blade rays streaked a trail of light toward the deep darkness. At the same time, Celia flew to the left while Celestina and Shira went to the right.


    ��������!��


    As the blade rays faded into the darkness, a mad, miserable shriek rang in their ears. Then, the pitch-black space brightened all of a sudden!

 Chapter 861 - The Berserk Puppet

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    In an instant, the entire world shone in brightness.


    A scarlet radiance permeated the sky and land, which blended into one. There were writhing tentacles everywhere. Rhode��s group had as though entered the body of a deep sea animal and they were food that was wrapped by tens of thousands of tentacles. No matter the sky or ground, everywhere was as though moving, rippling waves and what disgusted them was that the lower-half of these tentacles were blood-red in color. On the other hand, their upper-half was entirely pitch-black and rotten, where repulsive stench exuded from their opening tip.


    ��Toxin removal!��


    Lize ordered the Clerics. Shortly after, light halos erupted, spun, and expanded outward, eradicating the dark green mist. At this moment, Rhode no longer had the time to care about what was happening on the surface. He turned around and gazed above him.


    Two deep blade scars had slashed across the gigantic eyeball with putrid liquid spurting from within. The flesh around the wound trembled and the tentacles quickly gathered around the eye, protecting the most fragile and important area.


    ��Tsk, I missed.��


    Rhode gnashed his teeth and muttered under his breath. His all-out attack didn��t do as much damage as he had hoped. Instead, he merely slashed it across and even though most living creatures would turn blind no matter what, the problem was that this creature couldn��t be considered one of them.


    Do I only have to rely on them now?


    Rhode knitted his brows and scanned the holy sword spirits who darted across the path which his blade rays had opened. Perhaps being overly panicky, the tentacles instinctively protected their owner and it became the best opportunity for Celia and Celestina to strike.


    Celia clutched the sword and silver-whitish flames erupted on the blade and even her wings. She soared into the air with her sword like a dazzling lightning bolt, darting into the enemy like a meteor. In an instant, she crashed into the defense layer of tentacles. However, at the next second, she burst through and displayed her powerful might.


    Boom!


    The tentacle barrier was completely broken through while rotten flesh was mercilessly upturned and ripped apart. But even so, the tentacles continued to pounce on their prey.


    If Celia was said to be a one-hit bomb, Celestina would be the incendiary bomb. She bound herself in her chain sword entirely and dark flames erupted to form an indestructible barrier that burned every invader into ashes.


    Shira sat on Celestina��s back, clinging tightly onto the steel chain that had punctured the demon young lady��s wing. She brandished the huge blade in her right hand��it seemed like Celestina had completely become her mount.


    No, maybe they were already in such a relationship a long time ago.


    But this wasn��t the time for that.


    Rhode clutched the daggers and spiritual power once again coalesced on their blades. He glared at the positions of the two enormous eyes, waiting for the best opportunity to strike. Currently, the tentacles had formed layers of protection over them. All he could do now was to wait for Celia and Celestina to widen the opening until the target reemerged.


    Boom!


    The silver-whitish and pitch-black flames erupted simultaneously. The glaring radiance enveloped the entire scarlet space. At this moment, Rhode set eyes on the target he needed to eliminate.


    ��Go!��


    Rhode hurled the daggers in his hand through the paths Celia, Celestina, and Shira had opened, aiming at the eyes. But the dazzling flashes lasted for a few seconds before disappearing entirely.


    ��������!��


    After a blood-curdling screech, the entire space trembled. The tentacles that were attached to the wall of flesh fell off in large chunks. The dark, green blood had turned dark blue spurted from the wound and sprayed from above like rain. The layers of tentacles that were protecting the eyes were quickly collapsing. The entire revolting space of black and red dried up and lost its form, shedding off layer by layer. After a few moments, the two eyes revealed themselves before everyone.


    ���� Tsk!��


    However, Rhode knew that this wasn��t a good sign.


    The right eye was completely destroyed and Rhode was sure from the darkening, dead flesh around the eye socket. But, the reason why Rhode sulked was due to its left eye. Even though the left eye was pierced, it was apparent that the most vital core wasn��t damaged. Although one-third of the eye had been damaged, countless tentacles could be seen writhing and restoring the wound.


    How troublesome!


    At this moment, the tentacles around them spotted Rhode and struck at him from all directions. Rhode swiftly retreated and dodged their ambush while the three holy sword spirits returned to his side.


    ��Sorry, Master. I was too slow.��


    Celia said guiltily. It seemed like it was too demanding of her to accomplish this task alone, despite the Taboo Halo. On the other side, Celestina��s and Shira��s combined forces were sufficient to destroy the right eye.


    ��It��s not your fault. We��re just unlucky.��


    Rhode looked at her. However, they didn��t have much time to worry about this anymore. Currently, Serras had set Rhode as the main target to eradicate. The tentacles merged to form a thick, enormous weapon that widened its terrifying mouth and would pounce on him anytime. If they didn��t act quickly, the creature would swallow Rhode and the holy sword spirits and ��dissolve�� them slowly like food.


    Should they blast the Order Bombs again?


    But everyone only had four shots. If they were to blast one more time, he couldn��t guarantee that the remaining Order Bombs could last them until the end of the adventure. On the other hand, if they didn��t use them, they also didn��t have enough time to coalesce the strength of Order to launch another attack! Besides, he lacked the spiritual powers to activate the Legion Horn. This was getting really tricky.


    Damn it!


    Rhode slashed the daggers at the dozen tentacles striking for him and sliced them into halves.


    At this moment, he heard a creepy laughter.


    ��Hahaha�� Master, it��s time for my show�� Hahaha�� Such Chaos trash shouldn��t make you so miserable, Master����


    ��Shira?!��


    Rhode turned to her abruptly as he felt that the spiritual powers in him slowly depleted. At the same time, Celia and Celestina returned to their cards without any reason. All the energy had as though been absorbed by this young lady before him. He didn��t have any other choice. Before he could question her, he expanded the Spirit Bird��s wings and dove. Even though he had improved his talent tree through leveling and the amount of spiritual powers in him was about the same as player Mages in the Legendary Stage, he had consumed a huge amount of them after launching two massive attacks previously. He purposely kept the remaining powers for the most crucial moments, but now he felt his strength quickly depleting, which forced him to deal with the tentacles then dive into the Order barrier.


    ��Hahaha����


    But at the same time, the odd, twisted laughter sounded and the tentacles striking for him suddenly came to a halt. Then, the tentacles turned around abruptly as though receiving a signal and launched their attacks skyward. On the other hand, Rhode crashed into the Order barrier.


    ��Mr. Rhode!��


    ��Leader!��


    Everyone shrieked. Rhode lifted his head and gazed at Shira in midair. At this moment, the huge blade in her hand emanated a scarlet radiance. Not only that, but everyone also witnessed scarlet rays rippling from the blade. It was this strange phenomenon that attracted the attention of all the tentacles, including those on the surface and all of them swiftly pounced on her!


    Boom!


    But at this moment, Shira raised her arms and dashed into the gigantic golden eye floating in midair. The three bloody steel chains on her body shot up and penetrated the creature��s skin while her shimmering blade pierced into it.


    A little bit more!


    At the crucial moment, Shira��s attack suddenly came to a halt as the bloody tentacles had arrived and bound her tightly. But even so, she tilted her head and revealed a crazy smile, continuing to swing her blade down. However, at this moment, one of the tentacles flew across in the blink of an eye.


    ������������


    Shira��s head was instantly cut off and it spun in midair. Her petite body swayed and was immediately punctured by the tentacles at the next second. Her limbs and body had been shredded by the razor-sharp teeth from the tentacles as though they were munching on their prey and extracted her flesh and blood for nutrients.


    ��T-This is��!��


    Everyone turned ashen. Even though Shira was Rhode��s summoning spirit, the thought of them possibly ending up like her struck them into silence and despair. However, Rhode didn��t feel the same way as them. He puckered his brows and sighed helplessly while looking at the chunks of her floating in midair. Although it seemed like Shira had died, the huge sword in her hand was still flickering in a scarlet radiance.


    Stop playing, Missy. Do it now.


    ��Hahaha��!��


    As though responding to Rhode��s lament, Shira burst into a sinister laughter. But this time, the tentacles that were devouring and ripping her apart suddenly trembled insanely.


    ������!��


    At the next moment, countless huge blades burst out of the tentacles.


    ��Hahaha. Chaos trash will always be trash. It��s so painful. Shira is feeling so painful. Aren��t you feeling pain? I don��t allow you to say otherwise, okay?��


    Shira spoke like a playful child and the world began collapsing at the next moment.


    Six huge, scarlet blades burst out and slashed through the surface ruthlessly, revealing the rotten flesh and putrid blood within. At the same time, blood splashed from the wounded flesh wall above. Then, the six blades aimed and struck at the core target.


    Upon sensing the arrival of danger, the remaining tentacles hurriedly blocked the attack. But��


    ��Don��t you know it��s useless? Die.��


    The six blades merged into one and broke the final defense of tentacles.


    Kacha�� Kacha��


    At the next moment, the world finally collapsed.

 Chapter 862 - Illusion Crystal

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    This miserable BOSS fight was finally over. As Serras��s projection crumbled completely, its tentacles also turned into ashes. After Bell woke up, the major problem that everyone was concerned about was finally resolved. Bell used her strength of Order and enhanced the barrier. After confirming that there were no more threats around, everyone began their rest.


    However, Rhode wasn��t willing to let it end just yet. At this moment, he pulled a long face while gazing at Serras��s remains within the Order barrier, which was a huge pile of rotten flesh, two empty eye sockets, and a large mouth full of sharp teeth. This was what was known to the players as a corpse, but when Rhode looked at it, his first reaction wasn��t to loot its body. Instead, he wanted to torture it even more�� He couldn��t be blamed because he realized that he had lost a dozen Bow Knights, more than 30 mercenaries, and half of the Elf Rangers. On the other hand, Lesa, Anne, and the others were only slightly injured. Although Lesa could consume her spiritual powers to revive the heroic spirits, in this Land of Chaos�� It wasn��t possible at all.


    Rhode initially thought that with the Bow Knights�� strength, they could reach the tinder without losing any one of them. However, this was totally unexpected. If he weren��t that unlucky to meet that damned projection of Serras, he wouldn��t have ended up in this predicament. But, come to think of it, Serras and its projection were spiritually the same. Although Rhode couldn��t slaughter Serras through its projection, at least he knew the fact that Serras was rolling in pain somewhere in the Bottomless abyss right now and that comforted him.


    ��Phew�� Stay calm�� Stay calm����


    It was meaningless to think of reviving the dead now. Rhode took a few deep breaths and calmed himself down. Then, he turned to everyone.


    ��Marlene.��


    ��Rhode?��


    Marlene stood to her feet and went up to him. After entering the Land of Chaos, Marlene knew that she wasn��t useful in battles as a Mage, which was why she had been taking care of Christie and Bell. At this moment, she was deeply curious. Did I do something wrong?


    Then, she immediately got her answer


    ��Loot the battlefield.��


    ������


    Marlene froze on the spot and turned her head stiffly to the disgusting pile of flesh, revealing a rare, horrified expression. Marlene was never afraid of death, but she shrunk in the face of that revolting corpse. After all, there were a lot of things in this world that were much scarier than death to women.


    ��R-Rhode?��


    ��Faster, we��re leaving here soon.��


    To Rhode, this pile of junk was nothing more than a BOSS corpse full of chances for an equipment drop. Marlene was dubious that she might even chop off her hands after ��looting�� it. Oh my goodness, is this part of the training that fate gives me?


    ��Rhode�� Do I really have to����


    Marlene literally felt like dying. But she didn��t realize that Rhode was in a more difficult spot than she thought. If it wasn��t for the ��Unlucky Looting Aura��, he would have gone ahead already. Therefore, Rhode ignored her pitiful gaze entirely. Not only that, but he also showed a hand gesture with a strong message��don��t hesitate. Do it now!


    ��Yes����


    Marlene let out a hopeless sigh. Then, she went up to the corpse like a pitiful young lady walking to the edge of the cliff and was about to jump right off to her death. At the moment, Rhode couldn��t look straight at the corpse. Marlene, can you be faster?! Who am I gonna look for if the corpse vanishes into the wind!


    Fortunately, even though Marlene wasn��t willing at all, she quickly began digging for ��gold��. In fact, she had seen all sorts of creatures as a Mage. But the problem was that Serras was too unbearable to look at.


    This is life�� Rhode displayed a regretful expression. He wanted to ��loot�� the corpse but his luck was horrible. On the other hand, Marlene who didn��t wish to touch the corpse at all had such blessings. He felt uncomfortable watching her doing it alone.


    ��Anne.��


    Rhode beckoned to the young lady, who jumped up and ran toward him.


    ��Hmm? Is anything the matter, Leader?��


    ��How��s your injury?��


    Anne puffed out her chest proudly and said, ��Don��t worry, Leader. It��s just an abrasion, nothing much.��


    ��Is it�� Good to hear that.��


    Rhode nodded while moving his right hand about. Anne swirled her eyes curiously, lowering her gaze to his right hand on her chest. Then, she looked up.


    ��Leader, what are you doing?��


    ��Nothing, I was just looking�� and I feel uncomfortable not touching anything at the moment.��


    I can��t touch corpses, but as for bosoms�� That��s another matter entirely.


    ��So are you feeling better now, Leader?��


    ��Yes, much better. The shape is perfect and soft too.��


    ��Heh heh.��


    Anne grinned and not only that, but she also proudly turned to Lize who was watching both of them with complicated glances. Upon sensing Anne��s gaze, Lize instinctively held her chest before knitting her brows and letting out a sigh. Then, she turned around and continued to focus on healing the others.


    After striking a balance in his mind, Rhode put his right hand away and patted on Anne��s head. After all, they were in public and he had something else to handle.


    Rhode swung his right arm and a scarlet card emerged in his hand. On the front of the card was a picture of a girl bound by steel chains and floating in midair. Behind her was an enormous sword that punctured the chains and struck into the ground firmly. Above the picture was a huge ��VI��, while at the bottom of the card were the numbers 15 and 13 respectively. The scarlet base of this card was dazzling.


    [Eternal Holy Sword 6th Position: Slaughter. Undead Attribute. Unfuseable����crazy and pain are the source of happiness for the dead.


    The eternal dead cannot be killed again��Undead Characteristic.


    All things belong to the first king of immortality��Cross-border Domination.


    The stimulation of blood is the ultimate belonging of power��Strength Multiplication.]


    Rhode had to admit that this 5th holy sword card perhaps was the most powerful one. The undead characteristic ensured that Shira wouldn��t be killed. On the other hand, if he were to fuse with this card, he could receive its special effects. Besides, the Strength Multiplication could increase his strength by two to three times whenever he summoned Shira in her sword form. Although [Strength Multiplication] wasn��t as useful as the [Self-Affirmation] that he had, they could complement each other. After all, he couldn��t possibly use [Self-Affirmation] to enhance his strength every time.


    But what he valued the most was [Cross-border Domination].


    The Undead Creatures were hierarchical and this wasn��t due to the ruling style of the Country of Darkness. Instead, it was because of their race. The Undead Creatures weren��t natural souls, but souls that returned from the dead. Judging from this aspect, their strength and authority instantly decided their statuses. No matter the Vampires, Death Knights, Liches, Necromancers, they all fell under this rule. It could be said that in the world of the undead, the commands of the higher-ups were absolute.


    But now, Rhode obtained Shira who was known as the first undead and this made her superior over all the other Undead Creatures. Currently, her dominance on the Undead Creatures was only below the Dark Dragon and Night Wyverns and almost on par with the four legendary generals. This meant that if the Undead Army were to attack, Rhode could summon her and she could unconditionally control the minds of mid to low-grade Undead Creatures. As for high-grade Undead Creatures, they would also turn into her chess pieces and playthings if they failed to resist her mental manipulation.


    Rhode had to admit that he was delighted and depressed at the same time. He was glad that Shira could manipulate the troops of the Undead Army if they were to attack with the human wave method in the future. On the other hand, the Country of Darkness wouldn��t let this matter off. If they discovered another being who held equal authority as the four legendary generals, Rhode was sure that he would face them or beings above them in battles instead, such as Erin or the Dark Dragon�� He wouldn��t be smiling when that happened.


    It seems like enhancing my strength is still the most important.


    Rhode let out a sigh and put away the card. Although he was sure that the holy sword cards would get stronger as he grew in level, he didn��t think that the highest level of holy sword cards was capable of taking down the Creator Dragon Souls. If Lilian could lend him a helping hand, perhaps he wouldn��t need to worry about the Dark Dragon. However, he didn��t think that Lilian would be helpful in battles after hearing about her situation from Sonia. If he had players under him right now, perhaps he stood a chance. But now, even if he gathered Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, Orchid Heart, and used the Sphere of Mystery to summon four more projections, they still wouldn��t stand a chance.


    Rhode shook his head and shrugged helplessly. Even if he could upgrade his level and defeat one of the four legendary generals in a battle, it was impossible to defeat the Dark Dragon without the Light Dragon despite the three Archangels joining forces. As for the Judgment and Ruling Dragons in the Country of Law, they definitely wouldn��t get involved with the war. It seemed like after exploring the Land of Chaos, Rhode had to consider ways of letting Lilian restore her strength.


    ��Rhode, what is this?��


    Rhode looked up curiously to Marlene��s question. At this moment, she stood before him palely and in her hand was a fist-sized, glittering crystal.


    Rhode scanned the crystal.


    Wow, it seems like I��ve made the right choice letting her come.


    Rhode took over the colorful, dazzling crystal and at this moment, a system prompt emerged before him.


    [Received Illusion Crystal (Can be broken up). Requires Alchemy Skill LV7 and above]


    Rhode was baffled and the gloominess that he felt from the battle with Serras earlier on instantly disappeared without a trace. At this moment, he hoped that a few more of Serras��s projections would show up because with Marlene around, he would definitely strike it rich!


    ��Rhode, do you know what this is?��


    ��Of course.��


    Rhode took in a deep breath to calm himself down. Then, he said.


    ��This is the Illusion Crystal.��


    ������


    Marlene was stunned.


    It was no surprise that Marlene had such a reaction. The Illusion Crystal was in fact a top grade magic crystal. But unlike the magic crystals found in the deep underground, the Illusion Crystal held properties that were out of this world. As the magic crystal with the highest purity, it could store a massive amount of magical powers. It could also be said that a piece of Illusion Crystal in the size of a fingernail could store magical powers sufficient to power all the magic cannons on a warship for a year and a half. Not only that, but the Illusion Crystal could also self-replenish its magic powers. But it wouldn��t be extracting the powers from the land. Instead, it would absorb them from the border caught between Chaos and Order.


    In the eyes of the Mages, the Illusion Crystal was a supreme treasure, but no one was capable of mining them. On the entire Light Mainland, only the Mage Tower in the Mage Association possessed a small piece of Illusion Crystal. Besides, it was safeguarded by dozens of legendary Mages. It was that small piece of Illusion Crystal in the size of a fingernail that powered all the magic weapons in the Mage Association. Apart from that, the Illusion Crystal could also provide all sorts of legendary attributes and properties to weapons and armor. In other words, with a sufficient number of Illusion Crystals, players could build a set of armor with immune properties to physical, magical, skill attacks or a sword that could deal hundreds of thousands of damage with a single cut. In the past, there were NPC Mages who attempted to use the Illusion Crystal to create magical tools that would last for eternity. However, none of them succeeded as the Illusion Crystals were too rare and would bring a lot of danger to themselves.


    But it was due to this that the Illusion Crystal was known as the most supreme item among the spell casters.


    Even in the game, not many players had the chance to receive it, where only a handful of people managed to get them from defeating Chaos BOSSes. Some of the players sold the Illusion Crystal for a huge amount of money while some used it in their guild as the stepping stone to rise in power.


    But Rhode had to admit that treasuring a jade ring had become a crime.


    He clearly remembered that the only Illusion Crystal that he had in his guild was also ��taken�� from the other guild.


    And now, it was quietly sitting in his hand, emanating a gentle glow.

 Chapter 863 - The Tinder Origin

    It wasn��t always a good thing to have a pair of lucky hands.


    Although Marlene had indeed found this rare treasure, it was also a hot potato for Rhode. The value of an Illusion Crystal on this continent was enough to break nations into wars. Rhode was confident that if news of him obtaining an Illusion Crystal leaked, the Country of Darkness would definitely come for him. After all, this was the most precious gem in the eyes of Undead Creatures who relied on spiritual powers. Besides, if the Undead Creatures were able to get the Illusion Crystal in their hands, the strength of their army would rise without a doubt. A person��s talent would arouse the envy of others and this was true for Rhode, as he had snatched the Illusion Crystal from others in the game. He knew what dangers this would bring to him. Back then, Starlight dominated two-thirds of the Light Mainland and was second to none in strength. However, there were still players who brazenly attempted to steal the crystal. If Rhode were in the game right now in this current state, perhaps he would be the focus of hatred of every other guild.


    Fortunately, only Marlene and him knew about this as he immediately put it away into his spatial bag. Of course, Marlene was also aware that many people would go crazy for it and it was the source of many conflicts. Besides, the Illusion Crystal was extremely rare and many people didn��t have the chance to see it at all. If it weren��t for Rhode��s system which prompted the item��s name when it landed in his hands, perhaps he would have treated it as one of the rarer magic crystals.


    Currently, Rhode didn��t know what to do with the Illusion Crystal. Although it was possible that he used it to create a set of armor with full immunity to physical, magical, and skill attacks, he also knew that this was rather risky. Besides, perhaps even Lapis was incapable of producing such a set of armor. It would be great to use the crystal on magic equipment like the Mage Association. But now, Rhode didn��t have the required technologies, so he could only take one step at a time.


    This wasn��t his current goal and he was only a distance away from the Tinder Origin. But��


    ��I hope you can teleport us directly to the Tinder Origin this time.��


    Rhode gazed sternly at Bell. The latter pondered in silence before raising her right arm and showed two fingers.


    ��I understand. It will be safer if we teleport twice instead. But I can��t guarantee that we won��t face the same situation next time,�� Rhode said.


    Although Rhode previously hoped to meet a few more of Serras��s projection to get more Illusion Crystals, he knew that Marlene was extremely lucky to find it. Besides, Serras was considered one of the easier targets among the devil bosses. Currently, Rhode��s group was about to reach the core of the Land of Chaos. Even though the Tinder Origin��s protection barrier kept out all Chaos Creatures, the creatures would still be lurking outside. Although the Chaos Creatures might not be as powerful as a projection of Serras, a stronger opponent might also appear instead. Such a surprise was enough once and Rhode couldn��t handle it if it were to happen twice.


    ��Can you succeed in one try?��


    ������


    This time, Bell didn��t respond immediately. She lowered her head and gazed at the ground. After a few moments, she looked up, clenched her fist, and drew a huge circle with her arms. Then, she nodded and shook her head.


    ��You can give it a try if you have sufficient strength. But, you can��t guarantee that you��ll succeed?��


    Rhode didn��t know that he always had the talent in reading sign languages. He was surprised. Even though Bell��s hand gestures were completely random, he basically understood her thoughts. Bell nodded in response. Then, she raised her hands again, drew a circle on his body, and did a tugging motion. She put her hands down and gazed at him in silence.


    Of course, he knew what she meant. In fact, as a being with the strength of Order, she theoretically could succeed in one attempt. No, it could be said that theoretically, Bell could teleport them to their destination after they entered the Land of Chaos and didn��t need to waste so much time.


    But this was only in theory.


    Just like in theory, motorcycles could overtake the high-speed rail. However, the prerequisite was that it must contain the engine of an airplane. This was a meaningless theory. Bell could succeed in one attempt, but she would die as her petite figure wouldn��t be able to withstand the tremendous pressure. In fact, such signs were already visible on her. From the start, she felt a little giddy after each teleportation. Thereafter, as the Chaos energy increased, she had to exert more strength of Order in order to break through the Chaos obstacles. This was also why she became incredibly weak at the later stages, where she had even fainted before the battle with Serras. Of course, she was also under the influence of Serras��s presence. Currently, she clearly indicated to Rhode that if they were to do it, she might be hurt to a certain extent.


    On the other hand, Rhode was also aware that this would be rough on her. Although the elder seemed to have sealed the strength of Order in Bell from a young age and her body had acclimatized with the flow of strength, she was still too young, after all. Even though she didn��t know how old she was due to living in the refuge, judging from her appearance, perhaps she was only around 10. No matter how strong she was, she couldn��t make up for the flaws in her body, unless she was an exception like mix-bloods like Anne, Sol, Lize.


    ��Wait.��


    Rhode patted her head, stood up, and waved to Lize. The latter uncharacteristically curled her lips and went up to him.


    ��Is�� Anything the matter, Mr. Rhode?��


    ��Hmm?��


    Her stiffened tone caught his attention. He knew that some things were better off knowing than neglecting.


    ��What��s wrong, Lize? You seem to be in a bad mood.��


    ��Nothing.��


    Lize stared at him in resentment before placing her hand on her chest.


    ��Mine isn��t as huge as someone else��s, anyway.��


    Ah. I see.


    Rhode shrugged. But he let out an inward chuckle after hearing her grumbles. Since she was willing to complain about it, it meant that she was no longer angry. Besides, he sensed that although she didn��t sound happy, she seemed much better after talking about it. Women��s hearts were just indeed like needles at the bottom of the sea��


    ��Being small also has its benefits.��


    Rhode embraced her gently, at the same time sneaking his hand into her robe and caressing her soft skin. Her knees weakened and she fell into his arms.


    ��Hmm. Soft and smooth. You��re still as sensitive.��


    ����M-Mr. Rhode!��


    Lize held her collar and gazed at everyone who was resting, afraid that they would witness it. Fortunately, the Bow Knights were chit-chatting away while the others had fallen asleep. However, Lize wasn��t as ��shameless�� as Anne. As soon as she felt his hands moving down inside her, she quickly stopped him.


    ��S-Stop playing, Bell is watching.��


    Lize pleaded in embarrassment. Rhode smirked, pinched her chest, and retracted his hand. Then, the young lady hurriedly tidied her robe. She glared at him fiercely before lowering her head with a blush.


    ��Y-You�� were looking for me just now, Mr. Rhode?��


    ��If I recall correctly, Bubble has taught you plenty of things, right?��


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode.��


    Lize knew that Rhode didn��t ask her over just to tease her and she nodded in response. In the Land of Atonement, she had been learning from Mini Bubble Gum almost every day. Although the lessons were difficult and torturous, there were lots of skills that were useful for Lize. Players in the later stages of the game would receive all kinds of unique spiritual spells and Mini Bubble Gum wasn��t an exception. Some of the spiritual spells weren��t taught in the church and Bubble taught all of the unique spiritual spells to Lize. Anyway, Mini Bubble Gum didn��t need the low-level spiritual spells to get by her days here anymore.


    ��So, have you learned the Soul Merge?��


    ���� Yes, Mr. Rhode.��


    Although she didn��t know why he asked this question, she nodded in agreement.


    ��But, Soul Merge is a dangerous kind of����


    ��I know.��


    Rhode waved his hand. Mini Bubble Gum was his personal Cleric and he knew her skills inside-out.


    ��All right. I need you to get prepared. Before we start the teleportation, cast the Soul Merge on Bell and appoint me as the target.��


    ��Huh? Mr. Rhode?��


    Lize asked, puzzled. As a Cleric, she knew the dangers of the Soul Merge spell. It was used to decrease the damage taken by the main target by transferring the damage to the secondary target. This was a rare technique, which was why Clerics who learned this technique formed parties with the powerful tankers. This way, the tankers would take lesser damage during BOSS fights. In the past, Rhode wasn��t suitable to take up the job. But now�� there shouldn��t be much problems with his strong constitution.


    ��Is something wrong with Bell��s body?��


    ��The next teleportation will affect her body to a certain extent, so I want to share a portion of her damage.��


    ��B-But, Mr. Rhode, you will be����


    ��Don��t worry. Although I��m not a main tanker like Anne, my defense is still rather strong.��


    ��Why don��t you just let Anne do it!��


    Lize glared at Anne who was snoring away. Judging from her blissful expression, the young lady must be dreaming of a sumptuous meal at the moment.


    ��Mmm�� No�� Leader�� Anne can��t eat anymore����


    �� Perhaps she was eating another source of protein?


    ���� Mr. Rhode, I still think that it��s better to let Anne do it.��


    It was rare to hear a tone with murderous intent from a Cleric.


    ��All right, stop arguing. Go and get prepared now.��


    Rhode had no choice but to chase Lize away after taking a glance at Anne in order to prevent another quarrel. At this moment, he felt someone tugging on his sleeve. He turned around and saw Bell shaking her head firmly.


    ��No, Bell, this is my responsibility.��


    He said determinedly.


    ��You��re my subject, and I won��t let you die. Besides, I��m confident, so don��t worry about me.��


    ������


    Bell let go of her hand. Then, she nodded firmly at the young man.


    The time has come.


    Rhode stood among everyone and gazed at the powerful storms wreaking havoc outside the safety of the Order barrier. Bell stood beside him and held his hand tightly. Lize stood behind them and extended her arms forward. A translucent spiritual thread was connected between Rhode and Bell.


    ��Let��s begin, Bell.��


    ������


    Bell didn��t respond, when suddenly, Rhode felt a violent force striking him from within his body. That was a pain that he had never felt before as though one was dissecting him through his skin, flesh, blood vessels, bones, and organs. He knitted his brows, but he was aware that this pain was simply the spiritual presence of Bell inside him. Although he knew that this method would hurt his soul to a large extent, the difficulties of breaking through the Chaos obstacles was much more than he expected and this was something that he had to do.


    He found himself drifting in the air while suffering from the agony within. Apart from that, he also felt the soft little hand holding onto his. After an unknown period of time, the dark, chaotic world around him was swept away and replaced by a dazzling brilliance and the reemergence of the land.


    It��s finally over.


    Rhode let out a sigh of relief after confirming that the teleportation was completed. Then, he looked at the sky.


    What presented itself before him was a beautiful azure sky with drifting white clouds. Beneath his feet was a wide, verdant grassland, but what captured everyone��s attention wasn��t the scenery. Instead, it was the majestic tower standing before them. Although it seemed abandoned, the tall structure stood firmly. At the peak of the tower was a faint flare that took over the sun in illuminating brightness to this land.


    That was the tinder.


    ��Phew����


    Rhode and Bell exchanged looks with each other. As Rhode took half of the damage, she didn��t faint like before despite her pained and pale expression. Rhode let go of her hand and stroked his fingers through her long hair. But he didn��t expect that Bell smiled at him for a second before turning around and returning to Christie��s side.


    ��Mr. Rhode, here is����


    Lize lowered her voice at the sight of this round, majestic tower.


    ��That��s right, Lize.��


    Rhode nodded.


    ��We��ve reached our destination.��

 Chapter 864 - In the Name of the Holy Sage

    Tinder Origin.


    Rhode gazed at the tall tower that seemed rather similar to tall buildings with 200 to 300 floors on Earth. The thick crystal glass plates on its exterior reflected the brilliance of the tinder while green vines climbed around it, which reminded him of movie scenes of destroyed cities�� Yes, he had to admit that this beautiful view of humans and nature was truly moving. In the distant azure sky, there was a glass-like barrier that kept out all Chaos. That was the strength of the tinder. Unlike the strength of Order that was struggling whilst at death��s door in the refuge, Chaos wasn��t able to penetrate this perfect Order barrier despite the tinder already being so weak.


    ��Order exists forever over Chaos.��


    ��Keep your guards up and don��t attack recklessly. I don��t wish for them to treat us as enemies.��


    ��Them?��


    Lize gazed curiously at the tower. Rhode shrugged and nodded in agreement.


    ��That��s right. If I recall correctly, there should be Order Refugees living there. But unlike the ones in the refuge, the Order Refugees here are protected by the tinder, so they shouldn��t be that���� Rhode shifted his gaze to Bell, waved his hands casually, and skipped this part. But even if he didn��t mention, those who went to the refuge knew what he meant. ���� But I guess you��re aware that the people here have been secluded for hundreds and thousands of years. We may possibly be their first visitors. Currently, this is their territory and we need their help. So, no matter what happens, as long as it doesn��t threaten your life, you do not retaliate. Understood? Besides, don��t belittle those guys. Although they remain isolated here, they are a race that has mastered battle techniques and survived the first Light Mainland war a thousand years ago. It definitely isn��t due to luck for them to survive to this date. All in all, you should never attack unless I give the command. You may feel afraid or that this is exaggerating, but you have to know that the time that they��re living in now is still a thousand years ago, strictly speaking.��


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    Everyone responded in unison. But they were also curious. A thousand years ago? If it was according to what Rhode said, then these people had already lived here before Munn Kingdom was built. At this moment, they didn��t take notice of Marlene, who stood a distance away from Rhode in the back, gazing at the tower with complicated emotions. She held a rather old-looking badge and let out a subtle sigh.


    It seems like I��m eventually back to this place.


    Rhode turned to the entrance that was blocked off by a thick, heavy slate. Then, he took in a deep breath and took two steps forward, when suddenly an arrow struck the ground before him. At the same time, everyone heard a deep, strange voice.


    ���� Who��s there�� Where did you�� come from?��


    Although everyone was somewhat unfamiliar with the language, they could still understand to a certain extent. They looked up hurriedly, but no one acted recklessly.


    Rhode scanned the trembling arrow with the feather tail. He took half a step forward and looked at the pitch-black tower before him. Although it seemed to be uninhabited, he knew clearly that this was the time for him to present his sincerity. Even though he told his subjects that the Order Refugees here wouldn��t be as crazy and dangerous as the ones in the refuge, he was aware that the years of isolation might change their perspective, just like in the Eastern Plains, where people had different views on matters of the outside. The Eastern Plains wasn��t entirely cut off from the rest of the world, but this place was. Therefore, the behavior and mindset of the people here might be entirely the opposite of those from the outside world. It could even be said that this place had no standards of humanity. For instance, the players also met this situation when they explored this area. The residents had a unique custom and that was if the newborn was a boy and had a disability, they would instantly kill it and use it as fertilizer or livestock food. If the newborn was a girl with a disability, she would be nurtured and used as a ��fertility machine��. This was because this place was completely cut off from the outside world, where the protection of the tinder would entirely deteriorate if they couldn��t breed offspring to maintain the place. Therefore, it was totally normal for a woman to be pregnant with children of different fathers. Not only that, but some residents who became old in age would also be executed or chased out of the place, in order to save on food, water, and supplies.


    It was apparent that not only the NPCs couldn��t tolerate such customs, but the players also expressed their disapproval. As the game was targeted at the entire age group, there were many female organizations and child protection organizations coming online and protesting, stating that such overly cruel displays would harm the mentality of children. Besides, it was too unacceptable for the modern human society. In the end, the developer was forced to switch up that part of the game under the pressure of public opinion. However, they had only changed the minimal stuff on the table for the sake of harmony. For instance, players in the past would personally witness the Order Refugees chasing the frail and old out of the tinder barrier or slaughtering them directly. But later on, players would only witness them being taken away and after a few days with careful observations, players could find traces and chunks of bloody flesh around. Although players continued to oppose, the developers had better things to do and in the end, they could only settle the matter by leaving it unsettled��anyway, this wasn��t the first time that this genre of games faced such a problem.


    That��s the benefits of having a monopoly��


    Rhode shook his head helplessly. Back then, the Dragon Soul Continent was extremely popular on Earth, where they beat other online games and came in first. Although the other companies did think of creating a similar virtual reality game, the core technologies were developed by the Dragon Soul Continent��s developers and were never distributed to the public. Of course, some countries penalized them in accordance with anti-monopoly laws, but the developers weren��t swayed at all. Moreover, the attractiveness of this virtual reality game was too much to resist for the players. In the end, every country could only turn a blind eye and appease the people if there were any objections. Fortunately, the disputed topics surrounding the Dragon Soul Continent were mainly about the game and there were no high-pressure situations in which the players had been angered by clauses, frauds, or some other sort.


    Even though Rhode didn��t know if the residents here were normal humans or cannibals, he had to see it for himself. All he could do was hope that the residents wouldn��t behave uncharacteristically before Lize, Marlene, and the others, such as selling their babies and cooking them in a pot�� Rhode didn��t tell them of the possible strange situations that might happen with the guardians of the tinder. Firstly, he couldn��t explain the situation to them and secondly, not every Tinder Origin had anti-humans. In the past, although the people were more rigid, their values weren��t too different from ordinary humans.


    ��Guardians of the tinder.��


    Rhode called out.


    ��We are people from the land of Order. We followed the guidance of our ancestors to awaken the tinder. I hope that you can open the entrance, so we can enter the ultimate path to Order!��


    ������


    Total silence.


    There wasn��t a single sound from within the tower. After all, as the people of Order, since they carried the heavy responsibilities of protecting the tinder, it wasn��t wrong that they observed the visitors cautiously.


    But�� It took rather too long.


    Rhode gazed at the tower silently before taking a look at his pocket watch. One and a half hours had gone by, but they didn��t respond at all. Did they not intend to interact with Rhode? Or were they carefully investigating the situation? Rhode scanned the surroundings boringly, and shortly after he shifted his gaze to the sealed entrance, which had the pattern of a beautiful flower that seemed like a symbol. However, the pattern had almost vanished entirely over time. For unknown reasons, Rhode felt that he had seen this symbol somewhere��


    ��Let me do it, Rhode.��


    At this moment, someone disrupted his thoughts. He twitched his brow and turned over, only to find Marlene walking out of the crowd. She gazed solemnly at the tower and after a few moments of pondering, she took out an old-looking badge from her pocket and raised it high.


    A dazzling, magical radiance emanated from the badge and shone the pattern of a staff with a lily in full bloom.


    ��I hereby declare����!��


    Marlene held her head high and announced.


    ���� that I, Marlene Senia, ask for you to open the entrance and pave the way toward Order. Guardians of the tinder, under the glory of the Senia Family, now is the time for you to fulfill your mission and end everything. The pointer of truth and rules of gears shall return to this point and complete the ancestors�� wishes! Restore past honor and glory!��


    The badge in her hand shook while golden magical rays shone from all over the tower. Then, the badge suddenly turned into a dazzling light beam, and a mysterious staff appeared in her hand.


    It was a staff designed in a scientific style. The brass staff was almost two-meters long while its tip was unlike ordinary staffs that were embedded with gems. Instead, it had three large biting gears that rotated slowly in coordination. At the bottom of the staff were all sorts of mechanical components running in place and hot steam ejected from the openings. Not only that, but there were also three golden halos hovering above the staff.


    Marlene clutched the staff and thrust it into the ground, when suddenly an enormous golden ritual emerged beneath her feet. Within the golden ritual was a square with its edges marked by the shimmering radiance of the four main elements: wind, fire, water, and earth.


    ��The door to fate has been opened. Guardians, it is time for you to fulfill your mission!��


    Everyone watched in silence as they gazed at Marlene in astonishment, where even Rhode uncharacteristically displayed a look of surprise. Even though he knew that Marlene had her reasons for insisting in joining them into the Land of Chaos, he didn��t expect that she was related to the guardians of the tinder��no, judging from her words, it should be said that the Senia Family was related to them!


    This was totally out of his expectations. He always treated the Senia Family as the most powerful family in the Munn Kingdom with the most advanced magic technologies. There were no rumors among players that the Senia Family was related to the ancient civilization of magic technologies at all. As for Marlene, the players thought that she was just a magical talent who was an expert with the four main elements and the leader of an all-female mercenary group. No one had discovered this side of her. But now�� what kind of strange development to the story this was!


    Finally, at this moment, various noises sounded from within the quiet tower.


    ��T-That staff!��


    ��Is she the Holy Sage?!��


    ��Open the door!��


    The heavy, sealed slate blocking the entrance slowly moved. Although Rhode was mentally prepared, he couldn��t tolerate this difference in treatment�� But before that, he had an important question to ask Marlene.


    ��Marlene, you����


    ��I know what you��re gonna ask, Rhode.��


    Marlene smiled and interrupted.


    ��That��s right. Just as you thought, our Senia Family has a deep relationship with the guardians of the tinder since a long time ago. As for the reason�� It is fairly simple.�� Marlene paused. Then, she gazed silently at him. ��Because on this continent, the first tinder was created by our Senia Family after inheriting the technique from the Creator Dragon Soul.��


    ��How is that possible?!��


    Rhode was baffled. Indeed. Creating the tinder was the only technique grasped by humans to protect and develop the land of Order. However, the technique was lost a thousand years ago. Besides, if the Senia Family indeed possessed such advanced magical technologies, they could build a country with perfect magical infrastructure! In fact, based on the war against the Country of Darkness in the game, he felt that the Senia Family shouldn��t have fallen to this state. If they were able to get their hands on the tinder that created this continent, they would be able to create a legendary weapon that could destroy the world. Back then, it was the most godlike, legendary weapon that an ordinary human could use to fight against the Creator Dragon Souls. However, the Senia Family perished entirely in the Country of Darkness��s invasion, so Rhode couldn��t understand why. Judging from that, it would be illogical to say that the Senia Family possessed shady technologies. This was as though this were a movie where aliens invaded Earth and destroyed a country, only to be told that the country actually possessed technologies that could destroy the entire galaxy. It was just too strange, wasn��t it?


    ��That is the truth, Rhode.��


    Marlene gazed at the young man.


    ��I always believe that you would come here and your choice has proven that my judgment is right, Rhode. You shall light up the tinder, allowing the honor of Order to return to this land. And I will always be by your side as the guardian����


    Marlene paused, but didn��t finish her sentence eventually. She kept the final statement to herself.


    ����Until that moment comes.��

 Chapter 865 - Magic and Fate

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    In the beginning of this world, humans took the tinder of Order from the Creator Dragon Souls. But humans were too weak and couldn��t properly utilize the tinder of Order to stop Chaos��s infiltration. In the end, one of the human families made a deal with the Creator Dragon Souls, using their souls in exchange for the production process and techniques of the tinder. At the same time, they paid with their freedom and as long as Order was present, they would serve the tinder for eternity.


    Thereafter, the war between Order and Chaos erupted, where Chaos wreaked havoc across the land and concealed the brilliance of Order. As a result, the family that was responsible for safeguarding the tinder suffered in agony. But in order to pass on the tinder, they split up into several tribes and went separate ways, with hopes to avoid the ongoing disaster.


    ���� Our Senia Family was one of the guardians and branches that escaped from the disaster of Chaos. Thereafter, we arrived at the Munn Kingdom and signed an agreement with the then Archangel. We used our remaining magical technologies to work for the Munn Kingdom while the Archangel protected us. Ever since then, our Senia Family lived in the Munn Kingdom for generations. We��ve always been waiting for the person who held the rights to return to this place and awake the tinder in order for our Senia Family to restore our honor.��


    Marlene said softly. At this moment, magic crystals emanating faint radiances could be seen along the wide tunnel. However, unlike other tunnels, there were all sorts of mechanical pipes lined throughout the edges and ceilings. White steam was ejected from the openings from time to time, which brought some wetness to this dry tunnel.


    ��So, the residents here are the descendants of the Senia Family too?��


    Rhode led the way. The path ahead was dark and empty. Ten minutes had gone since they entered the place and they didn��t see anyone yet. The voices from before didn��t seem to exist at all. However, it seemed like Marlene was familiar with this place.


    ��Only a part of them, Rhode.��


    Marlene shook her head.


    ��The Tinder Origin is the most dangerous place, with most of the residents as guardians, who were originally members of the Senia Family, responsible for daily maintenance of the tinder. When the Senia Family fled from the disaster, the guardians, alongside our family members, were sealed in the Tinder Origin. If it weren��t for their hard work, perhaps the tinder wouldn��t have lasted perfectly until now.��


    I see.


    ��Leader, Sister Marlene, Anne feels a little strange.��


    At this moment, Anne spoke. She stretched lazily while curiously scanned the metallic pipes. Christie and Bell followed behind her and also looked curiously at them.


    ��Since there are people here, why don��t they awaken the tinder? Why must we come all the way here to do it for them? Didn��t Leader say that the people here are powerful?��


    ��That��s not the case, Anne.��


    Marlene showed a bitter smile and shook her head.


    ��Back then, the Senia Family put a lot of effort in creating multiple mazes and traps to protect the tinder from being destroyed. It was especially so when Chaos wreaked havoc. Our ancestors activated the defense mechanism before they escaped and the defense mechanism will attack anyone who enters the tower. Besides, the residents here have no rights to awaken the tinder because everything they received here is a gift from it. In other words, the residents aren��t entirely people of Order as they didn��t awake the tinder. Therefore, even if they destroy the traps and clear the mazes to find the tinder, they will be absorbed completely because they aren��t people of complete Order. Only those with complete Order can pass through the defenses of the tinder and awaken it. Besides����


    Marlene paused and shifted her gaze to Rhode. Although the latter noticed her gaze, there was something more important to him.


    ��Marlene, what you mean is that all the tinders on the continent were created by the ancestors of the Senia Family?��


    ��Of course not.��


    Marlene shook her head.


    ��We only served one of the Creator Dragon Souls.��


    ��In other words, you demanded to join me for this reason?��


    Rhode looked at her sternly. Although Marlene sounded casual when she spoke joining them earlier, Rhode realized that there was a huge loophole. The war between Order and Chaos had ended a long time ago. Thereafter, in order to expand territories, every country dispatched exploration teams into regions contaminated by Chaos to awaken the tinders. Among them, the Country of Light and Country of Darkness occupied the majority. After around 200 years of ��vigorous�� explorations, it became the current state of the continent. If the situation was judged based on this, there wasn��t much of a problem. However, there was an important question.


    And that was, which Creator Dragon Soul did the Senia Family serve?


    There were countless families who served the Creator Dragon Souls, especially in the early stages. Although the White Elves, Undead Puppets, Night Wyverns and so forth were created to serve the Creator Dragon Souls, it was just like how a noble needed not only a servant, but also a guard, chef, gardener, and all sorts of people with other roles. According to Marlene, the Senia Family was the artisan of magical technologies to the Creator Dragon Soul.


    But there was a problem. Rhode was aware that the name of the Senia Family didn��t appear in the pioneering history in the Country of Light and Country of Darkness. Back then, in order to ensure control of the new territories, the players dug up the pioneering history of the era after the Chaos War. If the Senia Family was involved, it wouldn��t be possible that they didn��t notice them.


    If it weren��t for this matter, perhaps Rhode would have treated this adventure as a simple development of the land. This place used to be the location of his guild in the game, therefore he was certain that the Light Dragon Soul��s protection would shine over this place after he awakened the tinder. But now, he suddenly realized that there seemed to be other issues involved. The Senia Family never showed up in pioneering history. Based on his knowledge of them, they also seldom mixed with the church, so the chances of them being subordinates of the Country of Law was small. So then, who are they exactly under�� He recalled the reactions of the residents in the tower and puckered his brows. In the game, they didn��t react this way. Could it be that bringing Marlene to this place was the required condition to unlock a certain seal?


    If that was the case, it wasn��t too strange. In the game, the Country of Light and Country of Darkness had completely perished when the players�� era began and Rhode��s Starlight was like a bulldozer that plowed through everything. On the other hand, news about the Senia Family stopped showing up after the Country of Darkness invaded the Golden City. If this was said to be a hidden condition to develop this territory, this actually made sense.


    ��Of course.��


    Marlene nodded without hesitation. But she lowered her head thereafter.


    ��I��m sorry, Rhode.��


    ��Hmm?��


    ��Perhaps you may not believe me, but�� a long time ago, the Senia Family had a prophecy that in this generation, someone would remove the ancient seal, awaken the tinder, and restore the glory of the family. So����


    ��So�� you didn��t come to Paphield just for adventures back then, right?��


    Rhode gazed at the young lady, which the latter came to a halt slightly.


    ��Yes, Rhode. I was following my family��s prophecy to find the person who can restore our honor.��


    ���� So you chose me? Why? Is it because I��m handsome?��


    Rhode couldn��t understand the reason because it seemed like Marlene was sure that he was the man mentioned in the prophecy. But how was that possible? When he first met her, Starlight had only just established and there was nothing worthy of her attention. Back then, he hadn��t even completed a mission. He still remembered that Marlene was full of pride and arrogance when she found her way to his doorstep. If he didn��t utterly defeat her during battle, perhaps she might still be disobedient. This didn��t seem anything like her spotting her prince charming at all.


    ��Of course, I was searching for an organization that would allow me to roam around places, so I could search for the one in the prophecy. The main reason why I chose you was due to Lize because it is naturally a great thing to be with a friend, so I agreed to stay. Bu, later on, I was sure that you��re the one after I saw your battle techniques.��


    Marlene smiled and hummed. ���� A traveler who summons spirits, awakens ancient beings, and stores them in cards���� She paused, winked, and revealed a look of surprise. ��I guess you should know what I��m talking about, right, Rhode?��


    ��Yes.��


    Rhode swept a glance to everyone at the back and nodded. What she just hummed was the praises of a Spirit Swordsman from the official website. Back then, this delusional description attracted a lot of people. But it was too late for them after they realized that they were basically lied to��


    However, the Spirit Swordsman was an ancient, lost class.


    Which meant that its existence had vanished entirely from this continent. However, the Senia Family actually knew about them. Could it be that they were related to Spirit Swordsmen?


    Although Rhode wanted to ask more questions, they had arrived at the end of the tunnel.


    At this moment, a cooling breeze freshened everyone. But when they saw clearly what was presented before them, they were stunned.


    Everyone thought that the interior of the tower would be as dark as the refuge. However, there were lush trees and vines all around. In the middle of the tower was a round, blue lake while the radiance of the tinder that shone from above brought vitality and life. On both sides of the walls were dozens of fully-armored men with swords and shields, curiously and anxiously gazing at them. Judging from their appearance, they didn��t seem anything like the Order Refugees from the refuge, so Rhode��s group heaved sighs of relief. Shortly after, the two guards who stood before them made way while three men went up to them.


    Their most eye-catching features could be described with one word: White. Apart from their scarlet pupils, they had fair skin and snowy hair. They were tall and wore a set of white leather armor and cape. However, what surprised everyone was that on their foreheads were two antenna-looking objects, which reminded Rhode of a certain humanoid robot that he once saw in a science-fiction movie.


    Who are they?


    Rhode knitted his brows. He was sure that he had never seen these people in the game. Besides, the attitude of the residents here were entirely different. Back then, when he was exploring the place, the residents were mostly indifferent before he lit up the tinder, and no one interacted with him. But now, the treatment he received was completely different with Marlene beside him. Could it be that this was a hidden plot branch?


    Three of them went up to him while the surrounding guards swiftly left. Marlene gazed at them and took half a step forward. The leader lowered his head and bowed upon witnessing the staff.


    ��We welcome your arrival at the Tinder Origin, Holy Sage.��


    ��I��m back, dear guardian.��


    Marlene placed her right hand on her chest and bowed solemnly.


    ��I��ve followed our agreement and brought the rightful traveler. The devastating Chaos shall be eliminated and the glory of Order will return to envelop this sealed land. Your defense duties are about to come to an end and it shall be our mission next.��


    ��Yes, dear Holy Sage.��


    The three men revealed solemn expressions. Then, they heaved sighs of relief, lifted their heads, and examined Rhode.


    ��Please pardon our rudeness. According to the rules, we have to ensure that the person you brought along is the one that we��ve been waiting for.��


    The leader took half a step forward while the other two men went ahead and stood beside him. Shing. They held their snowy, dazzling swords before Rhode, stopping him from moving ahead. Not only that, but they also extended their left hands simultaneously.


    Shortly after, radiances flashed.


    Three cards of different colors appeared in their hands.


    Rhode narrowed his eyes instantly. Although he wasn��t sure who these people were, he immediately recognized them through their battle stance.


    Spirit Swordsmen!


    What an amazing and interesting development to the plot��


    Rhode revealed a smile. Then, he extended his right arm and a white card flashed in his hand and turned into Star Mark.


    He didn��t expect that he would have the chance to battle someone of the same class. All right. I shall witness your strength.

 Chapter 866 - The Test (1)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Rhode never thought he would have a chance to battle Spirit Swordsmen after transmigrating to this world.


    In the game, the Spirit Swordsman was a class specially for players. It was clearly stated in the class description that the Spirit Swordsmen��s ancient inheritance had long been cut off. This seemingly irresponsible sales pitch actually managed to ��scam�� a lot of players. As a result�� Only a few players became successful with this class, while the others found this class mediocre apart from being powerful in solo adventures��


    As a matter of fact, Rhode discovered that there were indeed no NPCs who were Spirit Swordsmen after transmigrating to this world. Although he had gotten into countless battles, he never concealed his identity as a Spirit Swordsman. On this continent, no matter who he met, the people simply described him as a ��swordsman who summons mysterious creatures��, which was accurate to the class introduction in the game.


    Never did he expect to see others of the same class while he was here.


    How interesting.


    Rhode gazed at the three men and the corners of his lips twitched. They arrived at a new venue��a rectangular plaza within a tower that was hundreds of meters long and wide. There wasn��t anything supporting the plaza as it seemingly floated above the lake.


    Although the plaza seemed too huge for a battle arena, it was perfect for Spirit Swordsmen because space was the biggest advantage for them. At this moment, Rhode held Star Mark in his hand and scanned the three men. After defeating Serras��s projection, he reached level 67 while the three men were around level 65. In other words, he would be facing Spirit Swordsmen who had awakened their rules. How amusing��


    Rhode��s eyes glinted in high spirits. Even though he fought with countless people in this world, what he loved the most was to battle with people of different classes. But this wasn��t because he wanted to bully the weak. Instead, the reason why he was able to be the top Spirit Swordsman in the game was solely due to the experience that he gained from dueling players of other classes. Only fellow Spirit Swordsmen understood their own tactics and not even Mages who were experts in summoning spirits could do that.


    Rhode had gained his identity and status after innumerable battles with Spirit Swordsmen. Therefore, he felt an unprecedented excitement from facing off with three of them at once now.


    The three men seemed to be equipped with the same armor and weapons. Their hoods had completely hidden their faces and expressions. But, Rhode sensed that the rule auras exuding from them were entirely different, which probably meant that their deck of cards weren��t similar. Rhode scanned the cards spinning above their palms. The man on the left had a white card, but unlike the sacred whiteness like Star Mark, his card was more of a pale-looking white. The man in the middle held a deep yellow card, which seemed rather powerful. As for the man on the right, he had an ocean-blue card.


    Who��s gonna be the main attacker, support, and crowd controller?


    Rhode narrowed his eyes. Although he possessed the almost godlike holy sword card deck, he didn��t intend to showcase too much of their strength. The difference in strength between him and his opponents might not be huge and Rhode didn��t think that they would have legendary equipment that could beat his. So then��


    It seems like they��re gonna rely fully on their summoning cards.


    Shing!


    At the same time, all four of them raised their swords and the dazzling radiances of summoning rituals emerged beneath their feet. The battle had begun.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    The powerful blades clashed, but Rhode swiftly darted out of the dust and retreated. During their clash, he launched attacks on them with his shadow clones, looking to disrupt their coordination and seize the chance of gaining the upper hand in attack. But he didn��t expect that they would defend his assault in the same stance simultaneously. The rapport and coordination between them was flawless!


    ������!


    Before Rhode figured out what the situation was, a gust of wind spread the fluttering dust apart. Then, a dozen while skeleton soldiers dashed out and brandished their swords.


    In an instant, Rhode witnessed a flash in the opponent��s white card and a bone shield appeared before the opponent. Then, sharp bone edges hurled over the bone shield at Rhode.


    The Hell Lord talent tree, is it? If this was based on the rules and tests of the game, the three of them should be experts in each individual talent tree.


    Rhode smirked and brandished the sword, and the powerful spiritual blade rays forced the skeleton soldiers to a halt. At the same time, he lifted his left hand and a card glowing in the night of stars flashed.


    [Summon Spear Defenders]


    Boom!


    The spotlessly white Knights emerged and punctured the skeleton soldiers with their spears. Then, they lifted their shields and formed an insurmountable wall. At the next moment, the sharp bone edges and a whistling cold airstream struck their shields and they immediately froze into a thick layer of frost.


    ��Tsk!��


    Rhode sulked. At this moment, the man on the right had summoned a large, translucent flying fish that spiraled around him to form a crystal-clear, hexagonal ice wall.


    To be able to summon spirits and suppress opponents of the same level instantly and cast spells through the summoned spirits�� He must have the Soul Messenger talent tree�� So then, this means that the last person�� most likely has the Summoning Master talent tree.


    Rhode��s eyes glinted before flitting across the solid wall of the Spear Defenders. Then, another card emerged in his hand and shattered at the next moment,


    ��������!��


    A colorful array of magical radiance descended from above, enveloping the plaza like a frantic storm. Flares from the violent explosions merged with the pitch-black smoke. At this moment, the Dark Rangers clad in black leather armor and cape fell from the sky and released their arrows at their enemies. Boom! A scarlet radiance engulfed the place, but shortly after, a whirlwind rose from the ground and dispersed the black smoke. The flying fish gracefully swam in midair and swept the ground, where a thick layer of ice froze the blazing flames. At the next moment, hundreds of skeleton soldiers broke the ice and crawled out from the ground.


    At the same time, blade rays shimmered.


    A silver-whitish sword slashed an arc across the skeleton soldiers, shattering them completely. Then, Rhode leapt out of the shadow from the back and propelled his blade at the man with the Hell Lord talent tree.


    The Hell Lord Spirit Swordsman was stunned. He turned around quickly and the bone shields around him instantly merged to form a stronger barrier. Not only that, but the razor-sharp bone edges also switched their target to Rhode.


    Great timing!


    Rhode exclaimed inwardly and raised his left arm.


    Red blazing flames erupted and the pitch-black Hell Hound darted out. However, its entrance was short as bone edges struck it all over. The Hell Hound raised its head high from pain while letting out a twisted, excited howl. Then, a dazzling golden ray exploded from its body.


    Boom!


    The incredibly massive explosion erupted like a missile and swept across everything. The Hell Lord Spirit Swordsman retreated from the smoke hurriedly and his bone shield was almost shattered. Then, a glaring spiritual blade ray shone within the dark smoke and struck toward him!

 Chapter 867 - The Test (2)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    He��s dead!


    Rhode smirked. The Hell Lord talent tree was the most unsuitable in close-combat among the three talent trees. Although the Hell Lord talent tree possessed advantages in awakening the dead into Undead Creatures, its biggest flaw was that it only had a single attribute, where its offense or defense basically held the ��undead�� attribute. Although the ��undead�� attribute was useful against Undead Creatures due to damage immunity, apart from this, the Hell Lord was the easiest to take down in this situation!


    The Dark Rangers�� continuous arrows disrupted the movements of the other two Spirit Swordsmen. At the same time, the explosion from the crazy Hell Hound broke the Hell Lord Spirit Swordsman��s defense.


    The Hell Lord Spirit Swordsman was stunned. He thrust his hand forward quickly, where an enormous skeleton creature emerged and swiped its huge bone claws at Rhode. Rhode had no intention of retreating. Instead, he brandished his blazing blade which clashed with the menacing claw. But at this moment, he discovered a faint white flash from the creature��s body, and the creature suddenly became incredibly tough!


    At the same time, the ground around Rhode rumbled deeply. Then, stone statues about half of his height emerged from the ground one by one and swarmed toward him. Rhode sulked at this scene.


    Darn it!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Without any signs of warning, the stone statues exploded and razor-sharp stone thorns burst out of the ground, striking the ground where Rhode stood. Fortunately, Rhode dodged and re-emerged from the shadow on the other side. He squinted at the Spirit Swordsman who stood in the dispersed smoke and held a glowing yellow card.


    Using the combination of the rule power and card attribute? Not bad at all.


    Every being who transcended into the Legendary Stage held their very own rule attribute and Rhode was no exception. This explained why their tactics were all unique. For instance, Rhode��s awakened talent, Eternal Fantasy, was lethal when used by him alone. On the other hand, the three skills, namely [Self-Affirmation], [Absolute Presence], and [Igniting Wrath], could also be used effectively against enemy groups when unleashed appropriately. But no matter what, only he could unleash the skills.


    On the contrary, some talents were more effective when launched by several attackers. In the past, Rhode fought a Spirit Swordsman, the ��Dinosaur Beater��, who played the best with this tactic. His individual talent was the ��time-reverse��, where he mastered and achieved the effects of casting two skills simultaneously. This tactic wasn��t too meaningful for him, but after he coordinated it with his Soul Messenger talent tree and summoned enhanced summoning spirits, the talent skill could instantly defeat a fully-armored Warrior. After all, not anyone could tank double attacks from multiple summoned spirits at once. Not only that, but the ��Dinosaur Beater�� could also use this tactic to summon spirits twice in a row to raise his chances of winning. However, he wasn��t too confident of his talent back then and although he drew against Rhode from the start of the battle, he eventually lost his cool to Rhode��s taunts and was defeated by Rhode��s ��annihilate�� attribute.


    Judging from this, the rule attribute of the Hell Lord talent tree should be ��defense��, while the Summoning Master talent tree was ��explosion��?


    Rhode puckered his brows. This indeed was a troublesome combination. The Hell Lord Spirit Swordsman��s biggest flaw was that the Undead Creatures were weak in defense. Besides, they only had a single attribute, which was easy to overcome. Even though the Summoning Master Spirit Swordsman could summon a huge number of spirits, they would still be crushed when faced with a powerful force since quality over quantity applied in this case. However, with the ��explosion�� attribute, it could be said that all the spirits that the opponent summoned would be equivalent to walking bombs. If Rhode guessed correctly, the opponent should be using a deck with the ��earth�� attribute�� Card decks with the ��earth�� attribute often held strong defenses, which was extremely annoying.


    On the other hand, Rhode didn��t know what the rule attribute of the final Soul Messenger Spirit Swordsman was��


    Rhode lifted his head and looked at the Soul Messenger Spirit Swordsman standing silently on the other side. At this moment, the flying fish was hovering around him and the crystal-clear barrier. It seemed like this was the barrier that stopped the Dark Rangers�� ambush��


    Although the situation was rather difficult, this made things interesting��


    Rhode twitched his brow.


    ��Wow����


    Although the battle had progressed for less than a minute, everyone was dumbfounded as they stared blankly at the arena. Even though there were four of them in battle, it seemed like a battle between magnificent armies with thousands of men and horses. Lize rubbed her eyes in disbelief while Christie placed her hands on her chest and observed the fight.


    At this moment, Rhode made up his mind on the battle tactic.


    ��Attack!��


    The Spear Defenders who were in defense formation stood up vigilantly. They raised their shields and spears and dashed forward. The Dark Rangers in the back scattered in all directions with trails of afterimages. Then, a blinding radiance erupted and blasted at the three Spirit Swordsmen.


    The three Spirit Swordsmen came to a halt in unison and the Summoning Master lifted his card, when suddenly, hundreds of stone statues broke out from the ground. They braved the magic arrows released by the Dark Rangers while charging toward the Spear Defenders.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A series of explosions shook the ground. But the Spear Defenders were unaffected. If it were an ordinary human army, perhaps the explosions would have crushed their formation. But it was a pity that the Spear Defenders would not falter with this attribute of theirs.


    [Fortification (Formation will not be destroyed)]


    Just this attribute was enough to wipe out the opponent��s efforts to destroy their formation. Other than eliminating the Spear Defenders, there was nothing else that could split up their formation or stop them. Shortly after, the smoke dispersed and even though hundreds of stone statues were destroyed, the Spear Defenders didn��t seem to be hurt at all. They continued to raise their spears and marched forward in large strides.


    At the same time, the other two Spirit Swordsmen also launched their attacks.


    A whistling cold breeze instantly froze an ice carpet on the ground. On the other side, a skeleton giant emerged out of thin air, hurling its enormous claws at Rhode, who also launched his attack.


    ��������!��


    A gleaming white beam fell from the sky and blasted the skeleton giant. The Ultimate Judges raised their scepters and white, sacred brilliance emanated from their bodies. On the other side, the little mermaid floating in the water ball wittily drew an arc with her tiny hand. Then, she thrust her arms forward and the cold breeze instantly stopped, which frightened the flying fish as it fled quickly.


    Now��s the chance!


    Rhode and his shadow clones sprung out from the shadows, wielding the spotlessly white holy sword, huge scarlet sword with steel chains, and the twin daggers in hand. The three Spirit Swordsmen were stunned by this ambush. But�� this didn��t mean that Rhode would easily achieve his goal.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    The clashes between blades filled the arena. The scarlet blade mercilessly pierced through the white bone shield and into the skeleton giant��s body. However, before it managed to strike the skeleton giant, it was forcefully stopped by two Death Knights. On the other hand, the white holy sword broke the stone statues�� defense as it punctured their bodies. At the same time, the twin daggers were negated by an ice wall before they could take down their targets.


    The three Spirit Swordsmen retaliated.


    ����������!��


    The Hell Lord Spirit Swordsman widened his left palm and the pitch-black card shattered on its own. Shortly after, countless bone chains struck out to trap Rhode��s shadow clones. Then, he darted forward and launched his sword at the shadow clone with the Death Knights. In the blink of an eye, three swords ripped through the shadow clone as it vanished into thin air.


    In the middle, an enormous stone statue that was three to four meters tall propelled its fist at Rhode. Almost simultaneously, another batch of a hundred stone statues crawled out of the ground and blocked his escape route. Then, they exploded and after the giant stone statue��s punch landed, everything turned silent.


    But all it hit was Rhode��s shadow clone.


    Clang!


    It��s not as easy as I thought.


    Rhode retreated swiftly while the opponent lifted his left hand and an azure card flickered. In the blink of an eye, a strange-looking, ice creature emerged out of nowhere and swung its razor-sharp tail across the sky.


    However��


    Shing!


    As its tail was about to hit Rhode, a dozen tentacles flew out from his shadow and bound the ice creature tightly. Then, Rhode used the chance and pounced on the opponent!


    The opponent didn��t expect that Rhode would retaliate so soon and he instinctively retreated. At this moment, Rhode had arrived before him with gleaming twin daggers. But a sword flashed and deflected Rhode��s attack.


    Tsk. Did I fail again?


    Rhode sulked at the sight of the man before him who held a sword in his right hand and a card in his left. But shortly after, Rhode��s nose twitched to an aroma.


    Hmm? This scent�� Could it be��


    Rhode��s eyes glinted.


    Yes!


    As soon as this thought came to his mind, he hurled the twin daggers toward the opponent. However, the opponent wasn��t mindful at all, and he brandished the sword and deflected them. It was because of this that he didn��t notice the pitch-black card in Rhode��s hand.


    Shing������!


    The black, viper-like chain sword transformed in Rhode��s hand, struck out, and brushed the Soul Messenger Spirit Swordsman��s chest. Then, the razor-sharp, surging airstream erupted from its blade. Although the Soul Messenger Spirit Swordsman quickly defended himself, he only managed to stand on his feet firmly after drawing back two steps. However, his armor was shattered by this attack and��


    ��Ahh!��


    Rhode heard a shriek and witnessed two fleshy bosoms jumping out of his, or perhaps her tattered leather armor. The Soul Messenger Spirit Swordsman subconsciously wrapped her arms around her chest and didn��t realize that Rhode had arrived behind her.


    ��This is the end.��


    Rhode lifted his left hand and landed a punch on the back of her neck. Then, she shambled before collapsing to the ground. Rhode lifted his head and gazed at the two remaining Spirit Swordsmen.


    ��One down.��


    He announced.

 Chapter 868 - The Test (3)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��One down.��


    Rhode gazed at the two remaining Spirit Swordsmen. Then, he swept a glance at the unconscious Soul Messenger Spirit Swordsman on the ground. The airstream erupted from his blade didn��t injure her greatly since she was in the Legendary Stage, after all. However, her leather armor and cape weren��t that fortunate. Underneath the hood was a young lady who was around 18 years old and had a full head of white, shoulder-length hair draping over her shoulders. However, unlike Marlene��s silver-whitish hair, this young lady��s white hair was more pale like it was man-made. Like the residents here, she had two antenna-looking objects sticking out from her temples, which was hidden inside her hair. Not only that, but Rhode also realized that this young lady was ridiculously pale, and there wasn��t any color on her skin and lips at all.


    Although mutants existed in the Tinder Origin due to the lack of Order�� Judging from this young lady, she didn��t seem like a mutant at all. Instead, she seemed more like a strange race out of the Behermes or Dark Elves. But would this be possible among humans?


    Rhode narrowed his eyes and scanned the two Spirit Swordsmen. The Hell Lord Spirit Swordsman didn��t seem mindful of his gaze, but on the other hand, the Summoning Master Spirit Swordsman who was shorter and had a smaller build instinctively took a step back, protecting his chest vigilantly.


    Second target decided!


    Rhode smirked and burst toward the Summoning Master Spirit Swordsman.


    ��Stay away!��


    It was apparent that the Summoning Master was incredibly tense, and Rhode instantly heard a shriek of a young girl. The Summoning Master Spirit Swordsman hurriedly lifted her left arm with a glimmering yellow card in hand. Then, the ground rumbled and gigantic rock serpents burst out of the ground, pouncing on Rhode immediately. However, Rhode chuckled inwardly.


    Newbie. You still have much more to learn.


    After defeating the Soul Messenger Spirit Swordsman, it could be said that Rhode held an accurate judgment on the level of their skills now��they didn��t have any battle experience at all! Even though they coordinated their rule talent and summoning spirits, their attack style was extremely basic. Besides, from their exchange in blows, Rhode discovered that although their coordination was near perfect, it made them overly rigid instead. This reminded Rhode of new players, where everyone had similar sword skills and usage style of summoned spirits. But the problem was that Spirit Swordsmen had to coordinate attacks with sword skills and summoned spirits, where mysterious and ever changing battle styles were their most lethal weapons. If one were to always set a trap card before battle and summon a tiny creature during battle, this rigid battle style would be seen through easily.


    This was the same problem that the three Spirit Swordsmen had. Although their rigid attack patterns gave them unprecedented camaraderie, it still wasn��t sufficient to win them battles. Besides, it would be fine if they fought lowly creatures with only 9 IQ, but weren��t they asking for death to use ��PVE�� tactics in a ��PVP��?


    Moreover��


    Even though they are PVE techniques, they will need to master them first.


    Rhode remained calm as the rock serpents pounced on him because he had clearly seen through the opponent��s sequence of movements. He knew that the opponent summoned the rock serpents, only to trigger her ��explosion�� rule talent later. Since that was the case, Rhode didn��t need to hold back anymore!


    He extended his arm��the Spear Defenders standing guard in the front vanished out of a sudden and returned into his hand as a card. Then, in the blink of an eye, they reappeared before him!


    Continuous summon!


    ��Huh?!��


    The Summoning Master Spirit Swordsman shrieked and hesitated in her attack. She didn��t expect that one could continuously summon spirits at once. However, this was only the start for Rhode. As soon as he summoned the Spear Defenders in front of him, he swung his left hand and hurled another card at them. In a dazzling explosion of a green radiance, several two-meters-long spears coalesced from the radiance emerged and hovered beside the Spear Defenders. Then, they burst forward and struck the rock serpents. In the blink of an eye, the rock serpents shattered into dust, eventually fading into the air.


    ��How did this happen?��


    The Summoning Master Spirit Swordsman was wide-eyed because it took less than 30 seconds from when she summoned the rock serpents and Rhode called forth the Spear Defenders and Disillusioned Spears. After she came back to her senses, the majestic group of Spear Defenders had dashed through the smoke and dust and their shimmering spears were only one meter away from her!


    Sh*t!


    The Summoning Master Spirit Swordsman frantically reached out for a third summoning card, but at this moment, the Spear Defenders split their formation into two and a black viper struck from the rear.


    ��Don��t even think of using such a shameless attack!��


    The pitiful young lady instantly recalled the predicament of the Soul Messenger Spirit Swordsman, and she retreated with gnashed teeth, at the same time deflecting Succubus with her sword. However, when she tried to summon creatures with her other hand, an ice-cold hand clasped her wrist and Rhode��s ice-cold voice sounded in her ears.


    ��I don��t have that intention either.��


    Rhode smiled at the ashen young lady and struck the sword hilt into her stomach, sending her into unconsciousness. Then, Rhode narrowed his eyes.


    Boom!


    A bone thorn brushed him and hit the Spear Defenders instead. Rhode lifted his head and discovered that he was in a sea of white bones��thousands of skeleton soldiers had surrounded him entirely with Necromancers and Death Knights at the rear.


    I see. No wonder no one assisted this young girl when I attacked her.


    Rhode said inwardly. It seemed like although the Hell Lord Spirit Swordsman was inexperienced, he wasn��t that dumb, where he used the chance and summoned his creatures into position while Rhode attacked the Summoning Master Spirit Swordsman. Hell Lord Spirit Swordsmen were experts in winning battles with quantity. Currently, even though the skeletal soldiers weren��t strong, they were more than enough to obstruct Rhode��s movements. But��


    Rhode scoffed.


    It wasn��t a good habit for a Spirit Swordsman to hide behind the safety of his spirits. It seemed like these newbies had a lot to learn. Since he��s this passionate for knowledge, I shall be the good guy and teach him the ways of a Spirit Swordsman.


    Defense Formation!


    The Spear Defenders raised their shields and encircled Rhode and the other Spirit Swordsman swiftly, in order to stop the skeleton soldiers. On the other hand, the skeleton soldiers didn��t launch their attacks instantly. Instead, they merely surrounded the Spear Defenders.


    Rhode was slightly surprised. Then, his eyes glinted in a certain realization. At the next moment, he knelt and blended into the Spear Defenders�� shadow and disappeared to nowhere.


    ��Will Mr. Rhode be alright?��


    Lize held her hands together worriedly. No matter what, the sudden appearance of so many Undead Creatures was rather terrifying. On the other hand, Marlene observed the battle in silence because she was confident that Rhode wouldn��t fall in a battle of such a standard. Meanwhile, Anne watched the battle in anticipation.


    What is�� going to happen next?


    The Hell Lord Spirit Swordsman gazed at the Spear Defenders who were swarmed by the skeletal soldiers. He was out of ideas. It didn��t seem like the skeletal soldiers could break down the Spear Defenders�� defense anytime. What should I do next?


    ��You don��t have to do anything.��


    A casual voice sounded in his ear. The Hell Lord Spirit Swordsman was shook. He hurriedly leapt and looked back at his shadow. Previously, he realized that Rhode had a technique that allowed him to attack from the shadows. Is he about to use the same technique? I won��t let him!


    The Hell Lord Spirit Swordsman hurled two summoning cards that instantly transformed into armored Death Knights, who brandished their blades at the shadow. But��


    ��It seems like you need to learn the basics as a Spirit Swordsman. You shouldn��t let your spirits take the bullet for you.��


    Shing!


    The Hell Lord Spirit Swordsman��s shadow writhed and a dozen tentacles shot out and bound him and the two Death Knights. At the next moment, a pitch-black blade silently struck out from the mass of tentacles and pressed against his neck.


    ��You lose.��

 Chapter 869 - Guardian Humanoids

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Marlene was certain that Rhode wouldn��t lose and the latter was even more confident than she imagined. On the contrary, the three Spirit Swordsmen were in disbelief. The entire battle ended within five minutes. Rhode��s overwhelming victory left them rooted in their place. Their respect for Rhode led them to be more polite to him and his men. Not only did they prepare a resting area, but they also agreed to assist Rhode in defending the Chaos vortexes, so he could awaken the tinder in the meantime. Although this seemed like a great result for Rhode, he wasn��t satisfied.


    ��Your movements were too slow and rigid. Your battle styles were so simple that they were unacceptable.��


    Rhode leaned back on the chair and gazed in dissatisfaction at the three Spirit Swordsmen who lowered their heads in silence. As the two young ladies weren��t gravely injured, they had woken up. As for the Hell Lord Spirit Swordsman, he surrendered as soon as Rhode��s blade was held against his throat. Even though Rhode was curious as to why Christie and Marlene insisted on joining them, the first thing he did after sending them back to their rooms was to look for these three ��newbies��. No matter what, he finally got to see others in the same class as him and they actually used such terrible tactics that even newbies weren��t willing to use. He just couldn��t tolerate it anymore.


    ��I��m surprised that you managed to reach the Legendary Stage.��


    Rhode knitted his brows and ridiculed the three Spirit Swordsmen. In fact, the trio consisted of one man and two young ladies. The man, who was also the leader among them, was the white-haired man who Rhode had spoken to earlier on. On the other hand, the two sisters displayed different expressions. The older sister who appeared to be 18 years old hugged her chest in embarrassment while fixing her gaze to the ground while her younger sister who seemed around 15 years old stared at Rhode angrily. The white-haired man remained in silence and it was apparent that this defeat was a huge blow to him.


    As the guardians of the Tinder Origin, he had heard the legend regarding ��the traveler below the starry sky��. Legend had it that the sword would slash through all obstacles. If they were to lose to such a powerful strength, they would accept their defeat humbly. But the problem was that they couldn��t accept this result despite being mentally prepared.


    Rhode didn��t even display his overwhelming strength and it was as though a lion teasing a mouse. As guardians, they were most proud of their strength. But now, their pride was smashed completely.


    At this moment, Rhode gazed curiously at them. He had heard from Marlene about their identities.


    Humanoids.


    Just like on earth, humans needed the latest and most advanced technologies. However, some dangerous and unsuitable areas were left for the robots. No matter where on earth, humans held similar thoughts while Humanoids were the result of that. They were similar to the Behermes, but different in substance. If the Alchemy Elves were ��semi-biochemical beings�� created from the merging of flesh and alchemy spells, the Humanoids would be entirely ��man-made beings�� injected with a soul.


    Rhode had to admit that he was stunned when Marlene explained it to him.


    No wonder they were magic artisans who were second to a Creator Dragon Soul. Creating a man-made body and injecting a soul into it had reached a pinnacle humans couldn��t achieve. Another level higher would be to create the soul, which was something that humans couldn��t even imagine doing. Although Humanoids possessed human souls, their strength didn��t reach a level where a single punch could destroy the earth or sun. However, their threats to Chaos increased tremendously, as they didn��t require the strength of Order and could freely roam in the Chaos vortexes. Not only that, but they could also activate their own Order barrier. They were guardians specially created to deal with the disasters of Chaos.


    Besides, they were the only beings who could ��switch classes�� and become a Spirit Swordsman.


    Although Rhode admired their perseverance in safeguarding the Tinder Origin for centuries, this couldn��t make up for their terrible battle tactics.


    ��Hmph. If it weren��t for you who made such a shameless move on Big Sister, do you think we will lose so terribly?��


    The younger sister gnashed her teeth and complained. Even though Rhode heard from Marlene that he was basically the owner of the Tinder Origin now, it was apparent that this little fella had no considerations of treating him as one.


    ��If it were a frontal attack, how would I possibly����


    Before the younger sister finished her sentence, Rhode snapped his fingers.


    In the blink of an eye, a prairie under the bright moon replaced the room. The trio who stood before Rhode had been transported to the basin in the distance. Then, a deep rumble sounded and an enormous, ten-meter-long magic cannon emerged out of the pitch-black night sky with its pitch-black opening aimed at the trio. At this moment, the younger sister was stricken into silence.


    ��This is how a Spirit Swordsman should be��all the trump cards in their arsenal.��


    In the blink of an eye, the prairie under the night sky and the magic cannons vanished to nowhere. The four of them returned to the room. At this moment, the younger sister clung onto her older sister��s arm and stared worriedly at the terrifying young man. On the other hand, the older sister also widened her eyes in astonishment. The white-haired man froze to the spot and his already pale complexion turned ashen. He had never expected that a Spirit Swordsman could be this powerful.


    Indeed, just as Rhode mentioned, it couldn��t be easier if he wanted to kill them. As long as he activated [Casali under the night sky] and dragged them into his space, he could instantly slaughter them after activating [Dusk of Annihilation].


    Are these people really man-made?


    Rhode twitched his brow. From what he thought, the so-called man-made humans should be typically expressionless like robots. They wouldn��t care about their safety and after experiencing a heart-wrenching battle to save the world, they suddenly obtained a human heart or something�� Weren��t the best-selling novels usually written this way?


    But after considering that the Humanoids were actually man-made bodies with new souls and weren��t actually dead from the start, it would be more appropriate to call them man-made beings than man-made humans, wasn��t it? Judging from this angle, the humans seemed to have a more advanced level of magical technology than the Behermes.


    ��I was only probing your strength. If this were an official battle, your battle tactics would fail completely. Perhaps you may dominate an idiot with 9 IQ, but you��re still lacking a lot.��


    ��S-So?��


    The younger sister lifted her head stubbornly and forced herself to stare at the young man. Rhode narrowed his eyes slightly.


    ��So, I want to give you a special training. I rarely have the chance to meet any Spirit Swordsmen and it definitely isn��t something fortunate for me if you die in the Chaos vortexes. So���� Rhode paused. Then, he revealed a mesmerizing smile. ���� I will guide you well.��


    If one were to speak of the difference between the Tinder Origin and the refuge, it would be that when one lifted one��s head, one would see the white clouds and dazzling sunlight from the Tinder Origin. But the strange thing was that even though the burning tinder was above them, the ��glow of the setting sun�� could be seen slowly fading away as the tranquil night fell upon the tower.


    What a reminiscent view��


    Rhode gazed at the night sky, but he was interrupted by footsteps from behind shortly after.


    ��Marlene?��


    ��Rhode, why don��t you get some rest?��


    Marlene went up to him and asked. Then, she also lifted her head and gazed at the night sky as well as the green vines climbing up the tower. Rhode shrugged.


    ��I thought I could relax a little since we��ve finally come to a more normal place. If we succeed, we won��t need to see the horrible Chaos vortexes anymore�� Although we won��t get to see them if we fail either.��


    ��Pfff.��


    Marlene let out a chuckle. Then, she lowered her head and the smile on her face disappeared.


    ��Sorry�� Rhode����


    ��Sorry?��


    Rhode turned around curiously and the young lady bit her lip and nodded slightly.


    ��Yes, you should also be aware of the reason why I�� followed you everywhere in the past. Even though I did want to come clean with you, this is a family secret, after all. Besides, I don��t know how to open up to you. No matter what, this feels as though����


    She was making use of me.


    Although Marlene didn��t complete her sentence, Rhode knew what she meant. Perhaps her feelings for him were genuine, but her motive for staying with him wasn��t that simple. Even though she didn��t induce him into doing anything, the result was as though what the Senia Family said��head to the Land of Chaos and arrive at the Tinder Origin that was related to them. Judging from this, it seemed like all of his actions were within the grasp of the Senia Family?


    ��There��s no need to feel bad.��


    ��Huh?��


    Marlene lifted her head in astonishment. Then, Rhode waved his hand with an airy gesture.


    ��Everything that I��ve done has been planned out a long time ago. They were all completed by my own will, and I was never affected by anyone. So, this isn��t your fault at all. Although the reason for you to follow me seems important to you, it is a pity that I��ve never believed in fate. To me, the best thing that fate has done for me is����


    Rhode extended his hand and caressed her hair gently.


    ���� Bringing you to my side, Marlene.��

 Chapter 870 - Battle Preparations

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    For Rhode, the unpredictability of fate was just too much. He didn��t believe nor deny the existence of fate. Even on Earth, where technology dominated all humans, humans were still ignorant about whether luck and destiny existed. These were all meaningless because to him, if fate could bring young ladies to him one after another, he would never resist it. But in turn, if fate took away young ladies from him, he would resist until the very end.


    Ultimately, fate wasn��t too different from other things. As long as it could bring him happiness, he would gladly accept it. But he would decisively eliminate it if it were disadvantageous. He wouldn��t accept how Marlene gave her entire life to the hands of fate or deny her. After hearing her explanation, he finally understood where her inexplicable dedication came from when they were having ��intimate interactions��. Although Marlene didn��t make it clear, Rhode easily guessed her thoughts judging from the plethora of online novels that he read��it was most likely that she had the mindset of having to give her everything to the fated one.


    Rhode wasn��t too particular about this matter. He didn��t mind if she was genuinely in love with him, had the mentality to manipulate him, or had other external factors as she stayed by his side. The so-called ��even if you don��t have any advantages, I will still love you�� sort of pure love was basically the fantasy of youths. There must be some reason for a female to express her love to the other party, be it the other party��s charming appearance, wealth, or pitiful background. No matter what, one must have suitable conditions to admire one and females had different choices in their lives. There would always be a reason for love or hate.


    Rhode understood Marlene��s sense of guilt. No matter if she was born a noble or how much education she received, he was the first person whom she had given her everything to. She was still a young lady and it went without saying that she hoped to fall in love like other ordinary women. But with such a hidden motive, she naturally was embarrassed to tell him the truth. However, Rhode consoled her lovingly, so she laid down the huge burden on her mind. But what bothered him was that even though Marlene didn��t seem to be concerned about this matter anymore later on, her actions seemed to have become somewhat decisive as though she had made up her mind about something.


    This young lady wouldn��t do something silly thanks to that so-called fate, right?


    Rhode let out a gentle sigh before tapping the sword in his hand.


    ��That��s all for today.��


    ��Yes�� Sir.��


    The three Humanoids who had crumbled to the ground answered in unison. Although they were physically stronger than humans, not anyone could tolerate the intensity of Rhode��s training. Moreover, Rhode turned up the intensity after learning from Marlene that their strength and tolerance was much more impressive than ordinary humans.


    In the end, the three pitiful humanoids couldn��t even stand on their feet as sweat poured from their foreheads. Standing before them were Celia, Celestina with her crossed arms, and Gracier.


    ��Haze, your movements are too slow. Besides, the spirits aren��t for you to waste. You don��t even have a sequence of attacking moves and you��re sacrificing them like nothing. Did you really think that you can simply come up with an endless supply of spirits?��


    Rhode swept a cold glance at the man who finally stood to his feet, The man bent over and bowed respectfully, accepting the valuable criticisms. Perhaps from the start, he was dubious of Rhode��s strength, but after the days of ��training��, he discovered that Rhode was on a totally different level. As the strongest guardians of the Tinder Origin, they felt as though they were helpless babies learning how to walk from an adult before this young man.


    ��Rain.��


    Rhode called and shifted his gaze to the older sister who struggled to stand up. Although she was drenched in sweat, she gnashed her teeth and forced herself up. Thereafter, Rhode realized that this young lady��s rule was ��heal��. Under the right conditions, she could instantly heal her summoned spirits, which was a great support for a Soul Messenger Spirit Swordsman like herself. But it was a pity that it wasn��t enough to stop Rhode as he could sneak past her spirits and defeat her instantly.


    ��You��re learning fast. Next, you��ll be using your abilities to battle with spirits. Although your rule makes you suitable to stand by the rear, you can form an impenetrable wall in the frontline under the right conditions. But before that is possible, you need to learn how to simultaneously command the spirits to attack and defend. I guess this shouldn��t be too hard for you.��


    ��Ah�� Yes, Master. I will do my best.��


    Rain blushed and answered hurriedly. After that defeat, this young lady always blushed whenever she saw him. Not only that, but her eyes were also wandering all the time. It seemed like what happened was a huge blow to her. But�� for some unknown reason, she had called him ��Master�� ever since that day. Although Rhode felt it was ridiculous, he was used to others calling him that, which was why he simply let her be.


    ��You should stop being bothered by unnecessary thoughts. Perhaps you may feel embarrassed if you exposed yourself by accident, but your enemy won��t care if you��re a man or woman. If you can��t continue to unleash your skills, you will end up worse than unconscious the next time.��


    ��Ah�� Yes, Master. I will take note.��


    The young lady lifted her head frantically like a little rabbit, nodding with might. Then, she blushed after exchanging looks with him and once again lowered her head. Rhode shook his head helplessly and shifted his gaze to the little fella who looked like a grudgeful kitten.


    ��Heart�� You��re foolish beyond cure. Next time�� No, I won��t be surprised if I see your corpse on the battlefield in the future. You possess such powerful strength, and yet you tried to launch an ambush? Maybe I should summon the Hell Hound for you to have a heart to heart talk with it.��


    ��Hmph��!��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s mockery, Heart let out an angry snort and turned away. In fact, she improved a lot during these days of training. But due to her rude attitude when they first met, Rhode enjoyed messing with her, which turned her into a fuming kitten every time she met him.


    ��That��s all for tod-��. No, for this segment.��


    Rhode gazed at the trio before turning to the lake glittering under the radiance of the tinder. He knitted his brows and clenched his fists. It was almost time. Everyone including the residents and guardians of the Tinder Origin got into defensive formation. The enemies that they would be facing were the Chaos vortexes and an endless amount of Chaos Creatures. As soon as the battle began, everyone could only describe the number of enemies as��


    Unlimited.


    Yes, an unlimited number of Chaos Creatures would launch their attacks on the Tinder Origin, in an attempt to destroy the only tinder of Order. The battle would continue until Rhode awakened the tinder and eradicated Chaos. There wouldn��t be time for breaks and the enemies wouldn��t retreat, unless the Dragon Soul protection was reawakened and eliminated all Chaos.


    ��Take a break, we��ll continue tomorrow.��


    Rhode nodded to the trio. Then, he walked to the edge of the plaza where Marlene and another white Humanoid stood. However, this Humanoid was much older than the trio��he was the elder who was responsible for the maintenance of the Tinder Origin.


    ��How��s the progress, Sir Elder?�� Rhode asked while the elder nodded.


    ��All preparations are ready: the defense mechanisms are in place and the people need another half a day to clear out the area.��


    ��Alright then, let��s get to it the day after tomorrow.��


    Rhode pondered in silence and gnashed his teeth after making his decision. Next, he needed Marlene to use her mysterious staff to open the entrance that would lead to the tinder. After he awakened the tinder, the tinder would erupt with defensive powers. But at the same time, it also meant that the attacks of the Chaos vortexes would also begin. Therefore, the defense preparations needed to be completely ready by then. They had to evacuate the elderly and children into the deepest underground shelter while others would defend the Tinder Origin until the final moments. Meanwhile, Rhode would lead 10 of his selected men to where the tinder was located and complete the awakening ritual.


    At this moment, Rhode felt rather tense because he understood how powerful the Chaos vortexes were. In fact, the reason why players formed parties of at least a hundred members before entering the Land of Chaos was because 85 percent of them would be defending against the Chaos vortexes. On the other hand, the remaining 15 percent would be more than enough to enter the maze. But now, even though Rhode had the support of that many natives, how many would survive after he awakened the tinder?


    ��By the way.��


    Rhode recalled something.


    ��Where��s Christie?��

 Chapter 871 - The Unmoving Library

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    There was a three storey library sitting quietly inside the tower under the shade of trees. The rather old, broken walls were filled with crawling vines and leaves, giving a rare, peaceful atmosphere to the place. Rhode pushed the door open and saw a petite figure reading a book. The little girl lifted her head curiously and revealed a grin.


    ��Ah�� Rhode����


    ��Christie, you��re reading again?��


    Rhode gazed at the surroundings. This quiet library was part of the tower. He heard from the elder that this was the cultural treasure-trove of the Senia Family, and no one had visited here for a long time. On the contrary, Christie seemed to like it here, which she often came here for the books. What surprised him was that even though the books weren��t written in the general language, Christie didn��t have any problems reading them. But after considering the other half of her soul inside her, it didn��t really seem impossible.


    Another half of her soul��


    This was the reason why he was here.


    He knew the reason why Marlene followed him here, so it was only Christie left. He knew that it would be a form of torture for a weak little girl like her to come to the Land of Chaos and he wouldn��t have agreed if it were possible. However, he changed his mind after listening to her words. But the problem was that Marlene had expressed her thoughts while Christie was still behaving as usual. After arriving at the Tinder Origin, she basically holed herself up in the library and didn��t seem to have something she needed to accomplish.


    ��Christie, how do you feel here? Still alright?��


    Rhode went up to Christie and also nodded to Bell who stood silently behind. Then, he caressed her hair and said. Christie narrowed her eyes like a blessed kitten and nodded slightly.


    ��Yes�� Rhode. This place is quiet and comfortable. There are so many interesting books too����


    ��Glad to hear that.��


    Rhode revealed a gentle smile. Although he didn��t know why the other ��Christie�� wanted to be here, Christie��s behavior comforted him a lot. He initially thought that this adventure would leave her exhausted, but it seemed like everything was fine. He shifted his gaze to Bell, who was standing on the spot and gazing blankly at the flipping pages in Christie��s hands as though they were reading together.


    These two little fellas are kind of amusing.


    Rhode nodded before quietly making his way. Back then, it seemed like it was the right choice to leave Bell with Christie as the latter needed a friend who was closer in age with her. On the other hand, Bell, who had never interacted with the outside world, needed a kind, helpful person to guide her along.


    That��s all for now, I suppose.


    Rhode took two steps back quietly to not disrupt the two little girls in their own world. Even though he didn��t know what the other ��Christie�� wanted to do, the battle would begin tomorrow after the evacuation. If the defense eventually couldn��t hold up, he would keep Christie by his side because he was confident in protecting her no matter how dangerous the situation was. Moreover, with Bell by her side, there wouldn��t be too much trouble. Perhaps Christie also had things that she needed to do, just like Marlene. Since Christie didn��t seem to have the intention of telling him, it might be due to the other ��Christie�� not informing her of anything yet.


    Boom.


    ��Ah!��


    As Rhode strolled in the library, someone turned the corner and bumped into his chest. Then, he heard a shriek and the sound of a pile of books falling to the ground. He lowered his gaze and saw a young lady on the ground. She had black, silky long hair that reached her waist. She wore a black dress and a pair of long socks, as well as a pair of brown leather shoes.


    ��Sorry, I didn��t notice anyone around.��


    Rhode offered his hand. The young lady gazed at him for a few seconds before holding his hand and standing to her feet.


    ��No, I��m sorry, Sir Overlord. I didn��t notice that you��re here.��


    The young lady knelt and stacked up the books.


    ��You��re also a resident here?��


    Rhode scanned her curiously as her dress was rather unique��it was neither the white leather armor that the humanoids wore nor the rough, plain robe that the residents were clad in. On the contrary, the young lady wore a dress that seemed like what ancient nobles would wear. This piqued his curiosity instantly. If he recalled correctly, the elder had introduced the composition of the residents in the Tinder Origin. There was no class division in this place that was separated from the outside world. Even though there were rulers and the ruled, there shouldn��t be nobles.


    The young lady lifted her head and nodded.


    ��Yes, I��m a resident here, Sir Overlord.��


    �� Although somewhere didn��t seem right, it was fine since they could still communicate.


    ��By the way, why did you call me ��Sir Overlord��?��


    Rhode asked curiously while the young lady answered.


    ��Because I heard the visitors calling you ��Sir Overlord��. That should be the way they address a ruler in the outside world, right? Although I should call you ��Sir Elder�� considering the custom and your identity here, I addressed you as ��Sir Overlord�� instead, in order to not raise any confusion. If you feel that this isn��t appropriate, I can change the way that I address you.��


    The young lady��s voice was as calm, gentle, and soft as the atmosphere of the library. Although there wasn��t any echo, Rhode heard her crisp voice clearly. He shrugged before stretching his arms to lift up the stack of books, which astonished the young lady.


    ��Sir Overlord?��


    ��Since it was me who bumped into you, I should express my apologies. Where do you intend to put this?��


    There are about a dozen books in this pile. No wonder she can��t see her way. But��


    ��Please come with me.��


    The young lady turned around and led Rhode around in the library for quite some time, until they finally arrived by a particular shelf.


    ��This is the shelf. Please pass the books to me.��


    ��Sure.��


    Rhode put down the books and scanned curiously at the surroundings. There wasn��t any dust on the floor, window, or even the shelves. It seemed like someone had cleaned this place up thoroughly. However��


    ��Is it necessary to clean this place? If I recall correctly, no one visits here, right?��


    Previously, the elder mentioned that the residents here weren��t interested in books, which was also what Rhode observed. Apart from Christie and Bell, there wasn��t anyone else. Of course, perhaps all the interested ones were evacuating at the moment.


    ��Even if no one comes to the library, it is still my job. Besides����


    The young lady turned to the two petite figures.


    ���� It doesn��t seem like my job is meaningless.��


    ��You��re right.��


    Rhode displayed a smile for a second before returning to his poker face.


    ��Alright then, I shall leave the two girls in your care. By the way, tomorrow will be the last day of evacuation: you should also get prepared. From tomorrow onward, we will be facing a relatively vicious attack, where even this place may be affected.��


    ���� I understand, thank you for your reminder.��


    ��You��re welcome.��


    Rhode waved his hand casually before turning around. Then, he turned around as though he recalled something.


    ��By the way�� Hmm?��


    Other than the books that were neatly arranged on the shelves, the young lady who stood there a second earlier was nowhere to be seen.

 Chapter 872 - Opening the Door of Order

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Time��s up.


    Rhode gazed at the moving pointer in the old pocket watch. Then, he stood up and put away the pocket watch, lifting his head and gazing at everyone before him. Currently, there were his men and residents of the Tinder Origin. But no matter their identity, they only had the same goal in mind now.


    ��Is everything ready, Sol, Sovann?��


    ��Yes, Sir Overlord.�� Both of them answered promptly. ��The Mage Armed Forces are positioned on the dominant point of this tower, where they can deal with all battles going on in every corner. We��ve also prepared the Order bombs but will not use them until the final moments.��


    ��You don��t have to wait until the final moments because the Chaos Creatures might be stronger than we expect. Once you realize that they are stronger than you can handle��just like Serras��s projection back then, I permit you to use them.�� Rhode turned to Lesa and the latter took a step back. ��The Bow Knights are ready. Betty will command them on my behalf.��


    ��Good. Remember my words. If I recall correctly, the light halo can destroy all the Chaos Creatures that barge in. You have to grasp the timing perfectly; don��t mess up. After the attack of the light halo ends, your duty isn��t to eliminate the Chaos Creatures. Instead, you should delay them until the next light halo. Understand?��


    Rhode nodded and spoke. Thanks to the Country of Darkness, they had no lack of experience in defense warfare. Besides, this tall tower wasn��t an ordinary building. It was the defense tower of the tinder. He heard from Marlene that there were several automatic magical rituals and cannons targeted at Chaos. As long as they were used appropriately, it wasn��t impossible to stop the Chaos Creatures. But�� there was also a limit.


    After doing thorough research on the tower, the strategy that Rhode proposed was to engage in an all-out defense with the Bow Knights as the core. The three humanoids would be responsible for leading the residents against the surface enemies and the remaining residents would be involved in maintaining and servicing the magic cannons. As for Rhode��s mercenaries, they would be coordinating with the residents in defense. Although the strategy was simple, this was the best solution for now.


    Furthermore, Rhode also learned from the elder that the vines that had climbed all over the tower were actually part of the defense�� Back then, Rhode relied on over 80 players to defend the Chaos vortexes. But now, the vines which he thought were ordinary plants were actually useful��


    Of course, they weren��t the trump cards to stop the Chaos Creatures. Just as Rhode mentioned, there would be an unlimited number of enemies and his side couldn��t eliminate them all. Therefore, their mission was to delay. After Rhode and his men found the tinder and awakened it, it would release a light halo every half an hour. The light halo would eliminate every Chaos Creature that entered the Order space. Therefore, what everyone had to do was to slow down the Chaos Creatures as much as possible, so they couldn��t enter the refuge within half an hour. It would be easy in the beginning, but the pressure would amount gradually. Rhode couldn��t care less about how others thought about how he gathered this information. After all, the most important thing for him now was to explain everything clearly to prevent accidents. If he were to only give a partial account, everyone would be doomed.


    ��All right, that settles it then.��


    Rhode heaved a sigh and made up his mind. According to the guardians of this place, there were five floors to go through in order to enter the core. Judging from experience, that would be five small-scale dungeons. However, he didn��t know what the difficulty level would be. But since Marlene said that she would use the staff to dismantle the traps within, it shouldn��t be too challenging for him. He turned around at this thought and looked at everyone��Lize, Marlene, and Anne were confirmed to enter the ��dungeon�� with him. On the other hand, Bell and Christie were gazing at him in silence.


    Lize was nervous despite the countless battles that she had experienced. Anne was still as carefree as ever, hugging her shield and snoring away. According to Lize, Anne had been eating and sleeping all day ever since they arrived at this place�� That truly fit her character.


    Rhode shook his head hopelessly and dismissed the meeting, and everyone went to their posts and to get prepared. Currently, there was only one thing that he needed to do.


    ��Let��s go,�� he said.


    The stone door opened gradually and as the fluttering dust dispersed, a deep, dark tunnel was revealed before them. Marlene led the way with the staff and shortly after, dazzling magical radiance shone on the walls and illuminated the space.


    Then, the blinding magical radiance coalesced to form a beautiful ritual that extended across the walls.


    ��How magical.��


    Marlene exclaimed and widened her eyes in astonishment. Although it was their ancestors who created these things, she knew clearly that the Senia Family had lost more than half the magic technology over the centuries. Currently, the reason why the Senia Family was named the number one magic family in the Munn Kingdom was due to their remaining magic technology and hard work. The ancient technique that their ancestors used to create humanoids was completely lost. Come to think of it, perhaps this was part of the family��s plan to preserve such a perfect, ancient magic technology here.


    ��Interesting. They actually used magical rituals to light up the place. Isn��t that overly luxurious?�� Anne said as she scanned the tunnel curiously. Marlene let out a bitter laugh and explained.


    ��These magical rituals don��t just act as lights, Anne. They can also defend against the enemies. As you��re a person of Order, it won��t have any effects on you. But if it were the Chao Creatures, they��d be instantly shredded into bits.��


    ��Oh�� I see. That��s interesting.��


    Anne stared at the magical rituals as though she was about to dig a chunk out for a closer look. At this moment, Lize anxiously held back Anne��s sleeve to stop her from acting recklessly. Marlene shook her head with a bitter smile before shifting her gaze ahead.


    We��re almost there��


    Marlene slowed down her pace before taking a peek at Rhode behind her. At this moment, he was boringly looking at the magical rituals as though he didn��t notice her. But��


    What will he think of me after everything ends? He won��t be able to accept what I��m about to do, right?


    Marlene lowered her head and clutched the staff tightly. She understood his thoughts, but the thing that she couldn��t change what she was about to do. Although the Senia Family had indeed lost countless ancient, inherited technologies, their core knowledge was still present. And now, Marlene was the ��key�� to restoring everything for her family.


    This is all that I can do. My purpose of living and fate. Rhode��


    After a while, everyone came to a halt. At this moment, there was a large, metallic door that was five-meters-tall and three-meters-wide standing before them. There were also a dozen connected gears and bearings on its surface and a groove in the middle as though it was for a key.


    This is it.


    Rhode couldn��t help but feel anxious. He sensed the dense aura of Order from behind the door. But this also felt as though it was a hibernating creature waiting to be awakened. Although he knew that this creature would be his watchdog after awakening, this massive force left him rather nervous. But�� Rhode knitted his brows all of a sudden. Why did it feel as though he had felt this pressure before?


    ��This is the place, Rhode,�� Marlene said and it was apparent that she was also extremely nervous.


    ��As soon as we open this door, the tinder will enter the ��activated�� mode. Are you ready, Rhode? Will the few of us here be enough to pass the test and reach where the tinder is?��


    Ready?


    Rhode puckered his brow. Then, he looked down at Christie who held onto his hand and Bell on the other side. There were also Marlene, Anne, and Lize��


    ��Indeed. We may not have a lot of people, but����


    Rhode snapped his fingers. Shortly after, a dazzling summoning ritual erupted from his body and overwhelmed the radiances on the walls. Then, five cards spun in midair and light beams of various colors burst out from the ground, enveloping them entirely. After a few moments, five figures emerged.


    The Battle Angel in silver armor. The demon young lady with pitch-black wings. The White Elves wrapped in white robes. And��


    ���� Shira, are you alright?��


    Rhode gazed palely at the pile of rotten flesh before him, at the same time shielding Christie behind him. Currently, Shira was in the state when she was ripped apart by Serras�� projection. Her body had been split into three, and ribs and bones poked out of her flesh. Her skull was also slashed in half from the middle and her split tongue shook on its own. If it weren��t for her right hand clasping the red sword trying to support herself up, perhaps Rhode would have believed that she was dead.


    What��s this situation?


    Marlene looked with an ashen expression while Lize quickly turned around in discomfort. Bell covered Christie��s eyes with her tiny hands and she watched the wall instead. No matter what, it was uncomfortable to look at a twitching, split corpse.


    ��Hahaha�� I��m fine�� Master�� I feel as great as ever����


    Shira supported herself on the chunk of flesh that seemed to be her left leg and stood to her feet. Then, she let out a crazy laughter while shaking her left hand that was only left in bones.


    ��Hahaha�� It��s so painful, and yet feels so good. Hahaha�� I��m captivated�� Master����


    ��All right. Hurry up and restore your usual self.��


    Rhode had to admit that even though he had killed countless people and was more used to seeing corpses than most humans, it was unbearable to see this young lady who he had intimate interactions with in this state��he never wished to experience this ever again.


    ��Hahaha����


    A scarlet radiance shone and enveloped her entirely. After a few seconds, the radiance dissipated and the disgusting chunk of flesh was nowhere to be seen.


    The young lady wearing the tattered dress tilted her head, stood nonchalantly before Rhode, and her green eyes emanated a crazy aura.


    ��Hahaha�� I was right to have chosen you as my master: there are so many enemies that can leave me in agony�� Hahaha�� I like it a lot, Master. So this time�� who shall be our enemy?��


    ��Alright, get ready to battle.��


    Rhode swept a look at her. In the game, he had assistance from players, but he used his holy sword cards as replacements in this world. After activating Taboo Halo, the holy sword spirits transcended into the Legendary Stage, and it couldn��t get simpler enough for them to deal with the ��dungeon�� ahead. However, this meant that he would be consuming a lot of spiritual powers to power their strength. Gracier and Madaras were still manageable. However, for a violent freak like Shira, perhaps all his spiritual powers would be consumed and that would be troublesome. If it were in the past, Rhode would definitely not do this. But��


    He reached out for the Illusion Crystal in his pocket and let out a sigh.


    I don��t have any other choices left.


    ��Let��s start, Marlene.��


    Marlene nodded and gazed at Shira palely. Then, she went up to the door, took a deep breath, and pushed the mysterious staff into the slot.


    Kacha.


    The three biting gears on the tip of the staff fitted perfectly into the metallic door. Shortly after, the magical gems embedded all over the door emanated blinding radiances that coalesced toward the center. Marlene held the staff firmly in her hands and suddenly, the radiances flickered and the three gears rotated slowly.


    Creak��


    The other mechanisms on the metallic door began to operate and shortly after, two bursts of steam were ejected from both sides of the door. The incredible strength of Order erupted at this instant and a golden halo emerged from the door, sweeping past everyone before vanishing at the end of the tunnel.


    Shortly after, the door that had been sealed for centuries gradually opened.

 Chapter 873 - The Cries of Chaos

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    White bursts of steam ejected from the metal pipes lined on both sides of the door. In the blink of an eye, the blinding strength of Order swept everyone in the form of a halo as it extended to the end of the tunnels. The door slowly opened, revealing a wide, glorious space that resembled a high-tech automatic factory.


    ��Let��s go.��


    Rhode said and took a step forward, but he realized that something was amiss. At this moment, the little hand that was holding onto his hand loosened its grip. He knitted his brows and turned to Christie who stood on the spot.


    ��Christie.��


    ��Good job, Master.��


    ��Christie�� lifted her head and her deep purple pupils emanated a bright radiance. She also revealed unprecedented excitement and comfort on her face. She extended her hand and caressed Rhode��s cheek before taking a step back.


    ��The Order channel is open so I can show up here. Don��t worry, Master. Christie and I will protect the rest out there. It��s all up to you next, Master.��


    ��Christie�� turned around and gazed at Marlene. The latter felt as though the gaze penetrated her deepest thoughts and at this moment, there were no secrets being kept from this little girl.


    ��The key of Order, I represent Master in thanking your contribution���� ��Christie��s�� voice rang in Marlene��s head. ��Everything that the mage family has done for Master will not be forgotten. As a servant to my master, you must feel proud about it, Sister Marlene. The Senia family��s glory will prosper like it was in a millennium ago, thanks to you. It shall return with the ritual you constructed with life. Although I don��t think that Master will allow this to happen, you should do what you think is right. I guess it is about time����


    ��Argh����


    Marlene felt a disturbing sensation in her body. Then, her chest burned for a split second before vanishing to nowhere. She let out a groan while staring at the little girl. However, it seemed like ��Christie�� had ended her statement as she turned to Rhode.


    ��Alright then, Master����


    ��I��ll leave it to you�� No, to all of you, Christie.��


    Rhoded pondered for a few moments. Judging from the words of the other ��Christie��, it seemed like both Christies had discussed this matter before coming here. Although he didn��t know how they communicated, now wasn��t the time to figure this out. It was apparent that the other ��Christie�� showed up here to help him defend the tower against the Chaos vortexes, so he heaved a sigh of relief. He felt safer to keep Christie by his side since it was more dangerous on the outside. But no matter how powerful Christie was, she couldn��t keep up with her current health conditions. Therefore, she might be better off defending against the Chaos vortexes than entering the ��dungeon�� with him. The other ��Christie��s�� battle techniques were suitable for AeE attacks and presumably, she also realized that, which was why she suggested this.


    ��I believe in your strength. But don��t act recklessly.��


    ��Don��t worry, Master. I swear with my honor that nothing will go wrong.��


    ��Christie�� jumped back lithely. Then, a purple lightning bolt erupted from her body and in the blink of an eye, she vanished from the tunnel.


    ��She left really quickly����


    Rhode shook his head helplessly.


    ��Bell, stay by Christie��s side and protect her.��


    ������


    Bell nodded in silence before running toward the end of the tunnel. Rhode gazed as she turned the corner and came back to his senses. He looked at the metal tunnel ahead and entered without hesitation.


    Victory or defeat will all depend on this move.


    ��Will everything be fine?��


    Purple lightning flashed across the tunnel. Christie flew with a pair of wings coalesced from the purple lightning and her petite, fragile body was filled with unprecedented strength. However, Christie knew that this wasn��t her strength. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum clearly told her that she couldn��t withstand such a powerful strength spiritually or physically.


    ��No problem, my other half. Believe in Rhode and yourself. We can take down the Creatures Creatures easily. Of course, it will be suicide for you if we continuously exert such strength. It will be fine as long as we act as the final defense here. Do you have anywhere you want to go before that?��


    The little girl flew out of the tunnel and hovered in midair within the tall tower with no one realizing her existence��s illusory presence. Christie pondered the question. Then, she subconsciously shifted her gaze to the big library hidden in the shade. The other ��Christie�� chuckled as though she were a mind reader.


    ��Good idea. At least for now, we don��t have any dangers to handle. So����


    ������


    The deep sound of rolling thunder interrupted her words. Then, they lifted their heads in unison, flew to the window, and looked at the scenery on the outside. They witnessed the starry sky, grassland, and the dazzling sun shining on the land in the near distance. However, the colors by the horizon slowly turned fuzzy. Grass that swayed in the whistling cold wind instantly withered and shattered��that was the corrosion by Chaos.


    ��Everything��s just like a millennium ago. Nothing changed.��


    Christie watched in silence, but she felt so nervous that she couldn��t catch her breath. If it were her alone, perhaps she would have been on the verge of fainting. But the other ��Christie��s�� powerful spirit was as though a solid armor protecting her from pressure by the approaching Chaos. As people of Order, Christie instinctively sensed the malicious intentions from the roaring winds.


    ��Chaos destroys Order, just like how cows eat grass. This is just how nature works, Christie����


    The other ��Christie�� suddenly sounded depressing for a second.


    ��The land of Order is like a fertile plain. No matter what, it will eventually be devoured by Chaos. But Order will not die. The withered grass shall return to the land before growing stronger. Of course, as long as they have the determination and will, even a barren desert will help them escape from the claws of Chaos.��


    Christie gazed ahead silently.


    ��So, watch carefully, Christie. They shall be the most terrifying enemies that you and Master will face in the future.��


    The wind in the distance turned violent as the other ��Christie�� spoke, and large patches of the verdant grassland withered completely before turning into dust. Fissures formed across the land and the bone-chilling coldness replaced the warmth in the air.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    The clouds in the distant horizon became dark and indistinct like ink permeating through pure water. Under the strong winds, hail struck the tower and windows heavily. The air became thicker as though one was standing on a battlefield full of corpses: disgusting and revolting. At this moment, Christie covered her mouth with her hand as though there was poison in the air. But even so, she was determined to observe the situation.


    ��They��re here.��


    It was as though one switched off the lights in the place, and thick layers of pitch-black clouds instantly concealed the sky. Then, dark lightning bolts burst and struck the ground heavily.


    The dark vestiges left behind by the lightning bolts suddenly writhed, coalesced, and transformed into new lifeforms that were ugly, filthy, and filled with unprecedented malicious intentions. Shortly after, they turned into a sea of pitch-black Chaos Creatures that let out disturbing growls while darting toward the tower.


    ��That��s it for now.��


    Christie turned around and stepped away from the window.


    ��It��s not our time to attack yet�� They have more than this up their sleeves.��


    At this moment, as though confirming her words, a dazzling magical radiance flashed outside the window. A huge explosion shook the place and overwhelmed the loud moans of the Chaos Creatures. This had lasted for millennia ever since the start of this world. And now, a new chapter had just begun.


    The big red sword slashed the construct in a powerful strike.


    Boom!


    The two-human-tall, metallic construct split into half immediately, crumbling to the ground as its gears fell off.


    ��Hahaha�� Not enough! Not enough at all!��


    Shira turned around and brandished her sword. At the same time, she threw a punch on another spider-like construct with her other fist. Boom! The construct flew off and crashed into the wall, shattering into a meaningless pile of spare parts.


    ��Ahhh, why are they so troublesome!��


    Anne leapt and the shield in her hand instantly changed its form to block the attack of a three-meters-tall construct. Then, she pulled Lize away and at the same time, a metal whip brushed their heads from above.


    ��Sister Marlene, didn��t you say that you��ve used the staff to deactivate the defenses? Why are all these irritating constructs still attacking us!�� Anne curled her lips and complained. She lifted the shield and almost immediately, a powerful whirlwind erupted around her, flinging off a construct that was about to pounce on her. She darted forward and flung the shield, slicing the construct like a gigantic sword. In the dazzling green elemental radiance of wind, the pitiful construct was smashed completely.


    ��I��ve indeed deactivated all the defensive mechanisms. But these constructs weren��t only created for defense.��


    Marlene felt helpless.


    ��According to the Senia Family��s records, the ones who are going to awaken the tinder have to pass the test. Perhaps these metal constructs are here for that purpose.��


    Marlene raised her staff as she explained. Then, the staff erupted a blinding burst of radiance that instantly halted the metal constructs. She struck the bottom of the staff to the floor, and multiple fireballs exploded and blasted the attackers away.


    ��Sister Marlene, Anne is sorry to say this, but Anne really feels that Sister Marlene��s ancestors seemed to have too much time on their hands����


    1������


    The corners of Marlene��s lips twitched slightly. But surprisingly, she didn��t retort. Perhaps she had the same thought as Anne. No matter what, the magic staff in her hand held the highest authority in this place. She had clearly dismantled the traps and yet, these constructs appeared out of nowhere. If it were possible, no one wished to engage in any battle now. After all, it would be wasting precious time at this critical juncture.


    But at this moment, Rhode gave an entirely different answer.


    ��No, these things are manipulated by someone.��


    Marlene was astonished.


    ��Manipulated? But�� I don��t feel myself controlling anything����


    ��It isn��t you. But I feel like these things are definitely manipulated by something.��


    Rhode withdrew his sword from the construct that he attacked. Then, he recalled his memories. In the game, he forcefully broke down the door as he didn��t have Marlene around, which undoubtedly triggered the warning system. Therefore, it went without saying that they were attacked by these constructs. Of course, these constructs were mostly around level 50 and were easy to deal with. Back then, they were extremely mechanical and rigid in their attacks. But now, Rhode discovered that their attack styles were similar to humans!


    This isn��t logical! (Although he wasn��t anywhere logical to exist in this world in the first place��)


    ��When you opened the door earlier, I felt as though something had woken up. I thought that perhaps it��s that thing controlling these constructs.��


    Rhode explained briefly and he had his reasons. If he went according to the game settings, he might have activated a hidden mission because he had Marlene with him this time. This was rather a common occurrence because hidden missions were usually tougher and presented better rewards. If this happened in the game, Rhode would gladly accept it. But now��


    Come on�� I��ve no time to deal with this now��

 Chapter 874 - A Two-sided Battle (1)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The radiance of the tinder grew ever brighter, but only lasted for a short while. It didn��t happen due to the attack that it received. Instead, it was a deeper layer of darkness that concealed its brilliance. The dense layers of cloud hovering by the horizon merged to form enormous vortexes that launched at the final defense of Order in their land.


    Countless trails of magical radiances flashed across the sky. In the blink of an eye, explosions that shook the ground swept along a series of storms and filthy, pitch-black gravel. Looking from a distance, it seemed like there were several fluffy tails swaying on the ground and separating the two sides. The mercenaries wielding their modified magic weapons didn��t need to aim at their enemies because there was a sea of them in a messy sight. Even if the mercenaries were to blindly blast their attacks, they would undoubtedly be sharp shooters. However, this was meaningless for them.


    ��Firebombs!��


    Sol raised his arm and commanded. The half-demons around him quickly retrieved a magazine filled with red projectiles and inserted it into the magic staff. Then, they scattered their positions and aimed forward. Scarlet radiances emanated.


    The dark, disturbing Chaos vortexes were immediately ignited and divided by tall walls of blazing flames. Before the Chaos Creatures reacted, colorful magic arrows streaked across the air and enveloped everything��scorching heat descended from above and surrounded all beings. The blinding lightning bolts blasted the rolling mass of enemies into bits. The dazzling, massive power of Order flipped the land of its soil and stopped the enemies from advancing forward.


    The magic cannons released powerful blasts and the faint radiance encircling them became increasingly brighter, where every light beam was as blinding as the sun.


    However, the Chaos Creatures continued to charge forward without stopping. The battle between Order and Chaos lasted for millennia. No matter if it was in the past, present, or future, they would continue battling forever until death. No, not even death would stop them. Order and Chaos would exist for eternity. They hated each other, which was why they slaughtered, devoured, and repeated the same battle over and over again.


    Bloody flesh, gravel, and soil were blasted into the air and before they touched the ground, they shattered into powder by the second wave of cannon blasts. The originally run-down tower revealed its prestige at this moment with golden rituals of Order emerging one after another like spider webs on its surface. Magic weapons that once destroyed and repelled Chaos enemies millennia ago emerged on the nodes of the rituals, shining in the glory that they once had. Magic beams of various powers descended from above like storms, evaporating every presence beneath it. Black smoke rose and merged with the dark clouds, engulfing the graveyard of death completely.


    The blazing, white magic beams were like knives slicing through butter. Moments later, the scorching waves burned everything in their path into powder. The land twisted, rolled, and crashed like violent waves burying the enemies to their graves. The mushroom clouds were as though the signs from the Grim Reaper, warning them of the price of their crime.


    Smoke shrouded the entire battlefield. The Bow Knights raised their bows and released their arrows, which flew across the darkness, once again. The blazing flames splashed as they struck the ground, melting the Chaos Creatures like wax in a sea of flames.


    But that was only how it seemed.


    Chaos continued to push forward without the harsh discipline of the Undead Army. But it was this berserk style of attack that gave everyone unprecedented pressure. There was only one word that emerged in their minds right now.


    Kill.


    The twisted Chaos Creatures were pounded by the magic beams into powder. However, they didn��t stop at all. They used their everything to fill up the openings in the battlefield in order to resist death and the magic cannons��all for the sake of destroying the Order tinder and restoring this land with Chaos.


    Everything was simmering and boiling as if they had reached the critical point of the pressure cooker. In the blink of an eye, the vortexes rose wildly while lightning struck heavily from the dense, dark clouds. The power of destruction swept across the battlefield instantly with wild winds shifting their trajectory and spiraling around the lightning bolts to form thunderstorms. Everything sounded like murmurs��as though millions of people were murmuring in one��s ears. Although one couldn��t discern the true words behind the clamors, one instinctively knew one thing��and that was to raise one��s weapon and do their best to slaughter all these bastards.


    ������������


    At this moment, a blinding halo spread from the peak of the tower in all directions with the tinder in the center. It wiped out the dark clouds, revealing the pitch-black night sky once again. The Chaos bits and fragments floating on the surface were immediately turned to ash and verdant grass grew on the land just like before. Absolute Order suppressed Chaos in the blink of an eye. The battle came to an instant halt and the place returned to peacefulness.


    But��


    At the next moment, dark clouds once again gathered and the destroyed Chaos returned with no hesitation. The lush grassland withered and dark lightning bolts struck in loud explosions. The Chaos Creatures and the dazzling magical radiance once again became the protagonists of the show, symbolizing the start of a new page of the endless eternal vengeance between Order and Chaos.


    ��It�� opened its eyes.


    Even though it was a few hundred meters underground, it sensed the atmosphere from the battlefield. The trembling ground from the blasts affected it. The familiar, mesmerizing urges in battles were messing with its senses constantly. The stench of Chaos and even the infiltrated soil wrapped its body wildly. The unforgettable crime was re-emerging in a totally different form while taunting Order.


    But it could only remain here.


    ��It�� opened its eyes slowly, suppressed its hatred of Chaos and continued to quietly wait just like it did for thousands of years. All it had to do was to wait in silence for the right moment.


    ��������!��


    Marlene came to a halt. Just a few seconds ago, she felt her heart pounding and a scorching sensation flowed inside her. Although it didn��t hurt her, it disrupted her spell-casting move, so she took a step back while gnashing her teeth, barely dodging from the metal construct��s attack. On the other hand, Anne darted to her side and swung her shield to strike the enemy away. Then, a silver radiance flashed and Celia descended from above with her expanded wings. She punctured the enemy before her with her dazzling blade and rescued everyone from the crisis.


    ��Marlene, how are you feeling? Are you alright?��


    Lize went up to her side and asked anxiously. As a Cleric, it was essential that she was aware of her teammates�� health. Therefore, Lize instantly realized that something was amiss. Marlene bit her lip and shook her head.


    ��It��s nothing, Lize. I was just����


    Although Marlene said so, she knew that the situation wasn��t this simple. Ever since they entered the door, she felt as though something inside her was moving. Even though the strength of Order in this area was stable and the flow of magical powers in her was smooth without any issue, she quickly discovered that there was a weak, burning power slowly waking up. Previously, it only beat occasionally like a heart and didn��t affect her in battle. But now�� This presence affected her judgment in battle.


    How strange. I don��t remember Father mentioning this strange power. Where did it come from?


    ��What��s wrong, Marlene? Is anything wrong?��


    At this moment, Rhode knitted his brows and went up to her. In fact, Rhode was also feeling disappointed because apart from finding rare equipment after defeating the metal constructs, the truly wonderful equipment was usually locked up in treasure chests located in ancient dungeons. This was the reason why players generally came to such places when exploring new territories and they brought players who were experts in unlocking chests. But now, he only had Gracier and Madaras, and he couldn��t possibly waste their strength on that. This was why when they probed the traps, he got them to open chests along the way. But what disappointed him was that there were no signs of equipment at all. It was either ancient gold coins or a pile of materials for the constructs. The best results were only a few high-grade soul cores. He had even gotten Marlene to open the chests, but the results were the same. It seemed like luck was determined for all the chests since the instant he opened the first one?


    After a few worthless attempts, Rhode could only give up this idea and focus his attention on the BOSS.


    ��Rhode, I����


    Marlene puckered her brows and shook her head. She didn��t intend to explain much, but at this moment, she changed her mind and nodded firmly.


    ��Ever since we entered through the door, I felt strange. It feels like some powers inside me have slowly awakened. But I don��t recall anything about this from my family documents or from my father. Although the powers seem harmless, I still can��t figure it out.��


    ��Oh? Such a thing exists?��


    Rhode knitted his brows. It was common for NPCs to come up with such symptoms in hidden missions. However, players often had no solutions. Normally, players would just follow the NPCs around whenever something was wrong and NPCs would seek help from them after finding the source of the problem, which usually involved dismantling a seal, escorting them, or something similar. Players just had to complete their tasks and wouldn��t intervene with their personal matters.


    If Rhode were to judge based on his experience in the game��they were currently in a maze that her family had built and she felt that something awakened inside her. This shouldn��t pose too big of a problem. But�� He glanced at Marlene dubiously. He understood her very well. Just like Lize and Anne, Marlene wasn��t one who loved seeking help from others, especially during critical junctures. He knew that she wouldn��t show weakness unless she really couldn��t handle it herself. Therefore, Rhode just let out a casual remark and to his surprise, she came clean instantly. Come to think of it, she had been behaving uncharacteristically ever since coming to this place�� As though she was hiding something. Even though he didn��t know what was going on in her head, it seemed like it wasn��t something great, judging from her reaction.


    ��All right. Anne and Lize. You two protect Marlene from behind. Be careful of your surroundings, understand?��


    In fact, if it weren��t for Marlene who insisted on following, Rhode would have assigned Lize and Anne to the refuge and defense of the tower while he slaughtered his way with his holy sword cards. However, he had to change his plans to let Anne and Lize protect Marlene. No matter what, this was the maze that her family built. Perhaps he might need her help in the final moments and it seemed like his thoughts were right.


    ��Got it, Leader.��


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode.��


    Anne and Lize nodded firmly. They knew what their roles were. After all, apart from them and Rhode, the holy sword spirits didn��t need healing or protection. Therefore, they understood why Rhode had gotten them to follow him. This was why they didn��t leave Marlene��s side during battle, in order to prevent a tragedy from happening.


    ��Let��s go.��


    After confirming that the constructs around them were all destroyed, he beckoned to them. Currently, they were in a narrow, metallic corridor. A few moments ago when they entered this corridor, the constructs serving as decorations by the walls immediately launched their attacks. However, this standard of attack wasn��t worthy of their concern at all.


    But Rhode didn��t let his guard down. If he recalled correctly, they would be facing the BOSS of this floor after passing through this corridor. That BOSS wasn��t easy to deal with, especially when its powers were enhanced in its territory.


    A few moments later, everyone reached the end of the corridor. Marlene raised the staff and tapped on the metallic doors which shook and opened gradually. However��


    ��Hmm?��


    Rhode knitted his brows. The construct that should have been sitting quietly in the hall was nowhere to be seen. The entire hall was empty. There was nothing on the enormous platform. What exactly was happening? Could it be that the BOSS had disappeared due to the triggering of the hidden mission?


    ����!��


    Just as Rhode approached the platform curiously, a sense of danger shook him. Then, he retreated without hesitation. At the same time, a dense, pitch-black shadow descended from above and crashed into the spot where he stood earlier.


    Rhode sulked as soon as he witnessed the enemy.

 Chapter 875 - A Two-sided Battle (2)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Boom!


    An enormous shadow descended from above and crashed into the ground, scattering the smashed gravel. Rhode raised his head and stared at the fallen enemy. Judging from its appearance, it resembled a centipede that was magnified a few hundred times. A magical radiance flickered from its green shell. The razor-sharp teeth writhed on both sides of its metallic mouth parts, letting out a series of disturbing cackling. If this was all, perhaps Rhode would have treated it as just an ordinary creature. However, as soon as he witnessed the three magic cannons on it, he instantly threw this thought to the back of his head. The magic armor on this centipede should have belonged to the construct BOSS here. But now, it seemed like they fused and came up with a new ability.


    Is this considered the Holy Centipede Knight?


    ��Lize, Anne, put up your defenses. Beware of your surroundings!��


    This was all that he could say because at this moment, Shira had charged forward with her large sword while bursting out in a crazy laughter. Orders weren��t necessary to her. As long as she could kill the enemy, it would be victory. She didn��t care who was the one who killed the enemy, as long as there were corpses and blood.


    Clang!


    Shira brandished the sword and slashed the centipede��s metal claws. Sparks flew as she continued to circle the enemy from the side. At the same time, the two magic cannons on the enemy��s head shifted directions and their pitch-black openings aimed at the young lady. Then, dazzling radiance erupted.


    Shira had no intention of dodging. She tilted her head and watched as the magic beam got closer. Then, she let out a disturbing laughter and laid her sword before her, deflecting the green magic beam. At the same time, the second wave of attacks began.


    ��������!��


    Two blinding silver blade rays slashed an ��X�� in the centipede��s body. Gracier and Madaras emerged out of the shadows and punctured their daggers into the enemy. Dark green blood spurted from the wound and judging from the dense fog surrounding the enemy, it was apparent that this enemy wasn��t that easy to deal with.


    Lize chanted under her breath and raised her arms��a radiance shone from above and dispersed the fog around the enemy. Then, a black whip with countless thorns shot out from the shadows on the ground and bound the enemy tightly. At the next second, silver bladed rays illuminated the dark space as Celia brandished her sword in midair.


    If it were an ordinary creature, perhaps it would have been completely annihilated by now. But it was apparent that this enemy wasn��t easy to deal with at all. It let out a grueling howl and crumbled like fallen blocks instantly. Shortly after, the gigantic centipede split into hundreds of thousands of smaller centipedes that struck at the visitors.


    The ground burned in flames.


    The tower blasted a string of blazing fireballs across the sky, splashing a paint of scarlet in the dark clouds. Shortly after, dark lightning bolts blasted from the clouds and stopped the fireballs. At the same time, the enemies brought new reinforcements to the army of Chaos. The hundreds of thousands of strange, twisted-looking enemies fluttered their wings like hungry locusts rushing for food while letting out disturbing buzzes. They soared through the sky and crashed ruthlessly into the tower. On the other hand, the tower erupted blazing flames from the Order rituals and burned the enemies. But the enemies had no intention of stopping. The thick layers of cloud above split up and released countless bugs from within. Their buzzes overwhelmed the sound of explosion, thunder, and rumbling of the ground, leaving the entire battlefield in an unsettling state.


    The magic beam that was powerful enough to blast a deep gorge on the ground was useless against tens of thousands of tiny bugs.


    Another wave of attack.


    A young lady who stood by the edge of the tower hurled a bottle of Molotov cocktail forward. Shortly after, the entire mass of Chaos burned in a dazzling blaze as though flaming flowers were blooming before her. The gleaming colors of gold and red burned the bugs as fuel and a revolting stench exuded, forcing the young lady back by one step. At this moment, a few dozen bugs that survived the flames flew and landed on her face.


    ��Arghhh!��


    The young lady let out a blood-curdling screech. She reached out at her face frantically, but her snowy complexion was corroded by Chaos��it was as if she had been splashed by sulfuric acid. Then, her flesh writhed as though it was self-conscious. The bugs with razor-sharp teeth devoured her flesh and the bloody scent instantly attracted the surrounding Chaos Creatures.


    ��Ahhhh! No! No!!!��


    The desperate, frightened young lady squirmed in the pool of blood as the Chaos Creatures ripped and tore her flesh and organs. She reached out her hand helplessly for her companions, when suddenly a gigantic steel hammer crashed into her skull. Boom! Her skull was instantly smashed into a bloody mess. At this moment, two mercenaries rushed forth and hurled Molotov cocktails at their fallen comrade. The blazing flames formed a solid barrier that kept the Chaos Creatures away.


    No one was that naive to think that it had ended. The green vines that crawled around the tower instantly merged to form a defensive web. They released wind blades at the enemies that tried to barge in and shredded them into powder.


    Walls of fire and ice emerged around the tower, symbolizing that the battle had entered the next stage.


    Christie placed her tiny finger on the page and quietly read despite the screams, explosions, and the sound of thunder. No, it should be said that all clamors were blocked out and almost inaudible from inside the library. She sat on the wooden bench and flipped through the pages one by one. Then, she let out a sigh and closed the book. At this moment, a slender, dewy hand took over the book from her.


    There was no one beside her. But now, a young lady in a black dress suddenly appeared. She picked up the book and hugged it in her arms. She smiled and caressed the little girl, to which the latter narrowed her eyes, shook her head, and turned to Bell behind her. At this moment, Bell was staring at the book in her hand.


    ��Reading is really enjoyable. I��ve never felt tired of reading.��


    ��Books are meant for reading, giving knowledge and happiness. It��s great that you like reading.��


    The young lady skillfully arranged the books on the shelf. Then, she shifted her gaze to the floor as though looking through it and observing the battle that was taking place.


    ��Do you think�� we can win this time?��


    ��Victory is here. We just have to wait quietly. No matter if it��s me or my other half, we both believe in this.��


    ��Christie��s�� tone was steady and full of dignity, unlike in the past. At this moment, her purple pupils glinted as she gazed at the young lady.


    ��Master will definitely win, no matter if it is in the past, present, or future. As the recorder, aren��t you clearer than anyone about this, Darlaston?��


    The young lady didn��t respond. She merely extended her arm and a black, empty hardcover book appeared in her hand.


    ��I��m just the recorder of history. It is my duty to record everything that happens and not make wild guesses. Since you��re full of anticipation, I shall see if the ending is the same as you expect.��

 Chapter 876 - A Two-sided Battle (3)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The situation isn��t looking great.


    Rhode held his sword and knitted his brows at this scene. The pitch-black and silver flames interwove to form a defense barrier around him. However, this was far from enough because they began feeling tremendous pressure after the centipede split into thousands of smaller centipedes. Each of the meter-long creatures was built with four metallic limbs and their both ends had creepy, sharp mouth parts. Although everyone��s attacks could effectively eliminate them, the creatures would instantly regenerate and increase in numbers.


    ��This is getting tough.��


    Rhode mumbled under his breath. At this moment, Celestina scoffed and brandished her pitch-black chain sword, slicing into half one of the creatures that pounced on her. Then, the dark flames surged on the wounds and the creature squirmed on the ground. But shortly after, two metallic limbs grew from its severed wounds and it stood up once again.


    It was like a splitting cell. One turned into two and two turned into four. It was completely endless.


    Nothing good would come out of this if this continued. As a player, Rhode instinctively realized this danger. He knew that the original BOSS in this area had the powerful ability to regenerate and it was apparent that this centipede had also inherited this ability. Although Celestina��s and Celia��s flames could deal a certain amount of damage to them, the damage wasn��t lethal enough. Besides�� Rhode lifted his head and looked at the young lady who was swinging her sword like the Grim Reaper.


    ��Ahahahahah!��


    All Shira did was let out crazy laughter, mercilessly slashing the ground to bring down the enemies, slowing their rate of regeneration. She was just immersed in the thrill of slaughtering like a drug addict. She greedily soaked in the enjoyment and didn��t care about the consequences of her actions.


    ������!


    The creatures surrounding her spotted the chance to launch their attacks. They sprung off the ground and bit into her arms with their razor-sharp mouth parts��spinning and ripping into her tender flesh. As soon as she came to a halt, two other creatures crawled up her legs and dug into her flesh. Then, her skin bulged as blood spurted with sharp, long needles piercing out from within.


    If she were a human, perhaps she would be crying and praying now. But it was a pity that she was also a creature and was one at a level above them.


    ��Hahaha�� Hahaha��!��


    Shira slashed her blade on the part of her legs that was infested by the bugs. The bugs flew out of her flesh and at the same time, she blasted a powerful whirlwind that shredded them into bits. Not only that, but she also lowered her head, bit, and tugged the creature that punctured her arm.


    The dismantled creature spiraled in the air and vanished into nothingness from the red whirlwind.


    ��Ahahahahaah! How painful, but it isn��t enough. Not enough! Give me more! More pain!��


    She howled with laughter and released the steel chains on her body in all directions. In an instant, the wild, red whirlwind enveloped everything and not a single being was spared.


    Boom!


    Marlene raised the staff��countless streaks of lightning descended from above and struck the metallic creatures, stopping their movements instantly. On the other hand, Anne lifted her shield and her emerald green eyes emanated a shimmering radiance, and strong winds rose from the ground and eradicated the threat before her.


    Not enough. Not enough!


    Rhode gnashed his teeth. Then, he reached out to the Illusion Crystal in his pocket.


    Maybe there��s a solution.


    Rhode extended his arm and at the next moment, a card drawn with a beautiful night scene appeared in his hand.


    ��Everyone! Back down!��


    Celestina and Celia retreated quickly. At the same time, Gracier and Madaras showed up beside him. Shira was the only one who seemed oblivious to his command as she continued to hack the enemies before her. At this moment, all the creatures swarmed toward her and��


    A boundless night sky and vast prairie replaced the metallic hall. In the blink of an eye, Rhode��s group was instantly transferred to the peak of the hill while the tens of thousands of creatures were enclosed in the basin below.


    Rhode lifted his left hand and a card appeared in his hand once again. This time, it was a card with a picture of an enormous cannon in the night sky. The deep, pitch-black muzzle emanated a dazzling magical radiance as though a meteor streaking across the sky about to destroy everything.


    [Summon. Dusk of Annihilation]


    ������������


    White steam spurted in sharp, whistling sounds. Then, a massive shadow emerged in the dark, illusory sky��a cannon tower that was at least tens of meters tall followed an invisible trajectory as it streaked across the night sky. Magical radiance flashed and three rotating magical rituals shone by the empty cannon muzzle. An unprecedented, powerful force coalesced into a strength of mass destruction.


    The brilliance blasted and twisted the night sky, engulfing the creatures that were as small as ants. Then, an enormous whirlpool appeared in the punctured ground with radiances from lightning and flame merging together. The sharp sound of wind reached its peak as though signifying the start and end of the destruction.


    ��Phew����


    Rhode heaved an exhausted sigh. All his spiritual powers were drained from maintaining the five holy sword spirits, venue card, and the magic cannon blast. At this moment, the holy sword spirits were slowly becoming fuzzy as he lacked the spiritual powers to maintain their presence. At the same time the magic cannons blasted, he held onto the Illusion Crystal in his pocket and an endless source of spiritual powers flowed into his body to restore his strength. But this wasn��t enough. No matter how pure the spiritual powers were, they still weren��t from him, after all. But he couldn��t care too much about it because this wasn��t the end yet.


    The whirlpool stopped.


    Indistinct clamors could be heard from the center of the whirlpool which resembled the mumbles of a mentally disordered person in their sleep. Shortly after, the clamors turned into deep roars while the ground and grass rose skyward.


    A massive creature burst out of the ground, widening its eyes at the tiny creatures beneath. The creature wasn��t too different from the centipede. But the disgusting tentacles all around it were nowhere to be seen. Instead, what replaced them were strong arms. The powerful creature lifted its body off the ground and the reflections from the bloody flesh and metal were revolting. It looked like a huge tree that enveloped its prey with its shadow.


    Rhode stared blankly at this scene.

 Chapter 877 - The Centipede Warden

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The gigantic creature of metal lowered its head and stared at the enemies by his feet. Its six, strong muscular arms widened like thick tree trunks, enveloping everything in darkness and death. The metal and bloody flesh on its body emanated a disturbing radiance and Rhode clearly recognized it.


    Centipede Warden��Naxamas.


    In the Deepest Labyrinth, the Centipede Warden was the hardest to deal with among the ordinary elite creatures. It was massive in size, strong in magical resistance, and had strong flesh underneath its solid shell. Not only that, but its powerful thunder attacks were also lethal against large groups of players. Countless players underestimated it as a meat shield meant for delaying their time and were taught unforgettable lessons because it possessed a disgusting skill that had a certain probability to reflect all damage.


    According to the players, the probability was completely random. All in all, as long as the skill was triggered, their attacks would be reflected completely. Besides, there weren��t any signs before this skill was activated.


    In the end, the players came up with a strategy��they would take turns attacking it every 10 seconds. This way, they were confident that the threat of this ��reflect�� skill was decreased to a minimum. Although this would take a lot of time, this was much more effective than blindly taking it on.


    But now��


    Tsk. What luck.


    Rhode gnashed his teeth and stared at the enormous creature. Not even Serras��s projection was this hard to deal with. This Centipede Warden was different from the one that he met in the game. Back then, the Centipede Warden was a construct fully built from metal with magical properties. But now, this creature was obviously the fusion of a certain creature and magical equipment. Not only that, but Rhode currently also lacked sufficient damage output from his side��wait. This wasn��t the main point. It should be that this Centipede Warden was a level 80 elite construct; an enemy who would only show up in the deeper floors of the Deepest Labyrinth! Rhode was only at level 67, so how could he possibly take it down?


    Activate [Self-Affirmation]? What a joke. Wouldn��t he be committing suicide if he triggered its ��reflect�� skill?


    Since that was the case��


    Rhode swept a glance at his group before letting out a sigh. He clutched the Illusion Crystal in his right hand and lifted his left arm. Shortly after, summoning cards emerged in midair one by one with glowing radiances. In the blink of an eye, the prairie announced the start of the next battle.


    The Spear Defenders in silver, holy armor raised their spears and shields, marching out of the brilliance fearlessly. The Dark Rangers clad in black leather armor that stood up from the grass were at least one meter long. They raised their bows and aimed forward. The Ultimate Judges lifted their scepter, roared, and cast a powerful defense shield over everyone.


    On the other hand, the Departed Succubi clad in black dresses and leather boots casually walked out of the black fog and their mesmerizing scarlet eyes emanated an alluring radiance. Above them, the Spirit Bird soared into the air while the Centaur Knight stepped forward and stared at the enemy alongside the Hell Hound. Lastly, the little mermaid emerged in her water ball and the ice-cold air around her brought a layer of frost to the grass.


    ��Taboo Halo!��


    Rhode felt his spiritual energy drained instantly after summoning all his spirits. He gnashed his teeth and used all his strength to activate this skill. Shortly after, a dim yellow halo swept across the field and an incredible burst of strength erupted in his summoned spirits.


    Several silver, magical rituals appeared on the Spear Defenders�� white spears, flashing across their entirety. The bows in the Dark Rangers�� hands transformed and in the blink of an eye, became a large bow that was as tall as a human. The forceful upgrade in level instantly doubled their strength, where even Lize and Marlene stared blankly at the sudden emergence of this majestic army. Even though this wasn��t the first time that they witnessed Rhode summoning all the spirits, it was much more magnificent this time as they were upgraded. Currently, they were an army of nearly 100 summoned spirits and even the little mermaid with the lowest level had reached the Peak Master Stage. This army could easily destroy two territories or one nation. But now, they were fully focused on their biggest threat ahead.


    Rhode lifted his left hand and swung forward.


    ��Attack.��


    He commanded.


    The battle continued.


    Christie flipped the page in her hand as her purple pupils emanated a calm, elegant radiance. At this moment, she came to a halt and lifted her head to gaze at the young lady in dissatisfaction.


    ��Don��t you think this is too much, Darlaston?��


    The young lady in the black dress twitched her brow. Then, she arranged the books on the shelf neatly and responded.


    ��What are you talking about, Nabelis?��


    ��The Centipede Warden�� Is this a taunt to Master?��


    Suddenly, ��Christie�� paused and shook her head with a smile.


    ��Don��t worry, Christie. An enemy of this caliber won��t threaten Rhode too much.��


    After comforting her other half, ��Christie�� lifted her head and shot a look of resentment at the young lady. Then, a chilly air exuded in the silent library, where even Bell couldn��t help but shiver. Bell quietly puckered her brows and gazed at Christie.


    ��I don��t have the authority or reason to explain because I��m not in a position to. You��re aware that I��m just a recorder and observer of history. I don��t have the intention of being rude to Master, but it��s a pity that I can��t stop her actions. You should be as clear as me too. She��s only an empty shell now who has lost all restraint and is just a sealed monster in the underground.��


    ��There are no changes after so many years? She actually has the instinctive will to hang on for so long? She��s our companion indeed.��


    ��Christie�� quietly swept a glance at the young lady. The latter didn��t respond as she continued to place the final book into the shelf.


    ��Do you think that the ��original form�� can beat ��instincts��, Nabelis? According to my observations, the probabilities of devour, control, and elimination are high. Perhaps the only thing that we can do is fall back on the choice we made a thousand year ago. Are you sure this is the only solution?��


    ������


    ��Christie�� didn��t answer immediately. Instead, she lowered her head and continued to flip the page in her hand. Her fair, slender, finger slid across the page quietly while the bombarding continued outside the window. Half a day had gone but the Chaos Creatures didn��t seem to be stopping anytime. Although the strength of Order had an advantage in the Tinder Origin, everyone knew that sooner or later, the tinder would be extinguished if this continued.


    ������


    The sound of flipping pages resounded in the library.


    ��Christie has once shown me how determined a human can be. It is a necessary test for her to go through in order to stay by Master��s side. I trust her feelings for Master. If the ��original form�� is eventually defeated, it can only be explained as the plan has utterly failed. But I think that since she was willing to make such a decision by giving up her status and coming to the main plane of existence to take the test, you and I should believe that she��s confident of the outcome.��


    ��Christie�� shut her eyes.


    ��I believe that Sister Marlene will not fail.��


    She murmured.


    The blinding flares, lightning, thunder, and ice enveloped the entire field. The Centipede Warden swung its six arms and reached out for the attacker in midair��the Spirit Bird soared across the night sky and released a massive lightning web to stop the giant in motion. Then, explosions erupted.


    Several magic beams blasted out of the ground and struck the enemy. At the same time, blazing flames and countless meteors descended from the sky and brought about a chain reaction of crises that could destroy thousands of humans.


    But this was an utterly inadequate measure to the enemy. The flame curtains were ripped away by it mercilessly and the powerful thunder strikes merely damaged the outer layer of its flesh. The enemy howled furiously. It raised and brandished its arms to the ground. Shortly after, deep explosions erupted with black smoke and firm soil smashed into dust. The glaring radiance on the back of Rhode��s hand flickered continuously. Then, the tri-headed Hell Hound and Spear Defenders reappeared out of nowhere and charged forward.


    Celestina flapped her wings across the air, striking her black chain sword for the enemy��s eye. In an instant, the dark flames from her blade splashed and enveloped the enemy. But the enemy��s arms broke the barrier coalesced from the dark flames and grabbed her. At that moment, Celia darted and struck her sacred blade into one of the arms and erupted silver flames to force it back. At the same time, Shira swung her large blade and penetrated the enemy��s chest.


    Suddenly, a strange brilliance flashed and reflected the massive attack onto Shira. In the blink of an eye, she was entirely ripped apart with blood splashing everywhere.


    Rhode was in a state of overload. He relied on the Illusion Crystal to sustain his army of undead. No matter what sort of summoned spirits they were or even if they were eliminated instantly, he could gain spiritual powers from the Illusion Crystal to summon them again. But this was an equally painful situation for him. He felt as though his entire body had been connected to countless puppet strings or a little boy who carefully supported a stack of blocks that reached 30 storeys high. Currently, he couldn��t move at all.


    Ordinary summoned spirits couldn��t handle this enemy and he was clear of that. But after considering its special ability, he had to continue launching attacks from all directions. Just as he imagined, the ridiculous ability had reflected several attacks, but he was long ready for it.


    ��Argh����


    Lize stared at the ground in embarrassment as though there was a beautiful flower that caught her attention. On the other hand, Marlene��s eyes wandered around awkwardly. Anne raised her shield to defend them while gazing ahead curiously.


    In the near distance, several large shields had formed an incredibly solid barrier to take the reflected damage. It would be fine if this was all. But after taking a closer look at the graphic on the shield, Lize felt incredibly uncomfortable. On the surface of the pitch-black shield, there was a naked young lady with her legs spread apart and was flirtatious as though waiting to be violated by others. Although her face had been covered by her golden hair, her identity was apparent from her overall figure. But, this wasn��t the only problem.


    At this moment, several magical arrows were released at the Centipede Warden and reflected again. The barrier shifted its position and in dazzling flashes, a dozen of similar shields emerged before the Dark Rangers. Then, the reflected arrows struck the shields and were absorbed entirely.


    ��Ah�� Ah��!��


    The young lady��s graphic on the shield moaned in pleasure as it took in the damage and Lize covered her ears and buried her head like an ostrich escaping from reality.


    Prison of Mad Love.


    Rhode gazed at the utterly embarrassed Lize and shrugged helplessly. Even though this amazing card created from Lize��s extreme personality was indeed strong in defense and perfect for this scenario, this was just too shameful for her. Rhode was glad that he didn��t summon this card before any outsiders, if not�� His reputation would all go down the drain.


    But not everyone noticed that Lize was on the verge of falling apart.


    ��Sigh. How terrible. Anne feels that Lize sounds much nicer when she calls for Leader in bed����


    At this moment, Anne dealt a fatal blow to Lize��s already shattered soul.

 Chapter 878 - Cannon of Destruction

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Rhode wasn��t in the mood to tease Lize anymore because the Centipede Warden was much stronger than he imagined. Even though he had summoned all his spirits, they only managed to decrease one-third of its health. Besides, the Centipede Warden also seemed to know that Rhode was the ��mastermind�� behind everything, which was why it attempted to eradicate him. Fortunately, it was currently trapped in the [Casali under the night sky] venue card, which was under his control, and despite its strongest attempts to charge forward, he could immediately move it back to its original position at the switch of a thought. At this moment, the Centipede Warden was caught in a narrow valley.


    This can��t go on.


    Rhode gnashed his teeth. At this moment, he was covered in sweat from the constant maintenance of the venue card and reviving and summoning of the spirits. Despite the Illusion Crystal providing him an endless source of spiritual powers, his mental stamina couldn��t continue much longer. If this continued, perhaps he would crumble before the enemy was dead.


    Do I really have to resort to that?


    Rhode looked at the card with the picture of an enormous magic cannon: [Dusk of Annihilation]. This was the strongest attacking card apart from the Legion Horn. All beings below the Intermediate Legendary Stage would kneel before him and paired with Taboo Halo, his summoned spirits could deal incredibly powerful damage. But it had a clear flaw: its damage was too strong, like a mini nuclear bomb. Besides, it needed a long time to power up. The problem was that the Centipede Warden��s reflection ability could reflect any level of attacks. In other words, even Lydia��s holy spear attack that could pierce the entire world would be reflected if she was unlucky. Rhode wasn��t interested in taunting fate because if his attack was reflected, he would be doomed as not even the Prison of Mad Love could defend against it.


    Unless he found an opportunity��one where the enemy couldn��t reflect his attack and this opportunity indeed existed.


    In the game, if the players succeeded in lowering the Centipede Warden��s health drastically in a single attack, it would go into ��berserk�� mode, where its attack and defense would increase drastically. Although the probability of the reflection ability being activated were lowered, the reflection damage would be doubled. In other words, if the players dealt a critical attack and were unlucky, they would be slaughtered completely. This was also why the players chose to grind out its health slowly and not deal powerful damage at once. No one wished to be defeated instantly by their own attack, right?


    However, huge risks would also bring huge rewards.


    Within five seconds after the Centipede Warden went ��berserk��, its body would go through a transformation. During these five seconds, it was basically defenseless, where every attack would deal three times the damage. In the later stages of the game, Rhode��s guild members forced the Centipede Warden into going ��berserk�� and instantly eliminated it within five seconds. However, Rhode felt that it was too risky because it was basically impossible to defeat it within five seconds unless he had a team of coordinated and powerful players. He, as the guild leader, couldn��t possibly take a risk on this strategy and gamble with everyone��s lives. Therefore, after he confirmed that this wasn��t a viable strategy that most players could adopt, he gave up. In order to succeed, the level of coordination between players must be perfect��it was something only Rhode, Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and a few others could achieve. Besides, humans weren��t machines and there would be times when they missed their attacks, which would lead to the death of the entire party.


    But now�� It seemed like he didn��t have any other choices. There was only one chance. The summoned spirits were more obedient than players and as long as he grasped the right timing, it should work perfectly.


    It shouldn��t be tough for Celestina, Celia, Gracier, Madaras, and Shira to deal a combined damage that could decrease more than half of the Centipede Warden��s health. But the problem was that Rhode would need to cast the [Dusk of Annihilation] within the five seconds and launch his attack. If the timing was either too early or late, everything would be done for.


    From every aspect.


    ��Alright then, I��ll leave it to you guys.��


    He could summon the spirits again if they were defeated. But he couldn��t revive if he was dead. This was also why Anne, Marlene, and him didn��t launch any attacks. As for Lize��she was utterly overwhelmed by the embarrassment, which had put her completely out of sorts and made her lose her will to battle. At this moment, she was like a drifting soul who was avoiding reality. Perhaps this was just the behavior of self-protection��


    The five spirits were immediately informed of Rhode��s plan through spiritual communication. Moreover, it was only a simple order.


    ��Stop playing anymore. Deal a massive attack on it together.��


    ��Tsk!��


    Celestina flapped her wings and dodged the enemy��s brandishing arm. Not only that, but the massive airflow also swept along countless wind blades that struck for her. Celestina swung her sword and blasted dark flames to demolish them immediately.


    ��You say it so easily, but this fella is so huge. How do we even attack it!��


    ��Big Sister, please calm down����


    Celia replied while flying closely with Celestina. The two sisters had been attacking as a pair, where Celestina was responsible for leading the attack while Celia would protect her from other threats. At this moment, Gracier and Madaras were nowhere to be seen. They would fail as the Carlesdines if they were seen by the enemy.


    But now, they had to work together and launch an unprecedented attack on the enemy.


    ��I didn��t intend to use this attack. But it seems like I have no choice after hearing Master��s order.��


    Celestina murmured while hovering in midair. Then, she gnashed her teeth and reached out for Celia��s hand with her left hand. Celia instantly understood what she meant. The angel and demon held hands and raised their swords at the enemy.


    ��How are Sister Gracier and Madaras doing?��


    ��They will surely be fine. You are better off worrying about yourself. We haven��t used this attack for 1,230 years. If you burn my dress, I will teach you a lesson later!��


    At this moment, blazing dark flames erupted from Celestina��s body and engulfed her entirely. After taking a closer look, one would discover that despite the dark flames burning on her snowy skin, she wasn��t hurt at all. What was more surprising was that the dark flames didn��t even burn Celia despite them holding hands.


    In the next moment, it was the silver, sacred flames�� turn as they erupted and enveloped Celia entirely. Then, the Centipede Warden raised its head out of a sudden and locked its eyes on the sisters.


    ��Ah! We��re discovered! You stupid! Have you been slacking off all this while and not been practicing?!��


    ��Big Sister, your spiritual undulation was too����


    ��Shut up! How dare you doubt my judgment!��


    Celia lowered her head. She knew that she would be in for a hard time if she retaliated against her bossy older sister. Besides, the Centipede Warden had already grabbed for them with its three arms.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    At this moment, a colorful burst of magical radiance exploded from the ground and struck the three arms heavily. The Spirit Bird soared into the sky and blasted an enormous lightning web that shrouded the enormous enemy entirely. On the other hand, the little mermaid extended her arms and blasted an ice-cold blizzard that froze the three arms. In an instant, glittering ice crystals were formed on the enemy��s arms. But this lasted for only a few moments as the enemy thrust its arms and shattered the frost.


    But this delay was enough.


    ��Celia!��


    ��Yes! Big Sister!��


    The contrasting colors of silver and dark flames blazed. The young ladies raised their swords and brandished in unison��the flames blasted, merged, and interwoven into a fiery dragon that consumed the enemy. The powerful energy flow twisted the air around it. The enemy flinched and at the same time, spider web-like cracks spread from its chest.


    ��������!��


    The Centipede Warden let out a painful howl. Then, it plunged its foot onto the ground and stood firmly before erupting an unprecedented, blinding radiance. Shortly after, a dark blade ray in the shape of a cross flashed and punctured its body.


    It was an attack from Gracier and Madaras. They appeared in midair with adorable smiles albeit their daggers shattering into powder. At this moment, a wild, red whirlwind rose from the ground abruptly and pierced the enemy��s wounded chest. The enemy hurriedly hurled its arms forward, caught the petite figure, and squashed her in his hand.


    ��Hahahah�� Hahaha��. Adorable prey! Give me more pain!��


    Although Shira��s body was twisted horribly out of shape, she continued to tilt her head, held onto her large red blade, and let out crazy bursts of laughter. At this moment, the two steel chains in her shoulders instantly split into a dozen more, struck out, pierced into the enemy��s body, rupturing its skin and the blood vessels hidden underneath. In an instant, the blood vessels burst and spurting red, pungent blood merged with the silver metal armor.


    ��Grrrrr������!��


    The Centipede Warden let out a mournful growl and erupted a massive, berserk airflow that crushed and flattened the grounds. Then, a color of intense red emerged over its ashen body while a broiling heat spread throughout the place. It lifted its head and its white pupils slowly turned scarlet.


    Celia and Celestina retreated hurriedly while the White Elves vanished into the shadows. On the other hand, Shira continued to laugh crazily as she gazed at the enemy.


    At this moment, thick layers of clouds covering the round moon were separated by an unknown force. A pitch-black, enormous magic cannon appeared and under the effects of Taboo Halo, its base was filled with hundreds of smaller cannons that filled the sky. Their gears and steel bearings spun, representing the awakening of the death machine.


    ��������!��


    Streams of white steam spurted from all the cannon bodies. Then, an array of golden magical rituals emerged and spun around the cannon muzzles. The golden speckles on the magical rituals flashed across the night sky like beautiful, starry stars.


    At the next moment, the cannons released their mighty beams.


    Boom! The cannon beams mercilessly enveloped the entire land, puncturing the ground and melting everything in their path. The Centipede Warden instinctively raised its arms, but in the blink of an eye they were demolished into dust. Not only that, but the beams also punched through its enormous body and struck the ground.


    The ground rumbled and the white brilliance concealed everything as though it was the dominator of this world.


    Then, the enormous creature vanished from everyone��s sight.


    After the blinding flash was gone, the prairie under the night sky shattered into fragments like a broken mirror and everyone found themselves back at the metal hall. But unlike before, there was a chunk of flesh and metal lying quietly in the middle of the hall.


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief.


    It succeeded.

 Chapter 879 - Exceeded the Expected Results

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��I��ll leave it to you next, Marlene.��


    Rhode sat on the ground and leaned on the stone column, feeling all exhausted. Although the spiritual powers were supplied by the Illusion Crystal, he couldn��t replenish his mental stamina, after all. The holy sword spirits�� final attack and the blast from the magic cannons might have defeated the Centipede Warden, but his mental stamina was almost completely drained. It felt as though he didn��t sleep for an entire week��


    But looking on the bright side, this attack became a new move for him as a Spirit Swordsman.


    Rhode shifted his gaze to the Illusion Crystal in his hand. Although this crystal could also restore his spiritual powers after battle, the speed of release from it was still too slow. It seemed like he had to discuss this issue with Sara and Lapis afterwards. It would be awesome if they could come up with a construct that could automatically supply spiritual powers to him.


    However, this wasn��t the time to consider this issue.


    Rhode puckered his brows. Perhaps due to Marlene joining him, he realized that the difficulty of this dungeon had increased immensely. According to his memories and experiences, the construct that defended the first floor should be a level 65, automatic attacking weapon. But now, they faced a Centipede Warden, so what would come next? The Flame Giant? Destroyer Wyvern? Or Castilla Demolisher?


    He let out a helpless sigh and felt really unlucky. Come to think of it, he had been unlucky ever since entering the Land of Chaos. Not only did he meet Serras��s projection, but he also faced this modified dungeon where the first BOSS was this threatening Centipede Warden.


    Although the five dungeons were unique on their own, according to his judgment as a player, the difficulty would surely increase the closer they were to the core. The first BOSS was already the Centipede Warden, so he couldn��t judge the situation with his experience anymore. If this was the case, the battles might be much harder for his group than expected.


    Rhode basically held the strongest firepower with him at the moment, which should have been more than enough to let him awaken the tinder safely. But if the dungeons were this difficult, the situation would be entirely different. Not even the strongest players could survive the Deepest Labyrinth, so he was basically asking for death with his team even if they were enhanced by the Taboo Halo into the Legendary Stage.


    ��How troublesome����


    Rhode murmured under his breath. There were no other ways around this. He could only pray that the Chaos Creatures outside were the same as the ones he remembered.


    Where exactly had he gone wrong?


    Rhode knitted his brows and recalled everything that happened. The manipulated construct and enhanced BOSS were all related to Marlene. It was especially so after she used her staff and opened the entrance, when he felt a powerful aura exuding from within for a split second as though one had been woken abruptly before falling back to sleep.


    It was a dangerous, menacing aura. Judging from the current situation, it seemed like his judgment was accurate. If this continued, he didn��t know who exactly he would be facing in the end. Even though he reached level 69 after this battle, it wasn��t enough to pull him through the entire adventure. Even if he instantly upgraded to level 85, it still wouldn��t be enough for the upcoming battles. Back then, thousands of the most powerful players in Starlight were injured gravely in the Deepest Labyrinth, not to mention with his current strength.


    And now, with this amount of people��


    If this continued, surely the BOSS wouldn��t be the Void Dragon, right? Hahahaha. That would be a sick joke.


    1Rhode flipped the two cards in his hand around and squinted. He did have some solutions. It was extremely common to face surprises when exploring new territories. Therefore, he had the habit of retaining a few trump cards and this exploration was no exception. Currently, the two final and strongest trump cards in his arsenal were Gillian and Orchid Heart.


    The summoning cards weren��t restricted in the Land of Chaos, which meant that he could restore Gillian and Orchid Heart into their cards and summon them perfectly here. Gillian��s three unlock chances had restarted after they entered the new year while Orchid Heart was currently at level 60. What was more crucial was that she was the core card of the [Ultimate Army] deck and the effects of a deck with or without a core card varied drastically.


    When Marlene and Lize weren��t present in the fortress, Gillian and Orchid Heart were the only pillars of support left. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were only suitable as mascots and slaughter weapons, and it would be asking too much of them to deal with the nobles. How would they possibly care about the etiquette between nobles when they also came into this world from modern society like Rhode?


    If he were to make them in charge of diplomatic matters, perhaps he would instantly get into another war as soon as he returned to the fortress.


    The barrier over the Land of Chaos cut off all spiritual communications from the outside world and he couldn��t ask Gillian and Orchid Heart to get prepared. Back then, he left Gillian in the fortress after Marlene insisted on joining him. If not, he wouldn��t be in this conundrum. Currently, Gillian was responsible for intelligence gathering and internal affairs while Orchid Heart was in charge of military training. If they were to go missing, it wasn��t hard to imagine how Canary and Mini Bubble Gum could maintain peace and harmony in this leaderless fortress��


    So�� Should I summon them or not��


    ��Leader?��


    He turned around and saw a smiley Anne waving a bottle of water in his face.


    ��Leader must be tired. Have some water.��


    ��Thanks, Anne.��


    Rhode took the bottle and turned around curiously.


    ��Where��s Lize?��


    ��There.��


    Anne pointed to the lifeless young lady leaning onto the stone column at the corner.


    The humiliation from the Prison of Mad Love just wasn��t tolerable for almost any rational person.


    Rhode shook his head hopelessly. At this moment, he smelled an aromatic scent as Anne��s face appeared before him. Apart from sleeping, eating, and battling, this usually carefree young lady appeared strangely solemn now.


    ��Leader, it��s going to be tougher later on, right?��


    ��Yes.��


    Rhode nodded firmly. Perhaps being born as a mercenary, Anne��s instincts were much sharper in battle, so she could immediately detect the advantages and disadvantages between her and the enemies. This was also why he always brought her along everywhere he went.


    ��It will be really troublesome later on. If it isn��t because we can��t turn back now, I really want to head home and sleep right away����


    ��No choice, then. We can only continue since Leader says that we can��t turn back, isn��t it? Don��t worry, Anne will be with Leader all the way, okay?��


    Anne revealed a wide grin as she gazed at the admirable man before her.


    ��I knew you would say that����


    Rhode let out an inward sigh.


    Young lady, please don��t go about raising the red flag��


    But she was right, after all. No matter how difficult the path ahead would be, he couldn��t turn back now. If the next BOSS was still as hard to deal with as the Centipede Warden, he could only choose either Orchid Heart or Gillian to deal with it.


    Rhode stood to his feet and at this moment, Marlene approached. The chunk of flesh and metal had completely turned into dust after losing the spiritual energy to maintain its presence.


    ��Marlene, did you find anything?��


    At this point, the only thing that could cheer him up was to hear from Marlene that she found something amazing. But�� the young lady gave an odd expression and pondered for a few moments.


    ���� Sorry, Rhode. I��ve got nothing.��


    ��Huh?��


    Rhode gazed blankly.


    ��There was nothing else except for some broken metal. I didn��t find anything valuable����


    At this moment, Rhode had the urge to kill himself.

 Chapter 880 - Changing History

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Christie�� slid her finger across the last page and closed the book softly. Bell took over the book skillfully and placed it on the table beside her. The young lady in a black dress smiled at this sight.


    ��I��m envious of your assistant, Nabelis.��


    ��She��s a friend of my other half, Darlaston. Please watch your words.��


    ��My apologies, Nabelis. I��m sorry, miss, please forgive my rudeness.��


    The young lady took half a step back and bent over for a solemn bow. Bell instantly revealed a stunned expression. She shook her head and waved her hand hurriedly. ��Christie�� chuckled and her expression turned stern.


    ��How long more?��


    ��3 minutes and 15 seconds�� After 14 seconds, the Chaos Creatures will break through for the first time. The Centipede Warden was defeated 10 minutes earlier. What a surprising result. I thought that with his abilities and the strength of the sisters, they would have a hard time defeating it. But it seems like otherwise.��


    ���� As usual, I just don��t like how it��s so accurate.��


    ��This is merely a record in the books of history.��


    The young lady twitched her slim brow slightly. Then, she turned around and narrowed her eyes at ��Christie��.


    ��History will only record the happenings. It isn��t necessary to change the things that are already decided. It is your responsibility if you wish to change history. As for me, I��m just recording and changing the things that exist now. Isn��t that the reason you came here? Nabelis, although there isn��t a suitable candidate for the empty seat now, you are still determined to intervene�� Is this even alright? The third is still asleep while the fourth and fifth are nowhere to be found. Even though you hold the highest authority, there is still a limit to you doing as you please.��


    Although the young lady��s voice was as calm and gentle as ever, there was a hint of seriousness. ��Christie�� puckered her brows and said in resentment.


    ��Aren��t you the same, Darlaston? You lost your body and are only left with your wandering spirit, so you can��t be considered as having returned to your seat, isn��t it? So then�� Why are you willing to cooperate with me? Just as you said�� I can only show up in the presence of my other half and you, who has lost your physical form, can��t open the ancient records. Isn��t this all me deciding and acting alone, Darlaston? Why did you intervene and help me then? The Centipede Warden has been defeated and the first seal is unlocked. Don��t we only have one thing left to do after this?��


    ������


    This time, the young lady didn��t respond immediately. She lifted her head and gazed at the tranquil library. ��The content in the books can��t be changed, Nabelis���� she murmured. ���� I know the content of every book in this world inside out because recorded events are all accurate. Therefore, when I pick up a book, I know its ending without the need to read it. No matter how much time has passed, the things that humans record are similar. The demon king in the story will always lose in the end while the people who seek freedom against the tyrannical ruler will always succeed. The loving prince and princess eventually overcome all obstacles and will be together forever. I know the ending as soon as I read the title and I��m rather sick of this already. If there is a book that can have its content rewritten and present different stories each time I open it, I will definitely be immersed in it.��


    The young lady paused. She lowered her head and fiddled with her long, black hair. Bell gazed curiously at her and couldn��t figure out what she ultimately meant. At this moment, ��Christie��s�� crisp voice broke the silence.


    ��But didn��t you witness Master��s strength? This is Christie��s choice and also mine�� Since Master has decided to do it, all we can do is just follow him.��


    ��This is also why I��m here.��


    The young lady said. She spread her arms apart and a thick, gorgeous book appeared between her arms. Shortly after, the pages flipped by themselves and stopped at a certain page.


    ��It has begun.��


    The young lady announced softly and at this moment, the soft explosions and rumbles outside the library suddenly became loud while a dangerous aura enveloped the entire tower. At the same time, ��Christie�� stood up and her purple pupils glinted a dazzling radiance.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Loud explosions sounded in the wide tunnel. The metal constructs were much more dangerous than before. They flew in midair with the powers of magic and slashed their modified blades at their targets, destroying everything in their path.


    The metal constructs on the second floor were ferocious. But this form of berserk was not worthy of a mention before the mighty wrath.


    That��s right. Not worthy of a mention.


    ��Go to hell you damned pile of metal trash! Celia! Celestina! Shira! Kill and smash it into bits! Don��t leave anything alive!��


    Rhode brandished Gracier and Madaras as he ordered fiercely. He showed up behind the constructs and swept a series of wild blades that enveloped the entire tunnel, instantly shredding the enemies into bits. But he wasn��t satisfied just yet. After shattering the enemies that stopped them ahead, he flitted across a dozen shadow clones and held back the retreating constructs. At the next moment, a dazzling meteor storm streaked across the sky and the coalesced blade rays crushed the enemies merciless.


    ��I say, Master, have you taken the wrong medication?��


    Celestina struck the metal construct before her with her chain sword and swept a glance to her master. The three holy sword spirits were totally unaware of what happened. All they saw was that Rhode was extremely furious after they were summoned into the battlefield. Could it be that his beloved women were injured? But judging from the two young ladies who were hiding safely behind Anne��s shield, they seemed perfectly fine.


    ��Cut the crap. Attack, Celestina!��


    ��������!��


    Rhode shot a look at her and the latter instantly felt the murderous intent from his eyes. She instinctively shrunk and changed her thoughts. Then, she brandished her blade and blasted dark flames on the enemies.


    Rhode had blown his top.


    He tolerated having an unlucky pair of looting hands. He tolerated facing the Centipede Warden in the first floor of this dungeon. But he couldn��t tolerate the fact that not even Marlene could find proper equipment from the BOSS corpse! He gave it his all to defeat such a powerful BOSS, but he got nothing except from some EXP! Not even a small little amulet! Who exactly created this damned dungeon?! He was determined to find that bastard and teach him a lesson��he shouldn��t mess with players! It was fine that he couldn��t turn back, but it didn��t even drop any equipment for him?! How was this not bullying the players?!


    1The wrath of anger burned inside him. After hearing from Marlene that she didn��t manage to find anything, the final string of rationality in his brain snapped.


    At this moment, all the words that came out of his mouth meant only one thing.


    ��Kill!!!��

 Chapter 881 - Strike and Transformation

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The halo of Order was blasted from the top of the tower like a storm showering with beams, lightning, and flames that turned into a solid, unbreakable steel wall and pushed away the intruders.


    At that moment, the vast grasslands surrounding the tower were completely filled with Chaos Creatures. The rate of their appearance slowly overtook the destruction of the tower. The halo of Order was released once every 30 minutes and eliminated all the threats into nothingness. But as soon as the blinding radiance dissipated, Chaos would re-emerge onto the surface and launch their attacks. The vines crawling over the tower flitted and struck the ground, sending ripples into the pond and eradicating tens of thousands of Chaos Creatures at once. But the gaps were quickly replenished by darkness.


    The little bugs weren��t the only creatures that filled the sky anymore. Right now, there were also human-tall winged creatures screeching and pouncing onto the tower albeit being crushed upon every attempt. But with their persistence, cracks began to form on the surface of the tattered tower.


    When Christie arrived at the platform, all she saw was endless Chaos. Dark lightning flashed before her eyes and struck the enormous flitting vines into halves. At the next moment, the broken vines regenerated while the Chaos Creatures pushed forth once again.


    Although it was for only a little while, it affected the situation more than enough.


    The situation was intense.


    Chaos Creatures were unlike humans. They didn��t need rest and death didn��t exist in their world. The Chaos within Chaos vortexes were unlimited. On the other hand, humans would feel exhausted, frightened, and no matter how determined one was, it was meaningless if one��s physical strength couldn��t keep up. At this moment, the Chaos Creatures hurled their ferocious attacks. The defenders who were taking turns to rest had given up their breaks. After all, they lacked manpower and their defenses were taking a huge hit. If they continued to take turns and rest, perhaps Chaos would overwhelm them anytime soon.


    But this couldn��t go on.


    Bone-chilling winds blew in the dark sky, striking their skin like blades sharpened against stones. The deep sound of winds seemed never ending as though mourns of despair resounding in the place. The continuous battles had numbed the Bow Knights, mercenaries, and other defenders as they aimed ahead instinctively and unleashed their weapons. Their self-consciousnesses were slowly becoming indistinct. As long as a moving being showed up before them, they would simply kill it.


    Although the radiance of the tinder enveloped the surroundings, countless numbers and layers of Chaos Creatures were as though a strong armor as they crashed forward like waves. Even though the radiance of Order could eliminate them, the Chaos Creatures at the rear quickly replenished the openings. Everything would be done for as soon as they reached the foot of the tower.


    ��Chaos�� Is eventually only Chaos. This is why they seem so pathetic.��


    ��Christie�� let out a sigh. Then, she raised her right hand.


    At the same time, some other battles were continuing below the tower.


    ��Ahhhh! Why isn��t this over yet!��


    The petite little girl snarled at the omnipresent Chaos. She extended her left arm and three yellow cards flickered in her hand. Shortly after, the ground rumbled with countless earth puppets crawling out and darting forward. On the other hand, the heavy, three-meters-tall statue stood up abruptly and brandished its fists at the enemies. The little girl folded her hands together and a series of explosions erupted, engulfing everything with dazzling sparks. In the blink of an eye, the dark Chaos was shredded into bits and melted away under the brilliance of the tinder.


    ��Good!��


    Heart clapped her hands at this sight. Then, she quickly lifted her sword and the ground began to tremble��enormous, deep cracks emerged and the Chaos Creatures dashing toward them fell straight into the abyss. At this moment, a wall of flame burst out of the ground and stopped them from coming closer.


    ��That man��s suggestion is quite useful, but����


    Heart sat on the ground at the sight of safety and wiped the sweat on her forehead. From the start, they were only responsible for cleaning up the Chaos Creatures who slipped past the net. But as time passed, they slowly felt powerless. It was fine for Heart who held the ��earth�� cards that could manipulate the lands. This little girl learned a lot from Rhode during their special training and was capable of continuously summoning her cards. On the contrary, Haze who controlled the undead and Rain who used the ��ice�� deck weren��t as fortunate.


    I don��t think I can hang on for too long if this continues.


    Although Heart was concerned about Rain and Haze, she knew that she must also be worried about herself soon. She didn��t have an Illusion Crystal like Rhode to replenish her spiritual powers. No matter if she used the earth deck for attack or defense or activated her talent rule to trigger explosions, they all consumed her spiritual powers. No matter how powerful her attacks were, she was still a little girl. A break of less than 10 minutes wasn��t enough to replenish her spiritual powers. Besides, as the Chaos Creatures became stronger, she would expend even more strength.


    ��Really! What��s the Sir Overlord doing? Why hasn��t he awakened the tinder�� Hmm?��


    Heart subconsciously lifted her head and looked at the sky above. But at the next moment, her grumbles were stuck at her throat as she witnessed a dazzling river of golden runes flowing in the night sky. Within the golden runes was a little girl in black long hair.


    ��She is����


    Heart puckered her brows. As the humanoid, she knew that little girl was brought in by that annoying overlord. Judging from her appearance, she must be his younger sister. But Heart saw that the little girl was frail and weak and shouldn��t be able to battle at all. But why was she here?


    ��Christie�� raised her right hand.


    The ring on her finger instantly let out a blinding radiance. Ancient, mysterious golden runes flickered and the dazzling brilliance stole the spotlight from the tinder. Not only did it capture the attention of the defenders, but the Chaos vortexes also came to a halt instantly. At the next moment, the enemies shifted their targets.


    ��Gaaa��������!��


    The ear-piercing screeches filled the air instantly and countless Chaos Creatures flapped their wings and barged out of the thick clouds to pounce on the little girl. They widened their mouths and revealed razor-sharp claws that could shred the fragile-looking girl into bits. However, ��Christie�� didn��t panic at all. On the contrary, she gazed quietly at them while her purple pupils glinted in a cruel, excited, and murderous intent.


    ��Is that all you can do? Worthless Chaos.��


    ��Christie�� said softly. Then, she swung her right arm to the side.


    ��������!��


    The golden runes river was in fact a white, empty scroll that unrolled in midair. ��Christie�� lifted her right hand and glimmering silver radiances coalesced into a feather pen. Then, she slowly drew on it.


    The Chaos Creatures howled desperately out of fear and instead of slaughtering the little human, they crashed into an invisible barrier. At this moment, the tinder released the halo of Order and eliminated them all into dust.


    ��Order exists forever over Chaos.��


    ��Christie�� lowered her gaze while her hand movement was slow and steady. The drawing of the Tinder Origin emerged on the empty scroll. But unlike the old, tattered tower, there weren��t any signs of wear or cracks on this tall, majestic, tower. The white brilliance of Order enveloped the entire sky. Countless magical runes merged to form a barrier that connected to the land. The Chaos Creatures were dismantled completely without leaving any remains.


    ��This is the start and the end.��


    She gave a final stroke of the feather pen in her hand at the end of the scroll.


    The color of white instantly engulfed the sky.


    The blinding radiance purified the dark, evil sky into a milky color. The dense layer of clouds dispersed and the Chaos Creatures evaporated immediately. Not only that, but the damaged tower also slowly restored itself with the fallen walls returning to their positions. The large broken vines also crawled around the tower and after a few moments, the tower became brand new as though it was just built.


    ��This is����


    Everyone gazed blankly. No one expected this gentle little girl to be so powerful. Not only did she chase the Chaos Creatures away, but she also forcefully sealed the tunnel that the Chaos infiltrated?


    ��Phew����


    ��Christie�� let out a sigh. Then, she turned around and landed gently on the platform. At this moment, Lesa and the Bow Knights rushed over.


    ��Your Highness!��


    ��I��m fine.��


    Lesa asked anxiously while ��Christie�� waved her tiny hand. Then, ��Christie�� gazed at the young lady in white robes and said softly.


    ��I��m only able to seal them off for one day. Get them to rest during this period. This is all that I can do. I��ll���� ��Christie�� lowered her head and the purple radiance from her eyes became indistinct. ���� leave the rest to Master. I believe that he��ll do just fine����


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The luxurious metallic hall was in a complete mess as the metal pipes that were lined on the walls twisted and fell to the ground while white steam spurted from their opening. However, the most glaring thing was the six-meters-tall metal spider in the center of the hall that had turned into a lifeless pile of broken metal��it was the final BOSS of the second floor. But unlike the Centipede Warden, this BOSS didn��t transform into any strange enormous creature. Even though it was still powerful, it wasn��t as insanely strong as the Centipede Warden. Since that was the case, Rhode didn��t need to waste too much time with it and instantly sent Shira to slaughter it to its death.


    But even so, Rhode stood before the pile of remains in a horrible mood as though he was dying to kill someone.


    The reason was simple. He failed to find something valuable.


    Again.


    No new equipment, techniques, runes, and even the Soul Core was shattered. Rage overtook him completely and he had never felt this disgusted.


    ���� Damn it����


    Rhode cursed, shaking his head to suppress his wrath. Even though he didn��t know which bastard designed the ridiculous difficulty of this dungeon, he knew that the most important matter on hand was to awaken the tinder. As long as he awakened the tinder, the entire territory would be his. Yes�� Nothing was better than this reward. Compared to the territory, what was some equipment going to bring for him?


    Yes. That��s right. Nothing. Nothing!


    Bam!


    Rhode threw a punch on the wall heavily to vent his frustrations. Then, he took in a deep breath and turned to the trio.


    ��Let��s take a break.��


    ��No problem, Leader.��


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode.��


    Anne and Lize nodded in agreement, but Marlene uncharacteristically remained in silence. Ever since she reported to him that she failed to find anything from the corpse again, she had been in silence.


    ��Marlene?��


    Rhode puckered his brows. After all, he was aware that she didn��t like touching corpses and it seemed like something was wrong with her. He gazed at her and discovered that she was blushing and her eyes were blurred and confused.


    ���� Rhode��?��


    Marlene seemed to return to her senses slightly. She lifted her head and forcefully looked at the young man approaching her. In fact, ever since they defeated the Centipede Warden, Marlene had been feeling rather unwell. The burning sensation inside her surged and as Rhode defeated every enemy here, the sensation became stronger. At this moment, it felt as though magma was flowing inside her. The scorching, extreme temperature overwhelmed her senses completely.


    ��I�� feel�� so hot����


    Marlene uttered and at the next moment, her consciousness fell into the darkest abyss.

 Chapter 882 - Young Lady by the Throne

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Marlene?!��


    Rhode went up and supported her hurriedly. Then, he scanned her complexion and realized that she was blushing heavily. Not only that, she was also breathing hastily and perspiring hard. He also felt that her unusually high body temperature was perhaps more than 50 degrees Celsius. If she were an ordinary human, perhaps she would be a goner even if the temperature subsided.


    ��Lize, get over here. Hurry.��


    Rhode laid Marlene against the stone column gently and beckoned to Lize. Although there were indeed illnesses in this world, Rhode and the others basically neglected the ordinary pains. Besides, Marlene didn��t seem to be ill before coming to this place, so what exactly was going on?


    ��Let me have a look, Mr. Rhode!��


    Lize scuttled over and half-knelt beside Marlene, placing her hand over her forehead. Then, a white, gentle glow emanated from her palm and enveloped Marlene entirely. This was the Cleric��s healing spell, which could heal basically everything unless it was an incurable condition. But judging from Marlene��s expression, Rhode couldn��t let loose just yet. Based on his experience, the situation wouldn��t be this easily resolved if something happened to the native responsible for leading the way in dungeons. Although this was the real world, that logic should still apply accordingly. There were no signs of warning before she broke out into such a high fever. Just a while ago, she was still looking fine when she looted the spider��s corpse. If not, Rhode would surely have noticed.


    As expected, Lize��s healing spell took effect immediately, and Marlene��s body temperature dropped and her breathing became steadier. But as soon as the healing spell ended, the high temperatures suddenly erupted and her complexion turned reddish again, and it seemed even worse than before.


    ��T-This isn��t just an illness����


    As a Cleric, Lize was experienced in this aspect. She quickly raised her arms and a beautiful, circular magic ritual appeared between her hands. Then, it slowly descended and scanned Marlene from head to toe.


    ��This isn��t a curse either�� What��s wrong with Marlene?��


    ��Not a curse?��


    Rhode twitched his brows and asked. He thought that this definitely was the cause of a curse. After all, in the game, it was a common occurrence for the descendant of an ancient family to have his or her cursed blood awakened when returning to the ancient ruins. But it seemed like this situation wasn��t one?


    ��No, Mr. Rhode. This isn��t any kind of curse.��


    Lize said.


    ��I��ve scanned her body entirely with my spiritual spell, but I can��t find anything wrong with her. She is neither hurt, sick, or cursed����


    What exactly is this situation?


    Rhode puckered his brows as this situation was much more troublesome than if she was truly cursed or poisoned. Could it be that it was due to something that he neglected?


    ��Hmm?��


    At this moment, Anne narrowed her eyes and her little nose twitched.


    ��This smell�� Feels just like Anne back then, Leader.��


    ��Back then?��


    ��Yes. Just like when Anne awakened Anne��s powers back then. There was a powerful force like a fireball wrapping Anne and it kept burning and burning. Back then, Anne felt like Anne was turning into barbecued meat. This smell now is exactly the same and Anne is sure about it.��


    Bloodline awakening?


    Rhode didn��t ask what the ��scent�� smelled like exactly, but as long as it involved battles or was something related to strength, Anne possessed a talent and sharp senses others didn��t have. Since Anne mentioned it, could it be that Marlene��s strength was about to be awakened? But this wasn��t right because unlike a half-beast like Anne, Marlene was the heir of the Senia Family. Weren��t all members in her family pure humans? He didn��t hear any strange rumors about her family at all.


    ��������!��


    Rhode suddenly realized that something was amiss. He scanned the surroundings and realized that faint golden rays above them had enveloped the whole hall like a spider web.


    Sh*t!


    Under normal circumstances, Rhode wouldn��t have missed this strange occurrence. But it was only after Lize cast two dazzling spiritual spells that the faint golden rays became slightly visible. At this moment, he detected that the flow of magical powers in the hall was shifting, but it was all too late. He didn��t know if it was coincidental or not, but when he was about to summon his holy spirits to deal with the situation, the faint golden radiance became incredibly bright. Then, he felt emptiness underneath his feet and endless darkness engulfed everything.


    After an unknown period of time, the loss of gravity that he felt finally vanished. He slowly landed on the surface, but everywhere was in complete darkness. But at the next moment, a dazzling radiance ripped through the darkness and illuminated the place.


    ��This is����


    Rhode squinted. Under the bright illumination, he clearly witnessed that his group was standing on a metal, circular platform while on the edges were numerous fences carved with beautiful patterns and buckled down like bird cages. However, he couldn��t see what was happening outside the cage. There was no sky, ground, or anything strange in sight. Not only that, but Anne and Lize also laid unconsciously beside him in a coma.


    Rhode suddenly realized a problem.


    Where��s Marlene?


    Then, he heard a voice.


    ��Woah�� I didn��t expect to meet you here����


    The rather familiar voice rang in his ears. But it also felt unfamiliar because there was an unprecedented sense of pressure that he never felt from the owner of the voice in the past.


    ��Marlene?��


    He lifted his head and turned to the direction of the voice. Then, he widened his eyes.


    At the top of the bird cage, Marlene hovered silently. Her body was completely wrapped in a metal cage like a coffin with only her head revealing. Countless metal wires extended from within and connected to the edge of the ��bird cage��. Marlene��s eyes were tightly shut as though she was in a coma.


    On the other hand, there was another young lady who looked exactly like her, sitting on a throne made of metal. But unlike Marlene, this young lady was clad in a scholar attire and there were also two pitch-black horns carved with golden floral patterns sticking out from both sides of her silver hair. Not only that, but her eyes were also golden in color like those of a cat, glinting with immense pressure.


    The young lady leaned back casually on the throne while supporting her chin with her slender left hand. She narrowed her eyes and displayed a rather sly smile at Rhode.


    ��Frankly speaking, I didn��t expect you to survive the obstacles and come to this place. It seems like my vessel is full of loving emotions for you. But it��s fine too. I was still worried that something would go wrong during our fusion. Since she used her final mental strength to protect you and your friends over there, it saves me the trouble. But���� the young lady let out a snort. ���� It seems like you��re unaware of what��s happening, is it? Is it really alright? I don��t think this is a way to resolve the problem.��


    ���� Who are you? What are you trying to do to Marlene? Where is this place?��


    Rhode asked, at the same time taking two steps back and shielding the unconscious young ladies behind him. Although he wasn��t sure of the situation, it seemed overly strange. Besides, judging from her words, it didn��t seem like she held kind intentions. Perhaps there might be a huge battle taking place soon. What was most important to him now was that he sensed an incredibly strong aura from her. Although it wasn��t as powerful as Erin��s, it was enough for him to treat her as a formidable opponent.


    The young lady didn��t answer his questions immediately. Instead, she continued to show a smile.


    ��I didn��t expect her to not tell you about it. It seems like I have to admit that humans are indeed strange and naive at times. Perhaps she thinks that you won��t be as worried if she didn��t tell you about this? But this is the result. Since you��re already here, you will know the truth sooner or later, isn��t it? I just can��t understand why my vessel is so stubborn and lacks proper judgment. It looks like a cause of concern in the future����


    ������


    Rhode remained in silence while pondering about what happened. It seemed like Marlene was indeed hiding something from him and the matter was detrimental to her. Besides, it must be related to this young lady who looked exactly like her too. So then, what exactly was the secret that she was keeping from him��


    The young lady interrupted his thoughts before he came to a conclusion.


    ��So then, let��s start with intelligence gathering. How much do you know about the Senia Family?��


    ��I heard from Marlene that the Senia Family was the first humans who received the magical technologies to create the tinder and they swore to serve a Creator Dragon Soul for eternity.��


    ��That��s right.��


    The young lady nodded slightly. Then she raised her head and looked at Marlene with a mocking gaze.


    ��But this isn��t all that you know, right? So then, I shall complete what��s left behind by her�� Just as you said. The Senia Family was bestowed magical technologies to create the tinder and relative to this, they��ve indeed paid a huge price. The so-called exchange in value wasn��t this simple. It was a foolish, reckless, and dangerous behavior to attain the power of God in exchange for a mere human. Therefore, they had an agreement to present the life and flesh of the heir to me. Due to certain agreements, I represented them in protecting the sacred tinder and protecting it from being devoured by Chaos. But in exchange, they had to hand the perfect vessel to me. Two thousand years ago, we had this agreement: when the door is opened by the chosen one, my duties shall end and I will return to the vessel. Now, the moment has finally arrived.��


    Rhode��s expression turned gloomy. Although he didn��t know what transaction the Senia Family and this young lady had 2000 years ago, this development to the story definitely wasn��t what he was expecting.


    ��So then, you are����


    ��Right. I forgot to introduce myself.��


    The young lady stood up and the metal throne behind her moved away on its own.


    ��I��m the person who taught the magical technologies bestowed by the Creator Dragon Souls to the humans and unlocked the seal on their family 2000 years ago���� The young lady held her hand against her chin and revealed a confident, vibrant smile. ���� Even though I��ve gained memories of you through my vessel, I have to say that it is my honor to meet the traveler who came from a faraway land.��


    ���� What do you intend to do with Marlene?��


    Rhode readied his arms by his waist. The young lady chuckled at the sight of his stern expression.


    ��Just as you expect. According to my negotiations with the Senia Family, the perfect vessel has finally arrived. As agreed, the Senia Family shall present her as the vessel for my grand return. But I advise you to not act brazenly. After fusing with her, I have all her memories, so it basically doesn��t hurt you at all. Besides, I will become your strongest assistant. Judging from her memories, you aren��t doing too well currently. Mr. Rhode��you are a calm, calculated man to her. So, I guess you understand what��s best for us. Besides, I��m not threatening or lying at all as this is indeed the decision made by my vessel. I swear in my honor that she knows what she should do and the consequences. But she has decided to come here to become the sacrificial offering for my strength and soul. Could it be that you��re willing to destroy the hard work and effort that my adorable vessel has done for this moment?��


    Tsk�� No wonder��


    Rhode gnashed his teeth. He knew that this young lady wasn��t lying and this was definitely Marlene��s decision. If not, she wouldn��t have taken the initiative to join him into the Land of Chaos. Perhaps she already had this realization back then, which explained why she didn��t mention this to him. She knew that if she spoke the truth, he would surely knock her out to stop her from risking her life.


    ���� I understand what you mean, but I��m sorry, young lady. I have no interest in this at all, so I would like to ask you to stop everything and return Marlene to me.��


    ���� How interesting.��


    The young lady��s brow twitched.


    ��I don��t think this is anything bad for you, Mr. Rhode. After I fuse with my vessel, I have all her memories. I won��t forget you and I will always be around you just as she hoped for. I will become your strongest backing and satisfy you whenever you want. Not only that, but you will also receive massive support from me. And yet, you��re giving up on everything? I can��t understand. What good does this do for you?��


    ��Well, I can��t say that there is anything good about it.��


    Rhode waved his right arm. Then, a pitch-black sword appeared in his hand.


    ��But young lady, perhaps you aren��t aware that men are dominating creatures. For instance, men can��t tolerate their women having any previous lovers or them making decisions. Indeed. There��s nothing wrong with Marlene��s decision. But this is simply what I dislike. As my woman, she has made a foolish decision without seeking my permission and even tried to escape�� I��m sorry, I don��t intend to accept such an outcome. Besides, as a form of punishment, I intend to give her a good whipping to let her know who calls the shots between us.��


    ��Interesting thought. It seems like men are just as you described��unreasonable. It seems like keeping things a secret will only bring unpredictable consequences.��


    The young lady revealed a smile.


    ��But it��s a pity that her body is full of my energy now. Besides, my spirit has merged as one with hers. This process is irreversible and I have no intention of stopping. This is my reward for the transaction.��


    ��Since that��s the case����


    Rhode smiled. Then, he swung the pitch-black sword and dashed ahead with a trail of afterimages.


    ��I apologize. Because I have my opinions.��

 Chapter 883 - Unconditional Rescue?

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Huhuhu����


    Not only was the young lady calm, but she also placed her finger on her lip and chuckled. What glinted from her golden eyes was full of mockery.


    ��It seems like my vessel didn��t tell you anything about it, Mr. Rhode. But that��s fine, I can do it for her. At least I know that I won��t be held back by meaningless emotions. Although I��m curious as to how you��ll deal with me, it��s a pity that through her memories, I know that you��re a man who loves to resolve issues using battles. So in order to avoid one, I don��t mind telling you everything����


    The young lady spread her arms apart.


    ��Question one. Mr. Rhode, do you know where this place is?��


    ��If I recall correctly, I asked you this question earlier on.��


    Even though Rhode had the urge to rush ahead and slaughter her on the spot, he considered the situation with Anne and Lize still unconscious and this mysterious place which was most likely her home turf. Therefore, it was best to not act recklessly and gather more crucial information instead.


    ��Indeed. I��ve forgotten about it. Let me tell you the answer, Mr. Rhode. You��re inside the tinder now.��


    ��What?!��


    Rhode revealed an astonished expression. There were many players who awakened the tinder in the game, but none of them cared about its structure just like how they wouldn��t bother with a candlestick as long as it could be lit. Besides, judging from the appearance of this place, this so-called tinder was like a burning sphere about the size of a basketball. Therefore, even Rhode didn��t expect that he could be within it. Even though he knew that many things were illogical in this world, he still had to say it.


    This is too illogical.


    ��Alright, question number two. Could it be that you haven��t related it to anything even now?��


    ���� I would rather you give me a detailed explanation.��


    Rhode sulked but quickly restored his poker face. At this moment, he definitely couldn��t follow her lead. Although he detected something strange, he knew that he would make the situation worse if he gave more thoughts. The enemy wasn��t an idiot. If she were to discover that he had let his imagination run wild, she would surely use the chance to mislead him.


    ��Alright, I will explain from the start.��


    The young lady said without any change in expression��or perhaps the smile on her face gave the illusion of an ice-cold smile.


    ��Tinder��Farysing was the first and final magical technology that I taught the Senia Family. The supreme spiritual protection over this continent preserved the great holy tinder of Order which survived the devastation of Chaos. The Senia Family merged the tinder with my soul and sealed me entirely within. As a form of secrecy and loyalty to the Tinder Origin, they offered a contract of spirit and flesh to me�� So, why did you think my vessel came all the way here? It is all part of the contract. She paid with her soul and flesh to awaken the tinder and myself. My spirit shall leave this place with the vessel after the tinder is awakened.��


    The young lady narrowed her eyes.


    ��So then, do you understand the situation now, Mr. Rhode? Just as I mentioned. Our goals are the same. You want to awaken the tinder while I need a vessel for my spirit. So the sacrifice of the vessel and ritual is essential. Do you really want to disrupt the process��?��


    Rubbish!


    There was an instant where Rhode wished to curse the hell out of her. He wasn��t a newbie who came to this dungeon for the first time. In the past, Starlight had long occupied this territory and back then, Marlene wasn��t even a sacrificial offering and didn��t he successfully awaken the tinder too? But now, this young lady thought that her utterance could trick him? Did she really think that he knew nothing? But�� Shortly after, Rhode suppressed his wrath. Indeed, he had to admit that even though he always knew that his experience in the game was helpful, it was basically useless after entering this dungeon, where even the Centipede Warden could appear out of nowhere.


    Currently, it was apparent that this dungeon wasn��t the same as the one he remembered. Besides, he had also sensed the mighty aura as soon as the entrance opened. However�� He felt that the situation just wasn��t this simple. The enemy didn��t sound like she was lying or hiding anything. But come to think of it�� The players�� research about the tinder was truly lacking. The tinder was the purest strength of Order, but it was also due to its high purity that no impurities were accepted within it. But now, if what she said were right, the space that he was currently in most likely wasn��t in the tinder itself, but a space of her own. This was where the problem was��no matter how loyal one was to Order, one would still be considered an impurity within it.


    If what she said was the truth, why wasn��t she treated as an impurity inside the tinder and slaughtered instantly?


    Of course, it could be explained that the tinder hadn��t yet awakened. But she would still be killed as soon as the tinder awakened. There was no doubt about this. If one were to consider the situation from this angle, there was another set of reasoning for her explanations. What if she was sealed here? What if she told him about this because she didn��t want to be slaughtered? Also�� Rhode got a strange feeling when he looked at the young lady as though he was looking at the other ��Christie��.


    ��My other half����


    ��My vessel����


    Although the terms used were different, they both behaved similarly. The other ��Christie�� needed Christie��s body in order to appear before Rhode and interact with him. Currently, this young lady who looked exactly like Marlene announced that she needed to fuse with her in order to attain a new life.


    ��Although you explained it in detail, it��s a pity that there is no evidence to prove your point.��


    ��That��s right.��


    The young lady nodded firmly.


    ��The only way is to complete the ritual. But it seems like you aren��t too willing, Mr. Rhode.��


    ��Yes. Besides, my experience tells me that the tinder doesn��t require any offering to be awakened, so I don��t believe your words.��


    ��You��re just like the man my vessel thought you were. It seems like it is impossible for us to reach a consensus.��


    The young lady let out a sigh and stepped back. Then, the metal throne reformed behind her as she sat down.


    ��Although I don��t need to prove anything to you here, I don��t wish to be hated by you after fusing with my vessel. This isn��t an ideal ending. So since I can��t convince you, I shall����


    The young lady raised the staff in her right hand and tapped the air slightly. Shortly after, the metal cage that wrapped Marlene opened and she slowly drifted from above and landed beside Rhode.


    Rhode gazed at the young lady strangely.


    ��Since you aren��t willing to believe me, I won��t make things difficult for you. I��ll give you a chance since you said you can awaken the tinder without a sacrificial offering. I shall temporarily return the vessel to you and wait to see your results. But if you fail�� Forget it. This is all to our interactions.��


    ��Tsk.��


    Rhode scoffed. He didn��t ask the young lady if she did anything to Marlene because it was a really naive question. Marlene had been in her possession for a long time and this was also the young lady��s home turf. If she were to do anything to Marlene��s body, she would have done so earlier.


    ��I��ve abstracted some of her powers and in order for you to lose convincingly, the vessel can return to her senses and battle alongside you until the end. As for myself�� I don��t mind waiting a while longer for the stability of this future.��


    The young lady lifted her staff and shortly after, a golden radiance enveloped Rhode��s group. Then, they vanished from the white bird cage. The young lady put her arm down and heaved a sigh, closing her eyes gently.


    The radiance flashed.


    Rhode was instantly blinded. The white space and golden bird cage around instantly turned into a dark, quiet stone room. He showed a bitter smile and extended his arm, where the brilliance of a summoning ritual emanated. However, as soon as the summoning ritual flickered, it was abruptly cut off by a mysterious force.


    ��Tsk�� I knew this wouldn��t be that simple����


    Rhode shook his head helplessly. Although he was unable to cast his most useful skills now, he wasn��t too concerned because he knew his location at the very least. Right now, he was located in the core of the maze��the Wheel of Fate. Rumor had it that this was the most mysterious place in the Tinder Origin. In this place, the pure strength of Order blocked out all rules. But�� It didn��t exist in every Tinder Origin. To be exact, it only existed for the first ever Tinder Origin and the problem was that��


    ��The first tinder only existed where the Creator Dragon Souls were.��


    Rhode murmured under his breath. In the game, he had entered the Wheel of Fate more than once. No matter the Light Dragon, Dark Dragon, or Law Dragon, the Wheel of Fate was always within their palaces. After entering the Wheel of Fate, all spiritual powers would be frozen, where Mages couldn��t cast spells and Swordsmen couldn��t battle with spiritual powers. They could only rely on their strength to defeat their ��fate image�� and only the winner could enter the core to attain the tinder. Back then, Rhode continuously defeated the Light Parliament and Dark Dragon in order to take their territories as Starlight��s. Later on, he naturally had to enter the Wheel of Fate, but the fate images seemed to be randomized as he met a Mage-version of himself. In the Wheel of Fate, Mages were powerless and even though his Spirit Swordsman class wasn��t considered a complete swordsman, it still was a piece of cake for him to defeat the Mage-version of himself.


    After he led Starlight and eliminated the Light Parliament, he brought Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, Killer Angel, and Furious Cigarettes into the Wheel of Fate for the first time. Unfortunately, they met several ��physical�� classes. Canary��s fate image was a berserker while Mini Bubble Gum��s was a Thief. Not only that, but the main attacker in their party, Killer Angel, also faced a powerful Knight of herself. As a result, their party was destroyed in the first round. After that lesson, Rhode brought four members of physical classes and dealt with the fate images.


    But now��


    The situation wasn��t looking great.


    Rhode puckered his brows and looked at the three unconscious young ladies. Apart from him, the only one he could rely upon was Anne. Lize and Marlene were basically meat in this dungeon and all he could hope for was that they didn��t meet any physical classes later on. If not, it would simply be two versus four everywhere they went. Although he heard that Marlene and Lize learned some sword skills, he wasn��t feeling hopeful at all because the level of the fate images were based on their actual levels. In other words, their levels would be perfectly copied and he refused to believe that a level 45 Mage like Marlene possessed the sword skills of a level 45 Swordsman. If the fate image she faced was a Swordsman, she would undoubtedly be killed in a split second.


    Although he didn��t know why there was a Wheel of Fate here, he was sure that he would reach the core area after passing the test. When that happened, he could awaken the tinder. As for Marlene�� He swept a glance at her and shut his eyes.


    Even though the Wheel of Fate stopped all output of spiritual powers, Rhode could still spiritually communicate with his subordinates. Shortly after, he got a hold on Lesa and learned that the Chaos Creatures were stopped by ��Christie�� successfully. He heaved a sigh of relief but this wasn��t the most important matter on hand.


    ��I have something important to discuss with Christie. Pass the message to her.��


    ��Yes, Sir Overlord.��


    Lesa responded calmly. Rhode explained everything that happened to Marlene.


    ��Is the relationship between that young lady and Marlene the same as you and Christie?��


    Silence.


    After a few moments, Lesa��s voice sounded from the other side.


    ��It is different, Sir Overlord. Madam Christie said that her other half is incredibly precious and irreplaceable. As for the young lady whom you met, Madam Christie said��although Miss Marlene is important to her, it is still different from Miss Christie.��


    ��Hmm?��


    Rhode twitched his brows. He instinctively realized an important hint from the answer.


    ��Are you sure she said that?��


    ��Yes, Sir Overlord. This is what Madam Christie said.��


    ��Alright, got it.��


    Rhode nodded and cut off the spiritual communications. At this moment, Marlene opened her eyes gradually.


    ��Where����


    Marlene gazed blankly into the ceiling. But shortly after, a familiar voice rang in her eyes.


    ��Welcome back, Marlene.��


    She turned around and saw Rhode standing before her, looking at her in silence.


    He displayed an incredibly vibrant smile.


    Marlene instantly felt her chest tightened.


    My secret�� was exposed.

 Chapter 884 - An Uncertain Decision

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Wheel of Fate.


    Two rows of candlesticks burning with azure flames were lined up in the corridor, illuminating the pitch-black, silent space. The red carpet laid across the floor didn��t seem affected by the passing of time as it looked brand new. The mysterious patterns on the ceiling resembled circles spinning and linking to one another, displaying a magnificent view. This place could be considered one of the holiest and most mysterious places in this world.


    But something totally unrelated to its holiness was happening now.


    Pow!


    The smack from hand to flesh sounded. Lize turned away and gazed at the wall, unable to witness the scene. On the other hand, Anne widened her eyes in excitement.


    ��Argh!��


    Marlene supported herself with her left hand on the wall while covering her mouth with her right hand as immense pain struck from her bottom. At this moment, tears welled in her eyes as she trembled with her bottom raised high, displaying an insulting, yet alluring pose. However, she didn��t have any intention of retaliating. She gnashed her teeth and suffered from the violent pounding.


    Pow!


    ��Argh!��


    Marlene lifted her head and tears flowed from her maroon eyes. But despite that, Rhode let out a scoff.


    Pow!


    ���� Ah��!��


    Marlene couldn��t tolerate it anymore. She let out a painful moan, which Rhode nodded in satisfaction and retracted his right arm. Then, the powerless young lady leaned and slid down the wall while Lize ran up to her hurriedly.


    ��This is too much, Rhode. Not even my father has hit me before!��


    ��This is a punishment, Marlene. A child who lies has to be punished. I��m sure you��re aware of this.��


    ��Argh����


    Marlene stepped back instinctively and felt at ease after feeling the wall behind her. Although she admitted that it was her fault, Rhode��s punishment was just too humiliating. She had to let him smack her bottom with Lize and Anne watching from the side. Not only that, but Lize was also her childhood friend who had never seen her in this embarrassing manner. Besides, Anne��s exciting gaze was also another form of torture for her.


    ��You have to get my approval before trying to be the protagonist of a tragedy. I never understand why women love to watch those dramas with protagonists tortured by their mother-in-laws, abandoned by their husbands, only finding true love after being hurt so badly. I know that everyone has preferences, but it is a disease if one can��t differentiate between reality and imaginary. Let me���� Rhode slapped his hands together loudly, which Marlene subconsciously protected her bottom with her hands. ���� Smash that fantasy of yours into bits, shall I? Are you awake now?��


    ��Argh����


    Anne and Lize chuckled while gazing at the embarrassed Marlene. They heard what happened from Rhode and of course, they were also resentful that Marlene kept this secret from them. Even though they were also concerned about her safety, the heavy atmosphere around them was gone after Rhode��s punishment.


    ��Really. Why does every woman around me have the same problem? You won��t die if you don��t get into trouble. Are you resentful that the humiliation of your foolish choice isn��t enough?��


    Rhode let out a sigh before sweeping a glance to Lize and Anne. Lize instantly lowered her head in shame��the Prison of Mad Love was the worst memory she could have in her entire life. If the two cards didn��t exist, perhaps Lize could treat everything as just a nightmare and brainwash herself to forget about it. But after Rhode received the two summoning cards, she could forget about escaping this nightmare��


    On the other hand, Anne revealed a splendid smile. She scuttled over, clung his arm, and lifted her head proudly as though waiting to be rewarded.


    ��That��s right. Anne has never kept any secrets from Leader. Anne always tells everything to Leader as long as Leader wants to know about it.�� Anne puffed out her chest and gazed at the other two young ladies with her emerald green eyes. All of a sudden, Lize and Marlene who were lowering their heads and reflecting upon themselves raised their heads abruptly and started a ��staring warfare�� with Anne. In the blink of an eye, the tension in the air rose drastically, but was quickly extinguished by Rhode.


    ��You��ve also gotten into trouble in the past. Don��t forget your pains after the wound has healed.��


    Rhode knocked his hand on Anne��s forehead. Come to think of it, Anne was the first among them who got into serious trouble. Back then, she consumed the potion behind his back and almost became a cripple. If it weren��t for her luck to be awakened successfully, perhaps she would be a mascot laying in bed all day now. Frankly, the three of them had terrible memories�� No, this also wasn��t the way to describe them. Back then, only Lize was by Anne��s side when the latter got into trouble. On the other hand, Marlene wasn��t present when Lize got into trouble. Whereas for Lize, she naturally wouldn��t mention the humiliating experiences of her showing up with the extreme personalities of Sadist and Masochist despite her close relationship with Marlene.


    It seemed like the lack of information had brought upon tragedies. Come to think of it, the advancements in technology allowed communications all over the world, but there were still couples who broke up due to all sorts of reasons. It seemed like heart-felt communications were still the key for humans despite advanced technologies.


    Alright, the punishment has ended. Time for some serious matters.


    ��Although I��m not sure how you became aware of that, it��s indeed the truth, Rhode.��


    Marlene said. She was clearer than anyone of her identity and purpose.


    ��Indeed. Just as Rhode mentioned, I��m the vessel for����


    Marlene held her hand on her chest.


    ��The fact that I possess the four main elements is evidence because ordinary Mages can��t possibly have such strength. It can also be said that this is impossible to happen to humans. This is also why I became the most important member of the Senia Family and came to you under fate��s guidance. Besides�� Father informed me that my blood and soul are needed as sacrificial offerings to unlock the seal on the tinder. According to historical records from when our ancestors sealed the tinder, they used ��double spiritual resonance�� to seal the Madam��s spirit within the tinder.��


    I see��


    Rhode twitched his brows as his doubts were finally resolved. The spell ��double soul resonance�� might seem extremely mysterious to the natives, but it couldn��t get more common for players. It could also be said that every family with some history in their bloodline would possess this spell. All in all, this was a common story where a powerful being appeared at some point in time in the families�� history. The person would use an exceedingly powerful weapon before getting targeted by outsiders for his or her mighty strength. Therefore, under no circumstances, the family would use the ��double soul resonance�� spell to seal the person��s soul. After the sealing spell was cast, it was basically impossible to be forcefully dismantled or destroyed. They could only rely upon luck. If they were lucky, like Marlene who had either the same looks, bloodline, or strength as the ancestor, they would receive the rights to take a test and unlock the seal. After passing the test, one could receive the ancestor��s equipment, wisdom, and strength. If one failed the test, one would become the sacrificial offering for the ancestor��s revival.


    Since this was the case, the conflict between the game and reality was resolved. After the battle in Golden City ended, Marlene died and the Senia Family perished. On the other hand, the ��double soul resonance�� also required the support of the same bloodline. However, since everyone in the family no longer lived, the seal naturally fell apart. This was perhaps why Rhode was able to awaken the tinder back then without any issues. As for the young lady who looked exactly like Marlene, perhaps she would be eliminated by the Order tinder as soon as the seal was unlocked.


    But now, since Marlene and the Senia Family were still present, the seal wouldn��t automatically be dismantled. If Rhode wanted to unlock the seal, he needed to slaughter everyone in the Senia Family including Marlene, which was meaningless and unrealistic.


    Could it be that he still needed to sacrifice Marlene in the end?


    But�� Rhode recalled the message Lesa had passed on from ��Christie��. According to her, Marlene��s importance to her ancestor was unlike how important Christie was to the other ��Christie��. After hearing Marlene��s explanations, he discovered that something was amiss.


    ��Marlene, is there anything else that you��re hiding from me?��


    ��No. I swear, Rhode.��


    Marlene subconsciously placed her hands on her bottoms and answered.


    It seemed like Marlene was also unaware. Since that��s the case, I have only one choice left.


    Rhode lifted his head and gazed at Marlene.


    ��Marlene, if it is possible, are you willing to be with me forever?��


    ��Huh?��


    Marlene stared blankly. She swept a few glances to Lize and Anne before nodding shyly.


    ��Of course, Rhode�� If I have that choice, I will definitely be with you forever. But this is my fate.��


    ��You��re not entirely gone yet, so don��t be too sure.��


    Rhode waved his hand and interrupted her. Then, what he said gave her a huge surprise.


    ��Besides, even though I can��t promise it will succeed, I have a solution to help you resolve this problem.��


    ��Is that true, Rhode?��


    Marlene��s eyes glinted. If there was the slightest trace of hope left, she wouldn��t give it up.


    ��Didn��t I tell you earlier to not resolve any problem on your own? Do you treat me like an idiot who doesn��t know anything? If I learned this much earlier, I would have made more preparations. But now, even I can��t promise that I��ll succeed.��


    Rhode continued to gaze at her.


    ��And perhaps you will also need to give up on some things.��


    ���� No problem, Rhode.��


    Marlene nodded without hesitation.


    ��No matter the result, I will trust you. This time, I will not keep anything from you.��


    ��Good.��


    The corners of Rhode��s mouth rolled up.


    ��Alright then, let��s settle this problem.��


    Thereafter, Rhode explained to them the current situation and the test that they needed to pass��the Wheel of Fate and fate images. As long as they could defeat the fate images, they would hold the rights to enter the core area of the tinder. But��


    ��Leader, you mean that even though the other Anne is Anne, she will not be a Shield Warrior?��


    Anne asked while curiously scanning the corridor. After passing through the dim corridor, the four of them entered a dazzling space where mirrors were placed all around them.


    ��That��s right, the fate images are just projections of yourself from another dimension. Although they look exactly like you, they lived entirely different lives and the decisions they make may be completely different from yours. Perhaps Marlene may turn into a Swordsman while Lize may become a Mage or Thief. No one is sure about that. Even though their strength is similar, the threat will be significantly different due to unique class skills, so don��t let your guard down. It is especially so for spell casters like Marlene and Lize. The Wheel of Fate cuts off all abilities to cast spells and not even my summoning cards can be used. Understand?��


    ��Erm�� Rhode?��


    Marlene asked dubiously.


    ���� Since my fate image is as strong as I am now�� Can you let me give it a shot?��


    ��Like I said, the Wheel of Fate cuts off all spiritual powers. You can��t use your spells.��


    Rhode puckered his brows and turned to Marlene. The latter hesitated for a few moments before reaching out for a sword hidden inside her robe.


    ��This was what happened. Miss Canary taught me some of her sword skills back then in the fortress�� Thanks to her guidance, the level of my sword skills is almost on par with my spells�� So if it is possible����


    ��Huh?��


    Rhode was astonished. At the same time, Lize also raised her arm.


    ��Me too, Mr. Rhode�� Miss Bubble has also taught me some close-combat skills�� Even though I��m not as good as Marlene, I feel like my skills aren��t too far from my spell casting levels.��


    ������


    Rhode gazed at the ceiling blankly.


    Right. Why did I forget that even though these three young ladies aren��t players�� They are natives with insane bloodlines and skills��

 Chapter 885 - The Ridiculous Fate Images

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Nothing was fair in this world.


    Rhode knew clearly of this. Some players were rich while others were so poor that they couldn��t even purchase memorable event items. This was the same for all games. Some players tried so hard that they had cramps in their hands but couldn��t even win in the arena. On the contrary, some players could easily win 10 fights in a row. But there was a difference in something that shouldn��t be neglected�� That��s right. Rhode was referring to the two young ladies behind him!


    Of course, he knew that Marlene often discussed battle strategies with Canary while Mini Bubble Gum taught Lize as though she was her favorite disciple. After all, although Canary was self-taught and would theoretically be defeated in three minutes, she had destroyed the Mage Association on her own. On the other hand, apart from the ��Treating foes as friends�� technique that Mini Bubble Gum came up with, she was also an expert in several other battle tactics. What surprised Rhode was that he didn��t expect Marlene and Lize to learn techniques other than spell casting!


    From the players�� perspective, it would require at least level 50 to obtain the 50 to 60 skill points in order to enhance both the spells and sword skill levels to the Master Stage. But Marlene was only level 48 while Lize was level 43 and yet, Marlene��s sword skills and Lize��s martial arts had reached the same level as their spell casting abilities?


    Players had to put in hard work by completing missions and digging for secret scrolls to increase their skill points. But the two young ladies managed to simply practice and reach this level? Oh my goodness! Although it was already ridiculous that players could increase the strength of their techniques through mastery, wasn��t this a totally higher level?


    Of course, Rhode only cursed inwardly. Although the two young ladies said with certainty, he didn��t believe that they were that capable. Even if Marlene��s sword skill and Lize��s martial arts had indeed reached that level, they were still spell casters and wouldn��t normally have the opportunity for close-combat battles. Just look at the robes on their bodies��perhaps they would tear during battle.


    No matter what, at least they possessed some abilities for self-defense and that was much better than being killed instantly. Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. With Anne around, perhaps the battles with the fate images wouldn��t be as terrible as he had imagined.


    ��I repeat myself.��


    They reached the end of the corridor made of countless mirrors and witnessed an enormous, circular plaza glowing in a faint, white radiance. Not only that, but there were also frameless mirrors hovering above.


    ��Your fate images are projections of yourself from the other dimensions. Their lifestyles may possibly be different from you, just like how your decisions in this world brought you here today. Likewise, they made their decisions and ended up where they are right now. But no matter how they behave, don��t forget that they are just like Serras��a projection and not a living human. Perhaps they have the same memories as yours, but don��t be fooled! Understood?��


    Rhode wasn��t unreasonable in this explanation because players in the game often treated this place as a fun, fortune-telling game. Some fate images held entirely different fates from them. Some couldn��t find themselves partners while some were actual playboys in other dimensions. Some couples might turn out as sworn enemies in other dimensions too. Of course, players basically wouldn��t take them to heart, which was why they treated it as an interesting fortune telling mechanism.


    But this wasn��t the game. Marlene, Anne, and Lize wouldn��t treat their other selves the same way as players.


    Even though the results were entirely different from their decisions, the fate images were still undeniably them. Their memories and way of thinking were similar. Besides, Rhode was clear that everyone had regrets in their lives, just like ��I regret not doing this well last time�� or ��Why did I make such a foolish decision?�� What if the fate image that emerged before them happened to be the kind that ��made up for�� their regrets? That would be a huge mental blow to them.


    ��But, Leader, if they are us, why will they fight us? If the fate image is Anne, Anne will definitely not fight herself.��


    Anne tilted her head and asked curiously.


    ��That��s why I said�� They are only pure images. Perhaps they might find several reasons and excuses to engage in a battle with you, but in the end, this is the final test that the Wheel of Fate presents to us.��


    Rhode came to a halt.


    The circular plaza and its perfect, white slab floor flickering with faint radiance stood just before him. Shortly after as the four of them entered the area, the hovering mirror fragments began to spin, connecting to one another like a puzzle. After a few seconds, they merged into a flat, dull mirror and a dazzling flash blinded the visitors.


    ������


    Not only Rhode, but Marlene, Lize, and Anne also quietened down instinctively. They stared ahead as they were filled with anticipation, anxiousness, and uncertainty. After all, even though Rhode said that the fate images were just projections, he didn��t deny that the projections weren��t them. Perhaps Anne didn��t realize this, but it was impossible that Marlene and Lize weren��t aware.


    But unlike the three young ladies, Rhode puckered his brows and cautiously pondered over the upcoming BOSS battle. Right now he could only wish that fate images were in the spell-casting classes. Just like them, the fate images couldn��t unleash spells and could only rely on their physical strength to battle. Since this was the case, the threat of the spellcasters was basically zero. But Rhode was aware that expecting to face four fate images in spell-casting classes was just his wishful thinking.


    Thud�� Thud�� Thud��


    They heard footsteps.


    Then, a shadow appeared within the dim mirror and a familiar voice sounded.


    ��Anne?��


    Lize and Marlene shrieked in surprise. The young lady before them looked exactly like Anne; a head full of soft, golden, long hair, a pair of emerald green eyes, and the slender body. But�� the young lady was somewhat different.


    Her emerald eyes were completely lifeless. She wore a steel armor of red and black and held two large, sawtooth blades that were two meters in length. Not only that, but she also exuded a murderous intent of a ferocious beast as though a hungry wolf trapped in a cage and dying to pounce on its prey!


    ��Argh�� It seems like the other Anne isn��t too happy.��


    Anne muttered under her breath. In fact, judging from the scars on the enemy, the group knew that she was more like a disobedient pet that was whipped by her owner��they definitely weren��t scars from battles.


    ��Anne����


    Lize held Anne��s hand and the latter shook her head firmly and revealed a lively smile.


    ��Sister Lize, don��t worry about Anne! Anne will be fine. Although the other Anne looks pitiful, Anne feels really blissful now.��


    ��Hmph!��


    The other Anne let out a distasteful snort that was filled with murderous intent. She had no other desires apart from wanting to destroy and shred everything into bits.


    Lize and Marlene watched nervously. The young lady before them was obviously Anne, but due to the different decisions in her life, she became like this. They weren��t sure if they could take it so easily as Anne when they faced their fate images later on.


    This is troublesome.


    Unlike Marlene and Lize, Rhode wasn��t in the mood for such thoughts. He also wasn��t a sentimental person, not to mention that he knew the fate image ultimately wasn��t him. It was apparent that the enemy was the ��berserker�� class. He had to admit that this class suited Anne perfectly. But what worried him the most was that berserkers were experts in attack while shield warriors were best in defense. He could count himself fortunate if Anne could result in a draw for this match up. But he didn��t know if the enemy had awakened her beast bloodline and the situation would be dire if that was the case.


    At this moment, a second figure appeared. Rhode lifted his head and narrowed his eyes.


    Marlene.


    Unlike the Marlene beside him, the enemy ��Marlene�� was clad in red leather armor with a magical sword hung on her waist. If there were something that they both shared, it would be their confidence, pride, and arrogance. But unlike the Marlene who wore pure white robes, the enemy ��Marlene�� seemed more like a burning flare.


    This is getting��


    Rhode twitched his brow. In the game, wasn��t this how the young lady who established the all-female mercenary group looked like? Besides, if he recalled correctly, this enemy ��Marlene�� held the Magic Swordsman class�� In other words, wasn��t she the ��Marlene�� who was drugged and humiliated before being rescued by her family during the Midsummer Festival? This was also a hell of a situation. Rhode knew that the young lady was incredibly powerful, so would the Marlene by his side be able to stop her?


    Lize was next.


    Rhode felt rather curious. Even though he was astonished by Marlene��s and Anne��s fate images, he had sort of expected this result. It was extremely normal for Anne to be a berserker with that mighty strength of hers. On the other hand, Rhode knew the background of the other Marlene. But he couldn��t imagine a fragile, timid young lady like Lize to take on other classes.


    She couldn��t possibly be a Thief, right? Hahahaha. That would be interesting.


    As though responding to Rhode��s guess, a silver radiance shone from above and landed on the ground before Lize. At this moment, Marlene and Anne turned around and gazed curiously at the figure.


    For some reasons, Rhode had a bad omen and it was too late.


    The radiance dissipated.


    The enemy Lize hovered in midair with a pure, white shield in her left hand and a sword burning in silver flames on the other. A pair of spotlessly white wings expanded from her back, emanating a dazzling radiance.


    ��What the����


    Rhode had the urge to slam the lid of his computer and head off to bed. How could he forget that Lize was Lydia��s half sister?! In other words, the person who gave birth to her was the former Archangel and she had half the angel bloodline!


    ��T-That��s my��?��


    Lize stared blankly in disbelief. Although she knew that she had the angel bloodline, she treated herself as a human and not an angel.


    This is terrible.


    Although the Wheel of Fate sealed off all spiritual powers, the problem was that a battle angel��s constitution was much stronger than humans, where not even Marlene and Anne could take her down together. What should they do?


    Rhode puckered his brows and scanned the battle angel. The latter turned to him and revealed a surprised expression.


    ��Mr. Rhode! You��re still alive! Wonderful! Weren��t you killed by Sister Lydia?��


    ������


    The three young ladies turned to him in unison and Rhode twitched his brow.


    Why does it sound so ridiculous? What has the other me done to get Lydia to kill him? What sort of tragedy has unfolded? Argh, forget it�� I��m not the unlucky one, anyway.


    Rhode threw this thought to the back of his head. Then, the final enemy��


    Boom�� Boom��


    The group heard deep, heavy footsteps as a gigantic shadow emerged from the mirror. The figure appeared before them and gave a forthright smile, waving his enormous arm.


    ��Yo! How are you, my other self?��


    ������


    ������


    ������


    Marlene, Lize, and Anne sunk into complete silence. They couldn��t be blamed. The man was two meters tall and as muscular as a bear. He also held an enormous black sword. But the problem was that��


    ��Leader, who is he?��


    Anne leaned over and asked softly. Rhode didn��t reply immediately. Instead, he stared blankly at the man.


    Yes, how did I forget about this? If the fate images are based on the fates in the Dragon Soul Continent, it is only right that my avatar in the game is here, isn��t it? But�� It is all too late now.


    ��Argh����


    Rhode clutched his sword and a burst of murderous intent erupted from him.

 Chapter 886 - Crisscrossed Fantasies (1)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The current situation was horrendous for Rhode.


    Although he didn��t have the experience of fighting the enemy ��Marlene�� in the game, the fact that she had defeated over 10 player groups proved that she wasn��t easy to deal with. On the other hand, the enemy angel was the biggest trouble. In the game, Rhode selected the Soul Messenger talent tree as his main attacking build. But now, due to the holy sword cards, his battle style leaned more toward sneaky tactics. The only advantage his group had now was him against his other self because he couldn��t be more familiar with his battle style. On the contrary, his other self knew nothing about his current sword skills. Since both of them couldn��t summon any spirits, experience was the key in this battle. If Rhode recalled correctly, his other self was clad in a defense set armor with the undead immunity, which was basically worn against the Undead Army when he was level 60. Although the level of this armor wasn��t as high as [Spirit��s Prisoner], [Historical Wing], and [Sisko��s Fantasy], the set armor enhanced his attributes and it could be said that both sides were almost on par in defense.


    If Rhode could use his spiritual powers, he would immediately activate [Self-Affirmation] to raise his strength to level 85 and slaughter his other self. But now, he could only rely on the foundations of his sword skills.


    As for the enemy Lize, her ability to fly was a huge advantage, not to mention her powerful strength and defense as an angel. Without the support of the spiritual energy, no one in Rhode��s group could possibly fly like her.


    Rhode had two choices now��either focus on only one target and unleash all their attacks or deal with their respective enemies by themselves. The person who defeated their other self would then assist the others.


    However, both choices weren��t great. It was still doable for Anne, but Lize and Marlene didn��t practice close-combat strategies with Rhode at all. He would be thankful if they didn��t mess up his formation, not to mention coordinate perfectly. The second choice wasn��t too reliable either. Even if Marlene could resist the enemy��s attack, Lize surely couldn��t defeat the angel by herself.


    At this moment, a familiar voice sounded before Rhode made his decision.


    ��You girls deal with your other selves. I will settle this man!��


    Darn it!


    Rhode retreated swiftly as a huge black blade brushed his head and crashed into the ground. Rhode lifted his head and saw his other self winking proudly at him with a smirk.


    He really is me. He instantly judged the difference in strength between us. Does he intend to defeat me with this strategy? Damn it. Since you��re my fate image, I should have guessed earlier that he��s as scheming as me. He grasped the situation while I was hesitant�� Darn it. Now isn��t the time to admire myself!


    Rhode cursed inwardly and unsheathed the sword hanging on his waist. After gaining the holy sword cards, he had basically stopped battling with only swords. But he was fortunate that as a noble, he would always have a sword hanging on his waist as a symbol of status. Despite the sword being an ordinary one, it was still much better than fighting with his bare fists, after all.


    ��Anne, Lize, Marlene, they aren��t here to play with you and you will die if you aren��t careful! Anne, protect Marlene and Lize if possible because they can��t handle their fate images!�� Rhode flitted across the arena and two shadow clones emerged from him, brandishing their blades at the target. The enemy Rhode twitched his brow and revealed an amusing smile.


    ��Oh? Shadow Clone Technique? That��s new.��


    ��You��ll get to feel it yourself!��


    Of course, Rhode wasn��t that kindhearted person to tell the enemy about his sword skill. Currently he could only unleash his Fantasy Daybreak swordsmanship and if the enemy realized this swordsmanship�� Rhode narrowed his eyes��perhaps he would be the one in trouble.


    Fortunately, after dodging the enemy��s strike, Rhode knew that even though he couldn��t unleash spiritual powers, the techniques from his swordsmanship was still available. But even so, he felt helpless because the two shadow clones were basically created with his extraordinary speed of his constitution, which was why he couldn��t summon multiple shadow clones like in the past. This also meant that the heavy hitters in the Fantasy Daybreak swordsmanship were completely sealed and unavailable.


    The other ��Rhode�� didn��t seem surprised at all. Instead, he let out a chuckle and raised his enormous black blade. Clang! Clang! He struck away the two shimmering blade rays from the shadow clones. Then, he slashed an arc of blade ray at Rhode.


    Tsk. This is really��


    Rhode cursed inwardly. Although he had fought with his fate image in the Wheel of Fate in the game, this experience was completely different especially after the fact that the enemy was his avatar in the game while he was the ��true self�� now�� This was rather mind blowing.


    Rhode didn��t have the time to think about such nonsense anymore. He laid his sword before him horizontally and sparks splashed as their blades clashed. The enemy didn��t flinch. He thrust his sword forward while Rhode dodged like he knew that this attack was coming. Rhode twitched his brow and deflected the threat before him. Then, he turned into a shadow and pierced his sword into the enemy��s chest. But at this moment, the enemy retracted his sword and jumped back to dodge his attack.


    ��Woah. Hahaha. How dangerous. You��re indeed me; so familiar with my skills.��


    ��You really do love to utter nonsense, don��t you?��


    Rhode grumbled while the enemy revealed a grin. ��You can��t say that, brother. I��m the other you, so doesn��t that mean that you��re talking about yourself too? Alright, alright. I know you��re also this sort of a person in this world. But since I showed up in your world and don��t have the face of a woman like you, I don��t need to act like I��m as cold as a block of ice. Hahaha����


    ��You����


    ��I advise you to not criticize me. We��re the same person, so it��d be the same as criticizing yourself, isn��t it?��


    ������


    Rhode had never felt the urge to slaughter someone into bits this much. Although he knew that this was his personality�� Damn it. Who could tolerate it when this happened to himself! Even if the enemy was himself, he couldn��t accept such humiliation!


    ���� Get ready to die.��


    Rhode sulked, clutching his sword firmly. He stooped over slightly and at the same time, he exuded a violent burst of murderous aura. The enemy instantly displayed an astonished expression.


    ��Oh? You��re revealing your tricks so soon?��


    ��You said that we��re the same person, so of course I know what you��re thinking.��


    Rhode twitched his brow and said.


    ��How interesting.��


    His other self showed a stern expression and raised his sword.


    ��It seems like you��ve gotten some fun things in this world. Although I know you won��t give up, I��m the same too despite being a fate image. I don��t want to give up like an NPC. Alright then, let��s have a good one.��


    The man displayed a smile; a smile that Rhode couldn��t be more familiar with.


    At the next moment, the dark violent whirlwind and swift shadow clashed.

 Chapter 887 - Crisscrossed Fantasies (2)

    Chapter 887: Crisscrossed Fantasies (2)


    While Rhode and his other self clashed, the battles between the others had also begun. Lize and Marlene instinctively stayed close to Anne, but were quickly stopped by their enemies.


    ��Hmph, where do you think you��re going!��


    The enemy Marlene clad in red leather armor scoffed and struck forward with her blade. Marlene watched as the enemy approached, but days of training with Canary came into effect at this moment. From the start, Marlene and Lize thought that they were learning basic skills, but as the days passed, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum turned up the difficulty. As a result, Marlene and Lize were tortured all day while thinking that this was just special training.


    But if Rhode were to learn this�� He would know that he wasn��t the only one who was envious of how natives could improve so quickly��


    Although Canary and Mini Bubble Gum ��tortured�� Marlene and Lize with envy and jealousy in mind, the results of their ��tough�� training were apparent at this moment. Marlene didn��t fluster at the ambush. Instead, she brandished the sword before her calmly. Clang! Sparks splashed as the two red blades clashed.


    ��You����


    Marlene felt strange as she witnessed the same red magic sword in the enemy��s hand. She finally experienced that the enemy wasn��t just an illusory image, but was truly her from another world instead. No matter how one tried to be her, one couldn��t replicate the same, exact aura from her.


    ��Useless! How can you listen to a man!��


    The enemy Marlene gnashed her teeth. Her face was full of wrath and disdain. ��As another me, how can you obey a man! Don��t you feel shameless to hand your fate to a man? What purpose does this serve for you?!��


    ��I don��t know what you��re talking about!��


    Marlene felt ridiculous. She retorted and brandished the sword to deflect the enemy��s strike. On the other hand, the enemy took two steps back and her wine eyes glinted in unprecedented anger.


    ��You don��t know? How can you possibly not know! Men only desire your body. They are just scumbags who want to toy with you, dominate you, and abandon you when you get old!��


    ��You�� Argh�� What happened between you and Rhode?��


    Marlene swept an odd glance at Rhode. Although she knew that the enemy Marlene was probably only one of a million hers in countless worlds, she couldn��t help but feel curious as to why she hated men this much. Even though Marlene indeed wasn��t interested in most men before meeting Rhode, that was because they weren��t attractive enough and it wasn��t due such an extent of hatred.


    Could it be that my other self was played and abandoned by Rhode?


    ��Rhode?��


    The other Marlene knitted her brow and snorted.


    ��That��s the man who captivated you? I will never be with such a shameless and foolish animal! You��re better off seeing the truth early! Men always get bored with the old. They will throw you aside after they��re done playing with you. If you persist in going about things the wrong way, you will end up in a tragedy!��


    ��I don��t think so.��


    Marlene let out an inward sigh of relief. Even though she didn��t know why the enemy hated men so much, it seemed like she didn��t meet Rhode and wasn��t abandoned by him, judging from her tone. But the thought of her being possibly tossed aside by Rhode felt horrible.


    But�� Would I have become her if I didn��t meet Rhode?


    Marlene shook her head with might and threw this matter to the back of her head. Then, she clasped her sword and recalled Canary��s teachings: focus your attention on the enemy��s line of sight and angle. Rely on your instincts and remember that attack is always�� the best defense.


    ��We��re different!��


    Marlene raised her head proudly and dashed forward, brandishing her sword.


    On the other side, a dazzling radiance flashed as a spotlessly white blade ray streaked across the air and slashed into the ground. Shortly after, the silver flames blazed and Lize rolled back desperately to dodge the enemy��s strike. She looked up and witnessed the angel hovering casually in midair with her majestic, expanded wings.


    ��I didn��t expect you to desire being with Mr. Rhode with such weak strength.��


    ��You�� I��m not����


    Lize tried to refute, but the thought of the enemy being herself left her speechless. The enemy Lize revealed a calm expression. Then, she laid down her sword and gazed at the young lady.


    ��How reminiscent; I used to be like you��following him around innocently and enjoying his protection, thinking that he would resolve all issues for me while I stayed by his side like a dainty and delicate girl. But the truth isn��t this simple. You are also aware of the dangers that we��re facing. No matter how strong Mr. Rhode is, he is still alone and I won��t always be in his attention. As soon as he shifts his attention away from me, I��m just a powerless person who can��t keep up with him!��


    The enemy Lize lifted her head and brandished the silver sword.


    ��This is why I failed and Big Sister dragged me back for my safety! She didn��t wish for the powerless me to get involved with cruel battles. If I were stronger, I would never leave Mr. Rhode and let him fall into the arms of the evil Undead Creatures. If I could always be by his side, he wouldn��t be bewitched by vampires and shameless succubus! You have to remember, my other self. Those who live in darkness are a bunch of scumbags, especially that woman named Erin! Don��t believe her words; she only cares about Mr. Rhode��s strength! It was obvious that Big Sister and I are the ones who love him the most, so why did that woman from the world of darkness intervene!��


    ������


    Lize blushed slightly.


    Is Big Sister Lydia also in love with Rhode in the other world?


    Lize felt uncomfortable. If that was the case�� No. Even though that happened in the other world, what should she do if Lydia fell in love with Rhode? Lize couldn��t compare with her at all. Besides, Lydia was a better fit than her, wasn��t it? Also�� Who was Erin?


    Lize shook her head before looking up at her other self.


    ��I won��t hide behind Mr. Rhode. I will do my best to fight with him. I��m not like you.��


    ��Maybe yes and maybe no. But that��s not important to me.��


    The enemy Lize swung her sword and silver flames erupted on the blade. Then, she subconsciously gazed at Rhode.


    ��Although I don��t know why I appeared in this place, this is also an opportunity for me. I won��t lose what I lost again. This time, I will grasp Mr. Rhode firmly in my hands. I��m going to bring him back to my world. I will succeed this time.��


    ��I won��t let you!��


    Lize snarled and quickly retrieved a pair of black leather gloves from her pockets. She put them on and clenched her fists. Her eyes glinted with blazing flames.


    ��This is my world and I will prove it to you. I will not allow you to take Mr. Rhode away!��

 Chapter 888 - Crisscrossed Fantasies (3)

    Chapter 888: Crisscrossed Fantasies (3)


    Swish! The two enormous scarlet blades clashed on the heavy shield, sending sparks flying everywhere. Anne gnashed her teeth, clutched the shield, and stared at her enemy before her in the eyes. But unlike her, the enemy Anne had no interest in interaction. Anne initially thought that she could have a short conversation with her other self, just to have an idea of how the other worlds worked. But she didn��t expect that her other self launched an attack without speaking a word. Fortunately, Anne wasn��t a pushover as a Shield Warrior. The instant the enemy attacked, she raised her shield and defended herself. Boom! The stone bricks beneath her feet failed to withstand the powerful force and shattered instantly. But, even so, she lifted her head bravely and stared at her other self.


    First round��draw.


    ��Woah. You��re Anne indeed. So strong. But����


    Anne��s emerald green eyes glinted and a green, wild airflow emerged around her. Although Anne couldn��t unleash her spiritual powers at the moment, the half-beast bloodline in her allowed her to manipulate the wind elements, which was her strongest weapon now.


    ��Anne has no time to play with you. Anne has to go now!��


    Anne thrust her shield forward and deflected the menacing red blades. Then, she retreated without taking a glance at the enemy and ran up to Marlene and Lize. At this moment, her most important task wasn��t to battle her strange other self. Marlene and Lize were in danger and she should be by their sides protecting them.


    ��Oooooh!��


    But at this moment, she heard the howl of a beast and almost instinctively, she rolled and dodged to the side. At the same time, the enormous red blades brushed her and smashed into the ground in a loud explosion, where crushed stones and a few strands of golden hair fell��


    ��Ahh! Anne��s hair! You��re so annoying!��


    Anne flung her hair before glaring fiercely at the enemy. What responded to her was the slash of the red blades, but this time Anne didn��t retreat. Instead, she charged ahead with the shield in hand while the wind element burst behind her and sent her flying like a missile.


    Boom!


    Her shield smashed the enemy��s chest and despite the enemy looking exactly like her, Anne showed no mercy. After striking the critical blow, she let out a snarl and erupted a powerful whirlwind from her shield that blasted the berserker into the air.


    But as soon as the berserker was about to land on the ground, she stomped her feet and forcefully held herself to the surface. Then, she plunged the swords into the ground and supported herself firmly!


    ��Ahhh! Anne hates such troublesome opponents!��


    Anne curled her lips and grumbled, at the same time tugging the shield handle with her right hand to activate the hidden mechanism. Kacha. The heavy shield instantly transformed while white steam spurted from the opening. A sharp iron cone emerged from the bottom of the shield and in the blink of an eye, the shield turned into a deadly weapon in the shape of an inverted triangle. Anne burst forward in a trail of afterimages with white steam spurting from its edges. Within a split second, she arrived before the enemy with the razor-sharp iron cone aiming for her chest.


    ����!


    Just as the iron cone was about to puncture the berserker��s chest, the berserker threw her arms up with the sword.


    Boom!


    The powerful impact caused the berserker to flinch and fall on her back. Anne seized this opportunity to deal a fatal blow when suddenly, she felt a strong impact on her stomach which blasted her away.


    ��Cough�� Cough����


    Anne held her stomach and shield firmly. She stood to her feet while staring at the enemy who had one foot raised while lying on the ground. It seemed like the enemy propelled her foot on Anne��s stomach to stop her attack.


    ���� This Anne is really hard to deal with����


    The berserker stood up slowly. But unlike the smiley Anne, she displayed the furious, terrifying look of an injured beast. Her eyes were slowly turning blood-red and at the same time, the two red swords in her hands flickered in a bloody radiance that slowly wrapped around her. She raised the two swords gradually and narrowed her eyes.


    ��Woah. Interesting.��


    Anne licked her lips excitedly and a green radiance emanated from her eyes. Then, a whistling whirlwind rose from her feet and a bright green radiance enveloped her entirely. Then, she got into her battle stance.


    At the next moment, the red and green radiances clashed.


    Swish����!


    The silver blade brushed Lize and despite the silver flames igniting the air and ground, they weren��t able to harm the young lady at all. Even though Lize��s robe was badly tattered, she maintained unprecedented calmness, clenching her fists and cautiously scanned the angel before her, minding the distance between them.


    She didn��t need to win this battle because it was basically impossible with her current strength. All she could do was to drag the battle and wait for reinforcements! But�� Would she be able to survive until then?


    ��You surprised me�� to actually possess such strength.��


    The angel raised her sword and squinted at her other self. She thought that her other self in the Cleric robe would be an easy target. But she didn��t expect the situation to exceed her expectations. Even though she relied on her instincts and speed to launch her attacks more than once, for some unknown reasons, Lize seemed to know how to react to them, and all her attacks missed. This was truly strange. How was it possible that she possessed such abilities?


    ��As long as one works hard, there��s nothing unachievable. I don��t wish to rely on Mr. Rhode all the time. I want to fight alongside him!��


    Lize gnashed her teeth and stared at the angel. She had to admit that the angel version of herself was incredibly strong and fast in her movements. There were several times when she was dazzled by the striking blade which almost pierced her in a split second. If she hesitated for a mere second, perhaps she would have been dead.


    ��Besides�� Your attacks are nothing compared to Miss Bubble��s!��


    That��s right. This was the truth.


    In the Land of Atonement, Marlene was occupied with her duties and even though Lize was the second adjutant, she basically didn��t need to handle political affairs. As a result, Mini Bubble Gum often dragged her into the mirage for intense training sessions and Lize couldn��t retaliate against Bubble��s attacks at all. Before she knew it, Bubble had attacked and sent her into a coma. Compared to Bubble��s terrifying strength, the angel was still far from powerful!


    ��Bubble? Who��s that? But it seems like you��ve a great teacher in this world. If only I were like you back then����


    The angel went into silence before shaking her head.


    ��But now, it is all meaningless.��


    The angel raised her sword.


    ��Although you��ve become stronger, it is still far from enough!��


    That��s right. Far from enough.


    A blinding white radiance flashed.


    The whistling blade airflow blazing with sacred flames streaked across the sky as they struck for Lize. But this time, Lize seemed much slower than before. She didn��t dodge immediately. Instead, she gazed blankly as the sword struck for her throat. But at this moment, she brandished her right fist and crashed onto the silver blade.


    Boom!


    The angel was stunned. Her blade was deflected. She missed!


    Swish����!


    At the same time, she grabbed and tugged her tattered robe with her left hand and threw it into the air to block the angel��s vision.


    Trying to escape? How foolish!


    Although the angel was surprised by this counterattack, she still saw through Lize��s plan. She scoffed and silver flames erupted on her blade to devour the tattered robe.


    ��Such a move is meaningless. You����


    The angel didn��t finish her sentence.


    Because she discovered that her silver flames were split by a massive force and Lize soared into the air for her. Lize clutched the angel��s collar and hurled a punch with her right fist. Pow!


    ��Since you��re basically me, could it be that you��ve forgotten��!��


    The instant Lize��s fist struck the angel��s cheek, she quickly grabbed onto the angel��s collar with both hands and tugged toward her. Pow! Lize struck with a headbutt and left the angel shrieking in pain. But this wasn��t the end. Lize propelled her knees into the angel��s stomach and this sudden attack sent her flying. Then, Lize somersaulted in midair and thrust her foot forward.


    ���� That I��m also a half-angel who��s immune to sacred flames!��


    Boom!


    The powerful kick sent the angel heavily crashing to the ground. But this wasn��t enough for Lize. She wasn��t only waiting for a chance to retaliate. Instead, she was looking for a chance to turn defeat into victory.


    As the angel crashed to the ground, Lize descended from above with her feet aiming merciless for her. The angel realized the horrible situation, but didn��t know how to deal with it. After all, from the world the angel came from, even hooligans fought with clubs and swords. She had never faced an attack with bare hands before!


    What should I do?!


    The angel rolled aside in a fluster to dodge the oncoming attack. However, Lize reacted swiftly. Although she missed her target, she quickly hurled a punch with her right fist.


    ��Go away!��


    The angel panicked and brandished her sword in a fluster. But she didn��t expect that not only did Lize not dodge, but she also picked up speed and braced for it. Lize punched the blade with her left fist. Clang! The angel felt an immense force against her blade while Lize continued to take half a step forward. Then, she clenched her right fist.


    ��Mighty earth-shattering fist!��


    Pow! Lize��s right fist rammed into the angel��s stomach heavily and blasted the angel into the air. All the angel��s pride and elegance were shattered in this blow and her spotlessly white armor and wings were left in a dirty and disorderly mess. She crashed to the ground miserably.


    ��Phew����


    Lize heaved a sigh of relief and held her slightly painful hands.


    Just as Miss Bubble said; my punch has the strength of a half-angel and is much stronger than an ordinary swordsman��s. Even I didn��t expect it to be this successful. But��


    A faint blush emerged across her cheeks.


    Argh�� Miss Bubble, why must you make me yell out the skill name whenever I attack!

 Chapter 889 - A Strange Warfare

    Chapter 889: A Strange Warfare


    If the angel were a human, this punch from Lize would have sent her to heaven straight away. But it was a pity that angels were much stronger than humans. After a few moments, the angel stood up shakily and caught Lize by surprise. The latter dashed forward with clenched fists to eliminate her entirely when suddenly the angel lifted her head and glared with furious eyes!


    ��Don��t touch me!��


    The angel flapped her wings and burst into the sky, pushing Lize away with a powerful gust of wind. Although Lize was determined to end the battle, she knew that she was powerless on the surface. If the Wheel of Fate didn��t constrain spiritual powers, she wouldn��t have any issues dealing with Battle Angels even as a Cleric. But now, despite her half-angel bloodline, she was helpless in this situation. She placed her fists by her chest and jumped back to dodge a blade ray that struck from above.


    ��How�� How dare you do this!��


    The angel revealed a fuming expression with widened eyes glaring at Lize. The latter didn��t know why the former was so furious but she wasn��t in the mood to be concerned about her feelings. Because it was apparent that her enemy self had become serious.


    ��I will not lose. I want to win and bring Mr. Rhode back to my side! No one will stop me!��


    This is getting troublesome��


    Lize thought she could seize the chance to defeat the enemy when she was belittling her, but she missed the chance to deal the fatal blow. Lize gnashed her teeth and clenched her fists tightly while maintaining her calm expression. Her ��master�� Mini Bubble Gum told her: ��You shouldn��t reveal an expression that will leave the opponent feeling proud and arrogant. If you behave nervously, you will become really nervous. So you need to treat all enemies as ants. No, as lowly cockroaches! Mock them. Ridicule them. Infuriate them. Then, defeat them! Make those idiots die in their anger and delete their accounts forever!��


    Although Lize didn��t understand what the final statement meant, she knew that all in all, she shouldn��t display her uncertain emotions as they would be a weakness for the enemy to exploit.


    The angel launched her attacks which were much quicker this time, so quick that Lize barely resisted them. Lize was currently clad in thin leather armor, but after a few exchanges, there were obvious signs of damage on it. Even though she wasn��t hurt, she knew that she would be in huge trouble if this continued.


    At this moment, she felt a breeze on her ear and heard Anne��s voice.


    ��Lize, how is it?��


    ��Anne?��


    Lize was astonished. She subconsciously swept a glance to the side but couldn��t find where Anne was.


    ��Anne is having a hard time; this opponent is so hard to deal with. Anne came up with a great plan after hearing the angel��s words. Can you handle it, Lize? If you can��t handle it, you can come closer to Anne and follow the plan. Anne thinks it will work out fine.��


    ��Plan?��


    Lize was surprised. In fact, she wouldn��t be hesitant if it were Marlene who suggested a plan. On the contrary, it was an entirely different matter since it was Anne��s plan. Perhaps after spending plenty of time in battle with Anne, it could be said that Lize understood Anne more than Rhode and Marlene did. Although Anne��s battle instincts were much greater than hers and Marlene��s, Anne often came up with strange ideas which frightened the Clerics and her. Even though the results usually turned out well, her random ideas just couldn��t convince her fully and all she wished for was to fulfill her duties as safely as possible.


    But it was a pity that her wish didn��t come true.


    �� What plan does Anne have in her mind?


    Blade rays erupted, but this time Lize didn��t dare to brace them. She sensed an unprecedented murderous intent from the menacing blade and also a powerful force behind it.


    I have no other choices now. I can only give it a shot!


    Lize dodged the brandishing blade and cautiously drew a distance apart from the enemy, at the same time moving closer to Anne. According to Mini Bubble Gum��s teachings, the most important element in battle was to not let the enemy see through her movements. If the angel did see through her movements, it would be easy for her to stop Lize. So then��


    Even though Lize kept this in mind, it was impossible to communicate her thoughts to Anne as a human.


    ��Lize. Hurry up. Anne can��t hang on anymore!��


    Anne��s yell resounded in the empty plaza that was filled with the clash of blades. Not only did this leave Lize anxious, but the others in battle also turned around. Then, they witnessed a burst of whirlwind that flung Anne out of it, and she coincidentally landed beside Rhode. At this moment, the berserker wielding two large swords darted out of the dusty whirlwind and headed for Rhode. The two red swords were like the fangs of a wild beast.


    ��Mr. Rhode!��


    Lize shrieked in horror, but at the same time she heard the exact same voice from above.


    ��You! What are you trying to do to Mr. Rhode!��


    The angel soared across the sky and brandished her sword to envelope the berserker in blazing silver flames. But shortly after, a strong red whirlwind erupted and dispersed the flames, and she walked out unharmed. This time, she focused her attention to the angel.


    ��I won��t allow you to harm Mr. Rhode! Mr. Rhode belongs to me!��


    The angel pointed her sword at the berserker, her eyes glinting with unprecedented wrath.


    ��Mr. Rhode is mine. I will never allow any women to lay their hands on him!��


    ���� Target�� Eliminate�� Obstacle����


    The berserker growled and raised the two huge swords. The angel sulked.


    ��Alright then. How about this? I will kill all of you and bring Mr. Rhode back for myself!��


    What��s this situation?


    Lize gazed blankly at the commotion. After a few moments, she hurriedly ran up to Rhode and Anne.


    ��This����


    Rhode was also surprised as he didn��t expect that the enemies would be caught up in an internal strife. The other Rhode standing before him yelled in resentment.


    ��What are you two doing! Stop what you��re doing and kill them! Don��t forget your mission!��


    However, both the angel and berserker ignored his words as the scarlet whirlwind and silver flames continued to clash. On the other side, the Magic Swordsman who was in battle with Marlene grumbled.


    ��How dare you order me? Who do you think you are? Why would I listen to the command of a foolish man!��


    The Magic Swordsman deflected Marlene��s attack and retorted in an ice-cold voice. Then, she brandished her sword and once again focused her attention on the fight with her other self.


    Unlike Lize and Anne, the battle between Marlene and her other self was oddly tough. Although Marlene��s swordsmanship had improved tremendously under Lize��s guidance, she still couldn��t face her other self as Lize did with hers. Most importantly��


    Clang!


    The Magic Swordsman unleashed a graceful arc with her scarlet blade which crashed onto Marlene��s blade. The latter felt the powerful force on her trembling sword and took a step back. Then, she held her sword before her to defend herself.


    ��What are you waiting for?!�� The enemy Marlene glared fiercely. She dodged Marlene��s attack and struck forth with her blade once more. ��Could it be that you��re still waiting for that man, hoping that he��ll rescue you?! Stop dreaming! Men are all the same! He only treats you well because you��re useful to him. Once he��s done using you, he��ll abandon you without any hesitation! Why? Why must my other self fight for a man!��


    ��Although I don��t know what you��ve been through����


    Marlene avoided the lethal blade. She gnashed her teeth and slashed her sword.


    ���� I��m not like you!��


    ��Rubbish!��


    The Magic Swordsman lifted her sword and negated Marlene��s slash. ��How are we different? No matter in which world, men are always the same! You��ve been duped! All men are animals!��


    The Magic Swordsman burst forward at an incredible speed and left a scarlet trail of afterimages. She slashed her sword at Marlene��s neck, but failed to realize that Marlene had become oddly calm and sheathed her sword. Marlene clutched the sword hilt and as soon as the enemy arrived before her, she unsheathed her sword in an exploding force.


    ��������!��


    The dazzling scarlet radiance streaked in a perfect arc. Although the blade ray seemed incredibly slow, it was filled with unprecedented force. The Magic Swordsman instantly felt that her blade was slowed down by a physical presence!


    ��This is����


    The Magic Swordsman widened her eyes in astonishment, but it was too late.


    In the blink of an eye, the powerful presence deflected her sword as it flew off her hand. Then, Marlene flicked her wrist and smashed the hilt into the enemy��s face. The immense pain left the enemy squealing in pain, but Marlene was unconcerned. She stooped over and slashed her sword when suddenly, she struck two flying daggers and the Magic Swordsman swiftly drew a distance between them. Blood was flowing from her face and it looked pretty terrifying.


    ��It seems like you��re quite good�� Who taught you that?��


    The enemy Marlene glared at her other self and said softly. Then, she let out a chuckle and shook her head.


    ��Whatever. I didn��t expect that I would be injured by my other pampered self who has an affair with a man. I thought I could easily defeat you, but it seems like it isn��t that easy.��


    The enemy Marlene raised her sword. But this time, she held the sword hilt with both hands and pointed the sword at Marlene.


    ��It��s a pity�� Because you could have died a painless death.��


    Then, she said.


    How is this even possible?


    Rhode felt astonished by the sudden turn of events in this BOSS battle.


    He swept a glance at Anne��he also received communications from her just like Lize. But unlike Lize, Rhode trusted Anne��s battle instincts more. Therefore, he quickly made a decision despite being surprised that Anne would use such a method to end the battle.


    At this moment, Anne had crawled to her feet. Currently, the toughest opponent, the berserker, was lashing out with the angel while the annoying, man-hating mercenary queen ignored commands from the other ��Rhode��. Since this was the case��


    ��Anne, Lize, work with me to take down this guy!��


    ��Yes, Leader!��


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode!��


    Anne��s and Lize��s eyes glinted. Then, they launched their attacks at the enemy from the left and right!


    ��Tsk! How unlucky!��


    The enemy Rhode cursed in disdain. In the battle with his other self, he couldn��t figure out the strange sword skills. He thought that he could gather some information during their battle at first, but he didn��t expect that in the blink of an eye, the situation turned from a one-versus-one to a three-versus-one. The enemy Rhode stared at the two young ladies coming for him. Then, he slashed his black sword at Lize��perhaps to him, the young lady with bare hands and clad in thin armor was much easier to deal with than Anne with the enormous shield.


    But he didn��t expect that the instant he slashed his blade, three fuzzy shadows emerged before him and brandished their swords. Clang! Clang! Clang! Their blades stopped his black sword while Lize picked up speed and hurled a punch at him.


    The battle continued.

 Chapter 890 - The Fate-Smashing Blade

    Chapter 890: The Fate-Smashing Blade


    Marlene gazed at her other self sternly as she sensed an unprecedented, murderous aura that was so ice-cold it wrapped around her tightly. Although Marlene was experienced in such dangerous battles, she felt as though she was held in the hand of a monster like a defenseless chick and all she could do was watch the monster widen its mouth and devour her completely.


    Marlene gnashed her teeth and clasped the sword in her hand, holding it before her. At the next moment, she lost control over her body as though to the effects of extreme fear.


    What happened?


    Marlene widened her eyes in shock, gazing at her body which she didn��t know had fallen to the ground. There was a ghastly, bloody wound on her right arm. She stared blankly at her arm and her head was blank. She couldn��t remember when she got hurt or why she was on the ground. As she slowly lost her consciousness, immense pain consumed her.


    ��This is����


    ��I didn��t expect you to dodge it.��


    Suddenly, the Magic Swordsman appeared behind her and the instant Marlene heard her voice, she jumped to her feet and stared at her other self vigilantly.


    ��You��ve surprised me. It seems like you��re really strong in this world. This isn��t the swordsmanship of the Senia Family, right? Where did you learn it from? Could it be from that so-called man? I can��t understand why you possess such strength. I always think that women who are deceived by men will only be immersed in fake gentleness and eventually crumble in their hands. Am I not right about it?��


    ��There isn��t only one reason for me to become stronger.��


    Marlene sucked in a breath of cold air. The pain on her right arm wasn��t a great sign. Currently all she could do was to perhaps launch a final attack. Although Canary said that she hadn��t fully mastered this attack, she had no other choices left.


    ��I want to stand alongside and not behind him, being the useless person who is always protected by him. I can��t tolerate this anymore, so I want to become stronger and face the unknown future and enemies with him. I know I can��t defeat the powerful enemies yet, so I want to be stronger!��


    ���� It seems like you and I are somewhat similar.��


    The Magic Swordsman pondered in silence. Then, she raised her sword and pointed forward. On the other hand, Marlene sheathed her sword. She bent over slightly, held the sheath with her left hand and hilt with her right in a sword-drawing posture.


    ��Alright then, this will be the final attack. Let me see how strongly you desire to be with that man!��


    The Magic Swordsman burst forward with her sword in a dazzling red lightning. It was so quick that almost no one could react to it. But as soon as the blade was about to strike, Marlene raised the heavy, silver sheath.


    At the same time, she withdrew her sword and slashed a blinding red arc.


    It only took an instant.


    The powerful clash cracked and shattered her sheath into bits.


    Clang.


    Marlene dropped her sword and collapsed to the ground palely. Although she unleashed a deadly attack on her other self, she was also hurt badly. Her left shoulder had been punctured entirely. If she didn��t lift the sheath to defend against that attack, perhaps she would have been dead by now.


    ��I can��t die yet����


    Marlene lifted her head and gnashed her teeth. Her eyes were filled with unprecedented determination.


    ��I promised and believed in him. This is the biggest�� difference between you and I.��


    Marlene said as she turned to the other side of the battlefield.


    ��Hey, isn��t this cheating?!��


    The man wasn��t as carefree anymore. Rhode, Lize, and Anne joined forces and took him on together. He might stand a chance if he were a pure swordsman, but he was a Spirit Swordsman. Although he had the Soul Messenger talent tree which made him a strong attacker, he was only slightly stronger than ordinary humans after his spiritual powers were sealed.


    ��Who cares about that. Anne, attack!��


    Rhode wasn��t interested in discussing fairness, of course. He knew himself perfectly that he wouldn��t utter nonsense at such a critical moment. He knew that any attempt to harass the mind was meaningless. But he couldn��t promise the same for the two young ladies. If his other self caught onto an opportunity to do so, he would turn the disadvantage around to his benefit. Therefore, the top priority now was to eliminate him as soon as possible!


    ��Got it! Leader!��


    Anne responded. She raised her shield and burst forward like a flying missile, aiming for the man. The man brandished the black sword and struck the shield heavily. Boom! Anne flinched upon impact and at the same time, Lize sneaked between them with clenched fists, hurling punches at his chest. But to her surprise, the man laughed and she came to an abrupt halt.


    ��Yo, this young lady is quite adorable. What��s your name?��


    ��Huh?��


    They were in the heat of the battle and the random question about her name bewildered Lize. She lifted her head and gazed at the man dubiously. But at this moment, Rhode��s voice sounded from behind.


    ��What are you doing?! Dodge!��


    Lize came to a sudden realization and placed her arms before her in a crisscross stance. Almost simultaneously, the man thrust his foot forward. Although Lize got into a defensive position just in time, the powerful force threw her off. Fortunately, Anne appeared behind Lize and caught her in her arms.


    ��How dare you attack my woman. You��ve got balls!��


    Rhode struck forth with his blade, aiming for the enemy��s heart. Then, the loud clash of blades sounded and without a doubt, his attack was stopped by the man.


    ��How can you say that, my other self? I��m also you, so doesn��t that make your woman mine?��


    ��You wish! What��s mine is mine. What��s yours is also mine! Why don��t you bring your women for me!��


    ��Stop berating! My woman is also yours, alright?!��


    ��Not alright at all!��


    Both of them slashed their blades and sparks splashed everywhere. Then, two shadow clones erupted from Rhode and brandished their swords. But this time, the man burst into laughter and swung his blade forcefully. In the powerful gust of wind, Rhode��s shadow clone vanished into dust and he could only come to a halt and retreat. Without the support of the spiritual powers, the shadow clones created from the Fantasy Daybreak swordsmanship were only ordinary, which needed no explanation as to why they were defeated so easily.


    ��This won��t do, my other self. Why have you become so timid?��


    Timid?


    Rhode twitched his brow.


    This bastard sure knows how to brag. You think I��m still in the game, huh? Wait.


    Rhode realized something.


    That��s right. My battle style is very different from the past. This man is indeed my in-game avatar with powerful sword skills and brute force. But my sword skills now are focused mainly on efficiency and transformation. There is only one reason for it.


    That��s right. ��He�� belongs in the game.


    While I am the ��reality��.


    ��Lize, Anne, attack! Surround him and don��t let him escape!��


    A strategy came to his mind and he commanded instantly. At the same time, he swiftly retreated while Anne and Lize dashed toward the man from the left and right. But this time they didn��t go up to the man straight away because they knew that the man was as hard to deal with as Rhode. Even though he seemed rather desperate dealing with the three of them, he could easily retaliate their attacks. Anne had a hard time against him, not to mention Lize who barely learned the martial arts from Mini Bubble Gum for less than a year.


    Although they couldn��t overpower the enemy, the two young ladies weren��t amateurs on the battlefields either. Shortly after, they picked up speed and stopped the man from heading further. The man revealed a helpless bitter smile, came to a halt, and raised his enormous blade.


    ��Ah, how reminiscent. This reminds me of the scene when people surround and treat me like the BOSS. This was a common occurrence back then����


    ��Hmph!��


    Rhode scoffed. He burst forward with his sword in a trail of afterimages and razor-sharp blade rays slashed from the gust of wind.


    ��Oh? You��re finally serious about this battle?��


    The man put up a stern expression. He clutched his sword and gazed silently to the left and right. Initially, Lize and Anne had decided to coordinate with Rhode and launch their attacks together. But for some unknown reasons, they instantly sensed a dangerous vibe as soon as the man shot a look at them, which made them slow down their pace.


    At the same time, the tip of Rhode��s blade arrived in his face.


    Clang!


    Just like before, Rhode��s attack was easily stopped by the man. But this time he didn��t back off. As their blades clashed, Rhode released a shadow clone and launched another attack! The man twitched his brow at this sight. Then, he brandished his enormous blade!


    Clang! Clang!


    The shadow clone disappeared to the attack and Rhode once again appeared from the shadows. But this time he had no intention of backing off. The instant his shadow clone succumbed to the attack, yet another two shadow clones emerged and struck their swords.


    ��Interesting. You intend to attack using this strategy? Surely you don��t think that you can defeat me with such a boring and tasteless shadow clone technique?��


    The man sulked and let out a snarl. He swung his enormous, shimmering blade and eradicated the shadow clones. But Rhode didn��t give up. The moment the shadow clones were smashed into dust, two more shadow clones showed up and charged forward. Then, they were eliminated yet again.


    ��This is it!��


    The man��s eyes glinted. He let out a loud growl and struck forth with his sword. This time, Rhode was standing right before him!


    The incredibly-fast black sword broke the sound barrier and this was the first time that Rhode revealed an astonished expression. But it was too late. The moment he attempted to raise his sword in defense, the black sword slashed from above and struck his body. However�� Rhode didn��t collapse. Instead, he shattered into bits and vanished to nowhere.


    Sh*t!


    The man was bewildered and it was too late. Before he realized it, Rhode had struck forward with his sword.


    Clang!


    In the blink of an eye, the man��s black sword struck off his hand.


    That��s right. Rhode was waiting for this chance.


    Although his other self was strong, his attributes were based on humans, after all. On the other hand, Rhode��s current bloodline and strength had surpassed the limits of all humans in the game! Even without [Self-Affirmation], Rhode could rely on his powerful bloodline and turn the situation in his favor!


    Anne brandished the shield from the rear and crashed into the man��s back heavily. The immense impact caused the man to straighten his back like a prawn and it shattered his tight armor completely. But before he reacted, Lize appeared before him and mercilessly landed the ultimate punch on his chest.


    ��Argh!��


    The man rolled on the ground desperately while a razor-sharp blade flashed and punctured his chest.


    ��I didn��t expect�� to lose����


    The man gazed silently at Rhode and forced out a smile.


    ��But this is fine too. It seems like I��ve improved�� But�� Why did I lose?��


    ��It��s simple.��


    Rhode said.


    ��Because this is only a game to you while it is a matter of life and death for me.��


    That��s right. This was the crucial difference between Rhode and his other self.


    There was no such thing as death for players. They could heal if their health was low and respawn if they were killed. But it was entirely different in reality. Players could sacrifice an arm or half a body to defeat the enemies. But if Rhode were to do that here, he would be seeking his own death. Therefore, his strategy now had a decisive difference��protecting himself was the top priority, followed by killing the enemy. Therefore, he had been concealing his strength and only coordinated his attacks with Anne and Lize in the last moment where he revealed his true strength to secure the win. If not, even if his constitution was stronger than most humans, he was sure that his other self would definitely know how to retaliate if he revealed it at the start.


    The man was him, after all.


    ��I see�� That��s true. This is only a game for me, after all����


    The man revealed a gentle smile and slowly shut his eyes.


    ��Hahaha. But don��t think that this is the end, my other self. Do you think that I��m willing to admit defeat just like this?��


    ��You still got something up your sleeves?��


    Rhode twitched his brows. His fate image was gradually vanishing like a melted ice sculpture and this meant that he was entirely done for. Could it be that he hadn��t given up yet?


    ��Hahaha, do you really think that this is the end?��


    His other self burst into laughter. Then, he raised his right hand and winked playfully at Rhode.


    ��Don��t forget, my other self; I��m the BOSS of this place. Don��t tell me that you won��t be looting my corpse? Judging from our ��unlucky looting aura��, I sure am excited about what you��re gonna find from my corpse. Hahahaha����


    ��You����


    Rhode��s proud expression instantly turned into a sulk.

 Chapter 891 - The So-Called Fate was…

    Chapter 891: The So-Called Fate was��


    The battle ended.


    While Rhode defeated his other self on the other side, the ��self-destruction�� between the angel and berserker also came to an end. Although the angel was much stronger than ordinary humans, the berserker was no easy opponent either. In the end, the berserker slashed her two swords at the angel while the angel sliced off the berserker��s head, resulting in mutual destruction.


    ��I��m surprised you came up with this solution.��


    Rhode turned to Anne, who was smiling like a little fox. Rhode had to admit that he didn��t expect that starting an internal strife could solve the problem. In fact, if they were to follow Rhode��s plan, perhaps he wouldn��t have reached a conclusion with his other self, not to mention a victory. Currently, apart from Marlene being injured, the rest were basically in perfect condition, which was the best ending he could hope for.


    ��How did you come up with it?��


    Rhode asked while stroking Anne��s hair. The latter narrowed her eyes like a blissful kitten and if she had a tail, perhaps it would be wagging hard right now. Anne puffed out her chest and spoke proudly.


    ��Heh heh. Anne is clever. When Anne is fighting the other Anne, Anne realized that the other Anne didn��t care who the opponent was. So, Anne thought that maybe the other Anne will treat her companions as enemies.��


    ������


    Even though the results were great, Rhode was bewildered by her response. If Anne��s judgment was wrong, they would be attacked by the angel and berserker at once. When that happened, they would be thrown into a dangerous spot. Nonetheless, this idea left Rhode rather speechless.


    ��But why did you choose to taunt the angel and not the other Marlene?��


    ��Because Anne heard what the angel said.��


    Anne pointed at her ear proudly.


    ��Anne��s ears are sharp. After hearing what the angel said, Anne feels like she resembles someone Anne met in the past, always willing to do anything for Leader. So, Anne gave it a shot and it was successful. Huhuhu.��


    Cough! Cough!


    Rhode didn��t respond, but Lize, who was treating Marlene��s wounds, let out the obvious coughs. After this ��test�� was over, the group restored their spiritual powers which allowed Lize to heal Marlene��s injuries. But even so, Lize felt incredibly awkward and embarrassed by Anne��s words. Lize��s worst nightmares came from the time she was lured into the mental space by the Mind Devil and split into two extreme personalities. If it were possible, she would never have wished to talk about it again. But she didn��t expect that Anne would deal this fatal blow to her at this moment. On the other hand, Marlene gazed at her dubiously, unaware of what exactly happened in the past.


    Rhode shook his head with a bitter smile. In fact, he was used to Anne��s weird ideas. Besides, he had already discovered that even though this world was different from reality, the natives enjoyed taking on uncertain adventures and perhaps this was due to their identities. The players could formulate a safe strategy through dozens of deaths and respawns, but the natives couldn��t. Therefore, they couldn��t be blamed for risking their lives and making such risky decisions. Although these decisions might seem foolish to the players, Rhode could actually understand the motivation behind it.


    He gazed at Anne standing before him.


    If Anne were a player, perhaps she would be tough to take down. But compared to Anne, the improvements of the other two young ladies astonished him even more. He shifted his gaze to them.


    I never expected them to possess such strength.


    Back then when he was battling his other self, he was also watching his surroundings. He was stunned that Marlene defeated her other self, but wasn��t exactly surprised because he knew that Marlene was an exceedingly determined woman. She didn��t lack what was needed for one to become a swordsman and as long as her skills were on point, it wouldn��t be surprising if she won.


    On the contrary, he was bewildered that Lize managed to take down the angel with her bare fists. He knew with a single glance that it was the results of Mini Bubble Gum��s teachings because no one would ever think of relating Clerics with martial art moves except her. Not only that, Rhode also didn��t expect Lize to possess such a talent for ��violence��. She was always a gentle young lady and he was used to seeing her running about in a pure white robe as a Cleric, healing and treating the injured mercenaries. At this moment, the sight of her in a leather armor and a pair of black, steel gloves was as though a rich young lady wearing a beggar��s outfit��really, really absurd.


    ��Marlene, how are your injuries?��


    ��All healed, Rhode.��


    Marlene stood up and flexed her shoulder. Rhode had to admit that Cleric spells were incredible. The punctured, bloody wound had completely healed as though it didn��t exist before. Marlene gazed at Rhode and let out a sigh.


    ��Sigh�� I know you want me to loot the corpses, right?��


    ��Yes. Sorry to trouble you.��


    Rhode��s expression turned solemn which he wasn��t even this serious when facing his other self. Marlene shook her head helplessly without any rebuttal as though she had accepted her fate. She simply turned around and headed to the corpses. Rhode stood and watched from the side anxiously. He had to admit that his other self was indeed brutal where he left a deadly blow to his heart before he died��mentioning the ��unlucky looting aura�� in his face. What an eternal pain. Even though two negatives might make a positive and he might gain legendary artifacts from the corpses, he knew that this was basically impossible because unlucky plus unlucky would only make things worse! All he could do now was to hope that Marlene��s lucky hand would overpower his ��unlucky looting aura��. If not�� He would be off crying in the corner.


    Although all the fate images would drop equipment from their corpses, Rhode wasn��t concerned about the others because he was aware that the equipment was soul-bound. In other words, only they could use the equipment dropped from their other selves.


    After a few moments, Marlene retrieved all the equipment and presented them to him.


    Firstly, it was Lize��s drop��a pair of crystal-clear hand guards that exuded a sacred aura and mighty strength.


    [Delusional Killer (Ancient. Rule. Bronze)������all illusory presences will eventually be destroyed and everything shall return to the origin of distortion. Only a fierce, powerful attack can completely shatter them all (Soul-bound)]


    [Rupture Property��the victim��s equipment that is attacked will be affected by the rupture property. Equipment will be destroyed as soon as the count reaches 10.]


    [Fatal Blow����holder has a 30 percent chance of landing a critical attack]


    [Penetration����when the holder��s attack is blocked, the attack will penetrate and hit the target. Damage decreased by 15 percent]


    [Perish Delusion����when the attack is critical, the flow of the victim��s spiritual powers will be stopped and unusable for 30 seconds]


    [Magic Guard����immune to spells below the middle inner circle. Damage taken from magic spells decreased by 30 percent]


    It was apparent that this pair of hand guards was especially suitable for the ��close-combat�� Lize. It would basically be impossible for ordinary humans to defeat her if she combined it with her martial arts. Besides, the most important thing about this pair of hand guards was the [Perish Delusion] and its ability to stop the enemy��s spiritual powers for 30 seconds. This was as though casting a curse over the enemy. Without the existence of spiritual powers and solely relying on physical strength, not even swordsmen could defeat Lize.


    But this would leave Lize in an awkward position too because as a Cleric, she would always be a supporter on the back lines despite learning close-combat skills from Mini Bubble Gum, which meant that she wouldn��t have many chances to use the hand guards. But on the other hand, at least she wouldn��t need to worry about self-protection anymore.


    After explaining the functions of the item, Lize went to the side and started meddling with it. It was apparent that she was in a tough spot too.


    Anne��s equipment was next and Rhode just disliked how it looked. It was a pitch-black, leather collar that pets or slaves would usually wear. Although there were some people who enjoyed this fashion sense in the real world, the problem was that�� Anne wasn��t one of them.


    [Virtual Collar (Antique. Fantasy. Platinum)����secures and bestows new life form to shapeless presences. Awaken its strength once again and battle alongside its owner to change the world (Soul-bound)]


    [Bloodline Eruption����available once per day. The holder��s attributes will be doubled and lasts for three hours. The holder will enter a state of ��exhaustion�� when three hours are over. After five hours, the holder will automatically restore strength]


    [Virtual Attribute����when attacked, the holder possess a 10 percent chance of ignoring damage]


    [Subordinate Proof����carve the name of the master on the collar and receive enhancements to the attributes. Half of the master��s attributes will be used to stack on the holder��s attributes.]


    Although this equipment wasn��t considered a legendary artifact, the [Subordinate Proof] was a great effect. If Anne carved his name on the collar, her strength would be enhanced by half of all his attributes. Perhaps in the future, she could even become the main attacker on his side. But�� The usage method of this item was just odd.


    Even though Anne didn��t mind, Rhode didn��t have any interest in putting on a collar on her, as women weren��t pets. Well, Sonia was an exception and since he had already toyed with her, he didn��t mind doing it a few more times. As for Anne�� Although she didn��t care, he thought that it would be better for him to reconsider his options.


    The equipment that Marlene had gotten for herself was a right-handed red leather glove with an embedded gem on the back of the hand. The golden magical lines drawn around the gem and extended throughout the glove was like a beautiful ritual. The gem flickered in colorful radiances from time to time as though it were alive.


    [Spell Disaster (Ancient. Fantasy. Gold)����the magical ocean is filled with risks and storms. No one will make it to the end safely because they don��t understand the true meaning behind magic. The power to create and destroy will not be resisted forever, until the face of the eternal disaster (Soul Bound)]


    [Rule Strings����the holder can control spells that are below his or her level as his or her own. Unavoidable]


    [Soul Resonance����increase the holder��s spiritual powers by one-third and decrease consumption by half.]


    [Magic Boost����every time the holder cast a spell, the strength of the next spell will be increased by 30 percent. Can be stacked up to 10 times.]


    [Twin Casting����the holder can cast two spells of the same attribute at the same time.]


    [Appointed Seal����the holder can appoint and seal a living being into a plane of existence prison. Victims with levels higher than the holder will need to pass a test of will. Undeniable (Can be released)]


    Now, this equipment suited Marlene really well as a Mage. The effects of this glove were beneficial for her. If Rhode were a spell caster, he definitely wouldn��t miss his chance on it. He could also imagine how jealous and envious Canary and Mini Bubble Gum would be when they saw this equipment.


    But the most important thing was��


    ��Marlene, the final piece����


    Rhode took in a deep breath. His voice was shaky. Marlene gazed at him curiously; not only was he tensed up, but he was as nervous as the prisoner who was about to have his head executed.


    What��s wrong with Rhode?


    Even though she was dubious, she handed over the last equipment.


    That was a pitch-black, palm-sized oval jewel embedded on an exquisite silver base. The entire jewel seemed like an incredible work of art. Although Marlene didn��t know what it was despite the powerful magical powers exuding from it, she was sure that it was an extremely powerful magical equipment.


    But never did she expect that Rhode seemed like he was about to faint when he saw it.


    ��Rhode? What��s wrong?��


    ��Nothing����


    The corner of his mouth twitched. Then, a line of system prompt emerged before his eyes.


    [Received Projection Crystal (Soul Bound)]


    He raised his head and gazed at the shattered illusory sky above.


    At this moment, he finally understood��


    Some fates cannot be broken no matter how hard one tries.

 Chapter 892 - The Tinder

    Chapter 892: The Tinder


    Everyone cleared the final obstacles after defeating the fate images and they were about to enter the core and awaken the tinder. It should have been a thrilling and nervous moment, but��


    ��Sister Lize, what��s wrong with Leader?��


    Anne asked as she gazed at Rhode leading the way lifelessly as though he hadn��t been sleeping for days. After leaving the Wheel of Fate, they arrived at a descending stairwell where they were surrounded by the boundless, beautiful starry sky. But the young ladies were more concerned about Rhode. Ever since the battle ended and they received the spoils of war, he had been behaving this way. They were concerned that he would miss a step and tumble down the whole stairwell��


    ��I��m not too sure. Maybe it has something to do with that crystal����


    Lize shook her head helplessly and exchanged a dubious glance with Marlene.


    The item that Marlene found was the Projection Crystal and strictly speaking, it wasn��t considered an equipment. It also wasn��t a kind of material like the [Illusion Crystal]. Instead, it was sort of a tool for the construction system. In other words, it was similar to the Sphere of Mystery that was useful when utilized by the system.


    But��


    Although it possessed strong powers, it was useless for Rhode.


    Although it possessed strong powers, it was useless for Rhode.


    Because this was so worthy to note, it had to be said twice.


    The Projection Crystal sounded really powerful, but in reality it was a fairly simple item��it could visualize everything in the scope of the system and present the views before the holder. In other words, it was like the 24/7 secret surveillance cameras around his territory. As long as he wished to, he could retrieve any footage from any location and time. Not only that, but he could also magnify and replay it countless times. Just as the name suggested, it used the magical powers to project the scenes on the crystal. Therefore, everything would be presented clearly before him as long as they were in a place with sources of magical powers.


    But this wasn��t all.


    Rhode��s system already came with the holographic map and all the Projection Crystal could do was to evolve the simple satellite map into a real-time street view. Nothing would be kept secret before his eyes within his territory.


    Although he could use the crystal to peep at some women in the shower or changing room, he was more interested in women who were willing to get intimate with him and he wasn��t that pathetic to peep on them. Apart from that, the Projection Crystal was also soul-bound, which meant that no one could activate it except for him. But he couldn��t possibly hide in his room all day just to fiddle with it too.


    It was due to this that he was speechless as soon as he received this item that sounded incredible, but was in fact useless for him. If it weren��t soul-bound to him, he could still get others to watch his territory on behalf.


    Currently his only choice was to check if Sara could use the Projection Crystal. After all, she was a Corpse Slave who lived on his spiritual powers. Since this was the case, Sara��s spirit was aligned with his and if she could get it to work, he could leave it in her hands. As a Corpse Slave, Sara was an expert in keeping secrets and could work 24/7, which was the perfect choice.


    Of course, the prerequisite was that she could activate the Projection Crystal.


    If not�� Rhode could only use it for peeping purposes��


    Rhode let out a helpless sigh. What was the point of having this item that seemed awesome, but was in fact useless trash?


    ��Erm�� Rhode?��


    Marlene called out from the back and dragged him back to the cruel reality. Up until this moment, he discovered that he had arrived at the end of the never-ending stairwell. There was a tall stone door before them which seemed almost exactly like the metal door from before.


    Have we reached our destination?


    Rhode pulled himself together and Lize and Anne also watched in silence. There was a much more important problem to handle��Marlene.


    Marlene had confessed everything to them and even the always carefree Anne knew the fate that Marlene was about to face. But not even Anne was willing to give up. She might be innocent, but she wasn��t foolish. She knew that everyone risked their lives to come to this place and were they going to give up knowing that Marlene would be sacrificed? Impossible!


    But�� They weren��t that cruel to sacrifice their close friend. Although Rhode was confident that he could rescue Marlene even if she had to be sacrificed, the thought of their close friend dying before them was unbearable.


    ��Mr. Rhode, how��s the situation above?��


    Lize asked with knitted brows. Rhode pondered in silence before responding.


    ��I communicated with Lesa. Currently the Chaos Creatures have continuously attacked for 98 times. Even though Christie has helped them delay for three more days, it seems like she��s at her limit.��


    ��Huh? Three days? Why do I feel like we��ve only been here for about two days?��


    Lize shrieked in surprise. But she couldn��t be blamed because even though Order preserved the flow of time in this place, they couldn��t actually relate to the true duration of time. It was only through hunger that they estimated the time, but the issue was that there basically weren��t any ordinary humans here.


    Anne was a half-beast and even though she was gluttonous, her bloodline allowed her to go without food for two to three days. Lize was a half-angel and similar to the elves; their appetites weren��t huge and a couple of fruits could restore their energy. It went without saying for Rhode. Although he didn��t know what his bloodline was, he was sure that he wasn��t a pure human. On the other hand, although Marlene was ��once�� considered an ordinary human, she seemed to be impure after her other self did something to her in the weird space from before, where she didn��t feel fatigue or the need to drink along the way. Apart from being pale after her shoulder was punctured and losing a lot of blood, she was basically fine.


    It was just too difficult to expect them to rely on their bodies to grasp the true flow of time.


    ��Perhaps the flow of time is different here from above.��


    Rhode puckered his brows and said.


    Players didn��t care much about these details, but he discovered from Lesa that more than 10 days had gone on the surface. The attack of Chaos was pressing hard and ��Christie�� helped them buy more time by using the Knowledge Scroll three times in a row. According to ��Christie��, her body would crumble completely if she cast it one more time. Therefore, she couldn��t continue battling anymore. However, this was more than enough for Rhode. If it weren��t for her, perhaps the surface would have been swarmed by the Chaos Creatures by now.


    But even so, the next phase would be the last one. The defenders above suffered gravely and he had also lost one-third of his mercenaries. But what gave him the most heartache was that Lesa ordered the Bow Knights to protect the mercenaries, and more than half of them died. Rhode knew that he didn��t have much time to delay anymore.


    At this moment, Rhode realized the three young ladies were gazing at him silently. All of their gazes were unique albeit having the same meaning behind them��it was time for him to make the decision.


    ��Forget it. I shall leave it to the will of Heaven.��


    Rhode muttered and nodded to Marlene.


    ��Marlene, open the door.��


    ��Yes, Rhode.��


    Marlene appeared rather nervous. She turned around and raised her right hand. Shortly after, the metal staff appeared in her hand and she slotted it into the door. Then, the stone gears spun and the door gradually opened.


    There was no sound.


    This five-meters-tall stone door opened silently without the slightest noise. What presented before them was a scene that they had never seen before.


    ��Woah����


    Anne exclaimed in awe. Lize covered her mouth in surprise.


    It was a vast starry night with stars connecting to form rivers of light that flowed gently like the galaxy. In the middle of the space was a sphere in the form of a dim sun, flickering and emanating gentle white radiances.


    ��Is that the tinder��?��


    Marlene stared blankly and muttered under her breath. She felt as though everything in this world existed for it. She couldn��t turn her eyes away from the flaming sphere like she was a moth pouncing onto flames�� It was only until Rhode held her shoulder that she came to a halt and realized that she had entered the sacred temple unknowingly.


    ��Let me go in first.��


    Rhode shot a look at Lize and Anne. Then, he raised his head and gazed at the tinder. Up until this moment, everything was as he remembered. As long as he followed the proper steps, he would be able to awaken the tinder. But if his guesses were correct, he wouldn��t be able to awaken it. But humans often weren��t willing to give up, wasn��t it?


    He went up to the tinder and placed his hand on the blazing, mini sun.


    Shortly after, a line of system prompts emerged.


    [Tinder detected a trigger]


    [Begin verification phase]


    [Begin lineage matching program]


    [Tinder Origin������]


    ��Beep��!��


    Rhode��s heart sank to the ear-screeching siren. As expected, he saw a system prompt that he didn��t wish to witness.


    [Detected the seal]


    [Failed to unlock seal. Failed to awaken the Tinder]


    ��Tsk!��


    Rhode scoffed. If it were possible, he wished to simply slash it apart with his sword and end everything. But it was a pity that as a Spirit Swordsman, he wasn��t familiar with the seal.


    ��Celia, Celestina, Gracier, Madaras, Shira, can you handle it?��


    Rhode communicated with his summoning spirits, only to be responded with their inability to unlock the seal.


    ��This seal has been enhanced by the pure blood and spirit of humans. Sister Shira may be able to forcefully destroy it, but it will be impossible to unlock it.��


    Celestina who held the highest authority in magical theory answered and Rhode twitched his brow.


    ��Forcefully destroy it?��


    ��That��s right. Destroy the seal and the object altogether. It should be possible with Sister Shira��s strength.��


    ���� Forget it.��


    Rhode had no doubt that Shira was capable of destroying this sealed tinder. But the sole purpose of him coming to this place would become meaningless. He let out a helpless sigh before turning around to the young lady and extending his hand.


    ��Marlene, it��s your turn.��


    Anne and Lize gazed worriedly at the young lady beside her. Marlene shook her head with a bitter smile, extending her hands and caressing their hair.


    ��Alright then, Lize, Anne. I��ll be right back.��


    Marlene had never spoken to them in such a tone. It felt as though she was just going ahead to observe the situation and admire the scenery. On the contrary, Anne and Lize were speechless. They wanted to hold her, but their rationality froze them to the spot. As a result, they simply nodded and watched as Marlene stepped forward with a smile on her face and held onto Rhode��s extended hand.


    ��Are you afraid?��


    Although Marlene presented a gentle smile, Rhode instantly felt her cold and shaky hand. As soon as Marlene turned away from Anne and Lize, she bit her lip and revealed a look of struggle as though she was about to cry.


    ��No matter what, this is what I have to do, isn��t it, Rhode?��


    Marlene gazed at the young man before her. At this moment, she stripped away her strong facade and revealed all the anxiousness and fear in her.


    ��That��s right. Besides, I promised that I��ll be by your side.��


    Rhode nodded firmly. While holding onto her trembling hand, he reached out for his pocket and grabbed the Illusion Crystal. Marlene blinked and her maroon eyes restored their unprecedented peace. She pondered in silence before showing a gentle smile that was much more vibrant than the sun before her eyes.


    Then, she placed her hand on the tinder.


    Shortly after, the system prompt emerged.


    [Detected seal remover������begin bloodline seal unlock. Progress 1%]

 Chapter 893 - New Presence of Death

    Chapter 893: New Presence of Death


    [Begin bloodline seal unlock]


    A scarlet magical ritual emerged beneath Marlene��s feet when suddenly, four steel chains emerged out of thin air and bound her limbs. Then, Marlene gnashed her teeth while gripping tightly onto Rhode��s hand. She became extremely pale as though the magical ritual was absorbing her blood through her feet.


    ��Argh�� Argh����


    Although Rhode couldn��t understand how painful it was, he knew from her strong clasp that this pain wasn��t tolerable for ordinary humans. At this moment, her sharp fingernails had almost pierced into his flesh and judging from her ashen complexion, she would surely let out an extremely tragic scream if she were to open her mouth.


    But all Rhode could do was wait.


    [Bloodline seal unlock����Progress 30%]


    The young lady shuddered instinctively to the pain that was beyond her limits as she struggled to break free. But the steel chains were there to stop her from escaping. No matter how hard she struggled, the steel chains wouldn��t budge at all. At this moment, she was like a wild beast who fell into a trap and desperately attempted to flee.


    ��Argh��. Argh! Argh!!��


    The bone-chilling screams resounded in the silent room. Her lip was bleeding from her biting. She gazed ahead lifelessly while struggling to retract her hand from the tinder. But no matter how hard she tried, her left hand was as though attached to the tinder and couldn��t move at all.


    [Bloodline seal unlock����Progress 60%]


    Slowly, Marlene stopped fighting, but this wasn��t because the pain had stopped. Instead, the loss of vitality and magical powers made her powerless. She raised her head and stared into the starry night devoid of emotions while trembling like a dying frog. Anne and Lize couldn��t bear to witness her agony anymore. Although they respected her decision, it was impossible for them to not rescue her with whatever it took. But even so, they couldn��t avoid the reality. All they could do was to stand by the rear and witness everything at their wits�� end.


    [Bloodline seal unlock����Progress 80%]


    ��Damn it. Hurry up!��


    Rhode cursed under his breath. He had never felt time pass by so slowly. He sensed that Marlene��s spirit was gradually dissipating. Her body was slowly turning ice-cold and her final trace of consciousness was crumbling to the agony. But he couldn��t do anything about it. He had decided that this method was simply a risky gamble. He wasn��t sure if this would work and all he could do was to raise the success rate.


    [Bloodline seal unlock����Progress 90%]


    Marlene stopped shuddering and the magical and spiritual radiance emanating from her body were so faint that they could barely be seen. The final vibrancy of life from her gradually vanished. On the other hand, a strange circular scarlet magical ritual emerged over the tinder as though separating its internal by using blood to spread across the entire surface. This symbolized that the seal was about to be released. Rhode became vigilant and watched as everything unfolded.


    Almost there.


    Rhode muttered under his breath while gripping onto the Illusion Crystal tightly. He could only come up with one solution to rescue Marlene. If his prediction wasn��t wrong and what the young lady who looked exactly like Marlene in the strange space said was true, it would be Marlene��s natural death as soon as the progress hit 100 percent. In other words, Marlene would be completely dead. It was due to this that the young lady could then enter Marlene��s body and fuse as a whole new being. Based on Rhode��s countless experiences in dealing with Liches, he was clear of the basic knowledge about spiritual transfer.


    He had another solution and he had to rely on the fact that he was a Spirit Swordsman.


    The Spirit Swordsman was a class that signed contracts with spirits that were asleep in this world in order to summon them into battles. There were two important points here. One was to awaken the spirits and two, the spirits must belong to this plane of existence. Spirit Swordsman couldn��t summon spirits from other planes of existence like Mages.


    This was his final choice.


    All Spirit Swordsmen had a unique class skill��Spirit Language. The Spirit Swordsmen needed to use this skill to awaken spirits in this world and sign contracts with them. This skill wasn��t actually considered a talent or a sword skill. Therefore, it couldn��t be enhanced using skill points or increased in mastery. But this was the most important skill Spirit Swordsmen had because this was how they received their summoning cards.


    Not only that, but this skill also had another ability��forcefully awaken sleeping spirits and interact with them without the soul cores. After obtaining their permission and agreement, the spirits would turn into cards. But Rhode had never used this ability in the past because it would consume a whole lot of spiritual powers to summon them without the existence of soul cores. Not only that, but there was also a high chance of failed summons. Therefore, he had basically never done so, especially after receiving the holy sword cards in his arsenal.


    He currently didn��t have any soul cores with him.


    Therefore, his last choice was to borrow the unlimited spiritual powers from the Illusion Crystal and continuously activate Spirit Language. This way, he could summon Marlene��s spirit to return to her body before the young lady could. Then, he could use Marlene��s body to seal her own spirit within the card. Thereafter, he could appoint a position for her so she could forever stay by his side in her physical form. As for the young lady, she would be completely devoured and slaughtered by the tinder as soon as she failed to enter the vessel.


    But success wasn��t guaranteed. Rhode had to awake Marlene��s spirit before the young lady came to her body. Besides, there were also plenty of uncertainties. He was also aware that spirits like Marlene��s who died as sacrificial offerings were usually gravely injured and might possibly lose their consciousness and wouldn��t be able to respond to his callings. If Marlene couldn��t respond to his summons and the other spirit entered her body, the final connection between her spirit and body would be broken and he wouldn��t know where to find a relic that was related to Marlene to re-summon her spirit.


    Of course, Rhode had explained everything to Marlene beforehand and hoped that she could work with him on this. After all, all these were theories and only heaven knew if they would succeed.


    [Blood seal unlock��98%��99%��100%. Seal unlocked]


    [Preparing the next phase]


    Rhode��s eyes glinted as soon as this system prompt emerged. Then, he held Marlene��s hand tightly, turned around, and quickly released a summoning ritual on the back of his hand. A dazzling magical radiance extended from his arm to his body. In the blink of an eye, the entire ritual enveloped the two completely. The steel chains released their grip on her limbs and she hovered in midair. At this moment, her eyes were completely spiritless and her body was ice-cold.


    ��Marlene, wake up!��


    Rhode yelled, but the young lady didn��t respond and the summoning ritual suddenly dimmed. The system prompted the failure of [Spirit Language].


    ��Damn it! Marlene!��


    Rhode cursed and yelled again, but there was still no response. He was getting anxious as it had been five times since he released [Spirit Language] from the start and none of them worked. Although he sensed that Marlene��s spirit was still connected to her body, she was completely lifeless as though her soul had shattered into bits. Could it be that he neglected the factors involving the bloodline seal? Could it be that her ancestors came up with this countermeasure when designing the seal?


    ��Marlene!��


    The summoning ritual flickered. Rhode relied on the [Illusion Crystal] and activated [Spirit Language] more than 30 times, but Marlene��s spirit still didn��t respond. At this moment, the system prompt emerged.


    [Seal unlocked]


    The scarlet magical ritual above the tinder spread across the space before disappearing entirely. Then, an illusory young lady emerged from the tinder and held onto Marlene��s hand that was attached to the tinder. She smiled and gazed at Rhode.


    ��It seems like you haven��t given up.��


    ��Do you think I��d give up that easily?��


    Rhode stared coldly at the young lady who looked exactly like Marlene.


    ��I guessed so. But it��s a pity that I��m still the ultimate winner.��


    The young lady revealed a grin as she slowly left the tinder, extending her arms and merging into Marlene��s body. Rhode wanted to stop her, but his hands were holding onto Marlene��s hand and the Illusion Crystal.


    Is there really no other way?


    Suddenly, he recalled what the other ��Christie�� said to Lesa����Although Miss Marlene is important to her, it is still different from Miss Christie.��


    The spirit seal�� Bloodline unlock�� Fusing the spirit to the body�� Could it be��


    ��Marlene!!��


    Rhode snarled. This time, he coalesced all the spiritual powers and injected them into Marlene��s sleeping spirit, to which her body shuddered and she widened her eyes abruptly.


    Her maroon eyes glinted in an unprecedented radiance.


    ��R�� Rhode����


    At this moment, the young lady who was about to enter Marlene��s body retracted her arms in a fluster as though she was electrocuted. Then, her arms cracked, shattered, and crumbled instantly.


    ��No! Why did this happen! Why? Why did this happen?!��


    The young lady glared at Marlene, but couldn��t understand what had happened. She had lost her delightful smile and became extremely furious. On the contrary, Marlene extended her arms and gazed silently at her.


    ��Come back����


    ��No�� No, I��m not��!��


    The young lady suddenly became distorted. Then, Marlene swung her arms and countless gold magical strings bound the young lady completely in midair.


    What��s going on?


    Rhode gazed curiously at Marlene and the young lady who struggled to break free from her. The situation took a sudden turn as though the vicious demon king became a tiny critter and the trembling princess transformed into the final BOSS.


    What kind of development to the plot is this?


    ��Rhode����


    Marlene turned around and smiled at him. The latter looked into her maroon eyes and all he saw was trust and love just as usual.


    ��My body is already dead. I��ll leave the next to you.��


    ��I know.��


    Rhode sighed and let loose of his left hand and raised it into the air.


    ��Awakened spirit, I hereby summon you. Are you willing to be my spirit and fight alongside me forever?!��


    ��I��m willing to be with you until eternity, Rhode!��


    Marlene smiled and answered without hesitation. Then, she extended her hand and placed it on his left hand. At the same time, a card emerged in his hand.


    ��������!��


    Suddenly, a massive golden ritual resembling countless, enormous, connected gears erupted from beneath Marlene��s feet. The powerful flow of magic instantly shrouded the room. Marlene hovered in midair and at the next moment, she had as though became the owner of this space. Then, two light columns rose from the ground with two silhouettes within.


    ��I knew Sister Marlene wouldn��t disappoint us.��


    It was Christie. She flew out of the light column and smiled at Marlene.


    ��There��s not much time left. Let��s continue to the final ritual.��


    In the other light column, the young lady from the library spoke softly. Then, she drifted to Marlene��s side and formed a triangle with them while Rhode, Anne, and Lize watched curiously at them.


    ��Like the agreement with Master thousands of years ago, the tinder shall be awakened and the glory of Order shall eradicate all Chaos.��


    ��Like the agreement with Master thousands of years ago, fate is changing and the endless sky shall envelop the land.��


    Both of them chanted before turning to Marlene and spoke in unison.


    ��Adhering to the will����


    ��Adhering to the traditions����


    ��I, hereby, in the name of the Fate Deity Warden����Christie Nabelis����


    ��I, hereby, in the name of the History Deity Warden����Alice Darlaston����


    ��Acknowledge the Wisdom Deity Warden of the Six Deity Wardens����Margaret Arcturus��s return to the third seat!��

 Chapter 894 - Under the Void

    Chapter 894: Under the Void


    As Christie and Alice announced, Marlene extended her arm and a metal staff appeared in her hand. Golden threads emerged from within and wrapped around the illusory spirit. Shortly after, the spirit that looked exactly like Marlene slowly shattered into bits and disappeared into the air. Then, Marlene opened her eyes and landed on her feet beside Rhode.


    ��Marlene?��


    Rhode widened his eyes in bewilderment. Right now, Marlene wore a wide, luxurious robe with golden edges and with several embedded jewels glowing gently. Not only that, but Rhode also felt an unprecedented presence and imposing aura.


    ��What exactly is����


    ��It��s a long story, Rhode. But don��t we have something more important to handle?��


    Rhode pondered in silence and nodded firmly. No matter what, it wouldn��t be too late to talk about this later. Currently, they needed to awaken the tinder, which was the main reason why he came here. He turned around and faced the tinder, taking in a deep breath and held his hand on it.


    Then, system prompts emerged before him.


    [Entering the next phase]


    [Begin tinder awakening]


    [Detected tinder summoner bloodline]


    [Tinder summoner bloodline match]


    [Activate Creator Dragon Soul Third Sequence]


    Good. Everything seems to be going well.


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. But at this moment, the string of system prompts before his eyes came to an abrupt halt. At the same time, he heard a loud, ear-piercing siren.


    [Detected Original Creator Dragon Soul]


    [Begin tinder replacement sequence]


    [Force switch from number three to zero]


    [Detected Dragon Soul in unawakened state]


    [Begin Dragon Soul forced awakening procedure]


    What��s this��!


    Rhode instinctively retracted his right hand, but it was too late. He sensed a powerful force bursting from his hand to his heart.


    ��Argh!��


    This violent attack left him trembling as though an invisible hammer smashed on his heart. He half-knelt on the ground and Anne and Lize ran up to him to support him, only to be pushed away by that powerful force.


    ��Argh����


    Rhode gnashed his teeth. His five senses had been cut off completely. He could neither see the system prompts nor hear the concerned yelling from the others. At this moment, he was as though in an empty dark void and apart from his pounding heart, he could feel nothing else.


    Pound�� Pound��


    His heart pounded faster and faster and he held his chest instinctively. His heart was pounding so fast that he thought that it was about to break out from his body. His blood flowed within him quickly, but the burning sensation in his body gradually lessened. After a short while, the comfort of tranquility and peace took over the agony. Then, he felt an ice-cold energy taking over his body and before he knew it, he felt as though his body had disappeared as the darkness consumed him completely��


    The ice-cold sensation spread from his neck. Then, a dazzling radiance erupted.


    ��This is����


    He widened his eyes in shock, but it wasn��t the tinder he saw. Instead, his view was as though from a satellite lifting off into the atmosphere. He witnessed the underground maze, tower, and even the defenders and mercenaries struggling against the Chaos Creatures that were about to break through the final defenses and enter the tower. The defenders and mercenaries began to retreat, attempting to enter the shelter to deal with this final wave of attack. Then, Rhode looked up at the night sky and white clouds when suddenly, the blinding radiance erupted once again��the spotlessly white brilliance from the top of the tower, bursting in a radiance like the sun. In an instant, all the buildings and shadows in the world vanished as they submerged in the radiance completely.


    At the next moment, Rhode regained his vision and the tinder presented itself before him.


    ��It has ended����


    The dim hall had become a vast starry night sky with mesmerizing, flowing galaxies. He looked at the tiny sun before him and it had turned into a light column that burst into the clouds. Spiraling around the light column were golden, circular runes that formed into magical rituals.


    ��Phew����


    Rhode stretched his body and shook his head. He heaved a sigh of relief after realizing that he didn��t lose an arm or leg. That strange occurrence scared him out of his wits. He had never faced this event when he awakened the tinder in the game. Perhaps no player would believe without screen shots that the tinder would switch the tinder sequence at the last second.


    The so-called tinder sequence was the numbering for the dragon soul powers stored within the tinder. Number one was the Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons, number two was the Dark Dragon, and number three was the Light Dragon. The players usually thought that the dragon soul sequences were fixed and never expected any changes. But�� number zero? What was that?


    ��Mr. Rhode, are you okay?��


    ��Leader, you alright?��


    Lize��s and Anne��s concerns dragged him back to his senses. He lifted his head and nodded. ��No problem. Everything��s good. The tinder has awakened and the Chaos has been blocked off completely. They should be entirely gone by now.��


    Rhode answered while gazing at his system interface that was bombarded with prompts jumping across the screen as though undergoing a system update. Rhode wasn��t surprised by this because after the players awakened the tinder in the game, the strength of Order would purge all Chaos within the territory, as well as remove the negative essences caused by the Chaos. After this step was over, the territory would ��restart�� itself and display all data to the players who occupied it.


    However, Rhode was still curious because in the game, the players could easily command the Order Refugees by simply circling them on the map and they would obey every order. But the Order Refugees shouldn��t be that obedient in reality despite being completely cleansed by the strength of Order. They possessed human rationale and couldn��t possibly obey Rhode��s orders just like that.


    Even though Rhode was dubious, he temporarily placed this matter aside as he would get his answer after the territory finished ��restarting�� itself. Right now, there was another issue that he had to handle. He pulled up the system interface and scanned through it. Then, he was stunned.


    [Name: Rhode Alander]


    [Race: Void Dragon]


    [Race Reward: Rule Suppression]


    [Race Characteristic: Phenomenon Void]


    �� Void Dragon.


    Rhode��s brow twitched. Previously, he had vaguely realized that his unexplainable transmigration to this world just wasn��t this simple. Firstly, he came to this world in his physical body and not the avatar. Secondly, his bloodline turned from a human to a mixed-blood, so he didn��t feel any unbearable pressure when facing powerful figures like Lydia and Erin.


    Previously, when he witnessed the activation of the dragon soul procedure in the system prompt, he was certain that he possessed the dragon soul bloodline. Although he knew a lot about the Law Dragon, he admitted that he wasn��t as capable as to become the Judgment and Ruling Twin Dragons. The Dark Dragon and Void Dragon which he slaughtered personally held the most probability. The latter was more probable as he recalled the scene of him transmigrating to this world and it seemed like his judgment was right.


    I don��t seem any different anywhere.


    Rhode scanned his palms, touched his face and head, and didn��t find any scales, tail, or horns on him. He was no different from an ordinary human, but his attributes had been completely renewed. The question marks over his attributes were all revealed now.


    Strength: 28


    Constitution: 33


    Nimbleness: 25


    Determination: 23


    Senses: 30


    All of them surpassed humans, and were values not even angels and demons could achieve. Only beings like the Archangels and above could obtain such insane stats.


    Wow�� I didn��t expect to enjoy the treatment of a BOSS.


    Rhode exclaimed inwardly. Back then, as a player, he drooled after witnessing the BOSS�� stats and it was his turn now. Then, he shook his head because there was another issue.


    ��You can tell me about it now, Marlene.��


    Rhode said and gazed at Marlene, as well as Christie and the other young lady. He remembered clearly that this young lady was the one whom he met in the library. But back then, he didn��t see her as a crucial character and treated her as an ordinary resident. As for Christie��s identity, he wasn��t too surprised. A long time ago, he had guessed that the other ��Christie�� might possibly be one of the Deity Wardens and this day proved that his guesses were right. However, he wasn��t expecting Marlene to be one of the six Deity Wardens too.


    ��How did you become one of the Six Deity Wardens?��


    ��That��s not the case, Master.��


    It wasn��t Marlene who answered. Instead, Christie took a step forward and said with a smile.


    ��Sister Marlene didn��t become one of the Six Deity Wardens. She is one of them.��


    ��She is?��


    Rhode puckered his brows. He discovered that this situation was just too strange. But this time, Christie didn��t clear his doubt. She looked at Marlene and the latter stepped forth with her staff and said.


    ��Erm�� If I recall correctly, your bloodline has been awakened, right, Rhode?��


    ��That��s right. It seems like�� all of you are aware that I��m the Void Dragon?��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    Alice responded and stretched out her arm where a black book appeared in her hand.


    ��We, Six Deity Wardens, have been waiting for the void bloodline to return to this world. And you are who we have been waiting for. You came to this place and awakened the world that belongs to you, just as the historical record shows.��


    ��Allow me to explain.��


    Marlene started explaining the details and Rhode finally understood everything behind this.


    When the Dragon Soul Continent was first created, there was ten times more land than now. Back then, all people of Order lived on the continent. It was the strongest dragon soul among the five who created this world��the Void Dragon. It forcefully opened up a space of void from the endless Chaos and within the void was where the other four dragon souls created the land, sky, river, and life. In other words, if the other dragon souls created the ��world��, the Void Dragon��s creation would be the ��space�� in the world and its territory was the biggest and most prosperous among them all.


    But�� Just as the hunter would shoot the bird that stuck out, as the pillar of the Dragon Soul Continent, the Void Dragon would naturally be targeted by Chaos. As a result, after a desperate battle, the Void Dragon used itself as a bait to resist Chaos��s attack in order to protect the final space of Order. This also led to the territory of the void race turning into the land of Chaos.


    Back then, the strength of Chaos was so powerful that not even the Void Dragon��s Six Deity Wardens managed to stop them. In the end, five of the Deity Wardens died in the war while the final Deity Warden, Christie, who was also the first seat, escaped to the Astral Temple in the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. She used her powers and defended against Chaos from breaking down the final obstacle.


    Back then, Marlene��s predecessor��the Wisdom Deity Warden, Margaret, was also one of them. But none of the Deity Wardens were willing to give up, just like Alice who bound her soul to the library while Margaret used her wisdom and got into a transaction with her race. She offered the most essential part of her spirit and flesh and used skills unique to the Deity Wardens to seal herself to the Senia Family, who were her followers. The Senia Family became her vessel and throughout the years, she hoped for the day that she could revive and return to this world. This was the reason why she ordered the Senia Family to create the bloodline seal because this way, only the heir to the Void Dragon would hold the rights to awaken the tinder.


    ��But how do you explain the other spirit that looked exactly like you?��


    Rhode asked with knitted brows because what Marlene just said contradicted what she had said before. Marlene shook her head.


    ��The other me was left behind by my previous self and she served as a backup awakening device. In order to prevent humans from discovering and making use of it, the essence of the Deity Warden won��t be awakened automatically. Unless one offered one��s body, experienced death, and was touched by my other self, the tinder wouldn��t be awakened. As for her identity�� Perhaps she stayed within the tinder for too long and lost all abilities to follow orders, which caused her to forget her mission.��


    I see.


    Rhode nodded. He had to admit that the Wisdom Deity Warden was indeed knowledgeable. Once the strength of a Deity Warden was discovered by humans, they would easily take advantage of it. This explained why the tinder was kept in the deep underground. But this was obviously not sufficient, which was why she designed an awakening device to serve as double security. This way, even if the tinder wasn��t awakened, it wouldn��t be awakened by itself no matter how many powers of the Deity Warden that Marlene had inside her. In other words, it would be useless no matter how many times she died.


    ��Alright then. The final problem.��


    Rhode gazed at Marlene��s mesmerizing maroon eyes that were emanating faint, spiritual radiances.


    ��How can you make me believe that you��re still the same Marlene and not a substitute taken over by the Deity Warden?��


    That��s right. Unlike Christie, who possessed two spirits right now, Marlene was also the Deity Warden Margaret. So then, was this young lady the ��Deity Warden who possessed Marlene��s memories�� or ��Marlene who possessed the Deity Warden��s memories��?


    ��I can��t give you an answer, Rhode.��


    Marlene smiled and shook her head.


    ��The memories of the Deity Warden have merged with mine. The Deity Warden from the past is me and I am the Deity Warden. We aren��t individuals and have always been together as one.��


    Lize knitted her brows while Anne revealed a confused expression. Rhode pondered in silence before placing his hand on Marlene��s head.


    ��Welcome back, Marlene.��


    Marlene shut her eyes and rested her head on his chest.


    ��I��m back, Rhode����


    At the same time, a system prompt emerged before his eyes.


    [World settings complete. Begin System Rebooting]


    [Begin System Reboot Countdown����3, 2, 1����]


    [Activate System reboot]


    In a split second, a dazzling radiance burst and shrouded everyone.

 Chapter 895 - Void Territory

    Chapter 895: Void Territory


    The radiance of Order burst into the sky and pained the pitch-black night sky in white.


    ��Your Royal Highness.��


    Amund stood on the balcony and gazed with knitted brows at the pure, magnificent color of Order in the distance. He gaped, but couldn��t utter a word. Lydia waved her hand casually and narrowed her eyes to admire the view.


    ��Don��t worry, Teacher Amund. Beautiful flowers will eventually produce sweet fruits. This is a natural process. No matter what we do, we can��t reverse it. The trajectory of this world is fixed forever. Besides�� I never go back on my promises.��


    ��But, Your Royal Highness, what if�� the Country of Darkness����


    ��That��s a problem that he needs to handle. All we have to do is watch in silence. Since he has made this decision, he must also have a solution to resolve the problem. If he doesn��t think it through, he will need to pay the corresponding price. No matter what, rashness is the biggest enemy. As the ruler, one must constantly behave elegantly and not be affected by external factors. This is what you taught me, Teacher.��


    Lydia lifted her head and squinted. No one knew what was going through her mind.


    ��Perhaps, this may also be a great choice for Her Majesty.��


    Lydia muttered under her breath.


    At the same time, on the balcony under the blood moon, the young lady dressed in a luxurious nightgown was gazing at the light of Order in the distance. The radiance wasn��t blinding, but the incredible force couldn��t be neglected.


    ��That��s interesting. Is this the doing of that man?��


    Erin rested her hand on her chin and revealed a witty smile. She turned around and gazed at the dark city where the top of the tower flickered in green flames. This meant that an important meeting was taking place and it went without saying what the purpose of this meeting was for.


    �� Ever since I started remembering things, I don��t recall seeing anyone attempting to occupy the Land of Chaos. No matter if it was the humans, undead creatures, or elves, they all fell under the threats of Chaos. Over the hundreds of years, no one dared to enter the Land of Chaos��not even my Big Brother, the fearless Dark Dragon.


    But Erin was clear that Dark Dragon Ion just didn��t want to waste any energy on that unrelated territory. The mutual struggle between the nobles and rich families could filter the existence of the abandoned ones and screen out more qualified candidates to take down enemies and strengthen their forces. However, it was extremely dangerous to send forces into the Land of Chaos. Indeed, although undead creatures held advantages over live beings, they were equally powerless in the face of Chaos.


    Would the undead creatures be afraid of Chaos despite living for such a long time?


    But�� Big Brother, if you continue to avoid and not face it, you will only fall no matter how determined you are. It seems like I, as your younger sister, can��t make you understand this.


    Alright then, it seems like it is necessary to let you have a taste of ��failure�� before it is forged. I will do it for myself and our country.


    Erin revealed a smile. Then, she extended her right arm and the forest around her began to rustle. After a few moments, a colony of bats flew out from the darkness and spiraled around the castle before soaring into the night sky.


    In the palace surrounded by the mountains, it was as tranquil and peaceful as ever. The only difference was that the elves who should have been kneeling and praying in silence standing on their feet. They gazed at the light column that had burst into the sky with complicated emotions. The presence of Order was so blinding that they couldn��t look directly.


    ��Big Sister, someone awakened the tinder.��


    A crisp, yet ice-cold voice resounded in the solemn palace within the church. A young lady wielding a sword that was as tall as her stood by the window and gazed at the majestic scene. Her voice was filled with determination that no one could refute.


    ��How reminiscent. I thought I wouldn��t get to witness this beautiful light of Order again����


    The other young lady responded. It was gentle, plain, and casual in tone. The young lady by the window turned around and her long, silver hair danced in the wind.


    ��Has the traveler from the void returned? I wonder what kind of surprise he will bring for us this time.��


    ��We don��t need surprises, Big Sister.��


    The big sister was rather dissatisfied with the response.


    ��Our mission is to protect Order from being destroyed and no one should object to this, not even the creator of the void. We will protect the rules of this world with our lives forever.��


    She said and the solemn palace returned to its usual silence.


    [System Reboot Complete]


    [Void Territory cleansing complete]


    ��Phew����


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief as he gazed at the holographic map. After completely cleansing the Chaos in this place, the territory finally revealed its original state. Generally, this territory was pretty much similar to that in the game.


    Starting from the fortress in the Land of Atonement, the crescent-shaped territory formed a peninsula around the golden sea. Currently, the place where Rhode stood was the huge island formed by the inner sea in the center of this crescent-shaped peninsula. But unlike in the game, the crescent-shaped peninsula was much larger here. The rolling hills, plains, and wetlands formed a perfect barrier. Looking from a tall height, it was as though one��s arms were hugging the island. The pointed ends of the crescent-shaped territory were near the Light Mainland. It could also be said that this territory connected the Munn Kingdom and Light Mainland that used to be separated by the ocean. Although the territory wasn��t as large as the Munn Kingdom, it was at least one-sixth of the total mass.


    In terms of geographical location, this territory was perfect. The surface was connected to the Munn Kingdom and due to the existence of peninsulas, the rough golden sea became gentle. Apart from the four to five waterways connecting to the Munn Kingdom and surrounding territories in the Country of Light, the land channels connected to the Land of Atonement fortress were also linked to the Country of Darkness. Not only that, but if the courses were set properly, they could easily reach the Country of Law from the other side of the territory. This meant that this territory was basically connected to all the main forces on this continent, which was beneficial for commerce. However, from a military standpoint, it would be an attractive chunk of meat if the defenses weren��t set up quickly enough. If the Country of Darkness dominated this piece of land, they would have a much easier way to attack the Light Mainland no matter the angle. It could also be said that with the Country of Darkness��s powers, they would definitely clinch the entire Light Mainland if they obtained this territory.


    Apart from that, Rhode discovered that within his territory, there were nine refuges of various sizes. The biggest refuge contained tens of thousands of people while the smallest held less than a hundred. The other refuges didn��t show up in his system interface, so he guessed that they must have died to the Chaos vortexes from before. He hadn��t decided on how he should handle the refugees. In the game, the refugees would listen to all his commands at the click of his mouse, but only god knew how they would react here. Therefore, Rhode unlocked the first layer of seal on the refuges and allowed them to roam around freely. He would decide on what to do in the future after some observation.


    But this wasn��t the most important thing because he discovered a secret that no players realized in the game.


    That was how dragon soul powers came about.


    In the game, all players knew how powerful the dragon soul heirs were, no matter the Dark Dragon, Void Dragon, or Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons. They used their souls to protect the land from Chaos, but this was all that the players knew. But now, Rhode finally understood how the dragon souls got their powers through loyalty and faith.


    This was similar to novels Rhode read about the gods gathering their followers. The more people who believed and followed them, the more strength they would gain. On the contrary, the fewer the believers and followers, the fewer powers they would have. It was similar for the dragon souls, but the difference was that their powers didn��t rely on their followers. Instead, it depended on the people living under their dragon soul protection. In other words, the people who lived under the Light Dragon soul protection would subconsciously provide strength to the Light Dragon and the same went for the other dragons.


    But the source of power didn��t come from respect or offerings. Instead, it was through recognition. No matter if they gave recognition out of fear or respect, as long as they followed the commands of the dragon soul heirs wholeheartedly, the dragon soul heirs would receive more power.


    No wonder the Dark Dragon is so strong.


    Rhode curled his lips. In terms of lovingness, the Country of Darkness definitely had none of that. But in terms of authority, no one in the Country of Darkness dared to defy the Dark Dragon. It was also due to the powerful presence and fear that caused the ��people�� to surrender, and the Dark Dragon became so powerful. If Rhode knew about this in the game, perhaps he would have led the players and slaughtered all the NPCs in the Country of Darkness. This would have made it much easier to defeat the Dark Dragon��


    But what Rhode couldn��t understand was the Country of Light. If the information that he received was all accurate, the foolish act of the Country of Light influencing their people about the Light Dragon was basically suicidal.


    Why is the Light Parliament so daring?


    No�� The Light Parliament doesn��t even know that they are digging their own graves.


    It seemed like only the dragon soul heirs held the rights to know about this secret. Perhaps even if the dragon soul heir warned the Light Parliament that if they continued to stop their people from trusting it or the entire Light Mainland would perish, the Light Parliament would treat this as just an excuse for the dragon soul to restore its authority.


    That��s why I said�� The wisdom of mortals��


    Perhaps this was why the Light Dragon soul��s protection didn��t hang on for too long against the Dark Dragon��s attack?


    But this matter had nothing to do with Rhode now. His body didn��t transform after becoming the dragon soul heir, so logically speaking, Lilian wouldn��t have any changes either. According to Sonia, the probability of Lilian��s body being altered was high. Even though Rhode didn��t think that the Light Parliament was this brazen, who knew? Anyone who lost their heads in the pursuit of power could do anything.


    The dragon soul power didn��t exist to stop the infiltration of Chaos and enhance the dragon soul heir��s strength only. Rhode discovered in his construction system that there was almost nothing that the dragon soul power couldn��t do. As long as he had sufficient dragon soul powers to consume, he could turn high mountains into flat terrain, create islands and reefs in the sea, or turn barren land into fertile plains. It could also be said that in the continent under the dragon soul protection, the dragon soul heir was a creation god who could change everything. However, the truth wasn��t this simple.


    One could change the shape of the eraser when it was soft, but after it took shape and turned hard, any attempt to reshape it would destroy it completely and this logic applied to this territory too. If Rhode accidentally smashed the barrier of the dragon soul protection and opened a path for Chaos to infiltrate it again, it would end brutally.


    This was perhaps the reason why Rhode didn��t receive any information about dragon soul powers. Thousands of years had gone by since their territory took shape and reshaping them using the dragon soul powers would cause catastrophic disasters. But this wasn��t a concern for this new territory.


    Besides, he had something more important to attend to.


    In the game, after the players opened up a new territory, there would be an absolute wall of Order over the new territory. During this period of time, no one could enter the territory and in gaming terms, this would be called the invulnerable period. During this period, not even the other dragon soul heirs could enter. According to the game, this was a rule carved in the creation code and all people of Order had to follow them. It seemed like this was also in place right now. After the absolute wall of Order was activated, no one could enter Rhode��s new territory until the period was over. What Rhode had to do now was to ensure his territory had sufficient defensive forces within the shortest time possible in order to guard against enemies.


    He had to build a city within his territory.

 Chapter 896 - Building the City (1)

    Chapter 896: Building the City (1)


    The capital city was the most important place for all forces, such as the Golden City for the Munn Kingdom, Casabianca for the Country of Light, and Drekoen for the Country of Darkness. The city was the most powerful emblem and also the symbol of a territory and organization. Therefore, it was essential for Rhode to build one.


    Although he could use the construction system to build a massive fortress like the one in the Land of Atonement, it wasn��t cost-effective. He had to spend a lot of gold coins where even the lowest-level city required tens of millions and mid-level cities were in the billions. Of course, there were also buildings that were out of specifications, which not even the gold coins of this entire continent could afford��such as the Death Star[1] or something.


    This time, he had no intention of doing so.


    After the lesson he had with the Land of Atonement, he more clearly understood what ��more haste less speed�� meant. He could save a whole lot of time if he used the construction system to build the city, but it would be an issue if he didn��t consider the population that he could accommodate. Just like the Land of Atonement, even though the fortress was comprehensive inside-out, the sparse population led to many places being uninhabited for a long period of time. As a result, these uninhabited areas brought a lot of problems until he accepted a large number of refugees to occupy them, which finally brought some vitality to the place. If he were to build a strong city without considering its size and capacity, it would just end up as a ghost town.


    Currently, there were less than 20,000 old, fragile women and children residing in the tower in the middle of this territory. He could build a city that could accommodate 100,000 people. But�� for what purpose?


    Therefore, he predicted that it would be for the best if he could build a city that could expand in size anytime, just like a core that could match different plug-ins to enhance its capabilities. But he had to carefully plan the external areas to prevent slums. Although he had no intention of designing the city as an utopia, he also didn��t wish to see his city in a filthy mess either.


    Fortunately, the construction system also upgraded in level after Rhode received this territory. Right now, there were many options from his dragon soul powers and one of them was the ability to ��restore�� the city using the dragon soul powers.


    That��s right. ��Restore��.


    The Order in the Land of Chaos was shattered, but it didn��t mean that it couldn��t be fixed. It was just like how Rhode��s group entered the Land of Chaos for the first time. As they advanced in the Land of Chaos, they saw grasslands, bridges, and paths emerging in the empty spaces of Order. This was the result of the shattered Order fragments returning to space.


    After Rhode awakened his strength and became the dragon soul heir, he naturally obtained the authority of the dragon soul powers. He couldn��t help but exclaim in awe��the ancient creator dragon souls were just too insane.


    Back then, the Creator Dragon Souls had as though predicted the future of Chaos shattering the Order barrier and the cities that they lived in would perish completely. The cities which the Creator Dragon Souls had during the creation period weren��t like the ordinary buildings. For the sake of safety, the Creator Dragon Souls did something that was unimaginable for him; a crazy decision��they actually used the strength of Order and ��replicated�� the cities as well as the spaces that they were in. Then, the replicated cities and spaces were ��shattered�� into batches to become Order fragments before ��storing�� them in their bodies. This way, new dragon soul heirs could retrieve the Order fragments using their dragon soul powers and merge them together using the strength of Order and congratulations��a city of a thousand years�� old would be presented right before one in perfect condition!


    Rhode would never have thought of this. But he couldn��t be blamed since no one except the Creator Dragon Souls themselves could have the amount of Order strength to do this.


    But the more he dug deeper into the [City Fragment Package] within the dragon soul powers, the more he was bewildered. The cities inside the package could accommodate hundreds of thousands or even millions of people. They were also equipped with extremely powerful attack and defense mechanisms and even the weakest of all were much stronger than Golden City��s. It could also be said that if Rhode switched the Golden City with any of them, perhaps even the Dark Dragon leading the four legendary generals could have a hard time taking the city down. However, such a powerful city that also accommodated so many people had fallen under the attack of Chaos.


    Were the Chaos Creatures so powerful?


    Even if he were to lead Starlight to attack a city like that, they wouldn��t succeed without taking at least half a year. But when he asked Christie and Alice about it, they told him firmly that these cities perished within two to three months, or even shorter. Besides, for some unknown reasons, Rhode realized that they seemed to have a misconception about the Chaos Creatures.


    As the top player who led Starlight down over 800 floors in the bottomless abyss, Rhode understood Chaos Creatures very well. The Chaos Creatures with the highest level were only level 80 and even the BOSSES were easy to deal with. But according to Christie, the Chaos Creatures that attacked the Dragon Soul Continent and led to the crumble of the dragon soul protection were only level 75, which didn��t fit his knowledge about them. Besides, after he took a closer look at Marlene��s and the other ��Christie��s�� data, he was confident that their strength was stronger than the three Archangels and four legendary generals and below the Creator Dragon Souls. But the Chaos Creatures had made even the Six Deity Wardens flee ignominiously, so just how powerful were they to do that? He didn��t remember any Chaos Creatures that were so powerful.


    However, that was what only the researchers would find out. Therefore, he quickly threw this matter to the back of his head and focused on his preparations to build the city.


    ��No matter how many times I look at it, my mind feels so complicated����


    Rhode looked at the sky and let out a long sigh. At this moment beneath his feet was green meadow, with a white shore and crashing waves in the distance. The tattered tinder tower stood firmly and was covered by thick, lush vines. The only difference now was that at the top of the tower, the tinder was nowhere to be seen. The dragon soul protection had spread over the territory and secured the strength of Order in place, so there wasn��t a need for the tinder to maintain the presence of the Order space anymore. The comforting, gentle breeze blew against him. He watched the pitch-black sky and the countless dazzling stars. It seemed like a peaceful night��if he were to neglect the blazing fireball hanging before him.


    ��I can��t get used to the visual perception of standing on the moon and watching the universe����


    Rhode muttered and shook his head helplessly. The dragon soul protection represented the nature of all the dragon souls, but no matter how he thought about it, he didn��t expect that the Void Dragon would show itself in this form. Currently, he was as though standing on a distant planet and looking at the universe. Not only did he see the massive, blazing fireball, but he also saw a silver star ring extended from one end to the other along the horizon. What about the atmosphere? Light refraction? Ultraviolet lights? Was all this logical?


    Forget it�� This is an illogical world, after all.


    Miraculously, the sun wasn��t extremely glaring. Even though he clearly saw how it combusted, its brilliance was unlike the radiance which he felt under the Light Dragon soul protection. Not only that, but the heat was also appropriate and wasn��t like those in the disaster movies where the scorching heat melted everything. There were also clouds drifting in the starry sky, which was totally unexplainable by science.


    Anne, Lize, and the other young ladies were all bemused. However, they quickly adapted to this strange situation. On the contrary, Rhode felt depressed the more he looked at them as though the knowledge which he thought was ��common sense�� didn��t exist at all.


    Rhode thought of bringing Canary and Mini Bubble Gum here so they could fall apart together because ��good things�� must be shared, wasn��t it?


    ��Marlene, are you ready?��


    Rhode asked. The young lady standing beside him took a step forward and nodded firmly.


    ��I��ve received words from Miss Lesa. Everyone has entered the tower. Preparations are ready, Rhode.��


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded and raised his arm.


    The gorgeously complicated system interface emerged before his eyes.


    [1] Planet-level weapon of destruction from Star Wars.

 Chapter 897 - Building the City (2)

    Chapter 897: Building the City (2)


    Rhode gazed silently at the system interface which had returned to its original state. Not only was there a picture of the territory, but there was also various information about it. After awakening his bloodline, the information which Rhode could see as a dragon soul heir was much more than an overlord in the game.


    [Void Territory]


    [Territory Reward: Plants growth period decreased by two-thirds. Production of magic minerals increased by 50%]


    [Void Blessings: Multiplies spiritual powers recovery speed for spell casters under the void protection]


    [Magic monster nests: Production rate +7]


    [Rewarded Class: Spirit Swordsman]


    [Absolute Dominance: All enemies of the void will have their strength dropped by one tier]


    Rhode��s brow twitched. These rewards were much better than those in the game. There were different rules under every dragon soul protection just like how the Light Dragon soul protection weakened the undead creatures, people under the Dark Dragon soul protection could avoid death, and people under the Law Dragon soul protection could not violate the rules and agreements. The Void Dragon soul protection was also unique��decreasing the plant growth period and increasing magical mineral production didn��t surprise him by much. On the other hand, [Void Blessings] astonished him.


    The so-called Void Blessings were actually referring to the people who worshiped and followed the Void Dragon. This also meant that within his territory, the people who followed him would have their speed of recovery in their spiritual powers multiplied. This was awesome news for him. Not only that, but [Absolute Dominance] also thrilled him. Any enemy who stepped onto his territory would have their levels and attributes forcefully downgraded. Although he didn��t know if this would work on the four legendary generals or Archangels, it would still be extremely useful even if it worked only on their subordinates. The downgrade of an entire tier could be up to 10 levels, which was huge for players, not to mention the natives. If this happened in the game, perhaps all players would have to wrap around his territory wherever they went.


    What surprised him was that the Spirit Swordsman was actually the rewarded class by the Void Dragon. The rewarded class was the exclusive class for the dragon soul, just like the [Light Defender] under the Light Dragon, the [Dead Soul Fighter], and the [Judgment Knight] under the Law Dragon. In gaming terms, these classes were exclusive to every dragon soul. Rhode was initially confused as to why he was the only Spirit Swordsman in this world. But now, he realized that this class was actually an exclusive one, which explained why the three humanoids could become one. But after the Void Dragon soul protection was in place, perhaps he could train up a whole batch of Spirit Swordsmen.


    On the other hand, [Magic monster nests] concerned him a little. Every dragon soul had their own magic monster nests, just like how the Country of Darkness had [Soul Griffins]. These magic monster nests produced unique creatures according to the territories that they lived in. Every dragon soul heir would search for the magic monster nests in their territories, communicate with the overlords, and receive their assistance in obtaining the nests. As the magic monster nests only existed in this world due to the dragon soul protection, most overlords wouldn��t reject the dragon soul heirs�� requests. Of course��they usually listened to all of the dragon soul heirs�� requests.


    Rhode remembered that in the history of the Country of Light, they had the magic monster nests of [Light Griffins] and [Sacred Unicorns]. But after the Light Dragon was stripped of its authority, the nests disappeared without a trace just like the Wyverns.


    But now, his biggest headache was that there were too many options for him.


    [Fairy Nest], [Divine Unicorn], [Naga Vortex], [Lustful Demon Palace], [Undead Garden], [Centaur Forest], and [Air Element Sea].


    Apart from the [Fairy Nest] that was harmless to people and livestock, the others were all useful. What gave him a headache was that several of the races were completely hostile to one another, so he couldn��t make his decision easily. Rhode had to admit that the Void Dragon was indeed capable, judging from the fact that it successfully gathered so many hostile magic monster nests together. But he suddenly felt relieved after recalling the demon, angel, elves, and undead sisters in his holy sword card deck��


    He could leave the problem of the magic monster nests til later since there wouldn��t be too much trouble in his territory for the time being. He shifted his gaze to the city projection in the system.


    There were a total of 15 cities. After careful consideration, he struck off the insanely huge cities from the list and some of the cities which he didn��t need at the moment. He was left with three choices which included the [Historical City, Sandkus] that belonged to Alice, the [Magical City, Dinas] that belonged to Marlene, and [Original City, Grandia].


    After more thoughts, he gave up Alice��s [Sandkus]. Although the city fulfilled his requirements, he realized that it was basically a large-scale library where 70 to 80 percent of it was used to store data. No matter how much cultural atmosphere he had in his territory, it would be meaningless without attack and defense mechanisms.


    [Dinas] and [Grandia] were left.


    They passed all conditions which Rhode needed��considerable size that could satisfy the current population. Even after the influx of refugees, he could still add extensions to the territory. Moreover, both cities could float in the air. But��


    As the city for the Wisdom Deity Warden, [Dinas] was suitable for attacks and could rise into the air with the power of magical technologies. Moreover, the entire city possessed strong attacking power with ten of the most powerful in-game magic cannons as proclaimed by players��namely the Delusion Rainbow. It could also be said that 10 Golden Cities would perish in an instant if the cannons were to blast them. On the contrary, its defenses weren��t as tough. Even though magic barriers were in place, they would still shatter to strong attacks. Besides, as a floating city that ran on magical powers, the entire city would crumble as soon as its core was destroyed.


    As the most ancient city, [Grandia] was great in defense. Although it couldn��t move its position in the air, it basically lived between the gap of space and plane of existence. In other words, attacks that couldn��t rip through space had no effects on it. It could also be said to be the perfect city of defense. This city also lasted the longest against Chaos back then, which showed how strong its defenses were.


    But compared to [Dinas], [Grandia] had some obvious flows, as most of its attacks needed to come from its people. Unlike [Dinas] with the automatic defense system, [Grandia]��s defenses were mostly set up through magical rituals and enhanced magic towers. If Rhode had a Mage with high mastery over magic, there would be no doubts about [Grandia]��s offense. If not, [Grandia] would simply be a floating city with strong defenses.


    Apart from that, the biggest difference between them was that [Dinas] could increase the standards of magical technologies in the territory while [Grandia] could increase the success rate of residents becoming spell casters. This was why Rhode couldn��t make up his mind. He knew the universality of magical technologies. The Munn Kingdom relied on the powerful strength of the magic warships to be able to keep a foothold in the Light Mainland. However, with Rhode��s current foundation, he would need a really long time before he could reach the Munn Kingdom��s standard. On the other hand, spell casters could come into good use after mastering spells. Perhaps it couldn��t be seen in the Munn Kingdom, but Rhode who had been to the Mage Association knew how powerful a world full of magic was.


    If it were possible, he wished to construct both cities. The increase in speed for spiritual powers recovery was a great plus for the spell casters, but he also didn��t want to give up [Dinas]��s magical technologies. After all, his territory had nothing at the moment. It felt as though the other territories had entered the industrial revolution while his territory was still in the primitive society. He would take a beating if he fell behind and this logic applied even in this world. If he could build [Dinas], it would mean that his primitive society would instantly be upgraded to the electrical age. But�� Would the natives under him be able to drive the ancient magical technologies well?


    Rhode puckered his brows and pondered in silence.


    Then, he made his decision.


    ��Let��s start, Marlene.��


    He raised his right arm and suddenly, mirror-like fragments emerged in the empty air around them.

 Chapter 898 - Building the City (3)

    Chapter 898: Building the City (3)


    Inside the mirror-like fragments floating in midair, majestic scenery consisting of bridges, pavilions, platforms, squares and greeneries were clearly shown before them. After witnessing them personally, Rhode finally felt how much pressure the spaces inside the shattered fragments faced, or perhaps he should say that he finally got a feel of how insane the Creator Dragon Souls were.


    ��Grandia����


    He eventually chose [Grandia].


    Even though [Dinas] was strong in attacks, its demands were also higher. Although this magical city could operate on its own, he would be helpless if it required repairing and maintenance. According to Marlene, only Lapis was capable of repairing any issues with this city. Although Marlene could also train a group of Alchemists for the job, it would take at least a few months. Apart from them, the humanoids were also available for support. But there were less than a hundred of them at the moment. Besides, the humanoids couldn��t reproduce and were totally man-made products.


    What made Rhode give up on [Dinas] was that his basic facilities were too bad.


    It was like one driving a supersonic jet and transmigrating into ancient times. Even if he could control the supersonic jet to destroy a city, he couldn��t repair or maintain it without fuel or spare parts. The magical technologies in [Dinas] were so advanced that one couldn��t resolve any issues on the basic level. Even though the scene of ten Delusion Rainbow magic cannons bombarding battlefields was amazing and magnificent, Rhode had no choice but to give it up.


    Right now, he was about to restore Grandia��s core urban area. According to the system introduction, this core urban area could accommodate 25,000 people, which was perfect. Currently, there were nearly 20,000 Order Refugees and the remaining 5000 empty slots could be filled up by his main members. [Grandia] had a total of nine subdivisions. He could still unlock the other subdivisions for more space in the future.


    Rhode raised his right arm.


    Out of a sudden, the fragments floating in midair spun and the ground beneath his feet trembled. The air around him turned foggy and even the grass and ocean in the distance became blurry. This was the sign of spaces fusing together. He gazed sternly at the system interface because the fusion of spaces was incredibly dangerous. The situation would be better if he were still in the Land of Chaos. After all, the only source of Order in a land full of Chaos would naturally attract all the fragments. But now, the fragments were fusing in a fixed space of Order. If the situation turned unfavorable, the entire place would completely crumble and Rhode��s group would be sucked into the turbulence of time and space.


    [Grandia Area Zero Unlocked ���� Begin Space Fusion]


    [Matching ���� Fusion Error Rate 0.03%]


    [Begin Space Fragments Fusion ���� Fusion Rate 20%]


    The space fragments around Rhode flickered in dazzling radiances, scattering and expanding simultaneously. Then, they connected as though attracted by one another.


    [Fusion Rate 50%. Error 0]


    The surroundings changed instantly.


    The grass beneath his feet turned into a path of slab while buildings of various structures emerged on the empty fields. Flashing brilliance swept across the surroundings again and again like waves. The city covered in dust crossed the boundary of time and presented itself before everyone.


    [Fusion Rate 90%. Error 0]


    The magical radiances shone brighter and the young ladies had to narrow their eyes and turn away. Fluctuations in the space also became stronger, which meant that the fusion of the fragments were almost completed. Then, what was left was to drag the city from the space into here and secure it firmly.


    [Fusion Rate 100%. Error 0]


    [Core urban area summoning complete]


    The radiance receded like the tide and revealed the view before everyone.


    It was an enormous, majestic white palace hovering quietly in the night sky right above the center of the urban area. The surroundings were separated by the crystal-clear lakes and connected by four white marble bridges. The lush, green grasses swayed in the breeze and the clear springs flowed to form a stream that poured from midair.


    The core urban area was divided into five subdivisions. They were like layered ladders that were divided into two parts. The palace in the center was surrounded by the other four subdivisions like four flower petals that displayed its sacred and solemn form. Then, radiance shone.


    The brilliance of the stars instantly enveloped the city, fusing with the starry night sky. At a single glance, it looked as though the entire sky was the extension of this city from top to bottom, from heaven to earth.


    ��Woah! Leader, we��re above the big ocean!��


    Anne stood on the edge of the grassland and shrieked in excitement as she looked down. The others hurriedly went up to her and also looked at the view below them. The island which they were standing on had vanished completely and was replaced by the azure ocean. In the distance, there were also tall mountains and vast plains.


    ��Mr. Rhode, it��s so tall�� What if we fall? Also�� How can the others enter from here?��


    Lize asked palely. She couldn��t be blamed since this was different from magic warships. A floating city wasn��t guarded by fences everywhere. She looked down from the edge and instantly felt giddy. Even though it was the ocean below them and not the surface, one would still be critically injured if one plunged into the ocean from such a height.


    ��Don��t worry about it.��


    Rhode gave a casual gesture with his hand.


    ��There are space barriers around so you won��t fall and you can��t even commit suicide by jumping down.�� Rhode swept a glance at the system introduction. He had to admit that even though this city couldn��t fulfill his dreams of owning a city equipped with the most powerful magic cannons, this top-grade turtle shell was still wonderful. There were also similar floating cities in the Dragon Soul Continent such as the Mage Association��s magical fortress that soared in the northern wilderness. Besides, it wasn��t that he couldn��t build a similar floating city with the construction system. He could clearly do so as long as he had enough money to spend. However, the floating cities were different from [Grandia]. No matter how the cities were structured, they had to rely on massive amounts of energy to float in midair and if their core power generator were destroyed, the entire city would plunge to the surface.


    However, [Grandia] was different. It used a fixed coordinate method to secure itself on the plane of existence and space. In other words, [Grandia] wasn��t ��floating�� in midair, but was simply ��existing�� right there instead, like a cloud that would forever be drifting in the sky and wouldn��t fall to the surface. [Grandia] had completely fused with the sky so as long as it wasn��t destroyed entirely, it wouldn��t crash to the surface. Not only that, but Rhode also discovered that the space barrier entirely stopped all teleportation spells. In other words, it was impossible for anyone to use teleportation spells to enter his city. Apart from entrances or exits which he appointed, other areas would be protected by the space barrier too. If his city were surrounded by enemies, no one could enter the city if he sealed up and fortified the entrances. Moreover, he also realized that the pure water source came from the water elemental plane of existence. Furthermore, there was also a subdivision dedicated to growing crops and livestocks. Therefore, even if the enemies adopted the siege strategy, unless they could keep it up for 50 to 60 years, it would be meaningless for them.


    But come to think of it, with the complete obscuration with the plane of existence barrier, Rhode was curious as to who would be capable enough to bring damage to his city.


    Of course, he was referring to anyone except for the Creator Dragon Souls.


    ��Alright then, let��s start the operations of this city.��


    Rhode shrugged and said.

 Chapter 899 - Building the City (4)

    Chapter 899: Building the City (4)


    Immigration was a major project.


    Rhode had to admit that the Order Refugees who defended the tinder had indeed experienced extremely dangerous and tough battles with Chaos. More than half of his mercenaries were either injured or dead. The Bow Knights almost perished, but fortunately Lesa made it through. This problem with the Bow Knights was easy to solve since they were heroic spirits, after all. They could simply be re-summoned from the Astral Temple. On the other hand, the loss of his mercenaries left him feeling helpless.


    In comparison, the Order Refugees were more on the unfortunate end. The fact that almost all the Bow Knights perished proved just how many of the Order Refugees could have survived safely. In the end, Rhode calculated that around 80 percent of the Order Refugees who defended the tinder were killed by Chaos and the remainder were either gravely injured or crippled. Currently, only the Order Refugees who remained in the shelter survived the crisis, but most of them were fragile seniors, women, and children, which limited the things that they could do. However, Rhode had no intention of letting them go. No matter what, they defended the tinder for years and he wasn��t that heartless to kick them away.


    It wasn��t a simple task to build a territory. Even though he once managed a territory in the game, that was just a game, after all. All he had to do was set up taxes and wait for the money to roll in. Money in the game was worth nothing and players wouldn��t care where it came from, even if it was dropped from wolf or slime corpses.


    But now, he couldn��t help but feel his head hurt as the overlord. Due to their secluded lives, the Order Refugees didn��t use gold coins for anything. The lives that they had been through sdfd similar to rigorous militarized management. But it was different now. Even if it was for bartering, commercial transactions were also a step in foreign economic exchanges.


    Even though Rhode was a top player in the game, it didn��t mean that he was an expert in this field. He couldn��t come up with a conclusion after days of serious consideration. Under no other choice, he handed this matter to Marlene and ordered her to set up a complete financial distribution system that matched the outside world.


    As for the mercenaries who survived, he promoted them to his elite squad because the fact that they lasted until the end in the battles against Chaos proved how capable they were. Although the battles were cruel, it filtered out the weak ones. When Rhode met his men recently, he realized that they all possessed unprecedented determination to battle. Besides, most of them actually broke through the limits of natives and reached above level 40. Although Rhode had less than a hundred mercenaries of this caliber, their strength was sufficient to form an elite squad to protect a country��s royal family.


    Thereafter, Rhode spoke to Gillian and the others using the spiritual communications. Even though they couldn��t enter the city due to the temporary absolute wall of Order, Rhode managed to learn about the situation on the outside.


    Inside the Land of Chaos, there was no perception of time for Rhode and his group. But in fact, more than four months had passed in the outside world and it was already late summer. Everyone was bewildered when they heard Gillian��s report.


    Fortunately, the chaotic situations Rhode was worried about in his territory didn��t occur. Even though many people expressed their concerns in not seeing Rhode and Marlene around, this wasn��t a problem for Gillian who was a sly fox. Foxes were typically experts in lies and she found a formidable reason that cleared everyone��s concerns��


    ��Maternity leave?��


    Rhode instantly felt as though his soul left him.


    ��Huhuhu. That��s right, Master. Isn��t this totally logical? Miss Marlene can��t continue her work as she��s pregnant and needs some time off. I think this excuse is perfect. As for her job, there aren��t any problems with me and Ann around.��


    ���� Forget it. Any other things going on?��


    After remaining in silence for less than three seconds, Rhode decisively skipped this topic. He didn��t want to think about how Marlene would react when she heard this news. At this moment, he was more concerned about himself. ��Spare the rod, spoil the child�� was perfect to describe this situation with Gillian. If he knew this would happen, he wouldn��t have left her in charge.


    ��Everything else is doing fine. The Country of Darkness stopped finding trouble with us after they signed the truce agreement. As for the Country of Light�� Huhuhu�� It seems like your chess piece is really useful, Master.��


    Even though they were speaking through the spiritual communications, Rhode imagined Gillian��s cheeky expression now. As expected, he received information from her about the state of the Country of Light. It should have been the crucial period for the election in the Country of Light. However, there were unimaginable conflicts and riots going on.


    The cause of the conflicts came from the Light Parliament. As the competition of the elections became fiercer, the reactions of the people became much bigger. It was due to this that parliament members Nakvard and Greig erupted in a violent clash. The former believed that humans should unite and face the future together while the latter expressed that they should chase the immigrants back to where they came from and not allow them to suck the finances and resources of this country like leeches.


    This naturally caused an uproar between the immigrants and people. The natives of the Country of Light expressed that the immigrants were disrespectful of their culture and traditions. Not only that, but the immigrants were also lazy and committed crimes everywhere, turning their tranquil city into a criminal nest. Besides, in addition to Greig��s statements, many people thought that the reason why the Country of Light��s military lost to the Country of Darkness wasn��t because the enemies were too strong; instead, it was due to the greed of the immigrants! The immigrants should be chased out of our country and go back to where they came from!


    This went without saying that it was unacceptable for the immigrants. The immigrants retorted that they risked their lives to come to this country and swept the streets of litter as poorly-paid cleaners. Without them, this city would perhaps be turned into a mountain of trash by the people who thought so highly of themselves!


    You push the jobs that you hated to us and aren��t willing to work hard and find jobs yourselves and now you��re accusing us? You command us when you need us and treat us as rubbish when you no longer need us? Do you think we��re some pushovers?


    Under such circumstances, the supporters of Nakvard and Greig clashed on the streets. Even though such scenarios also happened in previous elections, they weren��t as serious as this. People needed an outlet to vent their frustrations and it was due to this that the violence level in the Country of Light rose to a new high which involved many injuries and even deaths.


    But what was more unexpected was that as the violence continued, the non-human races in the neighboring territories uncharacteristically united and announced to leave the territorial control of the Light Parliament. They didn��t want to tolerate the tyranny of the Light Parliament anymore and had even chased away the humans who invaded their land in the past.


    The Light Parliament was stunned that the situation became this critical.


    The non-human races held no rights or interest in the Country of Light all along. As long as one wasn��t human, one wouldn��t be protected by law. Therefore, it was common to traffic elves in the Country of Light and even most of the Battle Angels were forced to seek shelter in the Munn Kingdom, leaving the remaining Battle Angels hiding in the Dragon Soul Temple.


    This had been happening for thousands of years. The non-human races had fought for their rights, but wherever there was oppression, there was resistance and wherever there was resistance, there was repression. All of their objections ended up in failure. But this time, no one knew why they suddenly joined forces. Not only that, but they also occupied the neighboring, empty military bases which were emptied after the war with the Country of Darkness!


    The Light Parliament was in an immense headache. They wanted to dispatch soldiers, but they lacked them. But if they didn��t dispatch the soldiers, were they willing to watch the non-humans occupy their land? Although they could seek assistance from other territories, their reputation had become horrible after their loss in war against the Country of Darkness. Their signals for help were turned away by the overlords.


    It was due to this that the Country of Light was in a complete mess. Previously, they had thought of stirring trouble in Rhode��s territory when he wasn��t around. But they were much more concerned about this predicament in their own country.


    ��It seems like Sonia did well.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Before he left for the Land of Chaos, he was concerned that the Light Parliament would be up to no good while he was away. Therefore, in order to keep them occupied, Rhode requested for Sonia to cause trouble by inciting opposing parties during the election period. And now it seemed like Sonia was more successful than he hoped for.


    ��That��s right, Master. Miss Sonia did well. Your choice in this bitch is superb, I��ve got to say. Ah, by the way, she has something important to inform you personally so talk to her when you get the time, though I��m just thinking that she��s just gonna ask for her treat.��


    ��Got it.��


    Rhode pondered in silence before nodding.


    ��I��ll get to it once my matter is done here.��


    He lifted his head and gazed at the seven magic monster nests shown on the system interface.

 Chapter 900 - Magic Monster Nests

    Chapter 900: Magic Monster Nests


    The magic monster nests.


    The monsters tore through space and came to this plane of existence. All in all, they were similar to the elves summoned from the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. But unlike the elves, the monsters weren��t as obedient. If Rhode weren��t the dragon soul heir, it would be tough to gain their cooperation because all they cared about was the guarantee of their habitat. On the other hand, the dragon soul heir would promise the leader of the monsters that their rights wouldn��t be compromised in exchange for their assistance. No matter if the humans were kind or evil, the monsters seldom interacted with them and not even the overlord would have any advantages in the negotiation. If the territories of the Dragon Soul Continent were considered an apartment and the dragon soul heir was the property manager, the leader of the monsters would only be one of the occupants. If the property manager came knocking on its door seeking for rental payment while asking for its help, it would naturally obey. But it would be an entirely different matter if it were the other occupants who sought help because no matter if the other occupants were kings, rulers, or military generals, they were just occupants like them.


    In the game, players tried all kinds of ways to finally receive the recognition of the leader of the monsters. Of course, these were minority cases especially in the Country of Light because the Light Parliament was composed of human supremacists. The monsters decided to not get along with humans, so this made it much harder for players to gain their trust.


    In every territory, it was common to find at least two to three magic monster nests. But now, Rhode had seven and even though this meant that his strength could be enhanced to a certain extent, this caused him trouble too. After all, players had no lack of interactions with these monsters. Except for the harmless Fairies, the remaining creatures weren��t easy to deal with. Perhaps they would break into a killing if they were gathered at one place. Of course, with the holy sword cards as precedent, those monsters should be able to get along well too�� But who knew?


    Rhode handed the establishment of the financial distribution system and political affairs to Marlene because he wasn��t experienced in these fields. Even though this compromised his prestige, he had never attempted to hide this side of him. In fact, he wasn��t knowledgeable in economics, politics, and finances because they weren��t required of players due to the settings of the game. All players needed to worry about was what they should spend on or sell away. Which player would care about the problems of inflation or deflation anyway? Of course, players would still possess the basic knowledge of adjusting price increases or reductions in the market.


    If this were reality, no one knew what would happen to the economy��


    Rhode clearly knew about this.


    Since you can��t lead and I don��t have expertise in these fields, I can only leave them to the experts.


    Just like the issue with the refugees in the Land of Atonement earlier on, Rhode simply gave Marlene the goal of ��making jobs for the refugees and ensuring they don��t wreak havoc�� and as a result, Marlene, Ann, and Canary discussed and resolved it.


    While Marlene settled the technical issues, Rhode would naturally be in charge of leadership.


    This wasn��t tough for him at all. After all, players were experts in communicating with various forces. Therefore, this was also considered his main job.


    But he had no intention of running about for magic monster nests. Fortunately, the seven magic monster nests were far apart and wouldn��t break out into fights anytime soon. However, if he were to look for all of them, he would need at least a week.


    He was fortunate that he received the Illusion Crystal��s unlimited spiritual powers. Therefore, it wouldn��t be difficult for him to summon his spirits and represent him in negotiations with the leaders of the monsters. As long as his spirits presented his name, the monsters wouldn��t dare to lay their hands on them.


    He sent Celia to the Divine Unicorns as the kind and gentle unicorns should be able to negotiate well with a Battle Angel. He sent Gracier and Madaras to the Centaurs; White Elves were the rulers of nature and there shouldn��t be a problem for them to convince the Centaurs to reside in the forest. He dispatched Celestina to the Lustful Demons because as a high-class demon, she definitely had her unique ways to manipulate the demons, so he wasn��t too worried about her. On the other hand, he dispatched the little mermaid to the Nagas living in the sea. Even though the little mermaid was higher in level than the Nagas, the former didn��t possess strong communication skills as she had always been by Rhode��s side. Therefore, he wrote a letter and asked her to pass it to them. Although the little mermaid was innocent, she wasn��t naive. Besides, she wouldn��t die as a summoned spirit and the Nagas wouldn��t dare to harm her since she was just sending a message on behalf of the dragon soul heir.


    The remaining nests were the [Fairy Nest], [Undead Garden], and [Element Cloud].


    The Fairies were easier to manage as they were peaceful in nature and despite them being rather witty, they were nice to approach. Rhode expected their negotiations to end well, but it was hard to determine how to deal with the [Undead Garden] and [Element Cloud]. The [Undead Garden] was a gathering place for the dead. Shira should have been chosen for the job, but after considering her peculiar personality, she would most likely be annihilating the entire garden rather than passing the message. In the end, Rhode chose to do it himself.


    On the contrary, the [Element Cloud] gave him the most headache. If he recalled correctly, there was only one creature that lived in the [Element Cloud]��Sky Whales.


    The Sky Whale was considered the tyrant of the air. It was at least a hundred meters long, cruising mysteriously in clouds coalesced from the wind element. It was extremely powerful; the wind elemental attributes made it immune to all physical attacks. In terms of offense, it was imaginable how strong the enormous whale��s swing of its tail would be. Not only that, but the Sky Whale could also freely manipulate storms. Moreover, it had thick skin, flesh, and blood vessels.


    In the game, some players tried to take it down but after spending the entire afternoon, less than one-fifth of its health was diminished. Furthermore, the entire sky was its territory and it could also trigger lightning strikes. Although elemental creatures were generally kind in nature, a massive creature like the Sky Whale was extremely dangerous even if it harbored no evil intentions. If their gathering place happened to be in the middle of traffic or future human residences, Rhode would have to advise them to move away. If not, maybe the entire town would be swept away by an accidental swing of their tails.


    Moreover, the Sky Whale was extremely innocent and one could become loyal friends with it. But if one were to brainwash it into doing evil deeds, the Sky Whale would basically be Rhode��s eternal enemy.


    If it were possible, Rhode wouldn��t wish to get involved in a battle with such an innocent, yet troublesome creature��

 Chapter 901 - Fairy Nest

    Chapter 901: Fairy Nest


    ��It should be around here����


    Rhode hovered in midair and shifted his gaze between the system map and the surface. After obtaining the Illusion Crystal, he became generous in consuming his spiritual powers. Fusing with the Spirit Bird and soaring in the sky was something he would have only done during battle if this were in the past.


    If it weren��t for the absolute wall of Order, he would have gotten Lapis to specially create a set of armor instead of holding onto the crystal to replenish his spiritual powers. After all, this was too inconvenient.


    Currently, he was hovering over the mountain ranges around the lakes. The forest was filled with lush trees and the radiance from the sun made it look like a wide green blanket.


    Rhode shook his head as he discovered that his ability to adapt wasn��t as great as he thought it was. Back then in the Land of Atonement, he had gotten used to the strange collisions of day and night pretty quickly. But now, he realized that he couldn��t adapt to the feeling of being as though in outer space. Every time he lifted his head to the sky, he couldn��t help but question how the sun brought warmth to them and why the moon was so close to him. That��s right, whenever it was nightfall, he witnessed the gigantic astral body that covered one-fifth of the sky emerging from the horizon before slowly drifting to the sky. Even though its radiance wasn��t as glaring as the sun, it presented a pure, gentle brilliance and it was due to this that Rhode clearly witnessed the craters on its surface.


    Could it be that I��m in outer space? What about the meteoroids? Would they crash toward us?


    Although small meteoroids would turn into ash as soon as it struck the atmosphere, Rhode wasn��t even sure if this place even had one in the first place.


    Science is dead��


    Forget it. Science isn��t reliable in this world of magic anyway.


    Rhode slowly descended and scanned for the Fairy Nest. Shortly after, he spotted his target, and it wasn��t because they were eye-catching. Instead, it was their melodious and wonderful singing that led him to them.


    As expected, Rhode saw a dozen fairies dancing in the forest near the edge of the lake. They sang in beautiful tunes as they constructed their home. The fairies didn��t sing in harmony but instead took turns as though beating the drums and passing the flower. They sang in their unique language that sounded sweet, crisp, and carefree. But strictly speaking, they weren��t only singing. Instead, this was their way of communication too. It just sounded to outsiders that they were great singers.


    If one didn��t understand what they were singing, one could enjoy their melodic songs. But if one were to understand them, it would be an entirely different matter. There was once a player who was too curious. He spent his precious experience points in learning the fairies�� language just to understand them.


    Other players witnessed the fairies circling and singing around him and felt he could never get more blissful than this. However, that was because they couldn��t understand the fairies�� language. On the contrary, that particular player listened clearly.


    ��What a silly big man�� His face is as black as charcoal�� Holding onto a sword�� How dark. How scary����


    The player regretted his decision.


    This story taught us that ignorance could be blissful at times but apparently not everyone understood this.


    It was still the same now.


    Rhode didn��t need to learn their language. The instant he became the dragon soul heir, he discovered that he unlocked another unique technique called [Language Proficiency]. This allowed him to easily understand the language of non-human races. In the eyes of outsiders, the fairies were happily singing and building their homeland. But he realized a problem from the lyrics to their ��song����


    ��There��s a wooden club�� There��s a piece of stone�� Too heavy�� Can anyone help����


    The fairies turned to Rhode as he approached them. They didn��t seem to be cautious against strangers at all. They quickly surrounded him curiously, stopped singing, and began humming tunes among themselves.


    ��I��m the owner of this territory and I have come in the name of the dragon soul.��


    Rhode introduced himself immediately. He scanned the fairies and they seemed like girls who were around 10 years old. However, they were only palm-sized. Their long green hair and eyes were symbolic of the fairies. They wore an outfit similar to the one-piece swimsuit from the real world, revealing their fair, slender limbs. On their backs were a pair of beautiful wings like butterflies, flapping constantly and releasing faint light dust which was known as fairy dust, a useful magical material only available in fairy nests. Although it would be helpful for Lapis, it was meaningless to Rhode now because at this moment, he was more concerned over the rights to the magic monster nest.


    ��I��ve come here to seek your assistance. According to the ancient contract, I need you to carry out your duties in serving me and I will protect your home from invasion and guarantee your safety. You will receive equal benefits as people in my territory. Now, are you willing to accept my invitation?��


    The fairies pondered in silence before ��singing�� again. But unlike the casual tunes, it sounded more like a harmony of sweet, pure voices. But Rhode knew that this was their way to ��transmit information�� without speaking with words. Shortly after, as the harmonious sound became louder, more and more fairies joined their discussion. After a few moments, the gentle, melodious tune stopped and one of the fairies who appeared older and had a pair of silver wings flew nimbly to Rhode. Unlike the fairies who wore ��swimsuits��, this fairy was clad in a pure, white gown and wore a tiny crown. She emanated a fascinating brilliance and stooped over to give a respectful bow.


    ��Greetings, supreme dragon. We��re willing to accept your invitation. I represent my fairies in accepting your protection. I swear by my spirit that we will follow you. If you don��t mind, I hope you can help provide us a suitable home. As our gratitude, we are willing to complete all missions that you appoint us.��


    Perhaps due to Rhode speaking to them in their language, the fairy before him also responded in the same way. Rhode wasn��t surprised that the fairies would accept his suggestion swiftly because this was in their nature. They might be small and delicate, but their strength was otherwise. With them around and Agatha��s ocean elves, there shouldn��t be a problem in Rhode��s city.


    ��No problem, I have plenty of spaces for you in my courtyard.��


    Rhode nodded and gave a decisive answer. The fairies instantly broke out in delightful cheers. Then, the leading fairy turned around and waved to her fairies.


    ��Everyone grab your stuff. We��re leaving this place and heading to master��s courtyard!~~��


    The fairies chuckled and flew back into the forest. At the same time, the sweet-sounding voices sounded again. But��


    ��We��re moving to a new home�� We have to get ready�� Our master is beautiful�� But doesn��t smile much����


    ������


    Rhode turned around as though he didn��t hear anything.

 Chapter 902 - Undead Garden

    Chapter 902: Undead Garden


    Harmless fairies were the easiest to handle. After both parties signed the contract, Rhode brought them to Grandia where they settled in the forest connected to the lake located behind the palace. According to the layout, that area should be within range of the royal garden. But Rhode apparently wasn��t mindful at all because the fairies were responsible assistants in passing messages, letters, and cleaning. Besides, although they seemed small and delicate, they possessed the strength of spell casters in the Middle Circle. Moreover, as a pure magic race, they didn��t need to chant before releasing magic spells like Mages needed to. If anyone were to belittle the fairies�� Yes, the fairies wouldn��t slaughter due to their kind nature, but they would certainly give them a hard time.


    That��s right. It was fine for the fairies as long as they didn��t kill anyone.


    After settling the fairies, next up was the�� Undead Garden.


    Frankly speaking, Rhode felt complicated regarding the [Undead Garden]. Although the [Undead Garden] was full of Undead Creatures, they were spiritual and there wouldn��t be any Necromancers or Liches. Besides, these Undead Creatures were rather average in strength. But there was a problem��


    What did Rhode need them for?


    If his territory were the Country of Darkness, there would be plenty of matters that the Undead Creatures could do. But with his current relations with the Munn Kingdom, it was better to avoid having the Undead Creatures roaming around his territory. Therefore, even though he could relocate fairies to the palace, he couldn��t allow the Undead Creatures to show themselves in public. No matter what, his territory was mainly serving living beings. Besides, the existence of the Undead Creatures themselves was enough to negatively influence living beings as they were constructed with negative energy. Despite the Undead Creatures not harboring any ill intention, humans would fall sick, have their longevity shortened, or might even die if they got into contact with too much negative energy. It was due to this that Rhode was in a headache trying to resolve this problem.


    On the other hand, the Lustful Demons were also in a similar situation. They used their charm to seduce and devour the souls of humans, and their chaotic nature made them inclined to mess everything up. This was why Rhode sent Celestina in his place because he knew that the Lustful Demons wouldn��t rest unless they wreaked havoc with all of Rhode��s women.


    [Undead Garden]


    It was a dim, dark forest with dense branches and leaves sheltering the radiance of the sun. Not only that, but there was also something that shouldn��t belong to this place emanating a mesmerizing, yet scary brilliance.


    Crystals.


    The prismatic crystals erected on the ground like plants. It was clearly summer but the forest was incredibly chilly. The bone-piercing cold could give anyone the chills. There was neither the singing from birds nor the presence of vibrant flowers. The leaves on the ground were deep green and what should have been an exuberant forest was filled with the unprecedented scent of death.


    The silence of death.


    Rhode strolled casually and scanned the surroundings. He had to admit that this place wasn��t suitable for mortals at all. Those crystals weren��t only ordinary magic crystals. Instead, they were prisms containing death aura and served as a concealment for the spirits from the sun. The spirits would only appear from the crystals when night fell.


    But now, perhaps they were watching his every movement.


    Rhode came to a halt.


    ��I��m the owner of this territory and the dragon soul heir, Rhode Alander. Spirits roaming between the gap of life and death, in the name of the dragon soul heir, I am here to negotiate with you. Please show yourself.��


    At this moment, he saw a purple spiritual radiance flashed before him. Then, an enormous figure emerged.


    It was a two-meters-tall knight clad in heavy white armor and the gap in its helmet was entirely pitch-black. Not only that, but it also had a large sword hanging on its back, exuding tremendous pressure. It instantly half-knelt on the ground and expressed its respect for Rhode.


    ��Welcome�� mighty�� dragon soul����


    Rhode wasn��t sure if it was due to the heavy armor, but its hoarse voice seemed to be modified.


    ��I am�� the guardian�� Farson.��


    ��I��m Rhode Alander, the owner of this territory.��


    Rhode nodded and said.


    ��I guess you��re aware of why I��m here. As the overlord, I guarantee your right to stay in my territory. As a result, you will need to adhere to my rules and serve me. Do you have any objections?��


    ������


    This time, the other party didn��t reply immediately. After a few moments, it raised its head and gazed silently at the young man.


    ��What do�� you want us�� to do�� Master����


    ��Some things that aren��t suitable for mortals.��


    Rhode replied decisively as he had no intention of hiding the truth from his future subordinates. Sometimes it was also important to give a heads-up.


    ��Based on the situation, I may possibly ask you to kill someone even if that person is unarmed.��


    From a certain aspect, the Undead Creatures were most suitable for this job. They could disappear without a trace and held no worries for their own survival. Besides, if anything were to go south, Rhode could simply push the blame on the Country of Darkness.


    Anyway, he had no intention of allowing these Undead Creatures to show themselves to mortals so it was perfect for them to carry out some work in secret for him, wasn��t it?


    Undead Creatures and Lustful Demons disregarded mortals completely. Since that was the case, there wouldn��t be any psychological barrier that stopped them from killing. Although Joey and his team could ��occasionally�� serve as assassins, their targets were mainly opposing enemies. If Rhode were to order them to wipe out an entire village, they surely wouldn��t accept those orders. Even if they did, perhaps they wouldn��t complete their jobs perfectly. Although the Lustful Demons were a great choice for that, Rhode wasn��t that naive to put his full trust in demons.


    ������


    This time, the knight didn��t respond immediately. Instead, it stood to its feet and with a gust of wind, the enormous sword on its back flew up and landed in its hand.


    ���� Please allow�� me to�� affirm your determination�� Master.��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode narrowed his eyes and extended his right arm.


    A large red blade with steel chains appeared in his hand.


    ��Alright then, let��s do it.��


    The leaves rustled to the chilly winds. Crystal prisms flickered in red as though responding to their callings. In an instant, the silent forest was filled with unprecedented clamor and countless pairs of scarlet eyes watching from the darkness.


    The knight attacked.


    Swish����!


    It brandished the sword cleanly and mercilessly. Rhode instantly felt tremendous pressure from this attack that was mastered from countless battles. If he were an ordinary human�� No, even if he were a swordsman in the Peak Elite Stage, perhaps this attack would have taken his life immediately.


    But it was a pity that he wasn��t one.


    Clang!


    Rhode swung his red blade and deflected the menacing strike. The knight flinched, but swiftly slashed its sword forward.


    Good.


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. It was apparent that this was a pure knight without the garish and pride of the nobles and dignity of the swordsmen. Its sword was the sword of the battlefield��only two choices: either kill or be killed. It was due to this that it was so imposing in presence as though it bound its enemy to the chair and forced the enemy to make a decision��choose one out of the two choices. Judging from this aggression, perhaps this knight was around level 75.


    There wasn��t a third choice.


    But�� Its opponent was Rhode, the dragon soul heir. Such an attack wasn��t threatening at all.


    ��Too slow!��


    The steel chains wrapped around his arm shot forward at the slashing blade. Clang! Clang! They struck off the incoming blade and at this moment, Rhode burst forward with his sword. The knight hurriedly placed its sword before it.


    The swords clashed.


    Boom��!


    The knight flew back upon impact and crashed a deep ravine on the ground. Rhode took out the knight in a single strike.


    Well, the knight couldn��t be blamed for being weak in combat against Rhode, who had awakened his dragon soul powers. At this moment, his constitution attributes were much higher than a max-level player with fully-equipped gears. Although Rhode hadn��t reached level 75 yet, he was sure that no one was worthy of being his opponent, lest they were of Lydia��s caliber. Moreover, he used Shira and if he didn��t show any mercy, he would have split the knight into half entirely.


    ��Now����


    He gazed at the collapsed knight.


    ���� You should have made your decision now.��


    The knight didn��t speak. Instead, it struggled and half-knelt in a respectful posture, lowering its head humbly.


    After dealing with the [Undead Garden], the matters regarding the magic monster nests came to a temporary end. It wasn��t because he was trying to avoid the Sky Whale but instead, there were a thousand things to do in this territory. Along his way as he searched for magic monster nests, he also visited the refuges and spoke to the refugees. Then, he discovered that they were a group of mad believers who would die for his orders. Apart from that, they were also rather odd in nature perhaps due to long periods of isolation from the outside world. Of course, Rhode wouldn��t mind as long as they weren��t lacking common sense. As for their residences, he used his dragon soul powers to restore and build some towns around the refuges.


    He also discovered that there were more than 50,000 Order Refugees in the nine refuges. In addition to the 20,000 Order Refugees in Grandia, there were a total of 70,000. This number wasn��t considered too big or small for a territory. If Rhode was only starting out, perhaps everyone would be starved to death. Fortunately, the refugees had their ways of surviving in the Land of Chaos for years, so there weren��t many problems with food. On the contrary, traffic was a bigger problem, which would be left for Marlene to settle.


    Apart from the Order Refugees, the refugees from other territories were equally important. Thanks to a certain idiotic overlord who fled without putting up a fight, the abandonment of his territory caused it to crumble and between 70 and 80 percent of refugees were either killed or had escaped. A huge number of refugees wandered and the Munn Kingdom found it difficult to manage them. Rhode spoke to Gillian through spiritual communications to gather as many refugees as possible and they would migrate to his territory after the absolute wall of Order vanished.


    At this point in time, Gillian had gathered almost 40,000 refugees and settled them down in Grenbell temporarily. Of course, Grenbell had a hard time accommodating this sudden influx of population, but fortunately, the earnings from the sales of Holy Maiden Statues provided quite a sum of money, which he used to purchase large amounts of food for this crisis. But Gillian also mentioned that this was only a temporary solution because refugees were ultimately refugees. If Rhode didn��t find any suitable residences for them soon enough, the refugees might possibly start riots. Currently, with Canary and Mini Bubble Gum watching them, they didn��t dare to stir any trouble. Rhode had also gotten Gillian to pass down news that he had opened up the Void Territory and the thought of them having fertile land set the Order Refugees at ease.


    But there would be occasional negligence despite extremely careful consideration. Rhode never expected that this problem would occur to him.

 Chapter 903 - Unstable Music Note

    Chapter 903: Unstable Music Note


    After Rhode began constructing his territory, everything went on smoothly, no matter the gathering of magic monster nests or guiding the Order Refugees. Come to think of it, this was the first time he felt how influential a dragon soul heir could be over its people. The Order Refugees should have been more wary in their first meeting with him, but they braved mountains of daggers and seas of flames for all of his orders��of course, this was exaggerating, but their obedience to his commands were certain.


    Judging from this aspect, Rhode confirmed that there was absolutely a problem with Lilian��s dragon soul powers. If her dragon soul powers were as powerful and obvious as his, wouldn��t a word from her turn Sonia into her loyal subordinate immediately?


    Rhode initially thought that things would continue smoothly. But�� This evil world apparently wouldn��t grant him that wish. There were no internal issues which meant that externally there would be problems. However, he just didn��t expect that the problem would come from the Munn Kingdom.


    When he got this intelligence from Gillian, he was baffled. He suddenly realized that he had forgotten about something.


    Question one: Where is his territory located?


    Answer: Right below the Munn Kingdom.


    Question two: Left was west. Right was east. Up was north. What was down there?


    Answer: South.


    Question three: What was the border region connecting Rhode��s territory and the Munn Kingdom?


    Answer: The Southern Port.


    ���� That group of bastards. I regret not slaughtering every single one of them earlier on when I had the chance.��


    Rhode leaned back on the chair and placed his feet on the table before him. His eyes were filled with obvious murderous intent. According to Gillian, the Southern Port held relatively high hostility toward this new territory that appeared out of nowhere. Not only that, but also within a short period of time, everyone knew that Rhode was the overlord of the Void Territory thanks to the news spreading within the Southern Port.


    It was due to this that there were lots of rats that went to the Land of Atonement, to which Gillian followed the vine to get to the melon. Although it wasn��t specified, Rhode wasn��t that foolish to believe that the Southern Port was ��innocently�� spreading news about this. It was apparent from their deep hatred toward him that they would stir trouble. However, Rhode didn��t expect that they were this brazen.


    If he thought about this earlier, he would have asked Lydia for the Southern Port territory to smash these clowns into mash. However, this was just his wishful thinking, after all. If he could turn back time, he still wouldn��t have chosen the Southern Port. If Lydia were to hand over the Southern Port to him in the past, it would take him a lot of time to suppress the internal enemies and other opposing forces. Besides, they were still people of the Munn Kingdom no matter what. Under Lydia��s watchful eyes, Rhode couldn��t possibly slaughter to his heart��s content. There was a saying that a boneheaded teammate could do more harm than the most formidable opponent. If Rhode were to select that tattered land of the Southern Port earlier on, perhaps he would still be plagued by this ��internal disease��, not to mention opening new territories now.


    But even with millions of considerations done, he didn��t expect that the boneheaded teammate still managed to strike��


    His head was in immense pain after hearing this news. He predicted that with his identity, his relationship with the Southern Port wouldn��t be anywhere near peaceful. However, he didn��t expect them to betray this quickly. He instantly felt that his decision to not slaughter his way to the Southern Port when he disguised himself as the Necromancer in the past was a huge mistake.


    Great. He didn��t get the EXP and troubles were here knocking on his door.


    But there were still benefits in this. The southern clowns also reminded him to be mentally prepared when he faced the Southern Port in the future. No matter what, most of his traffic routes were linked to the Southern Port as the transfer hub. If the southern clowns were to mess with the merchants, there would definitely be troubles ahead.


    However, blessings never came in pairs. After realizing the problem with the Southern Port, Rhode discovered another problem that was floating on the surface.


    What exactly was his relationship with Lydia?


    Rhode initially thought that he could be like the Country of Light or other territories; maintain a superficial subordinate relationship with Lydia. But in fact, he was running an independent territory. This was naturally convenient for both parties because Rhode was the one who risked his life to develop the territory. He didn��t inherit the land from nobles and wasn��t bestowed it either, which meant that Lydia held no rights in control. On the other hand, he was her honorary knight and could maintain a decent relationship.


    But��


    That was built based on the foundation that the territory was under the protection of the Light Dragon Soul.


    He didn��t expect that the dragon soul protection of his territory would be under the Void Dragon instead. In the game, he didn��t approach Marlene and unlock the tinder seal together. Back then, he only triggered the ordinary Light Dragon Soul protection, which explained why he always subconsciously believed that his territory would definitely be under the Light Dragon Soul.


    But the situation was entirely different now.


    After inheriting the Void Dragon Soul, his identity became the ��Dragon Soul Heir��. No matter if he were the ��overlord�� or ��king��, its worth didn��t change. He was the dragon soul heir, one of the five creator dragon souls, and this way, his relationship with Lydia became much more amusing.


    No matter how great Lydia was, her identity was still the Archangel and would always be below the dragon soul heirs. Rhode became one of the dragon soul heirs so he couldn��t possibly bow to Lydia anymore. On the contrary, he also couldn��t meddle with affairs in Lydia��s territories. If Rhode��s dragon soul protection wasn��t from the Void Dragon but from the Light Dragon instead, he could raise objections with Lydia regarding the Southern Port as a subject. But now, he would be in suspicion of ��interfering with the internal affairs of another country�� if he did that.


    On the other hand, this also reminded him that perhaps due to the change in his identity, the higher-ups in the Munn Kingdom would switch their attitudes toward him. He was no longer a people under the light dragon soul protection, which made their standpoints subtle. Besides, apart from the Senia Family, he didn��t interact with other higher-ups in the Munn Kingdom. But even if he did, it also wasn��t appropriate for him to express goodwill with his current identity, was it?


    This instantly left him in a conundrum. This wasn��t a problem about his emotions toward the other party but more of an issue of standpoint. What was more tragic with his current identity was that despite being the dragon soul heir, he didn��t have too many capable subordinates. Although he was surprised to know that the six Deity Wardens were followers of the Void Dragon, he only had Marlene, Christie, and the strange Alice. Even if Marlene wasn��t one of the six Deity Wardens, she was still one of his most important members. On the other hand, even though Christie could communicate with the other ��Christie��, they weren��t the least bit interested in politics. As for Alice, ever since Grandia was built, she had been holed up in the library and reading all day.


    But Rhode also discovered from a certain angle that the three Deity Wardens were similar with him. They were the kind of people who led and handed tasks to the subordinates. The only one who could help him was Marlene and this wasn��t based on the wisdom inheritance of the Deity Warden. Instead, it was her experience and knowledge as ��Marlene Senia��, the heir of her family.


    At this moment, Gillian, Ann, and the others couldn��t enter the Void Territory due to the absolute wall of Order. Rhode could only leave operations to Marlene and Lize. On the other hand, the humanoids��Haze, Rain, and Heart��would be responsible for the Order Refugees.


    Rhode felt completely helpless at the cruel reality that he owned a group of powerful subordinates who weren��t capable in politics.


    As for how he should resolve the problem regarding his relationship with Lydia and Munn Kingdom, it was hard to say. No matter what, he was still officially the overlord under the Munn Kingdom and occupying its space. Ever since the start of history, there wasn��t one dragon soul heir who was also the overlord of other territories.


    He was sure that the Light Parliament definitely wouldn��t miss this chance to sow dissension. They surely would make an issue of this matter. It would be for the best for them if the relationship between Rhode and Lydia could be smashed.


    Come to think of it, perhaps it was the Country of Light who orchestrated the entire incident using the Southern Port. Currently they were occupied with their own internal affairs and lacked time to mess with the Munn Kingdom, so it wasn��t surprising that they released dogs for some crunches, right? If not, who would have the guts to stir trouble when the south was only recovering from the damages of their internal battles?


    ��Have you decided on what to do, Master? If you want to raise the rebel flag, you must tell me in advance, okay?��


    Gillian��s chuckles were as sweet-sounding as ever. But her content was still ridiculous.


    ��I think this is quite interesting since you have always wanted to ensure Miss Lydia��s safety, isn��t it? Master? How about you add her to your harem of women? If you work hard, you can turn an Archangel into an adorable young lady in any way you want. When that happens, you can just devour the whole Munn Kingdom and resolve all your problems.��


    ��That is also an option if I��m capable enough. But if you want me to do it now��it seems like you don��t want me to live much longer, huh?��


    Rhode��s brow twitched and he let out a scoff. Although what Gillian said was indeed attractive, he wasn��t that foolish to fall for it when the Country of Light and Country of Darkness were eyeing them covetously. He would only lay his hand on his only ally if he had gone bonkers�� No matter what, it was still crucial to maintain a friendly relationship.


    ��You see. That��s the problem with you, Master.��


    Gillian laughed.


    ��But I��ve got to remind you, Master. The Country of Light, Country of Darkness, Munn Kingdom, Country of Law, and other territories are noticing your territories. After all, it��s impossible to not be noticed after that huge commotion. But you��re fortunate that the border of your territory isn��t connected to the Country of Darkness. If not, we will have more troubles in the future. Ah, by the way����


    Suddenly, Gillian thought of something.


    ��According to that little bitch, the Light Parliament seems to have formed an investigations team.��


    ��Investigations team?��


    Rhode asked.


    ��This reminds me of the reminiscent past. Why? Do those forgetful idiots want to ��investigate�� my territory?��


    If the Country of Light had such an intention, Rhode wouldn��t mind venting his frustrations on them. He would be more concerned if he were to have dealings with the Munn Kingdom. But he wasn��t afraid of the Country of Light whose reputation had been diving and was breaking out in riots due to the election. Moreover, the entire Void Territory was his territory, which meant that Canary and Mini Bubble Gum could roam around freely. Canary could destroy five ordinary military armies with just a single finger.


    ��It��s a pity you guessed it wrong this time, Master. According to the little bitch, the investigations team��s mission is the same as yours.��


    ��Same?��


    Rhode asked in astonishment.


    ��Don��t tell me that the Light Parliament also intends to send men to open up other land of chaos?��


    ��That��s right, Master.��


    ��This is interesting�� I didn��t expect the Light Parliament to be in a mood for that now. Or I should say�� that they are still capable of that?��


    Rhode had to admit that he was astonished when he heard this news. Everyone knew what the land of chaos was like. Back then, all of his subordinates firmly objected when he announced to open up the land of chaos. Rhode led his elite mercenaries, more than a hundred Bow Knights, and coordinated with the natives and almost perished in the Chaos vortexes. With the current state of the Country of Light after being pounded by the Undead Army, where could they find their manpower from?


    Could it be that they are tempted by my success?


    This wasn��t entirely impossible. There were countless treasures after a land of chaos was opened including magic monster nests, magic crystal mines, rare magic herbs, and the attractiveness of the territory itself. Perhaps the Light Parliament might really take the risk and send people for it? No matter the results, perhaps this news could shift the attention of the people from the riots.


    After ending spiritual communications with Gillian, Rhode shut his eyes and pondered in silence. Currently, the hardest problem was the relationship between his territory and the Munn Kingdom. However, he had some solutions up his sleeves and if they didn��t work, he could count on Lilian to alleviate his relationship with Lydia. After all, this innocent little girl was much easier to manipulate than Lydia. Besides�� Sonia was by her side which was great news for him.


    ��Phew�� What a headache����


    Rhode rubbed his forehead and at this moment, someone knocked on his door.


    Knock knock knock.


    ��Come in.��


    Rhode sat up and gazed at the door. The door gradually opened and a slender young lady appeared behind it. Her silver long hair draped softly down her shoulders.


    The young lady lowered her head and bowed respectfully.


    ��Greetings, Your Majesty.��


    ��Is anything the matter, Rain?��


    Rain was one of the three Spirit Swordsmen humanoids and possessed the Soul Messenger talent-tree built. Perhaps due to the rare opportunity for Rhode to meet others of the same class, he guided the humanoids in their training personally whenever he was available. Moreover, perhaps due to the fact that he also had the Soul Messenger talent-tree built in the game, his guidance for Rain was most meticulous. Of course, part of the reason was that Rain��s talent rule was ��healing�� which he was totally envious of as a player. Although Rhode had been in this world for a long time, his essence as a player didn��t change at all. He couldn��t resist the thought of seeing the wonderful results of a Soul Messenger��s enhanced skills and the ��healing�� talent rule working perfectly together. Of course, he had to admit that the humanoids learned pretty quickly. No matter what he taught, Rain learned the quickest and the smartest student was always the teacher��s favorite.


    ��N-No�� Your Majesty�� Erm����


    Rain began to fluster which Rhode swept a curious look at her. Then, the young lady lowered her head in fear.


    ���� Your Majesty, this may sound rude�� But I hope�� Your Majesty will be responsible for me!��


    ������


    Rhode instantly froze to the spot.

 Chapter 904 - Humanoid Customs

    Chapter 904: Humanoid Customs


    ��I hope you will be responsible for me!��


    Rhode twitched his brows. It wasn��t out of surprise. Instead, he just felt exceptionally reminiscent. When was the last time I heard this? Come to think of it, it has been a long while��


    He couldn��t be blamed because there were countless girls who said the same thing to him in school��all of whom he had rejected. Of course, this disrupted his school life, but he never reflected upon himself. He believed that he didn��t cheat their feelings or lie to them by saying ��I love you forever; please marry me�� or ��I will take care and be responsible for you�� before laying hands on them.


    On the contrary, he always informed the other party that he was only fooling around and they were only friends with benefits. If the other party could accept this relationship, great. If she couldn��t, then so be it. Although several of them accepted this relationship immediately, the ��long-lasting fondness�� from thereafter led to endless troubles. But he didn��t waver no matter how the young ladies wept. He knew that he had clearly stated his standpoint and they had made their choices so they shouldn��t regret them. Love wasn��t a game. One who took love as a game was only seeking one��s death. Besides, one who sought after love in the game was even crazier, just like the ones who visited sleazy bars everyday, hoping to search for a partner who could spend her life with him forever. Even if one found and accepted a wife with a ��criminal record��, could the wife accept this husband with a ��criminal record�� too? No matter what, men held the most possibility of having extramarital affairs than women. Since they could find their ��true love�� in sleazy bars, who knew if they would find another ��true love�� from the bar after marriage?


    Rhode knew clearly that women valued their own bodies. But if this were the case, they shouldn��t treat their bodies with the mindset of playing a game. It would be too late to demand the man to take responsibility after their affectionate night together. There was no medicine for regret. This was also one of the reasons why Rhode and Canary could maintain their relationship for a long time. Compared to immature young ladies who purposely fooled around just because they thought it was a fun thing to do, Canary clearly knew what she wanted, needed, and had to offer.


    Rhode had to admit that he thought of ending such a relationship with Canary to move on to a more official phase. If it weren��t for��


    Forget it. Those were mistakes that his young self committed.


    Rhode shook his head and brought his train of thoughts back to reality. After coming to this world, the boy-girl relationship in the past wasn��t common anymore. Compared to the carefree life, the problems and burdens that he had to carry now�� were so much more. But�� Come to think of it��


    ��Did I do anything that I need to be responsible for?��


    Rhode couldn��t understand what Rain meant because he had been extremely busy. He didn��t even have the time to approach Anne, not to mention Rain. Besides, he was confident in his memories. He didn��t remember doing anything to this young lady that needed his responsibility.


    ��..!��


    Rain shivered and shrunk instinctively. On the other hand, Rhode sat on the chair and narrowed his eyes. For some unknown reasons, he felt as though he was watching a bitter drama like how a pregnant young lady came knocking on the door of the rich son and was abandoned brutally.


    Actually, this seems about right.


    ��T-That����


    After a few moments, Rain mustered her courage and lifted her head.


    ��Y-Your Majesty, do you remember when you first took our test?��


    ��Of course.��


    Rhode nodded. After all, that test was his first official battle against three Spirit Swordsmen so he couldn��t possibly forget about it. He thought about the battle and back then when he defeated this young lady�� Hmm?


    At this moment, Rain said.


    ���� Your Majesty. You may or may not know that we, humanoids, have a custom where our bodies�� can only be shown to the most important person in our lives. Once our bodies are revealed to a person of the other gender, our souls and bodies will belong to that person. I-In other words, Your Majesty, you have����


    Rain flustered and lowered her head in embarrassment, staring at her feet. Rhode finally understood what she meant. Back then, he purposely attacked her chest with blade rays to make her fluster so he could easily defeat her thereafter. Come to think of it, Rain��s attitude was indeed rather odd, but he thought that this was just part of her personality��


    Dang it!


    Rhode cursed. In the past, he convinced himself that he could touch any chests but never the corpses. But now, not even chests were available for him? How was he supposed to live this way?


    Rhode held his forehead helplessly. He didn��t expect that this trouble would surface from a matter that ended a long time ago. If Rain only came to offer herself in bed, he definitely wouldn��t mind. But now she wanted him to be responsible�� This was really troublesome. Frankly speaking, even though Rhode had a lot of women around him, he affirmed their relationships up until this point, which was the reason why they could get along well. But now�� If the other women were to find out, his harem would be on fire and a bloody river was bound to flow!


    From a subjective perspective, he wouldn��t mind accepting Rain into his harem. No matter what, he was a man who couldn��t possibly look at a beautiful woman without filthy thoughts. As for her race��hahaha, even an Undead Puppet like Shira wasn��t a problem for him. As long as the young lady was pleasing to his eyes, he wouldn��t reject her!


    But�� Like other men, he wasn��t willing to carry unnecessary responsibilities. He was willing to sacrifice for Canary, Marlene, Anne, and Lize because there was an emotional foundation in their relationships. Apart from them, he didn��t wish to have additional responsibilities.


    On the contrary, Rain��s situation was different. It had only been a month since Rhode met her and they only had an ordinary subordinate-master relationship�� He naturally wasn��t willing to have another ridiculous burden. Of course, he wasn��t willing now, but he might be in the future. However, based on the current situation��


    Rhode stood up.


    ��Rain, you said that according to your custom, as long as the other gender sees your body, your body and soul will belong to him. Is that right?��


    ��Yes, that��s right����


    Rain lowered her head shyly. Then, the corners of Rhode��s mouth twitched.


    ��So then, do you know what you should do?��


    ������


    Rain shook her head and Rhode heaved an inward sigh of relief. Then, he stretched out his arm and held his hand on her shoulder, which the young lady instinctively shivered.


    ��How did you address me earlier on?��


    ���� Your Majesty��


    Although Rain didn��t know why he asked, she respectfully answered.


    ��So then, what is our relationship?��


    ��I��m your loyal servant and person, Your Majesty.��


    ��Good.��


    Rhode stroked her hair.


    ��That��s the way.��


    ��Huh?��


    Rain lifted her head in astonishment. Rhode waved a casual gesture with his hand as he saw her dubious eyes.


    ��You are my servant while I am your ruler. Since that��s the case, your body and soul should have already belonged to me. Do you understand, Rain? Not only you, but the others are also the same so you don��t need to show more of your loyalty to me.��


    ��B-But����


    Rain knitted her brows in confusion. Although what Rhode said made sense and according to him, what she did was indeed more than required, for some unknown reasons the young lady felt that something was amiss.


    ��Could it be that you think there��s something wrong with what I said?��


    ��N-No, nothing is wrong, Your Majesty!��


    ��Good.��


    Rhode was relieved after hearing her answer.


    ��Continue doing your job. Even though the people��s resettlement is completed, there are other things to do. If you have any problems, speak to me, Marlene, or Lize immediately. Understand?��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    The young lady bowed, turned around, and hurriedly left. Rhode let out a long sigh as she disappeared in the corner.


    This problem is settled.

 Chapter 905 - Battlefields

    Chapter 905: Battlefields


    The Land of Atonement.


    Tragic traces of the past war during winter were completely buried as lush forests and green meadows covered the mountains and land. As the refugees moved into the territory, the tranquil city became lively and bustling. Puffs of white smoke from the forest not far away signified some form of life in the past uninhabited wasteland. This peaceful life was what the refugees sought for after the devastation of war. They wanted to get away from danger and reunite with their families in a safe environment.


    But this place was destined to not be peaceful.


    As the land of chaos was developed, there were several organizations casting their sights on this successful and magnificent city. Within half a month, the news of Grenbell��s overlord, Rhode Alander, opening up the land of chaos had spread throughout the Dragon Soul Continent. Of course, this garnered a lot of attention since no one had achieved this feat in centuries. Not to mention, his manpower was also incredible. The countries that were related to the Munn Kingdom were also concerned about the problems with the expansion of the territory and common boundaries.


    In the eyes of outsiders, this was a mysterious place. Not only did the city resist the attack of the Undead Army, consisting of tens of thousands of units and even the Moon Princess, Erin, twice, they also went home with their tails between their legs. The city had secret technologies like the Holy Maiden Statues and there were also a powerful Mage and Cleric each who were on par with Erin. These mysterious factors surrounding Rhode made him outstanding and he actually opened up the land of chaos��


    What��s something that he can��t do?


    It was due to this reason that as the refugees moved into his city, many crooks mixed in with the honest folks and seized the opportunity and infiltrated, attempting to uncover his secrets while he wasn��t around. The crooks thought that Rhode would lead a whole group of elites away from the Land of Atonement and the remainder wouldn��t stand a chance against them. But�� It wasn��t as easy as they thought.


    Magical radiance flashed.


    Dazzling, colorful arrays of beams descended from above and enveloped the fully-armored intruders. After a loud burst of thunder, the intruders were nowhere to be found. The charred vestiges on the ground were the only evidence that they were once here.


    ��Just them today?��


    Canary hovered in midair casually. The magical radiance flickering on her hand gradually faded away. She puckered her brows and the surroundings returned to its peace. Ever since the news of Rhode opening up a new territory spread, there had been more and more invaders in the Land of Atonement. But these guys today��


    How powerful.


    Someone hid in the distant shadows, observing the young lady hovering in midair silently. The strong, pressurizing strength left it trembling in fear. It had never seen such pure powers in the Country of Darkness. It could remember only one person in the Country of Darkness who possessed such major powers.


    Did I miscalculate the situation?


    According to the intelligence, many members were eliminated and the strength of the defenders was clearly apparent. However, the men it currently had were the elites of the elites. Not only were they involved in countless battles, but they also possessed strength in the Legendary Stage. With such incredible strength, they should more or less gather some intelligence. But��


    It only took an instant.


    Before it witnessed what happened, its subordinates who were about to infiltrate the target point were completely annihilated. In the blink of an eye, the spiritual connection between it and its subordinates were cut off and this only meant one thing��its subordinates had entirely vanished from this world.


    Fear.


    This feeling of pure fear overwhelmed the sorrow of the mission��s failure. Even though this also concerned its future, there were no chances of winning against such a powerful opponent. It felt as though going up against the Dark Dragon��foolish and meaningless! Perhaps it was a mistake for it to be here in the first place. But even so, it must accomplish this mission. Although the plan failed�� For some unknown reasons, it instinctively sensed grave dangers approaching.


    Retreat. It is still possible to retreat. I must do it while I can.


    ��Found a sneaky little rat.��


    The mastermind turned around hurriedly and unsheathed two daggers. The enemy appeared behind it, but he wasn��t notified at all. Didn��t the intelligence say��


    ��This is the end!��


    Mini Bubble Gum clenched her tiny right fist and hurled at the intruder. At this moment, a scarlet magical radiance flashed and a sinister-looking undead ritual appeared before her. But Mini Bubble Gum wasn��t affected at all.


    She fell into my trap!


    As an outstanding commander, how was it possible that it didn��t have safety precautions? It had already set up his most powerful ��blood ritual�� passed down by its family. Anyone who touched this ritual would be zapped of all their energy once and for all!


    But everything changed at the next second.


    Smash!


    The little girl crushed the scarlet radiance with her fist. An incredibly dazzling, holy brilliance erupted in an instant, illuminating the entire alley. The intruders lurking in the shadow shrieked at this immense force.


    Then, Mini Bubble Gum��s punch struck the target.


    Pow����!


    The intruder was instantly smashed into half with fresh, red blood splashing everywhere. Its crushed internal organs and bones flowed in the river of blood.


    ��Phew�� All done. All done.��


    Mini Bubble Gum clapped her hands clean and gazed at the bloodied corpse. The dazzling magical radiance dissipated and the alley restored to peace. At this moment, the shadow behind her twisted and a slender elf with white hair and clad in black armor appeared.


    ��Thanks for the hard work, Madam Bubble.��


    ��Oh, it��s Nell. Good evening.��


    Mini Bubble Gum let out a yawn. Then, she curled her lips in resentment.


    ��Ah�� How boring. These guys have been showing up constantly��super annoying! So what if they are Undead Creatures? Even the Dark Dragon is just a tougher dog. It won��t stand a chance against me and Leader!��


    Mini Bubble Gum clenched her fists. After Rhode entered the Land of Chaos, she had been extremely bored. If it were possible, she hoped that she could join him in the adventure. However, due to the system restriction, she couldn��t leave this place.


    ���� I wonder how you and Big Sister pulled through this period without Leader because it is just so boring for me to do this all day. I guess I��m not wrong to say that you and Big Sister do it out of love?��


    ��Hmm����


    Nell revealed an awkward expression. Rhode didn��t bring Nell along because her assassination techniques weren��t effective against Chaos Creatures. Therefore, he put her in charge of safety and she had spent quite some time getting along with Canary and Mini Bubble Gum.


    From the start, Nell was terrified of them because she had come from the Country of Darkness, which was a place with a strong level of respect for strength. As one of the toughest assassins, Nell instinctively discovered that Gillian, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum weren��t ones she could defy. Besides, she was ��transferred�� from being a captive so she had been acting cautiously to not offend others.


    But what stunned her was that Canary and Mini Bubble Gum didn��t despise her at all. Instead, they were casual around her and didn��t seem to care about her social class. Besides, Nell also realized that all three of them, including Gillian, had strange behaviors. Even though Mini Bubble Gum was a little girl who was around 11 years old, she often said things that would leave others in awkward positions. For example��


    ��Hmm?��


    At this moment, Mini Bubble Gum raged.


    ��No EXP? That fella didn��t die?!��


    Mini Bubble Gum raised her right hand and a white brilliance burst from the ground. Suddenly, she heard a shriek in the background and then, a tiny figure flew to her hand as though it were bound by an invisible force.


    ��Oh?��


    Mini Bubble Gum revealed a curious expression. Then, the corners of her lips rolled up into an excited smile.


    ��I didn��t expect to catch this little pet. Big Sister and Leader will surely like it.��

 Chapter 906 - Demon of the Dark Night

    Chapter 906: Demon of the Dark Night


    The boundless night enveloped the sky. The old castle towering over the land told its long story of death, destruction, and longevity. Nothing escaped the shadows of devastation��not even the Undead Creatures. The eerie, blue spiritual flames illuminated both sides of the castle hallway, but the darkened, high-hanging family crest had lost its past glory. This place used to be the honorable residence of dark nobles with countless visitors offering their entirety to this ancient, supreme family.


    Babylonia��she dominated rulers of all bloodlines ever since the birth of the Country of Darkness. She bathed in endless glory and wealth and was one of the four legendary generals, belonging to the right seat under the ancient and dark king. But everything was in the past.


    ��I know this is the woman��s scheme.��


    A crisp, childish voice resounded in the wide, tattered hall. The luxuriously decorated walls were torn down by the passing of time while formerly stunning murals were eroded with holes. Piles of neglected, broken knight armor filled both sides of the hallway, and there was even a large hole in the scarlet, velvet carpet. Chilly winds entered through shattered windows and caused the filthy curtains to flutter. This place used to be full of nobles. But now, only two of them remained.


    ��Master, this is a trap. Please reconsider����


    A frail voice sounded while an ice-cold breeze that resembled the miserable howls of a departed spirit echoed in the hall. The pages on the table flipped in the wind creepily, but the petite figure on the huge chair wasn��t fazed. On the contrary, her eyes erupted in two dazzling, maroon radiances.


    ��Of course I know this is a trap!��


    Kacha.


    She snapped the feather pen into two and tossed it from the shadows.


    ��Not only did that woman, Ashvril, snatch my family��s glory, status, and dependents, but she also wants to lay her hands on me, the only heir left? Do you think that I��m an idiot who doesn��t know what that woman is thinking? She destroyed my family. Do you think that I will give up just like this!?��


    The childish voice vented her frustrations. Her high-pitched voice was filled with unprecedented wrath. The strong preyed on the weak��this was the rule of the Country of Darkness. Indeed, in the Country of Darkness, the strict hierarchy in social class determined everything. No one was allowed to offend their superior, but this wasn��t all to the traditions of the Country of Darkness. One would only be respected with sufficient status and strength. Even if one held a high status, they would fall once one��s family crumbled and lost their position.


    Not even the Babylonia family was spared.


    The Babylonia family once dominated all the dark bloodlines and was the ruler of all the dark nobles when suddenly, a woman named Ashvril appeared and caused this ancient family to collapse and fall apart. A large span of land under their control was swallowed entirely by Ashvril and formerly loyal and devoted dependents stayed away from this bloody city as though escaping a plague. The once luxurious castle turned into this unsightly ruin. Everything was gone and now, was the final heir of the dark royal family about to meet her doom too?


    ��Head to the Land of Atonement for an investigation.��


    This short command was filled with unprecedented murderous intent.


    Perhaps not many people of the dark knew about the Land of Atonement before the huge war between the Country of Light and Country of Darkness broke out. Maybe even the most knowledgeable geographers had a hard time revealing its specific location. But after the war began, this territory attracted the attention of countless Undead Creatures. The Country of Darkness lost almost 100,000 units in two continuous battles, which was almost one-tenth of the entire army. Not only that, but the Moon Princess also failed to break through the defensive line.


    And now, they want me to head there for an investigation��!?


    Tracing back to the source�� Is it because I was too eager to show my abilities? Back then, I only wanted to restore my family��s honor and unknowingly awakened my powers. Is this going to be the moment for me to perish? That woman�� She sure is cunning!


    But�� Dangers are also opportunities. That woman will never expect that I possess such powerful strength now. With my knowledge and strength, not even a place like the Land of Atonement can stop me!


    Well�� It should have been this way.


    ��How interesting.��


    Mini Bubble Gum gazed at the curled-up bat in her hand and revealed a smile. But, unlike her, the bat was incredibly stunned.


    Why? Why does this human know about my existence? I spent decades learning the strongest curse from my family��s secret library and should have easily escaped!


    ��I didn��t expect to capture a wild vampire bat. Besides, it is�� Yes, it seems like I have a present for Leader after he returns�� Nell.��


    ��Yes, Madam Bubble. What can I do for you?��


    ��Give me that thing; the one that I got you to make. Ah�� Although I thought I needed it just for some fun, I didn��t expect it to come in handy. It seems like I made the right choice.��


    Nell��s expressionless face suddenly looked as though she were holding back a laugh. She retrieved a fist-sized, metal sphere painted in white and red and passed it to Mini Bubble Gum. Kacha. The sphere opened and Mini Bubble Gum squeezed the bat into it.


    ��No!��


    The bat in her hand let out panicky, loud screeches as it sensed danger approaching. The loud screeches were in fact invisible ultrasonic waves that shook and cracked the ground. At the same time, the black fog of death aura erupted from the cracks, shrouding the area, and as it slowly spread, the ground ruptured and several spirits showed up from the fissures and turned into human form before surrounding Mini Bubble Gum and Nell.


    Nell pulled out her dagger and stood before Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��Madam Bubble, be careful. This is the royal vampire��s technique��Dark Erosion!��


    Nell stared tensely at the black fog. She realized earlier on that the bat in Bubble��s hand wasn��t a real bat. Instead, it was made from the illusory magic spell of the vampires��the vampire royal family!


    The Dark Erosion could be said to be the signature move of the vampire royal family. It was an attack that used invisible ultrasonic waves and black dogs filled with death aura. Not only that, but it could also influence the victim��s soul through the black fog and forcefully convert the victim into one of them.


    In the past, Nell witnessed this happen to one of the Dark Elves cities that offended a royal vampire. Just within two days, the 3000 Dark Elves and 10,000 slaves in that city were converted into the vampires�� servants. Nell never expected that the vampires would activate such a terrifying skill right now.


    Nell puckered her brows and didn��t know what to do. Then, she heard a crisp scoff.


    ��Hmph!��


    Suddenly, a glaring, white light column descended from the sky and dispersed the black fog. The spirits that finally had the chance to show themselves were instantly eradicated like melted snow. At the same time, Nell heard a blood-curdling screech.


    ��Ah��!��


    The brilliance faded away.


    The alley restored its peace, but this time, there was a petite figure before Mini Bubble Gum and Nell.


    It was a little girl.


    She seemed like the same age as Mini Bubble Gum. Her fluffy, blond curly hair reached her waist and she wore a pure black gorgeous dress. The long, pitch-black sling socks wrapped her slender legs which made her look like a doll. However, she was ashen and her eyes glowed with faint, red radiance as she lay on the ground. Although her eyes were filled with menacing murderous intent, it was apparent that she was harmless at this point.


    ��Please kill her now, Madam Bubble! Royal vampires are horrible disasters. Although she seems innocent, she is capable of destroying the whole city!��


    ��No.��


    Mini Bubble Gum shook her head firmly and went up to the vampire, looking down upon her. Then, Mini Bubble Gum rested her chin on her hand and squinted to scan the little girl.


    ��Hmm�� You��re about the same age as me and you look decent. Hmm�� Interesting. I have a great idea�� If Leader�� Yes. Heh heh. Won��t I get to stand a chance if it is possible?��


    Neither Nell nor the vampire understood what Mini Bubble Gum was muttering under her breath. Mini Bubble Gum half-knelt on the ground and raised the sphere in her hand. Suddenly, Nell felt as though Mini Bubble Gum was scarier than the trembling vampire.


    ��Alright, do you want to come in yourself or should I squeeze you in?��


    Mini Bubble Gum gazed at the shuddering vampire with an excited smile.

 Chapter 907 - The Last Nest

    Chapter 907: The Last Nest


    The summoned spirits had returned from their respective magic monster nests.


    Rhode felt relieved after Celia worked well with the Divine Unicorns. As for how he should handle them, he already had a solution. The unicorns commonly appeared in the history of the Dragon Soul Continent with all sorts of usages and he was prepared to form a team of riders with unicorns as their mounts. As for the riders�� The humanoids would be in charge.


    This was in fact a strategy created by players during the middle stages of the game. Back then, one of the player territories possessed a Divine Unicorn nest and they eventually formed a team of riders with Spirit Swordsmen and Divine Unicorns as mounts, which was incredibly effective against the invasion of the Undead Creatures at the later stages. Unicorns were pure creatures and wouldn��t be easily affected by mental spells. Besides, they contained pure strength of light and Order and certain resistance toward the undead and Chaos. Moreover, they could fly and matched with the Spirit Swordsmen who could summon spirits into battles, they were as though hundreds of air commanders. Furthermore, with the comprehensiveness of the Spirit Swordsmen, they would be impressive attackers on surface or air.


    It was due to these reasons that Rhode immediately put building a team of unicorn riders on his schedule. And the reason why he chose humanoids was because they held higher success rates in becoming Spirit Swordsmen than the ordinary Order Refugees. Of course, Rhode had also discussed with Marlene about ��man-made humanoids��. But he felt disappointed because it would require a whole lot of time and money. Moreover, the materials were extremely precious and expensive, where he couldn��t build an army of tens of thousands of humanoids even if he could obtain the materials within the Void Territory. At this point in time, 200 to 300 humanoids would be more than enough.


    The magical tools to create humanoids were damaged over the millennia and needed repair. Rhode was already facing a hard time maintaining the current humanoids, not to mention fixing the magical tools. Fortunately, the humanoids had more or less learned some magic technological skills. Even though they weren��t on par with Lapis, they were still on a relatively high level.


    On the other hand, the response from Gracier and Madaras about the centaurs was also decent. The centaurs residing in the forest seemed satisfied after receiving attention from the dragon soul heir. After they confirmed that their rights won��t be violated, they were willing to work for Rhode. He had decided to station them around the borders as garrisons. With their nature to roam the forest, patrolling couldn��t get more convenient for them.


    But bad news often came after good news.


    And Celestina was the bearer of one.


    Even though Rhode knew that the Lustful Demons were a difficult bunch, judging from Celestina��s mad looks, it was apparent that she had completely lost the negotiations. As expected, although the Lustful Demons agreed to Rhode��s jurisdiction, they requested for an area of their own and requested permission for them to ��freely�� punish those who trespassed. Celestina couldn��t care less about the potential number of people dying in their hands. On the contrary, it was their brazen challenge and bargain with Rhode��s authority that made it unacceptable. Both parties couldn��t reach a conclusion and Celestina left fuming, leaving this terrible mess to Rhode.


    Rhode��s head was swimming. There surely wouldn��t be anything good from the Lustful Demons requesting for the right of autonomy and he couldn��t accept their conditions. It seemed like he would need to negotiate with them later on. Of course, he was also prepared for this scenario. If they weren��t willing to cooperate, he would use his strength of the Creator Dragon Soul and wipe out their entire nest. Even though it would be rather heartbreaking to lose one of the nests, the sacrifice was acceptable considering the troubles that the Lustful Demons could bring in the future.


    After all, stability beat everything.


    The situation with the Nagas was slightly better than the Lustful Demons. Although they also requested for the rights of autonomy, it wasn��t as critical since they lived in the deep ocean and didn��t occupy the waterway. But what amused Rhode was that perhaps the little mermaid seemed like a pushover, so the Nagas brazenly demanded a certain extent of support.


    It seemed like the Nagas would also be a huge trouble in the future. But�� There was a solution.


    And it relied on the shoulders of the final magic monster nest��the [Element Cloud].


    Rhode knew why the Nagas and Lustful Demons were disobedient and it was due to him not displaying enough strength and authority. The Nagas and Lustful Demons were obviously believers in ��it��s not over ��til it��s over��. It was impossible that they weren��t aware of how powerful the man behind Celestina and the little mermaid was. It required more than a dummy to use the dragon soul powers to open up paths to the alternate planes of existence for the magic monster nests. But even so, the Nagas and Lustful Demons chose to gamble for greed. Rhode had to admit that�� this was truly annoying.


    Although he could summon his spirits to display his strength and make them surrender, it would be ridiculous for him as a dragon soul heir to take actions himself. It felt as though a king was killing a beggar, which was inappropriate for his identity and status. As a result, he decided to send out a powerful subordinate to teach them a critical lesson.


    And the subordinate he had chosen was the Sky Whale of the [Element Cloud].


    The Element Cloud.


    Rhode floated in midair and puckered his brows while scanning at the clouds. Although the thick layer of clouds seemed ordinary, he knew that it was the Sky Whale��s habitat. The Sky Whale normally hovered in the sky and used clouds to conceal its position. Rhode didn��t know if he was fortunate or not because he discovered from the system interface that the Sky Whale��s habitat was located by the border of his territory and the Country of Light.


    Hmm�� I wonder if there will be any adorable humans eager to have a taste of death.


    Rhode anticipated the day after the absolute wall of Order was removed, some sneaky rats would slip into his territory and step foot into the Element Cloud. Then��


    Imagining the scenes of the bloody rivers made him drool.


    But right now, there was something more important than the fanatical slaughtering of the Country of Light��s rats.


    He shook his head and flapped his wings to stop by the edge of the clouds. The clouds didn��t respond to his arrival but he clearly sensed powerful wind elemental powers exuding from within. It was apparent that this was his destination.


    ��I��m here to seek your assistance, conqueror of the wind element, the mighty spirit soaring in the sky. If you hear my summons, please show yourself. I am Rhode Alander, the dragon soul heir. I hereby request that you show yourself!��


    ������


    After a few moments, the thick layer of cloud uplifted and split to both sides to reveal an incredibly massive body��the Sky Whale.


    The Sky Whale seemed as though almost transparent under the dazzling sun. Its crystal-clear body flashed in odd patterns and brilliant colors. Its head took one-third of its entirety and it widened its mouth to reveal the razor-sharp teeth. A pair of relatively small eyes was found on both sides of its head, but they were flickering in radiance of wisdom. Its linear body was buried in the clouds and it whipped its enormous tail only slightly, but the powerful airflow dispersed the clouds, jolted the air, and rippled the ocean beneath.


    It was the tyrant of the sky and one of the most powerful elemental creatures within the four main elemental planes of existence

 Chapter 908 - The Sky Contract

    Chapter 908: The Sky Contract


    ��Greetings�� ancient�� heir����


    Its thunderous voice boomed and Rhode trembled to the powerful force. Fortunately, he was prepared for this and his constitution was much stronger than mortals. If it were an ordinary mortal in his place, perhaps the mortal would have vomited blood and died due to the intense shock waves. In fact, the Sky Whale didn��t actually speak. Instead, it fused its thoughts with the wind element to form a sound which seemed like a sneeze to mortals.


    ��I am�� the child of the wind element�� Grid�� I��m glad to�� personally witness�� the heir of the Phenomenon Void���� The Sky Whale��s voice resounded.


    ��Greetings, Grid, child of the wind element. I��m the heir of the Void Dragon, Rhode Alander. I��ve come here in accordance to the ancient spiritual contract, seeking your assistance. I hope you can assist me in protecting this territory from outsiders and battle alongside me.��


    Rhode paused and gazed at the massive creature. The reason why he left the [Element Cloud] to last was because the Sky Whale was much harder to deal with. Its strength was so powerful that Rhode could only convince it using words. Even though he could still demolish the [Element Cloud] with his dragon soul powers if the negotiations fell through, he hoped to have a peaceful resolve. After all, compared to the Nagas and Lustful Demons, the [Element Cloud] was much more superior and helpful in all aspects. Not only was the Sky Whale stronger, but it could also just show itself to intimidate the enemies.


    At this moment, he hoped that the Sky Whale wouldn��t suggest impossible conditions. If not, he would have an even bigger problem before he could resolve the ones involving the Lustful Demons and Nagas.


    ��I�� accept�� your�� invitation����


    After pondering for a few moments, the Sky Whale finally responded. It moved about slightly and the strong gusts of wind dispersed the clouds and the peaceful ocean beneath splashed and started turning into an enormous whirlpool. This was the strength of the Sky Whale. If it were on the surface, perhaps this move could cause an earthquake of more than magnitude seven.


    ��But�� I have�� my own�� requests�� too����


    As expected.


    Rhode twitched his brow and waited quietly. The Sky Whale scanned the tiny human and said.


    ��My lord�� once came to�� this world�� and left behind�� its bloodline�� I hope����


    Rhode understood what it meant. In other words, the wind elemental lord of the past once arrived at this world and for some unknown reason, it left its bloodline behind. And now, as the loyal follower of the wind elemental lord, the Sky Whale hoped that Rhode could assist it to find the heir in order for it to bestow the ��Blessings of the Wind��, which the heir would be granted the rights to enter the wind elemental plane of existence.


    The elemental world was shaped through basically four main elements and also represented the mysterious presence of the elemental cores, which mortals couldn��t even take a glimpse of. Even if one were to accidentally enter the elemental world, one would be demolished completely. This was because the elemental world was made of the purest elements and presences like humans who consisted of impure matters would be automatically eliminated.


    After receiving the ��Blessings of the Wind��, that person would be able to return to the elemental plane in the presence of a pure element. According to the Sky Whale, that person actually inherited the bloodline of the wind elemental lord and not any ordinary bloodline. But��


    The more he listened, the more he was astonished. Wind elemental bloodline in the present and also the heir of the bloodline�� Why did it sound so familiar?


    ��I accept your conditions.��


    After recalling a certain young lady, Rhode nodded firmly. The Sky Whale let out a soft sigh of relief.


    ��I hope�� we can work�� well together�� I hate deceiving�� the dragon soul heir����


    ��Of course, I believe you.��


    Rhode nodded in response. It was previously mentioned that the Sky Whale was an extremely innocent creature, which meant that he only had one chance to find the correct heir. If he gave a perfunctory response by handing over a random person, the Sky Whale would definitely lose its confidence in him. Although the Creator Dragon Souls were the mightiest presences in this continent, elemental creatures of the wind plane of existence couldn��t care less. Besides, they didn��t live in the main plane of existence, nor did they rely on the dragon soul protection for their safety. On the contrary, the Creator Dragon Souls needed the powers of the four main elemental planes to construct the plane barriers. Judging from this point, it was indeed hard to please them.


    ��But I think I need more information. I guess you��re also aware that this continent is huge. In order for us to not waste time, can you tell me any special features of that person?��


    ������


    The Sky Whale pondered in silence before responding.


    ��That person has received the protection of the wind����


    ������


    ������


    That��s all? Really?


    ���� Is there anything that can be easily identified such as a birthmark?��


    Rhode asked.


    What kind of joke is this? Just based on some ��protection of the wind�� and you want me to find that person?


    Could it be that Canary was the one that the Sky Whale was looking for? If that was the case, Rhode might as well head into the Sphere of Mystery and select from a few players with the strongest wind elemental attributes�� Well, if only he could do that.


    The Sky Whale didn��t hesitate this time.


    ��The person blessed by the wind has a marking of my lord on the back����


    That��s more like it.


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief and nodded.


    ��Got it. I swear in my honor that I will fulfill your request and bring the heir to you.��


    Rhode already had a target in mind. After all, she possessed wind properties, a half-beast bloodline, and could manipulate wind elements��


    After the contract was established, Rhode��s mission came to an end for now. Fortunately, the Sky Whale didn��t need him to present the person before the contract took effect. Since both sides had already vowed, the Sky Whale was confident that he would fulfill its request. Therefore, from today onward, the Sky Whale had officially become Rhode��s subordinate. But��


    If Rhode handed the wrong person over, this new subordinate of his would immediately raise the rebellious flag. Even though he could still defeat it, the problem was that his prestige would be flushed down the drain. The most crucial problem was that he only had one chance.


    In other words, the innocent personality of the Sky Whale might be great and troublesome at times.


    Rhode instantly flew back to Grandia and the reason why he was this anxious was because he already found the most possible candidate��


    ��Ah, it��s Leader!��


    Anne, who was rolling about on the grass, jumped on her feet and spread her arms apart for a generous embrace.


    ��Leader, come play with Anne. Anne feels so bored. There��s nothing to do here����


    No matter how long time had gone, she just didn��t change at all and Rhode had no intention of correcting her. After all, compared to the addresses of ��Sir Overlord�� or ��Your Majesty��, Anne��s greeting of ��Leader�� felt more intimate just like in the game and this had as though brought him back into the past. No matter how many territories he conquered, how much strength and reputation he possessed, he was still one out of the millions of players in the gaming world and wasn��t above all else.


    ��Anne.��


    Rhode gazed at her and pondered for a few seconds. Then, he swept the surroundings before giving her a command.


    ��Take off your clothes.��

 Chapter 909 - Everything is Ready

    Chapter 909: Everything is Ready


    ��Mmm����


    The green lawn, verdant woods, and slow-flowing river completed the perfect, beautiful scenery. But at the same time, there were embarrassing moans coming from within the deep woods. Snowy bodies tangled, greedily yearning for warmth from each other.


    ��Ahh����


    Anne wrapped her arms around the tall tree while turning her head to the back. Her youthful eyes narrowed and she revealed a languid and seductive expression. Her fair cheeks were smeared with a red blush as she lifted her hips in a welcoming posture.


    ��Mmm�� Leader is so�� rough on me����


    Although she complained, the smile on her face showed her true emotions. All the small, little grumbles vanished to the kisses from the man behind her. She shook her hips skillfully while allowing him to grab her two towering bosoms. The warmth and comfortable sensation of numbness left her squinting in excitement and letting out alluring groans that all men would commit a crime for.


    ��Ah�� Ah�� Mmm����


    ��Do you want it rougher, Anne?��


    Rhode leaned to her ear and asked softly with a sly smile. The young lady turned and extended her tongue to greedily extort his kisses. Her soft, slippery tongue slipped into his mouth and this was the answer for him.


    It seems like I have to turn it up some more.


    Rhode loosened his grip on her bosoms and held her chest instead. Then, he pushed his hips in a powerful thrust.


    ��Ah!!��


    Anne narrowed her eyes and squealed in excitement. The wonderful thrill made her tremble in joy. The smacking between their bodies and erotic sound of body fluids echoed in the woods. They were completely immersed in pleasure and warmth. Rhode hugged the young lady��s soft, slender body and licked her neck. Anne let out a joyous moan and raised her hips for more action.


    ��Ah�� Ah�� N-No�� Leader. Anne�� Anne is�� Ahh!!��


    Anne shivered as her senses reached the peak. At this moment, Rhode released his accumulated load like an erupting volcano and it swept her entirely like an electric shock of pleasure.


    ��Ahh�� Haa�� Haa�� It��s so warm�� and went into�� Anne��s stomach����


    Anne was entirely soaked in exhilaration while Rhode groaned in comfort and laid powerlessly on the young lady before him. They maintained this posture for a few moments before slowly separating.


    ��Phew����


    Rhode embraced her and slowly sat on the ground. On the other hand, Anne was like an obedient puppy who shut her eyes to his gentle touch and curled up in his arms. He let out a bitter laugh at the sight of her expression. He didn��t have the intention to do it with her initially. Perhaps it was due to the fact that he had held back his urges for too long and he couldn��t resist the temptation after Anne stripped completely and pounced on him. Fortunately, there wasn��t anyone around. If not, huge problems would be awaiting him. But he thought that probably only Anne would do this. If it were Marlene or Lize, perhaps they would have dug a hole and hid in it if he asked them to take off their clothes here.


    But��


    Although it was a great session that cleared up all his urges, the most important thing was��


    He lowered his gaze to the young lady��s back. Her dewy skin and golden, long hair complemented dazzlingly to the bright sun, but��


    There was nothing.


    It seems like my guess was wrong.


    Rhode let out a helpless sigh. Back then, he was almost sure that the person the Sky Whale was looking for was Anne. No matter what, the wind elemental powers in her were more exaggerated than other natives. Moreover, she held the half-beast bloodline which there shouldn��t be any doubt that she met the Sky Whale��s requirement. If it weren��t for the so-called ��marking�� on the heir, Rhode would��ve brought Anne over for verifications. But it seemed like she wasn��t the lucky one. It was really a pity because if she held the bloodline of the wind elemental lord and received the ��Blessings of the Wind��, she would turn into an incredibly formidable subordinate for him. Although she was already strong at this moment, who would mind having a stronger one when the opportunity presented itself?


    On the other hand, Lize had been acting strangely. Rhode discovered that she had been in a daze during her breaks as though she was troubling over something. But she didn��t admit and always expressed that she was troubling over battle affairs whenever he asked her about it. He suspected that she might be mindful about her other self whom she met in the Wheel of Fate.


    After ��confirming�� that Anne wasn��t the Sky Whale��s target, Rhode temporarily threw this matter aside since there wasn��t a deadline and the Sky Whale basically could live forever. Therefore, it wouldn��t be too bothered even if the process took up to 200 years. If not, it wouldn��t have gotten Rhode to find this ��love debt�� that was left behind by its lord from a few hundred years ago. At this moment, he had lost his only clue. He wasn��t an omniscient god, so all he could do was temporarily forget about it. After everything in his territory had been set up, he would get Gillian to gather information using the intelligence network. Fortunately, it shouldn��t be too hard to find someone with a ��marking�� on the back.


    After receiving the Sky Whale��s help, the Naga and Lustful Demons also expressed their interest to serve just as he expected. No matter how much one was overcome by greed, one would calm down and consider one��s status in the face of the terrifying Sky Whale. Rhode managed to gain the help of a powerful and massive being of the Sky Whale, so not even the Nagas and Lustful Demons had the courage to reject him.


    Celestina returned with the badge etched with the Lustful Demons�� spirit stamp. This was a necessary step for every magic monster nest to surrender to the master. The nest leader��s spirit stamp wasn��t an ordinary item. If the nest leader betrayed the master, the master could simply destroy this spirit stamp and the nest leader and all its subordinates would die like a powerful virus infection. On the other hand, after Rhode sent the Sky Whale to above the Naga��s ocean territory, they decisively surrendered.


    At this moment, Rhode��s establishment of the Void Territory came to an end. The magic monster nests were settled while the Order Refugees were distributed to towns within the territory after careful selection. The towns would serve as the transit points connecting Grandia and foreign lands. As immigrants increased day by day, there would be more towns being built and developed. But this was enough for the current situation.


    Rhode used the powers of the Void Dragon and successfully constructed a channel that connected the four towns and Grandia. Currently, there were two ways to reach Grandia. One could either reach Grandia��s entrance through the teleportation ritual or board floating boats to the harbor just outside Grandia. Although these two methods were still lacking, they were only temporarily. The floating boats weren��t the ones used within Munn Kingdom that relied on the density and wind levels. Instead, they were created using ancient magical technologies and relied on magical rituals to move forward. Even though Rhode was interested in developing this technology, this wasn��t his expertise, after all. But he didn��t give up just yet because with this ancient technology, he finally came up with a transportation method to connect all his territories together.


    Of course, it was no easy task. But he was full of confidence because he learned from Gillian that a few days ago, Lapis��s job came to an end. The second Sphere of Mystery, the Wind Enchanted Field, was completely repaired.


    This Sphere of Mystery would expand a brand new structure for his territories.

 Chapter 910 - Path to the Future

    Chapter 910: Path to the Future


    Autumn arrived.


    To most people, it was the season of harvest. After experiencing a war-torn winter, their lives finally returned to the path of normalcy. But for some, this was just the beginning of their new lives.


    The Void Territory.


    Tens of thousands of people, including elders, children, and young people formed a long line. But no matter who they were, there was only one thing that they could do��lift their heads and gaze at the sky at the flickering barrier connecting heaven and earth. That was the absolute wall of Order that no one could pass through. And now, they were about to enter the doors of a whole new world.


    The refugees expressed different emotions. The elders were full of concern because they didn��t know what sort of living conditions, hardships, and tests they could expect. On the other hand, the young people were full of anticipation because they were about to enter this mysterious territory that they had heard about from their elders since young. The children were curious and couldn��t wait to see what this territory would look like.


    ��Everything is ready, Madam.��


    ��Got it.��


    Orchid Heart, leaning on the stone pillar, opened her eyes and swept a glance at the team before her sleepily. Although she seemed lazy and unreliable, none of the soldiers around her dared to question her capability. The reason was simple. It was this sleepy young lady who dealt with all the refugees.


    Everyone knew that refugees were difficult to manage. But now, around 40,000 refugees queued up neatly as though waiting to enter the cinema. It was all thanks to Orchid Heart��s management in the situation. Back then, the mercenaries thought that it was too risky when preparing for migration because a lot of resources and time were needed to organize this huge number of refugees. As long as the refugees disobeyed the management, problems could easily arise. But the mercenaries didn��t expect that this sleepy-looking young lady easily contained the refugees and divided them into four groups of 10,000 to be welcomed into the Void Territory. Not only that, but she also further divided them into groups of hundred and each group was managed by ten experienced soldiers. Moreover, she had also handled the logistical supplies, emergencies, and resettlement issues perfectly. This impressed the soldiers and mercenaries. Although they witnessed how powerful she was during the training sessions, they didn��t expect that she was this capable in handling refugees too.


    This was also the main reason why Rhode left Orchid Heart in charge of leading large troops. In the game, players wouldn��t follow orders as strictly as soldiers. Whenever Starlight got into wars, all tens of thousands of players were managed by Orchid Heart. Players generally disliked obeying commands and the fact that Orchid Heart successfully managed them showed her skills. It was due to this that it presented no problem for her in this current situation. Compared to the players who logged off due to disagreements or newbies who were foolish enough to launch ambushes, these refugees were much easier to handle.


    Orchid Heart took out the pocket watch.


    ��Time��s up.��


    She muttered under her breath. In an instant, a crack was revealed in the middle of the barrier as it slowly opened to both sides. This instantly created an uproar among the refugees, but the soldiers quickly calmed and assured them. In the distance, the azure sky merged with the pitch-black night while glowing stars interwoven with the radiance of the sun and presented a whole new scenery.


    Although the people had heard from Orchid Heart and Gillian about this phenomenon, they were still nervous and frantic. The soldiers even gripped their weapons and scanned the surroundings vigilantly. On the other hand, the refugees had their backs against one another. They couldn��t be blamed for having such a reaction. After all, it was common for humans to react strongly to unknown situations.


    Rhode temporarily had no intention of casting his dragon soul protection over this territory. This was also his way of expressing to the Munn Kingdom and Lydia his views and standpoint. After all, if he cast his dragon soul protection over the entire Grenbell, their relationship would be done for. And now, a part of his territory was within the Light Dragon Soul protection and this meant that his opinions on Lydia and Lilian didn��t change.


    Of course, this was only the choice for now. Once a war erupted and the Light Dragon Soul protection crumbled to the Dark Dragon��s infiltration, Rhode would decisively cast his dragon soul protection over this territory. After gaining the dragon soul powers, he understood the source and strength of it. Based on the fact that the more people acknowledged the dragon soul protection, the more dragon soul powers it would be, Lilian��s powers were extremely weak.


    Under the Light Dragon Soul protection, perhaps only the Munn Kingdom could provide Lilian substantial dragon soul powers. But the problem was that this amount of power was an utterly inadequate measure to the vast territory under the entire Light Dragon Soul protection. It was tough enough to maintain Order with this amount of power, not to mention resisting the attack from foreign forces. In the game, this was one of the biggest reasons why the Dark Dragon��s forces were so powerful. The fragile Light Dragon Soul protection was completely shattered and the Dark Dragon spread its dragon soul protection onward. The Undead Army under its protection naturally grew in strength while the humans became relatively down. Therefore, the results weren��t surprising. Previously, it was thanks to the Holy Maiden Statues strengthening the Order rules which stopped the Dark Dragon��s powers from penetrating the dragon soul protection. But if the Dark Dragon were to launch an all-out attack, Rhode would need to be sure that he was prepared for it.


    Orchid Heart let out a long yawn. Then, she closed the book in her hand and gave a command.


    ��Do it.��


    The orderly bowed respectfully and ran off to spread the word. Shortly after, the blaring sound of bugle-horns filled the sky from all directions. The panicky refugees instantly quietened and although they were still feeling afraid of their uncertain future, their only choice now after losing their homes was to move forward.


    ��The refugees have entered the Void Territory.��


    Rhode stood on the balcony while gazing at the sky. Marlene stood behind him with knitted brows and reminded him.


    As of now, Marlene didn��t feel anything strange about her being a summoning card. After she was successfully sealed into the card, Rhode placed her in the [Empathy] position within the Ten Strongest Spirit Decks. Thereafter, she basically felt no different from when she was a human. She even thought that there were many more benefits such as she wouldn��t fall sick and could spiritually communicate with others within the summoning cards. Of course, all of this was built on the basis of her love for Rhode. If she were full of hatred toward him, her current state would be an eternal punishment.


    The biggest benefit of turning Marlene into a card was that he could finally understand how strong she was. The number of cards in the [Wisdom Deity Warden Deck] was 1/1. In other words, unlike Orchid Heart and Gillian, Marlene didn��t require other complementary cards like the venue or spell cards and was powerful enough to be on her own.


    [Marlene Senia (Margaret Arcturus) (Wisdom Deity Warden) Offense 20 Defense 20: Unique Deity Warden. Unfuseable. Master of wisdom. Master of magic technology. Skills��<<Omniscient Library>> (Dominator of the wisdom and wealth treasure chest under the Phenomenon Void)


    Omniscient Library (Treasure chest of wisdom)


    Deity Warden Authority (Release skills with absolute suppression properties)


    Speed Analysis (Shortens the analysis time of the target��s intelligence by one-tenth)


    Dominator of Knowledge (Skills that are analyzed become invalid for the target. The holder will automatically learn the analyzed skill)


    Gifter of Knowledge (Appoint a target and learn any one of the skills, talents, or production techniques. Cool-down period based on the level of preciousness of the selected move)


    Master of Knowledge (After the holder learns the skill/talent/spell, it will be enhanced to the max mastery level)]


    This is just like BOSS stats.


    Rhode was completely speechless. [Dominator of Knowledge] was enough to make all players bow humbly. The skill that Marlene analyzed would turn invalid and this would mean that players would need to rely on their physical strength. But how could those players without skills and talents be able to defeat Marlene?


    Christie��s skill was already so brutal and now Marlene��s was equally insane. Although Rhode didn��t know what Alice��s attributes were, it seemed like there was nothing on this continent that could basically take down the two Deity Wardens, Christie and Marlene. Moreover, not only could Marlene shamelessly and automatically learn the analyzed skill, but she could also take advantage of [Master of Knowledge] which would instantly raise the analyzed skill to the max mastery level. This was simply godlike.


    As for [Gifter of Knowledge], it was extremely beneficial for him because this meant that he no longer needed to hit the streets and dig ruins for some lost, ancient talent or spell. As long as Marlene used this spell for him, he could automatically learn a skill without going through the learning process and jump straight into the highest mastery level.


    But before that��


    ��Marlene, are you ready?��


    He turned to the young lady behind him.


    As long as this young lady was still the one who had always been by his side, it was more than enough.

 Chapter 911 - A New Territory

    Chapter 911: A New Territory


    While the migration of refugees was on-going systematically, Rhode had finally re-assembled his team. Everyone got together all at once and even though they had met a few months ago, it felt like forever to them.


    ��This is Leader��s territory? Wow����


    Mini Bubble Gum muttered under her breath in disbelief. She raised her head and gazed at the night sky, as well as the massive star ring and blazing sun. Not only her, but others like Sara and Lapis also scanned the place curiously. Although they had witnessed Rhode creating countless miracles in the past, this out of the ordinary scene was unbelievable for them like a dream.


    ��Although this isn��t quite the same as the one in the past�� I have to congratulate you on your success, Rhode.��


    Canary stood behind him and said with a gentle smile. Rhode nodded in response.


    ��That��s right�� I eventually�� succeeded.��


    Rhode felt rather distracted as though he had returned to the game where he first opened a new territory. Back then, he also stood on the platform and watched millions of players raising their arms and cheering in celebration for achieving the first ever magnificent feat that no player accomplished. It was from that moment onward that Starlight dominated the continent and developed into a formidable and unprecedented force. And now, he was about to take on the same path in this world.


    Although his current territory wasn��t considered too powerful by the in-game standard, it had in fact exceeded the Munn Kingdom in the eyes of the natives. Apart from Rhode, who was the Void Dragon, there were also Marlene who awakened as one of the six Deity Wardens, as well as Mini Bubble Gum and Canary who reached the peak of level 85. Moreover, Christie and Gillian who were unlocked entirely (after Rhode became the Void Dragon, the seal on Gillian��s elemental card disappeared) possessed powerful strength that was enough to take on the four legendary generals of the Country of Darkness.


    Even though the second column of Orchid Heart, Anne, and Lize didn��t seem to be over-the-top in strength, their unique classes and bloodlines were sufficient enhancements to their values. Furthermore, there were also armies of heroic spirits and elemental creatures from the Astral Temple, Silver Ocean, and Burning Plains. At least for now, their defenses were secure as long as the enemies didn��t launch unlimited attacks. Moreover, with Sara and Lapis leading magic and alchemy research, there wasn��t too big of a gap in terms of logistics.


    However, this wasn��t enough for Rhode. From the perspective of a player, he was still lacking something crucial��there weren��t enough basic-level players. No matter how powerful a guild was, it couldn��t survive without the support of basic-level players. No matter how many Alchemists there were in a guild, there wouldn��t be any results if no materials were submitted by basic-level players. And now, it was these ��basics�� that Rhode��s men lacked. Randolf and Marfa possessed strength that was considered the best among ordinary natives, but this number wasn��t enough. In order to resolve the issue with the refugees, Rhode dispatched Randolf, Marfa, Joey, Sol, and Sovann to the new towns that would be taking in the refugees to maintain social order. Orchid Heart, who used to be the commander of the army, was only left with the elite cavalry troops. This was due to the lack of ��cannon fodders��, but fortunately, the high-end forces held enough suppression to make the migration a success.


    Among the high-end forces, Gillian and Orchid Heart had to be given credit.


    If it weren��t for that unfortunate overlord who got cold feet and had his head cut off by Lydia, Rhode would have personally given him a thank-you certificate. Among the refugees who responded to Rhode��s calling, 70 to 80 percent of them came from the Silent Field after their overlord failed to defend against the Undead Army and their land crumbled entirely. Other than the residents in the Silent Field who died in the war, the remaining people had basically arrived at the Land of Atonement. Perhaps Rhode��s strength might not be as powerful as the refugees liked, but it was indeed a symbol of hope for those who had escaped from war. Therefore, they formed groups and headed into the Land of Atonement after hearing the news that the territory was willing to take in refugees.


    These refugees were basically the ��foundation�� of the Silent Field. There were farmers, artisans, chefs, workers, retired soldiers, and merchants. Some were even spell casters who once served the former overlord. While Rhode built the Void Territory, Gillian and Orchid Heart used this opportunity to investigate the tens of thousands of refugees and their identities and classes. Then, they used the results as the standard to execute the plan and guide them. Ones who possessed various expertise could be put to good use immediately. Although the Order Refugees from the refugees were strong, they lacked living skills, so both sides could complement each other.


    It wasn��t as simple as tapping on the system interface to build a territory in real life. In the game, as long as one gave the command to the system, the system would automatically make the NPC go to work. But now, not only did orders need to be passed down, but there must also be all sorts of laws and rules. Fortunately, before the refugees migrated, Marlene had come up with a few proposals and the students who served as her assistants previously came to Grandia. With the complete planning in place, all she needed was the manpower to execute it.


    As for Sara, Rhode discovered that she could also use the Projection Crystal after a few tests as she was soul-bound to him. Thereafter, he handed the Projection Crystal to her and turned her from an ��Undead Alchemist�� to an ��Observer��. She would be specially responsible for monitoring movements within the territory through the Projection Crystal. Since she was an Undead Creature who didn��t need food, rest, or sleep, she was perfect for this job.


    On the other hand, Rhode handed the Illusion Crystal to Lapis and got her to create an alchemy armor. If the alchemy armor could be created successfully, he would have much more safety insurance in the future. With his attribute of [Indestructible] and an unlimited supply of spiritual powers from the [Illusion Crystal], his battle skills would be so much more effective and he didn��t need to worry that his equipment would be destroyed.


    As the refugees entered the territory, the entire place slowly started operating. As leaders with authority, Marlene and the others were incredibly busy. But just as their heads were spinning in all the territorial affairs, Rhode was doing something completely different. He led Canary and Mini Bubble Gum around his new city, which in other words, was intended to devastate them.


    Mini Bubble Gum had to admit that this scenario had totally exceeded her expectations. She continuously repeated the word ��impossible�� for a dozen times. On the other hand, Canary knitted her brows uncharacteristically and couldn��t understand how the extraordinary truth turned out to be so much different from what she had expected. Although not everything said in books was true, being subverted to this point was still rare, wasn��t it?


    ��Alright, I have to admit that you��re really capable, Leader. You have actually got the dragon soul protection of the Void Dragon and Marlene is actually one of the six Deity Wardens. In other words, you��re also a BOSS now? When are we going to dominate this world?��


    Mini Bubble Gum gazed helplessly at the pitch-black sky and said. Rhode shrugged to her comments and they couldn��t be blamed for sneaking out while others were hard at work.


    The three of them belonged to the kind that was over the chart in strength but possessed political skills at less than 50 points. If it related to the overall direction and diplomatic issues with other organizations, Rhode could still make the decisions. On the contrary, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary would basically be human-shaped nuclear weapons. Mini Bubble Gum was never great at negotiation. She would slam the table if the negotiation wasn��t done in her favor within three sentences. As for Canary, she based everything on Rhode. As long as he didn��t object, she wouldn��t mind killing or doing anything. If he were to send both of them to handle internal affairs and diplomacy, perhaps his territory would get into hot water in three days. Therefore, he might as well lead them around the city, at the same time describing everything that happened, including Marlene��s attributes after she gained her card form. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were stunned, to which Rhode felt a little pleasure from. Frankly speaking, if he were to obtain a summoning card like Marlene in the game and post it up on the forum, he knew that countless players would be dying of jealousy. On the other hand, no matter how he explained to the natives, they would respond in an ��unclear�� manner. Compared to those responses, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum��s reactions were what he wished to see��


    Of course, he also seized this opportunity to ask Mini Bubble Gum and Canary about the so-called ��Blessings of the Wind��. He confirmed personally that the target wasn��t Anne while Anne was also unaware about it at all. After all, she was unlike Marlene who purely inherited the family bloodline. Besides, with Anne��s personality, she wouldn��t be interested in such matters. As long as she could be by Rhode��s side everyday and have sufficient food and rest, she would be the happiest girl in the world.


    But it was a pity that Canary and Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t give him a clear answer. After all, perhaps the ��Blessings of the Wind�� was rare to the natives, but in the eyes of top players like them, they wouldn��t even pay particular attention to it.


    ��We shall see if we have the time since there are no players who can stop us, right?��


    ��Right!��


    Mini Bubble Gum revealed a grin and smacked her palms together. She gazed at Rhode with glinting eyes.


    ��Leader, since you��re the Void Dragon now, doesn��t that mean that everything in the Deepest Labyrinth belongs to you? Didn��t you say that Christie and Marlene have awakened as the Deity Wardens? We might as well go for a trip down the Deepest Labyrinth and won��t all the monsters listen to the orders of the Void Dragon? Now that you��re the Void Dragon now, Leader, why don��t we gather all the monsters and dominate the continent! There are also lots of precious treasures and equipment in there�� I think it��s about time Big Sister and I changed our equipment.��


    ��I will consider heading down when the time is right.��


    Rhode pondered for a few moments before nodding firmly. Indeed, just like Mini Bubble Gum said, in the game the BOSS of the Deepest Labyrinth was the Void Dragon, where all monsters were its subjects. And now, he inherited the Void Dragon Soul so would it mean that the monsters in the Deepest Labyrinth would listen to his orders? If that was true, he would be in for a killing. Back then the Deepest Labyrinth was the hardest maze in the entire game. It existed since the early stages of the game with 30 floors and no one managed to clear them. Then, as the game updated, the seal over the maze was slowly unlocked and after the 100th floor was unlocked, the Void Dragon appeared and led all the monsters within the Deepest Labyrinth in an attempt to destroy the world.


    Rhode had to admit that the Deepest Labyrinth was oddly dangerous. The monsters within were all incredibly strong where it was common for parties of top players to perish. Back then, Rhode led a group of thousand players into the Deepest Labyrinth and was left with a hundred when they reached the 100th floor. Then, the best of the best of these 100 players fought the Void Dragon and lost, which went to show how strong the monsters were in there.


    If Rhode were able to command the monsters, he would gain so much more strength. But�� If he were the Void Dragon, what was that thing hidden in the 100th floor of the Deepest Labyrinth right now?


    ��Ah! By the way!��


    Mini Bubble Gum recalled something and scuttled toward him.


    ��This is something that I caught earlier on. Treat this as a celebratory gift for opening up a new territory, Leader. I hope you can accept it. I had a hard time getting my hands on it.��


    ��Oh? What��s that?��


    Rhode gazed curiously at the little girl. The latter puffed out her chest and gave a cheeky smirk. She reached out for her pocket for a metal sphere in red and white.


    Then, she hurled the sphere to the ground.


    ��I choose you! Roll-roll bat!��

 Chapter 912 - A Wild… Falling Royal

    Chapter 912: A Wild�� Falling Royal


    ��I choose you! Roll-roll bat!��


    Crack. The metal sphere crashed on the ground, broke, and released a mist of black smoke. Then, a petite figure appeared.


    For some unknown reasons, Rhode felt rather familiar with this scene as though he had seen it in the past��


    It was a little girl who was about the same height as Mini Bubble Gum. Judging from her appearance, she seemed to be around 14 years old. She had fluffy, long golden hair with curly ends at the length to her waist. She wore a pitch-black, luxurious dress and her slim stature made her look like an exquisite and adorable doll. Her delicate face with some baby fat appeared somewhat pale, but her dainty nose, lips, and large eyes made her pleasing to the eyes.


    However, Rhode recognized from her unusual, blood-red eyes and ears that resemble inverted triangles that she wasn��t a human.


    She was a vampire.


    ��What��s the situation with her?��


    Rhode twitched his brows curiously. It was definitely clear that this little girl didn��t belong to the low ranks of vampires. At this moment, they were in the outdoors and although the Void Dragon��s protection over this territory wasn��t particularly against Undead Creatures, vampires should be defenseless in the sun. The lower-ranked vampires died instantly under light and even higher-ranked vampires would feel uncomfortable. However, this little girl was obviously different. Although she was putting up a gloomy expression which was most likely the result of Mini Bubble Gum��s ��violent treatment��, she only narrowed her eyes, shrunk her pupils, and stood silently under the glaring sun.


    As a vampire, their ability to resist sunlight reflected their bloodline value. Come to think of it, the original vampires also had something to do with the Undead Puppet, knowingly Shira. As the most perfect Undead Creature, Shira was satisfactory in almost all aspects. Her only flaw was that she couldn��t breed which explained the disappearance of other Undead Puppets. It wasn��t easy for the Creator Dragon Soul to produce the Undead Puppets. As a result, these powerful subjects died one by one, but the Creator Dragon Soul wasn��t willing to give up. It began to research similar creatures like the Undead Puppet with the ability to breed the next generation. Thus, the vampires were born for this purpose.


    According to the historical records, the first vampires were fused with the powers of the Undead Puppet and as a result, their recovery abilities were only slightly weaker. But being slightly weaker was still better than the majority. On the other hand, the biggest flaw they had was their fear of sunlight. Of course, sunlight wasn��t too harmful to the first vampires where at most it felt as though it was the hottest periods of summer. Although it was uncomfortable, that was all that affected them. Back then, the Dark Dragon was extremely satisfied with the results and believed that the vampires would be able to resolve the problems through giving blood and transformation and enable the Undead Creatures to breed the next generations. Congratulations. This way, his dark, enormous empire would be just around the corner��


    But it was a pity that�� Reality was often cruel.


    After a period of time, the Dark Dragon discovered that the second and third generations of vampires�� resistance to sunlight was significantly weakened. Not only that, but the vampires who just ��incarnated�� would vanish in a puff of smoke as soon as the sunlight struck them. This instantly became a troublesome issue for the Dark Dragon, but it was all too late. Unlike the Undead Puppets who couldn��t breed, the vampires had already become a massive dark force and it was impossible to change them. As a result, the Dark Dragon could only accept the mistake and adapt to it.


    Perhaps it was due to this reason that the conditions for the seniority among the vampires weren��t based on strength. Instead, it was based on the purity of the bloodline. The better the vampire resisted sunlight, the closer the bloodline was to the ancestors. In turn, the bloodline was purer and the vampire would hold a higher status.


    And this little girl standing before Rhode��


    Of course, the instant the vampires awakened their bloodline or incarnated, their time would be stopped. Therefore, only God knew how many centuries this little girl had lived for despite her looks of a 14 years old. But no matter what, the fact that she wasn��t disturbed by the sunlight proved the purity of her bloodline. Rhode was astonished as to why she was captured by Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��Where did you catch her from?��


    ��Heh heh. How is it? Are you surprised?��


    Mini Bubble Gum lifted her head proudly and revealed a grin. The little girl standing before her lowered her head with a gloomy expression. Ever since she was caught by Mini Bubble Gum, she had been tolerating all sorts of unreasonable requests such as ��I want you to appear in front of me as soon as I summon you!��. Moreover, what frustrated her was that she had to shrink and squeeze herself into that damned metal sphere! That metal sphere had nothing inside and was just an empty solid shell!


    But this wasn��t all.


    She was weaker in strength than Mini Bubble Gum and could only treat this as though she was jailed. Anyway, vampires didn��t need to eat or sleep. Besides, the bitter treatment she received in the Country of Darkness wasn��t anywhere better and it was still possible for her to get used to this.


    However, the problem was that Mini Bubble Gum constantly tossed the metal sphere around like a ball which made her experience as though earthquakes of magnitude 10 everyday. There was a period of time when she thought she was about to die��


    Furthermore, it was apparent that Mini Bubble Gum knew what kind of being this little girl was and she still gave her away as a present! This was absolutely humiliating! But�� what could she do about it?


    The little girl did resist and tried to escape. She had even attempted to use the powers of the vampires to manipulate Mini Bubble Gum. But everything was useless. Mini Bubble Gum was obviously a human and a Cleric too. But her violent moves during battles were frightening and after a few losses against her, the little girl could only admit defeat. The fact that Mini Bubble Gum, as a powerful Cleric. didn��t ��cleanse�� her into ashes was a huge act of benevolence, wasn��t it?


    But now��


    Rhode scanned the little girl curiously while listening to Mini Bubble Gum��s exciting story. As players, Mini Bubble Gum and him were aware of the rarity of royal vampires. Therefore, the moment Mini Bubble Gum discovered that this little girl was a royal vampire, she used the metal sphere to capture her. Royal vampires were vampires with pure bloodlines and according to Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, all the ��rats�� that had the audacity to peep in the territory were eliminated. Rhode wasn��t too surprised by this result because before he left, he also passed some of the system rights to the Land of Atonement fortress to Canary and Gillian. The system indicated all beings that entered the territory so no matter how well any intruders hid themselves, they would be exposed clearly.


    If Mini Bubble Gum were to catch this little girl before Rhode went to open up the land of Chaos, he wouldn��t be too surprised because this might merely be a misjudgment of his strength on the enemies�� part. Although Rhode didn��t announce his plans, anyone with motives would be able to find out with some simple investigations. Moreover, it was extremely dangerous to open up the land of Chaos and it went without saying that Mini Bubble Gum and Canary would join his adventure. Since that was the case, it was understandable that powerful vampires like this little girl would seize this opportunity to arrive in the Land of Atonement. But who would have thought that Rhode left these two powerful weapons in the fortress and not by his side?


    According to Mini Bubble Gum, this little girl only arrived after Rhode returned to the fortress, which was really strange. He judged that this little girl was between level 65 and 70 which was below average among the pure vampires. Ashvril��s direct subjects of vampires were level 75 on average. Compared to them, this little girl was still lacking in strength and this also proved that she was a newborn.


    It was due to this reason that Rhode was suspicious of the entire situation. Logically speaking, this newborn with pure bloodline should be staying in the safety of her home to strengthen her powers and not arrive at this place knowing that there were two beings in the Peak Legendary Stage.


    Is it because she��s young and naive that she wants to challenge her limits? Or are there other reasons?


    ��What is your name?��


    Rhode asked. The little girl shivered instinctively. Then, she lifted her head and looked at the young man.


    ��Angelina Babylonia. I��m the heir to the honorable Babylonia family!��


    Angelina pushed her chest forward as though she was proud of her family. But��


    ��Babylonia?��


    Canary and Mini Bubble Gum exchanged dubious glances. They had accompanied Rhode for the longest time and slaughtered their way into the Country of Darkness. Thousands of vampire nobles died in their hands, but why didn��t they hear about Babylonia?


    ��If I remember correctly, don��t all the royal vampires in the Country of Darkness belong to Ashvril Teresa?��


    Canary said with knitted brows. Due to the special ��breeding�� system of the vampires, all of them in the Country of Darkness would add the surname of the royal vampire family behind their names. For instance, one of the four legendary generals, Ashvril Teresa, was in control of the vampires in the Country of Darkness. Based on this rule, this little girl should be named Angelina Babylonia Teresa instead as among the vampires, it was the symbol of service by adding ��Teresa�� to the end of their names. This was just too strange that the little girl didn��t.


    ��Rubbish!��


    Angelina jumped like a cat who had her tail stepped on.


    ��What rights does that mixed-blood have to receive the honor of my royal family? She��s just a slut with filthy, lowly bloodline!��


    ��Woah.��


    Mini Bubble Gum was astounded while Rhode and Canary gazed in astonishment at the little girl who actually saw Ashvril as an enemy. Apart from the insults that she hurled, what she said about Ashvril was actually the truth. This part of the history wasn��t well-known among natives, but it was widely spread among players.


    As one of the four legendary generals, Ashvril Teresa was the love gem of two royal vampire families. Back then, a high-class vampire noble and a low-class vampire girl fell in love and got together. However, just like all vampires, they couldn��t breed. As a result, they used a method that was considered disgraceful to all vampires. They found a human baby and used the baby as a vessel by injecting their blood. This way, the baby would receive blood from both parties and was considered on some level a child with both their bloodlines.


    Of course, they were aware that this news would surely cause an uproar if it were leaked to the public because vampires saw their bloodlines as a supreme existence over humans. And yet, this couple actually injected their precious bloods into a human baby, allowing ��lowly human blood to stain their precious bloodline��! Not only that, but the couple had also mixed their bloodlines with the high-class vampire noble family and a low-class vampire family. In the world of vampires, this was as though the rich young son having a family with a young lady who was a beggar��absolutely unacceptable behavior.


    The couple knew that they wouldn��t receive blessings from everyone and tried their best to hide the truth. However, the truth always came out and eventually, they paid with their lives. They were thrown into a stone bucket with a tiny hole, sealed, and sent to the border of the Country of Light to be burned to death by the sunlight. This was the most cruel punishment for vampires who betrayed their race.


    Back then, Ashvril was only 16 years of age and should have been killed on the spot. But for some reasons which no one knew��and whether she would be fortunate or unfortunate��the hidden bloodline in her awakened a day before the vampire nobles executed her and she successfully transformed into a vampire. As Ashvril didn��t violate the vampires�� commandment and due to the rule of ��no killing family members without cause��, she survived a great catastrophe.


    Thereafter, Ashvril��s life could be considered as though an extremely thrilling palace drama. She used her wisdom, beauty, and strength to deal with vampire nobles and used their families�� contradictions to provoke a multitude of conflicts while she took advantage of the crisis for a personal gain of status and power. After almost 200 years, Ashvril overcame all obstacles to ascend the throne of the vampires to become the ��Blood Countess�� and one of the four legendary generals.


    Something worthy of mention was that before it happened, vampire nobles with pure bloodlines criticized Ashvril as a ��slut with filthy, lowly bloodline�� and ��mixed-blood��. But after Ashvril obtained power, these voices swiftly vanished and didn��t exist even in historical records.


    And now, this young vampire actually knew about this ��dark history�� of Ashvril from hundreds of years ago. This was absolutely astonishing.


    ��That��s right!��


    Angelina said and felt as though the injustice that she held for years was finally released. She lifted her head proudly.


    ��Ashvril is just a shameless, despicable traitor who seized the position of the royal family. I, Angelina Babylonia, am the one and only, genuine heir!��


    Is this the reason why she was sent here for a suicide mission?


    Rhode puckered his brows. If what this little girl said was true, it wasn��t too surprising because with Ashvril��s personality, she would surely want to remove any threats. This little girl was indeed a royal vampire with a pure bloodline, which gave her words credibility. It also wasn��t the first time that Ashvril got someone else to do her dirty work. But��


    Rhode and Canary exchanged glances with each other and saw glints with the same intention.


    Maybe we can make use of her?

 Chapter 913 - Cost of Surrendering

    Chapter 913: Cost of Surrendering


    While Rhode and Canary considered their plans for the future, Angelina cautiously scanned the man before her who was about to become her master. Although she was resentful that she had to address someone as ��master�� as a royal, it was common sense in the Country of Darkness that the weak were prey to the strong. Since she was defeated, she should be punished. But if she were to find out one day that this ��master�� had aged and was no longer competent to defeat her, she would undoubtedly overthrow and slaughter him for the years of humiliation. Devotion didn��t exist in the Country of Darkness. All that existed was using power to gain status and high positions within the hierarchy. It was the same for the Dark Dragon. where his formidable, admirable powers made the Undead Creatures respect him. If the Dark Dragon were like Lilian, he would have long been overthrown.


    This went to show that this had nothing to do with culture. No matter if it were the Country of Darkness, Country of Light or the law-abiding Country of Law, the dragon soul heir would end up miserably without its supreme powers and authority like Lilian.


    Therefore, this surely wasn��t an institutional problem.


    The reason why Angelina remained so calm was because she wasn��t afraid of being Rhode��s subject. This was due to the fact that she understood that this man was like most humans who would reach the end of his life by the hundredth year, which was ephemeral for a vampire like her. Besides, it seemed like this man held a high status and if she were to serve him, perhaps she might gain some support, which she couldn��t get in the past. As long as she could wait until the day this man became weak and frail, she would then kill him and take over his position for dominance. As for Mini Bubble Gum? She might be strong, but Angelina believed that she wouldn��t be around this man forever. Besides, she was also a human who would grow old one day.


    If this man sought immortality from her blood in the future, she couldn��t be happier. She would let him personally experience the blood of the royal vampire which not anyone could tolerate and if he successfully fused her blood with his, he would turn into her obedient slave which would save a lot more trouble on her part.


    As a result, Angelina stood silently by the side after satisfyingly cursing Ashvril. She lowered her gaze to the ground, clearly aware of how to capture the man��s trust. Since her goal was to eventually surrender to the man, she must act like it. Apart from venting her frustrations by cursing Ashvril, she was also using this point to show her value to them. Judging from the conversation between the two human young ladies, she was sure that they were knowledgeable about vampires. Moreover, she learned that the Munn Kingdom and Country of Darkness had obvious hostility between them.


    Rhode didn��t know what was going on in Angelina��s mind. After all, he wasn��t a mind reader. But based on his understanding of vampires, he had more or less guessed her thoughts, judging from the sight of her behaving like an obedient young lady. Vampires and Liches were the smartest and most cunning creatures in the Country of Darkness. Although he was the Void Dragon, his dominating and imposing presence could only influence the people under his dragon soul protection. This young lady had been under the Dark Dragon soul protection for years, so how was it possible that she could turn around and seek protection from him devotedly? If the Void Dragon soul protection was this powerful, Rhode might as well recruit all the elites from other organizations and everything would be settled easily, wasn��t it?


    But�� It was impossible that Rhode couldn��t handle her.


    ��How��s it, Leader? Do you like this present? I personally feel that she looks decent and although the other women around you are better�� She��s still not that bad, right?��


    ��Yes. Indeed.��


    Rhode nodded to Mini Bubble Gum��s words.


    In all fairness, he wasn��t too mindful about Angelina��s appearance. He had a lot of women around him and no matter if he had been in bed with all of them, their beauty was still above average. However, Marlene, Lize, Anne, and Canary were the closest with him. Even Sonia and Nell who maintained physical relationships with him were also considered beauties. Other than them, Lapis, Mini Bubble Gum, and Lesa were considered decent. There were also the summoning spirits Celestina and Shira.


    Even though they were all beauties, all in all, they also had a pair of eyes, a nose and mouth. The rarer something was, the greater its value. The higher the standard of women around him, the more unmindful he was in women with average looks. However, this didn��t mean that he would be satisfied just like this. No matter if it were during ancient or modern times, all men were unsatisfied with what they had.


    All in all, it came down to their qualities and temperaments. A popular jargon in the modern era describing it would be ��attributes��.


    In the game, if two offensive characters looked exactly the same but as long as they possessed unique attributes of their own, players would still love the contrast. But on the contrary, beggars wouldn��t be choosers. If it were a ��loli�� or an ��older sister�� who provided everything that players wanted but possessed the usual ��gentle, kind, and beautiful�� attributes, players would not be interested at all.


    And now, what sparked his interest was Angelina��s ��attributes��.


    Although she stood obediently on the spot, Rhode sensed a dangerous, yet alluring aura from her. It was a kind of young, inexperienced presence interwoven with poisonous venom that left him excited. Although she looked similar to Shira in appearance, they were drastically different in nature. If Shira��s craziness made him feel nervous like he was stepping onto the guillotine platform, Angelina��s charm was like a poison hidden in fragrant wine. He knew clearly that the poison would kill him, but he just couldn��t resist the temptation and thrill to savor the taste.


    But ultimately, he had no intention of dying for her no matter how sweet the fruits. Besides, what was most worrying about her wasn��t her powers. Instead, it was her speech and ability to stir up sentiment using false statements. He could leave a Dark Elf like Nell to be free on her own, but if it were Angelina, he wouldn��t feel assured letting her roam freely even within his territory. He knew that if he did, he would surely see all sorts of dramas.


    He felt rather strange as to why Mini Bubble Gum was so mindful about his opinion in this matter. In the game, apart from forking out large sums of money for the guild, Mini Bubble Gum was always by his side during adventures and enjoyed the rush of triumph over others. But this time, she actually ��recommended�� Angelina to him wholeheartedly, which made him suspicious. If it weren��t for her holy attributes that made her immune to mental manipulation, he would have suspected that she was controlled by Angelina.


    But now�� It seemed like perhaps she was only hoping that he wouldn��t reject her present.


    If that��s the case��


    ��Angelina.��


    Rhode revealed a smile and went up to the vampire with his stretched arm.


    ��Are you willing to get into a contract with me using your soul, to follow and be by my side in battle forever?��


    ��I����


    Angelina instinctively answered when suddenly, she lifted her head in shock and gaped at the man because she sharply detected the massive burst in aura. Just a few moments ago, this man seemed just like an ordinary human. But after he asked that question, she sensed an unprecedented and pressurizing might erupting from him. The human girl was already so powerful, but this man was even scarier. There was an instant that she felt as though it wasn��t a man standing before her, but an entire world instead! His aura exuded from heaven to earth as though the entire world was in his grasp and she was merely a tiny piece of stone that couldn��t escape from him.


    How can an ordinary human possess such powerful strength?


    Angelina abandoned her disguise and stepped back instinctively, looking at the man in fear. There was an instant when she almost launched her attack, but her body couldn��t budge as though she was frozen on the spot and watching a landslide from the bottom of the mountain. She tried to escape, but her body couldn��t move at all. She was clear that her struggles were meaningless.


    She didn��t feel this powerful aura before, not even from Ashvril. If Ashvril were this powerful, Angelina wouldn��t still be thinking of taking down that disgusting woman to repeat the glory of her family. In fact, in the Country of Darkness, there was only one person who could give her such pressure��the Dark Dragon.


    Could it be that this human is as powerful as the Dark Dragon?


    ��I����


    Angelina was speechless. Her instincts told her to not respond; if not, she would face unpredictable consequences. However, her fears overcame the warnings and she couldn��t even utter the word ��no��.


    ��I�� I��m willing!��


    Good.


    The corners of Rhode��s lips curled into a smile while Canary and Mini Bubble Gum also gazed at Angelina with meaningful smiles as though they had their way. They already knew what Rhode was going to do with her.


    The instant Angelina responded, a dazzling magical radiance burst from the ground and formed an enormous and gorgeous ritual that enveloped Rhode and her. Then, she sensed a part of her spirit being forcefully abstracted and the tremendous pain almost struck her into a coma. However, with the years of training, she gnashed her teeth and tolerated the violent pain only to feel her entire spirit devoured by the human before her as a ball of magical radiance emerged between them and transformed into a card.


    What is�� this?


    Angelina gazed blankly at the card. As a vampire, she was naturally familiar with the spiritual contract. Although she didn��t know exactly what that man had done, she knew that her spirit had been entirely devoured by him, which meant that she would live and die with him. Not only that, but the man also completely grasped control over her spirit, this meant that no secrets were kept from him!


    [Received contract card]


    [Angelina Babylonia (Sigh of the dead. 2nd Position. Undead attribute) Offense 13 Defense 13: Vampire. Unfuseable. Blood curse spell. Magic attack. Dark attribute. Possessed technique������Blood Rune (Memories of the pure, blood king��s sigh and pursuit of the vague whispers)


    Enhancement in night abilities (Dark Attribute)


    Undead (Undead Attribute)


    Bloodline Curse (There is a certain probability that the victim will be cursed)


    Servant Creation (By giving the pure blood of the royal family, there is a certain probability to create high-class blood servants)


    ??? (Locked)


    ??? (Locked)]


    Great. This contract is a success.


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction at the hovering card. In fact, he released the Spirit Swordsman��s unique technique [Spirit Language] as he spoke earlier on. [Spirit Language] was only effective on the dead and was also why he could get Marlene to sign the contract with him after she ��died���� Rightfully speaking, vampires were only moving corpses. Although Angelina possessed her own spirit, everything that was classified as ��dead�� in the system could be [awakened]. Angelina clearly wasn��t aware of this, which explained what happened. Moreover, after Rhode became the dragon soul heir, there was no failure rate for the [Spirit Language].


    Although this wasn��t a perfect contract card and was only meant to build a master-servant relationship, this was more than enough for him. Even though there were only Orchid Heart, Gillian, and Marlene currently leading in the ten strongest spirit decks, he had no intention of giving a leader position for a newcomer like Angelina. Although this meant that he couldn��t summon her everywhere he wanted, based on the current situation he just needed something that could put her in his grasp. He had other ideas to make use of her.


    ��I guess you��re aware of your situation now.��


    Rhode put the card away and said. Angelina nodded in dismay. In fact, she had thought it through because she couldn��t oppose even if she wanted to. But she couldn��t understand why this man was so powerful. She lifted her head curiously and scanned the man before her. Rhode twitched his brows upon sensing her gaze.


    ��By the way, I haven��t introduced myself�� I��m Rhode Alander. I��m the overlord of the Void Territory and also the Void Dragon heir.��


    Angelina��s pale expression turned ashen instantly.


    He��s the Void Dragon?

 Chapter 914 - Territory Meeting

    Chapter 914: Territory Meeting


    Taking in Angelina was just a surprise for Rhode and what happened next was the main show.


    As the refugees entered the Void Territory, the various facilities and structures were beginning to be perfected. At the same time, the surrounding territories and countries attempted to approach the Void Territory, with hopes to gain some benefits. Opening up the land of Chaos wasn��t as simple as just adding a new territory. Due to millennia of Chaos wreaking havoc, the entire land of Chaos was filled with strong magical powers. It was due to the influence of the magical powers that almost every newly opened land of Chaos was filled with countless high-purity minerals and crystals. Not only that, but there were also all sorts of rare magical plants. As Order slowly recovered, the ruins shattered by Chaos showed themselves and revealed mysterious, ancient treasures, which attracted strong adventurers. In the game, many players would try their luck whenever a new land of Chaos was opened up. Although mercenaries didn��t roam about like the fearless players, it was still absolutely possible that some would visit the Void Territory for adventures.


    The most favorable evidence was that after the refugees settled down, the Land of Atonement received applications from the Church, Alchemist Association, Mercenary Association, and Mage Association. They were seeking permission from Rhode to branch out their organizations in the Void Territory. The Church valued followers while the Alchemist Association valued the various rare magic herbs. On the other hand, the Mercenary Association��s main goal was naturally the ancient ruins. The Mage Association was highly interested in the crystal mines. All in all, in this new territory, there were just too many factors that attracted them here.


    These applications were from non-official organizations. Although the various countries and territories had also dispatched their men, they hadn��t immediately started formal diplomatic dealings. The reason was simple; they weren��t sure of Rhode��s position within the Munn Kingdom.


    Rhode��s identity had become the dragon soul heir now. Under such circumstances, formal diplomatic relations with him had to be extremely cautious. Non-official organizations like the Mercenary Association and Mage Association didn��t need to be mindful because no matter what identity he had, he was the only ruler in this place. Therefore, as long as he didn��t object to them establishing a presence here, they weren��t concerned. But the rulers were different. They had to respond differently to his identity, be it economic, military, or diplomatic. An overlord definitely couldn��t be compared to the ruler of a country and vice-versa.


    Based on Gillian��s intelligence network, Rhode heard rumors that the internal Country of Light was beginning to ridicule Lydia. They mocked her for being weaker than her subject as an Archangel. It was apparent that the Country of Light was sowing discord between Rhode and Lydia. But now�� Rhode felt like he didn��t need to care much about external relationships anymore.


    Because an ��internal battle�� was erupting before his eyes right now.


    And it was only due to one reason��money.


    As refugees swarmed into his territory, the various systems were integrated and this was where the problem stood out.


    Firstly, Marlene needed a large sum of money to ensure safety in the refugees�� resettlement, integration, and plans to develop the economy. Secondly, Orchid Heart expressed that she needed to select garrisons among the refugees to maintain peace and order and would require brand new sets of equipment. If not, they would be using clubs to chase intruders away. Next, while Rhode was troubling over these two issues, Lapis timidly knocked on his door and said that the standard of the magic weapons had been established. All she needed next was the finances to begin mass production. Lastly, Gillian told him that the intelligence network also required a huge sum of money to support��


    Rhode couldn��t possibly own so much money at the moment. Besides, although the mines had begun to take shape in his territory, he couldn��t possibly turn them in for cash immediately while the facilities were extremely outdated. Currently, the reason for success was thanks to the experienced miners among the refugees. Although it was dangerous to mine in the underground, Rhode was fortunate that there were also open-air mines which could guarantee success in the operations.


    A few days ago, he received news that the merchant alliance expressed that they were willing to help him develop the Void Territory in exchange for them to establish a presence here. It was this news that caused an uproar among his subordinates.


    Many people felt that this was a great idea. The merchant alliance consisted of experienced, knowledgeable merchant associations with plenty of resources. If they were willing to help Rhode develop the Void Territory, the entire territory would grow at a much quicker pace. Besides, the merchant alliance also raised attractive conditions and low prices. They guaranteed that they could resolve all the problems including commercial circulation within the shortest time possible. They would take the risks on their shoulders while Rhode could count money in the comfort of his home. All they asked was that Rhode could provide them with some official support for their operation conveniences. By doing so, Rhode could save a huge amount of money from building the territory, at the same time strengthen external relations and commercial circulation. As for the military aspect, the merchant alliance was willing to provide reasonably-priced armor and weapons, so for the time being, Lapis could catch a break and start her new research.


    However, Marlene strongly objected to this plan. Although it seemed convenient in all aspects, this meant that the entire operations of the territory would be in the hands of outsiders. After all, the people living in the Void Territory weren��t only concerned about world peace or future military threat. They hoped for the basic needs of clothing, food, housing, and transport. If all these factors were controlled by outsiders, where would Rhode��s dominance and presence be at? Wouldn��t it be too late after the merchant alliance controlled the entire Void Territory and made decisions on behalf of the people?


    As for the military issue, Marlene objected to purchasing armor and weapons from outsiders. The Senia Family was the leader of magical technologies in the Munn Kingdom and she knew how important it was for a country to own their arsenal of armor and weapons. The Void Territory wasn��t just some vassal to the Country of Light. Once this reliance became a habit, it would be too late. Although Rhode��s dragon soul protection was present, it was only effective on the people and wouldn��t work well on outsiders.


    The debates went on for a while and even though Marlene sounded reasonable, it was too risky because they didn��t have enough finances to support all developments of the territory.


    Although she admitted that doing things one step at a time would cause some issues, as long as they could maintain a good relationship with Munn Kingdom and receive support to strengthen their foundations, no obstacles couldn��t be overcome. Even though this journey would be tougher, it would be a much better choice considering the blood rivers in the future. She didn��t wish to witness yet another North-South civil war. Moreover, although the merchant alliance was a neutral organization, she was aware that they were linked to the Country of Light in countless ways. No matter what, she objected to letting the merchant alliance interfere with the Void Territory��s construction.


    It was mainly Marlene, Gillian, and Ann debating over the issues while others listened blankly. After all, mercenaries like Sol, Sovann, Randolf, and Joey weren��t educated in politics. Listening to the three young ladies bickering left them dizzy. Everyone made sense but there also seemed to be flaws everywhere�� The process was excruciating for them.


    Canary and Mini Bubble Gum calmly watched the debate because such similar debates were common on the Internet. All in all, Rhode��s attitude and decision was the most important to them.


    ��Stop.��


    Rhode knocked the table. The three young ladies quickly shut their mouths and turned around.


    After he gained the ruling rights of the Void Territory, he didn��t separate himself from everyone. After all, he wasn��t a native of this world and didn��t value his position as highly as they did. He wasn��t used to sitting on the throne in the center of a dragon palace and giving his speech. He initially decided to form a round table meeting but after considering the plight of an unfortunate fellow, he gave up on this thought. After all, he didn��t wish for his future son to betray him, divide the country, and stab him to death�� This was just too ominous.


    Therefore, he arranged for a rectangular table. He sat at the end of the table while others filled both sides of it, so it looked more like a family gathering than a solemn, political setting. Of course, he knew clearly that it was tough to create such an atmosphere with his subordinates with Anne already asleep on the table.


    ��Marlene is right. Although the merchant alliance can provide manpower and resources, I��m not used to handing over my controlling rights to others. We have to grasp our minerals and food. We can sell to them, but can never let them make the decisions on our behalf. I will let you handle it, Marlene. We can buy required tools and magic furnaces from the Munn Kingdom. I guess the Senia Family can also provide us with some.��


    ��No problem, Rhode.��


    Marlene said.


    Rhode learned from her that the Senia Family had prepared themselves to migrate to the Void Territory anytime now. This didn��t surprise him at all. According to her, the Senia Family had been following the Void Dragon for a long, long time and now that the Void Dragon returned, it would be strange if they didn��t move into his territory. It would be like a tiger that had grown wings if he could receive the Senia Family��s assistance. But the Senia Family had been residing in the Munn Kingdom for years and he couldn��t possibly bring them over as he wanted. Therefore, he would need to discuss with Lydia over this settlement issue in the future.


    However, this didn��t mean that the development of his territory would stop for now. In fact, he had picked out a great candidate.

 Chapter 915 - Lurking Dangers

    Chapter 915: Lurking Dangers


    ��Lapis.��


    Rhode turned to her and said.


    ��You��ve completed your task with the magic weapons and just as Marlene said, we don��t have the required money for mass production now. But I will use part of the finances to ensure that this mass production plan doesn��t freeze. During this period of time, I hope you can use the ancient magic knowledge that Marlene taught you to create more suitable power devices and magic furnaces.��


    The civilization of the Dragon Soul Continent wasn��t considered backward. If not, they couldn��t have possibly produced magic cannons and warships. The core of the power devices was based on magic furnaces and like a Sphere of Mystery, they were absolute secrets of a country. However, as the magic furnaces were too huge, it wasn��t convenient to transport them. As for the production of the magic furnaces, it was even more challenging. In the late stages of the game, players only managed to modify and improve the magic furnaces slightly because the blueprints were extremely rare to find. In the entire game, only five guilds including Starlight possessed the relevant blueprints and every blueprint would vanish after learning it once. It was due to this that wars for the rights to the blueprints were common among players.


    And now, Marlene had awakened as one of the six Deity Wardens, this meant that she naturally possessed the ancient magical technologies and wisdom. Rhode discovered that in the past, the technologies in the Void Dragon��s country were as highly advanced as the world he came from. But it was a pity that after Chaos invaded and destroyed the country, the Void Dragon��s country that was seen as the leader of magical technologies vanished into history. At this point in time, most of the magical technologies that every country grasped were rebuilt from the remains of the Void Dragon��s country. Perhaps the Country of Darkness was an exception because according to Marlene, the Country of Darkness seemed to have their unique magic system and didn��t utilize the design of the magic furnaces��


    Rhode decisively made Marlene activate the [Gifter of Knowledge] skill and impart all the core knowledge and information of the Void Dragon��s country into Lapis��s brain. This way, Lapis could instantly understand the wonderful, ancient magical technologies. If she could master and put them into work, Rhode was confident that the rejuvenation of his territory would just be around the corner.


    Got to say, this BOSS system feels awesome.


    ��Yes�� Sir.��


    It was apparent that Lapis wasn��t willing, but she eventually nodded. Lapis was no longer that timid little girl who hid behind the safety of everyone. After being around Rhode for a long time, she slowly became mature and wasn��t fighting on her own anymore. The problem with the lack of Alchemists was finally resolved. Apart from the students who Marlene recruited, the Ocean Elves learned several alchemy techniques and became her handy assistants. Lapis was unlike her old self who worked throughout the night to provide magic equipment for everyone. She was more like a researcher now and not purely a creator.


    ��Ann, I don��t want to interfere with affairs regarding the merchant alliance, but you��ve got to remember that they come with ill intentions. Understood? Of course, we can��t publicly fall out with them so for now, negotiate for the less important businesses and remember not to get too involved. Report to me and Marlene about the progress anytime. Got it?��


    Marlene and Ann might not understand what the merchant alliance was plotting, but Rhode understood their intentions clearly. The merchant alliance was an independent citadel, also known as the ��Country of Commerce��. The merchant alliance was made up of mostly merchants from the Light Mainland. Although they seemed like an organization that served a specific group like the Mercenary Association, Rhode knew that they weren��t as innocent as the Mercenary Association. Merchants were rich and they hoped to gain status and authority that money couldn��t buy them. The merchant alliance��s ultimate goal was to become an independent country like the Country of Law.


    It was due to this that when Rhode guessed their intention after hearing that they came knocking on his door. It was apparent that they intended to take this opportunity to control his Void Territory and fulfill their dreams of becoming the ��Country of Commerce��.


    Rhode wouldn��t agree with them because their ultimate goal was to control the commercial trade of this continent. This way, they could compete against the Country of Law which was currently controlling the entire economic circulation. The merchant alliance would surely fall in defeat if they relied upon themselves against the Country of Law. But perhaps it might be enough if they used Rhode��s name. Of course, Rhode wasn��t interested in being used as a gun to go against the twin dragons. Perhaps most people saw that the merchant alliance was merely an ordinary and kind organization. But Rhode knew that this wasn��t as simple as they thought.


    ��This decides it then. Perhaps we will have a tough beginning just like Marlene said, but we��re better off than being controlled by others. Next����


    Rhode sulked and revealed an ice-cold expression.


    ��Let��s talk about the Country of Light and Highland City.��


    The listless group instantly gazed at Rhode and put up stern expressions. This topic was much easier for them to understand as opposed to the economical and internal affairs.


    After Rhode cast the absolute wall of Order, his dragon soul protection gradually expanded and stabilized the central regions that were corroded by Chaos. There were two locations among the central regions which caught his attention were the Sail Harbor and Highland City.


    Their geographical locations were similar to that of the Land of Atonement. After Rhode opened up the land of Chaos, the fuzzy Order was stabilized and the living conditions of the residents became much better. Not only that, but their geographical locations were also important to him. One of them held the crucial maritime channel connecting the Void Territory and Country of Light while the other was the rear border of the Void Territory and Country of Light. If Rhode could control these two areas, it would mean that he controlled the specific connections and blockades of the Country of Light. He had sent emissaries to the two locations in the name of the <<Creation Rule>> and requested for the residents to surrender to him as they were under his dragon soul protection.


    Rhode thought that everything would turn out well because before his dragon soul protection expanded, the two areas weren��t specially liked by the Country of Light and were even seen as banishment regions for sinners. The Country of Light had never cared for them and even exploited them by every means. Rhode believed that these two areas would happily accept his request.


    However, he was only half right with the Sail Harbor responding warmly to his request while the Highland City firmly rejected him. Not only that, but the Country of Light also caught wind about this and became restless.


    ��Sir Overlord, since they aren��t willing to surrender, we might as well let them perish on their own. Why do we care about them? We have more than enough things to care about in our territory.��


    Sol said with knitted brows and this time before Rhode said anything, Marlene objected.


    ��That is impossible. The Highland City is located under the Void Dragon soul protection. According to the Creation Rule, any cities under the dragon soul protection belong to the rightful dragon soul heir. If we acknowledge their independence, won��t anyone be able to build their cities whenever they like in our territory? Also, if we allow this to happen, what will the others think about us?��


    ��But now, the Country of Light doesn��t seem to be leaving the matter at that~��


    Gillian sat on the chair, narrowed her eyes, and waved her index finger.


    ��They claimed that they support the Highland City, strongly condemned our actions, and even said that they will do whatever it takes to support the independence of the Highland City~��


    ��Anne thinks that we should get into a fight with them and let them have a taste of our power!��


    Anne grumbled furiously.


    ��But�� If we use violence�� won��t others think that we are too����


    Lize said worriedly.


    ��It doesn��t matter, Lize. Since they don��t want to surrender, we should teach them a lesson. It��s the same situation as last year. Didn��t they stop their nonsense after Her Royal Highness Lydia defeated the group of southern idiots? Anne thinks that disobedient children should be spanked!��


    Lize sighed and gave up trying to argue with Anne. She felt that Anne made sense, but�� Marlene obviously had a different view.


    ��It isn��t good timing for us to start a battle. It is mostly refugees in our territory who craved for peace and harmony. If we start a fight now, they will surely feel tense no matter how much time we take to gain victory. So, I don��t suggest using this method and this should only be used as a last resort. Besides, we can��t confirm if Highland City has the same opinion as the Country of Light. We must do some investigations����


    ��This settles it then.��


    Rhdoe raised his arm and interrupted.


    ��I will send men to investigate Highland City before deciding our next step. I feel that it must be that damned Light Parliament stirring trouble in the back.��


    ��Are you going there too, Rhode?��


    Marlene revealed a difficult expression.


    ��Your identity is different now. If you��re heading there personally�� It may easily cause problems.��


    ��Don��t worry, Marlene.��


    Rhode twitched his brows and revealed a smile.


    ��Although I��m heading there myself, I didn��t say that I��m going there as ��Rhode Alander.��

 Chapter 916 - Highland City

    Chapter 916: Highland City


    News about Rhode��s Void Territory was the hottest topic on the entire continent. No matter where one was located, one would hear every discussion about the new territory. Mercenaries were excited to go on an adventure there while merchants drooled at its wealthy resources. Ordinary people, especially the neighbors of Void Territory, explored the topic with great interest. This instantly swept the Munn Kingdom and Country of Light into the vortex of discussions.


    ��It��s true. You didn��t see just how big the sun is��!��


    Inside a pub, a mercenary gesticulated and drew a huge circle with his arms.


    ��I��m not lying. It��s really that huge; much, much bigger than the sun above us. Besides, it seems like that territory is closer to the sky. I tell you; the moon over there envelopes half the sky! You would think that with a sun that huge, the territory must be burning, right? No! It isn��t hot at all. Besides, it is so cool that my friend who lives there told me that it feels like paradise! Any seed that he planted grew quickly in the fertile soil!��


    ��Wow!��


    The crowd exclaimed in awe. They didn��t care how the mercenary knew so much because they couldn��t roam freely like mercenaries and these stories amazed them. But they looked forward to visiting that place after hearing the exciting details. To most people, the appearance of the Void Territory was more like another topic of idle conversation over a cup of tea.


    However, to some people, it involved life and death.


    ***


    ��The ruler of the Void Territory requested that we surrender to him.��


    The man put the letter away with a concerned look. He lifted his head and gazed at the elder, the city owner, on the other end of the table.


    ��Sir, I think we should consider it at length. No matter what, our Highland City is indeed under his dragon soul protection; we have no choice. As for the Light Parliament, I don��t think that they have the ability to fulfill their promise. Besides, this isn��t beneficial for us, isn��t it?��


    ��Rubbish!��


    The elder glared at the man.


    ��Don��t be blinded by your greed. That so-called Void Territory is only a new territory, so what do you think the ruler can go against the Country of Light with? If you make a foolish decision, our people will suffer in our stead. Have you forgotten what happened to those guys? We can��t afford another hit like this!��


    ��Yes, Sir is right.��


    ��Compared to the Country of Light, this Void Territory is nothing. We are suddenly within his territorial control and all we need to do is to stay calm. If you can��t even achieve this, why are you even talking about leading the city?��


    The man accepted the criticisms in silence while the elder shot him a look and knocked the hammer on the table.


    ��Alright, this settles it then. Don��t respond to the Void Territory for now. As for the emissaries from the Country of Light, we can appropriately reveal our bottom line to them, but don��t be too obvious, understood? Everyone�� This is the most critical juncture for our Highland City; whether we will break away from this fate will all depend on this!��


    The elder smashed the hammer once again, announcing the end of the meeting.


    The man headed out of the hall helplessly and shortly after, several men approached him.


    ��How was it, Clive? What did the city owner say?��


    ��It didn��t work. Sir hopes to rely on the Light Parliament and he has a lot of supporters. It was impossible to convince him to change his thoughts����


    Clive shook his head hopelessly. Even as one of the city owner��s assistants, he didn��t agree with his idea. Highland City was originally a struggling city located by the borders of Order. They led hard and terrible lives, tolerating the pressures and exploitations from Country of Light. A large group of people including Clive could no longer tolerate such abuses, but they were at their wits�� end. As a city located by the border, Highland City couldn��t possess any strength to retaliate. Most of their foodstuffs came from the Country of Light��with heavy price tags. Although this region was located near the land of Chaos and the magical energy corroded the soil which produced several precious, resourceful mines, Highland City failed to become the next Soraka Mountain. On the contrary, they became a fleshy chunk of meat in the eyes of the merchants in the Country of Light. Instead of the mines bringing them benefits, they faced disasters instead. Many people in Highland City mined for a living, but their salaries were half of those of miners in other regions. Not only that, but the merchants from the Country of Light also didn��t pay them with full gold coins. Instead, they paid using gold coins plus foodstuff to make up the difference, and the foodstuff was all frozen!


    Highland City rebelled against the tyranny of Country of Light in the past. The miners united and protested with hopes of receiving their rightful fairness and benefits. In the end, the protest demonstration evolved into a massive parade and even chased away several merchant representatives from the Country of Light.


    But shortly after, the Light Parliament responded.


    They categorized the protests in Highland City as riots and dispatched soldiers to repress the situation. Although the Country of Light��s army was indeed useless and would crumble in the face of any Undead Creatures now, they were still strong enough to take down the muscular, unarmed miners.


    In the end, the ��riots�� were suppressed and several leaders were thrown into jail and executed. Thereafter, the Country of Light strengthened their ��management�� on Highland City and at this moment, most affairs involving foodstuff, water sources, mines, and commerce were managed by the five largest financial groups. In Highland City, the people slogged their lives away for stingy salaries while the higher-ups of merchants enjoyed luxurious feasts everyday.


    Of course, this went without saying that a group of people including Clive would be resentful against them. However, they felt helpless because ever since the ��riots�� ended, the number of soldiers in Highland City increased dramatically. The opposing soldiers were direct, private soldiers of the merchants while the soldiers of Highland City were only pathetic garrisons of slightly over a hundred�� What could the garrisons even do? If it were in the past, perhaps they could continue to tolerate this abuse. But now, the Void Territory appeared and Clive discovered this new opportunity.


    If they could receive assistance from Void Territory, perhaps they could break away from the horrible chains of the Country of Light and lead much better lives. This was a risk, but a group of young people like Clive wasn��t afraid of taking them. Clive cautiously researched about the new territory and also heard news about its overlord��Rhode Alander.


    Of course, there was naturally more bad news than good news about Rhode in the Country of Light. However, the bad news was great news for Clive because this overlord of Void Territory belonged to the anti-parliament forces, which brought a perfect opportunity for Highland City. If they could receive the support of that man, they would surely be able to break free from the Country of Light.


    But it was a pity that not everyone thought the same.


    A group of seniors, including the city owner, was doubtful of Void Territory��s capabilities. After all, it was a new territory while they had witnessed the strength of the Country of Light. Of course, the Country of Light was currently like an ill elephant beyond cure and anyone could push them over. But an elephant was still an elephant despite the illness. It could still easily squash an ant like Highland City without showing much power, wasn��t it? Therefore, the group of seniors wasn��t willing to move up in the world. After all, they were used to leading such lives. But if they were to rely on Void Territory, their lives would restart all over again. Would the situation take a turn for the better? No one knew. But to the group of seniors, it was the right choice not to change.


    What delighted the group of seniors was that the Light Parliament actually dispatched representatives to Highland City, announcing that they were more than happy to build and develop Highland City. The seniors were aware that due to the appearance of Void Territory, the Light Parliament uncharacteristically expressed goodwill to them. However, this was extremely good news for them. Many people including the city owner thought of using this chance to elevate the position of Highland City and turn this city into a valuable asset of the Light Parliament. They believed that once the Light Parliament recognized their importance, the people of Highland City would be treated better and benefit more.


    On the other hand, Clive scoffed at this approach. He believed that the group of seniors were too rigid and fear had overcome them. If the Light Parliament valued this place, why would they even hand this city over to the five largest financial groups? When that happened, the Light Parliament would surely dispatch high authorities to take over management and perhaps the city owner would be disposed of like a piece of trash.


    What gave Clive a bigger headache was the existence of the daydreaming neutral party. The beautiful, impossible dreams that they were having left him completely speechless. The neutral party hoped that their special geographical location could lead to benefits from both the Country of Light and Void Territory. Then, after they declared independence, they could become a crucial region that influenced the Country of Light and Void Territory. When that happened, everyone must obey their orders and this thought just made them so delightful�� Hahaha. It feels awesome��


    Clive didn��t even have the mood to argue with them. He couldn��t think of anyone except idiots would agree to such thoughts. Indeed, after the dragon soul protection expanded over Highland City, their value was instantly revealed. But it was also due to this reason that they found themselves in a precarious situation because the Light Parliament and Void Territory would never let this crucial region off. Lead them by the nose after we became independent? Do you really think that they��re idiots?


    Clive also thought that the city owner was exceedingly foolish to be fearful of the Light Parliament. Yes, the Light Parliament might be terrifying but what made him think that Void Territory was weak? Although the Country of Light hated Rhode to the core, there must be some basis for it. This proved that Rhode was an absolutely vicious and merciless person, so wasn��t the city owner afraid that he would slaughter the entire city? At this point in time, Highland City held the critical geographical location to Rhode and he couldn��t care less about the people living within. Although Clive didn��t trust the rumors too much, he knew that Rhode would definitely be a harder character to deal with if the rumors were true.


    ��Sigh����


    His subordinates sighed to Clive��s response. They didn��t have any other solutions now because after all, this group of young men didn��t hold any rights to Highland City. They also weren��t willing to get too close to the merchants from the Country of Light to avoid wallowing in the mire with them. Although they were concerned about the future of their city, they were completely powerless.


    ��Forget it, Clive. Those old guys won��t give up on their authority. I guess we should fight for our destiny ourselves. While the old guys are indecisive, it gives us the best opportunity, isn��t it? We should use this chance to communicate with Void Territory. If we succeed, we can break away from the Light Parliament! We only have one chance. If we miss it, we may not have any chances left!��


    ��Of course I��m aware, but it isn��t time yet.��


    Clive knitted his brows. Then, he scanned the surroundings to ensure no one was eavesdropping before lowering his voice.


    ��The Light Parliament has spies all around. If we act on our own, we may be discovered by them and everything will go to waste. We have the opportunities, but we must have the patience for them. If we don��t practice patience, how different are we from that bunch of old men? Don��t be overly anxious. There are still chances.��


    Clive waved his hand.


    ��Alright, I��ve got to welcome the merchants from the Country of Light�� Hmph. Those guys sure are panicky now while they never gave a damn about us before!��


    Clive grumbled. He turned around and let out a long sigh before heading off.


    Half an hour later.


    Clive curled his lips as he witnessed a luxurious, golden carriage dashed across the road. He had always disliked the merchants because nothing was more important than money to them�� He hated their arrogance, but he had to do his job as the city owner��s assistant.


    The carriage came to a gradual halt and the door swung open. At this moment, the look of disdain on Clive��s face was nowhere to be seen. Instead, it was replaced by an unprecedented, warm smile.


    ��Greetings, respectful guests; welcome to Highland City. I��m Clive Barbet and I��m happy to serve you.��


    He went up to the front of the carriage almost mechanically, lowering his head and repeating this greeting that he said for more than a thousand times. However, the instant he shifted his gaze into the carriage, he was stunned.


    There was a young lady with golden curly hair and a beautiful young lady with silky, straight black hair gazing at him. Their gazes were surprisingly calm.


    ��Greetings, Mr. Clive. I��m Miranda Seren from the Country of Light����

 Chapter 917 - Repeat an Old Stratagem

    Chapter 917: Repeat an Old Stratagem


    Rhode had guessed that Country of Light would hold onto Highland City tightly. Perhaps Highland City was just a poor city in the border region in the past, but the Country of Light would be foolish beyond cure if they were to give them up now. Compared to Sail Harbor, Highland City��s biggest problem was that they were connected to the Country of Light on land. One of the biggest reasons why Sail Harbor surrendered to Rhode was because they weren��t connected to the Country of Light and were separated by the strait. On the contrary, after Order was stabilized in the land of Chaos, Sail Harbor became connected to Void Territory instead. Under such a circumstance, it definitely wasn��t worth thinking over as to who they should seek support from. They weren��t willing to risk being attacked by Rhode to choose to rely on the Country of Light who was on the other side of the strait. Moreover, although the Country of Light had a powerful navy, they were too far to be able to help. Furthermore, Sail Harbor was also on the receiving end of the Country of Light��s pressures and exploits, so it wasn��t surprising that they sought another backing, especially after Rhode was willing to give them a certain degree of independence.


    Although Highland City was also abused by the Country of Light, absolute fear also produced absolute obedience. Moreover, they lacked a superior geographic location like Sail Harbor, where Sail Harbor wasn��t afraid of the Country of Light finding trouble with them. As a result, it was harder to handle this situation with Highland City on this aspect.


    However, Rhode was determined to obtain Highland City. If not, the Country of Light would be holding one of his major routes in their hands. Besides, he definitely couldn��t allow any region under his dragon soul protection to be independent. If not, his dominance would be severely threatened. He definitely couldn��t tolerate this. In face of future wars, he had to ensure stability within his territory. If there was any social or political unrest, they would surely delay his plans of becoming stronger and he might also lose precious opportunities. If the Country of Light were to control Highland City, they would control the entrance and exit to the Void Territory and he was sure that those bastards would stir trouble in his territory. This was what he wasn��t willing to see.


    Therefore, he arrived at Highland City in the identity of ��Miranda Seren�� yet again to personally understand the extent of infiltration the Country of Light had planned.


    After he arrived, he discovered that apart from the five largest financial groups controlling Highland City, there were also some medium-size trade associations from the Country of Light. It seemed like the five largest financial groups were somewhat smart. They knew that the situation with Highland City wasn��t great at the moment, so they might as well send these chess pawns forward. If there were any risks, these medium-size trade associations would take the hit. On the contrary, if there were any benefits, the five largest financial groups would take most of them.


    The various mineral deposits were the most produced in Highland City. Therefore, it went without saying that the Alanic Family, which grasped the majority of the mineral resources, wouldn��t let go of this region. Today, the Alanic Family��s private soldiers occupied almost 80 percent of Highland City, where they managed almost every aspect of the residents. They were obstacles to Rhode��s plan because if he were to launch his attack on them, it meant that he would be going against the five largest financial groups head-on too. Judging from this, it seemed like the Light Parliament wasn��t that stupid. They knew that they weren��t strong enough, so they handed everything to the five largest financial groups. Merchants were animals who wouldn��t wake up early unless there were benefits for them to reap. They naturally understood that if they could control Highland City entirely, the rich resources in surrounding regions would belong to them completely�� It was due to this that the five largest financial groups were spontaneous on this matter and were much harder to deal with than the Light Parliament


    Rhode knew clearly that the Light Parliament was lacking in strong personnel because they were all basically eliminated by him. But in fact, the five largest financial groups possessed forces that were much stronger than the Light Parliament.


    According to the players, the five largest financial groups more or less had relations with the Dark Brotherhood and demons from hell, where there was a demon lord among the core of the Dudek Financial Group. Sonia had also told Rhode that in her Lockos Financial Group, there were two powerful beings in the Intermediate Legendary Stage from the Dark Brotherhood who always stayed by the side of their patriarch. On the other hand, the spell casters in Pilt Financial Group intermarried with the succubi and fallen angels in order to gain powerful magical abilities from the non-humans. As a result, their children naturally became their elites. Furthermore, there were also rumors about the Pilt Financial Group having some unclean relationships with the succubus queen. Also, the Manny Financial Group who was the business leader was also related to Chaos.


    The Alanic Financial Group was no exception too. Among the strength that they possessed, there was also the Brain Eater from the alternate plane of existence.


    Rhode had to admit that the five largest financial groups did a wonderful job keeping their true strength a secret. These were only rumors that players had heard and never personally witnessed. It was only until Rhode led Starlight, plowed through Casabianca, and fought head-on with the five largest financial groups that he discovered their secret forces. The five largest financial groups were simply five nations within the Country of Light. In terms of military or politics, they were almost independent of the Light Parliament. They wouldn��t be affected by the Light Parliament and could even influence them instead.


    But what was ironic was that perhaps even the Light Dragon didn��t expect such darkness and evil hidden under her dragon soul protection.


    Rhode didn��t find it strange because many cultists and evil forces in the Light Mainland were located in the Country of Light. As most Battle Angels resided in the Munn Kingdom, they would instantly eradicate these evil forces once they were discovered. On the other hand, humans distrusted angels in the Country of Light and angels were in extremely difficult positions which gave the cultists and evil forces to grow rampantly.


    But�� Rhode didn��t expect to meet these guys so soon.


    ��Greetings, Miss Miranda. Welcome to Highland City. I didn��t expect that your Seren Trade Association is also interested in Highland City.��


    The young man in a luxurious attire smiled and poured a cup of tea for Rhode. He was the person in charge of the Alanic Financial Group in Highland City��Shane Grant Alanic. However, Rhode was more familiar with his other identity��vice-captain of the Viper Gang.


    Digging minerals and messing with the cultists at the same time�� It seems like the Alanic Financial Group is doing well with their business, huh? The Viper Gang was second to none in slave trafficking. They were experts in capturing non-humans or poor people living by the border regions and selling them as slaves. But it appeared that their slave trafficking business earned them so much that they were able to develop this many mines.


    Rhode criticized inwardly while sweeping a glance at the tea before him. He smelled and detected a special spice among the scent that could provide relaxing efforts. The spice was basically harmless but when used appropriately in the hands of an expert, it could lead to psychological changes. Old habits sure die hard.


    ��Business hasn��t been great lately and we are looking to improve our business. After all, there are so many problems occurring within the country and many things aren��t as convenient as last time. So, I came here to see if I can find new business opportunities for my Seren Trade Association. After all����


    Rhode pointed at the starry night through the window, which Shane burst into laughter.


    ��That��s right, Miss Miranda. Unlike the past, there are limitless opportunities in Highland City now. Besides, I��ve received news that the Light Parliament will develop this place on a large scale. I��m sure that there will be lots of benefits from it but I��m unaware of�� what your Seren Trade Association will focus on.��


    ��I��ve not decided yet. After all, I��m here to check things out for now. There are bound to be risks for businesses with small capital, isn��t it?��


    Rhode smartly changed the topic because not even a true merchant would disclose their strength to a formidable competitor. Shane smiled in response.


    ��Miss Miranda sure is cautious. But you��re right. Although merchants seek opportunities, it is also right to seek success through stability. How about this? I can arrange my men to bring you around Highland City, Miss Miranda. Even though Highland City is by the border, social order is great here. There won��t be any problems under our Alanic Financial Group��s management. If you have any needs, please let me know and I will help you as much as I can. I didn��t expect to meet such a beautiful young lady like you from your trade association. I��m truly surprised����


    ��Sorry to trouble you, Mr. Shane.��


    Rhode replied with a beautiful smile which Shane dazed before coming back to his senses. He let out an awkward cough.


    ��Erm�� Miss Miranda, you came a long way and must be feeling exhausted. Shall I prepare a room for both of you����


    ��Don��t worry, Mr. Shane. We��ve booked a room before we came here. We intend to roam around Highland City later. When I first arrived, I was worried that this place is dangerous. Bu, it seems to be as safe as what you��ve said, Mr. Shane.��


    Rhode swept a glance at Angelina who stood beside him and lowered her head humbly. At this moment, Angelina was serving him in the identity of his personal maid. She wore a plain maid dress of black and white, complemented with white stockings, black leather shoes, and a white head accessory. At this moment, none of her pride and arrogance of a royal vampire could be felt. On the contrary, she seemed as though a genuine and loyal servant who followed her master everywhere. Rhode had to admit that the vampires�� acting talent could never be beat. Angelina took a step forward and nodded to Shane obediently. Then, she turned around, stooped over, and said softly.


    ��Milady�� It��s about time����


    ��Got it, Angelina.��


    Rhode nodded. He stood up and showed an apologetic smile.


    ��Alright then, Mr. Shane, I should get going. It has been a great time talking to you. I hope we can have more in-depth exchanges in the future.��


    ��Yes, of course. I��m delighted too, Miss Miranda.��


    Although that was what he said, he felt dissatisfied that ��Miss Miranda�� didn��t touch the cup of tea at all. However, this emotion glinted in his eyes for only a split second before vanishing to nowhere. He revealed a gentle smile on his rather charming face.


    ��I hope you have a great night. Also, please convey my respects from the Alanic Family to your trade association.��


    ��Will do, Mr. Shane.��


    Rhode smiled and bent over for an elegant bow. Then, he turned around and left the room.


    ���� Hmph.��


    After the door closed shut, Shane revealed an unprecedented expression of greed and malevolence.


    ��I didn��t expect to find such a wonderful woman here. It will be a pity if I let her go�� But it seems like that woman is quite smart too�� Forget it. I have my ways.��


    Shane lifted the cup of tea from the table. He extended his tongue and licked the handle as though savoring her slender, delicate fingers. This was a huge surprise for him. He didn��t expect that a woman would come to this place alone to check on the situation. As for the Seren Trade Association�� Hmph. There were hundreds of trade associations in the Country of Light and he had never heard of whatever Seren Trade Association. But that was fine too. That woman and her maid were beautiful and if he could get his hands on them�� He would surely have some fun in this boring place.


    Shane placed the cup of tea down and snapped his fingers. Shortly after, two mysterious figures appeared beside him silently.


    ��Monitor that woman and report her whereabouts to me.��


    The two mysterious figures nodded and vanished into the darkness.


    ��Master, why didn��t you let me control that human?��


    Angelina gazed curiously and asked. Frankly speaking, she was baffled when she first saw Rhode in a female disguise. However, it wasn��t due to the female dress. Instead, she discovered that he was actually not a woman��


    Fortunately, her cautious personality saved her life. If Rhode were to know what she thought, she wouldn��t have been alive and be by his side now.


    Mini Bubble Gum and Canary had initially decided to join them. Although Highland City firmly rejected his presence and the Void Territory, Rhode��s system apparently didn��t care about their voices. The system included Highland City into his territorial control and this way, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum could freely roam in this region whenever they wanted. However, considering that they were also blacklisted by the Country of Light, he rejected their requests. After all, he could fool most people with a disguise, but the two young ladies couldn��t possibly dress up as men flawlessly. Moreover, with Mini Bubble Gum��s personality, she would hurl punches at anyone who she disliked. Rhode wasn��t that naive to bring her along. Yes, at least not for now.


    ��That guy isn��t an ordinary human and I suppose you��ve realized too. His aura was really strange and we should prevent conflicts by not making any unnecessary moves for now.��


    Rhode initially decided that he would let Angelina manipulate the person in charge completely. Then, he could casually analyze the situation in Highland City. However, he didn��t expect that the person in charge was the vice-captain of the Viper Gang. Of course, Rhode could easily take him out but this wasn��t how he intended to claim Highland City��that was too risky.


    ��I have a better idea.��


    Rhode��s eyes glinted and he revealed an ice-cold, evil smile.

 Chapter 918 - Mutual Spying

    Chapter 918: Mutual Spying


    As a city making a living out of extracting minerals, Highland City wasn��t all that beautiful. It gave Rhode a similar vibe as Deep Stone City despite Deep Stone City being much neater and in a better order while Highland City appeared older and set off a depressing atmosphere. The Alanic private soldiers patrolled the streets and there were basically no residents wandering around. Many merchants slowly established their presence here and appeared more frequently with the private soldiers. Most of the merchants held the same motive as Rhode: check out the situation before making decisions and arrangements. After all, the trade associations would be set up to run for years. All smart merchants were able to see the great business opportunities presented in Highland City, but they weren��t that foolish to turn a blind eye to the dangers. Moreover, the entire Highland City was under the control of the Alanic Family. The five largest financial groups were extremely powerful and the ordinary trade associations had never dreamed of going against them.


    Along the way, Rhode and Angelina attracted quite a lot of attention. They couldn��t be blamed since female merchants were rare to see. Besides, it didn��t matter if it was Rhode or Angelina after their disguise, they were still considered rare beauties. Merchants weren��t monks so it was only natural for them to admire pretty women. Fortunately for them, they were rational because although female merchants were rare, the fact that they came here meant that they had a strong backing. Merchants were all about amiability and the less complications the better. The beauties might be pleasing to their eyes but they should be seen as competitors first. What if they lost the business opportunities If they were mesmerized by them?


    It was due to this reason that even though Rhode and Angelina stood out like sore thumbs, no one was interested in finding trouble with them. But it was also their gazes that allowed them to clearly identify allies and enemies. After Angelina realized that her master was the dragon soul heir, she discovered that she had gotten an amazing chance. She was clear of how powerful the dragon soul heirs were and her biggest wish and goal now was to revive the Babylonia family��s honor and glory. Now that she stood alongside a dragon soul heir, she felt incredibly fortunate. She submitted willingly to him and was so loyal as though she had been serving him for all her life where even Canary and Mini Bubble Gum who were extremely familiar with the Undead Creatures clicked their tongues in wonder at this sight. From a certain aspect, the Undead Creatures�� strong desire for rights was indeed a passion that shouldn��t be neglected.


    ��Master�� We got eyes on us.��


    As Rhode pretended to be looking at the herbs being sold on the market, he heard Angelina��s whisper. In fact, he had already sensed the secret gazes from the start. Even though the spies were hidden ingeniously, how was it possible that Rhode couldn��t detect them? He had awakened the dragon soul powers and in terms of attributes, apart from the other four dragon soul heirs, he wasn��t afraid of anyone else. He couldn��t have possibly missed such a level of spying. Just like Angelina mentioned, there were indeed two groups of people monitoring their actions. One of the groups had been following them since they left the Alanic manor and he knew instantly that they were from the Viper Gang. With the Alanic Family��s hastiness, it would be truly strange if they didn��t take any actions after their meeting.


    But what made Rhode curious was the other group of men. While he pretended to shop in the marketplace, he swiftly scanned the area to confirm their identities. He realized that they were actually locals. It seems like there are many interesting things happening in Highland City.


    Through his observations, he realized that not only was the group of men watching them, but they were also monitoring all merchants who came to this city. Although Rhode didn��t know their intentions, it was apparent that they were hostile toward the merchants.


    It seems like there are also rebels in Highland City.


    ��Let��s head back, Angelina.��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    Before arriving at Highland City, Rhode had gotten his men to make a room reservation here. But Highland City was an old city to begin with and the inns weren��t anywhere wonderful. Fortunately, he reserved a villa located away from the bustling inns. Although it was said to be a villa, it was in fact a cottage that was much quieter and cleaner. However, it wasn��t luxurious at all. Apart from the bed and a set of old, clean tables and chairs, there was also a warm fireplace for guests. Rhode wasn��t dissatisfied with the room. After all, players were used to sleeping outdoors. He hadn��t always been particular about his living conditions, so he didn��t mind if the room was run-down. As long as it was clean, it was good enough for him. However, Angelina revealed an obvious look of resentment. When did she ever live in such a horrible house as a vampire? Although the Babylonia castle in Country of Darkness was also run-down, at least her room was maintained comfortably and luxuriously. But a room like this�� Angelina thought that not even slaves would be living here.


    But Rhode didn��t come here for a vacation.


    ��Alright, Angelina.��


    They entered the room and closed the door. Rhode scanned the room and said.


    ��You can chase out the rats now.��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    Angelina��s eyes glowed in scarlet. She swung her arms and two dazzling, shimmering rays streaked across, lighting up the dim room in a blanket of red. At the same time, the wooden floor concealed in the shadow of the wardrobe trembled and two slim figures jumped out and darted toward the window in a fluster. Angelina let out a snort and clenched her right fist.


    The two unfortunate figures came to an abrupt halt as though the scene was paused. Then, they stayed in their jumping posture while in midair and Angelina extended her index finger to draw some mysterious runes. Shortly after, the two figures landed on the floor and stood up straight and stiffly as though going through a military inspection.


    That��s the Blood Rune��


    Rhode scanned the scarlet runes floating in front of the young lady. He had to admit that she was rather powerful. If Lize, Anne, and Marlene-before-her-awakening took on Angelina, they could count themselves very lucky if the match ended in a draw. The vampires�� undead attribute, mysterious strength, speed, and terrifying blood runes were much trickier to make up for than the pure differences in level. The amount of strength that Angelina possessed was equal to one in a high position in the Country of Light or Munn Kingdom if she weren��t a vampire. But in the Country of Darkness, she was only a loser who was chased out by the political battles. Based on the fact that in the Country of Darkness, where strength meant respect ,and yet Angelina was still treated this way, it went to show that the Country of Darkness was much stronger than the Light Mainland in terms of quantity and quality.


    Rhode shrugged at this thought. Then, he went up to the two masked men with a look of mockery. Although they were wrapped tightly in black clothes, their long, pointy ears and dark skin revealed their identities.


    ��Dark Elves�� Hmmm. I have to admit that the Alanic Family is quite capable to receive their help����


    Rhode nodded. In fact, he wasn��t surprised at all because he was aware that the five largest financial groups had unexplainable relations with the underground world.


    On the other hand, although the two Dark Elves had their faces covered by black cloth, the unprecedented fear and shock was clearly present in their eyes. They didn��t expect these two powerless-looking young ladies to easily apprehend them. They weren��t in the Legendary Stage, but as elites of the Dark Elves, they were at least in the Peak Master Stage. Using their expertise in shadow lurking, they always succeeded in assassination or gathering intelligence. But it was a pity that�� Today wasn��t their lucky day.


    ��Angelina.��


    ��Understood, Master.��


    Rhode gestured without turning back and Angelina instantly went up to the two elves. She lifted her head proudly, her eyes glinting in bright, red radiances. The two elves instinctively turned away in fear but an unknown strength forced them to look straight into her eyes. After a few seconds, the two elves turned into lifeless puppets. Angelina let out a chuckle. She looked at Rhode before shifting her gaze to the two elves.


    ��Tell us everything that you know, my slaves.��

 Chapter 919 - Creating Chaos

    Chapter 919: Creating Chaos


    The mental manipulation of a royal vampire wasn��t ordinarily powerful. In a short while, the two Dark Elves gave the game away to Rhode. Although they weren��t responsible for putting forward plans and ideas as Shane��s subjects, they were in charge of gathering intelligence and Rhode learned a lot of things from them about Highland City��s internal affairs.


    Rhode had to admit that Highland City was indeed within the solid grasp of the Alanic Family. There was nothing that Shane wasn��t aware of. It didn��t matter if one was the supporter of the Light Parliament, a trade association representative, people who objected the suggestions, or people who acted pragmatically, one didn��t know that one��s every action was being monitored by Shane. What surprised Rhode was that there was also a special squad of 15 Dark Elves directly under Shane who was responsible for monitoring Highland City, at the same time helping him manage the uncertain factors and threats surrounding the city.


    Not only that, but the two Dark Elves also confessed that Highland City also served as a branch of the Viper Gang and more than half of the soldiers patrolling the streets were their members.


    Nowadays, even evil cultists can roam the streets in the open. It seems like public morals are degenerating with each passing day��


    Rhode confirmed that it was almost impossible to make Highland City his anymore. It could also be said that after learning the truth, he wouldn��t accept them even if they decided to submit to him. No matter the Light Parliament or Viper Gang, none of them were easy to deal with and he might be out of luck if he weren��t careful. It was still possible to eliminate the Light Parliament, but an underground evil organization like the Viper Gang wouldn��t be that easy to eradicate. If Rhode and Angelina didn��t manipulate the two Dark Elves to reveal the truth, he would never believe that a small city by the border would have this many shenanigans.


    But what left a bad taste in his mouth was Shane��s plan. According to the two Dark Elves, apart from being commanded to stalk ��Miranda�� and Angelina, they also had to investigate everything about ��Miranda��. Not only that, but Shane also ordered the Dark Elves to drug ��Miranda�� and Angelina during an opportune time and send them to his manor for him to imprison and physically abuse them!


    Rhode gazed in silence. His smile became as moving and bright as the dazzling sun in spring. On the contrary, Angelina turned pale and didn��t dare utter a word because she sensed the murderous intent and wrath hidden behind that gorgeous smile that was so much more scarier than the ice jail in Country of Darkness. Not only her, but the two Dark Elves also instinctively shivered in fear.


    ���� M-Master?��


    Angelina swallowed her saliva and called out nervously. This was the first time that she sensed such clear murderous intent from him. If what she sensed was the imposing aura when she signed the contract with him earlier, this murderous intent simply left her breathless. The ice-cold sensation was as though sharp needles penetrating her body mercilessly, entering deep into her bone marrows and blood. She didn��t even have a chance to escape. Not only that, but also what terrified her the most was his smile. She didn��t spend a lot of time with him before, so she wasn��t aware of this habit of his. But even so, she felt chills run down her spine which froze her to the spot. That smile was so pure, beautiful, and dazzling. But it was this pure smile that appeared hypocritical to her at the same time. As a vampire who lived in Country of Darkness, she had been a hypocrite all her life. There were no friendships or trust among vampires and only exploitations and betrayals existed. But she swore that she had never seen such a ��hypocritical�� smile. It was a contradictory illusion that one felt with the extreme truth. The smile that wasn��t meant to conceal one��s wrath but only to express one��s anger was as natural as one crying in pain.


    ��Master�� What����


    Angelina couldn��t complete her sentence. In the face of Ashvril, she was able to lift her head bravely and defy with all her arrogance and pride. But now, she realized that she returned to becoming that little girl from the past and almost broke out into tears!


    ��Hmm?��


    Rhode turned and kept his smile upon hearing her voice as though begging for forgiveness. The instant the overwhelming pressure vanished, Angelina heaved a sigh of relief and held her hand on her chest. As his subject, she did hear about one of his most prominent features that was ��nothing good was bound to happen when he smiled�� and now, she finally understood what it meant.


    ��Erm�� What do you intend to do, Master?��


    Angelina removed her mental manipulation on the two elves and they didn��t seem any different. In fact, the instant they were mentally manipulated by her, they had become her devoted servants. They would not appear any different from usual and as long as Angelina summoned them, they would immediately return to being her loyal servants and do anything for her. What was terrifying was that they wouldn��t seem mentally manipulated at all when making decisions as though everything that they did was out of their own accord.


    This was the horrifying skill of the vampires. The moment one was manipulated by her, one would become her slave completely.


    Of course, even though Angelina was a royal vampire, she couldn��t manipulate everyone. A person like Rhode with high will points or Mini Bubble Gum with mental manipulation immunity couldn��t be controlled by her. More importantly, Angelina was one of his cards. If she manipulated others behind his back, he would immediately find out through the system and destroy her. No matter what, he would never allow this to happen to his close ones.


    At this moment, Rhode was considering his options in taking down Highland City. Killing Shane was naturally an option, but just like he mentioned earlier, that was the last resort. The entire Highland City was controlled tightly by the Alanic Family and Viper Gang. Even if he did kill Shane, they could simply replace him with another person in charge. Both organizations were huge so it wouldn��t be tough to find a replacement.


    As for the neutral party who wished to take advantage of Country of Light and Void Territory, Rhode wasn��t too concerned about them. Those guys were opportunists and totally unreliable. If it were possible, Rhode would find a chance to annihilate them altogether. On the other hand, he also disregarded everyone including the city owner who supported the Light Parliament because they didn��t hold too much influence to make a difference. They were the Alanic Family��s puppet and as long as he got rid of the mastermind, they would be doomed. But what amused him was the group of rebels��


    ��Clive�� I remember this guy����


    Rhode narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin. If he recalled correctly, that young man named Clive was the city owner��s assistant who welcomed him in Highland City. He learned a lot from the two elves about this young man. What was interesting was that this young man was actually one of the most radical people who revolted against the Alanic Family. He had gathered many young men born in Highland City, attempted to overthrow the Alanic Family��s rule, and hoped to receive support from Rhode��s Void Territory.


    Perhaps Clive would have never expected that his every move was secretly observed by the Alanic Family and Shane. If it weren��t for the fact that Clive implicated several local and lower-level managers and a misstep might lead to the crumble of the management, he would have been killed by Shane a long time ago.


    This group of young men had strong passions and goals, but their weak spot was their lack of strength. Even if they formed up with Rhode, he wouldn��t benefit from them. Currently, there was only one source of the problem��Highland City was too peaceful. This wasn��t a good thing for Rhode. He needed chaos; extreme chaos that could turn Highland City into a blazing furnace and only he would stand a chance.


    ��I have an idea, Angelina.��


    Rhode narrowed his eyes and said.


    ��Right now, Highland City is too peaceful. But with this many visitors, there are enough factors to create a chaotic situation. We just need to mix the waters, sit back, and enjoy the show.��


    ��Have you chosen your target, Master?��


    Angelina��s eyes glinted with interest. Rhode nodded firmly. He extended his arm and two cards appeared on his palm.


    ��I shall rely on you two next, my adorable princesses.��


    He said softly with a gentle smile.

 Chapter 920 - Highland City Continuous Killings

    Chapter 920: Highland City Continuous Killings


    This place is really a treasure house.


    Randy grinned in joy after leaving the pub and looking at the signed contract. Although his trade association wouldn��t get a huge share of the cake under the Alanic Financial Group��s control, it didn��t matter because he didn��t have the intention to operate his business here for the long term. After all, it was too risky for his small business to do such a thing under the watchful eyes of the five largest financial groups. All he had to do next was to sell these goods to the Light Mainland and earn a small fortune.


    This was more than enough as Highland City wasn��t safe at the moment. Although it seemed like the Alanic Family was managing the city well�� Randy lifted his head and gazed at the enormous star ring in the sky with knitted brows. He just couldn��t get used to this strange view. Unlike the sky above Country of Light, this scene left him shivering in an unknown fear. He let out a cough and abandoned the fears inside him before entering the carriage.


    ��Let��s head back now.��


    Randy ordered and the carriage driver lashed the rein to drive the carriage. Randy gasped and shut his eyes nervously, resting on the expensive, luxurious chair. He had made a killing this trip. Although he benefited greatly, it was still terrifying to do something so secretive under the watchful eyes of the Alanic Family. No one was clearer than the merchants of the Country of Light about the strength of the five largest financial groups. If it weren��t for the other merchants who accessed this place constantly and allowed him to seize this opportunity, he wouldn��t have the guts to do it. But now, since he had already succeeded��


    ��Hmm?��


    As Randy fantasized on how he could use this sum of money to create more wealth, he realized that the carriage gradually came to a halt. His heart sank instantly. Have I been discovered by the Alanic Family? But they shouldn��t be launching an attack for such a small matter, right?!


    Randy trembled with fear as he approached the side window. But to his surprise, it wasn��t the private soldiers as he thought. There was no one and the entire road was oddly silent. What exactly happened? Is my carriage driver an idiot? Doesn��t he know that I��m rushing my way home?


    Randy looked ahead and said.


    ��Hey, what are����


    But, this was all that he said.


    All of a sudden, a silver ray flashed from the dark sky and penetrated his throat. Blood trickled from his wound and before he could struggle to safety, he had widened his eyes and plunged into the seat before him lifelessly. At this moment, the carriage shook slightly. A crisp laughter sounded but quickly faded into the deep, dark sky.


    This was only an ordinary and peaceful night for most people.


    The sun rose the next day and the entire Highland City was in an unprecedented, tense atmosphere.


    ��What happened?!��


    Shane gaped at the scene in dismay. The soldiers around him gawked with fear and trepidation and couldn��t utter a word. The dead merchant was hung up at the top of the stela in the middle of the plaza. His expression was solidified in shock and horror at the point of death. Also, there was a huge announcement paper flitting in the wind below him.


    Highland City doesn��t need greedy bastards like you!


    Get out! If not, this will be your plight!


    This is a threat and also a warning!


    Our city belongs to us!


    The words splashed in red on the white paper were strikingly eye-catching under the bright sun. Shane gnashed his teeth and clenched his fists firmly. At this moment, a relatively huge crowd of residents and merchants had gathered around the plaza. They witnessed the announcement paper and displayed different expressions. The foreign merchants shivered in fear and uncertainties while the residents were emotionally moved. That��s right! This is our city and it shouldn��t be devastated by these foreigners!


    ��Please make way!��


    Suddenly, a young man who appeared to be a clerk of the law court led a squad of garrisons to the scene. Shane narrowed his eyes and scanned the young man coldly��Clive.


    Although Clive was the city owner��s assistant, Shane knew that he had been privately recruiting people to take over this city. However, Shane had never regarded Clive highly. In terms of wisdom and battle skills, Shane was stronger than Clive. This was why Shane allowed the latter to do whatever he wanted because he would annihilate them altogether when he found the opportune timing. But it seemed like Shane was too lenient on him. Is this his doing? How is that possible? According to my men, they didn��t discover anything strange last night.


    Although Shane thought that it was possible that his men might have covered up their mistakes and didn��t report the truth, he didn��t believe that Clive was this capable.


    ��Soldiers! Tear down everything and burn the corpse!��


    Shane ordered and shifted his ice-cold gaze to Clive who stood before him.


    ��Mr. Clive, I��m shocked that this happened. I hope you can report to the city owner and inform him that it is a shame that something like this happened in the city! I hope you can nab the murderer and account for the merchants who arrived here!��


    Shane said and turned around without giving a second look. Clive knitted his brows and his eyes glinted in uncertainty.


    Who did this?!


    After ordering his men to deal with the aftermath, Clive paced on the street anxiously. He naturally sensed the threat in Shane��s words, but what had this got to do with him? Could it be that one of his men did this? If it were true, it would bring a huge impact to his plans. Didn��t I tell them to not do anything like this? Damn it; the city owner is unreliable and we can��t handle the death of a merchant in the city. Who did it? Was it the doing of my men? Or was it only an accident?


    After all, not everyone who opposed the Alanic Financial Group would become his subjects. Moreover, Clive had always been separating himself from the radicals to not invite trouble. But he didn��t expect that some guys were so brazen.


    All in all, I should investigate the truth cautiously. This is a critical period��


    ��Well, isn��t this Mr. Clive?��


    As Clive racked his brains for solutions, a melodious voice disrupted his thoughts. He looked up and saw a black-haired young lady in a black dress smiling at him. Behind the young lady was a golden-haired, adorable maid.


    If I recall correctly, she is��


    ��Greetings, Miss Miranda.��


    Clive bowed politely.


    ��I didn��t expect to see you here, Mr. Clive.��


    Miranda revealed a mesmerizing smile. She went up and continued to gaze at him. Clive lowered his head slightly in some embarrassment and took two steps back. Before he thought of anything to say, the young lady asked a curious question.


    ��By the way, did something happen? It seems like there is a huge commotion.��


    ��Ah, it��s����


    Clive��s anxiousness had as though been splashed by a bucket of cold water that calmed him down completely. That��s right. I have more important things to do and I don��t have time to waste anymore.


    ��We found a corpse in the plaza today and are investigating the murder, Miss Miranda. For you and your maid��s safety, please stay indoors for now. I��m sure the truth will come to light very soon since Highland City isn��t a particularly huge city.��


    ��Murder?��


    Miranda displayed a look of surprise. Then, she returned to her usual expression.


    ��Thank you for the warning, Mr. Clive. I hope you can successfully solve this case�� Please be careful too.��


    ��I will. Thank you, Miss Miranda.��


    Clive nodded and left instantly. All the way until he disappeared into the crowd, ��Miranda�� shifted her gaze to Angelina, who showed an excited expression.


    ��Alright, let��s get to the next step, Angelina.��

 Chapter 921 - Ever More Critical

    Chapter 921: Ever More Critical


    Things didn��t turn out well.


    The second day after the murder, Highland City was engulfed in an uproar. In the same place and by the same method. Two merchants who came from the Country of Light had been murdered and hung up on the stelae. Shane blew his top. He couldn��t imagine how the murderers got away with his tight security and committed the crime. The fact that the murder was committed in the same place with the same method meant that they were obviously provoking him!


    As the vice-captain of the Viper Gang and actual ruler of Highland City, Shane was a real piece of work. He decisively imposed emergency measures in the city, gathered the merchants, and dispatched soldiers to protect them in one location. Although Shane wasn��t sincerely concerned about the merchants, he felt humiliated that something like this happened in his territory and this became a threat to his position. He initially thought that Highland City was merely a poor city by the border and no one was capable enough to fight for his position. But now, this city was in high demand where even members of the Alanic Family were also eyeing for opportunities. If news of this matter spread out of here, his position in the Alanic Family would be precarious. But he wasn��t willing to give up just yet. He swore to nab the murderers and put an end to this!


    In fact, there was also another reason why he felt so vexed. He heard that some merchants had turned tail to the death threats and prepared to leave. He didn��t wish for Miss Miranda to leave too because now that he finally got the chance to meet two beautiful women after managing this ridiculous place for years. How would he let them escape so easily?


    Fortunately, according to his received intelligence, Miss Miranda had no intention of leaving this place yet. He heaved a sigh of relief. It seems like I must come up with ways to make her stay. If not, it will be such a waste.


    But before he came up with any ideas to handle her, another murder case happened.


    At identical time, place, and using the same method. The only difference was that there were three corpses hanging on the stelae this time.


    Highland City was filled with terror.


    Some cowardly merchants had decided to leave. They initially came here to survey the city but eventually saw no reason strong enough to make them stay any longer. It would still be possible if it were only one murder case as they could hire bodyguards since the profits were generous in this city. But the problem now was that the killings were committed too mysteriously. After the first murder case, Shane dispatched his soldiers to surround the plaza. Then, after the second murder case, he enhanced the security by tripling the number of soldiers. But even so, they couldn��t keep out the murderers or find out how they managed to pass through the defense. Many merchants were scared stiff as a result. Even though there were hundreds of soldiers guarding the plaza, no one saw how the three corpses were hung on the stelae. It felt as though the crimes were committed and three corpses appeared out of nowhere at the very instance of darkness happening just before dawn.


    Shane felt increasingly troubled. He was sure that the murderers were extremely powerful to sneak past the hundreds of soldiers. No ordinary people could achieve this, not even members of the Dark Brotherhood. However, Shane had no intention of giving up. He strengthened the security and sent out his Dark Elves to investigate in secret. This time, he swore to capture those bastards!


    But it was a pity that�� He was messing with the wrong people.


    ��It��s almost time.��


    Rhode gazed at the empty street with an evil smile. Just as he wanted; Highland City had turned into a mess but this still wasn��t chaotic enough. Murdering of the merchants was only a means and not a goal for him. Besides, if he killed too many of them, the suspicions might be targeted at him later. Although he didn��t care if the Country of Light criticized or accused him, he didn��t wish to be exposed yet.


    The next thing to do was to find the balance.


    ��Angelina.��


    Rhode called out and the young lady took a step forward.


    ��Yes, Master?��


    ��I��ll leave this target to you. You should know what to do, right?��


    ��Of course, Master.��


    Angelina��s eyes glinted in a thrilling radiance. She stooped over for a bow before retreating swiftly. Shortly after, she blended into the shadow and vanished into the darkness.


    It��s the third day.


    The senior stood up and looked at the letter before him worriedly. Highland City was getting increasingly unstable while Clive was also under tight surveillance��this definitely wasn��t a great sign. Although he didn��t know who was the person who murdered the merchants, this would destroy his plan if this continued. Clive was still too young. Although he won over the hearts of many supporters, he still wouldn��t stand a chance against the Alanic Family. Even though Clive did seek help from him, the assistance he could provide was very limited at this juncture.


    First, we need to find the person who attacked the merchants. If not, Shane may use this reason to lay hands on Clive and the others. When that happens�� The situation will become much more complicated.


    The old man stood up and as he was about to call for someone, he suddenly widened his eyes and couldn��t utter a single word.


    ��This is the end of you, old man.��


    A fair, slender hand stretched out from the shadow and grabbed the senior��s throat. Then, Angelina appeared out of the darkness and revealed a proud, arrogant expression on her beautiful, delicate face. She smiled at the old man who half-knelt to the ground and looked at him as though he was an animal.


    Who is she?


    The old man widened his eyes in shock. He struggled to break free from her hand but the seemingly slim arm was as tough as an iron pole. He realized that he was slowly attracted by her scarlet pupils�� His world changed in colors and everything including his senses had as though been smeared by red.


    At the next moment, he lost his consciousness.


    Night fell.


    There were no merchants or locals whispering into each other��s ears on the cold, empty streets. Instead, squads of armored soldiers patrolled the area with wielded weapons and scanned the surroundings vigilantly. They knew that their superior was feeling fretful and restless for the past few days. Apart from patrolling the place and ensuring that nothing similar happened, there was nothing else that they could do.


    At this moment, they suddenly heard a scream that broke the tranquility of the night.


    ��Ah������!��


    The soldiers scrambled. They hurriedly turned and stormed to the voice. Shortly after, they arrived at the south of the merchant��s gathering place and discovered a person wrapped in black clothes and wielding a dagger. There was also a dead merchant covered in blood by the person��s feet. The person brandished the dagger and mercilessly split the screaming woman into half!


    ��Capture him!��


    The soldiers charged forward with their weapons and to their surprise, not only did the murderer not escape, but he also raised his dagger and embraced their attacks. The murderer was powerful and the soldiers didn��t stand a chance against him. Not only were they unable to capture him, but the murderer also slashed them in succession. As the soldiers were about to give up and flee, several shadows appeared among them and darted out of the group.


    ��Get lost, weaklings.��


    Although the soldiers couldn��t see the faces of the reinforcements, they instantly recognized them from the embedded marking on the black armor��they were Shane��s special forces. The soldiers swiftly made way and left the battlefield to the four figures in black.


    The murderer became cautious at the sight of the four new challengers. He clasped the dagger and glared at them. Then, the battle began.


    In an instant, shimmering blade rays streaked across the night sky. The mysterious attackers drew their swords and sealed the murderer��s way of retreat. The murderer dodged their blades and quickly launched his attack on one of them.


    It was apparent that the four attackers were much more experienced in battles than the soldiers. On the other hand, the murderer was no weakling either. He continued to brandish his dagger skillfully and had even slashed two of the attacks. But�� This was the end of his fight.


    No matter how hard he tried, he was all alone. The instant he slashed one enemy, the others sneaked up and swung their blades at him. The murderer turned around with the dagger and the blades clashed. Clang! The powerful impact blasted the murderer away and he crashed and rolled on the ground. It was apparent that he was a goner.


    ��Capture him!��


    The soldiers who were watching from the side ran up to the collapsed man immediately, but what happened next stunned them all.


    The murderer lifted the dagger and pierced it into his throat.


    Just like this, he became a lifeless corpse.


    ��This����


    The soldiers widened their eyes in astonishment. At this moment, the others arrived at the scene.


    ��What happened? Who is he?��


    Clive rushed forward and witnessed the man in black clothes on the ground. One of the soldiers replied.


    ��He��s the murderer who attacked the merchants!��


    ��Murderer?��


    Clive puckered his brows. He took large strides to the corpse and took down the black cloth that covered his face. It was an old face and Clive couldn��t believe his eyes.


    ��Teacher�� How is this possible��!��

 Chapter 922 - A Flaring Omen

    Chapter 922: A Flaring Omen


    The murderer who killed the merchants was discovered during his act of crime. Then, he got into a violent clash with the soldiers and eventually committed suicide upon defeat!


    This piece of news shook the entire Highland City. It wasn��t because the murderer was captured so soon that caused an uproar. Instead, it was due to his identity. After investigations, the murderer was in fact the most prestigious elder in the city��Morey Heather!


    Morey was a popular figure among the people of Highland City. He was once an official in law and order. He was upright, plainspoken, and often sided with the people against the unfair treatments and exploitations from the Country of Light. Although the Alanic Financial Group had always disliked him, they didn��t have any justifiable reasons to get rid of him. On the other hand, Morey��s actions also didn��t threaten the Alanic Financial Group. Apart from fighting for the people��s benefits, he always kept a low profile and had never thought of using his huge influence to bring forth changes. This was the reason why the Alanic Financial Group spared his life. If Morey attempted to turn himself into a revolutionary leader, he would have been in a certain grave by now.


    The fact that the Alanic Family was able to secretly manage a city proved that they weren��t the sort of people who would slaughter the entire family of a threatening person. Merchants were all about profits, so it didn��t matter even if they let someone like Morey stay alive. After all, he was an honest person and wouldn��t stir trouble. To the Alanic Family, Morey was also doing them a favor by leading the people who were obedient to his every word. Those people often complained to him first hand whenever they faced unfair treatments.


    But who knew which idiot would take his place and gather the people against them if they were to kill Morey? The Alanic Family��s most important goal was to earn money and they weren��t willing to do anything that went against making money.


    But it was meaningless to say these things now.


    Morey��s death caused a huge uproar in Highland City. Although it seemed like everything returned to peace after his death, Shane was aware that the city was like a volcano waiting to erupt anytime. Everything appeared calm now but once the explosion happened, there would be a massive, unprecedented disaster! His intelligence network indicated that many people were furious over Morey��s death. They thought that Morey wasn��t wrong and it was the greedy merchants who came here with ill intentions. Some people even believed that the merchants were the ones who forced an honest and upright man like Morey bonkers. This just proved that those greedy bastards must be chased out of the city! This is our responsibility! We must inherit and carry forward Morey��s will!


    Some other people strongly believed that Morey wasn��t the murderer and was just a scapegoat for the murder cases! They are using this chance to wipe out those who oppose them while allowing the greedy merchants to pave their way in Highland City!


    Although there were many different opinions, they weren��t great news for Shane because all of the anger and confusion was targeted at the top management of Highland City: the Alanic Financial Group. If Shane didn��t resolve this problem, Highland City would break out in a crisis!


    Frankly speaking, Shane didn��t believe that Morey was the murderer. Shane had been secretly managing the city for more than a decade and when he first arrived, Morey was the official of law and order. After Shane took control over Highland City entirely, Morey left the job. From what he remembered, Morey was quite powerful in strength but was merely an official in this border city, so how powerful could he be? How was it possible that he sneaked past hundreds of Viper Gang��s soldiers and hanged the corpses on the stelae? Although Morey displayed strength that exceeded Shane��s expectations during the battle, Shane thought that the strength was still within acceptable range. It was due to this reason that he felt that the situation wasn��t this simple��


    Flawless�� Everything is just too flawless.


    Such nasty incidents happened during the past three days and yet they were easily resolved on the fourth. Although Shane could comfort himself by saying it was due to him enhancing security around the city which forced Morey out of his concealment and got discovered, based on Shane��s understanding of Morey, the latter wasn��t a rash and stubborn person. If Morey were the murderer, he would have waited for a while after realizing the strengthened defenses. After all, Highland City couldn��t possibly be on high alert everyday and as an ex-official in law and order, it wasn��t difficult for him to gather intelligence on the security levels in the city. He could have chosen to lay low and strike again after the security levels dropped. Shane believed that he would be in a huge headache if Morey did that. But Morey didn��t seem to be aware of this crucial issue. He simply murdered the merchants in broad daylight and was discovered by others�� Was he that confident in his skills? Or were there other reasons?


    Up until this moment, Shane felt that there was some kind of conspiracy behind everything that happened. He realized that he was like a clown of a character who was forced to be involved in a drama. Apart from mechanically following the script and speaking the lines, he couldn��t do anything else. If he did, he would be chased off the stage by the crowd. But if he continued to follow the script, he might possibly end up in the fathomless abyss. Shane didn��t feel great because he realized that the situation wasn��t in his grasp. Instead, he was being controlled by it.


    He had a hunch that this was only the start.


    Not only Shane felt this way, but Clive also felt a huge headache.


    ��We can��t remain silent anymore!��


    Clive knitted his brows and snarled at the group of men.


    ��I��ve said it before that this is the critical period. We have to remain calm! Do you think that we can go up against the Alanic Financial Group with our strength?��


    ��Yes!��


    The man smacked his hand on the table. He glared with bloodshot, furious eyes at Clive.


    ��We can��t tolerate it anymore. Sir Morey was willing to go this far for us, but what have we done for him? Nothing! We were protected by him and left everything for him to handle. This isn��t what Sir Morey can resolve alone! This is the problem of Highland City. That��s right. Our strength isn��t enough, but we have the entire Highland City behind us! As long as we gather the people and rebel, we will be the victors!��


    ��Are you out of your mind?��


    Clive widened his eyes at his companion.


    ��You want to drag the entire Highland City into our conflict? Do you know how many weak and innocent people are there? Do you want their families to die in war? Is this what you want?!��


    ��So what?! We��re no different from being dead, isn��t it? Do we have a choice to choose if we��re like slaves who struggle on whilst at death��s door or heroes who die honorably? I��ve had enough. I��ve had enough of hiding behind others. We have to fight for our rights. I won��t give up even if it turns into a river of blood. You can back off if you��re afraid! You coward!��


    ��I��m not a coward!��


    Clive gnashed his teeth and retorted.


    ��This situation is disadvantageous for us and we��re like mantises trying to stop a chariot. We should be cautious under such circumstances����


    Pow!


    Before Clive finished his sentence, the man clenched his fist and landed a heavy punch on Clive��s face. Clive fell to the ground. The chairs and table flipped and the clamors instantly became silent.


    ��I��ve had enough of you, Clive. Cautious, cautious, cautious! Sir Morey is dead! His corpse is hanging with those greedy merchants, but all you can frickin�� say is be cautious! You timid, cowardly man! Why did Sir Morey even think highly of a bastard like you! You��re a gutless trash! I��ve had enough. Brothers, come with me if you��re willing to save our home! If you��re just cowards, you can stay here and tremble in fear with this idiot!��


    The man stormed out of the room and one by one, members of the group followed him. The spacious room became empty. Clive laid on the floor and stared blankly at the ceiling. His cheek was stinging in pain, but his head was completely empty. He didn��t know how things became this way and why the person he respected the most was involved with this conflict. But there was one thing that he couldn��t be sure enough�� A catastrophe in Highland City was imminent and it would no longer be just an uproar. Instead, it would be a war, where everyone��men, women, old, and young��would be dragged into the scorching blaze and blood would fill the entire city.


    Will they be able to win?


    Clive wasn��t optimistic of their chances. The reason why he wanted everyone to stay patient wasn��t due to weakness or fear. Instead, he didn��t want the Light Parliament to intervene further. As the assistant of the city owner who dealt with the top management, he knew the nobles�� knack of doing things. If this was all to the situation, the Light Parliament wouldn��t step into the picture because Shane surely wouldn��t allow anyone to weaken his authority. Therefore, he would definitely come up with ways to settle the problems. All in all, Clive��s group would need to rely on the Alanic Family��s ��selfishness�� if they wanted to continue expanding their group.


    But the extent would be completely different if the people rioted. In the past, riots in the city were mostly ignored by the Light Parliament. But now, Highland City was highly valued and if riots happened, the Light Parliament would surely intervene. When that happened, the Light Parliament might even send their army here, but on the other hand, the Void Territory would disapprove of their army from entering Highland City. Who would be on the suffering end if a conflict between both sides broke out?


    The answer was self-evident.


    Clive did mention about the risks, but they were overwhelmed by anger and weren��t willing to accept his explanations. Perhaps these concerns were only delusions to them. Why will the Light Parliament send their army to repress us? Why can��t it be us who chase away the top leeches of the city in the shortest time possible and become the city owner instead? Why don��t we think on the bright side instead of the bad?


    Humans hated wet blankets. They felt discouraged and disgusted whenever Clive told them ��it isn��t time yet��, ��we��re not strong enough��, or ��the time isn��t right��. What makes you think that we��re incapable and will lose? Those nobles and merchants may be powerful but they��re still humans. They don��t have a pair of pointy ears, wings, or tail, so won��t they die with a sword to their heart too? What makes them think that we will tolerate their bullying?


    When Morey was alive, everyone respected his opinion and didn��t dare to defy. But now that he was dead and Clive was obviously not as respectable as him, nobody cared about his views.


    ��Clive, are you okay?��


    At this moment, Clive heard a weak voice. He turned around and saw a young companion who was showing a bitter smile.


    ��You��re still around����


    ��I think what you said was right. But now����


    ��Yes, it��s all meaningless now.��


    Clive shook his head at the young lady and stood to his feet. At this moment, his gaze became incredibly determined.


    ��It��s meaningless to talk about this anymore. Since they��ve already decided, I can only make up my mind too. I have no intention of doing so, but it seems like there��s no way around. They will fail and the Light Parliament will send their soldiers to repress them. This is only a struggle with time. When that happens, Highland City will be doomed. All we need now is to have a stronger backing.��


    Clive turned to the young lady.


    ��I need your help.��


    ��What is it, Clive?��


    ��If I recall correctly, the emissaries from Void Territory should still be within Highland City. I know that you��ve been managing this so I hope you can arrange a meeting for me and the emissaries; the sooner the better! It will be best if the meeting is held within the next two days. Be careful to not be discovered by others. I��ll leave this task to you. Only the Void Territory can rescue Highland City now. This is our final chance to protect our home!��


    Frankly speaking, Clive wasn��t sure if this was the right choice because he didn��t possess too much authority or capital to do this. On the other hand, the Void Territory wasn��t that foolish to be easily convinced to send out troops to assist Clive too. He needed to convince the Void Territory that he held sufficient capital. For example, he would be able to manage Highland City well and become an impressive assistant to the Void Territory. But now, Clive didn��t have that amount of capital. Not only that, but Morey was also dead and his men decided to split up with him. At this point in time, apart from the few loyal companions, he didn��t have any more power. Although he believed that those people would understand their mistakes after experiencing bloody repression and return to him, it would be too late if he sought help from the Void Territory thereafter. Therefore, he had to convince the Void Territory to dispatch manpower to help him within the shortest period of time so he could resolve everything. If not, everything would be too late after the Light Parliament got involved. Fortunately, he understood his companions well. Although they were a bunch who would take actions quickly from exhilaration, it was due to their sudden actions that they might possibly catch the Light Parliament off guard. In the absence of a plan, the Light Parliament might take a longer time mobilizing the army. Perhaps this was a blessing out of misfortune.


    ���� Okay.��


    The young lady hesitated but eventually nodded.


    ��I will do my best. Although I don��t believe that this will change anything, just like you said, we don��t have any other choice now.��


    ��Thank you����


    Clive lowered his head and heaved a long sigh of relief.


    He didn��t realize the glowing scarlet pupils in his companion��s eyes.

 Chapter 923 - Angelina’s Sigh

    Chapter 923: Angelina��s Sigh


    ��Got it, Angelina.��


    Rhode sat on the chair and nodded. He looked at the thick book in his hand and the scene looked as though a quiet, gentle, and rich young lady ordering her maid to prepare for teatime�� If they weren��t talking about this bloody subject.


    Shane could never expect the intelligence network that he worked so hard to build would be breached internally and exposed to others. Through the intelligence network that operated for years, Rhode finally learned about the forces within Highland City, especially the Dark Elves who Shane had sent to monitor him. Perhaps Shane would have never imagined that the spies he sent would humbly report to someone else about the situations of Highland City��


    The royal vampires�� mental manipulation skill sure is incredible.


    Although Rhode had fought against royal vampires in the game and knew how powerful their mental manipulation skill was, it was only after he defeated those who were under the mental manipulation that he learned that his companions had always been manipulated by the vampires. As for how the royal vampires did that, most players weren��t too familiar. In the game, the effects of the mental manipulation was shown in the form of status effects such as their bodies not responding to actions. But players still had the capacity to type in chat or use voice chat to ask for help from their companions.


    But it was a game after all. If the mental health of a player in a virtual-reality game could be completely manipulated by NPCs, it wouldn��t be a game anymore. It would basically be considered a nuclear weapon of the world. After arriving at Highland City, Rhode personally witnessed how the royal vampires�� mental manipulation worked.


    Many races were capable of mental manipulation, including high-class demons like Celestina. The Lustful Demons who submitted to him were experts too. Hypnosis, mental manipulation, and brain-washing were considered manipulation skills. Of course, the high-class demons who Celestina represented held the highest mastery of such skills. Language was a weapon to the demons and lies were their blades. Truth was their poison and no matter how they flipped their words, the words would come out as absolutely reasonable from their mouths. Besides, the demons�� mental manipulation had an AOE effect and if they wished to, they could even control masses easily.


    But Celestina clearly wasn��t interested in doing so. As a demon, she preferred using strength to repress others. According to her, using her charm and allure to control others was something only ��powerless sluts would shamefully do��.


    On the other hand, Angelina��s mental manipulation skills were powerful too. Although she couldn��t manipulate masses like Celestina, she had a high level of concealment. When Angelina manipulated the victims, they usually wouldn��t realize that they were being controlled. Angelina used her eyes to engage in mental manipulation and as long as one saw her eyes when she activated the skill, the process would be completed. Compared to the brazen and forceful mental manipulation by Celestina, Angelina��s was more subtle and concealed. The instant she gazed at the victims�� eyes, she would plant a seed in their hearts. What was terrifying was that the seed wouldn��t twist their views. Instead, it would stir and enlarge their emotions, turning anger even bigger, happiness even larger, and stubbornness even stronger. The purpose of the seed was to push the victim��s emotions to the extreme. In fact, when one was forced to the edge of the cliff, one could be easily controlled and destroyed.


    This was also why Clive��s companions were so infuriated. A few days ago, Rhode led Angelina and roamed around the streets as though to survey the market. But in fact, Angelina had been planting and scattering seeds everywhere. This process didn��t require a lot of time. All he had to do was to greet others and make them look into Angelina��s eyes.


    After the seed was planted, it would need a suitable environment for growth. It was due to this reason that Rhode chose to attack the merchants to create the perfect environment. As long as he magnified the fears and wrath in their hearts, he would have the opportunities.


    And everything worked out just as he expected.


    Clive was in fact reasonable with his ideas and those people were actually aware of that. Under normal circumstances, why would they make such a decision to take action? Just like Clive said, they weren��t bachelors who must die with pride. They had families��wives, children, and parents��and if Highland City broke out into chaos, what would happen to their families? Didn��t they fight for the sake of their families? But if they were all dead�� What was the point of fighting? Was it just for the sake of taking their revenge?


    Anyone would understand this logic as long as one wasn��t overwhelmed by anger. But the problem was that the seed which Angelina planted in their hearts left them burning in wrath. They eventually broke free from the chains of rationality and exploded. It didn��t matter if their families were dead; violence wasn��t a means but was their only purpose now! As for how it would end afterward, they never even considered it! They had no intention of considering them at all!


    This was why Clive was frightened. He dared to take action, but violence was only a means for one to gain benefits and not the ultimate goal after all. If one were only looking to seek revenge and lacked a clear plan, how would Highland City end up? Perhaps time would turn out even darker than when the Alanic Family managed the city!


    And everything was due to Angelina.


    If Rhode didn��t sign the card contract with her, he wouldn��t have trusted her fully because he knew that her motive for relying on him was different from others. In fact, she was considered the first person to rely on him after he became the dragon soul heir and her motive was also extremely clear��gain authority. She wanted to go against Ashvril, but she obviously couldn��t do that alone in the Country of Darkness. But Rhode was the new dragon soul heir and if she served him well, she might possibly gain a position like one of the four legendary generals in the Country of Darkness. If Angelina were of another race, Rhode might possibly grant her the wish. However, she was a vampire and her so-called increase in strength actually meant that she needed to create a vampire family within his territory. Rhode could accept angels, elves, half-beasts, and even half-demons. But for vampires�� He wasn��t sure about that.


    Rhode swept a glance to Angelina at this thought and the latter lowered her head hurriedly and displayed her obedience. However, what Rhode didn��t know was that Angelina was actually feeling really helpless.


    The reason was simple. She had a mission on hand.


    A mission that Mini Bubble Gum had given her.


    The mission was only one sentence��lure Rhode into having a sexual relationship with her.


    Angelina was stumped when she heard this mission back then. Although she was a vampire, she was also mentally prepared for this and naturally willing to let him fulfill his desires on her. After all, he held a higher status and there were only benefits and no disadvantages for her if she got closer to him. As a vampire of Country of Darkness, she didn��t care about being a virgin. As long as she held strength and authority, what was there to not give up for?


    But she believed that it was two totally different matters for Rhode to be interested in her and her luring him successfully. It seemed like Rhode wasn��t too interested in her now. She was also aware that in terms of allure, the women around him were worthy opponents and she couldn��t stand a chance unless she charmed or hypnotized him. But the problem was that Rhode was completely immune to those trickeries. Besides, she was clear that he was born in the Munn Kingdom and held the typical attitude against the undead. She counted herself lucky on the fact that he didn��t burn her to ashes when they first met. If she were to hypnotize him, it would only be a matter of time before her flame execution of death.


    Angelina frankly didn��t feel like accepting this mission because she wasn��t that foolish to go on this suicide mission. But a strong statement from Mini Bubble Gum changed her mind��If you refuse, I��ll beat you to death.


    Angelina instantly went down on her knees and accepted.


    She realized that although Mini Bubble Gum appeared childish, she was indeed incredibly, incredibly powerful. This left her feeling utterly hopeless. She knew that if she refused or failed the mission, Mini Bubble Gum would definitely get rid of her. On the other hand, Rhode definitely wouldn��t intervene with their affairs because any idiot could recognize his relationship with Mini Bubble Gum. Angelina was sure that even if Rhode heard the news of her being killed, he would only respond with ��oh, I see��, and move on with life��


    Although Angelina knew that this mission was tough to complete, it was much more difficult than she imagined. She thought that there would be lots of opportunities since both of them were alone all the time. But it seemed like Rhode was only interested in observing her skills and loyalty.


    Maybe I should take the initiative more?


    ��Master, what should we do next? Do you need me to check on the situation?��


    ��Hmm?��


    Rhode lifted his head and swept a glance at her. Upon sensing his gaze, Angelina instantly broke out in cold sweat. She couldn��t help it. If she dragged this any longer, she would only be left with the choice of either being burned or beaten to death. But the problem was that she didn��t wish to die so soon.


    ��The seeds have been planted so it��s not necessary, Angelina. As for the other matter, I suppose Marlene and the rest will handle them. All we need to do is to wait for the show to start.��


    ��Yes�� Master.��


    Angelina responded. She turned around and let out a long sigh. She knew that she failed again. If she were facing another person, she would have tried to show off her charm. However, it was the dragon soul heir whom she was speaking to and he could crush her with his two fingers. How would she dare to behave brazenly before him? Although Ashvril was a loose whore in the Country of Darkness, she didn��t even dare to wink at the Dark Dragon. She would be asking for death if she did that.


    Why am I so unlucky?


    Angelina grumbled and approached the door helplessly.


    On the other hand, Rhode closed the book in his hand and someone knocked on the door almost simultaneously.


    Knock knock knock.


    Angelina opened the door and there were two armored soldiers.


    ��Greetings, Miss Miranda. Sir Shane wishes to invite you to the banquet.��


    ��Banquet?��


    Rhode stood up and gazed curiously at the soldiers.


    ��Yes, Sir Shane organized it. He has also invited all merchant representatives in Highland City and wishes to use this opportunity to express his apologies for the happenings. We hope that you��ll do him the honor by coming for the banquet.��


    The soldier explained and handed over an invitation respectfully. Rhode accepted and scanned through the content quickly. The soldier continued.


    ��By the way, Miss Miranda. Sir Shane wants me to pass a message to you��your friend will be attending this banquet too and is looking forward to meeting you there.��


    Rhode twitched his brow slightly. On the other hand, although Angelina��s expression remained unchanged, she had some doubts in her mind. What Shane meant was..


    Rhode smiled at this thought.


    ��I understand. Please express my gratitude to Sir Shane on my behalf. I��ll be sure to be there on time.��

 Chapter 924 - The Banquet

    Chapter 924: The Banquet


    Rhode wasn��t surprised that Shane organized this banquet. After all, the merchants in Highland City had to be reassured after witnessing the series of ghastly murders that occurred the past few days. Although Shane didn��t need to rely on these merchants to increase his fortune, he could use this opportunity to showcase his authority and control of the city. On the other hand, the merchants would be comforted and wouldn��t spread words that would impact Shane��s position.


    But it was the message that Shane had gotten the soldier to pass on to Rhode that was amusing.


    In fact, the Seren Trade Association existed. After Rhode had gotten Gillian to set up the intelligence network, he dispatched men to the Country of Light and established a small-scale and low-profile trade association that transacted on daily necessities like food. All members were basically locals and apart from Gillian spreading words that there was an incredibly beautiful young lady merchant leading the trade association, generally no one had ever seen Rhode��s face. Of course, this was also for the sake of convenience. In private, Seren Trade Association was actually responsible for gathering intelligence spreading within the Country of Light and they would communicate them to Gillian. Gillian would filter the content and inform Rhode of their findings. Therefore, Rhode wasn��t concerned if anyone would look up the Seren Trade Association because it existed. Now that several merchants from the Country of Light had arrived at Highland City, it wouldn��t be astonishing if any of them who had transacted with the Seren Trade Association were to greet him.


    But the problem was�� ��Miranda�� didn��t have many friends.


    So what did Shane mean by that message?


    Could it be that Shane found out Rhode��s true identity and was about to take actions during the banquet? He must be out of his mind if he did.


    No matter what, Rhode wouldn��t break his promise.


    Because any conspiracies were meaningless.


    Night fell shortly after.


    Bright, dazzling torches erected around the Alanic manor illuminated every corner. Armored soldiers guarded the entrance and scanned every carriage for security measures. Merchants headed out of their carriages and conversed casually while savoring the delicious food and indulging in the melodious tunes of musical instruments. The entire hall was like a long-awaited, dreamy paradise.


    This was a rare opportunity for the merchants to relax themselves. After all, they were deeply affected by the murder incidents. They couldn��t be blamed since they weren��t soldiers or mercenaries. Besides, things would be troublesome if something were to happen to them in foreign land. Therefore, they had been exceedingly nervous, but since the murderer was captured, they could finally let their hair down to drink alcohol, talk about business trends, and also butter up the Alanic Family. All in all, the atmosphere was incredibly lively.


    While everyone had a great time, a pitch-black carriage arrived at the entrance of the manor. They turned around curiously and were instantly hooked.


    The door opened.


    Angelina clad in a black and white maid dress jumped out of the carriage lightly. She was as mesmerizing and elegant as an elf in the night sky. Her smooth, golden long hair bounced in her gentle movements and glowed faintly in the radiance of the bright torches. The white stockings that wrapped her slim legs and black leather boots were extraordinarily eye-catching. In fact, the male merchants were stunned as soon as they witnessed this gorgeous elf. Although Angelina seemed like a 13-years-old girl and her body was only beginning to develop, her face displayed the unique charm and allure of a mature woman. This attractiveness blended perfectly with her youthful appearance and set off an unforgettable and contrasting beauty. No matter the male or female merchants, all of them had the urge to drag her into their arms for a tight embrace to fulfill their desires for affections.


    A bunch of lowly, filthy animals.


    Angelina immediately sensed the gazes projected onto her. She swept a glance at everyone and let out an inward chuckle. She turned around humbly and extended her hand.


    At this moment, another fair, delicate hand extended from the carriage and held onto Angelina��s hand. Then, a slender figure stepped out of the carriage.


    ������


    Many merchants instinctively sucked in a deep breath of cold air. If Angelina had mesmerized them before, this young lady could be said to have instantly shone an unprecedented brilliance into their world��she�� was the world itself.


    Even Angelina lifted her head and gazed at her master proudly.


    Rhode wasn��t dressed luxuriously and his outfit could even be considered plain for this occasion��a pitch-black, long-sleeved skirt complemented with a suede shawl. But not only did this outfit not lower the attention that he received, but it also accentuated a clean and unconventional elegance. If Angelina was said to be an alluring elf, ��Miranda�� would be the princess of the night sky��high-class, refined, and a presence who people looked up to. In an instant, the lively music resounding in the manor became softer as though nothing in the world was comparable to her.


    ��You��re here, Miss Miranda.��


    At this moment, Shane strode forward in large strides and a warm smile. He extended his hand and held onto Rhode��s right hand passionately.


    ��Welcome. I��m delighted to see you. This dress fits perfectly on you, Miss Miranda. You��re truly the most beautiful star of this evening.��


    ��I��m flattered, Mr. Shane.��


    Rhode revealed a bright, graceful smile that dazzled Shane. Then, he quickly used this chance to retract his right hand.


    ��By the way, I didn��t expect that you��d be able to capture the criminal so quickly and this definitely assures many foreign merchants like myself. I��m impressed that you have so much influence in Highland City, Mr. Shane.��


    ��Hahaha. I should be the one feeling flattered, Miss Miranda.��


    Shane burst into a hearty laughter.


    ��We��re all merchants and I, as a member of the Alanic Family, have the duty to ensure the safety of my peers. Highland City is in a bit of a mess right now, but it is only due to the cause of a bunch of clowns. Hmph! Don��t worry, Miss Miranda. Those fools won��t cause us trouble anymore. With the strength of our Alanic Family, not even the overlord of Void Territory will threaten us!��


    ��Oh?��


    A mysterious glint flashed in Rhode��s eyes. He gave a gentle chuckle.


    ��I��ll leave those concerns in your care then, Mr. Shane.��


    ��Leave them to me, Miss Miranda. I promise that no one will hurt you.��


    Shane stooped over for a bow and politely led Rhode into the manor. Angelina followed closely beside Rhode while curiously gazing at her master.


    Is he really a man?


    Angelina had had this doubt for a long time. Although Rhode wore a male noble attire when they first met, she didn��t sense any manliness in him. But since everyone said so, she knew that she shouldn��t probe this question. On the other hand, ever since coming to this city with him, the doubt in her mind grew increasingly deeper. At this moment, Rhode was as though a true noblewoman. His etiquette and even presence and grace were that of well-known figures within the dark nobles. Moreover, he had purposely compressed his voice to sound more feminine which made her have serious doubts about his true gender.


    It went without saying that Angelina didn��t display her dubious expression. But come to think of it, Rhode most likely would let her have a taste of his strong manliness if she ever raised her doubt. Of course, this would fulfill her secret mission too.


    ��By the way, Mr. Shane, I heard that my friend is here?��


    Rhode asked curiously. He suspected that this was a trap, but it seemed like Shane didn��t set up an ambush and there were no signs of Dark Elves anywhere. Could it be that my friends are really here for me? But when did ��Miranda�� make any friends?


    ��Ah, yes, Miss Miranda. That young lady only arrived at Highland City this afternoon. She visited me and inadvertently spoke about you which is why she knows you��re here. She seems really excited and has been looking forward to meeting you.��


    Shane gestured to the servant beside him.


    ��Please invite the young lady over.��


    The servant turned around and left immediately.


    Shortly after, Rhode heard hurried footsteps. He turned around and witnessed a long, red-haired young lady in a blue dress scuttling toward him in excitement.


    ��Long time no see, Miss Miranda!��

 Chapter 925 - : Unsettling Night (1)

    Chapter 925: Unsettling Night (1)


    ��Miss Emily?��


    Rhode revealed an uncharacteristic surprised expression. He had never expected to meet Emily here.


    Emily Edward, daughter of the chairman of Edward Trade Association in the southern Munn Kingdom, Fiat.


    The most unique and memorable thing about her was that she successfully became a merchant and yet, was determined to become a Travel Merchant instead. Back then when Rhode went to Fiat to eliminate the enemies, he disguised himself as Miranda and interacted with Emily for a period of time, which he eventually triggered the hidden mission. But for the sake of the bigger picture, he had to abandon the mission and it became the first ever mission that was marked with an ��Incomplete�� in this world. If Rhode were a perfectionist, he would have felt uncomfortable every time he saw the grayed-out mission. But he didn��t take it to heart and initially thought that that was the end to that matter. However, never did he expect to meet her again.


    Rhode scanned the young lady curiously. Compared to when he first met her in Fiat, Emily seemed much more mature now. It was apparent from her confident smile that she was satisfied with her life. It seemed like she had sneaked out of her family and fulfilled her dreams. But he didn��t know what happened in between though.


    Shane was gentlemanly enough to make an excuse and left as soon as ��Miranda�� and Emily met each other. Shortly after, they found a relatively empty spot and reminisced about the old times. But before that��


    ��Miss Miranda, she is����


    Emily gazed curiously at Angelina who had been following quietly behind Rhode. Rhode waved his arm casually.


    ��She��s my servant.��


    ��I see����


    Emily scanned Angelina from head to toe. The latter was resentful because it felt extremely insulting to be looked at by lowly humans as though she was an animal. If it were in the past, Angelina would have let her have a taste of her foolish mistake. But now, she could only lower her head and adopt a humble stance.


    ��Your servant is really beautiful, Miss Miranda.��


    Emily looked at Angelina and gave an admirable sigh, totally unaware that she had just escaped death. She recalled when ��Miss Miranda�� came to Fiat, she had also brought two servants in the name of Celia and Celestina. Those two servants were absolute beauties and Emily didn��t expect to see yet another adorable servant.


    Emily was thrilled to see ��Miranda�� again and Rhode learned from her about the situation after he left Fiat.


    It was after the end of the internal battle.


    After the North-South internal battle ended, the Reformist Party was swept into trash cans while the South experienced social and political unrest. Although Fiat wasn��t closely related to the Reformist Party, it was still seriously impacted. But Rhode didn��t know if they were fortunate or not, because after he crumbled Edward Trade Association��s mine, which forced them to stop providing ores to the Reformist Party, it in turn helped them to escape a catastrophe from the clearing of accounts. But he had in fact gone too far, which caused the entire mine to collapse and made it impossible for them to dig up new mines. Besides, their competitors seized the opportunity and snatched many of their businesses which forced them to reconsider other business opportunities.


    On the other hand, Emily convinced everyone in the trade association to allow her to travel. Thereafter, she had been traveling in the identity of a Travel Merchant with the experiences that Rhode had given her and thoughts that she mulled over. She performed outstandingly in the Light Mainland over the past two years. However, unlike the Travel Merchants who settled down after earning a fortune, she preferred to roam the continent in search of more precious and rare goods. This story wasn��t too different from what Rhode experienced in the game.


    It was due to this that after Emily heard about the situation between Highland City and the Void Territory, she came to try her luck for some interesting business opportunities. Of course, she knew that her basic sword skills could only protect her from minimal dangers and besides, as a Travel Merchant, she also carried several expensive items with her. If she didn��t have that little bit of brain, she would have been taken advantage of by others a long time ago. Therefore, she studied the situation in Highland City before arriving and paid Shane a visit who was in charge of the Alanic Family in this city. Shane was interested in her identity as a Travel Merchant which led to him mentioning about Miranda who had left him with a deep impression.


    Emily didn��t expect to hear her name in this city at all and was over the moon. After she became a Travel Merchant, she did look for Miranda and indeed had some relations with the Seren Trade Association. Fortunately for Rhode, Gillian had reorganized the Seren Trade Association and started working on their intelligence network and the members didn��t know much about Miranda. In fact, most of them didn��t know her whereabouts at all and all they knew was that Miranda seldom returned to the trade association. Although this response left Emily dissatisfied, this also resolved Rhode��s crisis from another aspect�� At least his identity wouldn��t be exposed.


    Emily was like a student who learned lots of things with great pains and was eager to find her teacher to prove her progress. Besides, she had indeed benefited from the knowledge that Rhode imparted her in Fiat. It was especially after she became a Travel Merchant when she realized how important the knowledge was. Although it didn��t make her an overnight millionaire, it gave her clearer judgment to work in safer environments just like what ��Miss Miranda�� said��money can be earned again, but one only has one life. Emily remembered this advice deeply by heart and gave up decisively on decisions which eventually saved her from trouble. If not, no one knew where her dead body would be at right now.


    Judging from another angle, Rhode could be considered her ��life savior�� and not only once.


    ��But�� You��re really fortunate. It hasn��t been peaceful recently and it is really dangerous for a merchant to travel alone.��


    Rhode said with admiration. It was true that it hadn��t been peaceful in the Light Mainland. After the internal battle between the north and south, the attack that the Country of Darkness launched on the Light Mainland was also incredibly fierce. It could be said that the area was in turmoil and chaos of war. It was especially so for the Country of Light, where problems arising with the refugees, bandits and thieves also wreaked havoc everywhere. Under such circumstances, it was remarkable that Emily achieved such results while being alone.


    ��Eh heh heh.��


    Emily stuck out her tongue in embarrassment.


    ��Actually�� I��ve been traveling with someone. Just like what you said, Miss Miranda, it hasn��t really been peaceful. I think that life is more important than everything else since money can be earned again. Ah, by the way, allow me to introduce to you Miss Miranda.��


    Emily quickly scanned the surroundings and spotted her target. She ran up and dragged her out of the crowd.


    ��She is Miss Stefania. I��ve been traveling with her all this while, Miss Miranda. She��s just like you, a Travel Merchant.��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode revealed a curious expression but in fact, he was shocked and had even prepared himself for a fight. On the other hand, Angelina instinctively took a step back and stared at the young lady. Both of them discovered that before Emily pulled that young lady out from the crowd, they didn��t detect her presence at all!


    This was an absolutely strange phenomenon. Rhode was the dragon soul heir while Angelina was a royal vampire. It went to show how unimaginably powerful she was to be able to conceal her presence before them!


    ��Greetings, I��m Miranda Seren.��


    Rhode showed an elegant smile and extended his hand. The young lady smiled and held his hand in response.


    ��Greetings, Miss Miranda�� I��m Stefania Yulia. Glad to meet you. I��ve heard a lot about you from Emily�� And it seems like you��re truly as interesting as she said.��


    The young lady revealed a gentle smile while Rhode cautiously scanned her from head to toe.


    She had fair complexion, a pair of pitch-black eyes, and pitch-black long hair that reached her waist. She could be considered a beautiful young lady who left a deep impression. But unlike Emily��s outfit, she was wrapped in a large black cloak. What was strange was that her weird outfit didn��t capture any attention among the luxuriously-dressed guests. Other than Rhode and Angelina, it seemed as though no one noticed her presence, not even Shane who was currently chatting with the two fat merchants nearby.


    She was in the Peak Legendary Stage at the very least.


    Rhode knitted his brows. The moment he held her hand, he instantly detected the massive amount of strength inside her. Not only that, but he also sensed an indistinct demon aura exuding from her. Given the reaction which Angelina had toward her, there was only one answer.


    A half-demon? That��s rare��


    But why would a half-demon be here?


    Not only that, but Rhode also realized the undoubted glint of shock in Stefania��s eyes. It was apparent that she had seen through his true identity.


    Could she be an unexpected trouble?


    A half-demon in the Peak Legendary Stage who he didn��t recognize. Now that he was in Highland City, this definitely wasn��t any good news.


    He had no intention of investigating her immediately. On the contrary, he chatted casually with her, found an opening to greet other guests, and headed off. Although Emily was unwilling to part with him yet, she knew that this sort of relationship between merchants was necessary.


    ��Sigh�� I finally got the chance to meet Miss Miranda and was hoping to speak to her a little more�� Miss Stefania, what do you�� Huh?��


    As Emily turned around helplessly to seek her companion��s opinion, she discovered that Stefania was nowhere to be seen.


    ��Really����


    Emily didn��t seem that surprised by her disappearance. After all, she was just a peculiar person and Emily was used to it already. Emily shifted her attention to the sumptuous food since she hadn��t eaten after arriving at this city.


    At the same moment in the quiet corner, Rhode gazed silently at the young lady standing before him.


    ��Hey, Miss Stefania, is anything the matter?��


    Without Emily around, Rhode displayed a calm and rather cold expression. He lowered his right hand, ever ready to summon his card spirits. On the other hand, Angelina stood behind him and stared sharply at the young lady.


    ��Don��t be so nervous, Your Majesty Rhode Alander. I have no intention of being hostile to the ruler of this territory.��


    Stefania didn��t show any sign of fear to his ice-cold gaze. Instead, she revealed his true identity with a smile.


    ��Instead, I just want to make a small deal with you.��


    ��Deal?��


    Rhode twitched his brows.


    ��That��s right. After all, one doesn��t get the chance to meet the dragon soul heir anywhere, isn��t it? Don��t worry. I come with no ill intention. I��m only curious to know if you��re interested in my small little deal����


    Stefania reached out for a pendant from her pocket. It had a weird pattern made from three interconnected circles. Rhode��s eyes glinted at the sight of the pattern.


    ��You are a plane merchant?��


    ��Wow, you��re aware of that? I thought I��d need to spend some time explaining everything to you����


    Stefania revealed a look of astonishment. Upon hearing her answer, Rhode��s heart was crashing in huge waves. He didn��t expect that he would be this fortunate to meet a plane merchant!


    The so-called plane merchant, also known as the plane-of-existence merchant, was one who traveled between planes of existence for business transactions. In the game, plane merchants were extremely rare to find and their spawn positions and locations were never fixed. It could be said that players had to rely solely on luck in order to meet one. Not only that, but the items that the plane merchants sold also weren��t ordinary. Although the items weren��t exceedingly powerful, they were incredibly strange and mysterious and most of them didn��t belong to this world. There was once a player who purchased from a plane merchant an enormous biped robot!


    Rhode recalled how bewildered the other players were when they witnessed that player riding the robot onto the plaza for the first time. It was ever since then that the legend about the plane merchant was proven. Players tried to search for plane merchants but the plane merchants were too secretive and didn��t leave any traces of their existence. But the items that they sold weren��t invincible. For instance, the player who purchased the biped robot brought it into a dungeon. After a BOSS fight, the robot suffered damage that was beyond repair and self-destructed��


    Rhode was full of surprise at the sight of this young lady. He didn��t meet a plane merchant in the game but was presented with a chance now.


    I��ve struck gold.

 Chapter 926 - Unsettling Night (2)

    Chapter 926: Unsettling Night (2)


    ��Alright, what do you have?��


    After realizing Stefania��s identity, Rhode was no longer surprised as to why she was with Emily anymore. Although he had never met Stefania in the game, he was aware about the rumors spreading among players about the plane merchants�� characteristics. The plane merchants loved to roam the world for rare, bizarre items while Emily was an expert in finding them for business deals. It could be considered the will of heaven that both of them met.


    ��I have everything, Your Majesty. I have many, many interesting things. Ah, but I��ve to put it upfront that although it is rare for me to have a chance to meet you, I can only sell one item to you. So, please choose carefully and of course, as for the remuneration��.�� Stefania gazed at Rhode meaningfully. ��Your Majesty, since you��re aware of us, plane merchants, I don��t have any reasons to keep secrets from you. We don��t need gold coins and if you have any precious treasures, gems, or amusing things, you can use it for an exchange. Of course, if you do exchange with an adorable girl, I will give her something extra for free. That��s because I love adorable girls.��


    ��Adorable girl?��


    Rhode looked meaningfully at Angelina while the latter was bewildered. Stefania showed a bitter smile.


    ��Ah�� Unfortunately I can��t accept this vampire lady. For some particular reasons, I just can��t�� Besides, my adorable kittens dislike vampires so I��m sorry. But since you��re Emily��s friend, I will give you a 20 percent discount, Your Majesty.��


    Every family has its hardships it seems.


    Although Stefania sounded vague, Rhode still realized the hidden meaning behind her words. Yes�� He wouldn��t be commenting on her personal interest.


    ��Alright then, what would you like to have, Your Majesty? How about this, the Transformation Bracelet? It can transform you into a real woman and I suppose you need this, Your Majesty. Not only will your gender switch, but your hair color will also change. I guarantee that no one will see through your disguise. Besides, it will also strengthen your powers to the next level. There are three colors of red, blue, and white for it. If you want to, I can add on a talking puppet for free.��


    ��It��s not necessary.��


    Rhode shook his head. He had no interest in becoming a real woman and his disguise was only for show. Besides, he didn��t find anything special about this bracelet.


    ��Hmm�� I thought that you��ll be interested in that, Your Majesty�� If that��s the case����


    Stefania didn��t give up despite the rejection. Instead, she promoted other items like a true merchant.


    ��How about this sword, the Frostmourne Blade? This is a truly powerful weapon. Not only does it have the ability to abstract souls, but it can also be used to summon armies of undead. Your Majesty, if you want to show your prestige as the ruler, you mustn��t miss this weapon. If you buy it now, I��ll add on a Frost Throne for you. It is 100 percent hand-made and uniquely exquisite����


    Rhode pondered for a few moments before shaking his head. Indeed, perhaps this sword would be considered godlike for ordinary players, but after considering his identity and relationship with Lydia and Lilian, he didn��t believe that having this sword on him would be useful. Moreover, he had already obtained powerful swords like Shira and Celestina, so there was no need to waste a valuable chance with a plane merchant on an additional weapon.


    ��By the way, it seems like you have plenty of girls around you. Am I right, Your Majesty? With your grand identity, the young ladies will attract attention, even from the bad guys. Since that��s the case, I think you will be interested in this, the Sunburst Sword. It is a S-grade magic weapon that can provide a powerless woman with strength that can destroy the planet. Well�� if you dislike violence, I have this Soul Gem. As long as the girl signs a contract with it and becomes a magical girl, her soul will be stored in the gem. She will even survive even if her head is bitten off��provided that the gem isn��t on her head.��


    ��Nope.��


    Rhode shook his head. If it were in the past, he would have bought and given it to Christie. But now, since half of Christie possessed powers of the Deity Warden, he didn��t need such a protection item anymore.


    ��Do you have any means of transportation?��


    Rhode suddenly recalled that he didn��t have any impressive vehicles. He had to admit that some of the items that Stefania promoted were indeed powerful and amusing. However�� They weren��t especially useful for him.


    ��Of course!��


    Stefania revealed an excited smile. She waved her arms in midair and shortly after, an illusory image appeared between her arms.


    ��How about this, Your Majesty? The Normandy Warship; it is built using the latest technology, contains super-space navigation capability, and can conceal from most space detection. Also�� I have this Autumn Wind Cruise. It has first-rate defense and if you buy now, it will come with artificial intelligence installed for free. If you dislike its appearance, please have a look at this Spaceship Essoda, elegant and beautiful. It possesses strong firepower and transport capabilities. Do you like any of them?��


    My goal isn��t even to go to the Stars Ocean��


    Rhode twitched his brows to the three warships. Indeed, although they seemed impressive, his goal wasn��t to enter outer space, after all. He only wanted a convenient means of transport within his territory.


    ��Is there anything that is more�� normal?��


    ���� Your Majesty, how is it possible that we sell normal items?��


    Rhode gazed at the helpless-looking Stefania and realized that he asked a naive question. Indeed, the biggest feature about plane merchants was their rare, amusing goods. He would be asking the wrong person if he wanted something ordinary.


    ��What about some summoning cards?��


    Rhode wasn��t optimistic but still tried his luck. However, Stefania��s eyes glinted almost instantly. She extended her hands and colorful sets of cards appeared out of thin air.


    ��Of course! Please have a look, Your Majesty. We have the full set of Klo and Cherry cards. As long as you buy any of the sets, I will add on the necessary sealed key for you to activate them. Also, I have this dark magic card deck which is a famous card game and it will display incredible strength if you complement it with the game board~ Also�� This one, the five-colors deck created by the traveling Mages. If you buy it now, I��ll give you a free Amber Sword card and its land expansion pack. It��s definitely worth it!��


    Why does it seem like the strangest and most ridiculous things make me feel the most danger?


    Rhode grabbed the cards and scanned them carefully. Although the cards contained powerful strength, they weren��t compatible with his system as there was no response at all. The summoning cards that he wanted to obtain also weren��t among them.


    Do I just give up like this?


    Thereafter, the negotiations continued with Rhode being disinterested in whatever Stefania presented.


    The items were either only selling their cuteness or were totally meaningless for him. He finally understood why that particular player bought the biped robot back then. Compared to the items that could turn one into a magical girl or was a ship that could go to outer space, at least the biped robot was able to enhance his strength in the game. Also, Stefania had even promoted a biped robot named ��Zagu�� which was also known as ��the romance for men���� Rhode almost nodded in agreement straightaway because it was much more realistic than some spaceships, after all.


    ��You��re truly the dragon soul heir indeed. Your requests are so unique����


    Stefania couldn��t maintain her smile anymore and looked at him with a helpless expression instead. On the other hand, Rhode was equally speechless. Frankly speaking, there were a few times when he almost nodded to one of the offers as a means to end the transaction. But every time he was on the verge of giving up, the player spirit in him surged. What?! I finally get to meet a plane merchant and why must I buy something that I have no use for and head home?!


    In fact, Stefania had offered several wonderful items just like this particular pocket watch that had been constantly rotating around them. It could slow down time, which was why he and Stefania could negotiate a deal slowly. If not, perhaps they wouldn��t come to a deal even after the banquet was over.


    However, something like this was useless for him. The reason was simple. As a dragon soul heir and the representative of rules, the ability to slow down time wouldn��t work on him. With his current strength, he only feared the other four dragon soul heirs, which meant that slowing of time also wasn��t effective on them. Moreover, he could easily eliminate anyone below their level without the need for such an item.


    For the same reason, the black book that could annihilate anyone by writing one��s name was also pointless. He would rather rely on Christie��s Knowledge Scroll than it.


    Normally players had the habit of letting merchants list out all their goods while they slowly considered and picked their desired choice. But after reading Stefania��s long, endless list, perhaps even a decade wouldn��t be enough for him. On the other hand, it also wasn��t nice of him to make her promote the items one by one.


    ��It seems like I can only resort to that.��


    Stefania sighed upon realizing that this was wasting their time. She raised her hand and shortly after, a spinning roulette appeared before them.


    ��Let��s use this, Your Majesty. This is the Roulette Of Fate. It can detect your hidden desires for something that you actually need. As long as you give the command to stop, it will randomly point to one of the items. This is like a gamble, so what do you think, Your Majesty?��


    ���� Okay then.��


    Rhode hesitated as he was well aware of his ��unlucky looting aura��. However, he eventually agreed to her suggestion because no matter what, this was much better than spending decades to finish reading the list of items.


    This is fate it seems��


    ��Stop!��


    Rhode gazed at the fast-spinning roulette. There was no point in struggling now. He pointed his finger at the roulette and it slowly came to a halt.


    Then��


    Boom!


    A pitch-black bucket descended from above and landed before them. Rhode widened his eyes in astonishment.


    It was an oval container with several mysterious patterns that resembled magical rituals or some super technological lines. At a single glance, it looked like a metal egg��


    What��s this?


    Rhode scanned at the metal egg before shifting his gaze to Stefania. The young lady shrugged.


    ��Ah, this�� I found it in the ruins when I first arrived in this world. But because I can��t open it, I don��t know what��s inside�� If Your Majesty wants it�� No, since it is the chosen one, I��m sure it must be related to you in some ways. I shall sell this to you then, Your Majesty.��


    Is this really fine?

 Chapter 927 - Unsettling Night (3)

    Chapter 927: Unsettling Night (3)


    In the end, Rhode purchased the metal egg that he wasn��t aware of what purpose it served. Although it was huge, it didn��t pose a problem for him to stuff it into the spatial bag. Even though he was also interested in other items, it was a pity that plane merchants could only sell one item to each customer. This meant that Rhode could only buy this metal egg his entire lifetime.


    ��Alright, I��m happy to work with you.��


    After settling this deal, Stefania revealed a relieved expression. Frankly speaking, the most troublesome customers were those who were picky and unreasonable. If it weren��t for the Roulette of Fate, they would have haggled for a long time before reaching an agreement.


    ��It��s finally settled.��


    On the contrary, Rhode felt troubled because he didn��t know what that thing was exactly. But it seemed like some sort of a vessel. But the problem was�� Was this vessel good or bad? Even with his ��unlucky looting aura��, this item shouldn��t be defective, right?


    He finally had the chance to meet a plane merchant and yet, he received a defective item due to his ��unlucky looting aura��?


    Just thinking about it made him embarrassed.


    If it were possible, he wanted to demand Stefania to stay by his side for future deals. But it was apparent that Stefania possessed the powers to prevent it from happening. As a plane merchant, she possessed a unique ability called ��plane teleportation��. Not only could she transmigrate to other planes of existence, but she could also change her form in other dimensions. It was just like previously when she concealed her presence entirely from Rhode and Angelina. But this was also to be expected since it wasn��t possible that a plane merchant would be so easily discovered.


    This was all that Rhode could do for now. As for what exactly was inside the metal egg, he could only investigate further after returning to his territory.


    He hoped that it wasn��t defective��


    All he could do now was to pray.


    Stefania left after deactivating the time control while Rhode and Angelina headed back to the banquet hall. Perhaps the entire process seemed like less than half an hour to others, but in fact it was 10 hours of negotiations.


    Even Rhode couldn��t tolerate it anymore.


    ��Hmm?��


    The instant when time regained its flow and he returned to his senses, he instantly sensed a fierce battle happening faraway that involved clashes of swords and loud war cries. Although the battle was too far away for ordinary people to realize, he could easily hear them.


    The sound of clashes in battle stopped shortly after. But after a few seconds, he heard hurried footsteps and desperate screams from the same place. He lifted his head and looked in the direction of the clamors where he witnessed flares erupting into the sky. Although it wasn��t huge, he knew that it would turn into a prairie fire soon.


    He had to admit that those people chose the opportune timing.


    Rhode turned around and headed back to the banquet hall.


    At this moment, the banquet hall was as bustling as ever. The merchants raised their glasses and threw all the past horrifying incidents to the back of their heads. They didn��t realize that the soldiers guarding the manor were hurriedly rushing toward other places at the same time.


    What��s going on?


    Shane felt annoyed when he heard the urgent report from the orderly. A few moments ago, he had also received a report about a riot led by the lower-class people! Back then, he didn��t take them seriously and simply sent his men to suppress the riot. He wasn��t surprised that the lower-class people rebelled. In fact, he was ready for it after Morey��s death.


    However, the change in the state of affairs left him dubious. He thought that with his experience, the garrisons who he sent out could scare the people into obedience since they didn��t want to risk hurting their wives and children.


    But this time, things were rather strange. Not only did the violence not stop, but it became much more serious. Could it be that one of those idiots he sent accidentally killed their people and aggravated the situation? If that was the case, things would get really troublesome.


    However, after hearing his subject��s report, he was bewildered. According to them, the garrisons witnessed the rioters charging toward them with raised weapons. Although the garrisons attempted to repress their aggression like in the past, the rioters seemed fearless this time, where not even threatening their family members worked. On the contrary, the threats infuriated them even more. As a result, even though the rioters paled in comparison to the garrisons in terms of weapons and armor, they actually chased the garrisons away and were even setting fire around the city!


    Shane was stunned by their craziness, but he didn��t take them seriously. After all, apart from the useless garrisons in the city, he also had plenty of strong soldiers from the Viper Gang. Tonight was his important banquet night and if this news were to spread, it would hurt his reputation greatly. Therefore, after learning the failure of the garrisons, he quickly sent out his elite soldiers to deal with the crisis.


    But who would have thought that the elite soldiers also failed?


    This left Shane completely baffled. According to the report, there were too many rioters who were extremely familiar with the terrain and streets. On the other hand, even though the soldiers from the Viper Gang were elites, they were still humans who would die to a stab to their hearts. Therefore, they only manage to resist the rioters for a while before being completely overwhelmed. No matter what, a human wave attack would become advantageous after reaching a certain stage.


    W-What exactly is going on?


    Shane remained perplexed after much thought. He thought this was just a one-time situation, but similar incidents were happening everywhere in Highland City. Besides, the prairie fires were blazing increasingly wilder and the situation was getting out of control! Shane instantly felt fretful and restless. Although he continued to send out more people, the reports that he received were getting worse. According to the reports, not only were the people leading the riots, but plenty of soldiers were also involved now!


    Even though Shane ordered the city owner to appease the people, he suspected that the useless old man could hardly stand on his feet after witnessing the violent riots. Hmph. Trash is always trash. It seems like I��ll need to get involved personally. Damn it�� Shane swept a glance at the bustling banquet and gnashed his teeth.


    Those bastards chose to mess with me today. They��re asking for death!


    ���� Sir-Sir Shane!��


    At this moment, an orderly scampered toward him. He sucked in a breath of cold air upon seeing Shane��s sulky expression and quickly reported the situation.


    ��The front line is surrounded by the rioters completely. They��re closing in to the manor, Sir. What should we do?��


    ��What did you say? Those bastards dare to surround my manor?!��


    Shane was gobsmacked. He had never imagined that this day would come!


    ��Send soldiers to defend and seal all the entrances and exits! If anyone dares to enter, kill��������


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted and black rolling smoke, as well as scarlet flares rushed to the night sky. The cheery merchants came to an abrupt halt with their actions. They whispered to one another��s ears while turning to face the flares in the distance. The melodious music echoing in the hall had completely stopped and many of them headed out to gaze at the city enveloped by the deep, dark sky.


    However, they quickly realized that it wasn��t dark at all.


    Because the entire manor was surrounded by hot, blazing flames.


    Shane��s expression darkened instantly because he knew that��


    He was in big trouble.

 Chapter 928 - Boiling City

    Chapter 928: Boiling City


    The temperature is almost there.


    Rhode lurked in the shadow and revealed a smile while observing the scarlet blaze and smelling the burned smell in the air. At this moment, Highland City was like a wok of boiling water. As the temperature rose, the water boiled increasingly faster and the things hidden underneath would be revealed. If Gillian were to handle this, she would do a perfect job. However, Rhode preferred to do it himself. No matter what, he was a player and players were passionate about adventures. He hated staying in Grandia all day doing nothing.


    And now, his setup was about to produce the results.


    Rhode refused to believe that the Light Parliament wouldn��t make any moves after his dragon soul protection had enveloped Highland City. Highland City��s strategic and political significance was clear and important, so it was impossible that the Light Parliament had never thought of resolving this issue, especially after they had dispatched their men to check on the situation. They also couldn��t possibly think that the people of Highland City were powerful enough to resist them. So, could it be that the Light Parliament wasn��t prepared for this?


    Rhode didn��t think so. Also, he needed to give this city a thorough cleansing.


    That��s right. Cleansing.


    It was just like what Lydia did to the Reformist Party; she let them indulge in their craziness until the point of self-destruction. That was when she struck and made those idiots realize what foolish acts they had done. This was also why no one in Southern Port dared to defy her orders. After personally experiencing the terror and cruelty of war, those people abandoned their glorified rhetoric, sought their most instinctive desires, and stayed honest and obedient. Only the ones who experienced war understood the value of peace.


    Just like them, Highland City needed to be cleansed too. Rhode didn��t know what those people thought of his rule but he didn��t care.


    And now was the time.


    He had gotten news from Gillian that everything worked out as planned. He supposed that Mini Bubble Gum and Canary also couldn��t wait to get in on the action.


    To Rhode, sinking Highland City into chaos was only a means. After all, this city was overly rigid like a puddle of stagnant water that stayed constant. However, constant didn��t mean that no changes could happen. After the people of Highland City had had enough of the riots, they would face the terrible mess that they couldn��t restore. It was at that moment when Rhode would have an easier time gaining control of the city. Not only that, but the chaotic city also allowed the things hidden underneath the water to reveal themselves. Perhaps it was only for a split second, but as long as the hidden rats dared to show themselves, it would present a perfect opportunity for him. Moreover��


    Boom!


    Another loud explosion shook the ground. The merchants were baffled and flustered. At this moment, Shane finally appeared on the platform.


    ��Everyone stay calm!��


    His voice wasn��t loud, but he managed to suppress the clamors in the banquet hall. Shortly after, everyone turned to him and he revealed the confident smile of a ruler. He raised his arms and announced.


    ��Please remain calm! There is only a small accident out there. For your safety, I suggest that you wait here while we handle everything! I guarantee that the commotion will come to an end in just a while!��


    Although the merchants were dubious, most of them didn��t reveal their doubts. It was apparent that something was really off outside. Moreover, armored soldiers had sealed off the entire manor. As long as one wasn��t that stupid, one would know that this was a precarious situation.


    ��Hmph!��


    Shane gazed at the lifeless banquet hall and couldn��t hold his anger any longer. He let out a scoff and shifted his gaze to the blazing flares in the near distance outside the manor. The flares were as though the burning wrath that was inside him right now.


    ��Have all the soldiers been deployed?��


    Shane turned around and asked a mysterious man wrapped in black cloak. The latter nodded slightly.


    ��Hiss���� Everything is ready, Sir Shane. Hiss���� Those humans will stop acting so savagely soon, so please don��t worry. They will fail and everything will go as planned by you, Sir Shane.��


    ��Good.��


    Shane nodded. He turned around and entered the room.


    ��Remember, don��t keep anyone alive. Since they desperately want to die, let them have an eternity of death!��


    ��Of course. Hiss���� My master.��


    The man in black cloak stooped over slightly for a respectful bow and said with a voice filled with unprecedented frenzy and joy. When he turned around, the flares were coming closer and there were also indistinct human silhouettes raising torches seen among the blaze. They snarled as they charged toward the armored soldiers who were their most hated enemies.


    But��


    ��Slaves�� will always be slaves����


    The man in black cloak muttered under his breath. He extended his right hand and the wide sleeve swayed in the wind. A few seconds later, the blazing flames surrounding the manor were instantly extinguished while an enormous shadow shrouded the entire manor like an enchanted field of darkness.


    The man in black cloak revealed a mocking smile. Then, he raised his right arm.


    He began a deep, mysterious chant where suddenly, the eyes of the stone statues above the roof and walls flickered in bright, menacing red. Then, they leapt off the buildings, howling and pouncing into the darkness��


    Damn it! I��m too late!


    Hidden in the dark alley, Clive witnessed the blazing flames and heard the fierce bellows. He gnashed his teeth and his complexion had turned pale. He didn��t expect them to take actions so soon, which turned his plans into wasted effort. It was only yesterday when he finally met the Void Territory��s representative and convinced them to assist in taking control of this city. In order to express his devotion, he had even accepted the bind of a soul contract. But he didn��t expect that those guys were this quick. No, perhaps he had underestimated their insanity. They had completely lost their rationales and in such a situation�� Damn it��


    Clive clenched his fists in anger and helplessness. He didn��t know what he should do next but he was aware that if this continued, everything would turn out worse than he had imagined. He thought that those people would take some time to come up with a plan before starting riots against the Alanic Family. Meanwhile, he could open the city gates and lead the troops from the Void Territory to suppress the violence and uproot the entire Alanic Family from the city. Thereafter, he could rely on his trusted aides and represent the city in submitting to the Void Territory before the Country of Light dispatched their soldiers.


    Clive wasn��t without a political mind. He knew that the Country of Light��s army was weakened from the war with the Country of Darkness. If he could settle the city��s ownership before the Country of Light attacked, the Country of Light surely wouldn��t risk forcefully launching an attack on a city within the Void Territory. In fact, this was also another reason why Clive wasn��t supportive in submitting to the Country of Light. Apart from the wonderful Void Dragon soul protection, the other reason was due to the current state of the Country of Light. If the Country of Light was wealthy and powerful, he might be hesitant with his decision. But now, the Country of Light was in a terrible mess after war. Perhaps Highland City would be exploited even more if they continued with this arrangement, so it wasn��t too difficult for him to make this decision.


    But now��


    Clive shivered at the sight of the massive human wave. If the Alanic Family realized that they couldn��t handle the riots, Shane would surely seek reinforcements from the Country of Light. On the other hand, if Clive failed to get help from the Void Territory before the Country of Light��s reinforcements arrived, everything would be done for!


    However, another cause for concern was that the Void Territory was still a new territory. What gave him a bigger headache was that it would take a longer time for reinforcements to come from the Void Territory than the Country of Light. Would they be here just in time?


    ��Wait for a while more.��


    Rhode showed a wicked smile. Now wasn��t the time yet as the Alanic Family��s trump card hadn��t been revealed. Even if Rhode didn��t have the dragon soul powers and only possessed legendary powers of over level 60, he felt no pressure against the rioters. Although the rioters appeared aggressive, a single person could be more than enough to take them all down. Even Marlene in her pre-awakened form could defeat them because they were only humans. After all, they lacked spiritual powers and precious magic armors and weapons to protect themselves. They were nothing more than critters in the face of a powerful Mage.


    So��


    Finding the balance is an art.


    Rhode extended his arm and two cards flashed in his hand.


    ��I��ll leave them to you, my princesses.��


    ��Hehehe����


    Crisp giggles sounded and the window behind him burst open with its curtains fluttering in the breeze. The adorable voices gradually faded away and into the other end of the dark, night sky.


    ��Stand up, brothers!��


    The leading rioter snarled as he witnessed the armored soldiers and enormous manor on the hills. He held a torch in his left hand and a bloodied sword on the other. Behind him was a group of people filled with anger and murderous intent. They were mostly young and middle-aged men who were miners. They were once incredibly afraid of this place as though it was the demon lord��s home. But now, they no longer needed to fear the ones who enslaved them because they were about to use their blood, weapons, and turn their lives into the screams of their souls to make those bastards learn their wrath and power!


    ��Stop right now and leave this place!��


    The captain standing at the top of the watchtower shivered at the sight of the masses. He clutched his crossbow and couldn��t calm down at all. The streets were filled with people and flares like slow, flowing lava. Not only that, but he also realized that his soldiers were exceedingly nervous. Damn it! You guys aren��t any country bumpkins! You��re the elites of the Viper Gang! What��s there to be tense about some slaves!


    ��Push forward and block the door. Get ready for battle!��


    The captain kicked one of his soldiers fiercely and ordered in panic. Shortly after, the defensive line was formed by the powerful elites from the Viper Gang, Shane��s direct subordinates!


    ��Hiss������


    All of a sudden, the captain heard a sinister and ice-cold voice from behind which made him shiver. He turned around hurriedly and witnessed a man who had his entire body wrapped in a black cloak. The captain turned from a fierce bear into a docile lamb instantly. He quickly stooped over and bowed.


    ��Sir.��


    ��Those slaves are still unwilling to leave?��


    The man in black cloak gazed at the group of rioters gradually approaching.


    ��Yes, Sir, I��ve warned them many times. Those damn rioters�� I wonder why they are so bold today����


    ��Hmph.��


    The man in black cloak let out a scoff and the captain instantly shut his mouth. The captain looked cautiously at the other man and asked.


    ��Sir, what do you intend to����


    The man in black cloak didn��t answer. Instead, he extended and swung his right hand.


    Boom!


    Several enormous, pitch-black stone statues descended from above and crashed into the crowd. The group of rioters came to an abrupt halt. No matter how angry they were, they were still surprised by the sudden appearance of monsters.


    ��Foolish. Lowly. Shameless.��


    The man in black cloak gazed coldly at the people as though they were a bunch of brainless animals.


    ��Although I don��t know why you lowly slaves suddenly have the guts for this, this is the end. You��ve crossed the line so be prepared to pay with your life.��


    The man��s voice sounded so sinister that it brought about an unprecedented, cold breeze. Then, he swung his arm and let out a snort.


    ��Kill them all.��


    He ordered. The enormous stone statues widened their menacing jaw and growled as they pounced at the rioters.


    The slaughter began.

 Chapter 929 - Balance

    Chapter 929: Balance


    Blood and chunks of flesh splattered.


    The gargoyles slashed their stone claws at the humans ruthlessly, lifted them up, and tossed them aside like rag dolls. Trails of blood splashed in midair onto the humans. But instead of fleeing in fear, the humans widened their blood-shot eyes and raised their weapons like a group of maniacs, hacking at the gargoyles with everything they had got. The metal blades struck the gargoyles but failed to turn the situation into their favor. The menacing gargoyles swung their tails and blasted off several humans into the air, crashing onto the city wall.


    It was a messy, horrific, and bloody sight.


    The man in black cloak let out an evil laughter at the sight of the pathetic, powerless humans. But he was curious as to why they didn��t retreat because according to his past experiences, humans turned around immediately upon seeing the gargoyles. Thereafter, he simply ordered the gargoyles to give chase and slaughter them altogether. However, he didn��t expect them to be this stubborn and naive. Not only did they not escape, but they also charged forward to their death. Well, this was fine too, since it saved him time from tracking them later on.


    He gazed at the tragedy in disdain.


    Within 10 minutes, blood had merged to form a river in front of the watchtower with hundreds of corpses piling up on the streets. However, this didn��t stop the humans from advancing. The soldiers on the watchtower felt chills running down their spines. They were elites of the Viper Gang and logically speaking, they shouldn��t be bothered by these rioters. As soon as the gargoyles crashed onto the ground and began to massacre the rioters, the soldiers were cheering. But now, the entire watchtower was in complete silence as the soldiers watched palely at the bloody river and hill of corpses. However, it wasn��t this horrendous scene that frightened them. It was the rioters instead.


    The rioters are continuing to charge forward!


    They expected the rioters to struggle before finally turning around and fleeing in terror. However, they charged forward insanely as though their ripped and slaughtered companions were non-existent. They continued to raise their weapons, trampled over their corpses and slippery internal organs, and snarled at the gargoyles. As soon as the ones leading the charge were killed, those in the back immediately pushed forward and picked up the dropped weapons.


    They were so decisive that it was terrifying. No one retreated, not even when the gargoyles swept their razor-sharp claws or swung their enormous tails to shatter their bones.


    They aren��t humans anymore!


    The soldiers might accept the truth if the rioters were to remove their disguise and fight as monsters. Even the most experienced soldier wouldn��t make such meaningless sacrifices in such a scenario because it wasn��t worth it. This was the most basic instinct of humans, no, of all living creatures: preserve and protect oneself. However, the rioters didn��t seem to have this notion and were throwing their lives away!


    The soldiers of Viper Gang were experienced veterans, but this scene left them trembling in fear. This had exceeded what their common senses could accept and entered a level that couldn��t be understood. The rioters weren��t humans like them; they were monsters!


    ��Hmph. How strange����


    The man in black cloak scoffed and scanned their strange behaviors. After a few moments, he discovered that something was amiss. But at this moment, an unnoticeable breeze blew across the battlefield, and the bloodied gargoyles came to an abrupt halt and suddenly cracked!


    How is this possible?!


    The soldiers on the watchtower were bewildered. How was it possible that the gargoyles were destroyed by the rioters? As elites of the Viper Gang, they knew how powerful and terrifying magical creatures were. Although they were capable of destroying the gargoyles, that was because they had high-grade armor and strong magical weapons, unlike like the rioters who were clad in tattered clothes and clasping tools like iron hammers or axes!


    ��Kill the nobles! This is our home!��


    ��Kill the nobles! We have to protect our city!��


    ��Kill them all! Sir Morey��s will is here with us! For the sake of freedom!��


    Without the gargoyles stopping their way, the rioters stormed to the watchtower relentlessly, screaming disorganized slogans. Although the periphery of the manor was enhanced with rock walls and a steel gate and protected by arrow towers, the soldiers began to panic.


    ��Shut up. Look at your pathetic selves! Sir! Please give your orders! Sir!��


    The captain berated the soldiers before turning to the man in black cloak.


    ��Sir! Please give your orders�� Sir?��


    To his surprise, the man in black cloak stood on the spot and didn��t respond as though he heard nothing. At the next moment, he swayed to the side while a stream of blue blood spurted from his body. Then, his body split in half from the middle and he collapsed to the ground. Boom! The body wrapped in the black cloak instantly shriveled and within a few seconds, it vanished into thin air and only a lifeless black cloak was left.


    ��Sir is dead!��


    The captain and soldiers witnessed this horrifying scene. They were aware of how powerful their commander in black cloak was, but he actually died before their eyes without uttering a word? What happened?


    The soldiers were scared witless.


    ��Run! I��m leaving this place!��


    ��Oh no, we��re doomed!��


    ��Shut up you fools! Grab your weapons and kill the��������


    As the saying went, blessings never come in pairs.


    A gentle wind blew and in the blink of an eye, the entire watchtower became silent. A petite figure clad in a pure white cloak darted out of the shadow in a flash. She turned around and gazed at the dozen soldiers who collapsed to the ground in disorder. They widened their eyes in fear and anger. All they wanted to leave on this world was the proof of their existence but it was all too late.


    ��Hehe����


    The gentle wind blew as the petite figure dashed and vanished into the night sky.


    At the same time, the steel gate below crumbled. Scarlet flames gushed through the opening like lava as they headed for the manor on the hill.


    The periphery that was filled with blood and clamors was emptied shortly after. At this moment, a young lady leapt off the roof of the house on the side and landed lightly on the surface. Angelina lifted her head and her scarlet pupils glowed ever so brightly. She shut her eyes and took in a deep breath of air.


    Ah�� The scent of blood and death. This is what I��m most familiar with.


    ��Master, just as you��ve predicted, those lowly scumbags aren��t even worthy of a mention. They should be deeply grateful to be the pieces of your chess game.��


    Angelina narrowed her eyes and said with a beautiful smile. She turned around and gazed at the nearby watchtower that was in dead silence. However, she knew what happened there a few moments ago because everything was controlled by her. The seeds that she planted had bloomed completely in this extreme environment. If the rioters were in their usual conditions, they would have given up to the threats of death or at least have made a strategic retreat just like the man in black cloak expected. But now, without any rationale in their heads, the extreme wrath had burned their brains completely. Right now, they were like wild animals manipulated by anger, and not to mention their master, Angelina, had personally arrived at the scene. Even though she didn��t possess the manipulation skills of the Lustful Demons, it was still an effortless task for her to control humans who had their brains filled with desires.


    Step one of the plan was completed and now they were moving onto the next step.


    Angelina shifted her gaze away from the watchtower and let out an inward sigh.


    They��re so powerful��


    This was the first time that Angelina witnessed Gracier and Madaras�� strength. She knew that there were several formidable beings around Rhode. When Angelina first saw them, she thought that the twin elf sisters were purely assassins. But after witnessing their battles, she discovered their intimidating strength. Their flawless assassination skill was as though the incarnation of art. Although many vampires were enthralled in assassination skills, compared to the two elf sisters, theirs were only child��s play. Angelina knew that even if she had gotten stronger by hundred times of her current strength, the two elf sisters could easily take her life as though she was no different from the lowly bugs.


    There was no doubt in her mind that no vampires or even Ashvril could escape their blade.


    Forget it��


    Angelina shook her head and retrieved a card from her pocket.


    [Sacrificial Shift]


    ��Go! Wind of the dead!��


    Angelina extended her right hand and hurled the card elegantly into the air. In an instant, the card vanished into thin air and a massive white fog erupted to envelop the blood, corpses, and land entirely. Shortly after, an ice-cold aura of the undead slowly permeated the place, where the broken pile of corpses twitched and one by one, they crawled to their feet as their flesh rotted quickly before her eyes. Soon, they turned into walking white skeletons while their pitch-black eye sockets flickered in scarlet radiance.


    ��Tsk����


    Angelina curled her lips. Even though she hated and treated the necromancers as a bunch of idiots, she had to admit that they were truly capable of creating an army of undead. In fact, vampires were also able to create an army of undead. However, they had to bite the humans, and mix and spread their blood like a virus in order to create an army of zombies. Although zombies were compliant to orders, they were still weaker than the skeletons. Moreover, after the vampires�� experiments, they discovered that if they produced zombies on a massive scale, there might be chances of atavisms. In other words, it was possible that their blood would awaken the zombies and they would possess the first vampire abilities!


    Thereafter, vampires strictly forbade the use of one��s blood to create servants because they didn��t wish for their precious and valuable blood to be awakened in some lowly humans. To the vampires, this was no less than a scenario where a prince married a princess, only to find out one day that he had a son with a prostitute.


    In comparison, undead soldiers were much easier to create and had lesser problems to worry about.


    ��Sigh����


    Angelina let out a sigh and extended her arm and the same card appeared in her hand. Currently, all the people who died in the battle against the gargoyles had turned into undead soldiers. They stood quietly before her, awaiting her orders.


    ��Go on, master��s servants.��


    Angelina chuckled and pointed at the manor on the hill. At this moment, the manor was surrounded in flames and the rioters arrived at the final line of defense. As long as they broke through the defense, everything would come to an end.


    ��Kill those lowly humans who dare to surround Master�� Huhuhu. This is all for <aster��s sake. Everything is for Master��s sake. Kill those worthless trash!��


    ������


    The army of undead soldiers turned around and marched in unison toward the manor. Angelina narrowed her eyes and chuckled before walking into the shadow.


    ��What?��


    Shane jumped up from the expensive sofa. He stared at the ashen soldiers in disbelief. He couldn��t understand, no, he refused to understand what he just heard. The rioters broke through the several lines of defense? How was it possible? The commander in black cloak was also there. Could it be that he failed to stop the rioters?


    Shane sulked instantly. He thought that the rioters were simply giving it a shot just like any other times. But this time, since the gargoyles and the commander in black cloak failed to stop them, the situation wasn��t as simple as it seemed. If this continued, it would become much worse. The Alanic Family��s remaining forces were all here. If the rioters had other reinforcements, Shane wouldn��t be able to hang on much longer. What should I do? Although I still have the strongest members with me, I may make the situation worse if I act rashly. It seems like I may need to seek help from a third party.


    Seek reinforcements from Viper Gang? Forget it. Those bastards can��t wait for me to die, so they can take over my position. It��s the same for the Alanic Family. If I ask for their assistance, I won��t get any help even if I waited for a year. So then�� It seems like I can only rely on those old farts from the Light Parliament. As long as I can get them to suppress the rioters, I just need to defend my manor. But it seems like those unfortunate merchants�� Maybe I will need to abandon them. But wait�� It really isn��t considered as abandoning them totally��


    Shane gnashed his teeth and made his decision.


    ��Activate the magic cannons immediately. Seal off the entire manor and contact the Country of Light��s border army��inform them that there is an unprecedented riot in Highland City and we need their assistance!��

 Chapter 930 - Won’t One Die Miserably From… Courting Disaster?

    Chapter 930: Won��t One Die Miserably From�� Courting Disaster?


    While Highland City sank into chaos, it was a totally different scene inside the manor. Although the invited merchants were calm, their tongues were still wagging. As long as one wasn��t an idiot, one could see that it wasn��t peaceful right now on the outside. They also guessed that this time, Highland City had gotten into a troublesome situation. After all, two hours had gone and with the Alanic Family��s authority, the fact that the problem wasn��t resolved was concerning. The merchants weren��t foolish. If the Alanic Family couldn��t resolve the issues within a short period of time, it proved that the problem might have upgraded to the ��disaster�� level. If that were true, the merchants truly had rotten luck. They didn��t have powerful forces like the Alanic Family. After all, they would be taunting if they brought armed soldiers into foreign territories. Besides, their small families couldn��t compete with the Alanic Family even if they formed an alliance. Although the merchants brought a few of their trusted aides to this banquet for safety��s sake, there were less than 200 people in total which wasn��t enough to do anything.


    It was due to this that the atmosphere in the banquet hall was tense and stressful. From the start, some idiots had even tried to harass Rhode, who was disassociated with the group. Back then, most people thought that the purpose of being held in the banquet hall was to prevent them from seeing the Alanic Family��s secret weapon. But this wasn��t too strange because as one of the five largest financial groups, the Alanic Family had been established for years and it wasn��t entirely impossible that they possessed some secret weapons. Although the merchants were surprised that the situation required the use of secret weapons, they were confident that the Alanic Family was capable of dealing with troublemakers.


    But now��


    The banquet was stopped a long time ago. Although there was still a spread of sumptuous food and alcohol on the table, no one was in the mood to savor them anymore. The people gossiped and the clamor became increasingly louder. What concerned them wasn��t only the soldiers who guarded the entrance. Instead, it was the fact that Shane didn��t show up. After all, since he wasn��t around, it meant that the situation might have reached an irreparable stage. If that was the case, what should they do?


    How amusing.


    Rhode didn��t mix with the merchants. Instead, he held a glass of wine, narrowed his eyes, and gazed in disdain. He knew what those guys were thinking about; in the face of calamity, they should unite for a way of survival. However, they were basically dead to him at this point. If everything went on as he predicted, these guys couldn��t possibly survive until their reinforcements arrived. Yes�� After all, Rhode was the one who made the call as to when reinforcements would arrive.


    He knew that Shane dispatched his men to seek reinforcements from the Country of Light. On the other hand, the reinforcements couldn��t possibly arrive soon unless they used teleportation rituals. But as the dragon soul heir, there were no secrets to the land under his dragon soul protection. If anyone were to activate teleportation rituals in his territory, he just had to switch his thoughts and�� Those guys would be transported to another dimension.


    Rhode didn��t stop Shane from seeking reinforcements and it could also be said that he needed Shane to do so. This was also the main reason why Rhode didn��t send out his army but instead sneaked into this place. Although he was confident that the army of Bow Knights from the Astral Temple could eliminate everyone cleanly and had seriously considered this option, what made him change his plans was two very important people.


    Mini Bubble Gum and Canary.


    After he opened up the land of Chaos, the two young ladies were overjoyed. As phantom guardians created by the system, they were only able to roam around his territory. In the past, Rhode only had a small territory of the Land of Atonement, which they basically could only remain in the fortress. Thereafter, even though Lydia had conferred him Grenbell, it was a barren place where not even a blade of grass grew. Mini Bubble Gum and Canary weren��t literary fans who loved sitting on the top of hills, drinking tea, and admiring the sun set for the moon while appreciating the meaning of life. It was only after Rhode opened up the land of Chaos when the two young ladies were finally freed. Apart from teaching magic spells and battle skills, they also loved to form parties to raid ruins and dungeons. It was previously mentioned that many ancient ruins had resurfaced after Order was stabilized. Why don��t we go instead of the NPCs?


    With this thought, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary began heading to the ruins and dungeons. But��


    They weren��t called the ��unlucky looting trio�� for nothing and the two young ladies weren��t like Rhode who took a laissez-faire attitude on fate. Why do humans exist in this world? For battles of course! The undecided fate and tragic fantasies are meant to be smashed!


    Initially, the two young ladies were self-disciplined since Rhode had always been their leader and a devout fatalist. Everything was fated and they shouldn��t defy it. Everything was the choice of the stone gate of fate and any resistance was useless. Therefore, they never had the chance to loot corpses.


    But now, after they led each of their own parties to clear the dungeons, for some reasons they began to challenge fate!


    ��Let��s see who can break the fate of the ��unlucky looting aura��!��


    Mini Bubble Gum said with utmost passion. But this was the start of tragedies for Rhode.


    They completed six level 70 dungeons and no equipment was looted at all!


    Not even one!!


    Level 70 dungeons!!!


    Six level 70 dungeons!!!!


    Not only that, but they were also like the addicted gamblers in the casinos who lost all their money. The more they failed to loot any equipment, the more dungeons they went on to complete. The moment Rhode learned about it, blood instantly trickled from his heart! The dungeons were all from ancient times. After completing six dungeons, they should have at least gotten a legendary grade kitchen knife, no?! Why couldn��t they understand that they wouldn��t die if they didn��t court disaster?!


    But it didn��t matter if they understood or not, at least Rhode stopped them from completing the level 75 dungeons. But later on, Mini Bubble Gum actually made a small promise with him and Canary also agreed. Thereafter, even though Marlene expressed uncertainties and objections, Rhode couldn��t do much to change anything.


    It was better than them ruining all the dungeons in his territory, right? The system didn��t have the ability to build department stores for equipment, so where should he start finding equipment if all the dungeons were ruined?


    ��Miss Miranda.��


    While Rhode swirled the wineglass in his hand, a voice dragged him back to reality. He turned around and saw a man dressed as a servant inviting him politely.


    ��Our master would like to speak to you. Please come with me.��


    ��All right.��


    Rhode nodded and shifted his gaze to the merchants who were panicking over their destined fate. They didn��t notice him and the servant, but were instead constantly discussing and disputing softly. However, this didn��t matter to him anymore. He waved his hand to the shadow in the corner and got Angelina to return to his side through the spiritual communications. Then, they left the hall with the servant.


    They were brought to a luxurious guest room on the same floor without anyone noticing. What surprised Rhode was that Emily and Stefania were also around. Then, he realized that apart from Emily and himself, no one knew that Stefania existed. It was proven through the fact that no one noticed that Stefania was sitting on the window ledge right behind Shane.


    Emily apparently understood the strength of her companion but even so, she was still feeling nervous until she saw Rhode entering the guest room. She jumped up in excitement.


    ��Sister Miranda, where have you been? I��ve been looking for you.��


    ��I was out there thinking about some problems, Emily.��


    Rhode displayed a graceful smile. Then, he shifted his gaze to Stefania who was also smiling at him. Come to think of it, when would Stefania stop following Emily around? Could it be that Stefania wanted to recruit Emily to her harem? Or she was looking to groom Emily into being a plane merchant too? Although Rhode admitted that Emily indeed had the qualities to be part of Stefania��s harem, her strength was too far apart from Stefania, who could transmigrate and was in the Peak Legendary Stage, wasn��t it?


    ��By the way, Emily, why are you here?��


    Although Rhode asked, he already knew the answer. As expected, Emily answered promptly.


    ��Ah, I accepted Sir Shane��s invitation. I heard that there��s something important����


    Kacha.


    At this moment, the tightly-shut doors opened and Shane stood before them. His lips rolled into a vibrant smile.


    ��Ah, welcome, everyone! My apologies, for we were delayed by some matters. Have you enjoyed yourselves at the banquet tonight?��


    ��Thank you for your hospitality, Sir Shane.��


    Unlike Rhode, Emily was apparently much more respectful to Shane. Or perhaps to a traveling merchant like her, it was essential for her to be respectful. Rhode nodded slightly to Shane��s warm greetings. Unlike Emily, he knew that Shane was definitely up to no good to invite them under such circumstances.


    ��This was what happened, ladies.��


    Shane smiled before putting up a stern expression and said.


    ��I guess you��re dubious of what happened, right? In fact, the situation isn��t looking too good for Highland City. According to my intelligence, the people are causing a riot!��


    ��Huh? Riot?��


    Emily instantly turned pale. It seemed like this was her first time experiencing one.


    ��That��s right. Besides, according to reliable sources, the Void Territory may possibly be involved too. Currently, with Highland City��s strength, it is impossible to hold back the rioters. I��ve sought assistance from the Country of Light��s border army, but it will take a long time before they arrive. I, as the owner of this place, will protect this city and the Alanic Family; I will not leave. But I would like to ask you to leave the city while the situation hasn��t worsened. Our Alanic Family has a secret passageway that leads to outside the city. Please follow me. There��s no more time to waste����


    What a lackey of Country of Light indeed; splashing dirty water around conveniently��although this was in fact the truth.


    ��What about you, Sir Shane?��


    Emily asked while Shane revealed a bright smile.


    ��Don��t need to worry about me, Miss Emily. I��m a man and it is my duty to protect you two from harm. I will not let you be hurt in any way.��


    ��Alright then. Sorry to trouble you, Mr. Shane.��


    Rhode presented a beautiful smile which distracted Shane for a split second. But he quickly returned to his senses.


    ��Oh, it��s nothing, Miss Miranda; this is my duty. Now, hurry up and follow me. Time is running out.��


    ��But before that, I have a question.��


    Suddenly, Rhode interrupted. He knitted his brows at the man.


    ��Can you please tell me what spice this fragrant scent comes from? For some reason, it makes me relax.��


    ��Hahaha����


    Shane��s expression changed slightly. Then, he let out a chuckle.


    ��How surprising, Miss Miranda. I��ve heard some rumors about you, but I didn��t expect you to be this sensitive����


    ��It��s just my habit.��


    Rhode said. The moment that they entered this room, he instantly smelled a faint, aromatic scent. Although this smell didn��t affect him in any way, he sharply detected some strange aura within it. That definitely wasn��t any ordinary spice and Emily didn��t seem to have noticed it.


    ��Huh? Miss Miranda, what����


    Emily tried to stand on her feet, but instantly fell back to the sofa like a puppet with its strings cut. She slowly felt uncomfortable while Shane revealed the proud expression like a hunter whose trap had successfully caught prey.


    ��I��m sorry, young ladies. I��m indeed concerned for your well-being. But humans are selfish, isn��t it? Of course, both of you are merchants and should understand exchange and transaction. I��m a merchant too, so I won��t break this rule. Don��t worry, I will respect the principles of business deals. From now onward, both of you are my private assets. In exchange, I will give you a high-class status, position, and wealth. What do you think of this deal?��


    ��I��m sorry; I��m not interested. I know Miss Emily isn��t either.��


    Rhode��s expression remained unchanged and Shane didn��t seem too mindful.


    ��Ah�� By the way, Miss Miranda, I��ve almost forgotten. I heard from Miss Emily that you have pretty powerful sword skills. Indeed, with your beauty and skills, there��s nothing that you can��t do. But it��s a pity that compared to an untamed fox, I prefer obedient dogs.��


    Shane raised his right arm and snapped his fingers.


    Suddenly, the air trembled and the group heard some ear-piercing screams. At this moment, three creatures wrapped in black cloaks appeared out of thin air and surrounded Rhode, Emily, and Angelina. They were taller than most ordinary humans, with complexion so pale that seemed lifeless. Not only that, but also their heads resembled unsightly octopus brains.


    ��This is��!��


    Emily leaned to Rhode instinctively. She widened her eyes in shock, staring at the creatures that suddenly appeared. On the other hand, Shane was filled with a sense of accomplishment.


    ��Allow me to introduce��they are the allies of our Alanic Family; Brain Eaters. Don��t worry, although they mainly feed off human brains, I won��t make them kill you. I only hope that you��ll become my most loyal and adorable slaves who live and die for me forever.��


    Shane lifted his head proudly and gazed at the three young ladies. But shortly after, he realized that something was wrong. Apart from Emily who was obviously in a fluster, the other two had no slightest reactions at all. ��Miss Miranda�� even continued to relax on the sofa and looked at him with a gorgeous smile as though he had just cracked a joke. On the other hand, the female servant also didn��t faint from fear like he expected. Instead, she scanned the Brain Eaters interestingly as though they were just some bulldogs.


    What��s going on? Their reactions��


    ��Is this all to your crap?��


    Before Shane understood the situation, he suddenly felt a powerful burst of mighty presence that enveloped the entire room. He took a few steps back in shock and witnessed ��Miss Miranda�� standing to her feet.


    What��s this power?!


    ��Don��t worry, Mr. Shane.��


    Upon seeing the fear in Shane��s eyes, Rhode revealed the world��s gentlest, most elegant, vibrant, and alluring smile.


    ��I won��t let you die.��

 Chapter 931 - No One Cares if You die Miserably from… Courting Disaster Attack!”

    Chapter 931: No One Cares if You die Miserably from�� Courting Disaster


    ��Attack!��


    Shane turned pale with fright. He stepped back hurriedly and commanded. The three Brain Eaters also seemed to have sensed the unprecedented danger from Rhode��s exploding aura. In response, they swiftly aimed for him and ejected the tentacles fluttering around their heads!


    But Rhode didn��t move a muscle. He merely narrowed his eyes as though they were a pile of trash.


    ��Scram.��


    Rhode only said a single word.


    In the blink of an eye, the Brain Eaters flaunting their powers instantly retreated as though they were struck by an invisible force. At the next second, their bodies suddenly vanished without leaving a trace. Shane widened his eyes in shock. The three Brain Eaters were his core and most powerful troops and could slaughter any human. More importantly, they came from another plane of existence where not even the angels on this continent had fought them in the past. Besides, they possessed a mysterious and unknown skill called ��Soul Strike�� that could penetrate magic barriers! The Brain Eaters were the ultimate secret weapon of the Alanic Family.


    But now�� The three strongest weapons in his arsenal had instantly vanished. Not only that, but the ring on Shane��s finger also shattered simultaneously, which meant that they were all dead!


    As expected, creatures from other dimensions give so much more EXP.


    Rhode whistled to the ringing tune of his level-up. In fact, if Rhode and Angelina were to fight the Brain Eaters based on level, they might have a tough time. But�� That was based on level, after all.


    Rhode was the Void Dragon now. As long as they were under the Void Dragon soul protection, he was like the omnipotent god. Unfortunately for the Brain Eaters, they were creatures from another plane of existence and this meant that they were��


    Outsiders.


    You want to buy a house without a temporary residence permit? Dream on!


    After realizing that the Brain Eaters were creatures from another plane of existence, Rhode decisively used his authority as the Void Dragon to eradicate them out of this world and kindly sent them back to where they belonged. He was as though a ticket inspector discovering three scumbags who boarded the high-speed rail without purchasing tickets and instantly pushed them out of the train moving at 300km/hour��this was when their fate was sealed.


    The pitiful Brain Eaters who were shredded to bits by the turbulence of time had no right to speak up for themselves at all.


    ��W-Who are you? What do you want?!��


    Shane lost his head out of fear after witnessing his strongest troops get eliminated so easily. Rhode smiled at him, lifted his head, and gestured to the young lady behind him.


    ��Miss Stefania, I��ll leave Miss Emily to you. A great change will be happening soon in Highland City and it will be dangerous to stay here. I hope����


    ��Sure. No problem.��


    Stefania smiled and swiftly went up to Emily from the window ledge and held her hand. On the other hand, Shane gawked at the young lady wrapped in a black cloak. If Stefania didn��t say a word, he wouldn��t have realized her presence at all.


    ��Alright, Emily, we��re about to leave this place now. It��s not safe here, so how about we go to some other place?��


    ��Huh? But, Miss Miranda����


    Emily stared blankly, reluctant to part with ��Miranda��. Rhode had to admit that his disguise was so successful that Emily didn��t even realize there was something off with the identity of ��Miranda��. She was unwilling to part with ��Miranda��. After all, she finally had the chance to meet her again.


    ��Aren��t you leaving with us, Miss Miranda?��


    ��I have some matters to attend to. I��m a merchant from the Country of Light, after all.��


    Emily��s and Shane��s expressions changed slightly. Although this statement was absolutely true in this disguise, there seemed to be a subtle meaning behind it. ��Miranda�� was indeed a merchant from the Country of Light. But now, she chose to stay when there was an opportunity for her to leave safely and this meant that her identity might not be as innocent. It didn��t matter much to Emily, but it wasn��t great news for Shane.


    Who exactly is this woman?


    ��Alright then, Miss Miranda. Please take care of yourself.��


    Emily shook off her indecisiveness and took in a deep breath. She gazed at Rhode and spoke softly while holding onto Stefania��s right hand. Shortly after, the shadows in the room trembled and merged to form a flat door. On the other side of the door was a vast sky full of stars. Stefania held Emily��s hand and they entered the shadow door together. The door closed shut, vanished, and the shadows returned to their original position.


    What an amazing skill.


    Rhode knitted his brows. Normally, he wouldn��t miss the presence of teleportation skills within his dragon soul protection. But while he clearly witnessed Stefania opening the plane of existence door, he didn��t sense anything out-of-the-ordinary. This was really strange. It seems like plane merchants aren��t ones to mess with��


    Boom!


    Suddenly he heard a loud bang. He turned around and saw Shane held up to the wall by the throat by Angelina, who was showing a malevolent and eager smile.


    Why am I so unlucky!!


    Shane gnashed his teeth, but the situation was so complex that he was speechless. In fact, as one of the managers in the Alanic Family, it went without saying that he had escape items. A few seconds ago, when he realized that Rhode was focusing his attention on the shadow door, he secretly activated the teleportation device in his pocket. The teleportation ritual bloomed beneath his feet and all he needed to leave this place and return to Casabianca was just one more second�� Yes, it should have been this way until��


    The young lady who stood behind ��Miranda�� turned around all of a sudden. Then, she extended her right hand and grasped the air, where scarlet radiance flashed and hurled him out of the teleportation ritual!


    Oh mighty lord! Shane swore that he had never seen such a thing happening ever in his life!


    What bewildered him more was that the young lady��s seemingly slim arm was as tough as an iron tongs. She clasped his throat firmly and despite him being much taller than her, he felt completely powerless as though he had no control over his body!


    ��Master, how should I deal with him?��


    Angelina asked while staring at her prey. It was common for dark nobles to capture such fellows. Backstabbing was a never ending occurrence in the Country of Darkness and the dark nobles couldn��t be more familiar with teleportation tricks as a means of escape. Therefore, they naturally knew how to deal with them and Shane was basically seeking death for showing his little tricks before a royal vampire.


    ��I came up with a solution. Don��t worry.��


    Rhode said with a gentle smile and Angelina felt a chill run down her spine. It was the smile for the sake of a smile and didn��t have any emotions behind it��it was scarier than Ashvril��s smile by a thousand times!


    Rhode squinted and sized up Shane. Then, he retrieved a bottle of potion from his pocket and passed to Angelina. The young lady gazed with uncertainty, but Rhode merely gestured.


    ��Make him drink this.��


    ��Yes, Master!��


    Angelina heaved a sigh of relief, realizing that she wasn��t the one who would be drinking it. Apart from being Rhode��s servant, she also became his guinea pig due to her undead properties. There were many times when he approached her for experiments with new potions. Well, it made sense since she wouldn��t die, wasn��t it?


    From every aspect.


    Angelina took over the bottle humbly and tightened her grip in her right hand to force Shane��s mouth open. Then, she poured the whole bottle of potion down his throat before letting loose.


    ��Pffff����!��


    Shane didn��t struggle to escape. Instead, he held his throat with both hands while his eyes turned oddly red and his body burned in scorching heat. His blood flow reversed directions and he felt his flesh and bones reshaping. After letting out a blood-curdling scream, he plunged to the ground and fell into a coma.


    ��Master, what should we do next?��


    Angelina took a gulp of her saliva. Thank god the potion wasn��t for me.


    ��Simple.��


    Rhode stooped over and whispered to her ear. Angelina��s expression changed slightly. She gazed in sympathy at the unconscious man before leaving the room.


    Rhode twitched his brows slightly after the young lady left.


    ��This is my last act of kindness to you. Have a good time, my chess pieces.��


    After an unknown period of time, Shane slowly opened his eyes and saw the most familiar ceiling and gorgeous chandelier. This is my room�� I remember that I swallowed the horrible liquid��


    ��I����


    Shane was gobsmacked. He realized that his voice had turned shrill. He sat up hastily and looked at his body, only to discover that he had become much slimmer and for some reason, his hair had also grown longer. Wait. What��s these two lumps on my chest�� Shane caressed his chest.


    ��C-Could it be����


    Shane widened his eyes in terror. He stood to his feet, went up to the mirror, and froze on the spot.


    There was a beautiful young lady with golden, long hair opening her eyes wide and looking back at her reflection blankly. Or perhaps, his reflection.


    ��I didn��t expect that changing of gender would lead to this; golden hair and large chest. What a decent combination.��


    All of a sudden, Rhode��s ice-cold voice sounded from the back. Shane turned around and saw him standing relaxedly with a beautiful smile. ��Yes�� It��s not too bad and frankly speaking, I would��ve had some fun with you if I didn��t know how you looked before your transformation. Well, forget it. I have no interest in something that was transformed from a man. Also, Miss Shane, it��s time for you to pay the price.��


    ��Price?��


    ��That��s right. Since you��ve dragged so many people into your conspiracy, shouldn��t you compensate them a little�� with your body?��


    ��You��!��


    Shane suddenly realized the disaster that was about to fall on him. He turned to the door and was instantly stumped. There was a massive crowd blocking the only exit. Among them were his soldiers and merchants who he had invited to the city. At this moment they were standing without the slightest consciousness like lifeless puppets.


    The female servant who attacked him earlier was standing beside the door, looking at him with a mocking and anticipative smile. Then, she snapped her fingers.


    ��Alright, my slaves, enjoy your final bit of happiness!��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    The soldiers in front of the pack entered the room and surrounded Shane. Then, they stretched their arms��


    ��W-What are you trying to do! Let me go!��


    Shane snarled but these loyal soldiers couldn��t seem to hear his commands at all. The soldiers quickly stripped off his clothes and soon, a fair, slender, and naked figure stood before them.


    ��Let me go right now!��


    Shane turned ashen and struggled to break free. But he felt weak and powerless and the most terrifying part was that he witnessed his soldiers taking off their pants and revealing their incomparably ugly manhoods.


    ��Y-You can��t�� Argh!!!��


    Shane screamed in utmost fear when suddenly, the soldiers grabbed his head and forced their ugly, stinky manhoods deep into his throat. The stench was so strong that he almost fainted on the spot. But this wasn��t the end of his misery. The soldiers caressed his body and despite his struggles, he couldn��t resist them at all. All he could do was to be held down strongly to the bed by a group of filthy men. Then, he widened his eyes in distress as the soldiers spread his legs apart.


    A-Are they��


    ��No�� No��!��


    Shane twisted and turned his body to avoid penetration. But all he saw was the countless shadows enveloping his entirety.


    ��Ahhh��������!��


    He felt two warm objects entering his body mercilessly. At the same time, he blanked out completely.

 Chapter 932 - Beginning of the Siege

    Chapter 932: Beginning of the Siege


    ��Oh my goodness����


    The city owner shivered as he watched the city covered in thick smoke and blazing flames. He heard howls of wild beasts and the screams of humans. Fortunately, he had sealed up the entrance to this residence before the riot began and stationed armored soldiers to stand guard. If not, he wouldn��t have been safe from this disaster. He initially believed that the problem would be resolved quickly by the Alanic Family. He knew that he was only a puppet with no authority.


    And now��


    It was apparent from the blazing flames that no one attempted to put out the flames. The entire city was also in a horrible mess with scattered objects, corpses, and blood. Currently, bandits who lived in the shadows of the city were also wreaking havoc. The garrisons were completely useless and none of them were seen on the streets. Moreover, the Alanic manor was surrounded by a sea of flames. No one was available to stop the bandits from plundering. The only thing that ordinary citizens could do in this situation was to defend their doors, praying softly that those troublemakers wouldn��t enter their homes. But even so, many of them couldn��t avoid the tragic fate.


    ��What should I do����


    The city owner gnashed his teeth and looked into the distance as a group of bandits threw torches into one of the houses. Shortly after, thick black smoke rose from the chimney and a mother and son pair ran out of the house, only to be captured. In an instant, the bandits slitted the son��s throat while the wailing mother was dragged into the dark alley.


    What should I do�� What should I do�� I��ve lost contact with Sir Shane and my dozen garrison men are totally an inadequate measure. It��s impossible to rely on them to deal with the bandits!


    Screech��


    ��Who��s there!?��


    The city owner turned to the door in a fluster. It was a person who he couldn��t be more familiar with.


    ��C-Clive? Why are you here? How did you get in?��


    ��You��ve forgotten that I��m your assistant, Sir. How would I not know about the secret escape route in your home?��


    Clive felt complicated emotions at the sight of this pale, miserable old man. He was powerless while watching all the disasters bombarding Highland City. The entire city was in complete chaos now. Although he did find some subordinates who supported him, their numbers were far from enough to be effective in any way. If it weren��t for the response from the Void Territory, he wouldn��t have waited this long. No matter what, this was their city, one that he grew up in. How could he possibly do nothing to rescue it?


    ��W-What are you doing here?��


    The city owner��s expression instantly turned stiff. But shortly after, he seemed to have recalled something.


    ��Clive, you must have a solution, right?! Tell me, Clive. What should I do?��


    ��I don��t have any solution, Sir.��


    Clive gnashed his teeth. Frankly speaking, if he had a choice, he wouldn��t have chosen this path. But now, the so-called choice was totally meaningless. All he could do next was to continue heading down this path and trust that the Void Territory kept their promise. And now, he came here in order to fulfill this promise.


    ��Our forces alone aren��t enough to prevent this situation from worsening. Sir Morey��s death has sent the entire city into turmoil and the Alanic Family can no longer handle the situation either. The nearest Country of Light��s army will require at least three days to arrive. Sir, do you think we can hang on until then? Perhaps the city will turn into ruins by then.��


    As though affirming his words, deep and loud explosions erupted yet again on the outside. A streak of scarlet flare flashed in the sky and scared the city owner witless.


    ��T-Then what should I do?��


    ��Sir, we only have one solution to save this city���� Clive paused and eventually said. ��We have to submit to the Void Territory and accept the rule of the Void Dragon. Only this will make the riots and chaos stop!��


    ��What?! Void Territory?!��


    The city owner exclaimed. After a few moments, he shook his head quickly.


    ��N-No! How can we seek protection from the Void Territory? Aren��t we done for too if the Light Parliament knows about it? Haven��t you heard, Clive? Monsters live in the Void Territory! Are you willing to let the people of Highland City carry the reputation of monsters? I would rather this city be destroyed completely!��


    ��Huh? Monsters?��


    Clive revealed a bitter smile.


    ��Sir, please don��t believe in your own lies. Look at the sky above us. Are you really so naive to think that the Country of Light treats us as humans? No! In the past when we were under the Light Dragon soul protection, did they ever treat us like humans? What do you think we are now, Sir? And what do you think we were in the past? We��re nothing. We��re just ants and chess pieces. Same goes for this city and its people. Do you think we have a choice? No, we don��t.��


    Clive went up to the city owner.


    ��So, please give up your position as the city owner. If you do it now, you can still enjoy the rest of your life, Sir. I��ve contacted the Void Territory; this chaos in Highland City can��t continue any longer. As long as you��re willing to hand the city owner stamp to me, everything will come to an end. I guarantee that Highland City will not perish.��


    ��I refuse!��


    The city owner snarled in his ashen expression.


    ��Don��t even think about it! Clive, I know you��ve been eyeing my position for a long time. I refuse to let you hand Highland City over to a group of monsters! Indeed, we may have been treated as slaves by the Country of Light, but we��re humans after all! Monsters are still monsters no matter how well they treat us! I would rather die than hand Highland City over to the monsters! I would rather let the people lead miserable lives under the rule of humans than to be ruled by monsters! If you want to stop me, you will need to kill me!��


    ��As you wish.��


    In an instant, an ice-cold blade penetrated the city owner��s back and through his chest. The city owner widened his eyes in disbelief. As the blade was withdrawn, the city owner��s flame of life instantly extinguished and he became an ice-cold corpse as soon as he hit the ground.


    ��Didn��t I say leave him to me?��


    Clive clutched the sword in his hand and glared at the elf assassin who emerged from the shadows.


    ��I know, but sometimes it is best that humans don��t carry the burden of some unnecessary matters. Now, let��s carry out our agreement.��


    The elf vanished into the shadows while Clive stared blankly. After a few moments, he lowered his head and let out a sigh at the sight of the corpse.


    ��Yes, Sir. I guarantee that Highland City will not be destroyed.��


    ��The Country of Light��s army will arrive in half a day��s time? That��s fast.��


    Rhode was astonished. He didn��t expect them to arrive so quickly. But it seemed like everything was as he predicted. The Light Parliament had already sent their men to monitor the city a long time ago, which explained why they were quick to send reinforcements. Shane even thought that they would never seek assistance from the Light Parliament unless it was absolutely necessary, but to the Light Parliament, no matter how small the scale of riot, it was a perfectly justifiable chance to station their military here, which would bring them closer to their goal. Therefore, Rhode was clear that the Light Parliament would definitely mobilize their army earlier, but he didn��t expect them to be this fast. Come to think of it, if he recalled correctly, hadn��t more than half of their forces been wiped up during their war against the Country of Darkness? How were they able to mobilize troops so quickly? This wasn��t logical at all�� Well, forget it. Nothing was logical in this world to begin with.


    ��We should get down to business soon.��


    Rhode sneered and gazed at the hall that had completely turned into a sensual banquet.


    ��Argh�� Argh�� N-No�� Stop����


    Shane laid on the ground naked. His, or perhaps her, snowy, soft skin was stained with the warm, viscous liquids of men. Right now, a man with a big belly was drooling all over her body. Below her was a muscular man who lifted her legs and thrust his waist forward while another man held her head against his manhood. Not only that, but her hands were also forced to pleasure two other manhoods and satisfy their craving desires.


    ��Ah�� Argh�� Argh��!��


    All of a sudden, the golden-haired woman shuddered. She widened her eyes, let out some indistinct screams, and kicked her beautiful long legs desperately. But along with her movements, streams of turbid liquid erupted onto her body.


    ��There��s so much�� No�� Ah�� Ah�� My stomach is�� bloated����


    She widened her mouth and muttered to herself blankly. The white turbid liquid trickled from the corner of her mouth and onto the floor.


    ��That��s all? Sigh. It was fun in the beginning, but only 10 hours have gone by and you can��t handle it anymore.��


    Rhode shrugged lazily. Then, he turned around and snapped his fingers.


    ��Alright, Angelina, game��s over. Let them toy her to death. We should get down to business now.��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    A red glinted flashed in Angelina��s eye and everyone in the hall instantly pounced onto the woman like crazy, wild animals. Shortly after, mixed screams of joy and agony echoed in the large hall but was blocked out from the outside world by the heavy doors.


    Rhode and Angelina left and vanished in the approaching blaze.


    ��The Country of Light��s army is arriving soon?��


    Clive stood on the balcony and widened his eyes in disbelief. He didn��t expect that they would be this quick.


    ��What should we do now? Where is your army now? How long do they need?��


    Clive asked anxiously. He couldn��t be blamed because he would be in big trouble if the Country of Light��s army arrived sooner than the Void Territory��s reinforcements. He had confirmed earlier that the Alanic Family had lost their powers in the city. Since this was the case, the Country of Light would justifiably become the new owner of Highland City if their army arrived first! When that happened, it would be too late. Under the worst case scenario, there might even be a war between the Country of Light and Void Territory. This way, Highland City would be engulfed in a war of flames, though in reality, they were in one right now. The garrisons had sealed off Highland City��s entrance before the riots worsened and no one knew where they were now. It was impossible to gather the people and escape at the moment.


    ��Don��t worry.��


    The elf standing silently in the shadows spoke casually.


    ��You don��t need to determine the strength of our Void Territory using your human brain. Now���� Nell went silent and lifted her head.


    ��They��re here.��


    ��Huh?��


    Clive shifted his gaze to the direction that Nell faced. Then, he widened his eyes in shock.


    A burst of vibrant and colorful magical radiances erupted in the empty, starry sky. The gorgeous lines coalesced in the air and merged to form a door-like presence. Shortly after, three young ladies appeared. They looked at Clive and slowly descended on the balcony.


    ��All settled, Nell?��


    The girl who wore a white long robe and seemed to be the youngest asked in dissatisfaction. On the other hand, Nell lowered her head respectfully.


    ��Yes, Madam Bubble, Madam Canary, and Madam Lesa. We��ve received the city owner stamp and according to the intelligence earlier, the Country of Light��s army will arrive at the city in less than half a day��s time. There are about 5000 troops.��


    ��What?!��


    Mini Bubble Gum and Clive exclaimed at the same time, however for entirely different reasons.


    ��5000 troops?!��


    ��5000 only?! I won��t get any decent EXP if there aren��t at least 50,000 of them! Hey, NPC over there! Shut up!��


    Mini Bubble Gum glared fiercely at Clive, who interrupted her. She let out a snort and turned to the other two young ladies.


    ��Alright then, Lesa, I��ll leave it to you.��


    ��Don��t worry, Madam Bubble, Madam Canary.��


    Lesa bowed slightly. Then, she turned around, raised her staff, and tapped the ground lightly.


    Clink.


    Suddenly, a dazzling, azure light beam descended from the sky and enveloped the empty field. Shortly after, thousands of armored soldiers appeared within the azure light beam. They carried exquisite long bows on their backs and short knives around their waists. Their eyes were filled with unwavering determination.


    ��Leave the matters in the city to me.��


    ��Okay.��


    Mini Bubble Gum responded and clenched her fists in excitement.


    ��Let��s go, Big Sister. Now is our time to enjoy and fulfill the agreement with Leader!��

 Chapter 933 - You’re Seeking Death!

    Chapter 933: You��re Seeking Death!


    Highland City is just right ahead.


    The captain of the Pale Blue Army gazed at the ruined city gloomily. Just a day ago, he received orders from the Light Parliament to suppress the riots in Highland City. But it seemed like the situation was better than he expected. Other than the billows of thick black smoke, everything seemed to be well under control. It seemed like the Alanic Family had successfully suppressed the riots. Tsk, how annoying! How would I not know what those superior old farts are planning. I��m so unlucky to be chosen for this!


    The captain looked at the pitch-black sky in resentment. The dazzling stars, silver star ring, and enormous sun��this ridiculous place sure is creepy. Damn it, I suppose hell looks similar.


    ��What happened?��


    Shortly after, the army arrived at Highland City. However, what caught the captain by surprise was that the entrance was tightly shut and there were no soldiers on the watchtower or city walls. Not only that, but the entire city was also in absolute silence. Apart from the breeze of the wilderness, the city seemed completely dead.


    ��Hmm?��


    At this moment, the captain spotted two triangular flags hanging on both sides of the entrance. They had a black base, as well as an eye-catching, white cross symbol. Why are the flags here?


    ��This is the end, you worthless scum!��


    All of a sudden, the army heard a crisp, childish voice. They looked up subconsciously and saw a petite young girl standing on the city wall above the entrance. She had pigtails and was clad in a white robe for Clerics. She crossed her arms and looked down upon everyone in disdain.


    ��Who are you?��


    The captain asked sternly. The young girl let out a snort and lifted her chin with pride.


    ��Who do you think you are? Don��t you know that you should report your name before asking for someone else��s? Idiot! Stupid! Brainless! Forget it�� It seems like a group of fools like you with less than 30 IQ can��t understand logic that smart humans with high IQ can. Alrighty then, I shall cut the crap.��


    The young girl coughed a couple of times. Then, she puffed out her chest and sized up everyone with narrowed eyes.


    ��Listen up you idiots down there. This city is now serving Leader�� No, the Void Dragon! In other words, this city belongs to the Void Territory and is Starlight��s turf! I��ll crush any idiot who finds trouble with us! Go back to where you came from, tiny worthless shrimps! You hear me?! Useless trash with battle strength lower than nine and EXP less than five!��


    ������


    In an instant, the captain and his soldiers fell into a strange, awkward silence. They were speechless. Although they predicted the possible situations before arriving here, they didn��t expect this at all. There were no rioters or fights and schemes between nobles, but instead there was this young girl who didn��t make any sense.


    ��It seems like it��s impossible to communicate with these low-IQ NPCs����


    Mini Bubble Gum held her forehead and shook her head.


    ��All right, I shall drop my 135 IQ to your level that is lower than low! Cough cough. Listen up! Highland City has declared their subordination to the Void Territory. In other words, Highland City no longer belongs to the Country of Light. So�� A bunch of lackeys like you from the Country of Light get lost from my sight right now! Also, you have even entered Void Territory without permission. Who do you think you are? Shoot. I give you two choices; get beaten up by me before you scram or before you scram, get beaten up by me! Pick your choice!��


    ��What did you say!?��


    The captain sulked. He finally understood the situation now. Damn it!


    As one of the captains of the border army, he knew the risks involved with Highland City in this area. In fact, before the Void Dragon soul protection stabilized the land of Chaos, he and the other captains had proposed to their superiors to dispatch their army and station them in Highland City. If not, no one knew what twists and obstacles would arise if this issue wasn��t settled promptly. However, the idiotic old farts of the Light Parliament were afraid of causing disputes with the Alanic Financial Group. As a result, they bid their time waiting for the perfect opportunity.


    This is the so-called ��perfect opportunity��? Highland City has been dominated by the Void Territory already! What should I do?


    The captain pondered in silence while gazing at the petite figure above them. There was no sound or clamor in Highland City. Although he didn��t know the situation inside, the fact that this little rascal was so arrogant proved that the Void Territory must have gained control over the city. Hold up. Could it be that the riots in the city were the doing of the Void Territory? Surely they didn��t send their army into the city while the riots were going on to gain control, right? If that��s the case, this situation will be a big trouble.


    Wrong!


    The captain came to a sudden realization.


    He had been sending his soldiers to monitor the city all along. There weren��t too many people accessing the city apart from the merchants. But the merchants were also from the Country of Light and had no relations with the Void Territory. On the other hand, he didn��t witness anyone from the Void Territory entering Highland City apart from the emissaries who made up less than 10 people.


    According to the intelligence, the ones capable of opening up the land of Chaos must be incredibly formidable. Since they possessed strength in the Legendary Stage, it wouldn��t be hard for them to repress the city. But�� Do I just walk away? We may face dangers if we force our way through. It should be the right choice to retreat before getting into a clash, since it��s the fault of those idiots. I should let those old farts clear up their own mess! But�� It doesn��t fit our identity as the ��Pale Blue Army�� if we back off now. Besides, we��re unsure of how strong they are, so we need to probe to a certain degree. Hmph��!


    The captain lifted his head and glared at the young girl.


    What kind of joke! A new territory not giving a damn about the Country of Light?! Does this young girl really think that her arrogant claptrap can scare us away?!


    ��We won��t back off just like this. Highland City belongs to the Country of Light. As soldiers of the Country of Light, we����


    Before the captain finished his sentence, the young girl snapped.


    ��In other words, you��re asking for a beating!��


    At the next moment, a pure, dazzling light beam shone on the army from the sky. Along with thunderous rumbles, violent explosions and powerful airflow erupted in the blink of an eye, smashing an enormous sunken hole on the ground.


    ��What are you trying to do?!��


    The captain snarled in dismay. He didn��t expect this young girl to be so powerful. What shocked him was that she immediately launched her attack on them! Oh mighty lord. He had never seen anyone disregard the prestige of the Country of Light. This was as though declaring war with the Country of Light!


    ��Do you know what you��re doing? You��re declaring war with the Country of Light!��


    ��So what? A bunch of useless scumbags like you dare to threaten me with that weak, idiotic country who can��t take down the undead army? Come if you��ve got the guts. Send out 10,000 soldiers and I��ll kill 10,000. Send out 100,000 soldiers and I��ll slaughter them all! You NPCs really think that you��re humans?! You came to Starlight��s turf without permission and are still acting like a bunch of arrogant bastards? Huh? So what if you��re from the Country of Light! You��re seeking death by taunting me!��


    Boom!


    Mini Bubble Gum leapt into the sky, dove, and crashed into the ground heavily. The dazzling radiance from her body erupted like she was a bomb. The massively powerful light beams swept across the enemies and even the flat ground became full of potholes. The soldiers collapsed in disorder.


    ��Sh*t! Retreat! Retreat!��


    The captain��s heart sank to the bottom. He fled and ordered as loudly as he could. The soldiers escaped in panic as the petite figure wreaked havoc with her light beams. No matter what, this was too terrifying for them to witness.


    ��Oh yeah! It feels the best to massacre those sluts from the Country of Light! Yeaaaaaa!��


    Mini Bubble Gum thrust her right fist forward, and a white light beam erupted and blasted at the fleeing soldiers. In an instant, the exploding airflow, soil, dust, and screams turned the battlefield into an unprecedented hell.


    ��Yea������! Thousand-man slaughter! I��m the true dynasty warrior!��


    Mini Bubble Gum jumped on the spot in exhilaration. But it still wasn��t enough for her.


    She spread her arms apart and pushed her palms forward. Then, white radiances began to coalesce on her palms and within a few seconds, the radiances had gathered to form two light spheres that were the size of basketballs. In the blink of an eye, hundreds of light beams emanated from the light spheres and blasted the fleeing soldiers into bits.


    ��Hahaha�� Awesome! Nothing makes me happier than seeing the people from the Country of Light die before my eyes. This deal with Leader is the best one ever!��


    ��This little rascal never changed.��


    Rhode shrugged while watching Mini Bubble Gum blast her light cannons at the pitiful soldiers. In terms of grudges against the Country of Light, Mini Bubble Gum was definitely in the top three within Starlight. Apart from the destruction of the Munn Kingdom, another main reason for her hatred came from personal grievances that happened before she met Rhode. Back then, she had spent a lot of money to purchase the border territory connecting the Munn Kingdom and the Country of Light. The territory had a favorable geographical location and it took lots of effort to construct the buildings. Mini Bubble Gum was initially thrilled to establish her kingdom, only to have her dreams crushed by a sudden war. Not only that, but she was also fooled by them.


    She received a mission from the Country of Light to assist in defending their territory. However, the Country of Light used her as the shield to attract the undead army��s hostility and didn��t send any troops to support her. As a result, the undead army trampled over and occupied her territory, which she had spent hundreds of millions of gold coins on. What made the situation worse was that she had set her respawn point in her territory. Back then, she was only an ordinary Cleric with above-average equipment and had no powerful offensive stats. In order to reset her respawn point to another location, she would need to escape that territory first. As a result, she was killed over a hundred times by the undead army in her attempts to escape from her territory to Golden City. As a result of her tenacity, she finally succeeded after spending an entire day running away from the undead army.


    Thereafter, Mini Bubble Gum abhorred the Country of Light. After Rhode destroyed the Country of Light later on, she even grumbled on the fact that the Country of Light couldn��t respawn like monsters so she could crush them repeatedly.


    ��Don��t you want to join in the fun?��


    Although the battlefield was bloody and gory, Rhode felt as though he had returned to the game as he watched the matchless Mini Bubble Gum slaughter the enemies. Sigh�� He reminisced the days of them leading a large group of players, wiping out the Country of Light, and spreading warnings of death and destruction. Now that he thought about it, those days were filled with unprecedented sweetness and blissfulness. After all, it was such a reminiscent treasure to experience how everyone worked with a common purpose��


    Rhode shrugged helplessly and turned to Canary.


    ��Not this time.��


    Canary shook her head and smiled at the utterly defeated army. What terrified the soldiers more was that as they attempted to retreat, they were stopped by the sudden appearance of an invisible light barrier. Now, they had nowhere to run.


    ��There��s too little of them this time. I can get rid of them in an instant if I joined her, but I might as well let her exercise. There will be plenty of chances for me in the future too since the Country of Light�� has a huge population.��


    Indeed, Rhode had no intention of getting into war with the Country of Light now. After all, both sides had to be on the same level for either of them to stand a chance of winning. 500 ants still couldn��t move an elephant. Who would even treat it as a battlefield? A new territory had to display their powerful strength so they wouldn��t be looked down upon by others. And now, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were carrying this duty.


    ������


    Angelina heard Canary��s words and felt a chill run down her spine. In fact, as a noble of the Country of Darkness, she wouldn��t feel anger, sorrow, or fear when she killed someone. But ironically, the light-hearted conversation between Rhode and Canary terrified her. It was as though life was only part of the game and it was the same for humans or any other beings. Besides��


    Angelina turned pale as she watched the petite young girl brazenly wreaking havoc with her light of destruction.


    Although many things had happened along the way, she suddenly recalled that her mission wasn��t complete yet!


    Even though Mini Bubble Gum seemed to be in a great mood now, if she were to know that Angelina didn��t complete her mission��


    ������


    Angelina shivered in chills as she observed how Mini Bubble Gum swung her arm and the enormous light beam descended from the sky to burn a large group of soldiers into ashes. Even humans with high resistance to holy light are immediately burned into ashes; what will happen to a vampire like me?!


    Angelina stole a glance at Rhode.


    I must, must think of a way to survive!

 Chapter 934 - This isn’t War

    Chapter 934: This isn��t War


    Although autumn had been peaceful, it was suddenly disrupted by news that caused an uproar throughout the continent.


    The Country of Light and Void Territory have gotten into an official dispute!


    In fact, all the foreign organizations were mentally prepared for this because anyone who had investigated Rhode��s history knew what kind of attitude he had toward the Country of Light. Moreover, due to the ownership issue of Highland City, the Country of Light and Void Territory were already in conflict. The Country of Light insisted on retaining ownership of Highland City by the rules of the ��Joint Agreement of Light��. On the other hand, the Void Territory disdained them and declared ownership of Highland City by the creation rule. The Void Territory urged the Light Parliament to shut their mouths and return to where they came from.


    The large organizations watching the fires burning across the river knew that the Light Parliament had no chance of winning because the ��Joint Agreement of Light�� was a formulated agreement by all territories under the Light Dragon soul protection for the sake of negotiating their territories. The ��Joint Agreement of Light�� stood no chance against the creation rule which was approved by the five creator dragons. As long as the Void Territory reported this matter to the Country of Law for the twin dragons to give their judgment, the Void Territory would immediately gain ownership of Highland City. Therefore, it just didn��t make sense for the Country of Light to hold onto Highland City now. Probably their actions were just to show the Void Territory that they were no pushovers. However, they were also aware that the series of violence happening during the election period had plummeted the Light Parliament��s reputation. If the Country of Light were to hand over Highland City that easily, it would hurt the credibility of the Light Parliament. But come to think of it, did the Light Parliament have any credibility left?


    It was due to this that the various organizations were curious to see how miserably the Light Parliament would end up. As the Light Parliament had always despised non-humans, there basically weren��t many countries that were in a great relationship with them. It was naturally an enjoyable show to see how the Light Parliament would suffer.


    All of this was within reason.


    But unexpectedly, they didn��t think that the Void Territory dared to take it so far to eliminate the 5000-soldiers border army!


    An attack on the military meant the start of a war!


    The various organizations were restless, especially the countries surrounding the Country of Light. They finally caught a break from the hectic war against the Country of Darkness and in less than a year, the Country of Light was about to start a war with the Void Territory? Are you kidding me right now?!


    The Country of Light and Void Territory had provided sufficient reasons of their own for this conflict.


    The Light Parliament expressed that Highland City was a city within the control of Country of Light, so their army had the authority to be stationed in the city. Yet, the Void Territory occupied Highland City and had even launched merciless attacks on the Country of Light��s border army!


    On the other hand, the Void Territory asserted that the Country of Light��s border army trespassed their territory, which was under the Void Dragon soul protection, without permission and this action was the same as declaring a war. The reason for their attacks on the border army was simply an act of self-defense. Of course, if the Light Parliament were willing to admit their fault, apologize, and make up for their mistakes, the Void Territory would be willing to sit down for peaceful negotiations��


    Rhode had always spared no efforts in his hatred toward the Country of Light.


    The infuriated Light Parliament gave a series of commands such as severing all business deals with the Void Territory, prohibiting trade associations in the Country of Light from entering the Void Territory for business, and forbid the Void Territory from engaging in commercial trades in the Country of Light. Not only that, but they also requested the Void Territory to surrender the culprit who attacked the border army and dispatched two to three armies to the border for live exercises to apply pressure on the Void Territory.


    Void Territory didn��t feel pressured at all since they had no intention of maintaining a diplomatic relationship with the Light Parliament. Have as much fun as you want as long as you don��t mess with my territory. If not, I��ll kill whatever number of troops you send over. Since you��re capable, why don��t you gather all the people in your country and send them to my Void Territory? I don��t mind slaughtering them all��


    Although this wasn��t what was written in the official letter, the meaning was about the same. The dense murderous intent startled the surrounding organizations. They had never seen a territory that was so smug to challenge the Country of Light. Although the Void Territory wasn��t under the Light Dragon soul protection, they were still a new territory without a huge population after all. On the contrary, the Country of Light had existed for thousands of years and had a massive population. As the saying went, ��a centipede dies but never falls down��. Even though the Country of Light was in a terrible state after the war with the Country of Darkness, they were still a great nation that shouldn��t be belittled. If not, the surrounding nations would have already teamed up and shredded them into bits. On the contrary, the Void Territory confidently expressed that they would slaughter all enemies who arrived in their land. Did they really have this capability? Or were they just deliberately mystifying their strength?


    Shortly after, the Void Territory answered their doubts. The instant the Light Parliament dispatched an army of almost 15,000 soldiers into the Void Territory in the name of live exercise, roaring thunder and holy radiance instantly burned them to ashes. It took less than five minutes before the 15,000 soldiers vanished from the surface of the world.


    Three people stood in the center of attention after this battle.


    Gillian, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum.


    Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had been reputable since a long time ago. After all, one was a Mage and the other was a Cleric. The latter had even influenced the churches greatly with her skills and broken the invisible rule of ��Clerics aren��t supposed to be on the front lines��. Mini Bubble Gum had taken a lot of credit for the evolution of the churches�� combat system, which was why most people knew about her. However, this was all that the public learned about her, as well as Canary. Although they were powerful, the only time they truly revealed their strength was during their fight with the Duke Fiend, a certain annoying Sword Saint from the Country of Light, and against the Moon Princess Erin. Even though they performed amazingly against formidable foes, ordinary humans couldn��t sense their mighty powers after all, unlike Erin or Lydia who had broken through the limits of the Legendary Stage. Ordinary humans only knew that they were powerful but didn��t know to what extent�� Until now.


    An army of 15,000 soldiers was completely wiped out with the swing of an arm. In other words, they were burned to ashes before they had the chance to retaliate.


    If it were only Canary who attacked, the people could still accept the truth. After all, Mages were natural experts in AOE attacks. Any Mage who entered above the Middle Circle could more or less cast an impressive AOE spell. It wasn��t tough for the spell to be seen as a world-ending attack as long as the effects were there. But Mini Bubble Gum surprised them. Although there were several attacking spells among the wide range of spiritual spells, humans held high resistance against spiritual spells and there was a limit to the harm that spiritual spells could bring. However, not only did Mini Bubble Gum trounce the border army with 5000 soldiers using her bare hands, but she also annihilated a huge part of the 15,000 soldiers. This went to show that she shouldn��t be judged by the general concepts as a Cleric.


    As for Gillian, even though she had been around Rhode from almost the beginning, most people actually weren��t aware of her true identity. Apart from knowing that she was a half-beast, they knew nothing more about this fox-eared young lady. But now, they finally learned that she was the fire elemental lord.


    As one of the four elemental lords, Gillian, with the mastery of fire, could be considered to have supreme strength��enough to take on the four legendary generals and three archangels. Although everyone already knew that the Void Territory was powerful, they were still stunned to know that such a formidable person existed.


    However, Gillian, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum were only forces on the surface for Rhode.


    One of the biggest reasons why Rhode was so arrogant was because he wanted to display his strength as a form of ��nuclear deterrence��. Why were the Country of Light, Country of Darkness, and Country of Law able to maintain a balance with one another? The answer was that ��nuclear deterrence�� played a huge role in it. Other than Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Gillian, Rhode still had Marlene and Christie. As for Alice, even though he hoped that she could lend him a hand, this young lady who was a spirit of the library often vanished without a trace. Rhode tried asking the other Christie about this, but her answer was baffling. All in all, according to the other Christie, Alice would show up when he needed her assistance.


    Although it didn��t sound reliable, that was all that he could do for now.


    As for whether the Country of Light dared to get the three archangels involved, Rhode didn��t even need to consider. Lydia surely wouldn��t listen to the Light Parliament��s commands. If it were in the past, he would be rather worried if the other two came knocking on his door. But now with two Deity Wardens, he didn��t need to regard them as highly. If the Country of Light were so foolish to attack him using the human wave attack, he wouldn��t mind showing them why flowers were so red.


    This wasn��t a war.


    That��s right. In his mind, this wasn��t considered a war at all.


    Instead, it was more like a bloody slaughter.


    The Void Dragon soul protection would plummet the level of any enemies who entered the Void Territory by 10 instantly. In other words, even if there were 10,000 level 40 human warriors, they would be forcefully downgraded to level 30. At level 30, they were no different from fish in the pond in Canary��s and Mini Bubble Gum��s eyes. Moreover, Void Territory had a buff to speed up the recovery rate of spiritual powers which was disgustingly beneficial for them as spell casters.


    Not only that, but Rhode also hoped that the Country of Light would send more enemies because right now, Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and him were in the ��party mode��. According to party rules, the max-leveled characters wouldn��t receive EXP so all the EXP would be taken by Rhode, who wasn��t at the max level. In other words, while Mini Bubble Gum and Canary eradicated the enemies, Rhode could shake his leg, sip his tea, listen to music, and take in all the EXP��


    He got to show off his strength while gaining EXP at the same time��welcome to the new age.


    Although this amount of EXP was nothing much for him as the EXP from defeating 10 level 40 soldiers was half the EXP gained from killing one monster of his current level, no matter how small the mosquito was, it was still meat to him, after all. It beat working for EXP himself, wasn��t it?


    Under Clive��s management, Highland City was slowly getting back on track. Most of the rioters died to the undead army and some were killed by the Bow Knights. The remaining people were captured, tried, and executed. Thereafter, Rhode also began cleaning up the city and everything was peaceful. As for why the Void Territory appeared at such a coincidental time, Clive had gotten his subordinates to explain to the people of Highland City.


    Rhode gazed at the horizon in the distance. The Country of Light couldn��t really be considered an ensemble of idiots because they did have some powerful beings among them. Even though they couldn��t be compared to Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, they more or less possessed some strength. Besides, they had been in the Country of Light for a long time and the country itself possessed considerable deterrence. If not, the Country of Light would have crumbled a long time ago. Although Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were indeed strong, their popularity was still lacking. It was truly a pity. If it weren��t for the fact that they couldn��t leave the Void Territory��


    ��Phew�� It felt awesome!��


    Mini Bubble Gum laid down on the soft grassland and admired the mesmerizing stars in the night sky. She let out a satisfied yawn and reached for the cup of warm tea and delicious biscuits. On the other side, Canary was reading a hardcover book like a girl from a wealthy family. They seemed like a couple of sisters on an outing�� If one were to neglect the nearby charred ground that had as though been bombarded by massive explosions.


    The view from above was much more baffling, as there was a clear line dividing the grassland that they were on from the blackened ground. The line was as though a transparent barrier separating both worlds; one side was a leisure tea party while the other was a battlefield enveloped in the aura of death and blazing with billows of black smoke (though it didn��t sound right to mention the ��aura of death�� since all spirits were instantly purified by Mini Bubble Gum).


    ��Heh heh, how was it, Big Sister? I was right this time, eh? I knew that Leader would surely agree to our conditions with our ��unlucky looting aura��.��


    Mini Bubble Gum grinned proudly while picking up a biscuit.


    ��Hahaha. Leader may be smart but my 135 IQ isn��t there for show either! Heh heh, although we��re only projections in this world, we��re considered humans too. I��d go bonkers if I was restricted by the system all day. Big Sister, you can tolerate it, but I can��t. Heh heh. We��re in for more fun now; not sure what��s the next bunch of worthless trash the Country of Light will send. The more the merrier though, ��cause what we faced today was nothing!��


    ��We just have to wait patiently, since Rhode said that they won��t give up so easily. Besides, the Country of Light is known for courting disasters in the game, so don��t worry, you��ll have your fun.��


    Canary smiled and shook her head at Mini Bubble Gum who was rolling about boringly. In fact, the situation was fairly simple. Mini Bubble Gum knew that Rhode had intention of attacking Highland City, but she was somewhat resentful that he took the benefits of all the good stuff. Therefore, after her discussion with Canary, she confirmed her plan. She knew that Rhode was always ruthless in his missions and not even her acting cute would help at all.


    This was why she came up with this ��unlucky looting aura�� scheme.


    Canary and her used their ��unlucky looting aura�� to force Rhode into stopping their actions and negotiating conditions. As a result, everything worked out as planned. Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t feel better after slaughtering so many Country of Light NPCs, especially after she witnessed the soldiers crying for help and the look of despair when they discovered the holy barrier stopping their retreat.


    But��


    ��Sigh�� How I wish that I can break free from this fate����


    Canary sighed while gazing at her hands. After all, not everyone was willing to resign themselves to fate, especially in such a situation. Canary smiled, thinking of how envious her other self in the real world would be. Although in the past, she did wish to be in a game forever, she didn��t expect her wish to be fulfilled in this manner. From a certain extent, although she was a projection, she was much more fortunate than her real self.


    Canary shifted her gaze to Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��Bubble, what do you think?��


    ��Huh, think about what? Big Sister?��


    ��What do you think of this world? If you can, do you want to return to where we came from?��


    ��Ah�� Not really.��


    Mini Bubble Gum showed a bitter look and waved her tiny hand as though she had eaten something bad.


    ��Although I can��t visit the forum and make posts like I did in the game, it��s much more fun here. Besides, my house is always empty. My mom died early while my dad brings home different step-moms every time. Heh�� I think that perhaps my real self would be the murdered victim of a love triangle. I would have been pushed down the stairs by my step-mom for trying to obtain my father��s assets. Ah�� It��s still best to be here. I have my powers and can do whatever I want. With Leader and you around, this is an awesome paradise! Wait till we conquer the Dragon Soul Continent��the Stars Ocean will be next! Then, this world will all be ours! Wahahaha!��


    Well�� Considering her age�� I suppose this is all I can expect.


    ��It��s good to have ideas, but now����


    Canary drank the remaining tea, stood up, and gazed at the sky.


    ��We should do what we need to.��


    As she spoke, a glimmering magical radiance flashed in the pitch-black sky like a meteor streaking across the sky. Then suddenly, it crashed on the ground in front of them and a dozen people wielding staffs and clad in magical robes appeared before them.

 Chapter 935 - Royal Magic Association

    Chapter 935: Royal Magic Association


    Standing before Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were a dozen spell casters clad in magical robes and holding staffs. Most of them were middle-aged men. There was a symbol of three keys embedded on their black robes with red floral edges, representing the three doors of wisdom. They held identical brass staffs with a ruby on the tips. They also wore sharp black magic hats and seemed powerful.


    If Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were others, they would have frozen to the spot because in the entire Light Mainland, only the Mage Guards of the Royal Magic Association had this symbol. The Mage Guards were in charge of dealing with spell casters who violated the creed and commandment. Unlike Mages who stayed home and researched about magic spells, Mage Guards were true experts. Besides, they were cruel and ruthless. In the entire Light Mainland, almost no spell casters would remain indifferent when facing them.


    Yes, almost�� Because Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were the exceptions.


    Royal Magic Association, huh��


    Canary held down Mini Bubble Gum��s shoulder (which was the main reason why Mini Bubble Gum didn��t launch her attack immediately), at the same time knitting her brows and scanned the spell casters from head to toe. Rhode, as a Spirit Swordsman, didn��t understand a whole lot about the Mage factions. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum was focused on the churches, so it was Canary��s responsibility to interact with the various spell caster organizations. Frankly speaking, Canary was astonished to meet the spell casters from the Royal Magic Association here. Even though there was a ��Royal�� in their name, they had nothing to do with the Light Parliament and Light Dragon. According to the rumors, it seemed like it was because the founder of the association was a certain royal of a perished country and in order to commemorate his country, he added the word ��Royal�� to the association��s name. Of course, the Royal Magic Association couldn��t be compared to the Mage Tower, but they were still a great force in the Country of Light. However, Canary recalled that they shouldn��t have any relations with the Light Parliament, so why would they come here and intervene with the conflict between the Void Territory and Country of Light?


    ��Mage Guards from the Royal Magic Association? May I know why you are here?��


    Canary asked. Although the uninvited visitors were only level 60 on average, they were considered incredibly powerful among humans. However, in the eyes of the level 85 Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, they weren��t even worthy of a mention. Moreover, in the Void Territory, their levels were forcefully downgraded by 10. They might not feel the difference now, but they would understand how much their strengths were suppressed when they got into battle.


    Judging from a certain aspect, the dragon soul protection was as scheming as its owner.


    ��Are you two the spell casters who fought the Country of Light��s army?��


    The leader didn��t answer. Instead, he lifted his chin and scanned them proudly from head to toe. Although he had heard rumors about them, he realized that Canary and Mini Bubble Gum weren��t as powerful as they seemed after meeting them. Even though he witnessed the magical aura surrounding them, he judged that they had only stepped into the Inner Circle.


    Hmm�� It is indeed impressive for two young ladies to possess such powerful strength. But even so, they went too far. As spell casters, how dare they brazenly cast their powers. That was too dangerous!


    ��That��s right. You got a problem with that?��


    Mini Bubble Gum twitched her brow and swept a look of disdain at them. However, no one realized that she was trying her best to keep the corners of her lips down and stifle a chuckle. Although she had a troublesome personality, she sharply sensed that they didn��t regard her highly at all. She would have blown her top if this were to happen any other day. But now, she uncharacteristically kept her cool and displayed rare, unprecedented obedience.


    Although this was only from her perspective.


    ��Hmph.��


    The leader disregarded her entirely. He scoffed and looked at Canary.


    ��As a spell caster, don��t you know anything about the ��Forbidden Rules of Spell Casting��? You recklessly cast your spells before ordinary humans and violated the laws of spell casting! Do you know how much panic you��ve caused? You have no pride as a spell caster!��


    ��Forbidden Rules of Spell Casting? What kind of rubbish is that?��


    Although the leader sounded righteous in every word, Mini Bubble Gum was totally disinterested. She curled her lips and shifted her gaze to Canary. Canary showed a bitter smile and explained.


    ��It��s simple. Spell casters often cast some AOE spells and this will frighten the people if the spells are overly powerful. In order to prevent public concerns, formidable spell casters are normally forbidden from casting AOE spells, just like the ban on the use of nuclear weapons in our world.��


    ��Hahaha. In other words, Big Sister and I are Leader��s nuclear weapons? That sounds awesome. I like it!��


    ��But����


    Canary turned around and gazed at the group in silence.


    ��If I recall correctly, the forbidden rules only apply to spell casters in the Country of Light and neither did Mages like me or the ones in the Mage Tower accepted nor signed the agreement. Besides, please understand that you��re standing in a place and under a sky that doesn��t belong to the Light Mainland or Light Dragon.��


    Although Canary sounded calm, her attitude was determined. They were in the Void Territory and not the Light Mainland, so all attempts to interfere with matters in the Void Territory were useless. As a matter of fact, the so-called ��Forbidden Rules of Spell Casting�� wasn��t too effective among all spell casters. For instance, the most powerful Mage Association disdained this matter. They believed that the strength of spell casters should be revered and not used to please mortals. Come to think of it, perhaps such rules only existed in a country like the Country of Light, where they hated non-humans. In the eyes of the people in the Country of Light, powerful spell casters were no different from monsters.


    ��I��m not a Mage associated with any organization, so my apologies; your forbidden rules are meaningless to me. If you��re only here to remind me of that, this is the end of our conversation.��


    Canary loosened her grip on Mini Bubble Gum��s shoulder and said with a smile. However, the group of spell casters didn��t seem to notice the excited glint in Mini Bubble Gum��s eyes.


    ��Hmph. If you didn��t release your spells recklessly and destroy the Country of Light��s army, we wouldn��t have to come here. For our honor and in order to prove to our people that we aren��t dangerous murderers, in the name of the Royal Mage Guards, I declare����


    ��Who cares about whatever bullsh*t you want to declare!��


    Boom!


    Mini Bubble Gum yelled. In the blink of an eye, a dazzling light beam streaked across the sky and crashed into the ground in a loud, rumbling explosion, striking and blasting the arrogant, middle-aged man away. He flew into the sky in a beautiful and elegant trajectory before smashing into the ground.


    ��What do you think you��re doing?!��


    The other spell casters stepped back hurriedly, at the same time pointing their staff at the young girl. Not only that, but they also discovered that the two dazzling magical radiances emanating from the two young ladies became as glaring as the sun. This was a sign that they had exceeded the limits of the Inner Circle and reached the peak that all spell casters sought after!


    That was the highest realm that belonged only to players��Supreme Privilege!


    ��I��m annoyed by your crap. Since your idiotic people are so afraid of powerful spell casters, just let them be! And it��s best if they��re scared to death! Useless, brainless trash should accept being dominated like obedient dogs. I��ll kill anyone who stirs trouble and show you the true definition of fear!��


    In an instant, countless golden runes appeared, centered around Mini Bubble Gum, forming an enormous, rectangular enchanted field. Canary stood on the spot and watched the group of panicky spell casters at their wits�� end. In fact, the most terrifying part of Mini Bubble Gum wasn��t her powerful strength. Instead, it was the special skills that she could cast any time. Of course, her mean and nasty personality had made her countless enemies. In the past, even though she had been ganged up and clobbered by her enemies, her tenacity made her stand on her feet and survive the tortures. There was even once when she was surrounded by hundreds of players who sought revenge on her for an entire day, but she didn��t give up. The instant she ��respawned��, she gnashed her teeth and unleashed her powers to kill as many enemies as possible. She continued her massacre and the enemies gradually became frightened by her stubbornness and insanity.


    From a certain perspective, it was scarier to offend Mini Bubble Gum than a BOSS.


    ��Heyahhh! Come on! Let��s have a good one!��


    She flitted across the field and in the blink of an eye, she arrived by the side of one of the spell casters. He didn��t expect a delicate young girl like her to be this explosive in her movements. He stepped back hurriedly, at the same time casting magic runes in a fluster. Shortly after, magic runes glowed and formed a solid magical barrier around him. If he were an ordinary Mage, he would��ve been at his wits�� end in close-combat battle. But he had much more experience than most Mages.


    But�� It was useless against Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��Idiotic fool!��


    Mini Bubble Gum had no intention of stopping at the sight of the magical barrier. She clenched her right hand and three vibrant colors burst from her fist. Then, she hurled her punch forward.


    Boom!


    The magical barrier that was strong enough to resist a magic cannon shattered instantly like fragile glass. Mini Bubble Gum��s punch landed on the brass staff and exploded a white, dazzling light. Before the unfortunate man retaliated, he was blasted into bits immediately.


    Mini Bubble Gum seldom saw blood in battles because it was too violent for her. So�� Wouldn��t it resolve all problems if she blasted the enemy into bits instead?


    ��Tsk. Is this all you��ve got? You��re afraid that others will fear you? What��s there to be afraid about from a bunch of noobs like you?!��


    Mini Bubble Gum narrowed her eyes and gazed at the group of spell casters who had flown into the air using their flying spells. But this wasn��t an obstacle for her at all. She swung her arm quickly and a dark radiance flashed in the sky when suddenly, the spell casters lost control of their speed and crashed into one another clumsily. If it weren��t for their flying skills, they would have crashed to the ground already.


    But they weren��t in a better state now.


    ��Heyahh!��


    Mini Bubble Gum sprung into the air like a rocket and landed a punch on one of the unlucky fellas, crushing him into half. At the next moment, a bright light beam burst into the sky and burned the corpse into ashes.


    ��Monster!!��


    The spell casters were absolutely terrified. Apart from Mini Bubble Gum��s powerful strength, that was stronger than magic cannons, what frightened them was her strange and peculiar personality. She was obviously slaughtering and yet she was so thrilled like she was playing a game. Most importantly, they couldn��t escape at all!


    But they soon realized that there wasn��t only one enemy.


    ��Come on, Bubble. Leave some for me.��


    Canary grumbled like a young lady in a tea party whose cake was snatched away. Then, a whirlwind blazing in scorching flames rose from the ground and instantly engulfed the entire night sky. The dazzling, scarlet whirlwind expanded like an enormous, scary monster stretching its arms and tearing the tiny bugs into bits.


    Canary stood silently on the spot. She narrowed her eyes, revealed a gentle smile, and extended her index finger, where a combination of green and red magical radiances coalesced and spiraled on her fingertips. As one with the highest authority of wind and fire, almost no spell caster could stand firmly before her. If they were to release wind or fire spells on her, the spells would be manipulated by her��just like what was happening right now.


    ��������!��


    The fire and wind enveloping the night sky merged and transformed into a waterfall of flames that crashed to the ground. Along with this final hit, the powerless, desperate bugs flying in midair disappeared entirely.


    ��Ah! Big Sister, you��re kill stealing!��


    Mini Bubble Gum swung her tiny fist in resentment. Although she was powerful, in terms of AOE attacks, she still couldn��t be compared to Canary, who was a Mage and an expert in the wind and fire attributes. However, Canary wasn��t mindful of her grumbles.


    ��Alright, remove your enchanted field, Bubble. We have some visitors.��


    ��Hmph�� I rarely get the chance to show my powers. That bunch of old farts isn��t willing to leave yet?��


    Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips, but removed her enchanted field swiftly. Then, she gazed resentfully at the hill in the distance.


    ��Come out, you peeping toms!��


    ��Hahaha����


    A kind, gentle, and old laughter sounded. Then, the air vibrated and an old man clad in a white, long robe walked out of the darkness.


    ��I didn��t expect to be discovered by you. It seems like I��ve miscalculated����


    ��I didn��t expect to see you here.��


    Unlike earlier on, Canary sounded much gentler now.


    ��So, what brings you here to the Void Territory, Sir Bireno, Chairman of the Mage Tower?��

 Chapter 936 - The Meaning of Fate is…

    Chapter 936: The Meaning of Fate is��


    Among all the spell caster organizations on the Dragon Soul Continent, the Mage Tower was undoubtedly the strongest. The structure of their organization was rather similar to the churches. The Mage Tower��s branches were set up in every corner of the continent, including the Country of Darkness, Country of Law, and Country of Light. They recruited candidates with talent and potential in magic, taught them magic, and gathered Mages to explore and master the essence of magic. The Mage Tower was the only place one could see liches and elves peacefully studying magic together. But what caught one between laughter and tears was that the slogan of this massive and powerful spell caster organization was only two words����Safety First��.


    It was due to this that the Mage Tower was widely known among players as an organization that was afraid of death. The Mage Tower��s aim was to not be involved with any trouble and to never engage in battles unless absolutely necessary. Although it sounded extremely cowardly, there were in fact plenty of formidable spell casters in their organization. Most of them possessed powerful strength and as a result, they were often misidentified and hunted down. Although they could easily take down the attackers, most of them were loners who rarely joined groups. This was also the reason why they gladly joined this organization who was willing to accept them. As of today, the Mage Tower became the most popular academic institution in the Dragon Soul Continent and also the most powerful spell caster organization.


    In the game, the Mage Tower was the second organization after the Country of Law that didn��t borrow players�� strength to open a new territory. This went to show that their slogan of ��Safety First�� wasn��t for fun��


    In the past, Rhode received an invitation from them, hoping that they could establish a branch in the Void Territory. However he didn��t respond immediately because there were too few spell casters in his territory and he would have none of them for himself if they were all recruited by the Mage Tower.


    As a self-taught Mage, although Canary wasn��t interested in the so-called Royal Magic Association, she was somewhat respectful toward the Mage Tower. After all, the Mage Tower was the only organization that was willing to teach players intermediate spells for free. Of course, players would need to spend time working to gain reputation before they could learn some of the forbidden spells��


    But now, Canary wasn��t kind toward the old man standing before her. The reason was simple. Rhode promised her that all spell casters in the Void Territory would eventually belong to her�� It wasn��t surprising that she held hostility toward her ��industry competitor��.


    ��Can��t I kill him?��


    Although Mini Bubble Gum recognized him, it was apparent from her excited manner that she was ready to compete with this rumored Mage who reached the ��pinnacle of human spells��. The old man revealed a bitter smile. In fact, he was surprised as he had sensed the strong, reckless murderous intent exuding from Mini Bubble Gum from the beginning. If that were all, it wouldn��t have been enough to make an experienced Mage like him who had lived for a century afraid. Instead, what astonished him was Mini Bubble Gum��s pure, crystal-clear murderous intent. She wanted to kill him and there was no hatred or insanity. Her intention was just that simple. This was the first time in his life that he faced someone like this.


    No�� He clearly saw that he wasn��t a human in her eyes. Instead, he was just a luxurious treasure chest and she was innocently and naively guessing what was inside it like a child.


    Well, this wasn��t surprising to Mini Bubble Gum, since NPCs were meant to be killed for their treasures.


    ��No, Bubble.��


    ��Tsk.��


    Mini Bubble Gum spit in disdain before heading to the blackened battlefield, and the dazzling aura around her instantly became calm and indistinct. The old man didn��t reveal any change in his expression but was in fact bewildered. She has such a strong control over her aura!


    As a bystander earlier on, there was no doubt that he watched the battle from start until the end. Frankly speaking, when Canary and Mini Bubble Gum showed their true strength, he was utterly baffled. Although he received intelligence of their strength, he was in disbelief after witnessing it personally. That was the source of the Inner Circle that all spell casters were chasing after for their whole lives and yet, those two young ladies had already achieved it. More importantly, he discovered that they weren��t like the undead, elves, or angels with longevity, but were genuine humans! Just how did they reach that level?!


    The old man couldn��t understand and it seemed like he made the right choice with this trip.


    ��May I know is anything the matter for you to visit the Void Territory, Sir Bireno?��


    Canary twitched her brow and asked once more. But this time, her expression seemed slightly more annoyed. After all, he peeped at their battle and even entered the Void Territory unannounced. If he weren��t the chairman of the Mage Tower, she would have teamed up with Mini Bubble Gum to annihilate him and loot his equipment.


    ��Cough, cough. It��s nothing much actually. In fact, this was what happened, young ladies. We heard about how powerful both of you are and would like to know if you��re interested in researching magic with us at the Mage Tower?��


    The old man smiled while retrieving two envelopes from his wide sleeve and handed them over. Canary didn��t accept the envelopes immediately. Instead, she pondered for a while before shaking her head.


    ��My apologies, Sir Bireno. I��m only a self-taught Mage. I will gladly oblige if this is purely a battle of magic, but I��m not an expert in the field of magic studies. As for Bubble�� She isn��t interested in anything that doesn��t involve violence. So please pardon our rudeness for refusing your invitation to the Mage Tower. Let��s get to the serious matters now.��


    Although Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were formidable, it wasn��t to the grand extent where it required a visit from the chairman of the Mage Tower himself. It would be more understandable if they were creator gods. Mini Bubble Gum might not understand this logic but Canary clearly knew about it.


    ��Haha����


    The old man graciously laughed. He flipped his wrist and the two envelopes vanished instantly, only to be replaced by an old, ancient sheepskin scroll.


    ��Since that��s the case, I won��t continue to pester you about it. Honestly speaking, even though my trip here does entail probing your strengths, after witnessing the battle earlier on�� Cough, cough. I know that a sack of old, fragile bones like me can��t stand against you two in a fight.�� The old man shifted his gaze to Mini Bubble Gum who had bent over and was searching for something on the ground with her protruded butt. Although she looked like a child who was boringly watching an army of ants, the murderous intent from before stayed fresh in his mind. ��I know that His Majesty the Void Dragon is here, so I represent the Mage Tower and came here personally. I hope to have a deal with the Void Territory.��


    The old man turned to Canary with a sincere look and told his request.


    ��The Mage Tower wants to build a Dimension Gate in the Void Territory?��


    Rhode put away the sheepskin scroll and gazed with knitted brows at Canary, who stood in front of him.


    ��They must be sick in the head. No wonder that old fella came here himself. If it were someone else, I would��ve thought that he was just making a fool out of me.��


    The Dimension Gate was similar to a teleportation door to the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. The only difference was that the Dimension Gate was used to connect to the gate of the outside world.


    The outside world wasn��t neither referring to the Seven Fantasy Boundaries, four elemental planes of existence, hell, nor abysses. Instead, it was truly the ��outside�� world. In the game, Rhode once led Starlight and found a working Dimension Gate in the ancient ruin. In the end��


    His men only had swords, shields, and staffs when they faced an army of radish-looking robots with laser guns! Laser guns! Not only that, but all the monsters were also robots that self-destructed once destroyed! The explosions also released nuclear radiation! It was totally insane and absurd!


    ��Nope, I��m not interested in turning my territory into a nuclear experimental ground. No, it��ll still be fine if it turned into a nuclear experimental ground. What��s worse is when some unknown and disgustingly-shaped monsters show up and terrorize my people.��


    Although he didn��t know why the Mage Tower would raise this request, he definitely wouldn��t agree. He tossed the scroll to the table and turned to the enormous metal egg. After dealing with the group of idiots from the Country of Light, he had been researching this metal egg. But no matter how hard he tried, he didn��t yield any results. He didn��t remember ever seeing this thing. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were also clueless about it. Even though Stefania said that she found it in this world, who knew what it was with the Dragon Soul Continent being so huge?


    Rhode tried his spiritual summons and made Canary and Mini Bubble Gum cast their magical and spiritual spells, but this thing had no reaction at all. Although Angelina also used her blood spells, nothing changed either. What exactly was this thing?


    Rhode had even summoned Shira to slash it open but it was tougher than he imagined. His all-out attack didn��t even scratch its shell either. The fact that this mysterious metal survived the attack of a creator dragon soul piqued his curiosity. It seems like I��ve bought something worthy despite offering a nail-sized Illusion Crystal in exchange.


    Suddenly, an array of vibrant colors flashed in midair and a teleportation door appeared before him. Marlene walked out of it.


    ��Rhode, the territorial matters are almost done. As for Highland City�� I heard Sir Bireno from the Mage Tower asking for help?��


    ��Yes, they want to build a Dimension Gate in my territory, but I don��t agree.��


    Rhode continued to scan the metal egg in front of him and answered without turning around. It was also due to this reason that he didn��t notice the glint in Marlene��s eyes as soon as she heard ��Dimension Gate��. However, Canary witnessed everything.


    ��Is anything the matter, Miss Marlene?��


    ��Ah, Miss Canary, I����


    Marlene appeared flustered. Although she could easily defeat Canary now after awakening the powers and wisdom of the Deity Warden, for some unknown reasons, she felt instinctively uncomfortable. According to Mini Bubble Gum��


    It looked as though Marlene was a concubine who felt inferior to Canary, the primary wife.


    Fortunately Marlene couldn��t understand what she meant.


    ���� Rhode, I think that you should agree to build the Dimension Gate. After all, it has an irreplaceable role against Chaos.��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode turned around curiously. Although players were mostly familiar with the Dimension Gate, this was the first time that he heard that it was useful against Chaos. Could it be that he could summon an army of radish-looking robots and make them self-destruct at the Chaos Creatures?


    ��If I recall correctly, the Dimension Gate is a channel to the outside world but we won��t know which outside world it will be connected to. Don��t you think that there are too many strange creatures in our territory? It won��t be good news if the Dimension Gate summons some troublesome monsters.��


    The effect that alien species had on the erosion of native food chains could be seen from the rabbits in Australia.


    Marlene gave a surprising answer.


    ��That��s not the case, Rhode. The Dimension Gate isn��t used to teleport alien species to our world. Instead, it is used to send ourselves to the outside world.��


    ��Why must we do that though?��


    Not only Rhode was astonished, but Canary also looked at Marlene curiously. The purpose of the Dimension Gate was still too strange for him. Marlene smiled and cleared his doubt.


    ��The Dimension Gate is a one-way channel that won��t crumple to the attacks by Chaos. It is due to this reason that a long, long time ago, it served as an escape route that was only used as a last resort because Chaos would disrupt the entire world��s Order as soon it descends. All teleportation spells would become unstable due to the influence and erosion of Chaos. So when one finds oneself trapped by Chaos and can��t escape, one can open the Dimension Gate and flee to the new world with one��s remaining family members. As the Dimension Gate uses a unique strength of Order that is unlike ours, the Chaos Creatures can��t give chase and in turn, the ones who escape can��t return to our world����


    I see. I didn��t know that the Dimension Gate has such a purpose.


    But�� Why does the Mage Tower want to build it? Do they have the intention to use it for that purpose?


    ��Alright, I��ll speak to that old fella and see what he plans to do exactly. I will need your strength if we are to build the Dimension Gate, Marlene.��


    ��No problem, Rhode.��


    Marlene revealed a confident smile before shifting her gaze dubiously to the metal egg beside him.


    ��By the way, I wanted to ask you about that rescue cabin, Rhode. Where did you get it from?��


    ��Rescue cabin?��


    Rhode and Canary widened their eyes in shock at this advanced technological term. Marlene explained, albeit with some doubts.


    ��Yes, if I recall correctly, this is a life-saving device created by the first nobles. Whenever they faced a disaster, they jumped into it and sealed themselves inside until the disaster was over. As this rescue cabin uses a high density star-iron and is enhanced with the protection of an Order barrier, it won��t be damaged by anything.��


    ��In other words, there are residents from the first age in this rescue cabin now?��


    Rhode��s and Canary��s eyes glinted with curiosity. The official website of the game merely walked through the background of this game without too much detail. If there were residents from that era inside that thing, it would be a huge discovery! At this moment, they felt like archaeologists who unintentionally discovered a hibernating dinosaur from the Cretaceous period!


    ��Can you open it?��


    ��Erm�� I can����


    Marlene was slightly startled by Rhode��s anxiousness.


    ��But����


    ��But?��


    ���� It gets its source of power from the core of the tinder but it seems to have been removed from the core a few centuries ago�� In other words, it is already spoiled and even if there are people inside, they would have been����


    ������


    Rhode and Canary went into silence. Then, Canary gazed at his hands.


    ��Leader, please stay away from equipment with your ��unlucky looting hand���� I��m pretty sure I��ve told you this more than once.��

 Chapter 937 - The Original Four

    Did the chicken or the egg come first? That was the question.


    Was it due to the damage from Rhode��s ��unlucky looting aura�� or was it already damaged when it met him? This was also the question. This went to show that the ��unlucky looting aura�� was a mysterious and magical philosophical issue. But now, all philosophical issues were meaningless because the consequence was more serious than the cause and this wasn��t what he hoped for.


    ��Open it, Marlene.��


    Rhode sighed. No matter if it was the cause of his ��unlucky looting aura��, this metal egg was already spoiled. The truth wouldn��t change even if he figured out the cause��


    ��Yes, Rhode.��


    Marlene gaped at the listless Rhode who had as though been enveloped by depressing black smoke. But after she looked at Canary��s expression, which warned her not to ask about it, she closed her mouth and placed her hand on the metal egg.


    ��Tare Mis Con.��


    ��������!��


    The outer shell of the metal egg emanated dozens of magical radiances. Then, it slowly opened like a blossoming flower and spurted white steam from within. Rhode and Canary watched curiously as it unveiled its secret.


    After the four heavy segments of the shell fell off, the group witnessed a crystal coffin��


    ��It��s completely done for.��


    Although the appearance of the metal egg and the crystal coffin seemed to be in perfect condition, the human inside had already turned to dust, and there was nothing else apart from some clothes and broken sword. It was apparent that the rescue cabin had lost its source of energy and capability. All that was left now was the perfect structure of a coffin.


    Kacha.


    Rhode and Canary gazed with complicated emotions at the remains. After a few moments, Canary nodded proudly. ��Rhode, your ��unlucky looting aura�� has indeed broken through the horizon. There��s really nothing worthy left from the inside-out.��


    ��Alright, stop criticizing. You��re nowhere better than me.��


    Rhode shot a glare at her. In fact, even though he was mentally prepared for this result, he felt resentful that this thing was destroyed to this extent, especially after losing a nail-sized Illusion Crystal. But�� He extended his hand and touched the sword hilt.


    If that plane merchant didn��t trick me, this thing must be linked to my fate in order for it to be here.


    Although there were no signs of life, Rhode had some ideas at the sight of the sword hilt��


    ��Does anyone recognize this?��


    Rhode spiritually communicated with his card spirits and projected the image of the short, mysterious sword hilt to them. The card spirits pondered for a few moments when suddenly, Celestina yelled.


    ��Woah! It��s Fourth Big Sister! Master, hurry up and summon her! Hurry!��


    Why do I feel like I��m a savior to some impoverished people who have been oppressed by a demon lord?


    ��Do you know her? Is she one of you?��


    The card spirits pondered and Celia was the first to answer.


    ��Yes, Master. Fourth Big Sister is the smartest saint among us. In fact, our weapons were designed and created by her. But�� If I recall correctly, Fourth Big Sister took refuge in a rescue cabin, so why����


    Forget it if this was related to someone��s ��unlucky looting aura��.


    Gracier and Madaras remained silent as usual, but Rhode sensed through their spiritual connection that they were thrilled. It was apparent that they were also excited to meet the so-called Fourth Big Sister. On the other hand, Shira had no reaction. She always behaved like a dead person unless she was summoned into battle, though she wasn��t a living being, to begin with.


    It seems like this isn��t too bad, after all.


    Although Rhode had gotten a ��damaged�� rescue cabin and the fella inside was already dead, he didn��t expect her to be one of the holy sword spirits. However, what surprised him was that the death of this holy sword spirit was somewhat strange. He wasn��t too sure about the individual history of holy sword spirits, but he was sure that they had basically died in the battlefield. But this particular spirit took refuge in a rescue cabin and died in the failed system? How should he put it�� It somehow felt as though she was an army deserter.


    ��Is she like all of you? But why did she hide in the rescue cabin?��


    Although he could also ask personally after summoning her, such a question wasn��t easy to raise either. Celia thought for a few moments and said.


    ��Erm�� Master, Fourth Big Sister is actually�� a human. Although she was experienced in battles, her constitution and longevity can��t be compared to ours. Besides����


    ��Cough�� Cough Cough!!��


    At this moment, Celestina interrupted and Celia was as though a chick with its throat strangled. Then, Celestina continued on her behalf.


    ��All in all, you��ve found a gold mine, Master. Fourth Big Sister is the smartest among us. Heh heh. It��ll be your wisest choice if you can summon her! The reason we can remain in spiritual form inside weapons is all thanks to����


    ��Big Sister!��


    ��Ah�� Sh*t�� Master, please forget what you just heard! Anyway, all you have to do is summon Fourth Big Sister, understand?!��


    This time it was Celia��s turn to interrupt Celestina, and the latter jumped in surprise. Although Rhode couldn��t see Celestina��s expression, he heard from her tone that she was rather regretful as though she had said something that she shouldn��t. But he disregarded her words and pondered in silence.


    �� They are related in this way, huh�� According to Celestina, it seems it was all planned out that they would fuse with their weapons after death and be re-summoned. Besides, this ��Fourth Big Sister�� also seems to have played a leading role among them?


    Apart from that, what made him most mindful was Celia��s introduction of this ��Fourth Big Sister�� as a human. Rhode had never expected that there was a human among these insanely powerful holy sword spirits. Besides, since she was ranked fourth, she would be stronger than Shira.


    ��Alright then, let��s begin.��


    After confirming that she was a holy sword spirit, Rhode was anxious to summon her. He held onto the sword hilt and reached for the Illusion Crystal with his other hand in his pocket. Shortly after, the system prompt emerged.


    [Detected a resonance reaction. Confirm to awaken?]


    Awaken.


    [Awaken soul core, detected holy sword������Heart Piercer. Awakening begins]


    ��%&*�� #*�� #����!��


    All of a sudden the crystal coffin glowed and some electronic noises sounded. The sword hilt instantly emanated an unprecedented brilliance while several golden runes appeared in midair to form circles of various sizes. Canary and Marlene took a step back as rune circles floated from top to bottom and vice-versa. Then, a slender figure appeared before their eyes.


    It was a young lady who was about the same height as Marlene and Canary. She had clean, neat, white-golden short hair leveled with her shoulders. Unlike Celia��s battle suit or Celestina��s and Shira��s inappropriate western-style dresses, she wore a set of white cloak and miniskirt. Although she wasn��t as stunning as Celestina, she had the unique presence of an intellectual. She wore frameless oval glasses over her gorgeous azure eyes. No matter from which angle, Rhode didn��t spot any tail, fluffy ears, or wings and she looked just like a human.


    A somewhat ordinary-looking human.


    Rhode gazed at the card that appeared in his hand. Unlike the other cards, this card had a silver-whitish base and was embedded with golden edges. In its picture was a young lady sitting on a throne constructed by countless swords. Above the picture was the symbol ��IV�� while there were the values of 5 and 8 at the bottom of the card.


    [Received Eternal Holy Sword 4th Position. Heart Piercer. Silver Sage������Karin: The power of wisdom is the attribution of everything. Superposition LV3 (Can be superimposed and cast simultaneously). Skill Analysis LV3 (When equipped with weapons, there is a certain probability to analyze the skill activation rate). Rune Enhancement LV3 (Drop cooldown time by half when using runes in battles). The brain is the strongest weapon.]


    This is truly��


    Rhode was speechless. He thought that since she was in the 4th position, she would be more or less a formidable being. But her offense and defense stats were only 5 and 8. Although these stats were decent for most people, it was terrible considering all his other holy sword cards were double digits in stats. Moreover, he didn��t know why he felt out of sorts looking at her as a human. Not only that, but the worst Spirit Bird card also held higher stats than her.


    But when he flipped the card around and saw her skills, he instantly realized why she was worthy of her 4th position.


    Superposition [Continuous summons will receive superposition. The stats are based on the increase in superposition. Can be superimposed up to five times (Every superposition increases cooldown time by 3)]


    Triple Realm [After continuously summoning three spirit cards, holder can activate three shadow clones with same stats]


    Calculation [Instantly analyze and calculate strength in battle]


    [Superposition] left him speechless. If it was as he thought, whenever he summoned Karin, returned her into the card and summoned her again, her basic stats would be stacked from her previous summons. In other words, for instance, her stats would grow from 4 and 6 to 8 and 12, and to 12 and 18. If he were to summon her five times, her stats would go over 20! This was even more insane than Gillian.


    On the other hand, [Triple Realm] could create three shadow clones of this insanely powerful young lady!


    No wonder she��s in the 4th position.


    Come to think of it, if she had truly reached this level as a human, Rhode would prostrate himself in admiration because it was impossible for players to have her stats without relying on top-rated talents and equipment. But she actually possessed such strength as a pure human. This went to show how powerful she was.


    What comforted him was [Calculation]��oh my goodness. I finally have a subject who will use her brain in battle rather than pouncing on the enemy immediately. He felt tremendous stress commanding everyone by himself.


    If he were to mention any flaws, it would be the cooldown time +3 hours, which would start after the end of his battle. If he wanted Karin��s stats to be superimposed for five times and reach insane stats, the cool-down time would be 15 hours. In other words, if he were to superimpose her stats in one go for five times, he would need to wait for 15 hours before he could summon her again. Compared to the other card spirits who required spiritual energy to be summoned, this was indeed a problem. But a trump card would always be for the finale.


    ������


    After he finished scanning the card details, Karin returned to her senses. She pushed up her glasses and gazed at him expressionlessly.


    ��Are you my master?��


    Her voice was so calm and elegant. Rhode snapped his fingers softly and the card vanished before his eyes. He faced the young lady and nodded.


    ��That��s right. I��m your master. Is there anything that you would like to ask?��


    Karin shook her head to his surprise.


    ��Not now.��


    She looked at the surroundings and shifted her gaze to the empty crystal coffin. After taking a closer look, she nodded in satisfaction.


    ��Everything is as per normal.��


    She said softly and turned to give Rhode a solemn bow.


    ��Please pardon my leave.��


    In an instant, circular golden runes appeared around her. Then, she gradually vanished into thin air.


    ������


    ������


    ������


    Everyone didn��t know how to respond to that. After a few moments, Canary shrugged and let out a subtle sigh.


    ��Rhode, why do all your card spirits behave so strangely����

 Chapter 938 - An Unsettling Heart

    ��In other words, the Pale Blue Army lost?��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    Although Lilian��s childish voice sounded stern, she couldn��t hide the joy inside her. She sat on the throne and although her expression didn��t reveal her thoughts, it was apparent from the slightly rolled-up corners of her mouth that she was delighted. She was totally fine with the loss of her army while Sonia stood beside her and showed a bitter smile.


    Sonia was bewildered when she heard that Rhode became the Void Dragon. Even though she had submitted to him entirely, she didn��t expect him to have such a powerful background. What made her rather concerned was whether Lilian would change her attitude toward him after hearing this news. Of course, Sonia wasn��t a dragon soul heir so she couldn��t consider the matter from Lilian��s perspective. But come to think of it, if the ruler of one country realized that her close friend became the ruler of another country, would she think that the friend got close to her only to make use of her? If it were Sonia, she definitely wouldn��t let this matter off.


    But what surprised her was that Lilian didn��t express any anger or resentment at all. Instead, she seemed relatively excited that Rhode became a dragon soul heir. If it weren��t for Sonia spending a lot of time and knowing that Lilian was an innocent child, Sonia would have believed that Lilian might actually be a scheming person��


    Moreover, Lilian also seemed pretty interested in the development and reports of the Void Territory. She requested for intelligence from the Light Parliament almost everyday and had even abandoned that little bit of power which she finally won over from them some time ago. Not only that, but she also constantly discussed with Sonia over how the Void Territory should develop. Sonia suspected that Lilian might even defect to the Void Territory if she were to lead her. One might even believe that Lilian was the ruler of the Void Territory judging from all that enthusiasm from her.


    Sonia found herself at her wits�� end. She realized that there was a world of difference between the thoughts of dragon soul heirs and ordinary humans. She also discovered that Lilian had a small sense of belonging in the Country of Light. In the past, it could be argued that Lilian had a child��s mentality, but the fact that she was unconcerned with the casualty reports proved everything. Unlike the past, these reports were clearly written with the number of casualties now, but she just didn��t seem to mind at all.


    It also wasn��t right to say that she didn��t seem to mind because in fact, she responded.


    ��It��s their fault. A bunch of idiots. Who asked them to anger Big Brother Rhode.��


    If the Light Parliament were to hear these rebellious words from her, they would probably faint on the spot.


    ��Did the bunch of idiots from the parliament stop finding trouble with Big Brother Rhode?��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty. The Light Parliament has temporarily stopped their attacks on the Void Territory. After the previous battles, there were some issues with the military configurations in the border army and they needed more time to regroup and set up. I suppose they will need around four months for that.��


    Sonia was right because Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had slaughtered almost 30,000 soldiers and crippled the border army. The Light Parliament didn��t expect the two young ladies to possess such incredible strength that cripple their army in less than five minutes. After the loss, they used the excuse of ��force majeure�� to ��temporarily�� stop their attacks to ��snatch�� Highland City. Of course, perhaps the Country of Light��s border army would have a tough time in the future.


    ��Hmph. I knew those idiots weren��t capable. They clearly witnessed how powerful Big Brother Rhode was during the Dragon Soul Ceremony and still stirred trouble with him? So foolish!��


    ������


    For some unknown reason, Sonia suddenly realized that Lilian seemed more like a spy than her.


    ��Ah�� When will I meet Big Brother Rhode. I want to see him����


    ��Erm, please pardon my rudeness, Your Majesty. The Country of Light and Void Territory are in a tense situation now. Perhaps you can��t����


    ��I know, Sonia. Those annoying fellas! Hmph! How irritating!��


    Lilian curled her lips and smacked the seat handle. Then, she revealed a grin.


    ��Heh heh. But maybe I will get to meet Big Brother Rhode in a short while. Yes, it��s about time for that. As long as I receive the invitation, those idiots of the parliament won��t be able to stop me. Heh heh. I shall let them die from their anger!��


    ��?��


    Sonia looked curiously. Even though she thought that she knew Lilian, sometimes she just couldn��t understand what she meant. It was during such moments when she realized that dragon soul heirs and ordinary humans were indeed different. But�� Sonia sharply detected the meaning behind the word ��invitation��.


    This left her dubious because she understood Lilian��s interpersonal relationships after spending half a year with her. It could also be said that Sonia was her only friend in the Country of Light and she couldn��t possibly invite her for something. Although it was possible that Rhode and Lydia would invite her, she didn��t think that the Light Parliament couldn��t say no to them. After all, no one knew what exactly Lilian was up to all day, so as long as the Light Parliament announced that she was sick and couldn��t head out, it would solve the problem, right? But Lilian seemed so confident that the parliament would accept the invitation�� It was so strange.


    Lilian, who was under the control of the Light Parliament, should understand their capability more than anyone. But why was she so confident and who exactly would be sending her the invitation?


    At this moment, Rhode ended his ��break�� in Highland City. After obtaining another holy sword card, he returned to Grandia and couldn��t care less if the Country of Light sent another army. Since he had the system to notify him of any intruders, he could simply send Canary and Mini Bubble Gum over to teach them another harsh lesson. Although he could choose to wander for a longer period of time, he received great news that made him return to his city.


    The Sphere of Mystery ��Wind Enchanted Field�� had been repaired.


    ��So this is the Wind Enchanted Field.��


    Rhode exclaimed at the exquisite and adorable sphere. He couldn��t help but recall the first time he received the Sphere of Mystery ��Mirage��. Back then he couldn��t even move it and had to get Anne to handle the troublesome issues. But now, he easily lifted this extremely heavy Sphere of Mystery like a plastic ball, which made him feel that it was rather unrealistic.


    At this moment, he realized how much he had grown. No, perhaps he should say that he realized how much strength he had restored.


    Compared to the ��Mirage��, the ��Wind Enchanted Field�� more or less had some value to him. Its most important function was to manipulate wind to form an indestructible storm barrier around the city but it was completely useless with the absolute space barrier in place. Apart from that, the two remaining features of the ��Wind Enchanted Field�� was the ability to control weather (Rhode, as the Void Dragon, also had this authority, so this ability was pointless), and fill the sky with powerful wind element, which was the only feature that he was interested in. With this feature, he could create winds within his territory for the floating boats to sail on.


    This was hugely beneficial news. Although he could also rely on Marlene and Lapis to create magic warships that didn��t need to rely on winds, that would be a major project that couldn��t be completed quickly after all. At this moment, his territory was still in the construction and developmental phase, so he needed convenient vehicles like the floating boats. Moreover, Marlene��s Senia Family had also agreed to dedicate their own floating boat technology and ships for transportation, which made it essential for him to generate winds in his territory.


    But compared to the ��Wind Enchanted Field��, Rhode was more fascinated by something else.


    The Modified Zero Refining Equipment that Lapis created for him.


    After his alchemy equipment shattered in the battle against the Duke Fiend, he had never equipped a similar one, mainly because of the harm he received. Although he relied on the alchemy equipment and survived several crises, the damage he received was huge. But now, after obtaining the Illusion Crystal, he reignited the idea of having the alchemy equipment. As he had reached the Legendary Stage and attained the ��Indestructible�� property, this meant that the items on him wouldn��t be destroyed even if they were blasted by magic cannons. Even if it were a tattered piece of cloth, it would be protected by the ��Indestructible�� property as soon as he wore or held it. From a certain perspective, it could be considered invincible.


    With the endless source of energy from the Illusion Crystal, he had unlimited spiritual powers which was massive for him to maintain card spirits in battle. But he didn��t expect that Lapis would do better than expected.


    ��Lapis, are you ready?��


    Rhode returned the Sphere of Mystery to its original position because it wasn��t time for it yet. Lapis, who was gazing at him anxiously, returned to her senses and picked up an item from the table.


    It was a silver, metal bracer. Unlike ordinary ones, the edges of this bracer had three small, silver chains that were connected to rings of various sizes.


    ��All ready, Sir Rhode. I have polished the Illusion Crystal and hidden it within the silver chains connecting the rings and bracer. It can provide unlimited spiritual powers to you and of course, to allow for a smoother flow of spiritual powers, I etched several magic rituals to ensure maximum output in the shortest time�� Also, I��ve fused fine gold and magic crystals to create a backup storage for spiritual powers for emergencies����


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. He took over the Modified Zero Refining Equipment and equipped it on his left wrist. Shortly after, he instantly felt a powerful surge of energy flowing from his wrist to every part of his body. The energy slowly merged with him as one. If his spiritual powers were a pond, the Zero Refining Equipment would be the spiritual powers connecting the inland pond with the ocean, flowing smoothly and endlessly into his body. It seemed like Lapis��s skills indeed lived up to the name of an Alchemist Master. The Illusion Crystal was considered one of the highest-grade alchemy materials. If he didn��t have someone like Lapis, he would rather hold onto the Illusion Crystal everywhere he went and definitely wouldn��t come up with this idea.


    ��E-Erm�� Sir Rhode.��


    Lapis hesitated and said with uncertainty.


    ��It isn��t safe to allow spiritual powers from the surroundings to flow into your body. I think you should be careful about it. Even though the source of energy from the Illusion Crystal comes from the surroundings, it doesn��t belong to humans after all�� Sir Rhode, if you feel like something is wrong with your body, please let me know.��


    ��Don��t worry. You��ll be the first person I notify if there��s any problem.��


    Rhode patted her head and Lapis revealed a blush on her pale complexion. She lowered her head shyly, twisting and turning the long robe before her. Rhode didn��t seem to notice her reaction and he retracted his hand.


    ��You did well and the repairment of the Wind Enchanted Field is also successful. Thank you.��


    ��Y-You��re welcome, Sir Rhode. This is my job.��


    ��I know, but you must also take care of yourself. Even though you��re not the only one doing the research now, you��re still our important companion. Don��t shoulder every responsibility by yourself. Look for me or Marlene if you face any difficulties. As long as we can resolve it, we will do our best for you.��


    Rhode patted her shoulder, turned around, and headed out. Lapis lifted her head, gnashed her teeth, and took in a deep breath. Then, as though she had made a decision, she suddenly yelled.


    ���� Sir Rhode!��


    ��Is anything the matter?��


    Rhode turned around and his gaze made her head turn empty. The courage that she mustered vanished into thin air and she lowered her head helplessly.


    ��No, it��s nothing much, Sir Rhode. I just want to know if�� I can take a break?��


    ��Of course.��


    Rhode didn��t feel astonished by her request. Come to think of it, she had basically been working everyday ever since joining Starlight. Although he rarely forced her for anything, the pressure on her shoulders were indeed huge for a young lady like her.


    ��It��s about time for you to take a good rest. If you have the time, head out to Grandia together with Christie and Bell. If I recall correctly, you haven��t had the chance to explore the city yet, right? Taking occasional breaks is essential too.��


    ��Yes�� Sir Rhode.��


    ��Good.��


    Rhode said and left the room. Lapis lifted her head helplessly, let out a long sigh, and sat on the chair weakly like a puppet without strings.


    ��It looks like I still can��t do it. I feel so nervous whenever I see Sir Rhode����


    Lapis shifted her gaze to a booklet on the table with all sorts of potion formulas written inside. She revealed hesitation in her eyes.


    ��It seems like�� I may just have to give it a shot.��

 Chapter 939 - Each of Their Own Magical Power

    Power was the start of corruption.


    And this applied to Rhode.


    After dealing with the trouble in Highland City, Rhode instantly felt a weight off his shoulders and became much more idle. Marlene and the others were responsible for internal and diplomatic affairs while Orchid Heart was in charge of training. Apart from occasional barks from the losers of the Country of Light, everything was peaceful. There was also nothing serious enough that required his attention within the territory. Although he was looking out for movements from the Country of Darkness, he predicted that the Dark Dragon would need more than a year before launching an attack. Besides, the attack might even be delayed because just like in the game, the Dark Dragon lost more than he gained. Moreover, the Holy Maiden Statues were positioned by the border of Munn Kingdom and unless the Dark Dragon came up with a way to deal with them, he wouldn��t act recklessly. Of course, this wouldn��t remove the possibility of him targeting the Void Territory over Munn Kingdom. After all, the Dark Dragon had no choice but to attack the Munn Kingdom in the past. But now that Rhode had the Void Territory, the Dark Dragon didn��t need to risk the dangers to attack the Munn Kingdom. As long as he occupied the Void Territory, his undead armies could swiftly take over the entire Light Mainland.


    Fortunately, Rhode had taken security measures. Back then, he had purposely left out an area of land of Chaos around the junction of the Country of Darkness when he expanded his dragon soul protection. This way, even if the Country of Darkness tried to attack the Void Territory, they could only start by attacking the Land of Atonement or opening up the land of Chaos. No matter which choice they chose, Rhode had his ways to resist their attacks, especially after awakening the other Christie and Marlene. The four legendary generals who gave him the most headache in this situation suddenly looked less threatening now.


    Come to think of it, he couldn��t find the other Deity Warden hidden in the library. Ever since Grandia was built, he stopped seeing her and had no idea where she hid herself.


    Under such a circumstance, Rhode realized that he was bored and idle. Even though he could learn from Canary and Mini Bubble Gum and lead others to ruins and dungeons, the thought of his ��unlucky looting aura�� made him give up on this idea. On the other hand, their luckiest charm, Marlene, was busy working all day, so it was impossible for her to accompany him to loot corpses. At least for now.


    Initially, Rhode thought that he could use this time to accompany Christie but times had changed. She had to grasp the powers of the Deity Warden under the guidance of her other self. According to the other Christie, if Christie could master the use of the Deity Warden��s power, she could strengthen her body and get rid of her weak constitution. After hearing this news, Christie immediately focused her attention on mastering her skills and so, Rhode naturally couldn��t spend time with her.


    As a result, Rhode found himself slowly ��rotting�� away��


    ��Hmm����


    He puckered his brows to the glaring sunlight. Then, he turned around and opened his eyes to find the naked, golden-haired young lady with her arms wrapped around his. She gave a satisfied smile in her sleep. Rhode shook his head helplessly, withdrew his arm from her embrace, and stood up to tidy his clothes.


    There was only one thing he could do now. Yes, everyone knew what that was.


    But even as the dragon soul heir, he didn��t pick his partner openly as this would easily cause chaos in his harem. He would find a particular partner sometimes while at times someone else would look for him and Anne was the most eager one. Perhaps as a Shield Warrior, she didn��t need to train and apart from helping Orchid Heart with training the soldiers, she was basically always around his side. Besides, as a half-beast, she lacked shamelessness of a pure human. As long as she was in the mood, she would seek his affections even in an empty alley. Fortunately, she knew her limits and had never behaved that way in public.


    As for Marlene and Lize, Rhode would sometimes do it with them alone or together. Lize was slightly less busy so she came knocking on his door more often. On the contrary, Marlene was too busy and seldom took the initiative, which was why Rhode went looking for her more. Of course, he didn��t find her just for his enjoyment. He knew that she had been busy with work and also hoped to use this chance for her to relax. But he wouldn��t force her if she wasn��t interested. He would simply accompany her throughout the peaceful night.


    In fact, Rhode didn��t mind spending the night together with multiple women. He might not have the energy to sustain them in the past, but after awakening the dragon soul heir��s power, his energy was a few hundred times more than a human��s, where he wouldn��t feel exhausted even after ��battling it out�� with 10 women. The best evidence for this was when he needed the entire night for Anne to be satisfied. But now, he needed only half the night and she would be drifting off into her sweet dreams. In fact, he was curious to see how it would feel like to bring Canary, Anne, Lize, Marlene, Celestina, Nell, and the others to bed. But it was a pity that they weren��t interested or didn��t have such intentions.


    However, Anne wasn��t mindful and was oddly welcoming of that idea instead. On the other hand, Lize and Marlene expressed that unless there were the two of them with him, it was extremely humiliating to reveal themselves to others on the same bed. Canary mentioned that she didn��t mind since she wouldn��t die no matter how violent the night was and it would be fine trying out a new experience. Rhode was even considering changing her thinking. As for Celestina, although she might reveal her uncharacteristically shy side in private, she would rather die than to embarrass herself before others. As for Nell, she recognized herself as a tool and slave which gave her the lack of rights to be on the same bed as others. As for Shira�� Although it was thrilling for him, not anyone could survive her fatal plays. Perhaps she wouldn��t reject the idea, but considering the possibilities of her destroying the other women, Rhode gave up on the idea.


    As a result, Rhode��s plan to spend the night with multiple women basically had no chance of happening�� At least for now.


    I should go check on Christie��s training.


    Rhode looked for a final time at Anne who was curled up and drooling in her deep sleep before leaving the room. If it were in the past, Angelina would be waiting outside his room now. He had to admit that even though vampires held a strong desire for authority, she indeed had the talents of a secretary or perhaps a mistress. As long as he wanted something, she would arrange the schedule and also knew how to weigh up one��s words and observe one��s facial expression. Frankly speaking, even though Rhode disliked such a person, he knew that someone like Angelina was essential as his subject. He had no intention of building a tranquil and beautiful dreamland. Although the management system built on Starlight was fairly complete with him as the leader, this was still the standard like a child playing house. If it weren��t for the fact that he possessed powerful strength and a dragon soul protection, sooner or later a naive system like this would eventually fail. Therefore apart from the bright and fresh appearance, it was also necessary to have some hidden pillars.


    Perhaps in the future, he might really consider giving her some authority.


    But it was a pity that Angelina wasn��t with him at the moment. After they returned to Grandia, Mini Bubble Gum snatched her away and for some reasons, Angelina seemed to him like a prisoner on death row, filled with unprecedented despair�� Or maybe he was mistaken?


    If Angelina could read his mind, she would surely tell him that it definitely wasn��t a mistake!


    At this moment, this pitiful royal vampire was kneeling on the ground and lowering her head on the soft, red carpet as though she was on the guillotine, waiting for the blade to slice through her neck. Mini Bubble Gum leaned back on the chair gloomily. She rested her chin on her hand while her other hand tapped impatiently on the seat handle as though she were a demon lord who was about to punish her incapable subject.


    ��I remember telling you to lure Leader to bed�� Why didn��t you complete your mission?! I spared your life because you look rather adorable and yet you failed my mission?! Hmph! I thought vampires love doing that, so I got you to do it. Look at how useless you are!��


    ��I��m truly sorry, Madam Bubble!��


    Angelina lowered her head without hesitation. Theoretically speaking, Rhode was her direct superior, but Angelina clearly knew that this young lady was her ultimate predator. Not only that, but she also gave an impression of a time bomb that would explode at any second.


    ��Useless trash. It seems like it was a mistake to pin my hopes on you����


    Indeed, just as Angelina expected, Mini Bubble Gum raised her right arm. Angelina instantly turned ashen as she knew the difference in strength between them. She couldn��t escape the attack even if she used all her might!


    ��P-Please wait! Madam Bubble!��


    ��What are your last words?��


    Even though Mini Bubble Gum said so, she didn��t put her arm down. Instead, the white, dazzling, sacred radiance on her hand shone increasingly brighter. Angelina knew that it was now or never. Perhaps she shouldn��t say it but at least it might secure her a lifeline!


    ���� I have a way to satisfy your desire, Madam Bubble!��


    ���� Hmm?��


    Mini Bubble Gum tilted her head while holding up her right arm. The coalesced sacred energy slowly dissipated. Angelina wiped the sweat off her forehead.


    ��Erm�� Please pardon my rudeness. If His Majesty were any other man, he couldn��t possibly resist my charms. Although I��m not as alluring as the Lustful Demons, not everyone is immune to the charm of vampires.��


    ��Of course, how can those oestrus dogs compare with Leader?��


    Mini Bubble Gum nodded in satisfaction. Then, she recalled something and let out a snort.


    ��Hmph. How can a bunch of useless idiots who were killed by me and forced to delete their accounts be compared to Leader? Indeed. If Leader was one of those weaklings, he would have knelt and licked your shoes already.��


    I don��t even want those useless trash to dirty my shoes��


    Angelina cursed inwardly before speaking anxiously.


    ��Just as you��ve said, Madam Bubble. Although I have some advantages, there are lots of women who were more attractive to His Majesty. My charm is ineffective to His Majesty and no matter what, I��m also a captive and His Majesty is constantly wary of me. So, even if I want to do anything to����


    ��Hmm�� That makes sense. Leader isn��t an idiot who will drop his pants at the sight of a woman. Since that��s the case, it��s indeed my lack of consideration.��


    Mini Bubble Gum nodded and put her hand down. Angelina heaved a long sigh of relief, sensing the blade above her head slowly retracting. But�� This was only the first step to the ��re-investigation�� and any misstep would bring her back to hell.


    ��So�� It will not be possible to complete the mission by myself. Also, in such a short period of time, His Majesty won��t possibly treat me as an intimate partner. I��m just something with manipulative value to His Majesty����


    If it were others who heard such words, one would definitely feel pitiful for an adorable young lady like her. After all, cuteness was justice and since such a cute vampire loli had joined their camp, the protagonist should trust her unconditionally, warm up her ice-cold heart of a vampire, and do anything for her. Wasn��t this supposed to be how the story went? It was completely cruel of Rhode to not trust her unconditionally and even use her!


    However, Mini Bubble Gum apparently didn��t have such thoughts. She simply nodded and waited for Angelina to finish her sentence.


    ��So�� I�� What I meant was�� If Madam Bubble has any thoughts, you can speak to His Majesty directly. I learned that His Majesty is one who values relationships. Besides, if it was you who showed your concern and love and took the initiative, I��m sure His Majesty will not reject����


    Boom!


    Mini Bubble Gum smacked the seat handle which immediately shut Angelina��s mouth up. The latter lifted her head with trembling fear, only to find the former blushing.


    ��Take the initiative�� How can I possibly ask Leader about it! Do you think that I��m some shameless vampire?!��


    ��No����


    Angelina curled up instinctively to the overwhelming pressure. Even though Angelina was smart, she totally couldn��t figure out what Mini Bubble Gum was thinking. After all, there wasn��t a law or regulation that forbade a young lady at the age of 14 from doing anything. Moreover, age was just a number in the Country of Darkness, where there were plenty of vampires like Angelina who maintained their youthful form. Therefore, it didn��t matter if they were following the standard of the Country of Light or Country of Darkness because Mini Bubble Gum��s age was enough to engage in love-making�� Angelina just couldn��t understand what was so difficult.


    ��Forget it, you just won��t understand.��


    Mini Bubble Gum gnashed her teeth and glared at Angelina. In fact, she didn��t mind; if not, she wouldn��t have chatted with him nakedly back then. But the problem was that it was over the webcam after all and different from reality. Besides, according to Mini Bubble Gum��s observation, Rhode didn��t seem to lust for girls her age. In fact, this was the norm in modern society. Perhaps Rhode might be interested in a high school student like Canary, but he would be thrown into jail if he were to make his moves on a junior high school or elementary school student.


    Mini Bubble Gum had secretly observed Rhode in the past, but it was a pity that he saw her as a younger sister like Christie. This left her at a loss. If she confessed, only to be treated as a younger sister, she would be out of luck. It was due to this reason that she thought of using Angelina for an experiment. If Rhode was interested in her, she might stand a chance, wasn��t it?


    The pitiful Angelina got implicated while just being present��


    Mini Bubble Gum had no other solution after hearing Angelina��s explanation. Indeed, Angelina was different. She was just a captive and Rhode wasn��t one who would throw himself to any women. This inspiration was simply too naive.


    But�� Am I really out of solutions?


    Mini Bubble Gum��s eyes glinted. Then, she pointed her finger at Angelina.


    ��By the way, Leader should be free tomorrow night, right? Good. I want you to meet Leader with me and you don��t get to refuse, do you hear me! Yes, and put on something slutty; wear your vampires�� most shameless clothes!��


    ���� Yes, Madam Bubble.��


    Angelina gave some serious thoughts. Am I better off dying?


    The boiling water vapor emerged from the bottle and spread out its aroma in the room. Lapis narrowed her eyes and scanned the potion in her hand. She shook the bottle slightly and the potion color slowly transformed from green to pink. She nodded in satisfaction and showed a smile. Then, she picked up a black feather.


    ��Next�� The Lustful Demon��s feather. Yes. This is the last ingredient����


    Lapis muttered under her breath and suddenly, she felt uncertain. Is this the right choice?


    Then, she shook his head hard.


    I can��t wait anymore. I don��t have any advantages over others in the first place. If this continues, I will not have any hopes left!


    Lapis showed a determined gaze. She inserted the feather into the bottle before squeezing in a cork. Shortly after, the potion instantly had some strange chemical reactions. The black feather dissolved, formed a white mist, and vanished entirely, while the pink potion returned to its clear, original state. Lapis lifted the bottle sternly and after confirming that the potion had stabilized, she let out a long sigh of relief.


    ��Miss Agatha?��


    ��Yes, Madam Lapis. Is anything the matter?��


    The door opened and Agatha entered the room silently.


    ��E-Erm�� I would like to ask if Sir Rhode has any plans for tomorrow?��


    ��As of now, there are no plans. Would you like to invite His Majesty? If so, do you need me to inform����


    ��Ah! No, no!��


    Lapis waved her arms in a fluster.


    ��It��s nothing. I just want to know what he is up to tomorrow night�� By the way, Agatha, please don��t tell Sir Rhode about this.��


    Agatha looked at Lapis silently and nodded.


    ��Okay, Madam Lapis.��

 Chapter 940 - Eve of the Storm

    The air twisted and merged to form a beautiful white bird in the empty space. It flapped its wings and soared to the sky when suddenly it came to a halt along with the beautiful voice. Then, it cracked and burst like a bubble and vanished into thin air.


    ��Stop.��


    Christie put down her right hand and the Knowledge Scroll unrolled on its own. The feather pen in her hand transformed into a gentle ray of light that twirled around her finger, turning into a platinum ring. Christie let out a sigh, wiping the sweat off her forehead. Although she successfully released a spell that would shock all spell casters on this continent, she was still dissatisfied.


    ��The duration is too short�� It still doesn��t work����


    ��You��ve done well.��


    At this moment, a familiar voice sounded as she muttered under her breath. She couldn��t be more familiar with this voice. It was in fact from her other self.


    ��But�� it��s not�� enough��!��


    Although her voice was almost inaudible, one would discover the stubbornness and determination behind her words. This wasn��t enough for Christie. As she often battled with her other self, she experienced the difference in strength between them. When her other self controlled this body, she felt an enormous pool of energy flowing in her body like an endless supply of water from the ocean. The powerful strength was as though an unstoppable, roaring flood. But when she tried to control her body, the powers were like a toppling water basin. At this moment, Christie could only cast the Knowledge Scroll for less than a minute before diminishing all her spiritual powers. All she managed to do was to draw that bird.


    ��The Knowledge Scroll isn��t meant for long battles in the first place, Christie. Your constitution predetermined that you would not gain the ability to directly abstract spiritual powers like me. Although you can achieve it through training, you will be permanently hurt if you allow a massive flow of spiritual powers into your body without anyone��s guidance. Christie, you are not like Sir Rhode. You have a constitution of a human and due to the corrosion of your bloodline, your constitution is weaker than that of ordinary people. So all you need to do now is calm down, lay out a solid foundation, and strengthen your powers, and at the same time consider your battle style. Don��t be overly anxious, Christie.��


    ��Okay����


    Christie nodded to her other self��s advice. She sat down, shut her eyes, and began meditating. Bell stood quietly beside her and gazed curiously. At this moment, Bell wore an elegant dress and held a heavy book in her hand. Although she seemed largely similar to an ordinary girl, the two daggers on her waist were exceptionally eye-catching.


    Ever since Bell left the refuge, she had been by Christie��s side as her playmate and servant. Just as Rhode expected, they were as close as sisters now. But even so, Bell couldn��t understand why Christie insisted on going through this tough training. She was also aware of Christie��s poor health to some extent, so she had rather Christie leave the battling to her other self. On the other hand, Bell would also be protecting her, so why did Christie insist in training?


    Knock knock knock.


    At this moment, someone knocked on the door. Bell knitted her brows and turned to Christie, who was meditating. Then, she stood up, and went to the door, and opened it gently, only to see a young lady who was about the same height as her.


    ��Ah, Bell. Is Christie around?��


    Mini Bubble Gum peeped curiously through the slightly open gap in the door. Bell moved away to let her see Christie meditating and Mini Bubble Gum lowered her voice.


    ��She��s meditating again�� Little Christie sure is serious about her training. Sigh�� If only she were a player because this level of determination would surely get her to a pretty decent position in Starlight����


    Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips and shifted her gaze to Bell.


    ��By the way, I��m looking for Big Sister. Has Big Sister been here?��


    ������


    Bell pondered before finally realizing that this ��Big Sister�� was actually referring to the young lady who often guided Christie along and had the same name as a bird��Canary. Bell shook her head.


    ��No? How strange�� Where did she go? Forget it, I��ll go check out the tower. Thanks~��


    Mini Bubble Gum patted Bell��s shoulder before turning around and disappeared in a swoosh. Bell shook her head speechlessly. Although they were about the same age, Bell could never understand what was going through Mini Bubble Gum��s head. The things that Mini Bubble Gum said was hard to understand and sometimes Bell didn��t know if she was soliloquizing or speaking to someone��


    Bell closed the door carefully so as to not make any unnecessary noises before returning to her seat. She held the book in her hands and continued her reading. After a few moments, she heard Christie��s voice.


    ��Bell�� What��s wrong?�� Was someone�� looking for me?��


    ������


    Bell looked up and simply shook her head. After all, they had spent a long time together and Christie was used to communicating with her this way. In fact, Christie thought that it wasn��t great for Bell to constantly keep close to her. This made it difficult for Christie, but it wasn��t because she wasn��t used to Bell following her around. Instead, she hoped that Bell could have more space for herself and there was no need to sacrifice so much of her time. At this moment, Christie��s eyes glinted and she clapped her hands softly.


    ��Right�� Bell�� Shall we look for Rhode�� and play?��


    This was an exceptionally peaceful afternoon for Marlene. She had been leading such a life after she came to Grandia. As the internal affairs gradually moved on to the right track, her burdens also slowly lessened. Although there were many people requiring care and comfort, she was glad that no one dared to stir up trouble within the dragon soul protection. The territory was slowly getting on the right track while the lacking areas were slowly improving. This gave Marlene an unprecedented feeling of satisfaction. Even though she had been doing similar work in the past, managing a country and territory was completely different, after all. Although Rhode didn��t think that Void Territory was a country, to Marlene who was politically sensitive, she knew what Rhode was planning. In fact, apart from an official founding ceremony and the name, the Void Territory was no different from an independent country.


    Even though Marlene believed that formal nation-building would be more beneficial for Rhode, she still preferred this model in terms of feelings. As a noblewoman, she witnessed several groups of people splitting up internally after achieving success. If Rhode were to build an official country, she and the others would have formal roles and positions. This way, it would gradually make their originally close relationship turn indifferent. Marlene couldn��t imagine herself calling Lize ��Madam�� with a stern expression. She would also support Rhode fully if he ever decided to follow this model, but since he had no intention of turning his territory into a strict, formal setting, she would gladly accept it.


    Knock knock.


    As Marlene placed the feather pen down, Lize knocked on the door and entered with a pile of documents.


    ��Marlene, this is what you requested earlier for the floating boat routes in the territory����


    ��Oh. Thanks a lot, Lize.��


    Marlene revealed a gentle smile, took over the documents, and placed them on the table. After setting up the ��Wind Enchanted Field��, Rhode handed the job of planning the shipping routes for the floating boats to her. Although flying in midair should be carefree, she knew that they wouldn��t truly benefit from this rare occurrence without shipping routes. Fortunately, the Senia Family was a producer of magical floating boats so this wasn��t challenging for them.


    Coincidentally, the Senia Family��s migration had also just begun. They returned the territories under their control to Lydia. Although they had a great time working with the Munn Kingdom��s royal family all these years, the falling leaf had to return to its roots since they had already achieved their mission. Moreover, Marlene had also awakened as one of the six Deity Wardens. With the magical technologies of the Senia Family, fertile land, and abundant resources in the Void Territory and Marlene��s knowledge as the Wisdom Deity Warden, it was imaginable that the Senia Family would become even stronger in the near future. On the other hand, Lydia wasn��t surprised by their decision as this was agreed upon in the royal agreement and the Senia Family handed all the magical technology blueprints and intelligence that they had researched to the royal family. Both parties parted without hard feelings and showed respect for each other.


    In fact, Marlene suspected that perhaps Lydia learned about Rhode��s identity a long time ago. Although the Senia Family attained outstanding achievements after the internal battle last year, they were only awarded with honorable rewards from Lydia. Everyone expected Marlene, who performed impressively, to become a territorial overlord. In the end, she was only awarded with the title of a Court Scholar and this caused a relatively huge uproar among the higher nobles, where they suspected that the Senia Family was losing Lydia��s favor. Now it seemed like ever since that moment, Lydia was prepared for this possible future.


    ��How��s the situation?��


    Lize asked as she gazed at the documents spread out on Marlene��s table. Although Lize was also Rhode��s adjutant in terms of identity, the things that she could do were limited. In fact, the only time when Lize gave orders as an adjutant was during the battle between the North and South. Most of the time she carried out logistics work and support for the guild as a Cleric. Lize was determined to change now that Rhode had established the Void Territory, which explained why she came to learn about political affairs from Marlene. She hoped to become a qualified adjutant one day.


    ��The situation is slowly turning better. Once the system is set up, everything else will operate fine.��


    Marlene displayed a relieved smile. She tidied the documents on the table, put them aside, and gazed at Lize with a sly smile.


    ��By the way, shall we look for Rhode at night for some tea after our work is done?��


    ��I����


    Lize blushed because she knew what Marlene was hinting at. Although Marlene said to have some tea, both Lize and her knew what would happen thereafter. If it were others who suggested it, Lize would be embarrassed. But she wasn��t too mindful since it was Marlene. She nodded slightly and sat down, preparing to start the final task��


    Everything is proceeding as methodically arranged.


    ��Huhuhu�� Interesting.��


    Gillian swayed her fluffy tail proudly. This fox-eared young lady was seated leisurely on a chair with her right hand supporting her chin lazily. She displayed an amusing smile while gazing at the screens before her. At this moment, she was in a round, enormous black space without a trace of light. The air and walls were filled with live mirror projections. This was where Rhode had set up the Projection Crystal. Through this crystal, he could easily attain information about everything that was happening in the Void Territory like a center that controlled countless surveillance cameras. If it weren��t for Sara, this item was basically worthless. As the intelligence supporter of the territory, Gillian naturally held the rights to enter this space and monitor the territory. But judging from her proud, wagging tail, it seemed more like she was using this position for personal gain.


    ��Hmm, not too shabby, Little Sara. Hehe. I knew that this day would come and Master is so gonna have a hard time. I can��t wait�� By the way, Little Sara, can you help me find where Miss Canary is?��


    ��Of course, Madam Gillian.��


    Sara casually extended her hand and waved over the Projection Crystal. Shortly after, one of the countless screens was enlarged and clearly showed where Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were. Gillian��s eyes flashed in a dazzling glint.


    ��Huhuhu. This is getting interesting. It seems like I can get involved with the fun. Alright, thanks for your help, Little Sara. I shall make a move!��


    Gillian said wittily before vanishing in a glaring magical radiance and the entire space returned to its initial peace. Sara, who was sitting quietly before the Projection Crystal, turned to where Gillian had stood before shifting her gaze back to the crystal.


    ��Have a safe trip, Madam Gillian.��


    This was just a boring time on an ordinary day for Rhode. But even so, he didn��t forget his duties as an overlord. After waking up in the morning, he strolled around to check on how the immigrants were adapting. However, the results weren��t satisfying for him. With the three humanoids around, the migration work was neatly carried out and the recruitment of soldiers from the natives had also begun. The weapons and armor provided by the Senia Family resolved the problem of insufficient armament to a certain extent. Rhode couldn��t help but feel pleased at the sight of his developing territory. Although things in the real world weren��t digitized like in the game, he admired the strong adaptability of humans, judging by the fact that the buildings and towns were built from nothing��


    It was already evening when he returned to the palace in Grandia. The tranquil palace bathed in the gentle, silver moon rays. He heard the fairies�� joyous singing in the distance, which blended perfectly with the sound of a clear water stream to form a beautiful melody.


    If it were possible, I wish I could lead such a carefree life forever��


    Rhode sighed because he knew that things wouldn��t turn out as he dreamed. This peacefulness was only temporary. In the near future, his territory would face another dangerous battle. He shrugged at this thought before turning around and heading back to his room. As he stood before his room door, he realized that there was a guest.


    ��Ah, S-Sir Rhode! Good evening!��


    ��Lapis?��


    Rhode was astonished to see this young lady wrapped tightly in a cloak. This was the first time he witnessed this young lady leave her workshop without a command. But come to think of it, he did ask her to take a break. Although he didn��t know why she looked for him, it was better than her hiding in the workshop all day and constantly creating explosions.


    ��Is anything the matter?��


    Rhode asked, noticing her anxiousness. At the same time, he sized her up swiftly. For some unknown reason, the impression that she gave him felt a little different today. Although she seemed the same as usual, he found her a little more�� Sexy?


    This was truly strange. She wasn��t wearing any revealing clothes and seemed even more conservative than usual. Apart from her neck and head, her entire body was wrapped in a cloak. But Rhode realized that he couldn��t stop looking at her neck and fair, dewy cheeks that gave him the excitement as though he was appreciating a woman��s most hidden and alluring charm.


    What��s with this?


    He puckered his brows at this thought. He was sure that this Lapis standing before him wasn��t disguised by someone else. But�� He still felt rather strange.


    Forget it. It should be nothing much anyway.


    Rhode didn��t take it to heart because it was Lapis standing before him; Lapis, who was second to Christie in terms of honesty. He wouldn��t believe that she would harbor any ill intentions. Besides, it would be too hard for her to influence him with her abilities. After all, the creator dragon��s attributes weren��t only there for show.


    ��Anyway, come in. We��ll talk inside.��


    Rhode opened the door and entered. Lapis shrunk slightly upon seeing his back but quickly gnashed her teeth.


    You can do it, Lapis! This is your final chance! You must succeed!


    Lapis took out the bottle of potion from the fold of her clothes and took a sip. Then, she mustered up her courage, lifted her head, and entered the room.

 Chapter 941 - We Still Don’t Know What Happened That Night (1)

    Lapis scanned the room curiously. Come to think of it, this was her first time entering Rhode��s room in Grandia. It wasn��t as luxurious as she expected and could even be considered rather simple. An elegant table, chairs, wardrobe, and a thick fur carpet made up most of the decorations in the room. The only striking thing was the large, five-meter-wide bed. In addition to some ornamental plants, that was all the things in the room.


    ��What��s wrong, Lapis?��


    Lapis turned around and looked at him anxiously.


    ��Ah�� Nothing��s wrong�� Nothing, Sir Rhode.��


    ��Come to think of it, is anything the matter for dropping by now?��


    Rhode swept a glance at the nervous Lapis. He casually pulled out a chair and sat opposite her with crossed arms. He didn��t feel strange about her behavior. Although she seemed like a mouse shaking in front of a cat, this was how she had always been. If she were to behave as calmly and steadily as Marlene, he would be more suspicious. Lapis bit her lip and pondered for a few moments before finally mustering her courage.


    ��Erm�� Erm�� Sir Rhode!��


    ��Hmm?��


    Her voice was so loud at the end that it startled him. Then, she reached into the folds of her clothes for a small basket and slid it across the table to him.


    ��T-This is the biscuit that I baked!��


    ��Biscuit?��


    Rhode couldn��t figure out what was happening. Could it be that she was mimicking Valentine��s Day? But Valentine��s Day was months ago. Although there was a similar holiday in this world, it would only take place at the end of autumn which was still a few months away. What exactly was she planning to do, bringing out a basket of biscuits?


    ��Ah. T-This�� Yes! I heard from Miss Canary about the food storage problem while marching, so I made these biscuits. By the way, I even used alchemy to modify them. They turned out great after some experiments, so I would like you to try, Sir Rhode. I wonder if�� you��ll like it?��


    Lapis was so nervous that she stuttered her words but Rhode finally understood her intention. He waved his hand casually at the sight of her almost bursting into tears.


    ��In other words, these biscuits are for me?��


    ��Y-Yes, Sir Rhode. I��ve also prepared some red tea����


    Lapis reached for the exquisite tea set inside the spatial bracelet and laid them on the table. Then, she poured tea into the teacup in a fluster. Rhode had to admit that Lapis was too tragic to look at compared to professionals like Angelina, Agatha, or Marlene. The way that Lapis poured tea lacked the elegance of nobles and even gave an illusion of her adding a drug into it, especially after she mixed up the ratio of milk and sugar.


    I suppose this can be drunk�� Right?


    Rhode twitched his brow slightly. Even though he wasn��t a noble and didn��t particularly enjoy having tea, he had his fair share of different flavored teas with Marlene, Lize, Angelina, and Celestina, who treated tea as important as their lives. The pure tea and milk teas that he drank had normal colors. But this�� was green in color.


    Is this really ��red�� tea?


    It turned blue after milk is added?


    What kind of chemical reaction is that?


    I won��t die�� Right?


    Since she prepared everything for him with kind intentions, it wouldn��t be nice of him to request for more. Anyway, he wasn��t in battle now, so he didn��t need to be so anxious and solemn. Moreover, even though Lapis seemed panicky, the things that she brought seemed reliable. Also, he was really confident in his Void Dragon attributes. No matter what, he should be fine after drinking it.


    Rhode lifted the cup, took a sip of the ��red�� tea that had turned ��deep blue��, and grabbed a biscuit just in case he needed it. This was fairly simple to understand. One would need a piece of candy to cancel out the bitterness of Chinese medicine. In this case, the biscuit was his candy.


    ��Hmm?��


    But to his surprise, the tea wasn��t as strange as he imagined. On the contrary, it was oddly rich and even though it didn��t seem like red tea, the taste was almost the same. Besides, he didn��t feel unwell and this proved that it was just a pure cup of red tea (despite the totally different look). Rhode let his guard down and began savoring the tea and biscuits.


    ��Hmm�� It��s not bad at all. Although the tea doesn��t look similar to red tea, I didn��t expect you to be talented in this, Lapis. I thought you weren��t interested in anything else other than alchemy. I��m really surprised.��


    ��Phew����


    Lapis heaved a long sigh of relief as though she had accomplished a mission and stole a glance at him. Everything is good. As long as I continue�� there won��t be any issues with my plan when that moment comes.


    This was the first time Lapis relaxed herself entirely but at this moment��


    ��Leader, Anne is back!��


    The door swung open and Anne appeared by the doorway.


    ��Anne?!��


    Lapis jumped from her seat as though she was jolted by an electric shock. Anne blinked and looked at Lapis curiously.


    ��Lapis, why are you here? This is the first time Anne sees you outside of the workshop. Why? Did Leader make you do anything fun?��


    ��No, I�� I�� was only����


    Lapis was at her wits�� end. She totally didn��t expect the situation to turn out this way. According to her plan, she would be the only one spending this perfect night with Rhode. She didn��t foresee anyone joining them and now�� this was often the case as theory separated itself from reality, wasn��t it?


    At this moment, Rhode waved his hand with an airy gesture.


    ��Lapis made some biscuits for me. Do you want to have some?��


    ��Of course!��


    Eating, playing, and sleeping were the three biggest funs for Anne. Her curiosity piqued the instant she heard that there was food made by Lapis. She scuttled for a chair, grabbed a piece of biscuit, and was about to throw it into her mouth when suddenly, Lapis came to her senses and was startled.


    ��Wait!��


    ��Hmm?��


    But it was too late.


    Anne chewed the biscuit and looked at her curiously. Lapis gaped but didn��t say a word.


    ��N-Nothing�� Anne, do you like the taste of the biscuit��?��


    ��Yes, it��s delicious. Anne likes it and didn��t expect that you could bake, Lapis.��


    Anne grabbed another biscuit and munched it. Lapis sighed helplessly and gave up stopping her. Since she had already eaten, it didn��t matter if she ate one or ten because the effects would still be the same. If she knew that this would happen, she could have chosen to bake a cake instead.


    As Lapis pondered in silence, Anne continued to savor the tasty biscuits while Rhode casually sipped the tea in his own world. But�� Lapis realized that some troubles were ahead. She lowered her head and her gaze drifted around the teacup before her. She suddenly broke out in a thin layer of sweat and not only that, but her breathing also hastened�� She was clearly aware that the effects were slowly taking place.


    This wasn��t a potion targeted at Rhode. She had been customizing equipment and potions for a long time, so she was aware that even if she were to create a ��charm�� potion, it wouldn��t be too effective on him. As a researcher, this level of rationale was still present. Therefore, she had no intention of creating a potion that would make Rhode fall in love with her because she knew that it wouldn��t work. So�� She modified the effects of the potion instead.


    She added a potion to the red tea and biscuit that could enhance the attractiveness of the person who consumed either of them. This way, as long as both parties were of opposite genders and consumed either the tea or biscuit, they would be attracted to each other. All in all, it was a potion that could increase one��s charm to gain a favorable impression. But this time, the reason why Lapis created this potion was to break the obstacle in her mind. She knew that under normal circumstances she wouldn��t have the courage to confess her love to him, which explained why she came up with this idea. Once she was attracted to him to the point of no restrain, she would then dare to bravely speak her mind. Of course, this potion was unlike a ��charm�� potion that could twist and change one��s will. On the contrary, it was a potion to ��enhance charm��, which wouldn��t be negated by Rhode. It was only through this way that she could reduce the failure rate of her confession. After all, she was clearly aware that she couldn��t compete with the other beauties and be high up in the rankings. And yet, she was unwilling to not try at all��


    All in all, this was no different from spitting out the truth after having wine, but Lapis saw and resolved this problem from a researcher��s point of view�� Frankly speaking, if she knew that this would happen, she would rather chug a few bottles of beer and make herself drunk.


    But now, the effects were taking place.


    She sharply sensed that Rhode��s presence was slowly becoming bigger, taller, and much more attractive. If Anne weren��t here, she would have used this opportunity to confess. But now�� How could she say something like this!


    While Lapis��s mind was in complete chaos, two young ladies knocked on the door and entered the room.


    ��Rhode, do you have time�� Hmm? Lapis?��


    Why did this happen?


    The corners of Lapis��s mouth twitched as she turned to the two young ladies.


    ��Good evening, Miss Marlene and Miss Lize����

 Chapter 942 - We Still Don’t Know What Happened That Night (2)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Why did this happen?


    Lapis couldn��t understand where exactly her plan went wrong. But now, it was all too late.


    What should have been a quiet room for Rhode and her turned into a bustling one. Other than Anne, Marlene, and Lize who were in the room, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum also brought Angelina over. Then, Gillian came out of nowhere too. Now, the perfect and dreamy tea session became a lively gathering. Lapis was completely speechless.


    But she didn��t know that the main reason for this was due to her.


    If only Anne were around, Lize and Marlene wouldn��t have stayed because they knew what would happen next. Besides, Anne wasn��t one who would be mindful of sharing the same bed. So in order to ensure their ��safety��, Lize and Marlene usually wouldn��t stay in the room alone with Anne. But after seeing Lapis around, they temporarily gave up this thought because no matter what, Lapis didn��t have such an intimate relationship with Rhode yet. With her around, at least they wouldn��t be rolling on the bed with Anne.


    It was the same for Mini Bubble Gum. She had decided to take the initiative and wait for the tea session to be over. As long as she followed Canary��s instructions, things would turn out fine if she looked for Rhode afterward. This was why Mini Bubble Gum and Canary remained in the room while Angelina stayed close to them as a servant. As for Gillian�� From the start, she had been showing a peculiar, cunning smile as though she was enjoying the show.


    In other words, the main reason why things ended up this way was due to Lapis��s harmless presence!


    But now, Lapis wasn��t in the mood to consider these issues. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she gazed at the basket before her. The biscuits and red tea were almost finished. No matter what, no young lady could resist eating them and this meant that everyone had taken the potion. As for the results�� Lapis didn��t even want to think about it!


    Not only Lapis, but Rhode also felt that something was amiss.


    For some unknown reasons, he felt rather excited and no matter which young lady he turned to, he would fantasize having intimate touches with her. Not only that, but he also discovered that his head was filled with erotic images of them in bed. It felt as though he was a man who finally came out of solitary and had seen women for the first time in his life. Furthermore, with his rich experiences with women in bed, his fantasies were much more realistic. Fortunately for him, his determination level was high and could easily suppress his urges. But he had begun considering if he should hold Marlene and the others back to fulfill his desires. However�� Changes always came faster than the plan. Oftentimes, necessarily things wouldn��t change simply due to his will.


    ��Leader! Anne can��t take it anymore!��


    At this moment, Anne pounced on Rhode, embracing and forcing her lips on his.


    ��Mmm�� Mmm����


    The young lady��s aromatic scent assailed his nostrils and he widened his eyes in astonishment. At the same time, time had as though been frozen and the clamors were instantly silenced.


    ��A-Anne?��


    Rhode pulled her away and looked at her in surprise, but the young lady didn��t seem to realize what she had done. She was blushing and looking at him with a thrilled glint in her eyes. Rhode was familiar with this expression but the problem was that�� It wasn��t an appropriate time for that!


    ��Leader, let��s do it. Anne can��t wait any longer. Anne loves Leader the most today! Let��s do it!��


    Anne quickly stripped her armor and wrapped her arms around him. The other young ladies didn��t stop her immediately. Instead, they blushed while watching the adult-rated show. On the other hand, Gillian also narrowed her eyes and enjoyed the view.


    ��Wait, Anne, this����


    Rhode stopped struggling before he finished his sentence because the fair, alluring body had captured his attention like a bewitching spell. But at this moment, he suddenly felt another warm sensation around his arm. He turned around and saw Lize��s reddened face, looking at him meaningfully.


    ��Mr. Rhode�� May I? I��m����


    Although Lize hadn��t taken off her clothes, from a certain perspective, she seemed more daring than Anne. She hugged his arm tightly and placed his hand between her legs, continuously rubbing her private area. Suddenly, he felt yet another soft sensation on his back. He immediately recognized the person from her familiar groans.


    ��Rhode�� Me too����


    Marlene��s voice was sweet and tempting. Although she wasn��t as brave as Anne and Lize, she had proven to him that she couldn��t wait any longer.


    ��W-What are you girls doing!��


    Mini Bubble Gum jumped on her feet and widened her eyes in disbelief. At the same time, the main culprit, Lapis, lowered her head in utter embarrassment. Even though Angelina didn��t say a word, her gaze became blurry too. Canary twitched her brow slightly, observing the group of girls amusingly. Then, she went up to Rhode and embraced his other available arm.


    ��Yes�� This seems like fun. We��re gonna be playing an adult game now. Bubble, do you want to head out first?��


    ��What kind of joke is this!��


    Mini Bubble Gum yelled in embarrassment and swiftly stripped off her clothes. Didn��t I come here for this today? Why would I back out at the very last minute?!


    ��I like Leader too so why must I back out! These unrelated girls should be the ones leaving!��


    Unrelated��


    The final restraint in Lapis��s mind shattered completely. That��s right. If I continue this way, I will forever be an unrelated person to Sir Rhode!


    And this was the end of her rationale.


    Rhode didn��t know what led to this. He blanked out for a few minutes and when he returned to his senses, he found himself on the bed with several naked young ladies under and beside him, moaning to his caresses.


    ��S-Sir Rhode����


    It was Lapis who was right under him. Her face had reddened and she shut her eyes, calling for his name desperately. She clutched onto the sheets but her ��torment�� wasn��t over yet. Instead, Canary and Anne who were laying by her sides teased her chest playfully. Although it didn��t seem like it from her appearance, in fact, Lapis actually had a rather ample chest. Even though hers wasn��t as large as Anne��s, the shape and softness was just perfect.


    ��Can I really do it, Lapis?��


    Although Rhode had fallen into the vortex of desires, his head was still clear. Even though he dreamed of having this day with the young ladies, it did seem like Lapis was behaving peculiarly. He had more or less realized her feelings for him but guessing and affirming were two totally different matters.


    ��Yes�� Sir Rhode�� I don��t want to be alone anymore��!��


    Lapis shut her eyes and raised her head. This was the first time that she behaved like a spoiled child.


    ��Besides�� Isn��t Sir Rhode my guardian who vowed to protect me forever?��


    What?! She still remembers it��


    Rhode twitched his brow. This happened way back when Lapis was officially recognized by the Behermes and their ancestors�� consciousness confirmed that Rhode was her guardian. As this matter happened a long time ago, he had forgotten about it already. After all, he had too much on his plate back then and the new identity wasn��t beneficial to him at all. But now��


    He looked at her and suddenly realized that she seemed pretty adorable. He couldn��t believe that she actually remembered this matter and believed in him innocently. At this thought, he extended his hand and touched her cheek gently. Then, he stooped over and kissed her lips.


    ��I got it. I will protect you, and everyone forever����


    ��Oh����


    Lapis bit her lip and clutched Canary��s and Anne��s hands. But at the same time, deep in her heart she felt incredibly thrilled and anxious. T-This moment is finally here!


    She felt a warm, rock-hard object tearing through her last and most precious defense, puncturing into her body.


    ��Arghhhhhh~!��


    The emptiness in her head was instantly filled with immense pain and joy that engulfed her entirety. She lifted her upper body and stuck as closely as possible to Rhode, feeling the burning heat from his body. She felt as though she had melted in the extreme heat of friction while the soreness from under her waist eradicated the numbness around her body. Her head was in a complete blank. She shook her head desperately, letting out unimaginable moans. At this moment, the other young ladies crowded over, gazing in envy and admiration at her enjoyment. Not only that, but they also instinctively caressed their bodies and indulged in their shameless and licentious acts.


    ��Wait�� Wait�� Big Sister����


    On the other side, the naked Bubble had curled up in Canary��s arms like a small, exquisite doll. Her twintails were already loosened and her black, flowy hair covered her body.


    ��I�� said�� with Leader����


    ��I know. But I have to get you ready����


    Canary gently stroked across Bubble��s body with her fair, slender fingers, leaving the latter shivering sensitively.


    ��Bubble, your reaction sure is adorable. I��ve always wanted to try this and it seems like your reaction is as cute as I thought it would be. Yes�� and this place����


    ��No, Big Sister, no�� I can��t�� hold back anymore!!��


    Suddenly, Bubble spurted a clear stream of fluid from between her legs before twitching and laying back onto the bed. Her listless eyes gazed at the ceiling as Canary chuckled and caressed her cheek.


    ��Hmm�� You��re so sensitive down there�� Huhu�� It��s about time now.��


    As though responding to Canary, Lapis��s moans became louder and were as though frantic screams. She twisted and turned as though she was struggling to escape and yet, she seemed to enjoy the strong entries into her body. Rhode thrust his hip forward and she shivered, signaling the peak of her comfort.


    ��No�� No�� S-Stop!!!��


    Lapis embraced the man tightly, wrapping her legs around his waist as though becoming one with him. After a few moments, the powerless young lady fell back on the bed and released the grip in her hands. Although she didn��t say anything, her feelings were apparent from her half-shut, blurry eyes, reddened expression, and smile of satisfaction.


    ��Phew����


    Rhode kissed her cheek before shaking his head and pulling out from her. But suddenly, he felt another person below him. He looked down and saw Bubble with her messy hair, holding onto his ��holy sword��. She looked at him shyly with eyes glinting in excitement.


    ��It��s my turn next�� I won��t allow you to get cold feet, Leader!��


    To Rhode, the night had just begun.


    And it probably wouldn��t end soon.

 Chapter 943 - We Still Don’t Know What Happened That Night (3)

    ���� Rhode�� is busy��?��


    Christie tilted her head, gazing at Agatha. The latter nodded slightly, placing her ��hands�� before her and bowed deeply.


    ��Yes, Madam Christie, Sir Rhode has something on tonight. If it is possible, please don��t disturb him.��


    ��Oh����


    Christie knitted her brows in slight dissatisfaction. She had thought of listening to him talking about interesting stories and spending the night with him as she enjoyed that a lot. Although it didn��t seem like it, Rhode��s physique was in fact really strong. Even though he wasn��t a bodybuilder with packed muscles, he set off a mysterious and reliable vibe to her. Whenever Christie lay in his embrace, she would feel safe and secure as though her flesh and soul had found a peaceful haven. Rhode didn��t know that she treated those times as her ��reward��. Whenever she saw results in her hard work, she would want to spend time hearing some amusing stories before falling asleep in his safe embrace.


    She had initially thought of doing so but�� it seemed like her wish couldn��t be fulfilled. She let out a short sigh before clearing her thoughts and smiling at Bell, who displayed a dubious expression.


    ��Alright then, let��s head back.��


    ��Please be careful on your way back. Have a good night.��


    Agatha lifted her head after Christie and Bell disappeared at the end of the corridor. She turned around, gazed at the tightly shut door at the other end of the corridor, and continued with her chores. It was also part of her duties to shelter her master from wind and rain.


    At this moment, the ��battle�� was still on-going behind the closed door.


    ��Ah�� This is too thrilling, Leader��!��


    The petite young lady had her back facing Rhode as he thrust his hips forward. The bed squeaked constantly while the room was overflowing in an incomparably fervent and lustful atmosphere. He grabbed her chest while pinching her sensitive points. This was their second battle of the night. After the painful sore from the first battle subsided, Bubble was immediately indulged in the thrill.


    Below both of them was the naked Angelina, who only had her white, sling stocking on, licking the area of connection between Rhode and Bubble. Upon sensing this thrill, it turned Bubble on even more.


    ��Yes�� Yes�� Leader�� I��m coming! A-Again��!��


    Bubble squealed in comfort and her head was spinning. She spread her legs apart, lifted her slender waist, and waited for the arrival of the peak sensation. Upon realizing her response, Rhode immediately launched his hip forward as hard as he could and released an explosion of warm desire.


    ��Bubble�� Argh��!��


    The powerful eruption of warm liquid blasted inside her and splashed onto the sheets. Both of them separated and Bubble was as though a powerless robot laying on the bed with Angelina in her arms. Her eyes were half-shut as she bathed in the pleasure. Rhode took in deep breaths and sat on the bed. Almost everyone, including Bubble, had at least one vicious battle with him and they all had different reactions. Lapis was currently in a half-conscious state and was shivering. However, it wasn��t from the thrilling pleasure from before. Instead, it was because Anne was nibbling and licking her pointy ear.


    ��Mmm�� It��s so fun, Lapis. Was it comfortable?��


    Anne roamed her hands around Lapis and the sensitive latter groaned loudly as though begging for forgiveness. However, she couldn��t resist in her half-conscious state at all.


    Judging from another perspective, it was actually reasonable that Lize and Marlene weren��t willing to mix around with Anne in bed because their strength as spell casters could never match Anne��s as a Shield Warrior. However, they weren��t coping well on their own either. Lize was covered in white, viscous liquid as she moaned softly on the bed. On the other hand, Canary had just started a second battle with Marlene.


    ��Woah�� This is Rhode��s scent�� What a strong smell�� Little Marlene, you��ve taken in a lot, huh����


    ��D-Don��t lick there��! It��s filthy! No��!��


    Canary positioned herself between Marlene��s legs and gently licked off the aftermath of her battle with Rhode. Marlene had completely lost her usual calmness, and now, she was as though a child who couldn��t escape Canary��s grasp. Marlene��s begging for forgiveness slowly turned into inconsistent moans, signifying the end of her struggles.


    ��Master, it��s still not over yet, okay?��


    At this moment, Gillian approached Rhode with a cheeky smile.


    ��Let me catch my breath first.��


    Rhode let out a bitter laugh. His mental strength had been enhanced with his dragon soul attributes, but the problem was that these young ladies weren��t only blow-up dolls who he could toss aside after having his fun. In order to ensure that his precious harem lived in joy and harmony, he had to satisfy everyone to the best of his ability.


    But since this was the case, it was also a huge challenge for him. It was as though he had to play a variety of games while ensuring that he cleared them with an SSS grade. Even though he would be delighted in the results, he still had to take a break on a mental level.


    ��Oh�� Is that so?��


    Gillian narrowed her eyes slyly and revealed an alluring smile. Unlike the other young ladies, she didn��t remove her clothes. Instead, she wore a wide, robe-like costume that revealed her fair shoulders and proud, ample chest. Not only that, but her slender legs were also teasing from underneath the robe. She walked up to him and extended her leg wrapped in a white, silky sock to tease his manhood.


    ���� Everyone has their own style of play, isn��t it? Master, I suppose you don��t hate this�� Yes, it seems like I��ve gotten my answer.��


    Gillian smirked at the sight of the solidifying object and licked her lips. At this moment, this fascinating young lady seemed even more enticing than usual. She pushed and held him down on the bed like a hungry tigress.


    ��I��ve been waiting for this day for a long time, Master. Really, I should have been your first experience, but it seems like I��m the first from the end�� Forget it. Since that��s the case, I shall emerge as the BOSS and deal the final blow to you.��


    She stroked her fingers across his chest, at the same time rubbing her hips against his mighty ��holy sword��. She stooped over and stuck her large, ample chest closely to his before holding his cheek and gazing at him silently. Rhode wasn��t sure if this was an illusion because this was the first time that he actually witnessed an unprecedented tenderness in her eyes.


    ��Finally�� This moment has arrived.��

 Chapter 944 - We Still Don’t Know What Happened That Night (4)

    ��Finally�� This moment has arrived.��


    Gillian lowered her head and pressed her lips against Rhode��s. Shortly after, her delicate tongue pried open his mouth and slithered deeply. They hugged tightly, sensing each other��s presence.


    ��Mmm�� Mmm����


    The young lady exuded a mesmerizing scent like a mix between a breath of softness and natural floral fragrance. But Rhode instantly realized that the image in his head became clearer��the prairie, forest, and dazzling sunlight spilling through the leaves and onto the soil, forming a soft, mottled carpet in the shade��apart from him, there was also another person��


    Rhode opened his eyes wide and saw a young lady above him, smiling. In an instant, some shattered, indistinct clues slowly merged to form a complete picture.


    ��Gillian, you����


    ��Stop.��


    Gillian extended her finger and held it on his lips.


    ��Now isn��t the time for meaningless stuff. Besides�� it��s bad to spoil the atmosphere, Master. This is a crucial time, so don��t think about those unromantic things. Some things�� You will know it when the time is right. All we should do now is enjoy the moment, and as for other matters, let��s leave them for afterwards.��


    Gillian grabbed his ��holy sword��, lifted herself up, and smiled at the man.


    ��Alright, I shall start now, Master.��


    Gillian pushed herself down and Rhode instantly broke her final defense, penetrating deep inside her. He quickly found himself enveloped in a warm sensation.


    ��Argh��!��


    Gillian couldn��t tolerate the sudden and intense pain. Her alluring smile instantly turned stiff and even slightly twisted. But even so, she didn��t stop. She slowly moved her hips in a circular motion while Rhode stopped thinking about the indistinct image that appeared in his head and indulged in the moment. Gillian��s clothes gradually fell off, revealing her fair, smooth body before him entirely. Rhode seized the opportunity and launched another wave of attack.


    ��As expected�� Master�� you��re�� the best�� Woah�� Ah�� Haa�� Mmm����


    Gillian held her hands on his chest and started moaning loudly. Rhode picked up his pace and shortly after, the entire room was filled with the loud, smacking sounds of clashing bodies. Along with her alluring response, he realized that he was quickly at his limit. He firmly clasped his hands around her slim waist like two iron tongs and erupted like a powerful volcano.


    ��Ahhhhhhh!��


    Gillian screamed in pleasure before laying on him weakly while Rhode wrapped his arms around her waist tightly and let out a satisfied moan after pouring his burning desires into her. He looked up and saw the young lady with her eyes half-opened. She was unlike the cunning fox from before. At this moment, she was just like an ordinary young lady. He didn��t expect to see this side of her.


    Rhode smiled, caressing her hair and fluffy ears. Upon sensing his touches, she narrowed her eyes and lifted her head.


    ��Really. I knew that you wouldn��t be satisfied so easily, Master. But that��s fine����


    Gillian swept a glance to the side. Rhode followed her gaze and discovered that the other young ladies had surrounded him once again, looking at him with selfish desires.


    ��It seems like the night is still young.��


    Gillian chuckled.


    The party continued. Everyone was still lustful and greedy for more happiness and pleasure. Of course, Rhode wouldn��t let the night end just yet.


    ��Y-Your Majesty�� No, I can��t�� It��s so huge�� So hot. I can��t�� I can��t��!��


    ��Mm�� Mm����


    ��How cunning�� Sir Rhode�� It��s my turn next��!��


    ��Harder, Mr. Rhode. Yes, right there�� Ah�� Ahh��.!��


    Angelina enjoyed the thrusts from behind as her beautiful golden hair scattered all around. Pain was never an enemy to the vampires. This unique advantage gave her an edge over others to feel pleasure. Rhode continued to thrust his hips forward while turning around and giving French kisses to Anne. His hands were busy too. He massaged Lapis��s chest while rubbing between Lize��s legs. Canary pushed her chest on his back and Marlene watched in admiration while touching herself to satisfy her fantasy. Gillian stood beside Marlene and teased her with her hands.


    To all of them, this was a crazy and endless night.


    However, the night would eventually come to an end.


    It was noon when Rhode opened his eyes. After a night of insanity, even he reached his limit. After all, Gillian, Lize, Anne, and Angelina weren��t humans. If they were, they would have fallen asleep after one round. But Gillian and Anne were half-beasts, Marlene was a Deity Warden, Lize was a half-angel, and Angelina was a royal vampire. Their tolerance was incomparable, not to mention Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. The licentious party of the night only ended at the break of dawn.


    When Rhode woke up, he couldn��t help but feel surprised.


    Angelina and Bubble laid beside him while his left and right arms were wrapped in Canary��s and Marlene��s embraces. Lize curled up around his legs while Anne laid above him, snoring away and sandwiching the pitiful Lapis. On the other hand, Gillian seemed to know her place as she slept on one side alone, swaying her fluffy tail from time to time as though she wasn��t sleeping well.


    What a fantastic view.


    Rhode swallowed his saliva and suppressed the burning desires inside him. He could occasionally do this but definitely not everyday as his body couldn��t take it. Moreover, he couldn��t find the time to do it. If he were to grope anyone now, he could forget about leaving the bed before evening.


    But��


    Rhode shifted his gaze to Mini Bubble Gum and Lapis, who had the same blissful expressions. Rhode stroked Mini Bubble Gum��s hair gently. He totally didn��t expect that he would do it with her. Although he had more or less suspected Lapis��s feelings for him and knew of Gillian��s desire for a long time, as for Bubble�� He was surprised that she was even interested in this. But come to think of it, Bubble didn��t live in this world like Christie, so it wasn��t strange that she was knowledgeable in this topic with the fact that she chatted with him naked over the webcam when they hadn��t even met in real life. Fortunately for Rhode, this wasn��t the real world. If not, he would be spending the prime of his life in jail.


    Rhode carefully sneaked his way out of bed and placed a blanket over the young ladies. After ensuring that everything was fine, he tidied his clothes and left the room. He was clear that what happened last night wasn��t a normal occurrence. He also expected the awkward atmosphere that would arise as soon as they woke up, so he quickly made his way out. Besides, considering the possibility that Anne would want to get into another battle with him as soon as she saw him, he was better off making his escape now.


    In fact, he quickly realized that this was a wise decision.


    ��Christie was looking for me last night?��


    Rhode widened his eyes in surprise at Agatha. The latter hunched over for a bow.


    ��Yes, Master. I told her that you were busy, so I refused her request to meet you. Did I do anything wrong?��


    ��You did great.��


    Rhode heaved an inward sigh of relief. He considered Mini Bubble Gum as being contaminated by the Internet, but Christie was completely an innocent child. He couldn��t imagine how it would be if she saw what happened or joined them. No matter what, he had no intention of treating Christie like Marlene and the others. Even though he often slept with Christie, that was purely sleeping without any ��exercises��.


    ��Is there anything else?��


    Rhode asked curiously as Agatha didn��t leave immediately. The latter nodded slightly.


    ��Yes, Master. We received a report that two emissaries from the Country of Law have arrived at Grandia and requested to meet you.��


    ��Emissaries from the Country of Law?��


    Rhode puckered his brows.


    ��Got it,�� he said.

 Chapter 945 - Invitation From the Sacred Palace

    When Rhode arrived at the hall, he saw the two emissaries scanning the room curiously. Compared to other places, Rhode��s palace wasn��t as grand and luxurious and could even be considered relatively plain without the mighty throne. As a player, he wasn��t too mindful about having a mighty reputation. He thought that as long as others respected him, he didn��t need to go to that far of an extent.


    It was due to this that instead of saying that Grandia��s palace was a hall of deliberation, it was more like a beautiful garden. The semi-circular stairwell resembled that of a school platform. The white, circular conference hall was surrounded by lush greenery and clear, flowing spring water that was extraordinarily pleasing to the eyes and added elegance and solemnity to the place. Moreover, the drifting clouds and ocean could be seen through the glass panel in the middle of the ground. From a certain perspective, this deepened the concept that Grandia was a floating city in the sky worth revering. However, this wasn��t due to the pressure from the surroundings. Instead, anyone who personally witnessed something that they couldn��t achieve themselves would respect it from the bottom of their hearts.


    Upon seeing Rhode��s arrival, the two emissaries immediately half-knelt.


    ��It��s our pleasure meeting you. Thank you for allowing us into your city, mighty dragon soul heir, Your Majesty the Void Dragon.��


    ��You��re welcome.��


    Rhode felt unused to this official greeting, but he simply waved his hand, signaling for them to rise. He scanned the two female emissaries from head to toe and realized that they looked similar to the elf guards. They wore a full set of glass armor and their faces were covered by the hood, revealing only their pointy ears. But even so, he recognized their true identity by the circular golden badge on their white armor.


    ��Sacred Guards of the Country of Law?��


    Rhode asked, at the same time feeling dubious because everyone knew that the Country of Law was a nation of politics and religion. But every player knew that the Country of Law wasn��t equal to the churches. Although churches were distributed all around the Country of Law, which made it seem like a religious country, only ��derivatives�� of the twin dragons attended them. It was as though a wealthy man investing in financial management software, but that software didn��t represent the wealth that the rich person possessed. On the other hand, the churches were like the ��financial management software��. It promoted popular beliefs and never encouraged people to worship a specific figure. If the Country of Law and the churches were truly as one, they didn��t need to do so. As long as they pushed the twin dragons up the altar, wouldn��t the worshipers get whatever they want?


    But the churches didn��t do so. They promoted beliefs and never encouraged people to worship a specific figure, and at the same time was responsible for financial turnover, circulation, and contract examinations. Perhaps the natives couldn��t see it, but players had criticized that if they removed the fact that the churches promoted beliefs, they would be no different from an international financial management organization.


    As an experienced player, Rhode more or less had some knowledge about the political system in the Dragon Soul Continent. He initially thought that the emissaries would be one of the churches�� higher-ups or representatives from the Elf Forest, who were basically diplomatic emissaries. This was because no matter the Elves or churches, they all belonged to the twin dragons. But it wasn��t so for the Sacred Guards. From a certain perspective, they represented the twin dragons and were not the collection of political organizations like the churches or the Country of Law. This also meant that this was an official invitation from the twin dragons.


    ��Yes, Your Majesty. We��re the members of the Country of Law��s Sacred Guards.��


    One of the elves stepped forth and bowed respectfully. Then, she reached for a gorgeous envelope from the fold of her clothes and presented it to Rhode.


    ��We��re here, abiding by the orders of our two Majesties, to invite you to the Order Ceremony held in the Sacred Palace on the 3rd of the month of radiance.��


    ��Order Ceremony?��


    Rhode accepted the enveloped and asked. He was sure that he had never heard of a similar ceremony.


    ��Yes, not only you, but His Majesty the Dark Dragon Ion and Her Majesty the Light Dragon Lilian will also be there.��


    Ion and Lilian will be there too?


    Even though Rhode remained expressionless, his head was quickly doing the math. If this was just a conference on political trends of the continent, Lilian wouldn��t need to participate at all because the others clearly know that she has no official power in the Country of Light. So it will be meaningless even if they invite her�� Not only that, but the Dark Dragon will also be there? Since I��m also invited��


    Rhode came to a conclusion. Without the need to understand the purpose of this ceremony, it was apparent from the attendees.


    They were all the heirs of the creator dragon souls.


    Since that was the case, it wasn��t a mystery why players weren��t aware of it. Only the creator dragon souls could participate in this ceremony, and players had no power to get involved. Even though Rhode didn��t know the intention behind this invitation, this was an opportunity for the dragon soul heirs to communicate and interact. Besides, this might also be the perfect chance for him to display his powers to the other dragon soul heirs.


    Rhode opened the envelope and almost simultaneously, the system prompt popped up in front of him.


    [Triggered Mission: Order Ceremony]


    [The kings of the creator dragon souls shall once again gather. All your actions shall determine if you��ll gain their recognition and be on equal footing with the ancient guardians. After you��re recognized, your reputation as the dragon soul heir shall exist and shine.]


    [Special Condition: From the start until the end of this mission, Phantom Guardians will not be bound by territory limitations.]


    Just as I expected.


    Rhode twitched his brows. This was obviously a meeting for the dragon soul heirs to display their strengths. He could only truly be termed as the Void Dragon after being recognized by the other four dragon soul heirs. The fact that the system automatically unlocked the territory limitations for the Phantom Guardians meant that the three Archangels and four legendary generals would also be there. On the other hand, the elemental lord, Deity Wardens, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary would also participate too. In terms of strength, Gillian would have no difficulties facing the three Archangels or one of the four legendary generals on her own, while Marlene could also take on one of the legendary generals or an Archangel. Even though Mini Bubble Gum and Canary had weaker equipment and weapons, they were advantageous with their rich battle experiences, so they shouldn��t have a hard time taking down one of them together. As for Christie and Alice�� Rhode had no intention of risking Christie��s life despite the other Christie being so powerful. After all, it was Christie��s body and with her current health, she would only be prone to more danger. So it would be safer to leave her in Grandia and be kept as a trump card. As for Alice, Rhode didn��t see her yet. It looked like it was about time to start searching for her in every corner of the library.


    ��The ceremony will be taking place in five days�� time. We will lead you and your subjects to the Sacred Palace, Your Majesty. If you have any questions, please let us know. We will do our best to answer your doubts.��


    ��Everything is fine, thanks for asking.��


    Rhode put away the envelope and scanned the surroundings.


    ��Alright then, during this period of time, please have a good rest in Grandia.��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    The two elf emissaries bowed humbly before leaving the hall. Rhode puckered his brows and pondered deeply. Participating in the ceremony would be the biggest test for him, especially when he had to meet the Dark Dragon face-to-face. He knew that the Dark Dragon Ion was a tough nut to crack and if he were to expose his weakness to the Dark Dragon, perhaps the undead army would attack his territory in the near future. Not only that, but he also had to meet Lilian and Lydia. How should he go about speaking to Lydia about his newfound identity?


    Rhode shook his head. Compared to these problems, he should be considering who would be joining him for the ceremony. Alice was too unpredictable and according to the other Christie, she was only a spirit. He didn��t know how much strength she had. Before he headed off for the ceremony, it seemed like he had to have a discussion with her.


    No matter what, didn��t the other Christie say that Alice would appear when the time was right?


    And now should be the most opportune timing.

 Chapter 946 - History Recorder

    Finding Alice was a simple yet difficult task for Rhode, one he had never succeeded in before.


    It was simple because she could only be found in one place. The moment the tinder was lit and the land of Chaos was opened up, Alice was preserved in the old, run-down library that was located in the forest behind the Grandia palace. Although the library didn��t prohibit anyone from entering, it was basically of no interest to anyone. Rhode suspected that it might be due to its creepy appearance or because the people were simply on a lower educational level. He also asked the three humanoids about the library and realized that natives of the Tinder Origin knew very little about it. Besides, no one was willing to enter the library and there was a simple reason for that. The library was rumored to be haunted for a long time��


    And Rhode knew exactly who that rumored ��ghost�� was.


    As for the difficult part�� There was only one reason. He simply couldn��t find her anywhere.


    Even though the library was huge, it didn��t take him a lot of time to search the entire place carefully. The problem was that no matter how he searched, he just couldn��t find her and this surprised him greatly. He didn��t understand this young lady too well and the only time he interacted with her was when they met in the library before he went to awaken the tinder. Judging from that meeting, Alice seemed like any other ordinary young lady and didn��t have an especially powerful aura around her. On the contrary, her pair of calm, dazzling eyes that had as though crossed a millennium left a deeper impression on him.


    But it was a pity that he just couldn��t find her despite several previous attempts. Even though the other Christie said that Alice would appear at the right time, he didn��t know when exactly ��the right time�� would come. As a result, he would take a stroll in the library whenever he was bored and flip through some books from the shelves despite them being mainly from ancient times with content that he couldn��t understand. But there were some books that he found interesting. After all, apart from the books on magic and human history, there were also several biographies of famous historical figures. This instantly sparked an interest in him. Since he couldn��t read the novels in this world, he might as well browse those books about legends and treat them as novels.


    Rhode held a bag of desserts and pushed the library door open. This was just another routine visit for him. If he couldn��t find Alice today, he would read some books to spend time and savor the desserts. But today, things turned out rather unexpectedly.


    There were two cups of warm tea on the black table that should have been empty as per usual. On the other side of the table, a young lady clad in a plain black dress was sitting quietly and gazing at the door which he entered from. It seemed like she was ready to serve her guest.


    ��I didn��t expect to see you today.��


    Rhode shrugged and went up to the table, sliding the bag of desserts across the table. Even though he had come to this world for quite awhile, he wasn��t interested in its cumbersome etiquette. Logically speaking, he was the dragon soul heir and should be particular about formalities. But he didn��t mind even if Alice continued to remain seated instead of standing or kneeling down to greet him. As expected though, Alice quietly stood up and accepted the plate of desserts humbly with both hands before sitting down again.


    ��I came here for����


    ��I know why you��re looking for me, Your Majesty. This is why I��m here.��


    ��You��re aware?��


    Rhode widened his eyes slightly in surprise. Only two hours had passed since he met the two emissaries. As for Alice, even though Rhode often couldn��t find her, he subconsciously believed that she was in the library the whole time. Besides, basically no one visited this place, so she shouldn��t be able to receive any intelligence.


    ��Yes, Your Majesty, I��m aware.��


    Alice reached for a piece of cake in the bag and placed it on an empty plate before putting it in the middle of the table.


    ��The emissaries from the Country of Law invited you to the Sacred Palace to partake in the upcoming ceremony. The other four dragon soul heirs and their followers will also be there. In order to show them the powers of Void Territory, it goes without saying that we, as your direct subjects, should join you, isn��t it?��


    ��You��re exactly right. Don��t tell me you have some mind-reading skills����


    Rhode nodded, gazing at the young lady curiously. He had always been curious about her. He had personally witnessed the other Christie��s powers and even though he didn��t see what kind of powers Marlene possessed after her awakening, he had read the details written on her card. As for Alice, he couldn��t figure out what abilities she had. Based on his first impression on her, this young lady who always hid in the library seemed more suitable for the title of ��Wisdom Deity Warden�� instead of Marlene. On the contrary, she was termed the ��History Deity Warden�� and what made Rhode curious was the exact difference between history and wisdom.


    ��I��m the History Deity Warden, Your Majesty.��


    Despite reacting calmly to Rhode��s joke, she was neither as expressionless as him nor as calm and steady as Marlene. Instead, she seemed to be incessantly going on a mental journey, submerging herself in books.


    ��I will subconsciously record anything as long as it happens. As soon as I see, touch, or understand it, everything in the past that I subconsciously recorded will be presented before my eyes���� Alice lifted a slice of cake with the fork. ��Just like this slice of cake; I��m perfectly aware of its history. Your Majesty, you went to the dessert house and asked the shop owner for a tasty dessert. The shop owner was thrilled upon seeing your arrival. He gave you all the freshly-baked desserts and insisted on not accepting your payment. Later, you exited the dessert house and came to my library����


    ��Totally right. I��m pretty sure there wouldn��t be a Holmes if you became a detective.��


    Rhode couldn��t help but clap his hands in amazement. Just as he had expected, Alice was also a talented Deity Warden, one who could understand someone��s past as long as she saw them. Not only that, but she could also record all the history of this world. Judging from this point, her abilities were matchless. But even so��


    ��Are you able to see my past too?��


    Rhode placed the cup of tea down and looked curiously at the young lady. The latter nodded slightly, her beautiful black eyes slowly moving as though she was reading a line of text.


    ��Yes, Your Majesty. I can see your past. It is very complicated and inconvenient to comment on, including your history in the other world�� I have to admit that perhaps you truly have the right to become the heir of the Void Dragon. Of course, this is only my personal opinion.��


    ������


    Rhode narrowed his eyes but quickly returned to his usual self. Of course, he had never told anyone about the fact that he came from another world because he wouldn��t know if they would accept this truth. How would Marlene and the others react if they knew that they were simply living in a game from another world? But now, he had no reason to hide this secret from Alice since she knew the truth.


    ��Alright. What views do you have on that world?��


    ��Nothing much, since it is just a game.��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode gazed at her.


    ��Are you sure? Although that is indeed a game, aren��t the history, characters, and storyline the same as this world? Don��t you have any opinion about that?��


    ��Even though that is history, I can never be too sure. There is no such thing as a constant past and future. Your Majesty, there are no two identical leaves in this world and the same goes for history. No matter how similar they are, they ultimately are different. The place where we are and the history that we experienced are essentially different.��


    Alice put down the teacup while Rhode knitted his brows and carefully thought about the meaning behind her words. After a few moments, he nodded in agreement. Due to his existence in this world, the current ��storyline�� of the Dragon Soul Continent was entirely different from the game��s. Except for the usefulness of intelligence he received about game characters or organizations, he was totally clueless about which direction the continent was heading towards. He could only rely on the experiences in the game to support his thoughts and theories. He had to admit that this gave him tremendous pressure, especially in the second upcoming war against the Country of Darkness��all the famous battles in the past would never happen again. Even though this was the case, he wasn��t willing to back down. After all, he became the top player of the game without prior knowledge of everything. However, it was still unsettling for him, knowing that the things he was familiar with were all changing.


    But now, the unsettling feeling in him finally vanished after speaking to Alice.


    ��Thank you for your answer, Alice, I feel much more relaxed now.��


    ��You��re welcome. It��s nothing much though, Your Majesty.��


    Alice lifted the teacup, swirled the tea, and looked at it as though she was ��reading�� something. At this moment, Rhode recalled something.


    ��By the way, where have you been hiding all this time? Why can��t I find you at all?��


    ������


    Alice lifted her head and looked at him.


    ��I��m the History Deity Warden, Your Majesty.��


    ��And?��


    ��Not only can I read histories, but I can also enter them. In other words, the past to you is in fact my present.��


    ������


    Rhode was speechless. He understood what she meant but this ability was too outrageous. Indeed, ordinary people could be in the present or predict the future but they were ultimately living in the ��present��. On the contrary, Alice could go beyond the limits and enter the ��past�� which meant that it was impossible for Rhode to find her because he couldn��t possibly see or reach the ��past��.


    ��If Christie, Marlene, and you unleash your full powers against the four legendary generals or the three Archangels, they shouldn��t stand a chance against the three of you, right? I��ve always found it strange that the three of you are nearly invincible with your powers and yet you were all defeated by Chaos. This is totally unimaginable.��


    Rhode was right. It was just how he imagined.


    Even though players often compared the three Archangels, four legendary generals, five elemental lords, and six Deity Wardens on equal terms, after he came to this world and personally experienced the true powers of the Deity Wardens, he discovered that Christie, Marlene, and Alice far exceeded the other formidable figures. With their powers, it wasn��t impossible to instantly kill the other top-ranked figures. Take Alice, for instance. Her ability to ��hide in the past�� would be devastating for players because how could they defeat her if they couldn��t find her? The only possibility of winning her was to stop time and tear through the limits of past, present, and future. However, it was impossible for players to maintain a high-level skill like the time-stopping ability and continuously attack a BOSS of the Deity Warden caliber. He honestly believed that it would be a huge challenge even if he formed a party of elite players against the six Deity Wardens. Could it be that the reason why the six Deity Wardens didn��t appear in the game was for the sake of game balance��?


    ��Chaos is Order��s enemy. We��re ultimately the people of Order.��


    Alice took a sip of the tea before standing on her feet.


    ��As your subject, I��m willing to join you at the ceremony. But before that, I have something that requires�� your help, Your Majesty.��


    Alice paused.


    ��Please find my body.��

 Chapter 947

    ��Your body?��


    Rhode twitched his brow and asked curiously. Alice nodded slightly and explained.


    ��Yes, Your Majesty. Back then when Chaos wreaked havoc, I moved the library to the Tinder Origin and barely survived the corrosion. But I wasn��t sure if the tinder would be able to defend against Chaos��s attack, so in order to ensure that my powers wouldn��t be devoured, I separated my spirit from my body and stored my body in the interval of history. Right now, this spirit of me that you��re seeing only contains a small part of my complete power. This was the only way I still had a chance of survival even if the Tinder Origin crumpled to Chaos����


    Alice paused.


    ���� But due to uncertain factors, I consumed too much power which weakened the link between my spirit and body. Even if I want to return to my body now, it won��t be that quick. Besides, Your Majesty, history is a process of accumulation and my body has already been buried deep down in accumulated history. I can��t search for my body within a short period of time by myself.��


    ��What can I do for you?��


    Rhode asked. He understood what she meant. For example, Alice��s body was as though an important password which she had written on a newspaper and hid it inside a pile of newspapers to prevent anyone from discovering. But as time went by, more piles of newspapers filled up the entire room and she couldn��t find that particular newspaper. However�� Rhode didn��t think that he could be of help.


    ��You��re the Void Dragon, Your Majesty, and we can sense that as your subjects. For that, I want to borrow your strength and re-enter the interval of history in search of my body. I don��t have any battle strength in me, so I will need to seek your powers.��


    ��Sure.��


    Rhode nodded firmly. He wasn��t dubious of her words. Since this was necessary, there was no reason for him to hesitate anymore. This request from Alice, who was one of the six Deity Wardens, seemed no different to a mission. As a player, how could he ignore this mission? Yes, he might face trouble in the process, but he was always pragmatic.


    ��Alright, what do I need to do?��


    Alice was surprised that Rhode agreed so quickly. She widened her eyes and blinked in disbelief. Shortly after, she returned to her usual self.


    ��It��s simple, Your Majesty.��


    Alice extended her hand.


    ��I will find the approximate period of history while you will have to sense my spiritual undulation and search for my body. Then, my spirit and body will fuse and awaken. Thereafter, I will restore all my strength.��


    Rhode nodded and held her hand.


    ��Also, Your Majesty, history is made up of situations that existed and happened. We may peep and hide ourselves within but we can never change it. No matter how tragic it is, it is all decided and shaped by countless pasts that make up the present����


    In the next moment, everything before Rhode��s eyes turned in complete confusion. The library around him disappeared in the blink of an eye and was replaced by boundless darkness and layer upon layer of floating screens that resembled images that had their brightness overdone. Not only that, but he could also vaguely see a moving human figure on the screens. At this moment, countless screens flit by him like meteors as though the scenery behind the window of a high-speed rail. Shortly after, the surrounding light spots linked up and formed a dazzling white radiance. Then, the scenery suddenly transformed.


    The air reeked of blood.


    Rhode stood above the steel city wall, and before him was a vast, charred land with groups of panicky, fleeing humans. The sky in the distance appeared turbid and twisted, and at the same time, a series of loud explosions boomed.


    Rhode looked up and witnessed an array of beams blasting from the city walls behind him. The colorful light beams streaked across the sky and aimed at the distorted and disturbing sky. Shortly after, they struck and exploded a massive and dazzling white radiance that permeated throughout the sky, as though colors splashing on this gray world. In an instant, Rhode was blinded as everything turned into complete whiteness despite it just being an illusion. The blinding whiteness vanished after a few seconds and the twisted sky seemed to have taken a huge hit as it slowly retreated. At the same time, he heard a familiar voice.


    ��Hurry! We can��t delay the evacuation of the people anymore!��


    ��Celia?��


    Rhode looked at the sky curiously and indeed, it was her. She clutched her glistening sword, stared ahead vigilantly, and commanded the soldiers to evacuate the people. In the near distance, he also witnessed groups of people bolting toward the city behind him while the pitch-black and turbid mud-like presence slowly and steadily approached them. In the sky was a presence like a tattered plastic film that was twisting disturbingly.


    This was the battle between Chaos and the Void Territory?


    Rhode widened his eyes in bewilderment. In fact, he had a lot of doubts about this particular battle, such as how powerful Chaos was. According to his experience in the game, not even the Chaos in the hundreds of underground floors posed a threat to his guild, not to mention the Deity Wardens. But even so, the Deity Wardens were either dead or gravely injured in this battle, which made him realize that his expectations of Chaos were wrong. Now he finally had the chance to personally witness their strength.


    But it was a pity that it was too late.


    Rhode shook his head at the sight of the escapees. Even though Chaos appeared to be approaching them slowly, it was in fact tens of meters high and had almost enveloped half the sky. Under such a circumstance, the escapees were only putting up a meaningless struggle.


    ��There��s no more time. Withdraw the suspension bridge!��


    Celia seemed to understand it too. She hurriedly brandished her sword and ordered. Almost simultaneously, white steam spurted from the steel suspension bridge as it slowly rose from the surface. The escapees became increasingly frightened. They sobbed and dashed toward the bridge. Mothers carried their children while elders dragged their grandchildren, struggling to get up on the bridge before it was too late. But even so, the bridge continued to rise and at the same time, the city that was already suspended above the ground rose higher. The escapees who failed to enter the city on time held on tightly to the bridge with their dear lives. But even so, some lost their grip and fell to their deaths from the sky while the ones who couldn��t make it in time watched in despair as Chaos crashed into them like a tsunami from behind.


    ��13th zone crumpled completely. Activate second sets of plans!��


    Celia commanded swiftly without taking a final look at the thousands of innocent people who died to Chaos. She knew that she had no time to waste. The steel city walls trembled as a three-floor-tall iron magic cannon appeared, aiming at Chaos below.


    ��Fire!��


    Once again, ear-deafening explosions and blinding radiance tore through the entire world before Rhode��s eyes.


    That��s Chaos?


    Everything that happened seconds ago vanished completely and Rhode returned to the empty darkness. However, he hadn��t returned to his senses yet. Instead, he puckered his brows, comparing the Chaos that he witnessed with the Chaos he knew. This Chaos was no different from the Chaos that he saw in the game. But for some unknown reason, the moment he saw the mass of darkness, he felt really uncomfortable. As soon as he saw it, he felt as though his body had been corrupted by it. This was a sensation he didn��t feel in the game. In the game, the presence of Chaos didn��t make him feel sick or stimulate his senses through their disturbing visuals. But now, he felt an impulse from deep inside his heart, urging him to retaliate.


    Besides, even though both Chaos were disastrous, he felt as though the Chaos��s attack in the game was on the devastation level of a tsunami, where there was still a possibility of surviving against it. If players were to run up the mountains fast enough, they might be able to survive. On the other hand, the Chaos that he just witnessed was as though a black hole devouring and destroying the entire planet. It was the scariest disaster, one where no matter how hard a person tried to escape, they just couldn��t avoid death.


    As he pondered this, the view before him changed once again.

 Chapter 948

    The view before him changed once again.


    The battlefield was gone, only to be replaced by an enormous and dim hall. Rhode vaguely saw odd, complicated patterns on the floor that resembled magical rituals. Standing before him were six indistinct, pitch-black figures.


    ��It is beyond our expectations. The power of Chaos is getting stronger.��


    This voice is��


    Rhode turned to the voice and as though responding to his thoughts, a particular figure was lit up by a lamp above, instantly revealing her petite stature. He couldn��t be more familiar with her��the long, pitch-black hair, mesmerizing purple pupils, and almost identical face.


    Christie.


    But unlike the innocent little girl who always followed him around, this Christie seemed to possess the mighty presence of a high-ranking person. She narrowed her deep purple eyes, her face displaying a firm, unwavering determination that made him feel like she had everything under control. At this moment, the pressure on Christie��s shoulders was bigger than Lydia��s as though in her eyes, there was nothing except for this world.


    ��It��s okay, the more the plan fails, the more we have proven our success. The more detailed the plan is, the easier it is for mistakes to surface. It is within our calculations that this problem will occur when Chaos attacks.��


    It was yet another voice he couldn��t be more familiar with. Shortly after, the bright light illuminated the other person. Her silver hair, wine-colored eyes, slender figure, and incomparably luxurious robe proved her identity.


    Marlene��


    This feels so strange.


    Of course, Rhode knew that this wasn��t a coincidence. Christie called her other self as ��my other self��, so it was to be expected that the other Christie would look exactly like Christie. On the other hand, Marlene was the incarnation of one of the six Deity Wardens, so it would be ridiculous if she didn��t look similar at all. But even though this Marlene looked like the same person, the qualities that she exuded were entirely different. This Marlene completely lacked the gentleness and steadiness of the usual Marlene. On the contrary, she was cold and rational as though everything was within her predictions��like a computer. It felt as though that even if her closest kin died in front of her, she would only respond with ��everything is within predictions��.


    Although this side of Marlene and Christie was refreshing, he still preferred their current selves��


    ��But this distortion isn��t enough. We should let it distort even farther. All that we��re doing now is carefully, yet recklessly messing the situation up.��


    He was no stranger to this voice either. After all, he had just spoken to her a few moments ago.


    The light shone.


    The young lady clad in a plain, ancient-styled black dress and with silky, long black hair stood silently on the spot. She spread her arms apart and an ancient book hovered between them.


    Alice.


    ��The constant, repeated, and accumulated distortion from the past isn��t enough. Such an extent of Chaos still isn��t able to disrupt the set destiny. We have to take more aggressive measures in order to form a singular point to distort the fate of this world. But now, what we��re doing isn��t enough to instigate the fulcrum of fate!��


    ��Perhaps we should kill off the Archangels?��


    Shortly after, an unfamiliar and childish voice spoke. Compared to the three of them, she sounded much more energetic. For some unknown reasons, Rhode felt as though this person resembled Mini Bubble Gum, but he also knew that no one could compare to the insanity of that young lady. On the contrary, this voice sounded rational yet oddly excited. For instance, it was as though she was calmly planning a scheme to kill another person a hundred times and make that person go entirely bonkers��cold, dangerous, and incomparably odd.


    ��Maybe we should give up the defense of the seventh zone and allow Chaos to attack the undead creatures�� territory?��


    ��We can consider that as an alternate means.��


    Marlene pondered for a while before responding.


    ��If it doesn��t work, we can slaughter the 3.5 million people in the fifth zone to eradicate the fate of them being killed by Chaos. This way, it will be enough to create a certain degree of distortion in the interval of fate and history.��


    ��Chaos is mysteriously powerful. We have no time to waste. Let��s make a decision.��


    This time, an unfamiliar and stern, deep voice sounded. Christie nodded in agreement and looked around her.


    ��Who shall do it?��


    They were clearly speaking about slaughtering people and yet Christie��s expression didn��t change at all. It seemed as though she was asking who was going to pour the tea. On the other hand, Marlene nodded.


    ��Leave it to me. My moving fortress can kill them in a split second and they won��t feel any pain.��


    ��Alright then. Inform the people that Chaos is approaching and ask them to evacuate. From now onward, gather the people as much as possible and we will make our move. We will kill them and not allow Chaos to gain strength through them as Chaos is already overwhelming enough now. If this continues, the consequences will be unimaginable.��


    ��Fate will not waver that easily. Just blood and death aren��t enough to change the foundation.��


    Alice said and flipped the page.


    ��Just a few moments ago, the 3rd army that Shira led has perished. I suppose the alliance can��t hang on any longer too. We have to be prepared. Should we launch our attacks now or wait for a better time? His Majesty isn��t here, so we have to make the decision soon.��


    ������


    Rhode suddenly felt the atmosphere in the entire hall turned solemn as though they were watching their companion walk to the edge of the cliff. Even though he wasn��t too sure what they were discussing, he felt that this was an important matter related to the entire world.


    ��Alright, how about this? If our deaths can change this spiraling trajectory, we shouldn��t mind sacrificing ourselves. This isn��t even worthy of a mention for the sake of our goal. My life is only this valuable and it seems like a great decision to use it for this purpose.��


    Marlene spoke in an ice-cold tone while the others didn��t seem surprised.


    As usual, Alice slowly flipped over another page and said, ��Are you ready?��


    ��In theory, nothing will go wrong. As long as my predictions are right, my temporary death will not weaken my powers. But Alice and Christie, both of you have to take note that no matter what, our plan needs to have an insurance. Both of you are indispensable.��


    ��I will retreat to the Astral Temple and wait for the results of this experiment. I hope your sacrifices won��t be for nothing.��


    Christie lifted her head and spoke. Even though she was the smallest in stature among them, at this moment, she was as though the one overlooking and directing the overall situation. She looked at Marlene with a praising gaze, nodded her head firmly, and turned to the other three mysterious Deity Wardens enveloped in the darkness, which for some unknown reasons, Rhode could only see their silhouettes.


    ��Alright, I will think of a way to preserve my body and wait for the day Chaos is defeated.��


    ��I��ll leave it to you, Alice. You��re the only one who can detect the spiraling trajectory of history. If anything were to happen to you, our years of hard work will all go to waste.��


    ��His Majesty isn��t around and the dragon soul heir��s power can��t resist Chaos anymore. This is our last chance to go into battle for them and if those foolish heirs can��t recognize their own fate and the enemies they will face in the future, they will only return to destruction.��


    Christie raised her right hand.


    ��The Phenomenon Void will protect us until our final moments. Everyone, this will be our last battle.��


    After the radiance dissipated, the scenery before his eyes turned into nothingness.


    ��What��s this?��


    Rhode asked with knitted brows. He had to admit that even though the conversations from before had no cause and effect, he understood what they meant exactly. But it was due to this that he felt even more dubious of the situation as though��


    ��All of this was once destined,�� Alice said.


    ��History is a spiral-shaped cycle. No matter how hard one tries to escape or change, history will still be strikingly similar. No matter the cause or past, and the result is always the same. The later generation may taunt the stupidity and shortsightedness of the former generation while looking through history, but they will still eventually follow the same path. All we need to do is to ensure that the results are different. That��s all.��


    ��What��s with the deal with the Void Dragon then? From what I saw just now, the Void Dragon is no longer in this world?��


    ������


    This time, Alice didn��t answer. Instead, the pitch-black darkness around Rhode flickered and a gigantic maze appeared before him.


    ��We��re almost there, Your Majesty. Almost����

 Chapter 949

    ��This is����


    The corners of Rhode��s mouth lifted as he looked fixedly at the ceiling. Although there were no unique patterns on the gray walls surrounding him, he immediately recognized where he was.


    ��So the rumored young lady on the 55th floor of the Deepest Labyrinth was you, Alice.��


    ��?��


    Alice looked at Rhode curiously, but the latter didn��t explain further. The Deepest Labyrinth was the most well-known dungeon among players. As the final maze of the game, it was the best platform for high-level players to display their strengths. As the dangers of each floor far exceeded the average level of players, only the strongest groups of players could overcome them. Everything from the grass and roots of every floor had been rummaged by them and basically nothing was left unturned.


    On the raid rankings for this maze, Starlight always held the first position while others chased closely behind. After all, Starlight was the number one guild and apart from focusing only on this dungeon, they were also occupied with other matters. This was the reason why Starlight wasn��t the first to clear every single floor. There were also countless players who searched for hidden tasks in the maze and with their incessant efforts, they actually discovered some secrets.


    One of the most popular secrets was the ��sleeping young lady on the 55th floor��.


    There was also a rumor among players that if one passed through the 55th floor using the right method, one could find a young lady laying in a bed of petals inside a crystal coffin at the exit and�� That was all.


    That��s right. That was all to it.


    Players couldn��t open the coffin because it was entirely a virtual image that couldn��t be touched. Not only that, but there were also no triggered missions and players couldn��t engage in further investigation as though she didn��t exist at all. Besides, despite using several ways to bring information of the image out of the dungeon, it didn��t activate any mission. There was once a period of time when players believed that the young lady was only a BUG in the game. Some players also suggested and complained on the official forum but failed to receive any response from the game masters. This meant that there was indeed a mission tied to the young lady, but players just couldn��t accept it no matter what. Over time, players treated the image as something like a post-credit scene and passed it down to the later generations for fun. Of course, some players also came up with fan-fiction stories about that mysterious young lady and narrated the reason for her death.


    And now it seemed like the answer was clear. The young lady was in fact Alice. The reason why players couldn��t touch her was perhaps due to her having hidden her body in history. But�� Since that was the case, why did the game display Alice��s image there?


    As Rhode advanced in the maze, he quickly realized that it was different from what he remembered from the game. Other than the similar entrance, other areas seemed to be in the middle of construction with many human-shaped shadows swinging tools diligently. Some of the human-shaped shadows were also having conversations as they walked past Rhode. It was like a bustling construction site.


    Although Rhode was curious, he knew that he couldn��t see these people clearly as he was in history right now. But judging from their heights, most of them should either be dwarves or adult humans��if no child labors were involved.


    ��������!��


    As soon as Rhode turned the corner, he instantly felt a burst of intense palpitation in his chest. The sensation was so powerful as though something disastrous was about to happen. It wasn��t a sense of nervousness that one felt when one faced threats. Instead, it was closer to a kind of high that was beyond excitement.


    What��s going on?!


    Rhdoe came to a halt abruptly and knitted his brows, carefully discerning the sensation that stemmed from the bottom of his heart. He clenched his fists and took in a deep breath. Even though he didn��t know what had happened ahead of him, it seemed to be related to him in a way where he knew something important was waiting for him. But no matter what, he couldn��t turn back now.


    Rhode moved forward.


    The dark room instantly lit up and turned vibrant. Not only that, but the human-shaped shadows around him also revealed their appearances. Just as Rhode predicted, they were mainly humans, as well as some dwarves and elves. Dwarves were responsible for digging while humans were in charge of construction. On the other hand, elves were there to set up some sort of magic ritual. Not only that, but the fuzzy voices also became clearer, turning from clamors to distinct conversations.


    ��The construction progress is too slow. We may not be able to finish it on time����


    ��We have to speed up. Maybe we can request for undead creatures from the Dark Dragon?��


    ��Do you want those brainless creatures to make this place collapse? Damn it. If I weren��t around to watch them, those fools would keep digging to the core of this world!��


    Interesting��


    Rhode scanned the maze before him curiously. This was the first time he witnessed the construction process of this dungeon. Judging from the reactions of the people around him, they seemed to be really serious about this project and were working tirelessly on this job.


    Then, one particular person caught his eye.


    It was a young lady with pitch-black long hair, standing quietly on the empty field and looking up with a calm, sorrowful look. She let out a soft sigh, lowered her head, and looked toward Rhode.


    Christie?


    No, she isn��t.


    This young lady was obviously older than Christie, at around 17 years old. Her pupils were golden and not purple like Christie��s. Apart from that, she didn��t seem any different from Christie or Rhode. It could also be said that if it weren��t for the different-colored pupils, he would have believed that this was his other self who had disguised as a woman. But unlike him, the young lady exuded a warm, gentle, and imposing aura. For some unknown reason, he felt that he should have known who this mysterious young lady was.


    Could it be��


    No, it can��t be. This must be a coincidence��


    ��Your Majesty.��


    As Rhode pondered with knitted brows, he heard a voice behind him and turned around. It was Alice, hugging a huge, heavy book and slowly approaching the mysterious young lady. The young lady revealed a kind, heartwarming smile.


    ��Alice�� You��re here. How��s the situation over there?��


    ��Chaos is gathering. They have discovered the gaps in this world and it is only a matter of time before they pass through the dragon soul protection.��


    ��Is that so����


    The young lady closed her eyes and pondered in silence. Then, she spoke.


    ��Indeed. Chaos is as powerful as we imagined, but this is all we can do, Alice.��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    Alice bowed humbly before lifting her head.


    ��Your Majesty, I may go overboard for speaking out of turn, but must we resort to this? It is extremely dangerous to go on the path toward the outer world����


    ��This is the only solution that we can think of.��


    The young lady waved her hand and interrupted.


    ��The future that we predicted is identical to the past that you saw, at least from what we��re seeing now. Alice, we have to change before we��re dragged into the inevitable destruction of a contradictory spiral. We need to find a way to keep our world alive. No matter how small the possibility is, as long as we keep repeating, we will have the possibility to turn them into identifiable facts. No matter if it requires a hundred, thousand, or tens thousand times, we must continue to find the opportunity that will change this fate�� I��m sorry, but this is our willfulness.��


    ��No, Your Majesty.��


    Alice lowered her head deeply.


    ��It is our honor. No matter how many times history spirals, we will do our best to fulfill your wishes and let the gear of destiny completely detach from its original trajectory. This is what we should do as your subjects.��


    ��Thank you, Alice. I wholeheartedly wish for all of you to find your true blessings in the future.��


    The young lady gazed at Alice and for some unknown reasons, Rhode felt like her gaze was as though penetrating through Alice and into him.


    ��In future, I may not appear before all of you again. But I believe that there will be a person who will guide all of you away from this fate. Until that day comes����


    ����!��


    Suddenly, all the clamors around him were muted abruptly. The whole world fell into complete silence and darkness, only for a dazzling crystal coffin to appear in midair. There was a young lady with her eyes closed within as though in deep sleep.


    ��Now��s the chance, Your Majesty. Please remove the seal! Destroy that coffin!��


    ��This is the critical moment����


    Rhode shook his head and cleared his head. Then, he raised his right arm and a silver holy sword appeared in his hand. He brandished the sword and released a blinding blade ray that divided the dark world into two. In the blink of an eye, the crystal coffin shattered and its fragments erupted into countless magical rays that wound around Alice, slowly shaping into a plain, pitch-black dress. Then, Alice slowly descended from midair and landed into his arms.


    At the same time, he heard a voice whisper to his ear.


    �� I��ll leave it to you, Big Brother��

 Chapter 950

    Everything ended.


    When Rhode came back to his senses, he had returned to the library. The only difference now was the sleeping young lady in his arms. He felt her weight on the crook of his arms, as well as her scent. If this were to happen under normal circumstances, he would have enjoyed it. But now, he solemnly placed her on the chair and shortly after, the air around them vibrated, and the other Alice walked out of the thin air and went up to him. She stooped over and gave a respectful bow.


    ��Thank you for your assistance, Your Majesty.��


    ��You��re welcome. I have something important to ask you.��


    ��I understand. Please wait a moment.��


    Alice nodded. She approached and touched her body on the chair with both hands. Then, she closed her eyes and her body emanated the dazzling brilliance of light specks and illuminated the dim library. The brilliance merged into an enormous sphere of light that enveloped Alice and her body completely.


    ������������


    At this moment, a huge magic ritual appeared in midair and shrouded the sphere of light. Shortly after, the radiance dispersed and strong airflow shook the shelves. The mysterious magic ritual disappeared and apart from the table and chair on which the asleep Alice was sitting on, there was nothing else.


    ��Argh����


    After a few seconds, Alice opened her eyes and saw Rhode standing before her. She slowly stood to her feet and gave a humble bow.


    ��The fusion was successful. Thank you for your assistance, Your Majesty.��


    ��You��ve thanked me just now, so you don��t have to repeat yourself.�� Rhode heaved a sigh of relief before gazing at her sternly. ��I have an important question. I guess you understand what I mean.��


    ��Of course, Your Majesty.��


    Alice responded without a change in her expression. She waved and gestured with her right hand and a chair appeared behind Rhode out of thin air. The empty cups on the rather messy table were refilled with piping hot red tea. Alice smiled and laid down her right hand.


    So this is her ability��


    Rhode looked at the teacups before sitting down on the chair. Even though Alice didn��t explain further, based on his judgment of Deity Wardens like Marlene and Christie, Alice who held the ability to grasp history couldn��t possibly only possess the harmless ability of hiding herself in the past. Perhaps she might also be able to use certain ways to repeat history in the present time. Based on this point, she definitely wasn��t one to mess with.


    The images that he had witnessed while helping Alice search for her body definitely weren��t something that he could forget about in a flash. It was especially so for the unexplainable scenes that appeared in the Deepest Labyrinth. He was pressing for an answer now.


    ��I know what you want to ask, Your Majesty. But before that, please pardon my rudeness. May I know how much you understand about the Dragon Soul Continent?��


    ��Understand?��


    Rhode knitted his brows as he felt that this topic seemed to be unrelated to his doubts. But he eventually gave his honest answers. In fact, this was the most basic of basics for any player. The Void Dragon opened up a territory of Order from a land of Chaos. The five Creator Dragon Souls created heaven and earth with their own means. Their souls became the dragon soul protections and they used the Seven Fantasy Boundaries and Four Main Elemental Planes of Existence as the basis to create this world. In the deep underground, the territories of demons and devils bordered along Chaos. Ever since this world existed, both sides had clashed in endless battles. As for the surface, it consisted of the Country of Light, the Country of Darkness, and the Country of Law that were established by the Creator Dragon Souls�� At least, this was what was written on the official website.


    ��That��s just the history of future generations.��


    Alice extended her arms and a heavy book with historical images appeared in midair and floated between her arms.


    ��Initially, after Her Majesty created this space of Order to avoid Chaos, the other four Creator Dragon Souls submitted to her. Back then, the Dragon Soul Continent was a territory belonging to my lord and everyone surrendered to her. There were no exceptions for anyone.��


    ��In other words����


    Rhode suddenly recalled a mission that he completed with Marlene. Back then, he unintentionally entered the ruins and that was when one of his cards awakened. Not only that, but he also gained new strength. According to Marlene, it was one of the ruins of the Fassicarl Kingdom and it was just as Alice had mentioned. Its ruins and signs of civilization were distributed in every corner of the Dragon Soul Continent. If it were just as Alice mentioned,that Dragon Soul Continent only had one kingdom, this mystery was then resolved. But��


    ��Since that��s the case, why did it split up later on?��


    ��It didn��t split up. It was merely entrusted to others.��


    Alice spoke and flipped the page.


    ��You still don��t understand, Your Majesty? Why did we build the continent?��


    ��Why? Isn��t that simple���� Then, Rhode came to a sudden realization. Indeed, he had never considered this important question. Although he found many clues and answers in the past, he realized that things weren��t as simple as he imagined until Alice laid out all the facts. The establishment of the Dragon Soul Continent was to resist Chaos and give a survival space to the people of Order. The dragon soul protections built Order like an egg shell, at the same time resisting Chaos. Once the dragon soul protections lost their effects, Chaos would infiltrate through the gaps. This was common sense for players and they experienced it in the later stages of the game. But�� Rhode discovered that he had neglected the fact that perhaps this continent was much more fragile and dangerous than he had imagined.


    Take Earth, for instance. With the protection of the atmosphere, humans were able to live on the surface. But if they lost the atmosphere, without the support of devices, they couldn��t survive in a vacuum. On the contrary, unless humans destroyed the atmosphere themselves, they would hardly feel threatened.


    So what if the Dragon Soul Continent was Earth while the universe was Chaos?


    The universe tried to eliminate the atmosphere and destroy all creatures on Earth. If that happened, would Earth survive? On the contrary, the Dragon Soul Continent had been fighting against Chaos, so just how much Chaos were they facing?


    Unlimited.


    Rhode felt a chill run down his spine. A scene that had his hair standing on end instantly appeared in his mind��a beautiful globe floating in the universe while all around, the universe was shifty, turbid Chaos. It was as though a marble was thrown into a dangerous sea of raging waves and reefs. What made things worse was that the sea was also filled with the consciousness to destroy the marble.


    Under such a circumstance, the fact that the Dragon Soul Continent hadn��t been smashed to bits by Chaos was too miraculous.


    ��Yes, it is just as you think, Your Majesty. The day will come when the Dragon Soul Continent fails to stop the end of the past and future and crumples. This world ultimately isn��t a temporary shelter and can��t exist forever. What the five Creator Dragon Souls had to do was find an alternative path for survival. For that, they left this world and their powers behind to preserve the dragon soul protection. This was how the dragon soul heirs came about. Although they were named dragon soul heirs, they were only vessels to maintain stability and absorb power.��


    After plainly describing the dragon soul heirs without the use of respectful speech, Alice flipped the page again.


    ��But the will of life can be changed. When the time is long enough to erase warnings of the past, foolish and meaningless battles will resurface. They forgot about their responsibilities and indulged in meaningless battles and evidence, wreaking havoc and doing despicable things with powers that don��t belong to them. But�� this is just the desires of mortals and�� Isn��t worthy of a mention.��


    With just those last five words, Alice obliterated the hard work and results that all the dragon soul heirs achieved ever since the Creation War.


    ��So everything that you did in the past was for����


    Rhode spoke.


    ��Since it was inevitable for the world to perish, it only meant that the trajectory of fate for the Dragon Soul Continent was fixed. As long as history repeats itself over and over again with sufficient changes to make a difference, it may crumple the trajectory of fate, which in turn gives us the future that we desire. As a result, we return to the past repeatedly and take different decisions, hoping that the trajectory of fate will shift. That was our plan.��


    ��So, did you succeed?��


    Rhode said.


    This time, Alice didn��t answer immediately. She pondered for a long while.


    ��We won��t have our answer until the real results are out.��


    The black-haired young lady spoke with an unwavering tone.

 Chapter 951

    ��Phew����


    Rhode sat on the sofa, closed his eyes, and rubbed his forehead, trying to process all the information. He had learned so many unexpected and bewildering facts on this trip to seek Alice��s help. This was the first time he learned that the five Creator Dragon Souls weren��t truly dead. Instead, even though the so-called dragon soul heirs had indeed inherited the dragon soul powers, the reason why they received the powers were only because the dragon soul protection needed a hub for absorbing and converting powers. The dragon soul protection required replenishment from the spiritual powers of humans and frankly, the dragon soul heirs were merely the materialization of the worshiped figures. Through this way, the population had a person to devote themselves to and the process of offering their spiritual powers would be much clearer and homogeneous.


    Apart from that, Rhode also gained an understanding of the Deepest Labyrinth. There was in fact a massive Dimension Gate on the deepest floor, which was designed for the five Creator Dragon Souls to pass through safely. Not only that, but in order to prevent outsiders from entering or destroying the Dimension Gate, the Deepest Labyrinth was also built.


    Rhode had an association of ideas about the Dimension Gate. If his theory was correct, the reason why the game of ��Dragon Soul Continent�� appeared in the real world might be due to the five Creator Dragon Souls who created it. But why would they create this game and why did he transmigrate here? Alice didn��t give an answer to these questions because according to her, the six Deity Wardens were only responsible for executing the plans, which included the constant reset of history to create distortion and forcefully crumple the trajectory of fate. As for where the five Creator Dragon Souls went and what they did in the other world, the six Deity Wardens weren��t authorized to know. Even though Alice was the History Deity Warden, the history that she recorded was only of that in this world.


    But Rhode felt like the situation wasn��t this simple. The young lady he saw in the Deepest Labyrinth and the voice echoing in his ears definitely weren��t meaningless illusions. Could it be that the five Creator Dragon Souls were related to his younger sister? Or perhaps his younger sister was the reincarnation of the Void Dragon? After some serious consideration, this in fact seemed possible. Ever since his younger sister was born, he was clearly aware that deep inside her mind was a huge mystery. Perhaps others wouldn��t know that, but the bizarre mental and physical connections between them made him realize it. But back then, he was only an ordinary child and the inexplicable irritability in his head wasn��t comfortable for him at all. Not only that, but the reason he chose to play ��Dragon Soul Continent�� was because his younger sister purchased the device for it earlier on. She wanted to enjoy the life of an ordinary human in the game. While Rhode wasn��t dubious of her decision, she eventually left the world before she had the chance to fully enjoy the game. It was also for the sake of fulfilling her wish that he started playing the game. If not, why would he ever be in the mood for it?


    Rhode felt doubtful. If Alice was right and his younger sister was the Void Dragon, one of the true, mighty gods who created this world, she shouldn��t just pass on like that.


    ��Sigh�� What a headache.��


    Rhode shook his head in doubts. Even though he had discovered these secrets, he realized that even more mysteries that came with them. For instance, if this world was in fact the Dragon Soul Continent that he played in, why would he be bound to the system? Besides, not only could the system affect him, but it could also construct buildings quickly like in the game. All of these were major mysteries and he felt like it wasn��t as simple as they seemed. But since Alice expressed that she wasn��t aware, he was also left with no choices.


    Perhaps he should consider Mini Bubble Gum��s suggestion to explore the Deepest Labyrinth? According to Alice, Deepest Labyrinth was entirely designed by the five Creator Dragon Souls. Maybe he could find some clues in there.


    Also, about the destruction of this continent��


    After the conversation with Alice, Rhode also learned that the destruction of this continent wasn��t as simple as just the infiltration of Chaos. If his imagination was true, Order would be shredded into bits by Chaos in the future and that would be the ultimate destruction. Alice didn��t give a specific time for when the catastrophe would happen. According to her, she only recorded the past and predicting the future wasn��t part of her scope as the History Deity Warden. The six Deity Wardens�� jobs were only to shift and change the trajectory of fate from the lowest level. The previous invasion of Chaos took over half of the entire continent. It could also be said that the Void Dragon��s territory was used as the bait to attract Chaos while others established Order barriers to resist the oncoming attacks.


    Rhode finally understood why Alice held a dismissive attitude toward the other dragon soul heirs. The six Deity Wardens worked their hearts out for the continent by distorting the trajectory of fate in an infinite cycle and also sacrificed the Void Dragon��s territory. But what did the other dragon soul heirs do for them? Not only did they not consider ways to restore Order, but they also clashed for ��meaningless matters�� among themselves. In Alice��s eyes, perhaps the high and mighty dragon soul heirs were just like idiots.


    But she had the rights to criticize them because Rhode took a look at her level after she retrieved her body.


    [Alice Darlaston]


    [Race: Deity Warden]


    [Level: 100]


    As the third seat of the six Deity Wardens, Alice was basically on the same level as the dragon soul heirs. Rhode also read through Marlene��s and Christie��s details. After Marlene awakened her powers as a Deity Warden, she was level 95. On the other hand, Christie was still less than level 10, but there was a description of [Level 100 (Locked)].


    Natives sure have special treatment��


    Rhode exclaimed in envy. Marlene was only around level 50 before awakening her powers. But now, her level instantly jumped by at least 40 levels. On the other hand, even though he had also awakened his dragon soul powers, he was still at level 70. It would require a lot of work and time for players to reach the max level of 85 and with considerations to his identity now, he had to reach level 100 to hit max level. He compared Marlene��s and Christie��s details to his pathetic level. He wondered how he could go about gaining the 30 levels�� Wouldn��t this be too much of a tall order?


    Also, something worth mentioning was that his leveling system also changed after he awakened his dragon soul powers. Talent trees that required several skill points to be maxed out had been standardized. Right now, all new skills needed only one skill point to be unlocked and two skill points to be maxed out. Rhode finally understood why the BOSSes could continuously activate skills without the slightest restraint during battles.


    This is awesome��


    With the attitude of a nouveau riche, Rhode input all the skill points that he gained from leveling up to level 70 into his passive skills, upgrading them to their maximum level.


    Then, he focused his attention on something more important: the Order Ceremony.


    Rhode gathered everyone the next morning. Perhaps due to the chaotic battles in bed last night, the young ladies felt rather awkward and uncomfortable with one another. Even though he wasn��t sure how they resolved the issues among them, it seemed like everything worked out well and he gladly accepted it.


    ��I guess you��re aware already.��


    Rhode clapped his hands to draw the attention of the young ladies.


    ��Yesterday, we received an invitation from the Country of Law��s emissaries for the Order Ceremony that will be taking place in the Sacred Palace. You should be aware of the specific details by now. This time, the ceremony will be unlike the one in the Country of Light because the other four Creator Dragon Souls will be present. Unsurprisingly, the three archangels and four legendary generals will also be there. Do you understand what I mean?��


    ������


    Many within the group sucked in a deep breath of cold air. Four dragon soul heirs, three archangels, and four legendary generals; the most powerful forces of this continent would be appearing in the same place. Just listening to this statement turned their stomach to ice.


    But not everyone felt the same way. Alice stood on the spot and hugged the heavy book in her arms. Orchid Heart yawned sleepily and nodded in acknowledgment. On the other side, Canary twitched her brows and remained silent and Mini Bubble Gum revealed an eager expression as though she had decided to sharpen her sword to slaughter anyone who defied them.


    ��We have to be more careful this time. Alice, Marlene, Gillian, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum. Five of you will follow me to the Country of Law. As for your mission�� You should know what I want.��


    ��Of course, Leader!��


    Mini Bubble Gum raised her hand in excitement.


    ��No matter if it��s the group of feathered birdmen or shameless dark animals, I will crush anyone who finds trouble with us!��


    Rhode had to admit that even though Mini Bubble Gum wasn��t politically sensitive, she was equally matched with Anne in terms of battle capabilities.


    ��That��s right. This time we are heading there to display the strength of the Void Territory so no one thinks that we��re pushovers. I guess you��re also aware that this concerns the peace and future of the Void Territory. At least for the temporary peace, Lapis.��


    ��Ah! Yes!��


    The startled Lapis lifted her head nervously. She could be considered a ��public enemy�� right now. After that incident, Rhode went and asked her what she did to make him fall for her trap. Even though it was a great achievement that a Deity Warden and dragon soul heir fell into her trap, he was hoping that she could focus more of her energy on the right things instead.


    ��I��ll leave all the preparation to you. Can you handle it?��


    ��Yes�� No problem, Sir Rhode.��


    Lapis lowered her head in embarrassment and answered softly in the buzz of a mosquito. Rhode shook his head helplessly and shifted his gaze to the other young ladies.


    ��The duties for others remain the same. Lize, you��ll take over Marlene��s duties for the time being and inform us of any issues through the communication report. For this official appearance representing the Void Territory, we are absolutely not allowed to fail!��

 Chapter 952

    Dense layers of pitch-black clouds drifted across the night sky while loud, ear-deafening thunder boomed from within, shaking the ship that was sailing among the clouds. It wasn��t a magic warship built with a strong, steel hull from the Munn Kingdom. Instead, it was just an old, ordinary ship with a towering mast penetrating the clouds and white sails swelling to the winds. On both sides of the hull, several enormous, pitch-black Night Wyverns expanded their wings and dragged the ship forward by the chains.


    Rolling thunder and pitch-black clouds only represented one thing.


    ��I feel uncomfortable every time I witness this view. Compared to the thunderous clouds, I much prefer peaceful nights and the round moon.��


    A woman grumbled under her breath and unfolded the handheld fan gently. Even though she was high up in the chilly air, she only wore a thin and long, luxurious black gauze dress that revealed her snowy arms and alluring chest. Her bright, silky golden hair hung down to her ankles, drifting in the gentle wind like satin. She had a curvy waist that no men could withstand embracing in their arms. Her feminine, delicate face perfectly accentuated her mature, flirtatious charm like an irresistible love poison. If she were at a banquet, she would definitely be the most eye-catching star of the night and not even her master could steal her spotlight. But it was a pity that no one appreciated her grace here.


    ��Because peaceful nights are more suitable for you to sleep around? Floozy.��


    A deep, heavy voice full of disdain and mockery sounded, but the woman didn��t reveal any angered expression. On the contrary, she turned around with a lovable smile, folded her hands, and gazed at the massive, two-meter-tall knight clad in pitch-black, steel armor.


    ��Oh no�� Please don��t say that, Your Majesty Balende. A woman��s body is actually a really useful weapon, okay? It can beat swords without sacrifice or bloodshed. I can reach my goal when I use this wonderful body to seduce the victim, so isn��t that the best result one can expect? Or could it be that all men love to witness bloodshed? How violent�� It obviously isn��t necessary, but it��s not like I can��t understand men��s desire to conquer, that is.��


    The woman puffed out her chest proudly. Then, she let out a chuckle.


    ��Hmph, these shameless words sure suit you. After your position is snatched, I will surely be there to witness how you get toyed with as a slave. Although I��m not interested in your filthy body, I do want to know how you feel when you get played by others instead. That will definitely delight me.��


    A red glint flashed in Balende��s helmet. He scoffed and swept an indifferent glance at the woman before turning around and left the deck. The woman covered her mouth with her slender hair and chuckled.


    ��Oh no, Your Majesty Balende. You just hurt my feelings. I didn��t expect you to be so concerned about someone like me. I feel so flattered��


    The tone in her voice sounded sincere and glad, with a subtle hint of ill intention.


    If this ceremony weren��t important, he definitely wouldn��t be here.


    ��Oh no-no, Big Brother. It seems like the relationship between your subjects is still as terrible as usual.��


    Erin watched the commotion from the window. She turned around and smiled at the man who sat silently by the desk. At this moment, the man closed his eyes as though he was meditating. Even though he heard his younger sister��s comments, his face that was as strong as granite spoke of absolute confidence and calmness.


    ��Don��t worry.��


    ��But it will be better for them to maintain friendlier relationships especially for the Order Ceremony. Our Country of Darkness may be belittled by others if they see us as a joke.��


    ��Let them be. Their consequences of contempt will be compensated by blood and fire. If they are truly that foolish, that will be the corresponding price to pay.��


    ��Really����


    Erin shook her head helplessly and turned around. Although her big brother didn��t mention it, she knew that this upcoming Order Ceremony was different from the past. There was only one reason. The appearance of a new dragon soul and even more so, the Void Dragon.


    The most important reason as to why the Dragon Soul Continent could maintain a subtle balance was due to the Country of Law. Even though there were ��five�� Creator Dragon Souls, the Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons were in the same camp while the Void Dragon was nowhere to be found. This meant that no matter the Light Dragon or Dark Dragon, neither of them could confront the twin dragons individually. Not only that, but the twin dragons�� ability was also ��rules��, which meant that as long as they were in any land of Order, they could maximize the strength of their damage output.


    If the Dark Dragon Ion��s ambition was to only destroy the Country of Light, he could do so without much effort. But Erin was clearly aware that her big brother was a perfectionist. If he destroyed the Country of Light, he wouldn��t feel comfortable not dealing with the Country of Law too. This was the reason why he had been searching for supreme powers to confront the twin dragons.


    And now, a new dragon soul heir was born.


    There was a possibility that the balance would be broken.


    The Light Dragon was never in Ion��s consideration. The hostility between both nations represented their relationship. Even though Ion sent out his dark forces and infiltrated the Country of Light to a certain degree, the infiltration would be meaningless if he couldn��t take down the Munn Kingdom, and this might even give the Light Dragon a chance to free herself. There was once an opportunity for Ion and he was only one step away from the Munn Kingdom being entirely destroyed. But�� Things ended differently.


    ��Erin.��


    ��Yes, Big Brother?��


    ��You��ve met him before, right? Tell me your thoughts.��


    Erin let out a helpless bitter smile. Of course, she knew that Ion had always been watching her private outings. As a result, she was placed on house arrest ever since she returned and was only recently released. This showed just how much Ion hated an unorganized and undisciplined approach.


    ��Yes, Big Brother�� Hmm, how should I put it? I only met him before his awakening. He was an extremely calm person who rarely revealed emotions and seemed to understand everything well, as though there were no secrets in this world. Besides, it is apparent from our previous battle that he seems familiar with our Country of Darkness and may even have some inside information. Well, these are only my guesses.��


    ��Is that so?��


    Ion responded coldly as though he was disinterested but Erin was aware that this was just his usual attitude. He only needed reports and not suggestions. As long as he made the decision, he would strongly and unwaveringly believe that he would be the final victor. He never allowed anyone to comment on his thoughts and any objections would be denied. It seemed like the previous setback wasn��t enough to turn him around. In his eyes, the failure in his attack against the Munn Kingdom wasn��t worthy of a mention. Just like now, the reason why he participated in his ceremony was mainly because he wanted to personally understand the new dragon soul heir and see if he had any value to be roped in.


    However, Erin thought that such intentions were more dangerous.


    It still isn��t enough.


    A carriage would rock if its wheels ran over a large stone and the correct way for the carriage to stabilize was to decrease its speed. But Erin realized that her big brother had no regards for the dangers ahead and nor any intention to slow down. On the contrary, he continued to dash ahead. Erin knew that a rare and non-threatening setback in his eyes possibly represented that the flat avenue would soon turn into a muddy road. If he didn��t slow down, the carriage would sink into the mud and might even flip over.


    And that man seemed to possess such an ability to do so. In the beginning, Erin treated Rhode as an interesting plaything she could manipulate. But now, he might possibly be her big brother��s biggest obstacle. Even though Erin had only met Rhode twice, she sharply sensed that Rhode was similar to her big brother in some areas. They were confident, seemed to clutch everything within their grasps, wouldn��t express their emotions, and always believed in their judgment and decisions. But what concerned Erin was that Rhode was smarter in handling situations than her big brother, and this was apparent from the names of his territory and how he didn��t bother about trifles. This was the most troublesome type of person to handle. Perhaps because Rhode seemed like a person who lacked so-called pride and honor, he seemed more dangerous because he would pull back appropriately as soon as the situation didn��t progress well, disregarding the criticisms he received. No, if this was only the case, he wouldn��t be that different from her big brother. The biggest difference between them was that Rhode could effortlessly jump over the deepest pit in his heart and this was the most important obstacle her big brother couldn��t overcome.


    Erin lifted her head worriedly. Her black pupils reflected the image of her big brother.


    I wouldn��t be this worried if that man was only an overlord. But now��


    Erin felt that this test for her big brother was too difficult. This wasn��t a comparison between their individuality or overall strength. Instead, it was about something purer and deeper.


    How will it turn out exactly?


    Erin shifted her gaze to the window and let out a subtle sigh.

 Chapter 953

    The roaring air flowed across the sides of the hull and Lilian��s mood was as though the warm, dazzling sunlight reflecting off the golden hull.


    ��Lalala�� How��s it, Sonia? I told you so, right? Those parliament idiots can��t stop me as long as I get the invitation!��


    The little girl sitting on the throne rocked her legs and seemed so lively and anxious like she was about to go on a picnic with her family. Even though this behavior was normal for her age, it seemed pretty inappropriate for the situation.


    ��You��re right, Your Majesty.��


    Sonia responded with a smile. Of course, as a parliament member, she knew that the situation wasn��t as simple as Lilian thought. In fact, she didn��t expect the Country of Law had this much influence where even the Light Parliament couldn��t stop their emissaries from inviting Lilian to the ceremony. As a result, the parliament could only agree to the invitation and the main reason was because the ceremony was held in the Country of Law and not the Country of Light. It wouldn��t influence the people of the Country of Light too much. If not, they wouldn��t have accepted the invitation so straightforwardly.


    But even so, Sonia clearly knew that the parliament had no intention of wasting this chance. She was aware that the parliament had sent their representatives to the Country of Law and planned to publicly confront Rhode about his violence and indiscriminate slaughter of their border army. Sonia just couldn��t figure out why the parliament was so daring. They were tormented by Rhode for a long time so hadn��t they understood that he wouldn��t fall into their trap? Moreover, the confrontation would be happening at a ceremony hosted by the Country of Law. Weren��t they afraid that this would cause dissatisfaction in the Country of Law?


    Well�� Forget it. Since I��m not the one doing the confrontation.


    Sonia smiled at this thought. She poured the piping hot milk tea for the little girl in front of her. Back then, Sonia was concerned that the parliament would make her in charge of the confrontation. But now, since someone was willing to take the initiative and die in her place, she would gladly accept it.


    But things weren��t as plain sailing, at least from what Sonia knew.


    Even though Sonia followed Rhode��s orders and stirred as much trouble as possible among the humans of the internal department and external non-humans and successfully created several riots, it still was far from enough. Although the parliament faced a lot of challenges, the election managed to continue and the new chairman would soon be elected.


    And there was a problem�� with that man.


    Sonia was sure of that. As a politician, one had to consider interests before anything else. At the current stage, with a new dragon soul heir, the prime consideration should be to prevent him from joining the enemy. It was especially so after considering the Void Territory��s geographical location. Once the new dragon soul heir came into any agreement with the Country of Darkness, then the Country of Darkness could use it as a pedal to easily get past the Munn Kingdom and attack the Country of Light directly. Everyone knew that the reason why Rhode previously got involved in the war between the Country of Light and Country of Darkness was due to protecting his territory. On the other hand, if the Munn Kingdom lacked resources and firepower at war, he would also assist and care nothing about the life and death of the Country of Light.


    Under such a circumstance, a certain degree of political negotiation was essential. Even though what the man did for the Light Parliament in the past was harmful, it was understandable that sacrifices were sometimes necessary in politics. There were rational parliament members who suggested not to clash with the Void Territory for now and to engage in further negotiations with the overlord instead. On the contrary, that particular man continued to raise proposals that were non-beneficial for the Country of Light. On surface, the banner was written with ��the Country of Law is a nation that seeks law and Order and will definitely not turn a blind eye��. It convinced many parliament members to pass the approval, but it was impossible for Sonia to not be aware that ��Order�� in the Country of Law was actually referring to the ��Order�� of the entire continent after being with Rhode for a long time. That man wouldn��t use the incident in Highland City against Rhode and she believed that the parliament was also aware of that. If not, why would they use the laws of the Light Mainland instead of the Country of Law��s creation code as a basis? All in all, they were also clear that the Country of Law wouldn��t care about their interests in this problem, wasn��t it?


    The Country of Law, which consisted mainly of elves, wasn��t favorable to the Country of Light��s exclusion policies. It was especially so after the slave trafficking incident that happened by the border when humans captured elves as their slaves. Previously, the Country of Light��s army suffered gravely in Highland City and it was imaginable how many elves in the Country of Law clapped their hands in celebration, so why would they help the parliament to go against the Void Territory?


    But that man actually suggested this proposal, and the other parliament members suspected he was insane. It was due to this reason that Sonia felt dubious of him. She didn��t know where the exact problem was but she knew that the man definitely wouldn��t commit such a mistake. Right now, he was as though pushing the Country of Light into the abyss, step by step. Besides�� For some unknown reasons, Sonia felt uncomfortable about him. Just an exchange of glances left her disgusted as though her soul and body were corroded.


    ��I��m looking forward to meeting Big Brother Rhode�� I��m wondering when I can meet him.��


    Lilian spoke with anticipation. Sonia looked at her with a gentle gaze.


    No matter what, Master will have his solution.


    At the same time, the other cabin was tense, unlike Lilian��s.


    ��Sigh�� Why are both of you so nervous? This won��t work, okay? We rarely have the chance to travel, so shouldn��t you relax a little more?��


    Lydia spoke with a witty smile. She narrowed her eyes and curled up lazily on the sofa. Beside her was Gaya, who sat on her heels as usual, sweeping the harp strings with her delicate fingers and playing melodious music that livened up the cabin. But at the same time, two other people weren��t in the mood to appreciate the music.


    ��What exactly is going on, Your Royal Highness Lydia? Can you please tell me why your overlord became the new dragon soul heir?��


    Boulder held the sword hilt by his waist and stood upright in front of the window. He shot a fierce look at Lydia, reminiscent of a sharp unsheathed blade. Even though Serene didn��t say a word beside him, her serious gaze also expressed her thoughts.


    ��Doesn��t it go without saying that buds that stand strong after the heavy storm will eventually bloom into beautiful flowers? Although I��m also surprised, what has it got to do with anything? At least for now, he isn��t our enemy. Isn��t that so, Boulder?��


    Lydia answered with chuckles, but Boulder obviously wasn��t satisfied.


    ��So you knew that this would happen? Why didn��t you inform us beforehand? You��re aware of the serious consequences that this brings for us and Her Majesty, right?��


    ��Soft shoots are to be cherished and it will die if you water it excessively or give it too much attention. Besides���� Lydia lifted her head and her mesmerizing eyes glinted with unrelenting determination. ��Exactly what serious consequences does this bring us? Isn��t it great news that we now have a new, powerful, and reliable ally?��


    ��Humans are greedy creatures.��


    Boulder scoffed.


    ��A former friendship doesn��t mean that he will always stand on our side. Besides, he may even manipulate the feelings that Her Majesty has for him. From a certain aspect, isn��t he more dangerous than the Dark Dragon����


    Before Boulder finished his sentence, Lydia interrupted.


    ��Oh, you��re also aware that humans are greedy, Boulder? So why didn��t you and Serene do anything about that? You should be clearer than me about Her Majesty��s treatment in the Country of Light, so did either of you fulfill your responsibilities as guardians? As Her Majesty��s subjects, what have you done before pointing fingers at someone else? Why would Her Majesty trust an outsider instead of any of you?��


    The melodious sound of harp stopped abruptly.


    The boundless silence enveloped the cabin. Lydia sat on the sofa languidly and yet, seemed so incomparably solemn. After a few moments, Serene eradicated the awkward atmosphere.


    ���� We weren��t sure if she had the right to be served by us.��


    ��No matter how many years have gone or how many changes one has experienced, earth will always be earth, sky will always be sky, and the sun will always be sun. Why? Could it be that both of you intend to continue waiting upon my lord to affirm her powers? The lord possesses dragon soul powers, or perhaps I��ve received the wrong knowledge?��


    ��But she����


    ��We��re not discussing Her Majesty��s problems. We��re talking about ours.��


    Lydia airily waved her hand before staring at the two archangels.


    ��No matter how blunt the talons of the eagle soaring in the sky are, it will never team up with jackals and wolves.��


    Lydia closed her eyes.


    ��At the very least, I will do my best in my duties. So what will the both of you do?��

 Chapter 954 - Dragon Souls Meeting

    Sacred Palace.


    Located at the top of the mountain surrounded by thick layers of cloud, vines, and dense forest, the white palace was as elegant and majestic as ever. A small path, the width of three people walking side-by-side, extended from the entrance to the foot of the mountain, several kilometers away. On the path were members of religious orders and believers, slowly heading toward the top with their hands on their chest, saying their prayers softly. This would be an ordinary day for the Country of Law, if the invited guests weren��t involved.


    The tall, heavy doors opened gradually, allowing the dazzling sunlight to spill through its opening, reflecting off the perfectly unstained floors to completely illuminate the sacred hall.


    A young lady around the age of 19 and clad in a set of gorgeous, white armor entered through the doors. She had a full head of long, emerald green hair that extended to her waist, flowing gracefully in the gentle wind as she strode toward the platform. Her delicate, attractive face contrasted a stern and ice-cold expression that repelled others away by a thousand miles. Anyone who witnessed her expression would subconsciously pull themselves together and put up a serious attitude. Her golden pupils glinted with supreme rule and order and what was more attractive was the huge sword on her back. Unlike a double-handed longsword, it seemed just like an ordinary sword, if one neglected its length.


    Although the sword was slung diagonally, this two-meter-long sword almost reached the ground. Even though the young lady was tall, one would be curious as to how she would pull it out of its sheath. But this didn��t seem to be a problem for her at all. She stomped her heels to the floor like a soldier in salute.


    ��Big Sister, I��ve received reports that the representatives from the Country of Light, Country of Darkness, and Void Territory will be arriving in two hours. All our preparations are ready.��


    Like a true soldier, the young lady gave her report clearly and swiftly. But what responded to her was a sweet, languid voice as though the person had just woken up from an afternoon nap, basking in the warm, soothing sun.


    ��Really�� Siena, why are you so uptight? Relax, don��t you feel tired after all these years? Alright, come enjoy a cup of tea and relax. I��ve specially added your favorite honey.��


    ��Big Sister!��


    The stern young lady rubbed her forehead and cried out. She looked behind her, ensuring that no one was around, and went up to the platform. The other young lady looked almost the same as her. She sat by the table, savoring delicious desserts and sipping fragrant tea with a gentle smile. On the contrary, this young lady appeared kinder and tender like a goddess. Just her benevolent smile was enough to make one feel as though one��s sins were cleansed and received a peace of mind. But it didn��t work on the young lady with the longsword as she felt utterly helpless.


    ��Big Sister! Please don��t eat the desserts; those are for our honored guests! How can you do this!��


    ��Huh? But they haven��t arrived, isn��t it? We have extras in the back, so just let me have them. Well, why don��t you accompany me, Siena? Since I��ve taken some bites out of them, we can��t possibly give them to our guests anymore, right?��


    ��Big Sister Nalea!��


    Siena shrieked, but not only was her elder sister not afraid, but she also lifted the plate with a grin and held it before Siena��s face as though presenting a treasure.


    ��You see, Siena. This is your favorite honey gingerbread. There is so, so much cream. Don��t you want to try it?��


    ������


    Siena let out a long sigh as she sat powerlessly on the chair and ate a small piece of gingerbread. Nalea��s eyes sparkled as she watched her younger sister eat the gingerbread and laid down the plate.


    ��You��re my accomplice now, Siena.��


    ��Alright, so should I decide the crime for us?��


    Siena glared at Nalea and lifted a teacup from the table.


    ��Big Sister, this upcoming Order Ceremony is unlike the ones in the past. Not only are we facing the emissaries from Light and Darkness, but we are also meeting the Void Dragon for the first time, so can you please put your mind to it?! After the Country of Darkness failed to attack the Country of Light, all the neighboring countries have become unstable. Besides, according to our intelligence, Chaos has also infiltrated, and if we don��t properly host the ceremony, who knows what will happen in the future!��


    ��Of course I��m aware of that. But Siena, everyone has been on their toes and if you continue to behave this way, the peaceful discussions will end badly. Everyone should just settle down and hold enjoyable conversations over cups of tea. Yes, that should be the way. After all, this isn��t a court, so you don��t need to make it so uncomfortable for them. Besides, I believe that everyone is a good child and all will be fine if we communicate properly.��


    ��Sigh����


    Siena lost count of how many times she rubbed her forehead as this had become a habit of hers from a very young age. As one of the twin dragons, she believed that Nalea should be more decisive, but she had always been nonchalant about things and sometimes consciously went against the rules. Fortunately, these were only small incidents, like stealing snacks. If not, who would still respect them as the Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons?


    So many years have gone by, but why isn��t Big Sister conscious about her image as the judge?


    ��I don��t know about others but this time, the Void Dragon isn��t just an ordinary human. Big Sister, I hope you can pull yourself together. I��m sure you��ve also seen the reports about him. Don��t you feel like he is a dangerous person?��


    Perhaps no dragon soul heirs in this world were more familiar about Rhode than the intelligence. Even though his past was a complete mystery, according to the intelligence network of various huge organizations, it was in fact no secret that he took less than two years to appear in the Munn Kingdom and attain this marvelous result. Of course, there was also information that seemed dubious, such as building a fortress in one day. Even though it was a fact that several Grand Mages couldn��t achieve this feat, if one were to look at the evidence, there was absolutely no way to obliterate this possibility.


    Intricate details from several organizations made Rhode��s background seem even more mysterious. For instance, he predicted that the Country of Darkness would launch an ambush and prepared for battle beforehand. As a result, he resisted the undead army twice in a row and crumpled the Country of Darkness��s attacks. Furthermore, he also had two godlike, young spell casters who transcended into the Inner Circle as his subjects. Not only that, but he also summoned elves from the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. Moreover, the angel, demon, and white elves��who were thought to be extinct from the surface of this world��had even showed up around him. He led his subjects and opened up the land of Chaos. Many people ridiculed him for being naive and whimsical while some believed that the successes got to his head. But reality slapped them hard. The land of Chaos was perfectly opened up, at the same time the evanescent Void Dragon reappeared once again.


    Who exactly is that young man?


    This question was the biggest mystery for all the organizational leaders. Even though one could easily attain the answer through results, they couldn��t understand it because it was just too miraculous.


    ��Now, the balance between the Country of Light and Country of Darkness is really tense. In the past, our Country of Law was there to provide support, but now with the appearance of the Void Territory, perhaps the strategic balance will be smashed. What makes the situation worse is that I heard that the Void Dragon dislikes the Country of Light.��


    Rhode brazenly slaughtered the Light Parliament��s most elite troops in front of the Light Dragon. As long as one wasn��t a fool, one would know how much he hated the Light Parliament. Moreover, there was also a clash that happened in Highland City a few days ago, as well as the annihilation of the border army by Mini Bubble Gum and Canary.


    Siena rubbed her forehead, this time with a throbbing headache. The main purpose of this ceremony was to recognize the birth of the fifth Creator Dragon Soul. Also, Siena hoped to warn Rhode about not being too radical against the Country of Light. But she suspected that her advice would be useless, considering what he did to them in the past.


    Shortly after, she put her hand down and restored her stern expression.


    ��Big Sister, we should get ready now.��

 Chapter 955 - Dragon Souls Meeting

    The magic warship pierced through the soft layers of cloud and what revealed itself before them was a green, forest nation.


    ��Why does it feel�� so weak?��


    ��Weak?��


    Mini Bubble Gum gazed in displeasure while Canary turned to her curiously. Mini Bubble Gum was thrilled when she learned that they could finally leave system-restricted territories. But now, after the sense of freshness faded away, she returned to her habitual nitpicking.


    ��Yes, Big Sister. You see�� We represent the mighty Void Territory, so how can we enter the Country of Law on a magic warship without a grand entrance, disembark, and simply join the ceremony? This is too boring! It feels just like the leader of a country taking a plane to join an international conference, disembarks the plane, shakes hands with the hosts, and has a cordial talk in front of a bunch of reporters. The thought of it makes me sick!��


    ��So what do you intend to do?��


    Rhode shifted his gaze from a certain mage biography (he read it like a novel) to the grumbling young lady. Mini Bubble Gum puffed out her chest excitedly and extended a finger.


    ��I say, we should suddenly appear above them like those aliens in movies who were undetected by radar! We will see those idiotic scientists hugging their heads and running away, screaming ��Oh, my God!!!�� Then, we shall descend in a dictatorial manner and make those idiots pee their pants! We will announce ��We��re here to build a highway to our galaxy, so your country that is in the way shall be destroyed���� Hahaha! How��s that?! Won��t that be fun?!��


    ��You��ve watched too many movies.��


    Rhode focused his attention on the ��novel�� in his hand.


    ��Besides, we��re indeed attending a meeting and not planning an alien invasion. I can totally understand your desire to see their sorry reactions, but this really isn��t a suitable time. Also, we don��t bear any grudges against the Country of Law, so don��t stir any unnecessary troubles. Moreover�� With our current strength in the Void Territory, we still aren��t able to create magic warships that suit us. This time, we are using the Senia Family��s modified warship as a facade so we can only make do with it.��


    ��Ahhhhhhh! I can��t take it anymore! We will be beaten if we fall behind! We will be crushed if we don��t climb our technology tree��! Marlene!��


    ��Huh? Is anything the matter, Bubble?��


    Marlene looked at her curiously.


    ��We must start to ��climb our technology tree�� after we return! Dig out all the wisdom in your brain regarding the Void Dragon��s magic technologies! Create the newest and most powerful weapons! No matter if it��s the Death Star or Iserlohn Fortress, create them all! Make others tremble in fear under our might and prestige!��


    ��Huh? This����


    Marlene revealed an uncharacteristic, panicky expression. She couldn��t understand what Mini Bubble Gum meant at all�� Even though she had awakened and retrieved her wisdom and knowledge as the Deity Warden, Mini Bubble Gum��s imposing presence still gave her an indescribable pressure.


    Even though Mini Bubble Gum��s words were full of personal desires, Rhode actually agreed with her. In the Dragon Soul Continent, being able to conquer the sky independently was a sign of an advanced state of armament. For instance, the Country of Light had angels while the Country of Darkness could create hundreds of thousands of gargoyles. On the other hand, the Country of Law had an army of pegasi. No matter if they domesticated the mystical creatures, relied on their own strength, or created magic weapons, it was vital to dominate the sky. And now, Rhode didn��t have any that could protect his skies. If it weren��t for the magic warships that the Senia Family provided, he would probably have none. In this area, even though Rhode had powerful, high-end forces, his intermediate and low-end forces were seriously insufficient. Besides, magic warships had been around for years and basically reached the limits of their development. It was about time to search for a new direction.


    ��Alright, Bubble, your thoughts are interesting. We��ll discuss it back home.��


    Shortly after, Canary went up and stopped Mini Bubble Gum from losing her mind.


    ��Besides, isn��t our equipment made by Marlene and Lapis? We should thank them properly instead.��


    ��Of course, I��m aware of that����


    Mini Bubble Gum spoke, blushing slightly. Indeed, before they headed off, Marlene and Lapis did everything they could to create high-level equipment for them. With the wisdom of magic technology from the Deity Warden and Lapis��s Behermes��s alchemy skills, the newly-made equipment was amazing.


    Canary and Mini Bubble Gum finally switched out of their low-level, aesthetic robes for a set of gorgeous, magical equipment. Canary wore an elegant, scarlet dress with a layered frill skirt that emanated mesmerizing magical radiances. There was also a pitch-black, four-pointed star on the side of the skirt, symbolizing that she belonged to Starlight. Her red coat had long, flaring sleeves and through the translucent floral patterns, one could see her slim, snowy arms. Even though this beautiful outfit seemed ordinary, with Marlene��s and Lapis��s abilities it became equivalent to level 90 armor, with enhanced anti-magic, high-speed enchantment, and spell storage abilities.


    Compared to Canary��s gorgeous dress, Mini Bubble Gum��s was much simpler. She was clad in a long-sleeved white uniform, short skirt, and leather boots. Perhaps with considerations to Mini Bubble Gum��s close-combat skills, Marlene and Lapis specially prepared a pair of white leather gloves, where the back of the gloves were etched using magical threads to showcase a four-pointed star, as well as some complicated magic rituals. Even though it seemed simple, the amount of energy stored couldn��t be belittled. If Mini Bubble Gum was a human-shaped missile before, she would be a high-capacity human-shaped nuclear bomb now. It could also be said that if she unleashed her full powers, even the borders of the nation would be devastated.


    The biggest reason for Mini Bubble Gum��s excitement was that she wanted to personally test out the new equipment. At this moment, Rhode suspected if his decision to bring her was a bad one.


    ��Forget it. I shall treat this situation like a gangster boss leading his men to a meeting�� Oh-oh-oh! This sure makes the whole thing interesting now, Big Sister! Previously I thought that Leader��s clothes were too solemn for the occasion. But it seems perfect for him as a gangster boss now. It��s totally awesome!��


    Mini Bubble Gum��s eyes glinted in excitement as she looked at Rhode, who sat on the bedside. It seemed like his outfit didn��t change too much because after all, equipment and all was secondary after he became one of the Creator Dragon Souls. Therefore, he only wore black noble attire and a coat, used for formal occasions. Like others, he also had a four-pointed star badge on his chest. However, his was silver in color, which signified that he was the leader.


    Now that Mini Bubble Gum mentioned, it did seem like they were members of a gang.


    Rhode gazed at his luxurious black attire and acted as though he didn��t hear what she said.


    Knock knock knock.


    At this moment, the door opened and Gillian entered the room, waving at everyone.


    ��Master, we��re about to reach our destination now. Everyone get ready.��


    ��Let��s go.��


    Rhode closed the book in his hand. Canary and Alice stood up and followed him out of the room and onto the deck.


    At this moment, the magic warship slowly descended. They witnessed the flickering magical radiance on the balcony above the tall mountain and this meant that their magic warship would be anchored there. But this wasn��t the problem��


    ��The Country of Law sure is thoughtful.��


    Rhode said and his group looked ahead.


    On the left side was the warship from the Country of Darkness, where pitch-black clouds flashed with lightning bolts in the azure sky. On the right side was the massive, dazzling white magic warship from the Country of Light, piercing through the clouds and also slowly descending. It could be seen from this arrangement that the Country of Law treated the three honored guests equally and in order to avoid unnecessary conflicts, they had specially arranged for them to arrive at the palace simultaneously.


    Shortly after, under the guidance of elves riding on pegasi, the magic warships were steadily anchored to the platform by the sides of the mountain.


    A steel ramp extended gradually and Rhode spotted a young lady clad in a white robe, presenting a kind, graceful smile. She had silky-long green hair and an attractive face. What gathered everyone��s attention was the long staff in her smooth hand, where on the tip was an exquisite scale.


    ��Greetings, Your Majesty Void Dragon.��


    The young lady said.


    ��I��m Nalea, the Judgment Dragon. I represent the Country of Law in welcoming you to the Order Ceremony.��

 Chapter 956

    Rhode��s group arrived inside the palace under Nalea��s lead. Almost at the same time, the two other groups also arrived and the atmosphere instantly took a turn.


    The Dark Dragon Ion lifted his chin proudly, staring at Rhode with his ice-cold, stern gaze. His tall height and pitch-black coat appeared incredibly intimidating. On the other hand, Rhode narrowed his eyes and shot a look at him before letting out a scoff. Even though the Dark Dragon Ion had a strong presence, Rhode had no reason to be afraid of him. Back then when he was a player, he had slaughtered him together with his guild. He was in the ��BOSS mode�� now, so all the more he wouldn��t be intimidated.


    On the other side, Lilian��s exhilarated expression from seeing Rhode instantly plummeted into a gloomy sulk when she saw the Dark Dragon Ion. She puffed up her cheeks and scowled at him fiercely. Even though she didn��t have any deep emotional ties with the Country of Light, she didn��t feel comfortable when the Country of Darkness��s army invaded her dragon soul protection. She felt like a tortured prisoner meeting the punisher. Unless one was a masochist like Sonia, no one would feel comfortable with agony. The Dark Dragon Ion had no interest in entertaining Lilian��s resentful stares as he shifted his gaze toward the center of the hall.


    As the dragon soul heirs clashed silently with their gaze, their subjects were also in on the action.


    The ��Spirit Chaser�� Balende sized up Rhode with scarlet glints flashing from behind his pitch-black helmet. But shortly after, Canary stepped forward and blocked his menacing gaze, returning the favor with her sweet, gentle smile. Standing beside Balende was the ��Blood Countess�� Ashvril, who lifted a handheld fan. She narrowed her maroon eyes that were glinting in mysterious flashes and what responded to her was Mini Bubble Gum��s highly-raised middle finger. Mini Bubble Gum displayed a malevolent and teasing smile to the ��wh*re who dressed like a prostitute��. Seconds later, she withdrew her middle finger into a fist and slid it across her neck with her thumb pointing down, intimidating Ashvril. At the same time, a sacred aura flickered from her and devoured the vampire��s spiritual charm like a wild storm, forcing Ashvril to an abrupt halt. This was the first time Ashvril revealed such a surprised expression. But in the blink of an eye, she restored her smile and shifted her gaze forward.


    The ��Angel of Sorrow�� Charlie followed closely behind her. He didn��t seem much different from ordinary angels. He had charming masculine facial features, a muscular build, and bright golden hair. The only distinct difference was the pair of pitch-black wings on his back and the dark, solid armor. This symbolized that he was a fallen angel who had betrayed his pride and honor.


    Archangel Boulder became agitated the instant he saw Charlie. He looked fixedly at his pitch-black wings and flames of wrath were as though about to blast out of his widely opened eyes. Not only that, but the folded pair of holy wings on his back also instinctively shivered. He held his hand on his sword hilt as though he would be ready to strike if there was any disagreement. Charlie remains unmoved to Boulder��s anger, silently feeling the wrath of his then-companion. The pitch-black eyes of this fallen angel showed no signs of remorse.


    But not everyone��s clashes were full of the smell of gunpowder.


    Lydia gazed at Rhode before exchanging glances with Marlene who followed closely behind him as though she wasn��t aware of her companion��s rage. She greeted them with a wink and smile and Marlene nodded slightly in response. Even though they were once in a superior-subordinate relationship, it could be said that Marlene was now on the same level as her after she had awakened as a Deity Warden, so etiquettes from the past were no longer necessary.


    But not everyone was involved with the silent exchange gazes and greetings.


    As the only human among the four legendary generals, the ��Conqueror�� Garcia strolled at the back of the group and lowered his head as though pondering over his thoughts. This old man��s body was wrapped in a black cloak, only revealing his chin, and he didn��t seem concerned about the hostile stares being exchanged.


    Walking behind Rhode was the indifferent Alice who hugged a thick, heavy book. As the Deity Warden who once followed the Void Dragon, these dragon soul heirs were ultimately replacement vessels to her. Although their powers were worth paying attention to, there was no need for her to be concerned about their high statuses. Moreover, in her eyes, the dragon soul heirs were merely a bunch of greedy fools who destroyed all of the Void Dragon��s hard work and were greedily fighting for power now. She who grasped all the ��history�� couldn��t care less about these trifles. The most important thing now wasn��t the present that would become the past, but the future that would become the present.


    Archangel Serene also didn��t seem concerned about the silent clashes. She walked alongside Lilian while watching her every move. In terms of self-control, she could be said to be the weakest among everyone here. Moreover, the war between the Country of Light and Country of Darkness had happened not too long ago, so only God knew what she would do about it later on.


    This isn��t looking great.


    Even though Siena put up her usual, stern expression, her mind was whining incessantly. If it weren��t for the fact that the Order Ceremony was an essential step to recognize a dragon soul heir, she also didn��t wish to host it during this sensitive period. Moreover, the three dragon soul heirs had clashed in the past. It had only been less than a year when the Country of Light and Country of Darkness broke out in a war, and there was still a great chance that history might repeat itself. Currently, the three strongest forces were gathered in one place and if they really broke out in a fight, it seemed like relying on her and her elder sister to suppress them wouldn��t be possible!


    Although no words were exchanged, Siena sensed the pressurizing atmosphere was as wild as a storm. It felt as though three enormous boulders crashed into one another, attempting to overthrow and repress the resistance. If this temporary and rather balanced atmosphere was smashed, the merciless invasion of a storm would surely happen.


    The duration it took them to walk from the entrance to their seat felt like an eternity for Siena. She wasn��t surprised by the Dark Dragon Ion��s imposing presence because he was one of the most impressive dragon soul heirs in the history of the Country of Darkness. It went without saying that a man who controlled everything in a nation of darkness and death possessed formidable strength and presence.


    But what astonished Siena was that the new dragon soul heir was actually unfazed by the Dark Dragon Ion��s imposing presence. He didn��t put up a facade to conceal his true emotions. Instead, Siena sensed that he had indeed disregarded the Dark Dragon Ion completely. It wasn��t insanity, but was more of a steady and unprecedented confidence.


    Where did he get such confidence from? No matter from which aspect, he can��t possibly defeat the Dark Dragon, right?


    Siena had no idea of the truth, but judging from that man��s behavior, he seemed extremely calm. Not only that, but she also realized that he appeared to be familiar with this place and he didn��t seem overly cautious. He subconsciously slowed down his pace when descending the flights of stairs as though that was a habit accumulated over the years. But why would Siena and Nalea not notice him if he had indeed existed around them?


    Not only Rhode, but Lilian also shocked Siena. Even though they had only met once, she felt that Lilian��s timid personality and the lack of opinions made her unsuitable to become a dragon soul heir. But now, this timid little girl actually glared at the Dark Dragon Ion. Siena remembered that in the previous ceremony, Lilian was so nervous and anxious upon seeing Ion��s gaze as though she were a tiny, pitiful rabbit about to be eaten by the lion. And yet, she unleashed her rage bravely and had no fear of his reactions.


    Has she�� grown?


    Siena thought. At this moment, the atmosphere was extremely tense among the three parties. The Dark Dragon Ion��s imposing presence was so omnipresent as though it was permeating the entire world under his feet.


    Rhode��s strong battle intent was as though a sharp blade pointing to the sky, silently warning everyone who tried to threaten or lay hands on him.


    Lilian��s anger brought heat to the already warm and dry air. Perhaps it was Ion��s disregard that made her even more stubborn. A child��s temper was the most terrifying thing, especially when others neglected her. At this moment, the air was as though combustible and a single spark could immediately cause an outburst of clashes in the continent.


    Suddenly, Siena was speechless. She carefully organized the words in her head, fearing that a wrong statement could light up the tinder of war. But at the same time, Nalea stood beside her and didn��t seem to mind the tense atmosphere. She smiled and took a step forward, waving her hand at the three parties.


    ��Welcome to the sacred palace�� Everyone must be hungry from your long journey. How about we start off with some food?��


    Nalea��s sweet-sounding voice instantly broke the stalemate in the air while Siena extended her hand and rubbed her forehead helplessly.

 Chapter 957

    The tension in the atmosphere instantly faded away like a flattened, punctured balloon.


    The Dark Dragon Ion scoffed at Nalea��s words. On the other hand, Rhode shrugged as though nothing happened while Lilian stared at Ion in resentment, but eventually calmed herself down after looking at Rhode. No matter what the exact reasons were, at least they had eliminated their battle intentions for now, so Siena heaved a sigh of relief. She had to admit that even though her elder sister seemed unreliable, there were often times when her unreliable behaviors resolved difficult problems.


    Siena took in a deep breath, cleared her mind, and took a step forward.


    ��Your Majesty Lilian, Your Majesty Rhode, and Your Majesty Ion, please follow us to the ceremony room. As for the rest of you, please wait here, and if it is possible, I hope you can maintain control���� Siena gazed at Lilian and Ion and after ensuring that there were no objections, she made an inviting gesture to Rhode.


    ��Alright, Your Majesty Rhode, please come with me.��


    ��Okay.��


    Rhode nodded without hesitation. He turned around, patted Mini Bubble Gum��s head, and exchanged meaningful glances with Canary and Marlene. Then, he turned around and followed Siena into the dark passage that led into the deep palace. Lilian scuttled toward Rhode and walked beside him closely. On the other hand, Ion gazed at them coldly, scoffed, and strode into the dark passage.


    ��Hmph. Pretentious *sshole.��


    Mini Bubble Gum gazed at Ion and curled her lips. Then, she turned to Canary curiously.


    ��By the way, Big Sister, do you know where Leader is heading to? Don��t tell me he��s going for some bullsh*t religious ritual and baptism. We didn��t come here for some monkey play! Of course, it will be another discussion if we can choose who to fight.��


    Mini Bubble Gum looked at the four legendary generals excitedly with undisguised battle intention glinting in her eyes. But this time, the four legendary generals didn��t respond to her brazen taunting��not even Ashvril, who was the most provocative.


    Even though the three camps minded their own businesses, this didn��t mean that they had no interaction at all.


    ��Hmm�� What a surprise. I didn��t expect his subjects to be so powerful.��


    Erin leaned on the wall and squinted at Marlene��s group, curiously swirling the wine glass.


    ��Only fertile soil nurtures beautiful gardens because roots can support the growth of towering trees. I��m not too surprised by that, Erin.��


    Lydia stood leisurely by the stone column beside Erin, gazing interestingly at Canary and the others.


    ��Frankly speaking, I also feel slightly envious. If I knew this would happen, I wouldn��t have agreed to his request. But it seems like�� my choice was right.��


    Lydia revealed a proud smile, while Erin let out a long sigh.


    ��Yeah, I��m jealous of you. You��re still the first ever in history to have a Creator Dragon Soul as your guardian knight. But it��s a pity that he wasn��t born in the Country of Darkness. If not, I would have liked him to become my personal knight. It is rare to find someone who is worthy of appreciation in the Country of Darkness. But�� It is not like I don��t have a chance at all.��


    ��What do you mean?��


    Lydia twitched her brow curiously. Erin chuckled and placed a finger on her lips.


    ��It��s simple. Why do you think I��m here for this ceremony?��


    ��Indeed. If I recall correctly, your family doesn��t like you to interfere in internal affairs, right?��


    Lydia puckered her brows. She had this doubt in the past and as the ruler of the Munn Kingdom, she knew quite a lot about the Country of Darkness. In fact, even though Erin was a princess of the royal family, she was forbidden by the Dark Dragon from intervening with military affairs. Normally, she wouldn��t be allowed to attend such a diplomatic occasion. But now, she came to the Country of Law with the four legendary generals, which was indeed strange. After hearing Erin��s answer, Lydia seemed to realize something.


    ��Could it be that����


    ��That��s right, it��s just as you thought. I��m just Big Brother��s bargaining chip. Perhaps I��ll be marrying off to the Void Territory in the near future. Huhuhu. How is it? Are you feeling anxious already?��


    Erin chuckled playfully and didn��t seem like she was unwilling to. On the contrary, she seemed like a rich young lady who was about to go sightseeing. Lydia pouted and shrugged helplessly.


    ��I certainly didn��t expect this�� It seems like I��ve miscalculated. It��s a pity because if I knew this would happen, I would have taken action earlier. But�� Even though wild flowers can��t be compared to precious flowers nurtured in greenhouses, they still have a special and distinctive scent, don��t they? Perhaps I should say that tenacious vitality and determination are the most wonderful values in this world.��


    Lydia closed her eyes.


    ��If that day were to come, I will give you my blessings, Erin. Hmm�� But I don��t think you will receive his recognition so easily. After all, you��re aware that you have a lot of competition, right?��


    ��Yes, you��re right.��


    Erin nodded slightly. She focused her gaze on Marlene, Canary, and the others with puckered brows.


    ��I do have a lot of competition. Besides�� Aren��t you one of them?��


    ��Oh? Why do you say so?�� Lydia said.


    ��It��s simple. If I were to marry into the Void Territory, don��t you think that the Light Dragon will choose you as a bargaining chip for the other side of the scale in order to maintain balance?�� Erin turned around with a smile and gazed at Lydia. ��Besides, don��t you have any interest in him at all?��


    ������


    This time Lydia didn��t respond immediately. Instead, she lifted her head and gazed at the burning candlelight at the end of the deep, dark passage. She narrowed her eyes and the corners of her mouth lifted wittily.


    ��Who knows?��


    ***


    The dark passage was oddly silent. Rhode pondered over the ceremony that was about to take place. Judging from the current situation and their reactions from before, this upcoming ceremony should be a completely internal one. Of course, he didn��t think that it would be a baptism ceremony like Mini Bubble Gum because Siena and Nalea were only dragon soul heirs. Moreover, the other four dragon soul heirs were on the same level as him, so they didn��t have the rights to administer baptism to him.


    The fact that this ceremony existed up until now and was even recognized by the Dark Dragon proved that it might relate to some secrets which players weren��t aware of. This was because despite players being able to kill the dragon soul heirs and open up territories, it was impossible for them to become a dragon soul heir. Therefore, players naturally couldn��t get involved with the storyline or missions related to dragon soul heirs. Moreover, for a ceremony that only dragon soul heirs and their direct subjects could participate in, players had no place there, even if their reputation was at the highest level. Therefore, even if there were such a ceremony in the game, players wouldn��t possibly know. Besides, judging from this, the ceremony would only be triggered when a dragon soul heir inherited the dragon soul powers, which meant that players basically couldn��t be involved.


    And now, Rhode actually ��activated�� this storyline and this ceremony might possibly contain some secrets of the Dragon Soul Continent. If not, it wouldn��t require Siena and Nalea to be responsible for it.


    Rhode lifted his head at this thought and gazed at the young lady and the longsword slung behind her.


    He was very familiar with this back view. This was not the first time that he followed the twin dragons and eliminated Chaos for the sake of restoring Order.


    And now, he finally showed up before them once again.

 Chapter 958

    Even though this was the first time Siena and Nalea met Rhode, he couldn��t be more familiar with them. It could also be said that any players who experienced the second phase of the game knew who the twin dragons were.


    In the game, they were the only BOSS-level figures who players were afraid to mess with and not even Rhode ever considered attacking the Country of Law. Even though the Country of Law was relatively sealed-off, had a neutral diplomatic stance, and never provoked players and foreign organizations, this didn��t mean that players wouldn��t consider attacking them. For instance, Erin was also like a mascot of the Country of Darkness where she wasn��t involved with anything apart from acting cute for players and assigning missions to them. In the end, she was instantly slaughtered by players after Rhode killed the Dark Dragon and she lost the protection of the moon. This went to show that being harmless definitely wasn��t the reason why players wouldn��t kill someone.


    However, the reason why players didn��t attack the Country of Law was really simple.


    The Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons were insanely powerful.


    Everyone knew that the Country of Law��s churches were responsible for supervising the signing of contracts. It was due to this that various countries and organizations didn��t need to worry that their signed contracts would become obsolete. The only exception was when the Country of Light and Country of Darkness signed their second truce agreement. Back then, the Country of Light was terribly paranoid, where after they were tortured by the undead army, they treated all non-human races with hostility. As a result, they signed the truce agreement publicly with the Country of Darkness without the supervision from the Country of Law and thereafter�� the Country of Darkness tore the agreement because to them, humans were just lowly slaves who were in no position to speak about trust with them.


    On the other hand, there were also many fearless organizations formed by players. Everyone knew that players loved to exploit advantages and it went without saying that many of them took advantage of a contract��s loophole. It was especially so after the players�� era arrived and many guilds started to grow. That was when they compelled others to agree and sign their clauses. Occasionally, some guilds didn��t honor their words after their clauses were signed because this was merely a game to them and only fools would be serious enough to talk about trust. It was due to this that some guilds took things further and eventually got caught in a conflict with the Country of Law.


    The conflict happened in the initial stages of gaining new territories. Apart from Starlight, there were four other large, powerful guilds. Among the four, two were interested in the same resourceful territory and signed an agreement to jointly develop it. Of course, it was signed under the supervision of the Country of Law.


    But in the final juncture of developing the territory, when the tinder was about to be awakened, one of the two guilds suddenly rose in revolt and eradicated the other guild completely, claiming the controlling rights of the new territory.


    It went without saying that the guild that was backstabbed reported this matter to the Country of Law immediately. After thorough investigations, the Country of Law dispatched the churches�� guards and pursued the guild that violated the agreement. It went without saying that players weren��t favorable of being under the supervision of NPCs. As a result, the guild that violated the agreement ridiculed the other guild for being ��a group of trash who clings to NPCs for support�� and sent out their men to destroy the churches�� guards. In fact, it was common for players to go against the rules, but most of the time, they couldn��t defeat the churches�� guards. Therefore, they would either hide in the wilderness of the mountains or wait to be captured since the punishment dealt to them was either having their possessions confiscated or issuing fines.


    However, as this guild took things too far, Siena and Nalea showed up and dealt with them personally.


    And that was the first time when players witnessed the Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons�� true powers, which were strong enough to shake the entire continent.


    The battle against the twin dragons was different from the battle against the Dark Dragon. In fact, no violence was allowed in the battle. In other words, no matter the level, mysterious skills, and powerful equipment, they were all meaningless against the twin dragons because there was no battle to begin with. Instead, the twin dragons were there to settle things through talking!


    At the start of the ��battle��, all hostile players against the twin dragons were sent to a place called the Judgment Court, where Nalea was the ��public prosecutor�� who narrated all crimes of the ��defendants��. On the other hand, players held the dual roles of ��defendants�� and ��lawyers�� and they could either plead guilty or innocent against Nalea��s allegations. Then, players had to provide evidence to support the authenticity of their statements. Their rebuttal would still fail if they lacked sufficient evidence. As proof of failure, the ��Order Scale�� with more authority than the judge would tilt to one side slightly for each failed rebuttal. Slowly, the scale would reach the bottom and that was when Siena showed up and executed the punishment.


    What gave players the biggest headache was that they knew that Nalea was a muddle-headed person who often deviated from the topic at hand in the judgment seat and even sometimes read the wrong testimonies. Even though that gave players a chance to retaliate, they didn��t believe that she was truly that foolish. There was only one simple reason. No matter which wrong testimony she read, she definitely wouldn��t ��overlook�� any of them. It was due to this that many players thought that perhaps she was only acting like a fool in order to lure them into making mistakes.


    There was indeed such a scene from one trial that caught every player��s attention. Back then, Nalea accused one of the guild��s elite players of using spells to kill a victim. As a result, the accused burst into laughter, saying, ��Can��t you see that I��m in the thief-class? I clearly stabbed that bugger in the back with my dagger!�� Then�� there were no more thens, because he basically dug a hole for himself.


    What was more terrifying was that it was impossible for players to remain silent. This was because if they didn��t refute within the given time, even the accusation of them killing with a wooden plank would be determined as valid by Nalea. Therefore, in order to ensure that one wasn��t wrongfully trialled, one must refute with evidence to prove one��s innocence. But from a certain perspective, this was as though self-incrimination.


    It was obvious that all players were bewildered by the twin dragons�� peculiar ��battle�� style. Players had specially prepared their best equipment and secret weapons, only to realize that they were useless in the Judgment Court. Moreover, they weren��t mentally prepared for trial and as a result, they were all defeated. After they were convicted, Siena would appear with her unsheathed longsword.


    Then, she would brandish the blade.


    Just once.


    Every player of that guild was instantly killed by 9999999999 damage, despite their godlike equipment or immunity from harm. Not only that, but all their equipment and weapons were also destroyed on the spot. Furthermore, after those players revived fumingly, they discovered that their level and attributes had been reset to level 1!


    This news stunned all players. This was the first time that they witnessed such an unreasonable BOSS. Thereafter, the official forums saw waves of uproar from players�� complaints, but it wasn��t. As a result, their guild disbanded and many players quit the game. Well, they couldn��t be blamed since they had put in such hard work, only to have their best equipment and weapon destroyed and level reset. No one could take such a blow to the heart.


    There were even some players who committed suicide after losing their powerful character and this raised discussions in society. But.. That happened much later.


    Thereafter, no players were foolish enough to taunt the twin dragons anymore as their insane and unreasonable ��battle�� style wasn��t tolerable for most people. Some players who were lawyers by trade conducted research on the video of the entire trial process and the conclusion they got was that unless the players had the IQ of conspirators of premeditated crimes, there would basically be no hope of making a comeback. Moreover, even if a player cleared his name, it would be deemed invalid if other players from his guild pleaded guilty. Judging from this point, it would be an unresolvable situation unless a player could settle all conspiracies and guarantee all evidence was obliterated. But such a genius wouldn��t be playing this game in the first place.


    Even though Rhode didn��t know if the twin dragons had such powerful strength in this world, he wasn��t that naive to give it a shot. In the game, the twin dragons�� powers came from Order itself and coupled with their church��s unique contract supervision system, it was apparent that their responsibility was to maintain the Order of the continent. In this case, not only were there no conflicts between him and the twin dragons, but they also had common interests. Therefore, he couldn��t possibly become enemies with them.


    As long as he didn��t take things too far��


    ��We��re here.��


    Siena��s crisp, stern voice pulled Rhode back to reality. He came to a halt and looked up at the tall, enormous door of steel. Judging from its appearance, it seemed to have lasted for a very long time. It was carved with sacred and complicated floral patterns and also an eye-catching young lady.


    Her eyes were closed shut while her long hair was scattered. She spread her arms apart as though welcoming or offering a hug. But what was more important was that her exquisite and beautiful face seemed somewhat familiar.


    Because he had seen this face not too long ago when retrieving Alice��s body from history.

 Chapter 959

    Lilian felt great.


    She followed Rhode and gazed at his familiar back in high spirits. She still remembered how baffled she was when she became one of the Creator Dragon Souls. She was at her wits�� end. Even though Nalea was by her side, she was just a stranger. Lilian was completely stiff when walking on this dark passage and on the verge of bursting into tears. She couldn��t remember how she passed the ceremony because her head was completely blank. She just did what others told her to. That ceremony left a relatively huge psychological trauma in her. In fact, even though she gained a lot of knowledge and learned about etiquette as a dragon soul heir, she was still a child with the title of the ��Light Dragon��, which meant nothing to her. She wouldn��t attend any other ceremony and owned no power in the Country of Light��s affairs. She had also never seen anyone worshiping or respecting her. She didn��t think that being the Light Dragon had any benefits at all.


    It was due to these reasons that the previous ceremony was the first ever, official ceremony that she had attended. Back then she was so scared that her legs were shivering. She was alone, clueless, and the people around her weren��t friendly at all, especially the Dark Dragon with his strong, mighty presence. She didn��t know exactly how she hung on and when she finally regained her consciousness, she was in Lydia��s arms, weeping.


    Thereafter, Lilian opposed showing up for public ceremonies unless it was the Dragon Soul Ceremony.


    If it were in the past, she would rather not attend this Order Ceremony. Even though she was an innocent child, she wasn��t a foolish one. She knew that she couldn��t compete with Ion, Siena, or Nalea in any aspect. Although she was also one of the dragon soul heirs, she didn��t possess a level of authority or reputation like theirs and was only an ordinary child. This brought immense pressure to her shoulders. There was no common language between them. Ion, Siena, and Nalea were all high and mighty figures, but she couldn��t even make a decision without the Light Parliament��s approval.


    But after learning that Rhode became the dragon soul heir, she was incomparably excited for the Order Ceremony. She wasn��t dubious about his identity nor curious as to how he became a dragon soul heir. On the contrary, she accepted this fact quicker than anyone else. Or perhaps, she hoped that this was the truth because she had been lonely for too long.


    She had no supporters in the entire Country of Light. Although Lydia treated her well, they were still in a master-subordinate relationship, after all. On the contrary, she didn��t feel the same kind of care from Rhode. Instead, it was as though they were in an interrelated relationship which she never had with Lydia. This particular feeling became stronger after he became a dragon soul heir.


    This was why she came here and her wish had finally come true. The person she missed was right before her eyes and just looking at him gave her a feeling of satisfaction, where not even the Dark Dragon was intimidating anymore. She was also rather envious that if it were possible, she would rather not have the identity of the Light Dragon and become one of those younger sisters who was always by his side. But�� she knew that this was just a beautiful dream.


    The door opened.


    Radiance from behind the door escaped through the opening, merging with the dim passage into one. Rhode witnessed a study-room-sized circular space behind the door with small circles of mysterious floral patterns engraved on the floor, as well as five black circles on the enormous magic ritual.


    ��Please don��t worry, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Siena turned to him upon sensing his dubious gaze, but her solemn expression didn��t seem convincing at all. If he weren��t aware that she was just an unsmiling person, he wouldn��t have taken her words seriously.


    ��This is an essential ceremony for dragon soul heirs. All you need to do is to stand there and the Order ring will respond to your dragon soul powers. You just have to release your power and accept the connection to Order. Even though Order is secure in your territory, it still isn��t unified with the other territories. If this continues, the Order in your territory will derail from the entire continent, allowing Chaos to infiltrate through the gaps. The most important purpose of the Order Ceremony is to ensure every dragon soul heir has control over their dragon soul protection and to support the merge of Order for the continent. This prevents Order within the dragon soul protection from being destroyed upon the death of the dragon soul heir.��


    I see.


    Rhode finally understood the true meaning behind this ceremony now. Just as Siena said, Order in the Dragon Soul Continent had to be unified. Although every territory performed differently under unique dragon soul protections, it was vital that Order was unified nonetheless. This was why the dragon soul heirs were gathered for this common awareness.


    In other words, my territory used to be a regional network and is now connected to the global network?


    Rhode nodded in agreement and followed Siena into the room.


    ��Hmph.��


    Ion scoffed before unwillingly standing in one of the five circles. On the other hand, Lilian tugged Rhode��s sleeve and smiled at him before capering to one of the circles. Siena and Nalea also took their position and the latter showed a warm smile, gesturing to him with her extended hand. Rhode shrugged and went up to stand on the last empty circle.


    ������������


    All of a sudden, the faint ritual on the floor emanated a glistening, magical brilliance. Awhite light beam burst out of the circle from underneath Lilian��s feet, followed by a black light beam from underneath Ion��s. Then, the magical brilliance merged into two emerald-green light beams that erupted from underneath the twin dragons�� feet. Shortly after, the four vibrant spiritual radiances followed their paths and linked up with the empty circle underneath Rhode��s feet. Then, a golden light beam shone and shot up to the ceiling, enveloping him completely.


    ��Argh����


    At this moment, Rhode sensed four unique spiritual powers spiraling around him. Ion��s power was the most overbearing, like a violent, bone-chilling wave that crashed into his body. The twin dragons�� powers were massive too. Despite Nalea��s muddle-headed personality, her spiritual power was as though a huge, spectacular mountain range while Siena��s spiritual power felt extremely sharp as though he was in a hell of blades. On the other hand, Lilian��s spiritual power was the weakest among them, with almost no sense of presence like gentle rays of the sun in the harsh, ice-cold winter. Although he sensed it, there was basically no warmth at all.


    It seems like there��s indeed a huge problem with Lilian��s dragon soul power.


    Rhode puckered his brows while recalling Sonia��s report. In the past he couldn��t confirm this point, but now, he was certain that her dragon soul power had been meddled with. If not, how could it be this weak?


    Shortly after, he threw this thought aside because lines of system prompt appeared before his eyes.


    [Detected Order Structure Network. Begin access�� 3, 2, 1�� Access complete. Verifying priority�� Priority verification confirmed. Detected Dragon Soul Power. Begin scanning�� 3, 2, 1�� Confirmation complete. Connection to Judgment Dragon, Ruling Dragon, Light Dragon, and Dark Dragon complete. Order Structure Network connection interface open��]


    ������


    Rhode swallowed his saliva anxiously. This scene reminded him of when the system went berserk twice after he transcended to the Legendary Stage and opened up the land of Chaos. Even though it seemed as though the system had only changed slightly, he felt that something was amiss because before the system rebooted, he saw something about [Connection]. He deduced that this system should be exclusive to him and the other dragon soul heirs didn��t own one. How would he answer them if there were issues with the [Connecting Network]?


    [�� Connecting Network Structure. Activating Order Network Scan. Reactivating Third Interface��]


    Rhode didn��t realize that while he was focused on the system prompts, the expressions of the other four dragon soul heirs changed slightly. As dragon soul heirs who underwent this ceremony, they were all familiar with the process. In this process, all the dragon soul heirs would sense one another��s powers. From a certain aspect, this was also considered a way to figure out each other��s strength because the dragon soul powers represented the strength of the dragon soul heir and his or her territory. Not only that, but strong dragon soul power also provided benefits to the corresponding territory, such as increasing the number of talents who would appear, strengthening the devoted worshipers of the dragon soul heir, or improving the abilities to domesticate unique and precious magic monster nests. A huge reason why the Country of Darkness was so powerful was that the strength of undead creatures under the Dark Dragon��s dragon soul protection was enhanced, which in turn, sped up their growth. On the other hand, the reason why the Country of Light remained so weak was mainly because the Light Dragon had trouble taking care of herself, not to mention providing strength to others. Besides, in the Country of Light, the only ones who truly had faith for the Light Dragon were�� Yes, everyone knew that they didn��t exist.


    It could also be said that sensing one another��s dragon soul powers was as though probing their overall strength, which not only included the dragon soul heirs, but also their people and subjects. This was also one of the main reasons why the Dark Dragon attacked the Country of Light.


    The moment Rhode detected their spiritual powers, the other four dragon soul heirs also sensed his.


    And they were flabbergasted.


    ��This is����


    Siena widened her eyes in shock as she turned to her elder sister. Rhode��s dragon soul power was neither as overbearing as the Dark Dragon��s nor as dazzling as the Light Dragon��s. On the contrary, his dragon soul power was extremely serene like the land and sky. It existed and appeared exceedingly normal. But if one were to look closely, one would discover that this still force was endless like the world itself!


    Ion twitched his brow. His dark eyes glinted with complicated emotions but only for a split second. On the other hand, Lilian didn��t seem mindful about it. Even though she was surprised that Rhode��s dragon soul power was so strong, she wasn��t aware of the benefits in having dragon soul power, so she didn��t know what to expect of it. But even so, she instinctively leaned toward Rhode as though hoping that the massive, peaceful power from him could counteract the Dark Dragon��s.


    [�� First, Second, Third, Fourth Interfaces Activated. Order Network Connected. Transmission Stable�� Power Synchronization Rate 85%. Activating Network Original Terminal��]


    Rhode��s heart skipped a beat.


    Just as he expected, there was indeed a problem!


    ��������!��


    Suddenly, the light circles underneath the feet of the four dragon soul heirs flickered. Not only that, but the instant the light circles flickered, they also sensed that their dragon soul powers were being absorbed!


    ��This is��?!��


    Before Siena finished her sentence, the four light beams burst into the sky and enveloped all five of the dragon soul heirs completely.


    [Begin Network Terminal Activation������Connecting������Signaling������Zeroth Node������Order Network Structure Reset. Original Signal Activated. Commence Connection������]


    The invisible dragon soul powers exploded, blasting strong, destructive airflows to the surroundings. If they were in any other place, the area would have been demolished by now. But now, the dragon soul powers were slowly being absorbed. The complicated magic ritual underneath their feet gradually shone brighter and after a few moments, the five light beams vanished into nothingness, revealing the five dragon soul heirs once again.


    But unlike before, everyone was drenched in sweat. Lilian instantly sat on the ground while Ion turned pale with beads of sweat collecting on his forehead. Rhode was no exception, but fortunately for him, he was mentally prepared for this third time after having two encounters with the system going berserk. He gazed at the final line of system prompt.


    [������Plane of Existence Signal Activated������Order Network Terminal Reboot Complete. Link with Main System Successful]


    [Code Conversion Completed������Deepest Labyrinth Signal Port Connection Complete. Outside World Synchronous Information Transfer Function Available]


    Rhode knitted his brows.


    It seems like I��ll need to make a trip to the Deepest Labyrinth.

 Chapter 960

    The light beams vanished and the atmosphere in the sacred palace was incredibly subtle. Siena and Nalea exchanged glances while Lilian sat on the ground, gasping for air. That mysterious ritual absorbed a lot of dragon soul powers where not even a powerful figure like Ion could handle it, not to mention Lilian.


    ��What happened?��


    Ion shot a meaningful look at Rhode before turning to Siena and Nalea. Nalea��s expression remained unchanged and on the contrary, Siena seemed rather awkward. She closed her eyes to have a sense of what happened before opening her eyes.


    ��My sincere apologies, Your Majesty Ion. Big Sister and I don��t know why this happened. But after our analysis, we understand that the Order barrier connecting to the dragon soul protections have become stronger and more stable. I think���� Siena looked at Rhode. ���� Perhaps this was because all five of us are present and this might have activated a certain spell within the magic ritual. After all, the heir of the Void Dragon hasn��t shown up for a long time in this continent.��


    ������


    Ion didn��t respond. He let out a cold snort and remained silent as though pondering over something. Rhode shrugged and went up to Lilian, extending his hand.


    ��Are you okay, Lilian?��


    ���� Yes����


    Lilian lifted her head and revealed a joyous grin, holding onto his hand.


    ��Thank you, Big Brother Rhode.��


    ��You��re welcome.��


    Rhode was astonished. He remembered clearly that this wasn��t the way Lilian addressed him in the past. Why did she suddenly call him ��big brother��? Despite that, Rhode pulled her up gently and patted her head. Lilian narrowed her eyes like a comfortable kitten, which made him chuckled inwardly. At this moment, he heard Siena��s voice.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, you��ve had a hard day at this ceremony.��


    ��It��s fine.��


    Rhode waved his hand airily.


    ��But frankly speaking, I��m rather surprised that the ceremony ends so quickly�� I thought it would take much longer.��


    What he said was sincerely from the bottom of his heart. In fact, he thought that this so-called Order Ceremony would be as grand and prosperous as the Midsummer Festival and Dragon Soul Ceremony, where there would be speeches from representatives and leaders, formal meetings, casual conversations, and whatnots�� He didn��t expect the ceremony to be so simple. But��


    It shouldn��t be as simple as it seems.


    Confirming one another��s strength through dragon soul powers and coming up with the corresponding response��from a certain aspect, this ceremony wasn��t as simple as just maintaining the balance of Order. But Rhode wasn��t too sure of what effect his system had taken during the ceremony. When Siena and Nalea began their checks, he activated the system interface and surprisingly realized that there weren��t any changes. It was apparent that the system had indeed connected to some sort of a network and yet, there weren��t any related ��network�� options. So where exactly did that connected network go to?


    ��Alright then����


    Boom!


    Suddenly, Rhode heard a deep, rumbling explosion. Although they were in a secret room and the explosion wasn��t too loud, it didn��t seem like a good sign at all. Almost at the same time, Nalea shrieked and covered her mouth with both hands.


    ��Oh no, it seems like they��ve gotten into a fight����


    ������


    For some unknown reason, Rhode suddenly had a bad feeling.


    A dazzling, holy white radiance cut through the sky and engulfed the entire mountain. Then, a petite figure exploded forward in the blustering gale, crashing onto the blood-red barrier.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    In an instant, along with ear-deafening explosions, the incomparably weak blood-red barrier cracked and shattered into bits. Mini Bubble Gum dashed out with her right fist aiming for Ashvril. The Blood Countess looked on sternly, raising the black handheld fan and swinging it before her, where a dense aura of death burst at its target. But Mini Bubble Gum displayed a proud smile. She stretched out her left hand and suddenly, a golden spiritual ritual shrouded her and kept the death aura at bay. She tightened and hurled her right fist forward, landing on the black handheld fan in a powerful punch.


    ��������!��


    The instant Mini Bubble Gum��s fist crashed into Ashvril��s handheld fan, she heard bone-chilling screams from the handheld fan and countless blue, eerie spirits flew and vanished in the holy, golden radiance. Ashvril turned ashen immediately.


    ��You����


    ��Heh heh. How��s that, bitch? You scared now?��


    Mini Bubble Gum landed on her feet nimbly with a wide smile plastered across her face. Marlene stood behind her and rubbed her forehead helplessly. On the other hand, Alice didn��t say a word as she continued to hug the book in her arms. Gillian sat on the stone chair leisurely, enjoying the bustling show. As for Canary, she sat beside the fox-eared young lady and didn��t seem to have any intention of stopping the fight.


    ��Why? Weren��t you in estrus and having a good time? Come get some, you swine. Instead of using those outdated abilities, you might as well strip naked and run laps around here. Don��t act all innocent if you wanna be gang-raped. Look into the mirror and see how black you are. How dare you have the audacity to pretend as an innocent woman? Are you really that shameless, old woman?��


    ��You����


    Ashvril sulked. As the Blood Countess, such an extent of insult wasn��t enough for her to take offense. But with the damage that Mini Bubble Gum dealt, the situation was completely different. Her handheld fan had broken to the attack, but it wasn��t all. It was her favorite weapon, the ��Wraith Prison��. All enemy spirits she had killed were captured in the handheld fan, and not only could she imprison their spirits, but she could also use their strength and unique abilities. Whenever she was bored, she would also listen to their mournful groans. This handheld fan was considered her proudest weapon.


    But now, not only did Mini Bubble Gum shatter the seal and release the imprisoned spirits, but she also purified them all! The amount of power in the handheld fan had decreased by two-thirds. She had spent centuries accumulating them!


    But it only took an instant to wipe it clean!


    Of course, Ashvril was the root of this problem. Even though she tried to probe everyone��s strength earlier on, a leopard couldn��t change its spots, after all. After the dragon soul heirs entered the deep palace, she began to sound out everyone. But to her surprise, Mini Bubble Gum, who seemed incredibly bored jumped, all of a sudden yelled, ��You��re asking for death, slut!�� Then, she darted forward with her clenched fists. The four legendary generals didn��t have the habit of enjoying blessings and enduring misfortune together. The instant Mini Bubble Gum launched her attack, the other three legendary generals retreated to the sides.


    ��You����


    ��Why? Come if you dare! Do you think I��m afraid of killing you?��


    Mini Bubble Gum swept a look of disdain, pointing with her right index finger while Ashvril gnashed her teeth fumingly. Among the four legendary generals, she wasn��t one who was an expert in battle. Moreover, they were in the Country of Law and she would be unable to bear the consequences of failure after the Dark Dragon returned. Besides, she also wouldn��t attain victory even if she put her entire mind into the battle because her strength wasn��t enhanced like when she was in the Country of Darkness. Also, Mini Bubble Gum was a Cleric and her sacred spiritual spells were the nemesis of the undead. Even though the members supporting Mini Bubble Gum didn��t seem to have the intention of joining the battle, Ashvril realized that the young lady named Canary had been staring at her like a predator sizing up its prey. Ashvril had no doubt that once she revealed any weakness, the young lady would definitely join hands with this little rascal and kill her!


    She had no doubt that even if she were killed, none of the legendary generals would seek revenge for her. As for the Dark Dragon starting a war with the Void Territory for her sake�� It had a higher chance of happening in her dreams. Perhaps even her subjects would be too busy fighting to take her place instead of seeking revenge. Revenge? What a joke. If the Void Territory were to slaughter her, her subjects would surely be popping champagnes and expressing their gratitude to the Void Territory!


    Ashvril��s head was spinning. She swore that if she knew such a crazy little rascal existed in the Void Territory, she wouldn��t have tried to sound out their strength. It wasn��t about Mini Bubble Gum��s personality, but more like her extraordinary spiritual senses.


    ��Uh-oh, it seems like Ashvril is in trouble.��


    Erin chuckled softly while Lydia nodded in agreement. Back then, Lydia had personally witnessed how Mini Bubble Gum crippled the sword saint. She was obviously a Cleric, but was surprisingly fond of violence without considering the consequences. The Mist Sword Saint was a famous figure, but she crippled him without showing respect to the Country of Light. However, at this moment, Lydia wasn��t focusing her attention on Mini Bubble Gum. Instead, she was silently looking at Canary.


    She was clearly aware that this young lady was the person who controlled this battle.


    Although Canary seemed really gentle, Lydia had already realized that deep down she was much wilder than Mini Bubble Gum. She often hid in the back, allowing Mini Bubble Gum to handle situations, and even overindulged her. Lydia knew that both of them were together all the time. If Canary was really as gentle, quiet, and mature as she seemed, she should surely have a certain degree of influence over Mini Bubble Gum. But on the contrary, Mini Bubble Gum didn��t seem to have grown more mature and reliable and this revealed the problem.


    But now��


    Perhaps she was waiting for the opportunity to deal the fatal, killer blow.


    Lydia narrowed her eyes. In fact, she had the same judgment as Ashvril. In this place, Ashvril had no intention of going all-out and besides, the arena also restricted her abilities. But on the other hand, it was apparent that Mini Bubble Gum and Canary wanted to take her out. Even though this seemed irresponsible and entailed serious consequences, Ashvril realized that her being killed was the least risky option. She was the vampire queen, but in the Country of Darkness she in fact didn��t possess formidable strength. Besides, vampires were basically on the niche, elite route and weren��t strong enough to create controversies. Ashvril was proudest of her subjects�� abilities to gather intelligence, but the truth was that intelligence could be gathered by anyone and this didn��t give her an edge��


    Lydia sighed as she was truly envious of Rhode now. It wasn��t due to the territory that he had, but more because of his stellar subjects who supported him greatly. Perhaps Mini Bubble Gum was purely eager to kill this woman who she disliked, but Canary must have seen through the strong relationships and ties within. It didn��t matter if they killed or didn��t kill Ashvril here because they succeeded in displaying their strength to everyone to create an effective deterrence, which was vital for a new territory. As long as the territory had enough deterrence, enemies lurking in the dark wouldn��t be too tempted to make a move. This was a risky decision for people in the limelight, as they would face the most danger. But the fact that they chose to watch and support from the sidelines was enough to prove the problem.


    If Her Majesty Lilian had so many talents around her, maybe I won��t need to worry so much about her.


    Lydia turned around and gazed at the two archangels for a few seconds before turning away. She had said her piece and it was up to them now to comprehend what she meant. Perhaps Serene was only sticking to the rules, but Boulder was the worrying one for Lydia because he was like an angry lion who didn��t aim his sharp, deadly claws at the right enemies��


    ��What are you doing?��


    Suddenly, a deep, stern voice sounded. Ashvril swiftly retreated and bowed deeply to the pitch-black shadow emerging from the passage.


    ��Your Majesty.��


    ��Tsk.��


    Mini Bubble Gum clicked her tongue before ceasing her next attack and returning to the rest of the group. Canary stood up and patted Mini Bubble Gum��s head and at this moment, the other four dragon soul heirs also appeared from the shadowy passage. Rhode knitted his brows at the sight of the messy, chaotic hall. But he simply shook his head and remained silent. On the other hand, Nalea rested her face on her hand and spoke with a smile.


    ��Oh no-no, this is getting a little too heated����


    ��Sigh����


    Siena sighed to her elder sister��s silly response.


    At this moment, Ion suddenly turned around and went up to Rhode. Rhode narrowed his eyes and sized him up. Both of them were about equal height, but Rhode was much slimmer while Ion was more muscular. Lilian felt displeased as Ion approached Rhode in big strides, but even so, she didn��t dare to retaliate. She merely glared at him before hiding behind Rhode.


    ��Is anything the matter?�� Rhode asked. In fact, he and Ion didn��t address each other up until this point, which represented the tense relationship between them.


    ��I heard you��ve met Erin, right?��


    Ion didn��t beat about the bush and got straight into the important topic. Even though Rhode didn��t know why Ion asked this question, he still nodded.


    ��That��s right.��


    ��Good.��


    Ion nodded.


    ��Alright, she��s yours then.��


    Ion spoke, turned away, and left, leaving Rhode gazing at his back dubiously��


    Wait�� What did he say again?

 Chapter 961

    ���� Miss Erin?��


    Rhode gazed at Erin who was smiling at him curiously. He suppressed a feeling of annoyance in his head and spoke in the most normal tone.


    ��May I know what��s going on?��


    ��What do you mean by that, Your Majesty Rhode?��


    ��Why. Are you. Here?��


    Rhode pointed at Erin. He had already sensed the hostile gazes from everyone. Erin tilted her head and pondered for a while. Then, she replied with a smile.


    ��Oh, this is Big Brother��s order. I��m yours from now onward. Please take good care of me, alright, Your Majesty?��


    ���� Could you please explain one more time in a less scandalous way?��


    ��What I said was the truth. Just now, Big Brother told me, ��from now onward, you��re heading to the Void Territory��. So that��s why I��m here. It��s just that simple.��


    Sigh��


    Rhode let out a helpless sigh. He turned around and exchanged glances with Marlene and the others before shaking his head. This was truly a dramatic scene. After the ceremony ended, both sides held down the two troublemakers of Mini Bubble Gum and Ashvril. After having a short conversation without including the Dark Dragon Ion, Rhode left with his subjects and decided to check on Lilian after taking a break. But he didn��t expect Erin to follow them all the way back to the temporary residence that the Country of Law had arranged for everyone�� Judging from her stealthiness, it wouldn��t be possible that she was in the Thief class�� right?


    And now, he felt an immense headache at the sight of Erin.


    Ion, you scoundrel�� You will die a horrible death!


    Rhode cursed Ion harshly in his mind before gesturing to Marlene.


    ��Marlene, I��ll leave her to you. Please help to settle down the princess, understood?��


    ��Of course, I��ll get everything ready.��


    Marlene nodded instantly. Then, she approached Erin and bowed respectfully.


    ��Your Highness, please come with me.��


    ��Okay.��


    Erin smiled, nodded, and followed Marlene obediently without any arrogance. After the two of them disappeared from Rhode��s sight, he let out a long sigh and shook his head.


    Dark Dragon that bastard. This girl is surely here for revenge. Yes, she must be here for revenge!


    ��Huhuhu, what��s wrong, Master? You look terrible. Why are you complaining when such a beautiful princess throws herself at you?��


    Gillian chuckled, swaying her fluffy tail and twitching her ears playfully as though she were really excited. On the contrary, Rhode swept her an ice-cold look.


    ��Stopping fanning the flames, Gillian. You are also aware that this is a huge trouble.��


    Rhode was right. This was indeed a huge trouble.


    Even though this seemed like a pleasant task with the attractive Erin, the problem was that even if she was beautiful, he already had a lot of beauties around him, so he wouldn��t necessarily pick her. What was more important was the troubles that she would bring to him.


    Rhode didn��t believe that this was a step of the Dark Dragon to form an alliance. Although marrying would definitely strengthen both forces together, the problem was that this wasn��t something deserving of a celebration. Rhode had no intention of forming an alliance with the Country of Darkness because the peaceful coexistence of nations was an entirely different matter. He had intended to not be hostile against the Country of Darkness or express fondness. No matter what, he came from the Munn Kingdom and had to consider Lydia��s standpoint. Moreover, he couldn��t accept ��undeads�� in his territory. If he walked too closely with the Country of Darkness, there might even be unfavorable rumors spreading in his territory. No matter what, nothing great would come out of a relationship that involved undead creatures. This was why he had planned to let his territory have a neutral standpoint like the Country of Law. Although there was nothing worthy of discussion with the Country of Light, it didn��t mean that he would be inclined to accept undead creatures.


    But now, Ion handed his younger sister over and this was obviously a move to pull Rhode to his side!


    No, perhaps Ion didn��t have such an intention, but at least he created an illusion that he was pulling Rhode to his side, and it would be enough if it seemed like it for others!


    It could also be said that this move by Ion left Rhode in a horrible spot while Ion wouldn��t suffer too many losses. This was because Erin didn��t take up any important roles in the Country of Darkness and was forbidden from getting involved in political and military affairs. Maybe she could obtain some information with her unique identity, but she couldn��t possibly get her hands on the top secrets. This was why Ion wasn��t afraid that Rhode would acquire any intelligence from her. Besides, it was also impossible for Rhode to manipulate Erin like Sonia because Erin was the moon princess��invincible under the full moon. He might even get himself into trouble instead.


    Not only that, but Rhode also wouldn��t marry Erin even if he accepted her because he was sure that his entire harem would be blazing in flames, like the aftermath of a volcano eruption. Although there were many women around him, he had never talked about marrying anyone because no matter which choice he made, he would displease the others. This was why he treated them equally. In fact, Canary, Lize, and Marlene were indeed ��wife material�� and if he were to toss them aside and let Erin take the ��wife throne��, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    Fortunately, Ion didn��t insist that they had to marry each other. If not, Rhode would surely send Erin back to Country of Darkness even if she wasn��t willing to. He would rather fall out with the Country of Darkness than shake the unity and stability of his harem.


    Moreover, Erin wasn��t a fool. It was mentioned earlier that perhaps there would be five legendary generals instead of four if it weren��t for her identity that restricted her from participating in political and military affairs. It would be impossible for him to not worry about having someone who was this bright, powerful, and in a possibly hostile position by his side!


    Perhaps Ion was aware of Rhode��s intention, which was why he came up with this offensive proposal. If he were to raise this suggestion in an official setting, Rhode would surely reject on the spot. But the proposal would be harder to refuse if Ion handed Erin over directly. Of course, Rhode would still send her back later, but he was also clear that since Ion had made this decision, she would still return to him like a rebounding ball. Moreover, even if Rhode left her behind in the Country of Law, he was sure that she would make her way to the Void Territory. Back then she bravely sneaked into the Munn Kingdom and had tea with Lydia during the war between the Country of Light and the Country of Darkness. So rather than leaving her wandering in his territory later, Rhode might as well place her somewhere where he could monitor her and stop her from heading places she shouldn��t. Even though he didn��t know if Erin would abandon her identity and become a spy, he needed to consider all the possibilities.


    If Erin was interested in becoming a spy, she would be an unstoppable one. Besides, even if she had no intention of doing so, in this developing stage of the Void Territory, many core secrets might possibly be revealed. If she were to notice them, Rhode was confident that her wisdom would help her easily deduce the possibilities. The only thing that Erin shouldn��t learn about was his system��


    Rhode knitted his brows. He pondered for a long while before finally making a decision.


    ��Let Canary and Mini Bubble Gum do the monitoring for now while you take care of her too. She doesn��t seem like one who will settle down for boredom, so please watch out for any problems.��


    ��No problem, Master. Leave it to me.��


    Gillian answered swiftly. Then, she placed her finger on her lips friskily and gazed at him in amusement. Rhode noticed her up-to-no-good stare and twitched his brows.


    ��Is anything else the matter, Gillian?��


    ��Yes, Master. How are you going to explain this matter to Her Majesty Lilian?��


    ������


    Rhode instantly felt his head spinning.

 Chapter 962

    Rhode was relieved that Lilian didn��t pester him about Erin since she heard that Erin was also heading to the Void Territory. Lilian asked Rhode who Erin was and warned him to be careful of her. But the so-called ��be careful�� was from a different angle.


    ��That Ion is annoying and always so scary. Big Brother Rhode, you must be careful because his younger sister may be equally scary. But I believe that you won��t be bullied by her! If she dares to bully you, show her how strong you are! I��m sure that you will be fine, Big Brother Rhode!��


    In response to Lilian��s suggestion�� Rhode simply smiled in response.


    Rhode and Lilian had a casual conversation without discussing important affairs. After all, even if there were any, Lilian couldn��t make the decision. Besides, she was also aware that the relationship between the Country of Light and Rhode wasn��t great. At this moment, she felt somewhat glad that she was just an ornament of the country and not a true ruler because she didn��t need to be involved with the important affairs and this gave her more time to quietly chat with Rhode. Just like in the past, Lilian was always the one speaking while Rhode lent her a listening ear. Even though Sonia was also a close friend to Lilian, there were some things that she could only talk about in front of Rhode.


    It could also be said that this time, Lilian had a lot more load on her mind this time.


    In the past, Lilian was always unknowingly controlled by the Light Parliament. Even though she felt dubious of their decisions, she only grumbled. But it was different now. As she slowly searched for her rightful authority, she faced even more obstacles. But as Sonia came to her side, she wasn��t fighting alone any longer and finally had the joy of having a comrade in the trench with her to wash away her annoyance and uncertainty. Along with the positive emotions and the fact that Rhode was also a dragon soul heir now, she couldn��t care less about formal etiquette. She also seemed oddly excited as she described everything that she had done after the last time they parted. Although she attained little success, she was slowly growing with every step she took.


    ���� Mmm�� Mmm����


    The exhausted Lilian fell asleep, curled up in Rhode��s embrace. Rhode stroked her hair gently and looked at her adorable face. Everything was going as planned and Sonia also seemed to be doing great. The riots in the Country of Light also gradually stopped and there were no signs of rioters except by the borders. Besides, the next chairman of the Light Parliament was about to be elected.


    It��s about time to strike.


    ��You seem to have some dangerous things going on in your mind, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Suddenly, Rhode heard a really familiar voice. He turned around and to his surprise, he saw the smiley Lydia who shifted her gaze from Lilian to him. Rhode nodded slightly before carrying Lilian to the comfy sofa.


    ��Her Majesty seems to have fallen asleep. Can I use some of your time?��


    ��Of course.��


    Rhode gazed at the archangel.


    It was dusk. Gentle rays of the setting sun glowed from the other side of the mountain, dyeing the entire forest in scarlet and enveloping the land with motley radiance. In the near distance, worshipers could be seen bending over devoutly, slowly making their way up the white path to the sacred palace. Lydia narrowed her eyes and admired them.


    ��Faith is so fascinating�� Don��t you think so, Your Majesty Rhode? What exactly supported their decision to come from a distant hometown despite the dangers and just for the sake of paying tribute to this sacred palace? Or perhaps I should say that they treat this as their origin to prove their resolute will?��


    ��You can call me by my name, Your Royal Highness Lydia. I don��t feel like the so-called ��Your Majesty�� is a respectable title. Honestly, I��m not used to hearing you call me that.��


    ��That won��t do. No matter what, you��re one of the dragon soul heirs and formal greetings are indispensable.��


    Even though Lydia sounded humble and respectful, she seemed to be amusing herself judging from her look. However, Rhode wasn��t mindful. After all, he couldn��t be more familiar with her character.


    ��I have something to ask you, Your Royal Highness Lydia.��


    ��Is it about Her Majesty Lilian?��


    Lydia smiled.


    ��In fact, I don��t know too much about her. After all, I��ve only become an archangel for a short while. Or perhaps I should say that before I became an archangel, Her Majesty Lilian was already the dragon soul heir�� But, Your Majesty, you do know how dragon soul heirs came about, right?��


    ������


    Rhode twitched his brows. Of course, he knew how the dragon soul heirs came about. Unlike normal situations, dragon soul heirs weren��t selected heirs by blood. Instead, an heir was randomly selected within the dragon soul protection. Of course, the selection wasn��t truly random. The new dragon soul heirs were basically the materialization of the dragon soul powers and only they could handle the massive dragon soul powers. Before the current dragon soul heir passed away, the new heir would be born and the current heir would know where the new heir was located. The steps of inheritance included having the new dragon soul heir being brought to the sacred palace by the predecessor��s most trustworthy subjects to learn and receive all their experiences, knowledge, and authority. Then, the predecessor would peacefully pass away and the new cycle would begin.


    But now, Lydia suddenly asked him this question��


    ��I can only tell you one thing.��


    Lydia chuckled softly and extended her hand.


    ��The current Light Dragon, Her Majesty Lilian, was brought back by the Light Parliament. This is all that I know.��


    Brought back by the Light Parliament?


    Rhode��s eyes glinted with interest. Then, he nodded to Lydia before turning around and leaving the forest. Lydia gazed at his back meaningfully. Then, she placed her finger on her lips.


    ��Alright then. I wonder how far you can take it, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    ��This is too much, Lydia.��


    At this moment, a deep, stern voice blared and blazing, golden flames erupted all out a sudden, enveloping Lydia completely. Then, a six-winged archangel walked out of the woods, his bright eyes burning in wrath.


    ��I have tolerated your unscrupulous behavior, but now you��ve gone too far! Lydia, who gave you the right to disclose our secrets to outsiders?!��


    ��Oh, no. I don��t think it��s a top secret, Your Highness Boulder.��


    Lydia retorted, seemingly unaffected by the menacing, burning flames encircling her. She displayed her usual smile and laid her arms by her side when suddenly, two glorious, flashy swords appeared in her hands.


    ��Concealing the disease will only worsen it and rotten soil will not be purified if it isn��t radiated by the sun�� As an archangel, you should understand this logic and yet, you decide to cover up everything caused by your mistakes? What makes you different from a pest hidden underneath the flowers and nibbling away at the leaves?��


    ��You�� How dare you!��


    Boulder clutched his sword. He was so furious that flames almost erupted from his eyes.


    ��You know nothing because you��ve just become an archangel. How dare you object to our approach.��


    ��Time doesn��t make a difference. I��m also an archangel, isn��t it, Your Highness Boulder?��


    Lydia ambled along the scorching flames and looked with a sharp gaze.


    ��A noble reason isn��t an excuse. As long as I can break out of this predicament, I will search for all the help I can get. I can��t understand the feelings you have for the former dragon soul heir, but this isn��t a reason for you to hurt Her Majesty Lilian. I, as the current Light Dragon��s subject, will do whatever it takes to get Her Majesty Lilian out of the predicament. Don��t forget our duties and identities, Your Highness Boulder.��


    ��You don��t understand at all��!��


    ��I don��t need to understand.��


    Lydia slashed her swords and the outburst of blade winds split the wall of golden flames in half. She walked out of the encirclement of flames, staring at her companion.


    ��Spring makes way for autumn. Ripe fruits will fall one day while new sprouts will grow on withered branches. Ignoring the beautiful view and simply immersing oneself in past dreams is acceptable. But it is a behavior of foolish arrogance if one harms the delicate, fragile sprout due to the illusory dreams.��


    ��Lydia��!��


    Boulder��s shaky voice couldn��t conceal his wrath any longer. He raised his sword and pointed it at Lydia who held two swords before her in a criss-cross stance.


    ��It��s unbearable to look at one in pain from the wound that can��t be healed�� Your Highness Boulder�� Are you sure that you want to start a battle with me��?��


    As Lydia spoke, the scarlet sunset glow suddenly turned into a shapeless, tremendous pressure, diffusing to the surroundings.


    ��At dusk?��


    ��This will all end now.��


    All of a sudden, someone strode out of the woods and stood between them like a strong, invisible wall.


    ��This is the Country of Law so please watch yourself, Lydia. We don��t suspect your devotion to Her Majesty. But����


    ��The past is not a burden, but a motivation to move forward. Based on this point, I really can��t understand what both of you are thinking.��


    Lydia interrupted Serene and withdrew her swords. Then, she looked at Boulder who remained silent.


    ��Could it be that there is something more important than cherishing the present?��


    Lydia shook her head helplessly. She turned around and left, leaving Serene and Boulder gazing at her back in silence.


    At the same time, the final ray of sunlight vanished underneath the horizon.

 Chapter 963

    ��Shall we investigate the background of that adorable young lady?��


    Gillian spoke, swinging her fluffy tail and gazing in surprise at her master. She tilted her head and said in displease.


    ��I��m surprised, Master. I thought that the intelligence department would be useful after having Alice around. I even considered laying off some members due to the economic depression. Our departmental budget needs to be cut again. Although for the most part we are self-sufficient, we��re affected by your lesser support, Master. But�� We��re basically useless before the godlike ability of Alice����


    Even though this fox-eared young lady was full of it, she was actually right. After having Alice around, Rhode didn��t need to worry about gathering intelligence any longer. As the History Deity Warden, Alice could record and pull out any history from anytime. Judging from this, even though the things that she recorded was the ��past��, its intelligence was even more effective than the Internet in the real world. It was due to this reason that Gillian��s intelligence department was doing badly in comparison as gathering intelligence required time. It was understandable from Gillian��s exaggerated reaction when Rhode said to send someone to investigate Lilian. It felt as though one had an ultra-high speed quantum computer but chose to operate with an ancient model instead.


    ��The situation is a little unique.��


    Rhode didn��t entertain her jokes this time. Instead, he looked at her and spoke sternly.


    After gaining information on Lilian from Lydia, Rhode immediately looked for Alice, hoping to use her ability to discover what exactly happened to Lilian back then. He felt like the fact of Lilian being brought back to the side of the former Light Dragon by the Light Parliament was rather fishy.


    Rhode initially thought that this wasn��t hard to accomplish because it was Alice��s expertise to read the past and history. But he realized that he was too naive because Alice wasn��t able to ��backtrack�� to the crucial period. She could find out where Lilian was born and how she grew up in the Country of Light but the most crucial part was completely skipped. No, perhaps it was distorted in history. It was as though a compact history book had its next page torn or smeared in black ink. But after flipping through several damaged pages, one would find out that the content was heading in a totally different direction. In fact, Rhode was also stunned when he heard this news from Alice and she seemed like this was nothing worthy of being astonished for.


    ��This isn��t strange, Your Majesty. Indeed, I��m the ��History Deity Warden�� and in this continent there is almost nothing that I can��t backtrack. But please take note that this is ��almost��. The so-called ��history�� needs to have the past from the present, a present from the future, and the present piled up with the past. Nothing is too challenging for me with the prerequisite that���� Alice paused on purpose as though emphasizing her point. ��It is within Order. Your Majesty, you��ve personally witnessed the past of the Void Territory. To a Deity Warden like myself, the dragon soul heir is only a baby-like figure at best now and not worthy of a mention.��


    Alice domineeringly dismissed the dragon soul heirs with that last statement. Of course, Rhode also realized that her so-called ��history�� ability definitely wasn��t as simple as Holmes�� investigations.


    ��Her Highness Christie and I possess enough strength to deal with the dragon soul heirs. But�� in order for that to happen, we must be within Order. We are the people of Order and if we lose the protection of Order, our powers will become extremely limited and unusable.��


    Rhode understood what she meant because it was as though strategic weapons in the real world that were capable of destroying earth would be nothing more than a pile of scrap metal without their energy source. Judging from this point, Alice��s power was indeed limited. Just like she mentioned, history was the necessary Order arrangement, but if they lost the support of Order, there would be no differentiation between present, past, and future. Without history, it would mean nothing for the ��History Deity Warden�� Alice.


    In this case, the outline of things became much clearer now.


    Something must have happened from the point where Lilian was led away by the emissaries of the Light Parliament and sent to the former Light Dragon. Besides, this matter was also related to Chaos�� Could this be the reason why the two archangels were wary of Lilian and treated her coldly? If this was the case, Rhode could understand their behaviors. No matter what, Chaos was the natural enemy of Order and as the dragon soul heir, it would be intolerable and unacceptable for Lilian to be contaminated by Chaos. But the archangels lacked sufficient evidence to prove this point which was why they held this cold attitude toward her. Considering this perspective, their behavior was completely understandable. If it weren��t for Alice��s help to confirm that Lilian was indeed associated with Chaos, perhaps Rhode wouldn��t have confirmed this truth.


    But�� that happened in the past, after all.


    At this point in time, Lilian was only an ordinary dragon soul heir, to which Alice had also nodded in agreement. But her answer wasn��t comforting for Rhode at all.


    ��If I detected that she��s a worshiper of Chaos, I would have killed her during our meeting today.��


    Rhode had to admit that Lilian was indeed fortunate.


    Of course, he didn��t believe that Lilian was a worshiper of Chaos. After all, she had inherited the Light Dragon and even though her body might have been contaminated by Chaos in the past, her power of Order was much stronger than its power of Chaos now. An ice cube that tried to extinguish the sun would only find itself evaporating to nothingness.


    But this way, there were two problems. What exactly did the Light Parliament do to Lilian? And was the former Light Dragon aware of it?


    Rhode didn��t need to question if the Chaos worshippers had infiltrated the Light Parliament because he knew that there were several groups of cultists, demons, and devils within the Country of Light like a huge family of evil. Therefore, it was impossible to say that no Chaos worshipers had found their way into the parliament. Judging from the weak Light Dragon and how the parliament had been promoting human freedom for years and requesting humans to abandon their beliefs in the Light Dragon, the motive of Chaos couldn��t be clearer. Their ultimate goal was to invade the Dragon Soul Continent and weaken the dragon soul protection barriers and striking the Light Dragon first was the best option for them.


    Order and Chaos were natural enemies. Perhaps Chaos occupied an absolute number of advantages on the periphery, but on this continent, they weren��t too powerful. Besides, would the former Light Dragon be unaware of everything?


    Alice couldn��t find an explanation. The former dragon soul heir occupied a unique and important position in history, like a combination lock. If it were Rhode, she could easily read his history. But if it were the dead dragon soul heir, it would take a lot more effort to break the code. Besides, according to Alice, it was challenging to find the dead in the intricate sea of history. If she could find the person��s bones or some related items, perhaps it would make the situation easier��


    Therefore, Rhode needed more information, and since he couldn��t get them through Alice, he could only use the most ancient method.


    ��I see����


    Gillian puckered her brows. Indeed, since this was the case, this would be a tough issue for Rhode and the continent. Even though Rhode didn��t know when Chaos would stop, it seemed like Chaos was rather successful.


    So successful that Rhode was concerned.


    ��Alright then, what should I do? If you want to investigate the Light Parliament, your pet has more value, isn��t it, Master? I heard that she did well sneaking around in Parliament.��


    ��Sonia has to be the final insurance for Lilian. I will find some time to explain to her about that. Currently, the Country of Light isn��t doing great and it will be terrible if Lilian faces any danger now. I guess those guys should be aware of this.��


    Rhode waved his hand airily and knitted his brows.


    ��Sonia has an advantageous identity now. Since Chaos has chosen to attack Lilian, we may possibly need Sonia��s help. But before that happens, it is best that Sonia does her current job calmly and not act rashly. This is why I need your men to investigate. I know you will sacrifice a huge number of people, but don��t worry. With Alice around, she will inform you immediately as soon as their ��history�� began to distort.��


    ��Uh-oh. Master, what you meant is to let the Deity Warden join my intelligence department?��


    Gillian widened her eyes in surprise before chuckling playfully.


    ��How scary. I��m only a humble elemental lord, so how can I make the Deity Warden work for me? But since you��ve given your order, I can only follow through, Master.��


    Gillian rolled her eyes.


    ��By the way, about your pet����


    ��I��ll tell her myself.��


    ��Wow. You��re so nice to her�� Master, even though I shouldn��t say this����


    Gillian teased and Rhode twitched his brow.


    ��Since you��re using her life as a pawn, it goes without saying that she should be treated better despite her being your pet, isn��t it?��


    It was near midnight when Lilian fell asleep. Sonia quietly walked out of the room and closed the door after taking a final look at the adorable girl. Lilian seemed much happier than usual today and Sonia knew the reason why. But it was a pity that if it weren��t for the sacred palace allowing only dragon soul heirs and their direct subjects to enter, Sonia would have met her master��


    After being with Lilian for a long time, Sonia had learned how to grasp Lilian��s mood swings. Even though Lilian was also happy around her, it was apparent that she was particularly delightful today. Sonia felt helpless because no matter what, she had been together with Lilian for so long and yet, she still lost to Rhode in terms of affections��


    However, this thought instantly vanished as soon as she saw the person who stood inside her room.


    ��Master!?��


    Sonia shrieked in surprise and widened her eyes in disbelief. She quickly closed and locked the door before scampering to Rhode and bowed deeply.


    ��Long time no see, Master.��


    ��Yes, it has been awhile, Sonia.��


    Rhode nodded pleasingly. In fact, he had treated Sonia as a useful tool from the start like Nell and Sara. But Sonia had proven that she was highly effective. Judging from her results, everything that she accomplished was praise-worthy. She knew how to act appropriately, concealed herself between the Light Parliament and Lilian, and wouldn��t forcefully attempt some risky investigation for the sake of winning his likes. She was the main reason for the recent riots that occurred in the Country of Light. She cleverly used the arguments of one unpopular parliament member and two parliament members who were deeply loved by the public and successfully aroused fear in the non-humans living in border regions. This led to them having a sense of urgency that ��if they didn��t resist, it would be too late�� and started breaking out in riots. Judging from this result, Sonia seemed really experienced. Besides, she didn��t reveal herself or do anything that sabotaged her identity, and yet she completed all the tasks that Rhode had given her perfectly.


    There was no better pawn than her.


    Rhode gazed at the young lady and of course, he sensed the excitement and agitation in her beautiful eyes. Come to think of it, it was necessary for the master to teach his students how to distinguish between rewards and punishments. If he were to only exploit and oppress, he would be nothing more than a slave owner. While the student was wagging her tail, the master should show some love to encourage it to work harder, wasn��t it?


    ��You did well, Sonia. Even though I have many things to tell you, I can leave them for later����


    Rhode narrowed his eyes and scanned her from head to toe. Sonia shivered in exhilaration upon sensing his threatening and violating gaze. This was what she had been anticipating, craving, and waiting for: the supreme reward.


    Rhode wasn��t mindful that the young lady was only clad in a plain, less attractive attire. At this moment, his gazes were as though licking wantonly on her dewy skin through the thin clothes, leaving her shuddering and rubbing between her legs. Sonia reddened in a blush and her vision slowly turned fuzzy��


    ���� Alright. Take off your clothes. You should know what to do.��


    ��Yes, Master.��

 Chapter 964

    The peaceful, joyous night ended as the first rays of dawn spilled through the window. Rhode sat on the bed, leaning on the bed frame while Sonia laid nakedly in his embrace with a blissful, satisfied smile. Even though her snowy skin was covered with purple bruises as though she was ravaged and whipped, it seemed like the ��sweet agony�� left her more thrilled than ever. Moreover, unlike the other young ladies who were always around him, this was a rare chance for her. It was due to this reason that absence made the heart grow fonder and in the end, she continued to crave for his torture and love despite feeling herself breaking apart. The crazy night finally ended after she completely lost her consciousness.


    At this moment, her feelings of emptiness and loneliness were entirely filled with satisfaction. She smiled and pressed her slightly bulging stomach, where a stream of white, viscous fluid trickled from between her legs.


    ��You remembered what I told you, right? Sonia?��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    Even though they were in this erotic moment, Rhode��s tone didn��t soften at all. Instead, he spoke with his usual aloofness. Sonia immediately nodded.


    Thereafter, Rhode explained to Sonia about the problems between Chaos and the Country of Light. The problems bewildered her. She thought that her enemy was only the parliament and didn��t expect such a troublesome enemy. She more or less knew about Chaos despite no one in the Country of Light treating ancient legends seriously.


    ��But according to the parliament, that was a lie fabricated by the Creator Dragon Souls to consolidate their rule and brainwash the people.��


    ��Well, I wonder who became the brainwashed ones instead.��


    Rhode scoffed. This had always been the case for this world. The idiots from the Country of Light always announced that everyone except them were brainwashed while they were living in freedom. But how was this not a kind of brainwashing too? Come to think of it, in order for a country to have strong cohesion, it was necessary to publicize their benefits while concealing the unfavorable truth. No one was clean in this world. If this could be accused of as brainwashing, wouldn��t everyone be brainwashed everywhere?


    ��But you have to remember, Sonia. This matter has nothing to do with you. No matter what, don��t intervene. You just act like you don��t know anything. You will just be by Lilian��s side and complete the mission. Do you understand?��


    The reason why Rhode gave her these instructions wasn��t because he wanted her to investigate something. Instead, he was simply warning her to stay away from troubles within the Light Parliament. Even if as a last resort, she definitely shouldn��t risk the dangers. She had to be the last line of defense for Lilian and help her resist the possible threats from the Light Parliament. This was why Rhode warned her to not mess with any matters involving Chaos worshipers. Not only that, but he also gave her a necklace specially made by Alice as an amulet. No matter what, Sonia was the weakest among all the women around him. She didn��t know how to cast magic spells and only possessed some basic sword skills. If she were to face any threats, she would surely be doomed. This was why Rhode spent a lot of effort in getting this plain-looking necklace from Alice. Although this necklace seemed like an ordinary accessory, it could drag its owner into the historical vortex while in the face of Chaos. Moreover, it could bring her back to the past of the last 10 minutes. All in all, if this were in the game, this necklace would be an automatic archive reader where when the protagonist faced dangers and died, the necklace would read the archive and the protagonist would be reborn.


    ��I understand, Master.��


    Sonia nodded solemnly. She was clear of her master��s intention. Besides, she knew that she was only suitable to work behind the scenes. As soon as she took the front stage, she wouldn��t be far away from death.


    ��As for Nakvard����


    ��Let me think����


    Rhode twitched his brow and pondered. He had also received intelligence from Sonia about Nakvard. According to her, the possibility of Nakvard being a Chaos worshiper was relatively high. Sonia was considered the people of the Country of Light and always followed Lilian around. As a result, her senses to dragon soul powers subconsciously became sharper than ordinary humans. Therefore, it wasn��t strange if she sensed something strange about some secret Chaos worshipers. In this case��


    ��The possibilities of Nakvard being a Chaos worshiper is indeed high.��


    ��Really?��


    Even though it was Sonia who suggested it, she was still surprised to hear this answer from Rhode.


    ��But Master, Nakvard doesn��t seem like that sort of person. If I recall correctly, aren��t Chaos worshipers a group of crazy people?��


    ��You��re referring to the low-class worshipers. As for the high-class worshipers, they don��t look any different from ordinary people. In this case, Nakvard should have a high position among the Chaos worshipers.��


    ��Don��t look any different from ordinary people?��


    Sonia knitted her brows and couldn��t understand this logic. Rhode quickly explained to her. After all, he was much more experienced in dealing with Chaos worshipers than her.


    ��That��s right. High-class worshipers are usually similar to humans. But there is an essential difference between them�� Sonia, what do you think is the reason people make precise plans?��


    ��Hmm�� In order to ensure that they control the results?��


    Although Sonia didn��t know why he asked this question, she swiftly answered.


    ��That��s right. This is the thinking of humans, but it is completely different for Chaos worshipers. Chaos worshipers may make precise plans, but the plans are only a means to reach the end. Therefore, as long as they reach the end, they don��t care about the results because to them, reaching the end is the result. And the true result to them is�� meaningless. They don��t care about success or failure.��


    ���� Is that possible?��


    Although Rhode said it like a tongue twister, Sonia quickly understood what he meant. This situation was as though a particular person in the parliament raised a proposal. In order for the proposal to pass, that man prepared a lot of materials, coaxed many talents, and used several means to ensure that it was approved. In the end, with his hard work, the proposal passed and gained a lot of support. But just as the materials were ready and about to be implemented to achieve results, the man suddenly said, ��Sorry, I��m not playing anymore; I quit�� and left�� Wasn��t that nuts?


    At this moment, Sonia discovered that the crazy person she imagined was too ��shallow��. She thought that the so-called Chaos worshipers were a group of protesters rushing to the streets and brandishing their weapons. But now, it seemed like they were only side characters. Such crazy people were the scariest.


    ��Will it really be fine, Master? Even though the result of the election hasn��t been announced, Nakvard seems to have a high chance of becoming the new parliament chairman. If that happened����


    The thought of working for an insane person left Sonia��s hair standing. In fact, she wouldn��t be that fearful if Nakvard was indeed one because she could counter him with her own vicious means. Besides, even if there were any conflicts, they could also use their common goal as a result to communicate and probe each other. But if Nakvard turned out like what Rhode said and Chaos worshipers were a group of insane people, Sonia wasn��t confident in dealing with them.


    ��This was why I told you to not get involved with their internal matters. I suppose the Chaos worshipers have already infiltrated the roots of the parliament. If not, they couldn��t have possibly done such a thing�� Hmm?�� At this moment, Rhode recalled something. He twitched his brows and the corner of his lips rolled up. ��No, there is something that you can do, Sonia. You should be aware that I hate seeing stability in the Country of Light, right? And you also said that Nakvard and Greig have almost equal votes.��


    ��Yes, Master. Both of them have a lot of supporters, but Nakvard has slightly more because there are many immigrants among the supporters. On the other hand, Greig��s supporters are mainly the people of the Country of Light.��


    Born in one of the five largest financial groups, Sonia naturally knew a lot about this.


    ��Good. So����


    Rhode leaned forward and whispered into her ear. Sonia revealed an astonished expression, which quickly turned into a look of admiration and respect.


    ��Your thoughts are brilliant, Master. But�� Will this be alright? What if Nakvard����


    ��We��ll discuss Nakvard��s problem in the future. It will be for the best if he is willing to strike. The weaker and more chaotic the Country of Light is, the easier it is for us to execute our plan. Besides����


    Rhode revealed a gracious smile.


    ��Isn��t it the perfect opportunity for us?��

 Chapter 965

    After parting ways with Sonia, Rhode didn��t return to his territory immediately. Instead, he went to look for Lydia and explained the situation he and Alice predicted. The confident and chic Lydia didn��t seem affected as she displayed a gentle smile, bowing respectfully to him.


    ��I��m really thankful for the information you provided me, Your Majesty Rhode. It seems like seeking your assistance is the right choice. I can��t be more grateful to receive such a detailed answer from you.��


    ��Don��t you have any opinions, Your Royal Highness Lydia?��


    Rhode twitched his brows curiously. He wasn��t too surprised because even though Lydia persisted in her own ways, the fact that she was devoted to the Creator Dragon Souls never changed. Therefore, Rhode had already guessed that Lydia wouldn��t treat Lilian differently based on the fact that she might be involved with Chaos. But what he didn��t expect was that Lydia wasn��t hesitant at all. Back then when he heard this news, he pondered for a few minutes. But now, Lydia was behaving as though she knew about this the whole time.


    ��I don��t have any opinions, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Lydia said with a warm smile and shook her head. She strolled to the window and watched the beautiful view with narrowed eyes. After a few moments, she continued.


    ��The land will forever be the land while the sky will forever be the sky. Maintaining balance in the mind is the most important. Her Majesty Lilian isn��t at fault, so it isn��t a behavior worthy of praise to hurt and isolate a fragile sprout based on guesses. The atrocity of Chaos isn��t the responsibility of Her Majesty Lilian. In that case, why must I be bothered? The only thing that I can understand now is what my two rigid companions are thinking about. Although I��ve indeed deduced this situation through their actions����


    Lydia shook her head. Then, she turned around and displayed a teasing smile.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, greed is a taboo. I��ve heard that the moon princess is a guest at your place now. Am I right?��


    ��If it were possible, I would rather not have that guest around.��


    Rhode answered within a split second. In fact, this was his genuine opinion. On the other hand, Lydia giggled and curled her lips in displeasure. ��That wasn��t nice, Your Majesty Rhode. Erin is a good person. As her close friend, I can��t possibly turn a blind eye to this.��


    Rhode rolled his eyes instantly. Do you even know what you��re talking about, Madam Archangel? As one of the three archangels, aren��t you afraid of being suspected as having illicit relations with a foreign country for calling their princess your close friend? Forget it. Judging from her personality, perhaps she wasn��t even concerned about it.


    ��By the way, even though this isn��t for revenge����


    As Rhode cursed in his head, Lydia spoke, as though to make things difficult for him.


    ��How has Lize been doing, Your Majesty Rhode? As her elder sister, I��m really concerned about her happiness. Please pardon my rudeness, but I��m wondering what plans you have for her. For instance, her identity, position, et cetera����


    ������


    Rhode realized that this archangel with the vibrant smile was the most deceptive one.


    ***


    Nakvard strolled in the dark passage as his elegant, luxurious noble attire accentuated his tall stature. Also, his neatly combed hair spoke much about his personality. He held the cane carved from jade, walking on the sloping stone path as though patrolling his territory. This place wasn��t clean at all and there were even stolons emerging from the slate covered with dirt and filth. Nakvard continued to stroll to the end of the passage. However, there was no secret room or mechanism. Instead, it was only a dead end.


    Suddenly, a dim radiance shone from above, but it didn��t eradicate the pitch-black darkness. On the contrary, it caused a chemical reaction like a solvent which turned darkness into a disgusting, turbid matter where several indistinct human figures appeared within.


    Nakvard stooped over for a bow to express his respects.


    ��The fifth dragon soul heir has officially appeared and the Order barrier has become more secure.��


    Shortly after, one of them spoke with a voice that sounded discomforting like noise pollution. The others stood quietly in the turbid matter and gazed at the speaker.


    ��Our plans have been obstructed. Don��t you have any intention to do anything about it?��


    The plain voice was as though this matter wasn��t troublesome at all.


    ��Our plans have indeed been obstructed, but this isn��t anything to be concerned about.��


    Nakvard lifted his head and answered plainly.


    ��As long as we follow the plans and control the Light Dragon��s vessel, all problems will be resolved. The structure of Order will ultimately be worth nothing before the face of mighty Chaos. As long as we keep our patience, the day Chaos devours this continent will eventually come.��


    ��Don��t forget. That isn��t our ultimate goal, Nakvard.��


    At his moment, another figure spoke. His sharp voice echoed in the passage like a pair of razor-sharp claws, leaving ghastly slashes on the walls. The dark, ancient passage shook in his voice as though it were about to collapse anytime. Nakvard sulked for a split second before responding with his calm, solemn voice.


    ��Of course, I��m well aware of it. Besides, I��ve had enough time to accomplish it. The Void Territory is currently the best option for us to exploit. Their overlord who is also the new Void Dragon has a strong sense of hatred against the Country of Light. If we make good use of them, the conflagration of war will spread throughout this continent as a sacrificial ceremony to welcome the arrival of Chaos. Besides���� Nakvard paused. At this moment, the person who was always by Lilian��s side appeared in his mind. As someone who could be exploited, the young lady left a deep impression on Nakvard. ���� I��ve found the suitable person to inject Chaos into our vessel.��


    ��Good. We��re looking forward to seeing success with your plan. After Chaos descends, you will receive the highest reward as we agreed. As for the results�� Anything is fine for that sort of thing.��


    ��Of course, I��ve always been doing my best.��


    Nakvard lowered his head deeply. Then, when he lifted his head, the strange radiance had vanished, leaving only the disgusting hue of Chaos within the pitch-black darkness. The disturbing presence continued to sway and distort into weird shapes.


    ��I��ll get that huge amount of strength just from summoning Chaos?��


    Nakvard muttered under his breath while his eyes burned passionately as though proving his most fanatical belief and reverence to the ��miracle�� occurring before him. This was what he wanted and fought for! Authority and power would be worth nothing after Chaos contaminated the world. All of these were meaningless to him! Although their plans to use the Country of Darkness to attack the Munn Kingdom and Country of Light failed, he had successfully found another replacement. The Void Territory��judging from their previous actions, not only did they have obvious hatred toward the Country of Light, but they also possessed adequate strength to destroy the Country of Light. They were the best replacement. Even though they weren��t as powerful as the Country of Darkness, they were still more than enough for him to exploit.


    Although I don��t know why the Void Dragon detests the Country of Light so much, it looks like I shall add fuel to this burning hatred.


    Nakvard revealed an excited smile like an innocent child.


    It��s almost time for the next battle.

 Chapter 966

    Order Palace.


    Bright sunlight shone through the windows and illuminated the glossy slate. Rhode lifted the teacup and took a sip of the fragrant red tea. Then, he gazed at the twin sisters sitting opposite him.


    ��Thank you for your assistance for the past two days, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Siena said before bowing respectfully, while Rhode waved his hand casually in response. After the Order Ceremony ended, Lilian and Ion left the Country of Law respectively. Ion was straightforward in his departure because as a person of the Country of Darkness, he wasn��t a fan of the sunlight in the Country of Law. On the other hand, Lilian couldn��t bear to leave Rhode��s side and it was a pity she couldn��t be the decision maker. Even though she wanted to follow Rhode and check out the Void Territory, she had to leave with the three archangels eventually. As for Lydia, Rhode didn��t know how she dealt with the situation thereafter but judging from the tense atmosphere among the three archangels, it was apparent that their opinions weren��t aligned and their relationship seemed to be on an edge. But this wasn��t too surprising. Since communications couldn��t resolve the issue, it was common that sometimes after learning one another��s opinions, they would become increasingly determined about their standpoints and beliefs. And now, it seemed like rupture between them was unavoidable.


    Also, there was an even more idiotic matter��


    ��The emissaries of the Light Parliament expressed that they don��t recognize you as a dragon soul heir.��


    ��Haha.��


    Rhode chuckled and revealed a smile, but no one knew if he had intentionally emphasized on the pronunciation of ��haha�� clearly.


    ��Those people have already disregarded their own dragon soul heir, so this isn��t surprising, Your Majesty Siena�� Haha. Maybe one day you will hear the Light Parliament announcing that they will remove the position of dragon soul heir and allow the Country of Light to be ruled completely by people.��


    Nalea snickered as though it were an interesting joke, but Siena knitted her brows and let out a helpless sigh. As the rulers of the Country of Law and manager of the churches, they knew what the Light Parliament had done in the Country of Light. However, they were powerless against their decisions because no matter what, those were internal affairs which not even they, as the Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons, could interfere with. If the twin dragons were compared to the court, the situation would be as though the plaintiff submitted a complaint and the defendant pleaded, which led to them passing judgment on the situation. But if the plaintiff didn��t submit a complaint, the existence of the court would be meaningless because the twin dragons couldn��t possibly take up responsibility for nothing as this would throw off the balance in this world.


    But the direction of where the Country of Light was heading was indeed worrisome��


    ��We are powerless in that aspect.��


    Siena spoke. To the twin dragons, humans were nothing more than just one of the countless races in this continent and weren��t any different from undead creatures, elves, dwarves, goblins, or giants. Humans didn��t have the right to doubt the identity of a dragon soul heir, so the so-called objection from the Light Parliament was basically a joke and no dragon soul heir would treat them seriously. But it was also this reason that Siena mentioned this issue.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, we know that you��ve had some conflicts with the Country of Light in the past����


    ��And?��


    Rhode replied and gazed silently at the two young ladies. His voice was plain and calm as though they were talking about something unimportant. On the other hand, Siena felt her head hurt after hearing his response. It seemed like it was just as she thought. This dragon soul heir seemed to have a massive resentment toward the Country of Light. Even though his earlier responses sounded as though he didn��t take the matter to heart, she was sure now that he apparently wasn��t interested in discussing this issue. And this meant that he wouldn��t change his opinion based on suggestions from others.


    But Siena wanted to try and convince him. In fact, although the Country of Light and Country of Darkness were in a war previously, it was still within control for the Country of Law. Even though Ion had wild ambitions, he was also respectful to the ��rules�� and knew how to gain personal benefits within Order. This was why the Country of Law remained silent and didn��t intervene when the Country of Darkness attacked the Country of Light. But this dragon soul heir was completely different. It was obvious that he wasn��t only fighting for territory or resources. Instead, Siena discovered that his goal was extremely self-centered and he purely wanted to give the Country of Light a beating. Such goalless and reckless plans were the most worrisome.


    ��I suppose you��ve realized that the Dragon Soul Continent isn��t in a great state. Since you��ve opened up a land of Chaos, you must��ve also experienced the menacing threats of Chaos. Currently, Chaos is trying to infiltrate this world again to reach its goal. We have to maintain the balance of Order to prevent it from happening and war is the easiest way to break Order and reveal Chaos. So����


    ��You hope that I won��t attack the Country of Light?��


    Rhode interrupted and placed the teacup on the table. He gazed amusingly at the two sisters. Siena gaped when suddenly, her smirking elder sister held her hand and looked at him.


    ��Oh no, you��re always so impatient, Siena. No one will listen to you this way.��


    ��But Big Sister����


    Siena instinctively retorted, but eventually let out a helpless sigh. It seemed like she was so used to her elder sister��s peculiar way of thinking that she raised the white flag immediately. Nalea looked pleasingly at her younger sister who ��surrendered�� and took a piece of biscuit with a smile. Then, she gazed at Rhode.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, we��re not trying to intervene in your matters with the Country of Light because I can see that you are close with Her Majesty Lilian. If you��re only feeling annoyed by those humans, could you please hold back a little? After all, we��ll have a hard time handling things if you take it too far. Unlike Siena, I��m a very lazy person who doesn��t wish to get involved with trouble.��


    ��Big Sister����


    Siena puckered her brows while Rhode gazed interestingly at Nalea, who always appeared airheaded. Although Nalea sounded as though she was purely complaining, he heard the contradicting threats and pleas behind her words. Indeed, Nalea wanted to avoid trouble and expressed her standpoint that if it were possible, she didn��t wish to have any conflicts with the Void Territory. On the contrary, she was also secretly warning him that if he took things too far, she wouldn��t sit by idly as the Judgment Dragon. Even though this only represented her personal view, it also meant that Siena would also get involved.


    Was she simply saying this or was there a deeper meaning?


    Rhode gazed into the beautiful golden eyes of Nalea, but couldn��t find the answer he was looking for. It seemed like it was the same as the players had guessed. Nalea was either acting foolish or just purely evil. No matter which, it was the hardest to communicate with someone like her because one wouldn��t know exactly what she was thinking. Nonetheless, it seemed like the Country of Law had expressed their thoughts clearly enough.


    But��


    ��I can understand where you��re coming from, but I never said that I��ll give up. Indeed, just like both of you think, I do detest the Country of Light and it doesn��t matter if I am a friend of Lilian or an enemy to the parliament. But the reason why I attacked the Country of Light wasn��t due to personal grudges. Instead, it was just coincidental that my personal grudges and goal were similar. You see, Your Majesty Nalea, Your Majesty Siena, since this is a job, it will always be better to focus on a job that I like and put all my energy into, right? Can��t destroying Chaos in enjoyment be more comfortable than doing it seriously? Or maybe you need me to do it painfully?��


    ��Chaos?��


    The sisters were astonished. Siena��s ice-cold expression instantly turned solemn while Nalea��s lazy expression became serious. Rhode narrowed his eyes and scanned them. After a few moments, he let out a chuckle.


    ��Why? What��s the matter? Even a country with such a strict system of governance like the Country of Darkness has been invaded by Chaos, so did you really think that the cheese full of holes��the Country of Light��already hasn��t been infiltrated by Chaos? Or perhaps both of you thought that I��m only thrashing the Country of Light for my personal enjoyment? Of course, I don��t deny this fact, that is.��


    ��This����


    Siena lowered her head in embarrassment. Just as Rhode mentioned, they couldn��t possibly not suspect the Country of Light before, especially after the parliament strongly promoted the elimination of dragon soul heirs. Even though the twin sisters weren��t largely affected as they resided in the Country of Law, they often heard rumors like ��Creator Dragon Souls are dictators. Their presences are meaningless. We should overthrow them and use our hands to build the perfect future for ourselves�� and were hugely displeased by them. Of course, they wouldn��t take it to heart if those were just ordinary conversation. After all, the continent was huge and it was only normal that some people disliked authority. But for the parliament to spread propaganda, it wasn��t possible that the twin sisters weren��t feeling resentful.


    It went without saying that such abnormal behaviors captured the attention of the Country of Law. But the twin sisters couldn��t possibly launch an investigation on the Country of Light based on that. No matter what, the Country of Law had to maintain their neutral standpoint. If they were to investigate the situation without evidence, it would be disadvantageous for them.


    But now, a man who couldn��t care less about his position appeared before them.


    ��Do you have any evidence?��


    Siena asked awkwardly with knitted brows. Even though she didn��t feel like Rhode was too reliable when they first met, she began to feel nervous now after seeing him behaving in this ��righteous�� manner. On the other hand, Nalea was still smiling and fooling around as though she didn��t hear what he just said and continued to savor the slice of dessert.


    Rhode twitched his brows to Siena��s question.


    ��Of course, I have sufficient evidence to prove that the parliament��s high level has been infiltrated by Chaos. Do you two have any other doubts?��


    ��Really?!��


    Siena stood to her feet anxiously. In fact, they had always been suspicious of the Light Parliament. But as the dragon soul heirs of the Country of Law, they couldn��t understand what was going on internally in the Country of Light. Perhaps they could gather some intelligence, but only the people who lived there understood what exactly the country had become.


    ��That��s right. I have sufficient, detailed, and concrete evidence. So will both of you continue to stop me?��


    ��But Your Majesty Rhode, aren��t you afraid of falling into Chaos��s trap? I��ve said earlier that war is the best opportunity for Chaos to enter because after Order crumples, Chaos will take advantage of the lapse����


    ��This is why we must resolve all problems as soon as possible. The infected limb should be quickly cut off if it can��t be treated and this will not endanger the life of the subject���� Rhode displayed a beautiful smile. ���� Don��t you think so?��


    ������


    The sisters fell into deep silence the instant they witnessed his smile. At this moment, they were as though bystanders who clearly sensed his strong, ice-cold murderous intent and matchless desire to destroy his enemies. He had as though unsheathed his sword and pointed its razor-sharp tip at his prey while they were blinded by the radiance from his glistening blade. Siena instinctively swallowed her saliva while Nalea��s smiley face stiffened.


    ��So�� May we know what evidence����


    ��History has been distorted.��


    At this moment, a voice sounded crisply. Siena turned around immediately and discovered a black-haired young lady clad in a plain dress, sitting quietly with a heavy book in her hands. Siena recognized her since she was the one who led Rhode and his subjects to the sacred palace earlier on. But what surprised her was that this young lady seemed to have been around them all along and they didn��t notice her presence!


    This is impossible!


    As one of the twin dragons, Siena was aware of everything that was happening within her territory. She quickly analyzed this young lady but what bewildered her was that the young lady didn��t use any teleportation spell or illusion stealth. So�� how did she conceal her presence in the first place?


    ��Excuse me, you are����


    Siena asked. Alice looked up, swept a look at her, and lowered her head again.


    ��Alice�� Alice Darlaston. Nice to meet you, dragon soul heir of the Ruling Dragon.��


    ��Alice����


    Not only did Siena��s expression change slightly, but Nalea also widened her eyes curiously.


    ��Uh-oh, I didn��t expect a Deity Warden to be here personally. I��m really surprised����


    ��I��m only here to make a statement on behalf of my master.��


    Alice turned the page and replied softly.


    ��The distortion of history is strengthening. Chaos is about to come to this world again. This is all that I can say. As to whether to confirm their authenticity�� you should be able to do it, right?��


    ���� Yes.��


    Siena nodded with a subtle expression. Perhaps others weren��t aware, but every dragon soul heir possessed extraordinary powers within their own dragon soul protection. As for Siena and Nalea, anyone who spoke to them would have their sentences taken as ��testimonies��. As the Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons, the instant they heard their words, they could determine if the other party was telling the truth. Therefore, the so-called evidence was completed the moment the testimonies were established.


    ��Exactly.��


    Rhode stood up with an unprecedented and pressurizing aura.


    ��So I hope to make a deal with both of you. I can help you get rid of the trouble. In exchange, I hope that you two will also contribute because no matter what, Chaos is our common enemy, isn��t it?��


    Rhode spoke with a smile.


    Siena and Nalea exchanged glances. Then, Siena nodded in agreement.


    ��Since this is verified and related to Chaos, for the sake of the continent, we do have the ability to provide a certain degree of assistance to you.��


    ��Good.��


    The corners of Rhode��s mouth rolled up.


    ��Alright then. I have a small request����

 Chapter 967

    After the Order Ceremony ended, Rhode��s Void Territory was officially recognized. Even though the Light Parliament asserted that Rhode��s ��immoral character�� made him unfit to be a dragon soul heir, no one bothered with their nonsense. The fact that he was on par with Lilian, Ion, Siena, and Nalea was enough to prove his identity. After an endless amount of time, the heir of the Void Dragon who was missing finally showed up.


    There weren��t any huge changes for Rhode. After he discussed with Marlene about the Mage Tower, he eventually agreed for them to construct the Dimension Gate. But he only approved for the Dimension Gate to face outward and not inward. If not, he would immediately cancel the agreement and destroy the gate. On the other hand, the Mage Tower agreed and at the same time, the stationing works of the church, Mercenary Association, Alchemist Association, and various large-scale organizations also proceeded in an orderly manner. As a result, the Void Territory became much more lively now. Not only were there more immigrants, but there were also many people who arrived in the Void Territory for sightseeing. After all, they didn��t dare to go to the Country of Darkness and the Country of Law seemed similar to the Country of Light in appearance. On the contrary, Rhode��s Void Territory was like a scene from ��outer space�� and was extremely unique.


    In terms of external affairs, apart from handing Erin over to the Void Territory, the Country of Darkness didn��t take any other actions. The Country of Law had no responses too because they had already sent their representatives to the Land of Atonement earlier on. Back then, they were sent to communicate with Rhode and for convenience in monitoring.


    However, the Country of Light was in the most conflicting situation. After their entire border army was wiped out by Rhode, they no longer had any intention of conducting high-level contacts with the Void Territory. Of course, they used the incident in Highland City to announce that the Country of Light would never recognize the Void Territory as a nation and prohibit all diplomatic ties with them. Not only that, but they also attempted to stop all trade associations of the Country of Light from entering the Void Territory regardless of purpose and forbid merchant ships from also entering the Void Territory��s port, stopping all trades completely. It was particularly enforced for important resources like military armaments and foodstuffs. Moreover, they also announced that if they discovered any territories who violated the ban, they would hand out severe punishments.


    The people of the Country of Light celebrated after the ban was announced because they were totally sick of the Void Territory after their failure in war against the Country of Darkness and the incident in Highland City. But it was a pity that not everyone supported the ban, especially the five largest financial groups. Everyone knew that the Void Territory was first founded by opening up the land of Chaos, which meant that it was full of business opportunities. The five largest financial groups had initially decided to make a fortune, but they didn��t expect the parliament to meddle with their affairs. Although the five largest financial groups were obviously unhappy, they didn��t have any countersolutions. Even though they were basically the political mastermind behind the scenes, they couldn��t dictate all aspects of policy making. Moreover, most people in the Country of Light were supportive of this movement and eager to teach the Void Territory a lesson. Of course, this was all temporary.


    It seemed like this was a great move by the parliament as the Void Territory had basically nothing at this point. Even though Marlene and Lapis were around, there was insufficient infrastructure and few magic power plants for them to build upon. Although they could create their own, it would take a long time.


    But��


    Yes, the main point was ��but��.


    There was an important point in the parliament��s ��ruling��. Perhaps they could dispatch fleets of warships to block off the channels or stop merchant ships from entering, but there was one thing that they couldn��t control.


    And that was the transfer of money.


    Everyone knew that all money-exchanges and the transfer of money was completed in churches while churches were private assets of the Country of Law. This meant that the Country of Law was the true figure who grasped the financial lifeline of this continent. Rhode had criticized that even though the Country of Law was inconspicuous, they had already dominated the entire continent��


    Perhaps the parliament could accomplish many things, but if there was something that they couldn��t do, it would be enough for Rhode to exploit if it was important enough. And now, this was the situation that was happening.


    The parliament��s ruling seemed terrifying but in fact, its essence was to completely block the financial circulation of the Void Territory. But financial circulation wasn��t within their grasp so they couldn��t possibly stop anyone from transferring money in and out of the Void Territory. It could also be said that even if Rhode had millions of platinum coins in Casabianca, the parliament couldn��t do anything about it unless they broke into the churches and seized their vaults. But this way, they would be openly falling out with the Country of Law.


    If Rhode could make them go that far, he would have done it even if it cost him millions of platinum coins.


    This was why even though the parliament��s blockade seemed powerful and strong, that wasn��t the truth at all. As long as one understood the knack to the situation, they would know that the parliament was just like a leashed dog. It might be barking bravely now, but if it were released by its owner to attack, it would quickly hide in safety. Therefore, not everyone treated their bans seriously.


    First and foremost was the Munn Kingdom. Based on the relationship between Lydia and Rhode, as well as the geographical location of the Munn Kingdom and the Void Territory, the Country of Light��s fleet would only be there as decorations no matter how powerful they were unless they were used to attack the Munn Kingdom. Moreover, their fleet of broken ships was nothing in the face of the powerful, airborne magic warships of the Munn Kingdom. This was why the Munn Kingdom totally disregarded the parliament��s warnings and swiftly signed a full range of commercial trades with the Void Territory. Not only was Lydia willing to sell ordinary goods, but she also offered small-scale magic warships. This news caused an uproar in the Munn Kingdom. But since Lydia was the biggest personnel in the Munn Kingdom and Rhode from the Void Territory also returned the favor, the objections slowly disappeared.


    Compared to the Munn Kingdom, the number of goods that the Void Territory could export was very limited. All Rhode could provide was mainly materials which were currently the easiest to gather and develop in the Void Territory. But this wouldn��t be enough in the long run. He also didn��t wish to see his territory turning into someone else��s farm. But�� There was always a gap between wish and reality.


    After returning to the Void Territory, the ��technical team�� consisting of Rhode, Marlene, Lapis, and the three humanoids��Rain, Heart, and Haze��got into a long discussion about how the technological tree of the Void Territory should be scaled. Although Marlene possessed ancient knowledge as the ��Wisdom Deity Warden��, the problem was that everything had to start afresh if they were to build the first generation of the Void Territory that consisted of advanced technologies. This was because the required equipment and techniques were different back then. It could also be said that the magic power devices on this continent were restored from the previous wreckage after going through intensive research and their power was around one-fifth of its original level. That was far from being able to support Marlene��s ancient magical technology. The only advantage was that even though modern magical technologies weren��t as powerful as its ancient counterpart, the unique self-circulation system was at an advanced stage. If they were to use the modern magical technologies, it would drastically decrease the amount of time needed to develop the territory. But the disadvantage was that once established, Marlene��s knowledge of the ancient magical technologies wouldn��t come to good use anymore because the power cores were different. The materials needed to create the ancient magic power devices had to be of higher quality. With the current level of magical technology, it was impossible to create such materials.


    On the other hand, if they used the ancient magic technology, everything would have to start from scratch. Besides, it wasn��t as simple as just changing the magic power devices. It also meant that all industries and properties must be upgraded, such as the melting furnaces for ores and magical machines for steel-processing. Even though this would allow the initially prosperous Void Territory to reappear and create many strong magic power devices that the modern era couldn��t contend with, it would take a long time to accomplish. If they were fortunate, they would take one to two years. But if they were unlucky, they would take three to five years instead. Moreover, this was only for the foundation. The amount of time needed might increase as the industries were upgraded.


    Of course, it would be for the best if they could combine both technologies. But the problem was that the difference in features between them was too huge. One couldn��t possibly implement something from the steampunk era in the atomic era because it would be too outdated. For the same reason, one couldn��t possibly manufacture a nuclear reactor during the steampunk era because the competencies of technologies then were completely inadequate.


    If it was only for a war on this continent, the current technologies weren��t sufficient either. On the contrary, it would be a totally different situation if Rhode were facing enemies like Chaos. According to the scenes he saw in history, not even ancient magical technologies resisted Chaos for long, so if they only had this level of technology now�� Perhaps they would sink in minutes.


    But it would take them a lot of time if they were to restore the ancient magical technologies. As for the Country of Darkness�� Would they be willing to wait that long? Even though Ion sent Erin over, which seemed like a sign of goodwill, no one knew exactly what he was planning. Perhaps this was only a delaying tactic by him? On the other hand, if he truly wished to rope Rhode in, Rhode would need to marry Erin as a response, which was impossible. Although the dessert was captivating, the thought of his harem crumpling made him abandon this thought immediately.


    The ��technical team�� discussed for three straight days but reached no conclusion. Since there was no result, Rhode decisively jumped to the next issue.


    Deepest Labyrinth.


    ��Leader, are you sure?��


    Mini Bubble Gum knitted her brows and gazed rather worriedly at him. After completing the mission of the Order Ceremony, the mission rewarded him with permissions for Mini Bubble Gum and Canary to leave the restricted territories. But as Phantom Guardians, they still had some limitations. They could only roam within a radius of 500 meters with Rhode in the center. However, they were more than glad to gain this amount of freedom.


    ��There are so many things going on in the territory now. Do you think it is a good idea to head there now?��


    Canary also revealed a dubious expression. Even though they were powerful in strength, they were completely helpless in the development of territory. Even though Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were godlike in the game, there were still obvious differences in reality. In reality, Canary had only just started university while Mini Bubble Gum hadn��t even graduated from secondary school. Talking about managing a territory and country? That would be asking too much from them. This was why Rhode had been so busy. But even so, there was something that they were worried about.


    The reason was simple. After failing to reach a conclusion in the meeting, Rhode began his preparations for battles in the Deepest Labyrinth.


    ��I��ve made up my mind. I will definitely go this time. I don��t know why, but I feel like there��s something that I must look for at the end of the Deepest Labyrinth. Even though I don��t know what it is, I feel like it has something to do with why I��m here in the first place�� This is why I must go.��


    Rhode puckered his brows. During the Order Ceremony, he clearly witnessed the system prompts about the Deepest Labyrinth��s signals being activated. For some unknown reason, he felt like there was a certain secret that was related to him. That was an intuition that exceeded his instincts as though he ��knew�� that ��something�� was really there, but he didn��t know what exactly it was.


    ��Indeed�� It��s a good idea to grind some levels in the Deepest Labyrinth. Leader, you��re strong enough now, it��s just that your level is increasing really slowly�� Hmm�� You��re also as aware of the place. Big Sister and I can at most reach the 40th floor and even with you around, we still can��t reach the end.��


    If it were in the past, Mini Bubble Gum would have agreed to hunt for newer equipment. But now, she had already received a new set of equipment from Marlene, so she wasn��t too interested in getting lower-level equipment anymore. Of course, the main reason was also her�� ��unlucky looting aura��.


    ��Don��t worry.��


    Rhode looked at the two young ladies.


    ��I��ve confirmed with Alice that the Deepest Labyrinth was created by the Creator Dragon Souls. Since I have the power of the Void Dragon in me, the guardians won��t attack us. What we need to deal with are most likely the hidden creatures residing in the labyrinth. If we were to face enemies stronger than us, I can summon the guardians to fight for us.��


    ��Heh heh. In this case, it��s gonna be interesting.��


    Mini Bubble Gum snickered with an excited expression as though she was deluded. Canary saw her expression and let out a helpless sigh. She and Rhode exchanged glances and witnessed a bitter smile in their eyes. They couldn��t be blamed because as players, they were equally as proud as Mini Bubble Gum upon hearing this news. The thought of controlling and turning those powerful BOSSes who were capable of wiping out their party into meat shields felt so amazing.


    ��But will everything be fine, Rhode?��


    ��Even though scaling the technology tree is important to us, it doesn��t affect the people much. During this period of time, it is most important to help settle down the immigrants and ensure that they lead stable and peaceful lives�� Since I can��t handle it myself, I might as well let Marlene manage them. For now, my priority is in strengthening myself. As for the specific development of the territory, I will get to that after I return.��


    As Marlene had become one of his summoned spirits, Rhode could communicate with her spiritually. So even if something were to happen in his territory, she could immediately report the situation to him. Besides, with the Deity Wardens of Wisdom and History holding down the fort, the weaklings from the Country of Light could forget about returning home after paying a visit.


    ��What about the Country of Light? I heard from Marlene that their election has ended. In this case, will the new parliament chairman take actions against the Void Territory?��


    Canary asked in a rather worried tone as Rhode revealed an uncharacteristic, amusing smile.


    ��Haha�� We��ll worry about it when they find the time to settle down.��

 Chapter 968

    The Deepest Labyrinth was the biggest and toughest dungeon in the entire continent. There were seven to eight entrances on the first floor distributed in remote corners of the continent and they were all guarded by countless powerful monsters. It was a huge challenge for players to simply find an entrance and they might even be eliminated before they found one if they were unlucky. The parties who successfully passed the arduous test were viewed in a new light by others.


    In this world, the Deepest Labyrinth represented rumors, sinister devils, mysterious traps, rare treasures, and countless powerful spells and equipment to the natives. There were mercenaries who partnered with adventurers in heading to that place occasionally, attempting to obtain some valuable treasures. But unlike players, they didn��t have the miraculous opportunity of reviving once they lost their lives��


    ��Heyah����!��


    A massive shining shield streaked a dazzling radiance in the forest, blasting away the monsters with the sudden burst of violent whirlwind. The half-a-meter-long bees flapped their wings and menacingly sprayed poisonous venom to stop the human intruders. But they only lasted for less than a second when suddenly, the whirlwind shredded their armored shells like razor-sharp blade rays. Beads of dark green blood sprang up and scattered in the blustering winds.


    At the next moment, a white, gentle brilliance shone and enfolded everything, purifying the lethal-looking streams of dark green blood instantly. When the radiance faded away, there were no signs of any monsters apart from the whirlwind-struck, devastated forest. The poisonous bees that swarmed the sky were nowhere to be seen anymore��not even their remains could be spotted.


    ��All done, Leader!��


    Anne raised the shield proudly and gestured to Rhode behind her. Then, she turned to Mini Bubble Gum with a wide grin while Mini Bubble Gum responded with a thrilled smile plastered across her face as they high-fived each other.


    ��Yeah!��


    These two can��t be cured.


    Rhode shrugged helplessly. Ever since that ��passionate�� night ended, he discovered some changes in the relationship between the young ladies in his harem. Perhaps it was easier for them to let their pride go after they saw one another naked because he realized that some of them had become much closer. For instance, Mini Bubble Gum and Anne. Both of them had similar personalities, were experts in close-combat, and often ran amok during battles. At this moment, their relationship had become even better.


    ��Seems like they��ve become really close, isn��t it, Rhode?��


    Canary stood quietly beside him, narrowing her eyes and smiling at the two energetic young ladies. Rhode shrugged in silence, looked up at the azure sky, and heaved a sigh.


    ��Honestly, blue skies and white clouds are still the most pleasing to the eyes�� Or maybe I was used to this.��


    Rhode couldn��t find an entrance to the Deepest Labyrinth in the Void Territory despite using his system interface to locate one. He suspected that the entrances were buried underneath some ruins. In the end, he decided to head to the entrances in other regions. The Country of Light was a no go for him. Even though Mini Bubble Gum and Canary couldn��t wait to stir up trouble in the Country of Light, he decided to let the Country of Light off after considering the important people around him this time.


    ��Christie, how are you feeling?��


    Rhode gazed at the little girl rather worriedly. Christie lifted her head and nodded with an adorable smile. Unlike in the past, Christie was now wearing a slightly thin white robe and a pair of dark brown high boots and was wrapped in a deep purple laced cloak. Judging from her appearance, she seemed like a wealthy young lady who was out sightseeing. Standing beside her was Bell who followed her quietly like a shadow, often glancing to the sides vigilantly.


    This was the reason why Rhode forwent the entrance in the Country of Light and came to the Munn Kingdom��s border where the Enchanted Forest was. Of course, he didn��t inform Lydia about this. Even though he couldn��t roam around freely like a mercenary or overlord anymore, he wasn��t mindful about it.


    He initially had decided to not bring Christie along. But to his surprise, the other ��Christie�� requested to join him with the purpose of allowing Christie to adapt to her newfound powers. According to the other ��Christie��, engaging in live battles was the best way to enhance one��s strength. Besides, there was also a need for Christie to get used to her strength so her body could adjust to the power and bloodline of a Deity Warden. In fact, even at this point in time, Rhode still couldn��t understand why the other ��Christie�� chose to create a ��doppelg?nger�� in this plane of existence because according to the situation in High Cliff Village, Christie would have been sacrificed or killed if Rhode��s group didn��t arrive in time. He refused to believe that this was destined in the other ��Christie��s�� life.


    Even though he raised this question to the other ��Christie�� in the past, she didn��t seem obliged to discuss it. She always skipped through the topic with a few perfunctory comments. Rhode wasn��t sure what attitude she had with her ��doppelg?nger��. But through her care and concern, she obviously didn��t seem to have the intention of making Christie her vessel. If she decided to do so, Rhode would definitely not agree.


    Before making this trip to the Deepest Labyrinth, he had considered the issues with manpower. Apart from bringing Canary and Mini Bubble Gum along, he also brought Christie and Bell. Initially, Angelina should have joined them, but after Erin arrived at the territory, he made her serve the moon princess instead. Even though Rhode had always been bustling about and didn��t seem like a ruler at all, he had actually predicted many problems and came up with means to resolve them. Even though the Country of Light couldn��t recover their forces during this time, they could still come up with several ways to stir trouble. This was why Rhode made Nell coordinate with Joey��s squad of thieves and assassins and investigate the immigrants. He knew that the Country of Light loved to instigate civilians as a means to cause trouble.


    Rhode had no intention of letting them succeed. For that, he had specially requested Nell to be on standby and eliminate the threats when necessary.


    He was certain that Nell understood what he meant. After all, she had lived in the society of Dark Elves for a long time.


    The Void Territory was currently in a stable state. As Rhode��s Corpse Slave, Sara could monitor every corner of the territory 24/7. As soon as there was any strange occurrence, she would inform Gillian immediately. As for Gillian�� He didn��t need to worry about her at all.


    This was also why he was so assured to hand matters to others while he came to the Enchanted Forest.


    The Enchanted Forest was located in the borders of the Munn Kingdom, the Country of Light, and the Country of Law and had an undetermined status due to many reasons. The main reason was that there were all sorts of terrifying and powerful monsters lurking within and ordinary armies couldn��t defeat them. One of the entrances to the Deepest Labyrinth was located deep inside the forest. It was known for its dangerous anomaly and no one was willing to step into the place at all. It was due to this that there was no need to dispatch military soldiers to manage the area.


    Of course, the greed of humans often overpowered the fear of danger. There were some ��Elf Hunters�� in the Country of Light who sneaked into the Country of Law via the Enchanted Forest, captured elves who were alone, and sold them back in the Country of Light. Of course, there were risks involved because there were several monster lords roaming the place. If the traffickers were unlucky, they would be killed ruthlessly. But even so, many groups of Elf Hunters existed because this was a highly lucrative business. Elves were the most valuable ��playthings�� to the riches in the Country of Light. As long as the hunters caught and sold an elf, they could live the rest of their lives in luxury.


    Normally, it was dangerous to enter the Enchanted Forest because one wouldn��t know when a monster would dash out of the dense woods. In such a tense atmosphere, nobody could relax and if they remained tense, they would be on the verge of going insane sooner or later. This was also one of the reasons why no one came to this place because they could hardly survive.


    But this didn��t apply to Rhode at all.


    After awakening the dragon soul power, he obtained several privileges of the dragon soul heir and one of them was the active skill of ��Dragon Prestige��. When he activated this skill, the dragon aura in him would erupt and immediately permeate throughout the surroundings, forcing the monsters far away from him. It was due to this reason that his group had been strolling in the forest as though they were sightseeing. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum wasn��t idling around as she dragged Anne along in search of bees nest and destroyed them to their hearts�� content.


    ��Phew�� It feels wonderful!��


    Mini Bubble Gum stretched with a proud, satisfied look. After ensuring that Christie was doing well, Rhode walked up to Mini Bubble Gum and Anne and patted their heads.


    ��Alright, you��ve had enough. It��s time to leave now. There��s still a long distance before we reach the Deepest Labyrinth, so don��t waste anymore time. We����


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Suddenly, he heard a series of loud explosions in the distance. Everyone turned to the roaring booms and witnessed bright flares, thick black smoke, and colorful, dazzling brilliances that forced them to narrow their eyes. Perhaps Christie and Bell couldn��t figure out what happened, but the others were veterans in the field. They immediately knew that it was a battle between spell casters.


    ��Oh-oh-oh. The show is finally starting. I��m bored to death, Leader. Let��s go!��


    Mini Bubble Gum jumped up and down as she looked into the distance. She seemed as though she couldn��t wait to thrash both parties. On the other hand, even though Anne remained silent, she was obviously one who couldn��t stand loneliness, judging from her tossing the shield and leaping up the tall tree. As for Canary, Christie, and Bell, they were waiting for Rhode to take the lead.


    ��Don��t start any trouble. Let��s go.��


    Unlike the energetic Mini Bubble Gum, Rhode was apparently uninterested. Although they were currently not deep in the forest yet, they were still in an area where ordinary people didn��t dare step into. It could also be said that none of the monsters here were easy to deal with and yet, there were still people caught in a battle. It seemed like they were either dumb or confident enough in their abilities that they could take down their enemies and the curious monsters. No matter what, Rhode didn��t wish to get involved with their affairs.


    ��Sigh�� Let��s go and take a look, Leader.��


    Mini Bubble Gum said while pouting.


    ��What are you worried about? There won��t be any danger with me and Big Sister around. You see��Big Sister, Anne, Little Christie, Bell, and I��we are like the best five-women team in the entire Internet cafe! There��s nothing to be afraid of!��


    �� Can��t you describe it in another way?


    Rhode twitched his brow and before he retorted, a flare shot up into the sky from the same location and burst into the dazzling pattern of a high tower.


    ��That��s the Mage Tower��s signal for help.��


    Canary spoke, caressing Christie��s hair as though to protect her. Then, she turned to Rhode and he already knew exactly what she meant. At this moment, Anne who climbed all the way up the tall tree yelled.


    ��Ah. I see them, Leader. Those guys are being beaten up so badly! Should we go help them?��


    Rhode pondered in silence before looking at Canary��s beautiful eyes. They exchanged looks briefly and Rhode let out a long sigh.


    ��Alright, let��s check it out.��

 Chapter 969

    When Rhode��s group arrived at the scene, the battle had almost ended.


    Magic spells were a kind of AOE skill. The lush forest leaned unsteadily from side to side due to the blast. There were two groups of people facing off. One side wore neat, bright-colored robes and uniforms while the other looked like a group of mercenaries clad in a variety of clothes while wielding different weapons. But it was this group of miscellaneous mercenaries who crushed the other side, leaving many lying in ponds of blood. The spell casters at the back struggled to maintain their magic barrier as they faced the magic attacks from the mercenaries. The five people wielding magic weapons standing in front of them were dealing with the mercenaries, perhaps attempting to drag out time or turn the situation into their favor. But their efforts were obviously meaningless because not only were there spell casters among the mercenaries, but there were also monsters encircling them. If this continued, they would be annihilated in less than 10 minutes.


    Rhode didn��t find anything strange about the mercenaries. He swept a glance at them and immediately recognized their identity. Although in normal circumstances, there shouldn��t be spell casters in mercenary groups, it was an exception here, especially for the guys who were specially here to capture elves. If they didn��t bring along spell casters, they would be seeking death entering the Enchanted Forest.


    But why are they facing off with the people of Mage Tower?


    Rhode patted Mini Bubble Gum��s head at this thought. The Mage Tower was the most popular organization for spell casters in this continent and it wouldn��t do them any disfavor if they offered help. Perhaps the Mage Tower might even be inclined to help the Void Territory in the future.


    ��Go, Bubble.��


    ��Yes! I��ve been waiting for this, Leader!��


    Mini Bubble Gum jumped up in excitement and raised her hand high.


    ��Oh-oh-oh, it��s finally time! Here I comeeeeee!��


    As she announced her arrival, a white radiance burst from her body and she darted forward like a blinding meteor.


    The Mage Tower��s spell casters were at their limits.


    ��Aaron! When are our reinforcements arriving? Hurry! We can��t hold on anymore!��


    The man brandished the burning battle ax and struck back at the mercenaries. He wore a white uniform with the emblem of the Mage Tower. Judging from his outfit, one would think that it was just a plain, defenseless attire. However, the faintly-glowing silver magical radiance proved otherwise. The invisible magic shield enveloping him was much sturdier than ordinary armor.


    The man with a dark complexion standing behind him, casting the defensive barrier, shook his head.


    ��I don��t think they��ll arrive in time, Richard. We��ve already fallen behind and maybe the other teams have arrived at the destination. Under such circumstances, they wouldn��t possibly turn back and rescue us even if they see our signal. Everyone knows what a terrifying place the Enchanted Forest is!��


    ��Damn it!��


    Richard sputtered. This was a disaster. In fact, they were apprentices of the Mage Tower who only came here for a test that would determine their fate in life. But never did they expect their luck to be this horrible, to meet a foreign group of ��hunters��. Moreover, this group of ��hunters�� also appeared to be heavily laden with captured elves.


    Richard had no intention of stirring up trouble at all. After all, they were here for their future. In the competitive Mage Tower, there was no room for failure and as soon as they fell behind, they couldn��t catch up at all. This was why when they met the group of mercenaries, they acted cautiously and kept a low profile. But apparently, the mercenaries weren��t interested in treating ��strangers�� nicely. Not only did they criticize the apprentices, but they also teased the young ladies among them and taunted them by torturing the pitiful elves��


    The apprentices were a group of lively and righteous youngsters and it went without saying that they couldn��t stand idly by and watch the mercenaries abuse the elves. In the end, both sides broke out in a battle. But�� Things were out of their expectations. They thought that they, as the elites of the Mage Tower, could take down the poorly-dressed mercenaries by close-combat or spells. To their surprise, the mercenaries were overwhelmingly powerful where even the strongest apprentices in their team were defeated and they could hardly hang on any longer.


    But what was the purpose of this?


    Richard gnashed his teeth, swinging the blazing battle ax in his hands. Even though their reactions as elites saved their lives from the quick attacks by the mercenaries, most of them were either gravely injured or had lost the strength to fight.


    This can��t go on. The longer we drag, the more problems we will face.


    Richard puckered his brows. They no longer had the strength to defend against the mercenaries. They were apparently stronger at casting spells than the mercenaries��and successfully kept them away��but there was still a limit, after all. Spell casters were also humans and couldn��t possibly cast infinite spells to resist their enemies. The only option now was to seize an opportunity for a counter-attack and quickly escape.


    Richard was no longer in the mood to consider what would happen to them later on. First and foremost, they had to overcome this obstacle and their corpses would definitely be devoured by the monsters if they failed! He clutched his weapon and made his decision.


    ��Samuel, Vinnie, Nila��coordinate with Ray and I to release the exploding flame spell! Hope, Fabian��set up a rune trap ahead and stop their retreat. Now! Attack!��


    Richard raised his battle ax and in an instant, the flames on his weapon erupted into a flame tornado that blasted the mercenaries before him. The mercenaries took a few steps back swiftly to avoid the scorching ambush. Even though they were experienced in battles, they weren��t spell casters, after all. They were afraid at the sight of the flames pouncing on them. At the same time, the swordsman standing beside Richard lifted his scarlet sword and slashed forward, releasing a dozen menacing blade rays. A few seconds later, the three Mages behind them raised their staffs and chanted in unison. All of a sudden, the blazing tornado transformed into a pentagram of magical ritual that burst in a series of explosions, enfolding the mercenaries in thick billows of black smoke.


    ��A bunch of useless trash!��


    The man in a black cloak standing at the back of the group of mercenaries snorted. Then, he raised his arm��


    ��Hurry! Leave this place now!��


    As the thick smoke and flames concealed the vision of the mercenaries, Richard immediately retreated, dragging along his unconscious companion. The rest of his group hurriedly supported their fallen comrades and also fled toward the back. At this moment, they didn��t have the strength to deal with another battle anymore. Their only hope left was to leave this place and escape into the forest to avoid the mercenaries.


    ��������!��


    But at this moment, a sudden burst of blustering gales instantly dispersed the flames and smoke on the battlefield. Not only that, but the glowing rune traps used to obstruct the mercenaries�� retreat also vanished completely. The violent winds continued to gust through the periphery and sealed off the only way of retreat for the spell casters.


    ��How is this possible��!��


    The spell casters turned ashen at this scene. They knew what this meant. For one to chant a spell in such a duration and also manipulate the element proved that there was an elemental mage in the Legendary Stage among the enemies!


    ��What should we do?��


    All the spell casters were at their wits�� end. The strongest among them was only in the Peak Master Stage. They were completely powerless against the attacks of a legendary Mage!


    But suddenly, an energetic and cheerful voice rang in their ears.


    ��Ahhhhh! Hold up! It��s not over yet, is it? Don��t be destroyed that easily!��


    At this moment, the spell casters witnessed a dazzling ball of light darting toward them from the other side of the forest. It was a petite young lady. Suddenly, she sprang up in midair and crashed-landed between the two parties. The instant she appeared, the tense atmosphere changed abruptly. Both sides stared at the young lady in confusion and bewilderment. After all, they didn��t know if she was a friend or foe. But the young lady didn��t seem interested in introducing herself either. Without shooting a glance at the mercenaries, she turned around and went up to the spell casters before heaving a long sigh.


    ��Are you people doing alright? Forget it. I got my answer just by looking at you people.��


    Mini Bubble Gum said and waved her hand airily. A warm, sacred white light enveloped them.


    ��This is����


    Richard looked at the young lady in astonishment. The instant he felt the white radiance shining on him, the strength and depleted spiritual energy in his body were swiftly restored. In the blink of an eye, he found himself completely refreshed. Not only that, but the painful wounds also healed and recovered fully.


    He had never seen such a powerful spell in his life!


    Who is this young lady!


    Now wasn��t the time to ask for her identity. Even though her appearance was rather�� It seemed apparent now that she was here to assist them. Richard took two steps back hurriedly with his battle ax.


    ��Excuse me, Miss����


    ��Ah, just stay away and enjoy the show. These swines are those idiot hunters, right? My hands are itching to get busy��! Come. Let��s fight, idiots! Oh-oh-oh-oh, witness my one-and-only mighty punches!��


    Before Richard completed his sentence, Mini Bubble Gum waved her arm and cast a translucent barrier over them. Then, she balled up her fists and charged at the mercenaries.


    ��This����


    Richard was speechless. It was apparent from her high-level spells that she was a Cleric. But why did she charge at the enemies like a warrior instead? Not only that, but she also wasn��t wielding any weapon. Would she be fine?


    Shortly after, Mini Bubble Gum cleared their doubts with actions!


    ��Heyah!��


    Mini Bubble Gum swung her tiny fist, which landed heavily on one of the mercenaries in light armor. Boom! The strong collision sent the pitiful victim flying like a rag doll. Looking at his twisted body, it was obvious that he couldn��t be alive. Mini Bubble Gum had no intention of stopping. She moved along with powerful momentum and hurled another punch as a massive white brilliance erupted and devoured the mercenaries altogether.


    ��Who are you?��


    The man in black cloak grimaced, but Mini Bubble Gum didn��t take him seriously at all.


    ��Why do you wanna know, idiot? Come if you dare!��


    Mini Bubble Gum threw a punch forward and resisted the attacks from two mercenaries. Then, she hurled her other fist.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    ������


    Richard witnessed the brutality in the young lady��s attack and sucked in a deep breath of cold air. Even though they learned close-combat skills as elites of the Mage Tower, they had never thought that such explosive attacks were possible. He stared blankly at Mini Bubble Gum, who was crushing the enemies, and felt a chill running down his spine. A few seconds later, someone asked softly.


    ��Can Clerics�� be so powerful?��

 Chapter 970

    As Mini Bubble Gum ��slaughtered�� the mercenaries, Rhode��s group sauntered to the battlefield. It went without saying that their arrival captured the attention of the apprentices who were now in a safe protection within the barrier. After all, the difficulty of the Enchanted Forest wasn��t for anyone. A powerful organization like the Mage Tower had already dispatched teams of more than 10 members here. And yet, there was this small group of four to five people strolling in this place?


    Who are they?


    The black-cloaked mage who led the mercenaries was stunned, especially at the young lady who devastated them. The level of violence was ruthless. He had to admit that after leading mercenaries for so many years and witnessing countless violence, the so-called violence was as though the little rascal��s self-entertainment!


    Boom!


    The black-cloaked mage sucked in a deep breath of cold air as Mini Bubble Gum grabbed one of the mercenaries by the hair and smashed his face into a boulder mercilessly, blood splashing from his nose and mouth. He wasn��t bewildered by how she kept her grin of insanity while acting out with such ferocity. Two mercenaries had tried to ambush her from the back and their razor-sharp blades failed to slash into her petite body because a flashing white light instantly shattered their blades. Then, as though a signal to the young lady, she turned around and a dazzling beam of white burst into the sky, thoroughly killing the two pitiful men.


    Sh*t�� I can��t possibly deal with her.


    The black-cloaked mage witnessed how powerful the spiritual energy in her Inner Circle was and knew that he would surely be crushed if he fought against someone as strong as her. If it were possible, he wished that he could flee immediately. But unfortunately for him, he couldn��t do that because he had sharply detected that the young lady had already locked her focus on him. He was certain that if he made any move, he would immediately be annihilated by her. Even though she was standing far away from him, there was no doubt that she was capable of that.


    Chance. Is there any chance to divert her attention? I just need one second��


    The black-cloaked mage wasn��t blaming his luck for meeting such a terrifying enemy anymore. He also wasn��t interested in keeping the spoils of war from earlier too because no amount of money was worth it if he couldn��t survive to spend it. This was why he didn��t rescue his subjects but instead, hoped that the young lady could lessen her focus on him so he could use the escape item that he had prepared a long time ago!


    But it was a pity that the opportunity never came as the forces on his side became fewer and fewer. At this moment, the scared mercenaries didn��t dare charge at her anymore.


    Damn it. If this continues��


    The black-cloaked mage was out of ideas. Large beads of sweat filled his forehead as he watched a mercenary screamed mournfully in the light beam that shrouded him entirely. On the other hand, the young lady stretched her arms and turned around, staring at the remaining mercenaries like a hungry wild animal. At this moment, there were only five mercenaries left and they were also widening their eyes in disbelief like their master, waiting for death to fall upon them.


    Mini Bubble Gum noticed Rhode��s group and turned around to wave her tiny hand.


    ��Leader, you��re late to the party. I��m almost done wiping them out!��


    Now��s the chance!


    The instant Mini Bubble Gum shifted her gaze away, the black-cloaked mage raised his right arm and crushed a white crystal in his hand. Then, his body was instantly recharged with elemental powers. His body slowly lost shape as he flew into the sky��


    Or, that should have been what happened. But it was a pity that things didn��t usually turn out as one wished.


    Canary lifted her head and stared at the black-cloaked mage, extending her right arm before her and clenching the air.


    ��������!��


    The black-cloaked mage who was supposed to transform into the wind element suddenly restored his physical body. That wouldn��t be considered a threat if this was only what happened. The problem was that the summoned wind element had also poured into his body. The black-cloaked mage had thought of using the wind elemental power to bring him as far away as possible. But he didn��t expect someone to forcefully reverse the effects of his spell! When he returned to his senses, the surging wind elemental power had entered his body and materialized. It was impossible for him to resist such an immense force.


    Boom!


    In an instant, the black-cloaked mage exploded like a balloon. His bloody flesh scattered while the wind elemental power turned into countless wind blades that shredded the mercenaries around him into chunks of flesh.


    ������


    The apprentices held their breath. They were aware that the black-cloaked mage might escape with this trick and tried to caution their allies. But what happened completely exceeded their expectations. Of course, they knew what the black-cloaked mage did because it was common for mages to make their bodies illusory and use the wind elemental power to transport them away. But what happened next wasn��t common for any mage!


    The young lady actually restored the physical body and even grasped his elemental power?! Besides, that was elemental power that only mages in the Legendary Stage could summon! It was possible to use space isolation or enchanted fields to stop the mage from fleeing, but not only were they incapable of forcefully grabbing others�� elemental power, but their mentors also couldn��t accomplish it. Perhaps only the top mages in the Mage Tower could do it!


    ��Is it over?��


    Rhode apparently wasn��t mindful of the apprentices. He swept a look at the battlefield and asked. Mini Bubble Gum nodded and waved her hand to release the barrier shrouding the apprentices. Then, she stretched in satisfaction as though she had a great gaming session.


    ��Yes, it��s over, Leader. Phew�� This is what I call fun. I was so bored that I almost went crazy. I��m feeling so much better now!��


    Mini Bubble Gum stretched her arms in satisfaction and Richard was startled by her comments. He gazed at her in hesitation, unable to figure out if he should interact with this group of people. But eventually, he braced himself and went over. It was apparent that they were extremely formidable. Although there were a total of six of them and only two of them had attacked, Richard wouldn��t be that naive to think that only two of them were powerful. In other words, the two of them were strong enough to wipe them all out. After careful consideration, he gnashed his teeth and straightened the wrinkles in his attire, before going up to them and giving a respectful bow.


    ���� Thank you very much for your assistance. If it weren��t for you guys, we may not even survive to see another day. I represent my companions and schoolmates in expressing our gratitude. The Mage Tower won��t forget your kindness. If you have anything����


    ��Don��t need to thank us. We didn��t do much actually,�� Rhode said.


    Since the difference in strength between them was huge, it felt as though one was walking on the street when one witnessed an ant caught in a spiderweb. Then, one chose to squash the spider to death and rescued the ant. The entire process only took a few seconds, so he wasn��t mindful at all. But he was feeling rather curious.


    ��But it seems like you guys are apprentices of the Mage Tower, right? What are you doing here?��


    In the Mage Tower, there was no such thing as ��graduation��. No matter how powerful the officially-recognized mages were, they would still be called ��apprentices��. On the other hand, only the truly capable mages had the rights to ��graduate��. This was why in the Mage Tower, it was common to address one another as ��companions�� or ��schoolmates�� and in fact, the members liked it this way because this made them feel ��special��. Moreover, the ��apprentices�� in the Mage Tower were mainly youths.


    Youths�� They were naturally more energetic.


    Judging from the help signal earlier and the same uniform attire they wore, Rhode confirmed that they were members of the Mage Tower. Besides, based on this situation, it seemed like they hadn��t ��graduated�� yet. But this piqued his curiosity. Even though they weren��t in the core area of the forest yet, they were not far from there. What was this group of rascals doing here?


    ��This�� was what happened����


    Richard revealed an awkward expression. After careful consideration, he decided to tell the truth. After all, they seemed really familiar with the Mage Tower and perhaps the powerful young lady was related to the organization. Even though he was rather hesitant, he quickly answered.


    ���� We are passing through the Enchanted Forest for our apprentice test����


    ��Apprentice Test?��


    Rhode knitted his brows. He instinctively sensed the problem behind it because he knew that the Mage Tower��s motto was ��Safety First�� and not ��Death First��. How was it possible that they sent a group of rascals into the core area of the Enchanted Forest for a test?


    ��Only you guys?��


    ��According to the plan, there would be a total of six groups heading into the core of the forest. Our mission is to reach the destination before entering the Deepest Labyrinth for exploration����


    Richard��s voice became softer because he clearly noticed the slight change in expression on Rhode��s and Canary��s faces. However, they didn��t seem too concerned and were showing more of an amused smile.


    ��Are you guys heading to the Deepest Labyrinth too?��


    ���� Yes����


    Richard��s heart skipped a beat upon hearing Rhode��s question. Even though they had been learning in the Mage Tower all day, they weren��t a bunch of foolish people. Of course, he knew what kind of dangerous place the Enchanted Forest and Deepest Labyrinth were. In fact, they were also dubious as to why the Mage Tower would send their apprentices to such a dangerous place for a test this year. But they were apprentices, after all, and had no rights to question this decision made by the organization. And now, it seemed like this group of saviors was also heading there?


    This is so��


    Richard was speechless. In fact, he was still rather concerned because he didn��t know what exactly they would be doing after entering the Deepest Labyrinth. Even though he was the leader of his group, the information that he received beforehand was that they had to pass through the Enchanted Forest, enter the Deepest Labyrinth, and take the test. But now, he didn��t expect that the ��kind saviors�� were also heading to that place�� This was getting rather troublesome.


    What would happen to them if they had a similar goal and things didn��t work out? Anyone from the opposing party could crush everyone in his group. When that happened, what should he do? Even though the apprentice test was supervised by the mentors, Richard refused to believe that the mentors were strong enough to resist those people. Moreover, there were only a few people in the Mage Tower who would be capable of controlling the wind element like that young lady.


    ��Erm�� Sir, it seems like you��re also heading to the Deepest Labyrinth?�� Richard asked.


    He had read in books and knew that apart from ��Elf Hunters��, there were also adventurers who came to the Enchanted Forest, mainly to enter the Deepest Labyrinth. He was aware that this was a place for many adventurers to prove themselves.


    But judging from their appearances, they seemed like nobles instead. Would ordinary nobles do something so risky?


    ��That��s right.��


    Rhode nodded and narrowed his eyes as though he understood what Richard meant. Richard felt his heart shrink for a split second upon sensing his gaze. This man who was more beautiful than a woman brought unimaginable pressure to him. Just a glance from him was enough to make his heart pound. It was as though he was facing a massive structure that he couldn��t defend against at all. But he gnashed his teeth and continued speaking.


    ��In this case�� may I ask if we can head there together? Since everyone is going to the Deepest Labyrinth�� To tell the truth, even though we were rescued by the young lady, many of us have suffered gravely from previous battles and are still unable to move. If you��re willing�� Of course, the Mage Tower will not forget your kindness. I can guarantee this����


    Richard spoke carefully to not offend the powerful saviors. Even though he invited them with hopes to get rid of some trouble, he was also hoping he could have a good relationship with this unknown group of formidable people. In this case, if there were any differences in goals, at least they could count on the friendship and be spared death.


    Rhode didn��t mind at all. He exchanged a glance with Canary before agreeing instantly.


    ��No problem. It��s along the way, anyway.��


    Not only was Richard curious to figure out their motive, but Rhode was also interested in why the Mage Tower sent their apprentices all the way into the Deepest Labyrinth.

 Chapter 971

    Richard was caught in a complex mood��he didn��t know if he made the right decision.


    His decision was correct to a certain degree, as his group didn��t face any more dangers from monsters and mercenaries due to the company of the group of strangers. Besides, the strangers seemed more sociable than he imagined. He thought that these powerful people would disregard lowly apprentices like them, but he was surprised that apart from the beautiful man who always put up an ice-cold expression, the other young ladies didn��t seem to harbor any ill intention toward them.


    But�� They were just too powerful.


    At that moment, the group arrived at a territory belonging to a certain monster lord. In order to protect its territory, the monster lord showed up to eradicate the visitors. It was an enormous nine-headed dragon lizard with a long body of five meters. But what astonished Richard was that no one launched any attacks. Instead, the young man stared coldly into the monster��s eyes and after a few seconds, the monster fled with its tail tucked between its legs like a puppy.


    Richard felt his head go numb. Even though he asked the strangers their intentions for entering the Deepest Labyrinth, he didn��t receive any answers. Now, he could only hope that no conflicts would arise between their groups. If not, they would be crushed without a doubt, not to mention even taking the apprentice test.


    But�� Richard looked over his shoulder at this thought. In only half a day, his group had gotten along well with the strangers. Perhaps the main reason was because there weren��t any troublesome characters in his group and everyone was easy to get along with. If not, he was highly confident that the petite young lady would annihilate the troublemaker.


    Richard heaved a long sigh before shifting his gaze to the tall mountain through the lush forest. That was their destination: the entrance of the Deepest Labyrinth. According to plan, they should have arrived the day before if they weren��t delayed by battle. Fortunately, they were still within the given time so�� there shouldn��t be any issues.


    Richard knitted his brows. For some unknown reason, he had a bad hunch. As an elite among the apprentices, he constantly heard the reason for the change in the apprentice test from the mentors. In the past, the apprentice test had the apprentices form groups and explore for a period of time before receiving their evaluation. But this time, there was a relatively huge debate among the mentors. Rumor had it that the evaluation criteria wasn��t uniform in the past, which led to unfair results. The modification to the apprentice test could standardize the apprentices�� qualifications and make them compete from the same starting line. But�� Richard felt that something was amiss because this obviously went against their ��Safety First�� belief. Moreover, the test content was also baffling. In the past, it was deemed dangerous to just head into the Enchanted Forest. But this time, reaching the Enchanted Forest was only the first stage. Even though his group was composed of elite apprentices, they still couldn��t possibly survive in the Deepest Labyrinth. Besides, two-thirds of the Mage Tower��s elite apprentices sent for this test. Was it really necessary to take it this far?


    But there was no meaning in considering this question any longer. Since they were here, they could only continue with their journey.


    At the same time, in a campsite at the bottom of the mountain, a middle-aged man lifted his head and gazed at the sky. After comparing the sun and time, he knitted his brows.


    ��What time is it now?��


    ��11:25 a.m., Sir.��


    The young man, dressed as an apprentice, answered humbly. The middle-aged man frowned.


    ��Richard��s help signal was fired yesterday afternoon, right?��


    ��Yes, Sir. It happened around 5:43 p.m. yesterday in the southeastern zone of the Enchanted Forest.��


    ��It seems like they��ve faced some troubles. I wonder how they are doing now����


    The middle-aged man sighed and shook his head.


    ��How are the others doing?��


    ��Frey and Adella think that we should check on them. But Stewart and Hilla don��t seem interested. The others are resting and waiting for orders.�� The young apprentice hesitated. ��Frankly speaking, Sir, everyone is feeling rather worried that we have to pass through the Enchanted Forest and enter the Deepest Labyrinth.��


    ��I know.��


    The middle-aged man waved his hand.


    ��I��m aware of that. In fact, I don��t understand why the higher-ups approved this ridiculous proposal. But now, since you guys are here already, we don��t have any more reasons to cancel the test. Fortunately, your mentors will be alongside you, so this seems like a good idea. Sigh�� It just doesn��t feel right for tragedies to happen before they even have the chance to enter the Deepest Labyrinth.��


    ��Sir����


    ��Alright, go and get prepared. If they haven��t shown up by 12, I will conclude that Richard��s team failed. Get the others ready. We will split into groups before entering the Deepest Labyrinth. This isn��t an ordinary adventure so make sure they give their best!��


    ��Sir Gabe went to check on the teleportation door at the entrance of the Deepest Labyrinth. He said it��s to ensure that the test will proceed without any issues.��


    ��Hmph, he seems to take his work seriously. Alright, go off and let me have some peace.��


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    The young apprentice spoke, before bowing politely and leaving the place.


    At the next moment, the middle-aged man grimaced.


    In fact, the new apprentice test caused quite a stir among the higher-ups, especially when two-thirds of the elite apprentices were involved. It could also be said that apart from the scholarly mages who weren��t experts in battles, almost every mage of the new generation was sent here. This was an extremely risky move. Although coming to the Enchanted Forest could allow them to combine theory with practice and gain rich battle experience, mages weren��t soldiers, after all. The elite apprentices were the core strength of the new generation, which the organization had spent massive amounts of time and money to groom.


    It was due to this reason that many mentors objected to this absurd test. But most of them were low-level mentors. Even though they understood the apprentices best, they weren��t in a position to make the call. They tried to request hiring mercenaries to ensure the safety of the apprentices but were rejected by the higher-ups with a dignified reason��


    The new test format was for the sake of fairness.


    Yes, it would ensure that the results were fair, but it was too dangerous!


    As a result, the higher-ups gave in to the request to allow the three mentors to accompany the apprentices into the Deepest Labyrinth. However, they weren��t allowed to assist the apprentices in getting through the Enchanted Forest. Everything should have been fine, but now��


    Richard��


    The middle-aged man sighed. Richard was one of his favorite students. He was smart, hardworking, and courageous. He would definitely be one of the core strengths in the future of the organization. But now�� What else could the middle-aged man do apart from waiting for his arrival?


    ��Sir! Sir!��


    At this moment, loud, shuffling footsteps disrupted his thoughts. He turned around with a frown and saw the young apprentice from before scampering toward him, raising both hands and yelling loudly.


    ��What��s wrong? Why are you acting all panicky?��


    ��Richard, Sir! Richard��s team has arrived!��


    ��What?!��


    Upon looking at the familiar face of his mentor, Richard also couldn��t quell his agitation, especially after the battle that almost took his life yesterday. Richard almost burst into tears at the sight of his companions and mentor. But he held back his emotions and went up to the middle-aged man, bowing respectfully.


    ��Richard and team reporting at the campsite, Sir Elliot.��


    ��I��m glad to see you arriving here safely. I was worried when I saw your signal for help earlier on but it seems like you��re fine. This is wonderful. But����


    Elliot revealed a gentle smile. Then, he shifted his gaze curiously to Rhode��s group.


    ���� Who are they?��


    ��This was what happened, Sir Elliot����


    Richard showed a bitter smile.


    While Richard explained what happened the day before, Rhode��s group leisurely admired the scenery around them. Many apprentices were thrilled to see that Richard and his team had returned safely. Some of the female apprentices hugged and wept in joy while the male apprentices crowded around and caught up with one another.


    ���� This sure reminds me of a school outing, Rhode.��


    ��Yeah����


    Rhode nodded and agreed with Canary. In fact, he couldn��t help but recall the fun times he had with his classmates during outings. They were equally young, lively, and there was no difference except for the dangers in this world. After all, there weren��t any monsters roaming around in the real world.


    This was also why Rhode agreed to travel together with Richard��s group. Perhaps he saw it as a chance to reminisce about the good times he had as a student.


    ��Tsk. School trips are the worst�� always filthy and tiring. Besides, I still had to write the reflection journal after getting home. Who can stand it?��


    But not everyone agreed with Canary and Rhode. At least, not Mini Bubble Gum.


    ���� Reflection journal��?��


    Christie cocked her head to one side and asked. She had spent a lot of time with Mini Bubble Gum and gotten used to the strange nouns that came out of her.


    ��That��s right, a reflection journal; something that I need to write my feelings about the trip in. What a joke. Isn��t it good enough that I had fun for the trip? What��s there to reflect about? Don��t tell me that I can save the world from the outing?! You say, Christie, isn��t it nuts?��


    ��You will only understand some things after you��ve grown up,�� Rhode said.


    Canary and Rhode displayed bitter smiles. Indeed, they also had the same complaints as Mini Bubble Gum. But after they grew up and recalled the times, they realized that it wasn��t actually that terrible as it became a unique part of one��s memory.


    ��It doesn��t matter to me since I can��t grow up in this world, Leader.��


    Mini Bubble Gum pouted while Christie shifted her gaze between the ��adults�� curiously. On the other hand, Bell stood behind her quietly but this time, there were also two elves around them. They were the elves Rhode rescued from the hunters earlier on. Perhaps since this was their first time being captured by humans, the elves were very wary of them. But for some unknown reason, they seemed more comfortable being with Rhode��s group. As Rhode would be heading to the Deepest Labyrinth, he couldn��t send the elves back to safety, so he decided to keep them with him since they wouldn��t pose too much trouble. Besides, the two elves weren��t entirely useless in battle. They were half-druid and half-ranger, so they would be safe as long as they were vigilant.


    If they lost their lives, they could only blame it on their luck. Besides, it was better to die in the claws of monsters than lead the life of a slave.


    Suddenly, a strange, hoarse voice sounded.


    ��Woah, I was wondering why the campsite��s so busy. So you��re back, Richard. I didn��t expect you to make it back alive.��


    In an instant, the clamor stopped and Rhode turned to the voice. He saw a young man also dressed in an apprentice uniform, a wry smile plastered across his face. There were three other apprentices around him, but it seemed like they treated the young man as the leader of their pack. Richard��s expression turned sullen.


    ��Yes, I��m still alive. And you are disappointed, aren��t you, Stewart?��


    ��Haha, how can you say that?��


    The young man named Stewart cackled.


    ��I��ve always been worried for you, Richard. I heard that your team has faced some troubles, but it seems like it was just a small issue. By the way, Richard.��


    Stewart turned around and squinted at Rhode��s group.


    ��Who are those guys? This is the Mage Tower��s campsite, so aren��t you aware that outsiders are forbidden? I wonder how you mixed with those people. And don��t forget your identity, Richard. You��re a mage, not a mercenary. Don��t mix around with those profane and crude people. They won��t bring you any good.��


    Rhode watched silently with Canary standing beside him. Christie hid behind him with slightly knitted brows, gazing in displeasure at the young man. On the other hand, Richard grimaced and tried to stop a fight from happening. But it was too late.


    ��Richard, who is that bast*rd?��


    A young lady widened her eyes and stared with an excited expression.

 Chapter 972

    The campsite was silenced.


    Richard rubbed his forehead in despair while the other apprentices in his group gazed at Stewart in sadness and pity. Perhaps others didn��t know, but Richard��s group was fully aware that Mini Bubble Gum wasn��t afraid of inviting trouble. One could count one��s lucky stars if she didn��t provoke one. But if one were to provoke her�� The thought of the mercenaries�� plight sent a chill up Richard��s spine. At this moment, he should have stepped in to stop their conflict. But his instincts warned him that he was safer watching from the sideline.


    ��What did you say, you brat?��


    Stewart grunted. He wasn��t a broad-minded person to begin with, and as one of the popular talents among the new generation, he was arrogant to those who were below him in strength. Stewart thought that sooner or later, he would be the ruler of the Mage Tower, so he believed that people should fawn on and serve him. As for those who denied his presence, he would show them the consequences of their attitude toward him.


    It was due to his proud attitude that he wasn��t well-liked in the organization. But Stewart didn��t care because those people who were only jealous of his abilities were nothing more than a bunch of incapable fools. They couldn��t reach his level and could only be envious of him in such a lowly, disgusting manner. Those worthless trash weren��t worthy of a mention to him!


    But now, perhaps Stewart had to change his views. This was the first time someone disregarded him blatantly. How dare this repulsive brat speak to me this way!


    ��Do you know who you��re talking to, little brat?��


    ��Shut up, slut. You have no right to talk to me.��


    Mini Bubble Gum squinted at the young man in disdain as though he was nothing more than a pile of revolting, filthy trash. Her response shocked the people who weren��t aware of how powerful she was. This was also the first time they witnessed someone speaking to Stewart in this manner. Although Stewart didn��t receive special treatment from the mentors, his talent was an asset to the organization. This was why everyone tried to disregard his presence and gave him perfunctory responses at the very least. But now, they didn��t expect someone to be more arrogant than him and the young lady seemed much more adorable than this young man who always put up an annoying face.


    Cuteness always won, didn��t it?


    ��Shut up, you impudent brat. Do you even know who he is?��


    Before Stewart even retorted, his followers rushed forward and snarled at Mini Bubble Gum. Rhode had to admit that as ��henchmen��, those apprentices sure knew how to discern the situation. At this moment, Stewart had wrinkled his nose. Even though Mini Bubble Gum seemed arrogant, she was only a cleric, after all. Just how threatening a cleric could be?


    ��This sir here is the most talented figure in the Mage Tower. How dare you insult him. Hurry up and apologiz����


    Boom!


    All of a sudden, three holy light beams blasted from above and smashed the three pitiful apprentices like iron hammers. The three apprentices crashed to the ground with rolling eyes, their mouths bubbling with white foam. Everyone widened their eyes in bewilderment. Anne observed the action excitedly, jumping on her feet. On the other hand, Canary folded her arms and watched the one-sided battle with a gracious smile like a wealthy young lady as though this was just a part of her ordinary day. Rhode turned around and caressed Christie��s hair.


    ��Bring Bell and the two elves to set up our camp, Christie.��


    ���� Okay�� Rhode����


    Christie nodded, before shifting her gaze from Mini Bubble Gum who had placed her hands on her hips like a superhero. Then, she held Bell��s hand and left the scene. Mini Bubble Gum turned around and pouted at the leaving Christie.


    How boring. I thought I could use this chance to teach Christie how one should conduct oneself in society. One can��t be too weak living in this world, Little Christie�� Well, forget it. It��s more fun taking care of this group of idiots.


    ��Hey, slut.��


    Mini Bubble Gum turned around and gazed at Stewart.


    ��You the owner of those dogs? You should watch them properly because they will end up in hotpot if they continue barking like wild ones.��


    ���� Hahaha����


    Stewart��s expression twisted. His eyes turned blood-shot as he stared at Mini Bubble Gum. After a few moments, he revealed a smile on his twisted face and started chuckling softly. At this moment, everyone had moved far away from both of them, watching the commotion helplessly.


    ��So you��re a manipulator of spiritual energy too. I��m surprised to meet a peer here. Since you��ve attacked my loyal servants, you should know what it means, young lady. I, in the name of Stewart Carat, ask that you pay for what you��ve done! Since you��re also a spell caster, let me see if your strength is enough to taunt my honor!��


    ������


    Richard gaped, but eventually lowered his head and averted his gaze.


    Have a safe journey, I will mourn for you.


    Pow!


    As though responding to Richard��s condolences, a deep, heavy impact echoed in their ears. The crowd turned to Stewart and found the petite young lady standing beside him in the blink of an eye. Not only that, but the proud young man had also knelt on the ground, clutching his stomach and retching.


    ��A slut should act like one. I wonder why the Mage Tower even accepts useless trash like you. Do you really think you��re something? Worthless piece of sh*t! Get lost!��


    Pow!


    ��Argh!!��


    Mini Bubble Gum thrust a heroic roundhouse kick into Stewart��s face. The pathetic bugger yawped and was flung to midair, before crashing heavily to the ground. It seemed like Stewart wasn��t aware of what had happened. He grasped his stomach, looked around him in despair, and saw many apprentices in the crowd chortling. Even though Stewart saw himself as a dazzling star in the Mage Tower, those who came here were all elite apprentices, after all. Even if Stewart was stronger than the apprentices, he was no match for Mini Bubble Gum at all. His arrogant attitude had incited everyone��s displeasure in the past, and now, everyone felt glad to see him in this plight.


    Not sure if it was due to the chuckles from the crowd or his fast recovery, Stewart returned to his senses quickly. He was enraged by his miserable state, especially after hearing their laughter. He blew his top. He had never been treated this way, ever! Not even his father had ever hit him!


    ��You bast*rd! Get ready to feel my wrath!��


    Stewart raised his right hand and in the blink of an eye, countless azure lightning bolts burst out from his body, diffusing to the surroundings. Not only that, but several magic rituals also appeared in thin air, spinning and aiming at Mini Bubble Gum. The young lady didn��t respond at all as she stood on the spot confidently. She placed her hands on her hips and squinted at the young man as though watching a monkey��s play.


    ��Richard, aren��t you going to stop them?��


    Richard turned to a young lady with a long, purple ponytail who asked while watching the battle worriedly.


    ��This won��t end well, right? No matter what, Stewart is also a member of the tower. Besides, if he goes crazy, maybe we will be in trouble too����


    ��Don��t worry, Frey. Stewart will not stand a chance against the young lady. I suppose we should get ready and hope that she doesn��t kill him. If we lose a life here, that��s when we will be in huge trouble.��


    ��Lose a life?��


    Frey shifted her gaze to Mini Bubble Gum, startled. She couldn��t imagine how this petite young lady would kill someone. She wouldn��t be surprised if it were Stewart, but for this young lady��


    ��Go to hell!��


    At this moment, the countless lightning bolts had coalesced in the magic ritual on Stewart��s hand. As soon as the command was given, it would turn into a formidable light of destruction that would devastate the enemy. The lightning bolts dazzled and swelled to form an enormous energy ball. Then��


    ��Huh?��


    In an instant, the powerful force of energy flowing in his hand vanished completely without a trace, as though all that happened were false. How is this possible? Where is my power? Where has my power disappeared to? Why can��t I use my spiritual energy? Why can��t the magic ritual be cast? Why?!


    Kacha.


    ��Arghhhhhh!��


    Stewart let out a blood-curdling screech. He curled up in defense to no avail. His legs were completely smashed under Mini Bubble Gum��s feet and twisted into a horrendous shape. The crowd subconsciously took a step back. They didn��t expect this petite, adorable young lady to be this vicious.


    ��Isn��t this fun, you piece of trash? You see, it feels alright to lose your power, isn��t it?��


    ��You�� You����


    ��What? Is there something that you want to say to me, slut?��


    ��How dare you treat me this way! The Mage Tower will neve���� Arghhhhhh!��


    Stewart clenched his teeth to the agony, but was yet again struck by another blast of immense pain. Mini Bubble Gum had stomped her right foot on his defenseless arm and displayed a wide grin.


    ��Oh, you��re bringing up the Mage Tower now? Do you really think that the Mage Tower will find trouble with us for the sake of a lowly piece of trash like you? Ha! Who do you think you are? Be a man and don��t bring up your backstage supporter after trouble has arrived!��


    ��Argh�� Argh����


    ���� Tsk.��


    Mini Bubble Gum sputtered. She clenched her fists and laughed evilly at the young man. But no one knew where the young man got the courage to lift his head and glare at the young lady.


    ��The Mage Tower is my pride. You����


    ��You��re not the Mage Tower��s pride. Yes, I understand. Which part of you looks like an apprentice of the Mage Tower?��


    ��You�� How dare you humiliate me! You will pay for it!��


    Stewart snarled as though he had lost all rationale due to fear and anger. But at the next moment, a powerful gust of wind blew against his ears and blasted him to the stone wall behind, interrupting his words.


    Boom!


    ��Well said. I wonder how many members in your family have that honorable statement engraved on their tombstones.��


    Mini Bubble Gum squinted at the young man dangerously and presented a mocking smile. Even though Stewart blanched to her gaze, he gnashed his teeth stubbornly despite the agony. Mini Bubble Gum grimaced at the sight of his displeasing reaction. She thought of having some fun with him, but since he didn��t coordinate by crying and begging on his knees, it infuriated her even further.


    ��Madam Bubble����


    At this moment, Richard braced himself and went up to her.


    ���� Could you please stop? He will be in danger if����


    ��Danger?��


    Mini Bubble Gum rolled her eyes, before cackling with laughter.


    ��Who do you think I am, Richard?��


    ��Huh?��


    Richard was stunned. It had to be mentioned that the apprentices were indeed cut off from the rest of the world for too long. While Richard traveled with Rhode��s group, Rhode��s group had introduced their names, but Richard didn��t seem to relate them to anyone. And there was a reason for that. Even though everyone else knew who Rhode was and most of them addressed him as the Void Dragon out of habit, perhaps this was also why their real names were often neglected. It was as though the popular artistes in the real world where maybe apart from the hardcore fans, no one knew their real names. This was why Richard wasn��t aware of Rhode��s true identity when he introduced himself. But if Rhode were to introduce himself as the Void Dragon, Richard would definitely know who he was.


    ��I��m a cleric. What do you think a cleric is for?��


    Mini Bubble Gum waved her hand and a beam of light descended from above, shrouding Stewart entirely. Shortly after, Stewart��s shattered arm and legs healed and recovered quickly. Richard heaved a sigh of relief inwardly, thinking that this was the end of the one-sided fight. But her next sentence immediately put him on guard.


    ��Since this fella isn��t willing to beg for mercy, I shall see if his mouth is tougher than my fist! It doesn��t matter even if I cripple him since I��m a cleric. I can heal him after I cripple him again! Ha! This is part of the reason why I chose my class as a cleric!��


    No, clerics shouldn��t act like this!


    The crowd ridiculed in their minds. At this moment, Stewart seemed even more pale. He thought that she wouldn��t kill him with the Mage Tower as his backing, but it seemed like this was worse than death!


    But at this moment, a deep voice resounded.


    ��Let him go! Outsider!��


    A blinding magical radiance streaked across the air, launched at Mini Bubble Gum.

 Chapter 973

    ��Let him go! Outsider!��


    The powerful magic beam streaked across the air towards Mini Bubble Gum. But Mini Bubble Gum remained unfazed as the light beam struck an invisible barrier that deflected the attack back in its original trajectory.


    Boom!


    The strong impact burst with billows of smoke. Almost everyone was shocked, including Stewart who was beaten to a bloody pulp and laying on the ground. Because instead of a protective spell, this spell was obviously an offensive and deadly one! If the young lady didn��t cast a barrier over her, maybe she would have died on the spot!


    ��Sir Gabe!��


    Richard screeched in panic. A short while later, a slim and pale middle-aged man strolled out of the smoke. His bright robe was covered with filth and dust and was tattered by the formidable blast. It seemed like the robe had fulfilled its duty in protecting its owner. If not, he would have been sprawling on the ground now.


    Gabe narrowed his eyes at Mini Bubble Gum like a wolf sizing up its prey viciously. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum crossed her arms and lifted her head proudly like she was looking at a beggar.


    Richard felt his head spinning. Gabe was Stewart��s mentor and the coordinator of this test. He was powerful and protective of his students. The reason why Richard was hesitant about coming here was because of this man. If it weren��t for him, Richard wouldn��t have been so concerned about the safety issues of this place. But now�� Richard was speechless. It was apparent that Gabe was furious. But�� what could he do about it?


    ��How dare you attack the elite students of the Mage Tower? Do you know the consequences?��


    ��Haha.��


    Mini Bubble Gum chortled in disdain as though she were looking at an idiot.


    ��I heard an idiot saying something similar earlier on. Why? Are you here to find trouble too, fool?��


    ��Your doings are provocations towards the Mage Tower��s dignity! You will pay for it!��


    ��Dignity?��


    Mini Bubble Gum pouted.


    ��You��re talking about dignity as a backstabber? Are you that shameless, you old fart? Don��t attack me if you��re so brave. You��re afraid now after knowing that you can��t defeat me, right? Now you��re trying to use the Mage Tower to pressurize me? This slut can��t be your illegitimate child, can he? Why does he have the same low IQ as you?��


    ��You����


    Gabe turned ashen instantly. The apprentices shifted their gaze between Stewart and Gabe simultaneously and nodded in thoughts. They did look similar�� Could it be that Stewart was really Gabe��s illegitimate child?


    ��Yes? What do you want, old fart?��


    Mini Bubble Gum had gotten into battle mode. She squinted and cracked her knuckles before clenching them into fists. She presented a smile full of ridicule at the man.


    ��Come and fight me if you dare. A big man like you, acting so effeminately. Could it be that your little one down there has been cut off already? Hmm? You sure look like a eunuch with that look of a sharp-nose monkey. I hate people like you who use your position to bully others when in fact you��re nothing more than cowardly trash. You��re obviously a good-for-nothing and only survived with your wonderful boot-licking skills to get to where you are today. Do you really think that you��re so great? Sigh�� Just looking at you makes my blood boil. I shall teach you a lesson on how a dog barks!��


    ������


    If it weren��t for this horrendous situation, Richard and his team would have raised their hands and cheered in celebration. At this moment, the other apprentices also seemed to be in deep thoughts. If it weren��t for their identities as apprentices, they would have expressed their respect to Mini Bubble Gum. Even though her words were harsh, they had surprisingly hit the nail on the head because it was indeed true that Stewart and Gabe weren��t well-liked in the tower.


    ��Bubble��s ridicule is still the usual.��


    Rhode sighed. He often saw her on forum posts sparring verbally with groups of people. In the end, the people were infuriated while she left victorious. Of course, she had been banned from time to time but, so what? According to her, she would have won either way as those idiotic dogs couldn��t sleep peacefully or even commit suicide.


    I��m rich, so I don��t care even if I have to pay the fine!


    Rhode had to admit that her mockeries were indeed in the Legendary Stage.


    ��Rhode.��


    Canary called and he heard some uncertainty in her voice.


    ��I feel like something isn��t quite right with that man.��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode twitched his brow, shifting his gaze to Gabe. Indeed, he discovered that there was something wrong with him. It was a strange and mysterious feeling where the man was just disagreeable to his eyes. He didn��t seem to belong here.


    Yes. He was like an unrelated object added to a perfect picture, inappropriate and annoying��


    ��Chaos worshiper?��


    There was a high chance that he was one. Canary nodded in agreement.


    ��There��s a high possibility�� No, I think you��re right. Judging from his incompatibility level with Order, he could be considered one of the Chaos worshipers. If this continues, he might convert into a Chaos Being soon.��


    ��One more brainless idiot? No wonder the Mage Tower sent so many people to their deaths here. It seems like this was all premeditated.��


    Rhode snorted. Chaos Worshipers and Chaos Beings were different. Chaos Beings were born in Chaos, the enemies Rhode fought against when opening up the land of Chaos. On the other hand, Chaos Worshipers were humans who had faith in Chaos. They followed the teachings of Chaos, attempting to destroy the world like madmen. In fact, Rhode couldn��t understand why so many people would believe in Chaos since the purpose of Chaos was to destroy the world of Order.


    ��Do you need Bubble to get rid of him?��


    ��I think she��s about to����


    Boom!


    Before Rhode finished his sentence, a white radiance dazzled and he didn��t need to continue his words anymore.


    ��Come on, trash. I��m standing right here for you. Come hit me!��


    The white beam of light burst into the sky, rumbling the entire ground. An array of colorful magical radiance shone and enfolded the petite figure. Shortly after as the magical radiances dispersed, Mini Bubble Gum stood ever so strikingly within, like Godzilla, unharmed by the army.


    Even though this Godzilla was just too small to be one.


    Gabe lost his cool. He paled, hands gesticulating to cast a magic ritual. Then, a powerful force of magic erupted, blasting at the young lady. Even though he was in a horrendous situation, he maintained his calm expression. From a certain degree, he did seem capable of being a high-level mentor.


    But it was a pity that ants and mice weren��t different in the eyes of a gigantic elephant.


    ��My hand burns in scarlet flames, yelling for me to hold on to victory. Erupt! Earth-shattering fist!��


    ��������!��


    A blinding white radiance flashed.


    At the next moment, the crowd witnessed Gabe being flung into the air by a tornado, his body twisting and spinning. After the tornado gradually dispersed, the pitiful mage crashed to the ground. If it weren��t for his robe, he would have fallen to his death. Richard and his group realized that even though the blast was huge, the campsite wasn��t damaged at all! Her powerful strength and absolute mastery of skills left them revering in awe.


    ��Why? You got anything else to say?��


    Mini Bubble Gum strolled to the unconscious man, dragged him up by the collar, and glared fiercely at him. She pouted in displeasure and lifted her fist once again. At this moment�� She heard Rhode��s voice.


    ��Alright, Bubble, time to eat.��


    ��Got it, Leader.��


    Mini Bubble Gum swept a glance at the man before loosening her grip and tossing him to the ground. Then, she turned around and strolled toward Rhode, only to come to a halt when she passed by Stewart. Stewart��s forehead was filled with beads of sweat after witnessing his mentor being completely crushed by her. He didn��t expect that even his mentor was defeated mercilessly. What else could he do?


    ��D-Don��t kill me����


    ��Tsk.��


    Mini Bubble Gum erected her brows. Then, she raised her right foot and stomped between his legs.


    ��Ahhhhhhhhh!��


    Stewart screamed mournfully in pain, but Mini Bubble Gum wasn��t satisfied yet. She grinned, rubbing the sole of the boot a couple more times on the smashed testicles before joining back to Rhode��s group. Of course, she didn��t forget to cast another light beam on Stewart. But this time, he rolled his eyes and went into a coma.


    Many male apprentices instinctively held on to the object between their legs, protecting their pair.


    Just like this, Rhode��s group strutted off and no one except the two bashed-up idiots dared to stop them. All the apprentices and mentors witnessed how Mini Bubble Gum crushed Gabe. Even though she was merciful, they had to admit that the reputation of a high-level mentor like Gabe had gone down the drain entirely.


    ��Hey�� Richard?�� Aaron gazed out of fear and respect at the several figures who left their camp. Then, he continued. ���� I realize that we��re really lucky. Aren��t we?��


    ***


    ��Traces of Chaos?��


    Mini Bubble Gum cocked her head to the side. Then, she hammered her fist into the palm.


    ��No wonder the system report seems a little strange. So this was why.��


    ��Report?��


    ��Yes, Leader, Big sister. Look.��


    As Phantom Guardians, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary had their individual player system interfaces. Mini Bubble Gum extended her hand and gesticulated in midair. A system interface appeared before Canary and Rhode. But no one except for the three of them could see it.


    ��Look.��


    The system reflected her godlike damage output and among them, there were a few that were unlike the rest.


    [Purification Damage +30004]


    [Purification Damage +23054]


    [Purification Damage +19732]


    It wasn��t news to see the word ��purification�� because Mini Bubble Gum��s strength was pure, sacred energy. It was common to see it when she fought Chaos creatures, demons, devils, and undeads, but bewildering when it appeared from battles with humans.


    ��Devil or Chaos?��


    Without a doubt, they got straight into the question instantly. If the enemy was a Chaos worshiper, it would be impossible to ��purify�� him because there was only something wrong with his mind and he ultimately was still a person of Order. But since he was ��purified��, it meant that he was either contaminated by Chaos or possessed by a devil.


    ��Who knows. But I think both are possible. Considering his mage identity, the latter possibility is higher. After all, he can conceal his magic aura, but if the group of old farts in the Mage Tower didn��t even notice the pure Chaos aura in him, they are better off dying.��


    Rhode came to a halt at Mini Bubble Gum��s response. He pondered for a while, before activating spiritual communications.


    ��Marlene, can u hear me?��


    ��Hmm�� Rhode? Yes, hold on. I��m here. Give me a moment����


    It seems like Marlene hadn��t gotten used to communicating spiritually. After a few moments of silence, her voice sounded again.


    ��Rhode�� can you hear me? How are you doing there? Is anything the problem?��


    ��We��ve just arrived at the Deepest Labyrinth and met some interesting things. By the way, how��s negotiations with the Mage Tower? Who is their representative?��


    ��The negotiations are done. The Mage Tower is currently building the Dimension Gate and branch office under my supervision. As for their representative, it is Madam Mandy, one of the high-level mentors.��


    ��Got it.��


    Rhode nodded.


    ��Marlene, I need you to immediately look for the higher-ups of the Mage Tower and ask them about the apprentice test taking place in the Enchanted Forest and Deepest Labyrinth. I also want to know who suggested this proposal. By the way����


    The corners of his mouth lifted.


    ��Don��t forget to bring Alice along.��

 Chapter 974

    ��Damn it!��


    The expensive, crystal-clear wine glass was tossed ruthlessly to the ground, shattering into glass fragments. Greig��s fat cheeks were flushed red and he was trembling like a pig that was about to be slaughtered. It was no wonder he was so furious. The election that lasted for a year had just ended. He, Greig Walker, won 40 percent of the votes, but lost to Nakvard!


    Damn it. That bast*rd beat me by less than five percent! Why did I lose?! Greig clenched his fists in disbelief. He had prepared for the election for a long time, only to fail at the final moment. How should he answer to his supporters, the Manny Financial Group, and the military soldiers? If this continued, he wouldn��t have a future any longer. He knew that Nakvard wasn��t a benevolent person, so there must be a way to bring him down!


    Greig felt even more annoyed at this thought because it had been two months since the election ended and Nakvard had officially received his appointment. During this period of time, Greig had been writing to the other territories in search of support. If Nakvard were to get involved with the legislative branch and lower house, it would be even harder for Greig to overthrow him.


    ��Sir Greig!��


    ��At this moment, a loud voice interrupted his thoughts. He puckered his brows and stared at his trusted aide in displeasure.


    ��What happened? Why are you acting so panicky?��


    ��Sir Greig, there are results from the investigations!��


    ��Oh? Hurry up and show it to me!��


    Greig��s eyes glinted with hope. He stood up, his obese body trembling in his movement and almost knocked off the book on the table. But he didn��t care as he reached out for the report from his trusted aide. In order to figure out his competitor��s weakness during the election, Greig put in a lot of effort, but to no avail. He was clearer than anyone what sort of a person Nakvard was. It wasn��t easy to find a flaw in him and at a certain point, Greig had given up entirely. But he didn��t expect fate to lend him a helping hand in the toughest time.


    ��This�� This�� Hahahaha! Great! Great!��


    Greig burst into loud laughter. Indeed, just as he expected, there was nothing that he couldn��t find as long as he dug for it. As soon as this matter was made known to the public, Nakvard could forget about becoming the next chairman!


    ��Pass this report to Ken and make him look for General Fabian in the military headquarters. Hahaha, I didn��t expect that bast*rd Nakvard to commit such a mistake!��


    Previously Greig had contacted the military through his connections, convincing them to give him support after Nakvard announced a cut to the military budget to improve people��s livelihood. Of course, this raised disapproval from the general and Greig would receive his full support now! With the support of the military and an arsenal of tools on his hands, he wasn��t afraid that Nakvard would stir up a storm anymore!


    ��Hurry, ready the carriages!��


    ***


    The palace was as tranquil as usual. Gazing through the window, Sonia clearly witnessed the brightly lit streets in midnight Casabianca. No matter how prosperous the city seemed, it could never conceal the darkness and disgust hidden underneath.


    Sonia revealed a wry smile, looking at white letter in her hands. She had been working hard for Rhode after receiving his orders. She considered herself lucky because her family was also opposing Nakvard. Right now, they needed a more competent leader.


    Sorry, Sir Nakvard. This time, no matter if it��s for my family or myself�� you won��t have a good life ahead.


    But�� What will happen to Her Majesty?


    Sonia turned around and went up to Lilian who sat on the huge bed, hugging the teddy bear in her arms and looking at herself. Sonia smiled in response and patted her head gently, before letting out a subtle sigh. She admired Lilian because puppets also had their benefits at times. On the other hand, once one was involved with politics, it was basically impossible to get out of it. Having to lead a life like Lilian��s was also considered Sonia��s wish from a certain degree. At least she didn��t need to worry about the intriguing political dealings and could peacefully get by everyday without troubles��


    ��Sonia, are the discussions over?��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty. There are only some small troubles, so there��s nothing that you need to worry about.��


    ��I see����


    Lilian said with a dubious look. Shortly after, she shook her head and laid on the bed.


    ��Alright then. Sonia, tell me a story. Let��s continue with the one from yesterday.��


    ��No problem, Your Majesty.��


    Sonia showed a gentle smile and lifted the book beside her.


    A peaceful night as usual.


    But as the sun rose the next day, Casabianca was slowly engulfed in clamors. This time, shocking news swept the entire city. Yesterday night, Parliament Member Greig headed to the legislative branch with doubts about Nakvard, the newly-appointed chairman��s legality! Not only that, but he also provided strong evidence to prove that a huge part of Nakvard��s election funds came from outside the Country of Light! After thorough investigations, it was discovered that there were also shenanigans with the votes: the votes of the two constituencies didn��t match the actual number of people! Also, more and more issues were slowly exposed such as manipulated votes and disadvantageous rumors!


    Greig requested the legislative branch to summon for Nakvard immediately, requesting that he provide explanations for the issues. Not only that, but he also dispatched men to investigate the source of the election funds. After two months of peace, the Country of Light was once again caught in a new storm.


    Nakvard was extremely calm against their accusations. He expressed that there was no problem with the source of election funds. The reason why they came from outside the Country of Light was because his supporters resided outside of the Country of Light. As for the votes, he asserted that calculation errors were expected and it didn��t affect the general situation�� But things weren��t that simple.


    The dramatic reform which Nakvard proposed after becoming the chairman affected the interests of the financial groups and military. Not only was the military budget cut to support the civilians, but tax was also increased and industries were also reintegrated. This touched a lot of links and along with this series of matters, the dark clouds once again enfolded the sky of Casabianca��


    ��Sir Nakvard.��


    Nakvard lifted his head and narrowed his eyes at his trusted aide. Even if many people saw him as a ��traitor who betrayed his country of money��, he maintained his solemn look. On the contrary, his trusted aide appeared so pale that Nakvard knitted his brows in displeasure.


    ��What��s wrong? The legislative branch and lower house finding trouble again?��


    Although Nakvard did bear considerable doubts, he was continuing his duty as the chairman as there wasn��t any evidence that was strong enough to strip his title. But in comparison to the past, he faced a lot more rejections in his proposals now. Not only did the parliament members suggest to ��research�� the topic for a few days before coming to a conclusion, but the results also weren��t as he expected. But even though he was in this terrible situation, he still remained calm as though he wasn��t the affected chairman at all.


    ��No. It��s�� Outside����


    ��Outside? Those protesters? Don��t be bothered by them. How many times have I told you? Didn��t I tell you that the situation will cool down after some time?��


    ��It��s not that case, Sir�� There are many retired soldiers gathering and protesting in Freedom Square!��


    ��Why?!��


    Nakvard stood to his feet and glared fiercely at the trusted aide.


    ��Tell me the details!��


    ��Y-Yes, Sir!��


    The trusted aide sweat profusely to the sharp gazes. Then, he explained the situation in full details.


    The cause of the problem went back to the end of the war between the Country of Light and Country of Darkness. Even though the Country of Darkness had indeed ceased fire, the Country of Light wasn��t victorious in war. Not only that, but the Country of Light��s military also took a huge hit after the war. The family of the deceased needed their pensions while the soldiers who retired due to several reasons needed compensations to get through with their lives. After all, they were crippled despite surviving in the war against the Country of Darkness. They could no longer work like ordinary people to support their lives.


    But blessings never came in pairs. After Lilian took away the ��offerings�� from Lydia, the desperate Light Parliament became deep in debt. In the end, they had no choice but to accept fundings from the five largest financial groups to get through the crisis. Under such circumstances, the parliament couldn��t help themselves, not to mention support the retired soldiers. Back then, the election was ongoing after the former chairman stepped down, so the parliament chose to put off this matter. All in all, they signed a promissory note to the retired soldiers and could only compensate them after receiving the fundings.


    Even though the Country of Light was in a tough spot, the soldiers were still loyal to their country. They never thought that the parliament would lie to them, but the situation had developed in a completely different direction. They thought that after the new chairman was appointed, the situation would stabilize and they would receive their deserved compensation. But after Nakvard took over and cut the military budget for the sake of the people, that was when the problem arose. Although the cut budget was meant to benefit the people, unfortunately the retired soldiers weren��t in the category of the ��people��. In other words, the slashed budget included their compensations!


    The retired soldiers couldn��t sit idly by any longer. Their lives were extremely tough, so they anticipated having the compensation to live the rest of their lives in peace. But now, they were worried since they didn��t know when they would receive the money. It was due to this that they came to Freedom Square, hoping that the government could fulfill their promise. They had no more alternatives. If they couldn��t receive the compensations, they would starve to death on the streets!


    Gazing at the clamoring Freedom Square from the carriage, Sonia revealed a smile. At this moment, the retired soldiers swarmed the square. They wore tattered military uniforms, raising flags and broken weapons at the tall building. There were thousands of them and from time to time, more retired soldiers joined the crowd with flags. The wide, clean plaza was in complete disorder. Apart from the soldiers, there were also tents and bonfires. In the distance, guards were lifting their weapons and gazing at the gathering crowd nervously. No matter what, the retired soldiers were experienced veterans and not ordinary people. Not only were they wielding weapons, but they were also rich in battle experience. Although they had physical disabilities, only fools would think that they weren��t threatening!


    ��The plot is complete: stage and actors in place, awaiting the moment for the curtains to be drawn. Everything is unexpectedly successful and as predicted by Master. No�� Maybe I should say that it is due to the soldiers�� heart for justice that makes it so successful.��


    Sonia twitched her brow and muttered under her breath. Even though she was indeed the mastermind behind the scenes, it took two to tango, after all. Sonia was aware that there were also forces from the military secretly involved in this situation. The military was also using this excuse to apply pressure on Nakvard. After all, they were the biggest victim from this so-called ��reform�� by Nakvard.


    Sonia narrowed her eyes and gazed forward, tapping her finger on her thigh lightly as though she had nothing to do with the protest.


    ��Alright, don��t stop here. We have other matters to attend to.��


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    The driver urged the horse with the whip and the carriage started moving. Sonia closed her eyes and leaned back on the chair quietly.


    Are you ready to accept this huge gift from Master, Sir Nakvard?

 Chapter 975

    The retired soldiers in Freedom Square garnered the attention of the parliament pretty soon. The Light Parliament thought that this was just an ordinary protest which would be over in no time. But they discovered that the situation wasn��t as simple as they thought because the number of protesters increased. In just a few days, almost 20,000 retired soldiers gathered in the plaza, with some setting up camp, waiting patiently for the parliament to give them a clear answer.


    The parliament couldn��t remain indifferent any longer. 20,000 was a huge number. Moreover, Freedom Square was right in the city center of Casabianca. If they allowed the protest to continue, the entire city would fall into a crisis. Not only that, but the horrendous criticism of the parliament would also worsen. The parliament had no choice but to call forth a meeting and discuss if they should pay the retired soldiers right away. But��


    ��We don��t have extra budget to spare!��


    Smacking hard on the table, one of the parliament members stood to his feet, losing his elegant demeanor.


    ��Just how much do you think the amount will be? A few grand? Not only are there soldiers in Freedom Square, but we also received reports that soldiers from other territories are heading over there too. We��re extremely tight on finance now and are unable to hand over that much money now. You should be aware of that!��


    ��But what about the soldiers out there?��


    Another parliament member asked anxiously. Even though he wasn��t growling like the previous parliament member who was as though a gambler who lost all his money, his face was full of uncertainty.


    ��They aren��t ordinary civilians. They��re retired veterans! If they don��t hear our answer and stir up trouble, who will be able to stop them? Don��t tell me you want to rely on our city guards? Not only that, but the retired veterans have also brought a lot of problems to Casabianca. The roads around Freedom Square have been sealed off for safety, and this still isn��t enough.��


    ��What��s the response from the military?��


    ��What sort of response can they have? Those bast*rds fell out with us over the budget cuts and are watching the show in relish. According to the messengers, they said that they can��t afford to help us with that huge amount of money����


    One of the parliament members in military uniform puckered his brows. He lifted his head and glared at the complainer.


    ��Help? How do you want us to help? Before the parliament announced the budget cuts, our military didn��t raise a single question to you. But what did you say back then, hmm?����Civilians are the most important. During the armistice, the military��s expenditure will be cut down by a little.����yes, a little. God dang it! Is cutting off 30 percent called ��a little��? You bast*rds. We fought for you in the front line during war and you throw us aside when we��re no longer needed. Do you think we��re some pushovers?��


    ��Please calm down, Parliament Member Ryder. We have our reasons for cutting the military budget. As for the war, your performance against the Country of Darkness wasn��t too����


    ��If it weren��t for you people dragging us down, how would we lose so terribly? Didn��t the intelligence department report that the Munn Kingdom was strengthening their defenses against the Country of Darkness? But what did you bast*rds do? You ignored the intelligence, didn��t you? And you focused your attention on the meaningless fight for power����


    ��What do you mean by meaningless? Do you think that it is a good thing for the country after the Light Dragon reclaims her power?��


    ��Who cares if it is a good thing or a bad one; there will be nothing left if we��re dead. Do you know many soldiers we lost due to your incompetence?! And now you��re trying to push the blame to the military? Do you even have a conscience? The soldiers out there are the ones who have always protected you. Without them, do you think you can still hold a proper meeting here? I hope you give it some serious considerations. Other than the 20,000 soldiers on Freedom Square right now, there are more than 100,000 of them joining them from the other territories! Those veterans are armed with weapons and if the parliament doesn��t come up with a solution, I suppose you know what they will do.��


    ��Is there a problem? It was due to the military commanders�� incompetence and yet you pushed the blame to the parliament? Why did you only come and accuse us when a problem arises? Can��t the military do anything about the retired soldiers out there? If it weren��t for your instigation, will the group of trash have the strength to start a protest? Moreover, so what if they dare to attack? They are nothing more than a group of rioters who want financial support from the country, that��s all. At this point in time, the Country of Light is tight on finance. If the rioters are truly militants who are willing to sacrifice their lives for the nation, they shouldn��t be out there causing a ruckus! There are only 100,000 of them��not even worthy of a mention. As long as we capture their leader, the remaining guys will scatter like a pack of dogs��argh!��


    The agitated parliament member was punched to the ground by another parliament member. Then, the man in a military uniform leapt across the table and gave a huge beating to that pitiful man.


    ��What did you say?! Without that ��group of trash��, you would��ve been killed by the undead creatures! I will send you to your deathbed, you freakin�� bast*rd! If you��ve got the guts, head to the front line and fight the undead creatures yourself! Since you know how to talk, I will make sure you walk the walk��!��


    The parliament members were stunned. Shortly after, they returned to their senses and hurried to separate them.


    ��Stop fighting! This is for the sake of the country, so why must you fight each other? Parliament Member Ryder, please calm down!��


    ��Calm down! Now isn��t the time to discuss past issues. Right now, the most crucial problem is the compensation for the retired soldiers. Stop fighting, Parliament Member Collin will be out of breath soon! Hurry up, stop them�� Guards! Where are the guards?!��


    ��Quiet, quiet! Behave yourself before the parliament chairman!��


    ��Damn it, must you land such a heavy punch, Parliament Member Ryder? Somebody help me! He is killing me!!��


    ��Stop at this instance!��


    After a thunderous rage, the clamoring hall quietened instantly. The guards also arrived at the scene and separated the brawling men. Parliament Member Ryder and the unfortunate bugger who was beaten to a pulp were ��respectfully�� asked to leave the hall. Meanwhile, everyone returned to their seats and stared at Nakvard, who stood to his feet.


    No matter what, this situation had exceeded everyone��s expectations. If it were only a protest by civilians, they would be easier to manage. But the problem was that they didn��t expect to see so many soldiers gathered in protest. The parliament members trembled with fear and were at their wits�� end.


    ��Sonia, talk about the current situation.��


    ��Yes, Parliament Chairman.��


    Sonia, who was rolling in laughter in her mind, stood up and said.


    ��According to the city guards, the 20,000 soldiers gathered in Freedom Square were led by Defoe and General Bred. At present, the requests made by their representatives include the redemption of promised benefits, as well as pensions���� Sonia paused, before continuing her explanation ���� In fact, the payment of pensions was stopped two months ago due to insufficient funds. What should have been part of the military��s budget was cut and the military temporarily stopped paying pensions.��


    ������


    Everyone fell into silence. In fact, the soldiers�� requests were rather simple and reasonable. They just needed the money. On the other hand, the problem for the parliament now was also simple. They had no money.


    Of course, it was impossible to say that they had no money at all. But it would be harder for them to fork out the money than to ascend to heaven.


    It was about time for the final blow.


    Sonia let out an inward chuckle, gazing at the calm expressions of the parliament members. However, it was just the calm before the storm as they blanched at her next statement.


    ��Other than that�� Her Majesty Lilian is also asking about it and it seems like the soldiers are intending to submit to her.��


    As expected, the parliament members instantly turned ashen.


    Lilian��s palace resided on a mountain near Freedom Square. Anyone who strolled in the palace garden would be curious of the crowd gathered there, not to mention Lilian.


    If Lilian was purely curious, the parliament could still hide the truth from her, since they were experienced after so many years. Apart from the parliament members, no one had ever seen Lilian. So even if the soldiers tried to submit to her, they wouldn��t know who to look for. But this wasn��t a problem of whether they could do it or not. Instead, it was about the political meaning behind it. In other words, the parliament��s reputation was plummeting which could lead to more people seeking assistance from the Light Dragon directly!


    That would be the worst nightmare!


    The parliament��s reputation had been falling greatly outside the Country of Light, especially at the influence of anti-parliament overlords who basically treated them as a joke. On the other hand, people in the Country of Light also had their fair share of complaints. Although they ridiculed the parliament helplessly, they had never thought of replacing them with Lilian. This wasn��t due to the desire of freedom and dictatorship. Instead, it was that most of them felt that the Light Dragon was no different from a mascot. The only thing related was the word ��light�� in their names. If it weren��t for the Light Dragon, the parliament would have changed the name from the ��Country of Light�� to ��Freedom Paradise���� Which sounded like a certain female occupational workplace.


    But now, the biggest problem was that this mascot was no longer treated solely as one. The people wholeheartedly wished that she would possess the power to solve their problems.


    And in fact, Lilian indeed had the ability to do that!


    The Munn Kingdom��s ��offerings�� in gold coins were all in her possession. If she was willing to, she could use a portion of that to make up the compensations and pensions. Besides, she definitely wouldn��t consider financial crises because the parliament was aware of her kind and innocent personality, which was mainly why they brazenly manipulated her. But now�� They were trapped in desperation due to that personality of hers.


    The parliament members couldn��t sit idly by any longer as neither of the two choices would be smooth-sailing for them.


    They could fork out the money themselves to appease the soldiers, but the problem was that they couldn��t afford the high amount of money now. And if they couldn��t solve the issue soon, the operations in Casabianca would fall apart and soldiers would stir up trouble. They weren��t ordinary civilians, so it would be harder to manage them.


    On the other hand, if they couldn��t fork out the money, they could possibly look for Lilian. One could never be too careful. If Lilian knew about this and handed money over, it would be more terrifying than a riot because it would affect the parliament��s foundation in ruling the country! The soldiers who received the financial support would surely be deeply grateful and loyal to Lilian. On the contrary, as the parliament failed to fulfill their promises, they might face hostilities from the people. When that happened, the little girl who resided in the palace would possess her own forces! Even though the soldiers were retired, they still paid close attention to the military. If Lilian helped them solve this problem, the military would perhaps have a favorable impression on her. When that happened��


    The thought of the military becoming Lilian��s backing forces sent chills up their spines. If Lilian intervened and the military felt like she was an easily manipulatable puppet (which in fact was the truth), they might overthrow the parliament in the name of Lilian and take the opportunity to form a new military government��


    ��The situation isn��t as terrible as we think it is.��


    Nakvard��s voice pulled the parliament members back to their senses. They wiped the large beads of sweat on their foreheads and gazed at him, hoping that he had some solutions.


    ��Even though the voices are loud out there, we can��t ignore the hidden dangers. Indeed, it is reasonable for the retired soldiers to request their compensation, but I suspect that a group of men is manipulating them to reach their goal. According to my investigations, a huge part of that group are high-ranking supporters of the royal family. We have sufficient reasons to doubt that someone is attempting to achieve an ulterior motive! ��


    Nakvard��s eyes glinted with determined radiance.


    ��Under such a circumstance, we have sufficient reasons to suspect the possible issues. I suggest adopting measures to prevent the situation from worsening. As for the financial issue, we will hold another meeting again. What we need to do now is to appease the protesters and capture the people suspected of incitement. Only through this way that we can truly resolve the problem!��


    Nakvard paused. Then, he continued.


    ��So I have a suggestion. Dispatch the guards and seal off Freedom Square immediately!��

 Chapter 976

    The autumn rain poured non-stop.


    Dark clouds enfolded Casabianca��s sky and rain had been pouring continuously for three days. Bane lifted his head and gazed at the sky sullenly. Ie-cold raindrops fell mercilessly from above, hitting his scrawny face. But this was nothing to him. He shifted his gaze to the parliament hall beside the plaza, where bright lights were shining behind the windows.


    Five days had gone by and up until now, the parliament didn��t have an official response for their requests yet. Meanwhile, more and more people gathered in the plaza. Bane was a soldier of the northern war zone and the army he was in was completely annihilated in the war against the Country of Darkness. Not only that, but he had also lost an arm and was forced into retirement.


    Life after retirement wasn��t great. After losing the war against the Country of Darkness, the Country of Light had been facing exceptionally challenging days. Many refugees and physically-abled people couldn��t find jobs, not to mention disabled people like Bane. Even though on his way to Casabianca, he met kind people who offered him a helping hand, it wouldn��t be sufficient in the long term. Besides, his job was intelligence analysis, unlike the retired soldiers who were strong enough to still become mercenaries. As a result, he could only retire and head home. It should have been this way. The truth was that his so-called home no longer existed after his hometown was invaded by the Country of Darkness.


    Bane��s only hope was to receive his rightful compensations and spend the rest of his life in a peaceful land. But he didn��t expect that this little wish of his was about to vanish completely. After he learned from his colleagues that the military had stopped handing out compensation due to budget cuts, he was aware that things were far from good. Unlike the stubborn soldiers, he understood the internal situation of the Country of Light really well, being in the intelligence department. He guessed that this would happen sooner or later. He intended to get his hands on his compensation during the chaotic election and leave the country. But he didn��t expect to lose to luck.


    It was due to this reason that when he heard that soldiers were gathering at Casabianca, he braced himself and also came to this place despite his mind telling him that this wouldn��t change the parliament��s decision. This was his only path left.


    As the long days passed, the feelings of excitement and anticipation of arriving at Casabianca were no longer present. Those emotions were replaced by concerns and uncertainty.


    ��What��s wrong, Bane? What��s with that expression of yours, like you had a nightmare?��


    ��Sir Defoe.��


    Bane saluted to the stout man who had lost a leg and was supporting himself on a cane. Defoe smiled, waving his hand airily. ��No, stop. I��m a retired soldier like you. This isn��t the military so there��s no need for formalities.��


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    Despite that, Bane��s attitude was still as respectful because Defoe was one of the main organizers who gathered the soldiers. Bane didn��t know if Defoe gathered the soldiers to Freedom Square or took on the job of the person-in-charge after coming here. But he was sure that this stout old man was highly respected among veterans. Bane had even suspected that ��Defoe�� was only a pseudonym. After all, this protest didn��t involve only retired soldiers, but also veterans of other territories. Even though Bane thought of investigating Defoe��s identity, he forwent it thereafter because, after all, everyone was here as soldiers with a common goal and not as an official organization, so what was there for him to worry about so much?


    ��Say, why are you looking so pale? Are you sick?��


    ��N-No, Sir Defoe����


    Bane hesitated and said softly.


    ��I think the situation isn��t looking good.��


    ��Oh?��


    Defoe widened his eyes.


    ��Is anything the matter?��


    ��Yes, Sir. I inquired about the rumors about us and found that most people supported us. But�� There are also bad rumors.�� Bane hesitated for a moment, before continuing. ��Some people said that we were incited to gather in protest against the parliament����


    ��Hmph!��


    Defoe grunted with knitted brows, his aged face revealing obvious wrath. Bane stiffened instinctively. But even so, he braced himself and continued speaking. After all, the situation was truly horrendous.


    ��So I suspect that�� the parliament may take actions against us. They often do it and there are more people gathering in Casabianca everyday. In fact, I feel like the parliament can��t fork out the money in the short time. And the problem is that most of us can��t survive until they hand out the compensations.��


    Bane gazed at the broken, tattered tents and let out a long sigh. This morning, there were a dozen retired soldiers who closed their eyes forever due to illnesses and starvation. Many of them were penniless and all they could do was to beg for food from kindhearted souls or boil rotten vegetables from the market. Days weren��t great for them anyhow, not even for the people of Casabianca. The retired soldiers did their best to ensure that they wouldn��t starve to death because if they were sick, they wouldn��t have the money for treatment either. Right now, they could either resist or die. The continuous rainy days brought illnesses to many of them and the illnesses were contagious. Under such circumstances, the retired soldiers could only wait for the compensation to rescue themselves. Bane was sure that the problem wouldn��t end unless the parliament handed them the money.


    ��Do you think they will chase us away?��


    Defoe narrowed his eyes at the soldier. Bane nodded.


    ��Highly likely. No matter what even though the people of Casabianca support our protest, no one can be sure of what will happen in the near future. Besides, there are critically-ill soldiers everywhere and people of the city are afraid that the diseases are contagious. So if the parliament requests us to leave for the sake of health and safety, the people won��t object. As for the military���� Bane paused and after seeing no changes in Defoe��s expression, he continued.


    ��Even though we��re retired soldiers, the military supports us too. But they are in a tough spot now so I don��t think they will rely on us to overthrow the parliament and their support is also limited. If the parliament and military come to an agreement, as long as the situation isn��t too horrible, perhaps the military will turn a blind eye to us being chased away. No matter what, we are retired and it isn��t in the interest of the military for us to turn the country into a chaotic mess.��


    ��Interest, interest. What do those bast*rds know other than interest!��


    Defoe curled his lips.


    ��Hmph. Those bast*rds never change after so many years. Those military assh*les only know how to bark. I knew that they weren��t useful at all!��


    ��One more thing, Sir Defoe����


    Bane hesitated.


    ��I heard�� we��re intending to submit to Her Majesty Light Dragon, hoping that she will solve the problem for us.��


    ������


    This time Defoe didn��t respond immediately. Instead, he scanned the young man. Upon sensing his pressurizing gaze, Bane gulped his saliva and felt as though his surroundings were freezing into place. After a few moments as the old man gaped and was about to speak��


    Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!


    The loud clip-clops of hooves disrupted the dead silence in the plaza. Bane turned around and his heart sank instantly because through the curtain of rain, there were large groups of cavalrymen charging toward them, surrounding the plaza. Behind them were fully-armored guards with weapons in hands. The city guards didn��t belong to the military but were under the administration of the parliament. This was the essential difference between soldiers and them. And now, the parliament had actually sent guards to the plaza, which clearly indicated their intention! Besides, this decision was one that the retired soldiers couldn��t accept!


    ��What��s wrong?��


    ��What happened?��


    At this moment, the retired soldiers who hid from the pouring rain in their tents peered out, anxiously clutching their weapons. They slowly gathered and stared at the guards vigilantly with a bad hunch.


    Shortly after the guards surrounded the entire plaza. It was dusk and the sky was slowly turning dark where apart from the light of magic crystals and flame torches, the entire world had as though fallen into deep darkness. Bane had difficulties breathing. He reached out for the sword on his waist and felt somewhat relieved after touching the cold, familiar hilt.


    At this moment, a pitch-black carriage drove up the platform in the plaza and came to a halt. Then, a man clad in a luxurious, black uniform stepped out of the carriage, surprised at the sight of the crowd. But he calmed himself down. His servant diligently opened the umbrella to shelter him from the rain. The man let out a cough for attention before retrieving a piece of purple gem from his pocket. The gem flickered in a dazzling radiance, casting voice-amplifying magic over the entire plaza. The man lowered his head gradually, reading the letter in hand.


    ��Everyone, I��m Nakvard, parliament chairman of the Light Parliament, responsible for the soldiers�� financial reliefs! You��ve gathered at Casabianca from everywhere and this has seriously affected operations of our parliament and the city��s stability! I believe that you��re loyal people of our parliament. You are soldiers who protected this country, so you should understand how your doings have affected the country! I hope you can consider the bigger picture and stop making things difficult for the country! Besides, according to our investigations, there are many people amongst you who harbor ill intentions and hold criminal records. The Light Parliament, Casabianca, and the entire country feel threatened by your actions!��


    The retired soldiers displayed obvious rage and anger on their faces. They knew what Nakvard was trying to express.


    ��The Light Parliament has reached a consensus to deny your request to claim compensations! We advise you to stop protesting, return to your hometown, and wait patiently for our assistance. The parliament will provide transportation fees as a form of reimbursements! Please understand that this is the final decision of the Light Parliament!��


    ��How is this possible?��


    ��Why did it turn out this way?��


    ��What?!��


    Anger wasn��t the first emotion the retired soldiers felt. Instead, they were at their wits�� end. They stood in the pouring rain in disbelief. All that they had hoped for was like a perfect soap bubble bursting into nothingness!


    ��Go to hell, parliament!��


    ��What rubbish are you uttering!��


    ��Die, parliament! We will not give up! Never!��


    A soldier in ragged clothes approached the platform, glaring fiercely at Nakvard. Nakvard took a few steps back with an unwavering expression and shortly after, the guards stepped forward and extended their weapons to protect him. They unsheathed their swords, pointing at the soldiers. Not only that, but the guards also nocked arrows on their bows, aiming at the crowd below. The soldiers didn��t back off. They got into a square-shaped formation as though going for war in the front line, marching forward in unison. At the same time, they sang the national anthem.


    ��Who has ever seen the people fighting for freedom in the distant dawn�� Have you ever seen the brave flag erected on the ground! Whose flag is it fluttering in the flames of the battlefield����


    The national anthem resounded in Freedom Square. The guards turned pale, clutching their weapons nervously and gazing at the armored retired soldiers as though they were the scariest enemies in this world.


    ��Stay away! Don��t get any closer!��


    ��It��s the military restricted area ahead! Trespassers will be executed!��


    ��Anyone who dares to barge into the parliament hall will be killed on the spot!��


    The guards yelled but the soldiers continued to march on with their heads held high, gazing at the pale, trembling guards before them.


    ��Kill me if you��ve got the guts! Since I will die if I head back now, I might as well end my life here! We��ll let the politicians witness our corpses and see whose blood we��re shedding!��


    ��Do it, cowards! I��ve killed more people than the meals you��ve eaten! You weren��t even born when I killed someone!��


    Nakvard sulked at this messy sight.


    ��Get ready������attack!��


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Countless arrows flew across the sky and the first row of soldiers crumpled to the ground, dead! The remaining soldiers were infuriated!


    ��Brothers! They��re trying to kill us!��


    ��Since we��ll all die some day, let��s show them what we��re worth! Attack!��


    Shing! Shing! Shing!


    The rasps of blades filled the air. The bugle horn sounded, symbolizing the start of an assault.


    ��Ooo�� Ooo��!��


    The readied cavalrymen raised their weapons, lashed their whips, and charged into the sea of humans.


    The entire Freedom Square was in complete chaos!

 Chapter 977

    The guards charged into the plaza and clashed with the soldiers. The clanging of blades rang while flares, rain, and blood splashed in the battlefield. The tents were enfolded in flames and mournful screams were heard everywhere. One standing under the dark sky felt as though one was among the flames of this terrifying hell.


    Once one shot an arrow, there was no getting it back. It was especially so for the retired soldiers. They didn��t have any bright future ahead of them anymore, so they weren��t afraid of the menacing blades. On the contrary, it urged them to charge ahead bravely, which caught the guards unprepared. Even though the guards were permanently stationed in Casabianca and were experienced in handling riots and protests, and despite their armors being much better than the ragged pieces of clothes clad on the soldiers, the problem was that this wasn��t an ordinary protest, after all. Many of these retired soldiers pulled out of the battle against the undead creatures. Although the Country of Light��s military commanders were useless, the soldiers who survived against the undead creatures were extraordinarily impressive in adaptation and their skills. The battle and murderous intent in them weren��t what the guards could handle. The guards panicked and even though they had the upper hand in quantity, they were like paper tigers. On the other hand, the soldiers used their experiences from battlefields and formed several teams to start guerrilla warfare.


    The reason why the parliament chose to announce the news during dusk was to lower its influence to the minimum. The parliament members thought that the retired soldiers were only a bunch of powerless, ill, and disabled people who would retreat at the sight of the slightest challenge.


    But the truth exceeded everyone��s expectations. Not only did the retired soldiers not flee, but they also summoned their courage for the fight. On the other hand, the guards who had all hopes pinned on them by the parliament were desperate and miserable! This instantly brought a whole lot of pressure and uncertainty to the parliament.


    Of course, if the parliament sent out mages instead, the soldiers wouldn��t be able to match them. But they weren��t in the outskirts of the wilderness and were located in the city center of Casabianca instead. Mages would not only destroy buildings, but the opportunity to handle the situation peacefully would also be shattered. If news of this clash spread throughout the continent, it would leave a bad impression with several large-scale organizations like the churches and Mage Tower. These third parties didn��t need to show deference to the parliament and might perhaps raise objections because this matter was the parliament��s fault to begin with. They weren��t willing to fork out the money to compensate the soldiers which ultimately led to this disaster. If the parliament took it too far, the church would surely step in. But fortunately for the parliament, emergency relief issues were the financial affairs of the Country of Light and weren��t agreed upon in the contract under the church��s supervision. If not, the parliament would have a bigger headache over their money being frozen in the church��s bank��


    The situation was horrible for the parliament. The results that they expected didn��t show up and on the contrary, the guards began to retreat, turning the entire Freedom Square into a massive meat grinder. The guards who entered the plaza were crushed and the glorified cavalrymen were nowhere to be seen already.


    The parliament members were out of ideas. They stood by the window helplessly, watching the chaos taking place in Freedom Square, praying that they would survive as the winners. But if the soldiers were to break through the blockades and attack the parliament hall�� They didn��t even dare to think of what would happen!


    The night darkened and dazzling lightning bolts bursting in the thick clouds blinded the plaza in a white flash. The blazing flames, shifting silhouettes, thunders, and screams formed a desperate scene.


    The situation was heading toward the point of no return.


    ��Heyahhh!��


    Bane slashed his blade through the pouring rain, piercing into the neck of a young guard. Beads of blood sprang up and the young guard instantly felt his life fading away from him. He widened his eyes in panic, reaching his hand out in despair. But at the next moment, he crumpled to the pool of bloodied water on the ground.


    Damn it, where exactly did everything go wrong?


    Bane lifted his head and gazed at the plaza that had completely turned into a bloody battlefield. Ironically, they were swinging their weapons at their fellow citizens instead of the enemies who had invaded their homeland and massacred their families! How did the situation turn out this way? Bane could no longer consider this question and didn��t even have the time to feel sorrowful. Right now there was nothing else he could do apart from slaughtering one another. He brandished his sword blankly, his heart completely perplexed. Perhaps he wasn��t the only one feeling this way. Both parties were tearing into each other and the so-called compensations were already out of the picture. So what if he killed more people now? Could they even attack the parliament and occupy the building? If so, what was the purpose of that?


    But this fight couldn��t be stopped! No matter what, he didn��t wish to die here. Even if he were to become a fugitive and escape the Country of Light, at least he had a chance to survive. Everything would be done for if he lost his life here!


    Bane knew that there was still a way out. As long as someone with more authority over the parliament intervened, the battle could be stopped. But did such a person exist? If even the parliament had given up on them, who would be willing to lend them a helping hand?


    There was an instant when Bane had given up all hope. He panted, gazing at the guards charging at him. He closed his eyes and raised his sword, before swinging it forward��


    ��Everyone stop!��


    All of a sudden, a snarl as loud as thunder overwhelmed the battlefield of clamors and blade clashes. Not only that, but Bane also felt his body coming to a halt as though it was frozen. He widened his eyes at the two guards standing before him in their offensive stance, their faces in complete astonishment. At this moment, a bright, holy ray of white shone and eradicated the darkness. Bane looked up at the sky where hundreds of glowing angels appeared before their eyes.


    Battle Angels!


    Bane shrieked. Even though they couldn��t stand the Battle Angels in the past, they respected them a lot more after the war against the Country of Darkness ended. It could also be said that if it weren��t for the Battle Angels, they would have died miserably in the hands of the undead creatures. As a result, the soldiers didn��t detest the Battle Angels as much as the ordinary civilians. And now, the Battle Angels were actually here to rescue them. If Bane recalled correctly, the parliament wasn��t in a position to control the Battle Angels. So if the Battle Angels were here on their own accord, this meant that��


    Bane suddenly felt a sliver of hope.


    ��Stop fighting immediately!��


    Boulder descended to the platform with a blazing sword in his hand. He swept a look at the crowd, which was stunned by his ��intimidating�� words. Then, he knitted his brows and repeated.


    ��Stop fighting immediately!��


    Along with the arrival of the Battle Angels, the crowd no longer had the intention to continue their battle. Shortly after, the soldiers and guards swiftly separated themselves to two sides of the plaza. Both sides gazed worriedly at the Battle Angels. After all, the Battle Angels were low-profile and wouldn��t intervene with any situations. Besides, there weren��t a lot of them left in the Country of Light, which was why they seldom showed up. But with their appearance here, everyone felt that something was off with the situation.


    The parliament members standing by the windows watched tensely. They knew who had the authority to mobilize the Battle Angels. Could it be that��


    As though confirming their greatest fears, a petite figure sauntered out of the group of angels and went up the platform.


    ��I was still feeling hopeful when Big Sister Sonia reported the situation to me. But Chairman Nakvard, is this the way your parliament handles the situation?��


    Lilian puckered her brows and asked the pale, solemn man standing before her.

 Chapter 978

    Lilian��s heart almost stopped at the sight of the ice-cold corpses lying in the bloodied battlefield. She did witness cruelties of battles in the past, but this wasn��t a battlefield, after all. This was her country and city. It could also be said that even if she was ��imprisoned�� in the palace, she used to admire the city and its bustling plaza from the palace��s garden. But now, it had turned into a graveyard with faint, weak groans echoing. Apart from some Battle Angels controlling the situation from midair, the others had begun treatment on the wounded. In fact, Lilian had never thought that this flourishing place would end up in this plight.


    ���� Chairman Nakvard, do you have anything to say?��


    Lilian glared at the pale, silent, and unwavering man. He flicked off the raindrops on his shoulders. Then, he spoke.


    ��You shouldn��t have come to such a place, Your Majesty. The rioters are attempting to attack the parliament hall and are desperate to overturn the nation��s power. This is an act of our self-defense, so please return to your palace. I guarantee in the name of the chairman to provide a clear answer afterward.��


    ��I don��t need an answer. I know the specifics. Aren��t these people looking to claim the money that truly belongs to them? Why must you treat them this way? They are heroes who once fought for our country; don��t you think they should be treated properly?!��


    Nakvard knitted his brows slightly. If it were any other day, he could order the guards to ��escort�� her away. But Boulder and Serene were standing beside her now and he couldn��t do something like that so brazenly. This was the natural shortcomings of the parliament compared to the Light Dragon. No matter how much strength the parliament possessed, they could never become enemies with the two archangels under the Light Dragon protection. This was why the parliament had always been targeting Lilian instead. Even though archangels were powerful, they had to obey Lilian��s orders, after all. But this time, he didn��t expect both of them to be around. Could it be that something went wrong��?


    ��Your Majesty����


    ��Stop. After hearing the report from Big Sister Sonia, I thought your parliament could resolve the issue. But I didn��t expect you to do something like this. I��m utterly disappointed!��


    Lilian was enraged. She was worried about the protest as soon as she heard about it. When she learned that the parliament made their final decision, she stood by the window and observed the situation in the plaza. Even though she was a child, she was a dragon soul heir, after all. She had exceptional attributes above humans so despite the harsh weather, she could clearly witness the happenings. From the start, she was hoping that the situation would come to a peaceful end. But she didn��t expect the parliament to send guards and kill the retired soldiers. She even thought that she was dreaming when she first saw it. But after she came to her senses, she couldn��t remain silent any longer.


    In fact, she had heard a lot of things about the retired soldiers from Sonia. When she first saw the rough-looking men in ragged clothes seeking shelter in their tents, she had already thought of helping them. But she was also aware that if she showed herself, she might even turn the situation worse. Moreover, Sonia had been working hard in the parliament, which was why she chose to wait obediently for the results. But now, Lilian totally didn��t expect this at all!


    She couldn��t no longer sit idly by at the sight of this massacre. She quickly approached Serene and Boulder, requesting them to stop everything at once.


    ��Your Majesty, they����


    ��I know. Stop trying to explain yourself.��


    Lilian pulled a long face and glared at Nakvard furiously. The man looked at her in silence, perhaps knowing that it was meaningless to explain further.


    ��Serene, bring the soldiers to my palace and treat their wounds. Then, get their representative to speak to me about the compensations�� By the way, get Big Sister Sonia over too. I want to know the specific details.��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    Serene nodded. She turned around and ordered the Battle Angels.


    Shortly after, the retired soldiers were escorted away while the city guards were driven aside. Ironically, even though it was the guards who started the expulsion and had better equipment, during the headcount they realized that they had more deceased than the retired soldiers. This was as though a slap on the parliament��s face.


    Thereafter, the situation developed toward a direction the parliament members hated. In just a night of discussion with the soldiers�� representative, Lilian decided to hand out compensations to them. Not only that, but the families of the deceased in battle would also receive their rightful pensions. As for everything that happened in the plaza, she didn��t think that it was an act of riot, so she didn��t punish anyone. Of course, even though the guards were only there to maintain order, she was displeased and in disbelief that they actually attacked a group of ill and disabled people. Although the soldiers received meticulous care from the Battle Angels, Lilian couldn��t care less about the guards who had suffered worse. She handed the entire problem to the parliament instead.


    The news of this protest in Freedom Square spread throughout the continent.


    Many people were bewildered after hearing the news. Even though the parliament was prepared for this and claimed that someone attempted to cause chaos and overthrow the government by sneaking into the group of soldiers, Lilian��s actions were honestly a tight slap to their face. In fact, the soldiers left peacefully after having their requests fulfilled and this denied the credibility of the parliament��s claim. Besides, the ghastly bloodstains and corpses on Freedom Square were more than enough as proof. It was due to this reason that people accused the parliament and even the churches expressed their dissatisfaction. Standing from the church��s standpoint, the parliament was obviously trying to murder the innocent after going back on their words. If it weren��t for the fact that the church and parliament didn��t sign an agreement, the church would have frozen their finances. The city guards were also greatly resentful toward the parliament. They were unjustly ridiculed for the decision by their direct superiors. Not only that, but the parliament also attempted to push the blame to them, claiming that it was their decision to attack the soldiers.


    It was nearly impossible for the guards to suffer in silence after being used as scapegoats and losing so many of their men.


    The parliament couldn��t lift their heads proudly to the accusations from all over the continent. People also discovered that there were some changes to the situation in the Country of Light.


    In comparison to the parliament, Lilian received praises and acknowledgment by the people for her benevolent actions. Even though some people thought that this was part of her conspiracy, those who were familiar with the Country of Light��s political ecology basically knew that she was simply a mascot. But they didn��t expect her to become an overnight celebrity. This incident completely displayed her capability in politics. Whether it was the release of relief funds or handling of the aftermath, she did pretty well. Although she wasn��t as experienced as a politician and often acted in a fit of pique, this made her rather adorable to the people who understood politics. Because if she was a sophisticated politician, she could have seized the opportunity to rope in the guards from the parliament��s hands and not left them alone. Although she was naive from a political standpoint, she was seen as a genuine person.


    Of course, the military praised Lilian highly. As for the retired soldiers, they respected her the most.


    Sure, the parliament wouldn��t resign to their fate just yet. They announced to the people about the incident and of course, their version of the story retold how Lilian ��ignored�� the rules and overruled the proposal passed by the parliament and handled the matter in her own selfish ways. Even though the results were wonderful, it was extremely dangerous of her to neglect public opinions! They advised the people to open their eyes wide and not fall into this ��trap of the dictator��.


    But no matter how hard they tried, they couldn��t hide the truth. Besides, there were so many retired soldiers that it was basically impossible to seal their mouths. Therefore, there were no responses to their call for them to be wary of the dictator. Even though most people didn��t have a favorable impression on Lilian, a small group of them in the Country of Light started to support her. After all, no matter how nicely the parliament worded their statements, it was unforgivable for them to attack the soldiers who protected their country. Moreover, many people were displeased with the parliament, to begin with, because the parliament always sided the five largest financial groups and didn��t provide support to the civilians. In the past, people were afraid of being seen as ��supporting a dictator�� and for that they remained silent. But after this incident, they showed a clear-cut stand to oppose the parliament and support Lilian. Not only that, but the military also expressed a high level of support to her.


    The wind seemed to be blowing in a different direction..


    And all the news arrived at Rhode��s ears in the Enchanted Forest.


    ��Seems like Lilian did great.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. In fact, what surprised him was that the two archangels were so obedient of her orders. Could it be that they came to a realization? Or there were some other reasons behind it? But�� this wasn��t a problem for him to be worried about.


    ��Canary, how��s the situation with the Mage Tower?��


    ��According to Richard, they��ll be heading into the Deepest Labyrinth tomorrow.��


    Rhode folded the report in his hands and put it away in his pocket. He looked at the night sky with narrowed eyes.


    ��Alright then, we shall see what exactly they are up to.��

 Chapter 979

    The sun rose, announcing the start of a new day and the end of peace for the apprentices.


    In fact, the apprentices should have entered the Deepest Labyrinth after Richard��s group��s arrival. But thanks to a certain scoundrel, they had to postpone the departure date. Although Mini Bubble Gum treated Stewart��s injuries, his mentor, Gabe, wasn��t as fortunate. Although they didn��t know what evil presence possessed him, Mini Bubble Gum��s formidable holy power was deadly, as Gabe spent the next few days resting unconsciously in the campsite. No one dared to oppose Rhode��s group. Firstly, after witnessing Mini Bubble Gum��s prowess, they were clearly aware of the stronger side. Secondly, most of them weren��t favorable of Gabe either. Thirdly, the other mentors were displeased with this apprentice test. They had even hoped that Gabe would die to some illnesses so they could leave this dangerous place.


    But it was a pity that Gabe recovered after a few days of rest, which meant that the test had to continue. After Gabe came around, he officially announced the contents of the apprentice test. The apprentices had to lead their teams with an item into the Deepest Labyrinth and place the item on a specified location to complete the test. As for where the exact location was, there were directions indicated on the item. It seemed like a really simple test.


    Rhode stood on the hill, gazing at the nervous apprentices. Thereafter, he received an item from Richard, which was a teleportation crystal that was also available in the game. There were a total of hundred floors in the labyrinth and players couldn��t possibly restart from the first floor every time they returned to the place. Upon reaching every 10 floors, players could activate the teleportation crystal. Whenever they returned to the labyrinth, they could be transported from the floor to where they left off.


    In fact, this wasn��t too challenging for the apprentices who were at level 50 on average. Even though the Enchanted Forest was extremely dangerous, there was more than one entrance to the Deepest Labyrinth. As a result, the difficulty on each floor was similar between the first and tenth floors. As long as they were more cautious, there shouldn��t be a problem for them to reach the tenth floor.


    But the problem was that the situation wasn��t as simple as it seemed.


    An item like the teleportation crystal was only used when players raided dungeons. Rhode refused to believe that the Mage Tower would get this group of elites to enter the Deepest Labyrinth, unless all of their higher-ups had also transmigrated into this world like him and understood the world inside-out. Besides, the Deepest Labyrinth was exceptionally dangerous, which didn��t fit their motto of ��Safety First��. More importantly, Canary discovered that the teleportation signal was only one-way. In other words, when the teleportation crystal was activated, they would be brought to a specified place before being transported away individually. Rhode and Canary had no idea where the teleportation destination was connected to.


    But even though they didn��t know the true message behind the teleportation location, his guesses were close to the mark considering Gabe��s identity.


    ��Marlene, are you ready?��


    At this moment, the apprentices had entered the teleportation ritual by the entrance of the Deepest Labyrinth. This was where the Deepest Labyrinth was different from other dungeons. It didn��t have tunnels connecting to the inside and could only be accessed through teleportation rituals, making it easier to enter and harder to exit. If it weren��t for the one-way teleportation signal that could send them up to the surface, perhaps even players would have a hard time.


    ��All ready, Rhode. I analyzed the teleportation rituals and found that they were meddled with. But don��t worry, I��ve already added several fixed signals to them. After their teleportations are completed, we can immediately enter the labyrinth.��


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. He didn��t consider stopping the apprentices. Firstly, their relationship hadn��t reached a stage where he was obliged to help them. Secondly, he also wished to use this chance to see what exactly Gabe and his co-conspirators were up to. Since they were able to provide the teleportation crystals, it meant that they were extremely familiar with the Deepest Labyrinth and were using it to reach their goal. This was the main reason why Rhode didn��t stop the apprentices from entering the maze.


    He had also confirmed with Alice regarding Gabe��s Chaos aura. It was also due to this reason that he made this decision. After all, Chaos could distort history and the distorted history couldn��t be recorded by Alice. Without any other choice, he had to rely on himself now.


    At this moment, the final team of apprentices followed their mentor��s lead through the teleportation portal. Richard turned around and gazed worriedly at Rhode��s group. The struggles over the past few days made him aware that this test wasn��t as simple as it seemed. But now, he had no other choices left.


    ��Richard, it��s time to move out.��


    His mentor called out and he heaved a long sigh, before turning over.


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    Shortly after, the teleportation portal flickered and everyone in the middle vanished. Rhode twitched his brow slightly at this scene.


    ��Alright, it��s time for our appearance.��


    In an instant, the azure sky, white clouds, and lush forest disappeared before their eyes, only to be replaced by a run-down yet dignified rectangular hall. Several stone sculptures were erected on both sides, but due to the passing of time, most of them were already dilapidated. As Rhode��s group arrived, the pitch-black hall was instantly lit up by the flame torches hanging on the walls, illuminating the maze palace.


    ��Wow����


    Christie exclaimed in awe and even Bell widened her eyes, scanning the place curiously. After all, this was their first adventure.


    ��Christie, Bell, be wary. This place isn��t as safe as you think. There may be traps everywhere so follow Bubble and me closely. Don��t act rashly no matter what you see and don��t touch anything. Understand?��


    Rhode heaved a sigh before turning to them. Even though Christie was strong in her abilities and Bell was an assassin in the Legendary Stage, where even Nell couldn��t defeat her, they were too inexperienced in adventure, after all. Who knew what would happen to them if no one watched over them. In the game, Rhode had witnessed several high-level players get caught in simple and harmless-looking traps, which eventually resulted in their deaths. Sometimes, strength didn��t represent everything. Fortunately, Christie and Bell were obedient girls, so he didn��t need to worry too much about them.


    ��Bubble. You��ll be the support this time. Watch over them.��


    ��Got it, Leader.��


    Mini Bubble Gum nodded. Then, she asked dubiously.


    ��But what about the front? Are you and Big Sister going to take the lead?��


    ��No, I have a helper on my side.��


    Rhode smiled, extending his right hand. A summoning ritual flashed and spun above his palm. In the blink of an eye, five uniquely-colored cards appeared from thin air and revolved around him. Then, he clenched his fist. Smash!


    Dazzling radiance shone and five figures appeared around him.


    Celia and Celestina were the first to appear, followed by Gracier and Madaras. The two petite White Elves chuckled adorably, standing on his left and right. The last figure who appeared from the last rune of light was Karin, 4th seat of the Holy Sword Card Deck. As for Shira�� He thought that it was better for her to remain in her card obediently. After all, he couldn��t afford to have the underground crumpling on him if she went berserk.


    The holy sword spirits looked at the rundown hall and corridor ahead with reminiscent gazes.


    ��Order Palace�� I never thought that we could return to this place����


    Celestina muttered under her breath, gazing at the broken stone sculptures. Celia looked with downcast eyes, uncertain of what was going through her mind. The White Elves were also whispering into each other��s ears. Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips and turned to Canary.


    ��You see, Big Sister. This is why I hate Spirit Swordsmen. So what if they have more people on their side?��


    ��So we��re more powerful, Bubble.��


    Rhode responded. Spirit Swordsmen were often criticized by players on forums, especially after Rhode became popular with it. He faced all sorts of envy and jealousy. There were some people who ridiculed him for being an incapable coward who lacked individual skills apart from relying on summoned spirits. But Spirit Swordsmen weren��t the only ones who summoned spirits into battle, as mages could too, for instance. But mages were too weak in close-combat, so it made sense for them to summon spirits into battle. But Spirit Swordsmen were equipped with swords and they didn��t seem like a balanced class at all.


    Spirit Swordsmen were often mocked before they became popular. But after Rhode brought this class to great height, players began to complain about its shameless techniques�� Well, that was how the world worked.


    Rhode wasn��t surprised that his holy sword spirits were familiar with the Deepest Labyrinth. After all, in his journey back to history with Alice, he learned that it was the Creator Dragon Souls and Six Deity Wardens who had created this labyrinth. Therefore, since his holy sword spirits had fought against them back then, this place wasn��t a mystery to them, logically.


    But this didn��t mean that all the spirits were indulged in past memories. While Celestina and the other young ladies reminisced about the past, Karin pushed up her glasses and went up to Rhode.


    ��Master, do you have any important tasks coming here?��


    ��I do, Karin.��


    Rhode gazed at her curiously. In fact, he wasn��t too familiar with this new joiner whom he had obtained in Highland City. She didn��t reveal emotions as well as Celia, Celestina, and the others, and seemed more introverted and calm. Not only that, but she also had an indifferent tone as though saying, ��This seems interesting, but it has nothing to do with me at all�� and judged the entire situation as an outsider. Based on the special techniques written on her card and the attitudes of Celestina and the others toward her, it seemed like Karin held the responsibility of an ��adviser�� among them. The reason why Rhode summoned her was to see how she performed. Although he did have resourceful people around him, such as Gillian and Marlene, they had duties to attend to and couldn��t always be by his side. On the other hand, Karin wasn��t tied down by additional tasks. As a holy sword card, she would naturally be with him and with her around during battle, he didn��t need to worry too much about her.


    Rhode explained the happenings in the Mage Tower that they discovered and told her about Gabe, who was seemingly in touch with Chaos. Karin listened silently, before pushing up her glasses again after he finished speaking.


    ��The lowest floor�� is it? Sorry, Your Majesty. I��m not aware of what is in there. Perhaps not even the Six Deity Wardens do, because the lowest floor was built by the five Creator Dragon Souls. Apart from them, no one else knows what is there exactly. As for the apprentices�� I think there is nothing to worry about. According to you, the Chaos worshippers are trying to activate the teleportation portal. But activating the teleportation portal requires the activation of the core. Based on our current location, we can enter the core region directly from here and wait for them there. If they do harbor ill intentions, I don��t think they will let this opportunity slip. As for the problem about controlling the mechanism there, I can��t give you a clear answer now. A long time has passed and I��m not sure if the core is still operating properly. I can only judge after we find the core.��


    She sure is reliable��


    Rhode exclaimed in his head. He always felt helpless speaking to the holy sword spirits. Celia was always uptight as though she would accidentally expose top secrets of the country while Celestina was full of herself. On the other hand, Gracier and Madaras never answered his questions. As for Shira�� Well, forget it.


    He felt glad and fortunate that he finally had a holy sword spirit who he could speak to properly.


    ��Good. Let��s move out then.��


    The first floor presented no pressure to them. The difficulty was the easiest there with low-level goblins. Rhode could clear out the entire first floor himself, not to mention max-leveled players like Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. And now with the help of the holy sword spirits, they began wiping out the creatures of the entire area.


    Even though the underground creatures were stronger than creatures on the surface due to the influence of magical power, they were still no match for the holy sword spirits. The combination of white and pitch-black flames blazed and melted them instantly. Moreover, the enormous, poisonous scorpions with rock-hard shells were split apart easily by the flitting shadows. In the face of the holy sword spirits, they didn��t stand a chance at all.


    Rhode stood at the back, watching Bell and Christie sharpen their skills with the few remaining creatures. Christie had never killed a chicken and yet she possessed the powerful strength of a Deity Warden. Well, this was just idle chit-chat.


    In comparison, Bell was much more experienced, perhaps due to killing several Chaos Creatures in the refuge. She skillfully dealt with the goblins.


    Among the spirits, Karin surprised him the most.


    Even though he knew that she was the fourth seat with exceptional battle strength, he couldn��t help but feel baffled after witnessing her in actual battle.

 Chapter 980

    The flickering flames above the torches illuminated the dark corridor. The white-haired young lady sauntered in quietly, her eyes half-closed like she was on a mental journey. Her footsteps echoed, and in the darkness where the radiance couldn��t reach, pairs of red eyes gazed at their prey with greed and murderous intent. These hunters enveloped in black crawled up the wall silently, slowly approaching their prey. The young lady didn��t seem to notice that she was in a precarious situation. She muttered under her breath, continued to saunter along the corridor, scanning the broken stone sculptures and activated mechanisms from time to time. At this moment, the silent hunters were ready. They widened their ferocious mouths, revealing their razor-sharp fangs, like the blades of assassins waiting to strike a critical blow at an opportune time.


    ��They are destroyed here too����


    At this moment, the young lady murmured and moved her right arm slightly.


    ��������!��


    A subtle draught of air blew across the corridor, swaying the young lady��s hair slightly. But at the next moment, blood sprayed in streams like raindrops as limbs of shredded corpses pitter-pattered on the floor. In the blink of an eye, the corridor restored its silence. If it weren��t for the amputated limbs, it would be hard for anyone to believe that creatures existed here earlier on.


    Karin ignored the chunks of flesh on the floor, raising her right arm with a steel handle in hand. On one side were four to five, black and white button-like mechanisms. Karin��s slender fingers pressed the buttons and shortly after, a blade shot out through the top of the handle, revealing a slim, exquisite blade engraved with mysterious inscriptions. No matter from which angle, it didn��t look like a battle sword at all. Rhode was curious of how she would fight because she had human-like attributes. Her offensive and defensive values were low too, similar to the Spirit Bird. Moreover, with this ornate sword that had significantly greater value than just practicality, Rhode would believe that she was the weakest among the holy sword spirits if she wasn��t the officially recognized forth seat.


    But now after witnessing her skills, he discovered that she had her ways in the body of a human. The slim sword in her hand wasn��t an ordinary one at all. According to his observations, the sword was made with thousands upon thousands of fine threads that were thinner than spiderwebs. Unless one reached Rhode��s realm, it would be impossible for one to detect their presence. Not only that, but the threads were also incredibly tough and exceptionally sharp. Karin had also engraved mystical runes on the blade. Even though the threads seemed harmless, they could unleash incomparable lethality with the flow of spiritual powers. It could slash through defensive spiritual spells due to the Order inscriptions carved on the blade.


    After being aware of her battle strength, Rhode lamented that magic technologies indeed had the best production capability. Karin was weak, so weak that Anne could thrash her. But with this sword in her hand, not even Gracier and Madaras could defeat her. Order inscriptions appeared only in the late stages of the game, belonging to the top category in forged inscription. Just as the name suggested, it could unleash the power of Order. Besides, as Order inscriptions were the materialization of Order, after Order inscriptions were activated, its effects were ranked among the highest priority.


    Such a formidable strength complemented with countless, almost-transparent threads became a deadly combination for Karin. This was why the other holy sword spirits couldn��t retaliate against her. Even though they had unique abilities, Gracier and Madaras would still be second in priority in the face of the Order inscriptions. In other words, Gracier and Madaras could only use their abilities in battle after the Order inscriptions were activated by Karin and this applied for others too. No one would feel great having Karin controlling the battle as soon as it started. Karin completely relied on the handle buttons to control the threads, her battle style based entirely on the high-tech weapon. Moreover, it was impressive for a human like her to reach this impressive height.


    ��Fourth Big Sister is amazing to achieve such formidable strength through matching some low-level Order inscriptions. This isn��t easily achievable by anyone! Hehehe. Even the four arrogant legendary generals will die horrible deaths before you!��


    Celestina nodded proudly, gazing at Karin who investigated the mechanisms. Rhode felt amused by her. In fact, this demon young lady had always been an arrogant one. Even though she behaved like a tiny kitten before Gracier, Madaras, and Shira, he could see that those were instinctive reactions after she was beaten up by them in the past. This was his first time seeing Celestina admiring someone wholeheartedly like a love-struck fool.


    ��How superficial.��


    On the contrary, Karin wasn��t as excited as her. She hated the fact that others saw her inventions as only being used for destruction and war. She stared at Celestina coldly.


    ��I didn��t only create the Heart Piercer for battles; it is meant to adapt to the dangers of various environments. Apart from using spiritual threads in battles, it can still transform into different forms. It is also convenient for everyday life. If not, how do you think the big, soft bed and tent were created when you fought outside back then?��


    Karin��s voice was uncharacteristically proud.


    It��s like an amazing Swiss Army knife.


    The corners of Rhode��s mouth twitched at the sight of Karin��s sword. But he didn��t say a word. After all, it was also a problem about whether she could understand what a Swiss Army knife was.


    ��My apologies, Your Majesty. According to my observation, the mechanisms on the first three floors basically have no value anymore. Although there were many considerations when building the maze, that was only on the perimeter. Besides, too much time has gone and underground creatures have caused relatively huge damage to them. I estimate that we won��t be gaining the core controlling rights before the eighth floor.��


    ��Well, we can��t do anything about that. In this case, let��s move on.��


    Rhode wasn��t surprised by her answer because it was the same in the game. Most of the underground creatures were elites and there would occasionally be powerful BOSSes like the Golem Puppet. But as they headed farther down, the number of creatures decreased. Initially, he made Karin investigate the place because he wanted to see if the natives had some ��unique methods��. But it seemed like the experience was the same.


    Something worthy of a mention was that the gatekeepers, the Golem Puppets, gave him the thrill of defeating BOSSes. After sensing his dragon soul aura, the Golem Puppets instantly stopped their attacks and obediently cleared the area of other creatures. Mini Bubble Gum got a kick out of it. At this moment, she had dragged Anne along to supervise the golems in completing their jobs. Perhaps this was just an interest of players.


    This wasn��t the only benefit of being a dragon soul heir. He could also use his powers to obtain a map of the entire maze and spot the positions of the four teams of apprentices. Richard��s team had reached the second floor while Stewart��s team was still roaming on the first. Rhode suspected that if this continued, it might take years before that ��talented genius�� came out of the maze.


    He had to admit that the apprentices were indeed powerful elites. Although they faced several accidents after entering the maze, none were critically hurt. But this was expected since most creatures were low-level up to the fifth floor. After reaching the sixth to tenth floor, they would face elite creatures at around level 50 and perhaps some lord BOSSes. When that happened, it would truly be a test of their skills.


    ��Okay, Your Majesty.��


    Karin nodded. Then, she turned around and gazed at Christie. At this moment, Christie was sipping water with Bell��s company and didn��t look great. Although she was excited to join Rhode on this adventure, she didn��t feel well after attacking and killing the creatures. She was kind hearted and disliked hurting others. Although the creatures were odd-looking, they were living creatures, after all. Although Christie��s skills improved drastically with the help of the other ��Christie��, it still wasn��t enough for her to accept killing. In the past, Christie wasn��t as mindful because it was her other self who did the dirty work while she watched from the sideline. But after doing it herself, she found it to be a challenging task.


    ��Your Majesty�� Please pardon my rudeness. Although your intention is well, Her Highness is still young, after all. And she is physically weak as a human. If she continues the journey with us, she will be hurt. As her father, you should care for your daughter����


    ��Pfff��!��


    Rhode sprayed a mouth of water, put down the water bag in his hand, and looked at Karin helplessly. Indeed, it wasn��t wrong of her to think that they were related due to their similar appearances�� Siblings were fine, but surely he didn��t look like her father!


    Karin looked at him blankly. Then, she pushed up her glasses and cocked her head to the side curiously. On the other side, Canary had burst into laughter, rolling on the floor with her hands hugging her stomach. Fortunately, Mini Bubble Gum and Anne weren��t around. If not, they would have their fair share of laughter. Christie gazed at Rhode quietly, her complexion flushed in red. Bell didn��t seem to have any response�� Could it be that she thought the same?!


    ��Did I say something wrong?��


    ��Yes, everything is wrong. Christie isn��t my daughter, Karin����


    Rhode could tolerate being mistaken as her brother, but it was a totally different matter for him to be treated as her father. He quickly explained Christie��s background and clarified the situation with Karin. After hearing his explanation, Karin��s indifferent reaction seemed as though she didn��t feel like she said anything wrong.


    ��I see, Your Majesty�� I thought that Her Highness is the child of you and Madam Christie.��


    ��Why do you think so?��


    Rhode asked curiously. Karin said.


    ��Because the dragon soul power is too powerful and not anyone could withstand it. So it is impossible for an ordinary body to be impregnated.��


    I see��


    Rhode finally understood why. No wonder the Creator Dragon Souls were basically the inheritance of powers and couldn��t bear the next generation like humans. For female dragon soul heirs like the Judgment Dragon, Ruling Dragon, and Light Dragon, they couldn��t be pregnant if the man couldn��t withstand their dragon soul powers. On the other hand, a male dragon soul heir like the Dark Dragon had undead creatures as his subjects so it was impossible to have children.


    Rhode had thought about this for a while now because after such a long time, none of the women were impregnated by him. He had even suspected that something was wrong with his body after transmigrating to this world�� But now it seemed like it wasn��t his problem. Instead, the truth was that his dragon soul powers were too powerful that none of his women could withstand it.


    Since this was the case, it wasn��t hard to explain why Karin treated Christie as his child. She must have seen the other ��Christie�� when she was alive in the past, so it wasn��t strange that she had such thoughts. But��


    Rhode suddenly recalled that Marlene had also awakened as a Deity Warden. According to Karin��s theory, did it mean that if he continued his way�� Marlene might get pregnant?


    Forget it, there��s no point in thinking about that now.


    Rhode shook his head, while Karin gazed at the uncertain Christie with knitted brows.


    How strange. I sensed some similar aura from her but they don��t have any blood relations at all�� Madam Christie, what exactly is going on?


    Boom!


    At this moment, a deep explosion boomed. The floor began to shake and the torches on the wall flickered. In an instant, the entire world fell into complete darkness.


    ��Your Majesty.��


    Karin said, her voice unprecedentedly determined.


    ��Yes, I understand.��


    Rhode stood to his feet. Shortly after, Canary lit up a flare and it formed a dazzling fire ring that enveloped everyone. Not only Rhode, but Gracier and Madaras also put on a stern expression and clutched their daggers. Celia lifted her sword, bursting with sacred flames. Under the holy radiance, the surrounding darkness faded away as though they were retreating.


    ��I didn��t expect Chaos to reach this place. It seems like we were too naive����


    ��������!��


    All of a sudden, the surrounding darkness coalesced, transforming into creatures who pounced on them!

 Chapter 981

    The rancid air diffused with several pairs of red eyes glinting menacingly in the darkness.


    Despite that, Rhode��s group remained calm, except for Christie, who twitched nervously and triggered the ring on her finger. In the blink of an eye, a gentle ray of white light enfolded her entirety. But even so, she leaned closely to Bell as she sensed that this disturbing aura was similar to the devil ritual she experienced in the past.


    The darkness finally separated at the next moment.


    ��Grrrr������!��


    Hundreds of devils bound out of the darkness, widening their jaw to reveal lethal, long fangs and slashing their razor-sharp claws. Their ragged wings fluttered, pouncing them on the wall of flames like moths. Putrid stench filled the air as the devils thronged the space.


    But they posed no threat to Rhode��s group. These devils weren��t nothing more than some annoying bugs to them.


    Canary raised her arm and gestured subtly with her fingers. In an instant, the wall of flames surged and a blazing bird flew out from within to charge at the devils. Shortly after, a string of fireballs exploded, lighting the pitch-black devils up quickly as though they were drenched in flammable liquid. Not only that, but the scarlet flares also spread to the left and right, surrounding all creatures within the ring of flames. The devils bawled and burned to ashes due to the elemental flames.


    The others got to work at the same time.


    As Mini Bubble Gum wasn��t around, Rhode took over her responsibility in protecting Christie. As for his own protection, he relied on his summoning spirits, of course. Even though devils had been wreaking havoc on the surface for some time, they were nothing in the eyes of the summoned spirits.


    As usual, Celia��s attack was as grandeur as an honorable soldier��s. The white, shiny blade blazing with holy flames was her best offense. She brandished the blade, instantly devouring a large mass of evil darkness. On the other hand, Celestina stood beside her with an uncharacteristic, ice-cold expression, gazing at the darkness sternly. Unlike the bright, explosive action from Canary and Celia, Celestina��s battle was much more mysterious and silent. She pushed her arm forward, the pitch-black chain sword in her hand blending into the darkness and vanishing before her eyes. But at the same time, the devils in front of her disappeared without a trace as though they disintegrated completely.


    However, Karin was still the most eye-catching. The young lady gazed ahead calmly like she wasn��t engaged in battle at all. But as soon as one witnessed the thread-made, tall trap device in front of her rolling and crushing the devils like a meat grinder, one wouldn��t doubt that the devils would be used as powdered fertilizers later��


    ����!��


    The battle continued on the side.


    Bell wielded the two daggers in a criss-cross stance before her, denying the quick, deadly claws. Then, the daggers glowed in dazzling spiritual radiance, diffusing to the surroundings endlessly like a roaring wave that repelled the devils effortlessly. Bell seized the chance to dodge the splashing blood and more razor-sharp claws.


    Well done.


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Bell had powerful swordsmanship and was also great in adapting to situations. She didn��t struggle blindly against the enemies and chose to battle with self-defense in mind. This was why he taught her his swordsmanship. Of course, her main priority was to protect Christie behind her. If not, she would have easily eliminated these devils with her high-level sword skills. But�� Rhode lowered his head and looked at Christie beside him. At this moment, the little girl had clenched her fists and was watching the battle anxiously. He heaved a subtle sigh. In fact, he agreed with Karen��s suggestion. Perhaps Christie might be interested in adventures, but her role was more like those characters in RPG games where they must be protected by the protagonist or players, such as a princess the evil forces had gotten their eyes on. Rhode could count his lucky stars as long as she didn��t blindly stir up trouble, not to mention counting on her to battle. It wasn��t because she was incapable. Instead, it was her personality that made her unsuitable for battles. But Rhode understood the opinions of the other ��Christie��. This world wasn��t peaceful at all. Besides, Christie possessed powerful strength and she would be involved with dangers regardless of whether she was willing or not. This was why she had to learn to face dangers and wouldn��t grow if she constantly hid in safety.


    ��Christie.����


    ���� Rhode��?��


    Christie lifted her head and gazed at him in astonishment. Then, he patted her head softly.


    ��This is your battle too, Christie.��


    ������


    Christie bit her lip, gazing at the battlefield ahead. Indeed, she had never faced any danger while being protected by everyone like now. Although there were many terrifying devils surrounding her, she felt extremely safe with everyone��s protection. But�� Was that the right thing to do?


    Christie couldn��t help but recall the advice that Anne told her in the past��no matter the front or back, one can only be considered a companion as long as one fought alongside others.


    Didn��t I come here for that?


    ���� I got it�� Rhode����


    Christie gazed at the ring on her finger meaningfully. Shortly after, she caressed the ring and suddenly, blinding golden runes exploded and merged to form a feather pen that fell gently on her palm. She raised her right hand and a snowy scroll appeared from the thin air above her, unrolling before her eyes. Christie took in a deep breath, before touching the scroll with the feather pen. In the blink of an eye, descriptions of the current situation emerged across the empty scroll.


    ���� The devils summoned from darkness pounced on their targets and launched their attacks fearlessly���� Christie moved the feather pen and added a short sentence to the end.


    ��But all the devils vanished. In an instant.��


    In an instant.


    In the blink of an eye, the overwhelming devils disappeared without a trace. Everything was as described by the scroll. The torch flames extinguished by Chaos and the devils�� aura lit up once again, illuminating the pitch-black maze. At this moment, Christie let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes. The feather pen turned into the ring and returned to her finger. Everything ended in an instant. Although Christie��s abilities had improved tremendously with the training from the other ��Christie��, she could only last a few minutes in battle.


    ��Her Highness Christie��s abilities are amazing. No wonder she is second only to His Majesty.��


    Karin pushed up the glasses and muttered under her breath. Even though Christie��s abilities were mystical, the holy sword spirits were used to it already. On the contrary, Canary stared in astonishment. Although she learned about the ring��s attributes from Rhode, she discovered how godlike it actually was after witnessing it personally. Only a single sentence was needed from her to change the world. This was beyond anyone��s imagination.


    ��Players would have surely spammed ��report�� on this thing if it showed up in the game, Rhode.��


    ��I know.��


    Rhode nodded in agreement, but it wasn��t time to discuss this issue now. As Christie used ��destroy�� and not ��disappear��, the devils�� corpses were still laying around them. Each devil was over a meter long, with a body resembling a lizard in human form. They also had a pair of ragged, bat-like wings, a thick, long tail, as well as a head of a jackal.


    ��Jackal Devils.��


    Celestina snorted as though they were the most filthy and disgusting creatures in this world. She glared at the chunks of flesh and waved her hand, erupting pitch-black flames to clean up the terrible mess.


    ��Seems like we��re going to face some big shot from the abyss this time.��


    Rhode was already aware of that as Jackal Devils were common in the abyss. For instance, they were like the countless lice living on the bodies of massive devils which Rhode often encountered during Devil BOSS battles. Jackal Devils were low in level but had the upper hand in quantity. Their simple-mindedness made them charge at players and eventually self-destruct or emit poisonous smoke.


    Moreover, Jack Devils would normally show up around Devil BOSSes. Rhode didn��t think that it was a coincidence that they appeared and attacked them here.


    ��Perhaps this has something to do with Bubble��s attack earlier on and they are now probing our strength.��


    Canary said and Rhode nodded in agreement. He checked the status of the apprentices through his system and found that they weren��t ambushed by the devils. This meant that the devils didn��t attack aimlessly and were ordered by ��someone�� to find trouble with them. Judging from this, Gabe or the ��thing�� that possessed him had the highest possibility of being the mastermind. The strength of Rhode��s group was clearly witnessed by everyone before. In this case, it made sense that the devils probed their strength to see if their plans would be affected. And now it seemed like their probing had to come to an end.


    Rhode wasn��t worried about Mini Bubble Gum at all because it was impossible for the devils to overwhelm her. On the other hand, he was more concerned that Anne and her would be overly excited and destroy the maze��


    ��Hey�� Leader�� Are you alright!?��


    Speaking of the devil.


    Mini Bubble Gum and Anne showed up at the other end of the corridor. Just as Rhode expected they were perfectly fine. But this wasn��t surprising to him since Mini Bubble Gum��s sacred power was the natural curse of the devils. On the other hand, not to mention Celia who specialized in physical attack, a spell-caster like Mini Bubble Gum was just like a conscious, human-shaped nuclear warhead. She didn��t need to hesitate before wiping out a vast land.


    ��We��re fine, what about you? What did you meet?��


    Rhode asked, recalling that the ��boom�� earlier on was perhaps their signal for the start of battle. Anne wrinkled her nose before helplessly explaining the situation. In fact, Mini Bubble Gum and Anne were observing how the Golem Puppets eradicated the devils. But for some reason, the Golem Puppets seemed to be corroded by an unknown presence where not only did their appearance change, but they also launched attacks on the two young ladies. Of course, Mini Bubble Gum and Anne didn��t flee. They jumped straight into battle and were eventually surrounded by Jackal Devils. While they fought the devils, they slowly moved toward Rhode��s group, hoping to regroup in the shortest time possible. But since everything ended, there was nothing more to worry about.


    ��Corroded Golem Puppets?��


    Rhode looked at Mini Bubble Gum dubiously. The latter nodded firmly.


    ��That��s right. It must be the doings of that shameless bast*rd! Damn it! I should have killed him earlier! He��s asking for death to find trouble with us!��


    Mini Bubble Gum pouted. She was furious for not killing Gabe earlier on, only to be backstabbed by him now. On the contrary, Anne didn��t mind. She tapped Mini Bubble Gum��s shoulder with a smile.


    ��Hey, it��s nothing serious, Bubble. We can still fight him later!��


    ��You��re right, Anne. We will teach that bast*rd a lesson!��


    ��Sigh����


    Rhode shook his head helplessly and turned around.


    ��Alright, let��s go. We still have a long way to go.��


    He said.


    At the same time, on the other side of the maze��


    ��Oh?��


    The mage in black robes lifted his head and gazed at the empty void before him grimly.


    ��They��ve been destroyed already? It seems like those people are a tough bunch. Alright then, we should pick up the pace too.��


    The mage murmured, turning to the several figures behind him.


    ��Hurry up, there��s still a long way ahead!��


    The mage snarled, startling the slim figures who trembled in fear. They followed him closely, their bodies twisting under the radiance and shaping into a brand new form.

 Chapter 982

    The dark underground maze was as dangerous and arduous as ever.


    A dozen magical missiles flew across the air, critically bombarding the Golem Puppets in dazzling radiance. Their twisted metal body creaked before crumpling to the ground lifelessly. At this moment, the young lady put her hand down, letting out a sigh of relief. The group of apprentices around her slumped to the ground.


    ��Is everyone alright?��


    Adella asked, turning to her schoolmates. On the other hand, a brown-haired young lady with a ponytail shook her head.


    ��Everyone is exhausted, Adella.��


    ��Alright, let��s have a break, but do watch your surroundings. Don��t touch anything strange or wander off alone, got it? I don��t want this to happen again���� Adella seemed frustrated. She clutched the magic staff, gnashing her teeth. This was the first time the apprentices explored the Deepest Labyrinth. The adventure started off smoothly and although they lacked battle experience, they were elites of the Mage Tower after all, and their powerful abilities compensated for it. Besides, the successful journey across the Enchanted Forest gave them confidence and they cleared the first few floors of the Deepest Labyrinth almost effortlessly.


    But shortly after, they paid the price with their naivety.


    In the pitch-black underground, there was no distinction between day and night. An experienced adventurer like Rhode knew to automatically calculate time and ensure the normal operation of his body clock. But the apprentices weren��t aware of it. They relied on their instincts, taking breaks when they were exhausted and continuing with their journey after resting. Nothing exciting happened in the beginning but they slowly felt unfocused as they ventured deeper. As a result�� they paid a huge price for their ignorance.


    Adella would recall that depressing scene whenever she closed her eyes: the ice-cold, bloody corpse that made her unable to consume any food. Their passion for this adventure was replaced by immense fear. If it weren��t for their drive as elites, they would have given up and headed back to the surface.


    But now, they were almost at their limits too��


    ��Sigh����


    Adella slid down the wall on her back and sat on the ground slowly, rubbing her throbbing forehead. The creatures were getting increasingly stronger as they went deeper into the underground, just like the terrifying Golem Puppet they faced a minute ago. Not only was it huge and strong, but it also had high magical resistance. If it weren��t for Frey who tanked its attack, the three of them couldn��t have possibly defeated it. They were only on the fifth floor. If they went deeper�� Wouldn��t they face even more terrifying creatures? Would they be able to survive and defeat them?


    ��Frey, any news on Richard and the others?��


    The ponytailed young lady shook her head in response to her team leader.


    ��No. I��ve tried contacting him using the magic crystal but there is no news. But I think they should be safe.��


    ��I hope so����


    Adella let out a long sigh, before biting and forcing the ration down her throat. Even though her stomach was growling with hunger, she had poor appetite after the lack of rest over the past few days. She felt her head spinning and was unable to focus at all. As soon as she felt the ration went down her throat, she had the urge to vomit. Shortly after, she put away the ration and stood to her feet using the support of the wall. But at this moment, she noticed one of her team members standing in front of the Golem Puppet��s corpse and observing curiously.


    ��Clark, what are you doing! Get away from there, we don��t know if that thing has been destroyed completely yet!��


    Adella yelled, sensing instinctively that something was amiss. The young mage named Clark turned around and waved his hand at her.


    ��It��s fine, Adella, I��m just checking on its condition. Don��t worry, I don��t feel any magic undulation from it!�� The young mage tapped lightly on the Golem Puppet��s shell. What should have been an ordinary action turned out otherwise.


    ��������!��


    Suddenly the lifeless metal puppet emanated a faint magical radiance, startling the apprentices. Adella��s heart sank immediately, running forward in large strides to stop the troublemaker who stood on the spot in disbelief. At the same time, an unprecedented magic ritual appeared in midair and before the apprentices reacted, the solid ground beneath their feet crumbled, collapsing like broken blocks and revealing a mysterious dark hole.


    Gusts of wind whistled along with the horrified screams as they fell through the void. All Adella could do was to release a spell that would decrease fall damage. But the spell didn��t work out as she expected perhaps due to the exhaustion from previous battles. She felt her body lighten only for a split second, before being pulled down by the powerful force of gravity once again. Before she realized, the severe pain from the crash on her back struck her into a coma.


    ��Argh����


    When she woke up, she found herself in a dark, blurry place. She struggled to sit herself up, shaking her head to lessen the giddiness. Then, she groaned to the tremendous pain on the back of her head and at this moment, she heard a familiar voice.


    ��Adella, you��re alive! I��m so glad!��


    ��Frey? What����


    Adella turned around hurriedly and saw her best friend with her uniform covered in filth and blood. Adella��s heart sank and she had a bad hunch.


    ��How are the rest doing?��


    ������


    Frey lowered her head silently. Then, after a few moments she answered helplessly.


    ��We lost two and there are only five of us left. Dina and Elijah are still alive�� but Clark��s legs are broken. Elijah tried to treat his injuries but�� we did our best. Perhaps Clark����


    Frey didn��t continue his sentence but Adella understood what she meant. Adella gnashed her teeth in frustration. She had lost half her team and to make things worse, Clark��s legs were also broken. The remaining apprentices couldn��t possibly continue the journey carrying him around. Even though Elijah was a male mage, he specialized in summoning and was a few years younger than Clark. He didn��t have the strength to carry him at all. Do I really have to abandon him? No, there doesn��t seem to be any options. Even if we bring Clark along, will we be able to reach the tenth floor in this state?


    ���� I��ve made up my mind, Frey.��


    Adella gnashed her teeth, before saying unwillingly.


    ��I��ve decided to give up. Let��s head back using the teleport crystal.��


    ��Adella����


    Frey looked at her blankly. Of course, she knew how hard it was for Adella to make this decision. The main reason why they suffered through the hardships and came this far was because they would be prohibited from participating in another apprentice test over the next decade if they gave up this test. That would be devastating for them. If they couldn��t ��graduate��, their abilities couldn��t be taken to the next level. Also, who would be willing to waste another 10 years?


    ��Alright then����


    Thud�� Thud�� Thud��


    Suddenly, they heard the sound of footsteps from the other end of the dark corridor. The two young ladies exchanged frightened glances, stood up hurriedly, and beckoned to their teammates to stay grouped. Then, they stared alertly at the dark corridor. Those sounded like the footsteps of a human. Could it be that there are other people around? Or are they members of another team?


    The footsteps became louder. The apprentices waited tensely. Then, they saw a slender figure walking out of the darkness.


    Pitch-black long hair, bat-like wings, a swinging, slender tail, and a luxurious dress��


    ��What? Master asked me to check things out. It is actually you people?��


    Celestina twitched her brow and remarked with disinterest. The apprentices widened their eyes in disbelief.


    ��Demon!��


    Frey snarled and stepped ahead of the group with the magic spear pointing ahead. She stared at Celestina��s every movement, her hands soaking in sweat completely. As a mage, they might not be familiar with maze adventures and whatnot. But they weren��t unfamiliar with demons at all. Besides, this demon looked like a high-class one!


    ��Adella, activate the teleport crystal and escape with the rest. I will guard the rear!��


    ��Trying to leave? How dare you lowly humans behave so arrogantly before me. Did I say that you could leave?!��


    Celestina erected her brows. She looked down upon humans, to begin with, and if it weren��t for Rhode to get her to check out the situation, she wouldn��t even care about them. And now, not only was this group of humans ungrateful, but they were also trying to escape? How dare these lowly humans ignore my presence! They��re asking for death!


    Celestina growled and unleashed a thorn whip from her sleeve, lashing heavily at Frey. Frey held the spear with her right hand, her left gesticulating in midair. Shortly after, a magical barrier appeared before her and deflected the ambush. Celestina let out an outburst of anger.


    ��How dare you!��


    Celestina swung her arm and whipped the powerful thorn whip again, pounding on the magical barrier. The powerful force left Frey gnashing her teeth, pushing her a few steps back. But even so, the young lady held on and turned to her teammates.


    ��Adella, hurry!��


    ��Okay, Frey!��


    Adella knew that there was no time to hesitate anymore. Even though she didn��t know why there was a high-class demon in the maze, she apparently wasn��t an enemy who they were capable of defeating. Adella hesitated no more. She reached for the teleport crystal and as soon as she activated it, they could return to the comfortable haven of the Mage Tower��


    That should have been the case.


    ��Ahhhhhh!��


    ��Adella?!��


    Frey turned to Adella who burst out screaming. The latter clutched the teleport crystal, her expression in agony. The magic crystal that should have transformed into a teleportation door exploded with a turbid form of energy that enveloped her. Under her snowy skin, weird bumps suffused throughout, slowly penetrating her body.


    ��That is�� Damn it. Move away!��


    Celestina grimaced. She growled and withdrew the thorn whip. Then, a sharp, pitch-black chain sword appeared in thin air, lashing out at Frey��s magical barrier. The blazing black flames instantly devoured Frey��s magical barrier, striking the young lady away. Then, the black chain sword aimed for the young lady shrouded in the dark, turbid matter, wrapping her entirely. Celestina withdrew the chain sword, pulling Adella across the room and crashing her into the wall.


    ��Adella!��


    Frey shrieked in panic. But before she charged at the female demon, a crisp voice rang from the end of the corridor where the female demon came from.


    ��What happened, Big Sister?!��


    ��This lowly human has been corroded by Chaos. Purify her, Celia!��


    ��Yes!��


    Celia lifted her sword and erupted silver-whitish flames on the blade in the blink of an eye. Then, she swiftly penetrated Adella��s body, the holy flames enveloping the young lady entirely.


    ��No��!��


    Frey screamed and almost fainted from fright. Then, she realized that something was up.


    The dark mass of matter suddenly broke away from Adella like a viper slithering away from the silver-whitish holy flames. Shortly after, it seemed to notice Clark laying on the side and went for him instead.


    Oh no!


    Frey clutched her weapon, dashing toward Clark as quickly as possible. Even though she didn��t know what was going on, she instinctively felt that the dark matter was a bigger threat than the female demon. But she was too late. The dark matter charged into Clark like an enormous viper devouring its prey.


    But at the next moment, shimmering blade rays flashed, splitting the dark matter into four. Two petite figures in robes appeared in front of Clark and stopped the dark matter successfully. Then, Celia��s holy flames also arrived at the scene, blasting a critical blow to the dark matter. Ear-piercing screams sounded as the dark matter was purified and burned by the silver-whitish flames like snow melting in the sun, vanishing to nothingness.


    ������


    Frey stared in bewilderment at the vanishing dark matter.


    What exactly is going on?

 Chapter 983

    The apprentices gazed in disbelief. Everything happened too quickly. The Golem Puppet activated the trap and the apprentices thought that they would crash to their deaths from the tall height. Fortunately, Adella managed to save their lives with an emergency spell. But before they returned to their senses, another terrifying high-class demon appeared. On the other hand, Adella was struck by something and now lying unconscious on the ground.


    ��Is it a devil or Chaos?��


    Rhode scanned Adella with knitted brows. After Celia sheathed the sword, she went up to Adella and heaved a sigh.


    ��It��s the devils.��


    ��Tsk. Those bast*rds again.��


    Celestina gnashed her teeth in frustration. Demons and devils were sworn enemies. The war between the two races had been incessant since the start of this world in the underworld. The number of slaughtered devils and demons were enough to form another Dragon Soul Continent. A high-class demon like Celestina harbored deep hate toward the devils.


    ��I didn��t expect those guys to be this prepared.��


    Rhode scoffed. In fact, he had already heard from Celia and Celestina about the situation. He wasn��t surprised that the apprentices had teleportation crystals with them. After all, it would be ridiculous for these elites to not have some life-saving means. But it seemed like the bad guys also noticed that and meddled with the crystals. As soon as the apprentices activated the crystals, they would be possessed by the devil stored within. Of course, it went without saying that the devil was stronger than them.


    Rhode suspected that there was more than one demon emissary in the Mage Tower�� He had a bad feeling. He sent Marlene and Alice to the Mage Tower. They wouldn��t be clashing in a battle right now, right?


    In fact, the situation was similar to his imagination.


    ***


    The omnipresent magical radiance whizzed across the sky, only to vanish in the blink of an eye. Alice hovered in midair, the pages of the heavy tome in her hands flipping quickly and emanating a white dazzling brilliance. The high-level mages standing before her paled. They had used up all their strength, but the young lady was untouched by their attacks.


    ��Chaos��s lackey����


    Alice murmured, sliding her right hand across the pages. In the blink of an eye, she swapped positions with the mages. The vanished magical radiance that the mages cast from before appeared once again, blasted at their defenseless casters. Screams of agony and loud explosions filled the room enveloped by roaring flames. At this moment, a putrid stench diffused throughout the room and swiftly eradicated the magical radiance and flames. But now, the mages looked entirely different. They were covered in pitch-black scales. Their goat-like horns and fat tail exposed their true identities.


    ��You all betrayed your soul to serve the sinister devils of the underworld?!��


    Bireno widened his eyes fumingly. He tried to stop Alice when she suddenly launched her attack on his companions before. But now, he couldn��t care less after witnessing them turning into these evil devils. He was enraged that so many of his trusted aides had turned into devil emissaries! Although he was the chairman of the Mage Tower, he focused his time and energy in research and historical studies, leaving other matters for them to handle. This was based on his trust in them. But now, the trust had been shattered and corrupted entirely.


    ��Hahaha. Bireno, you��re old and failed to see the future of this world as clearly as us. The future belongs to us and you hadn��t even noticed it!��


    The devils snarled and raised their arms. In an instant, a mass of sulfuric stench diffused, causing the blazing flames to explode and engulf the group of humans. Alice had no intention of dodging. She gently flipped to the previous page.


    Shortly after, everything reversed. The released flames became unlit while the devils�� arms were down. Everything had returned to its original state. This was Alice, the History Deity Warden, capable of manipulating, replacing, modifying, changing, and even erasing the past. As long as she restored ��history�� to before it happened, it would be enough to change everything.


    ��Damn you�� Order��s lackey. You won��t get away with it. Mighty Chaos shall fall upon this continent. Your struggles are meaningless����


    Alice had no interest in hearing their nonsense. She lifted her arm and suddenly a massive pressure thronged the entire space. She clenched her empty right hand and swung her arm down, silencing the clamors immediately. Not only that, but the devil emissaries also turned into dust. They no longer belonged in the past and had disappeared in history.


    ������


    In an instant, the room was left in a strange stillness. Bireno looked blankly at the fluttering dust, feeling like he had aged and even his lustrous white beard became dull and lifeless. He couldn��t be blamed since he had never expected so many devil emissaries to have infiltrated the Mage Tower. He felt embarrassed and what worried him the most was that this was only a small group of people who followed him here after he heard from Marlene that Rhode wanted to discuss issues with him about his apprentices. Bireno was curious as to why Rhode was concerned about the apprentice test. But it seemed like the young dragon soul heir apparently had the correct judgment.


    Initially Bireno objected to the idea of sending the apprentices to the Deepest Labyrinth for the test. But he was eventually convinced by the other members. Besides, back then he wasn��t aware of the route that they would be taking to reach the Deepest Labyrinth. If he knew that they would be passing through the Enchanted Forest, he would have stopped them at all costs. Now it was apparent that it was premeditated for them to enter through the Enchanted Forest because if he found out that something was amiss, he would have a harder time stopping them. After all, the Deepest Labyrinth was too huge and he couldn��t possibly find the apprentices through the other entrances. But if they entered through the Enchanted Forest, it would hugely decrease the rescue speed. After all, not anyone had the dragon��s prestige like Rhode to scare the creatures away.


    Bireno pinned his only hope on Rhode. He heard from Marlene that he was also heading to the Deepest Labyrinth and coincidentally met the apprentices. He wished that Rhode could rescue them along the way. After all, they were the fruits of labor of the Mage Tower!


    Bireno cleared his head, turning around to gaze at Marlene who presented an apologetic smile. In fact, Marlene didn��t expect Alice to attack without warning. Before both sides began their discussion, Alice immediately launched her attack on them. On the other hand, even though the other mages who came with Bireno weren��t hurt, they expressed complicated looks. But this wasn��t something that Alice was concerned about.


    It was Marlene instead.


    ��Chairman Bireno, I think you understand the severity of the situation now.��


    Marlene sighed, sweeping a glance at Alice who stood beside her, hugging the tome in her arms.


    Meanwhile, Rhode��s group arrived at the eighth floor.


    It was a total coincidence for his group to meet Adella��s team. Adella��s team was the quickest among the apprentices where they reached the end of the fifth floor. But after getting caught in the trap, they plummeted straight to the eighth floor. Fortunately, Adella responded quickly enough to save her team from crashing into minced meat. And now, she discovered that the situation was developing toward an unexpected direction.


    Frey gazed with complication emotions at Rhode��s group. She realized that the teleportation crystal was meddled with, which caused Adella to be almost possessed by the devil. She imagined the consequences and shivered in fear. She had decided to head back before Celestina and the others arrived to their rescue. If it weren��t for them, perhaps her team would be tarnished by the devils and became their servants. But now��


    Frey turned to the pale Adella. As she was rescued in time, she managed to survive. In fact, she was on the verge of death until Mini Bubble Gum cast a revival spell on her. On the other hand, Clark with his legs broken was also healed by her.


    At this moment, the apprentices were feeling perplexed after learning the entire situation from Rhode. But they were too young and inexperienced, after all. They were totally clueless. Their mentor was conspiring with the devils and this apprentice test was premeditated by them. In this case, the teleportation crystals were no longer working and they couldn��t leave the Deepest Labyrinth. They also couldn��t contact the mentors to seek help from the Mage Tower. What exactly should they do?


    Apart from following Rhode��s group, they had no other choices left. This was the eighth floor and they couldn��t head back on their own. They could only wait until they arrived at the tenth floor and find other ways to activate the teleportation ritual that would send them back. Of course, since this was part of the devils�� conspiracy, would they be able to leave even if they reached there safely?


    Not only that, but there was also a high-class demon among them�� Frey peered at the slender figure. What left her dubious was that they had met Rhode��s group before entering the Deepest Labyrinth and there were only six members in his group. But now, there were almost twice as many. She was sure that she didn��t see the twin elves, angel, and demon before. Where exactly did they come from? Also�� What was the relationship between them? Frey couldn��t figure it out. She thought that this demon was Rhode��s captive but realized later that she wasn��t. The high-class demon��s arrogant attitude removed the possibilities of her being one. On the contrary, the Battle Angel behaved timidly around them and Frey recalled hearing her calling the demon ��Big Sister!��.


    This isn��t logical at all��


    ��I guess I��m close to finding out who the mastermind is behind all this, Master.��


    Celestina ignored the gazes from the lowly humans. She gnashed her teeth and said indignantly.


    ��It must be Grazite, that shameless bast*rd. This half-*ssed imitation looks disgusting. He must be the one. Ahhh, I��m angry just thinking about it!��


    ��The ��devil who most resembles demons��?��


    Rhode asked. He wasn��t surprised to hear this from Celestina. Grazite was indeed an unconventional devil. He had the cunningness of demons and chaotic nature of devils where he often became nonchalant after conspiring plots. The demons detested him. Conspiracies were basically a form of art to demons. But Grazite threw this wonderful piece of art to the ground and trampled all over, disregarding its precious beauty and value. Sometimes, he would overestimate his capabilities and come up with conspiracies. To the demons, grasping one��s strength was critically important. On the contrary, Grazite didn��t care if he could reap benefits from his conspiracies or if neither side won. He was such a nightmare.


    ��Master, I have a plan.��


    Celestina changed her tone all of a sudden and said with a smile. She took out a pitch-black crystal which was the teleportation crystal for the apprentices.


    ��I analyzed it while those lowly humans weren��t noticing. Even though I don��t have any concrete evidence, I guess that it should be connected to the Bottomless Abyss. Besides, if Grazite was the mastermind, I��m sure he would open the path directly to his glass courtyard. I have a plan to strengthen the signal and this way�� Huhuhu. We can capture that annoying devil lord and show him who the real conspirator is!��


    ��How confident are you?��


    Rhode didn��t disapprove of her suggestion. He felt like the situations regarding Chaos and devils were getting out of hand. Even though they had many battles with Chaos and devils at the later stages of the game, that was under a crumpled dragon soul protection. But now, the dragon soul protection was in perfect condition as he opened up a new territory as the Void Dragon. In this case, something must be wrong for Chaos and devils to be this active.


    Grazite was known as the ��devil who most resembled demons��. Based on this, there must also be some goals for his plan and it was perhaps related to the current happenings. Besides, there was a high chance that he wanted something from the Deepest Labyrinth, which was why he opened up the channel. Rhode felt pretty lucky. If he didn��t meet the apprentices coincidentally, he wouldn��t be aware of all this.


    ��100 percent. I��m unlike those brainless devils. Please don��t worry, Master. This time I will show that devil the art of being a true demon. But����


    Celestina narrowed her eyes at the apprentices.


    ��I need some bait.��


    Rhode pondered in silence before shifting his gaze to the apprentices behind him.


    ��I��ll leave it to you.��

 Chapter 984

    The moon tonight is as beautiful as ever.


    Erin gazed at the bright, round moon and heaved a meaningful sigh. After arriving at the Void Territory, admiring the night sky had become her favorite hobby. Unlike the bloody moon hanging in the sky of Country of Darkness, the moon here was larger and glowing with white, gentle light. Not only that, but there were also several craters, adding some scars to the smooth surface. But for some reason, even though there were many guesses as to why the moon became like this, this seemed to be the most natural way the moon should look like in her eyes.


    ��The night sky is mesmerizing, isn��t it, Angelina?��


    ��Yes�� Your Highness.��


    Angelina answered hurriedly. At this moment, she was feeling really depressed. She hoped to use this time to improve her relationship with Rhode but after the Order Ceremony ended, he left her to serve this princess. Angelina couldn��t understand why the Dark Dragon sent his younger sister to this place alone. No matter what, both sides didn��t have a particularly great relationship. Even though Erin was one of the most powerful figures in the Country of Darkness, Angelina knew that there were many people in the Void Territory who could defeat her. Be it Marlene or Alice, Angelina sensed mighty auras from them which were comparable to the Dark Dragon. In this case, if the Void Territory ever hurt Erin, Angelina could forget about returning to the Country of Darkness alive. If Erin was here to be a spy, should Angelina tell on her or help her?


    Fortunately, what Angelina expected didn��t happen as the princess basically stayed in her room all day, admiring the scenery through the window and only went out for occasional strolls. But�� What exactly was she here for?


    ��By the way, Angelina, I haven��t seen Mr. Rhode for quite a while. Do you know where he went? Also, where��s Christie? I miss them a lot.��


    ��This����


    Angelina hesitated. She didn��t know if she should reveal their whereabouts. After all, Rhode was her master and they had signed a contract. It was common for one with a lowly identity to be punished in the Country of Darkness for shooting one��s mouth off.


    ���� His Majesty is out for the moment.��


    Angelina answered softly. She believed that she should be fine since Rhode didn��t specially advise her anything before he left. But shortly after, Angelina realized that she made a huge mistake because the princess��s eyes flashed with a glint as though she just heard interesting news.


    ��Out? I didn��t expect a dragon soul heir to have time for an outing. It must be fun, right? What do you say, Angelina? I want to check it out too. Can you bring me there?��


    ��T-This isn��t convenient, Your Highness!��


    Angelina shrieked. As a high-class royal vampire, she had heard rumors about this princess. Even though her low profile gave her a lack of presence, most higher-ups were aware that she had a peculiar personality where even the four legendary generals couldn��t handle her. Angelina thought that the rumors weren��t true as the princess had only been admiring the scenery and wasn��t up to no good. But now, it seemed like the rumors were right!


    ���� Your Highness, you��re our guest, after all, so it isn��t good to head out now�� Besides, His Majesty must be dealing with something important. This����


    ��But isn��t it also important to entertain your guests?��


    Even though Erin said with a smile, her tone sounded rather displeased.


    ��I��ve arrived at the Void Territory for a long time but Mr. Rhode hasn��t even met me once. This isn��t great hospitality, I suppose.��


    ��This����


    Angelina was speechless. In fact, Erin was right. Even though she returned to the Void Territory with Rhode and the rest, Rhode left her aside without a formal greeting. After so many days, Angelina thought that Erin was well-mannered and wasn��t mindful of it. But now�� It seemed like she had been waiting!


    ���� I��m not too sure where His Majesty has gone to, Your Highness.��


    ��Could I trouble you to inquire about that please?��


    ������


    Angelina was speechless as she gazed at Erin who had put her hands together and smiling at her. After all, this wasn��t an issue that she could resolve. She took in a deep breath, before pushing a smile on her face and bowing respectfully.


    ��Yes, Your Highness.��


    Since this wasn��t something that she could resolve, she was better off getting someone else.


    ���� That��s what Her Highness Erin said?��


    Marlene shifted her gaze away from the scroll in her hands and lifted her head with a difficult expression. Angelina nodded in response. Marlene heaved a long sigh. After returning to the Void Territory, Marlene was anxious about having the princess around. Not only did she send Sara to monitor her actions 24/7 through the Projection Crystal, but she also requested for Gillian to watch her closely. But to her surprise, the princess was more honest than they thought. But she didn��t expect for trouble to arise at this moment.


    Also, in terms of monitoring Erin, Lize was more careful than Marlene. But no one knew if it was due to Lize seeing her other self in Erin.


    ��Sigh����


    Marlene rubbed her forehead, before closing her eyes for some peace. Angelina continued to gaze at the young lady, waiting for her response. After a few moments, Marlene opened her eyes and said. ��Please get her to wait for a while more. I will personally���� She paused abruptly. She revealed a strange expression for a split second. Then, she continued with her usual expression. ���� Actually, it isn��t a big deal. His Majesty is in the Deepest Labyrinth now. If Her Highness Erin wants to go, just let her be. You have a contractual connection with His Majesty, so get instructions from him after you��ve arrived there with her����


    ��Yes, Madam.��


    Angelina felt dubious but eventually nodded and left the room. After she turned the corner, Marlene shook her head and continued with her work. Just like Angelina, since Marlene couldn��t resolve this issue�� She could only leave the problem to someone who could resolve it.


    ***


    Everything��s going well.


    In the dark underground maze, Rhode gazed pleasingly at the heavy doors before him. Even though there were more members in his group now, he didn��t face more problems. Thereafter, the devils stopped launching attacks on them, perhaps realizing that they were much stronger than expected. But Rhode wasn��t sure if the devils were aware that the teleportation crystals had been destroyed by them. At least judging from the system map, apart from Adella��s team who was more unlucky, the other teams progressed safely. Although there were some casualties, it wasn��t serious enough that they had to activate the teleportation crystals. If not, perhaps these weren��t the only devils Rhode��s group had to face.


    He pushed the doors open at this thought. Shortly after, radiances from the burning torches illuminated the vast, round space. Borrowing the light, the group clearly witnessed a circular stone ritual. This was the core of the tenth floor, the location for the teleportation ritual. According to the next step, they should report to their mentors of the progress and place the crystal on the stone column beside the ritual. After every member stepped into the ritual, they would activate the teleportation ritual and this would signify the end of the test. But now��


    ��Sir Kyle!��


    Adella��s team shrieked in disbelief after discovering a mage in a black robe lying in a pool of blood in the middle of the teleportation ritual. They darted to the unconscious mage who had two deep gashes around his waist and stomach, almost tearing him apart. Fortunately, he was still breathing. Rhode gave a command.


    ��Bubble.��


    ��Got it, Leader.��


    Bubble snapped her fingers. In the blink of an eye, a flawlessly white light beam shone from above, illuminating the injured mage. The mage groaned in pain while a black aura exited his body and got purified by the holy radiance. Shortly after, the ghastly injuries healed before their eyes and he slowly opened his eyes, letting out a couple of coughs. After seeing Adella and the others, he revealed a surprised look which immediately turned into a tense gaze.


    ��L-Leave this place, Adella�� This is a trap. Those devils�� Cough, cough. Where are the rest? Be careful, those devils are����


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a loud boom sounded from the opened doors that were shut by an unknown force. Then, a creepy laughter filled the room. Everyone looked up and witnessed two distorted figures in ragged mage robes in the shadows of the room.


    ��Sir Shawn�� and Sir Andy��?��


    The apprentices froze to the spot. They couldn��t be more familiar with the mage robes clad on the two distorted figures. The mentors whom they were so familiar with had turned into these filthy, terrifying creatures. Adella turned ashen at the thought of her almost becoming like them.


    ��Be careful, they��ve lost all consciousness and became devils!��


    As though verifying Kyle��s words, the two twisted figures let out a burst of eerie laughter and extended their arms. In the blink of an eye, they blasted two blinding beams of magic from their palms. But before the scorching beams filled with evil aura struck their targets, they were negated and extinguished by a translucent barrier like a violent wave. At the same time, Celia and Celestina flew forward from the left and right. The two devil emissaries let out ear-piercing and unpleasant chants, swiftly twisting the surrounding darkness together to create creatures of various shapes and sizes, pouncing on the angel and demon.


    ��You��re asking for death!��


    Celestina grimaced, lashing the chain sword forward in a dazzling trajectory that erupted black flames to devour the creatures. At the same time, Gracier and Madaras appeared behind her for a split second before vanishing into the shadow.


    On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum, who had cast that defensive barrier, let out a grunt. She swung her right arm forward and two light beams suddenly blasted from above, striking the two devils heavily like steel hammers. The devils screamed mournfully and fled from the hateful holy radiance. Of course, Mini Bubble Gum had no intention of letting them off. She cheekily extended her hands and gestured in midair. Then��


    ��Trying to escape? Do you think it��s possible?! Stay where you are!��


    She snarled. Countless golden runes appeared and covered the entire floor. The two figures floating in midair stopped moving abruptly. Their space had been contained by the holy runes. Not only that, but at the same time, two razor-sharp daggers also struck their chests from the void. The invisible threads reflected sacred radiance and turned into a spider web-like presence that trapped the two preys. Karin stood at the side, devoid of emotions. Her right hand gesticulated in midair.


    ��Heh, heh. Let��s see where you��re running to����


    Mini Bubble Gum rotated her wrist with an evil laugh as though she were the final BOSS. Rhode lowered his head and gazed at Christie.


    ��Christie, can I ask for your help?��


    ���� Okay.��


    Christie hesitated before nodding firmly.


    ���� I will do my best�� Rhode����


    Christie extended her right hand. Then, a white fear pen, as well as an empty, golden scroll appeared before her. She held the feather pen and inked the scroll��

 Chapter 985

    Kacha.


    Gabe placed the pitch-black crystal on the empty slate. A hexagonal ritual appeared and shone faintly above. He retracted his hand, gazing at the ritual in satisfaction. He turned to his adorable students. Or, his adorable ex-students.


    ��What a waste of this seedbed����


    Gabe gazed sullenly at the decomposed corpse of Stewart, whose mouth had become as long as a crocodile��s. It split at the opening into four, revealing several tentacle-like tongues. Gabe had high hopes for him and believed that he could become the next seedbed after he reincarnated. But he didn��t expect the earlier battle to cripple this favorite apprentice of his. Even though Mini Bubble Gum had no intention of killing Stewart, his entire body was completely flushed by her holy energy. Gabe had no choice but to make him into a low-class devil sacrificial product.


    It��s about time now.


    Gabe nodded, gazing at the slate meaningfully. Everything was going as planned. Even though he didn��t have a godlike system map like Rhode, he also had a unique way to track the apprentices�� locations. The team that he led was the last to reach the tenth floor and this wasn��t only for safety measures. If the other teams were eliminated and lost the teleportation crystals, he could still send his devils to recover the crystals. But it seemed like it wasn��t necessary anymore. It was a pity that after losing the devils, he couldn��t monitor their movements any longer. He wondered how the powerful group of outsiders were doing. If they were still in the labyrinth, they might make the situation worse��


    But he believed that they must have entered deep into the labyrinth already.


    A few days ago, Gabe sensed that the seal on the tenth floor��s entrance door was destroyed. That was a seal that he dispatched his devils to set up after meeting Rhode��s group before. Since the seal was destroyed, it meant that Rhode��s group should have already left the tenth floor and headed deeper into the maze. But this was fine too��


    Gabe revealed a wry smile. As soon as the channel connecting to the Bottomless Abyss was opened up, countless devils would swarm this place and no matter how powerful those people were, they could never defeat them!


    I shall return the humiliation you��ve given me by a hundred times!


    He let out a scoff before leaving with his subjects. After they were no longer around, a petite white elf appeared from the shadows sneakily. She smiled, placing a metal ring over the black crystal, before vanishing into the darkness again.


    ��The fish has taken the bait.��


    Rhode snorted and said softly. The apprentices heard him and turned pale instantly. They managed to reach here safely after surviving the ordeals before, but didn��t expect this bad news: their apprentice test was a conspiracy by the devils!


    Richard and his team were in disbelief. The two mentors who were possessed by the devils broke free after Christie used [Knowledge Scroll] on them. Thereafter, the apprentices realized that the mentors had fallen into Gabe��s trap where their teleportation crystals were also meddled with. If it weren��t for Christie, perhaps they would be beyond rescue now.


    Even though it was hard to believe, everyone accepted this cold-hard truth. The teleportation crystals had all been meddled with and they couldn��t leave the Deepest Labyrinth now. All they could do now was to follow Rhode��s instructions and wait patiently as bait for the big fish to get hooked on. And now, they were in the final stages.


    ��Will everything be fine, Rhode?��


    Canary knitted her brows and whispered into his ear.


    ��If our target is Grazite, who is around level 90 as a devil lord, I think we will need at least a team of 25 to take him down. Perhaps it will not be enough with only me, you, Bubble, and the summoned spirits, even if we meddled with the teleportation ritual�� You are also aware that devils will be an annoying bunch after the teleportation ritual is activated. Even though the mages will assist us, their support will be limited.��


    Indeed, just as Canary mentioned, Grazite wouldn��t be an easy BOSS in terms of level. Top players in the game had to form a party of 25 members and needed an experienced leader in order for them to stand a chance to defeat him. Although they had sufficient members now, it was still too risky for their levels. Even with the help of Christie, she still wouldn��t be too effective if it weren��t the other ��Christie�� engaging in battle because Grazite would send out waves of devils before he showed up. The devils would be around level 70 and the endless number of them would wreak havoc. It wouldn��t be an issue for Rhode��s group to take them out. But they weren��t certain of their chances in taking out Grazite later, and even Canary was concerned.


    ��Don��t worry, they have the human wave tactic while we have our reinforcements.��


    ��Reinforcements?��


    Mini Bubble Gum cocked her head to the side curiously.


    ��What reinforcements, Leader? Why didn��t I hear you mention it before?��


    Rhode placed his finger on his smiling lips.


    ��You will know when the time is right.��


    The tall stone doors opened and flame torches around the wide hall lit up instantly. Gabe strolled toward the center of the hall, and beside him were Stewart and three other devils who no longer looked like humans. Gabe��s body slowly transformed with each step he took forward. His smooth skin cracked and fell off his body like loose stone, revealing the pitch-black scales underneath. A pair of goat-like horns drilled out of his forehead. A putrid aura of purgatory erupted from his body, shaping into black smoke that enfolded him.


    ��O�� mighty lord! I humbly ask that you hear my prayers and summons!��


    Gabe, who had completely turned into a devil, raised his four arms. The thick, mysterious aura of purgatory diffused wildly, spinning and forming into dense black clouds that drifted around the ceiling. At the same time, the massive teleportation ritual shone around its perimeter and slowly flowed inward to shape an intricate pattern. Gabe��s loud, hoarse, and evil snarl of the Abyss language resounded in the empty room. As he chanted the curse, the ritual beneath his feet glowed brighter. Roaring lightning bolts struck out from the dark clouds onto the ground to become one with the teleportation ritual.


    In the blink of an eye, the dark clouds expanded to reveal a twisted, indistinct void filled with billows of smoke and scarlet flames, as well as strange, evil-looking buildings. The revolting stench diffused and enveloped the entire hall.


    ��My lord, please hear my voice! The channel has opened; the connecting plane shall reveal itself once again!��


    ��You��ve done well, Sir Gabe.��


    It wasn��t the voice that Gabe was anticipating. He turned around and saw Rhode��s group appearing in the empty corner. The four devils who were responsible for guarding the ritual also turned quickly, swinging their claws and letting out warning hisses.


    ��Stewart����


    Richard gazed with complicated emotions at the man who had turned into a devil, albeit the familiar attire. Although Stewart wasn��t a well-respected man in the Mage Tower, it seemed too cruel for him to suffer such a treatment.


    ��You people actually����


    Gabe��s eyes flashed with an ice-cold glint. The fact that Rhode��s group didn��t leave and chose to ambush him here proved that they already knew his plan. But what could they do to him?


    ��It seems like you��re aware of my doings����


    ��Of course, you��re connecting the channel to the Bottomless Abyss to summon armies of devils. Well, this is a huge project and I didn��t expect that a bunch of devils like you were actually smart enough to modify the teleportation ritual in the Deepest Labyrinth for your goal. Frankly, this gives me a new understanding of your IQ.��


    ��No matter what you say, everything is too late!��


    Gabe grimaced at Rhode��s expressionless face. Gabe realized that the situation was far from good, but didn��t know where exactly had gone wrong. The aura of purgatory from the Bottomless Abyss had filled his body entirely. The strong, sinister energy was flowing through his veins, connecting his body and this world!


    ��The channel has opened and devils from the Bottomless Abyss have access to this world now. No matter what you do, you will not succeed! Show yourselves, devils! Annihilate these ants who are trying to profane my lord��s prestige!��


    Boom!


    Countless lightning bolts struck to the ground in loud explosions. The teleportation ritual emanated a dazzling black radiance while expanding like flowing water. One by one, strange devils appeared before them.


    ��Grrrr����


    ��Alright, time for a BOSS fight.��


    Rhode said with a smile. He extended his right hand and several steel chains climbed and penetrated his arm. Beads of blood sprayed and an enormous and shimmering red sword appeared in his hand.


    ��Main tanker lures the devils�� aggro. Attackers beware of vengeance. Spell casters standby!��


    Apart from Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, the others didn��t understand a word he said. But they swiftly got into their positions. A magic barrier was cast over the mages. The shield in Anne��s hand widened instantly, turning into a sturdy wall of defense. Celia and Celestina stood behind her, clutching their swords and watching the devils attentively. Karin stood among them with her hands behind her back. In fact, countless threads reflecting faint radiance were slowly revolving around her. Bell stooped over, wielding daggers, while Christie watched the scene sternly from behind her, holding the ring on her finger and waiting for the crucial moment. On the other side, the apprentices and mentors were also ready to face the sea of devils that were about to gush toward them.


    ��������!��


    In an instant, loud, hoarse screeches echoed in the hall. The devils that appeared from the shadows pounced on the humans. But in the blink of an eye, a light beam emitted, followed by a combination of purifying, scared flames and holy radiance that blasted the devils away. The first wave of devils were completely annihilated. But this was far from the end.


    The black tide continued to swarm with the increasing number of devils. It was still a mystery as to how many devils existed in the Bottomless Abyss. In this case, all the humans could do was to resist and eliminate them.


    Shing��!


    Rhode slashed the large, scarlet blade, sending spiritual blade rays forward that shredded the devils that pounced on him. Their repulsive blood splattered, quickly evaporating under the silver-whitish flames from Celia��s blade. She expanded her glorious wings and lifted her sword like a blinding sun shining in a warm, dazzling brilliance. The devils felt powerless instantly. The tough scales on their bodies softened and the movements of their razor-sharp claws slowed down drastically. At this moment, along with the murmurs of spell chants, sharp wind blades and massive fireballs struck and demolished the devils.


    ��Continue attacking. This is only the start!��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    Celestina brandished the thorn whip, causing a wall of black flames to surge and devour another devil that charged at her recklessly. At the same time, she swung her left hand in midair where a scarlet, circular ritual filled with an aura of evil death appeared underneath the devils�� feet. In an instant, the devils shrieked in panic and turned into nothingness.


    ��Useless. Everything that you��re doing is useless!��


    Gabe growled, pointing his fingers at the four devil bodyguards, and four turbid, black rays emitted from his fingertips. The devil bodyguards suddenly grew in size and their sinister aura became much stronger. They widened their eyes, filled with indescribable madness and murderous intent. Gabe burst into a hearty laughter. Then, he commanded wildly.


    ��Go forth! Kill those humans!��

 Chapter 986

    The four devil emissaries swelled up, turning as long as snakes as their legs disappeared. Not only that, but three pairs of arm wielding swords also grew and widened from their bodies. The other devils were instantly thrilled. They charged ahead fearlessly, using their lives, blood, and corpses to pave way for victory. In an instant, everyone felt immense pressure.


    ��Six-armed snake devil�� How interesting.��


    Rhode scoffed.


    It��s time to release them.


    ��������!��


    Several green beams shot across the darkness instantly, turning everything into scorching flames. There was also the sound of operating mechanisms. Gabe looked around him anxiously, only to discover that the mysterious murals were falling off. One by one, enormous, octopuses-like metal creatures escaped from the walls. They had a pair of large golden eyes that emanated bright radiance like searchlights that illuminated the darkness. The metal, razor-sharp tentacles supported their massive bodies while a thin magic barrier enfolded them like in the shape of an egg.


    They were the final BOSS of the tenth floor��Metal Guards Nazpark.


    According to the game, players needed to defeat these metal guards in order to obtain teleportation rights to the ritual. But as the Void Dragon, Rhode didn��t need to go through the hassle. With the help of Karin, they quickly attained the controlling rights of the metal guards and modified their settings. And now, these idiotic devils who triggered the teleportation ritual was finally about to face their BOSS fight.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    The metal guards widened their mouths, blasting energy spheres to the ground to absorb gravels at the surroundings. In the blink of an eye, two-meter-tall stone giants emerged from the energy spheres one after another.


    In an instant, the situation took a turn. The arrogant devils were repelled as their flames and spells were useless against the stone giants. The tall stone giants ignored the evil aura and hurled punches, crushing the devils into bits.


    ��Oh-oh-oh, this is what I want to see!��


    Mini Bubble Gum shrieked in excitement while the corners of Rhode��s lips lifted. Of course, he understood why this little rascal was so excited. In the Deepest Labyrinth, BOSSes on teleportation floors were much stronger than BOSSes on other floors, like the stone giants. They were level 65, immune to spells below the Middle Circle, and had a 50 percent damage reduction from spells above the Middle Circle. Moreover, they had regeneration attributes and high resistance against physical damage. In other words, spells were completely useless against them and only close-combat fights could defeat them. Not only that, but after defeating one stone giant, a mage was also required to freeze the stone giant��s core. If not, the stone giant would revive shortly after. But if players chose to destroy the core, the strength of the other stone giants would multiply accordingly. Of course, players could choose to continue fighting the stone giants with brute force, but the remaining stone giants would be extremely tough to defeat.


    Therefore, the most effective way was to defeat one stone giant, freeze its core, and move on to defeat the other stone giants. Once all their cores were frozen, players could then destroy them altogether. Of course, a powerful group like Rhode��s could also grasp the timing perfectly to defeat the stone giants simultaneously. Then, they could freeze the cores and destroy them all at once. Sure, it was still possible to defeat the stone giants without deploying this strategy, but it would take up a lot more time and the devils obviously weren��t high enough in level to defeat the stone giants.


    As ��seniors��, Rhode, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum had the subtle pleasure of watching these ��juniors�� seek their deaths unknowingly.


    With the appearance of the true BOSS, the devils shifted their aggression away from Rhode��s group because Rhode��s group only acted in self-defense. On the contrary, the stone giants were set to destroy everyone apart from Rhode��s group. At this moment, they launched their attacks at the middle of the teleportation ritual. In order for the channel connecting to the Bottomless Abyss to not be cut off, the devils focused their energy in stopping them. Even though their levels weren��t high enough, the devils launched the ��human�� wave attack and managed to defeat the three leading stone giants. In a series of loud booms, the exploding flames burst skyward, blasting the devils away with a powerful airstream. At the same time, the remaining stone giants snarled fiercely, their bodies growing in size and strength yet again.


    ��Heh, heh����


    ��Huhuhu����


    ��Hehehe����


    The three of them exchanged mischievous glances. No words were necessary.


    As expected, the strength of the remaining stone giants immediately rose. The devils could no longer leave a single scratch on them, not to mention stop them from marching forward. The devils bravely darted ahead, brandishing their razor-sharp claws, only to be struck away. The four six-armed snake devils seemed to also realize that the enemies here were much harder to deal with. They shifted their attention over and charged at the stone giants.


    Even though the stone giants were strong, slow movement speed was their weakness where they couldn��t hit the nimble six-armed snake devils at all. On the other hand, even though the six-armed snake devils brandished their blades and struck the massive stone giants, they failed to deal too much damage.


    It��s almost time. Alright then, I shall apply more pressure on them.


    Rhode extended his right hand. Several cards appeared above his palm, revolving beautifully. He grabbed them in a single swipe and clenched his fist to shatter them into bits.


    Boom������!


    Spear Defenders clad in thick armor marched out of the darkness with spears and shields on hand. They roared, equipping the spears above the shields and taking an offensive stance. Meanwhile, Ultimate Judges clad in holy robes lifted their staffs to release a dazzling magical radiance. At the same time, Rhode activated [Taboo Halo]. As the halo flickered, the Spear Defenders�� steel armor glowed. Not only that, but their spears also changed in shape. The dazzling sacred beams from the Ultimate Judges turned into artillery fire, bombarding the devils.


    ��Attack!��


    The Spear Defenders marched ahead in unison. Rhode swung his right arm to the side and a card appeared in his hand. Then, a bright light shone on the Spear Defenders. In an instant, hundreds of thousands of razor-sharp steel spears appeared in midair, pointing forward and threatening anything that tried to stop them.


    ��Oh my God. This is����


    The mages widened their eyes in bewilderment. They had never seen such summoned creatures in groups. Besides, wasn��t this young man a swordsman? How was it possible that he possessed such amazing summoning skills? Also, why were the summoned creatures so powerful��?


    ��Damn it, you lowly maggots!��


    Gabe flustered. Although he had cast a protective magic barrier over himself, the strong resistance enraged him. He widened his eyes and gnashed his teeth, glaring fiercely at Rhode��s group, which was enjoying the show.


    ��You will regret this!��


    Gabe had decided. He started chanting curses under his breath as the ice-cold temperature in the hall suddenly rose. Then, a fire storm rained from the void above him, hitting heavily on the teleportation ritual. Then, scarlet flames erupted with lava and hot molten iron. A tall, enormous creature covered in flames appeared from within. Its eyes glinted in a white radiance filled with the aura of death.


    ��It��s the Balor Devil! This shameless bast*rd!��


    Celestina growled. She flapped her wings and flew toward the Balor Devil, brandishing her chain sword. The Balor Devil snarled. In the blink of an eye, a blazing sword appeared in its hand, swinging to stop Celestina��s attack.


    ��Damn it!��


    At this moment, a bloody battle between devil and demon began.

 Chapter 987

    Powerful airwaves from the clash of blades shook the ground. Celestina widened her wings, the black chain sword in her hand wrapping the scarlet sword of the Balor Devil. Flames of black and red splashed, burning everything around them into ashes. The devils around them shrieked. They tried to assist their master, only to be burned to ashes immediately. The rasps of blades screeched in their ears. Celestina lifted her head proudly and spiraled skyward. She lashed out the chain sword as a whip while the Balor Devil roared, widening its pupil-less eyes and emitting fiery laser beams at her. Celestina swiftly folded her wings around her and negated the attack effortlessly.


    ��Lowly bast*rd. You will never defeat me!��


    Celestina brandished the chain sword at the Balor Devil again. The Balor Devil sensed the threat from the pitch-black flames and flapped its wings to retreat hurriedly. At the same time, it clutched its blazing sword with both hands, swinging it forward to unleash a conical flame. Celestina pushed her left hand forward when suddenly, the air by her palm twisted to reveal a void like a menacing mouth, devouring the blistering flames completely. Then, she darted forward and clashed with the Balor Devil once more.


    ��Erm�� Should we help her?��


    Richard asked in lingering fear. As a mage, he knew a lot about the underworld. The Balor Devil was well-known as a high-class devils. In fact, when the Balor Devil appeared moments ago, many apprentices were stricken into silence. Its incomparable presence and evil aura struck their faces, leaving them breathless. This almost shattered their will of fighting against the devils.


    But in comparison, Celestina��s attacks were much more surprising to the apprentices. This slender high-class demon appeared to be stronger than the Balor Devil. Although she seemed like a tiny rascal in the face of the massive Balor Devil, her attacks were incredibly lethal and terrifying.


    ��No, it��s not necessary. You��re better off staying in safety.��


    Rhode shook his head decisively. His intention of sending Celestina out there was to lure Grazite to this place because a battle between a demon and the devils wouldn��t raise his suspicions. On the other hand, the situation would be different if he sent Celia out. No matter what, the combined attacks of a demon and angel would easily raise Grazite��s alertness. And now, they only needed to watch the show and wait for the mastermind to show up.


    Rhode wasn��t worried that Celestina would lose to the Balor Devil. This demon young lady was sharper than she looked.


    The hall was in a complete mess. The devils swarmed the place like roaring waves, only to be repelled by the light beams from the metal guards and the powerful punches of the stone giants. The six-armed snake devils brandished their swords at the stone giants. Even though they had the upper hand from the start, the powers of the remaining stone giants were strengthened and they were now equally matched with the six-armed snake devils. On the other hand, the black and red flames from Celestina and the Balor Devil engulfed half the hall. Rhode and his group hid in the corner in the safety of the metal guards�� defense. Fortunately for them, the hall was wide enough. If not, they would have been squashed like sardines.


    The battle between Celestina and the Balor Devil continued.


    Demons and devils were experts in spell casting and spell casters from the human world were basically nothing in their eyes. In an instant, various lethal spells bombarded the hall. But this was only the start for Celestina and the Balor Devil.


    ��Die, bast*rd!��


    Celestina��s crisp voice made the harsh-sounding, evil curses sound melodic. She extended her hand and cast a yellow cloud around the Balor Devil. The air around it instantly turned dry as though all water in the surroundings were absorbed. The sea of devils shriveled, before eventually vanishing into ashes entirely by the blazing flames. The Balor Devil raised its sword. As magical radiance flickered from its blade, another translucent barrier enveloped it entirely to resist the threat of the yellow cloud. Then, the Balor Devil stretched out its left hand. The dark magic of death surging inside its body coalesced on its palm and blasted ahead in a silent beam. But the beam was instantly devoured by the pitch-black flames burning around Celestina.


    At the same time, Celestina was preparing the next spell. She swung the blazing chain sword at her target again, while her left hand gestured complicatedly in midair. At this moment, indistinct hell runes appeared around her. While the chain sword struck the Balor Devil, the runes around her completely coalesced. She retracted the chain sword and pointed her left index finger at the Balor Devil. Shortly after, a deep green laser emitted from her fingertip, instantly diminishing the Balor Devil��s barrier. At the same time, a dozen of dazzling magical missiles erupted from the hell runes, bombarding the defenseless devil who was caught unprepared. It howled in agony, crashing to the ground from midair.


    Boom!


    Scarlet flames erupted yet again, destroying a large number of its ��allies�� on the surface.


    ��Oh, my goodness����


    The mages were stunned like rural farmers who witnessed spells for the first time. But they couldn��t be blamed for this reaction. This battle was enough for them to prostrate in admiration, especially after seeing the unique spells that Celestina cast.


    The principle of this was actually really simple. Powerful figures who possessed large amounts of magical power could coalesce runes in midair. What Celestina did was nothing more than ��simultaneous spell-casting��. While her left hand was gesturing the spell, the runes around her were constructing a high-level barrage of missiles. When the timing of the runes and her hand gestures matched perfectly, she could cast two spells at once.


    But the mages knew that this wasn��t achievable by ordinary people. Mages needed to focus with absolute attention to ensure there were no mistakes during the casting of spells. If not, a tiny mistake could result in total failure. But this demon young lady displayed how one should perfectly cast a spell. Moreover, she was also multitasking, brandishing her chain sword while casting two spells.


    The perfect combination of sword skills and spells, as well as close-range and long-range attacks. This was Celestina��s true strength as a demon.


    ��Not bad at all.��


    Rhode praised, gazing at Celestina who hovered in midair. In fact, even though she was usually arrogant and couldn��t lift her head proudly before the other holy sword spirits except Celia, that was because she hadn��t been able to find a worthy opponent for her to unleash her strength. With this strength of hers, most people in this world were only ants in her eyes.


    ��Damn this filthy demon!��


    The Balor Devil crawled to its feet, glaring fiercely at Celestina in midair. Then, the demon young lady��s body suddenly became distorted and vanished before its eyes, only to be replaced by a devil that took her place. The devil trembled and bulged like a balloon. Boom! It exploded and rained bloody flesh from above.


    No!


    The Balor Devil��s heart sank immediately. It had gathered all its remaining strength to cast this explosion spell to get rid of the annoying demon. But it didn��t expect her to predict its move. The instant they exchanged glances, Celestina swapped places with a devil to suffer the devastation of the spell in her place.


    And this was the end of the Balor Devil because at this moment, a razor-sharp chain sword struck and penetrated its chest. Then, Celestina snarled.


    ��Devils are always so predictable with those tedious attacks. Bast*rds like you should feel honored to die in my hands!��


    ��No������!��


    The Balor Devil struggled to pull the chain sword out of its chest. But this time, the black flames exploded, engulfing it entirely.

 Chapter 988

    The battle continued.


    The mages and Gabe gasped at Celestina in disbelief. They swore that they had never imagined this even in their wildest dreams. The powerful Balor Devil was defeated effortlessly as though slaughtering even a pig would be tougher. The clash between Celestina and the Balor Devil lasted for only a few minutes before the Balor Devil eventually fell to her blade. Then, the Balor Devil self-destructed and took away the lives of the devils, burning them into blazing ashes.


    Gabe broke out in cold sweat. He had a bad feeling about these people before. He also suspected the possibilities of this situation being conspired by a demon lord. Demons and devils were sworn enemies. It was also possible that his conspiracy was found out by a hidden devil worshiper around him and the devil worshiper had set a trap for him. Besides, he was certain that this young lady wasn��t just an ordinary high-class demon because no matter how powerful high-class demons were, they shouldn��t be able to overwhelm the Balor Devil this way. This was much more than what ordinary high-class demons could do!


    Could it be that a certain demon lord is plotting everything?


    Gabe��s forehead was filled with beads of cold sweat. If that was the case, he couldn��t possibly win.


    If Sir Grazite were to find out, I can��t even imagine the punishment he has for me!


    Gabe couldn��t be blamed for having such wild imaginations. Demons were synonymous with conspiracies. As long as there were sightings of a demon on the battlefield, most likely the cause of the battle was started by them. Although this ��discrimination�� was common, it was the truth that 90 percent of the causes were indeed started by them.


    Think! What did I overlook?


    Gabe knitted his brows.


    Nothing. Everything is going on smoothly. The channel has connected successfully so what is the issue here? Indeed, they managed to defeat a perfect Balor Devil. But I can summon even stronger devils, who are also Sir Grazite��s direct subjects, into battle!


    ��Come forth, devils! Show your powerful strength and slaughter these people!��


    ��Grrrr������!��


    Gabe growled. In an instant, flames splashed and six devils with heads of lions and bodies of humans stepped out from within. Gabe was certain that they were Grazite��s direct subjects��the lion-headed devils.


    Their appearance proves that Sir Grazite cares about me.


    Gabe raised his arms high, yelling sinister incantations that shook the room constantly. The flames erupted once again and this time, countless devils of different shapes and sizes overflowed the hall like locusts.


    Rhode didn��t seem surprised. He swept a look at the holy sword spirits beside him.


    ��Karin?��


    ��The channel has connected; just a little more, Your Majesty. Grazite��s presence is getting closer, but he is also acting cautiously. If we launch our attacks now, he may break free.��


    Karin said nonchalantly, her right hand pressing the buttons on the hilt as though she were playing a keyboard. The invisible threads expanded like she was a spider controlling and setting up her web in the room. As soon as the spiderweb was complete, no prey trapped by it would have a chance of escaping.


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded, swinging Slaughter to the side and bringing forth a violent gust of wind.


    ��Celestina will have a hard time dealing with the six lion-headed devils. Canary, care for some warm up?��


    ��No problem, Rhode.��


    Canary responded with a gentle smile. She stretched out her hand and scorching flames coalesced in her palm, transforming into a razor-sharp, scarlet sword. Judging from its appearance, it didn��t seem too different from the flame blade that the Balor Devil wielded. But after looking closely, one would discover that the scarlet was purer and had a burning scent. At the same time, the green wind element spiraled around her to form a translucent armor-like presence.


    ��Element materialization!��


    The mages exclaimed and stared at Canary in bafflement. They weren��t this agitated when they witnessed Celestina��s double spell casting since demons and devils were experts in that field while humans merely learned and borrowed the strength of spells. Therefore, it wasn��t too surprising that humans weren��t as powerful as demons in terms of spells. If they were envious and jealous of her spells, that would only prove how foolish they were, just like a firefly hoping to shine brighter than the sun.


    But Canary was different. She looked just like a human. Besides, she was much younger than the mages, and yet she effortlessly grasped the power of element materialization. Not even the higher-ups of the Mage Tower could achieve this!


    Before the mages returned to their senses, Rhode and Canary had darted to the center of the battlefield, leaving a trail of afterimages to the left and right.


    At this moment, Celestina was dealing with the six lion-headed devils alone. Even though she had the upper hand for now, she was against six of them, after all. The lion-headed devils were stronger than the Balor Devil in close-combat, and in this hall filled with the aura of purgatory, their battle strength was greatly increased. Not only that, but the other devils were also slowly approaching her. If they were in hell right now, Celestina could summon her subjects for a bloody battle against the devils. But demons hated the aura of purgatory as it gave her immense pressure and she was alone now.


    Until Rhode and Canary intervened.


    The lethal blade rays slashed the devils like a speedboat ripping through the water. Rhode wielded Slaughter, the steel chains binding his arm striking out and penetrating the devils who pounced on him. He brandished the scarlet sword and brought forth a blinding azure blade ray. In an instant, streams of blood sprang up as a dozen devils were annihilated mercilessly. He burst forward, aiming his blade at a lion-headed devil who brandished its dagger at him. At this moment, the lion-headed devil��s eyes glinted and a mysterious, illusory fog instantly enfolded Rhode, attempting to rip his heart and send him into the eternal realms of illusion. But what responded to it was a slashing of a blade from above.


    Clang!


    The lion-headed devil raised its dagger hurriedly to deflect the blade. Even though lion-headed devils were strong in close-combat, it was impossible to count on demons or devils to fight fairly in battles. The lion-headed devils loved using their unique skills to throw enemies into the realms of illusion, before killing them in a single slash. Perhaps first timers against them would fall into their traps, but Rhode was more than experienced.


    Rhode swiftly repositioned his blade and slashed it from the left. In the blink of an eye, three shadow clones dashed out from his body and encircled the lion-headed devil. Before the lion-headed devil reacted, a lethal blade from the back had cut off its escape, puncturing through its tough back as though slicing an apple. Then, the three shadow clones brandished their blades at it simultaneously. Dazzling radiances instantly erupted, eradicating the devils who pounced on them. The lion-headed devil instinctively dodged. It raised its arms and coalesced a ball of dark energy in its hands, shining even brighter.


    But in the next moment, scarlet flames and green whirlwind engulfed everything.

 Chapter 989

    If Rhode were a large wheel that braved the waves, Canary would be the elegant elf who flew along with the wind with her long mage robe. She appeared behind the lion-headed devils gracefully, the sword coalesced from flames piercing toward the lion-headed devil. The lion-headed devil turned around as soon as it realized the danger, deflecting the blade with its dagger. The smile on Canary��s face remained unchanged. She swiftly drew a circle with the sword, which sucked in the dagger like a magnet, forcefully changing its trajectory. Then, her sword suddenly transformed into a lightning bolt that struck at the devil.


    But contrary to her movements, the powerful gust of wind that erupted from the blade sucked in everything in its path. The lion-headed devil couldn��t resist the powerful force and lost its balance. At the same time, the mysterious wind suddenly vanished, while Canary increased her speed and punctured the scarlet blade into the lion-headed devil��s throat. But��


    ��������!


    She failed to penetrate the throat. Instead, the loud sound of friction rasped and sparks scattered. The scarlet blade in her hand was deflected. The lion-headed devil let out a wry laughter, extending its claws forward to shred the human into bits.


    Canary didn��t flee in a panic. Instead after, realizing that her attack failed to deal the lethal blow, she charged into the embrace of the lion-headed devil in a green airstream. Then, she extended her left hand and clenched the air. All of a sudden, powerful gusts of wind erupted, blasting the lion-headed devil away.


    Pow!


    The powerful airflow threw the defenseless lion-headed devil away, crashing to the wall. Meanwhile, the metal guards were thankful to have this prey falling into their territory. They released dazzling light beams at the pathetic lion-headed devil, but the lion-headed devil snarled and dodged the attack nimbly. At the same time, another red brilliance shone in its face and penetrated its right eye.


    ��Oooooh!��


    The tremendous pain left the lion-headed devil screeching in agony. It extended its claws, slashing at the human in vain. Suddenly, its entire world was smeared in red as an unprecedented heat and violent storm erupted in its skull, blasting its brain into rotten chunks of flesh.


    ��Oh, my goodness����


    Richard gaped. He didn��t even know what he was muttering under his breath. He knew that Canary��s spell casting abilities were formidable after personally witnessing her strength in the Enchanted Forest when she dealt with the elf hunters. Not only could she manipulate others�� magical powers, but she could also turn them into hers. But now, looking at her shifting her positions agilely among the devils, Richard was completely speechless. He had never expected that a mage could attain such a high level of mastery and skill in swordsmanship. Canary��s every move had a hint of the uniqueness in spell casting. It could also be said that she had perfectly blended the casting of spells and swordsmanship altogether. Although many mages also learned close-combat skills in the Mage Tower, the reason behind that was to make up for their shortcoming of being unable to battle in close encounters. They had never thought that a mage would look so confident and graceful in close-combat battles! The apprentices felt as though a new window of hope had opened in their hearts. If they could survive and return home in one piece, they would surely want to pick up some swordsmanship.


    Four lion-headed devils remained after Rhode and Canary took out two of them. The lion-headed devils also seemed to realize that these opponents weren��t easy to deal with and started defending themselves instead of attacking, coordinating with the other devils and six-armed snake devils to stop their advance.


    But this still wasn��t enough to stop Rhode and Canary.


    ��Canary.��


    ��Got it.��


    Canary quickly retreated from her battle against a lion-headed devil. She threw and punctured the flame sword into the ground and began drawing bewildering patterns in midair with both hands. Everything took less than five seconds. The flame sword that she threw aside landed around the devils ��coincidentally��. She extended her arm forward. Boom! The flame sword exploded instantly at her command.


    The scorching heat wave and blaze expanded in an enormous ring of fire. If they were ordinary flames, the devils wouldn��t have any reactions since the purgatory, where they came from, was covered in a sea of flames. If they didn��t have any resistance to fire, they weren��t even fit to call themselves ��devils��. On the contrary, the flames might even increase their strength.


    But Canary��s flames were extraordinary. As a master of the wind and fire elements, the flames she grasped were the purest in their form and not what the devils could withstand. As the ring of fire proliferated, the devils with steel-like bodies screeched in agony and melted due to the immense heat. At the same time, a cloud of flames appeared above the middle of the ring, shrouding the remaining lion-headed devils and miscellaneous devils.


    ��������!��


    The lion-headed devils instinctively sensed danger. The instant they were enfolded in the fire clouds, they tried to escape outside of the ring of fire. But what they didn��t realize was that Canary was already standing outside the perimeter with her arms down. Suddenly, glowing green runes appeared over the location where her flame sword had struck. Then, powerful gusts of wind pinned the lion-headed devils to the ground. This instantly raised fear in their minds. But it was all too late.


    Three illusory figures appeared around the lion-headed devils. Slaughter slashed through their bodies ruthlessly, while Celestina brandished her chain sword like a deadly viper, bounding one of them who had slipped through the net. In the blink of an eye, the pitch-black flames on her blade burned the devils into nothingness.


    When the flames dissipated, the lion-headed devils were nowhere to be seen anymore.


    Sh*t��


    Gabe froze to the spot. He knew that these people were powerful and had been certain that their strength would be weakened by the aura of purgatory. But it didn��t seem like it affected them at all. The lion-headed devils were Grazite��s direct subjects and definitely stronger than the Balor Devil, and yet they couldn��t last more than 10 minutes against these three.


    If this continues��


    ��Arghhhhhh!��


    Before Gabe came up with a solution, his master seemed to have made his decision. Shortly after, Gabe sensed a burst of energy of the abyss recklessly running into his body and tearing his soul apart. The agony left him trembling in fear because he knew what exactly his master was doing!


    ��Master!! No��! I beg you�� Please don��t do that�� I am your most loyal servant!��


    Although Gabe pleaded pitifully, his body started changing shape on its own. At this moment, Karin lifted her head and gazed at Gabe.


    ��Master, we��ve caught him!��


    ��Great, activate it!��


    Rhode commanded, leading Celestina and Canary away. Meanwhile, Karin extended her right hand and pressed the buttons on her hilt.


    ��#&DWD)JP(E)VR#@HE��


    Along with a spell that was as strange as an electronic sound, the entire teleportation ritual suddenly transformed.

 Chapter 990 - Cleaning Up

    Karin��s runes were unlike those Rhode had ever seen before. Even though he didn��t understand what they meant, he recognized them as words, just like how modern people read oracle script. In comparison, Karin��s runes were more like electronic codes that appeared in system errors.


    All of a sudden, the teleportation ritual devoured by the abyssal flames flickered in an azure radiance, its patterns shifting across the surface. More and more devils appeared from the void of dark clouds hovering on the ceiling. On the other hand, the devils that were summoned before were all sucked back into the dark cloud. The entire teleportation ritual had turned into a strange machine that sucked and spit out devils as bright rays shone and reshaped it.


    Meanwhile, a powerful, pitch-black energy flowed throughout Gabe��s body. The only thing that could prove his existence was his blood-curdling screams. But even the screams vanished after a few seconds.


    Everything seemed to have ended in an instant. The remaining stone giants and metal guards stopped attacking. But no one believed that this was the end of the fight. They also sensed a massive, evil aura exuding from the dark clouds as though one was pouring a bucket of black water from above.


    ��Oh, my goodness. What are they trying to do?!��


    The mages exchanged glances anxiously. They previously asked Rhode about his intention in coming here, but according to Rhode, they only coincidentally met the apprentices and provided help since it was along the way. This was why the mages subconsciously believed that they were here to help them eradicate the devils. But now�� What were they trying to do?


    Although they didn��t know what the short-haired young lady was up to, they clearly sensed a powerful, evil energy flowing into this world. The pressure was so huge that the mages felt ill at ease as though they were standing on an ebbing beach, certain that an enormous tsunami would soon be crashing on their defenseless selves.


    ��Alright, everyone.��


    Karin approached the group of mages.


    ��You can leave now, just like we agreed. Please head to the area where the signal crystal was placed and protect it. Don��t worry, the metal guards in the maze will assist you. All you need to do is to delay time.��


    The mages knew from the dense flowing energy that they would be doomed if they continued to stay here. The battle in this place was on a totally different level now and ordinary people like them should run as far away as possible. They nodded firmly and left the place.


    ��I wonder if I can reach level 80 after this battle.��


    Rhode retreated and gestured to his group. They quickly scattered and surrounded the powerful energy. This was a premeditated plan to deal with the devils after learning what they were up to. Their goal was simple��lure the Devil Monarch Grazite from the Bottomless Abyss, defeat him, and receive intelligence after controlling his soul.


    This thought would be shocking to ordinary people, but nothing to players who were perfectly ��bold, talented, and skilled�� like Rhode, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum. They had faced about a dozen Devil Monarchs in the game and annihilated innumerable high-class devils, which explained why they understood the traits and attributes of the devils. Celestina, who came from the Ninth Floor of Hell, was also particularly familiar with their symbols and flow of energy. On the other hand, Karin could change and manipulate every form of energy created by magic. Furthermore, the teleportation ritual in the Deepest Labyrinth was also her creation, so it posed no challenge for her to modify it.


    But a devil like Grazite wouldn��t arrive in this world by himself. Devils were unlike demons; they were a race that was affiliated with Chaos because the presence of Order in the main plane would greatly weaken their strength. It wouldn��t be worth it if he arrived in this world, only to be eliminated. Fortunately, Rhode had a wide range of experience in dealing with the devils. As soon as the Devil Monarch realized that his servants failed to fulfill the mission, he would most likely transfer a portion of his energy to strengthen his worshiper, creating a clone of him to get the job done. This way, he would only lose his clone if he lost. For a presence like the Devil Monarch, waiting in solitary for a few more centuries before striking again wasn��t going to be an issue.


    But it was due to this reason that this brought an opportunity to Rhode. The reason was simple. After they defeated Grazite��s worshiper and subjects, Grazite would show up personally. And as long as Rhode seized the opportunity and reversed the ritual, he could drag Grazite out from the Bottomless Abyss. The scenario would be similar to fishing where Grazite was the fisherman and his worshiper was the fish that took the bait. Meanwhile, if the hooked fish suddenly transformed into an enormous whale, the fisherman would be pulled into the ocean by the mighty force.


    Rhode was waiting for this moment to happen.


    However, a Devil Monarch like Grazite could easily break free from the reversed ritual if the ritual were an ordinary one. This was why Rhode had to provide his powers as the Void Dragon to strengthen the ritual. Although they could also choose to defeat Gabe and gain control over the ritual, Grazite might become more wary and stay away from the ritual after sensing the presence of dragon soul power. This was the reason why Rhode decided to take action after Grazite transferred his powers to Gabe. Even though Grazite was careful, he couldn��t avoid violating the laws of nature. Since he wanted to create a clone, he would need to have contact with the main body and for this reason, their fates were ultimately bound.


    And since the plan worked, the surging devilish energy poured into the ritual from the void of the dark cloud above. Anne raised the shield, protecting Christie behind her, while Mini Bubble Gum clenched her fists, gazing ahead in excitement. Canary folded her hands, golden runes and magical powers coalescing around her. A single thought could rip through the sky and rupture the ground. Celestina wielded the chain sword, narrowing her eyes at the surroundings. A puzzling scarlet ritual had appeared underneath her feet with a hint of evil and death. Even she had to be careful against a devil of Grazite��s caliber. Gracier and Madaras were nowhere to be seen, hidden away in the shadows. But as master assassins, frontal battles weren��t their forte to begin with.


    The downpour of dark energy stopped, leaving a large, pitch-black ��lake�� over the ground. Shortly after the ground trembled. A raging presence emerged from the peaceful ��lake��.


    ��������!��


    It was an enormous, pitch-black, human-like figure. It expanded the black wings on its back with the blazing aura of purgatory. Rhode widened his eyes immediately, extending his hand forward.


    ��Christie!��


    ���� Yes!��


    Christie nodded firmly and raised her right hand. All of a sudden, the radiance of Order shone from above, producing a white scroll and feather pen in her hands. Lines of text swiftly appeared above the empty scroll��the enormous, vicious Devil Monarch emerged from the darkness, snarling and glaring at the enemies. But the power of the main plane imprisoned it��


    Then, Christie inked the scroll with the feather pen, adding a final statement��diminish its powers and cut off all connections from the Bottomless Abyss.


    ��No������!��


    The gigantic figure suddenly shrunk like a deflated balloon, howling furiously. It expanded its wings and zoomed toward the little girl.


    At the same time, Rhode unsheathed his sword.


    ��Attack!��

 Chapter 991 - Devil Monarch, Grazite

    A BOSS would remain a BOSS even after its strength was diminished and its connection was cut off from the Bottomless Abyss. This case was similar to the fight with the Duke Fiend. After the sealed Duke Fiend broke free, it remained in imperfect condition, but still managed to devastate the territory. Although it was still eventually slaughtered by Canary and Mini Bubble Gum in a single blow, that was enough to prove its formidable strength. On the other hand, the Devil Monarch, who was far above the Duke Fiend in strength, was harder to deal with. Even though its strength was decreased by Christie��s [Knowledge Scroll], one still couldn��t defeat it alone. In the game, one needed to form a party of 25 max-leveled players before they stood a chance against it. And now, Rhode��s group had less than 10 members and couldn��t defeat it without weakening it first.


    If it were possible, Rhode hoped that Christie could ��write Grazite to his death�� immediately, before setting the plot to capture its soul directly. That would make things so much easier. However, it was a pity that after speaking to Christie, he realized that she could only use her ability to ��change reality��. In other words, it was like sentence-making��adding a logical sentence to the back of the given statement to change and influence the reality of this world. At this point in time, Christie couldn��t ��manipulate reality�� or ��create reality�� like the other ��Christie��, both of which were ultimate weapons of destruction.


    According to Christie, in order for her to ��change reality��, the situation had to be logical in the first place. For instance, wood catching fire and water freezing into ice were logical and possible scenarios. But the abilities to ��manipulate reality�� and ��create reality�� didn��t need to be logical at all. Christie could instantly rewrite the target��s gender, race, and background. Not only that, but she could also rewrite the story like how Grazite was influenced by a benevolent hero which eventually made him turn over a new leaf. If Christie��s ��writing speed�� was quick enough, perhaps Grazite would have already become a kindhearted devil��


    Besides, according to Christie, the abilities to ��manipulate reality�� and ��create reality�� had high requirements. If the enemy was too powerful, the abilities wouldn��t be effective and might even bring recoil damage to her too.


    But Rhode wouldn��t take the risk even if Christie could. This Devil Monarch wasn��t a random animal roaming the streets. But come to think of it, since the other ��Christie�� had the ability to manipulate and create reality, how could she not be one of the Creator Gods?


    Of course, now wasn��t the time to criticize the logic flaw. Even though Grazite was weakened, the difficulty of defeating him merely dropped from a 25-man party to a 10-man party. This meant that Rhode��s group still wouldn��t have an easy time eliminating him. The 10-man party difficulty was also based on the max level of 85. But apart from Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, no one had reached level 85.


    ��Bubble, apply your buffs! Anne, protect Christie and Bell and be wary of his group attack. Activate your shield wall�� No! Use your sacred shield barrier! Christie, keep the ring effect going!��


    Rhode commanded, gesturing to the stone giants to launch their attacks. After battling miscellaneous devils and six-armed snake devils, there were five stone giants remaining. At this point in time, their strength had almost reached the level of the BOSS on this floor. The stone giants marched ahead and hurled punches at the enormous figure wrapped in darkness.


    ��You��re asking for death!��


    Grazite growled furiously, swinging his arm to flash a deep green radiance at the stone giants as though planting explosives within their bodies. Moments later, the stone giants exploded at the same time, their sturdy body and cores crumpling to fragments. On the other hand, the metal guards swiftly unleashed their death rays at the Devil Monarch. However, Grazite disregarded them completely, allowing the death rays to strike his body and they vanished in a split second.


    At this moment, everyone witnessed Grazite��s true identity.


    Grazite was tall and muscular. At this moment, his upper body was naked, donning a black cape around his neck. The lower half of his body was like that of a goat with hooves replacing his feet. Surprisingly, he had a suave appearance, as well as a head full of black hair combed to the back while two devilish horns protruded from his forehead. He wielded a large, snake-shaped sword in his right hand and a huge iron shield in the left. He gazed ahead sullenly.


    ��Humans�� Angel�� Demon�� How brave of you. Do you know the consequences you��ll face for going against a Devil Monarch?��


    The entire area went silent as Grazite spoke. It was as though he blocked off all clamors and only his voice resounded in their heads, affecting their souls and painting a dreadful picture in their minds. Perhaps ordinary humans would have instantly lost their will to fight now, but it didn��t work effectively on Rhode��s group.


    ��Shut your filthy mouth. You��re still 180 years early to think you can influence us!��


    Mini Bubble Gum scoffed, interrupting his words. She thrust her hand forward��a dazzling white beam shone from above, enfolding everyone in a resplendent ring of light. The soothing, sacred light eradicated and replaced the negativities in their heads with courageous thoughts and beliefs. Then, she stared at Grazite tauntingly, flipping the finger at him. It was apparent that she was displeased by his use of manipulation.


    ��Hmph, a tiny, lowly maggot!��


    Grazite knew he couldn��t hold back anymore. Even though he was known as the ��devil who most resembled demons��, he was still a genuine devil beneath the surface. He sensed the threats surrounding him. Then, he snarled��the blaze on the ground surged with three pitch-black Glabrezus leaping up from within, exuding a revolting stench and brandishing their giant pincers at the enemies.


    ��Kill them all!��


    Grazite ordered. The Glabrezus instantly roared and pounced. Meanwhile, Grazite swung the snake-shaped sword, erupting a dark magical radiance that coalesced into a powerful blade ray.


    ��Kill the creatures! I��ll pull the BOSS��s aggro!��


    Rhode commanded, instantly hurling the large scarlet blade across the air at Grazite. Then, he stretched his hand back and suddenly, Celia vanished and transformed into the dazzling holy sword in his hand.


    Grazite scoffed and slashed the snake-shaped sword at Slaughter. Clang! The clash caused Slaughter to flinch and vanish as soon as it hit the ground. But at this moment, Shira emerged in its place with madness and murderous intent.


    ���� Devil�� Devil�� Devil�� Kill�� Kill! Hahahahahaha!��


    Shira immediately let out an insane laughter and charged at Grazite with the scarlet sword in her hand. In the blink of an eye, she burst through the poisonous, deep green smoke and brandished the sword at the devil.


    Clang!


    The blades clashed heavily, rasping in their ears. Grazite��s sword instantly shone in a dazzling green radiance. At the next moment, countless streams of poison acid ejected from the blade, shrouding Shira entirely. The corrosive acid burned her snowy skin. Her neck and body melted like wax, while black blood sprayed. Not only that, but her face was also corroded, revealing ghastly white bones and the teeth underneath the flesh. But this was nothing to her. She raised the sword yet again like a mad woman, striking it straight at Grazite.


    ��It hurts�� so much�� Hahaha�� More! I want more! Hahahahaha!��


    ��Undead Puppet?!��


    Grazite grimaced and suddenly, a presence caught his attention. He turned around instinctively and witnessed a holy brilliance enveloping his entire vision!

 Chapter 992 - Battle Against Grazite

    Rhode zoomed toward Grazite. Two of his shadow clones split from him instantly, wielding and slashing the same holy sword from different angles. Grazite scoffed. He might not be afraid of the blades exuding the aura of death, but he was afraid of the sword brimming with holy powers. Facing the triple slashes, he flourished the snake-shaped sword, at the same time swinging the shield on his other hand to the side, erupting a powerful airstream as an indestructible barrier. Not only that, but the shadow underneath him also expanded in size, erupting with fierce lightning bolts. In order for him to return to the Bottomless Abyss, he had to give his all to win this battle!


    Grazite was cultivated in spells and close-combat skills and this made him a tough character to beat. Moreover, he might also flee as soon as the situation wasn��t favorable. If Rhode didn��t eliminate him here, the situation would turn hideous, which was why he was prepared for this battle. He chose to dodge and didn��t deflect Grazite��s attack because the latter��s swordsmanship was stronger than true swordsmen. On the other hand, Rhode was a Spirit Swordsman and didn��t stand a chance against him in sword skills. Fortunately, Rhode had no intention of fighting recklessly. He dodged the menacing blade, his body distorting as shadow clones dashed out of him. One of the shadow clones brandished the sword to negate the attack while the other struck from below.


    The act of offense and defense was only for an instant.


    Grazite sliced one of the shadow clones with the sword, releasing corrosive acid from its blade and demolishing it into two. Then, he continued to slash downward onto the other shadow clone, turning it into nothingness. At this moment, Rhode was nowhere to be seen while Shira zoomed ahead and swung the sword.


    Powerful gales blustered.


    Meanwhile, the three Glabrezus were in a battle against the others. They had a strong build, larger than the Balor Devil��s, and a pair of intimidating pincers as their hands, capable of slicing humans into half. Despite that, the stench diffusing from them was a secret weapon. At this point in time, an ordinary human would have already passed out.


    The Glabrezus were one of the toughest high-class devils in the Bottomless Abyss, but it was a pity that they weren��t facing ordinary humans.


    Canary extended her arms, surging magical energy coalesced between her hands. She pushed her hands forward. In an instant, hundreds of fireballs flared around the Glabrezus, followed by a series of ear-deafening explosions, engulfing the enormous creatures completely. The Glabrezus snarled in rage, zooming out from the billows of smoke. One of them pounced on Canary, slashing its deadly pincers in a quick swipe. But at this moment, three steel chains burning with pitch-black flames shot out and stopped the Glabrezus from retreating. Celestina expanded her wings wide, brandishing the chain sword at them. Meanwhile, a blood ritual emanating an ice-cold aura of death shone underneath the Glabrezus��s feet. The stone cold power of death penetrated their bodies, causing them to shrivel and wilt. Even though this happened in an instant, it was the perfect timing for someone else.


    The two petite elves emerged in front of one of the Glabrezus. Gracier and Madaras swung their arms, their wrist blades sparkled without the filth of blood, proving how swift their lethal attacks were. The rolling skull on the floor was the evidence of their doings. They landed on the floor nimbly before vanishing into the shadows as soon as the two remaining Glabrezus retaliated. At this moment, a light column descended from above.


    Mini Bubble Gum stood at the back in a dignified posture, squinting and gesturing with her hands in midair. In an instant, she cast a holy, protective barrier over Canary and Celestina who faced the wrath of the Glabrezus. Then, she shifted her right hand to the left and a white hexagonal ritual appeared in the air, glowing and destroying the defensive wall that Grazite had cast. Grazite glared at her, swinging his left arm to the side and releasing a deep green radiance that instantly coalesced into a spell. But before the spell had a chance to display its might, it disappeared after striking the ripples of Mini Bubble Gum��s light barrier.


    Mini Bubble Gum snorted, before chanting another spell under her breath. This time, five golden spears appeared in the air, bolting at Grazite in a whistling swish. Facing this quick attack, Grazite flourished the sword in a fluster to deflect the golden spears. But this wasn��t the end of Mini Bubble Gum��s attack. She unrolled a wry smile as though she was the actual final BOSS in this dungeon, fiddling with the light runes in her hands. All of a sudden, the runes between her hands merged and transformed into a mysterious symbol. She smashed her hands together and shattered the symbol. Almost immediately after, the magical barrier around Grazite vanished like a bulb without electricity. But before Grazite reinforced his defenses, Rhode and Shira charged at him from the left and right.


    Meanwhile the others were also occupied in battle. Although Christie had cut off the connection between Grazite and the abyss, Grazite hadn��t lost his ability to manipulate the devils. The devils continued to emerge from the shadows, dashing out of the teleportation ritual. It seemed like Grazite also understood the ritual��s principle of operations. Indeed, he might not be able to escape now with the reversed summons, but if he could destroy the limitation in this space, he could still escape this place using teleportation. Even if he couldn��t return to his comfortable home in the abyss, he would still have a chance to make a comeback later.


    Some of the devils were intercepted by the metal guards, while the devils that slipped by left the hall, growling and darting toward the location of the signal crystal. At the same time, some of the devils were ordered by Grazite to pounce on Christie, who had hidden herself in the corner. He knew who was behind the diminishing of his strength.


    Compared to the earlier devils, this bunch was harder to deal with. If Christie were alone, she wouldn��t have kept them away. Fortunately for her, she wasn��t fighting by her lonesome self.


    ��Heyah��!��


    Anne��s shield instantly changed its shape, striking the devils away heavily. Bell clutched the two daggers, agilely dashing across the battlefield when suddenly, she came to a halt, leapt up, and released two blade rays after somersaulting and shredded the devil spiders in a deadly slash. Then, she bounced off the wall with her right foot, dodging the sprays of acid, lightning bolts, and fireballs. Before she retaliated, Anne had charged ahead with the shield like a massive tank, crushing the devils in front of her into minced meat. Anne took a step back and knowingly revealed an opening. The devils swarmed forward immediately, only to be caught by the sacred flames descending from above. Mini Bubble Gum swept a glance, ensuring that Christie and Anne were safe, before pointing her finger forward. At this moment, the silver-whitish threads around her merged into a longsword that split all the devils before her into halves.


    The battle continued underground.


    The Enchanted Forest was enfolded in the darkness of the night.


    Meanwhile, an elegant figure flapped its wings gracefully in the night sky.

 Chapter 993 - Advent of the Moon

    This battle was equally tough for Grazite and Rhode��s groups as they struggled to break free from the vicious circle. Magic spells and spiritual spells clashed as blades confronted one another. The Glabrezus were becoming desperate under the attacks of Canary and Celestina, while Gracier and Madaras also played tricks behind their backs.


    On the other hand, Rhode wasn��t having an easy time either.


    Even though Mini Bubble Gum was providing support from the back and he had Shira as his sword, he only managed to reach a draw with Grazite. Of course, Grazite hadn��t unleashed all his strength and was still attempting to escape. Anyway, he had plenty of time to come up with new ways to destroy these bast*rds who provoked him. But now, he was extremely weak. If he were any other devil, he would have already caused a ruckus. But Grazite was special. Since he was known as the ��devil who most resembled demons��, he had many more considerations and did not resort to risky actions. The supporting metal guards were destroyed during the battle between him and Rhode. Even though the metal guards were level 60 BOSSes of this floor, they didn��t stand a chance against the mighty Devil Monarch.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    The holy sword clashed with the snake-shaped blade, forcing Rhode to retreat and dodge the splashing acid. Even though he was under the barrier of Mini Bubble Gum��s [Elemental Protection], he had no intention of meeting force with force. He swiftly released three shadow clones while Shira took his place instantly, brandishing the large, scarlet blade at Grazite��s waist along in the blustering gales. Grazite��s eyes glinted, swinging down the shield in his hand. Clang! The rasp screeched in their ears and they took a few steps back. Grazite pointed a finger forward, emitting a maroon beam from the ring and hitting Shira directly. She stiffened as layers of rock grew over her body. But at the next moment, she felt a gentle breeze against her face. Then, the rocks fell off her body and she broke free from the petrification. Canary retracted her hand, welcoming Grazite��s raging gaze. She raised her right hand and strings of fireballs and blustering whirlwind became the theme of the battle.


    It isn��t time yet.


    Rhode retreated, staring attentively at Grazite. The two remaining Glabrezus were still alive, but it wasn��t because Canary and Celestina couldn��t defeat them. Even though they were only elite creatures, they became quite a handful after tensing up. But it wouldn��t usually take this long to eliminate them. In fact, Rhode had already received Angelina��s report through their contractual connection. At this moment, Erin and she were on their way to the Deepest Labyrinth. Just a while more and Rhode would have two more powerful reinforcements. He came up with an idea after hearing the report from Marlene before. He had never expected to face a Devil Monarch like Grazite in this adventure. Besides, he knew that there would be difficulties facing Grazite with his current party. Marlene was occupied with her work while Gillian was nowhere near them. God knew how long they needed to arrive here. This was why Rhode decided on his new assistants after learning that the Moon Princess was on her way to find him. Rhode was confident that Erin would provide assistance as she was a person of Order, after all. It wouldn��t be justifiable for her to not attack the Devil Monarch of Chaos. With her support, Rhode was sure that the weakened Grazite couldn��t escape, which was also why he got Canary and Celestina to delay time. Both sides needed more time. Grazite had to come up with ways to flee from this predicament, while Rhode had to wait for Erin��s arrival to capture that Devil Monarch.


    ��Damn it!��


    Just as Rhode predicted, Grazite became agitated and restless as time passed. Grazite realized that the plane signal restricting him wasn��t destroyed yet. Even though he still had two Glabrezus on his side and the other devils were also attacking the enemies, that wasn��t what he needed. Other than feeling worried that he would be defeated, another reason was that in the main plane, they, as creatures of Chaos, couldn��t replenish their strength. Therefore the longer the battle dragged on, the worse the situation would end up for him. Who knew what would happen if this stalemate continued!


    ��Masr, kiau, loy!��


    Grazite snarled. The magical energy around him surged, coalescing into a strong power under the evil curse. Rhode��s heart sank instantly. He clutched the sword and looked over his shoulder at Celestina and Canary, who also realized the approaching danger. Canary gestured with her hands, instantly blasting an invisible sound wave in the shape of a fan forward, forcing the two Glabrezus who were caught unprepared to the corner. On the other hand, Celestina penetrated the chain sword into the skull of one of the Glabrezus. She flourished the sword and hauled its head out, spraying beads of blood up in midair. The Glabrezu collapsed, twitching constantly as its spine could be clearly seen. Before the other Glabrezu realized what happened to its companion, two blades appeared before it and punctured its eyes, squishing its brain into mush. Then, the two petite elven assassins flew back and dashed toward Grazite.


    Everything happened in an instant.


    It took less than five seconds after Grazite finished unleashing his powers��Celestina, Canary, Gracier, and Madaras eradicated the Glabrezus. But suddenly, Grazite vanished. It wasn��t a teleportation spell because no one could destroy the space imprisonment of the signal crystal. However, it was still possible for extreme speed to achieve this effect. Rhode saw the dark figure flit across before him and disappeared to nowhere. He remained calm, turning around immediately and slashing the sword in his hand in midair. At the next moment, dazzling, meteor-like blade rays erupted and struck toward the back. At the same time, Grazite arrived before Christie, growling and brandishing his sword at her. It was apparent that he knew who the culprit responsible for weakening his strength was. Besides, similar wisdom still existed even if this world wasn��t aware of the story of ��besiege Wei and rescue Zhao''[1].


    Everyone else reacted quickly. The instant Grazite vanished, Canary pointed two fingers forward while pulling back her right hand like an arrow. Then, she released her right hand and a scorching flame arrow whistled across the air, aiming for Grazite��s back. On the other hand, Celestina snorted, lashing out the chain sword that was burning in pitch-black flames.


    But Grazite disregarded their attacks. At this point in time, the fastest person would have the upper hand. He flourished the snake-shaped sword, unleashing the spell that he readied moments ago. All sorts of halos instantly encircled the blade as it swung.


    ��Wishful thinking!��


    Mini Bubble Gum snarled. A translucent, crystal barrier appeared in midair, clashing with the snake-shaped sword heavily. Mini Bubble Gum��s defense shield only lasted for less than two seconds, before shattering to this deadly blade. But these two precious seconds were enough.


    Clang������!


    Anne gnashed her teeth, lifting the shield quickly, and resisted Grazite��s powerful slash. Cracks started forming on the surface of her shield under the overwhelming force. Countless fragments scattered as the screeching rasp filled their ears. Anne��s feet sunk into the broken slate on the ground like a nail being hammered into the floor. Even though the holy barrier had eliminated the negative effects of the snake-shaped sword, Anne still couldn��t bear the immense force of the brandishing blade.


    ��Don��t look down on Anne!��


    The young lady thrust the shield against the formidable pressure, her arms trembling from the overexertion of strength. But even so, she had to give her all to protect Christie behind her. Anne let out an outburst of anger, stomping firmly on her feet and overthrew the menacing snake-shaped sword.


    Shing!


    At this moment, two dazzling blade rays flashed in midair. Bell had silently jumped off the wall and arrived at Grazite��s right. She gnashed her teeth, flourishing the daggers at Grazite��s arm when suddenly, she was struck away by an unknown force, crashing into the wall behind her. But this was the end to Grazite��s aggression. He had no choice but to give up on his attack and raise his iron shield.


    At the next moment, exploding flames, roaring holy light, dazzling, starry blade rays, and pitch-black flames enfolded Grazite��s tall, mighty stature.


    ��You can��t defeat me!��


    A violent whirlwind erupted once again. Even though Grazite was injured all over, it could be seen that he still possessed a relatively large amount of strength. Moreover, he had successfully drawn himself away from Rhode��s group after the wave of attacks. But��


    ��������!��


    A dark energy boomed, enveloping him completely. The shrill of a dragon presence engulfed the hall and a beautiful, slender young lady appeared before Rhode.


    ��Seems like you��re having a lot of fun, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    The Moon Princess gracefully strolled into the hall, sizing up the place curiously. Then, she presented a mesmerizing smile at Rhode.


    [1] In the Warring States period of Chinese history, the Battle of Gu��l��ng was fought between the states of Q�� and Wei. In 354 BC, an army from W��i was laying siege to Handan, the capital of the State of Zhao. Zhao turned to Qi for assistance the following year and Qi��s co-commanders, Tian Ji and Sun Bin, led an army to rescue Zhao.

 Chapter 994 - When BOSS meets BOSS

    ��Greetings, Your Highness Erin.��


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief in his mind. With Erin around, he didn��t need to worry about this battle anymore. Players needed a party of between 50 and 100 members in order to defeat this Moon Princess. Compared to Grazite, who only required 25 members, they were on a totally different level.


    ��As you can see, we��re facing a small issue here. You wouldn��t mind helping us, would you?��


    ��Devil Monarch?��


    Erin cocked her head to the side. Then, she spotted Grazite who stood up in the wild dust and debris. Her beautiful eyes narrowed dangerously. It was apparent that as a person of Order, she couldn��t allow Chaos beings to disrupt peace in this world.


    ��I didn��t expect to see a devil here����


    ��Dragon, huh����


    Grazite gnashed his teeth. At this moment, he was in an extremely miserable state. He was already hurt from defending against the attacks by Rhode��s group and in addition to Erin��s overwhelming dragon aura, he wouldn��t have survived if he weren��t a Devil Monarch. But even so, he wasn��t feeling optimistic. His shield was scarred with damage while the iridescent sheen on the snake-shaped sword was now also very faint. His clothes had become ragged. The dim aura around him displayed his weakness in strength. And now, he could no longer go up against Rhode��s group.


    The dragon��s prestige suffusing from Erin was so apparent that even Rhode clearly sensed it. But perhaps due to the difference in level, Erin��s dragon��s prestige was much stronger than his. It wasn��t something as simple as just a ��presence��, but instead, it was an offensive ��aura��. Rhode had no doubt that any ordinary person who was within the range of her all-out dragon��s prestige would be instantly frightened to death.


    Fortunately, Rhode had restrained his dragon��s prestige earlier to avoid giving the game away. Erin gazed curiously at him, before turning around and looking at Grazite silently. Then, she opened her mouth wide.


    The moon princess sucked in a deep breath of air��


    At the next moment, a blinding radiance swept across the hall, eradicating every obstacle and debris. Grazite jumped to his feet, attempting to avoid the formidable attack. However, the powerful airstream pushed him back like an invisible palm smacking him, eliminating his faint aura like a gale gusting through the filthy dust. Then, a white light flashed and swept toward Grazite. He couldn��t retaliate anymore. Even though his movements were fast, Erin��s reactions were quicker. Grazite was devoured completely.


    ��������!��


    The exploding sonic barrier shook the entire hall. Dust and gravel scattered from above, while the remains and limbs of the devils turned into nothingness due to the overbearing dragon��s prestige. The entire hall had as though been cleaned entirely. On the other hand, the teleportation ritual was perfectly unscathed which was seemingly tougher than it seemed.


    ��Damn the dragons!��


    Grazite wasn��t dead yet. Even though he was in dire straits, he managed to survive the catastrophe. Suddenly, the space around him twisted. It was apparent that he couldn��t care less any longer. If he were in the Bottomless Abyss now, he wouldn��t be this afraid even if he were facing the Dark Dragon. But this was the main plane, the home field for the Creator Dragons. If he didn��t flee now, he might not have the chance anymore. Although ripping through space was extremely dangerous, as he would get swept by the spatial turbulence, it was still better than staying here. Even though he might die in the spatial turbulence, he would definitely lose his life if he remained here! There was no more time for hesitations. He must give it a shot no matter what!


    But it was a pity for him that things didn��t turn out as he wished. At this moment, several ice-cold rays flashed!


    Canary raised her hands high, the flames gathering in her hands forming a blazing, spiraling serpent that pounced on Grazite. Mini Bubble Gum chanted under her breath, pushing her arms forward to cast layers upon layers of crystal-clear light screens to block off the ruptured space. At the same time, Celestina��s black flames spread on the ground and erupted into a barrier. Grazite cursed, but it was too late��


    Shira dashed through the black flames, slashing the scarlet sword in her hands and clashed on the snake-shaped sword, which Grazite struggled to lift. The snake-shaped sword was deflected away and flung to the side. At the same time, Rhode��s three shadow clones showed up on Grazite��s left and right, launching their attacks at him. In an instant, starry blade rays enveloped the devil completely, turning him into an indistinct presence within. Along the blood-curdling screeches and groans, the utterly destroyed iron shield in his hand flew out, followed by him. If it weren��t for his natural ability to fly as a devil, perhaps he would have plunged to the ground head first. But even so, he wasn��t looking great. He was covered in blood from his head to toes, while a turbid black aura diffused from his body. It wasn��t the premonition of a powerful spell, but was the sign of weakened Chaos instead.


    But this wasn��t the end.


    At this moment, Celestina��s chain sword and Angelina��s blood runes launched at him simultaneously. The claw-like end of the steel chains whistled across the air, lashing at Grazite��s back. The black flames erupted, leaving him shrieking in agony. Angelina expanded her wings and soared forward. She bit her finger and sprinkled blood from above, which turned into runes that encircled Grazite. Although she wasn��t strong enough to defeat this Devil Monarch, she could still delay his movements.


    And that would be enough.


    The dark, blood runes held back his movements for only two seconds, just enough for a shimmering holy blade and scarlet red to fly across the air and slash into his body mercilessly.


    ��You will pay for your foolish acts!��


    Grazite finally gave up resisting. He snarled unwillingly as the remaining spiritual power inside him coalesced like a time bomb. The electric current had finally been activated. Just a trigger would be enough to create a powerful blast to devour everything and teach these brazen enemies a lifelong lesson. But�� things weren��t as simple as he imagined.


    ��Karin!��


    Rhode yelled. The young lady who had been missing since the start of the battle casually descending from above. She moved her right hand when suddenly, countless threads emanating white radiance appeared in the empty hall, wrapping Grazite like a spider web catching its prey. All of a sudden, the energy that was about to explode inside Grazite��s body reversed its flow. Then, an enormous black sphere appeared before Grazite��s chest. The Devil Monarch blanched at this sight.


    ��No, you can��t do��!��


    Grazite didn��t complete his sentence because his body was already torn apart completely; sucked into the meat grinder of the black sphere by the reformed energy. The threads surrounding the black sphere flickered, transformed into golden rune lines, and spun quickly.


    After a few moments, the runes disappeared. Everything returned to its peace, leaving a pitch-black spiritual crystal hovering before everyone.

 Chapter 995 - After the Battle Ended

    ��All settled.��


    It sure felt different having a BOSS on his side. Rhode landed nimbly on the ground, sheathed his sword, and sauntered to the black crystal. This pitch-black spirit crystal was overflowing with a strange, chilly energy and Grazite��s face could be clearly seen on its surface. There was an instant when Rhode felt as though this skillfully-carved face was still alive.


    It was easy to defeat Grazite. But it was hard to kill and imprison his spirit. Although the battle didn��t seem risky, Rhode had already used all of his summoning cards to ensure the success of his plan. A situation would become unexpected whenever there was a deviation and if everything happened within expectations, it would only be an issue with IQ if they still suffered badly in the battle. If they were in any other places, Erin lso couldn��t easily defeat Grazite. Not even fighting until the sky turned murky over the dark earth could allow them to reach a conclusion, not to mention killing each other. If Rhode didn��t rely on Christie to cast a weakening ��curse�� on Grazite and disrupt the connection between the Bottomless Abyss and him, Grazite wouldn��t have been so effortlessly thrashed by Erin��s dragon��s prestige, as well as by the pincer attacks from Rhode��s group. But one misstep could ruin it all. Grazite��s fate was determined the instant his true self was hauled to this main plane of existence and his connection to the Bottomless Abyss was cut off. Karin��s trap was also of the utmost importance. If it weren��t for this holy sword spirit who was an expert in changing the structures of ritual variations, perhaps Rhode would have to come up with an original, barbaric, and uncertain way to deal with that naive and smart devil. Back then, Rhode was certain that the situation would be harder to handle. He turned to the calm and silent Karin at this thought. At this moment, she had returned to that indifferent young lady he knew. A dagger engraved with inscriptions on its blade flickered in an iridescent sheen on her waist.


    Of course, Grazite��s biggest weakness was his over-cautiousness. If he were a true demon, perhaps Rhode wouldn��t have attained victory by sacrificing so little. But it was a pity that Grazite was the ��devil who most resembled demons��, which made him possess the wariness of demons and arrogance of the chaotic devils. A true demon would never put itself in danger while a true devil would never consider how to protect its life and kill the enemies. The result of both ends was that nothing could be achieved. Grazite��s careful anticipation of returning to the Bottomless Abyss in perfect condition was the last shackle holding him back and eventually severed his way to survival. If he chose to wreak havoc without any consideration from the start, perhaps Rhode might end up in a predicament.


    But it was no longer possible for him now. This battle was within Rhode��s calculations��attaining victory by paying the smallest price. Anne was one of the two members who got hurt. She forcibly resisted Grazite��s all-out attack and her arms and legs were severely hurt. If she weren��t a half-beast, she would have turned into mush already. Fortunately, her injuries weren��t too serious and were curable. She was back leaping and frisking about after Mini Bubble Gum cast some healing spells over her. But she was in a sulky mood because the shield that accompanied her for all her adventures was half-destroyed. If it weren��t for the [King��s Protection] that was equipped as a part of her shield that Rhode extorted from the Parliament before, perhaps the entire shield would have been done for.


    On the other hand, Bell��s injuries weren��t anywhere less than Anne��s, as the former wasn��t under the protection of the holy powers. Her body had weakened from being eroded by the evil magic spells, but Mini Bubble Gum��s healing spells could easily cure that standard of damage. Bell only needed to recuperate for a while to restore all her strength.


    Rhode reached his hand out and swirled the rune threads around the black crystal like he was folding flower petals together and wrapped the spirit crystal entirely. Then, he flipped his right hand around and put it away in his bag. Everything worked out well. Next, he just needed to head back and research the intelligence and memories of this spirit in order to find out what the group of damned devils were up to.


    But it was a pity that��


    He shrugged helplessly at the sight of the broken snake-shaped sword and shattered shield that seemed ready to be thrown into the waste factory to be melted. This was a bad point about reality. In the game, players only needed to focus on the positions on the BOSS��s body they could deal the highest damage, as well as how quickly they could defeat the BOSS. But in reality, he had to face the powers of the accessories, weapons, and armor that the BOSS was equipped with. If these damned items weren��t damaged, the battle would be extremely tough. But if the items were damaged, it didn��t matter who would be looting them�� Rhode turned to Canary and Mini Bubble Gum at this thought. Upon sensing his gaze, the two young ladies turned away, facing the ceiling and ground respectively. The tacit understanding of this trio with the ��unlucky looting aura�� was thoroughly clear at this moment. On the other hand, the holy sword spirits weren��t within his considerations. Since they were his summoning cards, he suspected that the ��unlucky looting aura�� was equally terrible in their hands.


    ��I��m surprised, Your Majesty Rhode. You actually came to the Deepest Labyrinth and fought with a Devil Monarch. If my guesses are right, I must have missed the most exciting part of the battle, right?��


    Erin strolled, sizing everything up curiously. A glint of wittiness and some anticipation flashed in her youthful eyes.


    ��That was only an accident, Your Highness Erin. We coincidentally discovered that a powerful devil was conspiring something, which was why we intervened. Of course, I heard that you were feeling a little bored. That was why I invited you here to this amusing party. Fortunately, it isn��t too late yet.��


    Rhode quickly responded with a ridiculous answer, shamelessly erasing the fact that he wasn��t powerful enough to defeat the devil and needed the Moon Princess��s help. If one who wasn��t aware of the truth heard those words, one might believe that Rhode was the one who effortlessly crushed the Devil Monarch.


    ��Yes. Even though I came late, it still feels great to have a work out.��


    Erin said. Rhode didn��t know if she was dubious of his words. But the Moon Princess nodded with a smile and was seemingly delighted.


    ��But I honestly didn��t know that you were interested in adventures, Your Majesty Rhode. How amusing. I have read several books about adventures, but I couldn��t roam about freely in the Country of Darkness before. Also, the number of adventurers who could visit me were also too little. I have thought of going on adventures, roaming in these strange, mysterious mazes�� Indeed, it is more fun to go on adventures in human-form. Perhaps it wouldn��t be as fun if you show up as your original self, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Perhaps this was the reason why Erin gave the adventurers such missions in the game.


    Rhode twitched his brow. He finally realized the reason why this Moon Princess often loved to send players on adventures for missions. But come to think of it, she was also rather unlucky. Although she was the younger sister of the Dark Dragon, her staying in the palace was perhaps not much different from being placed on house arrest. But�� Rhode declined to comment about her final statement. Of course, he knew that dragon soul heirs had the ability to turn into their dragon-form. But for some unknown reason, he didn��t possess this ability. It was nowhere to be found in his talent trees nor any other places as though it didn��t exist. On the other hand, Erin didn��t seem too mindful about it as she continued to scan the hall. In the Country of Darkness, she could only act like a well-behaved young lady. But now that she was in Rhode��s territory, she could act freely and irresponsibly.


    ��You can join us if you��re interested. It isn��t a major event, anyway.��


    Rhode wasn��t mindful of her joining them. Besides, since she was already here, it was impossible to chase her back. Even if he did politely ask her to leave, he reckoned that she would find ways to follow him around nonetheless. Rather than letting it happen, he might as well let her wander by his side. Besides, regarding the issues of devils and Chaos, perhaps he could reach a consensus with the evil, dark lord through Erin.


    Of course, Rhode decided to do a little experiment before that.


    ��Your Highness Erin, since we��ve killed the Devil Monarch thanks to your arrival, I suppose you have the rights to search for spoils of war.��


    Since Marlene wasn��t around and the others had the ��unlucky looting aura��, there was no harm letting the princess give it a shot. There might even be surprising results.


    Since she��s a princess, I suppose her luck wouldn��t be Grade E�� right?

 Chapter 996 - Intersection of Past, Present, and Future (1)

    Rhode��s complexion looked horrible. Really, really horrible. He gazed speechlessly and helplessly at Erin who led the way.


    ��Alright, Rhode, can you stop pulling the long face like your dad just died?��


    ��I know, Canary. I��m just����


    Rhode waved his hand at her, not knowing what to say. The reason was simple. He was totally speechless at Erin��s luck. Erin��s luck was not like Marlene��s, where Marlene effortlessly looted godlike equipment, nor like the trio��s, which was as black as the Bottomless Abyss. On the contrary, she followed her heart��s desires and it was apparent from the items that she looted from Grazite��s body.


    They were neither godlike nor trash. Instead, they were what most players would be envious to find. From the perspective of rarity and expensiveness, these items were indeed second to none. But the problem was that�� they were completely useless in battles!


    Rhode looked sullenly at the exquisite items in his hand. There were sculptures and gorgeous, exquisite jewellery, such as the Astral Crystal that could project the astral world to reality, an illusory mirror that would make one look prettier, and a magic harp that could play melodious tunes anywhere�� What in the world? Just what in the world are these? Where��s the indestructible armor? The mighty, magnificent weapon? And rare, mysterious magic spells? Should I even bring these useless gadgets home as decorations?! Grazite, you scoundrel! You��re one of the strongest Devil Monarchs in the abyss! Don��t you feel shameful bringing these gadgets with you? And a miniskirt that can attract the opposite gender, do you think you��re going on a date with the Demogorgon?!


    All of these items that Erin found had something in common��pretty, rare, interesting�� and useless. Rather than saying that she was simply unlucky, Rhode thought that it was due to her nonexistent interest in powerful weapons and equipment. On the contrary, she was simply trying to find items that were in line with her aesthetic. But she couldn��t be blamed, after all. As the Moon Princess who was invincible half of the time, she wouldn��t be fascinated by the so-called godlike weapons and armor. She was satisfied with these items and as for Rhode�� He looked ahead and was reminded of Lydia. He instinctively shivered to a chill down his spine and made up his mind to never let those two loot corpses on his behalf anymore.


    Rhode shifted his gaze ahead to Christie who was eagerly discussing the exquisite murals and sculptures with Anne and Erin. Along the way, Rhode had also more or less revealed some secrets about the Deepest Labyrinth to Erin. After learning that the labyrinth was built by the Void Dragon with the help of the other four Creator Dragons, her curiosity piqued greatly, especially after witnessing the murals and patterns that were completed with an ancient, necrotic style. As an ��artist��, her eyes glinted as she curiously scanned the works of art, while describing their meanings and histories to Anne and Christie.


    Rhode wasn��t too mindful of them. After eliminating Grazite, he followed Karin��s instructions to use his dragon soul powers to activate and control the teleportation rituals of the Deepest Labyrinth. Then, he sent the group of mages from the Mage Tower back to the surface and made them leave with the other pathetic mages who were waiting outside for them. Rhode continued to lead his group through the teleportation ritual. They didn��t need to fight their way to the bottom because a single switch in thought inside his head could bring them directly to the 100th floor. This was how convenient having the BOSS template was.


    What presented before them wasn��t the dangerous, unknown, and endless maze that they expected. Instead, it was a corridor that spanned a few hundred meters. Its length extended ahead as though connecting to the end of the world. The magic crystals on both sides of the corridor emanated a warm radiance, illuminating their path. The mystical murals and carvings on the floor that depicted a war, race, and the past, present, and future of the world. Magical radiance flickered from time to time as though transmitting certain messages throughout the space.


    ��How far ahead, Karin?��


    We��re almost there�� Master.��


    Karin lifted her head and gazed forward, answering quickly.


    It was just as she said.


    A tall and enormous metal door appeared before them all of a sudden. This wasn��t logical at all because Rhode was certain that there was nothing in front of him except for the endless corridor. And yet, at the next moment, they blinked and this huge door appeared as though it was always there and hadn��t moved its position at all.


    Erin came to a halt curiously, widening her eyes at it. Angelina took a few steps back anxiously as she sensed an immense pressure that was no less than the Dark Dragon��s. It felt as though there was a vicious beast standing before the door and it would pounce on her as soon as it was opened.


    Kacha��


    Rhode stepped forth and stretched out his right hand. Then, the huge gears within the metal door spun. The meters-wide metal brackets sealing the door slowly loosened and slid to the sides like a pair of gigantic pincers releasing its prey. The door gradually opened.


    ��Wow����


    Mini Bubble Gum exclaimed, while Rhode blew a whistle. It wasn��t strange that they had such a reaction because they couldn��t be more familiar with the view behind the door�� There was a throne as tall as a pyramid with its surroundings ornately decorated. The natural light from countless, coalesced precious gems shone from the ceiling and illuminated the palace. The only thing different from the game was that the Void Dragon wasn��t lying on the throne and awaiting the arrival of the brave challengers. Instead, it was a crystal minaret that towered into the cloudy sky, emanating a faint, pure brilliance as countless runes spiraled around it like the huge advertisement screens in Rhode��s world.


    ��What is�� that?��


    Even Erin was speechless at this magnificent view. There were many kinds of beauty, but nothing could compare to the level of shock of a man-made object presenting itself majestically. The power of nature was incomparable, and people would only respect it. But when faced with man-made objects, any intelligent life would feel a sense of pride and longing, apart from the sense of admiration.


    ��I don��t know�� But I suppose we��re in the right place.��


    Rhode sspokeaid, sauntering to the foot of the pyramid. Shortly after, a long crack began to reveal in the middle of the sleek surface of the pyramid, opening up widely to both sides and exposing a hidden staircase.


    Apart from Rhode, no one else stepped closer to the structure. Erin narrowed her eyes and scanned the crystal minaret, before moving to the side quietly. Rhode turned around and looked at his group. Anne was looking at him curiously and excitedly in her usual self. On the other hand, Christie was seemingly concerned. He showed a gentle smile at her, before turning around and exchanging glances with Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. They received the final answer in one another��s gaze.


    ��Alright then, I��m making my way.��


    Rhode wasn��t sure what he would be getting, but he couldn��t possibly do nothing. Perhaps this would be the place that would answer all his doubts. Why did he transmigrate to this world? What exactly was this place? Why did it become like this? What was going to happen to them? And how would they continue living? Everyone had their own future. Any choice he made might unknowingly change everything about the people around him and them.


    Perhaps they didn��t have a choic, to begin with.


    Rhode ascended the stairs, gazing at the crystal minaret and suddenly came up with this thought. No matter if he was in the original world or this world, if it was science or magic, he believed that the fate of humans was held in one��s own grasp. People could make decisions that would change their fate in the future. But what if fate was just a mysterious net and all choices would eventually lead to the same ending?


    Ignorance was actually a kind of happiness, just like how some people believed that they weren��t brainwashed, but in fact they were always accepting the intelligence of the brainwashing. Some people believed that they were the ones who controlled their fate, but weren��t aware that everything they did was predetermined in their lives. The more one knew, the more pain one would suffer from. But the problem was that almost no one knew whether they truly understood the truth of fate in this world�� just like Rhode, who was standing at this place now.


    Rhode shook his head at this thought, before stretching his hand out and touching the surface of the crystal minaret.


    Along with his action, the information-transmitting runes increased their moving speed. Then, the system prompts appeared before his eyes.


    [Detected Dragon Soul Powers������transmit, zero point activated, searching for outer plane signal������outer plane signal connected������signal connection complete������activate backup information transmitting system]


    [Point Connection Complete]


    At the next moment, Rhode felt the world around him being devoured by a dazzling white radiance.

 Chapter 997 - Intersection of Past, Present, and Future (2)

    The man-made radiance enveloped the dark sky.


    Rhode lifted his head. The round moon and stars were nowhere to be seen. Instead, various, endless lights shone from below. Rhode stood from a tall height, clearly witnessing the spotlights converging into a river of light that flowed forward. The entire world was as though an ocean of light. The virtual idol appearing on the massive screen on the wall was smiling and displaying merchandise in her hand. The searchlights shone from below, leaving a gloss on the night curtain.


    ��What should I say about this����


    Rhode stood at the side of the street, looking at everything. He extended his hand and tapped on the vending machine. But what he felt wasn��t the ice-cold sensation that he remembered. Instead, his hand passed through the machine made by modern technology as though it were air. He shrugged at this sight before turning around and gazing at the triangle building towering into the clouds. It was around evening now. Even though the city was still bustling with clamors, the place he was at had gradually quietened. There was no one else around. Apart from the pure, white radiance shining from the row of solar-powered street lights, there was nothing else.


    ��I suppose this is the place.��


    Rhode sensed that this wasn��t a world of his illusions. Instead, this world was real��it existed and didn��t exist at the same time. Just like him, this world had as though been split into two: one was a true presence, the other a reflection in the mirror. Rhode raised his hand again. A faint white light enveloped his body while the entire space shook. Then, he tapped on the vending machine lightly.


    Knock, knock.


    The crisp tapping sounded. The vending machine shook slightly. Upon sensing this familiar sensation, the corner of Rhode��s mouth lifted. He clenched his hand into a fist and glanced to the sides, before striking the vending machine with force this time.


    Pow!


    The vending machine shook violently. Then, three to five drink cans fell out from their rows and rolled out from the outlet. Upon detecting the rough treatment, the vending machine instantly let out an ear-deafening screech that split the night sky. But Rhode wasn��t mindful at all. He lowered his head and picked up the drink cans that had rolled to his feet. When he lifted his head, he coincidentally saw the reflection of the glass window as the convenience store owner exasperatedly charged out of his store, looking left and right while standing by the vending machine. But Rhode wasn��t any longer there.


    ��Phew����


    Rhode shivered in comfort as the ice-cold, carbonated drink flowed down his throat smoothly. Then, he tossed the emptied and squashed can into the trash can beside, before picking up another can and strolled to the tall building in front of him. Rhode was familiar with that building. Every player of Dragon Soul Continent was familiar with it. The building was the sanctuary in the hearts of players and also the birthplace of this game.


    B&M Company.


    Rhode sauntered into the building after the large entrance door slid open silently. The entire lobby was brightly lit, but there was no reception staff or guards seen anywhere. The surveillance camera adjusted its angle slightly to have a clear view of the man clad in strange attire. But it also didn��t seem bothered by his presence.


    Ding-dong.


    A crisp electronic sound rang and the lift beside him opened its door. Without the need for verification, Rhode lifted his head and entered the lift. Then, the lift door slowly closed, before ascending the floors. Rhode shook the cola in his hand while scanning the place. The man-made electronic radiance seemed so dazzling that gave him a misconception that he was in a dream. He didn��t know whether the world was a dream or reality. Was it the world that he had lived in for over 20 years reality? Or was it the dream-like, fascinating continent filled with the glory of flames, swords, and magic? If this world was reality, who exactly was he? A crazy Internet addict? Rhode let out a bitter chuckle at this thought. If this was just a cultural-oriented movie that sought to win an Oscar, would the truth for him be that he would eventually be admitted into a mental hospital as a character of the script? Or perhaps he had never left this world and all the encounters he had were simply a plot that he came up with during his stay in the hospital. Did he imagine the doctors, nurses, and patients as characters of the game, while he transmigrated to the gaming world to continue his love for life as a player? Yes, duh. This development of the story would be an ultimate shift in the trend of events�� The dense literary atmosphere, questioning of life in reality, and the harsh cruelty of society�� If he were to commit suicide for not being able to accept reality, that would definitely be great enough to at least be shortlisted for the Oscars, right��?


    Ding!


    The brisk ringing of the lift bell pulled him back from the thoughts that were 80,000 miles away. He lifted his head and gazed at the lift door opening gradually. It was complete darkness outside as though everyone had knocked off from work. But the moment he stepped out of the lift, the lights shone automatically as though guiding this lost soul.


    Come to think of it, this seems like a plot to a horror movie. Could it be that I��ve gotten myself into the reality version of the ��Haunted Office''[1]**?


    Rhode swirled the can of cola in his hand and strolled forward. There was no reception staff to receive him, but he was clear of exactly where he was. He sensed the massive presence waiting for him at the end of the corridor.


    The door opened.


    The spacious meeting room was in complete silence. He scanned the room and quickly saw four extremely familiar people sitting down and looking at him. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. He pulled out a chair and sat down.


    ��Everyone, should I say ��long time no see�� or ��nice to meet you for the first time��?��


    ��Long time no see, Mr. Rhode.��


    The man seated on the leftmost, looking almost 30 years of age, said with a smile. He pushed up his gold framed glasses lightly. Sitting beside him was a woman of around 27 years old. She wore professional work attire and a kind, genuine smile was plastered across her gentle face. Although she simply sat there, one could feel as though she was constantly gleaming in rays of light. On the other side, there was a pair of sisters. They seemed about the same age as Canary, but were also clad in the uniform of B&M Company.


    Rhode was familiar with the four of them. Every player of Dragon Soul Continent knew who they were, as well as the history of B&M Company. It was especially so after this holographic, virtual-reality game exploded in popularity around the world where third-rate news companies had even uncovered their three generations of ancestors. Of course, this was only an exaggeration and it was a pity that the paparazzi weren��t experienced enough because Rhode couldn��t remember reading a rumor about ��B&M Company CEO and President were transmigrators from another world��.


    As the top player, Rhode often participated in company events organized by the B&M Company, where he interacted with many employees. The man sitting on the leftmost, Arthur, was the CEO. The woman beside him was the President, Serena. The pair of sisters were the rumored genius engineers. The elder sister was Ningmi and the younger sister was Ningjing. All of them came from different countries, had unique identities, and eventually arrived at the same path in building this game that became globally popular. Even though Rhode knew that they were remarkable people, it seemed like now�� They seemed more marvelous than he imagined.


    ��Alright then, I suppose we should introduce ourselves?��


    ��Of course.��


    Arthur smiled in response to Rhode��s question. Then, he tidied the streaks in his suit and continued.


    ��Allow me to introduce myself. I��m the Dark Dragon, Arthur.��


    ��I��m surprised. I expected the Dark Dragon to be more of a solemn character behind the scenes.��


    Rhode said, twitching his brow. He was serious when he said it, especially after recalling Ion��s indifferent face while looking at this smiley and friendly Dark Dragon before him. He felt like the contrast was too huge. Arthur didn��t respond to Rhode��s remarks. He simply maintained his smile and shortly after, Serena introduced herself.


    ��I��m the Light Dragon, Serena. I��m delighted to meet you again, Mr. Rhode.��


    This Light Dragon sure lives up to its name��


    Rhode gazed at Serena and compared to Lilian in his mind. He discovered that Serena and Lilian were somewhat similar. They had a similar aura of light glowing around them. But unlike Lilian��s, Serena��s was much more steady and perfect as she completely made up the areas Lilian lacked. Rhode even felt like Serena was rather dazzling. But that was only for an instant. He quickly shifted his gaze to the remaining sisters. Upon sensing his gaze, they chuckled and waved their hands at him.


    ��Greetings, Mr. Rhode. I��m the Judgment Dragon, Ferlyn.��


    ��Greetings, Mr. Rhode. I��m the Ruling Dragon, Jess.��


    How interesting.


    Upon meeting the sisters, Rhode immediately recalled Gracier and Madaras. If they could speak, perhaps they would be similar to this pair of sisters. But these two�� Could it be that they had been living in the secular world for too long? They didn��t seem like Creator Dragons. Instead, they seemed more like two superstars holding an autograph session with the fans.


    ��Greetings. Everyone, I suppose you��re aware that I��m the current Void Dragon, Rhode.��


    Rhode stopped fiddling with the can of cola and let loose of the can in his hands. Then, he lifted his head and gazed at the four of them.


    ��Now that we��re done greeting one another, I suppose we can get into the main topic now. I think we have some questions to answer,�� Rhode said.


    [1] A Hong Kong horror film released in 2002.

 Chapter 998 - Intersection of Past, Present, and Future (3)

    ��Of course, we��re aware that you have lots of doubts because we have some questions of our own.��


    Arthur, who didn��t fit the image of the Dark Dragon in Rhode��s mind, pushed up his glasses again and spoke in a gentle tone. Judging from his appearance, perhaps one wouldn��t think that he was a millionaire and the CEO of the B&M Company, not to mention how Rhode couldn��t imagine him as the Dark Dragon. At this moment, Arthur seemed more like the kind of professors who hid in their own world, researching unpopular specialties.


    ��Firstly, how much do you know about the Dragon Soul Continent?��


    ��Basically everything I know is from the background setting of the game listed on the official website.��


    Rhode answered without hesitation. He crossed his arms and gazed at the four of them with his ice-cold expression as usual. It wasn��t because he was displeased with them. Instead, this was his behavioral reaction whenever he analyzed information or went deep in thought.


    ��But I heard from Alice that there seem to be hidden facts, especially between the dragon soul heirs and the Creator Dragons����


    ��You��re right.��


    Arthur nodded in affirmation. Then, he extended his hand and a mysterious and intricate three-dimensional map appeared above his palm. Rhode instantly recognized that it was the Dragon Soul Continent, made with the four main elements as the foundation, the Seven Fantasy Boundaries as the pillars, and the dragon souls as the walls and roof. The entire world was as though a miniature world inside an oval glass bottle.


    ��We��ve explained the background settings clearly. From a certain degree, it does seem to be the truth of this world. But�� what I need to tell you is about everything that happened before.�� Arthur spun his hand and the map began to operate on its own like a rewinding movie. Then, everything was gone, leaving behind a rich, flourishing, and beautiful land.


    ��You aren��t aware that war between Chaos and Order has been ongoing for years, so long that the dragons decayed and earth crumpled. In fact, we aren��t aware of why Chaos and Order broke out in a war. But the war happened and engulfed every corner of the world we live in.��


    Arthur waved his hand and Rhode witnessed the beautiful earth being corroded by Chaos. Flares were erupting into the sky everywhere. The beautiful land was darkened by death and Chaos. Arthur watched the scene silently, before continuing.


    ��But Chaos was much stronger than we imagined. Back then, people tried to resist their attacks, bur failed to eliminate them. Order and Chaos were inseparable. Lacerated Order turned into food and energy that strengthened Chaos. We tried to come up with counter solutions, but they didn��t work. In the end with no solutions left to try, we left the continent in order to avoid the fate of death and destruction. We went far away, to a place the deadly Chaos couldn��t reach. We borrowed strength from the ��Phenomenon Void�� of the Void Dragon, transmigrated, and opened up a new world at the end of the boundless Star Ocean. This was why we were called the Creator Dragons. But in fact, no matter if it was us, our followers, or the races living in Dragon Soul Continent, we��re nothing more than beings who left home to avoid war.��


    ��But Order continues to be unstable.��


    At this moment, Serena continued Arthur��s statement.


    ��From the start we wanted to create a world of Order that has no connection to Chaos. But we realized that it was impossible. No matter how hard we tried, Order and Chaos were still inseparable. We need to search for regular rules within the broken Chaos and use them as the foundation to resist Chaos��s attack. But on the contrary, the foundation will immediately turn into Chaos and attack our world as soon as the rules are shattered. We foresee such a future and yet, we can do nothing about it. But�� we discovered a secret rule among them.��


    ��Rule?��


    ��That��s right, we discovered that no matter what, the continent that we created will be destroyed eventually. And this thing in itself is a rule of Order. Chaos represents the uncertainties of chaotic situations, while Order represents the orderly end. We��re astonished that the fate trajectory of this continent will turn into a unique thread of Order that penetrates the entire fate. But it is also due to this that we came up with an idea. Since destruction is unavoidable, why don��t we crush this rule?��


    Rhode narrowed his eyes.


    ���� So that was why you all decided to distort history?��


    ��That��s right, it seems like you��ve received the relevant information from Miss Alice. Backtrack history time and time again with choices that were completely different each time and use the massive amount of distortions to completely destroy the thread of Order. That is the only thing that we can do����


    ��But this isn��t enough.��


    This time, the two sisters said.


    ��We discovered that even though this can destroy the thread of Order that ��this continent will definitely demolish��, the continent will enter a state of confusion if there isn��t a brand new future. This shall also be the premonition of Chaos. We are powerless in this aspect. We have experimented all the ways that we came up with in our world. This is all that we can do and it is far from enough. Eventually we decided to head to the other worlds, seeking solutions. For that, we built the Deepest Labyrinth and the Dimension Gate connecting to the outside world on the deepest floor. But I guess you��re also aware that the Dimension Gate is a one-way portal. Anyone who passes through it will not be able to freely return to that world. In response to that, we set up the signal tower. It will abstract energy from this continent and release powerful energy undulation to the outside world. Through this way, if we manage to find a solution from the outside world to rescue this continent, we can try to scan and reconnect the signal undulation, relying on our strength to return to this continent.��


    ��I see. I think I understand why I appeared in this place now.��


    Rhode nodded. It wasn��t hard to understand, just like the relationship between the phone signal and base station. The higher the rate of work of the base station, the larger the range of the phone signal and the easier for the phone signal to be connected. There would surely be a way to return since the Creator Dragons could freely exit to the outside world. In fact, Rhode didn��t transmigrate back to the real world. Instead, he was only here as a projection connected from the powerful signal of the signal tower. Moreover, this place also wasn��t in the real world and was more like an inside reflection.


    ��But the truth isn��t as simple as we imagined.��


    The young sister, Jess, said with a depressed tone.


    ��If we pass through the Dimension Gate in our true bodies, we can indeed return to this world quickly. But without our energy source, the entire continent won��t be kept hidden and last long enough under the attack of Chaos. When that happens, the continent will be destroyed by Chaos, even if we found a solution to rescue it. The continent will turn into absolute Chaos. We can��t even time-travel back to the past and restart everything. For this reason we need to ensure the safety of Dragon Soul Continent. So�� We abandoned our bodies and selected the dragon soul heirs to inherit our powers and maintain the continent, while we transmigrated to this world using our spirit.��


    ��Due to the space turbulence, there was a certain error in our arrival to this world. Arthur came first while we came after. We can��t maintain our form for too long as spirits, which is why we chose to live in humans of this world to live and grow like ordinary people.��


    ��Then, we discovered that even though this world was also full of Chaos, it wasn��t as compromised as our world.��


    Arthur continued her words.


    ��Chaos in this world doesn��t have its own conscious and mind. It is simply a natural presence, while humans build their very own Order. Order has been destroyed time and time again, but was quickly rebuilt by them. We are deeply interested in this totally different civilization system, which was why we decided to conduct our research here to find a solution to rescue our world.��


    ��I understand what you meant.��


    Rhode nodded to Arthur��s words. Then, he knitted his brows dubiously.


    ��But�� what has this got to do with you guys making this game? Frankly, judging from your goal, you guys should be researching topics like nature, science, human philosophy, et cetera����


    No matter what it didn��t seem too reasonable or logical to relate game development and rescuing the world. The four of them looked at one another and smiled. Then, Serena said.


    ��In the beginning we had a deep interest in the game itself. Then, we were surprised that we could borrow the civilized technologies of this world to create an actual virtual-reality world. This was why we had this thought: If we could turn our world completely into comprehensive data and present it in the form of Order, would we stand a chance in resisting the attack of Chaos? For that we began our experiments, borrowing the civilization of this world and using our knowledge to create the game, the Dragon Soul Continent.��


    Serena smiled.


    ��I think you may or may not have noticed the importance of Order. The most important thing to Order is the rules, Mr. Rhode. As a top player in the past, you should be aware of that. Even though the level of freedom in the Dragon Soul Continent is really high, there are a lot of rules and systems in place, right?��


    ��You��re right about that.��


    Rhode nodded. No matter how real a game was known as, it wasn��t as though one was playing in ��The Matrix''[1] and came up with a virtual-reality world to dominate the world. In the game��level, experience points, MP value of spiritual power, health, success rate of forging, et cetera��all of these could be presented by data. The data itself was the rule. One would level up after gaining experience points and the relationship between the mastery of skills and damage output were all fixed rules.


    ��Now that you��ve awakened dragon soul powers, you should have noticed that the dragon soul protection of this continent is really primitive, where Order can only be strengthened through the abstraction of spiritual powers from the dragons�� worshipers. But this isn��t enough. We imagined if the continent could be like this game, where several rules and concepts were merged with the continent as one, and everything had been turned into data by Order, we could use many different ways to abstract spiritual powers and strengthen Order. For instance, whenever people increase their strength, masteries and likabilities in one another, their every action will solidify the Order barrier of the continent, allowing it to display its formidable strength! This way, Chaos will not easily invade the Dragon Soul Continent anymore����


    Rhode��s expression changed slightly.


    ��So�� what you meant was�� you are trying to transfer the system of the online game into the real world of Dragon Soul Continent?��


    [1] A 1999 science-fiction action film.

 Chapter 999 - Intersection of Past, Present, and Future (4)

    Rhode was speechless and caught between laughter and tears by the words of the other Creator Dragons. Others were thinking of ways to break free, but these people were coming up with ideas to add stocks and chains to the Dragon Soul Continent. But Serena shook her head slightly upon hearing Rhode��s question.


    ��No, that isn��t it, Mr. Rhode. I suppose you��ve realized that even though we tried to create the game as close as the world itself, some problems aren��t resolved yet.��


    ��Yes, at least I have neither seen team announcements nor revival spells in reality. Even accepting missions is completely based on luck����


    Rhode twitched his brow at this thought. The mission system that failed at times made him feel deceived. But after hearing his grumbles, the four of them revealed bitter smiles and Arthur took over the conversation. ��Of course, we understand your dissatisfaction, Mr. Rhode. Frankly, after you transmigrated to our world, we have tried ways to reach you through spiritual communication. But due to the far distance between us, we failed to come up with other solutions. In fact, we also hope you��d have faster growth through the mission system. However, due to the issue of distance in the plane barrier, only the smallest part of the power could overcome this limitation. So����


    I see.


    Rhode nodded to Arthur��s explanations. In other words, the Dragon Soul Continent that he played should have been a standalone, online game. But as the distance was too far apart between the client (Rhode) and wireless host (this place), the signal connection was intermittent. No wonder the connection to the mission system was choppy at times as it was highly likely due to the intermittent signal connection. Thereafter, Rhode gradually rose in level and the signal strength on the client��s side increased, which led to the stability of the signal connection.


    ��Besides, we don��t have intentions to transform the Dragon Soul Continent completely. Just as we said, we suppose you understand that some things exist in itself. But the problem was that we didn��t add this concept when we created the world. This was why even when such behaviors were shown, we were unable to receive power as there were no similar concepts. And what we need to do is to reinforce these concepts to the Dragon Soul Continent, in order to maintain its safety and issues.��


    ���� I suppose I understand.��


    Rhode knitted his brows and pondered for a few moments. But this time, perhaps due to his personal experiences, he quickly understood what Arthur meant. Taking levels, for instance. Within the Legendary Stage, there was the Basic Legendary Stage, Intermediate Legendary Stage, and Peak Legendary Stage. But this was because there were no classifications under each specific level. After adding system classifications, Rhode could detect the specific level of others, such as seeing whether the person was level 62 or 68, or level 73 or 76. It was a kind of connection between ��Order�� and ��Rules�� from the behavior of distinctly classifying levels one by one. This was the same for a group of adventurers who protected trade associations from bandits. The trade association would be grateful to the adventurers and in return, the adventurers could purchase merchandise from them at half price. But putting this process into the game was actually the same as adding a step in increasing the reputation of a group or force. Nothing seemed to have any changes on the surface, but as the rules in Dragon Soul Continent didn��t include a system concept like the ��Reputation System��, their actions couldn��t be recognized as part of the ��Order Rules��, even if mercenaries did the same thing and enjoyed the same benefit. Without this concept, the act couldn��t be transformed into power. Without power, people couldn��t contribute their strength to maintain the complete unity of Order.


    This would sound outrageous in Rhode��s world. But it would still be understandable considering the unique situation of confrontation between Order and Chaos in the Dragon Soul Continent and the maintenance of the dragon soul protections. At least in Rhode��s world, humans didn��t witness the universe sending aliens with malicious intention to destroy earth from time to time.


    ��In other words, people won��t wake up one day and see a system interface before their eyes or witness the health bar of others?��


    ��You��re right, Mr. Rhode. We were only contributing bricks and tiles for the Dragon Soul Continent and not changing them from the core. Of course, the people who inherited our energy might be exceptions, but to others, they won��t feel any change in their daily lives. But�� it will affect our world this way. If we can merge the rules and structure of the system network with the energy of the Dragon Soul Continent itself�� Some of the things that can be done in the game can also be accomplished in reality.��


    Arthur paused, before continuing.


    ��Such as�� resurrection.��


    Pfff�� Is this the rhythm of begging for treatment? Could it be that the natives can still return to their bodies in the state of their souls after death?


    Rhode spluttered a mouthful of saliva and criticized them in his mind. He displayed a strange expression, imagining the natives in his territory screaming and charging ahead, while the team captain in the side commanded in a head full of sweat: ��Heal and cast a mass resurrection spell! Those souls in the back, return to your bodies! Don��t let us remind you!��


    Will it really be fine?


    ��Chaos is too powerful. We need sufficient strength to resist it. Mr. Rhode�� We��re willing to give everything for that. Of course, a game is a game, after all, and it isn��t too possible for souls to go running back to their corpses after the game merges with reality. We don��t have enough power to maintain the materialization of the soul. Besides, perhaps only these with abundant energy can cast the resurrection spell, considering the maintenance of the dragon soul barrier. Besides, the resurrection will only be limited to those who die abnormal deaths����


    Rhode was starting to foresee scenes of clerics being placed on the altars already.


    But�� This topic would only be left for later. He was more concerned about something regarding him.


    ��Alright, I guess I understand the reason why all of you created the Dragon Soul Continent. But�� Why didn��t you do it yourself? Why did you get me involved?��


    This was Rhode��s biggest doubt. If it were in the past, he could accept it as pure luck. But now he suspected if everything was premeditated. Why was it him? Could it be that it was due to him being the strongest player? But that wouldn��t make sense. If the Creator Dragons possessed such formidable strength, why didn��t they do it themselves instead? Looking at the situation from a thousand steps back, even if they weren��t willing to return to the continent themselves, they could still choose several powerful characters to go in their stead. Also, Rhode believed that the top 10 players could handle the situation well enough. Besides, having more of them would increase the success rate, wasn��t it? After Rhode transmigrated, he was almost half-dead. If it weren��t for his good luck, perhaps he would have died in the forest. Would that be fine too?


    ��This����


    Arthur revealed a bitter smile. Then, he gazed at Rhode helplessly and spoke after a few moments.


    ��Honestly, Mr. Rhode, this is totally an accident. Although you��re doing great in the Dragon Soul Continent now, frankly speaking, we have never considered sending you or any aliens to our world.��


    ��Why?��


    Rhode was taken aback. Arthur quickly answered him.


    ��It��s simple, Mr. Rhode. You��re not a native of the Dragon Soul Continent. Perhaps you have love and friendships there, but to you, it is only a foreign world. You didn��t create the world, neither did you watch it grow. You were also not born in that world. We��re uncertain of your feelings toward the Dragon Soul Continent as an alien. This isn��t a simple mission. This isn��t to rescue a certain person or country. Instead, it is to rescue the entire continent. Destruction is almost unstoppable, especially for people who have personally experienced the disasters of Chaos. I will be frank, we won��t be surprised if a transmigrator like you escaped the world with your loved ones after your failure to win against Chaos.��


    ��Cough����


    Rhode let out an awkward cough because Arthur��s words had hit home. After Rhode learned from Alice about how devastating the ancient Chaos disasters were, he had considered something similar. This was also why he allowed the Mage Tower to build a Dimension Gate in his territory. If he failed to resist Chaos, he could still escape through the Dimension Gate with his loved ones. He would simply treat it as transmigrating once again, and with a group this time�� But come to think of it��


    ��In this case, why didn��t you start immigration from a long time ago? You can let those people leave that world and head to other worlds, just like how you came to Earth. I suppose the confrontation between Chaos and Order in other worlds isn��t that common����


    ��Dimension Gates are one-way portals and we are uncertain of where they��re linked to. What if the people enter the void or face spatial turbulence? The strong ones may protect the minorities and survive, but it is definitely death for the others. We don��t have any way to confirm that the outside worlds are suitable for our existence. It is an extremely dangerous risk. Besides�� Even if we find a suitable outside world, there is also a time limit for the Dimension Gate. We don��t have a way to transport everyone on the continent to outside worlds.��


    That makes sense��


    Rhode couldn��t help but recall a sci-fi movie that he watched in the past. A massive meteorite was flying toward Earth. Earthlings didn��t consider the option of quickly building a massive fleet of spaceships that could transport six billion people away. Taking the Solar System and Milky Way out of the picture, there were currently no planets found that were suitable for immigrants. Even if there were, the human technologies weren��t advanced enough to transport everyone. Therefore, the quickest way was to blow up the meteorite and make it disappear forever. Even if it couldn��t be done, only a minority of people could escape to an underground shelter, while the majority of people could do nothing apart from waiting for the meteorite to crash on them. This situation was really similar to the Dragon Soul Continent. The difference was that the meteorite that was about to crash into Earth could be blown up. But if it were a planet that broke away from the orbit and crashing into Earth, perhaps it would be the worst ending for them, where not even several Oscars nominations could save them. Moreover, at the very least, the technology on Earth could still transmit signals back and forth from each other. But the ridiculous Dimension Gate was only a one-way portal. No wonder even the Creator Dragons treated it as a last resort.


    ��But�� what has it got to do with me?��


    Before Rhode returned to his senses, NingJing said with uncertainty.


    ��If it is only you, it doesn��t really matter, Mr. Rhode. But this is related to your younger sister.��


    ����!��


    Rhode��s heart sank.


    ��Could it be that����


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode. You may have noticed that your younger sister is like us. She is one of the creators of Dragon Soul Continent��the Void Dragon.��

 Chapter 1000 - Fate of Twins (1)

    ������


    Rhode��s expression didn��t change the slightest after hearing Arthur��s words, but his fiddling hands stopped moving about on the drink can. Even though Rhode did have such a suspicion before, he felt it was absurd when his guesses were affirmed by someone as though he were dreaming. The girl who grew up with him was actually one of the creators of this world? Rhode could still recall the days he spent with his younger sister��all the little details. But the more he recalled, the more he felt like the truth was too outrageous.


    ��You may find it hard to believe, but it is the truth.��


    Upon realizing the change in Rhode��s mood, Serena said with a forced smile.


    ��If you feel carefully, you will discover that we don��t have too many spiritual powers left in our body. Our powers are only slightly stronger than humans of this world. But that is all to it. From the start, in order to protect the Dragon Soul Continent, we left most of our powers in the original world. After passing through the Dimension Gate, we expended a lot of power to resist the spatial turbulence. Therefore, in order for us to survive, we had no choice but to fuse ourselves into human bodies. Using a common word from online novels��rebirth.


    ���� But such rebirth isn��t perfect. There isn��t much spiritual power left in our bodies. The Void Dragon��s condition is worse than us, I suppose�� As for the specific reasons, you should be as clear about it as we are.��


    Rhode remained silent. He looked at the reflection of his face on the glass window. It looked the same as his younger sister��s, as though a face printed from the mold. Perhaps the only difference between them was their gender. But it was also due to this that��


    ��The Void Dragon had the strongest spiritual power among us. This was why she was only reborn much later than us. But we didn��t expect such a thing to happen. Of course, I don��t have any complaints about you, Mr. Rhode. You also shouldn��t beat yourself up about it. It was really dangerous to transmigrate through space and challenging to survive upon reaching the new world. As for what comes next�� I can only say that luck wasn��t on her side.��


    ��This is a problem between me and her. I��m aware of that.��


    Rhode interrupted Arthur��s consolations. He didn��t need anyone to criticize his relationship with his younger sister. Besides, it also wasn��t the main point.


    ��But you didn��t answer my question. What has this got to do with me transmigrating into your world?��


    ��This was what happened, Mr. Rhode.��


    This time, Ningmi explained.


    ��We only discovered it afterwards. Perhaps it was because you and Her Majesty Void Dragon are twins, and after Her Majesty Void Dragon transmigrated and fused into a human, her strength was divided into two��with one part entering your body. I suppose you��re aware that there is a special telepathy between you and your sister. That was the embodiment of that power.��


    ��In other words�� I received the power of the Void Dragon since I was born?��


    Rhode recalled a particular incident all of a sudden. The Country of Light was resisting the Country of Darkness��s army and Lilian went to the frontline. Back then, Rhode conducted an investigation in order to confirm Lilian��s situation. At that moment, [Race: Dragon Soul Heir] was displayed in his system interface. But after opening up the land of Chaos and awakening his power, the details were changed to [Race: Void Dragon Race]. Could this mean��


    ��In other words, I��m not a human from the start?��


    ��According to the definition of our world, it is indeed true. Your results for medical examinations and blood tests may be as normal as other humans, but if it is classified in terms of race and power, you are the same as us: one of the Creator Dragons.��


    ��But my parents are humans, aren��t they? It is the same for yours too, right?��


    ��That��s right, Mr. Rhode. But we aren��t human spirits. The power of spirit can change the body. If not, despite the advanced technologies in this world, how do you think the few of us here can create virtual-reality technologies that are far ahead of this era?��


    Rhode pondered in silence after hearing Serena��s question. Indeed, even though technologies were advanced in his world, a virtual-reality world like ��The Matrix�� hadn��t been available yet. Although scientists had been working hard on the subject, they weren��t able to overcome this barrier. It was during that moment when the B&M Company became high above the world, shocking the entire world with their virtual-reality technologies. Besides, unlike intubating through the back of the head like ��The Matrix��, the methods they used were extremely safe and reliable. Back then, the media of the world reported the various negative influences of this technological achievement on human development and their daily lives. Media also called into question how a small and newly established company developed such advanced technological means. But it seemed like�� this was indeed a problem.


    ��And this is where the problem lies.��


    Arthur gestured and the projection before Rhode��s eyes transformed into a familiar scene. It was the game interface of the Dragon Soul Continent.


    ��I suppose you already knew our motive for building this game in this world. We worked hard for it, gathering all sorts of data and getting prepared for our comeback. Like we said earlier, we consumed a large amount of power after transmigrating into this world. That was why we decided to send one person back to the Dragon Soul Continent to fulfill our mission. In order to gather and conform data, we input the transfer program into the deepest floor of the Deepest Labyrinth in the game, planting a BOSS to defend and protect it. We didn��t expect such a thing to happen. Firstly, the ��Void Dragon�� was almost invincible and players couldn��t possibly defeat it. Secondly, the program was hidden, so even if the BOSS was destroyed, players wouldn��t discover it. But what we didn��t expect was that�� you actually defeated the Void Dragon����


    Arthur revealed a bitter smile, while Rhode knitted his brows. He finally understood why players believed that the Void Dragon was formidably powerful and no one dared to challenge it. But��


    ��I don��t quite understand yet. In this case, why did you still design the BOSS? Since it is just a program, won��t it be the same wherever you hide it?��


    ��This is different, Mr. Rhode.��


    Ningjing shook her head. This was the first time she revealed a grim look on her smiley face.


    ��After the B&M Company was established, we were scouted by many organizations and some hackers even tried to infiltrate our program for secrets. The data-collection program is essential for us, which was why we placed it in the depth of the core and set up the strongest firewall. Not only that, but we also added an escape program, just in case.��


    ��Escape program? It isn��t even a spaceship����


    ��We aren��t presences of this world, Mr. Rhode.��


    Rhode didn��t finish his question and was interrupted by Arthur. This was the first time this gentle and cultivated man revealed a solemn and uncertain look.


    ��You may or may not understand, but we��re constantly worried either about being struck back from this world or other areas at any time. In order to prevent accidents, we designed and added an escape code in the data-collection program, just in case. As soon as the program detects one of the Creator Dragons being heavily injured, it will determine that we may possibly be under attack. When that happens, the program will automatically activate our hidden power, forcibly connect the signal with the plane of existence channel, and transfer the Creator Dragon, as well as its data back.��


    ���� Could it be that����


    Rhode presented an odd expression, while Arthur nodded with a forceful smile.


    ��To tell you the truth, Mr. Rhode, the Void Dragon��s program in the bottom floor of the Deepest Labyrinth drew support from your younger sister��s power. You also possessed the power of the Void Dragon. As neither of you won in the final battle, the escape program determined the condition of [Creator Dragon Under Attack], activating the program automatically and transported you into our world�� Frankly, we were also baffled that this happened. Although we have been observing you, that was����


    Arthur spread his arms apart helplessly. It was apparent that he didn��t know what to say anymore. Rhode was also stupefied. He understood the reason, but��


    ��Can��t you try again? Is there a way for me to open up a channel for your return?��


    ��That is impossible, Mr. Rhode.��


    Ningjing shook her head with a bitter smile, denying his suggestion.


    ��It was our final, coalesced bodies in the previous program and we don��t have enough spiritual powers to try again. Besides, like we said earlier, the power system in this world is different from the continent where we��re in. We can��t gather and produce spiritual powers. As for your side�� Frankly, the signal has run out of power. Although we are able to meet here, I suppose we will not see each other again after the connection is cut off. And you will not be able to find us through the signal tower anymore.��


    ������


    Rhode sighed. He wasn��t an idiot. He understood what she meant, of course.


    ��In other words, only I can accomplish it?��


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode. Although it is tough for us to ask, you��re the only one who can do it�� We will transfer all the essence of our strength to you. But before that����


    The four of them stood up all of a sudden. Rhode witnessed their actions and also stood up unknowingly. Arthur gazed at him and spoke.


    ���� Someone wants to meet you����

 Chapter 1001 - Fate of Twins (2)

    ��Someone wants to meet me?��


    Rhode was taken aback, but he responded to Arthur��s beckoning and went up to the door. Then, Arthur let out a chuckle, extended his hand, and pulled the meeting door handle. Behind the door was no longer the aisle that Rhode came in from. Instead, it was a deep, gloomy, stone-made passageway. Arthur extended his hand and made a beckoning gesture.


    ��Please.��


    ������


    Rhode pondered in silence. Then, he stepped into the passageway in front of him. As soon as he entered, rows of torches lit up instantly and the illuminated areas transformed once again. The ceiling slowly turned white, while the walls piled up by gray boulders turned into sterile, white walls. The torches hanging on the walls transformed into bright wall lamps. The scent of disinfectant in the air assailed his nostrils. Rhode strolled ahead, clenching his fists tightly. His expressionless face seemed abnormally tense because he knew clearly where this place was and subconsciously guessed exactly who was waiting for him��


    A white sign appeared before him. Rhode looked up and saw the [309] doorplate. Taking a deep breath, he extended his hand and knocked on the door. Shortly after, a soft, gentle voice sounded.


    ��Please come in.��


    The voice sounded similar to his, but the only difference was the light, gentle tone as though the spring wind, giving one unparalleled comfort and a peace of mind. Upon hearing this voice, Rhode was startled. He gnashed his teeth, extended his right hand, and pushed the door open.


    What came into his view first were the clean French windows that displayed the lush green trees and lawn on the outside. A slim, petite figure was reclining on the hospital bed, admiring the scenery. Upon hearing the door opening, she turned around and presented a smile across her beautiful, doll-like face.


    ��Ah�� Big Brother����


    ������


    Rhode became breathless as though he had returned to the past. Back then, he came to the hospital everyday to visit his younger sister. She would always be looking blankly at the outside world through the windows. Rhode thought that this was just her way of yearning for the free, outside world. But now, it seemed like there was a secret behind it. But that was all in the past, after all. And now��


    ��What��s going on?��


    Rhode calmed himself down and sized up everything. Everything, including the character and furniture, were the same as he recalled. But this was impossible. His younger sister had died. The agony that he felt wasn��t an illusion; he was sure about that. So who was this person now?


    ��Could it be that those dragon souls are trying to use illusions to trap me here and make me execute a certain conspiracy?��


    ��Huhuhu����


    The young lady chuckled, before shaking her head.


    ��I didn��t expect you to be so dubious of others, Big Brother. Yes�� From a certain aspect I��m indeed considered a phantom because I��m only a remaining soul fragment. This is the only thing that my true self left behind. She handed me over to the sir and madams and reminded them to let me meet you at the right time. But I didn��t expect for us to meet again under such circumstances����


    ��Soul fragment? Why now? Why didn��t you show up before me in the past? There��s so much time, so why now?��


    ��Perhaps the sir and madams thought that this is the best timing. No matter what, you��ve already experienced the world yourself, Big Brother, so it isn��t hard for you to accept the truth now, is it? If it were you in the past, would you believe everything I say?��


    ��This����


    Rhode was disconcerted by his ��younger sister��s�� question. Indeed, if it were him in the past, he would definitely be dubious of this B&M Company and suspect whether they would exploit him. As for the words that she was trying to say, such as the soul fragment or something, he definitely wouldn��t be able to accept them wholeheartedly��


    ��Big Brother, the sir and madams were hoping that you would grow mature and only tell you everything after you realized your power. But they didn��t expect for this to happen. However�� maybe this is better for my true self.��


    The young lady tidied her clothes, before sitting up on the bed. Rhode instinctively stretched out his arm and supported her soft, delicate body. The warmth and softness he felt on his hand was the same as he recalled. Neither of them spoke a word. He reached out for two pillows and placed them behind her comfortably. Then, he pulled out a chair and sat down beside her. Everything was the same as he remembered. Even though he had left this world and went through a new life of fantasy that involved bloody fights and adventures, the memories buried deep in his mind didn��t fade away at all.


    ���� Regarding our situation, I suppose you��ve heard from them already, Big Brother?��


    After remaining in silence for a few moments, the young lady said softly. Rhode nodded with complicated emotions. In fact, he couldn��t accept this reality completely because he was as though the predator. In the past, Rhode thought that he was extremely unlucky. He had the face of a girl and was often mocked by his peers. Besides, he was a healthy young man and yet, he had to suffer the pain of his sickly younger sister from time to time.


    Why am I so unfortunate?


    This was a question that he asked himself a lot before he reconciled with his younger sister. But now, it seemed like he was the lucky one. He had a healthy body that his younger sister didn��t have and even took over most of her strength. No matter from which aspect, he was the one who should feel sorry.


    ��I����


    Before he finished his sentence, the young lady stretched out her snowy finger and pressed lightly on his lips.


    ��Big Brother, there��s no need to apologize. You have already done so in the past.��


    ��But I wasn��t aware of the truth back then����


    ��Isn��t it the same?��


    ���� Okay then.��


    Rhode closed his mouth. He knew clearly of how stubborn his younger sister was. There was no room for discussions for things that she had decided. He gazed at the face that looked exactly the same as his. But that was a different smile, despite leaving a similar, deep impression on others. Only when looking at her smile, he would feel entirely relaxed. Everything didn��t seem to have changed at all.


    ��In this case�� You��re the Void Dragon?��


    ��I was, Big Brother. You��re the Void Dragon now, aren��t you?��


    ��Why didn��t you tell me about it?�� Rhode didn��t seem satisfied with her answer. He gazed at her with knitted brows. ��You��re aware of everything from the start, right? Including the fact that I possess your strength. So why didn��t you tell me about it? Did you think that I wouldn��t believe your words and even think that you��re spouting nonsense and send you to a mental hospital?��


    ��This isn��t your battle, Big Brother����


    The young lady lowered and shifted her gaze away.


    ��This is my destiny. I created, decided, and chose my destiny. For that, I have to bear the consequences that it brings to me. But you are different. You are an ordinary human. You��re not shouldering this responsibility, not even now. I don��t wish for you to carry this burden because it doesn��t belong to you. And now, we are actually leaving it for you to accomplish�� Ahh!��


    Before the young lady finished her sentence, Rhode flicked his finger on her forehead, causing her to shriek in pain.


    ��Alright, there is no point in speaking about it now. Just like you said, you will be responsible for your choice. And I�� �� Rhode smiled, pointing his thumb at himself. ��Am speaking to you as the Void Dragon now, which is also the result of your choice. So just like in the past, stop talking about it and accept it.��


    ��That��s right, just like what you said, Big Brother����


    The corners of the young lady��s lips lifted. She held her forehead and gazed at Rhode in displeasure. But after a few moments, she presented a smile as though the invisible shackles binding her had vanished in an instant. She also seemed to have relaxed after laying down the burden in her mind.


    ��We can��t change the things that have happened. What we have to do now is to continue moving forward����


    The young lady smiled and extended her arms to Rhode.


    ��Alright, I shall reward you with a gift for arriving here safely, Big Brother.��


    ��Really����


    Rhode forced a smile, gazing at her spread arms and the face that was identical with his. Then, he extended his arms and embraced her body. Their lips kissed naturally.


    ��Mmm�� Mmm����


    Rhode closed his eyes, indulging in the sweet, plump lips that were as soft as pudding. Her refreshing, aromatic breath blew in his face gently. As usual, she licked his teeth with her small tongue, flipping around as though it were alive, greedily drawing his sweet, delicious saliva. At the same time, Rhode felt a strange and familiar sensation inside his body. The contact between them had always been inseparably close. Whenever his younger sister felt unwell, he would also feel her pain. But on the contrary, whenever he felt comfortable she would also feel equally relaxed. And if both of them felt an unprecedented sense of blissfulness, the shapeless energy connecting them would be stimulated, sending them into a wonderful, heavenly paradise. It was due to this reason that they were never tired of this. Shortly after, Rhode felt the body in his embrace trembling. Then, they separated. A silver thread of saliva hung down from the corner of their mouths, dripping on the floor.


    ��Big Brother is still as tough as ever����


    ��Frankly, I feel complicated����


    Rhode gave a forced smile at the sight of the young lady flushing in red.


    ��Especially after learning your identity. I��m thinking why we reached this level of intimacy back then. Back then, I was only a rascal who had just entered puberty, while you�� have already become a god that created a world. Just thinking about this suddenly gives me tremendous pressure.��


    ��Even as a god, I��m still not omnipotent, Big Brother.��


    The young lady let out a subtle sigh, before continuing.


    ��We��re creators. We don��t have time to consider the situation for ourselves. The threat of Chaos, the establishment of Order, and the continuation of life��these are the most important. We have never considered anything apart from them. Fortunately, after arriving in this world and losing my power, I can finally understand what I have never experienced before in my own opinion. According to a phrase of this world, this is a�� blessing in disguise, isn��t it?��


    ��Maybe yes, maybe no. But if you think it is, I don��t have any objections.��


    Rhode shrugged helplessly to his younger sister��s witty reply. On the other hand, the young lady smiled and gradually turned solemn.


    ��Initially, I had intentions of replacing my true self in passing the message to you. But now, it seems like you didn��t enter society, search for a job, and live a normal life as ��I�� expected. Big Brother, I��m really worried for you. Frankly speaking, even though others have found ways to reinforce the strength of Order, the strength of Chaos is too powerful. Besides, as soon as Chaos realizes that we��re beginning to reinforce the strength of Order, it will definitely come up with ways to stop our success����


    The young lady lifted his head and gazed silently at him. Rhode smiled, extending his hand to caress her smooth, long hair.


    ��I know that the situation isn��t as simple as it seems. But�� I do have a solution to resolve this problem.��

 Chapter 1002 - Fate of Twins (3)

    It was time to part.


    Rhode gazed at the familiar face in silence. In fact, he was rather hoping that this was a conspiracy. If it were possible, he wished to abandon everything and remain in this place with her forever. But his rationale told him that it was impossible as all good things must come to an end. Even though it didn��t feel as serious, he realized just how rich his feelings for her were when he faced her directly, so rich that he couldn��t simply say with words that could change everything. But the young lady also seemed aware of it. She quietly gazed at Rhode, her eyes filled with strong attachment. Then, she slowly lowered her gaze and spoke.


    ��Time is up, Big Brother. You should be leaving now.��


    ��Can you go with me?��


    Rhode hesitated, before asking the question. The young lady shook her head quietly in response.


    ��I��m only a spirit fragment, Big Brother. I have reached my limit, showing myself in this form����


    ��Perhaps I can turn you into my summoning spirit? You know, like����


    ��This is Earth, Big Brother.��


    The young lady chuckled.


    ��Have you forgotten that this isn��t the Dragon Soul Continent? Our strength as Creator Dragons will only be effective in the Dragon Soul Continent. Earth doesn��t have the rules that fit Spirit Swordsmen. If not, why would we turn back into ordinary humans?��


    ������


    This time Rhode didn��t say a word. In fact, he tried activating his power earlier but there were no effects at all. Nothing appeared and everything was abnormally peaceful as though he didn��t possess any power and appeared more like a sufferer of the ��middle-school second-year syndrome�� who lived in his world of delusions. It seemed like the Creator Dragons were right. This world wasn��t suitable for their rules to unleash power. They also didn��t have enough power to change the rules of this world.


    ��If it is possible, I hope to continue living. I don��t want to die. But�� sometimes we have to accept reality. Big Brother���� The young lady stood to her feet. Then, Rhode also stood up, gazing at her delicate body, slim waist, and bright, dazzling eyes. He knew clearly that she was here. But he was about to lose her again.


    ��Huhuhu. Alright, Big Brother, don��t put up that expression, you��re making me feel terrible. Besides, you still need to take care of our daughter, so you don��t have a choice to not head back, okay?��


    ��Daughter?��


    Rhode was taken aback, widening his eyes blankly at the young lady before him. He was completely speechless. The young revealed a witty smile at him, before touching her chin with her fingers and said, ��Did you forget what we��ve done, Big Brother?��


    ��No. But back then�� Besides, you�� Why am I not aware�� The doctor didn��t mention anything����


    Rhode stuttered in disbelief. Indeed, their relationship had developed at lightning speed after their ��cold war�� ended. Shortly after, they exceeded the boundaries of moral ethics. Due to the strange and mysterious telepathy between them, not only could they sense the blissfulness and comfort in their bodies, but they could also enjoy the sensation from each other. They were addicted to double happiness. Perhaps knowing that she couldn��t live for long, the happiness from abandoning herself to despair gave them the taste of ��living day by day��. It was the behavior of being unable to accept cruel reality and continuously indulging themselves in the paradise of illusory fascination. But even so, what they got was far more than what they lost.


    ��Have you forgotten, Big Brother? I��m the Void Dragon.��


    The young lady held her stomach and revealed a blissful, gentle smile.


    ��That was my first love. Well, if I die without leaving anything behind, I won��t be able to forgive myself. This body does lack the ability, but it doesn��t mean that I don��t have a way to make myself pregnant.��


    Rhode was shocked by this sudden news. He rubbed his forehead and calmed down after a long time. Then, he spoke.


    ��Who is the daughter that you said? Where is she? How do I look for her?��


    ��Huh?��


    The young lady blinked curiously.


    ��Haven��t you met her already? I sensed her presence from you, Big Brother. How strange�� Didn��t Christie tell you anything��?��


    ��What you��re saying is����


    Rhode was baffled. Of course, he knew that this ��Christie�� wasn��t the one who had always been by his side. Instead, she was referring to the powerful figure in the Astral Temple. It seemed like there was only one explanation��


    ��But aren��t you unable to�� How did you����


    ��Indeed, I was really weak back then, so weak that I couldn��t return to the continent. But I��m the Void Dragon, after all. In terms of space travel, I have more experience than anyone else. Although I lacked the strength to transmigrate, it wouldn��t be a problem if I have a life form in me made by the strength of my Big Brother. Besides, Christie is my direct subject. In terms of space, she is as adept at it as me. But I didn��t expect that�� Huhuhu, you��re still kept in the dark by her.��


    I swear I will catch that little rascal from the Astral Temple and give her a good spanking after I return!


    At this moment, Rhode only had one thought. He finally realized that he was cheated by the other ��Christie��. The other ��Christie�� had never explained Christie��s identity clearly. She only mentioned that she was her other self, which was why Rhode treated Christie as a human with the bloodline of the Deity Warden. But now, it seemed like�� Damn it. If his younger sister was truly the Void Dragon, Christie would be her creation. And according to his younger sister, the other ��Christie�� was ��born�� from his and her combined power. This meant that the two Christies were sisters. In this case, there wasn��t an issue with Christie calling the other ��Christie�� as her other self�� But��


    Forget it, I will teach her a lesson after I head back!


    Rhode threw this thought to the back of his head decisively. Then, he asked anxiously.


    ��By the way, our daughter has poor health, just like you. Even though it is nothing serious, she doesn��t look optimistic. Do you have any solutions?��


    ��Just like me?��


    The young lady stifled her smile slightly. She lowered her eyes and pondered.


    ��There are ways�� Although I don��t understand the specific situation, I suspect it might be due to the tolerance issue of a fragile human sustaining the formidable power of the Void Dragon. I suppose you��re already aware that dragon soul heirs don��t exactly pass on to the next generation by means of heirs. Instead, only talented ones are able to inherit the dragon soul powers. It seems like�� our child is facing the same problem. It��s a pity. If I gave her my body back then�� No, if I did that, the pitiful child may not be able to survive the spatial turbulence and will be directly ripped apart����


    ��Is there any solution?��


    ��Of course, Big Brother.��


    The young lady smiled at Rhode��s anxious query.


    ��The biggest problem for our child now perhaps is that her human body is unable to tolerate the overbearing dragon soul powers. All you needed to do is to just transform her body to become the Void Dragon Race like you and I. You know it�� Soul changes body, isn��t it?��


    ��But I don��t have such powers����


    ��Yes, you don��t have such powers now. But I will pass you mine. Thereafter, you can become the perfect Void Dragon. This is my mission and my original assignment. And now, it is time for me to accomplish my mission, so please don��t refuse, okay, Big Brother? This is my wish and also for the sake of our daughter����


    The young lady extended her arms and embraced his body. Rhode was taken aback. But he instinctively wrapped his arms around the warm, fragile body. He was aware that perhaps this was the last hug. But even so, he wasn��t willing to let it end.


    ��If this is a beautiful dream, I hope it will never end.��


    ��But one will always awake from dreams, Big Brother.��


    Hearing the familiar voice beside his ear, Rhode felt his younger sister hugging him tightly. He shut his eyes and enclasped the petite figure in his arms.


    ��Big Brother�� please don��t forget. I will be with you forever�� I love you.��


    As the gentle voice that resembled sleep-talk sounded in his ear, his vision was filled with an incomparable radiance. Then, he felt the sweet, familiar pair of lips pressing against his again, while a warm, powerful energy flowed into his body. He hugged the warm body tightly as though they were fusing into one, losing the boundary between them and returning to a presence of an eternity once again. The aromatic scent, soft skin, and beautiful, tender body belonged to him now. From this moment onward, they had become one forever.


    ��I love you too����


    Responding to him was a string of crisp, bell-like chuckles. When he opened his eyes again, there was nothing in his arms.


    The spots of bright light drifting before his eyes were the only proof of what had happened.

 Chapter 1003 - A Risky Plan

    Rhode laid his hands down, quietly gazing at the spots of light fading away. After the final spot of light vanished, he turned around and left the room without looking back. Everything that he experienced here had ended, just like in the past, present, and future. The beginning of a phase meant the end of another.


    Same went for everything else.


    When Rhode returned to the meeting room, the four of them displayed awkward expressions. Arthur gaped, but didn��t speak a word. Ningmi and Ningjing looked at Rhode with complications. Serena let out a cough upon realizing their reaction, but when she was about to speak, Rhode raised his hand and stopped her.


    ��Alright, there��s no need to talk about the past anymore. I��ve heard enough and don��t wish for it to repeat. We need to get back on the right track. I suppose we don��t have time to waste on consoling and having a heart-to-heart chat.��


    ��You��re right.��


    Arthur immediately composed his emotions for business. Then, he stretched out his hand and retrieved four crystal-clear crystals. Inside the beautiful crystals were countless, tiny, constantly revolving runes. They formed a strange, mysterious formula, flashing across the surface of the crystals. Rhode took the four crystals and clearly felt a pure energy exuding from within them. Arthur was right. Rhode didn��t understand the differences between Order and Chaos in the past, but now the crystals in his hands were the perfect representation of Order. Rhode sensed the power of Order coalesce within the crystals, as though they were dismantled furniture, which was then packaged and left right there. All he needed to do was to release it from the crystals and install them according to the steps. They would then become the most natural and perfect system.


    ��After you return, you will need to activate these crystals beside the signal tower, Mr. Rhode. Order within them will automatically complete the next step. You just have to check the system interface from time to time and ensure there are no issues with the merging of Order. Don��t worry, it won��t be a difficult task. We have injected corresponding knowledge in them. As soon as you activate them, you��ll receive the content in them, Mr. Rhode.��


    ��Why me? Can��t the other dragon soul heirs do it?��


    Rhode knitted his brows. In fact, he wasn��t interested in managing the data of a world all day like a Game Master. Game Masters had shift rotations and weren��t even doing the job alone. Were they intending to let him manage the world alone for the rest of his life? Arthur showed a forced smile to Rhode��s question.


    ��I��m really sorry, Mr. Rhode. Everything including the search data fused with your body when you transmigrated. That is why only you can execute adjustments through the system. Of course, the other dragon soul heirs will also sense the subtle changes in Order. But with their abilities, they will have difficulties making adjustments and changes on a high level. Mistakes may even occur by accident if they aren��t careful. This is why we can only rely on you.��


    ��Only me�� Frankly, I can��t guarantee that everything will go well.��


    ��Don��t worry about this. Apart from you, ��No. 7�� can also assist you in this mission.��


    ��What��s that?��


    For some unknown reason, Arthur suddenly mentioned a term which Rhode couldn��t understand at all. Arthur gazed at him, slightly surprised.


    ��It��s the program that we used to search, conform, and confirm the intelligence and rules of this world. Didn��t I explain it to you already? Mr. Rhode, when the program sends you back to the Dragon Soul Continent, it will also send the data with you, just in case. The data includes the program used to gather intelligence. We named it the ��7th Generalized Intelligence Collection And Integration AI��. In short, ��No. 7��. Judging from the current situation, it has already been activated. Didn��t you see it, Mr. Rhode?��


    ���� Why don��t I remember anything about this 7th-what program����


    Rhode scratched his head in puzzlement. He did have the system, but had never witnessed any so-called AI before. Not only that, but the system was also an ordinary one and didn��t come with any artificial intelligence that stuck around with him like in some of the novels. Arthur gazed dubiously at Rhode and at this moment, Ningjing spoke with some hesitation.


    ��By the way, Mr. Rhode. The AI has even given itself a name��Gillian. Does it ring a bell to you?��


    ���� Damn, her����


    Rhdoe��s expression turned strange. After sensing their curious gazes, he gave an awkward cough, suppressing his urge to instantly head back and pull that sly fox out of the hole by her ears. Then, he waved his hand airily and changed the topic.


    ��Yes�� I��m aware. Alright, I know who to look for now. Let��s get back to the main topic. Do all of you really think that everything will be fine?��


    ��Mr Rhode?��


    The four of them stared blankly at him, before exchanging glances with one another. Rhode spread his arms apart and looked into their eyes one by one. Upon sensing his gaze, they revealed unprecedented, helpless expressions. Then, Serena let out a sigh and spoke.


    ��That��s right, Mr. Rhode. This will not be enough and we��re aware of it. But we��re not personally there, after all. The only thing we can do is to strengthen the Order barrier and pray that it can defend against the attacks of Chaos for much longer. This is the only thing we can do. And it is our only choice.��


    ��I don��t think of it this way. In fact, when I spoke to her earlier, I suddenly came up with an idea and she supported me. If my idea can work, we can resolve this problem once and for all.��


    That��s right. That was Rhode��s true thoughts. After meeting his younger sister, he seized the moment and thought about the situation. Then, he realized that the Creator Dragons�� solution was only a temporary and not permanent cure to the problem. Indeed, the strength of Order would solidify with the addition of these rules and might become much stronger. But this wasn��t enough at all. If this were for Earth, humans wouldn��t need to worry about this problem because earth was relatively safe in the universe. Apart from the acts of self-destruction from humans, the only external problems would come from either the sun extinguishing itself or getting hit by meteorites. Also, other than the meteorites that burned out of life in the atmosphere, the only catastrophic meteorite that could crash into Earth only occurred once in a few thousands years.


    On the other hand, the current situation for the Dragon Soul Continent was as though it were facing constant meteor showers and from time to time, several devastating meteorites were also mixed among them. Apart from this, many people also sought death by attempting to summon more powerful meteorites and even ��planets�� to destroy the continent. In this case, even if the strength of Order was as sturdy as a turtle shell, it would eventually crumple in one day. The four of them didn��t need to worry about this problem anymore. It wasn��t that they were cold-blooded, but since they couldn��t return, there was no point in worrying about it. But it was different for Rhode. He only came here as a mental projection through the enhanced connection of the signal tower. If anything were to happen to him, it wouldn��t be surprising that the rest of his afterlife would be spent in the Dragon Soul Continent. For his safety, he didn��t wish to live under the roof that would be crushed by a hail of meteors�� When that happened, he would be busy robbing Peter to pay Paul.


    ��Oh?��


    The four Creator Dragons lifted their heads instantly, gazing at Rhode curiously. They knew who was the ��her�� that Rhode mentioned. They also knew that it wasn��t nice of them to do this, but�� this was all that they could do. Their curiosity piqued immediately after hearing from Rhode that he had a way to resolve the problem once and for all.


    ��What ideas do you have, Mr. Rhode?��


    ��Firstly, I want to be sure of something. The Dragon Soul Continent should be just like what you described: a world wrapped inside an egg, with the dragon soul protection as the shell, right?��


    Rhode asked sternly. In fact, he wasn��t too confident of this thought. After all, everything he knew was based on the game and now, since the ��creators�� were here, it was most important for him to gather information.


    ��You��re right.��


    Although they didn��t know what Rhode was building up to, they eventually nodded. But Rhode didn��t seem too assured yet. He asked again.


    ��Just to confirm, the dragon soul protection envelops the entire continent, including the four elemental planes, Seven Fantasy Boundaries, and hell, right?��


    ��Yes. The Seven Fantasy Boundaries and four elemental planes are on the main plane. But as the concepts of existence are different, it isn��t possible for people to discover their presence. As for hell�� it is less obvious. They didn��t only make use of the dragon soul power to protect themselves from Chaos, but they also took advantage of the Order barrier. But in terms of strength, it is almost the same.��


    ��In this case�� I think it will work����


    ��What exactly are you trying to do, Mr. Rhode?��


    Serena asked nervously, gazing at Rhode��s proud expression. No matter what this was the world that they created. If there were any accidents, they wouldn��t be able to return and make up to him.


    ��Simple.��


    At this moment, Rhode seemed to be in a good mood. The edges of his mouth lifted uncharacteristically into a smile. He spread his arms apart.


    ��Since we can��t beat it, we can only escape. There is an infinite amount of Chaos and we can��t possibly win. In this case�� Why can��t we build an ultralarge Dimension Gate and transport the entire Dragon Soul Continent to another world? Even though other worlds may also not be safe, compared to a continent flooded with Chaos, wouldn��t it be a great choice? If we transmigrate to a place similar to Earth where Chaos poses no threats, wouldn��t our future lives be much safer?��


    The Creator Dragons were bewildered.

 Chapter 1004 - What I Can and Want to Do

    In an instant, the meeting room fell into a unique silence. Rhode shrugged, gazing at the four stupefied people. In fact, Rhode wasn��t the first person who suggested this idea because he suddenly recalled a novel that he had read about escaping disasters. Humans on Earth installed several massive propellers to force Earth off its orbit. Although this was only pure sci-fi, he had to admit that this gave him some inspiration. If you don��t want to do it, why can��t I? Why must I stay here and die with you? Besides, one was limited while the other was unlimited. As long as one didn��t have any mental problems, one would know that it was unfavorable to continue resisting.


    ��Why? Aren��t you concerned about the risks and dangers from transmigrating immigrants? There won��t be any issue if we transmigrate the entire continent, right? The dragon soul protection should be able to resist the spatial turbulence and other possible dangers. What do you think of this idea?��


    ��This����


    One by one, the four of them knitted their brows and pondered carefully. Then, Arthur forced a chuckle and nodded.


    ��Frankly, Mr. Rhode, this is a really bold idea. We never thought of doing it and theoretically speaking, it is possible. But�� the risks are huge. Besides����


    ��Yes, you��re right. To eke out a living until the last person dies or to gather everyone and carry bravely on a journey that may possibly destroy everyone, this is indeed a problem.��


    Rhode understood what Arthur meant before he finished his sentence. Indeed, a higher presence like the Creator Dragons naturally understood the threats of Chaos. But how about the ordinary people? Transmigrating the entire continent involved high risks and dangers. If anything were to go wrong, everything might collapse. When that happened, the Dragon Soul Continent would be destroyed in their hands rather than by Chaos. This was as though two glasses of poisoned wine, where one would seal the throat while the other would allow the victim to speak a few last words. That was their choice. Of course, if one were more cautious, it wouldn��t be possible to be like Earth, where they permitted elites and talents to enter different Dimension Gates by batches. If they were fortunate enough, they might possibly find a world similar to Earth. Perhaps the chances were low, but there ought to be one that would lead to ��paradise�� after passing through 100 Dimension Gates. And as long as they could survive in the new world, they could reproduce and continue civilization.


    But��


    ��I admit, just as you said, I��m someone from another world. I��m not any of you and can��t understand how you created, cared, and protected this world. But�� Everyone. Even children have to graduate from school, leave their parents, step into society to work, live, love, and get married one day.��


    Rhode waved his hand.


    ��This is why I can��t dedicate myself to it until the very end. All I can think of will either be the best of both worlds or benefit me only. I don��t want to cover up the truth. To me, this proposal is my final thought. Apart from that, I can��t only act like what you said: escape through the Dimension Gate if we fail to resist Chaos. I suppose I can more or less protect some people and head into a beautiful, new world using my power. Since we want to see great results, we need to work hard. It is the same for both the game and reality. If you want to raid a dungeon perfectly, then don��t anticipate the commander to prepare everything beforehand because if you don��t work hard, everything will be for naught. Since they also crave for a peaceful life, they shouldn��t hide behind the safety of others and should also share the risks. If they tremble in fear and hide like ostriches, avoiding reality while you��re fighting to the death, that will be their own problem.��


    ��But Mr. Rhode, they��re ordinary people, after all����


    ��Ants will bite when they��re facing threats. If they are worse than ants, they are better off killing themselves than to burden others. As long as they��re able-bodied, they will be useful in some way. So, how is it? Don��t tell me that they��re just a bunch of batteries soaked in nutrient fluid and used for intubation. Even if they are, they can still be used to generate electricity.��


    Rhode had no hesitation about it. He respected the Creator Dragons, but now, he felt the need to explain the situation clearly because he was the person in that world, unlike the ��former�� Creator Dragons who were as though ironic animal protectionists who escaped disaster and lived their lives savoring nutritional food while calling loudly to protect animals and promote the coexistence of people and animals. If one were to abandon them in the Gobi Desert without any food, they would probably eat a panda. Since ancient times, the animal protectionists, human rights activists, and liberals were all the same: a group of incompetent fools. After eating and drinking their fill, they spread their presumingly noble and unrealistic ideals, disrupting this world of its peace. They had no intelligence, lacked knowledge, and yet they did everything they wanted with their self-righteous enthusiasm. Forget about those who naively released cobras in residential areas, those dimwits who brazenly entered research institutes to release animals infected with deadly viruses back to the city and turned an entire city into a ghost town were the biggest threat to mankind. Not only that, but they were also unrepentant, irresponsibly pushing the blame to the world�� This group of dimwits was mostly likely those passionate, idiotic characters in ��Jurassic Park��. When they had nowhere to go after being chased by the very dinosaurs they released, they would understand their true standpoint.


    ���� We understand now, Mr. Rhode.��


    After a few moments, Serena sighed as though she accepted Rhode��s suggestion and said. She retrieved a gemstone from her pocket and extended her arm. Along with her action, she injected a pure, spiritual radiance into it. Shortly after, Ningmi and Ningjing took over the gemstone and made a few hand gestures above it. Finally, Arthur grasped the gemstone and closed his eyes. Then, the glamorous gemstone instantly turned dull and pitch-black. He handed it over to Rhode.


    ��This gemstone contains the production resources of the Dimension Gate, Mr. Rhode. Honestly, your idea is really bold. But�� this may be a great solution.��


    ��High risks, high rewards.��


    Rhode accepted the gemstone and scanned it.


    ��How will you be rewarded if you don��t work hard for it? Don��t you agree?��


    ��You��re right.��


    Arthur said and became silent. He exchanged glances with the three women, before continuing.


    ��Since you��ve come this far, we don��t feel the need to cover up the truth from you anymore, Mr. Rhode. If you really want to do it, we suggest that you find the Order Star first.��


    ��Order Star? What is that?��


    Rhode was taken aback. He quickly recalled his memories and realized that he had never heard of this thing. Shortly after, Serena answered.


    ��Mr. Rhode, you��re also aware that Order and Chaos are relative. The disorder in Chaos reflects the presence of Order, while the destruction of Order symbolizes the generation of Chaos. This is the origin of us, the Creator Dragons. We used the strength of Order within Chaos to create this continent. Because without Order, there won��t be Chaos. But too much Chaos will destroy Order, like a self-breeding virus, like how humans raise animals and slaughter them for food. Through the creation of Order, Chaos will destroy and abstract its energy to expand its presence. But ordinary people won��t realize that Order is buried underneath the infinite Chaos. In fact, the entire Dragon Soul Continent is created through using the hidden strength of Order.��


    Arthur said, spreading his arms apart.


    ��If you go through space and arrive at another world, you will be like us. Even if you possess powerful strength, you can��t cast any spells in them. Order in the entire Dragon Soul Continent may possibly collapse and all energy systems will be remodified and divided. Therefore, just in case, we hope you can find the Order Star and fuse it with the continent to perfection. This way, even if you head to another world, Order in the Dragon Soul Continent will remain an independent existence and won��t enter different rules and lose its energy.��


    Really?


    Rhode knitted his brows slightly. According to the Creator Dragons, this Order Star should be the source to create this world.


    ��So where is it now?��


    ��We aren��t too sure. Back then when we created the world, we didn��t keep it closely with us in order for it to not be discovered by Chaos. But according to our understanding, it should be somewhere deep in Chaos. It will be a really dangerous task�� Mr. Rhode, if you intend to retrieve it, please be mentally prepared.��


    ���� I understand now. Thanks for your reminder.��


    At this moment, the meeting room gradually turned blurry. Rhode looked at the surroundings; everything was beginning to display weird reflections. The four Creator Dragons quelled their expressions, before gazing helplessly at the happenings.


    ��Seems like time is up����


    Rhode��s body slowly became transparent. There wasn��t enough energy to maintain his projection in this world anymore. Rhode shrugged at this thought, before lifting his head and gazing at them.


    ��Alright, please don��t worry and leave this matter to me. This is the only thing that I can do for all of you.��


    ��This may be harder than you imagine.��


    ��I know.��


    Rhode turned around and waved his hand airily.


    ��I can only do it myself if you aren��t willing to. Don��t rely on others if you want to do something. I feel that it is more reliable to handle it myself. So then, everyone�� Goodbye.��


    The walls vanished and a white radiance enveloped the place. Everything within it disappeared.

 Chapter 1005 - The Beginning to Connect the Present and Future

    The weightless dizziness struck Rhode as the white radiance enfolding him gradually disappeared. He closed his eyes and opened them after a few moments. The blurry, white radiance slowly turned into a clear light. Shortly after, he witnessed people standing below him. The light column that enveloped him slowly dissipated. The flickering light on the signal tower became less distinct.


    ��Sigh����


    Rhode let out a long sigh, resting his hand on the signal tower for support. Perhaps the signal tower had used his power to activate the signal, which explained why he felt extremely exhausted. However, the rewards from this trip were great. Rhode clutched the gemstone in his hand and swept a glance at the system interface before him. Ever since he returned to his senses, he kept hearing pleasing jingles from it. He couldn��t be more familiar with it. It was the sound of leveling up.


    ��Seems like this trip was the right choice?��


    Gazing at the [LV100 (+30)] detail at the top of the screen, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. Not only did he receive the power that his younger sister had left him, but he also gained strength from the four Creator Dragons. They purified their power, wisdom, and techniques and passed them all to him, which increased his strength dramatically. Even though the system interface showed that Rhode was at the maximum level of 100 like the other Creator Dragons, he had an additional 30 levels now. Although the extra 30 levels didn��t provide him with more skill points, his overall attributes had shot up drastically. He was sure that with his current strength, he could take on any dragon soul heir without pressure.


    Of course, it would be hard to tell if he faced the twin dragons��


    ��Let��s go with this����


    After being forcefully upgraded to level 100, he currently owned between 40 and 50 skill points, where not even Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had this many. But of course, they were only players while Rhode had literally become a ��BOSS��. If he were of the same caliber as players, it wouldn��t make any sense at all.


    Shortly after, he quickly filled up the remaining six talents in his talent trees. He spent nearly 20 skill points on [Holy Code: Energy of Illusion], [Soul Code: Undead to Death], [Sinister Code: Spirit Traveler], [Sword Legion], [King��s Path], and [Absolute Willpower].


    [Holy Code: Energy of Illusion] could strengthen the cards that were equipped on him and separate them from him. In the past, Rhode needed to equip the card on himself when he wanted to use its abilities. But after unlocking [Energy of Illusion], he only needed to summon the card, battle alongside it, and he could obtain its strength and techniques.


    [Soul Code: Undead to Death] was a killer weapon against undead creatures. Within the range of [Undead to Death], all of his summoned spirits would possess a certain probability to ignore defense and deal an instant, killing blow to undead creatures. This also meant that he would have higher success rates against the attack of undead creatures in the future.


    [Sinister Code: Spirit Traveler] would fire up Rhode��s spiritual powers, making him immune to all skill damage for a period of time, and after the effects ended, he would continue to possess a 50 percent chance of immunity and counter damage until the battle ended. Rhode felt really satisfied. It would be too miserable for him if he couldn��t be invincible in the same ways as a BOSS.


    [Sword Legion] was a passive talent. It could instantly summon all cards in the entire deck, while consuming only the energy required for summoning one spirit. Moreover, it could strengthen all spirits in the deck by 15 percent and make them share the damage taken by Rhode. In other words, the more spirits he summoned, the less damage he would receive�� But it was a pity that there was also a limit to it. If not, he could basically summon 300 spirits and would be completely invincible.


    [King��s Path] was a relatively huge teleportation ritual. Rhode could teleport himself and his subjects to a specified location. But it was a pity that this skill was only effective under his very own dragon soul protection. If he were to use this skill in other territories, the effects would be weakened and might not even work. This completely smashed his hopes of teleporting a squad of elites to backstab enemies. He finally understood why the teleportation rituals of the protagonists in movies and games couldn��t send them directly to the final bad guy. It was due to the plot needs, it seemed�� No, it was beyond one��s power.


    At this moment, he seemed to detect something incredible.


    [Absolute Willpower] made him realize the truest and most powerful part of being a Creator Dragon. This particular skill allowed him to revive people who worshiped his dragon soul power and return them back in perfect condition! Those revived by him would automatically become his direct subjects and receive powerful strength. But the strength would be relative to their level of devotion. The more they were devoted to the Void Dragon, the higher the chances for them to be revived and receive strength. If not, those people under his dragon soul protection would technically never die.


    It seemed like his talent trees had also changed as he turned into the Void Dragon. Not only were his previous talents enhanced in strength, but also the newer talents were so powerful that they seemed like ��cheats��. But�� this should be the way for a BOSS. He was one of the Creator Dragons, so how could his talents be the same as players?


    And next��


    Rhode widened his eyes slightly at the three talents that had fused together as one. Then, he shifted his gaze away and the screen changed into a new form along in his movement.


    [Detected Number 1, Number 2, Number 3, and Number 4 additional data. About to connect to Number 0 port. Confirm to activate port?]


    After reading the system prompt, Rhode answered softly in his head.


    Activate.


    [Port activation complete, begin downloading of upgrade data. Please do not turn off the power. Awaiting completion of data download before installation process. Download progress 5%�� 10%�� 15%��]


    Will I be able to turn off the power even if I want to? Rhode gazed at the system prompt and criticized it in his head. But shortly after, he lost the mood to ridicule it.


    The world began to transform at this moment.


    The bright radiance dimmed as though it were contaminated by darkness. This scene left the people below knitting their brows anxiously. But shortly after, Rhode gestured for them to not act rashly. The group witnessed the signal tower coalesced from crystal shine brighter. One by one, mysterious, flying characters rushed forth and gathered. At the same time, the entire world became darker. It wasn��t a dark luster, but more like everything around them was slowly turning faint and illusory.


    ��That is����


    Erin gazed astonishingly at the signal tower before her. Anyone who was as powerful as her sensed an incomparable aura of Order exuding from within. No, not only exuding, but also suffusing in all directions. This burst in the aura of Order felt similar to when godlike figures awakened their strength and inherited new roles. But Erin knew that this was entirely different because she vaguely sensed that this aura of Order was not only infiltrating the continent, but was also altering and adding to the rules within!


    How is this possible?


    Erin was baffled. Even though she wasn��t a dragon soul heir, she had grown up with Ion. Perhaps she wasn��t experienced in politics, but she understood her big brother well. With Ion��s abilities, he might be able to ��change�� the rules to a certain degree. But to entirely ��modify�� and ��increase�� the rules were impossible! If not, Ion wouldn��t need to rely on his undead armies anymore. He could simply change the rules of this world and dominate the entire continent!


    But now, the energy erupting from the signal tower was slowly and unwaveringly changing this world. Even though Erin wasn��t aware of the reasons behind it, she knew that it was related to Rhode. Although she knew that this Void Dragon who appeared out of nowhere was a difficult person to handle, she didn��t expect him to be this difficult�� which was almost exaggerating. Who knew what rules he was ��transmitting�� to this world exactly?!


    Erin grimaced at this thought. She had always hoped that someone could stop her big brother��s impetuous and arbitrary ideas. She couldn��t rely on the twin dragons because they wouldn��t move from their nest unless the world was on the verge of destruction. On the other hand, the Light Dragon was completely unreliable. Without a choice, Erin paid close attention to Rhode, who suddenly appeared and was strong enough to stop her big brother. But it seemed like there was also a limit to how far this man could stop her big brother despite him suddenly becoming the Void Dragon and owning a huge territory. No matter from which aspect, Rhode had only just become a dragon soul heir and in terms of ability execution, he couldn��t possibly pose too much threat to her big brother. But this was the first time that she felt doubtful after sensing this powerful strength. Was her judgment wrong?


    She could accept Rhode as a stumbling block because this way, she could at least slow down her big brother��s reckless thoughts and actions. But what if Rhode wasn��t a stumbling block and was a tall mountain or an endless abyss instead? Would there be any meaning left if her big brother failed, fell into the abyss, and couldn��t get out of the predicament?


    Should I eliminate this threat once and for all now?


    This thought flashed in her mind. Even though she felt that Rhode was an interesting person and hoped that he could cause some ��harmless�� failures in the Country of Darkness, she absolutely hated to see the destruction of the Country of Darkness. Based on the fact that Rhode could change and even increase rules and Order, this showed that he was a troublesome enemy. As the princess of the Country of Darkness, her priority was to remove this threat completely. But��


    No.


    The murderous intent lasted for only a brief moment in Erin��s mind. If she were facing Rhode earlier, she was confident enough to kill him in a single attack. But it was different now. Even though only a few moments had gone, the presence and pressure that he brought upon them were as deep as the abyss. Even though it wasn��t as heavy and breathless like her big brother��s, Rhode��s imposing presence was like the massive ocean while Erin stood by the shore, gazing in awe from the bottom of her heart. This was what she felt from Rhode right now.


    I can��t defeat him. In this case, I��ll only make things worse if I act rashly. It seems like��


    Erin let out a subtle sigh.


    Perhaps I have to really consider fulfilling the duties of my identity and�� protecting the safety of the Country of Darkness.


    At the same time, an unspeakable fluctuation in the air erupted. Then, the entire world came to a halt.


    [Data download complete, begin upgrade. Please do not turn off power during the upgrade process]


    How about you tell me how I can turn it off��


    Rhode gazed at the system prompt, speechless.

 Chapter 1006 - Everything That is Changing

    [Upgrade Complete. Rebooting system]


    After Rhode witnessed the lines of system prompt, his entire world shook. Then, his vision turned black. A faint, golden thread glowed and transformed into an enormous square that exploded and expanded across the land, scattering quickly into countless golden threads that were intertwined into a massive web. For some unknown reason, Rhode realized he was as though overlooking the sky, watching the web of golden threads enfold the whole Dragon Soul Continent. The golden web gradually twisted and changed its shape as though welcoming a certain presence. Shortly after, the innumerable golden threads slowly vanished before his eyes. The dragon soul protection over the Dragon Soul Continent had completely changed its form. If it was said that the dragon soul protection in the past was as though a rubber cover, it had now become a solid, matchless defense barrier made of alloy. The entire energy system was slowly operating, re-abstracting, and changing the structure and composition of the strength of Order, as well as strengthening the defenses and resistances against the outside world.


    Everything seemed rather similar to when Rhode transcended into the Legendary Stage. But now, he felt a deeper connection, as though he was connected to the world and the world was a part of him. As long as he swung his arm or thrust his foot forward, he could change the world completely. Unlike using a powerful might to destroy everything, it was something more special and natural, just like the inevitable changes when a human moved.


    But this feeling only lasted a few minutes, before everything returned to normal.


    Rhode��s vision was pitch-black. After returning to his senses, everything before his eyes had disappeared and was replaced by a system interface that had completely changed its form. If it was said that the system interface in the past was a standard client of a certain online game, the system interface now was more like a large-scale framework for strategic simulation games. Not only could he read the current situations of the entire continent, but he could also witness the strength of the other dragons�� territories, as well as the balance and structure between Order and Chaos.


    The stability level of Order for the Country of Darkness, Country of Law, and Void Territory was above 95 percent on average. The Country of Law was nearly 100 percent, the Void Territory was around 90 percent, and the Country of Darkness was around 85 percent. On the contrary, the Country of Light had the lowest stability level of Order at 59 percent, and the corrosion rate of Chaos was the highest ,at 41 percent. Based on the icon colors, most of the regions in the Country of Darkness, Country of Law, and Void Territory were in green which represented stability of Order. On the contrary, almost all regions in the Country of Light were yellow, like a desert, except for Casabianca, which was in green. Some of the stability level of Order in remote areas had fallen below 30 percent; completely corroded by Chaos. In other words, there were no hopes in recovering them.


    ��This is really troublesome.��


    After scanning the upgraded system interface, Rhode finally understood why the four Creator Dragons needed him to complete the mission. He discovered some visual reminders on the system interface. If he were to compare the entire continent to a spaceship and he was the commander, he would hold the authority to read, investigate, and make decisions. But apart from that, the way the spaceship flew, received intelligence, or changed the programming structure was all managed by the AI.


    ��Mechanical worshiping of postmodern, social civilization�� Sigh. How I wish it wasn��t this automated.��


    Rhode gazed at the map before him and criticized it in his head. There were no options for him to adjust features of the continent. In other words, he couldn��t possibly be like Game Masters who could simply ban players or fix bugs in the game. On the contrary, he had to work for the changes. For instance, the Country of Light with an unstable level of Order. In order to stabilize the level of Order, Rhode had to dispatch men to eradicate Chaos in the affected areas and couldn��t simply adjust the proportions of Chaos and Order using the system interface.


    But the biggest benefit this upgraded system brought to Rhode was the ability to completely monitor movements of the entire continent. Moreover, Rhode would be notified when Order in a certain region was compromised and could nip the problem in the bud immediately. Furthermore, his system was as though an omnidirectional, three-dimensional satellite that allowed him to see everything that was happening in the continent. But perhaps due to the difference in strength of dragon soul protection, some areas weren��t as visible to him. For instance, he could only discern the topographic map of the Country of Law and Country of Darkness and not clearly see their buildings and people, as they were covered in a thick layer of gray smoke. On the contrary, apart from Casabianca in the Country of Light, the other places were basically revealed to him��


    The situation in the Country of Light seems really dangerous.


    Even though Rhode sensed weakness in the Light Dragon in the past, those were only guesses, after all. But now, he felt it deeply after seeing the various data on the Country of Light. At this point in time, the Light Dragon��s soul protection over the Country of Light was like a piece of cheese with holes corroded by Chaos. Not only that, but the conversion efficiency of the Light Dragon was also the lowest, maintaining at the minimum level. If she were compared to a power plant, perhaps a slight increase in pressure could cause a power trip.


    The main energy source that supplied the dragon soul protection over the Country of Light came from the Munn Kingdom and other regions�� Which was a horribly tragic sight. The country was riddled with problems and was pitiful and heart-wrenching. The Country of Light was as though an infected, rotten, and swollen wound. Rhode had to either heal or remove the wound completely. If the wound was left untreated, the infection would spread. When that happened, it would be more complicated and challenging to resolve the problem.


    It seems like it is essential to resolve the problem with the Country of Light.


    Rhode pondered in silence. In order to transmigrate the entire continent, he needed to ensure the dragon soul protection over the continent was perfect. Of course, it wouldn��t work having the dragon soul protection over the Country of Light in this broken state now. If he were to transport the entire continent in this state, the whole continent would take off like an unchecked spaceship and only god knew whether the spaceship would end up as the ��Space Shuttle Challenger disaster�� [1. A fatal incident in the United States space program that happened on January 28, 1986.] or ��Space Shuttle Columbia disaster��. [2. Second fatal incident in the United States space program that happened on February 1, 2003, following the incident in 1986.]


    It seemed like the issues in the Country of Light were getting more complicated. In the past, Rhode had the intention of watching from the sidelines only because he could still transfer Lilian over safely and leave the Country of Light to their demise. The death of others in the Country of Light also had nothing to do with him at all. But now, for his plan to succeed, he had to attach some importance to their problems. No matter if it were to ensure that Lilian could completely grasp the nation or if he had to deal with the Country of Light, he needed to end the chaotic situation before him.


    Forget it. I��ll think about it after I head back.


    Rhode waved his arm at this thought, shutting down the system interface. Then, he lifted his head and descended down the stairs. Everyone crowded around him quickly and many realized the changes in him from the inside-out, where a powerful, unstoppable aura suffused from him. This meant something even more for Mini Bubble Gum and Canary.


    ��Leader, I have to solemnly draw a clear line between us from today onward. I��m extremely dissatisfied with your illogical way of leveling up����


    Mini Bubble Gum crossed her arms and spoke with knitted brows and a pout. On the other hand, Canary smiled in silence, while the holy sword spirits looked with dubious expressions. Because they felt a familiar scent from Rhode��s aura.


    ��Master, you�� the�� Void Dragon?��


    ��Yes, and a few others.��


    Rhode nodded and answered Celestina��s astonishing question. Considering the fact that Erin was also present, Rhode didn��t go into details. However, the holy sword spirits couldn��t contain their surprise any longer, where even Karin pushed up her glasses and her eyes glinted in an unprecedented flash.


    ��Master, can you explain the details?��


    ��Now is not the time.��


    Rhode lowered his head, gazing at Christie, who was looking at him in uncertainty. Then, he smiled and stroked her long hair gently. In fact, he felt complicated emotions looking at Christie now. He had to admit that he wasn��t mentally prepared to be a father yet. Even though he always treated Christie well, he felt like he had more responsibility to look after her now, after learning that she was his daughter�� He didn��t know how, but it seemed like he had to act like her father now. But the most important problem was��


    ��Let��s head back.��

 Chapter 1007 - Directions to The Future

    After activating the signal and upgrading the system interface, Rhode��s group sealed up the Deepest Labyrinth once again and returned to the Void Territory. This was an extremely important matter to everyone. Rhode gathered his trusted aides, which included Marlene, Lize, Anne, Lapis, Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, Orchid Heart, Alice, Gillian, the five holy sword spirits, and anyone who were qualified to know his secrets, for a meeting as soon as he returned to the Void Territory. This time, Rhode confessed everything, including the final whereabouts of the Creator Dragons, his relations with the Void Dragon, situations that would occur in the future, and his proposal to ��transmigrate�� the entire continent to another world.


    After hearing the news, no matter the natives or players like Marlene and Canary, they were all equally stumped. In an instant the meeting room was in an odd silence. After a few moments, Mini Bubble Gum widened her eyes and asked in disbelief.


    ��Are you for real? The game that we played was made by the Creator Dragons?��


    ��After I awakened my powers, I learned from my past memories that the five Creator Dragons left this plane of existence for another world. But I didn��t expect�� you to be from that world, Rhode���� Marlene returned to her senses and stuttered. This news had baffled her. Or perhaps, everyone was stunned by this news. Except for one person.


    ��Gillian.��


    Rhode narrowed his eyes and swept a glance at the fox-eared young lady who was smiling cheekily.


    ��Do you have anything to say?��


    ��Aiyah-yah, Master. Since you��re already aware of everything, I have no choice but to admit it now����


    Gillian chuckled, stood up straight, and gave a bow.


    ��Alright then, allow me to introduce myself once more. I am the primary server��s core unit program for B&M Company����7th Generalized Intelligence Collection And Integration AI��. You can call me ��No.7�� or simply ��Gillian��. Of course, I personally prefer the latter. After all, it just feels strange for you to call me a so-called AI, isn��t it?��


    ��I wasn��t aware that artificial intelligence had evolved to this level����


    Mini Bubble Gum pouted, gazing at the giggling Gillian.


    ��Could it be that Big Sister and I are also artificial intelligence like you?��


    ��That��s not the case, Bubble. Well, I don��t see the need to hide any secrets now. In fact, anyone who enters the game will have some of their spirits extracted in secret and they will turn into spiritual power that I can use to maintain and support my intelligence gathering. It is essential to have spirits to create a world. As a result, you can consider yourselves as your own clones, while Master has the strength to materialize your clones into reality through thoughts.��


    Gillian stuck out and shook her finger proudly.


    ��Oh. By the way, I��m not a so-called artificial intelligence. I��m a subject fully created by the four Creator Dragons. But I figured, wouldn��t it be strange to exist in that world if I didn��t have a high-tech name?��


    ��I don��t understand�� but it seems like�� Sister Bubble, Sister Canary, and Mr. Rhode came from another world?�� Lize raised her hand timidly and asked. ��So then�� will all of you return to your world?��


    ��Just like I said, we can��t return even if we want to because there isn��t only one world between ours. If it weren��t for the almighty four Creator Dragons, perhaps it would be impossible for me to communicate with them through my projection. To us, this place is like our second home now.��


    ��Ah�� That��s great�� Ah, no! I didn��t mean that����


    Lize heaved a sigh of relief hearing Rhode��s response, before muttering under her breath. Shortly after, she realized that her words didn��t sound good, which she quickly waved her hands about in embarrassment. Fortunately, no one was offended and Mini Bubble Gum even patted Lize��s shoulder.


    ��It��s no big deal, Lize. So what if we can��t return? Besides, even if we do return, we will just bring you along with us. Listen, even though our world is boring, there are lots of fun things to do. I guarantee there are many things that you��ve never seen before! Hahaha. The thought of your flustered face is gonna make it so much fun!��


    ��Ugh����


    Lize lowered her head with red painted across her face. But this was just an episode, after all. Rhode swept a look at Lize simply, before turning around for something more important.


    ��So Master has already found a solution to solidify the strength of Order���� Unlike Lize, Alice was more concerned about the substantive problem. Or perhaps she just wasn��t interested if Rhode��s bed had additional space for her. ��I don��t really understand the specifics of that world. But some things�� like the reputation level that you mentioned, Your Majesty, are they reliable?��


    ��I don��t think it poses a huge problem.��


    Canary, who was pondering in silence, said.


    ��These things are closely related to reality. However, this world lacks the concept, that��s all. In our world, it is really common to have this concept. You learn and gain knowledge and power��these are the experience points. After you reach a certain level with your studies, you can break through the bottleneck and reach a new stage��this is level up. Even though I don��t really understand how rules work in this world, I suppose they add a standard to original behaviors, that��s all.��


    That makes sense�� considering the years we spent playing ��earth simulation�� games. This isn��t too surprising.


    ��Alright then. Let��s discuss the next and most important problem.��


    Rhode turned to Lapis.


    ��Lapis, as I have explained, if we were to transmigrate the entire Dragon Soul Continent to another world through the Dimension Gate, how do you judge the risk levels and feasibility based on our current technological level? How long do we need?��


    ��Ah, yes�� Sir, please give me a moment to think about it���� Lapis knitted her brows and pondered deeply. Then, she turned to Marlene and they whispered into each other��s ear. Lapis shook and nodded her head, before looking up and spoke to Rhode. ��I��m sorry, Sir. We have limited information on our hands, especially about the Dragon Soul Continent and the node installations����


    ��I can resolve them.��


    Rhode shook his head and interrupted Lapis. Then, he reached out for a gemstone in his pocket��the item that the Creator Dragons had given him. After returning to this world, Rhode checked its contents, but eventually couldn��t figure them out. He was better off leaving it to the experts.


    ��All information regarding the Dimension Gate and other areas are inside this gemstone that the Creator Dragons have given me. I need you and Marlene to research and confirm the amount of materials, time, and manpower needed for us to execute this plan as soon as possible. Also, find out the location we should set the items, as well as the various dangers and situations that will happen. If your current tasks aren��t that important, delegate them to your assistants. This new task will be your main priority. Oh, by the way, I��ve made my decision regarding the production issue of the magic furnaces. The civilians are allowed to purchase them in limited quantities. As for the other aspects, we will make them on our own.��


    ��Got it, Rhode.��


    Marlene nodded slightly. Then, she gazed worriedly at the man before her.


    ��You intend to convince the other dragon soul heirs?��


    ��There is no harm in trying. If worst comes to worst, we will just have to do it ourselves. I know it is cruel, but it is up to them to seize the opportunity as it presents itself. If they put their heads in the noose, then it is their freedom to wait for death to fall upon them���� Rhode spread his arms apart and shrugged. ��I will try, but don��t pin too much hope on me. After all, who can ever read their minds?��


    ��Yes�� You have to threaten, blackmail, and deceive everything in order to become the perfect diplomat.��


    Marlene sighed and shook her head. Just as Rhode mentioned, it would be extremely tough to convince the other dragon soul heirs to agree with him. Rhode had his eyes on the future while they focused on the present. Of course, courage and imagination were required to come up with imaginary future plans. One would only relate to reality when it was formed by past, present, and future.


    ��Senior Heart.��


    Rhode shifted his gaze to Orchid Heart.


    ��I need you to form an elite team to eradicate Chaos. Like us, they will accept missions, eliminate Chaos, and receive rewards. Form a comprehensive team and leave them in Gillian��s care. I abstracted some information from Grazite��s soul stone and it seems like Chaos isn��t going to stay silent. We have to be prepared before that.��


    Orchid Heart nodded slightly. Then, she yawned, before responding.


    ��I have no problems finding people for the team. But Rhode, what should we do if we lose them?��


    ��Don��t worry about it.��


    The corners of Rhode��s lips lifted.


    ��I have said earlier that after the rules merge, this continent we��re on will become similar to the one that we know. In other words, some things that can only be accomplished in the game can also be done here.��


    ��What you��re saying is����


    Everyone stared blankly. Shortly after, Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Orchid Heart returned to their senses. Mini Bubble Gum blinked in excitement as she gazed straight at Rhode. Rhode looked at her and nodded slightly.


    ��That��s right, Bubble. It is just as you think. The moment for you to display your full potential will come in the future.��

 Chapter 1008 - Hibernating Fragments

    After setting the target, everyone started working immediately. Shortly after, missions were issued one after another and every aspect was worked on methodically. Of course, most of them didn��t understand the reason behind it as Rhode didn��t provide an explanation. Although the threat of Chaos existed, most people hadn��t personally experienced the dangers and crises it brought. Rhode handed Celestina the task of analyzing Grazite��s memories. It wasn��t simple to read the memories of a devil��s chaotic mind. Their chaotic nature turned the simplest of thoughts upside down and confused the causes and effects. If it weren��t for a demon like Celestina who was familiar with devils, perhaps it would be harder than climbing to heaven to arrange Grazite��s thoughts and intentions. This was even based on Grazite as the ��devil who most resembled demons��. If it were any other devil, perhaps Celestina couldn��t read their minds at all.


    On the other hand, after Rhode issued the missions, he locked himself up in the room as he had more important matters to attend to.


    One of the important matters was about Christie. Rhode didn��t confess Christie��s identity to everyone. He intended to speak to the other ��Christie�� about it. He believed that the other ��Christie�� was surely aware of it and didn��t have the intention of telling him the truth. If not, she wouldn��t have kept it a secret until now. Rhode also didn��t know what Christie would think about herself after knowing the truth. This made things really difficult for Rhode.


    The other problem was about himself.


    After returning to the Void Territory, Rhode scanned through his attributes and discovered something really strange. He still couldn��t transform into the dragon form.


    Based on the concept of the Void Dragon, Rhode should be able to transform into an enormous, mighty dragon. There was no doubt about it. In the game, the three final BOSS forms of the Dark Dragon were in the form of a large dragon. Moreover, Rhode had also personally witnessed Erin in her dragon form, as well as the twin dragons in the Country of Law whom they, as the dragon soul heirs, could transform into dragons effortlessly. Therefore, it was impossible that Rhode couldn��t take up the dragon form as one of the Creator Dragons. What astonished him was that he totally lacked this ability.


    There wasn��t a talent within the talent trees that could transform him into a dragon. There were no changes in race techniques either. Rhode checked the system interface from top to bottom, but failed to find anything related to it. He was incomparably depressed. Thereafter, he tried meditating like the protagonists of online novels, but it was useless too. Of course, he asked Alice about it and got a confirmation from her that the first generation of Void Dragon could indeed turn into the dragon form.


    Rhode was at his wits�� end.


    Where exactly went wrong��?


    Rhode couldn��t understand. It wasn��t that he had some obsession in being a dragon. Instead, it was much more convenient for him to engage in battle as a dragon, especially when facing large armies. A single breath of flame could easily wipe out the enemies as compared to him slashing his way through. Besides, the visual effects were much more outstanding too, wasn��t it? A strong image was essential to make others fear him.


    Am I not strong enough? That��s impossible.


    At this moment, apart from his strength as the Void Dragon, he also possessed the essence and power of the other four Creator Dragons, so it was impossible that strength was the issue.


    Is there a bug in the system?


    Gillian had already run an analysis on the system and found no issues. However, she prompted him that from a game perspective, since a thing that should have appeared didn��t show up, it was highly likely that some conditions weren��t met.


    Rhode was extremely familiar with it, such as upgrading to a higher class or holding concurrent jobs. Some things needed players to uncover and trigger in order for them to appear. But these conditions were odd. The sequences for ordinary ones could be found in the forums. But it was harder to determine for rarer ones.


    ��Where exactly went wrong?��


    Rhode murmured, gazing at the open field before him. He tried basically everything but to no avail. He had even attempted the most ancient method: shutting his eyes and imagining himself as a dragon. Of course, this method didn��t work. Or perhaps, this made him heave a sigh of relief. If this method worked, his confidence about the future would definitely be crushed. Rhode recalled a familiar, beautiful face at this thought. If she could be by his side, perhaps there wouldn��t be any issues�� But she was already dead and her last spirit fragment had fused into his body as one.


    Dead?


    Suddenly, Rhode��s heart skipped a beat and a thought emerged in his head. Even though he felt ridiculous, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that there was a possibility. He was the Spirit Swordsman and what was the Spirit Swordsman��s job? Wasn��t it��


    He extended his arm when suddenly, a summoning ritual appeared in midair and enfolded his body and the floor. Then, he shut his eyes. Bright spiritual energy shone from the summoning ritual and whirled in his movements. Rhode opened his eyes.


    [Activate Spirit Language. Please choose target]


    [Rhode]


    [Target selected. Spirit Language activated]


    As the system prompt appeared, Rhode felt the spiritual energy flowing into his body. Then, he suddenly felt a certain weak area in his body twitch as though it was another heart inside of him that was shocked by an electric current. However, it felt so indistinct as it faded away almost simultaneously and he thought that it was just an illusion. But shortly after, he witnessed a new line of system prompt before his eyes.


    [Activation Failed]


    There��s hope!


    Rhode felt agitated instantly because the system prompt showed [Activation Failed] and not [Activation Invalid]. This meant that this skill was effective on him, just that it wasn��t able to succeed. But this definitely wasn��t a big issue for him. This proved that his expectations were right. As long as he had unlimited spiritual power, he could continuously attempt it for ten, hundred, or thousand of times. He refused to believe that there wasn��t a chance to succeed!


    [Activate Spirit Language����Activation Failed]


    [Activate Spirit Language����Activation Failed]


    [Activate Spirit Language����Activation Failed]


    But the situation was far more challenging than he imagined. He tried out for half a day already but failure persisted. The success rate was as depressing, like as an adventurer with low-level unlocking skill attempting to open a high-level treasure chest in the game. There was an option to give up in the game, but he didn��t have this choice here. He had to succeed. No matter how many times he had to try, he must succeed!


    Rhode��s nerves were almost numb to the system prompts by now. No matter what, one would feel powerless after repeating the same action without gaining any results. But even so, he fought on as he sharply sensed the persisting, weak trembles despite the spiritual energy rushing into his body continuously. On the contrary, the trembles turned from almost nothing to strong, hard beatings. Rhode knew that his efforts weren��t wasted!


    [Activate Spirit Language����Activation Failed]


    [Activate Spirit Language����Activation Failed]


    [Activate Spirit Language����Activation Successful. Spirit Summoning Program Activated]


    Finally, after yet another ��ding�� from the system, the system prompt that he was yearning for finally appeared before his eyes! At the same time, the summoning ritual beneath his feet shifted to the side and its white radiance instantly changed into a dazzling hue of gold. Golden light spots erupted above it, enveloping the surroundings like rain drops falling one after another. Rhode felt a warm, powerful burst of energy in his body gradually swelling and turning into a light column that burst into the sky.


    The pitch-black, starry sky shook, while bright, dazzling halos diffused across the surroundings. The invisible and massive force enveloped the entire sky. After a few moments, the light faded away and returned to nothingness. At the same moment, a card emanating golden radiance appeared before Rhode. It hovered in midair, waiting quietly for its holder. Rhode took in a deep breath, gazing at the card meaningfully. He had summoned many card spirits in the past, but none of them made him this nervous. He stared blankly at the card and after a few moments, he reached his hand out and held the card determinedly. The instant he touched the card, a feeling of flesh and blood instantly appeared in his mind. The numbness at his fingertips like the shock of electric current felt so familiar��


    Rhode dwindled the thought and scanned the card in his hand. In the middle of this golden card was a large, beautiful, and elegant dragon with expanded wings. Between its wings were countless stars and a combination of the sun and moon. It looked as though the God who created this world. A few mysterious runes hung above it.


    [Void Dragon]

 Chapter 1009 - Fused Will

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��It still doesn��t work, huh����


    Rhode let out a soft sigh, gazing at the card in his hand. He flipped it over where the specific details of the card were written����[Void Dragon (God Card Attribute. Unique. Soul-bound). Appoint a target to use. Infusible. Creator God. Holder can appoint himself and turn into the dragon form. All attributes will be strengthened by one-third in the dragon form. Attacks of different levels will be ineffective on the holder. Received the highest authority (The wings of void concealed Earth. The figure enveloping all things comes back to life once again)]


    If it were an ordinary summoning card, Rhode could appoint it to one of the ten card seats. But it seemed like the system had its own intention. Or perhaps the strength hibernating inside him which belonged to its owner was overly broken and this led to Rhode being unable to summon a Void Dragon. Instead, he received an equipment card that could turn him into a dragon. Although he refused to believe in heresy and experimented with the card, the system quickly responded to him in the same way������[Target Exists. This card can��t be summoned again. Appoint seat]


    Rhode let out a helpless sigh at the sight of this result despite expecting it. After all, it was only the clone of the spirit fragment that spoke to him in the other world back then. Moreover, now that her power had fused with him, it was no wonder that she said she couldn��t be awakened. Now it seemed like this was the truth. The system recognized Rhode and his younger sister as one person, so it was impossible to summon himself at all. In fact, instead of deciding that the card in his hand was the original ��Void Dragon��, it would be more appropriate to say that it was the ��Void Dragon�� that was born from the merging of Rhode��s and his younger sister��s power. Rhode couldn��t possibly summon himself because he was still alive and kicking. Since he still existed, how could he be summoned? Besides, his younger sister��s strength had completely fused with him. The only problem left was if he could be awakened and make use of the strength since they couldn��t be separated after the fusion.


    If one were to refine candy that had melted into the water, the only option was to boil the water completely.


    Forget it. This isn��t too bad either.


    Rhode gnashed his teeth at this thought. He extended his finger, stroked the card, and sensed the familiar spiritual undulation. At the same time, he heard a sweet-sounding voice.


    ��Big Brother, are you still worried?��


    ������


    The corners of Rhode��s lips lifted as he read the words. Even though he failed in the end, he didn��t fail completely. He couldn��t see, hug, and kiss his younger sister on her lips anymore. But she was living inside him now. During the previous summoning, she revived in another form due to some possible issues in some areas. And now, Rhode sensed that his younger sister had merged with the system. In other words, she was as though an artificial intelligence in the system that controls the core.


    ��Welcome back. How do you feel?��


    ��I feel great, Big Brother. Although I don��t have a body now and can��t cast my power, I��m still surprised that I could be revived. This is a great result, isn��t it?��


    ��Yeah����


    Rhode sighed to his younger sister��s response.


    At least they were together in some form again. Although Rhode didn��t have any solution now, this didn��t mean that he had given up on finding one. Since his younger sister had regained her consciousness through the system, he was certain that there were other solutions. In sci-fi movies, wasn��t it common to create bodies for artificial intelligences? Rhode believed that he would succeed if he looked for it.


    ��I will find a way to let you have your own body. Believe in me.��


    ��Of course�� I��ve always believed in you. Haven��t I, Big Brother?��


    As Rhode communicated with his younger sister in his head, he suddenly heard an anxious voice.


    ��Rhode, what happened earlier?��


    Marlene and the others rushed up the stairs and crowded around him worriedly. They witnessed the burst of light columns from before. They knew that Rhode was pondering deeply on the balcony, which was why no one wanted to disturb him. But they were really concerned after the light column vanished and didn��t hear a sound from him, which explained why the group of young ladies ran up to check on him. Rhode shrugged helplessly.


    ��It��s nothing. I was just confirming a thought.��


    ��Have you succeeded?��


    ��Well, you can say so����


    Rhode gazed at the group of young ladies and let out a sigh. Shortly after, he cleared his head. Even though he didn��t feel great from not truly succeeding, he had to accept the fact. After all, it was unlike back then. He could only gaze helplessly at his younger sister��s passing and sense the other half of his life fading away in his body. He couldn��t even let out a tear as though it weren��t his younger sister who died, but him instead. Back then, it left a deep impression on him. He struggled for a long time walking out of the trauma and accepting reality. And now, the situation that he faced was much better than he anticipated. At least he could see the hope of the future now. Perhaps that was only a dream, but if one had no dreams, what was the difference between one and a salted fish? Rhode shut his eyes at this thought and took in a deep breath. Then, he opened his eyes, facing the group of young ladies. He threw the final trace of sorrow and depression to the back of his head.


    ��By the way, look at this awesome stuff.��


    Rhode said as he lifted the card in his hand. At the next moment, a dazzling radiance enfolded him entirely and once again transformed into a blinding light column. The scorching air and immense pressure forced the group a few steps back. After a few moments, the light faded and the group sucked in a deep breath of cold air at the sight before them.


    Dragon.


    A dragon stood on the balcony with its expanded wings. It had an enormous body and even the balcony of the size of a plaza couldn��t contain its claws. The massive wings spread apart majestically, concealing the sky above them. Its wings presented the deep, illusory color of the night sky instead. It wasn��t like the tone of darkness of the Dark Dragon. Instead, it was as though the starry sky of the cosmos, with a dark, surreal color and texture. As the wings flapped, the airspace around them rippled in dazzling spiritual lights. The people instantly felt immense pressure at the sight of the large pair of golden eyes.


    ��How is it?��


    Rhode cocked his head with a proud expression, gazing at the stupefied group. After turning into a dragon, he clearly felt the presence of his younger sister. She was chuckling away softly and silently. But Rhode was aware that she was right behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck, shutting her eyes, and quietly feeling their warmth�� But Rhode had no intention of revealing this to anyone. At least for now.


    ��Not bad. You look just like the final BOSS. Come to think of it, Leader, why do I feel like you��re much stronger than that BOSS we killed in the game? Not only your imposing presence, but you also look twice as large����


    Mini Bubble Gum asked, scanning Rhode curiously from top to bottom with knitted brows. Canary revealed a dubious expression, but Rhode knew the reason behind it. According to the Creator Dragons, the strength of the Void Dragon who fought alongside them was only one percent of the true Void Dragon and also an existence who was re-represented by the form of data. And now, he had the strength of two people and became the perfect Void Dragon. He couldn��t be mentioned on equal terms as the Void Dragon in the game.


    ��Of course, I feel really great now. I��m confident to even kill three generations of Ultraman if they come find trouble with me now.��


    Rhode spoke, swaying his head. He wasn��t speaking with his mouth. Instead, he used telepathy to transmit his voice into their heads. If not, the group on the balcony would perhaps be blown away. Not only that, but the body of a dragon also felt entirely different from a human��s. This was a refreshing experience for him. For instance, even though he had a massive body, he felt really lightweight. He might even be able to straighten his body and perform eight-set radio calisthenics now. Besides, it felt completely different having a tail and a pair of wings. He attempted to swing his wings and the instant burst of gales left everyone on the balcony leaning unsteadily from side to side. Rhode was sure that if the Dark Dragon were to fight him alone, the latter wouldn��t stand a chance. But Rhode wasn��t that certain of his chances against the twin dragons. After all, fighting with their mouths was the twin sisters�� expertise and even Rhode wasn��t confident if he could defeat them as they ��shot their mouths off��. But�� the best way to not turn enemies into enemies was to rope them in, wasn��t it?


    ��Bubble, Lize, you two are free now, right? Hop on. I��ll show you an awesome place.��


    ��Huh?��


    Lize was startled by the invitation. On the other hand, Bubble cheered excitedly with both hands raised, darting forward and climbing up Rhode��s lowered head. Lize hesitated, gazing at Mini Bubble Gum��s actions. Then, she quickly followed and crawled up Rhode��s head too. This wasn��t easy for them. After all, Rhode��s head was more than a dozen storeys tall. But fortunately, as ��combat�� clerics, Mini Bubble Gum and Lize had their means. They cast a nimble spell on themselves and lithely climbed up like feathers, grabbing Rhode��s scales. After ensuring that the two young ladies were seated tight, Rhode gradually expanded his wings.


    In an instant, he burst straight up into the sky.

 Chapter 1010 - A Mysterious Visit

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    How would the people react when they witnessed a dragon in the sky?


    In fact, they wouldn��t have any reaction. It would be as though when one lifted one��s head to the sky and couldn��t spot a plane ten thousand meters high. This was the situation for Rhode��s group. Rhode glided through the air smoothly as winds blustered against his expanded wings. Two illusory spatial undulations circulated to the back between his wings. According to the scientific divisions on Earth, Rhode was currently in the stratosphere. But he didn��t feel uncomfortable. Mini Bubble Gum and Lize who sat on his head didn��t seem cold, nor did they lack oxygen, which once again proved that science didn��t exist in this world. In this case, let us talk about the world with magic instead.


    Earth rushed past below them. Rhode lowered his head, narrowing his eyes at the system map. Of course, he didn��t know everything in the heavens above and the earth underneath. But after obtaining the global GPS, none of this was a problem anymore. Shortly after, Rhode spotted his target from the map. He flapped his wings and dove quickly.


    Lize and Mini Bubble Gum weren��t mindful of why Rhode brought them along. In fact, they were indulging in the thrill of soaring in the sky. Although there were floating boats in the Munn Kingdom, the feeling of standing on a dragon was entirely different. They looked down at the scenery in excitement, twittering with each other. As the saying went, one woman equaled 500 quacking ducks. In this case, 1000 quacking ducks sure gave Rhode a hard time.


    The towering mountains thronged with green, lush forest stood mightily before their eyes. Rhode flapped his wings and his massive body slowly shrunk. Even though this was his first time as a dragon, his ability to control his movements was so comfortable as though he had transformed more than a thousand times after gaining his younger sister��s wisdom. His body shrunk, turned into an illusory shadow that enfolded Mini Bubble Gum and Lize within, and quickly landed on the surface. As soon as they touched down, Rhode had already returned to his usual self.


    ��This is�� the church?��


    Lize was startled as she gazed at the tall, white building surrounded by the green forest. Of course, she knew where this place was. Quite some time back, they had accompanied Rhode here for the Order Ceremony. This was the center of the Country of Law. But what were they doing here?


    ��Come, put this on.��


    Rhode said, handing out two white robes to the young ladies. Then, he also wore his own and pulled down the hood to cover his face. Judging from his appearance, he seemed like an ordinary believer. Although Mini Bubble Gum and Lize felt dubious, they also put on the robes. At this moment, a beautiful figure appeared in midair and went up to the trio.


    Siena was clad in her usual outfit with the thin sword hanging diagonally behind her. The Ruling Dragon gazed at the trio blankly, clutching the hilt and asking softly with knitted brows.


    ���� Your Majesty Rhode?��


    ��Yes, it��s me. Greetings, Siena.��


    ���� What are you doing here? If you wish to visit the Country of Law, please come through the main entrance. Frankly speaking, if it weren��t for the burst of dragon��s prestige that Big Sister and I felt, we would have believed that we were invaded.�� Siena loosened the grip on the hilt after hearing Rhode��s response. But judging from her confused expression, it was apparent that she didn��t understand why Rhode ��trespassed private property�� and was dressed up as a sneaky thief. Although Siena had met many dragon soul heirs, this was the first time she met someone as reckless as Rhode.


    ��My apologies. As I have a really important matter to attend to, I have to carry it out in secret or there will be trouble.��


    Rhode gestured as he spoke, while Siena��s solemn expression twitched. Even though she couldn��t figure out what Rhode was up to, he was the Void Dragon, after all, and there was no way for her to hold him accountable for trespassing. If it were others, they would have been captured by the twin sisters already.


    ��Alright then�� Even though I don��t know what you intend to do, Your Majesty Rhode, please come with me. This is����


    ��No, no. We��re not here for a casual chit chat. We have an important matter about the Dragon Soul Continent that we need to discuss with you and your sister. Only you and Her Majesty Nalea have the rights to know. By the way, I suppose this is the holy church where corpses were stored. Are there any new corpses of worshipers who are especially religious?��


    ���� Your Majesty Rhode, what exactly are you trying to do?��


    Siena felt even more dubious and her curiosity piqued. Well, she couldn��t be blamed since Rhode sneaked to this place and mentioned that he had something important to discuss with the twin sisters. And now, he asked about the corpses of their believers? The Country of Law was the core of the church. Many reputable believers were buried here after their death, so their spirits could find peace. Some of them were bishops at the end of their lives, while some were holy knights who died in battles. This was why it wasn��t hard to find their corpses here. But what made Siena dubious was that�� what had it got to do with Rhode?


    ��Something interesting. You��ll know later.��


    Although Siena didn��t know what Rhode was up to, she nodded in agreement, turned around, and left for a while. After a few moments, two figures returned, flitting across the air and landing before Rhode��s group. But unlike Siena��s stern expression, Nalea seemed more excited and curious as she blinked her large eyes at Rhode.


    ��Something interesting, huh? Your Majesty Rhode, I heard you are going to show us something fun?��


    ��Yes it is. You��ll see it soon.��


    Rhode maintained his secrecy, leaving the twin dragons curious and suspicious. Even though they didn��t know what Rhode was going to do, they led his group to the graveyard at the back of the mountain. Unlike the blackened, creepy graveyard that Rhode imagined, it was spotless from filths and vestiges. On the contrary, it was clean and quiet. The luxuriant green grass, white tombstones, and crisp, melodious singing of the birds from around the forest gave a feeling of serenity. The knights guarding the entrance witnessed the arrival of the two dragon soul heirs and quickly bowed respectfully, before turning around and making way for them. Under Nalea��s and Siena��s lead, Rhode��s group entered the perfectly clean, white hall. Radiance from the sun spilled through the windows, gently splashing the hall before them. Dozens of beds carved from white jade were laid with several people. Some were clad in knight armor, while some wore bishop robes and were all seemingly in deep sleep. Logically speaking, without any preservative measures, their corpses should have turned rotten by now. But�� science didn��t exist in this world, anyway.


    ��This is the Cardinal.��


    Siena walked up to one of the elders and said softly.


    ��He contracted a terrible disease while saving the villagers. As he wasn��t treated in time, he����


    ��Ugh�� This won��t do.��


    Rhode gazed at the elder, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head.


    ��Do you have one who has just died? Someone younger and fresher?��


    ������


    Siena glared at Rhode fiercely. She was apparently dissatisfied with his lack of respect for the deceased. However, she went up to another bed where a knight was lying on. He seemed to be around 30 years old. He had a determined face, crossing his arms on his chest and tightly clutching a sword in his embrace.


    ��He was a brave knight. Unfortunately, he was struck by a bandit��s poisoned arrow while protecting the villagers����


    ��Hmm�� this is the one.��


    Rhode nodded as he gazed at the knight. Then, he turned around to face the twin sisters. At this moment, Siena and Nalea were looking at him curiously and dubiously. No matter what, this was all too strange to them. It was baffling that Rhode came all the way here and even requested to see the corpses. What exactly was he up to? Rhode gazed at their expressions, but apparently had no intention of explaining his thoughts. Instead, he turned around and gestured to Bubble.


    ��Bubble, it��s time for some action.��


    ��Leave it to me, Leader!��


    After hearing Rhode��s command, Mini Bubble Gum instantly understood his purpose in coming here. Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t be more willing to be in the limelight. She raised her arms and suddenly, a dazzling light column descended from above, striking the knight directly. Siena puckered her brows, instinctively holding onto the hilt, but eventually didn��t make a move. On the other hand, Nalea widened her eyes curiously at this scene. Shortly after, the radiance faded away. Mini Bubble Gum waved her hand, signaling that she had done her job.


    ������


    Everyone shifted their gaze to the knight, but his eyes remained shut as he continued lying lifelessly like nothing had changed. Rhode felt rather surprised. He looked at Mini Bubble Gum, while the latter spread her arms apart and shrugged as though this had nothing to do with her. As a cleric, the instant the rules returned to this world, the individual and group resurrection spell of clerics that Mini Bubble Gum possessed in the past had returned to her. Just a few moments ago, she cast an individual resurrection spell on the knight. But it seemed like�� it wasn��t effective?


    Hold up. Players in the game have to confirm their decision to revive the target. Could it be that this is the same in reality?


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, what exactly are you����


    After a few moments, Siena couldn��t tolerate it any longer. She asked when suddenly, a weak groan interrupted her.


    Everyone looked at the knight and found him slowly opening his eyes.

 Chapter 1011 - Joint Collaboration

    ��What exactly is going on, Your Majesty Rhode?��


    After entering the room and closing the door behind them, Siena asked, gazing sternly at Rhode. When the twin sisters witnessed the knight resurrected from his death, they were absolutely bewildered. Not only did Siena widened her eyes in astonishment, but Nalea also restrained her smile as though she had just witnessed something unbelievable. Rhode had to admit that the twin sisters had their unique means to rule a nation. After the knight awoke, the twin sisters quickly led Rhode��s group into the sacred inner chamber. In fact, only the twin sisters could enter the chamber. But now, they weren��t in the mood to mind these formalities.


    ��Just as you��ve seen.��


    Facing Siena��s interrogation, Rhode was seemingly calm. He spread his arms apart innocently and said.


    ��I just made Bubble revive him.��


    ��But����


    It was apparent that Siena couldn��t accept the truth. She knew what sort of a taboo resurrection was. In this continent, no one was truly capable of resurrection, not even the dragon soul heirs. Although the dead in the Country of Darkness could be resurrected, that wasn��t true resurrection at all. Instead, they forcefully imprisoned the departed spirit to its rotten corpse. Of course, as the twin dragons, they disliked this method by the Country of Darkness. But, since it was in accordance with the order of the Country of Darkness, they couldn��t intervene. But this was only on the basis of maintaining order itself and didn��t mean that they accepted this truth, which was why the Country of Darkness and Country of Law didn��t have a favorable relationship. However, what Rhode did just now was entirely different from the Country of Darkness��s method in manipulating spirits and controlling corpses. It wasn��t as simple as awakening the hibernating spirit. Siena and Nalea scanned the knight earlier on and found that his spirit and corpse were truly resurrected.


    But�� that was impossible.


    The Country of Law��just as the name suggested, the country was known for its law. Every country under the dragon soul protection had their unique rules. For instance, resurrecting the departed was as simple as eating and drinking in the Country of Darkness. This was why the undead couldn��t care less about the life and death of slaves. To them, dead slaves were more obedient than when they were alive. On the other hand, it would take a lot of effort to awaken the departed in the Country of Light. Besides, the awakened spirit would be relatively fragile under the bright sun and might even fail and return to its original state. The Country of Law had its own unique order which was in the ��rules�� itself. In the Country of Law, rules of life and death were ��absolute�� all year round. It could also be said that within the territories of the Country of Law, any actions that went against the rules were prohibited. Even if a Necromancer sneaked his way into the Country of Law and awakened a corpse, the spell might turn out invalid because such rules were absolutely forbidden in the Country of Law.


    It was due to this reason that the twin sisters expressed unprecedented shock to the resurrection spell by Bubble! Because this meant that what Bubble did was completely within the rules. There wasn��t any issue at all!


    This was why they needed an explanation.


    Nalea wasn��t as agitated as Siena. Instead, she gnawed on a piece of biscuit in her hands while her big, round eyes glinting with curiosity expressed her true emotions. Rhode chuckled in his head at her behavior. Then, he said.


    ��I suppose you still remember the incident that happened during the Order Ceremony?��


    ���� Yes�� We do remember.��


    ��Thereafter I made an investigation and discovered that the rules in this world have changed. Then, I researched deeper and found out that perhaps due to the five Creator Dragons being awakened and activating a certain hidden rule, it allowed us to achieve���� Rhode gestured. ���� something similar.��


    ������


    Siena didn��t respond. But as the ruler of Country of Law, she knew what this meant.


    ��Are there any restrictions? Also, why are you telling us about this?��


    ��Yes, there are. Just as I��ve said: the ones who died a natural death aren��t subjected to this treatment and it won��t work for those�� who are too old either. Only ones who died in accidents can be resurrected. Besides, they need to have determined faith toward the dragon soul protection or it won��t work for them. As for why I��m telling both of you about this, the reason is really simple. Because only clerics can do it.��


    Rhode��s answer was true. In the Country of Law, it wasn��t easy to lie through his teeth in the face of the twin dragons. But it was a pity that they didn��t detect the hidden meaning behind his words. The fact about the so-called rule being activated after the Order Ceremony was true, just that Rhode didn��t go into details of the timing. The reason why he came clean with the twin sisters was that he needed their strength.


    Rhode wasn��t worried that the Country of Law would immediately set out and dominate the world after hearing this news because to the twin dragons, nothing was easier for them to achieve it. They were two in one and as of now, the Dark Dragon couldn��t defeat them, not to mention the Country of Light with a bunch of weaklings who weren��t worthy of a mention. Moreover, the Country of Law was already controlling the financial distribution of the entire continent. Rhode had criticized them several times for not dominating the world because they were already technically dominating it��


    In this case, it wouldn��t matter too much to the Country of Law with an additional resurrection spell. Besides, this would bring great benefit to them. Everyone knew that the Country of Law had the densest elf population. But the elves with longevity always had a hard time reproducing and dying in battle would be a catastrophe to them. The main reason why the White Elves went extinct was also due to this. But now, with the resurrection spell, the mortality rate of the elves would be greatly reduced.


    Not only that, but also the reason why Rhode chose the Country of Law was just as he mentioned: only clerics could cast resurrection spells.


    And the Country of Law had all the clerics.


    Of course, Rhode could also start from scratch. But he felt that it wasn��t necessary. First, the Country of Law was more experienced in the field of religion. Besides, it would also raise suspicions if his new emerging force were to have a new resurrection spell all of a sudden. On the other hand, with the reputation of the Country of Law��s church, the news would be much more credible. Of course, Rhode predicted that after this news spread, clerics would be highly sought after. After all, not everyone was willing to get involved with death. It was unavoidable for those who died of sickness and old age. But for the mercenaries and soldiers on the battlefield, who would be willing to die? Of course, it wouldn��t be easy explaining to the whole world how the church suddenly obtained a resurrection spell. But Rhode wouldn��t need to worry about this because the twin sisters weren��t good for nothings. The Country of Law had been able to prosper for so many years under their rule. Besides, the reason why Rhode told them about it was so he could let them resolve the troublesome issue on his behalf and he didn��t need to wrack his brains over it.


    Not only that, but Nalea and Siena also read more into it. The Country of Law existed as a presence to maintain the dragon soul protection. But the twin sisters were also caught in a headache. Even though dragon soul protection needed faith as a source of energy, many humans didn��t believe in it as they preferred seeing substantial benefits with their own eyes. Ironically, humans lived under the protection of Order and yet, they knew nothing about it.


    It was as though no one knew the importance of peace. They complained about distasteful, boring life, the dishonest seller in the market cheating them of a few silver coins, the group of bastards next door who thought that they were the best after owning some wealth, and the stuck-up city guards who feigned weakness before the rich nobles and treated the civilians arrogantly. The people yearned for changes to such a life. But when war came and burned everything down, they would realize how fortunate they were to be lying under the shade, arguing with people, and making themselves drunk, instead of weeping and rolling in a pool of blood. But it was a pity that they couldn��t return to the past. Perhaps life would continue, but after experiencing war, everything would change.


    But now, they finally received the benefit. Even though it wasn��t as exaggerated as receiving immortality, at least it would change the thoughts of those who were indifferent about it, right? And this way, the dragon soul protection would be strengthened and could also resist the invasion of Chaos. Not only that, but when they faced Chaos in the future, their strength would also be stronger. No matter judging from which angle, this was definitely a great thing.


    ��Both of you should understand what I meant now, I suppose.��


    The corners of Rhode��s lips lifted as he saw a change in Siena��s and Nalea��s expressions.


    ��Alright then, I will leave this matter to you. This isn��t only for us, but for the entire continent.��

 Chapter 1012 - When the Wind Rises

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Rhode handed over all the resurrections spells to Siena and Nalea��all the ��individual��, ��group��, ��great��, ��absolute��, and ��holy�� resurrection spells��and took no part in it anymore. But to the twin dragons, the spells that Bubble gave them were rare treasures. The individual and group resurrection spells were on the most basic level. According to players, it would be as though one who was resurrected would have half HP and might die if one didn��t replenish the health immediately. The great resurrection spell was correspondingly better. On the other hand, not only could the absolute resurrection spell revive the deceased to full health, but spiritual power would also be restored fully. The holy resurrection spell was the group version of the absolute resurrection spell. But no matter which spell was cast, the maximum number of players who could be resurrected at once was 100.


    Because the maximum number of players who could raid dungeons at once was 100��


    But even so, it was enough to stun Siena and Nalea because logically speaking, this was totally against the rules. However, the spells that Mini Bubble Gum cast didn��t have any issues at all, which proved that they conformed to the rules. Not only the rules in the Country of Law, but also in the Country of Light and Void Territory. This also proved Rhode��s words. Of course, Siena also asked him with complicated emotions about the consequences if the Country of Darkness��s undead armies cast the group resurrection spell on themselves. Rhode responded with a chuckle and looked at her with a ��you-know-it�� expression and Siena finally understood��


    The church took actions quickly because according to Rhode, Mini Bubble Gum had ��came up�� with these spells as a cleric. This also meant that other clerics were also capable of doing it, just that they didn��t do it yet. But come to think of it, what if a cleric inadvertently lost a friend, carried hopes to resurrect her friend using a spell she had never cast before, and eventually her friend revived? How the people would respect her thereafter would be self-evident.


    In order for this to not happen, the church had to be prepared beforehand to prevent civilians from revering anyone as ��holy saints��. Besides, after doing the research, Rhode discovered that perhaps due to the difference between players and natives, the native clerics were unable to cast overly high-level resurrection spells. Clerics in the Outer Circle couldn��t cast the most basic resurrection spell. Only clerics who entered the Middle Circle could cast individual and group resurrection spells. On the other hand, only clerics in the Inner Circle could cast the great resurrection spell. As for the absolute and holy resurrection spells, only clerics in their peak could cast them. For instance, a half-angel like Lize could only use the great resurrection spell but couldn��t cast the absolute and holy resurrection spells. This was confirmed by Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum earlier on.


    But this wasn��t an issue for the church because Clerics were as though an endless natural resource for them. The twin dragons took actions swiftly. Shortly after, they announced the news to the entire continent. Of course, their statements were the same as what Rhode mentioned: the Void Dragon��s dragon soul protection had awakened and the five Creator Dragons merged once again. This led to the perfection of the continent, so on and so forth�� Of course, the twin sisters didn��t forget to do Rhode a favor. Although they couldn��t give him any benefits directly, they gave Mini Bubble Gum the identity of a Holy Cleric, awarding her for unearthing and creating the resurrection spells. In a sense, Mini Bubble Gum��s position in the church was second only to the twin dragons and on an equal level as the archbishop.


    This news caused huge uproar in the continent. But responses were relatively calm from the Country of Law, Munn Kingdom, and Void Territory as most people believed that the dragon soul protections had blessed them from disasters. The dragon soul protection didn��t require them to burn incense and pray all day to provide energy. As long as they believed deeply in the dragon soul protection and dragon soul heirs, it was more than enough. There was no such issue for the Country of Law. As for the Munn Kingdom, even though their internal department was slightly destabilized after the infiltration by the Country of Light, it was their tradition to worship the dragon, after all. As for Rhode��s Void Territory, even though no such tradition existed, everyone witnessed how he opened up a land of Chaos and turned it into a new territory of Order. This was much more credible than the legends passed on by the elders as the people had personally witnessed the magnificent changes. Moreover, before Rhode awakened his power, he had once assisted the Munn Kingdom in resisting the invasion from the undead armies and provided shelters for the homeless and refugees. This was why the people were grateful and respectful to the Void Dragon. When the worshipers heard this news, they were as elated as those hardworking workers who heard the news of them receiving additional bonuses every month. As a result, the worshipers worked even harder and wouldn��t be up to any no good.


    As for the Country of Darkness, they weren��t mindful as they had their own ��undead�� means. They weren��t concerned about resurrections and besides, the undeads in the Country of Darkness could also prolong longevity. However, ��resurrections�� could only revive those who died of unnatural death. In other words, it wouldn��t work for one who lived to 90 years old and passed away from natural death. Therefore, the Country of Darkness simply disregarded the news. Of course, perhaps they were more concerned about the future problems in battles. After all, the biggest reason why the undead armies swept away their enemies was that they weren��t afraid of death. But now, after their enemies gained the ability to be resurrected, it might be a huge threat for them.


    Rhode wasn��t mindful at all, since he knew better than anyone else how much players used resurrection spells during war against the Country of Darkness. And now, he was more concerned about the problems with the Country of Light. Indeed, just as he predicted, the Country of Light had the biggest reaction.


    Actually, the Country of Light and Country of Law had an intricate relationship. The merchants of the Country of Light often sneaked through the Enchanted Forest to capture elves and the Country of Law was aware of it. For instance, back then when Rhode��s group arrived at the Enchanted Forest and coincidentally rescued the elves, the Country of Law wasn��t willing to let this matter off after the elves returned safely. After expressing their gratitude to Void Territory, they pointed the spearhead at the Country of Light. However, the Country of Light put up an ambiguous attitude, as always. They addressed the severity of the situation and that they would definitely investigate the situation and guaranteed to strengthen border patrols to prevent similar incidents. The Country of Law was immune to such responses already because the Country of Light had been saying the same thing since 500 years ago, where not even a punctuation in their statements had changed. It was due to this that the Country of Light and Country of Law had a terrible relationship. Moreover, the doctrines disseminated by the church contradicted with the Light Parliament. The church��s propaganda was to spread fairness, justice, and faith, requesting worshipers to express gratitude to the dragon soul protection and revere the dragon soul heirs. This was in total conflict with the propaganda of the Light Parliament that they had spared no efforts to discredit and smear the reputation of the Light Dragon.


    It would be fine if this was just a dispute over faith, but the problem was that the Light Parliament and church also had a dispute over interest. Everyone knew that the Light Parliament had the five largest financial groups as their backing and the five largest financial groups�� ultimate goal was to establish a nation of commerce. Unfortunately for them, the church controlled the entire financial system of the continent and the merchants couldn��t even start from scratch. Of course, they could also establish institutions like banks. But the biggest problem was their reputation. The reason why people would trust the church over them, was willing to store their assets with them, and sign a contract with them was based on their trust in the church for hundred and thousand of years and because the church upheld the content of the contract. But if the people signed a contract with the merchants instead, they would be wary of them gobbling their assets. Actually, merchants in the past had tried establishing similar organizations. But due to the church��s exclusion, the merchants couldn��t maintain the business. Besides, they had endless internal disputes which led to their separation and even the assets were confiscated by the financial groups to ��recoup their losses��. This almost bankrupted many people and they stayed away from these organizations. In response to this, many powerful merchants in the Country of Light were extremely dissatisfied. They didn��t think that they were at fault. If the church didn��t beat them down, perhaps they wouldn��t have failed so miserably.


    It was due to this that the Country of Light and the church weren��t in a great relationship. But the church had laid out a strong foundation among the people. Even though the people of the Country of Light treated the church as a reputable bank, they had to admit that they trusted the church from the bottom of their hearts.


    In this case, after the church announced this news, the entire Country of Light broke out in an uproar.


    In response, the parliament members gnashed their teeth because in the past, they were capable of questioning the church��s claims. For instance, about the dragon soul protection that protected the continent.


    Who knows if you (the church) are referring to the dragon soul protection? Or is it only for the convenience of your own beliefs, which is why you gave a name to an existing object and treated it as something that you created to cheat the public? We have to urge the people to see clearly, have their own thoughts, and not be blinded by the lies of the majority��


    In the past, people would still trust the Light Parliament because their words provoked the people��s emotions and mentality. Besides, the church also couldn��t provide any evidence. This was as though one was claiming that one created oxygen.


    Fine. In this case, how about you stop the flow of oxygen and let us die and we shall see if you��re speaking the truth��


    But was there any purpose to it? Even if the church destroyed the dragon soul protection in order to prove it, the Light Parliament would still argue: ��You see, they can��t create the dragon soul protection at all. If not, why would they destroy the thing that they created?��


    Words. They always depended on who spoke them.


    But now, no one believed the Light Parliament anymore. Apart from the shocking news of ��resurrection�� thrown out by the church, there was another matter that shook the Light Parliament��s authority.


    The emergence of the ��Royalist Party��.

 Chapter 1013 - Turmoil in the Imperial Capital

    The emergence of the ��Royalist Party�� happened before the church spread the news. The so-called Royalist Party was in fact the people who supported Lilian. Among them were politicians, military representatives, and civilians. This wasn��t too surprising. After the bloody incident that happened in the square, many were displeased with the Light Parliament. The church criticized the parliament for the riot in Casabianca, while foreign nations ridiculed them. In the parliament, some opposition leaders seized the opportunity and placed pressure on the parliament. Not only that, but the military was also discontent. They thought that the parliament went too far this time. Besides, the military constantly sent out soldiers to protest against the parliament. With the presence from the Mercenary Association, Alchemist Association, Royal Magic Association, and Mage Tower, the parliament expressed that they were under a lot of pressure.


    Sometimes, politics was as though two children bickering, with one pointing the finger at the other, screaming: ��I��m not gonna play with you anymore! Go play with someone else!�� And now, while the civilians were dissatisfied with the parliament, a new political group quietly appeared: the Royalist Party.


    Under the banner of supporting Lilian, they protested the parliament��s arbitrary actions and asserted that they should help Lilian regain her authority. Of course, they weren��t that foolish to call for the disbandment of the parliament and let Lilian gain full power and whatnot. Instead, they traced history and requested the parliament with evidence to give up their authority and allow the original decision-maker to regain her position. Of course, Rhode was clearly aware that those scoundrels were unlike Lydia who worked purely for faith. Instead, they were more like Cao Cao[1] who ��held the feudal overlords and controlled their vassals��. They made their own political demands through supporting Lilian. Rhode had to admit that those guys were rather smart because Lilian didn��t usually get involved with politics. If it weren��t for the blown-up incident involving the retired soldiers, Lilian wouldn��t have gotten herself involved.


    But the observant politicians found something that they wanted from within.


    Lilian was a pure ruler who was free from desire. She might be smart, but she wasn��t passionate about having power. For instance, after managing the incident with the retired soldiers, she did what she should and didn��t use the chance to demand for more. If she were greedy for power, she would have used the opportunity to wipe out all the parliament members and appoint her trusted aides in their places. But she didn��t do it. She let the parliament handle and clean up the aftermath themselves, which explained how apathetic she was. Well, this was fine too because through this way, the practical power would still fall into the hands of her subjects. Second, she was basically a figurehead in the Country of Light due to the parliament. If the ��King��s Party�� could help her ascend her rightful ��throne��, they would also be benefited greatly. Gilding the lily wouldn��t attract enough attention, but sending charcoal in a snowy weather would save lives. When that happened, their power and position would become much stronger.


    The final and most important point was that Lilian wasn��t an empty shell. In fact, she actually possessed true, powerful strength. But the strength didn��t come from the various military armies. Instead, it was from her direct dependents, the Battle Angels. Although the parliament once did their utmost in spreading the ��Angel Threat Theory�� and tarnishing the reputation of Battle Angels, it was undeniable that no one wanted to fight the Battle Angel Army. On that fateful night and in the face of a hundred Battle Angels, the city guards didn��t even dare have the thought of resisting them. This went to show just how powerful the Battle Angels were. It might be hard for a Battle Angel to take down a thousand enemies, but it wouldn��t pose an issue to deal with only a hundred enemies.


    Lilian was pure, innocent, and a ruler who lost her authority. She also lacked the desire to rule despite the strength in the palm of her hands, and she could resist the parliament. With such an attractive opportunity hanging before them, it was normal for people to have designs about her. Even if they were to fail, they could still use the strength of the Battle Angels under Lilian to avoid a massacre. No matter from which aspect, there were a hundred benefits without a single harm.


    The parliament was awfully busy handling the earlier incidents. Facing the requests to resign and apologize for his offense, Nakvard firmly refused and expressed that he would stay in office until the next election. On the other hand, the opposition group led by Greig was resolute in Nakvard��s immediate resignation. They were even prepared to start a demonstration to force Nakvard into abdication and also announced that when necessary, they would trigger both houses to re-evaluate Nakvard��s elected legitimacy. These messy situations threw the parliament into a turmoil and now, the appearance of the Royalist Party, raising flags and shouting to reclaim Lilian��s legal authority, left them even more frustrated.


    Not only that, but also the church��s announcement was like a nuclear bomb being dumped on Casabianca.


    According to the church, only those who worshiped and revered the dragon soul protection and dragon soul heirs had the rights to be resurrected. If that were the case, it would be a huge blow to the parliament. Although it was only limited to accidental death and dying of natural deaths didn��t count, who wouldn��t be involved with accidents in their whole lives? Besides, according to the intelligence the parliament received, the military seemed to be the most earnest. This was something that the parliament hated to see. Soldiers were their only trump card, but if they chose to worship the Light Dragon�� what would be left of the parliament?


    ���� How annoying.��


    Sonia said softly, knitting her brows and gazing at the golden invitation letter. She extended her arm and tossed the letter stamped with the ancient family seal into the fireplace. Ever since the Royalist Party was established, Sonia had received endless invitations from everywhere. Some were from nobles, financial groups, and even militaries. Although the wording was respectful, Sonia knew clearly what they were plotting. These people might be members who formed the Royalist Party and were roping her in. After all, Sonia was considered one of the closest people to Lilian now, serving as her personal megaphone. If they could rope Sonia in and make use of her close relationship with Lilian, things would be much more smooth-sailing.


    Especially after the church announced the news, the invitations had become much more passionate and urgent. It had reached a point where even Sonia��s father hinted to her that if it were possible, he hoped that she could ��find another way out��. Considering the fact that her family supported Nakvard back then, it wasn��t surprising that they were looking for a new backing and partner as Nakvard had fallen greatly. It was apparent that based on the current situation, Sonia��s father had decided to use her as an advantage to be ��served first��.


    As for what Sonia should do next, she didn��t give it much thought. She decided to observe the situation for a while more. Unlike the outsiders, she understood Lilian more than anyone after spending days with her around the clock. Lilian was innocent, but wasn��t a fool. Actually, Lilian was far more mature than most people imagined. She knew what she was doing and the reason behind her actions. For instance, the reason why she tolerated becoming the parliament��s puppet was that she trusted that they could handle situations better than her. But when the parliament failed to live up to her expectations, she knew that it was time to take action.


    Therefore, if Sonia were to be up to something, she might even be noticed by Lilian. When that happened, all the hard work that Sonia put in would go down the drain. Rhode��s mission was the most important to her and not the so-called ��future��, ��alliance��, ��political assets��, and whatnot.


    Sonia knew the reason behind the chaotic mess in the Country of Light now. Indeed, the parliament had done a lot to weaken the power of the Light Dragon. But now, a single matter could change everything. Even though resurrection didn��t apply to those who died a natural death, who was confident enough to say that one would never get involved in an accident? This was especially so for the nobles and merchants, where chances of assassination and being poisoned were endless. Besides, there was no price to pay for worshiping the Light Dragon. One didn��t need to fork out half of one��s assets to show one��s loyalty or kill one��s child, placing the child on the altar and begging for forgiveness. As long as one revered and worshiped the Light Dragon wholeheartedly, it would be enough.


    Sonia didn��t think that the church was spreading lies. First, it wasn��t necessary for the Country of Law to do so. Second, there was no benefit for them to preach support for the Light Dragon. In this case, it should most likely be true��


    What exactly should I do next? Perhaps�� Her Majesty Lilian has other intentions?


    Even though Sonia had been waiting for Lilian to make a decision, the latter seemed to be really annoyed by this news and didn��t give an immediate response. Instead, she knitted her brows and pondered deeply. It had been a few days ever since the Country of Law announced this news. During the past few days, the smile across Lilian��s face was nowhere to be seen.


    Knock knock.


    The knocks on the door interrupted Sonia��s thoughts. She looked up at the door before her.


    ��Please come in.��


    ��Sorry for the intrusion.��


    Shortly after, a guard entered through the door and bowed deeply to Sonia.


    ��Madam Sonia, the parliament has urgent matters to discuss. Please head to the meeting hall immediately.��


    Again.


    Sonia let out a sigh, before standing up and nodded in affirmation.


    ��Got it,�� she said.


    [1] A strategian and warlord from the Three Kingdoms period.

 Chapter 1014 - Lost (1)

    Sonia thought that this meeting was just to ask about Lilian��s performance over the last few weeks. But she quickly realized that the situation wasn��t as simple as she thought because the carriage wasn��t driving toward the parliament hall. Instead, after turning a few corners on the streets, she finally arrived at a remote area in the south.


    Why did they bring me here?


    Sonia felt rather uncertain, gazing at the white tombstones. Of course, she knew where she was. This was a cemetery where the dead in Casabianca were buried. But why did they bring her here? Could it be that they wanted to get rid of her? Or were there other conspiracies? Sonia turned nervous instantly. She was only an ordinary human with some basic sword skills. Although her sword skills were considered impressive to the ordinary people, they weren��t worthy of a mention in the eyes of these powerful beings. Apart from the sword skills, Sonia basically had no other means of self-defense. Besides, she never had any bodyguards around her in order to not raise any suspicions from the parliament. She also politely rejected Lilian trying to dispatch Battle Angels and protect her. But now, it seemed like she was truly in danger. For some reason, she felt uncomfortable and uncertain as though something bad was about to happen.


    The carriage drove through the cemetery and finally came to a halt in the deeper parts. Sonia stepped out of the carriage, touching her neck for the necklace. After feeling the necklace in her hand, her unnerving emotions became much calmer. Then, she tidied the creases in her attire before fully exiting the carriage.


    ��Greetings, Miss Sonia.��


    To her surprise, it wasn��t the guard of the parliament standing by the carriage and greeting her. Instead, it was a soldier clad in white armor and wrapped in a cloak. Sonia knitted her brows slightly. She couldn��t recall seeing a soldier dressed up like him. Who exactly was he?


    But since she was already here, there was no point in hesitation anymore. Sonia swept a glance at him, before lifting her head and gazing ahead. On the other hand, the soldier didn��t continue speaking. He beckoned to her, before heading forward. Sonia followed him slowly and shortly after, they arrived at a small tomb that seemed ordinary yet stylish. Sonia saw a few familiar figures standing by the entrance made of white stone. It was Nakvard and the parliament members, clad in robes. They didn��t seem like politicians at all. They looked more like pilgrims instead.


    What exactly are they trying to do?


    Sonia became much more suspicious of the situation. She knew that the parliament was divided into several groups that were suppressing one another, with newbies desiring promotion and seniors wanting to maintain their authority. And right now, the parliament members who stood before her were the most experienced seniors. They had been seated in their positions before Sonia was even born. They could be considered the roots of the parliament, hidden in the soil of the giant tree. The branches were deeply intertwined with one another.


    Sonia gazed at them and didn��t feel safe. Even though she tried to stay away from political conflicts within the parliament, she had unavoidably entered the ��young group�� with her current age. After all, she wasn��t even 20 years old. Although the Dragon Soul Continent was largely unlike earth, it was still rare for a young lady to stand on the peak of the political stage. One could count on one hand the number of young ladies who made it this far, including Sonia, Marlene, and a few others. Moreover, in this current political situation in the Country of Light, Sonia��s identity and position garnered a lot of attention. After all, no matter what, she was considered the closest person to Lilian.


    Despite the doubts in her head, Sonia quickly walked up to Nakvard��s group and gave a deep bow.


    ��Greetings, Sir Chairman and parliament members�� May I know����


    Sonia gazed at them with a puzzled expression. She couldn��t be blamed since she was notified that the parliament had something to discuss with her. Then, she was brought to this place for no apparent reason, while the parliament members were dressed up like pilgrims and already standing here, awaiting her arrival. If the civilians were to witness this, who knew what reactions they would have.


    ��Hi there, Miss Sonia.��


    Nakvard nodded apathetically to Sonia��s question. Even though he said welcoming words, he didn��t sound passionate and sincere at all. But Sonia could understand because at this moment, Nakvard was already bombarded by problems. The conflicts within the parliament had given him headaches, not to mention the military being dissatisfied with him after Nakvard ordered them to take down the retired soldiers. Besides, the financial groups that backed him before also gave up supporting him because they knew that Nakvard couldn��t last for long anymore. Although Nakvard continued to try, as soon as Greig submitted the proposal to the upper and lower houses for re-evaluation, Nakvard would surely be stripped off his post as chairman. He was a chess piece destined to be abandoned while the five largest financial groups had stopped supporting him. Despite that, he chose to look for Sonia now�� Could it be that he decided to worship and support Her Majesty Lilian?


    Before Sonia thought about the situation clearly, Nakvard said.


    ��This time, I invited you here to resolve the troubles that we��re currently facing.��


    I knew it.


    Sonia nodded slightly to Nakvard��s words, but the latter didn��t continue speaking. Instead, he turned around and entered the tomb as Sonia looked at him blankly, which she eventually followed. What made her dubious was that this tomb didn��t look like one at all on the inside despite its exterior appearance. She didn��t find any coffins nor statues of distinguished people around. On the contrary, there was a deep passageway that led to the underground. Torches were lit, hanging on both sides of the wall. Sonia was surprised as there were many people dressed up like the soldier clad in white armor who greeted her when she exited the carriage. Even though they were in the dimmed passageway, they were still wrapped up in cloaks.


    Could it be that Nakvard has decided to start a coup?


    This ridiculous thought cropped up in Sonia��s head but was quickly denied. Nakvard could never defeat the Battle Angel Army, no matter how powerful his soldiers were. Besides, the military would definitely not sit idly by and watch Nakvard rebel. Nakvard should be aware of this, but��


    ��Miss Sonia, I��m sure you��re aware of the recent happenings.��


    All of a sudden, Nakvard spoke, and Sonia pondered for a few moments before answering softly.


    ��Yes, Sir Chairman.��


    ��Do you think this will affect the Country of Light and parliament?��


    ��This����


    Sonia was speechless, but Nakvard seemingly didn��t answer as he continued speaking.


    ��I��m aware of the impact this will have on the Country of Light. The hard work of our parliament over the centuries will be destroyed entirely. Even though humans aren��t willing to believe imaginary beings, nothing will make them change their minds when they see the benefits.��


    ��You��re saying�� that you believe the church? That as long as one reveres the power of the dragon soul, one can be resurrected����


    ��Of course, Miss Sonia.��


    Nakvard came to a halt and turned to face the young lady who asked the curious question.


    ��Actually, the parliament is always aware of the relationship between the dragon soul protection and dragon soul heir. We know where the dragon soul protection comes from and are also aware that it shelters us from the corrosion of Chaos. As long as the people worship the Light Dragon, they will be protected and rescued. We know everything about it.��


    ��What����


    Sonia was stumped. She had never expected Nakvard to say this. In fact, even Sonia was doubtful about this matter. This was because the parliament had been brainwashed for years and they were skilled in manipulation. In this case where Lilian couldn��t display her sacred and imposing presence, people naturally wouldn��t worship her as a God. But now, Nakvard actually told Sonia that the parliament always knew that what they were spreading was always lies?


    ��Just as you thought, Miss Sonia. We��re clearly aware of it, but that doesn��t mean that we will accept our fate. Just like what the parliament has always been claiming: humans should control their destiny and not to pray and hope for a certain figure to watch over their safety. Humans are a mighty race. We will never tolerate not having our destiny in the palm of our hands! For the sake of this goal, we have been searching for a solution since a few centuries ago.��


    ������


    Sonia didn��t say a word. But for some reason, she had a bad feeling, especially at this very moment when Nakvard suddenly told her about this matter. Sonia feared instinctively. Even though she believed that this might just be a misconception, the feeling deep inside her had as though erupted and couldn��t be removed.


    ��Although we have decided to start our preparations at a more opportune timing, the church has disrupted our plans.��


    Nakvard said, pushing open a door beside him and entering. Sonia followed him closely. It was a round hall and Sonia discovered strange incantations carved on the walls, as well as a twisted ritual drawn on the floor. Placed around the ritual were six magic crystals floating in midair, faintly glowing into an energy barrier. At the middle of the ritual was a golden gem that was as tall as a human. For some reason, Sonia felt that this golden gem was similar to the one on Lilian��s chest.


    ���� Sir Chairman, what are you trying to do?��


    ��Simple.��


    This was the first time Nakvard revealed a proud smile.


    ��Dragon soul heirs who possess self-consciousness are unreliable, but humans need protection from their power. For that, we have been researching a method to transfer and imprison the dragon soul power into another object. And now, we have finally succeeded! As long as we imprison the dragon soul power into this crystal, our parliament will not be threatened ever again! We shall once again control the nation entirely and our people will not be threatened by the dragon soul heir! This strength should have been controlled by us humans a long time ago!��


    Nakvard extended his arm and said to the dumbfounded Sonia.


    ��And now, we need your help to complete the final step of the ritual�� Miss Sonia.��

 Chapter 1015 - Lost (2)

    ��What are you trying to do?��


    Sonia couldn��t help but take a step back, staring at Nakvard. Even though she knew that she could no longer leave this place, she was still terrified. On the contrary, Nakvard didn��t seem mindful of her reaction as he revealed a smile.


    ��It��s simple, Miss Sonia. We need your help to bring Her Majesty Lilian here.��


    ���� Her Majesty Lilian?��


    Sonia��s heart sank. She finally understood why Nakvard said she was the most important step to this ritual. The reason was simple. Lilian usually didn��t head out and wasn��t interested in politics at all. This was why even if the parliament called for her, she wouldn��t obey. Lilian trusted Sonia the most now, so there wouldn��t be any difficulty if Sonia was the one who brought Lilian out.


    ���� What exactly will you do to Her Majesty Lilian? I may not be able to bring Her Majesty Lilian here safely, not to mention the archangels and Battle Angel Army are��


    ��His Highness Boulder is out on patrol and Her Highness Serene has to attend to her own matters. As for the Battle Angel Army, they have already left Casabianca and the remaining Battle Angels aren��t enough to take us down. We need you to head back and bring Her Majesty Lilian here. I suppose this shouldn��t be too challenging for you.��


    ������


    Sonia was speechless. After spending a long time with Lilian, Sonia knew clearly that the two archangels couldn��t care less about Lilian. During the Order Ceremony, Sonia mentioned this to Rhode and thereafter, unsure if Rhode had done something, the two archangels suddenly changed their attitude toward Lilian. It was especially so for Archangel Boulder. Whenever Sonia met him, she felt as though he harbored hostilities toward Lilian. If it was said that Archangel Boulder was rather cold toward Lilian in the past, right now his gaze toward Lilian was hostile. For the most part, during the night of the retired soldiers�� suppression, perhaps no one but Sonia knew that when Lilian sought help from Archangel Boulder to assist the soldiers, it was the first time that Archangel Boulder doubted Lilian��s words!


    Even though Archangel Boulder eventually executed Lilian��s orders, he didn��t show up thereafter. Lilian also seemed to dislike Boulder, so even if he wasn��t present, Lilian didn��t raise any questions. On the other hand, Archangel Serene��s attitude toward Lilian seemed to have taken a slightly better turn. There were a few times when she privately inquired about Lilian��s conditions from Sonia, at the same time urging Sonia to take good care of Lilian.


    In fact, Sonia couldn��t understand what exactly was going on with the three archangels. Lydia was obviously Lilian��s favorite because whenever the topic revolved around Lydia and Rhode, Lilian displayed a wide grin. As for the two archangels whom Lilian met regularly, Lilian didn��t seem to care about them as much�� Sonia just couldn��t figure out why. It was apparent to Sonia that there was a barrier between the two archangels and Lilian. But��


    No, now wasn��t the time to consider the ��family disputes�� of the Creator Dragons. The most important issue now for Sonia was if she should bring Lilian to this strange place. In fact, even until this point, Sonia still wasn��t sure of Nakvard��s intention. According to Nakvard, he wanted to transfer the Creator Dragon, Lilian, to this golden crystal. But when that happened, wouldn��t the Creator Dragon be someone else��s plaything? In addition to the announcement by the church�� Could it be that the parliament had the intention to turn into the Creator God themselves?


    What should I do?


    This time, Sonia bit her lip. She wasn��t interested in the so-called ideals of Nakvard. The most important thing to her right now was Rhode��s mission for her. And now, bringing Lilian here didn��t fit the purpose of the mission.


    ���� Have you confirmed that, Sir Nakvard? What about the other parliament members����


    ��They are nothing more than clowns.��


    Nakvard snorted, raising his hand to interrupt Sonia. Suddenly, an unprecedented, imposing energy erupted from his body, and Sonia couldn��t help but tremble in fear as though it wasn��t a human standing before her, but a monster with the appearance of a human.


    ��We��re at the forefront of changing history, Sonia. Are you willing to join us and fulfill the parliament��s long-cherished wish from over the centuries?��


    ������


    Although Nakvard raised the question, Sonia was clearly aware that she didn��t have a choice. First, she lacked the strength. Even if she possessed the strength to resist, she wasn��t confident that she could eliminate them and leave this place safely. Second, they had revealed to her the core of the secret, so it was impossible for her to refuse and escape unscathed. She wasn��t that foolish!


    ��But I��m not confident of my chances����


    ��Don��t worry, Miss Sonia. We have already come up with a plan.��


    Nakvard seemed to be mentally prepared for this response from her. He gestured for the two soldiers who quickly approached and held Sonia down by her shoulders. This instantly startled Sonia as she knitted her brows and stared in displeased at Nakvard.


    ��Sir Nakvard, what exactly are you trying to do?��


    ��Nothing, Miss Sonia. I��m just giving you the strength. With your current strength, you may not be able to subdue the majesty. But fortunately, our parliament has sealed her strength a long time ago. At this moment, Lilian is only a little girl who is slightly stronger than humans. With this power, you will join us and attain eternal honor!��


    Nakvard raised his right arm and Sonia quickly discovered a mass of strange, turbid matter resembling sewage on his palm. The matter was thronged with crimson eyes as countless tentacles fluttered from within. It was truly a revolting sight! Nakvard extended his right arm and placed his hand before Sonia��s chest.


    ��Accept this power and honor, Miss Sonia! You shall be one of us!��


    Are you kidding me? I will never accept it!


    Sonia turned ashen. If it was possible, she wished that she could draw her sword and slash the man before her. However, the two strong soldiers held down her shoulders and she couldn��t budge at all. All she could do was to widen her eyes helplessly, witnessing the mysterious sphere of matter releasing its tentacles and ripping into her skin. Shortly after, the tentacles punctured her body one by one like needles.


    ��Arghhhhhh!��


    Sonia screamed at the immense pain. It wasn��t due to the pain from the needle-like tentacles piercing her, but was more from the unknown presence being pumped into her body through the tentacles. It was turbid and cold like the icebergs of a thousand years, causing violent agony as it entered her body. All of a sudden, Sonia felt a scorching energy like the burning sun exploding inside her. Then, she heard yells, bellows, and everything before her spun, twisted, and blackened.


    But everything happened in a split second and she regained her consciousness. She didn��t return to her senses on her own, instead it felt as though someone had splashed a bucket of cold water on her before she fainted. She opened her eyes, the blurry and chaotic vision restored its clarity. At this moment, she realized she was sitting in a carriage that was driving quickly.


    ��Could it be just a dream?��


    Sonia gazed at the surroundings with lingering fear. But shortly after, she discovered that this wasn��t a dream. The ripped open wound on her chest was present and along with her movements, the necklace around her neck broke and fell to the ground.


    ������


    Sonia turned pale, gazing at the necklace by her feet. When Rhode handed this necklace to her, he told her what the necklace was used for. Whenever she was in life-threatening danger, the necklace would activate and send her back 10 minutes ago.


    That��s right! I was still in the carriage 10 minutes ago and heading toward the southern tomb!


    Sonia��s heart sank at this thought.


    What should I do next?


    It is too late to report this matter to Master now. If my memory serves me right, the two archangels and Battle Angel Army are currently not in Casabianca. How should I protect Her Majesty Lilian? N-No, this can��t go on. I have to make a decision!


    ��Stop the carriage!��


    Sonia stopped all hesitation and yelled immediately. The carriage slowed down, but didn��t come to a full halt.


    ��Is anything the matter, Miss Sonia?��


    ��I suddenly recall that I have something to attend to. Can you send me back to the palace? It is a really urgent matter.�� Sonia forced down her nervousness and said. However, the carriage driver didn��t seem willing to abide by her order.


    ��My apologies, Miss Sonia, the parliament also has something urgent for you to manage. This is the chairman��s order����


    ��My matter is equally important. I request that you stop the carriage immediately!��


    ��I��m sorry, I can��t do it.��


    ��You��!��


    Sonia sulked at his rejection. Then, she quickly unsheathed the sword and struck it forward. The thin, sleek sword erupted a magical radiance, impaling the wall of the carriage, almost piercing the driver. The driver shrieked and this time, he seemed much more frightened.


    ��M-Miss Sonia?��


    ��Stop the carriage right now and head back by the route we came from! Do you understand me?!��


    ��Yes�� Yes!��


    Perhaps the ice-cold blade pressing against his neck made him finally understand her words. Shortly after, the carriage stopped, turned to its opposite direction, and sped toward the palace.


    Sonia heaved a sigh of relief. But soon, she grimaced.


    Because she knew that the situation wasn��t as simple as she had imagined.

 Chapter 1016 - Lost (3)

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The situation is getting out of hand.


    Sonia frowned as she strode across the silent palace. She didn��t notice before when she headed out, but now she discovered that there was no one else except for her around the palace, not even the guard who notified her of the meeting. This left the nervous Sonia even more uncertain. She approached Lilian��s room hurriedly, knocking on the door.


    ��Your Majesty, are you there? Your Majesty?!��


    ��Huh, Sonia? Come in.��


    Sonia let out a long sigh of relief after hearing Lilian��s carefree voice. She pushed open the door quickly and saw Lilian lounging on the table, reading a book with both hands supporting her cheeks. Lilian blinked curiously at Sonia.


    ��Is anything the matter, Sonia?��


    ��Your Majesty Lilian, may I know where Madam Serene and Sir Boulder are? Where are the Battle Angels who are accompanying you too? Where is everyone?��


    ��Huh?��


    Lilian stared blankly at Sonia who suddenly asked the ridiculous questions. But she quickly gave an answer.


    ��I don��t know where Boulder went. As for Serene�� I heard that a dangerous nest of monsters was found, so she led the Battle Angels to remove it. As for the guards, they may be rotating their shifts now. I heard Serene mentioning it yesterday����


    ��When are the Battle Angels coming back? Your Majesty, is there any way to contact them?��


    ��Hmm�� I don��t know�� As for a way to contact them����


    Lilian puckered her brows and pondered deeply. Then, she retrieved an exquisite ornament from her pocket. Sonia let out a sigh of relief at the sight of it.


    ��My apologies, but could you please get the two archangels to return as soon as possible? We��re facing a critical situation!��


    ��Okay.��


    Even though Lilian didn��t know why Sonia was acting so flustered, she nodded in agreement, lifting the exquisite crystal ornament in her hand. Shortly after, rays shone from the ornament and golden runes appeared above it, gradually merging into a mirror-like object. Sonia was familiar with it as something like a far-range communication device because this was what she saw whenever she communicated with Rhode. Since the device was activated, what was left now was to communicate with the two archangels��


    But it was a pity that things didn��t go as well as Sonia hoped for. The instant the runes was about to merge successfully, a mysterious, black radiance suddenly appeared. Lilian shrieked and the communication ritual immediately crumbled. Not only that, but the crystal ornament also cracked and shattered.


    Damn it!


    Sonia gnashed her teeth. It seemed like it wasn��t a coincidence that Nakvard asked for Sonia now. He must have used some ways to make the two archangels lead the remaining Battle Angels away from Casabianca, as well as transferred the guards away. In this case, it would take no effort at all for him to take Lilian away. In order to prevent accidents, he had even meddled with Lilian��s communication device. But how did he do it?


    However, now wasn��t the time to consider this question. Most importantly, what should Sonia do next? Should she hold her ground and wait for the archangels�� return? No, that wouldn��t be reliable because no one knew exactly when they would return. Besides, all of this seemed to be well planned by the parliament. She didn��t expect them to control the place in the name of relieving the guards.


    Perhaps I should report this to Master��


    ��Sonia? What��s wrong? Why are you hurt?��


    Lilian asked, walking toward Sonia worriedly and gazing at the blood stains around the chest area. Sonia showed a helpless, bitter smile. Then, she extended her hand and caressed Lilian��s hair gently.


    ��I��m fine, Your Majesty. It is just����


    Sonia sulked all of a sudden. She quickly ran to the window and looked at the plaza below the palace where a dozen of fully-armored soldiers stood neatly. They weren��t city guards and she knew who exactly they were due to the white armor and cloak that wrapped their bodies. They were the soldiers in the tomb.


    I didn��t expect them to be this fast.


    Sonia gnashed her teeth, looking at the soldiers quickly moving toward the palace and started assigning watch duties. It seemed like the option of holding her ground and waiting for the return of the angels wouldn��t work anymore. There were only Lilian and Sonia in the entire, majestic palace. With her sword skills, she stood no chance in defeating the soldiers. It seemed like there was only one way left!


    ��Your Majesty, we have to leave here immediately. The situation is extremely critical. We can��t stay here any longer. I know you have a lot of doubts, but now isn��t the time to explain everything to you. Please come with me!��


    ��Huh? Ah�� Okay.��


    Although Lilian displayed a dubious expression, she detected that something terrible had truly happened through Sonia��s serious gaze. Lilian nodded, while Sonia wasted no time. She hurriedly grabbed a few clothes from the closet and dragged Lilian out of the room by her hand. At this moment, Sonia heard footsteps from the end of the corridor. It was apparent that the soldiers had entered the palace. Sonia gnashed her teeth. She thought that she could return to the room and grab the crystal ball to contact Rhode, but she knew that she would be walking right into the trap if she did. She was confident to take down bandits with her strength, but as for the well-trained soldiers, it was an entirely different matter.


    ��Your Majesty, let��s go!��


    Sonia hesitated for a second and eventually decided to forgo the crystal ball. She held Lilian��s tiny hand and they scampered toward the inner courtyard. There was no one. Even though Lilian wasn��t respected in the palace, she was the Light Dragon, after all, and there would more or less be guards standing around. But now, there were no traces of patrolling guards by the corridors and gardens. Not only that, but the female officers and servants who took care of Lilian were also missing. Sonia didn��t know what Nakvard and the parliament did exactly, but judging from this fact, it was apparent that this was premeditated for a long time. Besides, Sonia didn��t hear any rumor about it at all. Nakvard was just too terrifying!


    Sonia and Lilian arrived at the garden in the inner courtyard. Of course, they weren��t there to appreciate flowers of the late autumn. Instead, there was a hidden passageway that was connected to outside the palace which only Lilian and Sonia knew. This secret passageway was first discovered by Lilian and after Sonia gained her trust, Lilian told her about it. The duo would occasionally head to Casabianca through this passageway and now, it had become their only route to survival.


    As they fled, Sonia informed Lilian about the situation as much as she could. Lilian was baffled. She didn��t expect the parliament to do such a thing. Besides, according to Sonia, it seemed like Lilian��s power was sealed by the parliament since she was young.


    Lilian was aware of her own powerlessness. She knew that she didn��t possess powerful strength like Nalea, Siena, Ion, and even Rhode who had just awakened his power. But deep down, she didn��t carry too many doubts as she thought that it was due to her young age. She believed that after she grew up, she would become as strong as them. But never did she expect that her body would be messed with by others.


    ��Sonia, what should we do?��


    Scrambling their way through the path covered with greenery and shrubs, Lilian asked worriedly. This was also the question being asked repeatedly in Sonia��s head. She didn��t have the answer to it. Even though the best solution now was to hide in a safe place with Lilian and wait for the two archangels�� return, where exactly should they seek shelter? Sonia was well aware of politics. As soon as the parliament found out that Lilian wasn��t around, the parliament would have sufficient reasons to seal up the whole city and begin their search. Although Sonia was confident of hiding from ordinary people, she was no longer confident of dealing with Nakvard. If it were in the past, Sonia would still treat Nakvard as an ordinary human. But now, she couldn��t think of him as one anymore. A person like him should have his own ways to track and find them. If Sonia and Lilian continued to stay within the city, they would most likely be captured before the archangels returned.


    Sonia��s family was also out of the picture because she knew that her family valued benefits more than anything else. For enough benefits, they could even sell their daughter. There was nothing that they couldn��t do. As for the foxes who exploited the tiger��s might like the Royalist Party, perhaps they might resist successfully for the time being, but they would surely fall if the parliament took serious actions on them.


    In this case, the choices left were very limited�� Sonia gnashed her teeth at this thought. After a few moments, she said.


    ��Your Majesty, I suggest that we leave Casabianca.��


    ��Huh?��


    Lilian stared blankly at her.


    ��Leave Casabianca?��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty. We can board the floating boat to the Munn Kingdom and seek Her Royal Highness Lydia��s protection. It is too dangerous for us to stay in Casabianca and even the Country of Light. After the parliament finds out that you and I are missing, they will definitely search for us in Casabianca and the entire Country of Light. We have to leave the Country of Light before that happens!��


    Sonia said as she made her decision.

 Chapter 1017 - Lost (End)

    The parliament took actions quicker than she had imagined.


    Sonia clenched her fists when she saw the soldiers donned in the same robe and standing around the platform of floating boats. In fact, she swore that she didn��t know where these strange soldiers came from. She lived in Casabianca for years, and as a parliament member, she knew every unit stationed. And yet, she had never met these people before. She thought that they were Nakvard��s private soldiers when she first met them in the tomb. But after seeing them filling the streets, she overthrew this thought immediately. The soldiers were controlling the entire city and their numbers were sufficient to accomplish this mission. This left Sonia feeling dubious because it required a high amount of money to support the soldiers. Even if it were the five largest financial groups, it was impossible for them to provide the private soldiers to control the entire city. How did the parliament manage to do it without being discovered by the military, city guards, five largest financial groups, and archangels?


    No matter how they did it, this meant that there was only one thing that Sonia and Lilian had to do��leave Casabianca immediately. As long as they leave this place, it would temporarily guarantee their safety.


    Sonia thought of seeking assistance from the church and Mage Tower, but she wasn��t sure if they were willing to help them. Civilian associations were always neutral in their stand and were rarely willing to be involved in political conflicts. If it were for the sake of the Light Dragon�� But Sonia quickly gave up this thought after seeing the heavy-armored soldiers guarding the main roads. It was apparent that the parliament had also realized this possibility. The soldiers were neither obstructing traffic nor searching the pedestrians. They stood quietly in the corner like ordinary guards. Even though some civilians shot curious looks at them, there weren��t any clashes between them.


    ��They sure are attentive to details����


    Sonia said softly, gnashing her teeth. The idea of escaping via the floating boat was no longer doable and they also couldn��t seek help from the church and Mage Tower. Judging from this, they would most likely face the same consequences if they went to the Mercenary Association. In this case, if they were to seek assistance without being detected by the parliament, their only hope left was to look for the rumored guild of thieves. But the problem was that��


    Sonia was a young lady and politician. She was neither a thief nor a mercenary, so how was it possible for her to have dealings with the villains! Even though she could also seek help from random thieves on the street, who knew what the thieves would do to them? Taking a step back, even if the thieves didn��t hand them over to the parliament, they would most likely not end up safely in the thieves�� hands. With Sonia��s and Lilian��s current strength, they couldn��t kill anyone effortlessly as they pleased��


    Almost all escape routes were blocked. In this case, perhaps the situation was harder than Sonia imagined. Not only that, but also from the fact that the soldiers took actions so swiftly, perhaps the parliament was entirely in the hands of Nakvard now.


    Sonia turned around and gazed at Lilian behind her who had already taken off the hindering skirt and put on a more comfortable, traveling robe. The same went for Sonia. With their identities, it would be too striking for them to don the luxurious dresses. Besides, Sonia didn��t dare to sell or give away the dresses. Before joining the parliament, Sonia was the third executive officer of Lockos financial group and wasn��t only serving as a vase to put up a front. She was aware of how simple it was for a powerful organization to search for someone. Although it was possible for her to give away the dresses or sell them for money, this would leave traces to their location. But fortunately, her spatial bracelet could still be filled up with a pair of dresses.


    It seems like this is the only choice.


    ��Lily.��


    Sonia looked at Lilian and called softly. In her mind, there was a route that could safely bring them out of Casabianca. But�� if it weren��t for the critical situation, Sonia wouldn��t resort to it.


    ��Yes? What��s wrong, Sonia?��


    Lilian turned around and gazed curiously at the young lady. Sonia hesitated, before continuing to speak.


    ��Are you afraid of�� stench?��


    As the biggest city in the Light Mainland, Casabianca had an advanced underground water system. The water system existed longer than the parliament. It was built by dwarves and was currently resting in perfect condition under the city. In the pitch-black and tall water tunnels, one could see the natural stone walls by looking up as though it were the existence of a miracle. But constantly flowing in the water tunnel was turbid, foul sewage.


    These two contradicting presences presented themselves before Sonia and Lilian.


    Lilian gazed at the turbid sewage flowing by her feet with an unbearable expression. If she didn��t cover her nose and mouth with a handkerchief. Oerhaps she would have fainted, rolling her eyes. She couldn��t be blamed because this so-called underwater facility didn��t exist only for show. On the other hand, not only were there chunks of filth in the revolting, murky water, but there were also limbs and corpses of humans and animals. The messy, scattered skeletons of poultry were also equally disgusting.


    Sonia was nauseated by the rotten path before her. In fact, if it wasn��t for the ��work requirements�� that needed her to investigate this place, she wouldn��t step foot into this place in her whole life, not to mention coming here for the second time. Back then, even though she wasn��t willing to come to this reeking underground, she held on for loyalty. But it seemed like her faithfulness back then was the right choice.


    ��S-Sonia? Are we really going from here?��


    Lilian gazed at the stomach-churning way before her and mumbled with covered mouth and nose. Sonia nodded.


    ��Yes, Your Majesty. This is the only safe. Our Lockos financial group is responsible for repairing and maintaining the water system of Casabianca. I came here for work and still remember the distributions of the water tunnels. We can leave the city through the tunnels. Even though I know this is uncomfortable, please bear with it for now.��


    ��Okay then����


    Lilian hesitated, before nodding in agreement. No matter what, she knew that the situation was extremely critical and there wasn��t time to delay. She gnashed her teeth and followed Sonia closely.


    ��But�� Your Majesty, I have to remind you to be more careful. This place isn��t as safe as it seems.��


    ��Huh?��


    Lilian detected the nervousness in Sonia��s tone and stared blankly. Then, she quickly received her answer.


    A deep, monster-like growl echoed in the tunnel. The murky sewage water went against the flow as a pitch-black, rotten corpse emerged from within, raising its head and gazing at the trespassers with its decayed eyes. It widened its mouth and let out a terrifying roar.


    A red radiance flashed across the air.


    Sonia unsheathed the sword and darted forward, slashing a perfect arc at the zombie. Shortly after, a blazing fire erupted and burned the zombie into a ball of flames completely. At the same time, they heard a series of similar growls echoing in the tunnel, as though responding to their intrusion.


    Then, pitch-black figures emerged one by one.


    ��They actually escaped?��


    Nakvard lifted his head with redness appearing on his determined expression. His eyes were as though burning flames, leaving a pressurizing sense of oppression. But despite that, the soldier standing before him didn��t seem to have noticed his imposing presence at all. He nodded silently, waiting for the next order.


    ��Yes, Sir. We sealed the entire Casabianca. It shouldn��t be difficult finding them, I suppose.��


    ��I didn��t expect that rascal to be this brave. It seems like I��ve belittled her. She is young and yet, she predicted my moves�� Capture them. Alive. What I need most is a talent like her. Don��t kill her, understand?��


    ��Yes, Sir. I��ll look into it now.��


    The soldier clad in white cloth nodded, turned around, and left the room swiftly. At this moment, an old man standing behind Nakvard asked in uncertainty.


    ��Will everything be fine? The two archangels����


    ��No problem. We purposely revealed several locations to lead the angels away. Perhaps they are battling the servants of my master now and won��t return for the time being. Besides, it is pointless even after their return. When we��ve completely taken over control of this city and activated the enchanted field, they can no longer climb over our heads and act all high and mighty.��


    ��But�� where did that rascal get the information from? We didn��t����


    ��We will know the truth after capturing them.��


    Nakvard let out a snort and turned around.


    ��Alright then, I will be checking on the setup for the enchanted field. I��ll leave this matter to you.��


    Nakvard shot another look at the meeting hall, where bloody corpses were occupying their respective seats. A few moments ago, they were still acting all arrogant. But now, these noble parliament members had become nothing more than a pile of rotten flesh.


    ��Since all of you are desperate to make us give in, I shall let you see the dignity and ambition of us humans. Even if we have to destroy this world, we will never succumb to any power. Only humans can decide their own fates��even if it��s destruction and death!��

 Chapter 1018 - Tremors of Chaos

    ��How��s the situation?��


    Rhode asked, striding into the hall. Gillian was in the hall with the map of Dragon Soul Continent displaying in front of her, while Canary and Mini Bubble Gum stood beside her. Not only were the numbers on the map constantly dropping, but the colors were also changing.


    ��Master, Casabianca��s strength of Order is slowly decreasing. It will only be a matter of time before it breaks through the threshold.��


    ��Casabianca�� Tsk. Those worthless trash in the Country of Light are up to no good again.��


    Mini Bubble Gum let out a snort and grumbled. But Canary knitted her brows and gazed sternly at Casabianca that was changing from light green to amber. After the ��system upgrade��, anyone related to Rhode��s system could see its interface and this included Canary and Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��This is strange, Rhode. Isn��t Lilian always in Casabianca? How did this happen? Where are the two archangels?��


    ��I don��t know. Logically speaking, this shouldn��t happen.��


    Rhode shook his head. The situation in the Country of Light was far from stable. He scanned the map, but failed to analyze the situation due to some electromagnetic interferences. There were also distortions in the images from time to time. Rhode got an explanation from the twin sisters and learned that Order was disrupted due to the strengthening of Chaos. This was why there was a certain degree of distortion to their senses. This also explained why the six Deity Wardens were almost invincible and yet, couldn��t resist the invasion of Chaos. Take Marlene, for instance. She could analyze and learn everything about all skills, spells, and talents. At the same time, she could alter them ineffective toward her. Yes, this sounded invincible. But in the face of Chaos, she had no choice but to flee from the disaster through the rebirth of her soul. Why? Because Chaos destroyed Order. No matter how capable Marlene was, she could only analyze things under Order. As for skills of Chaos, she wouldn��t be able to analyze them, not to mention being immune and invincible. The same went for the other Deity Wardens. Alice could hide in the void of history, but no past, present, and future existed in Chaos. Once Alice failed, she would be dragged into historical turmoil; the world that lost all causes and effects would shred her into bits like a meat grinder.


    They were powerful, but the formidable strength attached to Order was also their limitation. This was as though humans were capable of flying in the air and entering the underground. But without oxygen, not even the strongest humans could survive. This was how Chaos snatched ��oxygen�� away, which was their essential need for survival. Therefore, even if it were the Creator Dragons who faced Chaos, they could only resist the invasion and couldn��t completely eradicate them and unify Order��


    ��I received no reports from Sonia. I can��t contact her either.��


    Rhode knitted his brows. He knew that the situation wasn��t as simple as it seemed because just a few moments ago, Alice informed him that Sonia��s necklace was activated. Also, Sonia��s ��history�� began to distort and failed to be recorded. This meant that Sonia was most likely enveloped in the threat of Chaos. Judging from the fact that Sonia didn��t contact Rhode about it, it showed just how unusual the situation was.


    ��I received news from the Mage Tower earlier. They lost contact with their branch in Casabianca. It seems like the communication spells were distorted and have lost their effects.��


    Marlene entered the hall and said with a grim look. After the Mage Tower��s members returned from the Deepest Labyrinth and reported the matter, their higher-ups blew their tops. They never expected their own people to be corroded by Chaos. This was why the Mage Tower immediately did a ��cleanup�� thereafter. With Alice��s help, they wiped out nearly one-fifth of their members who were possessed or manipulated by devils. This dealt a huge blow to the organization. A few moments ago, after Rhode received the news, he got the Mage Tower and church to investigate the situation on his behalf. After all, they were strong, third-party organizations and should have their means in this aspect. But Rhode didn��t expect the situation to take a turn.


    ��I can��t link up with the church. We just used the communication spell, but failed to connect with any members of the church in Casabianca!��


    At this moment, Lize scuttled into the room nervously with clenched fists. In an instant, the atmosphere in the hall tensed up.


    ��It seems like the news spread by the church agitated the Chaos worshipers lurking in Casabianca. Perhaps this is why they took actions now. After all, if what the church announced was true, the Light Dragon��s soul protection will only become stronger. In this case, Chaos will have a harder time infiltrating. In order to prevent this from happening, they started making moves����


    Rhode knitted his brows. He couldn��t understand how exactly the Chaos worshipers did it. With Archangel Boulder and Serene around, Chaos shouldn��t have succeeded so effortlessly. It seemed like the situation was far from good. And now, the two archangels seemed to be indifferent to this situation? This wasn��t possible at all. In this case, the only possibility was that the Chaos worshipers suddenly made their move and caught everyone unprepared. If not, Sonia should have already contacted Rhode by now.


    ��Have you contacted Lydia��s end?��


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode. I��ve contacted Big Sister and she has also expressed concerns. Right now, she is sending the Battle Angel Army to block off the borders, at the same time carrying out a large-scale investigation on the Munn Kingdom. She said she will check on the situation for now. If it worsens, she will immediately mobilize the magic fleet and Battle Angel Armies and break through into Casabianca.��


    ��This is really a huge operation����


    Rhode couldn��t help but blow a whistle to Lize��s response. It seemed like Lydia valued Lilian highly. Rhode was sure that Lydia must have thought of what he was thinking about straightaway. But if Lydia were to send an entire fleet of magic warships into Casabianca, it would be no different from declaring war with the Country of Light. After all, the Munn Kingdom was an independent country. It was as though allied nations on Earth. Perhaps they might send assistance, but it was a totally different matter if it was simply due to the disappearance of the country��s ruler or if they were caught in a civil war.


    ��What about the Country of Law?��


    ��They haven��t responded yet.��


    ��As for the Country of Darkness����


    ��I��m investigating. But I suppose it is only a matter of time before His Majesty Dark Dragon dispatches units for war.��


    Angelina swiftly answered and Lize puckered her brows.


    ��But�� the armistice agreement was clearly signed����


    ��Then was then, and now is now. I think His Majesty Dark Dragon will not let this good opportunity off. The instant he determines that the Country of Light is controlled by Chaos, he can invade the Country of Light in the name of eliminating Chaos. His Majesty already has such intention since a while back. This is part of the reason why he chose the Country of Light as the opponent in war.�� Angelina answered Lize quickly. As a royal vampire, Angelina had more or less received news and rumors. Unlike the Country of Light, the Country of Darkness was a hierarchical society. Therefore, the Country of Darkness was more concerned over ��Order�� than anyone else. As the saying went, ��nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards��, the Country of Darkness��s strict level of order also determined it. As such, they disregarded a nation with weak strength of Order like the Country of Light.


    ��Master, what should we do now?��


    Gillian asked, while Rhode knitted his brows, uncertain of a solution. Chaos took actions much quicker than he expected and most importantly, where were Serene and Boulder? Also�� how exactly were Sonia and Lilian doing now?


    ***


    ��Ahh!��


    Sonia lifted her head palely as she ran down the dark water tunnel. She gnashed her teeth, wielding the sword in one hand, while the other wrapping around Lilian. They were covered in murky filth, but couldn��t care less about them. Sonia was focused on carrying Lilian as she darted down the tunnel with the flow of sewage. Shortly after, an iron fence appeared before them.


    This is it!


    Sonia thrust the sword forward. In an instant, a string of sparks scattered and a round hole appeared in the solid iron fence. Sonia quickly passed through the fence and continued to dash down the tunnel when suddenly, she lost her balance and crumbled to the ground on her back.


    Argh!


    Sonia��s heart sank the moment she witnessed the azure sky. The wind whistled against her ear along with the sound of flowing sewage. At this moment, all she could do was to lay on the ground powerlessly, embracing the unconscious Lilian.


    At the next moment, the immense pain from the powerful impact as she fell on her back engulfed her entirety. At the same time, her vision turned black.

 Chapter 1019 - The Road to Survival (1)

    ��Sonia? Sonia!��


    Upon hearing the frantic screams, Sonia opened her eyes slowly and Lilian��s terrified face came into her vision. It was sunset. All Sonia felt was the aches and numbness in her body, especially the stinging pain on her back. She sat up slowly, only to find herself on a withered lawn. It was late autumn, where the fresh, green grass was gradually withering and the leaves were drying up. The cold wind from between the forest trees instantly sent Sonia shivering. She lowered her gaze, discovering that her clothes were completely soaked in sewage, suffusing a terrible stench. Lilian was nowhere better. Her little face was covered in strokes of black and white like a kitten. Her cloak was also stained by all sorts of filth. Not only that, but Sonia also felt pain and coldness in her left arm.


    It seems like I was still attacked, huh?


    Sonia calmed herself at this thought and stood back up.


    ��Your Majesty, this place isn��t safe. We have to continue moving ahead.��


    ��B-But�� where are we going exactly? Also�� are you alright, Sonia? Why don��t we find a place to rest����


    ��No, we have to find a place to wash up, change our clothes, and continue moving forward, Your Majesty. The parliament will widen the search perimeter until they find us. We have to escape before that happens.��


    Sonia gazed at Lilian��s pale expression and was hesitant about her decision. In fact, she wasn��t doing much better than Lilian now. If it weren��t for the fact that Sonia was a swordsman in the Elite Stage with a stronger constitution than most young noblewomen, she wouldn��t be able to walk now. But to Sonia, she had to continue walking even if she couldn��t. She didn��t know what would happen to Lilian if she were captured by Nakvard. But she was sure that nothing good would happen�� Moreover, Rhode��s mission for her was to protect Lilian!


    That��s right. This is the mission that Master gave me!


    Sonia pulled herself together at this thought immediately. Even though she was exhausted and in pain from the constant running, it was nothing compared to the ��teachings�� that Rhode had given her. And now, the most important thing was to lead Lilian as far away from Casabianca. Once they left this central region, Sonia could use her familiarity with the Country of Light to head to other regions and blend into the crowd. This way, they could avoid detection from the parliament. She was aware that there were regions dissatisfied with the parliament��s rule, so as long as they escaped to those regions, they wouldn��t need to fear the chasing soldiers. The resistance from the regions would be enough to give the soldiers a hard time.


    ��Your Majesty, let��s move on.��


    ���� Okay.��


    Lilian hesitated at the sight of Sonia standing to her feet. But she continued to ask.


    ���� Sonia, where exactly are we going?��


    ���� It is no longer possible to board the floating boats and heading toward the Munn Kingdom is equally dangerous. If we walk on foot, we will be interrogated a lot. But if we go via sea, the threats will be similar to those on the floating boats. Also, I heard rumors about the unscrupulous sailors on the ships in the port. Perhaps they will harbor ill intentions if we head there alone���� Sonia pretended to be contemplative, before continuing. ��Your Majesty, if you don��t mind, we can head down the Black Mist River and�� perhaps pass through the Highland City and arrive at the Void Territory.��


    ��Huh?��


    Lilian stared blankly and Sonia quickly became anxious. Sonia had the initial intention to bring Lilian back to the Void Territory. Even though the other reasons she mentioned were also valid, there were still other solutions, as a matter of fact. For instance, the port. Just like Sonia mentioned, although there were many shady ships, some ships were still legit. Once they sneaked into the ships, they could still head to the Munn Kingdom. But�� as Rhode��s devoted servant, Sonia naturally wouldn��t give this opportunity to Lydia.


    ��Yes, it will be relatively safer, Your Majesty Lilian. We can hitch a ride from the merchants who are heading toward the border region. Actually, many trade associations have no relations with the parliament. We don��t need to worry if they check our identities. Besides, even if there are any problems, it will be easier for us to escape����


    ��Sure.��


    ��Huh?��


    Sonia was surprised by Lilian��s straightforward answer. The latter swung her tiny fists as she looked at Sonia with a delightful expression.


    ��Let��s look for Big Brother Rhode, Sonia. I��m sure Big Brother Rhode will protect us!��


    ��Of course, Your Majesty. If you��re fine with this����


    Sonia felt like she didn��t have much to say after seeing Lilian��s excitement��


    Even though Lilian was excited to visit Rhode, the problems presented before the both of them weren��t easy to resolve. First, the problem with bathing. After the moon rose high up in the sky, they realized how difficult it was to find a place to shower in the wild. They were a wealthy young lady and a Light Dragon, who led easy lives with everything provided. Although Sonia was in charge of looking after Lilian, that didn��t include lodging and food. Thereafter, the duo wandered in the forest for half a day and finally found a small creek. Even though it was chilly in the late autumn night, they gritted their teeth and washed the filth off their bodies, before putting on a clean set of clothes. Then, Sonia picked up several branches. In any case, she often stepped out of the house and had observed enough to manage on her own. Even though she wasn��t a mercenary, she had witnessed guards on night watch in the past and learned some of their methods. Of course, if it weren��t for her sword that contained the flame attribute, perhaps they would be having a freezing night.


    ��Ugh����


    Huddled up entirely in Sonia��s embrace, Lilian shuddered while gazing at the bonfire. Then, she instinctively curled up once more. Sonia felt her reaction and hugged the little girl tighter. She held the sword in her right hand, leaning on the tree trunk and watching the surroundings. The forest of late autumn was dark and terrifying. The silver-whitish moonlight shone from above, as though giving life to the dried branches, turning them into the twisting shadows of departed spirits.


    ���� Sonia?��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty?��


    Sonia asked softly.


    ���� Why are they trying to capture me? What exactly have I done? It feels so�� annoying����


    ������


    ��Big Brother Rhode�� Big Sister Nalea, Big Sister Siena, and even that annoying Ion are also Creator Dragons, so why am I so unfortunate? They are loved and supported by their people, so why am I the only one treated this way? I��m also a Creator Dragon. I really don��t know what I did wrong. Why must the people treat me this way? Have I done anything bad to them before? Didn��t I let them do whatever they want and not intervene? Could it be that it is because I helped the pitiful retired soldiers?��


    ��No�� Your Majesty�� I don��t think that��s the reason����


    After a moment of hesitation, Sonia extended her arm and caressed Lilian��s hair.


    ���� I don��t know how I should put it, but it is the result of Mas-�� His Majesty Rhode��s effort for the achievements he has today. Your Majesty, I��m sure you��ve heard about what His Majesty Rhode has gone through. He faced countless threats, including the powerful undead army. But he never backed down and overcame the challenges bravely. In the end, he was victorious and received the honor and respect that he deserves�� Your Majesty, everyone is the same. If you want to be recognized by others, you need to take on the path that you��ve chosen, despite it being an arduous one����


    Sonia pondered for a few moments. Wasn��t she the same? She could give up on her mission and live as Sonia of the Lockos Family. She could become a true parliament member, where she would have her own position, status, and honor. But what more could she receive by staying with Rhode? Physical pleasure? It wasn��t impossible to satisfy her needs if she ever wanted to. She was a beautiful woman and there were no lack of men who drooled over her body. There were countless promiscuous gatherings for the nobles. She could consume drugs that would make men lust for her and indulge in the ocean of thrills and physical pleasures. Wouldn��t that give her the same happiness? Besides, she would only remain a slave and a bitch, staying with Rhode. On the other hand, she could still remain a young, honorable noblewoman, at least from her appearance, if she chose the other path.


    So why must she continue this future-less path?


    Sonia lowered her gaze at the crackling bonfire.


    But the answer was determined a long time ago. Just like she had told Lilian.


    ��We chose our own paths, so we must take them on,�� she said softly, while Lilian had already fallen into a deep sleep in her arms.

 Chapter 1020 - The Road to Survival (2)

    The chase from the parliament didn��t turn out like how Sonia had imagined.


    Walking on the rural trail and stepping on the dried leaves, Sonia lifted her head and gazed at the town surrounded by wooden fences. She and Lilian had changed their set of clothes. Sonia wore a swordsman��s armor, while Lilian was clad in a cleric��s robe. This type of duo wasn��t rarely seen on the continent as traveling clerics usually had a partner by their sides. This was also how Lize experienced it. Fortunately, Lilian was the Light Dragon and more or less knew some healing spells. Even though her power was sealed, she was ultimately one of the Creator Dragons with some capabilities.


    Using this disguise, the duo had a smooth journey. Perhaps the parliament focused all their attention on Casabianca from the start, they didn��t consider the possibilities of a young lady born into a wealthy family and the Creator Dragon who rarely stepped out of the palace to be drifting about like beggars. Of course, this was inseparable from Sonia��s personal experiences. She understood how large organizations carried out their searches, which was why to prevent any trouble, she steered clear of populated areas as much as possible and only occasionally purchased food from the neighboring villages in the morning, while resting in the mountainous forest at night. Although this wasn��t entirely safe, considering the uncertainty of when the parliament��s soldiers would arrive, it was far safer staying in the forest than the villages. Perhaps due to the change in season from autumn to winter, most animals were busy preparing for hibernation. Despite that, no wild animals saw them as prey and Sonia suspected that it was Lilian��s dragon��s prestige that kept them away.


    ��Lily, shall we rest a while and continue our journey later? We��re nearing Highland City����


    Sonia was exhausted after rushing about for two whole days. She didn��t know whether the two archangels returned to Casabianca, but what could they do if they returned? This was a woman��s instinct. But Sonia felt like even if the two archangels returned, nothing good would come out from it. Besides, the current Casabianca gave her a really bad feeling. Instead of returning to Casabianca, she might as well continue down this path�� This was their only choice left.


    ��Yes.��


    Lilian nodded before extending her arm and clutching Sonia��s sleeve.


    As the duo arrived at the village entrance, the sturdy militias scanned them curiously. Fortunately, they didn��t stop them, so Sonia heaved a sigh of relief. She held Lilian��s hand and entered the village. Next, they needed to find a temporary place to rest, purchase some food and supplies, and continue with their journey. At this point in time, Sonia feared visiting large cities because she knew that rumors and intelligence spread the quickest there. In comparison, the small villages in the wild were much more enclosed, where news wouldn��t arrive as quickly even if there were any.


    The only inn, which had the same name as the village, was located near the entrance. Unnourished horses were tied up by the manger. The inn��s hall was like a rural place filled with all sorts of stench and the smell of alcohol. When Sonia pushed the wooden door open and entered the inn, the awful reek assailed her nostrils. But she merely knitted her brows and didn��t comment a thing. In comparison to the revolting stench of the sewage, this smell was much better.


    The inn owner was an overweight, middle-aged woman who waddled about like a fat, water bucket. The moment she realized that the visitors weren��t drunk, troublesome farmers, she hurriedly went up to them.


    ��Yo, I rarely receive customers this early. What would both of you like to have?��


    Perhaps due to the owner��s loud, resonant voice like a dinosaur, Lilian instinctively shivered. However, Sonia responded calmly.


    ��We are travelers from the south and happen to pass by this village. Please prepare some less-oily food for us�� It would be great if you have some drinks that can warm us up too. Also, we would like to have some bacon and bread.��


    Sonia said, reaching out for a few silver coins from her pocket, and placed them on the counter. The inn owner��s eyes lit up. She quickly put the coins away at a speed professional thieves couldn��t outdo and nodded firmly.


    ��Hahaha, leave it to me, Misses. Our apples are really well known. It is the harvesting season now and I guarantee that you will be full of praises for our specialty apple wine!��


    The inn owner introduced the food proudly. Then, she turned around and yelled at a skinny man who immediately jumped to his feet and scrambled into the kitchen at the back. Sonia shook her head slightly at this scene, before bringing Lilian to the corner of the inn. She had to admit that nothing beat escaping and going on adventures at making one turn mature. At this moment, Sonia felt as though she was an adventurer, where even boorish villagers like the inn owner seemed less annoying to her already��


    It took only a short while before the piping hot bread, bacon, and sweet, warm apple wine were laid out in a spread before them. Not only that, but the inn owner had also prepared grilled fish. Of course, the food wasn��t as tasty as what Sonia and Lilian had back home. The bread was too dry, bacon was too hard, and grilled fish was burnt. Only the apple wine was worthy of a taste. Back then, Sonia and Lilian wouldn��t have eaten them. But now, they had learned to savor them. No matter what, now wasn��t the time for them to be choosy.


    Squeak��


    While they ate their meal, the inn��s door was pushed open by an elderly man. He took a glance at the place and quickly spotted Sonia and Lilian in the corner. He didn��t react to Sonia, but when he saw Lilian in a cleric��s robe, his eyes lit up. Then, he scuttled toward them hurriedly and gave a deep, respectful bow.


    ��I��m sorry to interrupt your meal, Misses�� May I know if you��re a cleric?��


    ��Huh?��


    Lilian looked at the elderly man blankly. Then, she gazed at him curiously and asked.


    ��Is�� anything the matter?��


    ��Yes, this was what happened.��


    The elderly man said hastily.


    ��My grandson has fallen ill to the cold weather. We thought of seeking help from a cleric in town, but the journey is too far away. Since you��re a cleric, could you please save my grandson?��


    ��This����


    Lilian looked at Sonia with a complicated expression. The latter knitted her brows subtly.


    ��My apologies, this young lady here is still an apprentice and doesn��t have the qualifications to treat a patient yet����


    ��Sonia?��


    At this moment, Sonia felt Lilian gently tugging her sleeve. She lowered her head and found Lilian gazing at her in uncertainty and clenched fists.


    ���� Since he needs help, I think�� we should�� help him, isn��t it?��


    ��But����


    Sonia hesitated as she didn��t want anything to do with the villagers, be it good or bad. If the parliament were to find out their location, it would mean disaster for them and the villagers. Sonia understood Lilian��s feelings, but��


    ��Sonia?��


    ������


    Sonia looked at Lilian��s pleading gaze, before pondering in silence. Then, she nodded in agreement.


    After finishing their meals, the duo packed their luggage and followed the elderly man to his home. Just like the elderly man said, his grandson who was younger than six years old was lying on the bed with a high fever. He looked pale, as though he was about to die. Lilian couldn��t remain indifferent about it. She quickly approached the boy and softly chanted with extended arms. Along with her actions, a spotless, white radiance emanated from between her palms, enfolding the young boy entirely. Shortly after, the young boy��s complexion turned better and he looked less painful. His hastened breathing also became calmer.


    As a Creator Dragon, Lilian was still confident in her skills in healing.


    At this moment, Sonia and Lilian heard the door open. They turned around and saw a farmer covered in dirt walking into the room. The farmer was surprised to see them. He stared blankly, before pulling a long face and striding forward.


    ��Who are you? What are you trying to do to my son!��


    ��Shut up, Mike. I was the one who got them here to treat his illness. This young lady here is a cleric!��


    ��Cleric?��


    The man came to a halt, sizing up Lilian who stood by the window. As they were in the room, Lilian didn��t conceal her face under the hood like she could outdoors. Shortly after, the man shifted his gaze and went up to his son. After ensuring that he was no longer feverish, he heaved a long sigh of relief. Then, he turned around and bowed respectfully to Lilian.


    ��Thank you so much for your help, Miss. I��m sorry for my rudeness�� I have been too concerned about my son��s health. When I saw outsiders around, I got a little�� agitated. Please forgive me.��


    ��Ah, no. It��s nothing. I didn��t take it to heart, so please don��t apologize�� This is my duty.��


    Lilian was apparently flustered as she waved her arms about hurriedly. The man stood up straight after looking at her actions. Then, he said.


    ��Judging from both of your appearances, I suppose you two are travelers, right? In this case, please rest here for the night. This is also a form of our appreciation����


    Sonia knitted her brows slightly.


    ��We thank you for your kindness, we����


    Before Sonia finished her sentence, she turned to Lilian. Even though Lilian didn��t say a word, it was apparent from her gaze that she was in favor of this suggestion. Indeed, this might just be an ordinary farmer��s house with nothing spectacular, but sleeping on a large, soft bed beat sleeping in the wild on the ice-cold grass. This was an incredible offer to a little girl.


    ���� Alright then, we will accept your kind gesture,�� Sonia replied. She heaved a soft sigh and eventually shook her head slightly.

 Chapter 1021 - The Road to Survival (3)

    One would only treasure the things one had after losing them.


    At this moment, Sonia came to this deep realization. If it were her from the past, she would have never accepted this hard, wooden bed. With Sonia��s and Lilian��s identities, they should be sleeping on the soft, fragrant, and warm feather-made bedding and bed��not this hard, wooden bed with a straw mattress made from weeds. Even though it was clean from bugs, there was still a distasteful scent wafting from the thin blanket. If it were in the past, Sonia wouldn��t have given it a second look. But now��


    Sonia gazed at Lilian who had already entered a blissful, deep sleep, as though she didn��t mind the uncomfortable bed at all. As soon as she got onto the bed, she fell asleep almost immediately. She couldn��t be blamed. After all, they had been braving the elements for the past few days and Lilian surely didn��t feel great. Sonia recalled a few instances where Lilian was woken up abruptly by the wolves�� howls from the distance, widening her eyes and scanning the surroundings in fear. There was once when she grabbed Sonia��s clothes while asleep, asking her to not leave her side�� That was the first time Sonia witnessed Lilian display such an expression.


    But Sonia knew that the situation wasn��t that simple.


    During dinner, she gave extra attention in observing the owner of the house. There was nothing unusual with the elderly man and his grandson, but the man��s gazes toward Sonia and Lilian were filled with intense emotions and were by no means normal. Sonia sensed that it wasn��t the burning, passionate, and instinctive desires of a man toward women. Instead, the man might have possibly seen a public notice about her. If this was the case, they couldn��t rest leisurely any longer. Sonia turned to Lilian at this thought. If the situation was as terrible as she had imagined, it would be best to leave before dawn while everyone was still asleep. If not, she wouldn��t know what would happen.


    Sonia closed her eyes at this thought. But unlike Lilian, Sonia didn��t fall asleep. Even though she was resting, her mental senses were still probing the surroundings of the house. Perhaps due to the days of traveling, she felt her sword skills that had reached the bottleneck were beginning to improve again. She wasn��t this mindful of her sword skills initially because as a noblewoman, she didn��t need to possess powerful swordsmanship. It would be sufficient as she could ensure her safety and not stand stiffly like a flower vase during emergencies. Besides, her talent in swordsmanship wasn��t great either. This was why after realizing that her sword skills couldn��t be further improved, she didn��t waste too much time on them. But she didn��t expect days of traveling across mountains and forests and battling wild animals to improve her strength greatly. Right now, perhaps the level of her swordsmanship had exceeded the Intermediate Elite Stage and reached the Peak Elite Stage, where such mental probing wouldn��t be challenging for her. Moreover, there were only boorish militias in this village who couldn��t possibly escape her mental detection. So even if they tried to do anything��


    ��Hmm?��


    Sonia opened her eyes.


    The village remained tranquil under the envelopment of the spotless and white glowing moon. But Sonia sensed someone gathering slowly toward the house they resided. At the same time, someone in the house had also gotten up.


    It seemed like those guys decided to make a move while we��re asleep?


    There��s no time to slack around any longer.


    ��Lily.��


    Sonia shook Lilian gently. The latter opened her blurry eyes and gazed at Sonia. But before Lilian said anything, Sonia quickly covered her mouth. This sudden movement startled the half-asleep Lilian. The little girl widened her eyes, staring at Sonia. Sonia gestured for her to remain silent. After understanding what Sonia meant, Lilian nodded. Then, Sonia let loose of her right hand, knitted her brow, and said softly into Lilian��s ear.


    ��We have to leave now. There are people trying to capture us.��


    ����!?��


    Even though Lilian was mentally prepared for such situations, she widened her eyes in shock after hearing Sonia��s words.


    How is it possible? Didn��t I treat the child��s illness for them? Why are they doing this?


    But now wasn��t the time to consider these questions. Shortly after, Lilian quickly packed the luggage and followed Sonia silently to the door. Even though it was incomparably silent outside, Sonia sensed a man was slowly sneaking toward the house. She dragged Lilian to the back, while clutching her sword with her right hand.


    One step, two steps, three steps.


    The man arrived at the entrance. He extended his arm and quietly pushed the door open. Then��


    Shing!


    Sonia brandished the sword immediately, striking the man in his throat. The tall, muscular man instantly crumpled to the ground. The dagger in his hand fell to the ground, letting out a crisp, loud sound.


    Clang!


    Suddenly, torches lit up all around the dark village. Sonia��s heart sank. Even though she knew that there was a possibility that someone would capture them in this village, she didn��t expect so many people to be involved! If only her mental perceptions were better�� but there was no point thinking about this now. Sonia could only clutch the sword at this thought, hold Lilian��s hand, and dash out of the house.


    Swish!


    The instant they left the house, Sonia witnessed a dozen arrows flying toward them. If she were an ordinary human, perhaps she wouldn��t be able to avoid this ambush. However, she quickly swung her right arm to release a string of flares, burning the arrows into ashes completely.


    ��Capture them!��


    The leader of the group ordered after spotting Sonia and Lilian. Sonia grimaced instantly because they were surrounded by nearly 100 militia men holding swords and bows. Sonia panicked for a means to escape. She was confident of dealing with 100 of them alone, but it was an entirely different matter with Lilian by her side. And what worried her more was that she didn��t sense so many people encircling the house earlier. Although she sensed some presence, reality was much more than she expected. If not, she would have left earlier, instead of only now.


    Is it due to my fatigue which causes my misperception? Or are there other reasons?


    But now wasn��t the time to consider this question.


    ��Lilian, hide behind me. Follow me, we are going to break through their encirclement!��


    The flares flashed.


    Even though they seemed aggressive, they retreated at the sight of Sonia��s sword skills. On the other hand, Sonia had no intention of killing them all either. Although she didn��t have a high level of mastery, she knew that if she accidentally killed a few of them, it would be hard to scare the others away. But if she were to accidentally trigger their aggressiveness, not even Hercules could contend against two and she wouldn��t be able to ensure Lilian��s safety. After all, even though Lilian possessed spiritual spells, she wasn��t an official cleric. The current Lilian could only use her talent as the Creator Dragon to cast healing spells. It was impossible for her to immediately cast a defensive barrier around them like Lize.


    ��Capture them alive!��


    Perhaps feeling threatened by Sonia��s sword skills or simply bound by the order, the militia didn��t blindly resist Sonia��s scarlet blade. Instead, they retreated to the left and right in a fluster. Sonia hesitated no more. She flipped her wrist around and in the blink of an eye, a blaze of scarlet flame erupted from the ground like a giant serpent lifting its head to breathe flames at the militias. None of the militias and villagers had witnessed such a scene in their lives before. They screamed and instantly separated themselves to both sides from the fire serpent. Using this opportunity, Sonia ran off, holding Lilian��s hand and darting out of the encirclement.


    Once we leave this place and hide in the wilderness of the forest��


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    ��This is bad!��


    Upon hearing the sound of arrows tearing through the air, Sonia was appalled. She turned around and brandished the sword at them once again. Shortly after, flames erupted from the blade and devoured the arrows completely. But at this moment, Sonia discovered that the militias had already bypassed the fire circle and were closing in on Lilian.


    ��Your Majesty!��


    In this heart-pounding situation, Sonia turned around quickly and attempted to stop the militia. But��


    ����!


    What?


    Before Sonia reacted, she witnessed an ice-cold, shimmering blade that had pierced her chest. Then, she realized what happened exactly. Lilian widened her eyes, screaming Sonia��s name and yet, Sonia couldn��t hear her at all. Sonia��s vision dimmed and her body became ice-cold. She didn��t even have the strength to wield her sword anymore�� But��


    But�� Do you think this is the end of me?


    Sonia tightened her grip on the scarlet sword in her hand. Then, an unparalleled burst of flames exploded. The razor-sharp, powerful magic weapon in her hand was instantly destroyed as it turned into white flames that bombarded the militia before her. Shortly after, a series of blood-curdling screeches filled the air. The sword that punctured her chest also withdrew quickly, while Sonia swayed and collapsed to the ground.


    What a pity�� Master�� Seems like I��ve reached the end��


    Gazing at the teary Lilian who screamed and pounced on her, the corners of Sonia��s mouth twitched.


    Then, her world entered complete darkness.

 Chapter 1022 - Awakening

    ��Sonia!��


    Gazing at the pale young lady lying in a pool of blood, Lilian yelled, pounced on her, and extended her trembling hands. All she felt was warmth fading away from her body. Blood flowed out of the young lady��s chest, smearing the ground in red. Lilian raised her head in a daze. The ball of white flames in front of her extinguished all of a sudden and three to four soldiers clad in white robes and armor appeared from the darkness. They were like ghosts. Despite the area being brightly lit by the surrounding torches, the air around them was dark. One of them was burned from head to toe and was seemingly miserable. It was apparent that he was the one who ambushed Sonia.


    Lilian shivered at the sight of them. She knew who they were. Before leaving Casabianca, Sonia once told her that they were Nakvard��s subordinates. They were incredibly strong and she couldn��t defeat them. Lilian didn��t expect to meet them here��


    ��Sir! Sir!��


    The militias yelled, surrounding Lilian and Sonia completely. Shortly after, three militias went up and subdued Lilian. At the same time, the soldiers clad in white robes sauntered toward Lilian when suddenly, an elderly man scuttled out of the crowd toward them. It was the elderly man whose grandson Lilian had treated. The elderly man displayed a fawning smile to the soldiers.


    ��You see����


    ��Yes.��


    The soldiers nodded, before tossing a bag of money to him. The elderly man took the bag, turned around, and left quickly. Lilian stared at the scene, dumbfounded. She couldn��t decipher her exact mood and emotions anymore. But she felt regretful for the first time. If it weren��t for her stubbornness, Sonia wouldn��t have agreed to stay for the night and eventually be tracked down by these men. But now�� now�� why? Lilian lowered her gaze, looking at Sonia foolishly who laid beside her with closed eyes like she was in slumber. Lilian tried to extend her arms, but the soldiers gripped them. She couldn��t budge at all.


    Why? Why do they want to capture me? Am I not the Creator Dragon? I��m the Light Dragon: the dragon soul heir of this continent. How dare the humans treat me this way? Is it because I��m powerless? They are under the protection of my power and yet, they treat me with no respect at all and even hurt the people around me? I��ve tried so hard, but it seems like my efforts are pointless to them. No matter what I do, I always end up in such a miserable plight. So what purpose do I have for doing this? Why must I do it? Why must I continue to protect the bad guys who betray and harm the people around me? Why must I do it? They have always treated me this way and even killed my closest friend. Do I still need to protect these people? Why must I protect these people who are hostile toward me? Why must I be the one to do it? This is it. I��ve had enough. I don��t want to continue doing it any longer! I no longer wish to do it anymore!


    ���� Don��t touch me����


    Lilian said as the white-robed soldier took a step forward to pull her away. Her voice was so weak, almost inaudible, and yet for some reason, the white-robed soldier was taken aback. He sensed an unprecedented might slowly diffusing from her.


    ���� Don��t touch me�� You��re only a human�� You have no right to treat me this way!��


    Lilian lifted her head, her eyes emanating a golden radiance. Almost simultaneously, the soldiers heard a crisp, crackling sound from her chest and all of a sudden, a blinding, golden radiance erupted from her body and rushed straight into the sky. The powerful airflow expanded in a blast, turning the militias holding her down into ashes by the golden beam.


    ��Enough�� I��ve had enough����


    Lilian disregarded the people around her completely. She ambled toward Sonia, knelt on the ground, and crystal-clear tears trickled down her cheeks and fell to the ground. The militias were flustered. They didn��t know how to deal with this situation. The white-robed soldiers grimaced, nervously clutching their weapons. At this moment, the night sky started turning strange as thick layers of dark clouds concealed the presence of the moon. Despite the dazzling light column behind Lilian bursting into the sky, for some unknown reason, the soldiers and militias felt like the radiance became incomparably dim as though all the light in the entire world was absorbed by Lilian.


    ��I��ve had enough�� You people don��t care about me at all�� Humans only care about themselves�� It��s useless no matter how hard I try�� So�� die! All of you! Die!��


    Lilian snarled. The light column behind her trembled all of a sudden and transformed into the shape of an enormous dragon. The dragon of light expanded its wings, raised its head, and widened its mouth, bellowing an earthshaking roar. Suddenly, one by one, golden lightning bolts descended from the heavens!


    First to bear the brunt were the white-robed soldiers. The instant Lilian raged, they knew that the situation was anything but assuring. They tried to capture her quickly, but no matter how fast they were, they could never outrun the speed of lightning. Blinding radiance flashed and the white-robed soldiers were instantly struck by the lightning bolts, instantly turning into ashes. The militias encircling them turned pale with fright. They shrieked in horror and turned around to escape. But it was a pity that they didn��t have the chance to leave.


    The lightning bolts blasting from above devoured the fleeing humans mercilessly. Not only that, but the flat ground also started to quake as raging flames spurted from the underground, covering the village in a sea of flames.


    ��Help! Help!��


    ��Children, my children��!��


    Tragic screams sounded from the tranquil village that had instantly become hell. But Lilian turned a blind eye as she quietly sat beside Sonia, arranging and cleaning her messy hair and clothes. Lilian��s eyes were completely lifeless, like a robot executing its task and neglecting the happenings around it. The militias no longer had the courage to resist her. They abandoned their weapons and fled in frantic screams. However, the surging flames instantly consumed their bodies.


    The golden dragon opened its mouth, looking high up to the sky.


    A rainstorm came all of a sudden.


    ��Sonia�� I��m sorry����


    Lilian said softly, gazing blankly at the motionless young lady. Her head was a complete blank. All sorts of emotions like regret, disappointment, and anger ran amok inside her mind. She felt like there was a tear in her heart. She didn��t know how and who to vent her frustrations on. The villagers�� horrible plight didn��t affect her at all. She completely disregarded the villagers, refusing to care for them.


    Her emotion was burning, yet ice-cold. Lilian sat on the ground foolishly, allowing the raindrops to strike her ruthlessly. She couldn��t differentiate rain and tears anymore. Not even the flames around her rushing into the sky, the brazen lightning bolts, and violent tremors could move her. She occasionally lifted her head to glance at the surroundings, but quickly shifted her gaze back to Sonia as though nothing existed in this world except for this young lady.


    Until an arm came from behind and held her shoulder.


    ������


    Lilian turned around instinctively and saw a familiar face.


    ���� Big Brother Rhode����


    ��It��s me, Lilian.��


    Rhode answered gently. He knitted his brows, gazing at Sonia��s corpse lying in front of Lilian. Her body was washed clean by the rain. There were no traces of filth or liveliness. It seemed like I came too late.


    Rhode sighed. In fact, he couldn��t be blamed. If it weren��t for the explosion of Lilian��s dragon soul power, he wouldn��t have been able to locate them through the map interfered by Chaos. Back then when Gillian told him that Lilian��s dragon soul power erupted, he had a bad feeling, which was why he came here as fast as he could. But it seemed like he was too late.


    Fortunately, this wasn��t an irreparable mistake.


    Rhode extended his arm to Lilian at this thought.


    ��Come with me, Lilian.��

 Chapter 1023 - A Messy Situation

    Rhode stepped out of the room and closed the door gently. He turned around and saw Lize��s worried expression.


    ��Mr. Rhode, how is Her Majesty Lilian?��


    ��Still the same. She locked herself up in the room, refusing to consume anything. Fortunately, she��s the Creator Dragon and can survive without food for a few days. Besides, Christie and Bell are accompanying her, so everything should be fine.�� Rhode shrugged, before asking. ��Has Lydia arrived?��


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode. Big Sister and the rest are waiting for you.��


    ��Alright, I��ll head there now.��


    After finding Sonia and Lilian, Rhode didn��t continue to stay in the Country of Light. Instead, he quickly brought them back to the Void Territory. However, it was apparent that Lilian had suffered a huge blow. Over the next few days, she refused to eat and silently curled herself up in the corner of the room. No one knew what was going through her head, but Rhode managed to figure out the entire story from Alice. It wasn��t because Lilian wasn��t in the mood to explain it. Instead, with a ��BUG�� like Alice around, she could look into Lilian��s eyes and receive the answers. Rhode let out a helpless sigh after hearing the truth from Alice. Brats would always remain as brats, and not even Lilian was an exception. Of course, this was great to a certain degree. At least Rhode was able to find Lilian before she was taken away. If not, no one knew what would have happened to her if he arrived any later.


    After bringing Lilian back to the Void Territory, Rhode immediately notified Lydia, which made her pause the thought of sending the Battle Angel Army into Casabianca directly. The current situation of the Dragon Soul Continent wasn��t as simple as everyone believed. A single mishap might turn into a huge problem��


    Rhode entered the parlor and immediately met Lydia who put up a solemn look, unlike her calm, usual self. Well, she couldn��t be blamed. Even though Lilian was found, the two archangels were still nowhere to be seen. Lydia was worried about them because this had never happened before. Besides, the entire situation with the Country of Light just couldn��t be more strange.


    Ever since Rhode brought Lilian back to the Void Territory, or perhaps after Lilian awakened her powers, the Country of Light was unsettled. It wasn��t due to those guys in the parliament, but instead, the problem lay in the Country of Light itself. Thereafter, the weather of the Country of Light suddenly became horrendous. Thunder roared in certain areas for days and earthquakes terrorized the people from time to time. Not only that, but hail storms also plagued the country, destroying the granaries. Some areas near the sea were either devastated by typhoons, snowstorms, or droughts. Who would have thought that seasides would be suffering from droughts? This was totally unscientific to a whole new level.


    Meanwhile, the Munn Kingdom also had a hard time. Or perhaps, any region under the Light Dragon��s soul protection faced disasters. On the contrary, Rhode��s Void Territory was as peaceful as ever, without any issues. Although this was the fact, Rhode wasn��t happy at all. Because after the discussion with his younger sister, he discovered that the situation might be much more troublesome than it appeared.


    Lydia forced a smile at Rhode and nodded as a greeting. She had met Lilian earlier and just as Rhode had predicted, Lilian didn��t respond to the outside world. No matter what Lydia spoke to her about, Lilian remained silent.


    ��Her Majesty Lilian is in a dangerous condition���� Lydia said, before letting out a sigh.


    ��You are already aware of the situation happening in the Light Mainland, right, Your Majesty Rhode?��


    ��Of course.��


    Rhode nodded to her question. In fact, all this while, the number of refugees seeking shelter in the Void Territory had been increasing, with the majority being from the Munn Kingdom and a minority from the Country of Light, entering from the Highland City. Come to think of it, it seemed rather strange. There was no war, but people were fleeing��


    ��Her Majesty no longer wishes to protect the humans residing in the Light Mainland, I suppose.��


    Lydia let out a worried sigh. Rhode understood her feelings. As an archangel, Lydia had the duty of protecting her people. But now, Lilian wasn��t willing to do it and this put Lydia in a tough spot. Rhode discussed this issue with his younger sister earlier and according to her, the relationship between the dragon soul protection and dragon soul heir was like a firewall and artificial intelligence. Once the ��virus�� of Chaos was detected, the firewall would be automatically activated to exterminate the virus. But on the other hand, once the artificial intelligence determined that there was no threat or due to certain reasons, the program was changed and decided to give up its responsibilities, the firewall couldn��t be activated. And now, Lilian��s situation was like the artificial intelligence��s. She lost the will to protect the continent, which led to the automatic weakening of the Light Dragon��s soul protection, where it might even vanish completely. Now that this had happened, it was impossible for Lydia to not feel sad.


    ��The situation isn��t as simple as it seems, Your Royal Highness Lydia.��


    Rhode said. Lydia lifted her head and looked at him curiously. Upon sensing her gaze, Rhode nodded and continued. ��In fact, before this happened, I took a trip to the Deepest Labyrinth and defeated a Devil Monarch. Thereafter for the sake of safety, I made Celestina read its spirit memories�� In the Devil Monarch��s memories, I found a clue that Chaos is about to attack us again.��


    Rhode��s expression became stern as he spoke. In fact, it was truly a challenge to analyze a devil��s memories because devils wouldn��t categorize their memories like humans. If the memories were compared to a library, what Celestina did was no less than placing the irregular books one by one into their rightful positions on the shelves. Rhode couldn��t help but admire the fact that she actually accomplished it. But it was a pity that the results he got from Grazite��s memories were less admirable. After hearing the results from Celestina, he discovered that Grazite headed to the Deepest Labyrinth in order to completely open the channel connecting to the abyss. As for the reason, Rhode was caught between tears and laughter. After the Void Dragon had awakened and the five dragon soul protections merged once again, it led to Chaos having a much harder time infiltrating the main plane of existence from the ��outside��. Therefore, Chaos chose to come into the main plane of existence through the abyss instead. As the number one hired thugs of Chaos, devils were chosen to take the lead and bear the brunt.


    Rhode let out a bitter laugh when he heard about this for the first time. The fact that Siena and the rest said about the five dragon soul protections merging and whatnot eventually came true.. But this wasn��t the most troublesome part. What gave Rhode the biggest headache was that Grazite��s ��channel�� wasn��t the ��main target�� for Chaos. The reason why Grazite had chosen to open a channel in the Deepest Labyrinth was because it was purely a ��backup exit��. And their true goal was the Country of Light! In addition to the information Alice got from Lilian, there was only one answer��


    ��I think the parliament is possibly planning to open the Chaos Gate in Casabianca.��


    ��Chaos Gate?!��


    Lydia sulked.


    The so-called ��Chaos Gate�� was in fact the channel Grazite tried to open in the Deepest Labyrinth. It could tear the channel connected to the abyss in the main plane of existence. But the Chaos Gate was incredibly difficult to open, much harder than the Hell��s Gate. Although abyss and hell were miles underground, Order had different reactions to both. To the demons, they could simply make their worshipers go through the blasphemy ceremony, so they could open the channel and come to the main plane of existence for a stroll. Even though hell was known for its evil, it was ultimately under Order and wouldn��t be restrained. But Chaos was different. The devils would easily be confused by the existence of Order if they tried to open the channel to the main plane of existence. Just as mentioned earlier, the virus trying to enter from the back door would be ground into powder and deleted completely by the firewall, unless the virus found an ancient, large-scale teleportation ritual and modified it like Grazite, or perhaps found a relatively weaker region under the dragon soul protection.


    A region with relatively weaker dragon soul protection�� Yes, everyone knew where that was.


    After hearing from Alice and learning everything that happened to Lilian and Sonia, Rhode believed that the parliament had come up with a way to imprison Lilian��s dragon soul power. After all, it was pointless to kill Lilian because she was simply a vessel for the dragon soul power. If they were to kill Lilian, the dragon soul power would go on and search for another vessel. And now, the parliament apparently had no time to waste searching for the next dragon soul heir on the streets, so they might as well imprison the dragon soul power. Besides, Lilian��s dragon soul power had been sealed up by them for a long time. This went to show that the parliament still had some tricks up their sleeves.


    ��If it is truly the Chaos Gate, the situation will be much more hectic.��


    Lydia knitted her brows tightly after hearing Rhode��s explanations. Of course, she knew what the Chaos Gate was and now, the dragon soul protection over the Light Mainland was slowly dissipating. To the devils and Chaos, the resistance against a Chaos Gate on the surface wasn��t as powerful as before. What made matters worse was��


    ��We can��t attack them yet. At least for now.��


    Rhode sighed. After rescuing Lilian, he thought of leading his men and slaughtering their way into Casabianca. It was just massacring everyone in the city and Rhode was confident that his men were capable of that. But Gillian stopped him from doing so. According to her, the Light Dragon��s soul protection was like a piece of ice that was melting and breaking apart. If Rhode were to launch an attack on the city now, he would worsen the conditions of Order like crushing the entire layer of ice. When that happened, the Light Dragon��s soul protection would be entirely done for. Chaos would invade without the need of the Chaos Gate. War would shatter Order, which was why Chaos often tried to start wars on the continent.


    According to Gillian, the most important thing to do now was to restore the Light Dragon��s soul protection like fishing in the ice lake during winter. The fish could only be hooked through drilled holes on the layer of ice. During summer, when the ice had melted into water, there would be no need to drill holes anymore. But the biggest problem now was��


    ��Her Majesty Lilian seems to have taken a really huge blow����


    Lydia shook her head. In fact, Rhode agreed with her. Lilian disliked those people to begin with, and now that she was faced with�� even if he and Lydia had a bombastic talk with her, it would most likely not work. But Rhode still had some other ways to deal with her.


    ��I��ll resolve the issue with Her Majesty Lilian. But before that, I need to do something.��


    ��What is it?�� Lydia asked curiously.

 Chapter 1024 - Resurrection Device

    Sonia lay quietly on the bed with both hands on her chest and eyes shut tight. The sun shone on her long hair, reflecting a sorrowful, hazy luster. If one looked at her now, one would think that she was just in a slumber and would awake to anyone calling her. But the ghastly blood and wound on her chest clearly showed the truth: the young lady was dead.


    Rhode strolled into the room and went up to Sonia, caressing her cheek gently. Sonia��s skin was soft and ice-cold. Rhode��s fingers slid across her cheek, her smooth, long hair, and stopped at the corner of her lips. If she were an ordinary human, her corpse would have stiffened within a few hours of death and begun to rot. But there weren��t many ordinary humans under him. He had gotten Alice to set Sonia in place to the moment before her death. History didn��t flow, but continued to pause in silence instead. It was as though the inked pen recording history was placed to the side before it was about to put a full stop. Due to this reason, Sonia��s corpse didn��t rot and decay. Her history was temporarily fixed to a point in time, so there was no way to continue creating the past. In this case, it naturally wouldn��t welcome the present nor future.


    Rhode had complicated emotions gazing at Sonia. In fact, in terms of value, she was ranked behind Marlene, Lize, Anne, and the others. Rhode and Sonia didn��t have a proper, romantic relationship, to begin with. As she was an enemy from the start, Rhode wasn��t in the mood to treat her ��gently��. To him, Sonia was only a useful chess piece and slave. He didn��t pay as much attention to Sonia as he did the others because she simply existed to watch Lilian grow and take his place in monitoring and protecting her.


    It should have been this way. But now, things became a little different to him��


    ��Big Brother, you seem to be in a complicated mood.��


    A crisp, bell-like sound rang in his ear. Upon hearing his younger sister��s words, Rhode shook his head slightly.


    ��You don��t understand; she��s unlike the rest. She��s����


    ��I��m aware.��


    ��You are?��


    Rhode was taken aback by the surprising answer. After the melodious voice let out a crisp chuckle, she continued to speak proudly: ��That��s right, Big Brother. I��ve become one with your system; I can see every piece of information about you. Of course, that includes the things that you��ve done to her. I didn��t expect you to have this unpleasant side. I��m surprised, Big Brother.��


    ��Ugh����


    Rhode felt somewhat awkward. In fact, there were some things he didn��t want his younger sister to know. Even though he knew that his younger sister was a Void Dragon with more experience and such things wouldn��t be regarded highly by her, he couldn��t help but feel rather embarrassed. But his younger sister seemed to empathize with his feelings because shortly after, the pleasant chuckles turned into a warm, gentle response: ��But don��t take it to heart, Big Brother. Be it Sonia, Canary, or anyone�� Continue to treat them the way you used to. I��ve told you, Big Brother, I��m only a spirit fragment. If you pour too many emotions into me as if I��m my original self, it will become a burden to me instead. Even though I��m my original self, I��m also not my original self; I��m aware of this. So, Big Brother, please don��t value me as highly. Take Canary and Bubble, for instance. If you can��t forget about their original selves when you speak to them, how do you think they will feel about it? From a certain standpoint, they are the same as me.��


    ��This����


    Rhode was taken aback. Regarding this problem, he found it rather challenging since the start despite not showing it. Reasonably, he couldn��t possibly bring them to this world, not to mention whether or not he could achieve it. But even if he could, he wouldn��t. To a certain degree, he felt more relaxed that it was in fact Canary��s and Mini Bubble Gum��s avatars that arrived. After all, they had their own families and if he were to drag them into this world without any warning, he would have tremendous pressure on his shoulders as this meant that he had to bear many responsibilities that weren��t meant to be his. Besides, they were from two different worlds, after all. Bubble��s avatar would probably grumble about being bored from time to time for not having Internet access and games. Perhaps if he were to bring the real Bubble into this world, she would miss home in a few years.


    And most importantly, no matter if it were Canary or Mini Bubble Gum, they knew that they were only avatars. Rhode didn��t know their thoughts about this, but according to his younger sister, they didn��t seem willing to be deemed as their true selves.


    In this case, these avatars could lessen Rhode��s guilt, in the very least. Besides, no matter how he looked, they were the same as their original selves and there was no need to trouble himself over this problem. As for his younger sister��


    Forget it. Now isn��t the time to consider this problem.


    Rhode shook his head at this thought and threw these thoughts to the back of his head. Perhaps just as his younger sister mentioned, he should be more relaxed. But�� he felt rather complicated to Sonia��s issue. Just as he said to his younger sister earlier, Sonia was like a useful chess piece. But after he learned that Sonia risked her life to bring Lilian back to the Void Territory, he realized that he might have the need to re-evaluate his relationship with her.


    This was also why he didn��t resurrect Sonia immediately and had gotten Alice to temporarily ��set her in place��. If he didn��t care about her at all, he could simply make Bubble or Lize cast a great resurrection spell on her. This way, he would be even with her. But now, he thought that perhaps he should make Sonia go one step higher?


    What exact thoughts did she have to bring Lilian back to me?


    Perhaps he wouldn��t figure out the answer for the rest of his life.


    But he had to resurrect her. First, she was his subject and second, she was a very important person to Lilian. In Rhode��s plan, Sonia played an essential part to convince Lilian to not give up on the Light Mainland. The importance of Sonia exceeded Lydia, but Rhode had no intention of simply resurrecting her because her strength was too weak. Besides, there was a chance that the resurrected would die again right after resurrection. Once or twice was fine, but who could tolerate any more? In this case, the best solution was to ensure Sonia wouldn��t die again.


    Of course, turning her into an undead creature was also one of the solutions. But considering the fact that Sonia had to stay by Lilian��s side, it might end up as a tragedy because even if Lilian didn��t mind, her attributes as the Light Dragon would unknowingly hurt Sonia as an undead. In this case, there was only one way left.


    Summoning card.


    After turning Sonia into a summoning spirit, she wouldn��t die again. She could live her life like a normal human and not only that, but a spiritual connection would be built between Rhode and her. In the future, if anything were to happen to Lilian, Rhode could be informed instantly, unlike earlier on when he couldn��t find it despite searching for half a day. There weren��t phones in this world. If he didn��t make Alice give Sonia the special necklace, perhaps he would have lost even more. Now that he thought about it, he felt like Sonia did great. She calmly led Lilian away from the parliament��s chase and escaped to the border region from Casabianca. Not anyone could achieve this.


    Not only that, but after becoming a summoning spirit, she could possess her own abilities, which would come in handy during battles at the very least. Besides�� she would stay closer to him.


    Rhode knitted his brows at this thought. But eventually, he silently stroked Sonia��s cheek and raised his hand. A dazzling summoning ritual appeared instantly, enveloping him and the entire room. Rhode lowered his gaze to the young lady and softly summoned.


    ��Be awake�� Sonia.��


    Shortly after, a line of system prompt appeared before him.


    [Spirit Language. Activate]


    Along with Rhode��s summon, Sonia��s body gradually emanated a gentle, golden radiance that blended as one with the summoning ritual, slowly strengthening as light spots flickered in the air, transforming the room into a dreamy scene. Shortly after, Sonia��s body was completely surrounded by the light spots, before breaking down and vanishing into thin air entirely. The gentle radiance dimmed and a beautiful, green card appeared in Rhode��s hand.

 Chapter 1025 - The Resurrected Sonia

    It succeeded.


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief, lowering his head and gazing at the card in his hand. It was a green card with Sonia in the middle. But unlike the Sonia from Rhode��s impression, the young lady on the card was kneeling in the middle of a world of mirrors. At first glance, she had as though entered a house of mirrors in a carnival, placing her clenched hands on her chest as though she were praying. Although the card was distinct, for some reason, he had an indistinct misconception as though the card wasn��t an entity, but was more like an illusory existence. The upper right corner of the card was marked with a huge [I], while the bottom had the numbers 2 and 3 respectively. Rhode flipped the card around and a system prompt appeared before him.


    [Received Hallucinatory Heart Deck 1/5]


    [Sonia Lockos (First Seat of Hallucinatory Heart. Human) Offense 2 Defense 3: Illusory Elf. Infusible. Illusion Creation. Language Control. Physical Change. Illusory Attribute. Skills Possessed������Sound of Nature (Once the sweet voice rings in your ear, everything will turn into true, visible dreams)


    Illusory Form (Illusory Attribute)


    Core Card (Can summon all cards)


    Lost Journey (Dream Control)


    Call of Mind (Maze Summon)]


    What a strange card.


    After reading the text on the back, Rhode knitted his brows curiously. The attributes of this summoning spirit had nothing to do with the history of its previous life. Even though Rhode was curious as to what Sonia had become, her transformation surprised him greatly. He had never heard about this so-called ��Illusory Elf��. Besides, judging from her attributes, she didn��t seem like the kind suitable for confrontational battles. If not, she would be instantly killed in a single blow with the low offensive and defensive values of 2 and 3. Perhaps any warriors who transcended the Master Stage would easily slaughter her. But after carefully analyzing the skills, Rhode discovered that it wasn��t as simple as he had imagined.


    First, Sonia��s race turned from human to elf. But the elf didn��t refer to the White Elf, Moon Elf, Dark Elf, Flower Elf, or Earth Elf. On the contrary, she seemed more to be caught between elemental and physical beings like Agatha, the Ocean Elf. However, the Ocean Elves�� bodies were made of the water element, while Sonia��s new body structure was made of the ��Illusory�� element. From a certain degree, Sonia had become a presence that was a part of this world��s rules. Of course, the more inferior type.


    Judging from this, Sonia��s entity was caught between existence and non-existence. In other words, if Sonia wanted to, she could conceal her presence and turn into an ��illusion��. The ��illusion�� could be seen by eyes, but couldn��t be hit. From a certain degree, this was considered a form of invincibility because ��illusion�� itself was a rule. This was why apart from people who grasped the same rule, it was basically impossible to land a hit on Sonia, be it sword skills, magic spells, or spiritual spells. Of course, this didn��t mean that Sonia was totally invincible because as long as one was in the Legendary Stage, one would more or less possess one��s own rule. When she faced such opponents, her ��illusory�� attribute would be less effective. In other words, she was impressive in the eyes of opponents weaker than the Legendary Stage. As for the opponents in the Legendary Stage�� she posed no threat at all.


    But Sonia didn��t have a class for confrontational battles, anyway, which was apparent from her skills. [Lost Journey] allowed her to enter and manipulate others�� dreams. [Call of Mind] allowed her to create a maze and trap people who might possibly threaten her. All in all, after turning into a card spirit, Sonia became one who could wreak havoc in secret. She could sneak into dreams and use her voice to manipulate the victim��s subconscious, create a maze for victims to wander around indefinitely, or create an illusion to lure them into taking the bait. It was obvious that her card consisted of her expertises.


    Rhode felt really glad after reading the details. Of course, he knew that Sonia was an expert in these fields because he assigned her the mission of disrupting peace in the Country of Light to waver the people��s hearts. Judging from the results, it went pretty well. But he didn��t expect her to be upgraded to an Illusory Elf with these expertises. This was simply�� Rhode shrugged and threw the messy thoughts to the back of his head. He picked up the card and a system prompt appeared before him.


    [Detected the Core Card]


    [Please appoint the card]


    Rhode pondered for a few moments. Then, he extended his arm and loosened the grip on his right hand. The green card quietly hovered in midair. A thin mist emerged from the card and slowly wrapped around it.


    [Core Card appointed��Joining the 10 Strongest Spirit Decks��Success]


    ������


    Unlike Orchid Heart��s and Gillian��s great influence and power, when Rhode appointed Sonia to one of the seats in the ten spirit decks, the card floating before him suddenly emitted an indistinct mist. Shortly after, it enfolded the room completely and an illusory silhouette appeared before his eyes. As the illusory silhouette became clearer, the mist slowly dissipated. After the mist disappeared entirely, Sonia appeared in front of him.


    ��Welcome back, Sonia.��


    Rhode raised his hand and greeted her. Sonia looked at him in a daze as though she hadn��t returned to her senses. She lowered her gaze to her hands, and lifted her head again to look at Rhode. After a few moments, she returned to her senses and suddenly jumped out of the bed to embrace the man beside her.


    ��Master��! I��m back! Master�� I�� I thought I was dead����


    ��Alright, alright. Sonia, stay calm.��


    The corner of Rhode��s mouth twitched after Sonia pounced into his arms. He patted her shoulder and Sonia seemed to realize what she had just done. She took a step back hurriedly and lowered her head in uncertainty.


    ��Sorry, Master. I was����


    ��It��s fine. You did well, Sonia. In fact, I didn��t expect you to do so well. And now, you��ve earned the right to stand alongside me.��


    Rhode didn��t say it to console her. Currently, he lacked subordinates who could cast debuffs. In the game, clerics could choose to specialize in curse spells or cast spells with negative effects. But in this world, Rhode couldn��t find any of them who were bored enough to master curse spells. And now, with an Illusory Elf like Sonia who could cast debuffs, it would be a great help to him. Moreover, she could sneak into others�� dreams and tamper with their consciousness and thoughts. It was just too useful for him.


    ��Thank you, Master����


    Sonia lifted her head and gazed at him. After a few moments, she gnashed her teeth and said softly. To Sonia, this perhaps was the one and only goal that she worked hard for and now, she felt the joy from finally succeeding. She had never expected to turn into someone like Christie, Lize, Marlene, or the others: valued highly and loved by Rhode. But she used her own method and sought her own ways. To Sonia, there was nothing more important than receiving the recognition of her master.


    After Sonia calmed down, she quickly told Rhode what she experienced, especially in the case where the parliament brought her to the tomb and Nakvard forced the disgusting bug into her body. The thought of that made her shiver all over. Even though she became the Illusory Elf and wasn��t human anymore, the painful experience was still etched in her mind.


    ��Everything is in the past, Sonia.��


    Rhode didn��t interrupt her. Instead, he listened patiently to the end of her report. He knew that she wasn��t only fulfilling her duty, but also venting her frustrations and expressing the fears in her mind. No matter what, she was killed once. Besides, with her age, it was too challenging for her to deal with the sly and cunning Chaos worshipers. It was obvious how much pressure she was under in Casabianca. And now, she finally returned to his side. If she didn��t vent the frustrations, perhaps she wouldn��t be able to tolerate it herself.


    This was why he didn��t interrupt her. After she finished speaking, he extended his arm and caressed her hair.


    ��It��s all over, Sonia.��


    ���� Yes, Master. I apologize for my����


    ��It��s fine. Since you��re willing to do so much for me, I don��t see why I must blame you for it.��


    Rhode waved his hand airily to her uncomfortable apologies.


    ��But now, we have a problem that needs your help.��


    ��What is it, Master?��


    Sonia asked curiously. Rhode shrugged and said, ��Lilian.��

 Chapter 1026 - Rousing the Masses

    When Rhode opened the bedroom, the first thing to come into his view was Lilian��s thin, pale face. She wore thin pajamas, hugging her knees and curling up on the bed. She stared at the floor in a daze. No one knew what exactly she was thinking about. Or perhaps, she wasn��t thinking of anything. Christie and Bell accompanied her, but Rhode didn��t count on them to enlighten Lilian. At such a down period, it was always better to have someone by her side. If Lilian were all alone, the crazy thoughts could even lead her to commit suicide. Christie and Bell turned to the opening door and stood up after seeing Rhode.


    ���� Rhode����


    ������


    They went up to him, while Rhode gazed at them. He stroked their hair and asked, ��How is Lilian?��


    ������


    They didn��t speak, but Rhode had gotten his answer. Lilian continued to hug her knees on the bed, totally unaware of his arrival. She was like a sculpture, unresponsive to anything in the outside world. Rhode knitted his brows before smiling at the two little girls.


    ��Thanks for your help, Christie, Bell. Go and have a good rest. Leave the rest to us.��


    ���� Okay����


    Christie and Bell nodded, before looking at Lilian worriedly for the final time and leaving the room. Thereafter, Rhode led Sonia into the room. Sonia felt strangely complicated as soon as she saw Lilian. She exchanged looks with Rhode, went up to Lilian, and extended her hand.


    ��Your Majesty��?��


    ����!��


    Lilian shivered abruptly upon hearing Sonia��s voice. She looked up and the desolate pair of eyes reflected the image of Sonia. Her lifeless pupils gradually glinted like flares emerging in darkness. She raised her trembling right arm and reached for the young lady before her slowly. Then, she gripped Sonia��s clothes.


    ��Sonia��?��


    ��It��s me, Your Majesty. You����


    ��Sonia? Sonia!��


    Before Sonia finished her sentence, Lilian immediately pounced into her embrace and wailed. She buried her head into Sonia��s chest and whimpers came shortly after. Sonia presented a gentle smile, stretching her hand out to stroke Lilian��s hair.


    ��I��m�� sorry�� Sonia. If it weren��t for me����


    ��It��s alright, Your Majesty. It��s all in the past. Everything is over. Don��t cry����


    Sonia consoled softly as she continued to caress the little girl��s long hair. Rhode stood aside, watching their moving reunion when suddenly, he twitched his brows. He finally understood why Lilian was so attached to Sonia. Perhaps this little fella had unknowingly treated Sonia as her mother. After all, the two archangels treated Lilian ordinarily, while Sonia accompanied her all day long. From morning when Lilian got out of bed to nighttime before sleep, Sonia was always by her side. For Lilian who had no parents, perhaps Sonia was the only kin she yearned for. Even though Rhode and Lydia treated Lilian well too, they had their own matters to attend to, after all, and couldn��t possibly accompany her all day. Judging from this angle, it wasn��t hard to understand why Sonia occupied such an important place in Lilian��s heart.


    As for Sonia��


    Rhode gazed at the young lady and suddenly realized that she had a unique temperament that she didn��t possess when she was with him. Could it be the so-called ��motherly halo��? Sonia wouldn��t have treated and raised Lilian as her daughter, right? To be able to raise a Light Dragon�� from a certain aspect, Sonia was truly impressive.


    After a few moments, Lilian finally calmed her emotions under Sonia��s consoles. She sobbed, pulling herself away from Sonia��s embrace and shyly peered at Rhode who stood at the side. Lilian didn��t ask how Sonia was resurrected as she had heard the news from the church. But even so, she couldn��t forgive herself. This had something to do with her emotions. After all, no matter what, her stubbornness led to Sonia��s death and she couldn��t possibly think that it was no big deal for Sonia to die since she could be resurrected. If she did, she would really be a nasty brat.


    ��Thank you, Big Brother Rhode.��


    After a few moments, Lilian and Sonia separated from each other. The little girl wiped her red, teary eyes and thanked Rhode for his help. Rhode looked at her in silence, before shaking his head.


    ��It��s nothing. This is my duty.��


    Rhode wasn��t lying. In fact, this was indeed his duty at every level. But this time, he didn��t visit Lilian to watch their touching reunion. To Lilian, Sonia was the key that allowed her to step out of her enclosed mind. But eventually, she still needed Rhode to be responsible in leading the way.


    ��What do you intend to do next, Lilian?��


    ������


    Lilian��s smile dwindled, instantly returning to the vacant expression from before. She lowered her head silently. After a while, she let out a long sigh.


    ��I don��t care anymore, Big Brother Rhode. I don��t want to care about anything anymore. Just let them be����


    ��Is this fine?��


    ���� Yes, Big Brother Rhode. I no longer wish to care about them. Since they never needed me, I won��t need them too. I don��t care about the future of the Country of Light anymore. Why must I protect them when they never know what gratitude is? In this case, they��re free to do whatever they like.��


    This was the first time Rhode heard such ��willful�� words from Lilian. It could be seen that she was in despair and had given up all hope. If not, she wouldn��t have said such things. Fortunately, Rhode found a loophole behind her disorganized sentences.


    ��Is this really fine?��


    ��Big Brother Rhode?��


    Lilian felt a little strange when Rhode asked again patiently. She lifted her head and looked at him blankly. Upon sensing her gaze, Rhode stared back.


    ��You��re aware of the situation in the Light Mainland; they are suffering from natural and human disasters. The thieves are using this chance to plunder and rob, while the people will suffer agony and eventually die�� Is this what you really want?��


    ��I����


    ��Once humans are dead, there will be nothing left, Lilian, be it pain or hatred, no matter what they experienced right before death. But after they are dead, they will be free from the agony. Are you willing to let them off freely? No, Lilian, the biggest punishment for them will be using their fears against them. I think you��re aware of what the Country of Light is most afraid of, right?��


    ������


    Lilian nodded quietly. Of course, she knew what the Country of Light was most afraid of. This was also why she faced such a situation. It was also due to this reason that she didn��t do anything about it in the past. But now, why was Rhode telling her all this?


    ��Death isn��t a punishment for them. Instead, it is a relief, Lilian.��


    Rhode stepped forth while staring straight into Lilian��s eyes.


    ��Haven��t you ever considered why such situations happen only in the Country of Light? If the Country of Darkness consists of mostly the obedient dead, what would it be for the Country of Law and my Void Territory? Taking a step back, how about the Munn Kingdom and Lydia? There were people who provoked her authority, but did she back down? What you��ve experienced isn��t powerlessness. Instead, it is that you��re weak. Lilian, your weakness boosts their aggression. Your backing down left them wanting more and becoming arrogant. Haven��t you ever considered why they are afraid? Because they knew that they don��t deserve everything they��ve done. They are afraid that you will snatch everything away from them one day and this is the source of their fear. And now, all you need to do is to not free them, but make them live in constant, shivering fear and pay for their greed and foolishness using their lives and the lives of their descendants.��


    Rhode spoke and extended his arm to Lilian. Lilian stared foolishly at his hand. Her eyes slowly turned clearer, more distinct, and a shapeless flame started burning within.


    ��Are you ready, Lilian? This path is harder to choose than death. I won��t talk about the peace and danger of the continent because they are meaningless to you. So, are you willing to use this other method to return everything that they��ve brought upon you?��


    Lilian pondered in silence. Then, she extended her arm and held Rhode��s hand. She lifted her head, her eyes glinting with determination and rage.


    ��Yes. I��m willing, Big Brother Rhode.��

 Chapter 1027 - Sudden Change

    ��You��ve surely brought a huge trouble for us.��


    Gazing at the magic projection of Rhode, Siena showed a forced smile, before putting up a stern expression. Rhode let out a snort in response and spoke in displeased silence.


    ��I wonder who��s the one bringing trouble for who, Your Majesty Siena.��


    No wonder Rhode was annoyed. Unsure of whether it was intentional or not, the second day after Lilian pulled herself together, the Country of Darkness announced to the entire continent that due to the parliament being manipulated by Chaos worshipers who attacked the Light Dragon, the signed armistice agreement with the parliament was officially nulled. Before the continent came into terms with the imposing announcement, the Country of Darkness once again launched their attacks on the Country of Light. As the Country of Darkness had already occupied a part of the Country of Light��s territories, they didn��t need to travel across the Land of Atonement and Munn Kingdom anymore like in the past. As Rhode and Lydia were focused on caring for Lilian, they didn��t respond in time to the attack. On the other hand, the situation in the Country of Light was more tragic this time. Previously, they could only escape the relentless ambush by the Country of Darkness and now, their situation could be said to be one disaster on top of another. Even though Lilian could barely control her dragon soul power after Rhode persuaded her and improved the situation in the Munn Kingdom, the unscientific natural disasters in the Country of Light continued to wreak havoc as they became much more devastating. Volcanoes erupted while snow storms ravaged and whatnot. Of course, nothing was related to science.


    Under such circumstances, the Country of Light was put in a difficult spot, while neighboring countries were affected. Not only that, but the internal departments of the Country of Light were in absolute dismay. Natural disasters went on a rampage and some regions suffered from large-scale plagues. Moreover, for some unknown reason, Casabianca also sealed up the entire city and isolated the regions. The situation was already terrible and now that the Country of Darkness launched their attacks, the Country of Light couldn��t resist at all. Furthermore, the archangels and Battle Angel Army were around to stop the undead army before. But now that the angels were nowhere to be found, the Country of Light was in dire straits.


    The only fortunate thing was that the undead army couldn��t avoid the natural disasters caused by Lilian. While the natural disasters destroyed the Country of Light, they also stopped the undead army in its track. If not, the Country of Darkness would have reached the doorsteps of Casabianca already. But even so, the Country of Light��s internal departments weren��t doing great either. Ion��s announcement flustered and upset the people under the Light Dragon��s soul protection. If it were in the past, the people wouldn��t believe their words. But now, with a variety of natural disasters and the news of resurrection by the church, most people believed in Ion��s words. How ironic. Humans would only repent in the face of death. But it was a pity that there were no drugs for regrets in this world. Many people in the internal department of the Country of Light headed to the church and sought forgiveness, while the others refused to bow down even at this point in time. They would rather die a vigorous death than to live without purpose.


    It was imaginable how Rhode was extremely pissed at the scoundrel, Ion, who looted a burning house. What made matters worse was that according to his younger sister��s and Gillian��s reports, the strength of Order had weakened even more due to Ion��s attack and the abrupt changes in the Country of Light, where it almost reached the critical level!


    Surely that damn Dark Dragon wouldn��t be an undercover agent for Chaos!


    ��No, I miscalculated, Your Majesty Siena. I didn��t expect that scoundrel to tear up the armistice agreement signed under the vow of the church. Also, the Country of Law seems to be unconcerned about it.��


    ��Ugh����


    Siena and Nalea revealed awkward expressions, while Rhode crossed his arms and gazed at them dubiously. Well, he couldn��t be blamed because back then, he trusted their words and didn��t consider the problems regarding the Country of Darkness. He initially thought that after Lilian pulled herself together, he could gather the five Creator Dragons to discuss the solution. In the end, Ion was much quicker than he thought. Not only that, but the undead creatures were hardly trustworthy and yet, Siena and Nalea didn��t stop them��


    Do you really think that telling me it is too late will make up for it?


    ��Ugh�� This was what happened, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    The speechless Siena let out a cough under his death stare, before giving an answer awkwardly.


    ��Of course, Big Sister and I would have stopped him in the past. But now�� you��re also aware of the situation in the Country of Light. The Light Dragon��s soul protection is slowly crumbling, while Her Majesty Lilian�� Please pardon my rudeness. She shouldn��t be able to restore her dragon soul protection, right?��


    ��Tsk.��


    Rhode spat without any intention of concealing his discontentment. Even though Siena had put it subtly, he understood what she meant. In the past, when Lilian could still restore her dragon soul power, Siena and Nalea would be confident in stopping Ion. But the situation was different now. Although Lilian had awakened her dragon soul power, she lost control over it due to the trauma from witnessing Sonia��s death and desire for revenge. Using a description from common wuxia novels that Rhode read, it was as though Lilian became obsessed and ordinary medicine couldn��t cure her. Even though Lilian could still control her strength now, she was like a little girl barely able to pull a strong horse along. If the horse was obedient, she wouldn��t need to assert too much strength. But if the horse was irascible�� it would be an entirely different matter.


    And the situation in the Country of Light now�� Yes, it didn��t seem to be the docile type.


    This was also why Siena and Nalea didn��t take actions ��for now��. Perhaps like Ion, they also learned about the changes in the parliament immediately and Rhode wasn��t too surprised. Since Rhode was able to plant Sonia into the parliament, the other dragon soul heirs surely had their own methods. The church and the Country of Darkness had their own vast, powerful intelligence web. They would have lived in vain if they failed to even gather such information. The reason why the twin sisters didn��t take actions in the past was perhaps out of respect for Lilian as the Light Dragon. But now, since Lilian had ended up in this state, the twin sisters didn��t mind letting a new dragon soul protection take over the region. To Siena and Nalea, Ion��s actions might be considered ��invading�� Lilian��s land, but his dragon soul protection was ultimately part of Order. As long as it could replenish the broken and shattered holes in the Light Dragon��s soul protection, they didn��t mind that the Country of Darkness attacked. Perhaps Ion had also considered this factor, which was why he took it this far.


    ��Alright, I suppose I understand your point of view now. In this case, pardon my rudeness. Since the Country of Darkness has decided to set up a gambling table, it shouldn��t be an issue for us to place our bets�� Okay then, this will be all. Apologies to both of you, my mom is yelling at me to get back home for dinner.��


    Rhode said, waving his hand and cutting off the magic transmission with the Country of Law.


    ��That damn bastard. I hated that shameless scoundrel in the game and now it seems like he is as shameless as ever����


    Rhode gnashed his teeth and cursed, gazing coldly at the empty space before him. In fact, there were ways to stop the Light Dragon from collapsing. Rhode learned from his younger sister that him, as the Void Dragon, could assist Lilian in recovering the crashed Light Dragon. The Void Dragon was the basis of all dragon soul protections. In other words, all dragon soul protections were built and completed on the basis of the Void Dragon. The Void Dragon was like a sheet of white paper for the dragon soul protections to smear their own colors on it. Currently, the Light Dragon��s soul protection was as though the paper that was smeared by colors and shredded into bits. What Rhode needed to do now was to grab another sheet of paper, plug the gaps, and make Lilian repaint the colors of the Light Dragon.


    But this needed time. If Ion didn��t make this move, Rhode would have time to accomplish it. But now�� as an alliance, Rhode had to stabilize the Light Dragon��s soul protection over the Munn Kingdom, before resolving the issue in other areas. His method was similar to Ion��s, but what was different was that he had many more areas to worry about than Ion.


    Well, this wasn��t too surprising. Who asked him to have so many women sleeping in his bed?


    ��Forget it, it��s pointless thinking about it now. Marlene, what��s the situation with Karin?��


    ��Progress is fast; almost 80 percent complete. According to your requirements, the first batch of equipment should be ready within three days. But Rhode, our manpower����


    ��It��s fine, get them to work faster. As for manpower����


    Rhode narrowed his eyes. Then, he flipped his wrist around and held a card in his hand.


    ��I suppose I can find a group of companions who are very willing to stir trouble.��

 Chapter 1028 - At The Center of Chaos

    While the outside world was causing an uproar, there was a totally different scene in the center of Casabianca.


    Damn this weather.


    Andre stood on the balcony and gazed at the sky. Unlike the natural disasters of neighboring regions, Casabianca was relatively peaceful. There weren��t any untimely disasters falling upon the city. But for some reason, Andre felt restless. He puckered his brows and sighed as he looked at the sky. He didn��t know when it started, but the sky above Casabianca felt a little strange and disturbing as though it was in a hue made from the mixing of various colors. Unidentified soldiers donned in white robes thronged the streets. Even though it was officially asserted to the outside that they were direct soldiers of the parliament, Andre felt like they were rather peculiar. But�� he didn��t have the time to think about this problem any longer because there was a much more important matter that almost crushed him. A few moments ago, he received unbelievable news from the parliament: Parliament member Sonia Lockos has led the Light Dragon in escaping Casabianca and was heading to the Void Territory. After investigations by the parliament, it was announced that Sonia was a spy planted in the parliament by the Void Territory. Everything that happened was caused by Sonia.


    Andre couldn��t accept this news. He couldn��t imagine how Sonia was a spy, an undercover agent, and a traitor of her country. But that was the truth proven by the evidence collected from her home. Although Andre could console himself that the parliament was trying to frame her or perhaps Sonia had no choice but to do it, he just couldn��t convince himself to accept the truth no matter what. Why, Sonia? Why did you betray the Country of Light?


    Andre had no answer. But now, the answer wasn��t important anymore. What was more important was what he should do. No�� perhaps he couldn��t do anything now.


    Scanning the white-robed soldiers standing guard, Andre gnashed his teeth and let out a sigh. After Sonia was convicted of treason, the people who had close dealings with her were imprisoned by the parliament and prohibited from leaving their rooms. Even though Andre attempted to receive intelligence regarding the outside world, he couldn��t do anything else apart from waiting.


    Knock knock.


    ��Cheryl? Come in.��


    Andre turned around and said. Shortly after, the door opened and the young elf lady entered the room with a tray of steamy porridge and bread. She revealed a smile, before placing the dishes on the table.


    ��You haven��t eaten for days, Andre�� Have some food����


    ��Thank you, Cheryl.��


    Andre said, forcing a smile that lasted for only a second before restoring his depressed expression. He went up to the table, grabbed a piece of bread and placed it in his mouth. It didn��t seem as though he was eating. Instead, he appeared to be executing a mission. The fragrant, delicious bread was tasteless in his mouth. After two to three bites, Andre didn��t have the mood to continue eating anymore. He put the bread down and let out a sigh.


    ��Sorry�� I have no appetite.��


    ��I�� I understand. Me too����


    Cheryl gazed at him and didn��t know what to say. Andre and her were the ones who suffered the most trauma from Sonia��s treason. Like Andre, Cheryl had never expected the young lady who was like her blood-sister to abandon the Country of Light. She refused to believe that this was the truth, but the evidence provided by the parliament had proved her wrong. She was incomparably depressed, but�� humans had to look forward eventually.


    ��Casabianca has been terrible lately.��


    Cheryl changed the topic at this thought. No matter what, she thought that they should avoid discussing Sonia.


    ��I heard about it earlier; the parliament has sealed up the entire city. No one is allowed in and out of the country and nobody knows what is going on outside the city. Besides, the white-robed soldiers have controlled all areas in Casabianca and civilians are also restricted to certain areas for activities and can��t leave. I also heard�� that someone tried to escape and was slaughtered on the spot.��


    ��It��s that serious?��


    Andre was astonished by Cheryl��s words. Even though he expected the parliament to take extreme measures, he didn��t think that they would actually take things this far. Wasn��t the parliament afraid of causing dissatisfaction in other forces by doing so?


    ��The parliament dares to do that? Did the military not respond?��


    ��At least from what I heard, most areas are sealed up except for the parliament. Not only for us, but also for the Mage Tower and church. I heard the white-robed soldiers clashed with the church��s holy knights and eventually took control of the church.��


    ��Took control of the church?��


    Andre was baffled. He couldn��t understand what exactly the parliament was planning. Wasn��t taking control of the church the same as slapping the Country of Law in the face? Why did the parliament do that? He couldn��t figure out the key reasons for it, but Cheryl had a different view.


    ��I��m�� really scared, Andre.��


    ��Cheryl?��


    The trembling fear in the young lady��s words caught Andre��s attention. He lifted his head and realized that the young elf lady had turned pale. Her eyes were filled with indescribable concerns and uncertainties.


    ��I don��t know what happened here, Andre. But I feel that Order is slowly crumbling and an unknown, evil energy is affecting the city. I��m an elf, so I have sharper senses than humans. I can feel that the city is being corroded by an unspeakable chaos. Let��s leave this place together, Andre. If not, I don��t know what terrifying disaster will fall upon us next.��


    ��Disaster?��


    Suddenly, Andre recalled that dream. One that hounded him: the city turned into ruins with scarlet flames blazing and enfolding the sky. Blood-curdling screeches and wails were heard everywhere and the enormous, intimidating, pitch-black steel striking flag before his eyes. As time passed, the dream didn��t gradually fade away from his memories. Instead, it became much clearer in his head like a foretelling sign��


    That��s right! A sign! Andre��s eyes glinted. Yes, the Void Territory was the cause of everything. Andre could never forget the cross-shaped star on the pitch-black flag in his dream. Now, Sonia had led the Light Dragon away from Casabianca and headed to the Void Territory. Thereafter, terrifying changes were happening to Casabianca and the Country of Light. Everything is due to the Void Territory! That��s right. Sonia must have been forced to do it for that scoundrel! That overlord of the Void Territory is a despicable man. He has always treated the Country of Light with hostility. In this case, it isn��t impossible that he instigated and even intimidated Sonia into bringing the Light Dragon away and caused the Country of Light to fall into this chaos and disorder!


    This must be a sign for me!


    Andre clenched his fists. Why am I so naive? Why didn��t I think of this earlier? If I thought of this earlier, perhaps I could come up with ways to remedy the situation. No, it isn��t too late yet. This is my country; I will not abandon my home!


    ��I��m sorry, Cheryl. I can��t leave.��


    Andre pondered for a few moments, before answering in determination. Cheryl looked at him, ashen.


    ��Why, Andre? It is����


    ��I know it is dangerous, Cheryl. I also know what is going to happen next. The signs have shown me everything that happened, but I was too naive to not realize it. And now, since I already know who the main culprit is, I will not leave this place. This is my country, my home; the place that raised me up to who I am today. In order to protect this place, I will never back down! I will find the parliament and see if there is anything I can do. Just like you said, it is meaningless to wait here. We have to take actions to smash the haze shrouding our heads.��


    ��But now, the parliament����


    ��Now is not the time to worry about this small issue, Cheryl.��


    Andre shook his head.


    ��I know it may be hard to rely on me to solve the problems. But I am prepared for it. I will not let this city turn into ruins. I will use my strength to prevent it!�� Andre revealed an unwavering expression.


    ��This is my mission and duty!��

 Chapter 1029 - Gate That is Opening Gradually

    There was a substantial amount of putrid, sticky air. Nakvard sauntered forward, the thick scent of blood in the air like spider webs sticking to his face and wrapping him around entirely, but he disregarded them and continued to strode without any hesitation. His surroundings were drenched in pitch-black, murky blood. There was also a dark, mysterious, and sinister energy circulating and raging in the air. Scarlet radiance shone from secret spots above and extended several long shadows. No one knew if it was a misconception as the shadows didn��t stand still. Instead, they constantly swayed as though they were strangely alive.


    Nakvard stepped onto the platform where several men dressed in the exact same robes as him stood on the highest point. There was a square pool in the middle where a tall, turquoise flame blazed. There were no chairs and tables around the square, not to mention luxurious ornaments or comfortable armchairs. There was only darkness. The walls and ceiling smeared in complete black seemed extremely depressing. The men left a spot among them, apparently prepared for Nakvard. Nakvard remained silent. He narrowed his eyes, went up to his position, and spoke.


    ��How is the Chaos Gate?��


    ��Everything is as per normal. We have enough power now. All we need to do next is to wait for the strength of Order to fall to its lowest. Then, we can open the gate and guide the devils into this world and accomplish the noblest and most sacred mission that Chaos has bestowed us!��


    ��Hurry up.��


    Gazing at the exhilarated associate beside him who seemed as though he was about to have epilepsy, Nakvard continued to put up an expressionless face. Even though they were associates, there was no form of friendship. The people qualified to stand here killed their predecessors. There was no need for reputation or wealth, as long as one proved that one had the power to be qualified for this position. It was this simple. Fools often made simple things complicated, while only geniuses treated intricate matters simply.


    ��The Country of Darkness��s undead army is moving fast. I suspect they may enter Casabianca earlier than we expected. To prevent any accidents, I think we should be prepared beforehand.��


    ��Heh, heh. Don��t be so anxious, Sir Nakvard.�� Another man spoke. His shrill laughter was as though nails scratching on a blackboard that could cause one��s hair to stand. His laughter echoed in the dark, strange space and could leave one shuddering. ��Aren��t we prepared already? Even if the undead arrive at Casabianca, they will not be able to destroy our mighty and sacred ritual. Besides, don��t we already have the assistance to resist them?��


    ��It��s always good to be careful. Besides, there are no movements from the Void Territory up until this point. We need to be cautious of the possible mistakes and problems.��


    Nakvard knitted his brows to the man��s words for a few seconds. But before he continued speaking, another relatively frail voice let out a cold snort.


    ��By the way, about the Void Territory�� Sir Nakvard, you had an oversight this time. Frankly, we didn��t expect that young lady to escape under the watchful eyes of your men. We��re all truly surprised and have been waiting for an explanation from you. What do you have to say for it?��


    ������


    Nakvard��s eyes glinted in cold flashes. In fact, this left a huge stain on his reputation. Up until this moment, he wasn��t sure how Sonia knew about his plan and led Lilian away beforehand. He thought that by controlling Sonia, he could lure out Lilian and imprison her dragon soul power. He would then destroy the dragon soul protection and weaken the strength of Order. But he didn��t expect to almost fail his plan. If his men didn��t witness how Sonia��s death led to Lilian abandoning herself to despair, which caused the dragon soul protection to crumble, perhaps their plan wouldn��t be able to continue. Even though they succeeded in the end, this was something that Nakvard didn��t wish to hear mentioned.


    ��There��s nothing to explain; things are going smoothly now. We should accomplish our mission before anything happens!��


    ��Ha, ha. I hope that��s the case����


    The frail voice responded before letting a sneer. Nakvard sulked slightly, but chose not to retort. As long as he completed his mission, he didn��t need to care about other matters.


    That��s right, as long as I complete my mission��


    ***


    ��The time has come.��


    Rhode said softly, gazing at the sky before him. The corners of his lip perked up into an elegant smile resembling the glowing sun. But for some reason, when Celia and the rest saw it, they couldn��t help but shiver, and even the expressionless Karin twitched her brow. Even though she had only become Rhode��s subordinate for a short while, she learned from the other summoned spirits that his smile usually meant bad business. But this was the first time she saw someone��s smile being so vibrant and sinister at the same time. It felt as though she was standing on the magnificent prairie under the warm, bright sun while embracing the coldness and lifelessness of the tomb. The contradiction made it even more terrifying.


    ��Are you ready, Lilian?��


    Rhode turned around and said. The smile on his face had dwindled. Lilian remained silent before nodding firmly.


    ��I��m ready, Big Brother Rhode. I will not have any regrets. This is my choice; I will not escape anymore because I know the more I escape, the more those people will bully me. If I don��t want to be bullied, I have to be like you and Big Sister Lydia��defeat them all!��


    ��That��s right, Lilian. This is the confidence you need.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction, extending his arm to caress Lilian��s long hair, while the latter narrowed her eyes like a kitten. Rhode blinked at this scene and turned to face the sky. Right on the edge of the starry night, the shattered Light Dragon��s soul protection was raging. Dense layers of cloud enveloped the sky, while thunder roared and rain poured. It could be seen that the people in the Light Mainland were having a difficult time.


    ��Alright then, let��s begin,�� Rhode said, raising his right arm and stretching it forward. At the next moment, his expression changed abruptly.


    In the blink of an eye, the rainstorm and roaring thunder vanished. Not only that, but the dark clouds also dispersed to reveal the endless, starry night sky that shifted forward as though some sort of powerful magnet. The fragments of the dragon soul protection were instantly absorbed wherever the starry night sky soared across, causing them to disappear. It only took a while before the sky changed its hue entirely. The dark clouds dissipated and the booming thunders were nowhere to be seen. Up until this moment, Rhode heaved a sigh of relief, placing his hand down and nodding to Lilian.


    ��Alright, it��s up to you now, Lilian.��


    ��Yes�� Big Brother Rhode!��


    Lilian clenched her fists and nodded firmly. Even though she had decided to be as domineering as Rhode and Lydia after Rhode straightened out her mind, for some reason, her ��dominance�� seemed to be heading in the wrong direction��


    But this small problem could basically be neglected.


    Lilian raised her arms when suddenly, the shade of the sky in the distance gradually changed. The sky that was pitch-black transformed into a beautiful, dazzling azure. The turbid layers of cloud turned white and fluffy and the bright, glittering sunlight shining from above healed all scars on the surface. Under Lilian��s guidance, the shattered Order once again returned to its rightful trajectory. Up until this moment, Lilian couldn��t help but shiver, putting down her arms and gasping for air. She spoke with a pale complexion.


    ��S-Sorry�� Big Brother Rhode, this is all I can do����


    ��You don��t need to apologize, Lilian. You��ve done well.��


    Rhode caressed her hair once again before turning around and squinting at the blue sky and white clouds in the distance. The path leading to their destination had opened. It was time for him to strike.


    ��It will be our turn to move out next. Since His Majesty Ion is so impatient, I don��t mind cooperating with him. It isn��t nice for the owner to keep the guest waiting. Since he wants to be our guest, we should be ready to welcome him.��


    Rhode revealed a gentle smile.


    ��Alright then�� let��s do it.��

 Chapter 1030 - Blitz (1)

    Chapter 1030: Blitz (1)


    Night fell.


    The last radiance of the sun vanished underneath the horizon, only to be replaced by darkness that enfolded the world. The clouds drifting in the air were also smeared in a dark hue. However, no one noticed the invisible, mighty strength surging within the dense layers of clouds. The surging airwaves ripped through the clouds. The pitch-black steel reflected the final trace of sunlight like it was the back of a cloud monster. Then, it disappeared once again.


    ��No matter how many times I look at it, it still feels unbelievable.��


    Standing on the bridge of the warship and gazing ahead at the splitting sea of clouds, Rhode muttered under his breath. At a single glance, the entire bridge was quiet and methodically busy. A dozen young ladies with white, long hair sat before a control panel constructed from mysterious runes, attentively controlling the massive warship. Even though they had different appearances, they had a common feature. Hanging on both sides of their temple were some cable-like objects connected to the control panel before them, flickering in a gentle radiance.


    ��I didn��t expect you to finish constructing the magic warship in such a short time. I��m impressed, Karin.��


    Rhode spoke, turning around and looking at the young lady beside him who placed her hands on the control panel in the shape of a square column and carved with mysterious patterns and symbols. The control panel emanated an array of colorful magical brilliance, before slowly fading away in a flash. In fact, after using the card to summon Karin��s subordinates, this was the first time Rhode found out that it was Karin who first suggested creating the ��Humanoids��. The reason was actually really simple. During the battle against Chaos, not even the undead creatures could uphold the endless source of energy. The time required for pure reproduction was too long, so Karin suggested creating ��Humanoids�� for battles instead. Perhaps this technology was considered the bottom line against moral conscience in the world where Rhode came from, but as long as the people of the Dragon Soul Continent could defeat evil with it, they would do it at any means. Thereafter, Karin took on the creation process of the ��Humanoids�� with the Deity Warden of ��Marlene�� in the past and the ��Humanoids�� became their units in battles.


    ��This is nothing, Your Majesty.��


    Hearing Rhode��s praise, Karin pushed up her glasses. Her eyes flowed with endless magic signals.


    ��We can��t afford to waste any time in the battle against Chaos. If we can��t produce weapons sufficient to resist Chaos in a short period of time, we will not be able to survive.��


    ��But this is already impressive.��


    Rhode blew a whistle at Karin��s answer before shifting his gaze to the enormous warship.


    Magic warship��Deus ex Machina: 395 meters long, 52 meters wide, and 30 meters tall, equipped with 3000 siege magic cannons, 2500 annihilation and defense magic cannons, and three main cannons, namely the Delusion Rainbow. In the face of this massive warship, Lydia��s Saint Lady Vessel seemed pale in comparison. What surprised Rhode the most wasn��t this warship itself, but the speed of building it. It took less than half a month for Karin, leading her subordinates, to build the warship to completion. This speed could simply be considered godlike.


    But one had to pay a price in order to gain this much. Even though this magic warship was domineering, it consumed plenty of resources. Although Rhode��s territory had no lack of magic ores and materials, there were still issues during the process. The way Karin and her subordinates resolved the issue was extremely rough. They gave up the method of using advanced magic furnaces to smelt and refine. Instead, they used the massive alchemist ritual to directly abstract materials from the underground, changing the form of substances and turning them into finished products. Of course, Rhode paid a huge price for it. The warship itself cost him one-third of the Illusion Crystal. Even though Lapis was unwilling to go ahead with this plan, she didn��t have the authority to refuse. On the other hand, the several holes ��dug�� by Karin and her subordinates that resembled the moon��s surface were waiting for Rhode to repair.


    Unlike the Lydia��s ��Saint Lady Vessel��, which maintained its form of an original warship, the Deus ex Machina resembled more of a spaceship in Rhode��s and Canary��s impression. It extended in the shape of a rectangle and the bridge was located in the center of the lower front. Steel wings on both sides of the hull flickered in dazzling spotlights as countless cannons retracted from the surface of the smooth, steel hull. The entire warship was like a harmless, little white rabbit. But once war began, it would reveal its teeth and claws, dealing the most lethal attack on its enemies.


    This didn��t include the two corvettes by its side yet. Even though they weren��t as massive as Deus ex Machina, their 100 meters long, pitch-black steel hull glimmering in a metallic radiance and enormous cannons were also not to be messed with.


    Everything��s ready.


    ���� Ordering all air fleets. Target: Air above Casabianca in the Country of Light����


    Rhode lifted his head, his eyes glinting, as if reflecting the sparks of a stellar collision.


    ��This is a declaration of war�� We have lit the smoke signal, announcing war against Chaos. Our passive defense has come to an end. From now onward, we shall retaliate, attack, and invade. The time has come for us to defeat Chaos and its followers back to the deep abyss�� Okay then. Let��s begin!��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    ��Ooo������!��


    The ear-deafening sound of horns boomed. The mighty, steel warship pierced into the sea of clouds like a deep-sea monster and also like a gigantic, razor-sharp knife slicing through butter. After it passed through the seemingly endless clouds, the dazzling city of Casabianca came into Rhode��s view. Blinding spots of radiance shining from the city were as bright as daylight like mesmerizing pearls drifting in midair.


    It��s time.


    Rhode opened the door carved with intricate patterns and strode into the hall of steel. He lifted his head and saw the neatly-aligned troops before him. They were clad in unique armor and held different weapons. But they were about to fight for the same goal.


    Humans, angels, demons, elves, and undeads��races that were constantly in conflict since the ancient war had now joined forces to take on the terrifying enemy as one. Rhode took a step forward and gazed at everyone.


    Celestina lifted her head proudly. Behind her stood the massive and red-skinned Abyssal Demons, as well as translucent Lustful Demons who wielded swords and were growling excitedly like lions from hell. The Abyssal Demons had steel chains bound on their bodies and the clinging of the chains rasped softly.


    Beside them were the Bugle Angels led by Celia: fully geared, carrying golden bows and large swords on their backs. The Judge Angels lifted the scale in their hand high. The Bugle Angels raised their large bugle. The Dawn Angels quietly waited in the back as usual, but their battle strength couldn��t be belittled. Celia was ready to go, unlike the proud Celestina who was acting as though she was about to partake in a banquet. Celia stood straight at attention like an unsheathed sword filled with mighty aggression. These angels weren��t reinforcements sent by Lydia. Instead, they all belonged to Celia. During the ancient war against the Chaos, these heroic spirits were followers of this young lady.


    Gracier and Madaras stood silently as usual, while the Elf Knights behind them presented a strange comparison. But this time, apart from the Elf Knights, there were more than a dozen different beings in their team. They were of different heights despite identical attire; wrapped in white robes, only revealing their sharp chins and long ears. They stood like shadows; presences who seemed to exist and not at the same time.


    On the other side, Shira carried her large sword on her back and displayed a wicked smile. The group of forces behind her was dead silent and they represented the unprecedented color of black. Angelina stood at the back, alongside the royal vampires who were clad in exquisite attire. They were as elegant and dull as ever, letting off an artistic feel to their extreme shade of darkness. The ghouls and gargoyles didn��t move an inch as though they were dead. The Death Knights and Abominations standing beside them seemed incredibly terrifying and sinister. The Liches who transformed into spirits drifted in midair, their presence as though added a layer of white frost to the deck.


    Standing in the middle were the Humanoids: Haze, Heart, and Rain. Representing the humans were Sol, Randolf, Joey, and seasoned mercenaries who earned their places to become qualified warriors. They wore magic armor in flowing, light and vibrant colors. The weapons on their waists also glittered brightly. They lifted their heads, gazing ahead proudly. They didn��t care what this war meant, but to be able to battle alongside the powerful beings from all around the planes of existence made them puff out their chests to show the honor and glory of humans.


    ��The time has come.��


    Rhode stepped onto the middle of the hall, where Mini Bubble Gum and Canary waited at his left and right positions. Lilian gazed in silence at everyone, her eyes reflecting this unprecedented scene. But it was also due to this that it gave her heart unwavering faith.


    ��I suppose all of you are aware by now of where we��re heading, who we��re facing, and what we��re about to do.�� Rhode said, looking at everyone.


    ��Everyone! This is war. Their ignorance has led the world into this catastrophe. The world belongs to us and this is the reason why we��re standing here now. We will eradicate the source of the threat and punish the ignorant fools, using blood and death to teach them to respect and revere. They breached the contract, so they deserved to be punished! Now, we shall use devastation to announce what exactly they should have done. Everyone, this is war����


    He paused before shifting his gaze to Lilian.


    ��There is no right or wrong in war. There is no justice or evil in war. There is only victory and failure. We didn��t come here to lose, so raise your weapons and destroy everything that is stopping you. Turn this place into a sea of flame and make this blasphemous place burn in raging blaze. It�� will eventually turn into hell to warn us of the enemies we will be and are facing, who we are, and why we stand here and battle. We will return their treatment of us by 10 times. Revenge, destruction, and death shall bring them fear and we will reclaim the things we lost. Lilian, since you have made up your mind, you must watch until the very end. Remember, Lilian, this isn��t only for you. It is also for the former dragon soul heirs. For this moment, you understand, don��t you?��


    ���� Yes, Big Brother Rhode. I understand.��


    Upon sensing his gaze, Lilian clenched her fists and nodded determinedly.


    After hearing her answer, Rhode turned around and raised his right arm. Once again, a vibrant, gentle, and elegant smile like artwork appeared on his face.


    ��Alright then, let��s begin this war.��


    Everything was in complete silence. All sounds had as though vanished in this moment, except for Mini Bubble Gum��s whisper-like singing that resounded in the dark, peaceful night sky.


    ��Heute wollen wir ein Liedlen singen, trinken wollen wir dir kuhlen Wein. Und die Glaser sollen dazu Klingen, denn die muss es muss geschieden sein����

 Chapter 1031 - Blitz (2)

    Tsk. Damn this weather.


    Closing the door behind him and gazing at the dark, murky sky above, the man let out a sneeze of discontent. Casabianca��s situation was becoming increasingly strange ever since the various incidents started. The sky was overcast all day, but never darkened, and people couldn��t differentiate between day and night. Not only that, but they also became restless and dazed, totally unaware of the happenings. But these were only small issues. The thing that the man was most worried about was the food supply problem that was slowly surfacing. The food prices in the market had multiplied due to the sealing up of the city. Not only that, but he also heard from some people that the rich nobles and financial groups had begun storing up food�� He thought the sealing up of the city was only temporary. Could it be that the situation was much worse than he had imagined?


    ��������!��


    Suddenly, he heard the booming sound of a bugle horn and his mind had as though been heavily smashed by a large hammer, leaving him in panic. Where did the sound come from? His curiosity piqued, and he instinctively lifted his head and started searching the areas. At the same time, innocent civilians stepped out of their houses nearby and were also searching curiously. They seemed to have also heard that strange sound. Well, their behaviors weren��t surprising. Security in Casabianca had become ridiculously strict and ordinary civilians like them could only roam about in designated areas. The recent weather had also become abnormal. With the sudden, mysterious sounding of the bugle horn that echoed throughout the city, it would be strange if no one reacted to it.


    ��Ooo������! Ooo������!��


    As the man scanned the surroundings blankly, the deep bugle horn sounded once again. But this time, it was two, hurried horns in a row as though responding to something. The civilians finally discovered where the sound came from when they looked up at the sky. Their eyes widened in a daze, standing stiffly on the spot.


    ��Oh, my goodness����


    An enormous, pitch-black magic warship was as though a monster walking out of a terrifying nightmare. Its massive hull tore apart the layers of cloud, presenting itself grandly before their eyes. To its sides were two relatively smaller warships, but they showed an equally massive presence. That��s a magic warship? Why is it here? What is it doing here? Could it be that this is the first sign of something that is about to happen?


    The air gradually froze as though a storm were arriving. The civilians froze to the spot on the streets, gazing in curiosity, excitement, and doubt at the massive presence enveloping them. The magic warship sailed forward slowly like a hegemon of the air, strolling around under the watchful eyes of its subjects.


    Rhode stood at the forefront of the bridge and overlooked the dense groups of people in the city below. More and more people stepped out of their houses, gathering in groups and staring at the massive ship in the air, at the same time debating what it was exactly. No wonder they were so dubious. After all, the shape of Rhode��s magic warship was ��ultra-modern��. Compared to the floating boats, it could be considered an entirely different beast. But it was a pity that�� the people didn��t know that their lives were about to perish.


    ��Lilian, guess what is in their heads. Perhaps they��re thinking: ��What��s that? Why is it here?�� Or maybe they thought they could talk about this new and interesting encounter with their families. But never did they expect that their lives are about to come to an end. And it is counting down the seconds.��


    ������


    Hearing Rhode��s words, Lilian remained silent in an uncertain expression. Rhode narrowed his eyes and sized her up curiously beside her. But shortly after, Lilian calmed down, clenched her fists, and sighed.


    ��I have nothing to say, Big Brother Rhode. This is the price they should pay, isn��t it?��


    ��Yes, that��s the way, Lilian. Frankly, I don��t think kindness and benevolence are wrong. But it will be different if it��s a Mary Sue.�� Rhode nodded in satisfaction before extending his arm to caress Lilian��s hair.


    Lilian cocked her head in doubt and asked. ��Mary Sue?��


    ��Oh, it��s nothing, just a bunch of arrogant people who try to be on good terms with everyone. It��s fine even if you don��t understand. You can ask Bubble and Canary if you��re interested; they will explain it to you.�� Rhode paused. He placed his hands behind his back and gazed ahead with narrowed eyes.


    ��Alright then, it��s about time to begin. Everyone, the beacon of war is lit! Turn this city into ashes! Our priority targets are the entirety of Casabianca, the Upper House, the Lower House, the Hall of Light, the Hall of Glory, the West District, the five largest financial groups, and the towers. Destroy them all.��


    Canary, standing behind Rhode, twitched her brow and smiled.


    ��What about the Parliament History Museum?��


    ��Burn it down. The parliament will become history from today onward. No�� they can��t even be considered history; they are only debris. Don��t leave even a single shard. Burn them all into ashes.��


    ��What about the Freedom Square, Leader?��


    Mini Bubble Gum asked, displaying a sinister and excited smile.


    ��Destroy it completely. Demolish the statues of the three saints. Since the descendants thought that them leading the parliament away and breaking free from the Light Dragon��s control was a great achievement, it is time for them to be criticized and accept their punishment. The Great Man��s Hill, Casabianca Theater, Light Alliance Building, Lockos Arch, Alanic Bridge, Solomon Tower and whatnot��spare none of them. I want Casabianca to turn into ruins, just like what we did in the past!��


    Rhode spoke, extending his right hand and pointed forward.


    ��Destroy everything you see. Right now, this country, city, and everything is our enemy! There is only one order: slaughter any enemies you see! Turn this place into a passageway into hell and abyss. Let it be destroyed completely!��


    He pointed his finger forward before following the momentum to swing his arm to the side.


    ��Karin.��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    ��Activate all cannons. Target: Casabianca. Carpet bombing!��


    ��Understood, Your Majesty.��


    Karin maintained her expression, but her eyes flickered in a magical radiance. Shortly after, every information was quickly conveyed.


    ��Target: Casabianca.


    ��Activate all cannons. Get ready to attack. Carpet bombing.


    ��Activate all cannons. Magic energy gathering begins.��


    The silent magic warship suddenly changed its form. The sleek, metal hull slid aside to reveal the pitch-black, gigantic openings of the cannons. In the blink of an eye, the blinding magical radiances flashed, coalesced, and merged into starry lights. The civilians of Casabianca became even more curious. They reached out their hands, pointing at the enormous magic warship.


    ��What��s that?��


    ��You see, you see. It is glowing.��


    ��Could it be that Casabianca is sealed up for the sake of this thing? Hah, what a huge project!��


    ��Hmm? Why do I feel like something isn��t right? If that thing is ours, why doesn��t it have our emblem and flag?��


    ��It doesn��t? Isn��t it hung on the side�� Huh? What flag is that? Why have I never seen it before?��


    ��Now that you mention����


    But it was all too late.


    Golden beams streaked across the night sky like a rainstorm, enfolding the entire surface. In an instant, the world seemed to be muted as though everything had lost its resistance toward the disaster that was about to fall upon them. The blinding flashes of light sharp enough to scar one��s eyes exploded, announcing the start of devastation and death.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Hundreds upon thousands of flame trails exploded in the white city like a tongue of flame expanding and devouring a beautiful flower. The scorching golden breams continued to wreak havoc, streaking across the sky and turning everything on the streets into ashes. Be it buildings or humans, nothing was able to resist its attack. The blinding light dissipated, followed by another wave of explosions that sent surging flames into the clouds, rolling and expanding in all directions. Dark smoke rose as the cannons fired continuously. The wild bombarding didn��t seem to be stopping anytime. The city had completely melted into hell. Blood-curdling screeches and wails shrieked as one. No one expected a catastrophe to fall upon them without any signs of warning. But even so, it was too late.


    ��The prelude has started and now, the opening of the grand banquet is next! Celestina! Shira! Gracier! Madaras! Attack! Remember, there is only one order: slaughter any enemies you see! Massacre every living thing! Spare no one! Lesa! Start the teleportation!��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    Lesa responded softly. She stood on the deck, lifting her head and gazing at the sky smeared in crimson, as well as the surface submerged in a sea of flames. Then, she raised the staff in her hand and pointed it down with force.


    Clink.


    A white, beaming magical radiance shone in an instant, transforming into an enormous magical ritual as a figure leaped out.


    Boom!


    Shira slashed the large, scarlet sword merciless at a struggling man crushed under a boulder, instantly slicing him into pieces. Shira chuckled at the sight of blood on the blade, before dragging the large sword in her hand and strolling ahead.


    ��Hahaha, master��s order is to kill everything�� Hahaha, I like it�� Alright then�� let��s begin. Hahaha�� My interesting toys, I hope you��ll let me have a long, fun time!��


    The moment the Elves, Undead, and Demons descended, they used their actions to announce the death of the city.

 Chapter 1032 - Blitz (3)

    Casabianca��the pure and holy city of white, known as the most dazzling jewel of the Light Mainland, had crumpled completely. Flames wreaked havoc, casting crimson upon the originally white city. The once bustling streets were no longer there. They were replaced with devastation, chaos, and death. People wailing and screaming as they escaped the catastrophe descending from above. But it was a pity that humans could never defy natural disasters.


    Yet another wave of golden rain fell from above, bombarding the tall buildings into ruins. Even though there were formidable beings in the Country of Light, they were at a dead end, even if they were godlike in strength, facing the blasts from up to 6,000 magic cannons.


    At the same time, the ��sweeping�� of the surface troops was going on methodically.


    Ghouls crawled in the ruins. Although the scent of flames was disturbing to them, the fragrance and tastiness of death and fresh corpses had them oddly excited and their blood racing. They howled, extended their claws, and pounced on their meal, ripping and shredding the fresh, delicious flesh. Before the survivors hidden behind the safety of the broken walls had the chance to feel thankful for their luck, they faced a much more terrifying end to their lives.


    ��Ah��. Ah�� Ah��!��


    The scarlet blade hacked effortlessly into a man��s limbs like soft tofu. He collapsed, shrieking mechanically in trembling fear. Standing before him was Shira who had a crazy smile. She gazed with misted eyes at the man who had curled up to the torturous pain and blood gushing out of his wounds as though he were her beloved lover.


    ��Hahaha�� it��s painful, right�� don��t you like it? Hahaha�� I like it a lot�� it is only good when it hurts, don��t you understand? Hahaha�� Come. Continue to scream and wail. I like hearing them!��


    Ironically, Shira didn��t give the man any more chance to struggle. She swung the large blade in her hand and ��smacked�� the man. Bam! The unfortunate fellow was crushed into a pile of meat instantly. Shira didn��t even take another look at him. Instead, she dragged the sword and continued strolling forward while shaking her head.


    Chaos continued.


    A young lady screamed and scrambled, dashing ahead as far as she could. All she heard were the pitiful screams. The houses once familiar to her were entirely destroyed. She didn��t know what happened. Her mind was blank. She charged into the crowd, totally unaware of where she should go and what she should do. But perhaps the others were as equally lost as her. The only thought in their heads was to escape far away from this terrifying massacre immediately. But the situation wasn��t as simple as they had imagined.


    The young lady heard the sound of flapping wings when suddenly, she felt immense pain on her back. Loud cries and screams erupted in her ears. She widened her eyes in shock, watching herself lifted off the surface by a powerful force. She gaped, but a pair of razor-sharp claws mercilessly penetrated her chest from behind.


    Ghouls soared in the sky, swinging their arms like eagles diving down again and again, capturing their prey from the group of fleeing humans and shredding them into bits. The humans couldn��t defend themselves from the monsters plunging from above. All they could do was to scream in despair and run as fast as they could to survive the cloud of menacing monsters above.


    But their fates had already been decided. The nature of humans would never change, not even in chaos and destruction.


    ��W-What are you trying to do? Help!!��


    A young lady cried, struggling to break free of the man before her. The man pounced on her with an ice-cold, cheeky smile, holding down her arms and legs.


    ��Does it even matter, Missy? Master and Madam have died. Since we��re going to die anyway, don��t you want to have a fun time before that? Heh heh heh, what��s the point of you screaming? Do you think anyone will come and rescue you? Come, enjoy your time with me while death falls upon us! Everything is destroyed; no one will rescue you��!��


    The man stopped speaking abruptly because a small hand had grabbed and cracked his throat. Then, he crumpled to the ground with the sinister smile across his face. The young lady stared in disbelief, totally unsure of what reaction she should have, until Angelina appeared in front of her.


    ��Huhuhu, how interesting. Miss, I saved you. You should repay me, isn��t it?��


    ��R-Repay?��


    ��That��s right, I only need����


    Angelina gazed at the young lady��s ripped collar that exposed her slender neck and snowy skin. Angelina extended her tongue and licked her lips. ��I only need the most precious thing you have���� Angelina said and almost immediately, she held the shrieking young lady by the throat and punctured her razor-sharp fangs into the soft, defenseless skin, greedily sucking the warm, tasty blood.


    The young lady��s slender body shivered. Her shadow cast on the wall under the bright flames trembled abruptly. After a few moments, everything returned to silence as the flames continued to blaze. At this moment, Angelina was nowhere to be seen. The broken wall collapsed, crushing on the lifeless corpse of the young lady, already covered by scorching flames.


    The fires of war continued to spread.


    One by one, ghost-like beings donned in white robes jumped across the air from the roof. They landed on the ground before swiftly and elegantly darting across the burning streets, river of bloody corpses, and collapsed bridge. They dashed toward the rows of luxurious houses in the distance.


    ��Hurry up and get ready!��


    Outside a huge mansion, there were people anxiously piling up all sorts of belongings to the carriages. A well-dressed elderly man stepped out of the mansion and headed toward the carriage under the escort of fully-armored guards. At this moment, another wave of golden rain descended from the sky. Everyone felt the world in their vision turned black for a split second before the dazzling radiance of flames erupted skyward. The explosions were only a few blocks away from them. Horses neighed nonstop in panic as though sensing the sorrow and tragedy within the erupting airwaves. The elderly man shuddered at this sight before hurrying to the carriage.


    ��H-Hurry up and leave this place. Hurry����


    But this was all he said.


    An invisible blade silently pierced into his throat. The guards around him had as though lost their consciousness as they stood on the spot, not moving an inch. Then, a white radiance flashed. As the several petite figures clad in white robes vanished, the bustling scene of people carrying their belongings up info the carriage disappeared. What was left were the corpses with their eyes wide-opened. The breath of death flitted across them, but no one saw who they were exactly.


    ��It has begun, it seems.��


    Upon hearing the deep explosions from above, Nakvard let out a snort. At this moment, an invisible energy was coalescing in the dark underground hall. The turbid, mysterious, and evil presence was slowly emerging. Even though Rhode��s ambush was a surprise to Nakvard, this was a helpful one for them.


    ��Young men will always be young men; full of life and vigor. But that��s fine too. Order is being completely shattered and the channel for Chaos is about to open. Thereafter, Chaos shall devour and destroy this world, borrowing the strength of us��humans, and not foreign objects��to destroy everything!��


    As Nakvard growled, the surface started trembling. The mysterious ritual drawn from murky stains of blood began to emanate its unique, disturbing radiance. An energy started coalescing into a violent typhoon that displayed its mighty strength and showed signs of a certain presence that was about to appear.


    [The threshold of Order has been broken through. The strength of Chaos is starting to infiltrate. Big Brother, they��ve begun.]


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s voice, Rhode gazed at the icon before him and the corners of his lips perked up slightly into an odd smile. The ear-deafening, blaring alarm was like a wonderful sound of nature in his ears. Everything was finally heading toward his anticipated trajectory.


    ��Alright then, let��s wait and see�� Launch the third wave of carpet bombing!��


    ��Big Brother Rhode?��


    Lilian gazed at him dubiously.


    ��Didn��t you say to wait and see?��


    ��They��ve become too slow, so I shall add some spice for them. Third wave��attack!��


    The enormous warship rose and starry lights once again flickered. Shortly after, golden beams erupted and fell like a rainstorm, smearing a thick stroke on the perished city. The blinding color of crimson was as though the bloody flesh from inside a ghastly wound, emerging from the city once again. Destruction, death, chaos, and shattered Order��all of them broke out in full force at this very moment.


    Suddenly, a black column of light burst into the sky. Then, an angel glowing in light appeared within it.


    He was no longer radiating holiness. His long, golden hair was covered in filth. Even though the fiery sword in his hand was still blazing, the pitch-black, mysterious hue and twisted shape of his armor proved that he was no longer who he was. At this moment, he was howling like a wild animal, glaring fiercely at the massive warship. The aura emanating from his body was dark, murky, and revolting.


    He was one of the three archangels��Boulder.


    ��How is this possible, Boulder����


    ��Tsk. I knew this day would come and it seems like I was right. Useless trash will always be useless. It��s not possible for him to turn into Ultraman.��


    Rhode criticized, letting out a snort as though he expected this to happen. Lilian covered her mouth in shock. She never thought that Boulder would be stained by Chaos. Rhode turned around.


    ��It seems like the watchdog is here. Who wants to take him down?�� Rhode asked.

 Chapter 1033 - Alice in Action

    ��Who wants to take him down?��


    After gazing at Boulder in the near distance, Rhode turned around and asked. Mini Bubble Gum burst into laughter, swaying her way forward and swinging her arms. ��Your young officer is willing to behead him and put it on display! All I ask for is to bestow upon me a bowl of warm liquor�� Ugh�� Leader, stop looking at me like that. If Sister Heart is around�� we could be ��three heroes taking on Lu Bu������


    ��Even if she��s here, she won��t be playing that with you����


    ��I��ll go.��


    While Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum were ridiculing each other, Alice suddenly stepped forth from the side. She closed the book in her hands, quietly went up to Rhode, and spoke. Rhode twitched his brow and looked at her. This time, out of the six Deity Wardens, only Alice had joined him. Marlene was occupied with ensuring safety in the territory, while Christie wasn��t suitable for such an occasion.


    Rhode initially had no intention of seeking Alice��s help. After all, his plan was already set up and he could resolve any issues on his own if there were any accidents. But he didn��t expect that this time, the young lady who holed up in the library all day to take the initiative and look for him instead, requesting to join this operation. As for her request, even though Rhode was surprised, he didn��t reject her. Coincidentally, he wanted to see just how powerful her strength was as the History Deity Warden.


    According to the dependent attributes, her strength should be around the middle of the three archangels. But according to the other ��Christie��, the strength of the six Deity Wardens should be equally as powerful as the dragon soul heirs. But this was just a statement, after all. Even if he received intelligence and information from Marlene about the ��Wisdom Deity Warden��, those were just words and didn��t have any substantial value. If it were Alice in the past, perhaps Rhode would consider. After all, Alice was only a spirit without body back then and would have a hard time in battle. But now, after Rhode retrieved her body for her, it was time to see what prowess this History Deity Warden possessed.


    ��Be careful, he is corrupted by Chaos. Besides, Order isn��t stable here.��


    Even though Rhode knew that Alice wasn��t any less experienced in dealing with Chaos than him, he still couldn��t help but remind her of the risks. Order wasn��t omnipotent. If not, the Deity Wardens wouldn��t have struggled this badly against Chaos in the past. Moreover, the strength of Order here was broken through by Chaos. Under such a circumstance, Rhode could still ensure his own safety. But if Alice were to get overly excited and went to other regions, he wasn��t sure if he could protect her from dying again�� It never hurt to be more careful, isn��t it?


    ������


    After hearing his words, Alice looked at him in surprise. Then, she nodded.


    In the blink of an eye, she disappeared and re-emerged before Boulder. At this moment, she was as calm as ever. The thick book hovered beside her. Scarlet flames burst skyward, illuminating the entire world. The fire of war had spread to the whole world, be it the surface or sky.


    ��Archangel?��


    Alice questioned and squinted at the dirty pair of wings behind Boulder. Boulder didn��t seem obliged to answer. He lifted his head and stared sulkily at the young lady who suddenly appeared before him. The fiery sword in his hand suddenly erupted in power. The rolling flames splashed as he raised the sword and brandished it at Alice.


    At this moment, Boulder displayed the powerful strength of an archangel. The instant he slashed the sword, the overwhelming flames on the blade danced in his movements, pouncing on Alice from all directions. The sharp blade air had merged with him as one, roaring in majestic aggression as though he were about to split the world into half. The biting cold and razor-sharp air swept across everything in its path.


    Currently, Boulder was a perfect example of the logic behind the so-called butterfly effect. Along with his movements, the surface and air started changing. The buildings shook as though they were being torn apart by a shapeless force and were thrown into the sky. The dense layers of clouds also trembled, pouncing forward in an arc as though the world was moving with a single slash of his blade, turning into a magnificent army that would trounce all the enemies before them. This attack was so powerful that even Rhode and Canary, standing on the bridge from a distance easily felt its razor-sharp might.


    But Alice didn��t put up any defenses as she quietly floated in the air and faced the dazzling blade ray��faced the dazzling blade��faced the dazzling��


    ��What is�� happening?��


    Not only did Rhode widen his eyes in surprise, but Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Lize were also stunned. They clearly saw that Alice didn��t do anything and Boulder had indeed launched his attack. However, as the blade arrived before Alice and was about to strike her, Boulder��s movement suddenly halted. At the same time, everyone��s vision flashed and the scene of attack disappeared completely. There was nothing strange in the air or ground. Boulder continued to stand before Alice with his sword in the sheath as though he hadn��t attacked. But Rhode and the others clearly sensed the pressurizing aggression of the blade airflow. Why�� did he return to the start?


    ��Damn, Leader. Big Sister Alice��s ability is insane����


    Lilian and the others might still be in shock, but Rhode, Mini Bubble Gum, and Canary, the players, had already obtained some clues. Combining Alice��s ability, the trio guessed what happened exactly. Alice��s ability was controlling history. To Boulder, the moment he unsheathed his sword was ��present��. When he unsheathed the sword, that moment became ��history��. It was apparent that Alice interfered with the process. Even though they didn��t know how she did it, it was most likely due to her canceling or changing the ��historical process�� of the unsheathing of the sword. After losing the process, the following attack was as though imaginary without any foundation and continuity. Under the rules of Order, this illogical process was totally impossible.


    It was due to figuring out this point that Mini Bubble Gum made such a remark. Perhaps even players wouldn��t stand a chance against a BOSS like Alice. Rhode instantly felt admirable. Even though he did consider Alice��s abilities in the past, he realized how absurd it was after personally witnessing and understanding her power.


    ��The power of an archangel. How disappointing����


    Alice spoke and didn��t have any other reactions. At this moment, she was as though in the library as usual, looking at the archangel with a calm, relaxed expression, like she wasn��t the one who removed the earth-shattering attack, but was someone totally unrelated. Alice extended her arm and the heavy book hovering in front of her gradually flipped open. Suddenly, the air had as though frozen in time. Even though her movements were subtle, for some reason, the pressure she brought upon was far more than the deadly blow from Boulder. Facing the opened pages, Alice pushed up her glasses slightly and her right hand held onto one of the pages.


    ��Heyah!��


    Perhaps instinctively detecting an extreme danger approaching, Boulder snarled and raised his arms high up. His turbid wings erupted in unprecedented flames. In an instant, the air had as though burned up in high temperatures in his movements. However, Alice remained unfazed. Facing the highly-raised blade and blistering flames, the young lady didn��t say a word. Instead, she turned over the page in her hand.


    ��������!��


    In an instant, dazzling radiance of flames enfolded the sky, at which even Rhode had to narrow his eyes to avoid the glare. Lilian shrieked in shock, turning away immediately. After a few moments, everyone opened their eyes and the blinding brilliance from before had as though remained in their vision and unable to fade away. However, what was most important to them was the result of the battle.


    And when they witnessed what happened, they were baffled.


    Boulder continued to hover in midair. But unlike before, half of his body was burned. Not only that, but his body was also in a strange state. The left side of his body was as per usual, but the right appeared slim and weak as though it were a specimen submerged in formalin. Alice squinted at this scene.


    ���� Oh, you resisted it? No wonder you��re still resistant toward Order; you��ve been corrupted by Chaos. In this case����


    Alice extended her arm and held the page once again.


    ��This will all end now����


    ��Stop!��


    Before Alice made her move, she suddenly heard a loud scream. Rhode��s group witnessed a figure soaring across the sky and came between Alice and Boulder. Upon hearing the voice, Lilian couldn��t help but shriek.


    ��Serene?!��

 Chapter 1034 - Crisscrossed Wings

    Appearing between them was one of the three archangels��Serene, who was missing. But she wasn��t looking good. Her attire was tattered, burned, and stained by smoke all over. The iridescent aura around her also dimmed greatly. Fortunately, she didn��t turn into a lackey of Chaos like Boulder, at the very least. But even so, Serene grimaced at the sight of Boulder. She turned around and gazed intricately at the blazing city covered in thick billows of smoke and on the verge of destruction. Then, she shifted her gaze to Alice and the massive warship behind her.


    ��Apologies�� but�� could you let me handle this matter, Your Majesty?��


    ������


    Serene��s voice rang in everyone��s ears. Lilian was taken aback. She turned to Rhode and was speechless. Rhode squinted at Serene. Regarding the disagreement between the three archangels, he had more or less heard about it through his understanding and investigation, as well as what Lydia told him. The reason was due to Lilian. As Lilian was found and brought back to the Country of Light by the parliament, they imprisoned her dragon soul power using an unknown method. As a result, the three archangels were extremely sensitive with her presence. They were perplexed and wondered if they should recognize and accept this dragon soul heir who was related to ��Chaos��. Lydia held a determined attitude. Even though Lilian was the ��crime suspect��, it was unfair to treat her as a minion of Chaos before she ��committed a crime��. Besides, even if her dragon soul power was sealed, this proved that she indeed was the selected dragon soul heir. In this case, since the archangels were her subject, they had to stay dedicated to her.


    Serene had some reservations to her opinions. Even though she agreed with Lydia about being ��loyal��, she also thought that Lilian was currently a threat. It wasn��t for just a day or two that Chaos was monitoring the dragon soul power. Perhaps even Lilian wasn��t aware and she might unknowingly become a chess piece of Chaos and a core part of the plan. As a result, Serene thought that the archangels must stay vigilant, which was why her attitude toward Lilian wasn��t as passionate as Lydia��s and was more indifferent.


    On the other hand, Boulder had an entirely different opinion from the other two archangels. To him, it was a humiliation and absolutely unacceptable, evil deed for the dragon soul power to be imprisoned by Chaos. If it weren��t for the most basic relationship between superior and subject, perhaps Boulder would have harbored the intention to kill Lilian. This was why his attitude toward Lilian was the worst. Maybe Lilian wasn��t a dragon soul heir in his eyes, but a vessel and evil minion of Chaos who had her dragon soul heir sealed.


    But now, he didn��t have the right to say such things anymore.


    ��Stay back for now, Alice.��


    Rhode ordered and Alice remained silent. As one of the six Deity Wardens, she was far stronger than the three archangels. Judging from the previous attack from Boulder, it was apparent that he had almost unleashed his maximum strength and yet was nearly killed by Alice instead. If he weren��t corrupted by Chaos and gained a certain degree of resistance toward Order, perhaps he would have died before Serene even showed up. This went to show that under Order, the strength of the six Deity Wardens was incomparable. Maybe even Lydia, who was invincible under the sun, would suffer in Alice��s hands. Even if Serene were to become a traitor and fight against Alice alongside Boulder, no one was sure who would have the final win. In this case, Rhode didn��t mind pulling back for now. Anyway�� Rhode gazed at the system prompt at this thought.


    Anyway�� destroying Casabianca was just along the way.


    Since Alice had received an order, she closed the book in her hands and slowly retreated. Serene nodded to the young lady with gratitude, before turning around to face Boulder once again. She stared at his wings and hair that had changed colors due to the corruption of Chaos.


    ���� You��ve changed, Boulder.��


    ��Everyone is changing����


    Boulder responded. He wasn��t as stubborn toward Serene. He shot a glance at the magic warship and said, ��You��ve seen it for yourself, Serene. The burning city and spirits of the dead; they struggled, wailing in agony, before eventually losing their lives. You should also know the reason behind all this, right, Serene?��


    ��Of course�� but���� Serene hesitated before continuing. ��This is in line with the contract, isn��t it? Boulder? They violated the creation rules and this is the punishment they deserved. Greed, naivety, and wild ambitions��they reached out their hands toward something they shouldn��t, yearned to gain power and authority that doesn��t belong to them, enjoyed the results and weren��t willing to bear the responsibilities. This city has long been degraded and corrupted. What they��re facing now is the consequence they deserve, isn��t it?��


    ��That��s right; contract, rules.��


    Boulder revealed a smile to Serene��s answer. But the smile on his stiff face turned out strange and twisted. He slowly drew the sword, gazing at his past companion. This time, his voice was filled with unprecedented anger.


    ��This is the reason for my choice, Serene. We are bound to destruction, after all. If only I were more determined to kill her back then, perhaps pain would have been temporary and eventually, the honor of light would continue to shine on this country. But now? You��ve seen the results for yourself, Serene.��


    ���� That is why you submitted yourself to Chaos?��


    Serene hardened her attitude toward Boulder. He was her past companion and the time that they spent together was longer than the time Lydia had been alive. They once served two terms of Light Dragons, but they were enemies now. Even if Boulder was already badly hurt by Alice and half his body had shrunk, Serene had no intention of pitying him.


    Chaos and Order��from ancient times until present and future, they were mortal enemies. There was no explanation, reason, communication, or need for peace. The only contact they had was through battles, where either one of them would live or die. Suppressed Chaos would become part of Order, while shattered Order would become the start of Chaos. This was an unexplainable cycle. As Serene spoke, the heavy tome in her hands trembled and transformed into a glorious spear engraved with endless runes.


    ��Order Spear.��


    Boulder knitted his brows slightly at the spear in Serene��s hands. Of course, he knew how powerful Serene was as just wisdom alone was far from enough to obtain her current position. The Order Spear allowed Serene to freely alter and even create Order unique to her. For instance, she could set a rule where all attacks on the spear would be deflected. In this case, the enemies wouldn��t be facing attacks from her only. But even so, Boulder had solutions to deal with that. Although he possessed considerable destructive power, after he was corrupted by Chaos, he sensed that his control over Order had become increasingly weaker. But even so, this didn��t mean that he was weak.


    Because he gained a whole new strength. The strength of Chaos.


    ��Alice.��


    The corner of Rhode��s eye twitched at this scene.


    ��Be cautious. If anything goes wrong, pull Serene back to safety, understood?��


    ���� Yes, Your Majesty,�� Alice said.


    Even though the young lady leisurely watching the battle felt rather dubious at Rhode��s order, she eventually nodded in agreement. Of course, even though Serene seemed weaker than Boulder right now, that didn��t mean that she couldn��t defeat him. But since Rhode said so, Alice could only obey and execute his wills as the subject. Of course, Alice was totally unaware of Rhode��s reaction when he saw the spear that Serene summoned. Ancient Spear: Grade E. You sure have terrible luck to choose this weapon out of all the choices. How unlucky��


    At this moment, the battle began.


    Serene raised the spear in her hands and brought a trail of afterimages toward Boulder as she dashed forward. Boulder frowned, extending his arms and the murky flames around him started erupting and blazing into several tornadoes that spun toward Serene with their wide-opened mouths, attempting to devour her completely.


    ��Transform!��


    Serene snarled as the flames hit her face. The spear engraved with various runes and rules emanated a mesmerizing, golden radiance in her hands. She pushed her arms and thrust the spear forward. The golden radiance on the spear dazzled increasingly along with her movements when suddenly, it transformed, splitting into two, four, and in the blink of an eye, hundreds of spears whistled across the sky, aiming at Boulder. The instant the golden spears collided with the scorching flames, the flames transformed into a blizzard, gusting icy-cold winds at Boulder. Facing the sudden blizzard, Boulder scoffed and raised his left hand. The flames on his blade began turning into the mysterious tone of darkness. Then, he swung the sword forward.


    The dark flames tore the sky apart, clashing heavily with the powerful blizzard.

 Chapter 1035 - Clashing Resolution

    The devastating impact from the clash of ice and fire enveloped the explosions and screams from the city. In an instant, it became the main melody of this world. But shortly, everyone witnessed Boulder��s flames ripping through Serene��s ice tornadoes and continuing to pounce on her. Serene grimaced, but quickly clutched the spear in her hand and brandished it downward.


    ��Counter!��


    Serene yelled and the air before her suddenly coalesced into a translucent wall. She quickly flew back in a trail of afterimages. Almost simultaneously, the flames crashed on the air barrier heavily. However, the majority of them were reflected to where they came from, the remaining flames pierced through the barrier and pounced on her. But the flames were ineffective as Serene had already retreated. Even though she wasn��t hurt, her complexion was far from great.


    ��I don��t think she can hold on much longer.��


    Rhode said, shaking his head. Currently, the stability of Order in Casabianca and its surrounding regions had fallen to 25 percent: the edge of the critical level. This wasn��t only a gap in the data, but could be said that the shattered Order was starting to affect the environment substantially. For instance, some strong buildings might turn into a pile of sand or transform into various, strange creatures. Humans were no exceptions either. Order could indeed bring a huge threat to humans, where perhaps one would pull off another person��s arm using too much strength. Rhode��s magic warship remained unharmed thanks to the engraved ancient enchantment ritual to stabilize Order. If not, it might collapse like building blocks if he were to fire the cannons once more.


    In this case, not even the archangels were spared, especially Serene, who relied on the strength of Order. All her power came from the rules, but when the strength of Order began to weaken and rules became unstable, her strength would also diminish. On the contrary, Boulder��s power was more straightforward. When one rose, the other fell. Perhaps his power was weakened under the rules�� restriction, but when the rules were weakened, his power increased greatly. Moreover, he was corrupted by Chaos. The weaker Order was, the less power Serene possessed. The stronger Chaos was, the more power Boulder had. In this case, it was unimaginable how Serene could defeat Boulder by relying on the rules.


    And the truth was just as Rhode had predicted. Boulder simply brandished his sword at the reflected flames and they all returned to his blade. At the same time, his fully-expanded wings once again erupted in blazing flames as though he had four pairs of wings. Serene sulked at this sight. She swung the spear in her hands again, streaking a trail of mysterious runes in midair before pointing the weapon forward. Meanwhile, Boulder also flourished his sword. Boom! The empty space before him suddenly shattered like glass. At the same time, Serene shuddered abruptly and flew off as though she were struck by an invisible force.


    ��Big Sister Serene!��


    Lilian shrieked in panic but fortunately, Serene wasn��t incompetent. As a mighty archangel, she had prepared herself as soon as she realized the terrible situation. The impact shook her body, but she quickly regained her form. Despite that, she looked incredibly pale. It was apparent that the attack earlier left her at a loss.


    ��Serene, this is the power of Chaos. You��ve personally experienced its strength now.��


    Boulder gazed at Serene and said.


    ��Chaos is powerful; it shall ultimately destroy this world. As for Order�� I once firmly believed in it, but all it brought were tragedies! She once tried to change everything, but how did the group of lowly, foolish, and barbaric humans disregard her kindness?! How did they trample on her goodwill and fabricate all sorts of twisted Order and rules to strengthen their desires?! When they set aside respect and gratefulness and follow only their own desires, did you see the deep disappointment in her eyes?! Tell me, Serene! You were there too! Didn��t you see it? All Her Majesty needed was respect, not worship! But the greedy, arrogant humans thought that they could change the world using their strength! They foolishly thought that they owned this world! And faced their creators with disdain and fear! Why must we protect such beings? If they pursue destruction, let them be. They must assume obligations for their desire of power. Since they abandoned their creators, they should protect this world themselves and face the invasion of Chaos! They even laid hands on the dragon soul power; that group of blasphemers shall perish and accept their rightful punishment!


    ���� Her Majesty would be disappointed if she heard this, Boulder.��


    Serene gazed at Boulder quietly and spoke. She gnashed her teeth, hesitating.


    ��You�� Even until now, you are still����


    ���� I��m sure you understand. There is no need for us to debate this issue. Besides, I may have disappointed her, but it doesn��t matter to me anymore. There is only one reason why I submitted to Chaos, and the same goes for the lowly humans who tried to make use of me. They will eventually die. It is impossible for them to get what they want because to Chaos, I am more valuable than them����


    ��Indeed. We have no need to discuss this anymore; you should know. Since you��re here, how about����


    ��I don��t think that I��ve lost, not even when you have those gadgets.��


    Boulder shifted his gaze to the magic warships. Rhode heard him and narrowed his eyes instantly. Then, the corners of his mouth perked up into a beautiful, attractive smile. Little one, how dare you have the guts to spout nonsense after I showed you some respect? If I don��t beat you to a pulp today, I will not be called Rhode!


    ��I initially came here to look for you here, Boulder. But now, I think we have taken two completely different paths.��


    Serene lifted her head. This was the first time she revealed such a distressed expression. But shortly after, it turned to determination. She held the spear in her hands tightly, her eyes staring straight at Boulder. Her movements were so slow, but it was the same as when Boulder first attacked Alice. The entire world seemed to be pulled in by her motion where all living things were attracted to her spear. An incredible force slowly coalesced��that was the limit to static motion. Even though her movements were slow and steady, one would have the misconception that one couldn��t resist this massive attack from her.


    Meanwhile, Boulder��s expression turned solemn. He didn��t launch his attack immediately. Instead, he clutched the sword and held it in front of him. He widened his eyes, staring at Serene intently. The aggressions from both archangels reached their peak. Then, Serene suddenly burst forward with the spear!


    ��������!��


    Heaven, earth, and the entire world had as though coalesced as one in the attack. The instant Serene launched her attack, heaven and earth had seemingly vanished. The entire world was enfolded in a pitch-black hue, while only a white thread streaked across the darkness.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Deep, ear-deafening, and astounding explosions boomed. Alice twitched her brow slightly when suddenly, she extended her arms and clenched the air. Then, she quickly retreated and in the blink of an eye, she was nowhere to be seen.


    The dark hue lasted for only a moment because the world returned to its original state in an instant.


    Boulder hovered in midair dazedly. The blade in his hand continued blazing in fiery flames and nothing seemed out of place. But at the next moment, he heard a series of exploding cracks. His sword coalesced from flames actually shattered as though it were a material object!


    ��I know what you mean now�� Serene.��


    Boulder said, gazing at the shattered blade of flame. His expression remained unchanged as he tossed the sword hilt aside. He lifted his head with a complicated gaze that eventually turned into deep sorrow. However, the emotion only lasted for an instant before restoring to its firm indifference.


    ��But we can��t turn back anymore.��


    ��������!��


    As though responding to Boulder, the underground of Casabianca suddenly rumbled loudly. At the same time, Rhode finally heard the long-awaited voice.


    [Big Brother, stability of Order has fallen to 10 percent and the countdown to the collapse has begun. The Chaos Gate is about to open!]

 Chapter 1036 - Gate

    The ground trembled as an invisible force roared and crashed down like waves, raising the surface with a massive power. In the blink of an eye, half of the city centered around Casabianca crumbled, dragging and devouring the dead and alive along with it. Loud rumbles were heard, followed by the sight of a mysterious, dark line erupting from the underground and streaking across the sky in the shape of an oval. Shortly after, the colors within the oval changed. The land, sky, city, and everything within the oval became completely replaced by Chaos. The solid ground fissured and surged like the rough seas. The several-meters-tall city walls were as though rice straws in the huge ocean where the crashing waves shattered them completely. In an instant, the entirety of Casabianca became dead silent as though all sounds had vanished.


    ��Hehehe����


    A deep voice like a booming thunder sounded when suddenly, several slimy tentacles that were dozens of meters long and several meters thick appeared. The tentacles were covered in mucus and eyes that were constantly revolving. Just a single glance was enough to leave one disgusted and giddy. Those people with less resistance instantly lost their consciousness and collapsed to the ground.


    ��Void Dragon, Light Dragon�� I didn��t expect you two to return����


    As the voice sounded, the number of tentacles emerging from the fissure increased. Then, four massive creatures like rotten piles of meat crawled out from the underworld. They appeared like disfigured octopuses and jellyfishes splashed in sulphuric acid. After taking a closer look, one would find that among the rotten chunks of flesh, there were also some human faces. If Sonia were here, she would immediately recognize the faces as Nakvard and his supporting parliament members. Judging from their appearance, it was apparent that they had gained new strength from the dark side.


    ��Thanks to both of you, we��ve successfully opened the Chaos Gate. My apologies as it seems like your plan has failed completely�� Young man, acting rashly and recklessly has always been your downfall. And now, you have nowhere to hide. The channel connecting the abyss has taken form and soon after, the devils and mighty beings behind them will enter through the channel and arrive at this continent. How do you intend to face this disaster that both of you caused?��


    ��B-Big Brother Rhode?��


    Upon hearing the evil and terrifying voice, Lilian tugged Rhode��s sleeve anxiously. After Lilian awakened her dragon soul power, she could now sense the threatening strength of Chaos from the other side of the gate, a force that she never felt before. It also felt as though a sluice was gradually opening and raging waves were about to burst through it and sweep the entire surface. Despite that, she felt entirely powerless. She suppressed this thought and consoled herself that this was only due to her just grasping her new strength and being inexperienced. But if it were Rhode�� If it were Rhode�� he wouldn��t have any problems dealing with them!


    ��Ha, ha.��


    But what surprised Lilian was that Rhode wasn��t nervous at all and even let out a chuckle. For some reason, she felt like his chuckle was really fake like an actor deliberately reciting his lines. Rhode didn��t continue speaking, but he extended his arm and gestured.


    ��Karin, activate Delusion Rainbow.��


    All of a sudden, the steel warship before him transformed. The expanded hull folded while the front section of the ship slowly widened. In an instant, the massive structure of steel changed its shape. An enormous, pitch-black cannon appeared in the front section, as well as the left and right of the hull. The heavy iron plates equipped below to support the large cannon floated in midair, flickering in a bright, dazzling radiance that left one in discomfort. Shortly after, the iron plates spun and magic energy coalesced in the center increasingly.


    [Countdown: 10 seconds��]


    Meanwhile, the Chaos Gate responded with dense black dots appearing in a circle that was tens of meters wide. At the next moment, it showed up before Rhode��s group in the smell of sulfur, blood, and death.


    ����!��


    Lilian held her breath at this scene. Even though she had imagined what would happen, the unprecedented and overwhelming feeling of fear struck her after she personally witnessed it. Devils by the count of one, two, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand and beyond appeared from the Chaos Gate like locusts, fluttering their wings forward in the air of murky, dark smoke. Meanwhile, on the surface, the filthy and ugly devils stormed ahead, shattering all obstacles before them into powder. Gazing down from the bridge, the black sea of devils swept across the land and no matter how sturdy or tall the houses and towers were, they all collapsed and flattened at once. The enormous fury of the waves, brought upon a shivering beauty, left one mesmerized. Even though the dark wave was demolishing everything, it was still an extremely beautiful sight.


    [Main Cannon Ready]


    ��Fire!��


    A thin and hardly visible red radiance shot straight toward the center of the Chaos Gate. At a single glance, it didn��t seem to have any effect on it. But at the next moment, the enormous cannon turned into an erupting volcano and the entire world darkened. Under the rumbling explosions, the faint, red guiding light brought an unstoppable, powerful force. The maximum, coalesced magical energy glowed in a scorching, white radiance. In the blink of an eye, it blasted across everything in sight. Before the devils on the air and land could raise their claws and start a protest, they were burned into ashes instantly. Not only that, but the Chaos Gate also shook at the powerful impact of the attack. A combination of red, green, and golden flames spread toward the direction of the light, until the very end.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Even though the alluring radiance lasted for only a few seconds before vanishing entirely, that moment had as though extended to infinity in everyone��s eyes. It also felt like the explosion would last until the end of the world. But it seemed like the end of the world came earlier than they imagined.


    The radiance dissipated and the omnipresent devils were also nowhere to be seen. What remained were the huge, hundreds of meters deep gorge that separated the city into two like a natural moat. But despite this powerful attack, the Chaos Gate wasn��t destroyed and the devils appeared again, shortly after.


    ��Hahaha, Your Majesty Rhode. We have to admit that your magic warship is indeed enormous and perhaps the Munn Kingdom��s ships can��t even compete with yours. But what you��re facing now is an endless amount of devils! Do you think you stand a chance eradicating them and blocking the path?��


    ��I have never thought about it that way; only idiots think of it like you.��


    Rhode narrowed his eyes and scoffed.


    ��Celestina, are you ready? Let��s begin!��


    ��Yes, Master!��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s command, Celestina displayed a smile and gradually stepped down from the platform that had turned into ruins. At this moment, she was surrounded by corpses of men, women, elderly, and children. She revealed an elated smile at this sight. ��Huhuhu�� Torn corpses, scarlet blood, and rotten ground; is there anything more perfect than this?��


    Celestina spoke, drawing the black sword and pointing it skyward.


    ��Ser Hunt Deail Musye!��


    She yelled out the mysterious and sinister chant. Along with her movement, countless pools of putrid, scarlet blood in the city flowed and converged swiftly into a serpent that moved across the air and wriggled to form a gorgeous, elegant dark door that was filled with an evil presence. Judging from its appearance, it was about the same size as the Chaos Gate. The only differences were the filthy scripts and evil patterns engraved on it, which was a hymn from hell.


    ��Darkness shall descend! The evil shadows shall enfold the land. I, Celestina, in the name of the Demon Lord, hereby vow, summon, and order the demons from the Seven Floors of Hell! Pass through this dark path of death and despair and arrive in this world!��


    ��������!��


    The dark door opened gradually as the drums of war sounded. Furious howls erupted, echoing throughout the sky and land. Armies of demons in neatly-aligned formation marched out of the door. Unlike the messy devils, demons maintained a huge square formation, glaring at the enemies ahead. The enormous Abyssal Demons expanded their wings, their mouths and nostrils blasting flames that represented their high spirits in battle.


    Devils and demons.


    At this moment, enemies who massacred each other for tens of thousands of years set off a new war once again.

 Chapter 1037 - Bloodbath

    No one knew when the bloodbath began. The most absurd and convincing of legends circulating in the world was this story: one day, a devil and demon met each other in the wilderness and that was how the bloodbath began. Even though it was rather disrespectful to use this story to describe the violent conflicts that were happening in the underworld for tens of thousands of years, it was strange that no matter the humans or demons, they silently accepted this explanation. Of course, perhaps there were some exaggerations involved, but it was apparent that the war between Order and Chaos never ended. It was the same no matter place or time.


    Including now.


    The devils launched their attacks, while the demons were ready to go; both sides displayed similar strength. Tens of thousands of devils growled and dashed across the surface. Meanwhile on the other side, an equal number of Imps darted forward under the lashes of the Quasits�� whips. There were no tactics, strategies, traps, or conspiracies involved. Perhaps the devils knew that any plan would be thoroughly reimbursed after the battle and the demons were aware that conspiracies were useless on this bunch of fanatical devils like blindly lighting and wasting a candle. All in all, there would only be one ending regardless of cause and process.


    A bloodbath.


    Both sides clashed almost in the blink of an eye. The screams of killings were filled with anger, pain, and excitement��the only emotion absent was sadness. Perhaps in the main plane of existence, there would be one weeping, praying, and trembling in fear in each war. But it wouldn��t be worthy of a mention in the face of this bloodbath. No grandeur qualities could allow one to survive because it required neither morality, dignity, nor honor. Instead, it was the process of the continuation of a war. No matter how many devils one slaughtered, it wouldn��t stop this war. It was like the sun, air, and water; essential and couldn��t be vacant.


    The pitch-black smoke diffused. This was the stench produced by the devils using their talent and ability to conceal their tracks. Meanwhile, the strings of flares released by the demons was the beginning of the methodical slashing of the devil��s formation. However, such an extent of slashing was highly ineffective because the devils lacked formations and strategies to begin with. To the devils, as long as they eliminated everything before them (including enemies and allies), it would be sufficient.


    There was neither a gap nor a so-called safety region on this battlefield. Every empty space was immediately filled up at the next moment and once the devil or demon who replenished the spot died, they were replaced by the next wave from the back. Magical radiance like the vast sky full of stars randomly erupted in the battlefield. The two sides that couldn��t be differentiated had an endless source of reinforcements. But in comparison, the devils were higher in number, while the demons were more disciplined. Besides�� They also had a powerful helper on their side.


    Coordinating with the demons, the air forces of Rhode��s magic warship began launching its full-scale cannon blasts. Golden magic beams rained on the devils�� camp like a violent storm. Of course, it was inevitable for some demons to get caught in the friendly fire, but Rhode couldn��t care less.


    Summoning demons to resist devils was an idea that he had come up with a long time ago. The reason why he launched a massacre on Casabianca was to create a place that was filthy, contaminated, and filled with death to open up the Hell��s Gate and summon armies of demons as his troops. Of course, he refused to believe that he possessed enough attractiveness to make the demons pledge their lives and devote themselves to him. But since the enemy��s enemy was his friend, there was no need for further considerations once the demons saw the devils before them.


    Rhode had never considered dealing with the devils himself. Even though Ion��s ultimate goal was definitely to eliminate devils, Rhode would suffer from the back if Ion were to occupy Casabianca. Rhode didn��t dare to bet everything on the ambition of the Dark Dragon, which was why he might as well do it himself. It didn��t matter even if he lacked manpower as demons from hell were willing to fight for the same goal as him. Besides, Celestina was also considered a high-class demon in hell, so summoning them wasn��t challenging for her. On the other hand, Siena and Nalea weren��t willing to help out, while Lilian had just awakened her dragon soul power and completely lacked the fighting strength. This was why Rhode had to find others for help. He never thought of stopping the parliament from opening the Chaos Gate as it was really tough. This place was unlike the Deepest Labyrinth, where the teleportation ritual was ready and easily modified by the devils. Also, no one knew what the Chaos worshipers in the parliament did here exactly. Besides, due to the constant low stability of Order, Rhode had to be wary of not destroying the Order barrier. Therefore, with his hands tied, he might as well fight evil with evil, and that was always his style of doing things. As a result, he brazenly led his troops to attack Casabianca and destroyed the Order barrier, forcing the Chaos worshipers with no choice but to continue following his script�� And it seemed to have an excellent result.


    Everything was developing toward the direction Rhode had predicted. There was an endless number of devils, but the opening of the Chaos Gate was limited, where it couldn��t expand infinitely and transport all devils from the Bottomless Abyss over. Meanwhile, the demons�� slaughtering techniques were outstanding. They gradually diminished the devils�� strength and not only that, but the arrival of the demons also brought along Order from hell, where it replaced the Order fragments and repaired the land and sky, causing them to become closer to hell and not the main plane of existence.


    The three magic warships separated gradually, coordinating with the demons in their attack by launching destructive light beams that eradicated all enemies in sight, leaving no survivors behind. There were devils that tried to attack Rhode��s magic warships, but with the protection of the Elf Knights and angels, most of their attacks failed. Moreover, the Order barrier surrounding the magic warships was enough to weaken the devils�� strength, turning them more fragile than cheese.


    Chaos Beings couldn��t enter this world and this was the only good news for Rhode. Unless the Order barrier was destroyed entirely, it would be extremely hard for Chaos Beings to enter the Dragon Soul Continent. On the other hand, it was much simpler for devils as years of endless battles had successfully turned the abyss into a part of a world like hell. This was why devils had a much easier time getting here than the Chaos Beings.


    As long as the demons resisted and suppressed the devils�� attacks, Rhode could find ways to shut the Chaos Gate. He had done it once in the past and didn��t mind doing it again. But it still wasn��t the time for it now.


    The hue of the sky and land had changed completely. The sky above Casabianca turned red as a scarlet sun hung high above. There was no day or night in hell. The eternal sun constantly and relentless burned every inch of land. The once fertile land also changed in color as they cracked and rolled up. There was nothing left apart from the corpses and dried, burned soil on the once green park lawn. Everywhere was filled with sand and dust. Rhode couldn��t care less about the civilians of Casabianca. They could either die in his cannon blasts, get slaughtered by the follow-up units, or die in the battle between devils and demons; they had no other choice. This entire city was like a gigantic meat grinder, where anything that was dragged into it would be crushed. Nothing was spared.


    ��Attack! Attack! You lowly trash! Kill the devils! If not, I will peel off your skin and let you have a real taste of death and agony!��


    Celestina commanded from the back spiritedly. The Lustful Demons crowding around her were as though a group surrounding a revered leader. The Abyssal Demons obeyed Celestina��s orders, snarling and lashing the flame whips to urge the armies of demons to advance. To the demons, any battle that could deal serious damage to the devils was worth it.


    But not everyone accepted this reality.


    ��You will never succeed!��


    Gazing at the retreating devils crumbling to the relentless demons, this was the first time the four octopus-looking creatures felt fearful. They fluttered their tentacles in uncertainty, letting out sharp howls to command the devils to advance. Endless devils continued to emerge from the Chaos Gate. They were courageous and furious. But at the next moment��


    Boom������!


    A dazzling, enormous light beam streaked and rippled across the sky and land, aiming straight at the Chaos Gate. The massive power instantly eliminated the devils within the Chaos Gate, disrupting the Chaos Gate to an uncertain state. Gazing at this scene, the Chaos worshipers were finally afraid.


    ��We need more strength!��


    At this moment, they communicated in their heads, raised their tentacles, and recited blasphemy. Shortly after, a boundless dark aura suffused from the Chaos Gate. Then, after a sharp screech that could make one��s head explode, a gigantic creature revealed its terrifying self.


    The Flame Monarch.

 Chapter 1038 - Fire of Purgatory

    Covered in eerie blue flames, a figure as tall as a hill emerged from the Chaos Gate. In fact, it indeed was a ��hill�� as its massive body, limbs, and head were made out of sturdy rocks and boulders. Blue flames blazed at its joints, core of its body, and head, forming terrifying facial features in its face. The moment it appeared, the ground rumbled and endless blue flames surged from the earth��s fissures like fireworks released when a superstar ascended the stage. The flames enveloped the entire surface like an erupted volcano with burning magma devouring all the unfortunate creatures beneath.


    ��Flame Monarch!��


    One of the Quasits urging on the Imps and gazing at the enormous devil shrieked in fear. Unsure if its shriek attracted the Flame Monarch��s attention, the Flame Monarch turned around immediately. Then, under its scorching gaze, the demon gave a blood-curdling scream before melting away like a bucket of molten steel had been poured over it.


    The war turned into a stalemate. Standing before the overwhelming presence of the Flame Monarch, the lowly demons could do nothing. The instant the Flame Monarch shot a glance at the demons, they would immediately light up in flames and melt. Whenever the Flame Monarch waved its arm, explosions would erupt like volcanic eruptions. The thick, unbearable, crimson smoke pushed forward alongside the devils. The volcanic cloud was so terrifying that even demons who were used to the heat of hell collapsed involuntarily. Even though the demons tried to stop the volcanic cloud from shifting forward, in the face of the Flame Monarch their every action was as though a mantis was trying to obstruct a chariot. Although the demons struggled to maintain their formation and balance, they had no choice but to retreat to the pressurizing monarch.


    ��Trash! Trash! A bunch of useless trash! Continue to attack; if not, I will rip your intestines and force them into your skulls!��


    Celestina howled at the sight of the retreating demon armies. She gnashed her teeth with a furious expression, tapping her fingers anxiously on the hilt hanging on her waist. At the next moment, blade shadows flitted across the air and bound two demons who were attempting to flee. Then, the razor-sharp blades moved on their own and sliced through the demons�� stomachs, spilling the internal organs and blood from within. Celestina snorted, swinging the blade in her hand and the two unfortunate demon corpses crumbled in front of her. The Lustful Demons clustering around her ran ahead diligently, digging out the hearts and eyeballs and presented them to Celestina like offering treasures.


    ��This is the consequence of a retreating coward!��


    Perhaps because the fresh blood and corpses heightened the demons�� ferocity, they braced themselves and attacked the devils yet again. But in the face of the Flame Monarch, they were too small and powerless. The demons used countless bloody flesh to replenish the gaps and corpses to form a solid wall to stop the devils�� infiltration. Even though the Imps feared death equally, class division was definite in hell. This was even more so than in the main plane of existence. Perhaps human soldiers might crumble when they couldn��t defend against the enemies, to the demons, as long as there was an order, they would fight until the end. This so-called persistence was the main reason why they were able to resist the devils for tens of thousands of years.


    The stalemate wasn��t what Celestina hoped for. She knitted her brows and snorted, before piercing the sword into one of the Lustful Demons�� chest beside her mercilessly. The Lustful Demon lifted its head with a pious expression, spreading its arms and allowing Celestina��s blade to penetrate its body. Celestina aimed for the heart and pulled it out of its chest. The heart was still pumping as she mouthed the words of a prayer. Shortly after, a profane and evil curse resounded in the air. Along with her chants, the heart pumped faster and its appearance gradually turned pitch-black.


    ��Muy ria Ba!��


    Celestina yelled, raising her arm and squashing the heart in her hand. A crimson radiance erupted and the ground rumbled like an earthquake. Invisible, yet feelable ripples of scorching, ice-cold terror erupted from the Hell��s Gate. Shortly after, a thunderous voice sounded.


    ��Who is calling for my existence using my real name!��


    An enormous demon strode out of Hell��s Gate. Like other high-class demons, its body was covered in crimson scales from top to bottom and had a pair of bat-like wings on its back. It wielded a flame sword on its left hand and around its waist was a belt made up of indescribable skulls. The demon was incredibly huge and tall like a moving giant. Along with its emergence, hundreds of Cornugons and Abyssal Demons flew out of the gate to protect their master.


    ��I��m requesting for your help, Bayer! Destroy those filthy, disgusting trash and I will represent the Ninth Floor to reconsider your suggestion!��


    ����!��


    The lord of Hell��s First Floor narrowed its eyes that glinted brightly upon hearing Celestina��s words. Then, it opened its mouth and drooled revolting, green liquid to the ground, before scanning Celestina from head to toes. Bayer wasn��t familiar with this demon young lady, but it sensed her powerful strength and higher status. As one of the eight Demon Lords of hell, it had never felt suppression of class status so clearly. That wasn��t only the difference in strength and status. Instead, it was more like an innate rule. This reminded Bayer of a rumor after he qualified to be a Demon Lord. That rumor was ridiculous, but full of inexplicable mysteries. And now, it seemed like there was no doubt about it anymore.


    ���� Yes, my dear lady.��


    In the end, Bayer chose to submit as it lowered its head respectfully. Then, it lifted its head, gazed ahead, and widened its mouth to make a loud snarl. It swung the huge flame sword forward and along with its actions, another rush of demons emerged from the Hell��s Gate and pounced on the enemies from above. At the same time, Bayer stared at the Flame Monarch in front, but the latter��s scorching radiance that could burn everything didn��t make Bayer flinch. Although Bayer was the most cunning and intelligent Demon Lord, it disliked facing enemies personally. However, the reason why it was able to secure its place was due to its dominance over the devils. Shortly after, under Bayer��s orders, the demons swiftly switched up their attacking style and began luring and dividing, once again slaughtering the devils. The fire cloud from hell flew forward at Bayer��s command, stopping the Flame Monarch from making its next move.


    This is a bloodbath.


    Rhode stood on the bridge and gazed at the battlefield below. Apart from blood and corpses, there was nothing else visible. The entirety of Casabianca had turned into a blood-soaked battleground and no one could survive this attack. Perhaps some were fortunate enough to avoid the clash, but when they inhaled the gas from hell or purgatory, they wouldn��t be able to avoid the fate of death. This once spotless and white city had turned into a battlefield where every street, corner, and ruin was thronged with devils and demons, massacring while stepping on the corpses of devils, demons, and humans. There was no exception.


    Lilian had already turned pale. The number of corpses she saw today was more than she had ever seen since birth. She swore that she had never witnessed such a terrifying war, not even during the war against the Country of Darkness. This wasn��t a battle for glory and no justice was involved whatsoever. Both sides fought for the sake of fighting and victory and failure were only add-ons. This was a process that the demons and devils enjoyed: kill or be killed.


    Complicated information came surging into her head like the tide, forcing Lilian to close her eyes and take a step back. The rumbles and explosions of cannon blasts had as though turned into the sad calling of a knell. They stopped at the edge of demolishing the world, but eventually would destroy everything.


    ��You should get some rest, Lilian.��


    Rhode gazed at Lilian and consoled softly. He knew what was going on in her mind. In fact, many players were unable to accept such bloodbaths. It wasn��t just endless war and there were also hidden mutual deceptions. Even though players wouldn��t really die in the game, not anyone could accept the intensity of such battles. Rhode remembered his first participation in a bloodbath. Back then, he thought he could have an enjoyable break during the national holidays. But in the end, tensions were high among the members including him during the 7 consecutive days of dungeon bloodbaths. Not only did he not get to rest, but he also tired himself out. After the holidays ended, he didn��t feel like he had a good rest. Instead, he felt as tired as working overtime. Some players instantly left hell and refused to partake in any operations involving bloodbaths anymore.


    Upon hearing his words, Lilian hesitated. But eventually, she shook her head determinedly.


    ��No, Big Brother Rhode. I want to continue�� This is my battle.��


    ��Good girl.��


    Rhode smiled and caressed her hair. Then, he put up a stern expression before turning over.


    ��Karin, how��s your analysis of the Chaos Gate?��


    ��Still on-going, Your Majesty; I need more time. But with the records from the Deepest Labyrinth, it won��t take long.��


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded to Karin��s report.


    ��After the analysis is done, we will coordinate with the demons and launch an all-out attack to destroy the Chaos Gate!��

 Chapter 1039 - Helplessly Sitting and Watching

    Chapter 1039: Helplessly Sitting and Watching


    A crimson radiance enfolded the sky and not even the boundless night sky could erase it. Under the tranquil night sky, the smear of red seemed ever more dazzling like a scar across the sky dripping with blood.


    Siena stood quietly on the platform, overlooking with a complicated gaze. Drawing support from the wind transmission, she knew what was going on in the distance. Screams, wails, death, agony, and evil were like a pot of thick soup cooked in a fire after being stirred altogether. The strong stench was enough to make one giddy. It was so intense that even the peaceful forest seemed to be gasping for air as though it had fallen sick to a severe illness. The putrid stench from hell and smell of sulfur from purgatory wafted through the trees, making them groan in agony. But all Siena could do was to stand and look into the distance helplessly.


    ��Siena�� go and get some rest����


    Nalea��s voice sounded from behind. Her voice was as gentle as usual, but this time there was some distress in her tone. Upon hearing her elder sister��s words, Siena didn��t want to leave. She shook her head slightly, while continuing to gaze ahead. Then, she spoke calmly. ��No, Big Sister. Thanks for your concern, but I��ve decided to stay here until everything has ended. This is a punishment for our helplessness. We can��t intervene and can only watch this painful scene. This is the only thing we can do, isn��t it?��


    ���� You��re right.��


    Hearing her younger sister��s answer, Nalea revealed a forced smile. She strolled ahead and stood beside Siena with a staff in hand. The forest that was always filled with the crisp, melodious singing of elves had turned silent today, but Nalea couldn��t do much. Just as Siena said, all they could do now was to stay here and watch helplessly. This was a punishment for their misjudgment. In order to repair Order as soon as possible, they ��temporarily�� accepted Ion��s invasion on the Country of Light. But they didn��t expect Rhode to take such arrogant actions to ambush Casabianca, shatter the Order barrier, open the Hell��s Gate, and summon demons from the Ninth Floor of Hell to resist the devils. In fact, when the twin sisters heard this news, they thought that Rhode had gone crazy. But this was the truth. Casabianca had turned into a dead city and this war would shock the continent. Perhaps even after the devils were repelled, this would be an irreparable loss to the continent. But�� So what?


    Rhode��s face appeared in their heads, narrowing his eyes and gazing at them with a smile of disdain just like when they communicated the last time. Back then, Siena and Nalea knew the risks and dangers involved and tried to convince him to give up on his idea. But it was a pity that what��s done was done. Right now, they couldn��t intervene with the Country of Darkness��s invasion and stop Rhode. Moreover, they understood that Rhode and Ion weren��t the kind of people who would stop when they heard others�� opinions.


    ��But what we should be worried about is what happens after this.��


    ������


    Siena felt a shiver down her spine after hearing her elder sister��s words. The night wasn��t chilly. Perhaps due to the current war between the devils and demons continuing to heat up, even the venue for the Order Ceremony which was far from the Country of Light was enveloped in an uncertain and anxious atmosphere. Of course, Siena understood what her elder sister meant.


    In the main plane of existence, it wasn��t hard to defeat the devils and shut down the Chaos Gate, especially when Rhode possessed a powerful fleet of magic warships and support from demon armies. It could also be said that there were no two ways about claiming Casabianca now. But what about the aftermath? Back then, one of the reasons why the twin sisters didn��t stop Ion from sending armies into Casabianca was that Ion had a great excuse: he attacked under the banner of ��eliminating Chaos�� and removing Chaos was the duty of the Creator Dragons. This was why they didn��t stop him.


    On the other hand, Rhode��s reason was more high-sounding: assist the Light Dragon in reclaiming her power and position and also punish the unworthy people who disrespected the Creator Dragons. Facing such a declaration from him, it was hard for the twin sisters to object. They were clear of what manner the Country of Light had been over the centuries. This was why the church didn��t refute when Rhode massacred everyone in Casabianca under the banner of ��eliminating disrespectful people��. Everyone knew how the people in Casabianca treated the Light Dragon, so there wouldn��t be any accidental injuries even if Rhode were to kill them all. Besides, Lilian publicly announced her support in this decision. In this case, there was no way the twin sisters could object to it.


    But what would happen to Casabianca after the war ended?


    What if Ion continued to send his armies to attack? Or perhaps Rhode wasn��t satisfied enough and requested the Country of Darkness to withdraw their troops from the Country of Light? Perhaps military strength was never a problem for Rhode. Just like in the past, Siena and Nalea thought that Rhode didn��t have enough military strength to attack Casabianca because no matter what, the Void Territory was just established and the refugees would finally be able to lead their new lives. Moreover, even if it was possible for Rhode to recruit enough soldiers, it would take a long time. But the twin sisters didn��t expect him to efficiently decide to summon the demon armies instead, which was considered a heinous move by this continent. Since he was able to summon the demon armies against the devils, who could guarantee that he wouldn��t summon the demon armies to battle against Ion��s undead armies? After all, this proved that he was capable in this aspect. If it were others, how would it be so easy for them to summon demons?


    No matter Ion or Rhode, both of them were opinionated and definitely wouldn��t heed others�� advice. If they had no intention of giving in to each other, it was predictable what would happen next�� The thought of another possible war that would engulf the whole continent, which was also a war between undead creatures and demons left Siena in a huge headache.


    But now�� at least it is still peaceful.


    Siena lifted her head at this thought and gazed far ahead.


    I shall enjoy this temporary peace then.


    The war continued and no one was certain how long it had gone for. Was it a few hours, days, or months? No one knew because under the radiance of the sun hanging high up in the sky, time had lost its purpose. The war became the main melody of eternity and there was nothing else except for it. Even the group standing on the bridge felt numb to it by now. The ear-deafening cannon blasts continued to boom from time to time and the battlefield that left one��s blood racing had turned into some sort of a terrifying nightmare. It was as though a self-operating machine that wouldn��t stop. The machine continued to operate in the motion of ��war��, placing both enemies in it as though it were set up to do that. Then, it spun constantly, mixing them together into each other��s existence.


    Karin continued with her task quickly, her hands dancing in the air. The lenses in her spectacles occasionally reflected trajectories of magical power. On this crazy battlefield, she used her mind to plan and observe the flow underneath the raging wave like a violent whirlpool surging up and dragging ships into the bottom of the ocean. But at the same time, it revealed the reefs hidden underneath, exposing the weaknesses and dangers.


    ��Order exists forever over Chaos.��


    Karin slid her fair, slender finger across the air. Along with her action, another string of cannon blasts boomed and hundreds of thousands of golden magic beams bombarded the battlefield, sending massive flares erupting from the land. The demons charged ahead, while the devils were forced back. Flames and storms clashed and resisted. In this sea of mess, Karin��s eyes suddenly glinted. She used her hand and caught the only ray of light hidden under the chaotic mess.


    ��Your Majesty, the analysis is complete.��


    In this turbid scene, Karin��s indifferent voice sounded incredibly crisp as though one walking on foot in the desert gulping a mouthful of ice-cold drink, instantly rejuvenating. After hearing her report, Rhode, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum turned to her. Their eyes widened and glinted with flashes of hope.


    ��Continue with your report.��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s order, Karin pushed up her spectacle and said.


    ��According to my investigation, the cores used to create the Chaos Gate are on the four Fey Devils. The cores are hidden in their bodies and structured into a channel connecting the Chaos Gate. As long as we defeat the four Fey Devils, we can shut the Chaos Gate down.��


    ��That��s easy!��


    Mini Bubble Gum quickly spoke.


    ��Leader, use the Delusion Rainbow and give them a good blasting! Kill all four of those rotten octopuses!��


    ��I don��t think it will work, Madam Bubble.��


    Karin denied Mini Bubble Gum��s suggestion.


    ��We did try to attack them, but as cores, the Fey Devils have stronger defenses than even the Chaos Gate. Even though the Delusion Rainbow can cause damage to a certain extent, it won��t be able to destroy them. Besides, they have a powerful regeneration ability, so even if we get closer, we won��t be able to eliminate them at once. Therefore, I suggest sending out men to attack them under the protection of the magic cannons. Since they are only Fey Devils, they won��t be that tough to deal with. The only worrying thing is the spatial turbulence that comes after the Chaos Gate is destroyed. If we can��t return before then, we may be dragged into the spatial gaps and won��t be able to return. It is extremely dangerous.��


    ��Fey Devils, huh����


    Rhode knitted his brows before turning to the four octopuses. According to the game��s description, they weren��t too powerful and were around level 75. But sometimes, attributes were more vital than the differences in level. Players always disregarded creatures with high offense and low defense. On the other hand, the most annoying creatures were those with high defense, high health, and low attack because even if there was a high difference in level, it would take players a lot of time to kill the creatures as they couldn��t instant-kill. Moreover, in the face of the Chaos Gate now, devils were constantly emerging to provide reinforcements.


    But shortly after, Rhode made his decision.


    ��I will get rid of one. Bubble, Canary, you two will take one each. Alice, I��ll leave the last to you. The rest of you assist by providing defense and cover for us. We must defeat those bastards in the shortest time possible!��


    Rhode spoke, extending his right arm and swinging it forward.


    ��Everyone get ready to attack!��

 Chapter 1040 - Total Attack

    The enormous warship sailed with two corvettes by the left and right protecting its hull as magical radiance descended from them like raindrops. The magic warships had changed their attacking mode as it continuously bombarded the surface. Under its attack, the dense, pitch-black ground turned from the inside-out while some areas collapsed entirely. It was as though an invisible brush wiping the filthy white board, cleaning it from dust and ink. After a series of light beams, a portion of the battlefield was cleaned up immediately. The demons made use of every second and charged ahead, filling up the gaps to regain the upper hand. With Bayer��s presence, the Flame Monarch could no longer freely demolish the demons. Even though the Flame Monarch continued to control the flow of explosions like volcanic eruptions, it could do nothing in the face of Bayer��s fire storm. Besides, demons were also resistant to fire. To most higher demons, not even fireballs descending from the sky could deal any serious damage to them and magma that could melt steel was nothing more than hot spring water.


    After Bayer summoned the purgatory armies into the battle, the Flame Monarch��s threat reduced greatly. As the magic warships gradually advanced, the war situation changed and this development was apparently something that the Flame Monarch hated to see.


    Boom!


    Burning meteorites came crashing down from above, aiming at the magic warships along with the Flame Monarch��s action. But the meteorites crashed into the defense barrier over the warships, steered away from their trajectories, and flew back into the sky. The Flame Monarch��s eyes burned with rage at the sight of its ability being useless against the massive warship in the air. No matter what attack it launched, they were ineffective against the defense barrier. The Flame Monarch couldn��t accept such a failure. Shortly after, it snarled and gave a command. With its guidance, the devils flapping their wings and flying out of the Chaos Gate shrieked sharply, pouncing at the magic warships like a plague of locusts.


    But it wasn��t that easy for them to achieve their goal.


    Pitch-black devils descended from above, brandishing their razor-sharp claws at the target before them. But shortly after, several light arrows penetrated their bodies effortlessly, turning them into ashes. The Dawn Angels raised their enormous crossbows and released a series of fire tongues like the burst of machine guns. Countless light arrows flew in all directions, entirely demolishing the devils who dared to step onto the deck. The elves quickly clutched their bows and swirled in the air around the warships like birds, coordinating with the angels�� line of fire and forming a tight defensive net. The Bugle Angels blew their conches hard, releasing deep sounds that turned into a fury of tornadoes that shredded any devils that came closer.


    Clink!


    Lesa raised the staff high. Her petite figure was as though a fragile, little sapling that was about to be devastated by the storm. Her wide imperial robe fluttered in the wind and even the huge hat on her head seemed as though it would fly away in the wind. But even so, in the face of the devils who could even make experienced warriors tremble in fear, Lesa was unfazed. She struck the staff on the deck with force. Along with her action, countless white rays of light coalesced like a burst of stars. Then, endless spotlights enveloped the devils densely. The nonstop explosions and flicker of magical radiance wiped out all traces of the devils.


    At this moment, Lesa used her true strength to announce to the world of her ability as the priest of the Astral Temple. She wasn��t just a useless flower vase or one who could only cast teleportation rituals to transport soldiers. The devils continued to advance forward as death wasn��t able to stop them in their tracks. This was where they were most terrifying. But even so, after they were eliminated, they naturally wouldn��t charge ahead anymore. Sometimes, the simplest of reasons was the most practical. Even though there were hundreds of thousands of devils dashing forward and attempting to use their bodies to stop the warships from advancing, they stood no chance of succeeding as the warships continued to steadily sail forward, pitilessly crushing every devil that dared to stand before it.


    In an instant, the entire battlefield had truly turned into hell enveloped in bloody rain. Shredded flesh, filthy blood, and a gross stench emerged from above. As the warships sailed, countless limbs and sprays of blood scattered on the land, which agitated the ferocity in the demons and devils further. They snarled wildly and brandished their weapons, sharp claws and fangs at each other, trying in all ways to eradicate the enemies.


    ��Delusion Rainbow. Second wave!��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    Along with Rhode��s command, the grand, enormous, steel cannon at the front of the warship glowed and spun once again. The mighty magic power once again coalesced, turning into a shivering strength that blasted at the Chaos Gate. The pure, powerful energy devoured any devil that tried to stop it. Perhaps due to the shrinking distance, the Chaos Gate shook violently to the attack this time like a television screen flickering due to unstable radio transmissions. Before the devils flying out of the gate could participate in the battle, the trembling spatial turbulence instantly killed them. Even though it was only for an instant, the endless reinforcements of devils finally stopped.


    ��Continue advancing; offenders shall die!��


    Bayer took a step forward. After the thousand years of battling against the devils in the frontline of hell, it sharply detected the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The instant the devils lost their reinforcements, Bayer raised the blade in its hand high up and commanded. The demons once again charged forward, while constant flames and smoke instantly engulfed the battlefront ahead. While the devils were shredded and melted, the battle was dragged into a situation that couldn��t be turned around.


    ��Now��s the chance. Let��s go!��


    Even though it was the Chaos Gate, it couldn��t maintain its stability in the face of such pure strength. This was enough to prove a point: In this world, strength was everything. It was the same no matter for Chaos, Order, justice, evil, belief, and honor. Only strength was the ultimate way to achieve goals and the eternal truth of this world; the ultimate existence, shown with destruction and creation.


    ��Canary, Bubble, and Alice! Let��s go!��


    As soon as the radiance of the Delusion Rainbow faded and the sky and earth changed in color, Rhode finally made his move. Their targets were the four Fey Devils surrounding the Chaos Gate in the front, back, left, and right. The all-out attack from the Delusion Rainbow had completely shattered their defensive barrier and it was time for them to attack now. If they didn��t seize this opportunity, the defensive barrier would be restored in the blink of an eye. This was also why Rhode gave up the idea of using the Delusion Rainbow to bombard those octopuses to death. Even if the Delusion Rainbow was the strongest magic cannon, it also had cooldowns. If the enemies were to repair the defensive barrier during its cooldown, it would become a meaningless war of attrition. Instead of consuming energy, he might as well get it done quickly!


    After Rhode gave his command, four figures of light dashed out from the warship, across the battlefield of the devils and demons, as well as the scorching and clamoring sky, flying toward the shattered enchanted field. Their movements attracted the devils�� attention, but before they could do anything to stop them, the cannon blast from the warship once again ripped through the formation that they had formed with great difficulty. Using this chance, Rhode and the three young ladies entered the defensive barrier that was about to fully regenerate.


    A few seconds later, the shattered defensive barrier closed up fully behind them, which meant the start of the battle.


    Boom!


    Rhode landed heavily on the ground. He clutched the large scarlet sword in his hand, the bloody radiance on Slaughter flickering constantly. The steel chains on it trembled, letting out crisp rasps as they clashed with each other as though shivering and venting its excitement for this bloody battle ahead. The atmosphere in the battlefield, scorching flames, and clashing of battle and death��


    Rhode lifted his head and gazed at the tall enemies who resembled rotten octopuses, as well as a familiar face.


    ��������!��


    In a loud, unified shriek, thousands of devils appeared in all directions, snarling and attempting to kill the intruders. But facing the dense mass of devils, Rhode��s expression remained unchanged. He raised his right arm and brandished the sword forward. In an instant, the devils from all around collapsed to the ground. The invisible blade rays sliced their bodies, where not even sturdy armor and shields could resist the raging attack of the Creator Dragon.


    ��Alright, call it a day with your farce.��


    Rhode swept a glance at the battlefield that had turned into hell. The corners of his mouth perked up as he turned around and exchanged looks with a pair of murky, terrified eyes.


    ��I��m here to send all of you off. Please have a peaceful journey ahead.��

 Chapter 1041 - Collapse of the Chaos Gate

    Chaos existed since the creation of this world. It formed the main melody of the world where everything was born, and yet disappeared in it. Only Chaos lasted forever. It was the controller, ruler, and dominator of this world. Anyone or anything couldn��t go against its will and the same went for Order. No rules lasted for long, as laws and rules changed constantly, eventually twisting into nothingness. This was the process of birth, growth, and destruction that all things went through.


    There was no exception.


    ��Everything shall be destroyed; only Chaos exists forever!��


    ��Who gives a damn about you!��


    Mini Bubble Gum snarled, raising her arms and a translucent barrier emerged before her to stop the fluttering attack of slimy tentacles. The face on the rotten octopus head let out an indiscernible roar that resembled screaming and howling. Just hearing it made one uncomfortable. Not only that, but the shapeless sound waves also tore through the land, carrying a burst of loose, flying sand around the young lady. If it weren��t for the fact that Mini Bubble Gum was different from ordinary people, perhaps the sharp sound waves would have exploded her brains out of her skull. But even so, the ear-deafening scream left Mini Bubble Gum in discontent. She knitted her brows, let out a strong snort, and pointed her right hand forward. Then, along with her movement, several rays were released from the air behind her, penetrating the monster in front of her. The holy and fiery rays sliced the rotten skin like sharp blades and slashed into the body. Murky, revolting liquid gushed out, raising billows of green smoke upon splashing on the ground. In a single glance, one knew that one should definitely not approach that thing.


    ��Ahhh!��


    The sharp scream erupted once more and invisible sound waves swept across the land yet again. The solid ground under Mini Bubble Gum��s feet cracked before crumbling down. She swayed a little, but swiftly kept her balance in midair and didn��t fall through it. But even so, she presented a dissatisfied look on her face.


    ���� Enough already, what in the world are you screaming for? It seems like Leader was right; I don��t have time to waste on dumb trash like you! Die!�� Mini Bubble Gum said and her expression turned grim. She spread her arms apart and along with her movements, four dazzling wings of light as though formed by circuit boards emerged on her back. She glared at the creature of Chaos before her and said, ��I hereby declare with supreme authority: light barrier, unfold! Authority��Light Judgment, fully unlock!��


    As Mini Bubble Gum summoned, the wings on her back shined in fluctuation. Then, a spot of light appeared in midair and flew along the circuit lines, fusing into her body. She raised her right arm and clenched the air when suddenly, a light longsword of several meters long appeared in her hand.


    ��Taste my power! This is the strength of the Zaku II Red Comet. Attack! Bardiche, holy blade mode! Ooooooh!��


    Yelling words that the natives didn��t understand, Mini Bubble Gum clutched the light longsword and raised it high. The air spun in her movements as though surging upward to the attraction of the blade. Upon sensing this powerful strength, the Fey Devil was terrified. The Fey Devils betrayed themselves for the sake of power which was why it sharply sensed how strong and scary this enormous strength of hers was. The light longsword was like a Sword of Damocles hovering above its head, bringing forth an incomparable fear and overwhelming pressure. Upon sensing the fear, the Fey Devil resisted strongly. Several tentacles drilled out of the surface and lashed out at the petite young lady. But at this moment, the light longsword was brandished.


    ��Take that! Soar of the heavenly dragon! Ahhhhhh!��


    The raised tentacles weren��t able to resist the blade strike of lightning. Along with Mini Bubble Gum��s scream that made no sense, the light longsword sliced through the Fey Devil��s tentacles effortlessly like butter, before hacking into its murky and soft body. The enormous octopus devil was devastated. The instant the light longsword pierced its core, its wild, uncontrollable strength flowed away in all directions. Its swollen skin started to bulge and burst as several bright rays shone from within its body. Meanwhile, light energy rose from the ground, devouring and breaking the devil completely. In the blink of an eye, there was nothing left in front of Mini Bubble Gum after the light faded away.


    ��Phew�� how disgusting.��


    Gazing at the ruptured ground, Mini Bubble Gum muttered under her breath. Then, she flew backward to quickly stay away from the crumbling defensive barrier. ��That settles it then!��


    ***


    The elegant blazing flames burned everything decisively. Canary extended her arms forward, gracefully drawing a string of runes in midair. Along with her movements, the roaring gales and raging flames coalesced into an enormous lion, snapping its jaws open and crunching on the Fey Devil that shuddered constantly. The power of flame and wind pumped into the bulging body continuously. The tentacles that attempted to resist her earlier were already shredded into bits and burned to ashes without leaving behind any traces of blood. As one of the top players, Chaos devils that were ten levels lower than her presented no threat at all. Even though Canary couldn��t instant-kill one with her strength, it wasn��t challenging for her to defeat it in a few blows.


    In fact, Canary��s battle was much more one-sided than Mini Bubble Gum��s. After entering the enchanted field and under the attack of Canary��s wind and fire spirits, the Fey Devil lost its battle strength completely, just in the blink of an eye. And now, the only thing remained for it was to struggle on whilst at death��s door. But Canary wouldn��t allow it to stay alive.


    ��Time is pressing, so please die soon.��


    Canary glanced at the sky above. After witnessing the light column that erupted from the ground, she smiled, lowered her head, and said to the devil. As she spoke, the gigantic spirit monster widened its mouth and blasted flames at the devil, engulfing it completely. Shortly after, the flames dispersed and there were no more movements from the struggling devil.


    ��Alright then�� Next����


    Canary murmured and shook her head slightly. Then, she lifted her head, transformed into a dazzling light, and burst out of the shattered barrier.


    ***


    ��Devils will ultimately be devils.��


    Alice hovered in midair despite the large tentacles whipping and lashing at her. She lowered her gaze with half-opened eyes at the devil before her. Even though the devil spouted profanity and launched all-out attacks on the young lady, they weren��t effective at all. The situation was similar to the battle against Boulder, where all attacks were restored to a state before they were launched the instant they were about to land on Alice. Therefore, it could be said that the devil��s attacks were basically useless. But even so, it didn��t give up despite the terrified and uncertain look on its face.


    ��Why? Why? Why! Why can��t my attacks hit her? I clearly possess the power. My lord has given me such mighty powers. Why��!��


    ��What a sad soul.��


    Alice mumbled, gazing at the devil. She raised her right arm and along with her movement, the thick, heavy tome flipped open gradually and floated before her steadily.


    ��You��re so blinded by Chaos that you can��t recognize your limitations? In the end, you��re just a chess piece to Chaos.��


    Alice gently pinched one of the pages and turned it over.


    ��No�� this is impossible. I�� impossible�� I����


    But those were its last words. In a single move, the devil stopped moving. Then, as though after countless years, its body began to crumble, turning into ashes and fading away in the wind. In a few moments, there were no traces of the devil in front of Alice anymore. Alice, who was quietly witnessing everything, closed her eyes. Then, she closed the tome and retreated, before vanishing into the endless void.


    ***


    Swish!


    The octopus devil brandished its enormous tentacle at Rhode, but he raised Slaughter without giving it a single look. Rhode flourished the sword forward and an extreme, razor-sharp wind blades split the tentacle into two effortlessly. But shortly after, the sliced tentacle shook and regenerated fully.


    ��Frankly, I don��t care what you say.��


    Rhode slashed the sword in his hand once again, spraying beads of blood to the ground. Then, the tentacle in front him instantly flew off like sliced wheat crumbling to the ground. Upon sensing the tremendous pain, Nakvard��s determined face twitched. However, he continued to gnash his teeth and tolerated the agony. Even after detecting the power Rhode possessed, Nakvard didn��t give up.


    ��You can��t possibly understand the destiny we humans have for ourselves��!��


    But before Nakvard finished his sentence, Rhode penetrated his chest with the razor-sharp, scarlet blade.


    ��I said, I don��t care. Besides, please don��t try to represent most humans as perhaps their understanding of destiny is different from yours.�� Rhode responded and the steel chains wrapped around his arm spun and rose like menacing vipers. Then, the steel chains punctured Nakvard��s face, stirring and ruining the acceptable-looking face into a bloody mess of flesh. Shortly after, Nakvard��s swelling body shriveled and deflated like a rubber ball.


    ���� Your�� struggles�� are meaningless����


    Nakvard��s voice didn��t vanish from the dried, trembling body.


    ��The power of Chaos�� is far stronger than you imagine�� And�� you don��t have much�� time left��. Even if I fail�� it is�� only temporary�� because all of you will eventually perish!��


    As though responding to Nakvard��s words, the stable Chaos Gate started distorting and shaking, unable to maintain its balance after losing its cores. Then, a storm from the void erupted.


    The spatial turbulence began with a round dark hole appearing in the center of the Chaos Gate. The enormous force of attraction swiftly devoured everything, be it the sky or earth, dead or alive.


    However, Rhode had already made his way out.

 Chapter 1042 - Temporary Ending

    As the Chaos Gate crumpled, the war finally ended. Without endless reinforcements, the number of devils decreased as they were gradually massacred. Shortly after, the devils collapsed in the face of the demons and to make matters worse, they couldn��t even escape as the distorting, spatial turbulence from the Chaos Gate was like a dark hole sucking everything into it. The same went for the Flame Monarch. Even though it tried its hardest to resist the absorption of the dark hole, it snarled unwillingly before shattering under the bombarding of the Delusion Rainbow from the magic warship. It was mercilessly sucked into the dark hole, vanishing entirely within it.


    That cruel, bloody, and terrifying war finally came to an end.


    ��Everything has ended.��


    Rhode muttered under his breath, gazing at the devastated land. At a single glance, the entirety of Casabianca had turned into ruins. The land that was a battlefield for demons and devils became a barren field and house wreckages from the surrounding regions could also be seen. Lilian stared blankly at the mountains toward the northwest. The dragon soul palace established above was destroyed by the cannon blasts. Not only that, but the Delusion Rainbow also caused the collapse of half the mountain. Not only did it bury the palace, but half of the city was also submerged. In this situation, even if there were survivors, perhaps they wouldn��t last for long. Looking at this scene, Lilian was speechless. The palace used to be her home, one that she lived in for the longest time. Even though there weren��t many beautiful memories, it contained too much of her past, after all. And now, everything was gone. For some reason, Lilian felt empty at this thought as though she had lost something personal.


    The demons celebrated their victory, howling and swinging their weapons in cheers. Then, they lined up neatly and headed back into the Hell��s Gate. If it were others, perhaps the demons wouldn��t obey the command. Although the main plane of existence wasn��t their main goal, they wouldn��t mind having another slice of the delicious cake. Since they arrived in this world, they wouldn��t mind turning this place into someplace like hell, blazing in flames and surrounded by death and terror. But they were demons, after all, where rules, orders, and class division existed throughout their lives. No matter how attractive and easily-attainable the land before them was, they eventually returned to their rows after sweeping the field for loot and vanishing swiftly into the Hell��s Gate.


    ��Your Highness, everything is as you wished for.��


    Bayer bowed respectfully and said softly to Celestina. The latter lifted her head proudly and nodded.


    ��Alright, I got it. You have done well. Just like I said before, I will represent the Ninth Floor to reconsider your suggestion. You may leave now.��


    ��Yes, Your Highness.��


    Bayer lifted its head after hearing Celestina��s answer, and its eyes glinted delightfully in discretion. In all fairness, Bayer wasn��t having a great time in hell because it overthrew its superior to gain the status of a Demon Lord. This was why most Demon Lords didn��t trust Bayer. Even though it was ridiculous to talk about trust among demons, Bayer��s situation was much worse than that. Although Bayer attempted to join forces with other Demon Lords, no one was willing to work with Bayer due to its terrible ��track records��. What made Bayer more concerned was that there were rumors circulating that in order to ��punish�� Bayer for his acts, some Demon Lords might cause him ��trouble��. Since Bayer overthrew its superior to gain its current status, it wasn��t impossible for Bayer to be overthrown too. In this case, if Bayer were to have a favorable relationship with a high-class demon like Celestina, it would be for the best and it couldn��t ask for more. It was due to this reason that Bayer tried its best to accomplish Celestina��s task. Of course, Bayer would never admit that it was also because Celestina knew its true name.


    After the Hell��s Gate was shut off, the turmoil on the battlefield stopped. It was in complete silence where not even the winds made a single sound. The entire land was as though lifeless and dead without any signs of life. Rhode scanned the wreckage and ruins before him again. Then, he turned to the silent Lilian beside him who continued to stare blankly ahead of her. What impact did the war leave on her? Rhode didn��t know and didn��t care either since he had destroyed cities in the game. Back then, Starlight had also demolished the entirety of Casabianca and this was the start of an era, one where players proved that they were capable of destroying a city.


    And now, this was just repeating the same process to him. But even so, everything had ended. The former Country of Light had become a thing of the past and what was happening next was the continuation of reality. Rhode raised his right arm at this thought.


    The sky began changing its hue. The eternal scarlet sky over the barren land transformed and eroded as the colors of hell vanished gradually. The shimmering radiance of the starry sky once again enveloped the sky, connecting to the distant darkness under Rhode��s guidance. The clouds slowly dissipated, exposing the bright, lustrous moon that illuminated the land from above. At this moment, Rhode laid down his arm, pointed forward, and gave a command.


    ��Alright, time to head back.��


    The large magic warship horned, changed its direction, and sailed forward once again. Everything seemed to have ended. There were no reactions. The ruins of Casabianca lay in the dark, deathly stillness, waiting for the moment of its complete extinction.


    The war in Casabianca shook the entire continent and almost every large-scale force was baffled. Not only were they stunned that the parliament was brazenly attempting to murder a Creator Dragon and even summoned Chaos devils to destroy this world, but they were also bewildered that Rhode and Lilian demolished Casabianca without batting an eyelid. Casabianca was the biggest city in the Light Mainland with hundreds of thousands of civilians. But now, it perished into ashes along with its occupants. What was more shocking was Rhode��s announcement thereafter. He declared that this was retribution for the people of Casabianca for their foolish and greedy ambitions against a Creator Dragon. Time and time again, those people taunted the Creator Dragon and attempted to steal her authority; this was their rightful punishment. Rhode also requested the entire Light Mainland to take caution that anyone who repeated similar actions like the parliament or attempted to steal the Creator Dragons�� authority would be killed on sight with the authority of the law!


    After Rhode made these statements, the Light Mainland broke out in a panic instantly. Perhaps the Munn Kingdom wasn��t affected too much, but the Country of Light was extremely terrified. They would take it with a pinch of salt if it were only Rhode announcing it. But to their dismay, Lilian also supported the declaration which meant that this wasn��t just a threat and Rhode would take actions seriously. Even though angels weren��t the type of beings who would murder humans, Rhode had proven to everyone with his actions that angels weren��t the only ones capable of killing.


    Of course, such overbearing threats naturally raised disapproval and discontentment from certain regions. However, they weren��t brave enough to retaliate after witnessing the wreckage and ruins of Casabianca. All they could do was to curse and criticize in their heads. But it didn��t affect Rhode at all as the drawing of dragon soul power would still be effective as long as the people submitted themselves to the dragon soul heir. Be it respect or fear, it would work as long as they were obedient.


    After returning to the Void Territory, Rhode didn��t rest immediately as he had something he needed to do.


    This was also why Erin was seated in front of him.


    ��I didn��t expect you to defeat the Chaos devils and chase them back to the abyss. Frankly, I��m really surprised, Your Majesty Rhode.�� Laying down the cup of tea in her hand, Erin spoke with a wide smile. Her every movement was as elegant and graceful as usual, as well as mesmerizing like a beautiful dancer. But Rhode maintained his expressionless face, gazing at the young lady.


    ��That��s nothing, Your Highness Erin. As a Creator Dragon, it is natural to eliminate Chaos. This is our duty as Creator Dragons, isn��t it? Perhaps the method used isn��t acceptable, but what��s most important is the results. Every battle needs to be put to an end in the quickest way possible and not involve soft-hearted peace talks and discussions as it will only be wasting each other��s time and energy�� I have no interest in wasting my resources with the devils, which was why I chose the most direct and convenient way, that��s all.��


    Rhode spread his arms apart, his pitch-black eyes gazing at the moon princess.


    ��And the same goes for now, Your Highness Erin. I need your help for something important.��


    ���� I��m not a civilian of the Void Territory, Your Majesty Rhode. Besides, with my identity�� my apologies, I may not be of any help to you.��


    Erin felt a little uncertain after hearing Rhode��s words. But she maintained her gentle smile and spoke. Rhode wasn��t mindful of her answer. Instead, he also revealed a smile.


    ��No, Your Highness Erin, I understand your standpoint. But this matter�� can only be accomplished by you.��


    Rhode narrowed his eyes.


    ��I hope you can pass a message to His Majesty Ion on my behalf�� Do you get what I mean, Your Highness Erin?��


    At this moment, Erin finally understood what Rhode wished to express.

 Chapter 1043 - A Secret Confrontation

    I��m finally back to this place��


    Erin lifted her head and gazed at the tall, magnificent palace. The boundless, deep dark sky outside the window and three round, scarlet moons continued to shine upon the land. The scarlet moonlight spilled through the windows and reflected a gentle radiance off the pitch-black marble floor. The surrounding stone columns were beautifully engraved and decorated, yet couldn��t conceal the dispassionate, spiritual aura of death from the undead.


    Erin let out a subtle sigh, stomping her foot on the ground. Even though the Dark Dragon was the king of darkness, darkness didn��t represent death as there were also forms of life. This was one of the reasons why Erin disliked coming home alone. Even though her big brother was the ruler of the undead nation, it didn��t mean that she, as his younger sister, could get along well with the undead creatures. No matter what, she was a living being and there was nothing worthy to make her feel happy in facing the ice-cold undead creatures that were wandering around her all day.


    Even though her days in the Void Territory weren��t particularly memorable, they still lingered in her memory as the territory was like an entirely different world. Although the Void Territory was similar to the Country of Darkness where the pitch-black night had seemingly enveloped the sky, the sun was still able to provide warmth and light to the land over there as though it was filled with the joyful colors of life like a sweet, beautiful, and vibrant dream. Admiring the stunning scenery all day was enough to make Erin indulge in her thoughts.


    Erin knew what her big brother was trying to do, but she wasn��t offended by being a political chip either. Since she was born into the royal family, she had to make some sacrifices. It wasn��t reasonable for her to take all the benefits and let her gain the freedom to do anything with a great amount of wealth. Besides, she also wasn��t totally disinterested in Rhode as when she first fought this young man in the Munn Kingdom, her curiosity piqued. Furthermore, she was by his side when he requested to head to the land of Chaos and open up the territory. It was impossible for her to not be interested in a smart, powerful, and mysterious man like Rhode. Moreover, Rhode had a beautiful appearance, which was quite in line with Erin��s aesthetic views. Yes, that��s right. Beautiful.


    Fortunately, Erin didn��t mention that word before him. If not, their relationship would have fallen through.


    But now, as Erin stood in the dark palace once again, she felt rather concerned. She wasn��t naive or slow-witted. If it weren��t for the fact that she, as the younger sister of the Dark Dragon, couldn��t engage in government affairs, perhaps she would be one of the four legendary generals now. She knew clearly how delicate the current situation was. After the war in Casabianca ended, her big brother temporarily stopped invading the Country of Light. But she was also aware that this wasn��t the end. She knew clearer than anyone her big brother��s ambitions. He attempted to accomplish something that no one had ever done: take over the entire continent. Of course, she knew that rather than referring to it as an ��ideal��, it was more appropriate to treat it as a ��dream�� to her big brother. But now, he was indeed heading toward that direction and almost no one could stop him in his tracks.


    Yes. That, after all, was�� no one.


    Without the need of further thoughts, Erin knew that Rhode definitely wouldn��t sit idly by as Ion continued to expand his forces and territories. Perhaps others might think that Rhode and Lilian were purely in a favorable relationship, but Erin keenly realized that Lilian wasn��t opinionated at all and always followed Rhode blindly. Although Erin didn��t know what ��controlling the political situation using the Emperor�� meant, she roughly understood the meaning of the expression. And now, Rhode did something similar.


    On the surface, Lilian continued to show her independent side and Rhode also had no intention of taking over her territories. But after closer observations, it was apparent from their relationship that if this continued, the Country of Light and Void Territory would form a closer relationship than an alliance. Moreover, Lydia was around despite the unknown situation of the other two archangels. As long as Lydia was there, the Munn Kingdom and even the Country of Light wouldn��t possibly collapse so quickly. Unlike Rhode, the relationship between Erin and Lydia lasted for a long time. Of course, Erin was aware of Lydia��s wisdom and capabilities. Besides, in the Void Territory, there were also many talented people. Once both sides combined, perhaps not even her big brother could easily attain victory over them.


    Based on her understanding of her big brother, perhaps he had also noticed this crucial point. Maybe he held some doubts earlier on, but after the war in Casabianca, he most likely wouldn��t continue to deny the possibilities. Erin was bewildered when she heard the rumors of Rhode using three magic warships to demolish Casabianca, not to mention what Ion felt.


    But��


    Erin revealed a forced smile at this thought. Perhaps my trip here�� isn��t good news for Big Brother.


    While she pondered, the air around her suddenly turned cold. Then, a specter drifted in front of her, bowing deeply to the moon princess.


    ��Please come with me, Your Princess Highness. His Majesty is awaiting your arrival.��


    ��Okay.��


    Erin nodded to the specter servant and followed it toward the end of the dark corridor. After a few moments under the specter��s lead, Erin arrived at a tall, pitch-black metal door. As she arrived, the door opened gradually. Erin nodded to the specter servant with a smile, before lifting her head and entering the room.


    ��Erin?��


    A deep, imposing voice sounded. Erin looked up and saw Ion��s muscular and majestic figure. He stood by the window, gazing at the entire territory of darkness. The moon had dimmed, while dense layers of clouds concealed the sky. Rain fell from above, pitter-pattering on the window glasses. Ion blended into the darkness of the room. Although he merely stood there, Erin felt as though she was being seen through inside-out. But Erin was used to this manner of him, which was why she wasn��t mindful of his imposing presence. Upon hearing his doubt, Erin smiled and answered.


    ��Yes, Big Brother.��


    ��Didn��t you receive my order and headed to the Void Territory? Why are you back?��


    ��Well, this was what happened.��


    Erin didn��t mind the self-centered tone in Ion��s voice. Instead, she reached into her pocket for an envelope.


    ��I��m representing His Majesty Rhode of the Void Territory to hand this envelope to you, Big Brother.��


    ������


    Ion didn��t respond to her. His right hand moved a little and along with his movement, the envelope suddenly left the princess��s hand, drifting forward as though with self-awareness, and landed in his hand gently. Then, the envelope opened on its own and a white, spotless letter slipped out and unfolded in his hand.


    Erin stood quietly on the spot, but couldn��t help size up her big brother in uncertainty. Of course, she knew what Rhode wrote in the letter and what worried her was whether Ion would accept Rhode��s request to stop attacking and even withdraw his troops. It seemed almost impossible to Erin. Even though Rhode was also a Creator Dragon, why would Ion attack the Country of Light if he regarded the Creator Dragons highly?


    ��Hmph!��


    Ion finished reading the letter quickly and let out a grunt. Then, the letter in his hand burned up in a ball of green flames and turned into ashes. Upon hearing his grunt, Erin knitted her brows. Based on her understanding of him, perhaps this situation was far from easy.


    ��Got it. You can step down now, Erin.��


    ��Big Brother?��


    Erin puckered her brows, but eventually asked with a smile.


    ��Please pardon my rudeness, but please leave it to me if you have a response, Big Brother.��


    ������


    Upon hearing her answer, Ion turned around slightly and shot a grim look at the young lady.


    ��You should be aware of your identity, Erin.��


    ��Yes, Big Brother, but it is different now, alright?��


    Erin chuckled, crossing her arms and spoke.


    ��Just like you said, I shouldn��t intervene with these matters. But it��s a pity that�� His Majesty Rhode has specially appointed me as the liaison representative between the Void Territory and Country of Darkness. He has given me full authority to take charge of diplomatic matters between both countries�� Do you understand what I mean, Big Brother?��


    Ion��s expression turned grim after hearing Erin��s words. He didn��t expect the young Creator Dragon to resort to this; putting a foreigner responsible for the diplomatic relations between the two countries, which was simply unheard. But it seemed like the Void Dragon had presented him a huge problem. What Rhode did was place Erin between him and Ion and also intervene with political affairs of the Country of Darkness. To Ion, this was considered a grievance that he had to keep to himself. If Erin were to have any positions in the Country of Darkness, Rhode definitely couldn��t do this. But it was precisely due to the fact that she didn��t have any position in the country, it made her the most suitable person for this job.


    Ion was clearer than anyone of Erin��s talents. But it was also due to this that he strictly forbade Erin from joining politics. The situations in the Country of Darkness were complex with the various powerful factions. If she were involved, perhaps one might use her strength against Ion, which would be a terrible thing for the stability of the Country of Darkness. Besides, Erin was also aware of this, which was why she never attempted to interfere in politics. And now, Ion didn��t expect her to be caught in the hands of the Void Dragon��


    At this thought, Ion��s expression turned grim as he finally understood Rhode��s motive in sending Erin back.

 Chapter 1044 - Nothing Trivial After the War

    Rhode temporarily put aside the matter regarding Ion and giving Erin an official job title was simply his first chess move against Ion. Since Ion decided to plant Erin over at Rhode��s side to hold him back, Rhode couldn��t be blamed for using Erin to intervene with the political affairs of the Country of Darkness. Rhode was incredibly clear of Ion��s intentions, which was why he made this move. He also decided that if Ion continued playing his game, he would proceed to send Angelina over during this period of time, support her in defeating the Vampire Countess, Ashvril, of the four legendary generals, and get Angelina to take over the vampire forces.


    Since you want to find trouble with me, don��t blame me for returning the favor, Your Majesty Ion.


    During this period of time, the Void Territory was incredibly crowded as emissaries and representatives from all over the continent entered Grandia. Most of them were from the Country of Light��s neighboring territories. After witnessing the plight of Casabianca, the territories under the Light Dragon��s soul protection were terrified. The natural disasters caused by the crumbling of the dragon soul protection left them breathless. After hearing the declaration from Rhode and Lilian, they quickly sent out representatives to express devotion to Lilian. They shed tears while complaining about the parliament��s atrocities in the past, describing how terrible their lives were when the parliament was in power, how inhumane the parliament��s violence was, and also how satisfied they were after the parliament perished. As toward Lilian, they expressed how much they respected her from the bottom of their hearts�� Since there were no two ways about it, they might as well think of ways to express goodwill toward her. Any perspicacious person could see that the Light Dragon was unwilling to remain lonely. From the lessons learned from Casabianca, who wouldn��t treat her words seriously now?


    Lilian wasn��t in the mood to be bothered by those people. Ever since she witnessed the demolition of Casabianca, she had been preoccupied with her thoughts. This was why she left the cumbersome diplomatic affairs to Sonia instead. Fortunately, Sonia became Rhode��s card spirit and didn��t need to consume food. Moreover, with her ��hinting�� ability as the Illusory Elf, she saved a lot of time and effort in interactions. But even so, there was still a long way to go in restoring the Country of Light.


    After all, the entire higher system of the Country of Light almost entirely crumbled after the war. There was also no news about Boulder and Serene after their battle. Rhode reckoned that Boulder had sneaked back to the abyss through the Chaos Gate after he found out that the situation was far from good. On the other hand, Serene almost succumbed to her injuries. If it weren��t for Rhode who reminded Alice to pull Serene back from the battle the instant she decided to exert her utmost strength, perhaps her tombstone would have been set up by now. But even so, she was still gravely hurt and resting in the Golden City for now. For the time being, she couldn��t offer any useful help.


    Rhode also heard from her about the reason why Serene and Boulder left Lilian��s side. A while before the incident happened, Serene received intelligence that someone in the Country of Light was secretly summoning devils. As an archangel, she knew how dangerous devils were. In order to avoid turmoil, she personally led the battle angels in investigating the matter. For the sake of safety, she made Boulder stay behind in Casabianca to protect Lilian. Serene initially thought that the small-scale ritual would summon only a few devils, but she didn��t anticipate it to be a trap meant to capture her. Thereafter, not only did the space get imprisoned and disrupt the strength of Order in the entire region, but she also faced the projection of a powerful, higher devil. She had never expected a human from the main plane of existence to go this far and was caught off guard. Even though she was one of the archangels, she was the one who relied on Order the most. Unlike Lydia and Boulder, the Order that Serene needed was like an intimate existence to her. Therefore, after Order was disrupted, she suffered from strong restrictions in power. On the other hand, the higher devil was tough to deal with and she had to go all out to defeat it, which resulted in her serious injuries. If she didn��t realize the strange happenings of the dragon soul protection and crises in Casabianca, perhaps she wouldn��t have returned in time.


    As for why Boulder left Lilian��s side�� there was no need to consider this question anymore. It was apparent that Boulder had a certain agreement with Chaos and this was enough to clear all doubts.


    Not only that, but Casabianca��s destruction also caused the collapse of the five largest financial groups. Although their forces were spread all over the Country of Light, their most important cores were located in Casabianca. They were completely powerless against the disasters knocking on their doors. Even if they colluded with either demons or devils, they would be useless in the bloody battlefield. Before they brought out any substantial resources, they were entirely doomed under Rhode��s cannon blasts and the demons�� attack. Meanwhile, the five largest financial groups�� branches in other regions were in chaos due to the lack of leadership. It was extremely difficult to regain control of the Country of Light from the top down.


    Apart from that, many people had shifted their attention to Rhode. But unlike the emissaries who sought forgiveness from Lilian, those people were more attentive to Rhode��s magic warships.


    Magic warships were first produced by the Munn Kingdom, and its first prototype was built using the techniques from the Wisdom Deity Warden inherited by the Senia Family. However, due to the long years apart, most of the techniques were lost and this was why the initial magic warships required the energy of the winds in order to sail in the air. As a result, ��air transport�� wasn��t advanced. As winds constantly blew in the entire Munn Kingdom, floating boats could only be used within the Munn Kingdom. On the other hand, winds in the Country of Light were limited, which was why even though other territories were green with envy of the Munn Kingdom, winds were a natural phenomenon and they could only admire the natural scenery like mountains and rivers instead.


    On the contrary, Rhode��s magic warships were entirely different and almost everyone knew about it. His magic warships invaded Casabianca��s core through the back before blasting their cannons. This was why Casabianca couldn��t react in time. After all, there were no constant winds, so no one expected the magic warships to enter from the back, which was why Rhode faced no obstacles on his way in. If he entered through the course of wind, he would more or less face some resistance.


    This was the reason that left the entire continent trembling in fear. In terms of the strength of a country��s ��air force��, the Country of Darkness��s gargoyles, bone griffins, and wyverns were naturally dominant. However, they basically relied on quantity to win and had limited strength overall. On the contrary, the three magic warships from Rhode were enough to destroy Casabianca. The strength was appalling and if he were to build a dozen or a hundred more magic warships and went wherever he wanted, nothing could stop him. He would be completely invincible!


    It was due to this mentality that many forces sent representatives to find out more about the secrets in building the magic warships or negotiate with Rhode about purchasing them. It didn��t matter to them if the magic warships weren��t as powerful as the ones used to destroy Casabianca. After all, these warships could get to any destination freely and even if they weren��t equipped with attack mechanisms, they were still useful for transporting soldiers and goods. Moreover, some people had already noticed the possible change in trend toward the future of the continent with the emergence of these magic warships.


    But for now, Rhode was helpless toward the requests as its building process was far more complicated than the floating boat��s. For instance, the hull and structure made from thick, heavy steel, and the energy crystals used to transmit magic powers required a lot of refinement and purification. Not only that, but they also needed a series of industrial upgrades for the minerals, processing, and steel. The logic was the same as how a country without a highly sophisticated production system couldn��t build spaceships. Rhode��s territory was only getting started and the enhanced materials used to build the magic warships were all forcefully refined by Karin.


    If it weren��t for the sake of destroying the parliament and shocking the Country of Darkness as quickly as possible, he wouldn��t have agreed to let Karin leave his territory in holes like craters on the moon��s surface. And since he couldn��t build any magic warships for the time being, he wasn��t in a hurry to get into some huge ��resources-consuming�� projects. Therefore, he turned a blind eye to the requests and left them to Marlene. As for Lydia, Rhode revealed the bottom line and got her to upgrade the industries in his territory as soon as possible. After all, the Munn Kingdom was different from a backward territory like the Void Territory, where all industries were already formed. With the design blueprints and energy structure, it wasn��t tough to process and modify the materials. Besides, considering the fact that Rhode might need the Munn Kingdom��s help in their battle against the Country of Darkness in the future, he didn��t keep this a secret. On the other hand, Lydia apparently understood the stakes behind it and agreed without hesitation.


    Just like this, the continent entered a period of peaceful and busy days. But no one knew if the endless, eternal night on the other side would stop entirely.

 Chapter 1045 - Rest Day

    Ion didn��t respond to Rhode quickly or launch another attack. Through Alice, Rhode more or less understood the reason why Ion didn��t attack again. Apart from Rhode, Nalea and Siena also posed quite a huge threat to Ion. The fact that Rhode summoned so many demons to the main plane and started a bloodbath was specifically for show. With the twin sister��s wisdom, it was impossible for them to not realize who Rhode was going against. If they didn��t take action, perhaps Rhode and Ion would lead the continent to turmoil. War had nothing to do with justice and evil and its process was to kill and be killed, destroy and be destroyed, and wreck and be wrecked. Casabianca was only an extreme example but even so, it exemplified the nature of war.


    Rhode could finally heave a sigh of relief, at least for now, as this might possibly be a short-lived period of peace.


    ��Clean here, and clean there. We must make this place sparkle like a shiny gem. Our beautiful master is picky and we will be in trouble if Master isn��t happy. Our beautiful master is scary and will simply kill, kill, kill����


    ������


    Rhode gazed grimly at the singing fairies who were cleaning the porcelains along the corridor. Meanwhile, the fairies who were seeking death totally didn��t realize how close they were to tasting death as they flapped their wings and worked hard to wipe the place. Their melodious singing sounded like sounds of nature to most people, but beware, that was under the premise that they weren��t aware of the fairies�� language. On the contrary, once one understood their language like Rhode did, one would sense a deep, natural feeling of maliciousness.


    After staring at the fairies for a few moments, Rhode shifted his gaze away and considered if he should get his younger sister to shut down the auto-translation feature specifically targeting the fairies�� language. It was impossible to ask the fairies to change their ways because this was simply their way of speaking. If Rhode were to ask them to shut up, they would simply turn into mutes. Of course, on the good side, these fairies were innocent and straightforward. But on the bad side, these little fellas were entirely black on the inside and just a bunch of inconsiderate beings�� Fortunately, most people didn��t understand their language. If not, perhaps Marlene and Lize would have lashed out at them already. Rhode couldn��t imagine their reactions once they heard the songs of the ��busty silver-haired cow�� and ��golden washboard��. Perhaps from a certain aspect, it would be worse than the end of the world.


    Rhode shook his head at this thought and tossed the ridiculous thoughts to the back of his head. He strolled toward the window and gazed at the beautiful city before him. Hovering in the air was Grandia, as mesmerizing as usual. The sun shone dazzlingly from above the pitch-black sky on the enormous city as though it was floating in the sea of white clouds and amplified its fresh, exotic beauty. Rhode stepped out of the palace and went on the green, lush lawn that was cleaned and trimmed. The fairies might be talkative, but they were rather serious in their work.


    It was just that their mouths were simply unbearable��


    ���� Rhode����


    At this moment, Rhode heard Christie��s voice and turned around to see the petite, little girl smiling and scuttling toward him with arms spread wide apart. Bell followed behind her closely as usual, but unlike in the past, she wore a plain, black dress today. Even though Rhode didn��t assign Bell any additional work, her duty was basically to accompany Christie. On the other hand, Christie was also glad to have a companion of the same age by her side. After all, others were occupied with work and even Anne who ate and slept all day would follow Rhode whenever he had to leave. This was why Christie spent most of her time alone with Bell by her side��so she wouldn��t be that lonely, at the very least.


    ��Christie����


    Gazing at the petite girl, Rhode smiled and extended his arm for her to dive into his embrace. He stroked her silky, long hair and nodded to Bell. Then, he shifted his gaze to Christie and let out a soft sigh.


    Of course, it went without saying that Rhode adored Christie. But now that he looked at her, he felt complicated emotions. Previously, he treated her as his other younger sister and didn��t expect her to be his daughter at all�� He felt strange whenever this thought came to mind. He also thought of discussing this topic with someone�� but for some reason, he found it hard to talk about it. He felt like he was in some sort of a melodramatic TV series, where two lovers were forced to leave each other due to various reasons. After 10 years, the protagonist became a popular artist, started a blissful family, and eventually met his past lover and her daughter�� Of course, Rhode couldn��t be considered as having a perfect, blissful family. But the thought of having a teenage daughter after graduating from university at over 20 years old gave him a lot of pressure.


    He was also afraid to discuss this matter with the other ��Christie�� because both Christies lived in a single person. If Rhode were to tell the other ��Christie�� about it, this Christie would learn the truth too. Rhode was terrified to even think of Christie��s reaction once she heard the truth.


    It was only now that Rhode understood why the melodramatic TV series were always slow-going, where a situation that could be explained clearly in three sentences had to be dragged out to more than a dozen episodes. This naturally made the audience anxious about the story, but it was an entirely different matter for the protagonist.


    I shall tell her the truth after I find a way to treat her body��s conditions.


    In the end, Rhode made this decision. As for how to treat her body conditions, Rhode had discussed with his younger sister. According to his younger sister, she used her power in her original body to teleport the ��combined soul�� that she and Rhode fused through the spatial barrier to Christie. If it weren��t for the fact that Christie was a being created from his younger sister��s original body and was linked to her soul to a certain degree, perhaps it would have been impossible. Back then, Christie only received a spiritual form and had no physical body. This was why she had to choose a female body to be pregnant with something like a test tube baby. The young lady on the High Cliff Village was perhaps chosen by Christie because of this reason.


    But the young lady was an ordinary human, after all, while Christie��s soul was the soul of a Creator Dragon. This logic was similar to how ordinary humans couldn��t inherit the dragon soul power and only the ones with unique abilities (like Lilian) could inherit the dragon soul power. Christie��s body couldn��t withstand the overwhelming dragon soul power, which was why she became so weak�� because an ordinary human body couldn��t contain the strength of a Creator Dragon.


    The conclusion Rhode and his younger sister reached was that after Christie strengthened herself, his younger sister would use her power to modify and reshape Christie��s constitution entirely and make her body suitable to contain the dragon soul power. Once the dragon soul power set perfectly in the body, the weak body conditions troubling Christie would be gone.


    But now, Christie still wasn��t able to use her power freely, which was why Rhode could only wait.


    ��How do you feel? Is everything fine with your health?��


    ���� Yes����


    Christie lifted her head and nodded with a delightful smile.


    ���� Everything is good�� just that Big Sister Anne is always sleeping�� and rarely plays with me anymore����


    ��Ugh����


    After hearing Christie��s complaint, Rhode secretly wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead. Of course, he knew what situation Anne was in. Come to think about it, it is about that time of the year�� Winter is almost here��


    Rhode instinctively felt his waist hurting at this thought. But since he had awakened the physique of a Creator Dragon, a similar situation shouldn��t happen twice.


    ��It��s okay, she will be more active after some time.��


    Of course, Rhode wouldn��t tell Christie the truth. He gently patted her head and consoled her instead. Christie also didn��t seem to doubt him at all. She smiled, narrowing her eyes and nodded slightly. Rhode gazed at her adorable grin and smiled back at her when suddenly, he realized that something was amiss. Bell who stood at the side was staring at him blankly. Or more specifically, she was gazing at his right hand that was stroking through Christie��s hair and her eyes were filled with melancholy that Rhode never saw before.


    ��Bell?��


    Rhode turned to her curiously.


    ������


    Upon hearing his calling, Bell lifted her head, her motionless eyes glinting in some panic and complications. She gaped, but eventually shook her head, saying nothing. Rhode observed her expression and pondered in silence. Then, he extended his left hand and petted Bell��s head.


    ����!��


    As soon as Bell sensed his touch, she opened her eyes wide and stared at him in disbelief. She shifted her gaze to Christie, before back to Rhode. Then, she took two steps back, turned around, and left all of a sudden. Rhode and Christie were baffled to see her behaving this way. They watched as Bell walked away from them, before exchanging curious gazes with each other. It wasn��t surprising that they were so astonished because Bell was usually an emotionless person. She never spoke, only quietly followed Christie and Rhode, and would do anything they told her. But something was obviously off with her reaction just now��


    What exactly happened?

 Chapter 1046 - Restless Turmoil

    ��Did something happen to Bell recently?��


    Rhode gazed at Bell as she walked away and twitched his brows curiously. Then, he turned to Christie and asked. Christie pondered for a while, before explaining.


    ���� Recently�� there are�� more people����


    ��More people? Is that a problem for her?��


    Of course, Rhode was aware that as the number of immigrants increased, the population in Grandia had also become denser. But this wasn��t surprising at all. Even though Rhode had no intention of turning Grandia into an uninhabited, ghost town, he also didn��t want it to become a bustling city. He was satisfied as long as Grandia was effective as the political hub for the Void Territory. As for the military aspect, he had other areas to manage them. But even so, Grandia was considered a tranquil and peaceful city. However, he just couldn��t figure out what that had to do with Bell��s odd behavior. Could it be that she was a geek who wasn��t used to crowded places? But she didn��t seem like one before.


    ���� Many people brought their children����


    Although Christie��s voice was soft and almost inaudible, Rhode heard her effortlessly. Her words astonished him but shortly after, he understood the meaning behind her words. Perhaps because Bell always acted like an honest and reliable person, Rhode subconsciously forgot that she was only a child like Christie and Mini Bubble Gum. Besides, she was also all alone after the refuge she used to live in was destroyed and her family connections were cut off entirely. Right now, she didn��t have any kin and it could also be said that she was all alone in this world.


    It was apparent that Christie sympathized with her. After all, her situation wasn��t any better than Bell��s and might be considered worse. In the refuge, Bell was loved and cared for by the elder, but Christie was rejected and attacked since she was born. If it weren��t for Rhode��s group who rescued her, perhaps she wouldn��t have lived until this day. Thereafter, Christie also encountered similar experiences as Bell. It didn��t matter if they possessed any power or not. as they were still children who yearned for loved ones who they could count on, after all. Maybe nothing was more important than this to them, not even for a wealthy child like Mini Bubble Gum who enjoyed splurging. Even though in the game, Rhode had also listened to Mini Bubble Gum��s complaints about her family, especially her father; he knew that sometimes all she asked for was an ordinary life, instead of having no one to speak to at home, eating expensive takeout by herself at a lonely table, and scrolling through her phone in boredom. This was also why Mini Bubble Gum was more than willing to splurge after joining Starlight. Because in Starlight, she was able to receive something that she desired and couldn��t receive in real life.


    Of course, Rhode realized that Mini Bubble Gum had some feelings for him since a long time ago, especially after the ��surprising interaction�� they had before. Thereafter, even though Mini Bubble Gum used all sorts of excuses to form gatherings to get Rhode to show up, Rhode didn��t participate. In fact, not many people in the guild were aware of his true identity, which was why Mini Bubble Gum had a hard time finding him. Besides, although Rhode and Canary were intimate back then, Rhode had never considered hitting on Mini Bubble Gum. He politely declined the opportunity to be caught by the police and thrown into jail for messing with an underage girl. Besides, he was also aware of the reason why Mini Bubble Gum pestered him. It was due to her mentality of ��since no one cared about me at home, I might as well form a family myself��. If he were fooled by her, perhaps this little rascal would force him into marriage immediately after everything that was done�� Judging from this point, Canary and her were entirely different types of girls.


    Abandoned children or children in single-parent families were as though ineradicable diseases in society�� Rhode didn��t expect to face the same problem after transmigrating to another world as it seemed like the contradictions in society were indeed similar. But now, Christie had blended into a new environment, while Bell was still wandering out there, unable to accept the truth. Rhode suspected that perhaps she was affected from deep down in her heart when she witnessed loving families with children.


    But Rhode didn��t have any great solution. After all, Bell hadn��t joined them for too long and was a careful, reserved child. Unless she was willing to express her thoughts, he wouldn��t force her to do it.


    ��Got it, Christie. I will leave her to you. She only has you as a friend here now.��


    In the end, Rhode let out a helpless sigh. Some things would be hard to determine without taking the first step. He felt powerless and could only imperceptibly change her thoughts. And now, only Christie could be by her side.


    ���� Yes�� I got it�� Rhode����


    Christie nodded to Rhode��s words obediently as she understood what he meant. After receiving her confirmation, Rhode smiled and patted her head; he trusted Christie a lot. Perhaps others might think that she was just a child, but Rhode was aware that she was a person who was committed to promises. After she promised others to do something for them, she always gave it her best. And this time, she wouldn��t disappoint him too.


    The change in Bell��s attitude was just an interlude. After leaving her to Christie��s care, Rhode shifted his gaze to the other direction. As a Creator Dragon, there were many things in the Void Territory that needed him to handle. Besides, they were much more important than Bell. Among the matters, the most troublesome problem was the unrest that was happening.


    Some people would suffer together, but never share weal and woe; this was the situation in Rhode��s territory right now. With the easing of the situation, the Void Territory was starting to prosper and some problems that didn��t exist in the past gradually surfaced. And they gave him huge headaches.


    ��You said Dwight let the Grians in?��


    Rhode��s expression turned grim after hearing Gillian��s report. The latter observed his expression and nodded.


    ��Yes, Master. But Randolf and Sol tried to stop them because we��ve decided to stop the Grians from entering our territory.��


    ��Yes, I was the one who made that decision.��


    Rhode nodded to Gillian��s report. It was his decision to stop the Grians from entering the country. Besides, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary also agreed wholeheartedly. The Grians were a nomadic community who rarely stayed in an area for too long. The reason was simple; no one welcomed them. The Grians pretended to be extremely pitiful people, requesting for permission to stay in the territory as a group. Then, after the gracious permission was granted, they would settle down and never followed local rules and laws. Moreover, they stubbornly insisted in following their own customs and this wasn��t all. They also forced the locals to obey their customs and punished anyone who refused. This enraged many territories. The Grians were driven away countless times but never changed their ways. As players, Rhode, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum also had personal encounters with them. The trio didn��t care if the Grians followed their customs, but it was an entirely different matter once they started harassing others. Therefore, ever since the Void Territory started accepting refugees, Rhode commanded sternly to never allow entry to the Grians. If anyone were to smuggle them into the country, they would be killed if they resisted.


    Marlene more or less understood the purpose behind Rhode��s order. On the other hand, even though others didn��t understand it, they continued to execute since it was approved by Rhode, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum, and Marlene didn��t oppose it.


    But Rhode didn��t expect someone to be bold enough to disobey his order.


    ��What��s the exact situation?��


    Rhode didn��t make a decision immediately. In the game, guilds had all sorts of conflicts, especially as they developed. That was why the veterans and newbies were always clashing with each other. Some members believed that they were with the guild since it was established and they deserved some credit for the hard work they put in. Also, the guild shouldn��t give them up whenever it pleased them as it would be too cruel. On the contrary, some members believed that the so-called ��duties�� should only be handled by the capable ones. I am ranked higher than you, have more damage output and control in my moves than you, so why should you be the one to lead and not me? Besides, you only come online twice a week; you can��t possibly expect everyone to wait for you to show up before we raid a dungeon together, right? Who do you think you are?


    This was a problem that many large guilds faced. A small mishandling could easily lead to more problems. If the guild leader leaned toward the veterans too much, the newbies would feel discouraged and unfair. On the other hand, if the guild leader supported the newbies more, the veterans would be dissatisfied, thinking that they had worked hard and performed a valuable service, so why must they bow down to the newbies? The newbies might have a sufficient skill level, but were they as passionate as the veterans in loving the guild? Could they guarantee that they would be loyal to the guild? Wouldn��t everything be wasted effort if they were headhunted by other guilds?


    The Internet was a virtual world and it was due to this reason that people often lacked restraint in reality. In the real world, rarely were there people who were bold enough to smack the table and glare at their boss furiously. But in the world of the Internet, three sentences of conflict could leave one blacklisted. I have nothing to lose; who do you think you are?


    This was also why several player guilds failed to prosper. One of the reasons was that everything happened in the virtual world. If all netizens met on the Internet, there was no basis for trust. But if close friends in reality formed a guild together, they would naturally lean toward the veterans and find it harder to attain new blood, eventually crumbling under the pressure of the other large guilds.


    On the other hand, most of the large, developed guilds had some ��beneficial ties�� in reality. For instance, the union of work studios or organizations that get paid dividends by working part-time. Starlight was no exception. The reason why the guild was able to climb to the number one spot was that apart from highly-skilled players, there was Mini Bubble Gum��s financial assistance. Besides, Starlight had also repeatedly received awards from winning official competitions of the game. Through that, they became a ��semi-official organization�� that was wealthy, famous, and powerful. Gathering all these factors, they were able to expand and grow in strength to become the number one guild.


    After transmigrating to this world, Rhode instinctively carried out the same methods of managing Internet guilds. But he later on discovered that reality and the Internet were largely different. Besides, even though natives of this world also schemed against each other, the lower-class people were basically more loyal and pure and wouldn��t object unless the government drove them to revolt. Therefore, Starlight went as far as to build the entire authority structure. Rhode combined his thoughts with opinions from natives like Marlene and others to accomplish it and the results were wonderful. Perhaps due to the constant crises that gelled Starlight��s members together and a high amount of earnings, the atmosphere and morale of Starlight were high and peaceful.


    But now, it seemed like what would come had arrived.


    Of course, Rhode believed that Dwight was aware of the regulations because Rhode had a habit of explaining the reasons behind his actions whenever he announced new regulations, unless it was a secret conspiracy. If not, he would basically be honest with everyone. He didn��t force them to accept his ways, but only hoped that they could understand what he meant and that was sufficient. The Grians were a group of cancer and troublemakers to the continent. Once they occupied the territory in the west of the Country of Light, they flaunted their power. As the Country of Light tried to lay hands on them, they either started riots or resisted the ��racial discrimination�� of the Country of Light, leaving the parliament battered. Even though the parliament tried to drive them out, their actions were ��politically incorrect�� and could only stare helplessly at the cancer cells as they turned into benign tumors, malignant tumors, and eventually toppled the entire territory.


    ��Dwight thinks that Sol��s method was too violent. Besides, he also thinks that the Void Territory should accept these refugees who were fleeing from war. And���� Gillian said, revealing a prideful smile. Just like Rhode, as soon as this sly fox displayed a complacent smile, most likely there were no good news. ���� many people supported him, with most of them being ordinary members. It seems like Mr. Dwight is really popular among the people.��


    ��Hmph����


    Rhode scoffed. Even though Gillian implied her words, Rhode understood what she meant exactly. Previously, the biggest flaw of Starlight was that it started off as a mercenary group and most mercenaries were uneducated brutes with basically no cultural knowledge. Rhode still recalled back then, apart from Marlene and a few others, the entire mercenary group had a hard time doing basic mathematical calculations. Therefore, as the mercenary group developed, Rhode required much more ��smart people��. On the other hand, the mercenaries who were only experts in killing could only be promoted to intermediate positions like captains of the guard or trainers for new mercenaries. On the contrary, some of the talents were young and had more experience than the mercenaries. For instance, Marlene��s assistant, Ann, was a wealthy young lady who eventually became the financial officer for the entire Void Territory. She was younger than Marlene by one year and as a civil officer, she never joined the front lines or was involved with any killing. As for Sol and Sovann, due to their experience in leading their respective groups, they were barely able to take on intermediate positions. But that was the furthest they could climb as what Rhode needed was talents who could represent the country for international communication. And these duties were too tough to ask of the mercenaries. This was why it was almost a matter of course for newcomers to take up these roles. Of course, not everyone was pleasing to the eyes.


    And now, the newcomers were apparently using this as a pretext to express their dissatisfaction.


    But what annoyed Rhode wasn��t their opinion. After all, it was human nature to have such thoughts. Even in Rhode��s world, school bullies looked down upon top students and thought that they always behaved like obedient children to gain the likes of teachers. What else could they do apart from studying? This thought was the same since ancient times and no matter in which world. But what left Rhode discontented was that the newcomers used a totally unsuitable bargaining chip to express their opinions. The Grians were like a pile of dog feces, where one couldn��t fling them off the sole after stepping on them. Rhode would have a hard time eradicating the Grians if they seized this opportunity to settle down in the Void Territory.


    ��What should we do, Master? Do we need to chase them away?��


    ���� There��s no hurry.��


    Upon hearing Gillian��s answer, Rhode shook his head with a grim look. He wanted to prevent anyone making a fuss over this situation. If Ion knew about it, things would get troublesome. Currently, both sides were in conflict and if Rhode overreacted to this situation in his territory, Ion might bite back. Once that happened, the initiative would no longer be in Rhode��s hand.


    Rhode made a decision at this thought.


    ��Let��s observe the situation first.��

 Chapter 1047 - Movement & Stillness

    If it were in the past, Rhode would have cut the Gordian knot. But he couldn��t do that now as the timing wasn��t right. He had just threatened the Dark Dragon and it was time for him to see the results. If he were to turn around and clean up the mess in his backyard, it would undoubtedly tantamount to the falling of his power. Rhode finally found an excuse to send Erin back and told her to not return before receiving an answer from the Country of Darkness. And now, if the Country of Darkness were to detect any problems happening in Rhode��s backyard, the situation would be much harder to handle. This was as though a quarrel between two people. No matter the situation, both sides had to put up a facade. Even if it was only to bluff, one must do it perfectly and not with a half-assed attempt. Therefore, even though Rhode felt annoyed, he had to keep his cool and act nonchalant. As long as the Dark Dragon couldn��t figure out the problem, there wouldn��t be any issue even if the situation was extremely terrible. There had been no news from Erin ever since she returned to the Country of Darkness. Rhode was aware that this was a battle of patience. The side that got into a problem first would be the one to take a step back first.


    And before that, Rhode heard from Gillian about the ins and outs of the situation.


    The group of Grians were indeed a group of illegal immigrants. However, they didn��t enter through the intersection of the Country of Light and Country of Darkness. Instead, they first arrived at the Munn Kingdom before sneaking into the Void Territory from the border. As Rhode lacked manpower on his side, he placed most of his guards on the Country of Light��s junction (after all, he was more concerned that people of the Country of Light would come and wreak havoc in his territory, as compared to the Grians who wandered on the streets). As a result, the security measures by the Munn Kingdom��s border were less secure and that was how the Grians managed to sneak in. There were about hundreds of them and after entering the Void Territory, they didn��t immediately join the crowds. Instead, they settled down at an uninhabited place. As the Void Territory currently had an abundance of resources and the Grians were used to such nomadic lifestyles, they could temporarily live on without interacting with others. Also, the Grians definitely knew about Rhode��s prohibition, which was why they entered stealthily like thieves.


    But eventually, they were discovered by others and without the need of Rhode��s instructions, everyone knew what to do with them. Shortly after, a group of soldiers went ahead and banished them. But after some struggles, instead of the soldiers chasing away the Grians, they started pitying them and consciously tried to cover up for them. But there was no concealing the truth as it quickly came to Randolf, Sovann, and the others�� attention. As Rhode��s trusted aides, they definitely wouldn��t allow the rules to be violated and they had also heard about how unreasonable the Grians were, which was why they drove the Grians out. On the contrary, Dwight objected to their methods and even personally protected the Grians with his soldiers. This puzzled Randolf and the others. Ever since Starlight was established and the Void Territory was opened up, they had never faced such internal strife and were totally clueless of how to handle this situation. How could they attack him since he was one of them? But if they didn��t attack, wouldn��t the Grians cause troubles if they continued to stay here? Besides, the Grians were totally unrestrained in breeding like mice. If this were to drag on for a year and a half, 400 would turn 600 and 600 would turn 1000. There was no end to it.


    Although it was unlikely to be successful with Dwight alone, he, as a seasoned member of Starlight, more or less had a number of supporters despite not having a higher position than core members like Randolf. At the sight of their ��boss�� about to be punished, the troubles from the triads customs of his supporters were unleashed. If they were soldiers like John, they would surely not offend their superior as it would equate to being rebellious. But even though the mercenaries experienced training and battles, they were mercenaries, after all, who valued the brotherhood code. As soon as they saw Dwight in trouble, they quickly stepped forth and spoke up for their ��boss��. Among these people were squad leaders who were stationed in the same region. This was why Randolf and the others were helpless once the mercenaries resisted. Moreover, anti-racism was also a rhythm that was quite the main melody. They didn��t think Dwight did wrong. After all, the dangers of the Grians were seemingly non-existent unless they experienced it themselves. If this problem were to occur in the west of the Country of Light, perhaps the soldiers would have cheered with both hands raised, asking to kill every single one of the Grians.


    But the people in the Void Territory had never lived with the Grians before. Therefore, to them, the Grians seemed like a group of pitiful refugees who fled from war. Besides, the Void Territory was huge, so why couldn��t the Grians live here? It was due to this that Dwight and his supporters believed their choice was right and were so determined.


    And this was the most troublesome part because those people didn��t realize that their choice equated to a rebellion. They purely thought that Dwight was treated unfairly and their decisions were right. This gave Rhode the biggest headache because their loyalty toward him didn��t change and it was merely their wrong decision specifically in this case.


    The situation was temporarily in a deadlock. Randolf and the others didn��t dare to make a fuss out of the situation, but the Grians had to be driven out. On the other hand, Dwight was stubborn in behaving righteously. Sol tried to convince him, but was left speechless by Dwight instead. Sol was a half-demon who had been strongly discriminated against. In fact, with his identity, he couldn��t say much to the Grians. On the other hand, Sovann also didn��t have any solution.


    ��A brave man standing up for racial discrimination and for the sake of justice, freedom, and fight against powerful government forces. Master�� won��t this make a great Hollywood movie?��


    After enthusiastically describing the entire incident, Gillian chuckled and crossed her arms, gazing at Rhode. Upon hearing her words, Rhode twitched his brows.


    ��Do you think this is the screening of District 9 or Schindler��s List?��


    ��Avatar is decent too. What do you think, Master? I suggest from today onward, we should change our goal to the ocean of stars! You are the chosen one! The prophecy says that you will eliminate the Sith and not join them; bring balance to the force and not bring it into darkness!��


    ��You��re right.��


    Rhode shrugged nonchalantly to Gillian��s call of excitement.


    ��If you don��t follow me, you shall be my enemy�� All right then, since they have made their choice, they have to pay the price. But since they are my subordinates, there is still a chance for them to redeem themselves. It won��t matter even if they don��t know what they are doing�� as I will give them a condition that they can��t refuse.��


    ***


    To Randolf, this was an unprecedented challenge. At this moment, he sat in his room, knitting his brows and gazing at the table in front of him. As Rhode��s forces expanded and became stronger, Randolf and the others had their own official roles. Even though they didn��t hold as much authority as John or Sovann, it was still a surprise of their dreams to obtain the roles. But now��


    In fact, the current problem wasn��t only the one involving Dwight. As Rhode��s assistant, Randolf had no fewer companions than Dwight. If this was in a movie about gangsters, it would be as though an aggressive little brother bringing a group of gang members to thrash his boss��s turf. Randolf, as the proudest subject of the boss, would naturally take over and deal with them. After hearing that Dwight��s gang brazenly offended their superior, Randolf couldn��t help but want to take action on them. Fortunately, he spent a long time with Rhode and knew that some incidents shouldn��t be straight out dealt with. If they were still a mercenary group, an internal fight would be all since the mercenaries were vigorous. But now, they were no longer mercenaries. If they were to clash, wouldn��t it embarrass Rhode?


    ��Big Bro! Big Bro!��


    All of a sudden, someone knocked on the door. Then, the door swung open with Joey dashing into the room. He gazed at the stressful Randolf with a cheeky smile, pulled a chair from the side, took a seat, and picked up the kettle, pouring the liquid inside into his mouth. Then, he let out a cheeky chuckle as Randolf watched in doubt. Randolf purposely lowered his voice and asked as though he were a member of an underground gang.


    ��Settled!��


    ��Settled?��


    Randolf was taken aback by Joey��s words.


    ��What is settled?��


    ��Heh, heh. The boss has spoken!��


    Joey narrowed his eyes proudly to Randolf��s question. Then, he extended his arm and an envelope appeared in his hand. Randolf instantly noticed the marking on the back of the envelope. It was the marking of the Void Dragon. He finally understood what Joey meant.


    ��What did His Majesty say?��


    Of course, Randolf knew that Joey would definitely report this matter to Rhode. Currently, Joey and the thieves he led were doing great in the Void Territory, and many troublesome situations and investigations were left in their care. Even though Alice was around, her ��Historical Tracing�� ability needed to be specific. If not, there were so many people in the Void Territory, and everyone was creating history by the second. Even if Alice could record all their history, Rhode couldn��t possibly have the time to view them all. This was why he needed people to monitor the territory in the dark. Once they found out that something was amiss, they would report the matter to Gillian and Alice for further investigation. Joey��s job was like the FBI doing private investigation. As for Dwight��s matter, he did some fundamental investigation and found something fishy, which was why he reported it to Gillian and Alice thereafter.


    ��Heh, heh����


    Joey let out a proud chuckle to Randolf��s question. Then, he winked and spoke.


    ��You��ll know after you see it.��


    ***


    It was late at night.


    The radiance of the setting sun enveloped the plains. Plumes of smoke could be clearly seen emerging from the chimney of crude, simple houses made from tiles and clay. Dwight stood in the far distance, gazing at the people who were making fire and cooking meals. He let out a soft sigh. He was here for a few days and no matter how he saw it, the Grians were just ordinary refugees. They fled the conflagrations of war and traveled a thousand miles to this place. They just didn��t seem any different, so why must they be chased away?


    ��A penny for your thoughts, Dwight?��


    At this moment, a crisp, melodious voice caught his attention. He turned around and saw a graceful figure standing there. She donned a white robe. Her face was closely wrapped, only revealing a pair of light brown eyes. Dwight shook his head.


    ��It��s nothing, Fiana. I was only thinking about the consequences of doing this,�� Dwight said.


    He was in a complicated mood now. From the start, he was indeed here to execute orders. But after witnessing the pitiful plight of the Grians, he couldn��t help but feel guilty if he treated them horribly. Even though he was given the order to drive them out entirely, it was the truth that they had nowhere to go. Besides, according to his observations, they didn��t seem any different from ordinary civilians over the past few days and weren��t as bad as he imagined. Although he also heard the rumors regarding the Grians, he just couldn��t see how they were that sort of wicked people. He knew that he was defying orders and the Void Dragon would surely take action against him. This left him in a complete loss. Back then, when Randolf brought his soldiers over, Dwight also acted rashly in challenging them. In the end, he felt regretful, but one misstep led to more mistakes. Even if he wanted to give up now�� it wasn��t possible anymore.


    He knew that the Void Dragon would learn about this incident sooner or later. Right now, all he could do was to think of ways to convince Randolf and the others and hope to change everything. But he also knew that the possibilities were almost none. He also understood that they actually saved his face and stopped sending soldiers over. If not, he wouldn��t still be alive now. As for what kind of a person the Void Dragon was, he was clearly aware of that. Even though the Void Dragon treated his people well, he condemned those who questioned his orders. Besides, Dwight wasn��t alone here. He still had his parents and younger sister to feed, so how could he make life difficult for his lord?


    ��Leader!��


    All of a sudden, Dwight witnessed his adjutant riding the horse and galloping toward him. As soon as the adjutant stopped beside him, he jumped down the horse quickly.


    ��B-Bad news.��


    ��What��s wrong?��


    Dwight glowered at the sight of his anxious assistant.


    ��This�� Sir Randolf and Sir Joey brought their soldiers here for a personal chat with you.��


    Dwight��s heart sank. According to the seniority of the mercenaries, even though he was much more experienced than the newbies like Randolf and Joey, they were no longer mercenaries now, after all. Since they were soldiers, they more or less understood their positions. Sol came speaking to him before, but that was in private. But now, Randolf and Joey actually brought the soldiers over, which meant that this was the crucial moment!


    Dwight sucked in a deep breath of cold air, before nodding firmly.


    ��Okay, I��ll go and meet them!��


    ��Dwight��?��


    Fiana couldn��t help but doubt his decision worriedly. Upon hearing her words, Dwight turned around and smiled at her. ��It��s fine, don��t worry. Everything will be resolved this time.��


    Even though Dwight said so, his confidence dwindled as soon as he witnessed Randolf, Joey, and especially the well-equipped soldiers. It left him in uncertainty. But even so, he embraced himself and stepped forward to give a solemn bow to both of them.


    ��Dwight reporting, Sirs!��


    ��Don��t stand on ceremony, Dwight.��


    Joey waved his hand airily.


    ��You don��t need to be so uptight. But come to think of it, you��ve caused a rather huge ruckus this time that even Boss couldn��t neglect it. Frankly, I don��t understand why you��re protecting the group of Grians. Could it be that you��re interested in a beautiful lady among them? Or you have knocked her up and can��t bear to abandon her?��


    ��Ugh�� This����


    ��All right, Joey, cut the nonsense.��


    After hearing Joey��s words, it was apparent that Dwight felt rather awkward. He stuttered and didn��t know what to say. However, Randolf gave him a way out of this embarrassing situation. Instead of joining in with Joey��s blabber, he reached into his pocket for an envelope and Dwight��s heart almost jumped to his throat as soon as he saw it. Of course, he also saw the marking of the Void Dragon, which meant that Rhode had responded.


    ��His Majesty is aware of this incident; he is extremely dissatisfied with your violation of order. But he has decided to give you one chance���� Randolf paused and shifted his gaze to Dwight. At this moment, Dwight was extremely nervous, listening attentively to the decision of his fate. ���� Those people can stay here, but with the prerequisite that they accept the following conditions. One, they have to abide by the laws of the Void Territory and never violate the laws under any circumstance or reason. Their customs are not recognized by the Void Territory. If they are to operate in the Void Territory using their customs, they will be deemed as violating the law! Two, since they have entered the Void Territory, they need to accept the rules of the territory. They shall not wear odd costumes; in other words, they need to change their strange attires. Three, they must be separated by family and sent to other towns respectively. If they are to violate any law, they will be captured and deported immediately! Anyone who resists will be killed on the spot!��


    Randolf lifted his head and gazed at Dwight.


    ��Do you understand?��

 Chapter 1048 - Adapting to the Situation

    Dwight revealed an obvious, difficult expression after hearing the orders. During this period of time, he investigated and understood the issues regarding the Grians. Even though the Grians usually appeared kind, they were as determined about their customs as what Dwight heard. For instance, they rarely interacted with outsiders and all of their men and women were wrapped up in their clothes. They believed that anyone who wasn��t born in their ethnic group was ��filth�� and interacting with ��filth�� would stain them. This was why the Grians always wandered about and even in places populated by humans, they were always in their own group with few intentions of socializing with outsiders. However, these orders from Rhode were apparently targeted at finding trouble with them. He wanted to drag them out of their social circle, tear them apart, before throwing them aside!


    Not even Dwight was sure of the thoughts that would go through the Grians�� heads after hearing these orders, but there was no room for arguments anymore because Randolf and Joey had brought over the soldiers, which explained Rhode��s stance. The soldiers were clad in high-quality armor and equipped with identical weapons that resembled long battle axes. But apart from the dark-colored hole at the top of the ��battle ax��, there were also a few mysterious crystals that made the staff seem like it was forged from steel. Of course, Dwight knew what those weapons were; they were the portable magic cannons that Rhode created after opening up the Void Territory. The inconspicuous rods could blast incredibly terrifying light beams that were comparable to actual magic cannons. In the Void Territory, only the most elite of soldiers held the rights to wield this weapon. And now, Randolf led almost a hundred of them, which was apparently to clean up the mess. Even though the Grians had an advantage over them in quantity, these terrifying weapons could still turn them into ashes in an instant!


    On the other hand, Randolf also informed Dwight clearly that this was an ultimatum! The Grians only had two choices: abide by the orders or leave the Void Territory. If they resisted, they would be killed. In this case, Dwight didn��t know which choice the Grians would choose. But from his point of view, he felt like even though the orders were hard to accept, they were still acceptable. Besides, it was reasonable since they were visitors of the Void Territory, so they had to respect and follow the rules of this place. As for separation�� that was indeed too demanding. However, it was still tolerable since they would be separated by families. As for their attire, Dwight agreed with both hands raised. He couldn��t understand why those people chose to wrap themselves up so tightly. Besides, he didn��t feel comfortable looking at them this way as he felt like he was a devil infected by an epidemic among them. If the Grians could remove these restrictions, wouldn��t it be a good thing for them?


    But�� to convince them��


    ��When does it start?��


    Dwight cleared his head, took a deep breath, and asked. After Randolf saw his expression, he nodded in satisfaction and replied.


    ��We will give them one day to consider. In order to prevent them from escaping, we will be blocking off this area from now; no one is allowed to leave or enter. I hope you can contain your subjects, Dwight. You should also understand that His Majesty��s orders are final. If you continue to����


    ��I understand, Randolf.��


    Without the need of further explanations from Randolf, Dwight understood what he meant. If Dwight were considered to have acted recklessly previously, it would mean now that he and his close companions clearly defied the Void Dragon��s orders. Dwight was born in the Munn Kingdom and was aware of the consequences of his actions. Previously, he acted on impulse and it was impossible for him to stop now. But then again, he felt regretful. He would never do something that would risk the lives of his companions as many of them had blissful families. On the other hand, the Void Territory was becoming more prosperous with each passing day. It definitely wouldn��t work chasing after some foolish matters than to lead peaceful lives. Besides, since the area would be blocked off soon, his companions and subjects couldn��t intervene any longer, so it was still possible to back off. This was why Dwight nodded quickly in agreement. But thereafter, he hesitated and spoke.


    ��All right then�� I have a request; please let me be the one to inform them.��


    ��You want to do it?��


    Joey curled his lips upon hearing Dwight��s words. Then, he stared at Dwight with some suspicion.


    ��I say, Bro, don��t tell me you have really taken a liking for a lady in there? I��m not afraid to tell you the truth that those people may behave innocently now, but when things go south, they may immediately turn into violent crooks.��


    This wasn��t some alarmist talk by Joey. Since he was the intelligence gatherer of the Void Territory, he was more meticulous in this aspect, which was why he knew what kind of people the Grians were more than anyone else. It was due to this reason that Joey didn��t feel like Rhode was overreacting. After all, if an uncertain factor like the Grians were to stay in the Void Territory, wouldn��t they possibly cause trouble in the future? Before those scoundrels even had the chance to settle down, they should be quickly dealt with and chased out of the territory! This was also why Joey wasn��t willing to let Dwight take the risk to make up for his mistake.


    ��According to the intelligence we gathered, there are a few hundreds of them. If they were to have a falling out with you, do you think you could kill them and make it out alive? I say, you��d better forget it. There are women everywhere, so why must you risk your life for a troublesome one? Although you��ve gone too far this time, fortunately this incident isn��t too huge. You still have a chance to return home and enjoy your life in retirement. Do you really want to risk ending your life in this remote place?��


    Even though Joey was convincing, Dwight eventually shook his head after more serious considerations.


    ��Thank you, Joey. But since I was the one who started this mess, I will need to resolve it. No matter what, I caused the situation to become what it is today, so it is only right that I make up for it. Besides, I��ve spent a few days with them; I think they will save me some face for it.��


    ��Well, if you said so.��


    Upon hearing Dwight��s words, Joey and Randolf exchanged looks with each other and nodded in agreement. Just as Dwight mentioned, since he was willing to do, they had no reason to stop him. Even though they weren��t hopeful that Dwight would be capable of convincing the Grians, it was better than not doing it at all. If Dwight gave his best and failed to persuade them, it would only mean that the Grians were as stubborn and dangerous as the rumors stated. Once that happened, Randolf and Joey wouldn��t have any hesitation in sparing their lives. During their time spent with Rhode, they grew tremendously and deeply understood the importance of steel and blood in many situations.


    ��You see, Randolf, I knew that guy was charmed by some lady in there.��


    Gazing at Dwight leaving, Joey curled his lips, shook his head, and spoke in his usual tone. On the other hand, Randolf knitted his brows, pondered for a few moments, before letting out a long sigh.


    ��Sigh�� this isn��t something for us to worry about, Joey. I suggest you send out some men to watch him. According to the intelligence, even though the Grians aren��t powerful, there are a lot of them, after all, and Dwight might not be able to handle them. If anything were to happen, it will be tough to rescue him.��


    ��Well, I do hope something happens to him ��cause this��ll let others know that Boss isn��t all talk.��


    After hearing Randolf��s order, Joey felt rather discontent. Even though Joey didn��t say much on the surface, he was in fact disapproving of Dwight��s behaviors because Joey admired Rhode a lot. As one of the most senior members who joined Starlight ever since its establishment, even though Joey wasn��t as useful as Anne or the others in battles, the things that he knew as a thief were much more than them. It was due to this reason that Joey worshiped Rhode more than most people because he realized that Rhode had no miscalculations, seemed to grasp everything in his hand, and dealt with every situation with ease. This made Joey trust him a lot. To him, as long as Rhode gave the order, it would be 100 percent accurate, and everyone under his command should follow accordingly! Even if there were any hiccups, Rhode would still be there to manage it!


    And now, even though Dwight seemed sincere, Joey felt like he didn��t take Rhode��s words seriously. If not, Dwight definitely wouldn��t put up such an expression. This was why Joey hoped that the Grians would give Dwight a hard time and teach him that Rhode��s orders must be taken seriously and respected.


    Of course, Dwight wasn��t aware of Joey��s views on him. At this moment, Dwight was urging on the horse with a whip, galloping toward Grians�� gathering place quickly. He knitted his brows, feeling an odd sense of anxiousness deep down in his heart. Besides, for some unknown reason, he had a really bad hunch. He felt his heart pumping fast, which only happened when he faced unfavorable situations. But even so, he decided to head there himself, hoping to do his best to change everything.


    As for the possibilities of succeeding, he wasn��t feeling hopeful at all.


    Shortly after, Dwight reached the perimeters of the Grians�� gathering place. The calm, peaceful gathering place suddenly flustered as several muscular men clutching long swords stared at him. Only until they realized it was Dwight, they let loose a little. But even so, their gazes at him remained nervous. The men of Grians were unlike their women, who were wrapped entirely including their faces. But even so, the tall, muscular men also wore thick clothes and gloves and were clad in a cape or cloak. Their eyes were malicious-looking and an enormous curved blade was hung around their waist. After witnessing Dwight��s arrival, their tensed faces let loose a little and at this moment, the woman who previously appeared around Dwight walked out of the gathering place quickly.


    ��Dwight, what is happening? I heard many soldiers have arrived and surrounded us. What should we do? What exactly is going on?��


    ��Calm down.��


    As the others crowded over, Dwight hurriedly took two steps back, pulling a distance away from the woman before him. He knew clearly that these people had reserved customs and it wasn��t nice of an outsider like him to get too close to women. But now wasn��t the time to discuss such customs. Dwight was well aware that Randolf had sent out the soldiers to seal off the area. Perhaps the Grians also realized it, which was why they quickly gathered around. At this thought, Dwight let out a long sigh in his head. It seemed like the situation really was troublesome this time.


    Even though Dwight was concerned deep down in his heart, his expression remained extremely calm and peaceful.


    ��Don��t panic, the soldiers were sent by the higher-ups. As for you guys�� the final decision has been made.��


    Dwight spoke, before letting out a cough. Then, he displayed a forced smile to the woman in front of him.


    ��All right, could you allow me to meet the elders?��


    Shortly after, under the lead of the woman and a few guards, Dwight entered the gathering place. Along the way he discovered that the gathering place was in a tense atmosphere with several fully-armored men patrolling the place. On the other hand, women and children remained in their homes, hiding behind tightly-locked doors as though a war were about to begin. Judging this scene, even though Dwight didn��t say a word, he felt rather dissatisfied as these people didn��t seem to treat themselves as refugees at all. Instead, they were acting like the owners of this land and were protecting themselves from foreign aggression��


    Although he felt rather uncomfortable, he didn��t say much. Shortly after, following the guards�� lead, he arrived at the biggest house in the center of the Grians�� gathering place.


    The room made of crude clay and tiles weren��t beautiful or clean. The radiance of the burning flames allowed Dwight to vaguely make out the people seated on the floor before him: they were mainly elderly men and unlike the people outside, they were clad in black clothes and curled up, sitting on the floor. Behind them stood a dozen fully-armored men. It was apparent that they were their personal guards. The instant Dwight entered the room, he sharply detected several gazes shooting toward him. Then, a frail, hoarse voice sounded.


    ��Greetings, Mr. Howard�� perhaps�� you can explain the exact situation to us?��


    ��Of course, Elder.��


    Dwight held down the trace of dissatisfaction in his mind and nodded to the elder. Then, he spoke. ��Perhaps you��ve already heard that the higher-ups have made their final decision. They have proposed three conditions���� Dwight announced, repeating the orders like how Randolf and Joey told him. Upon hearing his words, the elders had no reaction. However, Dwight sensed the atmosphere in the room becoming heavier and even colder. One of the men standing behind the elders revealed a furious expression, gnashing his teeth and clenching his fists. As Dwight was about to finish announcing the last condition, he was interrupted by a loud snarl.


    ��That��s impossible! They are blaspheming our honor and faith!��


    ��These are personal orders from His Majesty the Void Dragon.��


    The interrupted Dwight knitted his brows, gazed at the raging man, softly but clearly reminding him to ��watch�� his behaviors. Dwight was born in the Munn Kingdom. His devotion to the Creator Dragon was absolute, unlike the brainwashed idiots in the Country of Light. Moreover, he respected everything that Rhode had done before he became a Creator Dragon. And now, he was discontented that these refugees actually rebuked and even objected to Rhode��s opinion.


    ��But we��re only here to seek shelter. We only want to live a peaceful life, Mr. Howard.��


    Perhaps sensing the dissatisfaction in Dwight��s tone, one of the black-robed elders stopped the raging man and continued speaking.


    ��You have to admit that the conditions are unfair to us and are hard for us to accept����


    ��Yes, I do admit it, Elder. But I��m sorry, this is the final decision by His Majesty the Void Dragon. You can either choose to oblige or leave,�� Dwight said and the elder��s expression didn��t change at all. Dwight couldn��t help but pucker his brows, before continuing to speak with a raised voice. ��Perhaps you��re not aware, but this time they have sent out elite guards and sealed off the entire area. If you neither agree with the request nor leave, they will launch their attacks on you! The strength they possess is enough to destroy a city with strong defenses!��


    ��Of course we��re aware of that, but we won��t change our mind, Mr. Howard. All we want is to live here����


    ��But the Void Territory prohibits Grians from entering the territory, Elder. You couldn��t have forgotten about it, right?��


    Dwight pulled a long face as the elder remained unperturbed and mumbled to himself. Dwight had never expected these people to be so stubborn and keep making meaningless speeches.


    ��Yes, we��re aware, but we can never accept such requests�� because it completely disregards our custom, honor, and pride!��


    At this moment, Dwight realized that the face of the expressionless old man suddenly turned malevolent!


    ��Not only did you ��filth�� degenerate yourselves, but you are also trying to force us into it! This is unforgivable! Evil ��filth�� like you shouldn��t even belong to this world. How dare you humiliate our greatest admiration! Not even the Void Dragon is allowed to criticize us!��


    The elder glared at Dwight, his eyes glinting in flashes.


    ��Mr. Howard, I thought that you could still be rescued, but it��s a pity that you��re ultimately a fallen ��filth��. My apologies. This time, we will not agree to your requests, but�� we need your help.��


    ��You����


    Upon instinctively sensing that something was wrong, Dwight stepped back quickly when suddenly, he felt a gust of air, followed by immense pain to the back of his head. Then, he lost his consciousness entirely.

 Chapter 1049 - Mutation

    ��It seems like Dwight is useless in there.��


    Gazing at the Grians��s gathering place in the distance, Joey curled his lips and said. Upon hearing his comment, Randolf twitched his brows and stared at the area in front him. It was noon on the second day. The entire gathering place for the Grians was completely sealed off by well-equipped guards patrolling and watching over the area. It was apparent that the Grians had no intention of packing up and leaving in accordance to the ultimatum. On the contrary, they seemed prepared for a deadly battle against Rhode��s side based on their behavior, but Randolf doubted they were capable enough. With the powerful might of the ��magic spears��, the guards even didn��t need to get close and could blast their cannons from a distance. The Grians��s blunt weapons and crude armor wouldn��t stand a chance against them. Of course, just in case, Randolf had sealed off the entire area and announced to the public that this was a military exercise. Fortunately, the Grians refused to interact with outsiders, which was why nearby residents didn��t know there were people living there. It was due to this that Randolf had no restrictions in launching their attacks. Besides, he also wasn��t worried that his men couldn��t bear to attack because they were the remaining mercenaries who survived the journey in opening up the Void Territory with Rhode back then. They had left blood and sweat all over this territory.


    Randolf was initially concerned that the Grians would escape during midnight. But now, it seemed like they intended to fight to their death against them, which was rather unimaginable for Randolf. He couldn��t understand what was going on in their heads. First, they were a group of weak nomads. Taking a step back, so what if they were as powerful as Anne and could utterly crush his men? If his men were defeated, stronger reinforcements would arrive immediately. Once that happened, Rhode could summon Celestina and Celia, or let Marlene and Alice step in and wipe out the Grians entirely. Even if the Grians hadn��t personally witnessed Rhode��s strength, they should also know that they were going up against the entire Void Territory. Would they even survive putting up this struggle?


    Just what is going through their heads?


    Randolf knitted his brows at this thought. Then, he cleared his mind and turned to Joey who stood beside him.


    ��How��s Dwight?��


    ��That guy was tied up after being knocked out by those people. According to my intelligence, those people down there are busy with something bizarre. I feel like something isn��t right. Do you think we should take action earlier?��


    ��Something bizarre?��


    ��I��m not too sure.��


    Joey puckered his brows at Randolf��s doubt, rubbing his chin and recalling the intelligence he heard.


    ��I heard from my men that those people seem to be preparing for something. Overall, many of them were seen coming and going, but we have no information as to what they are doing exactly. The Grians are sharp; my men tried to sneak in and were almost spotted. In this situation, we shouldn��t take the risk�� How about�� I seek help from Madam Alice?��


    Joey spoke, his eyes lighting up. In fact, he prostrated himself in admiration toward Alice��s ability in recording history. As long as he told her a name, she could immediately present all information of the person since birth. It was simply amazing to Joey. Even though he didn��t know what had happened here, wouldn��t it be clarified quickly after he reported it to Alice?


    But after Randolf thought about it, he eventually shook his head and denied Joey��s suggestion.


    ���� There��s no need to; it will take some time to contact Grandia. By the time you receive Madam Alice��s reply, time will almost be up. Don��t forget that it was His Majesty who left this matter in our care. Can��t we handle such a small matter?��


    ��Ugh�� This����


    After hearing Randolf��s opinion, Joey forced out an awkward smile. Indeed, even though it was much more convenient to get Alice��s help, Joey also knew that it wasn��t a smart decision to bother Alice and Rhode over such a small matter. Joey had followed Rhode for a long time and was aware of his thoughts. But despite that, Joey reconsidered the situation and still felt like the situation was tricky as the Grians were acting too strangely. For the sake of safety, Joey wasn��t willing to commit any irrecoverable mistakes. After pondering for a few moments, Joey spoke.


    ��I still don��t feel confident; let me go and check on them, Randolf. You stay here according to the plan. I will inform you immediately if anything comes up.��


    ���� Okay then. I suppose that��s fine.��


    Randolf hesitated to Joey��s words. After all, it seemed to him that Joey was making a big fuss over a minor issue. Besides, the reason why he objected was since Rhode had given the order, he must have investigated the Grians beforehand, which was why he decided to send Randolf and Joey to handle the situation. If the Grians were too powerful for them to handle, Rhode would have summoned Celia and the others and wouldn��t need them to lead soldiers instead. It was due to this reason that Randolf felt like Joey was doing something unnecessary. But eventually, he nodded in agreement with Joey and hoped that nothing would turn out badly. If anything were to happen�� at least they could still be mentally prepared, wasn��t it?


    ��By the way, what do you intend to do about Dwight��s situation?��


    ��He��s tied up in a small house in the center and I can��t do anything about it. But I��ve told my men to save him if they find a chance. If they can��t, I don��t have other ways around it. I can only hope that guy is lucky enough. Oh, by the way, Randolf, he is locked up in the third house in the middle. You have to look closely when you strike. If not, those people will laugh their heads off if we kill him by accident. Well, just play it by ear. Anyway, that guy�� Sigh. He��ll need to depend on luck to save him this time. If he��s killed before we manage to rescue him, he can only blame himself for it.��


    After the brief, Joey smiled and gestured to Randolf, before turning around and leaving quickly. As Joey blended into the darkness, Randolf shook his head with a forced smile.


    This rascal�� instead of learning the proper stuff, he picked up the strange terms and expressions that Madam Bubble uses and is always coming up with some weird words��


    Randolf shrugged helplessly at this thought. Then, he turned around and gazed at the gathering place sternly with knitted brows. The sky darkened gradually and it was only one night left to the ultimatum. If those people didn��t leave tomorrow morning, only destruction would greet them. Randolf sighed at this thought. He put up a solemn expression and gestured. Shortly after, a guard scuttled toward him.


    ��Pass the order: get ready for battle and stop the Grians from taking any desperate actions. From now onward, we will be in a state of emergency; seal off all routes outside the perimeter and prohibit anyone from entering and exiting. If anyone is to attack us, we will retaliate immediately. Understood?��


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    After hearing the command from Randolf, the guard nodded quickly and turned around to leave. Randolf turned over and looked at the scene below once again. Everything will end the next morning.


    Of course, Randolf also had a hunch that perhaps the end would also come earlier.


    Choking, thick smoke billowed with specks of sparks and a burning sensation. Dwight opened his eyes and saw the burning bonfire in front of him. He instinctively moved back, only to discover that he was tied up by thick ropes around a stake. He couldn��t even budge.


    ��Where am I����


    Dwight shook his head. The immense pain from the back of his head left him numb. But shortly after, he returned to his senses. Right, I came to warn the Grian, but they refused to obey His Majesty��s orders��


    Dwight let out a sigh in his head. It seems like my efforts have failed. Those people refused to listen to him and now�� what else can they do?


    ��Are you awake?��


    At this moment, a voice rang beside him. He turned around and spotted a familiar figure. However, unlike the person he remembered, even though the woman standing close to him wore the same white robe, there were two more shimmering curved blades on her waist. Dwight puckered his brows at this scene.


    ��What are you people trying to do, Fiana? Don��t you understand? You people can never defeat the guards as they are really powerful. So what if your people defeat them? His Majesty has several legendary beings around him and any one of them can destroy your people! Since all of you came from the Country of Light, I��m sure you��ve witnessed the catastrophe of Casabianca. In this situation, it serves no purpose to do this. It��s useless even if you capture me as your hostage!��


    ��Don��t worry about it, Dwight. The elders say they have a solution, and they will have a solution.��


    The woman��s voice sounded so ear-deafening in Dwight��s ears. The harshness and monstrosity in her tone made him uncomfortable. Her voice felt similar to that of the stubborn, fanatical, and even crazy emotions of the elders, as though she were a fearless, brainwashed puppet who knew nothing. Or perhaps, she didn��t care at all. Even if a tsunami were to crash and engulf her to the bottom of the ocean, she still believed that she would be unharmed. She was as stubborn as a rock.


    ��What solutions do you people have? I don��t think so.��


    Even though Dwight was annoyed by her words, he continued to shake his head.


    ��Fiana, listen to me. There is still time. No matter what����


    Smack!


    But before Dwight finished his sentence, the woman suddenly took a step forward and landed a tight slap on his cheek to interrupt his words. Upon feeling the sudden blow, Dwight widened his eyes in astonishment, lifted his head, and gazed into the woman��s eyes that seemed as though a pair of burning, raging flames. The woman pressed her hands against the hilts of the curved swords, gnashed her teeth, and glared at Dwight, snarling as though he was her father��s murderer.


    ��Do not! Humiliate! our God! As long as our mighty God stays with us, no one will be able to destroy us! We came here according to the will of our God; we won��t allow anyone to doubt our God��s will! Our mighty God will protect us and remove every threat! There are no exceptions! No matter who you are, you will not be able to go against our mighty God!��


    ������


    Dwight stared blankly at the growling woman who resembled a lunatic. After the woman finished her words, she stared coldly at him.


    ��This is the end of your fate, ��filth��. You shall be the sacrificial offering to our mighty God! Our God will protect us and punish villains who overestimate their capabilities and attack us! They shall perish along with their souls and devoured by nothingness! The strength of our God will enfold the world! And purify everything!��


    The woman announced and gestured with her hands.


    ��Men! Drag him out! The ritual for our mighty God is about to begin. Let this blasphemous ��filth�� have a taste of our God��s wrath!��


    Shortly after the woman��s command, two sturdy men entered the room in large strides. They grabbed Dwight along with the stake and dragged him out of the cell like a dead dog, hauling him to the spacious house where Dwight first met the elders. But unlike before, the floor of the spacious house was now drawn with an enormous and mysterious ritual using black oil. The two men tossed Dwight into the center of the ritual. Dwight struggled using his strength but couldn��t move at all as the heavy stake on his back and thick ropes completely restrained his movements. No matter how hard he tried to escape, he couldn��t save himself now.


    At this moment, the thin, black-robed elder appeared before him once again. But unlike before, he now held an ancient, brass staff. Dwight gnashed his teeth at this sight. He felt like something bad was about to happen to him! But he��


    Damn it��!


    ��O�� mighty God!��


    The black-robed elder disregarded the struggling Dwight completely as though Dwight were just a meaningless object. The elder raised his arms, lifted his head to the pitch-black ceiling, and spoke loudly. The guards and that woman named Fiana standing on the perimeter of the ritual half-knelt immediately. They looked at the floor respectfully, while the black-robed elder lifted his chin high with an excited and crazy look in his eyes. The tone in his voice was so agitated.


    ��O�� mighty God! Your loyal people! Your loyal people have faced a terrible threat! The ��filth�� are trying to destroy us completely! They forced us to go against your divine will and leave this piece of land! But we will not leave! No matter the setback, it will never stop our fight for our God! O�� mighty God, I humbly request for you to bestow us your strength! Help us defeat the evil here!��


    As the elder spoke, the guards also began to chant under their breaths. The chant resounded in the air like an odd, ancient prayer. Even though the place seemed extremely peaceful, for some reason, Dwight was flustered as though something had gone wrong somewhere. He felt the air burning gradually. That wasn��t his misconception. He also sensed the temperature of the ice-cold floor increasing slowly like a warm steel wok which became scalding at times. At this moment, the elder raised his arms once again and summoned loudly.


    ��Please bestow us your strength!��


    ������!


    As the elder snarled, the ritual suddenly blazed and scarlet flames erupted in circles. In the blink of an eye, flames enveloped the entire floor. Upon realizing that he was surrounded by the flames, Dwight widened his eyes helplessly as they slowly approached him. But to his surprise, the flames didn��t devour him as he imagined. Instead, they consciously twisted, twirled, and coalesced into a shape of an illusory human!


    Boom!


    A dazzling, scarlet column of light burst through the roof and into the night sky!

 Chapter 1050 - Appearing From the Flames…

    ��You��re hoping to receive Madam Alice��s assistance for�� that?��


    Perhaps hearing the doubt and ridicule in Gillian��s voice, Joey let out an awkward chuckle. Of course, he knew Gillian wasn��t an easy one to deal with. She might be smiling all day, but she would make one��s life miserable once she started messing with them! He would be doomed entirely if he weren��t careful! If it were in the past, Joey wouldn��t have been willing to do so. But now, since he had already spoken, all he could do now was to put on a bold face and continue reporting. If not, who knew what troubles this sly and playful young lady would bring him?


    But that was enough for Gillian.


    ��Your Highness Alice, I��ll leave it to you then.��


    After ending the communication with Joey, Gillian turned around with a chuckle, gazing quietly at Alice, who sat in the corner reading a book. Alice heard her, but didn��t say a word. She nodded slightly, extended her arm, and a heavy tome appeared in midair, quietly falling in front of her. The tome opened and on the empty pages, lines of words appeared on their own. As long as the target was determined, be it a person or group, Alice wouldn��t have any difficulty. Shortly after, Gillian witnessed everything that they had done.


    ��Hmm�� what��s that? The refugees are doing some kind of a spiritual ritual. That��s interesting. Could they be cultists? They wouldn��t be intending to summon devils now, right? Or perhaps they are devil worshipers? In this case, we may need little Celestina to deal with them����


    ���� Along with the chants, the ritual lights up. As the Grians��s elder chants, the enclosed space slowly opens up. Then����


    But this was the end of the recording in Alice��s tome. The same time the ��then�� appeared, the sentences that were neatly recorded suddenly came to a halt. Not only that, but the recordings on the pages also faded away quickly as though an invisible eraser were removing the words. In the blink of an eye, everything was gone. The heavy tome in Alice��s hand slammed itself close all of a sudden. As it happened too quickly, Alice and Gillian didn��t react in time. After a few moments, Alice stood up with knitted brows, lifting her head in hesitation, and looked outside the window. Her expression changed slightly.


    ��This is bad.��


    After she spoke, she suddenly disappeared to nowhere. Meanwhile, Gillian also realized the cause of the problem. No matter what, the person who counteracted Alice��s investigation was definitely much stronger than Joey and the rest!


    ��Joey, send the message; get everyone to retreat!��


    What exactly is that?


    Randolf stared blankly at the sudden burst of a scarlet light column rushing into the sky. He didn��t know what exactly happened there. However, it was apparent that something was amiss. His heart sank instantly. He had followed Rhode for a long time and naturally suspected that something bad must have happened for this to happen. With this thought, Randolf hesitated no more. He lifted his head quickly and blew a sharp whistle.


    ��Everyone! Fire!��


    ��������!��


    The guards were already in position. Upon hearing Randolf��s order, they swiftly blasted a dozen golden magic beams across the night sky like a meteor shower that ripped through the darkness. The magic beams were aimed at the Grians��s gathering place. In the next few seconds, the small gathering place would be blasted into filthy dust by the powerful magic beams. At this moment, Randolf could no longer concern himself about Dwight. Just as Joey said, Dwight could only blame himself for his bad luck and decision.


    But at the next moment, Randolf widened his eyes in astonishment.


    The magic beams didn��t cause a series of explosions on the gathering place as expected. Instead, the instant they approached the scarlet light column, their trajectories were twisted all of a sudden and they merged into the column as though being absorbed by magnets! After the light column absorbed the magic beams, it doubled in size. Randolf gaped speechless as he had never witnessed this happened before. What�� What exactly was going on?


    ��Randolf! Randolf! Madam Gillian ordered us to retreat immediately! Retreat!��


    At this moment, Randolf heard the frantic screams of Joey from the back. Randolf turned pale and quickly reached out for a crystal in his pocket and tossed it in the air. Shortly after, the crystal erupted a bright, dazzling radiance that resembled daylight. This was the signal for an emergency retreat. Randolf didn��t have a bad habit of watching a bustling scene curiously. After following Rhode for a long time, he witnessed many deaths as a result of being an onlooker. Times had changed and he definitely didn��t want to be one of those idiots. Moreover, the light column was too bizarre to even absorb the magic beams like magnets. Just this point alone was strange enough!


    In fact, this proved that Randolf made the best decision. Almost at the same time as he retreated, he felt a bone-piercing cold wind blowing against him. Then, the green prairie was instantly covered in a layer of frost! Not only that, but the blades of grass fluttering in the wind also froze! The frost spread in all directions and within a few seconds, it froze the surroundings completely. Randolf was baffled at this scene. Fortunately, he gave his order in time. If not, not even he could defy such a mysterious attack.


    But��


    After keeping a safe distance away and confirming that the mysterious chill had stopped spreading, Randolf lifted his head and scanned ahead. All he saw was white like the snowfield in winter. He trembled in fear, knitting his brows and staring sternly at the scene before him. Although it was shocking, he also felt really odd. If his men almost froze to death, wouldn��t the Grians have turned into ice sculptures already? What was the purpose of them�� doing this?


    While Randolf let his thoughts run wild, the situation took a turn once again. The scarlet light column turned pale blue before quickly coalescing into a ball of light that flitted across the night sky. Along in its movement, Randolf and Joey instantly felt a scorching heat strike their faces as though they were tied, facing the grilling stove. Not only that, but the white, frozen prairie also melted suddenly; the frost evaporated under the blazing heat while the blades of grass instantly withered into lifeless yellow and collapsed to the soil. In an instant, the snowfield of a ��thousand miles of ice and fluttering snow�� turned into a desert with ��lone smoke rising up in the air and the round sun setting slowly over the long river��. The withered soil and flying sand were totally unlike what they saw earlier. Randolf and Joey sucked in deep breaths of cold air, before exchanging terrified looks with each other. What exactly were they facing?


    Meanwhile, Grandia was also facing a similar, intense view.


    ��What exactly is going on?��


    Rhode asked, gazing at the solemn Marlene, Gillian, and Alice. He thought the matter with the Grians was insignificant, but it seemed otherwise now. It was pardonable that Marlene and Gillian were alarmed, but Alice��s appearance was what truly surprised Rhode and made him realize the seriousness of the situation. This was because he was clear about Alice��s personality; a 100 percent nerd who stayed home all day and wouldn��t leave home unless necessary. And this time, she actually took the initiative�� Was that group of Grians so capable?


    ��This was what happened�� Master����


    Shortly after, Gillian explained the situation to Rhode, including the details of the failed cannon blasts and strange phenomenons that happened thereafter. Rhode knitted his brows. In all fairness, he felt rather strange when he heard the report. Even though it wasn��t easy to be immune or defend against the magic cannons, it was still possible, after all. But what was with the fluttering snow and vast desert of intense heat thereafter?


    Rhode didn��t take the Grians seriously because he took them down in the game before. Although the Grians had a few powerful beings among them, most of them basically presented no threats to players. At least, Rhode didn��t recall the Grians possessing the ability to devour magic power and transform it into other elements.


    ��How��s the situation over there?��


    ��Randolf and Joey are investigating, but I heard there��s almost nothing left.��


    Gillian spread her arms apart and curled her lips. Rhode pondered in silence before saying.


    ��What about the Grians?��


    ��Seems dead.��


    They decided to kill themselves to prove their determination and courage?


    But Rhode didn��t think that the situation was this simple. He puckered his brows and shifted his gaze to Alice who remained silent after arriving here as though she was thinking about something. Meanwhile, Marlene was also seemingly pondering deeply as though she faced a tough problem. Upon sensing Rhode��s gaze, Alice looked up and explained.


    ��Your Majesty�� this incident may be a little troublesome.��


    ��Troublesome?��


    Rhode asked. Perhaps Alice realized the doubts in his question, she nodded and continued to explain.


    ��In fact, I have to tell you that before this happened, I monitored the group of Grians according to Miss Gillian��s request. Based on the historical tracing records, it states that they are preparing a summoning ritual, praying and yearning for the descend of their so-called ��God��. My historical records showed that they opened up a sealed space����


    ��Sealed space?��


    Rhode��s gaze changed slightly. This was the benefit of Alice��s ��Historical Tracing�� as she could clearly record what the Grians were doing. For instance, the ritual would only be seen as a mysterious ritual by others without knowing its exact purpose. With Alice��s ��Historical Tracing�� was recording, it would also display the true meaning behind their actions. This was a killer weapon for the intelligence department.


    ��Then?��


    ��That was all. My records only showed that they opened a certain sealed space, before it was forcefully stopped and erased.��


    Since they opened up a certain sealed space, it meant that there must be something released from it. Rhode began to feel uncertain. Alice was the History Deity Warden and no one could beat her ��Historical Tracing��. But now, her ability was disrupted and erased��


    ��Could it be that the Grians summoned a devil?��


    ��No, Rhode. Instead, they����


    This time, Marlene finally spoke. She exchanged looks with Alice hesitantly, before answering awkwardly.


    ��If Miss Alice��s and my judgments are correct, the Grians should have summoned a Deity Warden.��


    ���� Huh?��


    Rhode was taken aback. This was the first time he heard that the Grians were capable of summoning a Deity Warden. This surprised him, but come to think of it, only a handful of people were capable of resisting Alice��s ��Historical Tracing��. Besides, Christie, Marlene, and Alice were Deity Wardens. Although according to them, no one survived except for Christie who fled back to the Astral Temple during the war with Chaos, weren��t Marlene and Alice standing right before him now after miraculously crossing the boundaries of time? At this thought, Rhode wasn��t as astonished anymore. Instead, he found it to be good news. After all, if it were one of the Deity Wardens, the Deity Warden should be willing to serve him.


    But shortly after, he realized that the situation wasn��t as simple as he had thought.


    According to Alice, this particular Deity Warden had also died a long time ago. Just like Alice and the others, in order to secure a chance to return to the world in the future, the Deity Warden also had her own solution. She sealed a fragment of her soul in the space of another dimension. Rhode accepted this explanation because it was his younger sister who fused with the system. In other words, it was the final trace of the soul fragment of his younger sister as the Void Dragon. Since the Void Dragon could do it, it wasn��t surprising that the Six Deity Wardens were aware of this method as its direct subjects.


    But this was where the problem laid.


    As a result, Rhode didn��t know how the Grians got into contact with the residual soul of the Deity Warden, it was apparent that they were connected to the Deity Warden. Everyone knew that the Grians were fanatical and extreme toward their faith. In this case, the residual soul of the Deity Warden gradually changed after spending a long time with the Grians. Perhaps this Deity Warden was currently in a state of confusion and immediately attacked as soon as she was released from the sealed space, which caused her to instinctively sense danger and escape quickly.


    ��You��re saying that�� the Deity Warden thinks that she is a Grian?��


    Rhode felt like the situation was getting out of hand. However, Alice��s answer surprised him.


    ��No, Your Majesty. It��s impossible for her to think of it this way. But the long years of interactions have apparently twisted her sanity. In this case, she may possibly do something extremely stubborn and determined. We hope you can find her as quickly as possible and stop her from doing something irrecoverable.��


    ��I see.��


    Rhode nodded after finally understanding their thoughts. It was just like back then when he met Marlene��s doppelg?nger in the spatial corridor. As too much time had gone, it led to her thoughts being distorted and paranoid. And now, since this Deity Warden spent a long time with the Grians, it was imaginable how unstable and worrisome her mental state was. But even so, Rhode still had his doubts.


    ��Why must I be the one to go? Isn��t it more convenient for Deity Wardens to go instead?��


    There were three Deity Wardens around, so why must he be the one to do it? Besides, since they were all Deity Wardens, wouldn��t it be easier for them to convince her? Besides, even though Rhode was the Void Dragon, they didn��t know each other, after all. As for Rhode��s doubt, the silent Marlene exchanged looks with Alice. After pondering for a few moments, Marlene spoke with some hesitation.


    ��Because, according to our judgment, this Deity Warden may possibly be the Contrast Deity Warden, Cassidy.��

 Chapter 1051 - Contrast Deity Warden

    ��Contrast Deity Warden?��


    Rhode asked, his eyes twitching slightly as this unknown title sounded really powerful. He knew that Christie was the ��Fate Deity Warden��, Marlene was the ��Wisdom Deity Warden��, and Alice was the ��History Deity Warden��. He had to admit that these three Deity Wardens were sufficient to show how mighty the Void Dragon was back then. It wasn��t surprising that they were able to dominate the entire continent. As for the ��Contrast Deity Warden��, she most likely wouldn��t be an easy one to deal with either.


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    Alice nodded and continued to explain.


    ��You should also be aware that the six Deity Wardens were created by the former Void Dragon for the sake of protecting the Order of this world. We were each given six responsibilities: Christie was in charge of creating destiny, Margaret was responsible for recording rules, while I took charge of protecting the past. On the other hand, Cassidy��s responsibility was to contrast all things, just like how the land exists due to the sky, darkness exists whenever there is light; everything is born in contrast. This was the most crucial foundation as for how the world of Order exists. Also, Cassidy is extremely powerful. In her hands, she can turn everything into its contrasting form: water and fire, kindness and evil, life and death. Among the six Deity Wardens, she was ranked second in battle strength, just below Her Highness Christie.��


    ��In other words, you and Marlene can��t defeat her?��


    Rhode finally understood why Alice wanted him to take on Cassidy alone. However, he still felt dubious. Marlene and Alice were powerful beings, and yet they couldn��t defeat Cassidy? They were Deity Wardens, so the difference in strength shouldn��t be that huge�� As though seeing through Rhode��s doubt, Marlene forced a smile and replied.


    ��Rhode, you may not be aware, but the original intention of creating us Deity Warden, isn��t for us to only become the Creator Dragons�� dependents. We were created by the former Void Dragon to protect the world against Chaos. The ultimate goal of our strength isn��t for battle, but to continue the existence of Order. Due to this reason, although we are powerful, on a certain level our battle strength isn��t proportional. Honestly, Her Highness Alice and I are at the bottom in terms of battle strength, while the strongest ones are Her Highness Christie, the ��Fate Deity Warden��, and Her Highness Cassidy, the ��Contrast Deity Warden��.��


    ��I see.��


    Rhode nodded to Marlene. He finally understood the so-called division of labor between the six Deity Wardens. Unlike the four legendary generals and three archangels who were high-level ��hired thugs��, the Deity Wardens�� most important job was to maintain Order. Taking online games in Rhode��s original world, for instance, the six Deity Wardens were the ones who performed program maintenance, which was on a totally different level from the three archangels and four legendary generals regardless of who was stronger. No matter how domineering the four legendary generals were in the game, as long as the programmer disliked them, he or she could remove them entirely in a few commands. This was the difference in level. But on the same level, it was an entirely different matter.


    Just like elephants and dinosaurs could squash an ant, but it didn��t mean that their battle could result in a draw.


    Shortly after, Rhode thought of another question.


    ��Can��t Christie do it?��


    According to them, Christie was fully deserving of being the strongest and Rhode had also witnessed it inside Alice��s ��Historical Tracing��. Back then, Christie truly gave him a domineering presence as though ��the world was within the control of her hands��, while the remaining five Deity Wardens nodded obediently to whatever she said. That said, Rhode didn��t see any dominance from these two Christies��


    ��It isn��t impossible, but�� Her Highness Christie is currently in the Astral Temple. If we rely on the princess only, it will be too risky. After all, the princess can��t maintain the ��strength of fate�� for too long and won��t be able to defeat Cassidy. If Helen is here, perhaps there��s still a chance to turn the situation around����


    ��Who��s that?��


    Rhode didn��t stop Alice when she mentioned Christie as the ��princess��. Ever since Karin started calling Christie that, basically everyone followed suit. In fact, in terms of identity and blood relation, she was indeed suitable for this title, which was why Rhode wasn��t mindful about it. On the other hand, he was more curious about the other name that Alice mentioned. Upon hearing his doubt, Alice paused for a moment before explaining to him.


    ��She��s one of the Deity Wardens and our companions, the ��Presence Deity Warden��, Helen. She can give form to all imaginary things and also eliminate the reality of these beings, turning them non-existent. All along, she was the one who coordinated with Her Highness Christie in protecting the continent. But it was a pity that����


    As expected, none of the Deity Wardens were normal; they were all insanely powerful.


    ��Presence Deity Warden��? A title with such a high-end feel to it is on a totally different level than the unknown ��Contrast Deity Warden�� of Cassidy. But there is no point in thinking about the ��Presence Deity Warden�� anymore. I��m better off handling this problem in front of me first�� W-Wait!


    Rhode��s eyes glinted at this thought as he suddenly thought of something. He lifted his head quickly, looked at Alice and Marlene, and asked.


    ��Since the ��Contrast Deity Warden�� can transform all contrasting matters, in other words�� she can turn Order into Chaos and Chaos into Order?��


    ��You��re right about that, Your Majesty.��


    Holy!


    Rhode shrieked in his head after hearing the confirmation from Alice. No wonder Alice and Marlene mentioned that they couldn��t stop Cassidy. A Deity Warden who could transform Order into Chaos was too insane. Even though they were all Deity Wardens, Alice��s and Marlene��s strength relied on Order. If they were to take on Cassidy together, Cassidy could immediately transform Order into Chaos and perhaps even if they possessed heavenly powers, they could only stare helplessly and do nothing. It was due to this that they chose not to attack. On the other hand, in order to deal with Cassidy, they needed a being who could create Order, which was why they brought up Christie and Helen.


    But now, the other ��Christie�� was far in the Astral Temple. Even though they could still rely on Christie, Rhode refused to make her risk her life after learning about their blood relation. So the only choice left was him. As the Creator Dragon, he could make use of the dragon soul protection and even if Cassidy was up to no good, he didn��t need to be afraid as he had his home turf as support.


    But even so, Rhode still had some doubts in his mind. He knew that the situation wasn��t as simple as it seemed. Apart from Alice��s request for him to throw his hat into the ring, she also made another difficult request. She hoped that Rhode could reawaken Cassidy, which meant that he needed to rely on his strength as the Spirit Swordsman. But��


    ��Will everything be fine?��


    After sending Alice, Marlene, and the others away, Rhode asked. Shortly after, his younger sister��s nice, gentle voice rang in his ears. ��It should be fine as long as you seal Cassidy into a card spirit like what you did with me and Marlene. Only then can her lost soul regain consciousness.��


    ��But it isn��t guaranteed to work, right? Didn��t it fail when I tried it on you? I heard from Alice that Cassidy was just like you; she sealed up a fragment of her soul in another dimension. What should I do if I don��t succeed in the end?�� Rhode was apparently not too confident. It seemed like he was still brooding over the failed attempts to awaken his younger sister back then. Besides, he was also concerned that everything would be done for if he failed. Once Cassidy��s soul vanished, no one would benefit. Rhode wasn��t an OCD patient who had to gather all six Deity Wardens to fulfill his wish of eating six steamed dumplings. But since he would be going up against Chaos, the six Deity Wardens�� experiences were crucial to him. Currently, with this opportunity before him, he had to be more cautious and meticulous. Anyway, that Deity Warden hid herself up after being frightened, while Alice couldn��t spot her location using her strength. Right now, he could only use the Projection Crystal to scan the territory. But why did it sound like Cassidy was a frightened bunny?


    ��This is different, Big Brother. According to Alice, her ability was counteracted by Cassidy, which explained that the soul fragment in this alternate plane contains the core of her original self. For instance, the core is the most important part of a robot. As long as the ��original self�� of the soul fragment exists, the sealing process will be guaranteed. As for my issue�� it is different because my original self was caught in an accident when I transmigrated. And me, as the soul fragment, can��t inherit the core strength of my original self. That was why you failed to turn me into a card spirit.��


    ��I see.��


    After hearing his younger sister��s response, Rhode felt at ease now. But he shook his head helplessly, before letting out a sigh.


    ��Sorry, I����


    ��It isn��t your fault, Big Brother. Besides, you don��t need to apologize to me. We��ve talked about it, haven��t we, Big Brother?��


    ��You��re right.��


    Rhode quickly let go off the melancholy in his head. After all, it happened a long time ago and he had done everything he could. He would never constantly weep over some small stuff that happened more than 10 years ago like those women in third-rate soap operas who kept harping on about, ��It was all my fault. I shouldn��t have done that. Why must you treat me this way?�� Even though he looked like a woman, he absolutely refused to watch those third-rate performances. Since his younger sister assured him that nothing would go wrong, everything should turn out well.


    However, things didn��t turn out smoothly. According to Alice��s speculations, the Grians used a known method to release Cassidy��s soul fragment that was sealed in the alternate dimension. Meanwhile, Cassidy��s consciousness after she was just awakened was still unclear. Moreover, after years of infiltration by the Grians�� mental strength, it caused Cassidy to basically take actions instinctively. Judging from this point, Randolf��s attack was considered to succeed by a lucky stroke. If they were to stand idly by and did nothing, perhaps the confused Cassidy might really treat herself as the Grians�� so-called mighty God and did whatever they told her to. It was as though a person who finally regained consciousness on the bed did things subconsciously to other��s instructions. If that happened, perhaps Randolf and the rest would be lying in the grave and waiting for the group resurrection spell to bring them back to life.


    That attack from Randolf was as though one just woke up in a blur and before one realized where one was, someone suddenly knocked the gong beside his ear. One who was greatly stunned surely wouldn��t see who did it immediately. Instead, one would instinctively run away as far as possible as fear struck his soul. This was the case for Cassidy. She was so startled that she fled somewhere far away. What was worse was that Rhode didn��t even know what she looked like. Fortunately, according to Alice, even though her investigation was counteracted by Cassidy, the six Deity Wardens possessed a sensing capability which allowed her to feel Cassidy��s approximate location. And now, the only thing Alice could say was that Cassidy was still within the Void Territory and didn��t run off to the Country of Light or Country of Darkness. This was the only news that let Rhode heave a sigh of relief because if Cassidy ran off to the Country of Light, he wouldn��t have any solutions to search for her in that large place. If she headed to the Country of Darkness�� it would be devastating as he would need to bear the risk of clashing with Ion in order to find her.


    Fortunately, they were in an era of magic. With the help of the magic projection, Rhode finally saw Cassidy��s appearance. She seemed like a swordswoman, had a healthy, wheatish skin tone, long, silver-whitish hair, and a big sword on her back. According to Alice, Cassidy was the only Deity Warden who used weapons.


    The only thing Rhode could do now was to let Sara search for her using the Projection Crystal. However, the Void Territory was huge, and searching for a lost and flustered Deity Warden was as though finding a needle in a haystack. But Rhode had no other ways and could only wait patiently. Fortunately, news of this matter didn��t spread to the Country of Darkness yet. And even if Ion knew about it, Rhode reckoned that Ion wouldn��t stir any trouble soon, so he was relieved.


    As for the Grians, there was no nothing left to resolve. On the other hand, the startled Deity Warden wasn��t a little girl who could scream at the top of her lungs and be rescued. According to Joey��s post investigations, the group of Grians were frozen into popsicles before being roasted from outside-in by the blaze. It could also be said that Cassidy helped Randolf in accomplishing his mission perfectly. On the other hand, that lucky bastard, Dwight, managed to escape with some ��unserious�� injuries, which was why Rhode paid him the related insurances kindly and made him retire�� Anyway, he wouldn��t be able to work in this state, wasn��t it?


    ��But Big Brother, don��t you intend to tell others what you think?��


    His younger sister was apparently more concerned about Rhode��s biggest plan: to create a massive Dimension Gate and teleport the entire continent to another world. This was almost a cross-generational project, and even she had to admit that if it succeeded, the continent wouldn��t have to face the endless infiltration from Chaos any longer.


    But after returning to this world, Rhode had no intention of gathering the four Creator Dragons to discuss it. His younger sister understood his views. Lilian was standing on the same side as him and would listen to whatever Rhode told her. But it was hard to determine for the other three��


    ��Just like what I said, beneficiaries will never think about change. Even if they do, it will be out of their intention to protect their interest. We��re the same too; same goes for everyone in this world. I suppose the other three are no exceptions. Do you think, as of now, they will agree with me to risk the entire continent? It isn��t only the Void Territory and Country of Light; it also includes the Country of Darkness, Country of Law, and the entire Dragon Soul Continent. If any accidents were to happen, we would be going down the road of destruction. Do you think they will agree with me?��


    Rhode spread his arms apart, shrugged.


    ��At least�� you should try and speak to them about it.��


    ��When the time is right, I��ll do it. But now isn��t the time for that.�� Rhode narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice. ��The Void Territory isn��t strong enough to accomplish everything yet, be it this plan or in terms of dealing with threats from the outside. If the hands that reach out to us for cooperation aren��t trembling with fear and respect, everything will be meaningless. What we need now is to make them agree and acknowledge our plan and not start a discussion and vote our decisions. Be it objection, a forfeit, or veto, to me there is only one result. And has to be only one.��


    Rhode lifted his head and at this moment, his eyes glinted in an ice-cold flash.

 Chapter 1052 - Wanderer in The Dark

    The sky before her eyes was still pitch-black. The deep, dark night enveloped the sky and even the round, scarlet moon brought upon a depressing and almost deadly solitude. Erin sat in front of the window, gazing at the documents on the table. She forced a smile at the scenery. Even though she was used to how it looked, it seemed a little strange to her at this very moment. It wasn��t just about the memories of her returning home. It was more like�� a change in her mood.


    Erin shook her head with a bitter smile at this thought. As of now, she wasn��t only the ��moon princess��; she was also here in the Country of Darkness as the diplomatic representative of the Void Territory. Not only did this leave her in an awkward spot, but it also affected everyone else, including the four legendary generals who asserted that this situation was unheard of. Even though it sounded powerful for a princess to be made a diplomatic representative by another country, it was challenging to determine what exactly the Void Dragon was plotting with the current relationship between the Void Territory and Country of Darkness. In fact, there were voices of objections from the Country of Darkness regarding this matter. Balende raised his doubt to Ion, saying that this wasn��t appropriate. Although from a political standpoint, the fact that their princess held the diplomatic powers of another country seemed authoritative, it didn��t mean that the Void Territory was on the path of seeking glory by selling out their country. As for the unique form of power where four countries were under the dragon soul protections despite having five Creator Dragons, the so-called duties of a diplomatic representative were far worse than that of the ones on Earth. At most, diplomatic representatives could only be considered a communication channel for the Creator Dragons. As for affecting national policies, the diplomatic representative had no say at all.


    But the four legendary generals�� concerns weren��t only about those factors. Instead, they felt like this arrangement was harmful to their morale. The princess of the Country of Darkness became a diplomatic representative of another country and it just had to be the Void Territory. It was only less than a year ago after the Country of Darkness infiltrated the Country of Light. The undead creatures�� memories were calculated in units of centuries; none of them could accept the fact that their princess actually went to the country that the Country of Darkness hit a snag with. Erin also heard that due to this matter, some ancient families expressed a certain degree of dissatisfaction to Ion. In the past, the Country of Darkness didn��t have any strict rules to prohibit this. However, when it was Ion��s turn to rule, he emphasized repeatedly. Despite that, Erin was considered an outstanding talent in the Country of Darkness. But now, she actually went her own way and worked for another Creator Dragon. If this news were to spread, wouldn��t the beings of Country of Darkness be lowering their heads whenever they faced the Void Territory?


    But this didn��t affect Ion at all as he continued to work strictly and even invited Erin over to discuss diplomatic matters together. But everyone present saw that Ion didn��t treat Erin as his younger sister. Instead, he treated her as the true diplomatic representative from the Void Territory. Although some thought that this was a sign of Erin losing favor with Ion, Erin knew clearly that this was only her big brother being a little overconfident��


    Or perhaps, not just a little.


    This discovery left Erin deeply worried because she realized that her big brother was getting increasingly bigoted. This had completely surpassed the range of persistence and reached a state of morbidness. In all honesty, one of the reasons why Erin accepted Rhode��s suggestion to do this job was due to the current situation of the continent. Also, as a diplomatic representative, she didn��t have much to do except informing the Creator Dragons of the meeting time for discussions. The other reason was that she also hoped to use this method to ��agitate�� Ion into reconsidering his ideas. It was apparent that this style from a person like Rhode who never played by the rules caught Ion by surprise. If Ion was disgusted with him, he could still privately warn Erin to be careful of her identity as a royal family member and whatnot. And as long as Ion opened his mouth, Erin would immediately look for Rhode and quit her job. But what made her uncertain was that even though Ion was baffled when he heard her explanations from the start, he later restored the cold, indifferent attitude of ��everything is in the hands of the country��s military��. Not even wagging tongues were able to move him as though everything Rhode had done failed to affect him at all.


    But was that really so?


    What worried Erin the most wasn��t Ion��s overly cold response. Instead, it was Rhode��s reaction. In fact, from the start when she heard from him that he wanted her to become the diplomatic representative of the Void Territory, even she couldn��t believe her ears. She tactfully told him about the inconveniences of doing this job with her identity, but he was equally calm in his response. Or perhaps, even more calm like he already expected it.


    ��Don��t worry, Your Highness Erin. The things you��re worried about will not be a cause for concern.��


    After meeting her big brother, Erin finally understood what Rhode meant exactly by that. Ion thought that everything was within his control, but what Erin feared was that Rhode seemed to understand Ion more than she did. Not only that, but Rhode was also seemingly sure that Ion would definitely not raise any doubt or object to this strange matter.


    Although Erin once mentioned this matter to Ion in private and reminded him to be wary of Rhode, Ion didn��t take her words seriously. This was what Erin was most worried about. Ion was beyond control. Not only did the earlier failure stop him in his tracks, but it also aroused his fighting spirit even further. The troubles that Rhode brought upon him were only challenges to steel himself before he eventually reached his goal. They weren��t worthy of a mention and wouldn��t affect his ultimate goal one bit.


    The perspectives from both sides were from totally different levels, which left Erin at her wits�� end. Even she, as the moon princess, failed to convince Ion, not to mention the four legendary generals. Not only that, but also what Erin was concerned about was that some people were trying to take advantage of the crisis for personal gains. Situations constantly surfaced during this period of time in the Country of Darkness. Even though Ion didn��t mention a word, it seemed like he didn��t have the time to find trouble with the Void Territory for now.


    In other words, Rhode had reached his goal.


    But Erin didn��t know if her big brother understood this.


    ��Phew����


    Erin held her forehead at this thought. After returning to the Country of Darkness, she tried to change her big brother��s thoughts. But now, it seemed like she failed completely. It was impossible for Ion to accept her opinion. And now, the only thing that Erin could do was to do what she should. Since Ion wasn��t willing to consider her advice, she had to find a new way of retreat.


    ��Your Highness.��


    At this moment, an ethereal voice sounded, disrupting Erin��s thought process. She looked up and saw the female servant entering her room silently. The servant gave her a deep bow, saying.


    ��Sir Balende is here.��


    ���� Please bring him in.��


    Erin��s expression remains unchanged. She put away the intelligence in her hand, crossed her arms, and narrowed her eyes. She gazed ahead, displaying a languid smile like a cat basking in the afternoon sun. Then, at this moment, an upright and tall figure appeared before her. He was one of the four legendary generals, the ��Spirit Chaser�� Balende.


    ��Greetings, Your Highness Erin.��


    After entering the room, Balende immediately walked in large strides toward Erin, before bowing respectfully. Erin smiled at him and nodded in response.


    ��Long time no see, Your Highness Balende. You seem as strong as ever; I��m glad.��


    ��Hahaha, Your Highness sure knows how to crack a joke.��


    Balende burst out in a hearty laughter, before extending his arm to pull out a chair for a seat.


    ��To the undeads like us who roam in darkness, we pay the price of life for us to remain in this world. But as for you, Your Highness Erin, you��ve blossomed into a beautiful woman; I still remember when you were an adorable young girl back then�� Sigh, this is where the beauty of life lies���� Balende let out a soft sigh, while Erin remained silent and continued to smile at him. For Balende to take the initiative to visit Erin, it was obvious that he had something to discuss with her. This was also the change brought about by her identity. If it were in the past, even though the four legendary generals were respectful of her, they never had any dealings with her before.


    Because how useful would a flower vase who wasn��t involved in politics be to them?


    But now, the situation was different from the past, after all.


    ��I suppose His Majesty is aware of our meeting, but I have to say that His Majesty may have belittled the Void Territory��s strength.��


    As soon as Balende spoke about formal matters, he instantly turned solemn.


    ��Your Highness Erin. You��ve stayed in the Void Territory for a while, so I suppose you have a specific understanding of their strength. I would like to know the chances of the Country of Darkness defeating the Void Territory in a war.��


    ���� Did Big Brother mention something about it?��


    Erin tensed up instantly upon hearing his question. Among the four legendary generals, Ashvril was in charge of intelligence, Garcia was responsible for internal affairs, and Balende was the true military commander. Now that Balende looked for her personally and asked about the layout of the Void Territory, it most likely meant that the Country of Darkness had intention to attack the Void Territory! Upon hearing her question, Balende shook his head slightly and spoke.


    ��His Majesty is extremely dissatisfied with the dirty tricks as of late�� and wishes to retaliate a little.��


    ������


    Even though Balende put it vaguely, Erin understood what he meant. She knitted her brows and even if Balende didn��t speak out directly, she knew that her big brother intended to teach Rhode a lesson. Since the ��Spirit Chaser�� came knocking on her door personally, it meant that a clash might occur between the Country of Darkness and Void Territory. Besides, as one of the four legendary generals, he might even lead the army personally!


    ���� Has Big Brother made his decision?��


    ��Currently His Majesty only has such an intention, but Your Highness Erin, I think you��re aware of His Majesty��s temperament����


    ��Yeah����


    Upon hearing Balende��s answer, Erin left out a subtle sigh. To Ion, a so-called ��intention�� basically meant to get ready to execute the plan. In other words, this conflict might be unavoidable. But Balende was clearly pessimistic of it as the scene of Mini Bubble Gum bashing up Ashvril during the Order Ceremony was still vivid in his mind. Although the occasion was different back then and Ashvril lost the first move which gave Mini Bubble Gum the upper hand, gaining the upper hand over the four legendary generals couldn��t be done by random Joes on the street.


    No wonder Balende came to inquire personally.


    But to Erin, this wasn��t an easy question to answer. It wasn��t due to her staying in the Void Territory for too long that she wanted to cover up for Rhode. Instead, she was somewhat hesitant because even though she didn��t become an undercover spy to investigate the Void Territory��s military secrets, she was still aware of the powerful beings around Rhode. In terms of battle strength, Erin was on par with the four legendary generals, so it was impossible for her to not detect the prestige of the Deity Wardens.


    ��I can��t give you a direct answer. But please pardon my bluntness, Your Majesty Balende. Perhaps you shouldn��t be considering our chances of winning. Instead, you should think if we even stand a chance.��


    ���� Your Highness Erin, what you meant is��?��


    Balende��s voice trembled slightly. It was apparent that he understood the meaning behind her words. Erin nodded to his doubt and spoke.


    ��If it is a war between armies, the Country of Darkness still stands some chances of winning. The failure previously in the Munn Kingdom can��t prove anything because the Munn Kingdom had been established for a long time. They have various complete systems and under the duchess, Lydia��s, lead, their formation was extremely tight and neat. It was a huge and obvious difference from the uneven levels of the Country of Light��s. Besides, with His Majesty Rhode��s help and the preparation beforehand, it wasn��t surprising that the Country of Darkness failed. But the Void Territory is different as it is a new territory, after all. Moreover, most people seeking shelter in their territory are mostly victims from the previous war. Although strong, young adults make up part of them, most of them were women and children. Even though His Majesty Rhode is currently reforming the Void Territory, in the meantime they can��t form an army that can effectively stop the Country of Darkness. But�� if it were based purely on the higher level, I don��t think we stand a chance of winning.��


    Erin paused and gazed at the silent Balende. Then, she continued.


    ��His Majesty Rhode has many formidable beings on his side and that includes Miss Mini Bubble Gum, Miss Canary, and Miss Marlene. I��m sure you witnessed their strength during the Order Ceremony. Not only that, but he also possesses formidable power. At least in Grandia, I sensed three massive, powerful beings. Although I don��t know who they are, their strength is definitely above mine! Even if the moon is full and round, I��m not confident of defeating them!��


    ���� Really?��


    Balende turned solemn instantly. As one of the four legendary generals, he knew clearly that Erin��s strength was just below Ion��s. Moreover, with her invincible attribute under the full moon, Erin rarely faced worthy opponents and not even the four legendary generals could defeat her together effortlessly. But now, Erin actually told him that even she, under the full moon, wasn��t confident that she could defeat Rhode��s formidable subjects? And there were even three of them?!


    Wouldn��t it mean that Rhode had at least three powerful beings who were stronger than the four legendary generals?


    ��Not only that, but His Majesty Rhode also possesses three squads consisting of demons, elves, and battle angels respectively. I suppose the demolition of Casabianca provided sufficient proof for you. Also, he has those unique magic warships�� Your Majesty Balende, honestly speaking, I��ve already reported this information to Big Brother, but he����


    This was the first time Erin looked down in disappointment. Even though she wasn��t a spy, she still came from the Country of Darkness, after all. Even if she didn��t probe into the military intelligence of the Void Territory, she was still more or less aware of the situation. However, all this didn��t seem to attract much of Ion��s attention. Perhaps to Ion, everything the Void Territory did was small-scale and as long as he ensured the strength on his side was powerful enough, he could defeat the Void Territory. But Erin knew that this definitely wasn��t something minor and yet, she couldn��t reveal too much from her standpoint as walls had ears. Even though Ion wasn��t mindful, if news were to spread that the princess of the Country of Darkness wasn��t confident that her country was as powerful as the Void Territory, she didn��t know what ruckus the dark nobles would cause.


    ��His Majesty is being too impatient. This is a taboo, but we, as subjects, can��t violate his orders����


    Upon hearing Erin��s answer, Balende shook his head and spoke. Then, he stood up.


    ��All right then, thank you for your pointers, Your Highness Erin.��


    ��You��re welcome. It��s nothing much.��


    Erin responded when suddenly something crossed her mind.


    ��Your Majesty Balende, has Big Brother started his operations? I��m not sure if this time, he will����


    Before Erin finished her sentence, Balende also paused and looked at her. Then, he spoke.


    ��Your Highness Erin, I heard that during your stay in the Void Territory, there was a royal vampire named Angelina who took care of you, right?��


    ���� I get what you mean now.��


    Erin��s heart sank. Even though Balende��s answer was neither here nor there, Erin already understood what her big brother intended to do.

 Chapter 1053 - Autumn Scenery

    Late autumn.


    The green layer of coating covering the tall, uneven mountain ranges had withdrawn and was replaced by a dress of crimson. Rhode sauntered across the field of red maple leaves, his footsteps resounding in the cracking of the dried leaves. In a single glance, he was surrounded by complete redness. Even though the vast prairie that grew over the land was about to step down from the main stage, the scattered maple leaves were as though stage curtains stopping the perfect actors from exiting. The curtains waited quietly for the actors to return to the stage for another magnificent performance. This was the cycle of the world. From beginning to end, the rhythm never changed.


    The aromatic scent of chestnut wafted in the air. Its fragrance left one salivating.


    ��Everything will eventually grow and mature, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Strolling in the maple forest alongside Rhode, Lydia raised her head and gazed at the beautiful, mesmerizing scenery. A gentle breeze wafted across the forest, silently sweeping leaves off the branches. In an instant, the forest before their eyes was as though experiencing a ��rainstorm and violent winds��. All around them were red maple leaves twirling and drifting in the wind, before landing on the ground gently. Time was as though a dream turning into reality, covering up everything in this world.


    ��I once thought that these children would not be able to survive this autumn. After all, what we faced earlier was anything but great with the howling winds, torrential rains, untimely hails, and intense heat. But it all seems like everything has its laws of nature. These pitiful and adorable little fellas survived the devastating storms and once again showed us the mature side of them. A little sapling begins growing from spring, gradually experiencing the summer heat and feeling the cleansing of the autumn winds. Finally, it has to face the harsh test of winter. But I believe that it will get through the winter safely.��


    Lydia said, turning around with a smile and gazing at Rhode who wasn��t far behind.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, thanks to your help this time, the young, fragile saplings are able to grow and mature gradually. This isn��t a simple task; you��re perfect to be a gardener.��


    ��You��re welcome, Your Highness Lydia. Besides, I don��t find it troublesome at all. After all, fiddling with the motherland��s flowers is also one of my hobbies.��


    Rhode replied and spread his arms apart. He lifted his head and followed Lydia��s gaze toward the azure sky above. It was late autumn, the harvesting season, be it for the Void Territory or Munn Kingdom. Although the boundless sky of stars in the Void Territory gave a unique flavor to the late autumn scenery, Rhode had to admit that Lydia was truly a master of enjoyment: gazing at the falling red leaves, listening to the sound of clear water flowing down the creek, and admiring the boundless, golden wheat field from above was enough to give one a pleasing sense of comfort. Even Rhode had to admit that this was the first time he discovered that admiring the scenery could make him relax so much. Of course, the roasted chestnuts were also delicious; green and pure from any contamination and whatnot�� There were still some benefits to being a transmigrator, wasn��t it?


    Of course, Rhode wasn��t being modest. In fact, fiddling with the flowers of the motherland was indeed one of his favorite hobbies.


    But it was a pity that he had no intention of becoming a gardener. With his personality, it would be bad if he accidentally committed some mistakes in principles��


    ��But I still have to thank you; Her Majesty Lilian looks so much better now. She became more confident and understands what she has to do. Perhaps���� Lydia turned around and looked towards the north in the distance, before letting out a subtle sigh. ���� Serene will be glad to see Lilian doing well.��


    Serene wasn��t doing great. Back then, after she was gravely injured by Chaos��s trap, she rushed to Casabianca before her wounds were healed and fought against Boulder using all her strength. At that point in time, she was basically at death��s door. If it weren��t for the fact that she was one of the archangels, perhaps now, Lilian could only recite poetry at her tombstone��


    ��Besides, it was also thanks to you, Your Majesty, that my operations in the Light Mainland were successful.��


    Lydia said, switching the topic and turning around with a grin. She gazed at Rhode wittily and proudly. Rhode realized the meaning behind her words and the corners of his lips perked up. His eyes glinted with an undetectable smile.


    It could also be said that after Casabianca was destroyed, only Lydia was left to shoulder this responsibility. Even though Sonia was closer to Lilian in person, her identity was more like a secretary and nanny. On the other hand, Lydia was the only true, worthy person who grasped the entire situation. As of now, she was slowly annexing and reshaping the various regions and forces of the Light Mainland using the strength of the Munn Kingdom as well as the anti-parliament forces. It could also be said that right now, she held the highest authority in the entire Light Mainland, her power and prestige as the archangel reaching an unprecedented peak. But it was a pity that even though she seemed impressive, it wasn��t able to change the fact that the forces in the Light Mainland were weakening drastically. Even though most battle angels were in her control and this core strength didn��t suffer tragically in the previous calamity, apart from this, there wasn��t any good news as there was only one archangel with battle strength left. The initial three archangels were already at a disadvantage in numbers going up against four of the legendary generals. Now that there was only one archangel, Lydia was at a disadvantage in all aspects. With Lydia alone, it was impossible for her to take on the four legendary generals. Meanwhile, Serene wouldn��t be recovering her battle strength anytime soon, which left Lydia with a hard time.


    One thing fortunate for her was that the massacre in Casabianca baffled the ambitious people who tried to take advantage of the crisis for personal gains. Initially, these people couldn��t wait to announce their objectives of establishing an independent country to fulfill their desires. However, every single one of them shut their mouths completely after the war in Casabianca happened as they were afraid that Rhode would eradicate them by sending magic warships for a spin above their new city. The parliament failed to resist the magic warships using the devils, so how was it possible that those people could defend against Rhode?


    Taking Rhode��s original world for comparison, the current Void Territory was as though a strong military country with nuclear weapons, while Casabianca was as though the Hiroshima and Nagasaki that were bombed during World War II. The power of nuclear deterrence wasn��t about how strong they were, but if they dared to drop them. And now, Rhode had clearly announced to the world that no matter if one was willing or forced, implicated or wronged, as long as one resisted the rule of the Creator Dragons, one would be killed. There would be no trials or wrongful execution. He would rather kill 99 innocent people than to let that one person off. That was the professionalism of the Void Territory.


    Under such ��nuclear deterrence��, those ambitious people were scared witless as they went around begging for help to express their respect for the Light Dragon, surging forward like an endless river and overflowing like the Yellow River, unable to be stopped��


    What made things better was Rhode��s identity. Even though anyone would be afraid of a huge massacre or the demon king��s bloody cruelty, Lydia neither attacked nor participated in it, which allowed her to maintain a good reputation and image. As a result, it made working with her less pressurizing. If it were Rhode�� those people would surely stay away from him as far as possible. But Rhode wasn��t mindful at all as having others fearing him was better than them belittling him. He looked forward to the day when everyone in the continent was fearful of the Void Territory��s threat as this would prove how powerful he was. On the contrary, who would even be afraid of a remote place like Barce that survived on their people being whistle blowers?


    ��I��m sure you didn��t invite me here to only admire the view, right, Your Highness Lydia?��


    Upon hearing Lydia��s words, Rhode asked, returning to the main topic. Previously, after Lydia visited Lilian, she invited Rhode to the Golden City to admire the captivating scenery of autumn. Of course, Rhode didn��t mind despite knowing that she definitely had an ulterior motive. He also didn��t want to be a workaholic like Ion and wasn��t interested in dominating a country. Judging from the description of the Void Territory as a ��territory��, it clearly showed his attitude toward this. Therefore, he didn��t refuse Lydia��s invitation and came here to admire the scenery.


    He had to admit that the view was indeed magnificent. The chestnuts were delicious too.


    But that was the end of it. It was time to talk business.


    Upon sensing the meaning behind his words, Lydia chuckled and extended her arm. Along with her movement, the fallen leaves and dust above the stone table and chairs glided off the surface cleanly. Then, a maid silently carried a tray with piping hot red tea, placing them on the table respectfully. Rhode took the opposite seat from Lydia, narrowing his eyes at her.


    ��Your Majesty, take a look at this vast, golden wheat field. Even though it faced disasters, it continues to welcome the harvest season. But even so, we need to be careful. After all, apart from the often changing weather, poisonous bugs and wild animals are also eyeing the crops. They can��t wait to taste and gorge on them to ensure they can get through winter. This is the natural behavior of all living creatures, isn��t it?��


    ��Of course, that is why we need to take precautionary measures. The livestock that the farmers raised painstakingly aren��t meant to be fed to the pack of wolves and a faithful sheepdog is the guarantee of a shepherd��s life���� Rhode said and came to a pause. Then, he gazed at the chuckling Lydia who, upon sensing his gaze, crossed her arms and squinted.


    ��That��s right, Your Majesty. But of course, the pack of sly wolves will not launch their attacks on a herd of sheep. Instead, they will hide in the shadow patiently, stare at the sheep that was left out of the herd, and pounce altogether�� In the darkness, they are more capable than anyone else because they are the most outstanding hunters.��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode twitched his brows. However, he wasn��t too surprised because he was used to Lydia always going off topic to express her standpoint and transmit information.


    ��What you meant is����


    ��According to intelligence, it seems like the Country of Darkness intends to attack you.��


    ��Oh? Is that so?��


    Rhode��s expression remained unchanged, but in his mind he had just cursed Ion��s 18 generations of ancestors. It seemed like the Dark Dragon just couldn��t stand idly by. Rhode sent Erin back to apply some eye drops for Ion, but now, he actually came to find trouble with Rhode before the eye drop was applied? However, what reassured Rhode was that judging from Lydia��s tone, the Dark Dragon seemed to have decided to play dirty and not start an open war, which was an advantage for Rhode. After all, if they were to clash openly, Rhode was concerned that he might not be able to manage the situation. But now, since the Dark Dragon was playing dirty��


    What a joke. Players were best at using dirty tricks in BOSS fights.


    ��Thanks for your reminder, Your Highness. It seems like I need to prepare gifts for my possible uninvited guests.��


    These weren��t just polite words. In fact, it was an extremely challenging process to gather intelligence from the Country of Darkness, not even with a godlike person like Alice on his side. This was because the dragon soul protection over the Country of Darkness was extraordinarily powerful, which made it tough for Alice to investigate. Besides, he would rather not have the information since he was unsure if it was accurate. On the other hand, it was much easier to gather information in the Country of Light as everyone was human and planting spies was more painless. In the Country of Darkness, undead creatures roamed the streets, which made it an exceedingly dangerous task to become a spy there. Despite that, Rhode didn��t know how Lydia was capable enough to lay out an intelligence web in the Country of Darkness. But he wasn��t worried that Lydia would lie to him. Based on his understanding of her, the information would be highly accurate since she revealed it to him personally.


    ��But it is hard for me to imagine which sheep those wild animals with their tails tucked and hiding the shadows are interested in. I��m looking forward to it; maybe they will realize that the sheep was actually a wolf underneath that clothing?��


    ��I��m not too sure about that, Your Majesty.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, Lydia let out a chuckle. Then, she lifted the cup of tea and sipped the delicious and fragrant red tea. She narrowed her eyes proudly, gazing slyly and meaningfully at the man opposite her.


    ��But�� Your Majesty, I��m pretty sure they have their ways as wolves attract one another. Although I know you love domesticating animals, you have to be careful to not get bitten on your hand, okay? That will be really painful.��


    ������


    This time, Rhode didn��t answer immediately to Lydia��s caution. Instead, he knitted his brows and pondered deeply for the meaning behind her words. It was apparent that the Country of Darkness was coming for him this time. Besides, according to Lydia, their target seemed to be an undead creature too. Currently, Rhode had three undead creatures on his side. Shira was definitely impossible and he wasn��t even sure if the Country of Darkness knew about her existence. What about Sara? No, the possibility wasn��t high. This Corpse Slave had been staying in the core region all day to monitor the territory and never interacted with outsiders. Besides, security measures in the core region were so strict that even the four legendary generals had to take the consequences. The only one left was��


    Angelina?


    Rhode was taken aback at this thought, but he had to admit that the chances were high. Angelina had strong desires for power and was a vampire. Even though Rhode trusted her to a certain degree, he forbade her from establishing her own family. After all, vampires didn��t have a great reputation and their breeding method wasn��t suitable to be used in places of humans. Moreover, regardless of her contributions, Rhode knew that she was somewhat dissatisfied with his decision. In his reputation chart, Angelina was only on the ��Respect�� level toward him. She was his first card spirit with such a low level of affection toward him. If the Country of Darkness was aiming for her�� Yes�� she might be a problem.


    But it was a pity that Ion didn��t seem aware that Rhode and Angelina had signed a contract. This time, Rhode was sure that Ion would return with nothing. At this thought, Rhode felt reassured.


    ��Don��t worry, if the wolves don��t change their ways, I don��t mind teaching them a lesson.��


    Rhode said, lifting his head and gazing at Lydia.


    ��Thank you, Your Highness Lydia. If it weren��t for you, I wouldn��t have known about this.��


    ��Huhuhu, you flatter me, Your Majesty Rhode. I��m sure you��re aware of everything that is happening in the Void Territory, right?��


    Lydia laughed at Rhode��s gratitude. Then, she looked at him and winked playfully.


    ��Alright then, Your Majesty�� since I have given you such interesting intelligence, don��t you think you should return the favor?��


    ��What you meant is����


    Rhode was slightly surprised. Upon observing his expression, Lydia revealed a cunning smile. She lifted a finger to her lips and made a pondering expression. After a few moments, as though making up her mind, she said with a smile.


    ��It is really simple, Your Majesty Rhode. I��m not asking for too much, so�� how about a kiss?��


    ��This����


    Rhode was dumbfounded.

 Chapter 1054 - Scarlet Young Moon

    Rhode had to admit that when he heard Lydia��s words, his heart skipped a beat. It wasn��t because he fell in love, but as a player born in the Munn Kingdom, Lydia had always been the lover of their dreams. In fact, there were no small amount of various pure, sexual, and fantasy stories with her as the protagonist as though she were one of the popular idols fantasized by fans. Although Rhode had no lack of women after transmigrating to this world and didn��t really consider having an overly intimate relationship with Lydia, in reality, humans often fantasized about having a romantic encounter with the popular girl idol one day and both of them would roll on the bed and watch the stars together. However, players kept talking about it only or perhaps they knew that it was impossible, which was why they could only speak about it. It was the same for Rhode. Even though he had only been an insignificant character in the past, he was the Void Dragon now. In terms of status and everything else, he didn��t have an insurmountable gap with others like in the past. Even so, he had never considered this possibility as he never thought about it before.


    It was as though one asserted that after one won a lottery worth millions, one would buy two bowls of soybean milk, drink one and toss one. But one didn��t expect to actually win millions from the lottery. When that happened, one couldn��t care less about soy bean milk! At this moment, Rhode suddenly felt something soft and aromatic on his lips. He lifted his head in surprise, only to discover that Lydia had stretched out two fingers and placed them on his lips. She retracted her arm and winked cheekily at him.


    ��Huhuhu, I��m just kidding; I hope you wouldn��t mind, Your Majesty.��


    I knew it.


    Gazing at Lydia who smiled like a sly fox, Rhode shook his head. He knew that Lydia wasn��t one who enjoyed doing such a thing, but as it was too sudden, he couldn��t help but feel surprised. Fortunately, his disguise with the emotionless face came into great effects and he didn��t display a lecherous expression, which saved him from some embarrassments. Of course, deep down he felt rather dissatisfied as he gazed at Lydia who smiled so proudly.


    ��Of course, I wouldn��t mind, Your Highness Lydia.��


    Rhode said, stood up from his seat, and sauntered toward Lydia. As he approached her, Lydia��s beautiful eyes swirled dubiously. But before she reacted, Rhode stooped over and pecked her on the cheek, before lifting his head up. Lydia��s expression changed slightly. The smile on her face turned into a fluster by this unexpected ambush. Rhode placed his hands behind his back and proudly admired this rare expression of hers, before reminiscing the warm, soft, and wonderful feel on his lips and nodding to the young lady.


    ��Even though this is only a joke to you, it is indeed a decent choice of a reward for me, don��t you think so?��


    Rhode said and bowed leisurely to Lydia.


    ��All right then, I have to attend to something; I shall make my leave now.��


    He turned around and left, leaving Lydia gazing blankly at his back. After a few moments, she curled her lips in discontentment. This archangel who always seemed gentle and calm had as though turned into a little girl who didn��t get the toy she wanted, curling her lips and glaring at him.


    ��Really! What an ambush���� Lydia mumbled under her breath. She extended her arm and caressed the cheek that Rhode kissed. Then, her eyes glinted as she let out a sigh. At this moment, a slim, slender figure walked out of the forest and toward her.


    ��Your Highness, you����


    ��Say nothing, Gaya; I��m not in a good mood now. Hmph, let me curse him a little first.��


    ������


    Upon hearing Lydia��s childish grumbles, Gaya pondered in silence before turning around and gazing at the forest trail ahead where Rhode was no longer visible. But even so, Gaya displayed a dubious look and only after a few moments, she mustered her courage and said, ��Your Highness, you really don��t need to do this. Isn��t Miss Lize already�� Besides, you��re one of the three archangels����


    Gaya knitted her brows and closed her mouth to speak no further. She knew that Lydia wouldn��t change her mind no matter how much she dissuaded. But to Gaya, it was totally unnecessary because she knew clearly why Lydia did that��the reason involved the current state of the Country of Light.


    Even though Casabianca was destroyed, the entire state of the Light Mainland was unprecedentedly well. The opposing voices against the Light Dragon from the past were no longer heard. On the other hand, Lydia gained a huge amount of authority and the Munn Kingdom also increased in strength after annexing the residual land in the Country of Light. It could also be said that currently, the Country of Light was undergoing a political reform and thereafter, the Munn Kingdom might possibly return to be a part of the Country of Light. But the more powerful one was, the more responsibility one had to shoulder. The Munn Kingdom was an independent country. Even though she possessed complete and perfect systems, it wasn��t easy for a snake to digest a whole, dead elephant, after all. Besides, the Country of Light was in a state of chaos and before Lydia received any benefit, she had met with some challenges. She had to send manpower from the Munn Kingdom to protect the Country of Light��s territories that she took over. Although local defense forces were available, most of the soldiers were heavily injured in the war against the Country of Darkness. Moreover, in the Chaos Gate incident, the Country of Darkness also launched an ambush which led to the huge loss of the Country of Light��s armies. This could be considered as having their backbone broken and in this case, it was imaginable how weak the defense forces were at this point in time.


    In this situation, the Munn Kingdom used up their resources to assist other regions while they faced a manpower issue. But this wasn��t acceptable for everyone. Gaya was aware that many nobles in the Munn Kingdom hoped for the country to rely on a more powerful strength. If it were in the past, they wouldn��t have such thoughts. But now, among the three archangels, one was missing and the other was injured. Moreover, the Country of Darkness was also eyeing covetously, which wasn��t surprising that the nobles felt concerned. In this case, all Lydia had to do was to appease the nobles and find an alliance who could live and die side by side with. But this wasn��t a simple task as there was only one person who had the strength and ability to go up against the Country of Darkness.


    ��In this world, there is no hate for no reason; neither is there love for no reason, Gaya.��


    Lydia spoke, no longer looking like an angry and childish little girl whose toy was snatched away. Instead, she showed the calm, gentle, and peaceful smile of hers once again. She narrowed her eyes and lifted her head, gazing at the scenery. Then, the corners of her lips perked up slightly.


    ��One has to give in order to gain; it is the same for everything else. Besides, to me, this is a somewhat challenging game.��


    ��But I still think that with your precious body, this method is inappropriate����


    ��He accepted.��


    ��Huh?��


    Gaya was taken aback by Lydia��s baffling response. Lydia turned around and smiled at her dearest subject. ��Just like you said, I don��t like to do this. One gets as much as one gives, so if I vainly seek help using nothing, it proves just how powerless I am. So I gave up in the end. But His Majesty Rhode apparently figured out what��s going through my mind. It seems like even though I��ve decided to give myself a route of retreat, he doesn��t seem to want to give me one.�� Lydia said, lowering her gaze to the ground. Then, she curled her lips in dissatisfaction.


    ��That is why I said His Majesty Rhode is too cunning to force a virtuous lady into doing something she dislikes; that wasn��t any gentlemanly gesture.��


    If Rhode were to hear Lydia��s remark, he would be sure to tell her that he was never a gentleman. In fact, after Rhode realized the conflicting emotions in her reaction, he immediately knew that Lydia wasn��t only trying to ��tease�� him. Although Lydia decided to treat it as a joke, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for Rhode! In the past, he had never thought of hitting on Lydia, but it didn��t mean that it was still the same for him now. To him, if he were to let this godsent opportunity go, it would be a total waste. Therefore, after Lydia held back, he shamelessly chose to seize the opportunity. He had to admit that he felt a sense of accomplishment in teasing an archangel.


    Rhode didn��t feel like Lydia was in the wrong to approach him with some motives. Also, he didn��t think that she tarnished the pure, innocent impression of herself in his mind. Since ancient times, the relationships between men and women were always like this. Perhaps people preached the cross-class love between a princess and knight, but there was definitely a reason for a woman to be attracted to a man, be it money, strength, or other ridiculous reasons. However, it definitely was something women lacked and desired. Since Lydia had this need, Rhode didn��t mind reaping some benefits. Anyway, going against the Dark Dragon was an established matter to him. If he could use this chance to get hold of Lydia, it wouldn��t get better than this.


    But now, Lydia wasn��t his main goal. Right now, his main focus was Angelina.


    At this moment in Grandia, Angelina was facing a dilemma.


    Throughout her days spent in Grandia, Angelina didn��t feel horrible. In this place, she was neither mistreated by anyone nor was there any fighting and scheming against each other like in the Country of Darkness. Be it Rhode or others, everyone gave her a relative amount of trust. But to Angelina, this life wasn��t what an insignificant royal vampire wished for. To her, she wished for her own authority, as well as to restore the honor of the royal vampires. But she couldn��t achieve it in the Void Territory as Rhode had decided against her establishing a royal vampire family here. This put her in a tough spot. She enjoyed life here, but was clearly aware that she couldn��t fulfill her dreams. Although this place let her live as a vampire, Rhode disapproved of her turning people into slaves and building a new vampire family. She was in an extremely complicated mood, or could even be said to be devoid of hope. But to the insignificant royal vampire, she didn��t have any other solutions. At this point in time, this letter from the darkness on the other side swayed her decision.


    It was a confidential envelope from the vampire family, sealed up using a unique method to vampires. The content of the letter inside affected her emotionally because she clearly witnessed the possibilities of her restoring the honor and glory of her family.


    But�� should I take this gamble?


    Clutching the letter in her hand, Angelina couldn��t make up her mind. No one was aware, but she knew clearly that she couldn��t leave the Void Territory freely. The day she arrived at Grandia, she signed a soul contract with Rhode, which became her biggest worry as regardless of whether she was willing, she could not leave the territory as she pleased to chase her dreams. But at the same time, she felt like it would be a pity to miss this opportunity if she stayed here. Admittedly, everything in the Void Territory was decent. Besides, she didn��t need to be cautious all the time unlike in the Country of Darkness, where she was as though walking on thin ice. But to vampires, not committing mistakes was as though humans needing food and water. It was in their nature and not only that, but the vampires were also experts in inducing others to make mistakes and she rarely had to do it in Grandia.


    Angelina had asked herself repeatedly. Am I really going to submit myself to this life and live as the most devoted servant of a Creator Dragon?


    Although this wasn��t impossible, what would happen to her family��s honor if she chose to walk down this path? To Angelina, nothing was more important to her family��s honor. She worked tirelessly for it and had only one goal in mind: take down Ashvril, make the royals rise, and rule all vampires.


    But in Grandia, it was impossible for her to accomplish it.


    Do I�� really have to give it up?


    Angelina held the letter tightly, asking herself this question. She gnashed her teeth, pondering deeply for a decision. But in the end, a ridiculous, but exceedingly tempting idea cropped up in her mind. Perhaps she could convince Rhode to let her return to the Country of Darkness to make it happen?


    But shortly after, she denied this thought once again; she didn��t believe that Rhode was a doormat. Although they had close, intermediate interactions and strictly speaking, Rhode was Angelina��s first man, it wasn��t important to a vampire. A physical relationship was weight used to maintain authority and divisions in class; this was the general view of vampires. It didn��t suit Angelina to keep in mind constantly of her first experience like a human. Similarly, Angelina didn��t think that Rhode would graciously let her go because she had spent the night with him.


    But Angelina had to admit that the temptation was indeed huge.


    It seems like that is the only way.


    Angelina��s eyes glinted at this thought. Then, she extended her arm and along with her movement, the letter burned up in blue flames before turning into ashes that faded away in the air. She turned around and left the room. After pressing down the creases on her clothes, she walked along the corridor before arriving at a tall, heavy door. She gazed at the door, took a deep breath, and extended her hand to knock on it.


    ��Come in.��


    Shortly after, a voice responded. Upon hearing it, Angelina gnashed her teeth, pushed the door open, and entered. She quickly saw Rhode crossing his arms and seated behind the table. Rhode��s eyes glinted dubiously upon seeing Angelina. Then, he changed his pose.


    ��Is anything the matter, Angelina?��


    ���� Yes, Your Majesty Void Dragon.��


    Angelina lifted her head, gazing at the man with her scarlet eyes. Upon sensing the pressurizing look from Rhode, she instinctively shivered as though his gaze was able to see through her soul. But even so, she mustered her courage and continued to gaze at him.


    ��I have something to report.��

 Chapter 1055 - Queen of The Blood Descendants

    Rhode already knew that Ion would send someone to cause him trouble. Besides, he also knew that it would be a huge one. After Lydia��s reminder, he was attentive to this matter. But after hearing Angelina��s report, he realized that he had underestimated the situation.


    ��You��re saying that there is a group of vampires in the Land of Atonement?��


    Rhode knitted his brows, gazing at Angelina who stood before him and sighed subtly before nodding in agreement. Even though Rhode��s expression didn��t change at all, he cursed in his head after observing Angelina��s reaction. Ultimately, there was only one cause of this situation��Angelina.


    Angelina was a vampire; a royal vampire that held the most ancient bloodline in the empire of darkness. Of course, that was her glorious past and her tough days arrived after Ashvril took over the throne. As the Chinese proverb went, ��a phoenix with its feathers plucked wouldn��t be as great as a chicken��. The fact that Angelina survived the fights and schemes from the dark forces proved that she had her ways to handle them. Besides, she wasn��t an easy character to deal with either. A long time ago, she began to set out to overthrow Ashvril��s rule and sought help from alliances. Although Ashvril had a huge force on her side and was individually powerful as one of the four legendary generals, the internal strife between vampires for power were always brutal and it was common for strong ones to have the last laugh because the weak ones were all slaughtered. Even though Ashvril had become unmatchable after ascending the throne as one of the four legendary generals, there were a huge number of vampire families she offended and eliminated. It was especially so for the families who were hostile against her previously; all of them were seriously injured by her. In this case, it went without saying that there were vampires going against her. It was during this period when Angelina started deploying her tricks. She searched and collected information about families who hated Ashvril and wanted to take her down. Got to say, with Angelina��s identity, some people acknowledged her ��legitimate�� status, and Angelina used her own hands, plans, and strength to gather a relatively huge group of people to establish a whole new ��force��.


    Angelina initially decided to use this chance to surface again, but this secret leaked out to Ashvril��s ears. In the end, Angelina was sent to her death to the Land of Atonement, only to be captured by Mini Bubble Gum. That was how the episode came to an end. After losing Angelina, the ��force�� was without a leader and to Angelina, perhaps those vampires had secretly gone home to bed after realizing that the situation was out of hand. It was no wonder that she thought of it this way as it was never the vampires�� expertise to openly confront anyone. Instead, secretly framing, poisoning, and backstabbing was their talent. If Angelina trusted her subjects�� devotion, she would have been played to death by Ashvril before she was even sent to the Land of Atonement.


    That should have been the case��


    But what Angelina didn��t expect was that after losing her ��force��, the force didn��t disband. Instead, they did the very opposite, seizing the opportunity to ambush Ashvril��s hometown, Athos City. Ashvril was caught off guard, which led to Athos City suffering huge losses and two of her powerful subjects were injured and dead respectively. When Ashvril returned to her senses in rage, the ambushers had already gotten away. Of course, Ashvril wasn��t willing to let this matter off. Unlike the other three legendary generals, Ashvril didn��t possess similar powerful strength and yet, she was able to become one of them. This was the weakness of vampires. No matter how much they strengthened themselves, they couldn��t reach the height of the other three legendary generals. Moreover, the reason why Ashvril was able to overthrow the predecessor was because she relied on group attacks to make up for individual vampire��s limited battle strength. If it weren��t for the outstanding intelligence network of the vampires, perhaps the Dark Dragon wouldn��t leave one of the legendary generals�� spots open to a vampire. It could also be said that Ashvril��s position wasn��t as stable and safe as the other three��s.


    Not only that, but also after Rhode heard Angelina��s report, he was caught between laughter and tears as if he were to look into this matter, it was in fact related to Mini Bubble Gum. If Mini Bubble Gum didn��t destroy Ashvril��s precious weapon during the Order Ceremony, which led to her strength plummeting, Angelina��s ��force�� wouldn��t have dared to mess with Ashvril and attack her hometown, catching her off guard. But after the bashing from Mini Bubble Gum, even though Ashvril seemed fine, she actually suffered a huge loss as Mini Bubble Gum purified the spirits inside her weapon. A huge part of Ashvril��s battle strength relied on the powerful spirits that she collected and now, the spirits were gone and she couldn��t possibly massacre vampires to replenish her strength. As a result, she was caught off guard by ��little scoundrels�� she looked down upon, leading her to fail miserably.


    Ashvril was enraged over it. Just as was mentioned earlier, she wasn��t weak and attained her position after overthrowing the predecessor. With this criminal record, it wasn��t surprising that anyone would attempt to overthrow her too. If it were in the past, Ashvril could effortlessly take down any threats despite how imperfect her strength was. However, Mini Bubble Gum��s beating hurt her badly. Her prestige and reputation had fallen to rock bottom after the incident too. Even if those ��little scoundrels�� weren��t able to overthrow her throne, they successfully revealed her tottering position. If a leaderless little ��force�� could turn Ashvril��s nest upside down, what about the ancient and powerful forces? How could they let the chance to beat up a drowning dog slip?


    Besides, ever since Ashvril had gained her rank, she supported the newly born vampires in order to solidify her place, strengthen her power, and oppress the ancient vampire families. No one would believe that these long-living vampires weren��t enraged by her!


    Therefore, in order to restore her strength, Ashvril besieged the vampires who attacked Athos City. On the other hand, the vampires were indeed smart. Perhaps because they knew that they were unable to bear the consequences of failure after attacking Athos City, they quickly retreated thereafter. No one knew how they got the information about Angelina as they sneaked past the borders and arrived at the Void Territory to seek protection from Angelina!


    Not only that, but the forces Ashvril sent out also apparently caught their tails. This time, Ashvril had to succeed. If she let those vampires escape, her position as the Blood Countess might possibly be given to some mad uncle or dignified young lady. Or perhaps, it could also be said that the word ��possibly�� would be removed entirely.


    ������


    After learning the causes and effects of the situation from Angelina, Rhode��s expression remained unchanged despite cursing Ion as an unscrupulous b*stard in his head. If Rhode didn��t hear from Lydia that Ion was making a move on him soon, perhaps he would think that this was just Ashvril��s personal motive after hearing Angelina��s report. But now, he was sure that Ion approved and supported Ashvril in sending her forces over. Besides, her forces were definitely not here to just capture a ��fugitive�� and they might even cause a ruckus in the Void Territory before retreating. If that were the case, Rhode would be totally embarrassed! Besides, what angered him more was that if it really happened, he couldn��t declare war against the Country of Darkness because at this point in time, the Void Territory lacked sufficient strength to attack the Country of Darkness. The most he could do was to lead some of his subjects and stir troubles there. But even so, the effects wouldn��t be huge as the majority of the population in the Country of Darkness was undead creatures who were extremely loyal and dedicated to the Dark Dragon. If Rhode took it too far, he might agitate the Country of Darkness further into declaring an all-out war against him. But if he took only small actions, his act would be treated as a monkey show. No matter which it was, neither of them were great choices!


    On the contrary, the damage on Rhode��s side would be much more. If the civilians were to learn that the Country of Darkness could enter and leave the Void Territory freely, his reputation as the Void Dragon would be tarnished! Where could he hide his face after his territory turned into a public bus for anyone to board?


    If the situation turned out that way, Rhode would have no choice but to suffer in silence and from excessive internal heat of anger!


    But now, since Rhode was prepared beforehand, he wouldn��t allow them to humiliate him. He was sure that since Ion wanted to teach him a small lesson, the forces used to capture the ��fugitive�� were bound to be powerful. It wasn��t too long ago when Ashvril was beaten up by Mini Bubble Gum, so she should still remember that Rhode had a group of formidable beings by his side. Therefore, he was confident that perhaps even the four legendary generals would show up personally with their armies, with Ashvril definitely being a part of it. Besides, she wouldn��t be the only legendary general arriving at the Void Territory! Although Rhode��s base was no longer located in the Land of Atonement, he was still attentive of that place. If the undead creatures were to cause trouble in the Land of Atonement, they would surely do it quickly and escape his capture before he arrived. It would be impossible for them to do it without the support from powerful beings!


    At this thought, Rhode made up his mind. But the other troublesome issue wasn��t resolved yet.


    ��All right then, Angelina. What do you intend to do?��


    Rhode had always been aware of Angelina��s intention and never agreed with her as vampires were a group of beings who wished for the whole world to be in chaos. They had strong desires for power and often wreaked havoc wherever they went. The incident involving Ashvril was a living example. The group of vampires were brazen enough to mess with the four legendary generals, so what was there that they didn��t dare to do? If Angelina were to solicit this group of vampires to the Void Territory, would Rhode still have a good life ahead of him?


    ��Your Majesty, if you allow, I would like to take them in. I swear in the honor of my family! I will make them serve, submit, and fight for you wholeheartedly! No matter what you want us to do, we will do our best!��


    ������


    Angelina��s words sounded beautiful, but it was a pity that anyone could beautify their words. However, it was an entirely different matter whether one could go through it at all. Rhode knitted his brows, scanning the young lady before him who gnashed her teeth and looked back at him. This was the only hopeful chance to Angelina. In the past, the reason why Rhode disallowed her to establish a family here wasn��t that he was dubious of her loyalty. Instead, it was that in order for vampires to breed, they had to transform living humans into vampires. This might not be a huge matter in the Country of Darkness, but in the Void Territory, Rhode couldn��t possibly offend humans for the vampires. But now, since a group of vampires were seeking shelter from him, he wouldn��t have an issue with it anymore. As for whether he could control the vampires, Angelina was confident. In the Country of Darkness, she managed to gather the vampires alone despite the harsh conditions and went against Ashvril. In this case, with the support of the Creator Dragon in the Void Territory, it couldn��t get much easier to control the vampires.


    ������


    Rhode maintained his emotionless face upon hearing her answer as his right finger tapped lightly on the table repeatedly. He gazed at the royal vampire without speaking a single word. Before Angelina realized it, the atmosphere around her had already turned heavy, and her forehead was drenched in sweat. She sensed a powerful mental energy striking at her heart constantly. If she hung on, she might be ripped into powder! She knew clearly that this was Rhode��s final chance for her. But even so, she had no intention of giving up her ideal! Since she couldn��t regain the honor and glory of Babylonia in the Country of Darkness, she must do it in the Void Territory!


    ���� I got it. You may leave now.��


    Rhode said. He shifted his gaze away and nodded slightly. Upon hearing his answer, Angelina let out a sigh inside her head and didn��t say a word. She turned around, left the room, and as soon as she stepped out, she realized her body had become so weak that her legs couldn��t support her! She crumbled to the floor, leaning on the wall for support. After a few moments, she gnashed her teeth and stood to her feet. Then, she looked at the heavy, closed door with a complicated gaze before heading off.


    At this moment, Rhode was also gazing at the heavy, closed door with a solemn look!


    Angelina always had a strong desire for power. After him probing on her earlier, he saw that even until now, Angelina hadn��t given up on her ideal; that so-called ideal in revitalizing her family��s honor. This left Rhode in a headache. In all fairness, even if it were a Dark Elf like Nell who made this request, he wouldn��t feel anything wrong with it. But it was just the vampires that he couldn��t accept�� They could only blame themselves for having a different reproduction system and consuming blood as their source of food. Rhode couldn��t possibly hold humans captive as their slaves and food, right?


    But Angelina was adamant about it and Rhode couldn��t come up with a solution. It could also be said that this was the matter that gave him the biggest headache. As Angelina had already turned into a card spirit, she didn��t need to consume blood like in the past. Unless she had to temporarily provide a buff for Rhode or when she was too hurt, she wouldn��t need to consume blood for survival. But this didn��t mean that the other vampires could also�� Hmm?


    Rhode��s eyes glinted at this thought as some unique ideas suddenly came up in his head. In this case�� he could give it a shot with his unique advantages. If he succeeded, the problem could be perfectly resolved!


    As for the next matter��


    Rhode reached out for the bell on the table and shook it. Shortly after, the door opened and Agatha opened quietly. She gazed at him, gave a casual bow, and asked: ��Your Majesty, is there anything I can help you with?��


    ��Get Marlene, Alice, Bubble, and Canary here; tell them I have something to discuss with them.��


    Rhode ordered, the corners of his lips perked up into a gentle, relaxed smile.


    It seems about time to consider how we should entertain our faraway guests who are harboring malicious intentions.

 Chapter 1056 - Victims Under the Night Sky

    The Void Territory.


    As night fell, the bustling scenes of daytime vanished completely. The quiet night enveloped the silent streets, while the moonlight and Holy Maiden Statue��s gentle radiance enfolded the border altogether. Even though Rhode��s group had moved, it didn��t mean that the fortress here was no longer in use. Instead, it became the shelter of the Astral Temple��s heroic spirits. No matter what, that small temple wasn��t suitable to be used as a lodge.


    A petite, slender person wrapped in a robe lifted its head from the alley, looking at the most conspicuous building in the Land of Atonement with a complicated gaze. Right over there, fully-armored Elf Knights scanned the ground from the high walls above, angels flapped their beautiful wings and flying back and forth in the sky, and demons strolled in large strides on the ground, making blustering howls from time to time. These beings who were born to give their lives in the fight against Chaos treated one another without much prejudice. Perhaps demons loathed the angels�� hypocrisy, elves disliked the demons�� clamors, or the natural opposition between angels and demons caused arguments from time to time, but just like how an army had good and bad people, the conflicts from both sides didn��t reach an irreconcilable degree. Currently, in the fortress of the Land of Atonement, angels were responsible for the big picture, elves provided support, and demons were in charge of being hired thugs. One had to admit that facing the tall, sturdy built of the demons, not everyone dared to go against them.


    Why are the different races able to coexist in harmony here?


    Gazing at the beings from a distance, the person hidden in the alley let out a sigh. At this moment, one of the demons seemed to detect something. Its nose twitched as it turned toward the alley. Its scarlet eyes erupting in bright radiance like searchlights. Upon witnessing this scene, the person hidden in the alley retreated quickly. Its cloak fluttered in the wind as it drifted across the darkness lithely. As the demon��s line of sight shifted, it spotted nothing.


    This is truly an incredibly dangerous city.


    The fluttering cloak appeared in the shadows once again like an elongated reflection transforming under the night sky into the form of a human. The person wrapped in the cloak let out a sigh of relief before taking off the cloak. It was a young lady who seemed to be around 16 to 17 years old. She wore a crimson, elegant dress and a thin, sleek sword hung on her waist. Her blonde, twin ponytails swayed in her movements. Judging from her appearance, her exquisite facial features, slender, alluring figure, and noble presence would make her seem like a wealthy young lady. However, little canines revealed from the edge of her lips and pale complexion exposed her true identity��vampire.


    At this moment, the young lady was flitting across the forest under the night sky like a ghost. A trail of afterimages followed behind her, before silently disappearing and reappearing in the depths of the forest. After a few moments, she arrived at the entrance of a cave, took a few steps forward, and stroked her arm across the darkness before her. Along in her movements, a crimson radiance flashed. Invisible waves of air burst from the peaceful cave entrance, before cracking into an opening. The young lady threw a look at the left and right. After confirming that there was no threat around, she stepped into the space crack.


    As soon as her foot stepped inside, the scenery surrounding her changed immediately. The views of nature vanished completely, only to be replaced by a cheerless cellar-like place. Dim, glowing torches hung on the cold walls. The short cave became a wide stone hall. The young lady descended the steps and quickly saw six to seven people approaching her from the side, gazing at her anxiously.


    ��How was it, Carol?��


    ��It��s tough.��


    Carol answered her companion, before shaking her head with a worrisome look. She gazed at the other young ladies. Even though they were noble vampires in the past, the long days of escape left them exhausted, with some of them suffering injuries from the chase. At this moment, they no longer exuded the arrogance and pride of noble vampires. Instead, they were seemingly down and frightened. Looking at this scene, Carol let out a sigh. Then, she cleared her head and asked.


    ��Is there news of Madam Angelina?��


    ������


    Everyone shook their heads in response and Carol sighed in her head. They couldn��t be blamed because even she didn��t expect the Land of Atonement to be such a dangerous place. She originally intended to sneak into the city, capture some humans as slaves and food, and get in touch with Madam Angelina. But it was a pity that despite having a calculated plan, these vampire ladies were scared to death by the Elf Knights shuttling through the forest, Battle Angels soaring in the sky, and demons patrolling the area. Every one of these three races were a so-called nemesis of the vampires. The holy power of the Battle Angels left the vampires running for their lives. On the other hand, the demons�� ferocity and cunningness were far above the vampires��. In terms of agility and speed, elves dominated the vampires. Due to these unforeseen circumstances, these vampires had no choice but to give up on their plan and act cautiously. From the start, they couldn��t help but to attack humans, only to be nearly captured by the Battle Angels and demons. If it weren��t for the fact that Carol possessed the ability to tear through the plane of existence and create an alternate dimension, they wouldn��t have survived the chase.


    At this moment, Carol��s group realized that the Void Territory might be even more dangerous than the Country of Darkness. However, they expended all their energy crossing the border and finally arriving here. Besides, there was still an advantage for them in this situation. The pursuers from the Country of Darkness most likely wouldn��t cross the border to find trouble with them here and this left Carol feeling reassured. But it wouldn��t work if this went on. After all, they needed food. Although they barely survived on animal blood during this period of time, it wasn��t the solution for the long term. Unless they managed to find and kill a powerful demonic beast, they couldn��t gain enough energy from animal blood. This was also why the vampires favored humans as the source of their food instead. Human blood was sweet, delicious, and contained a strength of life that vampires needed urgently. Not only that, but human blood was also nourishing and able to strengthen the vampires. This was why in the vampires�� eyes, humans were as though precious tonics.


    Just like American-grade ginseng.


    It was a pity that everything was just their imaginations. In fact, Carol was starting to feel worried because after days of persistent observations, she found out that the Void Territory treated humans similarly to the Country of Light and Country of Law. In this case, would they be accepted by the Void Territory? Although Carol had thought of seeking shelter from Angelina back then, in this case, even if she relied on Angelina for help, would the legendary Void Dragon be willing to accept them? Carol knew her place. The vampires weren��t vampires by choice, but this didn��t change their nature. It was a fact that they needed to consume blood as food to gain energy and human blood was their most preferred.


    But come to think of it, it seemed like the humans, elves, angels, and demons were able to leave behind stereotypes and live together in peace. It was impossible for Carol to not feel a little envious. Vampires weren��t afraid of social class divisions because if they were, they wouldn��t have set Ashvril��s town on fire. It could also be said that deep down in their hearts, they more or less had their own expectations and prides. If they could be like these beings, able to coexist under the same sky, it wasn��t entirely impossible for them to stay here for the rest of their lives��


    ��How about we head to Grandia instead? We can look for Madam Angelina and discuss it with her?��


    A vampire knitted her nice, arched eyebrow and asked. However, her suggestion was faced with objection.


    ��Are you kidding? Grandia��s the city of the Void Dragon. Do you really think that we can wrap around Athos City and swagger on the streets in the Darkness Capital? Besides, I heard that Grandia is a city floating in the air, so even if we manage to sneak in, we may not be able to escape if we are spotted!��


    Another vampire rebutted immediately. It was apparent that she didn��t agree with her view.


    ��But there��s no news of Madam Angelina yet����


    ������


    Everyone fell into silence. At this moment, they had a similar thought: Angelina might have possibly abandoned them. But this wasn��t rarely seen among the vampires as abandonment and betrayal were the main theme of the darkness nobles, while trust was invaluable. But Angelina was different. Back then, she managed to gather these vampires under Ashvril��s immense pressure, which proved that she and her subjects formed a relationship of trust. This was also why the vampires came all the way to the Void Territory. If Angelina had truly abandoned them, the vampires would be at the end of their ropes.


    ��Hmph!��


    All of a sudden, a crisp grunt sounded in their ears. The vampires were startled. They turned toward the voice quickly and saw a petite figure appearing out of thin air, landing on the ground firmly.


    ��It has just been a few days and all of you have become so weak. I��m utterly embarrassed!��


    Carol was instantly overjoyed.


    ��Madam Angelina!��

 Chapter 1057 - Glory of the Vampires

    It was Angelina who appeared before them. She pulled a long face, staring coldly at them. Shortly after, everyone detected the dissatisfaction in her eyes. They closed their mouths quickly, lowered their heads, and gazed at the ground in uncertainty. This scene seemed a little strange, at least in the eyes of outsiders. Angelina was considered as having the smallest built among them but now, she displayed an unprecedented and powerful presence. The dense, ice-cold aura exuding from her was as though a boulder falling from above, crashing heavily on their hearts and turning their pale complexion as white as a sheet. The bloodline senses between vampires was extremely powerful, especially due to their unique reproduction method, causing them to trace back to their origin. In this case, the vampire who was closer to the ancestor would have more power over the vampires below. This was also why Ashvril had so many enemies below her and this was also an important reason why she wanted to get rid of Angelina. If Angelina became mature and grew stronger, Ashvril wouldn��t stand a chance against her, being a vampire who transformed from a human. If Ashvril didn��t get rid of Angelina, she would be in huge trouble after Angelina became stronger.


    ��How daring of you all. Do you still remember what I said back then?��


    Angelina reprimanded, totally unlike the vampire who behaved like a docile cat in front of Rhode. Right now, she was like a wolf queen standing on the peak of a cliff, staring down at the pack of submissive wolves with her fierce, green eyes. No one dared to raise any questions or doubts. There was only submission.


    ��I wanted all of you to stay calm, but what did you do? Burn down Athos City? Since you have the guts, why didn��t you burn down the Darkness Capital?��


    Angelina crossed her arms, staring at the group of vampires. Her voice was calm and ice-cold. Even though they were important subordinates to Angelina, it didn��t stop her from lecturing them. In fact, Angelina was aware of their weaknesses. All in all, they might seem cautious, but they were full of adventurous spirit. Although they appeared careful when executing the plan, they lacked the ability to assess the situation. The fact that they ambushed Athos City was a perfect example. Even if Carol and her group didn��t own up to the fact that it was their doing, Angelina knew what was going through their heads. They must have decided to backstab Ashvril while she was weak and escape from the consequences. Anyway, even if they weren��t involved with what happened afterwards, they were sure that other vampire families would ��assist�� them in rocking Ashvril��s rule. Then, they could look for Angelina in the Void Territory later on and start all over again. Perhaps when that happened, Ashvril would be entirely doomed and they could take advantage of it�� Well, this daydream wasn��t bad at all.


    But it was only a daydream, after all. They didn��t think of the fact that Ashvril wasn��t as powerful as she was when she first took over the throne. Besides, the new and rising noble families hadn��t risen yet back then, while the ancient, well-established noble families still existed now. Moreover, many vampires were discontented with Ashvril for overthrowing the predecessor and secretly caused a lot of trouble for her. During that period of time, Ashvril was in a rocky position, but didn��t she still manage to survive? And now, this group of rascals thought that they could easily attain their goal by watching the fires burn across the river? Surely they wouldn��t think that the other vampire families were only there for show!


    In fact, Angelina didn��t wish to see Ashvril��s power weaken too much because if Ashvril continued to maintain her authority, Angelina could take over her position and authority as long as she defeated Ashvril. The strongest point was also the weakest. As long as Angelina overthrew the Ashvril who ��nobody could waver��, Angelina��s image among the vampires would improve dramatically. When that happened, it was still possible for her to reappear in glory, merging with the well-established noble families with her royal bloodline. It could also be said that this was Angelina��s ultimate goal. But on the other hand, if Ashvril��s position was unstable, it wouldn��t mean much if Angelina knocked the weakened Ashvril off her seat as that would just be Angelina waiting for others to overthrow her too. It would be the difference in sequence at the very most. This was the difference between the perspective of a ruler and her subordinates. Carol and the other vampires could only see what was before them, but Angelina was already considering her moves after she took over��


    Even though Angelina couldn��t execute her plan like she could in the past with her current identity, gazing at these inexperienced vampires left her fuming, so she used this chance to lecture them.


    Although Carol and the vampires were criticized fiercely by Angelina, they didn��t display any dissatisfaction on their faces. Instead, they listened silently without gasping for air. When this ��force�� was first established, Angelina used her outstanding ability, conspiracy, and determined belief to compel the vampires into obeying her completely. These vampires were born into families suppressed by Ashvril and some of them had even thrown away their pride to become her slaves. They shuddered in lingering fear under the Blood Countess��s threat and didn��t dare to refute. It was Angelina who released them from their nightmares and gave them the courage to resist this terrifying enemy. Although there was seemingly no trust among vampires, in this small ��force�� of Angelina��s, there indeed existed a ��relationship of trust�� that was rarely seen among the nobles of darkness.


    ���� No matter what, you all are rather capable, to burn down Athos City and come all the way here without getting caught����


    After bawling out on her shallow subordinates, Angelina calmed herself down. She lifted her head and gazed at the young ladies with knitted brows. Her eyes glinted in an undetectable sigh.


    ��Why are there only a few of you? Where are the rest?��


    ��Madam, after you came to the Land of Atonement and lost contact with us, some of us left the force, while most of the remaining ones�� died during our attack on Athos City. Some were also killed by pursuers, and only us are����


    Upon hearing Angelina��s question, Carol answered softly. Even though the other vampires remained silent, they continued to lower their heads deeply, using this unique behavior to mourn for their fallen comrades. Angelina��s eyes glinted with complicated emotions. But she quickly gnashed her teeth and threw the feeling of melancholy to the back of her head. Well, this was a decent ending, wasn��t it? At the very least, she didn��t fail as badly as the other vampires who found themselves utterly isolated and eventually vanished forever. And now, some of them were still willing to follow her all the way here�� But it was a pity that the others��


    ��All right. Since all of you are willing to come here, I don��t have to say much.��


    Angelina said before falling into silence. The vampires who heard her words lifted their heads curiously. Then, they were baffled to see Angelina extending her slim, tender right index finger forward. They were agitated because they knew what this meant. However, they didn��t expect to receive such a rare honor��


    ��Since all of you came here and showed your loyalty to the mighty Babylonia Family, I hereby give you a choice of honor and supreme glory: are you willing to accept my blood and become my dependents?!��


    Angelina gazed at the remaining seven subordinates before her, gnashed her teeth, and asked. Upon hearing her question, Carol and the vampires were startled despite being mentally prepared.


    It was mentioned in the past that due to the unique ��biological structure�� of the vampires, ��blood�� occupied an important, sacred position in their culture. Taking Ashvril��s parents, for instance: they were a pair of high-class and low-class nobles, whose blood fused in a human. As a result, it enraged the vampire race. This went to show how important ��bloodline�� inheritance was to vampires. And now, what Angelina was about to give them was as though the highest honor of vampires! If they accepted her blood, it meant that they would be dependents of the once most glorious and ancient vampire family! This was a supreme honor to all vampires!


    Of course, this wasn��t without disadvantages. Ancient bloodline possessed powerful strength over the younger vampires. If Carol and the other six vampires became Angelina��s dependents, it would mean that their lives were in Angelina��s hands. Not only would their thoughts be known to Angelina, but they would also obey her commands even if she ordered them to commit suicide. Judging from this point, it was more demanding than the soul contract that Rhode had with his card spirits.


    ��I��m willing, Madam Angelina!��


    Carol was the first to step forward. She half-knelt on the ground, lifted her head, and her scarlet eyes gazed unwaveringly at the young lady before her. She had never thought of this in the past but now she wouldn��t give up this chance, even if she had to become Angelina��s dependent!


    ��Good.��


    Upon hearing Carol��s determined answer, Angelina nodded in satisfaction. She reached out for a small blade with her right hand, extended her left hand, and gently cut her fingertip with the blade. A stream of extremely pure, scarlet blood flowed out of the wound and down the finger like a precious gem. Carol had already laid out her arms, holding onto Angelina��s right hand and sucking on her fingertip solemnly. The fresh, aromatic blood entered her mouth. She shut her eyes, her body shivering constantly as she felt the powerful strength flowing into her blood.


    ����������!��


    At the same time, a scarlet magic ritual appeared beneath their feet and emanated a red, dazzling radiance, enfolding them completely. Shortly after, the red brilliance glowing from Carol��s body drifted toward Angelina, coalescing into an illuminating scarlet card. Upon witnessing the card, Angelina��s eyes glinted. She extended her hand and along with her movement, the scarlet card lost its shine gradually. Then, it quietly landed on her palm. Angelina let out a satisfied laughter, before lowering her head and gazing at Carol, who knelt before her.


    ��All right then. From now onward, you are my most loyal dependent,�� Angelina said.

 Chapter 1058 - Bait

    The bright, full moon enveloping half the night sky splashed on the pitch-black ground with its illumination. The outlines of the leaves in the forest were clearly visible, but all of a sudden, a series of animal howls broke out throughout the tranquil forest. Countless, startled birds woke up from their slumber, flapped their wings, and soared into the sky fearfully to escape the close-approaching death, as well as the holder of the death aura.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    A dozen black shadows flitted across the forest silently, and not even the criss-crossed thorns and lush tree branches were able to stop them in their tracks. They overcame obstacles like fast-moving ghosts and shortly after, rays of flashes shone, interweaving into a net of light.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    A series of rasps rang and the shadowy figures landed on a lawn in the middle of the forest. Mysterious soldiers clad in black armor encircled them from the perimeter, wielding swords and staring at their target before them with crimson eyes. It was Carol and the vampires surrounded in the middle. They were covered in blood and injuries. But even so, they maintained their perfect formation. One of the young vampire ladies wearing a pair of glasses clutched the pitch-black staff, chanting under her breath. Then, scarlet shields appeared around the young ladies. The two young ladies standing behind Carol to her left and right held swords in both hands, glaring at their prey before them like raging wolves.


    The peace between both sides lasted for only a moment before erupting into a violent battle again.


    The dark soldiers by the perimeter pushed forward and flourished their swords. Meanwhile. the young ladies also raised their weapons and rushed toward them. The battle resembled a flower bud blooming its sharp edges. The young lady in glasses standing in the middle slammed the bottom of the staff into the ground. As she recited the dark, mysterious chant, radiances in balls of blood exploded instantly, transforming into sharp spears that flew in all directions. However, facing such an aggressive attack, the dark soldiers continued to march forward fearlessly. But at the next moment, they suffered for their actions.


    Clang! Clang!


    Carol danced in the flashes of blade rays like a nimble bat. The sword in her hand instantly turned into a bright spot, abruptly jumping over the slashing swords of the dark soldiers. Then, it changed its trajectory and pierced one of the dark soldiers through the helmet��s opening. The soldier let out a mournful screech when suddenly, mysterious white smoke exploded from within the helmet. Carol withdrew her sword and retreated back to her original position. Meanwhile, the dark soldier swayed, took two steps back, and his body exploded, blasting his comrades around him. In an instant, their tight formation was smashed. The other vampire ladies quickly sheathed their swords and returned to their positions. But the several corpses before them announced that these young ladies absolutely weren��t just fortunate to successfully burn down Athos City and came all the way to the Land of Atonement from the Country of Darkness.


    ��You think trash like you can stop us? Utterly worthless!��


    Carol clutched the sword, lifted her head, and stared at the dark soldier before her. Even though their decision back then resulted in huge damages and loss of several comrades, on the other hand, it was under such harsh conditions that the potential of Carol and the remaining vampires was brought out by a large degree. One of the biggest similarities between them was that they were born into different ancient vampire families. It was due to this reason that they were strongly suppressed by Ashvril, which made them join Angelina��s side. On the other hand, the ancient vampire families might not be as powerful as Angelina��s royal family back then, but their heritage still ran very deep. And now, after a series of escapes, the strength in their bloodline was stimulated to the maximum, where vampires under the Viscount rank no longer posed any threats to them.


    At this moment, an alluring laughter resounded in the air.


    ��Huhuhu, never did I expect you mice to have such sharp tongues.��


    The expressions of Carol and the others changed slightly upon hearing the laughter. They lifted their heads and turned toward the voice. Shortly after, they spotted a delicate, slender figure strolling out of the forest. She wore a scarlet, strapless evening gown, exuding a magnificent aura unmatched in her generation. The smile on her gorgeous face seemed ever so moving like she could captivate everyone in the area regardless of gender. Although Carol and the vampires were startled to see her, they quickly pulled themselves together and displayed their wrath and hostility��because this woman was one of the four legendary generals: the Blood Countess, Ashvril.


    ��How surprising that you came personally, Madam Ashvril.��


    Carol turned over and raised the sword, pointing it at Ashvril fearlessly. Upon seeing her reaction, Ashvril��s eyes glinted in anger. Her enticement ability wasn��t as effective on these noble heirs of ancient vampire families. This was also why Ashvril deliberately promoted the new and rising noble families and suppressed the ancient, well-established families. Her rule could only stabilize after she eradicated all threatening ancient forces. The blood relations of vampires was powerful and also a threshold that couldn��t be bypassed. In order to overcome this obstacle, Ashvril had taken great pains. And now, the murderous intent in her grew stronger as Carol and the vampires weren��t affected by her ability.


    ��All of you have nowhere to hide; surrender immediately. As a noble vampire myself, I shall give you a decent death!��


    Ashvril commanded, stepping forward with lifted head and gazing proudly at them.


    ��Besides, do you think that I��m the only one here?��


    ������


    At this moment, as though responding to Ashvril, the sound of heavy armor creaked. Shortly after, a sturdy knight in thick armor marched out from behind Ashvril. He held a sword, a pair of red eyes revealed from the gap in his helmet, scanning the battlefield. Upon feeling his gaze, Carol and the vampires shivered in fear. It felt as pressurizing and terrifying as a magnificent army with thousands of men and horses approaching them. They didn��t even dare look straight into his eyes.


    He was one of the four legendary generals: Spirit Chaser, Balende Nefarian.


    Carol sucked in a deep breath of cold air, forcefully stifling the uncertainties inside her. Although she seemed calm, her heart was pounding. This went to show how huge the difference in strength was between Ashvril and the other three legendary generals. Ashvril could only rely on her charm to overwhelm the enemies and didn��t possess any overpowering strength. On the other hand, the vampires were immediately shook by the massive pressure as soon as Balende appeared.


    At this moment, another voice sounded.


    ��To think that my foolish subordinates managed to bring both of you here, I��m truly honored, Your Highnesses.��


    ��Angelina!��


    Ashvril grimaced immediately when suddenly, the air around them suddenly twisted and Angelina walked out of the void. She narrowed her eyes and gazed at Ashvril in disdain.


    ��What do you want, lowly hybrid? I heard your town was burned down by my adorable subjects, huh? So which men are you sleeping around with these days?��


    ��You��!��


    Angelina��s contempt enraged Ashvril. At this moment, Ashvril had as though returned to the day she had just awakened. The ancient vampire families looked down upon her in disdain just like Angelina did, as though she was nothing more than a pile of unworthy trash. Back then, she once wished that she could vanish from this world forever. However, she pulled through and swore that she wouldn��t allow this to repeat. And now��


    ���� Great, Angelina. I heard you submitted yourself to the Void Dragon? Is that the reason why you dare to spout nonsense in front of me? Do you think you can act so brazenly just because of that?��


    ��You��re the one who��s brazen, slut.��


    At this moment, another voice sounded. Not only was Ashvril surprised, but the silent Balende also turned around instantly. There were three beings to their left, right, and back, blocking their retreat.


    Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Alice.


    Ashvril was baffled upon witnessing their presence. Even though she didn��t know who Alice was, she witnessed Canary and Mini Bubble Gum in battle and felt their strength personally. It was especially so for Mini Bubble Gum. The instant Ashvril saw her, an unknown flame of anger lit up inside her. If it weren��t for Mini Bubble Gum who destroyed her weapon during the battle in the Order Ceremony, Ashvril wouldn��t be in this rocky position now. But she apparently had no time to consider this problem now. Of course, she knew that Angelina relied on the Void Dragon for help and just in case, she came here as fast as she could, attempting to resolve everything before the Void Dragon detected her. Anyway, to Ashvril, these vampires weren��t powerful. With Balende��s assistance, she was confident in taking them down in seconds. Ashvril thought that her plan was thorough and detailed enough, but now, the appearance of the trio clearly showed that the Void Dragon was aware of her arrival. But before Ashvril came up with a counter solution, the voice that she hated sounded once again.


    ��You came all the way to the Void Territory to smash our turf? You are so brave, slut; it seems like it was truly a mistake to not punch you to death during the Order Ceremony. Are you ready? Since you��re here already, don��t even think of going back alive!��


    Mini Bubble Gum said with eager excitement, clenching her fists and revealing a sinister smile.

 Chapter 1059 - Block the Enemy’s Retreat & Mop Them up

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A series of deep, thunderous explosions boomed in the forest. The dazzling white radiance flashed, linking up instantly. The ground shook in fear, while trees flew up before crashing back down to the ground. Then, hurricanes came one after another, rising from the ground recklessly and ripping through the mountain ranges in the distance. The land groaned as it fissured in blazes.


    Rhode stood above a hill in the distance, gazing at the battle happening below. The corners of his lips perked up into an ice-cold smile. Marlene stood beside him, sternly observing the battle.


    ��Ion, that scoundrel, sure is sly; he sends out only a few of them, but they are all elites. Hmph. Fair enough, this time I will make him suffer. I shall see whether this damn b*stard dares to mess with me again!��


    Even though Rhode said with a relaxed smile, his words were filled with deep murderous intent. He learned from Alice that this time, Ashvril brought along 50 dark knights, while Balende was more cautious to bring along 200 high-level death knights. However, they weren��t here for a frontal confrontation with Rhode as Ashvril and Balende didn��t expect Rhode to be waiting for their arrival, with a trap set up for them!


    In fact, with Rhode��s current strength, he wouldn��t break a sweat eradicating both of them. However, he couldn��t do that because he was neither a guild leader nor overlord now; he was a Creator Dragon. Back then, he was personally needed in battle to fight for the world. But it was different now. The battle against the Country of Darkness wasn��t as simple as a mafia boss leading his men into the battlefield because Rhode wanted to display the might of his subordinates to the Country of Darkness and warn Ion to not act recklessly. If he were to join the battle, wouldn��t it be the same as him telling Ion that he had useless troops who needed his help to clear up the mess?


    It was due to this reason that Rhode didn��t summon his card spirits. On the contrary, he sent out his three strongest subordinates to shamelessly besiege the legendary generals. Not only that, but also just in case, he readied Marlene by the side. Due to the rich experience the four legendary generals possessed, Rhode was also considering sending Christie into battle. Once three of the six Deity Wardens gathered, he would see how the legendary generals retaliated.


    But for now, it was enough.


    Alice was in charge of taking down Balende, while Mini Bubble Gum and Canary dealt with Ashvril. Balende was as though rock-hard, stiff bones who couldn��t be gnawed at. Rhode used this opportunity to check out the differences in strength between the Deity Wardens and legendary generals. Ashvril was different as her strength was greatly weakened. It was mentioned earlier that Ashvril didn��t rely on her strength to ascend the throne. Instead, she mostly focused on conspiracies and group attacks to overthrow the predecessor and wasn��t adept at frontal battles. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were the aggressive type of attackers, which totally restrained Ashvril��s moves. In the game, a 10-man party was required to take down Ashvril, but that was in the game, after all. In reality, Rhode refused to believe that this Blood Countess had 1 million health points as it just wouldn��t make sense.


    If Mini Bubble Gum and Canary couldn��t take Ashvril down, Marlene could jump into battle as reinforcement at any time. With two of the six Deity Wardens here, even Ion would have to tuck tail and run back to where he came from. Rhode made up his mind determinedly this time; he would cripple and frighten the Country of Darkness. The best-case scenario would be to leave Ion flustered and let him have a heart attack! Ashvril must die. It would be better if Balende could be killed too as the Country of Darkness��s army relied mostly on him. If Rhode could eradicate him, he guaranteed that he would be in the mood for a novel, milk tea, and desserts first before deciding whether he should attack or defend against millions of undead creatures��


    In fact, Rhode was surprised when he first saw Balende here as he only expected Ashvril. Rhode had never considered this calm, steady man to be here. He never thought of the possibilities of other legendary generals partnering up with Ashvril. The reason was simple. Garcia was a cautious and meticulous human like a maiden who had little contact with the outside world. On the other hand, Charlie had no interest in anything other than war, so not even Ashvril begging him for help would work. Also, Balende was the commander of three armies, so how could he possibly show up so effortlessly? However, Rhode wasn��t worried as he had initially sent out Alice as an insurance. And now, since he had such great targets for battle, he would regret it if he didn��t show them his power!


    Give them hell!


    ��Heyah!��


    Mini Bubble Gum snarled as she burst out in a dazzling flash. She swung her right hand and along with her movement, a large light blade that was tens of meters long appeared in her hand and swept across the sky. The surrounding trees were uprooted and in the blink of an eye, the dense forest was shaved into a flat land. Ashvril turned pale instantly, her body constantly twisted like a ghost in the face of the white, holy blade. Before she returned to her senses, Canary seized the opportunity and charged in from the other side. The scarlet flames in the hurricane blazed. Then, she brandished the sword coalesced from flames at Ashvril in the aggressive momentum of the hurricane.


    If it were someone else, this attack would have taken one��s life. However, Ashvril was one of the four legendary generals, after all. Even though her actual health points weren��t as high as a million, she wasn��t one that Mini Bubble Gum and Canary could take down easily. Facing this pincer attack, the Blood Countess raised her right hand, folded the fan in her hand, and swung it forward.


    This movement seemed quick and slow at the same time. When Ashvril unfolded the fan in her hand, she seemed as though in slow motion. But the instant the fan folded again, her movements suddenly became as quick as lightning. In an instant, she burst forward with her right hand in a trail of afterimages, colliding with Canary��s flame sword. The instant they clashed, the contrast of light and darkness, and flame and wind swelled and exploded completely. In an instant, the surroundings became dark and ice-cold as a hurricane of negative energy left one shivering like a monster devouring the flames. The glaring, scarlet flames at this moment seemed like a tiny flame swaying in the storm, trembling non-stop, and eventually vanishing to nothing. But Canary had already retreated and dodged Ashvril��s next attack.


    ��Hmph!��


    Looking at this scene, Ashvril let out a grim snort. If it weren��t for Mini Bubble Gum who caught her off guard and purified the spirits inside her weapon, Ashvril would be confident in dealing a heavy blow to these enemies. However, after the spirits were purified, her strength plummeted. In this case, she didn��t have any other solution. But she wasn��t in the mood to ponder anymore as Mini Bubble Gum dashed toward her from the other side. The holy radiance in her clenched fists was so blinding that the darkness surrounding Ashvril was like snow melting under the hot, intense sun. Facing the continuous attacks, Ashvril gnashed her teeth, turned around, and quickly dodged the attacks. She streaked a strange arc in the darkness with her fan. Along with her movements, the surrounding darkness started trembling and almost immediately, thousands of dark, razor-sharp swords appeared from the ground and flew skyward, piercing at Mini Bubble Gum.


    Mini Bubble Gum didn��t feel nervous at all when she saw this ambush. She flourished her left hand and a translucent, hexagonal crystal barrier enfolded her entirely, stopping the lethal, menacing dark swords. Mini Bubble Gum sneered, her hands streaking across strokes of runes in midair. Then, between her spread arms, a miniature sphere of light as blinding as the sun exploded. The radiance was so glaring that even the pitch-black night sky lit up instantly like daytime. Ashvril, as a vampire, had to avoid powerful rays of light. With the sudden burst of dazzling light, she had no choice but to narrow her eyes. Of course, she had her ways to protect her weaknesses. After a few moments, the white brilliance vanished completely, but at the same time, Ashvril witnessed a person hidden in the light curtain, bursting toward her!


    Sh*t!


    Even though it was only an instant, Ashvril��s heart sank as soon as she witnessed this scene. But as one of the four legendary generals, she wasn��t someone to be trifled with. She gnashed her teeth hard and a mist of blood erupted from her mouth like a fired artillery shell. Then, she retreated swiftly, raising her arms and gathering crimson energy in her palms. Just a little while more and she could recover from her slump and show everyone her powerful strength as the Blood Countess!


    But�� at this moment, she suddenly felt her feet sinking. She lowered her gaze in bafflement, only to discover hundreds of circular rituals had appeared under her! She remembered that only one person possessed the ability to cast this skill!


    ��Angelina!��


    As Ashvril yelled in exasperation, Angelina��s petite figure appeared behind her. Her slender hand had turned into razor-sharp claws striking straight for Ashvril��s heart!

 Chapter 1060 - Battle of Awakening

    This attack from Angelina was the so-called key trick of the vampires�� handed-down teachings in battle: backstab��lethal, quick, and accurate. Her fair, slender palm was as though a razor-sharp blade penetrating into Ashvril��s body. In an instant, beads of blood sprayed up and Ashvril let out a mourning and blood-curdling screech. But before Angelina felt the joys of victory, she sensed an incomparably, massive force pushing against her palm. Then, she was struck back as though by an enormous hammer. She crashed to the ground, only coming to a halt after rolling continuously. Angelina��s expression wasn��t filled with astonishment. Instead, it was anger!


    ��Blood fusion!! You slut!! You sucked my mother��s blood!?��


    Angelina lifted her head, her scarlet eyes burning in raging flames and she revealed the two, long canine teeth. Right in front of her, the shadowy figures inside the dense blood mist surrounding Ashvril trembled constantly, before eventually erupting an unprecedented, chilly burst of air, where the trees and leaves withered to the aura of death. Not only that, but the sturdy tree trunks also became incredibly fragile in the blink of an eye. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had no choice but to temporarily back off. But even so, they turned slightly pale.


    ��How unlucky that she actually awakened. Big Sister, our luck is horrendous. In the game, Ashvril only gets to awaken once every ten raids!��


    Looking at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips. She extended her arm and shortly after, a dazzling, holy radiance erupted from her hand, aiming at the red mist. But in the blink of an eye, the powerful light beam vanished within the red mist. Not only that, but the red mist also doubled in size!


    ��Damn it, this is a big problem!��


    Not only was Mini Bubble Gum staring sternly, but Canary also turned grim. But they couldn��t be blamed because in the game, there was a certain chance for Ashvril to be awakened during her boss raid. After her awakening, not only would she gain much more mysterious powers, but her attack and defense attributes would also increase drastically. It could also be said that right now, she was much harder to take down. However, the chances of her being awakened during her boss raid was really low, with a probability of once in 50 times. Mini Bubble Gum and Canary didn��t expect their luck to be so down to trigger her awakening now.


    On the other hand, Angelina��s anger was for an entirely different reason. Of course, she wasn��t aware of the existence of players or the hidden mode of the boss��s three-stages transformations. But even so, she knew that at this very moment, the power that Ashvril released was the ��Blood Strength�� that only members of the Babylonia Family had rights to!


    Babylonia was the most ancient vampire family, and Angelina didn��t just use its name to scare others away. There was a mystical strength in her bloodline. As long as the Babylonians sucked the blood of other vampires, they would be able to gain their abilities! Of course, the acquisition of abilities was also proportionate to the growth of their individual strength. If they were to suck the blood of a vampire who was stronger than them, they might even be destroyed by that overly powerful strength. Although Ashvril had indeed overthrown the Babylonia Family and succeeded her position back then, Angelina never thought that she had the ability to acquire the Babylonia��s noble blood. After all, if she were to suck the Babylonia Family��s blood, there was a high chance for her to be controlled by it instead. After all, Ashvril was a lowly vampire who lacked the ability to resist the strength of a pure, powerful blood. But now, she actually succeeded!


    ��Huhuhu����


    As the strange burst of laughter sounded, the blood mist gradually faded away and Ashvril once again appeared before the trio. But this time, she looked entirely different. If it was said that Ashvril was an alluring witch in the past, right now, she was like a pure, noble maiden. Her scarlet and pitch-black long dress flowed naturally, blending into the shadows perfectly as one. In an instant, she was as though the supreme ruler of the dark world.


    ��The Babylonia Family��s bloodline is indeed impressive. Back then I sacrificed a lot in order to gain it����


    ��Rubbish! It is impossible for you to handle our noble bloodline!��


    Gazing at Ashvril who had changed in appearance, Angelina became increasingly furious. She bit her lip and clenched her fists. Upon detecting her gaze, Ashvril covered her mouth and gave a lady-like chuckle.


    ��Indeed. It wasn��t easy for me to contain the ��noble�� bloodline, but all I have is time and patience. Angelina, one century; I spent one century to weaken Majors�� strength to a level I could accept. But it was a pity that you weren��t able to witness it; the painful look on Majors�� face when I sucked her blood. She seemed so pitiful, frightened, and furious. Hahahaha, even the noble royal vampire is nothing more than a mangy dog����


    ��Shut up!��


    Angelina couldn��t tolerate it any longer. She snarled, interrupting Ashvril. Then, a scarlet radiance flashed as Angelina dashed forward and arrived before Ashvril, her hands clutching a scarlet sickle that appeared out of nowhere. Then, she flourished the sickle down.


    The powerful aggression brought upon a massive pressure toward Ashvril, so strong that the ground beneath her feet erupted and fissured. But facing this powerful attack, Ashvril continued to smile in disdain, placing her arm in front of Angelina and held the sickle blade with her fingers.


    ��������!��


    Angelina instantly realized that the situation was far from good. She didn��t expect Ashvril to face her attack head-on instead of dodging. It was too late when Angelina tried to back off as in the blink of an eye, the scarlet sickle in her hand was caught by Ashvril. Then, she felt a massive, powerful force in front of her as Ashvril extended her left hand forward and grabbed her by the throat. Ashvril was so quick that Angelina couldn��t react in time. But��


    Boom!


    All of a sudden, a white light column descended from above, crashing on Ashvril heavily. Even though Ashvril had awakened the noble bloodline, she was still an undead creature by nature and was weak against the holy power. Ashvril shrieked in pain, before gnashing her teeth, giving up her attack on Angelina, and turned around to retreat. But at the same time, the surrounding land shook and scorching magma burst out from the fissures and pounced on the Blood Countess. In the blink of an eye, along with Mini Bubble Gum��s attack, Canary launched an ambush on Ashvril once again!


    However, the awakened Ashvril was no longer like before. Facing the pincer attack from the two enemies this time, she wasn��t as flustered. She swung her arms and the shadows surrounding her surged up like waves that extinguished the ferocious, blazing magma. But Canary had no intention of giving up yet.


    ��Fir Nalyt!��


    Canary yelled. In an instant, a magic ritual enveloped her completely. Her body was covered by the tracks of a circuit board from head to toe and emanated a bright, hot brilliance. Then, a pair of fire wings expanded on her back. In an instant, the sky before Ashvril was completely surrounded by scorching flames. The incomparable flame barrage rained down and enfolded her entirely.


    However, this wasn��t enough.


    ��Hafe DanMonde!��


    Even though Mini Bubble Gum never liked coordinating with others in battles, as the dedicated cleric in Rhode��s group, she wasn��t one to be trifled with. The instant Canary launched the flame barrage at Ashvril, Mini Bubble Gum chanted softly under her breath and pointed her left index finger at Ashvril. Then, she raised her right arm and clenched her fist.


    The omnipresent dark aura suddenly disappeared, only to reappear quickly. However, it was apparent from the miserable-looking Ashvril that Mini Bubble Gum��s move wasn��t ineffective.


    ��You����


    Ashvril was fuming. Although she learned that the two young ladies were powerful during their exchange in attacks in the Order Ceremony, she didn��t expect them to be this powerful to go up against her awakened form. Moreover, Angelina was also around to cause trouble for her now. Things wouldn��t end well if Ashvril continued dragging this battle on. Even though she had awakened the bloodline, she couldn��t hang on for too long with her current body. No matter what, her plan had failed and there was no point in staying here anymore!


    At this thought, Ashvril��s body distorted slightly and her expression turned grim.


    ��How is this possible��!��


    Upon hearing Ashvril��s high-pitched scream, a golden, translucent barrier suddenly appeared in the empty night sky. It was like a round bowl trapping and imprisoning everyone inside entirely. Mini Bubble Gum witnessed Ashvril��s flustered expression and chuckled cheekily.


    ��How��s it, old woman? Feel like leaving already? Do you think we will let you?!��


    ��Hmph!��


    Ashvril grimaced upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s words. Shortly after, along with her movements, the shadows started squirming into a whole new form.


    The battle continued.

 Chapter 1061 - Below the Deity Wardens

    Ashvril was in an intense battle, but Balende wasn��t in the mood to care for her well being because at this moment, he couldn��t even ensure his safety. He wielded the heavy sword in his hand, the crimson radiance glowing from his eyes under the helmet flickering all of a sudden. If he weren��t an undead without the ability to sweat, he would be drenched in panicky sweat by now!


    As one of the four legendary generals, Balende had witnessed all sorts of mysterious and strange happenings. But now, he swore by his name that he had never seen such an odd battle style. It was especially so for this young lady in front of him, as he sensed an indescribable, massive pressure from her. Although she didn��t say a word, she hovered before him, leaning back slightly while a tome floated in front of her. At a single glance, she wasn��t any different from the deliberately mystifying spell casters. But Balende remembered clearly the disturbing scene from a few moments ago.


    ��Who are you?��


    Balende asked in a deep voice, gazing at the young lady. He wasn��t surprised that Mini Bubble Gum and Canary showed up as almost everyone had heard of their big names before. It could also be said that in the Void Territory, they were seen as the top fighters under Rhode. However, he didn��t know who this young lady in front of him was and had never heard of her before. She hovered leisurely before him, separating him from Ashvril. Facing Balende��s imposing presence, she didn��t even bat an eyelid and this behavior puzzled him. Besides, he still recalled what Erin said about the three powerful beings in Grandia who were stronger than her�� Could this young lady be one of them?


    ��Alice.��


    Upon hearing Balende��s question, Alice responded plainly and didn��t go into details. Instead, she lifted her head without looking at him as though he were just a little, unworthy brat. This enraged Balende, but even so, he didn��t attack recklessly. He swept a glance to the surroundings. When this battle began, Angelina had already led away her subordinates who sought protection from her. Balende chose to be wise in his decisions as he knew that the Dark Dragon sent him and Ashvril over to give the Void Dragon a little warning. As the saying went, ��a general in the field is not bound by the orders from his sovereign��. No matter what, his purpose here was to besiege the traitors. Therefore, it would be enough as long as he captured the traitors and brought them back for punishment. Even if the Void Dragon was already aware and ready for their arrival, there was no meaning in dragging this battle any longer!


    ��Carry on with the mission; capture the traitors!��


    At this thought, Balende gave a decisive order. He raised the huge sword in his hand, staring vigilantly at the young lady. Upon hearing his orders, the death knights surrounding him responded immediately, quickly dashing forward. Facing the intimidating death knights, Alice remained unfazed as she continued to float in midair, gazing down at the tome in her hands. But at this moment, something unprecedented happened before Balende.


    ��Ahhhhh!��


    The instant the death knights were about to enter the forest, they came to a halt abruptly and let out ear-deafening screams that surprised Balende. He turned around quickly, only to witness an unimaginable scene.


    As death knights, they were naturally part of the dead. In fact, even though they wore thick, heavy armor, their bodies were skinny and shriveled like dried corpses. But now, in Balende��s eyes, the shriveled bodies were starting to come alive. No, it should be said that the lives that the undeads had lost once again returned to their bodies! The shriveled skin became smooth and ample and their skinny bodies grew muscular with strength. Also, the sharp howls of undead creatures turned into the screams of living humans. Balende gaped in confusion as he witnessed this shocking scene. Not even the church was capable of doing this!


    But this wasn��t what surprised him the most as what happened next left him speechless. The tall, sturdy death knights quickly shrunk and in the blink of an eye, the pitiful screams turned into the wailing of infants, before vanishing entirely in the dark forest. What remained were the piles of armor that left their wearers. They lined up neatly in one straight line as though the remaining traces left behind by an insurmountable barrier.


    Looking at this scene, Balende was flabbergasted. Of course, he knew exactly what happened. It was apparent that a mysterious and powerful force had reversed time for the death knights. Not only did it restore them into living humans, but it also forced them to go back in time until they vanished entirely!


    Can anyone do this?


    In all fairness, even Balende didn��t believe that the Dark Dragon was capable of doing something so ridiculous. And yet, it happened right in front of him. His subordinates, the most elite troops, perished completely in seconds without leaving behind any trace to prove their existence. On the other hand, the young lady named Alice continued to float in midair nonchalantly without batting an eyelid. Her right hand rested on the drifting tome as though she did nothing. In fact, it did seem like she didn��t do anything.


    But now, this was an extremely dangerous situation for Balende.


    At this thought, Balende shook his head slightly and threw the absurd scene to the back of his head. He couldn��t turn back now. No matter what, he had to figure out the true strength of this young lady.


    Anyway��


    Balende couldn��t help but let out a laugh at this thought. Anyway, he couldn��t retreat even if he wanted to now.


    Balende had to admit that Rhode was a bold person. If Rhode were to lay hands on the legendary generals here, it would be the same as him declaring war with the Country of Darkness. And now, Rhode had done it. The Dark Dragon was tough, but Balende realized that the Void Dragon seemed to be even more unyielding. Until a few moments ago, Balende finally understood Rhode��s intention. Because to him, Rhode��s toughness was a kind of crazy ruthlessness, where even if he couldn��t defeat someone, he would do all he could to at least leave a bite as though it were no big deal that neither side won and the entire continent was doomed. The dense, fanatical aggression struck Balende in the face so strongly that it left him trembling in fear. He couldn��t imagine how the battle would end up if Ion and Rhode erupted in a battle. Ion was a determined and decisive person. At this current situation, Rhode was also the kind of person who was unwavering and would achieve his goal by fair or foul means.


    But�� even so, he was one of the four legendary generals of the Country of Darkness: the Spirit Chaser, Balende!


    Balende lifted his head and gazed at Alice, his eyes glinting with determination and faith. No matter what, he couldn��t lose his life here. Her abilities were indeed mysterious, but he also had his very own ultimate move! At this thought, Balende clutched the hilt with both hands and slowly raised the sword.


    ������


    This was the first time Alice lifted her head. Even though her stance seemed as bored and carefree as usual, she had widened her half-shut eyes and quietly stared at Balende in front of her, at the same time holding a page with her right hand. This was also the first time curiosity glinted in her peaceful eyes.


    But at the next moment, curiosity turned into astonishment.


    ��������!��


    The silent air waves quickly formed a circle that expanded all around. Balende raised the enormous sword and its gleaming blade turned pitch-black as though it had lost its physical presence and only an illusory presence remained! Everything around him became indistinct, be it the sky, land, trees, or mountains. They had as though turned into a certain thick, unrealistic dye dipped in water. Little bits of debris appeared on the blade, flying into the air. Along with his movements, the area by the edge of the blade started ripping apart and shattering. All of a sudden, hurricanes erupted with Balende in the center. The violent air flowed inward and the powerful force of attraction uprooted the surrounding huge trees.


    ��Power of space?��


    Alice asked, slightly surprised. She knitted her brows and stood upright for the first time. At the same time, Balende snarled and flourished the sword!

 Chapter 1062 - Space Shatter

    A single slash of the sword and the sky turned dark.


    The illusory, pitch-black sword in Balende��s hand started changing shape as he flourished it. Looking from a distance, he was as though swinging the sword in the water, causing ripples and splashes. The invisible space vibrated into a line of boundary; a dark trail extended from top to bottom before pushing forward determinedly and the areas it touched fell apart completely. The land lost its vibrancy and the sky was no longer bright. The violent trembles from the ground let out ear-deafening rumbles as though the destruction of landslides and tsunamis. The land divided, sky wailed, and the pitch-black space expanded and whirled toward Alice like an enormous black hole.


    And this time, Alice turned serious. She raised her arm and the shattered objects being drawn into the hurricane restored their original state as though two perspectives of a drama. From Balende��s perspective, everything was being destroyed and shattered. On the other hand, everything that was destroyed and shattered were restored to their original state. These two entirely different forces went all the way, clashing in the middle.


    Boom������!


    As the ear-deafening explosions sounded, the strong, massive airwaves erupted with Alice and Balende in the middle. The entire surface was as though smashed by an enormous and invisible hammer, sinking into a basin that was a few hundred meters wide. Dust fluttered in an instant, but this was only the start. A rough, sharp sound filled the air as the land fissured and bottomless cracks extended in all directions. Countless dust and sand rose from the ground, enveloping the entire region completely.


    But this was only the start.


    Alice looked on calmly. She extended her right hand and the heavy tome before her moved on its own as the pages flipped quickly. The entire world around her was reshaping at a crazy pace.


    That��s right, reshaping.


    The strength of the torn space was as though raging waves that couldn��t be resisted, shattering everything into bits. But everything that was shattered once again restored to their original state. Not only that, but everything also started transforming strangely. The crumbled ground reshaped with green, tender grass and vibrant flowers appearing on the surface like a scene of spring. The snapped tree trunks spinning in the hurricane were also rerooted and the lush shade once again showed vitality. This scene was too weird, especially the tear in space that was like a beast trying to break free from the restraints.


    On the other side, Balende clutched the large, pitch-black illusory sword that had lost its physical presence and was distorting and extending forward. He stared at the young lady attentively. His body exuded a gloomy aura that quickly swelled outward.


    At the next moment, Balende disappeared all of a sudden.


    It was a misconception from the extreme speed that surpassed everything. The storm roared forward, but no one was seen within. But despite that, Alice didn��t lose her head out of fear. Her right hand held onto the tome as its pages flipped constantly. Along with her movements, mysterious golden runes appeared around her like loyal guards protecting their master. Then, Alice extended her right index finger, pointing forward.


    Even though Alice was one of the six Deity Wardens, Balende also wasn��t easy to deal with as one of the four legendary generals. When one reached their caliber, one would have unique rules to protect one from harm. To Alice, if she could effortlessly defeat Balende like the death knights, this battle couldn��t get easier for her. But it was a pity that Balende��s strength stopped Alice from further penetrating and attacking. He could shatter some parts of space completely, which meant that no matter what Alice tried to do in the broken space, everything would be meaningless. Their battle had quickly upgraded and it would determine who could control the entire battle and be the final winner.


    The pitch-black space blades appeared abruptly. Balende passed through the fulcrum of both sides and arrived before Alice. The large sword in his hands slashed at her accurately. However, the golden runes around Alice suddenly expanded and blocked his attack. Balende retreated quickly before flourishing the sword again. Along with this move, the cracks in space started taking shape beside Alice! Looking at this scene, Alice��s expression finally changed. Of course, she knew what Balende was trying to do. He had the ability to shatter space and was trying to drag her away from this place, sealing her into another plane of existence!


    However, Alice wasn��t such an easy target. Facing his ferocious attack, she remained calm, holding the heavy tome in front of her and closing it with force!


    ������!


    The radiance flashed dazzlingly in an instant, forcing Balende to squint. When he opened his eyes again, he realized that everything around them had restored to their original state, while he and Alice returned to the initial confrontational moment. The destroyed surroundings, including the trees, grass, land, and sky had restored to their original state; nothing was different. Balende was standing in his original position. The only difference was that Alice was standing on the ground now instead of hovering in midair, quietly gazing at him.


    I don��t stand a chance against her at all.


    This was Balende��s only thought. His strength was considered the strongest among the four legendary generals. The shattering of space was a vulnerable weakness to the other three legendary generals. However, it was totally useless against this young lady named Alice. No matter how he divided and destroyed the space before him, she could restore its state effortlessly. And now, the only good news for Balende was that perhaps Alice had also expended a relatively huge amount of energy. If not, he wouldn��t stand a chance if she could nullify his every attack this easily. But now, he realized that she also wasn��t completely perfect��


    ��Sigh����


    Balende let out a long sigh at this thought, clutching the hilt tightly and gazing ahead. At this moment, the illusory darkness attached to his blade had faded out and resembled spiritual flames wrapping the iron blade. In an instant, the chaotic battle seemed to have restored to peace. But this was the most obvious sign before the tsunami crashed.


    Because at the next moment, Balende unleashed his strength. At the same time, Alice put away the tome in her hands and clenched her right fist before her. Then, the battle continued.


    The enormous blade slashed from above and broke the sound barrier in a sharp whistle, clashing heavily with the invisible force. The land of darkness once again exploded in a series of glaring brilliant lights and vibrant colors. Countless sword blades danced like the blades of a blender, penetrating the entire space and were about to crush the young lady in front of him entirely. Balende was enveloped in the bright sword rays, dashing forward with his sword and tearing through the space again. But even so, Alice didn��t counteract at all. Instead, she raised her right arm and swiped her right index and middle fingers together to the side. In an instant, the air around her vibrated and countless air blades flew out like the reflection of a mirror, piercing back at Balende. The collision happened only for an instant when suddenly, the flow of dark energy and strength of hurricane once again dominated the battlefield.


    But this was the end!


    Balende gnashed his teeth. He felt as though his blade was ridiculously being struck by his own attack. Despite that, he clearly sensed the force, strength, and angle against his blade. It all felt so familiar, as though he was battling himself. It was totally unbearable!


    ��Heyah!��


    Balende snarled. When one reached his caliber, the level of swordsmanship was no longer important. The source of his strength, essence, and rules he possessed were the foundation of battle. Facing the endless blade rays before him, Balende flourished his sword and everything in sight split into ashes, the dazzling flashes disappearing as though they were being devoured by darkness. Shortly after, Balende��s sturdy build trembled abruptly. Then, the darkness before him increased in mass. Looking at this scene, Alice raised her brow for the first time. She let out a grunt, clenching the air with her right hand in front of her. Along with her movement, Balende suddenly stopped moving as though Alice was in control of everything. But this time, he seemed to have no hesitation at all. He held the hilt tightly and slashed down from above!


    Another series of thunderous explosions boomed. Alice narrowed her eyes, extending her arm before her. Bursts of smoke and dust scattered, enfolding everything within. Shortly after, the billows of smoke concealing all vision dispersed. At this moment, Balende was no longer in front of Alice. The only thing remaining on the devastated ground was a muscular arm. Looking at the severed arm, Alice pondered in silence for a few moments, before turning around and returning to the forest.


    On the other side, the battle continued.

 Chapter 1063 - Bloody Death of War

    If Ashvril knew what had happened to her most reliable ally, she would have tried to come up with other solutions. But it was a pity that she didn��t have the time to care about him anymore. Her priority now was to resolve her own problem that involved life and death.


    Swish����!


    A shadowy whip lashed out, causing violent ripples in midair. But despite that, it struck the perfect defensive barrier without gaining any results. Mini Bubble Gum spread her arms apart and let out a sneer. The strong barrier enveloping her was more reliable than a tall, thick wall. She clenched her fists and dashed forward like a heavy-duty truck speeding down the highway, unleashing a powerful punch at Ashvril along with mighty winds. Facing this menacing attack, Ashvril knitted her brows and retreated swiftly, tapping lightly on a boulder with her toes and making a 90 degree turn in the air to dodge Mini Bubble Gum��s attack. But this didn��t mean that she had gotten away from danger as she caught a glimpse of a scarlet radiance from the corner of her eye.


    This was the first time Ashvril��s expression turned solemn; the prideful smile from earlier had disappeared completely, only to be replaced by fluster and grimness. She laid her arms out before her hurriedly and along with her movements, a pair of shadowy bat wings emerged on her back and wrapped around her entirely like a defensive cocoon.


    But at the same time, Canary made her move.


    Canary stooped over, her left hand wielding the sheath of the sword coalesced from flames and her right hand held onto its hilt. She took one step forward and raised her right hand to unsheathe the sword. Her movements were so fast that the instant she drew the sword, Ashvril had only turned around and the pair of shadowy, bat wings merely expanded in shape. Before Ashvril knew it, the sword of flames punctured her shadowy, bat wings, while glaring scarlet flames exploded upon impact and blasted Ashvril away like a massive fireball. Despite that, as she was about to crash-land, she quickly turned over and extinguished the flames that were enveloping her instantly. Then, she landed on her feet again lithely.


    ��Argh, she can��t really have 1 million health points, right!?��


    ��We��ll know after fighting on.��


    Canary responded calmly. Compared to the exasperated Mini Bubble Gum, she was apparently more composed, which she even casually drew a pretty pattern using the tip of her sword. On the other hand, Ashvril was wide-eyed; she was surprised by Mini Bubble Gum��s and Canary��s performances. Just like Angelina mentioned, the pure royal blood wasn��t that easy to manipulate. Back then, Ashvril spent an entire century just controlling this pure royal blood. Angelina was right. Ashvril only had a human body, to begin with, and managed to become a vampire after two different vampire blood from her parents were injected into her. She was innately weak in immunity against the pure royal blood, which was why even if she had taken in the pure royal blood, it didn��t mean that she could control it effortlessly like Angelina.


    From the start, Ashvril was actually confident of her chances of winning as the pure royal blood could not only allow her to extract the power of other vampires, but it could also let her absorb and transform their magical powers, using them to strengthen herself. Ashvril thought that with her awakening, she could comfortably deal with Mini Bubble Gum and Canary. After all, they were spell casters, a Cleric and Mage respectively. If they cast magic and spiritual spells on her, she could manipulate their attacks and turn the table on them!


    But never did Ashvril expect them to be so familiar with the royal vampires�� characteristics. Not only were Mini Bubble Gum and Canary cautious in not letting Ashvril contaminate their blood, but they also stopped using their habitual, bombardment spells. After casting the habitual spells in the beginning, they quickly switched their long-range attacks to close-combat. Ashvril was unable to adapt to the situation and she had never seen a Mage and Cleric engaging in close-combat battle before!


    But Ashvril had to admit that through this attacking style, the two young ladies became a much larger threat to her. Be it Mini Bubble Gum or Canary, they had high attainments in close-combat tactics. Not only was their coordination in sync, but the elemental flames and iron fists powered by pure, holy energy contained massive strength. It was simply too tough for Ashvril to resist their attacks. What depressed her further was that they also seemed to know that there was a time limit to her awakening! This explained why after Ashvril awakened her powers, not only did they not rush ahead and unleash their attacks quickly, but they also deployed delaying tactics against her, leaving her dejected and popping a vein.


    If Ashvril knew that her attacking strategies were already known by everyone on the internet, perhaps she might pop a few more veins.


    Perhaps Canary and Mini Bubble Gum could continue dragging the battle, but Ashvril couldn��t wait any longer. She attempted to escape, but the barrier that was as thick as a turtle shell cut off her final hopes. There were no other choices left apart from defeating the two young ladies as quickly as possible. As soon as the time limit to her awakening was over, she would be trampled on like a fish on the cutting board. When that happened, she wouldn��t have a say on whether she��d be steamed, braised, or stewed.


    Ashvril wasn��t about to waste anymore time. She grunted, lashing the long whip in her hand that turned into three mysterious, viper-like presences at its end. The three vipers hissed, pouncing on the two young ladies before them as though they were self-conscious. But Mini Bubble Gum neglected their presence entirely as she continued to burst forward like a rampaging tank with its cannon upfront on the battlefield, ignoring all insignificant damage. Facing Ashvril��s attack, Mini Bubble Gum snarled and took large steps forward. She clenched her hands into fists, pushing them before her. Along with her actions, another defensive barrier appeared around her hands. Then, she thrust the defensive barrier forward like a forklift that had lost control, flattening every obstacle before it.


    Ashvril��s attack was no exception. The ice-cold, venomous, dark vipers of death instantly melted to the incomparable holy strength as soon as they collided with the barrier. Before Ashvril retracted her arm, a red flare had enveloped her as Canary��s sword had arrived in the blink of an eye. Once again, the unmatched power of flames that could roast the entire world blasted at Ashvril.


    ��You��re asking for death!��


    Facing this combined attack, Ashvril snarled in rage. She raised her arms, coalescing all her power, attempting to teach the two scoundrels an unforgettable lesson about who she was and the consequences of treating her this way!


    The power inside her gathered, abstracting the most essential and destructive presence within. They turned into several long whips that lashed in all directions, forcing Canary and Mini Bubble Gum into defensive stances. Just a while more and Ashvril could coalesce the purest form of energy and destroy everything��


    But this was the end.


    All of a sudden, the power inside her ran wild, scattering to all parts of her body uncontrollably. Ashvril shuddered as she sensed her power declining, disappearing, and returning to peace under the influence of a certain external factor.


    What?! Who is it!?


    Ashvril couldn��t consider this question anymore. She retreated quickly to evade the blade strike from Canary, which almost took her life. But before Ashvril readied herself again, a piercing pain had punctured her body from the back. Ashvril lowered her head and witnessed a scarlet, razor-sharp blade of a massive sickle penetrating out of her slender, alluring body, destroying this beautiful presence cruelly.


    At this moment, she heard Angelina��s voice.


    ��Awakening the royal blood was your most foolish decision����


    ��Angelina!��


    Upon hearing Angelina��s voice, Ashvril gnashed her teeth and snarled fumingly. She finally understood why she couldn��t control her power at that very instant. Even though it was Ashvril��s power, from a certain degree, she was also considered part of the royal vampires after her awakening. Moreover, as a royal vampire, Angelina was ranked higher than Ashvril! If it were before Ashvril��s awakening, Angelina surely wouldn��t have been able to affect her actions. But now, although Angelina couldn��t control Ashvril��s every movement, she could still influence and manipulate the flow of power inside her!


    ��The noble and sacred power doesn��t belong to you, you mixed-breed wh*re! Today, I will make you pay for all that you have done!��

 Chapter 1064 - Punishment

    ��No��!��


    Ashvril screamed, struggling to break free from Angelina. However, it was too late as Canary��s and Mini Bubble Gum��s attacks arrived before her. At the very next moment, the incomparable holy power and flames plunged into Ashvril��s body. The Blood Countess who had lost all strength finally gave in to this powerful attack and let out a high-pitched mourn. But this wasn��t the end. Angelina turned the sickle around and withdrew it from Ashvril��s body. The Blood Countess lost her balance and crashed to the ground. She lifted her head, gnashed her teeth, and glared at Angelina. Angelina stared back at her prey.


    ��Y-You����


    ��Mixed-breeds will always be mixed-breeds. Now, I will make you pay for your blasphemy, you shameless slut! How dare you use your lowly body to stain the noble and sacred blood of the Babylonians! It is time for your punishment!��


    Angelina snarled and extended her arm to grab Ashvril��s collar and pulled her up from the ground. Ashvril��s expression became twisted, her blood-shot eyes filled with murderous intent. She snapped her jaws open, roaring at Angelina like a wild animal. But despite that, Angelina disregarded her completely. She gnashed her teeth and glared at Ashvril.


    ��First punishment, for your profanity and arrogance!��


    Angelina yelled, extending her left arm forward. Shortly after, her fingers were covered by a layer of thick and solid white bones. Then, she placed her hand into Ashvril��s mouth, grabbed tightly with her fingers, and tugged!


    ��Ah������!��


    Ashvril let out a mournful, ear-deafening scream and shuddered. Angelina lifted her left arm high and in her fingers were two extremely sharp canines forcefully plucked from Ashvril��s gum. The bloody roots of the canines trembled constantly in Angelina��s hand. Looking at this scene, Canary knitted her brows silently. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum��s eyes glinted in excitement as she hopped about on the side. She must have been an enthusiast for B movies.


    ��I, in the name of the honorable Babylonians, seize your right to suck blood and strip your identity as a vampire!��


    ��Second punishment, for your greed, rudeness, and foolishness!��


    The scarlet sickle in Angelina��s hands transformed, turning into a flower with layers upon layers of steel blades. Ashvril looked at the lethal weapon and this was the first time she revealed such a terrified expression. On the other hand, Angelina revealed a twisted smile to her reaction and extended her arm forward. Along with her action, the scarlet, bloody flower in her hand wrapped Ashvril from the back entirely. Ashvril couldn��t take it anymore. She screamed in rage.


    ��How dare you! I��m Ashvril, I��m����


    ��You��re only a mixed-breed as lowly as a bedbug. Why? Do you think I don��t know the royal punishment for traitors? I have been thinking of the day when I can finally give you the most torturous agony! I shall let you suffer the consequences for violating and defying the royal family!��


    Angelina yelled, extended two fingers on her right hand, and punctured Ashvril��s eyes mercilessly. Along with the blood-curdling screech from Ashvril, Angelina bent her fingers and dug out her eyeballs from the eye sockets. Angelina opened her palms and stared at the eyeballs. The eyeballs soaked in blood were seemingly self-conscious, swirling constantly to break free from Angelina��s restraint. However, it was just meaningless.


    ��I, in the name of the Babylonians, seize your right to see and strip your honor as a vampire!��


    As Angelina roared, she clenched her right hand and popped! The pair of eyeballs was squashed completely. Ashvril let out a frantic scream as thick streams of blood gushed out of her eye sockets. Witnessing this scene, Mini Bubble Gum raised her arms and cheered in excitement like someone in the marketplace watching someone who was about to jump off the building. This was just one deep-rooted, bad habit of humans��


    ��Third punishment, for your rage, plundering, and disrespect, offending your superior!�� Angelina said, taking two steps back. She narrowed her eyes and gazed at Ashvril. The corners of her mouth perked up into a sinister and thrilled smile.


    ��This is your final punishment, Ashvril. You should know what it is.��


    ��No��! You can��t! You can��t do that!��


    Upon hearing Angelina��s words, Ashvril seemed to recall something. All of a sudden, she struggled frantically, attempting to break free from the large, blood-colored flower that was restricting her movements. But after the continuous attacks from Angelina, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum before, the powerless Ashvril could no longer make any threatening moves. It was apparent that Angelina couldn��t be bothered with her meaningless actions. She stretched out her arm and snapped her fingers.


    Shing!


    The razor-sharp blades of the flower wrapping around Ashvril punctured into her. After a few moments, the flower bloomed and opened up, revealing Ashvril��s determined fate. Her skin was forcefully stripped off her body like banana peels. The beautiful, alluring body was turned into a nightmarish human specimen in the blink of an eye, exposing the bloody, revolting flesh under the fair, smooth skin. Mini Bubble Gum shrieked in exhilaration as though it were the climax of the movie, while Canary let out a rare sigh and shook her head.


    Ashvril��s screams were hysterical, but Angelina had no intention of stopping. The latter squinted in satisfaction at the pitiful plight of the former, her eyes glinting in indescribable contentment and excitement. Shortly after, she began the final step.


    ��This is the final punishment for resisting the royals: you shall be punctured to death by blades and turned to ashes by the rising sun!��


    ����������!��


    Ashvril��s screams turned into ear-piercing groans like the howls of despair from a lonely wolf at the edge of a cliff. The surrounding trees also shook in her screams. Angelina was completely unmoved. She raised her arms and lifted her head to gaze at the sky. At this moment, dawn was almost here and the night sky would soon make way for the sun from the other side of the horizon.


    At this moment, an extremely sharp column like a ��stake�� burst out from the ground, piercing from between Ashvril��s legs and into her body, emerging from the top of her skull. Then, the bloodied ��stake�� grew taller along with Ashvril��s body and stopped after several meters in midair. At this moment, the first ray of golden sunlight from the horizon emerged, illuminating the world around them, as well as the appalling body of Ashvril.


    ��Ahhh!��


    Along with the blood-curdling screams, Ashvril��s body started burning from the outside. Shortly after, the flames consumed her entirety. She shuddered meaninglessly as the ��stake�� that had punctured her body executed its master��s command. No matter how hard Ashvril grappled, the stake wouldn��t budge at all. Then, Ashvril��s body started changing. Her limbs became pitch-black like scorched firewood, before slowly dissipating and turning into black dust drifting into the air. Her screams turned softer and weaker. Her limbs finally disappeared. Her body and skull became as black as coke. But to Angelina, this wasn��t the end. She extended her right arm and pointed straight at Ashvril��s remains. Her eyes glinted and the bloodied sickle that vanished earlier once again appeared in her hand.


    ��Resonance of the soul! The soul that betrayed the royals will forever not rest! She will suffer unimaginable pain in eternal purgatory!��


    ��������!��


    Along with Angelina��s actions, a fuzzy, shadow-like soul was extracted from the scorched body by an unknown force, trembling violently as though resisting. However, Angelina flourished the sickle without hesitation and the soul screeched, before being absorbed into the sickle entirely. As the soul vanished, the remains under the daylight shattered and disappeared completely.


    Angelina lowered her head and stared at the sickle in her hand where there was an indistinct, mourning face flickering from time to time, eventually vanishing. Angelina let out a snort, before turning her hand around and putting the sickle away.


    At this moment, the bright radiance of the sun had infiltrated the night sky completely.


    Night was over and it was the start of a new day.

 Chapter 1065 - Crazy Threat

    ��I didn��t expect you to do it; we always thought you are a reasonable person, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Siena spoke, gazing at Rhode grimly. Rhode had no intention of covering up the earlier battle. Moreover, the impact of the battle was extremely huge. Alice and Balende were formidable beings in the realm of Order. The battle between them almost shook the Order in the entire continent. It would be ridiculous if Siena and Nalea didn��t realize it happened. It was due to this reason that they actually left the Country of Law and arrived in Grandia to discuss this matter with Rhode.


    But even so, Rhode had no intention of holding back.


    ��So? That bast*rd, Ion, sent two of his men to cause trouble in my turf. Do you think I would let him do whatever he wants?�� Rhode said, spreading his arms apart and knitting his brows to scrutinize Siena. Siena��s expression changed slightly as she continued to speak: ��Indeed, we are not against the battle. But Your Majesty Rhode, it has been years since the Creator Dragons�� dependents fought and died in a battle�� The consequences of you doing this may be very, very serious. Perhaps you are unaware of the seriousness of this matter?��


    ��Back then, did you two say the same thing to the Light Dragon when Charlie lost all hope in the parliament and fled to the Country of Darkness?�� Rhode glared at Siena. ��I thought the Country of Law was always in a neutral standpoint. But it seems like I may be wrong.��


    ��Your doings may lead to a war, and that isn��t a smart decision.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, Siena kept her cool and said helplessly. But Rhode gave a snort of contempt to her explanation.


    ��You should have told Ion this when he invaded the Country of Light and not me right now, Your Majesty Siena. Besides, I think you shouldn��t be here now. Perhaps you can go for a walk in the Country of Darkness after this?�� Rhode stared into her eyes without any intention of shifting away his gaze. Upon hearing his criticism, Siena��s expression finally changed. She understood that Rhode was criticizing them for being bullies who picked soft targets. If they were truly neutral in their standpoint, they should have gone to the Country of Darkness and accused Ion for his provocation instead and not blame Rhode for his over-defense. But Siena let out a sigh, before providing an explanation quickly.


    ��Big Sister Nalea has been to the Country of Darkness and of course, we��ve also spoken to His Majesty Ion about his actions.��


    ��You spoke to him about his actions but chose to give me a warning? Your Majesty Siena, do you really think that just because my Void Territory isn��t considered a country, we��re a pushover?��


    ��I don��t mean it that way, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    This time, Siena couldn��t tolerate it anymore.


    ��I just hope that you can give it some consideration. Currently, you are unable to defeat the Country of Darkness even if the Void Territory and Country of Light joined forces. If a war were to break out����


    ��So what?��


    ��Huh?��


    Perhaps Rhode��s tone sounded too relaxed, it surprised Siena instead. She lifted her head dubiously, seemingly unable to understand what he meant. Facing her suspicious gaze, Rhode spread his arms apart and shrugged casually.


    ��Indeed, almost all of the worthless trash in the Country of Light was killed and the Void Territory hasn��t started developing. But so what? Does that mean we should allow the Country of Darkness to send out millions of undead creatures to trample on every corner of the Void Territory and Country of Light and massacre every single human? Even if there is no one left in my territory, I will still be able to take the Dark Dragon��s head and hang it up on the wall of my study room for admiration. So what if all my people die, Your Majesty Siena? I protected them, gave them land and food because I needed them to fight for me. The place where the tip of my sword points is where they should lift their weapons and attack, be it demons, devils, undead creatures, or whatnot. Isn��t that the reason why I��m raising them? If not, why must I pain myself by staying in Grandia all day, considering health issues, taxes, food, education, and land-distribution for them? Do you think I have nothing better to do? I protect them and they fight and die for me. I don��t see any problem with that.��


    ��But war will possibly lead to the infiltration of Chaos����


    ��Chaos has already invaded. Besides, if I recall correctly, we��re not the ones who started that damn war! Also, I hope you won��t forget who chased those bast*rds back home; it isn��t the job of the Country of Darkness to do it. Alright then, even though I admit that the moon princess contributed to a certain extent, apart from that I don��t see what that bast*rd, Ion, has done for Order! Your Highness Siena, you may have forgotten, but do you remember why he sent out his armies to attack the Country of Light back then?��


    Rhode smacked the table and interrupted Siena��s words. He stared at her and his expressionless face gradually revealed a youthful and dazzling smile.


    ��He taunted and I retaliated; it was that simple. If he dares to send out his armies now, I shall attack straight into the capital of darkness. I do want to see what the Country of Darkness has in store for me after I kill the Dark Dragon and his four legendary generals. Your Majesty Siena, please remember this: I don��t want to speak reason with you because you didn��t come here to speak reason with me either. You want me to think for the bigger picture? Fine. I need you to please kill off the most unstable factor; after that, there will be many more things for us to discuss,�� Rhode said and all of a sudden, he narrowed his eyes and his smile grew wider. ��Oh, by the way, it would be impolite of me to not return kindness. Perhaps one day, I shall send some of my men for sightseeing in the Country of Darkness. When that day comes, I hope we will receive warm hospitality from His Majesty Ion. Besides, I hope you still remember who the territory the Country of Darkness is occupying initially belonged to.��


    ***


    The situation has reached a critical stage.


    Erin put the intelligence away palely. Ashvril, one of the four legendary generals, had died, while Balende survived and made his way back after losing an arm. This news had spread throughout the entire Country of Darkness and the death knights were requesting to seek revenge for Balende. On the other hand, the vampires broke out in a chaotic internal strife. After Ashvril��s death, her plan to ��suppress the ancient, noble families and boost the new families�� was gone entirely. At this moment, the conflicts between the vampires reached a climax. The noble families who had tolerated this for years brought about changes to themselves. The new noble families who had a sweet taste of success gnashed their teeth and fought desperately to retain them. Erin heard news of vampire families vanishing everyday and the frequently ignited sparks also proved the truth.


    The Country of Darkness entered an unprecedented chaos.


    Erin understood the reasons behind it since the Country of Darkness was established for years and none of the four legendary generals were ��sacrificed�� this way. Moreover, this wasn��t even considered a war yet. At this thought, Erin became worried, just like when Balende came to speak to her about the Void Territory back then. But now, her worries came true and it calmed her down. At the very least, Balende made it back alive. Even though he had lost an arm, he still survived, after all. This comforted her a little. If Balende died in the battle, she was sure that the undead armies would invade the Void Territory even without Ion��s orders. When that happened, it would be an all-out war. Fortunately, the worst-case scenario didn��t happen as Balende returned to the Country of Darkness and overruled his subordinates�� proposal to seek revenge on the Void Territory.


    If not, the situation would have been harder to handle.


    Despite it wasn��t anywhere better now, that is.


    The result of this ambush stunned the other two legendary generals. They weren��t surprised that Ashvril died as she was the weakest among them and it was also calculated since she had lost her main weapon. What they were baffled about was that Balende didn��t make it back in one piece. Unlike Ashvril, in terms of battle strength, Balende was the strongest among the four of them. Charlie couldn��t defeat Balende, not to mention Garcia. Balende was known as the most powerful being in the Country of Darkness, second to the Dark Dragon, and no one expected him to be bashed up so pathetically. This was truly unexpected.


    But Balende considered himself lucky to make it back alive. During his battle against Alice, he spent a Herculean effort to create a spatial passageway to escape. But he didn��t expect Alice to react so quickly as to seal off his retreat the instant the spatial passageway was formed. If Balende didn��t decisively use his arm to defend against Alice and escape at the same time, perhaps Erin would be mourning for two now.


    ��Sigh����


    Erin held her forehead, feeling the throbbing headaches. She could imagine what reaction her big brother would have once he heard this news. It was a reaction she dreaded to see.


    But now, all she could do was pray and wait.

 Chapter 1066 - Temporary Silence

    Siena gazed at Nalea helplessly. Even though her big sister was smiling, there was a noticeable worry in her eyes. Siena had a bad hunch when she realized the clash between both sides back then. But after speaking to Rhode, she noticed this emotion becoming much stronger. It was apparent that Rhode grasped the traits of the Creator Dragons��they were too powerful as high-end forces. It was especially so after one reached the caliber of the Creator Dragons, where not even millions of troops would be effective against them. In the end, it would still be a clash between the Creator Dragons. But this didn��t fit the mutual understanding and agreement between them. Although they once fought in the Creation War, that was more like a ��game�� to fight over territories, while the soldiers were more like pieces occupying areas in a game of chess. That was a mutual understanding and also the rules of the game.


    But Rhode was entirely different. He wasn��t interested in such games. All in all, as long as one attacked him, he would flip over the chessboard and punch one without hesitation. But this way, it would shake Order in the entire continent, which the twin dragons were worried about. Fortunately, the news from Nalea was considered relatively peaceful. The Dark Dragon wasn��t that furious to immediately send out armies into the Void Territory. If that happened, Rhode would welcome his troops with his magic warships when they reached his border and directly attack the capital of darkness. If that happened, the twin dragons could only helplessly see who would become the final victor. But losing one of the Creator Dragons wasn��t in their interest. But now��


    ��Big Sister, why didn��t you discuss it with me beforehand?��


    ��Huh? I remember talking to you about it, Siena?��


    Nalea stuffed a cookie into her mouth while blinking in surprise at Siena.


    ��Ensure the stability of the continent at all costs; isn��t that what we agreed?��


    ���� So that is why you told His Majesty Ion that we may stand on the Void Territory��s side?��


    Siena held her forehead and let out a helpless sigh. She was starting to wonder if it was a smart idea to let Nalea speak to the Dark Dragon. On the contrary, Nalea seemed satisfied with her work as she blinked her large eyes and lifted her head proudly.


    ��Huh? But isn��t that good? You see, Siena, Little Ion has no intention of sending out his armies now, isn��t it?��


    Of course he isn��t��


    Siena was speechless upon hearing her big sister��s reply. If Nalea told Ion that the Country of Law might support the Void Territory, the Country of Darkness would be facing four Creator Dragons at once, which was something that Ion dreaded. If he chose to risk such circumstances, it would simply be a foolish and crazy decision. But this didn��t assure Siena. Instead, it made her even more worried. Ion had an unyielding personality. In this case, perhaps he might stand back for now, but they knew he definitely wouldn��t be able to accept this humiliation. If this continued, no one knew what would happen exactly. After all, apart from the Void Dragon, the Light Dragon had also regained her strength. In this situation, even the Dark Dragon might have a hard time facing the combined attacks of the Void Dragon and Light Dragon. Based on Siena��s understanding of Rhode, she knew that he wasn��t one who swore by a fair fight.


    As a matter of act, Siena��s worries weren��t unreasonable.


    ��Hmph!��


    Ion slammed the table with an ashen complexion. He glared ahead grimly. Even though he didn��t express that he would be attacking the Void Territory in front of Nalea, this was the first time he felt so frustrated. He had never met such a situation before; Ashvril died in battle while Balende suffered grave injuries. This punishment and painful mistake was a first for him and even made him forget about cleaning up the mess with the vampires. As of now, he was most focused on the sense of failure growing deep inside him now.


    He had a similar experience in the past when he was obstructed during his invasion to the Munn Kingdom. He had a vague feeling of anxiousness back then. But he didn��t take it to heart and had even thought that it was just an accident. However, this time, he was unable to restrain his anger to this setback. The continuous failures left a deep impression of the Void Dragon in his head. Not only was the Void Dragon powerful enough to go against him, but he was also courageous enough. But�� Ion didn��t believe that the Void Dragon was capable of defeating him.


    This happened because I underestimated him.


    Ion calmed himself down, reflected on his shortcomings, and came to this conclusion. Erin did report to him about the existing forces of the Void Territory earlier on, but he didn��t take her words to heart. It seemed like he was indeed negligent.


    ��Big Brother?��


    Upon hearing the familiar voice, Ion lifted his head, gazed at his younger sister, and gestured. Upon seeing his hand gesture, Erin bowed respectfully before taking a seat opposite him. Facing his younger sister, Ion remained in silence for a few moments, before eventually speaking.


    ��I��m sure you��re aware of the current situation.��


    ��Yes, Big Brother.�� Erin responded, nodding in affirmation. But she couldn��t understand why Ion asked her this question. On the other hand, Ion also didn��t seem to have the intention to explain further. He simply looked at her and continued saying: ��So then, what are your thoughts?��


    ��Huh?��


    Erin shrieked in surprise. She never thought that Ion would personally ask her this question. Although this question sounded really normal, Erin was aware that Ion would never ask for her opinion! That was because he didn��t want her to intervene with national affairs. But now, it seemed like Ion had broken the taboo?


    Could it be that the ��agitation therapy�� worked?


    Erin couldn��t help but feel somewhat agitated at this thought. Even though she considered the possibilities of her big brother making more pragmatic decisions after receiving news of failure, she wasn��t too hopeful as this matter had huge implications, after all. Besides, Ion was unrepentant for past setbacks, which was why she wasn��t too confident of it working. But now, Ion actually asked for her opinion, which surprised her greatly. Fortunately, Erin returned to her senses quickly.


    Isn��t this a godsend of an opportunity?!


    Erin pulled herself together at this thought. She let out a cough, at the same time thinking of a way to answer her big brother��s question. This was a great opportunity, but it might turn into a disaster if she messed it up. All she could do now was to grasp this chance and not agitate him while giving him advice. If Ion mistook her advice as her looking down upon him, he might take even more extreme measures against Rhode.


    ��Big Brother, I think the main priority now is to appease the internal strife in the Country of Darkness, especially the conflict among vampires. I heard the struggles between vampires have grown and have also implicated the liches and undeads. If this continues, the consequences will be unimaginable.��


    Even though everyone fought for the Dark Dragon, fighting and scheming against each other was always a huge problem between the undead creatures. Now that Ashvril was no longer around, the balance collapsed. The clashes between the vampire forces dragged several undead creatures in as well, where even great liches and death knights were also involved. If this continued, only God knew what would happen.


    ��As for the Void Territory����


    Erin spoke with extreme caution and consideration.


    ��Big Brother, if you agree, I can explain to His Majesty Rhode that this is only a small ��accident��. As long as we reach a mutual agreement, there shouldn��t be any more problems arising from His Majesty Rhode��s side because the Void Territory is currently still in the developmental stages. If it is possible, I��m sure His Majesty Rhode also doesn��t wish to go up against the Country of Darkness.��


    That was how diplomatic affairs worked. No matter the truth, the skill to flout reality must be maxed out. Although both sides clearly knew that this wasn��t an accident, it would be sufficient if they could reach an agreement that the incident was only a random ��accident��. As for the truth in private, it was an entirely different matter.


    ��Of course, it may require some giving-in to reach the agreement. But I think that if we seem sincere enough, His Majesty Rhode will also respond back to us with sincerity.��


    Erin processed every word in her head cautiously before speaking to her Big Brother, in order to avoid agitating him. She understood Rhode well enough to know that he wouldn��t make things difficult for the Country of Darkness based on this incident. Moreover, he was considered to be the benefiting side now. Even though the Country of Darkness had indeed offended the Void Territory, the Country of Darkness had also lost Ashvril while Rhode didn��t lose a single strand of hair. This proved that there was space for negotiation. If there were fatal injuries or deaths to the Country of Darkness and Void Territory, there would be no room for negotiations. And now�� there was more or less some room for it.


    ��Got it.��


    After hearing Erin��s words, Ion pondered in silence for a few moments and said. Then, he stood up and gazed at Erin.


    ��Alright then, I��ll leave this matter to you. Don��t disappoint me.��


    ��Yes, Big Brother.��


    Erin stood up and accepted the order quickly. At the same time, she let out a long sigh of relief in her mind��


    It seems like things have finally turned around.


    I will need to rely on myself next.

 Chapter 1067 - Corresponding Illusion

    After Rhode said his piece to Siena, he was no longer concerned about the Country of Darkness. If the Country of Darkness chose to disobediently send armies to cause him trouble, he could simply lead the magic warships from the rear to wipe out Ion and the capital of darkness. Anyway, this wasn��t his first time killing the Dark Dragon.


    But this didn��t mean that Rhode had nothing to do now because at this moment, he finally received news regarding the Deity Warden, Cassidy.


    ��Are you sure, Gillian?��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Gillian swayed her fluffy tail proudly, turned around with a smile, and gestured to Sara. Upon witnessing her hand gesture, Sara stretched her arm out and touched the Projection Crystal gently. Shortly after, the crystal projected a screen in front of Rhode, displaying what seemed to be a vast desert with spiraling sand and dust. Rhode gazed with twitched brows and Gillian seized the opportune moment and spoke.


    ��Just two days ago, we received a report from the merchants by the port. They said the weather above the northeast trade route has been acting strangely. It is late autumn now and yet, there is snow everywhere. That is why I got Sara to investigate,�� Gillian said, and as though coordinating with her words, Sara moved her hands and the blazing desert turned into a white, ice-cold snow plain. Judging from the frost covering the branches and snow fluttering in the air, it looked like a northern scenery with thousands of miles of snow. Looking at the projection, Rhode puckered his brows. As though guessing his thoughts, Gillian chuckled and continued. ��This is what happened before and this is what we detected����


    Along with Gillian��s words, the snowy scenery vanished completely, only to be replaced by the scorching desert and sand storm that Rhode saw earlier. After ensuring that Rhode figured out the situation, Gillian shrugged and spread her arms apart.


    ��In a short span of time, the same region experienced extreme changes to the environment. If this isn��t one of your works, there is only another explanation. I��ve also asked Miss Marlene and Miss Alice; they confirmed that they sense Cassidy��s presence in that region, just that they can��t pinpoint her specific location. In other words����


    ��I need to head there personally?��


    Rhode crossed his arms and continued Gillian��s words. On the other hand, Gillian narrowed her eyes and nodded slightly.


    ��Master, take this as my personal warning: I suggest that you don��t summon the card spirits into battle this time. I guess you wouldn��t want your loyal spirits to turn into members of the opposition party, right? If that happens, they will be harder to deal with.��


    ��Got it.��


    Rhode nodded to Gillian��s words. Cassidy��s contrasting ability was too dangerous. Everything would be contrasted, including loyalty and betrayal. Perhaps this was the reason why Gillian suggested that he shouldn��t bring others along because it would be a huge loss if he were to lose his subordinates during the battle against Cassidy. Moreover�� even Rhode would have a hard time dealing with this ability. This would be the first time Rhode battled against someone as powerful as a Deity Warden. In the game, the six Deity Wardens were always missing. Of course, Rhode was sure that even if he were to create the six Deity Wardens, perhaps players would still treat them as fraud. A Deity Warden like Alice and Marlene could easily destroy top teams of elites, not to mention Christie. According to Alice, Cassidy��s battle strength was second to Christie. In this case, Rhode found the success rate in dealing with Cassidy rashly unimaginable.


    If it were under normal circumstances, Rhode would prefer to gather more information and only launch his attack after confirming her nature and attacking style. But now, he didn��t have the time to slowly consider. The reason was simple. Currently, Cassidy was roaming about freely and if she were to show up at a certain gathering place or leave the Void Territory for the Country of Light, Munn Kingdom, or Country of Darkness, she would cause much more problems for him. Also, the Projection Crystal was only effective within the Void Territory. If not, Rhode would have used it to peep at Lydia��s bath times.


    ��Is there a way to monitor her movements?��


    ��No, Master. The projections of that area are all distorted. It could also be said that we didn��t receive any useful intelligence���� Gillian said, spreading her arms apart and curling her lips. ��So that is why we can only rely on you to search for her, Master.��


    ��Alright then, it seems like I will need to look for it myself.��


    Upon hearing Gillian��s answer, Rhode sighed helplessly. Even though he wasn��t willing to, he had to do it personally in order to resolve this issue. Fortunately, according to Marlene and Alice, Cassidy was only a soul fragment now. Although she was the core of that soul fragment, she wasn��t in perfect condition, after all. Apart from instinctively using her power of contrast to protect herself, she didn��t possess other skills and this reassured Rhode. Even though she was still able to use the power of contrast, it was still much better than him facing some mysterious and unknown techniques.


    But when Rhode arrived at the destination and witnessed this freakish scene, he felt his heart pounding. Unsure if it was due to Cassidy sensing Rhode��s arrival, the scorching desert in the Projection Crystal that he saw earlier vanished entirely, only to be replaced by the scenery of spring. The fresh blades of grass and tender seedlings were full of life and vitality. The enchanted air was so strong that it could leave one indulged. It was as though the breath of life took shape into a physical presence, singing, dancing, and flying around him to express the blissfulness and vigor of life.


    Is this the place?


    Rhode turned northward, but there seemed to be nothing. But despite that, he felt a familiar and faint aura emerging silently as though someone was hidden somewhere and peeping on him. At this moment, his younger sister��s gentle voice sounded in his ears.


    ��Oh-no-no, Cassidy went into hiding again. It seems like her personality didn��t change at all, be it her soul fragment or original self.��


    ��Her personality?��


    ��Yes, Big Brother. You��ve heard from Alice, right? In terms of strength, Cassidy is the second strongest among the six Deity Wardens. But in terms of personality, she is like a shy little sister who clings to people. She used to linger around my original self and basically never left home. But she will still bite when she��s feeling anxious.��


    ���� Was she born in the year of the rabbit? Come to think of it, her personality doesn��t really suit being a Deity Warden, does it?��


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s answer, Rhode felt somewhat outrageous. According to his initial impression of the six Deity Wardens, they were the last guardians of Order. Be it the other ��Christie��, Marlene, or Alice, all of them suited the image of Deity Warden in his mind. But according to his younger sister, he could only imagine Cassidy to be a shy, obsequious, and reserved little girl.


    Would someone like her be alright as a Deity Warden?


    ��Yes�� you��re right. But from what I remember, the intention of my original self in creating Cassidy was to relax the overly-strict Deity Wardens and put smiles to their always-grim faces.��


    ���� In other words?��


    ��According to a description from your world, back then, my original self created Cassidy to ��act cute��.��


    �� Will everything be alright with this Creator Dragon?


    ��But Big Brother, you still have to be careful. I need to warn you that Cassidy��s power of contrast is not only useful on others, but also effective on herself too. This is also why my original self wasn��t worried about creating her as an ��act cute�� specialist.��


    I see.


    Rhode nodded slightly. Of course, he understood what his younger sister meant. Cassidy was a reserved, timid, and shy Deity Warden. It was imaginable what she would become after using her ability on herself. It seemed like this Creator Dragon was indeed the Creator Dragon and Rhode��s impression of her that was slightly twisted finally returned to normal. But to him, this wasn��t good news.


    This is the place.


    As Rhode considered and headed toward the scent, all of a sudden, he felt an ice-cold gust of wind. The lively atmosphere instantly vanished. In the blink of an eye, trees withered and a long stretch of fresh, green grass disappeared. The land also dried up and fissured, while the air switched from between chilliness and an aura of death. The bone-piercing cold and lifeless aura was so strong that one couldn��t resist as though it came from the world of death. In an instant, heaven and hell swapped places without giving one time to adapt. It felt as though a warm, comfortable room was instantly thrown into a stone-cold icehouse. At this moment, the person Rhode was looking for finally showed up before him.

 Chapter 1068 - Cassidy

    Contrast Deity Warden, Cassidy.


    Even though Rhode tried to imagine how Cassidy looked several times now, he was speechless after seeing her with his own eyes. She seemed like a decent-looking young lady with a beautiful, delicate face and a healthy and slightly-tanned skin tone. Her silver-whitish hair extended to her waist, while the pure, white leather armor accentuated her slim, curvy figure. What was most attractive about her was the large sword on her back. Instead of treating it as a sword, one might as well say that it was a rectangular iron plate. Not only did it not have a typical sharp blade, but it also lacked the arc of a sword. No matter how one looked at it, it was like an iron plate cast on the hilt of a longsword.


    But Rhode didn��t dare to belittle this sword that didn��t look like one. After witnessing Christie��s ��feather pen�� and Alice��s ��book��, he had a deep understanding of the dangers of the mysterious weapons the Deity Wardens possessed.


    Although Cassidy seemed similar to the other Deity Wardens�� her qualities were totally different from theirs. Be it the other ��Christie��, Marlene, or Alice, no matter how different their personalities were, they fit being superiors. Christie��s steadiness, Marlene��s indifference in the past and current arrogance, and Alice��s imposing manner overlooking all things fit the traits of the Creator Dragons�� dependents. But now, Rhode didn��t feel as though he had met a Deity Warden when he saw Cassidy. How should he put it�� Gazing at her, he felt complicated. Although she seemed like a valiant and formidable-looking young lady in appearance, he felt like she was a lion trying to be a hamster accompanied by her timid manner. It was full of contradictions!


    ��W-Who are you? What are you trying to do?! I-I don��t know you! Stay away!��


    Crossing her arms and staring in uncertainty at Rhode, Cassidy yelled timidly. Looking at this scene, Rhode didn��t know what to say. He did foresee how he should interact with her, but was completely speechless after looking at this young lady with the words ��I��m afraid; don��t bully me�� written on her face.


    Back then when you created her for her adorableness, were you sure everything would be fine?


    ���� Are you Cassidy?��


    Rhode pondered in silence, before letting out a cough and asked. Upon hearing his words, Cassidy trembled, taking two steps back quickly like a little girl who wandered into an alley at midnight and a gangster with a villainous smile blocked her exit�� Rhode didn��t like this metaphor a single bit.


    ��W-Who are you? How do you know me? I don��t know you�� stay away!��


    ��I��m Rhode, the current Void Dragon.��


    Even though Rhode felt downhearted, he was fortunate that his emotionless face became his best disguise for this moment as Cassidy didn��t see his emotions through his face. But to Rhode, this wasn��t the important thing. He adjusted his mood before responding to her.


    ���� And you should know why I came here, right, Miss Cassidy?��


    ��Big Sister?��


    Cassidy heard his words and peered out curiously, gazing cautiously at him. Then, she jumped back abruptly like a frightened rabbit, pulling a distance away from the young man. Upon seeing her reaction, Rhode let out a helpless sigh. But before he continued to speak, Cassidy interrupted.


    ��You��re not Big Sister! Yes�� even though I feel Big Sister��s presence�� and you indeed look like her�� you��re still not her! Don��t try to fool my eyes! You��re trying to trick me! I won��t be that stupid to be tricked by you! You baddie! What are you trying to do? Let me tell you, I��m very powerful! Anger me and I will kill you!��


    Cassidy yelled and as though proving her words, she clenched and flourished her tiny fists to threaten Rhode. However, in Rhode��s eyes, this seemed just like a hopeless retaliation from a hamster against its sworn enemy. Judging from her reaction, Rhode let out a helpless sigh and shook his head. At this moment in his mind, the image of at least one of the six, mighty Deity Wardens was tarnished.


    The battle strength of this mascot is actually ranked second? It seems like the future of the six Deity Wardens is bleak. Come to think of it, don��t Alice and the rest feel stressed having her as one of their companions?


    ��I��m indeed the current Void Dragon, Cassidy. If you don��t believe me, you can confirm it yourself. Besides, currently Christie, Marlene, and Alice are also around. If you��re willing����


    ��Christie?��


    Cassidy muttered under her breath and pondered for a few moments. Then, she lifted her head and gazed attentively at him. ��No, I don��t believe you! Where��s Big Sister? Where did Her Majesty go? Why is it you? I can sense the power of the Void Dragon, but it doesn��t belong to you. That is Big Sister��s power! You��re a baddie. You stole Big Sister��s power and are trying to capture me now?�� I will not let you have your way! Yes, you��re not Big Sister. You��re not Big Sister. You��re an enemy. You must be an enemy. You must be�� Enemies must be removed. Enemies must be defeated. Protect Big Sister. Protect the Void Dragon���� Cassidy said.


    Her expression gradually changed. On the other hand, Rhode narrowed his eyes and observed her because at this moment, he felt a sudden burst of imposing presence exuding from her that was entirely different from before. If Cassidy was a hamster before, she was now a cheetah baring fangs and brandishing claws. Her fearful expression vanished in the blink of an eye, turning into a solemn, furious, and indifferent look. She extended her arm and the iron sword on her back flew into her hand by itself. Then, she raised the iron sword and stared at Rhode.


    Her eyes were stern and ice-cold, exuding a pressurizing aggression. At the same time, her gaze became chaotic, indistinct, and shattered, filled with indescribable tyranny. The sudden changes in her left Rhode in incomparable astonishment because this Cassidy who stood before him was totally different from the harmless rabbit a few moments ago. Right now, she had taken off the rabbit��s coat and put on the ferocious qualities of a wild beast. The fearsome aggression was so cold and powerful that Rhode felt it blowing against him in the wind. But this wasn��t all; along with her movements and words, the space around her transformed once again. But this time, the transformations were more frequent with various contrasting sceneries appearing and disappearing at the same time. Rhode felt a massive energy erupting from her.


    Looking at this scene, Rhode felt like the situation was getting more troublesome. He took two steps back slightly and pressed his hand against the hilt on his waist. Then, he tilted his head slightly to communicate with the person in his head.


    ��I can��t get through to her. How about you come up with a way to make her calm down? From our conversation, she seems to like you a lot, so is it possible for you to do the talking and convince her? If this goes on, the situation will be terrible.��


    Rhode asked. But his younger sister let out a helpless sigh and denied.


    ��I��m sorry, Big Brother. Right now, Cassidy is behaving solely out of instinct and words can��t get through to her. Even if I were to do it, I can��t possibly convince her. There is only one solution; you must defeat her and seal her up as your card spirit. Only through this way can her consciousness be restored. Convincing her now is completely impossible and it will even confuse her more. Although she follows the nature of Order as a Deity Warden, if we don��t end this quickly, it will possibly end up as you imagined��Chaos and Order contrasted. When that happens, the situation would be much more dangerous.��


    ��You��re an enemy�� You��re an enemy�� You��re an enemy����


    If it was said that Cassidy was just an ordinary human earlier on, she now became a certain, terrifying presence. Her eyes flickered in golden brilliance and a powerful airflow dispersed from her body in all directions. Rhode unsheathed his sword with a stern expression, gazing attentively at her. It was apparent that in Cassidy��s eyes, he had become an enemy that she needed to eradicate.


    It seems like she is still confused (even though based on the results of their conversation, Rhode didn��t think that he would be able to convince her, that was).


    In this case, Rhode didn��t need to hold back anymore. He could only execute his original plan A now!


    Swish����!


    At this moment, Cassidy also flourished her weapon, launching an attack at Rhode!

 Chapter 1069 - Dogfight

    Chapter 1069: Dogfight


    Before the battle began, Rhode thought that he wouldn��t have any difficulty dealing with Cassidy. The reason was simple. Even though she was one of the six Deity Wardens, she was only a soul fragment and not her original self. On the other hand, Rhode had awakened as the Void Dragon and after fusing his power with the other four Creator Dragons, he was over level 120, while Cassidy was just over level 90. If they were to have a serious battle, just the difference in level was enough to squash her. Therefore, although Rhode was rather worried back then, he didn��t take it to heart. But he couldn��t be blamed. Looking at his level with three-digit numbers, it would be illogical if any player were to act cautiously against BOSSes with tens of levels lower than him.


    But in reality, he realized that he had underestimated the situation after engaging in battle with Cassidy.


    In the Dragon Soul Continent, there were different types of BOSSes. Players could defeat most of them as long as their strength was enough and patterns were mastered. For instance, the Dark Dragon might seem powerful, but as long as there were enough players with sufficient level and strength, there wouldn��t be any problem defeating it. But apart from that, there was another type of ��special�� BOSS. This type of BOSSes might not be powerful in strength, but if players failed to find the corresponding way to defeat it, it would still be useless even if they possessed the strength to destroy the world over a hundred times. The twin dragons were the model representative. And now, Rhode was unfortunate to find out that Cassidy was also one of them.


    Shing��������!


    The iron plate that was massive enough to be used for teppanyaki brushed against Rhode and brought along strong, violent airwaves. But to him, this wasn��t the most lethal. With his current level and defenses, Cassidy couldn��t even hack through his skin even if he stood there and exposed his neck to her. The most dangerous problem wasn��t her damage output. Instead, it was her ��power of contrast�� that gave him the most headache.


    During their first clash, Rhode was caught off guard and almost suffered gravely. He initially tried to resist her attack, but discovered that his strength was perfectly reflected by her. It felt as though he didn��t stop the attack, but turned the blade around and tried to commit suicide instead! Not only that, but he also couldn��t determine the focus of Cassidy��s attack with her power of contrast. Every time he brandished his sword to retaliate, he felt as though his strength was instantly restored to its original state like two magnets repelling each other. No matter how Rhode switched up his attacking style, he just couldn��t deal effective damage to Cassidy.


    Fortunately, he was one of the Creator Dragons and Cassidy��s power of contrast wasn��t too effective on him. But what he needed to do now wasn��t to avoid Cassidy��s attack. Instead, he had to find a way to defeat her! In the current situation, he wasn��t able to find any of her weaknesses. This was why he could only choose to tussle with her while observing for any weaknesses.


    Swish����!


    Cassidy missed her attack and her body trembled to the mighty force. However, the sword in her hand suddenly slashed skyward as though it had hit something elastic in the ground, flourishing toward Rhode from the opposite direction. Rhode evaded her attack swiftly, but he knew that this wasn��t the end. Cassidy brandished the sword at him again and along with her movements, the blade air from when she rotated the sword coalesced into a long whip that lashed forward and caused several trenches on the ground. Looking at this scene, Rhode grimaced slightly. He raised his sword and dazzling blade lights appeared in midair, merging into a large, omnipresent net that pounced on her fanatical attack. But as soon as the net of light collided with Cassidy��s attack, it disappeared to nowhere in the blink of an eye. Rhode turned around and dodged Cassidy��s follow-up attack quickly in a trail of afterimages.


    How troublesome.


    Rhode knitted his brows at the flashing blade air before him. As he evaded the surging energy, he felt a bone-chilling wind brushing past him. Then, the wind turned blazing hot at the very next moment, before transforming into a heavy, mud-like matter and a roaring whirlwind. Rhode had to face continuous attacks from four elements and it was absolutely deadly.


    But�� this still wasn��t Cassidy��s true power.


    Rhode sharply realized that Cassidy was just as his younger sister had described: a soul fragment��her usage of the ��power of contrast�� was only on the most basic level. She didn��t need to consider too much and was only using the ability instinctively. If she were another Deity Warden, perhaps she would have already controlled the battle. Rhode had witnessed the battle between Alice and Balende. When a true Deity Warden engaged in battle, she would choose to use her ability to control the battle. Balende was unknowingly manipulated by Alice��s ��power of history�� and this formidable legendary general simply became a monkey in her hands who couldn��t escape no matter how hard he tried. In the words of the players, battling against Deity Wardens was as though having the Deity Warden cast an irremovable and extremely terrifying ��debuff�� on them at the start. Not only that, but there was also a countdown timer and players were at an overwhelming disadvantage. However, Cassidy��s power wasn��t like that at all. Although she possessed a certain degree of control over the battle, the ability wasn��t within her control and was only through her instincts. The same went for her attacks. Therefore, to Rhode, although it was tough for him to face her attacks, it wasn��t the most important point. In fact, Rhode could activate [Self-Affirmation] and kill her instantly if he wanted to. But it was a pity that this young lady wasn��t supposed to be killed.


    But since Cassidy relied solely on her instincts and wasn��t using her power consciously, Rhode had some ways to deal with her.


    I��ll give that a shot.


    After dodging Cassidy��s attack again, Rhode scanned her from head to toe. At this moment, she no longer looked like a timid, little rabbit like she had before the battle began. Instead, she was a hungry, ferocious wolf pouncing on its prey. Although her attacking routine was simple, Rhode knew clearly that if it weren��t for the protection from ��Order�� as a Creator Dragon, he could simply be killed by just one slash of her blade. His attributes restored the presence that was contrasted by her. Based on this, it made sense that Marlene and Alice refused to do this job.


    Alright then, I will need to rely on myself next.


    Rhode clutched the sword at this thought, gazing at the young lady. Then, his body suddenly trembled in twisted ripples of air and three illusory shadow clones emerged from him, dispersing to both sides.


    Fantasy Daybreak!


    Fantasy Daybreak was no longer the half-assed swordsmanship that he casually created in the past. Every Creator Dragon had their unique battle skills and the same went for Rhode. After becoming the Void Dragon, he realized he had more accurate control of space and Fantasy Daybreak was also taken up a notch. If it was said in the past that the shadow clones he created were just ��defective products�� made from spiritual powers through the system, right now they were true, identical clones of himself. The only difference between them was that the three clones were projections of him in the spatial plane of existence. It was similar to when Rhode saw his other self in the Wheel of Fate back then. However, it was only the projections casting the sword skill and wasn��t his true self back then. Besides, it also wasn��t similar to in the game. Right now, the individual shadow clones represented the different thoughts Rhode had when unleashing this swordsmanship. For instance, attacking with a straight thrust of the sword was a great move. But it would also be a good idea if he could ambush by slashing the sword horizontally to restrain the enemy��s movements. Of course, normal swordsmanship could never reach this perfection. But Rhode��s Fantasy Daybreak broke the obstruction of space and reached a perfect and harmonious unity!


    Shing! Shing! Shing!


    In the blink of an eye, the three shadow clones surrounded Cassidy entirely, slashing three dazzling blade rays from their swords. They staggered and coordinated to seal off her retreat at the same time. Facing this sudden change in situation, Cassidy��s expression remained unchanged. She snorted and flourished her sword abruptly in retaliation. Along with her movements, the three shadow clones suddenly became distorted and began to fuse by a mysterious force.


    At this moment, Rhode finally struck!


    ��Summon!��


    Facing her retaliation, Rhode trembled slightly. But he raised his sword, pointed at Cassidy, and snarled. Then, the entire world before him changed instantly!


    The sky, earth, and everything from before disappeared. All of it was enveloped in pitch-black darkness and only dots of starlight flickered around them. It seemed as though Rhode had thrown Cassidy into outer space at this very instant. Upon realizing it, Cassidy revealed a flustered and stunned expression. She realized that the power she counted on the most was slowly vanishing!

 Chapter 1070 - Accidental Changes

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    This sudden change in situation baffled Cassidy. If she were a person with perfect senses now, perhaps she would come up with countermeasures quickly. However, she was only a muddle-headed and one-track minded soul fragment at the moment. In this case, she was relatively surprised by the abrupt changes. She instinctively tried to escape, but no matter how hard she struggled, she just couldn��t get out of this mysterious world around her. She waved her arms and thrust her legs on the spot, which seemed somewhat comical. This left her increasingly dubious. She instantly retreated to stay as far away from Rhode as possible. But she quickly learned that no matter where she ran to, she was as though making no headway. No matter the direction or how much effort she put in, Rhode would stand before her whenever she lifted her head like he was waiting for her arrival.


    ��Phew����


    At this moment, Rhode heaved a sigh of relief.


    It seems like this works pretty well.


    Even though Cassidy��s ability was hard to deal with, Rhode was still the Void Dragon, after all. The battle between them was taking place in the Void Territory and under the Void Dragon��s soul protection, so it was predetermined that Rhode had the home field advantage. Besides, as the Void Dragon, he was the true dominator and conqueror of rules. Although Cassidy was powerful in the rules of ��contrast�� as a ��manager��, Rhode could fire her as the ��boss�� no matter how capable she was. Currently, this was what Rhode was doing. He seized the opportune timing while Cassidy was dealing with his three shadow clones and caught her off guard, dragging her into his very own ��void world��. In this place, he was the creator of all things including rules. As of now, he had weakened Cassidy��s mastery of the ��contrast�� rule and here, she was basically no threat to him at all.


    ��You stole my power! How did you do it?��


    Cassidy glared at Rhode. Facing her fierce stare, he shrugged nonchalantly, lifted his head, and gazed at her. Right now, Cassidy was unlike before. If she was like a hungry wolf before, she had become a terrifying monster in a horror movie now. Although her power was diminished to the lowest by Rhode, she continued to exude a dangerous presence. This left Rhode knitting his brows. For some unknown reason, he felt like the situation was far from ordinary. But even so, he held down the uncertainties hidden deep in his heart and sauntered toward her. Upon witnessing him closing in, Cassidy��s fuming and sinister expression turned terrified instantly as crystal-clear tears trickled down from the corner of her eyes as though she were wronged. She wailed and shivered, taking steps back in fear.


    ��N-No, stay away. You baddie. Don��t come near me! What are you trying to do? What are you trying to do to me?��


    Cassidy screamed in lingering fear and Rhode sensed a strong, mysterious aura which left him puckering his brows. He clutched the sword hilt and stared at the young lady when suddenly, her expression changed once again. The terrified look disappeared in the blink of an eye, only to be replaced by a warm, passionate smile as though she had just witnessed something amusing.


    ��No�� hahaha, stay away. Hahaha, I will kill you if you come any closer okay! I��m serious, hahaha. Look at you, hahaha�� Don��t come here. If you dare come any closer���� Cassidy said when suddenly, her expression turned sinister, grim, and scary. She widened her mouth without any warning and growled like an agitated lioness. ����. I will kill a damn bast*rd like you hundreds of thousands of times! You scoundrel! Let me go! Do you hear me!��


    ��Frankly speaking�� this is considered some sort of talent, I suppose.��


    Rhode lamented softly at this scene. He couldn��t be blamed for thinking this way because the changes in Cassidy��s mood were as quick and abrupt as the ��face-changing�� performances he watched in the real world: as soon as the performer turned away and looked back, he would have a whole new face. What surprised Rhode more was that Cassidy��s aura changed along with her mood. She no longer pretended to be strong even though she was afraid. Right now, whatever expression she put up was the aura she exuded. When she was afraid, she was totally like a harmless and timid little rabbit. But when she raged, she was like an erupting volcano. This transcended the realm of ��emotional�� and ��mental illness�� and reached a realm unknown to ordinary humans�� Back then, surely his younger sister didn��t create her for this unique ��artistic talent��, right? Or perhaps ��facial talent��?


    ��Argh�� Ahhh!��


    At this moment, a mournful scream interrupted Rhode��s thoughts. He realized that Cassidy seemed to be in incredible pain. She stretched out her arms, clutching her head. Her eyes were shut as her body shivered. Along with these reactions, Rhode discovered that something was disrupting his space!


    ��What happened?!��


    ��Oh no. Do it quickly, Big Brother!��


    At this moment, his younger sister��s voice sounded anxiously in his ears.


    ��What��s wrong?��


    ��Her Order is crumbling. Big Brother, you still remember Cassidy��s power of contrast, right? She��s only a soul fragment now and doesn��t have the mastery to control it. The consequences will be dire if she undergoes such intense transformation and power!��


    ��Order, Chaos!��


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s answer, Rhode��s expression changed slightly. But he hesitated no more. He flourished the sword and leaped up quickly. This time, he wasn��t holding back anymore. He remembered Alice mentioning Cassidy��s power of contrast, which meant that Cassidy was able to switch Order and Chaos. In this case, perhaps after suffering from too much agitation, Cassidy slowly turned toward Chaos. Even though Rhode didn��t know if the mighty Deity Wardens could turn into Chaos worshipers, he wasn��t willing to take this risk!


    ��Get lost!��


    Upon sensing Rhode��s attack, Cassidy snarled and swung the sword at him. But this time, Rhode charged forward with his sword instead of evading, hacking on the ��iron plate�� in Cassidy��s hands. Previously, the reason why he didn��t choose to clash head-on with her was that they were in the actual world and if Order were to shatter during their battle, he would need to clean up the mess afterward. But it was different here. Now that Cassidy was pulled into his own space and her power of contrast was weakened drastically, there wouldn��t be as much trouble dealing with her.


    Clang!


    The swords clashed and this time, Rhode��s sword wasn��t negated. Instead, he held on firmly and swept away Cassidy��s sword, leaving the young lady grimacing from the immense force. She took half a step back and flourished the sword from above with force. But this time, she didn��t notice the other two figures surrounding her. Rhode��s shadow clone technique hadn��t been deactivated all this while!


    Shing! Shing!


    The criss-crossed blade rays erupted instantly from the left and right, sealing off her retreat entirely. Even though Cassidy realized that something was amiss, it was all too late. During the split second of distraction, Rhode struck forward with his sword and conquered the ��iron plate�� in her hand forcefully. Then, he disappeared in a flash and arrived before her, flicking his wrist around and striking her in the chest heavily with the hilt. The gravely-hurt Cassidy couldn��t tolerate it anymore. She suffered from agony due to her power of contrast going berserk and the pincer attack from Rhode��s shadow clones earlier on. And now, this strike to her chest from Rhode was too much to take as she fainted on the spot. As she became unconscious and collapsed to the ground, the irrepressible power inside her exploded instantly. The invisible power blasted and swept across the entire space like massive waves and this seemingly endless cosmos rippled in the impact.


    ��Big Brother, hurry up!��


    ��Got it!��


    Before Cassidy crumbled to the ground, Rhode grabbed her and a bright, dazzling summoning ritual emanated from his body, enveloping the entire cosmos in an instant.


    ��Wake up, Cassidy!��


    At the same time, a line of extremely familiar system prompts appeared before his eyes.


    [Spirit Language. Activate]


    Shortly after, dazzling rays emanated from Cassidy, merging and interweaving into pure, white lines of light that took shape above Rhode��s palm gradually. After a few seconds, a strange card of black and white was formed. Rhode looked at it and heaved a sigh of relief. But at this moment, he heard his younger sister��s voice.


    ��Be careful, Big Brother!��


    ��Huh?��


    Rhode lifted his head quickly and only just realized that layers upon layers of dazzling halos had erupted from Cassidy like protective barriers enfolding her completely. Then, the halos shrunk abruptly, before expanding all of a sudden!


    The world before him was enveloped in a pure, white brilliance.

 Chapter 1071 - What Exactly was Going on?

    ��It is already the third day.��


    Marlene gazed worriedly at the palace before her. It was pitch-black as usual. Ever since Rhode left three days ago, he hadn��t been back once. However, this wasn��t uncommon for Marlene as she knew that he loved roaming about in places and was used to it already. But this time, the situation was a little different as there was no response from him at all. Even though Rhode was seeming undisciplined, Marlene knew that he was clearly a responsible person who would ask about the recent ongoings in the territory through spiritual communications. But now, three days had gone by and there was no news from him at all. Marlene tried to speak to him through spiritual communications but received no answer. Not only that, but Canary and Mini Bubble Gum also had no news of him, which was really rare. In the past, Rhode would still get Canary to pass a message to Marlene if it was inconvenient for him to do so and Marlene didn��t feel like it was unacceptable for Canary to be above her in position. Although she awakened the power of a Deity Warden and was basically the final form of a BOSS in the face of all spell casters, she had no intention of fighting with Canary over the number one position in the harem. Therefore, all in all, Rhode��s harem was rather stable and peaceful currently.


    Of course, most of it benefited from the tacit understanding between Marlene and Canary. In the game, Canary wasn��t considered the strongest in the number one echelon. But despite that, she conducted herself well and was popular among the players. That wasn��t the real world, but the virtual-reality world where most players were neither bothered by conflict of interest nor issues with reputation.


    Even if problems existed, players would privately curse this beautiful young lady as a shameless wh*re, at the very most. In that case, Canary definitely didn��t rely on ��acting cute�� to gain the likes and support of players in Starlight. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum disliked these troublesome matters, so she didn��t cause any ruckus.


    As for Marlene, she was the heir of a huge, noble family, so if she couldn��t even learn worldly wisdoms, she would be better off marrying to another family, assuming the traditional role of a good wife, and bringing some political capital for her families related by marriage. As for Lize, she had a gentle temperament and disliked fighting for power. On the other hand, Lapis was a geek who was easily satisfied after Rhode accepted her for who she was. Perhaps she didn��t even think about her future. Meanwhile, Anne didn��t mind anything else as long as she could sleep in the same bed as Rhode. Sonia��s identity was relatively lower in comparison. She knew that she was unlike the other young ladies. After all, her relationship with Rhode wasn��t built on ��emotional basis��, which was why she kept an extremely low profile. Even after Rhode turned her into a card spirit, she remained low-profile and didn��t intervene with anything that didn��t involve her. Moreover, she spent most of her time with Lilian, which actually saved her a lot of the awkwardness from meeting others.


    As for Nell and Angelina, they weren��t even considered members of the harem. Between them and Rhode, they were considered his ��secretaries��, at the very most. There weren��t much emotions involved and most of their interactions came from their duties and some random talks. As for the others�� it wasn��t up to them to manage.


    But this time, not only did Canary not receive any news, but Sonia and Nell also didn��t have any responses from Rhode. It was the same for Alice and Marlene. They knew that Rhode went searching for Cassidy, but with Alice��s ability, she couldn��t retrieve any ��historical record�� under the double, imposing presences of Cassidy and Rhode, so she couldn��t find out exactly what happened. The only thing she was sure was that Rhode had definitely found Cassidy, but as for what happened after�� no one knew.


    Currently, the entire Void Territory was rather peaceful, thanks to Rhode not ��managing�� too much everyday. In fact, most operations in the Void Territory didn��t require his approval to complete, unless there were situations like the Country of Darkness or Chaos invading. If not, Marlene would handle almost everything and it was due to this reason that Rhode��s disappearance didn��t affect the Void Territory too much. However, Marlene felt worried. This wasn��t due to the internal problems of the Void Territory, but more of her concern as a woman.


    What exactly happened to Rhode?


    ����!��


    All of a sudden, Marlene heard a loud noise from the near distance. She lifted her head in astonishment, gazed ahead, and saw a massive dragon with its wings expanded, flying toward Grandia. Upon witnessing the dragon, Marlene heaved a sigh of relief. The illusory appearance that resembled the starry sky, as well as the massive body proved one thing. It was the Void Dragon right before her��Rhode.


    But�� what��s going on?


    Marlene was puzzled because she knew that Rhode disliked showing up in his dragon form. But this time�� Marlene shook her head at this thought and threw the doubt to the back of her head. She quickly made her way to the plaza behind the palace.


    When she arrived at the plaza, the Void Dragon was gradually flapping his wings and descending. At this moment, Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Alice also arrived. After all, they were worried. Rhode hadn��t responded for days and was finally back. What exactly happened? Did he manage to recover Cassidy? Where had he been? These questions were all floating around in their heads.


    ��Hmm?��


    As soon as Canary saw the Void Dragon, she knitted her brows dubiously. She realized that something was amiss as the actions of this Void Dragon was rather different from what she recalled. In the past, Rhode always seemed imperious whenever he landed on the surface in his dragon form. It could also be said that he was like the final, world-destroying BOSS who appeared at the end of the game like the Neltharion�� Meanwhile, Rhode also indulged in it as Starlight was considered by many opposing players as the ��evil force�� that must be taken down as they were too powerful beyond words. As the guild leader, Rhode was undoubtedly the ��final BOSS�� and in this world, he actually got the chance to become one. This was why he had more or less imitated the actions of the final BOSS and as one of his most intimate people, Canary knew he had this interest.


    But this time, she discovered that the behavior of this Void Dragon seemed rather different. Its descent wasn��t as imperious as before and on the contrary, its movements were so gentle and nonchalant. It had an indescribable, imposing presence as though it were looking over the world. Even though it landed gradually on the surface, it gave Canary a misconception that it was looking at this world with the most peaceful and gentle gaze!


    What��s going on? Is Rhode��


    But before Canary figured out what happened, the Void Dragon had landed on the platform and folded its wings. Along with its movements, the massive body gradually shrunk and shortly after, it disappeared in an illusory mist and someone walked out of it.


    ������


    Everyone was taken aback when they witnessed the person.


    It was a young lady.


    Even though her face looked exactly the same as Rhode��s, her curvaceous figure told them that it clearly wasn��t a man standing before them. This young lady seemed slightly younger than Rhode and Canary, but much older than Christie. Her growing body exuded a youthful vitality. She wore a pitch-black, elegant long dress and her silky, long hair extended to the side of her feet. The young lady presented a gentle smile. Her pale complexion was as though she was suffering from a serious illness. Despite that, the massive aura hidden inside her slender body was so powerful and distinct that even Rhode couldn��t match up with her.


    ��Who is�� this?��


    Mini Bubble Gum gazed blankly at the young lady, scratching her head in puzzlement and turning to Canary. On the other hand, Canary��s gaze became rather complicated. She bit her lip and her expression was caught between hesitation and agitation. But despite that, she said nothing and only stood by the side, observing the young lady in silence. Compared to the confused Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, Marlene and Alice seemed more impacted by the presence of this young lady. They stared blankly at her with unconcealable surprise and doubt in their expressions. Even Alice, who didn��t care about anything else other than books and rarely showed her feelings, seemed agitated at this point. She embraced the tome in her arms tightly and went ahead with quick steps. Meanwhile, Marlene also stepped onto the plaza with complicated emotions. However, they weren��t the only ones.


    A bright, gentle radiance emanated from the ground and burst into the sky. Then, a petite figure with a face identical to Christie��s appeared within. She seemed incomparably perturbed and nostalgic.


    Witnessing everyone��s arrival, the young lady smiled. She turned to Alice, Marlene, and Christie in order and nodded slightly to them. Then, she broke the silence.


    ��Long time no see, my adorable children.��

 Chapter 1072 - Return of the Dragon

    A pure, dazzling white radiance erupted, enfolding the world completely. Rhode instinctively extended his arm to cover his eyes from the brilliance. However, he realized he wasn��t in control of his body. At the next moment, he felt as though he was being dragged by an unknown force and flew out in a ��swish��, sinking into darkness and losing his consciousness.


    ��Ugh����


    After an unknown while, he opened his eyes slowly. What came into view was the usual sky and land in the Void Territory.


    It seems like I made it back safely. But��


    Rhode shrugged and shook his head at this thought. He wasn��t aware of what exactly happened in the end. After he became the Void Dragon, he never lost his consciousness. What he did back then was only summoning a card spirit and this shouldn��t have happened.


    Forget it, since it is already done and dusted�� Hmm?


    At this moment, he discovered that something was amiss; his body was as though no longer a material existence and had become illusory instead. He extended his arms and could vaguely see through them as though he were a ghost. This scene felt somewhat familiar and unfamiliar at the same time because in the game, he had experienced it several times. The feeling of unfamiliarity struck him as this was his first time encountering this after transmigrating to this world. The reason was simple. This was the spiritual state after a player was killed.


    ��What in the world�� what��s going on?��


    Rhode was baffled at this scene. He didn��t expect to be defeated, or get insta-killed, in this case. Rhode summoned the system interface quickly at this thought and as expected, most of his skills and talents were grayed out, unusable, and only a few functions were available. However, this didn��t affect him too much because what he was most concerned about was why he became a spirit for no apparent reason. But�� he decided to see if he could still return to his actual body in this spiritual form.


    He looked to the left and right at this thought. This should be the place where he fought Cassidy earlier on. Logically, even if he died, his corpse should be nearby. But at this moment, he heard a familiar voice.


    ��Big Brother, you��re finally awake.��


    ��Phew�� I��m so glad you��re still here. That��s a relief. What exactly����


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s voice, Rhode let out a sigh of relief. He shook his head and turned toward her. Then, he was stupefied as standing before him was the beautiful woman whom he missed dearly. The identical face that had turned pale due to the pester of sickness, as well as the long, silky black hair�� Everything seemed just so familiar. But what surprised him was that his younger sister actually possessed her own body! What��s going on?


    ��This is����


    ��Seems like we were fooled by Cassidy, Big Brother.��


    Facing Rhode��s astonished expression, the young lady said, forcing a smile and shaking her head helplessly. After hearing her explanations, Rhode finally figured out what happened exactly. The moment he used [Spirit Language] to awaken Cassidy, she restored to perfect conditions. But this was where the problem started. Just like how one couldn��t possibly create something from nothing, even though Cassidy possessed the perfect core, she was a soul fragment, after all. Just like other summoning spirits, other parts of her had to be replenished by Rhode��s spiritual powers. And this was where the problem arose.


    If Rhode was a complete Creator Dragon, all of his rules would belong to him and naturally there wouldn��t be any issues. But the problem was that he wasn��t a complete Creator Dragon. The main reason why he was able to become a Creator Dragon was that when the former Void Dragon incarnated into the real world, she accidentally transferred too much power into Rhode��s body. Although Rhode used his younger sister��s soul fragment to replenish his strength, the Void Dragon��s power still belonged to his younger sister and was not ��created originally�� by him. It was due to this that this power of the void came from the same source as the power of void used to create Cassidy, which caused a resonance and led to Rhode being affected by Cassidy��s power of contrast. Coincidentally, his younger sister��s soul fragment was inside his body as his second soul. As a result, both of them swapped places to the influence of the power of contrast. Rhode was forcefully turned into a spirit, while his younger sister appeared as a human. It could also be said that their roles had completely switched around.


    ��Tsk, how unfortunate.��


    Rhode tutted. He always acted with caution and didn��t expect to meet with this unexpected failure. This left him incomparably depressed. But when he lifted his head, he realized his younger sister was smiling and gazing at him.


    ��The fact that I��m here means you��re really fortunate in this misfortune, Big Brother.��


    ��What do you mean?��


    ��Have you forgotten that Cassidy��s power of contrast is really powerful, Big Brother? If I��m not around, it won��t be as simple as switching our roles already. When that happens, things would have changed.��


    ��Ugh����


    Rhode was speechless upon hearing his younger sister��s answer. He puckered his brows and imagined the scene of him becoming a woman. Since it was ��contrast��, not only would his gender change, but his personality and likings would also change. If that happened��


    Oh, my goodness!


    The thought of him possibly turning into a gentle, delicate woman who liked men sent chills down his spine. At the same time, it gave him a new understanding of the ��dangers�� in this operation. But now, it seemed to him that this result was somewhat decent? If Marlene, Alice, and others were also fooled and turned into men�� Rhode didn��t dare to continue imagining. Fortunately, that would only show up in his imagination and wouldn��t overwrite the truth. Despite that��


    ��Is there any way to restore everything?��


    Even though it was great that his younger sister owned a physical body now, it was an entirely different matter now that he didn��t own one. If they both possessed bodies, Rhode could do as many things with her as he wished. But now�� he scanned his ��body�� and realized that he couldn��t even ��pleasure�� himself even if he wanted to. But after some serious thoughts, it seemed to him that pleasuring himself was also quite a pitiful and tragic act.


    ��The authority is still in my hands for now. But as I��m a soul fragment, I don��t possess too much power. So after a while, when I can��t maintain this form anymore, you can summon Cassidy and use her power of contrast to switch us back.��


    ��It seems like this is the only way.��


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s answer, Rhode pondered for a few moments helplessly. Then, he nodded in melancholy before quickly recalling something really troublesome. And that was��


    ��Are we going to head back like this?��


    ���� And this was what happened.��


    Sitting on the chair, the younger lady explained everything with a gentle smile. Of course, that included her identity and relationship with Rhode. After hearing her explanation, everyone was oddly surprised. Not only Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, who were extremely familiar with Rhode in the game or reality, astonished, but Alice, who was familiar with the former Void Dragon, also revealed a baffled expression after hearing their experiences. On the other hand, Christie maintained a calm expression as she sat by the side. Since Christie accepted the seed of life from her and Rhode, she naturally understood the former Void Dragon more.


    ��I didn��t expect Leader to have such a past�� with his younger sister and his younger sister is the BOSS of another world�� Oh-oh-oh, this is amazing!��


    ��I see����


    Unlike Mini Bubble Gum who had delusions of grandeur at her peak, Canary��s reaction was much calmer. Canary gazed at the young lady with complicated emotions and after a few moments, nodded slightly. Facing Canary��s gaze, the young lady smiled casually.


    ��I��m aware of your existence, Big Sister Canary. Thanks for accompanying Big Brother back then. Even though your relationship with him was�� well, I know that Big Brother was glad to have you by his side.��


    ��Erm�� Your Majesty?��


    At this moment, Marlene put a weird look as she gazed at the young lady. Right now, her identity was somewhat in an awkward spot. As Margaret��s reincarnation, Marlene inherited her wisdom and memories after awakening, which included memories of the former Void Dragon. But strictly speaking, Marlene was closer to Rhode and didn��t transform back to Margaret entirely after her awakening. If not, Marlene would be putting up an emotionless face and saying ��plan, pass�� at the drop of a hat. Unlike Canary, who hadn��t interacted with the Void Dragon in the past, and Alice, who had an intimate relationship with the Void Dragon, Marlene was in an intricate place. Although she was respectful of the Void Dragon before her, she was more worried about Rhode.


    ��May I know if Rhode is����


    ��Just a few days and Rhode will be restored to his original state. Is anything the matter?��


    Even though Rhode could immediately summon Cassidy and place her into one of the Ten Strongest Spirit Decks, he didn��t choose to do that due to some kind of dark psychology. Instead, he sealed up Cassidy��s card and decided to summon her after he was able to restore his original state. It seemed like deep inside him, he was still dissatisfied with Cassidy for ��fooling�� him, even though she might not have done it on purpose.


    ��This����


    Upon sensing the young lady��s gaze, Marlene hesitated, before eventually speaking.


    ��Earlier on, I received news from the moon princess regarding the ��accidental clash�� that happened in the Void Territory. She hopes to have a detailed talk with Rhode����

 Chapter 1073 - Unexpected Negotiations

    Meanwhile, Erin felt depressed.


    Even though Ion handed the entire matter to her, she felt anxious for both sides. Since she was the moon princess of the Country of Darkness, she couldn��t possibly commit treason. But on the other hand, she couldn��t work half-heartedly for Rhode since he appointed her as a plenipotentiary representative. This wasn��t because Erin had some emotional entanglement with Rhode. But instead, her innate character was similar to Lydia��s; perfectionists who either perfected things or not accomplish it at all. In this case, slacking definitely didn��t fit Erin. At this point in time, she wished that both sides would each take a step back. But she didn��t know just how far the situation would go because Rhode currently had the upper hand. Despite that, she also had her own channels. Although she didn��t hear what Rhode said back then, she knew that he was a tough person through their interactions and he would prefer to have no one winning than to concede to his enemy.


    Besides, Erin knew that the Country of Darkness wasn��t actually flawless. Relative to the strongest forces, the Country of Darkness was too weak. Currently, based on Erin��s senses about the situation in the Void Territory, she knew that there were at least five to six people with about the same level of strength as the four legendary generals or were definitely stronger. Furthermore, the earlier clash also proved that her views were still conservative, with one dead and one injured among the four legendary generals, where even Balende almost failed to make it back alive!


    Erin was confident that if the Void Territory and Country of Darkness were to break out in a war, the former might end up with heavy losses, while the latter would face much more trouble. As long as Rhode��s subordinates took out all the formidable beings in the Country of Darkness, the Country of Darkness would crumble instantly. The formidable beings of the Country of Darkness grew over time and an unlimited amount of time let them prepare sufficiently. 50, 100, 300, 500, and 1000 years; many formidable beings in the Country of Darkness were, in fact, the model examples of how ��acquired diligence could make up for innate deficiencies and defects��. They might have lacked talents, but a sufficient amount of patience and wisdom ensured that as long as they had enough time, they could distinguish themselves. This was why the Country of Darkness had such a high level of battle strength, which was also a powerful guarantee of strength.


    But if Rhode were to lead his men and eradicate them all, the Country of Darkness would be doomed because in terms of the improvement of strength, low-level undead creatures couldn��t compete with humans at all. Perhaps after another 50 to 100 years, another batch of undead creatures would rise above others. But with that much time, many more formidable humans would have already distinguished themselves!


    Once the Country of Darkness lost the advantage that time gave them, their advantage over other territories would be limited. It was apparent that Rhode could make them lose the advantage. Erin knew that Rhode was the sort of guy who would rather everyone die together than to have someone excel over him. In this case, Rhode was definitely capable of doing things to harm others without benefiting himself.


    It was due to Erin��s understanding of the dangers Rhode could bring to the Country of Darkness that she was so serious about her duties. But on the other hand, she was worried that Rhode would commit daylight robbery. If it were only an extortion of ��mental compensation��, Erin wouldn��t have much objection. But Rhode��s ambitions were terrifying. For instance, he might request the Country of Darkness to withdraw from the territory that they occupied in the Country of Light�� If that happened, there would be no room for negotiation at all. What was worse was that based on Erin��s understanding of Rhode, she felt like the possibilities of him doing so were really high because he wasn��t afraid of starting a war with the Country of Darkness.


    On the contrary, Erin didn��t want to start a war with the Void Territory, as it was like a clash between an ancient noble family and a newly-established noble family. The ancient noble family had time, deep, stable foundations, and countless family members. On the other hand, even though the newly-established noble family only had small areas of land, they were full of vigor. Although they didn��t have many family members, they weren��t weak either. After both sides erupted in a clash, the newly-established noble family might be crippled by the ancient noble family. However, they were young and energetic and would perhaps curl their lips and curse at the ancient family, at the very least. Even if they returned in defeat, they could continue to build new houses in their homeland. Perhaps this might be a good thing for them as tearing down the dilapidated wreckage would allow them to construct postmodern buildings with new, artistic styles. But what about the ancient noble family? Their centuries-old foundation would perish to nothingness. The once bustling family became cheerless and desolate. Buildings with historical heritage would be burned to ashes with only pieces of broken bricks remaining. Maybe some would be unwilling and dissatisfied, but would they be able to restore the glorious times of their ancient family?


    No one knew.


    ��He who is down need not fear nor fall��. Perhaps Erin wasn��t aware of this phrase, but the meaning was common. Be it victory or defeat when the Country of Darkness clashed with the Void Territory, the Country of Darkness would be the one suffering the loss. Besides, in consideration to the strength of Rhode and his subordinates, the chances of them winning were also hard to determine.


    As of now, Erin didn��t have any great solutions. If things didn��t work out, she considered that she might need to sacrifice herself to make them work. When Ion sent her over to the Void Territory, he must have had a certain motive. If she was able to resolve the issue effortlessly, it would naturally be good news for her. She didn��t feel wronged for sacrificing herself since she didn��t meet any normal men after living in the Country of Darkness for so many years. On the other hand, Rhode was an interesting man to her. She genuinely wouldn��t have any issues being with him. Besides, if she could settle the conflict between both sides due to being with him, she could kill two birds with one stone.


    However, it would require the technical skills to get herself involved. Erin had the reserved personality of a princess, unlike some noble young ladies who were at the end of their ropes and could do nothing apart from docilely wrapping themselves up in bed. If this was the extent to Erin��s abilities, negotiation would no longer be necessary. This was why before Erin arrived at the living room and saw Rhode, she repeatedly prepared to ensure that nothing would go wrong.


    ��Please wait here for a moment, Your Highness Erin.��


    ��Okay.��


    Erin nodded with a smile at Marlene��s hospitality. Shortly after, she realized Marlene gazing at her and seemed hesitant to speak. But before Erin asked, Marlene broke the silence.


    ��Erm�� Your Highness Erin, there is something I need to inform you beforehand. Due to some reasons, you��re not going to negotiate the terms with His Majesty Rhode.��


    ��Huh? In other words, will you be the one to do it?��


    Erin was taken aback. She couldn��t help but knit her brows and gaze dubiously at Marlene. Before her arrival to the Void Territory, she had clearly mentioned to Marlene about her purpose in coming. It was due to this that she needed to discuss in detail with Rhode. If not, she could simply discuss with Marlene. But now, Marlene actually told her that she wouldn��t be discussing with Rhode?


    What does it mean? Could it be that His Majesty Rhode is trying to make me understand my lack of position in politics?


    However, Marlene shook her head and denied.


    ��It won��t be me, Your Highness Erin. But don��t worry. The result of the negotiation shall represent His Majesty Rhode��s intention����


    Marlene said and gave a bow to the moon princess. Then, she turned around and left, leaving Erin staring at her departure, totally unaware of what she meant. During this period of time in Grandia, Erin was clear of the political framework in the Void Territory. Rhode held the most authority in the entire territory, followed by Marlene, where she could fully represent him in some matters. But apart from her, Erin couldn��t think of anyone else who had this authority. She thought that Marlene would be representing Rhode to negotiate with her, but�� what is going on?


    If it isn��t Marlene, who is it?


    But before Erin had the time to ponder, she received an answer.


    Some light footsteps were heard from the corridor outside. She turned around and for some unknown reason, perhaps due to a woman��s instincts, she felt like something was strange and unexpected. But she just couldn��t figure out what it was, which was why she changed her posture and ensured that she kept her cool to face the situation. At this moment, the footsteps had gotten closer and finally stopped outside the living room door.


    The door opened gradually and a slim and slender woman appeared before her.


    Upon witnessing the person, Erin widened her eyes in astonishment and became absent-minded for a split second, standing up from her seat. She watched dazedly as the woman sauntered toward her. Who is she?


    Erin sized up the young lady, startled. At first glance, Erin thought that she was Rhode��s younger sister, Miss Christie, because they looked identical. But she quickly overthrew this thought because this younger sister was obviously older than Christie by a lot. Besides, she exuded an incomparable, mighty aura that was completely different and even more powerful than Rhode��s imposing aura. Standing in front of her, Erin felt ill at ease, which was unimaginable and rare for Erin, who had a gentle and easy-going temperament. Shortly after, Erin sucked in a deep breath subtly to restore her calmness. She blinked and scanned the young lady curiously.


    Then, she witnessed the young lady smiling at her gently and say, ��You must be the moon princess of the Country of Darkness, Your Highness Erin? Nice to meet you����

 Chapter 1074 - Fruitless Negotiation

    Who exactly is she?


    Gazing at the young lady, Erin almost failed to conceal her surprise. Although the young lady had an identical face to Rhode��s, her aura was completely different. It could also be said that standing before her, Erin felt a massive, yet gentle aura, which was totally unlike Rhode��s, as though this young lady was born on a higher level than both of them. Even with the identity of the moon princess, Erin felt so tiny before her. The young lady was apparently younger but for some unknown reason, Erin just couldn��t puff out her chest and lift her head bravely in front of her. On the contrary, she cowered uncharacteristically, leaving her feeling uncomfortable. Even though she tried her best to pull herself together to resist this strong presence, she had little success. This terrified her and due to this reason, she temporarily put aside the negotiations between the Void Territory and Country of Darkness. Fortunately, even though Erin felt incomparably pressured by the young lady��s aura, she cleared her mind and wasn��t led by the nose by her. If not, she would have signed a series of treaties that would forfeit sovereignty and humiliate her own country. All in all, the negotiation lasted for three hours.


    ��Alright then, I shall take my leave now.��


    After bowing respectfully, Erin turned around and left. Even though she maintained her usual smile, she was obviously putting up a strong face judging from her stiff expression. She was totally caught off guard by the emergence of such a formidable enemy. She could barely maintain her usual etiquette and from the fact that she didn��t crumble in the face of this former Void Dragon��s aura proved how much self-restraint she had.


    ��What a decent child.��


    Gazing at Erin��s shrinking back and the door that closed behind her, the young lady commented with a smile. Standing beside her, Rhode, who had switched ��class�� to become a ��spirit��, shrugged and shook his head. He sighed.


    ��What a pity. I didn��t expect this princess to be this difficult to handle. I thought I could use this chance to settle the issue.��


    Indeed, Rhode had initially decided to put his younger sister in charge of the negotiations with Erin since he couldn��t return to his body for the time being. Besides, in terms of aura, his younger sister could also get the job done easier than he could. That didn��t mean that Rhode had problems controlling the power of the Void Dragon, but as the creator of Dragon Soul Continent, no matter if his younger sister had this conscious or not, she faced everything with the identity of a ��creator�� on this continent. It was impossible for Rhode to have this aloof attitude unless he had created a world himself. It was simply a natural aura that no one could possibly ignore. The more power one possessed, the more one could sense the power in the young lady that came from the origin. Even if one wasn��t aware of her true identity, one would instinctively sense that this young lady was the creator of their world.


    But it was a pity that Erin managed to hold it down. At the very least, she didn��t mess up and wasn��t led by the nose by his younger sister. This left Rhode, who came up with funny ideas by the sideline, feeling discontented. He knew that opportunity seldom knocked twice and if he allowed Erin to return just like this, it wouldn��t be as easy to deal with Ion the next time around. But what exceeded Rhode��s expectation was that Erin wasn��t easy to push around. Although she wasn��t sure who exactly the young lady was and exactly what happened, she used her own method to survive the danger. Throughout the three hours of negotiations, both the young ladies behaved like noblewomen enjoying a tea party in the garden, chatting about meaningless gossip and leaving Rhode sleepy. Moreover, Erin freed herself timely. It seemed like her wisdom benefited her a lot this time.


    But Rhode did receive some gains. At least after turning into a spirit, he could do or see whatever he wanted to�� But what surprised him was that Erin actually wore white undergarments, which was surprisingly conservative. Rhode initially thought that there would be some black laces, at the very least, as white didn��t fit her image at all.


    ��So what should we do next, Big Brother?��


    ��We shall see. Erin will surely try and figure out what happened exactly, but I��m pretty sure she will have a hard time gaining any information.��


    As of now, only Christie, Marlene, Alice, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum knew about his younger sister��s true identity, and all of them could keep a secret. The rest also had the same question when they met Rhode��s younger sister. However, since Canary and Marlene didn��t seem to intend to explain, they could only let the matter drift. The only person giving Rhode a headache was Anne, who hung around his younger sister curiously. But despite that, Anne was more concerned as to when Rhode would return. Of course, even Rhode wasn��t sure of Anne��s true problem.


    In this situation, Erin definitely wouldn��t gain any answers. On the contrary, this would surely increase her worries, which actually wasn��t a bad thing for Rhode. One of the great things about smart people was that they pondered a lot about things. But sometimes, thinking too much was also a weakness. And now, Erin was apparently on this wrong path.


    ��So what do you intend to do, Big Brother?��


    Rhode knitted his brow at his younger sister��s question and started pondering. In fact, the reason why he didn��t answer her immediately was because he was also considering his answer. This time, Erin came to negotiate with him and he knew he would commit daylight robbery to the Dark Dragon and make him suffer for his actions. Besides, just as Erin was concerned about, the final condition that Rhode came up with was to make Ion withdraw his troops from the Country of Light��s territories and scram back to where they came from. Although this wasn��t beneficial to him, the thought of Ion��s ashen expression was immensely pleasurable to him.


    But that was only a last resort since it was only meant to enrage the Dark Dragon. As of now, what Rhode needed were some tangible benefits. After he got his hands on them, it still wouldn��t be too late to find trouble with Ion later on. Rhode realized that he didn��t want anything in particular. Although there were plenty of godlike weapons in the Country of Darkness, with Marlene and Lapis around, it wouldn��t be challenging for them to produce new weapons. As for precious treasures and finances�� he couldn��t ask for more. But if he merely asked for those things, it wouldn��t benefit the Void Territory too much either.


    So what exactly should I extort from the Dark Dragon? Hmm��


    At this thought, Rhode realized that there really wasn��t anything he wanted. This was also why he had his younger sister hold off the negotiation with Erin. If he didn��t even know what he wanted, there would be no purpose, wasn��t it?


    ��Actually I don��t have any good ideas now. More importantly now, there is nothing worthy of special attention between our Void Territory and the Country of Darkness. In fact, I haven��t come up with the exact conditions for the Dark Dragon,�� Rhode said, shrugging and turning to his younger sister. ��Come to think of it, what ideas do you have? Is there something precious in the Country of Darkness that can be worthy to us?��


    Rhode was only a player in the past and more or less knew some of the so-called godlike weapons or artifacts like the Holy Maiden Statue and whatnot. But that was all he knew and didn��t understand their value. In this aspect, his younger sister had more knowledge than he did. No matter what, she was the Creator Dragon, the God who first created Dragon Soul Continent. Perhaps she was aware of some secrets that no one ever knew. In this case, perhaps with his younger sister��s wisdom, he could extort something valuable from Ion.


    ��Hmm����


    The young lady shut her eyes upon hearing Rhode��s question, resting her chin on her fair, slender hand. Looking at her expression, Rhode couldn��t help but smile. This was the person he was most familiar with. In his impression, whenever his younger sister was faced with tough questions, she would behave this way: lean on the hospital bed, close her eyes, and ponder. Although this memory of the past seemed interesting to him, he preferred this current look of hers.


    Shortly after, the young lady opened her eyes under Rhode��s gaze.


    ���� If I recall correctly, we can request the Country of Darkness to hand us the ��Astral Telescope��.��


    ��Astral Telescope?��


    Rhode pondered dubiously upon hearing that name.


    ���� Used to observe stars? Could it be that our next step is to conquer the universe?��


    ��That isn��t so, Big Brother.��


    His younger sister shook her head before explaining with a smile.


    ��Even though it is indeed used to observe stars, it isn��t used to observe any ordinary stars, but the Order Star instead.��


    ��What you��re saying is����


    Rhode��s expression turned solemn. Judging from his tone, the young lady realized the change in his attitude and nodded slightly.


    ��That��s right, Big Brother. Back then when we avoided Chaos and opened up this space to create the Dragon Soul Continent, we used the Astral Telescope and received guidance and assistance from the ��Order Star��. If you decide to continue with your plan, we can confirm the specific location of the ��Order Star�� after we receive the Astral Telescope.��


    ��I see. It sure seems like something we need.��


    Hearing his younger sister��s answer, Rhode nodded replied said. But he quickly had another question.��


    ��But why is it with the Dark Dragon instead of you since it is that important?��


    ��Because I was the one who created the Dragon Soul Continent, so it went without saying that Chaos took my territory as the top priority to attack. So just in case, we decided to move the Astral Telescope to a safer place and handed it over to the Dark Dragon. In comparison to other territories, his territory was more stable and suitable to store it.��


    That makes sense, considering the properties of the undead creatures. If there weren��t any accidents, perhaps the group of undead creatures protecting the Astral Telescope might still be alive now.


    ��Besides����


    ��Besides��?��


    Rhode gazed curiously at his younger sister. Upon sensing his gaze, the younger sister gave a playful chuckle.


    ��If I recall correctly, there is still a holy sword spirit waiting to be awakened by you, Big Brother.��

 Chapter 1075 - An Irresistible Condition

    Just as Rhode expected, Erin started investigating his younger sister after their meeting immediately. However, the result of the investigation left Erin increasingly puzzled as she couldn��t even figure out her name, not to mention her true identity. During their first interaction, Rhode��s younger sister didn��t mention her name and Erin neglected it as she was overly shocked (this went to show just how flustered Erin was back then). Thereafter, when Erin thought about it, she felt incredibly depressed. But she later realized that there was something even more depressing.


    It seemed like the entire Grandia was unaware of the young lady��s name. The only thing Erin confirmed was that everyone including Marlene and Alice addressed the young lady as ��Her Majesty��, which surprised Erin greatly. This was because in Dragon Soul Continent, only the dragon soul heirs had the rights to be called ��His Majesty�� or ��Her Majesty��. On the other hand, the young lady seemed to accept being called one naturally and didn��t display any signs of discomfort. This left Erin feeling increasingly suspicious of her true identity. She thought that the young lady was actually Rhode who had transformed for whatever reasons. But shortly after, she denied this thought because Rhode and the young lady weren��t anywhere identical apart from their looks, be it personality or aura which were at odds with each other. Besides, in terms of grandeur, the young lady was obviously more powerful than him. In fact, Erin had even suspected whether two Void Dragons actually existed. But she felt like it wasn��t too realistic. After all, based on the historical records, apart from the twin dragons of the Country of Law, there was only one of each dragon soul heir for other countries.


    Erin wasn��t aware that her guesses were extremely close to the truth.


    Shortly after, she realized that she no longer had the time to ponder over these mysteries because she heard a request that left her head throbbing.


    ��Did you say the�� Astral Telescope?��


    Gazing at the smiling young lady, Erin felt her head aching in pain. Of course, Erin knew that this Astral Telescope the young lady mentioned wasn��t referring to the so-called apparatus used to observe the stars. Instead, it was the national treasure currently hidden safely below the Darkness Capital in the underground palace. It was a treasure that was passed down since the establishment of the Country of Darkness. Moreover, Erin also knew that the Astral Telescope contained mysterious powers and knowledge. She didn��t know most of it, but was aware that much formidable black magic utilized by the Darkness Capital��s royal guards was researched and passed on from it. Although Erin expected the young lady to come up with a big task for her, she didn��t anticipate it to involve the national treasure of the Country of Darkness.


    ��Erm�� My apologies. I don��t think it will be that easy, Your Majesty.��


    After serious considerations, Erin had decided to address the young lady as ��Your Majesty�� like Marlene and the rest. Anyway, this young lady was far more superior in strength than her and perhaps even stronger than Ion too. Moreover, since Marlene and Alice were willing to address her this way, it wouldn��t take much of her to do it either. Although Erin was in a mood for gossip when this young lady appeared before her once again, she couldn��t turn her hobby into action this time.


    Gazing at the young lady��s smiling face, Erin also smiled in response and gave a difficult expression. Then, she spoke.


    ��Regarding the compensations�� I admit that it is our unshirkable responsibility. As for the Astral Telescope�� I��m sorry, Your Majesty. Frankly speaking, I think we will be unable to fulfill your request. Perhaps both sides should take a step back and reconsider an acceptable proposal.��


    ��I do think this is really worth your consideration, Miss Erin.��


    The young lady sat opposite Erin leisurely, extending her fair, jade-like fingers, and slid them across the circumference of the teacup playfully. Then, she quietly lifted the teacup and took a sip, before lifting her head and gazing at the moon princess with a gentle smile.


    ��This is the conclusion of my discussion with Rhode. Although we agreed that the clash earlier on wasn��t what we hoped for, no matter what, we must all have an accountable explanation. And now, what we need is only the Astral Telescope. To the Country of Darkness with countless treasures, surely it isn��t too much to ask for? In comparison to the Astral Telescope, don��t you guys have many more precious treasures, such as the Dark Bible, Broken Glacier, and Throne of Death?��


    ������


    Erin��s smile stiffened instantly. Her eyes widened slightly in disbelief as she gazed at the young lady. Of course, she knew that the mentioned artifacts were national treasures of the Country of Darkness. It could also be said that these three artifacts had contributed infinitely to the growth of the country. The Dark Bible turned living beings into undead in order to escape death. The Throne of Death was basically the crown of the Dark Dragon. The Broken Glacier gave protection to the shelters of the undead creatures. All of them were artifacts recognized by the Creator Dragons. Compared to them, the Astral Telescope was more like a historical and symbolic artifact. What surprised Erin was that only a handful of beings knew they existed. If she weren��t the Dark Dragon Ion��s younger sister, she definitely wouldn��t know about them. But now, this young lady seemed to know all the secrets of the Country of Darkness!


    In an instant, Erin was terrified as there were as though no secrets in the young lady��s eyes. Moreover, the artifacts were also the core secrets of the Country of Darkness. Erin didn��t know how she managed to find out about them. They were referred to as the three legendary artifacts of the Country of Darkness! In comparison to them, the value of the Astral Telescope�� didn��t seem as precious indeed.


    But wait, that shouldn��t be the issue!


    ��Is there really no room for negotiation?��


    Upon realizing that she almost fell into the young lady��s pit, Erin was startled. Indeed, the Astral Telescope wasn��t as precious as the three legendary artifacts. But since this young lady knew the importance of them, she wouldn��t possibly change her target to the three legendary artifacts if she failed to ask for the Astral Telescope because she knew that the Country of Darkness definitely wouldn��t agree to her request.


    ��There isn��t entirely no space for negotiation, Your Highness.��


    Rhode drifted beside his younger sister, gazing at her gentle smile that never changed as though she wasn��t the one rejected by Erin. No, perhaps he should say that his younger sister didn��t take Erin��s tactful rejection to heart. Perhaps to his younger sister, since she had raised the request, Erin should accept unconditionally. And now, she wasn��t just discussing conditions with Erin only.


    ��If it really doesn��t work, I suggest both sides take a step back, I think the territories in the Country of Light occupied by the Country of Darkness should return to their rightful owner. What do you think?��


    ��Hahahaha!��


    As Rhode became an undetectable spirit, he lost all his elegant demeanor and burst into laughter after realizing the awkwardness and despair from Erin��s face after she heard his younger sister��s proposal. The first Void Dragon was indeed worthy of being the God who created the Dragon Soul Continent as she mentioned the condition justifiably. Although Rhode was also capable of doing it, his words would sound 100 percent more like threats and taunts. But his younger sister said it in his stead and the tone in her voice sounded as though both sides really should ��take a step back��. However, the ��take a step back�� from her mouth wasn��t as simple as just ��a step�� to the Country of Darkness. At the very most, the Void Territory wouldn��t fuss about the ��accidental invasions�� by the Country of Darkness in the past. However, how could the Dark Dragon accept it if the Country of Darkness was asked to spit out the meat it ate and behave like an aloof adult who cautioned children not to fight?


    ��I suddenly feel like it is too disadvantageous to negotiate the terms now. How about we head to the Darkness Capital and negotiate with that bast*rd, Ion, instead?��


    At this thought, Rhode held back his laughter and said to his younger sister. Right now, he was too lazy to idle on the job with Erin and would rather let his younger sister head to the Darkness Capital and enrage the Dark Dragon. If that happened, everything that happened in the past would be worth it. If she were able to make the Dark Dragon blow his top and even suffer a stroke, Rhode would be celebrating with firecrackers.


    ��This����


    Erin wasn��t foolish. At this moment, she understood why the young lady didn��t take her words to heart, had no intention of negotiating, and gave her two choices instead: either hand over the Astral Telescope and pay compensations, or make the Country of Darkness��s army withdraw from the Country of Light and they would put an end to this dispute. This left Erin depressed, but what could she do now? Her choices were limited and now, this ��Her Majesty�� was clearly wrangling with her. The choices Erin could choose from were extremely limited.


    Erin sighed at this thought before pulling herself together and spoke.


    ��Alright then�� Your Majesty. For your suggestion, I will report to His Majesty Dark Dragon and give you an answer as soon as possible.��

 Chapter 1076 - An Invitation on The Day of Three Moons

    ��Are you sure that is what the Void Territory wants?��


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s report, Ion��s expression remained unchanged. Erin nodded in response, gazing at Ion through the magic illusion anxiously. She reported all the progress and result of the earlier negotiation to her big brother and was, in fact, feeling somewhat depressed deep down in her. It was due to the fact that the Country of Darkness had as though suffered a double loss: among the four legendary generals, one was dead and another gravely injured. Not only that, but the Country of Darkness also had to hand over the ��Astral Telescope��, known as a national treasure. On the other hand, what did the Void Territory contribute? Nothing. At the very least, they would stop looking into the matter of the Country of Darkness invading the Void Territory earlier on. But the problem was that the incident didn��t cause any huge damage to the Void Territory apart from the uninhabited forest being destroyed and becoming a total mess. There was neither any building in the Land of Atonement damaged nor civilians implicated or dead due to the ��accident��. On the other hand, the Country of Darkness ��sacrificed�� several squads of elite troops and even Balende��s arm was left behind�� This didn��t seem like a fair transaction at all. The Country of Darkness had suffered a huge loss.


    If this were to happen in other places, perhaps the ruler would be forced to step down from office soon. If it happened in the Country of Light, maybe the people would start protests on the streets, holding up banners to rebuke the ruler, before staging a sit-in in the plaza and eventually landing themselves in a clash against the guards that arrived to maintain order. Then, the opposition party seized the opportunity to wantonly criticize the foolishness and incapability of the ruler and gather all people together to overthrow the weak, useless ruler�� But it was a pity that such scenarios were rare in the Country of Darkness. Perhaps some undead creatures were also discontent, but they would never sway the prestige of Dark Dragon Ion.


    This was the case, at least for now.


    ���� What made you make that decision?��


    Ion didn��t express any emotion to Erin��s report and one couldn��t decipher if he agreed or disagreed. However, Erin didn��t have many choices as she was pressured from both sides. The prestige on the other side was tough for her to manage, but what about here? Erin knew that her big brother was an unyielding man. Even though Erin felt like the result of the negotiation wasn��t unacceptable, she wasn��t the Dark Dragon, after all. She wasn��t confident if Ion would accept the suggestion wholeheartedly. After all, apart from substantial losses, the most unbearable was the damage to Ion��s ��reputation�� and her big brother was one who regarded reputation highly. Even though he wasn��t that on edge about reputation, Erin felt like he wouldn��t be able to accept this result so easily after being ��slapped on the face��.


    ��This was what happened, Big Brother. There was an important reason that affected my decision-making and that wasn��t due to His Majesty Rhode���� Erin said and quickly read the intelligence she gathered about the young lady. She had no intentions of flattering or belittling the young lady but instead, she stood on her own point of view and told everything she felt about the young lady to her big brother. After hearing her narration, Ion��s expression changed slightly for the first time. He blinked, gazed at Erin, and asked, ��Are you sure? Erin, based on what we know, there couldn��t possibly be a second Creator Dragon in the Void Territory.��


    ��I��m sure, Big Brother. I don��t know if she��s a Creator Dragon, but I��m sure that she exudes a massive aura stronger than His Majesty Rhode��s.�� This time, it was rare that Erin didn��t speak the truth. Perhaps it should be said that she was smart enough to not compare the young lady to her big brother. Of course, this wasn��t a lie either. The young lady��s dragon��s prestige was indeed stronger than Rhode��s. But�� Erin didn��t mention before that Rhode��s dragon��s prestige was weaker than Ion, that is.


    ��Couldn��t that young lady be him? You know it, Erin. If it were him, it wouldn��t be strange that he dresses up as a woman.��


    It seemed like Rhode��s certain ��rumor�� had spread all over the continent. No one knew what sort of expression Rhode would display when he knew about this.


    ��Their temperaments were entirely different and besides, it was obvious from their body figures. This young lady was slightly shorter than Rhode. Even though there was a chance that he used illusory spells, those spells aren��t effective on me. Moreover, I don��t think this would benefit him in any way.�� It was apparent that Erin had already made such guesses. Although illusory spells existed in the Dragon Soul Continent, they were meaningless in the face of one of Erin��s caliber. After all, they were high-level beings who grasped the rules. Perhaps illusory spells were able to deceive the eyes and senses, but they couldn��t trick the rules themselves. Furthermore, for Rhode to purposely turn himself into a woman just to negotiate with Erin�� Erin didn��t think that it was too possible because she was clear that Rhode hated it when others treated him as a woman. It would be bizarre if he were to turn himself into a woman.


    ��So where��s Rhode then?��


    ��I haven��t met His Majesty Rhode recently. According to Miss Marlene, he left to run some errands, which was why the young lady took his place to negotiate with me. I didn��t feel anything strange at first because His Majesty Rhode often does such things.�� Erin didn��t feel like anything was out of place regarding this matter. In the past, she personally witnessed the difference between Rhode and her big brother in the Deepest Labyrinth and learned that Rhode was a ruler who enjoyed roaming about. Therefore, she didn��t suspect Marlene��s explanations too much. If there was anything worthy of being doubted, that would be the appearance of the young lady being too timely. This was because in the past, no one had ever heard of her existence around Rhode, and not even his closest subordinates were aware of her. However, the thought of another formidable person suddenly emerging around Rhode and no one knowing about her seemed too mysterious.


    ������


    Ion didn��t answer immediately. Instead, he shut his eyes and pondered in silence. Upon seeing his expression, Erin solemnly waited for his response. No matter if he agreed or not, this perhaps would be an extremely challenging task to her. But after a few moments, she witnessed her big brother opening his eyes gradually which glinted with determined gaze. Erin tensed up instantly. She knew what this meant. He was about to make a decision that would never change.


    ��I agree.��


    Erin heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing his reply. A few moments ago, she was worried that he would object. If that happened, Erin would need to mention the other condition despite its chances being even higher, that is. But now, since her big brother had agreed, she didn��t need to worry about things that wouldn��t happen anymore. However, she didn��t expect him to continue speaking.


    ��But I have a condition.��


    ��Condition?��


    Erin��s expression changed slightly, gazing curiously at her big brother and sighed in her head. Big Brother sure is competitive.


    Even though Ion had agreed on the surface, he definitely wasn��t feeling great inside. Perhaps he was about to come up with ideas to vent his frustrations. But even so, Erin didn��t have any solution to deal with it and could only helplessly let him be. Upon hearing his younger sister��s query, Ion nodded.


    ��Yes, I can give them the Astral Telescope since they want it. But, they have to come here and get it themselves!��


    ��This����


    Upon hearing Ion��s response, Erin knitted her brows. But shortly after, her eyes glinted in a flash and the corners of her lips perked up to form a gentle, yet cunning smile because she understood why her big brother mentioned this condition and his intention behind it.


    ��Okay, Big Brother. I will be sure to pass the message for you.��


    Of course, Erin knew what Ion was plotting. He wanted to personally take a good look at the young lady and confirm her true power, which Erin would also be glad to see happen. Once Ion and the young lady met, he could sense her powerful prestige and through this way, he would surely reconsider his plans. Although Ion was unyielding, he wasn��t foolish. If he knew that there were two powerful Creator Dragons in the Void Territory, he would definitely hold back. In this aspect, Erin felt rather confident. If not, Ion would have started a war with the Country of Law a long time ago. It was due to this reason that with the intention to watch a good show, Erin was spontaneous in handing the ��invitation�� over.


    ***


    ���� Is that so? Alright, I understand now.��


    After hearing Erin��s message, the young lady maintained a calm, gentle smile, quietly gazing at the moon princess. After a few moments, she nodded slightly.


    ��Please inform His Majesty Dark Dragon that I accept his invitation. Alright then, let��s set the meeting to be two days later. I will head to the Darkness Capital on the day of three full moons.��


    ������


    Upon hearing her reply, Erin was deeply startled even though she didn��t say anything in response. This so-called ��day of three full moons�� was when the three moons entered the state of full moon at the same time. On this day, in the Country of Darkness, the strength and vigor of every being including the Dark Dragon would rise dramatically and the nation would be considered to be in an invincible state where even the twin dragons had to avoid them. However, Erin didn��t expect this seemingly-kind young lady to be so persistent. It was apparent that she understood why she was invited, so wouldn��t it be a problem for her to initiate heading to the Country of Darkness during this day?


    ��I got it, Your Majesty. Alright then, I��ll head back to report to His Majesty Ion now. The Country of Darkness will welcome your arrival on the day of three full moons.��


    After calming her nerves, Erin nodded in response. Since this young lady had specially chosen to head to the Country of Darkness on that day, it proved that she was more than confident to deal with the Dark Dragon in his peak form. Since that was the case, it seemed like Ion��s plans were going to be fruitless this time around too. But to Erin, such small ��failures�� were what she loved to see. This was why she didn��t say much and instead, bowed respectfully and turned around to leave.


    ��I didn��t expect this at all. Just like the saying goes, ��to travel far and wide looking for something, only to find it easily��.��


    Rhode spoke, drifting in midair leisurely and gazing at the shrinking back of Erin. Earlier on, he tried to come up with some reasons to send his younger sister to the Country of Darkness to ��entertain�� the Dark Dragon. It would be ideal if she could enrage him into a stroke. But back then, he was only imagining it. After all, he didn��t have any reasons to wander around the Country of Darkness. But now, since Ion came knocking on his door, he didn��t mind accepting this feast.


    ��I��ll leave it to you to settle him. I have high hopes for you, okay?��


    ��Of course, Big Brother. Leave it to me.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, the young lady showed a warm, gentle smile and nodded.


    ��I know what the heir of the Dark Dragon is thinking. It seems like our Void Territory is being looked down upon. But this time, I will make the heir understand the rules.��


    This is truly her mighty aura.


    After hearing his younger sister��s words, Rhode sighed in his head. Just look at how she called Ion the ��heir of the Dark Dragon��. She didn��t put him on the same level as her at all. He felt as though she was like the older generation look down at the high-spirited younger generation and lamenting, ��Yes, not bad. No wonder that��s the heir of XXX.��


    If the Dark Dragon were to hear how Rhode��s younger sister addressed him, would he rage and be driven to desperate actions? Rhode would be truly delighted. But��


    ��You have to be careful. After all, you��re not in perfect condition, so don��t push yourself too hard. Don��t go if you can��t take the stress, since it��s not like we can��t afford to lose that man.��


    That��s right, just like what Rhode was worried about, his younger sister��s power was gradually declining. Even though they swapped places after the ��contrast�� transformation, the change in power wasn��t too huge as only a partial of Rhode��s power was forcefully transferred to his younger sister. It was due to this reason that his younger sister possessed more powerful prestige than him. But as time passed, her power would slowly return to him and after this process was completed, Rhode would return to this world.


    Although Rhode was sure that Ion wouldn��t resort to shameless tactics with his personality, he knew how annoyingly powerful the Country of Darkness would be on the day of three full moons. The thought of sending his slowly-weakening younger sister to a place full of ��drug addicts�� didn��t feel safe to him. If she couldn��t handle it, he would rather her not go. Anyway, Rhode didn��t care much about his reputation. As long as there were practical benefits, he wouldn��t mind being looked down upon since there was nothing for him to lose.


    ��It��s fine, Big Brother.��


    His younger sister shook her head and assured him.


    ��The Astral Telescope is a very important device. For safety, it will be better for me to check it out. Even though I don��t think the heir of the Dark Dragon will meddle with it, a long time has gone, after all, and no one knows if it is still in perfect condition. I have initially thought of looking for it myself and since I was invited, we shouldn��t miss this chance. Besides����


    Suddenly, the young lady revealed a cheeky smile, narrowed her eyes, and gazed slyly at Rhode.


    ��Have you forgotten, Big Brother? I told you that if you��re lucky, you may even bring back a holy sword spirit.��


    ��For some reason, I feel like it isn��t something great after seeing this expression of yours����


    Even though this was inspiring news from his younger sister, Rhode didn��t feel excited at all because he knew his younger sister was a peculiar person. Although she was clever and sensible most of the time, she was hard to deal with when it came to her teasing others. And now, even though this expression of hers seemed adorable, Rhode knew clearly that this was the first step of her watching a good show from the sideline. Anyway, it would be Rhode who would be summoning the holy sword spirit, so naturally he would be the one to get into trouble, wasn��t it?


    ���� What funny ideas do you have in your mind?��


    ��I don��t, Big Brother. The holy sword spirit is well-tempered, so I believe you two will get along well.��


    For some unknown reason, Rhode felt like this sentence was full of danger.


    But before he managed to learn the truth from his younger sister, the day of three full moons had arrived.


    And he would be joining his younger sister in heading to the Darkness Capital to meet the Dark Dragon.

 Chapter 1077 - Under the Three Moons

    The day of three full moons.


    The three maroon full moons hung high up in the night sky, illuminating the land like it was a sea of blood. In contrast, the pitch-black shadows seemed particularly dense under their scarlet radiance. Soaring in the night sky, Rhode witnessed the twisted shadows under the heart-wrenching rays of red light as though they possessed their own consciousness and shifted with the living creatures. This scene seemed so distinct; no wonder players in the game often assessed the day of three full moons in the Country of Darkness as the opening of the gate to another world. On this day, the dark, terrifying world merged with the Country of Darkness as one and just as the name suggested, the Country of Darkness turned into a country under the unbounded dark night as the supreme rulers.


    But all this was nothing to Rhode as he drifted in the air casually, gazing at the scenery below with curiosity. The Void Dragon expanded her wings beside him comfortably, soaring forward above the maroon surface. The darkness ahead turned denser like thick, black ink rendering heaven and earth in a mysterious hue.


    ��What method do you think the Dark Dragon will use to welcome us?��


    Rhode gazed at the rapidly spreading darkness and said with a smile. They didn��t board the magic warship because firstly, Rhode thought that he would be making a big fuss if he did it over this small matter. Secondly, he didn��t wish to reveal his strongest, secret weapon to the Country of Darkness. Even though he could threaten the Country of Darkness greatly if he sent the magic warships over, it was unnecessary for Rhode to send a threat of this extent. If he only wanted to showcase his strength to the Country of Darkness, relying on his younger sister would be sufficient. At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but imagine the scene when Ion vomited blood out of rage. That would be truly pleasing and satisfying.


    Well, who could blame my younger sister for being so adorable?


    ��Big Brother?��


    At this moment, a crisp voice dragged him back to reality. Rhode lifted his head and looked ahead where an enormous, pitch-black city showed up before their eyes. That was the capital of the Country of Darkness, the Darkness Capital, Drekoen.


    Unlike what outsiders imagined, Drekoen wasn��t a lifeless, run-down city like a graveyard. Instead, even in the eyes of a transmigrator like Rhode, it could be considered a splendid and prosperous city. Bright spots of light shone throughout the entire city, making it stand out from the country of eternal darkness. Even though the ice-cold radiance wasn��t as warm as the Country of Light, it exuded unnegligible prestige and magnificent presence.


    ��This is a great work of a city from those guys.��


    Rhode snorted at the sight of the six lighthouses emanating green brilliance.


    The six lighthouses constructed around Drekoen could be considered one of the Country of Darkness��s most lethal weapons. Just like the turtle-shell protection over Grandia from the plane of existence, the six lighthouses were known as the ��guardians of the eternal night sky��. As long as they were lit up, the strength of every undead creature within its range would be multiplied. At the same time, enemies would also be weakened drastically. Back then, when players in the game attacked Drekoen, they suffered gravely with the presence and support of the six lighthouses. Under the bright radiance, even the skeletal soldiers with the lowest level transformed into skeletal warriors, not to mention how powerful the great liches would became.


    Attacking Drekoen was still the worst war that happened in the game. It lasted for a month and a half, involving 13 player guilds of the Country of Light and 8 player guilds of the Country of Darkness. During the peak of the war, there were more than 150,000 players involved. These players were the strongest of the game, equipped with the best armor and weapons. At the end of the war, each player died at least 100 times on average and corpses filled the land as blood flowed into rivers. There were several times when players managed to climb over the city walls of several meters tall through trampling over their own corpses that weren��t removed by the system��s refresh. The system refresh happened every 30 minutes and this went to show just how intense the war was.


    Of course, it still wasn��t able to stop the players. After they extinguished three of the lighthouses and occupied the front line, Rhode made Orchid Heart command other members to attract aggression from the troops ahead, while he led and sneaked in with the elites and deployed Starlight��s most well-known ��backstabbing�� tactic to defeat the Dark Dragon. After losing the Dark Dragon and his dragon soul protection, the Darkness Capital crumbled entirely thereafter.


    But Rhode didn��t know if he had the chance to repeat this scene from the game again.


    Gazing at the Darkness Capital ahead, Rhode smacked his lips. It sure felt great to eradicate the Dark Dragon back then.


    And now, he understood why he lit up the six lighthouses when there was no invasion from enemies. It was apparent that the six lighthouses were used as a military show of force. Perhaps this would be nothing in the face of Creator Dragons, but it expressed a certain attitude.


    Alright then, I shall also show him our attitude in this matter.


    ��I��ll leave it to you then.��


    ��Got it, Big Brother.��


    As Rhode and his younger sister spoke, they had arrived above Drekoen. Then, the Void Dragon dove into the Darkness Capital nonchalantly, covering half the sky with her massive body as she narrowed her eyes and scanned the city below. Then, she flapped her wings slightly.


    ��������!


    In an instant, the scorching flames on the six lighthouses quickly weakened like flames struggling in a mighty storm. After a few seconds, they had turned into six, tiny bonfires. The incomparably bright flames were nowhere to be seen anymore. The omnipresent radiance had faded away. Looking at this scene, the undead creatures guarding above the lighthouses were baffled. They were aware that the Void Dragon was arriving, but this scene shook them. They didn��t feel the presence of wind a few seconds ago. However, the Void Dragon merely flapped her wings and the dazzling flames were weakened to this large extent immediately.


    How did the Void Dragon do it?


    But the Void Dragon apparently had no intention of minding their dubious gazes. She gazed ahead and spotted the crowd gathered around the plaza below the tall, protruding tower in the Darkness Capital. She expanded her wings and descended to the plaza gradually, slowly transforming back to her human form in an ethereal brilliance. As soon as her feet touched the surface, the illusory radiance vanished and she strolled out of it.


    She��s the one?


    Not only the Dark Dragon, but the three legendary generals also revealed dubious expressions. This was because in terms of appearance, she was indeed identical to Rhode. Besides, she also owned the dragon form, which left them even more dubious. Apart from Creator Dragons and their dependents, no one could transform into the dragon form. But if they were to compare this young lady with Erin, who was also a dependent, it wouldn��t be appropriate either. This young lady��s aura was so powerful that despite one standing far away, one would be in shock at the sight of this enormous dragon. If she was only a dependent of the Creator Dragons, that would be over exaggerating.


    However, what surprised them more was the young lady in her human form. Unlike her in the dragon form, in terms of appearance, she seemed slender, delicate, and had a pale complexion as though she were suffering from a serious illness. If they were to judge her on her appearance, they couldn��t see any presence of strength at all. But when one reached the caliber of the Dark Dragon and four legendary generals, one could clearly feel the massive power contained in her. Even though the power wasn��t revealed entirely, its presence was much more staggering than the Dark Dragon��s.


    This puzzled them because in Dragon Soul Continent, physical fitness and internal strength were directly proportional. For instance, a young lady like Anne seldom fell sick even after she underwent hardships. As for beings in the Legendary Stage, they wouldn��t be sick, poisoned, or whatnot. Although this young lady had powerful strength on the inside, she seemed extremely weak and delicate, which was astonishing to them.


    Of course, they couldn��t possibly know that this appearance of hers was what she looked like when she was sick in real life. It was due to this reason that after being affected by the power of contrast, the young lady continued to look pale and weak.


    Who exactly is she?


    Ion dwindled his astonished expression. He initially refused to believe his younger sister��s words, but now he had to admit that even though this young lady looked identical as Rhode, her internal qualities were entirely unique. Ion didn��t feel this powerful prestige from Rhode before and now��


    Before he finished thinking through, the young lady brought on a calm, gentle smile and sauntered toward him.


    ��Greetings, Your Majesty Dark Dragon,�� she greeted.

 Chapter 1078 - Astral Telescope

    Ion sauntered and along with his actions, the heavy, sealed door ahead opened on its own gradually. The enchanted fields of offensive magic spells enveloping the tunnel and used to ��welcome�� uninvited guests were deactivated in the blink of an eye. Their magical radiance gradually dissipated. But to outsiders, this only seemed like an ordinary tunnel. If one wasn��t a spell caster, perhaps one wouldn��t detect the death traps set in this place. Gazing at the opening door, Ion knitted his brows and stole a glance out of the corner of his eye at the young lady behind him and continued advancing. The Dark Dragon was, in fact, deeply unhappy because apart from her greeting when she met him, she didn��t introduce herself and instead, immediately said, ��I��m here in response to your invitation to accept the Astral Telescope���� He couldn��t continue the conversation to learn more about this mysterious person!


    Ion thought he could use this opportunity to figure out the ins and outs of this young lady. But he didn��t expect her to pay no attention to diplomatic protocols as though she was just a receiver and her only motive was to receive the Astral Telescope. This left Ion deeply discontented, but even so, his expression remained unchanged and he led the young lady to the national treasury located underneath the Darkness Palace as agreed.


    Apart from Ion, the three legendary generals were also present. They harbored the same doubt as Ion. According to diplomatic protocols, the visitor should report his or her name and identity upon arriving at foreign land. However, this young lady said nothing and apart from the powerful dragon form she showed up in, there was nothing sufficient to prove her identity. But for some unknown reason, Ion and the legendary generals didn��t question her. Apart from the undeniable dragon form which definitely belonged to a Creator Dragon, this young lady��s presence had as though announced her arrival by itself. Just like how the moon and stars were surely visible in the night sky, her existence itself was just there. Anyone who doubted the fact that ��the moon and stars shouldn��t exist in the night sky�� was someone with some real mental issues��


    Not only that, but what also astonished the legendary generals was that as of now, the young lady was caught in the middle between the Dark Dragon leading the way and the legendary generals at the back. It was impossible for one to be unaffected by their powerful aura. However, this young lady was simply indifferent. Judging from her relaxed expression, she seemed as though she was strolling in her home garden instead!


    It seemed like what Erin warned was true. There were indeed several powerful beings in the Void Territory. Balende was sure that when he arrived at the Void Territory earlier, he didn��t witness this young lady anywhere. But even so, he almost failed to make it back alive. It was imaginable what would happen to him if the Void Territory went all out back then. Perhaps Balende��s name would be carved to a tombstone by now. It was surprising to him that a small Void Territory that was established less than one year ago managed to gather so many formidable beings. Besides, it also didn��t seem like they arrived at the Void Territory after its founding. Instead, they seemed to have already been following Rhode around before the Void Territory was founded.


    At this thought, Balende couldn��t help but shift his gaze to Charlie and Garcia beside him. Charlie didn��t show any expression, but the pair of eyes that turned pitch-black due to his corruption glinted in curiosity like the flashes of a supernova. On the other hand, Garcia puckered his brows with a grim look. Upon realizing Balende��s gaze, Garcia shook his head slightly in response. It was apparent that Garcia thought of the same question in Balende��s head. After losing Ashvril, their status and position were starting to falter. At least in the face of this young lady, none of them were confident to escape unscathed. As for defeating her, they didn��t even dare to think about it.


    In an instant, the atmosphere turned tense and bizarre, but the young lady continued to maintain her smile and gazed ahead. In fact, she was actually communicating spiritually with Rhode who drifted beside her.


    ��Honestly, wouldn��t it be a waste if we don��t grab something else back since we actually have this chance to enter the national treasury?��


    Relying on the fact that he wouldn��t be discovered by the Dark Dragon, Rhode boringly pointed two middle fingers at him and said.


    ��Let��s observe the situation first, Big Brother. I don��t know how much time has passed and what is left in the Country of Darkness. But if there is anything worthy, I��ll grab it for sure. After all, this Dark Dragon isn��t the first Dark Dragon anyway. If he were to see his precious treasures covered in dust, perhaps he would also be bewailed.��


    This went to show that they were really full siblings.


    ��This is the place.��


    Ion came to a halt, turned around, and spoke to the young lady beside him. At this moment, Rhode also lifted his head and gazed curiously at the massive structure.


    Astral Telescope.


    Judging from its appearance, it was similar to the apparatus used on Earth to observe the moon, stars, and the sun. However, its shape was based entirely on the features of the Dragon Soul Continent. As the foundation, the four elements supported the Seven Fantasy Boundaries and protected the dragon soul powers of the entire continent. On the outside, it looked like it had an empty interior and was also a model of the earth��s celestial body based on the ��geocentric theory��. But compared to an apparatus made of steel, this Astral Telescope had a mysterious vibe to it, where a variety of magical brilliances flashed in a certain order that formed mystical symbols. Outside this celestial sphere, a galaxy could be seen stretching all the way from one end to the other.


    Apart from these features, Rhode��s first impression upon seeing the Astral Telescope was��


    It was too huge.


    The Astral Telescope was massive, standing at 35 meters tall and 20 meters wide. What was worse was that after getting close to it, Rhode realized that it was made of rock instead of steel! This was simply an unimaginable marvel�� Rhode couldn��t imagine how something made of rock was able to survive the passing of a thousand years and still looked to be in pristine condition and operated perfectly. This wasn��t logical at all. But it was truly magical.


    ��You can take it away, according to our agreement.��


    While Rhode scanned the massive structure, Ion turned around and said to the young lady. Even though he didn��t reveal any emotion, Rhode suspected if Ion was pranking him on purpose. Logically speaking, even Rhode would have a hard time transporting this huge structure back to his territory. Of course, it would be another matter if the magic warships were here. Although Rhode was also able to use a spatial bag to transport it back, he knew that such an ancient and legendary artifact was protected by a barrier from being moved. If not, wouldn��t things be disastrous during the olden days if some rulers were to send out powerful beings to sneak in and steal its core? But now, this massive thing��


    You must be making a fool out of me.


    ��Alright then, thank you very much, Your Majesty Dark Dragon.��


    Unlike Rhode, who once again pointed two middle fingers at Ion��s face, the young lady revealed a gentle smile. She lifted her head and looked at the Astral Telescope. Then, she extended her right hand, spread her fingers apart, and chanted a spell under her breath.


    ��Aim xig yas.��


    Along with this ancient and mystical chant, the massive rock-made structure flickering in dim magical radiance trembled all of a sudden and started revolving quickly. Shortly after, strings of mysterious runes emerged on the columns constructed on the Astral Telescope. The inside of this artifact also started spinning at a fast speed. The indistinct, yet colorful brilliance coalesced in the middle empty hole, taking on a new shape. Looking at this scene, Ion and the legendary generals were baffled. Of course, they were aware of the history of the Astral Telescope. Ever since the founding of the Country of Darkness, the Astral Telescope was placed here and no one knew exactly what it was for, especially after the first Dark Dragon went missing thereafter. Even though the Country of Darkness had sent out their best spell casters and scholars to research this artifact, they came to no conclusions. The only surprising good news was that they discovered several ancient spells that had lost their heritages. But as for what the Astral Telescope was meant for and how to operate it, no one knew anything. And now, three words from this young lady was enough to activate it?!


    At this thought, everyone��s gazes toward her were filled with more doubts.


    Who exactly is she?


    After a few seconds, the Astral Telescope began to dismantle on its own, transforming into stone columns that twisted and disappeared into thin air. Shortly after, the massive Astral Telescope vanished entirely, leaving behind hundreds of mysterious runes floating in midair. At this moment, the young lady heaved a sigh of relief. She extended her right hand, turned her wrist around with her palm facing up. Along with her actions, the runes drifted toward her, coalescing into a tiny ornament in the shape of a cube that emanated faint magical radiance. Looking at this scene, Ion narrowed his eyes. But this wasn��t the end.


    Because at this moment, the young lady lifted her chin and gazed ahead. Right there, the fully dismantled Astral Telescope was replaced by a pitch-black, steel coffin embedded with precious magical gems arranged into a�� dissonant symbol?


    Scanning this high-end, elaborate symbol that seemed as though used by villains in certain European and American war movies, the corners of Rhode��s eyes twitched. Don��t tell me some movie directors have also transmigrated from this world?


    But apparently, his younger sister didn��t hear his thoughts. She gestured and the coffin distorted abruptly, before vanishing into thin air completely. She nodded in satisfaction, turning around to gaze at the Dark Dragon and the three legendary generals with a smile.


    ��Alright, my job is done. I shall take my leave now.��

 Chapter 1079 - Return

    Even though two days had gone, Rhode was still in a really good mood, especially when his younger sister brought back the Astral Telescope. Whenever Rhode recalled Ion��s ashen expression as though his father had just passed away, his mood became so good that he could gobble a few more bowls of rice. Although it took less than three hours for him and his younger sister to head and return from the Darkness Capital and they didn��t even bother to speak a few more words or have a chat over tea, Rhode didn��t feel like what she had done was wrong. Even though her behavior was inappropriate according to ��traditional�� diplomatic protocols, Rhode felt extremely delighted. Moreover, they went to the Darkness Capital to express their stand too.


    Since they had gotten the Astral Telescope, they needed to give Ion a warning using their attitude that the Void Territory wouldn��t accept bribes and ��acting tough and talking soft�� wouldn��t work on them. Rhode hoped that after this encounter, the Dark Dragon would behave himself. Of course, Rhode had his own intention for instigating his younger sister to not show deference to the Dark Dragon. In fact, even so most people didn��t wish to see a war breaking out, Rhode planned to do the exact opposite. He was eager for the Dark Dragon to lose his patience and declare war with him because to Rhode, the most important matter was to open the Dimension Gate and transport the Dragon Soul Continent away from the threat of Chaos. For this to work, he needed to prove his abilities to the other three Creator Dragons (Lilian wasn��t included because she would basically do anything as long as he told her to). Of course, Rhode wouldn��t be that foolish to single out the twin dragons as a point of attack, which was why the Dark Dragon was the best whetstone. As long as he defeated the Dark Dragon, he would have sufficient credits to explain his plans and ��demand�� that they supported him.


    Yes. ��Demand�� and not ��request��.


    This was why Rhode purposely made things difficult for the Dark Dragon time and time again, ��taunting�� him to lose his patience and launch an attack. Through this method, Rhode could justifiably turn himself into a victim who had to retaliate with vicious attacks of his own. What is that certain famous sentence? Hmm�� Yes! We won��t fire the first bullet, but it doesn��t matter who you fired your first bullet at because as long as you fire it, don��t blame us for going all-out.


    As of now, Rhode was acting in accordance to what others thought about the situation and pretended to ��value harmony�� as much as possible. At the same time, he continuously taunted the Dark Dragon because things couldn��t get better if the Dark Dragon were to lose his patience. Rhode was skilled at doing such things. In the game, he had done several similar things and was never caught by anyone. There was even during the Internet era where a single conversational message over the web could possibly be screen-captured and uploaded to the forums to be exploited. Despite the high risks, Rhode never messed up on his part, not to mention this world with less stricter surveillance. No matter how powerful the twin dragons were, they couldn��t possibly monitor his every action 24/7, right?


    Therefore, what he did wasn��t conspiring in secret. Instead, he was conspiring openly. His younger sister didn��t treat the Dark Dragon with deference and even disregarded him, but so what? Did anyone set the rules that one must face others who invaded one��s territory with smiles? Why would Rhode even care about this when he had reached the distinction of the Creator Dragons? If Ion were to send out his armies to the Void Territory over this issue, he would be the childish one instead.


    But now, what Rhode did wasn��t for naught. He knew that the Dark Dragon was an unyielding man who wouldn��t let things slide. The Dark Dragon could tolerate it once or twice, but Rhode refused to believe that he could hold it in after 10, 20, 50, or even 100 times. Since the Dark Dragon could hold his patience so well, wouldn��t it be a waste if Rhode didn��t take advantage of him?


    But now, Rhode had something more important to attend to.


    And that was after a period of time that was neither too short nor long, he was finally about to return to his body.


    Even though Rhode felt free and unfettered in his days as a spirit, he still pretty much preferred to restore his body. Of course, this thought was also contradicting. He empathized with his younger sister��s happiness and the nostalgia she had for this world after finally becoming a person during this period. If it was possible, he didn��t wish for this to end. But�� he was aware that this couldn��t last forever. After all, even though he could accept this temporary relief, others couldn��t possibly accept the days without him.


    ��I��m really sorry.��


    Gazing at the Astral Telescope that was fully reconstructed, Rhode let out a subtle sigh. After returning from the Darkness Capital, his younger sister reassembled the Astral Telescope in Grandia. As for the coffin engraved with dissonant runes, it was also put aside. As the power in Rhode and his younger sister changed, he felt like the day of him getting back his body was getting closer. This also meant that his younger sister would once again leave this world.


    ��It��s fine, Big Brother. This surprise is considered the best present for me.��


    Lifting her head and gazing at the starry sky, the young lady said softly under her breath. She closed her eyes and stretched out her hand to feel the gentle wind whistling by. The radiance of the sun, the water droplets on the surface of the greenish leaf blades, the crisp, refreshing sound of the flowing creak in the near distance�� Everything was coming to an end for her. Shortly after, the power inside her would vanish completely. As the final traces of the power of contrast were lifted, the state between them would automatically reset like how a computer would automatically restart after eliminating the last virus to complete the final step.


    ��I will surely think of a way to give you a body of your own.��


    ��I trust you, Big Brother. But don��t stress yourself over it�� after all, it isn��t easy.��


    Indeed, just as the young lady mentioned, this wasn��t something easily-achievable. If it was only about creating a body with life, it wasn��t hard for him as he had Lapis and Marlene around. The former possessed the prohibited alchemy techniques of the Behermes, while the latter could create ��humanoids��, so it wasn��t challenging for them to create bodies or robot-like magical puppets.


    But the problem was the�� soul.


    No matter what, Rhode��s younger sister was the first Void Dragon and her powerful strength wasn��t easily supportable by just anything. If not, it wouldn��t be necessary for the dragon soul heirs to be beings formed from the essence coalesced under the respective dragon soul protection to inherit the dragon soul. For instance, Christie. Even though she was the product of the essence between Rhode and his younger sister, the power she possessed wasn��t tolerable for most humans. It was due to this reason that Christie was always sick and frail ever since birth. If Rhode were to randomly find a body as a vessel to inject his younger sister��s soul, there was a high probability that she would end up like Christie. If that happened, the gains wouldn��t make up for the losses. Unlike Cassidy, his younger sister was only a soul fragment. Rhode had discussed this with Alice, Lapis, and Marlene and the conclusion he got was that if he couldn��t find a perfect body for her to recuperate her soul, she would be hurt even more and eventually turned into ashes completely. And that wasn��t what Rhode wanted.


    Time��s up.


    Rhode sensed his body slowly recovering its strength, weight, shape, and everything else. His spirit-like body took shape slowly. He could no longer float in midair due to the increasing weight and he descended to the surface gradually. In contrast, the young lady started lifting off the ground. She spread her arms apart like an angel, lifting her head and a bright, gentle radiance emanated from her body. Then, specks of light dust dispersed in all directions, bringing a dreamy, beautiful scene to this world. Rhode lifted his head, gazed at the young lady, and extended his arm to hold onto the fair, slender, and soft hand of hers.


    The sensation felt as familiar and reminiscent as ever. The warmth from her palm. The gentle touch and scent. Everything was the same as he remembered. Rhode lifted his head and looked at the face that was identical to his. He sensed the touch in his hand gradually fading away as though something that was supposed to be drawn as a line of boundary, turned indistinct, and eventually vanished.


    The radiance became brighter and as soon as he narrowed his eyes to the bright light, the warm, familiar touch in his hand disappeared. When he opened his eyes again, the young lady was no longer there and he finally returned to his usual self.


    ��It has ended����


    Gazing at his palm, Rhode let out a long sigh. He turned to the Astral Telescope and the pitch-black coffin under its supporting pillars had blended almost perfectly into the structure. But before that�� Rhode stretched out his hand at this thought. Along with his action, a card in black and white contrast appeared in his hand. His expression turned odd as soon as he witnessed it.


    Because that was, in fact, the Contrast Deity Warden, Cassidy.

 Chapter 1080 - The Bothersome Deity Warden

    [Cassidy Viviani (Contrast Deity Warden) Offense 20 Defense 20: Unique Deity Warden. Unfuseable. Dominator of Contrast. Realm Reversal. Absolute Domination. Master of Order��s rules. Skills��Force of Reversal (All things in the world perish and are born relative to each other)


    Realm of Contrast (All things shall be reversed)


    Deity Warden Authority (Release skills with absolute suppression properties)


    Reflecting Mirror (All attacks targeting the holder will be reflected)


    Fusion of Order (Chaos and Order will always be at the opposite end of balance)]


    Cassidy��s abilities weren��t considered weak. Even though she seemed to possess only a few abilities, this actually proved that she didn��t need any complicated supporting skills to display her true strength. Cassidy dominated with only one move and only a few people in this continent would be able to stop her. In fact, didn��t Rhode also fall into her trap? This went to show that Cassidy��s abilities were indeed terrifying and no wonder Marlene and Alice thought that she was only second to Christie among the six Deity Wardens.


    Cassidy��s abilities weren��t hard to understand. They were simply the reversal of realms. She could transform anything into its respective presence in contrast, be it physical, magical, or conceptual. Everything was within the range of her transformation. Besides, she could also deflect all attacks and Rhode didn��t manage to witness this ability during their battle. It seemed like this ability was only available for Cassidy in her ��perfect�� form now. Fortunately, she wasn��t able to use the ability in her soul fragment back then. If not, Rhode would have had a much harder time defeating her. Furthermore, what caught his attention was the final line of information. Although he did mention that Order and Chaos were relative, it was apparent that it had a deeper meaning as this spirit card specially mentioned it�� Perhaps the relationship between Order and Chaos wasn��t as simple as he thought.


    But now, Rhode gazed at the card with a rather complicated emotion because just a few moments ago, his younger sister told him the reason why they ��switched places�� due to the power of contrast. It was, in fact, due to the resonance caused by his younger sister��s soul fragment. And now, after Cassidy was awakened by Rhode��s spiritual power, she could no longer use the ��Realm of Contrast�� to make him switch places with his younger sister. The reason was because her power had fused with Rhode and as her master, he would naturally be immune to her abilities.


    In fact, Cassidy didn��t leave a good first impression on Rhode. Moreover, he had also ridiculously fallen into her trap. Even though he didn��t mention anything now, it was apparent from the fact that he didn��t seal her up as one of the Ten Strongest Spirit Decks that he was discontent with her. No matter what, it was impossible for Rhode to have a nice impression of her after being tricked by her unconscious self.


    But now, since she returned, Rhode had no reason to imprison her anymore. It was about time to release her. At this thought, he extended his hand and along with his movement, the black and white card with a mirror imprinted on it spun quickly. Then, a familiar system prompt appeared before his eyes.


    [Detected Core Card. Confirm to join the Ten Strongest Spirit Decks?]


    Yes.


    Sweeping a glance at the system prompt, Rhode answered firmly. All of a sudden, a large, magical ritual consisting of three circles appeared with him in the middle. He tapped it gently with his right finger and the card of black and white flew toward the center of one of the circles engraved with strange symbols.


    [Appointed Core Card. Base Position. Begin fusion]


    Shortly after, the card of black and white emanated a dazzling brilliance and a petite figure could be seen appearing from within. Then, Cassidy emerged before him. But unlike what she looked like before, her rather revealing white, leather armor had transformed into a pure, white dress with long sleeves. She looked just like a girl from a wealthy family, which was a world of difference from her previous look of a wild warrior. But the same enormous sword that could be used for teppanyaki was still hanging on her back. Could this also be the result of the power of contrast?


    ��Ah�� I-I�� Greetings�� Your Majesty����


    Cassidy seemed to have returned to normal�� or perhaps not as she winced and addressed Rhode cautiously like a young lady being robbed by a hooligan in an empty alley. Her clearly disturbed gaze left Rhode completely speechless.


    Do I really look like a bad person?


    ��Don��t stand on ceremony, Cassidy.��


    Rhode responded and waved his hand airily. But to his surprise, Cassidy curled up at the sight of his moving hand and took several steps back instinctively. Judging from her reactions, Rhode seemed like a savage who whipped his slaves whenever he was in a bad mood, while Cassidy was the good-for-nothing slave whom he took his anger out on.


    ���� Are you okay, Cassidy? Do you know what is going on?��


    Rhode crossed his arms, gazing helplessly at the young lady who retreated far away. He didn��t know what he should ridicule her about at this point. He merely said one sentence and this Deity Warden scrambled away. Wouldn��t she retreat to the edge of the hill if he spoke more? But this time, Cassidy didn��t seem to have the intention to back off anymore. She lifted her head and gazed cautiously at Rhode. Then, she spoke with lingering fear.


    ��Yes, I have learned the specifics from Big Sister�� I-I will work with you, Your Majesty Rhode. I���� As Cassidy spoke in uncertainty, she glanced to the left and right. Then, she turned to him with a worried expression. ���� Your Majesty, although this is rude of me, can I ask if the other big sisters are����


    ��I got it.��


    Looking at her behavior, Rhode didn��t have any ways to deal with her, which was why he nodded helplessly and summoned Marlene through spiritual communication. Shortly after, a magical radiance flashed and Marlene emerged quickly. She looked at Rhode with a warm, joyous smile, before sweeping her glance to the Astral Telescope and pitch-black coffin, on which she paused her gaze for a few moments. Then, she turned to Cassidy who stood by the side. As soon as Cassidy saw Marlene, she spread her arms apart and pounced on her like a puppy who found its owner.


    ��Big Sister Margaret!��


    ��Cassidy?��


    Even though Marlene had some impression of this young lady after awakening the Deity Warden��s memories, she was startled to see such a huge reaction from her. Marlene spread her arms wide to embrace her, while lifting her head and gazing dubiously at Rhode because she saw clearly how Cassidy leaped into her arms with tears welled up in her eyes as though she were bullied. But apart from Rhode, there was nobody else.


    ��Rhode. She����


    ��Bring her back and let her settle down first. We will talk about the details later.��


    Facing Marlene��s doubts, Rhode didn��t explain further because after witnessing Cassidy��s reactions, he seemed to have realized something. On the other hand, Marlene didn��t pester him for an answer. Instead, she nodded and a magical radiance flashed in the blink of an eye and the two young ladies were nowhere to be seen. After they were no longer around, Rhode, who was crossing his arms, knitted his brows and spoke.


    ��I have something to ask you.��


    ��Big Brother�� what is it?��


    Compared to Rhode��s ice-cold voice, his younger sister��s voice was as gentle as always and he could easily detect the vitality in her voice. Based on his understanding of her, he knew exactly what this meant from her and he let out a snort: ��Frankly, there seems to be some problems with Cassidy��s personality�� You should know what I mean.��


    ��It seems like you��ve managed to find out the truth, Big Brother.��


    Rhode heard the crisp laughter from his younger sister.


    ��Yes, Cassidy��s personality�� Honestly, I was once worried that she couldn��t get along with others. So just in case, my original self added an insurance when creating her and that was�� Cassidy is afraid of men. In other words, this Deity Warden has a ��male phobia������


    ���� Will everything really be fine?��


    ��Don��t worry, there won��t be any issues~ Big Brother, I suppose with your strength, you can save her from the predicament.��


    Rhode let out a long sigh in response.

 Chapter 1081 - An Invitation from Hell

    After awakening Cassidy, Rhode��s matters on hand came to an end. Next, he had to focus his attention on reaching his ultimate goal: the grand and glorious project of transporting the entire continent to an alternate world. Before he could do that, he needed cooperation from many places. Apart from the dragon soul heirs, he also needed the support of the four main elemental lords, Seven Fantasy Boundaries, and hell. His negotiations with the dragon soul heirs hadn��t started yet, but he had decided to adopt the strategy that the forefathers used to ��surround the cities from the countryside��. As long as the other places agreed to help, he would have more power in speaking terms with the three other Creator Dragons. Besides, this plan required teleportation devices to be set up in all the cores of the various places as nodes. Without their support, this plan would fall at the last hurdle.


    After the communications, the news that came thereafter was exhilarating.


    With Gillian around, convincing the other three elemental lords wasn��t that difficult. Even though Gillian wasn��t a ��standard�� elemental lord, according to her, she was reborn with the identity of the ��fire elemental lord��, so naturally, she gained the identity of one. Even though the three other elemental lords weren��t that interested, they didn��t object to the idea as long as Rhode was willing to pay a certain price for it.


    There also wasn��t any issue from the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. Just as Rhode thought, the so-called six Deity Wardens were rulers of the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. Christie managed the Astral Temple. Marlene controlled the Steel Land. Alice dominated the Forgotten Land. Cassidy was the ruler of the Shade Forest. As long as Rhode found and awakened the remaining two Deity Wardens of the Silver Ocean and Fiery Plains, six of the seven realms would be under his control. The only thing that puzzled him was that it was known as the Seven Fantasy Boundaries and yet, it was ruled by only six Deity Wardens. So who was in charge of the Shadow Ravine?


    Be it Gillian, the six Deity Wardens, or his younger sister, no one had an answer for it. They only implied that he would learn the answer after awakening and gathering all six Deity Wardens�� In that case, he found it unnecessary to demand an answer now.


    As for the pitch-black coffin engraved with dissonant symbols, Rhode tried to lift the seal off the hibernating spirit, but his efforts were in vain. Then, he learned from his younger sister that if he wanted to awaken this holy sword spirit, he had to do it on a relatively special day of the stars. Therefore, he decisively threw this thought to the back of his head and stopped caring about it.


    However, not all news he received was good news.


    ��You��re saying�� there are some problems from the Ninth Floor of Hell?��


    ��Hmph��!��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s doubt, even though Celestina was dissatisfied, she gnashed her teeth and nodded with an ashen expression.


    ��That��s right, that damn, old bast*rd�� I specially gave him respect this time and yet, he actually�� damn that scoundrel�� Alright, Master. I admit that the old bast*rd was reasonable. But�� fine���� Celestina let out a helpless sigh and spread her arms apart. ��All in all, Master, after we defeated Chaos and they sneaked away like rats covering their heads, Chaos only dares to wreak havoc in hell now and is afraid of coming to the main plane to cause trouble. According to that old fart, hell has given everything to resist Chaos and devils. Even though he very much wishes to assist you in your grand project�� Hmph! If only he is really that loyal! In other words, Master, that old fart��s request is for us to assist them in eradicating the devils and recover lost ground. Only then they will assist us in accomplishing the project.��


    ��Recover lost ground?��


    Rhode knitted his brows slightly. He sharply detected the loophole in Celestina��s words.


    ��Is the situation really that bad in hell?��


    The battle between demons and devils had lasted for hundreds of thousands of years. Both sides were in a to-and-fro tussle with every war resulting in millions of casualties. There were all sorts of creatures who died in the bloody war: demons, devils, humans, angels, elves, dwarves, and the numbers were countless like the stars in the night sky. Be it victory or defeat in this massive war, it would inevitably lead to a new wave of retaliation. Almost every inch of land in hell and the abyss was fought over after sacrificing hundreds of millions of creatures. In other words, even though one might say a few broken pieces of stones, they might possibly be part of the ��lost ground��. Of course, as for who the land belonged to, it was no longer within considerations.


    Most creatures on the main plane weren��t aware of this, but the players knew about it clearly. Even though it was ��officially assigned�� that there were only five beings as the dragon soul heirs, there should actually be six of them who had the right to rule the continent. The main reason why most people weren��t aware of it was that the Creator Dragons wanted to avoid faltering the faith of their people. The other reason was that since the ��sixth�� wasn��t a dragon, the ��sixth�� couldn��t be categorized as a ��Creator Dragon��. It was as though no matter how gigantic a whale was, it would still be categorized as a mammal instead of a fish. This was why when people mentioned the ruler of the ��fish��, no one brought up the whales.


    When there was light, there would be shadows, just as every country had its unknown dark side. For the Ninth Floor of Hell, it was the Dragon Soul Continent��the dark side where Order was created in Chaos. The demon lords hidden in the Ninth Floor of Hell were the owners and also the rulers of the continent��s underworld. Be it the dark elves, demons, vampires, or others, as long as they lived in the Ninth Floor of Hell, the dark underworld of death blazing in flames and covered in blood, they would tremble in fear as long as they heard the taboo name. They might even cover their mouth subconsciously, gaze to the left and right attentively to protect themselves from inadvertently offending the rules and being punished.


    In this situation, for Celestina to mention ��recover lost ground��, it was either a joke or the situation was indeed that terrible.


    ��Who knows? I don��t think the situation is that bad. But at least from what I saw, the gray ruins have indeed fallen to the enemies.��


    Celestina said, knitting her brows and her scarlet eyes glinted in several flashes.


    ��Of course, it doesn��t matter if you��re not willing to accept his request, Master. As long as I��m around, the project will go on smoothly, I suppose���� Celestina paused. It was apparent that she also knew it was impossible. Although she had enough ��reputation�� in the Ninth Floor of Hell for now, time was lost, after all. During the years of her absence in the underworld, the forces that belonged to her had all disbanded. Right now, even if she were to return to hell and gather some miscellaneous troops, it would be meaningless. Moreover, in Rhode��s plan, the node of hell was essential. Besides, for safety during the teleportation, a part of hell would also be given up and this wasn��t something the demons would be glad to witness. Furthermore, after leaving the main plane, the demons would lose their sworn enemies and no one was sure what would happen to hell thereafter. In this case, if Rhode couldn��t receive the permission from the ruler of the Ninth Floor of Hell, everything he worked for would be for naught. The result was totally imaginable because the failure of his plan would not bring many benefits to the demons, but more disadvantages instead. Besides, any transactions with demons had to be carried out meticulously. If not, one would never gain the result one was hoping for.


    But who could also be sure that those guys were that devoted to hell? Why wouldn��t they do it if they could drag this newly-appointed Void Dragon down and enjoy the casual times of the main plane?


    Even though Rhode had thought of the possible issues when raising this proposal, the current problem had apparently exceeded his expectations. It seemed like he had to send people to hell and follow in accordance with Celestina assisting the demons reclaim their lost land in the bloody war and ensuring the original state of balance was restored. But no one could confirm if it was a scam or whether the demons were plotting ways to trick and manipulate him. After all, demons could never be trusted. They followed some kind of rules in which they acknowledged and in fact, it wasn��t really that case. Any self-righteous person might possibly be bound by the vows of the Baator Hell forever and one couldn��t leave that place and return to this world in eternity.


    If it was possible, Rhode didn��t want to send any of his men to hell. He wasn��t willing to lead his team there either because it was exhausting to communicate with the lords from hell. He would rather bring a large group of players and defeat 800 floors of the abyss than discuss in the back room with a demon lord some conspiracies and tricks that might not be of benefit to either side.


    But it seemed like he didn��t have any other choice if he wished for the demons to assist in his project.

 Chapter 1082 - Each of Their Own Ulterior Motives

    It was just an ordinary and humble little pub.


    The fishermen bawled, shoving the wooden door open and making their way into the pub. They waved their arms, approached the counter with a series of vulgar laughter, and reached their hands out to smack the plump buttocks of the average-looking waitresses donned in low-cut maid dresses. They lifted the mugs, draining the alcohol in one gulp and conversed loudly with other customers in the pub, sharing stories of how one incidentally witnessed a young farmer lady stepping out of the bath to the recent harvests from the ocean. All sorts of rumors and strange stories filled the pub, as well as the smell of sweat, alcohol, and food. It was crowded for everyone except for a particular customer seated in the corner.


    He looked to be in his thirties, clad in a straight, neat, red shirt that didn��t match this pub in the countryside. The ring inlaid with a huge, bright, precious gem on his slender, pianist-like finger was enough to blind one in the eye. Along with a neatly-trimmed goatee, his dark, soft long hair was combed back nicely. His suave, confident face mesmerized one so much that one would even be willing to devote oneself to him at all costs. The man sat quietly in the corner, raising the silver cup and savoring the fine wine leisurely. There were a dozen pitch-black cards laid out before him on the table like the set up of a fortune teller. He smiled, gazing at the cards in silence. But what surprised one was that no one seemed to realize his existence; not even the farmer standing 5 meters away from him, bragging about how he had a relationship with the widow next door and.


    Until the arrival of someone else.


    The man pushed the door open quietly, but no one seemed to notice his presence, not even the smiley waitresses who gazed blankly at him and flitted across their eyes like a shadowy ghost. No one paid attention to his presence or gave way. However, that shadowy figure effortlessly slipped through the gaps of the crowd and not even the spilled alcohol from the waving mugs in midair was able to splash onto him. He arrived before the man seated at the corner, extending his arm to drag the chair out for a seat. He turned to the waitress and snapped his fingers and shortly after, a waitress went up to him with a blank stare.


    ��One roasted chicken, a piece of white bread, a plate of fruit salad, a pot of wild berry wine, and two lamb steaks. I want the steaks fresh with more sauce. Also, give me one grilled fish and remember to remove the bones. Put more spices into the roasted chicken and don��t overcook it.��


    Rhode ordered, flicking his fingers and a gold coin flew out of his hand and landed into the deep cleavage of the waitress in the low-cut dress. The waitress stared at him shyly before turning around and leaving. Rhode rubbed his hands, gazed at the man playing a fortune-telling game by himself, and nodded at him.


    ��Apologies for being late.��


    ��No, it��s fine, Your Majesty Rhode. I was the one who came early and now���� The man replied, retrieving a golden pocket watch and opening it with a kacha. ���� it is just the right time. You don��t need to apologize.��


    ��Alright then, I shall take back my apology.��


    Rhode nodded in response before leaning back on the chair leisurely. Unlike the man seated opposite him and clad in neat, straight attire, even though Rhode also wore a black attire, he seemed much more loose and relaxed: his collar button wasn��t fastened securely and the coat draped over his shoulders unceremoniously. But even so, Rhode was completely dressed like a successful person in modern society. It was as though how one found it unimaginable that one who wore gold-rimmed glasses, branded apparel, and owned a luxury car would have a meal in a filthy food court. But surprisingly, although both of them had a seemingly huge presence in this small pub, the surrounding fishermen and farmers didn��t seem to notice them at all. They didn��t even take a single glance at them.


    And apparently, Rhode didn��t come here to experience the life of a basic, ordinary civilian either.


    ��Nice to meet you, Your Majesty Asmodeus.��


    Gazing at the man before him with a smile, Rhode nodded and narrowed his eyes. This man was the ruler of the Ninth Floor of Hell, the king of hell who ruled all demons, Asmodeus. Or more specifically, his incarnation. As the most cautious and insidious demon king, Asmodeus never showed up before anyone personally, not even before the Creator Dragons. Moreover, this place wasn��t his comfy, little home, but the main plane of existence. Judging from the amount of energy this demon king was willing to expend by sending his incarnation here, it went to show how important this meeting was.


    ��I suppose you��ve already heard from Celestina about the purpose of our meeting. It��s simple; I need your help to ensure that I won��t be attacked or affected by any factors while I set up the node in the Ninth Floor of Hell. I��m sure you��re aware of this part of the plan, right?��


    ��Of course, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Laying down the wine cup, Asmodeus revealed a gracious and warm smile like the spring breeze.


    ��I have to admit that you��ve got guts. Over the years, no one has ever come up with this idea, and the same goes for the worthless trash under my command. Even though cautiousness is a must, being overcautious will never achieve big things. And the same goes for my enemies. It won��t be enough to work for the sake of an ambitious goal. Without practical action, it will be meaningless, isn��t it?��


    ��Alright then, let��s get to the details.��


    Rhode neglected Asmodeus��s words. The reason was simple. He knew how powerful this ruler of the Ninth Floor of Hell was. If Rhode were taken to the ditch by him, he would have no hope of climbing back up. That was why Rhode didn��t respond and continued the discussion in his pace instead. For the sake of this meeting, Rhode racked his brains and specifically indicated to have this meeting on the main plane instead of holding it in the Ninth Floor of Hell. He knew that anyone who negotiated with demons and devils in hell would die a terrible death. This was due to the reason that in the Ninth Floor of Hell, the power of the word ��contract�� was omnipresent. If one were to agree to terms without thinking through, one��s soul would be seized by the Ninth Floor of Hell. In the past, there was once a mage who attempted to seal a deal with a Succubus in hell. He was confident and upon relying on his wisdom, the Succubus was too easy to convince. However, this unfortunate mage totally neglected the mighty power of the contract in hell. As soon as he stupidly agreed to help the Succubus, she smiled and raised a condition.


    ��Kill all the demons on this plane of existence within 10 minutes.��


    Of course, the pitiful mage couldn��t accomplish it. As a result, he was deemed as the living specimen of Baator Hell for violating a contract. As for whether the mage became the Succubus��s vessel to cultivate soul larva or was reborn in hell to live his new life, no one knew.


    In view of this, Rhode would never talk business with Asmodeus in hell. Even though the laws of Baator Hell couldn��t restrain him as a Creator Dragon, who knew what kind of traps were hidden in there? After all, it was what the demons were most adept at, wasn��t it?


    ��It��s simple, Your Majesty Rhode. My demon armies have to deal with the aggressive devils and Chaos, so we don��t have extra forces to protect your so-called node. Besides, if I recall correctly, Chaos will also be capable of learning your plan and when you set up the node, Chaos will likely launch attacks on us. As of now, we lost Casselly, while the Gray Ruins are also occupied by the enemies. This is a huge challenge for us.��


    Asmodeus spoke, spreading his arms apart and smiling at Rhode like ��a landlord who didn��t have surplus food to give at this time of the year��. But to hell with it if Rhode were to believe him. Even so, Rhode had to use this chance to reach the basis of an agreement with Asmodeus. Even if it was only the basis, it was enough for him. Demons were pretty good in terms of credibility, with the prerequisite of not being cheated by them, that was.


    ��So what do you want us to do for you?��


    Rhode said and at the same time, the waitress brought over a tray filled with food and laid them all over the table. Rhode reached out for the roasted chicken drumstick and ripped it from its body. Under the slightly charred skin, the somewhat, overly-strong scent of spices assailed his nostrils. But he didn��t mind that at all. He took the steaming white bread and dipped it into the unappealing sauce.


    ��It��s simple, Your Majesty Rhode. The Gray Ruins and Casselly are very important places to us. We don��t have enough forces to occupy several front lines at once. Therefore, we need your help to secure one of the battlefronts until��.��


    ��Sure. I suppose we don��t have much time to waste, Your Majesty Asmodeus.��


    The corners of Rhode��s mouth perked up into an elegant smile. Then, he clapped the bread crumbs off his hands and reached for the wine that had a rather fine color.


    ��Alright then, Your Majesty Rhode. Please state your conditions����

 Chapter 1083 - Hell

    Baator Hell.


    If there was one word to describe this place, ��hell�� would be the most suitable and appropriate because this place was indeed hellish. This was the battlefield between demons and devils, where the chaos of war broke out in every inch of the land. Peace in this place was as precious as oases in deserts. If one were just a fool who accidentally entered hell and stumbled onto the bloody field, then congratulations; one had already entered the worst and most unimaginable part of the nightmare.


    ��Actually, I kinda like bloodbaths. At least I get to kill to my heart��s content����


    Mini Bubble Gum gazed at the maroon sky and landed below it. If it weren��t for the black line separating the sky and land, perhaps one would think that this place was filled with postmodern art graffiti��something that was simply smeared by red paint.


    ��Yeah, to our hearts�� content.��


    Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s words, Rhode nodded in agreement. Indeed, apart from getting extremely rare magical equipment and items on the main plane, bloodbaths were also what got players in full swing. If one were fortunate, one could purchase creatures or items at considerable prices that one couldn��t buy on the main plane. There was once a player who bought a ��loli�� angel, which made many players green with envy because not anyone could purchase one. But despite that, it wasn��t easy to survive in hell and abyss due to the unique laws of Baator Hell towards the ��contract�� that was previously mentioned. Many players were tricked by demons and of course, they wouldn��t turn into food for the demons�� soul larva in the game. But after their death, their souls would only remain in hell and they couldn��t return to the main plane. Just this point alone was enough to devastate many players.


    Unless they were fortunate enough to meet angels who upheld ��justice�� or ��Astral Apostles�� who came to hell and could carry out a transcendence ceremony for their souls, they could only cry for the rest of their lives in hell. What was that saying again? ��One chose to visit hell instead of heaven with its doors open��. Since one was that foolish to choose to go to hell, it would go without saying that one would suffer the consequences of the naive and stupid decision.


    Of course, this ��cruel�� setting of the game caused extreme dissatisfaction in a lot of players. But despite that, the gaming company remains unmoved. In the past, Rhode felt strange as to why the gaming company created that many strange settings in the Dragon Soul Continent that were enough to make players ��rage-quit��. But he finally understood the reason now. It was simple; the ones who created the game made it solely to simulate the Dragon Soul Continent and hoped to find solutions to the problems they faced. That was why they naturally had to set the background of the game harsher and mote realistic. And no matter the amount of complaints from players, they couldn��t possibly modify them. After all, their original intention of creating this game was to test and not serve the players.


    ��Now, let��s confirm our destination,�� Rhode said, shifting his gaze away from the dry plain to behind him where Celestina, Celia, Gracier, Madaras, Shira, and Karin stood in silence. Apart from his holy sword spirits, there were four others following the team: Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, Lesa, and�� Cassidy.


    This time, Rhode didn��t bring Anne along, which was rare. No matter how Anne threw a tantrum, Rhode remained unmoved. Besides, for safety, he had gotten Marlene to keep a close eye on Anne and stop her from slipping away. If they were heading to other places, Rhode wouldn��t mind letting Anne explore them. But in hell, the place of eternal evil and deprivation, didn��t suit an innocent and naive young lady like Anne at all. Rhode also wasn��t sure if Anne��s personality would turn dark after getting involved in a bloody war here, so he wasn��t willing to risk it. Apart from this reason, Anne��s passionate personality was also a fuse for trouble in hell too. She might even be kidnapped and sold by some demons without knowing it.


    Knowing the dangers of hell, Rhode was well prepared this time and brought along everyone who had the ability to resist the power of hell. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had been involved in bloody wars with him here, so they understood the various situations perfectly. According to Celestina, the holy sword spirits had also contributed in these battles in order to resist devils a with chaotic nature. Before they ��grew up��, they had spent some time training in hell, so it also wasn��t a problem for them to be here. As for Lesa, the strength of Order she gained from Rhode was sufficient to defend against the contamination of hell. On the other hand, it would be a joke if the Contrast Deity Warden, Cassidy, couldn��t handle the power of hell.


    Most importantly, all of them were actually beings ��derived�� from Rhode��s system. Judging from this aspect, their spirits ��belonged�� to Rhode. And as a Creator Dragon, of course he was able to break through the limit of Order in hell. Therefore, if the demons were to set traps for them, he could still unleash his power, break through the Order of hell, and bring the rest back to the main plane safely. This was the other reason why he didn��t bring Anne and others. He didn��t want to see any of his subordinates�� spirits still wailing in hell after the others had successfully returned to the main plane�� After all, he had spent more than a day or two in hell in the past to know its dangers.


    ��Our goal is simple: we��ll rest in the Steel Fortress, find the River Styx, and get to Casselly through it. Then, we will enter the Rift Plain, exterminate those damn devils in Desolate Town and retreat just like what we did in the past. Do you understand? Don��t act on your own or care about any unimportant matter.��


    In the end, Rhode and Asmodeus came to an agreement. Rhode would assist the demons in attacking Desolate Town from the back, eliminating the devils, and returning its jurisdiction to the demons. This way, the demons would own the topmost station above the Bottomless Abyss. But Rhode was also smart and cunning as he didn��t promise Asmodeus to help them occupy Desolate Town. Instead, he clearly indicated that he only had to eliminate the devils in Desolate Town and his job would be done as per the agreement. If Rhode killed all the devils and Asmodeus didn��t have enough forces to reoccupy the place, it wouldn��t be Rhode��s problem at all. This was also an insurance that Rhode came up with. After all, if he agreed to assist Asmodeus in occupying Desolate Town and the ��process�� required centuries, wouldn��t he be spending centuries in that damn place? Rhode wasn��t that foolish.


    The most important thing in negotiating with demons was to confirm what he could offer and not what he could help with.


    The reason was simple as to why Rhode chose the Rift Plain as his destination. After defeating Grazite, Grazite��s subordinates sunk into complete chaos. Devils were born to adore chaos. Previously, with Grazite around, they didn��t dare to wreak havoc. But now that Grazite was eliminated, the unrestrained devils suddenly broke loose and slaughtered one another for more power. As the most important town in the Rift Plain, Desolate Town was of utmost importance. In Asmodeus��s eyes, as soon as he occupied the town, he could cut off one of the routes the abyss used to attack demons from. Then, as soon as he built another fortress there, he could retaliate against the abyss real soon. Rhode understood why Asmodeus needed his help. That was because from a certain degree, the abyss was somewhat similar to a land of Chaos. Only Creator Dragons could use dragon soul powers to turn Chaos into Order and apparently, it was impossible that the Creator Dragons were too idle to join the bloody war in hell at any time. This was why even though Asmodeus couldn��t make bricks without straws with this decision, it was an entirely different matter now that Rhode was here.


    ��Got it, Leader. It will be enough as long as there��s a war for me to fight in.��


    After hearing Rhode��s words, Mini Bubble Gum raised her arms in excitement. On the other hand, Celestina heard their conversation and gazed at Mini Bubble Gum and Rhode in astonishment.


    ��Master, have you guys been in a bloody battle before?��


    ��Of course.�� Perhaps dissatisfied with Celestina��s dubious tone, Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips and said. ��Back then, we cleared over 800 floors in the abyss with Leader�� Tsk, Grazite was nothing and even Mecanthus scrambled away from us. As a matter of fact, the devils seemed powerful, but they weren��t worthy of a mention at all!��


    ������


    After hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s words, Celestina exchanged doubtful glances with Celia standing beside her. Even though they didn��t feel like Mini Bubble Gum was saying the truth, it didn��t seem like there was a need for her to lie either. What exactly�� was going on? Rhode observed their interactions and didn��t seem to intend to explain to them. Instead, he turned and gazed at the looming, massive fortress.


    ��Alright, let��s move out.��

 Chapter 1084 - Steel Fortress

    Even though Asmodeus could send Rhode��s group directly to the front line, the latter refused his kind offer. The demons�� kind intentions were mostly poisoned candy, where one would more than likely suffer from. That was why Rhode would rather spend more energy in heading toward Desolate Town by himself than to accept Asmodeus��s ��offer��.


    When they arrived at the city wall of the Steel Fortress, they quickly garnered a lot of attention. But it wasn��t due to the group of excellent beauties surrounding him, who stood out like diamonds in a crown and oases in deserts. Instead, it was due to the fact that there was a battle angel among them too. Unsure if Celia was doing it for the sake of expressing her identity, but she expanded her pure, white wings. On the contrary, Celestina folded her wings, tucked her tail, and displayed a seemingly harmless look. After all, it didn��t matter if the owner wore a casual outfit at home. But when there were guests, the owner had to dress up appropriately at the very least, wasn��t it? This was a matter of manners.


    The entrance of the fortress was like the snap-opened mouth of a gigantic monster with demons, half-elves, and humans lining up in a long queue. They were mostly covered in filth and some were even stained with blood that was left unwashed. All of them were waiting patiently, yearning for a chance to enter the fortress. It was relatively easy for demons to gain entry. But for the other races, they weren��t as fortunate as them. They had to make use of money, language, and things to gain the likings of the demon guards in order to ensure entry into the fortress without losing an arm or leg and enjoy the momentary peace, instead of submerging in the ditches, waiting to be fed on by wild beasts.


    It was due to this reason that they were enraged when they saw Rhode��s group heading to the entrance without following the rules and queuing up accordingly.


    After all, no matter in which era, cutting queues were always rude and the same went for getting in through the back.


    ��Hey, wait.��


    As Rhode��s group was about to enter the fortress, one of the demon guards by the entrance extended its arm that was as thick as Celia��s slender waist and stopped them by flourishing the flame spear. It narrowed its scarlet eyes, scanned the unwelcome visitors, and specially paused at the pair of white wings behind Celia for a few moments.


    ��Don��t you outsiders know the rules? This is the Steel Fortress; you need to queue up to enter.��


    The demon guard scoffed and stared at Rhode who led the group of young ladies. At the same time, it brandished the flame spear at them and sent a wave of blazing heat above their heads. No matter from which angle, this threat seemed rather effective. But it was a pity that the demon guard picked on the wrong group as none of them revealed any terrified expressions. Even Cassidy, who had male-phobia, knitted her brows at the demon guard as though she was gazing at a stray dog on the street. Cassidy was a Deity Warden, after all. Even if she had male-phobia, there weren��t many beings in this world that were worthy to be seen as a ��man�� in her eyes.


    ��Hey, you country bumpkins����


    Upon feeling provoked, the demon guard widened its mouth to reveal its sharp, filthy canines. Along with this action, its muscles that seemingly had its skin stripped trembled. Not only that, but its long, scorpion-like tail also raised up into an offensive stance.


    ��If you don��t����


    ��Get out of my way, you lowly scum!��


    Celestina interrupted harshly before the demon guard finished its sentence. She glared fiercely and the high-and-mighty demon guard was taken aback quickly. It turned toward the young lady who was near it, shivered in fear, and stood at attention quickly. Even though it didn��t know who this human-like young lady was, her pure, spoken demon language clearly showed that she wasn��t one who played a small role it could handle. Almost in an instance, the demon guard turned its body aside respectfully as though making way for its God humbly. On the other hand, Rhode didn��t say a word. He simply led the rest of the group into the fortress.


    But it was a pity that in this world, there were many people who just couldn��t accept seeing one walk on the red, VIP carpet.


    ��Hey, hey! That��s unfair! Why can they enter just like that! Damn it! Don��t they need to queue up?��


    One of the half-elves in the queue raised his arms furiously, swinging his fists and yelling at the top of his lungs. Perhaps he was only looking to vent his frustrations from standing under the blazing sun of hell for so long with no progress at all. To make things worse, a group of latecomers had actually received special treatment from the demon guards. But at the next moment, a black steel whip appeared in midair and lashed at him like a venomous viper, slicing his head off. The unfortunate half-elf��s body twitched, before crumbling to the ground in a loud ��bam��. The two little demons queuing behind him cheered in excitement. They pounced on the corpse, seized valuables from its pockets, and feasted on this rare delicacy of a body.


    ��Shut your mouth, you lowly trash.��


    Celestina withdrew the whip and stared at the long queue that fell into an odd silence. The demon guards didn��t object to this young lady killing on the street either. Rules were used to constrain the chess pieces and not the chess player. Compared to the queen who could roam everywhere on the board, what rights did a pawn, who could only take one step forward, had?


    ��What a waste of time. Punish yourself.��


    Upon witnessing the others entering the fortress, Celestina put away the steel whip fumingly, before glaring at the demon who stopped them earlier and catching up with the rest. The demon guard who attempted to stop Rhode��s group earlier gazed blankly at Celestina��s back. Then, it gnashed its teeth, flipped around the flame spear, and punctured its brain, before collapsing to the ground lifelessly.


    No one expressed any opinion. If this happened in the main plane, death would be the biggest punishment to one. But here, real death was a type of luxury. Demons who died would lose the power and body that they cultivated and evolved for centuries or even millenniums. They would once again return to being a larva from the start and it would take a few more centuries or millenniums for them to return to their current state again�� with the prerequisite that they didn��t die beforehand.


    Compared to the chaotic battlefield, the inside of Steel Fortress appeared much neater. Even though Rhode��s group attracted a lot of attention on the streets, none of the demons stopped them. Judging from the fact that they entered the fortress despite being conspicuous proved that they were tough to deal with. Some powerful demons had even retreated in the face of Rhode��s dragon��s prestige. Fortunately for Rhode, this was the demons�� city. If it were the devils, perhaps they would endlessly dig their own graves like moths flying into the flame even if Rhode showed up in his dragon form.


    ��What should we do next, Leader?��


    Mini Bubble Gum was beyond excited. She rubbed her hands together as she eyed the enormous steel structure, as well as demons of various body shapes roaming the streets. As for the others, they played the role of plane travelers perfectly, speaking and doing things appropriately, while quietly following at the back of the group.


    ��Simple, we��ll first find a place to rest. Then, we��ll look for the River Styx and travel down by boat. After entering Casselly, we will change our transport method to reach the Rift Plain. But before that, we need a map or�� a guide.��


    Rhode said and turned to Celestina.


    ��You��re not familiar with this place, right?��


    ��Of course not, my palace isn��t located in such a filthy and run-down place.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Celestina curled her lips and replied.


    ��Why don��t we look for the commander here? Didn��t Asmodeus agree to help us? Why don��t we just look for them and head on the journey together instead? Those demons are battling all the time, so surely they will head to the Rift Plain, right?��


    ��I don��t trust that fellow. Besides, I don��t want to be dragged into a bloody war without any preparation. Asmodeus has indeed prepared an army in Casselly for us. But frankly, I would rather see if I can hire mercenaries here than to spend my days on the same boat as those troublemakers.��


    Rhode said and all of a sudden, an alluring fragrance assailed his nostrils. Then, a shadowy figure approached him as though she were dancing and stopped Rhode��s group.


    ��Oh, hi there, travelers from the main plane. It seems like you��re in need of some help? If it is possible, I��m willing to help you resolve your issues. I wonder if you��re interested?��

 Chapter 1085 - Meeting an Old Friend in a Foreign Place

    ��I didn��t expect to meet you here.��


    After taking a closer look at the person, Rhode was taken aback. He heaved a sigh of relief because this beautiful young lady who was wrapped up in a black cloak and wore a large hat was none other than the planes merchant he once met in Highland City, Stefania. She sized up the young ladies behind him with curious gazes. After hearing Rhode��s words, Stefania shifted her gaze to him and revealed an amusing smile.


    ��Me too. I��m surprised to see you in the Ninth Floor of Hell, Your Majesty Rhode����


    ��Where��s Emily?��


    Rhode didn��t continue the conversation. Instead, he looked around Stefania quickly and didn��t spot the young lady with fiery red hair. Stefania also seemed to realize what was on his mind and revealed a sly smile.


    ��Oh, Emily isn��t here. No matter what, this is the Ninth Floor of Hell, after all. As a human, it isn��t convenient for her to stay here for long.�� Stefania replied, winking playfully at him with an ��you-know-it�� expression and Rhode understood what she meant.


    ��But come to think of it, what are you doing here?��


    Even though plane merchants were known to roam about, Rhode couldn��t hold back his curiosity and asked. After all, this was the Ninth Floor of Hell, just like Stefania mentioned, where even merchants rarely dropped by because it wasn��t easy discussing business with demons. It was totally possible for a merchant to sacrifice his life if any mishaps were to happen. The merchants who came to do business with demons were either strong enough or stupid enough. Based on Rhode��s understanding of Stefania, she shouldn��t belong to the latter.


    ��Wherever there are adorable ladies, that is where I��ll be.��


    Stefania answered with a smile, holding her palms together and directing her gaze at the young ladies behind Rhode.


    ��Actually there is nothing for me to hide. I will occasionally take a stroll in hell, just to see my luck in finding any adorable girls that demons happen to capture and are trafficking, and bring them back to my harem. But I didn��t manage to find anything good these two days as it seems like none of them are interesting to me. On the other hand, I��m so envious of you, Your Majesty Rhode. In the blink of an eye, you��re surrounded by so many beautiful and adorable young ladies. This makes me so jealous.��


    ���� Forget it, we��ll talk about this in future. Come to think of it, you said you can help us?��


    Even though discussing this topic with a harem collector gave Rhode a sense of like-mindedness, he changed the topic decisively upon sensing the gaze of daggers on his back. It didn��t matter much since Stefania was a woman. But if he kept on talking about it, he didn��t know what the young ladies would do to him in the future. Of course, deep down in his heart, he somewhat ��admired�� Stefania. She was actually willing to risk her life and come to the Ninth Floor of Hell just to expand her harem�� this was true love, it seemed.


    Anyway, he knew that he definitely wouldn��t take it as far as her. Of course, most importantly, if he had done so, perhaps he would have trouble arising within his harem. Maybe if he had time on some other days, he could discuss with this plane merchant about dominating the harem? Yes, this seemed like a decent choice.


    ��Of course, meeting an old friend in a foreign place is always delightful, isn��t it? Since you used to be my customer, I��m willing to give you a 15 percent discount. I heard from your conversation that you��re heading to the Rift Plain through the River Styx? That is an extremely dangerous route, especially to the boatmen. Yugoloths aren��t trustworthy at all. If you believe me, I can help to arrange your trip. Of course�� it comes with a price.��


    ��Alright, I��ll leave it to you.��


    After pondering for a few seconds, Rhode nodded and accepted Stefania��s suggestion. Just like this half-demon-plane-merchant said, meeting an old friend in a foreign place was indeed delightful. Besides, in all fairness, Stefania was competent as a plane merchant. Rhode hadn��t forgotten about the broken rescue cabin he bought from her. Even though it was defective, he eventually succeeded in summoning Karin, one of the holy sword spirits. Without Karin, Rhode wouldn��t have created three magic warships in such a short period of time. Judging from this aspect, he was pretty grateful toward this plane merchant. Even though she was a half-demon, at least she was credible enough and didn��t have a criminal record of ��cheating��. If she were any other demons in hell, perhaps it would turn out entirely different��


    ��Alright then, please come with me.��


    As soon as they got into business, Stefania restored the standard smile of a merchant, before gesturing to Rhode politely. Rhode nodded in response and followed her. But at this moment, he suddenly came to a halt, narrowed his eyes, and swept glances to the surroundings. He paused his gaze at the shadowy corner inside one of the small alleys.


    ��What��s wrong, Leader?��


    Upon realizing his strange behavior, Mini Bubble Gum followed his gaze curiously and asked.


    ��Nothing.��


    Rhode looked away and answered plainly. Then, he continued to follow the plane merchant.


    After Rhode��s group was out of sight, the shadowy figure hidden in the alley turned around and left sneakily. He ran down the alley, avoiding the demons�� surveillance and lurking in the dark corner beside the flowing sewage water. Up until this moment, he let out a long sigh, before pulling down his filthy hood to reveal a miserable, ice-cold, and scar-filled face that was full of vengeance, murderous intent, and tyranny. His long, bright golden hair had turned pale and yellowish. His suave face was covered in all sorts of scars. He clutched the cloak in his hands and shuttled down the dark alley like a fast-moving ghost as he arrived at a run-down, wooden house. He pushed the seemingly useless, tattered wooden door and entered.


    Upon hearing the sound of the opening wooden door, a skinny young lady curled up on the floor lifted her head.


    ���� Andre?��


    ��Yes, it��s me, Cheryl.��


    Upon hearing her voice, the twisted and furious expression on Andre��s face dwindled a little. He gazed at the young elf lady, his heart surging with strong sorrow and anger from the bottom. But at the next moment, the anger turned into a strange, dark smile.


    ��Are you alright, Andre?��


    The young elf lady asked, her eyes remaining closed. Even though she didn��t witness his expression, her sharp senses as an elf made her detect an ominous aura exuding from Andre. After hearing her question, Andre let out a snort and said, ��Have a guess, who do you think I saw?��


    ��Here��?��


    ��That��s right, I saw the Void Dragon! Hahaha! This is the best opportunity. I didn��t expect him to be here! Isn��t this our best opportunity, Cheryl?!��


    ��V-Void Dragon? You��re saying that he����


    The young elf lady shuddered upon hearing the name as though she just recalled the hounding of a nightmare. But shortly after, she had a bad feeling.


    ��Andre, what do you intend to do?��


    ��Isn��t that simple? I want revenge, Cheryl,�� Andre said. His expression turned grim.


    ��I will never forget that day. Have you forgotten, Cheryl? The day he destroyed the entirety of Casabianca!��


    To Andre, that was the eternal pain in his heart. He could never, ever forget the day the enormous magic warships descended from above, bombarded the city with golden rain, and submerged the city in a sea of flames. Even though he tried to rescue the civilians, he could only watch helplessly as they died in despair. At that moment, Andre almost went insane, but Cheryl was there to stop him and forcefully cast a teleportation spell on themselves, leading them far away from that terrifying place. But they didn��t expect the Hell��s Gate to be opened at the same time by Celestina, and they were sucked into the spatial crack. When they came about, they found themselves in hell.


    That was a nightmarish experience to Andre and Cheryl. If the demons didn��t take a fancy to Andre��s swordsmanship and Cheryl��s magic spells, perhaps they would have turned them into their slaves by now. But even so, they had a rough time here. In the earlier battle against the devils, Cheryl��s eyes were hurt and lost vision. Andre searched for ways to treat her injuries in the Steel Fortress and was surprised to see Rhode there.


    ��Could you have mistaken someone for him����


    ��No, Cheryl! I��m sure it is him!��


    Clenching his fists, Andre spoke indignantly. Then, he revealed an odd smile.


    ��This is a good opportunity for us, don��t you think so? Cheryl?��


    ��You��re saying that����


    ��The demons of hell will surely be interested in this man and those around him, so I can make a deal with the demons and get them to treat your eyes. Perhaps we can also reach an agreement to leave this damn place too!��


    ��Is this a smart choice, Andre?��


    But after hearing his words, Cheryl was still hesitant. Before she said anything, she felt Andre��s hands holding her shoulders.


    ��Of course, Cheryl. So I need your help�� you will help me, right?��


    For some unknown reason, the young elf lady sensed a strong and inexplicable sense of uncertainty in his words.

 Chapter 1086 - The Guide to River Styx

    If a merchant wanted to close a business deal, the merchant would need to know what the customer needed the most. It was apparent that Stefania understood this logic. She didn��t arrange for Rhode��s group to settle down anywhere too close to demons, stenches, corpses, and bustling venues where fights often broke out. Instead, she brought them to a relatively quiet tower. Of course, it wasn��t some high-end club and they still witnessed several corpses punctured by razor-sharp stakes and blood flowing all over the land at the bottom of the city walls. But this was much better than being harassed and stared at by demons endlessly. Even though demons followed rules in the fortress to a certain extent, those who broke the rules weren��t in the minority. If not, there wouldn��t exist so many torture instruments for the demons, wasn��t it?


    ��If you insist on heading to Casselly yourself, I won��t demand any further.��


    Stefania sat by the table and gazed at Rhode with a helpless, forced smile.


    ��But I have to warn you that traveling there by yourselves will be much more dangerous than you think. No-no-no, it isn��t only about the River Styx itself, but also the boats traveling on it. Perhaps you may also face demon or devil fleets. If you face the former, it will still be manageable. Your Majesty Rhode, with you around, you can display a certain degree of aggression and the demon fleets with a clear destination will not find trouble with you. As for the devils, we can never be too sure about them. They don��t care who you are, where you are heading to, or remember the goal of fighting. Maybe as soon as they meet you, their chaotic and uncontrollable nature will turn you into their target. Of course, all of you are powerful enough to destroy the devil fleets. But if the Styxians were to treat you as threats or think that they would gain more than they lose, perhaps they may also decisively leave you to your own survival. I have to remind you that on the River Styx, not even the Creator Gods can threaten the Styxians. They are the only ones who know which teleportation door leads to where. So if they decide to ditch you, they won��t give you the time to consider your options.��


    ��But if we choose to travel with demons, the troubles will not lessen.��


    After listening to Stefania, Rhode shook his head. As of now, their agreement was stuck at which method they should deploy to reach Casselly before entering the Rift Plain. Stefania suggested that she could contact the demon lord who was currently gathering forces to head into the Rift Plain. After offering a ��fair�� price, both sides should be able to reach an agreement. As for the credibility of the Styxians, she apparently wasn��t too hopeful.


    Even though Rhode agreed with some parts of her view, he wasn��t too interested in her former suggestion. No matter what, it was really risky to travel with the demon army even though they had a clear destination in mind. Who could guarantee that they wouldn��t head to the Gray Ruins midway?


    ��It seems like we can only hire the Styx Brigade then.��


    Stefania knitted her brows after Rhode refused to give in. After a few moments of pondering, she left out a helpless sigh.


    ��This may require some time, but the Styx Brigade is definitely trustworthy. Besides, the Yugoloths�� at least they are more trustworthy than Styxians. It seems like this isn��t your first time traveling in another plane, Your Majesty Rhode. As long as you��re careful, there shouldn��t be any problem. But in terms of price����


    ��Money isn��t an issue.��


    Rhode replied and tossed a bag of coins and gems on the table. Borrowing the scarlet sunlight through the window, one could clearly see the radiance reflected off the platinum coins and gems. Just this bag alone was enough for one to purchase a city on the main plane. Upon seeing the bag, Stefania revealed a forced smile. Merchants would rather deal with careful buyers than rich buyers. After all, careful buyers were only mindful of the price, but rich buyers had more to worry about. Rich buyers didn��t care how much they needed to spend. Instead, they expected their goods to be up to their likings. In the multiverse, there was nothing more subjective than the ��intention��.


    ��Alright, I got it.��


    In the end, Stefania accepted the bag and stood to her feet.


    ��It is tough to look for the Styx Brigade in this world, but it isn��t impossible. Please wait and have some rest for now.��


    ���� Rhode, can she be trusted?��


    Until the plane merchant vanished before them, Canary knitted her brows and asked. No wonder Canary behaved this carefully because in hell, ��trust�� was more precious than platinum. There were many times when the so-called ��trust�� was nothing more than a premise used to build ��betrayal��.


    ��At the very least, she is more trustworthy than Asmodeus. Besides, I personally think that she��s competent as a plane merchant.��


    Not only that, but Stefania��s appearance was also above average and could be said to be remarkably beautiful. Moreover, she was a half-demon. If it weren��t for her talent and wisdom, perhaps she would have already become one��s pampered pet and wouldn��t be roaming about freely.


    But the rest didn��t seem mindful of her. Lesa sat by the side, clenching her fists and closing her eyes as though she was praying. On the other hand, Gracier and Madaras had already returned to their card form and were seemingly disinterested in the outside world. Cassidy sat with Celia in the distance, sizing up Rhode attentively and speaking to Celia about something. It was apparent that they knew each other a long time ago.


    Only Mini Bubble Gum and Celestina admired the scenery boringly. In an instant, everyone found a rare, unprecedented peace and harmony in hell.


    But since this was rare, it meant that the harsh reality would soon take over. And in fact, that was what happened.


    ��������!��


    All of a sudden, a loud noise broke the silence in the room. Rhode knitted his brows slightly, while Canary turned toward the window. At this moment, even Lesa who had shut her eyes and was praying opened her eyes and revealed an uncomfortable look on her face. On the other hand, Cassidy and Celia were seemingly unaffected by it. They gazed toward the source of the noise, before turning around and continuing with their conversation. It was apparent that they weren��t interested in what was happening inside the demons�� fortress.


    But it was a pity that not everyone reacted the same as them.


    ��Oh-oh-oh, what happened?��


    Mini Bubble Gum and Celestina quickly moved to the other windowsill and looked around curiously. The situation as though there was a car accident by the apartment building��s entrance and the two young ladies opened the window to check it out. Sigh, this was the deep-rooted bad habit of humans to be habitual onlookers of everything��


    ��What��s wrong, Bubble?��


    ��Nothing much. Just some demons having a row.��


    ��How embarrassing.��


    Compared to the excited Mini Bubble Gum, Celestina was apparently less delighted. She gazed at the gathering demons with a grim expression. But shortly after, she revealed a surprised expression. At the same time, Mini Bubble Gum also seemed to notice something.


    ��Hmm? That��s����


    ��Oh? Heh, heh. Interesting. I shall go and check it out!��


    At the next moment, Mini Bubble Gum transformed into a ray of light and disappeared from the window. Looking at this scene, neither Rhode nor Canary tried to stop her. Instead, they simply let her be because they knew that no matter what happened out there, as long as Mini Bubble Gum intervened, everything would vanish without trace within five minutes. They were extremely confident in Mini Bubble Gum��s personality, as well as her strength of absolute destruction.


    Boom!


    As expected, in a thunderous boom and within just two minutes, a pure, white light column burst into the air and the irritable noise from earlier vanished completely. Celestina curled her lips in dissatisfaction and looked away from the window. If one were to go to the window now, one would see that the dense gathering place from before had been wiped out to expose a clean and tidy plaza. There was nothing left on the plaza, be it corpses or building wreckages.


    Shortly after, Mini Bubble Gum��s running footsteps were heard from the corridor and she burst through the door quickly.


    ��Hey, Leader, check this out!��


    Perhaps after hearing the commotion from Mini Bubble Gum, everyone lifted their heads and turned toward her. Upon sensing the gazes directed onto her, Mini Bubble Gum displayed a prideful smile. Then, she extended her arms and pulled over a ragged elf from her back.


    ��She��s����


    Gazing at the young elf lady, Rhode narrowed his eyes. Mini Bubble Gum spoke with a chuckle. ��I saw her being bullied by the demons, so I saved her on the way back.��


    Mini Bubble Gum said, puffing her chest out at the same time like a student reporting to the teacher that she had helped an old woman cross the road and was waiting for a compliment. Rhode sized up the young elf lady and after a few moments, he smiled.


    ��I didn��t expect for us to meet here, Miss Cheryl.��

 Chapter 1087 - Styx Brigade

    ������


    The young elf lady curled up instinctively upon hearing Rhode��s voice, lifting her head in uncertainty toward him. For some unknown reason, Cheryl felt familiar with this voice and this left her in lingering fear. She thought that Rhode didn��t know who she was, but most people in the Country of Light knew who he was. To her surprise, not only did Rhode recognize her immediately, but he also called out her name. This baffled her and she didn��t know how to respond. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum turned around curiously, shifting her gaze between Rhode and the young elf lady.


    ��Leader, you know her?��


    ��She��s from the Country of Light. I met her a few times.�� Rhode didn��t explain further. In fact, what he said was the truth and their meetings happened in the Munn Kingdom�� Back then, if his movement speed with the sword was much quicker, perhaps this elf mage wouldn��t be alive now. Considering their current location, perhaps it would have been the best choice to kill her back then?


    ��What happened to your eyes?��


    Rhode gazed at the young elf lady who kept her eyes closed, where there were clear, purulent and heavy scars. But Rhode couldn��t recall her having such injuries back then. And now, she closed her eyes tightly and seemed like she was gravely injured.


    ��I-I�� hurt myself by accident�� during the bloodbath����


    ��Wow�� you actually survived the bloodbath.��


    Mini Bubble Gum said and sized up the young elf lady curiously. Judging from her extremely delicate state, Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t imagine her surviving a bloodbath as it definitely wasn��t easy. Shortly after, Mini Bubble Gum nodded as though she understood something and soliloquized.


    ��Hmm�� but it isn��t actually surprising for one in the Peak Master Stage to survive.��


    ����!��


    Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s words, a chill ran down Cheryl��s spine. Before coming here, she spent a lot of effort to conceal her strength. However, she totally didn��t expect Mini Bubble Gum to see through her in a single glance. This terrified her. Of course, she wasn��t aware that these people were veterans in battles. Right now, they weren��t located on the main plane, so even if one were harassed by demons in the Steel Fortress, one would lack the strength even to truss a chicken. Such people couldn��t possibly survive for so long.


    In an instant, the atmosphere turned heavy. Cheryl took two steps back worriedly, unsure of what to say. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum scanned her curiously, while Lesa continued to close her eyes and pray. On the other hand, Rhode and Celestina admired the scenery outside the window that wasn��t considered pretty. There were no changes to Cassidy and Celia at all. As soon as Stefania arrived, she broke the awkward silence in the room.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, I��ve just contacted them and we can move out right away�� Hmm? Who is this young lady?��


    The River Styx.


    It was the only presence that could be weighed up as a ��river�� in this dried, bloody hell. However, it wasn��t as simple as just a ��river��. Rumor had it that the River Styx carried along lost souls and sent them to where they should go. It was the only channel connecting the Ninth Floor of Hell and abyss. Be it demons or devils, they would board the boat and sail down the river as long as they wanted to start a war.


    Then, they would go through the teleportation vortex that would bring them to their destination. Of course, the River Styx wasn��t as calm as it seemed (even though it didn��t appear calm at all). If anyone were to fall into the river and drank the ice-cold, bone-piercing water, one would lose all memories and turn into a zombie-like being. One��s body and soul would become empty as though a reset computer. Be it demons, devils, or anything, there were no exceptions.


    But among players, the water of the River Styx was highly popular because players were there for the fun of the game, after all. They couldn��t possibly turn into idiots by simply falling into rivers (if not, such games would have already been balanced by then). Instead, after drinking the water of River Styx, their levels, memories, skills, classes, and others would start all over again from zero. Even though this seemed like grievous news for most players, some players who intended to start over with a new character used the river water as a tool to reset everything. This was because even though drinking the river water would reset everything to zero, their attributes wouldn��t change. Some players had also purposely searched for items that could permanently increase one��s attributes, before drinking the river water to restart from zero. Whenever there was demand, there was supply. Most players wouldn��t specially make the trip down to hell just to reset to zero. Therefore, players who were capable or strong enough to make trips back and forth between hell and main plane became the best merchants for this business. Besides, the river water didn��t require processing or digging. As long as one filled up the bottle with it, it would be a great business without needing any capital.


    And now, Rhode��s group stood by the river and gazed at the small ferry flowing down the stream in the distance.


    In fact, the small ferry wasn��t actually that small. Even though it wasn��t comparable to the cruise ships in Rhode��s world that could carry thousands of people, it was still slightly larger than most fishing boats. A skinny and eroded human-corpse-like creature wrapped in a tattered mantle held a long pole and sailed forward on the ferry that seemed to be made from a combination of bones and human flesh. The ferry moved steadily like a sled smoothly sliding across the icy surface. Shortly after, the ferryman noticed Rhode��s group by the river and rowed harder using the long pole. The small ferry quickly, yet silently arrived before them.


    ��Oh-oh-oh, what��s this that I��m seeing?��


    Before the ferryman said anything, one of the demons on the ferry gazed at the group with an excited smile.


    ��These lowly����


    ��Shut up.��


    The ferryman interrupted the demon��s provocation harshly. He clutched the pole and stood in a slanting position. Under the filthy, ugly hood, Rhode��s group sensed a dark, sinister, and ice-cold stare.


    ��Greetings, dear ferryman.��


    As Rhode��s spokesperson, Stefania casually stepped forward and greeted him with a friendly smile. After all, she had to get things done after getting paid by Rhode.


    ��You are the ones who requested to board the ferry?��


    The ferryman let out a cough upon hearing Stefania��s greetings. Then, Stefania nodded with a smile.


    ��That��s right, ferryman. My companions and I are heading to the Rift Plain, which is why we need your help. If you can bring us to the Rift Plain through Casselly in the shortest time possible, we will give you a huge, generous remuneration for your efforts���� Stefania said as she extended her hand to reach out for a bright soul gem from the bag of coins. The top-quality purity of the gem instantly caused an uproar in the group of demons on the ferry.


    ��Your reward sure is generous.��


    The ferryman seemed impressed, but the tone of his voice didn��t waver at all as though it were just a piece of rock that Stefania laid out before it.


    ��But my apologies. There isn��t enough space on the ferry. I can only take in four more passengers.��


    ��Heh, heh����


    The group of demons on the ferry giggled complacently. They whispered into each other��s ears, before turning to the group and bursting into laughter.


    ��It��s fine, there is lots of space here. Those women won��t take up much space anyway, since they can sit on us�� hahahahaha����


    No one responded to the demons�� teases, but Cheryl curled up in uncertainty. Rhode didn��t even look at them once. If one took notice, one would discover that Rhode had moved his fingers slightly, where two cards flashed abruptly and disappeared into thin air.


    At the same time, the irritable laughter came to an end.


    In the blink of an eye, two petite figures in white cloaks flitted across the air like ghosts. Their razor-sharp blades penetrated the demons�� hearts and tore apart their throats mercilessly. In an instant, before a dozen of demons seated on the ferry reacted, their flame of life extinguished completely without any warning. Shortly after, an ice-cold storm rose abruptly, flinging their massive corpses into the river. The seemingly crowded ferry suddenly became empty.


    At this moment, Canary laid down her palm, while Gracier and Madaras who had sneaked onto the ferry let out a string of crisp, bell-like giggles, before hiding into the shadows. Upon witnessing this scene, Stefania smiled and turned to the ferryman.


    ��Now, it seems like you��ve sufficient space for us?��


    ���� Of course.��


    The ferryman standing by the bow laid down his defensive arm gradually, swirling his ugly eyes that glinted in yellow radiance, and let out an ear-piercing laughter.


    ��Welcome aboard my ferry, everyone. I guarantee to provide you the best and most comfortable service.��

 Chapter 1088 - Shadows of Casselly

    Fallon stretched out his arm and grabbed a handful of squirming soul larvae, feeding them into his mouth. The soft and smooth sensation on his tongue tingled. This vampire with a scarlet complexion closed his mouth, his razor-sharp teeth tearing and grinding the struggling soul larvae. Upon tasting their delicious fluid and the flesh that went down his throat and into his body, Fallon narrowed his eyes in joy, gazing at the human knelt before him. In Fallon��s eyes, this human was no different from other slaves: foolish, naive, and ignorant. As a demon, Fallon could never imagine why those idiots from the main plane would come to hell, in search of their so-called ��self-value��. Or perhaps, such a thing did exist in their world?


    However, this human brought him a piece of interesting intelligence. According to him, a ruler who possessed high authority and powerful strength had arrived in hell with his subordinates and had an unclear motive�� Yes, this was amusing to him. Fallon had faced plenty of scoundrels who challenged his authority bravely. But those people were different. They possessed power that even he had to back off from. Of course, he knew he didn��t do it out of fear. Or perhaps, it should be said that he was the only one who knew why he didn��t send out guards to take down those people who wreaked havoc in his fortress and hang them to death on the city wall with others.


    Was he too incapable or simply afraid? Or perhaps both?


    But now, Fallon suddenly had a change of mind. He gazed at this tiny, humble human in curiosity, sensing a burning vengeance and rage deep in his heart. This made him somewhat interested in this human. In the long years of bloodbath, Fallon needed something to spice up this boring life of his. As of now, squashing devils into mince meat wasn��t fun for him anymore.


    ��That is indeed interesting, but I can��t possibly just send out men to track the so-called prey you mentioned.��


    Fallon smiled, releasing breaths of sulfur from his nostrils.


    ��Besides, according to an earlier report, they have left the fortress, went down the River Styx, and no one knows where they are heading to����


    ��I have a way to track them, Sir Fallon.��


    Andre lowered his head, gazing at the ground.


    ��I have planted a spy in their group and I know they are heading to Casselly next. Sir Fallon, as long as you give an order, I will hunt them down like a hound and let them have a taste of true agony!��


    ��How interesting����


    After hearing Andre��s commitment, Fallon narrowed his eyes. He let out a snort, stood to his feet, and went up to Andre in large strides. Upon feeling the blazing heat and awful stench, Andre gnashed his teeth, held down the fear in his heart, and remained unmoved as he continued to kneel down before Fallon. The tall and mighty demon lowered his head and scanned the minute ant by his feet. After a few silent moments, he clapped his palms together and footsteps were quickly heard, followed by a string of crisp, melodious laughter that echoed in the dark, shadowy room. Andre lifted his head curiously, before widening his eyes in bafflement. Standing before him was a chuckling Succubus. Her pitch-black wings were as though the expensive fur of a wealthy woman that wrapped her slender, curvy body. Upon noticing Andre��s gaze, the Succubus winked at him and smiled alluringly. Andre couldn��t help but shudder and lower his head quickly. At this moment, Fallon��s deep, thunderous voice boomed and after hearing his answer, Andre revealed a fanatical smile.


    My gamble worked.


    ***


    The River Styx was as peaceful as ever. Or perhaps, at least for now.


    Rhode sat on the side of the ferry, watching the river flow calmly before him. It seemed like the river was neither too deep nor wide and resembled a slightly murky stream. Occasionally, he vaguely saw some reefs underneath the water. However, he knew that they were only for show. If any idiot were to jump onto them, there would only be one consequence: one would immediately turn into food for the hunters lurking at the bottom of the river.


    The ferryman continued to row the ferry using the long pole as though he was able to find the supporting point of the river in every movement, using the strength of the river to sail forward. This seemed rather interesting to Rhode because the River Styx had no depth. In other words, it might be bottomless like the Mariana Trench, where ordinary people couldn��t possibly sail forward using the strength of the river. Of course, based on this point, these ferrymen were truly capable.


    At this thought, Rhode lifted his head and gazed at the ferryman at the bow of the ferry. Upon detecting his gaze, the ferryman was slightly startled.


    Be careful, I don��t have much patience.


    Without the need of spiritual communication, the ferryman easily read the meaning behind Rhode��s gaze. This left him feeling somewhat worried, but he continued to grasp the long pole and rowed the ferry with force. Along with his movement, the small ferry suddenly changed direction and sailed aside gradually. At a glance, this seemed to be a prior indication of them being stranded because there were only shallow, dried trees and hard boulders around them. But at the next moment, everyone��s vision turned black as though they were passing through a curtain. Then, their vision suddenly became well-lit.


    The land and large boulders from before had vanished entirely, only to be replaced by a spacious river that flowed in the cosmos. The group clearly witnessed a bright, red planet as though they were on a spaceship headed for Mars��it was a dreamy scene. At a single glance, three dry and fiery planets with each of their own distinguishing features could be seen floating and linking up into a circle in the massive cosmos. The River Styx that flowed quietly like a stream had turned into a rapid, forward-surging river. Despite that, the ferry above it was sailing as calmly as ever.


    ��The endless prison, Casselly,�� Stefania said, heaving a subtle sigh. She stared at this world connected by the bright, red planet with melancholic eyes. ��This is the prison of all things. Apart from the ferrymen of the River Styx, no one can leave this place. It imprisons criminals of all races, including demons. This is the best execution ground for them to serve their sentences. They who are sentenced shall stay here forever to battle against devils until the final moment of their lives.��


    Upon hearing Stefania��s lament, Rhode didn��t say a word as he gazed at her curiously. After closing the business deal, this plane merchant didn��t leave immediately. Instead, she followed them and boarded the ferry together. Rhode had no objections, but felt somewhat dubious of her decision. After all, what she was doing seemed to be beyond the scope of a plane merchant already.


    And at this moment, Stefania suddenly lifted her head, looked ahead, and knitted her brows slightly.


    ��My apologies, Your Majesty. It seems like we have some troubles ahead.��


    Without the need of her reminder, Rhode had also witnessed the ��massive�� fleet ahead of them which consisted of thousands of ships in various sizes that seemed like a complete mess. But it was due to this showing that Rhode knew that they were considered bothersome enemies. Such a messy fleet was as though floating trash on the river, which could only mean that they belonged to the devils. What made matters worse was that the devil fleet was sailing toward their ferry. Considering the fast-flowing waters of River Styx, the devil fleet that was going against the river flow was actually moving faster than Rhode��s ferry. This was totally illogical and unscientific��


    ��Hey, customers, it seems like we��re in trouble.��


    The ferryman said, but judging from the tone in his voice, he seemed to be rejoicing in their misfortune. He gazed ahead and continued to control the ferry as though to ��try�� and avoid contact ahead. But only he knew whether he was serious or only putting on a show.


    ��Unfortunately, it seems like we��re blocking the sailing path of the devil fleet. Dear customers, I suggest we head another direction and take the long way. But�� I suppose you wouldn��t want to start a battle with those guys on the River Styx, right?��


    ��Why not?��


    Out of the ferryman��s surprise, not only were his ��passengers�� not flustered and pale, but the most timid Cassidy also stood up and gazed at the dense devil fleet in disdain. It was as though they were nothing more than weeds in her eyes. Only the elf lady��s expression met the ferryman��s expectations. But it was a pity that he didn��t receive his anticipated response.


    ��I think it��s a good idea to attack them now. What do you think, Leader?��


    Mini Bubble Gum answered the ferryman, scuttling toward Rhode and asked. Upon hearing her words, Rhode didn��t say anything. Instead, he extended his arms and two daggers appeared in his hands, emanating dazzling, spiritual blade rays. Looking at this scene, the ferryman changed his expression for the first time.


    ��You must be crazy! You can��t�� damn it�� you��re asking for death if you do that!��


    However, Rhode didn��t respond to the ferryman��s snarl. Instead, he turned toward him and waved his right hand.


    Along with his action, a blinding brilliance erupted.

 Chapter 1089 - Confrontation

    To the beings in the underworld, there were three questions that had no value in discussions.


    When will a bloodbath erupt?


    Anytime.


    Where will a bloodbath start?


    Anywhere.


    Who will join a bloodbath?


    Everyone.


    After one realized the meaning of these three answers, one would understand that be it a confrontation in a small, dark alley or random riverside, it would eventually turn into a war involving millions of creatures. Everywhere in this place was always a part of a bloodbath and due to this reason, when Rhode raised his weapon, there was no point in using exaggerated language to warn him that this would trigger a war.


    Because war had already begun.


    Rhode stretched his arms out and the blades in his hands emanated a blinding radiance. They erupted, forming a long and narrow shape ��X�� that struck at the devil fleet. Right behind this cross-shaped blade rays, the tide rolled over quickly as though it were sucked in by a powerful force. In the blink of an eye, the tide rose into a huge wave of several meters tall like an enormous monster widening its mouth and was about to devour the devil fleet ahead. The violent waves overthrew the ships and the devils onboard were thrown into the water. But no one cared about their predicament. Since the devils had swallowed a whole stomach of river water, there was actually not much difference from them writing their names on the book of death.


    Boom!


    The bright, dazzling radiance erupted, causing the waves in the River Styx to rage. The river flow suddenly turned the opposite direction due to the massive impact, shaking the ferry that Rhode��s group boarded. Shortly after, the radiance dissipated and perhaps due to this, the devils gained sight of their enemies. They soared to midair, pressing forward together like a thick, dark cloud. At the same time, thousands of fireballs appeared densely in midair, blasting toward Rhode��s group. But despite that, the fireballs were completely ineffective because Canary had raised her arms and cast a scarlet, plastic film-like barrier that enfolded the entire ferry. The instant the menacing fireballs struck the red barrier, they became as though raindrops falling into a pool of water, vanishing to nowhere. Apart from the ripples they caused, they served no other purposes. On the other hand, the fireballs that missed the barrier and plunged into the river caused a series of explosions and an eruption of mists. The strong waves in the river swayed the drifting ferry uncontrollably. But perhaps due to the high-level spell from Canary, the ferry continued to stay afloat stubbornly and didn��t capsize at all.


    ��Damn it, damn it!�� At the same time, the calm ferryman finally lost his cool and became exasperated. He clutched the long pole and his maroon eyes glinted in anger. He widened his mouth and revealed a terrifying and malevolent expression. If an ordinary person were to see his face, perhaps he or she would have fainted. ��You guys sure are troublemakers! And you even dragged me into it! I��m warning you now. If my ferry and I are to get hurt even a little, I will abandon all of you! Even if you eliminate the thousands of devils, you shall stay lost in this endless River Styx!��


    ��If it weren��t for someone who tried to show his dignity by controlling everything and purposely bringing us near a ��transportation channel��, would we even need to face these annoying devils?��


    Stefania was not as prepared for battle as everyone else. She chuckled, resting her cheeks on her hands and sitting in the middle of the ferry. Her bright eyes glinted wittily as she gazed at the ferryman.


    ��Now you know that we��re entirely different from the country bumpkins that are everywhere in this underworld, right, Mr. Ferryman? What a pity for your wishful thinking. But you still have a chance to correct your mistake.��


    ��I don��t know what you��re talking about, Miss Merchant.��


    The ferryman turned over, unsure if he was feigning ignorance.


    ��I guarantee this is only a coincidence. They are not demons; they are damn devils who never ensure strict obedience. Who knows if they will suddenly go berserk and try to show us their ��prestige��? I��m not afraid to tell you that even if all the young ladies on this ferry, including yourself, are sold, it won��t be enough to compensate for the loss of my ferry. Even if I disregard all of you, I still have to look after my ferry, isn��t it?��


    Even though the ferryman said that, he continued to row the ferry away with the long pole, carefully drawing a distance away from the devils. Since there was still hope, he wouldn��t give up his customers so easily. Yugoloths were neither demons nor devils. They would neither follow their hearts�� desires nor be forced to obey some established rules. Instead, they were like humans, roaming flexibly among Order and Chaos. As long as it was profitable, there was nothing they wouldn��t do.


    ��Oh-oh-oh, how reminiscent.��


    Mini Bubble Gum stood by the bow of the ferry and gazed at the devils advancing rapidly toward them in the distance. Not only did the number of dense, thick dark clouds not scare the young lady, but she also revealed an exhilarating expression. She raised her right arm and along with her movement, a gigantic, white light column erupted and blasted forward.


    ��������!��


    The recoil from this powerful attack caused the swaying ferry to shake and slide backward. The ferryman quickly held down the pole to stop it from capsizing, at the same time looking at the young lady in exasperation. It was apparent that Mini Bubble Gum had totally disregarded the threatening words of the ferryman.


    The blinding radiance merged into the dense, dark cloud. Then, a thunderous power exploded, sending rays of dazzling light out of the dark mass of devils. Before the devils that were enveloped in the radiance reacted, they lit up on fire instantly like moths flying into the flame, burning into ashes completely.


    There were tens of thousands of devils, but they weren��t worthy of a mention in the eyes of Rhode��s group. No matter how many ants there were and even if they had an advantage in numbers, they couldn��t make up for the difference in strength, not to mention that they were facing one of the five Creator Dragons. And the true Creator Dragon, that was.


    Just two attacks were enough to eliminate one-fifth of the devils. But even so, the devils didn��t seem to be retreating. Perhaps they completely disregarded what Rhode��s group had done and only cared that not only did these uninvited visitors block their path, but they also launched attacks at them.


    At this moment, it was Cassidy��s turn.


    The timid and cautious Deity Warden stood up. She knitted her brows and gazed at the snarling devils in dissatisfaction. The devils flapped their wings and descended from above, stretching out their claws and revealing their razor-sharp teeth. The number of devils was enough to bury them alive. But Cassidy wasn��t afraid at all. She extended one finger and drew a horizontal line in midair.


    The devils�� attack came to an abrupt end. Then, they started ��crashing�� at the high altitude.


    That��s right, ��crashing��. Along in Cassidy��s movements, this moment was as though the direction of gravity had switched around. Not only did the devils not get any closer to their targets after forcefully flapping their wings, but they also crashed to the ground (or perhaps sky) like airplanes that went out of control. In the blink of an eye, the brazen devils approaching the ferry instantly turned into little stars that vanished in the endless horizon like what Rhode often read in comics. As for whether they could survive, it wasn��t within Cassidy��s consideration.


    ����!��


    Witnessing this scene, Rhode couldn��t help but blow a whistle and feel really glad that he only fought against Cassidy��s soul fragment back then. If he fought this form of hers back then, this ��reversal of gravity�� would surely give him a hard time.


    In an instant, a huge chunk of devils were eliminated. 30,000 to 50,000 devils were crushed to powder by the combined attacks from Rhode, Mini Bubble Gum, and Cassidy. If they were in the main plane, they would have already reached the end of a war. But in a bloodbath like this, it was only the beginning. A number like 10,000 to 20,000 was merely cannon fodder to both sides at the start of the war. The casualty count for both sides in a bloodbath would begin from at least the hundreds of millions. The battles in the main plane were incomparable to those here. The sacrifice they put in was nothing more than nourishment to this piece of land.


    ��This is meaningless!��


    The ferryman growled and as though proving his words, a string of flashes appeared from the edge of the devil fleet in the distance. That was the devils�� summoning and teleportation spells to call forth bored and idle devils to join this bloodbath on the River Styx. In the blink of an eye, the emptied space was refilled and the number of devils increased yet again.


    ��We can��t clash with the devils here. No matter how powerful you are, you can never eliminate the endless source of devils. I��m warning you. There is a time limit for the teleportation in the River Styx. If we��re unable to reach our destination before the time limit, I will need to take the longer route to complete our deal! Even though the teleportation vortex is just ahead, I can only bring you to Gray Ruins if we can��t eliminate the devils quickly. I will say this beforehand! This isn��t a scheme of mine!��


    After hearing the ferryman��s words, Rhode��s expression remained unchanged. He wielded the daggers, squinted at the devils in the distance, and then the corners of his lips perked up slightly. Then, he ordered.


    ��Alright then, in that case, we don��t have much time to waste. Please advance.��


    ��Are you crazy?��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, the ferryman widened his eyes in bafflement.


    ��There are a few millions of devils ahead and you want me to sacrifice my precious ferry?!��


    ��Indeed, it may be tough if we do it ourselves. But don��t worry, we��re not fighting alone.��


    Rhode said, turning around and gazing at Celestina who had closed her eyes silently.


    ��How��s it, Celestina?��


    Celestina opened her eyes to his question. Her scarlet eyes glinted in a flash.


    ��Don��t worry, Master. They��re already here.��


    Boom������!


    As though responding to Celestina, the peaceful River Styx behind them suddenly surged and in a massive, loud boom, a tall, majestic ship appeared before their eyes.

 Chapter 1090 - Break a Siege

    As the massive ship emerged from the water, the other participants of the bloodbath finally took the stage.


    ��Slaughter those damn devils!��


    The abyssal demons snarled and flourished their weapons. As the dazzling brilliance shone, hundreds of thousands of warships showed up in midair. The rushing river tumbled forward as the warships picked up speed and launched their attacks on the devils. A string of fireballs streaked across the air, blasting at the devil fleet in the distance. Shortly after, the flames blazed in the explosions, scattering scorching heat to the surroundings. The blinding flashes and deep explosions signified the start of a war and a whole new phase.


    Rhode��s ferry was caught among the demon fleet. The ferry was so tiny in comparison that it had no advantage over the tall and mighty ships. But despite that, almost all the demon ships kept a safe distance from the ferry as no demons were foolish enough to stay in the way of the people who could effortlessly eradicate so many devils at once because that would be no different from seeking death. With the arrival of the demons, the firepower assumed by Rhode��s group was dispersed quickly. Shortly after, the ferryman rowed the tiny ferry in the flow of the river.


    ��This is only the start! Start your engines and fire your cannons! Music on! Go all out! Kill anyone who stops me!��


    Mini Bubble Gum raised her fist and along with her movement, a massive, circular magical ritual appeared with her in the middle. At the next moment, countless, white, glaring rays of light shone forward like a string of cannon shots blasting at the devils�� messy formation. But that wasn��t the end because at the same time, the rest also got into action.


    Lesa raised the staff high up in midair. This young lady donned a white gown and triangular hat and waved her staff casually. Along with her movement, a dazzling, blue light in the air turned into a circle that expanded abruptly, slashing through the devils�� solid shell like a razor-sharp blade. In the blink of an eye, everything in the path of the light circle was sliced in half. It didn��t matter if the devils used weapons or spells to strengthen their defense or how indestructible their shell was as they were split entirely in the illusory circle. It was no exception for the steel ships that the devils built. At a glance, wreckages of sliced-up ships could be seen sinking into the river. The devils who were just summoned and hadn��t even figured out the bearing of the enemies were flustered after being struck by another wave of attacks. Meanwhile, the ferry continued to advance forward.


    Celestina and Celia didn��t attack. They quietly stood on both sides of the ferry to stop any ambushes. Cheryl and Stefania remain seated. The former��s eyes were healed by Mini Bubble Gum earlier on and now, Cheryl was widening her eyes and witnessing this unimaginable scene.


    Cheryl had been involved in a bloodbath and due to this reason, she knew how difficult it was to deal with devils. There were a few times she thought she wouldn��t make it back alive. If it weren��t for the ridiculous and disorderly nature of the devils that gave her a certain chance, perhaps she wouldn��t have escaped and be here now. In a bloodbath, deserter and dead often had the same meaning. Before receiving an order to retreat, one who fell back would most likely be pounced on by the devils. One would then use one��s life to experience the punishment for going against the rules.


    That was like a nightmare to Cheryl to be surrounded by demons, launching attacks involuntarily, and even chanting spells became oddly tough. Besides, devils were immune to flames and this led to the ineffectiveness of a mage��s most powerful spell. Moreover, she had to always be on the lookout and not sink into the ��human�� wave attack. After all, in a bloodbath, there was no lack of enemies.


    In fact, Cheryl turned ashen as soon as she witnessed the devils. She couldn��t imagine how she actually survived the encirclement of these devils before. But she didn��t expect these terrifying devils to be as weak as fragile goblins who scourged villages in these people��s eyes! In only a few moments, the devils were completely eliminated without having a chance to retaliate. In fact, up until this point, none of the devils had even managed to hurt them. Even though the scarlet barrier cast by Canary wasn��t as perfect as the defensive shield mastered by a cleric like Mini Bubble Gum, the devils�� attacks completely failed to shatter this plastic film-like barrier. Judging from this point, it could be seen just how powerful Canary was as a young mage.


    Andre was thinking of becoming enemies with these people?


    Cheryl lowered her head and gazed in uncertainty at the deck. She bit her lip as her heart pounded constantly. Previously, she thought that this wasn��t a good idea and now, she was certain of it. They weren��t capable of going against these people who had effortlessly destroyed and thrashed the devils�� front line. If Andre were here to witness this scene, perhaps he would give up his thought��


    ��What��s going through your mind, adorable little elf lady?��


    At this moment, a crisp, playful voice sounded in Cheryl��s ears. She looked up and saw Stefania��s beautiful, smiley face. Cheryl didn��t know who she was and only vaguely knew that she was a merchant who helped Rhode out. But Cheryl also wasn��t sure why this merchant was willing to head into the Rift Plain with them. And now, her relaxed expression was as though she neglected the fact that they were surrounded by hundreds of thousands of devils. It was also as though they weren��t facing terrifying enemies, but were simply chilling in the wild. But for some unknown reason, as soon as Cheryl looked into Stefania��s eyes, she curled up instinctively as though a scorching flame was burning her body.


    Upon seeing her reaction, Stefania smiled, extending a finger and shaking it.


    ��Don��t worry, His Majesty Rhode is really powerful. In his eyes, those devils are no threat at all. We can just enjoy the show from here. Sigh, these devils are so lucky to have His Majesty Rhode attacking them himself.��


    Stefania said, lifting her head.


    Under the ferryman��s control, the ferry arrived before the devils�� front. At a glance, the shipwrecks were sinking gradually and devil corpses filled the water surface. Almost at the same time, the demons following closely behind Rhode collided heavily into the sluice-like wreckages in the River Styx.


    Boom!


    In the powerful clash, both sides started a new battle. Demons and devils fought at close quarters, ripping and tearing through one another fanatically. Billows of dark green smoke with a deadly stench dispersed, enfolding everything within them. Dazzling flares erupted constantly, engulfing everything along with strong gales. In an instant, the River Styx turned into a bloody battlefield.


    Blade rays flashed.


    Rhode streaked across the air with his twin daggers. The ground trembled and the middle of the River Styx started cracking in with his movements. Like in myths and legends where one led one��s family and divided the ocean to escape capture from the king, a deep, long separation was formed in the River Styx from the middle. The roaring river water pushed away the shipwrecks that were blocking their path. Blade rays whizzed and shone, turning into strong gales that shredded everything in their path into powder. Before the devils that pounced forward were able to show their strength, they were instantly shattered into bits as though they were simply made of clay and didn��t have bodies of flesh. As Rhode��s blade rays ran across them, they turned into powder and were devoured entirely by the white, shimmering blade lights. None of their remains were left behind.


    This instantaneous and powerful force left the River Styx trembling constantly as though it were trying to avoid the massive strength. Using this chance, the ferryman rowed the ferry ahead and overcame the sinking wreckage easily like a feather drifting on the water.


    ��I��m trying my best!��


    The startled ferryman turned to Rhode quickly. The latter stood quietly at the side of the ferry, pointing down the twin daggers leisurely as though nothing were happening. However, the ferryman knew that the radiance emanating from the daggers had eliminated beings equivalent to three Flame Monarchs! Yes, Flame Monarchs, who were no pushovers in the abyss! And yet, they were defeated so quickly!


    Maybe I have really gotten myself some bothersome customers.


    At this thought, the ferryman felt a shiver down his spine. He clutched the long pole and rowed forward with force.


    The ferry passed through the front line and a huge amount of devils appeared before them once again.


    ��Everyone, there is only one chance. We have wasted too much time! If we can��t arrive at the next teleportation point within five minutes, we will have no choice but to go the long way!��


    The ferryman took a breath of cold air and yelled. After witnessing the powerful and ridiculous strength of these people, he no longer dared to retaliate against them. Instead, he had no choice but to prepare himself, so as to avoid being killed by these temperamental people. A ferryman who was killed by his own customers would surely be the funniest joke in his trade.


    Upon hearing his words, Rhode didn��t have any reaction. He lifted his head and gazed ahead. Right there, the densely packed devils had completely blotted out the sky.


    ��In that case, what are we waiting for?�� he said. ��Attack!��

 Chapter 1091

    The refreshing wind of the night blew against Erin, causing her to narrow her eyes and hum as she flew ahead.


    Erin was in high spirits right now. Even though there were some difficulties and challenges in the earlier negotiations, both sides had completed the matters concerning compensation and transaction, which also meant that the war that was likely to happen was stopped. This let Erin heave a sigh of relief. But what made her happier was that through this experience, her big brother seemed to have learned to slow things down and be less stubborn. Although she didn��t know what triggered this behavior in him, it was still good news for her.


    However, she was also curious as to what Rhode had done to make her big brother give in, which was really rare to see. After Erin returned to the Void Territory, she would surely ask Rhode about it. Perhaps she might even find some of her big brother��s weaknesses. Maybe this moon princess had completely forgotten the standpoint that she should have.


    But even though she was immersed in thoughts, she didn��t neglect the rumors and flashes of light that came from the darkness.


    Swish!


    The moon princess flapped her wings gently and dodged the ambush of a dazzling light ray from the side. She turned around elegantly in a perfect motion and her massive dragon body silently flitted across the night sky in a trail of afterimages. Then, she lashed out her large tail at the empty sky and in a loud, earth-shattering boom, three to five ghost-like, shadowy figures emerged and dodged her attack desperately. But this wasn��t the end because shortly after, a blistering dragon breath from above readily devoured the shadows. Erin stretched her neck in satisfaction before letting out a proud snort.


    As the moon princess, her battle sense was extraordinarily sharp. Back then, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, two of the top players, were almost defeated by her. Based on this fact, if one were to treat this moon princess as a powerful, yet inexperienced girl in battle from a wealthy family, there would only be one consequence.


    But��


    ��Hmm?��


    Erin cocked her head curiously, narrowing her eyes while staring ahead. She realized that the shadowy figures had shuttled out of her dragon breath. It seemed like they weren��t hurt at all and this made her rather curious. She had never seen anyone surviving her dragon breath unscathed. It seemed like these people were somewhat powerful and mysterious.


    ��Who are you? Why are you here for me?��


    At this moment, Erin finally got a clear look at her ambushers. They appeared to be humans, but their bodies were wrapped in a layer of weird substance that resembled blazing, shadowy flames. The shadowy flames seemed to be really weak and it was obvious that her dragon breath wasn��t totally ineffective on them. However, they didn��t respond to her questions. Instead, they each held a strange weapon made of black steel that was two meters in length. They also didn��t seem obliged to answer her questions. Shortly after, they pointed the mysterious, steel weapon at her. Erin instinctively felt like something bad was about to happen. Even though she didn��t know what those weapons were, since those unwelcome visitors came here to deal with her and had specially prepared equipment and spells that could resist her dragon breath, they must have really understood her well in this case!


    No matter what, I can��t give them time to prepare their attacks!


    This thought flashed across her mind for a split second and the dark space around her rippled and erupted. In an instant, the entire space shook and she expanded her wings comfortably, soaring into the sky and hiding in some hidden space as though she had vanished completely. Looking at this scene, the strange humans grimaced and lifted their weapons quickly. Then, several lightning-like, green brilliances erupted from their weapons, enveloping the sky instantly. As the green lightning bolts struck, the sky that should have been in eternal darkness suddenly flashed in contrasting white radiance, revealing Erin��s hideout.


    But this time, Erin was no longer as relaxed as before. Instead, she hovered in midair calmly. Her golden eyes stared in attention and rage.


    ��Chaos Beings? I didn��t expect you guys to be here.��


    In the next moment, the roaring dragon breath ripped through and overwhelmed the lightning bolts.


    After confirming their identities, Erin held back no more. In an instant, dazzling, white dragon breath enfolded the sky. The mystical lightning bolts shattered like fragile spiderwebs in the face of the raging dragon breath of flames and were completely devoured. This time, the ambushers finally revealed terrified expressions. They chose to retreat in a fluster, but Erin was much quicker than them. She dove from above and the ambushers were appalled to find her massive body arriving before them. She slashed her razor-sharp claws that broke the sound barrier and relentlessly penetrated one of the ambushers. As the other ambushers escaped, she turned around abruptly, swung her enormous tail across the air, and struck two of the ambushers heavily.


    ��Arghhhh!��


    Not anyone could defend against this all-out attack from a Night Wyvern. In the loud, blood-curdling screeches, two of the ambushers shattered like eggs flung to the wall. But after taking a closer look, one would see that they actually didn��t have blood or flesh. Instead, they released a kind of strange, gasoline-like liquid in all directions, before volatilizing and disappearing completely after a few seconds. But Erin wasn��t bothered at all. She followed through with the momentum and turned around to pounce on the remaining three ambushers who slipped through the net. Then, she breathed yet another dragon breath from her mouth and it enfolded two out of three of them. This time, these two unfortunate fellows weren��t as lucky as before. As flashes erupted in the flames of the dragon breath, they vanished completely in midair and disappeared without a trace.


    And at this moment, Erin turned to the last ambusher and pounced on him abruptly.


    Upon realizing her fast attack, the ambusher revealed a terrified expression. He clutched the long, pole-like weapon and shortly after, a mysterious radiance emanated from it. It quickly took shape into a net-like presence intertwined with green lines. The net expanded quickly in the blink of an eye, transforming into a large gate-like structure. Upon witnessing this mystical gate, Erin was baffled. She flapped her wings to stop her movements abruptly. But she didn��t expect the enormous gate to pull her in with a powerful force of attraction!


    This is bad!


    Upon realizing this, Erin opened her mouth wide and released another powerful dragon breath that turned into a flamethrower, blasting at the gate. But what surprised her was that her dragon breath wasn��t able to penetrate and destroy the gate. Instead, it vanished entirely in its darkness.


    This isn��t the power of Chaos. This is��


    The gate trembled and violent airflows erupted, pulling in everything from the surroundings. Erin had run out of ideas and could only watch helplessly as the gate opened like a monster widening its mouth. At the next moment, she was devoured completely and nowhere to be seen.


    The roaring airflows vanished instantly.


    The fierce battle in the sky from a few moments ago vanished, with peace restoring its place. No one realized what just happened or saw the gloomy, desperate figure escaping from this place and vanishing into the dark night sky.


    Boom!


    Erin crashed heavily to the ground and rolled several times before coming to a halt. The spatial torrents left her head spinning. Even though she didn��t know what happened exactly, she knew that she had fallen into their trap, which wasn��t good news for her at all.


    Oh my�� I didn��t expect to be messed up so badly by Chaos Beings�� Hmmm?


    Erin lifted her head and gazed curiously at the scene before her. She was taken aback.


    At a glance, she witnessed the endless starry sky. She wasn��t totally unfamiliar with this scene because this was a common view in Rhode��s Void Territory. But now, she was certain that she definitely wasn��t in the Void Territory. The spread of land before her was pale in color, filled with potholes of various sizes. There was almost no oxygen in the air, but to a dependent of the Dark Dragon, the need to breathe was no longer an issue to her. What caught her attention were the strange houses on this vast, mysterious land. They were semicircular and oval in shape, standing upright from the ground. Not only that, but Erin also discovered similar, wrecked houses underneath her feet with only broken walls remaining, emanating a bright, magical brilliance. To Erin, this was a spectacular view. The steel buildings were marked on one side by a peculiar flag with red and white stripes and a dozen stars. Erin had never seen such a flag in her life.


    Where am I?


    Erin cocked her head and at this moment, she heard an ear-piercing alarm. Shortly after, she witnessed several strange-looking creatures resembling steel birds flying out from the steel buildings in the near distance.


    What are they?


    Erin squinted at them. There were humans riding on the steel birds. It seemed to her that the steel birds were some sort of mage equipment.


    ������


    The enemies arrived beside her, surrounding her completely. However, they communicated in a language she couldn��t recognize at all. The bizarre steel birds got into formation as though they had received an order and all of a sudden, a weird, cone-like object emerged from below them. Erin instinctively folded her wings to defend herself.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    After a series of explosions, Erin expanded her wings and soared into the sky abruptly. Even though these mysterious fireballs were more powerful than fireballs cast from spells, they couldn��t hurt a dependent of the Dark Dragon like her at all. But it was also due to this reason that she recognized their identity.


    ��It seems like this is the nest of the Chaos Beings. Alright then, in that case, I shall destroy this place!��

 Chapter 1092 - Fated Encounter

    The silver-whitish band of light encircled the train calmly, not making a single noise. The pure white train drove on the tracks slowly. The young lady turned to gaze at the scenery outside the window, extending her fingers to constantly twirl her chestnut hair tips. But at this moment, a petite figure pounced on her from the side.


    ��Big Sister!��


    ��Woah!��


    The startled young lady quickly turned to the girl beside her, who wore a black fitting uniform and had two long, black pigtails tied into a bun. The girl grinned at the young lady, spreading her arms apart to make a frightening and intimidating gesture.


    ��Did I manage to scare you?��


    ��Yes�� Bubble, you��re too mischievous.��


    ��Sigh����


    Bubble pouted in dissatisfaction upon hearing the young lady��s remarks, before flopping down on the seat beside her and placing both legs on the seats before her. If they were in other places, perhaps this behavior of hers would draw criticisms. But perhaps due to the off-peak season of tourism, they were the only ones in the entire train. Moreover, the train was on autopilot, so there was no one to criticize her for her rude actions.


    ��But I��m really bored, Big Sister. Since our guild was lucky enough to draw a pair of complimentary tickets for this ��Moon Tour��, it would be a waste if we didn;t have any fun. After all, it isn��t easy at all for one to make a trip to and from the moon. Or could it be���� Mini Bubble Gum lowered her voice, widened her eyes, and gazed at the young lady with long, fluttering eyelashes. ��You��re still thinking about Leader?��


    ��Well, I do sometimes����


    The young lady said, before letting out a sigh.


    ��After all, he left so quickly and didn��t even call me once, so I don��t know what he��s up to now�� Honestly, I��m not sure if I should continue to stay in the guild.�� The young lady paused, turning to the girl beside her. ��How about you, Bubble? What are your plans?��


    ��Me?��


    The girl named Bubble curled her lips and pouted to the young lady��s question.


    ��I��m Leader��s dedicated cleric, so if he calls quits, there is no point in me staying. Anyway, right now the guild is�� sigh, I��m not saying that Old Ryu is doing badly, but I really hate the guild now. Do you understand what I mean, Big Sister? I feel like the more the guild expands, the more boring it gets. We used to be able to do whatever we wanted and as long as Leader gave the word, we would follow his command and attack wherever we went. But now? Old Ryu keeps worrying about this and that. He also said that he wants to mend relationships with the other guilds! Tsk. Back then those worthless trash sneaked away like rats covering their heads when we wrecked them and now, we have to be friendly with them? I just can��t accept this. Hmph! No matter what, those noobs should be the ones eager to beg us for mercy, isn��t it? As for the newbies�� they are an arrogant bunch. Back then when I had already started killing bosses, they were still sucking milk! Hmph! Who do they think they are����


    Upon hearing her grumbles, the young lady forced a helpless smile. As a reward to their guild for defeating the final boss of the game and starting a new era, the guild received two complimentary tickets for a trip to the moon. This was the reason why they were here. But in fact, the situation wasn��t as simple as it seemed. The young lady was aware that with the arrival of the new era, the guild was slowly being ��renewed��. Even though someone like Bubble was one of the founders of the guild, she wasn��t able to get along with many people due to her personality. In the past, there was always that one man who accepted her for who she was, but he was nowhere to be found now and she wasn��t that passionate about the guild. Even though there were supporters who wanted her to take over as the new guild leader, to her, the game was no longer fun without that man around. Moreover, there was completely no news from that man ever since that day and this left her somewhat concerned. As a result, she was no longer as interested in the game as before. Due to this reason, both of them decided to put down their duties and participate in this ��Moon Tour�� during the reformation and renewal of the guild. They knew that perhaps after they returned, their duties would be replaced by newcomers. But now, it didn��t matter to them anymore.


    Boom!


    At this moment, they heard a deep and loud impact. The train that was moving steadily shook slightly, before coming to a halt entirely. Shortly after, the radiance dimmed abruptly and the inside of the train turned pitch-black.


    ��What happened?��


    Facing this sudden change in situation, the two girls exchanged astonished looks with each other. Bubble lunged up, ��floated�� to the side and pressed the buttons. But there was no response apart from the emergency light flickering in the carriage.


    ��The autopilot failed? Wait, there��s no signal at all!��


    ��What should we do?��


    The young lady knitted her brows slightly, while Bubble spread her arms apart helplessly.


    ��It��s fine, they should realize the issue soon. We��re in the Americas Region, I suppose�� Hmph, it must be some annoying system malfunction. That��s why I said people can��t just believe in foreign goods blindly! Damn it. They counted on those idiot cowboys who moved their manufacturing factories to our country and what can they even create by themselves?! Whenever there are problems, they push all responsibilities to others! Boeing has closed down, so what are those people still acting so arrogantly for? I will definitely lodge complaints after I return! I will sue them until they go bankrupt!��


    Rumbles��!


    The ground shook once again, leaving the two girls taken aback. They approached the window and scanned around them. At the same time, in the dark starry sky, several radians flashed and a string of exploding flares erupted in the distance.


    ���� What��s going on? They filming Star Wars or something?��


    At the next moment, Bubble received her answer.


    A bright, dazzling light torrent erupted from below and shortly after, an enormous, dark shadowy figure lifted its head, lasting a glaring light beam that enfolded three to four fighter aircrafts. Then, sparkles from the explosions flashed and at the same time, the shadowy figure expanded its wings and swooped down from above in a swift motion. Its huge, strong tail swung nimbly, striking down the two fighter aircrafts behind it.


    Looking at this scene, the two young ladies widened their eyes in astonishment.


    Dragon?


    A monster that would only appear in games, animations, and fantasy movies was currently soaring in the starry sky, diving down, and breathing dragon breaths to destroy the buildings on the surface completely. Then, it rolled, dodging the several missiles fired at it. The two young ladies witnessed a series of blue light as deep explosions erupted once more in the distance.


    ��W-What��s that!�� Bubble gasped. Even though her voice was shaking from anxiousness and terror, she had almost lay entirely on the window ledge and was staring at the unbelievable scene with wide open eyes. ��A dragon? Is that a dragon? Big Sister, I��m not dreaming, right?! Is it because I fell asleep from boredom that I��m able to make such a dream?��


    ��I don��t think this is a dream����


    The young lady appeared much calmer, but the trembling hands betrayed her.


    ��But it isn��t the time for this now. We should think of a way to get out of here.��


    ��How can we leave? We don��t have extra spacesuits and this is only a train for tours. Besides, it has lost control and we can��t even send out an SOS. Also, we��re so high up now, don��t tell me we have to jump�� Woah!��


    Almost simultaneously, a blazing burst of dragon breath brushed the train, taking down the fighter aircrafts above and causing the train to creak in its powerful impact. The tightly-fitted metal plates of the train began to tremble. The emergency siren blared from time to time, reminding the passengers that it was no longer safe.


    ��Woah, this is awful�� hmm?��


    As Bubble felt a headache, she saw the enormous ��dragon�� suddenly lifting its head and glaring at them. For some unknown reason, she felt as though the pair of eyes flickering in golden radiance was looking at her. She stared blankly, but quickly realized that something was amiss��


    ��Big Sister, don��t you think we��ve seen this ��dragon�� before somewhere?��


    ��Hmm?��


    The young lady lifted her head and turned to the ��dragon�� curiously. But shortly after, her expression changed slightly because at this moment, a missile had streaked across the sky and was heading toward it vertically. Looking at this scene, the young lady grimaced. She pulled back the girl whose head was outside the window and held her to the ground.


    ��Lay down!��


    The missile landed on the enormous dragon.


    ������!


    In an instant, the brilliance that was enough to burn or even blind their eyes exploded. The strong airwaves resulting from the powerful impact engulfed the fluttering dust on the moon��s surface, causing them to disperse and scatter in all directions. Not only that, but the train on the tracks also shook non-stop. Even though they were on the moon and some weapons of mass destruction were weakened due to this fact, judging it in terms of a trump card, it actually wasn��t weakened that much.


    After a few moments, the intense blow ended entirely. In the sound of crackles, the crumbling train couldn��t hold on any longer. It rolled and fell over the tracks.


    ��Ahhh!��


    All of a sudden, an enormous, black claw extended and caught the falling train effortlessly. The two young ladies widened their eyes in confusion. They looked out the window and took in a deep breath of cold air immediately. It was the pitch-black, gigantic dragon before them, looking at them with its golden eyes. For some unknown reason, they felt something strange with its gaze��


    At the same time, a crisp, melodious voice rang in their heads.


    ��I didn��t expect to see you two here, Miss Canary and Miss Bubble.��

 Chapter 1093 - Fated Decision

    ��What a surprise to actually meet the moon princess in reality����


    Mini Bubble Gum said in a lowered voice to Canary who sat beside her. They gazed at Erin who sat on the sofa with a gentle smile and sized them up curiously. Canary nodded with an odd expression before letting out a sigh. Erin had rescued both of them who were in the train that was falling off the tracks. Thereafter, she brought them, along with the train, to the border of the Americas Region, before transforming back to her human form in front of their very eyes. This baffled Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. They were veteran players. Back then, even though it wasn��t Starlight that had killed the moon princess, they knew what Erin looked like. Even Mini Bubble Gum, whose thoughts other people couldn��t keep up with, didn��t treat this young lady as a player who ��cosplayed�� as the moon princess. After all, the enormous dragon form definitely wasn��t an illusion!


    But what surprised both of them was that this moon princess seemed to be really familiar with them. Not only did she call out their names, but she also requested help from them to bring her to a safe place to lay low temporarily. Although they didn��t know what was going on exactly and why the murdered moon princess in the game would suddenly show up here, they eventually accepted her request. No matter what, it was impossible to refuse this powerful being. Moreover, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary didn��t receive answers to the doubts in their heads yet because they just couldn��t figure out where this moon princess came from. Even if this were in the game, they didn��t have many interactions with the moon princess in the past. But now, the moon princess seemed friendly and kind toward them, which left them scratching their heads.


    Fortunately, the clash earlier happened in the core of the region and the outside wasn��t impacted. That was why Mini Bubble Gum and Canary managed to find a hotel to settle down temporarily. At this moment, they finally had the mood to discuss matters with the moon princess.


    ��Yeah����


    Canary nodded upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s lament. But in terms of appearance, Canary seemed much calmer than Mini Bubble Gum. Shortly after, she turned around to grab a few cans of beverages from the fridge, before bringing them to Erin, who was seated on the living room sofa and sizing up the monitor curiously.


    ��Your Highness Erin, please have a drink.��


    ��Oh. Thanks, Canary.��


    The voice transmitting into her head was as clear as crystal and Canary was used to it by now. Even though she was somewhat baffled from the start, Erin and them quickly realized that if Erin spoke using her mouth, they couldn��t understand her at all as though she was speaking the language of a heavenly book. Therefore, speaking through spiritual communication would make things faster and more convenient.


    Taking the can of cola from Canary, Erin shook it slightly, before placing it by her ear curiously. This object seemed like some sort of a vessel to store water, but how exactly should she open it? At this thought, Erin puckered her brows and scanned every part of it. She reached out for the ring-pull with her fingers and in the sound of a ��click��, the sealed can opened and for some unknown reason, the excited Mini Bubble Gum who was observing Erin��s actions curled her lips boringly after witnessing her reaction.


    ��Really�� no fun at all����


    ��What a peculiar drink.��


    Taking a sip of the cola, Erin cocked her head and savored the unique taste of the carbonated beverage. She narrowed her eyes comfortably.


    ��Hmm�� this is interesting. I like it a lot.��


    ��I��m glad you do, Your Highness Erin.��


    Even though Canary and Mini Bubble Gum didn��t know how to face this princess who came out of nowhere, they decided to treat her like a character of the game. Besides, based on the current situation, this princess didn��t seem to be any different from her character in the game. Be it personality or whatnot, she was exactly the same as the popular moon princess.


    ��By the way�� where exactly is this place?��


    After Erin finished tasting this peculiar beverage, she casually asked the question that was hidden deep inside her mind.


    ��I thought this is the Chaos Beings�� nest, but it just doesn��t seem like it. It is also apparent that strict rules and regulations exist here. However, I can still sense the presence of Chaos����


    ��Erm����


    Canary and Mini Bubble Gum exchanged complicated looks with each other. Of course, they understood what Erin meant, but�� Chaos Beings? Didn��t they only show up after the collapse of the Country of Darkness?


    ��About that�� How did you get here, Your Highness Erin?��


    ��I was on my way to the Void Territory and was ambushed by Chaos Beings. I thought I had defeated them, but never did I expect the last remaining Chaos Being to cast a mysterious spatial spell that sucked me in. When I returned to my senses, I found myself here.��


    Erin said, spread her arms apart helplessly.


    ��Besides, I was attacked again after arriving here, so I thought this must definitely be the Chaos Beings�� nest. Also, I detected the presences of several Chaos Beings here, which was why I decided to eliminate them all. But in the end, I was faced with unimaginable resistance.��


    ��Resistance, huh�� By the way, are you feeling alright, Your Highness?��


    At this moment, Mini Bubble Gum seemed to recall something. She sized up the young lady curiously and asked. Erin��s human form was as beautiful as she was in the game. Not only that, but the elegant and gorgeous long dress was also spotless and didn��t seem like it was just involved in several battles.


    Facing her doubt, Erin shook her head.


    ��I��m fine, but the final retaliation from them startled me. I didn��t expect them to be so powerful. But it isn��t too difficult for me to resist that sort of attack. For some reason, I found myself in good shape here. There doesn��t seem to be any issues����


    ������


    Mini Bubble Gum��s and Canary��s expressions instantly became amused. Of course, they knew the reason behind it. Erin was known as the moon princess who absorbed power from the moon. Her strength would increase according to the shape of the moon and now, they were currently standing on the moon�� which could be considered her home turf.


    But the fact that nuclear warheads failed to hurt her one bit let both of them have a deeper understanding that this moon princess was no pushover.


    ��So then, what plans do you have, Your Highness?��


    Canary and Mini Bubble Gum exchanged looks and asked. Even though they had learned most of the causes and effects�� it still shouldn��t be something for them to get involved in.


    ��Hmm����


    Upon hearing their question, Erin closed her eyes, pondered for a few moments, and said, ��Those escaped Chaos Beings should still be around here somewhere. I will try to find and destroy them all and see if I can head back. No matter what, I can��t stand idly by and watch them bring disaster to the world. Besides, since those people have joined forces with Chaos and became their lackeys, destroying them is the only way. Of course, if it doesn��t work, I can only wait for rescue here. Perhaps His Majesty Rhode and the rest will come up with some ideas����


    ��I see�� hmm? W-Wait! Rhode?!��


    The two young ladies were surprised. They lifted their heads quickly, gazing at Erin in bafflement. They had a headache earlier from listening to her words and thought of stopping her since they were aware of the laws in this world. Although Chaos and Order couldn��t coexist together in the Dragon Soul Continent, this was a different world, after all�� If they allowed the moon princess to destroy the entire Americas Region, who knew what conflicts would happen on Earth. But it was somewhat too late at this point.


    But shortly after, they heard a name that immediately made them throw this thought to the back of their heads.


    ��Are you talking about Leader?��


    ��Leader? Come to think of it, it does seem like that��s how you have refer to His Majesty Rhode����


    ��W-Wait!��


    The always calm and steady Canary uncharacteristically whipped out her phone, tapped the screen, and an illusory image appeared in midair. The person who they couldn��t be more familiar with appeared before them.


    ��Is this the person you��re referring to?��


    ��Hmm�� yes, that��s His Majesty Rhode alright.��


    Upon hearing Canary��s question, Erin nodded with absolute certainty. But she was apparently more interested in the strange object called a ��phone�� in her hand. Shortly after, she shifted her gaze toward the two young ladies.


    ��By the way, this is indeed sort of weird. Both of you should know who His Majesty Rhode is, but�� hmmm. I��m not too sure what��s going on. In the Dragon Soul Continent, you two are always following him around, aren��t you? That was why I was surprised when I saw both of you here. But now�� it seems so strange. Your appearances and scents are exactly the same and yet, you no longer possess that powerful strength. What��s going on?��


    ��Ahhhh, so Leader went to the Dragon Soul Continent and brought us there with him? Hold on, what is going on? Big Sister!��


    Upon hearing Erin��s answer, Mini Bubble Gum went out of control. She hugged her head and pondered hard, but couldn��t figure out exactly what happened. On the other hand, Canary knitted her brows and thought about it for a while. Then, she asked, ��Your Highness Erin, has Rhode�� always been a person of your world?��


    ��Come to think of it�� it is still a mystery regarding His Majesty Rhode��s background that even our Country of Darkness is only aware that he showed up all of a sudden in the Munn Kingdom a year ago����


    ��I see!��


    Suddenly, Mini Bubble Gum clenched her fists in excitement and jumped to her feet.


    ��Big Sister, Leader has transmigrated! Yes, he must have transmigrated! Huh? But we didn��t transmigrate�� no-no-no, there must be a problem somewhere! Yes�� I��ve decided!��


    Mini Bubble Gum yelled and as though making a firm resolution, she clapped her palms together, lifted her head, and gazed at Erin.


    ��Your Highness Erin, let us stay by your side. I want to see what exactly is going on!��


    ��Huh?��


    Canary was speechless.

 Chapter 1094 - Fated Turnover

    ��Say�� are we really going there?��


    Gazing at the research facilities in the distance, Canary swallowed her saliva. She couldn��t be blamed because right now, she was only an ordinary university freshman and wasn��t that powerful character in the game who could exercise magical powers. Even though Erin was beside them, Canary felt like everything was too ridiculous.


    ��But that��s the core of the Americas Region which prohibits outsiders. If we are discovered, it might lead to issues between countries. Say�� we��d better discuss this issue with someone else�� such as reporting it to the higher-ups or something����


    ��Why did you become so timid all of a sudden, Big Sister?�� On the contrary, Mini Bubble Gum, who wore a pitch-black helmet and tight-fitting spacesuit, curled her lips in disdain. It was apparent that she was disapproving of Canary��s words. ��We already made it here; are you still thinking of heading back now? Besides, how should we explain to the rest after we return? Hmph. Since Big Sister Erin is willing to seek help from us, we can only give it a shot. Also, aren��t you curious about what those scoundrels are up to? According to Big Sister Erin, she only detected the presence of Chaos in the Americas Region. Those scoundrels must be researching some annoying, illegal technologies! For the peace of mankind and the world, we have the incumbent duty to destroy the threats to our world! We can��t always leave it to the group of whites to rescue the world on the screens!��


    ��I don��t think that��s the issue here����


    Canary let out a helpless sigh at Mini Bubble Gum��s bizarre thoughts.


    ��It��s fine. Didn��t Her Highness Erin say that it was destroyed in the ambush earlier? We��re only going to look for some clues. Hurry up, Big Sister, or it will be too late.��


    ���� Okay then.��


    Canary nodded reluctantly. Fortunately for them, they were following Erin��s lead and heading to a base that was destroyed by her to gather information. If it required them to sneak through a heavily-guarded, metal fortress, Canary would never agree to Mini Bubble Gum��s fanatical suggestion. After all, they were only two weak and fragile young ladies!


    But come to think of it, Canary had to admit that she was really curious since they knew who the Chaos Beings were in the game. But that was in the game, after all. It was as though the players were familiar with Zerg units in StarCraft, but it didn��t mean that they would be thrilled to ask for a group photo or autograph if a dune-runner or Sarah Kerrigan were to show up before them one day.


    But now��


    Kacha������


    In a soft mechanical click, the tattered, steel door opened gradually. Erin drifted in leisurely without wearing an oxygen mask, helmet, or spacesuit as though the extreme cold and vacuum that were extremely harmful to humans had no effects on her at all. Not only that, but her black, long hair also fluttered elegantly as she moved and some bright lights could even be seen flickering off her dreamily.


    ������


    After gazing at Erin from the back, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum exchanged looks with each other. They had to admit that this ruined research facility gave them a bad feeling. The pale emergency lights extended down the corridor and due to the unstable voltage, they flickered from time to time. The maroon emergency exit sign looked unusually conspicuous in the darkness. The fragments of man-made gravity devices that were no longer effective were scattered and floating in midair like a scene from a sci-fi horror movie.


    ��I wonder if some aliens would jump out of nowhere����


    ��Bubble! I��m heading back if you keep mentioning such things!��


    Canary couldn��t help but feel a shiver down her spine. She knitted her brows and gazed at the ruins before them. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum burst into laughter, followed Erin closely and jumped into the ruins. Looking at this scene, Canary shook her head helplessly. Perhaps even Mini Bubble Gum didn��t realize that no matter what they chose, they were forced to follow this path. After all, Erin was so powerful and Canary refused to believe that Erin would let them off easily if they defied her. Even though Canary had thought of calling the cops while Erin wasn��t aware, she eventually gave up on that thought. On one hand, the difference in strength between them was too huge and right now, they were like conscious hostages. On the other, Canary had to admit that she was interested in this to a certain degree.


    It wasn��t empty talk that Erin needed their help. Although Erin was able to speak to them using spiritual communications, she couldn��t understand their language at all. It was due to this that Erin needed their help. This moon princess wasn��t joking around.


    The journey was much more peaceful than they had imagined.


    There were no strange creatures that jumped out of the pitch-black rooms nor eerie ghosts that disturbed them. Under Erin��s lead, the trio arrived at the central area of the facility.


    ��This is the place.��


    Erin puckered her brows. She placed her hand on her chin, narrowed her eyes and scanned the heavy, steel door on the ground that seemed to lead them into a long, vertical, and pitch-black tunnel.


    ��I can feel the heavy presence of Chaos down there.��


    ��Hmm�� what��s this�� is it possible that they placed the apostles in there?��


    ��Anyway, it shouldn��t be a nuclear reactor down there.��


    Canary interrupted Mini Bubble Gum��s frantic words and scanned the signs printed with ��Top Secret�� and ��No Access��. After ensuring there wasn��t any sign for radiation warning, she heaved a sigh of relief. In fact, Canary was also worried about the so-called presence of Chaos that Erin was searching for. If that was actually the nuclear reactor�� could it be that Erin decided to destroy all of them? But it seemed like she didn��t need to worry about this possibility, at the very least.


    ��But we can��t open this thing����


    Since it was a top-secret, it was only right for it to be sealed by the heavy, steel door. But it was a pity that be it Canary or Mini Bubble Gum, they were only ordinary young ladies in reality. They were neither members of special forces with professional hacking skills like in the movies nor secret agents with special missions. It was only normal that they had no ways around this heavy, steel door.


    But there was someone extraordinary here.


    ��Leave it to me.��


    Upon hearing Canary��s response, Erin smiled and drifted forward. She gazed at the steel door, widened her mouth, and along with her action, a small ball of bright light like a certain coalesced power emerged.


    The moon princess sucked in a deep breath of air��


    At the next moment, a dazzling radiance flashed and eradicated all darkness. In an instant, the dark, gloomy ruins lit up. Even though there were no sounds, the glaring, white brilliance was enough to prove how powerful it was. The brightness dissipated after a few seconds and the heavy, steel door before them had vanished completely, leaving behind several pieces of fragments to prove its existence.


    ������


    Looking at this scene, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum took in a breath of cold air. Even though they witnessed how powerful the moon princess was in the game, there would be no shock without contrast. Especially after personally witnessing this, they felt the might of an unprecedented and powerful strength.


    ��Alright then, let��s go.��


    Erin had no reaction at all. She smiled, turned to the red emergency light that spun crazily due to the ��abnormal damage��, and strolled into the steel tunnel. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary exchanged looks with each other before following her closely.


    Even though there were also traces of damage in the steel tunnel, the damage was smaller than they expected, perhaps due to Erin holding back. Shortly after, the trio reached the bottom of the steel tunnel and as soon as they touched the ground, even Erin with her calm expression widened her eyes in astonishment.


    ��What is that����


    Mini Bubble Gum opened her eyes wide in surprise.


    What presented before them was an enormous, oval hole laid with all sorts of mechanical devices. However, these weren��t the most important details. What attracted their attention the most was the object imprisoned by three mechanical obelisks in the middle. That object looked like a one-meter-long rectangular black slate, spinning slowly in midair as a mysterious circle of a faint tint wrapped around it entirely.


    ��What is that thing?��


    Canary knitted her brows and asked. She didn��t remember seeing something similar to it in the game. Mini Bubble Gum shook her head and shifted her gaze to Erin. But facing their queries, Erin had no idea at all.


    ��How strange�� I can feel the presence of Chaos and Order from it�� what exactly is that?��


    The trio stood before the black slate. Erin pondered in silence before extending her arm forward��


    ����������!��


    At the same time, an ear-piercing voice erupted from deep inside their souls. Despite Canary and Mini Bubble Gum being clad in sealed spacesuits, they couldn��t help but also hear the strange and unpleasant voice. They knitted their brows and shortly after, they realized the radiance surrounding the slate had brightened abruptly. Then, the shadows enveloping the ground and sky twisted and took shape into a terrifying life-form!


    ��Oh-no, they are Chaos Beasts!��


    Looking at the creatures, Mini Bubble Gum shrieked in panic. At the same time, the Chaos Beasts snapped their jaws open and pounced on them furiously!


    ��Argh!��


    Erin grimaced and extended her arm forward quickly. Along with her movement, a bright, star-like radiance erupted from her surroundings, instantly penetrating hundreds of Chaos Beasts. Then, the magical brilliance encircling her shone brighter, turning into a defensive shield that resisted their ambush.


    But no one noticed that at the same time, a glaring halo erupted from the black slate and expanded to the surroundings.


    Swish����!


    As the radiance approached closer to them, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum discovered the scene before them changed completely!


    The pitch-black, run-down ruins disappeared abruptly, only to be replaced with a world of red. The blazing heat struck their faces. The scarlet sky and dried land linked up to form a whole new world. The air consisting of death and heat coalesced into a most extreme evil that couldn��t be dissolved in eternity.


    ��This is����


    ��What��s going on! Where is this damn place?! Where did those Chaos Beasts come from!��


    Erin turned around in astonishment, only to realize a sacred beam of horizontal light had swept across and eradicated the Chaos Beasts. Then, the scorching blaze erupted and raged into the sky.

 Chapter 1095 - : On the Other Side of Fate

    ��Bubble, Canary, what happened?��


    Rhode knitted his brows and gazed at them dubiously. A few moments ago, the two young ladies who were in their slumber jumped up from the bed all of a sudden as though they had a nightmare. They widened their eyes in shock, gazing at him in disbelief. Before Rhode continued to speak, they suddenly pounced on him and grabbed each of his arms. Facing this bizarre reaction from them, Rhode was taken aback. As for the rest, they watched curiously and didn��t know what to say. After all, their behavior was too peculiar.


    ��Rhode? What are you doing here? Where is this place? Am I dreaming?��


    ��Leader! It��s really you, Leader!��


    ��What happened to you two?��


    Facing the sudden inquiries, Rhode was at a total loss. As they were about to reach their destination, Rhode woke Canary and Mini Bubble Gum up to get ready. But he didn��t expect them to freeze in place after waking up as though they were cursed and now, they even pounced on him? What exactly was going on?


    As Rhode felt dubious, the two young ladies stopped their actions and felt a shiver down their spines. They raised their heads with baffled and dubious expressions. After scanning the surroundings curiously, they shook their heads.


    ��Huh? Leader�� where��s�� the group of Chaos Beasts?��


    ��Chaos Beasts?��


    Rhode felt ridiculous. He gazed at them helplessly, unable to figure out the situation. Could it be that traveling in hell for too long had given them a terrifying nightmare? After hearing his response, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary stared blankly at him. They looked around them, knitted their brows, and Mini Bubble Gum held her head in confusion.


    ��Huh? I recall losing my vision to the blinding light and being transported away to some ridiculous place�� could it be that is just a misconception?��


    ��What place?��


    ��Oh, it looks like those ruins in sci-fi horror movies and there were so many Chaos Beasts pouncing on us. Even though I didn��t know what was going on, I fought back nonetheless�� hmm? There was also a glaring beam of light����


    ��I had the same dream.��


    While Mini Bubble Gum was in a state of confusion, Canary said softly from beside her. She knitted her brows and lowered her gaze to her hands. There was nothing. But to Canary, the scene felt so surreal and she had even felt the sensation of the raging fire elements. That didn��t feel like a dream at all.


    ��I saw all sorts of machines around me. I also met Her Highness Erin and there was a mysterious black slate floating in midair. Then, before I knew it, Chaos Beasts started charging toward us and we got into a battle�� I remember eliminating the Chaos Beasts, then�� hmm? That��s strange. I recall a white light beam and we��re back, it seems?��


    ��Yes, yes. I met Her Highness Erin too and it seemed like she was really surprised to meet us. She kept asking us what happened. That��s really odd.��


    ��Erin?��


    Rhode was caught between laughter and tears. He couldn��t imagine why Erin appeared in their dreams. If it were a man who appeared instead of her, perhaps Rhode might get a little jealous. But it was the moon princess instead�� So what exactly was going on? Even both of them felt like this dream was too peculiar. They exchanged looks and saw the doubts in each other��s eyes. No matter what, it was truly a mystery as to why they had the same dream. But even though it was a dream, they felt like it was filled with unspeakable realism.


    ��Are you two sure that you aren��t in a daze?�� Rhode asked, sizing up Mini Bubble Gum and Canary. Then, he shrugged and said, ��Come to think of it, both of you have been acting really strange just now. I wanted to ask you to wake up but instead, you asked me a bunch of odd questions as though you haven��t seen me in a long time. Before I was able to answer, you returned to your senses�� could it be that you��re really in a daze?��


    ������


    Upon hearing Rhode��s response, Canary puckered her brows. After pondering for a few moments, she looked at him and asked.


    ��Just now, huh�� how long did it happen for?��


    ��Hmm�� less than a minute?��


    ��Was I really in a daze? I recall fighting the Chaos Beasts in that strange place for more than 10 minutes���� Upon hearing Rhode��s answer, Mini Bubble Gum puckered her brows and scratched her head in confusion. But shortly after, she shrugged and tossed this matter to the back of her head. ��Forget it, it isn��t anything important, anyway. But that ridiculous dream was kinda interesting though. Frankly, I sure am curious as to what that place is all about. Perhaps I may get to meet something fun.��


    ��Uh�� is it really just a dream? Why do I feel like something isn��t right����


    Compared to the careless Mini Bubble Gum, Canary was much more dubious of the entire situation. But after some serious thoughts, she eventually decided to leave this matter aside. Judging this odd situation, Rhode shrugged in confusion. In fact, he had also realized that something was amiss. Even though it was indeed Mini Bubble Gum and Canary sitting before him, for some unknown reason, he felt like the situation wasn��t as simple as them being in a daze. Not to mention, the chance of them having the same dream was also extremely small. The auras that they exuded seemed to be different than usual too. But as to where exactly had gone wrong, he couldn��t pinpoint it��


    Forget it, now isn��t the time for this.


    At this thought, Rhode focused his attention and patted their heads.


    ��Alright, stop thinking about this strange incident for now. We have proper things to do. We��re arriving at our destination soon, so get ready.��


    Rhode spoke, lifting his head and gazing at the red land before him. At this moment, the River Styx was flowing forward in the void. As usual, the ferryman took control, rowing the ferry with both hands on the long pole. Shortly after, the ferry changed its direction steadily and turned the curve ahead.


    At the next moment, the world changed.


    A murky, chaotic hue of red enfolded the sky and land, making it extremely difficult for one to distinguish between heaven and earth. Lifting one��s head and gazing at the sky, the bright red, scorching sun was no longer there. One could only see vast stretches of turbid red mixed together like various paints smeared onto the land. Winds blew the sand wildly and no one could see the path ahead. This was the highest point of the innumerable planes in the Bottomless Abyss. A deserted and barren land, and also the center point of the bloodbath. Countless devils, demons, and other participants in the bloodbath arrived here like moths flying into the flame. Death was their only fate. This was the Rift Plain. The plain of bloodbaths.


    The quiet-flowing River Styx was the only presence of Order. Lifting one��s head, one could see the dense black dots inking in the scarlet sky. Those were groups of devils. On the spread of land, the city flickering in a metallic shine and the pitch-black, major gap constituted the only two sceneries that remained constant on the Rift Plain.


    This was also the destination of Rhode��s group.


    The ferry approached the shore gradually. The ferryman extended his arm to wipe off the cold sweat on his forehead. He turned around and gazed at the passengers cautiously. As one of the ferrymen of the River Styx, this was his first time being so unfortunate. All along, intimidating passengers was a pleasure for ferrymen of the River Styx. But he didn��t expect this day where he would be terrified by someone. The powerful strength of these passengers exceeded his expectations completely. As of now, he no longer had the intention of taking advantage of them. Instead, he was secretly praying for them to not cause any more troubles for him. After all, it was a luxury for one who came to explore the underworld to have a conscience.


    ��Alright, everyone. This is the Rift Plain. According to our agreement, even though the journey isn��t all that smooth, I��ve brought you to your destination safely. Alright then, this is goodbye.��


    After bidding farewell mechanically, the ferryman rowed the ferry and drifted down the flow of the River Styx. The ferrymen lived on the River Styx forever and would never leave this river filled with death.


    After the ferryman left, everyone shifted their gaze to the land. For Rhode, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum who had come to the abyss in the past successfully, they had no reaction at all. As for Cheryl and Celestina, they seemed rather tense. The former was an ordinary elf, while the latter resided in hell and seldom came to the abyss. Although there was a certain amount of Order here at the highest floor of the unlimited planes, the chaotic aura of the abyss made them uncomfortable. Of course, the reason for the discomfort varied between them entirely.


    ��Alright, let��s get going.��


    Gazing at the Rift Plain, Rhode pondered in silence, before giving an order.

 Chapter 1096 - Fated Accident

    ��Erm�� Your Majesty, may I know how much longer will it take before we arrive at Desolate Town?��


    Panting as she followed everyone from the back, Cheryl couldn��t hold in her most curious question anymore. She knew that she had the least authority to ask this question among this group of formidable beings. Also, she was only a burden to them and the reason why Rhode was willing to bring her along was just because it was along the way for them. This temptation was huge for her. Only people who personally lived in hell understood how precious peace, hope, and kindness were. Even though she was only an elf who was ill-treated in the Country of Light, compared to the dangers in hell, the malice of the main plane was nothing in comparison��


    Cheryl was hesitant about it. After all, this wasn��t her original mission. But now, she couldn��t help but ask because everything before her eyes were too bizarre!


    Of course, she had heard more or less about their destination. Desolate Town wasn��t an obscure place in the underworld. But even though their destination was clear, the direction where Rhode��s group was heading to wasn��t ��clear�� at all. In Cheryl��s eyes, they were heading left, right, straight, and sometimes even backward! There were a few times when Rhode headed back to where he came from without speaking a word and turned the corner that led to another place as though he had taken the wrong route. But despite that, no one raised any objections. They followed his orders completely as though it didn��t concern them. There were several times when Cheryl felt like they were even walking in circles.


    Are we really able to reach our destination this way?


    ��Don��t worry, Miss Cheryl. We will be there when it is time.��


    Unlike the worried young elf lady, Rhode sauntered casually, gazing at the pitch-black shadow in the distance with narrowed eyes. That was where Desolate Town stood. If Cheryl walked ahead of the group, she would discover that no matter which direction Rhode took, even if he turned around entirely, the presence of Desolate Town would forever be in front of him.


    ��This is Bottomless Abyss, Miss Cheryl.��


    At this moment, Stefania who walked alongside Cheryl explained with a kind smile.


    ��Even though this is the highest floor of Bottomless Abyss, this place has no Order, after all. Here, rules in hell don��t apply and one is unable to determine one��s direction by bearing like on the main plane. Be it a city or fortress, its position is moving constantly, which is why we are not searching and are just following it. Besides, time and distance have no meaning here. We can��t be sure of the amount of time we need to reach our destination. All in all, as long as we keep moving, we will reach our destination at the most appropriate time.��


    ��Is�� that so?��


    Cheryl, who didn��t have any experience in traveling across planes, turned pale. She widened her eyes speechlessly. This bizarre situation was totally illogical. If she didn��t encounter this herself, she would never believe that such a world existed.


    According to Miss Stefania, we will reach our destination at the most appropriate time. In that case, why are we still wandering about? Maybe if we take a break, we will reach our destination after opening our eyes. Does such a strange world truly exist?


    Even though Cheryl was dubious, reality quickly overthrew her final doubt.


    ��We��re here.��


    As she puckered her brows and pondered, Rhode suddenly came to a halt and turned to the corner on the left. Upon hearing him, Cheryl turned to where he was facing and widened her eyes in astonishment. A fortress had emerged in the wild, sandy land.


    Desolate Town.


    Even though one might think that Desolate Town was like those small towns in the main plane, as a matter of fact, it was a huge fortress city made of stone and steel. But it was a pity that this fortress wasn��t as orderly as the demons�� Steel Fortress. Although it was just barely in order, the state of the city walls was a complete mess. Looking from a distance, the fortress looked like a child��s carefree game of block building. No matter how the overall look of the blocks stacked on each other turned out to be, it would be enough as long as it resembled a fortress.


    And that was the case for Desolate Town.


    ��What in the world? Leader, let��s do it.��


    Gazing at the chaotic group of devils by the entrance, Mini Bubble Gum raised her spirits instantly. She squinted, clenched her tiny fists, and revealed an excited smile. This reaction of hers was entirely a sign of her about to attack. But��


    ��Hmm?��


    At this moment, she was taken aback. Her expression changed slightly as she stretched out her arm and emanated a pure, white radiance from her hand. But compared to the holy brilliance she usually released in the past, this time the radiance seemed more�� dull?


    ��Leader, there��s a problem����


    ��What��s wrong?��


    Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s sudden, lowered voice, Rhode stared blankly at her. In fact, he was prepared to send Mini Bubble Gum out to greet the beings ahead. Although Rhode came to Desolate Town to ��fulfill�� his agreement with Asmodeus, it was an entirely different matter as to how he executed it. But now, the excited and joyous Mini Bubble Gum ��calmed�� down all of a sudden and this surprised him.


    ��My power����


    Mini Bubble Gum clenched her fists. Although along with her action, the pure white, sacred radiance grew brighter, it seemed like she had to expend a lot of strength to do it.


    ��My strength has weakened!��


    ���� Huh?��


    Upon hearing her response, Rhode was in disbelief. He extended his arm quickly and opened the system interface, searching for her name in the name list and looking at her attributes. But there didn��t seem to be anything wrong with them; her level and attributes remained the same. Could it be due to her entering the abyss? What kind of joke was this? Mini Bubble Gum was always healthy and active and now, her power had suddenly weakened?


    ��What exactly is going on?��


    In an instant, Rhode was bewildered. He felt like the situation was too unusual. Even though it was possible for players to feel weak and burnout after playing a game for too long, Mini Bubble Gum didn��t seem like she was in one. This little fella was more eager than everyone else and had no lack of initiatives. Could it be that they had fallen into some unknown trap?


    At this thought, Rhode ran through his power immediately. Everything was as per usual. As for the rest��


    ��Everyone, check your power too!��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s command, everyone began experimenting. It was apparent that they also felt like the situation was too bizarre. After a few moments, Rhode received their answers.


    ��No issues with me.��


    Celestina lifted her head and said proudly.


    ��Me too�� Master, my strength is fine.��


    Celia glanced at Mini Bubble Gum worriedly and answered. Lesa who was standing beside her didn��t say a word as she simply nodded. It was apparent that everything was fine with her too. Then, Stefania and Cheryl also responded.


    ��I��m fine too, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    ��M-Me too, Your Majesty. Even though they are running a little disorderly�� there isn��t a problem with my strength.��


    What is this strange occurrence��


    After hearing their responses, Rhode turned to Mini Bubble Gum with an odd look. If Celia, Lesa, and the rest were affected, perhaps he would suspect that there was a problem with his system interface that possibly led to issues with the card system and Phantom Guardians. However, Lesa was fine and even though she wasn��t a Phantom Guardian, she was still a projection based on the same system. In fact, Rhode wasn��t surprised that everything went well with Stefania too because it would truly be strange if a plane merchant like her couldn��t handle such situations. On the other hand, an elf mage in the Peak Master Stage like Cheryl also wasn��t affected. This meant that his group of formidable beings couldn��t possibly be affected by some seal traps. If not, it didn��t make sense for Cheryl to escape, while Mini Bubble Gum fell for it. Moreover, Mini Bubble Gum was a cleric who was more sensitive to any negative effects. At this moment, before Rhode figured out the situation, he heard another bothersome answer.


    ��Rhode, my strength seems to be weakening too����


    ���� What��s going on?��


    Gazing at Canary, Rhode was completely speechless.


    ��In other words�� both of your strengths are declining?��


    ��Rather than declining�� it is more like a part of them has disappeared����


    Mini Bubble Gum puckered her brows and clenched her fists.


    ��How should I put it? I can easily crush a group of devils with one punch. But now, I may need to gather more strength to do the same. As for the BOSSES�� Urgh, Leader, it may perhaps be too tough for me alone, especially the high-level ones.��


    ��Me too. Even though there aren��t many problems with my high-level spells, some of my low-level spells have been weakened.��


    ��Weakened?��


    Rhode��s expression turned odd. Of course, he knew that players would ��give up�� some low-level skills due to the lack of skill points. But when one reached his or Canary��s level, the skill points were allocated accordingly based on their experience. They couldn��t possibly be canceled or weakened at all.


    ��No, perhaps I should say that�� the skills are weakened, but I don��t know where they��ve gone to����


    Perhaps due to the fact that others were present, Canary didn��t clarify the situation. However, Rhode understood what she meant because they were currently using the player system. The usage of skills including magic and spiritual spells was the same. But the problem was that these spells had to be within their specializations. The damage of skills was in accordance to their mastery level. Take Canary, for instance. She was a mage specializing in fire and wind, so the highest mastery level of her ��fireball�� spell could reach Grade SSS. The ultimate damage of her ��fireball�� spell was based on the mastery level of Grade SSS and her attribute values. These skills needed skill points to increase mastery levels. Rhode also experienced the same thing when he started leveling up. To any top player, it was essential to master the technique of not wasting skill points. At level 85, which was the level cap, they knew thoroughly about their attributes and skill point allocation.


    But now, according to Canary, it seemed like her ��fireball�� spell that was supposed to be Grade SSS was lowered to Grade AAA for no apparent reason. The skill points that were used to strengthen its mastery seemed to have disappeared without a trace.


    After scanning through both of their attributes, Rhode confirmed that all their skills were lowered by one to two levels on average. Fortunately, they were powerful to begin with and Mini Bubble Gum could still defeat a group of devils with three punches.


    However, although it didn��t affect them much, Rhode puckered his brows in doubt because the situation was too weird. He had never seen mastery levels of skills dropping all of a sudden, be it in the game or reality. For this to happen all of a sudden, it made him somewhat concerned.


    ��Seems like we need another plan.��


    Although they could still continue with their initial plan, Rhode felt the urgency to change his plans as it was simply too peculiar.

 Chapter 1097 - Desolate Town

    Red Shroud didn��t have a great time during this period.


    She was the owner of Desolate Town, the daughter of the succubus queen, and also a powerful spell-caster. She had ruled Desolate Town for thousands of years and could also be said to be one of the well-deserved, powerful beings of this land. Besides, as a succubus, she had outstanding wisdom and bewitching charm. She was also one among her race who uncharacteristically wouldn��t mess things up due to her chaotic nature. She ran Desolate Town meticulously and made it the most notable hub in the Rift Plain. Judging from her achievements, she was indeed unique in her own ways.


    But now, she was in a pinch.


    The reason was simple. Grazite, one of her allies, who she had worked with for countless years, had fallen from power all of a sudden. Grazite was playful by nature and had a record of being imprisoned by humans in the past. But this time, it apparently wasn��t as simple as being imprisoned. Grazite��s plane of existence began to crumble and his palace was completely destroyed. All of these proved one thing: Grazite was entirely done for. This and also due to the ��geographical location�� of Desolate Town (even though it didn��t make sense to use this term in the abyss) left Red Shroud in a difficult situation. Desolate Town was always being spied on by devils and even though Red Shroud was powerful, she didn��t have an endless source of power. Although she dominated Desolate Town and the formidable devils, as a matter of fact, Grazite��s protection over Desolate Town was one of the main reasons it was able to remain in peace over the years. Without Grazite��s flag, perhaps Red Shroud��s Desolate Town wouldn��t survive from the devils for that long.


    But now, Grazite was completely doomed and the blissful life of Red Shroud had reached the end.


    The biggest reason why Red Shroud and Grazite worked well together was because they were similar to demons to a certain degree. They were able to trust and collaborate to a limited extent and didn��t need to worry about each other breaching the contract. But it was different with other devils. Even though there were plenty of powerful devils in Bottomless Abyss, Red Shroud wasn��t sure if asking them for help was a good idea because among them were Grazite��s mortal enemies who weren��t willing to help her. On the contrary, they might even take over Desolate Town and toss Red Shroud aside immediately. But this wasn��t the worst outcome. If Red Shroud died in the process, she would be totally speechless. Although some devils had strong and massive forces, they weren��t concerned about the Rift Plain because they lived too deep down the abyss. Even if they were concerned, they were out of reach. Therefore, they weren��t interested in Red Shroud��s proposal at all. Even though some were delighted to work with her, Red Shroud didn��t feel like they were trustworthy. Due to this reason, she had been in a headache ever since Grazite fell in power.


    As of now, Red Shroud didn��t dare to leave Desolate Town anymore. In the past, she left for a period of time to attend to some matters and as a result, her home was almost demolished by devils. In the end, she had no choice but to stay behind and maintain the operations of the place. What gave her a bigger headache was that as the number of ambushes from devils increased, the ��amount of traffic�� to Desolate Town also declined. After all, the reason why everyone chose this place as the hub was because the Rift Plain was a rare land of ��peace��. At least they didn��t need to worry about being slaughtered by devils while roaming the streets. But now, this place wasn��t safe any longer and they lost most interest in it.


    This left Red Shroud in a thorny situation. The reason why she was able to rule Desolate Town for so long was that apart from her powerful subordinates, she also had some methods to ��lure�� inhabitants who came to the underworld to fight for her. As a matter of fact, there was no lack of beings who were exhausted from the bloodbaths, trying to find a steady place to recharge themselves. As long as Red Shroud ��recruited�� them to defend Desolate Town and provided them a certain amount of beneficial facilities, she could ��rope in�� their firepower. Since these foreign beings managed to arrive at the Rift Plain, it meant that they were certainly powerful. But now? Not only did the number of visitors decline, but some were also trying to leave!


    This was definitely bad news for Red Shroud��


    But as this pitiful succubus was pondering about the predicament, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a trail of white radiance.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Lesa raised the staff high in the air and pointed forward. Along with her action, a dozen rays of glaring light descended from above like shooting stars. Before the devils reacted in self-defense, they were bombarded by the berserk attack and turned into ashes.


    ��Ugh����


    Gazing at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t help but turn slightly pale.


    ��What��s wrong, Bubble?��


    Upon realizing the discomfort on her face, Canary asked with knitted brows. Normally, it should have been Canary and Bubble who led the attacks. But due to the sudden loss of strength, Rhode had no choice but to act more cautiously. He changed his plans at the very last minute and pushed Lesa to take the stage instead. As for Cheryl and Stefania�� it was none of the former��s business, while the latter happened to be around and was watching from the back. Rhode had no high hopes for her since it was normal for plane merchants to not be involved in battles. The fact that she helped to connect him with the crucial parties was kind enough of her.


    ��I just realized�� so powerful.��


    ����?��


    Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s words, Canary blinked dubiously and followed her gaze. Then, she realized that Mini Bubble Gum wasn��t staring at the group of devils, but Lesa who stood in the front.


    Lesa didn��t realize they were speaking about her. Or perhaps she wouldn��t have any reaction even if she knew. After demolishing the devils who tried to stop her in one attack, this young lady in a white robe clutched and struck the bottom of the staff to the ground abruptly. Shortly after, a golden shield appeared over them and resisted the scattering fireballs thrown by the devils. White rays of light erupted with her standing in the middle all of a sudden and turned into a magical ritual like a running clock. The instant the devils fluttered their wings and entered the range of the magical ritual, they suddenly came to a halt and froze like sculptures for a second. On the other hand, Celestina grunted and lashed out the steel chain sword that resembled a viper ferociously. The devils regained their freedom quickly, but the black flames had arrived before them. At the next moment, in a series of loud wails, the devils were engulfed in black flames, before vanishing entirely.


    Even though Lesa��s movements were small and gentle, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary witnessed clearly that she had used one of the most powerful spells of Order: Time Stop!


    They had to admit that Lesa��s strength was a mystery to even the people around Rhode.


    As the guardian of the Astral Temple, Lesa spent most of her time in it. Her job was to look after the heroic spirits that Rhode summoned and ensure that they didn��t cause any troubles. It might sound simple, but it wasn��t easy at all. Although battle angels and elves were relatively lawful, demons were a hard bunch to deal with. But under Lesa��s watchful eyes, there were no clashes between the unique races and they were living peacefully with one another. Based on this fact, it was clear how capable Lesa was. Since she was the psychic of the Astral Temple, it was expected of her to more or less be this capable.


    However, Lesa��s usual performance seemed too harmless and overly-puzzling. She basically spent all her time praying in the Astral Temple and would only follow Rhode whenever he summoned her. Besides, this docile psychic had never defied his orders. As Mini Bubble Gum, Canary, and the rest were often by Rhode��s side, Lesa was most commonly used by him as a ��large-scale teleportation tool��. Due to this reason, they didn��t know that this quiet psychic who had been quietly following Rhode at the back was so powerful!


    After being repelled by Lesa and Celestina, the devils changed their initial strategy and dispersed to two sides quickly. At the same time, the space began to tremble. Facing this sudden change in situation and enemies who launched their attacks without speaking a word, the devils weren��t surprised. In the abyss, it was rare for both sides to get in a battle with reasons!


    Shortly after, as the space trembled, five six-armed snake devils emerged out of the voids. They swung their arms with glistening blades in hands. The razor-sharp, ice-cold aggression was so strong that one couldn��t look straight at them.


    But in the face of the menacing blade rays, Lesa had no reaction at all. She raised the staff high and chanted a string of curses melodiously. In the blink of an eye, she pointed the staff forward and swept it across horizontally. In this movement, swords coalesced from white radiances appeared above her and burst out at the mighty six-armed snake devils, skewering them altogether.


    ��Woah����


    Judging Lesa��s performance, Mini Bubble Gum hugged her head in agony as though she was the one being penetrated by the light swords. Canary became increasingly confused. But as she turned to Mini Bubble Gum, she understood what she was feeling distressed about immediately. All this while, Mini Bubble Gum felt really proud of her position beside Rhode because in her perspective, her position was unique. In this area, no one could compete with her and that was actually the truth. But now, the situation had taken a turn. Lesa wasn��t a player, but was a psychic of Astral Temple. According to the rules of the Dragon Soul Continent, NPCs generally possessed subclasses that not even professional players could have. For example, Lesa was in the ��psychic�� class and also the ��cleric�� and ��Order mage�� subclasses. Judging from this point, Lesa was indeed the definition of being capable of attacking and defending perfectly. Upon facing attacks, she used her spiritual spells as a cleric for defense and healing. When she attacked, she used the spells of Order. It was especially so for the high-level spell that manipulated time, which was like a powerful bug in the system!


    Besides, Lesa was adorable, gentle, quiet, and lovable; it was just that she seldom showed up in front of everyone. But she was one of Rhode��s subordinates, after all. If Rhode were to bring her to bed, there wouldn��t be an issue at all.


    If it were in the past, Mini Bubble Gum definitely wouldn��t mind at all. But as her strength declined, she officially began to worry about such problems. Her position might be replaced by Lesa!


    It��s about time now.


    But right now, Rhode didn��t know what was going through Mini Bubble Gum��s head. He sensed the surging evil aura from before him and smiled because he had already sensed something brewing within Desolate Town.


    Now!


    At this thought, Rhode held his hilt abruptly.


    Then, the incomparable dragon��s prestige erupted from his body. An enormous and translucent image of a Void Dragon appeared behind him all of a sudden, enveloping the entire sky!

 Chapter 1098 - Rhode’s Request

    ��This is����


    Red Shroud jumped to her feet. She lifted her head in astonishment and gazed at the gigantic, expanded wings that enfolded almost half the sky. The powerful, omnipresent dragon��s prestige was so powerful that even she couldn��t help but shiver. That was unlike the aura from demons that were ��oppressed by social class��. Instead, it was more like a pure, massive strength as though tiny humans standing by the shore and witnessing a tsunami crashing toward them. Other than lamenting the majestic power of nature, they couldn��t even escape. Their strength and presence were so strong that not even the devils were brave enough to step forward rashly. Perhaps they snorted disdainfully at ��social class��, but they knew clearly that they should avoid the blazing sun as much as possible to avoid being burnt to a crisp. After all, devils weren��t fools.


    As the owner of Desolate Town, Red Shroud knew how massive the aura was. It could also be said that perhaps even the aged creatures in the abyss didn��t possess such formidable strength. But now, this powerful being had arrived and came knocking on her door. This left her extremely terrified. She didn��t know when she had offended such a formidable being. Could it be that one of the lords in Bottomless Abyss decided to head up to catch a breath? But this didn��t make sense. Bottomless Abyss wasn��t a tall building with elevators. In fact, the journey through the plane of existences was usually completed by powerful beings because it would expend a huge amount of their power. When one was as powerful as them, it wasn��t surprising to have mortal enemies eyeing covetously, ready to kill them from the back. It was the same for Grazite. He was the mastermind behind the scenes and didn��t expect to be dragged to the main plane by Rhode through the summoning ritual and eventually be killed. It was truly an unexpected disaster for him.


    As of now, the entire Bottomless Abyss was debating as to how Grazite was murdered. It was apparent that he wasn��t killed by other abyssal lords because the murderers would be acting all high and mighty by now. On the other hand, Grazite was cunning by nature and shouldn��t face such an issue at all. From the start, many abyssal lords believed that this was a trap set by Grazite. But in the end, they discovered his death and began to worry about any mishaps in the situation. One had to admit that they were living a rather tiring life��


    ��Oh-no-no, I didn��t expect the renowned Your Highness Red Shroud to show such an expression.��


    At this moment, a voice sounded all of a sudden and startled Red Shroud. She raised the staff quickly and pointed it toward the direction of the voice. Then, she witnessed a young lady clad in a black coat and long, triangular hat standing by the corner of the walls and gazing at her. How did she enter? This place is protected by my defensive enchanted field!


    ��Who are you?��


    ��Greetings, respectful Highness Red Shroud.�� Facing Red Shroud��s unkind query, the young lady seemed extremely calm. She bowed casually and said, ��I��m Stefania, a plane merchant. Yes�� this time I��m here to represent my client to�� communicate with you.��


    ��Communicate?��


    Upon hearing this untimely term, Red Shroud knitted her brows. Of course, she was aware of the existence of plane merchants. In fact, the development of Desolate Town also relied a lot upon the plane merchants. If not, she wouldn��t be able to purchase sufficient food and water. Growing food in the abyss was truly a technical work.


    But at this moment, the plane merchant��s intention left Red Shroud on the alert. No matter what, her Desolate Town was under the control of a massive aura and pressure that even she felt as though a huge boulder were crushing on her, leaving her breathless. Gazing out the window, the situation was even more startling. The devils were either half-knelt on the ground or not moving like sculptures. On the other hand, the mercenaries who she spent money grooming didn��t stand a chance at all. Judging from their reactions, they seemed like white little rabbits hugging heads in the face of big, bad wolves, waiting for death to fall upon them!


    Of course, Red Shroud didn��t know that if Rhode alone or any other Creator Dragons were to exude their dragon��s prestige, they could restrain the devils to a certain degree but never to this extent. But the problem was that Rhode wasn��t alone now. His younger sister was around to assist him despite not having a physical body. Even though she was only a soul fragment that wasn��t too useful in actual battles, no one had more authority than her in terms of releasing the dragon��s prestige as a Creator Dragon. At this moment, the terrifying aura that Red Shroud felt was from both Rhode and his younger sister. It seemed like his younger sister��s skill in ��bluffing�� was at the maximum, at the very least.


    ��Yes, I��m sure you��ve experienced my client��s strength.��


    Upon hearing Stefania��s comment, Red Shroud puckered her brows. She gazed at Stefania vigilantly, but didn��t say a word. It seemed to her that this plane merchant was sent by that powerful being outside. But even though the situation was critical to Red Shroud, she wasn��t feeling that tense. The reason was simple. One with that much strength could rely on one��s strength to make her give in. But now, apart from symbolically destroying her forces and displaying his prestige, there weren��t other indications from him. Not only that, but he had also sent in a representative plane merchant to communicate on his behalf and didn��t show up himself�� Red Shroud wasn��t a fool. She understood that he definitely had other intentions by doing so!


    ��May I know who exactly is your client? I��ve never seen anyone so powerful in the abyss.��


    ��Ah, that��s no secret.��


    Stefania seemed to have no intention of keeping the identity of her employer a secret. After hearing Red Shroud��s response, she spoke immediately.


    ��My client is the ruler of the Dragon Soul Continent, the Void Dragon, His Majesty Rhode�� I suppose you��re not unfamiliar with this name, Your Highness Red Shroud?��


    ��Void Dragon?��


    Red Shroud was taken aback. But the first thought that came up in her mind was: What is he doing here?


    As everyone knew, there was no favorable relationship between the main plane and Bottomless Abyss. But Red Shroud wasn��t concerned about the matters going on in the main plane as running Desolate Town and facing the bloodbaths was enough trouble for her. As for crucial issues of the relationship between the main plane and abyss, as well as the war between Order and Chaos, Red Shroud felt like it was better off leaving it to the abyssal lords to worry about them. She felt accomplished if she could manage her own turf well. So now, upon hearing that the Void Dragon was here, she felt that it was ridiculous. After all, she didn��t have anything much to do with the main plane, so what was worthy of the Void Dragon coming down personally? Could it be that her subordinates accidentally captured his men? But that wouldn��t require the Void Dragon to take matters into his own hands, would it? At this thought, Red Shroud was increasingly puzzled. After all, it was worlds apart between the main plane and Desolate Town. There might be several inhabitants from the main plane living in Desolate Town, but they�� shouldn��t have anything to do with someone like the Void Dragon, right?


    But Red Shroud didn��t say much. She knew that since the Void Dragon was here personally, he must have something important to discuss with her. Besides, he had also appointed a neutral party in the form of the reputable and trustworthy plane merchant for communications. This proved the intentions of the Void Dragon. Could it be that he decided to get the main plane involved in the bloodbath and resist the abyss? Red Shroud felt like the possibilities weren��t high because it was dangerous and risky to head to the main plane from the abyss. Besides, several ��main routes�� had to go through hell. In fact, with hell taking the blow for the main plane, the choices that devils could make were extremely limited. And as the absolute dominator of the main plane, it was only normal to sit this one out and reap the spoils later. Why must the Void Dragon get involved in the dirty work himself? Was there something wrong with his head?


    ��This was what happened, Your Highness Red Shroud. I will get straight to the point. There is only one reason for His Majesty Rhode to be here.��


    Strolling toward the window, Stefania smiled and gazed at the city of steel.


    ��Desolate Town.��


    ������


    Red Shroud was in shock. She knew that there was definitely no good news for the ruler of the main plane to be here. If not, would he even need to show up personally? But now�� could it be that he needed her to give away Desolate Town?


    ��His Majesty Rhode only has one simple request and it is something that you can definitely achieve, Your Highness Red Shroud. It requires only a slight effort from your part.��


    Stefania spoke, revealing the merchant smile that appeared when selling goods, like she was introducing the value of her goods. But for some unknown reason, Red Shroud had a bad feeling deep in her heart. At the next moment, the bad feeling was confirmed.


    ��His Majesty Rhode hopes for all devils to disappear from Desolate Town.��


    Gazing at Red Shroud��s expression, Stefania said with a grin.

 Chapter 1099 - Two Intertwining Poles

    What just happened?


    After the radiance dissipated, the two young ladies exchanged looks with each other. A few seconds ago, they were in a scarlet world that resembled hell. But at the next moment, they returned to this pitch-black, terrifying space. Unlike earlier, the menacing Chaos Beasts were nowhere to be seen. Not only that, but the entire space had also scattered with machine parts. The perfectly preserved machines from before had turned into metal scraps as though the place were bombarded.


    ��This is���� Mini Bubble Gum looked at her surroundings and gasped. But shortly after, she recalled something and turned around abruptly, grabbing Canary by the arm. ��Big Sister, we saw Leader just now! It��s Leader, right?!��


    ��Ah�� Yes����


    Facing Mini Bubble Gum��s sudden questioning, Canary was startled. Then, she nodded hesitantly. Indeed, they saw Rhode just now and Canary could still feel the warm touch on her hand. They were so close with Rhode, so there was no mistaking it. But if it was only an illusion, wasn��t it too vivid for it? What exactly did they encounter?


    ��Miss Canary? Miss Bubble? Are you two alright?��


    Erin went up to them curiously and asked. However, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum didn��t realize that the moon princess��s eyes were glinting dubiously and curiously at the same time. They weren��t aware of this fact, but Erin was certain that when the Chaos Beasts attacked them earlier, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary had as though woken up abruptly from their nightmares and immediately retaliated against the Chaos Beasts. At that moment, Erin discovered that they were no longer ordinary humans. Instead, they returned to being the formidable humans who followed Rhode around, just like in her impression. But what left her dubious was that they didn��t seem to know why they were here, as though they were totally another person.


    Although Erin had a lot of doubts, the Chaos Beasts were equally hard to deal with. That was why she didn��t ask too many questions and quickly countered the enemies with them. As the trio combined their strength, they wiped out the enemies cleanly. But at that moment, Erin saw the black slate erupting another blast of glaring light and the two active young ladies in battle instantly stopped moving.


    Not only that, but also when Erin leaned in to check on them, they were like lifeless corpses and their souls had as though disappeared from their bodies! This phenomenon bewildered Erin, leaving her at a total loss. But all of a sudden, they ��revived�� before her eyes and judging from their behavior, they didn��t seem to remember everything that they had done.


    This is interesting�� what has exactly happened?


    ��W-We��re fine, Your Highness Erin����


    Facing Erin��s concern, Canary didn��t know what to say. Her head was in a complete mess. If it were in the past, perhaps she would treat it as just a hallucination or that she was under too much mental pressure. But now, as she gazed at Erin before her, she couldn��t lay down the doubt in her mind. After all, even a character who belonged to a game came to the real world, so what was there to be impossible?


    ��Let��s leave this place.��


    Although Erin had a lot of doubts, she didn��t show her feelings. After all, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum really seemed like they knew nothing. If Erin were to continue questioning them, perhaps she might make the situation even more chaotic. Therefore, Erin decided to temporarily put this matter aside. She turned around, strolled to the black slate, and scanned it from top to bottom. Then, she extended her arm and lifted it up. This time, nothing strange happened. She held the black slate, turned her hand around, and put it away in her bag. She had a hunch that perhaps this black slate was the key to solving the mystery.


    ������!


    At the same time, bright rays of light shone from the openings above, enfolding Erin, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum entirely. Upon witnessing the radiance, the trio turned around in astonishment and witnessed a dozen heavily-armored soldiers charging out from the openings. After spotting the three of them, the soldiers were startled. They raised their rifles and aimed at them quickly.


    ��Ahh�� we��re in trouble.��


    Canary let out a sigh at this scene. This was what she was afraid of. As an ordinary, university freshman, she was a so-called darling. Not to mention the police, she didn��t even cause trouble for teachers. But now, she was in trouble with foreign soldiers? Argh�� this escalated too quickly!


    ����!��


    The heavily-armored soldiers lifted their weapons, snarling and aiming at Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. Looking at this scene, the flustered Canary and Mini Bubble Gum raised their hands subconsciously. No matter what, they were only civilians, and it wasn��t possible for them to not be afraid with rifles pointing at them with their black muzzles. As soon as they raised their hands, the soldiers seemed to let loose a little and didn��t continue to pressurize them. But�� the problem was that not everyone was as submissive as the two young ladies!


    Facing the soldiers who brazenly stopped them, Erin grimaced and stood in front of Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, which instantly baffled the soldiers. Well, they couldn��t be blamed. Apart from Erin��s beautiful appearance, her dress up was also alarming. Although modern technologies allowed humans to build bases on the moon, it didn��t mean that they could do as they pleased. Facing the harsh environment on the moon, humans had to wear spacesuits in order to survive the terrifying conditions. But now, this young lady stood before them without being protected by space equipment at all.


    Is she even a human?!


    From a certain angle�� Erin wasn��t actually a human.


    But Erin wasn��t in the mood to care about their thoughts. She knew that these people attacked her earlier on and they were clearly threatening her too. Moreover, they were related to this slate, so they were most likely lackeys of Chaos! At this thought, Erin said no more. She swung her right hand straightaway and along with her movement, dazzling magical radiance appeared abruptly around her one by one, forming an elegant and massive magical ritual. Looking at the dreamy magical brilliance, the soldiers were distraught. They had never seen anything like this in their whole lives. They raised their rifles, pointed at Erin, and fired.


    ��Ahhh!��


    Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were horrified. Even though they were almighty in the game, it was entirely different for them in reality. Even though one was a thief who robbed a car in the game, it didn��t mean that one could rob a bank in real life successfully! Therefore, facing the soldiers, the two young ladies panicked. Mini Bubble Gum had even extended her arm before her subconsciously.


    But at the next moment, the situation took a sudden turn.


    Along with Mini Bubble Gum��s action, dazzling golden rays of light erupted from her palm, turning into a translucent barrier that enfolded the trio. As the rifles fired, the thin, mirror-like defensive barrier deflected all the bullets! Meanwhile, Erin pointed her right finger forward and suddenly, a dozen magical breams burst out of her fingertip. There was no playing with the moon princess��s strength. Even though it wasn��t an all-out attack from her, it was enough to blast them away entirely, not to mention they were on the moon with lesser gravity!


    ��B-Bubble?��


    Canary widened her eyes in disbelief at the defensive barrier before her. Of course, she knew what that was. It was the sacred shield of a cleric! But�� that was a skill in the game, so why was Bubble able to cast it?


    ��Huh? Huh? Huh??��


    Upon realizing what she did, Bubble was flabbergasted. She spread her arms apart curiously and along with her action, two circles of holy white light emerged! Then, the two white circles overlapped and enveloped the trio swiftly. As soon as they were shrouded by the white light circle, Canary felt her body becoming incredibly nimble. The heavy and clumsy spacesuit on her was as though non-existent. Not only that, but her head also felt unprecedentedly clear. She saw through the enemies�� movements and even read their thoughts!


    This is�� a spiritual spell?!


    ��Oh-oh-oh, Big Sister, I can use my spiritual spell now!!!��


    Spiritual spell? How is that possible?


    Canary turned to Mini Bubble Gum beside her, before shifting her gaze to her hands. Shortly after, she felt warm energy flowing from her heart to other parts of her body through blood vessels. Then, she was astounded to all of a sudden witness two small fireballs coalesce in the middle of her palms!


    ��This�� this is����


    Staring blankly at the fireballs, Canary��s head went blank. She no longer knew how to face everything that was happening right now. Was this a dream or reality? She was just an ordinary student, so how could she possess such mystical strength? Before she figured out what happened, dazzling lights shone from the shattered openings once again and several soldiers arrived as reinforcements. They raised their weapons and aimed at the intruders before them, pulling the trigger.


    Meanwhile, perhaps due to her human instincts to survive, Canary had as though returned to the game as she turned around and pulled a distance apart from the soldiers. She moved her right hand swiftly, drawing several mysterious symbols in midair. Then, she chanted under her breath and pushed both hands forward. She had done this motion in the game countless times and it was one of her most commonly-used counterattacks. But Canary didn��t expect herself to behave in this delusional way like some game addicts reported in the news.


    And the results exceeded her expectations.


    As she pushed her hands forward, the symbols drawn in midair suddenly transformed into two intertwining flame dragons that pounced on the soldiers. As the soldiers�� vision flashed, they were devoured by the flame dragons instantly, flying backward and disappearing without a trace.


    ��This�� this����


    Looking at this scene, Canary was at a total loss. She gazed blankly at her hands, but quickly returned to her senses because now wasn��t the time to ponder over it. Since so many soldiers had arrived, it meant that their group was targeted! Perhaps the Americas Region��s armies were rushing to the scene now!


    ��Bubble, Your Highness Erin, we have to leave right now!��


    ��What are you afraid of, Big Sister? Your Highness Erin is so powerful, and I��m eager to try out my skills. Since they��re just a bunch of foreign idiots, I won��t feel bad even if I kill them�� woah!!�� As though protesting against her words, a dazzling beam of light shone from above and brushed against her, scaring the little fella into shrinking her head. Then, she lifted her head and frowned. It was a massive tank in the shape of a steel spider peering out of the opening. Its blinding searchlight shining on the intruders.


    ��There is no end to this.��


    Gazing at the tank, Erin wasn��t nervous at all. On the contrary, she expanded her arms and her slim and slender figure suddenly grew in size. In the blink of an eye, an enormous dragon appeared before everyone.


    ��Let��s go, Miss Canary, Miss Bubble. There��s no point in staying here any longer.��


    ***


    The base command of the Americas Region was brightly lit in attention. Judging from its appearance, it wasn��t any different from usual. But if one were to look carefully, one would find that it was heavily guarded. The fighter aircraft, Falcon III, whistled across the sky. On the surface, searchlights shone on every inch of the moon, leaving no stone unturned.


    At this moment, the atmosphere in the base command was incredibly heavy. Commander David Chris gnashed his teeth, staring at the screen before him with bloodshot eyes, where there was an enormous, pitch-black creature expanding its wings and battling the air forces.


    ��Reporting, HQ! Reporting, HQ! The enemies are too powerful! We can��t deal any damage to them! S-Stay away, stay away�� Ahhhh��.!��


    On the screen, the massive dragon snapped its jaws open and a dazzling white brilliance enveloped it completely. The video ended abruptly and the ��rustling�� of the screen resounded in the dead-silent meeting room. David stared grimly at the white image like it was his father��s murderer and fell into silence. Then, he turned around and gazed at his subordinates who held their breaths.


    ��Can someone tell me exactly what is going on? Where did that monster come from?!��


    David was beyond enraged. In fact, all the damage that Erin had done in the Americas Region when she first teleported there was already made known to the entire moon. Even though there were differences in opinions between countries on earth, on the moon they more or less shared information with one another. It was due to this that they knew a terrifying, dragon-like monster had appeared in the Americas Region. What made matters worse was that the monster wasn��t afraid of nuclear warheads either!


    The entire moon was in an uproar. Even though directors of sci-fi movies occasionally created characters nuclear warheads couldn��t stop, that was essential for the plot, after all, in order to pave the way for the protagonist to save the world. But if one were to meet such a monster in real life�� that would be a true bother!


    Therefore, from the start, everyone felt unsafe, afraid that the monster would come find trouble with them. But shortly after, they realized the situation wasn��t as terrifying as they imagined. Before meeting Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, Erin destroyed a total of three bases on the moon located in the Americas Region. Based on the intelligence from other regions, it seemed like the monster was searching for something in the Americas Region. Even if other regions were to approach the monster, it wouldn��t be interested in attacking them.


    As a result, the other regions watched passively from the sidelines. It was apparent that the monster was attacking only the Americas Region, so they must have done something to enrage it. Since it had nothing to do with them, they weren��t afraid at all�� And this left the commander of the Americas Region blowing his top. They sought assistance from other bases. After all, the moon was still a mystery to humans (secrets on earth weren��t fully uncovered by humans yet, not to mention the moon). If this monster was a native of the moon, shouldn��t everyone face the trouble together? At this moment, everyone should join hands and resist the threat!


    But it was a pity that the monster wasn��t afraid of the nuclear warheads and didn��t seem to cause any threat to other regions. Although every country had their own secret weapons, they weren��t meant for slaughtering dragons. Moreover, if their secret weapons were revealed and they didn��t manage to kill the dragon, wouldn��t their secret be exposed? This kind of unfair trade shouldn��t be done�� and this was the deep-rooted bad habits of humans��


    As old allies, the Europe Region instantly agreed to the Americas Region��s help-seeking. Of course, they didn��t forget to remind the Americas Region that this might implicate the ecological balance of the moon. Therefore, they had to seek advice from experts before letting all members of the moon base judge and decide how they should face the terrifying monster. Then�� there was no more then.


    On the other hand, the Asia Region��s response was extremely cautious. They requested the Americas Region to share more information as they experienced firsthand how powerful the monster was. Of course, they also didn��t forget to ��remind�� the Americas Region that they had civilians who were dragged into the earlier incident in the Americas Region and went missing. They hoped that the Americas Region would search for their whereabouts. If the Americas Region couldn��t cope with it, they would send out a team of ��rescuers�� to search for them��


    As for other regions, they either used all sorts of excuses or expressed that they were afraid of stirring up the fire. This left the Americas Region fuming. Back then, the Americas Region was considered the greatest and no one dared to defy them. But it was a pity that ��a phoenix with its feathers plucked wouldn��t be as great as a chicken��. After being pushed to second place, the Americas Region gradually weakened and now internationally, no one gave a damn about them. They were also badly battered on the inside. Sigh�� it didn��t feel good dropping to second place after being the first. In the past, they were the ones who intervened with internal affairs of other countries, but now they were kindly ��reminded�� by them instead�� If you don��t do something about it, we will be intervening with the situation, alright?


    This is ridiculous!


    David��s blood boiled as even the president of the country called him personally to ask about the progress. Even though only leaders of respective countries knew about the situation so as to avoid causing panic among the people, who would believe they didn��t do something for a monster to appear on the moon and only attack the Americas Region? The president requested David to find out where exactly the monster came from, the reason it attacked the Americas Region for, how to defeat it, and if possible, capture it!


    This gave David tremendous pressure because the monster had already disappeared. The massive dragon vanished without a trace and not even 24-hour satellite search could track its location. What made matters worse was that he didn��t know why the monster attacked the Americas Region. But even so, he sent soldiers to investigate the base that the dragon destroyed, in search for any possible clues��


    Beep������!


    At this moment, a rapid electronic beep rang, followed by a hurried and anxious voice.


    ��Reporting, Commander. We received news from the front line. We have lost contact with the investigations team heading to D3! We have lost contact with the investigations team heading to D3!��


    Upon hearing this report, David��s complexion turned ashen.

 Chapter 1100 - Unnamed Road Ahead

    Canary sat on the sofa, gazing at the news on the screen worriedly. As expected, the entire moon was broadcasting the scene of Erin wreaking havoc in the bases. This increasingly pained Canary. Although she knew that it was impossible for the news to not report about Erin��s powerful strength, she secretly prayed for it to not be broadcasted. But in the end, it seemed like the entire population on the moon was aware of it now!


    Not only that, but Canary was also speechless when she found out that due to Erin��s threat, many bases near the Americas Region had evacuated. She thought that they could find a place to rest, but later realized that the surrounding non-military bases had sealed off entry and sent their members back to Earth. But they couldn��t be blamed since it was a terrifying and massive dragon. In order to avoid unnecessary losses, it wasn��t surprising that other regions took the first step in sending their civilian members back to safety.


    But even so, Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Erin still had somewhere to go. Especially for the moon princess��Canary didn��t expect Erin to actually grasp control of the evacuated greenhouse vegetable base using her mysterious spells and strut through it!


    Isn��t she a Night Wyvern? No matter how strong her spells are, she can��t possibly control computer systems!


    Erin responded to Canary��s queries plainly.


    ��I feel a spiritual presence in this core area. As a Night Wyvern, manipulating spirits is my expertise. As long as one is self-conscious, I can use spells to alter one, so it isn��t anything strange.��


    This was the first time Canary seriously considered if there was some deviation to the development of artificial intelligence by humans�� But shortly after, she saw the news about her and Mini Bubble Gum being missing. She quickly threw those meaningless thoughts to the back of her head (since technological development wasn��t something of her concern anyway), and started worrying about their future.


    ��Big Sister, what��s wrong?��


    Upon realizing Canary��s seemingly bad mood, Mini Bubble Gum crowded over and asked curiously. Compared to Canary, who was full of anxiety, Mini Bubble Gum was more excited, especially after realizing she could cast spiritual spells; this little fella was on cloud nine. Moments ago she was practicing her spiritual spells repeatedly just like in the game and often yelled out and exclaimed, a stark difference from the worried expression on Canary. Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s doubt, Canary forced a smile.


    ��I��m fine, Bubble. I��m just worried�� about the future.��


    Meanwhile, Erin had found a room and was researching the mysterious piece of black slate. On the other hand, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had to consider their future. After all, they were born into this world and of course, they had to return to earth. Canary was sure that she and Mini Bubble Gum were included in the list of missing people, so if they didn��t show up anytime soon, they would be included in the list of dead people. But was it that easy to escape? Besides, even if they returned to Earth, Canary was certain that they would be interrogated. Perhaps after detecting their mysterious strength, they might even be implicated in more bothersome matters�� This left Canary in a headache. But she didn��t dare to suggest bringing Erin back to Earth either, or returning behind Erin��s back. Although this moon princess seemed reasonable, she had high self-esteem. As soon as the situation was out of hand, she would find trouble and this would make the situation worse.


    ��Bubble, aren��t you worried at all? What are your plans?��


    Gazing at the carefree Mini Bubble Gum, Canary couldn��t understand how she could be that relaxed as though she had no care in this world.


    Isn��t she aware of the current situation yet?


    Upon hearing Canary��s question, Mini Bubble Gum shrugged boringly and replied.


    ��Worried? I don��t think there��s anything to worry about. Big Sister, I��ve decided to follow Her Highness Erin! You��ve also seen it for yourself. The situation now is bizarre, like how Her Highness Erin came to the real world from the game and it seems like there is the presence of Chaos even in our world. Perhaps Chaos may threaten the safety of our world, so shouldn��t we assist her in dealing with the dangers?! Moreover, we have power now, so it would be a waste if we don��t use it!��


    It seemed like only the last sentence was her true intention.


    ��Then?��


    ��Then? Since Her Highness Erin is finding a way back, I��ll surely help her with it. Besides, I��ve made up my mind! I want to return to the Dragon Soul Continent with Her Highness Erin to check it out! That��s the real Dragon Soul Continent! Aren��t you tempted at all, Big Sister? Besides, I heard from Her Highness Erin that Leader is there too!��


    While the trio was on the escape, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary learned everything about the Dragon Soul Continent from Erin. They initially thought that Erin transmigrated from the game (back then, Mini Bubble Gum kept harping on about how Erin shouldn��t involve third parties when settling disputes since it wasn��t their guild who killed her). But after communicating with her, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum realized that even though Erin had indeed come from the Dragon Soul Continent, the history and development was entirely different from what they imagined. The Country of Darkness didn��t defeat the Munn Kingdom and Country of Light. Instead, a fifth dragon soul territory, the Void Territory, emerged. Not only that, but the Void Territory also supported the Light Dragon in eradicating the Light Parliament and destroying Casabianca. Rhode��s name was mentioned several times. Besides, his experience was also legendary. He started from a mercenary group that eventually grew to a guild, became an overlord, opened up a land of Chaos, and became one of the top four forces that shook the continent. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were astounded. The latter was fired up and eager to get into action with Rhode in the other world. They basically confirmed that the ��Rhode�� was their leader. Not to mention the same name and appearance, his class was also identical. If all this was only a coincidence, it wouldn��t be a coincidence anymore when he named the guild ��Starlight��, right?!


    Not only that, but also what left Mini Bubble Gum curious was that in that world, there were two people with the same name as her and Canary!


    Those damn counterfeits! I��m the real Mini Bubble Gum! It should be me who follows Leader around!


    ��Do you really intend to go there?��


    Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s words, Canary was taken aback. She asked and Mini Bubble Gum nodded with force, before gnashing her teeth and saying, ��Of course, Big Sister. Nothing good happens here and since we have this rare chance, I��m not going to let it go so easily! Hmph. Anyway, my dad is focusing all his attention on the wh*re and his dearest son. I��m sure he will set off firecrackers once I��m really dead!��


    ������


    Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s words, Canary fell into silence. As Mini Bubble Gum��s rare, close friend in the guild, Canary knew her background well. Half a year ago, Mini Bubble Gum��s father remarried. What dissatisfied Mini Bubble Gum the most was that the woman who he remarried was actually his lover whom he had a son with before he actually married Bubble��s mother for the ��need of work��. After marrying Bubble��s mother, her father gained a large sum from Bubble��s mother to expand his business to become a huge entrepreneur. Then, Bubble was born and her mother passed away after years of illnesses.


    In the beginning, the relationship between Bubble and her father wasn��t favorable because her father valued males and attached less importance to females. He bore a grudge against his wife for not bearing him a son, which explained why he often neglected Bubble and always stayed in the office. Bubble despised him and they were as though strangers.


    Around half a year ago, her father��s ex-lover brought her son and came knocking on their door to talk about the old days. Besides, that son was also the product between that woman and her father (for this, Bubble ridiculed those idiotic men who became the scapegoat of that wh*re and raised the son of another man. In Bubble��s eyes, they were ignorant fools for doing so)!


    After taking the paternity test and confirming that the son was blood-related to him, Bubble��s father who valued males more was elated. Within a short while, he brought his old lover and son back home and this left Bubble blowing her top completely.


    As the child of the first wife, Bubble loathed any third parties. Besides, she thought that if it weren��t for the vixen who seduced her father, her mother wouldn��t have ended up in this pitiful state. Moreover, Bubble was a gunpowder barrel that would explode once lit, so it was common for quarrels to break out at home. Besides, she didn��t hold back against that woman at all. She frequently criticized her for being ��a worn-out pair of shoes��, ��an unwanted wh*re��, and ��a shameless vixen��. Of course, her father couldn��t remain indifferent. Bubble and her father had a falling-out and there was no father-daughter relationship between them.


    Canary remembered clearly that Bubble mentioned more than once that she would hire a group of men to mess with that ��punctured slut��, before drowning her son with cement and throwing him into the Huangpu River! The murderous intent from Bubble when she said that left Canary lingering in fear. She was afraid that Bubble would sink too deep into it��


    That was why unlike Canary, Bubble had basically no reasons to feel reluctant to leave this world. Besides, Bubble couldn��t be happier to cause more trouble for her father. If she was spotted stirring trouble with Erin and the country sent out people to investigate her father, she would be smiling in her dreams!


    This pair of father and daughter had completely turned into enemies.


    ���� Aren��t you afraid that Her Highness Erin will imprison us in future?��


    It was due to this reason that Canary didn��t speak a word after hearing Bubble��s answer. Instead, she let out a subtle sigh and felt like Bubble was too simple-minded. After all, Erin was the princess of the Country of Darkness, while they were obviously standing on Rhode��s side. Moreover, they didn��t know the relationship between the Country of Darkness and Void Territory. So what would they do if they followed Erin back to the world and were captured as hostages? Perhaps they might even be used for experiments. After all, they were visitors from an alternate world to the Dragon Soul Continent.


    ��What��s there to be afraid of? At most, we will just be dead.��


    Even though Bubble possessed power now, she was still her same old self and wouldn��t sweat about the small matters. Facing Canary��s worries, Bubble waved her hand airily. Then, her eyes suddenly glinted and she turned around.


    ��In any case, there is no point in staying here anymore�� Yes, but I have the strength now. It isn��t too late to leave after I beat up that damn wh*re and her bast*rd son!��


    Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s words, Canary��s expression changed slightly. But before she stopped Mini Bubble Gum from doing anything silly, the little fella smiled and grabbed her hand.


    ��Big Sister, come with me. Didn��t Her Highness Erin say that the Leader over there brings us around? That means we��re always together! So, let��s go! Nothing good comes out of staying here!��


    ��I����


    Canary��s eyes glinted after hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s persuasion. But shortly after, she lowered her head and pondered in silence. She eventually shook her head.


    ��No, Bubble. I can��t, I still have my family����


    ��Family? You call them your family? Big Sister, they are murderers! Do you really intend to be punished forever by those����


    Even though Bubble was furious, she cared for Canary��s feelings and swallowed the filthy words that almost escaped her mouth. But it was obvious that she wasn��t satisfied with Canary��s decision.


    In fact, similar to Mini Bubble Gum who had a hard time with her family, Canary wasn��t faring anywhere better.


    And this was linked to Rhode in countless ways.


    A year ago, Rhode was about to graduate from university when he transmigrated to the Dragon Soul Continent.


    As the day to graduation came closer, Rhode became busier. After taking his final examinations, he welcomed a bunch of classmates and friends for dinner and drinks to celebrate the end of his university journey. Of course, Canary was among them. Since Rhode was about to graduate, he went wild and got himself drunk. Then, Canary led Rhode to bed to rest and they ��lost control when drunk���� Between their relationship, Canary definitely wouldn��t reject him if he asked, and both of them spent a passionate night together.


    As there was school the next morning, Canary left before dawn, while Rhode woke up after half the day was over. Both parties didn��t take the matter to heart. After all, that wasn��t their first or second night together. However, they neglected a crucial point. The drunk Rhode surely wouldn��t take safety precautions.


    No, it was hard to determine if Canary did it on purpose because even if Rhode was drunk, she didn��t drink any alcohol at all. In that case�� Yes, perhaps only Canary knew what happened.


    All in all, that night was similar to when they spent time together in the past. But after half a month, Canary realized something was wrong with her body. Her period didn��t happen and her body was in a terrible condition. She went to the doctor��s and�� yes�� just like the saying went, ��Touch pit and you will be defiled��.


    Canary was pregnant.


    It was previously mentioned that Canary was born into a family with a literary reputation. Her parents were strict on her and they didn��t hope for her to become successful. Instead, they were determined that she ��had to�� become successful. As their daughter, Canary was their perfect and most satisfactory masterpiece. They spent all efforts in putting her on the right path. All in all, they wanted everything she did to be right. If she didn��t follow their intentions, she would be in the wrong.


    Canary resisted but to no avail. Therefore, she lived like a puppet who did whatever her parents told her. After that incident, she decided to change her life around. Her ��friends-with-benefits�� relationship with Rhode was like a form of willful resistance toward her parents. Although it was an accident, the chances of her ��officially�� becoming Rhode��s girlfriend as his form of responsibility were high. But Canary didn��t do so. Instead, she seemed to only be obsessed with physical thrill and joy. As long as Rhode gave her a call, she would be there. Not only did she stop Rhode from buying gifts for her, but sometimes she was also the one who paid for the hotel room. Rhode felt bad at times, but Canary took pleasure in it. In fact, she knew that this ��shameless�� side of her was to go against the image that her parents ��set�� for her. She wasn��t the educated, irreproachable, sacred, and inviolable girl that her parents were proud of. Instead, she would rather be this ��slut�� who surrounded a man without seeking returns to be thrown aside after he was done playing with her!


    It could also be said that a certain degree of masochism was part of the reason why she didn��t ��conduct herself with dignity��.


    And now, she was finally blooming.


    Rhode saw through her. Even though Canary wasn��t a ��defiant young lady�� like Mini Bubble Gum, she was, in fact, rebellious at the deepest level. However, she wasn��t ��actively�� rebellious, but was ��passively�� rebellious instead. Any form of ��rebellion�� had a reason for her. For instance, before she met Rhode, she always acted like the obedient girl in her parent��s eyes. But after giving Rhode her first time, she gained the reason to be ��rebellious�� immediately. She began enjoying the thrills of physical intimacy from the bottom of her heart and gained the strength to ��secretly go against�� her parents. And now, after bearing a child, she had a new ��reason�� to gain the strength to resist her parents. Therefore, after learning that she was pregnant, she made a decision.


    She decided to give birth to this child.


    She had done all sorts of mental preparations for it. For the sake of the child, she would drop out of university and work part-time jobs to earn a living. Unlike the ��impulsive�� Mini Bubble Gum, Canary had the maturity to reflect over the situation. This was also the best chance for her to break free from her parent��s ��pressurizing dominance��. From that day onward, she would live for her child and herself, not as a puppet for her parents anymore!


    She was able to keep it a secret in the beginning since she had a great figure. But the truth always came out eventually. After a few months, her family learned of her pregnancy.


    Then, a war began.


    Canary��s parents didn��t expect their perfect and most impressive masterpiece of a daughter to have sexual encounters with a man at this young age and even became pregnant with his child. This was completely a bolt from the blue. It went without saying that they resisted and ordered her to abort the child. But Canary vowed to die rather than obey. She couldn��t care less even if her parents decided to sever their kinship and chase her out of the home. Canary didn��t treat the child as a tool. The child was also her hope to live a new life. No matter what, she had decided to give birth to the child.


    But she was too gullible. She didn��t expect her parents to be that cruel to pretend to discuss with her about her child and put abortion drugs into her drink!


    Canary could never forget her emotions back then, especially after she woke up on the hospital bed. After she couldn��t feel the new life inside her any longer, that was the first time she felt despair as though her final trace of hope had disappeared with the child.


    As a matter of fact, her condition was in a critical state. Upon arriving at the hospital, the doctor asserted that both Canary and her child might have difficulties surviving. When the operating procedure was needed, her parents vanished without a trace and didn��t have the intention to sign the surgery agreement at all. Perhaps to them, this failure and disappointment of a daughter was better off dead. Fortunately, the hospital Canary was admitted to was owned by Bubble��s family. Bubble happened to be there in person and was shaken to see Canary lying on the emergency bed. Bubble strictly ordered the doctors to rescue her. As a result, Canary managed to survive after an all-out operation, but the child couldn��t be saved.


    Thereafter, Canary had as though become alone. The university was full of gossip about her. Even though there were other students who committed the same mistakes, Canary was always the paragon of virtue and learning. For this to happen to her was as though fans learning of their certain ��maiden idol�� being a drug addict: it was extremely shocking to them.


    Later on, Canary did attempt to contact Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum also tried her best searching everywhere for him. But it was a pity that he had already transmigrated and they couldn��t possibly find him.


    After that day, Canary never returned to that home, but rented an apartment with Mini Bubble Gum instead. Their trip this time could also be seen as licking their wounds. Be it Canary who was abandoned by her parents or Mini Bubble Gum who had a falling out with her family, neither of them were in a favorable situation.


    ��But I����


    If Rhode were to meet Canary now, he would surely be shaken because this steady, gentle, and smiley young lady was revealing a timid and hesitant expression. That moment she lost her final hope was as though she had lost her courage to continue living on.


    ��Big Sister! You can��t go on like this! Nothing good comes as a result of us staying here! Isn��t this the best chance for us? Let��s go look for Leader! Big Sister, don��t you want to see him? If Leader met with an accident and transmigrated to that side, it means that he hasn��t given up on you! Big Sister, you can��t go on like this!��


    ��But I����


    ��No more buts!��


    Mini Bubble Gum raised her voice and disrupted Canary��s hesitation. Mini Bubble Gum clutched Canary��s hands tightly and glared at her.


    ��Big Sister, you want to meet Leader, right? Let��s leave this world and start afresh! You don��t need to see those murderers anymore. I don��t want to meet my annoying dad and his mistress either. Anyway, we��re just unnecessary people in their lives, aren��t we? What can we change even if we stay behind?��


    ������


    This time, Canary didn��t answer immediately. She lowered her head, pondered in silence, and eventually nodded.


    ��Let me consider���� Canary said.

 Chapter 1101 - emporary Ending

    Rhode leaned back on the sofa leisurely, gazing at the glass of red wine in his hand.


    He shifted his gaze out the window, but there was nobody. Desolate Town had turned into a ghost town with the bustling streets emptied. Devils roaming in every corner were also nowhere to be seen anymore. The place became incredibly silent despite the occasional sound of wind. Rhode turned to Lesa who sat on her knees behind him. Upon detecting his gaze, she nodded firmly. Then, he shifted his gaze forward.


    ��Let��s do it, Cassidy.��


    ��Y-Yes, I got it, Your Majesty.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s voice, Cassidy, who kept a distance away from him, shrunk her shoulders instinctively and nodded as though responding to a bully��s threat. She raised and extended her right hand to the void in front of her and her expression changed abruptly. The flustered expression of the timid hamster vanished entirely, only to be replaced by calmness and dignity. At this moment, Cassidy showcased her power and prestige as a Deity Warden.


    At a glance, nothing seemed to have changed. The earth didn��t shatter, there weren��t any huge explosions, and there also weren��t any strong lighting effects as though nothing had happened. But if one were to step out of this house, raise one��s head to gaze at the sky, one would be stunned to realize the transformations: the messy, chaotic sky that resembled red dough was slowly turning normal. The uneven colors merged into one gradually as though someone were evening out the colors of the heavily-inked sky. Shortly after, the cloudy, vexing sky cleared up. The tempest and sand gradually subsided. Even though ordinary people couldn��t see it, they could feel the chaotic world undergoing a change. Chaos dispersed under the pure radiance of the sun and was slowly replaced by omnipresent Order. One made way for the other as the world transformed inadvertently.


    Seems to work great.


    Sensing the conversion of the strength of Order, Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Apart from his main motive, he came here to also witness if Cassidy��s capability was as useful as the other Deity Wardens stated. In fact, he had a doubt for a long time: how powerful were the Deity Wardens and why were they defeated by Chaos? Actually, the answers to these questions were simple. The strength of Deity Wardens was established on the foundation of Order. Once Order was destroyed, their strength declined and in addition to Chaos��s specialty, the ��human-wave attack��, the Deity Wardens couldn��t resist them.


    All in all, the Deity Wardens were somewhat ��meek and civil in public, but tyrants at home��. They couldn��t last long after getting out of the land of Order.


    But this way, there was another problem. Just as Rhode thought, the Dragon Soul Continent couldn��t possibly resist Chaos for too long and was eventually destroyed by it. On the contrary, if the six Deity Wardens were only ��meek and civil in public, but tyrants at home��, they would be entirely doomed once Chaos arrived and the Dragon Soul Continent would perish. There were no two ways about that. However, Deity Wardens supported the continent for years and it eventually collapsed. So, how did they do that? There was only one answer: Cassidy.


    Just as Rhode expected, among the six Deity Wardens, only Christie and Cassidy could stand against Chaos by themselves. One could create Order, while the other could convert Chaos into Order. It could also be said that whenever they got into a war with Chaos, Cassidy was the first to cast her ��power of contrast�� to convert all Chaos into Order to control the battle situation, before the remaining Deity Wardens joined in the fight. Based on this fact, Christie and Cassidy could be considered on the same level as the Creator Dragons. But their strength wasn��t as powerful and was limited too�� especially when Christie��s strength came from the first Void Dragon.


    And this time, the reason why Rhode brought Cassidy along was for him to personally check out if this Contrast Deity Warden was strong enough for a battle against Chaos. After all, if he wanted to transport the entire continent to a new world, Chaos surely wouldn��t let him off that easily. When that happened, they would get into a brawl with Chaos. And now, Rhode was starting his preparations as the endless flow of Chaos wasn��t a joke at all. If he weren��t prepared and Chaos launched their attack, everything would be for naught. That was why the battle against Chaos was most certainly confirmed, so he had to get ready beforehand. It was just like how he knew the war against the Country of Darkness was inevitable and prepared much earlier.


    Now it seemed like Cassidy��s abilities were indeed interesting. Rhode sensed the presence of Chaos instantly disappearing. It was like two sides of a coin, flipping to one side after someone tossed it over and instantly changing the current result. With her abilities, they would have an advantage over Chaos and the war would be more relaxing. Of course, there was also a limit to the relaxation��


    Screech.


    But now, Rhode wasn��t concerned about this problem because the tightly-locked door opened gradually all of a sudden. The view outside the door which should have been the streets was pitch-black for some unknown reason. Rhode felt a coldness that went straight into his bone marrow like the iceberg of a thousand years. At the next moment, a domineering figure walked out from the door.


    ��What awesome work, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    ��I didn��t expect you to come, Asmodeus.��


    Rhode gazed at the man and adjusted his posture on the soft sofa casually. Asmodeus smiled and revealed his white teeth in response, before glancing at the surroundings and shifting his gaze to Lesa and Cassidy, who stood around Rhode. As Asmodeus scanned them from head to toe, Lesa didn��t move an inch. She continued to stand silently behind Rhode. On the other hand, Cassidy narrowed her eyes and looked at the man gloomily. In the face of Asmodeus, this Deity Warden didn��t seem to have any symptoms of ��male-phobia�� at all.


    ��It involves our agreement, so how can I possibly not come, Your Majesty? Besides, I also made a vow on the River Styx and of course, you would be in a tight spot if I��m not here, right?��


    What a load of crap.


    Rhode sneered at Asmodeus��s words. Back then, Rhode agreed to only wipe out the devil-filled Desolate Town and wasn��t responsible for its aftermath. It could also be said that he could leave right away after cleaning up Desolate Town and there would be no consequences for him. Of course, he didn��t forget about the language trap: if he only cleaned up Desolate Town, he wouldn��t achieve the effect of the oath. The clash between Order and Chaos was naturally calculated, which was why he had gotten Cassidy to clean up part of it, which involved converting Chaos into Order. To demons, it was definitely essential and fortunately, there was more or less some presence of Order in this highest floor of Bottomless Abyss, so it wasn��t tough to clean things up. On the other hand, Asmodeus apparently realized this point, which was perhaps why he came here.


    ��Alright then. Since you��re here, does this mean that the agreement between us has been reached?��


    ��Of course, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Asmodeus revealed an elegant smile to Rhode��s question. The former sauntered to the window, gazed amusingly at the scenery outside, and nodded in satisfaction. Then, he continued: ��Frankly, I��m astonished. I thought that even with your gracious help, it wouldn��t be easy occupying Desolate Town. I was even prepared to fix up the place right after, but I didn��t expect you to give me such a huge surprise, Your Majesty.��


    Indeed, just as Asmodeus said, there weren��t any traces of battle or damage in Desolate Town at all. Apart from the entrance bombarded by Lesa, everything else was in normal condition. But the only difference was that there was no one left. Be it humans who lived here, devils, or other creatures, they were nowhere to be seen. It seemed like instead of saying that Rhode cleaned up the place, it was more like an evacuation�� it was impossible to say that there were no issues in this place. But it exceeded Asmodeus��s expectations. He scanned Desolate Town with his dark, pitch-black eyes, before turning around to look at Rhode.


    ��I, in the name of Asmodeus, hereby confirm that my agreement with the Void Dragon, His Majesty Rhode, has been achieved.��


    Asmodeus said, elegantly bowing to Rhode.


    ��It is my turn to fulfill my obligations this time, Your Majesty Rhode. Don��t worry, I will do it according to plan and ensure that your plan is successful until completion.��


    ��Alright then, we shall take our leave now.��


    After receiving Asmodeus��s answer, Rhode let out a snort and replied. Upon witnessing his response, Asmodeus displayed an odd smile and said, ��Of course, Your Majesty. But if it is possible, could you stay for a while? There will be an upcoming performance and I guarantee you��ll like it a lot. Yes�� perhaps you��re already aware, but I have to say that you��ve helped us a ton.��


    Asmodeus said and bowed respectfully to Rhode once again. Then, he turned around and left the room. The door closed shut and the deep, oppressing darkness vanished, returning everything to normal. But the atmosphere was apparently different.


    ��I don��t like him.��


    Cassidy muttered under her breath, gazing in the direction where Asmodeus left from. It was apparent that she wasn��t satisfied with this demon lord. On the other hand, Rhode narrowed his eyes and gazed outside the window, his eyes glinting with a mysterious smile.


    ��It seems like we have visitors.��


    ***


    ��Right there!��


    Gazing at Desolate Town ahead, Andre��s eyes glinted with unprecedented excitement and vengeance. As of now, he was no longer as high-spirited. After following Rhode��s group all the way into the Bottomless Abyss and Rift Plain, he was covered in dust and filthy mud from head to toe. He had also become thin like a demon-like presence in hell.


    Through Cheryl��s aura guidance, he followed them all day and finally arrived at this place. The thought of sinking Rhode��s group into this place of eternal evil made him shiver in excitement.


    This should be how it ends for that executioner! He only deserves to suffer in agony in this sinister place!


    ��You know what to do, right, Andre?��


    At this moment, Andre heard a soothing and alluring voice that sent a shiver down his spine. The angelic voice sounded like soft, melodious music to his ears, causing him to fall into an unprecedented blissfulness. But shortly after, he returned to his senses and nodded with strength.


    ��Of course, as long as I create a space crack when they are about to leave, I can seal them inside the endless space crack forever and they can never leave, right?��


    ��Yes. That��s the way, my boy.��


    After hearing Andre��s response, the succubus chuckled and extended her fair, slender hand to caress his cheek gently, as though touching and pulling his heartstrings. But shortly after, Andre pulled a long face and struck her hand away. Then, he gazed at the smiley succubus and spoke coldly.


    ��I know what to do.��


    ��Oh? I��ll leave it to you in that case.


    The succubus wasn��t mindful of Andre��s rudeness at all. She chortled, took two steps back, and turned around to leave. At this moment, Andre turned over, retrieved a whistle-like object from his pocket, and put it between his lips. Then, he gave it a hard blow. Even though there wasn��t any sound, the faint magical radiance emanating from the whistle-like object proved that it was working. Shortly after, a slender figure gradually appeared.


    ��Andre?��


    Cheryl gazed at the man speechlessly, with complicated emotions. Of course, she knew why he was here. But now, she felt like Andre had made a huge mistake. She understood his feelings, but felt like this wasn��t beneficial to them. Besides, for some unknown reason, she felt like there were some hidden conspiracies involved.


    ��They��re right ahead, right, Cheryl?��


    ��Yes����


    Cheryl nodded to his question. Then, she hesitated for a few moments and said, ��His Majesty Rhode is currently in Desolate Town, but the situation there is�� really strange. Andre, I feel like�� this is too risky. Are you sure we��re going to do this?��


    Cheryl didn��t mention what Rhode did in Desolate Town earlier. In fact, after personally witnessing the strength of Rhode��s group, she felt like Andre��s idea was terrible. There was an instant when Cheryl almost gave up on the plan. But in the end, after receiving Andre��s signal, she sneaked away from the rest and met up with him. It wasn��t because she trusted this plan, but because she was deeply in love with this man.


    ��Of course.��


    Upon hearing Cheryl��s question, Andre nodded in excitement. He reached out for a piece of clear crystal from his pocket.


    ��Do you know what this is, Cheryl? It��s a Space Crystal! I��ve been waiting for this moment and they��re finally in the abyss! This is a land of Chaos and it is hard for the strength of space to function properly. As long as I activate this Space Crystal while they aren��t paying attention, I can shatter the space, as well as the space barrier that they��re in altogether! After that happens, they will plunge into the depth of Bottomless Abyss and can never climb back up! Even if he��s a dragon soul heir, he shall be devoured by the countless devils!��


    ��But�� this����


    As a spell caster, Cheryl understood the functions of a Space Crystal. Of course, she felt the strength of space from the crystal. However, she was worried because shattering space wasn��t easy, especially in the face of powerful beings. If Andre wanted to shatter space, he needed more strength and despite that, it might not even succeed. If not, there would be no need for mages in the Dragon Soul Continent to learn magic spells because wouldn��t they be the most powerful beings if they focused on gaining strength in destroying space? And now��


    ��Hurry up, this is the best time to activate the crystal while they��re in Desolate Town, Cheryl! Quick, this is the time for us to strike. As long as we complete this mission, we can return to the main plane. Isn��t that what you wished for?��


    ��I����


    Cheryl accepted the crystal from Andre hesitantly. After a few moments of hesitation, she didn��t activate the crystal immediately as Andre anticipated. No matter what, this was something that the demons handed to them. Cheryl found it hard to believe that no traps were involved. Come to think of it, Rhode had a powerful demon (Celestina) around him and those demons still dared to attack Rhode? If so, why would the demons choose Andre and herself for the job? Were demons so reasonable in general?


    At this thought, Cheryl spoke with a heavy heart.


    ��Andre, we��re better off abandoning this plan and seeking help from His Majesty Rhode instead. He said that he would bring me back to the main plane and it seems to me that he isn��t one who fusses over minor matters. If you��re willing����


    Smack!


    Out of her expectations, Cheryl found herself on the ground; when she returned to her senses, her cheek was burning in pain. The young elf lady gazed speechlessly at Andre, who had a malevolent and twisted expression. Andre��s complexion turned grim and was filled with anger.


    ��What nonsense! I will never bow down to that man! I would rather work with demons than that man! Since you��re unwilling, let me do it!��


    Andre snatched the crystal from Cheryl and raised it high in the air.


    ��Andre, no!!!��


    Cheryl was distraught. She pounced on him quickly to stop him, but it was too late.


    The crystal erupted a dazzling radiance of space and shortly after, golden rune threads emerged, intertwining above Desolate Town to form a massive, spinning spatial gate. Looking at this scene, Andre revealed an exhilarating smile.


    ��This is it! Die!��


    However, the spatial collapse that he anticipated didn��t happen. Instead, the radiance turned increasingly glaring. Andre sensed the crystal exploding with a powerful force of suction that began to fanatically extract and devour his spiritual power! Then, the powerful energy erupted to the surroundings. The defenseless Cheryl was struck by it and she became unconscious.


    ��Ahhhhh!!��


    Andre let out a blood-curdling scream. His body could be seen aging and shriveling rapidly. His spiritual powers were fading away from his body as though they were devoured by some presence. At the same time, the spatial gate spun quickly and demon forces emerged one by one!


    ��We��ve met again, human. You��ve done a good job!��


    A demon with scarlet skin appeared before Andre. He laughed heartily, lifted his head, and looked down upon this shriveled human. Andre couldn��t hang on any longer. His spiritual powers were completely wiped out from the earlier teleportation. The only thing he could do now was to widen his eyes and stare at the demon unconvincingly.


    ��Y-You tricked us!��


    ��I didn��t trick you, human! If this is the abyss where Chaos resides, the crystal can indeed shatter space! But this place is a land of Order! I recall clearly telling you the crystal can only work in a land of Chaos. On a land of Order, it will only unleash its rightful power!��


    ��How is that possible�� t-this is the abyss!��


    Gnashing his teeth, Andre could never imagine himself making such a mistake. He stared at the demon unwillingly. But to the demon, this human had no more purpose to him.


    ��I represent the army in thanking you. Without you, it wouldn��t have been this easy getting through the River Styx and devil army. But it��s a pity that there��s no purpose in our agreement anymore! Since you can��t fulfill our agreement, it means that you voided it! According to our agreement, your soul shall belong to us!��


    ��T-That isn��t how it is. You can��t do that. This is a conspiracy! A trap!��


    Andre struggled, but at the next moment his body was punctured by a flaming spear.


    ��Your soul is filled with vengeance, Human. I will adore your soul a lot.��


    Gazing at the flaming spear in the totally shriveled human, the demon revealed a proud grin. Then, he turned to the side.


    ��And you, merchant! Our collaboration is a huge success! I��m satisfied!��


    ��Thanks for the compliment.��


    Stefania strolled out from the side with a smile and approached the unconscious Cheryl. She scanned her, before bending over and carrying the young elf lady.


    ��Alright then, as per agreement, I��m accepting my reward. Sir Commander, I hope to work with you again in the future.��


    ��Done?��


    Standing and waiting outside Desolate Town, Rhode asked, gazing at Stefania who carried the young elf lady in her arms. The latter said with a smile.


    ��Of course, Your Majesty. It is all thanks to your generosity. No matter what, I don��t wish for this adorable young lady to be sacrificed to those ugly and filthy men.��


    ��It doesn��t matter to me. Since you want her as the commission for hiring the ferryman for us to get through the River Styx, you can have her.��


    Rhode spoke, sweeping a glance at the demons who exited the teleportation gate and were taking over Desolate Town in an orderly manner. Perhaps after some time, Desolate Town would be the front line for the demon army, but this had nothing to do with Rhode at all.


    ��Alright, let��s head back,�� he said.

 Chapter 1102 - : A New Problem Arises Before the Old One is Solved

    Rhode��s journey in the underworld came to an end for now. Of course, he didn��t trust that Asmodeus would keep his word. In fact, demons latched onto every opportunity there was. If Rhode were that foolish to think that this was the end of his exchange with Asmodeus, he would truly be a fool. But�� he had his own countermeasures.


    But he didn��t expect that as he finally returned to the main plane, before he had the chance to catch his breath, he heard news that made him jump up from the sofa. He was truly startled after hearing the news.


    ��Erin is missing?��


    ��Yes, Rhode.��


    Marlene replied with a solemn expression. But she couldn��t be blamed as the disappearance of the moon princess was indeed too bothersome. It could also be said that after Marlene learned about it, she focused all her energy on that matter. But even so, she didn��t receive the results she expected and this left her feeling somewhat defeated. Gazing at her grim expression, Rhode knew he should watch his words. After gnashing his teeth and pondering for a few moments, he continued to ask.


    ��What happened exactly? Tell me the details.��


    ��Alright, Rhode.��


    Marlene seemed to be long prepared for this. After hearing his question, she reported the matter, starting from the beginning. In fact, the situation wasn��t all that complicated. It happened soon after Rhode led his group to the underworld. After Rhode left, Erin stayed in the Country of Darkness for a few days and when she decided to return to the Void Territory out of boredom, she wrote two reports to Ion and Marlene (after all, she was a diplomat for the Void Territory apart from being the moon princess). After ensuring that there were no issues, Erin left the Darkness Capital and headed for the Void Territory.


    The situation should have been that simple, but what left Marlene puzzled was that Erin was nowhere to be seen two days after her departure. Besides, Angelina also mentioned that she didn��t see the moon princess anywhere in Grandia. That was really strange. Even though Erin often acted as she pleased, she was serious when it came to business. It was especially so for her identity that predetermined this moon princess couldn��t head wherever she wanted. But Marlene felt odd that she didn��t meet Erin after two days. She asked the Country of Darkness about it and the response from them was that Erin had already left the Darkness Capital two days ago!


    This matter was serious. After hearing about this news, Marlene was stunned. She instinctively felt like the situation was out of hand. She looked for Alice quickly, hoping that Alice could find out about Erin��s whereabouts. In the end, the results that Alice received astounded Marlene. According to Alice, Erin��s history was broken off and there was only one possibility. She was no longer in this world!


    ��No longer in this world?��


    Rhode asked with an odd expression. No matter what, this description didn��t sound great at all and it also felt unimaginable to him. Frankly, if Erin was killed by someone, Rhode��s first reaction would be to feel shocked because in terms of all-out strength, even he couldn��t defeat Erin in a short battle, not to mention her being the moon princess.


    ��Was she killed in our territory?��


    Rhode knitted his brows at this thought. If Erin got into trouble on his territory, he would be in for a huge trouble. But after pondering in silence, Marlene shook her head and denied. ��No, Rhode. According to Alice, Erin went missing before she arrived at the Void Territory. She should have gone missing in the Country of Darkness.��


    ��That��s interesting.��


    Upon hearing Marlene��s response, Rhode��s curiosity piqued. Honestly, if Erin were to be killed, Rhode thought that the possibilities of her being killed in the Void Territory were much higher as she was the moon princess who wouldn��t die as long as the moon was there. So taking a step back, it wasn��t impossible for Erin to be dead during daytime in the Void Territory because she lost her immortality due to the absence of the moon��though the chances were one in ten million. According to Marlene, it seemed like Erin went missing in the Country of Darkness? Everything was too strange! The Country of Darkness had three moons hanging in the sky! Erin, killed? Rhode wouldn��t believe it at all.


    ��Could she have headed to the outside world like us?��


    Rhode raised one of the possibilities at this thought. After all, Alice only said that Erin was no longer in this world. So perhaps she met an accident and went to the elemental world, Seven Fantasy Boundaries, or whatnot. Maybe she went to the underworld like them too. It wasn��t totally impossible, right?


    ��That isn��t the case, Your Majesty.��


    At this moment, Alice finally spoke.


    ��My historical records included all history in the Dragon Soul Continent,. And now, there are no historical records of Her Highness Erin. This goes to show that she is no longer in this world.��


    ��Mmm�� hmm?��


    Suddenly, Rhode was taken aback. He caught a loophole in Alice��s words.


    ��What you meant was�� Erin disappeared from this world?��


    ��Yes.��


    I see.


    Upon hearing Alice��s confident answer, Rhode nodded. Although the first reaction when one heard of a person being ��no longer in this world�� was that the person was definitely dead, Alice��s record was the ��history��. Putting it bluntly, even if Erin were truly dead, the process of the rotting and decomposing of her corpse would still be recorded because this belonged to Erin��s personal ��history��. And now, Alice clearly said that she wasn��t in this world and couldn��t be recorded. This proved that Erin was out of the range of Alice��s ��historical records��, which meant that she was truly ��no longer in this world��.


    ��In this case, she most likely has gotten herself in an accident.��


    Rhode understood Erin quite well. If Anne were to go missing, he wouldn��t be surprised. After all, Anne relied on senses rather than brains when doing things. On the other hand, even though Erin seemed nonchalant, she was meticulous with her work and had strong resilience. Rhode wouldn��t believe that she would accidentally fall into some trap. In that case, she was most likely caught in an accident. But Rhode was also curious as to what exact accident made someone like Erin fall for. It wasn��t easy at all. At this thought, Rhode didn��t speak any further, but asked instead.


    ��By the way, what��s the response from the Country of Darkness?��


    ��Ugh����


    This time, Marlene put up a difficult expression. She gazed cautiously at Rhode and spoke.


    ��This�� the Country of Darkness refused to believe us. They accused our Void Territory of Her Highness Erin��s disappearance. His Majesty Ion has also sent men over several times to hear an explanation from us�� Perhaps there might even be a war!��


    ��Hmph!��


    Rhode��s expression changed instantly as he slammed the table.


    ��Hear an explanation from us? Ion, that scoundrel. Previously I tolerated him out of respect to the princess when he found trouble with me. It seems like he can��t remain idle anymore, huh? Marlene, tell that scoundrel, Ion, that I will demolish his Darkness Capital if his undead army takes one step over the border! I will let him experience how Casabianca perished!��


    At this moment, a deep voice sounded from outside the door.


    ��Oh? His Majesty Rhode sounds pretty confident. I do want to see how you demolish my Darkness Capital!��


    Boom!


    All of a sudden, the door swung wide and the grim-looking Ion barged into the room in large strides. He glared at Rhode with a fierce, unkind face. Facing the sudden appearance of the Dark Dragon, Rhode didn��t shrink at all. Or perhaps, he knew that Ion was outside, which was why he purposely said that to agitate him.


    ��What? I don��t mind showing it to you if you want, Your Majesty Ion. If you would like to, I can smash your Darkness Capital to mince meat. Fight me if you have the guts.��


    ��Do you think I��m afraid to do it?��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s taunt, Ion responded with a grim expression. He held his sword hilt by his waist and a dark, massive dragon��s prestige exploded instantly. But shortly after, the earth-shattering dragon��s prestige of the Void Dragon retaliated from all directions to suppress its opposition.


    ��Fine, Your Majesty Ion. If you dare to do it on my territory, I guarantee that next year today will be the death anniversary for you and the Country of Darkness!��


    Leaning back against the chair, Rhode didn��t stand to his feet. He crossed his arms and glared coldly at the man before him. The ice-cold murderous intent from him materialized into a substantial aura that spread apart wildly and even the walls and floor shook and cracked due to the invisible clash of dragon��s prestiges. In an instant, the entire study room was caught in an extremely dangerous stalemate. Be it Ion, Rhode, or the others, they had sunk into a mysterious and subtle balance like the sense of danger while walking on sharp blades. Perhaps a war that would engulf the entire continent was about to erupt at the very next moment.


    In this situation, no one dared to say a word, be it Marlene, or Garcia, who came with Ion. The atmosphere was exceedingly tense because they sensed that be it Rhode or Ion, the murderous intent they exuded was completely genuine. In other words, if they broke into a fight, Rhode would do his utmost to keep Ion��s corpse in this place. Even if the continent were doomed, he would drag the Country of Darkness into the grave. Facing this young junior, Ion was completely serious. He didn��t care if his Country of Darkness would perish. Even if he were to break out into an all-out war with the Void Territory, he couldn��t care less!


    If no one stopped them, the clash between the Void Territory and Country of Darkness would erupt completely!


    If no one stopped them, that was��


    ��Oh-no-no, Your Majesties, why the hot temper? I know everyone is anxious about Her Highness Erin��s disappearance, but it doesn��t have to be this way����


    Nalea entered the room with a smile and said. Following closely behind her, Siena carried the well-known and symbolic sword on her back and stared at Rhode and Ion vigilantly. Well, she couldn��t be blamed because she knew clearly that both of their murderous intentions were for real and they wholeheartedly wished to kill each other. This left Siena extremely nervous because ever since she was born in the Dragon Soul Continent, she had never faced such a situation before! Fortunately this time, her elder sister was also here. If not, the consequences would be unimaginable!


    ��Hmph!��


    ��Tsk.��


    With Nalea intervening, the clash between both sides came to an end. Ion and Rhode glared at each other before turning around and dispersing the hostile aura dramatically. Looking at this scene, everyone else heaved a long sigh of relief, especially Nalea and Siena. Although they should be the neutral party, logically speaking, if Rhode and Ion were to exchange blows, perhaps they would have a hard time staying neutral.


    ��His Majesty Ion is a little agitated, but you must also empathize with him, Your Majesty Rhode. No matter what, Her Highness Erin is his younger sister����


    ��Tsk.��


    Rhode snorted to Nalea��s words. He knew this was just her excuse for Ion. As a man with a ��sister complex��, how would it be possible for Rhode to not recognize another guy with a ��sister complex��? So be it if Ion was one of them, but Rhode knew clearly that even though Ion was somewhat concerned about Erin��s disappearance, the keyword was ��somewhat��. As a matter of fact, Ion was actually making use of this incident as a means to apply pressure on the Void Territory. This left Rhode extremely dissatisfied. So be it if Ion was applying pressure, but to use his younger sister as a reason was totally unacceptable.


    Pretending to be someone with a ��sister complex�� in front of my face? Count yourself lucky to be spared from punishment by me!


    In this case, it wasn��t surprising anymore why Rhode exuded genuine ��murderous intent��.


    Even though Erin was only a princess, it wasn��t strange for four Creator Dragons to gather for her. The reason was simple. Apart from her powerful strength and her mysterious disappearance, there was something that was most important: her identity.


    She was the ��moon princess��.


    In other words, in the Dragon Soul Continent, Erin represented the rules of the ��moon��. If Erin were dead, the rules of the moon would search for another being to be reincarnated just like the Creator Dragons. But it was entirely different since she went missing. Erin wasn��t dead, so the rule of the ��moon�� would continue to follow her. On the other hand, her disappearance was like a staff defecting with confidential material. It would cause changes and even chaos to the rules and Order of the continent. Moreover, it might even lead to an all-out conflict between the Void Territory and Country of Darkness. Therefore, this incident shouldn��t be belittled.


    Judging from the war that was on the verge of eruption, Nalea��s and Siena��s worries weren��t for nothing.


    After the hostile aura dispersed entirely, the three parties sat down for a detailed discussion (Lilian wasn��t in the picture as she was busy reconstructing the Country of Light). Rhode represented the Void Territory in asserting that Erin��s disappearance didn��t happen in the Void Territory and he was unaware of what happened. On the other hand, Ion��s statement was more vague. He claimed that Erin went missing around the border between the Void Territory and Country of Darkness. But as for the exact location, he couldn��t provide a clear answer. As for how exactly Erin went missing, neither of them had a clue and this was what they were most concerned about. To be able to secretly ��kidnap�� Erin without the four Creator Dragons knowing, this proved that the other party was truly capable. Even if it were an accident, it wasn��t just a simple one.


    What if it wasn��t an accident? That would be more worrying. Although the five Creator Dragons were the strongest in the Dragon Soul Continent, there were also other representatives of rules. For instance, Erin represented the ��moon��, Lydia represented the ��sun��, Cassidy ��contrast��, Christie ��creation��, Alice ��history��, and Marlene ��wisdom��. An elemental lord like Gillian was also considered a representative. Even Karin��s ��skills�� and Sonia��s ��illusion�� were also considered a lower-end representative of rules. If the other party could easily ��kidnap�� Erin, perhaps the safety of these representatives of rules wasn��t guaranteed either!


    Therefore, no matter based on what reason, as the Creator Dragons, be it Rhode, Ion, or the twin dragons, they couldn��t stand idly by. If the representatives of rules were to go missing too, loopholes would appear in the rules they represented. One or two were fine, but if they were filled with holes like cheese, it would lead to major disasters! This way, Chaos might possibly take advantage of the lapse and they had to be stopped.


    After a discussion between the three parties, they decided to send out a joint investigations team to figure out what exactly happened!

 Chapter 1103 - Calling of a Mission or Cell Division?

    ��What an amazing work of art.��


    Gazing at the black slate floating before her in midair, Erin praised in admiration and her eyes glinted in curiosity and amusement. Even though she wasn��t a historian researching ancient artifacts, her accomplishment in this field was still outstanding. The patterns of the black slate gave her endless joy and surprise because she realized that although the patterns weren��t beautiful, each side of them had a specific meaning.


    ��Is that thing so interesting, Your Highness Erin?��


    Mini Bubble Gum laid on the table, resting her cheeks on her hands and staring at the slate. Upon hearing her question, Erin chuckled, extended her finger, and slid across the slate��s sleek surface. After this motion from her, the black slate flickered in a series of bright patterns that paused on the surface, before quickly vanishing without a trace like the afterimages of some flashes.


    ��Of course, Miss Bubble. These patterns may seem ordinary, but the meaning they represent isn��t normal at all. If my interpretation is right, this slate records the history of Dragon Soul Continent ever since its existence. It describes how the five Creator Dragons opened up a world amongst Chaos and led the remaining creatures of Order in avoiding the infiltration of Chaos�� Yes, this slate conceals the strength that created this world. I sense the motion echoing between Chaos and Order from it. But how strange, logically speaking, Chaos and Order can never coexist. But this slate is able to unify them perfectly. This is really odd����


    ��In other words, this is something from the Dragon Soul Continent? Why is it here? What does it say?��


    Mini Bubble Gum��s curiosity piqued, blinking curiously at the slate. However, Canary knitted her brows in uncertainty. Logically, if the Dragon Soul Continent truly existed, it shouldn��t have anything to do with earth. If what Erin said was true that the slate came from the Dragon Soul Continent, perhaps the situation was more intricate than she imagined.


    ��This is part of a bigger slate, so I��m only able to read a few paragraphs. The grammatical composition is neither similar to the common language used in the Dragon Soul Continent nor same as the Guyamla language. Fortunately, I��ve once checked the historical records about the writings at the beginning of the world in the Country of Darkness��s library�� yes�� the content of this slate was changing constantly, but they are roughly within the same range. If I��m not wrong, the content on this slate is describing how the Creator Dragons used the dragon soul powers to isolate Chaos�� between heaven and earth�� hmm?��


    As Erin soliloquized, she cocked her head and knitted her brows curiously. Then, she shook her head and gave up reading.


    ��No, I can��t read it. The texts are changing too quickly. Perhaps only after assembling all the slates will I be able to read the full content.��


    ��In that case, Your Highness Erin, your next job is to look for the other slates? Oh-oh-oh, this suddenly feels like a plot in Indiana Jones! I love watching Raiders of the Lost Ark!��


    Mini Bubble Gum jumped up, rejoicing in excitement. It seemed like she had decided to cause a huge ruckus. Perhaps Mini Bubble Gum had no choice but to follow Erin as she was powerless before, for some unknown reason, she immediately revealed her ��true colors�� after gaining the strength that should have belonged to the game. Upon realizing this, Canary held her forehead, sighed, and shook her head helplessly. But after pondering in silence for a few moments, she asked.


    ��Your Highness Erin, are you able to confirm the remaining number of slates and their location?��


    ��There should be a total of five slates because I can already sense the presence of the other four���� Erin said, waving her hand. Shortly after, a holographic 3D projection map appeared in front of the trio. Looking at it, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t help but put up strange expressions. They knew clearly that not anyone had access to such a base hologram. And now, this princess who didn��t know what a computer was actually knew how to control it smoothly��


    ��Please display the locations I��ve marked earlier.��


    ��Yes, Commander.��


    An electronic voice which should be an artificial-intelligence responded. It seemed like it was completely under Erin��s control through her spell because it subconsciously treated her as the highest commanding officer. Come to think of it, an artificial-intelligence consisting of data could actually be influenced by spells. This wasn��t great news in any way, right!


    Cough, cough. We will talk about the problem of the progress of human science and technology in the future.


    Shortly after Erin��s command, the markings on four bases were shown clearly on the map. After looking at their location, Canary��s and Mini Bubble Gum��s expressions changed slightly. Even though they were only passing travelers, they knew exactly where they were. Even worldly civilians knew that forbidden areas of the military shouldn��t be trespassed, not to mention one of the bases was in the core area of the Americas Region!


    ��Woah�� this is getting troublesome.��


    Even Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t help but click her tongue. It was apparent that even though this little fella was reckless, she was aware of the limits. These places were in the core areas of the Americas Region. If they were to follow Erin in wreaking havoc, the entire Americas Region would perish! Would everything be fine?


    ���� Are these places difficult?��


    ��Hmm�� in terms of importance, they should be around the same level as the Wisdom Tower in the Country of Darkness, I suppose.��


    Mini Bubble Gum answered, pulling a long face. The so-called Wisdom Tower was the building for the Magic Association. It gathered several great lichs and necromancers to research various mage equipment and undead spells. It could also be treated as the ��science and research department�� of the Country of Darkness. Of course, such a venue was heavily guarded. Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s words, Erin understood what she was trying to express and couldn��t help but pucker her brows and ponder in silence. After a few moments, she suddenly blinked and the corners of her lips perked up into a strange smile.


    ��In that case, I have a solution.��


    She responded proudly.


    ***


    Americas Region, GPX-03 Cooperative Moon Defense Base.


    The pure, dazzling white lights shone on the surface of the moon. Gazing at the screen displayed by the surveillance cameras, the guard let out a lazy yawn. He shook his head, before reaching out for a bag of warm coffee and sucking the straw. Apart from the pale moon surface and starry sky on the surveillance screen, there was nothing else. The guard curled his lips and turned to his colleague.


    ��Damn it, the other bases have already evacuated, so why are we waiting here like idiots? All for the sake of those stupid scientists? God dang, I just can��t understand what is more important than their lives. I heard the entire fifth branch has perished and even the reinforcements are doomed! I can��t understand just what sort of monster is capable of doing such a thing�� Damn it. That��s why I said those buggers at the top will surely get into trouble for dealing with this sort of messy stuff. You��ve watched Alien, right? Sigh�� I really do wonder if we��ve sunken into similar trouble����


    ��You��ve watched too many movies, idiot. Pull yourself together. It isn��t only us who haven��t evacuated. We just have to do what the top tells us to. Hmm��?��


    ��What��s wrong?��


    ��I thought I saw someone.��


    ��Oh, is that so?��


    After hearing his colleague��s remark, the guard turned to the surveillance screen immediately and clicked on a few keys on the keyboard. The surveillance screen switched to the outdoor cameras, but there wasn��t anything strange. The entrance was sealed tightly and no one had entered.


    ��You��re being over sensitive�� really, don��t tell me you��re hallucinating too? This reminds me of Dead Space����


    ��Can��t you cut the crap and think about something else other than movies?!��


    The entrance opened gradually.


    The steel gate made from tough alloy used to seal and block off enemies opened gradually. Shortly after, three slender and petite figures entered through the gate. The loud siren trumpeted as the gate continued to close itself, followed by red, warning lights that flickered constantly. The air pressure was being rebalanced and after ensuring that every step was completed, the next door on the inside opened. There was no one along the empty, spacious path ahead, only surveillance cameras aiming at them quietly. Even though this was a military base and three unknown visitors had shown up, there were no signs of soldiers at all.


    ��Woah, it worked.��


    Mini Bubble Gum, who led the group, gasped at their success. She took off the helmet and tossed it aside, before entering this spacious, transportation aisle located at the back of the base. Logically, without accurate passwords and legal identification, one definitely couldn��t enter this premise. Moreover, the base was equipped with countless surveillance cameras and scanning devices, so it was even harder than ascending to heaven. But to the trio, it wasn��t difficult at all.


    ��We actually made it in����


    Holding onto the laptop, Canary was amazed. If they were protagonists in a movie, they might have needed some advanced technological tools to attain the password before sneaking in. But it was a pity that be it Canary or Mini Bubble Gum, none of them possessed such skills. On the other hand, Erin��s solution left her completely speechless. Looking at the base ahead, Erin extended her arm and cast a ��spiritual control�� spell which manipulated the artificial-intelligence of the entire base. The Hollywood protagonists had to risk their lives, pray to the Gods, and still might not be able to succeed in controlling the artificial-intelligence. But here, it became Erin��s most loyal servant in just an instant.


    Erin was on a level totally above their��s.


    ��Let��s see, should we sneak in�� or open it directly��?��


    After effortlessly passing through the strict defenses, Mini Bubble Gum was apparently excited. Judging from her eagerness, it was apparent that the latter was her preferred choice. But Canary didn��t want to invite more trouble. She thought that sneaking in and out of the bases would be the best choice to not cause any trouble!


    ��Alright, Bubble, we have to hurry. The screen indicates the location of the second slate. We just have to sneak in, grab it, and leave quickly. If we��re spotted by them, we��ll have a lot of trouble in the future.��


    ��Okay then����


    Mini Bubble Gum was still obedient to Canary��s advice. Since Canary had said that, the little fella could only nod in agreement helplessly. After all, what Canary said was the truth. The most important task now was to help Erin gather all five slates and see if she could find a way to return to the Dragon Soul Continent. Of course, if it was possible, she wanted to know why these slates had arrived on the moon and landed in the hands of the Americas Region��s people. Didn��t they belong to the Dragon Soul Continent?


    As the artificial-intelligence controlling the base had ��defected��, the trio wasn��t stopped at all. This high-tech facility was full of all sorts of automation equipment, but the security devices that should be blaring didn��t work after its ��master�� had fallen into enemy��s hands and became Erin��s loyal subject. The surveillance system that should have been monitoring intruders displayed all the soldiers within the base to the trio. The tightly-sealed doors opened for them automatically as though there were no secrets at all.


    ��������������


    The elevator descended silently. Without anyone being aware of their existence, they arrived at the central and core area of the base, which was their destination. But it was a pity that they had used up their luck.


    Ring.


    The elevator doors opened. At this moment, two men in white researcher��s uniforms turned the corner and headed to the elevator. Upon seeing the trio, they were taken aback. This reaction was expected since this was a confidential area of the base. For three young ladies to show up in this place, it would be fishier if they didn��t gather any attention. Moreover, unlike Canary and Mini Bubble Gum who were clad in spacesuits, Erin was still donned in her elegant dress that was totally inappropriate to be worn in space. It would be ridiculous if no one noticed that!


    ��Who are you people?!��


    Logically, even though only people with authority to get access to confidential information could be here, the young ladies before them were obviously not one of them. The two men yelled and one of them instinctively reached out to his waist. But it was a pity that even though they were quick, Erin was faster. Facing these two weak, ordinary humans, Erin merely swung her right hand forward and the two pitiful researchers were instantly lifted off the ground and thrown to the wall in the back, crashing heavily. Then, Erin clenched her right hand and they, who were dazed from the impact, were lifted off the wall and pulled toward Erin.


    ��W-Who are you people?!��


    The frantic gaze from the researchers was filled with terror this time. Well, they couldn��t be blamed. They felt a powerful force flinging toward them and before they knew it, they were as though struck by a steel hammer and flew back powerlessly against the wall. Such strength�� could humans even possess such powerful strength?


    ��You don��t need to know who we are!��


    Mini Bubble Gum had completely turned into a high-spirited antagonist in some Hollywood movie. Facing the ashen researchers, she let out a mischievous laughter and said, ��We came here to look for a black slate! Hand it over now, or you��ll die!��


    ��Black slate?��


    The two researchers questioned, exchanging looks with each other. But before they said anything, Erin extended her hand and placed it before their faces. Then, she emanated a gentle brilliance from her palm. Along with this action, the two men stopped struggling. Their expressions turned perplexed and their eyes lost clarity. Shortly after, they stood quietly and firmly on the ground like statues.


    Gazing at them, the corners of Erin��s lips perked up into a proud smile.


    ��Alright, I��ll need to trouble you two to lead the way,�� she said.

 Chapter 1104 - : Science and Magic

    ��Record the data right now!��


    ��345.126.091�� recording of space waves complete. Beginning to gather data!��


    Gazing at the electronic screen, Manny couldn��t conceal his emotions. He rubbed his hands together and stared at the data before him. Ever since this black slate was uncovered, he had never seen such strong reactions from it. But for the past few days, it seemed to have come alive. It constantly transmitted signals to the outside world, which excited the research team led by Manny. They had worked hard for years and there were finally some results. They felt like their hard work had finally paid off. Shortly after Manny gave his orders, folks of the huge experimental lab got busy right away, returning to their seats in an orderly manner and beginning to record all data released from the black slate. Looking at this scene, Manny felt his eyes watering. When he unearthed this black slate back then, he knew instantly that it was an extremely crucial discovery! And now, everything was finally coming to fruition!


    ��Professor Manny, everything is going well!��


    ��Good! Continue!��


    Stifling his agitation, Manny stroked his large beard and replied. He lowered his head and typed all over the keyboard to compare the new and old data. Ever since the black slate was dug, Manny had been constantly researching it. He was astounded to discover that it was always releasing a faint signal to a certain place in deep space as though trying to make a connection. This instantly piqued his curiosity. He detected that this black slate from outside human civilization might possibly be the bridge of contact between civilizations in outer space! Human civilization might possibly change entirely due to its existence!


    Even though Manny tried searching for a pattern to the signal to decipher it, but what exceeded his expectation was that logically, the signal transmission of any civilization should be objective. However, the signal from this slate was extremely chaotic. It would occasionally send out a series of orderly waves, followed irregular ones. This left Manny in a headache. Even though he tried everything, the progress was extremely slow until recently when it suddenly had a strong response for some unknown reason. The irregular signal waves were also gradually being grasped. Next, as long as he decipher the signal, they would enter a whole new world!


    Beep������!


    At the same time, the ear-piercing siren blared, disrupting the old professor from his thoughts. For some unknown reason, he instinctively had a bad feeling.


    ��What��s happening?��


    ��Professor! The signal waves from the black slate are becoming unstable. The speed has become faster than we predicted�� no, it can��t be detected. We can��t record it!��


    ��Increase power output immediately. Also, transmit all previous data to the main computer! Activate the isolation system!��


    ��High energy response detected in the target, Professor! Suppressor power has reached a critical point!��


    ��������!��


    It only took an instant.


    Manny looked on helplessly at the black slate floating in midair as it suddenly exuded a mysterious and murky white ring of light that expanded to the surroundings. Standing before the massive ring of light, the specially-reinforced tempered glass and alloy walls stood no chance at all. They were as though non-existent as the ring of light passed through them, before continuing to proliferate. Shortly after, the bright, white light dimmed abruptly.


    That wasn��t due to an issue in electricity. Instead, there was a murky curtain concealing the dazzling brilliance. In an instant, not only did everyone��s vision turn black, but the electronic screen flickering with images turned pitch-black and unresponsive. No one seemed to realize what happened. The instant the ring of light erupted, they instinctively hugged their heads and lay on the ground. And now, they cautiously crawled to their feet and exchanged terrified looks with one another. They were completely speechless. They also didn��t notice that their shadows were constantly twisting and distorting.


    ��W-What just happened?��


    ��Is everyone alright? Anyone hurt?��


    Shortly after, everyone got up on their feet and stared at their surroundings in uncertainty. They couldn��t be blamed since what happened was too bizarre. After scanning the place, they realized the air was gradually transforming into a certain type of turbid, liquid-like presence and several strip-like objects were seen fluttering.


    What exactly are those?


    ��Grrrr����


    While everyone was panicking, a sudden, deep growl of a monster rumbled in their ears, causing them to group together in a fluster. The soldiers in charge of security at the side raised their weapons and stared vigilantly at their surroundings. After all, they were sent here to prevent accidents like these and now, an accident had really happened!


    ��Leave here immediately!��


    Even though Manny was unaware of what was happening, he instinctively felt like the situation was far from good. He extended his hand to push up his gold-rimmed glasses and commanded. The other researchers headed to the exit quickly under the escort of the soldiers. But it was a pity that their reactions were too slow.


    ��Ahhh!��


    Screams filled the lab.


    Blood splashed after one of the soldiers collapsed to the ground after being pounced on by a monster leaping out from the shadows. Before he got to fire his weapon, its razor-sharp fangs had torn his throat apart. At the same time, other shadowy monsters dashed across the lab swiftly and the researchers who couldn��t escape in time were also forced to the ground, turning into minced meat in the blink of an eye.


    ��Fire! Fire!��


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The other soldiers finally pulled themselves together from the shock, raising their weapons and firing at the monsters that suddenly appeared, while shielding the fortunate researchers who survived and were escaping. But shortly after, they were shaken to realize that not only were their weapons ineffective on the shadowy monsters, but they had also attracted their attention. A few seconds later, many more monsters leapt out from the shadows. Not only from the surface, but also from above as they expanded their wings and pounced with bare fangs and brandishing claws.


    The battlefront fell apart almost instantly.


    ��Arghhhh!��


    Manny lay on the floor, widening his eyes in terror at this scene that was like hell on earth. Right in front of him, the researchers and soldiers were ripped apart and gobbled up by monsters jumping out from the shadows. They struggled to break free from the devil-like monsters, but were dismembered mercilessly at the very next moment. Manny had also witnessed a soldier with his leg bitten off and crawling toward the exit. However, he was instantly captured and tossed into the air, before being torn apart like a rag doll. The strong stench of blood assailed his nostrils, staining the white, spotless floor. But now, Manny could no longer care about that.


    I have to get out of here. What exactly is going on? Where did the monsters come from? Damn it, why didn��t the siren sound!


    Logically, the siren would sound automatically as soon as the core experimental lab was attacked and other places would be sealed off. But for some reason, the siren didn��t sound at all. Besides, the auto-defense mechanism used to eliminate threats was completely unresponsive. Of course, Manny didn��t know that the system had ��defected��.


    Ding����!


    Suddenly, the experimental lab��s entrance in the distance gradually opened. As soon as Manny witnessed the entrance, he couldn��t help but take in a breath of cold air. Then, he widened his eyes in astonishment because it wasn��t the guards as he expected. Instead, it was three young ladies!


    Two of them wore normal spacesuits, but the young lady leading the way startled Manny. This was his first time witnessing someone wearing a beautiful, long dress while strolling effortlessly on a moon base. What surprised him the most was the colorful radiance circling her like a translucent shield separating her from the outside. She also didn��t seem astonished by the scene at all. Instead, she knitted her brows and raised her right hand immediately.


    ��So many Chaos Beasts?��


    Gazing at the hundreds of thousands of Chaos Beasts, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were astounded. Fortunately, they had already sensed that something was wrong earlier, unlike the researchers unaware that they were facing imminent death. Erin sharply detected the presence of Chaos Beasts beforehand, which was why they put up a defensive shield before entering the lab.


    ��������!��


    All of a sudden, the Chaos Beasts discovered the most threatening enemies. They growled, decisively switching their focus to the three young ladies and pouncing on them furiously. But at the next moment, they were struck by a destructive attack.


    A bright, silver-whitish, and moon-like radiance flashed and whistled across the lab in a powerful force, eliminating the aggressive Chaos Beasts entirely. At the same time, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary also launched their attacks. Although this was the second time they met Chaos Beasts and their first time battling them, their moves weren��t rusty at all.


    ��Manil!��


    Canary extended her right hand forward and drew a circle in midair. Along with her movement, a series of lightning bolts erupted all of a sudden, turning into a net of arcs that dispersed in all directions. The instant the Chaos Beasts pouncing on them touched the electrical net, they were struck away immediately. Canary swung her left arm downward and clenched her fist. Shortly after, blazing flames rose from the ground, engulfing the Chaos Beasts in front of her like violent waves and tides. In a series of loud wails, the Chaos Beasts swiftly retreated one by one. Apart from two to three burnt corpses on the floor, Canary��s attack didn��t achieve her desired results.


    ��Looks like I still can��t do it����


    Canary sighed at this scene. If she were at her peak, she wouldn��t have any difficulties taking down these Chaos Beasts alone. But now, she didn��t even have half the strength she used to. Fortunately, mages were a natural-born ��maiden class��. If not, without Erin around, it would be too challenging for Canary to deal with the Chaos Beasts.


    Lucky for her, she wasn��t fighting alone.


    ��Big Sister, don��t be scared. Leave it to me!��


    Mini Bubble Gum said confidently, before spreading her arms apart. Along with her movement, a bright white halo descended from above, enfolding the majority of the Chaos Beasts. The Chaos Beasts began to move slowly under the effects of the halo. At the same time, Canary, who was telepathic with Mini Bubble Gum, had no hesitation at all. As soon as Mini Bubble Gum released a negative spiritual spell to imprison the Chaos Beasts, Canary raised her right hand. A dozen scarlet flaming spears appeared in midair, striking at the Chaos Beasts and penetrating them entirely. Shortly after, a string of sparks exploded. The Chaos Beasts that were imprisoned instantly howled in grief as they turned into coke, before vanishing into thin air without leaving a trace.


    Although the trio��s combined attack cleaned up the entire experimental lab within minutes, Chaos Beasts continued to emerge from the squirming shadows. Looking at this scene, Erin twitched her brow and locked her eyes on the black slate. She sensed an endless presence of Chaos being exuded from it. It seemed like that was where the Chaos Beasts were summoned from!


    ��Miss Canary, Miss Bubble, I need your help to hold back their attacks. Meanwhile, I will seal off the slate!��


    ��Okay, leave it to us!��


    After hearing Erin��s words, Mini Bubble Gum yelled in excitement. She raised her arms and shortly after, a dozen of pure, white patterns proliferated with her in the middle. The patterns twisted and turned into a huge, magnificent magical ritual that enveloped half the lab. Upon sensing the sacred power emanating from the white magical ritual, the Chaos Beasts were instantly agitated. Although they didn��t know what Mini Bubble Gum was up to, their instincts told them that something bad would happen soon if they didn��t eliminate this enemy!


    ��Niy Sler Basry soia����


    Mini Bubble Gum muttered a string of crisp, soft, and sacred chants. She extended her arms and swung them to the side. Then, golden runes appeared beside her. Clerics didn��t need to chant spells all day. But this time, not only did Mini Bubble Gum chant a spell, but she also summoned runes around her. If players were to witness this scene, they would be flustered because this meant that Mini Bubble Gum might soon release a terrifying and explosive force!


    Although Chaos Beasts weren��t players, they sensed the sacred energy constantly coalescing around Mini Bubble Gum. Then, hundreds of Chaos Beasts once again pounced on her, snarling and revealing their razor-sharp claws to rip this young lady apart. But it was a pity that perhaps due to their extreme fright or chaotic nature, they neglected the other young lady beside Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��Winas!��


    The calm air trembled, turning into violent gales under this crisp voice without any warning. The coalesced wind blades shredded the approaching Chaos Beasts like a meat grinder. The Chaos Beasts at the back were also struck away as they shrieked. Canary stretched out her right index finger and drew a line across the air horizontally. The surrounding temperature plummeted. White crystals appeared in midair, forming a strong shield. Canary followed the momentum and swung down her right hand. After softly chanting under her breath, raging flames erupted with two fiery dragons pouncing on the Chaos Beasts. The flames flashed continuously, dispersing the Chaos Beasts.


    She was clearly a long-range class and yet, she was able to take offensive and defensive stances. Besides, she was also able to protect herself perfectly. This ��maiden class�� sure lived up to its reputation.


    ���� Has Fartiy Lan!��


    After Canary and Mini Bubble Gum resisted a wave of attacks from the Chaos Beasts, Mini Bubble Gum��s spiritual spell was finally completed. She yelled out the last line and raised her arms high.


    In an instant, the world changed.


    The runes emanated a bright, golden radiance. Then, as though reflecting like a mirror, the runes drifting around her flashed constantly. Shortly after, a mysterious and sacred magical ritual appeared before her. Then, it spun slowly and within a second, something resembling an hour hand turned to the summit.


    ��Glorious Sanction!��


    Blinding, golden radiance like the sun enveloped the entire space. The bright, unprecedented, and massive sacred power wiped out the lab that was completely contaminated by Chaos instantly, causing the Chaos Beasts to howl in grief before turning into ashes immediately. As Mini Bubble Gum cleared up the space, Erin arrived at the black slate successfully. She raised her right arm, made a few hand gestures swiftly in midair, and grunted softly.


    ��Balc!��


    A silver-whitish ray of light emitted from her fair, slender fingertip, quickly forming a circular pentagram that enfolded the black slate. Under her oppression, the shuddering black slate��like a time bomb��that was about to explode calmed instantly. Then, it lay quietly in Erin��s hand without any signs of activity.


    The radiance dispersed.


    Everything returned to its original peace. The seemingly black mist that engulfed the entire lab vanished without a trace. In an instant, the place was so silent as though a violent battle didn��t just happen. Manny lay on the ground in shock, widening his eyes at the uninvited young ladies. What happened just now completely subverted the knowledge and common sense he had since birth. It could also be said that he even suspected if he was dreaming in that instant!


    Who exactly are they?!

 Chapter 1105 - Secret of the Black Slate

    Everything exceeded Manny��s expectations. It could also be said that all common sense he had was completely overthrown. He stared blankly at the three young ladies. The experimental lab was in total silence, apart from the painful groans from two soldiers who barely survived. As for the researchers, everyone was eradicated except for Manny. If it weren��t for Manny standing closer to the entrance and getting protected by the three young ladies, perhaps he wouldn��t have escaped tragedy. As for the two soldiers, they were truly fortunate. Even though they hurt themselves to protect Professor Manny from battling the monsters, fortunately for them, the arrival of the three young ladies successfully gathered the attention of the Chaos Beasts away from them right before they were slaughtered, allowing them to flee. However, judging from their ghastly wounds, perhaps they wouldn��t survive for long.


    ��H-Help��!��


    Almost instinctively, one of the soldiers reached his arm out for help. Looking at this reaction, Manny struggled to crawl to his feet, before searching for a first-aid kit frantically. But at this moment, one of the three young ladies curled her lips and waved her right hand casually. Along with her movement, two rays of warm, white light shone from above and enveloped the soldiers. Shortly after, Manny was astounded to witness the bloody, ghastly wound on them recovering before his naked eyes. In the blink of an eye, their injuries were completely healed!


    Oh my lord. What exactly is happening?


    Not only was Manny astonished, but the two soldiers were also stunned. They were already in utter despair and it was merely their human survival instincts that made them choose to seek help. But to their surprise, their injuries had totally healed? It was like a miracle! Could it be the three young ladies were angels sent from heaven?!


    ��What exactly�� w-wait, what are you trying to do!��


    Manny asked after returning to his senses. He was appalled that Erin took the black slate and was about to leave. The startled Manny hurried forward and stopped them.


    ��T-That��s a very important thing. You����


    ��It��s none of your business. Who do you think you are? Get lost! Don��t you know good dogs don��t stand in the way?��


    Glaring at Manny who obstructed them, Mini Bubble Gum apparently wasn��t in a good mood. Or perhaps now that this little fella possessed amazing strength, she was using every chance to flaunt. If it were possible, perhaps Mini Bubble Gum might even write the words ��Stop me and be killed�� on her spacesuit to display her dignity�� of course, it was an entirely different matter as to whether such actions full of ��adolescent delusion�� were useful.


    ��I��m Manny Hardenson, supervisor of the research department. This is an important asset of the Americas Region��you can��t have it!��


    ��Tsk, important asset.��


    Mini Bubble Gum grunted.


    ��You don��t even know what it is and you still dare to call it an important asset����


    ��Bubble.��


    Before Mini Bubble Gum continued, Canary interrupted. Upon hearing Canary��s word, Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips and eventually closed her mouth. Looking at this scene, Manny felt increasingly dubious. He gazed at the three young ladies in bewilderment, totally unaware of who they were. The only thing he felt was that they seemed to have something important to do with the black slate. But before he figured it out, Mini Bubble Gum��s eyes flashed in a mysterious smile all of a sudden. In the blink of an eye, Manny realized his collar was being held and pulled up into the air!


    ��Fine, since you��re a supervisor, you should know a lot about the black slate. How did you know about it! Where did you dig it from! Answer me! If not��!�� Mini Bubble Gum yelled and brandished her right fist. Manny witnessed her tiny fist brushing past his cheek in a powerful gust. Then, a deep ��boom�� exploded behind him. When he turned around, he couldn��t help but widen his eyes and suck in a breath of cold air��there was a huge hole in the wall.


    Are you kidding me?! That wall is made from super alloy and not even missiles are able to leave any trace of damage! But now, a punch from this young lady actually crumbled it?!


    Ssss������!


    Not only Manny, but the two soldiers also came to a halt immediately. They intended to rescue Professor Manny from the young lady because no matter what, Manny was a high-ranking supervisor and target of protection. But after witnessing the powerful punch from Mini Bubble Gum, they froze to the spot�� not even their nanosuit could tolerate a punch like that!


    ��Speak the truth! Don��t come up with any tricks! You can forget about anyone rescuing you because the control system of this base is in Big Sister Erin��s grasp already!��


    ��I-I will speak!��


    Researchers were not dauntless people. If the three young ladies were ferocious-looking monsters, perhaps Manny might struggle to survive. But the three young ladies were beautiful and had rescued them from monsters. Even though they seemed fiercer now, at least they could be communicated with, unlike the monsters from before! Thereafter, Manny ��came clean�� to them about the ��ins and outs�� of the black slate.


    That was a really, really long story.


    It all began half a century ago. Back then, during an archaeological excavation in the Americas Region, archaeologists uncovered a mysterious, ancient architecture. Even though the ancient architecture seemed like a product of civilization from a long time ago, it recorded extremely advanced civilization and knowledge. After research by archaeologists, they unanimously came to the conclusion that it was a product of extraterrestrial civilization and that made them ecstatic. Not only that, but also in the records of the ruins, they discovered an important detail. The buildings in the extraterrestrial civilization building hid some very important things on the moon. If they were able to find them, it would be crucial for the development of human civilization and technological progress!


    But it was due to this that the information was treated as a top secret and concealed by the government. In fact, Manny��s father was the main person in charge of the plan. Back then, when regions were divided on the moon, the reason why the North American government had chosen this region was for the convenience of mining the products of alien civilization. Of course, on the surface, their reason was to understand the mystery of human civilization. As for the true reason�� they hoped to uncover some secret and illegal technologies to regain their position as the boss of the world�� and this was, in fact, an open secret.


    Thereafter, according to the information recorded on the ruins, researchers of the Americas Region successfully excavated black slates that contained strange powers in those places. That made them full of confidence as they began to research. Of course, as mentioned earlier, it wasn��t easy to decipher the black slates. Up until now, they knew nothing apart from the fact that there was resonance between the black slates and it would send faint signals into deep space.


    ��It seems more like the story development of Alien and StarCraft. I don��t like it�� I pretty much prefer Raiders of the Lost Ark and Tomb Raider����


    After hearing Manny��s narration, Mini Bubble Gum was apparently dissatisfied. She crossed her arms and soliloquized. After hearing her grumbles, Manny and the two soldiers didn��t say a word. As of now, they had left the lab and entered the drawing room. Manny initially decided to drag time for the guards to arrive and detain the three young ladies. However, there was no sign of them or any siren even after he finished narrating the story. It seemed like it was just as the young lady said. The entire system of the base had fallen into the hands of that young lady named Erin.


    But now, Canary knitted her brows. After pondering for a while, she turned to Erin who was casually sipping the red tea.


    ��Your Highness Erin, you said the black slates contained the power of Chaos and Order, right? But why do they keep summoning only Chaos Beasts?��


    ��Hmm? Come to think of it, you��re right����


    Upon hearing Canary��s words, Mini Bubble Gum was taken aback. When they touched the two black slates earlier, they erupted a strange energy and summoned a bunch of Chaos Beasts. Maybe ordinary people might not know where the Chaos Beasts came from, but Mini Bubble Gum clearly knew that they were monsters of the Chaos world that lived within Chaos. Even in the game, Chaos Beasts would only show up in the Order world after being summoned by people. They weren��t in the Dragon Soul Continent now. Erin also told them that the rate of recovery for her strength was somewhat slow. Of course, she was the representative of the ��moon�� rule, fortunately, and would replenish her strength to a certain degree as long as the moon was there. Besides, unlike the Creator Dragons who abandoned their power and transmigrated in their souls, Erin transmigrated in her true self. There were no Creator Gods like the five Creator Dragons in this world, so even if rules existed, they couldn��t possibly be grasped by anyone. Perhaps after Erin stayed here for several more years, she would become the ��moon goddess�� in name and reality.


    But Erin also mentioned that even though there was the presence of Chaos here, the presence of Order and Chaos wasn��t too obvious. This was also why Erin kept believing that this place was the nest of Chaos Beings after she transmigrated. In the Dragon Soul Continent, Order and Chaos were like water and fire; completely separated. Order was Order and Chaos was Chaos. In here, Order and Chaos had no distinct, opposing standpoint. It was no wonder Erin made such a judgment.


    Even though Erin wasn��t aware of it, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary knew that nothing as strange as Chaos Beasts existed in this world. So then, where did they come from? Summoned from the black slates? Did it mean that�� the black slates could open channels of Chaos?

 Chapter 1106 - Multi-party Linkage

    Asia Region. Third Base Operations Department.


    ��Reporting, Commander. The Americas Region has officially responded.��


    ��Oh?��


    After hearing his subject��s report, the man sitting on the chair and knitting his brows at the screen lifted his head. He turned around, tapped the keyboard twice, and a formal and rigorously-worded email appeared before him. After reading the email, the man let out a snort.


    ��How��s the situation?��


    ��What else can those westerners do? They failed, of course. Look at them; I wonder what they did to enrage Godzilla and why they are still playing dumb even now. They said everything is within their control. They��re taking precautions and assured us that they will respond immediately after finding the target�� Tsk. A load of crap.��


    ��That isn��t Godzilla, Commander.��


    After hearing his commander��s words, the soldier beside him raised his arm hesitantly.


    ��That should be a dragon����


    ��Isn��t that about the same? Godzilla, dragon, Ultraman, and whatnot. My kids loved watching them when they were young. In the past I used to say those things were only shown to hoax children. Well what do you know? It became reality now. Even though that monster didn��t find trouble with us, who knows what will happen next time? Where should we go to find Ultraman or Calabash Brothers?��


    The man said, spreading his arms apart helplessly. In fact, the monster had become the biggest topic in all moon regions over the past few days. The battle where Erin transmigrated and clashed with the Americas Region��s guards was witnessed by everyone. Later on, many were baffled after the nuclear warheads failed to have any effect on it. Many biologists were also bewildered. Logically speaking, the environment of the universe was extremely harsh, where even theoretically-perfect aliens would be doomed after being tossed out of spaceships. After all, apart from oxygen and food, air pressure and extreme coldness were the biggest obstacles in restricting the existence of life. But not only did the enormous dragon turn a blind eye to these factors, but ultimate killer weapons also couldn��t hurt it at all. It was due to this reason that the dragon became the biggest doubt of everyone in the moon regions. On the other hand, the biologists�� hair turned gray from stress as they couldn��t find a logical explanation for the existence of such a massive ��creature��.


    The concerns of the supervisors were more in-depth. Aside from how powerful the monster was and why it showed up, it was a fact that it appeared and also wreaked havoc in the Americas Region before slipping away unscathed from a nuclear warhead. Therefore, their main concern was what that monster was. Was it a weapon developed by the crazy scientists in the Americas Region? Or was it a monster living under the moon and provoked from its sleep? During this period of time, all satellites scanned the Earth and moon in full force. After all, according to the analysis of the experts, since the monster was able to engage in battle on the moon without obstruction, it proved that it was possibly equipped with the ability to fly in space (even though its source of energy was still a mystery). If it were to escape to Earth�� the situation would be disastrous!


    Apart from that, they also wanted to know if that monster was natural or man-made. If it was the latter, they had to re-examine the Americas Region and the forces behind it��


    ��Yawn����


    All of a sudden, they heard a soft yawn. Everyone turned around quickly and saw a woman in white uniform lifting her head from the table sleepily. Her hair was somewhat fluffy and cluttered, perhaps from sleeping for too long. Under her eyes were two large dark circles as though she were exhausted from working all night and finally had the chance to catch some sleep. However, the people around her didn��t raise any objection. It seemed like they were used to it.


    ��Any response from them? How��s the result?��


    ��No response, Major.��


    After hearing her question, the man shrugged helplessly and extended his arm to show the email content from the Americas Region to her. The woman casually tilted her head, pushed up her glasses, and finished reading the email with half-closed eyes. But she didn��t say a word. After pondering for a while, she asked: ��What��s the result from the earlier investigation?��


    ��We��ve investigated the boarding records and confirm that those two civilians have indeed entered the Americas Region by train. But all contact was lost later and our people spotted the train from 500 meters away. Judging from its plight, it seemed to have faced a certain degree of impact and was engulfed in the previous battle. We didn��t discover any corpses in the carriage and its surroundings and two emergency spacesuits were missing from the carriage. But the oxygen capacity can only last them for five hours at the very most.��


    The man replied, before coming to a pause. Then, he continued.


    ��But according to our investigations, two of the young ladies�� identification cards were used in a self-service hotel three hours ago. We tried to retrieve the surveillance video but there were no results����


    ��Oh����


    Even though the man was serious in his report, the woman continued to be half-asleep. She barely opened her eyes, her head swaying like a lazy, sleepy student listening in class to her teacher. But no one raised any objection to her attitude. After all, they clearly knew what kind of a person she was.


    ���� Yawn�� got it.��


    After hearing his report, the woman yawned again before leaning on the chair. Then, she tapped her fingers across the keyboard and the holographic images of the two young ladies appeared before her. She scanned their faces and closed her eyes after a few moments.


    ��By the way, have you reached their parents? How did it go?��


    ��This����


    The man revealed a somewhat discontent expression for the first time.


    ���� Reporting, Major. The families have responded. They don��t have any specific requests apart from sufficient compensation����


    The man was angered at the immediate thought of it. This wasn��t the first time he experienced something similar. In the past, families requested for ��search and rescue�� of their kin, begging to see the person if they were alive or body if they were dead. Some families had even berated them in agitation. However, the man tolerated them. After all, they were families of the victims and couldn��t be blamed for their frustrations. On the contrary, these two families didn��t have any reaction at all upon learning that their girls went missing. Not only that, but they also couldn��t wait to hang up on the phone after dealing with them in mere formalities. This left him really dissatisfied.


    ���� Is that so����


    The woman nodded, shut her eyes to ponder for a moment, and said, ��Get one squad ready. I will lead them personally for the search and rescue.��


    ���� Huh?��


    Everyone was taken aback.


    ��Major, are you sure you��re going alone? Besides, earlier on the Americas Region is����


    ��Our people are missing. Since they can��t offer any help, it is only natural for us to deploy ourselves�� yawn�� this also doesn��t violate the moon alliance agreement�� yawn����


    ��That�� indeed doesn��t violate the agreement. But����


    After hearing the woman��s words, everyone revealed complicated expressions. Well, they couldn��t be blamed. Even though the countries that landed on the moon had signed the moon alliance agreement and worked out mutual rules, it was a pity that unless the world was unified into one nation, many agreements were completely blank. Therefore, although everyone raised the banner of ��all human beings work together to develop the universe��, as for what was happening in private�� Everyone knew the truth.


    The deep-rooted bad habits of humans��


    ��Report to the higher-ups that I will be leading this ��search and rescue�� and that is all�� Yawn�� I��m exhausted; I will head back to sleep. Gather the squad and we��ll head to the Americas Region in five hours. No matter what those girls are our civilians and we must be accountable. Besides, we can also investigate the internal affairs of the Americas Region along the way�� By the way, after receiving the approval from above, inform the Americas Region��s headquarters of our visit. Since we��re heading there as guests, we must be well-mannered to inform them beforehand.��


    ��Yes, Major!��


    Since the woman had given the orders, her subordinates couldn��t rebut anymore. Shortly after, they got to work and at this moment, the woman leaned on the chair and gazed at the holographic image before her silently. Then, a man in blue uniform approached her and asked softly.


    ��Major, do you know who the young ladies are?��


    ���� I��ve spent some time with them in the past. They��re decent girls.��


    The woman stood up and extended her arm. Shortly after, the image transformed into a hologram and in the blink of an eye, the display of that enormous dragon raging on the moon appeared before her again. She stared at the dragon silently. After a few moments, she shifted her gaze away from the hologram.


    ��Alright then, I will head to bed. Wake me up after five hours,�� she said.

 Chapter 1107 - Investigation by the Other Party

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The Country of Darkness.


    Lifting one��s head and gazing at the night sky that seemed like a deep, dark curtain left one breathless. The three scarlet moons hung high in the sky, emanating a faint and slightly-dull radiance on the land. Corina shifted her gaze away and extended her hand to hold her forehead. She was in a terrible state. It wasn��t due to her not being used to the death aura under the eternal night sky as an elf, but she was feeling helpless at the current situation instead.


    After mediation from Nalea and Siena, all three parties eventually decided to form a joint investigations team to search for the lost moon princess. As this matter was extremely important, all three parties sent out formidable representatives. Putting Rhode and Ion aside, Lilian sent out Lydia as the representative of the Country of Light after learning from Sonia about the matter. As a result, Corina was also involved.


    The Country of Darkness��s representative was ��The Conqueror�� Garcia, while the remaining two legendary generals weren��t involved. Balende was still recuperating from his injuries, while Charlie, the Angel of Sorrow, wasn��t interested in this matter. Even if Charlie was here, perhaps he would break into a fight with Lydia immediately and toss the investigations to the back of his head. As for Ashvril, there was no point in speaking about the dead anymore.


    For Rhode��s side, Alice, as the History Deity Warden, wished to perfectly reconnect and follow the clues left by Erin. Her ability to trace history was essential. Of course, Balende was fortunate that he wasn��t here. If not, he wouldn��t feel good seeing the person who had crippled his arm effortlessly.


    Even though Lydia wasn��t the direct party in this incident, her presence was also important because in the entire Dragon Soul Continent, she was the most like-minded with Erin, which was why it was acceptable to have Lydia involved in the search. Well, she couldn��t be blamed since she had unique aesthetics like Erin, ones ordinary people couldn��t understand.


    On the other hand, Corina was the representative for the Country of Law and her job was more of mediation to prevent any conflicts during the investigations. Shortly after, Corina realized that this matter was a bothersome one.


    Although the four parties sent out their representatives, it went without saying that Dark Dragon Ion and Void Dragon Rhode were the leaders of the investigations team. As a result, what left Corina helpless was that these two leaders who were unpleasant in each other��s eyes clashed from time to time. Either Ion accused Rhode of purposely misleading the investigation content, or Rhode berated Ion for purposely twisting the facts. They were Creator Dragons, but behaved like hooligans instead, as though they were about to break out in full-scale battles at the drop of a hat. This terrified Corina. What made matters worse was that although the Country of Law was in charge of mediation, Nalea and Siena had headed back after leaving the task to Corina. For an elf who had just entered the Legendary Stage, what could she do to stop two Creator Dragons?!


    Moreover, their subordinates also didn��t seem to have any reaction to it. As one of the legendary generals of the Country of Darkness, Garcia could only submit to the Dark Dragon��s orders unconditionally, so it was wishful thinking to count on him in persuading the Dark Dragon. On the other hand, Alice seemed disinterested in the whole matter. She wouldn��t hold back if she had to attack, but as long as the Dark Dragon laid a finger on them, she would retaliate immediately. As for Lydia, even though she asserted with a smile that she would do her best, it was apparent that she took advantage of the Country of Darkness whenever there was a chance��the hatred between them wasn��t over yet.


    Therefore, in this unbalanced situation, Corina was running around in circles. The cycle of the situation was: Ion and Rhode immersed themselves in the investigations individually, explained their findings thereafter, slammed the table, bawled out at each other��s errors, and made all sorts of ��war declarations��. Corina braced herself to stop them, and repeat�� It was totally absurd.


    ��Hmhp, that bast*rd is definitely considering it.��


    Rhode tossed the intelligence to the table, gazed at the eternal night sky, and let out a snort. He and Ion were aware that this investigation team was just a guise. Although both sides were flying the banner of ��Investigating the disappearance of the moon princess��, they knew there was an ulterior motive. However, they reached a consensus for one result: Erin went missing in the Country of Darkness near the borders. That was why Rhode��s group came here to carry out the investigation. This also meant that they had entered the main turf of the Dark Dragon and the Dark Dragon��s strength was naturally the strongest here. Of course, with the high level of Rhode and the Deity Wardens, they weren��t concerned about this extent of pressure. But it was a pity that Ion apparently wasn��t aware of this fact.


    And now, the main problem Ion was considering wasn��t about the life and death of his younger sister. In fact, from his standpoint it didn��t matter if Erin were dead. But it might even be better for him if she were because the empty seat of the ��moon princess�� would be restored automatically. When that happened, he wouldn��t need to worry about the problems of Order in Dragon Soul Continent. This was why Ion wasn��t that concerned about his younger sister��s whereabouts. He valued the fact more on whether he could use this chance to attack and even remove this emerging force of Rhode��s. After all, Rhode was currently situated in the Country of Darkness. If Ion rose in revolt, perhaps the Void Dragon��s abilities might not be as powerful under the eternal night sky.


    Meanwhile, Rhode had similar thoughts as Ion. Although he favored Erin to a certain degree, that was all there was to it. Erin didn��t go to bed with him, so he didn��t need to be responsible for her. It would be even better for Rhode if the talks broke down as he would have a justifiable reason to cripple or kill the Dark Dragon and pave the way for his ��Dragon Soul Continent Transmigration Plan��. In fact, Rhode also had some selfish calculations. If worse came to worst, he could take down Ion before going on the search for Erin. After he found Erin, she would then take over Ion and lead the Country of Darkness. This way, Rhode��s problems would be resolved entirely.


    Even though Ion and Rhode had the same intention to attack, they chose to bide their time. This was also the only reason why an insignificant elf in the Legendary Stage like Corina was able to stop them. Rhode and Ion still had some concerns though. Rhode had to watch for Siena��s and Nalea��s feelings, so he couldn��t be the one attacking even if he were taunted. On the other hand, Ion was still pondering about that mysterious young lady (Rhode��s younger sister) with the powerful aura. Even though he didn��t know what relationship she had with Rhode, she might possibly be an important figure in the Void Territory. War was an extension of politics. No matter how one chose to attack, one had to take the initiative in order to avoid huge issues while discussing terms.


    In other words, be it Rhode or Ion, they were playing a dangerous game of balance of ��I will not be the first to fire the gun, but I am not afraid of you firing first��. This was also why they had no qualms in mocking and ridiculing each other as it was all to make the other party lose his rationality and make the first move.


    But based on the current situation, it seemed to yield minimal results. Ion was a calm and rational leader. Even though he was conceited, he definitely wasn��t a hot-headed fool. On the other hand, Rhode had been the leader of the biggest guild in the game. He had countless experiences with criticisms and mockeries on the Internet. In this aspect, he was full of experience in dealing with them.


    Of course, putting aside what they truly thought, they continued to ��investigate�� on the surface. After all, they hadn��t shed all pretense yet. But Rhode was confident that even if Ion tore into him one day, he would make it his death anniversary!


    ���� Big Brother, about the earlier matter, I��ve reached a conclusion with Gillian.��


    While Rhode was complaining, the voice of his younger sister rang in his head.


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode was surprised. After they returned to Grandia earlier on, he had gotten Gillian to work with his younger sister to investigate the issues of Canary��s and Mini Bubble Gum��s ��Phantom Guardian System�� as to why their mastery levels dropped. Besides, after observing them for a while, it didn��t seem like a curse was the cause and this became out of his scope. Thereafter, he left the matter to Gillian and his younger sister decisively. After all, it was always the developers and GMs who had to deal with bugs in the system.


    ��What conclusion?��


    ��Gillian and I have investigated the level of Order in the continent. Everything is normal including the plane of existence in the underworld. But according to our data, something seems to be wrong with Sister Canary��s and Bubble��s bodies during this period. How should I put it�� yes, it is as though they have similar data, but due to some unidentified reasons the data is misaligned. Even though the data is repaired quickly, a problem occurred in the system during the repair process and the system can��t find the point of difference in their similar data. This led to a portion of data being misled, causing their mastery level to fall.��


    ��I see.��


    After hearing his younger sister��s explanation, Rhode pondered for a moment and finally understood what she meant. It was as though one were playing an online game and using one account to create two characters of the same name, gender, and class on servers A and B. Then, the character in server A had maxed-out level and equipment, while in server B, the character was neglected as it was only a weak sub-account. But due to some system error, the character information in server A and B overlapped. As a result, even after the servers were repaired, some of the equipment, skills, and money from server A were transferred to server B as it was essentially the same account. Of course, such an issue usually appeared in low-quality online games. But for a game like the Dragon Soul Continent�� there shouldn��t be this issue, should it?


    ��Have you found out the reason?��


    ��It seems like an external force is attempting to connect�� just like how one is trying to enter the server. Gillian and I have been searching for the source. Big Brother, be careful. I think Her Highness Erin��s disappearance is unusual����


    ��Yes����


    Rhode nodded at his younger sister��s reminder. He also agreed that something seemed to be amiss, which was why he treated it importantly. After all, Order in the Dragon Soul Continent had basically merged with the original system data of the game already. To put it simply, the current Dragon Soul Continent was like a world in The Matrix, supported externally by various data and restructured into a whole new world. In this aspect, Rhode was rather meticulous about it.


    ��Pardon my rudeness, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    While Rhode was pondering, Gaya lifted the entrance curtain and entered the tent. She gazed at Rhode and greeted him.


    ��Her Highness Lydia discovered some clues regarding Her Highness Erin��s disappearance.��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode twitched his brows.


    ��Bring me there.��

 Chapter 1108 - The Direction of Order

    Finding clues left by Erin wasn��t easy. Due to the influence of the Dark Dragon��s soul protection and Erin��s powerful strength, not even Alice could accurately pinpoint the specific location. As for the exact place where Erin engaged in a battle, Alice had no clue at all. Of course, there was also a crucial point apart from that. According to Alice, the strength of Chaos was also wreaking havoc. Even though it wasn��t that obvious, Alice was sure about it. This was the other reason that this matter raised some concerns in Rhode. In fact, one couldn��t normally realize when Chaos was up to no good. But no one could stop Alice��s ��historical�� skills as though she were an overpowering ��bug��.


    During this period, the most important task for both sides was to find traces of Erin��s battle. If they could find anything that belonged to her, it would be for the best. But it was a pity that it wasn��t that simple. If it weren��t for the fact that items carried by someone as powerful as Erin more or less possessed the presence of its holder and the formidable beings present were sensitive to them, perhaps no one would be interested in searching for traces of clues in this large wasteland.


    ��What is that?��


    As soon as Rhode��s group arrived at the northern wasteland under Gaya��s lead, he saw a burnt gorge that had as though been bombarded. Rhode recognized immediately that it was caused by a powerful impact. But what caught his attention was the erected, crystallized black pole at the end of the gorge that seemed like a wreckage of something. For some unknown reason, Rhode felt irritated the instant he witnessed it. It was as though his instinctive behavior whenever he saw something filthy and unbearable.


    Just like Chaos�� no. That��s not it�� this isn��t only Chaos��


    Gazing at the black pole, Rhode knitted his brows. He had a strange feeling about the pole. If he insisted on describing the feeling, it was as though abstracts were suddenly added to a realistic painting. Using a popular phrase known to Rhode on the internet, it would be ��Teacher, his art style is different from ours��. In fact, even though the black pole seemed ordinary, its presence felt peculiar in Rhode��s eyes as though ��the art style was entirely different�� and it didn��t belong to this world at all.


    ��I��m not too sure either, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Sizing up the black pole curiously, Lydia said.


    ��I was trying to search for Her Highness Erin��s aura, but didn��t expect to find this�� how strange. Even though it feels like Chaos, it is nonetheless a product of Order. What exactly is going on?��


    Upon hearing Lydia��s words, Rhode nodded in agreement. Logically speaking, 99 percent of things that seemed out of place to beings in the Dragon Soul Continent were products of Chaos. After all, this was their natural instinct just like how humans could never produce similar consciousness as a piece of stone. However, not only did this black pole not give them a fuzzy, unsettling feeling unique as Chaos did, but it also gave them a precise feeling like it was produced after being enhanced by Order. For this to be felt in a product of Chaos was�� truly rare.


    But��


    ��Indeed, I sense the presence of the moon princess from it. But����


    Rhode spoke and paused. Even though finally finding a lead was good news, the current situation was exceedingly strange. At this moment, Ion and Garcia just arrived at the scene. After gazing at the black pole, Ion turned grim. It was apparent that he had the same doubt as Rhode. But after glancing at Rhode who stood casually at the side, Ion gaped and eventually didn��t speak a word.


    ��Alice, can you do anything with it?��


    Rhode ignored Ion��s arrival since that was all to their relationship. That was why Rhode didn��t even greet him, but turned to Alice instead. There were no detectives among them. But come to think of it, as long as civilization progressed to a certain degree, be it technology or magic, they could all replace the job of detectives. Technology could detect various residual traces and even retrieve surveillance video. On the other hand, it was even simpler with magic, where one could simply summon a spirit and ask who murdered it.


    As for protagonists in American dramas with psychic abilities and were desperate to die�� It could only be said that they were born to die. They had to follow the script even if they didn��t want to.


    ��I can give it a shot, Your Majesty.��


    After closing her eyes and pondering for a few moments, Alice answered. She didn��t touch the black, crystallized wooden pole. Instead, she squatted and held her palm to the ground. Then, along with her movement, her large tome drifted in front of her and gradually flipped through the pages on its own. Looking at this scene, Ion grunted and revealed obvious traces of displeasure in his eyes. He couldn��t be blamed since he knew it was this young lady who crippled one of his beloved legendary generals. Not only that, but Ion also sensed his control over this land silently shifting away. This left him dissatisfied. Even though he didn��t know how the young lady did it, he felt an uncontrollable threat!


    Meanwhile, everyone ignored him and even Alice who was under his watchful gaze continued to half-shut her eyes, totally turning a blind eye to the Dark Dragon��s prestige. On the contrary, she extended her left hand, gestured at the heavy tome, and whispered.


    ��Liy.��


    Suddenly, in this crisp chant, the tome before her flipped its pages quickly. But unlike the past, this time the pages flipped the other way. Everyone witnessed the scenery before them transforming gradually. Be it the sky or land, they turned fuzzy as though they were rewinding in time. Not only that, but they also witnessed animals walking backward, one by one, and vanishing at the end of the field. Lydia widened her eyes curiously, admiring the scene before her. However, Alice apparently didn��t do this for everyone��s admiration. Shortly after, she moved her left hand and the pages suddenly stopped flipping. Then��


    Boom������!


    A dazzling radiance streaked across the night sky. Everyone looked up and was instantly stunned. In the near distance, an enormous, black dragon was engaged in battle with several beings clad in black!


    ��Oh-no-no, that��s Her Highness Erin.��


    Looking at this scene, Lydia couldn��t help but feel baffled, yet no one responded to her. Instead, everyone including her widened their eyes and observed the battle. Even though Erin was engaging in the battle with those mysterious enemies midair, Rhode and the others were ��By the God�� beings and Creator Dragons. This distance to them was almost the same as one watching high-definition video on full screen. Shortly after, the battle between Erin and the mysterious beings clad in black was fully displayed before their eyes, including how Erin went on to slaughter the one who escaped, and how she was eventually caught by the mysterious, grid-like net. Looking at this scene, Rhode knitted his brows because he couldn��t be more familiar with that grid-like net. Whenever his system leveled up, this thing would appear and scan the surroundings.


    Could they be players too? That shouldn��t be possible��


    ��Big Brother, something isn��t right.��


    At this moment, Rhode heard his younger sister��s voice. But unlike the usual, gentle voice, he felt urgency and anxiousness this time. But before he figured out what she meant, she continued.


    ��Big Brother, please hold onto the black pole. I think I can almost understand how the enemies caused Miss Erin��s disappearance.��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode hesitated no more. He hurried to the black pole in large strides, sized it up, and extended his arm to hold it.


    ��������!��


    The instant he clutched the pole, his vision blurred and a string of data emerged before him constantly as though searching for something. However, the entire image was constantly twisting and trembling like it was disrupted. Shortly after, the string of data flashed across and disappeared.


    ��I see����


    His younger sister��s voice rang in his head again. But this time, she sounded rather uncertain.


    ��Big Brother, I figured out how Miss Erin went missing. There is a device in this black pole that can activate the plane channel for a short time. According to what we just witnessed, it seems like the enemies ambushed Miss Erin, but her strength was far more powerful than they had imagined. That was why the last survivor had no choice but to activate the plane channel. Miss Erin apparently didn��t anticipate it, so she was dragged into it by the enemy.��


    ��Doesn��t that mean we don��t have a way to rescue her?��


    Rhode shrugged, at the same time observing three seconds of silence in tribute to Erin. He knew what the plane channel was; it was like a small-scale teleportation door. Even though he didn��t experience it personally, he clearly knew that its ultimate destination was random. Who knew where Erin had been brought to?


    ��No����


    But this time, his younger sister��s voice was filled with more doubt.


    ���� Big Brother, according to my observation, the destination of this plane teleportation is fixed! It is connected to a specific point in the outer plane, so it won��t transport her to a random location. But�� I��ve never seen this function before. Besides, the method of activation on this black pole isn��t one that we��re familiar with. As of now, the only thing I found out is that the black pole stores energy and is able to activate the skill automatically, which links to the plane channel. Not only that����


    His younger sister hesitated, before continuing.


    ���� but the data that disrupted Canary��s and Bubble��s power seems to also be from there.��

 Chapter 1109 - A Bothersome Suggestion

    Rhode detected the uncertainties in his younger sister��s voice. She couldn��t be blamed as the situation of the Dragon Soul Continent was different from other worlds, which was why the plane channel��s destination was difficult to determine. This was also why even Creator Dragons had to resign themselves to their fate after activating the teleportation door. As Chaos was trapped outside the entire continent, it would be impossible for Chaos to treat people of Order well based on their chaotic characteristics. And now, something actually broke through the barrier of Chaos to set up a stable point. This was enough to worry the Creator Dragons. In fact, Rhode empathized with his younger sister. It was as though humans took great pains to think something through and could finally make interplanetary travel in the solar system, only for an alien fleet to show up before them after crossing the galaxy effortlessly. The uneasiness caused by this gap in civilization levels was only natural. Moreover, it was apparent from their approach in taking down Erin that they harbored malicious intent. In this case, as the Void Dragon who created the Dragon Soul Continent, his younger sister naturally paid more attention to it. Not to mention, the data had also infiltrated Rhode��s system, which made the situation even more dangerous.


    While Rhode and his younger sister discussed, Alice��s ��Historical Tracing�� came to an end. Rhode turned around and nodded at Lydia, before shifting his gaze to the rest. Of course, he turned a blind eye to Ion.


    ��Alright, I suppose everyone witnessed what happened. What are your opinions about it?��


    ��How do we know that is the truth? Or perhaps that is only a smokescreen of yours?��


    Ion swept a glance at Rhode, snorted, and asked. Upon facing his taunting, Rhode wasn��t mindful at all.


    ��I don��t care if you believe it or not. Anyway, I do.��


    ��You����


    ��What? You��ve something to say? I advise you, as the Dark Dragon, to smash your head against the wall if you aren��t more familiar with your younger sister than I am. Or perhaps I should do you the favor and slash that idiotic head of yours from that neck?��


    Rhode replied in an ice-cold tone. He flipped his right wrist over and a silver-whitish sword appeared in his hand. Looking at this scene, Ion turned grim. As the Dark Dragon, he held utmost supremacy in the entire Country of Darkness! But now, he was taunted by this young man time and time again!


    This bast*rd is asking for death!


    At this thought, Ion reached out and pressed his hand on his sword hilt, staring at Rhode grimly. Meanwhile, their subordinates had no reaction at all. After all, this wasn��t the first conflict they had since the investigations team was formed. Garcia and Alice stood behind their masters silently as though ready to engage in battle. They clearly knew that the murderous intent erupting from their masters couldn��t get more genuine.


    But every time, both sides weren��t able to get into a fight because��


    ��Woah! Please calm down, both of you. Please calm down!��


    Corina raised her hands frantically, wedged herself between Rhode and Ion, and cried. As an elf in the Legendary Stage, of course she was able to sense the genuine murderous intent erupting from them. If either one of them were to not think of the consequences and attack, she would be dead either way!


    Corina even had to embrace herself to mediate the situation. She was really having a hard time��


    ��I��ve reported to Madam Nalea and Madam Siena. May I ask both of you to please wait for a moment? Ah, no�� I didn��t mean that. I�� I����


    Corina said, pulling a long face and didn��t know what else she could say to persuade them. But it seemed like after these few days, this pitiful elf was starting to give up.


    I��ve done my level best and shall leave the rest to God��s will. I can only rely on luck as to whether I will survive��


    ������


    Unsure if Corina��s ��acting cute�� worked or for some other reasons, Rhode and Ion swept a glance at her before dwindling their murderous intent at the same second with no one doing it quicker or later. This was a crazy and dangerous game. If one��s murderous intent were to dwindle first or later, one would have a sufficient reason to kill.


    Anyway, they only needed one excuse to do it. Even if the excuse wasn��t all that reliable, it would be sufficient with just an excuse. If Corina knew she was merely a guinea pig in their competition, perhaps she would immediately head back and hand her resignation to the twin dragons��


    ��Hmph, so what��s next?��


    Ion turned to Garcia and didn��t speak to Rhode directly. But Garcia was also aware that this was a sign for him to discuss with them. Since they knew how Erin went missing, they should discuss the next step of the plan. Should they abandon or rescue Erin?


    Garcia was more toward the latter. Ashvril��s death and Balende��s injuries greatly impacted the legendary generals. As a matter of fact, Garcia had suggested to Ion to let Erin join them as one of the legendary generals. After all, Erin was undoubtedly strong and just as Rhode observed, even though the ��human wave attack�� of the Country of Darkness was unbeatable, they were weak in terms of high-end forces. In the past, the Country of Darkness only had to deal with the Country of Light since the latter merely had three archangels. Although the reborn Country of Light was still delicate with one archangel dead in battle, Serene heavily injured, and relying on Lydia alone was too tough, who would have expected the Void Territory to suddenly rise in power before them? Garcia was worried, especially about the high-end forces of the Void Territory. Besides, according to their intelligence, the Void Dragon and Light Dragon had a favorable relationship. If they were to engage in war together, the Country of Darkness would need to face both of their high-end forces. Aside from Rhode, the existence of Alice, who almost killed Balende, was enough to make Garcia linger in fear.


    Even though Ion also had other considerations, Garcia hoped for him to change his mind. No matter what, Erin��s strength and wisdom was what the legendary generals needed. If she were still alive, it would be for the best if they could rescue her.


    ��Your Majesty, I think we should discuss the matter with them first and decide whether there is any definite information to search for Her Highness Erin. If it is possible, I think we should try our best to rescue Her Highness Erin. After all, she is part of the high-end forces of the Country of Darkness����


    Garcia said, before letting out a sigh. What else could he say? This was how the world worked. Even if he had a hundred great lichs in the Peak Legendary Stage while the Void Territory didn��t even have one, the Void Territory had a ��By the God�� being who almost slaughtered Balende instantly. Even if Garcia had a thousand great lichs, they would still be eradicated in minutes. This was ��level��, an absolute strength that surpassed all things. It was just like how 40 legendary generals couldn��t defeat the Dark Dragon. If there were problems with the high-end forces, the situation would become bothersome. Ashvril was dead, and Balende was gravely injured. Garcia was adept in support and not offense, and Charlie��s ability was weaker than Lydia��s. If the Void Dragon didn��t exist, the Country of Darkness would have a lot of time to recuperate. But��


    ��I got it.��


    After listening to Garcia��s suggestion, Ion simply nodded in agreement.


    ��I��ll leave it to you then.��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    Ion would never take the initiative to speak to Rhode. Both sides would either break into a fight or threaten each other. All in all, it was impossible for them to sit down and discuss the matter peacefully. This was why Ion gave Garcia the responsibility to speak to Rhode. As the only human in the four legendary generals, Garcia��s ability to interact could be considered ��maxed-out��.


    At this moment, Rhode who disregarded Ion was speaking to others around him, including Alice and Lydia. He didn��t hide the truth about what happened, including the usage of the mysterious black pole and where Erin should be at right now. After hearing from Rhode, Lydia widened her eyes in excitement and curiosity, before scanning the wooden pole.


    ��What should we do next, Your Majesty Rhode?��


    ��If possible, we must find Her Highness Erin. Besides����


    Rhode continued before coming to a pause. If Erin was met with other accidents, Rhode actually wasn��t that interested to get involved. But according to his younger sister, not only did the enemies have the ability to fix the destination of the plane channel through Chaos, but they also seemed to be full of hostilities toward this world. In this case, Rhode could only postpone his battle with the Dark Dragon now. After taunting Ion for several days, he was still able to hold his ground, so there was no point in messing with him further. Anyway, Ion wasn��t a woman, so provoking him didn��t give Rhode any sense of accomplishment at all.


    ��I��ve decided to head there myself.��


    Of course, this was because he had to rely on his younger sister to figure out the source of energy threatening the Dragon Soul Continent. Besides, by doing so, there was also a benefit for him. This time, he finally found a justified reason to leave this place and search for Erin. During his absence, he would hand over his territory to Siena and Nalea for protection. Since he would be rescuing Erin, the twin dragons had no reason to refuse. In this case, if Ion tried to lay a finger on the Void Territory or Country of Light�� heh, heh.


    At this thought, the corners of Rhode��s lips perked up. He didn��t believe the twin dragons would do everything they could to protect his territory. But this was only for insurance. As a matter of fact, even if the Dark Dragon was courageous enough to attack the Void Territory while he wasn��t around, he still had backups around.


    But right now, Rhode seemed to have neglected something.


    ��I see. You��re truly a righteous and affectionate person, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    For some unknown reason, when Rhode heard this remark from Lydia, he felt like something was amiss. Then, Lydia��s words confirmed his hunch.


    ��In that case, as a close friend of Her Highness Erin, I must get involved too. Your Majesty Rhode, could you please let me join you?��

 Chapter 1110 - Eve of Departure

    Even though Rhode decided to rescue Erin, this didn��t mean he could get to work immediately. Before he could do that, he had to handle some important matters. After all, unlike the earlier trip to the underworld, he would be heading to another world this time. As one of the Creator Dragons, it would be a bothersome matter if Erin were to vanish from this world. But he had his own ways around it. After Gillian and Marlene researched and analyzed the black pole, his younger sister also gave a suggestion: if he were truly heading to that unknown world, he must store his dragon essence in this world. After all, he was unlike Erin who was a representative of a rule and a second and new representative would replace her after a period of long disappearance. On the other hand, Creator Dragons were controllers of rules just like how a game could change its customer service officers and GMs, but never switch its developer randomly.


    This was why Rhode had to leave his dragon essence in this world and reintegrate with it after his return. As for its custodian, his younger sister suggested Christie. As the first created dependent of the Void Dragon, Christie��s strength was most similar to the Void Dragon;s. Besides, after the Void Dragon��s soul protection returned to the continent, the core of the Seven Fantasy Boundaries, the Astral Temple, was in a safe place. Therefore, there wouldn��t be any issues storing the Void Dragon��s essence there. After all, no matter how powerful Ion was, he wouldn��t be brave enough to leave the main plane and find trouble with Christie in the Astral Temple. The Seven Fantasy Boundaries was the home court of the Deity Wardens. If Ion was sick of living, Rhode wouldn��t stop him from committing suicide.


    But there was also a small problem. After handing over his dragon essence, Rhode��s level would return to 85, which was the max level of players and he would lose the power of a Creator Dragon. In other words, after transmigrating to that world, all his skills and dragon soul power of would no longer be available. He could only rely on his strength as a Spirit Swordsman in battles. But this was a risk for him. After all, the unknown beings possessed techniques that Creator Dragons couldn��t grasp, so it was hard to determine what dangers he would face in that world.


    It was due to this reason that not everyone agreed with Rhode��s suggestion.


    ��I understand what you mean, Rhode. But this is too risky.��


    Marlene knitted her brows. After listening to Rhode��s thoughts, she shook her head.


    ��If it is like what you said, I think we shouldn��t go to them. Since they came to this world once, I��m sure they will come again. I think the safest way is for us to wait and bide our time. As long as we��re patient enough, we can definitely catch them. When that happens, we only need to make our move here and capture them. Then, we will be able to gain the information we want. I suppose with Angelina, Celestina, and Nell around, there shouldn��t be any mistakes.��


    Indeed, be it vampires, demons, or dark elves, they were adept in interrogation by torture. But the problem was that��


    ��Alice can��t track their location.��


    Facing Marlene��s objection, Rhode spread his arms apart. Meanwhile, Alice nodded and added: ��That��s right. They are visitors from the outside world and shouldn��t belong to our history. That is why I can��t find them through the historical records.��


    Well, she couldn��t be blamed. If her historical records were effective on the unknown beings, she would have recorded the battle between Erin and them earlier, instead of learning the truth through the history of air, water, earth and sky of the place where the battle took place.


    ��In other words, it is tough to find them?��


    Upon hearing Alice��s comment, Marlene puckered her brows as she felt like this matter was getting increasingly tricky. Regarding how difficult it was to deal with those unknown beings, even though Marlene didn��t personally witness Erin��s battle with them, even she, as the Wisdom Deity Warden, felt uncertain after researching the black pole and the unique patterns that were totally unknown to her. Besides, she realized that her proud analyzing ability failed to work on the mystical black pole as it was a product from another world and its structure was entirely different. Therefore, it was laborious even for a Wisdom Deity Warden like Marlene, not to mention Lapis who had gone to rest three hours ago after getting a fever from the constant research.


    This was also why Marlene strongly objected to Rhode��s suggestion. The object that the unknown beings brought to this world couldn��t be deciphered, so who knew what stranger and more dangerous things would happen if Rhode headed to their world? Marlene had initially come up with the idea of carrying out the operations on home court, but it seemed like Alice couldn��t make it work. After all, if even Alice couldn��t make it happen, finding a group of unknown beings who intentionally hid themselves and had odd, unique civilized weapons would be like finding a needle in a haystack. In this case, Rhode might yield greater results by heading to their territory. But��


    ��It is too dangerous.��


    ��How can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger��s lair? Since we want results, we need to take certain risks.��


    Of course, Rhode wouldn��t admit to Marlene that he wouldn��t have chosen to head there if he could. He was familiar with the Dragon Soul Continent, but the other world was totally unknown and mysterious to him. Moreover, he would lose his power as a Creator Dragon and could only rely on his strength as a Spirit Swordsman to fight for his life. Who knew what sort of ridiculous and absurd creatures he would face? However, since his younger sister took this matter seriously and hoped to investigate the situation herself, Rhode would not hesitate to climb a mountain of swords or plunge into a sea of flames. He couldn��t possibly let his younger sister head there alone even if she could. Besides, apart from just being his younger sister, she was also the first Void Dragon who created the Dragon Soul Continent, so it went without saying that she was worried about her world. As her big brother, Rhode had a duty. He had to embrace himself even though he knew he was risking his life.


    This is true love!


    Forget it, we can discuss the expression of love in detail next time.


    ��Don��t worry, even if something were to happen, I can return anytime with my dragon essence. Even though it is risky, it can still work.��


    This was the solution they came up with after Rhode��s younger sister and Gillian researched the black pole. As of now, Rhode was like a magical girl who had signed an ominous contract. The dragon essence was his ��original self��, while his body was the ��tool�� controlled by a soul. As long as the dragon essence existed, he could toss his body to anywhere and as soon as he realized something bad was about to happen, he could forcefully trigger the attraction of his body and the dragon soul essence and be transported back. Of course, this method was primitive compared to the mature technique used by the black pole to transmigrate between planes of existence. It was just like comparing a bicycle and BMW. The former just needed to be able to move, while more things were expected from the latter��


    But as long as they served their purpose, they were basically the same.


    ���� Alright then, in this case, I have nothing more to say.�� Even though Marlene wasn��t aware of Rhode��s true thoughts, she was apparently convinced by him. After considering it for a few moments, she shook her head. ��So, as for the rest����


    ��Everything goes on as usual. I��ve spoken to the twin dragons. They will replace me in looking out for the Void Territory and Country of Light�� so don��t worry about that scoundrel, Ion, doing anything behind your back. Sonia has also told me that Lilian��s strength is recovering steadily. I think with her current strength, even though she can��t fight 300 rounds with the Dark Dragon, she should still be strong enough to resist his attack. But you��ve got to be wary too and be more conservative during this period. By the way, considering the fact that those unknown beings may slip into the Void Territory, you should send out men to patrol. If there is any issue, attack without hesitation. But be careful, don��t get caught by that thing like Erin.��


    ��Understood. I will make the arrangements.��


    After hearing Rhode��s advice, Marlene nodded. Then, as though recalling something, she asked with a complicated expression: ��Erm�� should we let Anne go with you?��


    ��Hmm?��


    Upon hearing her suggestion, Rhode gazed at her with knitted brows. As of now, Anne was no longer fit to be in the first echelon. Besides, she had no self-awareness and pressure, ate and slept all day, and seemed to be indulging in a life of luxury and corruption. It went without saying that Rhode couldn��t possibly bring her along to that unknown, dangerous place as even he had to act meticulously on his own. If it were possible, he wouldn��t want to bring anyone along.


    Even though Marlene realized his doubt, she hesitated, before saying. ���� It is winter soon����


    ���� I will be back as soon as possible.��


    Rhode turned pale slightly before giving a negative answer. Although Anne was bothersome, having an outsider was already bothersome enough for him!


    That��s right. Lydia said she would be heading to that strange place with Rhode to rescue Erin no matter what.


    Come to think of it, why didn��t I realize in the past that the archangel and moon princess were so ��full of love��? Can��t they even consider their standpoints at the very least? Just which play of ��Romeo and Juliet�� is this?


    Rhode let out a helpless sigh at this thought. Then, he stood up, took the black pole from the side, and pondered in silence. He extended his hand to pat Marlene��s head.


    ��Alright then, I��ll leave this place in your care.��


    Gazing at the young lady, Rhode said in an incomparably serious tone.

 Chapter 1111 - Welcome Back

    Rhode couldn��t remember how he transmigrated to the Dragon Soul Continent back then. His vision had turned black and when he came around, he found himself lying on a floating boat. And now, he was fortunate that he had lost consciousness back then because this was the first time he experienced the incredible pressure of transmigration and how�� unreasonable it was.


    The instant he stepped into the crisscrossed, grid-like gate, he felt as though he were bound onto a roller coaster and forced to follow and move forward quickly. His vision turned blurry and dark. Apart from the occasional flashes of light, he couldn��t see anything as though his brain had stopped working. After an unknown period of time, he was tossed to the ground as though a monster had swallowed him and then threw up after feeling uncomfortable. Fortunately for him, his reflexes were quick. He somersaulted and landed on the surface steadily. But even so, he felt giddy and nauseous.


    ��Argh�� this motion sickness is killing me, Big Sister����


    But the worse had yet to come.


    The pale Mini Bubble Gum held her hand to the wall and retched constantly, while Canary smiled and patted her back gently. On the other hand, Lydia was the most relaxed among the four of them. Perhaps as an archangel, she was used to flying around and this wasn��t enough to make her feel miserable. At least on the surface, that was the case.


    That��s right. This time Rhode brought along Mini Bubble Gum, Canary, and Lydia. The reason he brought Mini Bubble Gum and Canary was because their data was disrupted. Based on this fact, part of the data from the unknown world was also left over in their bodies. Therefore, if they were fortunate, the similar data in them might trigger a resonant response that could lead them to finding clues. As for Lydia, Rhode wasn��t willing to bring her along at all. Besides, he had also analyzed the situation to her that if there were any dangers, he could still return to the Dragon Soul Continent safely and had to abandon her. However, Lydia didn��t seem to take it to heart at all. She chuckled and told him that she would be leaving the Munn Kingdom in his care if that were to happen�� when an archangel joined him on the journey shamelessly, there was no way he could reject her, right?


    ��Oh-no, this is a really strange place.��


    Gazing at the scenery, Lydia widened her eyes curiously and couldn��t help but lament. Upon hearing her remark, the trio pulled themselves together from the giddiness and began to size up the place. Fortunately, they didn��t spot any fully-armored soldiers or monsters surrounding them. Instead, what presented itself before them was a clean, spacious area laid with various steel boxes. Handing on the ceiling were bright lamps emanating a dazzling radiance. At a glance, this seemed like an ordinary warehouse�� hmm? Something seemed to be wrong.


    Beep������! Beep������!


    While Rhode knitted his brows and pondered, the sirens blared all of a sudden. Shortly after, emergency lights in a harsh tone of red flickered within the bright space. The tightly-sealed steel doors opened gradually and a dozen enormous steel machines entered the room. They were twice as tall as normal humans. Their massive steel bodies were in the shape of a sturdy rectangle. Their huge arms consisted of firearms, while their heads embedded on the large steel body of armor seemed strangely small. The propeller behind them spurted blazing flames and the four muscular feet moved swiftly like the legs of insects. They turned around and shone bright, white lights at Rhode��s group. Then, the color switched to a dangerous red.


    ��Warning. Unknown intruders discovered in the warehouse. Unable to read data. Warning. Put down your weapons and surrender immediately. You will be killed if you resist. Warning. This is a top confidential area. Unrelated personnel must not enter. Warning����


    ��Oh-no-no, we��ve just arrived and we��re in trouble already.��


    Unlike Rhode, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum who stared blankly at the steel machines, Lydia was the first to react. Even though she couldn��t understand what the steel machines were blabbering on, it was apparent from their actions that they harbored ill intentions. The archangel wasn��t a kind Buddha either. She extended her arms and two swords glowing in a white radiance appeared in her hands. At the next moment, she flitted across the space, charging toward them.


    ����������!


    The steel machines retaliated instantly. They raised their arms and spurted tongues of flames that merged to form an impenetrable blockade. Not only that, but they also fired the rifles at the same time. The powerful impact and firepower was enough to shatter everything before them.


    But they were useless against Lydia.


    ��Hmph!��


    The archangel flapped her wings lightly and a golden shield appeared before her to resist the seemingly infinite barrage of bullets. Then, she slashed two dazzling blade rays with her swords. Along with the violent gales, the blinding blade rays sliced the steel machines into four from the middle effortlessly, causing them to explode.


    ��What are you two still standing there for? Attack!��


    The loud explosions instantly dragged Rhode��s group back to their senses. Even though they hadn��t figured out what exactly happened and were still full of doubts, since the battle had already begun, they were better off questioning later. Upon hearing Rhode��s order, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum got ready instantly, charging toward the steel machines before them.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The dazzling flares erupted, while grenades with electromagnetic explosions were thrown at them mercilessly. But they were useless against Rhode��s group. Mini Bubble Gum swung her arm and a string of golden runes expanded to form a transparent, sturdy shield that resisted the endless gunfire. It seemed like in the face of modern technological weapons, a spiritual defensive barrier still had its uses.


    ����������!��


    Perhaps sensing the ineffectiveness of their attacks, the machines switched up their strategy. While they continued to blast flames and fire bullets rapidly, the rectangular slot on their shoulders opened up gradually like a devil revealing its menacing fangs. Perhaps Lydia wasn��t aware of what those were, the others instantly recognized it.


    ��Canary!��


    ��Got it, Rhode.��


    Even without Rhode��s reminder, Canary knew what she had to do. She extended her hand and drew several mysterious runes in midair. Shortly after, hundreds of fire arrows appeared in the empty space before her. Under her guidance, the fire arrows whistled across the air at the enemies, striking the rectangular slots and causing a series of instant explosions. The blazing flames and powerful airflow engulfed the entire place. The sprinklers began to spray water upon detecting the blazing heat, attempting to extinguish the flames.


    But this wasn��t enough to stop their battle. There were brainless steel machines on one side while the other party knew there was no room to redeem the situation. After Canary took down the machines in one attack, Rhode reappeared above the blazing wreckage like a stealthy ghost. He laid the white, dazzling twin daggers in a crisscrossed position in front of him, before bursting forward like a strike of thunder, aiming at the enormous machine in the middle. The heavy steel armor capable of resisting missile bombardment was as though thin paper in the face of this dazzling brilliance. In the blink of an eye, Rhode had penetrated the steel armor with his daggers, but he didn��t come to a halt. Instead, at the same time, he stretched out his left hand and a green card appeared in his hand. Then, as soon as the card disappeared, the illusory shadow of the Spirit Bird appeared behind his back.


    Boom������!


    Along in an earth-shattering and thunderous explosion, countless lightning bolts erupted from his sword and enveloped the entire space. At the next moment, everything turned pitch-black and silent. The machines stopped moving. The lighting device and sprinklers on the ceiling stopped working. The surroundings were in total darkness apart from the residual flames smearing a scarlet radiance. After a few moments, the emergency light lit up using the emergency power supply.


    But this didn��t obstruct Rhode at all. After defeating all the steel machines in one attack, he half-knelt before the ones he defeated and scanned them carefully. At this moment, Lydia, Mini Bubble Gum, and Canary went up to him. However, unlike the curious Lydia, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary put up complicated expressions.


    ��Rhode?��


    ��Leader?��


    Upon hearing their voices, Rhode lifted his head and gazed at them. Then, he picked up a nameplate from the machine and tossed it away, before letting out a subtle sigh.


    ��Looks like we��re home.��

 Chapter 1112 - Mysterious Predicament

    ���� Good news and bad news.��


    Gazing at Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Lydia, Rhode spread his arms apart helplessly and said.


    ��Good news: we know where this place is, at the very least. Based on the things I found earlier, we��re now deep inside a moon base. As for the bad news, this isn��t the region where we came from in our real world.��


    ��Isn��t that a good thing, Leader?��


    After hearing his words, Mini Bubble Gum seemed relatively optimistic.


    ��Since this isn��t our region, that means we can defeat them all! Since they attacked us, they are definitely hostile. Besides, we may have already exposed our identities here. In order to not create any more problems, why don��t we just eliminate them all?!��


    After hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s remarks, Canary knitted her brows. Neither did she agree nor reject her suggestion. She also felt like it was impossible to be treated amicably here. This was why they might as well kill them all, so they could at least escape and avoid capture. But this time, Rhode shook his head and denied Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��No, we can��t leave this place for now. It would be best if we can gain control over this base. Since we arrived here, it means their signaling position is within this base. We have to find the connection between the two, so����


    ��Rather than leaving this place, we are better off controlling the area and conducting an investigation. That��s my leader! I love this bold idea!��


    All of a sudden, Mini Bubble Gum became excited, while Canary rolled her eyes and kept quiet. Well, she couldn��t be blamed. After confirming that this was her ��native home��, she felt mixed emotions. Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were ��good citizens�� who obeyed the law and hadn��t been treated to tea by any police officers in a police station before. And now, they had actually attacked an official army of a country. Moreover, they weren��t weak, fragile young ladies anymore, but were strong, formidable beings instead. The battle against the steel machines earlier boosted their confidence and now, Mini Bubble Gum was like one who had coincidentally awakened mysterious powers and in a delusion to take over the world.


    ��All in all, put this on first,�� Rhode said, tossing two sets of fully-sealed armor and helmets to Canary and Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��Since we know where we are, we have to act cautiously so as to not reveal our identities. You know it. Just stay out of trouble.��


    ��Okay, Rhode.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, Canary nodded in response and put on the armor and helmet. She understood what he meant. Since this was their original world, it meant that Bubble��s and her original selves were in this world. If people in this world spotted their true identities through surveillance means, they would be in trouble. This was why, for safety, they had to prepare and not reveal themselves to others. Even though it might be too late now, it was better than not taking precautions.


    Not only Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, but Rhode also put on the helmet. Logically speaking, even though Rhode was considered ��missing�� or ��dead�� in this world, he could never be too careful. As for Lydia, she didn��t need the space equipment as she wasn��t a being of this world in the first place. Besides, Rhode also didn��t believe that anyone would have a pair of archangel��s wings like Lydia�� if someone like her existed on earth, wouldn��t the news have spread all over the world by now?


    Shortly after, Rhode made his decision. Due to time constraints, he didn��t explain the situation to Lydia. After all, it was only after a few minutes after they defeated the steel machines. Upon realizing the terrible situation, they would definitely send in reinforcements. Rhode��s group had to take control of this base as soon as possible.


    ��Let��s take the elevators that were used to transport the machines. Remember, we may possibly face strong resistance and try not to kill anyone. But we don��t have to hold back if they attack us, Your Highness Lydia���� Rhode said, turning to the archangel with narrowed eyes. ���� I know you have a lot of doubts now, but now isn��t the time for explanations. I will fill you in after we settle down.��


    ��Got it, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Lydia wasn��t a sluggish person, so it went without saying that she noticed the strange behaviors from Rhode and the rest. However, she also knew that this wasn��t a suitable time for clarifications, which was why she nodded in response and buried her doubts. But later on, Lydia witnessed a strange smile on Rhode��s face.


    ��By the way, Your Highness Lydia, face the enemies head-on, if possible.��


    ��Me?��


    After hearing his remarks, Lydia asked in surprise. Rhode nodded.


    ��That��s right, Your Highness Lydia. I do understand this world to a certain extent. The steel machines we faced earlier are considered high-end forces in this world, at least on the surface. With your strength, you shouldn��t need to be too worried. Besides�� with your identity, I��m sure people will notice your presence. If you can garner most of their attention, I will be able to enter their central control room and see if I can gain total control. Once I succeed, I will send you a signal.��


    ��Okay, I got it.��


    After listening to Rhode��s command, Lydia gave a short response and nodded. She lifted her head and gazed at the tall, vertical ventilation ducts ahead, before expanding her white, elegant wings. Then, she vanished in front of them and meanwhile, Rhode shifted his gaze away from her.


    ��Let��s get ready too.��


    As Rhode predicted, it was complete chaos inside the moon base. Their sudden emergence in the reserve warehouse had triggered the security alerts. The soldiers had to admit that the instant they heard the sirens, their hearts began to pound. Well, they couldn��t be blamed for feeling so tense. After all, the enormous dragon earlier had given them tremendous pressure. As everyone knew, the mysterious dragon seemed to be searching for something in the area. Could it be that their luck was so bad that they ��struck the lottery��?


    But shortly after, what made everyone heave a sigh of relief was that there wasn��t any sign of the enormous dragon, based on the surveillance cameras. Despite that, they couldn��t let their guard down yet. The enemies had destroyed the auto-defense robots within a minute. No matter who they were, the soldiers had to be on alert against such formidable enemies. Shortly after, pairs of fully-armored soldiers got into position and ran toward the warehouse where the clash occurred.


    ��Damn it, why must we always be the ones getting attacked!��


    One of the soldiers sprinted, turning and grumbling to his comrade. They didn��t know what was going through the heads of the research supervisors to command them to check out the situation just because the ��surveillance system was damaged��. What a joke. The combat machines used for heavy suppression were all destroyed, so how could humans like them be strong enough to resist the enemies? Even though the enemies weren��t that almighty dragon, they were also tricky enough to deal with!


    As the soldiers arrived at the warehouse, the leading soldier suddenly came to a halt.


    ��Sir, high-energy response spotted ahead!��


    ��Everyone take guard!��


    After hearing the captain��s order, the soldiers dispersed immediately. They raised their weapons and aimed at the heavy, steel gate ahead. They had a reason to act cautiously because rays of light were escaping through the gap of the steel gate. The light was faint, but was increasing in brightness gradually. Shortly after, rays of light passed through the impenetrable steel gate like blade rays and the blinding light reached its peak.


    Boom!


    In a loud explosion and powerful impact, the steel gate instantly shattered and flew into the air. Then, a blinding ball of light flew out from within. Looking at this scene, the soldiers raised their weapons quickly, aiming at the intruder with uncertainty.


    ��Everyone get ready! Fir����


    But that was the end.


    The full command almost left his mouth, but was forcefully held back as he stared at the terrifying scene. The soldiers also widened their eyes in bewilderment.


    ��T-This is����


    The dazzling brilliance enveloped everything in its path. A young lady donned in an incredibly-elegant, long dress drifted casually in the air. Her beautiful face was so pure and sweet. The pair of white, majestic wings behind her expanded to the sides, sprinkling glittering golden dust. This view was so beautiful that it enchanted the soldiers.


    ��Oh, Lord����


    Looking at this scene, many soldiers laid down their weapons and stared blankly at the young lady in disbelief and widened eyes.


    ��It seems like the plan worked.��


    Upon sensing the situation outside, Rhode displayed a proud smile. He knew that even though religions existed in this world, none had truly witnessed divine emissaries. And now, this true archangel of Lydia showed up before them. Even if she didn��t lay a finger on them, her sacred aura was sufficient to bewitch the soldiers. So, the next move would be��


    ��Canary, Bubble, are you ready? It��s our turn now!��


    ��Of course, Leader!��


    Upon hearing his question, Mini Bubble Gum turned around, smiled at him, and gave a thumbs up.


    ��Remember, no Russian!��


    Ding����!


    At the same time, the elevator doors opened.

 Chapter 1113 - Descend of an Angel

    ��Oh, Lord����


    Facing Lydia, not only were the soldiers stunned, but the soldiers in the control room observing the situation through the surveillance cameras widened their eyes helplessly. Even though they witnessed the scene through the screens, they felt the formidable, holy energy exuding from Lydia. The title of an archangel wasn��t just soothing to the ears. It felt so sacred and oppressive at the same time that no one dared to speak a word. Some of the soldiers had even knelt on the ground, gazing at the beautiful image with pious eyes and saying their prayers. Looking at this scene, the supervisor shuddered. After returning to his senses, he hurried forward and ordered the soldiers.


    ��What are all of you doing!? Fire! Fire!��


    Even though he didn��t know if the young lady was truly an angel, her emergence in this place wasn��t advantageous for them. At this moment, he just couldn��t believe in religion anymore!


    Are you kidding me? If she��s here to destroy my base, do I still have to keep my faith in her? Also, I don��t even know if she��s a real angel. Maybe she��s just a made-up creature from a certain monster and is here to make us lose our will to fight and bewitch us?


    ��Fire! Fire! That isn��t a real angel! Don��t be tricked by its appearance!��


    The supervisor��s scream shook the flustered soldiers to their senses. Some of the soldiers hesitated before laying down their weapons and retreating to the side eventually. The instant they looked at Lydia, they sensed a warm, sacred, and formidable spiritual aura to the extent that they couldn��t resist her consciously. The other group of soldiers did the exact opposite. They were full of doubt against this young lady. Upon hearing the supervisor��s order, they lifted their weapons, aimed at the target, and pulled the trigger.


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    A barrage of bullets enough to rip apart humans erupted from their rifles. But in the face of this attack, Lydia merely scanned their weapons curiously and moved her hand to the side swiftly. Shortly after, holy shield flickering in golden brilliance appeared before her, blocking the continuous waves of bullets.


    Interesting�� Those gadgets can actually shoot metal. They seem like crossbows, but are much stronger and faster. The technology of this world sure is amusing. But��


    Lydia gazed at the soldiers silently. Just as Rhode mentioned, even though the weapons were threatening in this world, humans were just too weak in battle strength. Up until this moment, Lydia didn��t spot anyone with spiritual powers. This went to show the soldiers were nothing more than commoners in the Dragon Soul Continent. But she didn��t expect such commoners to be used to defend such an important area��


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A series of dazzling lights flashed across the room. Then, billows of thick smoke and dust diffused, only to be cleared up by violent gales that rose from the ground.


    ��This�� this����


    Gazing blankly at the unscathed young lady, the soldier couldn��t help but stop firing. At this moment, they had lost all intention to resist her. Human technology stood no chance in the face of this young lady. The soldiers had even fired bazookas at her, but she wasn��t scratched at all. The bazookas were such a powerful weapon and yet they weren��t able to inflict any damage on her!


    At this moment, Lydia raised her sword silently, gazing at the soldiers.


    ��Ahhhh!��


    Upon witnessing her reaction, some soldiers shrieked in fear, turning around to escape as far as possible. The other soldiers were so terrified that they scrambled on the ground and couldn��t even pick up their weapons. They stared in fear at Lydia who floated in midair. Facing these soldiers who had lost their will to attack, Lydia remained silent, shaking her head and letting out a sigh. These humans were too weak. Aside from their weapons, they had no battle strength at all. As an archangel, Lydia wasn��t interested in bullying the weak. Therefore, she said nothing. She shook her head, expanded her wings, and flew forward in a flash.


    Meanwhile, the control room was in total chaos. After realizing their weapons were useless against the young lady, the soldiers in the control room flustered. They had never witnessed such an unimaginable scene. Moreover, some of the religious soldiers had fallen apart completely. Lydia was like the messenger of God and now they actually had to attack her? They would be seeking death!


    ��Set up defense walls to stop her advancement. We cannot let her reach the control room! Inform HQ for reinforcements right now!��


    This nearly-hysterical command was passed down quickly. In the blink of an eye, the sirens blared and several heavy, steel walls were released from the ceiling to stop Lydia from advancing. But this extent of defense was nothing in the archangel��s eyes. The soldiers in the control room witnessed several golden flashes on the screen and before they knew it, the heavy walls were sliced into fragments effortlessly and Lydia showed up once again. Even though the unmanned gun turret was also firing bullets wildly, it was just a boring and meaningless obstacle in front of Lydia.


    Looking at this scene, the supervisor gnashed his teeth.


    ��Blow up the defensive wall in D-3. We shall see if she can survive in space!��


    A series of flares streaked across the air, followed by deep and loud explosions. On the screen, everyone clearly witnessed the wall used to seal-off and resist the harsh space environment exploded into bits. On the other hand, Lydia also didn��t seem to expect this to happen. After a blinding radiance erupted, she was dragged out by the enormous gravitational pull immediately. Staring at the screen, the crowd in the control room put up various complicated expressions. But at the next moment, they shut their eyes in despair.


    Lydia continued to hover steadily in space, flapping her wings gently. Even though ordinary creatures would die instantly to the air-less environment of space, it was a pity that Lydia wasn��t one of them. Not only that, but unsure if it was a misconception, everyone also realized the radiance of the sun illuminating on the moon surface became increasingly brighter. In an instant, a golden brilliance had as though enveloped the pure, white moon surface.


    ��W-What exactly is�� that����


    Gazing at the unscathed young lady who turned around curiously to look at her drifting and flowy long hair and dress, the crowd in the control room almost went crazy. They felt unprecedented fears that was worse than when they saw the enormous dragon. After all, the dragon was a monster so it wasn��t surprising that humans couldn��t explain the situation using common sense. As for the case with this young lady, she seemed no different from humans!


    Perhaps this was why humans were able to interact with animals, but feared people around them with extraordinary abilities. If one wasn��t a human, it would be acceptable for one to display abilities beyond human reach. On the contrary, this young lady seemed just like a human, and yet she possessed abilities that humans didn��t have. She was a true�� monster.


    Shortly after, terrified screams broke the dead silence in the control room.


    ��S-Supervisor�� our external communication system has failed. We can��t request reinforcements!��


    ��Send out fighter aircrafts! Fighter aircrafts!��


    The supervisor had gone crazy. Instead of being ashamed into anger, he was on the verge of giving up all hope. As the saying ��those whom God wishes to destroy, he first makes mad�� went, this perhaps was the part of that madness. Upon hearing the hysterical command from the supervisor, no one dared to dissuade him. In fact, the soldiers were in a similar mood. They shouldn��t have made the wrong decision from the start. But at this point in time, there was no turning back.


    ��������!��


    The gates opened with fighter aircrafts taking off into formation and flickering in metallic brilliance, flying straight at the young lady in the distance. Shortly after, they locked onto their target and blasted several guided missiles at her.


    Even though the missiles came in strong, Lydia disregarded them entirely. It could also be said that she wasn��t mindful of the ��cylindrical, metallic object flying in the air�� as she curiously twirled her hair and looked at them drifting slowly like in water, which amused her. After all, such an environment didn��t exist in the Dragon Soul Continent.


    How interesting. If a banquet were being held here, it would surely be fun.


    Boom!


    While Lydia had an irrelevant thought in this situation, a fast-moving missile arrived before her and exploded.


    The powerful shock waves erupted in flashes, causing the surveillance screen to lose its image due to the massive disruption.


    ������


    The screen flickered in black and white. The crowd in the control room held their breath and stared at it. Even though the young lady didn��t react to the missiles and was struck by them defenselessly, they couldn��t let their guard down after witnessing her powerful strength earlier.


    ����������!��


    The disruption lasted for only a few moments. Shortly after, the image appeared on the screen again. Looking at this scene, everyone took in a breath of cold air.


    Lydia continued to hover in midair without any change to her expression. The fragments of the missiles were quickly breaking down around her, turning into light dust that vanished into the air. At the same time, Lydia seemed to have realized something. She raised and swung her right hand.


    A golden blade ray flashed and faded away quickly. Almost simultaneously, she heard a voice filled with despair.


    ��Our fighter aircrafts were completely destroyed!��


    ������


    The control room was in a dead silence. No one knew what they should do. They froze to the spot, gazing blankly at the holy, beautiful, and incomparably powerful young lady. But at this moment, as though a declaration, a loud explosion boomed. Shortly after, the siren let out ear-piercing blares. Everyone turned around instinctively, only to witness a scene of criss-crossed blazing flames and holy beams on the other screen. At the same time, they heard a frantic voice.


    ��We��ve been ambushed!��

 Chapter 1114 - Original Slate

    Ding����!


    The elevator reached the top floor. In the crisp tinkle of the elevator bell, its doors opened gradually and three people exited it. They wore incongruous attires and were clad in fully-sealed helmets. It went without saying that they attracted the attention of the guards quickly. The guards turned around, raised their weapons, and aimed at the uninvited guests. But it was a pity that they were too slow.


    Boom����!


    Mini Bubble Gum emanated a snowy and dazzling light beam from her palm that blasted in the powerful winds. The immense shock waves flooded the entire corridor. Before the soldiers pulled the trigger, they were swept away like fish in a river, crashing heavily on the wall and losing consciousness.


    ��Hahaha, it has begun. YEAH!��


    Facing the enemies, even though Mini Bubble Gum also belonged to the category of ��earthlings��, she didn��t hold back at all. Perhaps to her, these ��earthlings�� were the same as ��NPCs�� in the Dragon Soul Continent. Well, such wasn��t an isolated case. For instance, children who were addicted to online games and couldn��t distinguish between reality and virtual-reality became cognitively impaired. Or perhaps, ordinary people who suddenly possessed special abilities. Since I have powerful abilities, that makes me special and ordinary people are ants that should all perish.


    Well, considering Mini Bubble Gum��s crazy ��adolescence syndrome��, it wasn��t surprising for her to react this way.


    The sirens trumpeted.


    This location was extremely close to the control center and due to this reason, the number and quality of guards were extraordinary. Shortly after, everyone heard loud, heavy footsteps that were from soldiers clad in thick, heavy steel armor and lifting large machine guns.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Shortly after, the heavy machine guns opened fire. The trio immediately witnessed several streaks of red radiance as blazing heat and a menacing energy blasted at them. If they were ordinary humans, perhaps they would have exploded into bits in the blink of an eye without leaving behind corpses. Even though they didn��t know what weapons they were, judging from their appearance and powerful rate of fire, it was apparent that they weren��t ordinary ones.


    However, they weren��t ordinary people either.


    ��Fia.��


    Canary extended her arm, drawing the shape of a ��4�� in midair elegantly with her slender finger. A blue radiance appeared in the trail of her movement, outlining a beautiful and graceful magical radiance. At the next moment, the surging air in the corridor gathered toward the trio as though they were attracted by an invisible force, turning into what seemed to be an extremely fragile defensive shield that was weaker than glass. But it was this shield that resisted the howitzer-like bombardment.


    ����!��


    A series of ear-deafening explosions erupted. But at the same time, a bright, dazzling bird expanded its wings all of a sudden from the dense smoke and soared skyward like a splendid, elegant wind elf. Upon witnessing the Spirit Bird, the soldiers were flabbergasted. They gazed blankly at this beautiful existence and didn��t know how to react. But also due to this reason, they lost their only chance.


    Because then, the Spirit Bird had expanded its wings and emanated countless lightning and thunder bolts that engulfed the entire corridor. Shortly after, the bright lamps hanging over the corridor stopped working abruptly, leaving the place in total darkness and silence for a few seconds. When the lights came back, the soldiers who were fully prepared for combat had already lost consciousness and collapsed. Within just two minutes, all resistance from them had fallen apart.


    ��Sigh��. how should it put it�� it��s just so boring.��


    Curling her lips and looking down upon the soldiers laying across the ground, Mini Bubble Gum grumbled boringly. Upon hearing her complaint, Rhode didn��t say a word. In fact, she wasn��t exaggerating. Even though a child younger than five years old could easily use a gun to kill a strong adult due to the technological and civilizational advancement in their world, it was ultimately an external force, after all. Apart from that, humans didn��t evolve and gain incredible ��mental powers��. At the very most, they could work on their physical bodies and it didn��t involve the activation of so-called ��gene lock�� or awaken some ��unknown powers��. To put it bluntly, even though guards in this base were experienced soldiers, there was still a limit to their physical strength. In fact, even if Lize were here to exchange punches with the guards, she was bound to win without using spiritual powers because a body containing spiritual powers against a body without spiritual powers was as though steel against wood. Lize might seem gentle and delicate, but if the guards were to hurl a punch at her face, perhaps they might break their hand while Lize wouldn��t feel anything.


    Moreover, even though technology was advanced in this world, there were still flaws in them and it was apparent from the fact that Rhode��s Spirit Bird eliminated the entire defensive line effortlessly. In fact, Rhode also felt bored and somewhat disappointed. He expected this world to be much more terrifying. But it seemed like he could accomplish his goal easily without his dragon soul powers. Besides, he didn��t need to be overly concerned about Erin��s safety in this case. With the moon princess��s strength and wisdom, only in a dream would it be possible to contain her even with a hundred times more soldiers.


    But even so, Rhode still had some doubts.


    Why here?


    Frankly, he didn��t expect to return to Earth. This was because he had discussed the issue with the Creator Dragons earlier and they clearly explained the situation to him, which was why he didn��t think that what connected to the Dragon Soul Continent was his hometown. But it seemed like everything had changed. So, what was the exact cause behind it? Could this be a conspiracy of the Creator Dragons?


    Rhode didn��t think so because it was unnecessary, unless they had some differences in individual goals. But based on the current situation, the other Creator Dragons seemed to be more satisfied with their lives on Earth. Apart from that, there was also another important point: the region where Rhode��s group was located now.


    Back then, the Creator Dragons created the game and company in Rhode��s country. In other words, if they had some conspiracies behind his back, they should be related to that country and shouldn��t be in the Americas Region that was a thousand miles away. After all, in terms of strength and every other aspect, Southeast Asia was more dominant. Besides, Rhode didn��t think that with the Creator Dragons�� abilities, they were approving of the Americas Region.


    But there was also another possibility: the Creator Dragons were unaware of this at all!


    This fact was hard to accept, but after Rhode discussed the matter with his younger sister, he realized this was apparently more in line with the truth because as the core of the entire project, even his younger sister didn��t know why these people suddenly possessed the abilities and techniques to connect to the Dragon Soul Continent that was wrapped within Chaos. In this case, it wasn��t too strange that the other Creator Dragons weren��t aware of it�� but was it possible?


    But it didn��t matter which was the truth. Rather than making empty guesses, Rhode might as well move forward and would definitely find out the truth.


    ��Is this the place?��


    ��Yes, Big Brother. I sense familiar waves of energy ahead. But this energy seems to be sealed�� I can��t be sure, but I��m certain that it should be the key as to why we were able to return to this place����


    ��I got it.��


    After hearing his younger sister��s answer, Rhode gave a short reply. He extended his hand, held the hilt on his waist, and entered through the metallic doors ahead in large strides. The metallic doors were heavily-guarded on the outside. Even though the soldiers were lying across the floor, the machine guns and defensive mechanisms were still functioning. But everything was useless against Rhode. He stood before the metallic doors with his right hand clutching the sword. Then, he flourished the blade.


    Several dazzling, crisscrossed blade rays flashed before him. In the blink of an eye, the heavy metallic doors disintegrated. Looking at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips, before speaking in admiration.


    ��Sigh�� it seems like reality is so much better. I thought we needed to run around searching for keys or passwords like in that damn game�� Ahhhh, thinking about it makes me mad every time. What else can those developers do other than making players waste time running around!��


    Boom!


    As though agreeing with Mini Bubble Gum��s complaints, the metallic doors crumbled to the ground instantly and revealed the hidden space behind it.


    ��What�� is that?��


    Gazing ahead, not only was Mini Bubble Gum widening her eyes in astonishment, but Canary also knitted her brows in doubt. After all, from their standpoint, there was nothing special about the black slate hovering and spinning constantly in midair. Even Rhode felt like the slate wasn��t anything unique at all. But shortly after, he heard the frantic voice of his younger sister.


    ��How is it possible? Why is it here?!��


    ��You know what it is?��


    ��Yes, Big Brother����


    His younger sister seemed really agitated. Upon hearing Rhode��s question, she pondered in silence for a few moments, before calming herself down and speaking.


    ��That is�� the original record and what was once the Dragon Soul Continent��s monument of creation: the Akashic Slate!��

 Chapter 1115 - Interlocked Records

    ��Akashic Slate?��


    After listening to his younger sister��s remarks, Rhode was taken aback. This was his first time hearing his younger sister��s agitated voice. In the past, be it in reality or in the form of a soul fragment, she was always stoic and methodical. But now, for her to react so tensely, this went to show how important that piece of slate was. But Rhode had never heard anyone mention it in the game.


    ��Yes�� Big Brother.��


    After hearing Rhode��s doubt, his younger sister calmed down quickly and explained.


    ��The Akashic Slate records Order and Chaos and is the source of all things. Even we are not aware of when it appeared or who created it. We only know that the Akashic Slate is like the Order Star. They are ancient artifacts that existed way before Order and Chaos. It contains the powers to neutralize Order and Chaos and for this reason, Chaos Beings sealed it in an extremely dangerous place from the very start. But in order for the five of us to escape the land of Chaos and create a world that only belongs to Order, we stole the Akashic Slate, used it to successfully convert Chaos into Order, and used our individual power to create the current Dragon Soul Continent.��


    ��I see����


    Rhode nodded in response. In this case, this artifact was considered the ultimate creation artifact in the Dragon Soul Continent. But why did it come to this world?


    ��Big Brother, I suppose you��ve heard from our discussion that after we created the Dragon Soul Continent, Chaos Beings eyed us covetously. In that situation, we searched for ways to leave and head to a new world. After all, we initially created the Dragon Soul Continent to serve as a sanctuary. If it was possible, we also hoped to forever stay away from the threats of Chaos as far as possible, which was why we came up with the Dimension Gate�� Back then, we had similar thoughts as you, Big Brother. But we didn��t have the intention to transmigrate the entire Dragon Soul Continent to a new world. Instead, we hoped to use the power of the Akashic Slate to convert Chaos into Order and open up a path for our people to enter the new world. We sent out five of our most trustworthy people. They overcame the obstacle of Chaos with the Akashic Slate and elite troops and opened up the path to the new world. Our initial thought was that after they arrived at the new world, they would use the Akashic Slate to link up with the Dragon Soul Continent. Through this way, we could stay away from the threats of this world. But for some unknown reason, we received no news from them after they left. In the end, we had no choice but to accept the failure of our plan and it was from then when we racked our brains to build the Dragon Soul Continent into our home isolated from Chaos. But that wasn��t a long-term solution, after all. We eventually decided to head to the outside world to give it a shot. But unlike the past and due to the past lesson learned, we didn��t send out our followers, but went ourselves instead. That was why we left behind our dragon soul powers in the Dragon Soul Continent and transmigrated to this world using our souls����


    I see.


    After hearing his younger sister��s explanation, Rhode nodded in response. He criticized the Creator Dragons for being so adventurous in the past when they clearly knew that the situation was too dangerous and yet, they chose to do it themselves. But it seemed like they had sent out their followers and suffered a double loss. Not only was the channel unopened, but they also lost their precious creation artifact. As for their second attempt, the Creator Dragons were afraid and no longer dared to risk sending out their followers, which explained why they were more assured to do it themselves.


    ��In other words, the followers you dispatched should have transmigrated to Earth?��


    Rhode said, strolling toward the side of the hovering slate. Then, he asked: ��When did that happen?��


    ��That����


    His younger sister pondered in silence.


    ���� was around 10,000 years ago.��


    �� Alright then, perhaps there are finally assured results for sources of ancient civilization relics on the street tabloids now.


    ��It seems like it isn��t a coincidence that we returned to Earth. It is highly possible that our powers resonated with the Akashic Slate�� but why did this happen? Why is the Akashic Slate on the moon? Even though the harsh environment isn��t an issue for us, humans shouldn��t be living here����


    ��Alright then. We would have found the rabbits and the palace if they existed on the moon. But it doesn��t matter. Since those guys are in possession of the slate, they should know where they came from. As long as we interrogate them, we will get our answer.��


    Rhode said, lifting his head and gazing at the slate before him.


    ��What should we do now? Take it away with us?��


    ��Of course, Big Brother. But please seal it carefully. This Akashic Slate isn��t complete as it is just a part of the entire thing. If anything were to go wrong, it would be triggered automatically, causing the surrounding Order and Chaos to swap over and summon Chaos Beasts from the channel connecting to the Chaos��s plane.��


    ��Okay.��


    Rhode nodded and raised his right hand.


    Shortly after, a string of golden light erupted from his hand, transforming into beautiful runes one by one that wrapped the slate like a chain. As soon as the chain of runes touched the black slate, the black slate trembled abruptly and released a white halo. But before the white halo expanded, it vanished quickly, while the black slate flickered for a few moments. Then, it returned to being an unremarkable slate and landed on Rhode��s hand silently.


    ��Oh-oh-oh, what��s that thing, Leader?��


    Looking at the black slate in Rhode��s hand, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary crowded over curiously. Mini Bubble Gum��s eyes glinted.


    ��Oh, I know this thing! I know it! I saw it in a movie! Leader, this is that thing, right? If I rub the surface hard, I will turn into an intelligent����


    ��Alright, stop fooling around.��


    Upon seeing Mini Bubble Gum extending her hand to rub the black slate to see if she could become the ��God of new humans��, Rhode knocked her head with his fist immediately to stop her. He turned around and glanced at the ceiling. Even though he didn��t have his dragon essence, his sharp senses detected the complete chaos that had erupted above. And now, all they had to do was to search for the truth to everything.


    ��We still have things to do. It��s about time to let Her Highness Lydia return,�� Rhode said, turning around and exiting the mysterious room.


    ***


    ��The second district base is under attack.��


    Gazing at the information before him, Manny knitted his brows and spoke. He turned around and gazed complicatedly at the trio sitting at the back. Erin was casually sipping the red tea, while Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were bored stiff, scrolling through online novels on their smartphones. Earlier on, Manny and his two subjects were captured by Erin unreasonably. Erin hoped to receive their assistance since the locations of the remaining black slates were confidential. On the other hand, Canary no longer wished to attack directly like they did before. If they could receive assistance, it would be for the best, which was why they captured Manny and asked for his help.


    Manny had no choice but to agree with them. One, he was no match for them. Two, his researcher��s investigative mind was also really curious about the three young ladies. After all, they seemed to understand the black slate more than him when he had already spent a dozen years trying to decipher it. If he assisted them, perhaps he might use the opportunity to unravel the truth. Harboring such an attitude, Manny tossed the thought of the ��dangers of humanity�� to the back of his head and ��defected��.


    ��Under attack?��


    Upon hearing Manny��s words, the three young ladies lifted their heads and gazed at him with curious eyes.


    ��Do you know who the attackers are?��


    ��Let me try�� hmmm, it seems like the external communication system has been cut off completely�� no, it doesn��t work. I can��t connect to their internal system. The only thing I know is that the attackers have suppressed the base resistance���� Manny said, turning around to gaze strangely at the trio. ���� Are they your companions?��


    ������


    In the face of this question, the trio was taken aback. Indeed, a world war wasn��t ongoing so logically speaking, there shouldn��t be anyone attacking the moon bases apart from mysterious people like them. But according to Manny, it seemed like the attackers had invaded the second base. Could this mean that they were also after the black slate?


    ��I��m connecting to the satellite to see if I can find any traces.��


    Not only was the trio dubious about this question, but Manny was also somewhat curious, which was why he turned around and tapped the keyboard to connect to the surveillance cameras and satellites from everywhere. Shortly after, a video played in front of him and he widened his eyes in astonishment.


    ��Oh, Lord�� this is����


    An angel emanating in a golden brilliance soared majestically in space. In the face of the fighter aircrafts, she didn��t even evade and simply shifted to the side as though she were dancing. She brandished her swords in a crisscrossed stance and two streaks of dazzling golden radiance ripped apart the fighter aircrafts entirely.


    ��Oh-oh-oh, this is��!��


    At this moment, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum also saw the screen. But unlike Manny��s astonished expression, they jumped to their feet in excitement and joy.


    ���� Her Highness Lydia!��

 Chapter 1116 - Special Investigation Force

    If it were possible, David Chris only had one thought and that was to report to the higher-ups and tender his resignation. The ��Commander in Chief�� of the Americas Region moon bases was once a title of glory and honor to him. But now, he felt an incredibly heavy responsibility on his shoulders.


    It had been over 15 hours since he lost contact with the second district base. The only thing for sure was that they were attacked, but the situation was much trickier than when it involved a dragon because this time, everyone witnessed the existence of an angel in the surveillance footage!


    If it were said that the attack from the dragon left everyone in the Americas Region lingering in fear, this time the emergence of this angel-like young lady led them to the verge of collapse. After all, they believed they were a ��country protected by God��. But now, an angel that would only appear in legends had actually showed up before them and even attacked?


    This incident left the people of the Americas Region in a state of anxiety. Some of the pious believers had even fallen into despair. They thought everything was the will of God and they must have done something to enrage him, which was why they were punished. In the Americas Region, such rumors were popular. Even though David tried all ways to stop the spreading of such rumors, he couldn��t conceal them forever. But to David, concealing them for the time being was good enough.


    It was a pity that he couldn��t stop others from peeping despite successfully concealing the truth from his men. Most non-believing regions were watching closely and only just curious. But the Europe Region rang him up instantly, demanding the Americas Region to give a clear explanation as to why an angel had shown up and even attacked them.


    Damn it! I��m even more curious to know just how unlucky I am to attract all these troubles!


    A dragon, followed by an angel��


    David let out a long, helpless sigh. Perhaps he wouldn��t be surprised anymore if he were to meet a demon next. Even though David and others had devout faith, they didn��t actually believe in the so-called legends of God��s messenger and whatnot. Religion was simply a spiritual cultivation to him and he believed that one shouldn��t rely on some imagined beings soaring in the air to display one��s dignity. But now, it seemed like some questions that weren��t taken to heart by people finally became true.


    At this thought, David couldn��t help but hold his forehead. After a few moments, he lifted his head and due to the lack of sleep, he gazed at his subordinates with blood-shot eyes.


    ��By the way, what about those guys from the Asia Region?��


    ��Yes. Reporting, Commander. The Search and Rescue team from the Asia Region arrived five hours ago. They have headed to B-13 and are conducting their investigation.��


    ��What?!��


    Upon hearing his subject��s report, David slammed the table heavily. He glared with an ashen expression at his subject.


    ��You said they went to B-13? Why didn��t you report this to me earlier?! Damn it. No, why didn��t they apply for entry beforehand? How dare they make such important decisions themselves!��


    ��T-This����


    After listening to his superior��s rage, the subject hesitated for a few moments before answering.


    ���� They have informed you as required, but you said you would handle such a small matter when you��re free. After they confirmed that you received their report and didn��t give any further instructions, they followed accordingly to the Moon Alliance Agreement to act autonomously and we have no rights to stop them����


    ��Damn it!��


    David slammed the table again. Of course, he knew the existence of such emergency regulations, but every country signed the agreement as an act and for any eventuality. One of the emergency regulations included was, for instance, that they could choose to act on their own when there was no response from a corresponding area in an emergency.


    But this damn Americas Region hasn��t fully crumbled and I��m still alive and kicking! Those bast*rds didn��t respect me at all and have actually taken actions?!


    Hmph. Well, that��s fine by me.


    At this thought, David revealed a smile on his grim expression.


    Since those guys went to B-13 for investigations, it shows that they may possibly face those earlier monsters that made us suffer. When that happens, they will know how reckless and foolish they are! Hmph, it has nothing to do with me even if they are all eaten as snacks by those monsters. I��ll just let them die! I��ve already searched the area with my forces several times and there is nothing worthy of my attention anymore. Besides, the confidential documents were already transferred or destroyed. Since they want to find trouble, I��ll let them be!


    ��Erm�� Commander, there is another matter.��


    ��What is it?��


    ��The Special Investigation Force from Earth has also arrived����


    ��Special Investigation Force?��


    David was taken aback and his grim expression turned uglier. For such disasters to happen, his position as the ��Commander in Chief�� was far from secure. Not only that, but Earth also sent out their own investigation force? This was obviously a move in doubt of his abilities. But what else could David say? Nuclear warheads were useless against the dragon and now, there was also a powerful angel.


    Since this is way beyond what I can handle, I want to see how those guys from Earth can handle this thorny situation.


    ��Alright, let��s check it out.��


    ��No need for the trouble, Mr. David. We��re here.��


    In a swift and mechanical sound, the tightly-sealed door opened, followed by a deep, ice-cold voice that sounded after. Upon hearing the voice, David knitted his brows uncomfortably. He turned around and saw a man in his 30s or 40s clad in a black uniform. He entered the control room in large strides, carrying a large suitcase by his side. He had a shaved head, and his azure eyes were as though inorganic marbles glinting in an ice-cold radiance. The instant David saw the man, he felt uneasy all over as though he were stared at by a wild animal. But even so, he held down his discomfort, stepped forward, and offered a handshake.


    ��Greetings, welcome to the main control center of the Americas Region��s moon base. I��m David Chris.��


    ��Greetings, Commander. I��m the captain of the Special Investigation Force, Dr. Johnny Martin.��


    Facing David��s greeting, the bald man displayed a friendly smile. On the contrary, David didn��t feel any ��friendliness�� from that smile at all. Even though Martin didn��t seem like a bad person, David felt like his smile was as sinister as a wild animal��s, which was why he quickly released his hand after the handshake.


    ��I suppose you��re aware of our predicament, Dr. Martin. We��re not doing too well and there were also some earlier troublesome matters that we��re attending to. Everything is����


    ��We��ve learned everything from the earlier reports, Mr. David.��


    Martin interrupted David in a somewhat rude way, which annoyed the latter. But David was also aware of his predicament, so he didn��t criticize him for it. On the other hand, Martin didn��t seem to notice the dissatisfaction in David as he nodded in response and continued.


    ��We learned what happened on our way here. I will take over command for the time being. According to our prediction, they are here for the Apocalyptic Slate. Even though we don��t know why they needed it, it is obvious that they are hostile towards us. For safety, we need to gather the remaining Apocalyptic Slates in one place.��


    ��I got it.��


    David wasn��t surprised by what Martin said. Previously, they had searched the bases that lost contact and the Apocalyptic Slates used for research were missing as expected. Perhaps most people in the Americas Region weren��t aware of their existence, but as the person in charge of the moon bases, David surely knew about them. In fact, many bases in the Americas Region were built to uncover the Apocalyptic Slates; it was just that the newcomers weren��t informed and only treated them as ordinary research bases. After the bases were attacked and they did an inventory check, the disappearance of the Apocalyptic Slates caught David��s attention. It was especially so for the next few days where all the bases under attack were related to the Apocalyptic Slates and unrelated bases weren��t affected at all. This was why David came to the conclusion that the attackers were here for the slates. He thought of relocating the slates, but didn��t expect the second district base to be under attack before he gave the command.


    ��We will relocate the slate immediately and get the spaceship ready for Earth!��


    Listening to David��s voice in her ears, the woman leaning on the space exploration vehicle gave a lazy yawn. At the same time, she extended her arm to knock on the screen lightly, cutting off the image displaying David and Martin temporarily.


    ��Yawn�� so they��re here for that. How interesting�� seems like we��ve just received some significant information.��


    ��M-Major? Are you sure it��s fine? To openly eavesdrop����


    ��What does it matter? Anyway, we��re just doing some investigation and there won��t be any issue if we��re not caught�� but so what if we are? Didn��t they do similar things back then too�� yawn����


    The woman said and became silent for a few moments. Then, she stretched her arm out and knocked on the window.


    ��Alright, we��re not heading to B-13 anymore. Inform the rest to group up. We��re returning to the periphery of B-2. Since we know what they are looking for, we might as well wait for them to drop into our laps,�� the woman said, lying on the back seat. ��I��m gonna nap for a while. Wake me up if anything happens.��

 Chapter 1117 - Dancing in the Dark

    ��That��s about it.��


    Shifting his gaze away from the monitor, Rhode turned to Lydia and shrugged. The latter extended her hand and covered her mouth in surprise. A few moments ago, Rhode told Lydia about his identity, the Creator Dragons, and the relationship between this world and the Dragon Soul Continent. It could be said that Rhode basically told Lydia everything he knew. But to him, those weren��t actually secrets. With Lydia��s identity and status, she had the right to know everything. From a certain degree, he had gained her support in order to get Lilian��s. Even though Lydia definitely couldn��t match up against Lilian in terms of strength, Lydia��s influence was much stronger than Lilian in the current situation. In this case, gaining Lydia��s recognition also meant gaining the support of the entire Country of Light.


    As for the thoughts of the Country of Light��s people? What had they got to do with Rhode?


    ��I�� I didn��t expect this at all����


    Even the calm, collected Lydia couldn��t maintain her cool at this point in time, especially after she learned that the original Creator Dragons existed in this world. In the Dragon Soul Continent, the disappearance of the original Creator Dragons was always a mystery and not even an archangel like Lydia knew about the truth. The only thing she knew was that the Creator Dragons left on a certain day, left behind their powers, and selected dragon soul heirs to replace them in protecting this world. Lydia thought the Creator Dragons had died of old age and didn��t expect this to happen at all�� She also didn��t expect them to build a virtual Dragon Soul Continent in this world to continue their project. Moreover, the fact about the Akashic Slate and war between Chaos and Order bewildered her.


    ��In other words, the reason why we��re able to reach here through the channel is related to the Creator Dragons?��


    ��No, I��m not certain for now����


    Facing Lydia��s question, Rhode shook his head in response. A few moments ago, they had taken control of the base and he used his younger sister��s ability to infiltrate the system and learned the reason as to why the slates were uncovered on the moon. But it was a pity that there was no specific information about them. Their only guess was that the five original Creator Dragons�� subjects could have arrived on Earth. but due to some accidents, they had no choice but to abandon their plan. Not only that, but also due to some unknown reason, they shattered the Akashic Slates, brought them to the moon, and buried them under the surface. Rhode had to admit that he felt curious when he first heard about this. If the subjects were successful back then, what would have become of Earth now?


    But it was meaningless to think of the things that didn��t happen.


    According to Rhode��s younger sister, there should be five Akashic Slates. She also sensed a faint, dark presence in three of them, which meant that they had landed in Erin��s hands. However, Rhode wasn��t too surprised with his younger sister��s speculation as Erin wasn��t muddle-headed. She was dragged into this world ridiculously and the slates contained a clear presence of Chaos and Order. In that case, Erin would surely snatch and research them even if she didn��t know what they were. Rhode had no doubt about it because this archangel and Erin had the same bad habit�� they would grab whatever they fancied first and do whatever they wanted later�� like true sisters��


    But in this case, it made the situation complicated.


    ��What should we do next, Your Majesty Rhode?��


    ��All in all, let��s find the last slate. I��m sure Erin will come for it too. As long as we reach the location of the slate and wait for Erin��s arrival����


    Rhode continued. He couldn��t help but knit his brows as his first intention was to transmigrate to this world, conduct an investigation, search for Erin, and return to the Dragon Soul Continent together. But he didn��t expect things to take such a turn where he would transmigrate to Earth. He thought he would only need to roam the unknown world once and could leave thereafter. However, this mysterious situation puzzled him. He was hesitant, but it seemed like he had to figure out what was exactly happening to Earth before making a decision. All in all, he had to contact the other four original Creator Dragons. After all, they lived here for years and were owners of multinational companies. They surely would have more solutions than Rhode who had no power or connections.


    At this thought, Rhode decided to throw this matter to the back of his head. As of now, they were almost 400,000 kilometers away from Earth and it wasn��t an easy task heading back to earth.


    ��Anyway, let��s search for the next slate for now.��


    Rhode made a decision quickly.


    ***


    Staring at the black slate slowly being taken out of the tightly-sealed vessel, David couldn��t help but tense up, while his ears listened sharply to the surroundings. At this moment, David was like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow. He was terrified to hear sudden blares of sirens��what should he do if some unknown beings were to find trouble with him? After all, the unknown beings found the other Apocalyptic Slates effortlessly, which meant that they had a special way to locate them. What should David do if they sensed the slate being moved and decided to pounce on him? But apart from this, there was also something else which he couldn��t understand. He sized up the tall guards who were as though clad in iron barrel-like armor and standing behind Dr. Martin dubiously. Judging from their appearance, they seemed at least two meters tall and their sturdy built was unlike humans��. Two ice-cold and mystical crimson radiances flashed from the gap in their helmets as they gazed at David emotionlessly, leaving him in discomfort. Even though Dr. Martin mentioned they were members of the Special Investigation Force, for some unknown reason, David didn��t feel like they were humans.


    ��Erm�� Dr. Martin, are we seriously not sealing up the Apocalyptic Slate?��


    David asked nervously, but the expression of the bald man beside him remained unchanged.


    ��Don��t worry, Mr. David. We��ve made ample preparation. According to your report, it seems like the unknown beings possess some unknown means of locating the Apocalyptic Slates. If we seal up the slate, they may attack us upon realizing something is amiss. This is why we don��t need to seal the slate immediately. After all preparations are ready, we will seal it and leave.��


    ��Is that so�� alright then����


    David heaved a sigh of relief. Of course, he was aware of the possible fact that unknown beings might arrive upon realizing someone took away the slate. The reason why he was here was that he had decided to leave with them. On the surface�� he seemed to be doing it for the sake of ��reporting the recent series of grave attacks on the moon bases��, but in fact, he had made up his mind to make a run for it. Facing the unknown beings, David wasn��t willing to stay any longer. As for the rest, good luck to them.


    David sank into deep thoughts and didn��t notice the strange glint in Dr. Martin��s eyes. Dr. Martin narrowed his eyes, gazed at David, and spoke with a smile.


    ��But before that, Mr. David, we have something that needs your help in order to avoid the unknown beings finding trouble with us.��


    ��What is it, Dr. Martin?��


    Upon hearing Dr. Martin��s words, David returned to his senses quickly and asked with a smile. Dr. Martin didn��t respond immediately. Instead, he strolled toward the black slate before turning to David. For some unknown reason, David suddenly felt his heart pounding. But before he reacted, the silent black slate shone abruptly, releasing a mysterious halo that expanded to the surroundings.


    What happened!?


    David stared blankly on the spot as the halo passed through his body. He lost his senses immediately and couldn��t move at all. Not only that, but he also felt his clear vision blur as though there were a thin layer of mist before his eyes.


    ��Dr. Martin, what��s going on!��


    David used almost all of his strength to yell as he gazed ahead frantically. In an instant, the world around him changed. The pitch-black shadows in the surroundings distorted and squirmed like conscious creatures that constantly bulged. At this moment, David heard some terrified screams, but didn��t turn around to check out the situation. Instead, he glared at the man before him. Dr. Martin maintained his smile, stood beside the black slate, and extended his hand to gently harass it.


    ��It��s nothing, Mr. David. I just hope you and your subjects can fulfill your duties in helping us resist and eliminate the unknown beings, that��s all.��


    Dr. Martin said and spread his arms apart.


    ��Don��t worry, all your sacrifices will not be for naught. I represent the nation in paying the highest respects to you.��


    Dr. Martin said and saluted the military commander before him. Then, he made a hand gesture and the strange guards clad in iron barrel-like armor took over the black slate, turned around, and left along with Dr. Martin.


    ��Wait. Damn it. What are you trying to do! You��!��


    All of a sudden, a slippery touch from below disrupted David��s screams. He lowered his head in shock, only to discover that his shadow had turned into some sort of black mud that climbed up his legs. At the same time, he heard blood-curdling screams from the outside.


    Where are the guards? Damn it, how are the rest doing? Are they in the same predicament as me? What exactly is this?


    David struggled with all his might to break free from this mysterious presence to no avail. The black mud-like presence clung onto his body and he couldn��t budge at all.


    ��Guards! Guards! G������


    However, that was the end to his screams of despair because at the next moment, the ice-cold, mud-like presence climbed up his body and drilled into his wide-opened mouth. Then, his consciousness was completely cut off.


    The world had changed entirely.

 Chapter 1118 - Man of Cooperation

    ��It just doesn��t feel right to me����


    Standing at the summit of the hill and gazing at the Americas Region��s headquarters ahead, Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips and grumbled. Canary and Erin stood beside her, knitting their brows and scanning the buildings. At a glance, one could see the white, silent moon surface, as well as the sky full of stars. However, this was just one of the most common sceneries on this planet. The moon base headquarters stood tall and upright below them and nothing seemed abnormal. But for some reason, Mini Bubble Gum felt like something wasn��t quite right. The high-tech buildings standing before her seemed more like an enormous, metallic, and lifeless coffin that was used in a funeral parlor to store dead bodies and was eady to be thrown into the cremation furnace. Even though it didn��t seem dangerous, it left one��s blood running cold and Mini Bubble Gum was unsure if it was due to its presence or the environment it was in. For instance, a doll placed inside a little girl��s room might just be a symbol of innocence. However, if it were placed in a shabby attic, it would be seen as a sinister sign.


    So which category did the moon base headquarters belong to? Even though everything seemed normal, it gave one a strange, abnormal feeling with its strong, deep, and mysterious presence.


    ��Alright, let��s go. It seems like they are prepared this time, so it won��t be as easy as we think.��


    Erin shifted her gaze away from the base. She was equally as dubious as Canary and Mini Bubble gum because the location of the black slate which she should have been able to detect clearly seemed to be concealed by a layer of mist. She was only able to detect its rough position. Not only that, but she also sensed an incredibly unusual and powerful presence around the slate. Even though she didn��t know what it was, she was certain that it was something on a higher level than the creatures she had met before.


    ��In this world, are there any individuals with powerful abilities?��


    ��Huh?��


    Upon hearing Erin��s question, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were taken aback. Then, Canary shook her head while Mini Bubble Gum spread her arms apart.


    ��We��re not too sure either, Your Highness Erin. Big Sister and I are only civilians, so even if Men In Black, The Avengers, Captain America, and whatnot exist, we wouldn��t know. After all, they are considered core secrets of the government���� Mini Bubble Gum swirled her eyes and said. Then, she asked. ��What��s wrong? Did you sense some powerful guys in there, Your Highness Erin?��


    ��I��m not sure, but I did sense some mysterious presence.��


    Erin answered, before pondering in silence and shaking her head.


    ��Forget it, we��ll know once we get in.��


    Erin said, before turning around and headed down the hill slope. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum exchanged looks with each other and followed her closely. At this moment, they heard a crisp and rather lazy voice all of a sudden.


    ��Canary, Bubble, wait.��


    ��Huh?!��


    Upon hearing the voice, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum almost jumped up in shock. They were on the moon and there wasn��t any air for sound to travel through. In fact, all communications between the two young ladies were through the communication device in the spacesuits that transmitted voice directly to their ears. Due to this reason, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were astounded by the strange voice. Moreover, it would be impossible for them to not be surprised for one to suddenly call out their names on this empty moon surface. The two young ladies turned around instinctively, but there was no one behind them, of course.


    ��W-Who��s there? Are you a ghost?��


    Even though they had witnessed all sorts of strange occurrences while being together with Erin, the happenings were more or less within their cognition. But for a voice to suddenly ring in their ears all of a sudden on this empty moon surface, this could be considered the plot of a sci-fi thriller, right?


    ��Where are you two looking at�� I��m right here; at your bottom right. There is a moon exploration vehicle. Do you see it?��


    ��Huh?��


    Upon hearing the voice, the two young ladies walked to the edge of the hill and looked down curiously. Indeed, there was a white moon exploration vehicle in the crater ahead. At this moment, the voice rang again.


    ��Come on over. Let��s have a talk. By the way, Her Highness Erin�� invite her along too.��


    ��Huh? Wait, who are you? Hello?��


    Even though Mini Bubble Gum raised her doubts quickly, the other party didn��t respond at all. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum exchanged difficult looks with each other. After all, that voice was too odd. Not only did she know their identities, but she also seemed to be really familiar with them. Also, how did she know who Erin was? As the two young ladies pondered, Erin��s voice rang in their heads this time.


    ��Let��s take a look, Miss Canary, Miss Bubble.��


    ��Will everything be fine, Your Highness Erin?��


    No wonder Canary raised this question as not only did the mysterious voice grasp their information, but she also knew about Erin. This left Canary and Mini Bubble Gum in bewilderment, especially after she called out their in-game names because they called each other that only out of affection. They were never that delusional to make outsiders call them by their in-game names (even Mini Bubble Gum, who was through the roof in delusional level, knew the existence of the word ��shame��). And now, the sudden emergence of a person who seemed to understand them really well made them uncomfortable.


    ��Don��t worry, I already felt their presence earlier on. They don��t seem to be hostile towards us, so I think it will be fine.��


    Erin said, before turning around and approaching the exploration vehicle. After hearing Erin��s words, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum hesitated and followed her quickly.


    Even though the vehicle didn��t seem huge looking from the distance, they realized it wasn��t considered small after approaching it. It was a rectangular vehicle as wide as three buses and had caterpillar tracks and robotic arms as its external configurations. Of course, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were clearly aware that apart from exploration purposes, it also acted as a temporary camp. Shortly after, the trio arrived and the tightly-sealed, rear armor door slid open gradually, revealing the inside. Gazing at the inside of the vehicle, the trio entered without hesitation. The iron door closed and they heard the sound of jets. Up until this moment, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum also took off their helmets; as for Erin, she didn��t need to bother herself with it since she wasn��t even wearing a spacesuit.


    The metallic door before them slid open silently as though inviting them inside. Looking at this scene, Erin smiled and led Canary and Mini Bubble Gum inside.


    The moon exploration vehicle wasn��t cramped inside. It could even be considered really spacious and comfortable. At a glance, apart from the screen hanging on the wall, there was also a white sofa and several green ornamental plants. But what attracted their attention the most was the young lady lying diagonally on the sofa with her eyes closed and seemed to be sleeping. She wore a black uniform, and her fluffy and messy hair resembling a chicken��s nest. After the trio entered, she lifted her head and looked at them. Then, she let out a yawn.


    ��Yawn�� Canary, Bubble, long time no see�� I didn��t expect to see both of you here����


    ��Huh?��


    Upon hearing the young lady��s words, Canary and Bubble were startled. Then, Bubble widened her eyes in disbelief at the young lady.


    ��This voice�� you��re Sister Heart?��


    ��Senior Heart? Why are you����


    Gazing at the young lady, Canary was flabbergasted. She just couldn��t relate this young lady as the lazy, yet capable character who led Starlight in the game. Even though both of them seemed equally lazy, the problem was that the mismatch between her solemn black uniform and indolent self was through the roof! Besides, what was that on her shoulder? A military rank! Oh, God have mercy. Even though Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had met Orchid Heart several times, they couldn��t imagine her being a soldier at all. In their impressions, her main occupation should have been a geek who laid in a small, dark room and tapped on the keyboard all day.


    ��That should be my question, Canary.��


    The young lady yawned again, speaking with half-opened eyes.


    ��The sudden disappearance of you two in the precinct caused quite a stir. Not to mention, something serious happened back then too�� and that is why I brought people to conduct a search. I didn��t expect you two to be together. She is���� Orchid Heart narrowed her eyes. Her indifferent eyes glinted in curiosity for the first time. ���� the moon princess. Your Highness Erin, I didn��t expect to see you here in the real world����


    ��I��m even more surprised that I��m able to appear in the game of an alternate world.��


    Upon hearing Orchid Heart��s words, the gentle smile on Erin��s face didn��t change at all.


    ��But Miss Orchid Heart, I suppose you didn��t come here just to greet your friends, right?��


    ��Yes, even though this is part of the reason, it wasn��t my original intention.��


    Orchid Heart said and her expression became stern for the first time.


    ��I suppose your target is the Americas Region��s headquarters below, right? But I have to warn you that the situation inside is abnormal. Your Highness Erin, although I don��t know what you��re exactly trying to do and why Canary and Bubble are with you right now, I think it is still better for me to warn you of the situation.��


    Orchid Heart said, leaning out her body and extending her hand to tap a few keys on the keyboard before her. Then, a crisp video recording played on the monitor in front of them.


    ��This is the current situation in the Americas Region��s headquarters.��


    ��Huh?��


    Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were stunned. As soon as they fixed their gazes at the monitor, their complexion instantly turned pale. Not only that, but Erin��s expression also changed at this scene and her eyes glinted in complicated flashes. Shortly after, Mini Bubble Gum burst out screaming.


    ��What in the world is this!��

 Chapter 1119 - Battle in the Nest

    The large metallic doors slid open gradually. Gazing at the dim, gloomy space ahead, Rhode extended his arm and slid his finger across the hilt gently. According to the conclusion of his younger sister��s investigations, this should be where the last piece of slate was. Judging from the look of this place, it indeed resembled a place of huge importance.


    In the Americas Region��s headquarters? Perhaps this may turn out to be a bothersome international issue.


    Rhode shook his head and threw this thought to the back of his head. No matter what and who the enemies were, he must get his hands on the Akashic Slate. Anyway, everything would be fine as long as it didn��t involve his country because if it did, he might need to use means of communication and oppression to reach his goal. But now, since this shabby place had nothing to do with him at all, he couldn��t care less about it.


    ��������!��


    The exhaust from the isolated cabin sounded and Rhode turned a deaf ear to it. He squinted at the heavy metallic door ahead, while listening to Lydia��s rather uncertain voice.


    ��Please be careful, Your Majesty Rhode. I sense a strong, sinister energy.��


    ��Yes, me too.��


    Rhode nodded at her reminder. In fact, just like Lydia, he also sensed that something was amiss with this building. If it were said that Rhode sensed an extremely familiar technological feel in the earlier bases, the presence of this seemingly high-tech building felt more like a certain decaying and dangerous ruin to him. It had a mysterious, faint, and dangerous atmosphere that could not be neglected.


    At this moment, Rhode and the three young ladies weren��t wearing spacesuits. As long as one reached their caliber and activated the spiritual shield, one could be isolated from external harm. They didn��t need to breathe either, not to mention worrying about the harsh coldness of space and immense difference in air pressure. Perhaps Rhode should consider if he could burst through the atmosphere himself.


    Beep����! Beep����! Beep����!


    The sirens clamored. After confirming that everything was normal, the function of the isolated cabin stopped working entirely and the door in front of Rhode��s group opened to reveal a dim, metallic corridor. The scarlet emergency lights flashed and reflected off the inorganic metallic surface, leaving one annoyed.


    ��Why do I feel like a protagonist in a shooter game about to enter a monster��s nest����


    Looking at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum said grimly. She looked around her uncomfortably and extended her arm. Along with her movement, little white spheres emanating holy radiance appeared one by one in midair, revolving around the group. The bright, gentle rays of white light eradicated the dark, eerie atmosphere. Mini Bubble Gum lowered her right hand and pointed her hand ahead like a pistol.


    ��Alright, let��s go! MISSION START!��


    One had to admit that Mini Bubble Gum��s hunch was really accurate.


    As they headed down the metallic corridor, Rhode quickly discovered something strange. Logically, the enemies should have taken some actions after the four of them strutted through the entrance. In fact, they were prepared to be ambushed before they entered the corridor. After all, on the moon��s surface, there was technology that could hide one��s presence, so it couldn��t get easier to spot them through the surveillance cameras. On the contrary, Rhode��s group wasn��t attacked at all, which was really strange. And now, he felt that the situation was getting increasingly odder.


    ��Don��t you guys feel like�� something�� isn��t right?��


    At this moment, the group had passed through the dim corridor and arrived at a brightly-lit, spacious hall. A reception table with two long benches, as well as a vending machine by the wall were set up before them. Judging from this look, nothing seemed to be wrong. But be it Rhode or the others, they didn��t feel comfortable. It wasn��t only that none of the guards in the base showed up before them, but was more like they had an increasingly strong sense of insecurity. As the most powerful player of the game, Rhode trusted his capabilities and his instincts were obviously sounding out the ��danger alarm�� to its owner. This made him raise his guard and he felt rather dubious at the same time because in the clash yesterday, he realized that there should be nothing in this world that could threaten him��logically speaking. But now, why did he sense such a dense and dangerous aura?


    Something was definitely up. He didn��t sense this feeling from a specific direction, but from all around him instead. It was as though he had entered an ambush and yet, he couldn��t spot anything wrong. In this case��


    Rhode��s eyes glinted. Then, he turned around abruptly, clutching the silver-whitish, holy sword in his hand and streaking across a dazzling radiance in midair. In the blink of an eye, the menacing blade ray struck heavily on the wall made of super alloy. The strong, heavy wall was ripped apart effortlessly, but��


    What presented before them wasn��t the crumbling wall or broke steel wires, but chunks of squirming, crimson flesh instead. Not only that, but sea anemone-like tentacles, eyes, and small teeth could also be seen on the surface of the flesh. Upon being attacked by Rhode, the chunks of flesh shuddered instantly before shrinking and retreating swiftly.


    ��What in the world is that!��


    Looking at this disturbing scene, Mini Bubble Gum shrieked and extended her arm quickly. Along with her movement, the light spheres revolving around her suddenly blasted incomparably bright lights at the disgusting flesh. At the same time, Canary raised her arm and endless flames exploded from her palm in the blink of an eye, gushing toward their surroundings like powerful tides.


    ��Ohhhhhhh!��


    The entire hall shook as the bloody, wriggly flesh underneath the walls trembled frantically. In a few moments, everything changed before their eyes.


    The seemingly modern metallic facility was entirely gone, only to be replaced by a revolting presence. The crimson flesh twisted from side to side, drilling out of the cracks in the walls and spreading to the surroundings like mold. Patches of warts appeared on the walls, rupturing and flowing out like repulsive, blood and plasma-like liquid. Everything before their eyes transformed. The strong, enormous tentacles flew out of the walls and pounced on the enemies.


    Shing!


    Two streaks of blade lights dazzled in midair. Lydia rolled over after drawing two incredibly stunning arcs with her swords. The dazzling golden brilliance erupted, enveloping the tentacles completely. Shortly after, in blood-curdling screeches and wails, the huge tentacles turned into ashes entirely. But at the same time, several tentacles broke out of the ground and fluttered at her.


    ��W-What are these things that look like Zergs and strange alien parts?!��


    Mini Bubble Gum flustered. Even though she had plenty of battle experience, this view was simply too disgusting for her to accept. At a glance, some rib cage-like objects wrapped in bloody flesh were seen drilling out of the ceiling. The sleek floor beneath her feet had already been eroded and turned into a carpet of flesh. Not only was it warm and wet, but it was also slimy like a pool of vomit. What disgusted Mini Bubble Gum was that the vomit was also squirming constantly as though trying to dissolve the food that had entered its stomach.


    ��Ahhh, I can��t take it anymore. This is too, too, too, too disgusting!��


    Mini Bubble Gum squealed and raised her arms high. Along with this movement, a dazzling light beam shone from above, striking the floor heavily. Shortly after, the holy and powerful force dispersed like bolts of lightning, devouring the chunks of flesh around her.


    ��What are they?��


    Meanwhile, Rhode had also flitted across and dodged the berserk attacks of the tentacles. He clearly witnessed that these creatures weren��t just tentacles. The tentacles were covered in crimson eyes and their tip was full of razor-sharp teeth in a mouth. This was his first time seeing such creatures, not to mention Mini Bubble Gum. Even though he had encountered several disgusting creatures in the Bottomless Abyss, such strange creatures were still rather rare. At this moment, his younger sister��s frantic and terrified voice sounded in his head.


    ��Be careful, Big Brother, this is a Chaos Nest!��


    ��Is it difficult to deal with?��


    Rhode evaded the tentacle��s ambush and retaliated with his sword at the same time. Even though the silver-whitish, holy sword slashed the tentacle successfully, it wasn��t destroyed by him effortlessly like the other creatures he encountered. On the contrary, he even felt recoil against the blade. Although the tentacle eventually collapsed to the might of the holy sword, Rhode was still astonished. After all, it seemed to him that theoretically, no one in this world could match up against him. Not only that, but he also sharply sensed that the presence of Chaos was getting denser! And it was slowly overwhelming their strength of Order!


    This isn��t logical�� no, even though it isn��t logical to begin with, this is too illogical!


    Rhode had never faced such a creature even in the game which was why he didn��t know how to react to them. Even though he knew there must be a core somewhere, it seemed to him that the creature had fused with the base entirely. In this situation, he couldn��t let his younger sister infiltrate the computer system and conduct leisurely research anymore. But if this continued, the situation might worsen.


    ��It will be really tough, Big Brother. They used to be the main fighting force of Chaos when they invaded the Dragon Soul Continent. They can devour Order Beings, inject Chaos into them, and convert them into formidable Chaos Beings! In terms of level in the game, the lowest level of these Chaos Beings is 65, at the Elite Stage, and the highest can go up to level 75! We have to destroy this place entirely. If not, the Chaos Nest will use this place as a trigger point and dominate the entire moon!��


    This spells trouble!


    Rhode��s expression sank slightly. He raised his left hand and along with his movement, dazzling rays emanating from a summoning ritual erupted with him standing in the middle.


    ��Canary, Bubble, Lydia. Go all-out; we��re going to destroy this place!��

 Chapter 1120 - The Attack of Chaos

    Rhode had to admit that he was truly caught off guard by Chaos this time due to his miscalculation. It wasn��t that the Chaos Nest didn��t appear in the game before, so he wasn��t familiar with it. Instead, he admitted that he took them too lightly.


    After all, this was his world.


    If they were in another world, he would have been more cautious. But here, he underestimated the enemies, just like Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. They thought that they understood the history, culture, and technological advancement of this world more than Lydia and Erin. As a matter of fact, Rhode didn��t expect this world to be invaded by Chaos. Even though he had a little hunch, he hadn��t faced anything similar in the past, after all. Due to this reason, although the atmosphere of the base seemed somewhat strange to him, he still entered. But now�� it was an entirely different matter.


    ��Bubble, Canary, Lydia, give it your all!��


    Rhode yelled and extended his arm. In this quick motion, a pitch-black card appeared and flickered in his hand. An enormous magic cannon broke through the wall and into the roof, towering over him. Then, it blasted a blinding radiance ahead, where the blazing heat and immense force devoured the steel and flesh in its path instantly. Rhode couldn��t care less about the base anymore. He allowed the enemies to control it entirely and reckoned there were no more survivors, which was also why he gave up on his initial plan and changed his attacking strategy immediately.


    ��������!��


    In the blink of an eye, the magic cannon blasted a gigantic hole through the thick wall and roof. Extreme coldness entered through it and diffused across the base while sirens blared. The tentacles made from bloody flesh retreated as though they were affected by the harsh coldness and attempted to shrink back into their hard shells like mollusks. But at this time, Lydia, Canary, and Bubble made their moves. Although they weren��t sure what exactly the creature was, the sinister and chaotic aura that exuded from the Chaos Nest startled Lydia. But if they didn��t seize this opportunity, huge trouble would arise if the creature bounced back after its ��downtime��. They had to take advantage of its precarious position!


    Meanwhile, a series of mysterious growls echoed suddenly. Then, everyone witnessed hundreds of skinned, air-filled ��men of flesh�� crawling toward them out of the tunnel on all fours . It was apparent that they were the staff of the base. But now, they had been completely contaminated by Chaos and became creatures that resembled neither humans nor ghosts.


    ��Hmph.��


    Rhode snorted at this scene before dashing ahead with his sword again. At the same time, he swung his left arm to the side and the card of a little mermaid appeared in his hand. She appeared behind him silently, raised her tiny arms, and pushed them before her. Then, cold, chilly air whistled ahead, freezing a dozen creatures in the blink of an eye, while Rhode brandished his sword and shattered them into bits.


    ��Fady sonda gufire!��


    Canary raised her arms high, spreading them apart. Dazzling scarlet rune lines like electrical circuits appeared and spread over her body, flickering in an eye-catching brilliance. A mystical rune appeared from the ��electrical circuit�� from the position of her heart and as soon as it emerged, her surroundings trembled all of a sudden as though it had been attracted by an unknown force. Then, the surroundings blazed and sent out strings of flame from the inside-out, spreading like ripples. In an instant, the entire world had sunk into a sea of flames and it was no exception for the ��courageous�� creatures of flesh who pounced on her. Before they reacted, they were instantly engulfed by the flames that abruptly rose from the ground and turned into ashes.


    However, the flames weren��t strong. After a few moments, they shrunk and Canary couldn��t help but knit her brows. She wasn��t too surprised that her flame and wind elemental spells weren��t advantageous in this situation as flame required oxygen to burn, while wind needed the presence of air. As they were currently in a vacuum, Canary��s strength was weakened to a certain degree. But as one of Rhode��s most powerful assistants, it went without saying that she wouldn��t give up on this fight. She swirled her eyes, extended her fair, slender finger, and tapped it lightly at the ground. Shortly after, the scorching flames coalesced into an enormous fire serpent that burst through the sturdy ground, sending deep, thunderous rumbles from underneath. Then, the revolting screams resounded in the entire base again. At a glance, the entire base had as though been lifted up from the violent rumbles before crashing back down. A series of dust and sand fluttered before it was blown away in all directions.


    Meanwhile, Mini Bubble Gum and Lydia also made their moves.


    Unlike Canary, who depended on environmental conditions for her skills, their strength didn��t require any of that. If there was something that they needed, it would be ��light��. And now, the moon��s surface had no lack of that from the sun.


    Mini Bubble Gum pushed her arms forward. Her body was submerged in white, dazzling radiance entirely. The power of ��Supreme Privileges�� reached its peak, bursting skyward in a blinding, eye-catching light column. The pure, white radiance smeared the boundaries of heaven and earth completely. All things seemed to lose their original shape as they fused as one within the white brilliance.


    At the next moment, this unrivaled power erupted from the core of the petite, young lady.


    Pure, sacred shock waves dispersed in all directions, ripping through the moon��s surface effortlessly. The solid ground fissured into several deep, long cracks and this force was enough to destroy a city in any place. However, there were no living things or humans here, so they were able to unleash maximum strength without any obstruction!


    This was the cleric��s ultimate killer move: Light of Trial!


    But this wasn��t the end! Because at this moment, Lydia had expanded her wings and soared into the air. She laid her swords in a crisscross stance and the golden radiance emanating from the burning sun behind her had enveloped the entire moon��s surface. Shortly after, she flourished her blades.


    And this attack split heaven and earth.


    All the radiance of the sun had as though coalesced in her blades. The two golden rays of light penetrated the massive base mercilessly! The steel-armored walls on the outside, strong enough to resist guided missiles, didn��t stand a chance against her as though they were made of paper.


    But this still wasn��t enough!


    Even though the combined attacks from the four of them destroyed almost 60 percent of the Americas Region��s headquarters, the Chaos Nest apparently became more ferocious after losing its ��guise��. Shortly after, everyone witnessed countless tentacles shuttling out of the wreckage and ruins. Not only that, but they also squirted revolting flesh to reconstruct a new body. Right now, this creature didn��t seem to be afraid of the harsh conditions of space anymore. On the other hand, it became even harder to deal with!


    ��Big Brother, we need to destroy its core before it assimilates into the entire moon. We have to stop it before it turns into the moon itself. It will be troublesome when that happens!��


    Tsk, this creature defies all natural order it seems.


    Rhode was startled after hearing his younger sister��s hasty remarks. In the game, he had never witnessed something so insane that it could actually fuse with the moon. What sort of international joke was that? Could it be that such a huge object could still be fused into life?


    ��Let��s go!��


    At this thought, Rhode hesitated no more. He brandished his sword abruptly and dashed toward the wreckage of the base in a trail of afterimages. Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Lydia followed him closely. Based on the ��AoE�� attack earlier, they also realized they couldn��t deal effective damage to this enemy, which was why they had no choice but to destroy the core.


    ���� How is that possible?!��


    Meanwhile, on a space shuttle hidden deep inside the base, Dr. Martin stared in disbelief at the screen that was displaying Rhode��s group running toward them. He opened his eyes so widely that they were about to pop out of his eye sockets.


    I knew those intruders were tough, but�� how�� could they be��


    At this thought, Dr. Martin��s expression turned incomparably pale.


    ��Move out right now, we��re leaving this place!��


    ��Space shuttle ignition countdown: five, four, three, two, one����


    Boom!


    The silver-whitish space shuttle took off from the depth of the base, flying towardEearth at a rapid speed.


    ��Oh-no, they��re getting away!��


    Upon witnessing everything through the monitor, Orchid Heart and Canary who were in the moon exploration vehicle knitted their brows. Mini Bubble Gum clenched her fists and stomped her feet anxiously. But at this moment��


    ��Don��t worry, leave it to me. I sense the last slate up there. I will snatch it back.��


    ��Your Highness Erin?��


    As soon as they heard Erin��s voice in their heads, they found that the moon princess had already left the moon exploration vehicle. At this moment, Erin was standing on the hill of a volcano, lifting her head, and tracking the space shuttle that had flown into the distance. Shortly after, an enormous black dragon appeared before everyone without any warning. Erin flapped her wings, turned around, and gazed at Canary and Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��Greet Her Highness Lydia on my behalf. I��ll be right back.��


    At the next moment, the enormous black dragon soared into the night sky, following closely the space shuttle that had become one of the stars in the universe. In the blink of an eye, she vanished without a trace.


    Meanwhile, the trio in the exploration vehicle returned to their senses. They gazed blankly at the starry sky and the huge, revolting, and bloody creature that was rolling constantly on the ground ahead of them. After a few moments, Mini Bubble Gum reached out her hand to wipe the sweat off her forehead.


    ��If I��m not wrong�� that space shuttle is heading back to Earth�� right?��

 Chapter 1121 - Emerging Danger

    Rhode wasn��t in the mood to care about Erin anymore, despite her being the reason why he was here in the first place. He found a much more bothersome thing waiting for him to handle. As he entered deeper into the Chaos Nest, he was stunned to realize that not only did the monster corrode the entire moon base, but it had also contaminated the moon itself. Fortunately, there weren��t many life forms and the only thing stopping Rhode��s group from advancing were the pitiful soldiers in the base. If not, maybe Rhode��s group would have a much harder time stopping the Chaos Nest. But even so, this didn��t mean they were having it easy now!


    ��Heyah!��


    Rhode flitted across the ground as two shadow clones split out of his body, dividing him into three from the left, right, and middle. They raised their swords and struck the monster ahead. Along with his attack, the flesh monsters all around them crawled like spiders widening their mouths as they spurted black, turbid liquid at Rhode. But before the seemingly poisonous liquid struck him, it was stopped by a golden shield that appeared out of nowhere. At the next instant, Rhode turned his wrist around and another card flashed in his hand. Then, dozens of crossbows glowing in magical radiance emerged behind him. The dazzling magical radiance flickered constantly in the run-down, metallic tunnel, repelling the monsters that crawled toward it.


    ��Tsk.��


    Gazing at the relentless flesh monsters that continued to swarm forward despite being struck by arrows, Rhode couldn��t help but express his annoyance. Just as what his younger sister had warned, the deeper they went, the stronger the resistance they faced. From the start, Mini Bubble Gum, Canary, Lydia, and him were able to fight individually. But toward the end, they had no choice but to tackle the endless monsters as a group. What gave Rhode a bigger headache was that the moon base had been contaminated by the monsters completely, causing their surroundings to be covered in revolting walls of flesh. But this wasn��t all because Rhode also discovered that if they weren��t able to defeat them instantly, the monsters would be devoured into the stomachs of the ��walls of flesh�� and re-enhanced into stronger monsters that would seek revenge. This was why the only way to eliminate them once and for all was to seize the opportunity to eradicate them all. If not, there would be no end to this chase!


    If Rhode had his dragon soul powers, he could demolish them in a single slash of his blade. But after leaving behind his dragon essence, his current strength was just level 85, the same as a max-leveled player. As for Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, they were also affected by the disruption to their data, causing their strength to decline to level 80. Even though their skills still existed, they weren��t as formidable as before in terms of strength. On the other hand, Lydia was the only one with her full strength. But after advancing deeper into the dangerous Chaos Nest, she wasn��t fighting alone. Instead, she followed Rhode��s group closely and rushed toward the core of the nest alongside them.


    ��Third wave!��


    Evading the monsters�� attack once again, Rhode raised his sword abruptly and penetrated the monster before him. However, the monster didn��t flinch at all, not even when the holy energy erupting from his blade was burning its body. It let out a blood-curdling roar, stretching and slashing its enormous claws at him. Along with this move, another two monsters pounced on Rhode from the left and right, attempting to surround him. But facing their pincer attack, Rhode wasn��t flustered at all. Instead, he let out a snort, retracted his blade, and retreated swiftly. Meanwhile, two shadow clones split out of his body again, dashing ahead and raising their swords, neglecting the razor-sharp claws.


    Boom!


    It was apparent that even though the monsters were strong, their IQ had a lot of room for improvement. They didn��t notice the difference between these two preys and the one before. Facing the shadow clones, not only did the monsters not retreat, but they also continued to charge ahead and slash their claws at them. But at the same time, their brains were punctured by the tip of Rhode��s blade and they collapsed to the ground, losing all control immediately. Meanwhile, the squirming walls of flesh shuddered and extended a dozen tentacles to retrieve the corpses. But before they succeeded��


    ��Wingda mais.��


    Canary extended her arms, spraying a blue, cold mist from between her hands. Shortly after, the three corpses and fluttering tentacles froze into ice at the same time. Even though she was adept in the flame and wind elements, as a mage, how could she be worthy of possessing the ��maiden class�� if she didn��t master all elements? Although she wasn��t an expert in the water element, with the help of the harsh coldness of the environment right now, her ice spells were greatly effective.


    The tentacles and monsters that intended to retrieve the corpses froze entirely. Although it was only for a few seconds, it was more than enough for the rest on stand by.


    ��Heyah!��


    Boom!


    A holy beam of light comparable to a cannon blast from a warship dazzled. Mini Bubble Gum raised her arms high up in the air. Along in this motion, the ��Guardian Light�� behind this floating little fella erupted with several, enormous light beams. They merged into one, devouring all obstacles in their path completely. Be it the debris in the hallway, corpses of the monsters, or tentacles struggling to break free from the ice cage, they were submerged in sacred, white radiance before vanishing into thin air.


    The walls of flesh shuddered in uncertainty in response to the attack of the holy brilliance, continuously taking in and spitting out chunks of flesh, attempting to make up for the damage they received. But Rhode��s group obviously wouldn��t let them have their way so easily. Expanding her wings and gliding in the air in the back of the group, Lydia narrowed her eyes and struck forth with her blades that emanated a golden radiance. Two blade rays as glaring as lightning bolts spread throughout the walls of flesh, forming a continuous net that wrapped the entire wall. The wriggling flesh blackened and hardened upon being struck by the pure, sacred attack, losing its motion completely like burnt meat.


    ��Leader, how far ahead left?!��


    Even though this ��team�� of Rhode��s was rather complete in terms of support, healing, and damage output, he lacked a main tanker to attract ��aggro�� from the monsters. There was another problem for Bubble and Canary to handle, which was also a problem for all spell casters. They expended more than half of their spiritual powers and there was no way for them to replenish it!


    In the Dragon Soul Continent, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum didn��t need to worry about ��low mana�� at all. One, they usually didn��t need to attack unless it was against BOSSes. Second, restoring spiritual powers wasn��t tough in the Dragon Soul Continent. But after returning to this world, they realized the rate of recovery of their spiritual powers was incredibly slow, at one-tenth of the usual rate. What gave them a headache was that they couldn��t find any tools or devices to restore their spiritual powers!


    This also meant that they needed to reserve their spiritual powers while eliminating the Chaos Nest. But the problem was that their strength was declining while the monsters were becoming stronger, causing them to expend more spiritual powers. It was as though players raiding a dungeon without bringing health potions, which was definitely a huge challenge.


    Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were veterans in raiding dungeons, so they were clearly aware of this. Even though they seemed to be struggling now, it was due to them preserving their strength. As of now, they had expended one-third of their energy. Although it didn��t seem like a lot, considering they might have to face the ��final BOSS�� later, this was almost at their limit. If they continued to expend their spiritual powers, they might have insufficient power to take down the BOSS later.


    It was the same for Rhode, which was also why he rarely summoned card spirits and didn��t use any venue cards. Instead, he relied on his sword skills in battles only. Perhaps Lydia was the only one unaffected as her symbol was the ��sun�� and with the moon��s surface facing it, she wasn��t affected at all.


    ��Soon, just ahead!��


    Rhode sensed the increasing presence of Chaos ahead and couldn��t help but feel startled. Fortunately, even though the presence felt strong, it wasn��t as strong as a Devil Monarch��s, which made him heave a sigh of relief. If the Chaos Nest had the strength of a Devil Monarch, perhaps he might have a hard time defeating it. And now, as Chaos had devoured the entire base, causing it to be unable to conceal its presence, this became advantageous for Rhode��s group in a certain way.


    Right there!


    ��Your Highness Lydia!��


    ��Leave it to me.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s yell, Lydia revealed an elegant smile before soaring ahead and penetrating the thick and disgusting wall of flesh mercilessly with her two blades. Shortly after, a string of dazzling radiance flickered like lightning bolts. The sealed world cracked entirely, displaying its terrifying side to everyone.


    ��Argh�� this thing is�� so disgusting.��


    Even though Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were mentally prepared for the disturbing scene, they still revealed disgusted expressions after witnessing it. Just a distance ahead, there was a huge ball of flesh hovering in midair as though it were a presence fused with hundreds of humans. Not only were there densely packed limbs, but there were also struggling faces groaning in agony. This enormous monster seemed like a big-headed baby with a small body curled up together. Something resembling an umbilical cord had wrapped around it, connecting it and the hell-like sea of blood together. At this moment, the baby also seemed to notice the arrival of Rhode��s group. It opened its eyes all of a sudden, staring at them with wide-opened eyes. The group sensed endless insanity and chaos from its eyes as though it were a wild animal that had lost its mind. Upon detecting its prey, the monster erupted an unparalleled murderous intent, widening its mouth and letting out a mournful scream.


    Meanwhile, Rhode ordered without any hesitation.


    ��Attack!��

 Chapter 1122 - Core of the Chaos Nest

    The normal procedure in a BOSS raid should have a main tanker in defensive position taking the ��aggro�� from the BOSS, a support player standing by to provide buffs and healing spells, and an attacker dealing massive amounts of damage in the shortest time possible, while avoiding taking too much damage to ease the pressure on the healers�� yes, this was basically it.


    But it was a pity that the world wouldn��t ever go in accordance to one��s wishes.


    ��Leader, can you attract the monsters�� ��aggro�� properly? Woahhhh, they��re heading here already. Get lost!!��


    The current scene was a prior indication that this party was about to be doomed in a BOSS raid due to their failure in coordination.


    But this wasn��t too surprising, since there was still a difference between game and reality, after all. Even though the most ideal way was to have Rhode coordinate with his summoned spirits and hold down the core of the Chaos Nest, with Mini Bubble Gum providing buffs at the side as Canary and Lydia deployed a strategy to destroy the BOSS as quickly as possible with their insane damage output, it was a pity that it wasn��t as effective here.


    Canary��s most efficient flame and wind elements seemed to be weakened in this vacuum environment. Her water elemental spell was able to put up a front, but it was difficult to deal damage to a BOSS. On the other hand, the powerful holy light emanated by Lydia and Mini Bubble Gum became a thorn in the Chaos Nest��s side. The instant both sides clashed, it launched an attack at Lydia and Mini Bubble Gum, tossing Rhode and Canary aside. In the blink of an eye, the positions of both sides swapped over. Rhode who was the main tanker became the attacker now, while Canary gave up her duties as a mage and began to put up defenses. On the contrary, Lydia and Mini Bubble Gum became the pitiful main tankers�� and had to even take turns to attract the ��aggro��.


    The huge monster cried and extended its arms. Even though the tattered moon base no longer had the conditions to transmit sound, the monster��s cries erupted like sound waves that burst into their skulls. If they were ordinary people, perhaps their bodies would have already exploded upon hearing it. But with spiritual powers protecting them, even the harsh environment in space couldn��t affect Rhode��s group and it made the booming cries sound like pure noises.


    But this didn��t mean their battle was easy.


    Gazing at the baby��s stretched out right hand, Lydia grimaced and raised her swords quickly. One by one, sacred and beautiful symbols appeared before her, flickering in dazzling brilliance like a sky full of stars. They intertwined and linked together into coalesced light blades that whistled across the air and slashed heavily on its right arm. As the holy energy purified its arm, the enormous baby widened its mouth to let out a blood-curdling screech. It didn��t retract its arm, but continued to thrust it out instead. Not only that, but as long as one looked closely, one would also discover that there were countless, densely packed hands all over the huge right arm. They were like some kind of fur, fluttering constantly in the baby��s movements, at the same time struggling in despair as though a devil from hell trying to shred everything in its vision. Even though they burned to ashes under the holy brilliance, the enormous baby didn��t seem to be giving up anytime soon. It widened its mouth, erupted in earth-shattering screams and wails, and continued to attack. At the next moment, a blinding, silver-whitish radiance dazzled from the side.


    Boom!


    Mini Bubble Gum raised her right hand high up, clenched her fist, and thrust forward. Along with her movement, a series of silver-whitish light shone, coalescing on her fist into a massive shock wave that blasted ahead, striking heavily on the enormous baby��s right arm that was on the verge of collapse due to Lydia��s attack earlier. After this ambush from Mini Bubble Gum, the deformed right arm exploded instantly like a cotton-filled doll. The corpses used to make up the right arm scattered everywhere but shortly after, they transformed into all sorts of mysterious monsters that pounced on the enemies before them.


    ��Wnai sbua!��


    A solid ice wall appeared out of thin air. Canary raised her right hand high up in the air, drawing several clear, beautiful patterns using the blue light sphere glowing at her fingertip. All of a sudden, an ice wall appeared in the empty space around Lydia and Mini Bubble Gum, obstructing the monsters�� ambush effectively. Meanwhile, Rhode emerged from behind the ice wall like a sneaky ghost. He clutched and flourished the black chain sword with all his might. As soon as the ice wall shattered, two of his shadow clones also brandished the same sword simultaneously in a trail of afterimages. The razor-sharp chain swords extended abruptly, intertwining in the air to form an airtight net that smashed the monsters like a meat grinder.


    Even though the process sounded really long, everything ended in just half a minute. After missing its attack, the enormous baby retreated swiftly in its humongous body, evading the combined attack of the four of them. At the same time, its right arm that was crushed by Lydia and Mini Bubble Gum regenerated quickly with countless human corpses crawling onto its cut-off wound consciously to ��make up�� and form a new arm.


    ��Darn it, there��s no end to this. Leader, can��t we just defeat it once and for all?��


    Gazing at the core that regenerated yet again, Mini Bubble Gum puckered her brows and grumbled. This situation kept repeating itself. Even though the core��s defense wasn��t particularly strong and was broken up easily, its terrifying and mysterious regeneration ability was a pain in the butt. No matter which part of the core they attacked, it would regenerate instantly. Not only that, but the crumbled arms and legs also turned into Chaos Creatures that attacked them. It was as though they had to face an encirclement from hundreds of level 60 creatures in the Elite Stage after attacking the BOSS once. This was too exhausting for them.


    Moreover, what pained them the most was that the core was growing gradually! Although Rhode��s group dealt a certain amount of damage to it, it wasn��t enough to stop its growth. If it was only considered a two-month-old fetus at the start, right now, its arms and legs had almost grown and taken shape and could be said to be almost a seven-month-old fetus now! If they didn��t eliminate it soon, who knew what would become of it!


    ��Damn it����


    Gnashing his teeth, Rhode knitted his brows and didn��t summon other spirits. This was because his younger sister had reminded him before the battle that if his summoned spirits weren��t high enough in level, they would in turn be corroded by Chaos. This meant that he would lose them forever and had to prevent this from happening. As of now, he didn��t summon other holy sword spirits into battle, just in case.


    But it seemed like he had to come up with a plan.


    ��Your Highness Lydia, we need to eliminate these damn monsters. I suppose you��ve already witnessed its growth. If we don��t defeat it before it grows again, we don��t know what it will turn into! I��m sure you have the strength to destroy the entire region, right, Your Highness Lydia!��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Lydia muttered to herself before responding to him.


    ��Of course, Your Majesty Rhode�� but the gathering of my powers is a little slow in this world because I have to borrow the strength of the sun. But now, we����


    ��Leave it to me, Your Highness Lydia. You just need to watch for our signal.��


    After listening to her concerns, Rhode knew what she meant. He interrupted her and said, gesturing to Canary and Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��Canary, Bubble, attack its chest with all your strength! Crush a big hole in it if possible!��


    ��Okay, Rhode.��


    ��Yes, Leader!��


    The two young ladies had lots of experience coordinating with Rhode. As soon as they heard his command, they knew he had decided to put all one��s their eggs in one basket and thry would no longer need to conserve their spiritual powers. In the blink of an eye, they dispersed to the left and right. Canary extended her arms before her and the unique, circuit board-like magic circuit of ��Supreme Privileges�� emanated from her body. Shortly after, she widened her eyes abruptly.


    ��Elemental Conversion! All skills convert!��


    Canary commanded. The scarlet magical ritual on her body flickered all of a sudden, switching colors to white, black, green, yellow, and purple, before finally stopping at blue. The instant the colors stopped changing, a cold, mighty aura erupted from her. She gazed at the monsters before her and swung her arms forward. A dozen ice dragons appeared out of thin air, widening their mouths and snarling as they pounced on the monsters ahead.


    ��������!��


    Perhaps sensing danger from this reckless attack of hers, the core turned around, clenched its fist and extended its hand toward her. Countless thick and strong tentacles on the walls struck out like razor-sharp swords, lashing at the young lady from all directions. But before they struck her, a solid ice wall obstructed them. An ice storm revolving around Canary proliferated. In the blink of an eye, the surroundings were covered in a layer of white frost and even the massive body of the core came to an abrupt halt. The crystal-clear coldness enveloped all things. At the next moment, a silver-whitish, holy radiance erupted.


    Boom������!


    Mini Bubble Gum gnashed her teeth. Three massive light spheres behind her erupted and released an unparalleled bombardment of light beams. The continuously whirling silver-whitish light beams burst straight ahead like sharp drills, striking heavily on the baby��s chest that was frozen by Canary��s ice dragons. Ice shards splattered everywhere. Mini Bubble Gum had forcefully struck a hole in the enormous baby��s chest. The core began to shudder upon sensing the holy energy penetrating its body. It flung its arms around frantically, attempting to stop further attacks from Mini Bubble Gum. But it was due to this that it completely overlooked Rhode, who had sneaked below it.


    Now��s the chance!


    Gazing at the cracking body constructed by countless corpses, Rhode had no time to feel disgusted anymore. On the contrary, he stared at the large, black hole and flourished his right arm forward! In this attack, the pitch-black chain sword punctured the core��s opening. But if one were to watch closely, one would discover that a pitch-black card was also at the tip of the sword.


    ��Come on out! Dusk of Annihilation!��


    Rhode flipped his right wrist around and in this quick move, a bright radiance flashed in his palm. Shortly after, the pitch-black sword returned to his hand and he swiftly retreated as he had attained his goal.


    Then, at the next moment, a gigantic magic cannon burst through the ground and penetrated the baby��s body!


    Then, a wild and dazzling torrent of light erupted from the pitch-black opening of the cannon, bursting skyward. The violent force ripped through the core��s body, broke through the containment of steel, and rushed straight into the sky. The quiet moon��s surface shattered, cracked, and crumbled. Then, a figure emanating a bright radiance hovered high up in the starry sky.


    ��Now, Your Highness Lydia!��


    Lydia raised the swords in her hands. The blinding radiance of the sun illuminated her body without reservation, and the archangel didn��t waver at all. She gazed quietly at the crumbling surface, as well as the frantic, struggling monsters. Countless tentacles fluttered in despair, lashing at the ground and tugging their bodies to escape from this disastrous attack. But it was a pity that it was too late.


    ��In the name of the holy God and honor of glory, please destroy this evil presence!��


    It was like a dreamy scene.


    The ground collapsed and the radiance of the sun shone from within, forming a raging stream of light crashing down on the ground like a waterfall. In an instant, the universe changed its colors. The large, dazzling ball of light was as though another sun that devoured the land entirely.

 Chapter 1123 - Encounter and Reunion

    ��Her Highness Lydia��s attack is so magnificent����


    Gazing at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum gasped in admiration. Canary stood beside her, lifted her head, and gazed at the starry sky.


    ��Yea, powerful and magnificent as always�� That��s Her Royal Highness Lydia for you����


    ���� Alright, you two can stop escaping reality now.��


    Although Rhode criticized them, his expression was equally as ashen as theirs. The reason was simple. Right in front of them, a 300-kilometers-wide hole had opened up on the somewhat flat moon��s surface. The entire headquarters of the Americas Region was uprooted, not to mention the Chaos Nest. They turned into ashes without leaving behind any traces. Rhode wanted Lydia to go all out on her attack, but this was�� forget it. It was still better than her destroying the entire moon.


    This matter has blown up. Looks like we��ll have some troubles ahead.


    At this thought, Rhode held his forehead and sighed. He was sure that this attack from Lydia would definitely be witnessed by several organizations on the earth and moon. Well�� their reactions had nothing to do with him though. As of now, the headquarters was destroyed, the Chaos Nest was eliminated, and the last piece of slate was taken to Earth by someone. It became a really bothersome matter now. It seemed like it might be necessary for them to travel to Earth, but just how should they do it? Surely Rhode wouldn��t be experimenting with wrapping himself in spiritual powers before bursting through the atmosphere like what he thought, right?


    ��������!��


    All of a sudden, a series of bright radiances flashed ahead. The group turned toward the flashes and suddenly, another two to three flares were released continuously.


    ��What is that, Your Majesty Rhode?��


    Lydia flapped her wings toward him and asked curiously.


    ��It seems like someone is sending a signal�� We����


    Before Rhode finished his sentence, another bright light erupted from the same location. This time, it didn��t shine from above, but shot out from the surface instead. The white brilliance streaked across the sky and formed a symbol. Upon seeing the symbol, Rhode narrowed his eyes.


    ��Seems to be looking for us, Leader.��


    Gazing at the symbol hovering in the sky, Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips. Rhode couldn��t be more familiar with what was displayed before them��a pure white, cross-shaped star. It was the emblem of Starlight Guild. Considering their current situation, it was apparent that this wasn��t a coincidence the other party sent out this signal.


    ��Let��s check it out.��


    Following the direction of the light, Rhode��s group arrived at a crater and saw the location from where the light emanated from in the distance. It was a moon exploration vehicle, but seemed very much in terrible condition. The vehicle that should have been flat on the sides and roof was now covered in bumps and holes. The glass of the observation cabin was also smashed into a tragic sight. Fortunately, the quality of the vehicle was great enough that a tragedy was avoided.


    There were five to six fully-armored soldiers surrounding the moon exploration vehicle. Upon witnessing the arrival of Rhode��s group, they couldn��t help but take a few steps back and reveal fear in their eyes as soon as they saw Lydia. It was already bizarre that a human didn��t need protective gear to roam freely on the moon. But now, after witnessing the entire battle between Rhode��s group and the Chaos Nest through the surveillance cameras, and especially that final attack from Lydia, the soldiers were scared stiff. If Erin��s attack on the Americas Region in her dragon form was still within the acceptable range, this huge blast from Lydia comparable to the impact of a meteorite went completely beyond their expectations. No one expected this slender young lady to possess that much power. At this moment, Lydia was though a human-shaped, walking nuclear warhead in their eyes.


    If it weren��t for their superior who strictly ordered them to not act recklessly, perhaps they would have already raised and aimed their weapon at the beautiful young lady who looked like an angel. After all, it would be impossible for them to not feel nervous as a mighty threat walked toward them.


    On the other hand, Lydia sized up the armored soldiers curiously. It was apparent that she was amused by their fully-enclosed nano armors.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, their costume looks interesting. They��re thin and yet, seem surprisingly tough. How exactly are they made? Are they forged from some sort of special ores?��


    ��Maybe, but I��m not too sure either�� this isn��t my profession, after all.��


    Rhode was being truthful as he didn��t take the nanoengineering course in university�� Moreover, such military secrets weren��t easily accessible by an ordinary man like him.


    The door opened gradually and this time, he entered without any hesitation. After all, he had already recognized their identities from the emblem of the soldiers�� uniform. Since that was the case, Rhode didn��t mind having a chat with them. Of course, he had to be cautious. Even though he didn��t know how they obtained information about him, nothing good would come out of a discussion at this juncture. But��


    When Rhode met the people in front of him, he was rooted to the spot.


    Canary and Mini Bubble Gum stood before him, gazing at him in disbelief. If it weren��t for their spacesuits, Rhode would have believed that he was looking at a mirror. Not only that, but he was also stunned when he shifted his gaze to the lazy-looking young lady at the side.


    ��Senior Heart?��


    ��Long time no see, Rhode. It seems like you��re indeed that Rhode we know.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s query, Orchid Heart stretched out her hand and waved at him with a complete lack of enthusiasm. At this moment, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum looked at him with complicated gazes. This wasn��t as simple as a reunion because he also brought along two young ladies who looked exactly like them��


    ��Tsk, they��re nothing more than fakes�� no big deal.��


    ��What? What��s wrong with fakes?��


    Upon hearing Bubble��s mutters, the Bubble standing beside Rhode knitted her brows immediately.


    ��At least I��m at Leader��s side now. What about you? Hahaha�� you look so miserable like a defeated dog. What? Can��t manage your own problems after leaving Leader? Hahaha, what a fool!��


    ��What did you say?! Say that again! I��ll see if you can handle me!��


    ��Sure! I��m not afraid of you! I��ll say this upfront: after you lose, you will kneel before me and beg for forgiveness!��


    ��Lose to a fake like you? Don��t even think you��ll be as great as me even after having plastic surgery to look like me. You��re just like those Koreans who underwent plastic surgeries to look like celebrities, but eventually went on to become prostitutes who are sold by men after they had their fun with them! How about I introduce to you some uncensored filming? Perhaps you might make it big!��


    ��You think you��re a celebrity? Just look at your body. Tsk, I really regret being your mirror image����


    ��Alright, stop now, both of you.��


    Rhode raised his arm helplessly to stop their bickering.


    Why are they quarreling with themselves? Won��t it be equally embarrassing no matter who wins? Even though there are only our people here, it is still too humiliating for them to tear into each other in public.


    Perhaps realizing this point, the Bubbles shut their mouths, glared at each other, and turned around to let out a ��hmph�� at the same time. Then, as though discovering something, they turned back abruptly and pointed at each other.


    ��Stop copying me!��


    Both Bubbles yelled and were taken aback immediately. Then, they spoke at the same time again.


    ��Who��s copying you!��


    They��re mirror images for sure. Their synchronization is completely on point.


    But fortunately, Canary wasn��t as rash as Mini Bubble Gum. She gazed at her other self and held down Mini Bubble Gum��s shoulder with her hand, asking her to calm down. Then, Canary lifted her head and gazed at Rhode.


    ��Rhode, what exactly is going on?��


    Seems like it isn��t possible to keep this a secret anymore.


    At this thought, Rhode shrugged helplessly before sitting down on the sofa. He lifted his head and gazed at the trio. Even though he didn��t know why the other Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Orchid Heart were here, this was the best chance for him. Shortly after, he explained everything that happened in simple terms, including how he transmigrated to the Dragon Soul Continent, the things that happened to him, the Phantom Guardians, and the current state of war between Order and Chaos. He wasn��t concerned that they would have any bizarre thoughts. After all, as players of the same game, Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Orchid Heart should be able to understand him.


    On the other hand, Orchid Heart also gave Rhode a rough description of everything they experienced, including how Canary and Mini Bubble Gum met Erin and the things that happened. After learning about Orchid Heart��s identity, Rhode was bewildered. This was because Orchid Heart had never mentioned her real identity in the Dragon Soul Continent before. But come to think of it, the Orchid Heart in the Dragon Soul Continent was one created based on his memories, so she naturally wouldn��t know anything that he didn��t know.


    ��In other words, in order to find Her Highness Erin and investigate the manipulator behind the scenes, you transmigrated from the Dragon Soul Continent and didn��t expect to land yourself here?��


    ��Yes. Honestly, I was surprised too.��


    Facing Orchid Heart��s question, Rhode spread his arms apart. He was definitely flabbergasted because he never expected Earth to have anything to do with the Dragon Soul Continent except for the game itself. But shortly after, he thought of proper business.


    ��By the way, didn��t you say Her Highness Erin is with them? Where is she?��


    ��She����


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary hesitated. Then, they forced a smile that was uglier than a crying face.


    ��Erm�� Leader�� Her Highness Erin went after the space shuttle that took the slate. I think�� she��s headed for Earth��.��


    ������


    Rhode didn��t say a word. Instead, he extended his hand to hold his forehead. Because he clearly knew what this meant.


    They were in big trouble now.

 Chapter 1124 - Unrelenting Trouble

    The tense and solemn atmosphere in the Atlantic Air Defense Command diffused rapidly. The faces of everyone who entered or exited the command were stretched in anxiousness. The commander who stepped into the command in large strides was ashen because just 10 minutes ago, they received news that Space Shuttle ��Mayflower�� that had headed to the moon to execute a top secret mission was pursued and attacked by an unidentified object on its way back to Earth and was seeking emergency support!


    ��How��s the situation?��


    Staring at the monitor, the commander asked with heavy breaths. The controller beside him answered quickly.


    ��Sir, Mayflower entered the air defense zone three minutes ago, but the enemy isn��t letting up. It is moving almost as quickly as the space shuttle! Not only that, but its movement is also unusually irregular, unlike a meteorite!��


    ��Is it a space weapon belonging to another country?��


    Facing the commander��s question, the controller hesitated before giving a swift answer.


    ��We��ve confirmed that there aren��t any foreign aircrafts in the air space! Thermal imaging and scanning also indicate that the enemy is a living creature!��


    ��Living creature?��


    The commander was taken aback. At the same time, the controller seized the opportunity to display the result of the scan to him. Gazing at the scarlet and dazzling vital signs in the picture, the commander was speechless. He covered his mouth in disbelief. His face became as stiff as hard steel. At this moment, he heard the controller continuing his report.


    ��Judging from its appearance, it seems much bigger than Space Shuttle Mayflower. Even though we don��t know how it maneuvers in space, it is moving really quickly at an irregular pace too. We were able to lock onto it, but it seems like it is wrapped in an unknown matter that deflects and conceals it against most of our detection. Up until now����


    ��Reporting, Commander! The enemy has entered the combat zone. Please advise!��


    A hasty voice interrupted the controller��s report. Everyone lifted their heads and looked at the huge monitor before them. The scarlet dot was flickering constantly as it entered the air defense zone. In an instant, everyone in the war room held their breath, their eyes tracing in uncertainty at the scarlet dot. On the other hand, the commander pondered in silence as he stared at the screen. Then, he commanded.


    ��Lock onto the target and fire immediately. Destroy it completely! Activate the satellite defense system!��


    ��Satellite defense system connected. Target locked.��


    ��Fire!��


    A string of bright radiance flashed in the night sky. Huge missiles glided through the air and headed toward the target. As they flew, their outer shells disintegrated quickly to reveal the mighty warheads hidden inside. In just a few moments, the warheads constituted a storm-like attack that blasted at the target. The exploding flares and flames engulfed the enemy entirely.


    But at the next moment, the enormous body burst through the obstructions effortlessly and continued to head toward the blue planet. Warheads that were powerful enough to destroy the hardest meteorite didn��t leave a single scratch on its scales at all. Of course, if one were to look closely, one would realize that the pitch-black dragon was reflecting an array of colorful spiritual radiances from its body.


    ��Target is continuing advancement!��


    ��Damn it!��


    The commander cursed and punched the table heavily with his fist. He glared at the scarlet dot moving swiftly on the screen. His sudden burst of rage frightened everyone around him. They looked at one another helplessly, totally unaware of why their commander was so agitated. In fact, only the commander knew that he wasn��t agitated, but terrified instead.


    As the commander of the Atlantic Air Defense Command, of course he knew about the enormous dragon that had appeared over the headquarters a few days ago. Even though most information was concealed by the higher-ups of various countries to prevent social panic among civilians, as one of the ��higher-ups��, he knew how terrifying the dragon was. Not only was it able to roam freely in harsh space conditions, but it also survived unscathed from nuclear warheads. He had never heard of the existence of such monsters. It was totally unprecedented. Ever since its first attack, Earth headquarters was discussing backup plans if the dragon were to attack Earth. After all, nuclear warheads failed to take it down and it was terrifyingly powerful. Although the higher-ups had convened elite scholars in various fields for discussions, there weren��t any results at all. Under such circumstances, the situation was already tense. But now�� what they feared the most just came true. The dragon was heading toward them!


    Damn it. I wonder how those idiots enraged that monster and made it so relentless!


    There was an instant when the commander thought of destroying the space shuttle to save themselves from disaster as the dragon was obviously going after it. As long as the space shuttle was destroyed, perhaps the dragon might return to where it came from. After that happened, he could explain that his finger slipped in a moment of nervousness and it was definitely better than sacrificing the lives of ordinary civilians, right?!


    But��


    Boom!


    The commander slammed the table again. After all, he was just a soldier and the orders he received were to protect Space Shuttle Mayflower at all costs and eradicate the enemy. All he could do now was simply abide by the orders.


    ��Activate Thor��s Hammer immediately!��


    ��Commander?��


    Everyone was stunned.


    ��Thor��s Hammer is still in the testing phase and isn��t ready for actual battles����


    ��Immediately!��


    ��Yes����


    The controller stared blankly at the commander��s intense gaze and turned around quickly. Shortly after, some changes happened on the screen before them��


    The gigantic and pitch-black metallic cylinder expanded gradually. It hovered silently in space and the metallic blades around it flickered in a dazzling white radiance. Shortly after, the tightly-bound metallic cylinder divided and formed the mysterious shape of a blooming flower. An orange-red light emanated from the ��middle�� of the flower. At the next moment, the constantly-flickering light linked up with the metallic plates at the side. A thick, bright, and blinding light beam erupted into space.


    The pitch-black dragon came to a halt abruptly, expanding its wings swiftly and lifting its head high. Then, a dozen intricate and gorgeous magical rituals formed by its wide-open mouth. It blasted a bright, dazzling dragon breath ahead.


    At the next moment, the orange-red light beam and white dragon breath collided.


    The powerful impact from the clash exploded dazzlingly outside the atmosphere like a supernova explosion. However, the orange-red light beam lasted for less than five seconds before it was devoured completely by the white dragon breath. The vivid whiteness streaked across the night starry sky with a dozen flares erupting at the end of the white trajectory. The enormous dragon closed its mouth, shot a look in satisfaction, and expanded its wings to dive downward.


    At this moment, the entire Atlantic Air Defense Command was dead silent.


    ���� Thor��s Hammer�� has been utterly destroyed����


    The controller reported in a shaky voice because not even in their wildest nightmares had they witnessed such a scene. But now, the most terrifying scene was displayed unquestionably in front of them. In an instant, everyone stared blankly at the screen showing warning signals that it had lost contact with Thor��s Hammer. Their head was in a complete blank when suddenly, ear-deafening alarms blared. The controller��s howling scream instantly resounded in the war room.


    ��The enemy has entered the atmosphere and is continuing to chase Mayflower! There is no change in its direction at all!��


    Upon hearing the frantic report, the commander shuddered and plopped back on the chair like a dejected, dying old man. He had a sudden bizarre thought: since the enemy was a living creature, it should be able to reason with it. Was it possible to negotiate with it and end the battle? But shortly after, the commander shook his head in denial. After all, this could only be wishful thinking. Even if it had such intelligence, it was apparent that it couldn��t care less about humans like them. The strongest killing weapon of humans stood no chance against it, so even if they negotiated, what right did they have to ask it to stop? Could it be that he could only hope it was just a huge creature that came from Mars like in some movies and expect it to fall sick and be defeated? At this thought, the commander forced a smile. After pondering for a few moments, he gnashed his teeth and gave out orders.


    ��13th, 15th, and 17th squads are to take off immediately and delay the enemy as much as possible. Report to the headquarters to evacuate nearby residents now! Get all anti-aircraft weapons ready!��


    This was the only thing he could do now.

 Chapter 1125 - A Heavenly Object

    As the alarm blared, fighter aircrafts took off in a formation of four, whistling toward the destination. The pilots prepared themselves quickly for the upcoming battle.


    ��Eagle Eye III, this is Eagle Eye I. We��re heading to the destination. Maintain formation! Scan the radar and search for the target!��


    ��This is Eagle Eye II. Captain, what exactly did you say we��re going to face? Those old dudes up there sure are panicky.��


    Gazing at the radar screen, the wingman asked in confusion. Even though the pilots had an emergency take-off, they weren��t aware of their mission even until now. Their higher-ups commanded them to reach the destination and stop the intruders, but as for who the intruders were, they never mentioned it. Could they be foreign hostile aircrafts? Or was this just an exercise for a secret mission? The intruders shouldn��t be aliens, right��?


    The pilots wondered what the officials were up to, making the entire situation top secret. Besides, the order they received was to hold back the intruders until the evacuations were completed�� This was their first time receiving such an odd command. Although they were full of doubts at the moment, obeying orders strictly was their duty as qualified militants.


    ��It isn��t up to us to worry about the mission. We��re approaching the targeted sea region! Everyone get ready for battle!��


    ��Captain, there is a response from the radar�� it��s a space shuttle!��


    Almost at the same time, a long trail of fire whistled across the fighter aircrafts from above. The massive and powerful airflow almost disrupted their formation.


    ��Damn it, what��s with that space shuttle. Is it in a hurry to kill itself?��


    ��Cut the crap. Beware your surroundings. There are movements ahead��! Everyone get read����


    That was the end of the pilot��s words.


    At the next moment, the thick white cloud churned before their eyes abruptly. An enormous, pitch-black dragon expanded its wings, bursting out of the sea of clouds, staring at the space shuttle with its golden eyes. It widened its mouth and let out an ear-deafening snarl.


    ��Oh, Lord����


    Looking at this scene, everyone was speechless. Before the devastating presence of the black dragon, their fighter aircrafts were only the size of sparrows. Despite them sitting in the cockpit, they clearly felt overwhelming pressure as though boulders were crushing all over their bodies. Some even felt their arms on the operating levers begin to tremble on their own. They held their breath and gazed blankly at the monster in front of them. Their heads were completely blank and not even the doubt of ��what exactly is that?�� came up in their minds. They stared at the dragon in a daze and completely forgot what they had to do. The dragon was so massive that they lost their consciousness.


    ��Disperse immediately. Lock onto the target and fire! Delay it as much as possible!��


    After a few moments, the senior pilot returned to his senses and ordered hurriedly. His voice instantly pulled his bewildered comrades back to reality and they got into action without responding. Humans had a natural sense of fear toward the unknown and danger. The dragon made them feel utter despair and fear in every aspect. In this situation, the only thing humans could do was to defend themselves! No matter the result, that was the only thing they could do!


    ��������!��


    Shortly after, the 12 fighter aircrafts left their formation swiftly and spiraled around the dark dragon.


    Facing these enemies who appeared all of a sudden, Erin disregarded them entirely. She had fought more than once with these strange-looking ��metallic birds�� on the moon bases. Even though she was somewhat astonished with the advanced ��alchemical techniques�� in this world, to the moon princess born in the Country of Darkness, air wars were never her weakness. Facing the attack of the ��metallic birds��, Erin didn��t even bother to move. On the contrary, she continued to stare at the space shuttle in the distance that had almost turned into a black dot and flapped her wings to give chase. One had to admit that Dr. Martin was really lucky as Erin had almost sunk her teeth into the space shuttle earlier. But it was a pity that after entering the atmosphere, she neglected something: gravity existed on Earth.


    Erin, who was already used to flying in space and above the moon��s surface, didn��t consider the effects of gravity and almost plunged into the sea head-on. Fortunately, her reflexes were quick in adapting to the conditions on Earth. But it was due to this slight delay that allowed the space shuttle to draw a distance apart.


    ��Oh-no-no, seems like I need to be quicker.��


    Although Erin didn��t know where the space shuttle was heading, she was sure that it was about to reach its destination. It was apparent from the resistance she received from these pawns of Chaos (referring to the fighter aircrafts) that were trying to stop her. But even so, she had to hurry up. At this thought, she hesitated no more and fluttered her wings. With this motion, the enormous black dragon picked up speed all of a sudden and shook off the fighter aircrafts in the blink of an eye.


    Looking at this scene, the pilots were stumped. They thought such a massive creature was only capable of moving slowly, but didn��t expect it to flit across them in a black dazzling flash and fly into the horizon!


    Damn it, this isn��t logical at all. How is it able to move that quickly?


    ��Chase it! Go all-out! Report to the base command immediately!��


    Erin wasn��t mindful as to what commotion she would cause. Right now, only the space shuttle was in her eyes. She witnessed the battle between Rhode��s group and Chaos, so she was well aware that she had to snatch away the black slate while the enemies were onboard the ��small metallic device�� and couldn��t summon too much Chaos. If not, she didn��t know what would happen. Not only that, but Lydia and Rhode were also waiting for her return. As a gentlewoman, she couldn��t let others wait for her too long, wasn��t it?


    At this thought, Erin��s eyes glinted wittily. She widened her mouth and in this action, a massive magical ritual appeared in the sky. Air trembled and violent gales blustered to form a barrier ahead, stopping the space shuttle like a massive, flat wave. The wind barrier pushed toward the space shuttle. The space shuttle that was like an arrow released from the bowstring finally losing speed. In the face of the powerful gales, its speed declined gradually. Even though the blaze spurting from its tail grew larger and brighter, its body was getting more overwhelmed like a boat swept by strong waves in a storm.


    ��No, it can��t be. The space shuttle is losing control, doctor!��


    ��Damn it!��


    While the loud sirens trumpeted, Dr. Martin clasped the black leather box in his arms grimly. He thought he would be able to stop the intruders after awakening the sleeping spirits. For that, he had even given up the Americas Region��s headquarters. But he didn��t expect them to split into two and come after him. This damn dragon-like monster was apparently hard to deal with and incredibly smart. He thought he could pin his hopes on the headquarters in resisting it, but it seemed like it didn��t work at all!


    What should I do?


    Right now, he didn��t have any more strength to summon more spirits. But if this continued��


    Before Dr. Martin figured out what he should do, the space shuttle rumbled abruptly. His heart sank instantly. His emotionless face finally displayed a terrified and uncertain expression. He lifted his head subconsciously and looked out the window. What came into view was the pair of golden eyes of the dragon. At this moment, his expression finally twisted. He lost all ability to think as he stared blankly at the menacing eyes and trembled all over. The sirens trumpeting over the cracks in the space shuttle had vanished in his ears. An unparalleled sense of fear erupted inside him.


    ��No��!��


    Smack.


    The sturdy space shuttle was as though a child��s plastic toy as it was shredded into bits under Erin��s claw. Erin was totally disinterested by its predicament. She stretched out her front claw and emanated a string of dazzling radiance from her palm and wrapped the black slate that was floating above.


    Good. It has all ended.


    Neglecting the final wails and terrified screams of the corpses before they were torn apart, Erin gazed at the sealed black slate in her hand proudly. Perhaps due to the fact that Martin had used its power on the moon headquarters earlier, it didn��t respond while being sealed by Erin. The young lady nodded in satisfaction before turning her hand around and putting it away. She lifted her head and gazed at the sky, intending to leave.


    Since Her Highness Lydia and His Majesty Rhode are here, they should have a way to bring me back. In that case, I just need to head back where I came from and look for them.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    But at this moment, the guided missiles whistling from the back struck her heavily and interrupted her thoughts. She turned back and saw several ��metallic birds�� flying toward her. She was taken aback, but quickly narrowed her eyes in a dangerous look.


    As the noble moon princess, Erin thought she had given them enough preferential treatment. Even though the ��Bubble�� and ��Canary�� in this world explained to her the differences between this world and the Dragon Soul Continent, Erin didn��t believe all of their words. Of course, she also considered the fact that they were ordinary people in this world and wouldn��t know the internal affairs of the higher-ups. But now, even though she didn��t know how the other regions were doing, it was apparent to her that this country she was facing had something to do with Chaos. If not, not only did they not retreat after witnessing her strength, but they also continued their attacks on her�� hmm��


    ��Seems like I need to give them a little warning.��


    At this thought, Erin widened her mouth and along with this movement, an energy sphere coalesced in her mouth. Then, a silver-whitish beam of light swept across the sky, causing a series of loud explosions. In an instant, the dozen, most-advanced fighter aircrafts were blasted into bits. But this wasn��t enough to satisfy Erin. Previously, she had destroyed many of their powerful weapons and thought that it was enough to make them back out of her way. But now, it seemed like the ��alchemical techniques�� in this world were extremely developed. If they were in the Dragon Soul Continent, any force that had their formidable ��magic cannons�� destroyed by her would choose to retreat temporarily. But now, the hostile forces didn��t seem to waver to her destroying their military equipment at all. Besides, it also seemed like the advanced ��alchemical techniques�� in this world allowed them to rebuild powerful weapons in a short period of time. Perhaps it wouldn��t be effective no matter how many she destroyed. Not only that, but it might also trigger them to rebel even more. In this case�� she also had a corresponding way to stop them.


    At this thought, Erin turned around and gazed at the huge city ahead. Unlike cities in the Dragon Soul Continent, this city here wasn��t surrounded and protected by city walls. There were many ��magic towers�� and it also seemed to be highly populated. In this case�� I shall give them a warning and teach them an unforgettable lesson.


    Erin made her decision, fluttering her wings and soaring toward the huge, brightly-lit city.


    At this moment, air-raid sirens filled the sky. The bustling metropolis fell into complete chaos. Erin��s brazen attack and massive size had terrorized everyone who watched the live stream on televisions. And now, this massive dragon had turned around and headed toward them. This caused massive panic among the people as they drove away from the city as quickly as possible. On the other hand, the military forces responsible for defending the city also gathered quickly, setting up all sorts of defensive equipment on the roofs of high-rise buildings. Everyone tense up as the large dragon flapped its wings and approached them. They gazed at the scene before them palely, totally unable to imagine how they could stop this massive presence. But at the thought of protecting their home and people, they embraced themselves, lifted their weapons, and aimed at the enemy! Even though it might be a futile resistance, they would never allow this terrifying monster to destroy their city!


    ��Fire! Fire!��


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Upon hearing the command, a string of flares erupted from both sides of the streets. The air defense missile systems set up on the roofs of the high-rise buildings were activated swiftly, releasing hundreds of missiles at the monster ahead. The intertwining barrage of attacks formed an incomparably sturdy net of fire that attempted to stop the dragon.


    But it was a pity that what they did was just sounding the death bell earlier.


    Erin was curiously and cautiously sizing up the tall buildings that towered into the clouds because be it humans or undead creatures, none of them were able to build such tall and mighty ��magic towers��. But in this city, they were found everywhere. Moreover, the city wasn��t surrounded by strong walls, so Erin thought these ��magic towers�� were their ��defense facilities��. Even though the series of attacks earlier didn��t leave a scratch on her skin, she continued to raise her guard. After all, she knew how powerful mage towers in the Country of Darkness were. Previously she didn��t witness similar buildings on the moon perhaps due to them not being built. But here, maybe the city possessed some mysterious and powerful strength��


    If Canary and Mini Bubble Gum knew this was going through Erin��s head, they would surely regret not imparting her some knowledge in this aspect earlier.


    And now, Erin confirmed her suspicions upon facing the sudden ambush. The ��magic towers�� were indeed used to protect the city!


    Alright then, I shall start from them!


    At this thought, Erin narrowed her eyes immediately. She emanated a dazzling spiritual radiance from her body, which turned into a beautiful and huge magical shield in front of her to defend against the missiles. Then, she dove and landed on her feet in a loud boom. The statue of a goddess holding a torch was crushed to bits by her stomping. Erin lifted her head proudly and squinted at the brightly-lit city.


    The moon princess sucked in a deep breath of air��


    A white light of destruction erupted. The eye-catching brilliance devoured the deep night sky entirely, overshadowing the luminous light above the land in an instant. After a few seconds, a pure, dazzling white radiance expanded in all directions, enveloping the entire region. Before the tall buildings collapsed, they were crushed into powder by a formidable light torrent. Before one could visit the tall twin towers that were finally built after a long time, it was devoured by the dragon breath like melted snow in the sun alongside the other buildings, vanishing silently without a trace.


    After half a minute, Erin��s dragon breath came to an end. The scenery before her had turned into something completely different. The bustling metropolis no longer existed, be it the towering buildings or bustling streets?everything was nowhere in sight. The powerful dragon breath wiped out everything completely and even created a deep hole that was almost a hundred kilometers long. Everything that belonged there became history. The ground no longer existed and seawater poured into the flat, smooth, and enormous hole. Perhaps after a while, this place would turn into part of the ocean.


    Admiring this pitiful sight she made in satisfaction, Erin expanded her wings, soared into the sky, and gazed into the distance. At this moment, no one dared to attack her anymore because they lost their consciousness and didn��t know how to deal with everything that just happened. This was like a nightmare to them. In an instant, their home, people, and families were destroyed without leaving behind a trace. Reality was so cruel that they refused to believe its authenticity.


    But Erin didn��t care at all. Even though this moon princess was peaceful in nature, she grew up in the Country of Darkness without caring for others�� lives, especially those of lackeys who were in cahoots with Chaos and challenged her time and time again. She didn��t mind teaching them an unforgettable lesson.


    After confirming that they received her message through this attack, Erin nodded in satisfaction. She turned to the tragic city again and squinted. Then, the survivors heard her sweet and crisp voice in their heads.


    ��This is a warning, humans. Don��t go around touching what doesn��t belong to you. If you remain stubborn, you will only head down the road of destruction.��


    Erin said and spiraled around the city once more. She lifted her head and fluttered her wings. With powerful gales, the enormous black dragon soared toward the moon.

 Chapter 1126 - Chaotic World

    Gazing at the young lady who grinned wittily while looking back at him proudly, Rhode was completely speechless. He extended his hand and held his forehead helplessly. Not only was he having a headache, but his stomach was also starting to turn��


    ��Welcome back, Your Highness Erin. I��m glad you��re safe.��


    ��Yes, I��m back, Your Majesty Rhode. I didn��t expect you and Her Highness Lydia to pick me up personally. I��m overwhelmed with gratitude.�� At this moment, Erin no longer looked like a BOSS capable of destroying an entire international metropolis without batting an eyelid. On the contrary, she seemed like a lively, playful, and gorgeous young lady. Rhode didn��t want to comment on her disastrous actions because what��s done was done. Besides, no matter how much this young lady looked like a human now, she was still a genuine dragon and ordinary humans were mere lowly creatures in her eyes. Even though she often grinned and was friendly toward anyone, that was precisely her way of looking down upon the inferior humans. It was just like how humans treated cats and dogs. One might smile and caress an adorable cat or dog, but it didn��t mean that one treated them as smart creatures who could communicate with one on equal footing. And now, humans and pets were no different to Erin.


    ��Where��s the slate?��


    Rhode got into business quickly. Since it wasn��t his country that was attacked by her, but was a region on the other side of Earth instead, it didn��t matter to him even if they plunged into an abyss of misery. That was why Rhode changed the topic and began asking about proper matters.


    ��It��s right here, Your Majesty, including the other three I��ve got.��


    Erin said with a chuckle. She stretched out her hand and four slates appeared out of thin air above her palm, hovering silently before their eyes. Gazing at the four Akashic Slates, Rhode knitted his brows and sized them up. Then, he extended his arm. Along with this movement of his, the last piece of slate appeared over his palm. Shortly after, there seemed to be some force of attraction between the five slates as they began to overlap gradually, stacking up like building blocks and becoming a brand new presence.


    ��This is����


    Looking at this scene, Erin, Lydia, Canary, and the rest widened their eyes in astonishment.


    In a bright, flashing radiance, the five pitch-black slates fused into one, losing their plain appearance and transforming into a huge, three-meters-tall, black stone door. The stone door and its two doorposts were engraved with an array of ancient symbols and markings. A blue radiance surged from the inside and the huge stone door instantly exuded a mysterious and primitive vibe. Even though it was erected on the spot, it made one feel like one was inside a historical site, where even the gentle wind brushing against one��s ear was filled with the murmurs of time. Not only that, but also at a glance, the ceiling and floor also seemingly gave off a sense of solemnity that bore the weight of a long antiquity.


    ��I see����


    Gazing at the stone door, Rhode finally understood why the five original Creator Dragons, including his younger sister, transmigrated their closest subjects to this world along with the slates. It was because after the five slates merged together, the true information of this stone door emerged before his eyes.


    [Door of Akashic (Creator. Legendary. Holy Artifact. Projection)������it belonged in the crevice of past, present, and future, born at the birth of all things, and records and transmits the information of all things. It created everything, and everything shall all eventually return to its embrace]


    [Akashic Records������Communicate with all things (Ability to change the world)]


    [Direction of Order������Designate Plane Projection (Ability to connect the planes)]


    [Origin and end������Ability to create/destroy space (Unuseable by projection)]


    Oh my��!


    Rhode was flabbergasted by its details. Although he expected its strength to be exaggeratedly powerful, he didn��t expect it to be this insane. All in all, this thing was entirely a game modifier, where it could effortlessly change anything after locking onto the target. Be it 65536 or 99999, there was no stress at all�� Hey, is this game still playable? Are there any GMs around? I want to report a situation!


    But��


    ��Is this thing really that powerful?��


    Perhaps the information displayed on the system interface was over-exaggerating, even Rhode refused to believe it. He puckered his brows, sized up the Door of Akasha, and asked dubiously. Shortly after, he heard his younger sister��s response.


    ��Yes, Big Brother. This isn��t the real Akasha. I suppose you��ve seen it for yourself that this is only its projection, which is really hard for us to obtain. Besides, the power of Akasha is exceedingly strong. Without our power of creation, even the current dragon soul heirs would be devoured by it immediately if they forcefully activated it. After all, Akasha isn��t a product of Order, but is one between Chaos and Order. Back then, we sealed our powers in the five slates, hoping that our children could activate their dragon soul powers after transmigrating to a new world and opening up a plane channel. After they succeeded, we would then be able to arrive at the new world and do whatever we wanted. But����


    Rhode��s younger sister didn��t finish her sentence, but he figured what she was about to explain. Based on the details about the Door of Akasha, this object was the ultimate creation artifact. The five Creator Dragons had a great scheme. As long as they opened up the plane channel, transmigrated to the new world and cut off all connections to Chaos, they would have been able to create a brand new continent with this creation artifact. This plan should have been perfect. Besides, since the five Creator Dragons were willing to hand over such important artifacts to their subjects, it proved that their subjects were powerful and loyal to them. But for some unknown reason, not only did they not open up the channel like the Creator Dragons instructed after they transmigrated to the new world, but they also went different ways and buried the slates deep under the moon��s surface. This was just too intriguing.


    ��Alright then, the reason why those people who headed to the Dragon Soul Continent in the past and were able to open up the plane channel was����


    ��Based on the current situation, perhaps it was the results they got after researching the Akashic Slates. But ordinary people aren��t able to use the power of the slates, so even if they created a similar plane channel, they need the slates to give them directions. This is also the reason why Miss Erin and us showed up near the location of the slates.��


    ��In other words, we can head back now?��


    ��Theoretically speaking, yes. But����


    The younger sister was obviously in a tough spot. After hearing ��theoretically speaking��, Rhode knew the situation wasn��t as simple as it seemed. And indeed, the ��but�� that he anticipated came up.


    ��But?��


    ��Even though the Door of Akasha is complete, we haven��t found the most important key! How is it possible that I can��t detect its location? The key should have been merged with the slate as a pair. But now, we can��t activate the Door of Akasha, which means that�� could it be�� no�� why����


    ��What��s wrong?��


    Rhode��s heart sank upon hearing the rare fluster in his younger sister��s voice. Upon hearing his doubt, the younger sister tried to calm herself down, let out a sigh, and muttered softly under her breath.


    ��Big Brother, just like I said. Our subjects didn��t possess the power to activate the Akashic Slates, which was why we stored our power in them for activation. The key should be fused as a pair with the fifth slate, which is the one that Miss Erin brought back. But the slate doesn��t have any signs of a key. This means that it has been separated. The only person capable of doing that is����


    The younger sister��s voice turned a little deeper.


    ��My then dependent, who is also the Presence Deity Warden, Marybelle.��


    Although his younger sister didn��t speak further, Rhode fully understood what she meant. He had always been curious as to why only six Deity Wardens were in charge of the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. It seemed like one of them followed his younger sister��s order and transmigrated to another world with the slate. But due to some reason, the mission failed and the seven Deity Wardens lost one of their members and only six of them remained.


    But��


    ��Presence Deity Warden?��


    ��Yes, Big Brother. Among the Deity Wardens, Marybelle mastered ��presence��. She is able to judge the existence of all things in this world. If she thinks that it doesn��t exist, then it doesn��t. The reason why I created her was to prevent illusory boundaries that would lead to invasion of Chaos. She and Christie are my favorite children. She was also the strongest among the sisters����


    �� Presence Deity Warden.


    The corner of his brow twitched.


    My dear little sister, this ��hack�� of yours is just too powerful, don��t you think? A thing exists as long as she thinks it does and doesn��t as long as she doesn��t think it does? Will the Dragon Soul Continent not exist if she thinks so? This ultimate killing weapon is just too OP. But now��


    Rhode had nothing much to say about this Deity Warden who was most likely dead.


    ��What should we do now?��


    ��We have to find the key. Since they have uncovered the slates, I suppose there are clues to the key too. Big Brother�� we��:


    ��Alright, since you want to look for it, then let��s do it.��


    After hearing her words, Rhode let out a helpless sigh. Honestly, he had no intention of heading back to Earth, which was also why he didn��t chase Erin when she pursued the space shuttle earlier and chose to wait for her return. Rhode felt complicated now. Perhaps he wasn��t feeling emotional due to being on the moon that was far away from the mundane world. But after returning to Earth, he had to face the tough issue of whether he should stay or return to the Dragon Soul Continent? After all, Earth was his home. In the past, he didn��t consider this question too much since he was in an entirely different world. But now, he was only hundreds of thousands kilometers away from his real home. Compared to the distance between both worlds, this distance between the moon and Earth was nothing. However��


    For him to give up everything and abandon Marlene and the rest? He wouldn��t do that, of course, which was why he remained on the moon. What the eye didn��t see, the heart didn��t grieve over. But now, since his younger sister hoped for him to look for the key, he could only let go of this dilemma that was deep inside his mind.


    At this thought, Rhode let out a long sigh. He extended his arm and put away the Door of Akasha. At this moment, the tightly-shut door behind him opened. A yawning young lady waddled into the room and everyone turned to her.


    ��Sister Heart, how��s the situation on Earth?��


    The first to question was naturally the two Bubbles ��who wished for the whole world to be in chaos��. Back then, the video of Erin attacking the city was streamed everywhere in the world by the satellite, so they also witnessed her domination through the screen. It went without saying that the Bubbles made a big fuss in excitement and didn��t treat the pitiful people as fellow humans at all.


    That was why if one wasn��t properly educated during puberty, it would be real trouble after their antisocial personalities formed��


    Upon hearing the two Bubbles�� questions, Orchid Heart yawned, rubbed the dark circles under her eyes, and said, ��Earth is in complete chaos. The governments of various countries are currently asking the party involved for an explanation. After all����


    Orchid Heart gazed at Erin who stood at the side with a smile.


    ���� no one can remain calm after witnessing what happened.��


    That��s right, just as Orchid Heart had said, all of Earth was in chaos. If Erin only attacked the city and left right after, the situation would be similar to Hollywood movies where monsters suddenly showed up and attacked humans. Perhaps their presence signified the disaster that human��s destruction of nature would cause�� and so on and so forth. But the problem was with the statement Erin left behind before she left that turned the situation toward a completely different direction.


    Of course, Erin didn��t understand the languages of Earth. But she didn��t need to know them because it would be enough as long as she used her mental power to transmit her message into their heads. After the destruction, Erin gave a warning to hundreds of thousands of people and it went without saying that it caused a huge commotion. It might be treated as hallucination if only one or two people heard it. But after so many people heard her threat at the same time, it proved that it wasn��t any hallucination. In the midst of panic, everyone began fleeing as far as possible because according to that enormous dragon, they were all implicated! The damn politicians must have done something to anger that terrifying monster and now they had to suffer the punishment!


    Almost at the same time, the video of Lydia demolishing the Americas Region on the moon had spread all around, which stirred up a hornets�� nest. Although neither the power of faith nor spiritual spells existed on Earth like in the Dragon Soul Continent, religion was equally developed, especially for the self-proclaimed ��chosen ones��. And now, after witnessing the messenger of God attacking them, many were devastated��


    And now, in a small white house on the other side of Earth, the atmosphere was equally tense.


    ��How long do you intend to keep it a secret?!��


    An old man in a military uniform slammed the table, glaring fiercely at the tall, skinny man like a wolf. Facing his snarls, the man narrowed his eyes and swept a silent glance at him.


    ��This is a top secret, to begin with. We have been working on this plan for decades and never released it to the public!


    ��Back then when that monster attacked the moon bases, you should have told us and we could��ve prepared ourselves! See what happened now! The entire Americas Region is destroyed and half of our city is gone. Tens of thousands of people are dead and this is only based on preliminary data with more to come. And yet, you��re still trying to keep it a secret?!��


    Gazing at his quarreling staff, a middle-aged man clad in a suit and seated by the table crossed his arms with a grim expression. Seated beside him was a glamorous woman in luxurious clothes, gazing helplessly at the screen ahead where tens of thousands of civilians were raising banners and protesting on the streets. Amongst the clamoring crowd, the intermittent voice of the report could be vaguely heard.


    ��Tens of thousands of civilians have gathered at First Avenue. They��re requesting to�� immediately�� get�� response. They claim that the people have the right to know the truth�� Not only that, but all countries also�� expressed concerns�� over�� incident����


    ��Mr. President, it is time for the meeting.��


    ��I got it.��


    At this moment, the man seated by the table stood up slowly, gazing at his staff with complicated gazes. He felt a lot of pressure on his shoulders because this was the first time he faced strong warnings and interrogations from other countries all at once. Even though international politics didn��t involve any friendship, this time, even his closest allies had stripped off the tender-hearted veil. Well, they couldn��t be blamed for such reactions. Even though Erin attacked his territory, her final threat was to all mankind! Although no one knew what this country did to cause such a huge catastrophe, Erin��s words clearly told them that if this continued, it would be the end of humanity!


    No one wished to be implicated for no apparent reason. All the higher-ups of various countries were aware of how powerful Erin was, as she wasn��t hurt at all by nuclear warheads. On the other hand, the angel was even more terrifying. Even though people didn��t know whether she was related to religion, it was apparent that her powers were enough to destroy all human technologies. The dragon only needed a few minutes to destroy half the city and didn��t seem exhausted at all. No one wished to provoke such a scary monster.


    As the moon princess, Erin was indeed smart and crafty. She purposely showed her ability to communicate with humans for them to break out into internal conflict. One had to admit that she read the situation well. If she led an army into Earth, no matter how exaggerated her words were after her attack, humans would stand united and resist the enemies. But now, only Lydia and her showed up before the humans. Besides, she proved to them that she could be communicated with, so as long as humans appeased her, they could avoid further disasters. And now, Earth was in complete chaos due to her actions and became even more dangerous. If the country that enraged the dragon wasn��t willing to comply, it would only lead to the start of war between countries. Although a war was terrifying, losing a country wasn��t considered much in comparison to the dangers of losing all mankind, wasn��t it?


    Moreover, it was they who attracted those foreign monsters in the first place! When settling disputes, one shouldn��t involve third parties, so all the more reason they wouldn��t be condemned for starting a war. This was why all countries righteously sent out diplomats, demanding that they attached utmost importance to the overall situation. Not only that, but some countries also sent out fleets to the high seas, ready to attack if they had the audacity to not obey. This was completely a military threat. But even so, they were careful in their actions. After all, if they were pressured into a corner and made history repeat itself, everyone would be doomed together.


    ��Currently, this is the situation on Earth. Governments of various countries are requesting the involved party to hand over detailed documents of the entire plan. They��re also hoping for us to find a way to link them up with both of you.��


    After describing the situation on Earth briefly, Orchid Heart yawned again as though she wasn��t cautious of Lydia and Erin. She extended her hand and rubbed her eyes like she was about to fall asleep. Then, she looked up at the crowd, before shifting her gaze to Rhode.


    ��Alright then. What do you intend to do, Rhode?��


    ���� We have our own things to handle.��


    Facing Orchid Heart��s question, Rhode pondered in silence before giving an answer.


    ��But�� I think we may need to make a trip to Earth.��

 Chapter 1127 - Returning Home

    The space shuttle glided, before landing silently on the tarmac like a piece of origami. The metallic ramp ejected slowly to connect to the jet bridge and the hatch opened.


    Looks like I��m finally back��


    Rhode sauntered out of the space shuttle, taking in everything with complicated emotions. Be it the towering buildings or pleasant country sceneries on the other side, everything seemed so familiar to him. In an instant, he felt as if it were all from a lifetime ago. He thought he was dreaming. This clear view in front of him became a distinct comparison to the Dragon Soul Continent in his memories. At that moment, the Dragon Soul Continent was slowly becoming indistinct as though it were nothing more than a thrilling dream. On the other hand, this modern city was spreading its arms apart to embrace and welcome his return. At a glance, the familiar scenes around him were as though reminding him silently that this was his true home.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, what��s wrong?��


    Erin��s voice sounded beside him. Like some sort of magic, the instant he heard her voice, the hazy sceneries in his head once again became clear. The title that Erin addressed him with made him recognize his identity. He was neither an online player nor university graduate who should be looking for a proper job now, nor an ordinary civilian. Right now, he was the one of the rulers of the Dragon Soul Continent, one of the five Creator Dragons, the owner of the Void Territory, and the Void Dragon.


    ��I��m fine, Your Highness Erin. Thanks for your concern.��


    Rhode said, nodding to her and turning around to head down the ramp.


    There wasn��t anything peculiar ahead of him. There were neither ferocious, fully-armored soldiers nor armored tanks nor special forces clad in black and wielding mysterious weapons, not to mention any guard of honor or important figures donned in expensive suits welcoming their arrival. The entire airport was silent. In fact, this was to be expected since civilians had already evacuated after the terrorizing attacks on the moon. Before the matter came to an end, it was likely that they wouldn��t return to the moon through this space airport. Perhaps this was why no one was here. Apart from some service personnel, it was noiseless like on ordinary days.


    ��You can stay at the hotel temporarily. I��ve arranged the accommodations already.��


    At that moment, Orchid Heart yawned, sauntered to Rhode, and said. Frankly, judging from her look, one would think she didn��t sleep for days. But in fact, Rhode was aware that she had slept all the way since boarding the space shuttle and had only just woken up.


    Why is she so tired though?


    ��I��m surprised, Senior Heart. I thought there would be a grand welcome ceremony.��


    ��Those higher-ups aren��t dumb. Do you think it��s beneficial for them to blow up the matter now?��


    That makes sense.


    Upon hearing her response, Rhode nodded in agreement. Come to think of it, so what if the higher-ups deployed an entire missile force at them? Aside from Lydia and Erin, even Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and him could comfortably stop the intercontinental ballistic missiles. When that happened, Rhode might not even need to retaliate as the angered Lydia and Erin could probably destroy the city together in minutes. That city in North America was still fuming with billows of smoke. No other cities had the intention of helping them attract the attention of Lydia and Erin. This was why the best thing for them to do was to pretend to know nothing and treat the unknown beings as ordinary people so as to reduce suspicions in other countries. After all, with Orchid Heart around to mediate the situation, it was easier for the higher-ups to approach the unknown beings compared to other countries and this was naturally a good thing. However, it was apparent that the other countries wouldn��t think of it this way. If the other countries learned that Rhode��s group was related to that country in some ways, they would surely suspect that the country had secret weapons that were beyond their imagination. When that happened, the problem would become much bigger. This was why pretending to know nothing and laying things out in secret was the smartest choice for the higher-ups.


    ��How��s the situation now?��


    ��They have agreed to all conditions in the joint meeting. Not only will they publicize the ��Apocalyptic Slate�� plan, but they will also coordinate with us.��


    ��Wow, that is hard to come by.��


    Rhode couldn��t help but blow a whistle. If it were in the past, perhaps the higher-ups wouldn��t treat the situation seriously even if the world was against them. But now, ��a phoenix with its feathers plucked wouldn��t be as great as a chicken��. The status of them being the ��boss�� of the world was gone and now, they couldn��t even lift their heads proudly. Rhode initially thought there would be more troubles�� but it seemed like Erin��s threat worked well on the politicians.


    ��So then, what��s your request, Rhode?��


    ��Just like before. When we investigated the base, we learned that their excavation of the slate began after they uncovered certain ruins and obtained essential details from it. Of course, we have to personally head down to the ruins and conduct an investigation ourselves. For that, I will need your help. As for the other���� Rhode paused. Earlier on, he had investigated the situation with his younger sister. The other party��s illegal technologies were built on the basis of the slate��s energy. In other words, the ��Akashic Slates�� were used by them as energy sources, just like how magic crystals were required to activate magic cannons in the Dragon Soul Continent. Without the power of magic crystals, not even nuclear power generators could activate the magic cannons. And now, Rhode had obtained all the five Akashic Slates and only the key was left. In other words, the splendid machines in that unfortunate country had all become scrap metal��


    Come to think of it, they were really pitiful as decades of hard work was ruined. The pieces of equipment constructed through spending hundreds of billions of dollars on research and development simply turned into a pile of junk. The painstaking construction of the moon bases was also razed to the ground. Half of their city was sacrificed, as well as tens of thousands of lives. Yes, let��s observe a moment of silence in tribute to them.


    ���� if possible, we hope you will pay attention to a small, ancient relic that should look like a black slate. If you find it, you don��t need to bring it back. We have our own ways to retrieve it.��


    ��Okay, I got it.��


    Orchid Heart agreed and didn��t feel strange at all. If her team brought the relic back, it would expose their relationship with Rhode and cause more troubles. That was why she didn��t oppose Rhode��s suggestion. She nodded in agreement and gazed at him.


    ��Leader, you��ve changed����


    ��After going through all sorts of challenging experiences, it is impossible for me not to change. But as for you, Senior Heart�� will everything be fine?��


    Rhode said, before pondering in silence and gazing at the young lady in the military uniform. Honestly, his impression was fixed at her being the older female adult who wore sloppy clothes and stayed up all night doing improper businesses. Right now, even though she had the same dark circles around her eyes, her hair was neatly combed and she also wore a smart uniform like an ��upper-class�� senior. This was all too peculiar to Rhode.


    ��It will be fine after you get used to it. Everyone changes, just like you�� yawn����


    Orchid Heart replied and let out a yawn. She waved her hand to three other men in the same uniform and left from the other side.


    ��Alright then, you guys can go for a stroll. I��ve given you the phone and contact number. Call me if anything comes up and make sure you keep an eye on the two Highnesses. I don��t want them to cause any troubles here.��


    Just like that, Orchid Heart handed over the most troublesome task to Rhode irresponsibly, before turning around and hopping onto the car. Rhode couldn��t help but twitch the corner of his brow while he watched as the black car go farther away.


    Look at her go and leave all the troubles to me!


    But it was a pity that he had lost his chance for regrets. He sighed helplessly, turning to Erin and Lydia who smiled cheekily and Canary (x2) and Bubble (x2) as though they were twins. He let out a cough for their attention.


    ��Okay then, let��s����


    ��Go shopping! Since I made it to this world, we must properly admire the differences between this world and ours.��


    Lydia interrupted, sizing up the bustling scene outside the window curiously. Meanwhile, the other Bubble standing behind Mini Bubble Gum raised her arms high up.


    ��Me too, me too. Leader, I want to check out the CD shop, I haven��t bought the CD for the latest theme song! And also that MP3�� I��m gonna bring everything back this time!��


    ��In that case����


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, you will bring us to watch the scenery, right?��


    ������


    Upon hearing Lydia��s words, Rhode finally realized that his dreams of heading back to the hotel for a good rest were shattered.


    No matter in which world, accompanying women for shopping was the cruelest punishment for Rhode. In the Dragon Soul Continent, he rarely accompanied the young ladies for shopping except Christie. At the very most, he allowed Anne and the other young ladies to go shopping in a group. The good thing about a harem was that the young ladies could find their favorite companions for entertainment and didn��t need him to accompany them. In this world, even though Rhode had many girlfriends in the past, only a few of them managed to get him to accompany them while they shopped. Even Canary��he had gone shopping with her less than five times.


    But today�� he thought he could stand on the balcony of a restaurant, overlook the scenery, be deeply moved by the world, and head back to a bar to hook up with some drunk ladies. However, his plan was completely smashed, only to be replaced by his most painful punishment. Since Lydia had already asked, it was impossible for him to say ��no��.


    That was why he grudgingly brought the group of young ladies and began his most resentful exercise in this world: shopping.


    One had to admit that Rhode��s group was conspicuous. Lydia and Erin were stunning beauties and had unique, distinct, and grandeur presences as an archangel and moon princess respectively. As soon as one glanced at them, one��s breath was taken away. The two young ladies wore their initial clothes which were noble, elegant, and eye-catching. No matter how one looked at their dresses, one felt as though the dresses were made out of the context of time in this modern city and were out of this world.


    As for Mini Bubble Gum and Canary who were following closely behind them, they were equally mesmerizing. Perhaps they weren��t as glorious as Erin and Lydia, but their exquisite faces, as well as their ��twins�� who were as though reflections in a mirror also captured a lot of attention.


    In comparison, Rhode, who was escorting them in the middle, felt tremendous pressure.


    As this was their first trip to this world, Erin and Lydia were incredibly curious about everything they saw. Be it the flickering ��magic crystal signboards�� or transparent ��floating devices�� outside the ��magic towers��, they were all amused by them. They asked Rhode about them along the way, pulling and dragging his arms. After all, apart from Rhode, Mini Bubble Gum, and Canary, no one understood their language.


    On the other side, the two Mini Bubble Gums were also a troublesome duo. The projected Mini Bubble Gum craved to buy everything and couldn��t wait to bring all the high-tech items back to the Dragon Soul Continent and hole herself up in a room to indulge in them. The real Mini Bubble Gum was nowhere better. Ever since she told Rhode that she wanted to follow him back to the Dragon Soul Continent, she began her preparations as well. It seemed like she would be carrying a lot more than one suitcase this time.


    As for the two Canaries, they were much quieter. But for some unknown reason, Rhode felt like the real Canary behaved somewhat differently from his impression. He remembered her as a sweet and lively young lady. But after this one year, he realized that she seemed to have changed. He thought it was his misconception, but immediately detected the differences as soon as she stood beside her projection. Compared to the projection, the real Canary seemed more troubled and was obviously more mature. Even though she continued to present a gentle smile, unsolvable worries were written all over her forehead. Standing beside her projection, it became much more apparent.


    Although Rhode had asked Bubble about what happened to Canary over the year, Bubble stammered and refused to tell him. That was why Rhode gave the task to the projected Canary. Since they were technically the same person, they should get along better.


    Even though this matter with Canary gave him a headache, he also had other troubles to attend to right now. After spotting the dazzling lineup of clothes in a fashion store, Lydia��s and Erin��s eyes lit up as they charged into the store. The clothes in this world were odd and amusing to them at the same time. Some could be worn in different ways to make unique combinations, leaving them entertained and feeling fresh. After all, no matter how advanced magic and civilization were in the Dragon Soul Continent, in terms of clothing designs�� it was an entirely different matter.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, what do you think of this dress?��


    Lydia stood before him and lifted the hem of her skirt. She asked with a smile.


    Right now, this archangel had taken off her expensive and luxurious long dress and put on a skimpy outfit. She wore a short, close-fitting, bikini-like top that covered her chest and neck and revealed her slender shoulders and snowy, slim waist. Clad on her lower body was a pure, white miniskirt, as well as a pair of clean, white socks that bundled her fair, attractive legs. Paired with a small, exquisite coat, she had the presence of a superstar. She merely stood on the spot, but was so dazzling to the eyes. What surprised one was that even though this outfit was fitting for this archangel��s aesthetic view of ��revealing all that should be revealed and concealing all that should be concealed��, the onlookers sensed a holy and sublime beauty from her. She was like the bright, dazzling sun that blinded all customers and staff in the store.


    ��Hmm�� that��s alright, I suppose.��


    Compared to Lydia��s bold outfit, Erin apparently had a more reserved style. Her outfit was also much simpler than Lydia��s. She wore a full-black long dress with sheer lace trim that accentuated her elegant curves perfectly. Paired with pitch-black stockings, she emanated a dark and serene sense of beauty. Unsure if she had bad tastes, she also wore a leather collar around her neck. Ion should never witness this. If not, no one could imagine what would happen!


    If Lydia was like an idol at the forefront of fashion and the matching clothes she wore would become a fashion trend, Erin would be on the other extreme end, where she ignored fashion trends, but continued to maintain her own unique charm uninfluenced by fashion.


    It was imaginable how conflicting the auras both of them were exuding. Not only were the customers bewildered, but the staff also whipped out their phones and took pictures. After all, it was unprecedented for such glorious models to be around them. If they seized the opportunity and took some pictures, it would be great for remembrance and also for their store��s publicity!


    Lydia and Erin didn��t mind having their photos taken. As ��public figures��, they were already used to it. Even though people stood in a circle and gawked, they continued to pick out clothes that were interesting and good-looking to them. The ��onlookers unaware of the truth�� were excited, but they didn��t know these two young ladies were also the culprits who had destroyed the moon bases and half a city with the rise of an arm.


    ��Sigh����


    Gazing at this chaotic scene, Rhode let out a helpless sigh. He reached his hand out and patted the enthusiastic Mini Bubble Gum who was enjoying the bustling scene.


    ��I��ll leave this place to you, Bubble.��


    ��Huh? Why? Where are you going, Leader?��


    ��I need to do something. I��ll be right back.��


    Rhode said, withdrew himself from the crowd quickly, and arrived at a secluded fast food restaurant. It was working hours now, so there weren��t many people on the premises. Rhode ordered a cup of cola and sat down in a relatively quiet corner. He retrieved the phone that Orchid Heart handed to him and dialed a number.


    Beep������


    Shortly after, the call got through and a voice sounded in his ear.


    ��Hello, this is B&M Company.��


    ��Please get Mr. Arthur on the phone.��


    ��Mr. Arthur is having a meeting right now. May I know who����


    ��Please pass this message to him immediately. Tell him that����


    Rhode paused and the corners of his lips perked up into a smile.


    ���� Rhode has something important to discuss with him.��

 Chapter 1128 - Difficult Choice

    ��I didn��t expect to see you again, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Displayed on the mobile screen before Rhode, Arthur seemed rather calm. On the contrary, the other three Creator Dragons gazed at Rhode in surprise, but they weren��t flustered.


    ��I��m surprised, Mr. Arthur. I thought you guys would be shocked to see me.��


    ��I��m already stunned by the television news of Lydia and Erin showing up in this world���� Arthur said and forced a smile. Rhode nodded in response. Perhaps ordinary people weren��t aware of who Lydia and Erin were, but since the five Creator Dragons turned the Dragon Soul Continent into a game and made a copy of it, it wasn��t surprising that they knew everything about the characters inside. That was perhaps why they could recognize their true identities at a single glance. But shortly after, Arthur skimmed over the topic and got to the main point. ��But I suppose there is something important for you to look for me, right?��


    ��That��s right.��


    Upon hearing Arthur��s question, Rhode nodded and recounted the happenings to the Creator Dragons, including the Akashic Slates uncovered under the moon��s surface in the Americas Region and everything that happened. After hearing Rhode��s words, the Creator Dragons who maintained their calmness changed their expressions. Well, they couldn��t be blamed. Back then, Rhode��s younger sister also couldn��t take it easy when she witnessed the Akashic Slates, so how could the Creator Dragons be spared?


    ��I see�� so that��s why�� I was still thinking about why we came to this world back then�� It seems like our powers sealed in the Akashic Slates came into effect�� I see����


    Arthur knitted his brows and spoke with a pale expression. The other three Creator Dragons whispered in one another��s ear with solemn expressions. After a few moments, the four of them lifted their heads and looked at Rhode.


    ��So the Door of Akasha is in your hands now?��


    ��Yes, do you want to have it?��


    ��We?��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Arthur revealed a bitter smile and didn��t respond. Serena who sat beside him let out a subtle sigh and continued explaining. ��Even though we really want to take back the Door of Akasha, it��s a pity that it doesn��t serve any purpose now. We said earlier that we left behind our dragon essence in the Dragon Soul Continent and stayed in this world for too long after incarnation, so we don��t have much powers left. Although we have more energy than ordinary humans, that is all to it. We don��t have powers like Lydia and Erin. After all, we��re only humans now����


    Serena came to a pause and let out a helpless sigh.


    ��Can��t you abstract power from machines like the Americas Region?��


    ��Even though I��m not too sure what specific method they used, I suppose they made use of its effects after triggering our dragon soul powers sealed in the Door of Akasha. The Door of Akasha has extraordinary powers that aren��t controllable by ordinary humans. If those humans use their powers to touch the origin of the Door of Akasha����


    Serena paused awkwardly and the pair of sisters beside her continued her words.


    ���� they will be destroyed by the massive power of the Door of Akasha completely. Not only the moon, but everything here including space will also be smashed.��


    What in the world��


    Rhode was bewildered. He didn��t expect the Door of Akasha to be this overbearing. But come to think of it, this thing was dug up and researched upon by those bast*rds for decades before he was even born�� A shiver ran down his spine at this thought. It seemed to him that he was fortunate enough to not witness the world being destroyed thanks to the sealed powers of the five Creator Dragons. If not, perhaps this world would have already been done for due to those hasty idiots before he was even born.


    Rhode was in lingering fear, but the thought of having the Door of Akasha in his hands put him at ease. He gazed at the other Creator Dragons and suddenly realized their odd expressions. Serena seemed to be rather hesitant, while Ningmi and Ningjing puckered their brows. Arthur was also in a strange silence. All of a sudden, this left Rhode in extreme anxiety. It wasn��t that he felt like they were plotting a conspiracy against him, but was more like he was about to face a tough decision. It was like an examinee who was about to enter a life-determining examination hall. Before one witnessed the examination paper, the thought of this day representing the direction of one��s future left one nervous and anxious.


    In the end, the younger sister spoke.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, since you��ve already gotten the Door of Akasha����


    ��Ningjing.��


    But before she completed her sentence, the elder sister, Ningmi, interrupted her harshly. She gazed at her younger sister and shook her head firmly. Upon witnessing her elder sister��s expression, Ningjing was apparently unwilling to back down. Serena and Arthur also seemed rather hesitant, but eventually Serena let out a long sigh.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, since you��ve already gotten the Door of Akasha, we hope you will make a smart decision. We just want to tell you that no matter what decision you make, we will support you fully. Of course, even in this matter, Chaos is still our sworn enemy. No matter in which world, this fact will never change. We will also conduct an investigation on this. If anything is to happen, we will inform you immediately. Alright, I��ll leave it to you then.��


    ��Huh�� okay����


    Gazing at the video call that came to an end on the mobile screen, Rhode was flabbergasted. He had even felt the tense atmosphere through the screen. The heavy mood like ��a huge storm was coming�� was as though they were discussing a topic such as the existence of this world. But he was astonished by the soft sound of thunder and rain drops and the video call that ended abruptly before explanations were given. Their final words left him feeling dubious because he was certain that Ningjing was about to tell him something crucial before being interrupted by the rest. It was apparent that they weren��t willing to affect his judgment. Even though it was a good thing for him, he didn��t know what choices he should make for this unknown problem. It was as though one were given a blank piece of paper as an exam. How could one expect to answer without any questions?


    His communications with the Creator Dragons came to a strange end. He was no longer in the mood to go shopping any longer. On the other hand, Erin and Lydia also seemed satisfied with their loot and returned to the hotel arranged by Orchid Heart for a break. At the same time, they curiously admired the differences in the hotels of this world and the Dragon Soul Continent.


    Orchid Heart was generous. She booked the presidential suite that occupied the top floor of the hotel. It was luxurious and extravagant, with an open-air courtyard and huge swimming pool. Rhode had to admit that even though there were all sorts of problems and flaws in this world, the Dragon Soul Continent wasn��t comparable in terms of enjoyment. Gawking at this sumptuous suite, Erin and Lydia clicked their tongues in wonder. Judging from Lydia��s reaction, perhaps she might build an exact replica of this building without attempting originality after returning to the Golden City��


    On the other hand, the two Canaries were unusually quiet along the way back to the hotel. Rhode had thought of asking what happened, but the projected Canary hinted him to not question anything. Be it the real or projected Canary, Rhode wasn��t too concerned about them. Since the projected Canary told him not to ask, he simply let her handle the situation. Canary seemed to be bothered by something all this while and he wasn��t in a good spot to straighten things out for her. After all, he had been away for one year and now that he was suddenly back, he didn��t know where he stood in Canary��s heart, which was why he chose to observe in silence.


    Mini Bubble Gum (x2) booted up the computers and made huge fusses as they read the updated ��mangas�� and ��animes��. According to Mini Bubble Gum, she wanted to download all the best movies, ��animes��, and dramas and bring them back to the Dragon Soul Continent to show Marlene and the others!


    Of course, as for the issue with Marlene and the rest being unable to understand the language in the dramas, Mini Bubble Gum had completely forgotten about it.


    ��Oh-oh-oh-oh, I knew the development of the plot would lead to the female protagonist dying! I understand those sick minds of screenwriters darn well! Hahaha, it��s interesting to see how those good-for-nothing ��otakus�� howl in grief over her death. Don��t you think this group of people are masochists? They have obviously read the synopsis and know that the female protagonist is gonna die and now they��re crying over her death�� Oh-oh-oh, you see, he has been NTR-ed alright! Hahaha, these characters who only know how to ��act cute�� are only good-for-nothing swines. I��m gonna post on the forums to rage against them��!��


    ��That��s right, that��s right. Make those idiots rage. It is such groups of masochists like them who howl in grief and beg for their favorite girls to not die and still buy merchandise for the producers to earn a profit. These idiots can��t be cured! Haha, I like watching this, but sigh�� the Dragon Soul Continent is great in many ways, but it is just too boring without these things����


    These two really do look like a pair of congenial sisters��


    Hearing the noises from the two Mini Bubble Gum, Rhode shook his head helplessly. As he decided to go for a stroll and check out the scenery to relax himself, the projected ��Bubble No. 2�� peered out from behind the monitor and asked.


    ��By the way, Leader, didn��t you say you��re going to transport the Dragon Soul Continent away from that ridiculous place? I say, you should move it to the solar system! Whenever we��re bored we can still read some ��mangas�� or play some games. Anyway, we will surely get sick of killing monsters everyday.��


    Bubble made a casual remark before repositioning herself in front of the monitor again. But it was due to this that she didn��t realize Rhode��s motion stiffened and his expression turned solemn. Bubble��s words were like a hammer that smashed open a path that he had racked his brains to come up with a solution for. This instantly changed his expression and even his mood became heavy and serious.


    Because he finally understood what exact choice the Creator Dragons wanted him to make.

 Chapter 1129 - Opportunity and Danger

    If it weren��t for Mini Bubble Gum��s suggestion, Rhode had almost forgotten about it. Perhaps due to the need to slaughter the Chaos Beings and find the lost key, he instinctively threw the matter to the back of his head. But now, he had no choice but to face it. Why did the Creator Dragons try to transmigrate to another world with the Door of Akasha? Wasn��t it meant to open up a new world and let the people of Order escape from the threats of Chaos?


    And now, almost all the conditions were met. The Door of Akasha was near completion and Rhode, as the Void Dragon, was also present. Even though he left behind his dragon essence in the Dragon Soul Continent, causing his strength to deplete drastically, it didn��t require his strength to activate the Door of Akasha. Instead, what was more important was the ��authority��.


    That��s right, authority. Without the inherited ��authority�� from the five Creator Dragons, even if Rhode were ten times stronger now, it would only be wishful thinking to activate the Door of Akasha. Rhode, as the Void Dragon, naturally gained the authority of void from his younger sister. If not, he wouldn��t be able to activate the Door of Akasha. And now, the success of the plan that the Creator Dragons gave their all for was right before their eyes! If Rhode were willing, he could return to the Dragon Soul Continent, make use of the projection signals of the Door of Akasha, and seal up the entire continent, which would be a flawless implementation. Besides, this was even safer than his own plan earlier. After all, he was like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead rat, and anywhere the continent transmigrated to would suffice. But now, with such a secure coordinate from the Door of Akasha, the dangers would be greatly reduced. Moreover, Rhode knew this place inside-out, which was much better than starting out in a whole new world that he wasn��t aware of.


    But now��


    ��You already knew about this, right?��


    Rhode asked, standing on the balcony and gazing at the deep, dusky nightscape. He held up a bottle of cola and swirled it lightly while looking into the distance. Shortly after, he heard his younger sister��s response in his head.


    ��Yes, Big Brother.��


    ��But you didn��t mention it to me before.��


    ���� because this is something that you should make a decision for by yourself.��


    Indeed.


    Upon hearing her answer, the corners of his lips perked up into a bitter smile. After pondering over the matter for a while, he understood that his younger sister must have also reacted to the situation immediately just like the other Creator Dragons. After all, unlike him, this was a goal that they had fought for their whole lives. They had even transformed their souls and forcefully broken through the space barrier for the sake of it. After losing their powers and reincarnating to Earth, they still didn��t forget about their goal. No one would believe that they didn��t set their hearts on it and wouldn��t have any reactions upon hearing this news.


    Theoretically speaking, there wasn��t any issue transporting the Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system. As long as he controlled the dragon soul protections, enhanced them with a strong teleportation ritual, and used the Door of Akasha as the coordinates, he could directly transport the continent over. There were basically no dangers either. The dragon soul protections served as the atmosphere to resist foreign threats from the universe, which was even stronger than that unreliable atmosphere over Earth. This was because the dragon soul protection could resist Chaos. Not only could it stop magic attacks, but it could also defend against physical attacks. In other words, the dragon soul protection was like an energy shield over the continent and not even missiles could break through its defenses. When that happened, there would be an additional planet added to the solar system. But�� this planet might not be in the shape of a globe, that was��


    ��What do you think I should do?��


    Rhode focused his attention and questioned. He wasn��t a fool. He knew why his younger sister and the other Creator Dragons didn��t encourage or provide him with ideas and even wanted him to make the decision himself. It wasn��t that his relationship with his younger sister was great, or that the Creator Dragons were willing to respect his decision. After putting himself in their shoes, if he were to do one thing for thousands of years without success and now that success was within reach, he would surely think of ways to achieve it. But now, the five Creator Dragons chose to cover up the truth inadvertently instead, which meant that something was definitely up and also related to him. Perhaps his younger sister told him the truth out of their years of kinship, but as for the Creator Dragons, perhaps it was just as they had mentioned: they didn��t have the strength and solutions to speak conditions with him. After all, even if they didn��t mention the truth, as long as they deliberately guided him, he would definitely realize and understand the meaning behind everything. That was why they might as well let him make the decision himself. Rhode had to admit that the Creator Dragons were indeed really smart.


    ��From the point of view of the Void Dragon, I think Miss Bubble��s suggestion is great. It is a rare location for the Dragon Soul Continent to recuperate. I��ve once lived here too, which is why I understand it to a certain degree. This place isn��t threatened by Chaos and not only that, but I also sense the dense spatial connections in this world. As long as we transport the continent to this world, we can use its qualities to communicate with other planes of existence. Here, we don��t have enemies and life will be more peaceful. No matter from which aspect, this world is the best choice for the Dragon Soul Continent. But����


    As expected. There��s still a ��but�� at the end.


    ���� if I��m only a human on Earth, I would oppose this suggestion.��


    This time, his younger sister said without any hesitation. Perhaps due to the fact that she was just a soul fragment, she didn��t have as many concerns as her original self.


    ��I suppose you��ve realized it too, Big Brother. On Earth, no, in this world�� Even though I don��t know how huge this world is, rules are still lacking in the entire solar system. Although there are religions and beliefs on Earth, there aren��t any corresponding representatives of rules.��


    That��s true. Even though he lived on Earth for years and had read several legends, he didn��t truly witness one soaring in the air with wings.


    ��Chaos and Order in this world isn��t as clear-cut as in the Dragon Soul Continent��s. Besides, the power of faith is staggering and complex. Perhaps due to this existence, rules of this world are indistinct in general. After losing its clear boundaries, it can��t create the willpower of rules, which makes it impossible for representatives of rules to appear.��


    I see��


    Rhode nodded. After listening to his younger sister��s explanations, he more or less understood what she meant. All in all, this implicated a philosophical question of ��you�� and ��me��. This was a type of isolation method used by humans, no, used by everything. When one was aware of ��me�� being ��me��, it meant that an individual had come about, while ��you�� represented another individual recognized by the world apart from self-awareness. In the Dragon Soul Continent, it was due to possessing this individual consciousness that rules were distinct from each other and disallowed Chaos from wreaking havoc. After all, the more chaotic the place was, the more possible it was for Chaos to infiltrate. Representatives of rules like Erin and Lydia were the concrete manifestation of ��you�� and ��me�� in rules.


    But due to the staggered Chaos and Order on Earth, it led to rules not having the self-awareness to be separated distinctly, which was why there naturally were no representatives born.


    This also means that��


    ���� When the Dragon Soul Continent is transported to the solar system, the rule representatives in the continent will make a full return and fuse with the world as one. For instance, the reason why Miss Erin and Miss Lydia are able to release the same powers as in the Dragon Soul Continent is because they were making use of the rules in this world. After a long period of time, they can also merge with the rules of this world and after that happens, Miss Erin and Miss Lydia will become the rulers of the sun and moon.��


    His younger sister paused.


    ��Just like you, Big Brother. Even though you left your dragon essence behind in the continent, you still hold the authority of the Void Dragon. As long as you want to, grasping the spatial authority in this world shouldn��t be too difficult for you.��


    In other words, after the Dragon Soul Continent was transported to this world, be it the five Creator Dragons, Lydia, Erin, three legendary generals, three archangels, six Deity Wardens, and even rule representatives like Sonia and Karin would take over the originally empty seats of rules in this world. In other words, they would become the genuine Gods to the people of Earth.


    But will Earth be willing for it to happen?


    If it were centuries ago when Earth was still uncivilized, perhaps humans might kowtow to the emergence of these ��God��s messengers��. But now? Humans had developed to this day with the help of technology, so how was it possible for them to be willing to be ruled by a group of foreign Gods?


    What about them being completely isolated from each other all their lives? That was even more impossible. As long as Rhode transported the entire continent over, to be it the solar system or Milky Way, it would eventually be discovered by Earth. The Dragon Soul Continent lacked the capability to send a satellite to space and their civilization wasn��t advanced enough to consider exploring the cosmos. But Earth was different. They would surely pay the Dragon Soul Continent a visit after discovering it with their satellite. When that happened�� conflicts�� were bound to happen.


    It wasn��t that Rhode looked down upon the technologies of Earth, but if both sides were to clash, Earth would surely be degraded as a colony. Although the population and technological advancements on Earth were more and better than the Dragon Soul Continent, the Dragon Soul Continent��s high-end forces were insanely powerful. Even with just Erin and Lydia going all-out, they were capable of wreaking havoc without any problems.


    Erin and Lydia had already caused a huge commotion on Earth, so what would happen if lichs and necromancers of the Country of Darkness came? The dead weren��t afraid of nuclear weapons at all.


    80 percent of the population on the Dragon Soul Continent wouldn��t survive against Earth��s technologies if Earth were to attack.


    But the problem was with the remaining 20 percent, which were the key��


    This was perhaps why the Creator Dragons weren��t willing to mention this in front of him as they also felt equally conflicted��


    Rhode fell into deep thoughts.

 Chapter 1130 - Secrets of Ancient Ruins

    Rhode couldn��t reach a conclusion in the end. Of course, just as his younger sister had said, he could set the coordinates farther away from Earth, be it out of the solar system or Milky Way. Since the Dragon Soul Continent was unlike Earth, which needed suitable temperatures and various restrictions for humans to live, it had its personal sun and moon. Moreover, the dragon soul protection was much stronger than the ordinary atmosphere. Putting it frankly, even if Rhode transported the entire continent to around Pluto or million miles away, it wouldn��t matter to the continent even if it wasn��t suitable for human habitation as long as there weren��t any dark holes or supernova explosions. After all, the Dragon Soul Continent wasn��t created by ��science��.


    But just like what Rhode was worried about, the scientists on Earth simply loved sending strange things to explore space. The Dragon Soul Continent didn��t have the technology to dispatch satellites. If they were discovered by Earth, Earth would rashly send out forces to ��research and investigate�� them. However, the Dragon Soul Continent wasn��t one to be trifled with! Even if they didn��t have the remarkable skills to build rockets that carried humans, the teleportation door would be enough to give them a hard time. Aside from that, formidable beings like the legendary generals, three archangels, and six deity wardens could soar in outer space effortlessly. Not only were they not mindful of the harsh space environment to the slightest degree, but they could also move quickly. Erin took around half a day��s time chasing the space shuttle and returning to the moon afterward. They wouldn��t need a long time if they were to travel through space and reach Earth. After they set up another teleportation door on Earth, only God knew what would happen.


    It wasn��t impossible for them to have no contact with Earth at all. But Rhode wasn��t willing to do it. After all, what Bubble said made sense. They were used to enjoying their lives on Earth and the Dragon Soul Continent was indeed boring in comparison. As a matter of fact, Rhode and Canary had similar thoughts too. After all, the local civilization of the Dragon Soul Continent wasn��t really entertaining at all. If Rhode wasn��t kept busy with staying alive and building his forces and territory, perhaps he would have a hard time withstanding loneliness like Bubble and Canary.


    Of course, the best way was to have both civilizations scratch each other��s back. But this way, Earth must definitely lower its head before them as both sides could only have friendly communications with strength on equal footing. Once one party was stronger than the other, it would be an entirely different matter. And now, the Dragon Soul Continent could easily destroy Earth, while the possibilities of Earth demolishing the Dragon Soul Continent was close to none. Even if the Dragon Soul Continent were able to maintain an aloof attitude, it didn��t mean Earth wouldn��t have their own opinions.


    Seems like we have to get rid of Ion.


    After pondering for a while, Rhode eventually made a decision that was as different as chalk and cheese.


    In fact, this wasn��t too surprising either. Rhode definitely wouldn��t want to witness the Dragon Soul Continent clashing with Earth. On the other hand, Lilian was being taken care of by him. This little fella was peaceful in nature, so she wouldn��t meddle with his affairs as long as Earth didn��t drop a nuclear bomb on her. Meanwhile, Siena and Nalea weren��t interested in things happening outside their own country. They might be amused by Earth, but as long as Earth didn��t take things too far, they wouldn��t intervene.


    Only Ion was different. Rhode didn��t know where Ion got his confidence and ambition. But based on the fact that Ion wasn��t willing to give up the weak Light Mainland, it was imaginable whether he would ��take a long journey across the stars and ocean�� after witnessing the Earth that couldn��t resist his undead creatures a single bit.


    Therefore, for the sake of peace between Earth and the Dragon Soul Continent, Rhode had to get rid of Ion before transmigrating the continent. After Erin took over as the new Dark Dragon, she would be much easier to work with than Ion with his strong desire to rule. Though Erin was eccentric at times, Rhode felt more assured with Erin exercising control over the undead creatures.


    After we head back, I must come up with a way to kill the Dark Dragon without Erin noticing��


    Only through this way, Rhode could lower the risks of the Dragon Soul Continent being invaded. With the high-end forces of the continent, it would be enough to make the greedy politicians of Earth back off. Of course, clashes might be inevitable between both civilizations, but that might happen only after a few centuries later.


    Before Rhode had the time to consider deeper issues, he received news from Orchid Heart. Logically speaking, even though joint meetings usually required more than three to five days and there might also be closed-door meetings, efficiency was quick this time in the face of human destruction. Besides, it seemed like they had also given up the thought of struggling on their deathbed and fully cooperated. Shortly after, higher-ups from various countries who were worthy of knowing this matter learned about the main contents about the ��Apocalyptic Gate��. Of course, the information was kept secret from the public. But how they uncovered the ruins in the first place, gained information from them, built bases on the moon, and what exactly it was used for was all revealed.


    And now, various countries sent out archaeologists and scientists to explore these materials separately to find the so-called ��calamity that destroyed humans��. After all, in order to avoid inadvertently putting all humanity to death, they put in a lot of effort this time after hearing Erin��s threat on mankind.


    But what left Rhode with his hands tied was that the so-called key wasn��t found yet. According to the intelligence gathered by Orchid Heart, she had mainly found ordinary relics in the ruins and the black slate mentioned by him wasn��t found. However, there was another piece of news from her that lifted his spirits. According to original estimates, there should have been five such ancient ruins. Back then, the related party initially decided to excavate five ruins to search for any secrets. But thereafter, the five slates were dug up from the moon��s surface, while construction of moon bases required a lot of capital. As of now, that country couldn��t splurge like in the past and after excavating four ruins and realizing that their contents were similar, they focused their attention on these black slates. Correspondingly, the excavation of the last ruin also came to a halt.


    After Erin wreaked havoc on the moon, everyone began focusing their attention on the ruins, which explained why various countries dispatched experts to conduct investigations. The excavation job on the fifth ruins that was stopped earlier was once again put back on the agenda. And now, Orchid Heart was here to ask Rhode if he wanted to join them for the excavation.


    Without needing further explanations from her, Rhode reckoned that the fifth ruins was built by the Creator Dragons�� subjects who were sent to Earth. It seemed like they had intended to treat this place as a colony, but as for what exact trouble they faced afterward, why they abandoned this place, scattered the Door of Akasha, and retrieved and hid the key, it went to show that something was wrong.


    ��What��s the specific situation?��


    After hearing the news from Orchid Heart, Rhode pondered grimly and asked. The young lady answered quickly.


    ��For safety, we will be sending out a joint experts investigation team, with the intention of conducting an investigation on the fifth ruins. They will set off in a few days.�� Orchid Heart spoke casually.


    After hearing her response Rhode thought about it and said, ���� so then, there shouldn��t be any issues for us to join the investigation team, right?��


    ��All of you?��


    Upon hearing his answer, Orchid Heart widened her eyes in doubt, before restoring her half-asleep look.


    ��It isn��t impossible, but it is somewhat difficult. Besides�� This investigation team is formed by various countries�� There should be no problems if two or three of you were to join them. But any more than that����


    Even though Orchid Heart didn��t complete her sentence, Rhode understood her hesitation. After all, Rhode��s group was too young and mostly females who didn��t seem like scholars, researchers, or militants. This investigation team involved a human crisis and wasn��t formed for an outing. It was surely impossible for his group to not stand out like a sore thumb and gather suspicions.


    ��I honestly suspect something terrible may happen in those ruins. I suppose I can guess some of the origins of those ruins. Logically, they shouldn��t be what they are now, so I reckon the people who built the ruins must have met with some mishaps, just like how we faced the shadowy creatures on the moon. For the sake of safety, I think it��s best for all of us to join them. I��m sure you��re aware of the consequences of newbies heading into a high-level dungeon, Senior Heart. Even with veterans leading the team, they face a high risk of being killed.��


    ������


    Orchid Heart revealed a dignified expression. She was apparently present to observe the fight between Rhode and the shadowy creatures. If it was just like what he mentioned and such creatures existed on Earth, there would be huge troubles ahead. Due to this reason, she lifted her head after a short period of consideration and nodded slightly.


    ��Alright, I will try.��

 Chapter 1131 - The Fifth Ruin

    Thomas Geller was in a complicated mood. His work clothes were covered in dust and filth. He strode forward with a long face, and a fat man panted as he scuttled and followed behind him.


    ��Hey, Thomas! Thomas!��


    ��What do you want, Andy? I��m in a bad mood now.��


    ��Bad mood? Why, Thomas?��


    Upon hearing Thomas��s response, the man following him like a lackey widened his eyes in suspicion.


    ��Isn��t that a good thing? The excavation that was stopped has finally begun again. Besides, we have also received the large sum of money we wanted and you have been appointed as the leader of the site excavation team thanks to the excavation works of the previous sites. I don��t understand what you��re unhappy about.��


    ��I would rather work unrestrained than being forced to, like now!��


    Thomas stomped his foot and glared at the fat man behind him. Upon realizing his rage, the fat man took down his glasses, wiped the lenses, and continued speaking.


    ��No-no-no, it isn��t worse off than before. We know this excavation job is extraordinary and relatively important. I know you hate the soldiers, but it is necessary for them to be here. Besides, don��t we also have some important figures in our team this time? Dr. Sean is a geological expert, Dr. Miller is a chemical engineer, and Dr. Alicia�� oh, you don��t know, but gathering these people wasn��t easy at all.��


    ��Yea, we could have gotten a few more people����


    Thomas snorted and pointed outside the window.


    ���� so can you explain to me who those young ladies are?! Damn it. This is an excavation site, not some museum, idol stage, or karaoke hall. So why are they here? Darn it. They are nothing more than some brats!��


    ��This����


    The fat man forced a helpless smile.


    ��I��m not sure either, Thomas. I only know that they are representatives of B&M Company. We have many facilities provided by them and their request is to allow the young ladies to follow and record the happenings in the ruins. I don��t know the exact situation, but they have indeed negotiated with the higher-ups, obtained official documents, and followed the right procedures.��


    ��Alright then, damn those capitalists. I don��t know what they are up to. But I hope those young ladies don��t cause any troubles!��


    Frankly, Rhode didn��t expect to join the investigation team with this identity. But it wasn��t too surprising. Even though B&M Company seemed like a virtual-reality gaming company, their technologies were also used outside of games. The Creator Dragons were smart. All this while, they worked closely with the military and governments of various countries. After all, there was no doubt that such virtual-reality technologies were crucial for military affairs. It would be strange if one were to think that B&M Company sold games for a living. It was definitely no joke that the company was able to develop into a global multinational corporation today.


    But Rhode didn��t expect Arthur and the rest to intervene with this matter. Even though B&M Company made such a request and had indeed put Rhode��s group in a better position, the company was therefore involved in this excavation. However, Rhode didn��t feel guilty. As Creator Dragons who were the root of everything that happened, it went without saying for them to assume responsibility. If not, Rhode wouldn��t have taken upon himself all the terrible stuff while they benefited from the good. But��


    ��I think we may be too conspicuous����


    Rhode gazed at the messy surroundings and couldn��t help but let out a sigh. Compared to the stern, fully-armored soldiers and ��talented and influential figures�� communicating using incomprehensible phrases, Rhode��s group seemed more like scouts on an outing. The two Canaries listened to music and read novels, while the two Mini Bubble Gums cheered and caused a ruckus at the side like typical representatives of a group of brats. On the other hand, Erin and Lydia stood at the side, smiling and exchanging words in lowered voices. It was apparent that they were satisfied with this ��outer world tour�� over the past few days.


    But compared to the appropriately-dressed professionals, Rhode��s group was clad in uniforms printed with the words ��B&M��. Rhode wore a black collared shirt like a highly-capable superior. The rest were wearing contemporary clothes that were convenient and safe for them to move about in.


    According to Mini Bubble Gum, they looked like manipulators behind the scenes who sent these innocent researchers and crew members to their death in the movie ��Alien��. Then, after the truth was exposed, they sneered as the protagonists struggled while being chased by monsters. This little fella was really satisfied with this role. Of course, it seemed to Rhode that the young ladies wouldn��t mind making a cameo appearance along the way.


    As of now, Rhode��s group was situated deep inside the rolling hills. The terrain was steep and close to the polar circle where vehicles couldn��t enter easily. They could only rely on helicopters to deliver supplies, which was somewhat of a hassle. Due to this reason, the excavation job wasn��t smooth. The snowstorm from time to time also frequently disrupted traffic, which was why there weren��t as many people here as the other excavation sites. As for the soldiers who served as guards, there were only two teams. Of course, they claimed that they couldn��t transport too many soldiers due to the tough terrain and climate. But as a matter of fact, it was Rhode��s idea to make Orchid Heart use an underhanded method. After all, Orchid Heart had witnessed the scene of Chaos eroding the place through the surveillance videos. As of now, there weren��t any strange discoveries in the other ruins. If not, things should have happened after they were excavated for so many years. This went to show that the risks of this fifth ruin might turn out to be really high. Sending fewer people meant decreasing the dangers of being contaminated by Chaos and at least it would be easier for Rhode��s group to kill any hostile creatures if they were to appear, wasn��t it?


    Due to this reason, under Orchid Heart��s control, this ruin had the least people. Excluding Rhode��s group, there were less than 50 soldiers. Not only that, but also after sending in the last batch of soldiers, all external communications were interrupted and no helicopters could arrive here anymore. Unless Rhode contacted Orchid Heart personally, this group of people was entirely within his control!


    Judging from this point, it wasn��t wrong to say that they were the BOSS behind the scenes��


    ��Everyone, I suppose you��re aware of it by now.��


    Standing in the brightly-lit hall and gazing at everyone, Thomas spoke sternly.


    ��This time our mission is to excavate an ancient ruin situated deep inside this mountain. There aren��t many dangers because we have been examining the place for a few years. However, we were unable to embark on this journey due to financial difficulties and now with your help, we��re able to begin excavating the first floor at the fastest speed possible. Although the terrain is higher here, we��re certain there aren��t any wild animals after our examination. But I hope everyone will remain vigilant as there may be traps in the ruins. So, please refrain from roaming as you wish���� Thomas said, turning to Rhode��s group on purpose. The others also shifted their gaze dubiously toward them. They were also curious as to why Rhode��s group was here. After all, judging from their appearance, the young ladies seemed to only be in their youth and the young man was only slightly over 20 years old. It didn��t make too much sense to say that they were sent by B&M Company. After all, Rhode��s group possessed no significant background or experience and was too immature to handle excavation matters. No wonder the soldiers and researchers weren��t able to set their minds at rest. But no one felt like they were any threat to them since they were just some ��young children��.


    Thomas didn��t continue speaking, but continued to stare at Rhode��s group in discontentment instead. Facing their uncertain gazes, Rhode��s group didn��t feel uncomfortable at all. On the contrary, they continued on with their business and even the two bad-tempered Mini Bubble Gums didn��t take his words to heart. After witnessing their reaction, Thomas let out a snort to express his dissatisfaction. After all, he was only a researcher who wasn��t comprehensive in worldly wisdom. Then, he continued. ���� especially for those without any experience. Even though there shouldn��t be any venomous snakes or wild animals in the ruins, if you break away from your team out of curiosity, no one can predict what will happen. So I hope everyone will work accordingly to orders! If any of you are to disobey the orders, I will need to ask you to leave!��


    Thomas said and waved his arm.


    ��Alright then, ladies and gents. Let��s move out!��


    After hearing his remarks, the readied crowd stood up instantly and headed to their destination under the escort of the soldiers. Rhode gazed curiously at the two Bubbles who chuckled beside him. Then, he commented.


    ��You two sure can tolerate his insults.��


    He was truly surprised because based on his impression of Bubble, whenever anyone looked down upon her, she would never be so kind as to remain silent. She wasn��t a reasonable person, so it wasn��t possible for her to not talk back and enrage that person. Moreover, there were two of them now so the danger was doubled. In this situation, they actually didn��t fight back and this piqued his curiosity.


    Facing Rhode��s remarks, the two Bubbles revealed insidious smiles.


    ��Of course, Leader. During such times in the movies, those who talk back to the protagonist are only seeking death. A so-called BOSS behind the scene is one who maintains one��s composure, follow the protagonist, and torture them to death at the end. I��ll put aside that idiot��s words for now and give him a hard time later!��


    ��That��s right. When the time arrives, we will show that fool how powerful we are!��

 Chapter 1132 - Enter the Ruins

    It might possibly take a long time if it were just an excavation. But after so many years, the surroundings had been completely unearthed despite the lack of financial support. The most important task now was the internal investigation, which explained why everyone got to work immediately after getting ready, entering a cave in the mountains ahead. Apart from archaeologists and ��bystanders�� like Rhode��s group, there was also a ten-men excavation team and more than 20 well-trained soldiers, which wasn��t considered a small number.


    The cave seemed spacious enough for five to six people to go shoulder to shoulder. But as it was situated deep inside the mountains, the climate was extremely cold. At a glance, one could see the stalactites hanging down from the top of the cave. Although the cave was pitch-black, bright lights were set up on both sides of its path due to the excavation, which made it seem like a beautiful view. Thomas, who was leading the huge group, was enthusiastic as he strolled and narrated matters regarding this ruin to everyone.


    ���� We unintentionally discovered this ruins back then. From the very start, we only knew there were five of them. I suppose you��ve also seen the data. There were some relationships between the four ruins and the fifth was the hardest to find. Even though we have also unearthed records of the fifth ruin from the other four, the specific location wasn��t clearly stated. Fortunately, thanks to an earthquake, our satellite managed to scan a large building complex underneath the surface and that was where we found traces of a relationship among all five ruins. If not, perhaps we wouldn��t have discovered this fifth ruin.��


    Upon hearing Thomas��s narration, a man behind him knitted his brows and asked: ��Professor Thomas, if I recall correctly, according to the evaluation, the date these ruins were established����


    ��That would be about 65 million years ago. We��ve gotten this definitive answer through our evaluations and tests. Not only that, but we have also uncovered fossils and plants from the Cretaceous period. All of them are enough to prove the time of construction.��


    Upon hearing Thomas��s comments, Rhode twitched his brows in suspicions and didn��t say a word. It seemed like those guys managed to transmigrate a long way back. If they were to succeed back then, perhaps humans wouldn��t have had the chance to evolve from monkeys. Even though Rhode wasn��t an expert in history, he knew 65 million years ago was when dinosaurs went extinct. Could it be that those guys were so unlucky that they were crushed by a meteorite right after they built the bases? That didn��t make sense�� Putting aside the fact that the meteorite didn��t instantly destroy the entire Earth, most dinosaurs died due to the change in climate. As elites of the Dragon Soul Continent, as long as those guys possessed similar strength as Erin and Lydia, it shouldn��t be too challenging for them to travel to the moon, build palaces, and wait inside in safety. Moreover, since they buried the Akashic Slates under the moon��s surface, it went to show they were indeed capable of doing it. Furthermore, there was also a Deity Warden among them. If his younger sister wasn��t wrong about the Presence Deity Warden being able to deny the pass and get rid of that meteorite, how was it possible for them to perish?


    ��In other words, what was established here may have been the first civilization on this planet?��


    The young lady behind him couldn��t stifle her agitation and asked passionately. Rhode shrugged in response. Well, if it were true, the people of the Dragon Soul Continent who came to Earth would also be considered the first civilization�� even though they weren��t local.


    ��It is highly possible. But what astonished us was that the architectural style of the five ruins was largely different from existing modern human civilization. They didn��t seem to rely on any mechanical facilities and the architectural style was rather strange���� Thomas said, before coming to a halt. Everyone had been walking in the cave for two hours. As they advanced deeper, the path became increasingly wider. At that moment, they reached the end of the cave under Thomas��s lead. But for some unknown reason, only this place was in complete darkness, where not even torchlights could aid them in seeing anything. Everyone turned to Thomas curiously, while the latter was apparently enjoying the moment. Facing their gazes, he looked ahead and the corners of his lips perked up into a smile. ���� As for how strange they are, all of you will know after looking at them.��


    Thomas said, extending his hand and tapping gently on the panel at the edge of the stairs. Shortly after, in the sound of ��pops��, the pitch-black space was instantly illuminated. Under the bright lights, the enormous structure was displayed before them entirely. Looking at the huge building ahead, not only the normal humans, but Lydia and Erin also widened their eyes in shock.


    It was a rectangular structure that was tens of meters tall like a sacred palace residing in the deep mountains. At a glance, the surroundings of this building were as dark as the abyss where one couldn��t even see the dome above. If they weren��t sure that they were inside the mountains, perhaps they would think that they were in another world.


    Under Thomas��s lead, everyone arrived at the entrance of this sacred palace. The bright illumination of the lights allowed them to witness the palace that was as white as jade. They didn��t know what materials were used to build it. The middle of the entrance was carved with mysterious and elegant patterns. Rhode sized up the sacred palace ahead and his eyes glinted in several flashes. He was almost certain that this sacred palace was related to the Void Dragon because based on its appearance, it seemed just like a replica of the palace right in the middle of Grandia. Apart from the smaller size, the other parts of it were almost exactly the same.


    It seems like the five ruins were constructed by those guys dispatched by the five Creator Dragons and this ruin belonged to the Void Dragon. It also seems like everything worked out well for them from the start. If not, they wouldn��t have wasted time building them. But why exactly��


    At this thought, Rhode felt his heart skip a beat. An indistinct sense of insecurity surfaced in his mind. He also felt his heart pounding as though he were about to touch the truth of something. But after taking a closer look, he just couldn��t figure it out. It was like taking a college entrance exam. He apparently knew the answer, but just couldn��t find the specific content. This bothered him to a certain degree, but he shook his head and decided not to think about it.


    ��How do we enter?��


    Gazing at the dark abyss that was 30 to 40 meters wide, another man pushed up his glasses, turned to Thomas, and asked dubiously. Thomas put up a helpless expression before letting out a sigh.


    ��I��m also considering this question.��


    ��Can��t we board an anti-gravity suspension vehicle?��


    Upon hearing Thomas��s response, the female researcher asked with a puzzled expression. After all, as technologies advanced, excavation became much easier for humans. In the past, there would be some dangers like in the movies. But now, those dangers seldom occurred anymore. As long as preparations were done properly, there shouldn��t be any risks.


    However, Thomas didn��t respond to her. On the contrary, he stretched out his hand and tapped on the panel gently, and an unmanned flying device took off silently and flew straight at the sacred palace. Everyone��s gaze involuntarily followed it. Just as it was about to arrive at the entrance, a bright, colorful radiance flashed and the flying device exploded in a loud ��boom�� instantly. Then, it vanished entirely after being disintegrated by an unknown presence, not leaving behind any fragments.


    Ssss��!


    Looking at this scene, everyone took in a deep breath of cold air. Meanwhile, Rhode heard his younger sister��s startled voice.


    ��That is an imprisonment enchanted field!��


    ��Imprisonment enchanted field?��


    Rhode��s heart sank. An imprisonment enchanted field and defensive enchanted field were entirely different. He had met one more than once in the Dragon Soul Continent, especially in ancient ruins. Unless the ancient ruins were thoroughly smashed, there would more or less be some enchanted fields around them and some were pretty strange. Back then, the Order Dimension that Rhode activated in the land of Chaos and battled with the projection was also a form of enchanted field.


    But ��defensive�� and ��imprisonment�� were entirely different. ��Defensive�� was used to protect something from harm, while ��imprisonment�� was used to prevent being harmed from something. If this was just a defensive enchanted field, it would only be a defense mechanism of this sacred palace. But if it was the imprisonment enchanted field��


    Could it be that one of the five Creator Dragons came up with some strange ideas back then?


    Rhode��s expression turned grim at this thought. Then, he asked urgently.


    ��Can those guys you sent cast this imprisonment enchanted field?��


    This time, his younger sister pondered in silence to his question for a few moments. Then, she gnashed her teeth and said, ��Only Marybelle is capable of casting such an enchanted field. This is space imprisonment and only the Deity Wardens I created are capable of using such a special enchanted field.��


    ���� Huh?��


    After hearing his younger sister��s answer, Rhode scratched his head in confusion. He considered the possibilities of one of the Creator Dragons�� subjects receiving orders from the dark side, ambushing Marybelle, and imprisoning this sacred palace. But as a matter of fact, this imprisonment enchanted field was released by Marybelle? What was going on? Was something imprisoned within? Marybelle couldn��t have made a wrong move and trapped herself inside, right? While Rhode pondered deeply, Thomas��s voice sounded once again.


    ��This is a kind of space barrier that is hard to break. We��ve spent a lot of effort and time to find a way to disintegrate it but to no avail. Fortunately, we have a solution this time���� Thomas revealed a delightful expression. This space barrier wasn��t seen anywhere else and its origin also wasn��t discovered, which was extremely strange. No matter where they excavated, they didn��t figure out where it came from. Of course, he reported this matter to his higher-ups to request for more funds and equipment. However, the higher-ups were no longer interested in the research of ruins back then and the space barrier was too challenging to break. Even though the higher-ups had the will and intention to research, they were also afraid of causing a ruckus and causing it to be discovered by outsiders, which was why they eventually gave up. But now, after Thomas gained their full support, he finally found a solution.


    Thomas waved his arm and several soldiers went up to him, placing four large, sealed iron boxes on the ground solemnly. They opened the boxes and everyone witnessed four stone statues carved with dragons inside. Looking at the four dragons, Rhode��s expression turned complicated�� Well, this wasn��t the first time he saw them.


    ��This is what we unearthed in the other four ruins. According to my analysis, they contain strange powers that coincide with the energy waves from this shield. We did an experiment earlier and found that as long as we trigger the powers of these four statues, we can break the shield.��


    Thomas said and made a hand gesture. Shortly after, an officer pressed the button on a hand-held device and a mechanical sound rang. Unsure of what methods they used, the stone dragons emanated a mysterious, white radiance instantly. Their eyes also brightened and emitted eight dazzling light beams abruptly, striking heavily on the sacred palace. Then, the colorful shield around the sacred palace appeared once again. Looking at this scene, everyone widened their eyes in surprise and due to this reason, no one discovered the bright glint flashing in Rhode��s eyes. At the same time, a faint magical summoning radiance flickered on Rhode��s right hand, before transforming into an odd, circular magical ritual that spun for a few seconds before vanishing entirely.


    This scene lasted for less than two minutes. As Rhode stood at the back of the large group, no one realized the phenomenon. Along with his movement, the shield suddenly disappeared and loud thunderous booms were heard where large slates flew out of the abyss and formed a huge path.


    Gazing at this scene, Thomas became incomparably thrilled. He ascended the flight of stairs in excitement without beckoning to the rest, but they hurried to follow him closely. Meanwhile, the soldiers also raised their weapons quickly and went up the stairs, leaving behind Rhode��s group in the back.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, is anything the matter?��


    Looking at this majestic palace, Lydia and Erin were curious to check it out. However, Rhode had given them a signal earlier and made them stay in the back. At this moment, they looked at him in confusion, while Rhode observed their expressions and nodded.


    ��That��s right, something strange may be going on. I suppose both of you have already witnessed it. That is an imprisonment enchanted field, so perhaps something odd is inside. Everyone, be careful, especially of those guys at the front. Don��t let them touch anything they shouldn��t. If not, there will be trouble.��


    Rhode said and turned to Canary and Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��Of course, attack if anything is to happen.��


    It went without saying that Thomas wasn��t aware that he had gotten in too deep. After Rhode��s group entered the sacred palace, Thomas and the rest were observing the surroundings in excitement. The walls of this sacred palace were engraved with all sorts of mystical wording that was unknown to most people��even Erin and Lydia only had slight knowledge of it. But with Rhode��s younger sister, who was the original Void Dragon, around, it went without saying that she understood the words. As the group advanced, Rhode��s younger sister explained the content to him.


    Indeed, what was recorded on the walls of this sacred palace was the pioneering history of Marybelle and the representative sent by the Creator Dragons. According to the records, even though the five Creator Dragons�� representatives had transmigrated, they were separated and not sent to the same place. They didn��t gather immediately, but chose to build camps individually instead (It seemed like the representatives also understood what demarcation was, where they had thought of separating territories before transmigrating). Back then, Earth was naturally abnormally dangerous to ordinary people. But in the eyes of the representatives, the dinosaurs were nothing more than ordinary ��creatures��. After all, compared to the beasts and wild animals in the Dragon Soul Continent, even though the dinosaurs were massive, they didn��t possess similar abilities, so they were no threat at all.


    On the other hand, Marybelle had also successfully constructed this sacred palace. Then, as long as they gathered, activated the Door of Akasha, and opened up the teleportation channel�� But��


    ��How is this possible?!��


    After reading the text on the wall, Rhode��s younger sister shrieked. Rhode gazed at the unknown text, as well as the drawn twisted monsters. After a few moments, his younger sister explained.


    ���� Big Brother, if the records aren��t wrong�� we may have some troubles ahead����

 Chapter 1133 - Weak Fetal Movement

    Tens of thousands of undead creatures swarmed the enemy ahead like a rushing tide. They scattered from their formation cleanly like a mysterious, dense, dark mist of death surging forward at the fully-armored soldiers who raised their long shields. Meanwhile, the clerics stood in the back and chanted in unison. As both sides were about to clash at close quarters, the clerics raised their hands high and a dazzling, sacred radiance glittered, enveloping the soldiers in the blink of an eye. At the next moment, both sides collided. Then, the Holy Maiden Statue emanated a crystal-clear brilliance, sending several light columns that descended from above to disperse the dense, dark mist entirely.


    The undead creatures charged fearlessly, but their enemies weren��t ordinary humans either. The well-trained soldiers flourished swords that were enhanced by holy blessings, hacking the undead creatures into halves effortlessly��a feat ordinary weapons couldn��t achieve. Magical radiance flickered from time to time. The lichs positioned behind the undead creatures raised their staff and launched a mix of lightning and fireballs forward. However, the other side cast a colorful barrier that resisted and devoured them entirely. On the other hand, the death knights riding the incubi spiraled in midair, clashing with the battle angels who brandished their swords at them.


    At that moment, some changes happened to the formations of both sides. The undead creatures pressed forward, while the humans seemingly failed to resist their aggression and retreated. Shortly after, the formation in the middle began to show signs of crumbling. The undead creatures seized this opportunity and swarmed toward them like a massive tsunami, striving to break through the defensive lines in the shortest time possible. They were as though a battering ram, pounding on a crack repeatedly. Under this ferocious attack, the humans�� front was in a precarious state, twisting and struggling like city doors under heavy impact where just a little more and they would collapse completely.


    Boom!


    The humans�� dense formation finally crumbled, revealing a crack, and the massive assault troops of the undead creatures instantly rushed through it quickly. As soon they marched forward, the human army would be completely annihilated�� Well, that should have been the case.


    But the truth was otherwise.


    As the undead creatures rushed through the crack, both sides of the humans�� formation surged abruptly. The powerless sheep scrambling to provide support had turned into ferocious wolves, snapping their jaws open and dispersing to both sides while the undead creatures�� formation was unstable. The humans penetrated the undead creatures�� formation like two flying daggers. At the same time, some uncharacteristic changes occurred to the center of the humans�� formation like a vortex engulfing the undead creatures that rushed into it. Shortly after, a series of magical radiances erupted, but it wasn��t able to stop the humans. Meanwhile, the battle angels soaring in the air coordinated with their movements and pushed forward to repel the death knights. On the other side, the Holy Maiden Statue emanated a brilliance that swept across the land horizontally, blazing the dense masses of soul griffins in a sea of blue flames as they vanished into nothingness.


    The undead creatures were in a turmoil as they witnessed countless strings of magical radiance erupting like a violent storm bombarding the battlefield. The clerics yelled and gestured with their hands. Along with this movement, golden threads flew out of their hands and turned into a huge, golden pyramid-shaped crystal barrier in midair to stop the magic attacks. In the continuous explosions, the dazzling radiance appeared in sequence on the periphery of the barrier. Even though the attacks were resisted, the golden barrier also dimmed from the impact.


    At this moment, the young lady riding silently on the horse finally made her move.


    She opened her eyes and scanned the battlefield. Extending her hand and flipping through the tome in front of her, she slid her finger across the pages. In this action, unfathomable symbols and texts began ��drifting�� from the pages on their own before flashing across the sky.


    At the next moment, thousands of magic spells recorded in the tome were instantly activated.


    As the human army retreated swiftly, the battlefield was enveloped by all sorts of magic spells. The blinding white radiance forced the undead creatures shrinking back and growling. The lichs couldn��t gaze straight at the strong brilliance and even those that stood far away felt burning pain as they were enveloped by the light. What the young lady had done was record all the offensive magic spells used from the start of the battle and released them all at once. This mighty strike was no weaker than Lydia��s utmost attack. Not only that, but the magic spells also lasted for a long time. As the rumbling and thunderous explosions resonated in the clouds, the earth rumbled and only stopped after a few moments.


    When everyone managed to return to their senses from the glaring light and looked ahead, the belligerent undead army had already vanished in a puff of smoke. The battlefield was also completely scorched. The death knights tangling with the battle angels and lichs at the back were saved by the bell. Looking at this scene, the undead creatures stopped attacking and chose to retreat quickly.


    Until they had all retreated, the young lady yawned, turned to her subordinates, and waved her hand.


    ��Alright, pack it up. Revive and heal those who need it and get ready to move out.��


    Orchid Heart said and extended her right hand, where a scarlet light sphere flew into the sky. Christie, who sat a distance away, witnessed the light sphere and stood to her feet. Shortly after, a pure white scroll unrolled in front of her. She reached her hand out, held the pen that appeared out of thin air, and waved it gently. Immediately after, the night sky that was as dark as ink quietly disappeared like some kind of fuel that was saturated, only to be replaced by a sky full of stars. The huge, fiery sun emerged from the horizon, illuminating the pitch-black land with its warm, dazzling light and rescuing it from the eternal darkness.


    ��It seems like the Dark Dragon has made up his mind to not stop until Rhode is back.��


    Marlene, who stood beside Christie, knitted her brows. She gazed at the boundless night sky in the distance and said in a lowered voice.


    ��Hmph, just a mere Creator Dragon and he is trying to find trouble with us. This is simply outrageous!��


    On the other side, Cassidy grumbled. Upon hearing her remarks, Alice who stood on the other side twitched her brow and commented briefly.


    ��I have no news of His Majesty yet. But I think he won��t take too long to return.��


    ��Hope so.��


    Marlene responded, before letting out a sigh.


    Rhode wasn��t aware that the Void Territory was ambushed by undead creatures soon after he left the Dragon Soul Continent. That��s right, ambushed by the undead creatures and not the Dark Dragon. In the beginning, this worried Marlene and the others deeply. They thought Ion had decided to shed all pretense of cordiality and launch an all-out attack which was why they didn��t retaliate immediately. But later, they realized that even though the undead creatures were aggressive, there were basically no powerful troops leading them. Great lichs were nowhere in sight, not to mention the legendary generals. That was when everyone discovered that this ambush was perhaps arranged by the Dark Dragon to sound out the strength of the Void Territory. Such occurrences weren��t rare. After all, to the Country of Darkness, sacrificing low-level undead creatures wasn��t considered a huge loss to them. On the other hand, if the Void Territory collapsed to this level of probing, it just went to show how weak they were.


    The six deity wardens were not to be trifled with. Back then, they were mighty figures who led armies under the Void Dragon in wars against Chaos Beings. So it went without saying that they wouldn��t complain to the twin dragons about such a small matter. It could also be said that they totally disregarded a dragon soul heir like Ion, which was also why Rhode was assured to leave the territory in their care. Even though the six deity wardens were considered the same as the four legendary generals and three archangels in terms of level, none of the deity wardens would falter against a dragon soul heir in terms of strength. If Ion dared to charge over, he could only watch helplessly as long as Marlene and Alice went all-out. With the six deity wardens�� strength, perhaps it wouldn��t be easy defeating Ion, but stopping him wouldn��t be too challenging either. Of course, it was merely because the six deity wardens weren��t assembled. As soon as they reunited, even Siena and Nalea had to head back to where they came from. And now, four of the six deity wardens were present. There weren��t any issues with the strongest Christie and Cassidy, so they weren��t afraid of taking Ion on.


    Since the Dark Dragon sent troops to probe their strength, the Void Territory would seem inferior if they retaliated with great fanfare. If the undead creatures were to attack again, Orchid Heart would lead the army and resist them to give them a taste of their own medicine. Although she wasn��t in the Legendary Stage yet and her physical strength wasn��t as powerful as the lichs, since Rhode had handed all soldiers to her care, he could only let her lead the attack.


    If it were in the past, there were no good consequences from battles between humans and undead creatures. But now, it was different with revival spells. Orchid Heart used this chance to experiment with how exactly revival spells worked in reality. After all, the corpses of players who were killed would remain in perfect condition despite being slashed by axes or ground into minced meat. After a white light of healing spell shone on them, they would stand up and be considered revived. But in reality, it wasn��t as harmonious as players who were chopped, smashed, and stomped to a bloody mess were clearly shown. No one knew how exactly the revival spells would work, which was why after leading the soldiers in this battle, Orchid Heart began her research.


    But what exceeded her expectations was that the revival spells in reality were unlike the fast recovery of bloody flesh wounds or broken limbs in the movies. Instead, a white light would shine on the corpses and they would vanish. At the next moment, they would recover as in the game, which didn��t seem as ghastly.


    This fact boosted the confidence of the soldiers. In the beginning, the soldiers were more or less terrified to face the undead creatures under Orchid Heart��s lead. But after several clashes and discovering how potent the revival spells were, they were no longer afraid of death. Meanwhile, Orchid Heart had gotten in the groove in commanding. She was an expert in commanding players in battle. Even though it wasn��t impossible to reach her goal leading human soldiers, she would sacrifice too much manpower. But with the revival spells, she had no such concerns at all. After personally witnessing the might of the revival spells, the soldiers became dead set against the undead army. Furthermore, Orchid Heart was experienced in battles against undead creatures. With her unique abilities, she swung her arm to strike back at the Country of Darkness!


    Of course, Orchid Heart acted cautiously, advanced inch by inch, and didn��t penetrate deeply by herself. As the area was near the border and many humans resided nearby, she chose to recruit them so as to add some strength to her side. Facing Orchid Heart��s retaliation, the Country of Darkness hadn��t instantly come up with any counter solutions. Although they could choose to send out stronger troops, it would mean that both sides were tearing into each other. Besides, there wasn��t an unreasonable agreement that forbade one side from retaliating when under attack. That was why the Void Territory and Country of Darkness were confronting each other during this period of time. However, Orchid Heart wasn��t one to be trifled with. If they didn��t mess with her, she would choose to settle camp and take over the occupied areas. If they attacked, she would lead an army to take over a piece of land after defeating them. This period of time was somewhat pleasant in a sense.


    Both sides were waiting for the other party to commit a mistake.


    At this moment, in the Darkness Capital, Ion was grimly listening to Balende��s report.


    ��Is it? Our army lost again?��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    At this moment, Balende felt helpless. With the emergence of revival spells, the Country of Darkness took the biggest hit. In the past, when they were in war, they gathered sacrificed corpses and replenished their battle strength almost immediately. But now that the enemy had revival spells, it was an entirely different matter. The enemies could revive their troops, while the undead creatures who were purified couldn��t be used to replenish their forces. The undead army was no longer as threatening as before. Taking Orchid Heart, for instance: this time she led more than 20,000 humans into battle, while the undead army had always sent out 40,000 to 50,000 troops. As a result, apart from losing some soldiers in the first few days, other soldiers basically revived to full health for the remaining time. After all, the soldiers weren��t confident of the revival spells before witnessing and experiencing it for themselves. But after being repeatedly revived, they solidified their faith. Unless some of the unfortunate ones had their bodies contaminated by the undead aura, there basically wouldn��t be any deaths in war.


    On the contrary, the casualties of the undead army couldn��t be revived to replenish their forces. Even though they were low-level troops and weren��t worthy of a mention, it wouldn��t be favorable for the Country of Darkness if this continued.


    Balende pondered in silence and said.


    ��Your Majesty, should we stop the battle? After all, based on the current situation����


    Before Balende completed his sentence, Ion waved his hand and interrupted. Balende quickly shut his mouth in silence. After a few moments, he heard Ion��s reponse.


    ��Alright, I got it. You may leave now.��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    Upon hearing Ion��s response, Balende was speechless. In fact, he finally understood why Erin acted so cautiously and worriedly whenever she mentioned Rhode to him. Although Ion was a great and strategic ruler, he was less outstanding in foreign affairs. The twin dragons disliked battles, while Lilian was timid and easily frightened. That was why Ion had always been spontaneous, so never did he expect Rhode to show up along the way. Not only did Rhode disrupt his plans time and time again, but he also became the Void Dragon and his subordinates were much stronger than the four legendary generals. Even until now, Rhode��s subordinates were capable of taking his harassing tactics. Perhaps the Country of Light that was established for years wasn��t even this tough to deal with. And now, Ion apparently had no intention of giving up, which made Balende worried. But he understood Ion��s personality, which was why he didn��t continue speaking and chose to leave.


    It was just that�� not even Balende was that confident in Ion. After all, it didn��t matter even if Ion was impressive in the nation as the Dark Dragon. Unless the undead creatures were pressured into rebelling, none of them wouldn��t dare to disobey orders. It would be considered true capability when one didn��t falter against foreign enemies. But at least it seemed now that Ion wasn��t advantageous in his clashes against Rhode.


    ������


    Ion didn��t respond. He grimaced and watched as Balende left. Then, he turned around and also left the palace.


    The entire Darkness Capital was in silence. This was a place that didn��t belong to humans at all. As the Dark Dragon, Ion disliked being interrupted by anyone, which was why the whole hall was empty. Ion took a step forward and as though sensing something, he came to an abrupt halt and shifted his gaze to a corner of the dark palace. He let out a snort, extended his right hand, and clenched his fist!


    ��������!��


    All of a sudden, a figure that was seemingly twisted out of shape let out a screech and jumped out. It was illusory and its eyes glinted in a mystical golden radiance. Judging from its appearance, it was similar to the mysterious black-clothed figure that Erin fought earlier.


    ��Hmph!��


    Staring at the strange figure, Ion snorted and tightened his right fist. Along with this movement, the figure let out a mourning scream before vanishing into nothingness. Ion retracted his right hand, swept a glance at his surroundings coldly, and turned around to leave.


    He didn��t realize that the instant he killed the dark, mysterious figure, a pitch-black ray of light flashed across his hand, before disappearing entirely.

 Chapter 1134 - Bizarre Transforming Object

    Rhode wasn��t aware of what was going on in the Dragon Soul Continent right now. He put his hands behind his back, stood quietly by the side, and gazed at the sacred palace ahead. At that moment, everyone had arrived at the central plaza of the first floor and were examining the area. This place was rather similar to the center of Rhode��s Grandia with its stairs paved with white slates, encircling the entire round plaza. The verdant plants that grew on both sides hadn��t decayed as though time hadn��t passed at all. The stone pillars surrounding the plaza were engraved with the shapes of all sorts of mysterious creatures. But a single glance from Rhode made him recognize most of them as creatures of the Dragon Soul Continent. They also portrayed the story where the Void Dragon and other four Creator Dragons joined hands to create the Dragon Soul Continent amongst the chaos. With the person involved (his younger sister) here, Rhode wasn��t interested in admiring the murals, but began to ponder on the information he had received from her instead.


    In general, this wasn��t considered anything serious. All the murals described and recorded was the day when the Void Dragon and her subordinates encountered monsters and had gotten into a clash. However, they couldn��t defeat the monsters and had no choice but to retreat. On the other hand, Marybelle stepped up and eradicated the monsters effortlessly. After she returned, not only did she reprimand the subordinates who roamed around freely, but she also strictly prohibited them from wandering to dangerous places. But come to think of it, the murals in sacred places were meant for one to praise, so it would be ridiculous if one were to record every embarrassing detail on them.


    Rhode wouldn��t be surprised if this were to happen in the Dragon Soul Continent. But it was entirely different here. This was Earth and according to his younger sister, the subordinates that Marybelle led were level 70 at minimum. At this level, not even dealing with devils would require much effort, not to mention eliminating dinosaurs like Tyrannosauruses, who were nothing more than oversized chickens. Rhode felt strange no matter how he imagined Celia and Celestina fleeing desperately from the chase of a group of dinosaurs. Moreover, even though Marybelle defeated the monsters quickly, she strictly prohibited her subordinates from wandering too far away. This also astonished his younger sister because among the deity wardens, Marybelle was the most prudent, which was why the Void Dragon had chosen her to lead the team. But for this Presence Deity Warden to act so cautiously against dinosaurs that were a flock of oversized chickens, something must be wrong somewhere. Considering that situation, the latter was more possible than the former.


    But it was a pity that the murals didn��t provide too much information regarding this matter. It simply mentioned a few details and the latter began displaying records of how the Void Dragon��s subordinates arrived here, built the sacred palace, and established territory. This was why even though Rhode and his younger sister felt suspicious, they couldn��t gain much with the information and could only advance patiently.


    On the other hand, Erin and Lydia were fascinated by this place. They admired the murals leisurely along the way. The two Mini Bubble Gums became uncharacteristically obedient as they stood by the side with a fake smile, apparently intending to become the final BOSS of this ��sci-fi thriller film��. Rhode observed as they whispered into each other��s ears and was sure that they were up to no good. Meanwhile, the two Canaries sat by the side in the distance, appreciating the beautiful scenery of this sacred palace.


    At that moment, Thomas and the rest apparently didn��t care about Rhode��s group. Everything would be fine as long as they didn��t wander off by themselves. Even though they were moved by this magnificent palace, they weren��t familiar with this place, after all. After some examinations to ensure nothing was dangerous, Thomas discussed with the people around him. Then, he waved his arm and said, ��Alright then, we will stop here for today. Let��s get ready to begin our exploration.��


    Upon hearing his order, Rhode puckered his brows. This sacred palace was a replica of Grandia, and the first floor was the size of several plazas. There were many rooms around so if this group of men were to search each and every room, perhaps it would take more than half a year to finish exploring them. Rhode had intended to sneak in after they left, but it seemed like they had the intentions to ��live and work together�� with him. It was apparent that Thomas wasn��t assured in leaving Rhode��s group alone and definitely didn��t want them to roam about freely.


    It seems like��


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but turn to the two Mini Bubble Gums ahead who were whispering into each other��s ears.


    Maybe we��re really stepping into the plot of a sci-fi thriller film.


    After this thought emerged in his mind for a second, Rhode didn��t say much. He gazed at the group before him and the fingers on his right hand twitched. Along with this movement, a radiance flashed and coalesced into a mystical ritual that revolved silently before vanishing entirely into light dust.


    ��Alright then, we����


    Thomas totally didn��t realize that Rhode was up to something. At that moment, he was delightfully researching the murals around him while carefully storing the plants that he had gathered. Just as he was about to give an order to leave, the entire palace rumbled all of a sudden. Then, large steles appeared around the passageway and flew forward. Looking at this scene, everyone flustered and hurried ahead to leave this place. But after several loud rumbles, the exit was sealed completely by the thick, heavy steles. In an instant, everyone was trapped in the hall.


    Thomas panicked. He turned to Rhode��s group quickly and snarled, ��I told you not to touch anything!��


    Upon hearing his remarks, Rhode, Lydia, and the rest didn��t respond. On the other hand, the two Mini Bubble Gums turned grim. This old fart was obviously finding trouble with them. There were so many people in the palace and several soldiers also stood guard, and yet he just had to blame them for it? But they knew that since they were the final BOSS, they had to have the self-restraint of a BOSS. They couldn��t take the bait like a small role. That was why when facing Thomas��s accusation, they didn��t say a word, but exchanged glances with each other, lifted their heads to look at the scenery instead. After all, they were unlike a commoner like Thomas. They knew the history of this sacred palace. Meanwhile, the fact that Rhode wasn��t flustered at all meant that this incident was most likely caused by him, which was why the two Mini Bubble Gums said nothing. They watched and laughed in their heads as Thomas and the rest turned ashen as they investigated the situation.


    Thomas stopped focusing his attention on Rhode��s group as he knew that they were only going where the crowds were. But for this to suddenly happen, Thomas was feeling unusually anxious. He didn��t witness anything bizarre in this place, which was why he was assured to complete his task. But now, he was bewildered that this place was completely sealed off. Fortunately, they brought compressed food and water for emergencies so they wouldn��t die of hunger anytime soon. However, if this were to continue, they would be in huge trouble.


    At that moment, Thomas lost his good mood. He extended his hand and tapped his wrist lightly to activate the communications device. However, all he heard was the sound of static. This turned his already ashen expression even uglier. He looked at the surrounding soldiers and knitted his brows. After a few moments of consideration, he spoke.


    ��Get the explosives and blast this door open.��


    ��Yes, Sir.��


    After hearing his command, the soldiers immediately ran toward the door, set the explosives, and evacuated. Shortly after, in a red flash of light and a loud explosion, explosives strong enough to blast open a mountain path instantly set off a burst of dust. But after the smoke dispersed, the stone door was still in perfect condition. Not only that, but the floor below it also wasn��t scratched at all.


    Witnessing this scene, Thomas��s expression turned even uglier. On the other hand, Rhode stood in silence as he watched. After all, this palace was considered to be built by the deity wardens and was also protected by an imprisonment spell. It would be a joke if humans could break it apart using explosives. Even though the might of the explosion was as though the strength of one to two fireball spells, Rhode clearly knew that not even 10,000 fireball spells could do the trick unless they were part of an offensive spell cast by one in the Peak Legendary Stage. On Earth, a small nuclear warhead could blast it apart�� perhaps.


    ��Hmm?��


    While Rhode observed Thomas as he ran around in circles anxiously, he suddenly felt like something was amiss. A few seconds ago, he sensed something within the palace moving as though a presence that had been hibernating just let out a yawn. Although it was only for an instant, the aura exuding from it put Rhode on the alert. The aura was rather gloomy as though carrying a certain smell of death. Not only that, but it also left Rhode astonished�� He was unfamiliar with this aura, but it somewhat startled him as though a sleeping monster that could devour them all was right beneath them. As soon as it widened its mouth, it could wipe out all humans above it.


    At this thought, Rhode��s heart sank. However, he wasn��t afraid as he had never witnessed any enemies who could overthrow Lydia and Erin at their peak even in the Dragon Soul Continent. Even though he didn��t have his dragon essence right now, he had nothing to be afraid of with Mini Bubble Gum and Canary around. On the other hand, although the real Canary and Mini Bubble Gum weren��t strong, Rhode had followed his younger sister��s instructions to adjust their strength using the system before they left Earth. If they were in a battle, the strength of their projected selves would be copied to them as soon as Rhode used his powers. When that happened, Rhode could be considered to have formed a top-notch seven-man raid team. With this powerful team, as long as he wasn��t facing a dragon soul heir, he didn��t need to be afraid of anyone. Although he felt unusually odd and concerned about what was underneath, he wasn��t all that alarmed yet.


    But before he considered any further, Thomas ordered helplessly. It seemed like it was impossible to open this door anymore and they could only continue moving deeper to find other ways to leave this huge palace. Fortunately, Thomas used the satellite to scan the entire location once before entering, which gave them a clear image of the specific locations of the passageways. Thereafter, everyone headed toward the pitch-black passageway under the escort of the soldiers.


    This time, no one was in the mood to admire the scenery along the way. The entire palace was several meters tall and had no windows, apart from the colorful sunroof on the dome above. But everyone knew not to rely upon it. Putting aside the fact that Thomas and the others couldn��t climb that high, whether they could even make it out even if they succeeded was another issue. Instead of taking the risk, they might as well continue advancing and perhaps find another exit.


    Meanwhile, Rhode��s group felt increasingly strange the deeper they headed. Ordinary people like Thomas and the others didn��t realize it, but Rhode, Lydia, Erin, and the rest sensed the growingly dangerous aura. It was like an everlasting aura of death that had existed for millions of years, rolling around them with dense murderous intent. It was so strong that even Mini Bubble Gum and Canary couldn��t handle it. If it weren��t for Rhode who urged them repeatedly to restrain themselves and not do anything suspicious to be discovered by Thomas and the others, perhaps Mini Bubble Gum would have already cast a defensive barrier. But even so, everyone remained on high alert.


    ��The aura of death here is so strong, Your Majesty.��


    Gazing at the surroundings, Erin lowered her voice and said vigilantly to Rhode.


    ��Frankly, I stayed in the Country of Darkness for a long time, but have never been to a place with such a strong presence of death. What makes it strange is that this aura of death doesn��t seem to be left by humans. Instead����


    ��Ahhh!��


    Before Erin completed her sentence, a scream from the front interrupted her. Everyone was taken aback immediately. They lifted their heads and looked at where Thomas and the others were. Right there, a soldier who was holding up a flashlight and shining the path ahead shuddered as though he were bitten by something and quickly dragged away. Everyone merely witnessed the radiance of his flashlight flitting across the darkness and he vanished to nowhere.


    Looking at this scene, the others were flabbergasted. Before Thomas was able to give a command, he heard yet another blood-curdling scream. Three to five of the soldiers who escorted the civilians were immediately dragged away by some mysterious presence from the darkness. After several screeches and gunshots, there were no more movements. At that moment, everyone tensed up instantly. The captain of the soldiers waved his arm and the soldiers quickly surrounded Thomas, Rhode, and the rest in the middle. Then, the well-trained soldiers tossed flash bangs ahead one after another upon the captain��s orders. In an instant, the dark surroundings lit up like daytime, but no mysterious presences were seen. Apart from the surrounding walls, there was nothing. Rhode��s group witnessed several shadows dart across the place the instant the flash bangs burst, but didn��t get to witness their true identities.


    Shortly after, the blinding radiance of the flash bangs faded away. At the same time, Rhode keenly sensed the eruptions of death aura from all directions as they ambushed his group.


    ��Attack!��


    At this moment, Rhode was no longer interested in putting up an act anymore. He didn��t wish to become the protagonist who was chased by monsters in sci-fi thriller films. In fact, the reason why Rhode and his group put up a disguise was to prevent other countries from figuring out what they were up to. But now, his goal was considered achieved after entering the ruins. That was why he didn��t disguise himself anymore. He dashed forward and a burst of light erupted from his hand where a dazzling sword appeared. At the same time, Lydia, Erin, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum also made their moves, launching attacks on the enemies from all directions!


    First to attack were the two Mini Bubble Gums. As clerics, their first move was undeniably to set up strong defenses. They had held back for so long after abiding by Rhode��s command and now, they couldn��t tolerate it any longer. As soon as they heard his command, they cheered and tossed aside the self-restraint of a BOSS, attacking at the same time. A golden radiance flickered in an instant. White runes scattered in an explosion to form two barriers that protected everyone. Meanwhile, the dark aura of death arrived, pouncing on the spiritual barrier before retreating swiftly after.


    At the same time, Rhode, Erin, and Lydia carried out their attacks.


    Even though the aura of death was deadly to ordinary humans, Lydia wasn��t afraid of it at all as an archangel. She laid out her blades in a crisscross stance where several golden blade rays flickered, slicing and shredding the dark mist effortlessly. Shortly after, in the sound of anguished wailing, the death aura rolled back, desperately fleeing from her holy brilliance.


    But they didn��t expect Erin to be waiting patiently at the side. She didn��t release her aura, but drew in the air with a finger instead. The scattered dark shadows around her transformed into razor-sharp blades with this action of hers and clinched the death aura, devouring them entirely. As the princess of the Country of Darkness, Erin wasn��t any less experienced than Lydia in dealing with undead creatures. In a few moments, a huge mass of the peculiar dark shadows disappeared.


    Meanwhile, Rhode��s hand flashed in a white radiance. A white card appeared out of thin air and flew toward the enemies ahead!

 Chapter 1135 - Shadows of the Ice City (1)

    Biting cold gales blustered in the area. The little mermaid raised her arms and released a whistling snowstorm that froze the place into ice. The shadowy monsters howled in grief at this ice-cold ambush and their illusory bodies froze into ice. After a few moments, a dozen of them showed up before everyone in frost. Rhode darted ahead and his sword flickered in an ice-cold radiance, slashing an arc that split them into halves. Upon realizing how tough this human was, the shadowy monsters gave up on the thought of chasing after him. But even so, they quietly stayed away from the defensive circle and lurked on the outside.


    But shortly after, another two to three huge, shadowy monsters leaped and widened their mouths to spray a dense, black mist of death aura at them. However, Mini Bubble Gum wasn��t one to be trifled with. Facing this ambush, she swung her right arm abruptly and a golden radiance sparkled. A thick and massive white light column descended from above almost immediately after, smashing the shadowy monsters to the ground like an iron hammer and scattering their black mist.


    After continuous failures in attacking, the shadowy monsters stopped trying. It could be seen that they were intelligent creatures. In this case, it made it even harder for Rhode��s group to advance. The shadowy monsters were like a pack of dangerous wolves lurking in the darkness. As soon as one let loose, they would pounce and crunch on one. If this continued, the predicament of Rhode��s group would become worse. If they were ordinary civilians, they wouldn��t have a way against these monsters. But��


    ��Mias����


    ���� iansg!��


    The instant the shadowy monsters retreated to pull a distance apart from Rhode��s group, the two Canaries extended their arms at the same time. At that moment, they displayed perfect rapport. Even though they attacked simultaneously, they chanted two different parts of the incantation respectively and streaked their fingers in midair. Shortly after, a huge, elegant magical ritual appeared between them. A scarlet fireball as bright as the sun appeared above them. In a rumble, a crimson halo expanded to the surroundings. Looking at this scene, the shadowy monsters sensed the dangers and shrunk back urgently. But it was too late. Everyone was blinded for a split second, while the crimson halo devoured the enemies completely. Flares flitted across the space and everything went missing in sight.


    After this attack, the enemies seemed to come to a realization that Rhode��s group was tough to deal with. Rhode sensed the death aura rolling around them fleeing desperately after suffering from the two Canaries�� attacks and managed to escape after a while. It seemed like they didn��t dare to carelessly attack anymore. But Rhode also discovered something about them. He commanded everyone to launch all-out attacks at the start because he found out that the death aura that attacked them was less than a thousandth of what he had sensed. He thought they were only attacking to probe their strength, which was why he eradicated them completely before they reacted. However, he didn��t expect the death aura to fluster and continued to linger around as though it couldn��t turn around and escape even if it were thrashed by his group repeatedly. This went to show that the imprisonment enchanted field on this place was useful against them. Rhode didn��t grasp the entire palace yet, which was why he didn��t have the intention to give chase after repelling them.


    After the shadowy monsters retreated, the dimmed corridor lit up instantly. The magic crystals on both sides of the walls emanated a clear, dazzling brilliance that illuminated the corridor. At that moment, Thomas and the rest returned to their senses, gawking at Rhode��s group in bewilderment. They tried and attacked the monsters earlier, but no matter what they did, the monsters weren��t affected at all. On the contrary, a few random moves from Rhode��s group eradicated those terrifying monsters immediately and this startled them. Thomas and the others gazed dubiously at Rhode who wielded a sword, as well as Erin and Lydia. After the battle ended, the two Canaries went to the side quietly. On the other hand, the two Mini Bubble Gums disregarded this group of ��ordinary people��, let out a snort, and stopped paying attention to them��yes, that was the demeanor of an expert. Just look at those idiots like Spiderman, Superman, and whatnot. They became so powerful after their transformation and yet they had to bow down to ordinary people, leading to their wives being stolen, girlfriends being snatched, and families being killed. Not only that, but they also sat by the window in their lonesome self, listening to news about how their women broke ��unspoken rules�� and got together with their best friends and wiped the tears flowing down their faces as they went on to rescue Earth�� Just what was the point for such almighty superheroes to live and rescue the world?


    ��W-Who�� exactly are you people?!��


    A ghastly whiteness spread over Thomas��s face. He thought Rhode��s group was nothing more than an insignificant group sent here to do nothing. But after witnessing their battle, he was stumped. After all, their battle style didn��t resemble any ordinary humans�� at all. Upon hearing his doubt, Erin and Lydia merely smiled in response. After all, one was a night wyvern and the other was an archangel who looked at humans like they were cats and dogs. They didn��t have the mentality of acknowledging them. On the other hand, the two Mini Bubble Gums seized this opportunity to sneer and gaze at the ashen Thomas proudly.


    ��What has that got to do with you anyway, idiot? It��s none of your business what we do. You��d better follow us obediently if you want to live. If not, you can get lost for all you want! Hmph!��


    Thomas had been treating them as newbies and bossing them around, which was why Rhode��s group couldn��t be bothered to bicker with him. But Mini Bubble Gum was a narrow-minded little fellow. Since she no longer needed to conceal her identity, she instantly used this chance to mock him back. But it was a pity that as a researcher, Thomas wasn��t too affected by her. Even if Mini Bubble Gum berated his ancestors, he would treat as though he didn��t hear her. On the contrary, he went up to the little mermaid and sized up the young lady curiously. The little mermaid was startled as soon as Thomas hurried toward her and quickly turned around to hide behind Rhode. At this moment, Thomas returned to his senses. He looked at Rhode and was seemingly about to speak when suddenly, Rhode shot him a cold look that made him shudder in fear and shut his mouth.


    Rhode couldn��t be bothered with Thomas, while the latter and the rest were speechless. The atmosphere became somewhat awkward. On the other hand, the soldiers clutched weapons, but didn��t know what they should do. Logically speaking, even though Rhode was naturally their companion after repelling the monsters for them, the battle style of his group was too mysterious. Although they also used swords, their speed was faster than bullets. Moreover, the spiritual and magic spells Canary and Mini Bubble Gum released were also unusually strange. Such incredible abilities were definitely beyond the so-called human limit. Furthermore, Rhode��s identity was also peculiar. That was why the soldiers didn��t know if they should stay or leave.


    At that moment, Canary��s voice sounded and broke the awkward atmosphere.


    ��Rhode, take a look at this.��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode turned to the two Canaries who were standing before a monster corpse and scanning it curiously with knitted brows. Their expressions piqued Rhode��s curiosity and he went up to them quickly. Rhode was taken aback after witnessing the corpse.


    ��What��s going on?��


    What presented itself before him was a mysterious creature with a long head and neck, as well as a body and tail of a lizard the size of an adult. But due to some unknown reason, its body was completely rotten. It seemed like a dinosaur in the movies, but compared to one, something just didn��t seem right��


    ��T-This is a Rapator!��


    While Rhode pondered deeply, he suddenly heard Thomas��s exclamation. Rhode turned to the latter and saw him gasping in astonishment at the corpse. Upon detecting Rhode��s gaze, Thomas disregarded Mini Bubble Gum��s rudeness earlier and began to explain to him.


    ��This is a carnivorous dinosaur from the Cretaceous Period but�� why is it so huge? A Rapator should have been the size of a dog�� could this be a mutant?��


    Thomas questioned, knelt down, and extracted its flesh using his hand. As soon as he did, Rhode witnessed the shadow inside the dinosaur��s body trembling, before surging and pouncing on Thomas abruptly. Rhode��s reaction was quick; he grabbed Thomas and threw him to the back; at the same time, the holy sword in his hand burst out a dazzling sacred radiance. In the blink of an eye, several blade rays erupted, shredding the shadows and devouring it entirely like an enormous beast.


    Undead creature?


    Upon detecting the mysterious aura, Rhode felt increasingly suspicious. He had witnessed this method from undead creatures many times. But frankly, he couldn��t relate the dinosaurs with undead creatures at all. Well, he couldn��t be blamed. It wasn��t tough for him to imagine a group of death knights riding on a huge and tall incubi carrying out an assault. But it was an entirely different issue for him to imagine a group of death knights riding motorcycles or tanks and yelling attack slogans. And now, upon witnessing this group of dinosaurs who had seemingly become undead creatures, it just felt too strange for him.


    At this thought, Rhode said no more. Even though he didn��t know what exactly it was, it didn��t seem like anything good. He flourished his sword and a blade ray flashed before him. Shortly after, the remains of dinosaurs erupted with silver-whitish, holy flames that turned them into ashes instantly. Although Thomas shrieked in pity, Rhode didn��t care about his thoughts at all. After cleaning up the place, he turned around and continued heading forward. At this moment, the rest had no choice but to put up a bold face and follow him. After all, they didn��t have any power to take down the monsters if they were to show up again in this place. On the contrary, Rhode��s group eradicated them effortlessly. Although they didn��t know what exactly the monsters were, their priority was to make it out alive. That was why they remained silent and followed him quietly.


    After exposing his identity, Rhode wasn��t as careful as before anymore. After all, he had sealed up the entire palace and these people couldn��t contact the outside world even if they wanted to. On the other hand, although Rhode didn��t kill them immediately, he had no intention of letting them walk out of here alive. After all, if they did, they definitely would reveal the secrets of his group and cause even more trouble. So he might as well find an opportunity to kill them all, since he was an expert in this aspect.


    After facing such a violent ambush, Thomas and the other researchers weren��t in the mood to inspect the place anymore. All they hoped for was to leave this place as soon as possible and didn��t consider the fact that Rhode would slaughter them. As of now, they continued to move forward under the protection of Rhode, Mini Bubble Gum, Canary, and the others.


    The deeper they headed into the palace, Rhode sensed the death aura becoming denser. Besides, the uncertainty in him from before the ambush also became stronger, which startled him. Even though he spoke to his younger sister about it, it was a pity that she didn��t know what exactly was going on. The sacred palace was clearly abandoned and yet there seemed to be signs of life. Moreover, the deity warden who should have been here had also disappeared. This was just too strange for him.


    Even though Rhode��s group faced ambushes from the ��undead dinosaurs�� along the way, the enemies seemingly had no intention of attacking as they retreated immediately after spotting Rhode��s group as though they were sounding them out. This increased Rhode��s worries because their reactions clearly belonged to those of a thinker. But the fact that they were imprisoned in this palace proved that they might be incredibly powerful. Strong and intelligent undead creatures were never easy to deal with.


    However, Rhode was cautious to not let Lydia reveal her true form. Even though Lydia could basically crush the undead creatures after showing her true form, Rhode wasn��t in a hurry to make his move after realizing that the enemies were sounding him out. Instead, he coordinated with Canary and Mini Bubble Gum and repelled all the monsters that probed them.


    After passing through the long passageway, Rhode��s group arrived at yet another stone door. This time, Rhode concealed himself no more, extending and placing his right hand on the stone door. Then, the stone door opened in loud rumbles. A chilly wind whistled from the gap and as soon as everyone witnessed the scenery behind it, they were taken aback.


    ��This����


    Not only Thomas, but even Rhode, Lydia, and Erin were amazed.


    It was a huge plaza like a city dug by dwarves in the cave. Stone buildings on both sides extended upward along the wall. In the middle of the huge plaza stood a pyramid-like altar. Large, carved stone statues were erected around the altar and were seemingly majestic.


    However, what surprised everyone wasn��t the buildings. Instead, it was the scenery. At a glance, the surroundings were covered in a thick layer of ice. Not only that, but thousands of human figures were also within the ice layer as though they once lived here and were frozen overnight.


    ��What�� is that?��


    One of the soldiers shrieked and went up to touch the ice before him cautiously. Rhode and Erin exchanged glances before shaking their heads. Although they were knowledgeable, it was indeed rare to find such a crystal-like ice layer that was so thick and strange.


    ��This seems like the work of a legendary spell. But�� according to you, Your Majesty, this place existed for tens of millions of years, right? What kind of legendary spell could last for so long?��


    Erin sized up the tall ice layer, knitted her brows, and muttered under her breath. On the other hand, Canary observed the place and extended her hand. Shortly after, a sphere of fire appeared in her hand. She pointed her finger forward, launching the fireball at the crystal-clear ice, but the fireball vanished like an air bubble. Looking at this scene, Canary��s expression changed slightly.


    ��Rhode, I can��t destroy it.��


    This is really strange.


    Rhode thought after hearing Canary��s remarks. Canary was adept in the flame and wind elements. Her mastery of the flame element was at the same level as an elemental lord��s and yet, she couldn��t break down this ice layer?


    At the same time, Lydia extended her arms suddenly, and two blades appeared out of thin air and slashed the wall mercilessly. With her strength, it should have been enough to destroy the ice layer even if she weren��t in her true form.


    But what stunned everyone was that after hearing two soft rasps, her incredibly powerful attack was resisted and ineffective at all!


    ��Me neither, Your Majesty.��


    Lydia gazed at her sword tips and shook her head. Upon hearing her remark, Rhode turned slightly grim. After pondering for a few moments, he gave an order.


    ��Let��s check out the situation inside.��

 Chapter 1136 - : Shadows of the Ice City (2)

    If it were any ordinary ice layer, Rhode wouldn��t be this cautious. But now, the problem with the ice layer was that not even Lydia��s and Erin��s attack could leave a single scratch on its surface, and this put Rhode on guard. There were very few objects that could survive unscathed from the attack of an archangel in the Dragon Soul Continent. And for such an object to appear on Earth, Rhode couldn��t help but feel concerned. But even so, they continued moving ahead because no matter what, the mysterious ice layer didn��t seem to possess any consciousness and was just purely ice.


    Although the ice layer was extremely thick, it was pure and transparent in appearance, where even the hair of those people trapped within could be seen clearly. The people weren��t clad in ancient costumes made of animal skins as Thomas and the researchers had imagined, but wore gorgeous long robes and beautifully-carved armor instead. They also wielded and raised swords, shields, and staffs in their hands as though they were frozen into ice in the midst of battle. If this was all there was to it, it wouldn��t be considered too strange. But the problem was that there was nothing in front of them.


    One of them clad in armor widened his mouth, raised the sword high, and his other hand held a shield before him as though he were in battle with a ferocious monster. However, there was nothing apart from the empty ice crystal in front of him. That didn��t only happen to him. On the other side, a woman embraced her child and looked ahead in fear, extending her right hand in despair as though she were helplessly defending her child. And similarly, there was nothing in front of her.


    These guys should be the former Void Dragon��s subordinates.


    Rhode scanned the people sealed in the ice and pondered. Based on this, it was apparent that they were suddenly frozen into ice during a battle against some mysterious enemies. Besides, it was obvious that they weren��t mentally prepared for this and didn��t detect the arrival of danger. On the other hand, they were determined in fighting against the enemies. No, perhaps even until the end, they didn��t know who they were up against.


    What��s this?


    Rhode extended his hand and touched the ice surface that was permeating cold air. Then, he made a hand gesture and the little mermaid appeared before him again. She stretched out her arm and released a cold wind to the ice surface. But even with her power, she couldn��t affect the thick ice layer one bit. Shortly after, the little mermaid retracted her arm, gazed at Rhode with a sorry expression, and shook her head. It seemed like this wasn��t a problem with the elements. Perhaps this ice layer in front of everyone wasn��t exactly ice despite it displaying properties of one. If not, it wouldn��t be possible for one at the little mermaid��s level to not affect it at all. As a water elemental elf, she should be more or less able to sense similar elemental presence from the ice. However, she clearly told him that she couldn��t sense any presence of the water element, which explained that this thing wasn��t ice at all. It would be more appropriate to treat it as a crystal instead. It was just that the cold air permeating from the surface made them misunderstand it as ice, perhaps.


    ��Do you know what this is?��


    Rhode sauntered forward, sized up the people trapped in the ice, and asked his younger sister softly. Then, he heard her response.


    ��No�� Big Brother, I��m not aware. But apparently, it is likely something ��used to seal up everything in this place to not be disrupted by the outside world���� I think this might be the work of Marybelle.��


    ��Hmm?��


    Rhode was taken aback.


    ��Didn��t you say you don��t know what this is? How are you sure Marybelle did it? Do you have some impression of this thing?��


    ��No, Big Brother. Just like what I said, this is likely something ��used to seal up everything in this place to not be disrupted by the outside world��. It doesn��t have a name, but due to this reason I think this was done by Marybelle. Because she is the Presence Deity Warden. As long as she recognizes the existence of something, that something will exist no matter how miraculous it is.��


    ������


    After hearing his younger sister��s answer, Rhode couldn��t help but twitch the corner of his brow. According to what she just said, it meant that no matter how strange the thing was, it would exist as long as Marybelle recognized its existence? How ridiculous was that? Even though Rhode already knew that the six deity wardens were godlike figures, it was simply too insane for them to be this powerful.


    ��In this case, if Marybelle wished for a weapon that could instantly kill a dragon soul heir, she can create it and defeat a dragon soul heir in a second?��


    ��That isn��t the case, Big Brother. No matter what, dragon soul heirs are beings who inherited the dragon essence of the Creator Dragons. Although she isn��t as powerful as you, who reincarnated and gained even stronger powers, she more or less needs to expend some amount of power.��


    Hmm�� more or less needs to expend some amount of power, huh��


    But�� what exactly were they fighting with? Could it be the monsters that we fought earlier?


    At this thought, Rhode puckered his brows and pondered deeply. After a few moments, he shook his head.


    No, it isn��t too likely. Even though I don��t know how strong these people were, it seems like they more or less possessed battle strength in the Legendary Stage and the monsters surely couldn��t defeat them. Besides, since the original Void Dragon sent them over, it proved that they had the ability to overcome challenges. At least, they were neither ones who would give up at the sight of stronger enemies, nor would they be defeated by terrifying-looking dinosaurs that weren��t all that powerful�� So what exactly is the reason? Just who were they fighting against?


    ��Let��s move on. Be more careful.��


    Rhode arranged his thoughts and said softly to Lydia and Erin, before scanning the left and right. Shortly after, Lydia and Erin intuitively moved to the left and right of the group, while gazing vigilantly at the surroundings. They weren��t fools. Since even Lydia��s blades failed to leave a scratch on the ice layer, it went to show that there might be even stronger monsters ahead. That was why maintaining a certain level of vigilance was essential.


    Just like this, everyone followed Rhode��s lead and headed toward the enormous pyramid structure in the middle of the plaza. Although Rhode wasn��t sure if what he needed was there, at least it seemed like it was the most eye-catching place in the entire plaza, where perhaps he could find some clues.


    Thomas had lost his right to command, but he wasn��t furious at all. Meanwhile, he clenched his fists in excitement and chatted with his colleagues.


    ��You see, I knew it! I knew this would happen! My judgment was right!��


    ��What are you talking about, Thomas?��


    The fat man closely following Thomas grunted, lifting his belly and barely managing to catch up with him. Then, he asked in confusion.


    ��Have you forgotten? Back then when we unearthed the first four ruins, we discovered a new and highly-advanced civilization that was present before humans existed. But we didn��t manage to find evidence of their existence as though they only existed in that era! That was a really strange matter. Do you know what I mean?��


    ��What��s so strange about that? Back then, it was the Late Cretaceous Period and dinosaurs went extinct after. So isn��t it normal for those people to perish alongside the dinosaurs?��


    ��No-no-no, that isn��t the case. You see, this advanced civilization is entirely different from ours. Besides, since they were able to bury the Apocalyptic Slates under the moon��s surface, it means that they had already obtained the ability to leave Earth and travel to the universe. So even if the dinosaurs went extinct, it didn��t mean those humans would either. I initially thought they had already left Earth, but it is apparent now that they didn��t! And they have always been hidden in Earth!!!�� Thomas shifted his gaze to Rhode who stood ahead as though he were a precious historical relic.


    ��The skills these people have are fundamentally different from our civilization. Perhaps they are the descendants of this civilization��no, not only that, but if this is the case, there will also be an explanation for the existences of Gods from the legends of every country! These so-called Gods must have been survivors of this civilization! Look at them. They can control flames and even have the ability to cast holy light. Doesn��t this coincidentally link up with the outrageous stories and legends about Gods? That��s right. These people must have hidden themselves among humans of the new era in their unique identities and guided us along the way! No wonder during the early days, even though humans weren��t able to migrate, the myths of Gods�� image appeared to be so similar. The cultures were clearly different and yet there were descriptions of humans. It must be that they have personally seen the survivors and received their blessings!��


    He sure knows how to come up with some ridiculous theories.


    Even though Thomas lowered his voice to the best of his ability, ordinary people like them couldn��t keep any secrets in the face of a powerful legendary being like Rhode. After hearing Thomas��s remarks, the corner of Rhode��s brow twitched. He didn��t expect such an explanation for this situation at all. He was racking his brain as to how he should conceal the identity of his group and provide a reasonable explanation to various governments. But now��


    Seems like such theories may also work?


    At this thought, Rhode swirled his eyes. He had decided to slaughter Thomas to keep the secret, but it seemed like things might turn to Rhode��s favor if he let Thomas off instead. After all, Thomas seemed confident in his theories and it did make some sense. On the other hand, he was also an expert in this field. Perhaps in this case, Rhode could use Thomas��s mouth to cover up the whole incident perfectly.


    In this case, Rhode could only reluctantly let them live��


    At this moment, Rhode turned around abruptly. His blade flickered in a dazzling radiance that flew toward Thomas.


    Thomas who was speaking enthusiastically with this colleague didn��t realize the oncoming danger at all. As soon as he realized something was wrong, the shimmering ray had arrived before him and shook him. At that moment, he felt like a fat swine in a slaughterhouse, widening his eyes as the ice-cold blade ray struck him. It only needed one second to slash his stomach open.


    But at the next moment, the chilly wind brushed past him and flew toward the back. Almost at the same time, he heard a frantic scream.


    ��Ah��!��


    Everyone turned around quickly, only to witness a soldier wrapped in snowy spiderweb collapsing to the ground. Right above him, the severed spider thread quickly retracted to the top. It was apparent that a few moments ago, the spiderweb had caught the soldier and attempted to drag it away. But Rhode wasn��t slow either. Almost right after the spider web was launched, he turned around, slashed a blade ray to slash it apart, and rescued the pitiful soldier from meeting the Grim Reaper.


    ��Are you okay? Pull yourself together. What exactly is����


    Looking at what happened, the captain ran toward the soldier hurriedly, deftly ripping off the spiderweb from his body. Then, he raised his gun and aimed at the top, where the spiderweb was released from. But shortly after, this well-trained captain turned pale immediately.


    ��Damn it, what is that!��


    At that moment, six enormous monsters dangled in the spiderwebs hung from above and surrounded everyone. Their lower body looked like spiders, but the two-meters-long upper body looked entirely different, like the strange evolution of a human from dinosaurs. They lifted their heads high and their two yellow eyes emanated mysterious flashes. The front claws that should have been useless became as strong as human arms. Not only that, but their bodies were also crystal-clear, where one could see the various squirming organs within. Just this scene was enough to make everyone��s hair stand.


    ��Attack! Bubble, protect the others!��


    Shortly after, Rhode gave an order as the true ��leader�� and this order also hinted to Mini Bubble Gum to temporarily put an end to his plans of killing Thomas and the rest. But now, Mini Bubble Gum wasn��t in the mood to find trouble with that nerdy researcher anymore. She wasn��t a fool. After witnessing Lydia failing to leave a scratch on the flawless ��ice layer��, she had also raised her guard. After all, all players knew that every monster who grew in a unique environment had their own unique features. Since the ��ice layer�� wasn��t damaged by Lydia��s blades at all, things would get troublesome if any accidents were to happen!


    That was why the two Mini Bubble Gums didn��t hesitate at all as they extended their arms immediately. Shortly after, layers of defensive barriers expanded around the group. Upon witnessing the defensive barrier, the civilians heaved a sigh of relief. Although they didn��t know what it was, they knew it was effective defensively from its earlier performance. The soldiers also became less panicky as they quickly grouped up in a circle and aimed their rifles at the monsters. Although they knew their rifles were advanced weapons, they were also aware that they were far less powerful than the swords wielded by Rhode��s group. However, it would be enough for them as long as they fulfilled their duties quietly and not cause trouble for Rhode��s group. One had to admit that these professionals sure were considerate.


    While Mini Bubble Gum cast the defensive shield, the six strange crystal spiders widened their mouths and spurted out thick strands of silk at the defensive shield.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Silk that should have been ultra-soft struck the shield like they were powerful military weapons, sending deep and loud rumbles echoing in the place. Not only that, but the shield flickering in a golden radiance also instantly became dull. Mini Bubble Gum was surprised.


    ��Leader, they are in the Peak Legendary Stage at the very least!��


    ��I got it!��


    Upon hearing her words, Rhode��s heart sank slightly. He knew the monsters here were tough, but didn��t expect the difficulty to rise so much at once. If only Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and him were around, perhaps they would be in a flurry for a while. After all, the strength of Canary��s most adept flame wind declined greatly in this ice-cold environment and Mini Bubble Gum had to focus on defense. But now��


    ��Your Highness Lydia, Your Highness Erin, we��ll split up and defeat them!��


    Rhode ordered and a black light flashed in his hand. Then, three petite figures appeared��Gracier, Madaras, and Celestina. They dashed ahead, pouncing on a crystal spider each. At the same time, Rhode clutched his sword and darted toward the remaining three spiders with Lydia and Erin. Upon detecting their assault, the crystal spiders let out a loud bellow. They shuddered, widened their mouths, and sprayed huge spiderwebs at them!

 Chapter 1137 - Shadows of the Ice City (3)

    Watching as the white spiderweb hung from above, Rhode��s eyes glinted in an eye-cold flash. He brandished his sword at it, sending shimmering blade rays slashing upward in an arc. Facing this powerful attack, the spiderweb twisted and changed its shape instantly, before separating into two and continuing to pounce on Rhode. Rhode felt astonished by its retaliation as that was an all-out attack. Even though he didn��t have the power of the Void Dragon at this moment and couldn��t activate special skills, he was still a player at the peak of level 85 at the very least. Although the damage output of a Spirit Swordsman��s swordsmanship wasn��t as high as true swordsmen, not anyone could resist a slash of the blade from them. If it were only an ordinary spiderweb, it would have been shattered and vanished entirely. However, he only managed to slash a gap in it and didn��t rip it apart as expected. This instantly raised his guard. He dashed ahead and released two shadow clones alongside him while evading the web landing on them. Then, the swords they wielded erupted a gorgeous radiance before they flourished at the crystal spider.


    The crystal spider climbed up hastily at the sight of the dazzling spiritual blade rays, attempting to dodge this attack from them. But it was apparent that Rhode wasn��t one to be trifled with. The three blade rays streaked toward the upper, middle, and lower portions of the crystal spider, forming an omnipresent net that enveloped it completely. Along with the sound of crisp rasps, the silk that the crystal spider was hanging onto was cut off immediately. The crystal spider that had lost its balance crashed to the ground in a loud bang.


    ��Ssssss������!��


    Even though the crystal spider rolled over with a high-difficulty gymnastic stunt at the critical juncture to avoid cracking its skull, its enormous body continued to plummet. As a result, its legs cracked and shattered upon impact, spurting translucent, faint, blue-colored sticky blood onto the ice layer around the walls. The instant the spraying streams of blood were about to touch the surface, they stopped moving abruptly before solidifying into ice crystals that fell from above and scattering onto the ice surface.


    The crystal spider snarled at its unexpected injuries. It struggled to lift its head, gazed upward, and extended both arms. In that instant, its two arms that were about the length of human arms suddenly became as thin as noodles. Not only that, but their fingers also became flat and razor-sharp, flying at Rhode like the tip of a blade. Facing its counterattack, Rhode released his shadow clones again. They dashed ahead like three streaks of meteor, darting past the retaliation and aimed straight for its body.


    However, Rhode didn��t expect the crystal spider to swing its arms suddenly like two flexible, crisscrossed whips lashing out to the sides. It retracted its arms and sent out several afterimages that erupted at Rhode��s shadow clones. Facing this counterattack, Rhode sneered and came to an abrupt halt. He swung his right arm and a green card appeared in his hand and merged with his body.


    Boom!


    Three glaring lightning bolts burst out, smashing the fluttering arms like a heavy hammer, and held them captive. Rhode dove in a trail of afterimages. The blade of his holy sword pulsated with thunder and lightning like a flower blooming in all directions, forming an electric net that wrapped the crystal spider entirely. At this hopeless sight, the crystal spider hissed, widened its mouth, and pounced on him.


    At the same time, the others also got into action with the remaining crystal spiders. These creatures were indeed tough to deal with. Even though they weren��t as indestructible as the mysterious ice crystal, they had really strong and tough skin, where even Lydia��s and Erin��s godlike weapons only left minor scars on them. In only a few moments, chaotic battles were taking place everywhere. Lydia expanded her wings, spiraling away from the crystal spider��s attack like a nimble bird. Meanwhile, the two blades in her hands glittered with tens of thousands of golden light dust that enfolded them in multiple layers. The biting cold air shattered, striking and repelling the crystal spider. Facing this attack from Lydia, it could only raise its arms desperately to defend itself and couldn��t retaliate at all.


    On the other side, Erin displayed her rare, domineering side. Even though this moon princess was usually as peaceful and elegant as Lydia, she was extremely overbearing in battles. As soon as she darted forward, she instantly sliced off the crystal spider��s silk with her blade, before turning over and smashing it to the ground. Then, she followed up with another attack swiftly, causing it to scramble all around in misery. This was the first time Rhode witnessed Erin��s swordsmanship. If Lydia was the combination of elegance and beauty, Erin would be one with unlimited dominance. Her swordsmanship resembled raging waves and crushing tides. Her momentum and aggression that was capable of smashing all things into powder complemented her performance as a night wyvern.


    Rhode had to admit that Erin exceeded his expectations. After all, he didn��t fight Erin in the game. Instead, his only experience in battling her was in the Land of Atonement. But at that point in time, Erin showed up in her ��wyvern�� form, which was why Rhode wasn��t aware of her level of swordsmanship. Due to this, he was astounded when he witnessed her domineering battle style.


    Compared to Lydia and Erin, Celestina��s battle style was much stranger. She also seemed to know that her weapon couldn��t deal too much damage to the crystal spider, which was why she didn��t engage in close combat. On the contrary, she took advantage of her fast speed, spiraling in midair using her wings. Her black chain sword had transformed into an odd viper that assaulted the enemy. The dark flames from it rolled into the shape of fiery flowers that engulfed the enemies in no time, turning into dense, putrid, and black death mist. It was apparent that she decided to use her unique demonic spells to take down this enemy. Rhode had to admit that her ideas were indeed applicable. Even though he was unaware of the constitution of the crystal spider, its decline in speed and motion while shrouded in black mist proved it wasn��t having a great time.


    On the other hand, the two crystal spiders who fought against Gracier and Madaras were the most unfortunate. Gracier and Madaras were top assassins who were adept in ��one shot, one kill��. As soon as the two crystal spiders witnessed the two petite figures appearing out of thin air like stealthy ghosts, they swung their arms in vain and spurted out silk. But despite that, they couldn��t hit them at all and were incredibly miserable.


    Thomas and the others gawked in disbelief. Although they already knew that Rhode��s group was powerful, they were perplexed as soon as they saw Lydia��s and Celestina��s expanded wings. A few of the pious soldiers even knelt on the ground and began praying. Meanwhile, Thomas��s eyes glinted in amazement. He held a camera in his hand and recorded everything because to him, nothing could prove his guesses and words more than this evidence.


    And at the same time, the battles between Rhode��s group and the enemies were almost reaching the end.


    After sounding them out, Rhode quickly realized that even though the crystal spiders had strong skin and the silk they sprayed was bothersome to deal with, that was all there was to them. They weren��t capable of releasing flames like certain creatures in the Dragon Soul Continent and were only capable of using their strange body parts for battle. After figuring them out completely, Rhode hesitated no more. He retreated swiftly to evade its attack. Then, the blade in his hand erupted in a shimmering radiance as he slashed it forward.


    It just took one step to turn the situation around.


    Rhode��s holy sword trembled constantly. Along with his movement, a dazzling, white holy brilliance emanated from its blade. He discharged two shadow clones and the trio attacked from the left, right, and center. Radiance as bright as the sun��s left the crystal spider in discomfort. Although its lower body was in the form of a spider, it was a pity that its upper body still relied on its eyes to see. As soon as the glaring radiance erupted, the scrambling crystal spider shrunk back instantly and crossed both hands before it in a defensive stance. At the next moment, the blade rays of his shadow clones arrived.


    Upon realizing the danger, the crystal spider had nowhere to hide anymore. It shrieked and emanated a faint blue radiance all over its body. Judging at this reaction, Rhode��s heart sank slightly, but despite that, he didn��t hold back. On the contrary, he swung his arm and accelerated the speed of his blade. In an instant, three blade rays that were coalesced to their maximum strength exploded like thunderbolts, penetrating the crystal spider entirely. Upon sensing the approach of its death, the crystal spider let out a mournful shriek before its body swelled up like a balloon. Rhode wasn��t foolish enough to fall into its trap. After striking the killing blow, he retreated swiftly and as soon as he moved, the crystal spider self-destructed in a booming explosion, blasting strong gales and white silk into the sky. The airflow spun continuously, forming an enormous whirlwind that sucked in and shredded everything into bits. Fortunately, Rhode��s reaction was too quick for it and he managed to evade it safely. After a few minutes, the whirlwind gradually vanished after losing its momentum, leaving behind a crystal-clear corpse that had solidified.


    These things sure are a bunch of trouble.


    Looking at the corpse, Rhode knitted his brows slightly. Even though apart from its strong constitution, the crystal spider wasn��t as tough as certain high-level creatures in the Dragon Soul Continent, this odd ability left Rhode rather worried, especially the whirlwind that formed after its self-destruction. Rhode clearly sensed the energy of space within it. In other words, the whirlwind a space crack that could tear apart everything that was swept into it. The space ability was a high-level skill and rarely seen even in high-level creatures of the Dragon Soul Continent. But now, although the crystal spiders weren��t exactly powerful, it was still astonishing for them to possess such an ability.


    The crystal spiders don��t seem like BOSS level creatures. What if there are stronger creatures than them later�� hmm?


    As Rhode was worrying about this problem, he swept a glance at the crystal spider��s corpse and was taken aback immediately. The exploded crystal spider had completely solidified and turned into a sparkling and translucent crystal like a smashed ice sculpture. But at the next moment, the crystal melted and was sealed entirely in a thick ice layer. But Rhode quickly realized that as the crystal melted, a faint black mist emerged in the ice layer like some sort of life form, twisting and attempting to escape. However, it didn��t seem to be able to escape the imprisonment of the ice layer and stopped moving after a few moments of struggle.


    What exactly is going on?


    Looking at this scene, Rhode couldn��t help but feel suspicious. He thought the crystal spiders were inhabitants of this ice-sealed world. But based on what he saw, it seemed like a prisoner of this world instead, one that had finally escaped from prison but was recaptured.


    These creatures��


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    At that moment, a series of loud explosions boomed in all directions. Rhode turned around and saw that the others had ended their battles. Celestina, Gracier, and Madaras flew toward him before disappearing in a flash. On the other hand, Lydia and Erin went up to him swiftly, while gazing at the thick ice layer around them cautiously.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, that was����


    ��I know. I saw it too.��


    Rhode nodded to Lydia. He glanced at the presence that was completely ��solidified�� in the ice layer and knitted his brows.


    ��Can you sense what it is, Your Highness Lydia?��


    ��Not really, Your Majesty Rhode. Erin and I sensed a death aura from it, but that doesn��t seem to be all�� we can��t confirm what exactly that is.��


    ��Okay.��


    Rhode responded before pondering in silence. Then, he shook his head.


    ��Let��s move on,�� he said.


    As they headed deeper, Rhode found out that things weren��t as simple as he had imagined. On the outside, they weren��t able to figure out what enemies the ice-sealed people were fighting against. However, as they entered deeper, they spotted more clues and some seemed to point to prehistoric dinosaurs mutating into disturbing creatures. It was apparent that these creatures were the enemies the inhabitants of this place were battling against. What was strange was that some kind of dense, black smoke also seemed to be released from the creatures. Rhode also realized that on the outside, the corpses seemed to be disintegrated. But as they moved toward the center of the plaza, they were in perfect condition. Not only that, but Rhode also sensed the bone-piercing cold air becoming even colder. Thomas and the rest almost froze to the spot. If it weren��t for Mini Bubble Gum and Canary who cast several defensive enchanted fields and shields, perhaps the commoners would have frozen to death.


    It seems like the ice layer was used to imprison those creatures. On the outside, perhaps due to its declining strength, the creatures turned into mist to barely escape from the ice layer. While on the inside, the creatures couldn��t escape due to the stronger imprisonment enchanted field?


    Rhode felt increasingly doubtful at this thought.


    What exactly are they?


    ��It seems like this is going to be a violent battle.��


    Canary couldn��t help but mutter under her breath. As the group advanced deeper, the number of black creatures that appeared increased and there were almost hundreds of them. On the other hand, the number of soldiers trapped in the ice also rose. It seemed like the black creatures had intended to attack and occupy the pyramid-like structure, while the soldiers were trying to stop them from breaking through. The thick ice layer preserved everything from that time. Gazing at both sides sparing no effort in wrestling one another, Rhode��s group couldn��t help but stay silent. The heavy atmosphere of this life and death battle felt so clear-cut, and not even thousands and millions of years were able to alter it.


    As Rhode pondered deeply, they arrived at the foot of the pyramid. As long as one raised one��s head, one could see a tall ice column at the top of the pyramid that resembled a pillar of this sacred palace connected the dome and ground. The biting cold air was at its coldest in this place. It was apparent that this was the core location.


    Everyone looked up at the ice column. Then, Mini Bubble Gum made a remark.


    ��Leader, why does it seem like someone is in there?��

 Chapter 1138 - A Message Spanning Over 65 Million Years (1)

    Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s remark, everyone looked up and followed her gaze. Indeed, there was a fuzzy shadow in the middle of the ice column. As the distance was too far away, Thomas couldn��t see it clearly even with the help of a binoculars. However, this wasn��t a problem for Rhode��s group at all as they quickly spotted the person.


    It was a young lady.


    She had folded her arms across her chest and closed her eyes as though she were in deep sleep. Her long, light blue hair draped over her shoulders like a pair of wings bundling her entirely. Not only that, but a pitch-black, elegant, and luxurious robe also wrapped around her body. After taking a closer look, one could see a faint blue radiance flickering weakly in front of her in a rhythmic pace like the beatings of a heart. Not only that, but a staff also floated before her. But instead of treating it as a staff, it was more appropriate to see it as a magic wand because it wasn��t as long as a typical staff. On the contrary, it only had the length of a forearm. It was also entirely black which wasn��t conspicuous at all and only Rhode��s group could barely see it. But even so, they sensed a mighty energy exuding from above.


    ��What a powerful strength.��


    At that moment, Erin��s and Lydia��s expressions changed slightly because they detected that the phenomenal energy waves being discharged from the young lady wasn��t anywhere weaker than theirs. Not only that, but the instant they saw the young lady, they also instinctively sensed danger from the bottom of their hearts as though she weren��t just an ordinary young lady at all, but a monster snapping its jaw open and could devour them in one crunch instead!


    Who is she?!


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, please be careful. She is really powerful! And dangerous!��


    ��I know.��


    Upon hearing Lydia��s anxious reminder, Rhode nodded in agreement, at the same time gazing at her and Erin grimly. Frankly, their agitation surprised him. Although he heard from his younger sister that Marybelle was incredibly powerful, he thought that no matter how strong she was, Lydia and Erin could match up against her if they joined hands. But now, they seemed so nervous and it also seemed like women��s instincts were truly accurate. Even though Lydia and Erin didn��t know what the source of energy for Marybelle was, they instinctively detected that she wasn��t one whom they could rival alone, which explained why they were so cautious. However, since Rhode had deduced Marybelle��s true identity, he asked cautiously in his mind to confirm his answer.


    ��Is that her?��


    ��Yes�� Big Brother�� She is�� Marybelle.��


    His younger sister��s voice shook. It could be seen that she was experiencing some complicated emotions. Rhode could empathize with her feelings since Marybelle had left his younger sister for at least 65 million years. It was a long period of time and she was also one of her most important subordinates. Not to mention, the relationship between Marybelle and her was far closer than with other ordinary subordinates. Rhode��s younger sister was the creator, guardian, and leader of the deity wardens. Even though he couldn��t understand her feelings fully, he genuinely and instantly empathized with her intricate feelings through her trembling voice.


    But despite the emotions involved, Rhode continued to size up the situation cautiously. Although the ice-sealed young lady seemed to be asleep and could wake up anytime, he couldn��t imagine her having the chance to revive. It was 65,000,000 years, not 6,500 years nor 650 years. Of course, Rhode also had Karin under him who was similar to Marybelle. As one of the Void Dragon��s followers, Karin escaped to the rescue cabin in the face of the disastrous Chaos invasion. But unsure if her luck was horrible or Rhode��s ��unlucky looting aura�� came into effect, the rescue cabin was damaged and she died in it. In the end, Rhode had to use his ability as a Spirit Swordsman to finally resummon her.


    Another similar case was Alice. But in her case, she was already prepared for the situation, so she had separated her soul and body beforehand. However, Marybelle was different. She was sealed in the thick ice layer and what exactly was the reason behind it? No one knew. But Rhode knew that this must be related to some odd reasons. If not, based on the ecosphere of the Cretaceous Period, even all dinosaurs on Earth gathered in one place wouldn��t be able to compete with one finger of Marybelle��s. However, the cruel scenes of battle before they were frozen into ice were clearly showcased to Rhode. This proved that not only did Marybelle and her subjects get into a battle, but they were also thrashed and the enemies had also reached the center and core of this plaza!


    So it was either that Earth was entirely a different existence from Rhode��s knowledge, or something must have happened which led to this consequence. And now, it seemed like the latter was much more possible because if it were the former, it wouldn��t make sense at all. Even though the entire situation wasn��t logical anyway, sometimes one still had to consider the power of science, wasn��t it?


    At this thought, Rhode focused his attention and strode up the steps of the pyramid.


    Whoosh��!


    However, as soon as Rhode��s group stepped onto the stairs, a powerful force emerged out of nowhere and transformed into a strong tornado. The cold, blustering gales held them down like an invisible, gigantic hand, forcing their steps back.


    What��s going on?


    Rhode puckered his brows and glanced to the sides, while Erin and Lydia grimaced. They clutched their swords and gazed cautiously ahead, anxious that something would rush out of nowhere and attack them. However, the powerful winds simply kept them from advancing and as soon as they stepped away from the pyramid, the winds disappeared completely.


    ��Try again.��


    Rhode said, gesturing to Erin and Lydia. Then, he emanated a glaring spiritual radiance from his body. At the same time, Erin and Lydia also exuded a silver-whitish and golden brilliance respectively. The trio dashed ahead this time, shuttling toward the pyramid in three trails of light like fast-moving meteors.


    Whoosh��!


    The instant the trio entered the pyramid, the violent tornado erupted again, spiraling around the edge of the pyramid like a devoted guard keeping everything out. But facing this extent of wind, the trio weren��t fazed at all. They exchanged looks with one another and brandished their blades forward. The powerful and razor-sharp blade airflows broke apart the tornado that had engulfed the entire pyramid!


    Just one more step and they could pass through this obstacle.


    But��


    Whoosh��!


    As soon as the tornado was split apart, an even stronger tempest burst out ahead of them. All of a sudden, the trio felt the air around them being pressured and deformed. Then, they felt their bodies flying backward uncontrollably as though being struck by an invisible hammer. Fortunately, they were experienced and calm, somersaulting and turning over quickly to eliminate the powerful force, before standing firmly on the ground. But this time, they looked at one another again and found terror in their eyes!


    Putting aside Rhode, Erin��s and Lydia��s strength definitely couldn��t be resisted by some unworthy wind element. It could also be said that even if the wind elemental lord were to show up, the wind elemental lord would be considered capable if he or she could cut off a strand of their hair as they stood on the spot without retaliating. But that attack earlier almost dealt damage to them!


    It wasn��t meant to say how fragile the moon princess and archangel were that they couldn��t take a single damage. It was just that there were really not many people who could hurt themt. Moreover, Erin, Lydia, and Rhode gave their all-out attacks just now. If they were in the outside world, their attacks would be enough to rip through an international metropolis and result in three boundless abyss beneath the surface. But here, their attacks finally slashed a crack and yet, they were almost hurt by the retaliation?


    ��Seems like we need another plan.��


    Compared to the startled Erin and Lydia, Rhode was apparently much calmer. After all, he had already learned about Marybelle��s abilities from his younger sister. Since Marybelle was able to create an ice-crystal layer that not even Lydia could break, it wasn��t surprising that she could create another barrier that prohibited anyone from entering. That was just how godlike Marybelle��s abilities were. So what other solutions could he possibly come up with?


    ��Do you have any solutions?��


    Waving his hand to get the two young ladies to wait temporarily, Rhode knitted his brows and asked inwardly. Upon hearing his question, his younger sister hesitated for a few moments and said.


    ��I��m not too sure, Big Brother. If Marybelle wants to refuse anyone, perhaps we can��t do anything about it. But I think there is still a chance because Marybelle is a cautious person. Before she does anything, she will carefully set up everything and never take a risk in anything. That is why I think the possibilities of her making the decision to ��refuse all contact�� aren��t high. So���� The younger sister paused before speaking in an awkward tone: ��Big Brother, you can try using your spiritual powers to communicate with her. As you and I have fused together, your spiritual powers contain the aura of the Void Dragon. I suppose if nothing goes wrong, Marybelle should be able to detect your presence. Through this way�� we may have a chance of entering.��


    ������


    Upon hearing her response, Rhode pondered for a few moments. As a matter of fact, he didn��t have any better solutions. After all, he had witnessed Marybelle��s strength earlier. Not only that, but they also fought the crystal spiders and the ice layer wasn��t scratched at all. This went to show that unless Rhode returned to the Dragon Soul Continent and retrieved his dragon essence, nothing good would end up from going head-on with Marybelle. Moreover, Rhode was also concerned about the consequences of him getting into contact with that young lady. After all, it was highly likely that the situation was related to the creatures for her to seal off this place in ice. If he accidentally startled her�� only God knew what would happen.


    At this thought, Rhode extended his arm and closed his hand into a fist. As expected, along with this action, the violent whirlwind emerged to stop his path immediately. But this time, Rhode didn��t barge through it. Instead, he emanated a dazzling spiritual radiance which coalesced into an illusory dragon symbol in his hand. That was the symbol of the Void Dragon.


    Swish������!


    As soon as the symbol appeared, the whistling whirlwind around the pyramid exuded a white mist all of a sudden, wrapping the entire structure as well as the ice column like a substance. In an instant, everyone��s vision was covered by white mist. This sudden change in situation put them on alert as they stared ahead anxiously, afraid that monsters would jump out of nowhere. However, what everyone didn��t expect was that almost at the same time, the mist in front of them split apart to reveal an opening. As soon as they heard the breaking of a sound barrier, Rhode was sucked into the mist immediately. Then, the mist quickly merged and wrapped around the entire pyramid again.


    This scene took everyone by surprise. Lydia��s and Erin��s reactions were quick, while Canary and Mini Bubble Gum weren��t slow either. As soon as Rhode disappeared, Lydia and Erin brandished their swords at the white mist with all their might. Canary raised her arm quickly and released blazing flames that transformed into a fire serpent and pounced on the mist wildly. Mini Bubble Gum hurled a punch forward at the white mist, her fist flickering in dazzling radiance.


    However, their attacks were useless, not even after they used all their strength in this assault. When Lydia tried to follow up with another attack, the formidable whirlwind pushed her back again and didn��t seem to intend to let her through at all. It was apparent that the road ahead was blocked yet again.


    On the other hand, when Erin wanted to give it another shot, Canary went up and stopped her.


    ��It��s fine, Your Highness Erin. Rhode has contacted us and said he is safe. I suppose we can wait here for a little while.��


    ��Okay then.��


    Upon hearing Canary��s words, Erin didn��t feel too surprised. She nodded in affirmation, withdrew her sword, and strolled to the side to close her eyes and rest. However, she didn��t notice the other Canary gazing at the scene with complicated emotions.


    The true Canary wasn��t as adventurous as Mini Bubble Gum. Frankly speaking, the heavy blow from losing her child sent her spiraling into an unprecedentedly lowest ebb. She lost her child and also her courage. In fact, she had no intention of leaving with Mini Bubble Gum, especially after meeting her projection. She felt like she didn��t have the need to be with Rhode anymore. Even though that was only a projection of herself, she felt like she had successfully left the most perfect impression of her in Rhode��s memories and that was more than enough. She didn��t look forward to adventures and wasn��t as competitive as Mini Bubble Gum. She felt like her projection could do a much better job accompanying Rhode than she could. In this case, she didn��t need to do anything more. As long as she left this place, searched for faraway land that no one knew, and lived alone until she died, that would be enough.


    But after hearing what her projection said earlier, Canary felt unconvinced deep down in her heart because she was really worried about Rhode when he disappeared. But she wasn��t as powerful as her projection and couldn��t communicate with him spiritually. And now, since they were all here, why didn��t she possess such an ability? This was the first time Canary began to reconsider an answer that she had decided a long time ago. Was she really going to leave this place?


    But at that moment, Rhode wasn��t aware of her feelings as he was sauntering in the dense mist.


    His younger sister mentioned that Marybelle was a meticulous person and it was only now when Rhode realized just how careful she truly was. He also felt like the powerful gales hovering outside the mist was being separated and removed rapidly by the radiance emanating from the Void Dragon symbol in his hand as though it were watching and observing him. Even though he came into contact with the other deity wardens, he had to admit that this Presence Deity Warden was indeed really meticulous. But after considering her abilities, the entire Dragon Soul Continent would be in chaos if she were a careless person. Without precise thoughts, it would be impossible to verify what should and shouldn��t exist.


    However, Rhode wasn��t worried. He sauntered forward as he knew that since she allowed him in, she must be ready in all areas. And indeed, after a few moments, the mist before him rolled away and retreated, turning into a considerably wide space. Then, an illusory human figure appeared.


    She was the Presence Deity Warden, Marybelle.

 Chapter 1139 - A Message Spanning Over 65 Million Years (2)

    The young lady wore the same attire and held the same stick that resembled a magic wand, which he saw earlier. Marybelle gazed at him and didn��t say a word. She sized him up carefully from head to toe. Upon sensing her gaze, Rhode twitched his brows and said.


    ��Marybelle.��


    ������


    Marybelle didn��t respond and just stood on the spot. In fact, Rhode didn��t know how long he had been waiting. The two of them simply stood in their place. He didn��t know what Marybelle was trying to do, while the latter continued to stare at him silently like an artist appreciating artwork. He couldn��t figure out where she had gotten that much patience from��


    However, he wasn��t a fool either. He reckoned that this must be some kind of a test. It was just like a blind date, where the man and woman must be to their liking, and not only in terms of hobbies and communications. It also involved a series of strange tests. For instance, whether one had the bad habit of arriving late for dates by two to three hours, or if one had a good drinking capacity to entertain the other party��s family and friends�� Why does it feel more inappropriate and wrong the more I think about it?


    Rhode shrugged at this thought. He dwindled the odd ideas in his head and continued waiting on the spot. After an unknown period of time, Marybelle lowered her gaze and laid down the magic wand. But even so, Rhode still felt her aura locking onto him from all directions. Even though Marybelle stood before him, he was certain that it was only a phantom of hers. Her real self must be still hidden in the mist somewhere and didn��t show up yet. This piqued his curiosity and left him amused because judging from her behavior, Marybelle wasn��t being cautious anymore, but was acting timidly instead. The impression she gave him was like a crime boss hiding in an underground shelter several hundred meters deep from a surface that was built with bulletproof glasses. Not only would she contact her men using the satellite system, but she also wouldn��t accept food from outsiders. She also wouldn��t take a bite before ensuring that the food delivered to her was tested to be non-poisonous. She must be on edge all the time to be so afraid of death.


    That was why Rhode was dubious about her. Even though his younger sister was confident about her personality, humans tended to change, after all. Perhaps even a childhood friend might change after not meeting for 10 years, not to mention 65 million years. Moreover, Rhode didn��t know what Marybelle had encountered here, which was why he could only act according to the situation.


    After some time, Marybelle seemed to confirm her doubts. She tapped the air lightly with the magic wand before nodding at Rhode. Shortly after, the mist surrounding them dispersed and rolled forward once again, devouring her entirely. The thick, dense mist covered his vision once again and he shrugged helplessly. He didn��t know what was going on and could only continue moving forward.


    But he quickly realized that the mist seemed to become thinner. It was entirely white earlier, but had gradually dissipated, revealing traces of shadows before him. And as soon as he saw the shadows, a strong gust of wind forced him to close his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, he was astonished to see that everything around him had transformed.


    The white mist and towering pyramid were gone. At a glance, the murals and dome around him were also no longer there. Instead, it was a dark blue sky, verdant land, tall trees, blue rippling lake in the distance, as well as��


    ������!


    In a loud, sharp hiss, an enormous figure strode out and emerged before him. It was around 20 meters tall. Its long neck and massive body made one feel like it was an indomitable creature and every step it took shook the ground. Rhode lifted his head and narrowed his eyes. The towering creature had even concealed the radiance of the sun above him.


    At this moment, several magical radiance flashed across his eyes.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Lightning bolts descended from the heavens, penetrating the dinosaur before him entirely. The pitiful dinosaur was only able to let out a tragic shriek before its enormous body collapsed to the ground. Shortly after, Rhode witnessed three to five men clad in luxurious robes falling from the sky and arriving before him in trails of magical radiance. However, they didn��t seem to notice Rhode at all, not even when he stood only a few steps away from them. Those men didn��t seem to have the intention to shift their gaze toward him either.


    ��Your Highness, everything is going well. We��ve cleaned up this area entirely.��


    ��Good.��


    A gentle voice rang in Rhode��s ear. He turned around and saw Marybelle strolling toward him. She scanned the vast land before her and at that moment, Rhode discovered that he was standing on a plateau. However, Marybelle didn��t emphasize anything. She simply gazed at the dead dinosaur and gestured with her hand.


    ��Bring this monster back as food for everyone. Everything is going well. All we need to do next is to build a palace and activate the Door of Akasha. Everyone, this is the Lord��s wish. We need to give our best.��


    ��Yes, Your Highness!��


    Suddenly, the scene accelerated like a movie being fast forwarded. Rhode clearly witnessed how the people built a towering palace and tamed the dinosaurs into becoming their mounts. While Marybelle commanded her subordinates to explore the outer areas, she began contacting the others. Up until this moment, Rhode realized that before the five Creator Dragons sent their subordinates to the new world, they had specially given them a crystal ball each that could release a spatial shield to prevent them from being swept away by the spatial turbulence. Of course, considering that there were hundreds of people in each team, one crystal ball wasn��t enough to enfold everyone. That was why the representatives went separate ways and due to this reason, they didn��t reunite after transmigrating to Earth, but were sent to different parts of Earth instead. Judging from this point, Rhode felt like this resembled a strategy simulation game where one was born in a random area, began to establish territory, and got into wars with other territories��


    After witnessing the various scenes, it could be seen that these inhabitants of the Dragon Soul Continent who came to Earth were able to adapt well. Be it the weather, plants, or animals, none posed any threats to them. Although there were occasional spreads of illnesses, they weren��t defeated by them like the pitiful Martians in the movie, War of the Worlds. After all, the effects of spiritual spells from the Dragon Soul Continent still worked here. Even though their effectiveness declined, it was more than enough to deal with the ��armless�� dinosaurs in the Cretaceous Period.


    According to this speed of development, there shouldn��t be any problems for the Dragon Soul Continent to colonize Earth. In fact, everything seemed to turn out fine to Rhode as there weren��t any potential dangers either. At that moment, Marybelle was just like what his younger sister described: a meticulous and cautious person. She considered all possible dangers and accidents and set up everything orderly. Judging from this aspect, she was like the ultimate evolution of Marlene. But unlike Marlene, Rhode realized that Marybelle was correspondingly more flexible as though her brain were coming up with countermeasures against every situation at all times and could be utilized whenever would be needed. Based on this aspect, she was much more capable than Marlene who needed to plan ahead in order to be flexible. Perhaps this was why the Void Dragon had eventually chosen her and not Marlene to lead the team.


    Everything seemed normal and nothing was unreasonable or dangerous, which was why no matter how, Rhode just couldn��t figure out what exactly went wrong. The only possibility was that something happened to the representatives. But after witnessing Lydia��s and Erin��s reactions, Rhode knew that Marybelle was the strongest among them in terms of strength, while the others couldn��t match up against her. So, what exactly went wrong?


    At this moment, the scene changed abruptly.


    Rhode returned to the warm, comfortable room in the palace. Marybelle who sat opposite him was engrossed in recording her findings. Frankly speaking, Rhode didn��t understand why Marybelle and the others didn��t activate the Door of Akasha right after arriving at Earth. Then, Rhode learned from his younger sister that activating the Door of Akasha required a certain amount of time as it was an ultimate creation artifact, after all. If the representatives were the Creator Dragons instead, they would be able to activate it anytime. But even a mighty deity warden like Marybelle had to wait for the power in the Door of Akasha to decline to a certain stage before the seal could be activated. This was the only way to ensure that the sealed dragon soul powers wouldn��t be devoured by the Door of Akasha and they wouldn��t fall short of success.


    And now, everything went on well. After contacting the other four representatives, Marybelle and the rest assembled the Door of Akasha and all that was left was to find an opportune timing to activate the seal of the dragon soul powers, followed by the Door of Akasha.


    Rain was pouring outside with occasional lightning striking across the sky like a wild storm.


    At that moment, someone knocked on the door hurriedly. Marybelle twitched her brow.


    ��Come in.��


    The door opened and a man entered in a fluster.


    ��Reporting, Your Highness. We��re under attack!��


    ��Oh?��


    Upon hearing his report, Marybelle stopped her work and turned to him. At that moment, Rhode also pulled himself together. It was apparent that if he wasn��t wrong, as he was witnessing now the ��accident�� portrayed on the murals.


    ��Where?��


    ��The sentries stationed around the Door of Akasha sent a signal two minutes ago. Should we����


    ��I will check it out myself.��


    Before he finished his sentence, Marybelle stood up and headed out of the room. At the next moment, the scene changed yet again. The roaring storm, as well as dark clouds and flashing lightning bolts enveloped the entire world. The forest below them swayed to the violent storm. Rhode followed Marybelle closely, witnessing the flickering magical radiance on the ground below.


    Almost at the same time, Rhode determined this to be a fierce battle. All sorts of magical radiance enveloped nearly half the forest. Not only that, but the frequent eruption of flares and explosions also proved his guesses. This fight was on the other extreme end than it was with the enormous dinosaur before, where everyone could take it down effortlessly. It was apparent that they were in a tough battle.


    Looking at this scene, Marybelle narrowed her eyes, leaped off the plateau, and landed safely on the lower ground.


    ��Your Highness Marybelle.��


    Upon witnessing her arrival, the eyes of the people in the tough battle glinted with hope, and Rhode used this opportunity to witness their battle style. Unlike Rhode��s era, it seemed like spell casters from that period of time were experts in positional fights. They used magic and spiritual spells to cast an indestructible turtle shell of a magical barrier, before hiding in its safety from all sorts of enemy bombardments. Not only that, but Rhode also discovered that these people had mastered this style of skills. They had a clear division of labor among themselves within the small turtle shell, where there were also members appointed responsible for rotation. It could be seen that they were prepared in facing such attacks. Facing ambushes, the most important thing to do was to stabilize their footing and wait for reinforcements. Based on this, they did pretty well.


    At that moment, Rhode finally saw the ��enemies�� who encircled and attacked them. He had to admit that even though he was mentally prepared, he was still astonished when he saw them with his own eyes!


    A Tyrannosaurus that was almost ten meters tall stood outside the magical barrier, bellowing at them fiercely. From time to time, several pitch-black, mysterious figures shuttled past the dinosaur like roaming ghosts, leaping high up and launching attacks on the people. However, the mages quickly cast their magic spells to repel them. Based on this observation, it seemed like the creatures weren��t any different from ordinary dinosaurs. However, Rhode sharply detected a layer of mystical dark mist around them!


    ��What exactly is going on?��


    Apparently, Marybelle also seemed to notice this. She knitted her brows and asked softly.


    ��I don��t know, Your Highness Marybelle. We were attacked by these monsters all of a sudden. I don��t know what is going on exactly but something is definitely wrong with these monsters!��


    Roarrrr������!


    At the same time, the Tyrannosaurus leading its pack let out a raging growl, turning around to swing its long, humongous tail at the edge of the magical barrier like a whip. This powerful blow caused the sturdy barrier to flicker and not only that, but the Tyrannosaurus also widened its jaw, took in a deep breath of air, and spurted out dark flames that turned into a fireball that struck the barrier in front of it. The defensive barrier that was able to resist its previous attack turned dull almost instantly. If it weren��t for the people inside who upheld it, perhaps the attack would have punctured it completely.


    Looking at this scene, Rhode was so astounded that his jaw almost dropped. At that moment, he truly suspected if he had transmigrated to the wrong place. Even though he had seen introductions of dinosaurs in movies, science films, and museums, none of them mentioned that ��Tyrannosauruses were capable of spurting flames���� Could the archaeologists please get the facts right?


    On the other hand, Marybelle��s expression turned grim. She extended her arm and held the magic wand, tapping it lightly toward the enormous dinosaur.


    If it was said that Rhode didn��t have a chance to directly observe this so-called ��Presence Deity Warden�� before, this time he finally witnessed what a ��Presence Deity Warden�� was.


    Marybelle held the short magic wand and tapped it forward gently.


    Just a single tap.


    Sudden changes occurred to the high and mighty Tyrannosaurus. Not only that, but the other creatures around it also came to a halt entirely, before turning into light dust that vanished into the darkness. In the blink of an eye, the dozen terrifying and mysterious creatures disappeared completely. They existed in this world no more.


    Witnessing this scene, Rhode took in a deep breath of cold air.


    This power�� is absolutely godlike.


    It wasn��t that he didn��t imagine Marybelle��s style of battle and power before, but he still found it unbelievable after witnessing it for himself. She merely tapped her wand once and it was enough to turn the enemies into ashes. After witnessing her actions, the spell-casters apparently felt assured. Marybelle turned around and scanned everyone from head to toe.


    ��Is anyone hurt?��


    ��No, Your Highness Marybelle.��


    ��Good.��


    Upon hearing the answer, Marybelle sized up everyone. After ensuring nothing was wrong, she nodded in certainty.


    ��You guys, head back and get some rest. I will check on the Door of Akasha,�� she said.

 Chapter 1140 - A Message Spanning Over 65 Million Years (3)

    The violent storm seemed to have no intention of stopping. The surroundings sank into a deep darkness with occasional lightning bolts exploding to light up the area clearly. Right now, Marybelle apparently couldn��t keep her cool any longer. She knitted her brows and flew ahead. Shortly after, through the curtain of rain, Rhode spotted a huge stone door erected on a plain.


    That was the Door of Akasha.


    Judging from the scattered objects around the door, it was obvious that the door was heavily-guarded. But the strange thing was that there was no one at all, not even corpses or blood. Apart from the overturned tents and supplies, no living person was in sight. Five tall and huge stone columns surrounded the Door of Akasha. The dazzling magic crystals on them emanated a bright radiance that formed a circular barrier. It could be seen that ample preparations were made for this. Although there weren��t any visible threats, Marybelle and the others activated the defensive enchanted field to protect this important facility. Besides, Rhode found out from the earlier images that Marybelle and the other four agreed to send elites to defend this place, which should have been absolutely foolproof.


    But what happened?


    Marybelle strode ahead while Rhode followed beside her closely, scanning everything in detail. He wasn��t a fool. This place was heavily guarded with an enchanted field, sentries, and a high number of elites under the five Creator Dragons. He would never believe that the dinosaur-like monsters that couldn��t defeat Mini Bubble Gum and Canary would be able to destroy them. The patrols were under attack when Marybelle received the report and this meant that the guards by the door were eliminated before they could even shriek. Then, the enemies started expanding outward and met the patrols on the periphery. Rhode had to admit that Marybelle was indeed meticulous. The layers of defense she designed were highly effective. But this made Rhode increasingly dubious as he didn��t think that the monsters that attacked the patrols were the same group that slaughtered the core guards. This was because if that happened, the patrols couldn��t possibly hang on long enough for Marybelle��s arrival.


    Rhode felt nervous right now. He yearned for a clear answer! Those monsters had an overwhelming victory over the guards standing by the Door of Akasha, where the guards didn��t even have time to send out emergency signals? No. Rhode suspected whether the guards were even aware that they were attacked.


    While Rhode pondered, he saw Marybelle striding toward the enchanted field, extended her hand, and held gently on its surface. Shortly after, circular runes appeared one by one from within, arranging themselves in an intertwined formation. Marybelle twitched her brow slightly and laid down her arm. Even though she didn��t say a word, Rhode knew that the enchanted field was working fine and nothing seemed to be an issue.


    Rhode continued to follow Marybelle as she spent a few hours examining the entire camp inside-out. In the end, there were no signs of battle just like before. The campsite was operating normally. The only ones missing were the hundreds of people stationed here. Apart from them, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.


    During Marybelle��s investigations, no one ambushed her. The entire campsite was silent as though no one were present. Her investigations weren��t disrupted at all. But even so, she didn��t look great. After her investigations ended and she left the place, her expression had already darkened.


    Rhode knew why she put on such a grim expression. Frankly, he was just like her; he would rather face ambushes during his investigations. Perhaps the situation would turn out critical, enemies would be more powerful than he expected, or he would face life-threatening dangers, but at least he would be able to meet them face-to-face. At least he knew who he was facing even if he were to get hurt and face life-threatening dangers. As long as he was able to escape, there would be a chance for him to start afresh.


    However, Marybelle wasn��t ambushed at all, which proved that the ��enemies�� had high intelligence. They knew how powerful Marybelle was. They weren��t willing to reveal themselves which proved that they apparently knew that exposing themselves to her wasn��t a smart decision.


    This type of enemy was the hardest to face. They were powerful, knew when to act appropriately, and weren��t naive. More importantly, be it Marybelle or Rhode, none of them knew from which crack on the wall they emerged from. Even until now, they didn��t even know whether the enemies were native creatures hidden in the deep underground or something else. At that moment, Rhode couldn��t grasp the situation accurately anymore. He recalled reading tabloids about visitors from outer space or information about super ancient civilizations. Right now, he wasn��t even sure if this Earth was still the same one in his impression. Could it be it was just like what was written on the tabloids were fact, and Earth had an advanced ancient underground civilization and they decided to show their presence after Marybelle and the rest appeared? Or perhaps back then, certain visitors from outer space like Martians decided to migrate to Earth and both sides got into a clash over territories? An ancient civilization versus UFO? That would be so cool and interesting��


    Even though Rhode racked his brains to filter all possibilities, he eventually didn��t find any evidence to prove his guesses. It didn��t feel good to find himself at a loss. Rhode had never faced such a situation before in the Dragon Soul Continent. After all, he was familiar with whatever that was hidden, disappeared, or didn��t exist. But now, in this intricate environment, he found it hard to figure out what the source of the problem was and who were the manipulators behind the scenes. That was why he puckered his brows tightly like Marybelle and remained perplexed despite much thought.


    Shortly after, the scenery changed again. Marybelle returned to the sacred palace and dispatched men to investigate thoroughly. Fortunately, apart from the elites who went missing from the central area, the rest were still present. Of course, several other patrols were also ambushed, but the monsters eventually escaped.


    As the Door of Akasha was built as the core of the fifth region, it meant that the five representatives sent out a team of their own to guard the area. Due to this reason, the other four areas responded quickly. There weren��t many issues with the Light Dragon and twin dragons. Similar to Marybelle, even though they were encircled and attacked by those monsters, they weren��t hurt too much. Besides, after the reinforcements arrived, the monsters either scattered or fled and didn��t pose too much threat.


    However, the Dark Dragon��s representative��s situation was entirely different as three of its patrol teams had gone missing. If it weren��t for the next patrol team on rotation realizing and reporting the situation, perhaps the representative wouldn��t be notified even until daybreak!


    The seriousness of this matter garnered a lot of attention from everyone. Marybelle gathered the five Creator Dragon��s representatives and their subordinates by the Door of Akasha immediately. After conducting an investigation on the door, they reported issues respectively. Most of their subordinates were elites of elites who were meticulous in their work. That was why they consolidated a few clues shortly after.


    First, all the troops stationed at the Door of Akasha went missing without any signs or warnings. That was really unusual because the five Creator Dragons�� subordinates had unique methods to contact them. For instance, the Dark Dragon��s subordinates possessed the soul cores of all the undead creatures. If the undead creatures were under attack, the subordinates would surely be the first to receive news. It was the same for the twin dragons. They had a pair of twin elves as their subordinates. The elder sister among the twins was stationed by the Door of Akasha and the twins had telepathy. If the elder sister faced any threats, the younger sister would be aware of it immediately. But in this incident, there were no signals received from the undead creatures. On the other hand, if the younger sister didn��t hear the terrible news and realized she couldn��t contact her elder sister using spiritual communication, she would never believe that her elder sister disappeared just like that!


    Second, the undead creatures weren��t the ones who were hurt the most. Logically speaking, the undead creatures shouldn��t be the ones suffering losses because they weren��t living creatures and ordinary people couldn��t possibly eliminate them. Even in an ambush, it wasn��t possible for them to not send out even one emergency signal. But the truth was that the number of undead creatures that had disappeared was the most, which almost equaled the total number of the other four parties! Fortunately, most of them were reincarnated from undead soldiers so the damage wasn��t too traumatic. However, the situation had become critical for the Dark Dragon��s representative.


    How nice would it be if Alice were around. A ��Historical Tracing�� from this History Deity Warden would make things so much easier. But it was a pity that she wasn��t around this time, which was why no one had a conclusion after half a day of discussions. However, they decided to increase the level of security from today onward. The five representatives of the Creator Dragons including Marybelle would take turns to guard the Door of Akasha and see how the situation went.


    Therefore this time, Marybelle prohibited everyone from leaving the core of the sacred palace and heading to unknown areas. This was the story hidden behind the murals�� and nothing more.


    The scenes fast-forwarded again. Nothing seemed to have changed. Everything was going well for Marybelle, at least from Rhode��s perspective. But shortly after, he detected a new problem: the conflicts between Marybelle and the other four representatives.


    As the main person-in-charge of this operation, Marybelle suggested to postpone the time to activate the Door of Akasha, just in case. She suggested investigating the earlier missing cases first before making a decision. Even though they had to wait for the Door of Akasha��s weakest period, there were cycles, after all��once every 300 years.


    300 years were almost nothing to deity wardens, angels, elves, and undead creatures.


    But not everyone agreed with her.


    The Country of Light agreed with her. It was apparent that the angels were concerned that the strange incidents weren��t just accidents and were some kind of a bad omen. If they were to open up the passageway from the Door of Akasha in this risky situation, no one knew what would happen. Moreover, the other side was still being threatened by Chaos. If Chaos were to slip into their world through the passageway, it definitely wouldn��t be an optimistic scene.


    On the other hand, the Dark Dragon��s representative rejected firmly and provided ample reasons. It was due to the current unclear situation that they should open the passageway all the more. As soon as the five Creator Dragons got here, the problems wouldn��t be relevant anymore.


    The twin dragons�� representatives didn��t provide any opinion. Just like their master, they would support the party that was more convincing.


    But this time, the meeting fizzled out as Marybelle and the Dark Dragon��s representative both made sense. Besides, there were also flaws in both their suggestions. Even though Marybelle��s idea was reliable, the best solution was to hand the situation over to the Creator Dragons before it ended up beyond what she could handle. On the other hand, there were also some issues with Dark Dragon��s representative��s suggestion because no one could confirm what would happen after activating the Door of Akasha. If some unknown enemies were to enter through the door and cause great suffering to the Dragon Soul Continent, the so-called retreat would basically be a worthless piece of paper.


    But Rhode could see that Marybelle apparently predicted this response. She would rather not open the Door of Akasha. Even if her troops were sacrificed entirely, she wasn��t willing to witness unknown threats wreaking havoc in the Dragon Soul Continent, unless she was able to determine who they were. Up until this point in time, Rhode didn��t know if Marybelle��s choice was right or wrong. After all, if she had opened the Door of Akasha back then, perhaps Earth wouldn��t have an indigenous civilization now��


    Days passed and the scenes flashed by before Rhode. He couldn��t find any useful clues. Even though Marybelle conducted investigations several times herself, there was no development to what happened around the Door of Akasha that night. Same went for the elite troops who disappeared as though they had vanished entirely from this world.


    But not only was Marybelle not feeling assured, but she also became increasingly worried. She felt like this peacefulness was a sign of danger that was arriving. She raised her guard and stopped patrols from leaving faraway from the sacred palace.


    And the danger erupted without any signs.


    At the time of the countdown of 50 days for the Door of Akasha opening, Marybelle received news that contact was lost with the Dark Dragon��s representative��s campsite!


    This news shook everyone.


    This time, even the twin dragons�� representative joined in the discussion as to whether they should activate the Door of Akasha. This was because the other four representatives were similar in strength and Marybelle was the strongest. And now, they had lost contact with the Dark Dragon��s representative all of a sudden and this raised their guard.


    This time. Marybelle quickly gave an order for everyone to move into the Void Palace, at the same time requesting the remaining three representatives to head to the Dark Dragon��s camp to conduct investigations. This, time the three representatives had no hesitation at all. They executed Marybelle��s orders and transferred everyone into the Void Palace. Fortunately, as only elites were here, the palace was able to contain all of them.


    The situation became critical.


    Shortly after, Rhode witnessed a bright flash. Then, he realized he was standing in a spacious meeting hall. In the middle, Marybelle and the three representatives were having an urgent discussion. Two of them were white elves clad in robes who were apparently the subordinates of the twin dragons. On the other side, a battle angel donned in armor listened to their words sternly.


    ��I think we need to change our plan since we have lost the support of the Dark Dragon. I think we may be facing an enemy we have not seen before. No matter what, we need to be more careful in our actions.��


    ��But Your Highness Marybelle, the timing to activate the Door of Akasha is approaching. I think we should seize the opportunity to open it and let the majesties resolve this critical issue. We didn��t manage to come up with any conclusion after long investigations, but the enemies are apparently closing in. I think the situation may be out of our grasp.��


    One of the white elves knitted her brows and said in uncertainty. Facing her rebuttal, Marybelle pondered in silence and shook her head.


    ��We can��t risk it. What if the enemies attack us after we activate the Door of Akasha? Since they were capable of assassinating our companions, I think in this predicament, our situation may not be anywhere better than theirs. If we forcefully activate the Door of Akasha, we can��t be sure of when the enemies will strike. Perhaps this will bring forth more unprecedented threats!��


    ��But I think����


    Before the white elf completed her sentence, ear-deafening explosions boomed all of a sudden.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The palace shook and loud explosions disrupted their meeting. They exchanged stern looks with one another, spotting the uncertainties in their eyes. At the same time, the locked doors burst open and a flustered soldier rushed into the meeting hall.


    ��Reporting, Your Highness Marybelle. We��re under attack!��

 Chapter 1141 - A Message Spanning Over 65 Million Years (4)

    After hearing the soldier��s frantic report, Marybelle and the three representatives stood up instantly, rushing out of the meeting hall and to the balcony. Then, they gazed ahead. Looking at this scene, not even Rhode could help but take in a breath of cold air.


    Beneath the gloomy sky covered by thick dark clouds, thousands of dinosaurs were launching wild attacks on the palace. The number of them was so dense that they looked like squirming black waves crashing onto the towering building. If the palace weren��t protected by the defensive enchanted field, perhaps it would have collapsed by now. At a glance, terrifying and dangerous monsters were everywhere. Apart from the ones swimming in the ocean, all the other types of dinosaurs were clearly visible, including tall, strong herbivorous dinosaurs and small, nimble, yet dangerous carnivorous ones, bellowing and smashing onto the enchanted field with their bodies. Even while standing on this high balcony above, one could sense their malice surging forward aggressively.


    But Rhode quickly discovered that they had a common ground. Their bodies were unusually pitch-black and were surrounded by dark mist.


    ��Hmph.��


    Looking at this scene, Marybelle grimaced. She raised the magic wand high and tapped it lightly in the air.


    Just like before, along with this gentle movement, the violent monsters attacking the palace suddenly turned into powder. Their bodies began to disintegrate quickly at a speed visible to the eyes, before turning into fine particles that dispersed in the air. As there were too many particles, it looked like a tide of black sand rolling in midair, before being blown away by the wind. But��


    ��Hmm?��


    At that moment, Rhode suddenly realized something odd. Not everything disintegrated and disappeared entirely along with this attack from Marybelle. On the contrary, he was stunned to witness the faint black mist flying up with them as soon as the monsters vanished. Rhode thought that was only a special effect after the dinosaurs mutated. But he realized that the dark mist didn��t vanish like ordinary mist. Instead, they surged and coalesced while reaching for the sky. Specifically, they were heading toward that dense mass of cloud.


    ��That is��!��


    At that moment, Marybelle detected the peculiar behavior of the dark mist. Her eyes glinted as she raised the magic wand and drew a circle in midair elegantly. Along with this movement, violent gales blustered and Rhode witnessed streaks of green wind rising from the ground like an enormous hand reaching out for the dark mist that was seemingly dispersing.


    The instant the ��innocent-looking�� mist was attacked, it began to twist and turn wildly. They, who had their disguise seen through, gave up on concealing themselves. They immediately gathered at one spot and turned into a tangible, black, snake-like presence. The enormous black snake slithered, trembled violently, and rushed into the clouds.


    ��Stop it!��


    Marybelle screamed and was the first to soar into the sky. The battle angel on the other side followed her closely. The two white elves remained on the surface, ordering the others to retreat to the palace quickly and maintain the defensive line.


    As the black snake was about to escape into the clouds, Marybelle grimaced, clutching the magic wand in her hand and tapped the air��pow! The endless dark clouds covering the entire sky dissipated in an instant. The violent winds and storm vanished to nowhere. The fleeing black snake hissed, turning around abruptly, and pounced on Marybelle and the battle angel!


    The moment the black snake turned around, that enormous hand coalesced from mighty winds seized it. However, the black snake didn��t give up just yet. Instead, the instant the hand grappled it, its body bulged all of a sudden. Its body that was the thickness of a forearm swelled to the size of a water bucket in the blink of an eye and was continuing to expand!


    The large hand that was clutching the black snake couldn��t take the high amount of pressure and exploded in a loud bang. But seizing this opportunity, Marybelle and the battle angel darted ahead and surrounded it. The black snake seemed to also realize that these two enemies weren��t ones to be trifled with. It hissed, spitting out its tongue and glaring at them with its large, round eyes. As a matter of fact, Rhode felt like it wasn��t too accurate describing it as a snake because its head obviously belonged to that of a dinosaur; it was just that its body was covered in scales and it was long and slim. After taking a closer look, Rhode spotted two long front claws, while at the back, there was a pair of wings like the Pterosaurs��. The black ��snake�� simply looked like an odd monster formed by a combination of dinosaurs!


    ��������!��


    As soon as the black snake realized it had nowhere to escape, it widened its mouth and snarled, pouncing on Marybelle immediately. However, Marybelle wasn��t slow either. The instant the black snake attacked, she tapped the magic wand and an enormous ice wall burst up between them, stopping its attack completely.


    Boom!


    In a deep and loud collision, the unexpected black snake crashed head-first onto the ice wall. Shortly after, it tried to escape upon realizing its plight. But meanwhile, the ice wall extended in all directions, forming an enormous ice cage in no time. In the blink of an eye, the black snake was trapped within. However, the instant it realized the situation, it disintegrated its enormous body and returned to the black mist. Looking at this scene, Marybelle and the battle angel couldn��t help but be taken aback. But what happened next startled them! The dissipated mist had actually drilled into the ice layer and dispersed, breaking through it bit by bit!


    ��Take over the defense for now. I must capture it!��


    Marybelle gave an order immediately. Upon hearing her command, the battle angel raised her sword, arrived before the ice cage, and let out a grunt. Then, Rhode witnessed magnificent golden radiance erupting from her blade, rounding and forming an enormous, dazzling golden ritual that shrouded the ice cage. The gorgeous golden brilliance illuminated the black mist. Upon sensing the holy energy from the golden radiance, the black mist that was struggling to break through the ice shrunk back, albeit continuing to permeate through the other side of the wall at a much slower speed.


    Marybelle extended her arm, chanting under her breath while waving the magic wand in midair. Even Rhode was aware that Marybelle was serious this time. Earlier on, no matter what situation she was in, she simply tapped her ��almighty wand�� lightly. But this time, she added incantations and hand gestures. This went to show just how difficult this black mist was to deal with.


    But Rhode had a new discovery. He keenly detected that the mysterious black mist was obviously similar to the one that his group faced earlier. But he didn��t know what it was exactly. It could be seen that perhaps it was this black mist that was trapped in the ice layer cast by Marybelle.


    Although he didn��t know what Marybelle was up to, runes took shape one by one in her movement, flying toward the side of the ice cage and lining up in sequence. The runes emanated a flickering magical radiance as they slowly took shape. The black mist also seemed to notice that the runes were no pushover, which was why it accelerated with all their might, not even when a part of them was being dissipated by the holy radiance. The black mist began rolling once again, striving to reach the surface of the ice cage. At the same time, the battle angel turned grim as sweat flowed down her forehead. The sword in her hand shone brighter. Even though the holy radiance and black mist confronted each other temporarily, it seemed like the black mist had the upper hand and finally, it broke through the restraints of the ice layer!


    As soon as it broke through the ice, the rolling black mist abruptly coalesced into the skull of an enormous monster, widening its mouth, gazing at the sky, and letting out a fierce bellow!


    Roar������!


    In this savage roar, dark clouds began gathering over the clear skies. In the blink of an eye, the radiance of the sun was once again concealed. On the dusky land, cold winds and violent storms rushed forth and overwhelmed everything. The battle angel gnashed her teeth and struggled to stay in place. As for Marybelle, her voice became somewhat hasty, but her hand continued gesturing at a calm pace. Just three more runes were needed to complete this ritual!


    ��Phew����


    The storm became wilder where even Rhode had a hard time opening his eyes. He stretched out his hand to cover his eyes from the strong winds and rain, at the same time trying to keep his eyes on the scene. At that moment, Marybelle held the magic wand downward. A rune appeared and went up to its rightful position.


    Just two more runes left.


    Rumbles��


    The sound of deep, vexing, and thunderous rumbles boomed from the cloud. The continuous roaring thunder sounded like the snarls of an angry monster. At the same time, Marybelle swayed the magic wand once and another rune appeared in midair, quietly flying to its position.


    Just one more rune!


    Boom!


    When Marybelle raised her magic wand and was about to draw the final rune, thunder clapped and Rhode witnessed countless, dazzling purple thunderbolts erupting from the thick clouds, intertwining and forming a large net to envelop Marybelle and the battle angel. The blustering, powerful force struck everything in its path. Then, Rhode observed several purple thunderbolts striking the ice cage, sending ice shards scattering in all directions. Fortunately, the ice cage that Marybelle created wasn��t some inferior product and was able to withstand the test.


    But at that moment, a dozen thunderbolts struck the battle angel all of a sudden.


    ��Ahhh!��


    Even though Rhode wasn��t involved in the battle and couldn��t personally sense the might of the thunderbolts, he knew the situation was far from good after hearing the mournful screams of the battle angel. As expected, the battle angel could no longer maintain her holy light and the radiance on her blade vanished immediately. But Rhode also witnessed that the moment the dozen thunderbolts retracted from the battle angel, they seemed to turn into a palm-like presence before vanishing into the clouds in a golden flash. At the same time, the battle angel��s left arm that was struck by the thunderbolts turned black almost immediately. The battle angel decisively slashed off her injured arm with the blade, before soaring and releasing a sacred protection barrier to shroud herself.


    After breaking free from the restraints of the golden holy light, the black mist struggled even more and half of its body had escaped from the ice cage. Just a bit more and it would be able to break free entirely!


    But it was a pity that at that moment, the final rune was completely drawn by Marybelle.


    As the dazzling rune flickered, the runes that surrounded the ice cage flickered one by one and revolved swiftly. The black mist began to snarl as though it were being restrained. It wrestled and rolled away, but an unknown force held it together and it couldn��t disperse at all. And as though responding to the cries of the black mist, another thunderbolt clapped from the dark clouds. But this time, Marybelle didn��t look on without lifting a finger anymore! She clutched the magic wand and swung it with force!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    An enormous light column that was tens of meters wide descended from heaven, enveloping the entire black mist, at the same time penetrating the rolling sea of clouds. The clouds that were struck by this deadly attack retreated and scattered, vanishing into the horizon quickly. In the blink of an eye, they were nowhere to be seen.


    The radiance dissipated.


    The ice cage and black mist earlier were all gone, only to be replaced with a black sphere. It looked like a crystal ball that imprisoned darkness while hovering in the air. Looking at this scene, Marybelle heaved a sigh of relief. She turned to the battle angel. Upon detecting her gaze, the battle angel shook her head and didn��t say much.


    ��Let��s head back.��


    Marybelle said and knitted her brows. After pondering for a few moments, she turned around and left.


    Marybelle examined the black sphere after heading back to the palace. She was meticulous with her research, but the imprisoned black mist didn��t seem to have any changes as though it were lifeless. However, this didn��t pose a problem for Marybelle. She gazed at the crystal ball and after a few moments, her expression changed abruptly. Then, she extended the magic wand and tapped the crystal ball.


    ����!��


    Along with this action, the black mist inside the crystal ball suddenly changed its shape. It dispersed completely and revolved around the crystal ball swiftly like a small vortex. Marybelle frowned at this scene. She swung her arm and transformed into a light alongside the crystal ball and flew toward the horizon.


    She arrived at the Door of Akasha, staring vigilantly at it. Then, Rhode witnessed Marybelle stretching her hand out and along with this action, the barrier protecting the stone door opened up gradually. She sauntered through it, reaching into her pocket for a small, circular, key-like object, and slotted it into the gap of the Door of Akasha.


    Then, several beautiful, multi-colored light columns dazzled. The entire Door of Akasha trembled abruptly. Looking at this scene, Marybelle turned grim. She retrieved the key without speaking a word and turned around to leave.


    What happened?


    Gazing at this scene, Rhode couldn��t help but feel dubious. After all, he was only watching the scenes and wasn��t personally involved. He failed to understand this series of actions from Marybelle. The only thing he realized was that the mysterious black mist earlier should be related to the Door of Akasha albeit him not knowing what was the link between them.


    At that moment, his younger sister��s voice rang in his head.


    ��I know the answer now�� Big Brother, I know what Marybelle and the rest faced.��


    ��What is it?��


    Rhode was taken aback by her remarks and asked. But this time, the younger sister didn��t respond immediately. Instead, she asked him a question.


    ��Big Brother, you should still remember when we discussed whether we should transport the Dragon Soul Continent to Earth, right? I told you that if the Dragon Soul Continent is transported over, the rule representatives like Lydia and Erin would occupy the rule positions here.��


    ��Yes.��


    Rhode nodded. Then, he was startled.


    ��What you meant was����


    ��We��ve neglected it��!��


    This was the first time he heard a sense of remorse in her voice.


    ��Big Brother, just as you know, there isn��t a clear separation between Order and Chaos on Earth because they are interdependent! The same time when Order returned to its place, Chaos will also do the same! Even though we��ve sealed the power of the Door of Akasha, it is still the product of the strength of Order and Chaos! We may be able to use its side of Order, but we can never wipe out the strength of Chaos contained within. In other words����


    ��In other words�� the concept of Chaos inside the Door of Akasha�� is starting to merge with the concept of Chaos here?��


    Rhoded gnashed his teeth and said word by word.

 Chapter 1142 - Marybelle’s Decision

    Everything was relative.


    Rhode swore that he had never imagined the Door of Akasha to be related to Chaos. But come to think of it, it did make sense. The Door of Akasha wasn��t a product of Order to begin with. Back then, the five Creator Dragons stole it from the core of Chaos in order to start a new world, so it was impossible to treat it as an ally who swore allegiance to Order. It was merely a tool, just like antivirus software. Its job was to remove viruses and it didn��t need to care if it would accidentally wipe out one��s important documents, causing one to wipe off tears while reformatting the computer. This just wasn��t in its range of work, after all.


    In fact, this was indeed an oversight by the Creator Dragons, including the Void Dragon. Back then, they sealed their powers in the Door of Akasha and only valued how they should operate it, ignoring its essence. It was neither an ally nor enemy of Order and Chaos. Just like as the younger sister mentioned, Order and Chaos on Earth wasn��t as clear cut as they were on the Dragon Soul Continent. They were less active and be it Order or Chaos, they had no way of bringing about self-will.


    Judging from this aspect, the ��civilization�� of the Dragon Soul Continent was more advanced than Earth. In this case, after the Dragon Soul Continent arrived in this world, it would have been effortless for them to grasp the place. It was like well-trained soldiers with heavy firearms occupying the territory of a group of club-wielding and unevolved monkeys who had just learned to use tools.


    However, everything was relative.


    Martians had technologies that were a dozen times more advanced than Earth. They were invincible on Earth, but fell apart to a little cold. The British brought rabbits to Australia. In the end, the rabbits who had lost their natural predator became Australia��s largest ecological disaster after they reproduced massively. This proved that the relationship between foreign species and natives might likely cause disasters. Rhode remembered playing a sci-fi game. The story narrated how humans boarded spaceships and headed to Mars. Back then, Mars had a verdant, exuberant, and uniquely beautiful ecosphere. Humans were fascinated by it. They resided in Mars and began building their second haven. But shortly after, disaster struck. Humans brought harmless bacteria that didn��t exist on Mars. The bacteria quickly spread on Mars and broke the balance of the ecosphere. Lush forest withered. Green plains all over the surface dried up. Animals died after losing their source of food. The land fissured. After the ecosphere lost its balance, Mars��s atmosphere became thin and fragile. Eventually after several years, the ebullient planet turned into a lifeless one.


    Of course, Rhode was certain that the five Creators didn��t play this game or watch similar movies. But even if they did, it wouldn��t matter too much. After all, every invasion of alien species was followed by the process of human colonization. And now, the five Creator Dragons tried all ways to escape from the infiltration of Chaos. As for what ecological hazard foreign species had on the natives�� they would be dead if they didn��t escape. Who would still be in the mood to care about that?!


    But now, it seemed like they had no choice but to care about it.


    Rhode began to treat the issue seriously. In fact, he wasn��t sure if what his younger sister said was correct. Of course, he had to admit that there was this possibility because Chaos in the Dragon Soul Continent had self-awareness. The activation of the channel would first pass through the Chaos barrier surrounding the Dragon Soul Continent before opening up to teleportation channels connecting to other worlds. And now, in order to use the Door of Akasha to open up a channel connected to the Dragon Soul Continent, it would also need to pass through the dense Chaos barrier. In this situation, it wouldn��t be surprising if Chaos seized the opportunity and invaded.


    This could also explain why no one was able to get the point. They didn��t expect themselves to come to a new world but still have to deal with their ��old friend��.


    Fortunately, this battle could be considered to have uncovered the enemy��s true identity, which assured Rhode to a certain extent. That was how battles were. One wasn��t afraid of how powerful the other party was. One was only terrified of not knowing who the other party was. Rhode reached perfection with this method of his. In the Dragon Soul Continent when he dealt with enemies in the early stages, he tried to conceal himself as much as possible, not allowing the enemies to know his moves. Then, he would attack at the crucial moment and eliminate them completely. Due to this reason, Rhode was most concerned about not grasping information about the enemies. And now, no matter how powerful the enemies were, he felt assured after learning their true identity and origin��at least they weren��t new foreign species and didn��t come from some underground civilization.


    What Rhode wished to see the most was how Marybelle resolved this tough challenge.


    The cheap tricks of Chaos here weren��t too different from their tricks in the Dragon Soul Continent. Chaos contaminated other creatures, turning them into their lackeys. But this time, only a small part of them were contaminated and they weren��t able to shake off the chaotic way of thinking of Chaos. If not, they wouldn��t have attacked and stirred trouble after gaining just some powers. Such a chaotic way of thinking really suited Chaos Beings.


    But there was still a difference. Rhode discovered that the creation of Chaos seemed to become more intelligent, just like the black snake. If it were just an ordinary Chaos Being, it would basically be a fired arrow that couldn��t be recovered. Similar to devils, they charged ahead at the start of the battle and didn��t turn back after hitting the wall. They continued to crash the wall until either they were dead or the wall collapsed. As for ��battle strategies�� like a strategic roundabout or dodging of attacks, it was totally meaningless to them.


    But this time, they actually learned to escape during their fight against Marybelle?


    Not only that, but Rhode also realized that this time only a small portion of Chaos clashed against Marybelle. This meant that there were still more of them to come.


    So what would become of Chaos? Rhode didn��t know. But he vaguely detected the evolution of Chaos. That��s right, just like bacteria or how most foreign species died from not acclimatizing to a new world. However, perhaps a small portion of them might survive, continue to evolve, and adapt to the new environment. That was why Rhode felt somewhat anxious despite this not being something he was experiencing right now, but was the past instead. All he could do now was to watch on helplessly.


    Another question was why the undead creatures annihilated so quickly. That didn��t make sense at all. Even in the face of the insane attacks from the Chaos Beings, Marybelle and the battle angel manage to resist them and the latter merely broke an arm. On the other hand, the undead creatures were completely annihilated. That was an absolutely strange incident.


    But shortly after, Rhode got his answer.


    Three days after Chaos Beings attacked the sacred palace, the Dark Dragon��s representative led his remaining defeated troops and finally reunited with the major forces. That��s right, the remaining defeated troops. When they reached the sacred palace, only a number of them from hundreds of elite undead creatures were left! Besides, this group with less than 10 undead creatures was the most elite force this time. But even so, judging from their miserable and powerless look, it was obvious that they had a rough time.


    As for the other undead creatures? A complete wipeout!


    This news stunned Marybelle and the other three representatives. Fortunately, they finally knew how the undead creatures went missing. In fact, the process wasn��t all that complicated. It happened during a rainy night. The death knight who decided to go on a patrol with his elite troops was suddenly surrounded and attacked by the undead creatures in their camp. The ambush bewildered them. Even though the death knight was powerful as the representative of the Dark Dragon, its troops were all elites, after all. It was impossible for the death knight to take on a group of them like Marybelle. However, the death knight and its trusted aides relied on their strength, barely broke through the encirclement, and made it out alive. Thereafter, for safety, they didn��t contact Marybelle immediately as they were afraid that the other areas also went into rebellion. That was why they waited for a few days and after ensuring that nothing went wrong inside the palace, they hurried over.


    Marybelle and Rhode felt almost delusional to hear what the undead creatures had done. Undead Creatures betraying their own people? Oh, Lord. They were almost similar to robots, so how in the world would they do that? But shortly after, Marybelle and Rhode learned from the death knight what happened. The death knight had also conducted an investigation later on and discovered a problem.


    The undead creatures that rebelled didn��t have the thoughts of rebelling at all. On the contrary, there was a mysterious energy that entered from the outside, took control over their bodies, and infiltrated their souls. In this case, the restrained undead creatures were like robots attacked and controlled by viruses. This was the biggest difference between undead creatures and living creatures. The soul and flesh of undead creatures could be separated completely. They could rely on the power of death spells to remain in the dead body. On the other hand, the soul and flesh of living creatures were combined.


    Not only that, but Marybelle also sharply detected a problem. It was raining heavily when the undead creatures attacked.


    Previously, it was also pouring when the guards defending the Door of Akasha lost contact.


    Then, rain also came lashing down when the Chaos Beings attacked the palace.


    According to the death knight, they were also experiencing a rainstorm during the ambush.


    Moreover, the black snake escaped to the clouds after being ambushed�� Marybelle seemed to come to an understanding of something.


    What she needed to do now was to make a decision.


    ��We know what Chaos is trying to do now.��


    Marybelle stood by the table, gazing sternly at the people around her who showed complicated emotions on their faces. Even though it was great news that they learned the enemies�� identities, it was equally a challenging test for them because they knew what Chaos was trying to do.


    Although the Chaos that was seeping out of the Door of Akasha was affecting and attempting to merge with the Chaos that existed on Earth, due to the seal of the five Creator Dragons, only a small portion of Chaos managed to be leaked. There was also not much to choose from between both sides because Marybelle was one of the representatives of the Order rules and had merged with the Order on Earth. In this case, it was temporarily a draw between the fight of Chaos and Order.


    Both sides needed reinforcements.


    But from where?


    The answer was clear cut. The Door of Akasha.


    It was previously mentioned that the Door of Akasha wasn��t an ally of Order. Neither did it care about who was making use of it, nor whether Order or Chaos had the upper hand. It was an ultimate creation artifact that existed before Order and Chaos had taken shape fully. There was no reason for it to be mindful of such a small matter.


    And now, as Chaos was closing in, Marybelle only had to do one thing: open the Door of Akasha and allow the five Creator Dragons to bring their people over. But�� There was a serious problem involved. When the channel behind the Door of Akasha was opened, it would need to pass through the Chaos barrier first. In other words, Chaos that detected some abnormalities would be ready to cause trouble. When that happened, it would once again reach out to the Chaos on Earth and dominate or even corrode the Door of Akasha as its own. What should they do if that happened?


    Previously, Marybelle and the others didn��t face this problem when they first arrived. One of the biggest reasons for that was that Chaos and Order harmonized with each other on Earth and didn��t take shape and possess self-awareness. But it was different now. Chaos had occupied a place in this world.


    But if they didn��t open the Door of Akasha, the situation wouldn��t get any better�� which was why Marybelle had to make a decision now.


    ��We need to activate the Door of Akasha.��


    She stared at everyone and emphasized each word. The group revealed ashen expressions. They weren��t fools. They knew how tough it was to do it, especially under such circumstances. Besides, there also wasn��t much time left for them.


    The scenery started switching quickly.


    In an instant, the scenes before Rhode��s eyes changed yet again. He found himself at the location of the Door of Akasha. Around the door were fully-armored soldiers, elves, angels, and Marybelle��s subordinates. The representatives of the five Creator Dragons had gathered and stood in front of the Door of Akasha. At that moment, they were chanting incantations under their breaths. Shortly after, strings of runes appeared out of thin air and circular layers upon layers of defensive barrier emerged over the Door of Akasha. Then, Marybelle stared at the door with a solemn gaze, extended her hand into her pocket, and retrieved the key.


    For some unknown reason, Rhode felt like the instant Marybelle retrieved the key, she gazed toward the direction of the death knight subtly. But shortly after, Marybelle shifted her gaze ahead, stretching out her hand and slotting the key into the Door of Akasha.


    ��Please hear my pleas, o�� mighty creation artifact! Please open thy door and show us the faraway destination alongside the path of the soul!��


    As Marybelle shouted, a deep rumble sounded, followed by a series of dazzling radiance erupting from the Door of Akasha. Then, the heavy stone door in front of everyone opened gradually.


    A blinding white brilliance emerged from behind the door. At a glance, Rhode witnessed an endless darkness but at the same time, a path of light extended forward swiftly, reaching all the way into the boundless void of darkness. Looking at this scene, everyone couldn��t help but heave a sigh of relief. But before they were fully assured, they heard a thunderous boom.


    Boom!


    Here it comes!


    Rhode��s heart sank upon hearing the ear-deafening roar of thunder. He turned around and witnessed the clear sky being concealed by dark clouds at lightning speed! The dense mass of dark clouds rolled, growled, and rushed ahead, concealing the entire sky in the blink of an eye. At the same time, several purple thunderbolts clapped one after another!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    In an instant, the Earth trembled, where even with the protection of the defensive enchanted field and shield, they couldn��t face this terrifying disaster. However, the worst catastrophe had yet to come!


    Boom!


    A purple thunderbolt struck the ground, leaving a pit on the surface. Shortly after, the soil in the pit began to loosen. An arm burst out from the softened soil and shortly after, a human-shaped creature exuding a black mist crawled out of it!


    He was Marybelle��s subordinate who went missing from the core region earlier!


    ��We��re under attack!��


    In just a few seconds, they were surrounded by almost 100 powerful Chaos Beings from all directions. Apart from the missing people, there were also undead creatures that were corroded by Chaos. Not only that, but as bellows filled the sky, the surrounding forest also began to sway. Rhode witnessed the Chaos Beings that escaped previously showing up in front of them again!


    In an instant, fierce roars of battle resounded in the air.


    Dazzling blade rays, spiritual and magical radiances intertwined and tore apart the dusky land. At that moment, if Marybelle could free up her hands, she would instantly wipe out all the trouble. But the problem was that she was maintaining the channel with the other four representatives. The channel relied on their powers, as well as the sealed powers of the Creator Dragons in order to pass through the Chaos barrier and link up with the Dragon Soul Continent!


    The path of light continued to extend forward. At that moment, soldiers and Chaos Beings clashed. But overall, the soldiers weren��t looking great as the ones who were first contaminated by Chaos were the strongest among them. Moreover, the threats from the Chaos Beings shook the entire defensive line. The representatives of the five Creator Dragons couldn��t get their hands free to give support!


    The path of light continued to spread and everything seemed to be going well. But at that moment, the death knight that stood beside Marybelle and was also maintaining the channel suddenly let out a snarl. Then, its scarlet eyes instantly turned into a deep green shade. It gave up its duty, unsheathed the sword, and slashed at Marybelle with all its might!


    Facing this ambush, Marybelle wasn��t flustered at all. She swung her arm to the side and a shield appeared immediately, stopping the death knight��s attack. Even though she successfully resisted its attack, the channel that had lost two sources of power began to falter. Rhode witnessed the path of light in the distance crashing to the lack of strength. Not only that, but a turbid, raging wave also erupted from within and surged along the path!


    ��We can��t maintain the channel!��


    Looking at this scene, the two bewildered elves shrieked. Upon hearing their remarks, Marybelle swept a glance at the Door of Akasha and extended her magic wand, tapping it on the door with force.


    Boom!


    Along with this movement, the Door of Akasha cracked abruptly and restored into its state of the original five slates quickly. The spatial channel that they finally opened up shut down entirely. At the same time, Rhode felt his vision blinded by a flash. Then, a massive explosion and dazzling glare enfolded the world.


    Rhode��s world turned into a murky darkness.


    After an unknown period of time, the darkness faded away. Rhode lifted his head and couldn��t help but take in a breath of cold air. The Door of Akasha erected before him earlier had vanished entirely, only to be replaced by a gigantic pit spanning over several hundreds of kilometers long. Not only that, but everything was also destroyed by that explosion. Only Marybelle stood on the same spot, gazing at the floating slates before her with an extremely calm expression.


    ��Seems like we��ve failed����


    Then, Rhode heard Marybelle��s voice by his ear.

 Chapter 1143 - The Choice after 65 Million Years

    Marybelle��s choice failed. They weren��t able to support the channel connected to the Dragon Soul Continent while being attacked by Chaos. But this time, Marybelle once again proved how meticulous and prepared she was. Upon detecting failure, she activated the spell that she had prepared for a long time to disintegrate the Door of Akasha entirely. The impact was so powerful that it engulfed the entire planet without any warning.


    ��We need to destroy the remains of Chaos. The best way to do that is to turn everything into nothingness.��


    The shock waves of the explosion expanded over the next few days, enfolding the entire world within it. The force of death swept across the land, sending everything to their graves. But to Marybelle, this wasn��t enough yet. For caution��s sake, she headed to the moon herself and buried the five Akasha Slates under the moon��s surface in separate locations as there were no life forms. Even though the fusion of Order and Chaos on Earth brought a crisis upon them, it also gave them an opportunity��a place without Order and Chaos��a place of nothingness. In this case, it would be tougher for Chaos to lay hands on the slates. Be it Order or Chaos, they had their own meaning of existence. But nothingness��as long as there was nothing, there would be no distinction between Order and Chaos.


    ��We��ve done everything we could. We failed, but we won��t let Chaos get away with it.��


    The scenery changed once again.


    First to appear around Rhode was the palace he was in. But unlike the calmness and serenity of the past, the palace was faced with fierce ambushes and assaults. Not only that, but Rhode was also astounded to realize that the defensive shield meant to protect the palace had vanished completely!


    Clashes between protectors of the palace and Chaos Creatures took place all over the palace. Rhode didn��t know how the Chaos Creatures managed to sneak into the palace, but it was apparent to him that neither side was doing well. The sky was still masked by dark clouds. The storm earlier turned into a snowstorm. At a glance, a white snowfield had covered over the stretch of land and there was nothing else apart from it. At that moment, fierce battles continued inside the palace.


    ��Argh!��


    One of the knights flew across the air and crashed into the wall heavily before Rhode. However, he didn��t give up. He gnashed his teeth, rolled away from the Chaos Creature��s attack, and raised his sword. In a flash of the blade, the Chaos Creature collapsed to the ground, screeching in agony. Pitch-black, putrid blood spurted out from its body, flowing all over the floor. The knight didn��t even glance at his spoils of war. He turned around, raised his sword, and brandished at another enemy that pounced on him.


    This was the scene that Rhode and the others had witnessed. But compared to that scene from the sealed ice, this time it was more shocking. Both sides were fighting for survival. No one wished to lose and die. Rhode had to admit that Marybelle was really smart and vicious. She used the explosion of the Door of Akasha to destroy all lives on Earth, taking the initiative in this fight from Chaos, which relied on life forms. After all, in this plane of existence, the fusion of Order and Chaos had equally weakened the strength of Chaos. In terms of the situation, there wasn��t much to choose from between the two sides.


    But, what about Marybelle?


    At this thought, Rhode lifted his head and gazed at the tall pyramid in the center of the plaza. Then, he spotted her quickly.


    The young lady raised the key to the Door of Akasha high up in her hand as it emanated dazzling and colorful radiances. On the other hand, the Chaos Creatures were launching attacks on the pyramid frantically. Even though Rhode didn��t know what they were up to, he could understand just by looking at this scene. It was highly likely that the Chaos Creatures were targeting the key in Marybelle��s hand. And now that the Door of Akasha had disintegrated and Marybelle continued to activate the key, it only meant one thing: she lured the Chaos Creatures here on purpose.


    What is she trying to do?


    Even though Rhode wasn��t aware of what exactly was going on, he quickly discovered that the Chaos Creatures were acting abnormally. Their eyes were dull and lifeless as though they were being enchanted by something. Just as Rhode decided to check the situation out, Marybelle flipped her wrist around, put away the Akashic Key, and raised the magic wand high up in the air!


    Along with this action, Rhode witnessed several streaks of white radiance flare up all of a sudden. The Chaos Creatures that were in the midst of battle seemed to realize the change in situation. The glints in their eyes brightened. They lifted their heads and bellowed as though something weren��t right. Rhode looked up and saw a dazzling defensive barrier had enfolded the entire region. Marybelle clutched the magic wand and tapped it forward gently. At that moment, Rhode witnessed the Chaos Creatures on the periphery of the palace turning around and attempting to escape. But it was a pity that it was too late for them.


    The entire plaza became incomparably bright. At a glance, runes had occupied the sky above it densely. An ice-cold aura erupted and in an instant, Rhode witnessed an omnipresent blue brilliance that forced him to close his eyes. And when he opened his eyes again, everything had changed.


    Hard, biting-cold ice enfolded everything, which wasn��t too different from what Rhode and the rest had seen. But there was something different about it��


    ��Ahhhhhhh!��


    As soon as the ice sealed off everything, a deep, painful growl sounded. Rhode spotted a burst of black mist exuding from the Chaos Creatures trapped in the ice layer which gradually coalesced into shape. However, it seemed like Marybelle was waiting for this moment. She tapped the air with her magic wand. A round, gorgeous, and intricate magical ritual the size of the entire plaza appeared all of a sudden.


    ��I��ve been waiting for you, Agios of Chaos.��


    ���� Presence Deity Warden�� Marybelle!��


    Upon hearing Marybelle��s calm voice, the enormous mass of black mist howled. Its voice was filled with matchless rage. But facing the wrath of the black mist, Marybelle seemed unusually calm. She gazed quietly at it, narrowing her eyes.


    ��I knew it was you. Ever since the undead creatures rebelled, I have been thinking who amongst Chaos is capable of doing it. But I didn��t expect it to be you who escaped from the Door of Akasha. But that��s fine. Since you��re here, I shall take Her Majesty��s place in capturing you!��


    ��Don��t even think about it, damn deity warden. You can��t��!��


    The black mist struggled after hearing her remarks. But this time, before it finished its sentence, Marybelle tapped the magic wand forward and the enormous magical ritual descended abruptly. Just like that, the magical ritual suppressed the black mist, causing it to vanish entirely.


    After releasing the magical ritual and ensuring the black mist was gone, Marybelle wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead, lifted her head, and gazed at the sky.


    ��This is the end����


    The young lady muttered under her breath and the palace trembled as fissures emerged across the land. The enormous structure fell into the underground abyss. At the same time, a gigantic ice column appeared from underneath her feet, sealing her inside in the blink of an eye. Shortly after, everything sank into the endless, dark abyss��


    Everything ended.


    The white mist once again took over the place of the darkness. This time, Marybelle stood in front of Rhode.


    ��I suppose you know everything that happened to us now.��


    ��Yes.��


    Upon hearing Marybelle��s words, Rhode nodded in response. Then, he puckered his brows and asked dubiously.


    ��But what��s with that Chaos Creature at the end? Did you seal it within the palace? Why didn��t you eliminate it instead? With your powers as the Presence Deity Warden, don��t you have the strength to defeat it?��


    ��Agios of Chaos is a tough one to deal, compared to the rest of Chaos. If I were in the Dragon Soul Continent, I would have a hundred methods to eliminate it. But it is a pity that I can��t do it here. Heir of the Void Dragon, Chaos and Order are merged as one in this world and the enemies have already merged into Chaos of this world. Therefore, if I wish to eliminate it, it would mean that the Order of this world will also be destroyed by me. At least from what I sense, the strength of Order is slightly stronger than Chaos in this world. As long as the presence of Order is maintained, we can subdue the power of Chaos. But if I destroy the Order of this world, Chaos will most likely regain control and threaten the Dragon Soul Continent�� I will never allow that to happen.��


    ��In that case����


    ��I��ve sealed it up using my body as the core. I know why you��re here, heir of the Void Dragon. I sense the energy waves of the Door of Akasha from you. Even though I don��t know how you did it, there is no doubt that you��ve done it. But I regret to tell you that you can��t awaken my original self. Besides, I will not let it happen, nor hand the Akashic Key to you.��


    After hearing her words, Rhode twitched his brows. But he quickly understood what she meant. This was the main reason why Marybelle disintegrated the Door of Akasha after the mission failed. And now, if Rhode tried to awaken Marybelle, it meant that the Chaos Creature that she sealed would also revive alongside her. In this case where Marybelle couldn��t possibly eliminate it, Rhode would only be repeating the entire process even if he retrieved the Akashic Key and opened up the channel. Besides, the situation would turn out even more complicated than before since there were no humans on Earth back then��


    ��What should we do��?��


    ��I will not be awakened unless you defeat Agios of Chaos.��


    Along with this sentence, Marybelle��s presence became fuzzy and the dense white mist began to disperse. Shortly after, Rhode suddenly found himself back where he came from as Lydia, Erin, and the others surrounded and gazed at him curiously.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, what exactly happened?��


    Upon hearing Lydia��s question, Rhode gazed at the people around him and let out a sigh.


    ��It��s a long story����


    Even though he said that, he made use of time and swiftly narrated the entire situation to them. After hearing his explanations, not only were Lydia and Erin bewildered, but Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were also dumbfounded. After all, they were born on Earth and understood its history to a certain extent.


    ��Alright, Leader. Now we finally know who��s the main culprit behind the dinosaurs�� extinction. Even though it doesn��t sound logical, it is much better than the theory of a meteorite crashing onto Earth. But no matter what the truth is, it doesn��t affect me anyways. But I still have to thank her. If it weren��t for her, perhaps humans may not have evolved to this stage.��


    After hearing Rhode��s words, Mini Bubble Gum shrugged.


    ��What should we do next? Didn��t that deity warden say we can��t awaken her unless we defeat that ��Agios of Chaos�� fella? If we can��t awaken her, we won��t get the Akashic Key. Without the key, we can��t return to the Dragon Soul Continent. It seems like our only way is to defeat that Chaos Creature?��


    At that moment, Canary knitted her brows and sounded her opinion.


    ��But�� Rhode also said that Order and Chaos in this world are merged. If we cause Order to crumple after eliminating the Chaos Creature, nothing good would come out of it, surely. Perhaps Chaos might turn out even stronger than Order when that happens and we will have a harder time dealing with this issue. Besides, it may also affect Earth�� but before that, we have a more important question. Will we be able to eliminate it using our power?��


    ��That��s no problem at all.��


    After some serious considerations about the strength of that Chaos Creature, Rhode nodded confidently. At least from what he witnessed, that Chaos Creature seemed to be most adept at infiltrating and manipulating undead creatures. Fortunately, Rhode didn��t have many undead creatures on his side. Even though Rhode��s strength was weakened, he was still at the peak of level 85. Moreover, as a Spirit Swordsman, he had a ton of holy sword cards in his arsenal. Apart from Shira who might possibly be manipulated by the Chaos Creature and couldn��t be used in battle, there shouldn��t be much problems with summoning the rest. Furthermore, with Mini Bubble Gum and Canary around, as well as the coordination of Lydia and Erin, there shouldn��t be too many issues. Even if it had the mighty strength of a lord, this was the only path they could take.


    It would naturally be great news if they succeeded as not only would he gain another deity warden, but he would also receive a group of elites. According to Marybelle, the people sealed in the ice layer were still alive. They were all elite troops of the Void Dragon��s subordinate! If Rhode could bring them back, he could definitely strengthen the Void Territory in every aspect.


    But how should they go about eliminating that Chaos Creature and avoid causing damage to Order and Earth?


    Ordinary methods wouldn��t cut it. After all, Rhode hadn��t reached the height of the Void Dragon and the collapse of Order might lead to a chain reaction. That was why the best way was to separate their fusion, but that apparently wasn��t too possible. If not, Marybelle would have already done it. The other way was to send it to another space once again. However�� If Rhode��s group was capable of doing that, they wouldn��t need the Door of Akasha in order to return home.


    Just what exactly should we do?


    While Rhode pondered hard, his younger sister who kept silent all this while suddenly spoke.


    ��Big Brother, I have a solution that can perhaps resolve this problem.��


    ��Oh?��


    This piqued Rhode��s curiosity.


    ��What solution?��


    ��In fact, it isn��t that complicated. Even though you��ve left your dragon essence in the Dragon Soul Continent, you��re still the Void Dragon who holds the authority to open up space, after all. What we need to do isn��t to open up a new space, but grant independent authority to a space. Through this method, we can build a brand new space that has nothing to do with this world and toss it in entirely. But�� you may need to make some sacrifices for it to work, Big Brother.��


    ��No worries. How should we go about doing it?��


    ��Simple.��


    This time, his younger sister chuckled.


    ��Big Brother, you have a venue card, right?��

 Chapter 1144 - Agios of Chaos

    What the younger sister suggested was simple, but practical.


    Indeed, Rhode had a venue card in his arsenal, which was the only venue card he owned��[Casali under the night sky]. The unique feature of this venue card was that it could drag enemies into the core world of its deck. It was like how a legendary figure could pull enemies into his or her realm but with less pressurizing might. And now, what Rhode needed to do was to use his ��authority�� as the Void Dragon and grant [Casali under the night sky] the identity of a ��real world��. As a matter of fact, it was like creating a brand new world, just that the world was only as huge as a grassland. But it was more than sufficient for the current situation. Even though it seemed small, it was still a perfect ��world��, wasn��t it?


    But there were still flaws.


    According to the younger sister, in order to eliminate that Chaos Creature completely, not only would Rhode need to defeat it inside the Venue Card to prevent it from breaking through the limitation of space and starting all over again, but he also had to offer the card as a sacrifice. This also meant that Rhode had to give up on his one and only Venue Card. In that case, the strength of the Ultimate Army Deck would surely drop. However, this was still a worthwhile deal to him considering the benefits that came with it after defeating the Chaos Creature.


    Later on, Rhode explained to the rest what they would be doing next. Since he couldn��t possibly bring the powerless Thomas and the rest along for the battle, he decided to leave them behind. Of course, even though there weren��t many issues now, it didn��t mean that there wouldn��t be in the near future. For safety��s sake, Rhode left some people in his group behind and they were��


    ��Why?! Leader!��


    Mini Bubble Gum pouted and stared at Rhode in discontentment.


    ��Why must Big Sister and I stay back, while the two impostors follow you and fight the BOSS together? That��s not fair��!��


    ��Ha! A brat will always be a brat!��


    Before Bubble No. 1 finished her complaint, Bubble No. 2 interrupted with total contempt.


    ��Are you even aware of the situation? Leader means well for both of you. We are different from you two. We are projections who won��t die even if we want to. But you two are humans who will be done for if anything were to happen. Do you really think you can revive just like in the game? The upcoming battle will be really dangerous. You two aren��t inhabitants of the Dragon Soul Continent either. If you��re dead, you can only reflect upon yourself in your graves!��


    ��Tsk��!��


    Bubble No. 1 gnashed her teeth in rage. Of course, she understood what her other self meant. If it were Canary who said it, she wouldn��t mind. But how could she tolerate her other self saying that to her?


    That was why humans were only capable of seeing the problems and errors of others��


    ��Why are you acting all so arrogant like you��re someone high and mighty? Aren��t you the same as me!��


    ��Oh? I��m much more mature than you. Besides, I did something that you can never, ever compete against!��


    Upon hearing Bubble No. 1��s grumbles, No. 2 revealed a proud expression. The latter extended her hand, cupped her almost flat chest, and narrowed her eyes to scan her original self. After witnessing No. 2��s actions, No. 1 felt even more upset as she glared back at her. Upon seeing her stare, No. 2 displayed a satisfied smile as though she were the winner and this pissed No. 1 off. However, just as No. 1 was about to blow her top, No. 2 presented a smug smile and spoke.


    ��I have done it with Leader. How about that? Am I not better than you?��


    ��What!!!��


    Bubble No. 1 widened her eyes, turning to Rhode who stood at the side. On the other hand, Canary also turned to him with a slightly surprised expression. As for Lydia and Erin, they didn��t have any particular reactions. After all, the customs of Earth and the Dragon Soul Continent were very much different, where it couldn��t be more normal for a noble like Rhode to have many servants around him. Besides, even though it was a crime to do it with Mini Bubble Gum according to the laws on Earth, her age was basically legal for marriage in the Dragon Soul Continent. But even so, Lydia and Erin watched the show amusingly as bystanders, which went to show no matter in which world, the ��gossip�� talent in females was definitely maxed out.


    ��Ugh����


    Upon detecting everyone��s gaze, Rhode felt somewhat awkward. He let out a cough quickly, turned to face the sky, and blew a whistle.


    ��I wonder where��s the summer, where��s the summer�� summer����


    ��Leader, how dare you go for this impostor instead of me!��


    The enraged Mini Bubble Gum interrupted his whistles. Facing her accusation, he could only turn around and feign innocence. In such a scenario, the more he said, the more mistakes there would be. Moreover, women were unreasonable at such moments. Whatever he said would be deemed as excuses and used against him. Furthermore, it was a delusional brat like Mini Bubble Gum he was dealing with, which was why he pretended to not hear anything, turning around and getting ready for battle. Fortunately, Thomas and the others were already tossed aside and didn��t hear the commotion.


    ��Hmph!��


    Upon staring in rage at Rhode and the others leaving, Mini Bubble Gum stomped her foot on the ground and clenched her fist. At that moment, Canary came over with a forced smile, placing her hand on Bubble��s shoulder.


    ��Alright, Bubble, don��t be angry. You know Rhode didn��t mean it that way.��


    ��I know, but I just don��t feel good�� Hmph. I shall let this matter go for the bigger picture. But once everything is over, I will demand an explanation from Leader!��


    While Mini Bubble Gum grumbled, she gazed at the crowd that had disappeared into the depth of the shadowy plaza. Then, she raised both middle fingers.


    ��Leader, you idiot!��


    ��Achoo!��


    Rhode shivered from head to toe and sneezed. He rubbed his nose and at that moment, Lydia��s exquisite face appeared before him. She brought upon a witty and elegant smile, while gazing at him curiously.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, your reaction earlier isn��t gentlemanly at all.��


    ��Now isn��t the time for that, Your Highness Lydia. When I have the time in future, I shall let you meet my ��gentlemanly�� side,�� Rhode responded, gazing at her eyes. Lydia shrugged, the corners of her mouth lifted into a peculiar smile. She turned around and continued strolling ahead.


    After strolling across the ice-sealed plaza, the group��s journey hadn��t ended yet. What stood before them was a pitch-black flight of stairs leading downward. The dim magic crystals on both sides of the wall emanated a green radiance. But despite that, they weren��t able to disperse the deep darkness around the stairs. One felt a bone-piercing cold as soon as one stood on the spot and gazed downward into the darkness. It was an instinctive reaction from when an unknown feeling throbbed deep down in one��s soul, instead of being influenced by the external environment.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode?��


    ��Down there.��


    Gazing at the flight of stairs, Rhode took in a deep breath of air before looking solemnly at the rest, especially Lydia and Erin.


    ��Remember, this Chaos Creature is entirely different from the ones we faced earlier. According to what I witnessed, not only is it incredibly powerful, but it is also as elusive as mist. It can also control purple thunderbolts from the clouds and use them to contaminate beings that are struck. That is why we need to defend ourselves fully. Never take risks and don��t stop protecting yourselves from the start and to the end of this battle. Understand?��


    Upon hearing his words, everyone nodded in response. After ensuring there were no issues, Rhode turned around, looked at the stairs, and took in a breath of air.


    ��Let��s go.��


    He commanded.


    The stairs remained shadowy. As everyone descended deeper, the black mist became increasingly denser, where not even Lydia��s and Mini Bubble Gum��s holy light could eradicate it fully. Along the way, the group wasn��t attacked by any monsters that leapt out of the darkness. But this didn��t mean that the enemies weren��t aware of their arrival. On the contrary, everyone sensed a mysterious, sinister, and tyrannical gaze staring at them from the darkness. At that moment, they were as though about to have an audience with a king. The atmosphere grew heavier and the tranquil depths of darkness reverberated with strange bellows.


    This is the place.


    Rhode came to a halt. He looked up at the enormous stone door that was three-meters-tall and five-meters-wide. Unlike other stone doors, this was covered with translucent and sparkling ice-crystal chains that were as thick as thighs. They flickered in clear, bright, magical radiance as though introducing themselves as the presence sealing the creature inside.


    Rhode raised his right hand and moved his palm slightly. Shortly after, a card appeared in his hand. At the same time, lines of system prompt appeared before his eyes.


    [Detected Venue Card����Casali under the night sky]


    [Activate Authority of Void����Target detected. Casali under the night sky]


    As the two texts emerged, the card in his hand trembled all of a sudden. The still scenery on the card picture began to cycle. The sun rose, illuminating the plains before setting into the horizon. Then, the silver moon appeared, taking over and bringing a gentle radiance to the land. At that moment, the card was like a looping cycle of day and night, switching between them quickly. Rhode also had a fascinating feeling emerging from inside his heart as though he were playing a construction game. He witnessed growth and development on an empty, desolate land. From desolate to bustling and from an empty desert wasteland to luxuriant prairies�� Sky and land separated and light and darkness re-emerged�� this was the start of a world and it would also become the end of it.


    ��Phew����


    After a few moments, Rhode finally returned to his senses, gazing silently at the card in his hand. Even though it took less than a minute for his authority to activate and until the process was completed, he felt as though thousands of years had passed. He finally understood a little as to why the five Creator Dragons strived to find a suitable space for the Dragon Soul Continent at all cost. Rhode merely gave an illusory space in the card some authority and felt like this tiny world was as though related to him, like the relationship between a father and son. If it were said that Rhode didn��t have much emotion about sacrificing this card, right now he did feel somewhat reluctant. For him to feel this way over this ��jerry-built�� world, it was imaginable what emotions the five Creator Dragons had after doing their best to build the Dragon Soul Continent, yet having to separate from it.


    Let��s do it.


    At this thought, Rhode focused his attention and threw the unrelated thoughts to the back of his head. Then, he raised a card in his hand.


    Smash!


    As soon as he lifted his hand, the card shattered all of a sudden. The fragments scattered and almost immediately after, golden rays of light emerged from the fragments and linked as one.


    In only an instant, the surroundings changed.


    The solid slab underneath their feet turned into soft grasslands. The walls on both sides also went missing. At a glance, Rhode could see the boundless horizon. What was above everyone was no longer a pressuring ceiling, but the azure sky instead. After taking a closer look, one would discover that in the west and east, the silver moon and scarlet sun existed at the same time, making the beautiful grasslands into a more captivating scene.


    This was Rhode��s masterpiece. Of course, the reason why he did it was to borrow the strength of his most powerful assistants. Lydia and Erin who possessed the authority of the sun and moon respectively would take over the authority in this aspect. In this case, the battle would be much simpler.


    Meanwhile, their enemy was just ahead.


    Rhode lifted his head. Right in front of them, an enormous, stone coffin wrapped in chains lay quietly on the plains. Dense black mist revolved around it continuously, attempting to break free from the restraints of the ice-crystal chains. At that moment, it seemed to have realized that it was sent to another world and began to wrestle even harder.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    A series of loud slams sounded from the coffin cover. The radiance of the ice-crystal chains began to turn dull. As Rhode isolated the entire stone coffin from that world, the ice-crystal also lost its source of power. Rhode knew that they were gradually becoming weaker. If his group failed to kill the enemy and it crumbled here, there would only be two choices. They would either perish with this world or return to the original world, before being deemed as ��equal�� by Marybelle and be sealed in her ice.


    But it was a pity that Rhode didn��t want any of these choices at all.


    ��Get ready, everyone. Canary, cast the elemental enchanted field. Bubble, maintain your Divine Edifice and individual defensive shield. Your Highness Lydia, Your Highness Erin, and everyone, remember to never touch the enemy!��


    Boom!


    Right after Rhode gave his commands, the ice-crystal chains wrapping the stone coffin shattered entirely. Then, a dense black mist erupted from the enormous coffin that was as tall as a skyscraper, spreading in all directions wildly and obscuring the entire sky in an instant. Shortly after, the cooling night winds turned chilly. The lush grasslands began to dry up. Everything was like the reappearance of everything that Rhode experienced earlier!


    Rumbles��!


    Dense clouds rolled and thunder clapped. Rhode stretched his hand out and a holy sword flickering in a silver radiance appeared in his hand. At the same time, Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, Lydia, and Erin launched their attacks. Vibrant and colorful magical radiances flashed across the sky. The dark clouds that expanded in all directions earlier shrunk abruptly. The sky concealed by the black mist restored its peace. The black mist gathered around the stone coffin swiftly, coalescing into an enormous human-shaped giant. Then, a deep voice resounded.


    ��Lackeys�� of Order��!��


    Along with this curse-like bellow, more and more black mist coalesced, rolled, and formed facial features on the empty face. Blinding purple thunderbolts flashed from the openings of the dark clouds. Several thunderbolts burst out and struck the ground. Fortunately, the thunderbolts weren��t able to penetrate their defenses and meanwhile, the giant seemed to discover Rhode��s group and its eyes glinted splendidly.


    ��Lackeys�� of Order��! Kill��!��


    ��Attack!��


    Rhode hesitated no more. He raised his sword high into the air and gave a command. At the next moment, dazzling streaks of blade lights turned into stars that streaked across the sky, striking at the giant.


    The battle began.

 Chapter 1145 - Strength of the Chaos Army

    Several rays of coalesced radiance erupted, aiming at the enemy from all directions. Lydia wielded her twin swords, expanding her white wings and emanating the matchless, dazzling brilliance of the sun that enveloped her like a circular, protective screen. The archangel held the swords high, releasing two golden blade rays that flitted across the air alongside blustering winds, and headed straight into the dark clouds. Upon hitting the dense layer of cloud, it shrunk as though it were pricked by needles, before rolling away and letting out roaring thunder in its retreat. Meanwhile, it erupted purple lightning bolts that struck Lydia��s defensive shield. However, the purple lightnings were deflected quickly and at the same time, Erin extended and swung her arm to the side with a sword in hand.


    Along with this movement, the horizon had as though been split into half. The formidable strength of the moon coalesced into an indestructible blade ray that swept across the entire sky into the thick layer of cloud. This attack was so powerful that the massive cloud almost split open in two. The crack in its middle was forcibly pulled apart by the external forces. Whistling blade airflows penetrated the opening and ripped apart the tumbling cloud. At a glance, there was now an obvious crack on its surface.


    ��������!��


    A deafening roar like a raging billow echoed in the clouds. Just the soundwaves alone were enough to shake the land. The clouds shrunk once again, merging into an enormous tornado from the human-shaped giant. Tremendous cold winds rose from the ground and formed a strong, sturdy barrier.


    ��Continue to give your all! It hasn��t woken up from the seal yet. Use this chance to defeat it!��


    Rhode commanded while extending his arm forward. In this motion, an enormous summoning ritual took shape underneath his feet. Shortly after, a humongous magic cannon emerged from the horizon in a loud rumble, spurting steam from its cannon opening. Then, in an ear-deafening explosion, the scarlet blast released from the magic cannon aimed straight at the opening of the clouds slashed open by Erin. In an instant, the tightly-contracted clouds rolled and swelled up like a balloon. At a glance, one could see coatings of scarlet inside the dark cloud as though it were bleeding. At the same time, the group heard an indignant wail.


    ��You�� fools!��


    After being attacked continuously, Agios was immensely enraged. After all, it was sealed and asleep for 65 million years. It finally had the chance to be awake and yet was slammed in the face before it woke up entirely. Even Chaos would feel cranky!


    At Agios��s furious snarl, the huge dense cloud changed its shape once again. It pounced on the ground and in just a few seconds, it enfolded the extensive plain completely. Then, it shrunk all of a sudden and as though being filtered through, the cloud disappeared and was replaced by a dozen fully-armored, mysterious beings which seemed like mages and knights. Not only that, but Rhode was also astonished to realize that these creatures were of different races.


    Humans, lichs, elves, and even angels?!


    Rhode exclaimed inwardly. Even though they clearly looked different, there was something similar about them. Be it which race they were, their bodies were shrouded in black mist.


    Swish������!


    But this wasn��t the time to be distracted. As soon as the mystifying creatures were summoned, they leaped and pounced on the group swiftly in trails of afterimages.


    ��Be careful, this is a tough bunch!��


    Without the need to guess, Rhode knew that these guys were definitely the very first Creator Dragons�� elites who defended the Door of Akasha. Chaos had manipulated their powers in order to maintain its presence and right now, Agios had returned the powers to their rightful owners. Even though its strength decreased greatly, it gained an advantage in numbers as a result. Judging from this decision, it went to show that Agios wasn��t naive at all. More importantly, these enemies weren��t easy to deal with either. They had far more experience than ordinary people, where even Rhode had to act cautiously against them.


    Shing!


    Right after Rhode yelled, three figures appeared before him��a human soldier clad in armor, an elf knight donned in heavy armor, and a battle angel wielding a menacing-looking sword��all three of them surrounded him and attacked without saying a word.


    ��Tsk, this cunning��!��


    The instant Rhode witnessed the shimmering blade rays flashing at him, he knew the situation was far from good. He leaped back and along in this retreat, three shadow clones split out of his body and flourished their daggers at the three enemies in front.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    However, after several rasps of blades, Rhode��s shadow clones instantly vanished into thin air after being struck in their chests. Meanwhile, Rhode seized this opening and barely broke away from the encirclement of the enemies. Looking at this scene, his heart sank slightly. These shadow clones were the essence of his [Fantasy Daybreak]. They weren��t any weaker than ordinary humans and he didn��t expect them to perish in a single attack!


    ��Come to think of it, I have a question for you, younger sister�� Back then when you dispatched these guys�� around what level were they��?��


    Rhode asked, clutching Gracier and Madaras, staring at the three enemies who had released their formation as soon as their assaults missed. Upon hearing his question, the younger sister pondered for a few moments and responded.


    ���� I��m sorry, Big Brother. These guys�� Converting their strength into level, they should be around level 90. Even though they are weaker than Lydia and Erin, the difference isn��t too huge.��


    Alright then. In this case, I��m dealing with three enemies who are slightly weaker than the ��By the God�� beings?


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s answer, Rhode couldn��t help but twitch his brows. He realized why these guys were so hard to deal with now. The truth was that their strength was just so powerful. Fortunately, as they were contaminated by Chaos, Rhode didn��t need to worry about being dragged into their legendary realms. Furthermore, the strength and level of one as an inhabitant of Order would plummet after being contaminated by Chaos. But on the other hand, Rhode also couldn��t force them into his legendary realm because they were already in [Casali under the night sky] right now!


    ��You want to take me down with numbers?!��


    As the three enemies pounced on him again, Rhode let out a snort. He extended his arms swiftly. The two shimmering daggers in his hands transformed into two shiny blade rays that flew ahead and penetrated two of them. At the same time, Rhode swung his right arm to the side. A black card appeared and flickered in his hand before transforming into a signature black chain sword overflowing with bad omens. Rhode wielded the hilt and slashed it forward.


    Kacha.


    In this crisp sound, the razor-sharp chain sword disintegrated and took shape into a pitch-black viper that snapped its jaw open. The coordination in this move was seamless from the moment Rhode hurled the twin daggers forward to after he summoned and flourished the Succubus. As though measured perfectly, the three blades of unique sizes struck at the three enemies respectively. Facing this retaliation from Rhode, the three enemies didn��t fluster at all. They gripped and brandished their swords at the blades.


    However, as they almost parried Rhode��s attack, a dazzling white radiance flickered before them. The blades that they were about to resist had disappeared and were now replaced by the emergence of three young ladies.


    The manoeuvres of Gracier and Madaras were like reflections in the mirror. They chuckled and their wide, long white robes fluttered in the air despite the shimmering blades seemingly puncturing their bodies. What was strange was that even though there wasn��t anything wrong with the attacks from the human and elf, and their weapons had clearly hacked into the two young ladies, there wasn��t any spraying blood or painful sensation at all. The weapons had swung into the phantoms of the two young ladies and couldn��t hit anything at all. But it was apparent that the human and elf were experienced fighters too. Upon realizing something was off, they turned over and raised the weapon before them immediately.


    But it was all too late.


    The shadowy figure of the Grim Reaper flitted across them in a flash. Gracier and Madaras extended their right arms forward. The hidden razor-sharp blade inside their sleeve ejected and penetrated the enemies�� throat. Then, they jumped and spun in midair like a dancer, before giggling and vanishing into thin air.


    On the other hand, the battle angel didn��t have it any easier. Facing Rhode��s attack, the battle angel slashed the sword from above. However, Rhode flipped his wrist around swiftly. The chain sword extended to revolve and wrap around the battle angel��s blade. The battle angel tried to retract the sword and retreat when suddenly, pitch-black flames erupted from the chain sword. At the next moment, Celestina emerged from the flames with a sinister laugh. She stretched out her right hand and gripped the battle angel��s skull. Before the latter reacted, three blades of black metallic sheens flew out of her sleeve and bundled the battle angel��s neck. Celestina tugged her right arm back, plucking the battle angel��s skull out of its body. The headless body swayed before collapsing to the ground completely.


    ��You want to take me down with numbers? Hmph!��


    After sweeping a cold glance at the three corpses, Rhode snorted and quickly gestured with his hand to withdraw the three holy sword cards. He had become really familiar with this strategy to hurl the weapons and make them transform into physical beings before attacking the enemies. It was especially so after his halo had leveled up. This was much more efficient than fighting at close quarters and made it easier to slaughter the enemies.


    ��Hmm?��


    At that moment, Rhode suddenly noticed the three corpses breaking down into black mist and spiraling in midair for their escape. Looking at this scene, Rhode recalled the scene he witnessed in Marybelle��s history.


    Trying to escape?!


    Gazing at the hovering black mist, Rhode swung his right arm again. Along with this movement, a silver-whitish holy sword replaced the pitch-black chain sword. He flourished the sword and silver-whitish flames emanated from the blade instantly lit the black mist. The flames were as though a monster widening its mouth to devour the fleeing black mist entirely. Shortly after, the black mist swelled up rapidly and at the same time, a mournful and blood-curdling scream erupted. Rhode witnessed the silver-whitish flames explode in a loud bang. The black mist within it was nowhere to be seen anymore.


    Seems like it worked rather well.


    Looking at the result of his attempt, Rhode narrowed his eyes. After all, in Marybelle��s history, the black mist seemed to react strongly against the battle angel��s holy light. This was why upon seeing the black mist escaping, Rhode decided to release holy flames to imprison and annihilate the mist entirely. But he was surprised that it was more effective than he had imagined.


    It seems like time is indeed a butcher��s knife. After 65 million years, even creatures of Chaos became much weaker.


    At this thought, Rhode��s eyes glinted peculiarly. Then, he disappeared in a flash.


    Meanwhile, the others were engaged in fierce battles.


    Lydia soared in midair elegantly, flapping her wings like a nimble bird shuttling through the openings of the net of blades. One by one, the shimmering blades slashing from above and below almost cut off her escape route. However, the archangel didn��t feel challenged at all. On the contrary, she brought on a gentle smile and flung up her swords, where a golden radiance ripped through the dense net of blades and penetrated the chests of two enemy battle angels.


    ��My apologies. This is the end for you two.��


    Gazing at the two battle angels, this was the first time Lydia displayed a troubled expression. However, this didn��t stop her from attacking. On the contrary, as she spoke, two golden flame spheres erupted and enveloped the two battle angels entirely, turning them into ashes. Lydia lowered her gaze without glancing at them when suddenly, she waved her swords to the back��clang! She deflected a battle ax that was swung at her. Lydia turned around and brandished her left sword at the ambusher. However, the battle angel who ambushed her from the back wasn��t a fool either. Upon realizing her failed assault, she raised the battle ax before her defensively. Clang! Lydia��s left sword struck the hilt of the battle ax. The battle angel let out a furious snarl and forcibly retaliated, which was considered somewhat of a smart move. After all, Lydia was caught in her momentum and mishandling the situation could lead to her death. Just as the battle angel waved the battle ax at Lydia, the former felt a chilly sensation in her chest, followed by erupting golden flames that enveloped her world entirely.


    ��That didn��t feel too good����


    Gazing at the battle angel��s hideous expression as she melted in the flames, Lydia��s smiley expression turned solemn. She stared at her fellow compatriot with grief as she turned into ashes and let out a sigh.


    ��I hope your souls will find peace with Order.��


    Lydia prayed, turned around, and gazed ahead where several battle angels contaminated by Chaos flew toward her. She held her swords high again.


    At the next moment, she turned into a streak of golden brilliance that pounced on them.


    ***


    Boom!


    A silver-whitish holy light descended from heaven, slamming heavily into the human knights in front of Mini Bubble Gum. Humans contaminated by Chaos were spotted all around her. Even though they kept their human appearances, their twisted and hideous expressions were completely unlike that of ordinary, rational humans. They had turned into lackeys of Chaos entirely and were carrying out orders like wild animals.


    ��Why are these guys wearing such thick armor for nothing?!��


    Mini Bubble Gum evaded the attack of a human knight swiftly. She grunted and tossed a punch forward, where a white, holy radiance exploded from her fist all of a sudden. Pow! The human knight flew into the air like a baseball on a home run. Meanwhile, Mini Bubble Gum swung her left fist downward. A light column fell from above like a steel hammer, crashing and ploughing the knight into the ground. Boom! The unfortunate knight quickly turned into ashes in this collision of this holy light.


    ��Phew����


    At that moment, Mini Bubble Gum came to a halt and flicked her hands about. After taking a closer look, one would discover that there was an enormous magical ritual with a diameter of about twenty meters underneath Mini Bubble Gum��s feet, emanating a matchless holy radiance. As soon as the enemies lurking in the distance stepped into the ritual, their movement speed would turn sluggish immediately. Thereafter, dealing with them would be much easier for Mini Bubble Gum.


    ���� I thought these guys would be a tough bunch. Seems like this is all they have.��


    Mini Bubble Gum said, pouting and gazing at the new enemies who were being coalesced from the black mist. She lifted her hands before her and stuck out two middle fingers.


    ��Come if you��re not afraid of death!��

 Chapter 1146 - Ruined Edge

    Flames blazed across the land. The scorching heat devoured the verdant plain as magma overflowed from the fissures of the melted land like creatures raising their heads with self-awareness. The sea of flames grew wider as Canary stood in its middle silently. The high temperature and violent gales congested the space around her, roaring as though they were about to destroy all living beings in this territory.


    Shing!


    A shimmering ice spear flitted across the air, fixing on the young lady. Without turning around and gazing at it, Canary pointed her right hand in its direction and almost immediately after, the surrounding flames whirled into a wall that defied the ice spear. Shortly after, two streaks of magical radiances flashed and dispersed the white mist instantly. At the same time, Canary twitched her brows slightly and leaned her body to the left subtly as a razor-sharp blade airflow burst out of the mist ferociously, aimed at her chest. If she were any other spell caster, she would be bewildered by this close-distance ambush. However, there wasn��t the slightest trace of panic on her face at all, not even when the razor-sharp blade was about to penetrate her chest and cut off strands of her hair. Canary raised her left arm and with this motion, the winds whirled around her arm like an obedient pet jumping onto her hand gently and morphed into a sturdy barrier in front of her.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    A series of rasps sounded as the blade collided on the wind shield, splattering flares in all directions. The formidable shield coalesced from mighty winds deflected the blade. The human swordsman who had missed the opportunity to take her down turned around and thrust his left leg at her calf. Canary took a step back, evading his attack immediately. However, she didn��t expect the human swordsman to continue his aggression and a dazzling flash of light appeared beside him once again. It was another fluctuating blade light that came striking at her like a specter.


    Flame sword!


    Canary witnessed the shimmering blade light but the motion of her hand didn��t come to a halt. She stooped over slightly, reached for her waist with her right hand. Along with this movement, the wavering flames gathered around her waist and quickly coalesced into a scarlet sword. She clutched the hilt and slashed forward.


    ��������!��


    The delusive blade light split the space open, only to be stopped by a bright, scarlet ray of light. In the blink of an eye, the human swordsman and Canary collided. But shortly after, the former shuddered and his head flew up into the sky as a stream of pitch-black blood sprayed from his severed neck. Before his corpse crumbled to the ground, the impatient magma in the surroundings metamorphosed into the shape of tentacles, binding the corpse tightly and dragging it into the sea of magma. Without even making a sound, the corpse melted as it submerged. Canary didn��t even glance at her defeated enemy. She swung the sword coalesced from flames without any hesitation. Shortly after, in a loud explosion, the sword transformed into multiple meteorites that launched forward. The elf mage in the distance witnessed this scene and grimaced. She grunted, lifting the staff high up and striking it on the ground with force. The vast land froze instantly. A crystal-clear ice barrier expanded like a blooming flower with her in the middle. The blazing meteorites whistling across the air crashed onto the transparent ice shield.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    White steam spurted upon impact, enveloping the elf mage entirely. Due to this reason, she didn��t witness Canary bending over again into a sword-drawing stance. Canary stared sharply at the dense white mist before her. Even though the white mist concealed her vision, her gaze was sharp, as though she saw through everything that was behind the mist. At that moment, another fiery sword took shape on her waist. This was the skill that made her famous, and also the one that she taught Marlene.


    The Sword-drawing Assault.


    As a spell caster, Canary didn��t learn ordinary and cumbersome spells. She also didn��t need to learn defensive or offensive sword skills. After all, she had unique offensive spells and as a spell caster, she could never match up against pure swordsmen in terms of swordsmanship. It would be truly foolish of her to compete against a pure swordsman. This was why she only needed to learn how to kill with a sword. Just this alone was enough.


    And this swordsmanship of hers was designed for that very purpose. There was only one move in her Sword-drawing Assault, and she couldn��t retreat after slashing the sword. This was Canary��s choice as a spell caster in fights at close quarters.


    Gazing at the mist ahead, Canary��s eyes glinted inexplicably. At the next moment, she vanished swiftly and a shiny, scarlet line passed through the ice shield. The wind pressure from this phenomenal speed scattered the mist in an instant. Before the elf mage knew it, Canary was already standing behind her, clutching her blazing sword and staring at her in silence. The elf mage maintained her fighting stance. She lifted the staff and gazed grimly ahead. Around her were countless ice crystals that had merged into a sturdy, defensive barrier. At that moment, both of them had as though come to a pause. But shortly after, a straight line emerged from the ice barrier and the late, powerful pressure raised the ice barrier that was split into two. Then, blazing flames fluttered and devoured the shattered ice barrier.


    The battles continued, but they weren��t looking favorable for Chaos.


    Even though the elites that the Chaos Creatures devoured were indeed powerful or perhaps were ��once�� powerful, time was a butcher��s knife, after all, and 65 million years wasn��t merely as simple as 65,000,000 years. The string of 0s in the back wasn��t only for show. After being restrained and sealed for such a long time, they had become extremely weak, which was why they were struggling and enraged after being attacked by Rhode��s group. This forced them to release the elites they devoured and attempt to gain an advantage using numbers to eliminate these pesky bugs.


    But it was a pity that Agios was totally unaware that the beings it devoured were nowhere as strong after its very own power had declined greatly. Moreover, the beings were people of Order to begin with, so it wasn��t surprising that their strength plummeted after being contaminated by Chaos. In this case, the elites who should have been level 90 fell into a range between level 75 and level 80. Although this wasn��t too bad, the average level of Rhode��s group was level 85. Furthermore, with the two ��By the God�� beings of Lydia and Erin around, the enemies hardly stood a chance. At the very most, they could only make Lydia and Erin exert more energy in battle.


    That was why Chaos would always be Chaos. It was impossible for them to learn how to think things through logically.


    But even so, Agios also seemed to realize the situation was getting out of hand. Not only were the elites eradicated by Rhode��s group, but its strength was also declining quickly. Lydia and Canary were informed beforehand by Rhode about the current situation. Therefore, they would never let the black mist circling around the puppets off. It was apparent they clearly knew that the black mist was the source of energy for the enemies.


    ��All you damned maggots!��


    Agios knew this couldn��t go on. He let out an outburst of anger and at that moment, its puppets attacking Rhode��s group disintegrated into black mist and retreated instantly. In a few moments, they gathered and morphed into a human-shaped thundercloud. Compared to the aggression when it first appeared, it was apparently much weaker now.


    ��Take that thing down!��


    Seizing the moment to take down a weakened opponent was always the norm for players. As soon as the puppets transformed into black mist and coalesced, Rhode dashed ahead with a sword in hand that had metamorphosed into an incomparable, holy white light striking straight at the black mist. At the same time, Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, Erin, and Lydia followed him closely and launched all-out attacks on the black mist. In an instant, the glaring brilliance of flames, gales, and holy light blasted in all directions, turning into an enormous net that enveloped the Chaos Creature ahead.


    ��Oooooh!��


    Not even the most ancient creature could withstand the agony brought upon by this menacing attack. But Rhode didn��t feel assured even after witnessing this reaction because they did not have much time left. If they didn��t defeat Agios before it fused into this world entirely, he couldn��t guarantee that upheavals wouldn��t ensue. After all, Rhode didn��t understand the authority of void enough yet. If he didn��t receive his younger sister��s help earlier, he wouldn��t even have known how to open up a new space. In such circumstances, it was much better for him to listen to people who were more experienced than him.


    Rumble��!


    Even though Agios��s body began to shrink under the continuous attacks, an odd rumble sounded from within its body. Upon hearing the sound, Rhode��s heart sank instantly as he sensed an extreme danger approaching.


    ��Full defense!��


    Rhode commanded, withdrew his sword, and swung his left arm forward. A shield engraved with a humiliating pose of a young lady appeared in front of him. At that moment, Rhode couldn��t care less about feeling ashamed anymore. He was certain that this wasn��t a deathbed struggle by Agios. Upon hearing his warning, the young ladies stopped their attacks and set up layers upon layers of defensive barriers around them swiftly. To Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, refusing to listen to commands during a BOSS raid was the behavior of one seeking death. Even though Lydia and Erin weren��t aware of this, it didn��t stop them from making the correct judgment.


    Indeed. As soon as Rhode released the defensive shield, the wild, roaring purple thunderbolts exploded, breaking free from all restraints and scattering everywhere. In an instant, Rhode felt like a tiny boat trembling in the raging waves. One by one, thunderbolts that were thicker than arms bombarded the entire world mercilessly. Be it the sky, land, or space, they were all crushed by the thunderbolts. The land fissured and the earth��s crust crumbled. The azure sky tore apart like cracked, shattered glass. Everything fell apart, perished, and disappeared in this pounding of thunderbolts.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Rhode didn��t know how long the thunderbolts lasted. He did not have much time left to analyze the situation. All he could do was to hold up the shield before him in vain. Fortunately, even though this piece of shield was extremely humiliating, its quality was assured as he was completely unscathed even after the series of thunderbolts came to an end.


    But it seemed like the enemy wasn��t in a perfect condition. Rhode clearly witnessed the body coalesced from the black mist crumbling. The surroundings were covered with twinkling purple lightnings like robots in movies when their armor was blown into bits and their internal parts were revealed.


    ��You�� lackeys of Order!��


    Agios swung his arm furiously. In this movement, a long, purple whip coalesced from lightning appeared in a flash and lashed at Rhode ahead. Facing this attack, Rhode dashed forward. In such a situation, the dangers of taking the initiative to get closer than fighting from a distance were much smaller.


    ��������!��


    But at the same time, a golden light beam descended from above, piercing through Agios��s body. Lydia widened her wings comfortably, hovering in midair while raising her hands parallel to each other. Innumerable sacred runes revolved around the young lady, before transforming into an enormous mirror that were as though storing the power of the sun. Perhaps sensing that this was the crucial moment of the battle, none of them held back any longer. Facing this enemy, the young ladies gave their all.


    ��Ahhhhh!��


    The holy radiance dissolved the black mist and penetrated through Agios��s chest, causing it to howl in agony. Before it retaliated, the earth rumbled. Erin gripped the sword with both hands. At that moment, the sleek sword that was merely one-meter-long metamorphosed into a gigantic light blade that was over ten meters in length. She flourished the light blade at the Chaos Creature from above in earth-shattering airwaves, slashing through Agios��s body and slamming into the ground.


    ��No������!��


    Agios had expended all its energy on this attack, but didn��t expect these people to escape entirely unscathed. It had lost the strength to continue maintaining its form any longer. If it had more time, perhaps it could find an opportunity to launch another attack. But now, be it Rhode or Lydia, none of them were gracious enough for a fight to the death after it returned to its senses.


    The holy radiance and flames erupted from the flat ground. At that moment, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary exerted all of their strength. The turbulent magma merged into a giant snake, widening its wings and barging into the body of the black mist. On the other side, along with Mini Bubble Gum��s movements, the enormous magical ritual on the ground surged with several chains appearing from within, binding tightly onto Agios.


    ��Big Brother, now��s the chance!��


    ��Everyone stay away!��


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s direction, Rhode also noticed the crumbling presence in the center of this small world. He extended his arm and sensed the entire world taking shape in his hand. Chaos was like indestructible cockroaches. If he were to let Lydia purify Chaos, who knew how much time was needed. Fortunately, he had no intention of counting on his strength to defeat Agios either.


    ��Shatter!��


    Rhode yelled, widening his eyes and staring at the routed part of Agios��s body. He extended his right hand and clenched with force.


    Along with this action, the center of Agios��s body shattered like pieces of debris scattering from smashed lenses. At the same time, powerful streams of airflows blustered, absorbing everything in the surroundings. After losing its balance, the space here was about to collapse completely. Agios extended its arm in vain as it had already fused into this world completely. It couldn��t break free from the restraints at all. It would perish alongside this world.


    ��Retreat now!��


    Rhode didn��t stay behind for long. He swung his arm abruptly and the fragments swirling in the air emanated brilliant radiances, intertwining into a gigantic net of golden lines that shrouded the four young ladies. Then, they disappeared entirely.


    Shortly after, the space crumpled.


    Everything was heading toward the end.

 Chapter 1147 - The Returning Deity Warden

    ��W-What happened?��


    Thomas gazed in disbelief. A few moments ago he felt the ground trembling like an earthquake and heard the bursts of anguished screams like the curses of evil spirits, which scared him into curling up instinctively. The soldiers also immediately aimed their guns ahead. Even though they knew that their weapons were no better than scrap metal in this situation, gripping onto them tightly gave them a sense of security, at the very least. No matter what, it was still better than them having nothing to rely on. After all, be it a misconception or whatnot, humans felt safer whenever they held a weapon in their hands.


    Meanwhile, they realized that the thick, transparent, and sturdy ice layer emanated a dazzling white radiance. It was so glaring that some of them couldn��t open their eyes or look straight at it. Not only that, but also as this white brilliance erupted, the rumbles of the ground became stronger. They thought this place was about to collapse. Be it the floor, dome, or walls, all of them trembled as though they couldn��t withstand the overwhelming load.


    ��S-Say, is it better for us to leave this place?��


    Gazing at this scene, Thomas couldn��t help but suggest anxiously. Well, he couldn��t be blamed. Like in Hollywood movies, this scene was as though the prior indication of a collapse and explosion after the battle between the protagonist and the final BOSS in the final juncture. Thomas admitted to being a geek, but was never as athletic as a Hollywood actor to escape in a matter of life or death.


    But before anyone went along with his suggestion, Mini Bubble Gum��s ice-cold voice sounded and interrupted their thoughts.


    ��Hmph, trying to escape? Fine. Go ahead since you people love to die. Anyway, Big Sister and I will be waiting here. Scram if you��re leaving. I feel annoyed just looking at you people!��


    ��Ugh����


    Upon hearing her blunt words, the wavering crowd became speechless. They knew that without these two young ladies, they could never make it out alive. As a matter of fact, if it weren��t for the semi-circular defensive barrier in front of them now, perhaps they would have already fled. Since Mini Bubble Gum and Canary weren��t willing to leave, it wouldn��t work no matter how fiercely they yelled at the young ladies.


    Meanwhile, the white radiance brightened. At a glance, everything seemed to be enveloped by it. This scene left the crowd increasingly nervous and even the silent Canary and Mini Bubble Gum who pretended to be calm also became rather concerned. After all, neither of them knew what this meant. They didn��t know if Rhode failed or succeeded. The only thing they could do now was to wait and pray for his well being.


    At that moment, the white brilliance that enveloped the entire world dissipated into innumerable light dust that fluttered toward the ceiling. Shortly after, the crowd witnessed the mysterious black mist trapped inside the ice crystal dissolving and disappearing in the radiance. Not only that, but the ice crystal that even Lydia��s blade couldn��t slash also began to disintegrate. It gradually turned into bits of snowy crystals that swirled in the air along with the gales and disappeared entirely.


    Kacha�� Kacha��


    Everyone turned to the sound of the cracks. The pyramid shrouded in white mist had revealed its original state. On its top, cracks began to appear over the surface of the enormous ice column that connected the ceiling. The cracks spread over the surface quickly and the huge ice column shattered in a loud bang. Then, a human figure emanating golden radiance appeared before Marybelle, opening her eyes and witnessing the happenings in silence. That human figure was also Marybelle, just that she was more illusory like a spirit and not a human.


    ��That is����


    Gazing at the young lady, everyone including Canary and Mini Bubble Gum muttered a few words and didn��t continue speaking. They lifted their heads, gazed at the fuzzy human figure, and waited patiently for an answer. They didn��t know what they would be facing next or in which direction the situation was developing into. All they could do now was to wait.


    ������


    Marybelle remained equally silent. She scanned everything before her and extended her arm. Along with this movement, the magic wand and Akashic Key hovering around her landed into her palm. The young lady gripped the magic wand and tapped it forward lightly.


    That was an unforgettable and mesmerizing scene. In an instant, the lifeless world sealed in ice restored its vitality. One by one, magical lamps lit up in vibrant lusters, illuminating the entire plaza. The verdant and lush vegetation grew over its surface with innumerable, beautiful flowers blooming fully. Historical dust faded away at that very moment. At a glance, the entire sacred palace was as though a brand new structure.


    At that moment, the unconscious people who fell to the ground after breaking free from the restraint of the ice crystal crawled to their feet slowly. They widened their eyes, gazing at the surroundings in a daze. It wasn��t surprising that they had such bewildered expressions. After all, in the memories of these fighters, what they recalled was the battle against Chaos. Before they knew it, the enemies in front of them suddenly vanished for no apparent reason. Then, several streaks of golden radiance suddenly appeared out of thin air and Rhode��s group came walking out from within. At that moment, the nervous Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had already calmed themselves down. No matter what, it seemed like everything went well.


    At least that was the case, on the surface.


    ��I didn��t expect you to actually succeed, Your Majesty.��


    Upon landing softly on the ground, Marybelle gazed at Rhode and said. This was the first time she spoke to him in her true self. She stooped over slightly and gave a respectful bow.


    ��I��ve acknowledged you, Your Majesty. Perhaps you��re already aware of who I am, but I must formally introduce myself again. I am one of the seven deity wardens, the Presence Deity Warden, Marybelle. By order of the former Void Dragon, I arrived here to open up a new territory. If you don��t mind, I would like to continue and complete my task.��


    ��No, wait up, Marybelle.��


    Rhode forced a smile and extended his arm to stop the deity warden before him.


    ��Before that, I suppose you aren��t aware of how long you��ve been asleep and the current situation. I think we should catch up with each other before deciding on a plan,�� Rhode said and glanced at the surroundings.


    The situation here was apparently chaotic. Be it Marybelle or Rhode, none of them had figured out the exact situation. At that moment, they needed time to arrange their thoughts before making a decision. Upon hearing Rhode��s remarks, Marybelle agreed without hesitation.


    Rhode had to admit that Marybelle was indeed a meticulous and detailed person. After making her decision, she gathered the survivors who had followed her to this world and requested that they continued to watch over the sacred palace and restore its functions. Meanwhile, Rhode��s group followed Marybelle into a meeting room for a discussion. As for Thomas and the rest, even though they hoped to join in, it was a pity that Rhode apparently had no intention of getting them involved. First, they didn��t understand the spoken language of the Dragon Soul Continent, so communications were out of the picture. Second, Rhode didn��t see them as people who carried great weight. They didn��t have the right to make decisions on behalf of humans in determining their fate, which was why it didn��t make sense to let them join in the discussion.


    But before that��


    ��Conclude a contract?��


    Upon hearing Marybelle��s words, Rhode gazed at her in astonishment. The former twitched her brow in response.


    ��Yes, Your Majesty. To tell you the truth, as my body was used to seal off the sinister and cunning Chaos over this long period of time, it is on the verge of crumbling. Even if I were to return to my body now, I can��t revive in perfect condition. Besides, I have doubts over the possibility of my body being in perfect condition. I suppose you��ve already seen what happened in my memories. Frankly, I don��t think my body used to seal off Chaos can avoid the fate of being contaminated by it. For safety��s sake, it is better to abandon my body. Besides, you��re a Spirit Swordsman, Your Majesty. After concluding a contract with you, I can be baptized by Order again and stop Chaos from infiltrating me entirely. Also����


    Marybelle said and gazed at Rhode.


    ���� I think this will be beneficial for our mutual understanding and trust.��


    ������


    Rhode couldn��t help but remain silent. It was obvious that Marybelle was a meticulous person. In order to prevent the possibilities of resurgence from Chaos, she would rather destroy her body. This wasn��t an easy decision achievable by anyone. But Rhode understood why she acted this prudently. After all, Chaos became rather sinister after entering this world. Rhode also wasn��t willing to let history repeat itself where Marybelle was ��betrayed by a traitor��, which caused her plan to fail completely. Even though Marybelle mentioned that Chaos manipulated and contaminated undead creatures based on their unique characteristic of having separate soul and flesh, the matter of fact was that there were records of humans, angels, and elves being contaminated by Chaos apart from undead creatures too. In this case, it was hard to determine if there were any exceptions. If Chaos lurked inside her body, there would be huge troubles after she returned to her body and Chaos attempted to stain her soul.


    But it was equally a risk for Rhode. It could also be said that this was a test of trust between them. Unlike Alice and the other deity wardens, Rhode and Marybelle had no unique relationship at all. This was their first meeting and Marybelle didn��t know what sort of a person this Void Dragon was. On the other hand, Rhode had a hard time judging if Marybelle was still the same deity warden that his younger sister described. And now, concluding a card contract required both sides to interact spiritually. If Marybelle��s soul was stained by Chaos and seized the opportunity to enter Rhode��s body, he would have to suffer a double loss.


    ���� Alright then, I agree with your request.��


    After some consideration, Rhode eventually nodded. Although there were some risks involved, he decided to give it a shot. Of course, he was prepared beforehand. After all, he wasn��t fighting the battle alone. When necessary, he could let his younger sister observe for abnormalities to prevent any potential accidents. This was considered a double insurance for him.


    ��Thank you, Your Majesty.��


    ��You��re welcome, Marybelle. By the way, your sisters must be excited to see you again.��


    Rhode said and extended his arm. Shortly after, a system prompt appeared before his eyes.


    [Spirit Language activated�� Detected Soul Core. Confirm to awaken?]


    Awaken.


    At this thought, several runes erupted from Marybelle and spun in halos around her. They were like some sort of a scanning device, surrounding and analyzing her. Then, another system prompt appeared.


    [Analyzing Spirit Condition����5%����35%����50%]


    As the progress bar moved, the spiritual radiance circulating around Marybelle dazzled increasingly. Marybelle stood silently on the spot and waited for the end of this analysis.


    [90%����95%����100%]


    [Spirit Analysis Complete. Begin Awakening]


    The dazzling circular runes emanated an array of vibrant colors. Meanwhile, Marybelle who stood in the middle gradually turned fuzzy and illusory. All of a sudden, she transformed into a light torrent and in the blink of an eye, a platinum card appeared in Rhode��s hand. At the same time, a system prompt that he had waited for a long time appeared.


    [Marybelle (Presence Deity Warden) Offense 20 Defense 20: Unique Deity Warden. Unfuseable. Dominator of Presence. Judge of the existence of all things. Absolute Domination. Master of Order��s rules. Skills��Force of Presence (Only a logical presence who fits the specification of Order has the right to exist physically in this world)]


    ��Phew����


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. He gazed at the card in his hand and asked.


    ��How��s the situation?��


    ��No problem, Big Brother. No invasion of foreign objects was detected by the system. Marybelle��s soul is in perfect condition. No distortions and turbidites were found.��


    ��Glad to hear that.��


    Rhode felt reassured after hearing the younger sister��s response and turned to Marybelle��s body. The instant her soul was sealed into the card, Marybelle��s body shattered entirely and turned into light dust alongside the ice crystal before vanishing into thin air.


    It seems just like what Marybelle mentioned. Even though her body wasn��t invaded by Chaos, it was truly on the verge of collapse after subduing Chaos for millions of years.


    At this thought, Rhode shook his head and didn��t say a word. Instead, he turned his wrist around and swung his arm, summoning Marybelle before him once again. This time, the stern young lady revealed a gentle smile.


    ��Alright then, Your Majesty. Let��s continue our discussion.��


    After resolving the trouble regarding Marybelle, everyone entered the meeting room by Marybelle��s lead and began exchanging intelligence. Of course, as Rhode witnessed the happenings in Marybelle��s memories, most of the time, it was him describing the development of Earth and the Dragon Soul Continent and his relationship with the Void Dragon. Marybelle had to admit that she was baffled when she heard that the five Creator Dragons had actually broken through the barrier, arrived on Earth in their spiritual form, and were reincarnated thereafter. It went without saying what expression she revealed when she learned that Rhode and the Void Dragon were siblings. Rhode also didn��t cover up the truth of anything in particular. After all, Marybelle had concluded a contract with him and also seemed to be one worthy of his trust (it would be an entirely different issue if she were Cassidy instead. But come to think of it, perhaps it was due to his ��transformation�� back then, that resulted in this unfavorable relationship between them��).


    After listening to Rhode��s narration, Marybelle finally understood the current situation. Compared to that era of theirs, Earth had had earth-shaking developments. On the other hand, after the monsters (dinosaurs) perished, Earth began another round of evolution which explained why humans eventually appeared in the Dragon Soul Continent. Of course, humans on Earth were different from those in the Dragon Soul Continent. The former couldn��t use spiritual powers and had no magical abilities. Instead, they headed down another road of civilization.


    ��I see����


    Marybelle nodded to the analysis for the current situation. Then, she pondered for a while and said.


    ��Alright then, Your Majesty. I suggest we continue our earlier operation to open the Door of Akasha and connect to the Dragon Soul Continent. Through that we can migrate all inhabitants over here. As for humans on this planet�� even though they don��t possess spiritual powers, they have deep insights on using tools according to you, Your Majesty. I think we can treat them as useful slaves����


    ��Ahem��!��


    Upon hearing Marybelle��s remarks, Rhode couldn��t help but let out an awkward cough. Of course, he knew that people without spiritual powers were highly disregarded in the Dragon Soul Continent. In the eyes of people like Marybelle, those people weren��t too different from servants and slaves. However, Rhode was born on Earth, after all, and wasn��t too used to hearing such remarks��or perhaps it was more than just not being too used to it.


    He wondered whether Thomas and the others who were waiting outside would lift their guns and rebel after they heard Marybelle treating them as ��useful slaves and servants��.


    ��No, it��s not necessary, Marybelle. But I do have a new idea����


    Rhode said and explained his thoughts to her. Upon hearing his idea, Marybelle pondered in silence and said.


    ��Transport the entire Dragon Soul Continent to this world? Indeed�� it will be more convenient. It also allows us to fuse with the Order of this world in the shortest time possible and control this place entirely�� If we can establish stable footing in the shortest time here, it won��t be difficult to use the strength of Order in this world to eliminate and subdue Chaos����


    Upon hearing her opinion, Rhode could only force a smile in response. This deity warden was just as how his younger sister described: meticulous and responsible. She couldn��t stop thinking about ways to safeguard the Dragon Soul Continent in this world. Based on the fact that she could destroy the ecosphere of Earth for the sake of eliminating Chaos and prevent the possibilities of accidents by sacrificing her body, this went to show she was ferocious to others but more ruthless to herself. If she determined that humans on Earth were a threat to the Dragon Soul Continent, Rhode was certain that she would suggest destroying Earth without batting an eyelid. All in all, the value of this planet wasn��t worthy of a mention compared to the Dragon Soul Continent in her opinion.


    Perhaps to Marybelle, even if the people of this world were able to drive spaceships to explore the universe, they were nothing more than a group of club-wielding monkeys.


    All of a sudden, Rhode seemed to recall something. He lifted his head immediately and looked at Marybelle with a stern gaze.


    ��By the way, Marybelle, can you guarantee that you��ve sealed off and eliminated all Chaos back then?��


    ���� Theoretically speaking, yes. Just like us, Chaos yearned for the strength of Akasha. That was why I dismantled the Door of Akasha, activated its key to lure Chaos over, and sealed all of them here. Is there any issues with that, Your Majesty?��


    After listening to her answer, Rhode couldn��t help but shift his gaze to Erin. Because at that moment, he suddenly recalled the group of unknown black figures who attacked Erin in the Dragon Soul Continent very early on.


    ��Yes, I suppose there are,�� he said.

 Chapter 1148 - Situation Out of Control

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The undead army pounced on them like ferocious tigers sprinting down mountains.


    Orchid Heart narrowed her eyes and one by one, the pages of the tome flipped over quickly. Hundreds of magical barriers flickering in holy radiance resisted the disaster. The wretched death knights and vampires hovering in the air retreated from the dazzling brilliance. At that moment, Orchid Heart revealed an uncharacteristic solemness on her face. She looked up, scanned the surroundings, and blew a sharp whistle. Upon hearing her signal, the soldiers fell back swiftly in that instant and columns of revival light erupted from the battlefield. In just a few moments, the intense battlefield was emptied. The unrelenting undead creatures that smashed through the barriers continued their aggression, attempting to give chase to eradicate the enemies. Looking at this scene, Orchid Heart who stood at the back of her army let out a bored yawn. Then, she extended her hand and snapped her fingers.


    Snap!


    All of a sudden, the magic tome in her hand emanated a golden radiance and the battlefield collapsed entirely. The strong, heavy land disintegrated into a fragile wooden board. Before the undead creatures were able to escape, they plunged instantly into the endless abyss along with layers of earth. In the blink of an eye, the battlefield was nowhere to be seen, only to be replaced by a vast abyss spanning several hundreds of meters like the humongous mouth of a monster that devoured delivered prey. At the next moment, Orchid Heart nodded in satisfaction, turned around, and sauntered away.


    ��What exactly is the Country of Darkness trying to do?��


    But meanwhile, the young ladies who attained a ��huge victory�� weren��t in the mood for celebrations. On the contrary, they puckered their brows in confusion. Previously, the Country of Darkness held back their attacks for a period of time after Orchid Heart led and attacked them with an army. But now, the Country of Darkness launched an attack yet again. Not only that, but also in these recent battles, the young ladies realized the increasing number of high-end troops appearing on the battlefield. This was apparently a strange matter as this was simply a game of sounding out to each other. Marlene also believed that the Country of Darkness harbored similar thoughts. This was just a game meant to maintain balance. But now, the Dark Dragon treated this game as a battle involving life and death and continued adding weight to one end of the scale. This felt like a gambler who continued to place increasing bets after losing several games in a casino. If the gambler were to lose everything, perhaps he would flip the table and slaughter the dealers. But the problem was that this was only a game, to begin with, and treating it so seriously rather crossed the line.


    ��Sigh�� those guys are so annoying recently. Anne is exhausted.��


    Anne sprawled across the table and rolled about boringly. As a shield warrior, she was naturally selected to join the front line alongside Orchid Heart, Lize, and the others. What baffled them the most was that even though Anne participated in all battles against the Country of Darkness from the beginning, she had never died once. Not only that, but Lize who was protected by her also didn��t die, and not even her skin was scratched. This wasn��t surprising for spell casters like Orchid Heart and Lize, as it was always challenging to break through their defensive spells. However, it was on the other extreme end for a shield warrior like Anne. For her to be leaping and frisking around right now was truly shocking to them.


    But come to think of it, this was a period of estrus for Anne and the continuous battles could be considered another channel for her to vent her excess energy, which explained why she was so lively and active right now. On the other hand, Lize who sat beside her let out an exhausted sigh. She couldn��t be blamed since her duty as a cleric became ever more important compared to the past as she needed to lead a team of clerics to revive the fallen soldiers. The revival spells required a high level of concentration and stamina, and she also had to ensure that everyone returned safely from the battlefield. This was impossible in the past, but it became possible now. That was why she felt a heavy sense of responsibility. Even though Orchid Heart was always responsible for the final insurance after the battles (she recorded all revival spells cast by Lize and the clerics from previous battles and released them all at once after the most recent battle was over), Lize still felt a substantial amount of pressure, which was why she seemed listless after every battle.


    However, what they were considering right now apparently wasn��t about the battlefield.


    ��It is all thanks to Miss Orchid Heart��s cautiousness that we made it back safely����


    Marlene said and couldn��t help but nod at Orchid Heart. This time, she expressed her gratitude from the bottom of her heart. Even though many things that Orchid Heart had done seemed ridiculous to them, they were exceptionally effective, as a matter of fact. One of the things she did was command some men to bury crystals containing a variety of spells around the battlefield. The spells included earthquakes, gales, and walls of fire. This left Marlene in doubt. Even though these spells were effective after the enemies entered their range, they didn��t have any special and decisive meaning. For that reason, Marlene didn��t expect them to be useful in such a way��the fissures across the land weren��t only created by the crystals buried underneath. Instead, the very instant Orchid Heart activated the crystals, she also copied the released spells and used them for continuous attacks again, which resulted in an almost impossible miracle. Although Christie and the rest were able to achieve it too, Orchid Heart��s meticulousness left them exclaiming in admiration.


    ���� But now, the problem is that we don��t know what exactly the Dark Dragon is trying to achieve.��


    Marlene said and shifted her gaze to the silent Alice.


    ��Alice, do you have a solution?��


    ��If His Majesty were here, I could borrow his power and perhaps spy on the Dark Dragon up to a certain extent. If not, I don��t have a way to confirm the Dark Dragon��s intentions.��


    ��The great lichs have also shown up this time�� don��t tell me the Dark Dragon intends to send out the legendary generals?��


    ��It doesn��t matter. If he sends out the legendary generals, we will have the right to think that he has broken the rules! In that case, do we even need any reason to deal with him, Big Sisters?��


    Cassidy said with a smile. However, deep anger and disdain were hidden underneath that facade.


    ��Merely a dragon soul heir and he dares to challenge us, the six deity wardens? What a fool. We should use our powers to make that cunning, irritable reptile learn that he belongs to the ground. All he should do is crawl and lift his head to look up at us! Before His Majesty returns, we need to teach that reptile and his critters the proper etiquette!��


    Cassidy said with confidence. As of now, Christie, Marlene, Cassidy, and Alice had returned to their positions as deity wardens and the remaining two were still missing. If they knew that Rhode had already found their sister��the missing seventh deity warden, Marybelle��perhaps their confidence would go over the roof. Just as Cassidy said, although on the surface, the strength between the six deity wardens and four legendary generals weren��t too different, the six deity wardens were followers of the former Creator Dragons, after all. On the other hand, the four legendary generals and three archangels were created by the Creator Dragons as ��guards�� to protect the dragon soul heirs. The six deity wardens (once seven deity wardens) were made to fight against Chaos. Meanwhile, the existence of the four legendary generals and three archangels seemed to be more for handling internal conflicts. In this case, the difference in strength between them was obvious at a glance, where Alice, who wasn��t adept in battle, could crush Balende effortlessly. According to Rhode��s younger sister, Marybelle and Christie would only have to ��expend a little more energy than usual�� to destroy the dragon soul heirs. Even though Christie was residing in the Astral Temple right now and could only show up in the other Christie temporarily, subduing Ion wouldn��t be a problem if Marlene, Alice, and Cassidy joined hands.


    Of course, they also had to ��expend a little more energy than usual��.


    To the deity wardens, that was all there was to the so-called dragon soul heirs.


    As of now, they didn��t launch an attack on the Country of Darkness yet due to Rhode��s command. Not only that, but they also felt like the situation was too unusual. Christie, as the strongest general, had to stay behind and watch over Grandia. Marlene was in charge of the front line. Cassidy and Alice were responsible for dealing with any possible crises in the territory. As for the Munn Kingdom, Serene replaced Lydia in dealing with restless troublemakers. Lilian and Sonia continued to do their utmost in conforming the situation in the Country of Light and couldn��t free up their hands temporarily. However, the deity wardens didn��t need the little amount of power Lilian possessed, that was.


    ��Will the twin dragons take any action?��


    ��I think it is naive to count on them. I��ll count my blessings if they��re not that foolish to hand over His Majesty��s dragon essence to the Dark Dragon.��


    Cassidy snorted and interrupted Alice. It was apparent that Cassidy didn��t have a favorable impression of the twin dragons. Despite that, she smiled elegantly like a true noble young lady and criticized in disdain��perhaps this was her true personality, but with the prerequisite that Rhode wasn��t around her, of course. If not, this young lady with a strong ��male phobia�� would definitely turn into another manner.


    Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Country of Darkness was equally solemn and heavy.


    Smash!


    A crystal-made wineglass inlaid with glorious patterns shattered to dust upon being hurled to the ground by an immense force. Balende half-knelt on the ground, lowered his head, and sensed the rage burning in the man��s eyes in front of him. It was an incomparable wrath. The dark, oppressive palace became even more ice-cold and dangerous, even for Balende who had died and been reborn as a death knight. It was a terrifying rage that almost froze his soul.


    ��In other words, we lost again?��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty. Even though they retreated, they didn��t seem to have many casualties. As for our side����


    ��You��re saying that they didn��t even send out angels and yet, resisted the undead army with a bunch of humans?��


    ���� Yes, Your Majesty.��


    Balende responded and let out a sigh. In the past, everyone on the continent feared the undead army. But it was entirely different now. Ever since the revival spell was discovered, the threat of the undead army declined sharply. Balende experienced the effects of it because not too long ago, he had led the undead army and gotten into a war of attrition with Orchid Heart.


    That��s right, a war of attrition.


    This was impossible to describe the undead army, but that was the truth. Even though Balende didn��t show up in the battles personally to avoid going up against the deity wardens, he commanded the army from the rear. Facing his 150,000 troops, Orchid Heart had only sent out 30,000 units. She didn��t draw support from strongholds or an enormous fortress like the one in the Land of Atonement, had no special weapons, and merely set up some defensive mechanisms��yes, just some defensive mechanisms��and clashed with the army of 150,000 troops.


    That battle was like a gigantic meat grinder that kept grinding and grinding for three nights. As a result, Orchid Heart successfully withdrew 28,000 people and left behind 2,000 corpses. On the other hand, less than 30,000 remained from the 150,000 troops for Balende��s side�� The undead creatures had the absolute upper hand over mortals. But in situations where mortals could be revived, the flaws of the undead army were clearly revealed in comparison.


    After all, the so-called undead didn��t have the same meaning as being completely revived.


    No matter how strong the overwhelming undead soldiers were, they were just living dead manipulated by death spells. As soon as they were purified, they would return to being what they should have been and would disappear entirely. After losing their source of corpses, the undead army could no longer replenish their strength and their consumption continued to increase. Of course, the Country of Darkness could also cast revival spells, but with the premise that they had to revive all the undead soldiers into living beings. To the Country of Darkness that had undead creatures occupying up to 90 percent of the nation��s population, this would be a tough challenge.


    ������


    Upon hearing Balende��s response, Ion didn��t say a word. He let out a grunt and after a few moments, gave a command.


    ��Charlie!��


    ������


    The fallen angel who stood at the side went up silently. Ion stared at him and ordered.


    ��I order you to lead and attack the maggots who retaliated against us��eradicate them all!��


    ��Your Majesty?��


    Not only was Balende surprised, but Garcia who stood by the side also lifted his head dubiously, totally unaware of what madness the Dark Dragon had gotten into. In fact, they had similar thoughts as Marlene and the rest. From the start, when Ion launched his attacks, it was also considered a ��game of probing�� to them. But as the situation developed, Balende and Garcia realized the increasingly unusual behavior in Ion. Taking this incident, for instance, he actually sent out high-end forces like the great lichs, which was as though he had decided to skirt the line of the rules. But now, what Ion said wasn��t just skirting the line anymore, but an official declaration of war!


    ��Your Majesty, please reconsider your decision!��


    Balende and Garcia exclaimed almost at the same time. At that moment, they couldn��t care less about the punishment they would receive from disrupting the Dark Dragon.


    What kind of joke is this?


    It was imaginable for them what would happen if Charlie were to lead the army. The Void Territory would definitely dispatch the deity wardens in response. Balende, who was the strongest among the four legendary generals, was almost killed instantly by one of the deity wardens. If he weren��t lucky back then, perhaps he would be nonexistent by now. In that case, Charlie would surely perish if he were to head into war. Not only that, but perhaps the Country of Light, Country of Law, and Void Territory would also join forces and crusade against them since they broke the rules! If the situation turned out that way, things couldn��t get worse! This would absolutely be a nightmare for the Country of Darkness!


    Charlie stood on the spot silently. His eyes stared at the ground indifferently. No one knew what his opinion was toward this order from the Dark Dragon. Perhaps it would be enough for this fallen angel as long as he could participate in a war and other matters were out of his considerations. Or maybe this was why Ion chose him and not Balende and Garcia to lead the war. But it was due to these reasons that Balende and Garcia grew increasingly anxious.


    ��Your Majesty, if you do this, the Void Territory will����


    ��Shut up!��


    Before Balende and Garcia could continue their pleas, Ion snapped at them and erupted his formidable dragon��s prestige, making no secret of its presence. It conquered them entirely, forcing them to bow down in respect. At that moment, Balende and Garcia exchanged flustered looks with each other. They spotted the doubts and uncertainties in each other��s eyes.


    Just what is wrong with His Majesty?

 Chapter 1149 - Remnant Heart

    ��Beings that can use the Door of Akasha��s power and open up the channel to summon Chaos Creatures?��


    Marybelle asked, knitting her brows and pondering silence.


    ��I��m sorry, Your Majesty. I did what I could back then. Logically, Chaos should have been completely sealed. If it was as you described, I think those beings must have been contaminated by Chaos after getting into contact with fragments of the Door of Akasha,�� Marybelle said and her expression turned stern. ��Your Majesty, I think this is a dangerous sign. For safety��s sake, I think we should destroy all living creatures on this planet in order to not let them be unnecessary obstacles in your operation.��


    ��Ugh�� let��s talk about this again when the time comes.��


    Rhode was speechless toward this attitude of hers. Compared to him, Marybelle was a true inhabitant of the Dragon Soul Continent. She didn��t treat Earthlings as humans at all. Besides, this wasn��t her first time doing this and if she had to do it again, experience made progress easy.


    Perhaps this deity warden was the true final BOSS for Thomas and rest.


    But fortunately for Thomas and the others, they were no longer inside the sacred palace. After ensuring there were no issues, Rhode sent them away by a teleportation spell since this shouldn��t be a place opened for visitation for ordinary people. As for where they were transported to, Rhode couldn��t care less. At the very least, they wouldn��t be brought to the middle of an ocean or uninhabited island. As long as they could survive and return home, Rhode was considered to be doing them a favor. Rhode initially decided to make this group of people disappear from the surface of this world. But now, he needed them to ��prove�� his identity. If they could explain the existence of his group using science, humans could more or less come to an understanding. Besides, it would also be beneficial for when Rhode transported the entire Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system. With the existence of his identity, it would be relatively easier for humans to accept him and his group.


    Of course, out of bad habits, Rhode purposely revealed the truth of what happened 65 million years ago before sending Thomas and the rest away. But he didn��t mention that Marybelle was the culprit behind Earth��s destruction, but specially mentioned that Chaos was the main reason behind it instead. Not only that, but he also hinted at Thomas that if Earth was still unwilling to learn the lesson, it would only be a matter of time before they were buried along with the dinosaur fossils. Thomas and the rest were scared stiff by this statement. They promised Rhode that they would do their best to convince the world, but that wasn��t something of Rhode��s concern, anyway. It would be best if they succeeded. But even if they failed, it didn��t matter. All in all, as long as Rhode seized the moment and transported the Dragon Soul Continent over before Chaos turned into the weather, the strength of Order would eventually overwhelm Chaos. Then, the Chaos fragments would as though be mantises trying to stop a car.


    And now, it was time for Rhode to activate the channel and return to the Dragon Soul Continent. It currently wasn��t too challenging for him. Back then, Marybelle and the representatives failed to open up the channel connecting to the Dragon Soul Continent. But this time, Rhode��s group was transported over via a completed and fixed channel. As a result, as long as he used the Door of Akasha to activate the coordinates of this channel, he could easily return to the Dragon Soul Continent.


    Not only that, but this trip to Earth was also surprisingly rewarding. Not only did Rhode successfully rescue Erin, but he also found the specific coordinates for transmigration. As long as the coordinates of the Door of Akasha was present, he could bring the Door of Akasha back to the Dragon Soul Continent and use it to replace the Dimension Gate in serving as a transmigration portal. Besides, compared to the method that the former Creator Dragons used to migrate the inhabitants of the Dragon Soul Continent, this was more efficient, more convenient, and safer.


    Apart from that, recruiting the remaining subordinates who survived was also an unexpected surprise. Back then, among the representatives dispatched by the Creator Dragons, the death knight was eliminated after being contaminated by Chaos, and the battle angel was killed in the final battle. On the other hand, the two White Elf sisters and some of their subordinates survived. In addition to Marybelle and the subordinates of the battle angel, there were around 200 of them in total. Every single one of them was a formidable being at around level 90 minimally, which was like having an additional group of elites for Rhode. Besides, since they had accepted the orders of the Creator Dragons to come to this world, it proved that their loyalty was impeccable.


    But before delving deeper, Rhode had another matter to handle.


    ��Have you two decided to return to the Dragon Soul Continent with me?��


    Gazing at Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, Rhode asked solemnly. After all, they were unlike Rhode, who could be considered to have nothing to worry about, which was why he could choose between Earth and the Dragon Soul Continent. But Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were different. If they were willing to join him in returning to the Dragon Soul Continent, it meant that they had given up on their families, friends, and everything.


    ��Of course, Leader!��


    First to answer was Mini Bubble Gum with that firm, undeterred voice.


    ��Big Sister and I have had enough. We have no blissful memories of this place at all! We want to follow you to the Dragon Soul Continent, Leader! I��ve made up my mind! Big Sister too!��


    ��Canary?��


    Rhode wasn��t surprised by her response. After all, Mini Bubble Gum frequently complained about her outlandish family affairs and had more than once gnashed her teeth and mentioned that she would dismember her father, his mistress, and their bast*rd son before leaving this place. Rhode had no opinion about that since ��even an honest and upright official would have difficulty resolving a family dispute��. Besides, this wasn��t his first time hearing this from her, which was why he had no intention of stopping her.


    But what about Canary? Could it be that Canary is also willing to make such a choice?


    At this thought, Rhode turned to Canary. Upon detecting his gaze, Canary let out a subtle sigh and didn��t say a word. But at that moment, Mini Bubble Gum interrupted.


    ��Big Sister made the same decision as me, Leader! Why, Big Sister? Haven��t you told Leader that those bast*rds in your family murdered the child the both of you had?��


    ��What?��


    Rhode widened his eyes and stared in disbelief at Canary. Then, he turned grim, extending his hand and holding Canary��s shoulder. Upon sensing his touch, Canary couldn��t help but lift her head and gaze into his wide-open eyes that were so stern and filled with unprecedented wrath. The intensity of his stare forced her to turn away. However, her body had as though frozen into place. At that moment, Rhode��s voice rang in her ears again.


    ��What exactly happened? Speak to me, Canary.��


    ������


    As matters stood, Canary couldn��t keep it a secret anymore. Without any hesitation, she narrated everything that happened to her. This time, she had no intention of covering up the truth any longer. It could also be said that she finally waited for this moment to fall into the embrace of the man she loved and talk about the grievances she encountered. Canary eventually buried her head in his arms and wept quietly. What she asked for wasn��t too much. She had no intention of using the baby to force Rhode into marriage. She didn��t care about worldly judgments. She just wanted to leave the pressurizing dominance of her family and lead a peaceful life with the child she had with Rhode. Even though it might be tough and there would be plenty of unhappiness, she felt like she could handle them all. But she didn��t expect her parents to take drastic measures and eliminate her spiritual pillar. This was something Canary could never accept. If it weren��t for Mini Bubble Gum who stayed by her side, perhaps Canary would have already lost all hope and meaning in her life.


    Rhode remained silent as he listened, embracing the delicate young lady and gently caressing her long hair. Rhode didn��t doubt a word she said. He also didn��t think that she would lie to him because he knew that she had always wanted a child. It had always been this way since they started dating. After a couple acknowledged their relationship, they would normally take safety precautions before making love. However, Canary never mentioned anything about it. Whenever Rhode brought it up, she would immediately agree and never spoil the fun by reminding him to use contraceptives, not to mention taking birth control pills on her own. Fine if Canary was an oblivious young lady, but she was too smart to not know about the potential risks. On the other hand, Rhode was always cautious and it was impossible for him to not know what was going through her head.


    No matter what was the motivation behind it, Rhode believed that Canary��s love toward this child was genuine and persistent. No wonder she became like this after facing such a mishap.


    In the end, the exhausted Canary fell asleep in Rhode��s arms. He stretched his arms and hugged her tightly, while gazing at the tears flowing down from her eyes. He didn��t speak for a long time. After a few moments, he turned to Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��Thanks, Bubble.��


    ��You��re welcome, Leader. Big Sister is a really close friend of mine, after all.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s gratitude, Mini Bubble Gum waved her hand in some embarrassment. At that moment, she presented the bashfulness that one of her age should have. But this rare moment didn��t last for long as she reverted to being a delusional brat immediately after.


    ��But Leader, what do you intend to do next? I say, we should slaughter them all! What do you think?��


    ������


    Rhode shrugged at her ��suggestion�� and remained silent. He was in a chaotic mood right now as frankly, this was the second time that he became a ��father�� unknowingly. The first time, he didn��t expect his younger sister to leave behind a child for him. The second time, he didn��t anticipate that Canary would be pregnant with his child. However, if Christie were his redemption, this child would be his regret. He didn��t even get to meet this child��


    Honestly speaking, the instant he heard the truth from Canary, he had the surging, murderous intention of slaughtering those murderers like Mini Bubble Gum had suggested. As a matter of fact, this wasn��t tough for him at all and could be considered to be effortless. If it was possible, he would rather use tens of thousands of ways to make them suffer and perish in agony for eternity. But��


    ��Leave that decision for Canary. And no matter what she decides, I will meet her parents with her because that is my responsibility,�� Rhode replied.

 Chapter 1150 - Before Departure (1)

    Bang!


    A graceful and stylish middle-aged woman slammed onto the wall. She shrieked, trembled, and her mouth gaped like a beached fish. She curled up instinctively, staring in horror at the young lady sauntering toward her. Her face that was decorated with all sorts of expensive and luxurious make-ups had turned swollen and purple like a swine��s head.


    ��W-Wait, s-stay away. Don��t do it. It��s my fault�� it��s my fault����


    ��You know it��s your fault now, huh? Slut?!��


    Mini Bubble Gum pulled the middle-aged woman��s hair, narrowing her eyes that were glinting dangerously. She clenched her right fist and cracked her knuckle. On the other side, a young man with golden dyed hair and clad in a shirt howled in grief by the wall. Judging from his unsightly, twisted limbs, one instantly knew he had been treated inhumanely.


    ��Weren��t you always acting cute in front of that old fart, huh? Weren��t you always acting pitiful and accusing me of bullying you? Alright then. Not only will I bully you now, but I will also cripple you! Along with that bast*rd of yours! You had a great time putting on an act, right? Come on, yell! Cry for me! Hurry up!�� Mini Bubble Gum snarled, stomping her foot on the woman. The piteous middle-aged woman had never been treated this way. She couldn��t help but scream in agony, attempting to escape from the beatings of this young lady. But no matter how hard she tried, it was apparent that Mini Bubble Gum had no intention of letting her off.


    ��I asked you to cry, not scream!��


    Mini Bubble Gum was enraged by her screams. She slapped the middle-aged woman and the latter collapsed to the ground heavily. At that moment, another petite figure ran across with a video camera in hand as she began to admire the drama at a close distance. Bubble No. 2 jumped up and down in high spirits, capturing this magnificent scene.


    ��Oh-oh-oh, I like this expression! I have always looked forward to this day! Hahaha, serve you right, slut! Not too shabby at all. Seems like my trip back to Earth this time isn��t a wasted one! Ahhhh, it feels so good to witness this. It gives me a huge appetite for three bowls of rice!��


    ��Boo-Hoo�� sorry�� it��s my fault�� please let me off����


    ��Let you off? If it weren��t for a slut like you, why would that old fart even possibly ignore Mother? Everyday, Mother had been waiting for him to return home. And yet, he went to confide in a slut like you! Pah! Sluts are all the same!��


    ��W-We��re truly in love��!��


    ��My *ss! Why would that old fart even marry Mother if he were truly in love with you? You��re just a dumb, old swine; no wonder you��re a slut who gets pounded! If you didn��t give birth to that bast*rd of a son for that old fart, why would he even marry you? Do you really think you��ve become the owner of the house? You picked on me every other day and complained to the old fart, crying that I bullied you when I merely said a few words. You think you��re amazing just because you gave birth to a male dog? Come on, cry for me. Just like in dramas where the mistress ran back crying to that husband she stole after she was wronged. Isn��t that what you��re best at? Bitch!��


    Bang!


    Mini Bubble Gum ranted, thrusting her foot into the middle-aged woman��s stomach. The middle-aged woman flew off like a fired artillery shell, crashing into the overturned furniture. After a series of crackle and rattle, the middle-aged woman groaned like a swine about to be slaughtered. However, Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t care. She stared at her with an ashen, ice-cold expression. Then, she stretched out her hand, clenching the air and dragging the middle-aged woman out the pile of trash in front of her.


    ��Come on, cry, cry more. If you dare to cry, I will chop off your hand. I only left for a few days and you��ve cleaned up my house, huh? Where��s Mother��s spirit tablet?��


    ��Boo-Hoo�� I don��t know�� I don��t�� ahhhhhh!��


    At that moment, the middle-aged woman��s cries turned into a blood-curdling screech. The instant she spoke, Mini Bubble Gum extended her hand and a dazzling white light descended from above, chopping off her arm cleanly. In an instant, blood splattered all over. The middle-aged woman shuddered, while Mini Bubble Gum��s expression turned even more ice-cold.


    ��I said don��t cry. Now tell me, where is the spirit tablet, you shameless wh*re?��


    ��Ah�� ahhh�� I�� I����


    ��You don��t wanna speak? Forget it then, I will kill your precious son and return to ask you again. I am no longer the same person! In the past, I was always bullied by you two bast*rds. Back then, you two didn��t expect this day to come, huh?! Everything is different now. It is me who has the power now and not the two of you! What you two bast*rds should do now is to kneel before me, answer my questions, and plead for mercy! Perhaps I may end this thing with a good beating if I��m in a good mood! Don��t even test my patience, or I will kill your entire family!��


    ��Ah�� ah�� i-it��s�� in the�� trashcan�� in the garden����


    ���� I f*ck you and your ancestors����


    Upon hearing the answer, Mini Bubble Gum snapped like a wild animal. Her eyes turned red. She lifted the middle-aged woman by the collar and gestured to Bubble No. 2. Shortly after, Bubble No. 2 nodded before disappearing in a flash with the video camera. After a few moments, she reappeared by the entrance of the living room. But this time, she held a wooden spirit tablet in the other hand. Judging from the nauseous filth on it, it was apparent that it wasn��t treated with its rightful respect.


    ������


    Bubble took the spirit tablet and stared at the photo blankly. Then, a white light emerged from above and removed its filth instantly. She looked up and gazed expressionlessly at the middle-aged woman. Then, three white lights dazzled across the room.


    ��Ahhhhhh!!��


    Scarlet blood splashed. The middle-aged woman��s limbs were severed by the light blades entirely, leaving her shuddering in torment. Mini Bubble Gum swung her arm and another glaring brilliance appeared out of thin air, metamorphosing into a rope that bound and hung her up on a pillar in the room. At that moment, the middle-aged woman was on the verge of collapse. But even so, she moaned and didn��t forget to lift her head and look at her son.


    ��M-My boy, w-where��s my boy?��


    ��He?��


    Upon hearing her distress, the two Mini Bubble Gum smiled at each other. They turned around and ambled toward the golden-haired young man, who revealed a terrified expression. He struggled to retreat, staring at the duo as though they were devils.


    ��S-Stay away! I will tell Father! I-If he sees what you��re doing, he����


    ��Tsk-tsk-tsk. Still complaining at this age? Back then when I was bashed up by you and that bitch, I didn��t even utter a word to that old fart. Why? Didn��t you say you would get people to gang-rape me if I say another word? I��m giving you a chance now. Come on, use your phone. I��m curious to see how many people you can gather and I will crush every single one of them and their families! At worst, I will flatten the entire city. I��m not afraid of anyone!��


    ��Alright, stop fooling around. That annoying sight of his face disgusts me.��


    ��True, that��s what I thought too.��


    The two Bubbles exchanged looks with each other before nodding with a smile. Then, they raised their left and right fists respectively and hurled a punch at the young man��s face.


    Pow!


    ��Ahhhhhh!��


    The middle-aged woman let out a heartbreaking scream. The skull of the golden-haired young man was smashed into bits like a tomato. The two Mini Bubble Gum gazed in satisfaction at the headless corpse before them that was twitching occasionally and squealed in excitement. Then, they exchanged high-fives with each other.


    ��Yay! Good job!��


    ��Good job to you too. We��re indeed the same person! This feels terrific!��


    The two young ladies ran and jumped about the living room as though they were dancing. After a few moments, they came to a halt and Bubble No. 2 raised the video camera to film every single thing before turning around and leaving the house.


    ��All done?��


    Soon after they stepped out of the house, they saw Rhode leaning on the tree just opposite the road. Their eyes brightened as they scuttled toward him.


    ��Leader, all done. It felt awesome!��


    ��All settled, Leader. I have no regrets now����


    Mini Bubble Gum said, gazing at the spirit tablet in her hand. Rhode and Canary also shifted their gaze to the spirit tablet. They were unaware of what happened to Mini Bubble Gum, but also had no intention of asking. After a few moments, the corners of Mini Bubble Gum��s lips perked up into a delightful smile as she embraced the spirit tablet in her arms.


    ��Alright, with Mother and Leader by my side, this is enough for me! As for that old fart, I managed to live until this day thanks to him, so I shall spare his worthless life.��


    Mini Bubble Gum said, raising her right hand high up. With this action, a white light barrier erupted from the sky and crashed onto the house. In this powerful impact, the two-storey villa disintegrated and crumbled completely. The young lady stretched herself and showed no interest in the exploding building behind her.


    ��Alright, ��Cool guys don��t look at explosions��. Let��s go, Leader, Big Sister. Oh, by the way, do you two need our help? We guarantee to make them suffer in utter misery!��


    ��It��s fine, Bubble.��


    Rhode shook his head to decline her offer.


    ��This is something between Canary and I. I will need to resolve it myself,�� he said.

 Chapter 1151 - Before Departure (2)

    Right here.


    Rhode stepped out of the vehicle and gazed at the modern apartment building which was common in the city. However, this particular building had a special meaning to him.


    ��Are you sure, Canary?��


    Rhode asked, turning around to gaze at Canary, who put up a pale and complicated expression. At that moment, the young lady bit her lower lip, while her eyes wandered to the surroundings. Even though she had made up her mind, she realized that not only did the pressure not decrease, but it also grew heavier as soon as she arrived at this place. She also felt as though she were carrying a large boulder on her back. She extended and placed her hand on her chest, but her heart pounded even quicker. She didn��t think that she would return to this place she deemed as the source of her nightmares. But now, as she stood in this place, she felt unprecedented fears and uncertainties swarming back at her. There was an instant when she wanted to just turn away as though she had never returned, tossing everything to the back of her head and leaving this world forever.


    But��


    ��If you don��t wish to meet them, I can do it myself.��


    Gazing at the young lady, Rhode stretched out his hand to caress her silky hair. He wasn��t Canary; he couldn��t fully understand just how much pain she was in right now. But he sensed her hesitations and worries deeply. It was apparent that it was a torment for her to be back here. If she weren��t willing, Rhode wouldn��t force her. After all, it was his responsibility and now, he had to assume it. But Canary��


    ��No, Rhode.��


    Upon hearing his concerned words, Canary gnashed her teeth, pondered for a few moments, and lifted her head.


    ��I will go. I��ve made up my mind. No matter what, this is something that I have and need to go through����


    ��Okay.��


    Rhode answered plainly, nodded in agreement, and sauntered toward the apartment building. Canary gazed at his back and followed him quietly into the home that she thought she would never return to.


    Judging from its appearance, this place didn��t seem too different from ordinary apartment buildings. The corridors were clean and the windows were shining and clear, where the sun spilled through to cast light upon the smooth flooring effortlessly. Rhode strolled ahead while Canary followed. None of them spoke a word because at that moment, Rhode was also at a loss for words. After all, the source of this unfortunate event was entirely an accident. Canary didn��t expect herself to get pregnant and neither did Rhode expect to transmigrate to another world. If Canary weren��t pregnant or if Rhode didn��t transmigrate to another world, perhaps the situation would have developed in an entirely different direction. But it was a pity that they were only ��ifs��. And now, they couldn��t change the reality.


    This is the place.


    Rhode stood by and stared at the seemingly sturdy door. Upon realizing his reaction, Canary gaped but eventually didn��t say a word. At the same time, Rhode reached his hand out and knocked lightly.


    Knock knock knock.


    ��Who is it?��


    Shortly after, the door opened. A fashionable, middle-aged woman who wore a pair of spectacles stood behind it. She couldn��t help but knit her brows to reveal a dubious expression. As soon as she saw Canary, she pulled a long face instantly. Her elegance vanished from the face of the Earth, only to be replaced by a gloomy and twisted malevolence.


    ��You sure are shameless enough to return. What are you doing here? Get lost! We don��t have a worthless daughter like you! You slut�� why didn��t you die alongside that bast*rd in your stomach��!��


    ��Good afternoon, Auntie.��


    As the middle-aged woman was about to point her finger at Canary, Rhode took half a step forward, just in time to get between them. He gave a respectful bow before standing straight to gaze at the woman. Upon realizing his presence, the middle-aged woman was instantly bewildered. She sized up the man who donned a luxurious suit and seemed as beautiful as a woman. Then, she let out a snort.


    ��Who are you? What business do you have with us?��


    ��Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rhode. I��m this young lady��s boyfriend and also���� Rhode stole a glance at Canary and the corners of his lips perked up into an attractive smile. ���� the one she entrusted her life to. From today onward, she will be living with me. So I thought of introducing myself to you and her father. No matter what, she is also your daughter.��


    ��This is not necessary for the trouble, Sir.��


    Even though the middle-aged woman sounded polite, her tone was filled with annoyance. Without taking another glance at Canary, she shifted her gaze away and clutched the door handle.


    ��We don��t have such a shameless daughter. We have no intention of having anything to do with her. I don��t know who you are, but you can do anything you want. As long as you two don��t bother me or let me see that disgusting face again!��


    The middle-aged woman said and attempted to close the door on them. But at that moment, Rhode stuck out his foot to stop the door from closing. The middle-aged woman was enraged. She looked up and glared at Rhode.


    ��What do you want? Go away, or I will call the police!��


    ��Please don��t be in such a hurry, Auntie, I haven��t finished speaking. I��ve only introduced myself and I��m just getting to the real topic,�� Rhode said with a vibrant smile. Then, he bowed elegantly to the middle-aged woman. Upon seeing his expression, Canary hid behind him and couldn��t help but reveal a smile. Of course, she knew what kind of person Rhode was and a smile from him definitely wasn��t a good sign. The fact that he smiled so gracefully proved that he had some schemes in his mind. Gazing at the exasperated middle-aged woman, Rhode��s expression didn��t change at all. Instead, he continued to speak with a smile: ��In fact, to tell you the truth, the child that your daughter bore was mine����


    ��What?!?!��


    The middle-aged woman who barely kept her cool jumped up like an infuriated lion. She grabbed Rhode��s collar and glared at him with wide-open eyes. Her well-maintained and seemingly young face turned twisted and sinister instantly.


    ��So it��s you!?! You bast*rd, it is all your fault! Look at what you��ve done! You destroyed our painstaking efforts! You bloody bast*rd!��


    The woman��s voice was so resounding that neighbors along the corridor opened their doors curiously, peering out to check on the situation. Looking at this scene, they couldn��t help but widen their eyes in astonishment. As a matter of fact, Canary��s family was highly-reputable around the neighborhood. They received higher education and were gentle and kind toward others. But now, the neighbors were bewildered to witness that the woman who displayed warm smiles all day had turned ashen and was grabbing a young man��s collar. She seemed like she was about to strangle him to death!


    ��What��s going on?! Who is it that makes you cause a ruckus!��


    At the same time, another stern voice sounded. Then, a burly man strode out of the door and was flabbergasted to witness his wife��s frantic behavior. He shifted his gaze to Canary, who stood at the side, and grimaced instantly.


    ��You shameless child. Why have you returned?! You slut! Why aren��t you dead yet!��


    ��D-�� Dad����


    Upon detecting his gaze, Canary couldn��t help but shiver. Even though she was no longer that weak, powerless young lady in the past, but was a mage who possessed powerful strength and could manipulate storms and flames at a single switch of a thought, she still felt intimidated by that familiar and solemn gaze of her father��s. At that moment, Canary had as though returned to the past. She placed her hands on her chest and gazed at her father timidly. Meanwhile, the middle-aged woman gnashed her teeth and lifted Rhode��s collar.


    ��It��s him! This is that man! Dear, he said that child was his!��


    ��What?!��


    The man turned ashen instantly. He shifted his gaze away from Canary and glared coldly at Rhode. Upon detecting his gaze, Rhode continued to seem relaxed. He extended his left hand and held the woman��s hand gently. However, the woman instantly felt as though her hands were clamped by an iron pincer and couldn��t help but let out a miserable shriek. She loosened her grip and at that moment, Rhode skillfully reached his hands out to adjust his collar and nodded at the couple with a smile.


    ��Good afternoon, Uncle. I��ve told Auntie what happened. This time, I would like to inform both of you that your daughter will be living with me from today onward. That is a-���� However, Rhode was interrupted by that ashen man before he completed his sentence.


    ��W-Who�� do you think you are? How dare you speak to me with that tone after committing something so atrocious?! You�� get the hell away! Or I will call the police!�� The man snarled, raised his walking stick, and swung it at Rhode.


    Bam!


    But at that moment, he witnessed a flash and the heavy walking stick in his hand broke into segments all of a sudden. The man stared blankly, took two steps back, and stared at Rhode in uncertainty. With his IQ and poor eyesight, of course he wasn��t able to comprehend what Rhode just did.


    However, Rhode apparently had no intention of explaining to them either. On the contrary, he smiled and gave them a solemn bow.


    ��Of course, I empathize with your feelings. After all, she is your daughter and what I did was inappropriate. But����


    Rhode said. before pulling out the suitcase beside him and opening it. Upon witnessing what was inside the suitcase, the furious couple goggled and couldn��t make a noise as though one were strangling them. The only thing they could do was to gawk at the bundles of money. Even though the paper notes weren��t gold coins, they seemed to emanate a mesmerizing and dazzling radiance in the couple��s eyes. They stooped over in agitation, stretched out their trembling hands, and stared at the bundles of money.


    ��T-This is����


    ��This is a small compensation on my part. No matter what both of you have done to her in the past, you are her parents, after all. Without both of you, I wouldn��t have been able to meet her. This is just a token of my appreciation to make up for your loss.��


    Rhode spoke with an incredibly vibrant and sincere smile like a representative of great youths of the new century.


    At that moment, the couple��s gaze toward Rhode finally changed. After making sure that the money was genuine, they closed the suitcase and stood to their feet. Passionate feelings surfaced on their malevolent expressions as they displayed thoughtful and polite smiles as though Rhode were a guest who came a long way.


    ��Oh-no�� how should we put it�� Mr. Rhode�� we����


    The woman put up a smile and was at a loss for words. She turned to her husband with a complicated expression. Upon realizing her gaze, the man put away the suitcase quietly before revealing a smile and nodding to Rhode.


    ��Erm�� Sir, I suppose we felt your sincerity. We�� had some misunderstanding with our daughter in the past. How about this? Why don��t you come in and have a good chat with us? Frankly, money isn��t the most important thing to us. We only hope for our daughter to find a worthy and qualified man who she can entrust her whole life to. Erm�� Mr. Rhode, may we know which prestigious company you are employed at? To be honest, our daughter is an outstanding child. Don��t you agree that we have to pay particular attention in ensuring that our families are an appropriate match?��


    ��Yes, yes.��


    Upon hearing her husband��s words, the woman quickly bowed and scraped, before gazing at Canary benevolently as though she were a work of art carved perfectly by her. Upon detecting her mother��s gaze, Canary didn��t say a word and lowered her head, at the same time forcing an inward smile. Her father hadn��t changed at all. They didn��t treat her as a human, but as merchandise instead. All she had to do was to grow and live in accordance with their expectations and thoughts. And this was their final goal��to sell her off at a good price and they would reap the rewards.


    This was what Canary couldn��t accept the most. Her hopes and everything were dashed and destroyed entirely due to this reason.


    ��No, it��s fine. Thanks for your hospitality, but it isn��t necessary.��


    Despite the couple persuading Rhode to stay, he took a step back with a smile.


    ��Just like I said. From today onward, your daughter will be with me and that will be the end of the relationship between us and the both of you. From today onward, we will not have any form of relationship.��


    ��This����


    The couple��s expressions changed slightly. They gazed at Rhode in hesitation before looking at Canary, who remained silent. Then, the woman stepped forth and looked anxiously at Canary.


    ��My dear daughter, is this what you want? You won��t be that heartless, right? I admit what your father and I did was wrong. But we did that in consideration for your future. You����


    ��Sorry, Mom.��


    Facing her mother��s persuasion, Canary took a step back this time. After witnessing her parent��s reactions earlier, Canary discovered that the fears, uncertainties, and her longing for affections turned into ashes instantly. She felt so calm as though both of them had no blood relationship with her at all.


    ��Hey, you��!��


    The woman puckered her brows and screamed when suddenly, her husband pulled her back and hinted to her to not annoy the ��customer��. After figuring out her husband��s intention, the woman shut her mouth despite feeling angered. At that moment, the man let out a cough and said to Rhode.


    ��I understand, Mr. Rhode. I admit we went overboard last time, but I hope you can understand our feelings as parents. After all, we had our reasons back then����


    ��I understand, but please stop speaking about it.��


    Rhode interrupted with a smile on his face. Then, he turned to Canary.


    ��Time to take that out.��


    ���� Okay, Rhode.��


    If it were in the past, Canary would definitely be more hesitant. But now, she felt extremely calm. Without any hesitation, she handed the suitcase in her hand over to Rhode. Rhode took it and opened it in front of the couple. Looking at what was inside the suitcase, the couple opened their eyes wide. What was lying quietly inside was a diamond the size of a fist!


    This diamond alone was priceless!


    ��This diamond is my present for both of you. Please keep it safe.��


    Rhode said without fooling around, handing the suitcase over to them and nodded with a smile. At that moment, the couple was completely mesmerized. They held up the suitcase with both hands and stared at the massive diamond as though they were indulged in its beautiful splendor. Looking at the result, Rhode��s eyes glinted in an ice-cold flash. He turned around and patted gently on Canary��s shoulder.


    ��Alright, all settled. Let��s go.��


    ���� Okay, Rhode.��


    Canary responded. She lifted her head again to look at the man and woman who were once her parents. After a few moments of hesitation, she spoke softly.


    ��Goodbye�� Mom, Dad.��


    However, no one responded to her. They didn��t even hear her voice. As Canary and Rhode entered the elevator, the former turned around and the only thing she saw was them returning home in high spirits with the suitcases in hand.


    At that moment, Canary closed her eyes.


    Meanwhile, it was an entirely different scene inside the house.


    ��Look, there��s so much money�� Dear.��


    The woman cupped her hands on the diamond and gazed at the other suitcase full of money. Beside her, the man showed a satisfied smile and counted the money.


    ��I didn��t expect our daughter to be able to find such a rich man�� Sigh�� If we knew this would happen, we wouldn��t have made her abort the child. How nice it would be if we were able to gain some child support payment����


    Upon hearing his remarks, the woman grunted.


    ��What are you talking about? Wasn��t it your decision to abort the child no matter what? Didn��t I tell you to wait for the child to be born to sell it away for money? We would just tell her that the baby was stolen and everything would be fine. It��s the fault of that useless brain of yours. You insisted that giving birth to that child affects her reputation. What a dummy!��


    ��Alright, alright.��


    The man forced a smile to his wife��s grumbles.


    ��How would I know that she was able to find such a rich man? If you have to blame, blame that brat for not revealing anything to us no matter how we asked. If she said she found a rich man, only an idiot would force her to abort the child. Well, forget it. This stack of money here is good enough too. That��s right. Hahaha, all this money is ours���� The man said, lifting his head and gazing at the diamond in the woman��s hands. A faint light emerged inside the pure, crystal-clear diamond as though it were lighting up the depth of its soul. ��Hurry up, let me look at that diamond.��


    However, the woman didn��t react at all. She continued to be mesmerized by it.


    ��No, let me look at it first�� this diamond is mine����


    ��Give it to me!��


    At that moment, the man snarled all of a sudden and pounced over like a wild animal to snatch the diamond away. On the other hand, the woman struggled with all her might, gripping onto the diamond in her hands.


    ��No! It��s mine! That diamond is mine!��


    ��No! Let go! You wh*re! It��s mine!��


    In an instant, the couple wrestled, kicking and punching each other, while the woman clasped the diamond in hand. At that moment, the radiance within the diamond dazzled even brighter and their vision turned increasingly fuzzy.


    ��Let go! Let go!��


    The woman screeched and at the next moment, she sunk her teeth onto the man��s arm.


    ��Ahhhhh!��


    The man screamed in pain and let go of his hands. The woman held up the diamond with both hands, turned around, and tried to flee. But at that moment, the man caught her hair and snarled like an injured wild animal. Then, he grabbed and slammed her head into the wall.


    Bang! Bang!


    ��Ahhhhhh�� ahh��. ah��.!��


    Along with the deep bangs, scarlet blood splashed in all directions. The woman��s blood-curdling screech gradually became indistinct. She struggled with all her might, but the man didn��t budge at all. At that moment, he was like a robot who clasped and smashed her skull onto the wall repeatedly. After a few moments, the woman finally stopped struggling and collapsed to the ground. She twitched abruptly and all of a sudden, putrid discharge spurted out from between her legs. Her head was completely crushed. The teeth inside her twisted, wide-open mouth were smashed into bits. Her tongue was among the bloody mess of flesh. Her eyes popped out of their sockets and had turned into turbid matter. This was the end of her life.


    The man stopped all actions. He looked to the left and right, before kneeling down and lifting up the diamond solemnly. Even though the diamond was submerged in the bloody, foul-smelling floor, it continued to emanate a dazzling brilliance. The man didn��t even glance at the corpse of his wife. He cupped his hands on the diamond and muttered under his breath as though it were the most precious thing in his world.


    ��It��s mine. Everything is mine. No one can take it away from me. Hahahaha!��


    Suddenly, as the man burst out in a mad laughter, he lunged at the table, grabbed the money, and forced them into his mouth. He couldn��t stop chewing and swallowing them.


    ��It��s mine. These are all mine. No one can take it away from me. All of them shall be with me forever!��


    Tearing up the money and forcing them into his mouth, the man let out a crazy bellow. At the next moment, he widened his mouth delightfully, lifted the fist-sized diamond, and pushed it into his mouth. The white radiance of the diamond shone brighter and soon enveloped the entire room.


    ��All settled, Leader? What did you do? Did you make those bast*rds get down on their knees and beg for mercy?��


    Upon seeing Rhode and Canary approaching the vehicle, the impatient Mini Bubble Gum peered out of the window and asked in excitement. Rhode shrugged in response.


    ��Of course not. I simply visited my in-laws with Canary and thanked them for taking care of her over the years.��


    ��Tsk, how boring����


    Upon hearing his response, Mini Bubble Gum pouted. Canary revealed a gentle smile, but Rhode apparently was unconcerned.


    ��By the way, where��s my cola?��


    ��Here it is, Leader. An iced one!��


    ��Thanks.��


    Rhode caught the cola that Mini Bubble Gum tossed over and gestured to thank her. He hooked the ring pull with his finger and opened the can. At the same time��


    Boom!


    An ear-deafening explosion resounded. The apartment building behind Rhode was enveloped by a dazzling radiance. Shortly after, flames and billows of smoke emerged from the building. Looking at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum widened her eyes in astonishment.


    ��Woah! What��s going on? What happened?��


    ��Hmm?��


    Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s response, Rhode turned around, glanced at the blazing apartment building, and shrugged.


    ��Who knows? Perhaps a gas explosion,�� he said.

 Chapter 1152 - Departure and Battle

    While Rhode��s group faced the ��aftermath�� of the explosion incident, the rulers of various countries on Earth were caught in a chaotic mess.


    Thomas and the rest returned home safely and reported their findings quickly. It was imaginable how astounded the higher-ups were when they witnessed Thomas��s research report. What Thomas elaborated in his report was basically the same as Rhode had expected. Thomas mentioned the hypothesis of advanced civilizations on Earth before humans appeared. Not only that, but he also linked up the existing legends and myths that were widely spread on Earth and claimed that 65 million years ago, the heirs of these advanced civilizations had fallen in a defeat against certain evil forces and had no choice but to destroy all of Earth. Most of them were also sealed in ice and only a small number of them survived and showed up in forms such as ��deities��, ��angels��, and ��gods�� known to people. This was also why ancient civilizations had different legends and yet, similar characters were involved. Not only that, but Thomas also warned that the creatures they fought against earlier were starting to revive in number and a careless mistake would repeat the same tragedy that happened to Earth from 65 million years ago.


    This caused an uproar among the higher-ups instantly. Even though modern technologies were so advanced that humans could be sent to the moon to build bases, there still wasn��t a way to migrate Earthlings on a large-scale yet. Besides, modern humans hadn��t fallen from grace to be willing to die alongside the dinosaurs yet. Therefore, all countries began researching and looking for ways to discover the so-called ��disasters��, in order to prevent the same catastrophe from happening again like 65 million years ago.


    However, that had nothing to do with Rhode anymore. As long as he transmigrated the entire Dragon Soul Continent to this plane of existence, he could borrow the strength of Order to subdue Chaos entirely. Chaos would then self-destruct and that would be enough for him.


    But now, Rhode had his own matters to attend to.


    Deep, gloomy clouds enfolded the sky. The gentle wind brought along a refreshing scent of the soil. Rhode lifted his head and sauntered along the tree-lined avenue filled with rows of graves on both sides. Despite that, he didn��t slow down his place. He arrived at a fork and entered the depths of the cemetery where he reached one of the graves shortly after. He gazed at a black tombstone, pondered in silence, and let out a long sigh. Then, the corners of his mouth perked up into a forced smile.


    ��Life sure is fascinating. The last time I came here was before my graduation�� Back then, I was thinking of finding a decent job. I didn��t have high expectations. As long as the job covered my insurance, gave me a stable income to have savings for a mortgage, and allowed me to find and marry a woman, all would be great. And now���� Rhode looked up at the sky and extended his hand. ���� A year has gone by and I��ve become the ruler of a continent. The number of women around me is reaching double-digits and some aren��t even humans. Haha, I wonder what reactions Mom and Dad would have if they knew about this in heaven.��


    ��Aren��t they here?��


    The younger sister��s troubled voice sounded in his head. Rhode shrugged in response.


    ��Nope, this is only an empty grave. Their plane crashed into the sea and their corpses couldn��t be found and recovered from the ocean. So all I could do was to build an empty grave�� In fact, I don��t see anything wrong with this since people need spiritual sustenance. Rather than being a person who adopts an artistic style by speaking to the ocean or sky, I would rather speak to a tombstone since their names and pictures are on it. At least I��m sure of who I��m speaking to and not to some random and unknown presences.��


    Rhode said, dwindling his expression and lifting up the incense stick. He bowed solemnly and said: ��Mom, Dad, your son is here to see you�� yes�� I��ve graduated from university and now�� I can be considered to have found a job. It is rather stable and should be able to last forever if no accidents happen. The income is also decent. Even though I��m not considered a millionaire with this job, it is enough for me to get on with life. Although the job gets a little dangerous at times, please be assured that everything will be fine. As for accommodations, I have a few of them with mortgages fully paid. They are huge and located in comfortable environments without any pollution. As for your daughters-in-law, there are a lot of them, so I will find another day to properly introduce them to both of you. Everything is great, so please don��t worry about me.��


    Rhode bowed solemnly and inserted the incense stick into the incense burner. He took two steps back and gazed at the tombstone. At that moment, he heard the chuckles of his younger sister.


    ��Big Brother, your way of reporting to Mom and Dad sure is interesting����


    ��Well, I��m not telling lies either.��


    ��True����


    The younger sister let out a soft sigh. Then, he heard her voice again. Even though he couldn��t see her at all, he clearly felt her emotions.


    ��I��m thankful to Mom and Dad too. As a Creator Dragon, I��ve never indulged in such emotions. We were born in the gap between Order and Chaos and upheld the will of Order. But to us, this is our first time experiencing affections of a family. Perhaps this was the reason why they weren��t willing to leave Earth�� After all, there isn��t much purpose for them to return after losing their power. Same goes for me����


    Upon hearing her words, Rhode felt astonished. This was his first time learning that the five Creator Dragons had no parents, but were born in the gap between Order and Chaos instead. In other words, after their souls were reincarnated to Earth, this was their first time indulging in affections within a family. In that case, it was understandable why the other Creator Dragons had no intention of leaving this place and returning to the Dragon Soul Continent with him. After all, this was their home now, while they were considered to have abandoned their original identities after handing the Dragon Soul Continent over to Rhode. Their only wish now was to live in the identities of ordinary humans and other matters were out of their consideration. After all, as time passed, the followers of the Creator Dragons were basically dead and the ones who remained were mostly unrelated apprentices. Apart from increasing their troubles and memories, there were no other meanings. Not everyone could survive the attack of Chaos like the ��seven�� deity wardens. However, Arthur and the rest weren��t standing idly by either. Previously, they contacted Rhode and assured him that they would activate their powers to search for Chaos worshipers who lurked in this world and annihilate them all. Rhode left this task to Arthur and the rest since even if they weren��t able to resolve this matter by then, there would still be a lot of time after the Dragon Soul Continent transmigrated to this solar system.


    The younger sister stopped speaking, while Rhode also became silent. In an instant, the cemetery was sitting in an odd tranquility. There was nothing else apart from the gentle wind and light drizzle. Raindrops landed on the tree leaves, ground, and pond, performing a symphony with nature as its theme. Rhode stood in the rain quietly. After a few moments, he turned around and headed back where he came from.


    He had done what he should, at least for now.


    And for the next thing�� he could only handle it after heading back.


    ***


    Gales howled.


    The land was no longer as peaceful as yesterday. The massive force that razed across the surface had as though flipped the ground around, where even the strong roots of tall, ancient trees were pulled up from the soil. The surroundings turned incomparably dark. The impetuous force became a shape of threat, bringing suffocating coldness and fear to the entire space.


    Marlene held a staff in hand, hovering in midair quietly and gazing at the army that had enveloped half the horizon. They were mainly air troops and apart from gargoyles, incubi, and soul griffins, the most eye-catching presence was an angel with pitch-black wings who stood at the very front. He was tall and burly, clutching a sword and clad in full, pitch-black armor. He gazed ahead and didn��t speak a word as though he were the dominator of the sky.


    ��His Majesty the Dark Dragon actually sent out a legendary general into battle. It seems like he has decided to break our agreement, huh?��


    Meanwhile, there wasn��t an equally frightening display of forces behind Marlene. Not only were there no battle angels around, but the magic warships were also nowhere to be seen. Orchid Heart and her army also weren��t on the battlefield. The only ones behind Marlene were Alice, who held a heavy book in her hands and leaned slantingly as though she were sitting back on a sofa, and Cassidy, who had a heavy sword diagonally on her back, crossed her arms, and gazed ahead in elegance and disdain. There were only three of them against an army of hundreds of thousands of troops. But even so, they weren��t scared or anxious at all. It could also be said that�� they were somewhat overly carefree.


    ������


    Charlie didn��t respond to Marlene. Among the four legendary generals, this fallen angel was known for being a man of few words and took more actions than he the words spoke. Facing Marlene��s question, he wasn��t mindful at all. He also didn��t care about what Ion was trying to do. As long as it was Ion��s order, he knew he had to fulfill it.


    And that was enough.


    Therefore, he didn��t say a word. He raised the sword in his hand and pointed at the three young ladies. His mission now was only to attack.


    ��What a boring fella.��


    However, Charlie��s actions didn��t give any pressure to the trio at all. Cassidy crossed her arms and lifted her chin proudly, sizing up the fallen angel with eyes glinting in disdain and contempt.


    ��Absolutely disgraceful, how dare you point your sword at me? And that annoying reptile actually broke his agreement with our lord! Hmph, he is nothing more than a vessel, so how dare he act so brazenly!�� Cassidy grunted, reaching her hand to grip and unsheathe the large sword behind her. ��Since that reptile is unwilling to keep promises, we shall educate him with the proper etiquette on how to treat the deity wardens with respect!��


    Shing������!


    Charlie didn��t say a word. But the instant Cassidy finished her sentence, he flourished his sword and along with this move, the darkness enveloping the horizon began to roll. At the next moment, tens of thousands of undead creatures expanded their wings and pounced ahead!


    Soul griffins flew across the sky in blazing blue flames like an ocean wave crashing forward from the horizon. Right behind them were death knights riding on incubi, erupting in scarlet flames that resembled a rippling blood river. Gargoyles were mixed among them, making terrifying screeches and pouncing on the enemies ahead with razor-sharp claws. But this seemingly hair-raising scene wasn��t even considered a threat to the three young ladies.


    ��Asking for death!��


    Scanning the undead army that enfolded the entire sky, Cassidy snickered. At the next moment, she clutched the large sword and swung it forward with might!


    Along with this attack, the sky and Earth reversed suddenly. At a glance above, the boundless land had flipped over and replaced the sky, where the trees were seemingly growing from the sky upside down. Facing this phenomenon, it was a pity that the undead creatures fluttering in the air weren��t teleported to the surface along with the sky. Therefore, it was imaginable how terrified they felt. They were simply flying across the sky, only to suddenly realize that the sky turned into solid ground that imprisoned them entirely.


    ��Brainless idiots.��


    Looking at the undead creatures who were trapped in the earth, Cassidy snorted. She withdrew the sword through the trajectory it took and in a flash, the sky and earth returned to their original state. At the same time, Alice swept a glance at the undead creatures that were devoured by the land and extended her hand to hold the heavy book before her.


    ��������!��


    Without the slightest sound, the earth suddenly grew exuberant. The wreckage like broken, shattered trees returned to their original, perfect state. The green grass and lush forest once again became the main melody of this world. As for the undead creatures that were imprisoned within the earth, they vanished entirely.


    Within three minutes, the high and mighty undead army was annihilated. This was the six deity wardens����no, seven deity wardens�� true power.


    ��If you back off now, we can turn a blind eye to it. This is your last chance.��


    Marlene looked at Cassidy and Alice, who had withdrawn the sword and closed the book respectively, before shifting her gaze to the empty space ahead. Apart from Charlie, there was no one else.


    ������


    If it were Garcia or Balende, they would have nodded in agreement regardless of their ��reputation��. This response wasn��t too surprising since the deity wardens were a totally different level above the legendary generals. Besides, after the passing of so many years, the strength of the legendary generals was getting worse with each generation. If it was their first generation of legendary generals who took on the deity wardens, they wouldn��t be crushed so badly despite being unable to win. But now�� judging from the plight of the Blood Countess Ashvril, it was apparent that she was basically considered to make up for the shortfall in the number of legendary generals��


    But it was a pity that they were facing the Angel of Sorrow, Charlie, and nothing had more importance than battles in his eyes. Therefore, upon hearing Marlene��s words, not only did he not retreat, but he also flourished his sword, before flitting across the air in a swift black radiance, aiming straight at her!


    ��Sigh, that��s it then.��


    Marlene sighed upon witnessing his action and raised her staff. Along with this movement, the staff in her hand trembled and spun on its own like a machine. One by one, various colorful magical rituals appeared behind her. The undulating magical brilliance flickered and coalesced into an energy-filled light beam. At the next moment, the omnipresent light beam erupted, shrouding Charlie entirely.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A string of explosions reverberated. But shortly after, Charlie emerged from the dark radiance and raised his sword high, his pitch-black wings emanating a black, ink-like brilliance as though a black hole devouring Marlene��s magical assaults. Looking at this scene, Marlene twitched her brow slightly. She lifted the staff and swung it forward quickly.


    Clang!


    The pitch-black blade collided with her staff heavily. Charlie and Marlene trembled upon impact at the same time. However, Charlie continued his aggression, striking ahead continuously. At that moment, a colorful brilliance emanated from Marlene and a solid barrier appeared in front of her to stop Charlie��s attack. Marlene brandished the staff at him abruptly.


    Almost simultaneously, Charlie sensed the presence of a mighty danger. He decisively abandoned his attack and retreated swiftly.


    Swish!


    An illusory light beam brushed against Charlie. Shortly after, the ground rumbled and the light beam ripped through the land with its roaring airwaves and the colors of the sky gradually turned dull. In a loud explosion, a mountain hundreds of meters behind Charlie shattered into bits and collapsed entirely.


    Charlie flew off to draw a distance away from Marlene quickly.


    But at that moment, a fanatical smile emerged on his expressionless face.


    ��Such a formidable power�� Great, I shall have a feel for it!��

 Chapter 1153 - Duel under Order

    Air waves scattered and the earth rumbled. The sky that couldn��t bear the formidable force made a mournful groan. Cassidy and Alice had already retreated faraway and watched as Charlie and Marlene collided with each other. In that instant, the brilliance of black and white clashed and split the entire sky into half.


    Charlie slashed several blade rays at the young lady before him, shrouding her entirely. But even so, Marlene didn��t waver. Her expression remained the same, though the staff in her hand continued to spin on its own. At the next moment, the dazzling black radiance punctured Marlene��s body, but it didn��t leave a single trace of damage. Marlene moved the staff gently and shortly after, blade rays that were almost identical to Charlie��s erupted from behind her. The only difference was that unlike the pitch-black, corrupted energy, Marlene��s blade rays were flickering in white magical radiance.


    This was the power of the Wisdom Deity Warden.


    She didn��t need any weapons and was able to cast all sorts of skills. Even if she was unarmed, she could release power equivalent to blade rays released from godlike weapons. Of course, Charlie��s sword was no ordinary blade. It was a weapon that proved his existence as an ex-archangel. This holy sword of flames had accompanied him through countless years and annihilated innumerable evil spirits. After he became corrupted, this holy sword of flames devoured countless mortals by mercilessly burning them into ashes. This was Charlie��s trump card. In the face of his flames, nothing could stop it. The flames weren��t materialization of elements, but was a concept of ��destruction�� instead; it was an existence that was one with this fallen angel.


    If Marlene were an ordinary human, she would have been destroyed entirely from Charlie��s first attack. No matter what she defended herself with, be it spiritual spells, magic spells, or special equipment, they would instantly crumble upon contact with the flames. But to Marlene, the flames didn��t pose a problem at all.


    If the flames were truly a concept of ��destruction��, even Marlene didn��t dare to face it head-on. But the problem was that Charlie��s concept of ��destruction�� was impure and could only be achieved by relying on the fusing of the holy sword and his strength instead. Facing this type of power, Marlene wasn��t concerned at all. As the Wisdom Deity Warden, she had a thousand ways to analyze, copy, and be immune to his attack.


    Swish!


    As the staff trembled, several blade rays appeared around her and flew ahead to clash with Charlie��s assault. The powers of destruction collided and merged like two steel gears biting each other, spinning constantly and erupting scorching flares, as well as surging airwaves. Shortly after, a burst of blinding lights exploded. Charlie retreated swiftly to draw a distance away from Marlene.


    ��Are we still continuing this battle, Your Highness Charlie?��


    Marlene asked, hovering in midair and gazing at the fallen angel quietly. She appeared incredibly calm, but as a matter of fact, she was exceedingly anxious. She didn��t want to blow up the matter. Even though the Country of Darkness had crossed the line after dispatching so many troops, they didn��t stand a chance against the deity wardens, so they weren��t considered any threat at all. It was like two people playing games and the winner caught the loser cheating. At the very most, the winner would mock or warn the loser a couple of times, and wouldn��t flip the table and accuse the loser��only incompetent people or one caught in a war would fly into a rage out of humiliation and choose to resolve things using this method. This was also why Marlene put up defenses skillfully and didn��t choose to attack. After all, the Country of Darkness didn��t cause any huge damage to the Void Territory. If it were possible, Marlene would rather keep the peace and turn a blind eye to the situation until Rhode��s return. But if Charlie were to do anything hurtful to the Void Territory, perhaps Marlene and the rest would need to operate the magic fleet and invade the Country of Darkness.


    Marlene was anticipating that Charlie would realize the great disparity between their strength and stop the battle. Even though it would be humiliating for him, it was better than being obliterated, wasn��t it? But what surprised Marlene was that not only did this fallen angel not stop attacking, but he also became more aggressive with his attacks the more he suffered in battle. Until a few moments go, Marlene sensed an atrocious aggression from him as though he wanted both sides to end in mutual destruction.


    This astounded Marlene. Even though she had been in several battles alongside Rhode, she had never experienced a battle where the enemy was simply throwing away his life. Although Rhode had also faced various accidents, he would never risk the lives of his men as it was a foolish thing to do.


    ��When you no longer have any regard for your life, that is when this world has nothing worthy for you to recall.��


    Marlene remembered that moment when she stared at Anne when Rhode said this to Anne. Back then, Anne seemed to pretend to be naive. Marlene had to admit that she never witnessed anyone throwing their life away while being with Rhode. Anne sought thrills and dangers in adventures. It was her duty to give herself up to protect others but that didn��t mean that she enjoyed losing her life. However, Charlie was entirely different. He wasn��t mindful of Marlene��s attack at all, not even when her assaults were lethal. On the contrary, he continued his aggression crazily, which caught Marlene unprepared. After all, she had no intention of killing Charlie before this battle began.


    ��What��s wrong? What are you hesitating for? Attack! Fight me!��


    Raising the holy sword high, Charlie��s pupils were entirely enveloped by the blazing flames. He stared at Marlene, totally unconcerned about his wounds. The strong black armor had become tattered in the clashes and was also the result of Marlene holding back her power. If not, he wouldn��t still be standing here.


    ��Hmph!��


    Looking at this scene through the crystal ball, Ion turned grim. Meanwhile, Garcia and Balende were so stumped that they couldn��t utter a word. Of course, they knew how powerful the young ladies around Rhode were, especially after Balende experienced it for himself. However, they didn��t expect the three deity wardens to be that powerful. The entire army that Charlie led consisted of the elites of elites. Even though they were lesser in number than Balende��s army, they were adept in ambushes from the rear as ��air troops�� and experienced in facing multiple enemies at once. Judging from this fact, the strength of Charlie��s army was considered the best amongst all the undead armies.


    But now, these elites were annihilated entirely in an instant. Before they reacted, or perhaps struggled or retaliated, these air troops that the Country of Darkness was proudest of vanished in the blink of an eye.


    ��Your Majesty!��


    Balende couldn��t hold it in anymore. He turned around and knelt on the ground respectfully.


    ��Please order His Highness Charlie to retreat. It isn��t too late yet!��


    Almost everyone present in the battlefield knew why Marlene didn��t kill Charlie. No one thought that Marlene wasn��t capable enough because Alice and Cassidy were still watching the show casually from the sidelines. If they really wanted Charlie dead, Balende was sure that even the four legendary generals would be demolished instantly as soon as the three deity wardens attacked at once. Right now, Charlie was barely standing as a result of Marlene��s mercy, which was great news for Balende��s side. As long as there weren��t any official clashes or deaths between the higher-ups, everything could be discussed. But if the situation became one where they fought to their last gasp, it would be a nightmare for him!


    Balende knew that counting on Charlie to back off on his own was totally impossible. Charlie was hungry for battles and had always been searching for true death. That was why not only was he not afraid of Marlene��s overwhelming power, but it also aroused his fighting spirits. And now, the only person capable of making him return was the Dark Dragon!


    ��Your Majesty, I hope you can reconsider your decision too!��


    Garcia half-knelt on the ground and looked up at the Dark Dragon anxiously. The Country of Darkness suffered gravely this time and if they were to sacrifice another legendary general, the damage would be even worse, like they were suffering a double loss! When that happened, the Country of Darkness would have nowhere to hide! This involved the life and death of the entire nation!


    ������


    This time, the Dark Dragon didn��t give a command immediately despite their persuasions. On the contrary, he stared at the image displayed from the crystal ball and gnashed his teeth in silence. In fact, no one knew that Ion was also terribly perplexed at that very moment. It was especially so when he witnessed Charlie��s army being wiped out. He felt as though he were struck in the head by a club and his mind cleared up abruptly. He was clearly aware of what Charlie and his army meant to the Country of Darkness. But now, they were almost ruined by his decision.


    Was I really wrong?


    This time, Ion searched for an answer in his heart. He also wasn��t sure of the reason. From the start, he had the intention of probing the Void Territory��s strength, which was why he launched an attack on the Void Territory using the undead army. It was like a game to him in the beginning, but after hearing news of defeat from the front line, he became increasingly furious. Deep inside his heart, there was anger burning and swelling. He couldn��t believe and accept why he failed again and again.


    If Rhode were here, Ion could still find an excuse to blame that this wasn��t the first time Rhode destroyed his plans. But the problem was that Rhode had left this world entirely, so he couldn��t possibly stop Ion.


    I��ve failed again! Are the people of the Void Territory really that powerful?


    Unknowingly, anger turned into action like a gambler who lost. Ion began to increase the number of troops sent into battle, but didn��t receive any good news. On the contrary, reports from the front lines made him furious again and again. Without a channel to vent his frustrations, the wrath bottled up inside him grew stronger and he eventually made a desperate decision.


    But now, after witnessing the annihilation of his main forces, he wasn��t infuriated at all. Instead, he felt as though he were splashed in cold water from head to toe and the burning anger inside him almost disappeared.


    What have I done? Come to think of it, why did I make such a foolish choice? There is totally no need for that, isn��t it?


    At this thought, Ion raised his hand. As he was about to speak, a snarl resounded from the crystal ball all of a sudden.


    ��This is the final attack! I shall see how much longer you��re gonna avoid my attack, woman!��


    Charlie roared, gripping the sword with force. All of a sudden, the sword coalesced from scorching black flames erupted in all directions and as though attracted by an unknown force, they wrapped around his wings. At that moment, the fallen angel was completely shrouded in black flames.


    ��This is����


    Looking at this scene, this was the first time Marlene��s expression became stern and grim. She clearly felt the concept of ��destruction�� surrounding Charlie becoming stronger and it had even broken the rules of this continent. The rules were in disorder. The land, sky, time, and space�� everything was as though infiltrated by a violent storm and was on the verge of collapse!


    ��He destroyed Order!��


    Cassidy bellowed, reaching for the sword on her back with her hand. Alice knitted her brows and flipped the book in her hands. To the deity wardens of Order, nothing was more important than maintaining Order itself. And now, Charlie actually destroyed Order. He totally had no right to remain as an inhabitant of Order anymore!


    At that moment, Marlene turned grim. No matter what, it was a rule that inhabitants of Order weren��t allowed to destroy Order and not even deity wardens like them could change this rule. Due to this reason, even though they possessed unique powers, their powers ultimately operated off of ��Order��. But if one were to destroy Order, it was an entirely different issue! Marlene initially decided to be merciful toward Charlie, but now decided to give up that intention. As matters stood, even if Charlie decided to pull back, as a guardian of Order, Marlene would never let him off!


    ��Ze Miyuas!��


    For the first time, Marlene raised the staff in her hand and chanted an incantation loudly. Shortly after, dazzling, circular, and blue magical rituals appeared all around her and Charlie, enveloping them completely. The circular rituals emanated magical brilliances that coalesced into intricate, mystical, and ancient runes that extended to separate themselves from this world. Charlie bellowed and slashed the sword in his hand. The surging black flames rumbled and whizzed ahead. Everything in their path fell to pieces, where even space cracked like a broken mirror and began to roll. Meanwhile, Marlene clutched the staff and tapped it ahead with force!


    ������!


    Hundreds of incomparably dazzling magical radiance filled the entire space. The blazing black flames twisted frantically, colliding with a glaring magical light, and only to be devoured completely like a tiny boat sparing no effort and spiraling in massive waves, attempting to resist the storm above. But eventually��there was only one consequence.


    The black flames vanished entirely in a flash. Marlene raised the staff and unlocked the sealed enchanted field. Alice placed her hand on the book and pointed a finger forward. Then, the broken fragments of space within Charlie��s flames restored their original state.


    And Charlie was nowhere to be found.


    ��You��ve gone too far.��


    Marlene said and glared ahead. The fallen angel had been completely smashed into bits by her magical torrent. But Marlene wasn��t concerned about the death of an insignificant legendary general. She was at a loss for words over the fact that Charlie had actually destroyed the Order of the Dragon Soul Continent. After a few moments, she shifted her gaze to Alice and Cassidy. The former remained silent, while the latter knitted her brows..


    ��I suggest we show that reptile what we��re made of, Marlene. He has obviously forgotten his identity. We must make him recall why he was chosen as a vessel by the Creator Dragons!��


    ��I know what you mean, Cassidy, but now����


    Marlene said with knitted brows. This was a heavy offense. Of course, Marlene knew what it meant when the people and representatives of Order destroyed Order. But Rhode wasn��t around now. She also couldn��t possibly attack the Country of Darkness just like what Cassidy mentioned. In the end, she pondered for a while and let out a sigh.


    ��I will report this matter to Her Majesty Siena and Nalea,�� Marlene said. ��I suppose they have the responsibility to handle this incident.��

 Chapter 1154 - A Disorderly Situation

    I��m surprised things turned out this way.


    Siena and Nalea gazed silently at the letter on the table. The latter brought upon her usual innocent and unaffected smile, while the former knitted her brows tightly and her depressing aura flooded the entire room. Even without reading this letter from Marlene, they knew the situation was far from good. From the start, the battles between the Void Territory and Country of Darkness were still under control. But as days passed, the Country of Darkness intensified their attacks and the Void Territory didn��t seem to have the intention of backing down. This gave Siena a huge headache, but she didn��t need to worry about it any longer because the most troublesome thing just happened.


    Charlie, one of the legendary generals of the Country of Darkness, led an army into battle, aggravating the conflict into a war. Not only that, but he also attempted to destroy Order, which violated the rules of Order. And now�� the situation had developed in an irremediable direction that no one wished to see. If the twin sisters didn��t do anything about it, perhaps the issue might turn out even more critical.


    ��We can��t remain silent anymore, Big Sister. We have to take actions to ensure the safety and Order of the Dragon Soul Continent. This is our responsibility and duty. If this continues, who knows what will happen!��


    Siena put away the letter in her hand, stood to her feet, and gazed sternly at the other young lady who gnawed at a biscuit like a hamster. Upon realizing her gaze, Nalea dropped the biscuit awkwardly and stuck out her tongue in embarrassment.


    ��I know, Siena�� Indeed, His Majesty Ion has gone too far this time. No matter what, he was up against the deity wardens����


    In comparison to Ion and Lilian, Siena and Nalea had existed for the longest time. The twin sisters had been quietly watching over the continent and as a matter of fact, the Country of Law had the least number of replacements for its rulers. Up until this moment, only three Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons had been replaced. Of course, this was also related to the nation itself. The Country of Darkness had night wyverns, the Country of Light had angels, and the Void Territory had man-made humans. Similarly, the Country of Law had their unique race��the elf dragons.


    However, the so-called ��elf dragons�� weren��t referring to elves residing in the forest. The ��elf�� was only a collective term. As a matter of fact, apart from white elves, what made up most of the current elf community were moon elves and earth elves. But the ��elf dragons�� were entirely different beings from them. They didn��t have descendants by means of breeding, but were ��born�� from the fruits of the Spirit Tree enveloping the sacred grounds by gathering the power and essence of the sky and earth instead. Judging from this fact, the ��elf�� was more like that monkey which Rhode had read about from a supernatural novel, where the monkey jumped out from the crack in a boulder and was ��born�� from a tree.


    Besides, no one knew if it was a coincidence as there were always two lives born whenever the fruits of the Spirit Tree ripened. This went to show that twins were part of a tradition in the Country of Law.


    It was due to this reason that Siena and Nalea could withstand more dragon soul powers than ordinary humans and other dragons. Their bodies would also not deteriorate with age or be damaged due to expending too much dragon soul power. That was why in the Dragon Soul Continent, the twin dragons of the Country of Law lived the longest. Perhaps it was also due to this reason that the five Creator Dragons decided to put the Country of Law in charge of managing the Creation Code and not other countries. If it were the Country of Light that were responsible, no one knew what would happen to the Creation Code after the generations of inheritance.


    For that reason, Siena and Nalea were the dragon soul heirs who understood the most about what sort of beings the deity wardens were. They knew that it was all a facade despite the deity wardens acting humbly toward them. In fact, with the status and strength of the deity wardens, Siena and Nalea could only accept the criticisms if the deity wardens were to shout abuse at them. After all, they were the deity wardens. They were on a totally different level above the dragon soul heirs who were only born later than them.


    Besides, the Country of Darkness had indeed gone overboard this time. As a matter of fact, when Siena and Nalea learned that Ion had actually sent out one of the legendary generals into battle, they were stumped. After all, they didn��t expect the Dark Dragon to disregard them to this huge extent��


    ��Is there any response from His Majesty Rhode��s side?��


    Siena let out a sigh and asked. Facing her question, Nalea carefully picked up another biscuit and tossed it into her mouth. Then, she shook her head.


    ��Nope�� but his soul is doing fine. I suppose there aren��t too many troubles����


    Even though Rhode had left the continent, his soul was still connected to the dragon essence. If Rhode were dead, the dragon essence would dissipate and look for a new heir. And now, the dragon essence was in normal condition, which meant that Rhode was still alive and kicking.


    ��Alright then, I��m going to have a chat with His Majesty Ion.��


    After hearing the response from the elder sister, Siena pondered for a few moments before making a decision. She felt like the situation had indeed gone out of control. But as for what the exact issue was, she wasn��t sure. That was why she had to check it out herself.


    But shortly after, Siena realized that the situation was worse than she had imagined.


    ��His Majesty Ion refuses to meet me?��


    She widened her eyes at the old man, Garcia, who was pale and speechless. According to official etiquette, the Dark Dragon absolutely had to welcome any dragon soul heirs who visited his territory��which, in this case, was one of the twin dragons who managed the Creation Code��so Siena didn��t expect to be refused entry at all. She had never experienced something like this before.


    ��No, that isn��t the case, Your Majesty Siena.��


    Garcia showed a bitter look on his face. But he had no other ways around it. He had notified Ion that Siena was heading over way before she arrived, but Ion brushed him off instead. No, it was more like ever since that defeat, Ion locked himself up in the room and didn��t step out of it. Up until now, Garcia still recalled that scene. Upon witnessing everything that happened, including Charlie��s death, through the crystal ball, Ion seemed to have made up his mind about something. He raised his arm and was about to command when suddenly, Charlie snarled, clutched his sword, and black flames erupted from his blade to collide heavily with the white magical torrent.


    The dazzling radiance flickered from the crystal ball and as soon as the radiance dissipated, the image on the crystal ball vanished entirely. Garcia and Balende exchanged looks and even though none of them spoke a word, they clearly knew that from then onward, another seat for the legendary general was emptied. But shortly after, Garcia and Balende discovered something terrifying and that was Ion��s expression.


    Garcia swore that ever since he devoted himself to the Dark Dragon, he had never witnessed such an expression. Ion stared blankly at the crystal ball without any emotions. That behavior from him wasn��t meant to protect his dignity or anything. At that moment, Garcia felt like the Dark Dragon��s head was in a complete blank as though the one standing there wasn��t a mighty king, but was a stone-carved statue instead. This left Garcia speechless and trembling with fear. In an instant, Garcia, Balende, and Ion fell into a dead silence. After some time, Ion laid down the arm he raised from a few moments ago, turned around, and left the room quietly. Gazing at his back, neither Garcia nor Balende said anything because even they were at a loss for words.


    It was thereafter that Ion locked himself up in the room and didn��t attend the routine morning meeting. Up until this moment, no one knew what was going through Ion��s head and exactly what he wanted to do. At the same time, Garcia reported Siena��s arrival to Ion, but Ion didn��t respond at all. Garcia felt helpless, but what else could he do? After all, he was only one of the legendary generals and not the Dark Dragon��


    ��Alright, I got it.��


    Siena anticipated that Ion would be in a horrible mood. After all, the Country of Darkness had rarely fallen so terribly against the Void Territory. Aside from that, two of the four legendary generals also died in the hands of the Void Territory. During the Creation War, only one of the four legendary generals was dead. But now, two of them were killed in a short period of time. But, even though Siena sympathized with Ion��s feelings, she had to do what was necessary. That was why she nodded and retrieved a golden scroll from the fold of her pocket. Upon seeing the golden scroll, Garcia��s expression changed instantly. Of course, he knew what that was.


    The declaration of the Creation Code!


    Garcia knew little about it. The twin dragons were always in charge of the Creation Code. Whenever anyone violated the Creation Code, the twin dragons would make a verdict. What made matters worse was that verdicts didn��t require lawyers, appeals, retrials, and summoning of the plaintiff and defendant to court. As long as the Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons judged that the party violated the Creation Code, that would be sufficient.


    Unsure if the countries were simply fortunate or not, after the Creation War happened, none of them were handed the declaration of the Creation Code. And now, this was considered a ��historic breakthrough�� for the Country of Darkness�� which was something that Garcia definitely didn��t want to achieve.


    ��This is a warning. I suppose you��re aware that one of your four legendary generals, Charlie, broke the stability of Order in the battlefield. His actions have violated what an inhabitant of Order is allowed to do����


    Upon hearing Siena��s remarks, Garcia tense up instantly. He listened with a solemn look while gazing at the declaration. Shortly after, Siena changed the topic.


    ���� But since he is no longer alive, we will not hand out harsh punishment to your country. This is only a warning, but as the price to pay for violating the Creation Code, we request your country to stop attacking the Void Territory at once. Be it the reason, you��re no longer allowed to dispatch troops again. If not, the Country of Law will intervene in the battle�� Please convey the message to His Majesty the Dark Dragon that all his actions have crossed the line.��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty Siena. I will ensure that your message is conveyed.��


    After accepting the declaration from Siena respectfully, Garcia heaved a long sigh of relief and answered. What reassured him was that the Country of Law had spared some humiliation to the Country of Darkness and only issued a warning. If the Country of Law were to attack�� he wasn��t sure how the current state of the Country of Darkness could handle it.


    ��I��m glad to hear that.��


    Siena nodded in response. Then, she knitted her brows and scanned the surroundings. For some unknown reason, she felt oddly uncomfortable in this particular trip to the Darkness Capital. It felt as though something uncharacteristic was brewing in this capital that was already enveloped in an ice-cold aura of death. Despite that, she couldn��t figure out where exactly it went wrong.


    ��Your Majesty Siena, is anything the issue?��


    ���� No.��


    Siena thought of asking about the recent happenings in the Darkness Capital, but this thought merely cropped up in her mind for a split second and she shook her head in denial. No matter what, she was a ruler of the Country of Law and intervening with affairs of other Creator Dragons�� territories wasn��t appropriate of her. As for the discomfort she felt, she reckoned it was the instinctive reaction of a living being toward the aura of death permeating throughout the air of the Darkness Capital. After all, the Country of Law was exuberant all year round, while the Country of Darkness was basically a synonym for cemetery and death. The aura of death diffusing across the air was so ice-cold and bone-piercing that not even Siena was immune to them.


    Maybe that��s why I feel uncomfortable��


    At this thought, Siena nodded at Garcia and turned around. Shortly after, a dazzling green radiance flitted across Garcia��s vision and Siena disappeared without a trace. As soon as she was gone, Garcia let out a sigh, lowered his head to gaze at the declaration in his hand, and was at a loss for words. There was a second when Garcia thought of tossing the declaration away immediately in denial, but it was a pity that�� it wouldn��t change the current state of the situation even if he did.


    It was imaginable for Garcia what sort of uproar it would cause if the news of them receiving the declaration was made known to the public. The Country of Darkness was on the verge of collapse now. Two of the four legendary generals had died in a row and this bewildered all the undead creatures. Not only that, but Garcia was also aware that many humans living by the border of the Country of Darkness began to head to the Country of Light and Void Territory to seek shelter. It was apparent that the current Country of Darkness could no longer rely on their deterrence to keep the humans around, especially after Charlie��s death, which brought upon a bigger hit to their confidence. If it was said that Ashvril��s death led to the start of a power struggle between the ancient and new generation of noble families, the annihilation of Charlie and his elite army shook the undead creatures completely. Garcia was also aware that some ancient noble families had begun to consider breaking away from the Country of Darkness! Ever since the establishment of the Country of Darkness, this had never happened before under the rule of the Dark Dragon!


    But Garcia also understood the reason behind this move: the ancient noble families lacked confidence in Ion.


    Previously, everything was smooth sailing for Ion, be it internally or against foreign enemies. Thereafter, Ion reformed the Country of Darkness boldly and decisively and no one had any reasons to refuse. But ever since Rhode appeared out of nowhere, the Dark Dragon��s scheme was no longer effective. In all of his battles against Rhode, Ion almost never won, not to mention even being dominant. This caused many ancient noble families to harbor doubts about Ion��s capability. But if this was all, it still wouldn��t be enough to trigger such thoughts. After all, hierarchy in the Country of Darkness was exceedingly strict. But after losing millions of undead creatures and two legendary generals, even the most devoted supporters began to doubt their decisions. Would Ion stand a chance of winning against Rhode?


    Not only that, but Ion��s actions also became increasingly insane. Other than Balende and Garcia, the patriarchs of various families were also aware of the happenings. They knew that Ion was pushing the limits of the entire Country of Darkness toward the border of the Void Territory. But the problem was that not only might the Country of Darkness not be unable to win the war, but they might also suffer a crushing defeat. In that case, the patriarchs had to make their own decisions and judgments. As of now, the Void Dragon wasn��t present and yet, the elites of the Country of Darkness suffered defeat after defeat. This result from the Country of Darkness was absolutely unacceptable.


    But�� What else can we do?


    At this thought, Garcia let out a long sigh, turned around, and headed into the pitch-black corridor with the declaration in hand. The view of his back seemed so crooked to the extent that the gathering darkness devoured him effortlessly.


    The future of the Country of Darkness seemed just like this sky, full of darkness. No one knew exactly which path it would be heading down.


    Of course, Rhode also wasn��t aware of the answer. But now, he wasn��t in the mood to consider this issue because there was a bigger problem for him��


    ��Where in the world are we?��


    Gazing at this barren, quiet, and vast land, Rhode held his forehead helplessly. Standing behind him were Lydia, Erin, as well as Marybelle, who led her subordinates. After settling all the trivia matters on Earth, Rhode activated the Akashic Key and channel to transmigrate everyone back to the continent. But�� to his surprise, they didn��t return to where they came from, but arrived at this barren land instead.


    ��Could it be that our transmigration method was wrong, Leader?��


    Shaking her head and listening to the music in her earpieces, Mini Bubble Gum knitted her brows and asked softly. Facing her doubt, Rhode shook his head.


    ��Impossible. I activated the channel according to the original coordinates. Logically speaking, we should be back in the Dragon Soul Continent now.��


    Rhode had taken the necessary steps to confirm this fact before taking actions. But now�� what was this ridiculous situation?


    ��That��s right, Your Majesty. We��ve indeed returned to the Dragon Soul Continent. There isn��t any mistake with the coordinates, I can assure you of this.��


    At that moment, Marybelle spoke. She wasn��t as surprised as Rhode and the rest. Upon hearing her comments, Rhode couldn��t help but twitch his brows.


    ��This is the Dragon Soul Continent? But where in the world are we? I don��t see anyone. Besides����


    Rhode said, lifting his head to gaze at the sky. No, he wasn��t sure if this was even a ��sky��. Because at a glance, there was a white brilliance shining from above. However, that wasn��t the radiance of the sun. Strictly speaking, it felt like the sky was laid with a layer full of incandescent lights by someone and wasn��t in the form of a dragon soul protection. Not only that, but Rhode also felt like the surroundings were abnormally desolate. There were no signs of life or death at all as though they were inside an imaginary, empty hole of nothingness. This was what Rhode felt. There seemed to only be nothingness and there was nothing else apart from it.


    ���� I can��t feel any dragon soul power.��


    ��That��s for sure, Your Majesty.��


    Upon hearing his doubt, Marybelle responded softly.


    ��Because this was a place abandoned by the Creator Dragons and where they were born. Or perhaps, I should say that this was the place of birth for all lives of Order and the foundation of the Dragon Soul Continent��the First Wilderness.��

 Chapter 1155 - First Wilderness

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Legend had it that the Creator Dragons were born in the gap between Order and Chaos. They received their shapes and lives from nothingness, and the gap was the beautiful home they grew up in. But in the end, the war between Order and Chaos spread to this land. After the five Creator Dragons realized they had no ways to resist Chaos, they left with the inhabitants and used this place as a foundation to build a brand-new refugee. This was the birth of the Dragon Soul Continent.


    ��Alright, we can take our time to learn about history after we head back.��


    Rhode held his forehead and said in a helpless tone before turning around and scanning the surroundings.


    ��The biggest question now is how we got here�� No, I think I figured out what happened.��


    Rhode said and let out a snort. This reasoning couldn��t be simpler. When activating the channel, Rhode used the ��coordinates�� seized from the ��black rod�� that the black-clothed figures held. Marybelle had also confirmed there wasn��t any mistake, which proved only one thing: the channel that the black-clothed figures initially activated wasn��t connected to the Dragon Soul Continent, but was linked to the First Wilderness instead. Then, they used some unfathomable methods and got themselves to the Dragon Soul Continent. After their ambush on Erin was unsuccessful, they activated the channel and attempted to return to Earth, only to be fooled by fate. Not only were they unable to escape from Erin, but a disaster also fell upon them. It was due to this reason that Rhode subconsciously believed that their initial location was the Dragon Soul Continent�� which was truly a tragedy.


    ��Well�� there should be a way to return to the Dragon Soul Continent from here, I suppose.��


    The situation wasn��t looking great. Rhode sensed the obvious nothingness in this place, and he was unable to properly use his powers. This place was also inferior to Earth. Even though magic spells were non-existent on Earth, their various rules were still robust. But here, perhaps not even the ��robust�� rules had taken shape and even drawing power from the Illusion Crystal was somewhat challenging. It was apparent that this place was like a land of demise that would mercilessly devour and bring everything into an eternity of death.


    ��There is indeed a way, Your Majesty.��


    Shortly after, Marybelle nodded and said in response.


    ��The First Wilderness and the Dragon Soul Continent are connected via the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. Back then, after the Creator Dragons established the Dragon Soul Continent, they abandoned the First Wilderness entirely. In order to prevent Chaos from taking advantage of a lapse, they sealed this world, linked it with the Seven Fantasy Boundaries, and put us in charge���� Marybelle said and waved her magic wand gently. Upon hearing her words, Rhode knitted his brows.


    ��If I recall correctly, shouldn��t the deity wardens be watching over the channel connecting the main plane of existence and underworld?��


    ��That is also our responsibility. Be it the plane channels of the Seven Fantasy Boundaries or underworld, they are under our jurisdiction. As a matter of fact, the plane channels of the Seven Fantasy Boundaries and underworld are connected. The passageway at the junction between hell and the abyss is nothing more than a projection. If any demon lords or devil lords were to arrive at the main plane via that channel����


    Marybelle paused, but Rhode fully understood what she meant. It seemed like the deity wardens were truly smart. They said that they were guarding the channel and yet, secretly turned it into a projection. If any demons or devils were that naive to rush into the channel, they would perhaps fall off and plunge right into the Seven Fantasy Boundaries, even if they managed to defeat the guards who were watching the channel.


    Then�� there was no more then. Rhode didn��t even want to imagine how the unfortunate demons and devils who fell into the Seven Fantasy Boundaries would be thrashed. But that wasn��t an issue he should be concerned about.


    ��So now, we just have to find and enter the sealed entrance to the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. I suppose you��ve felt it too, Your Majesty. This is a place of exile and far away from the core of the Dragon Soul Continent. The strength of Order is extremely weak here, so we need to pick up the pace.��


    ��No problem.��


    Upon hearing Marybelle��s remarks, Rhode nodded in agreement and gazed at his group. Fortunately, even though there didn��t seem to be any signs of life here, they wouldn��t starve to death anytime soon. As long as one reached the level of Rhode, Mini Bubble Gum, Erin, and Lydia, one basically didn��t need to consume food anymore. On the other hand, Canary No. 2 and Bubble No. 2 were Phantom Guardians who didn��t need food either. As for the rest�� they were fortunate that Marybelle prepared food supplies before leaving Earth. Rhode had to admit that he felt wonderful having such a meticulous person beside him who could handle everything. For instance, Rhode didn��t expect the teleportation to go wrong, so he wasn��t prepared for this situation. In his opinion, since they were heading back to the Dragon Soul Continent, they could use a group teleportation spell and return home straight after. But perhaps due to Marybelle��s experience in teleportation failures, she apparently was more attentive to details. Not only did she consider possible issues in teleportations, but she also thought about how to regroup and contact one another in case everyone was scattered to different locations.


    Back then, Rhode thought Marybelle was too on edge. But now, it seemed like�� it was better to be safe than sorry.


    After making the decision with Marybelle, Rhode instructed her to organize and get everyone ready. Meanwhile, he gathered Erin, Lydia, and the others to explain the details of the current situation. After listening to his words, the group had different reactions.


    ��How boring, I just wanna head back as soon as possible.��


    Mini Bubble Gum pouted and said in a restless tone.


    ��I wanna show Christie and the others the high tech stuff I brought back from Earth�� Sigh, why did we face such a troublesome problem? Hurry up and let��s go, Leader. I��ve had enough!��


    ��No problem, Rhode. I��ll heed your advice.��


    As usual, the two Canarys didn��t have any complaints. They held each other��s hands and said with a smile.


    ��First Wilderness, huh�� I read about it on the historical records, but I didn��t expect to actually come here����


    Erin mumbled, lifting her head and scanning this abandoned land with a complicated gaze. At a glance, it appeared so illusory and lifeless as though it were dumped in a corner to be wrapped in spider webs over time, causing it to lose its vibrancy and turn into dust. Just by looking at this scene, one felt a deep loneliness that came from being abandoned.


    ��There comes a day when all things pass away. No one can escape the current of time. All glory and splendor will turn to dust after a hundred years, not even the most beautiful sculpture will be preserved forever. But�� When I witness this scene for myself, I can��t help but feel like it��s a pity����


    Lydia was as poetic as usual. But this time, Rhode gazed at her with an odd expression.


    ��Erm�� Your Highness Lydia?��


    ��Hmm? Is anything the matter, Your Majesty Rhode?��


    ��Please pardon my rudeness, but do you not intend to change your clothes?��


    Even though they were back to the world of the Dragon Soul Continent, Lydia apparently had no intention of changing her attire back as a native. On the contrary, her dress-up was extremely erotic. She wore super-short jeans that revealed the elegant curves of her snowy thighs to everyone, as well as a pair of white calfskin boots. On her upper body was a short-sleeves t-shirt that exposed her bellybutton. She had also put on a slanted sunhat and seemed just like a hot chick who would show up at bars�� In all fairness, if Lydia were to wear this attire to a bar and danced, Rhode didn��t feel like anything would be out of place. But now, they had returned to the Dragon Soul Continent and were discussing an important topic�� the level of contradiction was full to bursting!


    ��Oh? Why would you bring that up, Your Majesty Rhode?��


    Upon hearing his words, Lydia blinked curiously and revealed a delighted smile. Then, she leaned forward and gazed at him slyly. Rhode couldn��t help but narrow his eyes. He had to admit that this attire suited her a lot. But��


    Rhode shifted down his gaze to the two pointed spots on the young lady��s towering chest that were poking through the t-shirt. Looking at this magnificent view, Rhode let out a helpless sigh.


    ��In any case, you are an archangel. So I don��t think it is too appropriate for you to�� Well, at least wear a bra or something����


    ��That thing is too tight and unbearable. I feel like women in that world are torturing themselves to dress up that way. I just can��t figure out why they would allow that thing to restrict their bodies.��


    Well said, Your Highness Archangel! After I transmigrate the Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system, I will make sure you spread this doctrine to the rest of the world!


    1


    Rhode held his forehead helplessly but despite that, his mind was thinking about how he was going to put Lydia on the pedestal in the name of the ��Topless Goddess��, educate the rest of Earth with this beloved divinity, and make those foolish humans comprehend the wills of the gods.


    ��No matter what, the clothes you��re in right now aren��t suitable for battle�� and there can easily be issues����


    Upon hearing Rhode��s answer, Lydia swirled her eyes and the corners of her mouth perked up into a smile.


    ��Oh? Your Majesty Rhode, what you mean is that you don��t want others to see me dressed like this?��


    ��That��s for sure. After all, all men are selfish. I would be pleased to welcome you if you wore it for me in private or even didn��t wear anything at all. But in public�� that is a totally different issue.�� Facing Lydia��s tease, Rhode answered in a shameless way that suited his style. To a certain degree, he was a man who followed his desires. Besides, he had never thought of it as something bad. All humans had desires and one should always be brave facing them. One would be truly pretentious if one who loved looking at beauties turned away deliberately from a beauty. In Rhode��s opinion, why must he care about what a beautiful woman would look like after a hundred years? Wasn��t it enough as long as he could spend a romantic night with the other party at that very moment? Why must one stare at beauties, but imagine how unsightly her white bones looked like after she decomposed after a hundred years? Rhode felt like the obsession of this kind of person definitely wasn��t relatable for most people.


    Upon hearing his answer, Lydia widened her eyes in surprise, sized him up for a few moments, and turned around with a smile. Facing this behavior of hers, Rhode shrugged in response. He had said what was necessary and it was up to her next. Judging from this point, Erin was less worrisome than her. Although Erin also wore clothes that she bought on Earth, they were still matching in this world. The plain black dress wasn��t eye-catching, but accentuated her personal charm perfectly. Compared to Lydia��s unseemly clothes for this world, Erin looked much better and appropriate.


    Eventually, Lydia didn��t change back to her original clothes. According to her, she loved wearing this combination of t-shirt and shorts. Not only was she able to move freely, but she also appeared more glorious. But despite this remark from her, she put on an additional white leather jacket, which eliminated the hidden danger of exposing herself. Rhode was at a loss for words toward the stubbornness of this archangel, which was why he kept quiet and set out on a journey shortly after.


    The path heading to the Seven Fantasy Boundaries wasn��t hard to find. Marybelle reminded Rhode that as long as he adapted to the bright light of the dome above and continued to lift his head, he would easily spot an enormous, cylindrical tower erected on the ground by the horizon that covered almost one-fifth of the sky. The other end of the tower would be piercing through heaven. According to Marybelle, that was the connecting point of the Seven Fantasy Boundaries and this world. As long as they reached the tower, they could enter the Seven Fantasy Boundaries and return to the Dragon Soul Continent.


    Something worthy of a mention was that spatial teleportation wasn��t possible in First Wilderness. Rhode attempted to activate the spatial channel earlier, but to no avail. The impression this place left on them was clear and turbid at the same time, like a constantly-stirring coffee milk. Even though the coffee and milk were distinct, it was impossible to separate them completely. And this was the feeling that First Wilderness gave Rhode.


    That was why he didn��t have other ways apart from walking by foot.


    It also wasn��t a comfortable experience for everyone. Although the white, cylindrical tower seemed to be within their reach, the distance between them didn��t seem to shrink at all even after several hours.


    However, Rhode wasn��t concerned as he continued to raise his head and look ahead. The gentle breeze brought along dust and sand to conceal the scenery ahead. Rhode wasn��t mindful about it. On the contrary, he was pondering over something else. He shifted his gaze to Erin because just a few moments ago, they were discussing another matter.


    Based on the current situation, it was now confirmed that the black-clothed figures had set their initial coordinates in First Wilderness. In this case, the question now was why? Indeed, Rhode��s group wouldn��t be able to find out if it were here because it was far away from the Dragon Soul Continent, without a dragon soul protection, and located in the gap between Order and Chaos, where not even Alice��s ��Historical Tracing�� could work. If the black-clothed figures hid in this place, Rhode��s group wouldn��t be able to do anything to them. However, was it just a coincidence that they set the coordinates here? Or was it premeditated?


    In this world, would the black-clothed figures establish bases like humans on the moon? If they would, perhaps the situation would be even more troublesome. But it was a pity that Rhode had no time to waste searching this world. Besides, according to Marybelle, this place was dangerous and unsuitable to stay on for a long time. That was why Rhode could only hold down his uncertainties for the time being. After all, their main goal now was to return to the Dragon Soul Continent safely. Thereafter, he could bring some of them back to this place and check on the situation if possible.


    ����?��


    But at that moment, Rhode suddenly came to a halt. Not only him, but Lydia, Erin, and the rest also slowed down their pace and gazed ahead with a heavy expression.


    ��What��s wrong, Rhode?��


    Canary asked curiously, while Rhode remained silent and nodded.


    ��Sounds like there is a battle ahead.��


    ��Huh?��


    Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were taken aback. They were ordinary humans, so naturally they didn��t have incredible hearing. But to Rhode and the rest, the sound was so crisp as though it was ringing at their ear.


    ��It should be right behind the mountain. About�� a thousand people.��


    Lydia narrowed her eyes and got her answer instantly.


    ��Should I fly there and check it out?��


    ��No, wait a moment����


    Facing Lydia��s question, Rhode waved his hand and turned to Marybelle.


    ��Marybelle, are there any remaining inhabitants here?��


    ��I��m not too sure. After all, we��re representatives of rules created to stabilize Order after the Creator Dragons created the Dragon Soul Continent. We��ve only heard about some things that happened here from the Creator Dragons. As for the specific details����


    ��Okay.��


    Rhode nodded in response. Then, he raised another question in his head.


    ��Do you know what��s going on?��


    ���� I��m not too sure, Big Brother.��


    His younger sister��s hesitant voice sounded in his head.


    ��The only thing I��m sure is that not everyone was willing to leave with us back then. And some didn��t leave with us in time, so they must have remained here. But I didn��t think they were able to survive until now under these harsh conditions�� Big Brother, I suppose you��ve realized that this is an abandoned land. Logically speaking, no living thing should be able to survive.��


    ��After all, that is only a theory. It seems like the truth is otherwise now.��


    Rhode said, lifting his head and swinging his right arm slightly, and a sword appeared in his hand.


    ��Looks like we have to get ready. They seem to be heading toward us.��


    At the same time, as though proving his words, shadowy figures appeared above the hills ahead that were covered in rising dust.

 Chapter 1156 - The Forgotten Land (1)

    It could be seen that the battle had ended and one party was being chased by the other. The party upfront attempted to escape from the death threats in a fluster, while the party at the rear yelled, waved their weapons, and gave chase. As if the fleeing party weren��t unfortunate enough, Rhode��s group was blocking their path ahead.


    The fleeing party climbed over the hill and witnessed the ��unexpected guests�� ahead. After taking a close look at one another, both sides were surprised. Rhode stared in astonishment at the group of��. Humans.


    That��s right. Rhode suspected if they were even humans.


    Even though they resembled humans with their arms, legs, and heads, there was nothing else similar between them apart from those features. They were tall and burly, and the shortest one amongst them was at least two meters in height. Moreover, their arms were so long that they had extended to their knees. They gave Rhode an impression that they were as though hairless gibbons. Not only that, but the clothes that these ��people�� wore also seemed really odd, and could even be said to look somewhat primitive. The clothes seemed to serve as armor made from some unknown animal skins and the ��people�� wielded thick wooden clubs. There was an instant when Rhode thought he had transmigrated to a primitive society��


    Not only that, but the skin color of these people was also odd. Unlike the skin of colored races on Earth that had a luster to them, their skin color was turbid and bizarre as though it were a layer of transparent skin wrapped around pitch-black liquid, leaving one incapable of looking straight at it.


    Furthermore, after taking a closer look, Rhode discovered that their facial features also looked peculiar. Most of them had horns on their heads, but unlike the horns of demons and devils, they seemed more like animal bones instead. Besides, their ears were also in odd shapes like irregular humans transformed from inexperienced evil spirits mentioned in legends and folklores in Rhode��s country.


    Even though Rhode knew that he might not meet ordinary people in this place, it still exceeded his surprise that things were this bizarre. That was also why both parties were instantly taken aback. But shortly after, the ��people�� being chased reacted instantly. A man who seemed like their leader yelled and almost immediately, his dozen men riddled with scars scattered in panic and in all directions.


    Meanwhile, the pursuing troops at the rear stopped giving chase. On the contrary, Rhode witnessed the leader raising what seemed to be a stone-made sword, screamed some unrecognizable commands, and his men surrounded Rhode��s group immediately!


    As the ��strange people�� encircled his group, Rhode let out a snort before turning around to give a hand gesture to the two Canarys. Upon witnessing his intention, the two young ladies nodded and raised their arms like a mirror reflection of each other��s. Along with this action, a blazing flame wall burst out of the ground, twisting and spreading across the land to stop the group of people. As soon as they witnessed the flame wall that suddenly emerged out of the ground, they shrieked and retreated in a fluster. But shortly after, their leader yelled once again and the panicky soldiers came to a halt immediately. But even so, they gazed at the flame wall in terror and were afraid to get too close to it. This apparently enraged the leader. The leader raised the stone sword in his hand and commanded in a rage. Shortly after, some tall and sturdy figures strolled out from the back.


    No, it wouldn��t be right to consider them as people at all. No matter how Rhode looked at them, they seemed just King Kong from the movie! They were four to five meters tall, covered in tough muscles, and held enormous rocks in their hands. Then, they raised their arms at the command of their leader and hurled rocks at Rhode��s group!


    The rocks, in the size of millstones, were tossed at extreme speed, so Rhode even heard the whistling winds. Perhaps one wouldn��t be able to escape and would be smashed into minced meat by them, but this ��rough�� attack wasn��t effective to Rhode��s group. Before Rhode gave a command, Mini Bubble Gum had already snorted and pointed a finger forward. Then, a golden radiance flickered and transformed into a solid barrier above everyone.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The huge rocks crashed into the barrier and didn��t leave a single scratch on Rhode��s group.


    Looking at this scene, the soldiers apparently became even more frightened as they retreated gradually. The man in the middle who seemed like their leader extended his hand and pointed at Rhode��s group. Even though Rhode couldn��t understand what he was blabbering about, it was obvious from his expression that it wasn��t anything nice.


    ��Hmph.��


    Rhode snorted. At the next moment, he slashed the sword in his hand abruptly and a dazzling blade ray erupted forward. Shortly after, in a series of horrified screeches, the high and mighty leader covered his face with his hands and collapsed to the ground. He struggled and his body wrung constantly as pitch-black blood spurted out of his wounds, splashing all over the ground. Looking at this scene, Rhode twitched his brows in surprise. Even though he didn��t go all-out in this attack, no one should be able to survive this attack without a defensive barrier in the Dragon Soul Continent. This assault was definitely sufficient to split the man into two and yet, Rhode didn��t expect him to have such a thick layer of skin to actually defy it forcibly.


    Who exactly are they?


    Although Rhode was dubious, the ��strange people�� didn��t give as much thought. On the contrary, as soon as they witnessed their leader crumbling to the attack, they broke out into chaos, turning around to escape as quickly as possible. In just a few moments, none of them remained on the scene, not even that unfortunate fellow who was slashed by Rhode. The wilderness restored its earlier peace. There was nothing else except for dust, sand, and gentle winds blowing across the plain. One would even be suspicious whether what one had witnessed was just an illusion.


    ��What was that all about?��


    After a few moments, Mini Bubble Gum widened her eyes and asked. Well, she couldn��t be blamed since most people hadn��t even reacted to what just happened! The entire process from when those ��people�� met Rhode to after Rhode attacked and scared them away only took a few minutes. In the blink of an eye, the wilderness recovered its tranquility. It was as though a bunch of fools had run up to the stage, kicked up a racket, and got off the stage one after another. Before the audience figured out what happened, the performers on the stage were already gone. That felt�� ridiculous and fascinating.


    ��They��re probably natives of this place and have nothing to do with us. Let��s move on, we have a long journey ahead.��


    Rhode shook his head. If they looked like ordinary people, perhaps he might be interested in interacting with them. However, they seemed like unevolved primates, so he couldn��t care less about paying any attention to them. Rhode wasn��t a biologist or historian and had no interest in these creatures that couldn��t speak in complete sentences and were ugly beyond imagination. Shortly after, he threw this matter to the back of his head and continued to lead his group toward the tower.


    Even though this was nothing more than a random episode which proved to Rhode that there were forms of life on this land, it was a pity that not everyone had the same thought as him.


    Rhode discovered that they were being tailed.


    But ��being tailed�� was kind of speaking too highly of the stalker because that fellow was following far behind and had no special intention to conceal himself. Even though the distance between them was far, Rhode recognized that man as one of the ��primitive men�� who had covered his head and sneaked away like a rat after the defeat earlier. But Rhode had no intention of dealing with him. No matter what intention he had, Rhode wasn��t mindful at all. Right now, his priority was to search for the path that led to the Seven Fantasy Boundaries and return to the Dragon Soul Continent as soon as possible. Those bizarre primitive men were entirely out of his considerations.


    The journey wasn��t smooth, but was considered rather successful. Apart from the incident earlier, Rhode��s group didn��t meet any forms of life such as animals, plants, or even any lakes or rivers in this world. What left Rhode helpless was that even though they spent almost an entire day walking toward the white, cylindrical tower, the distance between them only shrank a little. Rhode couldn��t help but suspect if he had made a wrong choice.


    Although Erin mentioned she could transform into her enormous dragon form and transport everyone, Marybelle objected to her suggestion. Not only that, but she also warned Erin and Lydia not to expend too much of their powers. Even though they were situated in the gap between Order and Chaos now, the balance of forces in this place had been destroyed entirely after the five Creator Dragons left. If Erin and Lydia were to display their aura and strength of Order, it might attract the attention of Chaos immediately. It would be a disaster for that to happen to them in a place far away from the Dragon Soul Continent. Therefore, apart from continuing their journey on foot, they didn��t have other choice.


    Even though there wasn��t a sun or moon in this world, day and night were still clearly distinguished. The curtain of light above everyone gradually dimmed and the world around them became dusky. For safety��s sake, Rhode��s group decided to stop their journey and searched for a windless and flat area to rest instead.


    After a short while, the sky darkened entirely.


    No, it was as though the lights of a room were turned off. As the bright light vanished completely, the world was enveloped in pitch-darkness. Rhode stood above a hill and gazed at the darkness. The dense darkness was so thick that even the flame radiance could barely illuminate the area ahead. Fortunately, in this dark envelopment, the huge tower ahead continued to emanate gentle rays of light like a beacon guiding the way in the darkness.


    At that moment, Rhode heard soft footsteps behind him. Then, a young lady went up to him quietly.


    ���� This is an alternate world, huh? What a peculiar place.��


    ��Don��t you wanna take a break? You must be tired after a whole day of walking.��


    Gazing at Canary, Rhode couldn��t help but show his concern. Even though there were two Canarys right now, he could easily distinguish the differences between the real and projected young ladies. Perhaps after going through a painful experience, the real Canary set off mature and depressed qualities now. On the other hand, the two Bubbles were like true sisters and Rhode had a hard time differentiating one from the other.


    Although Canary and Mini Bubble Gum decided to leave Earth with Rhode and they received somewhat powerful strength from their projections due to resonance, their constitutions were that of ordinary humans, after all. After walking for such a long period of time, one should be feeling exhausted by now. In fact, Mini Bubble Gum didn��t even have dinner. She went straight into the tent and slept immediately.


    As for safety��


    At this thought, Rhode gazed at the magical runes flickering in the surroundings. At least they were enough to keep them safe.


    ��I��m alright, Rhode.��


    Upon hearing his doubt, Canary smiled and nodded at him. She lifted her head, turned to the pitch-black world ahead, and let out a long sigh.


    ��Honestly, I don��t even know if I��m in a dream or reality. In the past, I basically never traveled. But now, not only have I left Earth, but I also left the world I��m familiar with and came to a completely foreign land����


    Canary said. She couldn��t help but extend her arms and embrace herself. Even though she was exhausted, it was due to this reason that everything around her left a deep impression in her mind. Be it the sky or ground, at a glance, everything seemed so unfamiliar. This strong, intense feeling made her forget about fatigue for the time being.


    Upon looking at her expression, Rhode remained silent and stretched his hand out to caress the young lady��s hair. How could he not understand her feelings? This wasn��t his first time having similar thoughts as hers right now. Every time he stood and looked out of the window from his room, he saw houses built of wood and stones, paths made of bluestone, and carriages driving across them��not familiar, spider web-like highways and speeding cars in the city.


    The world in his memories and where he was right now��which exactly was the real one? Which world was the one that could prove his existence and allowed him to live in it?


    Perhaps this would be a question that couldn��t be resolved forever. But fortunately, maybe this problem that bugged him for a long time could be resolved after the Dragon Soul Continent was transmigrated to the solar system.


    ��No matter what, you��re here with me and that is enough.��


    After placing his hand gently on the young lady��s delicate shoulder, Rhode wrapped his arms around her. Upon hearing his answer, the corners of Canary��s lips perked up into a mild smile. She closed her eyes, embraced the man in front of her, and leaned on his chest to feel that special warmth. This was the only thing she wanted after coming to this world. She had basically nothing now. The only thing left for her to pursue was this man in front of her and there was nothing more important than him.


    ���� Feels like you��ve gotten much more muscular, Rhode. I couldn��t recognize it from your appearance����


    ��Perhaps that is because I didn��t exactly have a carefree life here.��


    Rhode forced a bitter smile. Before he transmigrated, his body was of the standard of an ordinary and healthy person. But after arriving at the continent, putting aside the changes in data values, just the experiences and battles he went through had more or less strengthened him. It was impossible for him to be as fat as a swine since he was often dashing about in tough terrains.


    Upon hearing his answer, Canary kept quiet. After a few moments, she lifted her head and gazed wittily at the man. For some unknown reason, Rhode felt like something bad was about to happen the instant he detected her gaze��


    And indeed.Shortly after, Canary asked.


    ��Rhode�� I heard my other self mentioning that you have a lot of girlfriends in this world�� Don��t you have anything to say to me about that? For instance, Miss Marlene, Miss Lize, and Miss Anne? What kind of girls are they? I��m really curious about them.��


    ��Ugh����


    Rhode instantly realized that perhaps this was a more troublesome issue he had to resolve before heading back to the Dragon Soul Continent.

 Chapter 1157 - : The Forgotten Land (2)

    Confronted by Canary, Rhode was at a loss for words. If it was possible, he wished to not say anything and muddle through the situation with a simple ��haha��. He knew that he would just be courting disaster if he mentioned another woman before her, not to mention several of them��


    But Rhode was also aware that Canary was neither being unreasonable nor teasing him on purpose and out of jealousy. On the contrary, he sensed traces of uncertainties behind those words of hers. She was just a young lady who transmigrated to this world to be with a man she loved and yet, she had to face several other women who were on similar footing as her. This was indeed a bothersome and thorny issue to Canary, which explained why she couldn��t hold back the anxiousness and asked Rhode such questions. After all, compared to a native like Marlene, Canary was more like an outsider where it was impossible for her to not have her own ideas and views on the situation.


    Men couldn��t possibly understand women because men and women were completely different species. It was just like how men could never understand why women would weep over intricate soap operas and dramas involving a group of women fighting over love and vengeance and would commit suicide over things that were deemed as trivalities in men��s eyes. Men also couldn��t understand why women hated one another over no particular interests. This was because men considered things rationally, while women did so by means of emotions, just like that joke spreading all over the Internet: ��You��d better give me an explanation! If not, there will be no end until you explain things to me clearly!�� ��Alright, alright. Dear, calm down and listen to me!�� ��No, I don��t want to listen! Since everything you say is a lie!��


    This was the difference in the thought process between men and women. As a matter of fact, whenever women said the sentences above, she wasn��t really hoping for her man to give her an explanation. Instead, she just wanted to be in a dominant position to tell her man that she was furious and not just an unreasonable person. That was why as long as her man coaxed her, she would listen to his explanations after she was no longer angry. At that moment, if that man were smart enough, he would avoid touching the same topic and everything would turn out fine after he coaxed his woman until she was no longer furious (as long as there were no mistakes in principles).


    Men often felt wronged since it was apparently his woman who asked for an explanation and yet, refused to listen when given one. Wasn��t that being unreasonable? Men felt like they had a clear conscience and everything could be resolved after explanation. But to women, this was an act of the man pushing away his responsibilities. Be it whether she saw her man laying in bed naked with another woman or stepping out of a cafe with another woman while talking cheerfully and wittily, she deemed her man as guilty if he was eager to explain his doings! Why must the man explain if he wasn��t feeling guilty? So�� ��I don��t want to listen! Since everything you say is a lie!��


    This was the tragedy resulting from a misunderstanding caused by different thought processes.


    Rhode had been mixing around in ��clusters of flowers�� and even though he didn��t ��get involved with every flower he had gotten into contact with��, he more or less understood women��s psychology. Taking the women around him, for instance; there were several ��factions�� of them just like in the dramas. However, since most of them got along well, there weren��t any conspiracies amongst them to kill or push one into the well and whatnot. Of course, with the strength of the women around Rhode, the clashes between them would definitely be earth-shattering, at the very least. It was impossible for a petty one to secretly poison the other or drown another in the pond.


    And Rhode was also aware that Canary��s worries weren��t baseless. He felt her thin shoulder trembling uncontrollably. The feeling of uncertainty and fear toward the future was indeed a huge problem for her.


    Which was also Rhode��s problem, as a matter of fact.


    Even in ancient times, the Empress would always be around to grasp the big picture. However, no such prominent figure existed around Rhode. He had also never announced his hopes of marriage with anyone. Of course, most of the young ladies he set his eyes on were smart people who knew their status and position and wouldn��t daydream about marriage all day. All this while, it was always Canary No. 2 who managed the situation from behind the scenes and she had qualities that could convince the rest. First, she was a Phantom Guardian who was bound to Rhode��s system. As long as Rhode survived, she would live forever with him. This was an objective factor, just like how earth and heaven were forever in contrast and one couldn��t do anything to change this fact. Second, she was considered the strongest among all women around Rhode, where apart from Marlene, no one else could compete against her. Third, Canary was gentle and peaceful in nature and never caused any conflicts, which was why the others agreed tacitly and acknowledged her position.


    On the other hand, the true Canary was entirely different. Even though she possessed strength similar to her projection due to mental resonance, she was lacking far behind in other aspects. She was an ordinary human, after all. If she led a peaceful life, she would live up to slightly more than 100 years at the very most. Besides, she didn��t watch how Marlene, Lize, and the rest grew stronger like her projection, where she had a natural sense of superiority. Marlene, Lize, and Anne were all unfamiliar names to Canary. Canary trusted her feelings for Rhode and vice versa. But with the sudden emergence of these people�� After all, Canary grew up in a modern society. In the past, she was merely friends-with-benefits with Rhode, so she didn��t need to worry over competing with other women. Back then, Canary knew that Rhode would never marry her. On the other hand, she wanted a child and after having one, they would part ways without hard feelings and lead their separate lives��that was enough for her.


    But now, she followed Rhode into a brand new world and had to live with him for the rest of her life. This wasn��t considered marriage, but was somewhat similar. On Earth, it wasn��t uncommon for cohabitation to occur. But the problem was that even on Earth, she had never seen a man cohabiting with several women at once�� That man would basically be caught and thrown into prison.


    How should she put it�� Canary felt like she was Rhode��s adolescent lover. Both of them forged a romance and due to various reasons, they lived far apart from each other. Then, Rhode returned to her side and asked her to be with him forever. After Canary agreed and stepped into her new home, she discovered several other women in wedding dresses, close with one another, and yet, she didn��t know any of them��


    Even after eliminating the other women��s jealousy and desire to dominate, it was still enough to make her feel awkward and insecure. After all, she was unlike Marlene and the rest. In the Dragon Soul Continent, men weren��t bound by social morality for having multiple wives. But on Earth, with the exception of a few countries, most countries prohibited such behavior.


    Polygamy and moral criticisms are just waiting to descend upon one as soon as it happens.


    At this thought, Rhode let out a sigh, extended his hand, and stroked Canary��s silky, long hair.


    ��Don��t worry, Canary. I will not abandon you. If not, I wouldn��t have brought you here.��


    ��I know�� Rhode����


    Upon hearing his response, Canary revealed a smile. Indeed, just like Rhode said, it proved a point to her since he was willing to bring her to this world. After all, Canary wasn��t irreplaceable in this world as Rhode already had her projection and there was no need for him to bring her true self over. If Rhode didn��t have deep, genuine feelings for her, he could have simply given her a big sum of money and let her continue to live her life on Earth. She didn��t need to come with him to the Dragon Soul Continent to suffer.


    ��Canary, if you��re willing to����


    Caressing Canary��s long hair, Rhode said and pondered in silence. Then, he continued.


    ���� I can fuse you and your projection together. This way, you can obtain the same constitution as your projection and don��t need to worry too much about�� those matters. At the very least, we can be together most of the time.��


    With Rhode��s current identity, there was almost nothing he couldn��t do. As long as he returned to the Dragon Soul Continent and retrieved his dragon essence, he could use his power to fuse Canary and her projection together. Thereafter, the projected Canary would simply live as a spirit hovering around the real Canary. On the other hand, the real Canary would receive a stronger constitution and turn into a presence like a ��data spirit��, where Rhode wouldn��t need to worry about her dying earlier than him.


    ��It��s fine, Rhode.��


    But before Rhode completed his sentence, Canary held her finger on his lips and shook her head.


    ��Frankly speaking, I��m glad to see my other self. It makes me feel like I have another sister. Besides, even though fusing with her is beneficial for me, it isn��t fair for her, right? I��m fine as things are now. I also hope to spend more time with you, but I will find other ways to do it.��


    ��I understand.��


    Upon hearing Canary��s answer, Rhode nodded in response. In fact, he had raised this suggestion to Mini Bubble Gum before, but Mini Bubble Gum��s response was the same as Canary��s. They loved their own projections and treated them as sisters, so they naturally weren��t willing to do anything that would restrict their freedom. Besides, Rhode also knew that in the Dragon Soul Continent, there were many other ways to forcefully modify one��s race. For instance, in the Country of Law, the Spirit Tree��s dew could turn the consumer into an elf. Although it was challenging to gather that precious dew, and it required at least decades to get one single drop, Rhode believed that with his reputation, it shouldn��t be tough asking the twin dragons for two drops of it. Besides, Rhode could also borrow Lapis��s and Marlene��s powers to concoct a potion that could provide longevity or strengthen one��s constitution. Moreover, as players in the past, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum also knew some ways around switching one��s race.


    Of course, the most reliable way was to kill them, conclude a contract with their souls, and turn them into card spirits. However, Rhode definitely wouldn��t agree with doing something so moronic and ruthless. Even if they could be revived without a doubt, he had to be sick in the head for him to kill the young ladies to resurrect them again�� Perhaps he would only do it if this were the only way left.


    ��Ooo������!��


    All of a sudden, a deep, loud sound disrupted their heart-warming ambiance. Canary lifted her head in shock to gaze at the surroundings. Rhode knitted his brows, raised his head, and scanned the surroundings. But at that moment, the sound repeated.


    ��Ooo������!��


    It sounded like a steam whistle from some ship, but was much louder and clearer. Rhode couldn��t figure out where the sound came from. This deep sound seemed to be reverberating from all directions with an intense pressure. At that moment, the group that was resting stood to their feet immediately. Shortly after, magical radiance flickered and the quiet campsite lit up instantly. The dazzling light illuminated the surroundings like searchlights, but nothing strange was discovered apart from the tranquil plain.


    ��Ooo������!!��


    The sound became louder and seemed to be getting closer to them. At that moment, Rhode witnessed a shadowy figure flitting across him. He wrapped his arms around Canary immediately and took a step back subconsciously. Then, he slashed a silver-whitish blade ray forward with his sword and the dazzling brightness revealed that hidden figure.


    It was that ��primitive man�� who ��tailed�� them earlier.


    ����!��


    The primitive man was obviously terrified of the runes around and guarding the campsite. He wandered around the periphery of the enchanted field and didn��t seem to have any intention to retreat. On the contrary, facing the tip of Rhode��s razor-sharp blade, he gesticulated as though trying to express his thoughts despite being afraid. It was a pity that Rhode couldn��t understand him at all. But even so, Rhode barely made out what he meant from his actions. The primitive man pointed to the horizon with a horrified look, covered his ear, shook and nodded his head, and lay on the ground. Then, he stood up and gazed at Rhode anxiously.


    However, Rhode couldn��t fully understand what he meant. The only thing he was certain was that the primitive man was referring to something related to that mysterious sound. Whenever the steam whistle-like sound reverberated, the primitive man raised his head and looked around him in fright as though he were being chased by devils.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, what exactly is going on? What is he trying to tell us?��


    At that moment, everyone returned to their senses. Lydia and Erin gathered around him, while the rest quickly packed their belongings and scanned the surroundings vigilantly. After all, this was an equally unfamiliar world to them too. The steam whistle-like sound started reverberating in shorter intervals and the primitive man seemed more anxious each time. He looked up at the sky from time to time, before shifting his gaze to Rhode��s group. There was an instant when he almost broke into a run.


    What exactly is he trying to tell us?


    ��Please allow me to try.��


    At that moment, Marybelle��s voice sounded from the side. She went up to the primitive man and spoke a language unknown to Rhode. Rhode��s group was taken aback by Marybelle��s words. On the other hand, the terrified primitive man got on bended knees as though he were worshiping her. Shortly after, he muttered some words in fear and upon hearing them, Marybelle grimaced. She asked again anxiously and this time, the primitive man nodded with force as though confirming something. Then, Marybelle turned around immediately. She gripped the magic wand and tapped it ahead lightly!


    Along with this action, the campsite where Rhode��s group was at suddenly sunk into the ground like a descending elevator. In a few moments, the windless campsite submerged underneath the surface entirely.


    At the same time, the mysterious sound rang once again.


    ��Ooo��!��


    This time, the sound was as though right beside their ear, where some of them couldn��t help but cover their ears. But this was only the start. Shortly after, everyone witnessed a strange, terrifying, and enormous shadow flitting across and over their heads!


    It was a storm of countless gravel!


    The blustering gales engulfed the gravel and whirled rapidly, wreaking havoc on the surface like a tornado. Rhode��s group felt the surface being struck by gravel and the rumbles from its bombardment. In an instant, they were as though devastated by a petrifying hail. If it weren��t for Marybelle, who made a prompt decision to use her power to make the entire campsite sink underneath the surface, maybe Rhode��s group would be struggling against this scary storm right now!


    No. Something is wrong!


    Gazing at the violent gales devastating the defensive barrier, Rhode narrowed his eyes. Because at that moment, the wild, gigantic, black tornado rose, and its structure, formed from darkness, revealed a crack all of a sudden. Then, an ear-deafening sound erupted.


    ��Ooo������!!!��


    At that moment, Rhode finally knew what exactly he was dealing with.

 Chapter 1158 - The Forgotten Land (3)

    The dark giant didn��t seem to notice the presence of Rhode��s group as it roamed the surface aimlessly and let out occasional, loud bellows. The whistling gravel whirled and flew up into the sky like a storm in the blustering winds. It was imaginable how one was heading down a road of ruin if one were caught unprepared and swept into it. Of course, that was the situation for ordinary humans. Yes, ordinary humans.


    What a powerful force.


    Rhode puckered his brows. He sensed a massive and disorderly power within that bizarre, shadowy giant. The aura it set off also consisted of a pitch-black coldness. Usually, such an overwhelming pressure was only present in a devil lord. But now, the strength of this shadowy figure seemed much stronger than a devil lord��s.


    What exceeded Rhode��s expectation was that despite possessing such powerful strength, this monster seemed to have a relatively low IQ. Rhode detected through his senses that this monster was only brazenly destroying everything. Any obstacle on the plain was shattered to bits instantly by its slamming palms. But it was a pity that compared to its destruction, its IQ seemed to be on the lower end. Even though Rhode��s group was nearby and he also felt the monster��s gaze sweeping toward him more than once, it didn��t launch any attacks on him at all. Or perhaps, it had no idea what and who exactly was hiding under it.


    On the contrary, the primitive man apparently was scared out of his wits. Ever since that monster appeared, he had laid flat on the ground, closing his eyes as though he were waiting in line to be shot to death. Rhode, Marybelle, and the rest stared upward attentively, while watching out for the monster. As a matter of fact, a tremendous presence of elemental powers were also present within the aura of this shadowy giant. Rhode finally figured out what exactly it was.


    It was one of the fallen elemental lords.


    They were once a part of this world, but after the Creator Dragons abandoned this land, they lost their purpose in living. These elemental lords couldn��t give up this world like the rest did. They could only remain and coexist with this seemingly broken world. In the end, they lost their self-will and turned into violent monsters.


    But perhaps due to the fact that this gap maintained the basis of Order, the elemental lord didn��t go berserk completely. During daytime, they were able to stay rational to a certain degree. But when night fell, their violent and crazy side showed up. When that happened, they would roam the land like lonely souls, ravaging everything before them.


    Of course, with the strength of Rhode��s group, it wasn��t challenging to take down a restless elemental lord. But the problem was that if they were to eliminate it, it meant that the elemental realm would also crumble entirely. Rhode didn��t wish for a street fight to lead to the destruction of a world, as that would be absurd. Besides, Marybelle also warned him that unless necessary, they shouldn��t exert too much power in this fragile world. If not, it might possibly attract unwanted attention, which wasn��t favorable for them.


    ��Let��s quickly get out of here.��


    After taking another look at that massive, shadowy giant, Rhode lowered his voice and said to Marybelle. Upon hearing his words, Marybelle nodded in response and waved the magic wand in her hand. Shortly after, along with her action, the soil above them converged and kept out the darkness above.


    ��What a peculiar place����


    Gazing at the place ahead, Rhode couldn��t help but mutter under his breath. He didn��t realize it earlier, but after calming down, he found out that he was situated inside a huge, underground cave. At a glance to the surroundings, one could see spacious caves that were as wide as a soccer stadium. It was due to this reason that Marybelle was able to sink the entire campsite effortlessly. If they were buried in the soil instead, perhaps not even they would be able to hang on any longer and survive.


    At a glance, innumerable crystals emanating faint radiances spread over the walls in a disorderly fashion. Rhode didn��t wonder at this strange sight since most magic crystals in the Dragon Soul Continent looked about the same. On the other hand, Canary held her guard up. After all, based on common sense on Earth, anything that lit up on its own more or less had something to do with radiation��


    Although it seemed impossible for them to identify directions and where they should head toward, Rhode was fortunate to have a local guide with him.


    ���� Ah�� Ahh��!��


    After confirming that he had gotten away from that terrifying and bizarre giant, the primitive man who came to inform them of the catastrophe volunteered to be their guide. It could be seen that he was extremely familiar with the terrain. Or perhaps, he was one who lived in the underground, to begin with.


    Rhode finally understood why his group didn��t spot any traces of civilization after traveling on the surface for a long time. With that thing devastating the land every night, building houses would only be a waste of time. In comparison, the underground life was much safer and more suitable for life.


    And regarding that primitive man, Rhode heard from Marybelle about the happenings. It was apparent that the primitive man was indeed one of the natives abandoned by the Creator Dragons and didn��t choose to head to the other ��beautiful, new world��. After the Creator Dragons left, the frame supporting this gap started collapsing. The elemental powers lost their balance, forcing the natives to leave the surface, hide in the deep underground, and lead their lives from there. Of course, along with the existence of imbalanced elements, exhausted resources of the land, and many other reasons, the natives also lost their original abilities. Their descendants were unable to replenish their strength, which led to many of them being physically and mentally deformed after birth and some were struck by symptoms associated with low IQ. This wasn��t evolution, but was complete deterioration instead. After so many years, even though the natives more or less preserved some civilizations, they were mostly to the degree of primitive societies. Perhaps after a few more centuries, they would disappear completely.


    The reason why that primitive man followed Rhode��s group was simple: Rhode helped them defeat their enemy (even though it was just along the way for Rhode), and that was why the primitive man wanted to repay him. Yes, it was just that simple.


    Should I say that these primitive men are just pure? Or simple-minded?


    Gazing at the man who moved like a monkey leading the way ahead, Rhode shrugged at this thought. After learning of their destination, the primitive man offered to undertake the role of a guide to lead them. At the same time, he gestured with his hands to inform Rhode��s group that their destination wasn��t safe. Apart from some terrifying creatures, the elemental lords that transformed into violent storms (which they witnessed earlier) also lived there. It could be said that they were heading toward a dangerous place.


    But there were no other ways except to head there.


    However, he wasn��t the only one moving forward.


    Because meanwhile, there was also another group of people fighting hard for their goal in the Dragon Soul Continent.


    ��Your Majesty Lilian, you should take a break.��


    Putting away the document in her hand and gazing at the little girl who sat by the table and was almost buried in the stacks of documents, Sonia couldn��t help but persuade. Upon hearing her words, Lilian lifted her head and smiled at her.


    ��Alright, I know. Sonia.��


    If Rhode were to witness Lilian as she was now, he would definitely be stunned. Because right now, she was no longer a weak, yes-woman. On the contrary, she put up a reliable expression on her childish face and her golden eyes glinted in unprecedented determination.


    Along with the complete destruction of the Light Parliament and Country of Light, Lilian regained the rightful authority and position of the Light Dragon. With Rhode��s support, the disorderly and rebellious forces in the Country of Light dared to go against Lilian no more. It was especially so after Rhode blasted all of Casabianca into bits. The restless troublemakers who wanted to step into the shoes of the Light Parliament and treat Lilian as a puppet immediately changed their line of thought. It was apparent that even though Lilian didn��t seem threatening, the Void Dragon who supported her was definitely not one to be trifled with.


    It was due to such deterrence that Lilian��s operations in gathering the Country of Light��s forces were extremely successful. Right now, she was considered worthy of the name of the Country of Light��s ruler. Lilian initially didn��t need to handle too many general affairs as they were managed by the three archangels. However, Boulder betrayed the country and died in battle, while the gravely-injured Serene was still recuperating, and Lydia went missing alongside Rhode. That was why Lilian had to get her hands on all the matters. Of course, Sonia was a huge assistance to her.


    Stepping outside the room and gazing at the clear sky and drifting white clouds, Lilian couldn��t help but reveal a delightful smile. Although she came to a realization after deciding to assume the responsibility of the Light Dragon, she was a little girl, after all. She couldn��t possibly lounge over the table over intricate troubles all day. The refreshing air brought along the scent of flowers and soil. Lilian displayed a blissful smile as she looked at the boundless sky. But shortly after, she let out a subtle sigh, turned around, and faced the white palace ahead.


    ��Really�� When is Big Brother Rhode coming back����


    ��I don��t know, Your Majesty. But�� he should be back soon.��


    Upon hearing Lilian��s grumble, Sonia also let out a sigh. Rhode had been away for quite some time now and Lilian was rather unhappy about it. But she also knew she didn��t have the right to intervene with his affairs. Despite that, she still hoped to spend time with him. After all, she only had that many friends. Apart from Rhode, only Sonia, Lydia, and Christie were considered her close friends. But Lydia left with Rhode and Christie was busy with her own matters�� All this while, Lilian couldn��t help but feel somewhat lonely.


    Of course, even though she became the official ruler of the Country of Light, she had no intention of moving back to the Country of Light. After Casabianca perished, although there were many cities that approached and invited her to live there, they were all firmly rejected by Rhode. Besides, Lilian wasn��t that naive to not realize the greed and desire of those people. Even though they put it nicely in wording, Lilian was clearly aware of their true intention. Due to this reason, she would rather stay in Grandia and not return to the Country of Light�� Grandia was the only place that allowed her to find long-lost peaceful and tranquil days. For the sake of these days, she would rather handle all the complicated affairs.


    While Lilian and Sonia strolled in the garden, they heard a gentle voice all of a sudden.


    ��Ah�� Lilian����


    ��Christie?��


    Upon hearing the frail voice, Lilian lifted her head and turned toward the voice in astonishment, where she quickly spotted Christie sitting inside the inner garden, clad in her usual long dress, holding a drawing pen in her tiny hand, and seemingly drawing something on the canvas in front of her. This was Christie��s everyday hobby. Upon seeing Lilian, Christie also revealed a wide smile and extended her hand to wave at her. Lilian scuttled toward Christie and the two little girls held each other��s hands. After all, with their identities, they were the only ones of similar age in the whole of Grandia. That was why they were really close with each other. Of course, even though Angelina seemed about the same age as them in appearance, on the inside�� It was an entirely different issue.


    However, Christie��s tasks weren��t simple. As Marlene and the rest were dealing with the Country of Darkness in the front line earlier, she needed to stay in Grandia as a trump card. After the battles ended temporarily and Marlene returned, Christie finally laid down her heavy burden and took a breather.


    After not meeting for a long time, the two little girls with similar experiences and backgrounds were elated to see each other. They held hands tightly and caught up with each other happily. Meanwhile, Sonia smiled as she watched this peaceful and heart-warming scene from the side. The dark, heavy past had ended for them and was replaced by a bright, wonderful future��


    And at this moment��


    Shing! Shing!


    Suddenly, Sonia heard some strange sounds. She raised her guard, scanned the surroundings, and grimaced.


    ��Miss Christie, Your Majesty Lilian!��


    Sonia ran toward them, yelling their names. At the same time, the peaceful atmosphere was disrupted abruptly, only to be replaced by an ice-cold chilliness. The two little girls who were chatting cheerily also seemed to realize that something was amiss. They leaned back to back and gazed attentively at the surroundings. At that moment, the exuberant garden seemed to have turned into a cave that hid an unknown monster where even the shadows began to tremble. All of a sudden, two mysterious figures shuttled out of the bushes and dashed toward Lilian and Christie.


    ��Be careful!��


    Sonia shrieked at this scene, but she didn��t stand helplessly on the spot. After being resurrected and turned into a card spirit by Rhode, this wasn��t her first battle. Right now, Sonia possessed an entirely different power from before.


    Sonia shouted, extended her arm forward. Along with this movement, the garden they were in suddenly expanded at a rapid speed. The two mysterious figures who needed only a few seconds to reach their prey were now 100 meters away in the blink of an eye!


    Christie and Lilian didn��t stare blankly at the happenings. On the contrary, after taking a close look at the ambushers, Christie��s eyes glinted in a purple radiance. Her innocent expression dwindled instantly, only to be replaced by a heavy and solemn look. The little girl stretched out her hand. A white, empty scroll and a feather pen glowing in golden radiance appeared in her hands. Christie gripped the feather pen and inked the scroll.


    ��������!��


    In an instant, one of the ambushers darting toward Christie twisted in shape and turned into a wisp of black smoke, before vanishing into nothingness.


    On the other side, Lilian also extended her arms. Shortly after, a golden, dazzling brilliance erupted from her palms and enfolded the other ambusher like a torrent of light. The blinding radiance devoured the ambusher entirely. But no one realized that, at the same time, another mysterious shadow had flitted across Lilian.


    In the blink of an eye, the ambushers who appeared all of a sudden were annihilated. Sonia laid down her hands and along with this action, the extended and distorted illusory land restored its original state.


    ��Intruders? How odd�� Madams, are any of you hurt?��


    Gazing at the surroundings, Sonia knitted her brows, muttered under her breath, and asked anxiously. She knew how powerful the defenses of Grandia were and now, even though they didn��t know where the intruders came from, it seemed like they managed to pass through the defenses and even launched attacks on them.


    ��I��m alright.��


    Christie puckered her brows, pondered in silence, and responded. On the other side, Lilian heaved a sigh of relief and nodded.


    ��Yes, I��m also�� Argh��!��


    Before Lilian finished her sentence, she suddenly revealed an uncomfortable expression. At the next moment, she closed her eyes without saying a word and collapsed to the ground.

 Chapter 1159 - Furtive Erosion

    ��What exactly is going on?��


    As Marlene hurried into the room, Lilian��s pale face was the first thing that came into sight. Lilian closed her eyes, bit her lip, and lay down on the bed weakly. At first glance, she seemed seriously-ill. Her petite body shivered constantly and she gasped for air, widening her tiny mouth.


    Marlene and the others were dismayed as soon as they heard the news of Christie and Lilian being ambushed. They were confident of Grandia��s defenses, but now, the enemies actually sneaked past the defensive network under their watchful eyes and even launched attacks at them? This exceeded their expectations. No, what surprised them more was that the enemies actually succeeded!


    ��Here?��


    Gazing at Lilian��s weakly-extended right arm, Marlene couldn��t help but knit her brows. The petite, fair, and tender right arm had turned pitch-black as though it were contaminated by something. Not only that, but it also discharged a nauseous aura. Marlene gnashed her teeth at this sight.


    ��Poison? Or curse?��


    ��It doesn��t seem like poison�� and more like a type of curse.��


    Christie said softly, standing beside Lilian and gazing at her right arm with a helpless and sorrowful expression. Gillian, who stood beside them, also dwindled her usual, carefree smile. At that moment, she sized up Lilian attentively, but it was a pity that she didn��t have a cure. As a matter of fact, it was basically impossible for Lilian to be poisoned or cursed as she was the Light Dragon. Of course, it would be an entirely different issue if her power were still sealed like in the past. But after she restored her power, she could control the power of the Light Dragon masterfully. It could also be said that she was the existence of sacred power, where harmful curses and poisons would immediately be purified as soon as they got close to her. If one were to give Lilian a cup of poison, as soon as she held the cup in her hand, the poison would be instantly purified, leaving clean, pure water behind. That was why it was impossible for Lilian to be poisoned.


    To describe the situation more specifically, Lilian seemed to be ��eroded�� by that unknown presence.


    ��Angelina says she sensed a death aura����


    ��Do you think this was a trick played by the Dark Dragon?��


    ��I don��t know.��


    Facing Marlene��s question, Gillian spread her arms apart and simply shrugged. Her huge, fluffy tail swayed to the left and right.


    ��Frankly, it does feel like a death aura. But I think it isn��t exactly one, which was why I took a sample of it for an experiment. How should I put it�� Yes, the result exceeded my expectations. Indeed, judging from its appearance and aura, it is close to an undead curse and is dragging Little Lilian��s body toward death. But I think this is some sort of its side-effect and not its main purpose.��


    ��What do you mean?��


    ��Easy.��


    Gillian said, clapping her hands once. Shortly after, a human model of Lilian constructed entirely from golden lines appeared in front of her. The right arm of the human model was completely black and beside it were some weird characters which made out [Erosion Progress 8%]. After being with Rhode for a long time, Marlene wasn��t surprised by such occurrences anymore. She gazed at the human model and turned to Gillian, apparently waiting for her explanation. Gillian stood up with a smile, retrieved a pair of glasses from the fold in her clothes (not sure where she got it from), put it on, and let out a cough to gather everyone��s attention in the room, including Sonia, Christie, and Marlene.


    ��Yes�� Ehem, I suppose everyone is aware that we aren��t mortals, be it a dragon soul heir, an elemental lord like me, or rule representative like Sonia. Even if you��re one of the lower-leveled ones, you��re still far above mortals. It can also be said that the difference between us and mortals are like two-dimensional versus three-dimensional. Ugh, you may not understand this. But all in all, as we��ve broken away from the mundane world, ordinary objects will basically have no effect on us. Be it poisons or curses, these things have no influence over the origin of rules. So I will be fine even if I drink a bucket of poison. But this thing before us is apparently very different.��


    Gillian said, stretching out her hand and pointing at Lilian��s wrist.


    ��If you take a closer look, you will discover that even though this mysterious black presence exudes a death aura, as a matter of fact, the biggest effect it has is to erode Little Lilian��s rule origin. It is just like an undead army occupying the territory of another country. First, the top priority for them is to control the area, and as to whether they will slaughter everyone, turn them into undead creatures, or confine them as pigs, it is all up to them. And now, that is what��s going on with Little Lilian. The mysterious black presence is eroding and occupying the strength of her rule origin. As it consists of the undead attribute, it causes harm to Lilian��s body. If the attribute of this black presence isn��t ��undead��, but was something else like ��elf�� or whatnot, Little Lilian would not be affected this badly�� No, I should say that it is due to this undead aura that it is a good thing.��


    ��How is that so, Miss Gillian?��


    Sonia couldn��t help but ask curiously. Judging from Lilian��s painful look, it didn��t seem to be a ��good thing�� at all.


    ��Simple. Just like I said, if it were purely an undead aura, Lilian wouldn��t be affected by it at all. What caused her current condition is that mysterious black presence. I��m not sure of the reason, but at least from what I observed, the black presence and undead aura has fused entirely. Due to this reason, it is being resisted by Little Lilian. After all, she is the Light Dragon. If it were other attributes, perhaps the black presence would erode even quicker and we may not be able to discover anything. But well, it can only blame itself for fusing with the undead aura. The undead aura is the natural enemy of all living creatures. Moreover, Lilian is the Light Dragon. The power of light inside her resists undead aura automatically. If it weren��t for the fact that the black presence is able to erode the rule origin, perhaps the instant it entered Little Lilian��s body, it would have been wiped out immediately. Judging from this aspect, we��re really fortunate. If the attribute of that black presence isn��t ��undead��, which is the completely opposite attribute of living creatures, and is another element or whatnot, perhaps it would be too late after we realize it has eroded her rule origin.��


    ���� That serious?!��


    At that moment, everyone turned pale. After all, none of them could stay indifferent upon knowing that something was capable of silently eroding rules. Moreover, rule representatives like Marlene, Christie, and Sonia relied entirely on rules to exist. If they were eroded and even devoured, that would be the end of their lives.


    ��Could it be Chaos?��


    This was Marlene��s first thought that came to mind. After all, only Chaos was capable of tearing apart rules and devouring Order. That was also why the six deity wardens were domineering in their home ground, but covered their heads and sneaked away like rats in the face of endless Chaos. They were injured, but survived, running to other worlds to avoid disaster. This was also why Chaos was able to devour Order and erode rules.


    ��Yes, judging from the fact that the rules are being eroded, it does seem like the style of Chaos. How should I put it����


    Gillian said and found it hard to explain. She knitted her brows and pondered upon how she should elaborate her thoughts. In the end, she seemed to have given up as she spread her arms apart.


    ��To put it simply, this strange presence seems connected to us. How should I put it�� Hmm�� it is like Windows and Mac. Two entirely different operating systems and yet, both can be run together at once����


    ����?��


    ��Ah�� Seems like due to our different dimensions, it is still unclear for you girls, huh?��


    Gazing at the confused expressions around her, Gillian scratched her head helplessly, took in a deep breath, and continued.


    ��Logically speaking, Order and Chaos are unable to coexist. They are like fire and water; the existence of one is based on the destruction of the other. This is a zero-sum game, so according to the rules, Little Lilian��s Order should dissipate completely after being devoured by Chaos. But the truth is otherwise, which is why I suspect�� that the strength of Order is possibly hidden within Chaos, which is why Chaos doesn��t need to enter Little Lilian��s through destroying rules. It can also alter the rule through erosion. In other words����


    ���� In other words?��


    ��We may be facing a variant of Chaos that has never appeared before. It is more cunning, smarter, and comes with more secretive attacks. It no longer devours brutally like in the past. It is like a virus infecting our origins and turning them into���� Gillian said and shifted her gaze to Lilian. ���� honestly, I don��t want to know what it will turn Little Lilian into.��


    No one wanted to know.


    ��But why is Miss Christie fine?��


    Sonia gazed at Christie curiously and asked. Gillian pondered for a few moments and responded.


    ��I think it may have something to do with the difference in their battle styles.��


    ��Battle styles?��


    ��That��s right, according to Little Christie, she manipulated the world using her scroll and feather pen. From the start, she tried to capture the enemies by writing ��restraint��. Then, Little Christie realized that the enemy broke free from her restraints, which was why she decisively wrote ��eliminate������ Gillian explained and smiled at Christie. ���� Little Christie sure is powerful. She is able to control the world and the instant she writes ��eliminate�� on the scroll, it means that the elimination of that subject is already an established matter. So it doesn��t matter what that black presence is. Its conclusion is to be ��eliminated��. But Little Lilian apparently used her own power to attack. If she uses the power of rules, maybe she could resist the enemy. But she only used the power of light. Of course, in theory, her power of light can destroy most physical objects. But in terms of essence, the power of light is also an extension of Little Lilian. That is why it doesn��t make a difference even if she grabbed the enemy with her bare hands. Perhaps it is due to this reason that she was eroded by that presence.��


    ��But Anne doesn��t understand at all. Where exactly did those things come from?��


    Anne couldn��t understand what Gillian said. But one had to admit that she asked the most crucial questions at times.


    ��With the presence of the undead aura, the possibility of it coming from the Country of Darkness is really high�� But I don��t think the Country of Darkness is capable of creating something like this. If not, they would have used it a long time ago.��


    Marlene knitted her brows, pondered for a few moments, and said. After all, compared to the rest, Lilian wasn��t a threatening force at all. If this mysterious presence was created by the Country of Darkness, it would be more effective on people like them, who were unaware of its existence. Besides, Marlene and the rest were the main forces of the Void Territory. If the mysterious presence was able to cripple them, wouldn��t it be more worthwhile to take them down than Lilian? Furthermore, if the Country of Darkness had created this presence, they should clearly know that Lilian��s attribute was the natural enemy of the undead. Would everything be worthwhile if they exposed their secret weapon like this?


    ��I know where they came from.��


    At that moment, Alice stepped into the room and said in a flat voice. Judging from her look, it was apparent that she was aware of everything that the group discussed. However, the group wasn��t surprised by her vast knowledge. The ability of the History Deity Warden was much more useful than wiretapping at times.


    Alice gazed at the group and said.


    ��I looked back upon the scenes of that earlier battle. I��m certain that the ones who attacked Christie and Lilian is the same group of beings that ambushed Her Highness Erin.��


    ����!��


    At that moment, everyone��s expression changed.


    Marlene and the rest found time to check on the group of beings that ambushed Erin. However, they failed to grasp any of their traces. No matter how they investigated, they just couldn��t find any clues. But they didn��t expect the group of beings to show up here and at this time too.


    ��Grandia��s defense is insufficient. We need to strengthen our defense.��


    Cassidy, who entered the room behind Alice, also gave her suggestions.


    ��Besides, it seems like there aren��t many of them around. If not, they could have attacked us all at once. Based on Christie��s description and Alice��s tracing, it is obvious that they had no intention of returning alive. That is why attacking together will increase the chances of success. But they didn��t do so, perhaps due to the lack of numbers.��


    ��No matter what, it is necessary to raise our guard.��


    Marlene sighed.


    ��I will discuss with Lapis to see if we can come up with any useful weapons. Besides, we should also inform Her Majesty Siena and Nalea about this. No matter what, since the enemies attacked a dragon soul heir, perhaps the enemies will also look for them. But before that����


    Even though Marlene didn��t continue her sentence, everyone shifted their gaze to Lilian. It was apparent that they knew this was their biggest problem on hand: how should they remove that mysterious presence that was eroding Lilian��s body?


    ��Can��t we make Christie use her power again to remove that thing?��


    Anne scratched her head and asked curiously. Upon hearing her suggestion, Christie shook her head this time.


    ��I tried it earlier, but�� just like what Big Sister Gillian said, Chaos is eroding her rule origin. If I were to eliminate it entirely, she would be removed alongside it. Even though it has only eroded a small part of her, it����


    To a representative of rules and Order, it would be as painful as tearing off one��s limb alive and might even leave behind mental scars that would lead to a complete mental breakdown. When that happened, Lilian would definitely become a puppet from head to toe.


    ��Same goes for my Contrast ability.��


    Cassidy shook her head, not to mention Marlene and Alice. Their abilities didn��t have any useful effects on Lilian, and not even Alice��s ��Historical Tracing�� worked. Because this was the rule of the light origin. Even though Lilian was a dragon soul heir and not a deity warden, the rule of light was one of the supreme rules, which Alice��s ��history�� couldn��t influence.


    ��Really!��


    Cassidy clenched her fists, stomped her foot, and grumbled unconvincingly.


    ��Argh, we��re just not that good in this area. Purely restricting some existences, eliminating them, and whatnot. The only one who can do it is����


    Cassidy said and all of a sudden, she closed her mouth as though one were strangling her neck. At the same time, the other three young ladies revealed complicated expressions. The heavy atmosphere in the room became even more depressing, and Anne, Sonia, and the others gazed at her curiously, totally unaware of what happened.


    After a few moments, Marlene broke the silence in the room.


    ��All in all, we must come up with more solutions. I think there must be a way to cure Lilian.��

 Chapter 1160 - Startling Rebellion in the Underground

    ��Achoo!��


    ��What��s wrong, Marybelle?��


    Rhode turned around and asked. Marybelle rubbed her nose gently and cocked her head in doubt.


    ��I don��t know�� Your Majesty. My nose suddenly feels itchy�� how strange.��


    No wonder Marybelle was puzzled. She had abandoned her body and concluded a contract with Rhode in her spiritual form, so logically speaking, she couldn��t possibly be sick. In fact, she didn��t have any sign of illnesses. She merely felt an itch on her nose and couldn��t help but let out a sneeze.


    ��Oh-no, Big Sister Marybelle, someone must be talking behind your back.��


    At that moment, the fearless Bubble No. 1 came over and spoke her mind. After spending a period of time together, Canary and Bubble had gotten familiar with the people around Rhode. But what surprised Rhode was that despite Bubble behaving like a delusional brat on the Internet, she was a smooth-talker and didn��t have a hard time addressing others as ��big sisters��. But come to think of it, a person��s personality was different on the Internet than in reality, in the first place��


    Ugh��


    In Rhode��s impression, Bubble was a patient in the end stages of adolescence syndrome. But it seemed now that no matter how delusional she was, she was still a true, wealthy young daughter in the past��


    On the other hand, despite Canary getting along well with Erin, she just couldn��t open up to Lydia, perhaps due to Lydia��s overly ��bold�� attitude. As a young lady who grew up under a relatively traditional education, Lydia��s enthusiasm was too much for Canary to handle. But Lydia seemed to like seeing Canary behave in bewilderment and often teased her about it. Due to that reason, Rhode occasionally was able to feast his eyes on some ��girls love���� it was really rare for him to witness such a visually-attractive scene in the underground.


    ��Someone is talking behind my back?��


    Facing Mini Bubble Gum��s remarks, Marybelle couldn��t understand what she meant at all. Mini Bubble Gum didn��t elaborate further, but let out a cheeky laughter and sprinted ahead to chat with her ��younger sister��. If they were to choose a most heartless person to transmigrate to an alternate world, Mini Bubble Gum would surely be second to none. After coming to this world, she didn��t seem as uncomfortable as Canary. Not only did she drag her ��younger sister�� (even though Bubble No. 2 strongly claimed that she was the older sister, Mini Bubble Gum rebutted with the fact that Bubble No. 2 was created later and calling someone else ��big sister�� sounded really cool, so she agreed immediately that she was the younger sister) to watch and enjoy the updated animes episodes from the Internet, but she also scampered to get close to Lydia and Erin. In fact, Rhode understood what was going through Mini Bubble Gum��s mind. She was just like him last time. In the past, Rhode was amazed beyond words to witness game characters showing up before him as real people. It was rarer and more precious than looking at the most perfect ��cosplayers��, so naturally she would pounce on them curiously. Back then, Rhode had similar thoughts too. But it was a pity that he couldn��t protect himself well enough yet, so he naturally couldn��t do something so carefree.


    The group didn��t face any accidents along the journey. Apart from occasional wild creatures that jumped out and were wiped out in the swing of a hand, there was nothing else dangerous. Under BoBo��s (the primitive man) lead, the extending, circling tunnel wasn��t able to stop them from advancing. According to him, they could reach the bottom of the stone column of the Seven Fantasy Boundaries after this final stretch.


    ��Ah��! Ahh!!��


    Suddenly, BoBo��s screams sounded from the front of the tunnel. Upon hearing his screams, everyone was taken aback. The reason why they stopped temporarily was because BoBo told them that there was an ally tribe ahead. In order to prevent any unfortunate accident from happening, he volunteered to speak to the tribe, hoping that they would allow them to pass. Although it would also be effortless for Rhode��s group to crush the tribe either way, Rhode couldn��t be bothered with stirring more trouble since he had a ��local guide�� with him now. Anyway, if the tribe were to attack them, Rhode��s group could simply annihilate them all. But now�� What was the situation?


    Before Rhode��s group reacted, BoBo came running back to them, gesticulating in a fluster. He widened his eyes in fear, waved his arms, and yelled at the group. Although they didn��t understand what he meant, any perspicacious person could see that something was wrong. Rhode swept a glance at BoBo, shifted his gaze to his group, and gave a command.


    ��Let��s go and check it out.��


    Under BoBo��s lead, Rhode��s group passed through the dusky, spacious tunnel. Upon seeing the view ahead, Rhode finally understood why BoBo made such terrifying screeches like those in horror films. Because at that moment, it was exactly a scene from a horror film.


    What displayed itself before them was a huge underground cave no less than the size of the sacred palace��s cave on Earth earlier. Magic crystals and luminous moss spread along the walls, illuminating the scenery. Unlike the sacred palace, it didn��t have any exquisite and refined buildings, but rows of tunnels were cut into the walls instead. Processed stones scattered all over as though a primitive society just entering a period of civilization. However, that wasn��t the main point.


    There were corpses and blood stains all over.


    The thick stench of blood wafted in the air. At a glance, several corpses were seen laying all over the ground. Their appearances were similar to BoBo��s. Even though they looked like humans, their skin was coalesced from an unknown black liquid and their tall, burly built didn��t resemble the humans from their impressions. But all of this was meaningless now because they were crushed to bits, where their limbs had scattered all over. There were signs of destruction everywhere in the cave. It could also be said that it was an appalling scene of devastation.


    ��Woah�� this is terrible����


    Looking at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t help but make a groaning ridicule. On the other hand, Canary turned ashen. If it weren��t for the fact that these creatures weren��t exactly the ��humans�� in their impression and that Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had witnessed the more disgusting and revolting things in the moon bases earlier, strictly speaking, perhaps they would be horrified by now.


    But compared to them, Rhode and Marybelle were more concerned about another critical issue.


    These victims had faced an ambush and were killed. That wasn��t the strange thing. Instead, it was the damage that was left behind after the battles. Not only did Rhode witness traces of explosions, but he also saw a lot of melted debris as though they were burned in high temperatures. If they were in the Dragon Soul Continent, Rhode would have believed that they were ambushed by magical attacks. If they were on Earth, high-tech weapons were also capable of leaving behind such wreckage. But in this place where civilization was primitive and people could only use throwing stones as weapons, Rhode refused to believe that they had the ability to release fireballs or missiles.


    Who exactly ambushed them?


    Rhode puckered his brows and gazed ahead. Right there, the simple and crude stone houses were crushed entirely, revealing an empty path behind them. It seemed as though a monster of an unusually huge bulk had arrived and went on a rampage. Logically speaking, even though creatures of this world couldn��t possibly overpower Rhode��s group, it was still safer for them to remain cautious. After all, they were in the underground and not on the surface. In order to avoid the violent elemental lords, Rhode��s group hadn��t seen the sun for almost three days.


    All of a sudden, Rhode heard Bubble��s voice.


    ��Hey, Leader, check this out. I found something fun.��


    Rhode turned around and the intensity of his gaze changed slightly. Mini Bubble Gum squatted by a pile of debris, waving a large handful of brass-colored metals toward him. Marybelle went up and took the brass-colored metal from her curiously. Then, she realized the metals that were slightly larger than her fingers were empty in the middle. Not only that, but also after taking a sniff, a smell assailed her nostrils. What were they?


    ��Interesting.��


    Unlike the clueless Marybelle, the instant Rhode saw those objects, he knew who had gone past here.


    Back then, he wondered if it was premeditated or simply a coincidence for those people to set the coordinates to the middle of nowhere. But no matter which possibility it was, they couldn��t have just passed by the area. If humans had the technology to build bases on the moon, they wouldn��t be that naive to only launch spaceships to observe the moon from space. After all, in comparison, living here was more cost-effective. Besides, considering the fact that these mysterious beings had once headed to the Dragon Soul Continent, Rhode refused to believe that they chose to teleport to this place, before spending the effort to head to the Dragon Soul Continent to accomplish their goals. If those beings were that dumb, what was there for Rhode to worry about?


    It seems like they have indeed established a base here, and it also seems well-expanded.


    At this thought, Rhode��s expression turned incomparably ice-cold. Just as the saying went, ��one chose to visit hell instead of heaven with its doors open��. Rhode intended to clean up Chaos from Earth, but he would need to spend a lot of time capturing them. He was also in a hurry to return to the Dragon Soul Continent. No matter what, Earth was his home. He didn��t feel good knowing that Earth was tangled in Chaos. However, he just didn��t have enough time, so he had to put this matter aside temporarily.


    Rhode had initially decided to deal with them after transmigrating the Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system. But he didn��t expect them to come knocking on his door on their own!


    At this thought, Rhode beckoned for Marybelle. He gazed at her and curled his lips at the terrified BoBo at the side.


    ��Ask him where this tunnel leads.��


    ��Okay, Your Majesty.��


    Marybelle wasn��t a fool. She had already detected the remaining aura of Chaos here. After all, she fought against Chaos for thousands of years and couldn��t be more familiar with its existence. Therefore, she knew why Rhode asked this question and didn��t doubt him. She went up to the pale primitive man and asked quietly. Facing her questions, BoBo finally calmed down, extended a finger, and pointed at the pitch-black cave ahead. Then, he brought upon a petrified expression and responded to Marybelle, before making some odd hand gestures. After hearing his answer, Marybelle��s eyes glinted. She nodded and went back to Rhode.


    ��Your Majesty, I��ve gotten the details. BoBo said a group of mysterious monsters appeared all of a sudden. They were vicious and terrifying and have killed several tribes around here. Besides���� Marybelle paused for a few moments. Then, she continued. ���� they used some really strange weapons.��


    Right on point.


    Upon hearing Marybelle��s answer, Rhode nodded slightly. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the pitch-black cave ahead with an ice-cold gaze. After a few moments, he revealed a passionate and brilliant smile and clapped his palms together. Mini Bubble Gum (x2), Canary (x2), Lydia, Erin, and the rest turned toward him curiously. Then, they witnessed his smile and raised both arms.


    ��10-man abyssal dungeon in hero-difficulty begins! Looking for DPS, tanker, healer! Interested players join the party��!��


    With a commander leading the team, the 10-man party was completed. Next, all they had to do was to enter the dungeon and kill to their hearts�� content under Rhode��s command��


    Yes, that should have been the case. But it was a pity that there was always a gap between game and reality.


    Even though they were capable of annihilating those enemies with their current strength, for safety��s sake, Rhode decided to check out the situation first. Even if they weren��t able to eliminate 100 percent of the enemies, wiping out 80 to 90 percent of them would be more than enough. After all, they had no intention of staying here for a long time. After Rhode transmigrated the Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system, they could say goodbye to First Wilderness. When that happened, whether the group of idiots went extinct or grew stronger to dominate First Wilderness had nothing to do with him anymore.


    But now��


    Warm air blew in their faces.


    The cave ahead was in pitch-blackness, but the group strolled ahead calmly with Rhode leading the way. Even though they didn��t know what weapons the ambushers used, the path they opened up was relatively flat and wasn��t as slippery as natural caves, so it wasn��t inconvenient for them to proceed. The group passed through the darkness and headed deeper into the cave.


    Mini Bubble Gum and Canary stayed behind Rhode closely. Gazing at the view ahead, they couldn��t hold back their agitation. After all, even though they had been with Rhode for a long time, this familiar feeling of them as though returning to the game and raiding a dungeon together made them open up their feelings a lot. At that moment, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were no longer feeling unaccustomed to this world. They followed him in movements no worse than their projections. Looking at them, Lydia and Erin exchanged surprised looks with each other. Of course, they knew about Canary��s and Mini Bubble Gum��s background. However, Canary had always been gentle and low-profile, while Mini Bubble Gum wasn��t too reliable, which was why Lydia and Erin weren��t too confident in their abilities. But now, after witnessing them releasing power that wasn��t inferior to their projections, Lydia and Erin were stunned.


    ��Stop.��


    After a short while, the group reached the end of the tunnel. They could vaguely see the skipping maroon light on the outside, as well as smell the scent of sulfur in the air. At that moment, Rhode came to a halt abruptly and gestured with his hand. Upon seeing his hand gesture, the two Mini Bubble Gums stopped beside him like mirror reflections of each other. They cast their skill at once, releasing two faint halos that flitted across the place. Shortly after, the anti-detection ritual and silent spell exploded, concealing everyone within the thick smoke.


    The group gathered around Rhode quickly and looked at the surroundings. Upon seeing the view ahead, they couldn��t help but widen their eyes in astonishment.


    Although they didn��t know what the enemies had done, the path they opened up had a downward-spiraling ladder from top to bottom. Looking downward, one could clearly see a huge lake of lava, where blazing lava splashed in the enormous underground cave. The scorching heat struck their faces, which even caused Mini Bubble Gum��s hair to burn and curl on its own. However, the group wasn��t worried about such a small issue as they focused their attention on the enormous, black metallic structure sitting above the lava lake instead. There were five tower-like shapes erected in the lava. The five towers were interconnected by the dark, wide aisles. Rhode spotted red energy crystals in the core area between them. Gigantic, armored security robots were stationed around them, while blinding searchlights shone in all directions.


    ��Good.��


    After scanning the place, Rhode nodded in satisfaction. He thought he might have a hard time dealing with the enemies. But it seemed like it was much easier than he had imagined.

 Chapter 1161 - Lava Lake

    ��There are three tunnels.��


    Rhode extended his arm and pointed ahead.


    ��One is connected to this place, the other is linked to the north and we��re unsure of where it leads to. The last one goes straight through�� I sense a dense elemental aura around here. I don��t think the lava is natural. According to BoBo, we��re very close to the tower now. I suspect the lava came from the Fiery Plains of the Seven Fantasy Boundaries, but I��m not too sure about that. So�� I have a suggestion. In order to avoid further problems, we need to have a comprehensive plan.��


    Rhode said, came to a pause, and looked at the group.


    ��We shall split into three groups. One group will stay here, the second will check out where the northern tunnel links to, and the third will continue to move ahead and see if that tunnel leads to the tower as expected. We will make our decision after gathering our findings���� Rhode suggested, turning to Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. ���� Both of you stay here, just in case. Perhaps the enemies will show up to check on the situation. When that happens, we will be in trouble if they discover us. That is why you two need to delay them as long as possible. Don��t attack if you can��t defeat them; just decisively run and inform the rest to get ready for battle.��


    ��I object!��


    Suddenly, Mini Bubble Gum raised her hand and yelled. Fortunately for them, the concealment enchanted field stopped her loud voice from revealing their position.


    Upon hearing her response, Rhode knitted his brows.


    ��Why?��


    Mini Bubble Gum stood to her feet instantly. She put one hand on her hip, pointed the other at him, and spoke righteously.


    ��This grouping isn��t reasonable, Leader. Big Sister and I didn��t come all the way to this world to hold you back! Don��t even think about throwing us to the back. We seek fair and equal treatment! We don��t want to do nothing in the back. Touch your heart and think about it��all this while in the game, how many DKPs (Dragon Kill Points) have Big Sister and I earned by slacking off?!��


    ��This isn��t a game, Bubble����


    ��I know this isn��t, but Big Sister and I aren��t ordinary players either. Back then, we have our share of battles with Big Sister Erin. You didn��t witness it, but Big Sister Erin definitely did. There are no issues with our skills! Right, Big Sister Erin?!��


    ��Yes����


    Facing Mini Bubble Gum��s question, Erin pondered for a few moments before nodding in agreement.


    ��Indeed. In terms of battle, both of them have high-level skills and are even stronger than many formidable beings in the Country of Darkness.��


    ��But both of your attitudes aren��t right!��


    Rhode shook his head and continued.


    ��This is reality, not a game. You may die if you fight using in-game battle styles.��


    ��Big Sister and I aren��t that stupid. Besides, this environment is really suitable for us! Leader, you are also aware that not even you can go up against Big Sister in terms of the fire element! Also, we have to eventually face reality one day, so you can��t possibly protect us forever. If we don��t familiarize ourselves with this world, we��re going to be dead sooner or later.��


    ��Ugh����


    After hearing her rebuttal, Rhode hesitated. If Gillian, the fire elemental lord, were here, he could have refuted. But now, he had to admit that Mini Bubble Gum was right. In this fire elemental world, not even Erin and Lydia could grasp the fire element better than Canary. Not only that, but Bubble No. 2 also aggravated the situation.


    ��That��s right, Big Sister. Don��t worry and just be brave. Anyway, it doesn��t matter if you die, since Leader can resurrect you as his card spirit like us. When that happens, we can forever be togethe���� Ouch!��


    ��Don��t listen to her nonsense.��


    Rhode swung his right hand at the head of Bubble No. 2. Then, he gazed at both of them expressionlessly.


    ��You must know that death doesn��t feel good at all. Besides, I can��t guarantee that I��ll be able to rescue you two. It is like insurance. You may not be insured when you get into an accident and the insurance company may even shrink responsibility on their end. All of that is simply because you didn��t read the terms and conditions before signing the agreement. The conditions to resurrection are extremely tough, and even I am able to guarantee a 100 percent success rate. Don��t risk your lives over something so meaningless. Alright�� let��s get down to the real business������


    ��I just don��t care. I suggest carrying out the plan in a fairer way! This isn��t fair! I strongly object!��


    If a delusional brat were capable of listening to others, the classic quote of ��I��m not in the wrong; the world is�� wouldn��t have existed.


    ��Okay then.��


    After some serious consideration, Rhode convinced himself that this situation wasn��t as serious as he had thought. More importantly, Canary who stood by the side also didn��t object, which proved that she agreed with Mini Bubble Gum��s suggestion. Of course, frankly speaking, Mini Bubble Gum also wasn��t wrong. However, Rhode didn��t agree with her due to considerations of safety. No matter what, this wasn��t an easy task and humans like them apparently weren��t suitable for such adventures.


    But now��


    ��What kind of fair method do you intend to use?��


    ��Easy.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s doubt, Mini Bubble Gum revealed a delightful smile and extended her arm to grab a handful of toothpicks.


    ��Draw lots!�� she said in a confident tone.


    As they were going to split into three groups, they eventually agreed to form two groups of three and one group of four. The two groups of three would investigate the other two tunnels, while the last group of four would bring up the rear to deal with highly-possible troubles. After all, since the enemies were able to drill through the tunnels, there were no reasons for them to not pass through here. As soon as the enemies found out the ��large group of people�� left behind by Rhode, it would be no laughing matter. Therefore, the group of four was in charge of cleaning up and preventing the enemies from discovering them. Of course, even though the enemies might realize that something was amiss after some time, it was best for Rhode��s group to drag it out as much as possible because this time, their mission was to investigate and not start a battle.


    Of course, that would also be based on the situation.


    But before that, it was time for the results of their lots��


    ���� Why do I feel like this is a conspiracy?��


    Rhode gazed at Mini Bubble Gum and Canary who drew the same-colored toothpicks, before shifting his gaze to Marybelle, Erin, and Lydia. Then, he looked at the final group of Gracier and Madaras, who were led by Bubble No. 2 and Canary No. 2. This allocation was overly�� Even Rhode was at a loss for words.


    ��Are you sure you didn��t use some underhand method?��


    Rhode gazed dubiously at everyone, attempting to read the faces of Lydia and Erin who put up gentle smiles. He was certain that if something were up, those two would be his prime suspects. Despite their gentle and quiet appearances, Rhode clearly knew what type of personalities they had! He had initially summoned Gracier and Madaras to take advantage of their expertise in concealment, where they could perfectly maximize their strength. But now��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s doubt, Mini Bubble Gum stood upright and said loudly.


    ��Give it up and concede defeat, Leader. This is the choice of the Steins;Gate and the will of the universe! The melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya!��


    Facing Mini Bubble Gum��s proud words, Rhode could only nod helplessly in response. What else could he say�� since�� since things had already turned out this way. Fortunately, both of them were with him. As a Spirit Swordsman, manpower was never an issue for him. If the situation got out of hand, he could still summon card spirits for reinforcements.


    But come to think of it, what had it got to do with the melancholy of who-who?


    The mission for Rhode, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum was to investigate the tunnel ahead. Even though Rhode was certain that this tunnel led to the tower, for safety��s sake, he decided to still go ahead and check it out.


    This didn��t pose a challenge to Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and him at all. It was especially so having Canary with him. She was adept in the fire and wind elements. As one of the top players, she received ��Supreme Privileges�� of these two elements and her skill level was almost the same as an elemental lord��s.


    Of course, it was an entirely different matter with her human constitution.


    ��They��ve made their way there.��


    As Marybelle had a contract with Rhode, they could communicate with each other spiritually without any concerns. Rhode wasn��t worried about her group either. The combined strength of the three of them surpassed the entire Dragon Soul Continent, where not even a devil lord or Chaos beings could hurt them. That was why Rhode was assured to leave it to them as he began his own mission.


    ��We have to pass through three towers here. Be wary to avoid the searchlights and����


    Rhode glanced at the fully-armored soldiers. He instinctively felt like there was something strange about them as though they were the ones eroded in Marybelle��s memories. However, the aura they exuded was weaker. But Rhode wasn��t worried about that. Those things could contaminate others, so who knew if they would do it again?


    ��Alright, Leader, what should we do next?��


    Before Rhode finished his sentence, Mini Bubble Gum interrupted. She rolled up her sleeves for battle and widened her eyes at the enemies ahead.


    ��Should we go ��Call-of-Duty�� style or charge in and clean them up with our overwhelming power?��


    ��None of that. We��re going to sneak in.��


    ��Tsk����


    Upon hearing Rhode��s answer, Mini Bubble Gum��s enthusiasm languished by a whole lot.


    ��Where��s the fun with sneaking in? With Big Sister around, I thought we could simply crush them����


    ��Alright, let��s begin.��


    Rhode disregarded Mini Bubble Gum��s grumbles. As a commander, if he were to respond to every complaint of his men before raiding a dungeon, he would need two hours before they could fight the BOSS. That was why Rhode neglected her meaningless grumbles and got right down to business.


    ��Remember, don��t be discovered by them and follow me. I suppose you��ve seen it for yourself. They use lots of things from Earth, but those things have obviously been modified. We may not be able to confirm that they have the same effects as they do on Earth. They may even be much stronger now, so we��re better off staying away from them���� Rhode ordered and turned to Canary.


    ��You know what to do, right?��


    ��Of course, Rhode.��


    Upon hearing his words, Canary smiled and extended her arm. Shortly after, the flowing lava around them surged all of a sudden like an erupting fountain. The lava widened its mouth like a snake and swallowed the three of them before flowing back into the lava lake. When the guards ahead turned around, the trio was already gone.


    ��I absolutely hate traveling this way.��


    Gazing at the rolling lava through the transparent barrier, Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips. If it weren��t for this strong barrier, perhaps the trio wouldn��t be able to reach their destination in perfect condition. But Rhode also didn��t take the risk in passing through the bridge made of black steel. It was apparent that Canary understood his style pretty well. Even though this was equivalent to cheating, this wasn��t a game, after all. There weren��t any rules that made it compulsory for players to face the mysterious guards and enemies, before gaining EXP and spoils of war to face the final BOSS. Of course, Mini Bubble Gum disliked such an approach.


    But it was a pity that her objection was invalid.


    With Canary��s help, the trio advanced through the lava lake. Not only that, but with the help of Mini Bubble Gum��s spiritual spell, they also didn��t need to worry about suffocation. Even though the surrounding temperatures were high, they were still under Canary��s precise control. It went without saying that the journey was smooth, without any disruptions. But all of a sudden, Canary came to a halt.


    ��What��s wrong?��


    Upon detecting her strange behavior, Rhode twitched his brows and asked. Canary puckered her brows in response and answered.


    ��I feel like right ahead, there is something below.��


    ��Something?��


    Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum were taken aback, while Canary nodded. She possessed ��Supreme Privileges�� for the fire element. The lava was as though an extension of her body, which was why she was able to distinguish anything among the lava lake.


    ��I don��t know what that is. I��m not sure if it is alive or dead, but it definitely isn��t normal. I think it shouldn��t be there at all.��


    ��What should we do, Leader? Should we check it out?��


    At that moment, Mini Bubble Gum��s eyes brightened because discovering a hidden item in the concealed areas of a dungeon was usually a sign of a bumper harvest!


    ������


    However, Rhode didn��t respond immediately. On the contrary, he pondered for a while, before turning to Canary and asked.


    ��Will we startle it if we head there?��


    ��I don��t know. All I can do is to try and not let it detect our presence. Frankly, I don��t know if it is a creature or not. But it definitely doesn��t belong here because I sense an ice-cold chilliness from it through the lava���� Canary couldn��t help but bite her lip. Upon hearing her response, Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum exchanged looks with each other. It was apparent that something wasn��t right. For one to be able to release chilly air in such a blazing environment, it must be bothersome to deal with.


    ��Let��s ignore it for now.��


    In the end, Rhode didn��t take up Mini Bubble Gum��s suggestion. But this time, Mini Bubble Gum also didn��t object, surprisingly.


    ��Canary, move away from it and try to stay near the surface of the lava lake. Bubble, release another concealment barrier. Remember, if we��re ambushed, we will move ahead quickly and leave the lava lake to avoid any accidents. Understood?��


    ��Okay.��


    Canary and Mini Bubble Gum nodded in agreement. Shortly after, Canary controlled the protective barrier and shifted it near the surface as they continued to move with the gradual flow of the lava lake. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum held her hands together vigilantly. A rune appeared between her hands, emanating a faint, flickering spiritual radiance. At that moment, her expression changed slightly.


    ��I saw it.��


    Without Mini Bubble Gum��s elaboration, Rhode and Canary also witnessed the mysterious presence. It was right below the trio: a pitch-black shadow. Unsure if it was due to the flowing lava or something else, the shadow seemed to be a live-form. The trio stared at the shadow as they advanced in the lava lake.


    They weren��t attacked even until they passed through the enormous shadowy area. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t help but heave a sigh of relief. However, Rhode continued to scan the place. He lifted his head and glanced along the edge.


    ��We��re here.��


    Upon hearing his words, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum raised their heads and followed the direction of his gaze. Then, they widened their eyes in astonishment.

 Chapter 1162 - Door of the Fantasy World

    ��What a huge door.��


    Looking at the door ahead, Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t help but exclaim in surprise. At a glance, they were surrounded by pure, white walls like a barrier erected between heaven and earth. What caught their attention was the enormous door ahead. It was tens of meters tall, standing upright on a spacious platform connected to the pitch-black steel bridge. The defenses here were also seemingly the strongest. Not only were there four to five watchtowers, but there were also about 100 armored guards. It could be seen just how important this door was to them. At that moment, the door was closed and sealed entirely. But instead of treating it as a door, it was more like a carved mural that resembled one. If it weren��t for the tight security, Rhode wouldn��t have believed that he had come to the right place.


    ��What should we do next, Rhode?��


    Gazing at the heavily-guarded platform, Canary asked softly. In fact, with their strength, it wouldn��t pose an issue for them to eliminate everyone here. As long as Canary swung her arm and splashed the lava on them, the people on the platform would be scrambling for their lives. But this way, their position would be revealed immediately. This wasn��t the biggest problem. Instead, Rhode didn��t know how to activate and open the tightly-sealed door. But fortunately, he had some tricks up his sleeve.


    ��Wait.��


    Upon hearing Canary��s question, Rhode gestured with his hand. Then, he contacted Marybelle spiritually, at the same time transmitting the image over.


    ��Marybelle, are you able to open this door?��


    ��Let��s see�� Yes, Your Majesty. That is indeed the entrance to the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. As long as we open it, we can head to the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. You don��t need to worry about the door as deity wardens can definitely open it.��


    ��Great.��


    After hearing Marybelle��s answer, Rhode finally nodded in assurance. Then, he asked.


    ��By the way, how��s your group doing?��


    ��No issues at the moment, but we didn��t find anything useful as well�� We��re moving ahead right now. Those people seem to also be guarding something. I suppose we can reach the destination without wasting too much time.��


    ��Good, keep in contact. Inform me immediately if you discover anything and head back at our starting point.��


    ��Okay, Your Majesty.��


    Upon receiving her affirmation, Rhode came up with an idea. He lifted his head, gazed at the two young ladies, and said, ��We need to head back and meet up with the others before making a decision.��


    ��Alright, Rhode.��


    ��Okay, Leader.��


    It was obviously pretty uneventful for Mini Bubble Gum since they sneaked in successfully and now, had to head back without taking out anyone. However, Canary didn��t show any signs of discontentment. She nodded quickly upon hearing Rhode��s command and extended her arm. Shortly after, the lava surged once again and brought them back where they came from. But this time��


    ��Ooo������!!��


    Suddenly, an emergency siren blared, stunning the trio. Canary stopped her hand movement abruptly and proceeded to conceal their presence in the lava. Mini Bubble Gum and Rhode prepared themselves for battle as they stared at the surroundings. No one knew why the siren sounded all of a sudden.


    Could it be that something happened to Marybelle and the rest? Or perhaps the follow-up forces got into a battle with someone else?


    At this thought, Rhode pulled himself together and activated the spiritual communication quickly. But what surprised him was that Marybelle and the other group was completely fine. In that case, what exactly was that siren about��?


    Shortly after, Rhode received his answer.


    As soon as the ear-piercing siren sounded, the patrolling guards lined up by both sides of the path. After a few moments, the siren stopped. Rhode witnessed three figures being escorted as they sauntered ahead. Rhode made a hand gesture and upon seeing it, the dazzling rune in Mini Bubble Gum��s hands diminished its radiance and a thin layer of mist erupted from it, shrouding the trio entirely in a faint red hue.


    At that moment, Rhode got a clear view of the three mysterious figures.


    Unlike the heavily-armored soldiers, the three figures could be said to be constructed by dark, shadowy flames. Be it their facial features, hairs, or bodies, they looked like human-shaped beings coalesced from black flames. However, Rhode sharply detected the aura of Chaos exuding from those strange ��people��. But for some unknown reason, Rhode felt like he had seen them before somewhere.


    He didn��t see them in Marybelle��s memories, but rather from an even earlier period��


    ��Ooo�� Ooo��!��


    Shortly after, the emergency siren sounded yet again. Rhode witnessed the red warning lights by the edge of the platform flashing rapidly. Shortly after, the three people strolled toward the center of the platform and came to a halt in front of the black stone column. Then, they raised their arms in unison.


    ����!��


    Along with this action, a deep, unknown rumble erupted. The ground shook and lava spilled over. It sounded like the bellow of a certain beast, and even Canary and Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t help but cover their ears due to this resounding roar. At that moment, Canary frowned.


    ��Rhode, that thing is moving!��


    Without the need of Canary��s warning, Rhode had witnessed it already. The huge mass of shadows lurking at the bottom of the lava that puzzled Canary earlier began to move. It constantly extended to both sides like a cell dividing into two. Looking at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary tensed up instantly. They couldn��t care less about what was happening on the platform anymore. They stared at the constantly-squirming shadow and shortly after, the massive shadow passed directly under them as though it didn��t detect their presence. The trio followed its movement and stared blankly after taking a closer look at the scene.


    The swirling and flowing lava erupted all of a sudden. Two gigantic tentacles like burned skewers burst out from the lava lake, discharging a putrid smell. The layers of rotten flesh on them had revolting, grain-sized spores that made one��s hair stand on end. Rhode couldn��t look straight at them, not to mention Mini Bubble Gum and Canary.


    However, the pair of tentacles apparently had no regard for others. It wriggled and wrapped around the door ahead. Shortly after, the pure, white walls darkened as though they were injected with pitch-black ink. Not only that, but the high temperature of the scorching lava was also seemingly overwhelmed.


    ��This is the power of Chaos����


    Rhode gnashed his teeth. He sensed the power of Chaos in the two gigantic tentacles permeating the pure, white door. The walls of the door were completely smeared in black. As Chaos invaded, the surroundings became unsettled. The scorching lava plummeted in temperature. The boundary between reality and illusion became indistinct. The door that resembled a carved mural shuddered and opened gradually to the sides with several golden rays escaping the gap. Looking at this scene, the soldiers raised their arms, bursting out in loud cheers. Amongst the cheers, the three people standing beside the black stone column stepped forward in large strides. Then, they vanished into the door that was forcefully opened. The door closed behind them and the pair of revolting tentacles that were wrapped around the door descended gradually, returning into the depth of the lava. As the tentacles withdrew into the lava, the black, contaminated areas on the white walls faded away. After a few moments, everything restored to its original state.


    ��Let��s go!��


    At that moment, Rhode��s expression was no longer grim, but ashen instead. He swept a glance at the seemingly harmless shadow that shrunk back and lowered his voice to give a command. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum seemed to be terrified by the two tentacles. She simply nodded and didn��t say anything. Meanwhile, Canary maintained her silence as she controlled the lava for their retreat.


    Shortly after, the trio returned quietly to where they came from. Marybelle and the rest were already there, waiting for Rhode��s command. They also realized the happenings, but didn��t figure out the exact situation. Upon seeing the trio��s arrival, they crowded over swiftly.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, what happened?��


    ��We��ll talk about that later.��


    Facing Lydia��s doubt, Rhode shook his head and said. Then, he turned to Marybelle and Bubble No. 2.


    ��Update me on your findings.��


    ��Okay.��


    Even though it was somewhat strange that Rhode didn��t clarify the situation immediately, Marybelle nodded and described what she saw. What concerned Rhode was that the happenings Marybelle described were anything but reassuring. Marybelle��s group headed north and arrived at the front of an enormous cave that was as huge as a plaza. But that wasn��t the main point. Instead, they witnessed hundreds of what seemed to be egg-like, transparent, crystal vessels with several people trapped within! Even though their identities were still unknown, they resembled the primitive men they met earlier. If Marybelle guessed it correctly, the people imprisoned inside the crystal tanks were natives of this world.


    ��Not only that, but they also used a special device to inject the power of Chaos into those people. I think they are going to turn into Chaos��s slaves soon!��


    ���� Can we find out where the source of power is?��


    ��Even though I��m not certain, we sensed that the power of Chaos was being abstracted from the lava by a mysterious black rope. As for where it leads to, I��m not too sure.��


    Although Marybelle wasn��t certain, Rhode roughly understood the situation now. He exchanged looks with Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, before turning to the group of four.


    ��Alright, No. 2, how��s the situation at your side?��


    ��Nothing much happened. Earlier on, some people arrived to investigate the situation but didn��t enter the cordon, so I let them off. But judging from their behavior, they seem to have decided to gather manpower for patrolling or something afterwards. But it is a pity that I can��t understand their language, so I don��t know what they meant.��


    Bubble No. 2 said, spreading her arms apart and displaying a helpless look. However, Rhode wasn��t too mindful and nodded in response. It seemed like his guesses were right. Those guys seemed determined to expand this place. This wasn��t related to Rhode at all since they weren��t in the Dragon Soul Continent, so it was up to them whether they lived or not. But the problem was that the situation now didn��t seem to be as simple as he thought.


    ��The situation on our side is more complicated����


    Rhode said and quickly narrated to everyone what happened earlier. After hearing his descriptions, Marybelle, Erin, and the others turned pale. They knew exactly what he meant. The Seven Fantasy Boundaries was a product of Order and yet, not only did that creature defy the power of Order, but it also injected its power of Chaos into the door and forcefully opened it. It was absolutely uncommon to witness such a creature.


    ��Have you figured out its true identity, Your Majesty?��


    ��No, but I��m sure that it is so massive in size that it can penetrate the entire lava lake, at the very least. But this isn��t what we need to worry about���� Rhode paused and pondered in silence. Rhode had already decided his plan after spotting the door that led to the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. He decided to regroup with the two groups first before returning to the platform. Then, the three groups would attack at once to surround the place, eliminate all resistance, destroy the area, and enter the door. But now, the existence of that huge, mysterious creature disrupted his plan. He had no choice but to reconsider everything��


    Rhode let out a long, helpless sigh, shrugged, and said.


    ��Looks like we need to raid the place.��


    ��Raid?��


    Upon hearing this word, the eyes of the two Bubble and Canary glinted, while Erin and Lydia scratched their heads. However, Rhode had no intention of leaving them hanging either. Shortly after, he explained to the both of them.


    ��That��s right. We shall gather everyone and overrun the enemies. But we need to change our current target. As of now, our main goal isn��t to annihilate them, but to open up the door as quickly as possible and leave this damned place. After all, we shouldn��t stay here for too long and I��m quite certain that that Chaos creature isn��t easy to deal with. I don��t know what that is, but I sense that its powerful strength may pose a huge problem for us.��


    Even though Rhode was known as a ��walking library��, he didn��t feel ashamed admitting that some things were beyond his knowledge. Well, he couldn��t be blamed. Creatures of Order were more or less fixed. But it was entirely different for creatures of Chaos as there were infinite variants of them. Besides, not even the same Chaos creature would stay identical the next day. Although it might be a physical creature now, it could turn into a form of liquid or air at the next moment. That was why even if that creature had tentacles, Rhode couldn��t be sure of what it was. But based on its massive power when it awakened, Rhode knew it wasn��t one to be trifled with.


    If Rhode only had a few members with him, there wouldn��t be a problem for them to sneak past the enemies. After all, with the two Canarys around, there was nothing difficult in transporting soldiers. But now, Rhode also had to look out for hundreds of natives. It would be a real waste if they were to die here after surviving on Earth. That was why Rhode had to abandon his original plan. But this didn��t mean his raid was sub-par in quality where they would rampage their way over. Rhode turned to his group and after pondering in silence, he made his decision.


    ��Gracier, Madaras, Erin, Lydia; we will form a group this time and eliminate the surrounding sentries as quickly as possible without getting spotted. I trust that this isn��t hard for you.��


    ��Sure, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Upon hearing his command, Lydia nodded slightly. Rhode turned to the two Canarys after hearing their answers.


    ��Canary, both of you are in charge of standing guard and most importantly, check on that creature through the flow of lava. If you discover anything strange, inform me instantly. Got it?��


    ��No problem, Rhode.��


    Both of them accepted his command.


    ��Good.��


    Rhode said and turned to the remaining two Mini Bubble Gums.


    ��I want you two to reorganize the troops with Marybelle and be responsible for covering us. Remember, after we wipe out the sentries, you guys must pass through the steel bridge and bring everyone to the door as quickly as possible. There must not be any delay. Do not retaliate even if you face ambushes. Activate the defensive shield and hang on until then, understood?��


    ��Got it, Leader!��


    ��Good.��


    After hearing their affirmations, Rhode turned to the surroundings, extended his arm, and gave a decisive command.


    ��Let��s begin!��

 Chapter 1163 - Ghost Under the Lava (1)

    Boom!


    The constantly-rolling lava erupted. Blazing, scarlet torrents of extreme heat surged and splashed all around at a rapid pace. Rhode flitted across in a flash, concealing himself entirely in the shadows of one of the towers. He narrowed his eyes to scan the surroundings, turned around, and extended his arm, where a black card flickered in his hand and transformed into a pitch-black sword the very next second. He stooped over, held his breath, and quietly listened to the activities around him.


    Based on his investigation earlier, the five steel towers basically served as military towers. As long as he could take them down, the others could pass through the area and enter the door safely. The mission that Rhode gave the others was to take down the functions of the steel towers. If it weren��t for the existence of that mysterious, shadowy creature at the bottom of the lava lake, Rhode wouldn��t mind crushing his way through. But now�� In order to not alert the enemy, he could only deploy another strategy.


    Fortunately, based on the situation he observed before, there were groups of five heavily-armored human soldiers. Security was tight in this area. But luckily, Rhode had his way around them.


    Stomp�� Stomp�� Stomp��


    Rasps of clashing, heavy steel armor resounded. Rhode squinted at the scene and clutched the sword hilt. He was completely hidden in the shadow, waiting silently for the opportune timing to strike. Shortly after, a patrol team marched past him. The soldiers inspected the area, failing to notice the enemy lurking in the shadows beside them. After scanning the area for a few moments, they turned around and headed into another tunnel.


    It was at that moment Rhode struck.


    The instant the soldiers turned around, Rhode pounced. The sword in his hand metamorphosed into a dark radiance as he darted ahead. In a dazzling flash, the soldier at the rear was slashed into half like tofu. Rhode��s sword trembled abruptly as black flames erupted inside-out from the blade. He turned around, withdrew his sword, and dashed forward again.


    The next soldier ahead turned around subconsciously after hearing some strange movements. But he had only turned halfway before the razor-sharp blade penetrated his neck. Then, black flames exploded to devour that unfortunate soldier. Rhode continued his attack, positioning his sword in a slanted stance and slashing it downward in a straight line. This series of movements was so quick that it only lasted less than five seconds��from when he launched his attack to puncturing the third soldier��s chest.


    At that moment, the two soldiers at the front seemed to realize that something was wrong. One of them lifted his gun and pointed to the rear. But as soon as he turned around, he witnessed a flash of dark radiance and felt a chilly sensation on his neck. Then, he stopped breathing.


    ����!��


    Meanwhile, the soldier at the front turned around. After witnessing Rhode��s presence, he widened his eyes and was about to scream, when suddenly, Rhode swung his right arm forward.


    Kacha.


    The razor-sharp blade grew in length, metamorphosing into a long whip that wrapped around the soldier��s neck and stifled the scream that almost escaped him. Then, the black blade spun abruptly, severing the unfortunate soldier��s head and sending it skyward before landing on the ground.


    ��Phew����


    At that moment, Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. He swept a glance to the surroundings keenly before lifting Succubus in his right hand and slashing it downward. Savage black flames erupted from the blade in this move, shrouding the lifeless corpses on the floor instantly. In just a dozen seconds, the scattered corpses and filthy blood were swallowed, leaving nothing behind. Rhode returned to the shadows and continued to sneak his way in.


    After taking down three teams continuously, Rhode finally eliminated all patrols safeguarding the first tower. But he didn��t let his guard down just yet as he didn��t know how exactly the patrols communicated and rotated shifts. If he had annihilated the patrols that were taking over the current shift, perhaps the patrols might feel suspicious after some time. The most important thing now was to seize the timing. After taking down the three patrol forces and ensuring that no one discovered his presence, Rhode went up to the entrance of the first tower and peeked into it.


    What made him heave a sigh of relief was that the entrance wasn��t locked. However, the situation inside was nowhere better as heavily-armored soldiers and surveillance cameras were everywhere. Even though Rhode didn��t know how they managed to set up such a comprehensive base, it seemed like the emergency siren would be sounded immediately if he were to barge inside.


    When that happens, things might get out of hand.


    At this thought, Rhode shifted his gaze away and dashed into the shadows of the tall, dark tower like a ghost, vanishing out of sight.


    Meanwhile, the two Canarys stood at the side quietly, sensing the presence of that mysterious creature lurking deep below the lava lake. No wonder Rhode was anxious about it. That creature was almost 100 meters in length, and a dozen meters wide, which was rarely seen even in the Dragon Soul Continent. At that moment, their group was just above it. If they weren��t careful, they might be thoroughly out of luck. It was due to this reason that Rhode was acting so cautiously. The two Canarys put up solemn expressions because they discovered earlier that the creature that was as stationary as a rock twitched as though it were awake. Although the frequency of its movements was low, the lava was like an extension of their bodies. The creature was like a fish held up by their hands, where they were able to sharply feel its movements.


    ��Should we tell Rhode about it?��


    Canary knitted her brows and gazed at her projection who stood beside her. In fact, she admired the personality of her projection. Even though her projection was created based on Rhode��s impression of her, if Canary were able to be exactly the same as her projection, perhaps she wouldn��t have that much burden on her shoulders.


    ������


    Facing Canary��s question, Canary No. 2 pondered in silence before nodding gently.


    ��Okay, I��ll inform Rhode. You tell Bubble about this and ask them to pick up the pace. I have a bad feeling about this situation.��


    ��Got it.��


    Upon hearing Canary No. 2��s response, Canary nodded slightly, turned around, and left quickly. Canary No. 2 gazed at Canary, let out a sigh, and shifted her gaze to the sea of lava before her. Then, she witnessed several streaks of red brilliance.


    ��There are movements?��


    After hearing Canary No. 2��s report, Rhode��s heart sank. Earlier on, he felt like something was amiss. When he killed the soldiers, he sensed the presence of Chaos aura escaping their bodies and attempting to gather in a certain place. For safety��s sake, Rhode activated the black flames of Succubus and devoured the Chaos aura. Now, it seemed like that apparently wasn��t a bad move. Perhaps all the power of Chaos in this place came from that huge, mysterious creature skulking underneath the lava. Perhaps the strange activities reported by Canary earlier were precisely its instinctive reactions upon feeling its power depleting at a fast pace. Maybe the amount of power lost was just a drop in the ocean, but Rhode��s group might attract its attention if they continued to slaughter the soldiers!


    But now, he didn��t have any other ways to pass this information to the others. After all, Erin and Lydia weren��t card spirits he could communicate spiritually with. Right now, he could only take one step at a time, wipe out the defense as quickly as possible, and proceed on to the next.


    Rhode pondered, but the speed of his swinging sword didn��t slow down at all. Even though the entire steel tower seemed well-structured and heavily-guarded, it wasn��t prepared for air raids. Rhode could easily conquer a tower that was tens of meters tall. He flitted up the tower like a shadow and emerged at the top. At that moment, two gun-wielding soldiers who were patrolling on the highest floor had their backs facing him and didn��t detect his presence. In an instant, Rhode slaughtered them mercilessly and lit them on fire to remove all traces. Then, he opened the door and sneaked inside the tower silently via the stairwell.


    The inside of the steel tower was dimly-lit. Perhaps due to the lack of electricity, not all the lamps were lit up; some of them emanated a fuzzy radiance along the walls at intervals. But this was to Rhode��s advantage. He concealed himself in the shadows and killed his way through without being discovered. Along the way, he realized that the layout of this place was basically the same as buildings on Earth. However, some places felt out of place to him, just like previously, when he and Lydia entered the moon base eroded by Chaos.


    Seems like I��m about to find out the true identity of that thing soon.


    At this thought, Rhode picked up his pace. If that creature was like the one that had eroded the moon bases, he would need to go all-out with his group. But if that happened, he might also destroy this place and they would be buried alive, not to mention opening the door to escape.


    Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!


    As soon as Rhode wiped out the soldiers ahead and was about to advance, he suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps. He turned around, leaned to the side quickly, and fused into the wall, disappearing from sight. Almost simultaneously, a team of heavily-armed soldiers arrived at the scene. Their captain was a young man donned in a black uniform. He swept a glance at the surroundings with an ice-cold expression and let out a snort.


    ��What exactly is going on? Where are the guards? Why are they missing?��


    ��Maybe they went to patrol the place. After all, it��s time for the next shift����


    ��That bunch of useless trash makes my head hurt! Why are they running around all over the place at such a time?!��


    Upon hearing his subordinate��s response, the captain grunted. Then, he turned around, gazed at his subordinate, and commanded with a long face: ��Get ready. We��re going to start the fusion soon. Bring all experimental subjects to Experimental Lab One and give them an injection�� By the way, how is Experimental Subject Three doing?��


    Upon hearing his question, a man who wore a white coat, like a researcher��s, replied immediately.


    ��Reporting, Sir. The condition of Experimental Subject Three remains the same. We��ve increased the dosage, but there are still no effects after injecting it into her body. Frankly, if it weren��t for the apparatus indicating that everything is normal with her body, we would have believed that she is dead.��


    ��Check her conditions right away. We need to turn her into a Chaos being before the Saint awakens! Remember, if we can��t do it, the Saint��s wrath will burn us all into ashes! Hurry up! Don��t waste anymore time! Understand, you fools?!��


    ��Yes, Sir!��


    Everyone nodded at his command before turning around to leave. But at the same time, a barrier of black flames erupted, trapping them inside, like a cage. It happened so quickly that some of them didn��t detect its presence immediately and were instantly swallowed by the black flames and vanished into nothingness before letting out a shriek. The sudden emergence of the flames stunned the rest. They gripped their weapons and stepped back instinctively. At the same time, a dozen tentacles drilled out of the ground suddenly and bound them firmly. The whistling blade airflows extinguished the weak, dancing flames of the lamps. In an instant, there was nothing else apart from darkness.


    After a few moments, the darkness dissipated.


    Rhode emerged from the shadows. Around his feet were corpses, while the black flames gradually expanded to the surroundings, devouring and shredding the remains into bits. The young captain earlier was the only one who survived and escaped the tragedy. But now, his back was against the wall as he stared palely at the razor-sharp blade Rhode was pressing against his throat. A slightest movement and his head would be severed right off.


    ��W-Who are you?��


    Widening his eyes, the man gazed at Rhode in terror. He couldn��t imagine how someone was able to sneak into this heavily-guarded tower. Not only that, but he also annihilated the guards effortlessly.


    Are any humans capable of doing that? What kind of sick joke is this? Isn��t it just a bunch of primitive men on this land? Why is there someone so powerful here? Who exactly is he?


    ��I seem to have heard something interesting.��


    Facing his question, Rhode didn��t answer. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the man instead. The corners of his lips perked up into a strange smile.


    ��Would you mind telling me more about the situation of this place?��


    Under the threat of death, the young captain gave in immediately and confessed everything to Rhode.


    It was just as Rhode had expected. These people were the descendants of Chaos who arrived from Earth. However, they didn��t seem to be fully aware of the power inside their bodies, as well as their identities. They hailed from an organization named ��Heaven��s Law��. All members of that organization were like him; ��abnormal ones�� who possessed the power of Chaos. They believed that they were chosen by the Gods of this world to contribute to the evolution of humans. For that, they uncovered and awakened the power of Chaos in every corner of the world. The Akashic Slates in the moon bases were their main targets because according to the records of ��Heaven��s Law��, those slates bestowed on them miraculous powers. As a matter of fact, many of the higher-ups in Heaven��s Law were the ones who unearthed the Akashic Slates. They claimed that they were enlightened by the slates during the excavation and also received special abilities. It was due to this reason that they were looking forward to taking away the Akashic Slates, bringing them to where they belonged.


    However, after they failed to snatch the Akashic Slates, Heaven��s Law changed their goal. They began working toward a ��brand new world��, summoned subordinates to this new continent through the plane channels, and proceeded to expand the continent. This young man was one of them. He was just a small leader of Heaven��s Law who was responsible for capturing the natives of this continent and injecting their so-called ��sacred powers�� (in other words, the power of Chaos) into their bodies, turning them into their subjects and puppets. And now, they were in one of the bases of Heaven��s Law. However, this base was only recently built and still in development.


    Rhode also learned from that young man that after a period of time, they would send out selected candidates to the channel connected to the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. These people weren��t aware of what was on the other end of the channel. But according to them, the selected candidates had accepted the will of the Saint and obtained the right to enter the channel.


    I see.


    After hearing the young man��s narration, Rhode finally understood their background. It seemed like even though Marybelle dealt with most of the Chaos creatures back then, the Akashic Slates still left a relatively huge impact on Earth�� Perhaps these guys were influenced by the Akashic Slates, which was why they turned to this.


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded with a smile and flipped the blade around.


    ��Next, I have a request.��


    He said, gazing at the pale young man.


    ��Could you tell me what that so-called experiment you mentioned earlier is?��

 Chapter 1164 - Ghost Under the Lava (2)

    Even though Rhode was mentally prepared, his expressionless face turned ice-cold after witnessing the revolting rows of ��nourishment cabins�� lined up before him. All of them were filled with a mysterious, turbid liquid that seemed to be mixed from knocked-over dyes. Submerged in the liquid were humans who looked like the primitive men that Rhode met before. However, they seemed weird as their bodies and limbs were as though some kind of biochemical, mutant specimens. If it weren��t for their chests undulating slightly, Rhode would have thought that they were dead. But�� even if they were alive, perhaps they weren��t any different from the dead.


    According to that young man, the reason why they captured the primitive men was so they could use the powers of the ��Saint�� and modify them, turning them into loyal slaves. Rhode also did an experiment on him and discovered that the so-called ��power�� in most of them was only stronger and faster in terms of strength, speed, and recovery rate. He also sensed an unusual presence in them. In the Dragon Soul Continent, this stage was only the initial symptoms of being infected by Chaos. Rhode couldn��t help but lament that Earth was indeed just an ordinary world. If they were in the Dragon Soul Continent, they would be beaten to death by others with this little amount of power. Even if one were able to lift up a truck, a low-level mage could easily crush one powerlessly to the ground. And now, these guys hadn��t figured out the characteristics of Chaos and were even dreaming of conquering the world? Did they really think that they would turn into Superman after surviving a jump from 60 floors?


    Of course, not everyone had such ordinary abilities. According to the young man, the elders of Heaven��s Law had much stronger powers. Not only could they listen to the teachings of the Saint, but they could also summon the Saint��s apostles to battle as their stead, such as the massive shadowy creature lurking underneath the lava lake. Although the young man was unsure of its exact presence, according to him, that shadowy creature was summoned by the elders to assist them in accomplishing their mission.


    ��I heard you mentioning a woman who Chaos couldn��t erode. What is that all about?��


    All of a sudden, Rhode recalled about it and asked. Upon hearing his question, the man was taken aback and hesitated for a few seconds. But after shifting his attention to the blade pressing against his neck, he sucked in a breath of cold air and told Rhode everything he knew. That woman wasn��t a native of this place, but was a spoil of war instead. They coincidentally discovered her when wiping out a tribe. Back then, she was sealed inside an ice crystal and looked seemingly dead. The elders sensed a powerful strength in her. They sent out men to dig her out of the ice crystal, brought her here and injected the ��sacred power�� inside her. But what was strange was that unlike natives, even though they had injected the power of Chaos into her more than once, she didn��t have any reactions. Other natives who were injected with the power of Chaos several times had mutated. But that woman was unaffected at all. Not only that, but even with the Saint doing it himself, he also couldn��t affect her in any way. It was due to this reason that this woman was treated as a top secret. And now, they injected the power of Chaos into her at specific timings to observe her responses. What astonished them the most was that even though the woman seemed to be dead, her vital signs didn��t disappear.


    ��Where is that woman now?��


    After hearing the young man��s description, Rhode swirled his eyes and asked. The young man swallowed his saliva and said in lingering fear.


    ��Experimental Subject Zero�� is inside the restricted zone below the core central area. Only the three supervisors have access to that place����


    ��Thanks for your cooperation.��


    Slash.


    After getting the information he needed, Rhode slashed the throat of that unfortunate fellow before releasing a ball of black flame to devour him completely. Rhode narrowed his eyes and moved forward, disregarding the strange specimens around him. What he was most mindful and curious about now was the woman who resisted the power of Chaos. After all, no matter in which world, no such person capable of doing that had appeared before and even someone as powerful as Lydia had to flee from Chaos. But now, a woman actually defied the erosion of Chaos? That was something truly worthy of his attention.


    Kacha��


    Shortly after, Rhode reached the end of the ��specimen lab��, tidied his clothes, and retrieved the ID card of that earlier young man. After allowing the sensor to scan the ID card, the large doors slid open silently. Rhode took advantage of this opportunity and accessed the room.


    What presented before him was a wide, spacious, and circular room, which seemed to be the core area of this tower. Hiding in the shadows, Rhode spotted heavily-armored and weapon-wielding soldiers everywhere. Above the podium in the middle, there were three men clad in strange outfits. They discussed softly amongst themselves. They weren��t donned in clothes from Earth, but the clothes were more like robes worn by spell casters in the Dragon Soul Continent.


    ������


    Looking at this scene, Rhode stooped over and blended into another patch of shadows nearby without making a sound. He was certain that they weren��t ��cosplaying�� out of boredom because he clearly felt magical energy waves exuding from them. Despite that, their energy waves were different from that of spell casters in the Dragon Soul Continent. In the Dragon Soul Continent, the energy waves of spell casters were much more obvious. For instance, Mini Bubble Gum��s energy waves were based on ��light��, while Canary��s was based on ��fire�� and ��wind��. As long as one paid attention, one would sense the pure elemental aura coalesced around them. On the contrary, the magical aura around these people was impure. Drawing an analogy, it was as though they were the turbid sewage from industrial factories. Rhode investigated their aura further and was almost choked to death as though he were standing by an excessively polluted water source. It was apparent that these guys were on a higher level than those newbies earlier and in the Legendary Stage, at the very least. Rhode just didn��t know if they were as masterful as spell casters in the Dragon Soul Continent in terms of spell usage��


    Rhode pondered in silence. He had the intention of dragging this out, but he received news from Gracier and Madaras that everything was going well. Up until this point, these guys didn��t realize anything fishy, which meant that the situation was also fine for Erin and Lydia.


    But if this continues, we will be discovered by the enemies sooner or later��


    At this thought, Rhode twitched his brows, took a step back, and leaned against the steel wall. Then, he merged into the darkness of the wall in a flash.


    Using the advantage of the shadows, Rhode concealed himself in the darkness and successfully headed to his destination through blending into different patches of shadows. He went closer to the three men and they seemed to be having a fierce debate. However, Rhode couldn��t understand their language at all. They were speaking a language that didn��t belong to Earth or the Dragon Soul Continent. The language made the speaker sound like his throat was being smothered by flames and smoke, which sounded rather similar to the language of devils.


    Could they be true Chaos beings?


    Upon hearing their unknown language, Rhode puckered his brows. Chaos beings were the hardest enemies to deal with. Or perhaps, he should say that they were the toughest bunch to face. Even when dealing with devils, Rhode was able to read their moves to a certain extent, but Chaos beings were as though some sort of big-headed aliens. And now, these Chaos beings were essentially different from the ones he met earlier. For some unknown reason, he felt like these Chaos beings were much more bothersome to deal with than those in the game and the Dragon Soul Continent.


    ����!��


    At that moment, the debate between the trio became fiercer. When Rhode approached them silently, all of a sudden one of them seemed to detect something as he swept a glance toward Rhode��s direction. Then, his expression changed instantly!


    Sh*t!


    Rhode was startled as soon as he saw the change in that man��s expression. At that moment, he no longer cared about concealing himself. He leaped up and shuttled out of the shadows, swinging Succubus in his hand abruptly and scattering massive, scorching black flames at them. At the same time, he swung his left arm to the side, where a white trace of light traveled along his fingers and flew out of his fingertips. Then, a dazzling, holy light exploded. Celia emerged, raising her sword in a battle stance. She grunted and the sword in her hands metamorphosed into blinding thunders that struck at the enemies.


    ����!��


    Facing this ambush from Rhode, the trio was stunned. The man who seemed to be their leader widened his mouth and yelled, before pointing his finger forward. Shortly after, a transparent barrier appeared before them, stopping Rhode��s attack forcefully. But it was a pity that Rhode had anticipated this response from them, which was why he released the black flames instantly. His blade ,tangled with black flames, slammed into the barrier heavily. At the next moment, the sturdy barrier shattered like glass instantly. Not only did it fail to resist Rhode��s attack, but the magical power in it also lit up in black flames like fuel. In the blink of an eye, the barrier that protected them turned into their own death trap. Like a monster snapping its jaw open, the scorching black flames swallowed the trio entirely. Blood-curdling screeches resounded from within.


    It seemed like the unfortunate trio didn��t survive this attack.


    But Rhode didn��t slow down just yet. After dealing this attack, he rolled on the ground and flourished his black sword to the side immediately. At that moment, Rhode unleashed all of his strength. The black sword transformed into a pitch-black whip and erupted with twice its original strength. Black flames rolled and swept across the entire place.


    Boom!


    A deep explosion ruptured the room immediately. Before the guards reacted, they were sliced into half by that black whip and rushing black flames scattered to envelop the entire room.


    ��Phew����


    After the black flames dissipated like the receding tide, Rhode heaved a long sigh of relief, wiping away the beads of cold sweat on his forehead. He had unleashed all his strength on that earlier attack and yet, he wasn��t able to wipe them all out at once. Fortunately, Celia was around to slaughter the fish that escaped the net. If not, perhaps the emergency siren would sound off and reinforcements would arrive to give them a harder time��


    Rhode shook his head. He had never felt this exhausted in a while. After all, his swordsmanship wasn��t geared toward facing multiple enemies. At that moment, he wished he were a spell caster instead. It was also a pity that he lacked spirit cards that could deal AOE attacks. If it were in the past, he would have used ��Casali under the night sky�� to drag those people into another world. But after sacrificing it to demolish Agios of Chaos, he could only kill the enemies one at a time now.


    Even though this attack from him was somewhat reckless, he discovered that due to some unknown reason, the soldiers scattered around the tower had all assembled in this place. No wonder Rhode felt like there were more soldiers here. Now that he thought about it, perhaps it was about this matter that the trio quarreled. However, he wasn��t sure of what they were fighting about. He put this matter aside and checked in with the rest using spiritual communication.


    As expected, everything was perfect with Gracier and Madaras. As white elf assassins, this mission was simply made for them. Of course, their luck was also much better than Rhode��s as they didn��t face any mysterious and odd characters. It seemed like Rhode��s luck was on the down side. Out of all the towers, he chose the one with the strongest defenses, which was why he was so exhausted now.


    Rhode dwindled his thoughts and commanded both of them to check in with Erin and Lydia after completing their task. If everything was normal, he would command Mini Bubble Gum to lead the rest away as quickly as possible.


    After ensuring that everything was fine, Rhode turned around and headed to the middle of the hall.


    As Rhode went all-out earlier, half of the hall was demolished. The large door and floors that were used to cover up the stairwell vanished, which was why Rhode spotted it easily. He couldn��t help but feel curious about the information he received from that young man. He wanted to see what kind of person was able to resist the invasion of Chaos. Shortly after, he descended the stairwell.


    The secret room below wasn��t hard to find, especially after Rhode wreaked havoc above. He reached the bottom of the stairwell and saw an opened room with the woman he was looking for. Just like other primitive men, she was also imprisoned inside a nourishment cabin. The turbid aura was apparently much stronger than the rest. But what surprised Rhode was that this wasn��t just the power from that mysterious aura, but from the woman instead.


    Rhode thought she was also a half-creature like other primitive men. But after seeing her for himself, he discovered that she was like a perfectly normal human. She had smooth, pitch-black long hair and a fair complexion. Her exquisite facial features weren��t any different from humans. At that moment, her eyes were closed as though she were dead. If it weren��t for her slightly undulating chest, perhaps Rhode would have thought she was just a corpse.


    ��Hmm?��


    Shortly after, Rhode felt like something was amiss. He couldn��t help but twitch his brow curiously. Although the woman was right before him, Rhode couldn��t feel her aura at all. He felt the power of Chaos and the presence of elements around her, but just couldn��t sense her presence. It was as though a large hole was in the place she was in and apart from the feeling of nothingness, there was no other physical presence.


    ��What do you think about it?��


    Rhode stretched out his arm, gazed at the woman, and said softly. Upon hearing his doubt, his younger sister let out a sigh.


    ��I don��t know, Big Brother. This situation is really rare. I��ve never seen anything like this�� But I think she must be one of the survivors back then.��


    ��Oh?��


    Upon hearing her response, Rhode twitched his brows. Just as he was about to question, Canary��s anxious voice sounded in his head all of a sudden.


    ��This is bad, Rhode, that creature is starting to move!��

 Chapter 1165 - Ghost Under the Lava (3)

    Rumbles��


    Along with Canary��s reminder, Rhode felt the ground quickly trembling. The Chaos aura underneath his feet was surging and becoming denser. It seemed like his outburst of power was eventually detected by that damned creature. Not only that, but Rhode also sensed the wild power of Chaos rushing constantly, bringing along an extremely dangerous aura!


    ��Bubble, how��s the situation?!��


    Rhode hesitated no more and contacted Bubble immediately. Upon hearing his concern, Bubble No. 2 responded quickly.


    ��We��re making our way there. We need around three minutes to reach the door. There aren��t any obstacles along the way, though����


    ��Pick up the pace and pass through the door immediately�� Argh, damn it!��


    The instant Rhode commanded Mini Bubble Gum, he suddenly heard a series of ��crackling�� sounds that startled him. He turned around and witnessed the dense power of Chaos encircling the cabins below, erupting wildly. Turbid liquid eroded the specimen-looking primitive men who began to struggle. Judging from their bulging trembling bodies and horns growing from their foreheads, these people apparently had no intention of gaining freedom after breaking free from the shackles.


    ��Argh, annoying as hell!��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode curled his lips in displeasure. Of course, he didn��t have the bad habit of game protagonists who only attacked after the transformation-animation of the BOSS was completed. The instant he witnessed the change, he dashed ahead with his sword. In a series of flashing blade rays and crisp cracks, the surrounding cabins shattered immediately. The specimens that were ��transforming�� also collapsed to the assault. But this didn��t assure Rhode just yet because he was aware that there were thousands of similar creatures like them above.


    It seemed like Rhode was right. These Chaos beings had no intention of letting those idiots, who acted all high-and-mighty after attaining some power of Chaos, be their subordinates. Even if Rhode didn��t attack this time, they would still be eliminated by the primitive men who were completely contaminated by Chaos. What was funny was that those guys actually thought the Chaos beings treated them as worthy and were unaware that Chaos beings didn��t give a damn about kindness and shame at all. Even though they resembled humans, in the eyes of Chaos beings, they were nothing more than useful tools.


    �� Hum��!


    At that moment, Rhode suddenly heard a strange sound that startled him. He turned around and spotted the woman imprisoned in the middle cabin emanating brilliant rays. The power of Chaos surged from above to below, surrounding the woman entirely and attempting to devour her as though it were conscious, turning her into a presence of Chaos. But what shocked Rhode was that upon facing the erosion of Chaos, that woman didn��t have any reaction at all. On the contrary, the primitive men who couldn��t resist the invasion of Chaos had as though turned into monsters injected by a virus. The surging power of Chaos encircled her violently and yet, failed to take over her body. Not only that, but the woman also erupted brilliant white rays from her body that instantly converted the turbid power of Chaos into Order!


    Who is she?


    ��Do you know what that power is?��


    ��I-I don��t know, Big Brother����


    Rhode��s younger sister��s voice was also filled with surprise. It was apparent that she was also astounded by what she witnessed.


    ��Only the five Creator Dragons have such power. But I��m sure that only five of us were born!��


    ��Could she be a new Creator Dragon who was born afterward? After all, weren��t you guys born the same way?��


    ��It��s different, Big Brother. Back then, we were born alongside this continent, so we obtained the ability to create the world. But now, there aren��t any changes to this world����


    ��Forget it, no matter what she is, let��s head out first.��


    The trembles underneath his feet became even more violent. Rhode realized that the situation was turning worse. He no longer had the time to discuss with his younger sister about the background of that mysterious woman. However, since the woman was able to turn Chaos into Order, she would be considered someone on their side. Without much hesitation, Rhode smashed the cabin before him and swiftly rescued the woman. At that moment, he heard vague bellows from ferocious beasts. It went without saying that the creatures completely modified by the power of Chaos were ready to attack. Rhode concealed his strength no more. He dashed ahead in a ray of dazzling light, bursting through the steel wall of the tower with the woman in his arms.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode!��


    ��Leader!��


    The instant he darted out, he spotted the others who were sprinting toward the door. By Marybelle��s and Mini Bubble Gum��s lead, the group was moving quickly. Meanwhile, the lava surrounding them was constantly boiling. The ground trembled and everything seemed like an omen of the end of the world. Rhode��s group, which was searching for him, heaved a huge sigh of relief upon seeing him. Shortly after, Gracier, Madaras, Mini Bubble Gum, and the rest went up to him.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, those people are being contaminated by the power of Chaos����


    Before Lydia finished her sentence, Rhode extended his arm and interrupted abruptly.


    ��I know, retreat immediately! Our goal isn��t to fight. It doesn��t matter to us what happens to this place. Everyone, head to the door now. After Marybelle opens it, we will leave right away!��


    Rhode tossed the woman on his shoulder over to Erin. Erin caught the seemingly-asleep woman and couldn��t help but feel shocked.


    ��This woman is already dead. Your Majesty Rhode, why are you����


    ��There are some interesting secrets about her. Bring her along. We��re leaving this place now!��


    Upon realizing the terrible situation, Rhode gave his command and dashed toward the door.


    The situation was horrible.


    When Rhode arrived at the door, he noticed the two Canarys gnashing their teeth and raising their arms palely. Along with their actions, the blazing lava rushed continuously like vicious monsters. Under the scarlet and scorching lava, the huge, indistinct shadowy figure was seen moving. It was apparent to Rhode that the two Canarys were manipulating the lava to overwhelm and stop that terrifying creature. But it seemed like they couldn��t hang on for much longer!


    ��R-Rhode!��


    Upon seeing Rhode��s arrival, the two Canarys felt relaxed instantly. But shortly after, they gritted their teeth again and made a few hand gestures. Along with their movements, scarlet runes appeared in their hands one by one, trembling constantly. It could be seen that they were under tremendous pressure. But now, the only thing Rhode could do was to let them hang on by themselves.


    As Rhode��s group wiped out the obstacles earlier, they didn��t face too many hurdles now. Moreover, even though most of them weren��t as powerful as Rhode and Lydia, they weren��t too far behind in strength either. At full sprint, the group passed through the pitch-black, steel bridge and arrived at the plaza of the door. The guards around here were also dealt with by Gracier and Madaras earlier, so there wasn��t anyone causing trouble for them.


    ��Marybelle, how much longer do you need?!��


    ��I need some time, Your Majesty!��


    While raising the magic wand high in her hand, Marybelle knitted her brows and yelled.


    ��This door has been invaded by Chaos. I need to purify the power of Chaos and establish a connection with the door. If I forcefully open the door, it will break the barrier between the Seven Fantasy Boundaries and this world and cause even more catastrophes later!��


    ��How much time do you need?��


    ��10 minutes!��


    Marybelle responded shortly. Then, she floated off the surface slightly, opening her mouth to chant a mysterious incantation. Shortly after, runes appeared around her one by one. As though corresponding with them, similar but larger runes showed up around the pure, white door in front of everyone. However, the speed of the larger runes was much slower than the ones around Marybelle. It was apparent that just like Marybelle had mentioned, this process required a lot of time.


    10 minutes.


    Upon hearing her response, Rhode stood before the steel bridge and gazed at the tower above. At that moment, it was completely destroyed. Thousands of creatures contaminated by Chaos shrieked and pounced on his group. Looking at this scene, Rhode snorted. The blade in his hand erupted a blinding radiance as razor-sharp blade airwaves burst forward. Facing the blade airwaves, the sturdy, steel bridge twisted instantly like a fried dough twist, letting out a series of creaks before breaking and shattering entirely. The Chaos creatures apparently didn��t expect this to happen. After losing their footing, they fell into the lava lake instantly, letting out blood-curdling screeches before melting away in the extreme heat. Even though there were some Chaos creatures that struggled and continued to pounce on Rhode��s group rashly, Lydia and Erin weren��t ones to be trifled with either. They released a net of blade rays that flashed across the sky, smashing the brazen Chaos creatures.


    Everything��s going well.


    Looking at the cut-off path behind them, as well as the crumbling base of Heaven��s Law, Rhode nodded in satisfaction. It seemed like they most likely wouldn��t face any more issues on this side of the bridge. And now, all they had to do was to wait for Marybelle to complete her task. If everything went well, they would need at most 10 minutes to leave this world through the door and arrive at the Dragon Soul Continent. This disastrous journey would then finally come to an end.


    But�� Would things really be that simple?


    Boom!


    All of a sudden, yet another wave of violent rumbles sounded. In an instant, gravel and sand fluttered in the air. In this enormous impact, the underground cave began to show signs of collapse. Rhode grimaced as he witnessed the white walls turning black under the erosion of Chaos. He was familiar with this scene because not too long ago, that creature also used this method to forcefully open up the door. And now, he wouldn��t be that foolish to think that the creature was kind enough to open the door and let him escape.


    Indeed, as darkness penetrated deeper, the runes appearing one by one and circling the door became slower in speed, where some had even come to a halt. Marybelle closed her eyes and her forehead was covered in beads of sweat. It was obvious that she was facing a huge and stubborn resistance.


    That thing sure is smart, huh!


    Looking at this scene, Rhode grunted and turned to Canary quickly.


    ��Are both of you able to hang on?��


    ��We��re trying, but it is really strong!��


    ��In that case, stop restraining it and begin to attack!��


    Upon hearing Canary��s answer, Rhode gave a decisive command. He initially decided to let them manipulate the lava and restrain the creature until Marybelle opened the door for them to escape. Rhode couldn��t care less about that creature since this wasn��t a game. He wouldn��t receive any EXP or equipment even if he killed it and had to waste time too. But now, it seemed like he needed to change his plan. If not, perhaps his group would be buried in lava before Marybelle succeeded.


    ��Canary, release!��


    ��Got it!��


    Although Rhode��s voice sounded rather unclear, at that moment, the two young ladies displayed their great camaraderie with him. They yelled in unison and raised their arms, extended forward! Along with this movement, the surging lava lake split to two. Then, the true identity of that mysterious shadowy creature lurking in the deep lava was finally revealed before their eyes!


    ��What in the world? That thing is so damn disgusting!��


    Although Rhode had witnessed several types of tentacles and was more or less mentally prepared, after seeing the creature for himself, he couldn��t help but feel nauseous. Fortunately, he didn��t have any food earlier. If not, he would have thrown up by now.


    What displayed before everyone was an enormous, black, slimy creature. At a glance, it was like a puddle of melted jelly that coagulated again. After being left untouched for a long time, it turned into rotten trash. It was so revolting that one had a hard time looking straight at its huge body of layering black and deep green colors. Not only that, but all sorts of eyes had also covered its body. The innumerable eyes widened from the slippery body, glaring at the group. The Chaos aura dispersed, causing their hearts to palpitate with terror.


    ��Ooo������!!��


    In an ear-deafening roar, tentacles shuttled out of its body and lashed at the group standing around the door.


    ��Protect Marybelle! Get ready to battle!��


    Facing this attack, Rhode brandished the sword at the enormous creature. Bright, shimmering blade rays turned into flashes of lightning bolts that exploded, striking heavily on one of the tentacles, smashing it into bits in the blink of an eye. At the same time, the two Canarys snarled and pointed their fingers forward. Two fire serpents coalesced from the lava burst out, widening their jaws and crashing onto the gigantic creature. But it seemed like this Chaos creature wasn��t easy to deal with as even the all-out attack from them was only able to leave insignificant scratches on its body. Not only that, but in the blink of an eye, the wounds from the blazing heat vanished entirely.


    Meanwhile, the rest had gotten to work. After all, they were also powerful; it was just that they didn��t have the chance to showcase their skills earlier. And now, it was time for them to display their formidable strength.


    The pair of elf sisters held each other��s hand, chanted softly, and rays of lightning bolts emerged and struck the huge body of that Chaos creature. Standing beside them was a shriveled old man clad in a black robe. He waved his arms as though he were chanting a curse. Shortly after, a mysterious gray rune took shape between his hands. He clapped his hands together and with this action, the plain space distorted abruptly, shredding three to four tentacles into bits in the blink of an eye.


    A man clad in battle armor turned into a lightning bolt as he dashed across the sky. He clutched a heavy sword that was taller than him, snarling and hacking the tentacles one after another. As the fluttering tentacles flew toward him, an enormous shield spun and descended from above, protecting the man from the menacing lashes. The two-meters-tall shield rolled away upon impact and a young lady with cat ears and a tail emerged and jumped out of it. She hurled a punch forward and the shield whirled frontward once again.


    It seemed like there were lots of mixed-blood shield warriors around here.


    But this wasn��t enough.


    Even though the strength of these people was enough to resist the attack of that Chaos creature, Rhode needed even stronger attacks to repel and stop it from continuing to erode the door. These attackers were Marybelle��s subordinates, so Rhode had no idea how to command them in battle. Fortunately, he wasn��t entirely out of ideas.


    ��Your Highness Erin!��


    ��Got it, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Upon hearing his command, Erin flew skyward, lowering her head and gazing at the Chaos creature. Then��


    The moon princess took a deep breath.

 Chapter 1166 - Door of the Fantasy World

    Boom!


    The exploded dragon breath blasted the body of that massive Chaos creature. This formidable might was so unbearable that it forced the creature to screech in retreat. Several tentacles that were about to attack Marybelle were burned to bits by the blazing heat. The speed of Chaos erosion decreased correspondingly. Marybelle��s strength took the upper hand. Along with the impact of the dragon breath, the entire underground cave rumbled in violent trembles. The arm-wide fissures extended along the walls and grounds and huge stones fell from the ceiling. Looking at this scene, Rhode couldn��t help but exclaim in shock. The reason why he didn��t attack earlier was because he was afraid of causing too much damage to the place. If they were on the surface, he would have attacked however he wanted. But it was a pity that they were underground. If the place crumbled, perhaps they would be buried alive before the enemy had a chance to annihilate them. The only thing he could do now was to hope that his side was stronger than the enemy��s and they could repel the enormous creature in the shortest time possible. As long as they were able to open the door of the fantasy world, he had nothing to be afraid of.


    ��Watch above you and don��t get buried! Bubble, activate the enchanted field!��


    ��Aye-aye, Leader!��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s command, the two Mini Bubble Gums turned grim and chanted a spell together. Shortly after, the empty space around them flickered in a bright light, where hundreds of golden lines appeared out of nowhere, coalescing into an enormous, semi-circular barrier over everyone. Upon witnessing their actions, the other clerics stood to their feet and in an instant, blinding spiritual lights enfolded the entire underground cave, stabilizing the area on their side.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    However, the other areas weren��t as fortunate. Rhode saw large stones collapsing from the ceiling, shattering the steel bridge and tower into bits. It was apparent that Erin��s dragon breath almost destroyed the base of this cave. If they didn��t open and get into the door in time, there would be huge troubles!


    ��How much longer do you need?!��


    ��Three minutes!��


    Three minutes��neither too long nor short.


    Rhode gripped his sword and zoomed ahead. The Chaos creature that was struck by Erin��s attack slowed down and attacked steadily. Hundreds of blade-like tentacles drilled out of its body and swept across the plaza. However, the ones present on the plaza weren��t hopeless fools either. Even though they weren��t able to defeat the Chaos creature with their strength, eliminating the tentacles wasn��t tough for them at all. Besides, with Rhode, Gracier, and Madaras providing support, they could help one get away from the entanglement of the tentacles immediately if needed. Therefore, facing the Chaos creature��s attack, Rhode��s side didn��t struggle too much.


    But the problem was that time wasn��t on his side.


    Due to the erosion from the Chaos creature, the 10 minutes that Marybelle needed were long over. 15 minutes were gone now. There was only one rune left circulating the door of the fantasy world. This was their final hurdle. Even though Erin��s attack repelled the Chaos creature, the latter gained control over the power of Chaos, which hadn��t subsided entirely, and once again stopped Marybelle��s power.


    ��This is getting really troublesome.��


    Rhode grunted at the sight of the Chaos creature��s swaying tentacles. Even though he could get Erin to release another dragon breath, they might get buried alive before the door was opened. However, they couldn��t defeat the creature if their side wasn��t strong enough. Rhode was caught in a tough spot now. His side clearly had formidable power and yet, he had to act cautiously. If Marybelle weren��t occupied with opening the door and he had spell casters who specialized in the earth element to stabilize the crumbling underground cave, he wouldn��t be watching helplessly now. But if Marybelle failed to open the door at this crucial moment, they would be doomed.


    ��Everyone, use all your strength to stabilize this place!��


    Rhode made up his mind. He yelled and pushed his right arm forward as a card appeared in his hand. He turned to Erin and Lydia.


    ��Your Highness Erin and Your Highness Lydia, I��m going to attack now. You two, continue to stabilize the space!��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Upon hearing his command, the two young ladies turned solemn. They exchanged looks with each other and simultaneously raised their swords high up. In an instant, the golden radiance of the sun and silver-whitish illumination of the moon exploded. The duo of blinding and gentle lights fused as one. In this all-out attack from them, the collapsing place instantly stopped rumbling. The falling stones from above also hovered in space as though time had stopped.


    But the truth was otherwise.


    The moment they attacked, the elves behind Rhode also gathered in a circle, raised their right arms, and drew an incredibly simple rune in midair. Shortly after, an enormous tree broke through the ground and grew upward in violent trembles. Countless thick, strong, green vines shuttled out of the branches and stabbed into the stone walls and ceiling that were on the verge of collapse. In the blink of an eye, a small, green world appeared in this underground madness filled with scorching, high temperature lavas. The brilliance of the sun and moon erupted, shrouding the Chaos creature completely in a sparkling brilliance. The Chaos creature shivered and its fluttering tentacles slowed down drastically.


    What a perfect duo.


    Looking at this magnificent view, Rhode couldn��t help but lift his head and sweep a glance at Erin and Lydia. Of course, he knew that their strength was weaker than the Creator Dragons, but was still surprised that the combined forces of the sun and moon had reached the mightiness of the Creator Dragons, which wasn��t easily achievable by anyone.


    Come to think of it, shouldn��t these two head back and do a test to see if they are long-lost sisters?


    This thought appeared in Rhode��s head for a split second when suddenly, he tossed the card in his hand. The black card exploded, releasing a circle of dazzling light. Shortly after, in loud, thunderous booms, an enormous steel cannon burst out of the ground and aimed at the Chaos creature ahead.


    Boom!


    At the next moment, a glaring brilliance erupted, causing even the radiance of the sun and moon to look dim in comparison. In an instant, it was as though the end of the world were here as everyone sunk into the illusion of complete darkness. Violent trembles and deafening explosions filled their ears as they engulfed the underground cave.


    ��Roarrrrr!��


    Upon being struck by this lethal attack, the Chaos creature retreated quickly. At the same time, the underground cave that was on the verge of collapse began to crumble. Countless bits of gravel and stone broke off from the ceiling and in the blink of an eye, it buried the lava lake underneath, along with the enormous creature. Even though Rhode��s group was prepared for this and wasn��t impacted heavily, they also lost their footing as though they were on a boat struggling to stay alive in rough seas.


    ��������!��


    At that moment, they suddenly heard the sound of bursting flames. As the Chaos creature retreated, the final rune was finally completed under Marybelle��s lead. The pure, white door gradually opened with scorching aura slipping in from behind the door, metamorphosing into tempests that blustered across the land like a curtain of flames. In an instant, the ground around them withered. Looking at this scene, Rhode knew he had no time to waste anymore. He had already heard the booming rumbles of the cracking earth��s crust. It was apparent that this was what Marybelle warned him about��not to use the power of the Creator Dragon as it would attract even bigger trouble.


    Strictly speaking, even though Rhode didn��t use the power of the Creator Dragon, Erin��s and Lydia��s combined attack was as though the power of a newborn Creator Dragon. It was obvious that there was something in the gap between Order and Chaos that sensed this power and was charging toward them right now.


    ��Everyone get in!��


    Under Rhode��s command, the group abandoned the battle and dashed straight for the opened stone door. Lydia and Erin also detected the mysterious and terrifying presence chasing them. They withdrew their attacking realm without any hesitation. After losing the envelopment of the sun��s and moon��s realm, the underground cave crumbled and the earth shattered, sending sand rushing downward. The ancient trees that the elves summoned barely lasted for seconds as it vanished upon down the mudslide. Just as the underground cave was buried completely, the white, heavy stone door finally closed behind them.


    Boom!


    Gazing at the stone door that closed heavily behind them, Rhode heaved a long sigh of relief. But he didn��t let loose yet because he continued to sense the mysterious strength approaching them. Even though he wasn��t sure if it was able to shatter the plane of existence barrier of the Seven Fantasy Boundaries, he apparently had no intention of confirming this doubt now. He turned around, gathered the rest, and left immediately.


    The Fiery Plains.


    As one of the regions in the Seven Fantasy Boundaries, the Fiery Plains could be considered the common border of the fire elemental plane and hell. Just as the name suggested, it was a plain burning in flames. The fire element here was plentiful, while other elements were pitiful and almost non-existent in comparison. At a glance, everywhere was covered in scarlet. Be it flowers, grass, or tree bark, they were all in a dazzling hue of red. The sky looked like a burning iron furnace, while the heat on the ground could scald one��s hand. Most creatures that lived here were fire elemental creatures and some creatures from hell also resided here.


    Of course, these elemental creatures couldn��t match up to Rhode��s group. Moreover, as Lydia��s attribute was the ��sun��, she was somehow related to this place, which allowed her to grasp the authority of the fire elemental plane to a certain degree. Marybelle, as the Presence Deity Warden, naturally wouldn��t be affected by the elements. As long as she tapped her magic wand, she could create a fountain in the middle of the dry, burning plains to quench everyone��s thirst. The harsh environments of the Seven Fantasy Boundaries also wouldn��t affect Rhode��s group too much.


    But��


    ��Fortunately, we found ourselves at the Fiery Plains and not the Silver Ocean or Shadow Ravine.��


    Mini Bubble Gum shook her head and lamented, before lifting her head and gazing at the sky. Upon hearing her remarks, Rhode agreed. Apart from the harsh environmental conditions of the Fiery Plains, they could treat this journey as though they were walking in a desert. But if they were in the Silver Ocean or Shadow Ravine instead, they would be in bigger trouble. The Shadow Ravine was filled with aggressive and bothersome shadowy creatures who lurked in darkness and attacked anyone in sight. On the other hand, just as the name suggested,the Silver Ocean was a wide ocean. Rhode��s group of around 100 people didn��t even own a boat now, so they couldn��t possibly dog-paddle their way to shore, right?


    But it wouldn��t be bad if they were to arrive in the Astral Temple. After all, it was under Christie��s jurisdiction and Rhode had always wanted to meet the real ��Christie��. But according to the rest, Christie was unable to leave the Astral Temple for now, so Rhode felt like it was somewhat of a wasted opportunity.


    After journeying for around half a day and ensuring that no troubles were following them, Rhode finally ordered everyone to take a break. At that moment, he received news from Lydia about the woman he saved earlier.


    ��What��s the situation with her?��


    As soon as Rhode arrived at the tent, he saw his group surrounding the woman, gazing at her with strange looks. Upon hearing his question, Lydia knitted her brows and turned to him curiously.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, where did you find her?��


    ��This was what happened����


    Rhode had no intention of hiding the truth and explained the happenings inside that tower. After hearing his narration, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were taken aback, while Erin and Lydia remained unfazed. It was apparent that they also witnessed the imprisoned primitive men, but since they were eroded by Chaos, they knew that they couldn��t be rescued. Rhode also told them about what happened with the woman, and even Marybelle couldn��t help but feel astounded. After all, subconsciously resisting the invasion of Chaos wasn��t easily achievable by just anyone, and her body even turned Chaos into Order.


    ��By the way, what��s the issue with her?��


    Rhode returned to the main topic and asked curiously. Upon hearing his question, Lydia and Mini Bubble Gum revealed some awkward expressions. Then, Lydia took a step forward and said.


    ��This�� Your Majesty Rhode, even though I don��t know the exact situation with her�� according to our observations, she is indeed dead.��


    ��Dead?��


    Rhode was gobsmacked.


    ��It��s impossible. I clearly feel her heart beating.��


    ��Her heart is indeed beating. But Leader, I��m sure she is dead�� The system prompt also tells me that.��


    Even though Bubble No. 2 didn��t clarify her words, Rhode understood what she meant. As a projection, she shared the same system with him, so it went without saying that she received the same information as him. It was similar to when a cleric healed someone. When the target was already dead, healing would be for nothing and the system prompt of [Target Is Dead] would show up before her eyes. But now�� Rhode turned to the woman with an odd expression. Not only did he feel her heart beating, but her chest was also undulating in plain sight. No matter how he saw it, she seemed just like a person in deep sleep. Could it be that the system had an error? Even though it wasn��t entirely impossible, Rhode felt like the possibilities were too small.


    ��She doesn��t seem to be alive, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    At that moment, Lydia said.


    ��I tried it. Her body is completely healthy. No, rather than saying that she��s healthy, I would rather say that she gives me a feeling similar to construct-vehicles. Everything seems normal, but it can��t work without its core.��


    ��In other words, it is a battle between clones! Leader, I suspect she��s a clone of a driver-less, human-shaped robot, just that she doesn��t look like one.��


    Facing Mini Bubble Gum��s remarks, Rhode pondered for a bit and finally understood what she meant.


    In other words, this woman is only a body without a spirit? Is her spirit asleep? Or is her spirit already dead?


    Rhode considered the possibilities. But eventually, another thought appeared in his head all of a sudden.


    ��Let me give it a shot.��


    Rhode said and went up to the woman. He stretched out his arm.


    Shortly after, a line of system prompt appeared before him.


    [Activate Spirit Language]


    A silver-whitish magical radiance emanated from his palm, metamorphosing into an intricate magical ritual. At that moment, everyone else stepped away, gazing at him curiously from the side. Rhode stared solemnly at the woman. After confirming his target, he switched his thoughts and along with his movements, the summoning ritual erupted in a golden brilliance! Then��


    It disappeared completely.


    ��Ugh����


    Rhode laid down his right hand. He gazed awkwardly at the woman, looked at the group around him as they stared blankly, and forced a smile.


    ��It seems like I can��t awaken her soul����


    Rhode said and couldn��t help but gaze at the system prompt before his eyes. There was only one statement.


    [Unable to detect target. Activation failed]

 Chapter 1167 - Sleeping Beauty

    As a Spirit Swordsman, Rhode couldn��t be more familiar with spirits. After all, Spirit Swordsmen were able to summon the spirit of the dead to conclude a contract with it. Even if the target was a stone, magic crystal, or broken sword, traces of the wielder��s spirit might possibly be left behind in them. But Rhode had never seen a living creature and yet, failed to detect its spirit. This was totally unprecedented�� It was clear that a dog biting a human wasn��t news, but a human biting a dog was unheard of. Rhode had even worked with Erin to cast several brain-scanning spells on the woman, but was surprised to find that her mind was completely blank with no records at all. Her head was as clean as a reformatted hard disk.


    ��How strange����


    Rhode circled the woman and couldn��t recall with any similar incidents after racking his brain. Not even the man-made humans created by Marlene back then were this troublesome. Even though they were man-made, they had their own consciousness and couldn��t possibly create such a perfect body. But after pondering for half a day, Rhode couldn��t find any clues. Gazing at the distressed Rhode, Bubble No. 2 curled her lips boringly.


    ��Why are you thinking so hard for, Leader? Since she��s dead and unresponsive, why don��t you have a go at her?��


    ��What?! We aren��t acting in an adult animation! What nonsense are you spouting!��


    Upon hearing the projection��s voice, the real Bubble jumped up like a cat who had its tail stepped on and glared at her ��younger sister��. Facing the fierce glare of the real Bubble, Bubble No. 2 remained calm, shrugged dully, and spread her arms apart. She presented a cheeky smile and winked at the real Bubble.


    ��So what? Whether we��re acting in an adult animation or not, it is still a good animation as long as he can do it with the woman. It��s better off than watching naked young ladies running away from a useless piece of trash who covers his pee-pee like an eunuch, right!��


    ��Alright, shut up, both of you.��


    Rhode glared at them. He made up his mind to check their computer hard disk and remove any ��unpleasant�� files, in order to prevent them from leading Christie astray. Unlike Mini Bubble Gum, Christie was a pure, innocent young lady. If she were to view them, perhaps she might come up with some inappropriate thoughts.


    ��What are your thoughts about this?��


    After some hard thinking, Rhode resolutely gave up on the idea of wasting anymore of his brain cells. He lifted his head and gazed at everyone. Even though he was considered top notch among players, there were many secrets that only NPCs knew. Before Rhode transmigrated, he didn��t dare to boast that he knew all secrets in the Dragon Soul Continent, Therefore, since he didn��t have any findings, he might find some surprising results from asking the natives.


    ��Apologies, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Lydia and Erin pondered for a few moments before shaking their heads. They couldn��t be blamed. Even though they more or less knew the secrets in the Dragon Soul Continent, this place was outside their territory, so it wasn��t surprising that they didn��t know any of them, not to mention Mini Bubble Gum and Canary. The secrets that Rhode wasn��t aware of, these two young ladies basically wouldn��t know either. Although Marybelle had more knowledge about this territory than them, she wasn��t all that familiar with it either. In an instant, everyone was at a loss for words. Of course, they knew that the power in the mysterious woman was amazing. However, the fact that she didn��t have a spirit was the strangest phenomenon of all.


    Rhode and Lydia used their spiritual powers to analyze her body, but were shocked to discover that there wasn��t even a single remnant of spirit, not to mention an entire spirit. This was almost impossible because living beings could only grow with the fusion of the spirit and flesh. Even if one were dead, one��s spirit would leave a mark on one��s corpse. That was also why the Country of Darkness was able to use undead spells to reawaken the dead and imprison their spirits inside their bodies. But now, this corpse seemed to be completely separated from its spirit. She didn��t look like a living being, but more like a robot made to simulate humans. According to Erin��s analysis, it seemed like any spirits could enter and successfully take control of this body.


    From a certain aspect, this body had a complete lack of integrity and would refuse no one��


    ��What a headache����


    Rhode couldn��t help but let out a sigh at this fruitless result. If it weren��t for time-constraints, he would have returned to where the woman was discovered to search for clues. But now, it was no longer impossible. Even if the door of the fantasy world weren��t closed, based on the intelligence he received, that tribe was surely trounced by those incompetent trash already, where perhaps he wouldn��t find any vital information even if he were there�� Oh!


    ��Marybelle, get BoBo here. Ask him if he knows who that woman is.��


    Even though Rhode felt like that primitive man wouldn��t possibly know too much, it was still worth a try.


    Upon hearing his command, Marybelle nodded and went out of the tent. Shortly after, she led in the anxious BoBo, who wore a short hide. Rhode didn��t leave this primitive man who was responsible for leading the way behind, but brought him along in their escape instead. Even though BoBo felt incredibly tense to be brought to this unknown place forcefully, he behaved calmly and didn��t scream like a hysterical madman. After Marybelle brought him inside the tent, she spoke to him in their common language. Upon hearing her question, BoBo nodded in somewhat of a fluster before hurrying to the mysterious woman and sizing her up. His expression changed abruptly. He knelt on both knees and raised both arms as though he were worshiping her. Not only that, but he also mumbled under his breath.


    ��What��s going on?��


    Rhode wasn��t too surprised by BoBo��s behavior as primitive men seemed to always have the habit of worshiping strange presences. Along their way here, Bobo had knelt down to worship several times whenever he witnessed the spells from Lydia and the rest. That was why Rhode wasn��t surprised by his abrupt reaction. On the other hand, Rhode heaved a sigh of relief as it seemed like BoBo had some knowledge about what sort of existence that woman was. If not, BoBo wouldn��t have acted so solemnly. He also wouldn��t worship things that he wasn��t aware of and might be even more cautious around it.


    Indeed, after some worshiping, Bobo stood to his feet, gesticulating as he spoke to Marybelle. Even though the others couldn��t understand his ��nonsensical�� screams��, judging from his expression, they knew that they were discussing something important. At that moment, Marybelle��s calm expression turned peculiar. After Bobo finished expressing himself, Marybelle returned to her senses. She let out a rather awkward cough and turned to Rhode and the others, who were looking at her in anticipation. After a few moments of hesitation, Marybelle spoke.


    ��Erm�� Your Majesty Rhode, he said�� that woman grew from the ground.��


    Pfff!


    Mini Bubble Gum, who was coincidentally drinking a mouthful of water, spurted out the liquid. She opened her eyes wide and stared blankly at the woman before her.


    ��Grew from the ground? What does that even mean? So if I bury a ��loli�� in spring, am I gonna have a bunch of ��lolis�� in autumn? Why doesn��t he say that she��s Sun Wukong who was born from a stone? I would rather buy that story! If she was really born from the ground, how about we bury her back and see if we yield any results?��


    ��That is indeed what he said.��


    Facing Mini Bubble Gum��s criticism, Marybelle spread her arms apart with a helpless expression. It was apparent that even though Marybelle also didn��t believe BoBo��s words too much, she conveyed his ��gibberish�� to everyone in full detail. It was due to this reason that Rhode��s group received new information about this woman.


    ��According to BoBo, that woman seems to have appeared in one of the tribe territories a dozen years ago. The tribe found a white�� crystal and discovered a human inside it. Back then, she was just a child. But as days passed, she grew larger inside the crystal and became what she is today. Of course, in their legend, this woman is possibly a savior of their tribe or something�� though there isn��t any meaning behind it now.��


    ��A child who grew inside a crystal?��


    Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips.


    ��Could she be the female version of Sun Wukong? After all, she doesn��t need to consume food and water and was able to grow. She is just like that legendary monkey who abstracts the spiritual influences of heaven and earth. In this case, I think we are better off not rescuing her. I don��t want us to get into more trouble when she suddenly wakes up and screams ��I��ll beat the hell out of you��! There is no Mount Five Fingers or Band-tightening Spell here to subdue her for us.��


    ��Hmm?��


    Rhode initially treated Mini Bubble Gum��s remarks as a joke. But after hearing the sentence ��abstracts the spiritual influences of heaven and earth��, his heart skipped a beat. At the same time, he heard the voice of his younger sister in his head. It was apparent that they realized something from this casual remark of Mini Bubble Gum, but were unable to capture its essence. This left Rhode feeling anxious. This remark from Mini Bubble Gum made him feel like he was only one step away from finding out that woman��s true identity. But it was this one step that he couldn��t figure out!


    What exactly is it? Damn it, we��re so close!


    Forget it. I suppose we��ll have the chance to figure out her true identity later.


    At this thought, Rhode shook his head. He was so close to finding out the truth, but for some damn reason, he just couldn��t figure it out. Now that the best opportunity was gone, the only thing he could do now was to remember this remark from Mini Bubble Gum. It was apparent that since this sentence was able to stir up the feelings of his younger sister and himself, it had hit a crucial point. As long as they had enough time to figure things out, they would eventually find the answer.


    ��Ooo������!!��


    At that moment, an emergency siren sounded and threw everyone into confusion. Even though they set up security measures in the surroundings when setting camp, that was more like going through the motions. After all, there weren��t any worthy enemies in Fiery Plains. Back then, the Creator Dragons ordered the deity wardens to manage the Seven Fantasy Boundaries, so it went without saying that they held the highest authority here. With Marybelle around, Rhode refused to believe that any creature would break through the defenses and stirr trouble with him. Due to this reason, the group was taken aback when they heard the siren. They left the tent immediately and headed to where the security was breached.


    Boom!


    The instant they stepped out of the tent, they heard a massive explosion and spotted a fierce battle ahead. The soldiers who were guarding the periphery were battling against a shadowy figure. But what surprised Rhode was that the soldiers didn��t have the upper hand.


    That��s right. Even though the strength of these soldiers wasn��t as powerful as Rhode, they weren��t weaklings either. But even so, they failed to resist the intruder��s attack. Rhode witnessed a fully-armored swordsman raising his sword and flourishing it at the enemy in a stunning blade ray. But facing that attack, the shadowy figure turned around swiftly and lashed out a long whip to strike the soldier away. Looking at this scene, Rhode narrowed his eyes. At the next moment, he dashed ahead in a string of afterimages. A shimmering sword appeared in his hand as he aimed straight at the target!


    As soon as Rhode launched his attack, the shadowy figure seemed to detect his presence. Rhode heard the lash of the whip and before he knew it, a long whip had emerged in front of him. The seemingly-conscious whip blocked off his retreat like a deadly viper. However, Rhode wasn��t flustered at all. Instead, the sword in his hand shook and at the next moment, the sky was filled with sparkling stars that clashed with the fluttering shadowy whip head-on.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    The instant their attacks met, they swayed and took half a step back. At that moment, Rhode heaved a long sigh of relief. He withdrew his sword and gazed helplessly at the smiley young lady ahead, clad entirely in a black cloak.


    ��Miss Stefania, I didn��t expect to meet you here.��


    ��I��m surprised too, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, Stefania grinned and waved her hand. Then, the innumerable number of whips retracted into her sleeve silently.


    ��Frankly, I didn��t expect to find any humans in the Fiery Plains. I thought of introducing myself here, but was attacked before I had the chance to say hi�� These guys sure gave me a fright. Of course, I admit that if I didn��t show up all of a sudden, this battle wouldn��t have occurred����


    ��Ugh����


    Upon hearing Stefania��s comments, Rhode was at a loss for words. He understood the reactions of his subordinates. After all, people rarely visited Fiery Plains and for someone to sudden appear, it was rather impossible for one to not instinctively retaliate��


    Come to think of it��


    ��Miss Stefania, what are you doing here? I thought you already left the Dragon Soul Continent a long time ago.��


    After ordering the surrounding subordinates to back down, Rhode held his forehead helplessly and asked the young lady. After their previous trip to hell ended, Rhode and Stefania parted ways. After all, Stefania was a plane merchant and it was her job to move around as she pleased. However, Rhode didn��t expect them to be brought together by fate to actually meet each other in this god-forsaken place.


    ��Ah, about that.��


    Facing Rhode��s question, Stefania was apparently honest about it.


    ��I thought of leaving this place earlier, but it seems like the space outside of the Dragon Soul Continent is sealed and it is hard for me to find an exit. That was why I tried finding one from another place, which was why I tried my luck in the Seven Fantasy Boundaries����


    ��The space outside of the Dragon Soul Continent is sealed?��


    After hearing her remarks, Rhode was taken aback slightly. Facing his doubt, Stefania nodded in response.


    ��That��s right. Hmm�� it seems to be related to Chaos as it disrupted my space channel. I was still hoping to return home to my warm, adorable kittens. But it seems like I will need to postpone it for now. Well, it isn��t rare for plane merchants to face accidents during their journeys, after all.��


    Upon hearing Stefania��s remarks, Rhode forced a smile and shrugged.


    ��In that case, I��m afraid you��ve taken the wrong turn, Miss Stefania. We just arrived here and the door is already sealed off, so I don��t think you can exit from the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. Besides, even if you do, there is a gap between Order and Chaos out there. I suppose you can��t leave from there.��


    ��I see. That is so bothersome.��


    Stefania sighed and swirled her eyes. Then, the corners of her lips perked up tightly into a cunning smile and she gazed at Rhode.


    ��By the way, Your Majesty Rhode. As a Creator Dragon, you should have some ways around it, right? Logically, even though a plane merchant wouldn��t have more than one transaction with the same customer, if you help me get out of this world, I don��t mind tweaking the rules and dealing with you again. I guarantee that this time, you will be satisfied.��


    ��Fine by me.��


    Rhode nodded in response. Then, a thought cropped up in his head.


    ��By the way, Miss Stefania. I would like you to meet someone,�� Rhode said.

 Chapter 1168 - Reborn Spirit

    ��Interesting.��


    Stefania shifted her gaze away from the sleeping woman and blinked curiously.


    ��Even though I��ve seen similar beings, this is the first time I��m unable to figure out the exact situation. After all, such beings are extremely mysterious. I��m not too familiar with the Dragon Soul Continent, so I can only rely on my experience to judge the situation.��


    ��Is that so����


    Upon hearing Stefania��s response, Rhode shrugged helplessly. He had also thought about this issue when he first saw Stefania. Plane merchants were indeed knowledgeable, but due to them being overly-knowledgeable, they had a harder time figuring many things out. Just like himself, Stefania recognized the essence of that woman immediately, but couldn��t pinpoint what exactly went wrong.


    ��Yes, I��ve faced such instances several times, with some people purposely creating and storing puppets who look exactly like them. As long as they were dead, their spirits could enter their puppets and they could be resurrected. Yes�� judging from this, that situation seems similar to this woman��s. If I��m not wrong in my guess, I think she is a vessel.��


    ��Vessel?��


    Upon hearing Stefania��s comments, Rhode was befuddled. The inspiration that he couldn��t grasp earlier suddenly appeared in his mind.


    That��s right, a vessel! No wonder I kept wondering about it and couldn��t recall something that felt so familiar.


    After being reminded by Stefania, Rhode finally figured out the missing link. Logically, it was impossible for the woman to be born from the ground. But that was in terms of logic, after all. But in the Dragon Soul Continent, many things couldn��t be explained by logic and that included dragon soul heirs.


    Dragon soul heirs weren��t inherited by blood, but were born through the cohesion of dragon soul powers and the continent��s essence instead. Their bodies were most suitable to contain dragon soul powers, which was why they were chosen to become dragon soul heirs. In that case, if BoBo wasn��t wrong about that woman being born from the ground, she would be somewhat similar to dragon soul heirs, especially the twin dragons in the Country of Law. The twin dragons weren��t given birth to, but were bred from the fruits of the Spirit Tree instead. Judging from this aspect, the woman was somewhat similar to them.


    However, the biggest difference between them was that the woman didn��t have a spirit. Logically speaking, a living being without spirit was dead and the dead couldn��t possibly grow.


    However, BoBo said the woman grew up inside the crystal��


    At this thought, Rhode shook his head. Even though they were similar, there were many areas that were different between them. The power of Order inside the dragon soul heirs weren��t as pure as this woman��s, where it would subconsciously convert the power of Chaos that eroded her into Order. Perhaps not even the twin dragons were capable of doing that.


    ��Thanks for the reminder, Miss Stefania.��


    Even though Rhode didn��t come to a conclusion, he believed that 70 to 80 percent of his guesses were accurate. That was why he returned to his senses quickly and nodded to Stefania. Facing his words, Stefania didn��t continue speaking. Instead, she smiled and turned around to leave.


    ��What do you think?��


    After Stefania left, Rhode asked the question in his head. Upon hearing his doubt, the younger sister sighed.


    ��Indeed, just like you said, Big Brother. If that woman is a being similar to dragon soul heirs, it isn��t entirely impossible. Besides, it can be explained from the fact that she doesn��t have a spirit inside her. Back then, in order for us to create the Dragon Soul Continent, we led away most people and power from First Wilderness. But you��ve seen it for yourself, Big Brother. It was exactly due to this reason that we caused First Wilderness to lose its initial bustle. But, as it wasn��t created by us, even after losing its power, it was still able to exist between Order and Chaos. But����


    ��Even though it exists, it is unable to reproduce new life forms and spirits, which caused it to end up this way, right?��


    Rhode was right. The people who remained became worse with each generation. Back then, even though they didn��t leave alongside the five Creator Dragons, Rhode reckoned that they weren��t weak beings either. And now, since they didn��t evolve and had even degraded to the state of primitive, it was sufficient to explain the problem. Due to this reason, this body that was born from gathering the essence of Order didn��t possess a spirit. Besides, it wasn��t a product of the five Creator Dragons, but was born from First Wilderness that created the five Creator Dragons instead. In that case, it wasn��t surprising that this body contained power similar to the five Creator Dragons.


    If that was the case, there was also an explanation for why the woman didn��t have a spirit in her.


    ��Big Brother����


    At that moment, Rhode heard the younger sister��s voice and twitched his brow.


    ��What��s wrong?��


    ��If����


    The younger sister sounded rather hesitant. But eventually, she made up her mind and said solemnly.


    ���� you agree, I would like�� to have this body.��


    ������


    Rhode��s heart skipped a beat upon hearing her wishes. He was at a loss for words. Of course, he understood his younger sister��s intentions. Even though she was happy to be by his side like this, as a matter of fact she had always yearned for a body of her own. It was especially so after experiencing the days of being influenced under the ��power of contrast�� by Cassidy. Rhode empathized deeply with his younger sister��s nostalgia toward owning a body. But it was a pity that she was only a remnant of her spirit. Rhode wasn��t able to find any suitable body for her up until now. He also couldn��t possibly kill someone just to pass the body to her. That was why he kept dragging the matter and now, with such a vessel available, it was impossible for the younger sister to not be tempted by the idea.


    But��


    ��Are you confident?��


    If the younger sister were an unimportant spirit, Rhode wouldn��t mind giving it a shot. But the problem was that this was his younger sister��s only remaining trace of spirit. Back then, he failed to awaken her as his card spirit as her spiritual powers were too weak for her to manifest. Without any choice left, she had to stay inside his system. But now�� it wasn��t anything simple for her to occupy a body. Moreover, she lacked the spiritual powers to do so, which was why Rhode felt concerned.


    Not only that, but even though the body seemingly lacked a spirit, this was also Rhode��s guess, after all. Who knew if there were some hidden traps? What if there were some mysterious tricks that not even he had heard of? For instance, this body devoured any spirit that tried to enter, which was how it managed to grow. If that was the case, wouldn��t he be sending his younger sister into a tiger��s den?


    He also couldn��t possibly experiment with his younger sister. Of course, he could seize a random spirit and force it inside the body to see the results. It would be best if it was as dangerous as he had guessed. But what if it wasn��t and the spirit fused with the body and couldn��t break free afterward? Even if he killed the spirit later on, he would cause damage to the body too. The body was like a piece of white paper. No matter how one wiped away the ink that stained it, the ink would remain even after using a correctional fluid. Moreover, this body was also extraordinarily strange. Perhaps she contained enormous power and there would be more issues if he had created yet another enemy.


    Right now, there wasn��t a spirit inside this piece of white paper, which was coincidentally suitable for his younger sister because she was a spirit. If the body was a corpse left behind by others, it would be challenging to fuse and resurrect due to the remaining traces of the original owner��s spirit. Only a piece of white piece like this that wasn��t occupied by any spirit before was the best vessel for his younger sister.


    But�� is this risk worth taking?


    ���� How confident are you?��


    ��I don��t know, Big Brother. But I would like to try. After being under the influence of Cassidy��s ��power of contrast��, my spiritual powers have slowly recovered, so I don��t think there will be any issues�� as long as no accidents occur.��


    Upon hearing her answer, Rhode pondered in silence. He was facing a tough decision. He had to either take the risk with his younger sister��s spirit with a success rate of possibly 50 percent, or refuse her suggestion and let her stay with him in spiritual form. Even though his younger sister would definitely heed his advice, he wasn��t willing to destroy her hopes. After all, this was a rare opportunity for her and could be said to be the only chance for her to own a physical body.


    ���� Okay then.��


    In the end, Rhode gnashed his teeth and nodded. Of course, he could stop his younger sister, but he chose not to. After all, this concerned her future. Even though it was a gamble, he decided to take a risk since he had already suffered from the loss of his younger sister more than 10 years ago, so he wasn��t afraid of being hurt the second time. Besides, the stakes were huge this time. If his younger sister was able to fuse with the body, it would be far better than her being trapped inside the system in spiritual form.


    After making up his mind, Rhode went up to the sleeping woman. Gazing at her beautiful face and gentle, closed eyes, he raised his right arm. At that moment, he was the only one inside the tent as the rest had gone to rest on their own. He had never let anyone in about the existence of his younger sister, at least in this place. Even in the Void Territory, the only one who knew about his younger sister was Gillian. That was why Rhode had no intention of making it known. After all, this was his oldest and dearest secret.


    ��Are you ready?��


    ���� I��m ready, Big Brother.��


    The younger sister��s voice sounded a little shaky. It was apparent that she was feeling nervous. If it was possible, she also refused to make things difficult for Rhode. But now, she had made up her mind. No matter what, the temptation of owning a body was too huge to refuse.


    ������


    Upon hearing her answer, Rhode didn��t respond. On the contrary, he pointed his right index finger and tapped at the woman.


    ��������!��


    Along with this movement, a golden radiance emanated from his fingertip abruptly, shooting straight into the woman��s forehead. Rhode��s expression turned incredibly solemn. As the golden radiance shone, innumerable magical glitters expanded with him in the middle, taking shape into an intricate, circular, magical ritual. The mystical runes inside the ritual linked up into several golden rays. This was a risk and Rhode was afraid of being careless. The instant he injected his younger sister��s spirit into the body, he promptly activated his spiritual ritual. The moment he felt anything unusual, he would stop the process immediately, even if it would hurt his younger sister to drag her back. It was still better than losing her forever��


    ������


    As the golden rays were injected, the woman��s body began to tremble. Rhode became increasingly nervous as he stared rigidly. His heart pounded harder and harder as he was afraid of seeing a situation he refused to witness. But this time, he seemed to be fortunate. Even though the woman kept trembling, she didn��t open her eyes at all or turn into a zombie to attack him or whatnot.


    ��What happened?��


    The large activity around Rhode naturally couldn��t be kept hidden from the rest. At that moment, upon detecting the surging magical aura from inside the tent, the group crowded outside anxiously. However, none of them dared to barge in. They were experienced, after all. They knew what was happening inside judging from the rushing magical aura. During such crucial moments, they were better off not disrupting Rhode unless absolutely necessary.


    ��I think it must have something to do with that woman. Could it be that Leader decided to have a go with her? But his actions with her are rather huge, aren��t they?��


    Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips. Even though she knew that the situation definitely wasn��t as she thought, she was bearing a grudge and taking revenge on him for mercilessly deleting all 10 terabytes of adult animation.


    ������


    Marybelle remained silent. She knitted her brows and gazed at the flickering spiritual radiance around the tent. She sensed a faint, yet familiar presence inside the tent.


    Could it be�� But, how is it possible?


    At that moment, Rhode wasn��t in the mood to care about the happenings outside. At his fingertip, the coalesced golden radiance became thinner and disappeared entirely into the woman. The instant the golden radiance vanished, a colorful vibrancy emanated from her body. Looking at this strange scene, Rhode raised his guard, took two steps back, and stared at her. He had done what he could. His younger sister��s spirit was entirely injected into the body. As for what exactly would become of her, even Rhode wasn��t aware. Apart from watching helplessly now, he couldn��t do anything else.


    The multicolored glow shone brighter, enveloping the woman entirely. The purity of Order and aura of spiritual power struck him in the face and reassured him. At that moment, the calm, bright light shrunk abruptly and rose from the ground in a loud rumble, bursting into the sky in a dazzling light column. The sky that seemingly burned in gorgeous scarlet turned dull abruptly. Everyone looked up, only to witness the red sky metamorphosing into a dome that was as white as pure jade. The rushing aura dispersed in all directions, forcing the group surrounding the tent to move back by a few steps subconsciously.


    After several minutes, the brilliance faded away gradually.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, what happened?��


    The group entered the tent, gazing inside curiously and realizing that Rhode was also looking ahead with an equally curious expression. Following his gaze, the group couldn��t help but widen their eyes in surprise. A crystal stele about 3 meters tall was erected before him. Inside the stele, a young lady was sealed within.


    That��s right, a young lady.


    The woman Rhode rescued earlier was around 24 years old. But now, she was no longer there as she was replaced by a young lady who looked around 16 years old. She had long black hair, fair skin, and seemed fragile and petite. What was most eye-catching about her was her face. Her face looked exactly the same as Rhode��s��it was just that she seemed slightly younger.


    Looking at this scene, Rhode was speechless. Even though he was mentally prepared, he didn��t expect things to turn out this way. As a matter of fact, after the dazzling light dissipated, he couldn��t help but be in a daze after witnessing her entirely new appearance. Before he returned to his senses, a sparkling and translucent crystal appeared around the young lady. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a crystal stele and sealed her inside completely. Everything had ended when Rhode returned to his senses.


    Was it a success?


    Rhode held his forehead and let out a pained sigh. He sensed a faint spiritual aura belonging to his younger sister from the young lady in front of him. This meant that his younger sister��s spirit was neither devoured nor annihilated, but had seemingly assimilated in succession. However, this scene was so odd that he couldn��t figure out what was happening.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, what happened?��


    At that moment, upon detecting the end of the activity, the group scuttled toward him. They were astonished as soon as they saw the crystal stele.


    ��Who is that young lady? Where is that woman from before?��


    ��Ugh����


    Facing Lydia��s question, Rhode shrugged awkwardly. Before he came up with an answer, he saw Mini Bubble Gum looking at him with an odd expression.


    ��Leader�� are you narcissistic��?��

 Chapter 1169 - A Messy Situation with the Dragon Souls

    Rhode spent a lot of effort explaining to everyone what happened. After all, now that his younger sister��s spirit had fused with the body, he had to tell them the truth sooner or later. Upon hearing his words, the group was astonished. Some of them knew about the sibling relationship between the original Void Dragon and him. But Rhode never mentioned that his younger sister��s spirit was living inside him. Now that he told them the truth, it went without saying that they were taken aback.


    This also piqued Mini Bubble Gum��s curiosity. She knew that Rhode had a younger sister, but wasn��t sure of the details. Of course, Canary wasn��t that foolish to let Mini Bubble Gum pry as Canary understood his younger sister��s situation more than Mini Bubble Gum. That was why she dragged the two Mini Bubble Gums aside and told them softly. Of course, she left out the parts that couldn��t be made known to them.


    As for this crystal that suddenly appeared out of thin air, Stefania, Lydia, and Erin believed that there weren��t any issues associated with it after their investigations. That was because the spiritual power inside the younger sister��s spirit was overly weak. This caused the body to seal up on its own to begin its self-nourishment. Once the spiritual power was absorbed and replenished sufficiently, there wouldn��t be any issues after the body and spirit fused perfectly together.


    Since it was guaranteed by them, Rhode felt much more assured now. Of course, he couldn��t do anything else apart from feeling this way. Since he had reached this stage, no one knew what exactly would happen next. Right now, he could only take one step at a time. It would be for the best if his younger sister fused perfectly with the body. But if any accidents were to happen�� he would only deal with it then.


    As for Stefania, Rhode negotiated a deal with her. If he could protect her from the disturbance of Chaos on the outside and let her return home, she would send a gift in return. This deal wasn��t hard to fulfill on Rhode��s part. As long as he returned to the Dragon Soul Continent, activated the barrier, and transmigrated the continent to the solar system, Stefania would no longer be restricted by space and could move about freely. She accepted Rhode��s offer, which made the latter feel glad. Even though Stefania was a plane merchant, Rhode realized from their earlier clash that her strength wasn��t anywhere weaker than his or Lydia��s. But come to think of it, it actually wasn��t that surprising. Plane merchants roamed every plane of existences and had to have dealings with several unknown races, including dangerous beings. If Stefania lacked this bit of capability, perhaps she would be doomed by now. Of course, in return, Stefania would also provide Rhode an ��Imperial-Class Star Destroyer��.


    The reason why Rhode didn��t choose other peculiar items and specified to have a spaceship was for the sake and future of the Dragon Soul Continent. Even though magical technologies in the Dragon Soul Continent were advanced, they still weren��t that advanced that they were able to roam the universe freely. Although Lydia and Erin could soar to outer space, they were occupied with their heavy, daily affairs. After Rhode returned to the Dragon Soul Continent, even if he decided to immediately research how to create space magic warships, it wouldn��t be that easy. He might as well ask for a spaceship from Stefania since she mentioned that these spaceships were operated automatically and one would be able to control them after reading the manual.


    She said it so easily, as though it were as simple as using a rice cooker.


    With this spaceship, Rhode wouldn��t need to worry about the situation on Earth. But it was a pity that Stefania was a merchant who wouldn��t commit herself until success was certain. As long as there was a day where she still couldn��t leave the Dragon Soul Continent, she wouldn��t hand over the goods. Come to think of it, Rhode felt really strange looking at her small, empty hands. He wondered where she hid the enormous spaceship��


    Due to the sudden change in situation, Rhode had no choice but to come to a halt with his journey. For now, he had to wait for his younger sister��s spirit to recover by itself and fuse with the body before continuing his journey. Now that he had entered the Seven Fantasy Boundaries, he was considered to have returned to his territory of the Dragon Soul Continent. That explained why he wasn��t feeling as anxious and was willing to wait.


    However, Rhode didn��t know that while he was idling, the situation in the Dragon Soul Continent was hectic.


    Although the group was unable to remove the erosion of Chaos from Lilian��s body, after realizing its source, they came up with ideas and finally stopped the power of Chaos from contaminating the little girl further. However, it was only a stop-gap measure. Marlene and Alice couldn��t come up with specific solutions, not to mention Cassidy. But they had reported this incident to the twin dragons, warning them about the invasion of Chaos.


    Just as they expected, the twin dragons were also ambushed by Chaos. However, the twin dragons were prepared for it. Even though Siena tried to capture the Chaos beings alive, she didn��t expect them to self-destruct upon failing their assassination, causing many forests of the Country of Law to be contaminated by Chaos. This caught the twin dragons off guard. As of now, they could only work with elves to clean up the affected region.


    But that wasn��t the end. After the ambushes failed, the Creator Dragons�� subordinates, including the moon elves and battle angels, were also attacked and they suffered different degrees of loss. Fortunately, although the enemies were peculiar, they couldn��t free themselves from the power of death, so even though the victims were hurt, only a minority was invaded by Chaos.


    This attracted everyone��s attention instantly and they felt insecure. Grandia was doing well under the combined protection of Christie and Marlene. They set up enchanted fields that worked against Chaos, preventing them from sneaking in like before. But it was tougher in other regions, especially the Country of Light, where disorderly situations had broken out. Due to Lilian��s predicament, she was unable to handle public affairs. This sent a wave of panic among the people of the Country of Light. They were already exhausted from the clashes between the Country of Darkness and Void Territory earlier. After Lilian took over, most of them couldn��t care less about the so-called freedom and glory of humans anymore. They only hoped to lead lives peacefully. But all of a sudden, the news of the Light Dragon being seriously-ill spread to their ears, sending them into hysteria and uncertainty. Even though Sonia racked her brain, she could barely come up with any solution. After all, the Country of Light was already beat-up and now, with such a heavy blow, it was almost at its limit.


    The Chaos beings were also acting mysteriously. For instance, after a battle angel was ambushed, he slashed off his arm that was eroded by Chaos. But surprisingly, the power of Chaos continued to contaminate the arm and turned it into a black python in the blink of an eye! Fortunately, the other battle angels weren��t only there as decorations. They went up to the black python and eliminated it quickly. If not, no one knew what tough times would be ahead of them.


    As for the Munn Kingdom, even though Lydia wasn��t around, Serene kept things under proper control. She was also ambushed by the mysterious beings of Chaos, but as one of the archangels, she didn��t lack battle experiences like Lilian did. She removed the threats quickly, but similar to the Country of Law, the enemies self-destructed and contaminated large territories of the Munn Kingdom, leaving Serene with a huge headache.


    Back then, when Christie dealt with them, she eliminated everything, including their traces. So even if they turned into nuclear warheads, they wouldn��t work as they were at their wits�� end. However, the others weren��t as capable as Christie, which was why they suffered from their inattentiveness. But what would give everyone a headache had yet to come.


    ��These undead creatures are asking for death!��


    Cassidy gripped the sword and along with this action, the boundless ocean before her disappeared instantly, only to be replaced by a solid and dry land. Tens of thousands of undead creatures earlier vanished into thin air. Despite that, Cassidy didn��t feel the slightest contentment. On the contrary, she stared grimly and exuded a dense, murderous aura.


    The Dragon Soul Continent was in a chaotic mess. Fortunately, there weren��t a lot of Chaos beings. Less than 10 of them were spotted, but it was enough to wreak havoc across the entire continent. The twin dragons led the elves in eliminating the pollution in the Country of Law. Serene brought the battle angels in eliminating the spread of Chaos in the Munn Kingdom. Even though the Country of Light wasn��t (possibly) ambushed by Chaos thereafter, its people were panicky after losing Lilian��s lead. What Marlene and the rest didn��t expect was that the Country of Darkness actually seized this opportunity to launch another attack on them. This action made them blow their tops!


    This time, Marlene and the other deity wardens didn��t hold back anymore. Without Orchid Heart��s assistance, they retaliated and eliminated them mercilessly. But��


    ��That��s strange����


    Marlene knitted her brows, gazing ahead at the empty battlefield. Even though the number of undead creatures didn��t matter to the deity wardens, Marlene sharply sensed that the strength of the undead creatures seemed to have increased greatly. If they were high-level undead creatures, it wouldn��t be that surprising. But this time, all of them were low-level ones such as skeletal soldiers, specters, and some common species. However, their strength was so powerful as though they were on a higher rank.


    Even though they eventually fell to the hands of the deity wardens, their scattered and all-directional attacks kept Marlene and Cassidy occupied for a while. Ever since Christie was ambushed, Alice uncharacteristically remained in Grandia. She used her ability as the History Deity Warden to monitor the surroundings of Grandia. She was afraid that several Chaos beings would show up just like in other territories and self-destruct�� If that happened, the Void Territory would also be implicated.


    ��Marlene, how about we discuss this matter with Big Sister Christie? We can crush our way into the Darkness Capital and kill that annoying Dark Dragon. I can��t believe that a mere dragon soul heir like him dares to offend us over and over again; he must be sick of living already! Oh, by the way, we have to get His Majesty��s dragon essence back from the twin dragons. Now that they��re having a hard time defending themselves, how could they even protect His Majesty��s dragon essence well?��


    ���� You��re right.��


    Marlene nodded slightly to Cassidy. Even though the twin dragons swore to protect Rhode��s dragon essence, these deity wardens didn��t feel assured. There weren��t many troubles earlier and Rhode handed his dragon essence over to the twin dragons as a way to express his standpoint and prevent the Dark Dragon from laying hands on him. Now that the Country of Darkness shed all pretenses of cordiality, it was no longer secure to leave the dragon essence with the twin dragons. Marlene had her own intelligence channel, so she was aware that the Country of Law wasn��t in a safe state right now. As the Country of Law was a nation of nature and full of living creatures, the self-destructed Chaos beings had managed to infiltrate a huge portion of their land, causing a large patch of forest to turn into a land of Chaos. This shook the twin dragons. They had never seen such a brazen presence of Chaos under the protection of Order. They overlooked the situation and were suffering the consequences. Now that Siena and the elves were doing their best to eradicate Chaos, Nalea was the only one protecting Rhode��s dragon essence, which was an unwise decision. Marlene didn��t support this idea in the first place, and now she felt increasingly uncertain. Due to this reason, upon listening to Cassidy��s remarks, Marlene pondered in silence and nodded.


    ��Alright, let��s head to the Country of Law right now.��


    Even though this action was as though they looked down upon the twin dragons, Marlene couldn��t care less about it now. Was respect or life more important? If Chaos were to ambush again and something happened to Rhode��s dragon essence, it would be too late to weep in regret. For some unknown reason, Marlene had a really bad feeling. She nodded to Cassidy quickly and both of them metamorphosed into two light columns that flew to the other end of the sky.


    If Marlene knew what was going on in the Country of Law right now, perhaps she would be even more anxious.


    ��Oh-no-no, may I know what you are doing here, Your Majesty Ion?��


    Nalea placed both hands on her hips, narrowed her eyes slightly at the Dark Dragon, and presented her usual, fuzzy smile as though she were half-awake. Meanwhile, Ion put up a grim look. His mighty and determined face had become incomparably skinny and was filled with beard stubble as though he were a beggar who didn��t eat food or take a bath for a dozen days. Not only that, but he also set off a sinister, ice-cold aura from head to toe, where even the green, lush grassland around him dried up as though they were completely dead.


    ��Apologies for intruding, Your Majesty Nalea.��


    ��It��s fine, my younger sister went to clean up the mess. I��m idling on my own, so it��s better to have someone to talk to. But your visit surprised me, Your Majesty Ion. I thought you were busy nowadays, but it seems like you��re having a leisurely time too.��


    In her usual muddle-headed self, Nalea waved her hand and replied with a smile as though she didn��t notice Ion��s peculiar appearance one bit. Ion stared at her grimly and didn��t say a word. In an instant, both of them fell into an awkward silence. But Nalea apparently wasn��t mindful about it. She focused her attention on savoring the tasty dessert on the plate before her, not forgetting to lick the crumbs off her fingers. She didn��t feel like she was being respectful at all. Ion continued to stare at her and when she finished the dessert on her plate, he broke the silence.


    ��Your Majesty Nalea, I��ve come here to borrow something from you.��


    ��Borrow something?��


    Upon hearing his words, Nalea cocked her head dubiously.


    ��Look for Siena if you want to borrow something. This isn��t within my control.��


    ��It isn��t necessary. It will be fine as long as you hand it over to me, Your Majesty Nalea.��


    ��No, no.��


    Even though Ion sounded weird, Nalea��s reaction remained unchanged. She waved her hand and spoke in a homely attitude.


    ��I can��t. Siena knows I��m stupid, so she never lets me safeguard anything. Your Majesty Ion, even if you ask me to hand anything over, I have nothing with me����


    Swish����!


    Before Nalea finished her sentence, Ion dashed ahead like a specter, extending his arms and aiming for her body. Ion��s movement was so quick that Nalea was still shaking her head and answering him. In the blink of an eye, he arrived before her and stretched out his right hand abruptly.


    ��Woah!��


    The instant Ion stretched out his right arm, Nalea finally reacted. She shrieked, hugged her head, and squatted down to dodge from his menacing claws. At the next moment, Nalea suddenly vanished and reappeared at a position five meters away from Ion. She gazed at him curiously.


    ��Your Majesty Ion, surely you haven��t changed your profession to a bandit? Your Darkness Capital is so much richer than us; we don��t have anything worthy for you to pillage.��


    ��Hand over the Void Dragon��s dragon essence!��


    This time, Ion was almost screaming at the top of his lungs. He glared at the young lady. His pitch-black eyes were filled with the color of blood as though he were a crazy monster. If Nalea were an ordinary human, she would have fainted from his intense, terrorizing gaze. However, Nalea seemed as though she didn��t notice Ion��s strange behaviors and merely waved her arms before her.


    ��No can do. His Majesty Rhode entrusted me with it. Besides, Siena makes the call here. You��re better off looking for her.��


    ��Hmph!��


    Upon hearing her response, Ion snarled furiously. He swung his right arm abruptly and along with this movement, a roaring dark energy exploded and rushed toward the young lady from all directions. But at the next moment, a green brilliance flashed. The dark energy erupting from Ion��s hand dissipated like snow melting away in the sun, disappearing out of sight in the blink of an eye.


    ��Oh-no-no, Your Majesty Ion, this can��t do.��


    Nalea stood in a slanted posture, smiling at Ion. But now, there was a long staff in her hand and at the tip of it was a balancing scale.


    ��It isn��t right to steal from others, okay, Your Majesty Ion? That is rude on your part. Besides, if His Majesty Rhode were to know about this, he may����


    ��Shut your trap!��


    Before Nalea finished her sentence, Ion bellowed and dashed toward her again. Along with his furious snarls, the dark energy spiraling around him coalesced and expanded instantly, transforming into the enormous shadow of the dark dragon that snapped its jaw open at Nalea. Facing this attack from Ion, Nalea��s expression remained unchanged. She waved the staff in her hand gently and along with this movement, the balancing scale at the tip swayed gently.


    Bang!


    However, as the balancing scale moved, the enormous shadow of the dark dragon twisted as though it lost its balance. Looking at this scene, Nalea grinned. But at the next moment, she widened her eyes slightly.


    Not only did the distorted shadow of the dark dragon not shatter like Nalea expected, but it also changed its form into a gigantic snake, continuing its aggression at her. At the same time��


    Swish������!


    A dazzling magical light streaked across the sky in an instant, striking directly at the humongous snake and erupting violent waves of spiritual radiances. This attack made Ion come to halt instantly. He glanced at the sky, turned into a shadow, and flew toward the other direction without looking back. But at that moment, a greenish figure pierced through the air and gave chase.


    ��Where do you think you��re going, you bast*rd!��


    Cassidy screamed and slashed the long sword in her hands from above. The distinct and powerful airflow of black and white flashed across her blade. But at the next moment, Ion burst forward at an unprecedented speed, disappearing in sight.


    ��Cassidy!��


    At that moment, Marlene arrived beside Cassidy and gazed.


    ��How can you do that?��


    ��Why not? That bast*rd is only a dragon soul heir; how dare he cast eyes on His Majesty��s dragon essence. Hmph. I would have slashed him to death if he didn��t escape that fast!��


    ��Sigh����


    Upon hearing her comments, Marlene shook her head. She let out a sigh, lowered her gaze to Nalea below, and forced a helpless smile.


    ��We��re sorry for the intrusion, Your Majesty Nalea.��

 Chapter 1170 - The Journey Home

    ��Oh, isn��t that Miss Marlene and Miss Cassidy? Ah, I made a fool of myself. Sorry, sorry.��


    Upon seeing the two young ladies, Nalea smiled broadly. The long staff in her hand was already missing in sight. Even though she was much older than Marlene and Cassidy, she acted the youngest among them. At that moment, her reaction was like a witty, adorable little girl who was caught stealing snacks. However, Marlene and Cassidy apparently wouldn��t treat her as one. Instead, they turned around and bowed.


    ��Sorry for the intrusion, Your Majesty Judgment Dragon. Cassidy and I have arrived to discuss something����


    ��Ah, I know. It��s regarding that troublesome thing, right?��


    Before Marlene finished her sentence, Nalea swirled her eyes and said with a smile. She reached for a biscuit on the plate from the table, took a bite, and narrowed her eyes as though she weren��t bothered by that matter at all. This left Marlene feeling helpless. She also didn��t expect Nalea to be the one watching over the dragon essence. Frankly, Marlene couldn��t get along with such people. If Nalea were Siena instead, they would be able to discuss proper matters despite Siena having a tough and ice-cold attitude. On the other hand, Nalea seemed to be idling about all day, so one couldn��t figure out her intentions. Speaking to her also gave Marlene a huge headache. But now, Marlene could only brace herself as she nodded in response. Anyway, she had no intention of speaking too much. Since Nalea was aware of Marlene��s intention, it saved Marlene the trouble of pondering over this troublesome issue. Marlene was concerned about how she should discuss the topic about Rhode��s dragon essence before arriving here. After all, Rhode was the one who handed over his dragon essence to them of his own accord. He still hadn��t returned and yet, Marlene was here to retrieve his dragon essence. If the situation wasn��t handled appropriately, she might possibly offend the twin dragons. But now, since Nalea was seemingly aware of her intention, Marlene didn��t need to conceal her thoughts anymore.


    ��Yes, Your Majesty Nalea. The situation in the Dragon Soul Continent has been really messy recently. For safety��s sake, we hope to����


    ��Oh, no worries.��


    Before Marlene completed her sentence, Nalea interrupted. Nalea raised her arms, stretched herself, and spoke with a smile. Upon hearing her reply, Marlene��s expression stiffened slightly. She gaped, but eventually closed her mouth to not speak of anything. Nalea gazed at Marlene��s expression and let out a chuckle. Then, she extended both arms and blew air in front of her.


    Blow��


    Along with this action, a golden radiance appeared before her. Then, refreshing gusts of wind spiraled and rose from the ground. Several illusory rays of light emerged from her mouth, hovering in midair as though they were tangled by the wind, forming a sphere that was half the size of an apple. The sphere presented deep, translucent colors. On its inside, spots of starlight flickered as though the sphere were a small universe of its own, emanating unparalleled force and energy. Looking at this view, Marlene and Cassidy widened their eyes in shock, before exchanging looks with each other. They didn��t expect the twin dragons to do something so strange as to store Rhode��s dragon essence inside their body.


    ��Alright, I can finally rest peacefully now. It��s all Siena��s fault for making me look after this thing. His Majesty Rhode��s mighty strength gave me a hard time and I couldn��t get a good sleep these days.��


    ��Ugh����


    Gazing at Nalea��s curled lips and grumbling expression, Marlene felt incomparably awkward. What Nalea said sounded too ambiguous, where perhaps one would easily misunderstand the situation. Meanwhile, Cassidy also didn��t look comfortable even though she continued to present a gentle and respectful smile toward the Judgment Dragon. If it weren��t for Cassidy��s right hand that tightly held her sword hilt and how she looked as though she couldn��t wait to slash the blade, perhaps Marlene wouldn��t have noticed how discontent Cassidy was.


    The deity wardens had unique personalities and Marlene was considered the one who changed the most. Rhode saw the original Marlene in Alice��s history. She was as though someone who genuinely ��grasped everything in her palm�� and gave him the impression like she was an indifferent and emotionless computer. As long as she set her eyes on the target, she would operate on her own and bombard everyone including enemies and allies. She wouldn��t hesitate even if her allies were sacrificed. As long as she reached her goal, she wouldn��t care about anything else.


    But now, Marlene didn��t retain the heir��s personality after her reincarnation. Even though she awakened the power of the deity warden and had a choice to restore to her original self, she eventually decided to give it up because she knew that Rhode obviously detested that ruthless personality.


    Alice stayed in the library the longest. She was calm, collected, and wouldn��t intervene with unimportant affairs. On the other hand, even though Christie seemed like the youngest among them, she was born earlier than the other deity wardens. She held authority over the deity wardens, stopping them from stirring troubles. This went to show just how capable she was.


    But Cassidy was an exception. Even though she was powerful in strength, in terms of personality, she resembled a child the most. She pretended to behave like a noble young lady on purpose. The main reason for that was that she felt like the others always treated her like a child. That was why she imitated the loftiness of nobility and it became a habit of hers over time. However, a leopard never changes its spots. No matter how tightly Cassidy tucked her tail, she would reveal her true identity upon being triggered.


    But despite that, Marlene wasn��t mindful in correcting Cassidy��s upbringing. Marlene extended her hand and accepted the dragon essence from Nalea respectfully. The instant she touched the dragon essence, she felt an incomparably familiar and powerful strength that enveloped her fully. She couldn��t be more familiar with this aura. That was Rhode��s aura. In an instant, Marlene became out of sorts as though she were snuggling in Rhode��s embrace. Shortly after, she shivered and returned to her senses from the indulgence, at the same time biting her lip and glancing at Nalea in doubt. Fortunately, the Judgment Dragon had already returned to her seat by the marble table and focused her attention on the remaining snacks on the plate as though she didn��t notice what happened. Marlene couldn��t help but let out a sigh of relief. She held the dragon essence between her palms. In this action, a dazzling magical radiance emanated and one by one, magical rituals spun around her. In just a few seconds, the dragon essence was absorbed completely by the magical radiance, vanishing into her body.


    Up until this moment, Marlene heaved another sigh of relief, lifting her head to gaze at Nalea with a complicated expression. She had learned this trick from Nalea. She was concerned earlier because the dragon essence was like Rhode��s second life. She didn��t feel assured no matter where or how safely she kept it. That was why she was surprised that Nalea actually used her body as the vessel, which reminded Marlene that as a deity warden, their power wasn��t much different from Creator Dragons. Since Nalea was able to do that, she was also capable of doing it.


    However, after storing the dragon essence in her body, Marlene felt an entirely new sensation. Rhode��s dragon essence was extremely powerful. The moment she stored the dragon essence inside her, she felt as though Rhode��s dragon soul power was rushing to every part of her body. She missed this feeling. It felt just like last time when both of them hugged nakedly, feeling the sense of security and passionate warmth from each other. At this thought, Marlene��s gaze toward Nalea became weirder. As a deity warden, the difference between her strength and Nalea��s wasn��t too huge. This meant that what Nalea felt should be similar to what she was feeling. Accompanied by the strange remarks made by Nalea earlier and the thought of Nalea experiencing the same sensation, Marlene felt increasingly awkward.


    Nalea didn��t seem to notice Marlene��s complicated gaze as she continued taking tiny bites of the biscuit in her hand. She had clearly finished the snacks, but no one knew where the new plate of snacks came from. Upon detecting Marlene��s gaze, Nalea let out a subtle sigh, lifted the plate with both hands, and looked at both of them.


    ��Miss Marlene and Miss Cassidy, would you like to have some?��


    ��No�� Erm, we have something to attend to. We��ll be heading off now.��


    Facing this muddle-headed and unpredictable Judgment Dragon, Marlene was at a loss for words. All she could do now was to bow respectfully to Cassidy and turn around to leave. Gazing at their departure, Nalea cocked her head to one side like she was puzzled. Then, she shifted her gaze to the snacks on the plate and revealed a cheeky smile.


    ��Heh, heh. This is awesome. I didn��t know what to tell Younger Sister earlier, but since Miss Marlene and Miss Cassidy were here, I can tell her that it was they who ate all the snacks. Yes, I will then be able to have more of them����


    Marlene didn��t expect Nalea to cast eyes on her. If Marlene knew what was going through Nalea��s head, perhaps she would be caught between laughter and tears. But now, she wasn��t in the mood for that. After receiving Rhode��s dragon essence and confirming that the dragon essence wasn��t damaged or harmed in any way, Marlene brought Cassidy back to Grandia as quickly as possible. Because this time, it was regarding an important matter of great significance��


    ��The Dark Dragon headed to the Country of Law to snatch the dragon essence by himself?��


    Even the always-grinning Gillian stared at Marlene in astonishment after hearing this news. If it weren��t Marlene who told her about it, Gillian would never believe that it happened.


    ��Is that Dark Dragon sick of living already? Surely he wouldn��t think that he could defeat the twin dragons, right?��


    ��Her Majesty Siena has been busy dealing with the contaminated regions and isn��t in the palace.��


    ��But with Her Majesty Nalea��s strength, she should be able to resist the Dark Dragon.��


    Gillian swayed her fluffy tail, apparently disapproving of what happened. All these years in the Dragon Soul Continent, inheritances of the twin dragons occurred the least frequently. Before Ion, Lilian, and the others became dragon soul heirs, Siena and Nalea were already rulers of the Country of Law. Even though Nalea seemed muddle-headed and relied on her younger sister a lot, no one was that foolish to think that the meticulous Siena would hand over Rhode��s dragon essence to Nalea if Nalea were truly that muddle-headed.


    ��When we arrived, His Majesty Dark Dragon had just attacked. He left as soon as he saw us.��


    Marlene said before letting out a sigh. She just couldn��t understand why the Dark Dragon acted so unwisely.


    Could it be that he thinks this is an opportune timing for him to strike while the continent is in chaos and the dragons and their subordinates are too busy to deal with him?


    At this thought, Marlene shook her head with a bitter smile. Come to think of it, wasn��t that the case? Lilian was contaminated by Chaos and Rhode hadn��t returned. The several ambushes from Chaos also flustered everyone. Despite their preparations, not only were they still caught off guard, but they also almost capsized. Meanwhile, Siena had to handle the contamination of Chaos. As for Nalea�� it didn��t really matter��


    ��How is Her Majesty Lilian?��


    At this thought, Marlene asked as she couldn��t help but recall Lilian��s condition. Upon hearing her question, Lize knitted her brows and let out a hopeless sigh.


    ��We eased her pain from the erosion, but it isn��t doing enough. Chaos has eroded past her elbow. I��m afraid�� it will worsen.��


    ������


    After hearing Lize��s comments, Marlene puckered her brows. They tried to come up with all sorts of solutions and were finally able to alleviate Lilian��s condition. But this wasn��t the ultimate solution. Their top priority and best solution was to chop off Lilian��s eroded arm. But Lilian was still young, after all, so they couldn��t bear to do it. However, they didn��t have much time to waste either. If Chaos eroded her entire arm, no matter how heartbreaking it would be for them, they would have no choice but to ruthlessly cut off her arm. It was better than letting Chaos kill her, after all.


    ��Come to think of it, why does that Dark Dragon keep finding trouble with us? Has he been eroded by Chaos and turned into a fool?��


    At that moment, Anne, who sat at the side, couldn��t help but grumble fumingly. Even though she was casually venting her frustration, upon hearing her remarks, Marlene and the rest were taken aback. Indeed, they had never considered the possibility of Ion being eroded by Chaos because Ion was powerful and also the dragon soul heir of the Country of Darkness. All these years, the Country of Darkness had been suppressing the Light Mainland, which many people subconsciously believed that the Dark Dragon was a tough person to deal with. It was understandable for an inexperienced rookie like Lilian to be ambushed. But logically speaking, a being like the Dark Dragon shouldn��t easily fall into the hands of Chaos.


    However, after giving some serious thoughts to the Dark Dragon��s behavior, he did seem eccentric. Not only did he not abide by the rules, but he also acted crazily as though he were truly influenced by Chaos. But this was a hard truth for them to accept. Or perhaps, they didn��t wish for this to be true. The emergence of Chaos beings was a huge headache for them. If something was also wrong with the Country of Darkness, perhaps they would have a really hard time ahead.


    ��Sigh����


    Marlene let out a long sigh.


    Rhode�� when exactly will you be back?


    At that moment, Rhode wasn��t aware of the situation in ruthlesslyDragon Soul Continent. Instead, he focused his attention on the crystal stele before him. After spending a few days in Fiery Plains, he sensed the aura inside the crystal becoming denser and thicker, leaving him in an increasingly better mood. He was certain that his younger sister was abstracting spiritual power to replenish her strength. A few moments ago, he sensed the scattered spiritual aura around him withdrawing rapidly and that was a pleasant surprise. The withdrawal of spiritual aura meant that his younger sister��s spirit had completely replenished her strength. That was why he rushed into the tent where the crystal stele was located. Indeed, just like he expected, spider web-like cracks had emerged across the clean, sleek stele and were seemingly expanding. At the same time, the younger sister sealed inside the stele emanated a gentle, white glow.


    ������!


    After a few moments, the emanated light from the young lady suddenly turned incomparably glaring. The sturdy crystal stele shattered in loud cracks. Sparkling and translucent powder and fragments circled the young lady in the summons of the light, taking shape into a pure, white dress. The young lady landed on her feet softly, opened her glinting black eyes, and gazed at Rhode with deep, passionate love.


    Rhode had no doubt that the person standing before him was the long-awaited one. Looking at the young lady, he revealed a gentle smile, extending his arms to embrace her thin, delicate body.


    ��Welcome back, Younger Sister.��


    ��Yes����


    Nestling in his arms, the young lady revealed agitated emotions. She spread her arms apart to wrap around his slim, yet muscular back. She closed her eyes to indulge in the reminiscent and familiar warmth, and muttered under her breath softly.


    ��I��m back�� Big Brother.��

 Chapter 1171 - Reemergence

    The blades clashed, sending dazzling sparks flying in midair.


    The shadowy figure flitted across the air and pounced from above. Facing this ambush, the armored man snarled, unleashed a formidable aura from his blade, and retaliated with a mighty slash. The shadowy figure in midair had no choice but to evade, rolling away desperately upon landing on the ground. However, it stood to its feet quickly and retreated in a trail of afterimages. Along with its movement, ghastly, white skeletal soldiers broke out of the soil, raised their weapons, and swarmed the humans ahead.


    ��We need to leave this place right away!��


    While defending the luxurious carriage, a middle-aged man clad in leather armor and wielding a longsword put up a hesitant expression. He gazed solemnly at the undead creatures ahead, flourishing his longsword to repel them. Then, he moved his gaze to the petite young lady donned in a mage robe within the group. She gnashed her teeth, held the magic staff up high, and cast a wall of flames before them to keep out the undead creatures.


    ��Lavita! Hang in there!��


    ����!��


    Upon hearing the middle-aged man��s order, the young lady didn��t respond, but continued to gnash her teeth instead. Upon witnessing her reaction, the middle-aged man was astonished. However, the movement of his hand didn��t come to a halt as he repelled two more undead creatures. Swinging the longsword in his hand, the mighty blade airflows rose from the ground and dispersed in all directions. In the blink of an eye, the blustering winds pushed back the undead creatures around him. But despite that, the undead creatures were unperturbed. They let out terrifying snarls and attacked, charging forward in large strides.


    What an annoying bunch.


    Gazing at the unrelenting undead creatures, the man knitted his brows tightly. He lowered his gaze to the silver-whitish cross symbol hanging on his chest and put up a hesitant expression.


    After Rhode became the Void Dragon, he stopped minding the development of Starlight. However, the guild didn��t decline in strength after his departure. Instead, as Rhode became more prestigious, Starlight also expanded greatly. The wars and battles over the couple of years forced many refugees to seek shelter in the Void Territory. Among them were some who possessed supreme feats. They refused to join the army to battle, but chose to join Starlight as mercenaries instead. After all, Starlight dominated the Void Territory. Under Marlene��s grooming (intentionally or otherwise), Starlight was basically considered half an official and civilian association. The complicated mercenary rules were temporarily abolished because of continuous wars. After all, during such times mercenaries had to protect their homeland and none of them would be interested in accomplishing missions. The Void Territory itself had no relation to the Mercenary Association either, which was why Starlight developed strongly. Everyone was also aware of the relationship between Starlight and the overlord of this territory, which explained why they felt assured seeking help from them. As the Void Territory was occupied with endless matters, they lacked manpower from the start. Sometimes, when the military was too busy, mercenaries would complete the tasks in their stead. The mercenaries also felt unrestrained in Starlight. After all, with the Void Dragon protecting them, no one was foolish enough to stir trouble with them. Of course, under Marlene��s strict orders, Starlight was prohibited from bullying smaller guilds or mercenary groups, which was why Starlight was wildly loved and popular.


    And this time, this team of mercenaries was also here for that reason: to detect any undead creatures who sneaked through the Void Territory��s border. Even though Marlene, Cassidy, and Alice were present to wipe out the majority of them, some undead creatures managed to slip through the fish net and entered the territory. Slight negligence could lead to a great disaster. Marlene and the rest were fully occupied with important matters, so how was it possible for them to be bothered by such small issues? If they were to mobilize the army, it would be challenging for them to patrol the long and seemingly endless border. Fortunately, the Void Territory had no lack of money and this also wasn��t some secret mission. That was why they handed the task over to mercenaries of Starlight to eradicate the scattered undead creatures.


    This time, they received information about undead creatures showing up in nearby mountains and forests and were sent to check on the situations.


    In the end, the team was astounded to realize that not only were there hundreds of undead creatures, but their strength was also much stronger than expected. This small team of mercenaries joined Starlight when Rhode recruited mercenaries back then. At this point in time, they had already become elites. Due to Rhode��s existence, they didn��t have much experience dealing with undead creatures and had a lack of understanding about them. But after facing this ambush from the undead creatures, they discovered that things were far stranger than they had anticipated.


    Taking the skeletal soldiers, for instance. The middle-aged man should have been able to crush up to five of them in a single swing of a blade. But now, the skeletal soldiers seemed exceedingly sturdy, where even his all-out attack was only able to strike up to two of them away and not defeat them entirely. Not only that, but the flames that should have also been a huge threat to them seemed to lose their effectiveness. Although the undead creatures were still afraid of getting too close to the flames, they were no longer as weak and fragile as in the past.


    This caught the team off guard. Even though they heard from their companions that the undead creatures were rather odd recently, they didn��t expect them to have such dramatic changes. In an instant, the team couldn��t help but pay bitterly. And now, they could only retreat slowly and leave this place. If they could reach a vast plain, it might be more advantageous for them. In the dark forest, it was as though their hands were tied. Fortunately, apart from the leading vampire who was more bothersome to deal with, the rest were only skeletal soldiers. If there were death knights or lichs, perhaps everyone would be dead by now.


    But even so, they were in a fluster. The middle-aged man initially decided to dig and set up a trap to eliminate the enemies. But now, he had no choice but to change his strategy. After all, the enemies attacked aggressively with skeletal soldiers being summoned one by one. Even though the skeletal soldiers had the lowest level of all units, the strengthened version of them was enough to give the mercenaries a huge headache.


    ��Retreat now!��


    Upon seeing his men by the rear tangling with the skeletal soldiers, the middle-aged man snarled in an ice-cold expression. If the skeletal soldiers were the usual ones they encountered, they wouldn��t have been able to hold them back. And now, these undead creatures were simply too difficult to handle and this left him feeling anxious. He also felt like the reason why the undead creatures didn��t rush toward them wasn��t because they couldn��t defeat him. Instead, it was as though they were scheming to slow down his team. The middle-aged man felt increasingly concerned and afraid of the undead creatures�� crafty plots. His companions at the rear also gnashed their teeth, struggling with all their strength to resist the undead creatures�� assault and couldn��t back down. If they were to retreat now, the undead creatures might encircle them immediately. On the other hand, if they didn��t retreat and continued to defend themselves, they wouldn��t end up anywhere better either.


    ��Leader, let me do it.��


    While the middle-aged man was watching the situation anxiously, the mage young lady with an ice-cold expression spoke while clutching her magic staff. Even though she looked pale from exhaustion, she continued to grit her teeth and maintain the wall of flames before her. She was apparently at her limit. Upon hearing her courageous words, the middle-aged man knitted his brows. Although this young lady had joined his mercenary team for only a year, her spell-casting abilities were incredible. His team looked down upon her in the beginning, but now she had become their most trustworthy and reliable teammate. But she was a young lady, after all, and it was asking too much of her to protect the rest. Even though she was capable of casting spells, judging from her pale expression, it was obvious that she had almost expended all her spiritual power.


    ��Can you do it, Lavita? Don��t force yourself. I��ve sent out a SOS. I think reinforcements should arrive any time now.��


    The middle-aged man said, while gazing at the white cross badge in a complicated expression. When they first joined Starlight, they weren��t only powerful in strength, but the equipment they received afterward was also top notch. Taking this white cross badge, for instance. It was in the first batch of items created by Lapis. Not only was it able to cast a defensive barrier of the four elements, but it could also transport him to the Land of Atonement in emergencies. Only the first three batches of members who joined Starlight owned this badge. They had either gone on adventures with Rhode, or were the earlier few to join the guild, and they at least deserved credit for their efforts. The mercenaries who joined later didn��t receive this accessory as Lapis was no longer occupied with matters of the guild. As of now, she was busy with working on magical technologies in the Void Territory, so she could no longer create magical equipment specially for the mercenaries. Although her apprentices were still providing alchemical potions to the guild as usual, not everyone was able to get their hands on items like magical equipment like in the early stages.


    Even though they were an experienced team of veterans, after two years of trials and hardships, one-third of them were newcomers, so they couldn��t possibly own this badge. And now, this young lady was one of them. If he were to leave, he would no doubt be abandoning them. This was something that he couldn��t bring himself to do! No matter what, they were still his subordinates!


    ��No, everyone can��t hold on any longer. Let me do it! I have a special skill to summon magical beasts to take down these creatures. It won��t be too late for us to escape later.��


    ��But����


    Upon hearing her respond, the middle-aged man became increasingly concerned. Even though he couldn��t cast spells, he had witnessed how spell casters controlled their summoned beasts with all their strength to prevent being devoured by them instead. If it were in the past, he would have gotten Lavita to give it a shot. But now, she was all pale and beat-up. Perhaps she would be able to summon magical beasts and barely support them, but that would mean she would be facing the undead creatures alone!


    ��We��re running out of time, Leader.��


    Looking at the hesitant man, the young lady said softly before spreading her arms apart abruptly. Gazing at her actions, the man grimaced. He extended his arm, but at the next moment, he had no choice but to retract it. He gripped the longsword and swung it to the side, striking away an undead creature that pounced on him.


    Meanwhile, Lavita extended her arms and chanted under her breath. Shortly after, along with her movements, a ball of scarlet flames appeared between her hands. She widened her eyes abruptly and chanted the incantation loudly. The ball of pure, scarlet flames exploded, bursting forward at the undead creatures. The instant the flames erupted, the undead creatures screeched and retreated swiftly. The flames twisted and turned as they arrived before them, metamorphosing into a burning, red, gigantic rhino. The rhino spurted out scorching white steam from its nostrils and glared fiercely at the undead creatures trembling before it. Upon witnessing this enormous fire elemental creature, the undead creatures shrunk back instinctively. But at the next moment, they let out sinister hisses and confronted the creature. Even though the undead creatures were much stronger now, their fear toward flames was embedded in their bones. Not only that, but the enormous rhino was also a pure fire elemental creature, which left the undead creatures feeling uncertain and terrified.


    ��������!��


    Upon witnessing the fire elemental creature, the vampire hidden in the rear lifted his head and screamed all of a sudden. Along with his screams, the flat ground around them rumbled and skeletons emerged from the soil one by one, surrounding everyone before them.


    ��Damn it!��


    The middle-aged man turned pale after realizing the vampire��s true intention. It seemed like the vampire had already decided to use himself as bait to attract more mercenaries over. If not, if the vampire had summoned so many undead creatures from the start, the mercenaries would have been dead by now. Now that the mercenaries were seemingly intending to escape, the vampire stopped using himself as bait and decided to take them all down!


    Gazing at the almost 600 skeleton soldiers, the middle-aged man froze to the spot. He reached out for the badge hanging on his chest, but let out a long sigh after a few moments. He stripped the badge off his neck and tossed it to the young lady.


    ��Leader?��


    Looking at his gesture, the young lady was stunned. Facing her doubtful gaze, the middle-aged man said with a smile.


    ��Get ready. Use your remaining magical power to activate this badge. This is a treasure we received from Madam Lapis back then, which is entirely different from the one you are wearing. A teleportation ritual will appear after you activate it and we will head back together afterward.��


    ��Ah�� Okay����


    Upon hearing his words, the young lady was taken aback. But despite that, she took over the badge and sized it up curiously. Gazing at her expression, the middle-aged man let out a sigh. He wondered what her reactions would be after she figured out that he lied about teleporting back to safety together. But now, he couldn��t worry about it anymore. He went through trials and hardships in these two years with the boss and encountered whatever he could, so what was there for him to be afraid of?! On the other hand, this little fella here lost her parents and had no intention of becoming a mercenary at first. After all, the Void Territory had high requirements for spell casters. If she were willing, she could be sent to Grandia and grow stronger under Marlene. However, she chose to dedicate herself to go on adventures with him and the rest��


    Now, it was about time to end this misery.


    ��������!��


    All of a sudden, the situation took a turn. The rune hovering around the young lady and meant to control the spell began to twist and turn in shape. Lavita��s expression became as white as a sheet. She gnashed her teeth and continued to maintain the rune with all her power. At that moment, the other mercenaries had crowded around to defend her.


    ��Hurry, Lavita! Activate the badge!��


    ��No, my power. There seems to be something��!��


    Boom!


    Before Lavita completed her sentence, the flaming rhino suddenly exploded, turning into a sea of flames that dispersed in all directions and devoured the undead creatures that couldn��t escape in time. Not only that, but the flames also didn��t dissipate like in the past. On the contrary, they rushed forward like a stream and at the next moment, a dazzling, scarlet radiance burst out, forcing everyone to close their eyes.


    ��Phew�� Looks like we made it.��


    At that moment, a voice sounded in their ears. Upon hearing it, everyone turned around and couldn��t help but widen their eyes in astonishment. In the place where the flames exploded stood over 100 people all of a sudden. They wore strange, ancient costumes and were seemingly travel-worn as though they had a long and difficult trek. But what shocked the middle-aged man was�� Where did they come from?


    ��Finally����


    Lifting his head to gaze at this familiar starry sky, Rhode couldn��t help but lament. Even though it wasn��t tough getting out of Fiery Plains, it wasn��t that smooth sailing either. If it weren��t for Marybelle who realized that someone was establishing a summoning channel that connected the Dragon Soul Continent and Fiery Plains and made use of this opportunity, perhaps Rhode would spend a lot more time before returning to the Dragon Soul Continent.


    ��I��m back����


    Rhode muttered under his breath, stifling the intricate emotions in his mind. Then, he gazed at the surroundings and was taken aback.


    What is with these undead creatures?


    ��Ssss!��


    Facing the sudden appearance of Rhode��s group, the undead creatures were also stunned. The leading vampire commanded in response and the skeletal soldiers hesitated no more. They raised their weapons and charged ahead like a raging flood that was about to devour everyone.


    ��Hmph!��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode turned grim.


    ��Finish them.��

 Chapter 1172 - Return to the Void Territory

    It went without saying that the undead creatures were no match for Rhode��s group. Even before Rhode took action, the pitiful undead creatures and vampire vanished into thin air from the ruthless attack of his group.


    ��Alright then, Your Majesty Rhode. I shall take my leave now.��


    The trouble around Erin wasn��t even worthy of her attention. She looked at the sky to confirm that she had indeed returned to the Dragon Soul Continent and smiled at Rhode to bid her goodbye. Even though this moon princess seemed relaxed throughout the journey, it was impossible for her to not be homesick after so long, after all. Rhode empathized with her, which was why he nodded silently in agreement. Gazing at his expression, Erin smiled and left after metamorphosing into a dazzling light that burst into the sky. Up until this moment, Rhode turned to his surroundings and spotted the group of mercenaries staring blankly from the side.


    Lavita and the mercenaries were astounded. A few moments ago, they were surrounded the masses of undead creatures and about to be wiped out. But now, in the blink of an eye, the undead creatures were all annihilated without leaving behind any remains. The group couldn��t help but sigh in relief. They thought they were going to be dead for sure and didn��t expect to face such a situation. Of course, they didn��t think that these people were summoned by Lavita, which was why they raised their guard against them, as they suddenly appeared out of nowhere. They were afraid that they had entered the tiger��s den after merely surviving death.


    Erin��s departure also attracted their attention. Up until this moment, the middle-aged man finally spotted Rhode standing at the side.


    ��Bos��!��


    The middle-aged man screamed instantly and within a split second, he covered his mouth abruptly. If he didn��t just escape death, he wouldn��t have behaved in such a disrespectful manner. After all, Rhode was the Void Dragon. Even though the middle-aged man and the mercenaries often bragged about how they fought alongside the Void Dragon before, it was all in the past, after all. Rhode might have changed and who knew what would happen to the middle-aged man for acting rudely.


    Even though the man��s voice wasn��t soft, it didn��t sound too loud either. However, Rhode obviously heard his yell. He turned around, gazed at the mercenaries, and twitched his brows.


    ��Oh, it��s you. Come on over.��


    ��Aight, Boss.��


    Upon realizing that Rhode wasn��t bothered by his action, the middle-aged man let out a mischievous laughter before beckoning his men. The middle-aged man was a straightforward person. Since Rhode didn��t fuss about it, he didn��t need to overthink the situation. He went over, bowed, and asked curiously.


    ��Boss, what are you guys doing here? This����


    The news of Rhode��s departure wasn��t made known to too many people. In the Void Territory, only Marlene and the other important people were aware, while the rest weren��t mindful of not seeing him around. It was especially so for Rhode��s followers who knew that he wasn��t a nosy person during the building stages of the guild. Most of the intricate matters were handed over to Marlene and Lize. Even after Rhode became the Void Dragon, his personality didn��t change much either. When everyone realized that Rhode wasn��t around, they reckoned that he must have gone somewhere else at the very most, which was why the middle-aged man wasn��t too surprised to see him here.


    ��We went for a spin somewhere, but it��s nothing much. By the way, what are you guys doing here? What��s with the undead creatures?��


    Facing the middle-aged man��s question, Rhode waved his hand airily and changed the subject. Erin was around earlier, which was why he didn��t want to make things difficult for her. Now that she was gone, he had no more concerns to ask about the undead creatures.


    Upon hearing his questions, the middle-aged man chuckled and told him everything that happened in the Dragon Soul Continent during this period of time. Meanwhile, the other mercenaries widened their eyes and looked at this scene in bewilderment. Perhaps others might not be aware of how Rhode looked like, but anyone who joined Starlight would surely know. Come to think of it, it was kind of an amusing misunderstanding. Even though Rhode no longer bothered about Starlight��s affairs after becoming the Void Dragon, the higher-ups in Starlight didn��t slack off. Among them were basically veterans who followed him in the past. They knew that Rhode wasn��t a lazy person. Even if he became the Void Dragon, he would still return to Starlight occasionally. If one were stupid enough to mock his appearance, one would surely be slaughtered. The higher-ups understood Rhode��s taboo well. Back then, they witnessed countless idiots who were killed by Rhode for criticizing his appearance. This was why under their strict orders, there was an additional unwritten rule in Starlight: anyone who joined Starlight must look at Rhode��s portrait for at least once, in order to never not recognize him for the wrong person.


    As the mercenaries didn��t witness how Rhode treated those fools like their seniors did in the past, they weren��t as afraid of Rhode. But despite that, they were highly respectful toward him because he didn��t depend on his family background like typical nobles, but fought his way up to the top instead. Be it establishing a guild, occupying a land of Chaos, resisting the undead army, or opening up the Void Territory in a land of Chaos, Rhode took the lead every single time. He also didn��t yell commands like the nobles and run away whenever the situation turned sour. This was why he was loved by the mercenaries. And now, due to the new rule that one could be resurrected once for worshiping the dragon, the mercenaries�� reverence toward Rhode was at its maximum. Mercenaries lived by their swords to survive and it was a dangerous job. Now that they gained one chance to escape the Grim Reaper, they were naturally thankful for the dragon soul protection.


    Even though the mercenaries often heard their leader describing how Rhode led them into dungeons and overcame challenges, they felt as though their leader had made up those stories. Rhode was one of the Creator Dragons, so how was it possible for him to bring around a group of measly mercenaries? And now, after personally witnessing how their leader spoke with Rhode straightforwardly, they were astonished. Due to the unwritten rule, it went without saying that the mercenaries recognized Rhode. But they didn��t expect this Creator Dragon to be so approachable and not as solemn and imposing as they had imagined.


    ��Is that so?��


    Mercenaries had rich sources of intelligence and much information was exchanged privately. Moreover, with the disorderly mess happening in the Dragon Soul Continent right now, the watchful eyes of conscientious people allowed them to receive plenty of intelligence. Shortly after, Rhode learned about the current situation in the Dragon Soul Continent. But what surprised him more was Lilian��s injuries.


    ��Is it true that Lilian is hurt?��


    ��About that�� I��m not too sure. But the Country of Light is in an uproar right now, so I don��t think that��s fake news.��


    ��Got it.��


    Upon hearing the middle-aged man��s answer, Rhode nodded in response. However, he still felt really doubtful. He thought that no matter what, Lilian couldn��t possibly be hurt. Could it be that troubles were stirring up in the Country of Light again? A leopard never changes its spots, so it wasn��t impossible for recalcitrants to cause trouble for Lilian. But Rhode didn��t think that there was a high possibility for that to happen. But apart from that, he couldn��t think of other reasons.


    We should head back now. Something isn��t quite right.


    At this thought, Rhode��s relaxed mood was gone. He thought of bringing his younger sister around the Void Territory to explore the beautiful scenery. But now, it seemed like it was no longer possible. Rhode let out a long sigh before gazing at the man before him.


    ��We��re going to head to Grandia and check on the situation. Can you bring the rest of them back on our behalf?��


    ��Sure, Boss. Leave it to me.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, the middle-aged man beat his chest and said. Rhode nodded and smiled. Then, a bright radiance emanated on the ground and flew skyward. In the blink of an eye, Rhode and the rest disappeared into the endless night sky. The middle-aged man stared blankly at the night sky and scratched his head dubiously after a few moments.


    ��Huh? I didn��t provoke Boss, did I��? Why did he smile at me?��


    Meanwhile, in Grandia, Gillian, Marlene, and the others had already sensed Rhode��s aura. As Rhode was in a different world from them earlier, they couldn��t communicate with one another. But now, after he returned, communications between them were restored as they were his card spirits. In the blink of an eye, as the group stepped out the entrance of the palace, Rhode��s group was already present.


    ��Rhode!��


    Upon seeing him, tears welled up in Marlene��s eyes. After not seeing him for so long, she felt really lonely. If it weren��t for the affairs of the continent occupying her mind, perhaps she would crumble to this bitter yearning. She came to a halt, widened her eyes, and stared strangely at the young lady beside him. At that moment, Christie, Cassidy, and Alice were also looking at her with odd expressions. After a few moments, Christie blinked and shortly after, an illusory spirit drifted out of her body, staring at the young lady ahead. Then, she asked.


    ��Marybelle?��


    ��Long time no see, Big Sister Christie.��


    Upon hearing Christie��s question, Marybelle took a step forward, revealing a kind smile on her usually expressionless face. This surprised Rhode. Of course, he knew that the deity wardens were as close as sisters. But he didn��t expect the feeling of closeness to remain the same despite all these years. Marybelle rarely displayed such a gentle expression. For her to present such a smile, it was enough to prove how deep their relationship was.


    ��Big Sister Marybelle!��


    At that moment, in a loud, high-pitched scream, Cassidy pounced over and wrapped her arms around Marybelle.


    ��I thought you were never coming back! Big Sister Marybelle, everyone misses you so much!��


    ��I didn��t expect myself to return either.��


    As Marybelle stroked Cassidy��s hair softly, she couldn��t help but let out a sigh. In her days of being imprisoned on Earth, she kept reminiscing about the little details of them. If it weren��t for the beautiful memories, perhaps she would have forgotten who exactly she was.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, what exactly����


    Alice padded over, revealing a rare look of surprise. As the History Deity Warden, she knew the exact reason of Marybelle��s disappearance back then. Thereafter, the other sisters were heartbroken as they thought they could never meet Marybelle again. Due to that reason, the seven deity wardens became what was known to be the six deity wardens. Despite that, Marybelle had always been an unforgettable pain in their hearts. And now, everyone was thrilled upon seeing Marybelle standing before them, perfectly unharmed.


    ��That will be a long story for later.��


    Rhode forced a smile to Alice��s question. At that moment, he heard a crisp, melodious voice.


    ��That��s right, Big Brother. Those are small matters. Right now, we need to pay attention to the Dragon Soul Continent.��


    ��Huh?��


    Upon hearing this voice, everyone was taken aback. They turned around and spotted a young lady who wore a black dress and looked exactly the same as Rhode, sauntering toward them with a warm, gentle smile. The instant the group saw the young lady, they were rooted in their place and at a complete loss for words.


    Even though everyone was eager to catch up with one another, Lilian��s situation couldn��t afford to be delayed any longer. That was why Marlene wasn��t caught up in the loving moment. She calmed herself and explained the happenings in the Dragon Soul Continent to Rhode, as well as the ambush on Lilian, and the Dark Dragon��s strange behaviors.


    ��Let��s head there now.��


    After hearing Marlene��s narration, Rhode was shocked. Despite that, he didn��t comment much, but quickly headed to the temporary imperial residence beside the palace in Grandia. Back then, as Lilian loved the environment here, Rhode gifted the residence to her. Lilian treated this place as her home and didn��t leave this place before. On the other hand, Rhode felt like it was also a good decision on his part. After all, Grandia had tight security measures, strong defenses, and Sonia to watch after her too, so there shouldn��t be any problem.


    But something terrible still managed to happen.


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but arrange his thoughts, let out a sigh, and extended his arm to push open the door.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Upon seeing his arrival, Sonia stood up hurriedly to bow. As Rhode��s summoned spirit, Sonia had already sensed his return. She initially wanted to welcome him personally, but Rhode spoke to her through the spiritual communication and asked her to look after Lilian instead. That was why Sonia remained in this place and waited for him. But after noticing the young lady in a black dress following closely behind him, Sonia couldn��t help but shift her astonishing gaze back and forth between them.


    ��Alright, she is my younger sister. Stop eyeing.��


    Rhode wasn��t too mindful about Sonia��s reaction because almost everyone had the same reaction as her when they witnessed his younger sister. Rhode simply waved his hand airily without explaining further. Then, he looked down at the bedridden Lilian. Upon looking at her complexion, Rhode couldn��t help but knit his brow. The little girl had lost her vigor. Her fair, tender skin turned dry and yellow and her body had also thinned. She lay on the bed with her eyes closed as though she was severely ill.


    Her right arm that was dangling outside of the bed was startling��skinny and pitch-black like it was all skin and bone. If it weren��t for the white bracelet on her wrist emanating a spiritual radiance to stop the black presence��s erosion, perhaps the situation would be worse by now.


    ��Her Majesty Lilian hasn��t eaten for days.��


    Sonia cleared her mind and reported in Rhode��s ear softly. She was apparently in a bad mood.


    ��Even though Miss Marlene and the rest tried to think of ways to stop that black presence from eroding her, Her Majesty Lilian didn��t regain her consciousness and has been having nightmares. I don��t have any way to help her����


    ��Got it.��


    Upon hearing Sonia��s guilty response, Rhode patted her shoulder gently and turned to the young lady beside him.


    ��Marybelle, do you have a solution?��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode turned grim. The joy in him from returning to the continent was long gone. Of course, he knew that those Chaos beings were a mysterious bunch, but he didn��t expect Lilian to be hurt so seriously. According to Marlene, if it weren��t for her constitution, which coincidentally restrained the undead attribute of Chaos, perhaps not even he could come up with any ideas.


    ��Please let me take a look, Your Majesty.��


    Marybelle said and took a step forward. She puckered her brows, carefully observing the black presence that eroded Lilian��s arm. Meanwhile, no one spoke a word as they watched Marybelle work her magic. After all, she had fought such presences for the longest time and was the most experienced. And now, they could only rely upon her to deal with this mysterious erosion of Chaos.


    Marybelle examined cautiously. After almost an hour, she stood up with a solemn look and everyone��s heart sank.


    ��Marybelle, how is it?��


    Rhode let out a cough and asked. Upon hearing his question, Marybelle turned to him and shook her head slightly.


    ��I��m sorry, Your Majesty. I don��t think we can keep Her Majesty Lilian��s arm by relying upon my power only.��

 Chapter 1173 - A Tough Decision

    Even though Rhode was mentally prepared for the bad news, after hearing Marybelle��s response, he still felt discouraged. He gazed at the bedridden, skinny, yellowish, and unconscious Lilian and couldn��t help but feel his heart ache. He had known Lilian for a considerable amount of time and always treated her like a younger sister. Due to this reason, Lilian��s predicament broke his heart. But even so, he took in a deep breath to stifle the uncertainty in him and asked.


    ��Are you sure there is no other way, Marybelle?��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Marybelle nodded slightly.


    ��Yes, Your Majesty Rhode. There isn��t any issue removing the presence of Chaos in her arm. But just like Miss Gillian said, the power of Order contained within it feels really strange. I��m not sure if Chaos would use the power of Order and alter Her Majesty Lilian��s body and spirit from the inside-out. So, I think the safest way is to kill her.�� Marybelle said, let out a cough, and raised her head. ��Of course, Your Majesty Rhode, if you��re willing to, we can always resurrect her afterward. Through the rinsing of the power of Order, I think there shouldn��t be any after-effect.��


    ��Ugh����


    At that moment, Rhode finally understood what Marybelle meant when she said she was powerless in this situation. It wasn��t that she couldn��t do it, but it was just her ��better-to-be-safe-than-sorry�� attitude that was doing the talking. She was just like before. For safety��s sake, she was even willing to abandon her body to let Rhode transform her into a card spirit, not to mention doing this to others. Perhaps this option was worthy of consideration, but Lilian was as though an object in Marybelle��s perspective. Since Lilian was eroded by Chaos, Marybelle believed that the most reliable method was to eliminate the problem completely.


    Rhode and his younger sister exchanged looks and noticed the helplessness in each other��s eyes. Marybelle was a principled person. She was merciless to others but more ruthless to herself, so if she determined that this matter wasn��t safe and wise, she would never do it. It was especially so for Lilian��s unique identity. If she were truly invaded by Chaos, Marybelle would definitely place eliminating her as the top priority and rescuing her as the least important. After all, all troubles would be solved after killing her, while resurrecting her later might cause several unknown aftereffects to show up. If Chaos lurked inside Lilian��s body and altered her thoughts later, Rhode and the rest would definitely not notice it.


    Intellectually speaking, Marybelle��s decision wasn��t wrong. But emotionally, it was totally unacceptable.


    ��Can you do something about this?��


    Rhode knew that he most likely couldn��t change Marybelle��s view even if he persuaded her, which was why he asked his younger sister for help instead. After all, she was the original Void Dragon who created the deity wardens and Marybelle would surely respect her to a certain extent. Upon hearing Rhode��s doubt, the younger sister shook her head helplessly and answered in a lowered voice.


    ��It won��t work even if I persuade her; Marybelle is just that serious of a person. It will be tough to make her change her mind.��


    How bothersome��


    Upon hearing the younger sister��s answer, Rhode knitted his brows. Even though he understood Marybelle��s concerns, he could never kill Lilian on his own. Besides, even if he couldn��t, he wouldn��t want others to do it either. Be it whether Lilian could be resurrected or not, anyone who did the dirty work would be under extreme psychological pressure.


    Rhode had also asked Stefania about it. The latter had some ideas, but rules were different in every world, which was why she couldn��t guarantee that her ideas would work. This was why Rhode could only give up the idea of taking the evil path and continue to think of other fitting means.


    ��Is there really no other way?��


    Sonia was clearly reluctant to accept this fact. She knitted her brows and gazed at Marybelle with some hostility. After being with Lilian for so long, Sonia completely treated Lilian as someone like a younger sister or daughter. It was due to this reason that she strongly objected to Marybelle��s suggestion, which was also why her tone of voice was filled with vague indifference and hostility. The rest noticed it, but they exchanged glances with one another and didn��t say a word.


    ��I think this is the best way.��


    Marybelle gazed at Lilian and said firmly.


    ��Never!��


    Upon hearing Marybelle��s answer, Sonia scampered toward Lilian and hid her from Marybelle��s line of sight. Even though there weren��t any changes in Sonia��s expression, her gaze was filled with obvious objection. Upon detecting Sonia��s hostility, Marybelle twitched her brow and extended her arm. Along with this movement, a small magic wand appeared in her hand. In response, Sonia��s face turned dark. She stretched out her arms and an illusory mirror appeared between them, reflecting a faint and blurry radiance.


    Looking at this scene, everyone was appalled. They didn��t expect to witness such a state of mutual hostility shortly after their return to the continent. Many of them knew about the deep relationship between Sonia and Lilian. If Marybelle were to lay hands on Lilian, Sonia would surely defend Lilian with all her life. There would be no room for compromise, not even when Rhode did the talking. On the other hand, Marybelle was also a stubborn person who trusted that everything she determined was right and that they must be carried through to the end. Anyone who stopped her was her enemy. Since Sonia defied her, she was basically an enemy of Marybelle now.


    ��You want to kill Her Majesty Lilian just because of one possibility? I cannot accept that, Miss Marybelle. If you��re uncertain of your chances, I would need to ask you to leave.��


    Sonia glared fiercely at the young lady before her. The silver-whitish, circular mirror in her hands emanated a faint radiance.


    ��It is by no means what I expected to see for a dragon soul heir to be eroded by Chaos. But just in case, we need to be prepared to face any possible unexpected situation. You can��t guarantee that no traces of Chaos will remain in the dragon soul heir behind you, can you?��


    Marybelle raised her magic wand gently, seemingly incomparably relaxed.


    ��You also can��t guarantee that traces of Chaos will remain in Her Majesty Lilian��s body, can you?��


    Sonia twitched his brows. She narrowed her eyes and stared at Marybelle.


    Everyone gazing at this scene were at their wits�� end. Sonia was determined to not let Marybelle lay a finger on Lilian, while Marybelle was resolute in doing so. No one expected things to turn into this stalemate in an instant. Alice and Marlene who stood at the side watched blankly. They were at a complete loss.


    ��Big Sister Marybelle, Big Sister Sonia. Please calm down.��


    At that moment, Christie let out a cough to gather their attention before stepping forward. Upon hearing her voice, Marybelle and Sonia shifted their gaze to Christie and each took a step back albeit maintaining their stance. This gave Rhode a huge headache. He didn��t expect Sonia to be this agitated. If he knew this would happen, he would have handled the situation himself. But now��


    ��Marybelle, do you really not have any other solutions?��


    The only thing Rhode could do now was to step forth and ask again. Facing his question, Marybelle shook her head.


    ��This is the safest method, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    ��Hmph, after all is said and done, the truth is that you aren��t capable enough.��


    Sonia lowered her gaze to the ground and mumbled under her breath. Even though her voice wasn��t loud and it sounded like she was soliloquizing, none of them present were ordinary beings so they naturally heard her grumbles. The crowd forced a smile and even Rhode was at a loss for words. A fight between women didn��t involve any logic and reasoning in the first place. Fortunately, this had nothing to do with Rhode. If not, he would have turned around and left immediately. He knew clearly that he would sink deeper if he were dragged into it. When that happened, he might be thoroughly out of luck if he mishandled the situation.


    ��Marybelle, is there really no other alternative?��


    At that moment, the young lady standing beside Rhode asked in a gentle voice. Her voice wasn��t loud, but it was clearly heard by everyone as though she were whispering into their ears. Upon hearing Rhode��s younger sister��s question, Marybelle pondered in silence. Even though Marybelle was stubborn, she wasn��t as emotionless as the original Marlene. If it were the original Marlene, this suggestion by Marybelle would definitely please her. Because theoretically speaking, this suggestion was the most practical and reliable to handle the situation. As for the fact that it would cause cracks among the group, the original Marlene wouldn��t give a damn. The feelings between people weren��t set rigidly in place, which made them far less important than a clear and rational plan. But now, the reincarnated Marlene naturally wouldn��t be as heartless as before, whereas Marybelle was only being stubborn. Upon hearing the original Void Dragon��s question, Marybelle couldn��t help but pucker her brow and reply.


    ��There is an alternative, but I think it will be more painful than killing her. That was why I didn��t bring it up.��


    ��What is it?��


    Upon hearing the possible alternative, Rhode asked hurriedly. Marybelle pondered for a few moments and eventually said.


    ��We can forcefully awaken and rinse Her Majesty Lilian��s spirit like a shower, before using the power of Order to cleanse her spirit. After I eliminate the presence of Chaos, the remaining of its traces and fragments inside her body and spirit will likely be eradicated. Even though ordinary dragon soul power is unable to be transmitted, both of you are the Void Dragons and the power of the void is able to contain the power of the other four Creator Dragons. So I suppose there shouldn��t be any issue if both of you act together.��


    ��Are there any side effects?��


    Rhode was taken aback. This method sounded much better than killing Lilian directly. But he realized that it wasn��t as simple as it sounded. If not, Marybelle wouldn��t have chosen to kill Lilian and not use this way to get rid of Chaos inside her body.


    ��Of course, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Marybelle twitched her brows and said.


    ��This will be an agonizing process because we will be cleansing Her Majesty Lilian entirely from her spirit to flesh. Her Majesty Lilian will be in unprecedented torment. It will be as though we are tearing off a layer of her rotten skin before beginning the treatment. If there is too much presence of Chaos remaining inside her body, it will undoubtedly be as though we are reconstructing her body from top to bottom and spirit to flesh. I��m sure not anyone would be able to tolerate the pain. If any accident were to happen, Her Majesty Lilian may have a mental breakdown from failing to handle the intense effects even if the cleansing is successful.��


    Marybelle said and shifted her gaze to Lilian who lay behind Sonia.


    ��I��m certain that the possibility of Her Majesty Lilian crumbling mentally to the agony is around 99 percent.��


    It was basically no different from 100 percent. If it weren��t for her ��better-to-be-safe-than-sorry�� attitude, perhaps she would have gambled on that one percent.


    ������


    After hearing her words, Rhode was speechless. If that was the case, what Marybelle decided earlier was better for Lilian as Lilian would be suffering much less. Even though Rhode didn��t experience the mentioned agony himself, he was sure that since Marybelle pledged in all seriousness and sincerity, most people would be unable to withstand the torment, not to mention a child like Lilian who wasn��t much stronger than most people mentally. If they were to adopt this method, it would mean letting Lilian suffer and the so-called mental breakdown would be no different from death itself��


    Even though Rhode could still kill Lilian and resurrect her into a card spirit if she was on the verge of mental breakdown, he clearly knew that the rationality of spirits had a close relationship to their mental health when they were alive. Taking the card spirits that he resurrected, for instance��they were mostly clear-headed when they were alive. If they were in a state of insanity while they were alive, they would remain crazy even after they were resurrected as card spirits. That was why if Lilian suffered the mental breakdown, she would still be a mentally-distraught card spirit even if Rhode resurrected her as a card spirit.


    In an instant, Rhode was torn between two choices. This situation was as though a person on Earth who had succumbed to brain death. Even though artificial life support could sustain that one��s life, the dead brain also signified that one was legally dead. Logically speaking, during such moments, it might be better to resort to euthanasia. But to one��s family, there was still hope as long as one was alive, where perhaps one might wake up from one��s sleep. Even if one was more dead than alive, the family would rather wait until one could no longer hang on.


    No one could determine if the decision made for such a situation was right or wrong, which was why euthanasia was widely debated on Earth. To outsiders, not only was putting one on artificial life support a waste of money, but it was also misspending time and misusing hospital resources. Moreover, the patient was also in constant pain, so they might as well end the torture forever. But to the family involved, there was hope as long as one was alive. Was there any difference from killing one when they agreed to euthanize their loved one?


    In the first place, there was no reasoning involved for such matters. The theory was correct, but even if it was right, it wouldn��t be fully accepted by everyone.


    And now, this was the tough decision that Rhode had to make. Indeed, if he killed Lilian just as Marybelle suggested, he could resurrect her painlessly after. Despite that, the most important thing now was whether he could get over the hurdle in his heart. On the other hand, if he didn��t kill her, she would continue to suffer in agony with an extremely low success rate. Meanwhile, he and the rest would be free from guilt and moral burden. But was it the best choice for Lilian?


    All in all, it is a question of selfishness.


    At this thought, Rhode knitted his brows. After pondering for a few moments, he eventually let out a sigh.


    ��How much time do we have left?��


    ��Based on the current situation, we have two days at the very most.��


    Marlene said, stepping forward to check on Lilian��s arm. Then, she spoke with a solemn expression.


    ��After two days, the power of Chaos will erode past Her Majesty Lilian��s arm. We thought of slashing off Her Majesty Lilian��s right arm before that happens. Even though it doesn��t sound like the best solution, at least we��re able to keep her alive. But now, it seems like���� Marlene shook her head and shifted her gaze to Marybelle. ���� our solution isn��t as useful anymore.��


    As a matter of fact, Marlene knew deep down that Marybelle was right; it was just that she couldn��t accept the fact.


    ������


    Rhode gazed at Lilian silently. There were only two methods to choose from now, but they were both tough choices. Rhode didn��t expect to face this situation right after his return. His good mood was long gone. But even so, he forced himself to calm down and said.


    ��Don��t worry. In this case, we��ll make our decision tomorrow�� If it doesn��t work out, we will tell Lilian the situation and let her decide her own fate.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s remark, everyone felt helpless. But they knew that perhaps this was the only way left.

 Chapter 1174 - Under the Dark Night Sky

    The Country of Darkness.


    Overlooking the boundless night sky of the nation, Erin couldn��t help but reveal a smile. Even though she didn��t like it here, the Country of Darkness was her home, after all. After roaming about for so long and finally returning home, this feeling was rather nostalgic. As the phrase ��there��s no place like home�� went, although the Country of Darkness was riddled with problems, this was her home, after all. This was the only place where she could relax completely.


    But��


    At this thought, Erin revealed a worried expression. As she flew her way back to the country, she witnessed several mobilizations of the undead creatures. She was concerned because judging from their direction, it was apparent that they were heading toward the border, which was obviously different from what Rhode had told her. As a matter of fact, Erin was also aware of Rhode��s dealing with the twin dragons. She didn��t think that her big brother would be that foolish to loot a burning house. But now, it seemed like her big brother had exceeded her expectations. Erin felt confused and furious at the same time. No matter what, Rhode went all the way to rescue her and yet, her big brother committed something like this behind their backs.


    Despite that, even though Erin was dissatisfied, she didn��t denounce her big brother��s crime. On the contrary, she headed to the castle situated in the Moon Forest just outside the Darkness Capital.


    The castle under the illuminating moonlight seemed as tranquil and picturesque as ever. This was one of the rarer locations in the Country of Darkness where undead creatures were non-existent. Erin had never favored the undead creatures. Although her big brother was the ruler of the Country of Darkness, he was a living being, after all, and also wasn��t favorable toward the lifeless undead creatures. That was why in Erin��s Moon Forest, dark elves and humans made up the majority of the population.


    ��Your Highness.��


    Upon witnessing Erin��s return, the dark elves who were guarding the place stooped over and bowed in reverence. Erin came to a halt and smiled at them in response, before turning around and headed to the entrance. Shortly after, a human servant scuttled over respectfully, opening the gate for her. It was only in Erin��s territory that humans and dark elves got along peacefully. If they were in another place, perhaps it would be an entirely different issue.


    They didn��t know where Erin had been to because this wasn��t the first time the moon princess ran around all over the place. Ion also didn��t go around announcing her disappearance and that was why most beings in the Country of Darkness weren��t aware that Erin had gone missing earlier. It was the same even for these guards and servants. They thought that the moon princess went away much longer this time and wasn��t too mindful.


    ��Hmm?��


    Shortly after, Erin realized something was wrong with the atmosphere. In the past, the Moon Castle was always in a peaceful quietness. Most of the servants were also dispassionate and calm. But now, they put up troubled expressions upon witnessing her return as though they had been on edge for a long time and finally relaxed after their strongest supporter was back. If it only happened to one or two of them, Erin would think that they might need her help for something. But almost everyone had the same expression. It was as though a castle being surrounded by heavily-armed soldiers finally witnessed the arrival of their reinforcements, giving them a chance to escape.


    ��Did something happen?��


    Erin couldn��t help but asked softly. Upon hearing her question, everyone displayed hesitant expressions. However, Erin held a high reputation in their hearts. Therefore, after being undecided for a few moments, one of the dark elves stepped forth, bowed respectfully, and answered in a lowered voice.


    ��Reporting, Your Highness. During this period of time, His Majesty Dark Dragon is�� expanding the armaments.��


    ��Expanding the armaments?��


    Upon hearing the report from her guard, Erin blinked curiously, unsure of why they were so concerned about it. It had always been this way for the Country of Darkness and expansion of armaments wasn��t rare. Upon realizing that Erin didn��t understand the meaning behind those words, the dark elf gnashed his teeth, hesitated for a few seconds, and embraced herself.


    ��This was what happened�� Your Highness. His Majesty Dark Dragon is turning living creatures into undead creatures. Right now, most of the living creatures residing around the Darkness Capital have been forcefully turned into undead creatures!��


    ��Huh?!��


    Erin turned ashen instantly. She came to halt and stared at her servants in bafflement. She couldn��t believe what the dark elf just said. As a matter of fact, it wasn��t uncommon for the Country of Darkness to turn living creatures into undead creatures. But this wasn��t in the interest of the Country of Darkness. First, due to the forceful conversion of living creatures into undead creatures, their strength would be weaker than ordinary undead creatures. Two, due to the loss of vitality after a living creature was dead, its undead spirit could fuse with the corpse, allowing it to turn into a perfect undead creature. That was why in the Country of Darkness, they would only awaken human corpses after the imprisoned humans were dead (of course, it was another matter as to how they died). They could only use the other method of killing the humans, before turning them into undead creatures at once. But this way, it would only make matters worse for the Country of Darkness. It was because undead creatures weren��t capable of reproduction, which was why they needed a race like humans with reproduction ability to replenish the manpower. But once all humans were killed, bad days would surely be ahead of the country.


    Even though undead creatures treated humans like livestocks, they should still keep a few of them for reproduction. As a matter of fact, humans weren��t actually livestocks, but were living creatures with their own thoughts. In the past, although the Country of Darkness treated them as slaves, at least most of them were allowed to live through their entire lives, which was also why they didn��t escape. But now with Ion doing this, he was outright forcing the living creatures to flee the country!


    Judging from the intense reaction from her guard, perhaps this time it wasn��t only the humans who were killed and dark elves were also involved in the disaster. If not, they wouldn��t have reported this matter to her. After all, humans were like cannon fodders to the dark elves. Even though they got along peacefully with humans in Erin��s territory, it didn��t mean that they treated humans as equal.


    ��What exactly happened? Why did Big Brother do something like this out of the blue?��


    The situation was unfathomable for Erin. Never did she expect her big brother to resort to something so peculiar. She was at a complete loss for words. What Ion was doing now was destroying the country��s foundation. If this news spread, perhaps the other races might have their own plans to leave the Country of Darkness. Right now in the Dragon Soul Continent, undead creatures could no longer rely on their past advantage to win wars. Erin thought that her big brother was a sensible person. Although the changes in Order in the Dragon Soul Continent brought upon a certain extent of influence to the Country of Darkness, the effects weren��t too huge, after all. As long as Ion made use of this opportunity to boost the strength of living races in the nation, it was possible for the Country of Darkness to match up against other countries. For instance, if they could reduce the number of casualties for a race like dark elves who had strong battle strength and a low fertility rate, resurrecting them after battles could turn them into sharp knives in the hands of the Country of Darkness, not even inferior to death knights.


    But now, Ion actually killed them to turn them into undead creatures?


    No wonder the dark elves were about to rebel. They had low fertility rate, in the first place, and if they were killed to turn into undead creatures, their race would definitely go extinct!


    Upon hearing Erin��s question, everyone hesitated and exchanged looks with one another. In the end, the dark elf who spoke earlier continued.


    ��About that�� Your Highness, you may not be aware since you��ve just returned. About half a month ago, His Majesty Dark Dragon sent out a legendary general to lead his army against the Void Territory.��


    ��What?!��


    Erin was flabbergasted. She stared at the dark elf and asked in a heavy voice.


    ��How did it go?��


    ���� Our army was annihilated. His Highness Charlie was killed in the war.��


    Even though Erin was mentally prepared for bad news, she felt dizzy after hearing it. She wasn��t surprised by the result of the war. During her days in Grandia, she sensed several beings who weren��t inferior to her, where even if the legendary generals turned out in full force, they would hardly be victorious. And now, Charlie died in the war. Two of the four legendary generals were dead. Balende was also injured��


    ��How are His Highness Balende and His Highness Garcia doing?��


    ��They����


    Facing Erin��s question, the dark elf had a hard time telling the truth. Erin��s heart sank upon noticing his reaction. She guessed that most likely something bad happened to them. And indeed, she received an answer that left her completely helpless.


    ���� I��m not too sure of the exact situation. But I heard rumors that when His Majesty Dark Dragon made the decision to turn living creatures into undead creatures, His Highness Balende and His Highness Garcia objected fiercely. But His Majesty Dark Dragon had no intention of hearing their persuasion and even locked up His Highness Balende. His Highness Garcia escaped to his territory and angered His Majesty Dark Dragon. Right now, His Majesty Dark Dragon is gathering troops to attack His Highness Garcia��s manor����


    ��I��m heading there now!��


    Erin couldn��t keep calm any longer. The joyous mood she had from returning home already vanished to nowhere. She didn��t expect so many upheavals during her absence in the Dragon Soul Continent. This was totally unimaginable. She couldn��t figure out what her big brother was thinking. Two of the four legendary generals were dead, one was locked up, and the last one was compelled to flee. The dark elves were now considering their decisions upon the situation. As for the humans, perhaps it was too late for the Country of Darkness to recover the situation. As for the undead creatures, although they were watching from the sidelines, no one knew what exactly would happen, not even Erin. But she was certain that if this continued, perhaps the Country of Darkness would crumble on its own without anyone attacking them.


    Erin couldn��t tolerate it any longer. She turned around and soared into the sky at a rapid pace.


    She didn��t head to the Darkness Capital immediately, but went around to the Eternal Night Island instead.


    The four legendary generals had their very own manors. Garcia��s manor was located in the Eternal Night Island. This was the largest gathering place for humans in the Country of Darkness. The Eternal Night Island was situated in the southwest sea of the Country of Darkness and the largest island in all of the nation��s territory.


    Erin had been there a few times and it was indeed different from other places in the Country of Darkness. Even though it was also under the safety of the dark dragon soul protection, it was more lively and energetic compared to the lifelessness of the undead creatures. That was why Erin loved going on a trip to this place occasionally.


    But now, the Eternal Night Island was unlike what she remembered. Blazing conflagrations surrounded every corner of the island, while sentries and gunboats enclosed the entire island. Looking at this scene, Erin couldn��t help but heave a sigh of relief. The legendary generals lived up to their names, after all, and weren��t easily trifled with. Upon witnessing that the Eternal Night Island wasn��t broken through yet, Erin felt somewhat assured and quickly descended.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Before she landed on the surface, storm-like arrows were released, enfolding her completely. But as a night wyvern, such an extent of attack wasn��t worthy of her attention at all. She stroked her right arm casually and the arrows scattered and landed on the platform instantly. Shortly after, a dozen heavily-armored soldiers crowded over and surrounded her.


    ��Hmm?��


    Upon noticing the soldiers, Erin was taken aback. She wasn��t astonished to see human guards here, but what stunned her was that she also witnessed a dozen death knights among them. But after some thoughts, Erin came to a realization that this was actually a rather normal situation. Balende was the commander of all death knights in the Country of Darkness, after all. Now that he was locked up, it wasn��t surprising that his men couldn��t put up with the mistreatment he received any longer.


    But��


    At this thought, Erin let out a sigh. It seemed like the situation was rather thorny.


    ��Pull back. It��s Her Highness, the Princess!��


    At that moment, a forceful, resonant voice reverberated. Then, a shadowy figure flitted across and Garcia appeared before everyone. He gazed at the surroundings, lowered his head, and bowed to Erin.


    ��Long time no see, Your Highness. I��m glad to see that you��ve returned in one piece.��


    ��What exactly happened, Your Highness Garcia?��


    Upon seeing Garcia��s arrival, Erin asked urgently. She decided to check with her big brother initially, but eventually decided to ask Garcia about the details first. After all, she knew how stubborn her big brother was and didn��t know where to begin to persuade him. Upon hearing her question, the instantly of Garcia��s gaze changed.


    ��Your Highness, when did you come back?��


    ��A few moments ago. I came back with Her Highness Lydia and His Majesty Rhode. I thought of heading to the Darkness Capital to check on the situation first, but didn��t expect to hear this news upon returning to the Moon Forest. That was why I rushed over here. What exactly is going on?��


    ��Phew����


    After hearing her response, Garcia let out a long sigh and waved his arm. Upon seeing his hand gesture, the guards dispersed. Until no one else was surrounding them, Garcia turned to Erin and said solemnly.


    ��Your Highness, you haven��t been to the Darkness Capital for a long time. Please pardon my rudeness, but I would like to ask you to not head back to the Darkness Capital no matter what!��


    ��Why?��


    Garcia��s words piqued Erin��s curiosity. The former pondered helplessly for a few moments. Then, he stooped over and said.


    ��To tell you the truth�� His Majesty Ion has�� gone crazy!��


    ��What?!��


    Erin was appalled. She widened her eyes in disbelief, staring at Garcia and seemingly unable to accept the truth of his words.


    ��You��re saying that Big Brother has really gone insane?��


    ��Yes, Your Highness. His Majesty Ion sent troops to attack the Void Territory earlier. But even with the absence of His Majesty Rhode, the Void Territory was equally as strong with the unprecedented and formidable strength of those young ladies. Charlie also died in the war. Thereafter, His Majesty Ion locked himself up, refusing to meet anyone. A few days later, he left the palace unannounced. We didn��t know what he was up to, but he has as though turned into a totally different person after his return, where he is only bent on eliminating the Void Territory. Not only did he begin to turn living creatures into undead creatures, but he also obtained a unique skill to strengthen the undead creatures. That was why he was motivated to attack the Void Territory again. Although Balende and I tried to persuade him to stop, His Majesty Ion doesn��t seem capable of listening to anyone. Not only did he lock up Balende, but he also dispatched troops to kill me. Fortunately, the instant I realized something was amiss, I left the Darkness Capital immediately. If not, maybe I would have ended up like Balende.��


    Garcia said and couldn��t help but force a chuckle filled with unspeakable sadness. The Country of Darkness had reached this extent where he couldn��t even let out a sigh anymore. He didn��t know what caused the insanity in Ion for him to actually do something like this.


    ��Besides�� judging from the intention of his words, it seems like this time, not only has he decided to attack the Void Territory, but he also wants to attack the Country of Light and Country of Law at the same time. We tried to stop him, but he�� Sigh����


    ��That really happened?��


    Erin��s expression turned dreadful. Of course, she knew how urgent the situation was, but didn��t expect it to be this grave. Not only was Ion about to attack the Void Territory, but he also wanted to lay hands on the Country of Law?


    But Rhode is already back! Based on his character, would he even let the Country of Darkness off if he learned about this?


    At this thought, Erin said anxiously.


    ��I��ll head to the Darkness Capital now to stop my big brother.��


    ��Your Highness!��


    Before Erin left, Garcia couldn��t help but exclaim in panic, discouraging her hurriedly.


    ��Please think twice. His Majesty Ion is acting really strange right now as though he is a totally different person. Besides, the Country of Darkness is riddled with problems. I urge you to not return to the Darkness Capital����


    ��Thanks for your kind reminder, Your Highness Garcia.��


    But before Garcia finished his sentence, Erin shook her head and interrupted.


    ��No matter what, he is my big brother and I must check on his situation. If�� anything were to happen, please send out men to inform His Majesty Rhode. I think�� perhaps His Majesty Rhode will have a way to stop him.��


    Erin said, turned toward the direction of the Void Territory, and withdrew her gaze.


    Then, she soared and disappeared into the night sky.

 Chapter 1175 - Trapped

    Erin gazed at the Darkness Capital and felt increasingly anxious. Before she arrived, she was more or less doubtful about Garcia��s words. She suspected that Garcia was over-exaggerating. But after she entered the Darkness Capital, she realized what he said was right. At a glance, the entire Darkness Capital was in pitch-blackness and clouded in a dangerous aura, where even the spiritual flames on the watchtowers were non-existent. In the past, the Darkness Capital felt just like a graveyard where it looked incredibly peaceful on the surface, but overflowing with undead aura on the inside. And now, the Darkness Capital was completely different, like a battlefield filled with a lifeless atmosphere. Such a feeling could only be felt in massacres. But now, Erin actually sensed murderous intent surrounding the Darkness Capital, which went to show just how many people died. She became increasingly concerned.


    Not only that, but Erin also discovered that the guards patrolling and defending the Darkness Capital were nowhere to be seen, be it on the city walls, streets, or plaza. The guards standing around the heavily-defended palace entrance also vanished. The gates were opened as though everyone had already fled, leaving behind an uninhabited city. But due to that reason, it made Erin feel even stranger. The contrast of the feeling of emptiness to the soaring undead aura made her heart palpitate with terror.


    ������


    Erin landed silently at the entrance of the palace, staring inside alertly. Under the illumination of blue spiritual flames, the corridor was so quiet as though there were no traces of people around. Despite that, the undead aura was incomparably dense and thick, pouncing on Erin��s face as though it were substantial. Erin couldn��t help but feel a shiver run down her spine. Her expression changed slightly and her eyes glinted in vigilance. She let out a sigh before entering the palace.


    Thud�� Thud�� Thud��


    The sound of footsteps echoed in the corridor crisply, but Erin��s heart sank deeper. She didn��t see any guards along the way. Usually there should have been someone greeting and welcoming her by now. But this time, no one showed up. Not only that, but after Erin let loose of her consciousness, she also discovered that no one was inside this huge palace, be it the living or the undead. In an instant, it gave Erin a misconception that she was abandoned by the world. She felt increasingly nervous but despite that, she sauntered in a calm pace, taking heavy steps as she headed to her big brother��s study room.


    As soon as Erin reached the study room, she twitched her brow and leaped back in retreat suddenly. At the same time, four spooky, shadowy figures appeared in front of her, stopping her path ahead.


    ��Who are you people?!��


    Gazing at the four shadowy figures, Erin couldn��t help but pucker her brow and shriek. She stared at the figures who didn��t seem any different from humans in terms of appearance. They wore luxurious costumes, but their white hair, blood-red eyes, and elf-like, pointy ears revealed their true identity.


    Vampires.


    Where did these vampires come from?


    At this thought, Erin��s expression remained unchanged albeit her focusing all her attention on them instantly. She knew her big brother had always detested vampires. Ion thought they were incapable and often stirred trouble behind his back. That was why vampires had a lower status in the Country of Darkness. Ion also wasn��t willing to let them get too close to him. But now, the vampires actually stood outside his study room and stopped Erin from entering?


    ��Apologies, Your Highness Erin.��


    One of the vampires said, revealing a gentlemanly smile.


    ��His Majesty Dark Dragon is handling important affairs now and is unable to meet anyone. Please wait for a moment.��


    ��Important affairs? Unable to meet anyone? Then why isn��t anyone around? Also, where are all the guards?��


    Upon hearing his words, Erin narrowed her eyes immediately. She sized up the vampires, and confirmed almost instantly that they weren��t descendants of large, ancient families. If not, she would have recognized them straight away. The four vampires looked young and unfamiliar to her�� If Erin weren��t certain that her big brother was powerful enough, she would have suspected that he was kidnapped or threatened by someone. But in the Dragon Soul Continent, there were only a handful of people who were stronger than her big brother, so it was impossible for that to happen. In the Country of Darkness, Erin refused to believe that anyone would dare to defy her big brother��s orders. It wasn��t due to the vast difference in strength for that to not happen, but due to the deep-rooted hierarchical power in the country instead. Even if Ion was powerless, he was still the Dark Dragon and no one dared to lay a hand on him. Of course, unless his powers were sealed off like Lilian��s had been, that basically was impossible.


    Facing Erin��s question, the four vampires smiled and didn��t answer.


    ��Please wait for the time being, Your Highness.��


    ��I came to report to Big Brother. Can��t you guys convey the message to him?��


    Looking at the four vampires�� expressions, Erin��s face darkened. She took a few steps forward, put her right hand on the statue of the dark dragon on the side, and glared at them. Even though she appeared stern, deep down she was startled because up until this moment, she couldn��t sense their presence. Although they clearly stood before her, she just couldn��t sense their presence apart from the information perceived from her vision, which was really unusual. Vampires were undead creatures with the densest undead aura. But the four vampires standing before her didn��t exude any undead aura at all, which baffled Erin greatly. She swept glances to the surroundings before shifting her gaze forward and to the ground.


    Upon hearing her command, the four vampires remained silent with smiles across their faces. But at the next moment, their expressions changed dramatically.


    The instant Erin looked at the ground, she swung up her drooping left arm all of a sudden. In the blink of an eye, an exquisite sword appeared in her hand, slashing down from above. Along with this movement, dozens of biting-cold blade airwaves exploded like a bud blooming in all directions with Erin in the middle.


    ��Argh!��


    In a series of blood-curdling screams, a shadowy figure leaped back from behind her. At the same time, Erin turned around, flipped her left wrist around, and pointed at the fleeing target with the shimmering blade. Shortly after, a dozen blade lights shot forward as though they were attracted by an unknown force. In the blink of an eye, the shadowy figure was devoured by the blade airwaves, letting out deafening screeches as pitch-black, filthy blood splashed. Then, the shadowy figure died a horrible death.


    ��What do you think you��re doing?!��


    After Erin flourished the sword, she retreated immediately and glared at the four of them. Erin attacked blindly earlier because she detected a shadow flitting behind her. That was why she struck first to gain the initiative and it seemed like her decision was right. If she didn��t beat that figure to the draw, who knew what would have happened!


    ��We just want you to wait for a moment, Your Highness. His Majesty Dark Dragon is busy right now and isn��t available to meet you. Please keep calm.��


    Although the vampire sounded calm, Erin noticed the restlessness in his tone. She leaned against the wall, wielding the sword in her left hand and scanning the surroundings. As she expected, a dozen figures appeared around her, blocking off her retreat. Erin also discovered several lichs among them.


    ��You guys are audacious!��


    Looking at this scene, Erin yelled and raised her right arm. Along with this movement, a dazzling magical radiance coalesced around her, metamorphosing into a blinding light beam that burst ahead. None of the beings expected this quick attack from her and were flustered for an instant. In a series of loud explosions, the sleek, marble corridor became completely tattered by the bombardment. The violent airflows dispersed, resisting the beings who were trying to stop Erin. Erin shifted her gaze away and dashed toward the door in a trail of afterimages.


    Swish!


    Right before Erin left, the tightly-sealed door shattered abruptly and a pitch-black ray of light shot toward her from the back. Facing this ambush, Erin turned around swiftly, raising the sword in her hand and slashing it backward.


    Her razor-sharp blade clashed with a pitch-black ray of light.


    Clang!


    The deep, thunderous impact sounded, shaking the ground violently. Erin stood quietly in the middle of the corridor. On her left and right, the sleek marble floor and walls were smashed to pieces by that formidable black energy. But Erin made light of the situation. She widened her eyes and gazed cautiously at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure strolling out of that tattered door.


    ��Big Brother����


    Ion didn��t seem to hear her calling. He swept a glance at Erin before turning coldly to one of the vampires at the side.


    ��Didn��t I ask you to stop her?��


    ��Apologies, I����


    Pfff!


    Before the vampire finished his sentence, Ion extended his arm abruptly and smashed the vampire��s skull into bits. The headless corpse swayed left to right, before crumpling to the ground and turning into ashes that disappeared into thin air. Ion didn��t seem to mind at all. He didn��t even bother to look at the vampire and let out a snort.


    ��Worthless.��


    Ion grunted, lifted his head to look at Erin, and displayed a gentle smile.


    ��Come here, Erin. Let me have a good look at you.��


    ��Big Brother, what exactly is going on?��


    If it were in the past, Erin would be delighted to witness Ion��s smile. But now, she shivered from head to toe because even though Ion was smiling, his eyes were ice-cold. That wasn��t a form of disguise, but was as though he didn��t know what he was doing instead. This strong contrast instinctively made Erin feel an unprecedented threat. She thought Garcia was over exaggerating earlier. But now, she was certain that there was something wrong with her big brother��s consciousness.


    ��What are you talking about? Come here, Erin. Let me have a good look at you. Where have you been to? Share with me.��


    ���� I will tell you about it when the time is right. Right now, I��m more curious about what you��ve been doing all this while, Big Brother. I heard the happenings from His Highness Garcia�� So why did you do that, Big Brother?��


    ��Ha, ha.��


    Ion laughed at her question and shook his head. Then, he looked at Erin with a gentle expression and repeated.


    ��Come here, Erin. Let me have a good look at you. Where have you been to? Share with me.��


    ��B-Big Brother��?��


    ��Come here, Erin. Tell me�� This is an order! Get over here right now and tell me where you��ve been to! Now!��


    Boom!


    Along with Ion��s insane snarls, he raised his arm suddenly. Erin sensed an unparalleled force brushing past her and smashing onto the wall beside her. At that moment, Ion had lost the peculiar smile completely, only to be replaced by a twisted, malevolent, and furious expression. It was as though it wasn��t his younger sister standing before him, but his father��s murderer instead. Upon looking at his gaze, Erin couldn��t help but shudder. Then, upon realizing something, she evaded to the side. A few seconds later, a dark column of light descended from above, blasting the spot where she stood earlier.


    ��Erin, I told you to come here��!�� Ion��s eyes were bloodshot. He gnashed his teeth and raised both arms, snarling crazily at the young lady. ���� If you don��t�� then go to hell�� You��re disobedient! You��re not my younger sister! I need to find my younger sister!��


    ��Big Brother!��


    At that moment, Erin knew that anything she said would not go into his head. Facing this strange Dark Dragon, she was at a complete loss. She thought Ion would have a nice discussion with her. But now, he seemed just like an insane person!


    In this situation, perhaps nothing I say will get into his head!


    At this thought, Erin turned grim, before darting toward the outside.


    ��Capture her! Kill her! I need to purify her and turn her into my younger sister!��


    ��Oooooh!��


    Along with Ion��s bellows, thousands of undead creatures appeared from the shadows suddenly, letting out high-pitched, terrifying screams and pouncing on the young lady. Looking at this scene, Erin gritted her teeth and swung the blade in her hand abruptly. The blade rays flickered in a shimmering brilliance, slashing the undead creatures that encircled her into halves.


    But this was only the start.


    ��Siad!��


    Along with a hoarse chant, spells filled with undead auras penetrated the gaps, aiming straight at Erin. Her expression sank. She waved her right arm and in a vociferous explosion, powerful gusts of wind erupted, turning into a barrier that deflected the spells in all direction. In an instant, the explosions enfolded the entire palace. Smoke and dust dispersed, shrouding everyone��s vision. At the same time, Erin��s expression changed abruptly. A few moments ago, when she clashed with the attackers, she sensed an absolutely familiar presence in the undead creatures�� spiritual powers! Erin hesitated no more. She darted toward the statue on the side. A blade ray flashed and immediately after, blood spurted out from her right wrist, splashing on a statue that was fortunate to not be destroyed. The instant her blood spattered on it, the statue distorted and a dark cave appeared from it. Without any hesitation, Erin dove right into it and vanished into the darkness.


    As soon as the smoke and dust dispersed, Erin was no longer around. Looking at this scene, Ion��s fanatical grin twisted and turned as he glared at the uninhabited place. After a few moments, he swung his arm abruptly.


    ��Nasui!��


    Along with his growl, the entire palace became pitch-black. The spiritual flames that lit up the corridor had extinguished entirely. In an instant, everything was enveloped in darkness, leaving only the scarlet eyes of undead creatures emanating from the shadows. At that moment, Ion laid down both arms slowly.


    ��Search for her! She is still in the palace! Capture her! Kill her! I want to turn her into my younger sister again!��


    Even though Ion��s words weren��t methodical, the undead creatures seemed to understand what he meant. Shortly after, the scarlet eyes in the black background vanished gradually, blending into the darkness and disappearing from sight.

 Chapter 1176 - A Tough Spot

    Erin looked on helplessly at the boundless darkness shrouding the place. Then, she let out a powerless sigh.


    ��Looks like I can��t escape now.��


    As she soliloquized, she turned to the surroundings. The spiritual flames meant to brighten the place were completely devoured by the darkness. At a glance, everything was in complete darkness. But Erin clearly knew that this wasn��t ordinary darkness, but the ultimate defense of the Darkness Capital activated by her big brother instead. This was the effects of the Dark Curtain, the ultimate defensive enchanted field set up during the establishment of the Darkness Capital. As soon as this enchanted field was activated, endless darkness would envelop the entire palace without any presence of light.


    No one can enter or leave until the enchanted field is deactivated��


    At this thought, Erin let out a subtle sigh. It seemed like her big brother had indeed sunk into insanity as he even activated the ultimate enchanted field. Of course, Erin knew that this was meant for him to capture her. But how could he act so recklessly just to capture her? If it weren��t for his mighty dragon��s prestige, Erin would have thought that he was a fake. If not, why would he do something so crazy?


    But now, it was pointless to think about it any further. As a matter of fact, Erin also faintly realized why her big brother became like this because when facing the ambush of the undead creatures earlier, she sensed a familiar presence. It was something she had been facing throughout this time: the twisted Chaos that was born in the world named Earth.


    It was due to this reason that upon realizing that something was wrong, Erin��s first reaction was to flee. She knew better than anyone the consequences of being contaminated by Chaos. That was why she decisively used her blood to activate the emergency escape route hidden inside the palace and hid into it. And now�� she was inside it.


    I wonder if this escape route is enough to hide away from Big Brother��s search��


    At this thought, Erin stretched out her right arm and gestured with her hand. A bright radiance flashed beside her, turning into a dark, murky bracelet that fitted over her wrist. As soon as the bracelet appeared, Erin��s aura dwindled instantly. Erin had to resort to this since she was a twin of her big brother. If she didn��t do it to mask her aura, she would be tracked by him and captured in minutes. Although this ��Forbidden Magic Bracelet�� would also suppress her spiritual powers while sealing off her aura, there wouldn��t be any issues with her battle strength�� Yes�� even though she now possessed the strength of her human form, she was still much more powerful than ordinary humans, so there shouldn��t be any issues.


    Erin extended her arm, gripped the sword beside her, and trotted forward.


    Although it was pitch-black ahead, when one was at her level, one could basically see without the presence of light. It was apparent that she was currently inside an old escape route. The escape routes in the Darkness Capital were different from the ones in other places. Back then, in order to prevent being wiped out entirely, the ancients opened up a teleportation channel that could send out one person at a time to one of the escape routes randomly. It was also meant to avoid being chased by pursuing troops. As all the escape routes were unlinked, there were no concerns about encountering them. This was also why Erin felt so assured. The escape routes extended in all directions, connecting the entire Darkness Capital. It was impossible for Ion to search for her even if he upturned the place. Unless he upturned the Darkness Capital, he could forget about finding her.


    I wonder if the Dark Curtain enchanted field will stop my retreat.


    Harboring some concerns in her mind, Erin sprinted ahead. Although she hadn��t been to any of the escape routes before, the escape routes were engraved with symbols and texts only recognizable by the dragon race. That was why Erin could effortlessly find the exit.


    But this escape route sure is long��


    As she proceeded, she became increasingly curious. The deeper she traveled, the more run-down the path was and the patterns on them gradually showed up in a more ancient and traditional style. Besides, she also found out that as she walked further, the path started to slant as though it was leading underground. But even so, she didn��t slow down her pace. Although she loved archeology, it wasn��t the right time for her to admire those ancient murals. If the pursuing troops sent by her big brother caught up with her, she would be in big trouble. The fact that even her big brother failed to resist the erosion of Chaos made her worry if she could withstand it. No matter what, there would be hope as long as she left this place.


    Erin darted across the pitch-black tunnel. She was so quick that her footsteps couldn��t be heard. As the princess of the Country of Darkness, it went without saying that she knew how capable the pursuits of the undead creatures were. They never relied upon their eyes to lock onto their prey, but exploited the spiritual auras and sounds instead. Even though Erin was in the underground tunnel right now, the Darkness Capital had specialized facilities to monitor sounds in the underground. If she weren��t careful enough, she might be discovered easily.


    Huh?


    While Erin dashed across the tunnel, she suddenly slowed down her pace and came to a halt silently like a ghost. She knitted her brows and stared ahead alertly. She sensed a presence hiding in the corner ahead.


    Could it be that Big Brother��s pursuing troops have discovered and decided to surround me?


    At this thought, Erin��s heart sank slightly. But she shook her head in denial. If they were the same undead creatures around her big brother, she would have been sure of that. In the battle earlier, this was the point that startled her. Although she was surrounded by so many undead creatures, she couldn��t detect their presence even if she closed her eyes. In a battle against such bothersome enemies, it was simply too dangerous for her. On the contrary, the undead creatures ahead seemed to be ordinary undead creatures. She also sensed the pure undead aura being released from them just like most undead creatures in the Country of Darkness.


    Could it be there are secret guards even in these escape routes?


    Erin pondered, but couldn��t reach a conclusion. She knew about the existence of the escape routes from reading the dragon race��s records. However, none of them wrote about guards defending the escape routes. If they were truly secret guards, they would be a beneficial force for her. But�� safety was her top priority. Erin gripped the sword and proceeded ahead.


    One step, two steps, and three steps. Erin held her breath and gazed vigilantly at the corner of the tunnel. The presence didn��t seem to notice her as it stood on the spot. Meanwhile, Erin continued to hold her breath and squinted at it like an elegant cheetah about to pounce on its prey. She stretched her body taut and padded forward. Then��


    Shing������!


    In an almost inaudible sound that broke the air barrier, Erin swung and repositioned her sword before dashing forward, stabbing at the corner toward the wall. Almost at the same time, she fused as one with the shimmering blade light. Before the target responded, the tip of her blade had arrived at its throat.


    ��Don��t move.��


    Erin said softly, staring at the pair of shocked, wide-open scarlet eyes. After confirming the unknown presence��s identity, Erin became more nervous instead. Because the scarlet eyes only proved one thing. The unknown presence was��


    ���� Angelina?��


    Erin widened her eyes, gazing at the terrified young lady who didn��t dare to budge. Erin couldn��t be more familiar with this young lady. After all, during her stay in the Void Territory, it was Angelina who attended and looked after her. It was due to this reason that when Erin saw Angelina, the first thought that came into her mind was whether she was struck by an illusionary spell.


    ���� Why are you here?��


    ��Y-Your Highness����


    Upon hearing Erin��s curious question, Angelina put up an awkward expression and her eyes wandered away. She was completely speechless. Looking at her reaction, Erin knew that something must be up. But now, having a familiar person accompanying her was much better than her being alone, which helped to relax her tension. More importantly, Erin didn��t sense the annoying presence of Chaos, which proved that this young lady was safe to be with.


    (�� Alright, stop talking.)


    As Angelina was about to speak, Erin shook her finger and interrupted, staring at the pair of scarlet eyes. She waved her hand gently, put away her sword silently, and gestured to the surroundings. Angelina understood what she meant and nodded gently in response. Shortly after, Angelina��s voice rang inside Erin��s head.


    (Your Highness, you��re back.)


    (Yes, I just returned. His Majesty Rhode and the rest also came back in one piece.)


    (His Majesty Rhode is back?)


    (Yes, but come to think of it�� What are you doing here?)


    (��)


    Facing Erin��s smiley gaze, Angelina pondered in silence before lowering her head awkwardly.


    (I�� followed Madam Marlene��s orders to scout out this place��)


    Upon hearing her answer, Erin smiled and finally understood why Angelina felt so awkward upon meeting her. In the past, Angelina was a national of the Country of Darkness, But now, she had become the spy of the Void Territory and returned to the Country of Darkness to probe for intelligence, only to coincidentally meet the princess. It was impossible for her to not feel awkward in this situation. However, Erin wasn��t bothered at all. Instead, she happened to need Angelina��s assistance now.


    (Angelina, can you tell me what happened recently?)


    (Your Highness?)


    Upon hearing Erin��s question, Angelina was wide-eyed as she gazed oddly at the young lady. It was apparent that Angelina was rather hesitant of whether she should reveal the intelligence she gathered. Facing Angelina��s gaze, Erin nodded with a heavy expression.


    (Please. The Country of Darkness is in a terrible state right now. Besides, if I��m not wrong, Chaos is also involved. The situation is worsening by the minute now. I suspect Big Brother is also eroded by Chaos, which is why I need your help, Angelina.)


    (�� Alright then, Your Highness.)


    As soon as Angelina heard that the situation might possibly be related to Chaos, her eyes glinted. Then, she hesitated for a moment and eventually nodded in agreement to tell everything she witnessed to Erin.


    Just like Angelina mentioned, she came to the Darkness Capital following Marlene��s orders. After the Country of Darkness invaded the Void Territory��s border again, Marlene and Alice believed that it was necessary to send someone to gather information about the Country of Darkness and find out what exactly was going on. As Angelina was the highest-ranked and most experienced undead creature in the Void Territory, she naturally became the best candidate for the job and was selected. Of course, Angelina didn��t mind at all. After all, Ashvril was already dead, while the vampire forces went different ways. She also possessed the power for self-defense and was familiar with the rules of the undead creatures. Sneaking into the Darkness Capital wasn��t a challenge for her, which was why she arrived at the Darkness Capital and began to collect intelligence.


    It was due to this that she witnessed all of Ion��s actions, which gave her a huge fright. Just like Erin, Angelina didn��t expect the Dark Dragon to have this crazy side of him. Not only that, but Angelina also discovered something stranger as a vampire: Ion had uncharacteristically promoted the vampires and made them his personal guards!


    Of course, Angelina knew that vampires held a low status in the Dark Dragon��s perspective, which was why this unusual move piqued her curiosity. If another race were chosen to become the Dark Dragon��s personal guards, perhaps Angelina would have a harder time sneaking into the palace. As a descendant of the most ancient vampires, Angelina��s ability to sneak into enemy grounds was simply at too high of a level to be spotted.


    Shortly after, Angelina discovered the secrets within.


    (You��re saying that Big Brother is creating vampires on a large-scale?!)


    Erin couldn��t help but widen her eyes in astonishment, gazing at Angelina. Meanwhile, Angelina nodded with a dark expression.


    (That��s right, Your Highness. It isn��t easy to produce descendants of vampires. It isn��t as simple as a vampire sucking the blood of a victim and the victim turning into a vampire. The victim with their blood sucked will turn into a ghoul after death. Unless the victim possesses unique skills that allows them to be awakened after their blood is sucked, they will just turn into ghouls. In order to create vampire descendants, our life essence needs to be coalesced and concentrated, before placing it into one��s body like growing a plant, and only then will one turn into a vampire. But I don��t know what method His Majesty Ion used to change everything. He injected a mysterious black blood into the vampires and as soon as the vampires bit one in the neck, one turned into a vampire completely!)


    The situation became much simpler later. Angelina yearned to find out the secret about the black blood and hard work came to those who waited. She eventually found some clues, but was also discovered as a result. Upon realizing that she raised some suspicions, she sneaked away quickly. However, the other party carried out a seizing operation. Angelina, with her back against the wall, had no choice but to flee into an abandoned well inside the palace. In the end, she was washed away by the watercourse and for an unknown period of time. When she came to, she found herself in this run-down underground path. Angelina thought of leaving this place, but it was a pity that she couldn��t understand the text and symbols of the dragons along the walls. As a result, she spent half a day running about and couldn��t find the exit. Not only that, but she was also caught in several traps and almost lost her life. As a last resort, she chose to deploy the silliest and simplest solution: wait for Rhode��s return to summon her back to safety. Since she was a vampire, she could go without food for a year and a half. But if she were captured by those dark, mysterious fellows, she would surely be facing an imminent catastrophe.


    (Black, mysterious fellows?)


    (Yes, Your Highness. They have been by His Majesty Ion��s side and are wrapped in black robes from top to bottom. I don��t know who exactly they were, but I think they are definitely not living beings or undeads�� All in all, they are responsible for the modification of vampires. I saw it for myself��) Angelina couldn��t help but feel a chill run down her spine. She couldn��t forget that scene. The majestic vampires were hung on the metal hooks with their mouth wide-open like lambs waiting to be slaughtered. The black-robed beings held a bottle of strange potion in their hands and forced the liquid down the throat of the vampires. After consuming the potion, the vampires howled in anguish and their entire body twitched violently. Then, they turned into even more dangerous and berserk beings.


    (Aren��t they undead creatures?)


    (I don��t think they are. At least from what I remember, I have never seen anything like them in the Country of Darkness, ever.)


    Angelina was certain about that. Upon hearing her words, Erin nodded slightly.


    It seems like Big Brother is undoubtedly in trouble.


    (Alright, let��s proceed first. I more or less understand the symbols here. If I��m not wrong, as long as we head straight, we will reach the exit.)


    ���� There?��


    Erin pointed her finger forward, but Angelina was taken aback. The latter wore a troubled look.


    (Your Highness, are you sure?)


    (�� Is anything the problem?)


    (There isn��t a problem for me, but��)


    Angelina said, but gazed hesitantly at the pitch-black tunnel ahead.


    (�� A lunatic��s over there��)

 Chapter 1177 - Specter Swordsman

    According to Angelina, the path that Erin pointed at led to a stone door, which Angelina discovered by accident. Angelina thought she was so lucky for finding the exit so soon, but was utterly disappointed at the very next moment. Because when she was about to open the door, a specter shuttled out of it suddenly, raised its sword, and slashed at her. In the beginning, Angelina thought she was strong enough to defeat the enemy, only to realize the enemy was too powerful, and Angelina��s spirit was almost pulled out of her body. After constant struggles, Angelina left this ridiculous place immediately and had no intention of heading back. She couldn��t communicate with the specter either. Whenever she spoke, the specter acted as though it didn��t hear her and flourished its blade at her like a lunatic! Thanks to that, Angelina scrambled in ignominious defeat and almost lost her life. It was due to this reason that Angelina cursed that insane specter in front of Erin. Angelina deemed the specter as irrational, foolish, and idiotic, where its brain was full of muscle and it couldn��t do anything else apart from fighting.


    Of course, among all the possible reasons, Angelina didn��t know if the specter was simply venting its anger.


    Despite the complaints, Angelina and Erin were calm to the possible appearance of that specter. In the Country of Darkness, it was par for the course to use specters to watch over important channels, facilities, and treasures. That was why Erin wasn��t surprised that one was here. On the contrary, this also proved to her that the path ahead would indeed lead them to the exit. Perhaps the reason why it attacked Angelina was that it recognized her as not being one from the royal family. This wasn��t a rare occurrence, especially in tunnels where only royal family members could enter. As soon as any outsiders arrived, it couldn��t be helped that the specter would eliminate them swiftly.


    After making her decision, Erin led Angelina ahead. Shortly after, they passed through the tunnel and arrived at the stone door that Angelina mentioned.


    ��How strange����


    Standing on the bluestone brick floor and gazing at the stone door, Erin knitted her brows. The stone door wasn��t considerably tall and was only about two meters wide like ordinary ones. But what left Erin doubtful was the patterns engraved on it. She thought the patterns should be the same as the ones earlier, where only the dragon race could understand. But after taking a closer look, Erin discovered it was completely different than she had expected. Not only were they not in traditional patterns recognizable by the dragon race, but the texts were also entirely different. Despite that, Erin felt like she had seen the patterns somewhere in the past��


    It feels so familiar��


    At this thought, Erin twitched her brows.


    That��s right, there were similar patterns in that palace on Earth. Could this be a product of that era?


    (Angelina, can you contact His Majesty Rhode?)


    At this thought, Erin took half a step back and communicated with Angelina using telepathy. Upon hearing Erin��s question, Angelina shook her head depressingly.


    (I can��t, Your Highness Erin. I tried and even though it should work�� something seems to be blocking off my spiritual communication with Master.)


    Seems like the Dark Curtain��s the culprit.


    Upon hearing Angelina��s answer, Erin let out an inward sigh deep down. This unique trip away from home made her understand a lot of secrets about the Dragon Soul Continent, so she more or less had some judgment about the things around her now. That was why she hoped that Angelina could contact Rhode to perhaps give her some suggestions. But now that it was impossible, she could only rely upon herself. Erin lifted her head and scanned the surroundings. The lunatic that Angelina mentioned didn��t show up yet. Erin wondered where it was hiding right now. She stepped toward the stone door and extended her hand.


    Swish!


    At the next moment, Erin stepped back quickly, while strands of her cut hair flew in the breeze. The moon princess turned around silently and drew a distance apart from the stone door. She gripped the sword in her right hand, staring alertly in front of her. At the same time, an apathetic and lucid specter drifted out of the stone door.


    The specter looked like a young lady of 16 years old. She wore a thin, cicada wing-like dress. Her green, silky hair floated in the windless air. Along with her movement, glitters of spiritual light emanated and encircled her. Her elegant and refined face had no expression as though she were a statue. Her bright green eyes were as ice-cold as a pool of water, reflecting a disturbing and chilling light. Gazing at Erin, the young lady didn��t say a word, but extended and waved her hand forward instead.


    At a glance, the young lady��s action seemed meaningless because Erin had already drawn a distance of around 4 meters apart from her. But along with this action, Erin grimaced. She raised her sword, placing her left palm on the blade and sliding to the side immediately.


    Clang!


    Loud rasps rang instantly, while a series of sparks flew out of Erin��s blade. She stood slantingly, posturing with the sword in her hand. Along with this movement, dazzling blade rays emanated in the pitch-blackness. In an instant, the flickering lights were as glaring as lightning, illuminating the dark world in complete whiteness. Erin seized the opportunity and dashed ahead. Her sword metamorphosed into a curtain of blade rays, striking at the young lady!


    (Your Highness Erin, be careful. This lunatic is wielding a shapeless sword!)


    As soon as Erin heard Angelina��s warning, the former felt a gentle flow of blade winds brushing her ear. She flipped around without any hesitation, drawing blade arcs in midair continuously. Along with this swift movement, bright lights flickered from her blade. In an instant, the entire world was filled with a glaring brilliance, followed by the ringing of collision.


    (Go to hell, you bast*rd!)


    After the clash between Erin and the specter young lady yielded no result, Angelina who lurked in the darkness pounced over instantly. Her hands twinkled in a subtle red glow, striking at the back of the specter young lady silently. This time, Angelina was merciless. During her time in this escape route, she was beaten up by this specter whenever she got close, causing her to sneak away in humiliation every time. If it weren��t for her identity as a vampire and her inheriting the power of the first ancestors, perhaps she would have died a lot of times by now. It was due to this reason that Angelina bore a massive grudge against this young lady. Now that she had this perfect chance to ambush her, she wouldn��t let it go to waste!


    Since vampire was a synonym to treacherous and shameless, there wasn��t anything wrong with ambushing!


    The moment Angelina��s hands almost penetrated the specter, the latter turned around suddenly and swept a glance at the former. Upon detecting the specter��s gaze, Angelina��s hair stood upright. Using her experiences in battling against this specter, Angelina adjusted her movements instinctively. She withdrew her extended arms and placed them before her chest to defend herself. The specter��s attack left the petite vampire retreating abruptly.


    ��Argh!��


    Even though Angelina thought she was completely prepared for this attack, the ensuing pain made her realize that she underestimated the situation. The powerful impact threw her aside ruthlessly as she crashed into the ground. When she stood to her feet again, a ghastly and bloody wound had appeared on her fair, slender arm. If Angelina didn��t use her power to protect herself instinctively, perhaps this slash of the blade would have been enough to severe her head!


    ��This bast*rd!��


    Gazing at her arm that was hacked off from its bone, Angelina gnashed her teeth. But she wasn��t in the mood to blow her top anymore. This wasn��t the first time she suffered like this. Back then, Angelina didn��t expect the specter to attack her. As a result, the specter chopped off her limbs effortlessly like tofu, leaving Angelina raging and swearing. She struggled and rolled on the ground to reattach her limbs with great difficulty. She thought of seeking revenge, but the results were the same every time, where she either lost an arm or a leg. There was once when the specter had even slashed her head off. Those were some really terrible memories for Angelina.


    And over time, she had gotten used to it.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    But it was a pity that Angelina��s tragic state didn��t garner the attention of Erin and the specter young lady. At that moment, they were glaring sternly at each other. Erin waved her sword gently like a fluttering butterfly, metamorphosing into streaks of beautiful arcs that swayed in midair. At a glance, the blade arcs looked like they were dancing lightly and gracefully. But the flashing sword lights and sparks proved that Erin wasn��t brandishing her sword at nothing.


    On the other side, the specter young lady maneuvered in midair, as light as a feather. There were no drastic movements from her, but her right arm moved up and down from time to time. What astonished Erin more was that the moving arm seemed so slow, but the speed about her wrist was so fast that it was hard to discern, where not even Angelina could clearly witness the movement of the five glowing and slender fingers. Along with the specter��s action, Erin picked up her pace with her sword. She stared grimly at the specter as her sword constantly trembled and twisted as it slashed the air. Then��


    Clang��!


    In a loud collision, the specter young lady retreated quickly this time. The spiritual flames emanated from her cyan eyes dimmed greatly. Without any hesitation, Erin seized the opportunity and dashed, extending her left hand forward. The sword that she gripped in her right hand appeared on the left out of the blue. Then, she slashed a blinding blade of light.


    It resembled a full moon: pure, soft, and fascinating.


    The blade descended from above, sending a circular arc forward. Facing this all-out attack from Erin, the specter young lady revealed an unprecedented, imposing look in her eyes. She extended her right hand gradually, clenched her fist, and held the invisible sword before her. At the next moment, the attack of a formidable crescent landed.


    Clang������!


    The clash of swords was so loud that it brought along unprecedented seismic waves to the surroundings. Angelina��s vision blurred instantly. She took a few steps back dizzily and only barely returning to her senses after a few moments. The specter young lady apparently couldn��t resist this assault from Erin. She drifted back like a piece of paper, before landing on the ground powerlessly. Spiritual light dust scattered from her, making her seemingly even thinner.


    (That��s Her Highness Erin for you! Is she done for?)


    Looking at this scene, Angelina let down her guard and ran over hurriedly, gazing at the young lady and rejoicing in the joy of her misfortune. Angelina wasn��t worried about Erin being unable to deal with that annoying fellow. Erin wasn��t called the moon princess for nothing. She definitely wouldn��t have any issue dealing with a specter. Upon hearing Angelina��s question, Erin shook her head.


    (No, I didn��t kill her. She is powerful, but I took advantage of the fact that she has been here for a long time and didn��t get to replenish her spiritual power. If she weren��t this weak, perhaps we would be 50-50 in terms of sword skills.)


    Erin told the truth unabashedly. The invisible sword was indeed a huge trouble. Erin initially thought of relying upon her ability to gauge the length of the sword, but during the battle she was surprised that the sword shrunk and extended along with the holder��s emotions. It became as long as 30 meters and even as short as one meter. Despite that, the specter��s sword skills were limited. Normally, even if Erin were to wield an extendable sword, it would still be tough for her to put it to good use. But in the hands of the specter, the sword was as though an extension of her. The specter struck at Erin��s weaknesses smoothly. If it weren��t for the fact that Erin was powerful and the specter��s power had declined by a lot, perhaps Erin wouldn��t have won.


    But now, it seemed like the trouble was resolved.


    Rumbles��


    At that moment, the sealed stone door opened gradually. Looking at this scene, Erin and Angelina couldn��t help but heave sigh of relief and scurry toward it. If Erin weren��t wrong, this should be the exit of the escape route.


    As soon as we leave this place, we can escape the Darkness Capital!


    As soon as we leave this place��


    Leave this place��


    ��


    Angelina and Erin gazed at the scenery ahead silently. After a few moments, Angelina turned to Erin hesitantly who stood beside her.


    (Your Highness Erin, this doesn��t look like the exit��)


    What stood before them wasn��t the exit they imagined, but a hidden chamber with its surroundings sealed off instead, and there didn��t seem to be any way out. A cyan stele was erected in the middle, with a translucent sword emanating a cyan radiance inside it. It was apparent that no matter from where they looked, this wasn��t the exit that they anticipated. It was simply a hidden chamber for storing precious treasures instead. But now, treasures were the least of their concerns!


    (This really isn��t the exit��)


    After scanning the place, Erin nodded helplessly. She didn��t find any symbols of the dragon race either. This hidden chamber seemed like a product from ancient times. Since this wasn��t the exit, they could only search for another exit all over again��


    At that moment, in a chilly breeze, the specter young lady reappeared before them silently. She hovered beside the sword, staring at Erin and Angelina. She gazed at Erin with a heavy expression, before turning slightly to Angelina on the other side. Upon sensing her gaze, Angelina took two steps back and glared vigilantly.


    ��What are you looking at me for?!��


    Facing Angelina��s snarls, the young lady didn��t seem to have any intention of responding. On the contrary, she suddenly vanished after a few moments, twisting and metamorphosing into a wisp of cyan smoke that fused with the cyan sword. Then, the sword inserted into the stele floated in midair and��


    A dazzling ray of blade flashed.


    Argh! Why am I so unlucky!


    Angelina eyeballed the sword that pierced the ground beside her feet. Not only that, but she was also completely speechless after witnessing her reattached arm being severed yet again.

 Chapter 1178 - Spirit Rinsing (1)

    Rhode wasn��t aware of Angelina��s tragic encounter, but he wouldn��t care less about her anyway. Even though Angelina was also one of his card spirits, it was a pity that she was ranked the lowest in his mind. This was apparent from the fact that after Rhode resolved Lilian��s issue, led everyone to the drawing room, and described his earlier experiences, he didn��t even ask Marlene about Angelina��s whereabouts.


    If Angelina knew about this, perhaps she would start to doubt whether her loyalty to Rhode was enough. But it was a pity that Angelina and Erin were trapped in the massive and intricate underground maze. The Dark Curtain had completely cut off all spiritual connections between Rhode and Angelina, which the latter couldn��t seek help for her predicament. This inadvertently aided Rhode in avoiding a dangerous case of decreased likability from another one of his card spirits��


    The completely ignorant Rhode also learned from Marlene about everything that happened, including how Ion stirred trouble with one of the twin dragons and tried to steal his dragon essence. After hearing Marlene��s words, Rhode and Marybelle puckered their brows at the same time.


    ��Is that man sick of living already? Could it be that he is influenced by Chaos? It shouldn��t be. Ion is a dragon soul heir, no matter what. Logically speaking, he shouldn��t be influenced by Chaos so easily. Even though he is the ruler of the Country of Darkness, a Dark Dragon isn��t an undead creature, after all. Couldn��t he resist any form of erosion from Chaos like Lilian? Not only that, but why did he also become more aggressive?��


    After listening to Marlene��s introduction, Rhode couldn��t wrap his head around the situation. The Dark Dragon was a living being, so the effects would be limited even if he were to be eroded by Chaos. This was obvious from the fact that he fled immediately after his attempt to snatch Rhode��s dragon essence failed, which proved that the Dark Dragon hadn��t gone entirely insane yet. Logically speaking, his failed attempt angered the Void Territory and Country of Law simultaneously and he should behave himself by tucking his tail between his legs. But now, why was he still trying to start a full-scale war?


    At that moment, only Marybelle, Marlene, Alice, Cassidy, Lize, Anne, and Rhode were in the study room. Rhode��s younger sister and Sonia had gone to accompany Lilian and find ways to alleviate her situation. Meanwhile, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum led their original selves around Grandia for a casual stroll.


    ��I think I know the answer now.��


    To everyone��s surprise, the one who answered Rhode��s question wasn��t Marlene, but was Marybelle, who had been with him, instead. Everyone shifted their curious gaze to Marybelle, waiting for her answer. Despite that, Marybelle didn��t answer immediately as she turned to Cassidy, who sat at the side instead. Upon sensing her gaze, the seemingly nonchalant Cassidy let out an ��eek�� like a frog stared at by the snake and stood upright immediately.


    ��Cassidy.��


    ���� Yes, Big Sister Marybelle. What can I do for you?��


    ��I heard from Marlene that you attacked the Dark Dragon. Did you hit him with your blade?��


    ��I����


    Upon hearing Marybelle��s question, Cassidy hesitated for a few moments and nodded. She realized vaguely that she might have done something wrong. Marlene and Alice exchanged looks with each other as though they understood what Marybelle meant. Gazing at Cassidy who lowered her head, Marybelle let out a groan.


    ��You used your power of contrast, right? Marlene clearly warned you not to use it as you wished. Why didn��t you listen to her order?��


    ��I�� Yes�� I��m sorry, Big Sister Marybelle. Please don��t punish me, please don��t punish me!��


    Cassidy prostrated herself on the bare ground in a posture of surrender and everyone who noticed her shivering body and pale expression couldn��t help but feel emotionally moved by her. Despite that, Marybelle apparently was unperturbed. where she merely swept a glance at the prostrated young lady before shifting away her gaze. Upon witnessing Marybelle��s expression, Cassidy turned deathly pale and put up a desperate expression like a prisoner who just received the death sentence and would be executed immediately. But it was a pity that Marybelle paid no attention to her at all. She grunted and spoke.


    ��Punish yourself.��


    ��Yes�� Big Sister Marybelle����


    After hearing Marybelle��s order, Cassidy swayed and stood up listlessly. She dragged her feet to the bookcase at the corner of the walls, pulled out three books that were about half a meter each, and stacked them above her head, facing the wall��


    Seems like the distinction between superior and inferior also exists among the deity warden sisters.


    Rhode thought to himself.


    ���� In other words, it is due to Cassidy��s power of contrast that the Dark Dragon became that madman?��


    Shifting his gaze away from the stake-like Cassidy standing foolishly at the corner of the walls, Rhode knitted his brows. He had experienced the prowess of Cassidy��s power of contrast for himself. Earlier, when Rhode heard about the Dark Dragon being struck by her power of contrast, he did have similar thoughts about its consequences. Perhaps after heading back to the Country of Darkness, the Dark Dragon might end up calling Erin his big sister instead. But now, it seemed like the situation was worse than that.


    ��Highly likely.��


    Marybelle was untroubled on basing the situation with guesses and punishing Cassidy without any concrete proof. She nodded simply and her expression sank. But judging from the current situation, her guess might be close to the truth. After all, it was within everyone��s expectation as to how Ion behaved. Although his actions were certainly out of character, there were still some telltale signs at the very least. He went on and suddenly conducted himself in a completely different style like a sneaky assassin unsheathing his dagger and challenging others to 300 rounds of just and honorable battles. It would only be ridiculous if one didn��t see this as something bizarre. And now, it seemed like the huge change in Ion��s personality was due to him being attacked by Cassidy��s power of contrast, where his personality had a 180 flip. If this was the case, the situation would be much more troublesome.


    I wonder if Erin is fine over there.


    At this thought, Rhode shook his head and stood to his feet.


    ��So my dragon essence is inside you, Marlene?��


    ��Yes, Rhode, please wait a moment����


    Marlene said. She extended her hand, shut her eyes, deciding to release the dragon essence kept inside her. But at that moment, she suddenly felt Rhode grabbing her hands. At the next moment, Rhode pulled her into his embrace.


    ��Save the trouble. There��s a more convenient method.��


    ��Huh, Rhode?��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s remark, Marlene couldn��t help but widen her eyes. Then, before she reacted, Rhode pressed his mouth against her soft lips, prying open her mouth with his nimble tongue and slithered through. At that moment, Marlene lost herself. She stood blankly on the spot, giving in to his demand.


    ��Ah, Big Sister Marlene, you��re so cunning! Anne wanted to be the first!��


    At a short distance away, Anne grumbled in annoyance. However, Marlene wasn��t in the mood to console her at all as she couldn��t even pull herself away. The dragon essence stored inside her surged upon detecting the presence of its owner. The sensation of the hot, flowing spiritual power made Marlene feel like she had melted entirely, merging into one with the man in front of her. The shock from the contact between their spirits made her mind go blank. She closed her eyes, instinctively feeling the spiritual power being absorbed by Rhode. After several minutes, the insatiable Rhode loosened his clasp on Marlene, who had turned red through and through. The young lady couldn��t stand upright and fell into his embrace weakly. After a few moments, she shivered, before pulling away from Rhode and looking at the surroundings shyly. Meanwhile, Alice was reading the heavy book before her and didn��t seem to notice anything. Cassidy, on the other hand, continued to face the corner of the walls obediently. On the other side, Lize stared at the sleek floor in a flushed complexion as though some intricate, ancient patterns were on them. Marybelle lifted the teacup and casually savored the fragrant tea. Anne was the only one who glared at Marlene fumingly like a child with her toy taken away.


    ��Really, Big Sister Marlene is so cunning. If Anne knew this would happen, Anne would have volunteered to protect Leader��s dragon essence.��


    ��No, I��m not����


    Anne��s remark was like the last straw. Marlene blushed and waved her hands around in a fluster. But she eventually didn��t stand up for herself as it seemed like deep down, she also acknowledged her ��crime��. Looking at Marlene��s response, Anne curled her lips in silence. Since the suspect had ��pleaded guilty��, only legal punishment was awaiting now. No, wait, it didn��t seem to fit this scenario.


    ��Ahem�� Rhode. Hmm�� Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Marlene let out two awkward coughs and finally calmed herself down. She gazed at the man with a flushed complexion, took in a deep breath, and forcefully held down her pounding heart.


    ���� If it is just like what Marybelle said, will Her Highness Erin be fine?��


    ��Hard to say.��


    Rhode said and shrugged hopelessly. From the start, he wasn��t that concerned about Erin because he knew more than Marlene and the rest about the traits of Chaos. Besides, Erin was considered the earliest person who fought against this mutated version of Chaos, so she wouldn��t be caught unprepared when she faced them again. But if it were as Marybelle guessed, that the suppressed Chaos and the Order he grasped switched over due to Cassidy��s power of contrast, Erin would be in danger. No matter how powerful Erin was, she was only a night wyvern, after all, and couldn��t compete against dragon soul heirs. Although Rhode was worried about her, it was a pity that a slow remedy didn��t address the current emergency. For that, Rhode was equally powerless in this situation.


    ��By the way, Rhode.��


    Marlene recalled something and clapped her hands softly.


    ��I sent Angelina to the Darkness Capital to gather information about the undead creatures����


    ��Angelina?��


    Upon hearing Marlene��s words, Rhode was taken aback. He raised his hand to stop Marlene from speaking, closed his eyes, and began calling out to Angelina. Even though Angelina was unlike Marlene and the rest who were pure card spirits, there weren��t too many differences between them in terms of functionality as card spirits. Shortly after, Rhode realized that something was amiss. Not only could he not contact Angelina, but he also couldn��t locate her using the spiritual communication as though something blocked off his probing. When Rhode tried to penetrate deeper, everything became blurry to him.


    ��Seems like something went wrong.��


    Rhode opened his eyes and shook his head. He was certain that Angelina was still alive because if she were dead, she would return to his side immediately. Angelina was essentially a card spirit. But now, he couldn��t contact her and this proved that her location was enveloped in an extremely powerful enchanted field, causing him to be unable to find her exact position��


    ��Do we need to send someone to check on the situation? For instance, someone like Nell����


    ��No, put this matter aside for now. Since Angelina is a vampire, she won��t die easily even if she wants to. There won��t be any problem unless she is beyond redemption from the erosion of Chaos. Currently, what��s most important is Lilian.��


    Rhode waved his hand airily and tossed the pitiful Angelina aside immediately. Fortunately for Angelina, she didn��t know what was happening on this side. But in fact, what Rhode said wasn��t wrong. Compared to Erin and Angelina who were miles away, Lilian who was with them was most worthy of his attention. Earlier on, Rhode received news from Sonia that Lilian had woken up. It was apparent that she had made her decision.


    Upon entering the room, what came into sight was Lilian��s limpid eyes. Even though she suffered unimaginable pain all this time, her heart still hadn��t changed the slightest. Upon looking at her eyes, Rhode couldn��t help but feel his heart aching. It seemed like she had made her decision, and it wasn��t the one he hoped to hear.


    At this thought, Rhode let out an inward sigh, before displaying a smile and gazing at her.


    ��How do you feel, Lilian?��


    ��I��m alright, Big Brother Rhode�� It doesn��t feel as painful as before����


    Lilian said and turned to the young lady who smiled quietly and sat on the bedside.


    ��I didn��t know you have a younger sister, Big Brother Rhode.��


    ��It��s a long story. If you want to know, I will find some time to tell you about it.��


    Facing Lilian��s question, Rhode smiled, before dwindling his expression and gazing solemnly at the little girl.


    ��So I heard you��ve made up your mind?��


    ���� Yes.��


    Facing Rhode��s serious gaze, Lilian hesitated and nodded firmly. She lifted her head stubbornly, her bright eyes glinting unwaveringly. Looking at her expression, Rhode let out an inward sigh.


    ��Alright then, tell me your decision.��


    ��I want to accept the spiritual rinsing, Big Brother Rhode.��


    Even though this was an expected answer, Rhode turned grim after hearing her answer. An incomparable energy exploded from his body, overwhelming the little girl like a tall, enormous mountain. Lilian turned pale instantly. But even so, she bit her lip tightly and gazed at Rhode resolutely.


    ���� Are you sure about that? I suppose you��re already aware that the pain isn��t tolerable for everyone. It can also be said that no one remains sane after experiencing the agony.��


    ��Yes, I heard about it from Big Sister.��


    Lilian said and shifted her gaze to the young lady who maintained her smile.


    ��But I��ve decided to accept the spiritual rinsing ritual�� Big Brother Rhode, I hope all of you won��t feel sad for me. Since this was caused by my immaturity, I should be the one to face the consequence. No matter what, I��m a dragon soul heir who has this responsibility, right?��


    After listening to her answer, Rhode started at her. Then, he let out a long sigh, shook his head, and stood up.


    ��Although I guessed this was going to be your answer, it is still hard for me to accept it. But since you��ve already decided, I have no reason to stop you.��


    Rhode replied, shifting his gaze to his younger sister. Upon detecting his gaze, the younger sister smiled and stood up.


    ��I��ve persuaded her, Big Brother. But Little Sister Lilian is more determined than you think.��


    Facing the younger sister��s response, Rhode shrugged in a complete loss for words. Then, he raised both hands and announced.


    ��Let��s get started then.��

 Chapter 1179 - Spirit Rinsing (2)

    Rhode extended his arm, while his younger sister who sat opposite him also stretched her right arm forward. Both of them drew a circle in midair and two golden lines emanated from their fingertips swiftly. Shortly after, two exquisitely gorgeous magical rituals appeared out of thin air, spinning as they closed in on Lilian. The little girl began to float off the bed, gnashing her teeth as she looked as white as a sheet. A translucent, human-shaped bubble emanating a hazy glow emerged from her body, gradually breaking away from her. That was Lilian��s spirit and also her essence. At the same time, her right arm turned pitch-black like a rotten and decomposed matter.


    This looks really serious.


    After separating Lilian��s body and spirit, Rhode and his younger sister couldn��t help but exchange looks, spotting the shock and uncertainty in each other��s eyes. It seemed like Marybelle��s concerns weren��t groundless. After materializing Lilian��s spirit, the group witnessed silks of darkness proliferating from her right arm and spreading to other parts of her body. It was like a stain on white jade, subtle yet glaring. Looking at this scene, Rhode��s heart sank. Even though he knew how hard it was to deal with Chaos, he didn��t expect things to be this tough.


    ��What should we do, Big Brother?��


    ��Subdue the Chaos presence, force it back, and we will activate the spiritual rinsing again. Then, Marybelle will be in charge of eradicating it. Is that alright?��


    Rhode gave a command quickly. Upon hearing his order, Marybelle nodded gently and retrieved her magic wand. Rhode glanced at the depressed Anne, Lize, Sonia, and the rest at the side, before shaking his head.


    ��All of you should wait outside.��


    ��Why, Leader? We want to cheer on Lilian too.��


    Anne asked in displeasure as upon hearing Rhode��s command, they were bewildered. However, Rhode apparently had no intention of granting them this opportunity. He looked briefly at Anne and shook his head.


    ��Best not to do that. The agony of the spiritual rinsing isn��t tolerable for most people. Lilian may turn into a totally different person, so I think leaving her alone will be a relief for her. If you witness her losing self-control, I suppose she will never be willing to meet you again in her whole life.��


    ��But�� Okay then.��


    Even though Anne tried to come up with another excuse, Lize held her arm and made her stifle her words. Meanwhile, Sonia pondered for a moment, gnashing her teeth unwillingly and taking another look at Lilian, before finally leaving the room along with Marlene and the rest. Everyone was aware that this might be the last goodbye.


    ��Alright, there��s not much time left. Let��s begin!��


    After ensuring that the rest had left the room, Rhode said quickly. He gazed at Lilian��s spirit and gave a meaningful look to his younger sister. Upon realizing his intention, the younger sister moved her slender finger across the air. Along with this movement, a rune emanating the golden brilliance of the sun appeared in midair, hovering above Lilian��s spirit. Shortly after, under the bright illumination of the rune, the traces of darkness in Lilian��s spirit began to fade away like every weakling who instinctively sought support whenever they faced a powerful threat. The initially spider web-like black silk twisted and turned like worms, crawling as they retreated and once again, blending into the right arm that had turned pitch-black.


    ��Argh�� Argh����


    Lilian gritted her teeth in torment. Although she had shut her eyes, her wild, twisted expression was enough to describe the tremendous agony��the pain of innumerable needle-like worms crawling, squirming, and munching her flesh. This suffering that penetrated deeply into her bone marrow was enough to make her insane. But Lilian held on, gnashing her teeth and tolerating the intense pain. Gazing helplessly at the little girl��s anguished expression, Rhode let out an inward sigh. This was only the start and Lilian was already reacting in this tormented manner. Rhode wondered if she could survive the main spiritual rinsing phase. But now, there was no turning back!


    ��Second phase!��


    Rhode yelled and raised his right arm. Along with this movement, the entire room vanished from sight all of a sudden, only to be replaced by a sky sprinkled with pure, lustrous stars. Meanwhile, Lilian��s spirit was like the sun in this vast sea of stars; dazzlingly eye-catching. The black presence coalesced on her right arm wriggled to break free, but a certain invisible and massive strength pinned them down strongly. The black presence on Lilian��s right arm waned alongside the scattered black silks as though it were a swept-up carpet.


    ��Argh�� argh!!!��


    Lilian��s petite body struggled increasingly, stiffening and trembling constantly. She was like a beached fish, flopping to return to the water. But no matter how she wrestled, she couldn��t break free as Rhode��s power had imprisoned the entire space completely.


    ��Peel off!��


    ��Argh������!!��


    The moment Rhode and his younger sister extended their right arms and held down together, Lilian widened her eyes abruptly and her petite body shuddered. Her head rocked left and right constantly as she gaped but couldn��t utter a word. Although Lilian was mentally prepared for the pain, she realized this was far more agonizing than she had imagined. Along with the actions of Rhode and his younger sister, Lilian felt as though her skin were being peeled off heartlessly. Her entire body was burning and stinging in pain like she was submerged in the scorching lava lake, where unparalleled heat and affliction permeated her body and spirit.


    The pitch-black, turbid presence of Chaos on her right arm would have evolved and extended a dozen tentacles like rotten chunk of flesh cut off from a human, lashing at the surroundings. However, with Rhode and his younger sister around to confine them, they didn��t stand a chance at all. If it weren��t for Rhode and his younger sister imprisoning them, perhaps this mutated Chaos presence that also contained the power of Order might turn the situation around and devour them instead. However, Rhode and his younger sister were somewhat experienced in dealing with Chaos now, so naturally they wouldn��t allow Chaos to invade their realm. As a matter of fact, the area around the Chaos presence had completely turned into a vacuum in the realm of Order. In here, there were no Chaos or Order. There was only nothingness.


    ��Marybelle!��


    ��I got it, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s scream, Marybelle stepped forth and widened her eyes to stare at the Chaos presence as though she were scanning and examining it. At that moment, the Chaos presence instinctively realized the dangers approaching. It began to struggle to break free from confinement. After a few moments, Marybelle raised her magic wand and tapped on it lightly.


    Just very lightly.


    The frantic Chaos presence stopped moving entirely like a robot that lost its power source and could no longer operate, maintaining its last position inside the void. At the next moment, it began to crumble, shatter, and disappear completely��


    ��Ah��!! Ah����! Ahh������!!��


    But at the same time, Lilian let out a startling scream. She widened her mouth and yelled as though she were being slaughtered. Her eyes had rolled to the back completely. The immense pain made her lose control of her muscles as saliva flowed down the corners of her mouth. At that moment, Lilian was no longer that childish, innocent little girl. She was like an injured and frantic beast instead.


    ��Lilian, hang in there!��


    Rhode was startled to witness Lilian��s reaction. He raised his right arm hurriedly and along with this movement, Lilian��s mouth was as though blocked up by something and her screams were muffled. This was meant to prevent her biting off her tongue from the uncontrollable torment. But now, Rhode had no time to waste. The longer the delay, the more pain Lilian would be in. What made matters worse was that since this ritual was conducted on her spiritual essence, Lilian couldn��t avoid the agony by letting her body go unconscious. All she could do was to accept and tolerate everything passively.


    ��Get ready to rinse her spirit!��


    Along with Rhode��s order, the young lady standing opposite him closed her eyes. Shortly after, a bright, dazzling magical ritual expanded from the rune hovering above Lilian, enfolding the little girl completely. Then, Lilian��s spirit gradually became indistinct.


    ��������! ������!��


    At that moment, Lilian��s eyes rolled to the back of her head like a dying fish. Her limbs convulsed and her body palpated at the intense and stimulating pain. Pale yellow liquid escaped from between her legs. In this extreme torture, no one could avoid revealing their most hideous side. Fortunately, Marlene had led the rest away from the room. If not, it was unimaginable how they would properly face Lilian in the future after witnessing this unsightly scene.


    The pure white spirit faded away gradually like snow melting under the sun. At that moment, Lilian had lost all her strength. Her petite body was arched over, while her legs thrashed. They couldn��t see her usual appearance from that now twisted and painful expression. Although Rhode blocked off her mouth to stop her from screaming, the little girl continued to let out deep growls in her throat like a wounded beast.


    ��Argh������! Argh��! Argh������!��


    We need to hurry!


    Gazing at Lilian��s expression that was turning ashen, Rhode became increasingly anxious. There was a limit to all tolerance. If Lilian��s body couldn��t handle the pain, she would collapse entirely. Despite Rhode��s distress, he continued to carry out the ritual accordingly with his hands. Under the power of Rhode and his younger sister, Lilian��s spirit and body were rinsed completely. The black spots and thin silks were all gone, leaving behind a white, sacred spirit emanating a gentle and bright glow.


    ��Phew����


    Looking at this scene, Rhode heaved a long sigh of relief. It seemed like despite the pain Lilian was in, she managed to hold on and protect her spiritual essence. If her spiritual essence crumbled thoroughly, her spirit could never fuse into its original state. Rhode and his younger sister exchanged looks with each other and withdrew their hands. Along with this motion, the spirit hovering above descended and entered Lilian��s body slowly. In just a few moments, it fused with the body perfectly. Lilian also stopped wrestling and fell into a deep sleep.


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction.


    Seems like it��s over.

 Chapter 1180 - Unpeaceful Night

    ��Mr. Rhode, how is Lilian?��


    The moment Rhode and Marybelle exited the residence, Marlene and the rest who were pacing up and down in the plaza scuttled toward them and asked hurriedly. Anne looked at Rhode with an ashen expression. They clearly heard Lilian��s screams earlier, which was why they were so concerned. Although Rhode informed them that the spiritual rinsing would bring tremendous suffering to Lilian, her spine-chilling and anguished screams were more terrifying than they had imagined, making their hairs stand upright, albeit them waiting in the plaza. Even though they didn��t witness the ritual, it was imaginable how painful the torment was. The always-confident Anne had even turned laden and revealed a hesitant expression for the first time upon hearing Lilian��s blood-curdling screams.


    ��She��s fine.��


    Upon hearing Marlene��s concerns, Rhode let out a long sigh of relief. He was also worried about Lilian��s mental condition. But after his younger sister examined her, he finally felt assured. Although the immense pain exhausted Lilian, her mental health wasn��t impacted to a great extent. Of course, this was the current situation and it was an entirely different topic whether this incident would leave behind any aftereffects. At least for now, the worst scenario didn��t happen, which was a relief for Rhode.


    Rhode remembered feeling hesitant and anxious when he tried waking Lilian up after the ritual ended. Upon hearing his calls, Lilian opened her eyes and didn��t seem as dazed and frightened as he had imagined. On the contrary, upon detecting his gaze, Lilian forced a proud smile. In that instant, Rhode realized he had underestimated Lilian��s tolerance. But now, this incident had ended and this was the most perfect ending he could ask for.


    ��As Lilian was under tremendous pressure and pain, she needs a long rest now. During this period, don��t wake her up; let her have a good rest.�� Rhode instructed and nodded at the anxious Sonia. ��Sonia, go take a look at her. Remember, don��t startle her. After experiencing extreme pain, she is highly sensitive right now. Any slight movement will terrify her, so you��d better be careful.��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty Rhode. I��ll go and look after Her Majesty Lilian now.��


    After listening to Rhode��s warning, Sonia bit her lip, nodded slightly, and headed toward the imperial residence. Although Anne and Lize also wished to visit Lilian, they eventually heeded Rhode��s advice. Shortly after, the group of young ladies went off to handle other matters in the Void Territory. Since Lilian didn��t require their help for the time being, they were better off handling their own affairs for now.


    ��Ahem����


    After Marlene and the rest left, Rhode let out a cough, turned around, and gazed hesitantly at his younger sister. Upon detecting his gaze, the younger sister winked, cocked her head to the side, and looked at him with a crafty gaze. In fact, Rhode didn��t say anything wrong. After returning to Grandia, they were immediately faced with Lilian��s issue. Rhode handed Lilian over to the younger sister and discussed the happenings in the Void Territory and Dragon Soul Continent with Marlene and the others for an entire day. Due to that reason, Rhode didn��t arrange lodging for his younger sister. As his younger sister needed to look after and examine Lilian��s condition on the first day they returned to the Void Territory, she spent the night in the imperial residence. Of course, he couldn��t possibly make it a permanent place for her to live in. But in fact, he also knew that this was a tough problem, especially for the other young ladies��


    ��Is anything the matter, Big Brother?��


    ��Yes�� regarding that, I��ve been busy ever since I��m back, so I didn��t have the time to arrange lodging for you. But�� Cough, cough�� those elves should have prepared your room already. By the way, where do you want your room to be?��


    ��Huhuhu����


    Upon hearing Rhode��s rather awkward question, the younger sister chuckled, placed her hands behind her back, and took two steps back.


    ��Big Brother, you should be clearly aware of my answer. I thought it would be fine for me to sleep in the same room as you? That shouldn��t be an issue, right?��


    ��Ugh����


    Upon hearing the younger sister��s answer, Rhode couldn��t help but twitch the corner of his eye and force a smile. He wasn��t a fool. He clearly witnessed the craftiness and wit in his younger sister��s eyes. However, this wasn��t anything for him. After all, he wouldn��t change the decisions he made in the past. Besides, it was his biggest consolation for his younger sister to be back by his side. Even though this would cause major displeasure for the other young ladies�� since Rhode had already decided to establish this harem, it was his duty and obligation to appease these inevitable sparks, wasn��t it?


    Only in dreams was it possible to count on them to take no account of being by his side.


    The love he received from Marlene and the rest was unquestionable. But they weren��t masochists who were willing to sacrifice themselves without asking for anything in return. If Rhode were to favor one and discriminate against the other, it was imaginable what would happen to him in future. In the past, there was no main mistress in his harem, with Canary being in charge. And now, with the return of his younger sister, Canary would have to pass her responsibility over. Perhaps Canary might not be too bothered by it, but it was tough to speak for the rest.


    But this was also Rhode��s responsibility.


    It seemed like Rhode would need to stress over the issues of his harem in future�� Perhaps he should make Lapis concoct a potion that could tonify his body in order to prevent over exhausting himself��?


    But as a Void Dragon, this method of death would be truly amazing.


    ��No problem, I��ll get someone to make arrangements now.��


    Even though several thoughts cropped up in his mind, Rhode eventually nodded. This had always been his instinctive habit. No matter what his younger sister demanded, he would always nod in agreement. This was the same in the past, present, and perhaps future��


    At that moment, Rhode heard an extremely familiar voice.


    ��Ah, Leader! I knew you two would be here. How is Lilian doing?��


    Upon hearing this voice, Rhode turned around and saw Mini Bubble Gum and Canary walking toward him. Following closely behind them were the original Mini Bubble Gum and Canary. Just like Rhode had been when he first arrived in the Dragon Soul Continent, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were flabbergasted as they witnessed the floating city of Grandia. Bubble No. 2 volunteered to be their tour guide, bringing them around Grandia and only returning now. Of course, their rooms were already selected. As ��sisters��, Bubble chose to live with her projection who ��shared vile habits�� to experience for herself the life of living in a ��dormitory��. On the other hand, Canary chose a relatively remote and quiet room. It seemed like even though she walked out of the shadows, the experiences she had couldn��t be forgotten that easily. But just like Mini Bubble Gum, Canary had her projection by her side, so at least Rhode wasn��t that concerned about her.


    ��Lilian is fine now. But she is exhausted and needs to rest. Don��t disturb her if you��ve nothing important.��


    ��Alright, I got it.��


    After listening to Rhode��s words, Mini Bubble Gum nodded in agreement. Even though she was worried about Lilian, they seldom interacted, after all. Due to that reason, Mini Bubble Gum thoughtlessly led the rest for a fun tour in Grandia while Lilian was undergoing her treatment. Upon hearing that Lilian was no longer in danger, the little fellow naturally had nothing more to worry about. She blinked and gazed at Rhode��s younger sister who stood beside him, before shifting her gaze back to Rhode and narrowing her eyes. Judging from Mini Bubble Gum��s expression, Rhode��s heart sank. He understood this little fella��s dirty tricks better than anyone. Whenever she revealed this expression, he knew that she was definitely plotting something crafty. And indeed, Mini Bubble Gum let out a mischievous laughter and said to Rhode.


    ��By the way, Leader. You are free tonight, right?��


    ��What about it?��


    Upon hearing her question, Rhode couldn��t help but twitch his brow. He wasn��t a fool. Judging from her tone of voice, the words ��bad intentions�� were written all over her face. But before he responded, Mini Bubble Gum continued.


    ��Since you have nothing on, why don��t you come over and have fun with everyone? Big Sister Canary will be around too. They finally came to this new world, so don��t you think you have the duty to help them ��familiarize�� with the environment, such as checking to see if the bed springs squeak loudly or not? After all, there aren��t Simmons mattresses here.��


    ������


    Even though Rhode expected this from her, he couldn��t help but hold his forehead upon hearing it for himself. He turned to his younger sister, who brought upon a gentle smile as though she had no opinion of it. Mini Bubble Gum followed his gaze and clapped her hands gently.


    ��Oh, how about you join us too? I guarantee it will be fine.��


    ��Sure.��


    Facing Bubble��s invitation, the young lady standing beside Rhode nodded with a grin. Then, she looked at Rhode who stood blankly on the spot.


    ��No problem, I accept your invitation,�� she said.

 Chapter 1181 - News from the Dark Sky

    The final rays of sunlight fell underneath the horizon, allowing gentle, silver-whitish rays of moonlight and the night sky to take over the world. The sky darkened gradually. Even though the Dragon Soul Continent wasn��t as peaceful as before, Grandia in the Void Territory continued to exude a calm and tranquil atmosphere. The earlier ambushes from Chaos beings didn��t cause too much disorder in Grandia, and people continued to lead their ordinary lives as per usual.


    Meanwhile, in the well-lit palace located in the middle of Grandia, there was a totally different scenery��


    ��Argh�� ah�� ah����


    Moans of young ladies resounded in the room, leaving one��s heart palpitating.


    ��Right there, Leader, thrust with all your strength! Hurry, hurry! You��re almost there! Ah!! Wait! No, not there��!��


    Mini Bubble Gum screamed and let out a high-pitched squeal. Then, everything returned to its peace.


    ��Ah����


    A young lady covered in sweat plopped onto the bed, before rolling around boringly.


    ��Leader, your skills suck. Even Big Sister is better than you. You were so great in the game during PK, so how is it possible that you��re so bad in another game? This isn��t logical!��


    ��Do you think I have as much time as you to play such a weird and shameless fighting game?��


    Facing Mini Bubble Gum��s grumbles, Rhode threw the game controller aside and gazed oddly at the holographic image hovering in midair, where three flushed, beautiful young ladies confronted one another. Their clothes were completely tattered, revealing their fair, tender skin underneath. The other three young ladies laying on the ground were dazed as their clothes were torn apart in utter humiliation. Rhode couldn��t think of anything weirder than the fact that one would buy a ridiculous game like this with such a weird setting. Come to think of it, what was weirder was that these electronics could be operated by magical powers. Just this fact alone was enough to bewilder Rhode.


    ��Anne thinks this game is fun. Even though Anne gets a kick out of fighting in real life, it is quite interesting to play something like this once in a while.��


    On the other side, Anne sprawled out on the bed and rocked her head, wishing to continue playing the game. However, Lize who sat beside her had already lowered her head in embarrassment, staring at the ground and not speaking a word. The character she chose was one of the three beautiful young ladies who were defeated. Witnessing the character she controlled panting and falling after having her clothes ripped was too thrilling for an innocent young lady like her. On the contrary, Lapis was excited. It seemed like she was highly amused with this new gadget from the other world. Meanwhile, Canary sat by the side with her usual, gentle smile, speaking to her projection and Rhode��s younger sister about something. As winners of the game, this was the first time Rhode realized his younger sister was equally skilled at games as him.


    Even though the plot development wasn��t what Rhode expected, he still heaved a sigh of relief. That��s right, this night wasn��t some crazy orgy, but a ��New World��Game Battle Tour��, came up by Mini Bubble Gum, instead. According to that little fellow, it was simply too thrilling to be playing modern games in a different world with a medieval setting!


    After Mini Bubble Gum dragged Rhode into the room, he discovered that not only was his younger sister invited, but Lize, Anne, and Lapis were also involved. He had to admit that an immature young lady would always remain an immature young lady. Even though Rhode had an intimate encounter with Mini Bubble Gum in the past, it was unlikely for her to come up with anything crazier than that. Rhode was certain that Mini Bubble Gum purposely spoke in such an ambiguous way earlier to cheat him into this!


    ��Heh, heh����


    Facing Rhode��s remarks, Mini Bubble Gum stuck out her tongue, let out a mischievous laughter, and raised up the game controller high.


    ��Alright, on to the next game! I swear it will be fun! Call of Duty!��


    ��Oh-oh-oh, yay! Anne wants to play it too!��


    Surely this little fella isn��t thinking of turning my harem into a bunch of gaming geeks, right?


    Gazing at the elated Mini Bubble Gum and Anne who cheered and joined in the excitement despite not knowing what the game was, Rhode couldn��t help but twitch the corner of his eye. But eventually, he didn��t comment a word. He was aware of Mini Bubble Gum��s true intention. The reason why she organized this party was so that the original Bubble and Canary could blend in with the family. No matter what, this was the Dragon Soul Continent, the home of Marlene and the others. It was just like an orientation for graduates who entered society in Rhode��s world. Perhaps this couldn��t instantly improve their relationship, but they could at least use this opportunity to familiarize with one another, albeit this method from that little fella being somewhat childish�� But maybe this was a decent choice too. After all, Rhode couldn��t possibly gather his harem for a party just for the sake of them getting along in harmony. He felt like it was much better having Mini Bubble Gum getting everyone together, which was why he didn��t stop the activities and stood on the side instead to observe how Mini Bubble Gum briefed everyone on the new strategies.


    At that moment, he heard someone knocking on the door.


    ��Is anything the matter?��


    Rhode turned around and saw Agatha pushing the door open and entering the room. She saw the bustling crowd, shifted her gaze away, and extended her arms. Along with this action of hers, she dexterously delivered a pitch-black envelope to Rhode.


    ��Your Majesty, sorry to interrupt you. This is an urgent encrypted envelope from the Country of Darkness.��


    ��Oh?��


    Upon hearing her words, Rhode was taken aback. He glanced at the crowd before walking out to the corridor outside quickly. After scanning the pitch-black envelope in his hand, he discovered an emblem that surprised him.


    ��Where did this envelope come from?��


    Rhode didn��t open up the envelope immediately, but turned and asked Agatha instead. Upon hearing his question, Agatha pondered for a while and answered calmly.


    ��It was delivered to the Void Territory by the Mage Association in the Country of Darkness. Then, the Mage Tower in the Void Territory sent it over.��


    ��I see.��


    After hearing her reply, Rhode knitted his brows and nodded. He thought this was an envelope from Erin, but after recognizing the emblem, he knew immediately that he was wrong. It was apparent from the emblem printed in the middle of the envelope that it came from the legendary generals, which explained why he was bewildered. After all, his relationship with the legendary generals wasn��t favorable to the extent where they exchanged letters with one another. He felt strange receiving this envelope. But even so, he extended and waved his hand.


    Swish!


    Along with his action, the envelope flew out of his hand and floated in midair. He squinted, held his right fingers close together, and made a downward sliding motion. Shortly after, the envelope quietly opened on its own. An invisible force shook the white letter as it fell out from the inside, expanding in front of Rhode to display its content.


    ��Hmm?��


    After reading the letter, Rhode puckered his brows instantly. He didn��t expect this letter to be sent by Garcia, one of the four legendary generals, under Erin��s command. In the letter, Garcia introduced the situation in the Country of Darkness to a certain degree and mentioned the issues surrounding Ion, as well as the predicament of their living creatures.


    ��That really happened?��


    Rhode didn��t believe in Garcia��s words at first because no matter what, he was one of the four legendary generals of the Country of Darkness. Not only was passing on information about the Country of Darkness a major crime of treason, but it also wasn��t beneficial for him. Even though Garcia was also a human, did he really believe that Rhode would send his troops to go against Ion just to rescue him? Rhode didn��t have such an intention and as a matter of fact, it was still too earlier for that. But this didn��t mean that Rhode had the intention of letting Ion off. Ever since Ion went to the Country of Law to snatch his dragon essence, Rhode had already decided to wipe out the entire Country of Darkness and slaughter the Dark Dragon. However, this wasn��t something he could achieve with the swing of his arm, after all. The current population of the Void Territory wasn��t sufficient for him to mobilize a large-enough army, which was why Rhode��s only choice was to join forces with the Country of Light and Country of Law to go against the Dark Dragon. And all of this required some time.


    But regarding the issues about Erin mentioned in the letter��


    Rhode stared at the letter. After a few moments, he let out a snort, retracted his right arm, and clenched his fist. Along with this action, the floating letter and envelope were devoured in a puff of flames, turning into ashes that disappeared in sight in just a few seconds.


    ��Is everything alright, Your Majesty?��


    Upon realizing his reaction, Agatha blinked curiously at her master. Rhode pondered in silence and shrugged.


    ��Yes. It��s just regarding some insignificant matter.��

 Chapter 1182 - Start of an Alliance

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Even though Rhode said it was an insignificant matter, he didn��t delay in taking actions. According to the intelligence from the front line, the Country of Darkness was expanding and gathering their armies. This time, Ion didn��t seem to be concealing his intention anymore. He was clearly showing his aggression to the Country of Light, Country of Law, and the Void Territory. If it were in the past, Rhode could still ridicule Ion for bringing about his own destruction. But now, he had no choice but to take him seriously. If the intelligence from Garcia was accurate��no, even if it were only 50 percent right, Rhode could be considered to have understood what was going on in the Country of Darkness now. It was apparent that the Dark Dragon had been eroded by Chaos completely. He also injected the power of Chaos into the undead creatures. Perhaps this was the reason why Marlene and Cassidy reported that the strength of the skeleton soldiers had increased greatly. This also corresponded to the history in Marybelle��s memories that Rhode saw on Earth. The mutated beings of Chaos could easily manipulate undead creatures and devour their spirits. If that was the case, perhaps the undead creatures on the front line had already turned into the claws of Chaos. As soon as they proliferated, maybe the Country of Light, Country of Law, and the Void Territory wouldn��t be able to escape the fate of being eroded by Chaos. Therefore, Rhode struck first to gain the initiative, forming an alliance to launch attacks on the Country of Darkness and wiping them out before they became too powerful. As for Erin, even though Rhode felt rather regretful for allowing her to return to the Country of Darkness so soon, there was no use in crying over the spilt milk. The moon princess could only rely upon herself now. But no matter what, all the thousands of words added up to mean only one statement.


    Ion has to die.


    It was a pity that forming an alliance sounded easy, but it wasn��t that successful in reality.


    ��I understand what you mean, Your Majesty Rhode. But����


    Siena knitted her brows with a hesitant expression, gazing at Rhode who sat opposite her.


    ��Of course, we also received information about the Country of Darkness��s army��s next move. But I think this isn��t enough to conclude that the Dark Dragon has been eroded by Chaos. Besides, to tell you the truth, ever since the Dragon Soul Continent was born, there has been no precedent of dragon soul heirs joining forces to punish a particular dragon soul heir.��


    ��That is why we need to fill up this historical gap of the Dragon Soul Continent, Your Majesty Siena.��


    Rhode laid down the teacup, crossed his arms, and stared at the two young ladies opposite him.


    ��Your Majesty Nalea fought hand to hand with Ion, so I think it is sufficient to prove his attitude. Besides, just as I said, this time we aren��t facing the usual Chaos, but a mutant from another world instead. Not only does it possess a certain trait of Order, but even a dragon soul heir was also eroded by them��Lilian, who is still bedridden. If it weren��t for her fortune, perhaps you would meet an insane Light Dragon soon.��


    Rhode said, staring at Nalea who munched an elf biscuit. Upon detecting his gaze, Nalea put down her hand awkwardly and waved.


    ��Erm�� His Majesty Ion was indeed acting a little weird, so it isn��t impossible that he is under the influence of Chaos. But�� we still need to make sure of that first����


    1


    ��We don��t have the time to be prudent. We need to strike first or everything will be too late as soon as the Country of Darkness attacks. They are still gathering troops, so this is an opportunity for us. If you don��t believe me, you can head to their camp to capture some mutated undead creatures to see it for yourself. I believe you will be able to find traces of Chaos inside them. By brazenly spreading of Chaos and infiltrating the people of Order, I believe just these two points alone are enough for us to punish him righteously.��


    ��But Your Majesty Rhode����


    ��I��ve said my piece.��


    Just as Siena was about to speak, Rhode stood up and extended his right hand to stop her.


    ��Time is pressing. I don��t have time to waste with you. If you want evidence, you can look for Lilian and Lydia. One of them is a victim, while the other followed me to the other world. If you think my opinion isn��t objective and fair, you can have a chat with them. I don��t have time to wait for you to investigate, have a hearing and final jury discussion, start a meeting to do up the report, and finally make your decision. This is why I am here to explain the situation in advance. In two days, I will launch an all-out attack on the Country of Darkness alongside the Munn Kingdom. When that happens, your investigation results will have nothing to do with me. If you��re willing to send out your troops, you can join us. If you aren��t willing, then at least evacuate your people from the borders. I don��t wish to face a bunch of Chaos-influenced elf rangers when dealing with a sea of undead creatures. Alright, my apologies for taking my leave, as I need to head to the Munn Kingdom to negotiate the arrangements. Lastly, I need to warn you that it is an indisputable fact that Ion was eroded by Chaos. So I hope you don��t make the wrong choice, such as stopping me from sending out troops. If not, for self-defense, I can��t guarantee what I will do in response.��


    Rhode said, nodding to the sisters before turning around to leave straight away. Siena knitted her brows and watched as Rhode went out the door. Then, she shifted her gaze to Nalea who narrowed her eyes, held up the teacup with both hands, and sipped the tea.


    ��Big Sister, what do you think?��


    ��Hmm����


    Upon hearing Siena��s question, Nalea narrowed her eyes and twitched slightly like a cat under sunshine. Then, she responded.


    ��Since His Majesty Rhode has already said so, there shouldn��t be any issue believing in him. Anyway, His Majesty Rhode isn��t wrong. Since His Majesty Ion openly attacked us, it is enough to show the severity of the situation. Even though it is our duty to judge and rule, preventing the occurrence of a catastrophe is our most crucial responsibility, after all. It will be too late to make up for it after everything has ended.��


    ��But if we judge the situation based on this one-sided statement from His Majesty Rhode����


    ��He said we can look for Her Highness Lydia and Her Majesty Lilian for proof, so it isn��t really that one-sided anymore. No matter what, I think the emergence of mutated Chaos is a huge threat to the Dragon Soul Continent. Besides, you have also sensed their dangers, haven��t you, Siena?��


    ��Yes�� Big Sister.��


    Upon hearing Nalea��s words, Siena couldn��t help but put up a stern look. As a matter of fact, she didn��t need Nalea to remind her of it as Siena recalled the mysterious beings who failed their ambush and self-destructed to spread Chaos. Back then, the speed of erosion from Chaos was far quicker than she had imagined. They were in the Country of Law, where Order held the most supreme authority. Therefore, even if Chaos were to erode their land, the pace wouldn��t be that fast. However, the exploded Chaos proliferated quicker than Siena had expected, catching her off guard, and the Country of Law missed the opportunity to deal with Chaos. In the end, Siena had no choice but to take actions personally, cleaning up the entire region. Even though the disaster didn��t cause too many deaths, such damage was extremely rare in the history of the Country of Law. Siena went on to investigate the source of Chaos. But it was due to this that she didn��t expect the mutated Chaos to be essentially different from Chaos that she faced in the past, which explained why she couldn��t manage to imprison it. The original sample of Chaos also perished in Siena��s earlier battles, not leaving behind any useful remnants. But after hearing Rhode��s words, she had to admit that even though it sounded outrageous, his statements were understandable and acceptable.


    If a mutant of Chaos that couldn��t be restrained by Order showed up, eliminating it was naturally their top priority. But�� Rhode��s method was just too�� forceful.


    ��They have their methods and we have ours, okay, Siena?��


    Upon hearing Nalea��s voice again, Siena turned around dubiously, gazing at her big sister who sat beside her with a cheeky smile.


    ��Since His Majesty Rhode said we can verify his information, you should go ahead and do it. No matter what, we are the protectors of law. His Majesty Rhode always follows his heart��s desire, but we can only act according to rules. This is why we have our own methods. You should look for Her Majesty Lilian and Her Highness Lydia and leave the Country of Law to me. Of course, for safety��s sake, we need to evacuate the civilians by the borders too.��


    ������


    After listening to Nalea��s words, Siena pondered for a few moments and nodded.


    ��I understand, Big Sister. Leave it to me.��


    ��Alright, I shall leave it to you then, my adorable little sister.��


    Facing Siena��s answer, Nalea reached out for another piece of biscuit, put it into her mouth, and answered with a smile.

 Chapter 1183 - Bugle of Assault

    Chapter 1183: Bugle of Assault


    Rhode was always swift and decisive in his decisions. As a matter of fact, when he announced the alliance agreement solemnly to the twin dragons, his army had already arrived at the border for battle preparations. If Rhode had a choice, he wouldn��t have wanted to start a war just days after his return to this world. But he knew how dangerous this mutant of Chaos was��it was like a lethal and highly-contagious plague that currently had no effective control and treatment. If they didn��t eliminate the plague in the shortest time possible, the consequences would be disastrous.


    What made matters worse was that this ��plague�� wasn��t only spreading ��passively��, but was capable of launching dangerous attacks ��actively��. Facing such an enemy, one had to eradicate it resolutely using overwhelming strength. But it was a pity that apart from the few top fighters on his side, the rest couldn��t be considered to be advantageous against the undead army of the Country of Darkness.


    ��Are the preparations ready, Lapis?��


    Standing at the top of the city wall, Rhode gazed at the country enveloped in eternal darkness in the distance. Upon hearing his question, Lapis, who stood beside him, nodded hurriedly.


    ��Even though it was a little rushed, the preparations are still complete, Sir Rhode. But�� as manufacturing the cavalrymen��s equipment requires special materials that need refinement, it took up a lot of time. Although we tried our best to hasten the process, we only managed to create enough for three armies��


    ��Three is enough for now. Order the production team to go all-out. We can forgo the mounts, and it will also be fine even if they go on foot as infantries. I want to see at least five armies fully equipped with magic armor in 20 days,�� Rhode said, overlooking the rows of soldiers by the foot of the tower. They were elites of the Void Territory. Most of them were mercenaries who opened up the land of Chaos and went through fire and water with him in the past. The soldiers under them came from the Land of Atonement and were experienced in battling against undead creatures. They were seasoned warriors, but despite that, it still wasn��t enough.


    The most eye-catching thing about them was their standardized suit of pitch-black armor that protected every part of their body. At a glance, the magic armor looked like some kind of oval beetle with a glossy appearance. Engraved on them were runes that emanated faint magical lights, which guaranteed their excellent quality. As a matter of fact, the magic armor was more complicated than it appeared. Although it was almost 220 pounds, the ��light-weight�� rune ensured it was as light as a feather. The ��mega-power�� rune allowed the wearer to unleash strength as powerful as a giant��s. In addition to the ��hardening�� and ��defensive enchanted field�� runes, it was enough to guarantee that the soldiers could march ahead fearlessly even under the double oppression from an arrow storm and magica; bombardment. However, good horses matched good saddles, after all. The production of armors cost a whole lot of resources and it could also be said that their value in gold coins was enough to support a group of 10 heavy cavalrymen! Even with the prowesses of Lapis and Marlene, they weren��t able to reduce the materials consumption. Putting aside the effort and cost required to create high-end magic runes, the number of magic crystals needed to maintain the flow of magic in the armor was also high. Moreover, refining of the armors demanded ores and metals, where the total cost of everything would be enough to purchase an entire city.


    Of course, the armors weren��t made immediately after Rhode��s return. In fact, the upgrading of armor for the Void Territory��s armies was already in progress before Rhode left the Dragon Soul Continent. Back then, Rhode had already made preparations to go to war with the Country of Darkness. Even though he had the support of revival spells now, it didn��t mean that he could act rashly. The reason why Rhode created these magic armors was to resist the insidious and cunning tricks of the Country of Darkness and drastically strengthen the soldiers�� offense and defense. After all, he clearly knew that apart from undead spells, the Country of Darkness was also adept in plagues and curses. Although these ��debuffs�� weren��t strong enough to seize lives, it was enough to lower the soldiers�� battle strength. That was why Rhode needed an army of bold elites who were fearless against the ��debuffs�� to take on the Country of Darkness head-on. And now, it seemed like their preparations were enough to take on Chaos.


    ��What about the device placements for the Order-strengthening enchanted fields?��


    ��It is still on-going and everything should be fine. But Sir Rhode, they are only experimental products, so we need Miss Marlene and the rest to provide the output����


    ��It doesn��t matter, since it is only for the time being.��


    Upon hearing Lapis��s concerned reminder, Rhode waved her aside with airy gesture. Then, he turned around and caressed her hair.


    ��I��ll leave the production to you then. It is manageable for you, right?��


    ��Ah�� Yes! Sir Rhode, please leave it to me!��


    Upon sensing his gentle touch, Lapis blushed. She extended her hand to pull down the hood, took two steps back, and responded softly. The corners of Rhode��s lips perked up upon seeing her reaction. He picked up a magic crystal and tossed it into the air. Shortly after, that magic crystal emanated a dazzling brilliance as it hovered in midair. Rhode gazed at it, let out a cough to clear his throat, and lowered his gaze to the soldiers.


    ��Everyone, I��m sure you��re aware that we��re about to head into an unprecedented war.��


    Rhode said. Even though his voice wasn��t resounding, it reverberated in every soldiers�� ears clearly. Upon hearing his voice, the soldiers lifted their heads one after another, turning to the figure standing at the top of the city wall. He didn��t seem muscular at all, and looked even somewhat thin.


    ��The undead creatures have not stopped attacking us. Many of you have experienced fighting against them. Not long ago, they attempted to invade our territory. Many of our people were forced to leave their homes under death threats. You��ve personally witnessed houses perishing in flames and the slaughtering of your loved ones, which eventually turned them into puppets of the undead. But it is apparent now that the enemies aren��t satisfied and will never be.��


    Rhode said, lowering his voice. Upon hearing his words, the soldiers lowered their heads, clenched their fists in wrath, and their eyes burned in unprecedented rage. Indeed, just as Rhode mentioned, attacks from the undead creatures infuriated the soldiers. Even though the soldiers repelled the undead creatures again and again, their indignation didn��t fade away as a result. They knew what the undead creatures were up to and it was apparent that the undead creatures had no intention of giving up. If it was possible, the soldiers wished to end this once and for all. But it was a pity that they were only soldiers and not army generals.


    ��But now�� everything will change!��


    Rhode raised his voice abruptly.


    ��We have had enough of their invasions. And now, it is time for our retaliation. We shall penetrate the Country of Darkness, destroy the Darkness Capital, and eradicate that Dark Dragon who has sunken into madness! He went against his duty as a ruler of Order and fell into the abyss of Chaos. He is attempting to spread Chaos to every part of this world and is essentially destroying the entire continent. As people of Order, we need to stop his foolish acts����


    Rhode declared and went silent all of a sudden. The soldiers below exchanged looks with one another, unsure of the cause of that sudden silence from the Void Dragon. However, as they were doubtful, Rhode��s voice sounded once again.


    ��Despite all this that I have said, I��ve to say that it is all bullsh*t! What��s most important for us is revenge! We need to annihilate the shameless undead creatures and teach those brainless bast*rds that the graveyard is their resting place! Tooth for tooth, and blood for blood! However they treated us in the past, we will make them pay tenfold! The era of weeping and fleeing in trembling fear when facing undead creatures is long gone. Now is the era for the undead creatures to shiver and beg for mercy under our iron hooves, and we shall trample them to death like worthless weeds! There is only one command: kill on sight! We will dig those bast*rds out from their graves and burn their corpses into ashes without sparing any single one of them! Get ready to move out������! Our target: the Country of Darkness. This is our retaliation! Our invasion! We shall conquer the territories of the Country of Darkness! Drive the lackeys of Chaos away to the other side of destruction! And put them to their demise!��


    ������


    Along with Rhode��s snarls, the place was in a strange silence with no one speaking. They stood on the spot without moving an inch. Looking at this scene, Lapis couldn��t help but gaze at Rhode worriedly. But when she was about to break the silence, cheers and screams as loud as a volcano eruption exploded, rising from the ground and bursting into the clouds.


    ��Your Majesty Void Dragon! Your Majesty Void Dragon!��


    ��Revenge! We want revenge!��


    ��Kill those undead creatures! It��s payback time!��


    The sky was filled with clamors and bellows and screams consisting of joy, anger, and excitement. The soldiers raised their arms, wielded their weapons, and vented their frustrations. Looking at this view, the corners of Rhode��s lips perked up into a smile as he raised his right arm high. Along with this action, a dazzling radiance rushed into the sky and the starry sky trembled shortly after.


    The everlasting night sky warped like deformed mud being smashed. In the blink of an eye, the dark sky connecting the Void Territory and Country of Darkness shattered into fragments. But before the fragments disappeared into thin air, they were mercilessly devoured by the surreal sea of stars.


    At the next moment, the warm, gentle, and dazzling rays of the sun rose from the other side of the horizon, bringing light to the land that was originally enfolded in eternal darkness. Like a stage play, the deep, dark curtains withdrew, suggesting the commencement of a brand new show.


    It also represented the beginning of an all-out war.

 Chapter 1184 - Advance

    The bright, beautiful rays of sunlight shone from above, illuminating the vast, pitch-black land. The night sky gave way quickly as the glaring brilliance penetrated the darkness like a ruthless, razor-sharp blade. Facing this ambush, the undead creatures raised their heads in confusion and stared blankly at the dazzling golden light. Perhaps due to them living in darkness for too long, they couldn��t react instantly upon witnessing the blinding radiance�� But it didn��t matter too much.


    Because it was the end for them.


    The golden brilliance metamorphosed into a powerful force, converging into spurts of surging tide that devoured the surface completely. A massive and glaring energy beam dazzled across their eyes. Long-overdue, explosive shockwaves erupted out of the abyssal gullies like an invisible, enormous palm reaching out and digging a tunnel in the sand, while continuous streams of airwaves blasted from within. After a few moments, deafening, resounding, and terrifying rumbles echoed. Gales that broke the sound barrier blustered in all directions, while the solid ground cracked, fissured, and collapsed entirely.


    At this moment, the undead creatures who were under attack finally returned to their senses. They bellowed and fought back with lichs brandishing their magic staff and chanting profane runes and words. Shortly after, a dark, gloomy, and sturdy magical barrier appeared out of thin air, bringing along a foul-smelling, pitch-black cloud into the sky to conceal the sun. Death knights rode on warhorses as they galloped ahead. On the vast land, skeleton soldiers wielded their weapons. Their scarlet eyes glinted in flickering madness. They stormed forward, attempting to smash everything in their path into bits.


    Until the brilliance descended.


    ��������!��


    The crisscrossed, enormous, magical brilliance swept across the land. Its unparalleled force was indefensible by ordinary creatures. The magical barrier that the lichs went through great pains to cast shattered into powder in less than a second like a fragile, boulder-crushed egg. The pure energy devoured and dismantled everything in its path, scorching the land into charcoal-black with no survivors, and even plants and trees were gone in sight. Be it the living or undead, there were no more traces of them. In this vast land, the only existence was nothingness.


    ��The second round of the Delusion Rainbow has been fired, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    ��Give ��em the third!��


    Standing in the command room of the magic warship, Rhode stared at the land that was burnt entirely. However, he didn��t seem to have the intention of letting down his guard yet.


    ��I want to uplift the entire Country of Darkness! This isn��t a metaphor, exaggeration, or delusion! I want everything to disappear from the Country of Darkness! Kill on sight��anything that stops you! Blast off any mountain and flatten all rivers ahead! Raze the Country of Darkness to the ground! When I step into the land of the Country of Darkness, I want to see no obstacles until the end of the horizon! Keep bombarding them! After the third round of blasts, send out the magician knights and carry out a raid. I don��t want to see any enemies alive!��


    Along with Rhode��s snarls, the massive magic warship that blended into the starry sky sailed forward. The gigantic steel cannons on both sides of the lower hull rotated constantly, spurting strings of white, hot steam like clouds. At the next moment, magical radiances that were coalesced to the extreme emanated from the opening of the steel cannons. Then, spinning magical rituals took shape in front of the steel cannons that were at least three humans tall. At the next moment, the magical beams fired, streaking across the horizon and aiming for the land in the distance. In thunderous booms, the flat ground bulged instantly like a balloon and the energy contained in the magical beams reached its peak, exploding abruptly. In an instant, terrifying, scarlet fireballs blew up, while pitch-black mushroom clouds rose from the ground, blasting forward along the airwaves. Before the brave undead creatures reacted, they turned into fluttering ashes, spiraling in the air with flying sand and sparkling stars, before landing on the ground. The explosions brought upon a somewhat mechanical and regular rhythm of beauty, like a pipe organ used to perform in sacred palaces. The deep sound of the pipe organ astounded one��s spirit and entirety as it vibrated in wonderful melodies, releasing dazzling flashes, flames, and thunder rolls like a grand symphony of destruction.


    ��������! Leader, you��re amazing!��


    Looking at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t help but blow a whistle.


    ��That��s the way it should be! Air strikes, followed by advancements from armored vehicles on land!��


    This time, Rhode didn��t lead the magic fleet to slaughter his way into the Darkness Capital like he mentioned earlier. If it were in the past, perhaps it would still be effective. But it was different now. Chaos consisting of Order had to be cleaned up progressively. It was like how one had to wipe every single tile cleanly and not clean up only the filthiest one. Even though this might take some time, it was definitely better than letting Chaos take advantage of a lapse.


    ��This is an adventure; a long journey.��


    Canary held the railing and gazed at the burnt land below. There was nothing. Be it the living or undead, what remained was only the land itself. Rhode��s plan was relatively risky and insane. With the coordination of 15 magic warships, he requested all soldiers from the Munn Kingdom and Void Territory to advance side by side, crushing any enemies before them in the shortest time possible, with the mightiest strength. This way, they could eliminate the Chaos that was spread by the Dark Dragon. If Rhode chose the ��decapitation tactic��, he wouldn��t be able to stop the proliferation of Chaos even if he killed the Dark Dragon. Not only that, but it might also cause him to sink into deeper and more dangerous trouble. On the other hand, by going hand in hand, even though he wasn��t able to kill the Dark Dragon in the shortest time possible, he was able to restrict the living space of Chaos, restraining them from wreaking havoc.


    The booms of cannon blasts filled the sky as billows of smoke rose from the surface. The hue of red, scorching heat took over as the main melody of the battlefield. At a glance, the undead army was seemingly completely destroyed by the series of bombardments. But Rhode was aware that the undead creatures weren��t that weak. If more than a dozen magic warships were enough to demolish them, the Country of Light and Munn Kingdom wouldn��t have been at the mercy of the Country of Darkness for so many years.


    ��Gaaaa����!��


    As expected. All of a sudden, everyone heard an ear-piercing call. They witnessed a large ��cloud�� rising from the horizon far ahead, concealing the entire sky as it came flying toward the magic warships.


    ��Reporting, Your Majesty Rhode. Soul griffins spotted ahead!��


    ��Hmph.��


    Upon hearing the report, Rhode let out a snort, before reaching for his sword hilt.


    ��Go all-out! No holding back! Crush those damn birds! Activate the Order defensive enchanted field and Holy Maiden Statues!��


    A pure, holy radiance flickered in the air. Even though the omnipresent darkness obscured the blistering sun, the holy radiance was like a lighthouse in the darkness. The Holy Maiden Statues erected ahead of the magic warships raised their arms. Circles of clear, dazzling halos


    diffused like ripples with the statues in the middle. At a glance, the lined-up magic warships glittered in white, sacred brilliance one after another. The spreading waves of energy linked up to form a crystal barrier that was as thin as a cicada��s wings. They looked so thin that one couldn��t help but worry if the hurl of a stone would smash it into bits. But shortly after, the thin barrier proved the value of its existence.


    ��Gaaaa����!��


    Tens of thousands of soul griffins beat their wings and dove head first into the crystal barrier like an inclined flood. But at the next moment, they let out bursts of anguished screeches. Their rock-hard claws failed to leave any slashes on the thin crystal barrier. On the contrary, the instant the soul griffins came in contact with the crystal barrier, they were devoured by holy, white flames immediately, before burning into ashes without leaving behind any remnants. In an instant, one saw countless white flames flaring up in the sky like glittering stars. The soul griffins were like moths to a flame. Even though they were gravely hurt, they had no intention of stopping. The next waves of soul griffins chiseled away at the crystal barrier above the magic warships, only to be forcefully separated by hundreds of blinding magical cannon beams. But shortly after, the emptied openings in the sea of darkness were quickly filled up as though they didn��t exist.


    The flashes of magical power, cannon blasts, and death merged as one in the sky, turning into a unique scenery. All of a sudden, the soul griffins that were ramming into the crystal barrier frantically came to a halt. Then, they turned around instantly like a school of fish swimming in the ocean, retreating to where they came from. Looking at this scene, Rhode twitched his brows.


    At that moment, he witnessed hundreds of warships that soared toward him in the air. They were tattered and the holes at the bottom weren��t even repaired fully. Dense spiritual mist lifted the hulls like ocean waves pushing them forward. These warships that appeared indistinctly in the mist appeared in front of his eyes.


    They were the strongest air weapons of the Country of Darkness: the Ghost Fleet.

 Chapter 1185 - Air Combat

    Every country had their own trump card in the air. For instance, the Munn Kingdom owned floating magic warships that sailed in strong gales and the Country of Darkness possessed a massive ghost fleet. However, there was a necessary restriction for these trump cards��they would never be dispatched unless their country was invaded. Of course, this wasn��t a restriction based solely on contracts and official documents, but also involved problems of their own instead. It was just like how floating magic warships in the Munn Kingdom had to rely on the power of the strong gales in order to hover and sail in the air. The Country of Darkness��s ghost fleet also needed the presence of a thick death aura in order to remain afloat in midair. If the death aura wasn��t dense enough, the massive ghost fleet couldn��t be sent out at all, which was also the second reason that limited the mobilization of the ghost fleet.


    Something worthy of a mention was that the Country of Light also had their very own air units, the Holy Arks. However, as the Holy Arks required angels to operate and couldn��t sail under the command of humans, they were thoroughly banned and demolished after the parliament gained authority. This was because the parliament was more afraid of the Holy Arks being used against them than against the enemies��


    One by one, in the dense fog, the run-down warships sailed forward in an undulating motion as though they were riding on the rough waves of the sea. They spread out in a scattered formation, positioning their hulls and aiming their black cannon barrels at the magic warships ahead, which were several times taller. In terms of size, even though the difference between both parties was like fishing boats taking on cruisers, no one was able to ignore the mighty energy contained in these tattered warships that could seemingly collapse to a breeze.


    At the next moment, a dazzling light erupted.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A string of flares exploded from the enormous ghost fleet in the distance. Their artillery shells whizzed and revolved as they dragged long trails of blue spiritual flames as though ominous comets that fell from the sky and crashed onto the magic warships�� barrier. Compared to the soul griffins that were like moths to a flame, the artillery shells seemed much more effective. As they bombarded the barrier, the barrier began to flicker. This continuous, storm-like attack started overwhelming the barrier upheld by strong magical powers. What gave one a bigger headache was that the ghost fleet didn��t seem to have any physical presence. After the magic warships on Rhode��s side retaliated by firing off their cannons, vivid colors of red, yellow, orange, white, and blue magical brilliance from the blasts struck the fog and were seemingly absorbed into nothingness. Meanwhile, the massive ghost fleet also vanished in sight, before secretly reappearing on the other side of the fog.


    ��Hmph, dirty little tricks.��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode snorted in contempt at this group of idiots from the Country of Darkness.


    As the player and guild leader who demolished your entire country in the game, do you think I��m unaware of the strength of your hidden trump card?


    At this thought, Rhode swept a glance at the battlefield and raised his right arm.


    The time had arrived.


    ��������!��


    All of a sudden, a violent hurricane erupted from the rear of the magic warships and pounced forward at the enemies ahead. Dust and sand fluttered wherever the gales raged, rolling and spinning as they surged forward in air waves. At that moment, even the huge magic warships couldn��t help but rock to this mighty force. If it were only an ordinary hurricane, it definitely wouldn��t affect these magic warships that were protected by the barrier. However, these winds were extraordinary. They contained strong magical powers and pure elemental powers��the wind elemental power, that was.


    ��What is going on?��


    The sudden emergence of the roaring hurricane raised doubts across the ghost fleet. The captain, whose entire body had rotted where only bones remained, strode onto the deck and arrived at the bow with large strides, looking ahead with a pair of binoculars. Then, he put down the binoculars. The spiritual flames in his empty eye sockets surged for the first time.


    ��This is��!��


    The green radiance visible to the naked eye was as though a huge river rushing from the back to the front, opening up a new watercourse in the sky. A gigantic sky whale appeared under the clear, starry sky. As it swayed its body gently over its absolute dominance of the wind, the strong gales changed their course and headed straight toward the pitch-black Country of Darkness. At the same time, it brought along a new enemy.


    ��Reporting, Your Highness. We��ve discovered the ghost fleet. There are a total of 350 warships!��


    Lydia sat on the silver-whitish chair located in the middle of the luxuriously decorated and exquisite command room. Upon hearing the battle angel��s report, Lydia revealed a delightful smile. She turned her finger gently, narrowing her eyes at the ��ocean of death�� ahead filled with dense fog, as well as the indistinct ghost fleet.


    ��I never expect this day, when I get to go head to head with the ghost fleet. Seems like this errand isn��t too bad at all�� Gaya, I shall leave it to you. Please don��t make a fool of ourselves in front of His Majesty Rhode, okay?��


    ��Yes, Your Highness!��


    The black-haired young lady who stood opposite Lydia nodded slightly in response. She wrapped her arms around the harp, turned around, and sauntered toward the podium. At that moment, she wasn��t clad in her usual, court-lady dress, but wore a well-ironed and gorgeous black uniform instead. Her pitch-black eyes revealed a state of calmness and indifference like icebergs of a thousand years.


    ��Advance and go all-out! Our target��the Ghost Fleet!��


    Almost 100 floating magic warships sailed downstream along the strong gales. They gathered and pierced through the ocean of death like a razor-sharp knife in the location of the ghost fleet. Strong waves of wind collided heavily on the fog of death that had coalesced into a barrier. At the next moment, the floating magic warships flickering in a magical radiance penetrated the barrier. White, dazzling halos erupted from the warships, eradicating the ice-cold fog that could kill any mortal who came close. But this wasn��t the end. It had just started.


    ��Starboard��third to fifth cannons, get ready. Lock on the targets and fire!��


    A holy white brilliance punctured the dense fog, aiming straight at the ghost fleet. Almost simultaneously, meteor-like, spiritual artillery shells whizzed in retaliation. The blinding cannon blasts clashed among the thick clouds, splashing sparks and flares in all directions. Be it the floating magic warships or ghost fleet, both sides rocked in violent explosions. Even though the ghost fleet tried to continue its battle strategy by firing once and repositioning after, Lydia��s floating magic warships followed them closely, forcing them into a head-on battle instead.


    ��The Munn Kingdom��s floating magic warships sure are tough.��


    Ear-deafening rumbles and explosions shrouded everything. Standing on the bow and gazing at the artillery fire ahead, the ghost fleet��s commander, Rolan, let out a deep sigh. Rolan admitted this was his mistake. He didn��t expect the enemies to find a way to alter the course of the winds and launch their attack from there, catching the ghost fleet unprepared and causing them to sink into a chaotic situation. But��


    Although the Munn Kingdom��s floating magic warships are powerful, the Country of Darkness��s ghost fleet isn��t good-for-nothing either!


    At this thought, Rolan lifted his head. His illusory body was faintly discernible in the fog. As the ghost fleet commander who dominated rivals in the air, this was the first time Rolan felt an unparalleled thrill and strong will to fight.


    An enemy worthy of me is right ahead. This time, I will crush them completely! I will use victory to prove that the ghost fleet is entirely worthy of being known as the strongest air troop!


    ��Pass down the order! First, third, fifth, and sixth warships, retreat from the front line. Second and fourth warships are in charge of covering. Seventh warship, get ready to attack!��


    Along with Rolan��s command, changes happened across the ghost fleet immediately.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The ghost warships on the left and right unleashed unprecedented firepower, containing the Munn Kingdom��s floating magic warships that were advancing triumphantly. The ghost warships in the middle seized the opportunity and retreated. Looking at this scene, the corners of Gaya��s eyes twitched. She lowered her head and gazed at the battlefield map flickering in a magical radiance. The black-haired harpist lifted her head.


    ��Second and fifth warships! Advance and crash head-on! The other warships, turn to your 3 o��clock. Cannons by the port, aim at the targets! Fire!��


    Along with Gaya��s order, the floating magic warships repositioned and changed their directions. The two warships that bore the brunt of the overwhelming artillery fire didn��t come to a halt, but opened up a magical barrier instead, before smashing forward without any hesitation. At the same time, neat rows of magical beams blasted from the void sky, intercepting the seventh ghost warship that intervened from the side.


    ��Damn it!��


    Looking at this scene, Rolan couldn��t help but gnash his teeth. The smoking pipe held in his mouth ��squeaked�� under the pressure. Rolan thought he could lure the enemy in by pretending to withdraw from the battle and use the seventh warship as a lure, before launching a counterattack. However, he didn��t expect the commander on the other side to be smart enough to figure his intention out instantly, beating him at his own game and abandoning the idea of chasing after his main warship to eliminate the seventh ghost warship instead. If Rolan weren��t lucky, perhaps the second and fourth warships would also suffer heavy losses.


    At that moment, two floating magic warships enveloped in a magical barrier penetrated the ghost fleet like two razor-sharp knives.

 Chapter 1186 - Stalemate

    The thick fog rolled and surged as though attempting to form a barrier to stop the strong ambush. But in the blink of an eye, the two floating magic warships slashed through their defense like slicing a soft cake. The floating magic warships charged at the ghost fleet ahead relentlessly. The ghost warship couldn��t evade in time and in a loud bang, it was crushed squarely in the middle, scattering debris everywhere. The ghost warship that was already heavily damaged over the span of time couldn��t withstand the impact at all. In a piercing squeak, it inclined and deformed. But in just a few seconds, the seemingly flattened ghost warship twisted and restored its original shape like a strong spring. At that moment, a new round of battle began along with the collision of warships.


    ��For the glory of the holy light!��


    Along with this crisp war cry, dazzling radiances erupted from the deck of the floating magic warships, one after another. The battle angels enfolded in holy brilliance raised their swords, expanded their wings, and soared toward the ghost warship ahead. Meanwhile, along with the ice-cold, rolling death fog, banshees appeared on the deck, one by one. They had pale skin and translucent bodies and were clad in tattered long dresses that fluttered in the strong winds. These banshees used to be the most beautiful elves in the world, but fear of death and hatred distorted their spirits, turning them into completely different, terrifying beings. Their only purpose living in this world now was to kill the enemies here and shred their spirits into bits. Gazing at the battle angels illuminated by the holy light, the banshees weren��t as afraid as the other undead creatures. On the contrary, they took a few steps back and snapped their jaws open.


    ����������!��


    Ear-piercing screams erupted from their mouths. The biting-cold and sinister breath of curse metamorphosed into a deadly weapon that enveloped the battle angels ahead. Facing their howls of malice, the battle angels gripped their swords and a bright, holy brilliance burst from their blades, turning into a shield that resisted the threats of death. But even so, the battle angels couldn��t help but stagnate, crumbling heavily to the deck. The instant they fell on the deck, the banshees brandished their sharp claws and pounced on their prey.


    ��Attack!��


    Even though the battle angels were dazed by the bawls, they gnashed their teeth and flourished their swords at the banshees. The dazzling, sacred glow from their blades swept across the sky, slashing the banshees in a critical hit. If it were any other weapon, this attack would be meaningless against almost-transparent spirits like the banshees. However, the battle angels�� blades were blessed by holy power, which ensured that they were able to deal damage to the banshees�� essence.


    ����������


    The instant the banshees were struck by the blades, the sound of evaporation when drops of water hit soldering iron sounded. White steam spurted from the point of collision between the blade and the banshees. The sacred radiance surged along the blade and erupted, penetrating the banshees entirely.


    ��Ah������!��


    The banshees let out blood-curdling wails, brandishing their razor-sharp claws and grabbing at the battle angels�� widely-expanded wings. Their pitch-black eyes burned in murderous intent and wrath as though they were eager to shred the battle angels into bits. Facing this retaliation from the banshees, the battle angels flicked their wrists around and pierced their blades straight into the enemies�� bodies.


    The chaotic battle on the deck continued. On the other side, the roaring artillery barrage didn��t seem to be diminishing anytime soon. At Gaya��s command, the floating magic warships of the Munn Kingdom gave up on chasing the main ghost warship, but focused their attention on bombarding the seventh ghost warship instead. The seventh ghost warship that intercepted from the side to disrupt the situation had now become entirely powerless. This situation was as though a group of cavalrymen who tried to catch the enemy off guard from the side, only to realize that the enemy was already anticipating this move and was waiting for them to take the bait. But even if it was a mountain of daggers or sea of flames ahead, their only option was to rush forward now.


    But it was a pity that the seventh ghost warship had fallen so deep into trouble that it could no longer rescue itself. The crisscrossed, blinding magical beams left spheres of flames blazing on the ghost warships. As though in the howls of bruised monsters, the ghost warships shattered and descended from the sky one after another.


    ��Damn it!��


    Gazing through the binoculars with a panoramic view, Rolan clutched the smoking pipe and swung his fist fumingly. Rolan had been dubious about the battle situation earlier, but was completely aware of the enemy��s strategy now. Rolan thought the Void Territory and Munn Kingdom would definitely deploy a blitzkrieg strategy since they had joined forces, which was why he was confident and brave enough to sacrifice three ghost warships as bait to lure the enemies in. However, he didn��t expect the enemies to be preparing for a raid. Apart from the ambush at the start of the war, the enemies went steadily and struck hard for the rest of the time. This was also why the floating magic warships of the Munn Kingdom failed to take his bait.


    It didn��t matter even if the other ghost warships escaped in succession because to the Munn Kingdom, they still had several chances to eliminate the Country of Darkness��s ghost fleet in the future. Due to that reason, not only was the Munn Kingdom not flustered at all, but they also seemed exceedingly calm. This, in turn, made Rolan��s action seem as though he were sacrificing his ghost warships for nothing. If Rolan had chosen to retreat entirely back then, perhaps the Munn Kingdom would have pursued him closely. But due to his foolish decision, the Munn Kingdom now had a target to annihilate and wouldn��t care less about the so-called ��main ghost warship�� that was fleeing.


    Perhaps there isn��t enough time to turn back and gather reinforcements now.


    At this thought, Rolan couldn��t help but sweep a glance ahead. Through the dense fog, he vaguely saw ridiculously massive magic warships and the holy rays of light they emanated. The rays were so pure that even Rolan felt his head aching. Even though Rolan learned from the reports that the Void Territory owned powerful magic warships, where they only deployed three magic warships to raze Casabianca to the ground, he finally realized how terrifying they were after experiencing it for himself. Right now, he was only relying on the special characteristics of the ghost fleet to deal with the Munn Kingdom. If he were to take the initiative to attack the Munn Kingdom��s warships now, perhaps he wouldn��t be able to get away from them at all.


    ��Everyone, retreat immediately!��


    At that moment, apart from confirming his mistake and failure, there was no other choice.


    ��Reporting, Your Majesty. We��ve confirmed that the ghost fleet is retreating!��


    The fog dissipated gradually. Along with the disappearance of the ghost fleet, the omnipresent soul griffins also vanished from sight.


    ��Seems like the enemy figured out our strategy.��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode shrugged and turned to the young lady beside him. Upon sensing his gaze, the younger sister smiled and nodded.


    ��If it is possible, I hope to take this further. But I��m surprised they reacted so quickly.��


    Just as Rolan expected, the reason why Rhode deployed an ambush wasn��t because he had decided to copy the Country of Darkness in breaking through defenses and swooping down. Instead, it was indeed a genuine ambush. In addition to being able to gain an advantage in the early stages of the war, it also gave the enemy the illusion that Rhode was determined to win by speed. If the Country of Darkness was fooled, they would gather a huge army as quickly as possible to stop Rhode��s ambush in order to prevent their defensive line from being penetrated. This way, Rhode could take on the enemy easily and consume the many forces of the Country of Darkness.


    But it was a pity that the Country of Darkness didn��t seem to be as foolish as Rhode had expected. Not only did they not gather troops to form a blockade, but they also retreated decisively. Judging from this point, it was apparent that they also realized something wasn��t right with the situation, which also meant that��


    ��We may need to storm them next.��


    ��That��s right. This is exactly what we want.��


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s answer, the corners of Rhode��s lips perked up into a proud smile. If the Country of Darkness were to defend themselves to the death, it would be the best for Rhode. Because this way, he could ensure that he wiped out all undead creatures stained by Chaos at once and didn��t need to worry about fish that slipped the net. Rhode was initially concerned that the enemies wouldn��t act according to his expectations. But as the ghost fleet retreated, the heavy burden in his mind was finally put down, leaving another problem deep down in his mind.


    Is Ion really gonna use this strategy against me?


    This was the only thing that Rhode couldn��t predict.


    ��Reporting, Your Majesty!��


    At that moment, some hurried footsteps disrupted Rhode��s thoughts. He turned around and gazed at the soldier.


    ��What��s wrong? What happened?��


    ��We received news from the northern defensive line. The Country of Darkness has dispatched their undead army and launched an all-out attack on the Country of Law!��


    Rhode��s heart sank immediately.


    Seems like the inevitable has arrived.

 Chapter 1187 - Burning Forest

    The Country of Law��s border, Forest of Serenity.


    Along with the arrival of the new day, the radiance of the sun spilled into the dense forest. Green leaves covered in clear, refreshing dew reflected the bright sunshine. At that moment, it should have been the start of a new day for all living creatures waking from their sleep. But now, the forest was in total silence, with neither chirping from birds nor growls from wild animals.


    Slender figures flashed past the forest, sprinting ahead. They were elf young ladies donned in light green cloaks, carrying giant bows made from dark brown wood. Their faces were concealed by a raised collar and hood, but a pair of long, pointy, and twitching ears revealed their identity. They moved so quickly that at a glance, one could only see a trail of afterimages behind them. The elf young ladies were seemingly as light as air. They dashed ahead, treading the fallen leaves and branches silently while blending into the green forest. After a few moments, the elf young ladies came to a halt, exchanged looks with one another, and spread out into the surroundings.


    ��Phew����


    Gazing at the everlasting, pitch-black sky in the distance, Corina let out a helpless sigh, gripping her bow. She couldn��t be more familiar with this forest as this was where she grew up. But now, everything had changed. As the Country of Law was afraid of any possible ambushes from the Country of Darkness, they evacuated residents of the Forest of Serenity to a safer location. Meanwhile, Corina and the other elf young ladies were in charge of patrolling the border, so as to report any happenings immediately.


    As a matter of fact, many elves in the Country of Law didn��t believe that the Country of Darkness would launch an ambush on them. That was because the Country of Law had an unique geographical location, where they were surrounded by towering mountains and precipitous ridges. Besides, there were innumerable paths that only elves were able to climb and travel on. Moreover, under the protection of the twin dragons and the vitality enchanted field of the Elf Forest, many elves believed that as long as they didn��t bother others, others wouldn��t mess with them. Elves were pretty much uninterested in the outside world and only hoped to lead their own lives. They thought they had nothing that could cause a war to break out, but Corina clearly knew that the truth was otherwise.


    As a representative of the Country of Law who was sent and stationed in the Land of Atonement, Corina personally experienced the war between the Country of Darkness and Land of Atonement. Even though she viewed the situation from a neutral standpoint and didn��t participate, she had a deeper understanding of wars from the experience.


    Corina recalled the words Rhode said to her back then in the Land of Atonement.


    ��Actually, wars are really simple.��


    Corina remembered when Rhode had said those words, he was standing above the city wall and overlooking the hell-like battlefield below. The putrid smell of death was unbearable for an elf like her. But despite that, Rhode put up an expressionless face.


    ��We give various meanings to before, during, and after the war. But it is a pity that everything is meaningless, be it for peace, freedom, survival, justice, or any other foolish reason. All in all, war is a product that cannot compromise both parties. It is like two people quarreling, where if a consensus cannot be reached, they will resort to hurling punches. Perhaps one may bleed, break some bones, or lose one��s life, but in fact, it is actually avoidable if one gives it some serious thoughts before the fight breaks out. We always read about historians in history books mentioning the what-ifs�� and that the war will not break out. But it is a pity that there are no ifs in history. Humans can never compromise with one another, just like how you can never convince a wolf to not eat meat or persuade a goat to enter a tiger��s den. We are standing here to not be conquered and destroyed while they are here to conquer and destroy us. There is only one fundamental reason for this war to break out. And that is, we��re standing here���� Rhode said, pointing his finger at the foot of the city wall. Then, he extended his arm and pointed ahead at the eternal night sky. ���� and they��re standing there. It is just that simple.��


    We��re standing here.


    Corina turned to the forest around her and shook her head helplessly. After Rhode became the Void Dragon, the Void Territory and Country of Law had contacts on a higher level, which was why Corina returned to the Elf Forest after she was relieved from her duty as an emissary of the Country of Law. When giving her resignation report, she stated that she was concerned over the aggressive ambitions of the Country of Darkness and thought that the Country of Law should increase their vigilance. However, most elves dismissed the matter and even accused Corina of meddling in others�� business. To most elves, there was no need for the Elf Forest to worry about the possibilities of being attacked by other nations. As a matter of fact, even at this point in time, after the twin dragons ordered the evacuation of the residents of the forest, the elves treated the matter as a ��just in case��. They didn��t truly believe that the Country of Darkness would attack the Country of Law.


    Corina had no other way around her overly optimistic and naive companions. In fact, she empathized with their thoughts. If one never left this forest, one would feel like the entire world was peaceful and had no conflicts. The indifferent personality of elves also ensured that they wouldn��t exchange blows with one another over small matters like shrews. Due to this reason, elves put themselves in the place of others and thought that the rest of the world was similar to the Elf Forest in terms of environment. However, only an elf like Corina who traveled abroad and experienced wars had a deeper understanding of the true meaning of life. As for the hothouse flowers, no matter how Corina convinced them, it would be useless unless they experienced wars for themselves.


    ��Madam Corina!��


    At that moment, two elf young ladies shuttled out from the bushes from the left and right, landing lithely beside Corina.


    ��Everything is normal. There are no strange happenings.��


    Upon hearing her subordinates�� report, Corina pondered for a while. Then, she nodded and said.


    ��Good, let��s����


    ����������!��


    Before Corina finished her sentence, a deep, resounding explosion boomed, instantly startling her. She lifted her head and turned to the direction of the explosion. In the northeast direction, billows of black smoke rose, while a sea of flames swarmed in all directions, devouring everything in its path. Shortly after, a dozen fireballs descended from above like meteorites, smashing and bombarding the forest.


    ��Ambush!��


    Looking at this scene, Corina��s heart sank immediately. She turned around and gazed at her two subordinates. Upon witnessing their pale and terrified expressions, Corina couldn��t help but let out a sigh. Even though they were outstanding elf warriors who patrolled the border with her, the training grounds were completely different from a real battlefield, after all.


    ��Safir! Inform the patrol guards to isolate the rear and ensure that the flames don��t reach the central area right away. Nestor, gather the rest and retreat from the front lines immediately. Head to the first line of defense; I will check on Tina and the rest!��


    ��Madam Corina, we want to fight too!��


    Upon hearing Corina��s order, the two elves returned to their senses instantly. A few moments ago, they were just like other elves who believed that no one would offend them if they didn��t offend others and it was impossible for the Country of Law to be ambushed. But now, that fragile illusion was demolished completely. However, they were well-trained warriors, after all. And they quickly pulled themselves together.


    ��Stop messing around. This is an order. Get to it now!��


    Corina ordered and sprinted toward the conflagration without taking a second glance at her subordinates.


    Corina shuttled through the forest like a vigorous cheetah. The entangledvines and low-hanging branches didn��t hurt her at all. In the blink of an eye, she arrived at the periphery of the battlefield. Even though she was mentally prepared, she couldn��t help but take in a deep breath of cold air upon witnessing the scene.


    ��This is too much��!��


    The exuberant and peaceful forest disappeared completely, only to be replaced by a sea of flames that blazed the ground and trees. A strong smell of smoke assailed her nostrils.


    ������Swish!


    Just as Corina decided to take a step farther to search for the three elves patrolling this area, she turned around and abruptly leaped back. At the same time, a dazzling red flash brushed past her, crashing heavily on the ground. In a loud explosion, burning flames erupted behind her. She somersaulted in the air and agilely landed on a thick tree branch. At that moment, she looked up and discovered the true identity of the enemy in front of her.


    It was a mysterious figure in a black cloak. He wore a tall, triangular black hat that covered his head, revealing only a pair of eyes flickering in a mystical radiance. What was most eye-catching about this enemy was the three individual flames burning at the tip of the hat. They were seemingly alive and dancing as Corina took a closer look.


    The mysterious black-cloaked figure held a scarlet, steel chain in his left hand. And at the end of the steel chain was a fire elemental monster standing on the ground and glaring at Corina.


    This time, Corina knew she had gotten into huge trouble.

 Chapter 1188 - Flame Monster

    Who exactly are they?


    Corina didn��t understand the undead creatures too much and this was a common problem for most elves in the Country of Law. They mostly relied upon their instincts and intuition to judge whether the other party was harmless or dangerous. If they were dangerous, elves would avoid or eliminate them. If they were harmless, elves wouldn��t worry about them too much. Of course, although this approach seemed a bit idealistic, elves�� intuitions were indeed capable of determining if one was friendly or hostile. However, this was also their biggest weakness. For instance, even though most elves sensed the ill-intentions of the slave traffickers from the Country of Light and evaded in advance, the slave traffickers had ways around them. They searched for children and pretended to abandon them in the forest. The innocent children weren��t aware of what was happening, of course, and through this way, elves who chanced upon the children were unable to judge the hostility of the slave traffickers. When these kind and curious elves escorted the children out of the forest, the slave traffickers who were waiting for this moment pounced at once, using traps and other tricks to capture the elves altogether.


    This was the elves�� understanding about enemies. Elves were relatively aware of enemies they dealt with frequently, but wouldn��t investigate enemies they seldom came into contact with. Anyway, as soon as the enemies appeared before them, they could immediately judge whether the enemies were a threat to them. In Corina��s case, apart from experiencing the war that took place in the Land of Atonement and learning from Rhode about various types of undead creatures, she was totally unaware of them beforehand. But now, all of this had no meaning anymore! Because Corina sensed their ill-intention like an unbearable blaze on her skin!


    ��Foal rand sitfre!��


    At that moment, the black-cloaked man raised his left arm. A hoarse voice sounded from underneath the pointy triangular hat. Corina leaped back without hesitation, pulling back her bow string immediately. In just a few seconds, an arrow coalesced from ice crystals flew off the bow string, disintegrated in midair, and metamorphosed into a snowstorm that enfolded the enemy ahead.


    Boom!


    The snowstorm and flames clashed, evaporating into white steam that proliferated in the forest. Corina didn��t seize this opportunity to deal a follow-up assault, but turned around and sprinted into the depths of the forest instead. A few seconds later, she discovered another unconscious elf young lady laying by the foot of a burning tree.


    ��Tina! Tina! Wake up!��


    Corina yelled, carrying the young lady on her back and sweeping a glance at her surroundings. Her heart sank upon witnessing two other flame-devoured corpses that burned into black ash. She gritted her teeth, forcing back the tears in her eyes and dashing deeper into the forest without looking back.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Seconds after she took off, sounds of a broken air barrier reverberated from the back; they were the scorching heat that followed Corina relentlessly. If Corina were alone, she would have no difficulty dodging these attacks as a formidable being in the Legendary Stage. But now, she was carrying a companion on her back and couldn��t pick up speed.


    ��Damn it!��


    Corina gnashed her teeth, judging that she couldn��t escape the enemy��s pursuit if this continued. Corina grabbed the elf young lady with her left hand and hurled her into the air. She looked up and blew a sharp, resounding whistle��in the blink of an eye, a huge goshawk swooped down from the sky and caught Tina with its steel, pincer-like claws, before soaring back into the air with the unconscious young lady.


    ��Kraff, bring Tina back to the tribe. Get them to be ready to face oncoming enemies��the undead creatures!��


    ��������!��


    Upon hearing Corina��s command, the goshawk called and disappeared into the depth of the forest with Tina. Everything happened within a matter of seconds, from when Corina summoned her animal ally to after she gave her command. As soon as Corina landed on the ground, a fire arrow emanating extreme heat was right before her eyes.


    ��Asita!��


    Facing this fire arrow that could burn her into ashes, Corina didn��t reveal any fluster in her expression at all. She stared ahead, holding one hand to the ground. As she chanted under her breath, a wall of ice instantly rose from the ground, shielding her from the menacing attack. In a loud, rumbling explosion, the steam evaporated from the collision of water and fire scattered once again. Corina rolled on the ground swiftly to avoid the ice fragments.


    The enemy��s strength was about the same level as her��s, in the Basic Legendary Stage. In addition to the fire elemental monster, it wasn��t easy for Corina to take them down. Due to the earlier delay, she could no longer escape even if she wanted to.


    My only choice now is to defeat the enemy in the shortest time possible and flee the battlefield.


    At this thought, Corina��s eyes glinted in a chilly flash. She gripped the bow in her hand and pulled back the bow string in a gradual and elegant posture.


    At the next moment, she released her fingers and the arrow flitted across the forest.


    Swish������!


    This wasn��t only the sound of the broken air barrier, but was more like the resonance of airflow trembling under a mighty force. As the arrow flew forward, the surging airwaves erupted to both sides, metamorphosing into a violent storm that crushed every tree and plant in its path. This wasn��t all due to Corina��s attack. She swirled her beautiful emerald-green eyes around the forest, nocked another arrow on her bow, and released her fingers gently.


    Boom! Boom!


    Without any signs of warning, almost simultaneously as Corina released her fingers, two dazzling flames flared up in the depths of the forest crushed by the powerful storm. Upon witnessing the flames, Corina��s eyes glinted in a bizarre flash. She moved her fingers midair elegantly as though playing a musical instrument. Along with this movement, arrows of light appeared around her, one after another, and darted into the deep forest. The light arrows didn��t fly in a straight trajectory, but shuttled across the forest lightly without slicing a single leaf blade as though they were conscious.


    ��Over there!��


    Upon spotting a shadow flashing past the forest, Corina locked onto its presence. She narrowed her eyes and gently released the fully-drawn bowstring��


    Swish!


    However, what caught Corina by surprise was that the arrow didn��t fly toward the target as anticipated. Instead, the arrow turned 90 degrees and shot straight into the sky. Looking at this scene, Corina grimaced.


    Could it be�� Oh no!


    Boom!


    Corina sprang to the side immediately after realizing the situation was anything but reassuring. Then, an intense explosion thundered. Blistering airwaves and dazzling, red billows of smoke erupted above Corina, causing her hair to curl up in the extreme heat. But now, Corina didn��t have the time to care about her precious hair anymore. Because glancing out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted the extending and warping fire elemental monster stretching its claws with an evil grin, attempting to burn her into ashes.


    How is it possible for this monster to be above me? It was clearly standing far away just now��!


    With Corina��s legendary abilities, as long as she locked onto the target, her arrow would hit it no matter how the target escaped.


    But why��!


    At this thought, Corina knitted her brows and turned over to dodge the attack from the fire elemental monster. Its strong, enormous claws grazed her before slamming into the ground in a loud boom. As soon as she leapt up into the air, four revolving, scarlet magical rituals appeared around her out of thin air. Then, a dozen magical steel chains shot out and bound the young lady��s limbs.


    ��Damn it!��


    Looking at this scene, Corina panicked. Before she was able to release the arrow on the fully-drawn bowstring, her hands were wrapped tightly by the magical steel chains and she raised high up in midair. The arrow that was released abruptly from her grip swished by and vanished in midair, hitting nothing in sight.


    ��Argh��!��


    Corina couldn��t budge. She suspended in the air, staring helplessly at the fire elemental monster before her. At that moment, she heard a husky and unpleasant laughter. The black-cloaked man sauntered out of the deep forest. Judging from the punctures in his cloak, it was apparent that Corina��s earlier attack was a relatively huge threat to this enemy.


    ��An elf giving me a hard time? What a surprise�� the Country of Law sure is interesting.��


    ���� Why is the Country of Darkness attacking the Country of Law?��


    Glaring at the black-cloaked mage, Corina grunted. Upon hearing her question, the black-cloaked mage burst into laughter as though he heard an amusing joke.


    ��Hahaha. Why, you ask? There��s no particular reason. It��s an order from His Majesty, so it��s only natural for us, his subjects, to comply! Besides, people of the Country of Law are also what we need! The bodies of elves are perfect for vessels. But I��m truly surprised to find such a fantastic one����


    The black-cloaked mage said, staring at Corina with mysterious flashes in his eyes. Then, he extended his arm and reached for a bottle of black, viscous potion from the folds of his cloak.


    ���� Come. Drink this, Elf Lady. You shall receive stronger powers, break free from the restraints of Order, and become the most loyal servant of our supreme lord��like us! Come, open your mouth and drink it!��


    The black-cloaked mage spoke, strolling toward Corina with the bottle of potion in hand. He raised the bottle and a faint black mist emanated from it. Corina revealed a terrified expression. Upon witnessing her reaction, the black-cloaked mage laughed even louder.


    ��Hahaha, don��t worry. Don��t be afraid. After you accept this mighty, sacred power, you shall become����


    That was the end of his speech.


    At the next moment, a silver arrow descended from the sky and penetrated his skull. The ambushed black-cloaked mage stood blankly on the spot for a few seconds before crashing to the ground lifelessly.


    ��Phew����


    The magical steel chains that bound Corina��s limbs vanished after losing their source of power. At this moment, Corina heaved a sigh of relief. But before she felt assured, she heard an ear-piercing and fuming growl.


    ��Oooooh!��


    Corina turned around and was stunned to see the fire elemental monster pouncing toward her.


    How is this possible? After losing the source of energy from its owner, this fire elemental monster should have already returned to the elemental plane, shouldn��t it?


    Corina had no more time to waste. It was apparent from the swelling body of the fire elemental monster that it intended to self-destruct right here. Corina could no longer dodge in time. The only thing she could do was to pull a distance as far as possible from it and place her arms before her to defend herself against the oncoming explosion. But��


    ��Aaooo������!��


    In a miserable and sorrowful screech, Corina lifted her head in shock, only to witness the bulging fire elemental monster that was about to explode shatter and shrink like a deflated balloon. It struggled and stretched out its claws in despair, but after losing its source of magical energy, its massive body turned into ashes.


    ��What exactly is����


    Corina stared blankly at the happening. At that moment, she discovered a young lady standing behind the fire elemental monster.


    The young lady was entirely wrapped in a white robe. Only a small, round chin under the hood, a pair of pointy ears, as well as the strands of fluttering golden hair revealed her identity.


    A white elf.

 Chapter 1189 - Reappearing Moon Shadow (1)

    ��Miss Gracier?��


    Corina was startled to meet this young lady but didn��t feel too surprised. The rebirth of white elves had always been a hot topic among elves in the Country of Law. After the Sword Dance Rite ended, elves began discussing Gracier and Madaras, who followed Rhode. Elves were a long-lived and nostalgic race. They loved looking back at the past and not to the future. This was why most elves showed interest beyond their nature toward the rebirth of the two white elves. Of course, this didn��t mean that they supported the idea of overthrowing the ruling system to crown a new ruler, but welcomed the return of white elves as the honor and pride of elves as a whole instead.


    Of course, some elves suggested to the Elf Queen to invite the two white elves back and continue their lives in the Elf Forest. Even though the two white elves were in their spiritual forms, they were the pride of elves, after all, and not traitors like dark elves. Some elves thought that following a human was somewhat degrading for the two white elves but despite that, the Elf Queen didn��t express any opinion over it. Corina also didn��t comment much. She clearly knew that even though she wasn��t aware of the relationship between Gracier, Madaras, and Rhode, it was obviously a tough challenge to convince them to leave Rhode��s side.


    But now, the two white elves were actually here?


    Upon hearing Corina��s doubt, Gracier nodded in response, turned around, and pointed into the deep forest. Then, she stared into Corina��s eyes and made a ��retreat�� gesture. At the next moment, Corina��s vision dazzled and Gracier disappeared right in front of her. The moment Corina looked up, she sensed the presence of exploding flames and an irritable aura of death coalescing in the distance. She hesitated no more, lifting her bow and shuttling into the deep forest.


    When Corina arrived at the elf encampment, everything was completely changed. It was still a tranquil scene in the morning before they left. But now, it was enveloped in billows of smoke. Long, thick, fireproof vines climbed up the thick trunks, tangling with one another to form layers of strong walls. Elves placed their hands on the trunks and land, praying softly for the call of nature. In the blink of an eye, a thick and sturdy dark green barrier expanded with dark, razor-sharp thorns on its surface, metamorphosing into a powerful defensive mechanism. The dark thorns reflected cold light, powerful enough to turn all intruders into ash. The steep, straight mountain walls blocked off all intruders harboring malicious intentions. Apart from attacking from the front, no one was able to pass through the defensive lines. The surrounding, towering cliffs were the best natural barrier. In addition to the unique magic of nature of the elves, it wasn��t surprising why they weren��t afraid of being invaded. But it was a pity that trouble still came knocking on their door.


    ��Madam Corina!��


    The elves heaved sighs of relief upon noticing Corina, who sprinted across the forest. Shortly after, the wall of thorns opened up a gap and released fluttering vines to tangle and form a flight of aerial steps. Corina proceeded lithely on her toes, before leaping and landing softly on the ground like a graceful cat. The opening in the wall of thorns closed quickly, not leaving any space for intruders.


    ��Are the preparations ready?��


    Corina gazed at her surroundings. At a glance, it seemed like the elves were ready for battle despite not having enough manpower. Although Corina didn��t investigate the total number of enemies earlier, based on the size of the conflagration, she reckoned there was an army of them. Meanwhile, she only had a daily team of patrols on her side. Even though she didn��t know how many enemies like the one she met earlier there would be, up until this moment, she still couldn��t figure out why a fire elemental monster from at least 100 meters away would appear above her in an instant. She had never seen anything similar in the past, which was why she felt anxious and nervous right now. The number of enemies, their traits, and formation were still unknown. But no matter what, it was impossible for the patrol encampment of less than 100 elves to take them on. Moreover, they weren��t seasoned warriors, but ordinary patrols instead. In a peaceful forest, apart from elves who fought against dark elves along the border regions, other elves were basically lacking in battle experience.


    ��Did you send someone to ask for support according to my order?��


    Upon hearing Corina��s question, the surrounding elves nodded in response. However, one of the elves said.


    ��We��ve sent someone to seek reinforcements, but it may be a little difficult to gather them����


    Corina couldn��t help but knit her brows after hearing this response. She knew this was a helpless move.


    The low birthrate of elves caused the Country of Law to set up a completely different and unique military system. The elf army in the Country of Law rarely had an authorized strength of more than 500 troops. At this point in time, the largest army was the elf guards in charge of protecting the palace, with a total of 350 troops. The bigger local garrisons only had between 150 to 200 troops, while patrol encampments had at most 100. Due to the trait of nature in elves, such strategies were effective while they were located inside the forest. For instance, while engaging in guerrilla warfare in the forest, a well-equipped elf patrol team could contend with a hostile army of up to thousands of units. But if the elves were forced into a head-to-head battle on a plain, even if each elf was able to contend with 1000 enemy troops, their insufficient numbers would make them perish entirely. Putting it bluntly, even an army of the Country of Light would be enough to crush the elves. However, the elves weren��t fools either, which was why they had been relying upon the barrier of nature to deal with enemies.


    But now, it seemed like the barrier was about to lose its effect.


    Corina gazed at the rising black smoke from below, while the conflagration extended gradually. The enemies weren��t luring the elves to attack, but were purely sweeping the battlefield. As soon as the elves lost their natural cover, their threat would fall drastically. Judging from this point, it was apparent that the enemy was clearly aware of it.


    Miss Gracier and Miss Madaras aren��t here��


    Corina couldn��t find the petite figure who showed up before her earlier and was unaware of her whereabouts. But even so, Corina took in a deep breath, stifled her emotions, and gave an order.


    ��Get ready to battle. Activate the enchanted field��! Watch out for the enemies. They are really powerful. We need to����


    ��Reporting!��


    Before Corina finished giving her command, she was interrupted harshly. She lifted her head and saw an orderly flitting across the forest hurriedly and arriving before her. The orderly seemed anxious, her beautiful face as white as a sheet due to fear and uncertainty.


    ��Camp 13 is under attack! The enemies are burning the entire forest!��


    ��What?!��


    Corina couldn��t help but shriek. She turned to the other direction and indeed, she spotted soaring black smoke in the sky.


    ��What��s going on? What happened?��


    ��Why is Camp 13 under attack?��


    ��They burned down the forest. This is too much!��


    Upon hearing this news, the elves couldn��t help but look at each other in bewilderment. They exclaimed in shock, but didn��t know how to handle the situation. After seeing their reactions, Corina could only let out a hopeless sigh. This was the first time she deeply felt the negative impact that long periods of peace had on the elves. Elves were a high-class race, where they lived in nature and used the environment to protect themselves. But when they were faced with real wars, they exposed the weakest side of them. So what if the enemies burned down the forest? Corina had personally witnessed how Rhode used cannons to raze the entire forest in front of the Land of Atonement��s fortress to the ground. And the reason he gave was that it would be easier for him to spot any enemy trails.


    This was just how it was for wars.


    ��Now isn��t the time for this!��


    Corina disrupted everyone��s discussion. She ascended the flight of steps up the tower and gazed ahead. The conflagration was getting closer and even her elf senses were also affected to a certain degree. It seemed like the enemies didn��t set fire only to anger the elves, but to conceal their presences instead. Considering the fact that they were able to summon fire elemental monsters, it would be tough for the elves to distinguish between the fire elemental monsters and actual flames. It could also be said that setting the forest on fire was the best strategy for the enemies.


    ��Everyone, get ready to attack. Activate the enchanted field!��


    Corina yelled, clutching the bow in her hand and aiming forward vigilantly. The uncertainty deep inside her grew. At the same time, as though proving her fears, she heard a loud cawing ahead. One by one, fire crows coalesced from blazing flames flew across the forest and headed toward the campsite!


    ��Ambush!��

 Chapter 1190 - Reappearing Moon Shadow (2)

    Hundreds of thousands of fire crows glided across the sky, letting out ear-piercing caws that shrouded the whole campsite. Under Corina��s command, the elves hurriedly activated the enchanted field that was prepared long ago. Shortly after, a dozen green rays of light emanated from the verdant trees, intertwining to form a thin, crystal-like barrier that protected and enfolded the campsite.


    But the enemy apparently came prepared. Right after the defensive enchanted field was set up, Corina discovered that the sturdy enchanted field flickered in dazzling magical radiance, which proved that someone was attempting to break the enchanted field. Looking at this scene, the corner of Corina��s eye twitched instantly. The elves�� magical enchanted field couldn��t be dismantled that easily. Judging from a certain degree, elves�� spells and demons�� spells were the same; unique only to their specific race and ordinary spells couldn��t possibly remove their effects. But now, the elves�� magical enchanted field was obviously disrupted. This meant that the enemy was well prepared for this scenario!


    ��Replenish the power. Maintain the enchanted field. The rest of you will be in charge of wiping out the lurking enemies!��


    Corina yelled her orders and sprinted up the city wall. She clutched her bow in her hand and aimed at the sea of flames ahead. Shortly after, arrows coalesced from magic spells were released, scattering from the middle, where she stood like a violent storm. Upon hearing Corina��s command, the elves quickly got to work. They climbed up to a tall height, aiming their arrows at the fire crows ahead from between the gaps of huge leaves. As the elves let go of their arrows, the fire crows circling in the sky exploded one after another like fireworks.


    But it was a pity that their efforts were utterly inadequate.


    ��Heh, heh.��


    Gazing at the elves from a distance, trying their best to defend the stronghold, a pitch-black, shadowy figure let out an eerie laughter. If Corina were here, she would immediately recognize this person who was dressed almost exactly like the black-cloaked mage earlier. The only difference between them was that he didn��t seem to own a physical body. An illusory, ghostly, and pitch-black darkness represented his body instead. Looking at the elves above, the black-cloaked mage let out an unpleasant and hoarse laughter before raising his right arm. Along with this action, a shriveled, pitch-black arm was revealed from under this sleeve. A mysterious black fog surged from his arm and coalesced into a black drop of water that fell on the ground, fusing with the blazing flames.


    The instant that unknown black drop of water touched the ground, the conflagrations transformed all of a sudden.


    ��What happened?��


    Corina put away her bow, staring alertly at the burning forest below. A few seconds ago, the raging forest changed entirely. The scorching heat that burned her skin turned bone-piercingly cold in an instant. The flames were clearly burning and yet, it felt as though there was a snowfield of 10,000 years below, leaving her shivering. Not only that, but she also sensed an unnatural and hateful energy.


    What exactly is��


    Before Corina reacted, several streaks of flame that were several meters tall surged into the sky right before her very eyes, metamorphosing into a towering, flaming giant that was at least 10 meters in height. The flame giant had enormous limbs coalesced from raging flames. Its face that resembled a malicious spirit was so terrifying that one would lose consciousness out of extreme fear. The flame giant let out the fierce bellow of a wild animal, sauntering toward the encampment in big strides, where not even the towering trees were able to stop the terrifying giant. The moment the flame giant extended its arm, the trees crumbled to the ground like fragile matchsticks and lit up in flames immediately. In just a few seconds, the flame giant turned the lush forest entirely into ashes. Not only that, but Corina also noticed the instant the trees perished to the fire, the flames returned to the flame giant��s body as though they were attracted by some unknown force. Along with the return of the flames, the flame giant instantly increased in size.


    ��Attack immediately! Destroy it!��


    Looking at this scene, Corina commanded and felt a chill run down her spine. She raised her bow and released several streaks of dazzling arrows that shot straight at the flame giant. At the same time, the remaining three elf mages in the encampment lifted their cypress canes and chanted spells loudly in unison. Shortly after, a gigantic, icy cone appeared in the air, under the elf mages�� control, striking at the enemy ahead.


    But all was for naught.


    There was no doubt that Corina��s arrows hit the target. The magical arrows should have exploded the instant they came into contact with the target, dealing incredible damage where even elemental monsters couldn��t avoid the explosion and powerful magic torrent. However, the arrows didn��t seem to cause any damage to the flame giant at all. After they penetrated the flame giant��s body, they were like raindrops falling into a pond; apart from causing ripples, there were no other effects. Not only that, but the icy cone that the elf mages summoned also didn��t stop the flame giant one bit. Looking at this scene, the elf mages quickly changed their battle strategy. They tried to forcefully null the contract of this elemental monster to drive it back to its world. However, it was equally pointless. The flame giant was indifferent about the runes that were filled with mystical powers hovering before it. It continued to stride forward like a robot, stepping closer and closer to the elf encampment.


    Corina tried all ways to slow it down, but nothing worked. As the flame giant blazed the forest and took in more flames as it advanced, it grew to around 18 meters, where Corina had to lift her head to see its head even as she stood above the wall of vines. Its eye sockets coalesced from flames were filled with darkness on the inside. It was like a form of terrifying, disorderly, and soul-piercing wrath.


    At that moment, the elf mages�� incantation spell was completed.


    ��Mnas!��


    The elf mages yelled out the spell command and the runes hovering in midair shook abruptly. A mysterious energy began to gather and after a few seconds, the powerful force exploded, attempting to drive everything that didn��t belong to this world back where it came from. This time, the flame giant finally came to a halt. Its body trembled and warped abruptly. But shortly after, it returned to its original state. Not only did the incantation fail to drive it away, but it also added fuel to the fire of its rage.


    ��������!��


    The flame giant snarled, raised its tightly-clenched fists, and hammered the magical barrier above the encampment. This massive impact was unbearable, causing some of the elves to lose their balance and falter to the ground. The magical barrier protecting this encampment dimmed under this assault and it seemed like another two to three punches would be enough to shatter it completely. When that happened, a catastrophe would fall upon the whole campsite.


    ��Damn it!��


    Corina scanned the entire battlefield but was disappointed to not be able to find the hidden mastermind who was manipulating the flame giant. Not only that, but she also spotted another two to three flame giants emerging from other parts of the blazing forest. It was obvious from their appearance that they came with ill intentions. At that moment, the elf young lady couldn��t hesitate anymore. She jumped over the city wall and darted toward the altar in the middle of the encampment: a circular fountain. Just like every other building of the elves, the fountain was also entirely natural. The only thing unique about it was the emerald-green, oval gem hovering above the middle of the fountain. At a glance, it looked like a tiny seed. Corina grabbed the gem and lifted it up high. Upon noticing her action, an elf who was defending against the fire crows couldn��t help but turn pale with fright.


    ��You want to seek help from the ancient tree? Madam Corina, it����


    ��If it isn��t willing to wake up, it can only wait to be burned to ash!��


    Corina answered and tightly grabbed the gem in her hand. Shortly after, an emerald brilliance erupted from the oval gem, shooting straight at the ancient tree at the back of the encampment. Shortly after, the immobile ancient tree trembled. The ground shook and huge, complicated roots burst out of the soil. Its towering trunk twisted and straightened gradually��


    Boom!


    At that moment, the flame giant attacked, thoroughly shattering the tattered enchanted field. The flame giant gazed at the elves who were retreating frantically and revealed a greedy, sinister smile in response. It stretched out its arm, attempting to satisfy its greed by munching on these delicious little bugs. But at that moment, a thick, enormous palm appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the flame giant��s extended hand.


    The ancient tree stood to its feet, releasing a thick, humid mist from all over its body to dampen the blazing flames spreading from the flame giant. At that moment, it accepted the calling of life and awoke from its hibernation, becoming the most reliable guardian.


    The ancient tree snarled and broke the flame giant��s arm, twisting it in the other direction. Shortly after, flames burst out of the wound tenaciously, attempting to light up the ancient tree. However, the damp ancient tree that had absorbed enough water disregarded the clarity of flames. It raised its right arm and slammed its palm down with force, striking the flame giant in its head.


    ��Phew����


    At that moment, Corina retreated haggardly. She had used up almost all her power to awaken the ancient tree. Right now, all she could do was observe the battle and pray for the final victory. But shortly after, she discovered a whole new threat.


    Even though the flame giant��s attack was stopped, due to the shattered magical enchanted field, the fire crows spiraling in the sky swooped down at the elves. Although the elves repelled these terrifying elemental creatures with their arrows, there were just too many of them. From time to time, elves could be seen flying back in the impact of loud explosions. In an instant, the entire encampment was in total chaos.


    ��Are reinforcements here yet?��


    Corina raised her bow and released arrows to eradicate three fire crows, before turning to the back. Reinforcements were yet to be seen. Her heart sank as she became increasingly anxious. The elves were showing signs of defeat and even Corina began to hesitate if they should retreat.


    At that moment, a white radiance descended from the sky.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Meteor-like white brilliance enfolded the sea of fire crows, catching them off guard instantly. The fire crows cried and dispersed in all directions. But even so, most of them were eliminated by the brilliance.


    ��This is����


    Looking at this scene, Corina couldn��t help but feel startled. She turned around and quickly saw an unexpected petite figure on the other side. She wore a psychic robe and a flat, wide, and white triangular hat. The young lady held a golden staff and along with her movements, she let out a crisp call.


    Corina was taken aback, but it wasn��t surprising that she was bewildered. Because even though she didn��t know this young lady well, she couldn��t be considered unfamiliar with her either.


    Isn��t that Miss Lesa? Why is she here?


    Gazing at the young lady, Corina couldn��t help but question. She could accept the fact that Gracier and Madaras came to their help, but was astonished as to why Lesa arrived too. After all, she wasn��t an elf. After spending some time in the Land of Atonement, Corina learned that Lesa was a psychic from the Astral Temple and that was all she knew about her. But why did Lesa show up in the battlefield?


    Upon detecting Corina��s gaze, Lesa turned around and nodded slightly.


    ��Apologies for arriving late,�� she said.

 Chapter 1191 - Reappearing Moon Shadow (3)

    ��Oh�� Ah����


    As Lesa��s words sounded without any rhyme or reason, Corina didn��t know what to respond to in an instant. At that moment, her mind was in a total mess.


    Why are the people of the Void Territory here? Could it be that His Majesty Rhode sent reinforcements over? But why didn��t I hear any news about it?


    ��Roar������!��


    But before Corina said anything, a furious bellow disrupted her thoughts. Upon hearing the snarl, she turned toward it hurriedly. At the same time, a thick branch fell to the ground in front of her. She pulled back swiftly, only to realize that the battle between the ancient tree and flame giant was reaching its climax. The ancient tree gripped the flame giant with its two hands, attempting to lacerate it. In response, the flame giant flourished its arms, repeatedly pounding the ancient tree. The formidable flames that it was proud of weren��t able to deal enough damage to the ancient tree as the damp mist proliferating around the ancient tree effortlessly overwhelmed the ambush of flames. But despite that, the physical damage from the flame giant was a huge problem for the ancient tree. The leaves on the ancient tree crumbled in the assault and cracks appeared over its solid trunk. At the same time, the ancient tree roared and clenched its fists with all its might, breaking up the blaze on the flame giant again and again. Judging from the situation, even though every punch from the ancient tree was enough to smash a huge hole in the flame giant��s head, the flames coalesced on its body healed the injury immediately, perfectly exemplifying the proverb ��even a prairie fire cannot destroy the grass��it grows again when the breeze blows��.


    If this continued, the ancient tree would falter at any time now. Corina looked around her; reinforcements weren��t here yet. Even though the elves around her were doing their best to resist the enemies, they had little success. What made the situation worse was that they didn��t have relevant battle experience at all, which was why many of them suffered different degrees of injuries from the fire crows�� attacks. Although Corina was experienced in this area, she could barely command the people below, not to mention gathering them to engage in battle together.


    Should I give this place up and evacuate with the rest?


    At this thought, Corina gazed at the battle and gnashed her teeth with an ashen expression. With the sharp vision of elves, she clearly witnessed the conflagration in the deep forest subsiding. However, this wasn��t good news for her because the flames didn��t extinguish naturally, but fused with the flame giant instead, becoming its additional power. And now, the three flame giants on the other side also peered out and headed toward the main battle in the ruined forest.


    Seems like I��ve underestimated them.


    Clang!


    Just as Corina made up her mind to command the elves to retreat, a sudden crisp collision of metal interrupted her thoughts. She turned around and witnessed Lesa lifting her gold staff and silently gazing ahead. Upon detecting Corina��s gaze, Lesa smiled in response. Then, she hit the staff on the ground!


    Clang!


    Along with this movement, Corina saw a blue light column descending from heaven. Then, a star ritual composed of seven small circles displayed in front of her with surging magical power emanating from it, forcing her back. At that moment, Lesa raised the staff and hit the ground again.


    Clang!


    Bright magical radiance coalesced and shortly after, some human-shaped figures appeared in the light column one after another. The magical winds dispersed silently and more than 100 fully-armored warriors lined up before Corina. They were clad in exquisite, gorgeous, and solid glass armor. The swords hanging on their waists flickered in a natural green radiance unique to elves. White hoods and capes wrapped their slender figures. They merely stood on the spot, but Corina felt an unprecedented and mighty aura from them.


    ��T-They are����


    Corina stared blankly at the warriors who appeared out of the blue. She was completely speechless and her head was in a total blank. Judging from their attire, there was no doubt that they were knights. But Corina knew that elf knights no longer existed in the Country of Law. The infantry units closest to them were the elf guards of the palace.


    Where did they come from? Who are they?


    While Corina was baffled, the commander of the elf knights strode toward her and saluted solemnly. Upon witnessing her salute, Corina saluted in a flurry. Then, the commander said.


    ��Greetings, Madam. Elf Guards First Army��Moon Blade Legion, reporting. I��m the commander, Nightingale. May I know your order?��


    ��Huh? Ah, I����


    Facing Nightingale��s question, Corina was at a loss for words. Even though Corina experienced several battles as a fighter in the Legendary Stage, this was the first time she met an elf with such a strong military presence, where not even the elf guards of the palace were as determined and unyielding. The feeling they gave Corina was like the pine trees in the north: solid, tall, and upright. Besides, what surprised Corina was that all of them were in the Peak Legendary Stage!


    Oh my goodness�� Who exactly are they? Why haven��t I heard about this army in the elf palace before? Besides, why is Miss Lesa the one who brought them here? How are they related to His Majesty Rhode?


    ��Madam?��


    ��Ah! That����


    After Nightingale asked again, Corina returned to her senses and couldn��t help but blush in embarrassment.


    This is a race against time, so why am I behaving like a nervous recruit? No matter what, they are stronger than I am. Besides, there are around 100 of them, so they should be able to defend the encampment.


    ��Please help defend the encampment. We need to protect this path.��


    ��Got it!��


    Nightingale nodded in response and turned around to leave immediately. At this moment, Corina let out a long sigh and felt her legs weaken. If it weren��t for her strong determination, perhaps she would have already plopped to the ground.


    But now, Corina had no time to relax because the other three flame giants had arrived at the periphery of the encampment. In this one versus four situation, the ancient tree could no longer put up a fight. Its massive body swayed, while cracks on its trunk became larger and wider. Looking at this weakening opponent, the flame giant let out an ice-cold and crazy bellow. It lifted its clenched fists, attempting to smash the ancient tree into bits.


    At that moment, a purple, magical radiance flashed past its face. The flame giant witnessed a sword-wielding elf knight appearing before it. Her long hair flowed gracefully in the wind as she dashed ahead. Her beautiful green eyes glinted in ice-cold flashes, facing this enormous monster that could devour her in one bite. The fearless elf knight gripped the sword and brandished it at the flame giant.


    Swish��!


    The surging, powerful blade ray shot straight ahead, ruthlessly slashing apart the flame giant��s skull. However, it apparently wasn��t threatening enough for the flame giant because shortly after, the scorching flames twisted, gathered, and fused together again. But this time, the flame giant didn��t have its wish granted.


    Looking at the rebirth of the flame giant, the elf knight didn��t reveal any expression. On the contrary, she erupted a golden brilliance from her body, clutched her sword, and struck at the flame giant!


    Boom!


    The instant the sword came into contact with the flame giant��s chest, the flame giant��s body exploded in a crisp, shattering impact. It began to crack from the middle of its chest. Its body caved in, fragmented, and turned into chunks of debris. At that moment, the flame giant finally realized that something was amiss. It let out a furious snarl, extending its arms in despair to capture the elf knight. But before it caught its target, the elf knight slashed the sword with all its might! In a resounding collision, the towering flame giant swayed like a fallen stack of building blocks, crashing upon impact on the ground with innumerable fragments scattered from its body. At the next moment, the fragments vanished to nowhere.


    ��What is����


    Looking at this incredible scene, Corina and the elves beside her couldn��t help but gawk. They didn��t expect the enemies who left them badly battered to be defeated so easily! Not only that, but the strength of the elf knights was also bewildering. Corina sensed that every single one of them had strength that wasn��t inferior to even their elders! Corina knew that such power was unique in the elf race!


    What exactly is their background?

 Chapter 1192 - Seeking Countermeasures

    ��Everything��s fine with the Country of Law for now,�� Rhode said after receiving Lesa��s report.


    He leaned back on the chair, held up a cup of piping-hot tea, and gazed at the stars outside the window. This place used to be a country under the everlasting, pitch-black sky. But now, it had turned into a boundless night sky with a flowing river of stars.


    ��Come to think of it�� the Country of Darkness��s resistance sure is intense,�� Rhode said, sweeping a glance at the map before him.


    On their fifth day here, Rhode��s group finally met the strong resistance of the Country of Darkness. Perhaps the Country of Darkness knew from their earlier clash that they didn��t stand a chance against Rhode��s magic warships, which was why Rhode discovered the undead creatures taking the initiative in guerrilla warfare. The undead creatures upheld the principle of ��if the enemy attacks, we retreat, and if the enemy retreats, we attack��, borrowing the power of the eternal night sky and their familiarity with the land of the Country of Darkness to launch ambushes on Rhode��s group. After Rhode��s group stormed in retaliation, he realized that the enemy��s resistance became stronger and decisively abandoned his plan to continue advancing. In any case, his goal was to turn his magic fleet into a magnet that ��sucked�� all the powerful undead creatures in the Country of Darkness to one spot, before devouring them chunk by chunk. The stronger the resistance, the more evidence there was to prove that there was an increasing number of powerful beings. Even though this was dangerous for Rhode, he would need to take some risks if he wanted to perfect it. Moreover, such risks were also within his control.


    Rhode didn��t care whether the enemies that came forth were undead creatures contaminated by Chaos or just ordinary, powerful undead creatures. His belief was to kill 99 innocent people rather than let that one person off. Besides, it didn��t matter if it wasn��t a lackey of Chaos that he eradicated. Since they were undead creatures anyways, he could weaken the strength of the Country of Darkness for every undead creature he killed. After all, undead creatures couldn��t reproduce on their own. If Rhode used this opportunity to beat up the Country of Darkness, he could wake up smiling. Although this would let Erin down, Rhode wasn��t the least bit pressured committing something like this. Since the Country of Darkness had tyrannized the continent for so long, it was about time for them to fall!


    ��The current situation is still under control. But Rhode, will Lesa and the Moon Blade Legion be enough to assist the Country of Law? I heard from Lesa��s report that there seem to be intense battles all over the Country of Law.��


    Unlike the carefree Rhode, Marlene was deeply worried about the intelligence she had heard. However, Rhode waved his hand airily in response.


    ��Don��t worry, they��re enough to handle the situation. Remember, we��re not saviors of the world and the Country of Law belongs to the territory of the twin dragons, after all, so they should be the ones to come forward. This time, if it weren��t for the sake of Gracier and Madaras, I wouldn��t have sent out the elf knights. It is good enough that they help in defending the Country of Law. We don��t need to worry about other matters. We��d better focus on the enemies in front of us instead.��


    ��Okay then.��


    Marlene nodded, while Rhode stopped speaking. However, they knew that the enemies before them weren��t undead creatures, but Chaos instead.


    ���� According to the investigations from Lapis, Karin, and I, the results seem optimistic. Based on our experiments, even though the contamination speed of this mutant of Chaos is fast, after gaining control of it, the contamination speed on Order creatures has gradually decreased. Although it is tough to determine for undead creatures with the same attribute, it is entirely different from humans or other beings with entirely different attributes, where the infected ones are unlikely to spread Chaos to others. If Chaos is spread by a third or fourth party, the contamination can be eliminated entirely. And even if one were contaminated by Chaos, under the worst circumstances, the infected body part can be removed to ensure the safety of life. But for now, we don��t have enough results to prove that.��


    ��Hmm����


    Upon hearing Marlene��s report, Rhode nodded. Then, he seemed to recall something all of a sudden and asked: ��By the way, if one were infected by Chaos and revived thereafter, what would happen?��


    ��Huh��? About that�� Apologies, we currently don��t have any results.��


    ��Pass on the order. Let Lize and the rest pay attention to it. If there are similar records, report to us immediately.��


    ��Alright, Rhode.��


    Fortunately, according to the investigations of Marlene and the rest, the zombie outbreak in Resident Evil that Rhode was most worried about wouldn��t happen. After all, the Dragon Soul Continent was a world of Order while Chaos was oppressed. In the beginning, Chaos indeed possessed terrifying traits that could infect even dragon soul heirs. But after the experiments, Marlene and the rest discovered that after two or three consecutive and indirect infections, the contamination rate of Chaos became lower. At the end of the journey, its power was as though a ��Chaos curse��, where clerics could eradicate it effortlessly. Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. He was initially concerned that the influence of Chaos would linger on like a virus and become more powerful with the spread. But now, it seemed like after two to three transmissions, apart from the possibilities of undead creatures being infected, the possibilities of other creatures being infected were greatly reduced.


    Despite that, Rhode didn��t let his guard down just yet. Judging from the extent of contamination of the undead creatures, Ion had apparently mastered a technique that could contaminate low-level troops on a large-scale. If not, he couldn��t possibly have strengthened them within such a short period. But every coin had two sides, after all. Even though the strength of these low-level troops multiplied due to the infection of Chaos, they couldn��t contaminate others by themselves.


    ��Okay then, the next thing is about����


    Knock, knock.


    While Rhode spoke, someone suddenly knocked on the door. Anne pushed the door open and entered.


    ��Is anything the matter, Anne?��


    ��Yes, Leader. The scout that Sister Heart sent out spotted a team of Chaos elites in the valley who seem really hard to deal with. We��re about to lead a team over to check on the situation����


    ��Did something happen?��


    Upon hearing Anne��s words, Rhode couldn��t help but feel dubious because he didn��t think it was necessary to report to him over such a small matter. He handed over the control of the magic fleet to Celia while he annihilated undead creatures on the surface with the ground troops. Logically speaking, there was no need to notify him over such a small matter, wasn��t it? Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Anne extended her finger and scratched her cheek awkwardly.


    ��Actually this time�� your younger sister is also participating, Leader.��


    ��What?!��


    Rhode stood to his feet. He couldn��t stay calm any longer.


    When Rhode and Anne exited the room and arrived at the nearby plaza, they spotted his younger sister. She was clad in the same pitch-black dress and displayed a gentle smile while standing besides several magician knights. Standing before her was Orchid Heart with her eyes half-open, hugging a tome and speaking softly to her about something. On the other side, Lize gazed at Rhode and Anne with a complicated expression and was seemingly at a loss for words. Upon seeing Rhode��s arrival, his younger sister grinned and took two steps back.


    ��Hello, Big Brother.��


    ��What exactly is going on?��


    Rhode gazed at his younger sister before turning to Lize. Upon hearing his question, Lize hesitated for a while and said.


    ��This is what��s going on�� Randolf and Joey discovered an encampment belonging to the undead creatures in the valley upfront. There are about a thousand undead creatures infected by Chaos, which was why they came back seeking reinforcements����


    ��Can��t we just blast them with the cannon?��


    Rhode shrugged in response. In fact, the magic warships were hovering above them right now. Even though the magic warships were gradually depleting in power as the battles became fiercer, they were able to replenish their power with the unlimited magical powers of the Illusion Crystal. As long as the magic warships didn��t consume too much power at once, there shouldn��t be any issues. Due to that reason, Rhode changed his strategy accordingly. He commanded the ground troops to push forward and send out a signal upon facing any enemies. The magic warships would then aim at the specified area and blast it with their magic cannons. It was just like military special forces on Earth, where they sneaked through the enemy rear and sent out signals for the bomber aircraft to deploy air raids to wipe out the enemies. Even if this attack couldn��t fully eradicate the enemies, at least they would be left crippled and stunned. The ground troops could then easily handle the rest of the situation.


    ��Miss Heart decided to do that too, but she was stopped.��


    ��This was what happened, Big Brother.��


    At that moment, the younger sister spoke.


    ��If I recall correctly, there is something really important over there; something that we gave the undead creatures of the Country of Darkness to hold in safekeeping. But now, it seems like we need to get it back in advance.��


    ��Something really important?��


    Rhode was taken aback. In this case, it made sense why the younger sister stopped Orchid Heart from bombarding the area with cannons. But��


    What exactly is that thing?


    ��It��s my battle attire.��


    Upon realizing the doubt Rhode��s eyes, the younger sister replied with a smile.


    ��Before I left the Dragon Soul Continent, I left my equipment in the care of the Country of Darkness. And now, since I��m back on the continent, it is only natural for me to reclaim it.��


    ������


    Upon hearing the younger sister��s words, Rhode��s expression turned odd instantly. He sized up the slim young lady before him. Due to the years of not exposing herself to sunlight, her skin turned somewhat pale and her fragile body looked as though it would fall to a gentle breeze. No matter what, Rhode just couldn��t imagine this slim, delicate, and always seriously-ill young lady in his memories surviving in the battlefield. According to his younger sister, even though she had completely recovered her strength after fusing with this new body, he never considered letting her engage in battles. Due to that reason, although Rhode clearly knew that she possessed the power of the Void Dragon, he continued to keep her by his side. After all, it was a big brother��s duty to take care of his younger sister. And now, he was powerful enough for that too, wasn��t it?


    ��Big Brother�� This is my world.��


    Detecting Rhode��s gaze, the younger sister dwindled her smile and looked at him sternly.


    ��I��m willing to give my everything for this world; it is my child. And now, it is in danger and I can��t sit idly by. Even though I know what is going through your head, I��m sorry�� I have to do it.��


    ���� Fine then.��


    After the siblings exchanged stares for a few moments, Rhode nodded helplessly. He knew that his younger sister was a stubborn person. Once she made up her mind, he would need to let her do it. But he also had conditions of his own.


    ��But this time, I will go with you. I��m sure you have no objections, right?��


    ��Of course not, Big Brother. With you by my side, I will feel much safer.��


    After hearing Rhode��s condition, the younger sister let out an elated grin. Rhode shrugged powerlessly before gazing at the young lady��s empty hands.


    ��But where��s your weapon? Do you need to borrow a sword?��


    Up until this moment, of Rhode��s holy sword cards, Gracier and Madaras had gone to the Country of Law, Celia took over his duty in commanding the magic warships, and Karin and Lapis were responsible for the research work on Chaos. Currently, the two remaining holy sword cards were Shira and Celestina. Of course, considering Shira��s personality, Rhode definitely wouldn��t lend her to his younger sister. Considering the relationship between him and the origin of the holy sword cards, Rhode believed that his younger sister most likely also used swords in battle.


    But to his surprise, the younger sister shook her head.


    ��It��s fine, Big Brother. I have my own weapon.��


    The younger sister replied and let out a sly laughter.


    ��Besides, I��m sure it isn��t any weaker than any of your holy swords, Big Brother.��


    The young lady extended her arms.


    ��������!��


    In an instant, everyone felt a roaring magical torrent exploding from her palms. Flashes of thunder erupted, forming a solid barrier that kept all threats outside. Rhode witnessed the flickering brilliance change into the silhouette of an illusory weapon in midair. It changed its shape gradually, extended in length, and in just a few moments, as the magical winds dispersed, it lay quietly in the young lady��s palm.


    After seeing the true identity of that weapon, everyone couldn��t help but gasp in astonishment.

 Chapter 1193 - Power of Stars

    After taking a closer look at the weapon in the young lady��s hand, everyone couldn��t help but take in a breath of cold air.


    It was a huge, transparent, and azure battle ax that two-meters-long. The constantly glittering stars around its edges formed the boundaries of this battle ax. At a glance, it was like a constellation in the starry sky, but with a much more intricate and elegant pattern. At the tip of the long hilt was a wide ax in the length of 70 cm with bright stars and magical silks that accentuated the mesmerizing patterns and runes. The entire battle ax was wrapped in a layer of faint blue radiance and emanated a gentle and beautiful spiritual light. On its back was an oblong, sawtooth hammer. After taking a closer look, one would discover that in the middle of the sawtooth hammer was a miniature ball of flame like a sun burning inside a caved-in area. On the top was a sharp, triangular pyramid, with thunderbolts flashing from time to time and bursting into light dust that vanished in midair.


    As the presence of this battle ax was too strong, everyone merely looked at it and felt the mighty pressure hitting them in the face. That wasn��t only spiritual pressure, but was more like a physical experience. This battle ax continuously emanated a cold and ethereal aura. Even though it didn��t feel as bone-piercing as the death aura, as soon as one felt it, one felt absolutely tiny as though one were facing heaven and earth.


    There wasn��t any problem with the weapon, but it lay in the wielder instead. Rhode gazed strangely at his younger sister and was at a loss for words. Even though the weapon seemed domineering, it looked odd held by her. The young lady was shorter than 150cm and due to her long-term illnesses, her growth was much slower than that of people of the same age. That was why even though she was about the same age as Anne when she passed away, she looked like Lilian, Bell, and Angelina in reality��just a little girl. It was imaginable how unspeakable Rhode felt when this little girl held this terrifying-looking weapon like an enormous monster��s tooth that was taller than her.


    ��Woah! This looks so cool!��


    Anne was the first to return to her senses and couldn��t help but blow a whistle in admiration. As one who also wielded a heavy weapon, Anne didn��t have any strange thoughts about this battle ax in his younger sister��s hands. After all, Anne was also a holder of an equally huge shield.


    ��It looks like a godlike weapon at first glance����


    Mini Bubble Gum murmured under her breath. Even though Rhode strongly demanded that Canary and Mini Bubble Gum joined this battle, unlike the projections, he placed the original Canary and Mini Bubble Gum in the rear of the army alongside his younger sister. Due to that, the three of them had gotten along well.


    ��Can I take a look?��


    ��Sure, Big Brother.��


    Facing Rhode��s request, the younger sister chuckled and handed the battle ax over. The moment Rhode gripped the weapon, lines of information about it appeared before his eyes.


    [Creation Star of Heaven and Earth (Creation. Legendary. Order)������when the world is in chaos, it shall split the boundary between heaven and earth and create a brand new world. It is the supreme authority. Any presence of Order shall bow down to the holder]


    [Absolute Dignity����reduces attributes of enemies within the halo by one-third]


    [Unlimited Defense����equipment will not be destroyed]


    [Star Shatter����select a targeted area to summon a meteorite storm. Cool-down time: 5 minutes (Unlimited Usage)]


    [Highest Authority����all Order-level skills must pass the holder��s evaluation. Skills that fail will be deemed ineffective]


    [Thunderstorm����after hitting the target, there is a 100 percent chance of activating thunder arcs to launch an ambush on enemies within 50 meters. Unavoidable. Undefendable]


    [Unstoppable����during battles, there is a 50 percent chance any enemy below level 70 will be annihilated instantly. No immunity. Undefendable]


    [Splitting Heaven and Earth����ability to create a brand new world (In Cool-down) (65 Million Years)]


    [Only Presence����Soul-bound. Non-transferable]


    Rhode knelt on the ground as he finished reading the entire introduction. This was simply cheating�� He finally understood why what was called the final BOSS, and the final BOSS was by his side all along! In the past, Rhode thought Christie and the deity wardens were insanely powerful, but after comparing them with his younger sister, they were like fireflies to the bright moon! Also, what was with that cool-down timing that left him speechless? Were the attributes of this weapon really reliable? With such a godlike weapon, not even a party of 1000 players could defeat her! Not only that, but just this sentence [all Order-level skills must pass the holder��s evaluation] alone could also eliminate all players. After all, no matter how powerful they were, players were people of Order!


    ��What��s wrong, Leader? Why are you kneeling on the ground? Are the stats of this weapon really that insane?��


    Looking at Rhode, Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t help but ask curiously. Upon hearing her question, Rhode swept a glance at her and Canary before handing the battle ax over to them. Shortly after, there were three of them kneeling on the ground��


    Facing this powerful weapon that reached the ��creation�� level, Rhode was entirely speechless. Relying on this weapon alone, even a new player could raid dungeons alone in hell mode, not to mention his younger sister who was the experienced Void Dragon from the past. Frankly speaking, even though Rhode was concerned about her slender body, he counted himself lucky that someone similar to her existed. Gazing at Anne with her slim waistline, fair, tender skin, and yet was able to run about with a shield of more than a few hundred kilograms on her back, Rhode was�� at a loss for words.


    Even though this was just a special case, Rhode had no lack of them around him, after all.


    With such a godlike weapon, Rhode naturally had nothing to object to his younger sister with. However, he also joined the team with Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, Anne, and the magician knights as they headed to the destination. Apart from worrying about his younger sister facing some accidents, he wanted to use this opportunity to let Canary and Mini Bubble Gum experience the meaning of battles. Although he placed them at the rear for their safety, since they came to this world with him, they would still need to experience battles one day. Of course, there was a distinct difference between reality and game. In order to train the two of them, Rhode decided to bring them along. After all, Mini Bubble Gum was often complaining about not participating in battles and this time, since Rhode was around, he believed that accidents were unlikely to happen.


    After packing the essentials for travel, the group followed the lead of the scout and arrived in the valley located in the northeast. Just like Joey reported, the valley was covered in a strict defensive network of gigantic, mutated skeleton soldiers and gargoyles. It was apparently impossible to pass through them without capturing their attention.


    ��What in the world, Leader? Surely we aren��t sneaking in this time, right?��


    Laying beside Rhode, Mini Bubble Gum clenched her fists in excitement and asked in a lowered voice. Earlier in First Wilderness, she was strongly displeased by the surreptitious style they adopted. Although she was just a cleric, her damage output was much stronger than most official attacking classes. To this little fellow, mowing down enemies was her favorite pastime.


    ��Seems like it isn��t possible to sneak in anymore.��


    Unlike Mini Bubble Gum, Rhode loved sneaking into enemy��s territory. In the game, whenever Orchid Heart executed the ��backstabbing�� strategy, it was always Rhode who led the team to the rear. But this time, he had no choice but to abandon this plan. Because at a glance, this was the only path that led into the deeper valley. Meanwhile, he could vaguely discern the pyramid-like building at the top of the mountain. Logically speaking, the magic warship could raze it to the ground in a single cannon blast. But it was a pity considering that his younger sister��s ��belonging�� was there. He believed that equipment fancied by the original Void Dragon wouldn��t possibly be burnt to a crisp by the cannon blast, but after comparing the options of excavating the ruins and slaughtering their way through, he decisively chose the latter.


    ��Alright, everyone get ready.��


    After hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s question, Rhode scanned the surroundings once more. Upon ensuring that there was nowhere that he could use to his advantage, he let out a helpless sigh, stood up, and extended his right arm. A black radiance flashed and a pitch-black sword appeared in his hand. At the same time, Canary placed her palms together and spiritual brilliance emanated from between them. Mini Bubble Gum clenched her fists and couldn��t wait to get into action. Anne took off the shield on her back and expanded it before her in attacking mode.


    On the other hand, her high-spirited younger sister stood behind everyone silently like a gentlewoman. Well, she would look much like one if she weren��t gripping that terrifying and vicious-looking weapon in her hands.


    ��Attack.��


    Rhode raised his sword and pointed ahead.


    At the next moment, flickering magical brilliance erupted from Canary��s palm, metamorphosing into hundreds of flame meteors that streaked across the sky.

 Chapter 1194 - Charge

    Even though it was Rhode who gave the initial command, the first one to arrive at the battlefield exceeded everyone��s expectation. His younger sister who stood quietly at the back of the group clutched the battle ax, raised it high up, and slashed forward. The long, heavy battle ax seemed awkward in the young lady��s hands and people were worried about whether her slim, fragile body would be swept away by her own swinging of the blade. As a matter of fact, it was just like they were concerned about. The moment the young lady brandished the battle ax, she turned into a dazzling flash of thunder along with the huge weapon, bursting toward the heavily guarded entrance.


    What in the��?!


    Looking at this scene, Rhode was startled. For safety��s sake, he decided to lead the way and let his younger sister fight in a relatively safer environment. But he didn��t expect her to be more exaggerated than Anne, which proved that there was something wrong with his thinking pattern. After all, his younger sister was always docile toward him and discussed matters with him before she got to work. That was why he didn��t expect this to happen at all. He was about to turn around to inform the younger sister about the start of the battle, but it seemed like she anticipated this from him and was long ready to dash ahead!


    Sigh�� Like brother, like sister�� No! Now isn��t the time for that!


    ���� Charge!��


    Gazing at the dazzling flashes, Rhode let out a helpless sigh and threw his original battle strategy to the back of his head.


    Damn. I can��t even carry out my strategy now!


    At this thought, Rhode hesitated no more. He gripped his sword and dashed ahead in a trail of afterimages. Right behind him, a trio of blue, green, and red figures followed him closely.


    At that moment, Rhode finally witnessed just how powerful his younger sister was.


    Canary��s flame spear didn��t cause any damage to the undead creatures. On the contrary, her ambush forced them to gather at a spot immediately. The gargoyles that acted as sculptures above the stone columns expanded their wings, widened their eyes, and spiraled into the sky, howling like hungry ghosts in hell. The tall, big skeleton soldiers gripped their swords and knives and gazed ahead. But before they figured out where their enemies were, a blinding electric arc flashed past their vision.


    Then, the battle ax flickering in thunder crushed the undead creatures like a battering ram.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    In an instant, countless dazzling thunders erupted with the battle ax in the middle. Shining, electrical serpents whizzed and zapped in all directions. The tall, powerful, skeleton soldiers, strong enough to resist a bombardment of fireballs, were crushed in a split second. The moment they attempted to resist the thunder strikes, the thunderbolts that erupted struck them heavily. The mighty electric current demolished their spiritual powers without the slightest pity, sending their strong skeleton crumbling and scattering into bits. The moment the thunderous rays flashed, heaven and earth became dark in contrast.


    ��Gaaaa����!��


    However, this earth-shattering attack wasn��t able to stop all the undead creatures. Upon detecting the position of their enemy, the gargoyles soaring in the air let out a piercing screech, extended their claws, and pounced on the enemy directly. Their maroon eyes glinted as they stared at their prey. The razor-sharp claws that could shred steel plates were about to puncture the slim young lady and rip out her intestines effortlessly.


    But at that moment, the young lady also made her move.


    The instant she landed on the ground, she twitched her brow slightly. She flipped backward, gaining support from the long hilt of the battle ax. Then, she gripped the other end of the hilt and held it down. As the hilt raised from her shoulder, the battle ax buried underneath the surface burst out and slashed skyward.


    Shing������!


    The glistening blade ray slammed into one of the gargoyles, slicing it into half like butter. The young lady clutched the battle ax with both hands, using the momentum of her fall to stoop over and swing it forward. In an instant, the battle ax erupted in a dazzling light, shrouding all the gargoyles pouncing from above. The gargoyles had struck from all directions to seal off the retreat of this enemy before them. If the young lady were wielding a sword, perhaps she would have been caught in a tough situation. But it was a pity that it was the battle ax she was wielding that was most effective for large-scale battles. Facing the gargoyles that swooped down on her, the young lady��s expression remained unchanged. She flourished the heavy battle ax in her hand as though it were weightless, slashing it skyward in lightning speed. At the next moment, bright thunderbolts boomed once again.


    Rumble��!


    Heaven and earth turned dark and at that moment, the young lady came to a halt. In that earlier thunderous strike, almost 100 gargoyles were smashed to bits.


    Even though it sounded like a long process, as a matter of fact the whole battle took only around half a minute. The moment the carcasses hit the ground, Rhode and the rest had arrived at the battlefield.


    ��Woah! Leader, your younger sister is so cool!��


    Looking at this scene, Anne couldn��t help but exclaim in amazement. Their battle styles were similar with each other, where they crushed enemies with absolute, spontaneous force. Due to that reason, after witnessing his younger sister��s battle, the excited Anne was ready to jump into battle. On the other hand, Rhode stared at his younger sister, speechless. Upon detecting his gaze, his younger sister couldn��t help but let out a chuckle and stick out her tongue playfully.


    ��Alright, cut the nonsense! Continue to attack; the enemies are here!��


    Upon noticing her witty expression, Rhode was caught between laughter and anger. But this time, he didn��t stop to speak to his younger sister, but dashed and leapt into the sky in a trail of afterimages instead. In the sound of cracks, the black sword in his hand divided itself and turned illusory. With a ��swish��, Rhode penetrated the body of a chanting necromancer at the back with his black sword. Black flames erupted from the blade, devouring the necromancer��s magical powers and turning it into ashes in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, three shadow clones split out of Rhode, wiping out the other undead creatures with their swords. The criss-crossed thunder formed a net of light, ambushing and enfolding the undead creatures that arrived from the rear and catching them off guard. Rhode drifted in and out the group of undead creatures like an elegant specter with every swing of his blade leaving one undead creature in half.


    ��Oooooh!��


    In a series of loud bellows, a dozen death knights flew out from the back, mounting the incubi. They raised their swords and metamorphosed into turbulent torrents that gushed into the dazzling net of blades in front of them. In this assault, the large, expanded net of blades shrunk abruptly, merging as one with Rhode in the blink of an eye. Rhode narrowed his eyes, staring at the enemies ahead. Then, he lifted his right arm and slashed the sword downward.


    At the next moment, he appeared beside the foremost death knight and slashed the enemy into half from the middle. Then, Rhode swung his wrist��the sword in his hand cracked and turned illusory again, before metamorphosing into a dazzling arc that swept across the battlefield. Upon witnessing this attack, the death knights following closely at the back lifted their swords in defense immediately. But they didn��t expect the instant this attack arrived, Rhode swung out his left arm and a pitch-black card appeared in between his fingers.


    Innumerable tough tentacles burst out of the shadows, binding the death knights entirely and not even the powerful strength of the incubi could break free from the restraint. The instant the death knights came to a halt, Rhode turned his wrist around and along with this action, the illusory blade restored its original, physical state.


    Then, ice-cold, shimmering light flitted across like a specter in the dark. At the same time, the death knights struggling to break free from the tentacles stopped moving like robots that ran out of battery.


    One of the death knights maintained its sword-lifting stance but just couldn��t flourish the sword no matter what. Because right in the middle of its chest, the area protected by the heavy armor had shattered completely. Shortly after, pitch-black flames erupted from within, devouring the death knight in the blink of an eye.


    ��Say, Big Sister, don��t you think Leader and his younger sister should swap their battle styles?�� Looking at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t help but ask Canary in a lowered voice. ��I think Leader��s battle style is more beautiful than his younger sister��s. But will everything be fine this way?��


    ��That is Rhode��s concern. You don��t need to worry about it.��


    Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s words, Canary responded and extended her right arm. Shortly after, a sword coalesced from flames appeared in her hand along with her summon.


    ��But what I do know is that if we don��t perform well, Rhode will surely not bring us along for future battles.��


    ��Right! Why did I forget about that!��


    After hearing Canary��s answer, Mini Bubble Gum grimaced instantly. The latter thumped her left hand downward and circles of light flashed across her body.


    ��Let��s do it, Big Sister��show them our worth!��

 Chapter 1195 - Protector of the Star Mausoleum

    As the protector of the Star Mausoleum, Margaery Tyr didn��t know how long she had spent on this mountain peak. She remembered some vague details from when she was chosen as the protector. Back then, when the final list was published, everyone except Margaery heaved long sighs of relief. No one was willing to come to this god-forsaken place to lead life like a captive. Nominally, even though being a protector was an extremely honorable job, everyone knew that there was no true meaning for a job that only allowed one to move about in a small space on a mountain peak despite obtaining the highest power of glory. To dark elves who were obsessed with power struggle, this was a punishment more terrifying than death.


    However, Margaery wasn��t mindful of this result at all. On the contrary, she was actually glad to become the protector of this place. As a heterogeneity of the dark elves, she never liked or looked forward to battles. She also bitterly detested the crafty plots and machinations. But in the dark underworld, one would be down the road to ruin if one didn��t follow rules. Even though Margaery always sensed and felt the murderous intent and criticisms from her sisters as well as hatred from her mother, she just couldn��t find ways to make herself as bloodthirsty as the other dark elves. It was due to her difference in character that turned her family into a laughing stock of the world of dark elves. This was why Margaery wasn��t surprised when she received the news of her being chosen as the protector. She knew that her family had been trying to banish her and now, with such a great opportunity, they surely wouldn��t let this chance go. Indeed, just as she had expected, it was ��inevitable�� that she was chosen as the protector, to leave this dark underworld, and arrive at the Star Mausoleum at the peak of this mountain.


    In the beginning, Margaery wasn��t used to living here at all. For a dark elf who lived her entire life in the deep underground, exposure to the sudden changes in air pressure was unbearable. Despite that, Margaery held on and no matter how dry and dull life was here, it was better than her seeking survival in the reign of terror in the dark underworld. Just like this, she became the protector of the Star Mausoleum, leading a peaceful yet boring life.


    Margaery didn��t know what she was protecting and not even the predecessor was aware. All they knew was that their duty was to ensure that the mausoleum remained intact. There were neither tombstones nor coffins, not to mention any records of the buried. Instead of treating this place as a mausoleum, it would be more appropriate to see it as a monastery or prison. But Margaery was unperturbed by it. She was satisfied with her life without disruptions from the outside world. To a ��special�� dark elf like her, this was considered a pleasant living environment.


    But a few days ago, Margaery��s tranquil life was smashed. An undead army arrived and forcefully occupied the mausoleum. It was only then that Margaery learned that the Country of Darkness and Void Territory had broken out in a war, with the latter invading their territory. This left Margaery somewhat surprised, but she didn��t take it to heart. Even though she was displeased with the undead army occupying her sanctuary by force, she didn��t comment much. After all, they were undead creatures, so it was impossible for her to request them to leave. But even so, she kept a distance away from them. For some unknown reason, she felt like these undead creatures were acting strangely as though they emanated a mysterious and dangerous aura��


    ��Madam Margaery.��


    Upon hearing someone calling her name, Margaery lifted her head and looked forward. Shortly after, a specter young lady drifted out from nowhere silently. She wore the same attire as Margaery, albeit in different colors. This was where the mausoleum stood out from the masses. Apart from the mausoleum protector, there were no other creatures except for the five specters responsible for assisting and taking care of the protector.


    ��Is anything the matter?��


    ��This was what happened. Somebody is launching an attack on us.��


    ���� Huh?��


    This news was beyond her expectation as Margaery took a while to process the situation before returning to her senses. She didn��t expect the mausoleum to be ambushed too.


    Why is this happening? Isn��t this place only a mausoleum? Could it be that the undead army is the root of the trouble? If that is the case, the situation will be hard to handle��


    At this thought, Margaery let out a sigh.


    ��Is there anything that we need to do, Madam Margaery?��


    ���� Where are the undead creatures that were stationed outside right now?��


    ��They have descended the mountain to fight with the enemies.��


    ��Is that so����


    Upon hearing the specter��s report, Margaery lifted her head and gazed outside the window. Through the thin layer of cloud, she saw some dazzling flashes on the mountain road and heard some faint explosions. It was apparent that the battles below were intense.


    But�� This has nothing to do with me.


    ��Seal off the mausoleum. Whatever is happening outside has nothing to do with us.��


    ��Yes, Madam Margaery.��


    While the Star Mausoleum was being sealed off, the battles on the mountain road intensified.


    ��Heyahhhh!��


    Mini Bubble Gum snarled and strode ahead, clenching and throwing her fists forward. Along with this movement, a straight, dazzling light column descended from the sky, landing on the position her fist pointed at. In a series of rumbles, the undead creatures that stopped the young lady were crushed to bits by the light column. The pitch-black ghouls that were proliferating a filthy aura screeched and withdrew desperately. But even so, their bodies were ripped apart by the mighty gales of Mini Bubble Gum��s punch. The ghouls bellowed and forced open their wounds abruptly, spraying dark green blood at the young lady.


    ��The same trick won��t work on the Saint Seiya!��


    Gazing at the filthy, putrid streams of blood, Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips in disdain. She swung her left hand forward and a ray of silver-whitish brilliance glittered beside her, shining on the dark green, poisonous blood, making them disappear to nowhere. At the same time, Mini Bubble Gum turned her hand over and hurled a punch. In the blink of an eye, a burst of light devoured the ghouls that failed to escape. Meanwhile, Canary stood beside Mini Bubble Gum, the fiery sword in her hand dancing like butterflies fluttering in the air. Walls of flame rose from the ground and the blazing flames in her hand metamorphosed into a submissive, yet terrifying monster that pounced on the death knights. Even though the death knights�� swords emanated an ice-cold fog that dissipated the surrounding flames, that didn��t stop Canary at all. She dashed forward sideways, piercing the flame sword into one of the death knights. Facing this attack from her, the death knight flourished its sword from above. The blades clashed, splashing flames in all directions.


    Using the momentum from this attack, Canary retreated elegantly, swinging the fiery sword in her right hand continuously as though she were drawing a dazzling magical rune in midair using a light feather. The instant the young lady��s eyes glinted in a scarlet flash, the rune drawn by the fiery sword flickered abruptly. As though resonating with each other, the flames scorching the death knight from the explosion drilled into the gap of its armor on its own. Before the death knight reacted, its body, clad in solid armor, exploded like an over-pumped balloon. Flames surged and enveloped the surrounding undead creatures.


    At the same time, a pitch-black figure stared at the young lady ahead. It extended its shriveled finger and chanted quietly under its breath. The power of death coalesced at its fingertip.


    ��Sia!��


    Along with the necromancer��s incantation, an almost invisible ray of light burst out from its finger, aiming straight at Canary. Before Canary reacted, powerful, whistling winds had rushed past her. But at the next moment, a spinning shield appeared from the side and defended her from this attack. The lethal power of darkness that was enough to destroy Canary��s life was stopped by the shield firmly. Anne gripped the shield handle with both hands and swung it forward. Suddenly, the spinning shield adjusted its trajectory and crashed into the necromancer with a loud bang. Not only that, but razor-sharp, monster-like teeth also emerged on the surface of the shield and crunched the battered necromancer. Anne tugged the shield and the necromancer��s body was ripped apart like a rag doll, crumbling to the ground lifelessly.


    With Rhode and his younger sister leading the way, in addition to Canary, Bubble, and Anne, their group of five was unstoppable. Blade rays and thunder roared, while holy brilliance and flames followed closely behind like waves. No matter how many undead creatures there were, they were all killed on sight. As long as the undead creatures were engulfed in battle, most of them couldn��t escape. But despite that, the luckier ones who fled disaster didn��t have it much better. Because the magician knights that followed closely behind would eliminate the fish that slipped the net and send them to meet their companions in the netherworld.


    ��Right there!��


    Shortly after, Mini Bubble Gum saw the mausoleum in the shape of a pyramid ahead. Her eyes glinted as she flitted across in a flash.


    ��Heh. Leader, I��m the first to arrive����


    But before Mini Bubble Gum finished her sentence, a blade light suddenly burst out from the flat ground and turned into a barrier that stopped the little fellow from advancing. Fortunately, Mini Bubble Gum was a veteran in battle. Upon realizing that something was amiss, she hurled a punch forward, colliding with the barrier and leaping back immediately. However, that blade light didn��t seem to intend to let its enemy go. As Mini Bubble Gum retreated, the barrier metamorphosed into a blinding blade light that whizzed and followed her closely. But at that moment, the whizzing shield showed up again.


    Clang!


    The blade light and shield collided, letting out a crisp rasp. The blade light that failed its attack flew back quickly, while Mini Bubble Gum seized the timing and returned to her group.


    ��Thanks, Anne.��


    Mini Bubble Gum patted Anne��s shoulder and said. Even though Mini Bubble Gum was also able to evade the attack without Anne��s help, the former would end up more embarrassed. Shortly after, Mini Bubble Gum turned over and looked ahead.


    A knight donned in a suit of gorgeous, pitch-black armor stood silently before the mausoleum entrance.

 Chapter 1196 - Enemy

    Chapter 1196: Enemy


    Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips as she stared at the death knight. If it weren��t for this damn death knight who attacked earlier, she would have been the first to reach the destination! Even though being first was essentially meaningless, the so-called temptation to be the first for this little fellow was extremely attractive. But now, this annoying death knight actually showed up and stopped her. Was she ready to die a hundred deaths for doing that?


    ��You��!��


    ��Wait, Bubble.��


    As Mini Bubble Gum was about to rush ahead for round two, Rhode extended his arm to hold her back. The latter squinted and sized up the death knight curiously. But before he said a word, an ice-cold and melodious voice echoed.


    ��Long time no see, Mr. Rhode.��


    Along with this greeting, hundreds of pitch-black bats flapped their wings and glided to gather beside the death knight, taking shape into a human figure. Shortly after, a nobleman donned in an expensive night suit appeared before their eyes. He wore an elegant and content smile, while his hair was meticulously combed to the back. His entire body was as dark as the night sky, except for the satin and lining on his clothes, which were as scarlet as blood. Upon witnessing his appearance, Rhode twitched his brows.


    ��Yes�� It has been a while, Mr. Di Catlerini.��


    ��That��s right, Mr. Rhode�� Oh, my apologies��Your Majesty Void Dragon. I��m glad to see you as strong as ever after our last meeting in Soraka Mountain. I didn��t expect you to be the mighty Void Dragon. I have to admit that after receiving this news, I was really surprised. I didn��t expect a companion I fought side by side to actually carry such a respectable identity. Time sure flies; 2 years have gone in the blink of an eye. I��m astonished that you still remember me.��


    ��Yea�� two years gone in a flash����


    Upon hearing Di��s words, Rhode couldn��t help but lament. Rhode still remembered the scene when he battled against the duke fiend for the first time. Back then, Rhode relied upon his special equipment and entered the Legendary Stage. Under chase from the duke fiend, he barely escaped its death claws. If it weren��t for Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, he wouldn��t have been able to defeat that monster. Of course, Rhode initially decided to use the strength of these two Phantom Guardians to eradicate Di and his death knight wife. However, Di wasn��t foolish either. He fled with his wife upon witnessing the arrival of Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, disappearing before Rhode could catch up. And later, Rhode never saw them in any battlefields, which was why he stopped wondering about them. But now, he was surprised that they were actually here.


    ��I suppose you didn��t come here to reminisce with us, Your Majesty Void Dragon.��


    ��Of course not.��


    Upon hearing Di��s question, Rhode nodded in response. Rhode stared at the pair of scarlet eyes and couldn��t detect anything strange. But this didn��t mean that Di would be an easy opponent. Di was a powerful spell caster. Back then, when Rhode and Di met, the latter was already in the Legendary Stage. And now, Rhode sensed that Di and his death knight wife were in the Peak Legendary Stage. Since Rhode wouldn��t possibly recruit them to his side, he could only eliminate them. While Rhode pondered his options, Di suddenly replied.


    ��I understand what you meant, Your Majesty Void Dragon. Besides, I��m also aware of the situation in the Country of Darkness. His Majesty Dark Dragon has been acting weirder day by day. Even though I don��t know what exactly is going on, it seems like you��re pretty clear of that, Your Majesty Void Dragon.��


    Di said, spreading his arms apart with a smile before gazing at the undead creatures scattered all over the place. There used to be more than 1000 undead creatures guarding this place. But after Rhode��s group stormed the area, there were less than 10 undead creatures remaining. But they weren��t far from death as they were either crippled or had their limbs snapped off. Upon hearing Di��s words, Rhode couldn��t help but twitch his brows. He didn��t think that Di was lying. After all, if Di were really that smart, he would have used this chance to escape. But��


    ��Ion has been infected by Chaos.��


    Rhode responded, staring at Di to catch a tell. After hearing Rhode��s reply, Di��s expression stiffened but restored its attractive smile shortly after.


    ���� I see�� I��m really surprised. I thought His Majesty Dark Dragon was facing a problem that is more�� No wonder�� Yes�� It all makes sense now.��


    Di muttered under his breath and nodded as though he understood something. But shortly after, he lifted his head and looked at Rhode.


    ��Thanks for informing me, Your Majesty Void Dragon. But I regret to tell you that you are unable to prove the reliability of this information without any evidence.��


    ��Right back at you��I don��t really trust you guys either. After all, no one can ensure whether you��re infected by Chaos or not.��


    Upon hearing Di��s response, Rhode shrugged. They exchanged looks with each other and after detecting the information they needed from each other��s eyes, they smiled.


    ��Bubble, Canary, attack!��


    ��Got it, Leader!��


    Bubble couldn��t wait to jump into action. Her eyes glinted in flashes as she metamorphosed into a dazzling light that burst straight ahead. She clenched her fists and heavily pounced on the death knight like a fired artillery shell.


    It was this damn bast*rd who ruined my plans. I��m a dog if I don��t teach her a lesson!


    Facing this attack from Mini Bubble Gum, the death knight lunged at her immediately. As Di��s spouse, it went without saying that Elena wasn��t a pushover and was also in the Peak Legendary Stage. There was not much to choose between the two, so it was a battle between skills and equipment!


    Clang!


    Elena slashed the longsword from above, colliding heavily with Mini Bubble Gum��s clenched fists. This attack would have been enough to hack Mini Bubble Gum��s fists into halves, but the issue was that the little fellow wasn��t a good-for-nothing either. Clerics were most adept in protecting themselves. With the buff of spiritual spells, Mini Bubble Gum��s fists were tougher than steel and could crash into the razor-sharp blade completely fine.


    Facing this attack from Elena, Mini Bubble Gum didn��t retreat this time. On the contrary, she opened up her left palm and slapped the side of the blade, at the same time hurling a punch forward with her right fist. Elena evaded swiftly and just as she turned around, a light column exploded from Mini Bubble Gum��s right fist, bursting ahead in thunderous rumbles. The light column brushed past Elena��s body, but its holy brilliance caused white smoke to burn on her solid and exquisite armor. Even after missing this attack, Mini Bubble Gum had no intention of stopping. She took half a step forward and relied upon her strong defensive power as a cleric. She decided to attack Elena using brute force!


    The death knight realized her intention. But as a seasoned swordswoman in the Peak Legendary Stage, Elena wasn��t one to be trifled with. She withdrew instantly, raising and laying the longsword in front of her chest horizontally. Then, she leapt and quickly drew a distance apart from Mini Bubble Gum. At the same time, Elena��s longsword emanated dark, flowing light. As she flourished the weapon from above, a dozen streams of light erupted from the blade and heavily struck at the defensive barrier around Mini Bubble Gum. Even though Mini Bubble Gum was hugely confident in her spiritual spells, she couldn��t help but slow down her pace under the impact of this menacing assault. The instant Mini Bubble Gum slowed down, Elena sprinted toward her side. Meanwhile, a black mist burst out from Elena��s blade and shrouded them entirely.


    ����!��


    At that moment, Di flitted across the battlefield. His scarlet pupils instantly shrunk into narrow slits. He chanted under his breath and stroked his right little finger forward. But at the same time, a wall of flame rose from the ground all of a sudden, blocking the vampire��s vision. Canary strolled out of the flames casually, her arms drawing streaks of beautiful runes in midair. The erupting flames spiraled and blasted ahead under the young lady��s manipulation, metamorphosing into fire serpents that dove at the vampire ahead.


    Boom!


    But shortly after, a wall of white bones appeared out of nowhere, positioned right in front of Di as a defensive shield. The fire serpents crashed into the sturdy wall of white bones ruthlessly, shattering it in just a few moments. At the same time, Di raised his right arm. A mist of darkness metamorphosed into a huge bone claw that grabbed at Canary. The young lady swayed her palm and a scarlet magical ritual appeared under her feet. Then, she chanted some incantations and held down her hands.


    At the next moment, a stream of red, scorching lava gushed out from the magical ritual and slammed into the white, enormous bone claw!

 Chapter 1197 - Confrontation

    Loud explosions boomed as the large white bone claw clashed with the fire column coalesced from lava. But Canary and Di weren��t concerned about the result of their clash. On the contrary, they made spell-casting gestures with their hands immediately after casting their earlier spells. The most important things about duels between spell casters were damage, speed, and accuracy. In ��anime��, two people fired beams and competed against each other to see who could last the longest, but it was meaningless in this case. Not only must a top spell caster grasp the proficiency, speed, and mastery to cast spells in the shortest time possible, but one must also anticipate whether the next spell was offensive or defensive and come up with a corresponding response. From a certain aspect, the duel between two top spell casters was like gambling. While one grasped the card in one��s hand, one must also guess what card the opponent held and make the right call.


    As a spell caster in the Peak Legendary Stage, Di wasn��t slow at all. Even though Canary��s skills were considered to be above average within Rhode��s group, Starlight was a leading guild, after all, and despite her being in the middle to upper rankings, her skills shouldn��t be belittled. Canary and Di stroked their hands in midair and made complicated gestures one after another. Then, they retracted their arms almost at the same time, before pushing them forward.


    There was neither brilliance nor flashes of lightning. It was so peaceful as though nothing happened. But all of a sudden, the empty ground in front of them ruptured and a raging magical torrent metamorphosed into an ax that split the earth, where not even hard mountain rocks could withstand the powerful strength as they disintegrated instantly. Canary withdrew her arms and placed them on her chest. Then, she drew a circle in midair and shortly after, the coalesced wind blustered around her, taking shape into a sturdy barrier that kept out the splattering debris. But at the next moment, a mystical shadow shuttled out of the mass of debris. It was Di. He stretched his arms out and widened his palms, pouncing on Canary with a mighty force. He thrust his hands on the barrier in the blink of an eye and��bang! The barrier protecting Canary shattered completely. Looking at this result, Di��s eyes glinted in delight. But thereafter, a surprising flash reflected in his eyes.


    Boom!


    The scattered flames exploded and Di retreated quickly as though he was bitten. On the other hand, Canary raised her right arm calmly and slowly. Three bursts of flames like fire serpents slithered across the ground and chased the vampire closely. Facing the oncoming catastrophe, Di gnashed his teeth. A blood mist spurted from his mouth, enveloping the fire serpents ahead and extinguishing them entirely.


    ��Big Sister Canary��s reaction sure is quick.��


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s comment, Rhode couldn��t help but nod in agreement. This wasn��t a battle to the death, but both sides were giving their all. Even though they didn��t manipulate the rules of Order and only carried out a duel between spell casters, it was enough to show their individual strength. Earlier on, Di obviously decided to rely on his ability as a vampire to catch Canary off guard. After all, he was different from a human like Canary. The speed and regeneration ability of vampires ensured that he could dodge the debris effortlessly and not need to defend himself. But Canary had to protect herself as a human, which was why Di attacked decisively and attempted to break through Canary��s barrier to defeat her.


    But Di was surprised by Canary��s quick reaction. The young lady��s double mastery in wind and fire prepared her for such a situation. The moment Canary released the wind barrier, her left hand was preparing another spell. As a human, she couldn��t compete against Di in speed. But if she prepared her spell beforehand and waited for Di to come knocking on her door, it would be an entirely different matter. And now, it was apparent that Di didn��t anticipate this move from Canary and suffered a huge loss. If it weren��t for the incredible speed of a vampire that made Canary miss the chance to follow up with her attack, perhaps he would have already turned into a roasted bat.


    At that moment, Di decided to stop casting spells. He zoomed in a trail of afterimages, shuttling around Canary continuously. It was apparent that he was using his innate ability to take advantage of Canary. No matter what, Canary was only a normal human being. Even after she arrived at this world and gained her own power through Rhode, her constitution didn��t change due to that. When humans faced agile creatures like vampires, they were lacking innately.


    Facing the change in Di��s attacking style, Canary chose to stay in place. She withdrew her arms and the spiraling, fiery gusts transformed into a perfect shield that enfolded the young lady. No matter where Di attacked from, he would never cause any damage to her. But�� in this case, Canary lost her initiative. She lost the ability to lock onto his position and didn��t know when he would attack. Logically speaking, Canary should be waiting and observing the situation. But she chose a totally different method.


    ��Masa�� uiy�� dis����


    Facing Di��s harassment, Canary lowered her gaze without the slightest care. She kept her palms together and chanted in a low voice. Shortly after, runes appeared between her palms one by one, drifting around her slowly. Looking at this scene, Di couldn��t help but feel startled. As a spell caster, he knew that this young lady was preparing to release a legendary AOE magical spell and it didn��t require her to aim at him either! As long as she cast the spell, Di would be dead!


    Di was also dubious as to why Canary chose to release a legendary magical spell right now. Even though this magical spell would be formidable, its biggest flaw was its long chanting time. No matter how, she couldn��t complete the spell in just a few seconds. Even if she were ambushed, she couldn��t stop chanting the spell or forcefully disrupt it, else she would receive a massive backlash. Judging from the strength that Canary displayed earlier, she would never commit such a mistake.


    Is she that confident in her defense? But a mage��s defensive shield isn��t stronger than a cleric��s, after all!


    This thought cropped up in Di��s head for only a split second. After all, opportunity knocks only once. He should give it a shot no matter what. If not, he would be equally doomed once she released the legendary spell! Di hesitated no more. He drew circles in midair with his hands. His pale, jade-like arms were covered in pitch-black patterns immediately. Then, he lunged at the young lady like a whistling arrow!


    Facing this attack, Canary didn��t falter at all, or perhaps, she didn��t even have the time to react. She also couldn��t see what Di was doing exactly. She continued to keep her palms together while chanting the spell. And at that moment, Di��s hands arrived beside her.


    Boom!


    The vampire��s hands smashed into the blazing whirlwind barrier. In an instant, the explosion of flames and wind blades disseminated in all directions. Di wasn��t surprised, but was thrilled instead. He clearly felt that the barrier wasn��t as powerful as he had imagined! Even though the barrier contained unique rule power that made it stronger than barriers cast by ordinary spells, he was also a being in the Peak Legendary Stage and possessed the strength of Order, after all!


    Di��s eyes glinted in a red, bloody flash. He swung his left arm forward abruptly, spurting out scarlet blood. Despite that, the spraying blood didn��t scatter, but coalesced on his right arm into a razor-sharp, blood blade. He raised his right arm and brandished from above!


    ��������!��


    The power of Order collided. The wild, blazing winds struggled to keep up as it resisted the blood blade. Di remained unmoved as he shifted his left hand quickly to make a hand gesture. Then, a pitch-black mist proliferated from his body and gathered on his palm. Di slammed his palm forward, smashing the barrier heavily.


    Bang!


    This time, the defensive barrier that couldn��t maintain its power finally vanished and a bone-piercing chilliness took over the gust and flame. The scarlet blade whistled and aimed at the young lady��s neck. Canary was seemingly unaware of what was happening. She continued to keep her palms together and lower her gaze, as the chant was at its critical juncture. However, Di was confident that he could defeat her before she finished chanting the incantation!


    Clang!


    But�� Di��s anticipation was smashed to bits after hearing an ear-deafening collision. Before his blood blade managed to contaminate Canary��s body, it was locked out by a shining barrier��


    The Sacred Spell!


    ��Ready to die?!��


    Canary yelled while Di was flabbergasted. The latter turned to the front without any hesitation. The blood blade in his hand metamorphosed into a sharp spear that penetrated forward. But at that moment, a blinding, holy light column descended from heaven, blasting the blood spear into fragments. Mini Bubble Gum appeared from inside the light column, clenching and hurling her right fist onto Di��s body. The vampire couldn��t respond in time. In a blood-curdling scream, he flew back upon the mighty impact. At the same time, the death knight following her closely emerged from the mist. She raised the heavy longsword and flourished it at Mini Bubble Gum who had her back facing her.


    At that moment, Canary��s spell reached completion. She raised her arms, lifted her head, and stared ahead with a clear, sharp gaze. It wasn��t Di she was staring at, but the death knight instead. Then, Canary pushed her arms ahead.


    The brilliance of magical and spiritual spells dazzled, erupted, and shrouded the entire world. The surging flames and whirlwinds turned into chains that bound the death knight tightly. Shortly after, a revolving magical ritual appeared in midair. Countless bursts of meteor rained down from the sky, bombarding the ground mercilessly.


    ��It has ended.��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode said, shrugging and turning to his younger sister.

 Chapter 1198 - Surrender

    ��Oh-no-no, they sure lost terribly����


    Di lost his demeanor as he sat on the ground powerlessly. After receiving that punch of holy light and the strafing of meteor rain from Mini Bubble Gum, the pitiful vampire��s luxurious clothes were tattered and covered in holes. Not only that, but his neatly combed hair was also roasted like a fluffy henhouse. Elena didn��t have it any better either. As she was Canary��s target, her exquisite set of armor was completely dishevelled and broken, without the possibility of refurbishment and could be thrown into the trashcan right away. Elena��s helmet had also been taken off. Frankly, Elena wasn��t outstanding in her looks as a woman. If she were to be judged on the scale from 1 to 10 and Rhode��s harem was mainly between 8.5 to 9, Elena would be a 6 at the most. But it was due to this reason that Rhode admired Di even more. Even though it was often said that one shouldn��t judge a book by its cover, if one��s appearance weren��t acceptable in the first place, one shouldn��t blame others for not recognizing one��s value. This was applicable for males and females. If one were to not shower for half a month or do a foolish hairstyle and wear unattractive clothing, it was only natural that one would be disregarded by others. Of course, if these weren��t due to objective reasons such as poverty or whatnot, one was simply asking to be judged.


    Elena wasn��t considered beautiful, but emanatied a heroic attractiveness instead. Perhaps it was due to her being a master swordswoman during her lifetime, she stood on the spot like a straight, unsheathed longsword. What was most eye-catching about her was the blade scar that ran down the middle of her forehead, which seemed to be the reason for her death. But this wasn��t what Rhode was interested in. Instead, he realized that this death knight actually had feelings.


    Humans often said that undead creatures were fearless. But as a matter of fact, this saying was wrong. Undead creatures weren��t fearless. Most of them were entirely devoid of emotions, which explained why they weren��t afraid of anything. What they had in them was merely the lowest level of instinct. This was the reason why undead creatures were fearless, but also knew to shriek and flee from pure, holy energy. Just like a finger��it didn��t have any emotion and didn��t know what pain and happiness were. But if one were to prick it with a needle, it would instinctively shrink away. The so-called emotions of undead creatures were almost similar. Even though undead creatures seemed capable of smiling, they were as though preset and robotic. It was just like how waiters greeted and welcomed customers with a smile as it was the most appropriate expression for the moment. But even so, it didn��t represent the genuine feelings of the waiters.


    Among undead creatures, vampires were considered to have deeper and richer emotions. They didn��t abandon their bodies like undead creatures, but relied upon the strength of blood to maintain their flesh instead. Therefore, relatively speaking, the emotions of vampires were much closer to their souls. However, it was an entirely different matter for the souls of death knights when their corpses were reawakened. Rhode thought that even if Di were to reawaken Elena, she wouldn��t have any feelings for him. To vampires, this was as though placing a wax figure of their lover by their side to reminisce old times. But after looking at Elena, Rhode realized that he was wrong. Her gaze toward Di was filled with trust and love. Among undead creatures, this was rarer to find than diamonds.


    ��Alright, we��re your prisoners now, Your Majesty Void Dragon. Honestly, I��m stumped����


    Di forced a smile, stood up, and shook his head helplessly. This time, he suffered a wronged loss. Because no one expected Canary to ��swap�� with Mini Bubble Gum in the middle of an intense battle. The reason why Canary abandoned her defenses and focused on casting a legendary spell because at the moment, she had switched her target from Di to Elena. Meanwhile, Mini Bubble Gum gave up battling against the death knight who kept tangling with her and targeted Di instead.


    It was actually a simple strategy, but they won by surprising the enemies. The most crucial point was that Canary and Mini Bubble Gum didn��t communicate with each other at all, with not even a hand gesture or exchange of gaze. A few moments ago, they fought against their own opponent, but at the very next moment, they switched their targets without any signs, catching Di and Elena off guard. If Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were to have a single interaction, it wouldn��t escape the keen eyes of Di and Elena. However, the two young ladies didn��t interact from beginning to end, which was why Di and Elena couldn��t react to the sudden change in situation in time.


    ��I��m not as surprised though.��


    Facing Di��s lamentation, Rhode remained calm. Even though there wasn��t much difference in levels between both sides, Rhode was confident in Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. In the guild, they were always best partners, especially in PK, where they were most feared by players for their ��double spells combination��. Canary was able to face destruction and death boldly under Mini Bubble Gum��s protection, while Mini Bubble Gum was able to beat up the enemy under Canary��s cover. Both sides had tacit understanding with each other, so close that they didn��t need to communicate to coordinate. Frankly, in terms of experience in joining forces against enemies, Di and Elena couldn��t compete against them. After all, Di could cast spells and was half a military adviser. Most of his abilities were already laid out on the table and he couldn��t be like players who naturally gained experience through participating in life or death battles. It was due to this reason that Di wasn��t aware that after Canary and Mini Bubble Gum became a popular duo, they were basically surrounded by everyone as soon as they entered the arena. They were up against a dozen players and players who were known for being shameless and despicable. In any case, Di and Elena emphasized on ��triad customs�� more than players, but players went ahead and fought without mentioning a word. In such harsh environments, if Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were to send signals to each other, they would have been eradicated innumerable times.


    ��Alright�� I��ll get to the point now.��


    Rhode said and turned to the vampire with a forced smile.


    ��Since both of you are my prisoners now, I shall have an interrogation.��


    Facing Rhode��s words, Di maintained his forced smile, tidied his clothes, and gave a respectful bow.


    ��As you wish, Your Majesty Void Dragon.��


    The reason why Di initiated the battle was due to the differences in standpoints and he wasn��t willing to get his hands tied and wait to be captured. Now that he had given his all but still lost the battle, it wasn��t considered treason anymore. This explained why Di felt relaxed and began to describe his experiences.


    After hearing Di��s narration, Rhode discovered that the Country of Darkness had changed a lot.


    Di was supposed to shine in the war against the Country of Light and become Ion��s favorite. However, as Rhode resisted the Country of Darkness��s attack in the Land of Atonement, it led to Di being transferred back before he could show his abilities. Even though Di achieved impressive results after receiving orders from Ion later, he wasn��t put in an important position. And this time, Di and Elena were transferred back to the Darkness Capital for a strengthening ritual.


    As a matter of fact, Di felt odd after hearing about the strengthening ritual. He was a master in transforming spirits, so he naturally knew how rigorous the process of strengthening undead creatures were, and issues would occur easily if there were any mistake. Vampires were a cautious race. Besides, with Di��s love for Elena, he wasn��t willing to risk losing her. After analyzing the strengthened low-level units, Di realized some problems that left him anxious and worried. But back then, Di had no other choice. After all, the Country of Darkness was a strict, hierarchical country. One could only accept orders from higher-ups without question.


    For some unknown reasons, the Darkness Capital suddenly activated the Dark Curtain and the entire city was in lockdown. Fortunately, Di wasn��t caught in it. He decisively found an excuse to bring Elena and some strengthened units, sneaked into the army in the front lines, and slipped away thereafter. Di initially decided to find a place to settle down and investigate the mysterious strengthening process before making other decisions. But now��


    ��I see����


    Rhode pondered for a few moments and nodded. If the Darkness Capital had activated this ultimate defensive mechanism, it was no longer surprising that he couldn��t sense or summon Angelina. The enchanted field enfolding the Darkness Capital was indeed tough to crack. Back then, Rhode and other players spent months and couldn��t break it apart. Since the Dark Curtain was activated, it proved that something was definitely wrong in the Darkness Capital��


    ��Do you know exactly when it happened?��


    ��Apologies, Your Majesty Void Dragon, I��m not too sure about that. But half a month ago, communications from the Darkness Capital were cut off completely.��


    ��Half a month ago, huh����


    Rhode pondered. If he recalled correctly, it was also about half a month ago when he and Erin returned to the Dragon Soul Continent. And now, the Darkness Capital activated the Dark Curtain half a month ago��


    Seems like Erin is in huge trouble.

 Chapter 1199 - Awakening

    Recruiting the prisoners of Di and Elena came as a surprise for Rhode. It was especially rewarding to have Di by his side. As an undead creature, Di��s research on strengthened undead creatures was relatively helpful for Rhode. One had to understand the enemy in order to defeat the enemy. The Country of Darkness wasn��t the prime target for Rhode, but the lurking Chaos was instead. If he could use Di��s ability to find ways to curb Chaos, it couldn��t get any better.


    After taking in both of them, Rhode immediately shifted his attention to their original target, which was the pyramid structure before him. But after taking a closer look at it, he couldn��t help but feel taken aback. The entire structure had been sealed off completely. A heavy stone door blocked the way into the passageway, while surrounding ventilation windows were also plugged. Rhode shifted his gaze to Di and upon detecting his stare, the vampire forced a smile.


    ��I can��t do anything about it even if you stare at me, Your Majesty Void Dragon. This isn��t our territory, after all. As a matter of fact, we are also trespassing as uninvited guests����


    ��Leave it to me, Leader! Watch me crush it open������!��


    Before Rhode replied, Mini Bubble Gum clenched her tiny fist and dashed ahead. A holy, white brilliance emanated from her fist, charging up massive energy. In a loud bang, Mini Bubble Gum smashed her fist onto the stone door. But at the next moment, what presented itself before everyone wasn��t the scene of the heavy stone door being crushed to bits. Instead, the young lady knelt on the ground, shivering as she clutched her fist with her other hand.


    ��Argh�� it hurts so bad����


    Mini Bubble Gum blushed in embarrassment. If it weren��t for the fact that Rhode stood beside her, perhaps she would have cried in pain already. Mini Bubble Gum thought she could shatter the stone door effortlessly, but as soon as her fist came into contact with it, she was stumped to realize that her strength vanished all of a sudden. Be it the coalesced holy power or spiritual spell that she cast on herself, they dissipated thoroughly. Upon detecting this strange phenomenon, it was too late for her to stop��


    It was imaginable how painful it was for Mini Bubble Gum, who punched the stone door with all her strength.


    ��Argh�� damn it�� why did that happen����


    Mini Bubble Gum gnashed her teeth, stared at her left, swollen fist with tears welled up in her eyes, and barely swung it around. Shortly after, a gentle light descended from above, shrouding the little fellow and healing the sore fist immediately. Mini Bubble Gum stood to her feet and glared at the stone door as though it were her father��s murderer.


    ��This damn door is just�� Damn it! Argh��!��


    Mini Bubble Gum snarled and thrust her foot at the stone door. But at the next moment, she winced, hugged her right leg, and hopped about in torment. One had to admit that this little fellow was completely out of luck. Upon witnessing her plight, Canary hurried over to her side and consoled her softly. Rhode shook his head helplessly at this comical scene. Then, he shifted his gaze to the stone door with equal curiosity. Judging from its appearance, it didn��t seem any different from ordinary stone doors and there also wasn��t any mysterious aura exuding from it. Despite that, it nullified Mini Bubble Gum��s spiritual spells, which was truly puzzling��


    ��Let me do it, Big Brother. It can��t be opened that easily.��


    At that moment, his younger sister who stood quietly at the side extended her arm and stroked Mini Bubble Gum��s hair. Then, she displayed a gentle smile, sauntering to the stone door. She looked ahead with a gentle gaze and raised the battle ax in her hand.


    ��������!��


    A bright, blue radiance emanated from the battle ax. Along with the emergence of the blue light, the mausoleum trembled as though were resonating with it. Shortly after, a symbol resembling a pair of large dragon wings lit up in the same color, right in the middle of the stone door. The shining brilliance from both sides increased continuously. Looking at this incredible scene, Di and Elena widened their eyes in astonishment. When they first arrived at the mausoleum, they had also investigated the area. But what surprised them was that even though this was a mausoleum, there weren��t any buried corpses. Not only that, but the protector of this mausoleum also wasn��t aware of what exactly was hidden here. And now, this young lady who looked exactly the same as the Void Dragon seemed to be well aware of the situation.


    But come to think of it, when did His Majesty Void Dragon have another younger sister?


    Rumble��


    As the flickering brilliances fused into one, the sealed stone door opened gradually, presenting a hidden passageway to everyone. At this moment, his younger sister lay down the battle ax, lifted her head, and gazed forward in a complicated expression. She blinked, turned around, and smiled at Rhode.


    ��Let��s go, Big Brother. I can feel it.��


    The mausoleum was spacious, cold, and cheerless. Unlike ordinary mausoleums, the surrounding walls here were neither engraved in intricate patterns nor written in texts that recorded and sang the praises of the buried. Apart from the chilly, spiritual torch flames lined across both sides of the walls, there was nothing else. The group entered the stone door, following the young lady��s lead. No one spoke a word, except for Mini Bubble Gum who curled her lips and muttered to herself while staying beside Canary. It was apparent that Mini Bubble Gum was displeased with this mausoleum. If it weren��t for the fact that she would be stopped, perhaps she would have burned down this damn place already.


    The inside of the mausoleum looked simple without messy turns and corners. After passing through a narrow corridor, the group arrived at a spacious hall. Judging from the angled walls, it was obvious that this was the inside of the pyramid mausoleum. But come to think of it, the structure of this building couldn��t be simpler. It was almost the same as a toy made up of building blocks.


    ��Who are you?��


    Just as Rhode sized up the empty space curiously, he heard a voice. Shortly after, everyone witnessed a dark elf wrapped in a white robe, sauntering out from the other end. She gazed at the group calmly. Her eyes were filled with unconcealable confusion.


    Margaery was puzzled because no one should be able to enter the mausoleum after she sealed it off. This was also why she was able to remain seated and read a book as the group attempted to open the stone door. Even though the mausoleum seemed really simple and quaint, its most unique feature was its ability to defend against all damage. Be it spiritual or magical spells, none of them would work. Once the mausoleum was sealed off, no matter how monstrous one��s strength was, one could forget about causing any damage. But to her great surprise, someone actually unlocked the seal and entered the mausoleum. Margaery sized up the uninvited guests before shifting her gaze to the young lady who stood at the forefront.


    ��Excuse me, may I know who you are? And why are you here?��


    Sizing up the crowd, Margaery asked. Upon hearing her question, Rhode and his younger sister exchanged looks with each other and the latter stepped forth with a gentle smile.


    ��Are you the current protector of the mausoleum?��


    ��Ah�� Yes. I am Margaery Tyr.��


    Even though Margaery didn��t know why the young lady asked this question, she answered respectfully. For some unknown reason, the young lady was obviously younger than Margaery, but the latter felt an overwhelming pressure from her that forced her to respond. Upon hearing Margaery��s answer, the younger sister shut her eyes, wondered in silence, and nodded slightly.


    ��It has been tough on you, Miss Protector. And now, your duties have officially come to an end�� I shall retrieve the item that has been hibernating for a long time. The time to release all the shackles has arrived.��


    The young lady said, raising the battle ax high as it emanated a blue brilliance.


    ��������!��


    Just like before, the same blue radiance shone as though resonating with her action. But what surprised everyone was that the brilliance wasn��t limited to only one spot. On the contrary, the entire ceiling, floor, and columns at the sides flickered in the blue radiance. The young lady lifted her head and gazed at the ceiling.


    ��Awake, my protector����


    Swish������!


    As the young lady mumbled to herself, the blue radiance of the room coalesced and gathered behind her abruptly. The light extended, metamorphosing into a pair of enormous dragon wings on her back, expanding magnificently n midair. Then, the glittering light dispersed and the expanded dragon wings folded together, revealing its true appearance.

 Chapter 1200 - Sudden Emergence of a Formidable Foe

    As the dragon wings disappeared, the young lady��s costume restored its original appearance��a gorgeous and elegant battle costume. The battle costume looked like a sophisticated evening gown. The bracers on her wrists flickered in a silver radiance and the silver accessories around the collar made her seem accomplished and experienced. The long dress almost touched the floor, its hem accentuated with gold silk and silver threads, emanating a dazzling magical radiance. What was more eye-catching was the glittering light dust floating above it. Matched with this dark, flowing long dress, the young lady was as though standing on a heavenly river and looking into the distance. Even though the battle costume was beautiful, it looked unseemly, matching the huge murder weapon of almost two meters long.


    ��How��s this, Big Brother? Does it look nice on me?��


    Gazing at the dress that accented her figure, his younger sister spun around, lifted the hem of her skirt, and shot a witty look at Rhode. Upon seeing her gaze, he nodded in agreement. Even though the costume didn��t match the menacing battle ax in her hands, it did suit her perfectly if he disregarded the huge battle ax. But the only issue now was exactly what sort of power this costume possessed. Rhode couldn��t help but consider whether he should borrow the costume from her and check its attributes. After all, he had knelt in admiration after looking at the stats of the battle ax. He was highly suspicious that he might lay flat on the ground this time after seeing the stats of this battle costume��


    Shortly after, Rhode didn��t need to stress over it anymore because he heard Celia��s voice from their spiritual communication.


    ��Reporting, Master. We��ve been ambushed!��


    ***


    ��Ambush!��


    ��Enemies are attacking from the right! Madam, what should we do?!��


    An earth-shattering barrage of artillery filled the sky. Gaya stood on the bridge and observed the battlefield ahead. A few moments ago, the floating magic warships she led faced an ambush from the ghost fleet. She was stunned as the ghost fleet appeared out of nowhere, where even the sensory crystal from the Munn Kingdom failed to detect their arrival. If it weren��t for the enchanted field of the Holy Maiden Statue that was triggered, perhaps they would have faced an imminent catastrophe after they finally realized the infiltration of enemies.


    When did the ghost fleet become so competent in concealing themselves so well?


    Gaya couldn��t help but knit her brows. She pondered deeply. Even though the ghost fleet was widely known for their powerful concealment, it was due to this reason that the floating magic warships in the Munn Kingdom focused a lot in countering this aspect. Logically speaking, the ghost fleet could never pass through the cordon of the floating magic warships without being discovered. But this time, they actually succeeded.


    Could it be that the ghost fleet has something that helped them sneak in?


    No. Now isn��t the time to consider this question!


    ��All warships, hear my orders. Attack formation��onward assault!��


    ��Huh? Are we really going to attack them, Madam?��


    Upon hearing the command, the battle angel steering the ship was startled. She couldn��t help but turn around and gaze at Gaya as the latter nodded swiftly.


    ��That��s right. The enemies were prepared to catch us off guard. If we choose to retreat now, based on our speed, we will be shot down before we turn around successfully. I will never do something so stupid. Pass down the order��all warships engage in attack formation. Target: Ahead. Everyone, get ready to attack. Activate the defensive shield and ready the cannons. After we break through the encirclement, turn in the anticlockwise direction and move toward the rear!��


    In quantity, even though there were more floating magic warships from the Munn Kingdom than there were in the ghost fleet, Gaya didn��t underestimate the enemies. It was apparent that the enemies decided to focus on one breakthrough point, which was why Gaya chose to retaliate in a similar style to have a high chance of succeeding. But if she were to launch a counterattack naively based on the larger number of warships on her side, it would be an entirely different matter.


    The bugle sounded. A holy brilliance shone and coalesced into a sturdy barrier that enveloped the floating magic warships. Fortunately, Gaya��s reaction was quick enough. Apart from the dozen floating magic warships on the periphery being surrounded and sustaining different extents of damage, the rest on the inside was mostly fine. At that moment, under Gaya��s command, the Munn Kingdom��s warships gathered together and burst ahead like a razor-sharp blade.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Countless flares erupted along with explosions on the defensive barrier, causing the warships to tremble and rumble. However, no one backed off. They continued to charge into the sea of the ghost fleet, taking on the artillery barrage. One had to admit that this move from Gaya was indeed effective. She chose to attack head-on and this decision decreased the amount of damage taken by the warships. On the other hand, in order for the ghost fleet to deal the highest damage to the Munn Kingdom��s warships, they were basically positioned sideways from where their attacks were launched. Therefore, when Gaya grouped up the warships and advanced, the ghost fleet couldn��t resist their breakthrough. Even though the ghost fleet tried to change their direction and continued to launch attacks from the sides of their hulls, Gaya wasn��t foolish either. How could she possibly give them that chance?!


    ��Continue to advance. Fire all cannons. Target: enemy warships ahead. Fire!!��


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A string of flashes erupted in the sky ahead. Facing this retaliation from the Munn Kingdom��s warships, the ghost fleet reacted correspondingly. Their hulls flickered in a spiritual radiance before turning indistinct and transparent, swiftly and merging into one with the fog. Then, most of the artillery barrage from the Munn Kingdom passed through the ghost fleet, blasting at the empty sky in the distance.


    Spiritual form!


    This was one of the strongest skills of the Country of Darkness��s ghost fleet, and they relied upon this to become the dominator of this night sky. But now, this was also the chance that Gaya was waiting for!


    ��Continue to fire the cannons. All warships, heed my command. Move at top speed! Attack!��


    Along with the whizzing cannon blasts, the warships penetrated the illusory ghost fleet mercilessly and turned anticlockwise swiftly. The ghost fleet didn��t expect the enemies to seize this opportunity to pass through their blockade line and couldn��t help but fluster in an instant. Even though the ghost fleet wanted to launch attacks on the warships ahead, the biggest flaw of their spiritual form was that they couldn��t materialize when objects were passing through them. If not, the objects might split them apart entirely. In this case, if the ghost fleet were to materialize at that moment, the Munn Kingdom��s warships inside them would surely tear them apart and they would collapse thoroughly.


    ��This group of damn bast*rds! Worthless!��


    Gazing at the Munn Kingdom��s warships that were breaking through his defensive line, Rolan gnashed his teeth tightly. He gripped his smoking pipe with his hand and tapped on the armrest anxiously. Rolan thought he could split up the ghost fleet��s formation and launch a pincer attack as soon as the enemies ambushed. But he was surprised that the enemies were so determined in their assault. Before the ghost fleet was able to separate themselves, the enemies had already arrived before them. If Rolan decided to put up a tough fight by sacrificing a few of his warships, it wasn��t impossible to stop the opposition. But the problem was that the ghost fleet was too skillful in the spiritual form, so they turned into spiritual form instantly at the sight of the pouncing enemies. In the end, this allowed the Munn Kingdom��s warships to puncture them instead.


    ��Trash! Nothing but a pile of worthless trash!��


    Rolan was also aware that this wasn��t the fault of his subordinates. After all, turning into spiritual form was kind of like an instinctive reaction for the ghost fleet. However, what made him blow his top was that these guys acted so quickly, but on the wrong occasion�� If their ambush earlier was this fast, perhaps they would have already taken down several Munn Kingdom warships!


    These bast*rds! When it comes to surviving, they act quicker than anyone!


    At this thought, Rolan let out a sigh. But this didn��t mean that he was out of ideas. Apart from turning into a spiritual form, the ghost fleet also had another unique skill��teleportation. They could traverse in the death fog freely and launch attacks at the same time. But despite that, the Munn Kingdom also had a trick up their sleeves. The aura protection of the Holy Maiden Statue eradicated the surrounding death fog, so the ghost fleet was unable to roam within the death fog. Facing this situation, Rolan let out another sigh. He turned around and bowed respectfully to the pitch-black figure behind him.


    ��I��m seeking your help, Sir.��


    ��All warships turn in the anticlockwise direction. Target: ghost fleet. Contain their firepower and retreat at full speed!��


    At that moment, standing on the flagship, Gaya gazed solemnly at the ghost fleet and gave a quick command. Even though it was effortless for them to penetrate the ghost fleet, this raised her guard even more. Based on her understanding on the ghost fleet, if the ghost fleet didn��t have any strategy and relied upon terrible skills to enter a contest against the floating magic warships, the ghost fleet would be basically throwing their lives away. However, since the ghost fleet had ambushed her, she was certain that there was something they could count on and wouldn��t be as useless as they were right now. Due to that reason, Gaya chose to retreat instantly after breaking through the encirclement. It wasn��t that she was timid, but that something was definitely unusual. As the Munn Kingdom��s warships were in charge of the front lines while Rhode��s magic fleet were responsible for the rear, Gaya��s top priority was to withdraw the warships back to the defensive range of the magic fleet in the rear and figure out��in safety��what exactly was going on with the ghost fleet!


    At that moment, the situation took a sudden turn.


    ��Madam, something strange is happening!��


    ��What?!��


    Gaya was startled. She looked out of the window hurriedly and twitched her brow upon witnessing the vast white fog turning into a scarlet hue! She felt like the situation was far from good. She had never seen the ghost fleet��s death fog turn scarlet all of a sudden.


    Gaya raised her guard and ordered swiftly.


    ��Everyone, retreat at the fastest speed! Activate all defens��!��


    Boom!


    Before Gaya completed her command, her warship rocked heavily to the side as though it were hit by something. Not only that, but the speed of the warship also decreased drastically. This bewildered Gaya immediately. She knitted her brows and scanned the surroundings.


    What exactly is going on?


    At this thought, Gaya shook her head and remained silent. She knew the red fog was a strange phenomenon. But now, she didn��t have the time to ponder it any longer. As long as her warships separated themselves from the death fog and returned to the safety of the magic fleet, it would be her victory. But this apparently wasn��t as simple as she had imagined. She didn��t know what strategy the enemies deployed that reduced the speed of her warships by two-thirds. It was so slow that it felt like they were dragging their feet in mud.


    At that moment, she heard another loud, sudden explosion.


    Boom!


    ��Reporting Madam, three of our warships are destroyed!��


    ��What?!��


    Gaya was flabbergasted. She looked at the direction of the explosion and turned grim.


    A pitch-black figure was hovering where the three destroyed warships were. Even though she couldn��t identify who that person in the red fog was, she sensed a powerful, surging energy!


    ��Damn it!��


    Looking at this scene, Gaya gnashed her teeth and ordered swiftly.


    ��Fire the signal immediately! Request for backup!��

 Chapter 1201 - A New Enemy

    Gaya hesitated no more. She saw how powerful and formidable this enemy was, to be able to bombard three magic warships alone. And now, she had no other choice and could only withdraw most magic warships back to the rear and it would be considered her victory!


    ��������!��


    Shortly after, the dazzling, golden signaling beam shot up from the flagship, capturing the attention of that mysterious enemy. Meanwhile, the surrounding red fog surged and gathered toward the flagship. Looking at this scene, Gaya turned grim. She held the harp in her hands and strummed the strings.


    Clang������!


    Along with a crisp and melodious note, the invisible sound waves proliferated. As soon as one heard the loud explosions, the coalesced red fog ruptured and dispersed in all directions. Gaya continued to strum the strings and in an instant, a string of harmonious notes formed a sweet-sounding melody that reverberated in the death fog, deafening the surrounding artillery barrages and explosions. It was as though a gamer turning the background music to the loudest while setting the sound-effects to the lowest. The beautiful tune of the harp sounded calm and peaceful, and it definitely wasn��t something that should be echoing in a battlefield. It also felt as though a mother embracing and singing a lullaby for her child. In an instant, even the entire world seemed to have quietened. The floating magic warships also gradually lost their voice and the dead spirits also seemingly sank into deep, eternal sleep.


    However, Gaya��s expression didn��t change at all. She put up a stern look while strumming the harp strings, staring at the pitch-black figure ahead. Under the lead of the flagship, the magic warships advanced gradually. Even though most of the surrounding red fog had been dispersed by Gaya, the powerful energy wasn��t embedded in them, after all, which was why the speed of the magic warships couldn��t increase too much. But now, Gaya couldn��t care less about that. It would be good enough as long as she left this area. From her perspective, the mysterious figure also fell into silence gradually as though it had sunken into deep sleep.


    Everything lost its original color. The magic warships turned anticlockwise steadily and retreated to the rear. Based on this speed, they would need at least five minutes to escape into the safety range of the magic fleet.


    As long as they hung on��


    But it was a pity that sometimes things weren��t meant to be.


    Suddenly, the pitch-black being who stood still shuddered. It raised its head and let out a sharp, hoarse, and unbearable shriek that diffused and punctured Gaya��s melody. It sounded as though an obvious, wrong note were played in a wonderful melody. Along with the ear-piercing sound, the entire world shook.


    ��Oh no!��


    Upon hearing the deafening screech, Gaya was instantly startled as she continued to strum the harp strings. However, she repositioned her hand and its motion suddenly became quicker. The hypnotic music earlier turned into a battle movement as though there was an actual, magnificent army with thousands of men and horses charging ahead. The violent and cruel force accompanied by a strong, intense music blasted the pitch-black being. This time, Gaya went all out. She clearly knew that one who was capable of waking up from her melody was definitely stronger than her. Gaya��s rule was ��sound��. The tune of her harp was the best proof of killing without spilling blood. As a matter of fact, if one weren��t strong enough, one would be infatuated by the tune and act accordingly to the specific effects. If it were a battle movement, one would be jumping up and down in excitement like a drug-addict. But if it were dance music, one would jump to one��s death as though one were cursed. If it were a lullaby, one would sink into deep sleep. But no matter what genre of music it was, there was only one consequence.


    One could never stop until one was dead.


    But since the enemy was able to break free from her melody, it was enough to prove that its manipulation of rules was far better than hers! But in the Country of Darkness, no one like that existed. Gaya was second to Lydia in the entire Munn Kingdom. The fact that the enemy broke free from her restraint took Gaya by surprise.


    Along with Gaya��s hand motion, the invisible sound waves materialized into an energy torrent that gushed and devoured the pitch-black figure. The pitch-black figure twisted and deformed under the tearing of the sound waves. But at the next moment, it extended its right arm all of a sudden and gripped the air.


    ������Clang!


    In an ear-piercing vibrato, the harp melody stopped abruptly. Gaya took two steps back palely. Her fair, slender finger was dripping in blood. But she gnashed her teeth and continued to place her hand on the harp strings.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    An array of notes erupted. This time, Gaya couldn��t care less about the tune, but used her ��sound�� rule to attack instead. Along with the movement of her fingers, waves of sound materialized into enormous blades dozens of meters long, striking at the pitch-black figure and shredding the death fog. Facing this attack from Gaya, the pitch-black figure didn��t evade at all. Instead, Gaya witnessed the pitch-black figure raising and swinging its right arm in midair. Then, the surrounding red fog devoured the sound blades silently.


    But this was enough for Gaya because her magic warships had successfully broken away from the death fog!


    ��Everyone, retreat right away!��


    After releasing another string of sound blades at the pitch-black figure, Gaya commanded immediately. Shortly after, the Munn Kingdom��s warships withdrew swiftly. After leaving the mystical sea of red fog and gaining the support of the strong gales, the warships regained their original speed. At that moment, the pitch-black figure finally detected the source of the problem. He let out another ear-deafening shriek and pounced on the warships.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Even though the magic warships had already activated the defensive barrier, the pitch-black figure was stronger than Gaya had imagined. It passed through the defensive barrier and attacked the warships once again. Even though the battle angels attempted to resist it, after two to three continuous explosions, another two magic warships were destroyed.


    ��It is strong, but why does it feel like it isn��t that smart in the head?��


    Gazing at the sight of her crashing warships, Gaya wasn��t in distress. Instead, she looked strangely at the pitch-black figure. She thought it would find trouble with her directly. After all, it was obvious to anyone that she was the main culprit who stopped it. But instead of laying hands on her, it chose to attack the last two magic warships? What was the meaning of that? The two magic warships were used as bait to lure enemy attacks for safety��s sake. And now, the enemy actually took the bait?


    Even though the pitch-black figure was formidable, this slight delay allowed the remaining magic warships to leave the sea of red fog and retreat to the rear. The battle angels onboard the two warships didn��t fight against the pitch-black enemy, but left the battlefield swiftly instead.


    But at that moment, there was a sudden change in situation.


    ��Ahhhhhh!��


    All of a sudden, a fierce, raging bellow reverberated as though the enemy just realized that it was duped. Then, Gaya witnessed the pitch-black figure dashing toward her nimbly. The battle angels ahead tried to stop it, but as soon as the enemy swung its right arm, in a series of blood-curdling screams, several battle angels spurted blood from their wounds as they flew away upon impact. Looking at this scene, Gaya grimaced.


    ��Everyone, continue to head to the rear. I will stop the enemy!��


    Even though the enemy didn��t seem bright, its strength was overly powerful. With its overwhelming speed, perhaps more than half of the warships would be destroyed before they got to safety. Gaya hurried out of the bridge and flitted across as she sprinted toward the pitch-black figure. She strummed the harp strings and along with a string of notes, the sound waves shot ahead like razor-sharp blades. But just like before, these sound waves that Gaya had unleashed all her strength in releasing were completely resisted by the red fog. But even so, she succeeded in garnering its attention.


    ��It��s you������!��


    Along with a snarl, the pitch-black figure pounced on Gaya abruptly. At this moment, Gaya finally witnessed its true identity.


    It was a female vampire who wore a scarlet robe unique to vampires. Her pale, long hair fluttered in the winds. Gaya was certain that she had never seen this vampire before. But the dense, blood aura of death exuding from the vampire startled the black-haired young lady. Gaya had met one of the four legendary generals, the Blood Countess, Ashvril, in the past, but not even Ashvril was as mysterious and formidable as this vampire!


    ��������!��


    Without any hesitation, Gaya strummed the harp strings again before quickly dodging to the side. Her goal now was to capture the attention of this vampire and ensure that the magic warships retreated safely to the rear. Meanwhile, she had to look for opportunities to escape or the situation would be tough if the vampire caught up with her.


    But after battling this vampire head-on, Gaya discovered just how powerful she was.


    The faint, red fog shrouded the vampire��s body and no matter what attacks Gaya unleashed, they were all useless. Even as Gaya released sound blades again and again, they were devoured by the red fog completely. The vampire was also moving at an incredible speed. If it weren��t for the ��sound�� rule that Gaya possessed where she could move at the speed of sound, perhaps she would have been defeated by the enemy by now.


    ��Ahhhhhh!��


    After continuously missing her attacks on the black-haired young lady, the enraged vampire let out a fuming bellow and glared at Gaya. At the same time, Gaya witnessed her surroundings turning into a red hue. Not only that, but an unknown and powerful force also diffused across the air from nowhere, hauling Gaya��s body as though a monster attempting to devour and digest her.


    Argh. This is��


    Looking at this scene, the young lady was baffled. She raised her harp before her hurriedly, but it was all too late.


    Gaya felt an immense pain in her heart and lowered her gaze.


    A pale, shriveled palm had extended and clenched her heart.

 Chapter 1202 - Falling Stars

    ��Argh����


    A fuzzy world of red enfolded Gaya��s vision. But despite that, the young lady gaped and revealed a sinister, twisted smile.


    ��You want to kill me?��


    She stared at the pumping heart in the enemy��s hand and spoke in a calm tone as though it weren��t her chest that was punctured and heart that was seized. Then, Gaya raised her harp high up and bellowed.


    ��Other than Lydia, no one is allowed to kill me!��


    Along with this snarl, Gaya strummed the harp strings strongly. This time, along with her action, all the strings snapped! At the same time, with Gaya as the center, the world within a range of several hundred miles rumbled.


    What��s happening?!


    Rhode gazed at his surroundings in bewilderment. He also witnessed the strange looks on everyone��s faces. Mini Bubble Gum widened her mouth, but he couldn��t hear a single sound from her. A few moments ago, he felt an unknown vibration and then, he couldn��t hear a single sound, be it wind, voices, or screams. Even after he tried communicating with others using spiritual communications, he didn��t receive any response. Not only that, but he also felt like something went wrong. At that moment, he saw his younger sister knitting her brows and raising her right arm. Then, a dark enchanted field flickering in starlight unleashed abruptly, shrouding everyone within. At that moment, the lost voices returned to this world.


    ��What��s going on? What happened just now? Is there a bug in the server?��


    Mini Bubble Gum shook her head, turned around, and said. Meanwhile, Canary also widened her eyes and looked around her in shock. Both of them had never faced such a situation before. But Rhode seemed to figure out something and his heart sank. He turned to his younger sister and upon detecting his gaze, her younger sister let out a sigh and spoke.


    ���� Just now, the rule of ��sound�� was shattered.��


    ������


    Everyone went silent. All of them were formidable beings in the Legendary Stage, so they knew what this meant. The shattering of rules meant the destruction of the rule holder. The situation was just like in the game, where due to Lydia��s death, the ��sun�� rule of the entire Light Mainland was nullified, so the sun was nowhere in sight. The Light Mainland became so dark that not even a shadow was seen. It took a long time for the dragon soul protection to repair itself. Then, it was worse after the Dark Dragon devoured the Light Dragon. The entire continent lost the ��light�� rule and became pitch black. Not only that, but if one didn��t use any skill, equipment, or flame torch, one also couldn��t see anything within two meters. It was a world without light, which was why many players escaped to the Country of Law after the Light Dragon��s soul protection collapsed because they were able to at least see something normally there!


    Of course, when Rhode annihilated the Dark Dragon, the ��dark�� rule also crumbled. But these were only benefits reaped by the players��they didn��t need to light up places at night. On the other hand, Erin��s death didn��t affect them too much because the ��dark�� rule hadn��t repaired itself, so the ��moon�� rule naturally had to wait in the queue��


    Of course, not all deaths of legendary beings would cause rules to collapse because only those who fused deep enough with the rules would cause such influence. Besides, this had nothing to do with their level of strength and was based more on individuals. Some beings were formidable, but the rate of fusion wasn��t as high. But even though some beings weren��t as powerful, the rate of fusion with rules was extremely high. Of course, there was no such ��honor�� for players. Taking Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, for instance; even if they had obtained the Supreme Privilege, their deaths wouldn��t cause the holiness, wind, and flame attributes to turn ineffective. After all, players were a group of people who died most often in the game. If a player with a high rate of fusion with a rule were to die over a hundred times, wouldn��t the entire continent be in a hectic mess?


    But now, someone who grasped a rule power had fallen. Who was it?


    ��Rhode, I have a bad feeling����


    ��Me too.��


    Upon hearing Canary��s words, Rhode nodded in agreement. It wasn��t just a bad feeling, but a really terrible one. Because in his memories, there was only one person who owned the ��sound�� rule in the Dragon Soul Continent. Rhode hesitated no more and gave a command.


    ��Retreat immediately!��


    Even though Rhode hoped that his guess was wrong, when he led the rest back to the front line at all costs and witnessed the silent Celia and pale Lydia, his heart sank to the bottom. And after witnessing Gaya, who lay on the bed lifelessly, he fell into silence and was at a complete loss. Everything exceeded his expectation. He was well aware of Gaya��s strength. Even though she wasn��t as powerful as Lydia in terms of rules, she could still fight to a standstill with Lydia in terms of strength. If the setting of ��being invincible under the sun�� for Lydia were removed, it would be hard to determine whether Gaya or Lydia would win in a battle. But now, Gaya was actually dead?


    ��What exactly is going on?��


    Rhode gazed at Celia and Lydia, who watched over Gaya. Lize, Marlene, and Lapis were also present, but they were mostly responsible for the preparations of ground attacks. The floating magic warships specialized in air attacks, so Rhode appointed Gaya, Lydia, and Celia to lead. He initially thought that with so many of them around, there shouldn��t be any grave accidents. But in the end, something still happened and it was also disastrous��


    Fortunately, it wasn��t Marlene who died, or magic of the entire continent would crumble altogether and the situation would be worse (though considering that, Marlene was his summoning spirit and wouldn��t die that easily). At that moment, everyone��s morale was at rock-bottom. Although the relationship between Gaya and them wasn��t considered really close, they were still companions who met one another everyday. Not that she was suddenly gone, no one was prepared to face this truth. Facing Rhode��s question, Lydia let out a soft sigh and narrated the scenario to him.


    As a matter of fact, after Gaya sent out a SOS, Lydia realized immediately that something was wrong. She hurried toward the magic warships where Gaya was located, but the former was too late. When Lydia arrived, she witnessed Gaya raising her hand and snapping the harp strings abruptly. It was at that moment when the entire world went devoid of sound. The ground several hundred miles away, with Gaya in the middle, rumbled. Shapeless sound waves shattered everything in their path, leaving behind a massive, bottomless pit on the surface. Gaya also disintegrated. The pitiful enemy she was up against was blasted away to several hundred meters away by the sound waves, suffering grave injuries, but still managing to sneak away. Even though Lydia wanted to give chase, Gaya��s body was reconstructed at that moment and diving to ground. Lydia had no choice but to give up the chase and rescue Gaya instead.


    ��Why can��t we resurrect her?��


    Rhode puckered his brows and gazed at Gaya. It was apparent that she was already dead. But she should be able to be resurrected. Even if an ordinary resurrection spell didn��t work on Gaya, couldn��t Lydia resurrect her? This wasn��t logical at all! There should be no restriction on resurrection in the Dragon Soul Continent. Or were there some other issues?


    ��I used the great resurrection spell, but there is no response from her.��


    Lydia was in a dreadful mood. Gaya was her closest friend, but Lydia could only watch helplessly as she died. If it were in the past, Lydia would be able to accept the truth. But now, there was clearly the existence of resurrection spells and yet, she couldn��t make her closest friend open her eyes again. This was totally unacceptable for Lydia.


    ��Bubble, give it a shot.��


    Rhode held his forehead and let out a sigh. It was total chaos out there. Due to Gaya��s death, the ��sound�� rule of the entire continent had shattered and no one could hear a thing now. The reason why Rhode and the rest could still communicate was due to the enchanted field that he and his younger sister activated. The Void Dragon��s unique trait was space creation and that allowed them to temporarily replace ��sound�� with their rule. But this wasn��t a solution for the long term. For each day that Gaya was dead, Rhode��s group would be seeing raised banners in protest. This was worse than in the game because game masters could still make announcements to all players of the happenings.


    ��Alright, leave it to me, Leader.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, Mini Bubble Gum nodded, approached Gaya, and swung her right arm. Shortly after, along with Mini Bubble Gum��s action, a light column descended from heaven and enveloped Gaya. Then, it disappeared shortly after and Gaya remained motionless.


    Looking at this helpless scene, Lydia let out another sigh. She tried a few times earlier, but failed to succeed too. And now, after witnessing the ineffectiveness of Mini Bubble Gum��s great resurrection spell, Lydia fell into deeper despair and sorrow. However, Rhode��s expression didn��t change at all. Instead, he scanned Gaya��s corpse and turned to Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��What��s the system prompt?��


    ��Soul missing. Unable to be resurrected.��


    Mini Bubble Gum didn��t seem too mindful as she shrugged. Upon hearing the system prompt, Rhode and Canary didn��t reveal any sorrow on their faces, but showed a relieved expression instead.


    ��I see�� That��s not too bad����


    ��Not too bad?��


    Lydia��s eyes glinted with hope. She lifted her head and gazed at Rhode.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, have you figured out something?��


    ��Yes.��


    Facing Lydia��s question, Rhode nodded firmly.


    ��I figured out the reason why we can��t resurrect Gaya.��

 Chapter 1203 - Chaos Lord

    Perhaps this scene before Lydia and the rest was unbelievable. But for veterans in the game like Rhode and Canary, this wasn��t surprising at all. In the late stages of the game, players occasionally met similar instances. As for the reason why it was occasional for them, it had to depend on luck. If one��s luck was down, one would face some troublesome characters. One must have forgotten to burn incense or help an old lady cross the road, which explained the bad luck.


    And the troublesome character in this situation was referring to the Chaos Lord.


    That started in the later stages of the game, specifically after Rhode eliminated the Dark Dragon. Thereafter, the Order of the entire continent crumbled, allowing Chaos to infiltrate and thus begin the phase where players occupied territories and built guild countries. Due to the mass invasion of Chaos, players faced innumerable mysterious Chaos Beings during the expansion of their land. As Chaos wasn��t characterized by any rules, in many instances, players had no choice but to name them uniquely to prevent confusion. For example, some Chaos Beings were called ��weak xxx�� or ��strong xxx��. But the issue was that these labels were irregular and weren��t based on subjective conclusions for being ��weak�� or ��strong��. For instance, some Chaos Beings were compared to formidable, boss-level Chaos cores and considered ��weak��, while some were compared to goblins and considered ��strong��. From the beginning, players didn��t figure this out entirely and discovered that those creatures labeled as ��weak�� had millions of health points, where they were harder to defeat than an actual BOSS. On the other hand, those creatures labeled as ��strong�� collapsed in a few attacks and didn��t even drop any valuable equipment, which was utterly ridiculous�� Therefore, after being tormented by the inaccurate labeling of Chaos Beings, players had no choice but to use their own ways to distinguish them. For instance, Chaos Lord was a title they gave to some formidable BOSSes, in comparison to Devil Lord and Demon Lord, because they were similar in strength. This was much easier to understand than the so-called ��weak xxx��! Apart from misleading and deceiving players, these inaccurate labels had no purpose at all!


    These deceptive labels and hidden health points of Chaos Lords weren��t the most crucial issue to players. The main problem was that once players got into a battle with a Chaos Lord, dead players couldn��t automatically be resurrected in battle or by resurrection spells. When one player waited to be revived in battle automatically or relied upon healers to use resurrection spells, one would receive a system prompt��[Soul missing. Unable to be resurrected.]


    In that case, that player had only two choices: one, the player could resurrect in the birthplace of his soul where the guardian angel was. The player would also lose some gold coins and equipment tolerance and remain in a state of weakness for several days. Two, the player could find stronger players to annihilate the Chaos Lord. After the Chaos Lord was slaughtered, that player would receive a system prompt stating [The restrained soul has returned to the body] and the player could be revived using resurrection spells.


    This trait of Chaos Lords was why players hated its existence. Due to this trait, once a party was defeated, that party could only lay and wait for others to annihilate the Chaos Lord; they could either lose gold coins and equipment tolerance or return home. It could also be said that in the later stages of the game, Chaos Lords were the most hated and annoying enemies. Moreover, their spawn locations were unfixed and they could appear anywhere from starting towns to BOSS areas. Players just couldn��t figure out its spawn pattern, where some parties even arrived in a land of Chaos and couldn��t find any Chaos Lord. Meanwhile, some parties left the border of Order and faced two to three Chaos Lords and were wiped out immediately. It was simply intolerable��


    But despite that, Rhode��s Starlight loved these Chaos Lords because Starlight was the only guild that slaughtered their way through everything no matter what the enemies were. This led to many guilds and parties seeking help from Rhode instantly upon being annihilated by a Chaos Lord. Of course, Rhode was unwilling to pass on his responsibilities to others for helping allies and charged a fee by schedule. Even though the guilds were dissatisfied with Starlight looting a burning house, in the later stages, the repair fees for godlike equipment and their tolerance was astronomical. Considering the inversely proportional income and output, many guilds cursed inwardly and had no choice but to seek Rhode��s help.


    But what enraged the guilds was that while Starlight received the fees and annihilated the Chaos Lord, Starlight also looted the items that the Chaos Lord dropped��


    Pay for the drops if you want it; I��ll host a live auction now. After all, it was us who defeated the Chaos Lord, no?


    As a result, the guilds became selfless model citizens who helped Starlight find wild, valuable BOSSes and even paid them for it�� These Chaos Lords spawned randomly. There was a period of time when Rhode waited to see if the public also looked for Starlight��s assistance in searching for the location for Chaos Lords too.


    Thereafter, the guilds were naturally unwilling to spend any more innocent money. They were strongly determined to succeed and improve their skills and equipment by a lot, where they finally were able to kill a Chaos Lord. On the other hand, Rhode��s business gradually fell. But at that point in time, he wasn��t attracted by that little profit because when the other guilds were finally able to defeat Chaos Lords for godlike equipment drops, he had already set his sight on the Deepest Labyrinth��


    One shouldn��t look back at the past��yes, the story also unfolded to his liking��


    It was due to the reason Rhode was so familiar with Chaos Lords. When he and Canary heard Mini Bubble Gum��s description, they felt entirely relieved. It would be bothersome if it was some unexpected issue. But now this was, in fact, the specific reason why Starlight slaughtered so many Chaos Lords in the later stages of the game. Rhode didn��t die in this world before, so he wasn��t aware if he would be resurrected to the side of a guardian angel. Despite that, he doubted the same for Gaya. After all, she wasn��t a player and didn��t own and understand what a system interface was. If she knew what a system interface was, perhaps her corpse would have disappeared by now. It seemed like there was only one solution.


    And that was to slaughter the Chaos Lord, release Gaya��s soul, cast a great resurrection spell, and everything would be fine.


    At this thought, Rhode turned to Lydia and explained the situation. Of course, he didn��t mention much about the system interface and whatnot. Even though Lydia stayed on Earth for a period of time earlier and was aware of the existence of this game, due to pressing time, she didn��t have a chance to play it. If they weren��t pressed for time, Rhode would have returned to the game and to see how the moon princess and archangel played the Dragon Soul Continent together��


    Yes, that would be amusing.


    ��I see.��


    After listening to Rhode��s explanations, Lydia nodded, gripped the sword, and stood up to leave. But Rhode was apparently prepared for this. Upon witnessing her action, he held out his arm to stop her.


    ��Your Highness Lydia, I think you will have a hard time doing it alone. We don��t know how many Chaos Lords there are this time. Since they were able to kill Gaya, I suppose they are strong enough to defeat you. Even though we need to kill that Chaos Lord as soon as possible, things will be troublesome if we are careless and let that Chaos Lord escape.��


    These words from Rhode weren��t just alarmist talk. The reason why Chaos Lords were so tough to handle was that during critical junctures, they would use a method to control the entire battlefield, making all players unmovable. Then, they would seize the opportunity to escape. What made matters worse was that Chaos Lords might no longer stay on the main plane of existence and return back home to the abyss or hell instead�� When that happened, players would have no chance of finding them anymore.


    As a matter of fact, Rhode felt anxious when he heard Lydia describing the earlier battle. It was apparent that Gaya��s final attack dealt huge damage to the Chaos Lord. Fortunately, according to Lydia, that Chaos Lord flew off instead of teleporting away. If not, there would be no hope of rescuing Gaya anymore. But even so, Rhode believed that the Chaos Lord was low on health and it would be best if it could be defeated in one blow. If Rhode��s group failed to defeat it in one attack and startled it instead, perhaps it would escape by teleporting. When that happened, Rhode would be in tearless grief. He couldn��t possibly make a trip to the abyss, hell, or Seven Fantasy Boundaries just for the sake of one person�� Gaya also wasn��t his woman, so he wasn��t overflowing with love toward her.


    ��Celia, how��s the situation with the ghost fleet?��


    ��The ghost fleet is standing guard in the distance and hasn��t left.��


    Seems like they are fearless��


    Upon hearing Celia��s answer, Rhode twitched his brows.


    That Chaos Lord was hurt by Gaya and still didn��t flee yet. It seems like there is more than one Chaos Lord inside the ghost fleet. If not, they should have retreated for the time being. But now, it seems like they intend to bide their time to create a trap, so it obviously won��t work if we charge toward them. But if we sneak over, we will spend a lot of time probing the situation��


    Damn it��


    However, Rhode wasn��t afraid of anyone if he bombarded the area. After he and his younger sister metamorphosed into their dragon form, they could spurt dragon breaths to wipe out the entire ghost fleet. But it was an entirely different matter to investigate who was onboard. The ghost fleet was within the range of the Dark Dragon��s soul protection, so he and his younger sister couldn��t detect the Chaos Lords�� positions through their senses. Besides, no one could guarantee that the Chaos Lords wouldn��t escape even if they blasted dragon breaths. In the game, the reason why Chaos Lords remained undetected was because they were immune to most detection methods. Be it the cleric��s holy sign, mage��s death imprint, or thief��s tracking instinct, they were all useless on Chaos Lords. That was why many guilds fought against Chaos Beings naively and couldn��t gain any information on Chaos Lords. It was only when they discovered that they were fighting against Chaos Lords that they knew it was too late.


    ��We have to think of a way to detect the Chaos Lords����


    Rhode shook his head. Among his subordinates, Gracier and Madaras were most suited to carry out this mission. However, their flaw was that they were close-range assassins and might be discovered when they got closer to their targets, especially ones with the caliber of Chaos Lords. But in terms of long-range, Rhode didn��t have any useful attackers. Battle angels were capable in mid to long-range attacks, but Rhode was too familiar with their skills. Most of their talent trees were built for battles and vigilance, so they weren��t proficient in probing. It was the same for the dawn angels. It was too late for them to gather reinforcements now��


    ��Oh? By the way, Leader����


    At that moment, Mini Bubble Gum raised her arm all of a sudden.


    ��Since we��re on the topic of probing, why don��t you just summon Little Icy? Didn��t you have that phantom-guardian-something?��

 Chapter 1204 - Ice and Snow Child

    ��Little Icy?��


    Upon hearing Bubble��s suggestion, Rhode was taken aback. But he soon realized that it was actually not a bad suggestion.


    The ��Little Icy�� that Bubble brought up was Icy Snow, whose name was Yue BingBing in person (Bing as in ��ice�� in Mandarin, which probably explained the in-game name). Icy Snow was the number one archer in Starlight and undoubtedly the best among long-range classes in Dragon Soul Continent. Her mastery in archery put everyone in a frenzy. Although she was about the same age as Mini Bubble Gum, she played the game for much longer. She used to be Rhode��s neighbor. But as her parents weren��t home frequently, she was often in his care. Since she started going to school, her family moved to another city. Rhode gave a virtual-reality gaming helmet to her as a parting gift and thereafter, the little fella was lured into the gaming world of Dragon Soul Continent.


    Icy Snow was the only player who had been with Rhode ever since he started playing Dragon Soul Continent. She was innocent, kind, but held a strict attitude. She was like a top student within the guild like Canary. Her results in school were excellent, where she was a champion to several national young-age-group competitions. However, there was something about her that bothered others. She valued the concept of time�� A lot.


    She was punctual to come online and go offline and would never extend her stay for any reasons. Even when they were in the midst of battling a BOSS, as long as time was up she would go offline immediately and never bother if the BOSS was defeated. This caused a lot of displeasure in the guild. It would be acceptable if they were on just an ordinary mission. But during raids, it was always inevitable to face delays for all sorts of reasons. Delaying the two hours that were agreed upon in raiding a dungeon to three to five hours were common occurrences. But Icy Snow apparently wasn��t mindful of that at all. Whenever she came online, she would inform everyone the time she would go offline on that day. Then, she would follow Rhode around to fight some monsters or complete missions before going offline. The cycle repeated itself and her timing was as accurate as a robot.


    As a primary school student, it went without saying that Icy Snow didn��t have much time to play games. She basically came online for two hours each day before going offline to complete her assignments. Rhode had also memorized her timetable: eat for half an hour, come online after eating, play for two hours, go offline, spend two hours on assignments, take half an hour to shower, and prepare for bedtime. It was only during holidays and winter vacation when she extended her playing time to six hours: three in the morning and three in the afternoon.


    If this was all to it, Icy Snow would only be one of the countless ordinary players in Dragon Soul Continent. Players had all sorts of quirks. For Icy Snow��s peculiarity, it almost cost her chances to join guild raids. No one could guarantee that they could completely raid a dungeon in two hours. A player who said: ��Time��s up. I need to go offline to do my assignments�� and went offline immediately during critical junctures was naturally unpopular among players.


    However, Icy Snow had a special move that amazed everyone��Projectile Shooting.


    As an archer, Icy Snow��s Projectile Shooting had reached perfection. What was so incredible about it was that whenever she used Projectile Shooting on monsters, the monsters wouldn��t retaliate. Even when the monster was a BOSS, it also rarely struck back. This raised controversies among players, where they suspected that Icy Snow used hacks. That wasn��t surprising since almost every player thought the same as soon as they witnessed videos of her battles.


    The act that shot Icy Snow to fame was when she took on a level 30 berserk mage on Twilight Mountain alone. Back then, she was only level 20 and it was a challenge for her job advancement. She was 200 meters away from the berserk mage, where a forest stood between them. Without even gazing at the berserk mage, Icy Snow raised her bow high, aimed at the sky, and released the arrow. After more than 10 seconds, she lifted the bow again with a slightly adjusted angle and released her fingers again. In total, she did this three times. The level 30 berserk mage didn��t even spot Icy Snow and was defeated instantly. What was more shocking was that all the arrows punctured his skull as though a rain of arrows fell from heaven, penetrating and turning him into a hedgehog.


    As Dragon Soul Continent was a virtual-reality game, there was a critical-attack system. So even though there was a difference of 10 levels between Icy Snow and the berserk mage, her damage output, element of surprise, as well as the unique critical damage from archers overwhelmed the berserk mage. This was a gamified result. If it were in reality, it didn��t matter even if one were in the Elite or Master Stage as an arrow puncturing the skull would leave one without any chances of survival.


    This was one of the reasons why many players suspected Icy Snow of cheating. Even though all archers in the game possessed the [Projectile Shooting] skill, that was built within one��s horizon, after all. The archers had to first spot their targets before launching the attack. It was the same no matter what skill that was. However, Icy Snow was able to attack without seeing the enemy. Not only that, but her attacks were also all head-shots, so it was hard for people to not suspect she was hacking. Besides, the longest distance that arrows could go was 100 meters. Even though Projectile Shooting could increase the range, the farthest was only 150 meters. In Icy Snow��s case, she was about 200 meters away from the berserk mage, not to mention there was a forest between them. Despite that, all her arrows struck the target on the head. Either she was an evildoer or hacker, there was no other way around it.


    Rhode was the only one who knew the truth because he was the one who synchronized with Icy Snow to validate this idea of hers. Just like Mini Bubble Gum��s ��treating foes as friends�� tactic, Icy Snow also came up with some rare, bizarre ideas. For instance, this ultra-long-range Projectile Shooting was one of them. Strictly speaking, this wasn��t accomplished by Icy Snow herself. Back then, Rhode hid himself inside the forest and gave Icy Snow the coordinates of the berserk mage. Then, the little fella attacked solely through her own calculations. Frankly speaking, Rhode didn��t treat her idea too seriously. Even though it was possible in theory, in reality the chances were close to none, at least for Rhode, that is. But Icy Snow actually succeeded��


    After Dragon Soul Continent��s officials confirmed that Icy Snow wasn��t cheating, she shot to fame instantly, becoming the idol of all archers. As she leveled up, she placed all her skill points into primarily range and secondarily critical rate, greatly increasing her threat to others. In the end, if there wasn��t any obstacle between her and the BOSS, she could stand at the entrance of the dungeon and shoot the BOSS to death. Of course, there were players who pestered her for the secret, but the most important factor was ��calculation��. Not only must she calculate the target��s position, but she must also consider wind direction, weapon range, and whatnot. Therefore, even though Icy Snow revealed her secret Projectile Shooting on the forum, no one achieved the same result as her successfully. There were no special reasons for that. It was simply that one couldn��t possibly be as powerful in calculations as her.


    If Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were the ��double-spells�� duo on the battlefield that all players avoided, Icy Snow was the one who all players steered clear of at outdoor PK. She didn��t need to show up before the opponent and as long as she got the opponent��s coordinates, she would aim and release an arrow into the sky. At the next moment, the opponent would basically be struck in the head in a critical blow.


    Of course, there were ways to flee from this disastrous Projectile Shooting. For instance, as long as one moved quickly enough or at a non-rhythmic pace to disrupt Icy Snow��s calculations. But as the little fella grew in level, her field of perception also expanded. In the later stages, Icy Snow didn��t need to rely on her eyes at all. She only needed to rely upon her perception to detect all presence within a range of 1500 meters, which was even more insane than dawn angels. What was even more deadly was that Icy Snow��s awakening realm was [Space Detection] and [Teleportation]��


    This meant that Icy Snow could release an arrow from the Munn Kingdom and burst the head of a player in the Country of Darkness within three seconds. As a matter of fact, this ability would have little value if others were to own it. Fortunately for Icy Snow, her Projectile Shooting was simply divine and her arrows were entirely silent in travel. What was more crucial was that every time Icy Snow shot an arrow at her target, she didn��t care if it was a being or not. The murderous intent from her was basically non-existent and undetectable. Many players lost their lives due to this reason. In the later stages, Icy Snow had her very own title as the ��Little God of Death��. There was a Chinese saying ��when the God of Death wants you dead at midnight, no one dares to keep you alive any longer��. In addition to Icy Snow��s ��loli��-like appearance, it wasn��t surprising that she was called the ��Little God of Death��.


    Of course, there was another origin for this title. There was once a mage who posted on the forum to berate Icy Snow and insulted her family. This enraged Icy Snow. Even though the post was removed for personal attacks, the mage was apparently unfazed. The mage continued to rain curses on Icy Snow on the main channel of the game. Everyone had their own temper and even Icy Snow couldn��t tolerate it any longer.


    Whenever the mage came online, he would be annihilated by an arrow that came from nowhere. He couldn��t even step out of the city. As long as he went outdoors, he would turn into a corpse immediately. This happened repeatedly for months. After being instant-killed for several hundred times, the mage rage-quitted and deleted his character. That was when her title of ��Little God of Death�� became widely known.


    Icy Snow felt wronged. She wasn��t as violent as Mini Bubble Gum or enjoyed battles like Canary. The reason she played Dragon Soul Continent was just to meet Rhode. As for the players that she killed, she thought that they deserved it. They had either taunted or lay hands on her. No matter how righteous she felt, she wouldn��t stay around doing nothing, letting others humiliate and kill her while she scuttled to her mother crying.


    Based on the current situation, Icy Snow was indeed the best choice. Not only could her [Space Detection] spy on and search for that Chaos Lord, but she could also destroy the Chaos Lord from here with a single arrow. In this case, Rhode��s group didn��t need to do a thing. But��


    Rhode gazed at Mini Bubble Gum without doubtful eyes.


    ��Is it really because she is more suitable for the job?��


    ��Of course, Leader, I guarantee. You also think that Little Icy is suitable, isn��t it?��


    Bubble��s eyes glinted, as pure as a hothouse flower. But no matter how Rhode looked at her, he felt like there must be something wrong.


    ��Alright, I got it.��


    Even though he felt a little suspicious, he eventually nodded, gestured with his hand, and walked out of the room. According to the rules of phantom guardians, he had one slot left. Considering the fact that he didn��t have any long-range, talented attackers and his plan to groom Corina ran into difficulties, summoning Icy Snow was also a decent choice.


    Upon entering another room, Rhode closed the door and lifted his head, where he saw the system prompt before him.


    [Activate Sphere of Mystery������Phantom Guardian]


    [Activated Phantom Guardian. Current Phantom Guardian Count 2/3 (+1). Change Cool-down time to 180 Days. Able to summon (1) Phantom Guardian. Please select]


    ��Icy Snow.��


    This time, Rhode had no hesitation. He chose his target quickly.


    [Phantom Guardian Activated������Icy Snow (95% Complete). Projection Began]


    Shortly after, along with this system prompt, a white brilliance shone before Rhode and a snowy, petite figure coalesced within the radiance. It was an adorable little girl with a beautiful, oval face. She was petite in size, had pitch-black, bright eyes and small, light pink lips. What was most eye-catching about her was the two cat ears above her straight, long, black hair, as well as the swaying tail on her back.


    ��Huh��? Big Brother?��


    Gazing at Rhode, the little girl revealed an embarrassed look. She covered her chest and body with her hands and was at a complete loss. Rhode smiled at the little girl and handed a robe over to her.


    ��Put this on first����


    Bang!


    Before Rhode finished his sentence, someone kicked the door open. The startled duo turned to the door hurriedly. The two Mini Bubble Gum rushed into the room, bursting out in laughter. They each held a magic crystal in their hands to record the scene before them, while extending their arm to point at the confused Icy Snow.


    ��Hahaha, I knew she would be naked!��


    ��Hahaha, I��ve recorded everything! Let��s see what you will do about it! Come on, call me Big Sister!��


    These two brats!


    Gazing at the two Mini Bubble Gum, Rhode was entirely speechless.

 Chapter 1205 - Ill-fated relationship

    ��You two brats����


    Rhode looked at Icy Snow who had put on the robe and hid behind him, before shifting his gaze to the twins who hugged their heads and squatted in defense. He let out a helpless sigh and crushed the magic crystal in his hand. He knew there was about a 80 percent probability that Bubble was up to no good suggesting this idea. In the end, it seemed like he was indeed right.


    Mini Bubble Gum and Icy Snow were considered to have an ill-fated relationship. Even though they knew each other for a long time, when Icy Snow and Rhode knew Mini Bubble Gum, Starlight wasn��t established yet. Logically speaking, the two little fellas knew each other for a long time, so their relationship should have more or less improved. But in reality, it was entirely otherwise. The rebellious Bubble looked down upon obedient girls and was often filled with hostility against Icy Snow who kept replying with ��My mother said����, ��My father said����. On the other hand, Icy Snow��s serious personality made it impossible for her to accept erratic people like Mini Bubble Gum. That was why both of them often quarreled when they came together. What made matters worse was that Mini Bubble Gum was unlike the rest. She was unafraid of Icy Snow��s ��Projectile Shooting��. As a talent who went against a large group of players on the forum alone and killed players in the game until they deleted their characters, there was no doubt about Mini Bubble Gum��s perseverance. Mini Bubble Gum cast a defensive shield over her as long as she was online, taunting Icy Snow: ��Come and kill me if you can�� and angering her every time. The success of Icy Snow��s Projectile Shooting was its unexpected instant-kill. Icy Snow had no ways against Mini Bubble Gum who didn��t mind casting a defensive shield over her all the time. One had to admit that from a certain angle, these two little fellas did have extraordinary tenacity.


    Among the conflicts between them, they unintentionally learned that they were born in the same year, and on the same month and day. Thereafter, Icy Snow and Mini Bubble Gum had been arguing who exactly was the big sister among them. Icy Snow believed that she was born at midnight, so she was definitely older than Mini Bubble Gum. But Mini Bubble Gum wasn��t willing to admit defeat. She expressed confidently that she was born right at midnight and had even seen the time herself!


    Utter nonsense!


    Up until Rhode transmigrated, it was always an eternal topic of debate between them��who was the big sister. The guild was also used to the bickering between these two mascots. Not only that, but fan clubs were also formed to support them, adding fuel to fire. On the other hand, Rhode actually enjoyed such a comedic development. After all, Icy Snow was too clever for her own good. The sight of her acting like a brat towards Mini Bubble Gum reminded him that she was indeed still young�� which made her rather adorable.


    Of course, that was only once in a while.


    ��You really decided to use this method to force Little Icy to call you big sister, huh����


    Rhode let out a helpless sigh, gazing at the two Bubbles who hugged their heads and revealed an expression of agony upon witnessing the crushed magic crystal in his hand. As a matter of fact, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum had also felt a similar sort of resentment. Perhaps it was that they were also naked when they were first summoned, so later on, when Rhode summoned other characters, both of them watched from the sidelines with a ��you-shall-suffer-the-same-loss-as-me�� expression. But it was a pity that Orchid Heart was summoned in a card form and came equipped with an armor and weapon, failing to satisfy Mini Bubble Gum��s greed. As a result, it seemed only right for Mini Bubble Gum to take it out on Icy Snow.


    ��There��s no need for that, Leader!��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s sigh, the two Bubbles jumped up suddenly and said in a righteous tone. Then, they revealed a proud smile at the same time, knitting their brows and curling their lips at Icy Snow, who stared at them.


    ��Hahaha, that��s because we��re sure that we��re the big sisters now!��


    ��W-What makes you think you are����


    The instant Icy Snow rebutted instinctively, Bubble interrupted.


    ��You��re a phantom guardian, right?��


    ��Yes����


    Unlike the original self, phantom guardians would be informed of their identities when summoned. That was why the obedient Icy Snow couldn��t possibly lie and simply nodded. Upon hearing her response, Bubble revealed a satisfied smile. She pointed her finger at Bubble No. 2 and then at Icy Snow.


    ��You��re a phantom guardian, and so is she. But she was summoned by Leader earlier than you! That is why she is your big sister! You don��t have any excuses anymore, huh! And I�� am her big sister�� right!��


    ��That��s right, Big Sister!��


    Bubble No. 2 seized the chance to work with her original self. After receiving the confirmation from Bubble No. 2, Bubble revealed a delighted smile at Icy Snow and stuck her thumb out.


    ��You see, she is your big sister. She calls me a big sister too, which makes me your big sister! Come on, Little Icy. Let me hear you call me your big sister!��


    ��You�� You��!��


    The fuming Icy Snow was speechless by this theatrical double act by the two Bubbles. Although Icy Snow was a phantom guardian, she didn��t wish to surrender to them. But it was a pity that Bubble��s arguments were indeed reasonable, which put Icy Snow at a complete loss. As a well brought up child, she wasn��t an annoying troublemaker like Bubble, which explained why she didn��t know how to retort. She let out a grunt and turned over to stop looking at Bubble. Meanwhile, Bubble treated this as a sign of yielding and jumped up and down in excitement.


    ��Hahaha, I win! I finally won! You see, Leader, a piece of cake!��


    ��In this case, why did you still take a video of it?��


    ��To threaten her, of course! I can make her do anything I want in the future. If she dares to defy my orders, I will play it for others!��


    This can��t go on. These two brats are beyond hope.


    Facing these two smug little fellas, Rhode��s only choice left was to punish them with a fist to the head.


    Pow! Pow!


    ***


    ��Nice to meet you, I��m Icy Snow����


    After putting on another set of clothing, Icy Snow followed Rhode��s lead to meet the rest. After all, the robe that Rhode handed to her was to cover up her body and wasn��t meant to be her permanent equipment. Fortunately, Rhode had requested Lydia to retrieve a set of ��Thorn of Dawn�� bow, arrows, and armor before summoning Icy Snow. Even though the ��Thorn of Dawn�� was a set of archer costume for someone with a reputation level higher than ��Worship�� in the Munn Kingdom, in terms of value, it wasn��t comparable to Icy Snow��s rightful ��God Hunter�� equipment in the game, which she could obtain later. For now, the ��Thorn of Dawn�� was sufficient as a substitute at this stage.


    Of course, even though there was a ��dawn�� in its name, it wasn��t exactly an armor for dawn angels. The armor that dawn angels wore was considered heavy-armor and wasn��t suitable for archers at all. ��Thorn of Dawn�� was a suit of white leather armor with a large jade longbow. Icy Snow wasn��t mindful about the equipment. In the game, she used equipment that was much better than this, so this longbow didn��t have any unique significance to her.


    ��Leader, is she a half-beast?��


    Gazing at the twitching black cat ears and tail in the back, Anne couldn��t help but ask curiously. Facing her question, Rhode shrugged.


    ��You could say that. She��s about the same as you.��


    Icy Snow had initially chosen a human race. But in a mission, she accidentally triggered the hidden condition of fusing with a beast spirit, gaining the reward to fuse with a black cat. That was why Icy Snow had a pair of cat ears and a tail. Of course, this wasn��t only to ��act cute��. As a matter of fact, Icy Snow also gained the nimbleness of a cat and the special skill of ��concealment��, making it even harder for others to deal with her. She could conceal herself whenever she wanted and sprint in extreme speed. In addition to her ultra long-range Projectile Shooting, she was simply a nightmare for all outdoors PK.


    But Rhode didn��t summon Icy Snow just to introduce her to everyone.


    ��Alright, Little Icy. Leave this to later. You should know what to do, right? Do you have any questions?��


    ��No, I will give it a shot, Big Brother.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Icy Snow nodded in response. Rhode had explained everything that happened to Icy Snow and why he needed her help. Icy Snow was glad to accept his request for help. Of course, she didn��t forget to glare at the two Bubbles and criticized: ��I won��t be as useless as someone.��


    But it was a pity that those two shameless brats weren��t affected by such an insignificant statement from Icy Snow.


    Icy Snow agilely stepped on the deck and gazed into the distance. Apart from white layers of cloud, there was nothing else. But to Icy Snow who possessed [Space Detection] and the power of manipulation, it was an entirely different matter.


    She gazed ahead with her pitch-black eyes, penetrating the distance and barrier of space, shooting straight at where she anticipated. She narrowed her eyes and they glinted in countless flashes. Objects that shouldn��t be seen by human eyes appeared in her line of sight. She shifted her eyes slightly and searched for essential clues. Then, she came to a sudden halt.


    ��Found it,�� the young lady said softly.

 Chapter 1206 - Bow of Time, Arrow of Space (1)

    ��How��s the situation? Have you found the person we want?��


    ��Yes, Big Brother.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Icy Snow nodded and the swaying tail behind her revealed her mood. She gazed at Rhode with a blush and answered softly. At that moment, Icy Snow shifted her gaze to the sky. Her pitch-black eyes stared blankly as though searching for something invisible. But Rhode clearly knew that all secrets of the ghost fleet were revealed in her vision.


    ���� Just like what you described, Big Brother��a vampire in red clothes�� Yes�� wounded and seems to be recuperating at the moment. There aren��t any other enemies around her. Seems like she is the commander there.��


    Icy Snow said, extending her right arm and sliding across the air. Along with her movement, an image map appeared in front of everyone. The cabins used to isolate themselves from any line of sight lost their purpose now. Rhode��s group effortlessly spotted every enemy and what exactly they were doing. This was Icy Snow��s forte, [Space Detection]. Even though Alice��s ��History�� was also incredible, in terms of using images and non-text records to provide details, Icy Snow��s [Space Detection] was more convenient in this situation.


    Shortly after, everyone spotted the target: the dispirited female vampire sat on the chair, closing her eyes like she was meditating. There was no one around her and it seemed as though Gaya had indeed injured her badly. Rhode scanned the surroundings and twitched his brows slightly.


    ��Little Icy, mark that man on the right.��


    ��Okay, Big Brother.��


    Shortly after, a death knight two cabins away from the female vampire was marked. Everyone instinctively shifted their gaze to the mark and was taken aback at the same time. Inside that cabin was none other than one of the four legendary generals, Balende. However, he looked a little strange. He used to be a tall, burly knight. But now, he looked as thin as a match, like a low-level skeletal soldier donned in an unfitting set of armor. Despite that, the black aura hovering around him seemed much denser now. Without the need to fight him, everyone knew that his strength was definitely on a higher level than before. But��


    ��Balende?��


    Rhode stared at the death knight and couldn��t help but pucker his brows. Even though this man was undoubtedly Balende no matter how Rhode looked at him, he wasn��t the same Balende who lost an arm from what Rhode remembered. Logically speaking, Balende��s battle against Alice wounded him severely, so he couldn��t possibly recover so soon. But now, his arm was restored, which was a strange thing. It wasn��t any ordinary injury, but a consequence of a clash between Order, where losing an arm was only a materialization of Balende��s Order rule being shattered. Due to that reason, Balende should never have been able to heal the wound. And now, his arm was perfect, which represented that his rule was healed. But logically, he shouldn��t have recovered so soon��


    ��Leader, there��s another one.��


    At that moment, Mini Bubble Gum said, marking another person who Rhode and the rest couldn��t recognize. At the sight of the rotten wings and pitch-black armor, it was enough to reveal the target��s identity.


    Fallen angel��


    ��Alright, that��s three then.��


    In reality, even though Icy Snow��s system interface couldn��t read enemies�� health points, attributes, and critical details, the red names above their heads were obvious enough. Icy Snow was at the max level of 85. According to the system setting, the names of players who were 10 levels or higher than hers would be in red. This went to show that the three of them were genuinely at the four legendary generals�� level. It became clear now why they didn��t retreat to Lydia��s attack. If Lydia had given chase earlier, no one could confirm who would emerge the victor. Although they didn��t know where Ion found these beings to make up for the empty seats of the four legendary generals and how Balende recovered fully, they were sure that these enemies were at the caliber of Chaos Lords.


    The three Chaos Lords were located at the ship��s bow, middle, and end respectively. It was apparent that the two at the bow and end were protecting the injured vampire in the middle. This meant that Rhode��s group had to kill the vampire in one shot. If they failed, the bewildered vampire might escape. When that happened, perhaps they could start holding a funeral for Gaya.


    ��Are you confident, Icy Snow?��


    Even though Rhode was a little worried, there wasn��t any other choice now. Although he could also summon Gracier and Madaras back and head over, they would be discovered easily, albeit having similar levels as Icy Snow. Carlesdines were powerful, but weren��t invincible. If not, their royal family wouldn��t have been wiped out during the Creation War. With this consideration, Icy Snow��s abilities were more reliable and convenient for the job.


    But it was also situational.


    Balende��s presence was indeed bothersome as he possessed the ability to shatter space. In the situation where two abilities of the same nature had different effects, interferences would definitely occur. That was why if Balende detected Icy Snow��s attack, her attack would most likely fail. Due to that reason, Rhode had to act cautiously. Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Icy Snow didn��t reply immediately. Instead, she stared at the target ahead, pondered for a few moments, and spoke.


    ��Big Brother, if you allow me to, I would like to activate my second talent.��


    ��You��re saying that����


    Rhode was surprised by Icy Snow��s suggestion. On the other hand, Mini Bubble Gum widened her eyes in astonishment, gazing at Icy Snow.


    ��Little Icy, you want to activate your double talents? Are you sure you can handle it? I still remember you having terrible success rate in the game!��


    ��In theory, there should be no issues. I��ve calculated!��


    Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s doubt, Icy Snow jumped up like a cat who had its tail stepped on. The latter curled her lips and revealed a dissatisfied look.


    Like Canary��s wind and fire elements, Icy Snow was also capable of mastering double talents. Her double talents were ��time�� and ��space��, which were on a higher level than ��wind�� and ��fire��. Icy Snow brought out the best of her space talent, but just couldn��t find a proper approach to handling the time talent. Both time and space talents could specify and manipulate a period of time. Icy Snow also came up with her ultimate skill��Arrow of Time and Space.


    The reason for that was simple. At the same time Icy Snow attacked using the ��space�� talent, she could appoint when that arrow would arrive by activating the ��time�� talent. This way, her arrow could arrive at its destination ��ahead�� or ��after�� time. If Icy Snow practiced this move, she would be unrivaled on this continent. Because she could designate a target, fire an arrow, and appoint that arrow to either hit the target hours later or in advance. Once she mastered this move, she could also create the effect of her enemy being struck by her arrow even before the arrow was fired, which was basically an unconquerable skill.


    But it was a pity that up until Rhode transmigrated to this world, Icy Snow wasn��t able to master this move yet. Even though she was powerful, the concept of time and space was unique, after all. Besides, she needed to calculate many more factors that were involved in her attack. If she was in a great state, she would likely succeed. But if she were in a bad state or had terrible luck, she would likely fail. As this move wasn��t that useful in BOSS fights and was meant for PK only, Icy Snow didn��t set her heart on researching and developing it. Moreover, there were other factors that needed to be calculated and she was just a 13 to 14 years old girl, after all. Battling against a BOSS was tough enough, so having too many things running through her mind also exhausted her. One must enjoy playing the game. There would be no purpose in playing the game if it became as stressful as doing research and assignment, wasn��t it?


    ������


    Facing Icy Snow��s suggestion, Rhode was troubled. This move was indeed powerful. Besides, if Icy Snow were to use it, she could create the effect of hitting the enemy as soon as she fired the arrow. Everything would happen within 0.1 seconds. As long as the enemy wasn��t one who owned the ability to manipulate time, this move would surely seize the life of the enemy.


    But the issue now was that Icy Snow didn��t conquer this move yet and had to rely upon her state and luck. Once she failed, the enemy would immediately realize that something was wrong.


    There is only one chance�� Based on this situation, the success rate is around 50-50.


    At this thought, Rhode turned to Lydia. After all, she should be the one to make the decision. Upon realizing Rhode��s gaze, Lydia nodded firmly.


    ��I��ll leave it to you, Your Majesty Rhode. No matter the results, I will accept it,�� the archangel said.


    ��Alright.��


    Upon receiving her confirmation, Rhode nodded with might, extended his arm, and held Icy Snow��s shoulder.


    ��Little Icy, activate your double talents!��

 Chapter 1207 - Bow of Time, Arrow of Space (2)

    ��Got it, Big Brother.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s order, Icy Snow nodded with might. She gazed ahead with a stern expression and shut her eyes. Along with this action, the image that appeared before everyone vanished immediately. The young lady raised the jade longbow in her hands. Shortly after, patterns of leaves and branches emerged over the surface of the spotless longbow. They resembled a combination of twisted hour, minute, and second hands. The runes representing time formed two circles that wrapped the longbow in the middle, like a unique-looking clock. Icy Snow��s eyes remained closed as she slowly lifted up the longbow. The clock hands etched on both sides of the longbow began to turn. Then, she reached for the bowstring and pulled it back. Light coalesced on the stretched bowstring and in the blink of an eye, a crystal-clear arrow appeared above it.


    Resting on the chair, the pale and exhausted female vampire closed her eyes. Even though she had been confident of winning the earlier battle, she underestimated Gaya��s abilities. The power of ��sound�� was incredibly rare among higher-level rules. After getting caught off guard, the vampire suffered grave injuries. If it were a cautious person in her place, that person would have retreated immediately. However, the other two formidable beings stopped her from leaving and insisted that she lure Gaya to take the bait. In this case, all the vampire could do now was continue waiting.


    And now, she was hoping that they didn��t let her wait for too long. After all, she was severely hurt. Even though she could still force herself to attack, she could only escape immediately if an intense battle were to break out. The vampire opened her eyes, raised her arm, and gazed at the heart that had crystallized. There was a tiny human shadow inside it which was, in fact, the core of Gaya��s soul.


    Chaos Lords loved collecting the souls of their spoils of war as works of art. Not only that, but the powerful spiritual powers within them could also be used to replenish their strength. Through encroaching and devouring the soul, Chaos Lords could disrupt the power of rule and Order within it and reinforce themselves. This was also why players couldn��t find their souls after being killed by Chaos Lords. Of course, in the game, one could choose to release the soul. But that was in the game, after all.


    Smelling the aromatic scent of the soul in her hand, the vampire��s expression twisted. She opened her mouth and was about to swallow the heart when suddenly, she closed her mouth abruptly.


    Patience�� I need to be patient. I need to bring this beautiful soul back home and savor it slowly. After I head back, I will have all the time to ��cook�� this delicious soul. She will crumble and go crazy in eternal despair and agony and become my loyal servant.


    At this thought, the vampire sighed and put the heart away. Then, she closed her eyes to continue resting��


    At that moment, a bone-piercing, immense pain exploded. The vampire��s eyes sprung open, staring at the arrow that had punctured her neck. She widened her mouth, but could only make a stifled cry. She raised her arms in vain, attempting to pull out the arrow from her neck. However, the Grim Reaper had already brandished its ruthless scythe. The arrow metamorphosed into a blade light, instantly splitting her body completely apart. Before she gripped the arrow, she hung down on the side of the chair motionlessly.


    The instant the vampire died, she suddenly heard the soft tick of the clock hand.


    Tick.


    ��������!��


    The young lady opened her eyes wide, gazing around her in suspicion. At a glance, there weren��t any changes to the cabin. Everything was as peaceful as before.


    Was it just a dream?


    She knitted her brows and stretched out her hand to touch her throat. There was neither any injury nor punctured arrow.


    What a distasteful one��


    At this thought, the vampire closed her eyes, let out a long sigh, and reached out for the spirit crystal from the folds of her clothes to admire it. That dream was so surreal that she felt like she had been pierced in the neck by an arrow. Even for a Chaos Lord, such a traumatic moment couldn��t be forgotten that easily. She stared at the wonderful spirit crystal and her anxious mind settled down gradually. After calming herself, the vampire placed the spirit crystal back into the folds of her clothes��


    At that moment, her vision turned black.


    In just a few seconds, her left eye stopped functioning. The ice-cold, tremendous pain of death entered the back of her head mercilessly. She widened her eyes in bewilderment. Before losing consciousness, the last thing she witnessed was the arrow that penetrated her eye. Along with a shining brilliance, her head was shattered into bits in the blink of an eye. This time, before letting out a scream, she collapsed from the chair, and the spirit crystal dropped to the ground.


    Tick.


    ��������!��


    She opened her eyes once again, staring blankly at the ceiling. She couldn��t help but touch her left eye as though it were aching dully.


    That��s strange. What��s wrong with me?


    The vampire couldn��t help but knit her brows. She seemed to have had a really strange dream, but just couldn��t recall what it was about. This was a rare occurrence, but it was just a dream, after all�� The young lady shook her head and reached out for the spirit crystal to admire it. But after retrieving the spirit crystal, she suddenly had a bad feeling as though she would be in danger because of it. But��


    How is it possible? I��m hiding deep inside the ghost fleet. There are also two powerful beings protecting me now. Hah, how foolish of me.


    The vampire shook her head in denial, throwing her uncertainties to the back of her head. Then, she raised the spirit crystal and indulged in the beautiful spiritual radiance within��


    ��������!��


    The spirit crystal in her hand plummeted to the ground. She sat on the spot, widening her eyes and staring at the arrow that punctured her chest. The crystal-clear arrow emanated a faint magical radiance. At the next moment, violent space turbulence exploded from it. In a loud bang, the vampire��s body was ripped apart, twisted, and sucked into broken space fragments, vanishing in sight.


    Tick.


    ��No��!��


    The young lady opened her eyes abruptly, extending her arm to wipe beads of sweat off her forehead. She used her strong tenacity to stifle her wail.


    What happened?


    The young lady turned and looked at her surroundings. For some unknown reason, the Chaos Lord felt like something was amiss. After a few moments, she reached into the folds of her clothes to retrieve the mesmerizing spirit crystal�� At that moment, she suddenly stopped moving.


    Three arrows emanating a faint radiance punctured the young lady from the back of her body, penetrating her eye, neck, and heart. No one knew when the three arrows were fired or how they punctured her body. The Chaos Lord couldn��t budge. She widened her eyes and stared blankly in vain. The spirit crystal in her hand had dropped to the floor. She opened her mouth and tried to scream, but the punctured arrow stopped her from doing so. At the same time, as though resonating with one another, the three arrows exploded in a white brilliance, bursting into the sky in a straight line.


    Tick. Tick. Tick.


    At that moment, the second hand finally overlapped with the other two clock pointers on Icy Snow��s longbow.


    ����������


    Along with a string of dazzling brilliance, Rhode��s group witnessed a tremendous, white light beam burst out from the sea of clouds in the distance. It was so powerful that it ripped apart the thick layers of clouds, revealing a huge opening. At that moment, Icy Snow opened her eyes and released her grip on the bowstring.


    A blinding white radiance flashed.


    ��It worked!��


    Gazing at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t help but yell in excitement. Rhode also nodded in satisfaction. This scene was seemingly puzzling to the rest because they only witnessed Icy Snow closing her eyes, raising the longbow, and then, a brilliance erupting all of a sudden. It was only after the explosion of light that Icy Snow fired the arrow. However, Rhode and Bubble, who were familiar with Icy Snow, knew that she had unleashed her most powerful Arrow of Time and Space. In other words, before Icy Snow raised the longbow and aimed ahead, her arrow had already shot the enemy. Then, she had to complete the step of ��firing the arrow and hitting the enemy��. Once this step was completed, it meant that nothing could be reversed.


    And now, as Icy Snow fired the arrow, it only meant one thing.


    That Chaos Lord was killed!


    ��Oooo������!��


    Indeed. In an instant, the silent world restored the ��sound�� rule. Rhode��s group heard a series of loud, fierce bellows, which meant that Gaya��s soul had escaped from the Chaos Lord��s restraint. But apart from that, there was also something bothersome.


    The bellow obviously reverberated from the ghost fleet.


    ��Attack!��


    Staring at the ghost fleet that shifted direction and sailed toward them, Rhode let out a snort. A black radiance flickered in his palm and Succubus appeared in his hand.


    ��This time, I will make sure Chaos can��t return to where it came from!��

 Chapter 1208 - Lost Young lady

    The battle continued for Rhode.


    Some people craved battles, but were forced to lead peaceful lives instead. Even though peace was only temporary, it was long enough from their perspectives.


    ���� How much longer do we have to walk, Your Highness Erin?��


    Angelina hugged the shapeless sword with green magical power spiraling around it, stumbling as she followed Erin closely. At a glance, there was nothing other than underground tunnels. The last time they met something that made a sound was a rat from three days ago��hmm? Or was it four days back? This god-forsaken place made them forget about the concept of time.


    ��Sigh�� Let��s have a break, Angelina.��


    ��Yes, Your Highness Erin.��


    Even though they wouldn��t feel any discomfort without consuming food and water for days as a wyvern and vampire respectively, the problem was that even if there were no issues with their bodies, the mental exhaustion was still torture. They had no idea how long they roamed the underground tunnels and failed to find the exit. There were instances when Erin thought of blasting a hole on the surface with her dragon breath. But considering the dangers lurking up there, she decided to go on foot. What made them helpless was that even though they didn��t know who built these escape routes, Erin was certain that it must be an incredibly-capable person. Judging from the distance of the routes, there was no doubt that they crossed the entire Darkness Capital. If the routes were wider and more spacious, Erin could transform into her dragon form and fly. But it was a pity that the routes were only two to three meters tall and wide. There were also corners everywhere, so it was impossible even if Erin and Angelina were to fly. Perhaps they might even crash head-first into walls if they couldn��t stop in time.


    ��Sigh����


    Laying down the sword in her hand, Angelina let out a sigh and sat on the ground. This was simply a disaster for her. Of course, this wasn��t because she was trapped in the underground with Erin, but the source of disaster was the sword she carried around. Angelina was displeased at the sight of the sword. She initially remained at a respectful distance from this mysterious sword that slashed her randomly. But she didn��t anticipate the sword to continue pestering her. As soon as Angelina tried to escape from the sword, the sword would flourish and turn her into a human pillar (or vampire pillar) immediately. The tortured and enraged Angelina tried to toss the sword as far away as possible, but it was a pity that the sword was self-willed. As soon as Angelina hurled it away, she was hacked into chunks of meat. It seemed like the sword recognized the fact that Angelina wouldn��t die so easily as a vampire and slashed to its heart��s content��even Erin couldn��t stop it.


    Wherever there was oppression, there was resistance. Wherever there was resistance, there was suppression.


    After reattaching her limbs for the 123rd time, Angelina finally stopped bearing a grudge against the sword and helplessly assumed responsibility as its ��sheath��. Since all this sword wanted was for Angelina to bring it along, wasn��t it? In that case, Angelina might as well do it, right? Anyway, it was much better than the sword puncturing her body as the pain was excruciating.


    ��Your Highness Erin, is there really an exit? We��ve spun around here for a long time. All we saw were dead-ends.��


    This was what depressed both of them. Logically speaking, this was an escape route, so there must be an exit somewhere. In the end, they walked into several forked roads and turned corners upon corners, only to face dead-ends. Erin suspected if she had fled into some secret routes that the ancestors used to punish traitors and chasers. If that were the case, they wouldn��t be able to escape with their lives. Fortunately, there weren��t many traps or monsters, though Erin and Angelina would rather meet them, so as to inquire relevant information. But it was a pity that they didn��t meet anything along the way, apart from that rat from a few days ago.


    Even though the sword in Angelina��s arms was considered a ��local resident�� of this place, it was a pity that the sword spirit seemed entirely disinterested in communication. Although Erin and Angelina tried communicating with it several times, the sword spirit didn��t respond at all. Other than slashing Angelina into several chunks whenever she tossed it on the ground, it wasn��t any different from ordinary swords. Besides, the specter that appeared before them also vanished to nowhere and never appeared again.


    ��Sigh�� How much longer does this have to go on for!��


    Gazing at the repetitive underground tunnel, Angelina couldn��t help but grumble. She extended her hand and scratched the wall with a bat-like mark to indicate that they had already been through here. This was the method they used to mark their journey. If not, they would go crazy while being confused, roaming in this intricate maze.


    ��Which direction should we head to next?��


    At that moment, they stood before a three-way-path. This was a dilemma that pained them the most, as it meant that they had to reconsider their choices. The result of their decision might possibly mean that they would sink deeper, into a more complicated maze.


    ��Really! Can��t you say something? Would it kill you to point us a direction?!��


    The thought of possibly going around in a big circle again aggrieved Angelina��s headache. She clutched the invisible sword, complaining and brandishing it. The instant she swung the sword, a green radiance flashed from the blade and disappeared in sight.


    ��Hmm, Angelina? That was����


    ��I saw it too, Your Highness Erin. It����


    Looking at this scene, the surprised duo exchanged looks with each other. Angelina raised the sword and swung it left and right. Indeed, along with her movement, the invisible sword emanated a faint, green radiance. When Angelina pointed the sword at the rightmost tunnel, its radiance glowed brighter. The moment she moved the blade to the left, the radiance dimmed. Erin and Angelina looked at each other and spotted joy in their eyes. Even though they didn��t know what this meant, there was at least some sort of guidance now. They stood up instantly and sauntered into the rightmost tunnel.


    This time, the sword that played dead (said Angelina) finally seemed to be willing to offer a helping hand. Whenever the duo approached a fork, the sword shone at the seemingly correct path. Under the guidance of the sword, Erin and Angelina didn��t face any dead-ends and were advancing smoothly. This should have been great news for them, but��


    ��Your Highness Erin, why do I feel like we��re heading down����


    ��Yeah����


    Gazing at the pitch-dark flight of steps, Erin felt so helpless that she couldn��t even sigh anymore. Even though it was true that they didn��t face any dead-ends following the guidance of the sword, their expectations seemed to be entirely different the deeper they headed down the tunnels. But now, their only choice left was to embrace themselves.


    I wonder how the situation above is and what Big Brother is up to.


    At this thought, Erin couldn��t help but knit her brows. Deep down in her heart, she had a premonition. And as time passed, the premonition vanished completely. However, Erin didn��t feel entirely relaxed. She knew that a premonition remained one because it didn��t turn into reality. Now that her premonition was gone, it meant that the premonition had turned into an unchangeable truth, so it was useless to worry about it anymore.


    Big Brother�� Do we really have to be enemies?


    At this thought, Erin shook her head and descended the stairs with Angelina.


    The pitch-black tunnel was no obstruction to them at all. In just a few moments, they arrived at the second floor, which was more spacious and deserted. But the moment they stepped on the ground, the sword in Angelina��s hand erupted a glaring green radiance!


    ��������!��


    ��What��s wrong with you!��


    In a dazzling flash, the sword hacked off Angelina��s arm in a single swing. Angelina was already used to this and didn��t cry in agony. She simply picked up the fallen arm and glared fiercely at the sword. However, the shapeless sword apparently had no intention of answering her. Instead, it metamorphosed into a ray of light and shot straight into the deep tunnel. Looking at this scene, Erin and Angelina exchanged looks with each other and made the same decision.


    ��Chase it!��


    The sword moved really quickly, but Erin and Angelina weren��t slow either. They followed the sword closely, flitting across the tunnel. Shortly after, they realized that as they proceeded, the narrow tunnel gradually became wider and eventually turned into a huge underground cave.


    Why is there an underground cave under the Darkness Capital? Why am I not aware of it?


    With a look of doubt, Erin sprinted ahead. At that moment, the sword came to a halt all of a sudden, before erupting a dazzling brilliance that illuminated the darkness.


    ��Argh��!��


    Even Erin and Angelina couldn��t help but close their eyes to the glare. After a few moments, they opened their eyes and were rooted in their place upon witnessing what was before them.


    There was an enormous black dragon, twice the size of Erin and Ion in their dragon forms. It was riddled with scars from head to foot, with countless steel chains extending from all directions puncturing its huge body, binding it in place. Looking at this appalling view, Erin and Angelina were stunned. The former revealed a look of disbelief and murmured.


    ���� Mother?��

 Chapter 1209 - Hidden Secret

    ��Why�� is Mother here?��


    Gazing at the Dark Dragon who seemed to have sunken into an eternal sleep, Erin couldn��t conceal her bewilderment. Angelina shifted her gaze from Erin to the Dark Dragon, but didn��t say a word as she sauntered to the side. As an ex-citizen of the Country of Darkness, it went without saying that she understood the higher authorities of the country well. Just like how dragon soul heirs of the Country of Law were born from the Spirit Tree, dragon soul heirs of the Country of Darkness were born from the dragon family. However, the number of wyverns was small, with less than 20 remaining in this generation. Besides, the wyverns basically spent most of their time sleeping. Unless it involved a moment of life and death for the Country of Darkness, they would never show themselves. If Erin weren��t Ion��s younger sister, she would only be one of the wyverns, sleeping away and wouldn��t roam the world.


    Angelina more or less knew who Erin��s mother was. After all, Erin��s mother was the one who gave birth to a Creator Dragon, so she naturally was one of the revered figures in the Country of Darkness. It was said that she died of a serious illness but now, it turned out that she was actually imprisoned here. Well, Angelina wasn��t too surprised by how the truth played out. After all, her family was also destroyed by her own relatives��no, perhaps such ruthless family plots were common occurrences for vampires in the Country of Darkness. That was why Angelina went to the side silently. Anyway, this was Erin��s private affair, so Angelina was better off not interfering and acting as though she didn��t see anything.


    ��Mother?!��


    At that moment, Erin wasn��t in the mood to care about Angelina anymore. She stared at the Dark Dragon in shock. She was aware of the news of her mother succumbing to a serious illness and didn��t feel like anything was amiss. That was because even though dragons were vigorous, whenever they were sick, it was always caused by a serious illness. When Erin heard news about her mother��s illness and rushed back home to visit her, she was already dead. It was Ion who was responsible for arranging matters. Back then, Erin was frustrated by her mother��s passing, so she passed everything to Ion��s care. It was then when Ion received the inheritance of the dragon soul and officially became a dragon soul heir.


    But now, it seemed like the truth was otherwise. Erin was certain that it was her mother right in front of her now and not an illusion. The familiar scent, aura, appearance, and everything. She was sure that it was indeed her mother!


    ���� Who is it����


    As though she heard Erin��s call, the seemingly-unconscious, enormous dragon lifted her head slowly, opening her eyes and gazing ahead. She looked with dazed eyes for a few moments, before barely gaining clarity and locking onto Erin dubiously.


    ���� Who is it����


    ��Mother! It��s me, Erin! Why are you here��? And why did you end up like this?!��


    Looking at the Dark Dragon who was covered with wounds, Erin bit her lip tightly and her head was in a total mess. As a matter of fact, she wasn��t naive. She instantly guessed the actual issue after facing her mother. Back then, she was also present at her funeral. According to the customs of dragons, all dead dragons would be sent to the Dragon Valley for burial, which was why Erin didn��t see her corpse. According to Ion, their mother died a horrible death to the illness and it was hard to look straight at her. Erin didn��t wish to see the unfortunate state of her mother, which was why she accepted Ion��s advice. But now, she recalled that the funeral was full of loopholes.


    She had heard rumors and gossip, but they were gone entirely after Ion became the dragon soul heir who ruled the Country of Darkness. Erin thought the rumors about her big brother were spread by jealous people, which wasn��t uncommon in the Country of Darkness, after all. Besides, there also wasn��t any concrete evidence to back up the rumors. Of course, everyone was prohibited to head to Dragon Valley and dig up the corpse because only dragons who were on the verge of death could open up and enter the sacred venue. In other words, Erin would need to bash herself up thoroughly in order to enter Dragon Valley and investigate the rumors, which was naturally impossible��


    ���� Erin��?��


    Upon hearing this name, the Dark Dragon��s eyes glinted, before drastically turning dim.


    ���� Erin�� I have heard�� this name�� from�� somewhere����


    ��Mother?��


    Gazing at the condition of the Dark Dragon, Erin gnashed her teeth and swept glances at the surrounding swiftly. Shortly after, she discovered moss-green radiances flickering from the large steel chains binding the Dark Dragon. They were apparently the reason why her mother turned into this state! Erin hesitated no more. She extended her arm to draw the sword, leaped up abruptly, and raised the sword high. She targeted the steel chains and flourished the sword with might!


    Clang!


    To Erin��s astonishment, the moment the tip of the blade came into contact with the steel chain, a powerful energy exploded from the surface and deflected the blade strongly. Erin was stumped, but didn��t give up just yet. She gripped the hilt with both hands and a dazzling ray as pure as moonlight erupted from the blade. She brandished the sword from above but in a loud clang, the blade glanced off again.


    It failed again?


    Erin stared blankly at the trembling steel chain. She had given almost all her strength in that attack, but couldn��t even shatter it once. The only gain was that she knew the steel chains weren��t entirely unbreakable as there was dent from her attack, albeit it being the size of a fingernail. Erin was out of ideas as she looked at the steel chains that were as thick as arms in comparison to that almost undetectable dent. At that moment, the Dark Dragon opened her eyes again and looked at her.


    ��There��s no need�� to waste your energy�� You are of a dragon race, right? These steel chains are enhanced with runes, strong enough to resist any dragons. Even if you use all your might, you may not be able to cut them off����


    The Dark Dragon looked at the young lady with a gentle gaze.


    ��How strange�� Your presence feels familiar�� I once had two children, and your presence seems similar to my daughter�� Maybe she will grow up to be just like you����


    ��Mother����


    Upon hearing the Dark Dragon��s words, Erin bit her lip. She discovered that even though the Dark Dragon was somewhat awake and rational, her memories seemed to be all over the place. Erin was clearly standing before her and yet, the Dark Dragon couldn��t recognize her. Erin felt an excruciating pain in her heart, but what else could she do? She gripped the sword in her hand and gazed at the Dark Dragon with a complicated expression. However, the Dark Dragon seemed to stop caring about Erin as she lifted her head to the sky, as though she were in the state of a dream.


    ���� I once had two children who were really outstanding�� They were obedient, clever, and quick-witted. They were my pride, especially my daughter�� She inherited the best abilities of the Dark Dragons. Whenever I look at her, I can��t help but be filled with pride. We believed she would surely become the next excellent ruler to help this country of eternal darkness prosper just like her ancestors, leaving behind her very own legacy in the history of the Country of Darkness����


    ��Huh?��


    Erin and Angelina were stunned. What was going on? According to this Dark Dragon, it seemed like she saw Erin as the prospect for being the next dragon soul heir and not Ion? How was that possible? Erin and Angelina exchanged looks with each other, spotting the doubt in each other��s eyes. At that moment, Angelina let out a cough and asked curiously.


    ��Erm�� Madam Dark Dragon? Didn��t you have two children? Why are you sure that it is your daughter who will receive the inheritance of the dragon soul?��


    ��Oh����


    Upon hearing Angelina��s question, the Dark Dragon squinted and lifted her head once again. It was apparent that her consciousness had entered a state of trance and she would answer everything she knew. Perhaps due to years of imprisonment, her mental health wasn��t normal anymore. Or maybe she wasn��t answering Angelina��s question, but thought that she was questioning and answering herself instead.


    ��Because�� I have two children�� but there can only be one�� dragon soul heir�� They need to put in hard work to prove that they are worthy of being the heir. Among my two children, even though the older one is capable, he is too stubborn and extreme in his ways. I don��t think he is suitable to become the ruler of the Country of Darkness. In comparison, my daughter is gentler and smarter. With her around, she can surely bring the Country of Darkness to a greater height, just like our ancestors. But����


    ��But��?��


    ��But�� she�� No��he�� he�� wasn��t willing�� to accept�� fate�� He��!��


    All of a sudden, the Dark Dragon seemed to be suffering in agony. She lowered her head, shuddered, and after a few moments, she slammed her claws on the ground.


    ���� That is why�� I��m here��! Because�� If I��m not around�� he will not be qualified for the inheritance!��


    ��What?!��


    Erin and Angelina were flabbergasted.

 Chapter 1210 - The Choice Ahead

    Erin and Angelina stared blankly at the Dark Dragon��s bellow. Angelina blinked and shifted her gaze indifferently to the ashen Erin. Angelina finally found the answer that everyone in the Country of Darkness had been searching for.


    Why didn��t Ion involve Erin in government affairs, give her a sinecure, and keep her away from politics?


    It turned out that this princess who served as an attractive, decorative vase should have been the destined ruler of the Country of Darkness, while the current Dark Dragon was the usurper. In this situation, it all made sense. Judging from Angelina��s perspective, Erin was better than Ion in every aspect. Although she wasn��t as unyielding as Ion, stability was always the finest, most ancient tradition in the Country of Darkness. As long as the ruler didn��t face any fatal accidents, the immortal nobles residing in the country would grasp their authority in the future. Ion insisted on promoting medium to small-sized noble families and Angelina became a victim of this policy. If it weren��t for Ion��s encouragement, the medium to small-sized noble families wouldn��t have revolted. Angelina��s vampire family also wouldn��t have gone downhill either. It was impossible for Angelina to not bear any grudge against Ion. But due to her weak strength in the past, she could only throw this matter aside. But now��


    Judging from this aspect, Angelina felt like if Erin were the one who ruled the Country of Darkness, she would definitely do a better job than Ion. After all, the moon princess��s wisdom, strength, judgment, and other areas were more outstanding. If it weren��t for the sake of inheriting the dragon soul, she would surely be more suitable for this position. But it was a pity that the ruler of the Country of Darkness must be the dragon soul heir. Perhaps this was why Ion snatched and inherited the dragon soul, while prohibiting Erin from interfering with political affairs. After all, the reason why Ion was recognized by everyone as the ruler was because he was the ��dragon soul heir��. Once his people realized that Erin��s administration ability was better than his, it was highly likely that the core authority of the entire country would shift toward her. When that happened, Ion would be like Lilian in the past: simply a mascot. But this wasn��t what Ion wished to see. If not, why would he risk imprisoning her mother to gain the dragon soul power?


    Angelina turned to Erin again. It was obvious that the moon princess thought the same. At that moment, Erin put up a complicated expression. Judging from her tightly-clenched and trembling hands, Angelina knew that Erin was baffled, which was why the former remained quiet. Then, Angelina swirled and narrowed her eyes slightly.


    This is a juicy secret. I wonder what generous gift His Majesty Rhode will reward me with if I hand this information over to him�� Right, should I tell His Majesty Rhode to encourage Her Highness Erin to ascend the throne of the Country of Darkness? Even though it seems like Her Highness Erin has no such intentions, if it is His Majesty Rhode who suggests it, maybe she would heed his advice. In that case, I, who came from the first vampire family, may be able to gain some benefits from it�� After all, His Majesty Rhode has done something similar in the past, so there shouldn��t be any difficulties.


    At this thought, Angelina��s eyes glinted in pleasure. She knew clearly that she would receive generous rewards from accomplishing this move. She had observed Sonia��s situation in the past. Sonia merely looked after the Light Dragon and became her trusted aide. If it weren��t for the fact that Sonia lacked desire and ambition, she could have gained even greater powers!


    Well, forget it. Humans are foolish, short-sighted, and ultimately a short-lived race. But I��m different. If I succeed, the days of restoring my family��s glory will be just around the corner. When that happens, I will make those people who humiliated me pay the price!


    Indeed, just as Angelina predicted, after pondering for a few moments, Erin let out a gentle sigh. Judging from Erin��s reaction, Angelina knew that she couldn��t count on the moon princess to harbor the thoughts of seizing the throne that was rightfully hers. After a few moments, Angelina cleared her throat and asked.


    ��Respectful Madam Dark Dragon, we lost our way and arrived here coincidentally. Do you know where the����


    ��Wait, Angelina.��


    Before Angelina finished her sentence, Erin interrupted and lifted her head to gaze at the Dark Dragon.


    ��Mother, is there any way to help you escape this place?��


    ��Escape? Why must I escape?��


    Upon hearing Erin��s words, the Dark Dragon shook her head. It was apparent that the mental state of the Dark Dragon was fuzzy. Angelina also suspected whether the Dark Dragon heard Erin��s question properly. But shortly after, the Dark Dragon stopped moving, squinted, and lay back on the ground.


    ��This place�� was used by the first Dark Dragon to imprison traitors. There are no exits and no one can escape. These steel chains are forged to deal with and trap dragons. They are the ultimate torture instrument. Apart from the Dark Dragon or the heir who inherits the dragon soul power, no one has a way to break them, no matter who it is�� You can never leave this place. This is a permanent, ancient maze. Even if you use your powers to try and break a path out of here, it is impossible. This space was built and surrounded by green spirit boulders. The powers of dragons are useless here.��


    ���� We aren��t that unlucky, right?��


    Upon hearing the Dark Dragon��s words, Angelina pulled a long face like Erin. Green spirit boulders had a unique attribute that enabled them to absorb spiritual powers. The more spiritual powers it absorbed, the tougher it became. No one knew whether there was a limit to the green spirit boulders�� absorption. In the Country of Darkness, there were prisons made entirely from green spirit boulders to lock up important and formidable prisoners. After all, this place was inside the undead nation. Most prisoners were undead creatures who were capable of unleashing spiritual powers, so it went without saying that ordinary prisons wouldn��t be able to lock them in. But in a prison built with green spirit boulders, be it a lich or formidable being who possessed devastating powers, one couldn��t possibly deal a single bit of damage to this building.


    The duo initially decided to blast their way out with their attacks as the last resort. But now, it seemed like it was just wishful thinking. Of course, if they could search for the underground river that Angelina found earlier, perhaps they might have some hope. But it was a pity that they spent a long time searching and didn��t gain any clues at all. Angelina also didn��t know where exactly that route led to either.


    ���� Since this is a prison, there must be some guards around, right?��


    After pondering for a few moments, Erin asked. Facing her question, the Dark Dragon shook her head.


    ��There isn��t a need for guards because whoever enters this place can��t leave. In here, prisoners and guards are the same. Besides, I advise you to not go any farther�� Because I sense a terrifying and ice-cold death aura deep inside this prison. I don��t know what that is, but I do know that before I was thrown into here, the aura was already present. Please be careful. It definitely isn��t a place for mortals to enter. Even when one is as powerful as the Dark Dragon, one will still perish in the death aura.��


    ���� Understood. Thanks for the reminder, Mother.��


    ��Ha, ha. Don��t need to thank me, young lady. My daughter is about the same age as you. It would be wonderful if she could be here�� I don��t know what she is up to now�� I��m so worried about her. She isn��t being bullied by her terrifying big brother, is she? I��m really concerned����


    ��Please don��t worry, Mother. I��m sure that�� she isn��t suffering any hardships.��


    ��Ha, ha. Thanks so much, young lady�� For some reason, you sound really convincing���� The Dark Dragon said, laying back on the ground, closing her eyes, and mumbling to herself. ���� Yes, my daughter is so smart�� She will be fine����


    The Dark Dragon said her last words, closing her eyes and sinking into deep sleep. Erin stood on the spot, gazing blankly at this scene. Her eyes revealed a mix of sorrow and wrath. She clenched her trembling fists. She was clearly her daughter, but the Dark Dragon didn��t realize at all. The Dark Dragon wasn��t concerned about her, but the daughter in her memories instead��


    Big Brother, is this what you wished for? In order for you to seize authority, you wouldn��t give up even at the cost of Mother��s life? What exactly is the reason for that? Why must you do this?


    At this thought, Erin took in a deep breath and turned around.


    ��Angelina, let��s go.��


    ��Huh? Where are we heading to, Your Highness Erin?��


    Angelina asked in astonishment.


    ��But Madam Dark Dragon said the death aura is really dense in there. After all, you��re a mortal. If����


    ��Don��t worry, we��re just checking out the situation. Besides, since there are no other ways out, perhaps there might be an exit where people can��t enter�� When it comes to that and we still can��t get out����


    Erin winked playfully at Angelina.


    ��I still have you around, right? I��ll leave it to you then. Okay, Miss Angelina?��


    After hearing Erin��s answer, Angelina��s expression stiffened. Then, she let out an awkward cough and forced a smile.


    ��Yes. Please leave it to me, Your Highness Erin.��

 Chapter 1211 - Land of Death

    Just like the Dark Dragon described, this place was nothing more than a fortified prison. The deeper Erin and Angelina proceeded, the more they understood this point. The hanging steel chains and spacious, empty caves weren��t just there for show. Piles of white bones appeared along the way. No one knew exactly how many dragons who violated the taboo were imprisoned here until their demise. Not only that, but the farther the duo advanced into the tunnel, they sensed the atmosphere turning colder and brimming with a thicker death aura. It wasn��t as chilly as the whistling northern winds, but it startled them even more.


    This meant that the death aura had completed the process of ��quantitative change�� and coalesced into a ��substantial�� presence. At this stage, the death aura wasn��t as simple as just being the atmosphere. The pressure it exuded was almost similar to the ��death cloud spell�� by necromancers. Any life form that entered the atmosphere would have their vitality weakened and eventually die. The ��death cloud spell�� was formed by coalescing magic powers, but here, the death aura naturally took shape into a substantial presence. Due to this reason, Erin and Angelina felt like the situation was getting trickier because this might possibly mean that a creature much stronger than them was hidden and lying ahead.


    ��Argh����


    Erin knitted her brows. A faint, indistinct spiritual light shone around her, resisting the negative energy in the hovering cold air. On the other hand, Angelina didn��t have any huge reaction. As an undead creature, she couldn��t possibly be affected by negative energy that eroded vitality. At that moment, underneath their feet was a stretch of solid ground covered by a thick layer of white frost. One who stepped above it would sense the chilliness escaping the surface. The deeper they advanced, the more obvious it felt to them, so much so that at a glance, they witnessed the entire tunnel shrouded in white frost. The ceiling was also covered in a thick layer of ice. This was a world of death, and no lifeforms would be able to survive long here.


    Erin turned pale. Even though she had no issue pushing herself, the death air still affected her to a certain degree. Although she was able to soar through vacuums in the universe freely, the temperature in the universe was just extremely low, after all. Other than that, there were no other factors that affected her. But the chilliness here was entirely different. It wasn��t a normal coldness, but the atmosphere was coalesced from the death aura entirely instead. It could also be said that the moment an ordinary human entered this place, the spiritual flame inside their body would be extinguished immediately without struggling. The ice layer here was simply like a deadly poison that killed one upon touch. The air also diffused a coldness that could make one freeze into a popsicle from inside-out. Erin had high vitality, but she couldn��t handle the double erosion from the inside out and vice versa.


    ��The negative energy in here is almost at its critical point.��


    Angelina gazed at the deep tunnel ahead with a heavy expression, at the same time feeling astonished. Even though she was an undead creature, she had never seen a place with such a thick death aura. This god-forsaken place might be a getaway paradise for great lichs, but for vampires like her, she had no idea what exact creatures would show up. If an undead creature were to appear, Angelina wasn��t sure if she was strong enough to defeat it. The strength of undead creatures were closely related to the power of their death aura. She reckoned that undead creatures who resided here must have existed for countless years. She didn��t have a clue as to just how powerful they would be.


    ��Your Highness Erin, are you able to handle it?��


    Angelina turned over and gazed at Erin, who sauntered beside her. This place more or less had an effect on an undead creature like her, not to mention how huge the pressure would be on a mortal like Erin. Upon witnessing Erin��s pale complexion, it was obvious that she was doing her best. Despite that, this tunnel seemed endless. There was also no trace of any exits. If Erin were to carry on, Angelina doubted that she could hang on for long.


    ��I��m alright. I will be fine for the time being, Angelina.��


    Upon hearing Angelina��s concern, Erin forced a smile. Even though Erin didn��t look good due to the influence of the negative energy, her expression remained gentle and peaceful and she didn��t seem to be struggling at all. Looking at Erin��s reaction, Angelina��s respect for her increased even more. But Angelina didn��t comment much as she continued to saunter ahead.


    Whoosh��!


    All of a sudden, a draught blew from the deeper tunnel, brushing past them and lifting their long hair. Upon sensing this cold current of air, Erin and Angelina instantly felt refreshed. Even though they didn��t know where the wind came from, it meant that��


    There is an exit somewhere!


    At this thought, the duo hastened their pace.


    The death aura became denser and thicker, but it was still tolerable for them. No matter what, Erin was still the moon princess. In the underground, even though she didn��t receive any direct energy from the moon, her formidable power prevented the draughts filled with death aura from affecting her any further. But it was only temporary. As long as they got out of this tunnel��


    Bang!


    Erin came to a standstill, while Angelina who ran beside her couldn��t stop in time and crashed head-first onto an ice column. Judging from the heavy collision, Angelina must be in tremendous pain now. However, none of them grumbled. They widened their eyes in astonishment, gazing at the massive ice prison.


    This prison, which was tens of meters tall, was seemingly the end of the tunnel. Standing before the duo were hundreds of solid ice columns, like prison fences blocking their path. However, the creature trapped inside the ice cage captured most of their attention.


    It was a humongous dragon, twice the size of the Dark Dragon they met earlier. The dragon was entirely sealed in a thick bulk of ice, its limbs and body bound by steel chains. Apart from that, what shocked the duo was that there was no flesh on the dragon, but only ghastly white bones. Judging from the situation, it didn��t seem like the remaining bones of its carcass, but that this was its state from the beginning. And this only meant one thing��


    ��It��s an Undead Skeletal Dragon�� Who did this?!��


    During this period, Erin learned all sorts of unimaginable information. She once thought there was nothing in this world that would shock her anymore. But now, her head was in a complete blank. She stared expressionlessly at the Undead Skeletal Dragon and wasn��t as mindful of the coldness circulating around her anymore.


    As everyone knew, the Country of Darkness was a nation of undead creatures, and they were most adept in creating all sorts of them. So it went without saying that dragons were no exceptions. It was especially so since dragons in the Country of Darkness would die one day and if they could manipulate powers of the undead to summon the dragons back to this world, not only could they increase the strength of their nation, but the dragons could also survive in another form.


    But it was a pity that regarding this issue, the dragon race always upheld the attitude of ��a tyrant boss can do whatever he likes, and commoners aren��t allowed the slightest bit of freedom��. Not only that, but the dragon race also prohibited turning any dragon corpses into undead creatures because it was deemed blasphemy against them. Undead creatures who did something like that would be eliminated immediately and generations of their family would also be implicated. However, as the graveyard of dragons itself was a secret, undead creatures couldn��t possibly kill a dragon and turn it into one of them, which was why basically no one committed this offense. Due to that reason, after personally encountering this dragon that was turned into an undead creature, Erin was flabbergasted beyond words.


    Despite that, what surprised the duo the most was the pitch-black tunnel beside the Undead Skeletal Dragon. Even though the tunnel seemed endless, for some unknown reason, when they looked at it at the same time, they were confident that the exit they were searching for was right there.


    ��Let��s go, Your Highness Erin.��


    The source of coldness in the underground tunnels came from that enormous dragon, where even Angelina felt her limbs stiffening. She gnashed her teeth and slipped through the gaps between the ice columns. With her petite-sized body, the fences made of ice columns weren��t an issue for her at all. Erin followed behind her closely, stretching her arm to get passed the ice columns. But at that moment��


    Boom!


    The moment her hand passed through the ice columns, a golden brilliance erupted all of a sudden, blasting her to the back and causing her to crash into the ground. Not only that, but Erin also let out a painful groan. At the same time, a ring of golden halo was clearly seen flashing above her.


    ��This is����


    Looking at this scene, Angelina was taken aback. She reached out her hand and fumbled with the ice column beside her. But what was strange was that no matter what movement she made, she couldn��t feel any resistance. Erin crawled to her feet with gnashed teeth, extending her right hand again. Almost simultaneously, the golden radiance exploded once more.


    Boom!


    This time, the prepared Erin didn��t get struck to the back. But even so, she took a few steps back and her complexion was as white as a sheet. It was apparent that there were measures to prevent dragons from leaving this place. It was ineffective on other races, which was perhaps why Angelina could pass through freely, but Erin couldn��t.


    ��Your Highness Erin, this����


    Angelina was at a complete loss. What made the situation worse was that she heard the clanking of steel chains from behind Erin. Angelina looked behind Erin and was stunned to discover that the imprisoned Undead Skeletal Dragon was swaying and getting up from its slumber. It seemed like the dragon was woken by the two intruders who broke into the prison. At that moment, Erin turned around and witnessed the oncoming danger. She stared at the dragon and gritted her teeth tightly, before turning around and ordering the dazed Angelina quickly.


    ��Leave, Angelina!��


    Facing Erin��s words, Angelina was shook. Frankly, even though undead creatures couldn��t care less about their companions, after spending a long time with Erin in this god-forsaken place, they developed kind feelings for each other. Angelina couldn��t bear to leave her ��companion�� alone in this ridiculous place.


    ��Huh? Your Highness Erin? We can try again. Maybe����


    ��It��s impossible.��


    Facing Angelina��s response, Erin shook her head with a bitter smile. Erin had already realized that the moment the mysterious energy struck her away, there was something that restrained and weakened her powers. Erin was able to rely upon her formidable strength to resist the death aura. But now, she felt like she couldn��t hold on any longer. If Erin were to try slipping through the ice columns again, perhaps she couldn��t stay at this place any longer and could only leave after receiving another attack.


    ��As a dragon race, it seems like I can��t leave here for the time being. I can only rely on you now, Angelina! Leave and inform His Majesty Rhode about the situation here. I��m sure he will have a solution!��


    ������


    Upon listening to Erin��s command, Angelina bit the bullet, turning to the former and nodded with might. Then, the petite vampire dashed off in a trail of afterimages into the dark tunnel beside the Undead Skeletal Dragon. At that moment, the Undead Skeletal Dragon gradually woke up. The pitch-black eye sockets burned in spiritual flames. It shifted its head to where Angelina was and widened its mouth.


    ��������!��


    At the next moment, an ice-cold, bone-piercing dragon breath exploded from its mouth, blasting at Angelina in an instant. Upon detecting the lethal chilliness of death, Angelina��s hair stood on end. She wrapped her arms around the invisible sword and darted as quickly as possible.


    Even though Angelina gave her best, the cold air affected her greatly, causing her to slow down instantly. At that moment, the ice-cold dragon breath arrived from above. Upon realizing it, Angelina��s heart sank. She rolled to dodge the assault, but her skirt wasn��t as fortunate. Her skirt that was fluttering along with her swift movements stiffened immediately before metamorphosing into chunks of fragments. In the blink of an eye, her pitch-black skirt shattered and revealed her fair, slender legs.


    Ssss������!


    Angelina sucked in a breath of cold air. She wasn��t distressed over the loss of her skirt, but was baffled by this terrifying power. The dragon breath merely brushed past her and she felt as though her body were frozen entirely. Moreover, the speed of erosion from the ice-cold air was devastatingly fast. She was certain that if it were her body that came into contact with the dragon breath, she would have ended up the same as her skirt. Angelina shivered at this thought. Without checking out her surroundings, she took large strides and flitted into the tunnel ahead. This time, not only did she run at her quickest speed, but her bat-like wings also expanded in an instant. She metamorphosed into pitch-black lightning that burst straight toward the tunnel.


    However, the Undead Skeletal Dragon realized what she was up to. The moment Angelina turned into pitch-black lightning, the dragon snapped its jaw open and spurted another stone-cold dragon breath at her. In this case, even if Angelina managed to enter the dark tunnel, she would still be frozen stiff. And if she didn��t make it into the tunnel, she would surely be sealed in ice. When that happened, she could forget about leaving this place!


    ��Be careful!��


    Erin watched the entire scene helplessly. She couldn��t help but shriek, clench her fist, and stare at Angelina��s escape. If it were Erin who was on the other side, she could have turned into her dragon form and fought against the dragon. Perhaps she might not be able to defeat the Undead Skeletal Dragon that had been in here for who knew how long, but at least she could buy some time. But now, Erin couldn��t get past the ice columns into the prison, not to mention providing any assistance.


    Angelina bolted ahead but eventually failed to make her escape. The moment she arrived at the entrance of the tunnel, the freezing dragon breath arrived above her. If nothing went wrong, she would be frozen into an ice sculpture at the next moment.


    Yes, if nothing went wrong.


    Swish!


    Suddenly, the invisible sword in Angelina��s arms flew out of its sheath and slashed at the dragon breath, splitting it into two. The dragon breath dissipated shortly after and the Undead Skeletal Dragon widened its mouth. Spiritual radiance in its pitch-black eye sockets blazed frantically.


    ��What���� Why is that sword��!��


    Meanwhile, Angelina vanished into the pitch-black entrance of the tunnel.

 Chapter 1212 - Escape From Danger

    ��Haa�� Haa�� Haa����


    Hugging the invisible sword in her arms, Angelina dashed into the deep tunnel without looking back. She was so anxious that she felt an illusion of pain from rapidly breathing. As an undead creature, she didn��t need to breathe at all. But now, she felt as though she had restored her flesh and blood, like a living creature. But now, she wasn��t in the leisure mood to care about that. She sprinted desperately, and her wings could no longer flap. Even though that attack earlier didn��t hit her, the freezing current brushed past her and damaged her wings severely. At that moment, her flat, sleek wings seemed as though they had been through countless storms, fluttering behind her like a tattered curtain. It was a ghastly sight that pained one.


    ��Phew����


    After sprinting for a long time, Angelina slowed down her pace and held onto the wall for support, turning back to confirm that nothing was pursuing her. Although she felt relieved, she didn��t let her guard down yet. She gripped the sword, scanned around her cautiously, and continued advancing.


    If it were possible, Angelina hoped to use this sword in battle. As a descendant of an ancient vampire family, she possessed their unique swordsmanship. Besides, she also clearly felt the energy accumulating on that invisible sword. If she were to wield the sword, she would be stronger in battles at the very least. But it was a pity that even though this sword allowed her to hug it, everything else was off limits. Angelina tried wielding the sword as a weapon and hung it on her waist, but either her head or arm was slashed off afterward. With no other choice, Angelina could only embrace the sword in her arms.


    ��Sigh�� Seems like I can only rely upon myself now. I wonder how much farther I have to walk. I sure hope I don��t face any more forks ahead����


    Angelina soliloquized as she proceeded ahead, taking light, nimble steps like a specter drifting across the air. Fortunately, as though her prayer were answered, there weren��t any forks like before or winding tunnels that led to dead-ends. On the contrary, she was glad that after sauntering across flat paths for a long time, she realized the slopes were starting to incline upward, which meant that she was getting closer to the surface and wasn��t heading farther to the underground. Frankly, Angelina was terrified that what awaited her at the end of this tunnel was an even more deadly underground prison. She was no match for the Undead Skeletal Dragon earlier. If she faced another foe who was more powerful, she would undoubtedly be instant-killed.


    After some time, Angelina finally saw something she yearned for a long time��a sealed, heavy stone door. It emanated a faint magical radiance and was seemingly enhanced by powerful sealing spells. If Angelina didn��t guess it wrongly, this should be the exit of this damn underground maze. As for how she should open the stone door, she didn��t give it much thought. She gazed subconsciously at the transparent sword that was bound by green, flickering spiritual light. Up until that moment, she didn��t know what its origin was. However, since it possessed self-consciousness and was found in this deep underground maze, it should more or less possess some ways around the seals.


    And just as Angelina thought, the moment she approached the stone door. The faint radiance circling the invisible sword grew intense. Shortly after, the stone door in front of her emanated a similar brilliance. In a series of rumbles, the stone door opened gradually. Glacial steam escaped the gap, blowing on Angelina��s cheeks. The petite vampire braced herself up instantly. She stared with wide, blood-red eyes at what was behind the door. But apart from a natural grotto, there didn��t seem to be any dangers. After ensuring there was nothing except her around, she shuttled into the stone door like a wild animal, swiftly concealing herself into the nearest shadow. She turned and instantly scanned her surroundings. At that moment, the wide-open stone door beside her creaked as it closed itself.


    Boom.


    The stone door closed and the pitch-black cave restored its peace. However, Angelina didn��t move off right away. She remained hidden in the darkness, holding her breath as she scanned the place. As a vampire who had gotten herself into dangers and pursuits in the past, Angelina was an expert in this field. She wasn��t that foolish to fall into any avoidable dangers. Due to that reason, even though she was in an extremely unfavorable environment, she had ways to protect herself with her meticulous behavior.


    After several hours and confirming there was nothing lurking in the darkness, Angelina strolled out of the shadows. She took a glance at the stalactites above, before metamorphosing into a shadow and zoomed ahead.


    There were no traces of anything man made in the paths ahead. At a glance, she was inside a natural mountain cave. But this time, she wasn��t stupefied by winding tunnels and forks. With a clear target and without the restrictions of the green spirit boulders, she could take advantage of her abilities to effortlessly overcome obstacles.


    Just ahead. It��s just ahead. I��m almost there!


    At this thought, Angelina smelled the scent of soil in the wind. She had never been so agitated. She subconsciously picked up her pace and agilely passed through the natural cave. At the next moment, the petite vampire sprung up abruptly, changing into a bat that flew across the cave. The gloomy cave was finally disappearing from her sight! And what presented before her was the long-awaited��


    ��Wha��?��


    After restoring her human form and landing on her feet, Angelina wasn��t as joyous as she imagined. On the contrary, she gazed at the sky dubiously. Her scarlet eyes glinted in confusion.


    In her memories, the sky hovering above the Country of Darkness was boundless, pitch-black, and beautiful. The red, full moon was as dazzling and mesmerizing as a shining diamond, and it left a deep impression on her. It had always been that way since the Country of Darkness was born. But now, what unveiled before Angelina was nothing like that picturesque view. On the contrary, the sky seemed as though someone had mixed black and white paint together and violently smeared it onto an originally heavenly canvas. Just the sight of it was enough disgust one. The revulsion felt so distinct that it succeeded in wiping out the trace of happiness from escaping the dark underground in Angelina. Not only that, but also the moment she gazed at the sky, she had this thought��perhaps it might be better to remain underground.


    This was totally unprecedented and unimaginable for the Angelina from a few seconds ago. She thought that as long as she left the underground, she could do anything. She didn��t expect to be disappointed so soon.


    ��What exactly is going on?��


    Angelina shifted her gaze away from the bizarre night sky. After staring at it for some time, she felt a little giddy, and she couldn��t distinguish between sky and ground. At that moment, she stood on a path that was half-way up a barren mountain. One thing she felt fortunate about was that the cave exit led to safety outside the Darkness Capital. From her perspective, the entire Darkness Capital was shrouded in a pitch-dark barrier, which meant that Ion had no intention of stopping the Dark Curtain, the ultimate defensive mechanism. She wasn��t surprised by it. Instead, she was stunned by the scene around her.


    It was total chaos outside the Darkness Capital. Blazing flames, death, and ruins spread across the land as though terrifying monsters had devastated the region. It made Angelina feel like she was in hell. The aura of death and disorder and the putrid smell of blood blended into one like a magical concoction prepared by a witch. Everything was thrown in the huge pot and stirred vigorously. No one could recognize its original shape.


    ���� Master, can you hear me? Master?��


    After confirming that she left the envelopment of the pitch-black curtain, Angelina contacted Rhode using the spiritual communication. But what was weird was that even though she had gone away, she still couldn��t reach Rhode properly. She barely sensed Rhode��s position. The signals she sent were unclear and also disrupted. Not only that, but Angelina also didn��t know whether Rhode heard her.


    It seems like the problem doesn��t only stem from the Dark Curtain.


    At this thought, Angelina shook her head and turned to the other side.


    Since I can��t reach His Majesty Rhode, I��m only left with one choice.

 Chapter 1213 - Tide of Dusk

    Even though Rhode made a fairly complete plan against the Country of Darkness, he experienced what it meant to be a ��plan wasn��t as fast as change�� shortly after.


    After Icy Snow eradicated the Chaos Lord, Rhode initially decided to lead the others in annihilating the remaining two Chaos Lords and figuring out what exactly turned them into this ridiculous state. But the Chaos Lord weren��t fools either and that caught Rhode by surprise. The moment they spotted Rhode and his group of formidable beings rushing over, they tucked tails and fled shamelessly. Rhode��s group couldn��t catch up with them at all. They managed to wipe out a part of the ghost fleet and watched helplessly as they escaped. Even though they could continue to chase, for safety��s sake, he eventually dismissed the idea.


    But the changes in the situation later left Rhode speechless. The battle happening on the elves�� side didn��t subside yet. Although the twin dragons of the Country of Law had mobilized their army, no one knew whether it was because the Country of Law had an overly long time of peace that they spent too much time gathering Holy Knights from all over the Dragon Soul Continent and forming their forces. Besides, borrowing the power of Gracier, Madaras, and the elf knights, the Country of Law managed to resist the enemies. No one knew when the twin dragons could accomplish their tasks, so for the time being, they couldn��t be relied upon.


    Not only that, but the alliance of the Void Territory and Munn Kingdom also faced some relatively huge resistance, especially in terms of the dragon souls. In the past, when Rhode attacked using his dragon soul powers, it felt like two blades were clashing with each other and the battered enemy retreated after. From a certain angle, a clash between dragon soul powers was truly a battle between dragon soul heirs. Rhode joined forces with his younger sister and went against Ion. It went without saying that they were like fish back in the water, advancing all the way through. Although Ion withstood desperately, he was inevitably forced back.


    These days, Rhode sharply realized that Ion��s dragon soul protection had changed. Using a less abstract metaphor, it was as though the strong dragon soul protection was melting in high temperature like chocolate, turning sticky and hard to break. When Rhode tried to break Ion��s dragon soul protection, he felt like he hurled a punch into a thick puddle of mud. Not only was there no resistance, but he was also contaminated with something distasteful. Rhode flitted away from Ion��s dragon soul protection when suddenly, he discovered that the dragon soul protection that should have been shattered into fragments wrapped back around like sticky glue. If it weren��t for Rhode��s decisiveness to retreat from Ion��s dragon soul protection, who knew what would have happened.


    Due to that reason, Rhode felt like the situation was getting worse and the Country of Darkness was beyond cure��no, perhaps the country was already a goner. After experiencing the initial, rigorous stages, the country became weaker and even decayed from the inside out. Even when Rhode gazed at the land of the Country of Darkness from a distance, he sensed a rotten and disgusting scent and that forced him to command his army to stop advancing. Rhode��s biggest flaw now was that he didn��t know what exactly was going on with the Country of Darkness. Judging from the state of Ion��s dragon soul protection, it was apparent that there was something wrong with Ion. As for what exactly went wrong�� Rhode had no clue at all.


    The only good news was that Gaya was resurrected and everything seemed normal with her. However, as she dealt a deadly attack on the enemy with all her rule power, her soul received a huge backlash. During this period, she could only lay in bed and recuperate. Rhode also used this moment to stop sending his troops out and only dispatched scouts to investigate the front line from time to time. But despite that, they had little success. Fortunately, with Icy Snow around, [Space Detection] acted as their high-performance radar. However, there was also a limit to her ability. Besides, there seemed to be many issues with the Country of Darkness, which turned the space around it unstable, disrupting Icy Snow��s detection.


    ��What��s wrong, Little Icy?��


    Arriving at the deck of the magic warship and gazing at the young lady, Rhode couldn��t help but ask.


    ��Are you feeling unwell?��


    ��No, Big Brother. I��m fine.��


    Upon hearing his concern, Icy Snow turned to him and shook her head with a smile.


    ��It��s just that the two Bubbles are a little too noisy in there����


    ��I see����


    Upon hearing her answer, Rhode had a hard time responding. Ever since the two Bubbles used ��fallacies�� to settle their sister-relationship with Icy Snow, the two proud Bubbles were a real pain in the neck for Icy Snow, demanding her to call them ��big sisters��. Later, the enraged and speechless Icy Snow had no choice but to seek help from Canary. With Canary backing her up, the two brats held back much more.


    Even though Icy Snow had only been around for a few days, Marlene and the others had already learned of her strictness. Although Icy Snow didn��t need to attend school in this world and complete assignments, she still made plans according to the habits of her previous life. Other than consuming food and taking breaks, she made changes to her plan, including free time, assisting Rhode in investigating the Country of Darkness, and practicing her skills. In the game, even though Icy Snow��s double talents weren��t that useful in a BOSS fight, they were absolutely vital in this world, which was why she put in a lot of effort to master her skill.


    Of course, unlike Bubble who stayed up all night watching ��animes��, Icy Snow went to bed at 10 p.m. sharp and woke up at 8 a.m��. Observing this behavior of hers, Rhode suspected if Icy Snow had obsessive-compulsive disorder like what Bubble mentioned��


    ���� Honestly, I��m still in disbelief, Big Brother�� Big Sister really came back to life.��


    Icy Snow said, lifting her head to admire the starry sky. Her eyes were flowing with nostalgia and memories. Upon hearing her words, Rhode remained silent, but stretched out his hand to caress Icy Snow��s head. He empathized with Icy Snow��s thoughts and feelings. Back then, it could be said that Rhode and his younger sister watched Icy Snow��s growth. But before the younger sister passed away, Icy Snow had already moved away with her family. The next time Rhode met Icy Snow was during his younger sister��s funeral. Icy Snow was heartbroken over the loss of this big sister who always accompanied her. And now, Icy Snow was elated to see his younger sister reappearing in front of her.


    ��Big Brother, will my original self�� be aware of this good news?��


    ��I think so. I��ll bring you to meet her next time. I��m sure she��ll be happy to meet you.��


    Rhode nodded to Icy Snow��s question. He had made up his mind to come up with a way to connect his home and Earth after moving the entire Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system. Not only would he be able to reminisce past everyday life, but he could also meet his close friends in the game. Of course, Icy Snow was no exception.


    ��Yes�� Actually����


    Upon hearing Rhode��s answer, Icy Snow nodded with a smile. The latter gazed at him and blushed.


    ���� Big Brother�� I��m really glad too. I thought there was no way for us to meet in reality. I didn��t expect to see you again because of this opportunity����


    Icy Snow said, turning around and lowering her gaze to the deck shyly. The pair of cat ears on her head seemed really nervous as they stood up, trembling. Then, Icy Snow stole a glance at Rhode and continued softly.


    ��Erm�� Big Brother, I have a small request. If it��s possible, can we be like in the past where before I sleep, you����


    Icy Snow��s complexion turned red. Her voice became as soft as a buzzing mosquito;s. But the moment, as the young lady made up her mind and decided to speak, a high-pitched scream interrupted her.


    ��Woahhh! Master, I��m back!��


    Along with this exaggerated scream, a huge colony of bats appeared in the night sky, squeaking as they spiraled in midair and headed toward where Rhode stood. Shortly after, a petite figure emerged among them. Upon witnessing the person, Rhode was taken aback.


    ��Angelina?��


    At that moment, the young, noble vampire lady had lost her graceful demeanor. She was covered in filth from head to toe. Her expensive dress was torn and the skirt and sleeves were tattered in large holes. Her long, white hair was also burned and stained with smoke as though the product of failed hair-coloring. Rather than treating Angelina as a high-class descendant of the first vampire family, she looked more like a refugee now. Rhode couldn��t help but stare blankly at Angelina. In his memories, he couldn��t remember seeing this vampire in such a sorry state, apart from when Mini Bubble Gum forced her into the ��spirit ball��.


    Upon spotting Rhode, the battered and exhausted Angelina plopped herself down on the ground as though she had lost all her strength.


    ��Phew�� I finally get to meet you, again Master,�� she said with a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 1214 - Sudden Change in the Night

    Angelina��s return captured everyone��s attention instantly. Even though she didn��t have a high standing in Rhode��s group, as she went to the Country of Darkness to gather intelligence, everyone was excited for the news she brought back. However, they didn��t know what went wrong and why she didn��t return for a long time. Even when Rhode summoned her, there was no response. Everyone thought Angelina was locked up somewhere. At the sight of her return, they were bewildered. But even though they were interested in the intelligence she gathered, Rhode ordered Angelina to shower and get a change of clothes before reporting her findings. Angelina felt really grateful for this act by him and this left a better impression on her instantly. Of course, if Angelina knew that Rhode didn��t give a damn about her earlier, perhaps she wouldn��t have thought of him this way.


    After taking a bath to relieve her mental fatigue and changing into a new set of clothes, the refugee-lookalike vampire restored her usual, elegant demeanor. But she didn��t demand too much like a spoiled, wealthy young lady. As soon as she got ready, she reported to everyone the intelligence she gathered. As the results of her findings were crucial, not only was Rhode, his younger sister, Marlene, and Alice around, but Lydia also came. Icy Snow was the only one who went to sleep because it was her bedtime. However, no one realized the disappointed look on Icy Snow��s face and what exactly caused it.


    One had to admit that the information Angelina brought back was an unexpected joy for Rhode��s group. All along, they weren��t sure what happened in the Country of Darkness and couldn��t come up with countermeasures. As Angelina explained the situation, Rhode��s group finally understood how those abnormally-powerful undead creatures were created, the current state of the Country of Darkness, and Erin��s whereabouts. It could also be said that the problems that bothered everyone were basically solved at once.


    ��That actually happened����


    After listening to Angelina��s report, everyone looked worried. Rhode knitted his brows and pondered the intelligence she presented deeply. The strangest and most critical piece of information was that Ion actually wasn��t supposed to be the rightful dragon soul heir. If what Angelina said was true, Ion��s current identity would be deemed illegal. If this news were to be released to the public, it would definitely cause waves of uproar. Despite that, this was good news for Rhode. In the past, he was in a headache as to how he should clean up the mess in the Country of Darkness after killing Ion. But now, he was no longer worried. Since Ion wasn��t the rightful dragon soul heir, Rhode could transfer the dragon soul to Erin after getting rid of Ion to maintain the presence of Order. Based on the current situation, perhaps the Dark Dragon that Angelina mentioned was the key to transferring the dragon soul. If not, Rhode��s party had clearly defeated Ion in the game and yet, they didn��t witness any transfer of the dragon soul to Erin thereafter. Not only that, but the moon princess was also killed later. In this case, the steps Rhode should take now was to enter the underground maze, release the imprisoned Dark Dragon, defeat Ion, and gain the Dark Dragon��s help to transfer the dragon soul to Erin. According to Angelina, even though the Dark Dragon��s mental health seemed unstable over the years of imprisonment, fortunately Erin was accompanying her right now. Perhaps Erin could soothe the Dark Dragon��s confused nerves��


    The situation of the Country of Darkness described by Angelina also concerned Rhode. It seemed like his earlier guesses were right. Ion was completely infected by Chaos, where his dragon soul protection had become unstable. If this continued, perhaps Rhode wouldn��t need to make a move on his own and the Country of Darkness would still collapse, like the aftermath after Rhode defeated Ion in the game.


    Apart from the bad news, there was also some good news. Undead creatures lived for at least hundreds of years and those in ancient families even lived for thousands of years. Even Di and Elena realized that something was wrong with the Country of Darkness, not to mention those ancient undead creatures. That was why they sealed their families in the tomb and underground before Ion made any crazy decisions. According to Angelina��s observation, most of the rising noble families were basically done for, while the older generations of nobles managed to survive and hide far away from the Darkness Capital. That wasn��t too surprising since all rising noble families relied upon Ion��s power to receive their position and authority. If they stopped following Ion, they would only be walking down a road of destruction. However, the ancient families existed much longer than Ion��s reign as the ruling Dark Dragon. That was why even if the ancient families didn��t support Ion, their massive network in the country ensured that they wouldn��t fall from power in the Country of Darkness. Moreover, Ion was behaving peculiarly now�� It would be ridiculous if the ancient undead creatures didn��t realize that something was wrong.


    It was total chaos in the Country of Darkness now. Taking Angelina, for instance, her journey back home was constantly in turmoil, where the insane undead creatures attacked her on sight. Angelina defeated some of them while being chased, which was why she was thrashed and fatigued after finally fleeing the Country of Darkness.


    ��What should we do next, Big Brother?��


    The younger sister who sat beside Rhode asked softly. Upon hearing her question, Angelina sized up the young lady. Angelina was curious about this young lady who appeared identical and younger than Rhode. But as Angelina was Rhode��s subject, she knew not to cross the line and chose to remain silent as she continued to look at the young lady.


    ��In this case, we may need to change our strategy.��


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s question, Rhode shook his head. His strategy earlier was built entirely on the fact that Ion was the qualified dragon soul heir. As soon as Rhode killed Ion, the dragon soul protection would shatter, which was why Rhode decided to contain the space of the Country of Darkness in order to ensure that when the dragon soul protection crumbled, Order would gain the upper hand over Chaos. However, this was a really bothersome matter for Rhode. The dragon soul protection determined the power of the dragon soul. But the power of the dragon soul came from the level of ��faith�� of the territory. Even though the Void Territory was populated, they didn��t have as many people as the Country of Light. If it weren��t for his younger sister��s help, Rhode couldn��t possibly suppress Ion��s dragon soul protection to this degree. This was also why he withdrew his forces as soon as he realized something was wrong. He just couldn��t afford to waste anymore strength at this point in time.


    Since Erin was able to inherit the Dark Dragon��s soul, Rhode would need to change his strategy. This way, as long as they killed Ion and let Erin inherit the Dark Dragon��s soul, it could minimize the hazard of Chaos. With the Dark Dragon��s soul as a buffer, Rhode��s Void Dragon��s soul could receive a certain extent of stability and recuperation. What was next was to see what the twin dragons of the Country of Law decided. Even though Rhode didn��t have anything against the twin dragons, he clearly knew that it was wishful thinking to count on them to not follow protocol.


    Better to rely upon myself.


    ��I have an idea. Even though it is slightly risky, it may work����


    Rhode spoke. He pondered for a few moments, gazed at the people around him, and puckered his brows. Shortly after, he restored his expressionless face as though his frown earlier was fake.


    ��All in all, that��s it for now. Your Highness Lydia, I will need to trouble you to start deploying the defensive line.��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s command, Lydia blinked curiously. But shortly after, her eyes glinted in a clear flash and she nodded slightly. After receiving her response, Rhode turned to Marlene on the other side.


    ��Marlene, sort out the intelligence Angelina gathered with her, especially about Ion becoming the dragon soul heir through improper means. I hope you can provide me with the report as soon as possible. Then, I will need you and Angelina to head to the Country of Law to report the findings to Nalea and Siena.��


    As protectors of Order, the twin dragons naturally had ways to determine the authenticity of what Angelina observed based on her memories. Rhode believed that after the twin dragons learned the truth, they wouldn��t continue shilly-shallying.


    ��Got it, Rhode.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s order, Marlene nodded firmly in response and shifted her gaze to Angelina who stood in the middle.


    ��You did well, Angelina. Thanks to your help, we��re able to grasp the situation more accurately now.��


    ��It��s nothing, Madam. It is my duty�� Ah, yes!��


    Angelina replied when suddenly, she fumbled around as though she thought of something. Then, her expression changed abruptly.


    ��Sh*t����


    Before anyone realized what she meant, a green blade ray dazzled. At the next moment, the petite vampire who stood before everyone lost her head as it fell and rolled on the ground.

 Chapter 1215 - Queen of Blades (1)

    ��Angelina?��


    Looking at this scene, everyone was stumped. Rhode stood up instantly to shield his younger sister. Almost at the same time, he felt a burst of invisible blade airwaves striking him. In an instant, he raised his arm and a pitch-black sword appeared in his hand, slashing at the air. Clang! A green blade ray flickered in the empty air before him. At the sight of this blade ray, Rhode��s eyes glinted. He flicked his wrist and spots of light erupted from his blade like a wild storm that flooded the entire space.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    A series of rasps reverberated. It was apparent that the invisible sword failed to resist the violent attack from him. Rhode was relentless. He had no intention of stopping his assault. The brilliance emanating from his blade glared and the invisible sword couldn��t retaliate at all. But at the next moment, Rhode withdrew his blade and retreated all of a sudden. Along with this action, the scattered blade rays coalesced on his blade as though they were attracted by an unknown force. Then, everyone witnessed a glaring, lightning blade ray.


    Clang~


    This time, the rasp didn��t sound as crisp and even trembled in vibrato. However, the bystanders clearly witnessed that the battle had ended. Among the crowd were experts in swordsmanship. The moment they heard the vibrating echo, they knew it was the sound of that enemy failing to grasp and defend against Rhode��s attack. If the enemy still had some energy left in it, it would have some ways to resist the assault. But since it couldn��t, it would be struck away like this. It was apparent that this ambush by the invisible sword was completely countered.


    Clink.


    Along with this sound, something seemed to fall onto the ground. But when everyone turned toward the sound, they couldn��t see any weapon. At that moment, Rhode��s younger sister chuckled, stood to her feet, and waved her hand gently.


    ��Alright, everyone calm down. That isn��t our enemy.��


    ��I sure hope so����


    Upon hearing the young lady��s comment, Angelina reattached her severed head to her body and let out a long, helpless sigh. Angelina didn��t care if the sword was a foe or ally since this wasn��t the first time she was beheaded by it. Be it whether the sword was an enemy or not, she would be attacked no matter what. However, Angelina had to admit that the moment the sword was deflected by Rhode, she felt elated. The thought of that bast*rd who forced her to do things against her will landing in trouble now instantly delighted Angelina. It was especially so after seeing Rhode standing up for her. Deep down, Angelina had a much better impression of him now��


    Angelina thought she didn��t have any status in Rhode��s heart, but now it seemed like he did care about her enough to deal with that ridiculous thing personally��


    Fortunately, Angelina wasn��t aware of Rhode��s true thoughts. A beautiful misunderstanding was great at times, wasn��t it?


    ��Phew����


    At that moment, a green radiance flickered on the empty ground. As the radiance emanated, everyone felt a chilly burst of air proliferating the space around them. Shortly after, a translucent, specter-like presence appeared.


    ��Hmm?��


    Gazing at the specter young lady, Angelina widened her eyes in shock. She had met this specter young lady in the underground earlier. In her memories, the young lady should be around 15 to 16 years old. But now, she seemed even younger than Gracier and Madaras. Besides, her expression also appeared really weak as though she were seriously-ill. Moreover, perhaps no one would oppose the thought of her being a lonely spirit on the verge of disappearance based on that fading, translucent body of hers. But even so, the young lady��or perhaps little girl��bit her lip tightly and seemingly decided to fight to the end. She stared at Rhode and her hands were as though clenching onto something. Even though one couldn��t determine what she was grabbing, based on the battle observed earlier, that should be the sword in her hands�� Yes, should be��


    ��Ugh����


    While Rhode sized up the young lady, he heard Celestina��s voice all of a sudden.


    ��It��s Fifth Big Sister�� I thought something felt strange when I clashed with her sword earlier. I didn��t expect it to be her�� This is trouble.��


    Fifth Big Sister?


    Upon hearing Celestina��s comment, Rhode was taken aback for a split second. He stared at the specter young lady.


    In this case, this specter young lady is also part of the holy sword card deck? Since Celestina calls her Fifth Big Sister, does that mean she��s in the fifth seat?


    Currently, the tenth seat was Celia, the ninth seat was Celestina, the eighth and seventh seats were Gracier and Madaras respectively, the sixth was Shira, and the fourth was Karin. Rhode found only six out of ten of the holy sword card deck. And now, it seemed like he was about to obtain the fifth seat.


    ��What is your name?��


    At this thought, Rhode raised his sword and pointed its blade at the specter. Facing his question, the specter cocked her head slightly and didn��t respond. But shortly after, Celestina��s voice sounded beside his ear once again.


    ��You don��t need to waste your effort, Master. Fifth Big Sister doesn��t like to speak. I have never heard her speak a word in over a thousand years. It��s more likely to get Big Sister Gracier and Big Sister Madaras to sing a song for you instead of hoping that Fifth Big Sister would say something.��


    I see. Come to think of it, Gracier and Madaras could actually sing? Seems like I must find an opportunity in the future to get those two princesses perform a duet for me.


    At this thought, Rhode shook his head and threw this thought to the back of his head. Then, he turned to Angelina, who had reattached her head and was rotating her neck to ensure it was securely in place.


    ��What exactly is going on?��


    The background of that specter wasn��t complicated and could be said to be really simple. In less than 10 minutes of explanation, Rhode learned everything about the specter. Of course, Angelina didn��t forget to use this chance to complain about her tragic encounters. If it were others, perhaps they would laugh, thinking that Angelina was exaggerating. But after witnessing Angelina��s plight earlier, no one believed that she was kidding just now.


    ��I see����


    After hearing Angelina��s narration, Rhode nodded. He knitted his brows and gazed at the silent specter young lady, before turning and exchanging looks with his younger sister. Rhode almost figured out why the specter young lady followed Angelina around. Even though Angelina wasn��t an official card spirit of his, she had a contract with him, after all, which was why she possessed some of his aura. On the other hand, Rhode was the Void Dragon, so naturally there was the scent of the Void Dragon in his aura. It was apparent that this was the reason that triggered the specter young lady, forcing her to awake from her slumber and follow Angelina around. As for why the specter young lady severed Angelina with no rhyme or reason, perhaps this specter young lady who disliked speaking was using her unique way to spur Angelina to bring her back to her master.


    Just that�� this method was somewhat too bizarre�� Frankly speaking, this was the first time Rhode was so hesitant in recovering a holy sword card. He wasn��t willing to accept a maniac who would lay hands on anyone randomly.


    ��Don��t worry, Master. Fifth Big Sister isn��t that much of a troublemaker.��


    Upon detecting Rhode��s hesitation, Celestina consoled him.


    ��Even though I don��t deny the fact that Fifth Big Sister is peculiar, she is respectful toward ordinary lives. The reason why that little vampire, Angelina, was severed was thatbecauseshe is an undead creature, that��s all. That is the way Fifth Big Sister interacts with undead creatures�� You may not know it, but Fifth Big Sister and Big Sister Shira are a perfect match�� Big Sister Shira also loves being�� So�� You know it, Master.��


    ������


    Upon hearing Celestina��s words, the corners of Rhode��s eyes twitched slightly. He instantly recalled how the Undead Puppet, Shira, craved for agony�� Shira was indeed abnormally-dedicated to pain. If it were her, she would be excited to be severed into chunks. According to Celestina, the specter young lady had a favorable relationship with Shira, which meant that the former was also pleased to cleave Shira��


    After imagining the scene of that specter young lady wielding a sword, slashing Shira into chunks, and them looking into each other��s eyes lovingly, Rhode couldn��t help but feel a shiver run down his spine. Suddenly, he felt like as a holder of the holy sword card deck, he had a responsibility to correct the outrageous moral values of his card spirits.


    That strange, eerie thought dwindled from his mind. Rhode sheathed his sword and sauntered toward the specter young lady. Upon witnessing his approach, the specter young lady raised her guard. She clutched her sword and stared at him, before shifting her gaze to the young lady behind him and revealed an obvious, dazed look on her beautiful face. Rhode wasn��t mindful of her reaction. He extended his right arm and gazed at her white eyes.


    ��I think you��ve sensed my power. So, it is time for you to make a decision. Are you willing to become my card spirit and fight for me?��


    ������


    Facing Rhode��s question, the specter young lady pondered for a few moments. She continued to look at him and laid down the sword gradually. Then, she loosened her right hand��s grip on the hilt and extended her arm forward.

 Chapter 1216 - Queen of Blades (2)

    The young lady stretched out her arm and held Rhode��s right hand.


    Along with this action, magical radiance emanated around them and a summoning ritual appeared under their feet. A green brilliance and chilly death aura unique to specters emerged from the summoning ritual, coalescing into a green card that landed in Rhode��s palm.


    That card appeared to be hallucinatory. In the hazy radiance, its entirety seemed so unclear. The card was translucent and seemingly a product of fuzzy, frosted glass. One could see the indistinct figure of a young lady on the card, and there was nothing else apart from that. Fortunately, the system prompt had popped up in front of Rhode��s eyes, assisting him in confirming the card��s identity.


    [Received Holy Sword: Queen of Blades����Five. Death isn��t the end, but the beginning. Roaming between the lines of life and death, when the Queen of Blades flourishes her sword, mortals will be sent into the ice-cold abyss of death. Imaginary Property: LV 3 (Ability to turn holder into spiritual form). Lightning Strike: LV 3 (Extreme Speed +5). Deadly Assault: LV 3 (Upon hitting the enemy, there is a certain chance to inflict a deadly curse and sever the enemy��s body)]


    ������


    Gazing at the introduction of the card, Rhode put up an amused expression. Judging from her ��specter�� characteristics, even though this card was meant to deal with mortals, he was surprised that her abilities were so transcendent. Also, what was up with the ability to ��sever the enemy��s body��? Could it be that this card gained this ability after she and Shira ��killed each other lovingly�� for a long time? For some unknown reason, upon looking at the details, Rhode felt like there was a subtle, malicious intent��


    Come to think of it, she didn��t even have a name and the system interface only showed that her name was ��Five��. Was it because she was in the fifth seat? Judging from her appearance, Rhode couldn��t help but rub his chin and narrow his eyes at the specter young lady.


    In this case, I might as well call her Little Five. Yes, that sounds smoother, doesn��t it?


    ������


    Unsure if the specter young lady realized that Rhode was imagining things, she glared at him coldly. However, Rhode wasn��t afraid of her stare at all. Even though the aura that the specter young lady exuded was terrifying, it piqued his curiosity instead. He squinted and sized up the young lady. Both of them exchanged looks for a few moments. Then, the young lady turned over and vanished into the air silently. Up until that moment, Rhode shifted his gaze to the side.


    ��Alright, that is all for today. Go wash up and call it a night.��


    He continued.


    Based on the current situation, even though the matter had clearly come to an end, it wasn��t exactly over for Rhode. There was some crucial information brought back by Angelina. If what she said were true, this stalemate would be improved over time. But to Rhode, in order to improve the situation, there were many things he needed to do�� And one of them was rather adventurous. But despite that, he had no choice but to accomplish it.


    ��Have you decided, Big Brother?��


    Upon hearing the gentle voice of his younger sister, Rhode turned around and gazed at a face that he couldn��t be more familiar with. The delicate and tender face blushed in a pink complexion. The young lady curled up in his embrace with half-shut eyes. Rhode felt her warm and soft, smooth skin as they laid together. Perhaps due to the ��intensive exercise�� earlier, the young lady panted slightly. Rhode even felt her heart pounding. He couldn��t help but stretch his arm and wrap it around her slim waist. Upon sensing his touch, the young lady trembled, but quickly relaxed and reclined into his arms.


    ��Yes��almost. According to Angelina��s intelligence, as long as we defeat Ion, everything will go smoothly. I don��t want to stir up a hornets�� nest around Chaos. In this world, there is no future in going against Chaos. As long as we transmigrate the entire Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system, everything will turn out well.��


    ������


    Upon hearing his words, the younger sister nodded gently. Rhode was right. In this world where Chaos dominated, there was no point in going against Chaos. Although the Creator Dragons did their best to create the Dragon Soul Continent to defeat Chaos, they barely survived the disaster. Of course, such wars could last for hundreds, thousands, or hundreds of thousands of years. But what was the meaning behind them? If Rhode or any other Creator Dragons were to answer this question, there was only one answer.


    There was no meaning at all.


    Even though external influences might force others to stop conflicts between races, factions, and faiths, and make them join forces temporarily, when everything ended or took a short-term break, they would release all of that pent-up pressure. Wasn��t that how the Creation War came about?


    Back then, in order for the Dragon Soul Continent to stay away from the threat of Chaos, the Five Creator Dragons abandoned their bodies and headed to a new world. But despite that, their heirs in the Dragon Soul Continent started the Creation War. This was the irrefutable evidence that they just couldn��t have enough of wars. Even if Rhode were to unite all five dragon soul heirs like his younger sister did in the past and fight against Chaos, how long could they last? They couldn��t possibly eradicate all Chaos. If that continued for a few more centuries, even though it might be possible, there wasn��t any meaning to it. And if Rhode and the rest were no longer around, would their successor start a similar war like the Creation War? There was a possibility for that, and a high one indeed.


    History always spiraled. Humans were forever making the same mistakes and the Creator Dragons clearly knew about that. They were unable to stop wars and conflicts of lives, but could do their best to eliminate external threats. It was like how parents often hoped for their children to lead blissful lives. Of course, perhaps the path that their children took wasn��t as planned out by the parents, but parents would still shelter their children from storms and do their best to aid them in their strenuous journey.


    ��I will get ready tomorrow. As for manpower�� I will bring Canary and Icy Snow along with me and leave this place to you.��


    ��Can��t I go with you, Big Brother?��


    ��For safety��s sake, you��re better off staying here. After all, those guys are a touch bunch. Besides, according to Angelina, the Darkness Capital became really dangerous. We��re heading there to rescue someone this time and aren��t there to attack Ion. If possible, I hope to not invite too much trouble.��


    Rhode��s top priority was to rescue Erin. That was the decision he made: set his battle line in a defensive formation, lead his men to save Erin, and consider how to lure out Ion.


    Rhode was confident in luring out Ion. As long as Ion learned that Erin escaped the Darkness Capital, he would surely give chase. When that happened, Rhode would join forces with the rest, annihilate him, and everything would turn out fine. Even if he couldn��t lure out Ion with this move, at least he would be able to rescue Erin.


    Due to that reason, Rhode wouldn��t bring too many people with him. Only the few essential ones were enough.


    ��Alright then�� I will stay here with Christie����


    The young lady said. She closed her mouth and lowered her head. Looking at her reaction, Rhode let out a helpless sigh.


    After bringing the younger sister back to the Dragon Soul Continent, she met Christie several times. Even though Christie was surprised by the presence of his younger sister, she still gladly accepted her as a ��big sister��. But Rhode clearly knew that it was conflicting for his younger sister to face Christie. Although the younger sister doted on Christie, she was hesitant on whether she should confess her true identity to Christie. Rhode empathized with the younger sister on this. Up until this moment, it was due to this complicated feeling that he also didn��t inform Christie that he was her father. And according to his younger sister, she also didn��t feel comfortable confessing to Christie that she was her mother. As for whether she should even tell Christie the truth, she was hesitant about it��


    It was especially so after hearing from Rhode about the harsh environment that Christie grew up in. The younger sister felt guilty and was conflicted. She wanted to care for Christie like a real mother, but was afraid that Christie wasn��t willing to accept her after learning her identity. As Rhode empathized with the younger sister about this, he felt like he didn��t have the rights to instruct her. That was why both of them were at a loss�� They didn��t know what they should do.


    ��Alright, don��t overthink it.�� Rhode said, stroking his younger sister��s longer hair. ��When the time comes, there will naturally be results. Let��s focus on the issue in front of us now.��


    ��Okay����


    Curling up in his embrace, the young lady nodded gently and sank into a deep slumber.


    Rhode let out a sigh in response and also closed his eyes.


    ��This situation sure is troublesome,�� he mumbled under his breath.

 Chapter 1217 - : Dark Region (1)

    Warm rays of the sun never illuminated the lands here, and even the gentle luster of moonlight was banned. The only presence that existed was darkness. Under the shine of bright torches brought in by these foolish intruders, only the ice-cold, stone walls and solid rocks announced their existence. This was the land enveloped by eternal darkness, where light could never exist.


    The Dark Region.


    Most of the evil races were gathered here. The existence of darkness released all valves of desires. Creatures who couldn��t survive on the surface or were chased to the underground grew up in the darkness. They abandoned their possessions, but received much more instead. Perhaps this couldn��t be compared directly, but to them, there was nothing more important than gaining strength.


    Gazing at the pitch-black cave, Neo rubbed his huge nose, extended his arm, and spurred on the underground lizard under him with a long whip. Along with this action, the massive, four-legged lizard dashed forward briskly. Even though it stepped on gravel and grit, no loud sounds were made at all.


    Neo was the same as most dwarves: kind, smart, and adventurous. Some traveling poets termed dwarves as underground elves. Of course, no one agreed with this analogy in terms of their appearance. But if one were wandering in the underground exhaustedly, dealing with the assassinations of dark elves and cunningness manipulation of duergars, one would realize that only the city of dwarves was willing to open their doors and welcome one with open arms. Therefore, it wasn��t hard to understand why the dwarves gained such praises.


    Neo stared at the cave ahead and stretched his body tautly. Even though Neo had been through this path hundreds of times, he didn��t let his guard down. No one knew when an enemy would show up. In the Dark Region, it was only when one returned to one��s warm, lovely home that one could barely relax oneself. If it weren��t for the huge remuneration, Neo wouldn��t be willing to leave his safe den. He clutched a refined crossbow in one hand and the button above the rein in the other. This way, if he were ambushed, he could defend himself immediately and get into battle with the enemy. As a member of a race that had lived underground since ancient times, even though dwarves didn��t seem as diabolical as dark elves or as cunning as duergars, if one were foolish enough to think that dwarves were pushovers, the dwarves would use their unique methods to remind them that they weren��t only lucky to survive the harsh underground all these years. An army of dark elves avoided a heavily-guarded dwarf city, not to mention wandering creatures in the cave.


    But recently, the situation seemed somewhat abnormal.


    As an underground trader, Neo was aware of what was happening right now. Many clients of his decided to give up their territories and headed deeper into the underground. Some even sought to leave the underground and headed to the surface, which surprised Neo greatly. Just like fish in the ocean that never craved to go ashore, perhaps to residents on the surface, the underground world enveloped in darkness was a living hell. But creatures born in the underground never headed to the surface nor bathed in the sun. Be it the kind dwarves or sinister dark elves and duergars, they were all the same. Perhaps it sounded ridiculous, but to underground inhabitants, the surface was an unknown and dangerous place. It was just like how they could never understand why creatures living on the surface weren��t afraid that they would fly into the sky one day. When one raised one��s head and couldn��t see the ceiling and solid walls, wouldn��t they feel unsafe?


    And now, since some inhabitants decided to escape this place and head to the surface, Neo felt like the situation wasn��t as simple as he had imagined. Besides, what worried him was that according to some rumors, the nearby dark elf city was ��sealed off�� completely, prohibiting anyone from entering and exiting. Not only that, but they also purchased huge amounts of resources as though they would be in lockdown for a year or two. Normally, Neo would cheer with both hands raised at this behavior. But now, he felt rather worried instead. For the situation to escalate to the extent where dark elves sealed off their city, it showed that a crisis might have occurred recently.


    Seems like I need to remind the others after heading back. If anything were to happen, at least they are prepared for it, isn��t it?


    ����!��


    At that moment, the four-legged lizard came to an abrupt halt. It stooped over in alertness, staring ahead. Neo tensed up instantly at its behavior. This underground lizard had been through special training. Not only could it roam about stably and silently, but it could also sense the presence of other creatures. If there were any dangers ahead, it would warn its owner immediately. Judging from its reaction, it seemed like it spotted some enemies ahead.


    But shortly after, Neo discovered that the situation wasn��t as he had imagined. Because the scarlet flames that illuminated the stone walls revealed the identity of the enemies.


    Surface creatures.


    Almost immediately, Neo witnessed several men in robes raising torches and sauntering out the other end of the tunnel.


    ***


    ��I don��t like this damn place, Leader. It��s so dark, stuffy, and boring!��


    Mini Bubble Gum (No. 2) spread her arms apart and grumbled in displeasure. Upon hearing her complaints, Rhode shrugged.


    ��At least it is quiet here. Besides, it is suitable for us to conceal our trails. According to Angelina, the undead creatures on the surface are basically insane. Do you want to spend your time with those undead creatures instead?��


    ��Fine�� I was just saying, that��s all.��


    Facing Rhode��s answer, Bubble curled her lips and remained silent. Standing close to her, Icy Snow��s cat ears stood at attention and carefully listened to the surrounding movements. Her eyes glinted in a dark green flash as she traversed across the tunnel silently like a cat.


    This time, Rhode didn��t bring too many people with him. Just like what his younger sister mentioned, this time he was here to rescue someone and not to kill their target. That was why the most important thing was not to attract any attention. Even though he didn��t bring a huge party with him this time, they were suited for the situation and environment. It went without saying that Angelina went with them because she knew the entrance to that mysterious tunnel. Other than her, Rhode also brought Nell along, as the white-skinned dark elf was most familiar with the underground world. With her around, they could waste the least amount of time getting through the area. Mini Bubble Gum (No. 2) also came with them. Even though the original Bubble screamed and grumbled shamelessly, insisting to follow with them along, considering the risks involved, Rhode decisively threw her in Canary��s care. Bubble was frustrated because there was also someone who blatantly followed them and yet, Rhode accepted her generously.


    Anne hummed as she followed Rhode closely. It had always been her favorite hobby to follow him around for adventures. This time, Rhode allowed her to follow the group as he valued her strength. On the other hand, Marlene and Lize also hinted to Rhode that Anne��s ��days�� were approaching. During this period, she had been acting restless. Rather than leaving her in the camp to scourge Marlene and Lize, they would rather Anne follow Rhode to vent some of her pent-up energy. That was why when Anne volunteered, Rhode agreed straightaway. This obvious double standard left Mini Bubble Gum in displeasure. But it was a pity that she couldn��t do anything about it.


    Mini Bubble Gum desired to come, but was not allowed to. On the contrary, someone who didn��t wish to come was forced to by Rhode.


    And that person was Cassidy.


    This ��Contrast Deity Warden�� had been afraid of Rhode. It was especially so after he brought his younger sister back, where Cassidy kept following his younger sister around and avoided meeting Rhode as much as possible. Even if there were something on, she would report to his younger sister. Therefore, this time when Rhode appointed Cassidy to join the party, Cassidy wasn��t willing at all. But it was a pity that no one stood on her side this time. His younger sister smiled and said to Cassidy gently: ��I��ll leave it to you then, Cassidy.���� Later, the pitiful Contrast Deity Warden followed the party helplessly like a noble abducted by slave traders.


    ��Big Brother, there��s something ahead.��


    At that moment, Icy Snow came to a halt and said softly. Even though her archery skills were hardly useful in underground tunnels, Rhode needed her [Space Detection] ability. Even though Nell was also familiar with the underground world, she hadn��t returned for a long time, after all. Besides, it was normal for troublesome creatures to run out from nowhere. With Icy Snow around, Rhode��s group could at least avoid some troubles and danger. They didn��t have time to waste on them now.


    ��What is that?��


    Upon hearing Icy Snow��s words, Rhode twitched his brows and asked. Icy Snow puckered her brows, looked ahead, and shifted her gaze away.


    ��A dwarf,�� she said.

 Chapter 1218 - Dark Region (2)

    Using the phrase ��meeting face-to-face on a narrow path�� in the underground world couldn��t be more fitting for this situation. The reason for innumerable clashes and battles here was that when two parties met, they were almost caught in a dead end. Unlike the surface, it was tough for two hostile creatures to escape in the underground, trapped by stone walls. Apart from that, there were also many other reasons for starting a fight. One of the most common reasons was��


    The other party blocked my way.


    That wasn��t a joke in the underground.


    When Rhode��s turned the corner with raised torches in their hands, they spotted an underground lizard that was almost as tall as a horse and a dwarf mounted on its neck. The dwarf wore a ridiculous-looking shell as his hat, while the underground lizard had goods and food supplies tied to both sides of its body. This underground tunnel wasn��t spacious, but it wasn��t considered narrow either. It could accommodate up to two underground lizards standing shoulder-to-shoulder. If this encounter happened on the surface, giving way would be deemed chivalrous. But in the underground world, giving way meant weakness, which was an extremely dangerous thing to do. Not only that, but it also sent out the hidden message of ��I can��t defeat you, so please let me leave���� This was basically no different from ��I��m weak, please kill me��.


    This went to show why battles were so common in the underground.


    Upon seeing Rhode��s group ahead, the dwarf seemed really nervous. Rhode sensed the insecure trembles of his body, which was somewhat exaggerated, like a clown performing comedy on stage. But Rhode wasn��t mindful because dwarves were a race that loved making exaggerated gestures. The dwarf stared at Rhode��s group and after a few moments of silence, he patted the lizard��s head gently. Shortly after, the huge lizard moved toward the stone wall. Looking at this scene, Rhode didn��t say a word, but nodded at the dwarf in response instead, before leading the rest into the tunnel behind the dwarf.


    This was supposed to be a small encounter, if the dwarf didn��t break the silence all of a sudden.


    ���� Wait��!��


    The moment Rhode��s group sauntered past the dwarf, the latter yelled. The startled crowd turned around and stared at him, giving the dwarf tremendous pressure. The dwarf thought his behavior was a little rude. Even though these humans didn��t seem like bad guys, yelling at them in the underground was too risky, after all�� But since the dwarf had already spoken, he could only brace himself and continue speaking.


    ��Erm�� Say�� You guys are adventurers from the surface, right? I don��t know why you are here, but you��d better be careful. It hasn��t been safe around here lately.��


    ��Oh?��


    Upon hearing the dwarf��s words, Rhode twitched his brows. The reason why Rhode chose to enter the Darkness Capital through the underground tunnels was because the possibilities of the underground being invaded by Chaos was much lower than the surface��s. In the past, that was also what happened in the lands of Chaos. Even though Chaos enfolded the sky and ground, their power had always been weak in the dark underground. That was the reason why ancient inhabitants built their refuges in the deep underground.


    ��Did something happen?��


    ��I��m not too sure.��


    Facing Rhode��s question, the dwarf shook his head.


    ��It��s just that many places have entered lockdown. No one is allowed to leave and enter the cities, which is why I have to remind you guys. Even though I don��t know if there is a guide amongst your group, many gathering places and cities are closed to outsiders right now. If you trespass, you risk getting yourselves killed.��


    ��All of them are in lockdown?��


    This time, it wasn��t Rhode who replied, but Nell instead. As a dark elf, she was more sensitive in this matter.


    ��Is Carlesodar City in complete lockdown too?��


    ��Of course.��


    Upon hearing her question, the dwarf couldn��t help but raise his guard. He gazed uneasily at the young lady who stood before him. Carlesodar City was one of the largest cities for dark elves, and it seemed like these people were heading there��


    Oh, rocks, what exactly are they trying to do?


    At this thought, the dwarf sized up Nell and felt even more suspicious. If it weren��t this dark elf who asked that question, he would be able to understand the situation. But the problem was that this elf��s complexion was as white as snow and unlike the skin tone of dark elves at all. In this case, the dwarf could only recognize her as an elf from the surface.


    Why is an elf from the surface trying to bring a group of people into the territory of dark elves?


    ��Excuse me�� Miss Elf. I don��t know why you are heading there, but I received news that the Bailey Family has sealed off all of Carlesodar City and put up defenses. Frankly, we don��t know what��s going on either. After all, even though the underground isn��t always peaceful and there are clashes happening daily, everything has been stable and we aren��t aware of anything that would lead to such a situation.��


    I see.


    Rhode and Nell exchanged glances with each other. In the Country of Darkness, although underground races were also vassals of the Country of Darkness, they were more like dominions. Undead creatures showed contempt against races who only knew how to drill holes in the underground and didn��t waste time controlling the underground world. As long as the underground races weren��t up to no good, the undead creatures would be unconcerned about them. Now that the Country of Darkness was in such huge trouble, the cunning dark elves had definitely heard of relevant news. In order to avoid being forced by the Dark Dragon to become able-bodied men for war like those pitiful undead creatures, the dark elves chose to put their own safety before matters of principle. Even though they were vassals of the undead creatures, be it dark elves or duergars, they were still mortal races. Although they stood on the same side as the undead creatures, they politely declined the opportunity to put their lives at risk.


    It was especially so for dark elves with extremely low fertility rates, as they basically lost their lives in internal battles.


    ��Thanks for the warning.��


    After pondering the situation for a while, Rhode had a further understanding of the underground situation now. It was apparent that the undead creatures were as sensitive as he had anticipated. The current situation was to see whether Ion would dispatch undead creatures to deal with these underground inhabitants like when he handled Garcia earlier. In terms of absolute power, even though underground creatures definitely didn��t stand a chance against enemies of the Chaos Lords�� caliber, the underground environment was their best advantage. If a fierce battle were to break out, perhaps their winning chance would be 50-50.


    But this has nothing to do with us, at least for now.


    At this thought, Rhode nodded at the dwarf.


    ��Just like you said, the surface isn��t peaceful right now. I know dwarves dislike battle, but you��d better seal up your city and hide in safety like the dark elves. It will be best to prohibit anyone from entering and exiting your city. I think that will be beneficial for you guys.��


    ��Thanks for the reminder, surface adventurer.��


    The dwarf revealed a smile at Rhode��s reminder. Even though Rhode didn��t tell the dwarf what exactly the trouble was, the dwarf recognized the truthfulness in his warnings. Besides, based on the current situation, there was indeed a need to seal off the entire city. Dwarves possessed an unique and nimble ability to conceal an entire city in rocks, so intruders wouldn��t be able to find them. The dwarf reached into his pocket and retrieved what it seemed to be an exquisite badge, tossing it to Rhode. Upon noticing his action, Rhode moved his arm and caught the badge.


    ��My name is Neo. Thanks for your reminder; I��ll be sure to warn my tribesmen. Surface adventurer, I can see that all of you are kind people. If you face any trouble or need a place to rest, you can come to our city. As long as you show that badge at the end of the stream, my companions will allow you entry. With tens of thousands of gems, I bless all of you, wishing you a smooth journey in the underground.��


    Neo spoke, waved goodbye to Rhode��s group, and spurred on the lizard. The group watched as the petite dwarf and huge underground lizard vanished into the other end of the tunnel.


    ��Anne thought these underground creatures would be scary and bothersome. Seems like there are still some good guys around, huh? That dwarf seems really friendly.��


    Gazing at the tunnel ahead, Anne couldn��t help but shake her head and comment.


    ��That��s because we haven��t entered the real underground world yet.��


    Facing Anne��s words, Rhode answered quickly.


    ��Even though this is the ��underground�� to us, we��re still on the ��upper level�� of the underground creatures, which is where the kind races, such as dwarves, live in. But if we continue with our journey, we won��t be meeting friendly dwarves like him anymore. What��s waiting for us will be the razor-sharp fangs of underground creatures and the daggers of the dark elves,�� Rhode said, extending his hand to pat Anne��s head gently. ��Alright, let��s continue. I have a feeling that this trip will not be as peaceful as we imagined.��

 Chapter 1219 - Dark Region (3)

    The news that Neo gave Rhode made the latter finally face the underground world squarely. Rhode��s initial plan was to let Nell lead them into Carlesodar City and use their tunnels to enter the outer region of the Darkness Capital. As Carlesodar City was the core of the Dark Region and largest city for dark elves, traffic was accessible from all sides. But now, Carlesodar City was under lockdown, which meant that Rhode��s group couldn��t continue with their journey and had to find another way. It was a pity that the underground was unlike the surface. If it were a tall mountain, Rhode could transform into his dragon form and soar over it. But in the face of solid rock walls, he didn��t have other solutions. He couldn��t simply transform into the Void Dragon and barge his way through, right? That would be too embarrassing.


    ��I think we can still continue since Carlesodar City is just ahead.��


    Gazing at the underground map before him, Rhode shook his head. The map that was more intricate than a spider web gave him a huge headache. But he was certain that if he didn��t continue with this path, they would spend several days reaching their destination.


    ��But����


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, Nell knitted her brows with a complicated look.


    ��Carlesodar City has always raised their guard against outsiders in the first place. Normally, with my network, there shouldn��t be a problem sneaking in. But now, Carlesodar City has been sealed off. If we insist on slipping through, it will be difficult.��


    ��Why must we sneak in?��


    Upon hearing Nell��s remarks, Rhode seemed surprisingly calm. He swept a glance at the icon that represented Carlesodar City, before rolling up the map and putting it into the folds of his clothes.


    ��Since they don��t allow us to enter, we will just fight our way through.��


    ���� Huh?��


    Nell widened her eyes in astonishment, lifting her head and gazing at Rhode in disbelief. Rhode��s expression remained unchanged. He tidied his clothes and swept a look at Nell. Upon hearing Rhode��s response, Mini Bubble Gum raised her arms immediately and started screaming.


    ��That��s right! That��s my Leader! Didn��t we always do that in the game? We trampled any bast*rds who stood in our way! What��s so powerful about Carlesodar City? Back then, we even trounced the entire continent with Leader!��


    ��But we didn��t attack the underground world last time.��


    Icy Snow curled her lips, glared at Bubble, and grumbled. Facing Icy Snow��s refute, Mini Bubble Gum waved her arm mindlessly.


    ��No dif, Little Icy. Didn��t we come here to accomplish that?��


    ���� Hmph!��


    Upon hearing the name that Bubble called her, Icy Snow pulled a long face, stomped her foot on the ground, and turned around to stop speaking to Bubble. Ever since they confirmed their ��sister-relationship��, the two Bubbles had been treating Icy Snow as the younger sister, infuriating Icy Snow to a complete loss. Even though Icy Snow knew this was Bubble��s sophistry, the former with a serious personality still agreed to Bubble��s words, but it was impossible for her to accept it convincingly��


    ��Are we going in for a fight? Awesome. Anne hasn��t fought with Leader in a while~��


    On the other side, Anne raised her arms in excitement and couldn��t wait to jump into battle. Judging from her thrilled look, Rhode wasn��t surprised if Anne were to retrieve the shield on her back and smash someone with it. Cassidy, who stood on the side, remained silent. But judging from Cassidy��s behavior, it was obvious that she wouldn��t object to Rhode��s suggestion. As for Angelina, as a vampire from the first vampire family, those dark elves were basically no different from human slaves in Angelina��s perspective. The so-called Carlesodar City was nothing more than an over-sized pigsty to her.


    ��I suggest you reconsider your options, Master.��


    Witnessing the various reactions, Nell was the most panicky one. She stood in front of Rhode in a fluster to block his way, waving her hands and speaking sternly.


    ��Carlesodar City is the largest city in the underground and isn��t any smaller than the Darkness Capital. Even though dark elves aren��t as powerful as the forces of the Country of Darkness, they have more than a dozen of advanced spell casters in every family. Furthermore, there are well-equipped dark elf guards and countless goblin slaves. Not only that, but if you also try to storm Carlesodar City, you will face hundreds of ballistas that are as powerful as magic cannons. Also����


    Even though Nell dissuaded the group patiently, informing them of how dangerous Carlesodar City was, no one was as worried as her. In the end, Mini Bubble Gum interrupted in a hurry.


    ��Alright, alright, stop trying to bluff. It��s not like we haven��t been to Carlesodar. Let me ask you this��can this city defeat a dragon soul heir?��


    ��This����


    Facing Mini Bubble Gum��s retort, Nell was dumbfounded. Of course, she understood what Mini Bubble Gum meant. Carlesodar could never defeat a dragon soul heir. There was a precedent. It happened centuries after the Country of Darkness was established. After settling matters on the surface, the Country of Darkness began extending their forces to the deep underground, attempting to control the entire continent comprehensively. Back then, the dark elves were ambitious. They strived to become the strongest force in the underground world and even built their very own underground kingdom. They tried in vain to become the dominator of the underground world and naturally wouldn��t allow themselves to be ruled by others. That was why there was no doubt that the prideful dark elves rejected the Country of Darkness��s request. Not only that, but the dark elves also used their underground advantage to wreak havoc and humiliate the undead creatures.


    That was how the war broke out.


    In the beginning, when facing the undead creatures who closed in on them, the dark elves had indeed defended their homeland. But later, as the dragon soul heir showed up, the situation reversed. Under the Dark Dragon��s lead, in just seven days, the dark elf kingdom crumbled completely. Their proudest capital, Talonwat, got buried in the deep underground under the indignant attack of the Dark Dragon, not leaving behind any debris. Talonwat was the true honor of the dark elves. Its scale was 10 times larger than Carlesodar. But in the end, Talonwat couldn��t avoid its fate of destruction. That war crushed the dark elves�� pride, causing them to shiver and surrender under the deterrence of the dragon soul heir. Talonwat had gathered the effort and wisdom of the dark elves, which was why the dark elves felt so hopeless and desperate. They did their best. But even so, in the face of absolute power, they were bound to collapse.


    And now, standing before Nell was a true dragon soul heir.


    Perhaps it was because Rhode often loved roaming about, Nell subconsciously didn��t treat him as a high and mighty dragon soul heir. Of course, Nell who was ��trained�� by Rhode wouldn��t betray her master. But she had to admit that even so, from her perspective, her master was simply too different from dragon soul heirs who sat in massive palaces full of dignity and majesty. But even so, Rhode was still a dragon soul heir. He was perhaps one of the strongest beings in this world.


    Since Nell knew she couldn��t change his mind, she could only embrace herself and lead the way. Perhaps due to the mighty dragon��s prestige exuding from Rhode, none of the annoying and dangerous underground creatures stirred trouble with them along the way. Under Nell��s lead, the group passed through cracks in rock walls and channels made up of rocks and rushing river. Then, they finally arrived at a deeper and relatively spacious tunnel.


    ��This is the outpost that leads to Carlesodar City.��


    Gazing at the spacious tunnel, Nell puckered her brows, turned, and said to Rhode.


    ��Seems like that dwarf was right. Logically speaking, we have entered the warning area of Carlesodar. Usually there are guards patrolling the area. But now, we don��t see any of them. This means that Carlesodar has shrunk their defense perimeter����


    ��I doubt so.��


    Rhode disagreed with Nell.


    ��With the personality of the dark elves, they wouldn��t wait for a poisonous snake to slither to their feet before screaming and jumping. I��m sure we��re within the encirclement of the dark elves�� It��s about time to teach them some manners. Little Icy, attack!��


    ��Yes, Big Brother!��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s command, Icy Snow lunged forward immediately. She flipped her right hand around and a white, jade-like longbow appeared in her hand. She pulled the bowstring and aimed ahead. She released her finger and a dazzling brilliance erupted from the bowstring, penetrating the gap between the cave and stelae and flitting across in a trail of afterimages.


    ��Woah������!��


    The instant the brilliance vanished, the group heard a blood-curdling scream. A dozen black figures sprung up from the surrounding shadows. They held specially-modified and non-reflective bows, pouncing on the group like poisonous scorpions!

 Chapter 1220 - Dark Region (4)

    The moment the dark elves jumped out of the shadows, they released the arrows, specially-modified and smeared with lethal poison, on their bows. They glided toward the group swiftly and silently. The arrows were as slim as needles. Without taking a closer look, one wouldn��t be able to spot them. If Rhode��s party were a group of ordinary people, perhaps they would have crumbled entirely in this wave of attacks. Even if they survived, they could never resist the next, wild ambush.


    But it was a pity that the dark elves weren��t taking on a bunch of naive adventurers or dazed, ignorant idiots who were caught in their trap. Since Rhode��s group was here to stir trouble, it went without saying that they were powerful enough for that. Moreover, in the game, they had dealt with dark elves in the underground more than once. They experienced the cunningness of dark elves, so naturally, they wouldn��t fall into their trap. Before the poisonous arrows unveiled their effects, they were deflected by an invisible barrier, before getting burnt into a crisp by holy flames, erupting in sparks, and vanishing into dust. At the same time, Mini Bubble Gum raised her middle finger and shortly after, a glaring, sacred brilliance exploded and proliferated with her in the middle, dispersing the black mist released by the dark elves and blinding their eyes. The dazzling radiance enfolded the dark elves�� sight instantly, robbing them of their vision.


    In an instant, the situation turned around. Before the dark elves leapt out of the darkness and struck their prey, they were hit by glaring, holy rays and had no choice but to close their eyes and retreat in panic. Strong rays of light were the fatal weakness of underground creatures. Moreover, the rays of light were holy brilliances from Mini Bubble Gum that would cause additional harm to evil creatures. The dark elves were caught off guard. Their eyes hurt as though they were splashed with sulphuric acid. Even though they had been through strict training, they couldn��t tolerate the agony. They let out horrific screams and hid into the darkness one by one. The dazzling arrows of light that were almost indiscernible to the naked eye punctured their skulls, ending their pain instantly.


    ��Stop making that hand gesture, Bubble. It��s bad! My mom said it isn��t nice to insult others.��


    Icy Snow pulled back the bowstring, while staring in displeasure at Mini Bubble Gum, who lifted her middle finger. Upon hearing Icy Snow��s lecture, Mini Bubble Gum let out a snort of disdain.


    ��I do what I want. Who are you to stop me?��


    ��I��m just like you, graduated from primary school! I��m in junior high now! And a member of the Communist Youth League!��


    ��So what if you��re a member? I don��t give a damn! I will do whatever I want! Complain to the teacher if you��ve got the guts! Not only do I like doing that, but I also like doing this!��


    Mini Bubble Gum said and gave a taunting thumbs-down to Icy Snow. Then, she sandwiched her thumb between the index and middle fingers, swaying it before Icy Snow. Looking at this hand gesture, Icy Snow was taken aback. She revealed a dubious expression.


    ��What does that mean?��


    ��Hahaha, you don��t know, right? A brat will always remain a brat. That is����


    ��Alright, both of you shut up. Now isn��t the time for a quarrel. Little Icy, come here.��


    ��Okay, Big Brother.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, Icy Snow nodded obediently and glared fiercely at Bubble. Even though she didn��t know what that hand gesture meant, based on Bubble��s behavior, she knew it definitely wasn��t anything kind. But Icy Snow turned away from Bubble immediately and went to Rhode��s side to continue attacking the dark elves. Looking at this scene, Rhode let out a deep, inward sigh of relief. Unlike the precocious Bubble, Icy Snow was a late-maturing and innocent young lady. In the game, it was due to this reason that the other members held back a lot in front of Icy Snow.


    It was like how an adult stubbed out a cigarette in front of an underage girl. So from a certain angle, this little fellow was really innocent. Compared to Bubble, who immersed herself on the Internet without any parental guidance, Rhode was aware that Icy Snow seldom used the computer except for online games, so she had less contact with inappropriate behaviors. From this point, an innocent girl like her was considered an endangered animal in the Internet society. Due to that reason, Rhode wasn��t willing to let this little fellow be ��stained�� by Bubble�� Icy Snow was better off growing up in this manner��


    The interaction between Mini Bubble Gum and Icy Snow lasted for only a few seconds and in the meantime, the battle had ended. Even though the dark elves had a clear division of labor among them, they attacked Rhode��s group simultaneously to ensure that they didn��t need to face the dangers alone. However, that was pointless. The blinded dark elves who encircled Mini Bubble Gum and Icy Snow had their skulls penetrated by the light arrows. Before the dark elves pouncing on Icy Snow managed to land an attack, the blood inside their bodies exploded and caused their death. On the other hand, Cassidy didn��t move an inch. She stood on the spot lazily, staring at the four idiotic dark elves who leaped and flourished their blades at her neck. If nothing stopped them, Cassidy��s head would have fallen at the next moment. But as a matter of fact, the instant the blades were swung, it was the dark elves�� skulls that flew up into the air. The dark elves gave their all to kill the enemy, only to send themselves to death. They used their lives to prove that all foolish actions before the Contrast Deity Warden would call forth the arrival of death.


    The battle came to an end abruptly. Standing above the boulder and concealing themselves in the dark mist, before the dark elf mages released a second wave of magical spells, the shield in Anne��s hands whistled toward them, crashing onto them like a fly swatter. In a loud bang, the bloody female mage died, smashing onto the wall and squashing her bones into bits.


    Only the dark elves who surrounded Nell and Rhode survived. It wasn��t that Nell and Rhode were incapable of defeating them, but that after Rhode coalesced and unleashed his dragon��s prestige, the dark elves froze to the spot immediately. Even though there were beings in the Dragon Soul Continent who could still resist the dragon��s prestige, it was a pity that inhabitants of the underground world apparently weren��t as formidable. That was why Rhode merely released his dragon��s prestige and it was enough to paralyze the dark elves. The dark elves turned ashen and tossed their weapons aside in a frenzy. Perhaps if Rhode were to go up and torture them to death, they wouldn��t have any response.


    ��W-Who exactly are y-you people! W-What are you trying t-to do!��


    Even though the dark elves lived with the pride of their years-long arrogance, under Rhode��s overwhelming dragon��s prestige, they couldn��t even speak properly now. This was the effect of Rhode subconsciously stifling his dragon��s prestige. As a matter of fact, if a dragon soul heir were to unleash their dragon��s prestige mercilessly, all the high-level beings within the range would instantly die of extreme fear. Judging from this point, the dragon race was indeed known as ��city destroyers�� and it could be seen that Erin was truly kindhearted. Back then, if she were to release her dragon��s prestige on Earth, perhaps people residing in half the city would suffer from severe cardiac arrest due to extreme fear. This was much faster than actually killing people in a blast.


    Due to that reason, Rhode didn��t feel any pressure bringing less than 10 members to storm the dark elves�� city. As long as he revealed his dragon��s prestige, the issue would be whether the dark elves in the city could survive. But since dark elves were basically cancer, if Rhode were able to wipe them all out, perhaps he might gain the achievement of a ��worship�� reputation in the Elf Forest.


    ��We��re travelers who are passing by.��


    Facing the dark elves�� question, Rhode responded in their language. However, his answer made them reveal strange expressions. Even though Rhode was literally stating the truth, just like how the Earth was circulating around the sun, based on the current situation, why did it feel so weird to them? However, Rhode ignored the suspicious gazes shot at him and continued to speak with a humble and gentle voice.


    ��We��re heading to Carlesodar. If I��m not mistaken, you guys are the patrolling guards of Carlesodar, right?��


    ������


    Facing Rhode��s question, the remaining four dark elves gnashed their teeth, exchanged looks with one another, and nodded grudgingly. These dark elves weren��t fools either. Judging from the exceptional power that Rhode��s group displayed, it was obvious to the dark elves that these adventurers weren��t fools who came to the underground just to commit suicide. Perhaps not even the matriarch of the number one family of Carlesodar City possessed such strength. Facing their silent response, Rhode revealed a gentle smile.


    ��Alright then, please inform your people that the Void Dragon intends to pass through Carlesodar City. I hope you guys can open up the city gates and allow us through. If not, be prepared to suffer the consequences.��


    Gazing at the ashen dark elves, Rhode spoke in a soft tone.

 Chapter 1221 - Dark Region (5)

    ��Leader, you said the dark elves will open the city gates for us?��


    Anne sauntered, turning around to ask Rhode curiously. Facing her question, Rhode shrugged and didn��t answer immediately. Dark elves weren��t a race that would die for their pride. At that moment, the dark elves were hesitant about whether to believe Rhode��s words. If they believed that Rhode was a dragon soul heir, they definitely wouldn��t reject his request. But if they determined that Rhode was bluffing, a nasty battle would inevitably ensue. Of course, there was also a third possibility: the dark elves might allow Rhode��s group into the city, but later on find opportunities to investigate them. As soon as the dark elves realized anything wrong, they would lay hands on Rhode��s group. Based on Rhode��s understanding of the dark elves, the possibility of the dark elves deploying the third strategy was relatively higher. After all, dark elves disliked frontal confrontations. On the contrary, ambushing enemies was their forte.


    Rhode thought, extending his hand to pat Anne��s head.


    ��I think we can enter the city without any issue. But we may face some problems when heading out.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, the group didn��t reveal any huge reactions. It was apparent that most of them thought the same. But Rhode wasn��t concerned. This time, the members he brought were a hundred times stronger than dark elves. Nell was a dark elf herself and most familiar with the underhanded methods of her race. Angelina was no weakling either. As a vampire, she was definitely more scheming than the dark elves. As for Mini Bubble Gum, if any vampires were to provoke her, they would surely be uprooted. On the other hand, Cassidy�� Rhode would be curious to see whether any dark elf was capable enough to hurt her.


    Not even the most obedient-looking Icy Snow was one to be trifled with. If the dark elves treated her as an archer who was capable of shooting long-range arrows, Rhode wouldn��t mind her teaching them an unforgettable lesson. Moreover, unlike other guys who loved roaming about, Icy Snow always stayed close by Rhode��s side, so he didn��t need to worry too much about her.


    Previously, there were a total of four dark elves who escaped death from Rhode. Rhode sent two of them to report the situation to Carlesodar, while commanding the other two to lead the way. As for their background, Rhode had checked with them. They were members of the seventh family in Carlesodar. This time, they were responsible for patrolling the outer region. Just as the dwarf said, Carlesodar was indeed in lockdown, but the dark elves didn��t know the reason behind it. Well, they couldn��t be blamed because they were males.


    In the dark elves�� society, male status was always low because only females were equipped with the spell-casting ability. That was why the rulers and higher-ups of every family were always females. On the other hand, males were mostly guards and subordinates. In this city, only spell casters were respected, while warriors weren��t worthy of a mention. Take Nell, for instance; even though she was a female, she wasn��t able to cast magical spells as she was ��white��. That was why she was abandoned by her family and sent to the Country of Darkness. If Nell were an ordinary female dark elf, she would be living an extravagant life from young, sent to the academy to learn warp spells that had been passed down in the dark underground for years, and use her wisdom, conspiracy, and strength to determine her fate as to whether she could become a ruler or dominated corpse.


    Under the lead of the two dark elves, Rhode��s group didn��t face any obstacles along the way. They passed straight through a trail and when they turned the corner, a huge and majestic city presented itself before them all of a sudden.


    Carlesodar��city of the dark elves.


    This city consisted of hundreds of thousands of stalactites, varying from place to place. Of course, dark elves in the deep underground couldn��t possibly build their homes with trees and vines like on the surface. But this didn��t mean that the dark elves were at their wits�� end. They used huge stalactites as a base for their homes. The stalactites that connected the dome and ground ranged from a few meters to a dozen meters. The dark elves used their skills to carve these products of nature into elegant, beautiful artwork. At a glance, one could see purple, ghostly fire spreading between the stalactites as though it were a sea of purple stars. The sharp peaks of stalagmites were engraved with various sculptures of demons. They linked up, forming a wall that was a dozen meters thick and resisted any ambushes from outsiders. The pitch-black opening at the top of the stalagmites seemed like corroded holes. But Rhode clearly knew that lethal weapons and crossbows were hidden in them.


    Just like in the rumors, Carlesodar City was entirely sealed off. When Rhode��s group arrived at the entrance, the heavy, enormous steel door constructed among the stalagmites was lifted high, seemingly to stop any outsiders from entering. Gazing at the steel door, Rhode knitted his brows, lowered his head, and observed the lava moat that was seven to eight meters wide in front of him. This was the city��s biggest reliance. Any intruders who targeted the city would be devoured by the scorching lava without having a chance to attack. But it was a pity that no one dared to risk one��s life by trying.


    However, historical gaps were supposed to be filled by others.


    ��We��ve brought honorable guests! We��re requesting to enter Carlesodar immediately!��


    Staring at the steel door, the dark elves who led the way yelled loudly for attention. One of them extended his arm and reached for a steel plate from his waist pouch. Then, he roasted it in the heat above the lava moat and tossed it high. This was the dark elves�� emergency signal to request for the opening of the gate.


    �� Rumble��


    After a few moments, the steel door was lowered as a heavy, sturdy bridge appeared over the moat. Shortly after, sharp, enormous iron fences expanded in piercing creaks. The city of dark elves, Carlesodar, finally revealed its true identity to everyone.


    As expected.


    Sweeping a glance at the surroundings, Rhode confirmed his judgment. It seemed like the dark elves had no intention of stopping them from entering the city. After all, Carlesodar was a large city, populated with 60 to 70 dark elf families. Every family consisted of thousands of well-equipped dark elf soldiers and also tens of thousands of goblins and slaves of other races. If Rhode didn��t reveal his strength to terrify the dark elves into yielding, perhaps he and his group would have to pay the price.


    At that moment, Rhode witnessed nine, well-armored dark elf soldiers scuttling toward them. Then, the dark elf who seemed to be their leader saluted.


    ��Welcome to Carlesodar City.��


    The dark elf spoke emotionlessly like a clumsy person reading from the manuscript.


    ��We received notice of your arrival, but we have to apologize in advance. I suppose you��re aware of the current lockdown of Carlesodar City. Not only here, but the paths to other regions are also blocked off. As there were some accidents, we are unable to open up the paths temporarily. If you were to pass through Carlesodar City and head to other areas, I need to warn you that it may take a long time.��


    ��Thanks for the reminder.��


    Upon hearing his words, Rhode simply twitched his brows. It was apparent that this was a delaying tactic by the dark elves. If Rhode displayed enough strength to terrorize the dark elves, they would open up the path for them in no time. But if Rhode failed, they wouldn��t be able to leave this underground city ever again��


    Amusing.


    Stretching his arm and caressing the hilt on his waist, Rhode narrowed his eyes at the dark elf. Facing Rhode, the dark elf didn��t seem frightened at all. He nodded to Rhode��s group, before turning around and entering the city. Rhode waved his hand, beckoning to his group to follow him. The moment Rhode entered the city, he turned around and glanced at the surrounding shadows casually. Then, he looked away and continued sauntering ahead.


    It seemed like Rhode didn��t realize the three young ladies clad in black mage robes hidden in the shadows of the stalagmite wall in the distance. The three young ladies gripped nine-headed whips in their hands. A scarlet spider was sewn on their pitch-black robes. That was the emblem of an advanced mage. They stared at Rhode��s group until they disappeared into the city.


    ��I don��t think these people are threatening. They seem just like a group of surface bugs, that��s all.��


    One of the dark elf mages said in disdain. Then, she gazed provocatively at the silent companion standing beside her.


    ��Seems like the guards of the 18th family need improvement. I can��t figure out how those people managed to wipe out the entire patrol team. Frankly, I think the Manus Family needs to watch their men. It isn��t anything honorable for dark elves to hide their failure and exaggerate the enemies�� threat.��


    ���� I think these people are superior in some ways. You must know that among the dark elves they defeated, some were elite guards from the Rona Family��members of the 3rd family. The second son of the Rona Matriarch was also one of them.��


    The other female mage was apparently displeased with the criticism toward her family. She squinted and stared at the other party. Upon hearing her refutation, the dark elf young lady who taunted earlier let out a snort. She was about to retort when suddenly, the third young lady who remained silent the entire time spoke.


    ��I have some impression of the white elf who went in with them. If I recall correctly, she��s Nell.��


    ��Nell?��


    The two dark elves were taken aback.


    ��Isn��t she the third daughter of the eighth family? I remember that she was sent to the surface a long time ago. Why is she here?��


    ��I don��t know.��


    The female mage shook her head, looked up, and her eyes glinted in mysterious flashes.


    ��But I think there��s a need to report this matter to the eighth family����


    The corners of her lips perked up slightly into an ice-cold smile.


    ��Obviously, this time, Matriarch Durelle will need to answer to other families.��

 Chapter 1222 - Dark Region (6)

    Recently, days weren��t easy for Durelle Bailey.


    Her family used to be one of the three strongest families in Carlesodar City. But now, the Bailey Family was ranked eighth. Even with the strong support of Matriarch Durelle, they didn��t ��disappear�� from the scene. But Durelle was clearly aware that it was only a matter of time. The thing she couldn��t tolerate most was that the dark elves kept calling her family as ��the foreigner third family��. This insult almost drove them crazy.


    Matriarch Durelle expected her family and her to die vigorously in battle, instead of being humiliated by the dropping of family rank. Of course, she knew where the problems stemmed from. Previously, the Bailey Family showed off too much of their abilities, causing much displeasure and disapproval from other dark elf families. The reason why they didn��t eliminate her entirely was because they hoped to teach the Bailey Family a more humiliating lesson. Nothing was more insulting than a once majestic family falling in rank and being wiped out by small, humble families.


    But now, Durelle just learned from her eldest daughter news that distracted her: the second daughter of the Bailey Family, Nell Bailey, had returned to Carlesodar City and was seen entering the city with a group of humans. This enraged Durelle. Of course, she knew the underlying ill-intentions behind those rumors. Back then, Durelle was condemned and questioned after giving birth to a white-skinned dark elf. In the end, Durelle gave Nell away to Balende and won over Balende to stabilize her faltering status. But now, Nell had left Balende and appeared by the side of humans. This was undoubtedly a slap on Durelle��s face. Not only that, but if Durelle failed to show her stance against this ��traitor��, the annihilation of the Bailey Family would also enter the countdown stage.


    But Durelle wasn��t a fool either.


    Even though the Bailey Family dropped in rank, they were still in the top 10 families in Carlesodar City, which was why Durelle also received news from the patrol team regarding the overwhelming power of these humans and the title they brought along with them��the Void Dragon.


    The top 10 families in Carlesodar City didn��t maintain an unified opinion about this matter. Some older families still remembered how the Dark Dragon wiped out the dark elves�� kingdom last time. They didn��t wish to stir any trouble, but the younger families apparently weren��t as restrained as them. The younger families believed that a respected dragon soul heir wouldn��t possibly arrive at the underground world without any warning. This group of humans might possibly be emissaries of the Void Dragon using the name of the Void Dragon to make the dark elves yield. The younger families didn��t regard the strength displayed by Rhode��s group highly. As representatives of a dragon soul heir, it wasn��t surprising that they possessed superb abilities.


    But despite that, they were dissatisfied with Rhode��s aggressive style. They thought that they should teach the emissaries of the ��Void Dragon�� a lesson, letting them know that the dark elves who lived in the underground for years were no pushovers. Through this way, they could gain a certain degree of initiative in their interactions with the Void Dragon.


    The older and younger families quarreled endlessly over their opinions. But overall, the younger families gained the upper hand. Older families including Durelle��s Bailey Family didn��t raise too many objections. Judging from the situation, they seemed to also agree with the younger families�� methods. But as a matter of fact, the older families were using the younger families as bait. As soon as the younger families did something irreparable, the older families would show up and eliminate these naive fellows, using their corpses to express regret to the Void Dragon. And if the older families succeeded, they would join hands and seek more benefits.


    But it was obvious that the younger families weren��t naive either. They weren��t willing to be used as tools, which was why the Bailey Family was pushed out as the scapegoat. Durelle knew that if she didn��t make her decision soon, the alliance might give her an answer she hated to hear.


    However, Durelle also had a plan ready��a plan of her own.


    Rhode wasn��t interested in the conspiracies of the dark elves. He knew that the moment he entered the city with a high profile, the dark elves�� conspiracies had already begun. Every family had different views, styles, and standpoints, and Rhode couldn��t be bothered about them. Power��only power meant everything. Rhode was certain that if he were to shatter the stalactites of the top 10 families into bits, he would undoubtedly receive the ��respect�� and ��love�� of the entire Carlesodar City. This was the so-called ��justice�� of the dark elves. As long as Rhode guaranteed he could eradicate all the nobles in the families, he could become the supreme ruler here.


    But it was a pity that Rhode wasn��t fascinated with the idea of staying underground. The ��erotic arts�� of the dark elves weren��t within his concerns either. After all, he had plenty of women around him and no interest in sowing wild oats. He suspected that back then, it was due to the same reason that the Dark Dragon didn��t remain in the underground. After all, breathing air on the surface felt much more comfortable. Besides, there was also the scenery of the moon and stars�� Sceneries that were much better than in the underground.


    Under the lead of the dark elf guard, Rhode��s group arrived at the inner city on the left side. This was the gathering place for visitors. But despite that, there weren��t many humans around. Unless they were slaves, if not humans couldn��t possibly arrive in this city of dark elves. Apart from Rhode��s group, duergars and bugbears also arrived. Of course, there were also some other underground races. Among them, most of them were ��spoils of war�� of the dark elves. Perhaps the ��spoils of war�� used certain ways to gain their ��freedom��, but they didn��t leave the city and chose to continue living here. Most shops, inns, and pubs were opened and operated by them in order to provide a temporary and safe resting point for visitors.


    The arrival of Rhode��s group attracted the attention of almost everyone. Without mentioning the rarity of humans in the dark underground world, just the shining gems in these beautiful and mesmerizing young ladies in the group was enough to be the center of attention.


    ��You people can stay here for the time being and wait for further news.��


    The dark elf guard said to Rhode, before signaling with a hand gesture and turning around to leave.


    Rhode wasn��t bothered by the indifferent attitude of the dark elf guard. He merely scanned the surroundings and spotted his target��the inn. However, unlike other places, this inn was built entirely from wooden logs, which was extremely rare to see in the underground. It could also be said that it was as extravagant as a building constructed by platinum on the surface.


    ��Let��s go.��


    Rhode beckoned and led the group into the wooden inn.


    The inn was spacious and brightly-lit by lantern grasses found only in the underground. The flames burning in the fireplace piled up with stones eliminated the chilliness, bringing them a comfortable warmth. An old man, who seemed to be the boss of the inn, took a nap over the counter. Due to the years of being unexposed to the sun, his skin appeared sickly-pale, like a funny-looking wooden barrel. But what was most eye-catching about him was his legs. The areas below his knees were completely severed and the balance of his upper body was supported by prosthetics made from iron bars.


    Gazing at the arrival of Rhode��s group, the old man widened his eyes and showed a bewildered expression. He opened his mouth and revealed an excited smile.


    ��Oh, welcome everyone. I haven��t met any human customers in a long time. May I have your orders please?��


    ��This inn.��


    Rhode said and brushed his arm over the counter. Shortly after, along with this action, four to five crystal-clear diamonds dazzled before the old man��s eyes.


    ��We hope to rest in a quiet environment. Make the other patrons leave and I��ll pay for their losses. I also don��t wish to see anyone showing up later. Also, bring us some fruit wine and food.��


    ��This����


    The old man revealed a complicated expression, but eventually nodded in agreement.


    ��Okay, Sir. We will right away.��


    The old man said, beckoning a goblin over and speaking into its ear. Shortly after, the goblin scampered upstairs on its short legs. At that moment, the old man unveiled a passionate smile, turned over, going around the counter at a speed impossible for the shape of his body, and lifting a bottle of fruit wine. At the same time, Rhode��s group took their seats and sized up the place curiously. Nell stood by the entrance, staring vigilantly at the streets. Meanwhile, Angelina leaned on the chair boringly, closing her eyes to get some rest. Mini Bubble Gum retrieved a handheld gaming device from her pocket and continued with her ��Pokemon�� journey. Cassidy looked at her from the side curiously. It could be seen that she was interested in the gadgets that arrived from another world. Icy Snow sat beside Rhode, requesting a cup of water from the inn boss with a soft, timid voice�� As she was underage, it went without saying that she wouldn��t be consuming alcohol. On the other side, Anne had already grabbed and devoured the fragrant, roasted drumstick. It was apparent that she was famished.


    ��Excuse me, may I know where you people came from?��


    Gazing at the group, the old man couldn��t help but ask. He had met humans in the underground before, but humans had low status in Carlesodar City and were prone to many dangers. Even though these people dressed like ordinary travelers, their behavior resembled tourists who visited a safe, underground tourist attraction. Not only were they not overly cautious of their surroundings, but they were also relaxed and casual. The old man felt weird. No matter from which aspect, Carlesodar definitely wasn��t a city of tourist attractions. Of course, even though the young ladies seemed harmless, he wasn��t blinded by their appearance. These humans didn��t enter the city as slaves and were even led by the dark elves. This proved just how powerful they were.


    ��We came from the surface and Carlesodar is only along the way. We intend to head to our destination through this city, that��s all.��


    ��I see����


    Upon hearing Rhode��s calm response, the old man nodded. Shortly after, he knitted his brows and spoke in a lowered voice.


    ��Sir, as we are all humans, I think I have to remind you that Carlesodar isn��t a safe place to be. Since you made your way here, it proves that you are strong enough to deal with the dangers. But I still need to remind you that the sly dark elves are hard to deal with. Besides, recently they have sealed off the city. The atmosphere is tense. If it isn��t necessary, I advise you to avoid any trouble as much as possible. If you are targeted by dark elves, you will be in big trouble.��


    ��Thanks for the warning.��


    After listening to the old man��s words, Rhode lifted the wineglass and responded without taking his words to heart. Upon seeing his expression, the old man let out a sigh. It was apparent that he treated Rhode as a young adventurer who underestimated the immensity of heaven and earth. What was most terrifying in this world wasn��t overbearing strength, but conspiracies. The old man met people similar to Rhode in the past, but it was a pity that their plights in Carlesodar weren��t any better.


    ��Sir, it may be rude of me to say this, but����


    Bang!


    Before the old man finished his sentence, a loud bang on the second floor captured everyone��s attention. Shortly after, the goblin who went upstairs earlier rolled down the flight of steps with a bruised, swollen face. Seconds later, several burly, heavily-equipped bugbears descended the stairs. They swept a glance at the lobby and after spotting the beautiful young ladies, their eyes glinted in passionate flares. They exchanged filthy looks with one another. One of the bugbears who seemed to be their leader strode forward and snarled at the group.


    ��Are you the ones who booked the entire inn and forced us to leave?! Humans?!��

 Chapter 1223 - Dark Region (7)

    Upon hearing the snarls of the bugbears, Rhode couldn��t be bothered to turn around. The underground creatures were naive, sinister, and crude. As for these idiots who would step into a minefield for the sake of following that dangling carrot in front of them, they were the most unworthy of cannon fodders in the eyes of dark elves. Therefore, facing the interrogations of the bugbears, Rhode remained silent, extended his hand, and snapped his fingers.


    ��Scram!��


    Witnessing Rhode��s gesture, Angelina widened her eyes. The petite vampire swept an ice-cold glance at the bugbears who strode toward them and let out a grunt. Along with Angelina��s bellow, the air around them instantly turned cold. The bugbears who heard her voice revealed furious expressions. They stretched out their thick arms to reach for the weapons on their waist, apparently to teach this young lady a lesson and let her experience what true agony and nightmare were��


    But just as the bugbears clutched the hilts of their weapons, their faces instantly became that of beached fish��gasping for air, staring with wide-open eyes, and rooted to the spot. Not only that, but their complexions also became increasingly red as though invisible hands were choking their throats. Even though the muscles on their bodies trembled, they couldn��t move an inch. This peculiar behavior seemed odd to everyone. At the next moment, Angelina extended and swung her right arm as though she were driving away flies.


    Boom!


    Along with this action, the four to five bugbears who froze to the spot flew out of the exit as though their legs were equipped with rockets. They crashed heavily onto the ground outside like a big pile of mud. No, it wasn��t ��like����they actually turned into a big pile of mud under the effects of the vampire��s magical spell. Their skeletons and muscles were crushed into bits by an unknown force, turning into worthless residue. The bugbears lay on the ground like flat, deflated balloons. The bewildered crowd stepped forward in uncertainty, sizing up the revolting corpses of the bugbears. No one dared to say a word. Their eyes were filled with terror. In this city, they had witnessed many more terrifying things, but they were usually committed by dark elves. Due to that reason, as the crowd saw a non-dark elf disintegrating an enemy using a crueler method than the dark elves, they were immediately petrified of Rhode��s group. The crowd initially decided to stir trouble with Rhode��s group and pry their intention. But now, it seemed like everything would be in vain if they couldn��t even protect themselves.


    Hearing the clamors outside the inn, Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Angelina was truly suitable in negotiating with dark elves. As a vampire, she was born to look down upon the dark elves. This kind of heartfelt contempt and the formidable strength of hers were the best weapons to strike a blow at the dark elves�� confidence. This time, Rhode was here to pick a fight. But he wasn��t suitable to accomplish it by himself. With his identity, if he were the one who picked a fight, it would mean giving the dark elves a whole lot of respect. Judging from this point, Angelina was the best candidate for the job��


    Rhode swept a glance at the petite vampire who stood up. Upon detecting his gaze, Angelina revealed a proud smile at him. They exchanged looks with each other and after Rhode drank the last sip of wine, he also stood to his feet.


    ��Alright, I��m gonna head up to rest. Anyone want to join me?��


    ��M-Me.��


    After chugging down the plain water, Icy Snow stood up hurriedly. On the other side, Anne didn��t say a word, but waved the half-eaten bone in her hand at Rhode. Despite that, Rhode understood what she meant. As for the rest, they were either too lazy to move or decided to watch the show that ensued. The members who came with Rhode weren��t fools either. Of course, they knew what Rhode was going to do. Cassidy stood to her feet, looked at Rhode with a slightly terrified expression, and ascended the stairs quickly. It was apparent that even though she wanted to rest, she wasn��t willing to ��rest�� with Rhode.


    Gazing at Cassidy��s back, Rhode shrugged helplessly. He extended his arm and caressed Icy Snow��s hair.


    ��Let��s go.��


    ��Okay.��


    Hearing Rhode��s response, Icy Snow unveiled a joyous expression. She looked at Rhode and nodded with might, stretching out her hand to hold his right hand as they took the staircase. Shortly after, the inn lobby restored its tranquility. Angelina sat in front of the table and fiddled with the wineglass in her hand. Her scarlet eyes were filled with excitement and murderous intent. Meanwhile, Nell concealed herself in the shadows as usual, scanning the streets in alertness. Mini Bubble Gum shifted her posture and lifted her head to stare at the delighted Icy Snow, who followed Rhode up the stairs.


    ��Tsk, what a little girl. She looks so happy being together with Leader. How can a brat like her understand the things adults do with one another. How stupid��the fun has yet to come!�� Mini Bubble Gum criticized, pounding the buttons on the handheld gaming device. ��I choose you, Charizard!��


    The inn boss shivered, curling up behind the counter. He understood why these humans dared to come here. These humans weren��t as foolish as he had imagined. But even so, the inn boss revealed a worrisome expression because he felt like they came with ill intentions. They magnified their strength wantonly with the identity of a non-dark elf. This would definitely gather the attention of the proud dark elves. As soon as the dark elves�� patrol team arrived, huge troubles would surely follow.


    As the saying ��the more one was afraid of something happening, the bigger the chance it would happen�� went, the moment the shivering inn boss prayed that nothing would happen, metallic clangs echoed from the outside. A few seconds later, five well-equipped dark elves strode into the inn in large strides. Judging from their equipment, they were apparently the patrol team of this city. Despite that, Angelina couldn��t recognize them. It seemed like they weren��t the same batch of patrols that led Rhode��s group here. What surprised everyone was that behind the five dark elf warriors stood a female dark elf in a mage��s robe, which was rarely seen in patrol teams, as advanced mage were important characters and seldom showed up on such occasions.


    ��We received a report��is someone causing trouble here?��


    After entering the inn, the five dark elves blocked the entrance. The dark elf mage asked and sauntered forward, staring at the patrons with arrogance. Upon detecting her ice-cold stare, the inn boss couldn��t help but tremble in fear. Despite that, the others were unmoved. Nell remained silently concealed in the shadow. Her skills ensured that she wouldn��t be discovered by the dark elves. Meanwhile, Mini Bubble Gum knitted her brows and fiddled with the handheld gaming device busily as though the game were at its critical juncture. She didn��t even lift her head to look at the dark elves. Angelina placed the wineglass back on the table, widening her scarlet eyes at the dark elves and revealing a proud smile.


    ��Ssss������!��


    Upon realizing Angelina��s gaze, the female mage couldn��t help but suck in a deep breath of cold air. She sensed pain as though the blood in her body were flowing in reverse. Even though she received teachings from her family and experienced agonizing scenarios, she sensed overwhelming fear and pressure from Angelina��s gaze. Despite that, she stifled the uncertainty with her strong willpower and felt utterly insulted by that instance of fear.


    This emotion should be her enemy��s, not hers.


    ��Stand up! Answer my question!��


    The infuriated female mage snarled, drew out a three-headed-snake whip from her waist, and pointed at Angelina, using this method to conceal that moment of timidity and withdrawal. But Angelina apparently wasn��t having any of it. The corners of her lips perked up into a smile and she stared at the female mage as though she were a slave. Then, she spoke.


    ��Seems like you lowly, dark-skinned creatures who are only capable of digging holes in the underground are indeed ignorant. How dare you speak to me in this manner? Are you ready to accept your punishment for offending me, your superior?��


    ��What did you say!?��


    The dark elves were stunned. They didn��t expect to be defied in their lifetime. Besides, this was the city of dark elves. To be mocked and humiliated in public like this was intolerable for any dark elf!


    ��You shameless surface pig, how dare you��!��


    Upon hearing Angelina��s words, the female mage bellowed and raised the snake whip. She chanted under her breath and along with the chanting of a curse, the snake whip in her hand flickered in a magical radiance. Within a few moments, she would coalesce strong magical powers and inflict eternal pain and suffering on the enemy until the enemy screamed to her death.


    But despite that, Angelina was quicker.


    The female mage witnessed a red flash in front of her. At the next moment, the magical torrent within her control erupted. Angelina flitted across in a red burst of lightning, aiming straight at the five dark elves behind the female mage. A dazzling, eye-catching brilliance erupted. In the blink of an eye, blood splattered from the bodies of the five dark elves like fountains spraying into midair. Their streams of blood coalesced into the shape of blades that swooped down and slashed at them. Along with deep, thunderous rumbles, the five heavily-armored dark elves followed in the bugbears�� footsteps. Before they let out a shriek, they were pierced in the chest by the bloody swords and flew out of the inn.


    The abrupt change in situation baffled the female mage. She felt the magical powers coalescing in her hand completely losing control as they flowed in reverse inside her body. Her vision swayed and turned indistinct as though the world were spinning. The moment she gasped for air and shuddered, she realized that she was already screaming.


    ��Listen up, you ugly and lowly dark elf.��


    Angelina stood by the entrance of the inn, grabbed the female mage��s neck with her right hand, and dragged her outside the inn. Her scarlet eyes glinted in a mysterious, yet mesmerizing flash.


    ��You rats who are only capable of digging holes in the underground have no rights to intervene in our affairs. Before a mighty vampire, your shameless and worthless race isn��t even worthy of a mention! If you think you can fool us with your wisdom that is worse than pigs, I will give you a taste of a vampire��s wrath. I will make sure you sink into the fear of blood and death, never able to free yourself! This is your deserved lesson! Now, feel my wrath!��


    Angelina spoke, her eyes glinting brightly in a red brilliance. She clenched her right hand abruptly.


    Crack.


    The severed female mage��s head fell and rolled. Fresh blood spurted from her neck, staining the pitch-black ground. Angelina swept an ice-cold glance at her surroundings. She threw her hand up abruptly and at the next second, the headless corpse flew into the air and exploded in a loud bang.


    The surroundings fell into complete silence.


    Shortly after, loud, high-pitched screams broke out.

 Chapter 1224 - Dark Region (8)

    Loud screams echoed.


    In just a few moments, the ��ignorant nearby crowd�� yelled and evacuated from the area. They were hoping to see how the dark elves were insulted and killed by these outsiders. But now, the show had turned into a nightmare. In Carlesodar City, there were never any precedents where dark elves were killed by foreign races. And now, not only were six dark elves killed, but the death of a female mage was also involved. This could be said to have filled two historical gaps in one go. The crowd stole away immediately. Of course, they knew what this meant. The death of a female mage was enough to shock the entire Carlesodar City and spark the rage of all dark elves. A wild storm of fight was guaranteed at this point in time. Not only that, but Angelina also manifested her identity. A noble vampire wouldn��t fight when the odds were against her. Once the crowd was swept into the battle, they would be doomed for sure. That was why they scrambled away from the scene instantly, hiding from this dangerous place.


    The bustling crowd in the spacious plaza dispersed instantly as though they didn��t exist. At a glance, one couldn��t find anything that could move on its own. It was so silent that a drop of a pin could be clearly heard. Up until that moment, Angelina nodded in pleasure, shifted her gaze away, and turned around to enter the inn.


    ��All done? That took a while.��


    Upon entering the inn, Angelina heard Mini Bubble Gum��s question. The latter continued to stare at her game, while the old man behind the counter had turned as white as a sheet. He stared at them in lingering fear and was at a total loss. He didn��t expect them to be this brave to slaughter dark elves in Carlesodar City!


    Oh, rocks, aren��t they afraid of provoking the wrath of the dark elves?


    ��No problem for now, Madam Bubble.��


    Angelina nodded at Mini Bubble Gum respectfully. She sat down on her usual spot, raised the wineglass high, and turned to the old man who hid behind the counter.


    ��Get me your best wine, human.��


    ��Ah��! Yes!��


    Upon hearing Angelina��s order, the old man couldn��t help but feel a shiver run down her spine. He grabbed the finest bottle of wine and limped his way to Angelina, pouring it into her wineglass cautiously. But even so, his hands shivered at the immense fear. Looking at his reaction, Angelina narrowed her eyes and let out a snort. Meanwhile, Anne, who picked up and devoured a piece of drumstick, cocked her head curiously to look at the inn boss. Then, she stretched out her hand and patted the old man��s shoulder.


    ��Don��t worry, old man. We can handle a bunch of dark elves. You don��t need to be so scared.��


    ��Yes�� Miss. I don��t wish to intrude, but����


    The old man forced a smile at Anne��s consolation. Of course, he knew that these people were definitely strong enough to stir trouble in the dark elves�� city. Although they were capable, he clearly knew that he wasn��t up for it. Ever since he broke free of being a slave, he had lived in this city. And now, even if the dark elves didn��t dare to find trouble with these people, they would still come for him.


    Sigh, a sack of old bones like me can��t handle this pressure��


    At this thought, the old man let out a sigh. Even though he was worried about his future, he couldn��t help but feel satisfied upon witnessing the sorry state of those high and mighty dark elves. As a human slave in the past, he had suffered endless agony. His legs and even his entire life were thoroughly destroyed by the dark elves. Right now, he was nothing more than the walking dead. But�� After witnessing the dark elves�� raw blood and hearing their wails, this was the first time he felt so alive, agitated, and excited. It was especially so when Angelina snapped the female mage��s neck, to which he shivered from head to toe. The invincible and superior dark elves were slaughtered like pigs by those people. Who would have expected this day to come?


    For the sake of this scene, he felt like it was worth the price of letting them stay in his inn. If the dark elves were to seek revenge on him, he would gladly accept it. At the very least, it was still better than being imprisoned in this dark city like a zombie. The old man shook his head. The corners of his lips raised to force a smile. Anne stared at him in confusion before turning to the rest.


    ��Say, will everything be alright, Angelina? Didn��t Leader say that the dark elves are scheming? What if you show how powerful you are and they chicken out?��


    ��I��m certain that they won��t give up just like this, Miss.��


    This time, the inn boss answered firmly.


    ��Perhaps you may not be aware, but the female mage that the young lady killed is the youngest daughter of Matriarch Verna, who rules the fourth family. Perhaps the entire city has received the news by now. If Matriarch Verna doesn��t do anything about it, her family will be driven out of the council. Matriarch Verna definitely wouldn��t accept this humiliation, which is why she will surely send out forces to regain her reputation. But I hope you will be more careful. The fourth family has an innumerable number of bugbear and duergar slaves. Besides, their warriors and mages are ranked third. If Matriarch Verna were to go all-out����


    ��They��re here.��


    Before the old man finished his sentence, Mini Bubble Gum interrupted, tossing the handheld gaming device aside, and lifted her head to look outside. She squinted and mumbled under her breath.


    ��Hmm�� They split into three groups��trying to surround us, huh�� Interesting. These dark elves are asking for death. If it weren��t for the time constraint, Leader would have already crushed these shameless bugs over 180 times in the game�� Ah, this reminds me! One of the NPCs here scammed my equipment. That damn dark-skinned wh*re, I still remember her name�� Yes, this time I will find and clobber that bast*rd!��


    Confusing virtual-reality and the real world unreasonably, Mini Bubble Gum didn��t feel like she did anything wrong. She waved her fists around, gnashed her teeth, and cursed ferociously. Upon witnessing her reaction, the inn boss couldn��t help but take a few steps back in terror. Meanwhile, Angelina and Anne didn��t have any reactions. As long as one got to know Mini Bubble Gum long enough, one would know that she had a habit of intermittently acting crazy. Not only that, but she would also speak using some unknown terms. At such moments, it was best to leave her alone, since she would return to her usual self after acting up.


    ��Alright!��


    While the crowd had such ��disrespectful�� thoughts, Mini Bubble Gum clapped her hands and returned to normal. Then, she revealed an unusual smile, turned around to size up the crowd, and made a hand gesture. Upon seeing that hand gesture, Anne wiped her hands clean and picked up the shield erected beside her. Angelina also stood up and flattened the creases on her clothes. Nell walked out of the shadows and bowed respectfully, unsheathing the thin sword from her waist. According to the original plan, everything should be in place. But��


    ��This won��t work. We��re still lacking one����


    Mini Bubble Gum frowned all of a sudden. She turned to Anne, Angelina, Nell, and nodded in displeasure. She closed her eyes and lifted her head to look at the ceiling.


    ��Leader, we have an emergency. We��re still lacking one.��


    ��Lacking one? What are you talking about? Are the enemies that powerful?��


    Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s spiritual communication, Rhode was taken aback. He couldn��t figure out what exactly she was up to. But Mini Bubble Gum also didn��t seem to want to explain her intentions.


    ��No-no-no, Leader. It isn��t about strength. It��s about math instead. The math must be right. How can we raid a dungeon without a five-man party? How about you wake Little Icy up? We��re lacking an ADC (Attack Damage Carry). Why is she sleeping when it��s time for a raid? She thinks she can receive part of the loot by doing nothing? When the time comes, I will not give her anything!��


    ���� Are you done with your nonsense����


    Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s words, Rhode shook his head helplessly and extended his right arm. Shortly after, along with his action, a summoning ritual emanated above his right hand. He waved his fingers gently.


    After a few seconds, an illusory card drifted across the floor. Shortly after, as the dark, gloomy aura dispersed, a young lady clad in a tattered princess dress and carrying a huge sword on her back appeared before everyone with an odd smile. She removed the sword from her back and struck the ground in a loud bang. Her eyes filled with insanity glinted in a chilly, murderous intent. The young lady opened her mouth and unveiled a peculiar smile.


    ��Heh, heh. Is it time to kill someone��?��


    ��That��s right!��


    Mini Bubble Gum didn��t comment on the young lady��s weird outfit. On the contrary, she nodded in satisfaction, turned around, and strode out of the inn in large strides.


    ��Alright, gather up! Time to raid the dungeon! Anne��you and Angelina take the top lane. Nell��you and that girl take the bottom lane. I will take the mid lane!��


    Mini Bubble Gum ordered, raised her hands, and revealed a joyous smile across her face. Then, she yelled.


    ��Thirty seconds to battle. Get ready to crush them!��

 Chapter 1225 - Dark Region (9)

    The bustling streets became deserted. No one was brave enough to obstruct the dark elf army at this moment. Verna gripped the nine-headed-snake whip, bit her lip, and glared fumingly. No one dared to go against the matriarch. They curled up by the side in fear, terrified that the matriarch would vent her frustration out on them.


    As a matter of fact, Verna didn��t want to stand out among the group. Just like any other matriarch, Verna hoped to observe the battle from a safe distance, while other families tossed about with one another below. However, the best laid plans of mice and men often went awry. Verna didn��t expect her youngest daughter to be so foolish as to probe the other party��s strength, leading to this big disaster.


    Oh, spiders, if that b*tch were here, I swear to inflict eternal pain on her, banish her entirely, and turn her into a drider!


    But it was a pity that the corpse of her naive daughter was nowhere to be seen, so Verna couldn��t even vent her frustration on it.


    Even though Verna was itching to chop her naive daughter into minced meat to feed wild creatures, what should be done had to be done. If she didn��t want her name to be taken off the book by the council, she would need to do something to secure the status and dignity of her family. That was why Verna had no choice but to mobilize all her forces. This time, not only were the elite forces of her family involved, but all members of the 25th and 37th were also gathered. This was a little trickery of dark elf families. After their daughters grew up, matriarchs would allow them to establish their own families. Not only could the newer families replace them in eliminating threats, but they also ensured the stability of the matriarchs�� dominance. As a matter of fact, in Carlesodar City, almost more than half of the families were supported by and connected to the top 10 matriarchs. This time, Verna didn��t avoid any suspicion to send them out, which went to show how ambitious this matriarch of the fourth family was�� Or perhaps, just how arrogant she was�� It was tough to figure out whether the thought of her implicating the entire city to be buried with her even existed in her mind��


    Duergars and bugbears crowded the streets as they marched in large strides. The duergars wielded shields before them, while the burly bugbears behind them clutched meteor-hammers. A fully-equipped dark elf army occupied the rear, guarding the advanced female mage among them. This was the standard formation for the dark elves. They wouldn��t put themselves in danger, but instead manipulate the large number of slaves to diminish the enemies�� strength before dealing the lethal, final blow themselves. Due to that reason, the dark elves flourished the whips in their hands to spur on the creatures before them. Under such intimidation, races like the duergars and bugbears naturally had no way of resisting. The only output for them was to take it out on the enemies and use their deaths to prove their existence in this world.


    All of a sudden, a petite figure appeared in front of the huge crowd. Mini Bubble Gum sauntered ahead. The bright, holy radiance coalesced into several runes that hovered around her, metamorphosing into an unbreakable barrier. Gazing at the heavily-armored enemies, Mini Bubble Gum revealed an excited and sinister smile. She clenched her tiny fists, squinted, and widened her mouth.


    ��Heh, heh. This is getting fun. Alright, I shall take them on first. You bast*rds, I shall bury you alive for scamming my equipment before! Die!��


    Mini Bubble Gum snarled, raising and swinging her right fist abruptly.


    ��������!��


    A glaring, holy light beam exploded from her fist, blasting straight at the army of monsters ahead. Facing this sudden, oncoming brilliance, the duergars were completely devoured before they even reacted. In an instant, a brilliance occupied the entire space, enveloping the dark, underground city in a whiteness that was as bright as daylight.


    The blinding light wreaked havoc to the dark elves�� formation. The dark elves�� weakness was bright lights, and the duergars and bugbears didn��t have it any better either. Even though they could withstand an extent of light similar to humans, Mini Bubble Gum��s holy light was like that of flash bangs. Not even humans could tolerate it, not to mention underground creatures who had never witnessed such a glaring radiance.


    In an instant, the somewhat-neat formation crumbled. The duergars retreated instinctively, while bugbears charged ahead and brandished their meteor-hammers blindly. The formation was in complete disorder. Bugbears stomped the duergars, and piercing screams and loud clashes filled the air. The dark elves weren��t able to control the army because they were also blinded by the dazzling light. But despite that, they reacted swiftly. Upon realizing that something was amiss, bursts of black mist erupted to enfold the streets.


    In the blink of an eye, there was nothing except for darkness. This was also the innate skill of the dark elves��Dark Mist. They could create a mass of darkness that not even magical spells could penetrate and conceal themselves within it. Almost no surface creatures were able to get away safely from this skill.


    But it was a pity that their enemies were entirely different this time.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Shortly after the dark elves released the dark mists in a panic, a series of rumbles and explosions echoed as a dazzling, white light column appeared above them. Then, it slammed the ground like a gigantic hammer. Not only did the holy power eradicate the darkness, but it also smashed the duergars and bugbears into bits. Mini Bubble Gum withdrew her right arm and let out an evil laughter. At the next moment, she dashed straight into the hectic battlefield like a streaking meteor, crashing onto her victims.


    Boom!


    Before one of the unfortunate duergars figured out the situation, it was ploughed into a lifeless corpse underneath Mini Bubble Gum��s feet. In this thunderous explosion, the surroundings couldn��t help but rumble, where cracks spread across the weaker building walls. The mighty impact proliferated in powerful airwaves, striking and blasting away monsters that couldn��t evade in time. In an instant, the area around Mini Bubble Gum was cleanly swept. Apart from the spider web-like fissures underneath her feet, there was nothing else left.


    But at that moment, the dark elves finally launched their attacks.


    The instant Mini Bubble Gum landed on the ground, several razor-sharp, pitch-black, and seemingly modified blades struck at her. The dark elves�� swordsmanship was top-notch, especially in terms of speed and accuracy. Not only that, but the blades of their swords were also smeared with lethal poison that could seal one��s throat. Just a scratch from the blade would be enough to send one into the abyssal of death�� But it was a pity that they were dealing with a rock-hard enemy right now.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    In a string of crisp rasps, the invisible barrier negated all threats mercilessly. The strong recoils from the blades forced the dark elves back by half a step. Despite that, they instinctively extended their arms to strike again. But at that moment, Mini Bubble Gum retaliated.


    ��Die! You dark swines!��


    Mini Bubble Gum bellowed at the top of her lungs. She raised and spread her arms to the side. Along with this action, innumerable, flaring lights erupted around the transparent barrier, dispersing in all directions and ramming into the dark elves. Even though the dark elves wore magical armors that were highly-resistant to ordinary magical spells, it was a pity that Mini Bubble Gum was a cleric, and the composition of spiritual spells were fundamentally different from magical spells. Not only that, but as a representative of ��holy light��, Mini Bubble Gum��s attacks were also blessed by holy attributes, which made it a perfect match against these wicked dark elves. As soon as the light beams slammed onto the dark elves, they would feel as though red branding irons were pressed against their skin at once, where not even the well-trained dark elves could withstand this agonizing pain. As blood-curdling screeches filled the air, the encirclement of the dark elves disintegrated entirely like a broken egg shell.


    ��Oh no!��


    Looking at this scene, the bewildered female mage who was protected at the rear turned ashen. As a spell caster, she understood more than the males just how powerful Mini Bubble Gum��s attack was. Even though she was mentally prepared for such an extent of attack, the terrifying holy power made her tremble in fear. But now wasn��t the time to be terrified. The moment the encirclement shattered, she raised her snake whip and yelled out evil incantations. Shortly after, a pitch-black and ice-cold energy of death coalesced on the tip of the six-headed-snake whip. Then, she snarled and flourished the long whip.


    Whoosh����!


    The dark, sinister energy of death metamorphosed into a gigantic viper that widened its jaw and pounced on Mini Bubble Gum. Mini Bubble Gum who was seemingly unable to react in time was swallowed by the viper entirely.


    I did it!


    Looking at her success, the female mage cheered inwardly. This was one of the most powerful spells she mastered. Any life form that came into contact with the darkness of death would have its energy absorbed in the shortest time possible, before drying up into an ice-cold, lifeless corpse��


    However, before the female mage completed her smile, a dazzling, white light flashed past her eyes.


    Boom!


    In the blink of an eye, the enormous viper exploded into bits of fragments. The burning, holy energy surged like blazing flames, devouring the snake whip in the female mage��s hand. The female mage gaped, but at the same time, a petite, jade-white fist grew in size as it enveloped her vision.


    In a loud bang, the female mage��s skull was like a watermelon smashed by a baseball bat. Her beautiful face was completely crushed. One of her perfect eyes fell out of its socket and dropped to the ground. But at the next moment, it was squashed by a boot that landed on it!


    ��Splendid!��


    Gazing at the corpse that was spurting blood from the neck and falling backward to the ground, Mini Bubble Gum nodded in pleasure and raised her bloodied right hand high in the air.


    ��First blood!��

 Chapter 1226 - Dark Region (10)

    While Mini Bubble Gum vented her frustration, the two fronts on the other side also showed overwhelming dominance and superiority.


    ��Heyaaaah!��


    Anne yelled, sprinting ahead briskly. The shield in her hands expanded and wrapped around her like a safety fence. Blustering green winds also formed a sturdy wind barrier with the young lady in the middle, keeping out all threats. Not only that, but thick stone skin also covered her entire body. At that moment, Anne was like a bulldozer baring its fangs and brandishing its claws as she crushed her way through. As a matter of fact, this was indeed the case. Anne couldn��t care less about who was in front of her. The instant both parties clashed, Anne expanded her shield and wind barrier and charged ahead. This innocent, yet violent strategy showed some obvious, positive results. The dark elf army, which didn��t expect Anne to act this recklessly, broke out in a fluster. Although the duergars also raised their shields to resist Anne, before they came into contact with her, they were engulfed and swept away by the wind barrier like home runs. Meanwhile, the soldiers who weren��t struck off by the wind barrier didn��t have it any better. They waved their weapons in vain to stop the young lady from trampling them down, but in the face of a gigantic, steaming bulldozer, how much damage could muscles and flesh inflict?


    None.


    The plight of the duergars and bugbears was the best evidence for this scenario. They swung their weapons in despair, but were blasted away by the wind barrier before even scratching the young lady. The dark elves�� arrows weren��t effective either. Even though the knives and arrows they released managed to pass through Anne��s wind barrier, they were stopped completely by the hard stone layer of skin on Anne. Even though Anne was a scatterbrain most of the time, she was more than qualified as a shield warrior in battle. She never stopped or noticed her surroundings. She simply lowered her head and charged forward like a roaring flood that kept going on and on until everything was completely submerged. The earth trembled underneath her feet. Strong houses were razed to the ground helplessly by the violent whirlwinds. Wherever Anne went, there would be nothing left except for flattened ground and corpses buried within them.


    ��Oh-no-no. Really, that is a little too barbaric����


    Unlike Anne, Angelina sauntered by the rear, putting up an elegant smile like a young noble lady taking a stroll in the back garden. Angelina extended her arms and along with this action, blood-like mist escaped the land around her. The mist trembled and struggled constantly as though it were self-willed, before slipping back into the ground. Angelina clapped her hands together. Countless bursts of red lightning erupted from her palms and struck her surroundings. Shortly after, the land ��flattened�� by Anne earlier rose gradually. One by one, twisted and bloodied creatures crawled out of the soil, their eyes glinting in the scarlet and mysterious hue of death. At the next moment, the creatures stood up, turned around, and staggered toward the front.


    ��Damn it!��


    Gazing at the frantic storm of attacks in the distance, the dark elf mage donned in an elegant robe turned grim. She was one of the reinforcements requested by the fourth family. As a matriarch herself, she was once the eldest daughter of Verna. But according to the ��traditions�� of the dark elves, after doing her best to live 500 years under Verna, she earned the right to leave the family and establish her own. And now, after close to 500 years of operation and devouring countless smaller families, she successfully raised her family to the top 20 in rank.


    Of course, she also set eyes on bringing her family into the top 10. As a matter of fact, there was never a moment every daughter who broke away from the matriarch didn��t stop thinking about expanding her family and eventually dethroning her mother. There was no such thing as ��kinship�� in the values of the dark elves. If they were able to kill their own mother and take over her position to inherit her power and authority, that would be the highest of all ��filiality��.


    She was also aware that a ��subordinate-family�� like hers had given their all to reach their current level. If she acted too conspicuously and the council matriarchs realized her intention of entering the top 10, her family would face imminent catastrophe. Perhaps it wouldn��t take long before her family disappeared entirely in a mysterious ��battle��.


    Due to that reason, when she received orders from her mother, she was extremely excited. As a non-council member, she wasn��t aware of the true identity of Rhode��s group. But it was apparent to her that their existence was a dangerous threat to her mother. If not, her mother wouldn��t have allowed her and her younger sister to show up at the same time. However, huge risks also meant huge rewards. If she eliminated the threats, she was certain that she would be rewarded generously by the council!


    However, she didn��t expect these people to be so crazy to start a battle inside a city of dark elves. It seemed to her that these people from the surface were dumber than she had imagined. She was certain, confident, and sure about the final destiny of these people.


    No one can retreat unscathed after taunting the dignity of us, dark elves. They must pay the price for their foolishness and recklessness. My family shall shoot to fame in this battle and become the rising star of Carlesodar City!


    At this thought, the matriarch couldn��t help but feel agitated. All of a sudden, she unsheathed a dagger with six blades and returned to her senses abruptly. She turned around and pierced the mysterious dagger into the chest of the male dark elf guard standing beside her. The dark elf guard didn��t expect this ambush at all. He widened his eyes in bewilderment, staring at his matriarch in fear and wrath. However, the matriarch didn��t say a word. She presented a cruel smile and gripped the hilt of that menacing dagger. Shortly after, along with this action, the specially-modified six blades on that mystifying dagger rotated and dug deeper into his body. Then, she pulled her arm back and a heart dripping in blood could be seen within the six blades. Shortly after, she raised the dagger and chanted loudly. Along with the incantation, the heart was enfolded in a black mist instantly and began to tremble.


    ��Halt to my attack!��


    The matriarch bellowed and swung the dagger forward with force. Along with this action, three sharp, pitch-black claw marks appeared in midair, slashing toward Anne in ear-deafening and disturbing whistles. Nothing, not even her guards, in the paths of the three claw marks were spared as they were shredded by the powerful and mysterious force. Not only that, but the other dark elf private soldiers were also instantly smeared in blood as they collapsed to the ground and howled in torment. At the same time, the three claw marks slammed into Anne��s barrier from the front. Looking at the view, the matriarch revealed a prideful smile. She could almost imagine the state of that disintegrated barrier. This was one of the most sinister spells of the dark elves. It was especially so after sacrificing the lives of other dark elves, where it would be strong enough to destroy anything that stood before it!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The three, pitch-black claw marks collided heavily with Anne��s wind barrier. But what surprised the matriarch was that her imagination didn��t come true. The three claw marks withstood the violent barrier, but failed to rip it apart. On the contrary, even though the wind barrier seemed obviously weakened by her attack, at the next second, strong tempests erupted and thoroughly deflected the claw marks!


    ��How is that possible?��


    Looking at this scene, the matriarch couldn��t believe her eyes. This was one of the strongest and most terrifying of all evil spells. She was certain that not even the matriarch of the first family could resist this spell head-on. But now, not only did this outsider stop her attack, but she was also unharmed?!


    Well, that wasn��t surprising since many pieces of shields were hidden inside Anne��s main shield. Among them, the most valuable one was the ��King��s Protection�� that Rhode extorted from the Country of Light. Before this legendary shield, the effects of any magical spell would be decreased drastically. Not to mention, the ��King��s Protection�� also had holy attributes, while magical spells of dark elves were products that undoubtedly belonged to the evil camp. Conflicting attributes had inherent weakening effects. In addition to the magical resistance of the King��s Protection, Anne��s wind-elemental barrier, and activated rock skin, not even an all-out attack from a matriarch would be able to hurt her. Apart from stopping Anne��s advancement slightly, there was no other purpose.


    ��That damn surface pig!��


    Looking at this scene, the matriarch couldn��t help but fly into a rage. Even though her attack earlier looked clean and straightforward, as a matter of fact, she had also given serious considerations to it. The male dark elf whom she killed wasn��t just a guard, but was also the spell expert of the family. As the power of spells was proportional to the spiritual power of the sacrifice, the stronger the sacrifice, the more powerful the spell would be. That was why she lay hands on the spell expert to coalesce more power into her spell and deal a deadly blow to the enemy. However, the best laid plans of mice and men often went awry. Not only did her attack fail, but she also suffered a double loss. She lost the spell expert and consumed half of her power, which was utterly foolish!


    ��Attack! Give them hell!��


    The matriarch roared in rage. She extended her arm and pointed ahead. Along with her command, four other female mages clad in the same mage robe and standing on floating dishes began to launch their attacks. They waved the snake whips in their hands and chanted evil incantations. Shortly after, spots of magical light exploded, streaking across the air and flying toward the target. In an instant, magical brilliance scattered and linked together as one.


    This time, Anne finally slowed down. Under the suppression of magic, the powerful wind barrier shrunk, tightened, and spun to coalesce into a defensive barrier of higher quality. Looking at this scene, the dark elves became increasingly frantic. The female mages standing on the floating dishes continued to chant a curse, brandished the snake whips to abstract energy from the darkness, and released a string of attacks. Under their attacks, the whirlwind barrier shrouding Anne that was four to five meters tall seemed like a tiny boat struggling to stay afloat in the rough waves. It trembled, curled up, and after a few seconds, was buried entirely in the magical brilliance.


    ��Good, continue! Kill! Kill them all!��


    The matriarch couldn��t help but gnash her teeth. Her face exhibited her emotions��excitement and joy. She gazed at the area enfolded in magical brilliance and couldn��t spot the presence of wind elements. In the bombardment of the dark elves, Anne��s surroundings were blasted into debris, where even the sturdy stalactite pillars shattered and crumbled one after another. Looking at this scene, the matriarch let out an inward sigh of relief as she felt less nervous.


    Seems like the enemies are indeed powerful, but it��s a pity that they underestimated the power of us dark elves! They are asking for death to be going against dark elves in Carlesodar City! Now, after I check the state of the battle����


    ����!��


    At that moment, the matriarch who had let her guard down suddenly noticed a wave of uproar ahead. She couldn��t help but pucker her brows and glare at her pathetic slaves.


    What exactly is going on? How dare those bast*rds stir trouble during such a moment. After the battle ends, I will let them experience the consequences of defying my family!


    ��Reporting, Matriarch! This is bad!��


    At that moment, a dark elf guard scuttled toward her in a fluster, staring at her. His dark face almost turned white out of extreme fear.


    ��We can��t withstand the attack of the undead creatures!��


    ��What?!��


    The matriarch was taken aback. At the next moment, a chilliness erupted deep down in her heart without any warnings, instantly engulfing her entire body.


    Undead creatures were considered the nemesis of dark elves. The latter was most adept at poison, sinister spells, and assassination. All these methods were deadly on mortals, but it was an entirely different matter on undead creatures. Undead creatures weren��t afraid of the dark elves�� poison. Moreover, not only could the evil magical spells of dark elves not eradicate the presence of undead creatures, but it would also strengthen them instead. As for assassinations��hahaha, if the dark elves were capable of killing an undead creature, one would surely be there to pay one��s respect.


    Due to that reason, dark elves basically couldn��t lift their heads before undead creatures because their proudest skills were useless against them. When the matriarch learned that they were ambushed by undead creatures, she immediately froze to the spot. All of a sudden, she felt like something was amiss. But it was a pity that it was too late.


    Innumerable dark figures staggered across the battlefield. These intelligent creatures who walked on two feet lost their original form and turned into wild animals on all fours. Their skin glowing in the luster of life turned ashen, while their soft flesh hardened. They moved in broken bodies that shouldn��t have been able to support their movements. The power of the undead imprisoned their souls, seized their bodies, and gave them a new purpose and lease of life.


    Slaughter and death.


    Swish��!


    A dark elf brandished his sword. His stance was so splendid and vicious that the blade, smeared with poison, smoothly punctured the eye of a duergar. Normally, this attack would have been sufficient to kill the victim. But now, the brain-punctured duergar didn��t fall to the ground. On the contrary, it snarled and pounced on the attacker. It hugged and crunched the dark elf��s upper thigh to stop his retreat.


    ��Ahhhhh!��


    Upon feeling a tremendous pain, the dark elf let out a distressing scream. He withdrew his sword and forced the duergar away from him. But at that moment, four to five other duergars crowded and pounced him onto the ground. Then, after the disturbing sound of those creatures tearing at him that left one��s hair standing on end, the dark elf stopped struggling. After a few moments, the undead duergars with blood and flesh hanging from their mouths stood up and stumbled ahead. But this time, there was a fresh voice among them.


    ��Retreat immediately! Seal off the entire camp!��


    Upon realizing the dangers, the matriarch instantly decided to retreat. Along with her snarls, the floating dish underneath her feet turned around and flew back toward the stalactite pillars at the rear. After hearing her command, the dark elves swiftly prepared themselves for evacuation. They berated, urged, and sent their slaves to their death, while earning themselves a chance to escape. With the opportunity, they dashed toward their family camp.


    But suddenly, a violent blast exploded.


    Boom!


    Green, elemental winds broke the bombardment of magical spells as they rose from the ground and into the air. In an instant, the entire city shook. The dome trembled in the fierce bombardment and pieces of gravel fell from time to time. Some dark elves who couldn��t evade in time were crushed to death by heavier boulders that landed from above. The massive airwaves sent many dark elves rolling on the ground. At that moment, the matriarch turned around and hurriedly glanced at the situation.


    Then, she witnessed a scene that she could never forget.


    An enormous, translucent white wolf, two to three meters tall and emanating elemental brilliance, appeared before her very eyes.

 Chapter 1227 - Dark Region (11)

    Staring at the enormous, white wolf, the matriarch broke out in cold sweat. Perhaps ordinary dark elves wouldn��t know what that monster was, but as a mage, it went without saying that she knew what it meant.


    ��Elemental Spirit����


    She murmured under her breath. Her slender body couldn��t help but retreat in shivering fear. Elemental Spirit was a skill that only beings at the Commander level of elements could use. Almost all monsters materialized by them possessed equivalent power to an actual elemental lord, which was more than the dark elves could take! No matter how powerful the spell casters were, the source of energy for their spells was extracted from elemental powers. But it was also due to this reason that their powers were useless against an elemental lord. Mage could ��borrow money�� to cast spells, but if the other party wasn��t willing to ��lend��, the mage would be useless no matter how capable he or she was! Not only that, but Elemental Spirits were also elemental creatures. When dealing with such elemental creatures, physical attacks were basically ineffective. Unless one cast spells of the Peak Legendary Stage, one could hardly cause any damage to them. It could also be said that the moment Anne activated the Elemental Spirit, she had as though announced the thorough failure of the dark elves.


    This was also why Rhode dared to bring along summoning spirits that didn��t belong to him and Anne, who wasn��t at the level of the deity wardens. Other than the fact that Anne loved sticking by his side, her strength shouldn��t be belittled. She was the strongest member in his group apart from the rest with those ��cheating abilities��. This young lady might be carefree all day, but as a matter of fact, her strength had progressed rapidly. As the demonic beast in her bloodline unleashed its power, she was almost at level 75. In addition to being at the Commander level of elements, even though Anne might not be victorious after going all-out, she could stand a chance against Marlene and Gillian. Due to that reason, Rhode brought Anne along.


    The Elemental Spirit was Anne��s ace in the hole. Through temporary eruptions of power, she could materialize her spirit using the wind element. In other words, that huge white wolf was basically the materialization of Anne��s spirit. In this situation, Anne��s power wasn��t too different from a wind elemental lord. It could also be said that as long as the wind elemental lord wasn��t here, Anne could grasp the wind element in this place entirely.


    ��Retreat! Retreat now!��


    Sensing the wind elemental power gathering rapidly toward the white wolf, the matriarch flinched and her expression turned exceedingly ugly. As soon as the white wolf manipulated the wind elemental power of this place, the dark elves would undoubtedly turn into fish on the cutting board, ready to be slaughtered. The magical floating dishes in midair crumbled one by one. Even though dark elves mastered unique magical arts, they relied upon the power of nature, after all. And now, as the elemental power leaned toward the other side, their fate had been determined.


    The matriarch leaped off the faltering floating dish desperately in the most embarrassing manner of her whole life. She didn��t even look back to witness the plight of the guards and slaves who were resisting the enemy. Because without the need of turning around, she knew that they wouldn��t be able to survive.


    As a matter of fact, it was just as she expected.


    The deep, heavy air expanded while the huge white wolf sauntered forward. Along with its movement, all the buildings lined up in its path were as though crushed into powder and flattened by an invisible bulldozer. Meanwhile, before the dark elf guards and slaves inflicted any damage to the white wolf, they held their throats with their hands and collapsed with ashen expressions. The surging wind element gradually coalesced toward the white wolf like courtiers having an audience with the sovereign king. The shimmering green brilliance metamorphosed into layers of bright barriers that enfolded the white wolf. At a glance from a distance, the phenomenon seemed just like a tornado that connected heaven and earth, leaving one shuddering in fear.


    ��Haa�� Haa����


    The matriarch felt her steps getting heavier. The entrance was clearly less than 100 meters away and she would normally be able to complete the sprint in the blink of an eye. But now, she felt like her body was so heavy, as though her limbs were injected with lead. She widened her mouth and panted for air, but couldn��t feel any oxygen entering her body. The burning and stinging pain in her lungs magnified, spreading toward other parts of her body. Shortly after, the matriarch��s vision turned blurry. She lifted her head in a daze, trembling as she stretched out her arms. The exquisite and beautiful door engraved with a magnificent statue was right before her eyes.


    Five more steps�� Just five more steps and I can return to the safety of my home. Then, I will have the chance�� the chance to�� to��


    Boom.


    The matriarch��s consciousness came to an end. Before she reached her hand out for the heavy door, she plunged to the ground head-first and stopped breathing. But this was still the better outcome. At the very least, she didn��t need to witness the destruction of the family that she took great pains to build.


    The white wolf continued to saunter forward, but its surroundings were dead silent. Most enemies ended up just like their matriarch. The lack of oxygen made them fall into a coma. It could also be said that as the wind element gathered to the white wolf, the air around it had become extremely thin. In such an environment, one couldn��t maintain their normal breathing, not to mention when one needed to take in more oxygen for attacks. In fact, the dark elves in the distance initially decided to shield the matriarch. However, they didn��t expect the enemy to have such strong control over the wind element that they couldn��t even chant their curse. Even if they could, their voices were so soft as though they were whispering. Before the curse was completed, they were already gasping for air. If it weren��t for the fact that they retreated in time, perhaps they would have followed the footsteps of their matriarch��


    At that moment, the enormous white wolf arrived at the stalactite pillars. It narrowed its eyes to stare at them and lifted its head abruptly.


    ��Aowu������!��


    Along with this howl, the air around the white wolf trembled. Air waves diffused in visible ripples with the white wolf in the center, erupting in the surroundings. In a string of explosions, the ground crumbled. The outer walls and door that should have been strong enough to withstand explosions crumbled like fragile pieces of tofu. The stalactite pillars that were the foundation of the family building rocked and trembled, while lines of spider web-like cracks spread across their surface. The white wolf extended its claw and slammed the stalactite pillars.


    Everything ended.


    Gazing at the fluttering sand and billowing smoke from a distance, the dark elves exchanged gazes with one another speechlessly. They were the only survivors who escaped in time. They were also fortunate to be serving as the support in the battle and placed by the rear. That was why the moment they realized that the situation was getting out of hand, they turned around and fled immediately, barely escaping disaster and didn��t end up like their pitiful matriarch. But even so, the dark elves couldn��t help but shudder in fear at the sight of their family��s crumbling honor. In Carlesodar City, even though it wasn��t news that dark elf families slaughtered and demolished one another, they were basically based on assassinations and ambushes. The dark elves disdained the method of confronting enemies like how Anne charged around like a violent cavalryman. However, they didn��t expect to fall to this battle style that they looked down upon.


    Looking on helplessly at their collapsing home, the dark elves felt intense fear. For the first time, the absolute difference in strength made them suspect whether adhering to the dark elves�� creed was the right choice all along. Dark elves always looked down upon frontal attacks and thought that only slaves would deploy that strategy. Assassination, murder, and betrayal were the arts they insisted upon. But now, they started to doubt if relying upon them was able to strengthen them.


    Boom!


    Another stalactite pillar collapsed, crushing three to four other pillars in bursts of dust. Looking at this scene, the dark elves were entirely speechless. Of course, they knew that the other pillars didn��t belong to their family, but were owned by the 31st family instead. The 31st family had intended to sit this one out and reap the spoils later.


    Bet they didn��t expect themselves to be implicated��


    ��What should we do?��


    After a few moments, one of the dark elf mage asked helplessly. This was the first time she revealed fright and despair on her pretty face. Upon hearing her question, not only did the other dark elf not mock her timidity, which was uncharacteristic, but also displayed a face full of uncertainty.


    ��I think we should report the situation to Matriarch Verna right away����


    ������


    After hearing her answer, the other dark elves remained silent, exchanged looks with one another, and nodded. Shortly after, the dark elves vanished into the darkness.

 Chapter 1228 - Dark Region (12)

    Boom!


    As the white wolf swung its claws, the trembling stalactite pillars finally collapsed to the impact. In an instant, huge fragments fell from the peak and landed heavily on the ground. After the last stalactite pillar crumbled, the land finally restored its peace. At that moment, the towering white wolf lifted its head, scanned the surroundings, and shuddered. Shortly after, it shrunk swiftly as though it were under the influence of a shrinking spell. The four to five meters tall monster twisted and contracted in shape and Anne showed up within it. As the white wolf vanished, the air around it rapidly restored its usual state.


    ��Phew�� Anne is so tired����


    Anne was exhausted, putting up a contrasting difference to the enthusiastic young lady from before. Well, she couldn��t be blamed. Even though the materialization of the Elemental Spirit was one of her strongest skills, it was a pity that Anne wasn��t a true elemental lord, after all. That was why although she could cast this skill, she also had to expend a lot of power. At that moment, she was thoroughly drained and had also yawned several times.


    ���� It��s finally over�� This is the place, right, Angelina?��


    ��Yes, Miss Anne.��


    Upon hearing Anne��s question, Angelina emerged from the shadows silently and answered. The dark elves weren��t aware that it was actually Angelina��s idea for Anne to transform into an Elemental Spirit. As a vampire, Angelina possessed the intelligence extracted from the brains of her victims, which was why she informed Anne immediately after learning who their enemies were. Even though Angelina didn��t instruct Anne specifically, Anne��s instincts were top-notch on the battlefield. Anne understood what it meant to ��capture the ringleader first in order to capture all the followers��. Due to that reason, after gaining the intelligence from Angelina, Anne transformed into the Elemental Spirit instantly, charged into the enemy��s camp, and demolished their buildings. One had to admit that Anne��s instincts were sharp. At least for the moment, none of the enemies dared to stir trouble with her anymore.


    In the first place, it might also be tough to determine whether there were any survivors��


    Angelina lifted her head and scanned the ruins. She squinted and her scarlet eyes glinted with a trace of an ice-cold smile. Rhode didn��t give specific instructions to Angelina as to how she should defeat the enemies, but as a vampire born in the Country of Darkness, it went without saying that she knew what had to be done.


    ��Thanks for your help.��


    ��You��re welcome. Anne also decided to get it over with quickly and head back to sleep�� Yawn�� There should be nothing else for Anne, right? So can Anne make a move first?��


    Anne said without taking a glance at the havoc she wreaked. She simply turned around, waved goodbye to Angelina, and departed this uninhabited ruin. Meanwhile, Angelina didn��t respond, but gazed respectfully at her departure instead. In terms of strength, even though Anne and Angelina were about the same level, it was a pity that their statuses were poles apart. Angelina clearly knew that this innocent young lady was pampered by her master. And as her master��s subject, Angelina knew she had to try her best to please Anne. That was why Angelina gave Anne the ��opportunity�� to crush the enemies, while she remained at the rear quietly. Although Anne��s Elemental Spirit applied a lot of pressure to one, Angelina was a vampire who didn��t need to breathe, so she didn��t face any trouble throughout the one-sided battle. Anne was competent as a shield warrior, but it was a pity that she knew nothing about politics and conspiracies.


    However, it was Angelina��s expertise.


    ��Alright, let��s begin, shall we����


    Putting up a cunning and sinister smile, Angelina raised her arms. Along with this action, faint, red mist exuded from her body, rolling and expanding to the surroundings. In just a few moments, the red mist became denser and heavier, while mournful wails echoed within. Then, shriveled and ugly specters emerged from inside one after another. Looking at this scene, Angelina��s smile turned elegant and mesmerizing.


    ��Dark elves, it��s time to experience the terror of your master. As hole-digging mice, it will be embarrassing if you can��t distinguish your lowly identity and status����


    While Angelina mumbled under her breath, innumerable corpses crawled out of the ruins. They widened their scarlet eyes and let out heart-wrenching screams.


    The shadows of death spread in silence, shrouding the entire Carlesodar City.


    But it was a pity that the dark elves who survived didn��t notice them.


    ***


    ��What? Say that again?��


    Verna was wide-eyed. She stared at the three dark elf mage in disbelief. No matter what, she didn��t expect this news at all. Not only did the family established by her once eldest daughter fail to resist the enemies�� attacks, but they were also annihilated and their camp crumbled completely?! What kind of sick joke was that?!


    Of course, Verna learned from her intelligence network that the enemies who entered the city were formidable. But what kind of threat could a group of less than 10 members possibly pose to her? No matter how powerful they were, they shouldn��t be able to defend against a sea of slaves and the assassinations of dark elves, wasn��t it?


    But now, it seemed like the enemies had indeed succeeded.


    Elemental Spirit��


    Verna couldn��t help but turn pale. But she was also glad that she was fortunate enough to not be involved as Elemental Spirits were terrifying existences. Even though most spell casters within dark elf families had entered the Legendary Stage, there were only a handful of spell casters who transcended to the Peak Legendary Stage and possessed the strength and ability to defeat an Elemental Spirit. Based on the current situation, only the matriarchs of the top 10 families had acquired such power. But despite that, it was tough even for Verna herself to defeat Elemental Spirits. Perhaps she might need to try her best to stand a chance, not to mention her daughter.


    This spells trouble.


    Verna abandoned the thought of her daughter��s death, as well as the destruction of her family. Losing a daughter wasn��t anything huge to Verna and she was also clearly aware of her daughter��s wild intentions. Back then, Verna killed her mother and gained her current status and authority. In this case, according to the dark elves�� traditions and moral values, it was only considered genuine ��filiality�� that her daughter also came up with conspiracies to deal with Verna. The reasons why Verna dispatched her two daughters into battle was to diminish their strength and also stop them from growing too strong and threatening her. Verna had reached her goal now and apparently achieved more than she expected. She didn��t need to worry about her daughters slitting her throat from the back anymore.


    But despite that, the price she paid was rather hefty��


    Shortly after, Verna threw this matter to the back of her head. As a matter of fact, she wasn��t having it any better either. Even though she had sent out two-thirds of her army to the battlefield, the report from the front baffled her. In less than 10 minutes, she was informed of the death of four mages through the spiritual connections. The dark elf mages weren��t just ordinary spell casters, but were elite confidants who Verna groomed. Every one of them was in the Basic Legendary Stage. Even though they were still unable to activate their very own Order Dimension, their strength shouldn��t be belittled.


    Verna had groomed a total of 13 mages in the Basic Legendary Stage. They were also the pillars of support for her family to stay relevant within the top 10 families in Carlesodar City. And this time, for safety��s sake and also to display the deterrence of her family, Verna sent out eight of them to lead the battle in the front. Verna thought that with so many guards and formidable mages, those measly surface humans should be taken care of effortlessly.


    But to her bewilderment, four out of the eight mages died in the blink of an eye. Not only that, but judging from the current situation using the spiritual connections, the four of them also died in less than a span of three minutes! In other words, they were slaughtered by the mysterious enemies before they even had the chance to retaliate!


    Verna was trapped in a dilemma. Her feeling of gladness was long gone as it seemed like the enemies were far more powerful than her. Currently, she only had two choices. The first choice was to retreat and send out someone to make peace with the enemies immediately. Although this would hurt the reputation of her family, which was ranked fourth in Carlesodar City, it could ensure that her family avoided disaster, at the very least. As long as there was time, she could rise to the top again.


    The second choice was to fight to her death with the enemies. It would be the best if she succeeded. But if she failed, the consequences would be unthinkable��


    Verna gnashed her teeth tightly. She gripped the nine-headed-snake whip in her right hand, while clutching the chair handle with her left had. In an instant, the entire hall fell into a dead silence. No one spoke a word as they gazed at their matriarch meticulously. Everyone was aware that the forth family was in dire straits.


    ��Reporting, Madam Matriarch!��


    All of a sudden, a dark elf guard scrambled into the premises. His scream shattered the peace of the hall. Verna couldn��t help but dwindle her thoughts and stare at the guard.


    ��We received news from the front��the 37th family alliance has been utterly defeated!��


    Verna��s heart sank into the ice-cold bottom. Her vision was enveloped in total darkness. But as the honorable dark elf matriarch, she returned to her senses immediately. She forced herself to not reveal any expression, stood up solemnly, and gazed at the guard.


    ��Tell me exactly what happened!�� she demanded.

 Chapter 1229 - Dark Region (13)

    If it were considered a nightmare for the dark elves to take on Anne, it would be utter hell for them to face Shira.


    ��Hahahaha!��


    The petite young lady flourished her huge, bloodied sword, slashing blade rays one after another across the air. As she strolled, the sword with a serrated iron blade bore a resemblance to the razor-sharp teeth of a monster tore at the dark elves�� flesh. Scarlet and viscous blood and flesh splattered on the ground in every swing of her blade. At that very moment, fear and despair were written all over the faces of the dark elves.


    Shira��s battle style wasn��t as grand as Mini Bubble Gum��s or Anne��s, where they launched an AoE attack before trampling on the enemies. On the contrary, the seemingly fanatical young lady also made some crazy attacks at the start. In the encirclement of hundreds of duergars and bugbears, she didn��t cast any magical spells or defenses, but lifted the exaggeratedly huge sword instead, pouncing on the enemies without any hesitation.


    In the beginning, the dark elves disregarded her, but their suspicious personality made them wonder whether Shira had any crafty ideas in her head. After all, her attack was too ��out in the open��. To the dark elves who were passionate about conspiracies, it went without saying that they would suspect the reason why this young lady attacked so blindly was purely to lure them away from their territory��


    But shortly after, they discovered that this wasn��t some machination at all. Shira was alone without any form of defense. Even if she were to self-destruct, the dark elves weren��t afraid as they had hundreds of bugbears and well-equipped duergars taking the blow for them. Apart from the ridiculously huge sword in her hands that was worthy of a mention, there was nothing else that caught their attention. Not only that, but her princess dress was also tattered with holes. The dark elves believed that even though this young lady was strong, she would eventually perish to her death after facing so many cannon fodders at once without any preparations. Gazing at the young lady darting toward them with the deadly huge sword, the dark elves expected her to be caught in the slaves�� encirclement and die to the countless blades.


    But it was a pity that while the dark elves guessed the opening accurately, they didn��t the ending.


    Shira was indeed defenseless. Facing the duergars who tried to stop her, the young lady lifted her sword with a grin and swung down from above. In a loud bang, the duergars in front of her were smashed into chunks of flesh. Even though they wore steel armor that could withstand blades, they were useless against her. At the same time, the other slaves swarmed toward her, flourishing their blades at the young lady.


    The sharp blades slashed her body ruthlessly��yes, her body, not her afterimage. Almost everyone witnessed a dozen weapons piercing her petite figure. If she were an ordinary human, she would be more than dead by now. But it was a pity that the slaves weren��t aware that she was more than ordinary.


    It was only at that moment, when Shira raised the huge sword in her hands and burst into laughter, that the slaves realized they were facing a terrifying and unimaginable enemy.


    ��It��s not painful enough! Not enough! Use more force! More! I want more pain. Hurry. Continue! Hahaha, it��s so painful, let��s enjoy it together!��


    Whoosh��!


    Yelling like a lunatic, Shira brandished the huge sword at the slaves. In a single swing of the blade, countless severed flesh soared into the sky. In an instant, blood, flesh, and internal organs scattered, dyeing the land around her in a fan-shaped, maroon hue. The young lady paid no attention at all. She continued to flourish her sword without any intention to stop.


    Again, again, and again.


    She was jike a child squatting by an ant��s nest on a boring afternoon and patiently squashing each ant that came out of the hole.


    Finally, the slaves who were ��educated�� by the dark elves to be fearless retreated cowardly. Facing the menacing iron blade, as well as the young lady whose tattered dress was drenched in blood, this was the first time the slaves withdrew from the battle. Even with the dark elves at the back lashing with long whips, berating, and hacking to death some of the unfortunate ones, it wasn��t enough to hold them back. In the threat of the dark elves, some of the terror-stricken slaves even raised their weapons and retaliated!


    In an instant, the situation turned even more chaotic. Shira shuttled across the battlefield with a crazy laughter as she rammed into the slaves, ripped them apart with her blade, and sunk in the joy of trampling over their corpses. It was this feeling of happiness that left the dark elves shivering in chills. Dark elves also loved massacres, but the enjoyment came from the benefits behind them because successful massacres could promote their statuses, eliminate competitors, or accomplish their family��s missions. It was this feeling of satisfaction that dark elves were so passionate about in assassination and ��backstabbing��. But they didn��t expect there to be someone who purely gained pleasure from slaughtering, massacring, and the process of seizing one��s life. The dark elves felt chills running down their spines at the sight of Shira brandishing the blade and shredding her victims mercilessly. Her eyes glinted in joy as the slaves screamed and howled to their deaths.


    ��Release the explosive arrows! Aim and fire at her!��


    As Shira grinned and crushed the skull of a duergar under her foot, the dark elves couldn��t hold in their fear any longer. Along with this command, a dozen dark elves pulled up their hoods abruptly and reached for the exquisite bows hanging on their backs. Their poisonous arrows were useless against Shira. Even if they punctured her eye with one, the young lady would simply flip her hair and ignore it.


    Shira was the perfect undead creature.


    As the first prototype of an undead creature created by the Dark Dragon, Shira was provided with the advantages of all undead creatures and didn��t have their weaknesses. The only issue was ��reproduction��, which was why the Dark Dragon eventually gave up on the undead puppets. The Dark Dragon had hoped to come up with solutions to resolve the problems with undead creatures�� reproduction. But it was a pity that it was still a tough challenge even until now.


    But apart from that, Shira possessed all the merits of undead creatures.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Shortly after the dark elves released the arrows, a dozen red arrows were shot toward her. In the blink of an eye, the petite young lady was devoured by the explosions and went missing in sight. Dense and black billows of smoke erupted along with the scarlet flares. Looking at this scene, many of the dark elves turned over in discomfort. They were still not used to the strong glares of the explosions. But now, as long as they could annihilate that scary enemy, they couldn��t care less about it.


    Black smoke enfolded the battlefield. The dark elves held their breath, staring into the smoke vigilantly. If Shira were an ordinary human, the dark elves would have been able to determine her predicament using their unique night vision. But it was a pity that the young lady was dead, to begin with. Therefore, she was no different to a pebble on the side of the path even when the night vision was used. If any of the dark elves used this method to search for Shira, the dark elf would end up in a worse death.


    Is it over?


    Gazing at the black, rolling smoke that hit the ceiling, the dark elves weren��t certain of their chances and the unique traits of undead creatures. They stared at the black smoke and guessed in confusion. They had already figured out that Shira was an undead creature. But it was a pity that as an underground race, the dark elves had limited ways to deal with undead creatures. Of course, dark elves also owned healing spells. However, the healing spells were only effective on dark elves while acting as a curse on other creatures and would make them vomit blood. This went to show that spells that didn��t consist of holy attributes were useless against undead creatures. Therefore, the dark elves could only deal with Shira using explosive arrows. After all, undead creatures were afraid of fire, weren��t they?


    The dark elves couldn��t help but heave sighs of relief at the sight of the unchanging black smoke. But all of a sudden, they heard the sound of rasping metal.


    ��That is��!��


    The dark elves turned ashen instantly. But before they reacted, large steel chains shot out of the smoke and instantly bound their waist! Seconds after, a dazzling blade ray enveloped their vision!

 Chapter 1230 - Dark Region (14)

    Swish����!


    A large sword swung out and dissipated the smoke. Before the dozen dark elves reacted, a shadowy figure flitted across. In an instant, their upper bodies flew up into the air, while their internal organs and scarlet blood splattered all over the ground. Looking at this horrific scene, the dark elves at the back turned ashen and quickly retreated. However, another whistling gust of blade wind dispersed the rolling smoke around the young lady as she stood before them once again. This time, the dark elves couldn��t help but stare blankly at her.


    They didn��t know when it happened, but thick steel chains had already spread across the ground like a spider web with the young lady in the middle. The shimmering and reflective steel chains left them in freezing fear. Not only that, but it was also at that moment when the dark elves realized that they were caught in the net of steel chains! The dark elves were certain that a few seconds ago the ground underneath their feet were empty. But now, as they stared at the wide net of steel chains, they were stunned to discover that they were like prey who were stuck to a spider web and couldn��t budge at all.


    ��It��s so painful�� So painful�� So, so painful����


    Shira let out dying howls, but none of the dark elves were excited about that. On the contrary, every one of them gripped their weapons and scanned the surroundings in terror. They finally understood this young lady��s style. Whenever she yelled that she was in pain, she wasn��t about to surrender. Instead, it meant that she was about to massacre them all.


    ��So painful�� But it��s still not enough�� not enough�� You guys should try it too!��


    Shira let out an abrupt roar. Then, her swaying petite body that was seemingly about to collapse to the ground turned around all of a sudden. She darted ahead with her sword and arrived before the dark elves, raising the pitch-black blade and flourishing it from above!


    She��s so fast!


    Looking at this scene, the dark elves were bewildered. Shira didn��t exhibit such speed earlier. She kept sauntering, while swinging her enormous blade across the enemies in her path. Due to that reason, the dark elves subconsciously believed that only her sword swings were quick, while she was slow-moving. After all, she wielded such a huge, heavy sword, so her speed must be affected to a certain extent. That was why even though the dark elves were terrified of her berserk annihilation, they still dared to stand in front of her.


    But now, they were stunned to realize that her speed was much faster than they had imagined!


    At that moment, this was the first time ��retreat�� cropped up in their minds. But it was a pity that it was too late.


    The instant Shira dashed forward, the steel chains flew up as though resonating to her assault, binding the dark elves like strong, tree vines. Upon realizing the fluttering of the steel chains, the dark elves were bewildered. They tried to avoid the entanglement of the steel chains in a fluster, but at that moment, no one noticed a snowy, tender arm extending out of a shadow in the corner and tossing something in midair.


    A small and round ceramic jar flew out from her palm and landed within the group of dark elves.


    ��������!��


    At the next moment, blinding white lights exploded. The dark elves who didn��t anticipate this move let out high-pitch shrieks as they shut their eyes in terror. As a matter of fact, this was a common move by dark elves themselves, especially during internal battles. As dark elves were innately sensitive to light, glaring lights were their absolute weakness. Of course, they came up with countermeasures. It could also be said that dark elves were the only race who invented equipment like ��sunglasses�� in the entire continent. They polished obsidian into lenses and created something similar to ��sunglasses��. However, the production costs were too high, causing them to be expensive and rare in quantity. Moreover, putting on sunglasses in the pitch-black underground made one seem like an unbecoming, literary person. Therefore, not even matriarchs were willing to wear a pair of sunglasses even in possible ambushes of bright lights. A matriarch would only wear it, just in case, when she was involved in an internal battle.


    Of course, the dark elves also prepared the item for this battle. But after learning that Shira was an undead creature and couldn��t cast any spells, they didn��t consider further issues in this direction. And now, in the face of a sudden, blinding ambush of light, they knew that the situation was dire for them. In an instant, the dark elf mages of noble status cast a glimmering magical brilliance that shielded them from any possible assaults that ensued. As for those lowly male dark elf�� They weren��t worthy of their attention.


    The male dark elves were in a rather miserable state. That instance of bright light made them miss the opportunity to escape the shackles of the steel chains. In the blink of an eye, they felt their bodies tighten as the steel chains that bound them and shrunk abruptly. In just a few seconds, immense pain spread all across their bodies. These well-equipped dark elves were immediately crushed alive into a pile of bloody flesh.


    Spine-chilling screams reverberated around the space, where even the other dark elves sensed unprecedented fear and agony from their cruel deaths. The heartbreaking wails sent chills down the spines of the dark elves who thought they were already used to witnessing the pain of others. Just hearing the screams alone were enough to make them empathize with the victims.


    But they didn��t realize that death had also sneaked to their side.


    As the dark elves reacted strongly to the flash bang, Nell leaped out of the shadow with her sword and struck at the target ahead of her stealthily!


    As a dark elf born in the city of dark elves (though she didn��t look like one), Nell couldn��t be more familiar with the executions and techniques of dark elves. Before heading to the surface, she had once served as a guard captain of her family, participated in the suppressions of other families, and murdered two matriarchs on her own. Due to that reason, Nell knew more clearly than anyone how cunning the dark elf spell casters were.


    And how fragile they were.


    She shuttled across the crowd like a robust cheetah, her sword aiming straight at a female dark elf. Ever since Shira began her attacks, Nell waited silently in the corner. She knew she wasn��t suitable for frontal assaults. Besides, in terms of strength, Nell was considered the lowest in level among them all. Not only was she weaker than Anne, but she also couldn��t compete with Mini Bubble Gum, Angelina, or Shira. As an inessential character in Rhode��s group, her daily tasks were to train the thieves under Rhode and gather intelligence to a certain degree. Due to that reason, Nell was only around level 65. If it weren��t for the fact that she was familiar with the underground environment and Rhode needed her to lead the way in and out of Carlesodar City, he wouldn��t have brought her along for sure. As Nell wasn��t his card spirit, it would be tough to determine what would happen to her after her death. Of course, Rhode could also make Mini Bubble Gum resurrect Nell or turn her into a card spirit. Perhaps it was due to these possibilities that Rhode wasn��t too bothered for bringing her along.


    This clearly described Rhode��s attitude toward Nell. In fact, he wasn��t too concerned about her, which was why he wasn��t worried that she would die in battle. On the other hand, if she were Mini Bubble Gum or Canary, he would rather make them stay by the rear than to risk their lives. In terms of strength, even though their original selves were as strong as their projections and their battle techniques and wisdom were much richer, Rhode still wouldn��t risk bringing them here.


    This was the cruel difference in treatment��


    Nell didn��t think that anything was wrong about it. At that moment, she didn��t even consider these things. In her eyes, there were only her targets right now!


    Clang!


    She slammed her blade onto the magical, defensive barrier of the dark elf mages. This was her all-out attack. In an instant, the magical barrier flashed indefinitely to the impact. Nell didn��t let her guard down. Instead, she turned her right arm around abruptly and struck with her sword again. Bright, dazzling blade air waves flowed from her blade, transforming into a lightning bolt that blasted the flickering barrier.


    Crack!


    This time, the barrier couldn��t withstand her attack. It shattered and popped like a fragile bubble. At that moment, one of dark elf mages also realized that something was amiss. Even though her vision was still blinded by the burst of light, the collision from Nell��s attack made her sense that danger was approaching closely. Upon hearing the crisp crack of the barrier, she turned around quickly, extending her arm to grab the snake whip, and lashed it toward the sound.


    Along with this assault, the nine-headed snake whip extended suddenly. The nine snakes at the tip of the whip widened their eyes and mouth as they pounced on Nell!


    This was one of the most insidious battle techniques of dark elf mages. Even though the gorgeous nine-headed-snake whip didn��t seem to bring any value into battle, as a matter of fact, if one were bitten by one of the snakes, deadly venom would be injected into one immediately. Not only that, but the long whip would also move on its own according to the holder��s emotions. As soon as one was bitten by the snakes, one was basically dead.


    Despite that, Nell was apparent ready for this counterattack. Facing the snakes that lunged at her, she spun the sword around. At the next moment, the female mage��s right hand that was wielding the snake whip fell to the ground. Fresh, scarlet blood spurted out into the air from her wrist. She couldn��t help but howl to the sudden, immense pain, extending her left hand instinctively to hold onto the missing wrist on her right arm. At the next moment, in her blurry vision, she witnessed a flash of brilliance that was as shiny bright as silver.


    Then, Nell��s sword pierced her throat mercilessly.

 Chapter 1231 - Dark Region (15)

    Verna was desperate.


    Her two armies of reinforcements had crumbled, while the remaining dark elf mages basically went to her to take refuge. But come to think of it, these dark elf mages weren��t outsiders in the first place. Back then, in order for Verna to protect herself from both of her daughters�� conspiracies, she sneaked a group of spies into her daughters�� families to monitor their activities. Due to that reason, it went without saying that these spies weren��t devoted to their so-called ��matriarchs�� and were the first to hide in the back of the army once battle commenced. That was how they avoided disaster and retreated to report the situation.


    Upon hearing their reports, Verna was put in a tough spot. She realized she seemed to have made a rather foolish decision. She considered the situation from the perspective of dark elves, so it went without saying that she thought no matter how strong the enemies were, they were still a small group, after all. As long as she diminished their strength, even if she couldn��t annihilate them all, she could still suppress their arrogance and teach them that Carlesodar City was a city belonging to the dark elves!


    And that it was not a place for outsiders like them to act brazenly!


    Verna was already ashen at the thought of this sentence. She felt as though she were slapped several times in the cheeks, and they were red and swollen now. Not only did she not force the enemies back, but she also sacrificed two families that she groomed with utmost care. Moreover, several smaller families were also implicated and buried to the ground. Right now, it was complete chaos for Verna.


    As the largest city of the dark elves, Carlesodar was huge. Even though the underground was different from the surface, this city was about the same size as Casabianca and also divided into districts. Duergars and bugbears basically resided in the slave distract of the outer city. A little deeper inside would be the business district, followed by the district for dark elves. Despite that, as smaller families were weaker in strength, they were situated on the periphery of the inner district, while larger families were based in the core. That was why the inner city was categorized into civilian, lesser-noble, and core districts.


    Rhode��s group were currently located in the business district, while Verna��s directions of attack came from the civilian and lesser-noble districts. As a result, the three districts were in complete disorder right now. The civilian district was turned into a living hell by Shira, where the dark elves were minced, becoming a part of the bloody battlefield without a chance of survival. The lesser-noble district also struggled and eventually collapsed to Angelina��s undead army. Even though vampires weren��t as skilled as liches at creating undead creatures, they were experts in creating ghouls. Well, this wasn��t too surprising since many legends on this continent about one turning into ghouls after being bitten by vampires started from them. Even though Angelina wasn��t that thirsty to sink her teeth into dark elves, she, who was born in the first vampire family, naturally possessed the ability to turn her victim into ghouls without sucking their blood.


    Facing the sudden emergence of so many undead creatures, the nobles were apparently unready. They never anticipated a situation where undead creatures would attack them in their own city. Moreover, Anne had also transformed into the Elemental Spirit and flattened more than half of the entire lesser-noble district. Her wind element was undoubtedly an attack that ravaged the entire ��map��. As a result, some dark elf families who didn��t send out their troops and decided to enjoy the show were killed by the lack of air despite being in the safety of their homes.


    The families who survived struggled whilst at death��s door. But before they pulled themselves together from the wind element��s suppression, they faced an ambush from the sea of undead creatures. Not only were low-level troops like duergars and bugbears turned into undead creatures, but Angelina also manipulated countless dark elf corpses into becoming her able-bodied soldiers. In the end, those families resisted, but to no avail as they were swept away by the undead army��s human wave attack. Meanwhile, those family members who weren��t captured struggled and couldn��t hold on for much longer.


    On the other hand, it was even more miserable for the civilian district. Shira was entirely addicted. Other than those dark elves who fled upon witnessing the unfavorable situation from the start, none of the rest escaped. Shira was alone and didn��t use any AoE skill to bombard the battlefield like Anne and Angelina��until the wave of explosive arrows struck her and she released the steel chains from her body like a huge spider web to envelop the entire civilian district.


    It wasn��t that none of the dark elves tried to escape. But as soon as they neared the steel chains, they were immediately shackled and minced to their death. Not only that, but Shira also continued to roam the battlefield, letting out a peculiar laughter as she smashed everything she saw, be it a building, person, or anything else��


    Verna was also distressed over a thorny problem. Mini Bubble Gum practically charged her way over and slaughtered anyone who obstructed her. Right now, she had arrived at the east periphery of the lesser-noble district. Judging from her aggression, it seemed like she was about to barge her way into the core district and obliterate all the dark elves. The dark elf army was also utterly defeated by her. This young lady didn��t seem to understand what limit and holding back meant as she eradicated everything in her path. Even if one weren��t standing in front of her and were simply unpleasant to her eye, she would still murder one.


    I don��t care if you are good or bad; dark elves should all perish!


    Carlesodar City was in a complete disaster. The core district rumbled as all sorts of dazzling, holy bursts of light thundered from time to time. The city was as though torpedoed by bomber aircrafts and the dark elves were about to be sent back to the Stone Age.


    Meanwhile, hair-raising screams of victims and roars of undead creatures rang in the south and echoed within the tall, pitch-black cave, leaving one��s hair standing. On the other hand, the west was in complete silence like a still, ice-cold cemetery. Perhaps not even the presence of life could be felt, not to mention voices being heard.


    It was entirely out of Verna��s prediction for Carlesodar City to be tormented to this degree. She didn��t expect the enemies to be this powerful to ignore the deterrence of dark elves and launch attacks to eradicate anyone on sight. It was as though the dark elves who terrified everyone in the underground were nothing more than a group of free-range chickens. The enemies just couldn��t care less about what the dark elves were capable of.


    This feeling�� This feeling�� This feeling��


    At first, Verna was enraged. Then, she panicked and was now terrified. It had been a long time since the dark elves tasted this feeling. In the past, even though the Dark Dragon had indeed crushed them once, that happened a long, long time ago, after all. No matter how long the lifespan of dark elves was, none of them lived right after the Creation War ended (especially considering their unique values in life). Therefore, none of the dark elves experienced that catastrophe. Even though they heard of relevant legends from word of mouth and through historical records, it was only after they experienced it themselves that they felt petrified.


    What gave Verna a headache was that the entire hall was in loud clamors before she came up with any counter solution. She didn��t know whether it was due to the continuous failures that made her reputation plummet or that the dark elves forgot the rules out of extreme fear for them to break out in huge quarrels in the hall.


    But what they were fighting over was ridiculous. They were actually debating which enemy was the most terrifying.


    The dark elves who were repelled by Anne insisted that Anne and Angelina were the enemies they should worry about the most.


    We��re all spell casters, but have you ever witnessed an Elemental Spirit? Even if you haven��t seen one, you should have heard of it before, right!? How can we possibly defeat it? Also, that vampire created so many ghouls in the blink of an eye. It is obvious that she is definitely not someone we can defeat effortlessly. In that case, shouldn��t we focus all our strength on her?


    Meanwhile, the dark elves who were fortunate enough to flee from Shira stood firm that she was the scariest enemy. They had never seen a crueler murderer than her!


    I think we should get rid of her as soon as possible. If she comes knocking on our door, none of us will be able to escape! So what if it��s an Elemental Spirit? It��s just a materialization of a spirit and the top 10 matriarchs should have ways to deal with it.


    On the contrary, the mysterious undead creature was entirely different. The dark elves tried coming up with various solutions, but just couldn��t figure out how to kill her. If Shira relied upon some skills and methods to defend herself, perhaps the dark elves could come up with some countermeasures. But the problem was that Shira didn��t need any of that as she defended using her own flesh. Facing such an invincible enemy, the dark elves were at their wits�� end. That was why the dark elves believed that Shira was their biggest threat, especially with her peculiar and frightening enjoyment while slaughtering her victims.


    Upon hearing the complaints from both parties, the spell casters on Verna��s side were instantly displeased.


    The reason why you bunch here are yelping is because your families are ranked in the 20s and 30s. Even if the top 10 matriarchs were to send out humans to deal with the enemies, the former will surely defeat them, not to mention dispatching dark elves. The whole lot of you are exaggerating. In terms of danger, that petite young lady is the most dangerous!


    The petite young lady they referred to was Mini Bubble Gum. She faced the elite army of the fourth family along the way, which was termed as one of the best armies in Carlesodar City. However, the army was utterly defeated by her and even some advanced mages were killed! Besides, judging from the intelligence they gathered, it was apparent to them that Mini Bubble Gum was the leader of her pack. Therefore, their priority should be to form an alliance to crush her. As long as they eliminated her, the others shouldn��t pose an issue.


    The quarrels between the three parties grew fiercer with one despising the other for being timid.


    They can��t even bear to witness some blood. What an insult to the honor of the dark elves!


    The despised party was unwilling to admit defeat either as they reprimanded the other party for fleeing upon witnessing the Elemental Spirit, claiming that they were really weaklings.


    If it weren��t for you cowards, our family wouldn��t have lost so quickly!


    Meanwhile, the third party insisted that the other two parties were worthless trash.


    We will show you what true power is! If you were the ones taking on that petite young lady, you wouldn��t even dare to let out a fart!


    The first and second parties were furious, of course. The first party yelled: ��If you��ve the guts, go and check out how your matriarch choked to death due to the wind element!��


    The second party also berated: ��Perhaps you would faint once you witness how the Undead Puppet slaughtered everyone and wouldn��t be standing here talking to us now!��


    The quarrels between the three parties reached the point where they were about to break into a fight. They didn��t even think that their actions had shattered everyone��s morale. The dark elves who were stationed in the family premises were already feeling anxious over the constant reports of failure. And now, after learning just how terrifying and powerful the enemies were, they turned as white as a sheet. If it weren��t for the exceptionally stern rules of the dark elves, perhaps they would have already made their escape. Even though they stayed around, their morale took a dive. It was almost certain that if the three parties were to break out into a fight, perhaps many of them would turn around and flee right away.


    ��Alright, shut up, all of you!��


    Verna returned to her senses and snarled, realizing that the situation was far from good. Fortunately for her, she was the matriarch of the fourth family and her prestige hadn��t completely gone down the drain yet. Upon hearing her rage, the dark elf mages in heated arguments and about to roll up their sleeves for a fist fight closed their wide-open mouths. They looked at one another anxiously. After venting their frustrations, the dark elves also knew that they were wrong to behave this way. They acted simply like moronic fans who hurled punches at naysayers to protect the image of their idols�� But the problem was that they had no form of ��worship�� toward those enemies at all.


    ������


    Glaring at her subordinates, Verna didn��t know what to do. According to her, these dark elves who spread rumors and fear should be executed on the spot. But it was a pity that Mini Bubble Gum and her group were pressing hard on them right now. Verna��s side suffered huge losses with advanced mages lining up in their graves. And now, the dark elf mages who survived were still useful for the situation. It would be utterly foolish if they didn��t die in the battle against the enemies, but in her hands instead.


    What should we do?


    Verna kept considering this question. She hesitated whether she should pull out her forces, but even she wasn��t of aware whether she could do it in time. She also didn��t know whether she held the authority to negotiate with the enemies because they were simply too powerful. Besides, judging from the situation, negotiation didn��t seem to be able to bring the enemies any benefits. So what if Verna were to give them countless compensations? The enemies were still capable of barging into the treasure house of the fourth family and pillaging everything inside, wasn��t it?


    As for women? It was even more impossible. Mini Bubble Gum was a spell caster and there were lots of spells that could manipulate and even brainwash minds. If the enemies needed women, they could simply capture the dark elf mages, brainwash them, and do whatever they want. The dark elf mages also wouldn��t be able to retaliate in any ways. No, when that happened, perhaps they wouldn��t even know who they were.


    What should we do now? Continue to fight to the death with the enemies?


    In an instant, Verna was at a complete loss. According to the intelligence, even though Angelina and Mini Bubble Gum didn��t seem to have the intention of advancing, the situation also wasn��t looking anywhere better. Angelina was focused on expanding her undead army and it seemed like she intended to wipe out all of Carlesodar City at once. The other problem now was that Mini Bubble Gum was as though an insane person who smashed anything in her path. It didn��t matter if anyone attacked her or not as they were thoroughly slaughtered the very next moment. Verna initially hoped that they would expend a lot of their strength and become weaker. But now, it seemed like Mini Bubble Gum was still going strong and could last for another day and night.


    But Verna wasn��t aware that while she was in a tough spot, a meeting regarding the fate of the entire city was going on in the peak of the towering stalactite building in the core district.


    ��It seems like we��re in a horrible situation.��


    Matriarch Durelle curled up in the chair with a sneer, gazing at the other matriarchs who wore the same robes, embroidered with a red spider. Nine of the most authoritative matriarchs sat quietly on their chairs, exchanging gazes with one another. The huge mess caused by Mini Bubble Gum naturally alerted members of the top 10 families. While Verna was in a headache, the other nine matriarchs of the top 10 families gathered in secret and discussed their options.


    Verna wasn��t aware of this meeting. As a matter of fact, this meant that she and her family were abandoned. And now, the nine matriarchs naturally weren��t discussing issues regarding the fourth family, but problems about their safety instead. Frankly, the dark elves were also bewildered that Mini Bubble Gum caused such a huge ruckus. They had never seen anyone so formidable and odd that she wasn��t willing to listen to the words of others. The dark elves were at a complete loss.


    Durelle, who raised the issue, was secretly glad that Verna��s family had an idiot who attracted all the firepower over to her side. Fortunately for Durelle, her Bailey Family was safe and sound right now. If it weren��t for that foolish daughter of Verna who tried to probe the situation and lured attention over, perhaps Durelle would be the one in deep trouble.


    Even though Mini Bubble Gum hadn��t slaughtered her way into the fourth family yet, it seemed like it was only a matter of time.


    ������


    Facing Durelle��s words, the other eight matriarchs remained silent. After a few moments, one of them puckered her brows and saidspoke


    ��Yes. So what should we do?��


    ��Giving up is our only option.��


    No names were mentioned. This was the consistent rule of the council. They never specifically mentioned the names of a certain family or matriarch. This was ��fairness�� among dark elves. As long as no one said it, it didn��t exist. As long as there was no evidence, one didn��t need to admit one��s fault. As long as there was no failure, there was only victory. That was why even though they didn��t speak straightforwardly, everyone knew that person they were referring to wasn��t present.


    ��But we aren��t sure whether that is the best choice, right? Will our threats end just like that?��


    At that moment, the matriarch of the third family asked with knitted brows.


    The place fell into complete silence.


    This was also one of their biggest doubts. Back then, even though Rhode said he was only passing through the city to reach his destination, judging from the situation now, it was no different from an all-out war. Although there were only five members in Rhode��s group, no one ignored the fact that Rhode hadn��t attacked yet. Moreover, the five of them were enough to flatten their paths. As soon as the core district crumbled, they would surely take over the entire city. When that happened, what should they do?


    Should they just type ��GG�� to the enemies?


    Of course, they didn��t know what ��GG�� meant.


    Even though Rhode said he was only traversing the city, what if his true intention was to attack the city in the first place? There was a possibility for that. The matriarchs knew that the surface wasn��t peaceful right now through their own intelligence network. They were also aware that the alliance of the Void Territory and Munn Kingdom had been attacking the Country of Darkness constantly, while the Dark Dragon couldn��t hold his ground. What if Rhode came here specifically to subdue them? It wasn��t entirely impossible. Dark elves were a race who desired authority, where dominating everything seemed only right. If any of them were to think that Rhode wasn��t interested in authority, they would simply treat him as an idiot or lunatic. Therefore, based on the current situation, the matriarchs believed that the possibility of Rhode taking down Carlesodar City and dominating the underground world was most likely.


    This point reached a consensus among the matriarchs. But they couldn��t agree on their next step. To dark elves, it seemed like nothing significant to change a ruler. But the problem was that they had no intention of giving up yet. No matter what, Rhode came to the underground and stirred trouble with them. If the dark elves were to shrink without saying a word, it went without saying what would happen to their reputation in this underground world.


    And the pressing situation now was that Mini Bubble Gum was closing in on them. Angelina was also leisurely expanding her undead army, while Shira was massacring with grins and bursts of laughter. The three of them were having fun. In this one-sided situation, the dark elves were overwhelmed. Of course, it wasn��t like they didn��t have any ace in the hole. But��


    There is a Void Dragon amongst them. The Void Dragon hasn��t even attacked and Carlesodar City has already ended up in this pathetic state. What would become of the situation after the Void Dragon attacks?


    ��Matriarch Durelle.��


    All of a sudden, a voice shattered the silence and Durelle was instantly taken aback. She looked up and gazed at the figure in the middle seat of the round table. For some unknown reason, she felt like the situation was far from good for her.


    ��We hope you can represent us in visiting His Majesty the Void Dragon and seeking his true intentions. After all, we are at our wits�� end right now.��


    Upon hearing this statement, Durelle��s vision turned pitch-black.


    Of course, she knew why she was selected.


    At the same time, she also knew that she perhaps couldn��t escape this responsibility.

 Chapter 1232 - Ceding Territory, Paying Indemnity

    Rhode sat by the edge of his bed. The corners of his lips perked up into a gentle smile as he looked at Icy Snow, who had fallen into a deep slumber. The young lady��s schedule never changed. She always slept at the time she indicated. Of course, before she fell asleep, she blushed and asked for a small request from Rhode.


    And that was for him to tell her a bedtime story��


    As a matter of fact, this was something that Rhode and his younger sister had always done. When Icy Snow was still a child, she spent a lot of time in their home as her parents were working. So it became a habit for Rhode and his younger sister to look after Icy Snow, which explained their close relationship. When Icy Snow was still a child, Rhode and his younger sister took turns to read her bedtime stories, and it also became Icy Snow��s habit over time.


    The god of destiny sure enjoys making fools of people��


    Gazing at the young lady in deep sleep, Rhode shook his head. Frankly, one would suspect if Icy Snow was brought up too solemnly by her parents when she was a child whenever one witnessed how stubborn she was in following the times she set. Some even misunderstood whether she was suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Many people, including her teachers and classmates, thought that she was brought up by old-fashioned parents, and she merely had a strict curfew.


    However, Rhode was the only one who knew that wasn��t the case.


    Of course, Icy Snow was indeed brought up by her parents, but none of them were free to watch over her at home. One of her parents was involved in foreign trade, while the other engaged in tourism, where they would only be home every other day. Of course, her parents treated her well. Not only did they buy all sorts of interesting, fun toys for her whenever they returned home, but they also showered her with concerns from time to time. Perhaps it was due to this reason that her parents were rather enlightened about their daughter��s education. As long as Icy Snow didn��t get involved with drugs or mix with the wrong company, they would be more than happy. As for what kind of path Icy Snow chose to take, they supported her fully.


    Rhode lamented whenever he recalled this. Icy Snow and Canary were polar opposite cases. Icy Snow��s parents adopted a laissez-faire style of education while Icy Snow grew up almost having obsessive-compulsive disorder with time. On the other hand, Canary��s parents taught her sternly, which triggered a rebellious psychology in her and caused them to bring up an obedient, yet rebellious daughter��


    Just�� What can I say about that?


    Rhode gave some thoughts and determined that it was a personality issue. Icy Snow was self-disciplined, which couldn��t be considered common in people of her age, but through and through an elite and rare existence instead. In fact, even though she spent most of her time with Rhode and his younger sister, they were still teenagers at that time, despite them being older than her. Even though they exercised control over themselves, they weren��t as strict as Icy Snow in treating themselves.


    For instance, when a teenager played, there would often be times when the thought of ��it should be fine playing for a while longer��, ��five more minutes��, or ��I��ll have dinner after watching this episode�� came cropping in their minds. It went without saying that Rhode had such thoughts too, and the same went for his younger sister. But Icy Snow was special. Whenever time was up, she would move on to the next activity without fail.


    Rhode clearly remembered when the TV station broadcasted an exciting adventure movie. However, as the movie lasted longer than usual movies that played for one and a half hours, it played for two hours and the most exciting part happened to crossover to Icy Snow��s sleeping time.


    Back then, Rhode and his younger sister persuaded her to finish the movie since it was at the climax and another half an hour wouldn��t hurt. However, Icy Snow gnashed her teeth, looked at the television with a yearning stare, but eventually turned around and headed to bed. It was only later that Rhode realized that Icy Snow wept in the dark for not being able to watch the ending of that movie. But even so, she wasn��t able to change this habit of hers.


    Judging from this behavior of hers, it was obvious that she had a self-disciplined and strict personality. But it was due to this reason that her strengths were often overlooked. For instance, most people thought that Icy Snow was leading a tiring life and that became the focus of their attention. Meanwhile, it was also due to this reason that they neglected the fact that she was smart and talented. For instance, she spent two hours doing assignments, so why wasn��t she concerned about not completing her assignments on time? Wasn��t being able to handle everything in a neat fashion the reason why she was able to follow strictly to her schedule? Perhaps ordinary people could keep up with this for one to two days, but what if there was a sudden situation that cropped up? What if the workload increased? Who could guarantee that one could complete them in the stipulated time?


    Judging from this point, it wasn��t surprising that Icy Snow became the best far-range shooter in the Dragon Soul Continent. Ordinary players who played the game all day couldn��t possibly accomplish this achievement. However, Icy Snow came online for only a few hours and yet, she was able to increase with her level and skills and keep up with Rhode.


    That was what it meant to have true capability. If it were others, who could spend three hours on the game everyday and be capable of defeating powerful players who devoted themselves to the game wholeheartedly?


    Unlike Icy Snow, Canary��s personality was soft, but just. She was like a spring; the more one applied pressure, the more the recoil there would be. Therefore, facing the blame and coercion from her parents, even though Canary tolerated and took a step back, it didn��t mean that she didn��t have any thoughts of her own. If not, she wouldn��t have a casual sexual relationship with Rhode and come up with ways to bear her own child.


    Rhode couldn��t help but let out a sigh. Among Mini Bubble Gum, Canary, and Icy Snow, he was least worried about Icy Snow. It was because her parents treated her well and didn��t force her to take on a path they planned like Canary��s parents. Their entire family also wasn��t in a vicious relationship like Mini Bubble Gum��s family. The reason why their original selves were willing to follow Rhode to this world was that, to put it bluntly, they didn��t have any feelings left for Earth. However, Icy Snow was different. She had a pair of parents who doted on her and also decent classmates and friends. She couldn��t be compared to the other two at all.


    ��The destiny of humans sure is strange�� Especially when different people have different choices. It will often bring about different consequences.��


    Rhode spoke softly. But at the next moment, he shifted his gaze to the shadow around the door in the distance.


    ��Don��t you agree?��


    ������


    Along with Rhode��s question, the seemingly-empty shadow by the door warped all of a sudden. Shortly after, a dark elf clad in a pitch-black robe sauntered out of the shadows and approached him. There was an imprint of a vibrant, red spider on her robe, which was the marking of a dark elf. At that moment, the dark elf stooped over and bowed respectfully.


    ��Greetings, respectful Your Majesty the Void Dragon����


    ��Speak outside.��


    Before the dark elf finished her sentence, Rhode waved his arm and interrupted her words. Upon hearing his reply, the dark elf was taken aback. Then, she gazed at the asleep Icy Snow, turned around, and left immediately. Rhode stretched out his hand to arrange Icy Snow��s hair, before turning over and leaving the room.


    ��Greetings, respectful Your Majesty the Void Dragon����


    The dark elf bowed to Rhode respectfully again in the corridor and said.


    ��I��m the matriarch of the Bailey Family of Carlesodar City, Durelle Bailey. We apologize on behalf of the reckless actions of the fourth family�� I represent the council in offering our apologies. We didn��t realize the intention of the fourth family beforehand, which brought forth such troubles and offended you.��


    As expected of dark elves; the ability to sell out their companions was always maxed out and they could even betray the whole fourth family. As for the dark elves and families who died in the civilian and lesser-noble districts, Durelle simply skipped over them with the casual mention of the word ��troubles��.


    ��Alright, cut the crap.��


    Rhode waved his hand to disrupt Durelle��s words. The instant he heard her name, he knew exactly the reason why the council sent her over. It was apparent that they knew Nell was among his group and were using this fact to cotton up to him. Rhode wasn��t amused at all, at least in the current situation. The reason for his arrival at Carlesodar City was simply to pass through the area and didn��t want to stir more trouble��


    Of course, gaining some benefits along the way was also a given, wasn��t it?


    ��I��ll get straight to the point. Are you ceding your territory or paying indemnity?��


    ��Huh?��


    Durelle was taken aback by his question. As a dark elf, she wasn��t comfortable with such direct and uncomplicated negotiations. She initially intended to pull some nonsense, but eventually decided to abandon this thought. She clearly knew that Rhode was one who attacked without speaking a word.


    If I continue with the nonsense, I��m not even sure if I can leave this place in one piece.


    At this thought, Durelle couldn��t help but ask cautiously.


    ��Your Majesty, what you mean is����


    ��Indemnity; and that is to hand over all the good stuff in Carlesodar City to compensate for our mental loss. As for the amount����


    Rhode pondered and calculated the dark elves�� wealth that players gathered and revealed. As an underground race, dark elves had a whole lot of worthy items, especially magical equipment and treasures that left one in envy. Since Rhode was already here, he wouldn��t be standing on ceremony, of course.


    ���� It shall be the assets of Carlesodar City, and just 70 percent of them will do.��


    ������


    Upon hearing his words, Durelle felt a shiver run down her spine. She swallowed her saliva and stared at Rhode carefully.


    ��What about the territory?��


    ��Simple.��


    Rhode responded calmly as though he had already made up his mind a long time ago.


    ��As long as all of you are willing to submit to me and become a part of the Void Territory, we will have no issues.��

 Chapter 1233 - The Dark Elves’ Choice

    Facing Rhode��s response, Durelle was completely speechless.


    She was mentally prepared. As a matter of fact, when she heard his request, she heaved an inward sigh of relief. Matriarchs were most afraid of not knowing what was going on inside the other negotiator��s head. Even though the matriarchs correctly guessed that Rhode was surely plotting something with Carlesodar City, for safety��s sake, if the other negotiator said: ��I don��t want anything. I just dislike dark elves like you��, the matriarchs could only head home and weep helplessly.


    But now, Durelle felt restless because Rhode mentioned his conditions so effortlessly. It would be within the dark elves�� expectations if he overwhelmed them with one aggressive statement or spoke calmly to give them a chance to make decisions. But now, Rhode��s tone of voice was entirely as though he were saying: ��Since I��m here, it would be a waste if I didn��t get my hands on something before heading back.��


    There was no need to guess the true meaning behind that intention and it left Durelle depressed because she couldn��t figure out whether Rhode was joking or being serious.


    No matter what, since Rhode gave them two choices, they could only choose one no matter how unwilling they were.


    But the dark elves disliked both choices.


    Rhode said he wanted 70 percent of Carlesodar��s assets, which was a huge amount. Of course, the dark elves could take their time, but Rhode apparently wasn��t amused. Durelle was also aware that Rhode wouldn��t wait for them to hand over 70 percent of their assets, but would seize all of them instead, before returning the remaining 30 percent to them��


    And they weren��t sure if he would even return the 30 percent.


    Therefore, this was entirely a joke. Maybe Rhode only spoke casually because the operability was truly too low and he couldn��t possibly not understand it. Rather than waiting for the dark elves to hand out their assets, Rhode would rather annihilate them all and take his time to recover the assets, wouldn��t he? At least, judging from the current situation, Rhode was capable of messing over all of Carlesodar City.


    The reason why Rhode gave them two choices was entirely for cover. But everyone knew that it was apparent he intended to lay hands on Carlesodar City.


    Durelle��s guess was right. Rhode had indeed decided to do it. But she didn��t know that he actually came up with this idea after the group of idiotic dark elves caused trouble for him. Before that, Rhode was honestly passing through the city��


    But now, he changed his mind. As the saying went, ��one chose to visit hell instead of heaven with its doors open��, since the dark elves were so eager, he wouldn��t mind taking advantage of them. However, despite the sudden idea, he had given it some serious considerations.


    The underground races had always been unique in the Dragon Soul Continent. There was only one reason for that. Even though underground races were also inhabitants of Order, they didn��t live under the dragon soul protection. Rules were most stable on the continent and even in lands of Chaos, rules wouldn��t be eroded by Chaos.


    Judging from this fact, it could be seen that the land itself possessed unique rules of Order. Due to that reason, creatures living in the underground were considered another force of Order because the underground world they resided in wasn��t influenced by the dragon soul protection.


    Be it the dragon soul protection of the Void Dragon, Judgment Dragon, Trial Dragon, Dark Dragon, or Light Dragon, it didn��t influence the underground world too much. This was also why the Dark Dragon had to head down to the underground back then. His dragon soul protection was powerful on the surface, but it was a pity that it wasn��t useful in the underground. If not, he didn��t need to show up personally to deal with the dark elves and could simply manipulate the dragon soul protection to wreak havoc in the underground to make the dark elves go extinct.


    But the Dark Dragon couldn��t achieve it. So he had to do it personally.


    This was what the dark elves once relied upon because even though they were inhabitants of Order, they didn��t need the dragon soul protection. One of the reasons why they continued to follow the Country of Darkness was that its ��cultural atmosphere�� was similar to theirs. The other reason was that undead creatures were their natural enemies. If they were to break into a war, the dark elves would definitely be crushed, which was why they gave in and became a part of the Country of Darkness.


    And now, Rhode had the same plan in mind.


    Of course, it wasn��t like Rhode had a strong desire for power and yearned to control the surface and underground world like the Dark Dragon. The problem for Rhode was that he knew that the Country of Darkness was in a complete mess right now, where he wasn��t even sure of how much Ion was under the influence of Chaos.


    But he was certain that Chaos definitely wouldn��t let this large slice of the cake off. On the other hand, the dark elves had no experience in dealing with Chaos. Rather than letting them be annihilated and assimilated by Chaos to increase their strength, Rhode would rather add them to his force. That was why he made this decision. It went without saying that he understood the dark elves�� personality inside out. Even if he were to flatten Carlesodar City, they wouldn��t possibly be willing to follow him.


    But Rhode naturally had his ways to manipulate them.


    After hearing Rhode��s suggestion, Durelle didn��t answer immediately. She pondered for a few moments, lifted her head, and bowed respectfully to him.


    ��My apologies, Your Majesty the Void Dragon. This matter is of major importance. I think we will need some time to discuss.��


    ��You guys only have half a day.��


    Rhode said, waving his hand and turning around to leave. While gazing at his back, Durelle knitted her brows tightly, but eventually closed her mouth and strolled into the shadow. Shortly after, her slender figure blended into the darkness like a drop of rain falling into a pond, vanishing entirely.


    ***


    Noon.


    When the matriarchs of the council received the news from Durelle, they fell into silence.


    They didn��t feel relieved after receiving reports from the front. It could be seen that Rhode had no intention of stopping his assault even though he was in the midst of negotiation with them. Angelina continued to expand her undead army and attempted to upgrade them to death knights. Shira didn��t seem like she would be satisfied until the blood of corpses across the land flowed into a river. Meanwhile, Mini Bubble Gum was carrying on with her massacre. Judging from her aggression, perhaps the core district she was in would collapse like the other districts in just three hours.


    Durelle passed on to the council the two choices that Rhode had raised. Of course, the matriarchs treated the first choice as a joke and were more focused on the second option. Dark elves were naturally cunning and had a strong desire for authority. That was why they quickly realized that the reason why Rhode gave such choices was that he needed their strength in some areas. Even though they didn��t know the exact reason, they were sure that it was related to the surface. Because no matter how formidable Rhode was, he was still an inhabitant from the surface and wouldn��t stay in the underground 24/7. On the other hand, dark elves were genuine underground creatures. If Rhode had any scheme against the underground, manipulating the dark elves would be a good direction to start in.


    ��Is this the only choice for us?��


    But even so, the matriarchs were unconvinced. Even though it wasn��t like they weren��t used to submitting to a dragon soul heir, the Country of Darkness spoke the same language with the dark elves, after all. As for the Void Territory? Other than them being tens of thousands of miles apart, could Rhode successfully beat the Country of Darkness?


    The dark elves were also aware of the situation on the surface. During this time, the alliance of the Void Territory and Munn Kingdom didn��t seem to have any intention of pressing ahead. Even though the dark elves weren��t aware of the battle progress, it was apparent that the alliance faced some difficulties. If they agreed to submit to Rhode and he failed to resist the Country of Darkness and retreated, wouldn��t they be facing the wrath of the Dark Dragon? When that happened, wouldn��t they all be dead?


    The only difference now was whether they would die earlier or later��


    Was there still a need for consideration?


    ��I think we should make our decision now.��


    Durelle spoke softly. She swept a glance at the other eight matriarchs and smiled in her mind. Just a few moments ago, she came up with a rather decent plan. If she succeeded, she could regain the status of the first family in Carlesodar City��


    ��Everyone. Our choices are limited, aren��t they?��


    ��Of course.��


    At that moment, the dark elf clad in a black robe and sitting in the center of the table spoke. Upon hearing her voice, Durelle narrowed her eyes.


    The first family; the biggest obstacle of her progression.


    And now, what would the first family do?


    Would they give up on their authority?


    ��We, the first family, have decided to accept His Majesty the Void Dragon��s proposal.��


    At that moment, the dark elf announced her decision.

 Chapter 1234 - Mark of the Dragon Soul

    ��The dark elves have decided to surrender?��


    When Nell heard this news from Rhode, she was astonished beyond words. Shortly after, this dark elf with unique skin color puckered her brows and gazed at her master in uncertainty. She sized him up and tried to get a read on his face, but it was a pity that his face was as emotionless as ever.


    ��Your Majesty, please pardon my rudeness. Surely you don��t believe in the matriarchs�� promise, right?��


    ��Why can��t I?��


    Facing Nell��s question, the corners of Rhode��s mouth perked up into a confident smile.


    ��Dark elves are a bunch who keep their promises; at least, that is the case in certain aspects. Nonetheless, I think we do need spies in the underground too, don��t you agree?��


    ��But����


    Nell gazed at Rhode speechlessly. She felt like his smile concealed a hint of oddness as though the situation wasn��t as simple as she imagined. Although Nell was confident in her master��s abilities, destroying the dark elves was one matter, while manipulating them was another, especially in the current situation.


    ��Your Majesty, isn��t our most important mission right now to rescue Her Highness Erin?��


    Nell blinked in confusion and asked.


    ��That��s right. This is our mission.��


    Upon hearing her doubt, Rhode nodded.


    ��But it isn��t yours�� Nell, your mission is completed the moment you lead us to Carlesodar. Your next task is to gain control over the city in the shortest time possible�� How about that, Nell? Aren��t you interested in becoming the essential ruler of dark elves?��


    ��Me?!��


    Nell couldn��t hold in her emotions any longer. She widened her eyes in bewilderment, staring straight at Rhode. She couldn��t believe that Rhode actually gave her a chance like this. Ruler of dark elves�� This title was indeed tempting, but the problem was that Nell knew her own strength. She was just a fighter who couldn��t cast spells. Strength was always the most crucial in the world of dark elves. In terms of physical skills, Nell regarded herself as the strongest in Carlesodar City. But in terms of spell-casting, she didn��t stand a chance.


    ��But, Your Majesty����


    Nell just couldn��t figure out whether Rhode was messing with her or not. She considered her words carefully and continued.


    ���� Please pardon my rudeness. I don��t think I can do it.��


    ��I��m aware of that.��


    Rhode squinted at her.


    ��But I will make you succeed.��


    Rhode replied and beckoned to her. Upon witnessing his hand gesture, Nell sauntered toward him in puzzlement. Then, she witnessed Rhode placing his right hand in front of her, where dazzling, brilliant starlight emanated and displayed a mark of a dragon in midair.


    ��Hold my right hand.��


    Upon hearing his order, Nell stretched out her hand without hesitation and held his hand.


    At the next moment, Nell sensed a strong torrent of energy rushing into her body. All of a sudden, her entire body was bursting with strength. Not only did she feel the surging spiritual power, but she could also touch the rule threads. She widened her eyes in disbelief. If one were to show her reflection in the mirror, she would immediately notice that she was emanating faint rays of starlight from head to toe, while the mark of the dragon shone at the center of her forehead.


    ��Your Majesty, this is����


    Nell stared blankly at her hands. It went without saying that she knew what happened to her just now. In the blink of an eye, she gained immense strength that was beyond imagination. Her strength used to only be in the Master Stage. But now, she clearly felt like she was in the Peak Legendary Stage. Not only that, but in her head right now, there was also new wisdom that taught her how to control her strength and what she was capable of.


    ��This is the mark I bestow upon you.��


    Rhode announced. The dragon mark was a power that Rhode obtained after becoming a Void Dragon. He was able to bestow the dragon mark upon others, passing on part of the dragon soul protection to them, which was similar to the relationship between God and angels. Of course, the dragon mark wasn��t completely flawless. Firstly, the power wouldn��t belong to the holders permanently. If the holders were to do anything that didn��t meet Rhode��s expectations, he could revoke his dragon mark and bestowed strength. Secondly, the mark was also divided into high, medium, and low ranks. For instance, a high-mark holder would be absolutely dominant and superior over a low-mark holder.


    This was the power that only belonged to the Void Dragon. Perhaps because the Void Dragon was the true creation God of the Dragon Soul Continent, Rhode was able to create his very own ��dependents�� to a certain degree. He didn��t have a suitable purpose all this while and now, he finally found one. This was the reason why he wanted to dominate the dark elves�� city. With the help of the dragon mark, he didn��t need to worry about the dark elves betraying him because when that happened, they would find out that they couldn��t refuse his orders at all��


    ��We, the first family, have decided to accept His Majesty the Void Dragon��s proposal.��


    A crisp, melodious voice echoed in the meeting room. Everyone couldn��t help but turn around and stare in bafflement as soon as they heard the first family��s matriarch��s decision. Many among them were doubtful as to why the first family��s matriarch made her decision so quickly. Durelle was the only one whose heart sank slightly. It was apparent that the first family��s matriarch was the same as her. They realized the rich, hidden benefits and opportunities, which was why she made this decision.


    I wonder what the other matriarchs think about it.


    At this thought, Durelle shot a look at the other matriarchs. At that moment, they were stumped as though they didn��t expect the first family to give up their authority and position. Of course, no one was sure how many of the matriarchs were actually putting on an act to disguise their surprise, that was.


    While the matriarchs exchanged looks, a voice shattered the silence.


    ��I��m glad all of you made a smart choice.��


    ��Who��s there?!��


    Upon hearing the voice, the matriarchs turned toward it, gripping the snake whips hanging on their waists instantly. The thick shadow before their eyes warped. At the next moment, a man donned in a black attire sauntered out of the shadows. Upon witnessing his emergence, the matriarchs tensed up. There was only one man who was powerful enough to slip into the secret meeting room guarded by dozens of secret spells.


    ��Y-Your Majesty the Void Dragon.��


    The matriarchs stuttered. They didn��t know how Rhode learned about this place and managed to enter. But this wasn��t the most important right now. Judging from his decision to arrive here, it was apparent that he wasn��t interested in waiting for their final decision. To the dark elves, apart from making a decision immediately, they didn��t have any other choice.


    ��Seems like you��ve made up your mind?��


    Rhode unveiled a strange smile, sweeping a glance at the matriarchs. Upon sensing his gaze, the proud matriarchs couldn��t help but lower their heads. It wasn��t that they were trying to express their loyalty, but the moment Rhode turned around, his overwhelming dragon��s prestige enveloped the entire meeting room. If it weren��t for the matriarchs�� years of experience, perhaps they would have already plopped to the ground.


    ��Your Majesty, we����


    One of the matriarchs puckered her brows and tried to speak under the suppression of the dragon��s prestige. But Rhode merely swept a glance at her and she shut her mouth instantly. Shortly after, another matriarch knelt on the ground, lowering her head respectfully. They already knew that since Rhode came knocking on their doors, any resistance against him was futile. If they didn��t want to die like that bunch of idiots, the best choice for them was to surrender.


    ��We��re willing to accept your conditions and become your most loyal followers, Your Majesty the Void Dragon.��


    ��Good.��


    Upon hearing the matriarchs�� answer, Rhode gave a short reply. He narrowed his eyes, scanned the surroundings, and nodded.


    ��Seems like you��ve agreed to submit to me. In that case, I shall not mistreat you.��


    Rhode spoke and extended his arm. Along with his words, the dragon mark gradually took shape in midair. Upon witnessing the mark, the matriarchs couldn��t help but lift their heads. It went without saying that they sensed the pure, powerful energy brimming from it. At the same time, Rhode��s deep voice rang in their ears.


    ��In return for surrendering to me, I shall bestow strength and honor upon you����

 Chapter 1235 - Limit of Collapse

    ��Will everything be fine, Leader?��


    Mini Bubble Gum asked, resting her hands behind her head and gazing forward lazily. Rhode lifted his head, scanned the deep tunnel ahead, and shrugged.


    ��Who knows. We��ll have to leave it to her now.��


    After the dark elves chose to submit to Rhode, he bestowed upon them the dragon mark. Unsure if it was due to the new powers they received or because they were terrified by Mini Bubble Gum��s massacre, the matriarchs didn��t even dare to exchange pleasantries. When Rhode requested them to remove the seal on the tunnel, they nodded in agreement and unlocked the seal on the east tunnel as quickly as possible.


    Meanwhile, Rhode dragged Nell out and commanded the matriarchs to listen to her commands in the future. Then, he left right away, leaving the terrible mess behind for Nell. Nell felt helpless by his actions. But despite that, she didn��t comment much. After all, she knew what he meant. She had already gained the formidable power and authority of the high dragon mark. If she couldn��t even handle the trivial matters of Carlesodar, it would only prove her incompetence.


    As for how she would go about establishing her forces in Carlesodar and put the cunning matriarchs in order, it wasn��t something within Rhode��s considerations. Anyway, Nell could try her best for now and if she couldn��t, he could still take over later. But Rhode didn��t have much time to waste now. While Mini Bubble Gum and the rest wreaked havoc in the city, Rhode and Icy Snow rested for half a day, left Carlesodar, and headed to the Darkness Capital.


    Due to the close connections between the dark elves and the Country of Darkness, Carlesodar had a direct path that linked to the Darkness Capital. But recently, as the situation was too unstable, the path was sealed off by the dark elves. Now that Rhode wanted to use that path, the dark elves unlocked the seal immediately and teleported Rhode and his group to the mountains outside the Darkness Capital.


    Icy Snow felt refreshed and energetic after waking up from her sleep. On the other hand, perhaps because Mini Bubble Gum caused too much trouble earlier, she followed the group listlessly with Angelina, who yawned beside her. Rhode transferred the undead army that Angelina beat her brains out to create to Nell as her guards. Angelina was depressed. She missed the feeling of superiority over undead creatures�� Because such an opportunity was too rare to receive around Rhode.


    Meanwhile, Anne wasn��t as exhausted as them. After smashing the stalactite pillars, she went back and caught up with her sleep. She only got up when Rhode was about to leave. Right now, Anne and Icy Snow were speaking to each other as they skipped ahead of the group. Come to think of it, it felt rather odd. Icy Snow with a strict personality couldn��t get along with Mini Bubble Gum. However, she jested with Anne, who was equally as lazy and undisciplined as Mini Bubble Gum. Considering that both Anne and Icy Snow were half-beasts, could they be considered ��birds of a feather flocking together��?


    The path was neither complicated nor long. Despite that, Anne and Icy Snow became restless shortly after. Not only them, but Rhode also gazed grimly at the tunnel exit that was 200 meters ahead. It was total darkness, which it wasn��t surprising considering that it was the country of eternal darkness on the outside. However, what Rhode felt wasn��t the displeasure against darkness.


    But against that mysterious aura instead.


    They didn��t react to the aura while in the deep underground. But now, as they approached the surface, a gloomy aura left them in discomfort. It became denser and was as though eroding them. They also felt like they were walking in smelly sewers, where every movement and breath made them nauseous and giddy. When one breathed in the air, one felt dizzy and even one��s reactions became sluggish. In an instant, one couldn��t differentiate the directions at all��


    ��Hmph.��


    Rhode let out a snort. Of course, he knew what was going on. They faced this situation more than once in the land of Chaos. As an inhabitant of Order, they reacted instinctively toward Chaos. Besides, the stronger the Chaos, the bigger their reactions. For instance, Rhode, Icy Snow, and Anne were inhabitants of Order as rule representatives. Their auras were as though clashing with Chaos like water on fire. Upon sensing the strong aura of Chaos, they naturally felt uncomfortable.


    Rhode couldn��t help but knit his brows. Even though he learned from Angelina that the Country of Darkness was gradually being infected by Chaos, he didn��t expect it to be so quick. Judging the aura on the surface, it wasn��t too different from a land of Chaos!


    Could it be that Ion had been completely influenced by Chaos? This spells trouble.


    In the game, Rhode knew that BOSSes who were entirely influenced by Chaos would possess vastly different attributes and skills. What was troublesome was that even though Rhode knew the stats of the Dark Dragon inside out, if Ion were entirely influenced by Chaos, his skills would be another huge issue��


    Forget it. It��s not like I don��t have ways against him.


    Rhode shook his head and threw the worries to the back of his head. He extended his right arm and along with this action, an azure halo expanded with him in the middle, enfolding his group completely. Shortly after, the gray scenery ahead transformed as its colors turned vibrant.


    ��Phew�� Anne finally feels alive.��


    Up until that moment, the stifled Anne let out a long sigh of relief. Icy Snow��s ears also perked up normally as they would. It could be seen that under the influence of Chaos, the group seemed listless and sluggish. And now, after Rhode cast the halo of his Order realm, they finally returned to their usual selves.


    ��Master, something isn��t right.��


    At that moment, Angelina responded.


    ��Previously, before I left, the aura of Chaos wasn��t this strong yet����


    ��It really seems like a problem.��


    Upon hearing Angelina��s words, Rhode nodded and hastened his pace.


    ��All in all, we��re better off leaving this place to find Erin as quickly as possible.��


    As the group conversed, they were nearing the tunnel exit. What they had to do next was find the area where Angelina escaped from and go through that tunnel to rescue Erin. But�� When Rhode��s group stepped out of the tunnel and witnessed the scenery, they were stunned.


    ��This����


    Even Angelina was struck speechless by what she witnessed. At a glance, the entire mountains were covered in white fog, as though the entire world were shrouded in clouds. Apart from the silhouettes of towers in the Darkness Capital, everything else was indistinct.


    The severity of Chaos has reached this far?!


    Looking at this scene, even though Rhode was mentally prepared, he couldn��t help but feel baffled. This place was no different from the land of Chaos he opened up back then! It was totally unprecedented for a place under a dragon soul protection to be in a state worse than a land of Chaos!


    Seems like trouble.


    Rhode knitted his brows. Just a few moments ago, he attempted to contact Canary, Gillian, and Marlene using the spiritual communication, but to no avail. The signals were consistently cut off, as though they couldn��t be transmitted out of this place. This went to show how much Order had crumbled in this place.


    ���� Angelina, can you find that place you came out from?��


    Rhode sighed and instantly asked. All they could do now was to risk and see whether the foundation of Order in the Country of Darkness was completely influenced by Chaos. This way, at least his group could find the tunnel that Angelina exited from back then. As long as they entered the underground, at least they wouldn��t be influenced by Chaos to this extent. But if the foundation of Order collapsed entirely, it meant that even if Angelina found the right place, the exit might move tens of thousands of miles away on its own�� Which wasn��t rare to see in any land of Chaos.


    ��I-I��ll try����


    At that moment, Angelina wasn��t certain of her chances despite cautiously scanning the terrain when she left. But the problem was that this godforsaken place was basically shrouded in mist, where the terrain wasn��t even visible. It made it harder for her to be able to spot the right tunnel. Angelina squinted her scarlet eyes and scanned the place. Shortly after, her scarlet eyes glinted in a faint, red radiance. She pointed at the northern hill with some hesitation.


    ��If I recall correctly, it should be in that direction. But now, it is impossible to clearly witness the scenery on the other side, so I��m not too sure����


    Upon hearing her answer, Rhode nodded as this was within his expectation. Fortunately, Rhode had ways to handle the situation. He turned around and gazed at Icy Snow who stood beside him.


    ��Little Icy.��


    ��Alright, Big Brother. Let me try.��


    After hearing her name, Icy Snow understood his intentions thoroughly. She stretched out her arm and widened her eyes in the direction Angelina pointed. Shortly after, the blurry scenery in front of Icy Snow became clear and distinct. Different sceneries flew past her eyes, flickering like countless cameras shooting from all directions. After a few moments, the scenery before her vision stopped abruptly and three dark tunnels appeared before the group.


    ��Over there!��


    Upon witnessing one of the tunnels, Angelina yelled immediately. She didn��t leave any identification marking on the tunnel. But even so, she used her own unique method to memorize the place when she left. At that moment, when the three tunnels appeared before them, she instantly recognized the tunnel that she escaped from.


    ��There!��


    Sweeping a glance at the tunnel that Angelina pointed at, Icy Snow made her decision swiftly. She extended her hand and pointed at it. All of a sudden, a ray of light emanated from her fingertip, shooting at the white mist. This was Icy Snow��s expert skill��Pathfinding Beam. In the later stages of the game, many dungeons consisted of intricate mazes and traps. This skill could specify a coordinate and emit a beam that sought an automatic path. Through this skill, she could successfully exit the maze or find items she earned.


    Rhode��s group relied upon this skill from Icy Snow in the game to overcome tough obstacles a lot. It was especially so with Icy Snow��s ��space�� skill, which meant that as long as she spotted the target, their group could arrive at the destination in the shortest time possible. And now, it was the same for them. Using her abilities, the group finally confirmed the location.


    ��Good!��


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief after witnessing the ray of light. He gazed at his surroundings swiftly. At that moment, among the white mist, he heard some strange sounds of friction and deep growls, which were unnatural. Rhode hesitated no more. He stared ahead and commanded.


    ��Let��s go.��

 Chapter 1236 - The Fallen Princess

    How long has Angelina been away for?


    Erin shifted her gaze away from the book in her hands to the Dark Dragon who prostrated beside her. At that moment, the Dark Dragon had shut her eyes and was sleeping. Erin had no intention of waking her mother up as she sensed the weakness in her. If her mother didn��t save her energy by sleeping, perhaps she wouldn��t have held on for so long. But even so, Erin felt like her mother��s flame of life was nearing its end.


    ��Mother����


    The moon princess called out to the Dark Dragon, closed her eyes, and leaned back on the cold wall again. For some unknown reason, Erin felt like she was losing her powers day by day. The heavy exhaustion engulfed her entirety. Not only that, but she also felt like her connection to the moon became weaker. The moon princess couldn��t help but feel worried and anxious. She hadn��t been to a land of Chaos like Rhode, so she didn��t know what all this meant. But even so, she felt like the Country of Darkness had likely sunken into huge trouble, so much so that the rule connection between her and the moon was blocked off.


    ������


    Erin shook her head, trying her hardest to gather her consciousness. But for some reason, she began to feel sleepy over the days. Sometimes, she felt like she was having a fever and her head was in a complete mess. There were some instances when she didn��t know what exactly was running through her mind, or perhaps she wasn��t thinking about anything at all. Right now, she shivered weakly and didn��t even have the strength to lift her weapon. Fortunately, there were no other creatures except for the Dark Dragon in this prison, which was why she avoided being chased by critters. It would be humiliating if the moon princess were to be chased by a bunch of goblins or slimes.


    I wonder if Angelina returned to His Majesty Rhode safely��


    Gazing at the pitch-black dome, Erin focused her blurry consciousness and forced herself to consider this question. After all, no one knew whether the Undead Skeletal Dragon was guarding the true exit that led to the outside world or a tunnel that led deeper underground. If it were the latter, perhaps Angelina might not even be able to return to reunite with her anymore. Erin was clearly aware of Angelina��s strength. Even though Angelina was powerful as a vampire of her age, she couldn��t compete against the four legendary generals. If she faced an enemy who was more powerful than the Undead Skeletal Dragon, maybe Erin would never meet her ever again.


    ��Ugh����


    Her sense of fatigue grew stronger. Erin felt her heart pounding. Not only that, but her blood also rushed inside her body and her vision turned blurry. The burning heat in her continued to surge. She closed her eyes and leaned on the slippery, ice-cold stone wall. It was only this chilly sensation that barely decreased her high body temperature. But she didn��t know how long she could hang on for. She was certain that this wasn��t the result of her mental or physical injuries, but her body��s reaction instead��the connection of the source of Order.


    As a moon princess, it went without saying that Erin was an inhabitant of Order and one at the highest level. Due to that reason, after losing the support of Order and rule, the effects she felt were much stronger than ordinary people. This was also why in the battle against Chaos, most ordinary people survived, while formidable beings like Alice and Marlene had no choice but to flee or deal with their own deaths using reincarnation.


    I wonder how His Majesty Rhode is doing��


    While Erin felt giddy, this thought cropped up in her mind all of a sudden. She couldn��t help but reveal a beautiful smile.


    That strange world�� I heard from His Majesty Rhode that was where they came from? How amusing. But it��s a pity that I didn��t have enough fun while I was there. If there��s another opportunity, I wonder if His Majesty Rhode will be willing to bring me there for a tour again�� A fascinating, interesting, and unknown world. No adventure is more fun than that�� If it were possible�� But�� I feel so sleepy��


    Erin closed her eyes gradually.


    �� I shall take a nap then��


    ��Everyone, don��t stop! Move! Hurry!��


    Rhode snarled, swinging the pitch-black sword in his hand and streaking dazzling blade rays across the air. The two mysterious, rotten, and putrid creatures before him were sliced into halves, before being struck by razor-sharp blade airwaves. Mini Bubble Gum raised her right arm before her. Several light beams emanated from her palm, blasting the ground to scatter the dense fog and reveal the dirt path behind. Icy Snow continuously released arrows from her bow. The arrows flitted across the air like a wild storm, scattering the dense fog farther ahead. Along with terrifying screams, pitch-black figures collapsed to the ground one after another. Filthy blood and stench dispersed from their bodies, leaving one nauseous.


    Even though Rhode was mentally prepared, he didn��t expect the situation of the Country of Darkness to be this terrible. Shortly after they moved off, they faced the encirclement of thousands of undead creatures that were influenced by Chaos. Under the influence of Chaos, the undead creatures became much stronger and more dangerous. Moreover, as they lurked in the Chaos fog, they became true ��undead�� creatures. No matter how they were slashed to halves or chunks, as long as they weren��t smashed into bits, their broken and severed body parts would fuse together into their original state, returning into brand new undead creatures that continued their relentless attacks.


    Rhode didn��t have any countermeasure against these annoying undead creatures. The extent of damage caused by Chaos on the Darkness Capital was nearing the breaking point of Order. Judging from the speed of fusion of these undead creatures, they were as though situated in a land of Chaos right now. In this case, Rhode couldn��t eradicate them at all. The only thing he could do was to dash toward the tunnel as quickly as possible. Then�� He would leave the ��then�� to later!


    ��Angelina, how much farther?!��


    ��That�� I����


    Angelina scanned her surroundings that were enveloped in white fog. Unsure if they had entered the hinterland, the fog here seemed much denser, where she could see nothing up to 10 meters ahead. Rather than saying Angelina relied upon her vision, they were better off counting on Icy Snow��s Pathfinding Beam to lead the way. But the problem now was that the fog was so thick that they couldn��t figure out the exact situation around them and estimate the specific distance.


    ���� I��m not too sure, Master.��


    Angelina had no choice but to give up. Almost at the same time, the Pathfinding Beam shivered abruptly as though it were disrupted. Looking at this scene, Icy Snow sulked.


    ��Big Brother, the coordinates are unstable!��


    ��Hurry up! Don��t stop! Everyone, run as fast as you can!��


    Another undead creature pounced on Rhode as a swinging blade sent it to its death. Rhode��s expression changed entirely. Of course, he knew what Icy Snow meant by the unstable coordinates. Icy Snow��s Pathfinding Beam was fired to the destination. It was as though one tossing out a signal generator and using a radar to scan for signal waves to determine the location. And now, the Pathfinding Beam was unstable, which meant that the influence of Chaos was getting stronger. Meanwhile, the tunnel was also getting increasingly shaky. If Rhode��s group couldn��t enter the tunnel in the shortest time possible, perhaps the tunnel would disappear at the next moment. When that happened, Rhode would be in a tough spot.


    Upon hearing his orders, the group sprinted as fast as they could. Anne and Mini Bubble Gum also stopped assaulting the undead creatures, but activated a wind barrier and holy shield instead, shrouding everyone from the attacks as they sprinted up the mountain slope.


    ��Over there!��


    The group almost reached the end of the Pathfinding Beam. Halfway up the hill, the fog became less dense, bringing a wider vision for everyone. At that moment, Angelina finally spotted the tunnel that emanated a dazzling light and yelled out. Right now, their group was less than 50 meters away from the tunnel! But at the same time, the tunnel began to sway like a translucent mirage in the desert. Looking at this scene, Rhode��s heart sank. This was the behavior of Order that was under attack. It seemed like the tunnel couldn��t hang on much longer!


    ��Full speed ahead!��


    Rhode said, stretching out his arm and pointing at the tunnel. The azure halo circulating around him vanished abruptly before appearing in the middle of the tunnel. Along with the shine of Rhode��s Order halo, the trembling, translucent tunnel stabilized.


    ��Hurry!��


    Upon hearing his command, Icy Snow leaped into the tunnel like a nimble cat, followed by Angelina and Anne. Mini Bubble Gum and Cassidy were the only ones who followed Rhode closely and faced the omnipresent undead creatures. As they picked up speed, thousands of undead creatures pursued Rhode. Without Cassidy and Mini Bubble Gum guarding their backs, perhaps they would be held back by the undead creatures and couldn��t flee in time.


    ��One last time. Cassidy, repel them! Bubble, get ready to cast your shield!��


    ��Got it!��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s command, Cassidy nodded. She unsheathed and flourished her sword ahead!


    Along with this attack, the undead creatures that swarmed their group like a torrent retreated instantly. The power of contrast was unleashed at that very moment, forcefully stopping the undead creatures�� pace. But shortly after, they gave chase again.


    Mini Bubble Gum raised her arms immediately in response. A golden barrier emanating close to Rhode��s nose stopped the undead creatures. Rhode turned around without any hesitation, carrying two young ladies in each of his arms, before vanishing in a black lightning bolt and dashing into the tunnel!


    Boom!


    Almost at the same time, the sturdy barrier was smashed into bits by the undead creatures. Then, the gloomy, pitch-black army swarmed the tunnel like a violent tide!

 Chapter 1237 - Dragon Prison

    Rhode transformed into a bolt of lightning that zoomed into the tunnel. He shifted so quickly that he couldn��t slow down in time. He turned around, but crashed onto the wall. Rhode gnashed his teeth and hurled out Mini Bubble Gum and Cassidy!


    ��Bubble, collapse the tunnel entrance!��


    ��Got it, Leader!��


    Bubble, who was thrown into the air, had no hesitation at all. While she was in midair, the pure, white brilliance coalescing between her hands erupted. At the next moment, the bright, holy light beam smashed onto the wall in a loud explosion. In an instant, the earth quaked, sturdy rock walls crumbled, and large rocks fell from the ceiling. In the blink of an eye, the tunnel entrance was buried entirely in gravel. Along with the rumbles, one could hear the snarls of undead creatures. But after a few moments, all the voices were gone as though they were submerged completely.


    ��Phew����


    Up until that moment, everyone let out sighs of relief. Not only were they relieved that they escaped from the underground creatures�� chase, but because the underground tunnel collapsed, the Chaos aura was also kept out. The heavy, depressing atmosphere vanished instantly, which was the main reason why they felt relieved. To be able to return to the world of Order from the pressurizing Chaos aura felt as wonderful as though a drowning person surfacing to catch a breath of air.


    But�� Even though the tunnel entrance collapsed and stopped the undead creatures from further pursuing, it also meant that Rhode��s group��s exit was also blocked off. Even if they found Erin, leaving the tunnel was another issue for them now. Order on the surface had reached an unstable critical point, where if it weren��t for Rhode who used his own power of Order to stabilize this tunnel, perhaps Order would have disappeared completely before they entered the tunnel. Judging from this point, even if Rhode��s group were able to dig the tunnel and climb to the surface, maybe they couldn��t find the dark elves�� communication channel. No, perhaps when that happened, they wouldn��t even know where they were.


    This is a huge problem.


    At this thought, Rhode shook his head, sighed, and stood up. He admitted that his judgment was wrong this time. Even though Angelina reminded him that there were signs of the Country of Darkness being affected by Chaos, he didn��t expect it to be this serious. The situation seemed really dire. Even after rescuing Erin, perhaps they couldn��t evacuate as planned. Maybe a mistake would cause them to be trapped in this godforsaken place forever.


    What should we do when that happens? Do we really have to learn to dig holes like dwarves? Forget it. I��ll consider it when it happens since there is always a way out. Maybe I can still find some maps, secret exits, or some other thing��


    After all, Angelina and Erin were focused on escaping earlier and didn��t search the area cautiously. Maybe they didn��t discover some secrets yet and now, he would know the results after checking things out himself.


    ��Let��s go, Angelina. Lead the way.��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    While Rhode considered the situation, Angelina took the time to observe the surroundings. In the end, she was relieved to confirm that this was indeed the path she escaped from. She let out a sigh of relief. After all, she didn��t expect the Country of Darkness to have such dramatic changes in just a few days. If she made a mistake again, she would be thrown off balance. When that happened, not only would they be unable to rescue the princess, but she would also implicate her master. This definitely couldn��t be considered a good result to her at all. Therefore, she didn��t continue speaking, but turned around and led Rhode��s group into the deeper tunnel instead.


    The pitch-black tunnel was dead silent. There was no sound apart from their footsteps. It was as quiet as when Angelina left before. Meanwhile, Icy Snow also confirmed that there weren��t any signs of life in this place. Despite that, everyone continued to raise their guard. After all, no signs of life didn��t mean there weren��t any enemies around. Moreover, the area they were in was the territory of undead creatures, who couldn��t be considered to be alive.


    ��Ah��!��


    While Angelina led everyone down the tunnel, all of a sudden, Mini Bubble Gum clapped her hands and yelled, startling the group. Angelina trembled and almost jumped up on the spot. Icy Snow��s expression changed slightly. Her constantly swaying tail stood straight up instantly. Cassidy also turned to Mini Bubble Gum with an odd expression, raising the sword in her hand vigilantly. On the other hand, Anne didn��t react at all. She cocked her head and looked curiously at the young lady who suddenly lost it.


    ��What��s wrong, Bubble? You gave Anne a big fright.��


    ��Ah��hahaha, it��s nothing. I just suddenly thought of something important����


    Facing the curious gazes from everyone, Mini Bubble Gum smiled and waved her hand airily. On the contrary, her words made everyone more curious. She said it was nothing and yet, she said she suddenly recalled something crucial�� What exactly was up with her? However, Mini Bubble Gum didn��t explain her words. She turned around and gazed at Rhode instead.


    ��Leader, Erin is a princess, right?!��


    ��Yes, you should remember this as clearly as me, shouldn��t you?��


    Facing this ridiculous question from Mini Bubble Gum, Rhode didn��t know what was going through her head. However, he still answered her. Upon hearing his response, Mini Bubble Gum vigorously nodded, clapped her hands, and mumbled to herself.


    ��Hmm�� In that case, it is right! Right! Right! Ahahahaaha!��


    What��s going on with her?


    Facing Mini Bubble Gum who burst into a fanatical laughter, Rhode and Icy Snow exchanged curious looks. The others who witnessed this scene also couldn��t figure what happened. Even though Mini Bubble Gum��s intermittent madness wasn��t anything new, just which universe��s ultra-long range radio waves struck her this time? While everyone was puzzled, Mini Bubble Gum sized up Rhode and nodded with satisfaction.


    ��Hmm, that��s right. Princess�� Prince. That��s how fairy tales are written. We are going to rescue the princess now! Leader, you��re the prince! That��s right, we��re lacking a white horse now�� Really, how wonderful would it be if there were a white horse here! Really, how could such an oversight happen?�� Mini Bubble Gum soliloquized and as though she came up with an idea, her eyes glinted brightly. She turned to Anne. ��Right! Anne, weren��t you capable of transforming? Hurry, turn into that big white wolf and let Leader ride you! Even though there isn��t a white horse prince, a white wolf prince sounds exciting too!��


    ��Huh? Really? Leader wants to ride Anne?��


    Anne asked curiously, widening her sparkling eyes and staring at Rhode. Mini Bubble Gum raised her arms in excitement and yelled.


    ��That��s right. Leader, go ahead! Let us witness a fairy tale come true�� Ouch!��


    ��Stop spouting nonsense.��


    Before Mini Bubble Gum finished her sentence, Rhode threw a ruthless punch to her head. He felt strange earlier when the usually noisy Mini Bubble Gum became so quiet. At the end of the day, she was actually thinking about such nonsense!


    ��Ouch�� You cried, telling me�� that fairy tales are lies����


    Mini Bubble Gum hugged her head and squatted. But after a few moments, she stood up without conscience, continued to follow the group, and hummed the lyrics of a song out of tune. She stared at Rhode with some ill intentions and her eyes displayed a ��meaningful�� emotion. Meanwhile, Rhode didn��t notice her evil expression.


    ��This is the exit!��


    After that small episode, Angelina finally led the group to the exit she escaped from. It looked similar to when she left the place and nothing had changed. The seal rune shone a faint radiance on the pitch-black, exquisite door. Looking at the door, Angelina felt relieved. This meant that she didn��t bring the group in the wrong direction and that was enough on her part.


    ��Here?��


    Rhode gazed at the stone door and turned to Angelina. The latter nodded. Rhode lifted his hand and shortly after, a card appeared in his palm, emanating a green, spiritual radiance. Then, a transparent, shapeless sword shimmered in his hand.


    It feels really odd.


    Even though Rhode wielded several holy swords, this sword felt strange to him. Other than the fact that it was transparent and he couldn��t decipher its length, the hilt didn��t feel normal to the touch at all. On the contrary, it was like the warm, finished product of a jade carving.


    I wonder what the true identity of this sword is��


    Rhode considered the question, but quickly returned to his senses. After all, it wasn��t a suitable time for him to consider such questions. He raised the sword and faced the stone door. Along with his action, a dazzling, spiritual radiance erupted from the blade. The brilliance scattered into a dozen light rays, blasting at the stone door and drawing a mysterious rune swiftly and accurately on the surface.


    Then, the stone door opened gradually.


    Rumble��


    Along with the deep rumbles, cold draughts escaped the gap of the stone door, blowing on everyone��s faces. In the blink of an eye, the heavy stone door opened, unveiling a path to the visitors.


    But this time, Angelina turned grim.


    ��How is this possible�� T-This isn��t the tunnel that I escaped from!��


    The vampire widened her eyes and stared in disbelief at the path emanating a pure, white brilliance.

 Chapter 1238 - Dragon Inheritance

    Angelina clearly recalled that when she ran out of the tunnel, it was just a seemingly ordinary, ice-cold, and dim stone path. But now, the path unveiled before her eyes was the complete opposite. Beautiful magical runes unfolded linearly, drafting mesmerizing patterns on the ceiling and ground like running water. A dark, serene aura pounced on their faces. At a glance, the tunnel was like a gorgeous and atmospheric palace corridor.


    ��It isn��t?


    Rhode gazed at Angelina with knitted brows and turned around to size up the path that lit up with a white brilliance. Indeed, Angelina didn��t mention anything about the tunnel before. Even if escaping frantically, she couldn��t have missed this detail. And now��


    ��Are you sure?��


    ��This�� Master, everything is exactly the same, at least before you opened the stone door�� But now�� I don��t know what is going on����


    Gazing at the mysterious tunnel once more, Angelina lacked the confidence she once had. Even though she trusted her memories, this reality was too conflicting, after all. She didn��t know which was true. But Rhode didn��t give it much thought. He narrowed his eyes at the transparent sword in his hand and shook his head. Then, he restored his expressionless face and strode ahead in large strides.


    ��Let��s go.��


    Unlike the confused Angelina, Rhode seemed to realize something. It was clearly the same door and yet, the path behind was entirely different. This phenomenon also existed in the game of the Dragon Soul Continent. The map and location would turn out completely different from the main storyline according to the adventurers�� equipment level, mission completion rate, reputation, race, and other factors. An NPC protected by the party might turn out to be the final BOSS that another party was looking to slaughter. Due to that reason, when Angelina said the tunnel was different, Rhode considered the issue in this direction immediately.


    Fortunately, even when the content behind the door was different, the dungeon map was still the same. Therefore, as long as one entered and spent some time searching for it, one would be able to find the target location. That was why Rhode headed off without any hesitation. Looking at this scene, Angelina couldn��t help but gape at him. She eventually didn��t say a word, but followed him on the path instead.


    Dragon soul power.


    The instant Rhode entered the door, he sharply detected the presence of dragon soul power. It flowed and fused with the veined patterns of the tunnel. Rhode couldn��t help but knit his brows. For some unknown reason, he instinctively felt like even though it was true dragon soul power, it was entirely different from Ion��s�� How should he put it? It was as though when one compared an authentic and fake product. Even though the touch didn��t feel any different, an expert would recognize any difference between them immediately. Right now, this was what Rhode felt. This dragon soul power was apparently much purer and stronger than Ion��s.


    What exactly is going on?


    Rhode extended his arm and held onto the wall, sensing the flowing dragon soul power. The warm power undulated as though it were asleep. Not only that, but he also felt like the energy was powerful, ancient, and was even comparable to his Void power!


    How strange�� If the Dark Dragon possessed such powers, I shouldn��t have been able to overrun him in the game��


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but suspect. In the past, he thought that the Dragon Soul Continent was purely a game. But now, he believed that there were differences between reality and the game. But after learning the truth of the game, he knew that the situation definitely wasn��t as simple as he had imagined. Back then, the Void Dragon inherited less than one-tenth of the Void Dragon��s power and yet, it still managed to wipe out Rhode��s 100-man elite party. If Ion possessed such powers, Rhode couldn��t have possibly led players to annihilate him�� Not only that, but for some reason, a hot topic that was once debated by players on the forum also cropped up in his mind.


    Who is the strongest Creator Dragon?


    This thread on the forums hadn��t died down ever since debates began. As players belonged to different camps, they were naturally interested in the topic. While the game was in the Light and Darkness version, there were hundreds of thousands of discussions centering around it and almost no players could convince one another. Only after Rhode led his party and trampled on the Dark Dragon did the discussion come to a conclusion.


    No matter how powerful the Creator Dragons were, they couldn��t compete against players.


    But was that the truth?


    Rhode didn��t think so. As a matter of fact, even among the elites of Starlight, there also wasn��t any debate because after killing the Dark Dragon, people were bursting with confidence as they urged Rhode to lead them to wipe out the twin dragons. As soon as they did it, Starlight could dominate the Dragon Soul Continent!


    Of course, Rhode dismissed their proposal directly. Even though defeating the Dark Dragon made many elite players feel invincible, the twin dragons were entirely different. In the end, the proposal wasn��t approved. Apart from the fact that everyone felt like it wasn��t reliable, the reason that ultimately made them not make this decision was that��


    They didn��t think that they could defeat the twin dragons.


    That��s right. They defeated the Dark Dragon and weren��t hesitant in facing the Void Dragon. But why weren��t they motivated to defeat the twin dragons?


    As a matter of fact, in Rhode��s elite party, almost everyone agreed to never stir trouble with the twin dragons.


    But what exactly was the reason?


    Why were players willing to face the Void Dragon, but afraid to kill the twin dragons? Even if they couldn��t figure out the attack pattern of the twin dragons, wasn��t that the case for all online games? Searching for weaknesses in the BOSS��s attack patterns and defeating them thereafter was the fun of the game. Besides, it seemed like there were many other invincible BOSSes in the Dragon Soul Continent, even in hell and the abyss. But despite that, didn��t players defeat them all too?


    As a matter of fact, Rhode knew the answer. The reason why they didn��t cause trouble for the twin dragons was that in their minds, they subconsciously believed that the twin dragons were stronger than the Void Dragon and Dark Dragon, so much so that even the lawless players didn��t dare to consider fighting against them. Besides, after Rhode awakened the power of the Void Dragon, he also felt odd.


    Back then, they were known as the five Creator Dragons, and not ��Void Dragon and her four subjects��. Besides, judging from the Creation Poem, the Void Dragon created space, while the other Creator Dragons also contributed to other aspects. Why was the Void Dragon much stronger than the other Creator Dragons?


    Could it be that�� the Dark Dragon��s current strength wasn��t all the power he should possess?!


    At this thought, Rhode felt energized. If it were in the past, this thought definitely wouldn��t emerge in his mind. But after learning from Angelina that Ion used underhanded means to become the dragon soul heir, Rhode felt like his judgment might be correct, after all!


    Because in the game, there were four Creator Dragons. Come to think of it, Lilian couldn��t retaliate because her dragon soul power was sealed. On the other hand, the reason why Ion was overrun was that he didn��t inherit all the dragon soul power. This was also why players were able to defeat him. The twin dragons were the only ones who fully inherited the rule power of their ancestors. Perhaps this was the reason why players didn��t stand a chance against them because the strength displayed by the twin dragons belonged to the true Creator Dragons!


    In that case��


    At this thought, Rhode pondered. If that was the truth, perhaps he didn��t even need to leave because wouldn��t everything be resolved after killing Ion here? What a joke. Ion was only a Dark Dragon with incomplete dragon soul power, while Rhode received 100 percent of the Void Dragon��s power. Why would he be afraid of taking on Ion?


    ��


    But after a few moments, Rhode shook his head and dispelled the idea. It was better to be safe than sorry. Even though Ion didn��t receive 100 percent of power from the Dark Dragon, he was already contaminated by Chaos and gained the power of Chaos. In this situation, Ion��s power would definitely be further upgraded. One would be seeking death to initiate a battle against a BOSS with the power of Chaos within a land of Chaos. That was why Rhode merely considered the question and gave up decisively.


    We��re better off saving Erin first.


    At that moment, Mini Bubble Gum��s voice sounded once again, interrupting his thoughts.


    ��Leader, be careful! There��s something ahead!��


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    The instant Mini Bubble Gum yelled, Rhode saw two shadowy figures shuttling out of the tunnel. Shortly after, razor-sharp blade air waves scattered, striking straight at him!

 Chapter 1239 - Monitoring Eye

    The two ambushing blade air waves were nothing but child��s play for Rhode. Without even turning around, he clenched his right hand and swung forward. Clink! Clink! The two shadowy blade air waves were repelled as though struck by lightning.


    At that moment, Rhode witnessed the true identity of the ambushers. They were young ladies with delicate and pretty facial features. Despite that, Rhode couldn��t treat them as humans. The reason was simple. Their long lizard-like tails, as well as brass-like skin tone was enough to prove their identity.


    Dragon race.


    However, unlike Erin who could transform into perfect human form, these two young ladies were unbearable to look at. But it wasn��t their poor transformation that bothered Rhode. Instead, it was their golden eyes that resembled that of lizards. Their pupils had also shrunk into straight lines as though exuding unusual strength.


    That isn��t an indication of an ordinary dragon race��


    ��Void Dragon?��


    One of the young ladies knitted her brows, staring at Rhode with her golden, lizard-like eyes. After a few moments, she sheathed her sword and swept a glance at the group dubiously. Meanwhile, Rhode also noticed that her gaze paused on Anne and Angelina, before shifting away shortly after.


    ��May I know who is here to accept the inheritance trial?��


    ���� Inheritance trial?��


    Upon hearing her words, Rhode��s group gazed at the two young ladies suspiciously. After witnessing their confused expressions, the two young ladies also widened their eyes in disbelief. Then, one of them puckered her brows and glared at Rhode.


    ��Aren��t you people here to partake in the Dark Dragon��s inheritance ceremony? Your Majesty Void Dragon, you are the host for the ceremony, right?��


    ������


    What kind of nonsense have I gotten myself into?


    Rhode extended his arm and held his forehead. Even though he had predicted plenty of scenarios, this current one came as a total surprise. But since it had already happened, he had no other choice. Although he wasn��t exactly sure who the two young ladies were, he still responded.


    ��My apologies. We��re here to rescue someone. Regarding the inheritance trial, I suppose we can catch up on that later. Right now, I hope you can tell us whether there is a path that leads to a dragon prison from here.��


    ���� A dragon prison?��


    Upon hearing his question, the two young ladies�� expressions changed slightly. They exchanged looks with each other and the young lady who spoke earlier stepped forward immediately. She extended her arm to grip the hilt, stared attentively at Rhode, and spoke.


    ��Are you looking to violate the sacred agreement, Your Majesty the Void Dragon? Failures aren��t allowed to leave the prison. Could it be that you��re here to destroy this rule?��


    Damn it. I don��t even know what kind of agreement this is.


    After hearing the young lady��s response, Rhode held his forehead and let out a helpless sigh. Rhode could have contacted his younger sister to inquire about this situation. But now that the surface was shrouded in Chaos fog, he couldn��t reach out to anyone. But even so, he concluded the situation immediately using his experience and sharpness as a veteran player. It was apparent that the true Dark Dragon was still in deep sleep. According to the two young ladies, it seemed like one had to go through a certain ceremony to inherit the Dark Dragon��s soul and they were the supervisors. Not only that, but the inheritance ceremony also seemed to require a third party to host. The dragon soul heir would need to pass certain trials before gaining the recognition of the Dark Dragon. Besides, the trial also seemed dangerous to a certain extent. If the dragon soul heir failed to pass the trial, he or she would be imprisoned forever. But��


    Rhode gazed at Angelina. Upon realizing his gaze, the latter shook her head hurriedly.


    ��I swear Her Highness Erin and I didn��t pass any trial or witness anything like this. We simply walked and arrived at the prison!��


    ��I think there may be some misunderstanding, misses. As a matter of fact, we��re here to����


    Rhode pondered and believed that his guesses were close to the mark. He lifted his head, looked at the two young ladies, and told them the crucial points of the entire situation. After listening to his explanation, the two young ladies looked at each other in consternation, apparently unable to make any sense of the matter.


    ��Hmph, who knows whether you��re telling the truth. This is regarding the Dark Dragon, while you����


    The other young lady was obviously displeased by Rhode��s story. She let out a snort and spoke in disdain. But before she finished her sentence, her companion stopped her, lifted her head, and sized up Rhode once more. Then, she spoke.


    ��Your Majesty the Void Dragon, how do you prove the truth of your words?��


    ��Simple.��


    Upon hearing her question, Rhode felt relieved. He gently snapped his fingers and continued.


    ��If I��m not wrong, both of you are in charge of the inheritance ceremony, right?��


    ��That��s right, we��re responsible for guarding the dragon soul altar. Whenever one arrives, we will be awakened to monitor and prevent any issues.��


    Facing Rhode��s question, the young lady nodded. After hearing her answer, Rhode smiled.


    ��In other words, you remember the appearances of every dragon soul heir, be it they succeeded or failed?��


    ��That��s for sure�� So what you meant is����


    The young lady narrowed her eyes as though figuring out the source of the problem. Upon realizing that she wasn��t a naive person, Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. He restored his usual, ice-cold expression and gazed at the two supervisors.


    ��Yes, I��m not afraid of telling you the truth; the Country of Darkness is in a terrible state right now and that is why we need to gather help. Someone who was likely to inherit the dragon soul is trapped in the prison due to an accident. She didn��t partake in the trial, so according to the rules, I suppose this situation should be regarded as an exception. As for proving the authenticity of my words, why don��t you see it with your own eyes? Anyway, you guys are the supervisors who are awakened for every inheritance ceremony. If you don��t have any impression of her, wouldn��t it mean that she didn��t partake in the inheritance ceremony?��


    ������


    Facing Rhode��s words, the two young ladies remained silent. Meanwhile, Thode knitted his brows and felt rather concerned. Logically speaking, even though he spoke the truth, he clearly knew that most guardians of ��ceremonial dungeons�� were stubborn fools. They were the type who would rather kill 1000 innocents than to let that one person off.


    Rhode remembered a headstrong NPC who oversaw the class advancement trial for rangers, which required the rangers to kill 100 boars. Even though it wasn��t challenging, there was an annoying setting of the game, whereby if the player prepared 100 boars before the class advancement trial, the examiner would still not accept them. The examiner had to follow the player around to witness the player kill 100 boars before the trial was considered a success. This setting left many players grumbling endlessly. Stubborn NPCs were a huge trouble for players sometimes��


    And now, Rhode was worried that these two young ladies would turn out to be stubborn fools who insisted that since Erin was locked up in the prison, she had no rights to exit. That would spell trouble. Judging from their reactions, this ceremony was apparently their turf. They were more familiar with this godforsaken place than anyone else. If the negotiations broke down, Rhode could only make the first move and capture them. But if he let them escape, he didn��t know how much time he needed to spend to find them again.


    Fortunately, it seemed like the two young ladies weren��t as stubborn as mules.


    ��Okay then.��


    After pondering for a few moments, the young lady who seemed to be the elder sister nodded in agreement. She extended her arm and placed her hand on the wall beside her. Shortly after, along with this action, the wall twisted, spun, and a stone door was unveiled behind it. Gazing at the stone door that was opening gradually, Rhode glanced at the two young ladies before leading his group through the entrance. Then, the group was dazzled and at the next moment, an incomparable coldness engulfed their bodies all of a sudden.


    ��This is it! This is the place!��


    Gazing at the run-down and ice-cold stone path, Angelina became agitated.


    ��Your Highness Erin! Your Highness Erin! I��m back! I brought Master here! Where are you?!��


    ��Your Highness Erin�� Your Highness Erin����


    Angelina��s screams echoed throughout the empty corridor before vanishing entirely in the darkness. There were no responses. Rhode��s heart couldn��t help but skip a beat. A feeling of uncertainty surged in his mind. At the same time, Angelina seemed to also detect something as she scanned the surroundings and dashed toward a specific direction. Rhode led the rest in following Angelina closely. Shortly after, under Angelina��s lead, they arrived before an enormous cave.


    What came into their vision was a huge, black dragon that was bound by chains. At that moment, the dragon was laying on the ground and in a deep slumber.


    This should be that dark dragon that Angelina mentioned��


    But now, what caught Rhode��s attention the most was the slender figure who lay on the wall lifelessly beside the dark dragon.


    ��Erin!��

 Chapter 1240 - Sleeping Beauty

    Rhode never thought he would see Erin in this vulnerable state. In his impression, this princess always showed an elegant and serene smile no matter what difficulties she faced. Even when she was sent to another world, she didn��t give up hope, but continued to search for clues and ways back home instead. She was like the moon in the sky: bright, peaceful, beautiful, and possessed absolute presence.


    But now, this big, round moon was clouded by haze.


    Erin lay by the corner of the walls. She was pale, and her black, silky hair had lost its luster. A book had also fallen to her left. Looking at this scene, everyone was stunned. After all, it looked too ominous. Rhode strode ahead immediately, extending his arm to hold Erin��s wrist. The moment he held her wrist, he puckered his brows. Because her jade-white wrist felt as cold as steel, which apparently wasn��t normal at all. Erin wasn��t an undead creature. But now, her body was almost like that of a corpse. If it weren��t for the weak pulse, perhaps Rhode would have believed that she was dead.


    ��There��s actually someone else here?��


    Upon gazing at Erin, the two dragon young ladies were bewildered. It was obvious that, just like Rhode mentioned, this was a prison to lock up ones who failed the trials. In that case, no one other than losers should enter this prison. But now, it was apparent that they couldn��t remember who Erin was, which also meant that Erin didn��t partake in the trial. Despite all that, she was still imprisoned��


    What exactly was going on?


    Rhode had no time to care about their reactions anymore because Erin was in a terrible condition. Even though there were still some signs of vitality in her, she was close to being dead.


    ��Bubble!��


    ��Got it. Leave it to me, Leader.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s command, Mini Bubble Gum hurried to Erin��s side and raised her arms. Along with this action, a light beam descended from above, shrouding Erin��s body entirety. Erin couldn��t help but shiver. Despite that, she didn��t open her eyes as she continued to be in deep sleep. Looking at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum was surprised. She waved her arms and three spots of light emanated and revolved around Erin, forming a triangular magical ritual. Shortly after, Erin��s body shone a white radiance that lasted for only a second.


    The moon princess still didn��t open her eyes. The spiritual brilliance emanating from her body scattered and vanished after a few moments as though they changed nothing.


    ��Huh? What in the world?��


    Mini Bubble Gum cursed. She extended her arm once more. This time, the little rascal put on a grim expression and muttered a string of incantations. One by one, holy runes appeared before her fingertips. She stretched out and crossed her arms before her, drawing magical trails in the air. The runes coalesced, fused into Erin��s body, and erupted in a blinding halo of light.


    Even though this spiritual spell by Mini Bubble Gum appeared gorgeous and powerful, it was a pity that Erin didn��t seem to have the intention of responding to her calling. She continued to lay on the wall with her eyes shut. It seemed like she wasn��t waking up anytime soon. Looking at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum blew her top.


    ��What��s going on? HP replenishment doesn��t work, undoing of curses doesn��t work. and casting the revival spell also doesn��t work�� I should try the great resurrection spell then. I bet it would work����


    Mini Bubble Gum grumbled and rolled up her sleeves, seemingly ready to unleash all her spiritual spells into Erin. Observing her reaction, Rhode was startled. He extended his arm and stopped her hurriedly.


    ��Alright, Bubble, now isn��t the time for that. Seems like something is really wrong with Erin. We should think of other ways.��


    Rhode said, sizing up the young lady. Shortly after, Rhode realized that there was indeed something abnormal with Erin. Her entire body was ice-cold, but her forehead was burning with a fever. Rhode tried several ways to wake Erin up, but to no avail.


    What exactly is going on?


    ��Her source of Order is disrupted.��


    While Rhode remained perplexed despite much thought, Cassidy, who stood silently beside him, finally spoke. She brought upon her usual, elegant smile that resembled a wealthy, noble young lady. But this time, her tone of voice was heavier. After Rhode and the others turned to her, Cassidy shrugged and explained.


    ��Her Highness Erin��s rule is the moon. Logically speaking, even though this rule shouldn��t be disrupted anywhere, it is an exception within a land of Chaos. Because Chaos will cut off any Order between rules. Her Highness Erin is unable to replenish her strength from her rule and still has to face the suppression of Chaos. In order to protect herself, her body has entered a state of deep sleep.��


    ��In that case, isn��t that the same for us? Besides, Her Highness Erin and I were trapped together, but I didn��t experience similar issues.��


    Upon hearing Cassidy��s explanation, Angelina asked with knitted brows. Her experience in escaping with Erin left a deep impression on her. She knew clearly that even though it was a torture to constantly flee in the underground, it only affected her mentally, after all. Meanwhile, Angelina��s rule didn��t face any pressure at all. if not, she couldn��t have possibly survived after being slashed to chunks countless times by the invisible sword. Even though vampires weren��t easily killed, for one like Angelina who was dismembered time and time again, she still took immense damage. If it weren��t for the vampire rule in her, perhaps she wouldn��t have survived to reunite with Rhode.


    Cassidy seemed unconcerned. Shortly after, she gave a further explanation.


    ��That is normal. This time, the ones who His Majesty brought along are spiritually connected to him. Same goes for you, Miss Angelina; you have an extraordinary connection with His Majesty. Moreover, His Majesty, as a source of Order, is beside us right now, which is why we are constantly replenishing our strength of Order from him. But Her Highness Erin is different. Considering the fact that Ion is influenced by Chaos, as his younger sister, it isn��t surprising that she is affected to a certain degree due to their bloodline.��


    ��I understand the situation now.��


    Rhode nodded in response. All in all, Erin wasn��t poisoned, sick, or cursed. Instead, she was in a similar situation as Lilian. As Order disrupted the rule power of Order, Erin wasn��t able to replenish her strength. Even though Erin��s rule was the moon and she could gain strength wherever she was, the problem was that right now, she was in the territory of the Country of Darkness. Besides, she had the same bloodline as Ion, so it went without saying that she instinctively gained power from the moon rule through the Dark Dragon��s soul protection. However, as the Dark Dragon was influenced by Chaos, she wasn��t able to replenish her power. On the contrary, she was suppressed and weakened by Chaos, which explained her state right now.


    And now�� What should they do?


    ��Do you have any solution?��


    ��As for solutions����


    Suddenly, Rhode discovered a look of embarrassment on Cassidy��s face. But shortly after, she restored her usual, elegant smile of a noble young lady.


    ���� They do exist����


    Cassidy replied, gazed at Anne who stood beside her, and closed her mouth. Judging from her reaction, Rhode was taken aback. This time, among the members of his group, only Anne was considered a ��free soul�� apart from Nell. Anne didn��t have any contract with him like Angelina, wasn��t connected to him in the system like Mini Bubble Gum, and was unlike Cassidy who reincarnated as his card.


    In that case, why was Anne still not affected by Chaos?


    At that moment, Rhode suddenly recalled the words that Cassidy explained to Angelina earlier, where she mentioned why the rest weren��t as impacted as Erin.


    It was that they had special connections with him. Back then, Rhode didn��t give it much thought, especially after considering the fact that they were his card spirits and phantom guardian. But after turning to Anne and witnessing Cassidy shooting strange looks at her body, he came up with a thought immediately.


    The so-called special connections. Could it be��


    At this thought, Rhode��s expression turned ugly. He lifted his head and gazed at Cassidy helplessly.


    ��So, what you meant was����


    ��Just like what you��re thinking, Your Majesty.��


    Facing his question, Cassidy��s perfectly-disguised, elegant smile finally revealed some embarrassment and a blush emerged across her face. Her eyes also wandered as she said in an awkward tone.


    ��Your Majesty, as long as you do the same thing that you��ve done with Anne to Her Highness Erin and leave behind your mark in her, you can ease Her Highness Erin��s burden and pain to a certain degree.��


    ������


    Facing Cassidy��s response, Rhode was entirely speechless.

 Chapter 1241 - The Right Way to Wake the Sleeping Beauty

    No matter what, Erin was finally found. However, her condition looked terrible and the group couldn��t possibly leave her to her own demise. Rhode was confident that his younger sister had better solutions than him as the first Void Dragon. According to his guesses, even though the best way was to bring Erin back to the Void Territory and hand her over to his younger sister��s care, it was a pity that the tunnel exit had been collapsed by Mini Bubble Gum. Even if it wasn��t, the unconscious Erin would still be impacted by the domineering presence of Chaos outside, worsening her condition. After some consideration, Rhode stopped speaking to Cassidy and turned to the two dragon young ladies who stood quietly by the side.


    ��I suppose you understand the situation now. This young lady is in bad shape. I think we should leave this place first. And after we resolve this trouble, we will discuss the issue with you. What do both of you think?��


    The two young ladies exchanged looks and one of them nodded in response.


    ��Alright, I understand, Your Majesty the Void Dragon. The current situation indeed doesn��t seem right. But our responsibility will never change�� So, please come with me.��


    Under her lead, Rhode��s group entered the stone door and were teleported to another place. According to the young lady, this place served as a shelter and resting point. Even though the rooms were simple and there was nothing else apart from hardboard beds made of stone and crude tables and chairs, it was still better than spending their time suffering in the dark, chilly prison. Rhode lay Erin down on the bed of one of the rooms. After hastening on their journey without rest, the group was exhausted. Since they couldn��t offer any help in this situation, they dispersed and found themselves a room to rest. Rhode was the only one left with Erin. He knitted his brows and considered the next steps.


    Before he was left alone with Erin, he reconfirmed with Cassidy. He felt like the situation was too strange. Besides, based on Cassidy��s usual attitude toward him, it wasn��t likely that she would passionately come up with such ��opportunities�� for him. And indeed, under Rhode��s ��intimidation��, Cassidy admitted that she was merely teasing him. As a matter of fact, she had no idea as to what exactly had to be done to cure Erin. She had never experienced anything similar, so how was it possible for her to know any secrets?


    ��B-But my theory isn��t wrong, Your Majesty. You will have to establish a connection with Her Highness Erin!��


    After speaking her mind, Cassidy slipped away like the silent wind as though she were afraid that Rhode would devour her in a single bite. Looking at her reaction, Rhode let out a helpless sigh. It seemed like even Cassidy didn��t have a trick up her sleeve. She was one of the deity wardens who participated in the war against Chaos, after all. In terms of experience in this aspect, she was still trustworthy.


    In other words�� It would work as long as dragon soul powers are injected into Erin��s body and a connection is established?


    Gazing at the unconscious Erin, Rhode knitted his brows and thought. Then, he extended his arm and waved in the air. Shortly after, along with this action, a dragon-shaped aura appeared in midair. Rhode lay his arm down and the dragon-shaped aura entered Erin��s body silently��


    Boom!


    But at the next moment, the dragon-shaped aura was rejected by her, erupting in a loud explosion before scattering in spots of light dust and disappearing in midair. At the same time, a system prompt appeared before his eyes.


    [Target cannot be turned into a dependent. Usage fail]


    I knew it.


    Rhode shrugged at the sight of the system prompt. He thought he could repeat what he did with Nell��use his identity as the Void Dragon and turn Erin into his dependent, which would establish a connection between them. But it was a pity that it was impossible. Erin was also of the dragon race and born a dependent of darkness. No matter how capable Rhode was, he couldn��t possibly poach her to his side.


    So what should I do then? Should I inject my dragon soul powers directly into Erin?


    At this thought, Rhode stretched his arm out again. This time, his hand emanated an illusory and bright radiance. He lifted his hand and the radiance shot straight at Erin, enfolding her entirety in the blink of an eye. However, the moment the radiance wrapped around her body, Erin let out a painful shriek. Her body that lay flatly on the bed curled up in agony. Rhode sulked and withdrew the radiance hurriedly.


    This doesn��t work either��


    As a holder of dragon soul powers, it went without saying that Rhode felt a counteractive force when he attempted to inject the dragon soul powers into her body. Even though that counteractive force felt weak and could be shattered if he were to use more power, he knew it wouldn��t work after witnessing Erin��s painful state. He realized the force that resisted him was also a form of dragon soul power. In this case, it was simple to understand. The force came from Erin. If Rhode were to shatter it, Erin would also be done for.


    Must I inject everything into her at once?


    Rhode puckered his brows and recalled. He had to admit that even though Cassidy obviously tricked him, what she said wasn��t wrong��Anne was neither his dependent nor connected to him via the system. This meant that what Cassidy said was meaningful to a certain extent. Could it be that he had to do it like what Cassidy suggested? Would it work?


    If Rhode were any other man, perhaps he would have already laid hands on this defenseless and beautiful young lady laying before him. But it was a pity that Rhode wasn��t aroused as he looked at the sleeping young lady. It wasn��t that he didn��t have any sexual attraction to her, but he simply wasn��t interested in such one-sided behavior instead. The reason why he was addicted to ��intimate interactions�� was because he could see how the other party reacted in his hands and also revealed various expressions. That was what excited him. And now, even though Erin was laying before him defenselessly, he didn��t come up with any perverted ideas.


    If I were to do it, I would rather grab a magazine and do it myself at the corner of the room since there��s no difference.


    Moreover, even though Erin was indeed beautiful, since when did he have any ugly women around him?


    Start from the most basic then.


    At this thought, Rhode sauntered toward Erin, stooping over and gazing at her. He gently caressed her soft, mellow cheek. He had to admit that although Mini Bubble Gum��s spiritual spells weren��t able to awake Erin, they cleanly cleansed her entire body. And now, Erin looked as though she just came out of the shower��snowy and delicate.


    Not too bad.


    The corners of Rhode��s mouth perked up. Then, he pressed his lips against hers.


    ������


    Facing his kiss, Erin couldn��t refuse at all. Rhode extended his tongue, pried open her clenched teeth, and wrapped around her savory tongue. Even though he effortlessly stole the moon princess��s first kiss, he wasn��t excited in any way. On the contrary, he put up a focused look on his face. While he held his lips against hers, he used this channel to transfer his dragon soul powers bit by bit.


    All in all, it felt more like CPR for him��


    ��Hmm����


    At that moment, Rhode��s ��rescue�� finally took effect. As Erin let out a soft groan, she stretched out her arms and wrapped around his neck, responding to his kiss. Upon realizing her reaction, Rhode was delighted. He separated himself from her and gazed at her.


    ��Erin, wake up! Erin!��


    ��Hmm����


    Upon hearing his calling, Erin let out another groan, but didn��t open her eyes. Not only that, but she also loosened her arms around his neck as though she were powerless.


    Must I really do it?


    Just a few moments ago, Rhode felt like he had indeed established a spiritual connection with Erin. But the instant he separated himself from her, the spiritual connection also disconnected.


    Seems like it won��t work. I don��t have any other way. Looks like I can only give it a shot.


    At this thought, Rhode lowered his head without any hesitation and kissed Erin��s soft lips.


    ��Hmm�� Mmm����


    Upon feeling his kiss, Erin leaned toward the man above her and coiled her arms around him tightly. The sound of kisses and gasps echoed in the quiet room. Her tender, savory tongue emerging from between her slightly-opened lips intertwined with Rhode��s tongue and demanded insatiably. Rhode responded to her desires and reached his hands out to fondle her body gently.


    Seems like I will need to take it further.


    Rhode thought he could awake Erin simply through kissing. Even if she couldn��t recover fully, at least she would regain her consciousness. But now, it seemed really inefficient. Both of them had been kissing for almost 10 minutes and even Rhode felt a little exhausted. On the other hand, Erin continued tirelessly. As the dragon soul powers entered her body, she became even more aggressive.


    We��re not even looking to break the Guinness World Records. We won��t have any progress even if we continue to kiss for two days.


    At this thought, Rhode changed his strategy immediately. He extended his arm and caressed the young lady��s body, at the same time stripping off her clothes. Even though it didn��t seem any different from ordinary fondling, as a matter of fact Rhode had coalesced his spiritual powers on his palms gradually.


    ��Haa�� Haa����


    Upon sensing his caress, Erin let out deep gasps. She lay weakly in his arms, her hands shrinking back to her chest as though instinctively protecting herself and at the same time, luring him to take further action��


    This is getting fun.


    Gazing at Erin who kept her eyes closed and revealed a flushed, coquettish expression, Rhode finally smiled. If Erin continued to sleep like a corpse, he would definitely not be aroused and even if he did, the enjoyment was just a matter of routine. But now, Erin reacted instinctively even in her sleep like he were teasing a sleepy kitten. She looked really adorable to him and made him have the intention to continue teasing her. He slid his hand down her smooth body and extended his fingers.


    ��Ugh��!��


    Erin tensed up instantly to the stimulating touch. Even though she was unconscious, her body began to instinctively experience and respond to his caress. The young lady twisted her body uncontrollably as Rhode felt the slippery wetness on his hand. He stooped over, held her arms down, and thrust his hips forward. Then�� They merged as one.


    ��Ah��!��


    A loud scream sounded from the room. But thereafter, the sound of physical collision and continuous gasps became the main melody��

 Chapter 1242 - Fairy Tale Ending

    When Rhode opened his eyes, first that came into view were Erin��s alluring eyes. The moon princess lay in his arms nakedly, staring at him without blinking. Upon realizing her gaze, Rhode twitched his brows and both of them remained in a strange silence. After a few seconds, Rhode let out a cough.


    ��You��re finally awake, Princess.��


    ��Yes, it is all thanks to your help.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s response, Erin didn��t display any awkwardness or question the reason behind his actions. Because at that moment, she could clearly feel the burning sensation inside her body. She swayed her hip and looked at him with a teasing smile.


    ��I feel so awake. Shall we do it again?��


    ��Time is almost up. Since you��re already awake, let��s call it a day.��


    ��Oh, really? If it were me, I think I could go on for a few more sessions.��


    Erin replied, twitching her brow. She extended and glided her fingers across his chest, at the same time rocking her hip as though grinding playfully and had no intention of stopping.


    ��Alright, stop messing around�� Princess.��


    Upon realizing her actions, Rhode��s expression remained unchanged, but grumbled inwardly. Back then, even though Cassidy said that to play tricks on him, she had indeed spoken the truth. The moment Rhode fused with Erin as one, he felt his spiritual powers constantly transmit to her. Meanwhile, Erin, who lost the support of the strength of Order, began to crave for more after acquiring the spiritual powers. Just imagine�� How would a drowning person react if he or she were to finally gain access to oxygen?


    Rhode also didn��t expect Erin to be this rapacious. As a result, their ��battle�� lasted for half a day before finally ceasing. Fortunately, even though Erin tried to contribute on her part, it was still her first experience, after all, and she couldn��t be compared to Rhode who had mastered the various techniques. That was why Erin eventually gave in and ended the battle. But even so, as she continued to abstract power from Rhode, she almost caused him to lose his entire soul. At that very moment, he was considered to be in ��desperate straits��. If he were to do it again, perhaps blood would come out of him next.


    Rhode couldn��t help but feel depressed at this thought. He expected his constitution to reach a new height after becoming the Void Dragon, where there would be no issues for him ��taking on�� 10 women in one night. In the end, halfway through his session with Erin, when he thought he could end the battle successfully, he realized that not only was she not weary, but she was also relentless.


    It was at that moment when Rhode recalled that even though he was the Void Dragon, Erin wasn��t an ordinary mortal either��she was also a dragon race! Although her constitution was incomparable to Rhode, this dependent of darkness didn��t have an undeserved reputation.


    Moreover, it wasn��t only ordinary sexual intercourse they were having. Rhode had to transfer his spiritual powers to Erin, while the latter simply had to accept them. In this situation, he couldn��t be blamed for feeling fatigue. But he was also aware that the moon princess was already conscious when she first acquired his spiritual powers and there wasn��t a need for her to squeeze him dry. However, she still did it. It was apparent that this was her little revenge against him entering her body without permission. Of course, if that were only the case, it could be considered an adorable move. But Rhode didn��t expect her to actually ��learned the long-lost technique of collecting Yang and replenishing Yin��.


    If I knew this would happen, I would have gone to cultivate the Nine Man��s Power for this moment��


    Rhode let his imagination run wild as he sat up. Erin also stopped messing with him. She picked up her clothes from the other side of the bed. In just a few moments, the intimate couple returned to their usual selves.


    ��Your Majesty?��


    Upon hearing Erin��s call, Rhode turned over. Erin had already put on her clothes and was smiling at him gently.


    ��Thanks for your help����


    Erin said, lowering her head and giving a solemn bow. But shortly after, she revealed a witty smile as soon as she lifted her body. She put her palms together, blinking her black, bright eyes at the man. Although she didn��t say a word, Rhode recognized the seriousness in her eyes.


    ��You will take responsibility, right, Your Majesty?��


    ��That��s for sure.��


    Rhode nodded without hesitation. He thought about it before eventually laying hands on her. He couldn��t possibly say that it was only an accident and not admit what he did. Moreover, now that the situation had escalated, Rhode wouldn��t let her off even if she were to not assume responsibility. It would be fine if she were purely the victim, but how could she expect Rhode to be the one taking full responsibility after she enjoyed the process? It was impossible. Besides, assuming responsibility was also considered a form of ��grasping the initiative��. Deep down, Rhode knew that be it in modern times or another world, men had to assume responsibility in such scenarios in order to gain the initiative. Men should never retreat or break up with the other party using some lame excuses after devouring her body as it would only make matters worse. This was also why Rhode was able to survive in modern society and had several girlfriends without ending up being killed.


    After getting Rhode��s affirmation, Erin revealed a satisfied smile. The former didn��t waste more time explaining. After all, this was only a small matter compared to the current situation. It was just like some Hollywood movies, where even though the protagonists pledged their undying love and had sex before the tsunami struck, alien invaded, and apocalypse or war broke out, it still wasn��t the main plot of the story, after all. The male lead had to save the world after making love and not flee with the female lead�� Because such movies would only be mocked.


    If the director wished to win an Oscars, that story had to be the main plot to stand a chance instead.


    Thereafter, Rhode left the guest room with Erin, arriving at the relatively spacious living room. Unsure of how much time they took, when Rhode called for everyone through the spiritual communication, they arrived at the living room swiftly. Their eyes widened in delight and heaved sighs of relief as soon as they spotted the smiling Erin who sat on the stone chair in glowing spirits.


    ��Your Highness Erin!��


    Amongst them, Angelina was the most excited. Even though vampires were basically a synonym for cold-blooded, Erin and Angelina had established a close relationship during their escape. This time, it was Angelina who led Rhode and the rest to rescue Erin, so it went without saying that she was under tremendous pressure. The sight of Erin being perfectly fine moved Angelina emotionally as she shouted. Upon hearing her voice, Erin turned around and walked up to her to hold her hands.


    ��Thanks, Angelina.��


    ��No, t-this is my duty. Your Highness Erin, are you alright?!��


    ��Of course.��


    Erin nodded in response before looking briefly at Rhode with a subtle smile.


    ��It is all thanks to His Majesty Rhode��s help that I��m feeling much better.��


    ��Hmm?��


    Everyone was taken aback. Cassidy, Mini Bubble Gum, and the rest shifted their gaze to Rhode instantly. Anne was the only one who seemed ignorant. She blinked curiously at Rhode, before turning to Erin. Then, she asked dubiously.


    ��Leader? Big Sister Erin, how did Leader cure you?��


    ��That��s a long story����


    Facing Anne��s question, Erin replied with a smile and gave a meaningful answer. Upon hearing her response, Anne cocked her head in confusion. Meanwhile, Mini Bubble Gum suddenly saw the light, while Cassidy turned ashen and bit her lip in silence. Erin chuckled, extending her arm all of a sudden and waving at Anne and Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��Miss Bubble, Miss Anne, from today onward, I will be joining you girls, alright? Please take good care of me.��


    What in the��?!


    Upon hearing Erin��s remarks, Rhode rolled his eyes helplessly. Even though Erin didn��t explain what she meant, was there even a need for that? Anne nodded as though she got it, while Mini Bubble Gum��s eyes glinted. The latter raised her hand and waved back at Erin.


    ��Welcome, comrade! From today onward, we are comrades on the same front! Hahaha, I knew this day would come!��


    �� Bubble, you sure look happy betraying your leader, huh��


    At this thought, Rhode was entirely speechless. Fortunately for him, there weren��t many talkative people present, so he wasn��t worried that he would be in deep trouble. But it wasn��t comfortable for him seeing them teasing him in his face. He let out an awkward cough and changed the topic.


    ��Alright, since Erin is awake, we should consider our next plan����


    ��Please wait.��


    At that moment, a voice interrupted him. Rhode turned around and witnessed the two dragon young ladies. They bowed respectfully before shifting their gaze to Erin curiously.


    ��Since the young lady is awake, I guess it is about time for the inheritance ceremony.��

 Chapter 1243 - Dragon Soul Trial

    ��Inheritance ceremony?��


    Rhode was surprised. He knew that even though the inheritance ceremony was important, it didn��t seem like an appropriate time for it now. That was why he puckered his brows at the two dragon young ladies.


    ��Now? Don��t you think it��s rather inconvenient? I suppose you��re aware by now just how unstable the situation is outside�� Besides, something is also wrong with the Dark Dragon. I think�� We should resolve the other issues before discussing it����


    ��Of course we��re aware of that.��


    Before Rhode finished his sentence, he was once again disrupted by them. Regarding the situation outside, Rhode ordered Angelina and the rest to give them an explanation. But it seemed like they were unmoved. He couldn��t figure out what was going through their heads. Upon detecting his gaze, the dragon young lady who seemed like the elder sister nodded at him and continued.


    ��Regarding that issue, we��ve already engaged in an investigation. That thief has indeed stolen the former Dark Dragon��s power. Due to that reason, we need to complete the inheritance ceremony as soon as possible, in order to find a suitable heir for the former Dark Dragon.��


    Right!


    Rhode recalled an important question that was unanswered, and that was��


    What exact methods did Ion use to obtain the dragon soul powers?


    If it were said that Rhode doubted Angelina��s report earlier, the appearance of these two dragon young ladies and also the pure aura of the Dark Dragon he sensed made him feel even more suspicious. It seemed like there were indeed unique inheritance methods for each dragon. In the past, this content wasn��t uncovered by players in the game, so it was a new and interesting discovery for Rhode. And now, it was apparent that Ion used some underhanded method to acquire the dragon soul powers without passing the inheritance ceremony. Judging the situation from this angle, perhaps the Light Dragon had similar inheritance ceremonies. However, now that the Country of Light had crumpled, so perhaps no one would know the true answer as to how the Light Dragon inherited their dragon soul powers. After all, Lilian was still the weakest among the five Creator Dragons, even after she awakened her strength. In the past, Rhode thought that perhaps Lilian was too young and her dragon soul powers would become stronger as she grew older. But now, it seemed like the situation wasn��t as simple as he thought.


    ���� What exactly is going on?��


    After sounding out his doubts to the two dragon young ladies, Rhode asked in suspicion. Facing his question, the two dragon young ladies remained relatively calm. It seemed like they had also discussed and investigated this topic.


    ��That was what happened, Your Majesty Void Dragon. The thief used a certain, special method to acquire a portion of the Dark Dragon��s soul.��


    One of the dragon young ladies said. She paused and gazed at Rhode.


    ��I suppose you��ve also met the Dark Dragon who was imprisoned along with the young lady.��


    ������


    Upon hearing her words, Erin couldn��t help but shiver. She lifted her head and gazed silently at the dragon young lady. However, her eyes were flowing with uncertainty and worry. Despite that, the dragon young lady wasn��t mindful of her expression. She merely swept a glance at Erin and continued.


    ��The Dark Dragon is the mother who gave birth to that thief of a dragon soul heir. Due to that reason, she resonants with his soul. Even though she can��t use dragon soul powers like him, she is still linked to the dragon soul power. The thief must be aware of this, so he locked her up in here and used the dragon imprisonment ritual to transfer her power.��


    ��Is there a way to resolve this issue?��


    Rhode knitted his brows and asked. Upon hearing his question, the dragon young lady nodded.


    ��There is a way. We sense the strength of Chaos growing stronger. In order to stop Chaos from eroding the dragon further, we decided to destroy the dragon imprisonment ritual in the shortest time possible and kill the Dark Dragon. That is the only way to stop Chaos from threatening the dragon soul itself.��


    ��No!��


    Erin stepped forth and yelled. Upon hearing her scream, everyone was stunned. Meanwhile, Rhode remained silent. He had already received relevant information about that Dark Dragon from Angelina and knew that she was the mother of Ion and Erin.


    Ion, that bast*rd, how could he hurt his own mother? How much more shameless can he get?


    At this thought, Rhode shook his head.


    Seems like not much more.


    However, now wasn��t the time to criticize whether Ion should be part of the legal system program on television over his domestic abuse. Therefore, Rhode threw this matter to the back of his head, extended his arm to hold Erin back, and looked at the dragon young lady.


    ��Is there no other way?��


    ��This is the safest.��


    Even though the two dragon young ladies were fair and reasonable earlier, they weren��t willing to take a step back as the situation was a matter of principles. This was within Rhode��s expectation. After all, Marybelle was also similar to them. Even though Marybelle seemed approachable, when it involved matters of principle about Chaos and Order, she would rather kill 1000 innocents than to let that one person off. Back then, Marybelle chose to kill Lilian for safety��s sake when she was contaminated by Chaos. In the end, she settled for second best after Rhode forced Marybelle to stop. Judging from this point, it was obvious to Rhode that these beings who engaged in wars against Chaos treated their threats really seriously. Even if the dangers were minimal, they weren��t willing to let up.


    ��Alright, what if we pass the inheritance ceremony and inherit the dragon soul powers?��


    ��There��s not enough time.��


    The other dragon young lady curled her lips and said, apparently disinterested in Rhode��s question.


    ��Your Majesty the Void Dragon, surely you��re not thinking that the inheritance ceremony is just for show, right? We, as the supervisors, have to evaluate the strengths of the heir. If the heir isn��t strong enough to pass the trial, the heir will be locked up forever.��


    ��It doesn��t sound reasonable.��


    At that moment, Anne retorted. As a civilian of the Munn Kingdom, she knew more less about the identity of dragon soul heirs. But after hearing their explanations, Anne couldn��t tolerate it anymore.


    ��Aren��t they already dragon soul heirs? Why can��t the power be passed on directly? Why must it be such a hassle?��


    ��It is to prevent the dragon soul powers from being misused by evildoers. Not everyone has the right to use the power of darkness. If one fails to display one��s views and mastery over the power of darkness and is manipulated like a puppet, one will surely be unfit to become the Dark Dragon��s heir.��


    All of a sudden, Rhode felt like Lilian was being ridiculed for nothing. At that moment, Erin knitted her brows and opened her mouth, but eventually didn��t speak a word. On the other hand, Anne curled her lips and gazed at the two dragon young ladies in disdain.


    ��Tsk, what��s the point of saying it so nicely. Wasn��t the dragon soul power still taken away in the end?��


    ������


    In an instant, Rhode felt the temperature of the entire living room falling below zero. The brass cheeks of the two dragon young ladies also became as white as ice��


    Ouch. You can��t say that, Anne. You got to save them some ��face���� Looks like I��ll have to teach you some manners after we head back. Just look at the two young ladies��they are so angry that their tails are standing upright now.


    ��In that case, I have a suggestion.��


    Since the situation had fallen into an awkward silence, Rhode decisively relied upon himself to resolve the impasse. He waved his hand airily, gesturing for them to forget about the unpleasant discussion and head straight into the main topic.


    ��Since both of you haven��t killed the Dark Dragon, it means that you��re unable to destroy the dragon imprisonment ritual completely. How about we make a deal? If we pass the trial of the inheritance ceremony and gain the dragon soul inheritance before you destroy the dragon imprisonment ritual, can you let her off in return?��


    Even though Rhode didn��t clearly mention it, everyone knew that ��her�� referred to that Dark Dragon.


    ��And what is the point of that, Your Majesty the Void Dragon?��


    Facing his suggestion, the two dragon young ladies revealed obvious doubts on their faces. Then, one of them continued.


    ��The Dark Dragon has been trapped in the dragon imprisonment ritual for years. Besides, the transfer of power also brings a lot of harm to her. The reason why she is able to survive isn��t because she has strong vitality, but she relies on the dragon soul powers that flow inside her body instead. That is why even if every one of you passes the inheritance ceremony and inherits the dragon soul power, the dragon soul power inside her body will diminish immediately. After losing the support of dragon soul power, it will only be a matter of time before the Dark Dragon dies, isn��t it?��


    ������


    Upon hearing her reply, Rhode didn��t continue speaking. He was aware that this was the truth. And now, it was up to Erin to make the decision.


    ��Even so����


    To his surprise, Erin broke the silence. The moon princess lifted her head and her pitch-black pupils glinted in unprecedented sorrows and determination.


    ���� I would still like to give it a shot.��

 Chapter 1244 - 12 Trials (1)

    Rhode didn��t object to Erin��s decision. As a matter of fact, this was the only way out. Even though his initial plan was to rescue Erin and bring her back, in this situation, his explanations just wouldn��t cut it. Besides, even if he were to leave, perhaps he wouldn��t even be able to exit the underground maze. He might as well take a risk to see whether they could find another exit after Erin inherited the dragon soul powers. As for Ion, Rhode couldn��t be bothered. Rhode wasn��t mindful about a guy who would be dead sooner or later. Moreover, Rhode wasn��t interested in lowering his status in becoming Ion��s younger sister��s husband. In that case, the most sensible choice was for Rhode to kill the ��wife��s�� older brother, and everything would turn out well.


    As for Erin, even though she had expended a lot of her power earlier, she regained almost all of her strength after receiving Rhode��s power. The source of Erin��s strength came from the moon rule. Rhode was the Void Dragon, so his power was like that of a world. Even though they were suppressed by Chaos, as long as Erin was by his side, she could remain connected to the moon rule through his spiritual space.


    But��


    ��Watch out for your safety.��


    That was all Rhode could say as he gazed at Erin. He didn��t have too many suggestions for her in this aspect because the trials for dragon soul heirs weren��t released publicly to players in the past. Rhode also didn��t have any useful or relevant memories and information. But one thing for sure was that the trials were definitely intricate and extremely dangerous. It was obvious enough from the rules, where losers had no chance of starting over and would be thrown into the underground prison immediately. This proved just how dangerous the trials were. Besides, it was apparent from Erin that even if the dragon soul heir didn��t fully grasp the dragon soul powers, she was still powerful enough. But in this case, there were still instances of heirs who failed the trials��


    ��In short, be more careful.��


    Rhode knew that Erin was a meticulous person, so he didn��t speak any more. He patted her shoulder, and the latter smiled at his warnings. Then, she nodded, turned around, and followed the two dragon young ladies to the other end of the corridor. Rhode gazed as she departed, until she vanished past the stone door. He shifted his gaze away and let out a helpless sigh. Honestly, he wasn��t willing for Erin to take this risk, especially under the current circumstances. But now, he had no other choice.


    ��Big Brother?��


    At that moment, Icy Snow��s voice sounded in his ears. He lowered his head and saw Icy Snow looking worriedly at him.


    ��Are you alright? You don��t seem too happy����


    ��I��m just feeling a little nervous, Little Icy.��


    Upon hearing her concerns, Rhode stretched his hand out and stroked the little fellow��s hair with a smile. Icy Snow witnessed his smile and didn��t continue speaking. She was a sensible young lady who never bothered others. Since Rhode had no intention of speaking further, she wouldn��t bother him with too many questions. But shortly after, she knitted her brows and asked gently.


    ��Big Brother�� I want to ask you about something.��


    ��What��s the matter?��


    At that moment, Rhode had already let the weight off his mind. No matter the results, they couldn��t intervene anyway. So it was also meaningless for him to be too worried about Erin. As the saying ��do one��s level best and leave the rest to God��s will�� went, it was up to Erin��s hard work and luck now. Rhode turned and gazed at Icy Snow curiously. Upon sensing his gaze, the young lady blushed and looked at the ground, pinching the edges of her clothes. After a few moments, she asked timidly.


    ���� Big Brother, earlier when Miss Erin said she would be joining Bubble and the rest�� What is it about? I asked Bubble, but she said���� Icy Snow turned and glared furiously at Bubble. ���� I��m still young and wouldn��t understand! Darn it, she��s clearly the same age as me. Big Brother, do you know what she meant?��


    ��About that����


    Rhode felt his head aching. Of course, he knew why Erin said those words to Bubble and Anne, but Icy Snow definitely wouldn��t understand. Even though she had a close relationship with him, he was always like a big brother to her. She was also unaware of his relationship with Canary. Just how should he explain it to her��


    While Rhode racked his brains over how he should explain the ��complicated�� relationship to Icy Snow, Erin followed the two dragon young ladies to an empty, circular room. This room seemed to be constructed entirely from yellow metal. In the middle of the room, there was a hexagonal ritual. As a princess who was passionate about archeology, Erin recognized the engraved runes as old spirit and dragon texts. It was apparent that this magical ritual was ancient, and likely to be a product of the Country of Darkness��s early days.


    I never expected a secret like this to exist in the underground��


    At this thought, Erin arranged her thoughts and looked at the two dragon young ladies. Upon detecting her gaze, they nodded at her.


    ��Alright, let��s begin the trial, dragon soul heir. Please bear in mind that you have to pass 12 trials and gain the promise of darkness in order to inherit the Dark Dragon��s power. According to the rules, you��ll have three chances to seek assistance. If you can��t handle the situation, you can summon us three times. Please be reminded that if you fail to pass the trials after summoning us three times, you shall be sent into the dragon prison.��


    ��Got it.��


    Facing their words, Erin nodded in response. She extended her arm and held the pitch-black hilt on her waist with her hand, her eyes glinting in flashes of determination. The moon princess took large strides into the center of the ritual, turned around to look at the two dragon young ladies, and spoke.


    ��I��m ready. Let��s start.��


    After receiving her confirmation, the two dragon young ladies nodded and exchanged looks with each other. At the next moment, they raised their arms. Along with this action, two metallic spears flickering in dazzling brilliance appeared in their hands. An enormous and gorgeous ritual emanated before Erin��s eyes. The power of darkness surged, shimmered, and transformed into elegant patterns, wrapping her around entirely. Erin stared at the pitch-black energy vigilantly. She sensed the strong force within it. Not only that, but she also vaguely sensed the presence of a mighty dragon��s prestige. It was so powerful that not even her big brother could compete with it.


    Could this be the true power of the Dark Dragon?


    At this thought, Erin couldn��t help but put up a solemn look on her face. She felt her big brother��s dragon��s prestige in the past, but it wasn��t as profound as this. This dragon��s prestige felt so dignified that it shook her heart. It was as though she were standing on the edge of a cliff, gazing at the boundless darkness below her, which brought shock and awe upon her. But now, she had to face this very power. If it belonged to her, perhaps everything would have ended by now.


    Big Brother��


    At the thought of Ion, Erin let out an inward sigh.


    Is this power the reason why you were that ruthless to Mother? Even you can��t resist the temptation of this power? No�� Maybe it��s, in fact, that you��re baffled by this power. But now, I��m the one standing right here.


    Why��?


    Erin shook her head. It wasn��t that Erin didn��t understand why Ion did it, but she clearly knew the reason instead. As the younger sister, although she never thought of seizing power, as a matter of fact she was far more outstanding than her big brother in every aspect. Perhaps Ion was only capable than her in terms of battles, but back then, Erin didn��t give it too much thought. She only hoped to learn as much as she could, so she could offer help after her big brother succeeded as the Dark Dragon.


    But she didn��t expect that after Ion became the Dark Dragon, he stopped her from participating in every affair of the Country of Darkness, which disappointed her greatly. However, that was only disappointment, after all. Considering her love toward her big brother and their relationship, Erin eventually accepted his request to hide deep inside the moon castle, appreciating antique arts to pass time. As a matter of fact, she was also perplexed. She didn��t know what exactly she should do with her life. She kept reminiscing the moments when her big brother gazed at her with a subtle smile and said a lazy expression: ��I just can��t handle these things that use my brain. In future, I want to rule the Country of Darkness. I will leave these troublesome matters to you, okay, Younger Sister?��


    Back then, the young, innocent Erin nodded with might and excitement. She thought as long as she tried harder and harder, she could stand beside her big brother and help fulfill his wish.


    But even so��


    Now isn��t the time for this!


    Erin held back the sadness in her heart. She unsheathed the sword and at the same time, a dense fog of darkness erupted. Her vision was enfolded by endless darkness��

 Chapter 1245 - 12 Trials (2)

    When Erin opened her eyes again, the entirely different scenery stunned her. At that moment, it was no longer the circular room, but a vast, pitch-black land instead. The sky was also incomparably dark. At a glance, the entire world seemed to only be dyed in two colors; black and white. The winds gliding across the surface brought along slight pain. But before Erin reacted to where exactly she was, the calm shadows ahead suddenly warped. Seconds later, along with deep roars that echoed, mysterious creatures emerged one after another. They had strange appearances, swaying constantly like shadows and snapping their huge jaws open to reveal terrifying glows from their razor-sharp teeth��


    ��Seems like you guys are my enemies.��


    Erin smiled and squinted, holding the sword before her. At the next moment, the shadowy creatures howled and pounced on her like a violent wave. Hundreds of thousands and layers upon layers of shadowy creatures leaped toward the slender and fragile young lady. No matter who witnessed this scene, perhaps they would think that the young lady would be devoured at the next second.


    But the truth was otherwise.


    The shadowy creatures dashing from all directions were wild and aggressive��a few seconds ago. The instant they launched their attacks on Erin, she wouldn��t have been able to stop them even if she had three heads and six arms. But in that instant, along with Erin��s action, everything changed.


    Facing the shadowy creatures, the moon princess didn��t even glance at them. She stared at the blade in her hand that was emanating a brilliance that was as bright and glistening as the full moon. She rotated her wrist and at the next moment, a circular halo expanded with her in the middle. The halo didn��t seem to have any aggression at all. But despite that, the shadowy creatures wailed and were shredded into bits by the halo instantly. Before they struggled, they were like thick apple skins being peeled from the flesh. The halo dazzled, dismantling the shadowy creatures into worthless remains in an instant. Fragments of their bodies drifted in the air, before disappearing into nothingness like melted snowflakes.


    However, the snowflakes were purely black in color.


    After wiping out the enemies in one single attack, Erin didn��t continue her offense immediately. On the contrary, she scanned her surroundings and sprinted toward a tower in the distance. Since the tower was the only building on the vast, empty plains, it was apparent that it was the venue for her trial.


    Even though Erin displayed mighty strength, Rhode and the rest who observed her battle through the magical crystal revealed depressing expressions. As the host of the ceremony, Rhode held the rights to observe the process of the ceremony. As for the rest, even though the dragon young ladies weren��t willing for them to intervene, they eventually let them be after Rhode strongly requested. Due to that reason, everyone was able to watch the progress of Erin��s inheritance ceremony. Of course, this also let Rhode heave a sigh of relief. At least he was able to divert someone��s attention, so she wouldn��t keep pestering him with those awkward questions.


    But now, Rhode didn��t feel relieved after witnessing Erin��s environment.


    Perhaps Erin wasn��t aware of where she was right now, but to a player like Rhode who roamed the continent like it was his own home, he recognized her whereabouts immediately.


    Shadow Ravine of the Seven Fantasy Boundaries.


    Just this name alone was enough to make Rhode, Mini Bubble Gum, and the rest feel tricky.


    There were always flaws and bugs no matter how popular a game was. Dragon Soul Continent was no exception. In the continent, the most annoying dungeon was neither the bloody battlefields of hell, nor the uncomfortable underground world, nor the abyss that was filled with crawling insects. In the leaderboard of the official forum, Shadow Ravine took the number one spot for the map that players ��hated visiting the most��. From the day it was discovered by players to after Rhode defeated the Void Dragon, its ranking had never changed.


    The most disgusting part about Shadow Ravine wasn��t the benefits it offered. As a matter of fact, the benefits in Shadow Ravine were considered rich and generous. As an extension of the shadow plain of existence, Shadow Ravine was considered one of the most historical places in the Dragon Soul Continent. Besides, due to the special characteristics of ��Light and Shadow��, players were able to find equipment with great attributes. Not only that, but ��copies�� of some equipment that were destroyed on the main plain could also be found in the shadow plain of existence. Not only did these shadow equipment possess the strength of the original equipment, but they also came attached with unique, shadow attributes. Therefore, if a party were to kill the BOSS in Shadow Ravine, several godlike equipment would drop. It was basically a profit-making business that wouldn��t lose money. Besides, it was easy to take down shadow attributes. As long as there were more priests and equipment of the light attribute, the BOSSes would be easily crushed.


    If there were anything bad about the shadow plain of existence, it would be its huge map. Some people believed that the map of Shadow Ravine was twice the size of the Dragon Soul Continent, which was why BOSSes were tough to find. It was basically impossible for a party to kill a BOSS in Shadow Ravine without spending at least half a month (of actual time). Apart from that, the colors of Shadow Ravine were really dull.


    Repeat it once more��the colors of Shadow Ravine were really dull.


    Repeat it one last time��the colors of Shadow Ravine were really dull.


    And that was where all the players�� objections came from.


    There were no colors in Shadow Ravine, where everything was divided into black and white. That was why the moment players entered Shadow Ravine, they were as though they were looking at a monochrome television from the Middle Ages. In the beginning, some players thought it was refreshing. But shortly after, they got sick of it.


    That��s right. The most beautiful thing about life was its vibrancy. On the other hand, Shadow Ravine was a world of black and white. Moreover, it was so huge that an average party needed to spend more than half to one month to complete their exploration. As a result, many players were sick of looking at this monochrome world. Some members even quit the party after they couldn��t handle its dullness. As for those who successfully explored the area, they became dispirited and listless as though they lost their souls. Even after heading out of that place, they needed to rest for quite some time before returning to their senses.


    In other words, the most annoying part of Shadow Ravine was that it would leave mental scars on players. Besides, the damage was also irreversible. In the early stages of the Shadow Ravine��s release, many players went to the forum and expressed that they finally understood how beautiful life was after opening up the Shadow Ravine. They also expressed their passion and respect for life. Some had even posted specifically to state that they regretted wasting their life and would rather enjoy their current life if the afterlife turned out to be like Shadow Ravine��


    Judging from this point, Shadow Ravine actually did something great for mankind.


    ��I wonder if Her Highness Erin can handle it.��


    Rhode murmured. Mini Bubble Gum glanced at the image and turned around hurriedly. Back then, Rhode��s party also took a huge impact when they first explored Shadow Ravine. Even though everyone gnashed their teeth and held on to the honor of being the number one guild, after Rhode witnessed many younger players among them fail to handle the pressure, he decisively called off the mission. Shadow Ravine was one of the few maps that Starlight had failed to overcome. But Rhode wasn��t embarrassed by it because almost none of the guilds were able to get the better of Shadow Ravine. Rhode knew that some guilds spent money to hire people to lead a party into Shadow Ravine for one and a half months in order to overtake Starlight. But in the end, the party crumbled to the monochrome world before they managed to slaughter the BOSS. The last news Rhode heard of them was from the forum, where two-thirds of the party members went to visit psychiatrists. Meanwhile, the party leader deleted his account directly.


    Due to that reason, the instant Mini Bubble Gum and Icy Snow witnessed Shadow Ravine, they revealed a look of annoyance and turned away from the magical crystal. Even Rhode couldn��t help but feel irritated. The look of that monochrome world made him sick.


    Judging from this point, Rhode could also be considered one of the victims who were mentally scarred.


    ��Yea, Leader. This map is too disgusting. I also wonder if Her Highness Erin can handle it����


    Bubble curled her lips and said. It wasn��t surprising that she was concerned as Erin and Lydia had similar personalities. They both loved beautiful things. On the contrary, an environment that was as dull as Shadow Ravine was simply a murder weapon against them. Perhaps Erin hadn��t responded to it yet, but it would be too late as soon as she realized it.


    ��That isn��t the only issue, Bubble.��


    Rhode couldn��t help but shake his head.


    ��That is the shadow plane of existence. Even though Erin is dependent on darkness, her attribute is the rare ��moon��, which means that in the shadow plane of existence without moonlight, her strength cannot reach its peak.��


    ��That sounds terrible, huh?��


    Anne was astonished. She nodded with might but shortly after, cocked her head to the side and knitted her brows.


    ��But why didn��t Erin turn into a dragon? She should be heading toward the tower now, right? Wouldn��t she reach the tower quicker if she became a dragon?��


    Facing Anne��s question, Rhode didn��t answer immediately. He scanned Erin, who continued to sprint ahead and puckered his brows.


    ��I think it isn��t that Erin doesn��t want to transform into a dragon. She just can��t,�� Rhode said.

 Chapter 1246 - 12 Trials (2)

    Just as Rhode expected.


    As a matter of fact, the instant Erin stepped onto this mysterious land, she instinctively tried to return to her usual form. After all, this place felt too strange for her. For safety��s sake, she believed that transforming to her dragon form would ensure her safety. But shortly after, she discovered an unknown force imprisoning her body, stopping her from transforming. Not only that, but she also realized that her strength was diminished drastically. Just as Rhode predicted, even though Erin was a dependent of darkness, her rule was the rare ��moon��. Although the moon was a source of light in the darkness, the moon didn��t exist in this world of shadow. In other words, this environment was the most disadvantageous for her, where she wouldn��t face such challenges even on Earth. But here, she had no choice but to face the dilemma of losing the moon��s support.


    The endless flow of shadowy creatures hurled their attacks from all directions. As half-elemental creatures, they were already tough to defeat, not to mention Erin had trespassed into their nest and was attempting to annihilate them, which became even tougher. Not only that, but she found out that these shadowy creatures were also starting to devour her strength!


    Erin could only blame herself for being unlucky as a dependent of darkness. Shadow and darkness were inseparable. Due to that reason, the source of her power could be said to be similar to these shadowy creatures. She realized that even though she repelled the shadowy creatures, they became much stronger in their comeback.


    ��This won��t work, Leader.��


    The group watched Erin��s predicament through the magical crystal. Mini Bubble Gum knitted her brows and said with some concerns. At that moment, even though Erin faced the ambushes skillfully, Rhode, Icy Snow, and Mini Bubble Gum knew that in Shadow Ravine, combat force wasn��t the most crucial. There were special rules in Shadow Ravine, but judging from Erin��s retaliation, it was apparent that she hadn��t realized it. If she continued this way, perhaps she would end up horribly, like the players who tried to open up Shadow Ravine, not to mention completing the trial!


    Although Rhode wished to give her some hints or advice, it was a pity that they weren��t spiritually connected. Besides, since the other party was able to shackle Erin��s dragon form, it also meant that in order to prevent cheating, there must surely be a barrier to stop others from communicating with her during the trial. That was why all Rhode could do was to sit and observe, waiting for her to discover the rules of Shadow Ravine.


    In the eyes of ordinary people, there was no reality in Shadow Ravine. No matter what one witnessed, they were all illusions, surreal, and out of this world. The same went for these shadowy creatures. It was tough to deal damage to them and they were also challenging to eradicate.


    But in the eyes of players, there was only one thing in Shadow Ravine that was real.


    And apart from that, there was nothing else.


    ������


    Erin let out a sigh. She finally wiped out a wave of shadowy creatures and now, she realized that something was strange about this place. She highly doubted that she eradicated all the shadowy creatures because during the battle, she swept glances at several of them who were crushed by her. And now, they made a comeback as though nothing changed. It was apparent that the enemies in this space were tough to kill. Besides, considering that since this was a trial, it should be expected that she couldn��t rely upon brute force to trample her way through��


    What exactly in this world do I need to look out for?


    ��Hmm?��


    At this thought, her heart sank. A few seconds ago, she lifted her head instinctively to glance at the tower in the distance. But to her surprise, she had walked for so long and yet, the distance didn��t seem to shorten at all. There was obviously something bizarre going on! Even though Erin��s strength was restrained so she couldn��t fly in her dragon form, she had sprinted her way toward the tower. Although she was in human form, her speed was absolutely quick. According to her, she would have at least covered half the distance already. But now, the tower didn��t seem to be any closer to her as it continued to stand tall on the far horizon!


    Something is fishy!


    Erin came to a halt suddenly, staring at her surroundings in alertness. For this to happen, either she was struck by an illusion spell, or she made a wrong move. But no matter which was it, the current situation was disadvantageous to her. She hoped to arrive at the tower as soon as possible before continuing with her mission. But she didn��t expect to fall into a trap so soon.


    ��This trial sure is troublesome.��


    Unlike Erin, Rhode recognized the problem with one glance. This was the experience of players. Every player had to complete trials repeatedly, until they were sick of them. They had to pass trials in order to advance in class and rank and activate hidden missions. Players criticized the game for requiring the passing of trials and tests repeatedly, when they only graduated from high school or college in real life. In the end, the amount of tests and trials in the game were more than in reality!


    Due to that reason, almost every top player had extraordinary experience with trials and tests. But it was a pity that Erin didn��t. Rhode couldn��t help but feel concerned upon witnessing Erin coming to a halt and scanning the place with knitted brows. He exchanged looks with Mini Bubble Gum and Icy Snow. They spotted the glints of worries in one another��s eyes. Perhaps Anne, Angelina, and Cassidy weren��t aware of this profound mystery, but the trio who were top players who had completed all sorts of trials in Dragon Soul Continent, they instantly recognized that Erin had fallen into a trap!


    They had to admit that this so-called Dark Dragon��s trial was indeed demanding. Firstly, the map was Shadow Ravine. Second, the Dark Dragon��s heir had to be a dependent of darkness, which led to the heir having the same attribute as the map, so killing her way through was simply impossible. Moreover, Erin��s luck was also horrible. She held the one and only ��light attribute�� rule among all the darkness ones. She was under so much pressure that she couldn��t even lift her head proudly in Shadow Ravine.


    Besides, Rhode was also aware that Erin had three chances to request for help from the dragon young ladies. Although the three chances seemed like useful opportunities, players clearly knew that it was a trap! If Erin were to call for help, she would be putting herself to death! This trial wasn��t like any ordinary advancement trials, but it involved the inheritance of the dragon soul, which was definitely several times tougher!


    Moreover, Erin was also pressed for time because the dragon young ladies wouldn��t be waiting for her. According to them, they needed 36 hours at most. If they were able to dismantle the dragon imprisonment ritual and stop the Dark Dragon��s power from being drained, it would mean that Erin��s mother would be killed instantly. If Erin wanted to save her mother, she would need to pass the trial in 36 hours.


    In an absolutely disgusting and endless map that also suppressed her strength, Erin had to find clues within 36 hours to pass the trial�� Moreover. she was also a newbie to this trial�� Rhode just couldn��t see how this moon princess could succeed.


    But what made Rhode relieved was that even though Erin wasted almost half an hour, she appeared to be calm and didn��t begin to be impatient over wasting time. If not, Rhode would perhaps force the two dragon young ladies to pull Erin out of the trial.


    It went without saying that Erin knew the current situation wasn��t favorable for her. Despite that, she remained extremely calm because she knew that her mother��s life was at risk. That was why she calmed herself down and sized up everything cautiously. Shadow Ravine�� This name also emerged in her head. After all, she seldom left home, but had read countless books. This world was enveloped in darkness everywhere and was also the territory of shadowy creatures. At that moment, Erin naturally came up with a thought.


    Shadow Ravine�� Shadow Ravine��


    At this thought, Erin��s eyes glinted!


    At the next moment, she raised her right arm abruptly. A dazzling brilliance erupted from her palm, extending in all directions.


    ��Gaaaa����!��


    As the moonlight emerged, the darkness shrouding over the land faded away like melted snow. This attack from Erin also agitated the shadowy creatures as they swarmed her yet again. But this time, she didn��t counterattack. On the contrary, the moment the brilliance exploded, she swept a glance to the side. Then, she twitched her brow!


    She spotted an extraordinarily eye-catching and long shadow across the land illuminated, by the splendid moonlight. At a glance, one would think that it was the shadow of the tower. But Erin instantly realized that the shadow wasn��t as simple as imagined!


    Now��s the chance!


    The instant she noticed the shadow, she unsheathed her sword without hesitation. In blinding, flickering blade lights, the shadowy creatures crowding her were struck away. Shortly after, she transformed into a bolt of lightning that zoomed toward the long shadow on the ground. The moment she neared, she extended her palm and held her ground.


    At the next moment, heaven and earth reversed.


    The vast land disappeared in the blink of an eye, while the extended shadow became a tall tower that rose to the sky. Innumerable shadowy creatures screeched as they fell from the sky, before vanishing in the pitch-black sea of fog underneath.


    ��Phew����


    Erin heaved a sigh of relief. She flipped over abruptly and stood at the top of the tower.


    At that moment, a sentence in dragon text appeared before her eyes.


    ��The first trial is about to begin.��

 Chapter 1247 - First Stage

    ��What the��!��


    Erin wasn��t the one who had a huge reaction. On the contrary, it was Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum who shouted curses. The Dark Dragon��s inheritance ceremony was indeed despicable. From the start, Rhode, Mini Bubble Gum, and Icy Snow thought that finding the correct location of the tower was part of the trial. After all, the dragon young ladies didn��t give a single hint to Erin and threw her straight into Shadow Ravine. In this situation, it wasn��t easy for Erin to find the exact location so quickly. Rhode believed that if a player were to be in her place, perhaps the player might need to spend anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days.


    In the end, after struggling and finally finding the place, it wasn��t considered part of the trial? Fortunately, this trial wasn��t for Rhode, if not, he would have flipped the table already. But even so, he and Bubble cursed the ceremony, while Icy Snow who disliked berating others also knitted her brows. Only players like them who experienced similar tests knew how ridiculous and shameless such trials were. It was especially so for players to achieve the final stage of ��Supreme Privilege��. A player like Canary with double talents was outstanding. Even though double elements were a hassle, they were focused, at the very least. On the other hand, it was horrible to achieve ��Supreme Privileges�� for Icy Snow��s ��space�� talent. Rhode remembered that Icy Snow had spent an entire week to safely pass the test. Just how torturous was that��


    But now, compared to Erin��s trial, Rhode and the players felt like their tests were too simple. In any case, they had system prompts to provide them with hints, unlike Erin, who had to search for half a day, finally found the place, only to be notified that it was just the start�� How insane was that!


    However, Erin wasn��t as agitated as Rhode and Bubble. She gazed at the line of text and continued sauntering forward without stopping. As she progressed, the closed tower door opened gradually, revealing eerie, purple flames that flickered in the path and bringing a touch of color to the monochrome world.


    ������


    Upon witnessing the purple brilliance, Erin heaved a sigh of relief. Just as Rhode had predicted, Erin was born favorable to the sense of beauty in arts. But compared with Lydia��s extravagance, Erin was more introverted and reserved. However, their pursuit of beauty was the same. Due to that reason, it was imaginable how pressurizing this monochrome world was to her mental health. This was also why her reactions became a little slower. For a person who loved beauty to come to this dull world was as though abandoning a germaphobe in a filthy environment��it would truly cause one��s death.


    The sight of beautiful purple soothed Erin��s restless soul. She took in a deep breath and strode into the stone door in firm, decisive steps.


    ��What kind of trial is this, Leader?��


    Anne asked with puckered brows, starting at the scenery on the magical crystal.


    ��Could it be that Her Highness Erin has to walk all the way from the top of the tower to the bottom? In that case, why didn��t Her Highness Erin jump straight down the outside from the start?��


    ��I don��t think it will work�� This trial is so despicable. I doubt Her Highness Erin will risk doing it.��


    Mini Bubble Gum expressed her disapproval. Right now, the young ladies were observing Erin as though they had returned to Earth and were watching the newcomer��s strategy video. Facing Anne��s comments, Bubble shook her head as one who had been around the block.


    ��Besides, such trials are rigid, Anne. You may or may not know, but they are horrible. Sometimes, you must even choose which leg to take the first step. If you shoot out the wrong foot, your trial may be judged as a failure. I tell you, such trials are made to disgust people!��


    ��Oh? They are that annoying?��


    What the overactive Anne hated the most was following the rules. Judging from the point that she suggested Erin to jump down from the top of the tower, it was apparent that she couldn��t care less about the procedure. But upon hearing Bubble��s reply, Anne knitted her brows instantly and displayed a bitter look. Meanwhile, Bubble nodded with empathy. These two young ladies seemed to be speaking a common language in this respect��


    However, Icy Snow frowned, extended her arm, and tugged Rhode��s sleeve gently.


    ��Big Brother, something isn��t right.��


    ��Yes, I realized it too.��


    Upon hearing Icy Snow��s remarks, Rhode nodded in agreement because the current situation didn��t seem normal. After Erin entered the tower, she faced ambushes from the shadowy creatures again. Even though the shadowy creatures weren��t worthy of a mention in her eyes, Rhode and Icy Snow who were outside of the picture sharply discovered an abnormality.


    Their unusually-high spawn rate.


    Erin was also attacked by shadowy creatures outside the tower. However, the number of times the shadowy creatures that attacked were considered in a normal range. But now, inside the tower, the attacks she received could be described as insane. In just a dozen seconds, a new wave of shadowy creatures were spawned. Even though Erin could instantly kill them, the abnormal spawn rate of these shadowy creatures weren��t normal at all.


    ��Erin is too strong, so much so that she can��t see the situation before her.��


    Rhode analyzed, his face stiffening. He vaguely guessed what this first stage of trial was about. However, he had to admit that this inheritance ceremony was indeed insidious and shameless in its endless schemes. Only players knew that there were some other methods to resolve the issue of the unusually-high spawn rates. For instance, even though Rhode��s party crushed their way through the liches�� dungeon in the game using brute force, they still didn��t attain 100 percent completion. That was because they didn��t fulfill the dungeon requirements. But now, Erin lacked the support of the moon and couldn��t transform into her dragon form. It was impossible for her to use her best abilities to shatter all the evil conspiracies. Right now, Erin might be able to hang on for 10 minutes, half an hour, one hour, or even longer. But what was the purpose behind it?


    Moon princess, please don��t ever forget about your original intention��


    Something is wrong.


    Erin strode forward and took another step down the stairs. At the same time, she slashed an arc of the moon with her blade and the surrounding shadowy creatures that pounced on her screeched, before vanishing to nowhere. However, Erin didn��t reveal any joy or satisfaction on her face. On the contrary, she put up a grim look. It was apparent that she also realized that something wasn��t right. This was the first trial. But based on the current situation, the shadowy creatures didn��t threaten her at all, albeit their high numbers being somewhat annoying.


    This is my first test, so what exactly am I going to encounter?


    At this thought, Erin��s heart skipped a beat. Could it be��


    ��The ability to control matters of darkness is the first hurdle Erin has to overcome.��


    Rhode explained confidently to the rest.


    ��Don��t forget. This trial is ultimately for one to inherit the Dark Dragon��s soul, while the rule of darkness on Dragon Soul Continent is unsurpassed. The source of power of Shadow Ravine comes from darkness itself, so as a dragon soul heir, one must master the power of darkness, and there are no two ways about it. The shadowy creatures indeed don��t cause any harm to Erin, but why must she wipe them out? They are inhabitants of darkness who are born and destroyed in darkness. If the dragon soul heir can��t control the creatures that are created with the Dark Dragon��s power, how can the heir even control the power of darkness?��


    ��Wow, I didn��t realize that!��


    Angelina nodded with might. She was a noble vampire in the Country of Darkness, so she naturally understood what Rhode meant. But shortly after, Angelina knitted her brows and asked worriedly.


    ��But�� Her Highness Erin should be fine, right?��


    ��I think����


    Rhode said, turning to the scenery in the magical crystal and the corners of his mouth lifted.


    ���� She will be fine.��


    ��Aowu��!��


    Along with a mournful wail, all sorts of distorted and strange creatures emerged from the shadows of darkness. They twisted their bloated bodies and revealed razor-sharp claws at the young lady before them. In a few seconds, they would pounce on her and shred their prey into bits.


    But this time, Erin didn��t raise her sword. She stood silently on the spot, extended her right arm, and observed the creatures.


    ��Stay back.��


    The young lady��s melodious voice resounded in the gloomy corridor. Her voice was so soft, gentle, and plain as though she were narrating a story. But all of a sudden, the snarls and growls softened gradually. The shadowy creatures curled up their bodies and stared blankly at the young lady. For some unknown reason, they felt a mighty power forcing them back, extinguishing their burning instinct and desire to devour their prey and making them obey the command docilely.


    ������


    In a string of deep growls that diminished gradually, the shadowy creatures vanished into the shadows. Up until that moment, the gloomy corridor lit up suddenly. The endless flight of steps went missing in sight, only to be replaced by a heavy, exquisite wooden door.


    Upon witnessing the wooden door, Erin revealed a smile.


    Seems like I succeeded.

 Chapter 1248 - Strange Development

    As the beginning was already tough, Rhode, Bubble, and the rest were worried of what was coming next. But what surprised them was that the second stage was easier than expected. After Erin opened the door, she entered a library and a mysterious, heavy book embedded with a huge eyeball on its cover appeared before her, asking her questions. So at the end of the day, the second stage was a battle of wisdom?


    This stage seemed ridiculously easy for Rhode and the others because the book mostly asked ordinary questions. Of course, Rhode admitted that those questions were still highly professional. Perhaps Erin would have had a hard time answering if she weren��t curious about archeology and the history of the Country of Darkness. But Rhode felt like it was too easy. Indeed, as a dragon soul heir, wisdom was essential. But was it necessary to know the answers to these questions? Why did it feel like Erin was in the examination hall for college admissions, but answering scripts of junior high school questions? Was it logical at all? Even Angelina could answer them from time to time. Could this be some kind of trap?


    The unfortunate Angelina was unjustly ridiculed for doing nothing��


    No matter what, she was a vampire of the first family. Surely Rhode wouldn��t think that she was totally illiterate, right? Vampires were even smarter than liches��


    ��Congratulations on passing the second trial.��


    Of course, these questions didn��t pose a problem for Erin. The floating book announced the results before drifting away in silence. Creak�� Along with its departure, the wooden door that was closed in the back opened. Erin was surprised because just like Rhode, she didn��t expect to pass the second trial so effortlessly. After all, it was too simple, and the book didn��t deliberately make things difficult for her. Could it be that the trials decided to go easy on her after witnessing the high difficulty of the first?


    Rhode was also taken aback. He scanned the surroundings vigilantly. No wonder Erin acted so cautiously. Once bitten, twice shy. Erin was caught off guard by the trial twice, so she wasn��t surprised for a third. But this time, it ended so effortlessly. It felt as though one was ready to fight until the end and realized there weren��t any enemies ahead after being badly bruised along the journey��


    What in the world is going on?


    At this thought, Erin let out a sigh and sprinted. Since she confirmed that nothing was required of her in this place anymore, she passed through the wooden door and headed to the next trial down the flight of steps. In just a few moments, she arrived at the bottom of the stairs of the lower floor. At the same time, as though sensing her arrival, the pitch-black room emanated in spiritual flames. Shortly after, an enormous black and white chessboard that filled the entire space of the room appeared before her eyes, with all sorts of chess pieces above it. Along with Erin��s emergence, the knight mounting the obsidian warhorse, dignified king, and queen returned to both ends of the chessboard on their own. At that moment, a deep voice sounded.


    ��Welcome to the second trial����


    ��What the heck?!��


    This time, Rhode and Bubble couldn��t tolerate it anymore as they cursed. These trials were indeed despicable and shameless. There was an instant when Rhode felt like asking Erin to give it up. If she were to become a cunning and sinister person after inheriting the Dark Dragon��s soul, he would rather her not have it!


    Isn��t it just the dragon soul power? We can go about using other methods. Must we torture ourselves this way?


    ��Huh? What��s going on?��


    Unlike Rhode, who fully understood what the damn trial was all about, Anne, Cassidy, and Angelina stared blankly. Angelina blinked and looked around her in a daze, before asking with some hesitation.


    ��What happened? Wasn��t it announced that Her Highness Erin passed the second trial?��


    ��You simply believe what they said? Was your brain eaten by dogs?��


    Upon hearing Angelina��s question, Mini Bubble Gum rolled her eyes in displeasure. Angelina was bewildered. However, she wasn��t a fool either. Shortly after, she returned to her senses.


    But this is the inheritance ceremony�� Isn��t this behavior too despicable?


    ��What? What? What��s going on?��


    Anne was the only one who couldn��t understand the situation. She gazed around with a confused look on her face. Upon witnessing her puzzled expression, the kind Icy Snow explained to her patiently. Even though she was younger than Anne, she was a top player, after all, so she was naturally more familiar with this scenario.


    ��This was what happened, Big Sister Anne; the book lied to Big Sister Erin. In other words, that wasn��t the second trial. Maybe the book casually spoke and asked Big Sister Erin some random questions. That was all to it. That is why����


    ��So that wasn��t the second trial at all, but a scam instead?��


    Anne widened her eyes in shock. On the other hand, Rhode felt strange as to why the contemptible trials lowered its difficulty all of a sudden. After hearing the announcement, Rhode reached a conclusion.


    The trial has been waiting for her here!


    At this thought, Rhode felt even more ridiculous. Erin was simply being played. Not only did the trial not give her a normal process, but it also misled her on purpose and clouded her judgment. If anything were to go wrong, perhaps Erin might not even pass this stage!


    ��What is gonna happen to her?��


    Upon learning Erin��s predicament, the rest knitted their brows and discussed worriedly. Anne was apparently the most agitated because she hated betrayal and lies. After hearing Icy Snow��s explanation, Anne swung her tiny fists, putting up a furious expression.


    ��Who cares about them. Her Highness Erin can just charge her way through and kill whoever stands before her. She doesn��t need to waste her time with them!��


    ��I don��t think that will work. Since it��s a trial, there must certainly be measures in place to stop her from doing so. Perhaps that might even trigger some traps and as soon as Her Highness Erin breaks the rules inadvertently, harsh punishment will be waiting for her. She may even be judged as failing the trial!��


    However, facing Anne��s suggestion, Angelina had a totally different view.


    ��That is too risky. Her Highness Erin might as well continue the trial normally, since the questions aren��t too challenging. If Her Highness Erin passes them one after another����


    But before Angelina completed her sentence, Mini Bubble Gum disrupted her words domineeringly.


    ��Continue the trial normally? How much time do you think we can afford to waste? What if she has to answer a question on each floor�� Do you know how many floors there are in the tower?��


    ��About that����


    Facing Bubble��s retort, Angelina was stupefied. Even though she didn��t know how many floors there were in the tower, but they had clearly witnessed that there were at least 100 to 200 of them. Only God knew exactly how tall the tower was.


    Earlier on, Erin spent almost half an hour answering the book��s questions. If this amount of time was used to pass a trial, it would be worth it. But if it weren��t, it would be a waste of time! It was just like how one was advancing through an obstacle course, only to waste half an hour on a single obstacle! It was entirely time-wasting!


    If Erin were to do it according to Angelina��s way, perhaps she might take 20 to 30 years to complete the trial, not to mention 20 to 30 hours.


    Not only that, but the most important thing was also the hidden purpose behind it.


    ��Erin is flustered.��


    Rhode spoke softly, while Bubble who stood beside him nodded with a grim expression. Erin wasn��t a fool. She recognized the problem immediately. It was apparent that this was also a type of trial to test whether she could distinguish between true and fake trials. The tower had a few hundred floors, but every floor would solemnly inform her of which trial it was. Erin would need to judge the matter on her own. It was obvious that this was an essential factor in inheriting the Dark Dragon��s power. In the event that this happened during ordinary days, perhaps Erin could take her time to view the situation. But now, she finally revealed a confused look.


    It was apparent that Erin also thought of what came up in Rhode��s head. What was more ridiculous was that this trial might run through from beginning to end, all the way until she completed the trials to be considered complete. In that case, it was undoubtedly a huge mental pressure for her. But Rhode also knew why this trial was necessary. After all, the Country of Darkness was a nation of sly, cunning undead creatures. If the dragon soul heir wasn��t capable of searching for the truth, he or she would turn out to be a manipulated puppet like Lilian even after the dragon soul power was inherited.


    But this trial is too goddamn sick!


    Rhode believed that if he were in her shoes, he definitely wouldn��t be able to suffer in silence. He suspected that Ion was already aware of the trials, which was why he avoided taking them and chose to steal the Dark Dragon��s power instead. Because he couldn��t possibly pass the trials�� No, perhaps not even players could succeed!


    But now wasn��t the time to consider these issues. The main problem was that Erin was starting to panic. Normally, she surely wouldn��t lose her head out of fear. But the problem now was that she was pressed for time! If she didn��t complete the trial in time, her mother would be executed. This external, limitation factor gave her additional burden and pressure. And now, the pressure took shape before everyone in the worst way possible.


    ��Don��t panic, Big Sister Erin.��


    Icy Snow clenched her fists and gazed worriedly at Erin through the magical crystal. Icy Snow was kind and despite speaking to Erin only a few times, she had a favorable impression of this big sister who always put up a gentle smile. Now that Erin was in a horrible situation, what could she do to face the challenge?


    What should I do?


    Erin puckered her brows at the chessboard in front of her. She saw through the hidden conspiracies and rules. The Dark Dragon��s trials were indeed arduous. As a matter of fact, upon realizing this point, Erin was also caught off guard. Indeed, she didn��t have any answer to this situation. But��


    Calm down. Think. I��m sure there are some ways�� Right!


    At this thought, her eyes glinted. She stepped onto the chessboard in a large stride.


    Upon witnessing her action, the rest stopped bickering and observed the moon princess anxiously, curious as to what she would do to tackle the problem. The moment she stepped onto the chessboard, the deep voice echoed again.


    ��So, are you ready, Challenger?��


    ��No.��


    To everyone��s surprise, Erin shook her head with might. Then, she looked up and stared at the chessboard, as well as the enormous chess pieces that were two to three meters tall.


    ��I��m not interested in such a boring game. I demand that these meaningless sounding-outs end immediately!��


    Everyone was stunned by her remarks, where even Icy Snow and Mini Bubble Gum became wide-eyed. Rhode was the only one who nodded in admiration. There would always be more than one way to resolve a problem, but one had limited vision, after all. That was why the decisions everyone took were different. Angelina and the rest were natives of this world, so they naturally considered the issue from a certain angle. Even though Mini Bubble Gum and Icy Snow were players, they were also restricted to their personal experiences too. It was just like an RPG, where one had to gather intelligence from pubs, obtain directions from a senior, enter the cave to crush the demon king��s critters, before forming a party to defeat the demon king. This was the limitation of players. In their heads, processes were limited, while experience only came into play within the framework.


    But there was a certain presence that was above players.


    Cheats.


    What were cheats?


    Cheats were when one entered the beginner village, keyed ��SHOW ME THE MONEY�� in the input box, used the bags of gold to buy a bunch of godlike equipment, smash the fog enchanted field, and crush the demon king with a shield that had immunity against all damage and a mighty sword that could slaughter anyone. The entire process took less than 10 minutes!


    Those were cheats!


    And dragon soul heirs were beings of the same level as cheats! They grasped and manipulated powers. Under the dragon soul protection, they were the Creator Gods. They could do whatever they wanted or change whatever they desired. For instance, one could turn the people in one��s territory into adorable young ladies the next morning or perhaps ��


    Doing whatever one wanted was the true essence of being a dragon soul heir. And if one were to only use one��s power, what was the difference between one and a dependent of dragons? The reason why this trial posed so many tough problems for Erin was to act as a test of her awareness. That��s right. She would be the Dark Dragon, the dragon soul heir. She would be the one and only ruler of the Country of Darkness��the supreme dominator. Logically speaking, she should be the one ordering others to run errands for her and not the other way around! And now, it seemed like Erin realized the true meaning behind it.


    ��How dare you!��


    While Rhode nodded and praised Erin for her quick reaction, the deep voice reverberated again. Along with this furious snarl, the tall chess pieces around her came alive. Be it black or white, they raised their weapons and pounced on Erin!


    ��Hmph!��


    Gazing at the actions of the chess pieces, Erin felt delighted instead of fear. She evaded the assault of an obsidian knight and flourished her sword upward, slashing a beautiful arc that split the ambusher into half. She turned around, tapped her toes on the chessboard gently, and sprung up into midair in a somersault, before landing a kick on a soldier in heavy armor. Erin might be petite in size, but her strength was hundreds of times stronger than humans. Facing this attack, the soldier flew back instantly, crashing unto the other chess pieces that were attempting to encircle her. At that moment, Erin slanted her body to dodge the arrows fired by the archers in the back. Her eyes glinted in an ice-cold flash. She rotated her wrist, gripped the hilt with both hands, and punctured the blade into the chess piece before her.


    Boom!


    Along with a thunderous explosion, the power of darkness proliferated in all directions. In an instant, the sturdy chess piece dissolved, fell apart, and crumbled completely. The other chess pieces stood unsteadily as some even collapsed on the chessboard.


    Shortly after, dark brilliance escaped the cracks of the chessboard. At the next moment, the black light column enfolded everything.


    After the radiance dispersed, the entire room was emptied. Be it the chess pieces or the chessboard, none of them remained, leaving Erin alone quietly in the uninhabited space. But unlike before, a pair of dragon wings had expanded on her back, emanating a dense, black brilliance.

 Chapter 1249 - Tremors of Chaos

    This is�� the dragon soul power��


    Erin gazed at her palm. The strong power baffled her. If it were said that in the past, Erin didn��t understand how the moon felt like hanging in the night sky, she completely experienced it right now. She felt like she was floating above the ocean and was bundled by warm darkness, sensing an incredible feeling of comfort and blissfulness. It was as though she should have been here all along.


    This was where she should be.


    But it hadn��t ended yet.


    Erin folded the wings on her back and sauntered forward. She sensed that her power wasn��t fully unleashed. And now, she merely established a connection with the dragon soul power. This was the start of the trial recognizing her strength. But it hadn��t ended yet because she realized that the trial was still ongoing. But this time, she was confident. After all, she was a smart young lady. The three tests in a row helped her gather her thoughts. Shortly after, she found out the connection between them, which gave her the confidence to take on the next trial.


    ��Seems like Erin has already understood. Not too bad.��


    Witnessing Erin��s expression returning to normal, Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. After the series of torments, Rhode, who was also a dragon soul heir, figured that the true meaning behind the trials wasn��t as absurd as he had imagined, but it was designed entirely for dragon soul heirs instead. As a matter of fact, it was really simple to understand. It was just like when a company was hiring a CEO, the company would require the candidates to consider issues from the company��s perspective, instead of occupying the seat of the CEO and worrying about smaller matters like human resources and hygiene problems. Judging from this point, the trials couldn��t be considered to be messing with her. But what was ludicrous was that the trials only gave the topic, but didn��t explain the details. As a result, Erin entered the college examination hall, sat on her seat, only to realize that apart from a huge line of ��Dragon Soul Continent��s 1st Liberal Arts Examination Questions��, there weren��t any other words at all�� How hilarious.


    It was also like a group of people applying for a job posting on the Internet. But in the end, only one person entered the office, picked up the trash, threw the trash into the dustbin, and was hired instantly�� It sounded like chicken soup for the soul, but wasn��t that simply messing around with others?


    Alright then, the next trial is��


    Rumble��


    While Rhode and the rest focused their attention on the scenery on the magical crystal, when all of a sudden, a deep rumble echoed from underneath their feet and shook the ground. Everyone was stunned. But after a few moments, the tremors stopped and everything returned to normal. The group exchanged looks with one another curiously. Then, Mini Bubble Gum knitted her brows, shrugged, and remarked: ��How unlucky for us to experience an earthquake here. Fortunately, it wasn��t too strong, else we would have been buried alive.��


    ��What��s the difference between being buried alive and our situation now?��


    Icy Snow curled her lips and glared at Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��Don��t forget you were the one who blasted down our only exit.��


    ��Oh? I admit that was me, but you didn��t forget it was Leader��s order, right, Little Icy?��


    ��Of course, I know it was Big Brother��s command. I doubt you even remember that.��


    Rhode was unsurprised by their bickering anymore, which was why he didn��t stop them. However, gazing at the magical crystal, he felt somewhat strange. For some unknown reason, he felt like the earthquake was abnormal because this land was under the Dark Dragon��s soul protection. Logically speaking, even if there were an earthquake, it shouldn��t have been able to cause any damage or disruption to the dragon soul protection. But now��


    What��s happening?


    Erin stood firmly on her feet and scanned her surroundings curiously. The violent earthquake startled her. Erin, who was already tormented by the innumerable succession of tests became overly sensitive as a result, thought that this was the beginning of a new trial. But she didn��t expect the earthquake to last for less than half a minute. This left her in astonishment. For some unknown reason, the earthquake was clearly over, but she felt her heart pounding as though something terrible was happening.


    No matter what, I must pass the trials as quickly as possible.


    Erin arranged her thoughts that were all over the place. She extended her arm and pushed the door open. Shortly after, an enormous maze constructed from black, towering walls presented itself before her eyes. The sturdy, pitch-black walls flickered in unusual magical lights, while lines of indistinct, ancient texts were seen. Looking at this scene, Erin twitched her brow.


    Seems like this is my next trial? In that case��


    Rumble��


    The instant Erin stepped into the maze, the ground rocked abruptly again. Strange, deep rumbles echoed from the underground. This time, the earthquake was slightly longer, and Erin couldn��t help but come to a halt. It lasted half a minute this time, before finally subsiding. Erin gazed at her surroundings. She wasn��t sure what was going on with the earthquake.


    Could it be part of the trial?


    ��What in the world is going on?!��


    While Erin crossed the maze in doubt, Mini Bubble Gum beat the dust off from her head and bellowed. The rest exchanged looks in disbelief as to why there would be another wave of earthquakes. Everyone noticed that it was stronger than the first. Not only was the magnitude greater, but it also lasted longer. As a result, everyone was caught off guard and covered in filthy dust and loose sand that fell from above, leaving them in a miserable state. But apart from the grumbling Mini Bubble Gum and Anne, who put up a bitter face, the others had more or less realized that something was amiss. Cassidy narrowed her eyes and held her right hand over the hilt on her waist. Rhode also looked around him as though searching for something.


    Boom!


    All of a sudden, someone pushed the door open. Rhode spotted the dragon young lady entering the room with a pale and stern expression. But even so, Rhode detected a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. Upon meeting Rhode, the dragon young lady heaved a sigh of relief and gave a solemn bow.


    ��My apologies, Your Majesty the Void Dragon. I have something important that requires your help. Please come with me.��


    ��Got it.��


    Rhode stood to his feet instantly without asking what exactly happened. He reckoned that it was definitely something related to the earthquakes. It wasn��t surprising that Rhode had such thoughts. No matter what, under the dragon soul protection, an earthquake could be considered a coincidence in a hundred years. But two earthquakes in a row just didn��t seem anywhere close to being a coincidence. Besides, it seemed like the earthquakes were also closely related to the Dark Dragon��s soul. If not, these supervisors wouldn��t be so nervous.


    ��Cassidy, come with me. Angelina, Anne, Bubble, Icy Snow, you girls stay here and continue to observe Erin. Inform me if anything comes up.��


    ��Got it, Leader.��


    ��Yes, Big Brother.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s order, Icy Snow and Bubble nodded swiftly. On the other hand, Cassidy seemed totally unwilling. But despite that, she was one of the deity wardens, after all. She knew it wasn��t time for her to throw tantrums, which was why she stood up docilely and followed him out of the room.


    Under the dragon young lady��s lead, Rhode and Cassidy arrived at the enormous cave where they had rescued Erin and the Dark Dragon was imprisoned. But now, the Dark Dragon didn��t seem to be in a good condition. She was prostrated on the ground, twitching and gasping for air. Below her body, a huge, dark green magical ritual emanated a mysterious brilliance. The steel chains that punctured her body also trembled constantly as though they were alive. Not only that, but Rhode also witnessed dense, black aura rolling above the steel chains!


    The other dragon young lady standing in front of the Dark Dragon gnashed her teeth. She chanted a certain incantation and raised her arms high. Along with this action, pitch-black lightning bolts erupted from between her hands, striking the Dark Dragon. But Rhode discovered quickly that the lightning bolts didn��t hit the Dark Dragon. Because the instant they roared and flashed, a transparent barrier over the Dark Dragon flickered and stopped the attack. Not only that, but Rhode also realized that the barrier had become stronger and was even deflecting the black lightning bolts! Even though the dragon young lady gave her all, it seemed like it wasn��t enough.


    Something is obviously wrong!


    ��What exactly is going on?��


    Rhode asked, his heart sinking. At that moment, the dragon young lady who led him to this prison puckered her brows and answered anxiously.


    ��Chaos has invaded the Dark Dragon, Your Majesty the Void Dragon. We can��t stop it!��

 Chapter 1250 - Insane Ceremony

    While Erin challenged the inheritance trial, the two dragon young ladies didn��t slow down the pace of dismantling the dragon imprisonment ritual. Just as they mentioned, they must prohibit Chaos from infiltrating the Dark Dragon��s soul whether Erin was able to pass the inheritance ceremony before they dismantled the ritual or not. That was why while Erin was going through the trials, they attempted to remove the ritual step by step and cut off the flow of dragon soul power. Meanwhile, they destroyed the connection between two parties entirely, in order to ensure that the dragon soul power was safe and sound.


    And that was the start of the problem.


    When the two supervisors were about to cut off the flow of dragon soul power, the power of Chaos pounced from the other end of the tunnel. Fortunately, the two supervisors who were seemingly unreliable could be relied at that moment. The instant they detected the Chaos aura, they expanded their barrier to keep it out. But the Chaos aura apparently had no intention of stopping as it continued to slam unto the defensive barrier. And that was the cause of the two earthquakes that Rhode experienced earlier.


    Upon detecting the menacing power of Chaos, the supervisors were flustered. They dispatched forces to request assistance from Rhode. Of course, there was something wrong with the two dragon young ladies�� thoughts. Even though Rhode explained to them the current state of the Country of Darkness, they believed that since they were in the hinterland of the country, Chaos would still be suppressed by Order no matter how strong it was. They didn��t expect Ion to be influenced by Chaos so quickly. As a result, Chaos surged and charged aggressively, startling both of them. They thought they had returned to the era when the war against Chaos occurred.


    ��Cassidy! Stop them!��


    Upon witnessing the increasing strength of Chaos, the steel chains binding the Dark Dragon twitched crazily. Rhode knitted his brows. He didn��t know whether this was retaliation from Chaos or for an entirely different reason. But it was apparent that the situation was far from good. He darted towards Cassidy and gave his command.


    ��I understand, Your Majesty.��


    Although Cassidy didn��t look pleased, she nodded in obedience. She was also aware of how critical the situation was and this wasn��t the time for her to throw a tantrum. She took half a step forward abruptly, extended her right arm to unsheathe the sword on her waist, and pointed the blade at the barrier over the Dark Dragon.


    Along with this movement, the barrier resisting the two dragon young ladies�� dark lightning strikes vanished in the blink of an eye. The barrier changed into a brilliance that fused as one with the dark lightning erupting from the young ladies, wrapping the Dark Dragon completely.


    ��������!��


    The lightning strikes inflicted immense pain on the Dark Dragon as she howled unwillingly. However, no one noticed her pain. No one would let her off even when she was trembling in agony��not even Rhode. Because everyone was aware the Dark Dragon was as though the hub of the dragon soul power in this stage. If they didn��t stop Chaos from infiltrating and the Dark Dragon was influenced entirely, the dragon soul power would be in real danger. That was why they gave their all to stop the worst possible consequences from happening.


    As the Contrast Deity Warden, Cassidy had her ways to ��convert�� the power of Chaos to Order. But it was a pity that she was a human with limited strength, after all. If not, the Void Dragon and the rest wouldn��t have had nowhere to flee from the pursuit of Chaos back then. They could simply send out Cassidy, convert the power of Chaos, and wipe out Chaos entirely. But it was a pity that ideals were beautiful, but reality was cruel�� Despite that, Cassidy also possessed the strength to fight the power of Chaos. The instant she attacked, Chaos was converted immediately, turning into the power of Order as it charged straight ahead.


    Rumble��!


    The ground trembled in a magnitude stronger than the previous two tremors. In an instant, not only did dust and gravel fall from the ceiling, but the group standing on the surface also began to lose their footing. But even so, they gnashed their teeth in battle. Upon witnessing Cassidy and the two dragon young ladies working together, the struggling Chaos retreated gradually and disappeared. The steel chains that shook violently also calmed. After some time, the ground finally stopped trembling, but the group wasn��t looking great.


    ��Almas! Asad! Acsu!��


    The instant the earthquake subsided, the two dragon young ladies couldn��t care less about wiping the beads of sweat off their foreheads. They raised their arms abruptly, yelling ancient and mysterious incantations. Shortly after, tens of thousands of runes filled with dark aura emanated across empty stone walls. They packed the entire space, spreading toward the outer areas. After a few moments, the two dragon young ladies lay down their arms and plopped on the ground palely.


    One of them lifted their heads and gazed at Rhode.


    ��Your Majesty the Void Dragon, we��ve sealed off this space temporarily. For the time being, Chaos can��t invade this space. But�� In our earlier defenses, we exposed our position. So I suppose after a while, we may face an all-out attack from Chaos!��


    ��Do you have any solutions?��


    Upon hearing her remarks, Rhode put up a grim expression. If they were truly surrounded by Chaos, even he would feel strenuous. Moreover, the real power of the hibernating Dark Dragon was also present. That power must never be dominated by Chaos. If not, the situation would become really dangerous.


    ��The safest way is to hope that Her Highness Erin completes the inheritance ceremony as soon as possible before Chaos breaks the barrier. Perhaps we may lose part of the dragon soul power, but as long as the dragon soul heir is awakened, we will be able to hold on.��


    As soon as possible?


    Rhode puckered his brows. Four to five hours were gone and Erin should be in the third�� or fourth trial by now. If this continued, she could still complete the trial in 36 hours. But Rhode was also aware that the trials would get harder toward the end, where she might spend even more time.


    Is waiting for her here the only way?


    ��Leader!��


    While Rhode pondered deeply, Anne��s voice interrupted his thoughts all of a sudden. He turned around and spotted the young lady sprinting toward him. His heart sank the moment he witnessed her anxious expression.


    ��What��s wrong?��


    ��Her Highness Erin seems to be in trouble!��


    And that was the truth, as a matter of fact.


    ��Heyah!��


    The dazzling, ice-cold radiance streaked across the darkness in a beautiful blade arc, slashing the creatures before her into half. But despite that, the creatures didn��t collapse. On the contrary, their split bodies twisted and morphed into whole new creatures that continued to jump on the young lady.


    What exactly is going on?


    Erin resisted the attacks while harboring doubts in her head. She was walking in the maze quietly when a strong earthquake caused the maze to crumble all of a sudden, turning into a ruin. Shortly after, a huge group of creatures emerged from the darkness and ambushed her. Erin thought this was a test for her. But now, for some unknown reason, she felt like the creatures were a little different from the ones she met earlier. Not only that, but she also sensed the presence of Chaos from them��


    ��How did this happen!��


    Gazing at the battle between Erin and the creatures, the two dragon young ladies sulked instantly.


    ��How is it possible for Chaos creatures to sneak into the sacred grounds?!��


    ��It shouldn��t be possible for ordinary Chaos, but these guys aren��t.��


    Facing their bewilderment, Rhode shook his head. He clearly knew that these Chaos creatures were mutants that hailed from Earth and possessed some attributes of Order. It was apparent that some slipped the net from the clash earlier and turned their attention to Erin�� Even though Erin was experienced in dealing with such Chaos creatures, the current situation was entirely different. Her power was sealed, and she wasn��t even as strong as half of her usual self!


    ��It��s pointless to discuss this now. We need to eliminate those Chaos creatures.��


    Rhode declared, turning around to gaze at the two dragon young ladies.


    ��We need to enter the sacred trial grounds, rescue Erin, and wipe out Chaos. I suppose you��ve witnessed that this isn��t just an ordinary trial. If anything bad is to happen, we may lose everything. We need to do something different at this very moment. Do you have anything else to say?��


    ��But����


    Upon hearing Rhode��s suggestion, the two dragon young ladies hesitated slightly.


    ��But Your Majesty the Void Dragon, the imprisonment of the sacred grounds is absolute. Your power will also be weakened once you enter!��


    ��Of course I��m aware.��


    Rhode waved his hand airily.


    ��But this is the best way for us right now.��

 Chapter 1251 - Random Intrusion

    Just as Rhode said, there weren��t too many means right now. The core of the issue was that the Dark Dragon��s soul power hadn��t been awakened completely. If not, no matter how rampant Chaos was, it wouldn��t be this flagrant. And now, what Rhode��s group had to do was assist Erin in passing the trials as soon as possible and eliminate the Chaos creatures that infiltrated the sacred trial grounds.


    But��


    ��Your Majesty the Void Dragon, this is really dangerous.��


    The dragon young ladies stared sternly at Rhode��s group, which stood on the teleportation ritual.


    ��In principle, even though this is the only effective way, I need to remind everyone that as we��ve sealed the connection between the trial grounds and Dark Dragon, the teleportation ritual has become unstable. In other words, after we activate the teleportation ritual, you may be sent to entirely different areas.��


    ��We��re prepared for it.��


    Upon hearing the dragon young ladies�� words, Rhode nodded and turned to his group.


    ��Remember, don��t panic after we��re separated. Send out location signals straightaway and wipe out all obstacles! The trial must still be completed by Erin herself. All we need to do is eliminate as much Chaos as possible and stop it from expanding. Understood?��


    ��Got it, Leader.��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s command, everyone nodded firmly. As a matter of fact, they weren��t afraid at all. Apart from Angelina who was weaker, the rest was more powerful, so much so that Chaos couldn��t pose too many problems for them. After listening to Rhode��s words, the dragon young ladies didn��t comment much. They exchanged glances with each other and raised their arms quickly. Shortly after, the pitch-black runes that appeared before Erin��s eyes showed up in front of Rhode��s group. They dispersed swiftly, transformed, and fused into the omnipresent dark curtain that enveloped their vision. At the next moment, Rhode felt the ground underneath his feet vanishing in an instant. Then, boundless pitch-blackness enfolded everything in sight.


    Darkness scattered.


    When Rhode opened his eyes again, what appeared before his eyes was no longer the ceremonial hall, but a pitch-black, gloomy forest instead. Pure black tree branches and snowy leaves emanating spots of gentle light reflected upon one another, unveiling a peculiar and gorgeous sense of beauty.


    ��I��m considered lucky to end up here.��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. Back then, even though Starlight didn��t get through Shadow Ravine successfully, they were considered one of the groups that stayed in this godforsaken place the longest. Rhode understood the various places of Shadow Ravine well. And now, it seemed like he had teleported to the ��Crystal Forest�� within Shadow Ravine, which was one of the more beautiful and acceptable places for players. However, the creatures were more ferocious, elusive, and stronger to deal with. Therefore, unless the group was formidable, one couldn��t possibly dare to arrive here for treasure hunting. Back then, Rhode��s Starlight was one of them. But even so, they couldn��t withstand the terrifying and monochrome environment of the Shadow Ravine. They only managed to get through Crystal Forest once after turning around to return home.


    Well, so be it. I still remember the terrain of this forest.


    At this thought, Rhode scanned his surroundings. There wasn��t anyone else around. It seemed like it was just as the dragon young ladies mentioned; everyone was sent to a different area.


    Rhode arranged his thoughts and clenched his fists. That��s right. His strength was also restrained. On the system interface, his attributes and skills were basically locked. At that moment, he was nothing more than a player at the max level of 85. Of course, with his identity as a dragon soul heir, it was still possible if he were to use his Void Dragon��s power to break the shackles forcefully. But in that case, he would abruptly disrupt the trial and the Dark Dragon��s soul would also receive damage from the impact. That was why unless absolutely necessary or critical, Rhode would never try to break the restraints.


    He wasn��t too concerned about the safety of the rest. Mini Bubble Gum and Icy Snow had also been on an adventure here, so they were familiar with the environment. Anne��s instinct in battles couldn��t be better, so she should do fine. On the other hand, Cassidy was the Contrast Deity Warden. If she couldn��t survive in this place, her position ought to be taken by someone else. As for Angelina�� Well, she was his card spirit, after all. She should be able to survive��


    Poor Angelina. She was unknowingly criticized by Rhode yet again.


    After assessing his situation, Rhode extended his arm and a blinding, holy sword appeared in his hand shortly after. He stooped over and dashed ahead like a specter. The densely-packed, jade-like leaves and branches illuminating the entire Crystal Forest unfolded above him like a mesmerizing, dreamy scene. But Rhode clearly knew that dangerous hunters were lurking underneath the fantasy-like land. This place might seem vibrant and attractive, but if players were to step into shadowy areas, the concealed monsters would attack them immediately. When that happened, even Rhode would have a hard time escaping. Fortunately, the creatures were mostly in hibernation, so as long as Rhode observed his surroundings cautiously and ensured that he didn��t enter large patches of shadow, he should do fine.


    Where should I head to next?


    Rhode sized up the forest around him, comparing his current location with the map in his mind. Crystal Forest was worlds apart from the shadowy plain that Erin was in earlier. That was why Rhode was certain that he couldn��t possibly search for her now. But since he was here, it meant that some place in Crystal Forest was related to the trial and that was��


    Crystal Tower.


    In an instant, Rhode recalled the three-floors-tall tower in the center of Crystal Forest made entirely from pure, white crystals��it could be considered an ingenious artwork. However, Crystal Tower didn��t have anything unique on its own. There were neither worthy, valuable treasures nor peculiar BOSSes inside. Apart from a dozen construct guards, there was basically nothing in the entire tower. As there weren��t many benefits, players also weren��t passionate about the place. Rhode had also led members of Starlight and wreaked havoc inside, only to find nothing as a result. Other than the beautiful and exaggerating magical ritual on the second floor, there was nothing else. The magical ritual also failed to be activated, so Rhode had no choice but to give up in the game. But now, it seemed like Crystal Tower was part of the trial and perhaps that was why players couldn��t activate the magical ritual. That should be a magical ritual for the inheritance ceremony, so how was it possible for ordinary players to activate it?


    Even though Rhode wasn��t 100 percent sure about his guess, right now he was rather certain that Crystal Tower was the most possible culprit. That was why he didn��t wait any longer. He turned around, stooped over, and strode forward under the brilliance of Crystal Forest.


    ��Aowu������!��


    But just as he took a few steps, he suddenly heard the snarls of wild beasts. Along with loud bellows, the branches and leaves in Crystal Forest that emanated brilliance flickered like electrical lamps that were about to cut off, dimming instantly. Looking at this scene, Rhode��s heart sank.


    Boom�� Boom��


    Shortly after, heavy, deep footsteps echoed and a tall figure appeared before him. It was a huge ape emanating shimmering radiance from head to toe, clutching a thick, stone slate in its hand. Gazing from a distance, the ape seemed as though it were constructed of light bulbs. The ��ape�� sauntered toward the side of a towering tree, widened its mouth, and took in a deep breath. Shortly after, along with this action, the tree glowing in dazzling light gradually grew faint. In the blink of an eye, the bright branches and leaves became dull, lifeless, and dark.


    Why is my luck so terrible?!


    Rhode couldn��t help but grumble at this sight. It went without saying that he knew exactly what it was. It was one of the BOSSes in this ice cold forest covered in frost: the Crystal Ape. Unlike most shadowy creatures, the Crystal Ape devoured light as its food, which explained why it resided in Crystal Forest. Besides, the Crystal Ape was tyrannical and could manipulate shadowy creatures to fight in battles. Player groups were often wiped out once any accidents happened. At that moment, Rhode was alone. If his power weren��t limited, he wouldn��t have many difficulties. But now, it was hard to determine his chances.


    What should I do?


    Rhode hid in the nearby bushes, knitting his brows as he observed the enemies. As the Crystal Ape swallowed the attribute of light, it was highly sensitive to light reflections. The moment Rhode shifted, he would be discovered immediately. When that happened, he would be in huge trouble. It would also be tough for him to attack the Crystal Ape head-on. Even though Rhode wasn��t afraid of it, he felt like he had to be more careful based on the current situation.


    But�� It isn��t like I��ve run out of ideas.


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but gaze at the stream ahead.


    Then, an idea cropped up in his head.

 Chapter 1252 - Borrowing a Blade

    As the world of the Shadow Ravine was in black and white, the stream in the Crystal Forest wasn��t as limpid as the ones in the outside world. At a glance, the stream was like milk, flowing down the river course. Due to that reason, no one was able to see what was hidden beneath it. But Rhode clearly knew that the stream wasn��t as beautiful and harmless as it appeared��


    Rhode bent over slightly, narrowing his eyes at the Crystal Ape in alertness. Even though the Crystal Ape wasn��t impossible to defeat, he would need to exert a lot of force. The Crystal Ape replenished its energy through devouring the light elements of the Crystal Forest. Areas with their light abstracted would turn dark and become a gathering place for shadowy creatures. As a matter of fact, in the game, the Crystal Ape BOSS had a killer move. It absorbed all light elements around it and all players within the range were instantly inflicted with a ��darkness�� debuff. As the Crystal Ape restored its health, a mass of shadowy creatures would leap out of the darkness and ambush the players.


    BOSSes that dominated the battlefield, healed their own health, and summoned critters all at the same time were the most annoying to players.


    Back then, even Rhode and his party weren��t willing to fight against it. If it weren��t for the decent item drops from defeating BOSSes in the Shadow Ravine, Rhode didn��t wish to encounter one. Now that he was alone and his strength was limited at the player��s peak of level 85, he had no intention of taking this BOSS one-on-one. Besides, now wasn��t the time to find trouble. Rhode��s enemy was Chaos. He was better off avoiding the local BOSSes!


    Rhode stooped over and stared at the Crystal Ape that was absorbing the light elements from the branches and leaves. At the next moment, he dashed toward the rear and along the riverbank in a trail of afterimages. The instant he zoomed past, the Crystal Ape seemed to realize his movements. The Crystal Ape turned to him abruptly and upon witnessing his presence, it snapped its jaw open and let out a deafening bellow. Then, it turned decisively and started pursuing Rhode!


    ��Oooo������!��


    Along with the raging snarl, the Crystal Ape metamorphosed into a formidable hurricane that charged straight at Rhode. Although it was massive, its speed wasn��t slow at all. Rhode sprinted as quickly as possible, but the Crystal Ape followed him closely. The trees that obstructed its path snapped, and the Crystal Ape showed no intention of stopping. Not only that, but the gap between Rhode and the Crystal Ape was also closing!


    I knew it.


    Hearing the loud bellows of the Crystal Ape, Rhode felt somewhat nervous. The Crystal Ape might seem bulky, but its movement speed was incredibly fast. In the beginning, players tried to outrun it, but to their astonishment, it caught up with them and hurled its fists, sending them to their graves, not to mention even running at the fastest speed possible. Rhode chose to sprint in a straight line as that allowed him to exert minimal effort, which was why he didn��t evade the dense shadows in his path. Upon detecting his existence, the creatures lurking in the shadows also sprung up to hunt him.


    If one were to witness this scene, one would be absolutely stunned as Rhode metamorphosed into a dark lightning bolt that shuttled across the forest. The instant he flitted past the forest, the trail of shadows behind him shook and warped into terrifying and ugly creatures that howled and ran after him. Right behind them was the Crystal Ape that had transformed into the hurricane, accelerating in insanely large strides. Its speed became increasingly faster, so much so that one could barely witness a sphere of light and couldn��t see the Crystal Ape itself��


    I need to be faster!


    Rhode glanced at the stream. His movement speed was at the max. If it were him in the past, he would have no difficulty instantly shaking off the Crystal Ape. But it was a pity that his strength was limited at level 85, and he couldn��t be like his old self. Come to think of it, if he were like his old self, he didn��t need to flee at all. He could instantly slaughter the Crystal Ape in a single blow!


    This fella is relentless!


    Rhode looked over his shoulder, only to witness the Crystal Ape continuing to pursue him ��loyally��. Even though he knew that the Crystal Ape was a territorial creature and anyone who trespassed on its land would only head down the road to extinction, after experiencing its persistent pursuit, Rhode felt his head throbbing in pain. Moreover, the Crystal Ape also had another ruthless move��


    Swish!


    The instant this thought cropped up in Rhode��s mind, his vision dazzled. At that moment, he turned over abruptly to deviate from his original path, stamped his foot, and leaped up like a fleeing hare. At the same time, along with a blinding brilliance, the Crystal Ape disappeared without a trace, only to stop right in front of his intended path in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, Rhode had switched direction. If not, perhaps he would have walked right into the trap of the Crystal Ape!


    ��Roar!!!��


    The Crystal Ape that completed its teleportation swung its arms furiously from above and slammed onto the ground. But it was apparent that Rhode was ready to dodge this deadly attack. Without any hesitation, he zoomed past with a trail of afterimages. The Crystal Ape realized its attack had failed to hit its prey and couldn��t help but feel bewildered. But at the next moment, it let out a furious bellow, turned around, and charged at Rhode.


    ��Phew, finally avoided it.��


    Upon hearing its bellow, Rhode couldn��t help but heave a sigh of relief. The Crystal Ape��s most disgusting move was its ability to ��teleport��. This was a deadly skill to most players, where even Rhode��s party had been annihilated by it several times. As the Crystal Ape��s movement speed was too fast and unpredictable, players often fell short after not grasping their chances well. During the chase, Rhode was already prepared for this move. If not, he would have ended up miserably if he were caught off guard and stopped by the Crystal Ape.


    At that moment, Rhode had arrived at the end of the stream, where a lake emanating a faint, white brilliance like a cream-filled pool ran before his eyes. The instant he reached the shore of the lake, he turned around, gripped his sword, and unleashed a dozen blade rays at the Crystal Ape!


    ��Roar!!!��


    The sight of Rhode not only escaping from it, but also brazenly retaliating enraged the Crystal Ape. It raised its muscular arms and hurled its fists at Rhode. Winds blustered in the vivid, powerful force, shattering the blade rays into powder. The Crystal Ape jumped, clenched its fists, and rammed into Rhode��s body.


    Boom!


    Along with a deep, resounding crash, the Crystal Ape obliterated Rhode. The ground trembled and sank, but this wasn��t the end yet. Because at that moment, Rhode showed up behind the Crystal Ape like a stealthy ghost. The moment the Crystal Ape launched its attack, Rhode released three afterimages to attract its attention, while he seized the chance to sneak behind it. The instant the Crystal Ape��s punches landed onto the ground, Rhode displayed his offense.


    ����!��


    Gazing at the Crystal Ape, Rhode��s expression turned abnormally grim. He clutched the holy sword, where dazzling spiritual radiance had coalesced and shimmered on its blade. He sprung up, penetrating the sword into the creature��s massive back.


    Along with this attack, the coalesced brilliance on the blade transformed into spots of starlight that enfolded the Crystal Ape��s entirety. Clang! Clang! Clang! In the loud collisions, the Crystal Ape trembled and realized the source of the problem. It attempted to turn around and slam its prey into minced meat, but the moment it turned, Rhode had withdrawn his right arm, gathered the infinite blade lights, and unleashed them all at once!


    Boom!


    The timing of this attack was exceptionally ingenious as it caught the Crystal Ape on unstable footing. Even though Rhode��s strength was limited, this all-out attack shouldn��t be belittled. Due to that reason, the defenseless Crystal Ape who suffered from the attack couldn��t maintain its balance. Its huge body couldn��t help but sway, before crumbling into the lake head-first and setting off tall currents that rushed in the stream. Rhode who successfully landed this attack had no intention to seal the deal at all. After witnessing countless bubbles emerging on the surface of the lake, he displayed a subtle smile and shuttled across the forest swiftly for his getaway.


    Upon realizing that its prey had escaped, the Crystal Ape was unable to restrain its anger. It rolled over, stood to its feet, and stomped toward the shore in large strides. But this time, it didn��t succeed because the peaceful water surged all of a sudden. Shortly after, a dozen, thick pitch-black tentacles broke out of the water surface and bound the creature! The lake started to roll, separate, and a round-mouthed monster with countless razor-sharp teeth appeared from beneath the lake, launching an attack on the Crystal Ape!

 Chapter 1253 - The Valkyrie’s Test

    Rhode wasn��t interested in the aftermath of the battle between the Crystal Ape and the pitch-black tentacles. The moment he witnessed the Crystal Ape being wrapped by the dozen tentacles, he turned around and ran toward the other end of the stream. Even though shadowy creatures continued to give chase, Rhode spent no effort eliminating them without the worrisome threats of the Crystal Ape. In just a few seconds, he slaughtered every single one of the brazen shadowy creatures, before turning around and sprinting toward the Crystal Tower.


    After fleeing from the Crystal Ape, Rhode didn��t face any bothersome characters along the way. He arrived at the perimeter of the Crystal Tower. This place was just as he remembered it to be. The surroundings of the Crystal Tower were empty, except for three tall and burly construct guards defending the tower. Their entire body was as though engraved from sparkling and translucent crystals. What was most eye-catching about them was their arms. They wielded shields on the left and swords on the right. This was the most annoying part of the construct guards in the Crystal Tower. Every single one of them had thick flesh and were tough to kill. Besides, even if they were killed, they wouldn��t drop any valuable items. At the very most, trash like ��crystal fragment��, ��crystal chip��, and ��broken core�� that were only worthy of being sold to NPCs would drop.


    If it weren��t for the fact that the Crystal Tower was linked to the trial, Rhode would never come to this place.


    It��s a pity I��m not a thief-class.


    Gazing at the construct guards patrolling the Crystal Tower, Rhode couldn��t help but let out a sigh. If he were a thief-class, he could sneak into the tower as the construct guards had poor perceptions. But it was a pity that Rhode was a Spirit Swordsman, so��


    Hmmm? No, that might work.


    At this thought, an idea cropped up in his mind. He stretched out his right arm and motioned his fingers gently. At the next second, an aquamarine card appeared in his hand. This was precisely the Queen of Blades that he recovered earlier. If he recalled correctly, this card came equipped with an ability to turn the holder into spiritual form. From a certain angle, turning into spiritual form was similar to the concealment of thieves.


    Give it a shot then.


    While observing the three construct guards, Rhode nodded to himself. He wasn��t in the mood to waste time messing with these thick-fleshed enemies. Moreover, apart from the three construct guards here, there were another dozen inside the tower. If Rhode brought a party with him, perhaps he would need to take them on. But now, he could only rely upon himself. Even if he were to summon his card spirits, they would spend more than 10 minutes demolishing each of them. He knew that long delays would cause more complications, which was why he pondered for a few moments before making up his mind. He squinted and clenched his right hand.


    Shatter��


    Along with this action, the aquamarine card broke and metamorphosed into green light dust that enfolded Rhode��s body. In just a few moments, he disappeared in sight. He lost his physical form completely and turned into a specter.


    ��Great. It worked.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction. The instant he turned into spiritual form, the world in his vision also transformed. The omnipresent black and white turned bright and multi-colored. At a glance, he witnessed the aquamarine aura of life exuding from the forest, as well as the azure hue of the river. It could also be said that after becoming a specter, his vision of the land became clearer and more beautiful.


    If I knew this would work, I should have made equipment that could turn all the elites in Starlight into spiritual form. Perhaps we would have been able to open up Shadow Ravine successfully.


    While this thought came up in his mind, Rhode drifted out of the forest silently toward the construct guards. The construct guards continued to patrol the area quietly, seemingly unaware of his presence. Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. Even though he knew that construct guards had poor perceptions, he made the judgment from a human perspective, after all. In the Dragon Soul Continent, there were many extreme creatures that were used to search for specific presences. And if other non-related presences were present, the creatures wouldn��t even detect them as though they were blind. But if it happened to be the presence they were searching in their field of vision, the construct guards would definitely pounce on the target straightaway. Rhode suspected that even though construct guards had poor perceptions, they were created to deal with undead creatures. But now, it seemed like they didn��t have any reaction toward him in the spiritual form. This proved that maybe he wasn��t part of their objective, which was naturally a good news for Rhode.


    Rhode arranged his thoughts and drifted toward the tower entrance through the gap between the three construct guards. Even though he could pass through walls in spiritual form, the walls of magical towers like the Crystal Tower were protected by a layer of magical barriers. If he were to barge in, he would be stopped and even restrained. The only way left for him was to enter through the main entrance.


    Although Rhode was certain that the construct guards wouldn��t notice him, he still put up his guard. He came to a standstill before the three construct guards and it was only until they continued with their patrol that he picked up his pace and flew toward the entrance. The moment he arrived at the entrance, he came to a halt, swept glances to his left and right, and entered the door after ensuring there were no traps laying and waiting for him.


    Even after Rhode entered the tower, the construct guards didn��t react at all.


    ��Phew����


    After confirming that the enemies didn��t detect him, Rhode let out a sigh of relief. He had witnessed sinister traps in the game. Sometimes, players entered an empty space happily after spotting no traps. But in the end, the emergency siren blared and gathered all the surrounding creatures that hid themselves. The pitiful players were wiped out before they could even scream, which was truly a tragic sight�� Rhode was concerned that there were similar traps in the Crystal Tower, but it seemed like luck was good for him today.


    But even so, he remained cautious. After all, there were several guards within the Crystal Tower. Moreover, Rhode wasn��t crushing his way through this like in the game. If he were discovered, he would face several construct guards within the tower at once. When that happened, he definitely couldn��t rely upon his current state to defeat them. Perhaps he would be forced to break the seal and unleash all his strength.


    Almost there��


    At this thought, Rhode sneaked to the second floor, dodging two other construct guards. He was only several steps away from his destination. As long as he turned the corner at the end of this corridor, he would arrive at that mysterious and gorgeous magical ritual in the middle of the second floor. He drifted to the side silently. The moment he witnessed another construct guard marching along in the corridor, he brushed past it and turned the corner.


    I have 30 seconds left in spiritual form. Time should be sufficient��


    Hmm? What��s that?


    As he was about to step onto that wide, circular magical ritual, he came to a standstill abruptly and gazed ahead in astonishment. In the middle of the magical ritual stood a huge construct guard that was three-to-four-meters-tall. Unlike the other ��ordinary�� construct guards, this construct guard was like an exquisite artwork��a sculpture of an armored woman. She gripped a huge spear and circular shield in her hands, resembling a formidable valkyrie. Her body emanated a dazzling, magical radiance from top to bottom.


    Who��s that?


    Gazing at the construct guard, Rhode was taken aback. This unique construct guard seemed just like a final BOSS. But in his memories, he couldn��t recall facing someone like her. He clearly remembered that back then, apart from ordinary construct guards, there was nothing else in the entire Crystal Tower. Rhode had even led his party and searched the tower repeatedly. Logically speaking, they shouldn��t have missed out on anything.


    But now�� A construct guard that he had no impression on was waiting for him?


    Seems like this is the real deal.


    Sizing up the construct guard, Rhode rolled up his sleeves for battle. It was too late for him to back off now. His spiritual form could last for only 10 minutes in one day and he had less than 20 seconds remaining. That was why it was no longer possible for him to retreat and start over. At that point in time, he could only give it a shot and see whether this space would be sealed upon entering the magical ritual. Normally, BOSSes in the game would be kind enough to seal off the entrance in order to prevent players from fleeing. Of course, this move also blocked off critters from entering from outside. If this was the case for the valkyrie, it would be more convenient for Rhode. He was more concerned that when he took on the valkyrie, huge waves of construct guards would swarm him at the same time. It would be utterly annoying when that happened.


    I need to give it a shot!


    At this thought, Rhode calmed himself down. At the next moment, he dashed straight into the hall!


    The moment he entered the hall, the construct guard in the middle also seemed to detect his presence. She turned toward him immediately, raising and pointing the spear forward, as well as widening her mouth to yell.


    ��Come forth, Challenger. Let me see your worth!��


    As the valkyrie bellowed, the beautiful magical ritual on the floor emanated a blinding, golden radiance. Shortly after, countless runes appeared in midair, sealing the entire battleground. Almost at the same time, Rhode emerged out of nowhere and leaped up.


    Thank God!


    He felt assured after witnessing the surroundings being sealed by the runes. At the very least, he didn��t need to worry about waves of construct guards charging at him anymore. Even though the valkyrie wasn��t easy to deal with, taking on a BOSS head-on wasn��t difficult for a Spirit Swordsman!


    ��Go!��


    Rhode screamed, raising his arms and tossing out black and green cards from his hands. Shortly after, a specter young lady wielding an invisible sword and a young lady donned in a tattered dress, raising a huge longsword, and bound by steel chains appeared in midair. They dashed to the left and right in a pincer movement toward the valkyrie.


    ��Come forth, Challenger! Shall me your strength and prove your courage and determination!��


    Facing this attack from Rhode, the valkyrie shrieked once again. Swish! She brandished the spear at her enemies. At the same time, the specter young lady��s invisible blade and Shira��s longsword slashed through the air and collided heavily against the valkyrie��s weapon and shield.


    Clang! Clang!


    Along with two deep, resounding clashes, the huge, scarlet longsword deflected the spear, while the specter young lady who struck the valkyrie��s shield flickered. She retreated in her barely visible form as though she were about to dissipate into air. She rotated her wrist and swung the invisible blade in a trail of gloomy blade light, launching another attack on the valkyrie.


    At the same time, Rhode seized the opportunity to strike at the valkyrie��s opening. He flourished the dazzling holy sword, Star Mark, in the air, where a blade ray emanating spots of light dust charged straight at the gorgeous sapphire in the middle of valkyrie��s chest. Rhode had lots of experience dealing with construct guards. According to his experience, shattering the sapphire was the key to defeat the valkyrie!


    The instant his blade ray was about to penetrate the sapphire, a rune transformed into a barrier that negated his attack. Rhode felt like his sword had punctured a thick layer of rubber and he couldn��t exert more force. At the same time, he caught a glimpse of the valkyrie widening her jaw, where golden flames coalesced in her mouth.


    Boom!


    Gushing flames slammed onto the ground. The scorching heat dispersed, raising the temperature of the air. The air became so hot that it twisted and warped. But at that moment, Rhode had already withdrawn to the side. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the valkyrie, while slashing multiple blade arcs with his right hand. Meanwhile, he held his left arm down. A blue card appeared in his hand, before vanishing in a bright flash.


    The little mermaid who was swimming in the water ball showed up behind him. She raised her arms and along with this action, bone-piercing chilliness coalesced and filled the air, spreading white frost across the battlefield to curb the blazing flames. Meanwhile, Rhode��s blade rays slammed onto the valkyrie one after another.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Along with deep explosions, the burly valkyrie shook. But it was apparent that this attack didn��t deal enough damage to her. The valkyrie flourished the spear, striking Shira and the specter young lady away. Meanwhile, innumerable runes started swirling and operating around her body.


    ��Not enough, Challenger! You are not strong enough to defeat me!��


    ��She��s just a robot and yet she speaks so much crap!��


    Rhode turned grim upon witnessing the cracks on the valkyrie left behind by his blade rays healing in an instant. He swung his left arm again and this time, the heavily-armored Centaur Knight appeared in midair. Rhode gestured to the specter young lady and Shira and in an instant, all three of them pounced on the valkyrie at once!


    Ssss����!


    Chilly winds rose from the ground, while ice edges coalesced and flew toward the valkyrie like swift arrows. Upon spotting the ice edges released by the little mermaid, the valkyrie let out a fierce bellow. The blazing barrier over her body devoured the ice edges mercilessly before they caused any damage. The valkyrie raised the spear with force and slammed its rear toward the ground, striking the Centaur Knight below her. Even though the heavily-armored Centaur Knight had raised its shield and resisted the assault, it was pounded flat in an instant, before metamorphosing into a faint spiritual radiance and returning as a card that vanished in sight.


    But despite that, the sacrifice of the Centaur Knight gave Rhode another opportunity!


    ��Shira!��


    ��Heh, heh�� Hahahaha!��


    Upon hearing her master yelling her name, Shira burst into a crazy laughter. She raised her arms and all of a sudden, a dozen pitch-black steel chains flew out from her back, binding the valkyrie��s arms like strong, unbreakable vines that restrained her movements. The valkyrie erupted in rage, turning around to launch her attack on Shira. However, she didn��t notice the aquamarine brilliance that flitted across the air. It was the specter young lady. Her invisible sword flickered in a dazzling radiance in front of the valkyrie, enveloping her vision.


    ��Ahhhhhhh!��


    For the first time, the valkyrie let out a blood-curdling scream. Her eyes were punctured mercilessly by the transparent sword, while her body was held down by Shira and she couldn��t budge at all. The only thing she could do was to raise her shield in front of her helplessly. But at that moment, she heard a deep, thunderous rumble approaching her, closer and closer��


    Rumble��!


    At the next moment, a magical cannon that appeared in midair slammed into her body, smashing her onto the wall. Then, spurts of steam erupted from the enormous barrel.


    Shortly after, a blinding magical brilliance enfolded the entire hall.

 Chapter 1254 - Crystal Star

    ��Cough, cough, cough!��


    Rhode waved away the smoke and dust with his hand. At that moment, the valkyrie who flaunted her power was already smashed into bits; almost nothing could withstand the magical cannon blast at zero distance. This move from Rhode was an art brought to the point of perfection. As a matter of fact, the best solution in this situation was to activate the venue card, trap the enemies, and summon the ��Ultimate Army�� to annihilate them. But it was a pity that after losing the ��Casali under the night sky�� venue card, Rhode didn��t manage to find an alternative. That explained why he had no choice but to settle for second best, blasting the valkyrie with the magical cannon directly. Although the blast was powerful, its effectiveness was limited in a high-level battle.


    The reason was simple. The magical cannon had a long charging time. Rhode had to first summon the magical cannon card ��entirely�� before launching the attack. The magical cannon was massive, so it required four to five seconds to appear completely. Coalescing and activating its magical powers required more than 10 seconds. In other words, if Rhode were to summon and fire the magical cannon, he needed between 15 to 20 seconds to work. Although this amount of time was enough to deal with low-level enemies, in a battle where the enemy was on the same level as him, the difference of a few seconds could overturn the battle. With the enemy��s agility, he couldn��t even hit them with the magical cannon even if he were to summon it. On the contrary, the magical cannon might even be destroyed by the enemy. That was why unless Rhode had a way to hold back the enemy and ensure that the enemy was immovable for a short while, this attack would be entirely useless.


    But now�� It is rather useful against such a huge and naive BOSS.


    At this thought, Rhode approached the pile of shattered debris.


    He had to admit that the valkyrie was indeed strong. Apart from her limbs and head that were demolished by that impact, the core of her body was protected by her shield that she raised after breaking free from Shira��s steel chains. But even so, the shield forged from steel in her hand twisted to the blast and spider web-like cracks appeared on its surface. It seemed like it couldn��t be repaired anymore.


    What a pity.


    Looking at this scene, Rhode let out a helpless sigh. He instantly recognized that the shield was of top quality, judging from the fact that it wasn��t smashed into powder by the magical cannon. But despite that, its current condition wasn��t any different from being like powder. Instead of repairing an equipment of this level, Rhode might as well forge a brand new one.


    I wonder if my ��unlucky looting aura�� played a part in it��


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but feel confused.


    When was the last time I reunited with the ��unlucky looting aura��? I won��t be as unlucky this time, right?


    The moment Rhode was about to stretch his arm out to investigate the remains of the valkyrie, he suddenly witnessed the shield fragments moving on their own. Looking at this strange phenomenon, the corners of his eyes twitched. He turned around and leaped back hurriedly. Almost at the same time, the shield exploded and a purple figure who was almost as tall as him shuttled out of the shield. In the blink of an eye, countless purple light columns erupted, shrouding Rhode entirely.


    It has a second form?


    Although Rhode was mentally prepared, he was still startled. However, what shocked him more was that although the purple light columns seemed harmless, the instant they shone on his body, his vision darkened. Then, a line of system prompt jumped out before his eyes.


    [Player skills locked]


    What in the��?!


    Looking at the system prompt, Rhode cursed inwardly. He swept a glance at his skill column subconsciously, only to realize that all his skills were grayed out and unusable, including his summoning cards and sword skills! Rhode couldn��t help but roll his eyes. It seemed like this was the worst part of the trial. Earlier on, he felt like his dragon soul trial was two times easier than Erin��s earlier trials. But now, it seemed like this trial was as shameless and despicable as the earlier two. As a matter of fact, Rhode didn��t expect them to actually seal off all of his skills!


    This spells trouble.


    Rhode knitted his brows, focusing his attention on the purple figure. It was at that moment he clearly witnessed its true identity. It was a female warrior composed of purple crystals. The end of her arms and legs were razor-sharp blades, while her joints were smooth, polished crystals. The carved female facial features were remarkably true to life and similar to Erin��s. At a glance, spots of dazzling light flowed behind her back as though in the shape of her long hair.


    But now, Rhode wasn��t concerned about how she looked. Since she was just a crystal structure, it didn��t matter how beautiful she was. On the contrary, he was in danger. His skills were locked and he couldn��t even summon card spirits now. Not only that, but his sword skills were also nullified. In this situation, he could only rely upon his own strength, which was a deadly weakness for Spirit Swordsmen. The strength of Spirit Swordsmen was based on the combination of summoned spirits and group attacks. Now that he had lost that ability, his strength could be considered weakened by half. Moreover, as he had card spirits with him all along, he didn��t bring any amazing weapons with him. Now that he couldn��t summon card spirits, he didn��t have a decent weapon to wield. Fortunately, he was cautious enough to carry a decorative dagger. Although it wasn��t as strong as the holy swords, it was still a weapon of high quality.


    Despite that, facing a BOSS like this��


    Rhode arranged his thoughts and unsheathed the dagger from his waist. The blade was snowy and shiny, emanating a faint fluorescence. This was the ��Light of Firefly�� forged by Lapis. Not only did it come with a decent ��penetration�� attribute, but it also had a certain chance of ��eliminating magical power��. Although this dagger couldn��t compete against the indomitable holy swords, it wasn��t a terrible weapon.


    Despite that, Lapis wasn��t fully satisfied with this weapon. Rhode also vaguely realized that ever since that intimate night with her, she became much more confident in herself. Besides, although Lapis was gentle in nature, it didn��t mean that she didn��t have any temper at all. By accident, Rhode heard her talking about forging a weapon that was stronger than his holy swords, so much so that he would only use that weapon everyday�� Rhode admitted that having a goal was great, but whether it would become a reality was a totally different matter.


    Rhode organized his thoughts, squinting and sizing up the enemy before him. Although he lacked the support of skills, he didn��t spend so much time on the Dragon Soul Continent for nothing. After participating in so many battles, he was already experienced in this field. Even though he couldn��t deploy the shadow clone technique right now, based on his experience, he reckoned the enemy was unable to unleash too much power since it had expended some power to seal his strength.


    But since the enemy was so shameless, Rhode��s only choice was to break the shackles and unleash his power as the Void Dragon.


    The enemy didn��t launch her attack on Rhode immediately. Instead, she circled him instead. Meanwhile, Rhode gripped the dagger in his hand, staring at her intently. It was apparent that her limbs were her weapons. In other words, any movement from her would be as though an attack. Such enemies were tough to deal with. On the other hand, it was also challenging for Rhode to brandish his dagger at the enemy��s weakness.


    My only hope now is to��


    At this thought, Rhode gazed at his dagger.


    Rely upon its unique attribute.


    Swish����!


    Perhaps it was this glance from him that the enemy thought he let his guard down. She lunged forward instantly and struck with her razor-sharp right arm. Facing this ambush, Rhode dodged to the side and continued to observe her movements. Indeed, the instant she missed her strike, she drew another arc in midair with her left arm and hacked at his neck.


    Clang!


    Rhode was mentally prepared for this move. He wielded the dagger calmly, swinging it before him to defend against the attack. Upon sensing the recoil on his blade, Rhode couldn��t help but feel glad. It was apparent that the enemy��s strength was much weaker than his. In this situation, he didn��t need to worry about her fighting recklessly, at the very least!


    However, Rhode wouldn��t show any mercy. After experiencing countless battles, it went without saying that he knew no matter when, he shouldn��t hand the initiative over to the enemy. Therefore, the moment he realized the enemy wasn��t as strong as he had imagined, he unleashed formidable strength in his blade. He thrust the blade forward, flinging the enemy��s arm to the side. Then, he waved his right arm and slashed the dagger toward her chest.


    Clang! Clang!


    Along with a couple of collisions, the enemy took a few steps back. Despite that, she didn��t seem to be hurt at all. However, Rhode wasn��t concerned as he was prepared for this moment. After all, it would be illogical if he were able to casually instant-kill a BOSS of this level. Although this dagger was forged by the skillful Lapis, it still wasn��t capable enough to slaughter a BOSS in one strike.


    Rhode��s attack didn��t inflict too much damage yo her. She took two steps back, stabilized her footing, and raised her arms again. Then, she dashed ahead, slashing the blades in a criss-cross stance that enfolded Rhode. However, Rhode wasn��t a fool either. After landing his attacks, he shifted counterclockwise instantly. Now that he lost his abilities, his battle stance couldn��t be considered graceful. He was just like an ordinary person wielding a weapon in battle, dodging and lacerating with a blade. But despite that, his battle instincts were still present. The moment the enemy slashed the criss-crossed blade rays, Rhode arrived beside her and swung the dagger from above, striking the joint connecting her arm and shoulder.


    Clang! Rhode��s dagger was deflected yet again, while the enemy seized the opportunity and turned around, aiming at him with her blade-arms.


    In an instant, both of them were equally matched. But all in all, Rhode still had the upper hand. As he didn��t have any skills, he was unable to display his advantages. On the other hand, the crystal enemy didn��t have any flesh, which was why he circled her and searched for an opening to attack her joints. If she were a human, striking the joint would deal severe damage. But it was a pity that the joints of a crystal figure were also made of hard, solid crystal. It was apparent that the person who created these crystal figures was also aware of this weakness and went further to strengthen them. Despite that, Rhode remained patient as he continued to circle her within the magical ritual.


    Swish!


    The crystal enemy flourished her arms at him once again. Two arcs from the top and bottom sealed off his retreat. Looking at this scene, Rhode narrowed his eyes, rolled on the ground swiftly, and leapt forward in a trail of afterimages between the blade arcs. Shortly after, he raised his dagger and struck with force! This series of movements was so quick that even the enemy was caught off guard. Her blade rays struck Rhode��s afterimages and missed him. Meanwhile, Rhode pounced and punctured her shoulder joint.


    Boom!


    This time, Rhode��s attack wasn��t negated. On the contrary, the moment he struck the shoulder joint, the ��Light of Firefly�� flashed in a mysterious, white brilliance. A split second after the explosion, the enemy��s right arm fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, scattering into crystal fragments. She lost her balance but despite that, she didn��t forget to brandish her left arm at him.


    ��Get lost!��


    Rhode was no pushover either. After landing his attack, he didn��t stop his aggression. On the contrary, he thrust his foot into her waist and she flew away upon impact. Even though she also kicked her legs at the same time, Rhode didn��t retreat to avoid them. Instead, he dodged the menacing blades and pierced her right knee with the dagger in a string of afterimages.


    Boom!


    The instant he attacked the right knee, a deep explosion reverberated. The mysterious light that flashed earlier exploded at the same time. In the blink of an eye, the enemy��s right leg shattered like the right arm. Despite that, Rhode had no intention of stopping. He charged ahead with the dagger that was now as dazzling as a light bulb!


    That��s right. This was the moment he was waiting for. He was relying upon the unique ability of the ��Light of Firefly����Destruction Chain!


    [Destruction Chain: 5% chance of activating the magic-destroying attribute. Lasts three seconds after activation. Upon hitting a magical being within three seconds, damage will be doubled. Can be used continuously.]


    This was the reason why Rhode didn��t stop attacking despite striking her joints constantly. In terms of effectiveness, even though it was beautiful but of no use, the magic-destroying attribute was effective against a magical being, after all. The coalescence of magical powers of a construct guard like this crystal figure was either hidden well or really small in presences like the joints of her arms and legs. Most of her body was well protected and only small gaps could be attacked. If Rhode wanted to maintain the magic-destroying attribute, he had to ensure that each of his attacks after activation could accurately pass through the crack of the joints. The attribute would only come into effect after hitting the enemy��s coalescence point of magical powers.


    If Rhode were an ordinary human, it would be absolutely impossible. But at that moment, he released mighty strength with the constitution of a Void Dragon. Even though his skills and talents were locked, the Void Dragon��s constitution didn��t change much apart from the drop in level. Despite that, he was still far stronger than ordinary humans. After he unleashed the formidable power, the crystal enemy couldn��t handle him any longer!


    Boom! Boom!


    Along with another couple of explosions, the enemy��s arms and legs were entirely crippled. At that moment, she became entirely non-threatening, but Rhode didn��t let his guard down. He pounced, the dagger in his right hand shimmering in a blinding light of lightning as it struck her eyes!


    ��Ah��������!��


    Upon facing the imminent catastrophe, the enemy let out a fierce bellow. Her strong body opened up abruptly to fire a dozen, sharp ice edges at Rhode like arrows. This time, Rhode didn��t continue fighting zealously. He swung his arm, hurled the dagger into the opening on her body, and rolled aside to evade the crystal edges. It was at that moment when the dagger pierced her body.


    In an instant, the crystal enemy stopped moving entirely. Its purple body emanating a magical radiance became dull and lifeless in an instant. She collapsed to the ground in a loud bang, her body shattering into bits like broken porcelain. Looking at this scene, Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. He crawled to his feet, sauntered to the remains, and picked up his dagger. He gazed at the dagger and couldn��t help but reveal a smile.


    Never did I expect this weapon by Lapis to lend a helping hand at such a critical juncture��


    ��������!��


    All of a sudden, he heard some noises from the remains. A blue crystal floated out of the enemy��s remains and hovered before his eyes.


    Seems like this is what I��m looking for?


    Gazing at the crystal, Rhode twitched his brows slightly. He extended his arm and held the crystal that drifted before him.


    At the next moment, the magical ritual around him flickered in a dazzling, white light. Then, he vanished within the brilliance.

 Chapter 1255 - Dark Arena (1)

    Rhode found himself in a different environment after the brilliance dissipated. The former Crystal Forest was gone and in its place stood a huge, Roman Colosseum-like structure. However, no one occupied the audience seats on both sides. At a glance, one could witness dark clouds hovering over the sky, with dazzling lightning flashing from time to time.


    What��s going on?


    Rhode looked around him but didn��t spot any enemies


    This place should be an arena, so shouldn��t there be someone here to fight me?


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but feel curious. He circled the arena but there were no strange noises nor the emergence of a BOSS. The flames above the torches pinned around the arena swayed uncontrollably in the howling winds, casting several shadows on the dark arena.


    There��s no one��


    Rhode circled back and forth but discovered nothing new. The arena was only half the size of a soccer field, so it wasn��t considered too small. However, it was rundown, unlike the magnificent atmosphere around the arena in the Golden City during the Midsummer Festival. Besides, there wasn��t a single audience member and this left him somewhat disenchanted.


    ��Seems like this is gonna be an internal battle����


    Rhode mumbled under his breath. Arenas like this were common in the game. Normally, if there weren��t any BOSSes around, it would most likely be a PK arena between players. Judging from the fact that this trial was treacherous from the start, he reckoned this situation to be the same.


    Gather everyone who passed the dragon soul trial for a brawl and only the winner will gain the right to inherit the dragon soul.


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but curl his lips. This inheritance ceremony for the Dark Dragon was indeed disgusting. But�� Would ordinary inheritance ceremonies use the same type of trials? Even though the Country of Darkness was strong, it wasn��t likely that so many dragon soul heirs filled the streets. It was already considered a lot to choose from between Ion and Erin. Where could they even find so many dragon soul heirs for a brawl?


    Could there be something new about this setup? Perhaps the final trial will start when all challengers arrive? This isn��t too logical�� There can only be one dragon soul heir. Do they intend to have them kill one another until they crown a winner? If I really have to say it, this setup is truly gross.


    Swish!


    While Rhode pondered, a white light flashed and a person appeared in front him.


    ��Ah, Leader!��


    ��Anne?��


    Rhode was surprised at the sight of Anne. Even though he thought of the possibility that only those who passed the earlier trial could come here, he felt astonished to see Anne as the second person making her presence. Because in his impression, Anne had the most unsuitable personality to participate in such trials. This was apparent from her brainless remarks when she observed Erin in the trial. If Anne were to participate in one, who knew how long she would need to clear it.


    Due to that reason, Rhode didn��t expect Anne to be the next person to complete the trial. He couldn��t help but ask her about it curiously. Anne naturally had nothing to hide as she told him all about her experience in high spirits.


    It turned out that after she was transported to the Shadow Ravine, she was thrown into an enormous maze garden. She could tell it was a maze at first glance. She found the entrance, searched endlessly, and finally spotted a pond in the center of the maze. Then, she saw a beautiful piece of crystal on the sculpture in the middle of the pond, jumped in to grab it, and was transported to this place straightaway.


    That luck��


    Rhode didn��t even know what to say after listening to her account. He knew the Shadow Garden was part of the largest complex of buildings in Gasolest Manor and also an important quest line in the Shadow Ravine. Rumor had it that the owner of the manor was actually the ruler of the Shadow Ravine��a powerful BOSS that all players were passionate about defeating. But until Rhode left the game, no one was able to break through the forefront of the Shadow Garden because it was simply too distasteful. The maze inside the Shadow Garden wasn��t complicated, but the problem was that their structures changed according to the shadows. What was worse was that the changes were completely random and irregular. Many shadowy creatures also roamed the maze. The maze itself was narrow and once a player reached a dead end, shadowy creatures would pour in from all directions. Players also couldn��t cast any magical rituals, as the narrow paths were only wide enough for three people to advance in, shoulder-to-shoulder. As a result, being wiped out was their only fate.


    If it were in the past, Rhode��s heart would definitely skip a beat once he learned that Anne was transported to that filthy place. He understood this young lady too well. She always relied upon her intuition and apart from fighting, she never used her brain. For one like her to be sent to the Shadow Garden, one would either have a narrow escape or eventually die. However, Rhode didn��t expect her intuition and luck to actually be that absurd, where she was able to escape from that godforsaken place�� This left him entirely speechless.


    She can��t be another dragon soul heir, right��?


    Gazing at Anne who danced and gestured in excitement as she narrated her encounters, Rhode couldn��t help but harbor this thought. Frankly, he was also rather curious as to how Anne would turn out if they were in the game. He could mostly guess the ending of everyone else. After all, even though history had its limitations, it also had its inevitableness. For instance, Marlene��s identity doomed her to be monitored closely and prone to conspiracies. For Lapis and Lize who were introverted and tender in character, they would naturally fail to blossom in intense environments. But Anne was different. Although she followed Rhode all the way, she relied upon herself to strengthen her power. Even without the awakening of the wind elemental power, she was still a strong shield warrior. Besides, she was sweet-looking, outstanding, had a tall, attractive figure, and possessed a cheerful and lively personality. A mercenary like her was rare in the eyes of players. On the game��s forum, Rhode knew there were some players who summarized a list of beautiful mercenaries in each region and some of whom were worse than Anne, but still made the list. However, Rhode had never heard of a mercenary named Anne, which was too strange.


    Did she sacrifice herself to protect her companions? Considering her personality, it is highly likely. It is especially so when the Munn Kingdom was demolished by the Country of Darkness. Someone like Anne definitely wouldn��t look on without lifting a finger. Maybe��


    Rhode couldn��t help but feel his heart ache at the thought of this lively, passionate young lady curling up and dying silently in the corner of another world. He instinctively stretched out his arm and stroked her flowy blonde hair. Anne looked at him curiously. But soon, she narrowed her eyes blissfully and enjoyed his touch. Not only that, but she also went and snuggled up against him.


    ��Meow�� Leader�� Shall we take a break?��


    Even though Anne mentioned taking a break, her large, glinting emerald eyes and two clumps of softness on her chest that were already clinging to Rhode��s body exposed her thoughts. In this respect, Anne was totally shameless and there was absolutely no pressure for her to commit daylight prostitution. The reason why Marlene and Lize were afraid to join Anne was because Anne was too aggressive. Meanwhile, Marlene��s and Lize��s shamelessness hadn��t been lowered to Anne��s level. Anne even dared to take Rhode out on the street and into an empty alley for a quickie. If it were Marlene and Lize, they would definitely refuse.


    So even in such a wide, open field, Anne didn��t feel any pressure as long as there wasn��t a third person around.


    As long as there wasn��t a third person.


    But it was a pity that while Rhode considered whether or not to pull Anne into the corner of the arena for a quick one, another white light flashed by.


    It was Cassidy. She showed up in the arena and was surprised at the sight of the arena. But shortly after, she noticed Rhode and Anne who stood nearby. Upon realizing their interactions, Cassidy turned around and blushed instantly. Anne curled her lips helplessly at the sight of Cassidy and separated herself from Rhode. If it were Angelina or Mini Bubble Gum, perhaps Anne would pull them in for a threesome. But sadly, to Anne, Cassidy wasn��t a war buddy who she had slept with, and they weren��t that close with each other�� Even though Anne didn��t mind, Rhode disliked doing so, which was why the former had to let it go.


    Rhode wasn��t surprised to see Cassidy. Cassidy��s strength mainly relied on ��rules�� and the limitation of levels didn��t affect her much. As the Contrast Deity Warden, she had a fair bit of advantage from that. Rhode asked her about her encounters. Even though she was afraid of him, she still answered obediently.


    Unlike the extremely lucky Anne, Cassidy was considered really unfortunate. The latter was transported to the lair of a giant worm that was famously known as the ��King of Caves�� in the Shadow Ravine. It looked like a gigantic earthworm between seven and eight meters long. However, its sharp teeth, venom, and the small earthworms that covered the plains pestered Cassidy beyond endurance. Not only that, but the underground was also accessible from many tunnels and she didn��t know where she should flee to. Her only choice was to kill it as she escaped, but it ended up being tossed in the dust. Then, unsure if it was due to fear or wrath, a king worm appeared under the escort of the critters to seek revenge. However, Cassidy instant-killed it without sparing its corpse. After the king worm was annihilated, it turned into a piece of crystal. She picked up the crystal and was transported here.


    It seems like the key lies in the crystals.


    After hearing Cassidy��s account that sounded rather resentful, Rhode pondered briefly. Shortly after, he came to a conclusion. He was sent here after defeating the valkyrie and picking up the piece of crystal. Anne was also transported here after finding one in the maze. Meanwhile, Cassidy also killed a BOSS and was brought here. Could there be some secrets hidden within the crystals?


    Swish! Swish!


    At that moment, two more glimmers of light flashed by. This time, it was Icy Snow and Angelina who appeared in the arena. The former put up her usual, calm expression as though she were strolling after a meal. On the contrary, Angelina looked horrible. Her neat and clean dress was riddled with holes as though she had just escaped a hail of bullets. Upon spotting Rhode and the rest, Icy Snow and Angelina revealed glad smiles and crowded over hurriedly, beginning to narrate their encounters.


    Icy Snow was transported to the Death Cemetery, which was considered a relatively wide open space in Shadow Ravine. There was no better place for Icy Snow��s crazy projectiles. She relied upon her high flexibility as an archer and engaged in guerrilla warfare with the shadowy creatures. Then, she released a series of arrows that struck the BOSS to death. The entire process could be said to be flawless. With her ability, the shadowy creatures were entirely done for without getting close to her.


    The reason was also simple as to why she arrived so late. Even though arrows could hit far targets, it was a pity that she wasn��t able to tie herself to the arrows. Although she wiped out the creatures the quickest, she spent most of her time hastening on with her journey�� After all, the Death Cemetery was so huge.


    On the other hand, Angelina had it worse. She was the weakest among them and unfortunately, she was transported to Spring of Light, a place that was considered to have the strongest light element in the entire Shadow Ravine��even more than the Crystal Forest that Rhode was in. Not only that, but Angelina was a vampire who wasn��t a big fan of the light elemen, to begin with. As a result, not only was she in discomfort, but she was also chased by tens of thousands of light elemental creatures, which was an utter tragedy. However, she had survived mountains of daggers and seas of flames in the past. Back then, she had no lack of duels against Ashvril either. The light elemental creatures might seem troublesome to deal with, but they couldn��t compete against the four legendary generals, after all. That was why Angelina used her unique techniques to sneak into the middle of Spring of Light. She was even dismembered twice before successfully obtaining the crystal and transporting here. She was also almost done for earlier. If it weren��t for the fact that she was fast enough, her head would have rolled again.


    ��Where are Bubble and Erin?��


    Rhode knitted his brows at the incomplete group and couldn��t help but feel dubious. After all, it was too surprising for him that Bubble and Erin weren��t here yet. Even Angelina had passed the trial, so logically speaking, Bubble shouldn��t be trapped either. As for Erin, she had already begun the trial before Rhode��s group entered the trial grounds. Logically speaking, Erin should be the first to arrive at this arena.


    ��Has anyone seen them?��


    Facing Rhode��s query, the group exchanged looks with one another. Then, Icy Snow and Angelina responded. While in the Death Cemetery, the former witnessed large columns of dazzling light toward the southeast direction when she was slaughtering the shadowy creatures. Based on her familiarity with Bubble, she knew it was definitely Bubble��s doing. However, as she was too far away from the commotion, she focused only on her own situation. Moreover, there was a cliff between the Death Cemetery and that particular area, so Icy Snow couldn��t head over even if she wanted.


    On the other hand, while Angelina was being chased by the light elemental creatures in Spring of Light, she did catch a glimpse of Erin at the window of the dark tower in the distance. It was a pity that Erin didn��t notice her presence. Angelina was so excited that she yelled out, only to be caught by the creatures. She intended to head to the dark tower and complete the trial alongside Erin. But she discovered that the entire Spring of Light was enveloped in a magical barrier and she couldn��t leave. Without a choice, Angelina pulled a long face and continued with her trial. Fortunately, she eventually passed it.


    And now, only Bubble and Erin were left.


    After narrating their encounters, the group stood there, waiting for the last two members�� arrival. According to the rules, even though the dark arena was built for dragon soul heirs to fight for the dragon soul, it was a pity that perhaps the Dark Dragon who designed the arena didn��t expect Rhode and the rest to be in the same gang, resulting in what was supposed to be a blood-soaked stage to be in perfect harmony.


    But after yet another hour, none of them showed up. This left the group rather concerned. Rhode did some calculations. Previously, it was said that the trials must be completed in 36 hours. Then, due to the mistake of the two dragon young ladies, Chaos infiltrated and shrunk the time limit to just over 20 hours. And it had been nearly 10 hours since they were transported in.


    Could it be that something has gone wrong?


    Facing this situation, there was nothing Rhode could do. They couldn��t possibly leave the arena. And even if they did, they didn��t know where to go. They could only wait to see whether Erin and Bubble would reach the same destination as them.


    Swish!


    And just as the crowd waited in anxiousness, another white light flashed by.

 Chapter 1256 - Dark Arena (2)

    Swish!


    The group couldn��t help but turn to the column of light. After taking a closer look at who was inside, they heaved a sigh of relief because it was Erin who walked out of the light. It wasn��t surprising that everyone felt so nervous. No matter what, they came here to meet Erin, after all. At the end of the day, if they completed the trials while Erin wasn��t done yet, it would all be wasted effort. Upon witnessing Erin��s arrival, Rhode finally set his heart at rest.


    On the other hand, upon meeting Rhode and the rest, Erin was bewildered. She stared at them dubiously, totally unaware of why they were here. This wasn��t surprising because after she entered the trial grounds, she lost all contact with them, so she wasn��t aware of what happened afterward. She thought Rhode��s group was waiting for her to return from the trial. Now that they were here, it confused her even more.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, what are����


    Halfway through the sentence, Erin took a few steps back as though she remembered something and stared at the crowd in front of her in disbelief. Rhode also smiled bitterly at her reaction. It seemed like Erin was indeed beleaguered by the endless tactics of the trial. She probably thought that Rhode and the rest were also illusions created by the trial. But it wasn��t astonishing if Erin thought so. Rhode shrugged helplessly, before gazing at the moon princess and said.


    ��Alright, Erin, I know what you��re thinking. But it��s a pity that we��re not illusions created by the trial.��


    ��Huh? I-Is that so?��


    After her thoughts were seen through by Rhode, Erin blushed, looked at them somewhat apologetically, and inched toward them. Despite that, she didn��t stand too close to them. It seemed like deep down, Erin still harbored doubts in her heart about the crowd before her. Upon witnessing her reaction, Rhode didn��t tease her any further, but restored his usual expression and sternly relayed the outside situation instead.


    After listening to his words, Erin��s wary expression finally dwindled and disappeared. Even though Rhode didn��t provide any evidence, Erin also noticed something wrong. Although she couldn��t fully confirm the situation, she finally began to trust him a little. And taking this opportunity, Rhode also inquired Erin about what happened to her later. After all, they only witnessed the point when she was attacked by shadowy creatures, before being transported into Shadow Ravine. As for what Erin did thereafter, none of them knew.


    Erin responded to Rhode��s doubt quickly. Even though she was caught off guard by the enemies�� ambush, she calmed herself down after the continuous battles and steadily repelled them, while advancing deeper into the maze. Erin also realized that the creatures in the maze weren��t the same as those who ambushed her earlier. There were a few times when she was rescued by maze guards after she was ambushed. Besides, it seemed like in the eyes of the maze guards, the creatures captured more of their attention than her. Upon realizing this point, Erin decisively took advantage of the hostility between them, led those creatures into the deep maze, and sneaked into the lowest floor in the maze, leaving them to fight against one another. Then, she defeated the great lich that guarded the crystal and was transported here after picking up the crystal.


    Seems like the whole situation really has something to do with the crystal.


    After hearing Erin��s account, Rhode pondered deeply and nodded. It seemed like the key to the trial was the pieces of crystal. And now that they were here, logically speaking, they should be in a struggle for the crystals.


    ��Alright, we��re clear of the whole story now and only Bubble is left now�� Why isn��t she here yet?��


    Not only was Rhode unsure, but the others also exchanged confused looks with one another. The situation was indeed strange. Angelina had already arrived and yet, Bubble hadn��t. Rhode also specially opened up the system interface to check on the situation of the Phantom Guardians. Bubble wasn��t eliminated from the system interface and was still leaping and frisking about. But�� Where exactly was she?


    ��She couldn��t have forgotten about time, right? This isn��t her first time doing that.��


    Icy Snow curled her lips and grumbled in displeasure. Judging from her annoyed expression, it was apparent that it wasn��t the first time her precious time wasn��t delayed by Bubble. Of course, the possibility of Bubble forgetting about time wasn��t low. With Bubble��s personality, if she were infuriated, she would only stop after feeling better, be it the end of the world or a cosmic explosion. Rhode tried to contact Bubble again, but to no avail. The space here cut off all contact between him and his card spirits. If not, he wouldn��t need to wait here to inquire Cassidy and Angelina about their encounters.


    ��All in all, seems like our only choice is to continue����


    Rumble��


    But before Rhode finished his sentence, a loud rumble echoed. Shortly after, an iron cage of steel fences emerged from the perimeter of the arena. The steel fences rose gradually and in the blink of an eye, the entire arena was sealed in the cage.


    What in the world?


    Looking at this scene, Rhode was dumbfounded. He thought that according to the nature of the trial, those who passed would enter the arena and start their brawl straightaway. It made Rhode even more certain, especially after learning that everyone held a piece of crystal and was transported here. After all, there was no shortage of such competitions in the game, where two players fought to snatch the piece of crystal from each other. During the competition, enemies from third and forth parties would join one after another�� The tussle would then repeat itself��


    It shouldn��t be that simple.


    At this thought, Rhode curled his lips. It seemed like this part of the trial was also premeditated. If there were more than two challengers, the trial wouldn��t be that foolish to open up the cage. Instead, in order to prevent a situation where neither of both sides won and allowed the third party to benefit at their expense, the third party couldn��t join in the battle immediately even if he were to enter the arena. Perhaps they would face off until everyone arrived at the arena��


    Isn��t it similar to our situation right now?


    At this thought, Rhode lifted two middle fingers at the Dark Dragon in his mind. Then, he gestured to his group, turned his wrist, and a white, holy sword appeared in his hand. Upon witnessing his hand gesture, the group focused their attention in forming a circular defensive formation, staring at the surroundings in alertness. After all, nothing happened earlier and now that a cage suddenly trapped them inside the arena, any ordinary person knew that something was up.


    At that moment, the old, deep voice that they heard when Erin challenged the trial sounded again.


    ��Brave challengers, congratulations on making it here. Now that all challengers who passed the trial have gathered here, you shall take on the final trial!��


    ��What?! What about Bubble?!��


    ��Huh? Bubble didn��t pass the trial? How is that possible? Even Anne already passed!��


    The first to grumble was Icy Snow, who clenched the bow and her delicate face turned ashen. At the same time, Anne jumped and shrieked. Even though what Anne exclaimed didn��t exactly make sense, it was just like she said; since she had passed the trial, how was it possible that Mini Bubble Gum, who was second only to Cassidy, failed?


    However, that old voice didn��t seem to have the intention to respond to Icy Snow and Anne as it continued to speak its mind.


    ��Next, you shall face an extremely tough challenge��defeat the unprecedented enemies! Kill them! Demolish them all!��


    Rumble��!


    Along with a loud rumble, the ground shook all of a sudden. Shortly after, Rhode��s group realized the arena beneath their feet began to rise. In just a few moments, the outer walls that were five to six meters tall rose to a dozen meters. Up until that moment, Rhode discovered there were seven enormous gates kept out by iron fences below the arena! The gates were five to six meters wide, and a dozen meters tall. There was an instant when Rhode thought they were in the fairytale of ��Alice in Wonderland��, like Alice who drank the shrinking potion and saw the gigantic furnitures�� Wait, exactly what creature in the Dragon Soul Continent required such enormous gates?


    At this thought, Rhode pondered for a few moments. Then, he sulked.


    It can��t be��


    ��Roar������!��


    At the same time, as though confirming his suspicions, numerous snarls reverberated from behind the iron fences. Upon hearing them, everyone except Angelina and Annie turned grim. Rhode and Mini Bubble Gum who were experienced in battles were familiar with the loud bellows. As for Erin and Cassidy, they couldn��t be more familiar with them��especially Erin.


    Those were the bellows of dragons.


    Shortly after, the iron fences lifted and seven humongous, pitch-black dragons flew out of the gates. They expanded their wings and surrounded the group swiftly. Upon witnessing the enemies, Rhode was oddly speechless. Even though he wasn��t familiar with the enemies, he couldn��t be considered to be unfamiliar with them.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, what are they?��


    On the contrary, Erin sized up the huge dragons in disbelief and asked in doubt. It wasn��t surprising that she behaved this way. After all, those dragons were similar to night wyverns, so Erin thought they were of the same race as her. But shortly after, she realized that the dragons didn��t have physical bodies and seemed like beings coalesced from thick fog. Despite that, they still very much looked like dragons��


    ��Don��t mind them, Erin. Even though they look, roar, and even taste like dragons, it��s a pity that I have to tell you��they aren��t dragons at all, but are elemental creatures instead.��


    Taste like dragons?


    After hearing Rhode��s response, this doubt cropped up in Erin��s mind. But shortly after, she threw this question to the back of her head because Rhode��s answer shocked her more than the dragons�� emergence.


    ��Elemental creatures?��


    ��Yes, Big Sister Erin.��


    This time, it was Icy Snow who explained to her. In terms of strength, even though Icy Snow wasn��t as powerful as Erin, in terms of knowledge regarding creatures in the game�� It was an entirely different matter.


    ��You know that elemental creatures can transform into various forms, right? In fact, every elemental creature uses a projection on the main plane and turns into elemental life forms; the same goes for these shadow dragons. Even though they look like dragons, they are still elemental creatures by nature; it��s just that they show up in the form of dragons�� Of course, they are still powerful. If not, they wouldn��t be able to take up the dragon form.��


    I see��


    After listening to Icy Snow��s introduction, Erin put her mind at ease. She was truly startled before and thought that they would be taking on seven night wyverns. Normally, Erin wouldn��t be so worried, of course. But now that her strength was limited and she couldn��t transform into her dragon form, it would naturally be a tougher battle than before. But��


    ��What should we do?��


    ��Everyone, listen to my command!��


    Gazing at the shadow dragons who crowded with evil intentions, Rhode felt his head aching. In the game, he had led parties to battle shadow dragons. As a matter of fact, in terms of strength, shadow dragons were inferior to night wyverns. In the game, Rhode basically led a 10-man-party and wiped out the shadow dragons. Apart from spitting dragon breaths and swinging their mighty tails, the shadow dragons were basically non-threatening. However, they had a unique characteristic�� And a really troublesome one��


    Bubble is missing just when we need her��


    At this thought, Rhode let out a sigh, arranged his thoughts, and took a quick look at the surroundings.


    ��Angelina, after the battle begins, I need you to cast an AoE skill to weaken the enemy��s vitality. Cassidy, I will give you further directions later. Once you hear my command, activate your power of contrast straightaway! Erin, follow me to lure the enemy��s attacks.��


    Rhode gave his commands in an instant, before turning to Icy Snow.


    ��Little Icy, how many light arrows can you create?��


    ��Five, Big Brother. My strength has been limited and without additional buffs from my equipment, five is my maximum.��


    ��Got it. Now that Bubble isn��t around, I will be relying on you to fire the light arrows in scattered formation.��


    Rhode said and turned to Anne.


    ��Anne, guard Icy Snow and activate the King��s Protection shield and sacred barrier. Understand?��


    ��Yes, Leader. Leave it to Anne!��


    ��Good!��


    After ensuring everyone heard his orders, Rhode nodded. Then, he glanced at the shadow dragons that were closely approaching. His eyes glinted in a mysterious flash. At the next moment, he raised his left arm high and swung it down.


    ��Little Icy, attack!��


    Along with Rhode��s command, Icy Snow instantly raised her bow. In the blink of an eye, an incredibly dazzling light arrow appeared on the bowstring. As she released her fingers, the arrow swished across the air and exploded in a loud bang.


    ��������!��


    In an instant, a blinding brilliance like the sun emanated in the originally dusky sky. The blazing, piercing rays exploded in all directions, enfolding everything. Upon witnessing the glaring radiance, the shadow dragons were caught off guard. They retreated in a fluster and raged.


    ��Now, Erin, follow me! Angelina, do it!��


    Rhode was apparently ready for the exploding light arrow. The moment the flashes erupted, he gripped the holy sword, yelled out Erin��s name, and pounced on the shadow dragon before him. Even though Erin was almost stunned by the ��flash bang��, she still reacted swiftly. Upon hearing Rhode��s voice, she flitted across and followed him closely to attack the shadow dragon.


    Under the blinding light, the enormous shadow dragons were weakened drastically. The shadows that composed their bodies dissipated in the light. In the blink of an eye, the shadow dragons were like chickens with their feathers plucked, gradually shriveling from their initial plump bodies.


    This was the one and only biggest weakness of shadow dragons and also of the elemental creatures. Shadowy creatures were most afraid of light. Therefore, as long as an environment of light was created, the threat of the shadow dragons would fall to the lowest. If Mini Bubble Gum were here, Rhode and the others would have a much easier time. After all, Mini Bubble Gum was of the light attribute, which was the natural enemy of shadowy creatures in the Shadow Ravine. It was a pity that no one knew where that little fella ran to and was actually judged to have failed the trial. Without a choice, Rhode had to rely upon Icy Snow to salvage the situation.


    As Rhode and Erin pounced on the shadow dragon in front of them, it detected their arrival. It ignored the strong light, snarled, and extended its razor-sharp claws at them!

 Chapter 1257 - Dark Arena (3)

    Upon facing the shadow dragon that was charging at him, Rhode felt relieved. Shadow dragons were elemental creatures that couldn��t be killed 10,000 times if one used ordinary methods. But as long as one targeted and restrained their attributes, one wouldn��t face any issues. The nemesis of these shadow dragons was the light attribute. To put it bluntly, the key in taking down these shadow dragons was to break them up completely!


    Swish!


    The shadow dragon raised its deadly, razor-sharp claws, swinging down at Rhode. At that moment, Rhode and Erin launched their attacks at the same time. They raised their swords and two glaring blade rays erupted in an instant, enfolding the shadow dragon entirely. The shadow dragon��s claws were ripped apart like sliced cakes, before being devoured by the dazzling brilliance. The shadow dragon let out an agonizing howl. The duo��s combined strike utterly destroyed the magical powers that stabilized its body. As its claws shattered, its forelimb was also shattered into black dust like a crumbling sand tower. The black dust fluttered for only a split second, before vanishing in dazzling rays of light. But at that moment, the shadow dragon widened its jaw and spat a pitch-black, fiery breath on the duo. Facing this menacing attack, they didn��t fluster at all. One was experienced in annihilating dragons, while the other was a true dragon herself. As a result, before the shadow dragon spat flames, the duo had already dodged to the left and right. Rhode turned around, sprung up, and raised his right arm, where a shiny green card appeared in his hand. At the very next moment, the spirit bird showed up behind him!


    ��������!��


    Along with a crisp cry, the spirit bird expanded its wings and released countless lightning bolts from the sky, striking heavily on the shadow dragon. According to the level of the spirit bird, although it couldn��t deal too much damage to the shadow dragon even after Rhode had risen its level to the maximum, its ��electric�� attribute was part of the key to defeating the shadow dragon!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A string of lightning bolts blasted the shadow dragon. Even though it was almost harmless, the constant flashes thinned layer upon layer of its dense, shadowy body.


    ��Now, Angelina! Weaken them!��


    ��Yes, Master!��


    Angelina was long prepared for this moment. Facing the shadow dragons who pounced on her, the young lady didn��t panic in the slightest. Perhaps she was used to being dismembered so she wasn��t afraid of the razor-sharp claws that slashed at her. She chanted an incantation under her breath and abruptly slammed her palms together after a few seconds. Along with this action, a huge, scarlet magical ritual extended with her in the middle. Shortly after, a dozen shriveled arms composed of scarlet smoke extended from the magical ritual, gripping the shadow dragons�� bodies. Although the arms seemed harmless, the shadow dragons turned sluggish and lifeless instantly.


    Meanwhile, Icy Snow also seized the opportunity to fire another light arrow. In the blink of an eye, a blazing, glaring sun appeared over the dark arena once again, illuminating everything in brightness.


    ��Woah�� It��s so glaring����


    Looking at this scene, Anne couldn��t help but narrow her eyes and grumble. As a matter of fact, it was just like she mentioned; the dark arena wasn��t ��dark�� at all. Icy Snow��s light arrows, Erin��s and Rhode��s spiritual blade rays, the spirit bird��s constant lightning flashes, Angelina��s scarlet magical ritual, and the brilliance from Anne��s ��King��s Protection�� shield lit up the arena like an idol concert hall. The entire place was enveloped in flashing, blinding lights. Rhode had to do this because if Bubble were around, he could make her release a ��light realm�� and toss all the shadow dragons into it. When that happened, it would only be an issue as to how they would go about fighting the shadow dragons. But now that Bubble wasn��t here, Rhode had no choice but to create a knock-off ��light realm��. Despite that, the knock-off wasn��t genuine, after all, which resulted in the arena turning into a shiny ballroom. One was easily dazzled after looking at the twinkling lights for a long time. But right now, this was the best strategy that Rhode had in mind.


    He could only take one step at a time!


    Along with the explosion of the second light arrow, the shadow dragon that suffered a pincer attack from Erin and Rhode turned miserable and desperate. It attempted to retreat from the arena of blinding lights, but Rhode wasn��t that kind to fulfill its desires. Because he clearly knew that if the shadow dragons were to return to the shadows, they would absorb the power of shadows and regain their strength in mere minutes!


    ��Erin, don��t let it escape! Hurry!��


    ��I got it, Your Majesty Rhode!��


    Upon hearing his command, Erin was alarmed. She wasn��t a fool either. After witnessing the shadow dragons turning weak in this brilliance, she knew that light was their weakness. And coincidentally, Erin��s attribute was the moon! Although she couldn��t summon moonlight here, her blade consisted of powers of the light element too!


    After hearing Rhode��s command, she gripped the sword, aimed at the shadow dragon, and swung her right arm forward!


    Shing!


    Along with this attack, a dazzling blade ray erupted from her blade. The blade ray that was almost 10 meters in length divided the darkness and slammed into the shadow dragon��s wings. In the blink of an eye, the shadow dragon howled in grief as its left wing was cut off from its body. Upon losing its balance, the shadow dragon collapsed onto the ground in a loud boom, losing all of its strength and was unable to escape. Not only that, but the instant it slammed onto the surface, its body also dissipated greatly. When it struggled to lift its head to deal the final blow, Rhode had already transformed into a bolt of lightning with his sword and punctured its skull upon descending from above!


    ��Roar��!��


    Under the meteor-like, dazzling brilliance, the shadow dragon gave its final cry. Rhode pierced a major hole in the middle of its skull. But despite that, the shadow dragon continued to lift its head to deal its final attack! However, it didn��t notice that at the same time, Icy Snow had released the light arrow from her bow.


    The long, white trajectory penetrated the darkness, into the incredibly thin body of the shadow dragon. At the next moment, a vibrant brilliance exploded from inside its body. The light torrents that burst out of its wounds devoured the weakened body completely. In the blink of an eye, the shadow dragon vanished before their eyes.


    ��Way to go!��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction as the shadow dragon vanished completely. He gestured to Erin and the duo turned around and pounced on the remaining shadow dragons.


    As a matter of fact, the way to deal with the shadow dragons was simple. They just had to manipulate light to weaken them, deal physical attacks to their cores, and let Icy Snow obliterate them with the light arrows. The most important factor was light. With the presence of light, anything was achievable. The dark arena was completely enfolded in bright, flashing lights. As the shadow dragons, who were surrounded by Angelina��s blood curse, struggled to break free from the bright arena to start all over again, their speed decreased greatly under the effects of the curse. In addition to Rhode��s and Erin��s pincer attack and Icy Snow��s light arrows that erupted from time to time, two to three shadow dragons were wiped out in mere seconds. During the fight, some shadow dragons tried to take down Icy Snow, but Anne wasn��t one to be trifled with either. The instant they brandished their claws at Icy Snow, Anne leaped and hurled her shield. The ��holy�� attribute of the King��s Protection was incredibly strong. After the shadow dragons were crushed by the shield several times, they feared approaching Icy Snow.


    ��Three left! We need to hurry!��


    After another shadow dragon was devoured by a light arrow, Rhode swept a glance at the remaining three shadow dragons and yelled out his command. He lacked forces on his side. Angelina and Icy Snow had to take control of the battle situation, Anne was responsible for protecting Icy Snow, while he and Erin had to chase and slaughter the weakened shadow dragons. They weren��t quick enough. If he were able to pull in 10 people for this fight, perhaps the shadow dragons would have already been defeated. But it was a pity that most of the card spirits in his arsenal didn��t possess the light attribute, so they would be almost ineffective against the shadow dragons. Not only that, but they might also, in turn, strengthen the shadow dragons instead. This was why Rhode didn��t summon Celestina, Little Five (the specter young lady), and Shira into battle. If they were to deal with the shadow dragons, their attributes would only make matters worse. Not only would the shadow dragons not be weakened, but they would also become stronger, worsening the situation.


    As for the members of the Ultimate Army Deck, they were part of the ��Casali under the night sky�� venue card, which was also of the darkness attribute. Not only that, but their attacking powers were also weak. If the shadow dragons were to devour them for strength, Rhode��s effort would be wasted.


    Due to that reason, Rhode had no choice but to deploy this time-wasting strategy. At that moment, he sharply detected that as time passed, the torches pinned on both sides of the arena began to extinguish. It wasn��t because they were impacted by the attacks; it was more likely that they were countdown timers. Rhode was certain that once the flames extinguished entirely, the range of darkness shrouding the arena would expand, making their battle an even tougher one!


    ��Roarrrr������!��


    The moment Rhode and Erin linked up to attack the three remaining shadow dragons, the three shadow dragons let out furious snarls and drew close to them. Looking at their retaliation, Rhode��s scalp tingled. In an instant, he realized what they were up to!


    ��Everyone, attack! Angelina, Anne, cast all the blinding spells you know! Icy Snow, release the explosive light arrow!��


    ��Yes, Big Brother!��


    Upon hearing his command, Icy Snow nodded in agreement immediately. She was one of the many players who traveled extensively with him in the game, so she naturally knew what the three shadow dragons were up to when they gathered in one spot. Icy Snow pulled the bowstring without any hesitation. Along with her action, a pure white arrow manifested on the bowstring, emanating bright spots of light. Not only that, but a dozen translucent, gorgeous, and mysterious runes also circled the arrow. But Icy Snow wasn��t in the mood to be mesmerized by them now. She squinted at the shadow dragons and released her bowstring.


    As though Chaos was shattered and heaven and earth was split, and darkness and light were divided in a clear line. The moment she fired her arrow, the dark arena was split into dark and light. The smear of dazzling brilliance shot straight ahead, dyeing its path in vibrancy. The arrow was like a tiny boat braving the winds and billows, barging into the dark seas and bringing light to the world!


    The moment the light arrow penetrated one of the shadow dragons, all three of them were done for.


    Boom������!


    The pure, white light was like a snowy spot of radiance with a circular light band that expanded in all directions. The arrow-struck shadow dragon let out an anguished wail, disappearing into dust after being crushed by the ring of light. Looking at this scene, Rhode couldn��t help but heave a sigh of relief. But shortly after, a string of loud bellows made him tense up.


    ��Roar������ Roar������!��


    Along with the snarls, a pitch-black column rose from the flat ground, charging straight into the expanded ring of light. In just a few moments, the pitch-black column shattered in a loud explosion and a shadow dragon with two skulls and twice the size of the ones from before appeared from within, pouncing on the group in rage.


    ��Damn it!��


    Looking at this ridiculous scene, Rhode cursed in wrath. The most annoying part about shadow dragons was that they could randomly fuse with one another into an even stronger individual. That was why when he witnessed the three shadow dragons leaning closer to one another, he knew that the situation was far from good. Despite that, he didn��t expect to fall short of success at the very last moment. He couldn��t help but gaze at Icy Snow. The fatigued young lady looked pale and was a spent force right now. The explosive light arrow had consumed almost all of her strength and now, she didn��t have any more power to engage in battles anymore.


    Looks like we need to meet force with force now!


    ��Angelina, Anne, protect Little Icy. Leave the shadow dragon to me and Erin! Everyone, draw close to the remaining torches!��


    Rhode knew that the fused shadow dragon was much more challenging and closer to a true BOSS in strength. Besides, what was equally annoying about it was that it would summon critters into battle like any other BOSSes. That was why an individual shadow dragon wasn��t terrifying in Shadow Ravine, but when fused�� Even Rhode had a hard time dealing with them.


    What gave Rhode a bigger headache was that more than half the torches around the arena had been extinguished. After the halo effect of the explosive light arrow dissipated, more than half of the arena was enveloped in darkness. Only the light in the corner where Rhode��s group was in continued to hold strong. But judging from the time the torches took to extinguish, the torches on his corner would last another two hours, at the very most.


    And now��


    Rhode calculated the time and knitted his brows at the two-headed shadow dragon. At that moment, more than half of its body was shrouded in darkness, and it also gradually increased in size. Rhode knew that this was the shadow dragon absorbing the power of darkness to replenish its strength. Even though Icy Snow��s explosive light arrow didn��t annihilate the two shadow dragons entirely, they were heavily injured. Now that they fused with each other, they had to heal their injuries. And as soon as they healed their wounds completely, maybe they would launch their attack straightaway. But the problem was that Icy Snow was exhausted. Without light arrows to dominate the situation, what could Rhode��s group do to deal with the two-headed shadow dragon?


    ��Big Brother, let me do it����


    As Rhode considered a way to eliminate the two-headed shadow dragon, Icy Snow��s voice sounded all of a sudden. He turned around and witnessed the pale young lady gasping for air, lifting her bow, and gazing at him.


    ��I can fire two more light arrows with my remaining spiritual energy����


    ��No, Little Icy. Two light arrows aren��t enough to defeat it. Don��t sacrifice yourself for nothing, I��m sure there is another way����


    Rhode shook his head to refuse Icy Snow��s suggestion. After exerting most of her strength, Icy Snow��s spiritual power was no longer enough to support her in controlling the battle situation. But without her light arrows, the two-headed shadow dragon couldn��t be easily defeated. The reason why Rhode and Erin chased after the shadow dragons and chopped them up like vegetables earlier was mainly due to the light element that held them back. And now, in the darkness, even though the two-headed shadow dragon was an elemental creature, it was almost as strong as a true night wyvern!


    ��What should we do, Rhode?��


    Gazing at the two-headed shadow dragon, Erin puckered her brows and asked anxiously. She discovered that after its fusion, it became much stronger. At least for now, she didn��t dare to attack brazenly anymore. She instinctively felt a strong sense of danger from it.


    ��Erin, do you have any other skills that can emit light?��


    Rhode ran out of ideas. If he had the ��Casali under the night sky�� venue card, he could drag the enemy and Erin into the venue. As the venue had a full moon hanging over the sky, Erin��s strength would increase with the power of the moon and wiping out the two-headed shadow dragon would only require minutes. But now��


    ��Emit light����


    Facing Rhode��s question, Erin pondered for a few moments. Then, her eyes suddenly glinted.


    ��I think�� Maybe I can give that a shot����

 Chapter 1258 - Dark Arena (4)

    ��Do you have any ideas?��


    Rhode turned to Erin and asked. If they didn��t break through the imprisonment forcefully, there was really nothing much he could do. It was always a huge problem whenever the attribute wasn��t right and they couldn��t restrain the enemy. Unless one was so powerful that one defied everything, none of the restraining would be meaningful. Of course, Rhode possessed such power. But�� Sometimes, being too powerful might not necessarily be a good thing.


    Upon hearing his question, Erin narrowed her eyes, sized up the two-headed shadow dragon, and replied.


    ��When I took on the trial, I received a certain extent of dragon soul authority. Even though I can��t fully restore my dragon form, I can still use my spirit to coalesce into the dragon form and summon moonlight for a certain period. Perhaps it won��t be as powerful as Icy Snow��s light arrows, but it shouldn��t be an issue as a source of light itself. It��s just that the range can��t be too huge. Besides, when I summon the moonlight, I can��t move.��


    ��I see����


    Rhode knitted his brows to Erin��s response. As a matter of fact, this wasn��t good news at all because the only forces the group had against the two-headed shadow dragon were Erin and Rhode. If Erin were to step down from the battle to summon moonlight, Rhode would be taking on the two-headed shadow dragon alone. He could give it a shot if he were up against an individual shadow dragon. But now, the two-headed shadow dragon was stronger, so much so that he couldn��t defeat it effortlessly. Moreover, the two-headed shadow dragon would also summon shadowy creatures from the shadows as soon as it was under attack. Not only that, but Icy Snow was also fatigued and defenses were only up to Anne and Angelina. Anne was fine and Angelina could also take on one or two shadowy creatures. But if there were too many of them, perhaps she would end up dismembered like when she was in the Spring of Light��


    Rhode puckered his brows and went through his summoning cards once more, only to helplessly discover that he had a lack of cards with the light attribute. Most of them possessed either the darkness or water attribute. The only one who had the light attribute was Celia. As for the other holy sword cards�� They were clearly ��holy sword�� cards, but why were they ��darker�� than ever? They were either demons or specters or undeads�� That didn��t really make sense.


    Apart from those who were related to the source of darkness, Karin was the only one with human attributes, so she wasn��t useful for this battle. On the other hand, Gracier and Madaras were in the Elf Forest right now and Rhode couldn��t contact them the slightest. Of course, even if he could�� well, there wasn��t any use in thinking about that since they were so far away right now. In that case, there was only one person who he could rely upon.


    ��Cassidy, how are you doing?��


    ��I can��t hold on much longer, Your Majesty. I can only activate the power of contrast once more, provided the range isn��t too far apart.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s query, Cassidy who stood on the other side wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead and responded. As the Contrast Deity Warden, even though she was doing better than the rest, it was a pity that in a place like Shadow Ravine where darkness dominated, the power of contrast that she could utilize was also limited. Just like Erin��s moon rule, there could only be shadows with the presence of light. This was the meaning of contrast. But on the other hand, if shadows occupied 80 percent of space, while light took 20 percent, it couldn��t be considered a ��contrast�� at all. For that reason, the amount of rule power that Cassidy could draw upon was also lessened drastically. Furthermore, she had expended a lot of strength earlier and was exhausted right now.


    Rhode had initially decided to keep her as a trump card, but her power of contrast was a double-edged sword. Besides, according to her, she had a hard time manipulating the rule of the power of contrast. Moreover, the arena was lit up in brilliance earlier and if she were to activate the power of contrast, maybe the arena that Rhode and Icy Snow spent a whole lot of effort to illuminate would be darkened instantly. That was why he didn��t make her do it, but only let her pair up with Angelina to harass the shadow dragons instead. And now, it seemed like it was time for Cassidy to deal the critical blow.


    ��One time, huh�� It��s enough.��


    Upon hearing Cassidy��s answer, Rhode nodded, extended his arm, and swung abruptly. Shortly after, as a card flickered in his hand, a group of heavily-armored warriors appeared before the group with highly-raised shields. They encircled the arena wall, forming an incredibly strong barrier.


    ��Anne, Angelina, Icy Snow��stay back and protect yourselves. The BOSS will summon shadowy creatures whenever it is under attack. If the shadowy creatures attack you, you just have to defend yourselves��don��t attract their attention. There will be an endless amount of them; you girls don��t have the strength to go against them, so just do your best in holding them back.��


    Rhode said, threw a meaningful look at Erin, and turned to Cassidy.


    ��Cassidy, follow me. Remember, listen to my orders. As soon as I give my command, no matter what situation you��re in, instantly activate the power of contrast on the two-headed shadow dragon.��


    ��Activate the power of contrast on the two-headed shadow dragon����


    Cassidy couldn��t help but twitch the corner of her eye.


    ��Are you sure it will be fine, Your Majesty? I can��t guarantee their safety if anything bad happens, alright?��


    ��We need to take a risk. If we continue to waste time, we will all be dead anyway.��


    Rhode knew that Cassidy��s worries weren��t unreasonable. After all, no one was certain what would happen after activating the power of contrast on the two-headed shadow dragon. The situation would be as though when Cassidy activated the power of contrast on Rhode and his younger sister, where their genders switched. It would be for the best if the two-headed shadow dragon were annihilated directly. But if it turned into a two-headed light dragon or whatnot, the situation would become more challenging. But now, Rhode didn��t have any better ideas. Currently, the two-headed shadow dragon was healing its wounds. If he didn��t seize the opportunity and allowed it to recuperate fully, it would be too late!


    ��Erin, summon the moonlight!��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty Rhode!��


    Upon hearing his command, Erin nodded swiftly and raised her sword high. Shortly after, the group noticed glimmers of bright, gentle, silver-whitish moonlight emanating from the young lady��s body. In the blink of an eye, the brilliance rushed toward the ceiling like surging flames, expanded, and coalesced, transforming into an enormous white dragon! Glaring at the two-headed shadow dragon, the white dragon widened its jaw, lifted its neck, and let out a deafening bellow.


    ��Roarrrr������!��


    Along with snarls, a pure ray of moonlight descended from above like a spotlight on a stageplay, enfolding the two-headed shadow dragon entirely. The two-headed shadow dragon couldn��t help but howl in grief, while the shadows circulating its body melted away like snow under the blazing sun. Not only that, but the instant the two-headed shadow dragon was illuminated by the moonlight, its massive body also sank and crumbled onto the ground!


    Moonlight works great!


    Rhode was overjoyed at this thought. He brandished the sword instantly as he sprinted toward the two-headed shadow dragon.


    ��Cassidy, take the left. I��ll go from the right and we��ll attack their eyes!��


    ��Okay, Your Majesty!��


    Upon hearing his command, Cassidy responded swiftly. Shortly after, the duo dashed toward the two-headed shadow dragon in two trails of afterimages from the left and right. The two-headed shadow dragon also seemed to notice the arrival of danger. It lifted its two heads high, glaring at the two humans flitting toward it. The moment Rhode and Cassidy entered its field of vision, the two dragon heads snapped their jaws open and bit down on the tiny prey!


    Swish!


    Facing the dragons�� mouths that bit down toward him, Rhode had no intention of evading. On the contrary, he picked up speed from the almost invisible string of afterimages. He made an upward leap at a 90-degree angle, dodging the devourment of the huge, menacing mouth. Not only that, but he also flashed by at the same time and landed above the dragon��s nose! After completing the series of challenging maneuvers, Rhode had no hesitation in the slightest. He turned his sword around and brandished it from above!


    Blade rays glittered. The two-headed shadow dragon��s mouth was punctured and in an instant, its body composed of shadows collapsed, while the front of its mouth was also thinned.


    ��Roarrr������!��


    Upon taking this deadly attack, the right head wailed and dangled on its neck. But at the same time, the left head turned over abruptly, widened its mouth, and pitch-black dragon flames coalesced within it. In just a few seconds, a deadly beam of darkness would enfold Rhode completely. But��


    ��Don��t look down upon me, you foolish dragon!��


    Along with a furious snarl, Cassidy burst forward like a nimble elf. She flourished her sword, penetrating the eye of the left head ruthlessly. Shortly after, razor-sharp spiritual radiance erupted from her blade, ripping apart its right eye. The ambush left the two-headed shadow dragon in agony. It raised its head and the pitch-black dragon breath that was supposed to blast Rhode was released into the air instead, hurting no one. At that moment, Rhode also seized the opportunity and struck the left eye with his blade!


    ����!


    This time, even though the two-headed shadow dragon was well prepared and closed its eye, Rhode��s all-out attack shouldn��t be belittled. Moreover, he aimed his attack at the target��s only weakness. Even if the two-headed shadow dragon closed its eyes, his sword punctured the eyelids mercilessly. Along with the eruption of spiritual brilliance, the left eye was demolished. Countless light blades shot out from the wound, tearing the perfect shadows into chunks. Despite that, Rhode didn��t feel proud of his achievement yet because he was clearly aware that elemental creatures were only simulated forms and not real living things. Even though he and Cassidy blinded the dragon��s eyes respectively, as long as the dragon had enough time, its eyes would recover completely. Apart from blinding the dragon by piercing its eyes, there weren��t any other useful benefits. Furthermore, Rhode wasn��t only aiming to temporarily blind the dragon, but looking to eradicate it instead!


    ��Roar������ Roar������!��


    But at that moment, the two-headed shadow dragon that was constantly under attack blew its top. It struggled, rocking its heads, letting out deep, furious growls. Along with its fierce bellows, the surrounding darkness shook as shadowy creatures of all shapes and sizes crawled out one after another, swarming toward the two-headed shadow dragon.


    I knew it!


    Looking at this scene, Rhode��s chest tightened. He turned and swept a glance at Anne and the rest of the group immediately. But what assured him was that the shadowy creatures didn��t encircle them, perhaps because the young ladies were enveloped in the radiance of the torches, or maybe because they followed his order and didn��t attack the shadowy creatures. On the contrary, the shadowy creatures in the part of the arena that was shrouded in shadows darted toward the two-headed shadow dragon instead. What was more bothersome was that not only were there only land creatures, but there were also a dozen shadowy creatures that flew across the air!


    That was going to be a problem. Not only would the shadowy creatures coordinate with the two-headed shadow dragon in their attacks on Rhode��s group, but the wounded two-headed shadow dragon could also replenish its lost strength by taking them in. When that happened, this battle would be endless!


    ��The other eye!��


    Rhode arranged his frantic thoughts and yelled. He withdrew the sword that pierced the dragon��s left eye and rolled aside to dodge the razor-sharp claw that swung from above. He shuttled to the other side of the dragon and slashed his sword from above!


    ����!


    ��Roar!��


    ��Roar!��


    The two heads howled almost at the same time. This time, even though the two-headed shadow dragon was an elemental creature, it couldn��t handle the pincer attack from Rhode and Cassidy. It rocked its heads frantically, lifted its body, and swung its claws around its heads, aimlessly swatting the annoying ��flies�� of Rhode and Cassidy. But Rhode had already anticipated this move. After blinding two of the dragon��s eyes, he jumped off from its head. However, he didn��t land on the ground; the moment he leaped, he stared at the exposed neck of the dragon!


    That was the weakness of the dragon race!


    This was the main reason why Rhode penetrated the dragon��s eyes. The biggest weakness of all dragon races was their head and neck area, and one had to hit where it hurt. However, it wasn��t easy to target the weakest points. As dragons normally shrunk their heads, their weakness wasn��t exposed to players. And in order to make dragons reveal it, they had to raise their heads.


    And now, the two-headed shadow dragon who rocked its heads finally exposed its weakness to Rhode.


    This is the final chance!


    ��Cassidy, go all-out!��


    Rhode yelled and gripped the holy sword. A dazzling, sacred brilliance erupted from the blade, enfolding him entirely. He zoomed ahead, metamorphosing into a glaring white ray that shot straight at the dragon��s neck! At the same time, Cassidy also went all-out. She aimed the sword at the other neck and slashed from above. The eye-catching radiance turned into a mighty blade that penetrated the neck.


    Boom!


    A brilliance that was a thousand times brighter erupted in the neck, blending with the moonlight as one. The two-headed shadow dragon��s heads shook, trembled, and were torn apart. Its enormous body crumpled onto the ground, seemingly to have reached the end of its life. But Rhode was aware that this was just an illusion. After all, it was an elemental creature! He could only weaken its strength temporarily by attacking its weakness and couldn��t eliminate it entirely. But to him, what he needed was this moment of opportunity.


    ��Cassidy: power of contrast!��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty!��


    Upon hearing his command, Cassidy responded swiftly. She stared grimly at the two-headed shadow dragon, raised her sword, and pierced its body with force. Shortly after, an array of colorful brilliance flickered around her, flowing from her arms to the tip of the blade and onto the dragon.


    ��������!��


    It only took an instant.


    The pitch-black body of the two-headed shadow dragon emanated a dazzling, white radiance. The dim, deep blackness vanished, only to be replaced by an eye-catching whiteness that fused with the moonlight that shone from above. After a few moments, the trembling dragon stopped moving, before turning into spots of light and disappearing into thin air. At the same time, the moonlight that enfolded and imprisoned the dragon dimmed and vanished in the darkness.


    ��Phew����


    At that moment, Rhode stared at the battlefield and heaved a sigh of relief. The shadowy creatures returned to where they came from after their summoner vanished. Earlier on, Rhode took a chance to see whether the two-headed shadow dragon would be demolished after Cassidy activated the power of contrast. And now, it seemed�� Rather successful.


    Seems like the gamble worked.


    At this thought, Rhode nodded at Cassidy in satisfaction. The latter also gazed at him, but didn��t say a word.


    ��Good job, Cassidy����


    But as Rhode decided to continue speaking, the earlier voice echoed all of a sudden again.


    ��Well done, brave challengers. You��ve completed the first test. Next, you will face more terrifying enemies!��


    What the heck?!


    Upon hearing the ridiculous announcement, Rhode cursed loudly��

 Chapter 1259 - Soldier From Heaven

    ��What happened, Leader?��


    ��Did we do something wrong?��


    Not only was Rhode furious, but Angelina, Anne, and the others also turned to him dubiously. The current situation was far from good. Everyone expended almost all their strength in the earlier battle. They thought the battle was about to end after eliminating the shadow dragons. But now, it wasn��t considered completed yet? Upon hearing the announcement, not only did Rhode almost extend his middle fingers, but his group also pulled long faces. It seemed like this made them personally experience how annoying and depressing the trials were��


    As for Erin, she was so exhausted that she couldn��t speak a word. Even though she learned the skill to use her spiritual powers to coalesce into dragon form, she didn��t expect it to be so exhausting. A few moments ago, she had almost used up all her strength. She didn��t have much strength for battle for now.


    Where exactly went wrong?


    But unlike the rest, Rhode puckered his brows and pondered deeply. They arrived here and started a battle against the shadow dragons�� This was a part of the trial? No, it shouldn��t be that simple. The Dark Dragon was cunning and shameless, so a trap wouldn��t be this obvious. Every inheritance ceremony was related to the dragon soul power; this stage was no exception either. Besides, this stage shouldn��t be testing the strength of dragon soul heir��


    Hmmm?


    At this thought, Rhode��s eyes glinted.


    Firstly, the Dark Arena was definitely used for battles. Secondly, there were at least two participants, which meant that when the former Dark Dragon designed this trial, it predicted that there might be more than two dragon soul heirs. But in the end, only one of them was able to inherit the dragon soul. According to this theory, there should be one final winner after the massacre.


    But�� Is it really logical?


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but glance at Erin who stood by the side. She was also a dragon soul heir. Besides, even if she didn��t inherit the Dark Dragon��s power, she still possessed strong battle strength. She didn��t rely upon the dragon soul power to gain her intelligence, but Ion and her treated each other with respect. Rhode understood Erin well. Even if she knew that she was a dragon soul heir, she most likely wouldn��t snatch the position from Ion. Hypothetically, if it were Erin and Ion in this arena, in what ways would they confirm who would be the rightful dragon soul heir? It couldn��t possibly be through verbal commitment, right��?


    Could it be��?!


    At this thought, Rhode lifted his head suddenly.


    ��Everyone, hand over your crystals to Erin. Now, hurry!��


    ��Huh?��


    Anne and the rest were stunned. Despite that, they didn��t hesitate for long. They reached into their pockets and passed the crystals to Erin quickly. Even though Erin didn��t know why Rhode gave such a command at that moment, she also knew this wasn��t the time to be questioning his decision. As a result, Erin didn��t give it much thought, but stretched out her arms to accept the crystals from everyone instead.


    Ding������!


    The moment Rhode handed over his crystal to Erin, a crisp sound echoed. Shortly after, the crystals on Erin��s palms began to revolve, float, and flutter in midair. A silver-whitish light column descended from above, shining on the spot in front of her. The crystals flew into the light column, fused, and coalesced into a brand new form gradually. The unknown crystals that were in their possession merged and transformed into a beautiful, white scepter!


    ��Leader, you did it!��


    Looking at this scene, even though Anne didn��t know how Rhode did it, it was apparent that he succeeded. Anne couldn��t help but raise her arms and cheer in excitement. Meanwhile, Icy Snow who stood by the side gazed at him in astonishment, before asking curiously.


    ��Big Brother, how did you come up with that?��


    Upon hearing Icy Snow��s question, Rhode forced a smile, extended his arm to stroke her long hair, and said.


    ��As a matter of fact, my guesses were right from the start. Since we arrived here upon receiving the crystals, it is almost certain that this stage is related to those crystal fragments. As the trial is too despicable, it didn��t give us much time to consider the situation, but released the shadow dragons as soon as we arrived here instead. Facing the shadow dragons, we definitely need to get rid of them. But in the Shadow Ravine, it is impossible to annihilate them all. Besides, the true goal of this trial isn��t to battle. Dragon soul heirs are the rulers of the lands under the dragon soul protections. As a ruler, the priority is to gain the confidence and the respect of everyone. Be it respect or fear, people have to surrender to the dragon soul heir unconditionally. Therefore, the true goal of this dark arena is to see whether the dragon soul heir who arrived here is capable enough to gain the recognition of other dragon soul heirs!��


    ��I see�� No wonder I feel like something is wrong.��


    Angelina nodded in agreement. In fact, this trial fitted the characteristics of the undead. That was why from the start, she felt like the methods were really familiar. But it was a pity that she didn��t have much time to ponder. With her strength, it was tough enough for her to ensure that she wasn��t dismembered by the shadow dragons, not to mention considering trivial matters. However, it didn��t matter to her. Erin should have been the dragon soul heir of the Dark Dragon and Angelina had no intention of getting involved. As for the rest, they weren��t mindful either. They were followers of Rhode, so they didn��t care about the Dark Dragon��s inheritance. But�� The situation wasn��t that simple.


    ��Big Brother, we��re lacking one crystal!��


    At that moment, Icy Snow yelled. Upon hearing her voice, Rhode was startled. He lifted his head and looked at the light column. Indeed, the crystal fragments had fused completely, but the tip of the white scepter was still lacking one crystal!


    Dang it!


    Rhode couldn��t help but curse. It seemed like the crystal fragments were distributed according to the number of challengers. And now that Mini Bubble Gum wasn��t around, the last piece of crystal fragment couldn��t be fused. Without the last piece of crystal, the scepter couldn��t be completed and Erin wouldn��t be able to receive the dragon soul power�� Rhode didn��t expect to fall short at the final moment. Come to think of it, where exactly had Mini Bubble Gum gone to?!


    But before Rhode came up with a solution to resolve the issue, that old voice resounded in their ears again.


    ��Alright then. For the second test, you shall face a stronger enemy����


    Along with that voice, the steel fences enfolding the arena rumbled at the same time, before opening on the left and right. Looking at this scene, Rhode was stunned. The steel cage over the arena was nothing good, to begin with. And now, shadowy creatures were about to descend from above and encircle them? In that case, it seemed like Rhode��s only hope left was to activate his ��cheats�� and break through the limit on his strength��


    Rhode gripped his sword and stared at the darkness in front of him. As expected, an enormous shadow appeared in just a few moments, darting toward his group!


    It��s massive!


    Staring at the enormous shadow, Rhode��s heart sank to the bottom. The shadowy creature was much larger than the two-headed shadow dragon. What made matters worse was that Rhode was the only one with battle strength right now. It was imaginable if he were to take on such a gigantic BOSS following a normal strategy, he wouldn��t stand a chance.


    Seems like I can only rely upon myself now��


    At this thought, Rhode narrowed his eyes. He was prepared for battle, but before that, he had to identify the enemy before deciding his next move. Then��


    Hmm?


    While Rhode observed the enemy and was about to strike, the enormous creature grew larger and came closer��


    Why does it seem to be moving really quickly?


    ��Everyone, retreat immediately!��


    Rhode commanded, backing off at the same time. Anne and Erin, who stood by the side, stepped back swiftly and stared at the sky. Under everyone��s watchful eyes, the enormous creature charged straight into the dark arena without stopping. In a loud bang, the enormous creature slammed onto the middle of the dark arena, raising a massive cloud of dust.


    Damn, the way this BOSS showed up is a little too grand, huh? It also plunged head-first��


    Rhode and Icy Snow widened their eyes in shock. As the heavens attested, they fought more than thousands of BOSSes, but this was their first time witnessing such a grand entrance for one. Did they still stand a chance against it? Wouldn��t they be wiped out instantly?


    The moment that enormous creature slammed onto the ground, Rhode caught a glimpse of its identity. If he weren��t mistaken, it should be the same shadow dragon�� But if they were the same, crashing onto the ground head-first would snap its neck already.


    As Rhode considered whether he should step closer, a pure, white light column descended from above all of a sudden, blasting on the ground.


    Boom!


    Along with the loud bang, Rhode felt the ground beneath his feet tremble violently. The cloud of dust fluttering in the arena also scattered. Up until that moment, everyone witnessed that it was actually a Skeletal Dragon that landed! However, the Skeletal Dragon��s massive body was already covered in scars and cracks. Not only that, but its head was also smashed into a terrible mess. Its neck had also shattered just like Rhode anticipated. But�� No matter how he looked at it, it was completely done for. Why did they need to face this creature for the next stage of the trial? That wasn��t logical at all. This creature was already dead, wasn��t it?


    ��Master, this Skeletal Dragon was the one trapped in the dragon prison!��


    At that moment, Angelina, who sneaked over to size up the creature, spoke immediately. Rhode had never seen this dragon before. However, Erin and Angelina did, so they recognized instantly that it was that dragon who was locked up by the exit. But�� What was it doing here?


    ��Roar��!��


    While Rhode and Erin exchanged looks of confusion, the dragon with a battered head snapped its jaw open and let out deep snarls. Everyone took several steps back in fear. Could it be that this was the exact form of the Skeletal Dragon? And it just couldn��t be defeated? In that case, this spelled trouble!


    Boom!


    What exceeded everyone��s expectation was that when they were preparing to deal with the Skeletal Dragon, another light column landed from above, striking the Skeletal Dragon��s head. This time, the Skeletal Dragon uttered a wail and stopped moving. But for some unknown reason, Rhode thought the light column seemed really familiar��


    Almost at the same time, he heard an even more familiar voice.


    ��So what if you��re a BOSS?! How dare you steal my crystal! Are you sick of living already?! Come and snatch it from me again if you dare! Aren��t you capable of flying? Weren��t you acting all high and mighty? Come on. Get into 300 more battles with me! Just a stupid Skeletal Dragon and you even dare touch my stuff. Touch it again if you dare. I��ll break all your bones!��


    That voice��


    ��Bubble?��


    Rhode gazed at the Skeletal Dragon and asked. Shortly after, the group witnessed a petite figure jumping out from the side of the huge dragon. Yes, it was the same Mini Bubble Gum who had gone missing!


    ��Ah, Leader!��


    Upon noticing Rhode, Mini Bubble Gum revealed a delightful expression. She jumped off the dragon and scuttled toward him.


    ��Where is this place? All of you are here already, huh? I��m not late, right!��


    ��You came�� quite quickly. But what��s going on?��


    Rhode said, gazing dubiously at the Skeletal Dragon. After all, he couldn��t contact Mini Bubble Gum and moments ago, the Skeletal Dragon crash-landed, which was really strange. Upon hearing his question, Mini Bubble Gum��s eyes glinted. She tugged his sleeve and began to narrate her experience hurriedly.


    As a matter of fact, Mini Bubble Gum didn��t have it better. She was thrown directly into the ancient battlefield of the Shadow Ravine, an extremely dangerous place. The so-called ancient battlefield was, in fact, the projection of the Creation War. For that reason, that place could be considered to contain the projections of all races in the Dragon Soul Continent and they were all difficult to deal with. If it were someone else who arrived there, they wouldn��t be able to survive. Fortunately for Mini Bubble Gum, she was the ��light maiden��. Even though her actions were nothing like a maiden��s, player classes were what they were, so no one could do a thing about it��


    It was imaginable how the projected shadowy army feared Mini Bubble Gum like mice meeting a cat. It went without saying that the violent Mini Bubble Gum wouldn��t let go of this opportunity to wreak havoc. As a result, she devastated the battlefield. The light column that Icy Snow witnessed earlier was also proof of Mini Bubble Gum��s glorious battle.


    Mini Bubble Gum didn��t waste too much time wiping out the critters. In just a few moments, she annihilated all the enemies on the ancient battlefield. Of course, she also spotted the crystal, which was located at the top of the tower in the middle of the battlefield. Just when she picked up the crystal, the Skeletal Dragon appeared all of a sudden, swooped down, and snatched it from her hand. Not only that, but the Skeletal Dragon also taunted her. That was when it stabbed a hornet��s nest. In the game, Mini Bubble Gum was so vicious that she didn��t even bother about game masters. After the crystal was snatched away from her, she blew her top, gave chase, and beat up the blatant thief. Even though the Skeletal Dragon was ferocious, Mini Bubble Gum wasn��t one to be trifled with either. Moreover, her holy power was highly effective against the undeads. They fought their way through and after an unknown period when the Skeletal Dragon was at its last gasp, a magical ritual appeared underneath them and transported them to the arena��


    I see��


    After listening to Mini Bubble Gum��s narration, Rhode couldn��t help but lament that the Skeletal Dragon was talented in seeking death, choosing to taunt Mini Bubble Gum out of everyone�� But now wasn��t the time for that as more important matters were still at the back.


    ��Bubble�� You have a piece of crystal with you, right?��


    ��Crystal? Oh, right! This one!��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s query, Mini Bubble Gum clapped her palms together hurriedly and reached into her pocket to retrieve a crystal fragment��the final piece of crystal for the scepter! Upon witnessing the crystal fragment, Rhode and Erin exchanged joyous gazes. Rhode made Mini Bubble Gum hand the crystal over to Erin. The moon princess accepted the crystal and placed it into the light column. As soon as the crystal entered the light column, the light column that enfolded the white scepter shone ever brighter.


    Everyone stared at the pure, white scepter. After a few moments, the final piece of crystal finally fused with the scepter completely.


    At the same time, the dark arena began to rumble all of a sudden.

 Chapter 1260 - The New Dark Dragon

    Rumble��!


    As the ground rumbled, the dark arena began to rise. Under the guidance of the radiance enveloping the scepter, the flat ground revealed stone steps that rose to an altar. After a few moments, the dark arena stopped rocking. The scepter that had fused entirely was pinned in the middle of the towering altar, awaiting its owner.


    ��Is it done yet? We��re rushing for time. Why doesn��t the scepter fly straight to us? Why does it need someone to climb the stairs to grab it? Is it right in the mind?��


    Looking at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t help but grumble. Even though Rhode didn��t say a word, it was apparent from his expression that he agreed with her. Normally, the group wouldn��t be mindful. But the problem now was that they were pressed for time, while the scepter was taking its own sweet time to show up��


    They were really in a hurry!


    ��Erin, it��s up to you next.��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    Erin also heard Mini Bubble Gum��s complaints, but didn��t comment. She nodded firmly and ran toward the altar at the top. Although Rhode and the rest tried to escort her, they were stopped by an invisible barrier. Without a choice, they waited at the bottom, watching as Erin sprinted toward the altar and scepter pinned in the middle.


    ��Leader�� Nothing is going to go wrong, right?��


    Gazing at Erin, Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t help but ask. Rhode and Icy Snow glared at her as Mini Bubble Gum sure knew how to touch a sore spot. Perhaps natives like Angelina and Anne weren��t aware, but to players, as long as the situation involved ceremonies, rituals, or whatnot, almost none of them would be completed peacefully. The heir would either be ambushed by creatures or get into trouble and need the help of players. It was apparent that Mini Bubble Gum knew this, which was why she asked. But the problem was that Rhode and Icy Snow were equally aware of it!


    ��Can you shut up, Bubble?!��


    Icy Snow curled her lips and glared at Bubble fiercely. Icy Snow had run out of energy. If any ��escort drama�� were to happen, she couldn��t offer any help even if she wanted to. Not only her, but the others were also exhausted. Apart from a violent person like Bubble, no one wished for anymore problems to arise. At that moment, Bubble also noticed everyone��s exhaustion. She displayed a smirk and chuckled at Icy Snow, before turning to the altar as though she didn��t say a word earlier. Looking at her expression, Icy Snow turned pale with anger. She bit her lower lip, stared at Mini Bubble Gum in displeasure, and stomped her foot, before turning away to ignore her.


    As for the issue between Icy Snow and Bubble, Rhode couldn��t care less. This was how the two young ladies got along. Although they were against each other all day, they actuallyhighly respected each other. For instance, even though Icy Snow seemed as though she wasn��t close to Bubble, a few moments ago she was still concerned about whether Bubble passed the trial.


    But now wasn��t the time for that. At that moment, everyone watched as Erin reached the altar at the top. The moon princess wasn��t pretentious at all. Perhaps what Bubble said just now gave her a reminder. Due to the terrible experiences, Erin didn��t recall her memories with Ion as those of close siblings. At the sight of the scepter, she remembered why he had to destroy his family for the sake of power. On the other hand, she extended her arm and held the scepter before her.


    ����!��


    Rhode and Icy Snow instantly tensed up. The former observed the surroundings, while the latter stared fixedly at the scepter. They were afraid that some creatures would appear out of nowhere, or some mysterious transformations would occur when Erin grabbed the scepter. Rhode felt like time had frozen in that moment. Erin was clearly moving quickly, but it seemed like slow-motion in his eyes. Rhode was anxious. He couldn��t wait to run over to pull out the scepter and push it into Erin��s hands.


    Two more seconds. One more second��!


    Finally, under everyone��s watchful eyes, Erin finally gripped the scepter on the altar!


    At that moment, the scepter that was shrouded in brilliance began to coalesce. The brilliance descended as though it were attracted by the scepter, fusing with it entirely. Shortly after, the scepter erupted a shiny white light that eventually formed a huge, gorgeous, and circular magical ritual, enfolding Erin within.


    ��Roarrrr������!��


    At the same time, the loud bellow of a dragon reverberated. And soon, Rhode witnessed the silhouette of a huge, pitch-black dragon appeared over Erin, expanding its gigantic wings comfortably, so much so that he thought it was an extension of darkness in this place.


    Everything here was under its gaze and nothing could escape.


    ��Congratulations on passing the trial, heir of the Dark Dragon����


    At that moment, that old voice sounded once again. Upon hearing the announcement, Rhode felt relieved. It seemed like they were lucky this time and didn��t have to face anymore annoying situations. But this wasn��t the end yet. The Chaos creatures that infiltrated the trial grounds hadn��t shown up, so he and his group had to act cautiously. But after the trial ended, Erin also didn��t meet any of them, which was considered good news for them.


    But why did Rhode still feel a little uncertain?


    While Rhode pondered hard, the radiance over Erin��s body dissipated gradually. The moon princess appeared before everyone once again. But unlike before, she now wore an extremely gorgeous and long, silver-whitish dress and on her head was a crown gleaming in a faint glow. In addition to the pure, white scepter in her hands, it gave one the impression that Erin was sacred and dignified. Rhode also sensed from her a powerful and unfathomable strength that was as deep as the night sky and ocean.


    Seems like this is the true strength of the Dark Dragon.


    At that moment, as the inheritance ceremony came to an end, Rhode discovered that the Shadow Ravine was also transforming quickly. Shadow Ravine should have been divided into black and white, and everything in sight was covered in thick layers of darkness. But now, bright moonlight penetrated the night sky, spilling onto the land that had always been enfolded in shadows. No�� Rather than saying the bright moonlight spilled onto the land, one might as well say that the Shadow Ravine was like a planet in the same plane of existence as Earth. As far as the eye could see, it was a pitch-black universe, but the ground reflected brilliance from the sun. In an instant, the sky and ground were divided into black and white regions. However, it was apparent that there was no presence of the sun in the Shadow Ravine, which made the origin of this light a little unbelievable.


    ��Big Brother, didn��t you say that Big Brother Erin is the Dark Dragon? But why isn��t she ��dark�� at all?��


    At that moment, the relieved Icy Snow sized up Erin curiously and asked. Well, it wasn��t surprising that she asked such a question. Because right now, Erin wore a pure white royal dress, a silver crown, and even held a holy scepter. She seemed more fitting for the ��holy maiden�� identity than Mini Bubble Gum, and just couldn��t be related to the Dark Dragon as the ruler of darkness.


    ��It most likely has something to do with the rule power she possesses.��


    Rhode didn��t feel astonished. Erin��s rule power was the moon, while the moon was considered part of the darkness rule. If not, Erin couldn��t possibly become the moon princess, and the Dark Dragon��s power she inherited would be nothing more than just pure power. Just like Rhode��his rule was the ��void��. So it remained the ��void�� and didn��t turn into ��space�� after he inherited the dragon soul power. That was why his younger sister was able to open up the space channel for transmigration and yet, he wasn��t capable of doing so. Even though he was also a dragon soul heir of the Void Dragon, due to the differences in attributes, the manifestation was also different. Regarding this, Rhode was already mentally prepared for it.


    But now, even after Erin inherited the Dark Dragon��s power, she was still the representative of the moon, which made Rhode heave a sigh of relief. Honestly, even though he wasn��t biased against the power of darkness, he didn��t have a favorable impression of it either. And now that Erin��s moon rule dominated the world of darkness, perhaps this might bring upon a whole new change��


    ��Finally succeeded����


    While Rhode lamented, Angelina also looked at Erin with complicated emotions. At that moment, the vampire young lady was overwhelmed with emotions. A long time ago, she once fantasized about assisting a dark lord to the throne, thereby returning her family to its former glory. But now, the ruler of darkness had indeed returned. It was a pity that things remained the same, but people changed. Chaos wreaked havoc in the Country of Darkness and also infiltrated the vampires. Even if Angelina were to restore the glory of her family, she didn��t have any subjects left. Moreover, she also wasn��t an inhabitant of the Country of Darkness anymore��


    Compared to the emotional Angelina, Anne��s thoughts were obviously much simpler. The latter put her hands together curiously, jumped around, and gazed at Erin.


    ��Huh-huh-huh? Anne feels like Big Sister Erin isn��t any different. Is she considered the Dark Dragon now? In other words, Big Sister Erin is the queen of the Country of Darkness? So should we call her Queen?��


    ��Moon Queen? Represents the moon to destroy you[1]? Not bad, I like it!��


    Only Bubble, who had more holes in her head, was able to follow Anne��s frequency. As for Cassidy, she didn��t comment much. As a subject of the Void Dragon, her attitude toward other dragon soul heirs was pretty average. But she couldn��t be blamed, since the seven deity wardens (then six deity wardens) were subjects who followed the Void Dragon in opening up the entire Dragon Soul Continent back then. If it were other Creator Dragons, perhaps Cassidy would have given them a little more respect. But now, Erin and the rest were only dragon soul heirs. To put in bluntly, the heirs were nothing more than descendants to the deity wardens who weren��t worthy of a mention. That was why when Erin successfully inherited the Dark Dragon��s soul, Cassidy merely swept a glance and remained silent.


    ��Your Majesty!��


    At that moment, Erin ran down the altar and arrived before Rhode. Rhode initially decided to congratulate her (considering that there weren��t any additional problems in the inheritance ceremony, which was worthy of congratulations), but shortly after, he realized something was off with her expression. At that moment, the moon princess, or perhaps the moon queen, looked solemn. The joy that she felt earlier when she was handed the dragon��s soul had completely disappeared. Upon witnessing her expression, Rhode couldn��t help but feel his heart sink. It was apparent that something terrible happened.


    ��What��s wrong, Erin?��


    ��It��s not going well!��


    Facing Rhode��s query, Erin answered hurriedly.


    ��After gaining the Dark Dragon��s power, I investigated the Shadow Ravine and discovered that the Chaos creatures that you mentioned have opened up the connection between the Shadow Ravine and the Country of Darkness! They are trying to merge the Shadow Ravine and the main plane together!��


    ��What?��


    Rhode was stunned. This definitely wasn��t anything good. Chaos came in strong and apparently, it arrived hungry and greedy too. Not only was it trying to dominate the Country of Darkness, but it also yearned to occupy the Shadow Ravine. As the number of Chaos creatures who invaded the Shadow Ravine were too small, they had no choice but to request reinforcements. Previously, Rhode was dubious as to why he didn��t spot any Chaos creatures in the trial grounds even after the supervisors mentioned their invasion. Apart from them launching a surprise attack on Erin and trying to capture her alive, they didn��t show up after. Rhode was worried that they would seize the opportunity and strike when Erin was inheriting the dragon soul. However, he underestimated them. It seemed like those Chaos creatures knew that they weren��t powerful enough to steal the dragon soul powers, which was why they came up with this dirty trick while Rhode��s group was focused on the inheritance ceremony!


    These Chaos creatures that came from Earth seemed to be more cunning and harder to deal with.


    ��What do you intend to do, Erin?��


    If it were in the past, Rhode could still command her. But now that she had inherited the Dark Dragon��s soul, they were considered on equal footing. Not only that, but the Country of Darkness was also the territory of the Dark Dragon. So be it privately or publicly, it was still up to Erin to make the decision.


    ������


    Facing his question, Erin was taken aback. It was apparent that she wasn��t used to this yet. But shortly after, she returned to her senses, knitted her brows, and gave a decisive answer after some serious thought.


    ��Let��s return to the main plane and do what we can to eliminate the influence of Chaos in the skies of the Country of Darkness. We��ll maximize the retention of the Country of Darkness��s strength, then���� Erin paused. But soon, she gnashed her teeth and continued. ���� We will conduct a crusade against Big Brother�� No, Ion and the followers of Chaos. As for the trial grounds that are influenced by Chaos, I will seal them off completely and abandon them in the dark abyss.��


    ��Alright, let��s go.��


    Rhode nodded to her suggestion. It was obvious that Erin was comprehensive about the situation, so he didn��t need to add on with his ideas. Besides, continuing to stay here wouldn��t benefit them either, which was why he agreed swiftly. Upon hearing his response, Erin nodded, extended her arm, and raised the white scepter. A white ring of light erupted from the tip of the scepter, enfolding everyone. At the next moment, they were gone in an instant.


    When Rhode opened his eyes again, they had returned to the earlier teleportation ritual. The limit of strength that was imposed on them also disappeared without a trace, so the group couldn��t help but heave sighs of relief. Although they were still powerful, it didn��t feel good to be restrained for no good reason.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The earth trembled violently once again and the startled Erin rushed out of the trial grounds hurriedly.


    ��Mother!��


    Following Erin closely, Rhode��s group arrived at the dragon prison at the lowest floor. As expected, the former Dark Dragon was at her dying breath and laying on her stomach. The surrounding steel chains tugged constantly, dripping with filthy, black blood. The two dragon young ladies stood by the side with stern expressions, staring at the weak, former Dark Dragon.


    It is obvious that she can��t be saved anymore.


    Looking at this scene, Rhode let out an inward sigh. Previously, the two dragon young ladies warned Erin that no matter if she succeeded in inheriting the Dark Dragon��s power, the former Dark Dragon who lost the dragon soul power would eventually face an inevitable death.


    ������


    Upon hearing Erin��s voice, the former Dark Dragon opened her eyes, looking at the former in a daze.


    ���� The power�� of the dragon soul heir�� I feel it�� Are you Erin?��


    ��Mother! It��s me! Mother! Come to your senses! I��m here, I��m back! I��m right beside you����


    ��I had a dream����


    However, facing Erin��s calls, the former Dark Dragon didn��t respond at all. Her dazed eyes continued to look into the darkness before her as though she were trying to recall something.


    ���� I dreamed that�� Erin inherited the dragon soul power��. and became the ruler of the Country of Darkness�� We are�� together�� until����


    The former Dark Dragon��s eyes faded. Her voice also became weaker.


    ���� Until�� Erin�� Ion�� My children����


    The former Dark Dragon closed her eyes slowly and stopped breathing.


    In the end, she didn��t regain consciousness to realize that the thing she had been pursuing was right beside her.


    ���� Mother����


    Erin gazed at her mother and closed her eyes. Although she didn��t say a word, Rhode saw her emotions through her trembling, delicate body. Looking at this scene, Rhode couldn��t help but shake his head, extend his arm, and hold Erin��s shoulder.


    ��Don��t be too upset, Erin. We have more important things to do.��


    ��Yes�� Rhode.��


    Erin took in a deep breath and opened her eyes. At that moment, what remained in the moon queen��s eyes was unwavering determination.


    ��Next, it is time to let Big Brother pay for everything he did.��


    [1] Catchphrase of Sailor Moon

 Chapter 1261 - Flag of War Declaration

    Clink!


    The crystal wine glass shattered upon smashing onto the thick marble flooring. Scarlet liquor splashed, bringing a hue of red on the pitch-black floor. Ion lifted his head and stared at the darkness before him. His eyes glinted in a maroon flash.


    ��You haven��t found her? Useless trash!!��


    ��We��re really sorry, Your Majesty.��


    Facing Ion��s wrath, the vampires who were donned in luxurious robes and half-kneeling before him turned as white as a sheet, lowering their heads in trembling fear. It had been a long time since Erin��s disappearance, but they didn��t manage to catch sight of her in the slightest. Although they searched the entire Darkness Capital, they didn��t find any clues at all. Ion was enraged. He had even activated the enchanted field in the city to stop his younger sister from escaping. But this group of worthless trash�� Just couldn��t even get the job done!


    ��You fools are worthless!��


    Gazing at the vampires who half-knelt in front of him, Ion berated and let out a snort. He swung his right arm abruptly and along with this movement, a razor-sharp, strong gale erupted and pounced on the vampires. In a deafening screech, the vampire at the front was blasted to the back. His blood was mangled with chunks of flesh as they scattered everywhere, exuding a bloody scent in the palace. Looking at this horrible scene, the vampires at the back lowered their heads instantly, holding their breaths as they stared at the ground.


    ��Scram! All of you! No matter how you do it, you must find Erin! Be it dead or alive! Find her! Do you hear me?! If you don��t, every single one of you will die! All of you! Now, get out of my sight!��


    The entire palace was left in complete silence except for Ion��s echoing snarls. The vampires left the scene swiftly and silently, but Ion��s mood didn��t turn for the better. He stood up, sauntered to the window with a grim expression, and gazed at the pitch-black city. At that moment, the Darkness Capital wasn��t as peaceful as it was in the past. Under the envelopment of the Dark Curtain, the city was an utter mess. Exquisite buildings had turned into debris, while the homes of families that rebelled against Ion were razed to the ground. Green spiritual flames continued to blaze over the piles of debris. At a glance, the Darkness Capital was like a brazier with extinguishing coals. Accompanied by the remnants of the flames, only traces of conflagration remained. The ancient city that survived for thousands of years under the night sky had crumbled and fallen apart. Ion sent out huge armies to search for his younger sister in the Darkness Capital, at the same time eliminating rebels and civilians who avoided him. He was aware that not everyone in the Darkness Capital was willing to obey his orders, especially after he possessed much stronger power. But so what? They would eventually be destroyed. No one could escape the Darkness Capital. Their only choices were either to surrender or be destroyed. And that was only a matter of time.


    But really�� So what?


    Looking at the wreckage of buildings, Ion��s eyes flashed with traces of insanity and joy. He gained power and was stronger than ever. He didn��t borrow someone else��s strength nor received the reward from anyone. He relied entirely upon himself to receive this power instead! Not only that, but he also obtained unprecedented authority! One of these days, the continent, world, and everything would bow down before him!


    When that day arrives, no one will be capable of becoming an obstacle. No one can stop me��not even Erin!


    At this thought, Ion couldn��t help but clench his fists. The corners of his mouth perked up into a fanatical smile.


    But at the next moment, his expression changed abruptly!


    Right before his eyes, the dark barrier enfolding the Darkness Capital gradually faded away as though after a long period of preparation, the stage play was finally about to begin. The barrier that used to be pitch-black rose and re-connected the Darkness Capital and the outside world. At the same time, white fog on the outside gushed into the Darkness Capital like pouring tides. Looking at this scene, Ion widened his eyes instantly. His expression twisted and he couldn��t help but yell in disbelief.


    ��What��s going on?! How did this happen! Who? Who dismantled the barrier?!��


    It wasn��t surprising that Ion harbored such doubts because unlike an enchanted field, the Dark Curtain was responsible for guarding the safety of the Darkness Capital. Only the ruler of the Darkness Capital had the authority to access it. In other words, other than Ion, there shouldn��t be anyone else authorized to deactivate it!


    ��������!��


    At that moment, as though responding to his doubts, a crisp, dragon cry echoed from all directions in the sky . Upon hearing it, Ion��s expression changed instantly. He knew whose voice that was. But how could she possibly leave the underground? It wasn��t possible!


    ��Erin�� You�� Ahhhhh!��


    But before Ion finished his sentence, his words were replaced by a miserable scream. The tall, burly man who stood upright a few seconds ago hugged his head and shouted at the top of his lungs. His expression twisted, turning sinister and terrifying. Beads of sweat on his forehead trickled down his face. An agonizing pain, as though one slashing into his body with a blade, spread from the center of his soul, slamming heavily onto his body. Ion gnashed his teeth, resisting the excruciating torment with his willpower. His body ran out of control. It began to curl up, tremble, and his muscles twitched on their own. The immense pain tortured his every vein and nerve.


    After a whole 10 minutes, Ion��s body stopped shuddering. However, he had transformed entirely. If Rhode were to meet Ion now, the former would be flabbergasted. Right now, the mature and earnest Ion had a completely different look. His skin was as withered and wrinkled as an old tree��s, while his determined eyes became dull and lifeless. His thick, black hair had fallen off his scalp, and his tall, upright built became fragile and crooked.


    ��Erin�� I see����


    Unlike in the past, Ion now spoke in a hoarse, dry voice. He finally understood what happened. He received the dragon soul power through underhanded means and now, the dragon soul power had found its rightful owner. He no longer benefited from the hibernating dragon soul power. Not only that, but his body also used to be linked to the dragon soul power and this disconnection between them affected him greatly. Right now, the dragon soul power in his body had been cut off, which was almost no different from cutting off his life!


    But��


    ��Heh, heh, heh�� Heh, heh, heh�� Well done�� Erin�� Heh, heh, heh, wahahaha!��


    Curled up on the ground, Ion was furious, and also burst into fanatical laughter. Along with his laughter, the pitch-black shadow under him surged like flames and wrapped him entirely in the blink of an eye. After about 10 minutes, the blazing flames extinguished gradually, unveiling Ion once more. But this time, he looked completely different.


    The appearance of a skinny, old man earlier had disappeared completely. Right now, Ion turned into a young man in his early 20s. His clean, handsome face displayed a strange, elegant smile. He seemed like an entirely different man. If it was said that in the past, Ion was aloof and determined, right now, he looked like a frivolous playboy. Ion showed an attractive smile as he looked at the sky. Then, he narrowed his eyes and an ice-cold glint flashed.


    ��Not bad, Erin�� Thanks for solving the problem that I��ve been having�� Alright then, it��s about time to say hello to you!��


    After saying that, Ion metamorphosed into a dark ray of light, charged out of the palace, and flew to the sky.


    ��������!��


    The deafening roar of a dragon.


    The huge Dark Dragon lifted her head high, expanding her wings that were large enough to enfold the entire sky. Along with the dragon roar, the world transformed yet again. The dragon soul protection that was contaminated by Chaos shattered and disappeared swiftly, revealing the pitch-black night sky as the dome of heaven. Clear, silver-whitish moonlight spilled and illuminated the lands. Upon sensing the moonlight, the white fog proliferating across the plains rolled and retreated hurriedly. At that moment, the power of Order once again regained dominance. The gentle moonlight metamorphosed into a solid barrier. The silver-whitish brilliance shot straight ahead; almost nothing was able to stop its invasion. The white fog withdrew from the surface, allowing the land to restore its original state.


    ��It seems rather successful.��


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief at the result. Fortunately, the Country of Darkness hadn��t been infiltrated by Chaos for too long. For that reason, the Country of Darkness wasn��t entirely shaken yet. As long as Erin used the power of darkness to reorganize and restore the power of Order, Chaos would self-destruct.


    ��Feels similar to Leader��s Void Territory, huh?��


    On the other side, Mini Bubble Gum looked at the night sky curiously, nodded pleasingly, and said. Well, this young lady wasn��t wrong. After Erin accepted the inheritance of the dragon soul, the new Dark Dragon��s soul protection was unveiled with characteristics of Erin��s rule. Initially, the Country of Darkness under the night sky had three blood, full moons. But now, the night scenery became much calmer and more peaceful. Unlike the darkness from before that seemed as though it were going to swallow an entire person, it now looked like a night scene in the evening, quiet and laid back. A round moon the size of a silver platter hung high in the air, soothing one��s soul in a tranquil atmosphere as though one were lying in the wilderness and watching the night and twinkling stars.


    Of course, even though the night sky above this brand new Country of Darkness appeared somewhat similar to Rhode��s Void Territory, the difference between them was rather huge, as a matter of fact. After all, the Country of Darkness under Erin��s control had ordinary nights, unlike Rhode��s Void Territory, where the sky was basically like outer space��


    Rhode didn��t stop Erin from restoring Order in the Country of Darkness straightaway. After all, she possessed the dragon soul power now and didn��t need to conceal herself like in the past. Besides, with Rhode by her side, he refused to believe that anyone would dare to fight them. For that reason, Rhode placed his hands behind his back and watched Erin as she hovered in the sky and reorganized the power of Order.


    ��Roar������!��


    All of a sudden, they heard another dragon roar.


    But this time, it didn��t come from Erin, but from a place surrounded and invaded by Chaos instead!


    ��Erin, be careful!��


    Upon hearing the dragon roar, Rhode knew that something was wrong. And as expected, right after he yelled out, the presence of Chaos that was retreating to the moonlight stopped moving. Not only that, but it also launched an attack on the dark barrier! The silver-whitish moonlight and dark night sky pushed ahead like an earth-shattering mountain flash flood. On the other hand, the white, turbid Chaos let out piercing screeches and swept up as it retaliated, gathering in layer upon layer and charging ahead in an instant!


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    In an instant, the entire world shook. The ground trembled and the air ruptured. The collision of forces invisible to the naked eye caused space to twist and deform. An empty void began to reveal itself. The undulation and flow of energy poured from above. The aftermath of this clash lashed the vast land. Along with explosions of vibrant, colorful brilliance, the solid ground fissured. Hard soil and rock shattered fast under the great, crushing force, vanishing from sight. In the face of Chaos, Erin had no intention of backing down. She widened her eyes, stared at them, and opened her mouth. Along with this action, silver-whitish moonlight coalesced around her and formed ancient, sacred runes that were bursting with power. The instant the runes took shape, the silver-whitish moonlight grew even brighter. From the perspective of Rhode��s group, it seemed as though the round moon hovering in the sky erupted a ring of light that blasted down, merging with the moonlight and shattering Chaos��s retaliation like a heavy hammer!


    However, it was apparent that Chaos wasn��t willing to give up that easily. Facing the constant attack of moonlight, Chaos didn��t retreat. The white fog was shredded repeatedly, vanished, and reappeared in midair as though one were unwaveringly tugging and dragging their body. No matter how one stabbed with a knife, shot with a machine gun, exploded a grenade, or even fired a nuclear warhead, one wouldn��t let them off unless they were thoroughly dead!


    ��How is it possible that Ion became so powerful?��


    Rhode couldn��t help but knit his brows at the unrelenting Chaos. According to the two dragon young ladies, after Erin inherited the dragon soul power, Ion should stop receiving the transfer of dragon soul power. That would definitely be a huge blow to him, where even if he weren��t dead, he should be half-dead by at the very least. But now�� Judging from his aggression, he didn��t seem to be on the verge of death. After all, even if he were putting up a deathbed struggle, there was also a time limit. Based on the situation of Chaos, this seemed to be preparation for a war of attrition instead of a reckless act of revenge.


    Seems like Ion is deeply influenced by Chaos.


    At this thought, Rhode put up a stern expression. Since Ion lost the support of the dragon soul power but was still able to display such powerful strength, Rhode guessed that Ion had gained formidable power that was as strong as dragon soul power. Considering Ion��s current situation, the answer was revealed plainly. It was apparent that Ion was completely influenced by Chaos, which was why he dared to go against the dragons with the power of Chaos at his back.


    All of a sudden, the white fog on one side of Chaos retreated rapidly. Then, a massive figure appeared before everyone. Upon seeing it, Rhode couldn��t help but twitch his brows.


    The real deal is here.


    ���� Big Brother.��


    Erin hovered in midair, gazing quietly at the enormous dragon. At that moment, Ion couldn��t recognize her in the slightest. Logically speaking, Ion��s true form should also be a huge, black dragon as one of the dragon race. But now, he was covered in turbid whiteness from top to bottom as though his body were coated with a layer of filthy paint. Not only that, but his eyes also turned maroon. Just the look of it was enough to startle one.


    ��Seems like you finally gained the inheritance of the dragon soul, my adorable younger sister.��


    Facing Erin��s gaze, Ion didn��t seem to realize that anything was wrong. He stared at the Dark Dragon and said with a smile.


    ��I knew this day would come. But�� There is no point in speaking about it anymore.��


    ��Yes, Big Brother. It��s pointless now.��


    Erin responded plainly. Just like Ion said, no matter what sort of intention he harbored or under what circumstances caused him to make his decision, he had already made his choice. And the situation had gotten to this point. There were no ifs in history. Since no one could return to the past, there was no point in questioning, interrogating, or regretting. Ever since the day the Dragon Soul Continent was born and Order and Chaos met, there had been only one ending.


    Battle.


    ��Let��s start, Big Brother. I want to end this and chase Chaos back to where it comes from!��


    ��How foolish, my younger sister! I shall let you see exactly how strong the power of Chaos is!��


    As the siblings snarled, the powers of Order and Chaos coalesced and collided once again!


    And so, the battle unfolded!

 Chapter 1262 - Smoke of War

    In an instant, heaven fell and the earth split apart.


    An endless storm of Chaos erupted from the void, rushing toward the sky and earth at a rapid speed. The bright, cold, and gentle glow of the moon stood like a sturdy city wall, keeping out the storm of Chaos. Like a comet striking earth, the sky and earth seemed to stop for that very moment. Shortly after, limitless air waves erupted, creating the purest ripples of destruction. The solid ground had completely disappeared, only to be replaced by a huge, bottomless gully that was tens of kilometers wide, extending from one end of the horizon to the other, connecting the sky, earth, space, and time. At that moment, everything was torn apart. Dust to dust, soil to soil, Chaos to Chaos, and Order to Order. Black and white could never merge and water and fire would never live in peace. The extremities of all things were best embodied at that moment.


    But that was still far from enough.


    ��This is the power of the Dark Dragon? This is the true power of the Dark Dragon, Erin? But this is far from enough! The power of Chaos is infinite. Nothing can defeat Chaos!��


    Along with Ion��s snarls, the rolling fog before everyone shifted its shape. Shortly after, tens of thousands of strange-looking creatures appeared from the fog, flapping their wings and shrieking as they pounced on Erin. One had to admit that this move from Ion was indeed vicious. He used the power of Chaos to summon Chaos creatures to hurl attacks. But Erin didn��t have enough forces to resist Chaos on her side. In just a few moments, seemingly infinite Chaos creatures charged at the young lady from all directions. She was about to be surrounded by endless hostile enemies, when suddenly��


    ��You think I��m dead when I don��t speak!?��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode was instantly enraged. He raised his right arm and along with this action, a card flickering in golden brilliance appeared and revolved above his palm. At the next moment, he clenched his fists hard.


    Crack!


    As the card shattered, a dazzling golden brilliance rose from the ground. Then, the huge, mighty Void Dragon appeared. Rhode lifted his head proudly, his golden eyes flashing in ice-cold glints. He widened his mouth and let out a raging huff.


    ��Flatten!��


    The world transformed rapidly at this simple command. Everything, be it visible or invisible, flattened and compacted. The power of Void surged from all directions, roaring and gushing under the brilliant moonlight, staggering to form twisted space cracks. The Chaos creatures that came into contact with the moonlight warped as though they had fallen into a meat grinder. They spun, were ripped apart forcefully, and vanished as if swept and crushed by an invisible grinding disc.


    ���� What a surprise����


    Hidden in the fog, Ion��s voice was filled with astonishment. It seemed like he didn��t expect Rhode to be here. But Ion apparently had no intention of backing down. On the contrary, right after Rhode made his move, the Chaos fog that slammed onto the Order barrier changed its form again. It withdrew swiftly and coalesced as though it were absorbed by an unknown force. Looking at this scene, Rhode let out a snort.


    It��s fine if you��re foolish, Ion, but don��t categorize me as your kind. Do you really think I don��t know what you��re up to?


    ��Space shift!��


    The moment the Chaos fog coalesced, Rhode gave his second command. Creator Dragons were the supreme Gods of creation. They created this continent. Everything here was born of them and would eventually return to the embrace of the Creator Dragons. To a Creator Dragon of Rhode��s caliber, he didn��t need to activate any skills; just a command was enough to change the world as he ordered. The moment Rhode yelled out the command in the dragon language, the power of Void charged ahead immediately. It was wrapped in silver-whitish moonlight, piercing into Chaos like multiple razor-sharp blades. Upon sensing the invasion of Order, the coalesced Chaos fog scattered instantly. Ear-deafening, piercing screams erupted from the fog. Ion��s smug laughter stopped all of a sudden and became silent. However, Rhode apparently had no intention of stopping his assault. The Void Dragon soared, raised its front claws, and slashed from above!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    At that moment, the earth was no longer rumbling, but was leaping frantically like a chessboard. Anne and the rest felt like the ground beneath their feet was no longer a flat, solid land, but was like a soft, bouncy trampoline instead. Each and every one of them flew dozens of meters in the air, before finally landing back on the ground. This wasn��t an obstacle for powerful beings like Cassidy and Mini Bubble Gum, but it was a challenge for the rest. It was especially so for Angelina. Her strength was the weakest among them and the emergence of the Void Dragon stripped her of that little, pitiful authority of rule. In an instant, her strength plummeted and when Rhode banged his claws on the ground, she was almost struck to death. Fortunately, she was lucky enough to remember that she had a pair of wings. She flew up into the sky hurriedly and saved herself from being massacred.


    Even though Angelina escaped death, she wasn��t that lucky in the face of Chaos. The moment Rhode smacked his claw on the ground, the Chaos fog on the other side surged like water vapor from boiling water, seemingly disintegrating. At the same time, Ion��s raging bellow erupted from the fog again.


    ��How�� How can you do that!��


    ��I do whatever I want; who gives a sh*t about a bast*rd like you! Get out of your hidey-hole and die!��


    Upon hearing Ion��s snarl, Rhode was unconcerned. On the contrary, Rhode raised his claw and slammed the ground again!


    Bang!


    This time, it wasn��t only the ground that shook, but the entire world instead. Along with this strike, the Chaos fog scattered rapidly just like any dense fog that would disperse one day. At that moment, the Chaos fog that crashed onto the moonlight barrier retreated in a fluster. Gazing at this scene, Rhode��s eyes glinted in a trace of a smile. He lifted his dragon claw again. But this time, it was different. As he raised the claw, a golden radiance appeared from the void and wrapped around it. The power of Order gathered on his claw from the surroundings, coalescing into an incredibly powerful strength.


    ��Rhode, that is����


    At that moment, Erin witnessed Rhode��s action and couldn��t help but change her expression. But before she continued to say anything more, two emerald trails of light streaked across the sky, appearing before his eyes one after another, stopping his action.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, please stop!��


    ��Oh-no-no, Your Majesty Rhode, calm down�� This isn��t good for your body, okay?��


    ��Get lost!��


    Upon facing Siena and Nalea, Rhode had no intention of backing off. Instead, he lifted his right claw and swung it down with might! Looking at this scene, Siena and Nalea hesitated no more. As the two vitality-filled, emerald brilliance flashed by, two enormous dragons appeared in the air. They widened their mouths, snarled, and bit Rhode��s wrist, stopping him from launching the attack.


    ��Big Brother������!��


    Upon holding back Rhode��s aggression, Siena and Nalea noticed a bright radiance flashing from behind him. At the next moment, another Void Dragon appeared and crashed into Siena. Bang! In a deep collision, Siena was caught off guard as she flew away. The Void Dragon swung her tail abruptly, lashing out at Nalea on the other side. Upon realizing its attack, Nalea��s jaws let go of Rhode��s wrist, and she fluttered her wings and retreated, dodging the massive, sweeping tail. The unrestrained Rhode bellowed and brandished his right claw!


    ��������������


    At that moment, the world had as though stopped spinning; everything froze in time as though nothing would change even until the end of the world. But at the next moment, as Rhode��s claw landed, everything fast-forwarded. The ear-deafening impact swept the land, flattening everything in sight. Bursts of airflows surged from the bottomless abyss on the ends of the world, blasting skyward.


    ��You all��! How dare you do that! I will not let you off, Creator Dragons! Chaos shall dominate the world; your resistance is meaningless!��


    Ion��s roar sounded from the fog once again before disappearing entirely. Along with his retreat, the restless Chaos fog also stopped advancing, but hovered outside the moonlight barrier like crippled creatures instead. Everything returned to its peace as though nothing had happened. But it was apparent that not everyone thought the same.


    ��Cr*p! What are the two of you doing? Are you done with your nonsense?!��


    The Creator Dragons had returned to their human forms. Rhode strode across in displeasure and glared at Siena and Nalea as though he were about to swallow them in rage. Rhode��s emotionless face was long gone, only to be replaced by an uncharacteristically sinister expression. This went to show just how furious he was.


    ��I was in control of that battle, so why are the two of you here to stop me? What��s wrong with you? Godd*mn it, what I hate the most when I��m fighting the damn BOSS is when some transitional animation appears and lets the BOSS escape. NPCs are fools; do you really think we��re idiots too?! You two dumb*sses! Everything would have turned out fine without you hindering! You��re so stupid that you don��t even fit being promiscuous women, so how could you even be Creator Dragons?!��


    ��Please show some respect, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    As usual, Siena put up a solemn expression. It could also be said that she was so solemn that she turned rather ashen.


    ��Your doings are destroying the Dragon Soul Continent. Don��t you know the consequences after the borders of the Dragon Soul Continent are destroyed����


    ��I wouldn��t have done that if I weren��t aware. Say, all of us are Creator Dragons, so how could you treat us as newbies? Of course, I know what sort of impact my actions would bring to the Dragon Soul Continent, but it��s better to deal with painful things quickly. Everything would have ended after throwing that idiot into the realm of Chaos! Do you realize what you��ve done?!��


    Siena sulked, at the same time extending her arm to reach for the sword on her back.


    ��Your actions are threatening the safety of the Dragon Soul Continent! As a guardian of the Dragon Soul Continent, I prohibit you from doing that!��


    Upon witnessing Siena��s reaction, Rhode puckered his brow, spread his arms apart, and two swords of black and white appeared in his hands.


    ��What I did was for the sake of protecting the Dragon Soul Continent! Running away won��t solve the problem! Shall I use action to teach you the logic behind it?��


    Erin panicked as the two of them were about to break into a fight. She glanced around her, but didn��t know what to do. At that moment, Rhode��s younger sister and Nalea took half a step forward and stopped them.


    ��Big Brother, don��t be angry. Now that the situation has come to this�� Let��s think about what we should do next.��


    ��Oh-no-no, Siena, why must you throw your temper at His Majesty Rhode? After all, we��re also wrong in some areas�� Alright, alright. Everyone is concerned about the safety of the Dragon Soul Continent. We should think about our next step now, shouldn��t we?��


    There was a reason why Rhode was so furious. As a matter of fact, his earlier attack wasn��t only as simple as to defeat Chaos. Instead, he also decided to eradicate the ensuing troubles once and for all. That was why he tried to use the dividing line to completely separate all connections between the land and the world of the Dragon Soul Continent. It was just like slicing off the rotten part of the fruit and tossing it into the bin. As long as Rhode banished this land from space entirely, it would end up like he mentioned; Ion would be thrown into the realm of Chaos that he revered so highly.


    However, the twin dragons suddenly appeared out of nowhere and obstructed him. Rhode caught Ion off guard because the latter didn��t expect him to be so determined, where he was willing to sacrifice two-thirds of the Country of Darkness without batting an eyelid. Without clarifying the situation, Ion was caught in Rhode��s trap. However, the twin dragons�� resistance gave Ion another chance to return to his senses. Ion used the power of Chaos to replenish the area that was cut off by Rhode, causing the two tracts of land that were already on the verge of separation to be reconnected again. Not only that, but it also resulted in Rhode��s action to fail through the lack of a final effort. That was why it wasn��t unreasonable for Rhode to berate the twin dragons.


    On the other hand, it went without saying that Siena and Nalea were just fulfilling their duties. They weren��t wrong in their decision because even though Rhode decisively divided the two tracts of land, which separated Ion and them entirely, this brutal method would also bring forth a huge impact to the Dragon Soul Continent. Not only would the main plane be affected, but most worlds of the four main elemental planes and Seven Fantasy Boundaries would also become unstable, thereby influencing the barrier��s resistance against Chaos. Just one mistake would be enough for Chaos to charge into the Dragon Soul Continent from all directions. When that happened, it wasn��t only an issue with the Country of Darkness anymore.


    Judging from this point, Rhode and Siena weren��t wrong; it was just that their views were different. Rhode believed in dealing with the pain quickly and as long as he resolved the biggest problem at hand, the remaining issues could be easily handled. On the other hand, Siena was concerned that more troubles would ensue after wiping out the Country of Darkness. For safety��s sake, she would rather keep the Country of Darkness than to let other regions be affected by the threats and instability of Chaos.


    All in all, it was just like one being at odds with one��s limb. One side wanted to engage in amputation therapy, while the other preferred a relatively mild and conservative approach. Even though the methods were entirely different, the starting point was the same.


    ��Tsk����


    Rhode knew that it was pointless to continue bickering with Siena since matters had ended up this way. This time, Ion had learned his lesson and it was likely impossible for Rhode to deploy this strategy again. That was why Rhode glared at Siena and said nothing. Meanwhile, Siena calmed herself down as Nalea consoled her. As a matter of fact, Siena knew that she acted too rashly. At that moment, she didn��t dare to take the risk, which was why she chose to stop Rhode��s attack. She wasn��t willing to gamble the safety of the continent.


    ��What can we do next? Looks like the only way is to fight as we go, step by step. Since both of you are so empathetic, how about you send soldiers from the Country of Law to take the lead against the invasion of Chaos?��


    Facing the younger sister��s words, Rhode let out a snort and said. Upon hearing his response, Nalea chuckled.


    ��Of course, that��s no issue, Your Majesty Rhode. It is our duty to fight for Order. I wonder what you��ve decided to do though, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    ��Me? I will find another way to dig a trench. This time, I will find a place where I won��t be interrupted!��


    ��You��re still intent on giving up half the continent to Chaos?��


    Siena tensed up and asked, while Rhode shrugged.


    ��So what? As long as I deem it fit, I will still do it!��


    ��You are really����


    ��Alright, alright, Big Brother, Siena; stop quarreling. Miss Erin is still watching from the side.��


    As Rhode and Siena were about to break into a fight again, the younger sister couldn��t help but force a smile and appease them. Upon hearing her words, Rhode and Siena shifted their gaze to Erin, who put up an awkward smile at the side.


    They forgot that�� The young lady before them was the true ruler of the Country of Darkness now.

 Chapter 1263 - Reformed Chessboard

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    In the end, Rhode could only head home. His plan to defeat Ion had failed, and he could no longer divide the Dragon Soul Continent like before. Fortunately, at least he managed to rescue Erin, and the plan for her to inherit the Dark Dragon��s soul power had also succeeded. This result calmed his anger greatly. But that wasn��t the end of the situation. Even though his plan failed, everything he did weakened the strength of Chaos, forcing Ion to not dare to act rashly. For the time being, Ion wouldn��t be launching another attack on the Dragon Soul Continent through the Order barrier. But Rhode was clearly aware that after Ion gathered sufficient forces, he would make a comeback. When that happened, both sides would clash again. And now, be it Order or Chaos, both sides were gathering forces for the next commencement of war.


    As the five Creator Dragons came together, the situation in the Dragon Soul Continent changed drastically. Taking the brunt of it was Erin. Although she inherited the Dark Dragon��s power, Rhode��s attack could be considered to have divided the Country of Darkness into two-thirds, causing Erin to only rule over one-third of the territory that she inherited. In an instant, the one and only Country of Darkness shrunk by a whole lot. Judging from this point, the Country of Light and Country of Darkness were as if in the same boat. The former fell apart from the cannon blasts of the magic fleet that Rhode led. Apart from the region that was directly under Lilian��s jurisdiction, the rest was in a state of disorder. As for the Country of Darkness, even though they were stronger than the Country of Light in terms of discipline, they took a huge blow to their power during the period Ion was influenced by Chaos. The elite troops were either under the influence of Chaos or turned into ashes by the deity wardens. Thereafter, although Erin tried her best to gather the scattered survivors, the number was limited. The only consolation was that ��The Conqueror��, Garcia, survived unscathed and the island he was in was lucky enough to avoid the disastrous attack from Rhode. Thereafter, as the Chaos barrier expanded, Chaos, which lost their back up, had a smaller presence. Garcia seized the opportunity to bring his trusted aides to eliminate the undead army that surrounded his territory. Then, he received an invitation from Erin to become her subject.


    Other than Garcia, Angelina also returned to being Erin��s subject. As a vampire, the young lady held a strong desire to restore the honor of her family. However, as she had already submitted to Rhode, she had no choice but to bury this thought in the bottom of her heart. Ever since Erin inherited the Dark Dragon��s soul, this thought of Angelina��s intensified. As a result, she embraced herself and made a request to Rhode. But what surprised Angelina was that Rhode agreed to her request without hesitation. This left Angelina overjoyed. She wasn��t aware that Rhode already had this thought. Angelina��s desire for authority was really strong. But in terms of race, she didn��t have many chances for development in the Void Territory. Now that the young lady wished to return to the Country of Darkness to develop herself, Rhode was more than willing. Besides, with Angelina by Erin��s side, Rhode could also gain intelligence of Erin easily; just like Sonia with Lilian.


    But all in all, Rhode felt like he was at a loss this time. Because after this huge battle, the strength of the Dragon Soul Continent was once again weakened.


    It was especially so for the Country of Darkness. More than half of the undead creatures were gravely hurt or dead, and two-thirds of the territory were gone. Besides, from a geographical standpoint, the Country of Darkness would be the first to take the brunt of the upcoming attack from Chaos. With the current state of the Country of Darkness, perhaps it would be wiped out completely.


    The Country of Law didn��t have it any better either. More than half of the Elf Forest was razed to the ground by the undead army and one-tenth of their elves were sacrificed in battle. If it weren��t for Rhode who sent the Moon Blade Guards to assist them, perhaps there would be more casualties. Although the twin dragons were powerful, with a limited number of forces and with them having a different opinion from Rhode, perhaps it would be hard to get anywhere even if they cooperated.


    As for the Country of Light, it was in a state of disintegration. Only one out of ten survivors of the huge battle against the Country of Darkness, during which the Void Territory destroyed the Country of Light, were young men, while the rest were young or old. The Country of Light was fortunate that the Void Territory was there to provide assistance against the Country of Darkness, if not the Country of Light would have become a dead space.


    Even though the Void Territory took the upper hand in the war, it was a pity that its weakness was that it was founded too soon and lacked forces. The Void Territory solely relied upon high-end forces. But if their high-end forces were held back, relying upon the small army would be insufficient to resist Chaos, not to mention retaliate against them.


    It could also be said that after this battle, the loss that the Dragon Soul Continent suffered was worse than during the Creation War. If they were to face the upcoming war in this current state, it would definitely end disastrously. In this situation, Rhode had no choice but to gather the dragon soul heirs and discuss the following issue.


    ��I think all of you are aware of the current situation in the Dragon Soul Continent.��


    Sitting by the round table, Rhode crossed his arm and supported his chin, staring at everyone. Seated on his left was his younger sister, the former Void Dragon. On his right was the Light Dragon, Lilian, followed by the Dark Dragon, Erin. The final two were the Judgment Dragon, Nalea, and the Ruling Dragon, Siena.


    The six Creator Dragons came together, which could be said to be the first time in the history of the Dragon Soul Continent.


    ��We��ve calculated; the current situation isn��t looking favorable, everyone���� Nalea maintained her usual, relaxed smile as though she didn��t know how unsettling her words sounded. ��Based on the current situation, we only have three months. After three months, Chaos will strike again. When it happens, perhaps even Her Majesty Erin��s moonlight barrier won��t last for long.��


    ��Do you have any good ideas, Your Majesty Nalea?��


    Upon touching this subject, Rhode was filled with anger. He leaned back on the chair, staring at Nalea with a false smile. If it weren��t for the twin dragons, why would they even be troubled over such trivial matters?


    Wasn��t it the two of you who caused this issue?


    ��Siena and I don��t have any great ideas. Sorry about that, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Facing Rhode��s questioning, Nalea remained calm and replied with a smile. On the other hand, Siena��s expression stiffened, and she turned away after letting out a snort. During the earlier battle, a grudge was formed between her and Rhode. If it weren��t for the fact that the twin sisters were Creator Dragons, perhaps Rhode would have captured and thrown them into the underground prison, forcing them to understand his standpoint��


    ��Three months, huh�� Apologies, Your Majesty Rhode. I��m afraid with the current strength of the Country of Darkness, we will be unable to form an army strong enough to resist Chaos in three months.��


    What Erin said wasn��t an excuse. Currently, in the Country of Darkness, the most survivors were the humans under ��The Conqueror��, Garcia. It was a pity that these humans were unlike the humans in the Country of Light or the Void Territory. Most of them existed and served as slaves and food for the undead creatures, so they didn��t understand much about battle strategies. That was why they were useless even if they were sent into battle. Fortunately, back then, when Ion was influenced by Chaos, some of the ancient families that realized that something was amiss already fled. Now that Erin took over the throne, the ancient families immediately returned to seek protection from her. However, the ancient families basically valued quality over quantity, so while they seemed capable in their high-end forces, they didn��t have any advantage in quantity.


    But Rhode already knew that on the other hand, the Country of Darkness wasn��t exactly devoid of hope. According to news from Angelina, after returning to the Country of Darkness and gaining Erin��s support, Angelina was like a fish back in water. She recruited the surviving vampires and decided to convert more humans into vampires to ensure the battle strength of the Country of Darkness. As for the rights of those humans? When did the Country of Darkness ever consider that?


    ��Big Brother Rhode�� On the Country of Light��s side, I can order the immediate guards to provide assistance. But in terms of number, I can��t guarantee����


    ��It��s enough that you are offering to help, Lilian.��


    Facing Lilian��s answer, Rhode smiled, extended his arm, and caressed her hair. With the Country of Light��s current strength, all Lilian could do was show her genuine concern.


    Even though the current situation wasn��t favorable, Rhode didn��t seem nervous. On the contrary, he revealed a vague, proud smile.


    ��Indeed, everyone is aware of the situation now. We don��t stand a good chance against Chaos. Even if we succeeded in stopping Chaos, how long can we do that for? One year? Five years? 10 years? 100 years? What is the purpose behind that? The power of Chaos is infinite. The only thing we can do is to rely upon the dragon soul protection to separate and isolate Chaos. But this is far from enough. Chaos infiltrates every opening it gets. Even if Ion isn��t influenced now, it will only be a matter of time. In that case, why don��t we resolve the problem once and for all?��


    ��Resolve the problem once and for all?��


    Siena, Nalea, and Lilian were taken aback. It might sound simple, but as a matter of fact, to accomplish it would be harder than ascending into heaven. The reason was just like what Rhode mentioned��the power of Chaos was infinite, and Order could never resist Chaos head-on. That was why the Creator Dragons created the Dragon Soul Continent to evade the attack of Chaos back then. If they were able to resolve the problem once and for all, why would they be beating their brains out for a countermeasure?


    Unlike the three of them, Erin and his younger sister��s eyes glinted upon hearing Rhode��s words. They understood what he meant straightaway. After all, this wasn��t the first time Rhode discussed this issue with them.


    ��In that case, may I know how you intend to resolve it, Your Majesty Rhode?��


    Nalea asked curiously. Even though Siena and Lilian didn��t say a word, they also turned to Rhode curiously. Upon noticing their gaze, Rhode let out a proud chuckle and replied.


    ��Simple�� Just transport the Dragon Soul Continent out of this world.��


    ��Huh��?��


    Nalea, Siena, and Lilian were stunned.


    ��Out of this world?��


    ��That��s right. Even though Chaos reigns supreme in this world, it isn��t so in every other world. I suppose you��re also aware that in order to rescue Erin, I headed to another world. In that world, the clash between Order and Chaos isn��t as brutal. Besides, Chaos also hadn��t developed self-will and isn��t as threatening. That is why as long as we break through the plane barrier and transport the Dragon Soul Continent to that world, we can resolve the problem once and for all.��


    Rhode declared with confidence. He had discussed this same issue with his younger sister and Marybelle several times. They owned the Door of Akasha and received the plane coordinates. The only thing to do next was to get their hands on the Order Star, activate the isolation barrier, separate the entire Dragon Soul Continent from Chaos, and leave this place. He would then seal off the channel and destroy the plane coordinates, leaving Chaos to play on its own in this godforsaken world.


    With this confidence, Rhode dared to wipe out more than half of the Country of Darkness. From his perspective, this part of the Country of Darkness would be abandoned sooner or later, so abandoning it earlier wouldn��t make a difference. According to his plan, for safety��s sake, he would draw a divisive line inside the Dragon Soul Continent. This way, after activating the isolation barrier, every other region apart from the core of the continent would be cut off entirely. Meanwhile, hell and the outer regions of the Dragon Soul Continent were no exceptions either. As hell had an overly-close relationship with the Bottomless Abyss, Rhode decided to give up hell and only bring along the four main elemental planes and Seven Fantasy Boundaries to the solar system.


    Rhode had decided to discuss this with Nalea and the rest after his return. But back then, he felt uneasy about Ion, and the plan itself required the coordination between all Creator Dragons. That was why Rhode didn��t mention a word. Now that the truth was out��Ion didn��t inherit the dragon soul power and Erin became the Dark Dragon��Rhode had no more concerns. That was why he gathered everyone here and informed them of his major plan.


    ��I see����


    After hearing Rhode��s account, Nalea and the rest were rather tempted. Indeed, if it were as he mentioned, they didn��t need to worry about Chaos invading and devouring them. But��


    ��Your Majesty Erin, is that world dangerous?��


    Siena twitched her brow slightly, turned to Erin, and asked. Upon hearing her query, Rhode and his younger sister exchanged looks, but eventually remained silent. Facing Siena��s question, Erin pondered for a few moments and answered.


    ��That world isn��t dangerous, but there is a place called Earth that we need to take note of. There is only the human race in that place, and they are also capable of creating amazing weapons for war, so we need to be wary.��


    ��Are they hard to deal with?��


    ��From our perspective����


    Erin pondered, lifted her head, and swept a glance at everyone.


    ��It shouldn��t be too hard for us. Among them, I think their most powerful forces are weapons at a level similar to spells from legendary spell casters. Besides, they have to collaborate and operate using magical machineries. As soon as the magical machineries are destroyed, they will be defenseless. Apart from that, they are nothing more than a group of free-range chickens.��


    Standing from Erin��s standpoint, she wasn��t wrong at all.


    ��We won��t be connecting with them.��


    Rhode continued after Erin��s sentence. As a matter of fact, this was the case. Even if they transported the entire continent to the solar system, they would need a long time to recuperate. Besides, due to the cultural characteristics of the Dragon Soul Continent, they basically wouldn��t be interested in space and other affairs. On the other hand, Rhode had to worry about those idiots on Earth and whether they would discover a whole new entity in the planetary orbit and send out a satellite to check on them. When that happened, they would be in another trouble.


    ��That��s good to know. After all, we��re outsiders. If they do not pose a threat to us, we��ll just ignore them.��


    Siena nodded as though she had the same view. But��


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, according to you, we need to set up isolation enchantment fields as quickly as possible, search for the Order Star, and defend against the invasion of Chaos. But now, our forces aren��t enough to support our objectives. If we make use of the dragon soul protection only, we will be fine. In terms of setting up the isolation enchantment fields, we can send an army of elites to handle them. But in the face of Chaos, we��re still lacking numbers����


    At that moment, Siena finally lowered her head and admitted to Rhode��s suggestion. However, it was normal for her to feel worried. Even though Chaos wasn��t strong individually, it could offset all disadvantages with its quantity. On the other hand, while the Dragon Soul Continent had powerful beings, they were in small numbers. There were less than a thousand people who were in the Legendary Stage, not to mention of the same caliber as the four legendary generals. Even if they were to gather them, it would be useless against the waves of Chaos. But��


    ��Don��t worry about manpower; leave it to me.��


    This time, Rhode��s answer was filled with confidence. The corners of his mouth perked up into a prideful smile.


    ��I guarantee I��ll give all of you a surprise.��

 Chapter 1264 - Time to Open Up the Land!

    In the end, the dragon soul heirs voted unanimously to approve Rhode��s proposal. After all, this was indeed a great opportunity for them. With the testimonies of Lydia and Erin, who had been to that world, Lillian, Siena, and Nalea were full of fantasy and imagination. They could never imagine a world without Chaos, but now that there was a chance to be free of Chaos forever, there was no way they would let this opportunity go.


    But they had to make a lot of sacrifices.


    According to Rhode��s plan, in order to perfect the transmigration process, theDragon Soul Continent had to build three layers of defensive barriers in order to stop Chaos from infiltrating. The outermost two layers would ultimately be given up. It was imaginable that Chaos would do everything they could to stop the transmigration of the Dragon Soul Continent. Currently, the Dragon Soul Continent wasn��t strong enough to defend against the invasion of Chaos. Therefore, Rhode��s solution was to construct three layers of protection to defend against their attack. As soon as one protection layer was dominated by Chaos, Rhode would abandon it without any hesitation. It was just like earthlings sending satellites into space. When the rocket of the ��Dragon Soul Continent�� was ��fired into space��, it was a matter of discarding parts that were redundant and dangerous to the situation, leaving only the core.


    This was equally dangerous for the Dragon Soul Continent because according to the calculations of the dragon soul heirs, they had to give up millions of square kilometers of the continent. In comparison to Earth, it was like the size of several countries. The remaining land would be the core regions connecting the Country of Light, Country of Darkness, Country of Law, Void Territory, and Munn Kingdom. When that happened, the dragon soul heirs would unleash the maximum power of their dragon soul protections to protect the land so as to resist the spatial turbulence.


    At the same time, this would be one of the largest migrations in the history of the Dragon Soul Continent. Under the lead of the dragon soul heirs, most people living by the borders would be forced to relocate to central areas of the Void Territory and Munn Kingdom. The undead creatures would also need to abandon the defensive line that they ran for years and evacuate to safety. The elves and angels would be responsible for handling migration. Rhode��s magic fleet and the Munn Kingdom��s floating magic warships would undoubtedly serve as transportation vehicles.


    Of course, not everyone would be willing to leave their homes and for that, Rhode wouldn��t force them. Everyone had their own ambitions. If they were willing to die on the land they grew up on, so be it. Besides�� They could also more or less obstruct the progression of Chaos, so it could be considered as waste utilization.


    Everything worked out well, but eventually turned into a mess as people got busier. Most people didn��t know what exactly they were facing. The only thing they knew was that this was an extraordinary project. They were forced to leave their hometown and land to head to an unfamiliar territory to lead their lives. Merchants were gathered to transfer food and materials from their warehouses to the core region in order to standby for crises. On the other hand, elite teams were dispatched to strong fortresses and city walls to build tall, pitch-black, triangular towers. Almost all the strong ones were gathered and mobilized in order to deal with the ambush of Chaos. Perhaps when the Creator Dragons attacked, the strong ones could remain indifferent and watch from the sidelines, but now that they were implicated, they naturally couldn��t watch the fires burning across the river anymore. No matter if they were willing or not, they had to contribute their strength for the lands. It was especially so after they heard that they would leave the encirclement of Chaos forever and head into a safer world. Even the races that stood aloof from worldly affairs also agreed to partake in this unprecedented war.


    But even so, it still wasn��t enough.


    The brightly lit hall was shrouded in a heavy atmosphere. Before the gorgeous, wooden round table, almost all the representatives of each race and leaders of organizations came together in preparation for the upcoming battle. But it was a pity that almost none of the news they brought was good.


    ��Judging from the news from the defensive lines, the situation doesn��t seem optimistic.��


    Siena tossed the intelligence on the table, lifted her head, and gazed at everyone.


    ��Everyone, what do you think?��


    ��We��re trying our best.��


    Clad in a pitch-black, leather armor, a dark elf with fair skin and long hair was the first to respond: Nell. She had become the supreme queen of Carlesodar City. As the first ruler of the dark elves in history who was unable to cast magical spells, she controlled the top 10 dark elf families in the underground world.


    ��Dwarves and bugbears have joined our lineup. But according to the current progress, we need another half month to complete the construction of the final defensive circle and activate the coordinates tower. Even though we have given our all, frankly speaking, we don��t have enough manpower. Honestly, even if we finished building the defensive circle, I��m not sure if we have enough manpower to patrol and defend against the invasion of Chaos.��


    ��It��s not only you, dark-skins! Us, dwarves, are the same!��


    Along with the loud quarrels, a dwarf who wore a set of heavy armor and looked like a walking can waved his arms in displeasure. He tried to express himself, but his short arms fluttered in the air for a few seconds, before smacking onto and shaking the whole round table.


    ��Us have no intention of getting involved in this mess! But since it has begun, it must be completed to the best of our ability! But us, dwarves, have limited manpower. Your massive plans require many more hands. Us are experienced in construction, but it is an entirely different matter for other areas! Anyway, if there isn��t enough manpower to fight against Chaos, don��t expect me to bring my wife and kids into battle!��


    The King Dwarf glared at the ice-cold figure who blended into the shadow on the other end of the table.


    ��If I were to say, the undead creatures are more suitable for the job, aren��t they?��


    ��Ha, ha�� I think you may have misunderstood, ruler of the dwarves.��


    An old voice rang out as though it burrowed out of the grave, dropping the temperature in the entire conference room to below zero. The skeleton figure who wore an elegant robe lifted his head. Ice-cold, spiritual glints danced inside his pitch-black eye sockets. Skin as pale as paper wrapped his skeleton body, making it seem unsettling. The King Lich gripped the crystal staff and answered with a chuckle.


    ��There is also a limit to spiritual techniques. We can summon the dead and give them a second chance of life and stronger power. Time is the biggest test for undead creatures. Only those who passed the test will be able to possess stronger power. But it is a pity that even though we can produce undead creatures on a large scale, we can��t bestow upon them power comparable to Chaos�� It is only after they have been through thousands of years of honing that they become unique. Judging from this, we don��t have as much freedom and potential as mortals.��


    The King Lich said, shifting his gaze to beside him.


    ��If I recall correctly, recently the number of darkness dependents increased by quite a lot����


    ��You must be kidding, King Lich.��


    Facing the King Lich, a young lady who was clad in a scarlet, gothic dress twitched her brows��the Scarlet Princess. Angelina smiled and responded in a casual tone.


    ��I suppose you��re as clear as me on the reproduction technique of vampires. If it weren��t for Her Majesty Erin��s order, I also wouldn��t resort to this. Descendants bearing the power of vampires need a period of time to grasp their own strength. Even though the possibility of them becoming stronger is much higher than the lowly undead creatures, it is still impossible for them to grow so much stronger that they can defend against the invasion of Chaos in such a short time.��


    ��Elves are equally powerless in this area�� In the previous battle, we lost too many of them. Although we sought help from orcs and fairies, in this current situation, no one knows how long we can resist Chaos for.��


    Corina let out a sigh and said in a helpless tone. She glared at the great lich seated opposite her. It was apparent that even though it wasn��t the ��true�� undead creatures that ambushed the Elf Forest, the elves still didn��t have any favorable impressions of undeads that defied and existed against the laws of nature.


    ��Us, Silver Northern Expeditionary Force, will always stand on the forefront against Chaos!��


    Clad in a silver-whitish armor, a middle-aged man carrying a longsword on his back said. He swept a glance at the group like a bolt of lightning.


    ��My subjects and I will fight until the very end. We will defend against Chaos with our lives until the plan succeeds! Unless conscience and justice no longer exist, we will never give up!��


    ��Voices can��t fill stomachs, Sir Knight.��


    A Naga spoke in her snake-like voice. She slithered and leaned back on the chair. Her tail trembled constantly, showing the restlessness of its owner.


    ��Even though my brave warriors can walk on land, they can not leave the waters for long! Besides, we need to stand guard in case Chaos infiltrates the sea! If they enter our world through maelstroms, it will be a tough challenge for us! The seal at the bottom of the sea and coordinates tower are our priority! Do you have any opinion?��


    ��About that, the water elemental lord is willing to provide assistance.��


    Agatha��s voice sounded as plain as usual. The wriggling tentacles on her remained as slow and relaxed as ever, as though she weren��t mindful of what was happening or about to happen. As this plan implicated the four main elemental planes and Seven Fantasy Boundaries, Rhode had also sent representatives out to negotiate. As Gillian was the fire elemental lord, the fire elemental plane was easily settled. Meanwhile, Agatha was responsible for representing the water elemental plane. Rhode requested the Sky Whale��s help to negotiate with the air elemental plane. As for the earth elemental plane, he handed the job to the Queen Elf. After all, elves were talented in this aspect.


    ��Seems like this is all the information we can gather for now.��


    Lydia forced a smile. Even though this meeting was a little chaotic, almost everyone��s doubts surrounded two issues. First, the lack of manpower to face the upcoming Chaos army. Second, there also wasn��t enough manpower to defend the enormous defensive circle, which made them suspect if the defense was necessary.


    ��I wonder what His Majesty Rhode thinks. He did promise to provide us sufficient and powerful forces����


    ������


    Along with Nalea��s remark, the entire conference room fell into a strange silence. As a matter of fact, the reason why everyone was willing to partake in this huge construction project was because Rhode promised to provide strong forces to defend their regions. Even though he was the Void Dragon and had to keep his promise, the leaders and representatives present either flew in the air, climbed trees, crawled on ground, or swam in water. It could also be said that the subordinates under them made up 80 to 90 percent of the continent��s strength. Now that they had a lack of manpower, where would Rhode go to seek help? Besides, why was he so certain that he could recruit that many people? This time, their enemy was going to be Chaos creatures. Not only was there a high demand in terms of quantity, but also in terms of strength, which couldn��t be easily achieved.


    Rhode didn��t join this meeting. While everyone debated about the present and future of the Dragon Soul Continent, Rhode, his younger sister, Lilian, and Christie arrived at the palace in the Land of Atonement��the Astral Temple.


    ���� Christie said�� She will open up the�� path to the Astral Temple�� when the battle begins�� and awaken the heroic spirits in this world�� to fight against Chaos����


    Christie held Rhode��s hand tightly and said with a gentle smile. Upon hearing her words, Rhode nodded and stroked her long hair.


    ��Well done, Christie. With the help of the heroic spirits, our hopes of protecting the Dragon Soul Continent will become much bigger.��


    But, this still isn��t enough��


    ��Have you decided, Big Brother?��


    The younger sister standing on his other side asked softly.


    ��You need to know that if you do that, your power will also be weakened, Big Brother. Even though we have indeed gathered reliable information, it requires a lot of energy to manifest them all. If you��ve decided to do that, your strength will fall to its original level.��


    ��It doesn��t matter. If I can hold back Chaos on my own, I wouldn��t need the help of so many people. Besides����


    Rhode said and revealed a proud smile.


    ��You should be aware of that, my sister. It isn��t my first time defeating that newbie, Ion����


    ��That��s right, Leader!��


    Mini Bubble Gum and Canary who followed at the back nodded slightly. The former swung her fist and yelled.


    ��Let��s get to work; gather all our power and show that fool our true strength!��


    ��You��re right.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s answer, the younger sister covered her mouth and chuckled. Rhode shrugged, lifting his head and gazing forward. At that moment, Lesa, who donned a long robe and held a golden scepter, sauntered out of the temple. She went up to Rhode and gave a solemn bow.


    ��Welcome to the Astral Temple, Master. Have you decided to summon the heroic spirits?��


    ��Yes.��


    ��Alright then, please show me the spiritual proof.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s answer, Lesa lifted her head and gazed at the young man with a pair of beautiful, azure eyes. Rhode looked at her expression and the corners of his mouth perked up into an odd smile. Then, he extended his right arm. Along with this action, an incredibly powerful strength coalesced in his palm. A golden card appeared in his hand. Looking at the card, Lesa was slightly surprised. Despite that, she stretched her hand out quickly and accepted the card, before her eyes glinted in a bright flash.


    ��������Confirmed. Spiritual Proof������Rhode������About to enter summoning mode����


    Lesa announced, coming to a pause. Then, she looked at Rhode and asked again.


    ��Do you confirm to use this card as a medium and summon the heroic spirits?��


    ��Yes.��


    ������


    After receiving Rhode��s answer, Lesa closed her eyes and extended her arm. Shortly after, the card flickering in a golden radiance erupted in a bright, dazzling brilliance. At the next moment, as though resonating with the brilliance, a golden light column burst into the sky from the Astral Temple!


    The glaring light column forced everyone to narrow their eyes. Rhode stood on the spot and stared at the glowing temple. Shortly after, in the golden light column, figures appeared one after another, from tens, to hundreds, to thousands�� to many more��!


    The figure at the forefront raised the arm high and waved at Rhode.


    ��Master, we��re here to help!��


    Upon hearing the voice, Rhode revealed a relaxed smile. He looked ahead and ordered.


    ��Everyone, get ready to open up the land!��

 Chapter 1265 - Stars

    Figures marched out of the Astral Temple one after another. Among them were men, women, young, and old.


    ��They are����


    Gazing at the crowd walking out in a line, Marlene and Cassidy at the back of the group were speechless. Just like the rest, they were curious as to how Rhode would recruit enough units for the upcoming war. But now, Marlene no longer had any doubt. She believed that when others witnessed this massive and powerful army, they would certainly be stunned and wouldn��t doubt Rhode any longer. Each and every one of them wielded incredibly powerful weapons and were clad in armor that flickered in magical brilliance. As a deity warden, Marlene sensed that they possessed equal or even stronger powers than Mini Bubble Gum and Canary!


    If we have them as our forces, we will be strong enough to defend against Chaos!


    ��Your Majesty, where exactly did you find them?��


    At this thought, Cassidy couldn��t contain her curiosity and asked. Facing her query, Rhode revealed a genuine smile, turned to the front, and replied.


    ��They used to be my companions and comrades. We used to go on adventures and fight together. I am also surprised to have this opportunity to fight alongside them in this world.��


    Rhode answered with complicated emotions. He lost his mind as he gazed at the crowd with the familiar faces. After confirming his plan to transport the entire continent, Rhode came up with this idea. The roots were in the Astral Temple. According to the introduction in the system interface, the Astral Temple could summon armies that once fought under the main card. If it were as the Astral Temple described, would he be able to summon members of Starlight who had fought alongside him in the past?


    After this thought surged from deep down in his heart, he could no longer hold back. Besides, he was also capable of meeting the conditions. First, there was no issue with using the Astral Temple as the summoning portal. In terms of summoning cards, after successfully opening up the Void Territory, he had transformed his dragon form into a card. Second, if the system recognized that he and his card had the same attributes, was it possible to use this as the base to summon members of Starlight?


    Of course, Rhode discussed this matter with his younger sister and Gillian. The results excited him. As Rhode transmigrated with the entire system interface, all the collected intelligence was also naturally brought over, including player data of all players in the Dragon Soul Continent. As long as he established a connection with them, he could successfully summon them here.


    But compared to Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, the projections of these newer Starlight members weren��t as advanced. Phantom Guardians were manifested based on Rhode��s memories, and it was otherwise for the other members of Starlight. Their presences were based on gathered intelligence. In other words, their behaviors were based entirely on the intelligence about their daily activities as collected by the system. This intelligence was arranged into data and manifested into physical forms. In simpler terms, their status in this world was like that of NPCs in the Dragon Soul Continent on Earth. But on Earth, Lydia and the rest were the NPCs instead, while in this world, the status of both parties swapped. Not only that, but also even though these people didn��t seem any different from ordinary people, as a matter of fact, they could only repeat behaviors and actions that they had done in the game. If the behaviors and actions weren��t prerecorded, they wouldn��t be able to perform them. After all, the game only collected their action data and didn��t include their thoughts and spirits. This was where they were different from Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, Icy Snow, and Orchid Heart.


    And in order to manifest such a huge amount of data, Rhode also expended a certain extent of power. He had used up almost all his dragon soul power to maintain the crowd before him. For that reason, his current strength was weakened to the same level as the rest. In other words, he was nothing more than a Spirit Swordsman in the peak level of 85. But to him, this exchange was cost-effective. If it were in the past, perhaps he might harbor some worries and suspicions, but with his younger sister by his side, he didn��t need to worry about this issue. His younger sister who regained her physical body also possessed the Void Dragon��s power. Even if he weren��t there, it would be sufficient with her younger sister around to support the overall situation.


    ��How��s that, Marlene?��


    Gazing at the bustling crowd, Rhode couldn��t help but reveal a nostalgic smile. He had as though returned to the game and gathered everyone for a raid or guild battle. Everyone seemed so excited, lively, and passionate. Every one of them enjoyed the joys of the game and battles, as well as��


    Victory.


    ��They are really strong, Rhode.��


    Facing Rhode��s query, Marlene nodded in response. She realized that even though these people were dressed differently, they had something in common. No matter which part of their bodies, they all wore a cross badge. Marlene wasn��t unfamiliar with it because she had the same exact badge. She also believed that the powerful strength of these people would allow them to gain a huge advantage in the face of Chaos. But��


    ��Rhode, even though it shouldn��t be up to me to say it, is their discipline�� alright?��


    It wasn��t surprising that Marlene asked. This wasn��t the first time she witnessed soldiers being summoned from the Astral Temple. Be it elves, angels, or other races, all in all, they were disciplined. One could sense a murderous aura exuding from them though they stood on the spot, making one feel as though they were invincible. But this huge group of people, despite being powerful, didn��t possess such a trait. They didn��t seem like trained soldiers at all. Marlene had even witnessed smaller groups of three to five, twittering in excitement. Some even glanced curiously at the surroundings as though they disregarded Rhode completely.


    Besides, many of them stood and sat inappropriately, leaving Marlene speechless. She also observed some thief-class characters in the Peak Legendary Stage crouching, gesturing, and revealing creepy, lascivious smiles. Looking at this scene, Marlene was at a loss. In the Dragon Soul Continent, many formidable beings carried self-respecting status, and it got more obvious the stronger they were. But the people that Rhode summoned were entirely different. Even though their strength was considered outstanding in the Dragon Soul Continent, Marlene didn��t recognize any masterly demeanor from them��


    ��Don��t worry, even though this is the way they behave, they will act seriously when necessary.��


    Upon hearing Marlene��s doubt, Rhode couldn��t help but force a smile. But she couldn��t be blamed since this was how these guys behaved all day. After all, they were players of a game and weren��t involved in life-or-death struggles. It was enough as long as everyone was having fun. Who would care whether they lined up like trained soldiers? For that reason, it went without saying that the entire plaza was as bustling as a wet market.


    Seems like I should more or less give Marlene and the others some confidence. Besides, these guys are indeed embarrassing me to a certain degree.


    At this thought, Rhode clapped his palms together, before waving to the front of the group.


    ��Old Ryu, gather up!��


    ��Got it, Leader.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s command, the members at the front nodded and a middle-aged man who wore a pitch-black robe raised his staff high. Shortly after, a fireball erupted from the tip of the staff, blasting into the air and exploding in a loud boom. Looking at the burst of flare, the crowd bustling with activities stopped chatting and turned to Rhode. Looking at this scene, Marlene couldn��t help but twitch her brow. She witnessed that they weren��t startled by the sudden explosion of the fireball. Because if that were the case, they would have turned to the mage who fired it instead. But as a matter of fact, these people only swept a glance at the fireball, before shifting their gaze to Rhode who stood in front of them. This went to show that this was possibly their signal. Marlene was also bewildered. She thought these people weren��t disciplined, but it seemed like she had misjudged them. Even though they didn��t experience formal training like the Moon Blade Guards, they still possessed an unique sense of cohesiveness.


    ��Hi all, long time no see.��


    Rhode smiled as soon as everyone focused their attention on him. At that moment, he felt like he had returned to the game once again. In his memories, the last time he felt so passionate was when he led his guild in ambushing the Light Parliament. Back then, players were only players who enjoyed the game and carried out missions. They had never thought of changing anything. Rhode was the first to raise this suggestion and lead members of Starlight to launch an ambush on the Light Parliament while the Country of Darkness attacked Casabianca��s final defensive line.


    It was only after that players discovered that they could also change the plot of the game. They also didn��t need to stand by the sidelines and watch the NPCs put on a show. They could wait for the game to start after the end of the story with the ability to change destiny. That wasn��t just the destiny of some people, but that of an entire nation, and even the continent��s too��


    ��This time, I need your help, which is why I summoned you here. We once changed our destiny together and now, we need to change this world again! I suppose you��re already aware that the presence of that damn Chaos still lingers on to find trouble with us again. Brothers and sisters, what do you say? Shall we wipe them out?!��


    ��F*ck them over, Leader!��


    ��Go, go, Guild Leader! This time, we shall trample our way to the 900th floor in the Bottomless Abyss! I refuse to believe we can��t break through that godforsaken place!��


    ��Leader, please form teams and give us the BOSS location! This time, you must include me when killing the BOSS!!!��


    ��Seems like the three great Gods with an ��unlucky looting aura�� have gathered, Leader. You guys won��t be the ones looting the corpses right? If you are, then I��m not playing anymore!��


    ��Get lost, you worthless trash; how dare you defy Guild Leader��s command? Guild Leader, did you see how I defended you? So�� how about introducing some of your women to me? I don��t have other requests, just their addresses and phone numbers will do����


    In an instant, the plaza became bustling with noises again, catching Marlene and the rest off guard and staring blankly at the scene. They witnessed all sorts of pre-war declarations, but had never seen such unreliable ones. Marlene suspected that something was wrong with her ears and understanding ability upon realizing that these people went off-topic from what Rhode spoke earlier. Rhode was clearly talking about the invasion of Chaos, so why would they request to form parties, speak about looting, and whatnot?


    By the way, what exactly did they mean?


    As Marlene gazed blankly at this outrageous scene, Rhode wasn��t mindful at all. On the contrary, he gestured to a dozen of them, beckoned to Icy Snow and Canary, and said something to them. Shortly after, the specific people dispersed and returned to their respective groups. Then, the bustling group began to head down. But judging from their excited looks, Marlene felt like they were here for travel and not battle��


    This time, there were a total of 30,000 members from Starlight summoned from the Astral Temple, which was the final results after counting. There were more than 100,000 members in Starlight during its peak. If Rhode were to manifest all of them, Chaos wouldn��t stand a chance at all. But it was a pity that Rhode��s dragon soul power was limited. Even though he could manifest more than 100,000 members at once, he wouldn��t be able to provide them with valuable and powerful equipment. It could also be said that if Rhode were to manifest 100,000 members, they would be like max-leveled players wearing starter equipment. That way, he couldn��t guarantee success with their battle strength. That was why after serious considerations, he finally decided to summon 30,000 of the most elite Starlight members, at the same time ensuring their quantity and strength. Apart from the 23,000 battle-class players, 7,000 of them were production-class players. Despite being production-class players, Rhode was certain that they would definitely display power and influence beyond anyone��s imagination in the upcoming war.


    Rhode helped settle down the 30,000 ��players�� in the Land of Atonement. Ever since the Void Territory was opened up, residents of the Land of Atonement had moved to the Void Territory, while the Land of Atonement was turned into a military encampment. As a result, there wasn��t any issue accommodating 30,000 ��players��.


    Thereafter, Rhode sent the players out in batches to defend various areas. He dispatched almost 8,000 players to the border by the Country of Darkness, which was the forefront. As for other areas, he mobilized 3,000 to 5,000 players. The remaining players were thrown to various areas to form inspection teams to ensure safety. Such tasks were tough for formal armies, but it was the duty of players. After all, this was how players climbed their ways up the ranks.


    Almost everyone expressed their unprecedented shock upon realizing the ��reinforcements�� that Rhode brought over. After all, there were tens of thousands of formidable beings in the Peak Legendary Stage. They had powerful equipment that left many leaders in envy, and their strength not inferior to the four legendary generals�� or archangels��. What was more astonishing was that they were generally young, with most of them in their late teens and 20s. So young and yet, possessed such amazing strength. Despite that, they didn��t hear of these people before. Where exactly did they come from?


    Even though there were doubts about their background, it was still better to receive help with the currently serious manpower shortage. As days passed, various places were starting to get ready. Randolf and the other Creator Dragons settled down in the center of Grandia, gathering intelligence from all around the continent.


    As expected, Chaos responded.


    Judging from the intelligence, Chaos began to invade the Dragon Soul Continent again. The defensive line by the forefront in the Country of Darkness faced several small-scaled battles. However, the strength of Chaos was also limited, falling short and retreating in the face of the prepared undead army.


    But this was only the start.


    Seems like this battle is unavoidable.


    After receiving the intelligence, Rhode couldn��t help but let out a sigh. He initially hoped to engage in a ��turtling�� defensive strategy. As long as they could defend until the three layers of enchanted field were fully activated, they could abandon the outside without holding back and get sent to the core area. However, the problems in the Country of Darkness couldn��t be resolved that easily. It was obvious that Ion used the connection between the Country of Darkness and Dragon Soul Continent to attack the continent without the slightest qualm. Therefore, no matter what, Rhode had to cut off Ion��s connection with the continent in exchange for sufficient time to activate the barrier.


    And there was only one way to cut off the connection completely.


    Kill the former, corrupted Dark Dragon, Ion.

 Chapter 1266 - Welcome to the Epic Battlefield

    The land under the night sky was as peaceful as ever. Under the soft moonlight, everything seemed to have fallen into an eternal slumber. At a glance, one could see the gentle grass rising and falling like waves as the breeze blew by. It was as though the moonlight were shining on the green ocean that was spreading to the end of the world.


    The end of the world.


    Rhode stood at the top of the guard tower, lifted his head, and looked at the junction of the horizon, where the dark and silent night stood on the other side. The mass of pure, white fog rolled forward inexorably and retreated after running into the transparent glass barrier. Despite that, it didn��t give up, but continued on instead, week after week, over and over again. While it seemed as if Chaos went home with its tail between its legs, Rhode knew this wasn��t the case. After all, constant effort brought success. The contamination of Chaos strengthened and expanded gradually, and Erin��s moonlight barrier seemingly couldn��t hang on anymore.


    Besides��


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but gaze at the prairie, as well as the pale skeletons clad in broken armor treading through the swaying grass.


    Those were precisely the enemies that came from the ��end of the world��. Ever since Erin cut off the connection between the dragon soul power and Ion, Ion became completely influenced by Chaos. For that reason, the other half of the Country of Darkness under his control became a land of Chaos and the undead creatures within weren��t spared either. Although some undead creatures struggled bitterly to survive, in Rhode��s opinion, it was only a matter of time before they succumbed to Chaos.


    And based on the current situation, it seemed like Ion was getting more skilled at ruling the land of Chaos. Erin��s territory was attacked several times by undead creatures influenced by Chaos and for that reason, Rhode came here. He knew very well that these undead creatures didn��t just wander to this place, but were specifically sent here, to their death, by Ion. It was clear that Ion was trying to find a loophole in the Order barrier by constantly attacking and widening the gap. This was evident from the increasing number of Chaos units assaulting the border of the Country of Darkness. Earlier on, Erin fought off the last wave of the Chaos army, which consisted of more than 100,000 units. That was why Rhode arrived here, for he understood that Ion would put up a serious attitude in his next wave of attack.


    ��Aren��t you going to take a break, Rhode?��


    Erin��s voice sounded behind him. She strolled to his side and gazed curiously at his face that was more beautiful and delicate than a female��s profile. Upon detecting her gaze, Rhode smiled and shook his head, before turning around and looking at the bottom of the guard tower. One could clearly witness artillery racks being built on the tall, steel walls, rising rapidly like fast-forwarded construction processes in documentaries. There were thick iron plates mounted on them. The menacing and vicious-looking artilleries retracted from their racks and a group of cheerful voices that were totally unfitting of this peaceful night echoed.


    ��Speed, speed, speed! Fly up, fly up! Left! Left side hurry up! Haven��t you had your dinner?!��


    ��I had three big bowls of rice. If there were girls around, I could stuff another three more bowls, you *sshole! Who made that artillery cannon? Didn��t we agree to not expand its size? There isn��t enough space! God dang it, do you think a production-class like me is some pushover? Seems like I need to re-polish it again. When the war starts, it will be too late to install them, and it will be me who will get punished by the guild leader if he asks! Remove that damn bulky cannon right now!��


    ��Guys at the back, stop pushing! We can��t keep up with the materials. What��s the progress with you guys up top?��


    ��3000 points more; five minutes to settle! Come on now, play some music!��


    ��You are my small, small apple����


    ��Hey, shut up! I want music, not your terrible singing! Aren��t we miserable enough already?!��


    ��Haha�� What an interesting group.��


    Observing the busy personnel in the near distance ahead, Erin couldn��t help but reveal a smile. Right now, even though they were facing the test of the life and death of the continent, the sight of these occupied people made Erin feel much more relieved. As a matter of fact, she was under a lot of pressure earlier. As a newborn Dark Dragon who just took up her post, the current situation could be said to be extremely terrible. Not only did she lose more than half of her land and manpower, but her country��s remaining equipment and facilities were also entirely worthless. This vast prairie was even connected to Chaos, giving her an even larger headache. After all, this was the first defensive line that Chaos attacked, so it naturally had to be the focus of her defense. But the problem was that there was nothing here. Even though Rhode��s earlier attempt to divide the continent into five regions failed, the aftermath of its impact flattened everything by the border regions. Be it plants or buildings, everything was razed to the ground by the aftermath, without leaving behind any debris. Left without a choice, Erin sought assistance from the elves in the Country of Law and eventually succeeded in building a defensive post on this prairie. Although the large spread of grass seemed ordinary, as a matter of fact, they were traps of nature. As soon as Chaos creatures broke through the barrier and arrived at the prairie, their limbs would be bound by the strong and unbreakable grass. Erin would then lead her army in eliminating the trespassers.


    But there was still a limit to the defenses, after all, and a lot of time was needed to build the defense facility. It was commonly known that a solid, fortified stronghold required several years of time, money, and much manpower to build. For that reason, Erin was most worried about defenses until Rhode sent over 8,000 reinforcement units.


    Just like the rest, the moment Erin witnessed 8,000 well-equipped and powerful players, she was bewildered. She didn��t know where exactly Rhode found so many formidable beings. However, Erin had been to Earth once, after all, so she knew that he kept a lot of secrets. No matter what, with the addition of 8,000 formidable beings, Erin wasn��t as desperate as she was before.


    But shortly after, she realized that this wasn��t the only surprise that Rhode brought her. Because among the 8,000 people, there were more than 800 production-class players.


    Erin wasn��t sure what ��production-class�� meant. But shortly after, she witnessed their incredible and strange techniques. They only had to stand by the furnaces and swing their arms; the ores would melt into various materials. Not only that, but Erin also witnessed some of them retrieving and pounding the steel materials with a hammer. In just a few moments, a guard tower was constructed from the flat ground! According to Erin��s experience, building such a guard tower required more than half a month��s time. But in the hands of these people, they only used a few hours to complete and put it to use?!


    How did they do that?


    Erin remained perplexed despite much thought. Not only that, but these people also asked her what they should do. However, Erin didn��t have many ideas. Back then, although she was rather curious about their abilities, she didn��t expect them to be so godlike. That was why she instructed them ambiguously to help strengthen the defense of this zone. But what astonished her was that after hearing her request, the players spent more than 10 days building a whole circle of steel walls that were as tall as 10 floors by the border of the entire prairie. Not only that, but there were also guard towers and three fortresses!


    Even though the buildings were in their most basic, completed form and didn��t go through any renovation, and there was nothing apart from ordinary defense facilities, this was still a huge surprise for Erin! Her initial intention was to set up some temporary protection blocks and make the undead creatures dig a ravine to stop Chaos creatures from infiltrating. And now, with this strong and terrifying defensive line like a giant beast��s ferocious mouth, she was confident in leading her troops and battling against Chaos now!


    However, she also discovered that even though the players constructed the buildings quickly, the amount of materials they used was astronomical. Fortunately, the Country of Darkness had an abundance of assets, and the undead creatures also worked endlessly, so she was able to afford the expenses. If not, they wouldn��t be able to survive for long. But�� Gazing at the tall city wall and steel fortress ahead, Erin felt like her efforts were worth it.


    ��But Rhode, do you really intend to launch an attack on the other side��?��


    Shaking her head and arranging her thoughts, Erin asked in uncertainty. Of course, she more or less understood Rhode��s plan. This time, he didn��t bring 8,000 people over just to help her defend the Country of Darkness��s front. On the contrary, he decided to make a huge play. While Ion went all-out on the Country of Darkness, Rhode would lead some of his men and sneak in from the back, catching Ion off guard. And when the silly Ion was happily traveling to the Darkness Capital, Rhode would outflank him and take him out. The pressure on the Country of Darkness��s front would also decrease immediately. When that happened, Rhode could mobilize his troops to the other battlefronts.


    ��Based on the current situation, this is absolutely necessary. Even though he isn��t the real Dark Dragon, he is still an inhabitant of Order. Since he betrayed Order, he will need to pay the price. Besides, his power still more or less has a connection to the continent. If we don��t cleanly take him out, he will leave behind some hidden damage on the continent. I know you are in a complicated mood right now, so let me make the decisions.��


    Facing Erin��s query, Rhode twitched his brow and said. Even though killing Ion was essential, Rhode��s reasoning wasn��t as just and honorable�� Although he was supposedly fighting for the sake of the continent, it was obvious that he wanted to fulfill his desire of seeking revenge. Under the guise of righteousness, he could do whatever he wanted and didn��t need to worry about getting caught.


    Justice�� Freedom�� How many guys picked up girls under these guises?


    Rhode felt like this was a great deal��killing his cheap, future big brother and gaining the likes of Erin. It was rare to find this situation where he could kill two birds with one stone.


    It��s about time.


    At this thought, Rhode dwindled the evil thoughts in his mind, lifted his head, and gazed forward. At that moment, a soft voice sounded from behind him and Erin.


    ��Leader, everyone is lined up. Shall I split them into teams?��


    Upon hearing the voice, Rhode and Erin turned around and faced the slender young lady who stood in the shadow. She wore black, inconspicuous, and skin-tight leather armor. She leaned against the wall, a hood and black scarf hiding her face, revealing only her black pupils as she looked at Rhode.


    ��Split them. Teams 1 to 4 take the city walls, 5 to 7 on standby. Supporters should watch out for their health levels. No matter what, we need to keep the enemies at bay! Remember, don��t act wantonly. Give the enemies some confidence and make them think that we can be defeated. If we can��t handle them, revive the casualties on the spot. Got it? As usual, I will be in charge of the elite squad in the back. After the battle commences, take orders from Orchid Heart as per usual.��


    ��Got it.��


    After hearing Rhode��s command, the young lady nodded, took a step back, and vanished into the shadows. Up until that moment, Erin and Rhode exchanged looks with each other.


    ��Alright then, I shall make a move too, Erin.��


    ��Be careful, Rhode. If you think the situation is too dangerous, it is better to back down. After all, we�� still have other chances.��


    ��This is our only chance.��


    Night gales whizzed by. Rhode narrowed his eyes and gazed ahead. He smelled an oily scent in the chilly winds, which proved that the contamination of Chaos had begun once again. In the distance, the bright, gentle moonlight barrier became filthy. The pure white brilliance gradually dimmed as though it were smeared in dirt. A pitch-black, mysterious, and turbid color permeated, gaining the upper hand.


    ��Roar������!��


    Everyone heard a string of deep growls echoing in the winds.


    Let��s do it.


    At this thought, Rhode extended his right arm and snapped his fingers. Along with this action, some enormous, scarlet numbers appeared in the pitch-black sky. Upon seeing the numbers, be it the hectic group on the city walls or the crowd lined up in the back, they lifted their heads to the sky. Shortly after, they grew excited.


    30, 29, 28, 27��


    ��Oh-oh-oh, hurry up! It��s about to start! It has started counting down!��


    ��Quick! Clerics, put up the buffs. Is everyone in position? Confirm your positions once again. God dang it, we need to give it a good one. Don��t act recklessly and stay calm!��


    ��Oi, you guys up there, how much longer do you need? Are the turrets secured yet? We��re about ready now, and������done!��


    ��Rhode?��


    Looking at this scene, Erin couldn��t help but gaze at Rhode beside her. Even though she didn��t know how he did it, she was certain that this was definitely his doing. But why did he set this countdown timer? It would be fine if it were meant to raise spirits, but judging from the chaotic mess below�� Why did it feel counterproductive instead?


    ��Don��t worry, Erin. You��ll see.��


    Facing her doubt and concern, Rhode wasn��t mindful at all. At that moment, the snarls were getting louder. The faint silver moonlight in the distance had turned into a turbid mix of black and white. Shortly after, the air warped and twisted figures strolled out from within, one after another.


    10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5��


    All of a sudden, the scarlet numbers grew in size. But at that moment, Erin realized that the hectic and bustling crowd on the defensive line became incredibly quiet as though it were the silence before the storm. The busy crowd on the steel city walls were nowhere to be seen anymore. The people at the bottom who ran about finding groups were also prepared. The players on the guard towers raised their weapons and faced the front.


    3����!


    2����!


    1����!


    After the number ��1�� disappeared, all of a sudden, a line of golden text appeared in the night sky.


    [Welcome to the Epic Battlefield!]


    ��Oo����Oo����Oo����!��


    The deep bugle reverberated from the towers. At that moment, the silent city walls broke out in a frenzy.


    ��Oh-oh-oh! It has begun! For the honor of Starlight!��


    ��I��m hungry for honor points already. Come on, Chaos bast*rds!��


    ��This����


    Erin stared blankly at the fired-up crowd. At that moment, the passion they showed was so strong, so much so that Erin felt it was surreal. She didn��t expect these people to erupt with such powerful enthusiasm for battle. Logically speaking, one who reached the Peak Legendary Stage would value one��s life much more. It was already rare for these people to be willing to risk their lives to defend the land on her behalf. But now, judging from their behavior, it seemed like they were more passionate and agitated than the people of the Country of Darkness.


    What exactly is going on?


    ��Alright then, let��s begin.��


    When Erin turned around, the only thing she saw was Rhode turning around and leaving.


    ��I shall make a move first, Erin. I��ll leave this place to you! Let us prepare a great feast!��


    At the same time, along with the bursts of snarls, the Chaos army appeared at the peak of the horizon!

 Chapter 1267 - Teeth of Steel

    Lurking in the Chaos fog, Ion overlooked the large spread of land before him, his eyes glinting in an unknown and eager flash. He sensed the formidable strength of Chaos cruising in his body. At a glance, everything had succumbed to his power. This was true power. He didn��t borrow this power from anyone��it belonged to him entirely instead. No one could steal this power away from him! He used to look forward to it so much, and didn��t expect to fulfill his wish in this rather ironic fashion. But no matter what, he had done it and now, he also possessed a strong, formidable army. The Order barrier was also destroyed by the contamination of Chaos. And next, he only had to dispatch his army, and he could dominate the land of Order before him in the shortest time possible!


    When that happens, this entire continent will be mine!


    ��Get ready����


    Standing on the shoulder of the Skeleton Giant, Ion extended his arm and was about to give a high-spirited command when suddenly, his whole body trembled abruptly. He swallowed the words that were supposed to leave his mouth. For some unknown reason, Ion suddenly recalled the scene when he attacked the Country of Light the first time. Back then, he was equally as vigorous and grasped powerful strength, where countless undead creatures bowed down in submission to him. He was still the same as before. He was certain that he was invincible and the entire world trembled under his feet. That was why he gave the order to attack, he anticipated wiping out the Country of Light and becoming the supreme ruler of the continent.


    But�� It ended badly.


    At this thought, Ion shuddered.


    Why? Why did I recall that? I��m no longer the same. I��m no longer my old self. I won��t commit the same mistake twice. I��m ready this time. Not only has Chaos influenced all undead creatures in the Country of Darkness, but I have also summoned several Chaos Lords for this war. This time, I will not lose! That��s right, it is impossible for me to lose; totally impossible�� I must win. There is no doubt about that! There is no limit to the strength of Chaos. Nothing stands in the way of Chaos. I��m confident of winning! There will neither be any accidents nor any unexpected situations this time!


    Ion shook his head with force, lifted his head, and extended his arm to point ahead.


    ���� Attack!��


    Chaos warped; teleportation doors appeared in the sky one after another with tens of thousands of Chaos creatures marching out of them. Even though these ��creatures�� were undead creatures, they were in various shapes and sizes. At a glance, some of their lower bodies were that of insects, while some had entirely fused with others, having three upper bodies and five pairs of arms. The death knights merged into one with their mounts, seemingly like centaurs clad in black armor from head to toe. The Abominations looked even more disgusting now. Their incredibly tall build appeared like hills of flesh, and their every step shook the land. Flying above them were masses of soul griffins, enfolding half the sky. They expanded and drifted ahead like dark clouds. Under the influence of Chaos, the soul griffins also changed forms. They were initially a flying bag of bones. But now, filthy sacks of rotten flesh hung from their bodies as though they were wild beasts instead of birds. Dark green liquid smeared all over their razor-sharp claws, dripping on the ground like drops of rain along with their every movement. As the revolting, filthy liquid dribbled down, the once green, lively grasslands gradually withered. The colors full of vitality were absorbed dry as the grasses converted into another form.


    ��This feels so familiar.��


    Standing on the city wall and gazing at the endless source of undead army in the distance, Rhode let out a soft sigh. Just like Ion, he also recalled the first time he officially joined a war in this world. The undead creatures were so insane and strong. Back then, even Rhode didn��t believe he had the strength to defeat them and change the destiny of the Munn Kingdom and himself. But now, he had done it. He stood here, facing this similar scene. This time, there were no changes to his situation, future, and enemies.


    Time sure flies�� It has been just over a year.


    But when Rhode recalled that war, he thought of it as something that happened in his previous life. Many details were blurred and sealed in the corner of his memories. The only thing he remembered was that he won.


    It is the same in the past, present, and future. There is only victory. No matter where I am, be it virtual-reality or in real life, everything is the same.


    Only the winner is the king.


    While Rhode immersed himself in his memories, the undead creatures finally launched their attack. They let out sharp screeches. Soul griffins sprinkled their pungent, filthy blood, forging ahead like stormy dark clouds. Right below them, the hill-like Abominations marched forward with tens of thousands of skeleton soldiers clustering around them. At the back were death knights that had turned into centaurs.


    They stepped onto the land of Order in their nauseating, twisted Chaos aura. And now, they were no longer undead creatures, but Chaos creatures instead.


    ��That is Big Brother��s army����


    Gazing at this scene, Erin couldn��t help but get caught up in a complicated mood. This wasn��t her first time seeing an undead army. In the past, she battled alongside and retreated alongside the undead creatures. But now, they stood on opposite sides. This was her first time being forced to face her former companions and army. She was overwhelmed with grief. But despite that, she arranged her emotions. Such personal feelings weren��t needed on the battlefield. At least for now, her mission was to stop their attacks and prevent the undead creatures that were influenced by Chaos from stepping over her defensive line and penetrating the land of Order.


    ��Get ready for battle.��


    Erin turned to Angelina, who stood beside her. Upon hearing her command, Angelina nodded slightly and gestured to the lich.


    Swish������!


    At that moment, the blue spiritual flames at the peak of the guard tower exploded suddenly, turning into a dazzling blue light column. Upon witnessing the blue light column, the players standing above the city walls burst out in loud cheers. Frankly, there actually weren��t many players around. Rhode had only sent out 8,000 of them for this defensive line. However, these players were split into groups of 10 and were responsible for each section of the city walls, which clearly showed the lack in manpower. However, they seemed much more pumped and passionate than the ice-cold undead creatures. A burst of cheers sounded from a distance, echoing clearly in the silent night. Upon hearing the cheers, the corners of Erin��s mouth perked up slightly into a smile. For some unknown reason, the battle had just begun and both sides hadn��t come into contact, but the people on her side were so confident as though they had already won��


    How interesting.


    ��Huhuhu��!��


    As the undead creatures swarmed ahead, the prairie responded. The grass that was one meter tall bound them swiftly, entangling many of them in just a few seconds. The instant the seemingly soft, gentle grass trapped the undead creatures, they revealed their steel-like characteristics. Along with a string of loud crackles, many skeleton soldiers were crushed into powder, collapsing to the ground and sinking into the soil as the grass dragged them in.


    Looking at this scene, Rhode nodded. He had to admit that these methods carried out by the Country of Law were indeed useful; no wonder Erin was able to resist the earlier invasions of Chaos with this small amount of manpower. But it was a pity that there were also flaws in the methods.


    As though confirming his thoughts, just as the grass began to attack the Chaos army on their own, the ��dark clouds�� of soul griffins arrived above the prairie. Along with the sprinkle of filthy liquid, the steel-like grass that not even the skeleton soldiers�� swords could cut became lifeless. They turned yellow and dry and lost their vitality. After breaking free from the restraints, the Chaos army advanced without any intention of stopping.


    ��That��s the way! Attack! Trample them! Annihilate them! This world shall belong to Chaos!��


    Looking at this scene, Ion grew so excited that his eyes turned bloodshot. He could imagine the scene of his Chaos army breaking through the enemy��s defenses and penetrating straight into their base. He also discovered that his younger sister didn��t have enough solutions to face the attack of the Chaos army, which was why she could only rely upon the prairie. Even though Ion admitted that his younger sister was smart, it was a pity that the power she possessed was still too weak!


    And now, it was time to let her witness the true strength of Chaos.


    ��������Hum!��


    At that moment, Ion witnessed a scarlet light column descended from heaven, landing straight into the middle of his Chaos army. Upon seeing the light column, he couldn��t help but stare blankly. He wasn��t sure what that was. But strangely, the instant he saw it, he felt uncertain��


    Boom!


    At the next moment, a ring of fire spread with the scarlet light column in the middle. Flames that were hundreds of meters tall proliferated in all directions like a huge crashing wave that devoured the Chaos army. The soul griffins hovering in midair couldn��t escape this attack either. They shrieked as the flames blazed their bodies. In an instant, one could witness a spinning, flowing, and blazing river in the sky. The soul griffins fluttered their wings and attempted to avoid the ambush of flames, but to no avail. Logically speaking, even though the filthy liquid flowing on their bodies should be sufficient to extinguish the flames, what was strange was that the flames were like bubble gum, where one couldn��t pat it off once it stuck to one��s body. Not only that, but as the soul griffins struggled, countless flares erupted and scattered in all directions. Shortly after, be it the sky or ground, the Chaos Creatures burned by the flares were lit in flames.


    What��s that power?!


    Looking at this terrifying scene, Ion narrowed his eyes. He was certain that those weren��t ordinary flames. If they were, they couldn��t possibly result in such effects. And with such a mysterious effect, they had to be flames of Order. Only beings in the Peak Legendary Stage were able to merge rule power with elements and use them as attacks.


    Is there really someone like that�� in the Country of Darkness?


    But before this doubt vanished in Ion��s mind, he witnessed a more scary scene.


    Blue, chilly winds blew across the prairie and patches of white snow fluttered. In the blink of an eye, an endless snowstorm erupted, pouncing on the Chaos army. The crystal clear snowflakes were razor-sharp, penetrating the skeleton soldiers ruthlessly and splitting their solid, steel-like bodies apart. Not only that, but even the Abominations, which had skin thick enough to resist slashes of legendary blades, couldn��t defend against the menacing snowflakes. Ghastly wounds appeared all over their bodies and putrid, pitch-black blood spurted and splashed from their wounds.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    On the other side, dazzling bolts of lightning shot up from the ground, forming an enormous net of electricity that was hundreds of meters wide. Innumerable, blinding lightning bolts shuttled across from one Chaos creature to another. In the blink of an eye, the Chaos creatures caught in the huge net were shattered into powder before they could even struggle, vanishing from sight.


    ��W-What��s going on?!��


    Ion widened his eyes in disbelief. Flames, lightning bolts, snowstorms, and all sorts of magical radiance flashed before his eyes, completely enfolding his Chaos army. They might not be identical in nature, but their essence was the same. The magical spells consisted of authoritative powers that were higher than that of elemental lords��the highest-class in the power of Order!


    At a glance, hundreds of magical brilliances flickered all over, which proved that there was a large number of beings in the same caliber as elemental lords.


    That is impossible! How is it possible that she possesses such powerful strength?! This isn��t realistic at all! How is it possible? Previously, when I probed for intelligence, I didn��t find anything like this!


    At this thought, Ion lifted his head once again, staring straight ahead.


    Earlier on, due to the dark sky, he didn��t notice it. But now, after taking a closer look, he discovered that there was actually a towering city wall of steel on the other side of the prairie! Countless magical radiances shone from there, displaying a strong aggression against the Chaos army.


    But why�� didn��t I notice it earlier?


    This is the same as before��


    At that moment, Ion suddenly recalled the war that happened a long time ago. Back then, it was the same. What shouldn��t have appeared showed up, stopping his army.


    And this time�� Could this be the same? No. It won��t be! I won��t be the same!


    Meanwhile, Erin was also wide-eyed as she observed the unbelievable strength displayed by the crowds above the city wall.


    A female mage dressed in a golden robe and wearing headphones rocked her head while listening to music, at the same time muttering under her breath. Then, she flipped up her arms abruptly and the solid ground melted all of a sudden with this action. As far as the eye could see, the land turned into sticky mud. As the land transformed, the enormous Abominations lost their balance and fell into the mud. At the same time, standing beside the female mage was a middle-aged man clad in a black robe. He let out a cheeky snort, raised the black, dull wooden staff in his hand, and hit it on the ground. In an instant, the void before him split into countless cracks as though certain creatures were widening and closing their mouths, devouring the unlucky undead creatures ��by their mouths��.


    In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of Chaos creatures were wiped out, removing a huge chunk of the pitch-black army on the vast land. Despite that, the Chaos army didn��t stop oits aggression. On the contrary, it continued to rush ahead��


    ��Dang, they came at the right time! Killlllllll!��


    Gazing at the wiped-out battlefield that was quickly replenished by the Chaos creatures in the back, a young man in his 20s who wore a gorgeous robe couldn��t help but stare in excitement. He rubbed his hands, muttered to himself, and spread his arms apart hurriedly. Along with this action, a twisted rune coalesced into shape in his hand. A powerful energy trembled and was about to explode��


    ��Hey, are you stupid?��


    But before the man completed his spell, a knight landed a heavy punch on him.


    ��Just a gesture will do. Have you forgotten what Guild Leader said? What should we do if you scare them away? Our goal is to attract them over. If you go all-out, who will answer to Guild Leader if they flee? Guild Leader said to not act recklessly and stay calm!��


    ��Ahahaha, oops! I got into the zone and accidentally killed too many of them����


    The young man scratched his head in embarrassment before swinging his arm. The rune in his hand vanished all of a sudden and at the next moment, an invisible oscillating wave erupted in midair, sweeping forward like transparent blades. In an instant, tens of thousands of soul griffins were slashed and cleaved without any warning, crashing to the ground as they wailed. At this moment, the young man gazed at the sky before him and let out a chuckle.


    ��158,000 points. No matter what, I��m still in the top 50, brother. You��d better up your game.��


    ��This is����


    Shortly after, Ion realized that the powerful magical attacks stopping his army gradually disappeared. Looking at this scene, he heaved a sigh of relief and rubbed his forehead, only to realize that beads of sweat were all over his forehead.


    I never expect her to have such strength. But it is a pity that there is also a time limit for them. In the face of endless Chaos, resistance is futile. No matter how strong you are, you can never defend against Chaos!


    At this thought, Ion couldn��t help but calm his turbulent emotions. He looked ahead and ordered once more.


    ��Ambush!��

 Chapter 1268 - Shadowy Figures (1)

    ��Big Brother, Chaos ambushed.��


    Icy Snow shifted her gaze away from the sky and turned to Rhode. Upon hearing her words, Rhode nodded and the corners of his mouth lifted into a proud smile.


    ��Good. Looks like things are going rather smoothly. I thought those guys would get overly excited while killing and forget the plan.��


    Rhode said, flattening the creases on his shirt. At that moment, he wasn��t dressed in his usual noble attire. Instead, he wore a straight, black uniform and donned a pitch-black cloak outside. With a hood over his head, he was covered in black from head to toe, hiding his appearance. As a matter of fact, it wasn��t only him��his followers were dressed similarly too. Be it warriors, mages, rangers, or other classes, they all wore pitch-black cloaks that wrapped themselves completely. Looking ahead into the distance, apart from a distinct group of black figures, no one could differentiate their genders.


    ��How should we go about it, Leader? Follow the old way?��


    Bubble asked, hiding in the shadow behind Rhode. She was also clothed in the same manner and gazed in excitement at the battlefield ahead. The Chaos army was approaching their defensive line, but Bubble wasn��t concerned at all. On the contrary, judging from her look, she seemed as though she couldn��t wait for them to get closer.


    ��What��s the instructions from Senior Heart? Has the enemy commander confirmed his attacking route?��


    Rhode asked and gazed ahead, knitting his brows and pondering for a few moments. Upon hearing his query, Icy Snow nodded, extended her arms, and pointed to the left and right =.


    ��From here to there. Every Chaos army has a being in the caliber of a Chaos Lord, but they are mostly hidden in the back, so I can��t determine their position. At least for now, based on the intelligence from Big Sister Orchid Heart, this is only the range I can probe so far.��


    ��Woah, five Chaos Lords? That bast*rd sure devoted his whole life for his, huh, Leader?��


    Upon hearing Icy Snow��s remarks, Mini Bubble Gum blew a whistle. Canary, who stood beside Mini Bubble Gum, stretched out her arm and held the latter��s shoulder, reminding her of her place. Then, Canary pondered, before gazing at Rhode with some hesitation.


    ��In this case, we need to act more passively. If the Chaos Lords are sharp in detecting our probing, our plans are likely to be discovered. I suggest waiting before taking more actions. At least for now, we still have ample time.��


    ��Can you find out who the Chaos Lords are?��


    After listening to Canary��s words, Rhode nodded in response, before turning to Icy Snow again. Icy Snow widened her eyes, looked ahead, and her eyes glinted in a mysterious flash. At the next moment, her gaze returned to normal.


    ��I��m not sure about other areas, but the one closest to us is the Horned Behemoth.��


    ��Oh? That��s interesting; I didn��t expect Ion to summon it. Seems like this Chaos Dragon really put a lot of effort into this���� After hearing Icy Snow��s report, Rhode was taken aback, but let out a cold laughter shortly after. At that moment, some people in the group behind him also made a strange laughter. After hearing the laughters, Rhode turned around and said: ��Alright then. Everyone, you should know what to do.��


    ��Of course, Leader. Leave it to us!��


    ��Hahaha, Ion, that idiot. To think he chose to summon a Horned Behemoth; seems like even God is helping me this time around.��


    At that moment, the group responded at once, but not everyone understood what Rhode meant. On his side, Lapis looked to the left and right in suspicion and curiosity. She pulled down her hood tightly and couldn��t understand what these people were talking about.


    ��Huh, what? What��s going on? Sir Rhode, what are you talking about? Is there something wrong with the Horned Behemoth?��


    It wasn��t surprising that Lapis was so nervous. After all, this time she didn��t expect to be chosen by Rhode to join the battle in the front. Frankly, her head went blank when she received the invitation from Rhode. This innocent alchemy elf was well aware of her status. She was a researcher who stayed in the backend and Rhode wouldn��t bring her into battle unless absolutely necessary. But this time, not only was she involved in battle, but she also joined Rhode��s group in heading into the depths of Chaos. Even though this was a huge challenge for Lapis, the always timid young lady nodded in agreement without hesitation this time. As a matter of fact, Lapis��s thoughts were simple��by doing so, she could spend more time with Rhode.


    Was it that love made one go crazy? Or perhaps love lowered one��s IQ?


    ��You��ll know after you see it.��


    Gazing at the confused Lapis, Rhode smiled, turned to Icy Snow, and said.


    ��Little Icy, contact Orchid Heart and inform her there��s a Horned Behemoth at our 3 o��clock. She knows what to do.��


    After giving Icy Snow the command, Rhode turned over and swept a glance at his group.


    ��Alright, everyone. Get ready to move out. Listen to my command!��


    The battle continued.


    Erin stood at the top of the guard tower, knitting her brows and staring at the battlefield in puzzlement. The dense magical storms had faded gradually, while the Chaos creatures who had their attacks stopped launched their attacks again. Erin initially thought this was the result of her side expending too much strength. But shortly after, she realized that the situation was otherwise. The formidable spell casters maintained their attacks, though they were only casting ordinary, high-level spells like blizzards and flame meteor showers. Erin felt like they were working without putting in the effort�� And in reality, that was indeed what they were doing.


    But what astonished Erin was that these people weren��t really not putting in any effort. On the contrary, their performance seemed like a segment of a bigger plan. Because after closer observations, Erin discovered that even though the formidable ��players�� appeared lazy, their positioning was just perfect as they covered one another��s blind spots. As soon as any accident happened, they could fill in the gaps superbly. Not only that, but even though the Chaos army also seemed to be pushing on slowly, they were only able to move really ��slowly��. Once Erin��s side failed to defend against them, the Chaos army was definitely capable of picking up the pace and breaking through the city wall after stopping the first wave of defenses. Despite that, the Chaos army failed to charge through the defenses and that only proved one thing.


    The pressure applied on the Chaos army wasn��t removed yet. On the contrary, the pressure applied on them was managed on purpose!


    ��Miss Orchid Heart, what are you guys����


    Erin couldn��t help but turn to Orchid Heart who stood beside her. At that moment, the young lady with unkempt hair and hugging a heavy tome leaned on the wall, her half-opened eyes making her look sleepy. Even though Orchid Heart seemed really casual and nonchalant, Erin didn��t belittle her strength. Because after arriving here, Rhode informed Erin that his subordinates would be led by Orchid Heart. Erin was also confident in his explanation. This wasn��t the first time Erin met Orchid Heart. As a matter of fact, Erin clearly remembered when she led the undead army in attacking the Land of Atonement, Orchid Heart copied her moonlight attack to destroy her remaining units, forcing them to retreat without any choice. According to Rhode��s information, Orchid Heart was the war commander-in-chief of the entire Void Territory, and it was exactly her who led an army and repelled Ion��s undead army when he attacked the Void Territory�� Just from this point alone, Erin had to respect Orchid Heart��s opinions. Although Erin was now the Dark Dragon, it was a pity that in terms of warfare, she wasn��t any better than a novice. Even though she went into war with the undead army in the past, she served as a secret weapon who was experienced in facing unprecedented situations. But when it involved battle strategies, she didn��t have too many ideas.


    Facing Erin��s question, Orchid Heart opened her sleepy eyes, looked at her, and replied softly.


    ��We need to create an opening for Leader.��


    ��Rhode?��


    After getting along for so many days, Erin knew that they basically addressed Rhode as ��Guild Leader�� or ��Leader��. Most of them called him ��Guild Leader��, while a minority called him ��Leader��. It was apparent that those who called him ��Leader�� were closer to him. Even though Erin didn��t know the reason behind it, it was obvious that the level of trust between them and Rhode was higher than the rest��s.


    ��Yes. When the wave crashes onto the shore, it will carry along some impurities as it returns to the ocean. We need to carry an opening for Rhode, so he can slip through the rear of Chaos and outflank their retreat.��


    ���� But I think it is quite risky.��


    Even though Erin knew that this was Rhode��s plan, she still felt like it was a dangerous idea. The Darkness Capital right now could be said to be Chaos��s nest. Erin thought that this risky initiative from Rhode��s group was lacking in consideration.


    ��This is a common battle strategy we used. Be it us or Leader, we��re all used to it. Even though it seems highly risky, as long as we control the situation well, the dangers that Leader and the rest will face are much less than what we face. Besides����


    Orchid Heart came to a pause. Her languid face revealed a subtle and odd expression. Even though Erin wasn��t sure what was going through Orchid Heart��s mind, for some unknown reason, after witnessing the complicated expression on Orchid Heart��s face, Erin instinctively felt like someone was in for some trouble.


    ��Horned Behemoth? Ion actually summoned it? He must be sick of living already����


    Muttering under her breath, Orchid Heart revealed an uncontrollable grin, lowered her head, and called out softly.


    ��Cannon.��


    ��Yo, Senior Heart, Superman��s here. What��s your instructions?��


    Upon hearing Orchid Heart��s summon, the space warped and a burly, muscular knight clad in pure white armor from head to toe strolled out of the void. He stood in front of Orchid Heart and behaved in an odd etiquette��church priests would surely faint if they witnessed it. Orchid Heart wasn��t mindful of his show-off. On the contrary, she closed her eyes gradually as though she were about to fall asleep.


    ��The Horned Behemoth is leading the way at coordinates 34.174. Rhode needs cover. Lead your team, flank from the other side, and lure its attention. I guess you know what to do, right?��


    ��Horned Behemoth?��


    After hearing Orchid Heart��s account, the self-proclaimed ��Superman�� was taken aback. Even though Erin couldn��t see his expression through the helmet, judging from the tone of his voice, it was obvious that he was startled.


    ��What in the world? Ion can��t be that idiotic, right? For him to summon a Horned Behemoth�� Ugh, so sorry, my princess! I��m not speaking bad about your Big Brother. Hahaha, a Horned Behemoth, huh�� Hahaha, this will be a great one. I��ll be making my way then, Senior Heart!��


    The young man spoke, turned around without looking back, and jumped down the steel city wall that was a dozen meters tall. But before he landed on the ground, Erin heard a burst of laughter. It was apparent that the young knight couldn��t stop laughing maniacally. It seemed like the reason he didn��t let out a chuckle earlier was because he cared about the slightest bit of image and dignity he had before Erin.


    ��Is anything the matter with that Horned Behemoth, Miss Orchid Heart? Is it really weak?��


    No matter how ignorant Erin was, she definitely figured out that something was wrong with the Horned Behemoth. If not, people who heard that name wouldn��t reveal similar expressions. Upon hearing Erin��s question, Orchid Heart shook her head.


    ��No, Your Majesty Erin. In fact, it��s the opposite. The Horned Behemoth is considered one of the most powerful Chaos Lords. In terms of brute strength, it isn��t inferior to dragon soul heirs.��


    ��That strong? But why are you guys��?��


    ��Your Majesty Erin, there��s a saying in our world.��


    Orchid Heart said, lifting her head and gazing at Erin with emotionless, pitch-black eyes.


    ��A weak teammate does you more harm than a strong enemy. And this Horned Behemoth is recognized as a ��weak teammate��. Now we��re certain that this time�� Rhode is definitely able to attain the ultimate victory.�� Orchid Heart said, closing her eyes and seemed like she was about to fall into a slumber. But this time, before she closed her eyes, she softly gave a command.


    The magical attacks stopping the Chaos army were weakened once again. This time, the Chaos creatures moved much quicker. In just a few seconds, they arrived several hundred meters away from the city walls. And next, as long as they charged to the bottom of the city walls, they could confidently charge through the thick defenses and penetrate the barrier completely!


    Rumble��


    But at that moment, the heavy steel plates above the city walls slid to both sides. Shortly after, black cannon openings rolled out and aimed at the enemies in the distance.


    At the next moment, the entire world lost its voice.


    Dazzling cannon blasts erupted from the city walls; tens of thousands of fireballs showered down at the Chaos army. The moment the brilliance exploded, the lost voice ascended the stage like a late guest.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    If one were to compare to compare this battlefield to a dance party, it was like a melodious waltz turned into a loud disco. Innumerable flashes, ear-deafening booms, and the trembling ground became the main melody.


    Facing this ambush, the Chaos army was caught off guard. The skeleton soldiers and soul griffins who were submerged in the blast shattered into powder. The powerful attack also caused black smoke to rise from the bodies of the bulky Abominations. Strong explosions and flares boomed from their bodies, blowing them into pieces without mercy.


    In an instant, the entire battlefield was shrouded in smoke and conflagration. In a fight between quantity, this was the first time the Chaos army was at a disadvantage. But before they returned to their senses, the steel entrance in the center of the city wall opened all of a sudden. Shortly after, 300 heavily-armored knights mounted on warhorses darted out of the entrance.


    ��Woooo! Attack!!!!��


    The leading knight clad in pure white armor raised the spear high and yelled at the top of his lungs. Along with his snarl, hundreds of golden light columns descended from heaven, shrouding the knights and doubling their size. The knights dashed on their horses, charging at the dazed Chaos army!


    No one could stand in their way. Looking from a distance, the triangular formation formed by the hundreds of knights looked like a sharp blade flickering in a golden radiance, slicing through the black-mud-like Chaos army effortlessly. Not even the assault of the opposing death knights was regarded highly in their eyes. Even if the death knights gathered and launched a counter attack on the holy knights, before their weapons struck the holy knights, sparkling and translucent hexagonal crystals appeared to stop their attacks. The death knights felt like they were facing a road roller that trampled on them and turned them into worthless minced meat.


    The range of the holy knights�� attacks was so long that all enemies in their path suffered a crushing defeat, where not even evil incantations from the lichs that attempted to defeat them were useful. The spells that could easily seize lives were worthless upon striking the holy knights. At that moment, the holy knights were simply invincible!


    But just when the knights charged their way to the edge of the Chaos fog, the dense, heavy fog began to roll.


    Then, a raging voice erupted from the fog!


    ��You�� are bringing about your own demise! Lowly maggots!��


    Along with this bellow, the fog rolled abruptly and a 100 meters tall, human-shaped silhouette appeared within it!


    ��Phew����


    Upon witnessing this scene, Rhode heaved a sigh of relief instead, before turning to his group.


    ��Get ready. It��s time for us to move out.��

 Chapter 1269 - Shadowy Figures (2)

    ��Lowly maggots!��


    Along with the furious snarl, a gigantic figure strolled out of the fog. It was only after the fog dissipated that everyone witnessed its true identity; a human-shaped giant that was more than 100 meters tall. At a glance, it looked like a gorilla covered in golden fur, but it had a huge eye in the middle of its forehead. Its enormous mouth that split from ear to ear was enough to leave one immensely terrified. What was most eye-catching about it was the long, razor-sharp, and unicorn-like white horn.


    In its face, even the holy knights glowing in golden brilliance seemed no different from tiny bugs. Upon witnessing its emergence, the knights turned around and darted toward the city wall for safety. It seemed like they were clearly aware that taking this monster head-on was useless. But the instant the giant noticed their escape, it blew its top, strode out of the fog, and snarled while giving chase.


    ��Stand�� right there!��


    After stepping out of the Chaos fog, the massive creature shrunk in size. But even so, it was still as tall as a 20 to 30 storey building. The Horned Behemoth bellowed and strode forward. Gazing from a distance, even though its movement seemed really slow and clumsy, as a matter of fact, it wasn��t slow at all. In just a few moments, the Horned Behemoth caught up with the knights and the Chaos creatures clustered around it had already been crushed. Be it enemies or allies, in the eyes of the Horned Behemoth, it was aiming only for those shiny, minute humans.


    ��Now, brothers! With our beliefs, let��s manifest the most sacred existence! Let the light of knights enfold this world!��


    The leading white holy knight yelled. After leaping over the corpse of a Chaos creature, he looked over his shoulder at the Horned Behemoth that was getting closer. Upon hearing his call, the other knights following closely in the back swiftly came to a halt. Following the lead of the white holy knight in the front, the knights raised their weapons, and shouted.


    ��AlZ, MASIRL!��


    In an instant, golden brilliance shone in all directions. Along with their yells, golden rays of light emanated from their bodies, shot straight into the sky, and coalesced as one. In the blink of an eye, a virtual image of a knight riding a warhorse as gigantic as the Horned Behemoth appeared in the sky. Facing the Horned Behemoth that marched toward it, the enormous, golden knight kneed the horse��s belly, pointed the spear at the enemy, and stooped over slightly. The warhorse under him sprinted ahead, launching an assault on the Horned Behemoth in midair. The instant the golden knight arrived before the Horned Behemoth, his body had coalesced entirely and didn��t seem any different from a physical presence!


    ��Damn you, Order bast*rds! How dare you anger me. I will let you taste my wrath!��


    Facing the charging golden knight, the Horned Behemoth let out an outburst of anger, extended its left arm, and abruptly swung its claw!


    Clink!


    The golden knight��s razor-sharp spear slammed onto the Horned Behemoth��s palm. However, this mighty strength that was enough to puncture a hill didn��t deal any substantial damage to the giant. In a thunderous boom, the knight��s spear and the Horned Behemoth��s left palm clashed. But shortly after, the latter flipped its arm around, gripped the knight��s spear, and hurled its right clenched fist as it bellowed.


    Bang!


    The Horned Behemoth landed a punch on the golden knight��s huge defensive shield. Despite that, the latter was apparently up for the challenge. Facing this attack, the knight��s stance shook and stabilized quickly. Both sides entered a stalemate. The radiance emanating from the golden knight��s body flickered ever brighter, forming dazzling fireballs that hovered and surrounded him. At the same time, the fireballs spread and flew toward the Horned Behemoth.


    ��Roarrr������!��


    The instant the Horned Behemoth came into contact with the flames, it let out an anguished wail. It seemed like the golden flames dealt huge damage to it. But despite that, the Horned Behemoth didn��t back down. After sensing the might of the golden flames, it lifted its head, let out a roar, and the white, razor-sharp horn on its forehead erupted in bolts of blinding lightning, striking at the golden knight!


    Lightning bolts slammed and shattered the wrapping flames, while the flames devoured the blinding lightning. In an instant, bursts of electricity and flames enfolded the battlefield and Chaos creatures couldn��t even get close to both of them. They were instantly crushed into powder in the aftermath of their collision and vanished into thin air.


    ��This fella is as foolish as ever.��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode couldn��t help but let out a chuckle. Strictly speaking, the Horned Behemoth was one of the harder Chaos Lords to deal with. Just like what Orchid Heart mentioned, it could compete against dragon soul heirs in terms of brute strength. Moreover, with its powerful resistance to magical attacks, it wasn��t easy to defeat it��but that was before players discovered its weakness. After its weakness was figured out, it became nothing more than a bunch of EXP in the players�� eyes.


    The reason was simple. Apart from muscles and flesh, there was nothing more to the Horned Behemoth.


    That��s right, the Horned Behemoth was an extremely simple, stupid, and gullible fool. Of course, if such a terrorizing character was utilized in the right way, it could still wreak havoc. But it was a pity that the chaotic nature of the Horned Behemoth made it a ticking time bomb. Besides, it wasn��t only a threat to enemies, but more so for its allies instead. In the forums, the Light Parliament topped the list for being the ��weakest teammate��, while the Horned Behemoth was in second place with only a narrow deficit. As a matter of fact, ever since the Horned Behemoth appeared, it already showed major signs of being a ��weak teammate��.


    The Horned Behemoth was first discovered in the later stages of the game when players opened up the land of Chaos. From the start, as the Horned Behemoth had strong brute strength, an ability to manipulate lightning, and high magical resistance, many player groups were annihilated several times. At that time, many player groups were in danger. They were afraid that their territory would be wiped out by the Horned Behemoth that led Chaos armies. But�� Not long after, players realized that even though the Horned Behemoth was brutally strong, it was basically useless in other aspects, especially in terms of IQ. It was like the perfect model of a muscle-head.


    And what made players recognize the Horned Behemoth��s weakness was during the battle between Order and Chaos. Back then, the Horned Behemoth teamed up with another Chaos Lord in attacking one of Starlight��s territories. In the game, unless players had a large territory, it was usually incredibly tough to resist an alliance led by two Chaos Lords. Furthermore, many players believed that they would be unable to defend against the powerful strength and body of the Horned Behemoth. However, Rhode came up with an almost unimaginable idea and proved to all players just how stupid the Horned Behemoth was.


    Rhode led a team of pure-speed rangers in attacking the Horned Behemoth. After the Horned Behemoth was enraged, it actually led its army of tens of thousands of units in pursuing the ranger team with less than 50 members!


    The other Chaos Lord also didn��t expect the Horned Behemoth to fall into the trap so easily. As a result, it was caught off guard and defeated by Rhode��s group, which turned certain death into victory. In the end, without any chances of winning, the other Chaos Lord had no choice but to retreat. On the other hand, Rhode was worried that the Horned Behemoth would return to cause trouble. But later, he received news from the front that after the Horned Behemoth wiped out the ranger team of 50 members, it withdrew its troops in satisfaction!


    That��s right. After leading a Chaos army with 100,000 troops and killing the ranger team of 50 members that lured its attention, the Horned Behemoth returned home in joy, seeming to have forgotten its purpose. Not only that, but when Rhode led his group and pursued the other Chaos Lord, he also unknowingly encountered the Horned Behemoth again. At that time, Rhode was already prepared to head home in defeat. But in a surprising turn of events, the other Chaos Lord rebuked the Horned Behemoth for fleeing on the spot and the Horned Behemoth retorted by punching it to death! Back then, the players who witnessed this scene were wide-eyed and completely speechless. What was strange was that after defeating the Chaos Lord, the Horned Behemoth didn��t even look at Rhode��s group. It turned around and directly returned to the land of Chaos instead��


    That was the first time the players how comical the Horned Behemoth was. Thereafter, players also gradually figured out that this Chaos Lord was a total idiot. And if that wasn��t enough, it was still a reckless and unreasonable fool who beat the crap out of someone else when in disagreement. It could be said that it clearly displayed characteristics of Chaos, so over time, most Chaos Lords refused to head into battle with that fool. As for now��


    ��Seems like Ion tried so hard to bootlick Chaos, but Chaos isn��t entirely confident in him yet.��


    Gazing at the extensive battlefield that was cleared out and the clash between the golden knight and Horned Behemoth, Rhode couldn��t help but speak with a smile. Earlier on, he had a hard time observing the Chaos army through the fog. But after the Horned Behemoth showed up, he discovered that the Horned Behemoth��s army was largely different from other Chaos armies. It seemed like the other Chaos Lords were aware of how absurd the Horned Behemoth was, so they weren��t willing to mix with it. But Ion apparently didn��t know that, which was why he sent the Horned Behemoth into battle. Ion must have been impressed by the formidable strength the Horned Behemoth possessed, which was why he sent it to the front. It was just like how people were impressed by Lu Bu��s[1] bravery and valued his presence. But back then, perhaps they didn��t expect the person that they valued so highly to be a disloyal person. Similarly, perhaps Ion also didn��t expect this powerful trump card of his to be an actual idiot�� On the other hand, Chaos also didn��t remind Ion about something so critical, which went to show that Ion was something that could be abandoned. Poor Ion�� Sold his country for glory and yet, he was still used as a chess piece by Chaos. What a tragedy for him��


    Alright, time for execution.


    ��Everyone get ready.��


    At this thought, Rhode ordered his group in a lowered voice. He extended his arm and held the cross-shaped badge hanging on his chest. Shortly after, his entire body became indistinct and merged with the environment as one. His group also did the same. After a few moments, the hundreds of people hidden in the city wall��s shadow disappeared completely.


    ��Move out according to plan. Coordinate with ��Superman�� and his team; the golden knight won��t last much longer!��


    Rhode commanded, carried Lapis in his arms, and leaped down the city wall, landing like an elegant cat. At that moment, the battlefield was in complete disarray. In the clash between the Horned Behemoth and golden knight, the surroundings were entirely wrecked. Fortunately, there was a distance between the two giants and the steel city walls, so the city walls weren��t implicated. But even so, Rhode and his group didn��t stop. They lowered their bodies and dashed ahead like specters into the disorderly Chaos army.


    Countless Chaos creatures continued to rush ahead, even when they were obstructed by the Horned Behemoth and golden knight. Most of the Chaos creatures under the lead of the Horned Behemoth were hominids that resembled gorillas. Of course, in the tradition of the Chaos creatures where ��a thousands monsters had a thousand forms��, these huge, two to three meters tall gorillas had all sorts of body shapes. Some had snake heads, while some of their limbs were like that of reptiles. At that moment, they howled wildly, charged forward, but were quickly devoured and smashed by the aftermath of lightning bolts and flames.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Lapis curled up in Rhode��s arms, covering her ears as tightly as she could. She witnessed dazzling flashes everywhere. Even after she covered her ears, she heard deep rumbles that shook her heart. A few moments ago, she also witnessed a mysterious Chaos creature pouncing on Rhode, but was struck by a lightning bolt. In a loud bang, the Chaos creature exploded like a housefly, splattering putrid, green blood. Fortunately, Rhode was quick enough to dodge the seemingly poisonous venom and continued dashing ahead.


    At that moment, if Lapis were to look down from above, she would realize that Rhode��s group didn��t charge into the core of the Chaos army. On the contrary, they split into smaller groups and circled the Chaos army. For some unknown reason, the Chaos creatures didn��t seem to detect their presence. They simply shuttled passed Rhode again and again. Rhode also didn��t seem concerned about the integrity of the city walls behind him. He carried Lapis in his arms and scanned the surroundings in alertness, at the same time evading the Chaos creatures and encircling the Chaos army.


    It��s about time.


    The moment this thought came to mind, the Horned Behemoth who was at a deadlock let out an outburst of anger. Along with its bellow, the scattering lightning brilliance grew increasingly brighter. Not only that, but the Horned Behemoth also widened the huge eye in the middle of its forehead, and a red light beam emanated and shot straight at the golden knight.


    This time, the golden knight couldn��t dodge in time, perhaps not expecting the Horned Behemoth to make this move. The red light beam struck his head, leaving him groaning in immense pain. At the same time, the stalemate between them finally broke!


    ��Argh��!��


    The Horned Behemoth snatched the golden spear from the knight and struck away his heavy shield. The flames wrapping the golden knight began to crumble due to the lightning strikes. At the same time, the Horned Behemoth roared, clenched its fists, and raised its arms, swinging on the golden knight!


    Pow!


    In a loud boom, the golden knight shattered immediately. Its massive body disappeared into thin air, only to be replaced by tiny knights who were entirely powerless. Before they landed on the ground, the Horned Behemoth raised and swung its arms with force again, slamming onto the ground.


    Boom��������!


    The earth shook, ruptured, and collapsed. Columns of spiritual light emanated from under the Horned Behemoth��s fists, signaling the departure of lives.


    ��Yes! That��s the way!��


    Looking at this scene, Ion couldn��t help but nod in satisfaction. The reason why he led the Chaos Lords here was for this! And now, the defensive line crumbled in the face of the Horned Behemoth. At the start, even though Ion was annoyed by the fact that the Horned Behemoth moved off on its own, he didn��t mind its disobedience anymore. After defeating the golden knight, the Horned Behemoth��s battlefront could be said to be emptied. And now, as long as it shattered the city walls, the defensive line would fall apart entirely!


    ��Roar������! Bast*rds of Order; this is what happens when you defy Chaos!��


    Ion watched keenly as the Horned Behemoth raised its arms and bellowed.


    Then��


    It turned around and returned to the Chaos fog. Along with this decision, the Chaos army that was swarming ahead gradually retreated.


    What��s�� Happening?!


    [1] A famous military general in ancient China.

 Chapter 1270 - Shadowy Figures (3)

    ��This is����


    Even Erin was at a loss when she witnessed the Horned Behemoth go home pleasingly. As a matter of fact, she felt nervous the moment the Horned Behemoth defeated the golden knight. After all, the Horned Behemoth was just a short distance away from the steel city walls. If it wanted, it could lead its army and attack the city walls directly. But Erin was surprised that it abandoned the idea of continuing its attack and turned away to leave instead.


    W-What exactly is��


    ��As I said, Your Highness Erin, there��s nothing to worry about. This is the nature of Chaos. It is a pity that His Majesty Ion doesn��t seem to understand it.��


    Up until that moment, Orchid Heart yawned, opened her eyes, and spoke, sweeping a lazy glance at the Horned Behemoth who disappeared into the fog.


    ��The nature of Chaos is unreliable and uncontrollable. It isn��t that the Dragon Soul Continent is so powerful, so it didn��t falter to the numerous threats of Chaos all these years. It��s that Chaos is simply a bunch of fools. Their nature predetermines that all Chaos creatures can never accomplish a ��plan��. To them, a ��plan�� without accident is intolerable. Even though the Horned Behemoth is an extreme case, such a situation isn��t uncommonly seen with other Chaos Lords. They may be passionate in plotting out a ��five-year-plan�� to attack and destroy the entire Dragon Soul Continent, but their enthusiasm will never last longer than half a year. They hate methodical progress as much as we hate the presence of Chaos. To a Chaos Lord, nothing is more unacceptable to them than seeing things on the right track.��


    Even though Erin was a dragon soul heir, in terms of research on Chaos, many veteran players were at the level of a scholar.


    ��I see����


    Upon hearing Orchid Heart��s words, Erin gazed ahead pensively. This was the first time she thought about it. But she couldn��t be blamed, since this was a habit of all Order inhabitants. When they discovered that the enemy was about to launch its attack, their first reaction was to determine what the enemy was trying to achieve or destroy. However, such logical inferences were meaningless in the face of Chaos because they couldn��t even adhere to their own plans. They didn��t even know the exact reason they attacked in the first place. The players had the most experience with Chaos because in the later stages of the game, it was basically a war between player territories against Chaos. At the start, the players planned their attack and defense while wondering about the motive of Chaos. In the end, the players discovered that they simply wasted their brain cells. Having no goal was Chaos��s only goal, and the players got used to it gradually. Different situations called for different actions. The players defended whenever they were under attack and retaliated to wipe out the enemies. They had no time to spare for nonsense.


    ��It is obvious that Ion hasn��t realized that. Or perhaps his habits as an Order inhabitant still linger in him. But it is a pity that when he gathered the Chaos Lords and launched an attack, he already failed. Because this attack doesn��t have any meaning to the Chaos Lords. I suppose you��ve seen it yourself, Your Majesty Erin. They have no coordination and fight on their own. Perhaps they don��t even remember what they are fighting for, just like fish with less than five seconds of memory. I think these Chaos Lords are nowhere better.��


    ��But aren��t they attacking us? They should at least know that we��re their target, right?��


    ��That is only their instinct.��


    Upon hearing Erin��s question, Orchid Heart responded without twitching her brow.


    ��No matter how hard you try, you will still be pushed back by a sea of people. It is the same for them. They have never thought of destroying a place; their instincts are the source of their destruction. That is why after stepping into a land of Order, it doesn��t matter whether they have a subjective intent to attack because the result won��t change. For that reason, we need to make targeted arrangements, so Chaos will have a hard time breaking down our defenses no matter how strong it is.


    Orchid Heart said, yawning and closing her eyes again.


    ��Our mission is complete. It is up to Rhode next.��


    ***


    It��s all good.


    The moment the Horned Behemoth turned around, Rhode slipped into the Chaos fog during the chaotic battle. At a glance, there was nothing except for massive Chaos creatures. They spit warm, putrid air that was unbearable for one, where even Lapis covered her mouth and nose with her hands, staring at the surroundings. Lapis wasn��t a fool. She clearly knew how dangerous their plight was. At that moment, both of them were surrounded by tens of thousands of Chaos creatures. If they were discovered, their consequences would be imaginable. Of course, that was all based on one premise��if they were discovered.


    ��Seems like your plan is rather successful.��


    It wasn��t Rhode��s ability that allowed him to shuttle past the Chaos creatures without being noticed. Instead, it was credited to that badge hanging on his chest. The cross-shaped badge emanated a faint radiance that shrouded the duo. This was the Camp Reversal Badge designed by Lapis. It was capable of absorbing the power of Order and Chaos and converting it using spiritual powers.


    What a genius design.


    Gazing at the Chaos creatures who were unresponsive to his presence, Rhode couldn��t help but exclaim in his head. He had engaged in several ��backstabbing�� strategies. But this time, there was a qualitative difference; the enemies they were facing weren��t inhabitants of Order, but Chaos instead. Moreover, this time, Rhode was heading deep into the land of Chaos. In this situation, it would be extremely challenging for him to sneak his way around. If he were in a land of Order, he would have 1001 ways to reach his destination with his party. But now, the presence of Order in this land of Chaos was like a glaring spotlight in pitch-blackness. Earlier on, when Rhode led his group and opened up the land of Chaos and rescued Erin, he activated the Order halo to isolate Chaos, so as to move through the land of Chaos. But the flaw of this method was that it would attract surrounding Chaos creatures. As a matter of fact, when he entered the land of Chaos twice, each time, Rhode��s group faced insane attacks from Chaos creatures, and this was the reason for that. This time, if they were to rely upon this method again, it was almost certain that they wouldn��t have any chance to enter the land of Chaos and would be encircled immediately.


    So in desperation, Rhode had to ask Marlene and Lapis for help.


    Even though many of the guild members Rhode summoned were in the production-class, all of them had a common issue. Although they were curious about the continent��s history and understood the various types of monsters and BOSSes like the back of their hands, they were ignorant about the most basic things of this world. That was because their skills weren��t achieved through teachings, but were obtained from leveling up. Just like Canary��even though she was strong enough to defeat the unawakened Marlene, she would fail to answer primary-level questions regarding magic, which were extremely easy for Marlene. Canary gave a wide eyed stare as though she were listening to the content from a celestial script. This was the biggest difference between players and natives. Players wouldn��t and weren��t willing to put in effort in learning these meaningless things because this world was only a game to them. So even if they learned ��the three methods to observe the flow of magical power�� and a ��simple guide to using spiritual powers��, they were useless in reality.


    The same went for production-class players. Even if they were able to create many ancient artifacts and limited equipment, it didn��t mean that they knew the forging process, history, and how they worked. After all, player equipment could be produced with blueprints and materials.


    Judging from this point, players were entirely unprofessional, while Marlene and Lapis were the ones who received proper education.


    As a descendant of the Behermes, Lapis was indeed intelligent. Even though she had an innocent personality, she wasn��t naive at all. After receiving Rhode��s request, she quickly saw right through it: no matter inhabitants of Order or Chaos, their strength came from spiritual powers. That was why she designed and built the Camp Reversal Badge using this as a foundation.


    In fact, the so-called Camp Reversal Badge was a converting device. As long as the wearer activated it with his spiritual power, the wearer could convert the camps of Order and Chaos. Through this way, their presence would merge with Chaos, while staying as Order on the inside. Not only that, but through the conversion, Rhode could also absorb spiritual powers within Chaos for his own usage. This way, he didn��t need to worry about expending too much spiritual power. Of course, one had to have powerful strength and a huge amount of spiritual powers in order to use the Camp Reversal Badge. If not, the gains wouldn��t make up for the losses if the spiritual powers absorbed weren��t sufficient. But fortunately, this time Rhode led an elite team of level 85 peak players, so he had no pressure in this field.


    For that reason, borrowing the effect of the Camp Reversal Badge, Rhode was able to travel freely and secretly with Lapis. Because to Chaos creatures, Rhode and Lapis only had the aura of Chaos and were recognized as ��their kind��.


    But even so, Rhode didn��t let his guard down entirely.


    Swish����!


    While Rhode carried Lapis in his arms and sprinted ahead, a massive shadow whizzed and jumped out in front of him. The instant he saw it, he picked up speed and dashed through. But just as he was about to leave that area, he heard a loud boom. A huge, towering Chaos creature had stomped its foot on where he was located seconds ago. The Chaos creature didn��t seem to notice him as it turned around and immediately rampaged in another direction.


    This was how Chaos creatures behaved. They had no companionship. If one were to obstruct it, it would tear one apart without a care in the world about what one was.


    ��Phew����


    Gazing at the gigantic Chaos creature in the distance, Lapis extended her arm and held her hand on Rhode��s chest, letting out a sigh of relief. Then, she turned around and looked at his profile. At that moment, Rhode was staring ahead sternly. His beautiful face that left Lapis in low self-esteem had an unexplainable charm. Perhaps to most females, Rhode��s beautiful face wasn��t a good thing because this would shatter their confidence as women. But the innocent Lapis wouldn��t consider such things. She gazed at Rhode in silence.


    Come to think of it, this seems to be my first time spending so much time alone with Sir Rhode�� In Grandia, I spent most of my time in the research lab, while Sir Rhode was always busy. We��re clearly already, already in that kind of relationship��


    At this thought, Lapis blushed and lowered her head hurriedly. But at that moment, the alchemy elf��s wandering eyes betrayed her thoughts.


    Despite that, Rhode apparently didn��t expect the young lady to be thinking about such nonsense in this situation. As a matter of fact, he didn��t have the attention to pay heed to Lapis��s thoughts. His entire body tensed up as he flitted past several Chaos creatures, leaping, dodging, and switching directions from time to time. Even though the Chaos creatures had already backed off, it was impossible to expect these creatures with a chaotic nature to retreat in an orderly fashion. Rhode glanced at his surroundings and spotted Chaos creatures who were bumping into one another, with some coming to blows for no apparent reason. But to Chaos creatures, it didn��t mean anything about what they were fighting for. They didn��t care about the past and future. In their perspective, there was only the present.


    Over there!


    After bypassing the ��battlefield�� of a group of six Chaos creatures fighting and clashing with one another, Rhode finally spotted an opening in the back. He had to admit that Chaos would always be Chaos; they didn��t prepare anything such as a camp or whatnot. The Chaos creatures simply gathered, followed the Chaos Lords, and got into battle until they were dead. That was their destiny. They didn��t need to rest or consume food, so it went without saying that they didn��t need to build any temporary facilities.


    As long as I leave this area, it will be an empty land ahead!


    At this thought, Rhode stopped over abruptly, picked up speed, and dashed ahead!


    But at that moment��


    ��������!��


    A furious snarl rang in his ears. The fog rose all of a sudden and an enormous hand extended from within the fog, grabbing for Rhode and Lapis! Shortly after, a gorilla that was covered in rotten, bloody flesh shuttled out and pounced on Rhode.


    ��Tsk, what a bother!��


    Gazing at the Chaos creature, Rhode let out a snort. He wrapped one arm around Lapis, while his other unsheathed the magical sword on his waist. He zoomed, brushing past the Chaos creature��s palm and leaping onto its arm in an arc. Then, he leaped forward, the magical sword in his hand erupting in a dazzling spiritual brilliance. This attacking slash dispersed the fog and sent a glaring blade ray onto its throat. At the next moment, the Chaos creature stopped moving as its skull flew up into the air before vanishing in the fog. Meanwhile, its enormous body collapsed to the ground in a loud bang. This battle attracted the attention of several Chaos creatures nearby. But when they turned to the direction Rhode was, they only saw a headless corpse. Rhode and Lapis had already disappeared into the fog and were nowhere in sight.


    ��Phew�� All settled.��


    After getting far away from the Chaos army, Rhode heaved a sigh of relief, let go of Lapis, and looked at his surroundings. This land that used to belong to the Country of Darkness had been completely contaminated by Chaos. Everywhere was filled with the color gray. Dense fog proliferated in all directions, making it impossible for one to clearly see dozens of meters away.


    ��Alright, let��s start from here.��


    After ensuring that there weren��t any Chaos creatures nearby, Rhode nodded, reached into his pocket for a prismatic crystal, and threw it onto the ground. Shortly after, a radiance flashed, and the petite Lesa appeared before him. At that moment, the young lady had put on her pure white psychic robe and wide triangular hat. Upon seeing Rhode, she stooped over slightly for a bow.


    ��Greetings, Master.��


    Don��t stand on ceremony.��


    Facing Lesa��s greetings, Rhode waved with a casual gesture.


    ��I��ll leave it to you next. Gather them all.��


    To Rhode, there were two very important characters for this trip to the land of Chaos. One of them was Lapis, and the other was Lesa. As the psychic of Astral Temple, Lesa was able to summon heroic spirits from the Astral Temple and communicate with them. For that reason, her existence could be said to be extremely crucial. It was especially so in a land of Chaos, where she was like a signal transmitter. She was able to send out signals in places with no signal connections and contact the surrounding heroic spirits. Relying on her signals, the rest of the group would also be able to head in the right direction with her as the center point and wouldn��t lose their direction in this land of Chaos that was on the verge of collapse. Besides, Lesa could also act as Rhode��s megaphone, passing on his command to others during necessary times.


    But compared to Lapis, Lesa was also limited in terms of strength. It was especially so in a land of Chaos, where she acted entirely as a signaling satellite of the Astral Temple.


    ��Understood, Master. Leave it to me.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s command, Lesa nodded gently, raised her silver staff, and hit the ground.


    Clang!


    A crisp, melodious sound echoed in the fog. Shortly after, figures appeared from within the fog one after another.

 Chapter 1271 - Call of Duty—Behind Enemy Lines

    ��Yo, Leader, we��re here!��


    Along with the energetic greeting, Mini Bubble Gum strolled out of the fog as Canary followed closely behind her. After a few moments, the rest also arrived one after another. As members of Rhode��s elite squad, every one of them possessed solid strength, so no one was sacrificed when they sneaked around the Chaos army. In just a few breaths, all elite members were gathered, arriving behind Rhode and standing by to go.


    ��Seems like everyone is fast on their feet, huh.��


    Looking at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t help but blow a whistle. She squinted and scanned the fog casually.


    ��Huh, why isn��t Little Icy here? Don��t tell me she was killed? How pitiful. Back then, I knew Little Icy shouldn��t have chosen the archer class. Sigh, perhaps her ��corpse��s still warm���� What a tragedy. I knew she had a poor sense of direction����


    ��You used that proverb wrong, Bubble. Besides, I��ve been here for a long time!��


    Upon hearing Bubble��s clearly provocative speech, Icy Snow couldn��t help but speak up for herself. She stood at the back of the group, peered out, and glared at Bubble. The instant Bubble detected her gaze, she let out a chuckle and lifted her head proudly.


    ��Oh, really? I used that wrong on purpose. You can��t blame me for being so short that I couldn��t notice you in the crowd. A primary school student should look like one. Wouldn��t it be all good if you stood in the first row obediently? I can��t even see you at the back. Oh, right, you��re only capable of releasing arrows, so perhaps you will be killed straight away if you stand in the first row. Come to think of it, whose *ss did you follow this time to get here? The battlefield is so huge, you would have been lost if no one led you.��


    ��You��!��


    Icy Snow��s cat ears and tail perked up instantly upon hearing Bubble��s words. At that moment, the quiet group behind them burst into cheers.


    ��Oh-oh-oh! It has begun! The battle of the two most adorable, elite mascots! Place your bets! Who do you think will win this?!��


    ��I��ll bet on Bubble. That little fella has a vicious tongue. That good little girl, Icy Snow, doesn��t stand a chance!��


    ��Icy Snow will win! Didn��t you see Leader standing there? They have such a close relationship. As long as Leader says the word, Bubble will shut her mouth straightaway! She doesn��t listen to anyone in the guild except for Leader! I��m sure Icy Snow will win this time! I bet 1000 gold coins!��


    ��Come on, come on, place your bets and don��t regret! The more you bet, the more you win! First come first serve!��


    ��Alright, everyone shut up.��


    Gazing at the group of players placing their bets at the back, Rhode couldn��t help but force a smile. Even though he knew that these guys were merely projections, their behaviors weren��t any different from reality. As always, they enjoyed watching a bustling scene. Of course, this wasn��t the first time they gambled on such occasions. At the sight of the crowd getting more excited, Rhode had no choice but to intervene, separate the two young ladies, and give a command. Upon hearing his command, an archer in the crowd cheered loudly.


    ��Hahaha, Leader settled the fight! All of you guessed it wrongly! Dealer takes all!��


    ��Tsk, get lost! You bast*rd, scamming us of our money again! I wanted to bet on ��Draw�� earlier!��


    ��Let��s go, Brothers! Let��s bash this swindler up!��


    ��Alright, alright, it isn��t too late to deal with him after we��re back. We gotta get ready to move out now, so cut the crap. We will all be doomed if we��re discovered by the Chaos creatures!��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, the group broke out in a tumult, but restored peace shortly after. At that moment, Rhode nodded in satisfaction, turned around, and looked at Icy Snow. The young lady had heard him and stood beside him. However, judging from her expression, it was apparent that Mini Bubble Gum made her furious. But come to think of it��


    These two fellas have always behaved this way. They still haven��t learned their lesson��


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but shake his head, lowered his body, and said.


    ��Icy Snow, can you confirm the general location?��


    ��Yes, Big Brother. Please give me a moment.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Icy Snow nodded, opened her eyes, and looked at the empty space before her. A mysterious glint gradually flashed in her bright, pitch-black eyes. At that moment, Icy Snow��s vision had passed through time, space, and the limitations of everything, piercing straight into the deep, white fog. After more than 10 minutes, Icy Snow looked away and this time, she showed a dubious expression.


    ��I��ve confirmed the target, Big Brother. But�� It��s strange because according to my observations, the Darkness Capital isn��t destroyed, yet it��s still standing among Chaos. Not only that, but the surrounding Chaos also seems to form a sort of peculiar coexistence as though both sides are conforming to an unique Order.��


    Really?


    After hearing her report, Rhode couldn��t help but feel surprised. Logically speaking, any buildings of Order would decay and break down gradually after being contaminated by Chaos. And the Darkness Capital, as a city of Order, should have been completely broken down by the erosion of Chaos a long time ago. But now, according to Icy Snow, the Darkness Capital hadn��t perished yet, but was continuing to operate in a special form of Order?


    ���� Let��s go.��


    Rhode pondered for a few moments before shaking his head. Then, he gestured to the large group, turned around, and headed into the other side of the fog. Meanwhile, Lesa and Lapis also followed closely at the back. Shortly after, everyone��s figure seemed to become twisted within the white fog as they disappeared completely in faint afterimages.


    With the Camp Reversal Badge, this time, Rhode��s group wasted no time arriving at the Darkness Capital. If they used the usual method, perhaps they would have spent a long time trudging through Chaos and arriving at the destination. But now, their bodies that were assimilated with Chaos just had to go with the flow, allowing themselves to follow the waves of Chaos and reach their destination.


    A sense of dizziness struck them. When Rhode stepped onto the ground again, Lapis had already passed out with her eyes spinning. On the other hand, even though Lesa remained calm, her upright, petite body leaned in Rhode��s embrace. But even so, Lesa continued to grab her silver staff as though it were her only support.


    ��This is the Darkness Capital?��


    After shaking his head to toss the unpleasant dizziness behind him, Rhode lifted his head and sized up the Darkness Capital. This wasn��t his first time here. In the game, as well as in this world, Rhode couldn��t be more familiar with this city of darkness. But at that moment, when Rhode looked at the Darkness Capital again, he felt extremely unfamiliar.


    The entire Darkness Capital was shrouded in white fog. But what surprised him was that its buildings weren��t damaged at all, but were preserved perfectly instead. If Rhode knew that Ion had destroyed more than half this city earlier, perhaps he would be more astonished. Rhode didn��t spot a single trace of damage. Everything seemed so perfect and peaceful. But�� Something didn��t feel right.


    Gazing at the spots of light in the Darkness Capital, Rhode narrowed his eyes and reached for the hilt on his waist. A bizarre sense of danger surfaced from deep inside him. For some unknown reason, he felt that it was ridiculous and weird. Just like what Icy Snow mentioned, a power of Order that was entirely different from this world was unleashing its effects. This power didn��t belong to this world, but was from a world that Rhode was more familiar with��


    But before that, there was another issue��


    ��We��re separated again�� Leader����


    Mini Bubble Gum��s complaints sounded in Rhode��s head. After all, Chaos was Chaos; it was totally impossible to expect them to act according to rules like Order. Therefore, despite everyone arriving at the Darkness Capital at the same time, they were separated once again. Some were thrown outside of the city, while some were tossed into the city. Fortunately, Rhode had Lesa, the ��signal transmitter��, with him, so he was able to contact his group. This time, apart from Lapis and Lesa who he carried in his arms, Icy Snow and 30 other players were also with him. But it was a pity that Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were separated this time. Canary seemed to be inside a library in the darkness palace, while Mini Bubble Gum was transported to a vampire tower. Not only that��


    ��There��s nobody around, Rhode. We didn��t spot any living or undead creatures.��


    Canary was as calm as ever, but her tone of voice revealed some uncertainty. This wasn��t too surprising because the Darkness Capital was the gathering place for undead creatures. It was understandable if there weren��t any living creatures. But now, taking a glance at this enormous city and not spotting a single undead creature��? No, there wasn��t even anything that was moving.


    Clang��!


    At that moment, a heavy collision rang. Upon hearing that sound, Rhode��s expression changed slightly. He extended his arm and gestured. As soon as the group witnessed his hand gesture, they hid themselves in the surroundings and turned to the direction of that foreign sound.


    Clang��! Clang��!


    Along with what sounded like the constant clashing of steel, several dark figures appeared in the fog ahead and slowly approached Rhode��s group. After the fog dispersed, their true identities were exposed. Not only Rhode was surprised, but Lapis who stood by his side also exclaimed.


    It was a team of skeleton guards. Well, this might not be the most accurate description. Judging from their appearance, they looked just like skeleton guards, where there was no flesh apart from bones. But other than that, their presence seemed more similar to robots. The bizarre-looking, robotic bodies merged perfectly with the bones! If it weren��t for the skull and limbs sticking out, perhaps Rhode wouldn��t be able to identify them.


    ��So that so-called weird Order is referring to this����


    Gazing at the mechanized skeletal guards marching and operating under the jets, Rhode finally understood why he felt so odd. The Darkness Capital had been contaminated by Ion entirely. But unlike the ��original�� Chaos, the source of Chaos that influenced Ion came from Earth and was also a mutant. It wasn��t perfect Chaos, but products created through the distortion of Order. For that reason, even though the Darkness Capital was totally contaminated by Chaos, it wasn��t destroyed. On the contrary, they fused with the Darkness Capital according to Order from Earth and became like this.


    Seems like the situation has become slightly more troublesome now.


    At this thought, Rhode knitted his brows, turned around, and gazed at a thief at the back.


    ��Check out that room.��


    ��Got it, Leader.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s command, the thief concealed himself and shuttled across the shadows. The instant the mechanized skeletal guards turned the corner, the thief dodged their line of sight and arrived at the door on the other side. But before he extended his arm to push it open, he heard a soft unlocking of the door. The seemingly classic steel door actually slid open to both sides on its own. Then, rays of dazzling torches emanated from inside, illuminating the otherwise dark and empty house.


    ��What the heck!��


    Looking at this scene, the flabbergasted thief cursed under his breath. But his reactions were also really quick. The moment he realized the unfavorable situation, he turned around and hid in the shadow by the corner, staring vigilantly at the door. Fortunately, it just seemed to be an empty room with no one inside. After the thief went away from the door, the lights inside extinguished once again. The steel door gradually closed and restored its peace.


    ��Leader, it is an automatic door!��


    ��It can��t be�� A fully-automatic Darkness Capital? Leader, I think we should take our time. If a gatling gun were to show up, things would get hilarious.��


    ��Do we have hackers amongst us? Let��s find the main control unit and hack into it! Isn��t that a given? Come to think of it, do we even have a hacker-class? Would that be considered a job advancement for craftsmen or mages? Or perhaps thieves?��


    ��Mages, I suppose, Didn��t you see that mages were the only ones who fixed computers?��


    Looking at this scene, the group around Rhode ridiculed instantly. Well, they couldn��t be blamed. After all, the Darkness Capital used to be a fantastical and gothic city. And after it was messed up by that strange source of Order, it developed in the direction of sophisticated technology. Back then, these elite players who followed Rhode had personally razed the Darkness Capital to the ground. Therefore, the moment they witnessed its dramatic changes, they laughed in an unusually joyful mood. After witnessing these ridiculous fools discussing hacking the central unit, Rhode had no choice but to interrupt them.


    ��Alright, cut the crap and let��s get down to business. No matter what the Darkness Capital has turned into, our goal hasn��t changed. Stick to the plan: thieves search for BOSSes. Icy Snow, Rika, and Reflective Mirror search for the plane coordinates; check how many BOSSes there are in the Darkness Capital and their locations. Remember, act cautiously. You��ve also seen it for yourself; the Darkness Capital is entirely different now. There may be some traps lying around, so watch where you��re going. The rest of you, patrol the place. Remember��speed, accuracy, and steadiness��don��t be greedy and pursue battles zealously! Do you understand?��


    ��Okay, Leader. Leave it to us!��


    ��Got it, Rhode. No problem, I��ll go get prepared.��


    Upon hearing his command, the group left one after another. Up until that moment, Rhode heaved a sigh of relief and turned to Lapis.


    ��Lapis, you can start now. You prepared the necessities, right?��


    ��Y-Yes, Sir Rhode. I��m ready. G-Give me some time and I will assemble and successfully activate it.��


    Facing Rhode��s question, Lapis who was curiously observing the surroundings tensed up all of a sudden. She nodded with might and extended her arm into the spatial pocket. Shortly after, she retrieved a large, oval-shaped metallic object. At a glance, it looked just like an oversize metal capsule. On its surface was a beautifully-drawn magical ritual emanating a faint golden light. This metallic object that was one-meter-long and half-a-meter-wide was locked up in a translucent, rectangular crystal box like some sort of an artwork.


    But Rhode was clearly aware that this wasn��t artwork, but a weapon invented by Lapis. An epoch-marking super weapon��the Plane Destruction Bomb.

 Chapter 1272 - Secret Infiltration

    As a genius alchemist, Lapis was talented in many areas. But if there was one thing she was really good at, it was ��explosion��. The Plane Destruction Bomb was the most destructive among all the alchemical weapons she created. It forcefully fused Order and Chaos and used their collision as an explosive attack that was almost as powerful as a nuclear bomb. Not only that, but if Rhode were to lay out the Plane Destruction Bombs in a circle and set them off at once, the damage would be enough to create a dark hole-like existence that would suck in everything. When that happened, be it Order or Chaos, everything would be destroyed. Nothing would remain; no Chaos, Order, or anything that could be defined. It would obliterate all matter.


    Rhode��s idea was to place the Plane Destruction Bombs all over the Darkness Capital, lure Ion over, and set them off. This way, he could kill two birds with one stone. Not only could he take down Ion, but Chaos would also be unable to rush into the Dragon Soul Continent for the time being. Even though this method sounded simple, unfortunately, it was a tactic that ��killed 1000 enemies, while hurting 800 allies��. As the Plane Destruction Bomb was too powerful, Rhode was mentally prepared for the first layer of defense to be completely devoured. Besides, no one knew whether the ��dark hole�� created by the explosion would pull the entire continent in. If that were to happen, Rhode would be finding trouble for himself. In that case, for safety��s sake, he could place the Plane Destruction Bombs in the center of the Darkness Capital. This way, it would only hit the first outer layer of the continent and decrease its damage to the maximum.


    However, this was only in theory, after all. Considering the dangers, Rhode wasn��t willing to risk trying the Plane Destruction Bomb on the Dragon Soul Continent. If things went too far, perhaps he would destroy the continent before Chaos did it.


    But now��


    ��There are some troubles in the Darkness Capital right now. Seems like we can only act according to circumstances now.��


    Rhode said, taking a glance at the Plane Destruction Bomb in Lapis��s hands again.


    ��Lapis, how many did you bring this time?��


    ���� Erm����


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Lapis lowered her head in some embarrassment. Then, she blushed and said softly.


    ���� Sir Rhode, I made 50 of them and brought them all here. I wonder if that is enough��?��


    After hearing Lapis��s bashful reply, the corner of Rhode��s eye twitched. For some unknown reason, this shy and innocent alchemy elf in his eyes suddenly turned into a nuclear arsenal that was counting down the days.


    ���� Didn��t you say five is enough?��


    ��Yes�� But even so, I��m afraid they aren��t enough. That is why I brought all of them����


    Lapis responded, gazing at Rhode with blush and lowering her head quickly. Rhode��s expressionless face perfectly depicted his emotions. He looked at the worried Lapis, opened his mouth slightly to take in a deep breath, and extended his arm to pat her shoulder gently.


    ��Well done, Lapis. But you must be careful. If you miscalculate, we may also be swept into it. For safety��s sake, you must be more cautious.��


    ��Yes, I will take note, Sir Rhode.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, Lapis nodded obediently, lifted her head, and gazed at Rhode. Then, she continued.


    ��Erm�� I don��t mind. As long as I can be with Sir Rhode, it doesn��t matter even if an accident were to happen����


    ��Cough, cough. Alright, now isn��t the time for that. Let��s move out. We��ll have plenty of time for that later. Let��s focus on accomplishing our task now. Alright, get ready and we��ll move out straight away.��


    Rhode let out a cough, interrupted upon realizing that Lapis seemed to be heading into another topic, and gestured to the rest. Upon hearing his reply, Lapis didn��t have any reaction, but also ��coughed�� gently and followed closely behind him. On the other hand, Icy Snow and Lesa looked curiously at the alchemy elf. However, after staying silent for a while, they also followed Rhode without raising any questions.


    But this didn��t mean that others also remained silent.


    ���� Rhode, pardon me asking, but how do you usually treat Lapis?��


    At that moment, Canary��s concerned voice sounded in his head. Even though they weren��t transported to the same place as Lesa, the ��signal transmitter�� was around, so Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were also aware of what was happening on Rhode��s side. That was why they naturally heard the conversation between Rhode and Lapis.


    ���� Not too bad, I guess.��


    Facing Canary��s question, Rhode answered in an uncertain tone. Frankly, Lapis��s presence was too insignificant. She was also busy most of the time, so she spent much less time with Rhode. It was usually Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, Anne, Christie, Marlene, and Lize who were always by his side. On the other hand, Lapis only headed out once in a while and spent most of her time researching in the lab. Only when she came up with some new gadgets would she step out of her nest, scuttle to Rhode to show her invention, and both of them would spend the night together. Come to think of it, they seldom interacted with each other apart from that. Lapis was a true geek who always stayed home. Besides, she had a gentle and quiet personality and basically never spoke her mind��


    All of a sudden, Rhode felt a chill run down his spine.


    ���� Leader, for some reason, I have this feeling that I��m gonna die in the hands of our own people. In order to prove to me that this is just an illusion, please make sure you treat Big Sister Lapis well����


    Mini Bubble Gum��s tone of voice didn��t sound like she was cracking a joke. Rhode was also aware that this time, this young lady wasn��t joking at the slightest.


    Yes, illusion. Everything is an illusion. It doesn��t scare me.


    At this thought, Rhode shook his head, tossed that bizarre thought to the back of his head, and focused on the current situation. After all, they only had one goal now, and that was to raze the Darkness Capital to the ground while Ion was out attacking with his armies. In this way, the consequences of Ion and his armies were predictable. But Rhode wouldn��t be that foolish to think that Ion wouldn��t leave behind any forces. After all, he wasn��t a pure Chaos creature who would only look ahead and not look back. Moreover, Rhode also wouldn��t let his guard down even if he were in a true Chaos nest as it would be more terrifying than a heavily guarded fortress. Because one had no ways of knowing whether there would be anything left behind by Chaos Lords ��accidentally��. Or perhaps a Chaos Lord returning home to sleep after an exhausting battle, only to trap the intruders inside its home�� Such instances had happened more than once in the game.


    At that moment, the scouts responded. According to their findings, there were a total of three beings in the caliber of Chaos Lords in the Darkness Capital. They were located in the central palace of the city. But as for who exactly the three Chaos Lords were, no one knew. After all, there were countless Chaos Lords. In the game, players had only killed just one percent of them and hadn��t encountered the rest. Like this time when Ion led his armies in the battlefield, Rhode was only able to recognize the Horned Behemoth. As for the other Chaos Lords, he had never seen them before.


    ��Bubble, Canary, lead your teams respectively. As usual, don��t cause a ruckus. Bubble, focus on providing support this time�� Let���� Rhode came to a pause, sensed the environment a little, and continued. ���� Mirror lead the team. Can you do it, Mirror?��


    ���� If Bubble is willing to obey my orders, there should be no issues����


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, a dreadful voice sounded. After hearing her response, Mini Bubble Gum let out a snort and eventually gave up the role of a leader. It wasn��t surprising since if Bubble were to display her prowess, she would undoubtedly smash their plan to sneak into their destination.


    ��Alright, move out!��


    After ensuring that everyone was ready, Rhode squatted in the shadow and stared at the corner of the street ahead. The instant the steel skeleton guards turned the corner, he commanded and shuttled across the shadows swiftly in a trail of afterimages, arriving beside the steel skeleton guards. At the same time he unsheathed the sword, a dozen players clad in dark cloaks appeared in midair around the steel skeleton guards. The leading, petite shadowy figure extended her arm and tossed a pitch-black, semi-circle enchanted field that enveloped the steel skeleton guards immediately. The black radiance flashed and the entire world had as though been shielded completely. At the same time, Rhode��s blade punctured the body of one of the steel skeleton guards.


    ��������!��


    Along with this attack, several bolts of light erupted from the steel skeleton guard. It tried to turn and retaliate, but at that moment, a thief leaped in the air with daggers in his hands and pierced its eyes. Meanwhile, four of the thief��s shadow clones also struck the other steel skeleton guards. But the moment the thief and his shadow clones disappeared from sight, a knight standing beside Rhode raised and slashed his longsword into one of the steel skeleton guards. Blade rays dazzled. The longsword penetrated the solid body of steel and white, holy flames erupted as the steel skeleton guard crumbled onto the ground.


    The trio��s coordination was simply wonderful. Everything took less than 10 seconds from the moment Rhode lashed out and controlled the steel skeleton guards to the knight ending their lives with his holy strike. Before the unfortunate steel skeleton guards even budged, they were thoroughly punished. On the other side, the remaining steel skeleton guards didn��t have it any better either. They were also surrounded by the rest of the group at the same time, collapsing to the ground without having the chance to grunt.


    The moment the steel skeleton guards fell onto the ground, a mage wrapped in a pitch-black robe on the other side let out a snarl and extended his arm. Shortly after, along with his action, an emerald brilliance emanated from his fingertips and shrouded the enemy corpses. The moment the emerald brilliance shone, the corpses turned into powder and vanished from sight.


    ��Phew����


    As the pitch-black enchanted field that enfolded the street dispersed, winds began to whistle again. Rhode lifted his head and turned to Icy Snow. Upon detecting his gaze, the young lady shook her head slightly. After receiving her response, Rhode gave a hand gesture in silence.


    The bustling street was now emptied. At a glance, it was as though nothing had happened.


    After wiping out the patrols, the group arrived at the northern gate of the Darkness Palace. Along the way, Rhode confirmed that the odd steel skeleton guards weren��t interconnected with one another. He also attempted to eliminate a team of patrols across the street. But the team of patrols on the other side didn��t respond in the slightest. It seemed like even though they were a twisted variant of Order, they were still beings influenced by Chaos, after all. It wasn��t realistic at all to expect them to act as rigorously as Order.


    This is the place.


    Rhode gazed silently at the sealed steel door. According to the thieves�� reports, the aura of one of the Chaos Lords was discovered here. If Rhode recalled correctly, the back of the northern gate of the Darkness Palace was a huge garden and plaza, which was unsuitable for concealment. Even if the Camp Reversal Badge could conceal their presence, no one knew what the Chaos Lord would do. That was why for safety��s sake, it was best to eliminate the Chaos Lord. However, this place was the lowest level of terrain in the Darkness Palace. As soon as they broke out in a fight, it would likely attract the attention of the other two Chaos Lords. That was why the best way was to attack the three Chaos Lords at the same time. The party that annihilated their Chaos Lord first would assist the other parties until all the threats were removed. They would then set up the Plane Destruction Bomb and get the hell out of there��


    It sounded easy, but doing it was entirely different. Even though Rhode had wiped out the patrols of the Darkness Capital, this place was already contaminated by Chaos. As long as Chaos had the intention, it wouldn��t be hard for them to summon more Chaos creatures. That was why when the battle began, it could also be said that not only must Rhode��s group take on a Chaos Lord, but they must also face Chaos creatures. Under such aggression, it wasn��t as simple as eradicating the Chaos Lord and planting the Plane Destruction Bomb. Moreover, Ion would definitely realize the situation and return with his armies after Rhode officially launched an attack on the Darkness Capital. It could also be said that it would be an arrow of no return. As soon as Rhode attacked, there was no turning back and it would be a race against time.


    Seems like I can only resort to that now.


    At this thought, Rhode knitted his brows, pondered, and let out a sigh.


    ��Canary, Mirror, split and send out half of your mages and clerics.��


    ���� Got it, Leader. I��ll get to it right now����


    Upon hearing Rhode��s command, that unwavering voice sounded instantly. Canary remained silent for a few moments before asking.


    ��Rhode, do you intend to wrap around the entire palace to establish an Order enchanted field?��


    ��Based on the current situation, this is the best way. We can make the most of our time and ensure that the operation is done without any interference.��


    ��But our damage output will be affected�� Besides, this time we didn��t bring many spell casters with us. The Darkness Palace is really huge too. If we are to send out half of our spell casters to maintain the enchanted field�� Over at the BOSS��s side����


    ��I��ll be the main attacker on the BOSS��s side. You guys will be in charge of containing them. Be careful; as long as you��re alive, everything is fine. I will defeat the Chaos Lord as soon as I can and meet up with you.��


    ���� Okay then.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s answer, Canary nodded in agreement. After receiving her answer, Rhode took in a deep breath, lifted his head, and gazed at the pitch-black palace shrouded in fog.


    Everything is alright here. I wonder if Orchid Heart is doing well on her side��

 Chapter 1273 - Two-way Strategy

    ��Attack! Attack! Attack! Charge! Charge!��


    Along with Ion��s snarls, the Chaos creatures swarmed forward with great difficulty and unwavering determination amidst the overwhelming artillery fire and magical spells. Flares erupted among the sea of Chaos creatures. The strings of dazzling, scarlet flame rings seemed so glaring and bright under the darkness. Erin tightened up, held both her hands on the edge of the city wall, and gazed at the battlefield in uncertainty. The battlefield was shrouded in billows of smoke and flames. The dense, black smoke almost enfolded the vast land, where even the bright moonlight descending from above had no way of penetrating them. Both sides tore into each other. Countless powerful AoE magical spells were cast from the city walls, transforming the land and sky. Flames, thunder, lightning bolts, and all sorts of elemental attacks flitted across the field and blasted the ground heavily. The solid land fissured and turned muddy and murky. Corpses of Chaos creatures could also be seen laying and buried within them.


    ��Time is almost up, huh?��


    The sleepy Orchid Heart asked all of a sudden. She opened her eyes, let out a yawn, and flipped the pages of that thick, gorgeous tome.


    There was a change in the battle situation.


    Even though Orchid Heart didn��t say a word, for some unknown reason Erin suddenly realized that the situation over at her side had become overwhelmingly unfavorable. The powerful spells obstructing the Chaos creatures became sparse, while the deadly artillery fireballs were also extinguished. Shortly after, the Chaos creatures who were suppressed by the artillery attack earlier went wild as soon as the pressure was gone. They rushed ahead and before long, Erin witnessed a black sea of wild Chaos creatures arriving at the bottom of the steel city walls. Almost in the blink of an eye, the dark wave slammed onto the strong, towering city walls.


    Boom!


    Erin felt the entire city walls shake. At that moment, the artillery cannons creaked as they retracted back into the city walls before the iron plate sealed them shut to prevent Chaos creatures from infiltrating any further. But even so, the Chaos creatures didn��t slow their pace. They continued to rush ahead and pile up on one another. Just like what Orchid Heart mentioned, even if the Chaos creatures had no sense of offense, the final result wouldn��t be any different when they charged in like an endless stream.


    Destruction. Only destruction.


    ��Miss Orchid Heart�� May I know if there is anything I can do?��


    Even though Erin decided to hand this matter to Orchid Heart��s command, she also knew that it must be Orchid Heart��s command that the artillery fire became sparse all of a sudden. Erin was clearly aware that these people around Rhode possessed a unique form of telepathy, so much so that they could read one another��s thoughts and intentions from miles away without speaking or using magical spells. She had to admit that this was truly a convenient skill. But even though she knew that this was part of the strategy, she was unlike Orchid Heart, after all. No matter how much of a veteran of the battlefield Rhode was, Erin was just a princess who loved artifacts and historical research, despite her efficiency in battles. She had never joined the military and didn��t undergo any formal training. She merely followed the undead army and served as an AoE cannon and secret weapon. Although Erin read innumerable books, it would be absurd if she were able to become a commander-in-chief after reading ��Sun Tzu��s Art of War��.


    Erin normally wouldn��t be concerned in this situation. But it was different now. She didn��t possess an undead army of countless troops like her Big Brother. She was like a penny split in half. As much as possible, she wished for troops under her command to not be sacrificed in the battlefield. Even though the Chaos creatures couldn��t trample on their companions�� corpses and climb over the city walls yet, Erin was certain that at the rate they were piling up, they would need at least half an hour! Even though she didn��t know much about the military, she was aware that if things went that far, the situation would be extremely dangerous and bothersome.


    It was at that moment that Erin looked like a novice. Although she didn��t snatch the commanding rights from Orchid Heart out of anxiousness, the unfavorable, one-sided battle situation made her nervous. She felt like if she didn��t do anything, she would continue to feel uncomfortable. Upon hearing Erin��s question, Orchid Heart shook her head without turning to her.


    ��There isn��t any, Your Majesty Erin. This is the only thing we need now. Rhode��s preparation should be ready by now. In order to prevent the Chaos creatures from sensing the issue and retreating, we need to contain them here. If we prolong the stalemate, Ion may possibly choose to withdraw his armies and shift his attack to Rhode instead. After all, Ion lost a lot of troops in the earlier clashes and was advancing without much result. If he continues to tangle with us, there aren��t any benefits for him. But if he were to turn back and attack Rhode now, that will be the end of us. That is why we gave Ion a chance��one that makes him think he can break through our defenses effortlessly. Through this way, even if he realizes that something is amiss, he will hesitate and this will buy Rhode enough time to accomplish his mission. All we have to do now is to hold back Ion��s armies so they won��t retreat.��


    Orchid Heart said, flipped a page casually, and continued.


    ��This time, please do not take matters into your own hands, Your Majesty Erin. I will show you what the true strength of Starlight is.��


    Even though Orchid Heart��s expression appeared calm, Erin heard a hint of pride in her unwavering tone that echoed her faith in their ultimate glory.


    Everything is ready.


    Gazing at the strong, heavy door, Rhode extended his arm to grip his sword. At that moment, Bubble and her team of clerics and mages were in position. As soon as Rhode gave his command, they would activate the Order barrier to isolate the entire Darkness Palace from the outside world. Through this way, they could prevent the Chaos Lord from summoning Chaos creatures into the battle. But on the other hand, Rhode had to seize the moment. After all, he didn��t think of the need to build such a huge isolation barrier when choosing his forces earlier. Currently, apart from the members in his group, the other teams sent out half of their members to create and maintain the isolation barrier. As a result, their damage output was obviously insufficient to defeat the Chaos Lord. In that case, Rhode��s group needed to annihilate their enemy as soon as possible, so as to provide assistance to the other two parties in defeating the other two Chaos Lords.


    ��Canary, Mirror, are you ready? Confirm your location once more.��


    ��All ready, Rhode. We��ll act according to the situation.��


    ���� My side too�� Leader, don��t worry�� We��ll be fine�� Our clerics are at the back. If anything is to happen, our men can be resurrected�� It��s no biggie����


    The current situation was that there were a total of three Chaos Lords in the Darkness Palace. They were located in the northern garden, southern tower, and western executive palace respectively. Canary was responsible for the northern tower, while the assassin, Mirror, was in charge of the western executive palace. Rhode was confident in both of them. The two young ladies had calm and steady personalities, so there shouldn��t be any big issues. Of course, if it were Mini Bubble Gum instead, it would be an entirely different matter. At the very least, Rhode would not dare to let Bubble lead a team. But fortunately, Mirror was also aware of that, which was why she didn��t keep Bubble in her team, but put her in charge of the isolation barrier instead.


    ��Get ready.��


    After confirming that everyone was ready, Rhode gestured to Icy Snow and the rest behind him. Upon noticing his hand gesture, everyone got ready to move out right away. Lapis and Lesa were also fully prepared. Even though they weren��t as powerful as elite players, they could still more or less contribute to the battlefield.


    ��Do it!��


    After taking in a deep breath and calming himself, Rhode yelled his command.


    Shing!


    The instant Rhode gave his command, magical rituals engraved with an exquisite and beautiful pattern rose from the ground behind his group all of a sudden. The magical rituals spun as they extended throughout the Darkness Palace, connecting with one another. In a soft clang, the white fog shrouding the Darkness Palace dissipated abruptly, revealing the door��s original form to everyone.


    At the same time, one of the mages behind Rhode raised his white staff, which emanated a flash of white brilliance. Shortly after, a meteor fell from the sky and crashed onto the door. In a loud bang, the heavy door was shattered into bits. But before the smoke dispersed, Rhode transformed into a spiritual ray of light that zoomed into the garden when suddenly, he heard a hoarse voice.


    ��Who��s there? Who destroyed my palace? You bast*rds! You will pay the price!��


    The moment this voice echoed, Rhode had already led his group and charged into the fog. The true identity of the Chaos Lord who was seated in the garden was unveiled on the spot. The Chaos Lord had a naked, dozen-meters-long female upper body, while her lower body was in the structure of a gigantic spider.


    ��It��s Julia! We struck gold! Let��s go everyone!��


    Rhode heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of this Chaos Lord. He was afraid of meeting a Chaos Lord that he had never encountered before. When that happened, he would need to spend a lot of time figuring out its movements and skills, not to mention that he didn��t have much time to waste. And now, the instant he saw the ��Black Widow�� Julia, he felt reassured. This Chaos Lord was a BOSS inclined to nature. Most of her spells were like that of Druids. However, due to the traits of Chaos, her spells were a little bizarre. But despite that, she was still easy to deal with.


    Rhode extended his arm abruptly and three cards flew out of his palm. Shortly after, Shira, Little Five, and Celestina appeared in midair. As a BOSS of nature, Julia relied upon the vitality of life as her power. In that case, nothing was more suitable than using undead and evil against her!


    Along with Rhode��s action, Little Five emerged vaguely, while Shira with the tattered, gothic dress and Celestina with the comfortably-expanded black wings showed up in midair. Upon sensing their death aura, Julia locked her eyes on them instantly.


    ��Are you intruders here to kill my children? No!! I will not let you!��


    The bewildered Julia snapped her jaw open and spat a white spider silk that metamorphosed into an omnipresent web that enveloped everyone.


    ��Everyone, firewalls!��


    Looking at this scene, even Rhode was surprised. This was one of the most frustrating tricks of Julia. The spider silks she spat were able to shroud everyone within the garden. As long as one was caught in the web, one would have a hard time budging. But fortunately, this wasn��t Rhode��s first time taking on this Chaos Lord. Therefore, the instant he witnessed the spiderweb, he gave his command, extended his arm, tossed a card into the air. At the next moment, the hellhound appeared in the hellish blaze, howling as it slammed head-first into the spiderweb. The hellhound let out an anguished wail and self-destructed as flames scattered in all directions and burned large holes in the spiderweb. At the same time, the mages around Rhode chanted their spells. Walls and balls of flames rose and fluttered into the air, forming a scorching barrier that blocked off the spiderweb. In the blink of an eye, the spiderweb was burned into a crisp completely.


    ��You won��t get away with it. Don��t even try��!��


    Upon witnessing her attacks being stopped so easily, Julia snarled bitterly, extended her arms, and clawed at the intruders. But at that moment, Icy Snow raised her bow and two red arrows appeared on the bowstring. Shortly after, two scarlet radiances flashed, followed by two loud explosions. Julia, who was attacking Rhode��s group, let out a howl of grief and covered her eyes. This young lady��s space arrows were really powerful.


    After disrupting Julia��s attack twice, Rhode led his group and arrived beside her. The thieves brandished their daggers and ran Julia��s body as though climbing a cliff. The other combat classes that were less mobile snarled and raised their weapons, slashing Julia��s legs and huge abdomen. The mages also chanted another incantation. Flame radiances struck her body, forcing her to let out an agonizing scream. She fluttered her arms, attempting to stop the assault. But as she was struck by Icy Snow��s attack, she was completely blind. In an instant, she spun on the spot in a fluster, while the players dodged her huge, moving body and climbed upward, at the same time launching attacks on her weaknesses.


    At that moment, Shira��s and Little Five��s attacks also arrived before Julia.


    The transparent, razor-sharp blade was as illusory as usual. The specter young lady lifted the green blade and penetrated Julia��s heart. On the other hand, Shira burst into laughter, raised the double-handed sword, and hacked one of Julia��s hind legs. In a loud crack, she inflicted a deadly gash on the thick hind leg!


    ��Arghhhh!��


    Julia let out a blood-curdling shriek upon receiving multiple attacks from the players, Shira, and Little Five. Julia spread her arms apart and shuddered, and a massive, invisible force erupted and blasted the players and summoned spirits away from her body.


    ��How dare you hurt me! I will seize your lives! My children, awaken! Devour your prey and let their flesh be your nourishment!��


    Along with her snarls, everyone heard loud rustles from their surroundings. Shortly after, along with the rustles, hundreds upon thousands of human-sized, poisonous spiders darted out of the bushes and pounced on Rhode��s group!

 Chapter 1274 - Spider’s Nest

    An overwhelming amount of spiders appeared from all directions. In the blink of an eye, they surrounded Rhode and the rest. A huge spider trembled as it ��squeaked�� and spat its breath. Just the look and sound of it numbed one��s scalp. If one were caught off guard by such a large cluster of spiders, the outcome couldn��t be any worse. Fortunately, after learning the true identity of the BOSS in front of them, the group had already prepared their response. Even though the Chaos Lord��s wouldn��t cast skills as regularly as a BOSS of Order, at least the specifics of its skills were clear to everyone. At that moment, when they saw those spiders surging in, the players also responded immediately.


    ��Maius! AI!��


    Celestina raised her right arm and bellowed. Along with her yell, a huge scarlet magical ritual emanated on the flat ground. The spiders who stepped onto it let out wretched screeches. Their massive bodies swayed and crumbled onto the ground, shriveling rapidly. In the blink of an eye, the huge spiders with the round bodies shrunk like deflated balloons, turning into piles of dried, rotten corpses.


    While Celestina was occupied in her attack, Rhode wasn��t idle either. The moment he witnessed the spiders, he took two steps back instantly. He was nothing more than a peak level 85 player now and didn��t have any advantageous resistance against physical attacks, which was why he maneuvered around the rear. As the spiders swarmed ahead, Rhode pulled himself together, gripping his sword and extending his arm immediately. Along with this action, an ocean blue card flickered and shattered in his hand. Shortly after, the little mermaid appeared behind him.


    Upon witnessing the overwhelming mass of spiders, the little mermaid was so bewildered that she flipped around in the round water ball. But shortly after, she knew that her master was facing extreme dangers, which was why she stretched out her arm, widened her mouth, and blew.


    ��Phew����


    A strong gust of blue, chilly wind whistled across the pitch-black land, freezing the ground. In an instant, the land and massive spiders were covered in layer upon layer of white frost. Not only that, but transparent crystals also formed in midair one after another, freezing the spiders entirely within. Meanwhile, Rhode swung his arm and two mages beside him quickly raised their arms. They chanted under their breath, and the flattened ground ruptured. Razor-sharp, stone pillars burst skyward from the ground, like the teeth of ferocious monsters ripping apart the frozen spiders. Along with a string of loud cracks, the punctured spiders were torn apart and fell onto the ground in chunks of flesh.


    However, Lapis and Lesa were the ones who surprised everyone the most. Rhode initially had no intention of sending them into battle. That was because players had their own unique style of battle. Although they seemed like a puddle of loose sand when attacking the BOSS and unlike unified armies in this world, which attacked in an orderly and serious stance, as a matter of fact, every player stood in the position that they were the most familiar with, which allowed them to unleash their most powerful strength at the BOSS. Moreover, Rhode was leading the elites of the elites, and all had strong camaraderie. On the other hand, Lapis and Lesa didn��t have such comradeship. If they were to get involved, it might even be counterproductive instead. Furthermore, their strength also wasn��t as powerful as the players, which was why Rhode didn��t intend to let them join the battle. However, he still received a huge surprise from them.


    ��O�� Stars����


    Gazing at the cluster of spiders, Lesa didn��t say a word. Her adorable face also didn��t change at all. She hovered in the air, raised the silver staff in her hand, and pointed ahead. Shortly after, hundreds of meteorites fell from heaven and landed on the spiders, enfolding the battlefield in explosions, rumbles, and glaring brilliance. Not only that, but Lapis also attacked at the same time.


    ��Watch this!��


    Looking at the clutter of spiders, Lapis shivered instinctively. But what surprised Rhode was that this terrifying scene didn��t scare her witless. On the other hand, she returned to her senses quickly, retrieved several rice ball-like, metal spheres from her cloak pockets, and tossed them ahead with force.


    For Lapis, who basically had no arm strength to speak of, the metal spheres she threw naturally didn��t fly very far. Judging from her shaky movements, Rhode expected the metal spheres to only land several meters away. But what happened next exceeded his imagination.


    Swish������!


    The instant the metal spheres left her palm, they let out the strange sounds of jets. The metal spheres spun, flying in completely irregular trajectories like failed tiny rockets, and landed straight into the cluster of spiders. The moment they struck the ground, something unbelievable happened.


    Boom!


    Along with this loud explosion, a flame column burst into the sky. Rhode witnessed scarlet rings rippling across the land with an enormous flame column in the middle. The squeaking and dashing spiders were instantly devastated by the red fire rings. They were neither blasted nor burnt to death, but were entirely shattered completely instead. Facing the ring of flames that swept across the land, the massive spiders were as though sand, annihilated in a puff of smoke!


    ������


    Looking at this scene, Rhode couldn��t help but twitch the corner of his eye. Even though the spiders weren��t powerful, they were level 60 at the very least. Lapis wasn��t even level 50 yet, so logically speaking, she would definitely lose in a one-on-one battle against one spider. But now�� Lapis merely swung her arms and the damage she caused wasn��t inferior to the AoE spell of a peak level 85 player?


    Even though Rhode knew that Lapis was talented in making explosives, the sight of her hurling the round flying bombs in excitement reminded him of the Plane Destruction Bombs she produced. For some unknown reason, he felt like this innocent young lady was like a mad scientist��


    Is it really true that geniuses are always alike?


    ��How dare you hurt my children!��


    Julia blew her top at the sight of her spider army annihilated in the blink of an eye. She raised her head in wrath, bellowed, and spread her arms apart. A spiritual green light emanated on the surface of her massive body. In a loud boom, bursts of green fog erupted and engulfed the surroundings, catching Rhode��s group off guard.


    ��Go to hell, all of you! Wahahaha!��


    Looking at their plight, Julia couldn��t help but burst into an evil laughter. That wasn��t just an ordinary fog, but was poisonous fog coalesced from her essence! Any living creature would die after being shrouded by the poisonous fog as it entered their body. Their life essence would slowly enter her body and they would eventually turn into her possessions!


    Lowly inhabitants of Order! It��s time to die! And I will become your��


    ��Huh? How did that happen?!��


    But just as Julia guffawed, she widened her eyes in disbelief at the green fog around her. At that moment, the poisonous fog had enfolded the entire garden. At a glance, the place was like an ocean of clouds. Logically speaking, inhabitants of Order had no chance of resisting and would die instantly from this attack. But Julia was bewildered because she didn��t feel any energy surging into her body!


    That��s impossible. The flesh and blood of anyone who dies in my poisonous fog will heal my wounded body and restore my strength. But why��!


    What exactly is��


    ��������!��


    At that moment, Julia felt an immense pain in her hind leg. She let out a squeal and her huge body tumbled onto the ground. But what shocked her was that one of her hind legs was chopped off entirely!


    How is that possible? In my poisonous fog, how are they able to move about freely and even attack me?


    While Julia was flabbergasted, the green, poisonous fog had already scattered. The scenery revealed itself before her eyes once again. Looking at this scene, Julia couldn��t help but widen her eyes in shock.


    There were three flickering, defensive barriers that merged to form a gigantic pyramid, with Rhode��s group leisurely standing in it. The rolling green fog was kept out thoroughly. No matter how hard it slammed onto the barrier, it just couldn��t break through the defense.


    What�� What is going on?


    Looking at this scene, Julia��s mind went blank.


    They have clearly used some way to stop my poisonous fog from infiltrating, but how did they know? There are warning signs before I release the poisonous fog. Even if their reactions are quick, it is impossible for all of them to avoid my attack!


    ��Go! Give your all and blast her to death!��


    Rhode couldn��t be bothered with what Julia was thinking. This wasn��t their first time fighting her. The moment they witnessed her skin changing color, they retreated immediately, while clerics at the back released a poison-immunity enchanted field to envelope them. Rhode had to admit that this attack from Julia was indeed powerful. Many players became her victims when they challenged her. After all, not only was the green, poisonous fog devastating, but it could also replenish her health. Players often took out more than half of her health, only to suffer a heavy loss after she emitted the green fog. Not only that, but the more people died, the more her health replenished. In a single attack, Julia was able to recover 70 to 80 percent of her health. Facing such a BOSS, players faced the fate of being demolished. Although Shira and Little Five didn��t avoid the poisonous fog, they were an undead and specter respectively, after all, and couldn��t be more dead. That was why the poisonous fog didn��t affect them at all.


    Despite all that, there was still a way against this poisonous fog, just like how Rhode activated the poison-immunity enchanted field and gathered everyone to avoid this deadly attack. Not only that, but after releasing this ultimate skill, Julia would also enter a cooldown period. And now, she wasn��t able to absorb the vitality of anyone and grew more exhausted instead. There wasn��t a much better chance than this for Rhode!


    ��Everyone, go all-out!��


    Rhode commanded, raising his sword high in the air. Shortly after, a card spun as it appeared at the tip of his blade.


    Shatter!


    The spirit bird expanded its wings and cried, metamorphosing into a bolt of lightning that attached to Rhode��s blade. Rhode gripped the hilt and slashed from above.


    Boom������!


    A lightning blade ray exploded from his blade, striking Julia heavily. Electrical currents erupted, wrapping the humongous spider. Julia, who was struggling to stand to her feet, let out a scream and became paralyzed again. At the same time, Shira laughed heartily and raised the longsword with both hands, penetrating Julia��s huge abdomen!


    ��Ahhhhhh!��


    Along with Julia��s blood-curdling screech, the scarlet longsword slashed a deep gash on her abdomen. Putrid blood spurted out of the wound as Julia suffered agonizing pain. Julia turned around, fluttered her arms, and grabbed the unbridled Undead Puppet. Julia squeezed her hands tight and in a loud crack, Shira was crushed like a ball of mud. Shortly after, Julia tossed the Undead Puppet aside abruptly and raised her arms again��


    But at that moment, Icy Snow also lifted her arms and aimed at Julia��s chest. A large light arrow coalesced and took shape in her hands. At the next second, Icy Snow released the arrow, and it punctured the enormous spider.


    ��������!��


    The mighty impact blasted Julia backward, disrupting her next move. As she roared in a futile struggle, the overwhelming glow of blade rays and magic enveloped her completely.


    Crack!


    After a few moments, Julia plunged to the ground. Her body was riddled with scars from top to bottom. Under the relentless attacks by Rhode��s group, Julia, who couldn��t replenish her strength and failed to summon her children again, collapsed completely.


    ��No�� I can��t die�� My nest�� My children!��


    Along with her hoarse snarl, Julia struggled in despair. But at that point, she was no longer a threat. Her useless struggles were meaningless to everyone. Looking at this scene, Rhode shook his head and sauntered toward her. Upon witnessing his approach, Julia��s dimming eyes glinted once again.


    ��It��s you! Inhabitants of Order! All of you shall die here! I will curse you with all my life��!��


    But before Julia finished her sentence, Rhode��s shimmering holy sword ruthlessly punctured her skull.


    Immediately after, Julia let out a horrified shriek and her body faded like evaporating water, exuding a turbid, cloudy fog. In just a few moments, the huge spider was gone without a trace. All that was left before Rhode was a pile of white ash. But looking at the ashes, Rhode, however, gave a subtle look. He stared at the ashes for a moment, before turning to his group.


    ��Alright, who��s gonna loot the corpse?��


    Rhode asked.

 Chapter 1275 - Ghost Image

    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, the crowd, which was cheering loudly, suddenly fell silent. It felt as though there were an invisible hand at their throats, stifling their voices. Everyone exchanged looks with one another. The atmosphere turned bizarre all of a sudden.


    ��So? Who is gonna do it?��


    ��Hurry up, we��re rushing for time. Anyone except Leader can loot the corpse, since you won��t be as unlucky as the three great Gods of the ��unlucky looting aura��! The other two sites are still waiting for our reinforcements! Hey, how about�� You! Go loot!��


    ��What the heck!��


    Rhode grew furious instantly. No matter what, he was the Void Dragon now and the ruler of the Void Territory!


    How dare you guys defame me. Don��t you know the supreme ruler always has good luck? I��m THE chosen one! It��s time for me to show you my drive!


    At this thought, Rhode wasted no time and swung his arm abruptly.


    ��Lapis, loot it!��


    ��Huh? What, Sir Rhode? What did you say?��


    Facing Rhode��s words, Lapis was stunned. Upon seeing her reaction, Rhode was also speechless, but explained to her quickly.


    ��Sweep the battlefield to find anything useful in that fella��s corpse. Bring them all over.��


    ��Got it, Sir Rhode.��


    Lapis understood what he meant instantly. Back then, she had also been a mercenary. However, she was too weak and spent most of her time providing support around the perimeter of the battlefield and wasn��t given the opportunity to gather loot. Although she didn��t know why Rhode chose her for the job, the obedient young lady didn��t question his decision, but nodded and ran up to the pile of corpse dust to begin her search instead. Everyone watched as she extended her arm and��


    ���� Sir Rhode, there��s nothing����


    ��Damn it! What a scam!��


    ��Leader, you��re so unlucky that even your girl is as unlucky as you! How are we supposed to have fun together in the future? If this continues, won��t we be infected by you too? Everyone, take note to stay away from Leader! How are we supposed to get new equipment if we��re with Leader next time?��


    ��Alright, cut the crap and go!��


    Rhode��s expression remained unchanged at the sight of the people talking behind him. Currently, Canary and Mirror were facing an emergency. Just like Rhode predicted, when Julia attacked his group, the other two Chaos Lords also realized the situation. However, Canary and Mirror did well to contain the two Chaos Lords. There was one good news and bad news. The good news was that the Chaos Lord that Mirror contained was one that Rhode encountered in a land of Chaos. But the bad news was that on Canary��s side, the Chaos Lord was entirely new to them. At that moment, both sides were confronting and probing each other, but judging from Canary��s tone of voice, it seemed like that Chaos Lord wasn��t easy to deal with.


    But even so, Rhode didn��t choose to move off immediately after defeating Julia. After all, his group consumed a lot of strength in that battle. They were also a long distance away from the tower where Canary was. If they were to encounter any Chaos creatures along the way, perhaps they would be exhausted when they arrived at their destination, not to mention putting up a fight. That was why Rhode chose to rest for a few moments after annihilating Julia. Of course�� He also gained nothing from looting her corpse.


    It was a pity that not only did his ��unlucky looting aura�� not weaken, but it also became much stronger now��


    Dwindling his depressed emotions, Rhode led his well-rested group and hit the road again, heading toward the magical tower.


    The magical tower that soared over the Darkness Palace was once a forbidden place in the Country of Darkness, where many historical records and evil, mysterious, ancient spells of death were collected. But now, invaded by Chaos, the magical tower had lost its purpose. Chaos was the manifestation of disorder, and now that the Darkness Capital was completely contaminated by Chaos, the magical data that was kept in the tower also lost their meaning. Even if one were to take a book from the shelf and flip through it, one would only see incomplete and contradictory records.


    But now, Rhode didn��t have the time to lament about the recorded history of the Country of Darkness being reduced to scrap paper. After entering the tower, Rhode and his group encountered sniping from numerous Chaos creatures. Unlike the steel skeleton guards on the outside, most of the Chaos creatures here were products metamorphosed from ��books��. For that reason, it was even more impossible to defend against them. There were several times when Rhode and the rest sauntered across the library, and the books that were arranged neatly on the shelves suddenly grew razor-sharp teeth, flapped their pages, and attacked them like flying animals. Although their level was generally low, such a large number of them still caught Rhode off guard. Not only that, but due to the narrow interior of the tower, it was also impossible to let Lapis blast the place indiscriminately like an open space. They would be done for, not to mention killing some of the Chaos creatures.


    For that reason, everyone wielded their weapons and hacked their way through. After almost an hour, the group finally got to ascend the stairs.


    ��Phew�� That��s tiring�� Tsk, I never expected those annoying Chaos creatures to be so tough!��


    Celestina wiped the beads of sweat on her forehead and grumbled. Shira, Little Five, and Celestina weren��t withdrawn to their card forms by Rhode and had to follow them throughout the journey. After all, the three of them were outstanding in strength, especially after Rhode activated his Taboo Halo, where they jumped straight into the Peak Legendary Stage. Even though they were slightly weaker than players, the trio was still summoned spirits, after all, where their combined attacks were no worse than that of one player��s! As a matter of fact, the reason why they were able to successfully break into the core of the tower was due to Shira. As an Undead Puppet who worshiped destruction and had bizarre tendencies, she didn��t care about traps or getting hurt at all. Because there was nothing in this world more enjoyable for her than pain.


    ��Hahahaha!��


    The bizarre laughter rang out. Celestina instinctively shivered, raised her head, and gazed forward in fear, only to see that right in front of her, Shira lifted the scarlet longsword in her hand and swung it forward with great force! In a loud boom, the bookshelf before her collapsed, followed by screeching, whistling explosions. Hundreds of ��books�� flew out from the ruins of the bookshelves, fluttering their pages, opening up their enormous ��mouths��, and biting down on Shira.


    However, they didn��t have their way because the scarlet longsword in Shira��s hands metamorphosed into an even larger and more ferocious beastly mouth, sweeping across the air and swirling in a red whirlwind. The Chaos creatures who were swept into the whirlwind were shredded into bits. After the whirlwind came to an end, what displayed before everyone was shredded pages swirling in midair, falling like snowflakes. At a glance, it was indeed a beautiful sight.


    ��Heh, heh. Not enough! I want more��! More��!��


    Shira mumbled under her breath and swept glances to her surroundings. Then, she paused her gaze on Celestina��


    ��������!��


    Upon detecting her meaningful stare, Celestina felt chills running down her spine. But before she reacted, the group heard loud explosions above them.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Along with the ear-deafening explosions, the entire tower shook. Rhode sulked instantly. He was aware that this was undoubtedly a sign that Canary had gone all-out!


    This doesn��t feel right!


    Sensing the rippling magical energy above, Rhode turned grim. He tried contacting Canary earlier. Back then, even though Canary was containing the Chaos Lord, she didn��t attack rashly. In any case, Chaos Lords were powerful creatures, and now that Canary only had half her original manpower on her side, it wasn��t enough for her to deal with one. This was still based on the fact that Bubble and the rest had cast the Order Barrier and isolated the palace from the outside world. If they didn��t isolate the outside world from the power of Chaos, the Chaos Lord would turn even stronger. When that happened, perhaps her party would be wiped out by the Chaos Lord in 10 minutes, not to mention containing it! Earlier on, Canary had also specifically stressed to Rhode that this Chaos Lord was rather odd and dangerous. According to her character, it was impossible for her to be as impulsive as Bubble. But now that she launched her attack, it proved that the situation was truly threatening!


    ��Shira, Little Five! Attack!��


    Rhode hesitated no more and gave his command right away. Upon hearing his order, Shira let out an odd laughter. This young lady clad in a tattered gothic dress raised the scarlet longsword, charged through the solid ceiling like a cannonball, and flew toward the top of the tower. The specter young lady also followed closely, passing through the ceiling without making a noise. At the same time, Rhode also sprinted ahead in large strides. He knew that something was amiss.


    ��Haa�� Haa����


    Canary gripped the staff in her hand and stared at the enemy before her. Beads of sweat couldn��t help but trickle from her smooth, fair forehead. But at the moment, Canary couldn��t care less about her image. On the contrary, around her were blazing rings of flames that shrouded her densely. Despite that, she didn��t feel any sense of safety at all.


    She swept a glance at her three companions who were already ��dead�� and shifted her gaze away. At that moment, she was located in a spacious rotunda in the center of the magical tower. Along the walls of the rotunda were glittering books of magic that once recorded evil and powerful undead spells. But now, there was nothing left. However, this wasn��t Canary��s concern. Instead, it was the terrifying creature floating in front of her right now.


    It was a robe hovering in midair. In the hood and limb area, thick, dotted texts could be seen, forming circles of bandage-like presences that coalesced into a head and limbs. Apart from that, this Chaos Lord had no particular form to speak of.


    But it wasn��t just about its form.


    Canary gripped the staff in her hand. Even though the Chaos Lord before her seemed weak and didn��t look like past Chaos Lords that were gigantic and full of oppression, its abilities were really odd and Canary sensed an ice-cold aura of death from it. It was an evil, dark power that came from death itself. Canary didn��t even see how the other party did it. All she witnessed was a flash of black light and the three players who acted as ��vanguards�� and ��main tankers�� lost all their health and collapsed straight to the ground without resisting at all!


    What is this power?


    Faced with the scene before her, Canary was bewildered. Of course, this wasn��t the first time she encountered a situation where the BOSS instantly killed her party members. But the problem was that there were indications before instant-death spells were cast and this creature before them showed no warning at all, where even when the three players crumbled, Canary didn��t notice any movement from the Chaos Lord. Before she had a chance to ponder, she saw the mysterious figure shift, throwing its right arm forward and pouncing on her group!


    ��Everyone, disperse! Attack!��


    Looking at this scene, Canary was stunned. Although her original intention was to wait for Rhode to arrive before launching any attacks, this Chaos Lord was simply too peculiar, so much so that Canary had to give an order immediately. Upon hearing her command, the players who followed her scattered instantly, before unleashing all kinds of arrows and magic spells like a powerful storm that greeted the Chaos Lord.


    But shortly after, a scene that left Canary flabbergasted happened.


    The magical spells and arrows failed to hit their targets as they simply passed right through the Chaos Lord! Moreover, just as the two thieves were speeding up to attack from the back, the Chaos Lord merely stroked its arms and the two thieves fell to the ground lifelessly.


    Canary was stunned. The Chaos Lord closed in on them, and she was forced to unleash her proudest chain of nine explosive fireballs! From her perspective, although she didn��t know what the other party was, since she felt an evil, undead energy from it, perhaps it also possessed similar weaknesses to an undead spirit. As expected, after her attack, the Chaos Lord finally stopped moving and drifted back to its earlier position. Although Canary��s attack worked, she didn��t feel assured just yet, as she clearly witnessed that even though her fireballs struck the Chaos Lord, it didn��t inflict too much damage.


    What should I do?


    If only Bubble were here��


    At this thought, Canary couldn��t help but force a smile. Although her flames could restrain undeads, the most powerful thing against the undead was a power of light from Mini Bubble Gum! Unfortunately, she wasn��t here right now, and the clerics in her party mostly specialized in defense and not offense. Among the rest, only three holy knights were able to emanate holy light. However, they weren��t light elemental specialists, after all, so the amount of damage they could deal was also limited��


    It seems like I can only stall the battle and wait for Rhode��s arrival.


    The moment this thought cropped up in her mind, the Chaos Lord suddenly launched its attack again! Facing Canary and her party, which blocked off its exit, the Chaos Lord widened its mouth, laughed heedlessly, and stretched its arms. With that, the magical books abandoned by the sides of the wall erupted in magical radiance in an instant!


    ��Oh no!��


    Looking at this scene, Canary was taken aback. Although she didn��t know what the Chaos Lord was trying to do, she was certain it was definitely something terrifying! Canary couldn��t delay the battle any longer. Shortly after, a scorching, scarlet pillar of flame took shape in her hands, metamorphosing into a fire serpent that widened its mouth and pounced straight at the Chaos Lord!

 Chapter 1276 - Book of Death (1)

    ��Roarrrr������!��


    Facing the fire serpent, the mysterious Chaos Lord responded with an attack of its own. It spread its arms apart, and shortly after, flames of black and white rose from the ground, forming a solid barrier to resist the fire serpent. The fire serpent crashed head first into the bizarre wall of fire, but what happened left Canary staring in amazement. The fire serpent she created was actually ��sucked�� into the barrier and disappeared to nowhere!?


    What exactly is going on? Could it be that this BOSS has a certain degree of immunity against magical attacks? In that case, this battle will be almost impossible! Based on the earlier clashes, this BOSS seems to possess extraordinary skills against close-combat classes. But now, long-range magical spells also don��t seem to work either. This Chaos Lord is truly terrifying.


    However, what surprised her even more was still coming.


    The moment her fire serpent vanished, the strange barrier surged in size and a fire serpent of black and white flew out and swung its claws at Canary��s group! Looking at this scene, Canary was taken aback. She was certain that this fire serpent that was coming for them was the exact one she released earlier!


    ��Fia! Sian, Kant!��


    Canary broke out in cold sweat. She yelled, raised her right hand hurriedly, and drew an intricate and bizarre pattern in midair. Shortly after, along with this series of actions, a red magical ritual emanated on the ground, enveloping the fire serpent. The fire serpent let out a howl and struggled in midair for a few moments, before rapidly disappearing into the air.


    ��Phew����


    It was only at that point when Canary felt relieved. It seemed like although the nature of the fire serpent changed, it was still a creature of fire. Fortunately, as an elemental mage, Canary learned the ��Elemental Return�� spell, which was something that many elemental mages learned. Through this spell, they could withdraw the summoned elemental creatures because elemental mages could attack by manipulating elements to create similar simulated creatures. This was the preferred method of many elemental mages because the simulated elements weren��t as simple as magical spells, but possessed some degree of autonomous intelligence instead. This way, if an elemental mage created a large group of elemental creatures, its threat level would be no less than half an army��s. And in turn, in order to prevent other elemental mages from using this trick on them, almost every elemental mage learned the ��Elemental Return�� spell. This spell could force all elemental creatures within a certain radius to return to their original state. Through this way, at least the enemy wouldn��t be able to manipulate their elemental creatures. And now it seemed like�� It was really convenient to use the ��Elemental Return�� in such a situation.


    ��Phew����


    After forcefully withdrawing the fire serpent, Canary let out a sigh of relief. But at the moment, she wasn��t entirely relieved yet because the Chaos Lord��s abilities were so mysterious that they were able to take in her magical spell and use it as its own. It wasn��t that Canary hadn��t encountered something similar from other BOSSes, but she had never seen one that was so bizarre. After all, most BOSSes had weaknesses. For instance, if they were immune to magical attacks, their physical defense would be poor. Even if they were immune to both physical and magical attacks, most of them had a conversion process. But now, this Lord of Chaos was so strange. Even though one couldn��t judge a Chaos Lord with common sense, it would still be too challenging for Canary to take on a Chaos Lord who was immune to physical and magical attacks, and so powerful that it could wipe out several top players in a split second!


    ��Holy knights! Cast Divine Judgement!��


    Canary retreated decisively and commanded. Along with her yell, the remaining three holy knights stepped forth, raised their swords, and brandished them at the enemy from above. With this attack, three dazzling, sacred light columns descended from heaven, enfolding the Chaos Lord entirely.


    ��Arghhh��!��


    This time, the Chaos Lord finally let out an agonizing screech. It retreated desperately to avoid the holy light. Looking at this scene, Canary��s eyes glinted with joy.


    Seems like I was right. No matter how different they are, the nature of Chaos will never change. With the existence of its undead power, it isn��t impossible to defeat it!


    ��Close-combatants stand back! Range-attackers focus on attacking. Clerics, maintain the holy barrier. Mages, don��t act rashly. Holy knights, activate the guardian halos! Remember, our mission is to delay time. Once Rhode is here, our mission will be accomplished!��


    At this thought, Canary hesitated no more and gave her commands. Upon hearing her command, the players got into position swiftly. Shortly after, the three heavily-armored holy knights strode in front of the group and raised their swords and shields to protect those behind them. The shield warriors and thieves who were at the forefront gradually retreated, leaving an open space for clerics and spell casters. These players were the elites of the elites and didn��t falter to this sudden change in situation. If it were an ordinary party, perhaps they would be disheartened and confused after witnessing the scene before them. As a qualified party, members should know their roles and mission.


    Canary��s goal now wasn��t to defeat the Chaos Lord before her. After noticing its bizarre attributes, she knew that with the dozens of people under her command, it was still a tall order to defeat the Chaos Lord in a short period of time. That was why she changed her goal into delaying the battle and waiting for Rhode��s arrival. Of course, it would be great if she could find out what skills this Chaos Lord owned in the meantime.


    And now, the Chaos Lord also seemed to realize Canary��s intention. Its wide robe fluttered in midair, while its pair of glinting eyes stared at the humans led by Canary. Upon sensing its gaze, Canary couldn��t help but frown. She reckoned that the Chaos Lord had already figured out her true intention. If it were to leave this place, it would be a problem for her party, no matter if it went for Rhode or not!


    We can��t let it escape. But if we continue this stalemate, it will not be favorable for us. After all, we have no idea what kind of traits this Chaos Lord possesses. What if it is actually preparing for something right now��


    ��Attack. Harass it.��


    At this thought, Canary ordered immediately. Upon hearing her command, the three holy knights at the forefront raised their swords and the sacred light columns shone from above once again.


    But this time, the Chaos Lord��s reaction astonished Canary. It was apparent that the Chaos Lord was hurt by the Divine Judgment earlier. But now, it didn��t move at all. On the contrary, it hovered silently in the air as though a spirit devoid of determination. Shortly after, the three golden light columns struck the Chaos Lord.


    Boom!


    The golden, holy light columns hit the Chaos Lord accurately. But what stunned Canary was that this time, it didn��t flee and wasn��t hurt. The three golden light columns flashed past its body, before vanishing entirely. Apart from the trembling robe, it was as though nothing happened to the Chaos Lord.


    ��Oh no!��


    Even though the Chaos Lord remained calm, Canary was startled.


    ��Clerics, prepare the holy knights�� defense at once! And standby to heal!��


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Just as Canary��s words left her, a mysterious light flashed by. In an instant, Divine Judgments that were dyed in murky colors appeared out of the thin air above the three holy knights, blasting them heavily. The three holy knights couldn��t stand their ground as they swayed to the left and right, standing unsteadily on their feet. But fortunately, as a class with a high level of defense, their defenses shouldn��t be belittled. Besides, Canary��s reactions were also fast. In just an instant, the clerics�� protective barrier enveloped the holy knights and resisted the following attacks.


    Something doesn��t seem right.


    This time, Canary finally realized that something was abnormal. She didn��t notice earlier as the fire serpent was forcefully withdrawn by her. But now, she discovered that even though the Chaos Lord reflected the magical spell that it took in, its might was much greater than the original��s. The original Divine Judgment was just an ordinary offensive spell, where against the defensive classes, it was strong enough to decrease one-fifth of a character��s health! It was especially so for a defensive class like the holy knights. But judging from their performance earlier, it seemed like the reflected attack inflicted a lot of damage to them. If it weren��t for them who heeded Canary��s words to activate their guardian halo, they could have been half dead by now!


    Not only is it able to reflect attacks, but it can also strengthen them?


    At this thought, Canary couldn��t help but clench her fists. She felt sweat in her palms. She had more or less figured out why this Chaos Lord was immune to Divine Judgments. But if this were to continue��


    However, before she came up with a solution, the Chaos Lord spread its arms apart and along with this action, the books in the room emanated an odd brilliance!


    It��s gonna attack!


    Looking at this scene. Canary couldn��t help but take half a step back and gnash her teeth. She stared as the Chaos Lord raised its arms and pointed at her party. Her head was spinning.


    What should I do? Continue to defend? Or take the risk and go all-out?


    Swish������!


    But while she was making up her mind, an arrow appeared in the air and punctured the Chaos Lord��s eye. The Chaos Lord who was charging up its attack let out a blood-curdling shriek. It stretched out its arm and covered its eye, drifting in midair miserably.


    ��Little Icy?��


    Although Canary didn��t see the other young lady, she realized whose attack it was. An attack that could break through space in silence��only Icy Snow was capable of that!


    ��All archers, fire your arrows now!��


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Along with this command, the archers lined up at the back raised their bows and released their arrows at the Chaos Lord. This time, the mysterious Chaos Lord reacted in a fluster. Its body shuddered as the arrows punctured it. Even though the amount of damage wasn��t shown in reality, it could be seen that the Chaos Lord was clearly hurt. But��


    ��Arghhh��!��


    The desperate Chaos Lord in the rain of arrows let out a bellow all of a sudden. It shivered and the arrows raining on it vanished in an instant. This similar scene lit up Canary��s mind.


    Could it be��


    Indeed. Right after the arrows vanished, arrows contaminated by Chaos appeared in midair again, firing back at the archers. But fortunately, the speed of arrows wasn��t as quick as that of magical spells, after all. The clerics were able to respond quickly enough to cast a layer of protection over the archers and resisted the retaliation. Meanwhile, it wasn��t this counterattack that cropped up in Canary��s mind. Instead��


    ��Holy knights, Divine Judgment!��


    Canary ordered and raised her arms. Along with this action, the fire serpent coalesced from dazzling flames appeared once again, snapping its jaw open and soaring toward the Chaos Lord. Even though the holy knights were rather dubious of this command by her, they eventually snarled and raised their words, swinging them at the same time and casting three holy light columns at the Chaos Lord.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Like before, the Divine Judgments vanished and reappeared to strike the holy knights. However, Canary��s fire serpent wasn��t stopped this time as it sunk its teeth onto the Chaos Lord. Shortly after, a string of explosions reverberated. The scarlet flames and blazing heat waves engulfed the hall. The Chaos Lord was caught in a difficult position, where smoke began to rise from its robe!


    ��I got it now!��


    Looking at this scene, Canary��s eyes glinted in a flash. She finally understood what exact trait this Chaos Lord possessed. It was apparent that even though it was able to reflect spells and be immune to physical and magical attacks, it could only deal with two of them at the same time and couldn��t be immune to ll three attacks at once!


    That is its weakness!


    ��Clerics, maintain the defensive barrier. Everyone else, use your general attacks!��


    At this thought, Canary pondered no more and gave a command. But this time, she didn��t make her party unleash their mighty attacks, but got them to use their general attacks instead. Through this way, they would be able to decrease the threats of the reflected attacks to the lowest. There were no rules for the three types of reflections. Canary��s only choice now was to embrace herself and attack!


    Shortly after, along with her command, the players began their attacks. However, compared to the extravagant and vibrant attacks earlier, the attacks now seemed particularly shabby. The archers forwent their proudest abilities and went along with firing ordinary arrows. Meanwhile, the holy knights no longer cast their powerful skills and simply assaulted with their holy light. The mages also released tiny fireballs under Canary��s lead, while the clerics maintained the defensive barrier to resist the reflected attacks.


    Canary��s strategy had an immediate effect. While some attacks were reflected from time to time, they were stopped entirely as their might was already weak, to begin with. Meanwhile, the attacks that the Chaos Lord weren��t immune to were blasted at full force. Although those attacks weren��t strong, Canary��s mission wasn��t to defeat it, after all, but to contain it in this place instead. From the earlier tests, Canary discovered that this Chaos Lord didn��t seem to possess any abilities other than reflecting attacks, nor did he have any proactive offensive skills. In this case, it was still possible for Canary to contain it!


    One had to admit that this strategy from Canary was indeed a bother for the Chaos Lord. It did seem like it didn��t possess any proactive offensive skills. Facing the weak magical spells, spiritual spells, arrows, and daggers hurled out by the thieves, the Chaos Lord was caught in a horrible spot. This also proved that Canary was right about it being unable to be immune to all attacks at the same time!


    However, good times didn��t last long.


    Just when Canary thought that everything was about to get on track, a low, hoarse voice echoed in everyone��s ears all of a sudden.


    ��You�� are unforgivable!��


    ����!��


    Along with this malicious bellow, Canary witnessed a black, pool-like presence appearing on the ground instantly. Shortly after, a bizarre force rose from the unknown presence and wrapped the three holy knights in it. The three holy knights, on the other hand, didn��t react at all as they collapsed to the ground in this single blow, losing their ability to fight!


    Not only that, but Canary discovered that the strange black pool was also expanding and surging into a certain presence that charged toward them!


    ��No! Clerics����


    Before Canary yelled for help, the pitch-black wave arrived before her eyes in the blink of an eye and devoured her in an instant.


    And at that moment��


    Boom������!


    The solid ground beneath her feet cracked and ruptured with gravel scattering in all directions. Shortly after, a scarlet blade ray flashed and split apart the dark, mysterious torrent.


    At the same time, Shira��s voice echoed.


    ��Hahaha, another Chaos lackey! Another Chaos lackey! Go to hell! All of you shall die! Wahahaha!��

 Chapter 1277 - Book of Death (2)

    Shira!


    Canary rejoiced at the sight of Shira. However, she wasn��t joyous that Shira was here in time, but was glad that Rhode had finally arrived! Canary retreated immediately, knowing that this summoned spirit of Rhode was somewhat erratic and would hit anyone whenever she was in a frenzy. Canary wasn��t willing to be her punching bag, so the moment she saw Shira, she got away and dodged. And almost at the same time, the black torrent that was supposed to slam onto Canary wrapped around Shira from head to toe instead!


    If it were someone else, perhaps one would be dead instantly. But for Shira�� Death was her best friend.


    Boom!


    The instant that black torrent engulfed her, the scarlet longsword in Shira��s hands split it apart like Moses parting the sea, slicing through the darkness of death. Shortly after, she brought along her usual, characteristic laughter and brandished her sword at the Chaos Lord!


    Whoosh������!


    A scarlet brilliance flashed by and her longsword cleanly slammed onto the Chaos Lord. Perhaps the Chaos Lord was also a little unfortunate as the moment Shira flourished her blade, it was in the state of immunity against spiritual spells and magical spells, causing it to be unable to be immune against physical attacks. That was how Shira pierced her sword into the Chaos Lord��s body mercilessly. The scarlet longsword was like a knife slicing through butter, ripping apart the robe that wrapped around the Chaos Lord in a deafening sound and leaving behind a ghastly wound. The Chaos Lord let out a shriek instantly, before warping and appearing on the other side. However, Shira was completely unfazed. On the contrary, she let out a chuckle and struck ahead with her sword, aiming straight at its body again.


    ��Be careful!��


    Looking at this scene, Canary couldn��t help but feel anxious. They had witnessed the strangeness of this Chaos Lord, but Shira wasn��t aware of it yet. It would be trouble if the Chaos Lord were to reflect her attack!


    But before Canary��s words sounded, her bad feeling came true before her very eyes.


    The moment Shira��s longsword punctured the Chaos Lord, a bizarre situation happened. Even though the scarlet longsword penetrated the Chaos Lord��s body ruthlessly, the blade didn��t pass through the body from the other side. On the contrary, the Chaos Lord��s body was like a dark hole that absorbed half of the blade. Looking at this scene, Canary was taken aback. Almost at the same time, along with a mysterious flash, the scarlet longsword stuck out from Shira��s slender and petite body instead!


    ��No!��


    Canary was dumbfounded. She knew this Chaos Lord possessed some uncommon tricks, where not only could it reflect attacks, but it could also magnify the damage. Well-equipped players on Canary��s side couldn��t resist the attacks, so how would Shira be able to?


    What should I do now? Heal Shira? But Shira is an undead creature. If we were to heal her, wouldn��t we be doing the Chaos Lord a favor instead? But I don��t have any mages who are capable of casting undead spells��


    At this thought, Canary discovered that she didn��t need to consider these questions at all. Because Shira burst out laughing again.


    ��Hahaha, it��s so painful! So painful!��


    The petite young lady shivered as she pulled out the longsword in her body. At that moment, deep, red blood gushed out of her terrifying wound and splashed onto the ground. Not only that, but blood also trickled down from the corner of her mouth. But what terrified one was that the eyes of this gravely-injured and pale young lady were glinting in joy as though she were a child who received an interesting toy.


    ��More pain, give me more pain! Hahaha, yes, this is it. This is what I want!!!��


    Along with a scream that was almost to the point of insanity, Shira raised and brandished the longsword at the Chaos Lord again, without any hesitation!


    ��All clerics and mages, go all-out in your attacks!��


    Canary seemed to recall something and ordered right away. Shortly after, along with her command, spiritual and magical spells rushed skyward, aiming straight at the Chaos Lord.


    This time, the Chaos Lord appeared to be in a worse mess than before. Under Shira��s attack, it lost almost all of its deterrence. Canary and the others were afraid of its reflection skill before, but Shira didn��t care at all. Not only was she not afraid, but she also welcomed the reflected attacks with open arms. Her frantic slashes at the Chaos Lord grew more menacing and powerful. Despite that, most of her attacks were taken in and reflected back by the Chaos Lord, striking her body and inflicting considerable damage. At that moment, the petite young lady��s body had almost no place left intact. The tattered gothic dress was now riddled with more holes. Moreover, the young lady was also in a bloody, shredded mess right now. But even so, she had no intention of abating her attacks of fury.


    And now the Chaos Lord was finally starting to panic. Faced with the deadly and reckless attacks from Shira, none of its skills were useful. Just as Canary guessed, this Chaos Lord wasn��t completely immune to all types of attacks. And now, due to Shira��s constant aggression, the Chaos Lord had to focus most of its attention on this Undead Puppet. And this way, in order to avoid taking too much damage, the Chaos Lord had to choose to be immune to the physical aspect of the attack. Meanwhile, in the face of spiritual and magical attacks, the Chaos Lords could only be able to choose to be immune to one of them. But this way, it would inevitably take damage from another type of attack!


    This time, Canary and the rest learned the hard way that mages could only release elemental spells to create elemental creatures. So that if they were reflected back, they could be able to negate them with ��Elemental Return��. Clerics had even less to fear, as they were immune to their own attributes. That was why they were more unbridled in releasing their spiritual spells than other spell casters, since they were immune to spiritual spells even if they were reflected back!


    To put it simply, there was a lot of danger in this too, especially for spell casters. Due to the flashing spells that enveloped the battlefield, it made it impossible for them to see whether their spells were being reflected back. And if the spells were reflected back, and their ��Elemental Return�� wasn��t cast in time, they would most certainly perish with that low level of defense. But fortunately, these people led by Canary were the best of the best. If they weren��t capable of realizing dangers, how could they go on dangerous adventures with Rhode and accomplish this ��backstabbing�� strategy?


    Flashes of magical brilliance scattered everywhere and limited the attack of the Chaos Lord. It was clear to everyone that since Rhode��s summoned spirits were here, he wasn��t far away either! At that moment, the attacks grew more reckless, where spiritual and magical spells filled the sky and enfolded Shira and the Chaos Lord. Although this world wasn��t a game and there was no setting for immunity to damage after teaming up, everyone wasn��t worried about that. Because to Shira, the more ferocious the attack, the better it was!


    At the same time, Rhode finally arrived.


    ��Canary, how��s the situation?��


    Rhode asked, gazing at the ��bombarded�� hall and Chaos Lord. Fortunately, he had someone like Icy Snow with him. As a matter of fact, when Canary started the battle against this Chaos Lord, he made Icy Snow observe the fight using her space senses. For that reason, under Canary��s hard work, Rhode had a pretty good idea of the BOSS��s traits. He had to admit that such a spontaneous BOSS was the most hated by players.


    ��It��s not too bad, Rhode. This Chaos Lord is a little troublesome. But thanks to Shira backing up the front, we should be fine����


    ��Okay, leave it to me then. Everyone, go for it!��


    Upon hearing Canary��s reply, Rhode nodded and turned around to command the spell casters and clerics. Shortly after, Rhode��s group joined the battle and almost instantly, blinding magical brilliance flashed, while wind, water, fire, and thunder elements coalesced into various creatures that pounced on the Chaos Lord. The clerics raised their arms high, summoning holy energy from heaven to blast the hall.


    This time, Rhode didn��t hide in the back like when his group took on Julia. Back then, he was a Spirit Swordsman who couldn��t accomplish much. But now, in the face of a Chaos Lord, his role as a Spirit Swordsman was a boost to their offense. To the rest, maybe the reflection skill of this Chaos Lord seemed deadly, but it was an entirely different matter for Rhode. Because he didn��t need to unleash the attacks himself, as the summoned spirits would do the job on his behalf!


    ����!��


    While Rhode evaded the flames, he gripped his sword upside down and swung his right arm forward. Shortly after, several cards flew out of his hand toward the Chaos Lord. In the blink of an eye, the Centaur Knight leapt into the sky, striking the Chaos Lord with its spear. On the other side, the Hell Hound, enveloped in flames, wasn��t content with being outdone. It snapped its jaw open and its three heads spat blazing flames that engulfed the Chaos Lord.


    Boom! Boom!


    The tri-headed Hell Hound blasted the miserable Chaos Lord into the corner. However, the Centaur Knight wasn��t as lucky. The instant it launched its attack, its chest was immediately speared through by its own weapon. Shortly after, the Centaur Knight howled in pain and turned into dust that disappeared in midair.


    Looking at this scene, Rhode��s expression remained unchanged. He extended and flipped his arm around, where a card appeared in his hand. After he threw the card into the sky, the Centaur Knight, which was demolished, reappeared��


    That��s right. That was the ability of a Spirit Swordsman. Even though he wasn��t able to create elemental creatures like spell casters and was only able to summon spirits into battles, in the face of this enemy before them, he had an advantage in doing so. Because if the attacks from elemental creatures were reflected, the attacks would be dealt back to them. But if the spirits summoned by a Spirit Swordsman were individuals, the reflected attacks wouldn��t be inflicted to Rhode and would hit the summoned spirits instead, just like how the Centaur Knight was insta-killed. Despite that, it didn��t matter to Rhode because even if his summoned spirits were killed, he could still summon them again.


    Even though summoning spirits used up a lot of his spiritual powers, Rhode was the Void Dragon, after all. Although his strength was weakened now, he didn��t need to worry about running out of spiritual powers. He also brought along the equipment created by Lapis and Marlene using the Illusion Crystal. He had an endless source of spiritual powers, so he didn��t need to worry about overconsumption!


    Even if you kill my summoned spirits 100 times, I will still be able to summon another 101 times!


    ��Damn you�� You inhabitants of Order!


    Under the constant attack of the summoned spirits, the Chaos Lord finally revealed fatigue. Just like what Canary observed, it was apparent that this Chaos Lord lacked proactive offensive skills and was basically only capable of reflecting skills passively. But now, it was caught in the endless and fearless attacks of Shira, a hassle of spiritual and magical spells, and the combined attacks of the summoned spirits. Although the Chaos Lord was able to reflect them and stay immune to some, Rhode was clearly unconcerned. As soon as his summoned spirits were dead, he would summon them back into the battlefield. He didn��t need to move an inch and it had nothing to do with him even if the Chaos Lord were to blast his summoned spirits to death!


    At that moment, the Chaos Lord was under tremendous pressure. It was rather arrogant when facing Canary��s group that was lacking in numbers. But now, Rhode brought a team of members who had just defeated Julia. As a result, under their crazy aggression, the Chaos Lord was about to crumble!


    And finally, after dodging Shira��s attack again, the Chaos Lord raised its arms and bellowed.


    ��You are asking for death! Now, die under the will of Chaos!��


    As it snarled, the robe wrapped around it was ripped apart to reveal its body. At that moment, everyone finally discovered that this Chaos Lord was, in fact, a human-shaped, mysterious being coalesced from circles of runes! Inside its body, a dazzling sphere of light emanated an unprecedented brilliance and was glowing ever brighter!


    ��Go all-out! Get ready to retreat! Watch your defenses!��


    Looking at this scene, the startled Rhode gave a command hurriedly, at the same time retreating to safety. He knew many Chaos Lords would self-destruct on the verge of death. If this enemy were to do the same, things would get dangerous. Upon hearing Rhode��s command, everyone��s attack grewd wilder and stronger. But this time, they failed.


    Be it spiritual or magical spells, Shira��s longsword, or Icy Snow��s arrows, all of them passed through the Chaos Lord and struck the ground heavily. At that moment, the Chaos Lord seemed just like an illusion that didn��t exist. However, the sphere of light in its body grew brighter, and it seemed much more dangerous than before!


    ��Die, Order lackeys! You shall perish in Chaos��!��


    Gazing at the insane attacks, the Chaos Lord revealed a smile and raised its arms. Along with this action, the sphere of light in its body suddenly transformed��


    At that moment, a silent silhouette appeared behind the Chaos Lord.


    It was Little Five. She passed through the wall and appeared behind the Chaos Lord. Shortly after, she extended her right arm, which held the transparent sword. Along with this action, a blade ray flickering in green spiritual radiance pierced the sphere of light inside the Chaos Lord��s body.


    ��No������!��


    This time, her attack wasn��t for naught. The Chaos Lord, whose sphere of light was struck, let out an indignant scream. It spread and extended its arms in despair. But it was meaningless. The rune took shape as the Chaos Lord disappeared, while the hidden sphere of light dimmed rapidly and vanished.


    Swish������!


    Whistling airflows burst. As the sphere of light vanished entirely, the Chaos Lord was completely obliterated in midair.

 Chapter 1278 - Book of Death (3)

    I��m close to winning.


    Gazing at the Chaos army that charged to the bottom of the city walls, Ion revealed a proud smile. It was apparent that even though the other party was struggling, breaking through them was only a matter of time. Ion was deeply confident that in just a few moments, his army would crumble the barrier and when that happened, Chaos would infiltrate the Dragon Soul Continent and begin its dominance!


    ��What?!��


    But at that moment, Ion turned around abruptly to the fog in the distance. Although there was nothing, Ion��s vision seemed to penetrate space as he witnessed a barrier flickering in golden magical brilliance enveloped the Darkness Capital! Looking at this scene, Ion was in disbelief.


    What��s going on? How did that happen? How did those guys slip through my Chaos army and enter the Darkness Capital? Why didn��t I realize it? Logically speaking, once Order inhabitants enter the world of Chaos, they should be discovered straight away. But with so many Chaos inhabitants around, why weren��t they spotted?


    This question flashed in his mind, but quickly turned into a more concerning doubt.


    What are those people doing in the Darkness Capital? What are they trying to achieve?


    There was an instant when Ion decided to withdraw his army. Being ambushed from the rear completely exceeded his expectations. He didn��t expect this to happen. After all, this was a land of Chaos and any Order inhabitants who entered would be put under tremendous pressure, not to mention that Chaos had an ubiquitous influence. As a matter of common sense, those Order inhabitants would be surrounded and slaughtered by Chaos creatures as soon as they stepped into a land of Chaos. But they actually sneaked through the land of Chaos and made it to the Darkness Capital?


    But��


    This thought cropped up in Ion��s mind and made him hesitate once more. He was uncertain about the current battle progress, but the situation was good for him at that moment. Besides, he also finally realized that the Chaos Lords that he summoned were totally unreliable. They didn��t follow his commands and did whatever they wanted. This gave him a huge headache. He finally had a good understanding of what characteristics ��Chaos�� had from another angle.


    In this situation, even if Ion were to send the Chaos Lords as reinforcements, perhaps they wouldn��t take his commands to heart. Not only that, but perhaps the Chaos Lords might also head home after hearing his order instead. From a certain degree, even though Ion felt like this wasn��t a bad choice, it was a pity that he still needed their strength. Although they disobeyed his orders, at least they were able to summon countless Chaos creatures into battle. Although Ion was completely influenced by Chaos, he was a ��novice��, after all. In this aspect, he was on a completely different level from the Chaos Lords. If he were to let the Chaos Lords leave, trying to break through his younger sister��s defensive line on his own would be almost impossible.


    Looks like I can only keep going!


    At this thought, Ion let out a snort and made his decision. Although he didn��t know what those people were doing in the Darkness Capital, he didn��t need to bother about them. That place was turned into a land of Chaos. No matter what they tried to do, they would be encircled by Chaos creatures. Besides, if Ion wasn��t mistaken, there were three Chaos Lords in the Darkness Capital. Although he didn��t know how many Order inhabitants trespassed, there shouldn��t be too many of them. Or perhaps, in the face of the mighty and endless Chaos, it wouldn��t be enough no matter how many of them there were.


    In that case, I��ll just send them to their own demise. It isn��t too late to find trouble with those guys after I break down this defensive line. Of course, that��s if they can survive until then.


    At this thought, Ion put his mind at ease. He lifted his head and gazed forward, giving a command.


    ��Continue attacking!��


    ***


    In a routine scream, the Chaos Lord perished under Little Five��s blade. Looking at this scene, Canary and Rhode couldn��t help but shake their heads and let out long sighs. One had to admit that this Chaos Lord was indeed tough to deal with under normal circumstances. It could be seen that it decided to unleash its ultimate skill and all attacks it received were ineffective. Logically speaking, facing this ultimate skill from a Chaos Lord, players could either intervene or brace themselves. But it was a pity that although this Chaos Lord took in almost everyone��s attack, it missed Little Five��s. As a specter, her spiritual attack belonged to a fourth category, which coincidentally wasn��t within its immunity range.


    Such is life��


    ��Alright, pack up, resurrect, and take a break�� We��re pressed for time.��


    Unsure if Rhode��s hopes were crushed by Lapis earlier, he shifted his gaze away from the Chaos Lord��s remains and didn��t mention anything about looting its corpse. Unlike in the past, as this Chaos Lord��s abilities were unknown, Canary lost many party members. Apart from the thieves, close-combat classes, and three holy knights who were engulfed by the deadly wave, four other mages were also hurt. Fortunately, most of the clerics survived. After casting several great resurrection spells, the corpses on the ground crawled to their feet once again�� But it was a pity that they didn��t turn into undead spirits.


    But come to think of it, there wasn��t anything worthy of feeling pity.


    Just as Rhode turned around and decided to leave, Lapis, who stood at the side all this while, stepped forward. She extended her arm and touched the Chaos Lord��s corpse��


    ��Ah, Sir Rhode, I found an interesting book.��


    ��Oh?��


    After hearing her remarks, Rhode turned around instantly, only to see Lapis holding and waving a pitch-black, heavy book at him. Looking at this scene, Rhode was surprised. He thought his ��unlucky looting aura�� had infected the people around him. But now, it seemed like Lapis wasn��t entirely a goner yet. Although he wasn��t sure what that book was about, judging from its cover, it was obvious that it was something valuable.


    ��Good. Pass it to me, Lapis.��


    Rhode said, stretched his arm out, and took the book. Shortly after, the name of the book appeared before him.


    [Received <Book of Death>. Level ???. Can be awakened]


    Book of Death?


    Gazing at the heavy book wrapped in steel chains, Rhode knitted his brows. He felt a strong and dense energy of death from the book, but what captured his attention the most was the system prompt.


    Could this book be a tool to summon spirits?


    At this thought, Rhode gripped the book. Shortly after, a summoning ritual emanated on his palm��


    For that reason, he didn��t notice Celestina and Little Five sulking as they stared at the book.


    ��No! Master!��


    As Celestina yelled, Rhode ceased the summoning ritual on his right hand.


    ��What��s wrong, Celestina? Is there something wrong with this book?��


    Rhode asked, turning to Celestina. At that moment, Celestina looked pale as though the book was about to bring an end to this world. The specter young lady who stood beside her also revealed an obvious look of relief. On the contrary, Shira, who didn��t care about anything in this world, stared at the book blankly. The unique expressions on the three young ladies garnered Rhode��s attention. Based on his experience, this book definitely had something to do with their companions; else, the three card spirits wouldn��t reveal such emotions. Could it be��


    ��This is one of your sisters too?��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    After hearing Rhode��s question, Celestina shifted her gaze to the thick, black book in terror again, swallowing a mouthful of saliva involuntarily, and responded.


    ��That�� That is Third Big Sister����


    Third Big Sister?


    After hearing Celestina��s remarks, Rhode sized up the book in his hand��


    Yes, this cover, spine, and pages. This is definitely a book, right?


    A holy sword? Why does it feel like the higher the seats, the stranger the forms of the holy sword card spirit? Those at the lower seats were at least in sword forms, but from Little Five onward, they don��t look anything like weapons. No matter how deliberate the misrepresentation is, this book can��t be possibly treated as a sword, right?!


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but imagine himself crushing a card in his palm, summoning a book in his hand, and throwing it at the enemy��


    It was hilarious just thinking about it.


    ��Ugh�� It isn��t what you think, Master.��


    At that moment, Celestina seemed to realize that Rhode misunderstood the situation entirely. She let out an awkward cough and explained.


    ��Although we were sealed like her back then, First Big Sister, Second Big Sister, and Third Big Sister were different. Because they are too powerful, not only were their consciousness sealed inside weapons, but they were also sealed an additional two more times by Karin. The second seal is to lock them inside the books, which is why they ended up like this.��


    ��What about the third seal?��


    Rhode couldn��t help but ask curiously. As of now, he had summoned seven holy sword card spirits��Celia, Celestina, Gracier, Madaras, Karin, Little Five, and Shira. All of their summoning processes were relatively simple, where he used the skill of a Spirit Swordsman. He didn��t expect the top three holy sword cards to be this troublesome. Of course, he met similar situations in the game, where he had to fulfill more conditions than usual to unlock powerful cards and sign contracts with them as his summoning spirit. However, he didn��t expect the top three cards to have such restrictions.


    Facing Rhode��s question, Celestina puckered her brows and felt a little helpless.


    ��That I��m not too sure, Master. Back then, our consciousnesses were sealed by Karin, and this was what I heard from her. I��m only aware that one of the prerequisites is that all three books must be collected to summon all of them at once. Otherwise, something terrible will happen.��


    ��Karin, huh����


    Rhode thought for a while. If that was what Karin said, perhaps such conditions did exist.


    ��Yes, Big Sister Karin said when the seals are removed, the powers of the three big sisters will unleash at once. In order to defy that power, she created a condition that all three books must be gathered before they can be summoned. Besides, with your power right now����


    ��I see.��


    After hearing Celestina��s explanation, Rhode more or less understood why she was so anxious, wanting to stop him. As a matter of fact, he sensed a dense presence of death from the book already. Judging from this point, the three big sisters that she mentioned definitely had something to do with ��death��. If it was just like what Celestina mentioned��the power of death would surely be formidable when the seals were removed. Perhaps Rhode could give it a shot in his Void Dragon form, but in his current state, maybe they would end up in a disaster if he were to forcefully remove the seal.


    It was a pity that Karin wasn��t around. Even though she was Rhode��s summoning spirit, as a technical person, Karin basically stayed home like Lapis. And this time, in order to deal with Chaos, he left Karin in Grandia. Since he was in a land of Chaos now, he naturally had no ways of contacting her. It seemed like the only way left was to head back and discuss this with her later.


    I didn��t expect myself to be so lucky to find another card spirit��


    For Rhode, being able to coincidentally find yet another holy sword card spirit was purely a bonus. However, he was also rather astonished. According to Celestina, the other two big sisters possessed strength equal to and as powerful as this spirit in the book. Not only that, but their power could also cancel each other out. Did this mean that their powers were relative? Since the power of this book was darkness and death, could the other books be light and vitality?


    Considering the fact that this book was found in the Darkness Capital, could the other books be found in Casabianca, the main capital of the Country of Light?


    At this thought, Rhode felt tremendous pressure. Casabianca had been blasted into debris by him. Could a book even survive the devastation?


    Looks like I will need to search for them after heading back.


    But that would only occur later, after all. Rhode threw this matter to the back of his head and led Canary and the rest toward the next destination, which was where the third and final Chaos Lord was.


    Mirror was doing much better than Canary. After all, the Chaos Lord they met was one that players dealt with in the game, so it wasn��t too challenging. But unlike Julia and that bandage-like Chaos Lord, this Chaos Lord was a total meat shield. Even though its attacking patterns were easy to read, its powerful strength and strong, massive body were a headache for them. Fortunately, it had slow movement speeds, which was why the group was able to contain it successfully. But even so, when Rhode��s group finally arrived, Mirror was already half-battered. After all, there weren��t many tankers in her squad. In order to ensure their covert operation, Rhode mainly chose light-armored classes, so it went without saying that they couldn��t deal with the violent punches of such a thick-skinned Chaos Lord. They used all their strength to attract its attention and ended up losing half their manpower.


    But after Rhode��s and Canary��s groups arrived, the battle situation took a turn immediately. As players had dealt with this Chaos Lord in the game, they quickly gathered and defeated it in a single wave. In total, they spent a little more time than defeating Julia. This final Chaos Lord howled as it died to their attacks.


    ��Phew����


    Gazing at the disappearance of this last Chaos Lord, Rhode wiped the beads of sweat on his forehead and glanced at his pocket watch. They spent more than seven hours after entering the Darkness Capital. Even if Ion were an idiot, he would have noticed that something was amiss by now. But even so, Ion didn��t return yet, which proved that Orchid Heart��s strategy was working. It seemed like Ion were as though a donkey chasing the carrot dangling before it, only rushing ahead continuously��


    Rhode��s only hope was that Ion remained foolish and wouldn��t react in time.


    But Rhode also knew that this definitely wasn��t realistic, which was why he didn��t say much, but waved his arm and gave a command after the group was resurrected instead.


    ��Alright, everyone get ready. You��re aware of your mission. Now, I want you to work with Lapis in setting up the Plane Destruction Bombs. At the same time, be wary of your surroundings, especially the infiltration of Chaos creatures. Remember, we don��t have much time! Ion, that fool, will return anytime. We must hurry. Understand?��


    Rhode yelled. But what left him dubious was that this time, his guild didn��t answer immediately. On the other hand, they looked around their surroundings as though something was occupying their minds. Looking at this scene, Rhode couldn��t help but knit his brows. A sense of suspicion rose from the depths of his heart. Although his elite squad was usually loose and casual, they were always serious when needed. But now, why were they acting strangely?


    ��What��s wrong?��


    ��Erm�� Leader? Our spiritual powers are restoring really slowly����


    While Rhode was confused, one of the clerics raised her arm timidly and spoke. Upon hearing her words, the rest also nodded.


    ��She��s right, Leader. Our spiritual powers are recovering really slowly, at a rate of only one percent every minute.��


    ��How is that possible?��


    Rhode was startled. But before he figured out what happened, Mini Bubble Gum��s voice sounded in his head.


    ��Leader, what have you done? The spiritual powers of my clerics are plummeting and they can��t replenish in time! If this goes on, the barrier will be done for in just an hour!��


    An hour?!


    Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s remarks, Rhode��s heart sank. According to Lapis, setting up a Plane Destruction Bomb required half an hour. And now, Mini Bubble Gum actually said that the Order barrier could only last for one more hour?


    ��Lesa, what��s going on?��


    Shortly after, Rhode realized this problem only plagued the elite members who were projected. Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were Phantom Guardians, so they weren��t affected at all. Rhode turned around hurriedly and gazed at Lesa, who stood silently beside him.


    At that moment, he also discovered that Lesa wasn��t looking well either. The petite young lady looked pale with large beads of sweat trickling down her forehead. Upon hearing his question, she lifted her head and opened her mouth, but before she spoke, she fell weakly into his embrace.


    ��Lesa, what��s wrong? What��s happening?!��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode was shocked. Lesa was the psychic of the Astral Temple and also the core of these projected players. If anything were to happen to her, everything would be done for!


    ������


    Facing Rhode��s anxious questions, Lesa opened her mouth, took in a deep breath, and answered weakly.


    ���� I over-consumed my spiritual powers�� Master����


    Lesa said, her beautiful, azure eyes blinking and staring lifelessly at him.


    ���� I need to replenish my spiritual powers����


    She continued.

 Chapter 1279 - The Devoted Psychic

    ��Replenish your spiritual powers?��


    Rhode stared blankly as soon as he heard Lesa��s words. The young lady laying in his embrace nodded slightly with no expression on her fair, delicate face. On the other side, Lapis was flustered.


    ��W-What? You ran out of spiritual powers? Erm, I do have some potions with me����


    ��They won��t be enough����


    Upon hearing Lapis��s remarks, Lesa shook her head weakly and stared at Rhode with her clear, azure eyes.


    ��I need�� Even more spiritual powers�� Master����


    As a matter of fact, Lesa wasn��t wrong because the lack of spiritual powers wasn��t just her personal issue, but involved the spiritual powers of almost 200 projected players too. Moreover, they were also top players and the amount of spiritual powers they expended was astronomical. No matter how many potions Lapis brought with her, they wouldn��t be enough to restore all of Lesa��s spiritual powers. It was like how a carton of AAA batteries could never drive a gigantic machine. They were different in specifications to begin with, so there wasn��t any comparison at all.


    In other words, even if Lapis��s potions were able to resolve the problem, she would need hundreds of thousands of them. Leaving aside the question of whether that many potions could replenish spiritual powers, there was the matter of whether Lesa would be stuffed to death.


    But Rhode also knew what the source of the problem was. Currently, they were in a land of Chaos. The projected players weren��t perfect projections like Canary and Mini Bubble Gum and needed to extract power to maintain their existences. If they were in a land of Order, the projected players could absorb power from the land, and Lesa wouldn��t be under that much pressure. This was evident from before, when Rhode summoned 30,000 elite players in a day and Lesa didn��t mention anything about over-consuming her spiritual powers. The situation was different now. After entering a land of Chaos, the projected players weren��t able to abstract power from the land of Order. As a result, they turned to the ��power generator��, Lesa, to maintain their existences instead. The projected players were like solar equipment that didn��t need to worry about power sources whenever the sun shone. But when direct sunlight wasn��t present, the solar equipment would switch to backup power, unlike Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, who generated their own power like nuclear reactors.


    In this case, Lesa��s burden was huge. She didn��t have unlimited spiritual powers for extraction, which was why she couldn��t persevere after a long time. At that moment, Lesa was in her final phase. It was imaginable that if she lacked the external energy support, perhaps the projected players would lose their energy source and vanish after a short while. When that happened�� Rhode could only rely upon himself, Canary, Icy Snow, and Lapis to resist Chaos, which would be almost impossible.


    What exactly should I do?


    Gazing at Lesa, Rhode knitted his brows in deep thoughts. If he recalled correctly, when he first met Lesa after constructing the Astral Temple, the young lady said a whole bunch of things that could be printed into a thick manual of hundreds of pages. Back then, Lesa also seemed to mention needing to replenish her spiritual powers after they were over-consumed. However, she didn��t explain further, and Rhode also didn��t ask for an explanation either.


    ��What should I do?��


    At this thought, Rhode asked. Lesa glanced around her, lifted her head, and spoke softly into his ear. Upon hearing her answer, Rhode��s expression remained the same. However, his gaze changed abruptly for a split second before returning to normal. He raised his head and turned to Lapis.


    ��Lapis, how many bottles of potion did you bring?��


    ��I brought�� About�� 1000.��


    �� Do you really intend to stuff Lesa to death?


    ��Little Icy, Canary, come here.��


    After receiving Lapis��s reply, Rhode extended his arm and gestured with his hand immediately. Upon witnessing his action, Icy Snow and Canary hurried over, and Rhode gave a command without any hesitation.


    ��Canary, get the potions from Lapis and distribute them to the rest. Get them to hold on for as long as they can. Lapis, set up the Plane Destruction Bomb straight away. Little Icy, I need you to lead a team to protect Lapis from being harassed by Chaos creatures while she is setting up the Plane Destruction Bomb. Even though the Darkness Capital is rather stable with the isolation Order barrier, we can��t risk it. Lapis, you just have to accomplish your task; don��t worry about time. We need a complete and perfect explosion. It��s all up to you now.��


    ��Yes, Sir Rhode.��


    ��I got it, Rhode.��


    After hearing his commands, Icy Snow, Lapis, and Canary nodded in agreement. They knew that this was a critical moment, which was why they didn��t question further. Icy Snow was the only one who widened her eyes in doubt, gazed at Rhode, and asked curiously.


    ��What about you, Big Brother?��


    Upon hearing Icy Snow��s question, Rhode twitched his brows slightly, but quickly answered her.


    ��I��ll find a way to help Lesa. During this period�� Hmm, no one is allowed to disturb us. Unless it is something really important, we��ll talk about it after I resolve this issue.��


    ��Alright, Big Brother, I��m counting on you.��


    After hearing his answer, Icy Snow didn��t seem to suspect anything, but nodded smartly, turned around, and left with Lapis and the others. Shortly after, the players who were resting gathered and retrieved magical potions from Canary and Icy Snow. Although the potions could only replenish a small part of their spiritual powers, it allowed them to delay some time, at the very least. As for the next��


    Gazing at the group that went off, Rhode turned around, hugged Lesa in his arms, and left silently. After a few moments, Rhode carried Lesa into a parlor within the Darkness Palace. The surrounding Chaos creatures were all wiped out. In addition to the Order barrier, he didn��t need to worry about any Chaos creatures finding trouble with him for the time being.


    As the parlor of the Country of Darkness, it went without saying that it was snug and opulent. Soft, snow-white fur rugs and comfortable, luxurious sofas made up the grand decorations. The clear, sparkling crystals emanated spiritual lights that lit up the parlor, bringing a certain serenity to the darkness. But to Rhode, it was enough that he found a quiet place away from the crowd. After all, what was about to happen next�� Yes, it wasn��t meant to be admired by others.


    ��So, are you ready, Lesa?��


    After locking the room door, Rhode sat on the sofa, turned over, and looked at the petite psychic. Upon hearing his question, Lesa nodded gently, knelt, and lifted her head to look at the man in front of her.


    ��Yes, Master. Please accept my devotion.��


    ��Ugh�� Hmm����


    Facing Lesa��s words, Rhode revealed a subtle expression. But eventually, he nodded.


    It wasn��t surprising that Rhode displayed such an expression. As a matter of fact, the solution that Lesa proposed to replenish her spiritual powers was quite simple. The principles were similar to back when Rhode awakened Erin. But as a psychic of the Astral Temple, Lesa didn��t need to borrow Rhode��s strength to receive Order power like Erin. Rather, as a servant in the service of God, she devoted herself to the Gods in order to strengthen and transmit the powers��


    Well, no matter what, what had to be done ultimately wouldn��t change.


    ��Why do I feel so complicated����


    Gazing at the young lady who knelt between his legs, Rhode couldn��t help but mumble under his breath. Right now, he was in a really complicated mood. This wasn��t because he felt awkward having intimate interactions with Lesa, but considering the current situation, it gave him a difficult issue instead.


    As a man, he naturally hoped to last as long as possible in bed. Being able to take on 10 women in one night without stopping was the pride of men. Even though this was Lesa��s first experience, he still hoped to let her enjoy the thrills of being a female. But now that time was pressing, it also meant that he had to resolve the issue in the shortest time possible. In other words, he only had half an hour to do it.


    A man who finishes the battle in half an hour��


    For some unknown reason, Rhode felt humiliated at this thought.


    ��Ugh����


    But shortly after, the pleasurable sensation from his lower body disrupted his thoughts. He lowered his head and witnessed the petite young lady closing her eyes and doing her best to ��serve�� the man in front of her. She exhaled warm breaths through her light pink, tender lips. Her innocent, beautiful, and delicate face seemed to be in pain from being a little forceful. But even so, she bobbed her head and an inexplicable feeling of pleasure spread from the waist up, eroding Rhode��s sanity.


    I have to say, this feels truly��


    Looking at Lesa, Rhode felt his desires burning. The petite young lady��s devoted look aroused him completely. Even he had to admit that even though Lesa��s technique was unpractised, the feeling she gave him was unprecedented.


    Although Rhode had done it with several women, all of them gave him unique sensations. Of course, all of them liked him a lot. But the difference in status and closeness made them express themselves differently. Rhode and his younger sister were interconnected and got along really well as equals. On the other hand, Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, Lize, and the rest treated him like more as a reliable person. As for Sonia and Nell, they were more like his subjects in submission. Meanwhile, those like Angelina were just�� for the desire to connect.


    But no matter who they were, they didn��t ��devote�� themselves to him like Lesa. Even a masochist like Sonia also craved for pleasure while serving him. Rhode understood this, which was why he always did his best to satisfy his partner. Of course, fortunately for his unique constitution, perhaps he wouldn��t be able to bear the consequences of failure after taking on just Anne alone��


    However, the relationship between Lesa and Rhode was different from the rest. As a psychic of the Astral Temple, she was a servant of God and played the role of a mediator between God and men. Rhode, as the Void Dragon, was essentially the God Lesa had to serve. That was why she gave her best and devoted herself to him. No matter the treatment she received, be it pain, happiness, humiliation, or abuse, she would accept them without complaints. This felt entirely fresh to Rhode. Even though he was dissolute in the original world, he was just an ordinary man, after all, and it was impossible for any woman to serve him as a God. After transmigrating to this world, although the young ladies were attracted to him due to several reasons, none of them became his fanatical believer. However, Sonia was infinitely closer to that stage. But since she ended up this way because Rhode ��groomed�� her, he wasn��t particularly mindful about her.


    Lesa was entirely different. One could imagine an adorable and innocent young lady kneeling before one, allowing one to manhandle her, and she wouldn��t grumble no matter what. Just this scene alone was enough to ignite the dark desires of all men. In addition to her identity as a sacred psychic, this sense of treachery was full to the point of overflowing.


    ��Argh��!��


    At that moment, Rhode thrust his hip forward strongly, and Lesa seized the chance to bury her head deeper, doing her best to swallow the warm, white, and cloudy liquid that gushed into her throat. After a few moments, she lifted her head, and unsure if it was too intense, she seemed a little dazed. But even so, she stood up, extended her arms, and lifted her robe slowly.


    ��Master, please enjoy my body.��


    ��Pfff��!��


    After taking a closer look at her actions, Rhode almost spit out a mouthful of blood. It wasn��t for any other reason. It was just that this scene before him was so intense and thrilling.


    What came into sight was naturally Lesa��s slender, long legs that were wrapped in black garter belt stockings, radiating a youthful charm. But that wasn��t what shook Rhode. Instead, it was the fact that she didn��t wear anything between her legs! Not only that, but under the magical brilliance, Rhode also witnessed glistening water trickling down her fair, plump inner thighs.


    Under the heavy robe was the young lady��s petite figure. And she was entirely naked!


    ��Do you always dress up this way?��


    Rhode asked in disbelief because all this while, Lesa always wore a long, heavy white robe that dragged behind her. That was why Rhode subconsciously believed that she was an honest and conservative person. He didn��t expect this pure, sacred psychic to be so extreme! Not even Rhode could resist the temptation of this strong contrast.


    ��Yes, Master.��


    Facing his question, Lesa��s expression remained unchanged as though it were a matter of course.


    ��This is the most convenient way to dress up in order to serve you at all times, Master. May I know if this causes your displeasure?��


    ��No�� I think�� this isn��t too bad.��


    After hearing her innocent question, the corners of Rhode��s mouth perked up into an odd smile. Perhaps this was a matter of course to Lesa, but the problem was would any man who heard something similar be able to say no?


    ��Come here, Lesa. You know what to do.��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    Upon hearing his order, Lesa stood to her feet and sat on his body. Her expression seemed focused, so much like she was engaging in a certain holy ritual��or perhaps to Lesa, this was indeed a ritual. Rhode didn��t speak any further. He didn��t have much time to waste. He extended his arms and embraced the warm, petite figure.


    ��Argh������!!��


    The immense pain from her lower body was unbearable. Even though she was mentally prepared for it, the physical response wasn��t as easy to resist. The young lady couldn��t help but pucker her brows and let out a moan. But even so, her petite body had no intention of pulling away. She extended her slender arms and wrapped around the man��s neck as he continued to thrust his hips forward like continuous waves.


    ��Ah�� Ah�� Mmm����


    Shortly after, the young lady��s melodious, soothing moans resounded in the parlor. Rhode hugged her tightly, closed his eyes, and indulged in her gentle aroma. The sweet, mint-like fragrance from her assailed his nostrils and he felt as though their bodies had fused as one. At that moment, Lesa reacted gently, her blue, short hair flowing in the air. Her clear azure eyes lost focus as she stared blankly into the void. A pink blush emerged over her fair skin and not only that, but her expression was also confused and dazed as though she didn��t know what she was going through and why she reacted this way. Her reaction was naive and innocent, but deadly seductive.


    ��How does it feel, Lesa?��


    ��Feels�� really strange�� Master����


    Facing Rhode��s question, Lesa shook her head and slurred as though she didn��t know what he meant. But even though her senses couldn��t comprehend it, her body reacted instinctively on its own. She wrapped her snowy arms on Rhode��s neck. Her slender legs wrapped in black garter belt stockings clamped onto his waist. At that moment, she let out a louder moan.


    ��M-Master�� No�� Not there�� Lesa is about to�� Ahh�� Ahh�� disappear�� Lesa is about to disappear�� No�� Ah�� Ahhh!��


    As the young lady panted, her body tensed up instantly. Her words became erratic as though they were stifled in her throat. Shortly after, she closed her eyes and collapsed weakly into Rhode��s embrace.


    ��Phew����


    At that moment, Rhode heaved a long sigh of relief.


    He looked into Lesa��s beautiful, azure eyes that were staring back at him.


    ��Master�� The ritual hasn��t ended yet����

 Chapter 1280 - The Sharp Blade that Struck from Behind

    It finally ended.


    Stepping out of the room and looking at the same, gloomy sky, Rhode let out a helpless sigh. Following behind him quietly was Lesa, who held her usual silver staff. Even though it seemed like nothing changed, Rhode learned from the system that the projected players had restored all their strength. After receiving the ��presence of God�� (in Lesa��s language) through consciousness from Rhode, Lesa exploded with great power, replenishing the players�� strength immediately. Fortunately, they didn��t face any attacks from strange Chaos creatures. At least for now, everything seemed normal.


    But��


    I will never do this a second time.


    Looking over his shoulder at Lesa, Rhode couldn��t help but swear in his mind. It wasn��t that Lesa didn��t satisfy him enough. As a matter of fact, the seduction and pleasure he felt from her youthful body were rather evocative. But the problem was that they weren��t actually enjoying the fun, but were carrying out a ritual instead��and a very rushed one.


    A very rushed one.


    It was so important that it had to be mentioned twice.


    Rhode always controlled his pacing to cater to his partners�� needs, so both of them could reach the pinnacle of joy at the same time. This required a process of control, but the problem was that Lesa didn��t demand any blissfulness on her part. In addition to the lack of time, Rhode had no choice but to gather and drive all his strength into the young lady��s soft, tender body. This led to him feeling like he was suffering from premature ejaculation. If this repeated a few more times, perhaps he would need to conceal his identity and visit a specialized hospital for specific male diseases after transporting the Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system��


    But then again, Lesa did give her all. After all, this was her first experience and yet, she had to withstand Rhode��s ��violent storm��. But even so, she displayed her professionalism in ��devoting�� herself to him. In the midst of his unbridled rampage, she suffered from blackouts several times, returned to her senses under the intense sensations of pleasure, and rolled her eyes again unconsciously under the fierce excitement. There was a period when Rhode suspected that he might get her killed�� But even so, she insisted in completing the ritual, and Rhode was also aware that this was the critical period, so he also gnashed his teeth and persevered.


    It wasn��t enjoyable at all, but more like a torture instead. I will never do it again!


    As this thought cropped up in his mind, Rhode turned to Lesa. Even though the young lady seemed really calm from her expression, as though nothing happened, it was apparent from her limping that something was wrong. If she weren��t holding onto the silver staff for support, perhaps she would have a hard time walking.


    ��She sure is spirited����


    Rhode shook his head, staring at Lesa who didn��t seem to have any intention of stopping for a rest. He stooped over, extended his arms, and carried the limping young lady.


    ��M-Master?��


    Facing this unexpected move by him, Lesa widened her eyes in bewilderment. It was apparent that she was at a complete loss. She looked at him in astonishment, her azure eyes glinting in doubtful flashes. Upon catching sight of her gaze, Rhode stretched out his arm and tapped her head.


    ��Alright, you can��t walk in this state now. Have a good rest before the battle commences later. Stay still and don��t move about. Dot it?��


    ��Yes�� Master.��


    Upon hearing his answer, Lesa nodded obediently and responded plainly. After hearing her reply, Rhode nodded in satisfaction, carried her in his arms, and sauntered across the corridor. Meanwhile, Lapis and the rest were still busy.


    When Rhode and Lesa arrived at the site, they saw the perspiring Lapis setting up the Plane Destruction Bomb. According to Marlene and Lapis, they eventually decided to use the Dark Hall in the Darkness Palace as the core location of the explosion. At that moment, Lapis, Icy Snow, and the rest were busy completing the final installation.


    The Dark Hall served as a venue for sacred ceremonies in the Country of Darkness, including national day celebration, the Dark Dragon��s inheritance ceremony, etc. That explained why this splendid and majestic hall with a capacity for 10,000 people was luxuriously decorated in every area. The floor was covered with marble tiles and bright red carpet. Sparkling crystal chandeliers and various black, sinister-looking obsidian sculptures added to the already oppressive, heavy, and solemn atmosphere. The pressure from standing in the center of this hall was enough to leave one breathless.


    Well, it used to be that way��


    But now��


    ��I just realized that Lapis has a talent for demolition too.��


    Gazing at the dismantled and messy Dark Hall, Rhode couldn��t help but lament. The formerly solemn hall was now completely torn down beyond recognition. The thick, bright red, and luxurious carpet was ripped and tossed to the side. The exquisite sculptures were smashed into bits, while the crystal chandeliers hanging on the ceiling had fallen to the ground and were shattered into pieces. And the one who started it all lay beside the debris, extended her arms, and arranged the Plane Destruction Bomb with all of her attention.


    ��Ah, Big Brother.��


    Upon seeing Rhode, Icy Snow, who stood guard in alertness, called all of a sudden. Then, she glanced at Lapis before approaching Rhode quietly.


    ��Why did it take so long? But it��s alright since everyone��s powers are restored. I wanted to ask you what exactly was going on, but I heard from Mirror that you blocked off all spiritual communications with you���� Icy Snow said, shooting a glance at the calm psychic in his arms. ���� Is Lesa alright��?��


    ��The ritual was a success, but her body can��t handle the pressure and will need to rest for a while.��


    Rhode couldn��t be considered to be lying. After all, that was indeed the truth if one only looked at the essentials without learning the details, wasn��t it? If it were Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, they would definitely pester further. But Icy Snow wasn��t as mature as Mini Bubble Gum, after all. It could also be said that Icy Snow was so ��innocent�� that she was almost like a national treasure. After hearing Rhode��s explanation, Icy Snow nodded and didn��t ask any more questions. She was only curious to begin with, and now that she knew the reason, she wouldn��t pester him endlessly like Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��How is Lapis doing? What about the barrier on the outside?��


    After laying Lesa down on a bench for her to recuperate, Rhode asked in a lowered voice. Even though no one mentioned it, they subconsciously stayed out of Lapis��s way. After all, she was carrying out a really dangerous task. If she were startled by something, perhaps Mini Bubble Gum��s disastrous premonition would turn into reality.


    ��Big Sister Lapis is doing fine. I was worried, but I didn��t expect her to be this serious when carrying out the task. The progress is smooth and already halfway through. As for the situation outside, it should be fine with Bubble and Big Sister Canary around. Earlier on, they faced ambushes from Chaos creatures, but most of them were driven away. The situation was rather tough when they relied upon Big Sister Lapis��s potions. But after recovering their strength, there haven��t been any more issues with our defenses.��


    ��Good to hear that. Continue to be wary of your surroundings.��


    After hearing Icy Snow��s answer, Rhode heaved a sigh of relief, lifted his head, and scanned the surroundings in an odd expression.


    ��But I feel rather complicated�� looking at that����


    ��Yea, Big Brother, I feel like I��m in a movie�� And I hate it.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s lament, Icy Snow��s expression also changed slightly and said in uncertainty.


    It wasn��t surprising that they felt the same. At a glance, the entire hall was totally run-down. Wooden benches were removed and the sculptures on both sides were shattered. What caught their attention more were the rectangular, crystal glass-like boxes that were placed on the floor and tied to the walls. They flickered and emanated magical radiance rhythmically from time to time. But Rhode was clearly aware that what was hidden underneath the brilliance was the prelude to death.


    According to Icy Snow, Lapis decided to plant nearly 15 Plane Destruction Bombs here to increase the success rate��just in case. Since the progress was more than half completed, Rhode and Icy Snow were now surrounded by seven to eight time bombs that were 10 times more powerful than nuclear bombs. If anything were to happen, they would be in for a whole lot of fun.


    Not only that, but Rhode also understood what Icy Snow meant on another level. Because this scene reminded him of a movie where terrorists barged into a certain place, wreaked havoc, and captured everyone as hostages. Then, they used hostages as meat shields and set up bombs in order to fulfill their anti-human and anti-social aspirations. And at that moment, a person known as the protagonist showed up, defeated the evil forces, and successfully removed the threats and dangers��


    That��s a nice thought, isn��t it?


    But it was a pity that reality wasn��t a movie. There weren��t that many protagonists who would step forward bravely as heroes. Besides�� Even if they were here, perhaps it would be too late.


    At this thought, the corners of Rhode��s mouth perked up slightly into a strange smile.


    Ion must be attacking the front right now. I��m curious what expression that bast*rd shows when he learns about what was happening behind his back.


    Rhode couldn��t help but reach for the pocket watch and look at the time. It had nearly been a day since the battle began. Since Ion didn��t seem to have the intention of returning, it proved that Orchid Heart had successfully made him take the bait. But perhaps she wouldn��t be able to hold on for too long. After all, with Orchid Heart��s forces, she might even invite more trouble if she went overboard.


    ***


    It��s almost time.


    Almost at the same time, this thought cropped up in Erin��s head. She stood above the city wall, gazing at the towering pile of Chaos creature corpses at the bottom. As of now, the situation was still under control. On the surface, even though it seemed like the city wall was crumbling under the crashing waves of Chaos creatures, the city walls still held on strongly. Under Orchid Heart��s command, the mighty adventurers coordinated with the undead creatures in repelling waves after waves of Chaos creatures. What surprised Erin was that the adventurers also seemed experienced in such battles where they had lesser manpower on their side. Even when facing so many enemies, the adventurers had an easy time. Although they were mostly powerful, without such experience, not even a formidable being would be able to extricate oneself from the sea of Chaos. But now, the adventurers were apparently familiar with the style and tempo of Chaos and weren��t intimidated or overwhelmed by their ��human wave attack��.


    After all, in the game, no matter how many monsters there were, players were only able to create a party with a maximum of 100 members��


    But even so, they were almost at their limits. Right now, the pile of corpses of Chaos creatures at the bottom were almost at the same height as the city walls. If this continued, perhaps this defensive line would be entirely submerged by Chaos creatures. When that happened, it would be meaningless no matter what tricks Orchid Heart had up her sleeves.


    ��We don��t have much time left.��


    While Erin felt unsettling, Orchid Heart��s voice sounded in her ear. Upon hearing Orchid Heart��s words, Erin heaved a sigh of relief and turned to the sleepy young lady who had been holding a heavy, black tome in her hands since the start of the battle.


    ��Can we start now, Miss Orchid Heart?��


    ��Just a while more, a while more�� But we��re almost there.��


    Facing Erin��s question, Orchid Heart gave a confusing answer. Then, the latter opened her eyes all of a sudden, and ice-cold glints flashed.


    ��Alright then, let��s begin.��


    Orchid Heart said, extended her arm into her pocket to reach for an oval device embedded with a beautiful gemstone. Then, she squeezed with force.


    ��!


    The steel city walls trembled. Deep, ear-piercing sonic booms echoed in the sky, overwhelming the cries of battle. The Chaos creatures who were swarming ahead came to a standstill instinctively, gazing curiously at the steel city walls. Then, they witnessed trails of white steam spurt from the gaps in the city walls. Iron plates over the gaps flipped open all of a sudden, and razor-sharp, strong, and enormous triangular pyramids emerged out of the sleek walls! They spread out densely and let out a biting, cold, malevolent glow. Then, the trails of white steam emanating from their openings grew even more intense.


    Boom������!


    It was like a thunderclap. Along with the deafening rumbles, sharp, iron plates shot out from the bottom of the steel city walls abruptly like a bulldozer, slamming onto the pile of corpses. In loud booms, flashes of lightning erupted and linked with one another. In an instant, the steel city walls were enveloped in white flashes of dazzling lightning bolts that obliterated the Chaos creatures into powder before they retaliated. As for the piles of corpses below the city walls, they were nowhere to be seen. In the blink of an eye, the faltering defensive line became a reliable, solid fortress. The flickering lightning bolts formed a deadly no-man��s land that destroyed all intruders.


    ��This�� This is��!��


    Looking at this scene, Ion widened his eyes in bewilderment. He didn��t expect the enemies to be this capable! But�� This also proved that the enemies were on the verge of collapse! Without any choice, the enemies resorted to using their ace in the hole. In other words, they couldn��t hold on for much longer!


    In this case, I shall send them to their deaths!


    At this thought, Ion grew more excited and agitated. He clenched his fists and stared straight ahead.


    ��Attack! Charge forward! Kill them all!��


    The Chaos creatures didn��t stop at all as they continued to swarm the city walls regardless of peril.


    However, Ion didn��t notice Orchid Heart, who stood above the steel city wall, to suddenly extend her arm to flip open the heavy tome in her other hand.


    Then, she placed her finger on a page that was densely packed with various recorded runes.

 Chapter 1281 - Collapse

    Orchid Heart placed her finger on the page silently. Along with this action, the dense characters marked on the page emanated a gentle, multicolor magical radiance. Then, she extended and raised her arm. The characters flew up from the page and spiraled along her finger. In a whoosh, the heavy tome flipped its pages on its own and all kinds of mysterious runes drifted in the air, spun around her fingertip, and developed their own distinct patterns, following an unknown trajectory that went on and on.


    ��That is����


    Erin twitched her brow subtly as she watched the magic unfolded. As the Dark Dragon, she sensed just how massive and powerful the energy coalesced on Orchid Heart��s fingertip, where there were presences of magical, spiritual, and sacred powers emanating from the runes. Not only that, but she also felt a vague aura of death, which meant that the power of undead was also within it! In other words, there were all kinds of power gathered in Orchid Heart��s grasp.


    How did she do that?


    Although Erin wasn��t experienced in this field, she clearly knew that the purer the power, the more powerful it was. But for one to gather all the different types of power in one spot like Orchid Heart, one would either fail or suffer from an explosive collision. But now, Orchid Heart handled the powers easily and didn��t seem to be losing control. Not only that, but Erin also detected some problems. Even though Orchid Heart was indeed in control, what surprised Erin was that the powers didn��t merge, but were clearly distinct from one another as though they were bound by some unknown force.


    ��This is really interesting����


    Looking at this scene, Erin couldn��t help but recall the scene where she met Orchid Heart for the first time. Back then, Orchid Heart copied her moonlight cannon and annihilated most of the undead army, forcing Erin to retreat with the remaining troops. It was at that moment that Erin became dubious over Orchid Heart��s abilities. After all, since Orchid Heart simulated her attacks, Erin would definitely be able to realize it. But the problem was that Orchid Heart��s simulated moonlight cannon was entirely the essence of the moon and just as pure as the moonlight cannon that Erin fired. If Erin were to close her eyes, even she would think that the person releasing the moonlight cannon on the other side was herself. For that reason, Erin harbored a lot of doubts about Orchid Heart. After all, apart from Orchid Heart, no one else possessed such an ability. Thereafter, Erin met Orchid Heart several times in the Void Territory and was stunned when she learned that Orchid Heart was just an ordinary human and had nothing to do with the dragon races. This truth bewildered Erin. But later, Erin reckoned that this might just be Orchid Heart��s unique skill. And now, Orchid Heart��s performance proved that her guesses were right.


    Erin watched as Orchid Heart commanded like a musical conductor, raising her right index finger high in the air. Her half-opened eyes that seemed to be falling into a slumber glinted in a mocking flash. At the next moment, she lightly stroked her finger downward.


    It only took an instant.


    Ion didn��t know what happened because at that instant, an unparalleled brilliance enfolded his vision. At a glance, apart from the glaring light, nothing else was seen. The surging power metamorphosed into an unconstrained torrent that gushed and devoured everything in sight. Ion sensed unprecedented fear and tensed up from the overwhelming, violent airwaves. Even though he was hidden in the Chaos fog, he shivered as though his entire body were ice-cold. He backed away hurriedly and even forgot to command his troops. This was the first time he felt so terrified!


    Before this happened, Ion didn��t think that the power of Order could be so strong. After he was influenced by Chaos, he personally experienced how terrifying and great Chaos was. Compared to the power that he ��borrowed�� through cheating, the power of Chaos was much stronger and endless, so much so that he was captivated by it. It was at that moment he defined the power of Order as an incredibly fragile and weak presence deep down in his heart. After all, Order required dependence and control in order to demonstrate its strength. But Chaos was different. It was here, always here, in the past, present, and future. Order could never compare to the enormous power of Chaos!


    But now, deep inside Ion��s mind, this was the first time he felt a certain form of fear. Right now, he was like a tiny boat trembling in the raging waves. The huge waves of dozens of meters tall were about to slam onto him slowly and steadily. The waves merged to form an incomparably tall barrier, erected high above the sea, with clear-cut orientation. It showed no signs of disorder. Not only that, but it also left one anticipating one��s death.


    A death into the depths of the abyss no matter how hard one struggled to survive.


    The brilliance dissipated.


    But Ion was frightened beyond words. Right before him, the massive Chaos army that stretched from the edge of the land of Chaos to the bottom of the city walls turned from ashes to dust without leaving behind any corpses or debris. Not only was the vast land covered in pitch-black burn marks, but that huge, powerful bombardment also punctured several potholes along the originally flat ground. At first glance, from a distance, it looked just like a blue ocean rippling with waves��


    ��This����


    Looking at this scene, this was the first time Ion��s face became twisted and ugly. He didn��t expect the enemies to be hiding such a powerful force! Not only were the Chaos creatures wiped out, but the surroundings also�� It could also be said that all the Chaos creatures on the entire battlefront were annihilated. This power definitely didn��t belong to any ordinary mortal!


    Could it be that Erin did this? But it doesn��t feel like it. Even though the power was terrifying, I didn��t sense her dragon aura. In that case, whose attack was it?


    While Ion was in a state of shock, on the other side, Erin was staring at Orchid Heart with the same gaze. At that moment, Orchid Heart looked as though she were falling asleep, but Erin��s evaluation of her multiplied by several times! It wasn��t entirely impossible for Erin to wipe out so many Chaos creatures in an instant under the Dark Dragon��s soul protection. But even so, it would still exhaust a huge portion of her strength. But after taking a closer look at Orchid Heart, the young lady didn��t seem tired at all!


    This was exactly the reason why Rhode left Orchid Heart behind. Her hidden class could be said to be meant for such battles. Although she didn��t have any advantages before the battle began, once the battle lengthened, her powerful strength would immediately affect the core of the battle. Judging from this point, just Orchid Heart alone could take on a well-equipped army with strong firepower.


    That attack earlier was, in fact, the collection and coalescence of offensive skills within the one hour of battle. Just that attack alone was enough to deal a fatal blow to a Creator Dragon. Based on this point, Orchid Heart was undoubtedly a powerful murder weapon at the late stages of battle, and no one could compete against her in this aspect.


    ��Attack�� Attack!��


    Ion��s voice trembled. But unsure if it were due to fear or anger, he yelled out his command hurriedly. Meanwhile, the Chaos creatures didn��t stop. To them, this attack that was enough to crumble ordinary armies wasn��t effective against them. Or perhaps to the Chaos creatures, this was nothing worthy of a mention. But at that moment, some Chaos Lords apparently had no intention of continuing the fight. Maybe they were sick of this ��game�� already, or there were other reasons involved. All in all, two Chaos Lords left the battlefield shortly after, retreating in the path of the Horned Behemoth. Even though the remaining Chaos Lords continued to attack, they seemed somewhat powerless��


    ��Those bast*rds!��


    Watching as the Chaos Lords left one after another without even bidding farewell, Ion blew his top and almost went crazy. When did he ever face something so humiliating like this in the past?! When he was the Dark Dragon, the place where the tip of his sword pointed was where the undead army should be. They were invincible and unbeatable! But now�� Ion finally experienced what they meant by how ��unreliable�� Chaos creatures were.


    After the Chaos Lords left the battlefield, the steel city wall finally faced fewer threats. In addition to Orchid Heart��s earlier command, the players took breaks and went easy on the Chaos creatures, which allowed the Chaos creatures to arrive at the bottom of the city walls. If the players were serious in their fight and coordinated with the undead army, it would only be normal for the Chaos creatures to fear stepping out of the land of Chaos.


    But even so, Ion continued his aggression. He insisted that this was a sign that the enemies were on a deathbed struggle. If not, why didn��t they release such a powerful attack from the start and only when they were on the verge of defeat?


    Something must be wrong! As long as I continue to press ahead, I still stand a chance of winning!


    While Ion consoled himself with those words, he sent out more Chaos creatures into the battlefield. But after the second wave of Chaos creatures was mercilessly wiped out by Orchid Heart, the borders of Chaos began to tremble and shatter under the ��saturation attack��. That was when Ion finally discovered that he made a wrong choice. It was apparent that the enemies weren��t on the verge of collapse because facing his attacks, they were still as swift and efficient.


    I��ve been played from the start!


    At this thought, Ion clenched his fists fumingly. The raging wrath in him surged from deep inside him.


    I can��t believe I��m being played. I��ve already gained the power of Chaos. How can the I, with my immense power, be tricked by those lowly Order inhabitants?! I must make them pay!


    No!


    At this thought, Ion suddenly discovered something, and his eyes glinted in a bright flash.


    They have such powers, but didn��t unleash them earlier. Why? Is it just to fool me? No, I know my younger sister well. Even after she became the Dark Dragon, she would never do that. In other words, could this be just a ploy to show their vulnerability and draw my attention toward them? What exactly are they trying to achieve?


    Ion recalled something all of a sudden.


    Yes, the Darkness Capital��


    Earlier on, when he felt like he lost contact with the Darkness Capital, he knew that the city was definitely under attack. However, he didn��t take it to heart because the Order inhabitants were simply seeking death. Moreover, there were also three Chaos Lords to guard his city. Logically speaking, there shouldn��t be any issues. But now�� Ion felt like something was amiss! This was the first time he turned around and stared straight into the depth of the fog. This time, his line of sight wasn��t blocked by the Order barrier. His vision penetrated the fog and the Darkness Capital came into view. However, the city was in complete ruins and submerged in blazing flames. Not only that, but he realized that half of his palace had also collapsed!


    Those damn bast*rds!


    Ion��s rage intensified as though a bucket of oil were poured onto his flames of rage. He turned around abruptly and strode into the fog.


    The battlefront isn��t important anymore! I��m bound to lose this battle in this state, anyway. But I won��t give up. I will find those bast*rds who trashed my city and squash them into bits!


    At that moment, several streaks of light pink brilliance rushed skyward from the palace in the Darkness Capital. They shimmered and resonated with one another, hovering like a pipe organ. Looking at this scene, Ion was stunned. After all, this scene was just too surreal. He witnessed the light pink light columns stabilize and link up to form a star-like magical ritual. Then, subtle, indistinct, tiny spots of light flashed from within.


    And that was the end of Ion��s consciousness.


    Because at the next moment, an earth-shattering explosion that was enough to destroy everything boomed.


    It was like the recreation of the Big Bang. A sphere of black brilliance the size of a fingernail coalesced in the center of the magical ritual, warping and metamorphosing into a massive black hole. The instant it took shape, the surrounding fog and radiance were gathered in the center. In the blink of an eye, along with ear-deafening rumbles as though one passed through time and space, everything collapsed. The dazzling rays of explosion scattered in all directions, instantly devouring everything in their paths. Space began to shatter. Time lost meaning. After a pure white light that almost blinded one faded away, it was replaced by a pitch-black emptiness like a bottomless hole that expanded and swallowed all things. In the face of this endless hole, the Chaos fog dispersed rapidly and the Chaos creatures lurking within it couldn��t escape either. The powerful blast unleashed a ring of light that slashed apart the land of Chaos effortlessly like a razor-sharp blade, bringing all things to the depths of nothingness.


    ������!


    The ground shook, ruptured, and crumbled. Even after Rhode did his best to get away as far as possible, the aftermath of the Plane Destruction Bomb caused the border of Order to collapse entirely. Looking out at the end of the horizon, the sky and land fell slowly like shattered glass that disappeared into the eternal darkness. Looking at this scene, Erin couldn��t help but feel uncertain and worried as though this were the end of the world.


    ��Why����


    Even though Erin was aware of Rhode��s plan, the devastation of the Plane Destruction Bomb exceeded her expectations. She stared in bewilderment at the true nothingness that eroded from the distance and her slender body couldn��t help but shudder.


    Did Rhode and the others even make it out of this powerful explosion?


    At this thought, Erin was terrified. She looked around her anxiously, but it was a pity that she didn��t spot Rhode anywhere. And at that moment, the black hole was also seemingly reaching a tipping point of stability. The crumbling horizon of the Dragon Soul Continent disappeared, while the battlefield before her eyes made up one-fifth of the disintegrating land. It looked like the collapse was finally stopping. However, some of the remaining land by the horizon hovered in midair, spinning in the space storm enfolded in dark purple lightning flashes.


    The Chaos creatures were stopped, but�� Where were Rhode and the rest?

 Chapter 1282 - Void Storm

    The powerful storm whistled past his ears.


    Rhode darted ahead without looking back. Despite that, the Chaos fog around him vanished instantly as though it were drained. The constant rumblings of the ground were more than enough to show how critical the current situation was. At that moment, Rhode lifted Lesa with his left arm and Lapis with his right as he dashed forward. The wild void storm followed closely behind him, mercilessly giving chase.


    Tsk, everything went well until a few moments ago.


    Deep down, Rhode felt rather depressed. Things were going much smoother than expected. Even though he was concerned that Ion would return with his army upon realizing that something was amiss, he didn��t expect things to be so successful. He also didn��t face any issues after the Plane Destruction Bombs were set up. This made Rhode loosen up for a while. Since his mission was accomplished, the next step was naturally to evacuate. However, it was at that moment he realized that he neglected something crucial.


    He underestimated the devastation of the Plane Destruction Bombs.


    Although Lapis had ��theoretically�� calculated the time, damage, and range of void that would occur after the series of explosions, that was only ��theory��, after all. There was always a difference between reality and theory. Rhode initially decided to blend into the Chaos fog as quickly as possible and leave the place by teleporting. That way, they would be able to escape the disaster. However, he didn��t expect the devastation of the Plane Destruction Bombs to be far stronger than he expected. Before the teleportation process was completed, the Chaos fog was completely ripped apart by the void storm, revealing his group, which was laying low and relying on the fog for concealment. Without a choice, they had to rely upon their trusty legs and run for their dear lives. If they were to stop now, they would surely be swept into the void storm. And when that happened, they would be dead for sure.


    It went without saying that Lesa and Lapis lacked physical strength, which was why Rhode carried them around his waist like sacks and sprinted without looking back. Although his strength was weakened, he was still a Spirit Swordsman, after all, and didn��t have any issues doing this. Besides, they were both delicate young ladies, so they weren��t too much of a burden even if he were to lift them at the same time. That was why the instant they landed on their feet, Rhode seized their slender waists and ran for his life.


    ��Hurry, hurry! Everyone keep up!��


    Mini Bubble Gum followed closely by his side, extending and holding her arm down. Along with this action, an enormous, revolving white circle expanded abruptly with the young lady in the middle, shrouding everyone in an instant. With this spiritual effect, everyone��s speed increased to a whole new level. They could no longer see themselves running. The only thing they witnessed was their indistinct figures as they zoomed across the land.


    Not quick enough! Hurry!


    Rhode heard the loud rumbles of collapsing land behind him. At that moment, he spotted the vague silhouette of the steel fortress above the horizon in the distance. But this wasn��t enough. Even though it seemed as though they spent a lot of time fleeing, as a matter of fact, it wasn��t even 10 seconds after his group was revealed from the fog until now. The void storm had already devoured all the lands that were contaminated by Chaos. If one compared the entire land of Chaos to sliced bread, the void storm had almost swallowed this entire slice of bread in one bite, leaving only the sides. But despite that, they wouldn��t survive for long.


    ��What in the world? It��s never ending!��


    In the blink of an eye, Rhode��s group dashed to the edge of the land of Chaos. But it was at that moment when they faced a huge obstacle: a bottomless trench of nearly 100 meters wide. This trench was none other than the one Rhode left behind when he fought against Ion earlier. Even though he failed, the damage he inflicted on the land using his powerful strength didn��t vanish. And now, it was this marking of a failure that obstructed their escape!


    ��Everyone, get ready to�� Jump!��


    But in the face of this wide trench, Rhode yelled without any hesitation, grabbed Lesa and Lapis in his arms, and leapt over it. The group who followed closely behind him also didn��t hesitate as they jumped straight across it.


    At the same time, Canary spread her arms apart and a mysterious, elemental rune appeared between her hands. Then, green gales emerged and formed transparent wings behind everyone��s back, carrying them forward in a speedy dash like jet engines.


    ��Ssss��!��


    At that moment, Rhode was finally in the mood to turn back briefly. But after witnessing the scenery behind him, he couldn��t help but suck in a cold breath. The vast land was shattering and crumbling in pieces. Deep, purple lightning clapped along with ear-deafening bellows from the void as they slammed onto the ground. Shortly after, along with a piercing ray of light, the solid ground fissured, disintegrated, and disappeared gradually in the spiraling storm. The shining purple was like a pigment that penetrated the darkness, tinting it with a whole new color.


    This is ridiculous!


    Rhode wasn��t willing to be struck by that purple lightning to see whether he was lucky enough to survive. Because that wasn��t just any ordinary lightning, but a spatial crack instead. As soon as one was hit by it, one would most likely be swept into the torrent of broken space and could forget about leaving. One also wouldn��t know where one would end up in it. Rhode had suffered from a transmigration once and didn��t wish for a second experience��


    Hurry, hurry!


    Even though the group had the aid of their wings, the thunderous lightning still closed in on them quickly. The flickering purple brilliance grew brighter, and the loud rumbles almost caught up with Rhode!


    ��S-Sir Rhode!��


    ��Lapis, Lesa, hang on tight!��


    Along with Lapis��s scream, Rhode yelled and swung out his right arm abruptly, and a card appeared swiftly in his hand. Shortly after, the Spirit Bird emerged, expanded its wings, and a dazzling bolt of lightning flickered on its body.


    In the blink of an eye, Rhode transformed into a blinding light that streaked across the sky, arriving at the edge of the bottomless trench in an instant. Almost at the same time, a deep purple lightning bolt struck from the space crack and blasted where he was at earlier. If he were slower by one second, perhaps he would have been headed to another world with Lapis and Lesa for a brand new start.


    Bam!


    Rhode crash-landed on the ground and continued to sprint ahead without patting off the dust on his clothes. Lapis and Lesa who were in his arms couldn��t even speak a word. The violent air currents along the extreme speed forced the two young ladies to turn their heads around and close their eyes to resist the winds and dust. At that moment, they had as though boarded a speeding car. Apart from grabbing onto Rhode��s clothes with all their life, they couldn��t do anything else!


    Rumble!


    Yet another thunderclap. The distant sky turned pitch-black and large patches of space were completely twisted and shattered like a smashed skylight. The void storm overflowed and tinted everything in sight like a deadly poison.


    ��Haa�� Haa�� Haa����


    Rhode looked over his shoulder after the ground was no longer trembling. After ensuring that he had left the proximity of the void storm, he turned over, plopped on the ground palely, and let go of the two young ladies. Even though he didn��t witness it, Lapis clearly saw the entire explosion process. Although she calculated and understood how strong the devastation of the Plane Destruction Bombs were, there was a huge difference between the data in her head and reality. After she witnessed the storm that almost destroyed the world, she sat on the ground, drenched in sweat, and couldn��t stand on her weakened knees. Her expression turned incredibly ashen, especially after witnessing this nightmarish scene that left her shuddering. Earlier on, when she was locked in Rhode��s arm, she saw the purple lightning bolts forming a chain and pursuing her. She felt as though she were gripped in the hand by a terrifying monster that widened its jaw and was about to devour her. If it weren��t for Rhode who transformed into a lightning bolt that zoomed past it, perhaps she wouldn��t be able to see the sky again.


    On the other side, Lesa also gasped for air subtly though her expression seemed as peaceful as ever, as if she weren��t terrified or anything. She seemed more like she was exhausted from the earlier ��intense activity�� instead.


    ��Damn it! I can��t take it anymore, Leader! I almost died! Almost!��


    At the same time, Mini Bubble Gum cursed, dove from the sky, and plunged head-first into the ground. She looked like she had fallen to her death as she didn��t twitch at all. After a few moments, she extended and swung her arm weakly.


    ��This is crazy, Leader. I swear I will not do this a second time. Next time, I would rather let my original self experience this since I can��t take it no more. That damn storm keeps chasing after my butt����


    ������


    On the other side, although Canary didn��t say a word, judging from her expression it was apparent that she held the same opinion. After all, the void storm was so powerful that it was simply beyond the limits of what humans could influence. It was just like humans facing a tsunami: they were completely powerless. The only thing humans could do was to escape in despair and put their lives on the line with luck. This experience could never be considered great for anybody.


    ��Rhode!��


    At that moment, along with an anxious calling, Erin descended from the sky. As soon as she witnessed the crowd laying on the ground in great disorder, her eyes glinted with worries. But after noticing Rhode waving at her weakly, she felt relieved. After his group escaped the pursuit of Chaos, they regained spiritual communication with one another. Erin rushed over after acquiring his location through Orchid Heart. It was at that moment when she heaved a sigh of relief after seeing him personally.


    ��Are you alright, Rhode?��


    ��I��m fine. We��re lucky this time that everything went rather well.��


    Rhode said, gazing at the steel city walls in perfect condition. Although Erin didn��t report the situation yet, just this scene alone was enough for Rhode to guess the situation on the defensive line.


    ��Seems like your side is doing great too.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Erin nodded and recounted the events that happened earlier on her side to him.


    ��Yes, Miss Orchid Heart helped us a lot. At one point, even though the situation on our side was really harsh, thanks to the help from Miss Orchid Heart and the adventurers you brought over, we were finally able to secure the defensive line.��


    ��That��s good to hear����


    After hearing Erin��s report, Rhode nodded and replied plainly. Although he wanted to ask further about Ion, Ion was her big brother, after all. Even though it was almost as if they had cut ties with each other, the question Rhode wanted to inquire about was still relatively awkward for her. Since this matter wasn��t handled by Erin alone, Rhode could still ask Orchid Heart after he headed back later.


    But it was a pity that not everyone could discern what others thought from their body language.


    ��Phew�� We finally succeeded after almost losing our lives�� By the way, where��s that idiot, Ion? Hahaha, surely he wasn��t engulfed by that explosion and fried to death, right?��


    After resting for a while and struggling to get up to her feet, Mini Bubble Gum peered out at the surroundings and burst out laughing, totally neglecting Erin��s presence�� Well, this rascal always behaved this way��


    ��Big Brother is����


    Perhaps due to Mini Bubble Gum��s obvious expression as though she were hoping for Ion to die sooner, the good-tempered Erin couldn��t help but turn speechless. Even though Ion did something terrible to her mother and their current relationship wasn��t any different from sworn enemies, the sight of others gloating over her big brother��s death left her uncomfortable. Fortunately, the moon princess��no, moon queen��wasn��t glass-hearted and wouldn��t be full of remorse over one��s remarks. She knew that Ion was their enemy. Besides, Mini Bubble Gum��s standpoint and identity predetermined that she wouldn��t be polite toward Ion. That was why Erin didn��t say much, but responded plainly instead.


    ��Regarding Big Brother��no, Ion��we aren��t too sure about his situation. What we do know is that earlier, Ion seemed to realize that Rhode and you guys were in the Darkness Capital and withdrew his army. But before he successfully backed down from the battle, the explosions happened. And now����


    Erin said and couldn��t help but lift her head. She gazed at the spatial crack of the void storm that was dyed in deep purple and shining like a constellation of stars. In the center, the deep, pitch-black presence hovered silently in the center of the void.


    Although the nail-sized black hole was far away from her right now, Erin couldn��t help but feel a chill run down her spine. As one of the Creator Dragons, she clearly felt how terrifying the power of ��nothingness�� was. As soon as one was captured by this power, one definitely wouldn��t be able to escape the fate of being annihilated.


    ��I guess�� Perhaps Ion was swept into that explosion. He shouldn��t be able to survive that, I suppose.��


    Erin said and her voice revealed a hint of sadness. No matter what, Ion was her big brother. Even though she also wished to see him dead, she would have liked to do it herself, to seek revenge for her mother, and not end things like this��


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a ear-deafening explosion sounded and captured everyone��s attention. They lifted their heads and turned in the direction of the explosion. Then, the expressions of everyone, including Rhode, changed abruptly.


    On the edge of the void sky, a gigantic, battered dragon flapped its wings and landed on the ground violently.


    Shortly after, its furious bellow rang in the sky.


    ��You think you can defeat me with that trick of yours? Lowly maggots! You��re all gonna die!��

 Chapter 1283 - The Killing Begins

    This was the first time Rhode met Ion in his dragon form after he was influenced by Chaos entirely. Compared to the past, Ion looked way different now. In the past, Ion used to be a pitch-black dragon. But now, this dragon before everyone had a grayish hue. Not only that, but its originally smooth surface was also covered in razor-sharp spikes, giving him a dangerous and ferocious look. Ion no longer looked majestic and formidable. His body was covered in burnt, darkened marks, while several spikes on his back were also cut off. His huge wings were also tattered like a rag as though he were a refugee. It could be seen that he suffered greatly in the void storm. But even so, he was still very strong.


    It seemed like being in cahoots with Chaos did benefit him a lot.


    ��Big Brother����


    Gazing at Ion, Erin��s expression turned complicated. On the other hand, Rhode��s expression remained unchanged. Looking at the flustered and exasperated Ion, Rhode stood up and patted the dust off his clothes.


    ��Order everyone to get ready and kill him!��


    ��Yes, Leader! I��ve been waiting for this day for years! It��s about time to show that damn reptile our true powers!��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, Mini Bubble Gum stood to her feet immediately, waving her fists and yelling in excitement. Canary didn��t say a word, but judging from the fiery twin blades in her extended arms, it was apparent that she had no issues with this decision. Icy Snow went up to Rhode, wielding the jaded longbow in her hands and staring at Ion. Then, she turned and asked.


    ��Big Brother? Should I fire my arrow now?��


    ��Please wait, Rhode.��


    Upon witnessing the sight of everyone getting ready to jump into battle, Erin ran over to Rhode hurriedly. She swept a complicated glance at Ion. She could no longer recognize her big brother as that enormous dragon. But he was her big brother, after all. No matter what, this was the moment for her to put an end to things. Erin couldn��t help but let out a sigh, lift her head, and gaze meaningfully at Rhode.


    ��I know how you��re feeling, but I hope you can let me handle this. No matter what, he is my big brother, so�� I hope to put an end to this myself.��


    ������


    Upon hearing her words, the bustling crowd quietened down and turned to Erin and Rhode. As a matter of fact, most players didn��t know about the secrets between Ion and Erin. However, they also knew that since Erin was Ion��s younger sister, it was only natural for her to make this decision. After all, as the proverb ��it was difficult for a pure official to intervene in a family matter�� went, did they really need to intervene in a fight between two siblings? The crowd shifted their gaze to Rhode. After all, Rhode was the commander-in-chief, so everyone waited for his order. Facing Erin��s request, Rhode pondered for a few moments and nodded.


    ��Sure.��


    Everyone was taken aback when they heard Rhode��s answer. But before they reacted, Rhode waved his hand and said.


    ��We��ll do it together. I will leave the final blow to you.��


    ��This����


    Not only was Erin puzzled, but the rest were also confused. When Rhode agreed to Erin��s request earlier, the players thought they would be taking up the support roles. But never did they expect Rhode to be so determined in slaughtering Ion that he had absolutely no intention of leaving Ion with one last bit of glory. Rhode didn��t explain further in response to Erin��s meaningful gaze. As a matter of fact, he couldn��t possibly let Erin take the risk alone. Firstly, she wasn��t only the moon queen, but was the Dark Dragon who inherited the power of creation. If he were to allow her to fight one-on-one against Ion, no one knew what would happen. In the game, there were countless times when BOSSes were unwilling to lose and self-destructed to take away their enemies�� lives. Now that Erin was the Dark Dragon, Rhode��s entire plan to transport the Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system would be scrapped if something were to happen to her. Moreover, Erin was also considered his woman now. He could never let his woman fight for her life while standing idly by, watching from the sideline.


    Besides, in Rhode��s mind, this time, Ion must die!


    Absolutely. Definitely. 100 percent. There could be no mistake!


    ���� Okay then.��


    Upon detecting Rhode��s gaze, Erin gaped, but eventually nodded and agreed to his suggestion. She wasn��t a fool. She knew why Rhode didn��t allow her to fight her big brother alone. She was neither a younger sister nor princess of a country anymore, but the Dark Dragon; the ruler of darkness instead. With this identity, Erin wasn��t allowed to step into the front for battles unless it was absolutely essential. For Rhode to allow her to fight alongside his men, he had already shown a lot of respect toward her.


    After hearing Erin��s answer, Rhode nodded and gave his command immediately.


    ��Senior Heart, you first!��


    No one expected the first to start the battle wasn��t Rhode who stood on the plains, but Orchid Heart who stood above the city wall behind them instead. After hearing his command, Orchid Heart opened her eyes and swept a glance at the gigantic Chaos dragon ahead. She extended her finger, slid across the page gently, and countless runes spiraled around her finger. Displaying the same expression, Orchid Heart tapped her finger in the air.


    At the next moment, hundreds of thousands of spells metamorphosed into a whistling magical torrent that blasted Ion.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The interval between Ion��s escape and Rhode��s order didn��t even take three minutes. And at that moment, before Ion fully recovered from the blow of the void storm, he saw a series of dazzling and lethal magical brilliance arriving before him. Looking at this scene, the startled Ion spread his wings urgently to protect his huge body. Soon, along with this action, a gray barrier shrouded him, but at the same time, the spells released by Orchid Heart slammed onto his body. In a blinding flash of light, dust fluttered in the sky and Ion��s massive body was completely submerged in the magical explosions.


    Fortunately for Ion, due to the long distance, most of the spells that Orchid Heart unleashed were long-range skills. Although she could collect everyone��s skills and release them in a single wave, the skills themselves were also limited by distance. The reason why Orchid Heart was able to clear the entire battlefield of Chaos creatures earlier was that at that time, the Chaos creatures on the battlefield were both far and close to her, where none of them could escape the offensive skills. But now that Ion was too far away, only the long-range attack spells were able to inflict damage, while the close-range skills couldn��t reach him at all. If Ion were by Orchid Heart��s side now, this wave of spell would be devastating enough to leave Ion bearing the consequences of failure.


    Even though Orchid Heart only released long-range skills in this attack, the collective power was still impressive as it left Ion covered in filthy dust. He wasn��t in perfect condition after escaping from the void storm earlier. And now, before he could pull himself together, Rhode��s side had already launched their attack.


    ��You bast*rds!��


    As the billows of smoke from the explosion dissipated, a deafening roar reverberated in the air. Shortly after, Ion spread his massive wings, burst out of the smoke, and soared high into the sky. Although he looked incomparably wretched, he was once a Creator Dragon, after all. Besides, he was also influenced by Chaos and now possessed an endless source of power. Although he was momentarily exhausted, he wasn��t easily defeated. Although this wave of attack from Orchid Heart applied a certain amount of pressure on him, it hadn��t caused too much damage. Ion blew his top. He fluttered his massive wings and charged straight toward the steel fortress before him!


    ��Fire all cannons! Blast him down!��


    Rhode, who stood on the ground, gazed at Ion with an ice-cold stare. Along with his command, the thick iron plates slid open again, and innumerable cannon barrels rolled out and aimed at the sky. Shortly after, a string of flares exploded from the steel city walls, blasting Ion like a storm of cannon fire.


    Although the cannon blasts were powerful, they didn��t do much damage to Ion��s tough scales. Cannon blasts that were strong enough to bombard large holes on the vast land merely blazed his body. And this extent of damage apparently didn��t bother him at all. He swooped down with his spread wings, snapped his jaw open, and a pitch-black energy coalesced in his throat��


    ��Little Icy, do it! Use your obsidian arrow!��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode��s eyes glinted in a murderous flash. He let out a snort and commanded quickly. Upon hearing his order, Icy Snow who stood beside him nodded in full attention. She raised the jade longbow in her hands, squinted at Ion, and pulled the bowstring gradually. Along with this action, a pitch-black arrow appeared in her hand.


    Then, she released her right fingers.


    Whoosh������!


    A black brilliance flashed in an instant before vanishing in sight quickly. And now, Ion��s accumulated strength had reached its limit. He held his head high, and the next thing he needed to do was to spit his flames to blast those lowly and despicable maggots! But at that moment, a dark glow suddenly flashed in his eyes. Then, an arrow that silently flew out from space pierced into his right eye ruthlessly.


    ��Ahhhhhh!��


    Ion hadn��t expected anything like this to happen at all. All he felt was a sharp pain in his right eye. Then, an eroding poisonous gas exploded in front of his eyes, leaving him giddy with his head spinning. In an instant, he couldn��t distinguish his directions. He struggled to lower his head and spit out his dragon breath in rage. But due to that arrow from Icy Snow, he turned around instinctively and as a result, his charged dragon breath didn��t hit the steel city walls as expected. On the contrary, it blasted the empty field behind him.


    At that moment, Orchid Heart extended her finger, pointed at Ion, and tapped gently.


    Boom!


    A shining golden light column descended from the sky and struck Ion heavily. This time, Ion was finally unable to hold on after this attack from Orchid Heart. Earlier on, he was too far away from her, which was why she was only able to use long-range skills against him. But now, as he got closer, Orchid Heart released all her mid-range and close-range skills against him. The amount of skills were almost double or more than double the amount from before! Ion couldn��t hold on any longer. He shrieked and fell from the sky, crashing heavily onto the ground. In a deep collision, followed by a mushroom-like cloud of smoke, Ion��s furious scream resounded again.


    ��You bast*rds. How dare you plot against me. I will kill you!��


    ��2nd and 4th squad to the left. 1st squad to the back. The rest follow me to the right. Go!��


    In the face of Ion��s wrath, Rhode appeared incomparably ice-cold. Ion��s bellow sounded just like a BOSS��s line before his death, where there was no meaning to it at all. At that moment, Rhode and his group were considered to have finished recovering their strength. They merely consumed some strength while fleeing the void storm earlier. After they got back in the land of Order, with the dual protection of Lesa and Order, they recovered their power quicker. So with just a big wave of Rhode��s arm, his group of players howled like wild animals as they pounced on the area where Ion had crash-landed.


    This time, Rhode gave his all in killing Ion. In the game, he deployed a ��back-stabbing�� strategy, while Orchid Heart led the rest in drawing the Darkness Capital��s attention from the front. Rhode led his elite squad from the rear and took out Ion. At that time, due to various restrictions, Rhode could only form a party of 100 players. But now, reality wasn��t a game and he was in his own territory right now, so there wasn��t any limit to numbers at all. Rhode generously sent out three parties with a total of 300 players. In addition to his 400 elite players, Ion was bound to be dead!


    ��Roar��!��


    Although Icy Snow��s arrow inflicted some damage to Ion and blinded him in one eye, the power of Chaos had now completely merged with him. When Ion raised his head once more, his right eye that had been blinded by the obsidian arrow regained its original function. Not only that, but the eyes that should have been shining with a golden glow had also turned into a strange hue of gray, shining with a hazy, but chilling glow of death.


    Ion was completely overwhelmed by rage. He had never thought that he, who had gained the power of Chaos, would still be beaten down from the sky! This was no different than trampling his pride into dust. His wrath was burning so deep that he could hardly stay himself. Shortly after, he lifted his head and scanned his surroundings. And it was at that moment when he witnessed hundreds of people running toward him. Soon, streaks of magical and spiritual brilliance emanated from their hands. Then, all sorts of offensive attacks blasted at him.


    You maggots think you can kill me?!


    Glaring at the humans before him, Ion smirked. These people weren��t worthy of a mention to him at all. Although they seemed strong, they looked worse than a scattered, disorganized army with that lack in discipline!


    How powerful can these people who couldn��t even line up in formation be?


    At this thought, Ion leaped up from the ground with a flip. Along with his movement, a gray barrier enfolded his body, shutting out those attacks. Shortly after, Ion let out a furious roar, stretched out his right claw, and slashed forward. In this mighty attack, a rapid air stream whistled across the air, slamming onto the ground, and he charged at the humans before him. At the same time, Ion narrowed his eyes, widened his mouth, and chanted a string of incantations. In just a few seconds, several unknown runes flashed and appeared in the empty space in front of him. They unfolded and connected to form a powerful magical ritual as a violent storm of icicles erupted from within, launching at the humans.


    A bunch of lowly maggots trying to fight against me?!


    Ion revealed a proud expression. He could almost foresee the enemies�� already scattered formation crumbling under his own attack and collapsing in utter destruction.


    But�� The truth was otherwise.


    In the face of Ion��s attack, the scattered formation split to both sides in their retreat, causing Ion to miss. Not only that, but a golden brilliance also flickered over the humans who were enveloped by the icicle storm, and they leaped out unscathed!


    What exactly is going on with them?


    Looking at this scene, even Ion was at a loss for words. Even though he was no longer a dragon of Order and lost all grasp of Order, he still felt a rippling space erupting beside him that was dragging everyone into it!


    But this shouldn��t be possible! My Chaos halo is enough to suppress most of the power of Order inhabitants! Apart from beings in the Peak Legendary Stage, no one should be able to defy me.


    Could it be that these humans are all in the Peak Legendary Stage?


    Boom!


    While Ion was stunned, he heard a loud bang. The barrier enfolding him shattered instantly and almost at the same time, Rhode arrived with his men.

 Chapter 1284 - Ion’s Confusion

    Whoosh��!


    In the whistling winds, an enormous black dragon appeared in the air. Erin had returned to her original form. The mighty, pitch-black Dark Dragon soared above the heaven, staring at Ion who was struck to the ground. Facing the Dark Dragon, Ion revealed a fanatical expression.


    ��I didn��t expect you to show up before me, Erin.��


    ��Big Brother����


    Upon hearing Ion��s words, Erin remained silent for a few seconds. She was speechless at the sight of the dragon that was entirely influenced by Chaos. She felt complicated as soon as she saw Ion. But eventually, she closed her eyes, let out a sigh, and opened her eyes again. The instant she widened her eyes, there wasn��t any hint of confusion in her golden eyes anymore. She stayed quiet as she lifted her head high. Shortly after, along with this action, the silver moon hanging in the night sky shone a silver-whitish light column that shrouded her completely. Her pitch-black body glowed in the shade of silver moonlight. In the blink of an eye, a beautiful, mesmerizing silver dragon emerged before everyone. Erin didn��t speak a word. She flapped her wings, extended her claws, and swooped down at Ion! Facing this attack from Erin, Ion had no intention of backing down either. They were no longer on the same page now; not even their kinship could stand between the fight of Chaos and Order. Right now, only one of them could exist in this world!


    Without glancing at the players who were attacking him, Ion let out a fierce bellow, stood to his feet forcefully, and jumped on Erin. At the same time, he widened his mouth and aimed for her throat.


    Boom!


    The two enormous dragons crashed into each other in a powerful clash, causing the land to rumble uncontrollably. At that moment, the players who encircled Ion withdrew from the battlefield immediately. Erin and Ion had both restored their dragon forms. Besides, one of them was a Chaos Dragon, while the other was a newborn Dark Dragon; both of them had unprecedented strength. In this collision, one would definitely perish if one were swept into their battle!


    ��Everyone, get ready to aim your attacks at Ion and support Erin. You know the drill.��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode twitched his brows. He knew what Erin was thinking deep down in her mind. Even though she agreed to fight alongside his group, as a matter of fact, she still wished to defeat Ion by herself. If not, she didn��t need to restore her dragon form and engage in a close fight because the fighting range between two dragons was so vast that ordinary people couldn��t intervene. Unless Rhode restored his dragon form, he would also have a hard time intercepting. However, he had no intention of being a bait for Ion��s attacks. Erin once told him about her big brother��s hatred toward him. Come to think of it, if it weren��t for Rhode who spoiled all of Ion��s plans all this while, would Ion end up like this? Rhode wouldn��t be afraid of Ion if he could show up in Void Dragon form. But now, he was only a level 85 peak player. If Ion were to come for him, he would be in real trouble. That was why Rhode stood by the rear of his party and gave commands instead.


    Besides, he also wasn��t worried because players were beings who slaughtered BOSSes under all kinds of harsh environments. Would two dragons battling each other be enough to stop them from dealing damage to the BOSS?


    Impossible.


    At this thought, Rhode faced the dragons, extended his arm, and tapped his finger gently in midair. Then, he smiled.


    Ring!


    ��You��ve entered the elite squad.��


    The instant Rhode did that, a line of odd text appeared before Erin��s eyes. Upon witnessing the text, she was taken aback. She couldn��t understand why such a strange thing showed up in front of her. But now, she didn��t have the time to care about that. On the contrary, she flipped over to evade Ion��s bite, raised her claws, and slashed at Ion��s chest with force. But before she struck Ion, the latter turned around, swung his enormous tail, and slammed it onto her body. In a deafening collision, Erin was struck away. At the same time, Ion snapped his jaw open and spit a turbid dragon breath at her!


    ��Roar!��


    Although Ion was stronger in physical combat, Erin wasn��t a weakling either. The instant she flew off upon impact, she retaliated swiftly. Facing Ion��s dragon breath, she let out a snarl and all of a sudden, eight silver-whitish runes spun before her, metamorphosing into a smooth, sleek mirror. Ion��s dragon breath blasted the mirror and scattered in all directions without hurting Erin one bit. Erin counterattacked. The golden radiance in her eyes grew more dazzling. No matter what, this was the territory of the Country of Darkness. Under the dragon soul protection, this was her kingdom!


    All of a sudden, the surrounding darkness ��brightened��.


    Along with the golden radiance emanating from her eyes, the silver-whitish moonlight from the night sky became ever brighter. At the same time, patches of shadows over the land grew thicker. In an instant, the entire world became bizarre as though everything were slowly turning black and white!


    ��What the heck. She doesn��t need to go this far, right? Why do I have to suffer from this again after returning from Shadow Ravine?��


    Looking at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t help but cry out in grief. Of course, she knew what Erin was trying to do. As a ��Dark Dragon��, Erin was also a dominator of the shadow realm. It was apparent that she was summoning the shadow realm into the main plane for this battle!


    ����!��


    Along with Erin��s snarl, everything changed all of a sudden. The shadows twisted, warped, and coalesced into a huge blade, shuttling out of the ground and slashing Ion. Facing this attack from Erin, Ion reacted swiftly. He fluttered his wings forward and with this move, a burst of gales erupted, took up a physical shape, and ripped the shadowy blade into shreds. But it was a pity that�� Erin wasn��t his only enemy.


    Boom!


    Just as Ion repulsed Erin��s attack, a loud explosion sounded all of a sudden. A fire elemental creature that was as tall as them rose from the ground. Its body was made up entirely of hot lava, donning a bright red armor and wielding a gigantic, translucent war hammer in its hand. The fire elemental creature roared and raised the war hammer in its hand, swinging down heavily at Ion. At that moment, Ion couldn��t react in time after successfully resisting Erin��s attack and was struck by the war hammer mercilessly. In an instant, sparks splashed all over the place. The scorching fire elements streamed down the war hammer and burned Ion. However, Ion possessed the power of Chaos, after all, and wasn��t afraid of the fire element at all. He turned around abruptly, and his wings spread out in a powerful ��whoosh�� to form a barrier against the war hammer. Immediately after, Ion stretched out his right claw, lunged at the fire elemental creature before him, and punctured right through. Although he was no longer a dragon soul heir, the power he received from Chaos put him on par against the dragon soul heirs. Even though the fire elemental creature before him was high in level, it wasn��t an elemental lord, after all. Shortly after, it dissipated into smoke under this assault from Ion.


    But this wasn��t the end yet.


    The instant the fire elemental creature crumbled, blustering winds erupted from behind Ion. The strong airwaves spiraled into a massive tornado that blotted out the sky with flashes of lightning bolts. Shortly after, the massive wind elemental creature pounced on Ion without any consideration for itself. Ion, who had just repelled the fire elemental creature, was caught unprepared by this trouble behind him. He failed to dodge the attack and was captured immediately. The winds continued to gust, trapping his huge body in a death grip. The flashing lightning linked up to form a prison of chains that bound him tightly. Even Ion, right now, was overwhelmed in the face of this wind elemental assault!


    ��Big Brother!��


    Looking at this scene, Erin hesitated for a moment, but eventually continued her attack. Everything took less than a minute from Erin��s attack being stopped to the battle between Ion, the fire elemental creature, and the wind elemental creature. But it was this duration that caused Ion to fall in defeat. Erin pondered no more. Although she hoped to take on her big brother alone, there was no point in being indecisive since the situation had already turned out this way. She leaped and pounced on the Chaos Dragon before her.


    At the same time, she was also prepared to be struck by the wind elemental creature. But what astonished her was that the moment she rushed into the body of that wind elemental creature, she wasn��t hurt at all. Although the powerful winds and dazzling lightning bolts were right beside her, she didn��t feel anything in the slightest. If it weren��t for her witnessing Ion being trapped in the tornado, perhaps she would have suspected if she were hallucinating!


    ��Everyone, let��s do it! Attack!��


    As soon as Erin pounced on Ion, Rhode raised his eyebrows and gave his order straight away. Along with his order, all kinds of light around him, be it magical, spiritual, or holy, were unleashed at once, emanating over the pitch-black land like spots of starlight, heading for Erin and Ion from all directions like a wild storm.


    These skills were the extraordinary, accumulated power from four to five squads of elite players. In an instant, flares and sacred brilliance almost shrouded the two massive dragons altogether. The dazzling lights made even the moonlight seem dull in comparison. In the earlier clash between Erin and Ion, even though Rhode gave a few simple commands, all the players understood what he meant. As a matter of fact, Rhode was using Erin as the ��main tanker�� in this scenario. And now that Erin was attracting the ��vengeance�� from Ion, Rhode didn��t need to worry too much on his end and ordered his players to gather all attacks on Ion right away.


    Logically speaking, Erin wouldn��t be able to withstand this extent of attack. However, the truth was otherwise. Even Erin was surprised to find out that the attacks that landed on her actually passed through her and struck the helpless Ion instead!


    If they were in the Dragon Soul Continent of the past, perhaps they wouldn��t be able to achieve this. But now, the Dragon Soul Continent had merged entirely with the rules of the gaming world. Since resurrection spells were already accepted, it wasn��t surprising that allies weren��t hurt by friendly fire. However, Rhode was entitled to this setting because he was the controller of the system interface. He was the only one who could invite others into his party and be free from friendly fire. Since Erin had joined his party, it went without saying that the attacks wouldn��t inflict any damage on her. When did one ever witness a party wiping out their very own main tanker when luring monsters?


    ��No�� No��!��


    Under the combined siege of Erin, Rhode, and the elite players, Ion couldn��t hold on much longer. He had a hard time escaping the void storm earlier and also took quite a bit of damage. Erin, on the other hand, was out of action all this time. She had plenty of power to unleash and in addition to Rhode��s unruliness in leading hundreds of peak players against Ion, Ion didn��t stand a chance. A tiger was no match for a pack of wolves, not to mention a paper tiger like Ion in this situation. More importantly, in this world of Order, he who became the Chaos Dragon was completely inhibited by the rules of Chaos, so he didn��t have much strength to retaliate with.


    How is this possible? How is this possible?!


    Facing the overwhelming attacks from all directions, the wrath burning deep inside Ion suddenly extinguished, only to be replaced by an ice-cold emotion like the deep, dark, bottomless abyss. He was once so ambitious, believing that he could lead the Chaos army in breaking through the Dragon Soul Continent to let the world see his very own power.


    That was his only wish.


    He needed power, power of his own. In fact, Ion was terrified after learning that the dragon soul heir would eventually be chosen between Erin and himself. He knew he was no match for his younger sister in any way. Although he tried really, really hard, it still wasn��t enough. However, he had to prove himself�� Prove himself�� Why? For what?


    Why must I prove myself? Why must I prove that I��m stronger than my sister, the other dragon soul heirs, and everyone? It is for the sake of proving himself that he yearns to dominate the Dragon Soul Continent. But in the end, he failed�� So why exactly did I fail?


    At that moment, Ion��s head was in complete disorder.


    For who exactly am I trying to prove myself to? Come to think of it, who am I? That��s right, I��m Ion, the dragon soul heir. No, am I not the Chaos Dragon now? No, he isn��t the Chaos Dragon; he doesn��t even have his own power. All his power comes from Chaos. He submitted himself to Chaos in exchange for power, but why is he still defeated?


    Ion��s vision turned all blurry. The pain in his body made him fail to pull himself together. On the contrary, he felt like his consciousness was fading away, and he was becoming more dazed. His only thought was that he was about to fail. And why he failed��


    At that moment, Ion heard a voice in his head. That voice sounded so vague, and yet so clear.


    ���� Because you don��t belong to true Chaos����


    The instant Ion heard that voice, his consciousness came to an end.


    Erin swiped her razor-sharp claw forward, ripping apart Ion��s chest mercilessly. This was their biggest weakness, the backbone of the dragon race. Now, it became Ion��s point of death. Pitch-black blood gushed out of the deep, ghastly wound. Ion finally couldn��t hold on any longer as he collapsed to the ground.


    ���� It��s over, Big Brother����


    Gazing at the lifeless Ion, Erin pondered for some moments, widened her mouth, and took in a deep breath.


    ��Oh no! Cleric, shrink your defenses!��


    But at the same time, Rhode suddenly gave an entirely different order. Upon hearing his command, Mini Bubble Gum sulked instantly. She extended her arm, made a gripping action on Erin, and pulled her arm back abruptly!


    Along with this action, a gigantic right hand of light shone in midair, gripped Erin by her tail, and dragged her far away from Ion��s body.


    At the same time, a turbid brilliance erupted from Ion��s body, coalescing into an enormous creature that snapped its jaws at Erin!

 Chapter 1285 - : Declaration of Chaos

    Many people couldn��t understand why Rhode kept Mini Bubble Gum by his side. Frankly speaking, this young lady was self-centered, grouchy, insensitive, delusional, and refused to listen to anyone other than Rhode and Canary. But one had to admit that her understanding of clerics was at a level that not even the six deity wardens (now seven deity wardens) could reach. The instant Rhode gave his command, Mini Bubble Gum knew what he meant. She released a light summoning ritual swiftly and dragged Erin away forcefully. Almost at the same time, the strange, terrifying Chaos creature erupted from Ion��s body and bared its teeth to Erin. Even Erin was caught off guard by the situation. When she finally reacted, the razor-sharp teeth had arrived before her!


    An ice-cold chill ran up her spine like an electrical current. Even though she was the Dark Dragon now, the ambush still caught her by surprise. She didn��t know what it was, but was certain that something that would terrify her must be really dangerous. But even so, Erin was also bitten by the creature. However, the moment the creature almost sank its teeth into her flesh, a thin, paper-like barrier flickered over Erin and the creature collided head-first, almost shattering the barrier.


    It was at that instant when Erin finally reacted. She fluttered her wings abruptly and rotated her body. in the blink of an eye, the enormous dragon shimmering in dazzling, silver-whitish moonlight vanished from sight, only to return to her human form. Erin knew the situation would turn dire if she remained in her dragon form, which was why she decisively shrunk in size, pulled a distance apart from the Chaos creature, and approached Rhode quickly.


    ��Phew�� Thank you, Bubble.��


    After arriving by Rhode��s side, Erin heaved a sigh of relief. She stretched out her arm and held her chest, gazing at Bubble with the grin of a dying person. One must know that she barely escaped death. As the Dark Dragon, it definitely took more than an ordinary Chaos creature to genuinely frighten her. Back then, she really didn��t react in time. Logically speaking, when one was at her level, one would possess a certain degree of ��foresight��. If Ion had a secret ability that targeted her specifically, she would realize it subconsciously. In that case, she couldn��t possibly pounce on Ion and unleash her attacks. However, as she didn��t feel any threats earlier, she charged ahead bravely, attempting to end Ion��s life. It was only when that Chaos creature emerged all of a sudden that she sensed true fear. Back then, if she were to dodge, she would obviously fail to avoid the ambush! Fortunately, with Bubble��s help, she was able to evade the Chaos creature. If not��


    At this thought, Erin couldn��t help but feel rather afraid. It would be a result that she didn��t wish to see.


    Erin didn��t realize this oncoming ambush, but Rhode was already prepared for that moment. When he witnessed Ion collapsing to the ground, he knew that something wasn��t right. Perhaps Erin didn��t see it, but Rhode had detected the dazedness in Ion��s eyes. It wasn��t dazedness as a result of failure or agony, but it was more like Ion had lost himself. This left Rhode��s heart thumping deep-down because this situation was as though Ion were manipulated by something. But no matter what that thing was, since it chose to control Ion at that very moment, it most likely had designs on Erin. For safety��s sake, Rhode had Bubble pull Erin away and cast a layer of protection at the same time. One had to admit that only Bubble, who worked so well with him, knew exactly what he wanted. Rhode merely stared at Erin, commanded the clerics, and Bubble responded with godlike reactions and reflexes. If it were someone else, perhaps they wouldn��t be nearly as quick as her.


    As Erin retreated to safety, the players also withdrew from battle. The players weren��t fools either. It was obvious that something was wrong for this to happen to Ion all of a sudden. The players�� reactions were also trained through bloody storms. As soon as they realized the unfavorable situation, they unleashed multiple attacks to wipe out the Chaos creatures in the blink of an eye.


    What exactly is that?


    Erin and Rhode couldn��t help but knit their brows at the disgusting-looking, mysterious Chaos creature that looked like a flesh bud growing on Ion��s body. The look of it made one��s stomach churn. After missing its ambush, it crashed into the barrier that Mini Bubble Gum cast and stopped moving. After a few moments, Rhode witnessed it moving gradually, shifting its direction, and widening its ��petals�� toward Erin and Rhode. A crimson eye widened in the center of the bud, staring at them.


    ����!��


    Upon seeing the glare of the crimson eye, Rhode and Erin couldn��t help but feel startled. Just by the mere sight of this eyeball, they felt a strong sense of danger. But at the next moment, Rhode sulked. Because he knew the final BOSS had finally made its appearance.


    And soon, a deep, strange voice sounded in everyone��s heads.


    ��I didn��t expect you to hold on for so long, little mice����


    ��I also never thought that the so-called Chaos Eye actually existed����


    Upon hearing the voice, Erin took half a step back. For some unknown reason, this voice made her really uncomfortable. On the other side, Rhode let out a grunt, stared straight at the crimson eye, and said.


    ��The Chaos Eye was a really mysterious presence to players of the Dragon Soul Continent. Besides, its lore has also been around for a long time. Back in the initial stages of the Dragon Soul Continent, some players posted questions in the forum about encountering a crimson eye while they were raiding dungeons. They thought the crimson eye was one of the BOSSes or involved a specific quest. But the weird thing was that the eye simply observed them without doing anything. Not only that, but not everyone was also able to see it. Some merely caught a glimpse and went ��Huh? Was there a red eye looking at us from over there?��


    Such instances weren��t uncommon. Of course, as the encounter occurred too quickly, players rarely had the chance to take screenshots as evidence. In addition, the crimson eye was elusive and always passed by in a flash. That was why although some players spotted it, most didn��t even catch a glimpse. And usually when that happened, most players went ��You must be seeing things.��, ��How is it possible that such a thing exists?��, ��Stop trying to scare us.��, etc. It went without saying that the accused players weren��t willing to take the rep, which explained why there were often posts in the forum, such as ��I saw a huge, crimson eyeball while raiding XXX dungeon today. Has anyone else seen it too? Please provide screenshots or videos as evidence!��


    With the increase of such posts, it naturally piqued the interest of many players. Even though most of them didn��t run into the crimson eye, every now and then, there were players who posted something similar on the forum and swore that they weren��t mistaken. Not only that, but the posts were also written by players with different IDs, so that naturally attracted a lot of interest from players. A good Samaritan once compiled all the posts and found out that even though the dungeons had different difficulties and BOSSes, there was something in common; the dungeons were linked to Chaos.


    It was at that moment the ��Crimson Eye of the Chaos Void�� was added to the ��Seven Mysteries�� of Dragon Soul Continent. And at some point, players circulated the rumor that this huge eyeball was, in fact, Chaos that was monitoring Order inhabitants and waiting for the moment to destroy them completely.


    After the third major update of the game, the opportunities for players to meet Chaos increased greatly. The chances of one encountering this crimson eyeball became much more common. There was a time when a player, who was recording a BOSS fight, turned around unintentionally and captured an image of that rumored crimson eyeball. It was at that moment that the rumor that had been making the rounds on the Internet was finally confirmed.


    Even until this point, Rhode would shiver with fear whenever he recalled that video. A huge crimson eye concealed in the Chaos fog and watched quietly from the back as the players spared no effort in fighting a BOSS. Just the thought of that scene left one��s hair standing.


    Thereafter, that was how the title of the Chaos Eye spread. What was unfathomable was that even though players didn��t know what it was, most agreed that it was definitely something bad. And amidst the rumors, Rhode got a somewhat bizarre piece of information.


    Legend had it that this Chaos Eye was the core of Chaos. It concealed itself to monitor the Dragon Soul Continent and waited for the perfect opportunity for it to destroy the world�� However, no one knew whether a bored player made up this information or was it actually true.


    Rhode didn��t get to encounter the crimson eye. He didn��t know whether it was good or bad luck for his guild. Everyone had basically heard of this rumor, but no one actually saw it. And now, Rhode finally witnessed it with his own eyes��


    For some unknown reason, the moment he saw the crimson eye, he instinctively felt like the rumors that spread across the Internet might possibly be true. Because he did sense an unprecedented and unparalleled aura of Chaos exuding from the crimson eye that shrouded everyone in an instant.


    ��We have been watching you����


    That voice didn��t respond to Rhode, but continued to speak in an incredibly calm and deep voice, leaving one in shuddering fear.


    ���� You have indeed defeated an emissary of Chaos. But this is only the start�� Chaos is endless. We shall devour you and make everything return to Chaos����


    The crimson eye came to a pause, blinked, and continued.


    ���� I��m excited to see�� the final destruction of Order�� Struggle all you can, little mice. You shall eventually head down a road to ruin. I shall personally witness how you, who lost the Order Star, come up with ways to resist our arrival�� I��m looking forward to it����


    Along with this sentence, the ��flower�� before everyone lifted its head and closed its petals gradually. Looking at this scene, Erin and Rhode were instantly prepared for battle. But what surprised them was that the crimson eye didn��t attack them. On the contrary, it returned to Ion��s body instead.


    The ��flower stalk�� and ��petals�� coalesced by the power of Chaos melted like snow in front of everyone, completely vanishing from sight. And along with the disappearance of the crimson eye, Ion��s massive dragon body melted into a puddle of rotting, festering, and fuzzy flesh.


    Looking at this scene, Rhode and Erin turned grim and solemn. They exchanged looks, spotting the uncertainty in each other��s eyes. It was apparent that Ion was an idiot who was sold by Chaos. All in all, he was nothing more than one of Chaos��s thugs. And now, since the thug was sold, perhaps what would happen next would be an all-out attack from Chaos. In that case, it would certainly be a huge blow to Rhode��s side.


    ��Seems like we need to prepare ourselves right after we head back.��


    Rhode let out a helpless sigh and said. Upon hearing his words, Erin nodded with worry. Even though the battle between Order and Chaos lasted a long time, as dragon soul heirs, they had never fought against high-level Chaos creatures. After all, with the dragon soul protection, most Chaos beings weren��t able to enter the Dragon Soul Continent and battle dragon soul heirs. At most, dragon soul heirs would only face existences on the level of Chaos Lords. But now, they were finally about to enter a war with the most ancient and primordial Chaos species that had existed almost since the birth of this entire continent.


    But now, the most important thing to Erin wasn��t facing ancient Chaos, but her big brother.


    ��Big Brother����


    She looked at the crumbling, decaying body before her with a complicated expression, opening her mouth. She didn��t know what to say. But at that moment, Ion, who had closed his eyes, suddenly opened them and tried to lift his head and look at Rhode and Erin in the distance. Upon seeing Ion��s actions, the players, including Rhode, were prepared for another battle.


    Could it be that this fella has decided to step forth with his triple transformation?


    But this time, Ion didn��t have the intention to fight anymore. On the contrary, his eyes that were eroded by Chaos gradually returned to their original clarity. The power of Chaos faded away from him slowly. Despite that, he was like a terminally-ill old man. There was no way to rescue him anymore.


    ���� In the end, I still lost.��


    Ion gazed at his younger sister and said slowly.


    ��I always wanted to win, Erin. But I have never achieved any true victories, be it against you or the Void Dragon�� Even until now, I don��t know why I lost.��


    ��Big Brother�� I����


    Upon hearing Ion��s words, Erin bit her lip and was at a loss for words. Why did Ion lose? Erin didn��t know. She also couldn��t understand why her big brother was so stubborn. However, Ion had no intention of explaining. His life force was disappearing from his body gradually, so much so that he didn��t have the strength to raise his head any longer.


    ��I betrayed everything; Father, Mother, Younger Sister, the country, and Order. And yet, I didn��t get what I wanted in the end. Perhaps this is my fate. From the moment I made that decision, that��s where I finally belonged. But there��s no need to mourn me. I deserve it�� No matter what, at least I can still get failure����


    ��Big Brother����


    ��Erin, I can only go so far�� to be influenced and deceived by Chaos and eventually die like a pawn. This is my end, but not the end for all of you�� You must beware of Chaos. Their strength is far more than any of you can imagine, and��.��


    Ion said and came to a pause.


    ���� I have awakened the souls of the Dragon Cemetery and made them the minions of Chaos�� All of you�� have no time left����


    Ion��s voice became fainter and eventually disappeared. At the same time, his body metamorphosed into a mysterious radiance, broke down into cloudy grains of sand that flew in all directions, and vanished thoroughly.


    ��


    But at that moment, instead of the joy of victory, Rhode��s face darkened.


    Damn you�� Must you screw us over even on the verge of death?

 Chapter 1286 - Trouble Ensues

    The operation was a complete success.


    Ion was dead and the void storm had been completely blown out by Rhode, which meant that he eliminated one of Chaos��s abilities to strike. As the void storm couldn��t differentiate between time and space, even if one were to use teleportation, it wouldn��t work. As long as one were planning to enter the Dragon Soul Continent through the void storm, one would surely head down a road to ruin. This way, there was one less offensive channel for Chaos, and Rhode could deploy his forces to defend elsewhere. Despite all these circumstances, the battle that Rhode planned was perfect from start to finish and could be said to be almost flawless. However, Ion��s last words sickened him.


    Of course, Rhode knew what the Dragon Cemetery was. It was the final resting place for all dragons that served the Dark Dragon. In other words, buried in that place were the corpses of all dragon races since the founding of the Country of Darkness, and there was an absolutely huge number. Even though Rhode wasn��t sure of the exact number, after inquiring from Erin, he was utterly speechless.


    1530 of them.


    Although they were night wyverns and not Dark Dragons, it was enough to give Rhode a huge headache. Night wyverns were the dependents of the Dark Dragon. Besides, as most of the dragon races possessed longevity, apart from those who died from illness and old age, most died in battles. This went to show how ferocious and powerful the night wyverns were while they were alive. After Rhode knew that Ion sold their corpses to Chaos, he couldn��t imagine what they had turned into. Strictly speaking, the power of Chaos was formidable. That was why Rhode didn��t fight Ion head-on, but ambushed him instead. If he were to fight head-on, Ion would be supported by the power of Chaos. His spiritual powers would be unlimited, and he could cast infinite skills without ever worrying about overconsumption. On the other hand, Rhode didn��t have a source of power or someone like that on his side. If a frontal battle were prolonged, he would consume a lot of power even if he won.


    That was why Rhode chose the ��backstabbing�� strategy; everything turned out as smoothly as he expected. Ion was swept into the void storm, losing almost half his life. Due to dealing with the energized Erin and Rhode��s shameless mass-combat tactic, Ion had the hell beaten out of him. During the process, Erin had also almost lost her life. If it weren��t for Mini Bubble Gum��s quick reflexes, perhaps it would have been hard to determine the final winner.


    Although the manifestation of the power of Chaos was really strong in Ion��s body (since he was once a dragon soul heir), in the game, Rhode led a party of 100 players and successfully took Ion��s head. And now, Rhode sent a total of four parties and Erin, who served as the main tanker, to eliminate Ion, who was left with half health. This went to show just how strong Ion was after he was influenced by Chaos.


    And inferring from this, the corpses of more than a thousand night wyverns would perhaps be as equally terrifying after being influenced by Chaos. Even if they weren��t at the level of Erin as the moon princess previously, they were most likely not too far off. The thought of facing thousands of them made Rhode��s stomach hurt. The number of dragons had been dwindling constantly, and now, there were only a few dozen night wyverns left. According to Erin, they were in hibernation. If she hadn��t gone to wake them up, they would never step out of their nest even if the end of the world was approaching. It was also fortunate for them that their hibernation place wasn��t too far away, but was still out of Chaos�� range. Otherwise, the situation would turn out even more dangerous.


    Rhode had no idea where the wyverns of the Country of Light went to. It was also possible that they found an unknown hibernation cave like the night wyverns and decided to hibernate until the end of the world. But the problem was that the Dragon Soul Continent was so huge and according to the characteristics of the dragon race, it was also normal for them to find an unknown wilderness. Even if they were alive, how many of them were left?


    Rhode also wasn��t sure about the rule wyverns as they were the absolute secret of the Country of Law. But fortunately, the twin dragons weren��t as innocent and naive as Lilian, to the extent that they didn��t know where they were��


    Ugh, come to think of it, I��m also the Void Dragon. So�� Where are my dependents?


    ��The Void Dragon has no dependents, Big Brother.��


    After hearing from Rhode who hurried back to inquire, his sister responded with a somewhat helpless grin.


    ��My dependents were all sacrificed in the resistance against Chaos when the Dragon Soul Continent was first constructed. For that reason, I created the seven deity wardens as my dependents instead.��


    ��I see����


    Upon hearing the younger sister��s answer, Rhode was entirely speechless. It seemed like his younger sister had a rough time when she created the Dragon Soul Continent. He also learned more about the situation back then from her and found out that when the five Creator Dragons were born, they were accompanied and served by dragon dependents. Thereafter, when they defended against the power of Chaos when building the Dragon Soul Continent, many of them had fallen. And now, it seemed like the one who sacrificed the most was his younger sister. He also didn��t expect all of her dependents to die, so much so that she had no choice but to create the seven deity wardens as her dependents instead.


    As for the Light Dragon��s dependents��


    ��Apologies, Big Brother. I��m not the Light Dragon; only she knows where her dependents are.��


    Leaning against Rhode��s side and gazing at the beautiful, starry sky above her, the young lady shook her head with a helpless smile and said. As Rhode used his power to support 30,000 elite players, it resulted in only his younger sister having the power of the Void Dragon now. While he was out fighting, she was only able to stay behind in Grandia in case anything went wrong. But fortunately, there had been no trouble as Rhode returned from eliminating Ion.


    Hmm�� It looks like a total loss then.


    ��This is getting really troublesome����


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s response, Rhode felt really helpless. The Chaos Eye appeared, and this meant that Chaos might possibly launch an attack on the Dragon Soul Continent sooner than he expected. Even though most of his plans were successful, he still needed more time to prepare for the continent��s transmigration. During this period, if more than a thousand wyverns influenced by Chaos were to show up with the Chaos creatures, it would surely cause an immense headache. As a matter of fact, Rhode knew that there wasn��t any purpose in gathering the dependents of all five Creator Dragons now. Because as time passed, the number of dragon dependents declined. As of now, there were only a few dozens of night wyverns alive, so what was the point of having a surprising number of hundreds of rule wyverns? He only had 30,000 players on his side, which was far from enough to deal with just one night wyvern on the enemy��s side.


    �� But��


    At that moment, Rhode suddenly recalled something more important. And that was the Chaos Eye��s final statement before it disappeared.


    ���� I shall personally witness how you, who lost the Order Star, come up with ways to resist our arrival����


    ��What is the Order Star all about?��


    A while back, Rhode heard about the Order Star from his younger sister and the other Creator Dragons. But all along, he didn��t have a clear idea of what it was. All he knew was that the Order Star was crucial in resisting and extracting the power of Chaos, in turn converting the power to Order. It could also be considered to be the perfect version of Cassidy. But according to the younger sister, they lost the Order Star when fleeing from Chaos and couldn��t retrieve it��


    ������


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, his younger sister fell into silence all of a sudden. She leaned on his shoulder and looked at the starry sky quietly. Upon realizing her reaction, Rhode knitted his brows and instinctively reckoned that something was wrong. He understood his younger sister so well that he could read her thoughts based on her actions. The fact that she didn��t reply instantly most likely proved that she was deceived by the Order Star, and that experience left a deep impression on her.


    After a few moments, the younger sister replied.


    ��Big Brother, do you know? When the Dragon Soul Continent was first constructed, we didn��t intend to build it in Chaos��s space.��


    ��Oh?��


    Rhode couldn��t help but twitch his brow. He knew that the Dragon Soul Continent survived in the interstice of Chaos��s space and if it weren��t for the dragon soul protections, it would only take minutes for Chaos to infiltrate the continent. And after he learned from his younger sister that they didn��t intend to do so initially, he felt rather amused. However, he wasn��t too surprised by their decision because he knew that his younger sister was a stickler for perfection. Although she wasn��t exactly a perfectionist, she was all about getting something done once and for all. As for building shelters for Order creatures to take refuge in�� one wouldn��t be willing to risk putting an important place in Chaos because it was too dangerous.


    But eventually, the Creator Dragons still did it, which meant that his younger sister definitely faced some difficulties.


    ��I��m sure you��ve realized it, Big Brother. Building a shelter in Chaos��s space will eventually turn out this way. We have to be on guard against the invasion of Chaos at all times. Order is limited, while Chaos is infinite. We can��t go on fighting forever, be it in the game or reality. That was why from the start, we didn��t intend to build the shelter here.��


    ��Was that why you guys chose to transmigrate to other worlds to try your luck instead?��


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s response, Rhode felt a little dubious. Wasn��t that the reason why the Creator Dragons risked their lives to transmigrate to Earth?


    ��No����


    But to his surprise, the younger sister shook her head.


    ��It isn��t entirely safe, after all. Besides, back then we were just born, so we didn��t understand our world too well. In that case, how would we dare to head to other places? What if that place is more dangerous than here? What if we can��t adapt to the environment?��


    ��That��s true����


    Upon hearing the younger sister��s response, Rhode nodded. Back then, the five Creator Dragons weren��t exactly the Gods of creation. They were merely essences born within Order. They were still inhabitants of this world, after all. It was like when mankind faced extinction, they wouldn��t leave Earth unless it was essential. And it was apparent that back then, the Creator Dragons didn��t reach the stage of ��essential��.


    ��At that time, we had the Order Star. You��re aware of its capabilities now, Big Brother. It can convert Chaos into Order and provide us with the power we need. That was also why in our earlier plan, the others hoped that you could find and retrieve the Order Star. It can endlessly convert the power of Chaos into Order and resist the infiltration of Chaos. As long as we have it in our hands, it will be as though we have an invincible barrier over us.��


    ��Yes.��


    Rhode nodded in agreement. Back then when he returned to Earth, the other Creator Dragons did tell him that. In order for Rhode��s plan to succeed, the Order Star was vital. That was why they repeatedly urged him to find the Order Star. Without it, no one was sure whether his plan would work.


    ��But the truth is otherwise.��


    The younger sister continued and at that moment, Rhode felt her body tightening. Upon detecting his gaze, she gnashed her teeth. After a while, as though she made up her mind, she bit her teeth and confessed.


    ��We didn��t lose the Order Star. I was the one who destroyed it.��


    ��What?��


    Upon hearing her words, Rhode was stupefied. He widened his eyes and stared at his younger sister in disbelief. He didn��t expect this to happen at all. That was the Order Star. According to the other Creator Dragons, wasn��t it the source of Order? In that case, why did his younger sister destroy it? What problem did it have?


    ��Our initial thought was that since we own the Order Star, we might as well convert this world entirely; we wanted to make Chaos disappear and turn this world into a world dominated by Order. Perhaps that was a little challenging for us, but it wasn��t entirely impossible. As I possess the power of space, as long as I control the Order Star and convert Chaos into Order endlessly, one day, we will be able to change this world entirely.��


    ��That����


    Rhode was flabbergasted. He could imagine how massive of a project that was. Chaos was infinite and his younger sister actually decided to rely upon the Order Star and change the unlimited Chaos. One couldn��t imagine how much determination and patience one needed to achieve that. But Rhode had to admit that this was indeed a great solution. Since she couldn��t change herself, she could still change the world. Since she had the Order Star, a heavenly artifact that existed since the start of the world, it wasn��t surprising that she had this ambition.


    But�� It seemed like the result wasn��t as wonderful as she expected.


    Indeed. Shortly after, his younger sister continued.


    ��Back then, the other four Creator Dragons were in charge of defense, while I was responsible for driving the conversion ritual of the Order Star. At the start, the conversion ritual went really well. We once thought we could change the world completely. But���� The young lady lowered her head all of a sudden. Her long eyelashes trembled unceasingly, while her dark pupils glinted with sadness and helplessness. ���� We failed. Because I found out the true secret of the Order Star!��


    ��Secret?��


    This piqued Rhode��s curiosity. His younger sister nodded firmly, clenched her fists, and her voice shook.


    ��We weren��t controlling the Order Star at all because it wasn��t an Order Star, in the first place! We mistook it for an artifact that could convert Chaos to Order. But as a matter of fact, it was the reason why we got into this situation! Big Brother, you should know that cars on Earth burn gasoline and diesel for power before emitting exhaust fumes, right? If you compare the ��Order Star�� to a car, Chaos would be its power source, while we, inhabitants of Order, are its emissions!��


    ���� Really?��


    Rhode couldn��t stay calm any longer.


    ��Yes, Chaos is a shattered form of Order, but it isn��t nothingness. Big Brother, it is a really smart choice to defy Chaos using the void storm; it��s even better than our decision back then. But for that reason, Order isn��t needed for Chaos. But shattered, incomplete Order is what drives Chaos. If you compare Order to a slate, Chaos will need to smash the slate in order to gain existence. But every slate fragment will form a new presence of Order, which is why the process is repetitive until the slate is crushed into fine powder. And we, the individual embodiment of Order, are the manifestation of those fine powder.��


    The younger sister paused, lifted her head, and her eyes glinted in bright flashes.


    ��All that we��re doing is nothing more than a cycle. The more I try to drive the Order Star, the more I��m getting food ready for Chaos. We thought the space of Order was slowly expanding, but didn��t expect that Chaos was waiting for us to use the Order Star and reintegrate the Order fragments that they no longer had any ��nutritional value��, so as to re-shatter, twist, and destroy it to gain its power!��


    ��So that��s why����


    Rhode��s heart sank. He imagined how cruel it was. It was like a group of children trying their best to build sandcastles by the beach. Meanwhile, an adult standing beside them was admiring their work. However, the adult wasn��t only admiring, but was also waiting for the children to finish building the sandcastle to destroy it in a single stomp.


    ��That��s right. When I realized that, the entire space of Order was almost completed. The instant we were about to fully reintegrate the shattered Order fragments, the Order Star in my possession suddenly turned into a presence of Chaos, letting all our efforts go to waste. That was why I destroyed the Order Star at the final moment and sent out my dependents to defy Chaos. Later, I used my ��space�� attribute and fused the remaining space of Order that was almost complete, making the Dragon Soul Continent.��


    The younger sister forced a bitter laugh before looking at Rhode again.


    ��So, Big Brother�� We don��t have the Order Star to complete our plan�� Because it was destroyed by me.��


    ��But you still have other ways, right?��


    Facing the younger sister��s confession, Rhode didn��t seem all that agitated. He was aware that since his younger sister admitted to all of this during this critical moment, she surely wouldn��t let his efforts go to waste.


    And indeed, upon hearing his question, the younger sister revealed a gentle smile.


    ��That��s right, Big Brother. I have a solution�� As long as you gather all the holy sword cards, we will have a way to replace the Order Star and protect this continent.��

 Chapter 1287 - Time for a Break

    After speaking to his younger sister, finding the last two holy sword cards became the top priority for Rhode. Meanwhile, he also learned from his younger sister the holy sword cards existed not only because of their power, but because of their ��attributes��. The truth was that after the Order Star was destroyed, his younger sister came up with ways to recreate a device that could truly resist and convert Chaos.


    That was when Cassidy was created. However, without the need for his younger sister to mention it, Rhode knew that her experiments failed because Cassidy��s power was ��contrast��. In that case, no matter how much Chaos she converted to Order, she would also create an equal amount of Chaos at the same time. Besides, there was only one Cassidy, and there were times when she couldn��t hold on.


    That was why his younger sister eventually came up with the idea to create an enchanted field that manifested all elements of the Dragon Soul Continent, blended them perfectly into one, and protected the entirety of the continent. In the end, her ambition was to seal 10 powerful heroic spirits of different races onto individual weapons, gather them, and form an enchanted field that wouldn��t be invaded by Chaos from various ��theoretical perspectives��.


    For that reason, the younger sister entrusted this task to Karin. As a matter of fact, Karin had indeed found ways to seal heroic spirits into weapons, which led to the holy sword cards being created. Apart from Celia who guarded his younger sister, the rest were all asleep in various locations in the Dragon Soul Continent.


    That was also why the Void Dragon created the class of Spirit Swordsman. With the existence of Spirit Swordsmen, the heroic spirits could be awakened from their sleep and gathered in one place. And now, Rhode had awakened seven out of 10 holy sword cards. As long as he awakened the last three cards, he could begin the construction of the enchanted field.


    But despite that, the remaining three cards were tough to deal with.


    According to Celestina, as the three heroes were overly powerful, Karin sealed them in three individual books. Amongst them, Rhode was fortunate enough to rely upon Lapis��s luck in retrieving the Book of Death. The last two, Book of Life and Book of Elements, were nowhere to be seen. Rhode had asked the twin dragons and Lilian, and their responses made him almost bang his head onto the wall. The twin dragons stated that the Book of Elements existed and was always safeguarded by the elves. But after the Creation War, the book went missing. On the other hand, the Book of Life was much easier to find. Lilian said she had seen that book. However, that book was on display in Casabianca��s palace as some kind of antique treasure.


    So�� You know��


    After hearing their answers, Rhode felt completely helpless. It had been years since the Creation War and since the Book of Elements was missing, the chances of finding it back was close to zero. Meanwhile, even though he confirmed the location of the Book of Life, the problem was that Casabianca was reduced to ruins after it was trampled on and bombarded by the undead army and his magic warships. The only thing Rhode could do now was pray that the Book of Life was still waiting to be excavated by him under the ruins. If it were taken away by some undead creatures along the way�� Rhode felt like he would be on the verge of committing suicide.


    Despite that, what had to be found must be found. Shortly after, Rhode informed the Queen Elf to search for the Book of Elements. Since the Book of Elements was safeguarded by the elves before, relevant information had to be written and documented somewhere. Moreover, elves were also a long-lived race, where perhaps some ��immortals�� among them knew its whereabouts. Of course, for safety��s sake, Rhode also checked with Nell and Lapis. No matter what, the dark elves and alchemical elves branched out from the main elf race, after all. If the Book of Elements wasn��t in elf territory, it might also be possibly snatched by the breakaways.


    As it involved the future of the continent, the three of them agreed to Rhode��s request without much hesitation. The Queen Elf mobilized her subjects to search for information about the book. Nell gathered intelligence from the dark elf families. On the other hand, Lapis didn��t need to go through all the trouble. She just had to recall the residual memories that the Behermes left behind would do the job. But despite that, it wasn��t a task that could be done in a short period. All Rhode could do now was to wait for their findings.


    As for Casabianca, Rhode decided to head there personally. Not only that, but he also brought along all the holy sword cards. Since they had telepathy with one another, perhaps they would discover the book��s location much easier.


    But��


    ��Say, we aren��t here for a field trip.��


    Gazing at the huge group ahead, Rhode was utterly speechless.


    It had been a long time since the destruction of Casabianca, and now, it was almost like a dead city. However, not everything perished alongside it. Humans avoided the area instinctively, but plants didn��t abandon their roots. At that moment, Casabianca was like a paradise for plants. Fresh green grass topped the heavy stone slabs. Broken walls were littered with creepers. Large holes that formed under the bombardments of magical warships turned into clean ponds. Bright, dazzling lakes by the side shimmered under the sunlight. At a glance, this run-down, dead city before them actually unveiled life in a whole new form. According to his younger sister, this was the result of Lillian��s deepest and sincerest hopes. After all, she was the dragon soul heir of the Light Dragon. It was only natural that the city transformed to her wishes.


    But now, this place became like an amusement park. At least for some people.


    ��I don��t remember coming here for a field trip.��


    Rhode stared at the group of young ladies having fun, turned around, and spoke sternly to his younger sister who sat beside him. Upon hearing his words, his younger sister twitched her brow and revealed a calm smile. Then, she lifted a cup of tea from the stone table, took a sip, and replied.


    ��So what, Big Brother? It��s about time for everyone to catch a break. We must strike a balance between work and rest. They will collapse sooner or later if they continue to tense up all day.��


    ��That��s true����


    Facing the younger sister��s words, Rhode didn��t have much of a response. He gazed ahead with an odd expression and shrugged.


    ��But I don��t see how they are here to help.��


    That��s right. It was just like what he mentioned. Thereafter, he decided to bring the seven holy sword spirits to Casabianca and find clues regarding the Book of Life��s whereabouts. But after the others learned about this, they changed for the worse.


    First, it was Anne who threw a tantrum, insisting she tagged along. Second, Mini Bubble Gum dragged her original self along, as well as the two Canarys. Then, Lize and Marlene heard about this news under Mini Bubble Gum��s wide promotion, which was why they looked for Rhode, hoping that they could visit Casabianca together. Not only that, but Christie and Lapis also raised the same request. On the other hand, since they were headed to Casabianca, Lilian and Sonia also wouldn��t let this chance go to waste. And apart from them, his younger sister was surely interested in tagging along too.


    As a result, Rhode, whose brain was being tossed around by the crowd, simply waved his generous arm and announced.


    ��Just join me if you want!��


    In the end, he didn��t expect every single one of them to join him!


    As of now, the two Mini Bubble Gums were making a big fuss in their fishing contest by a distant lake. Marlene and the two Canarys sat down and leaned against a tree to read books and rest in the peaceful atmosphere. Meanwhile, Anne dragged Christie, Bell, and Lesa to the lawn on the other side. Rhode was unsure of what they were up to. Lilian and Sonia said to go for a stroll after arriving in Casabianca and shortly after, they were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they had gone somewhere to reminiscence. On this side, Lize and Lapis were preparing lunch for everyone, but��


    Ladies�� Are all of you really here to help me look for the Book of Life?


    ��Forget it. Let��s just relax.��


    As much as Rhode wanted to criticize them on the inside, he had to admit that it was also about time for everyone to let their hair down. Everyone was so busy with their own matters this whole time. Lapis and Lesa were occupied in preparing for the earlier battle. Christie was working on strengthening herself. Marlene had even more on her plate. Not only did she have to make sure the plan was foolproof, but she also had to ensure there were no issues within the Void Territory. With Sonia��s assistance, Lilian also did her best in dealing with immigration from the Country of Light. It was indeed hectic enough to say that it had been a tiring period for everyone.


    And it was about time for them to finally relax.


    But�� This serene, beautiful scene left Rhode deeply moved��


    It was especially so after he considered the fact that many of them had ��intimate encounters�� with him, which made him feel rather proud. A man would normally be proud embracing women in both his left and right arms.


    Look at me�� The number of them here is enough to form a raid party. If we were on Earth, I wonder how it would turn out if I brought this group of ladies out to the streets.


    ��Are you not gonna check everyone out, Big Brother?��


    ��It����


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s question, Rhode couldn��t help but feel awkward. Even though it was good news that his younger sister was revived, having to make a choice between her and someone else also gave him a bit of a headache. Of course, he couldn��t possibly neglect the rest after having his younger sister back. After all, they were all his responsibility, so he had to take care of them. But he seldom cared for others in front of his younger sister, that was. As a matter of fact, he also rarely behaved intimately with other women in the presence of another because he was well aware that women got jealous easily��unless they slept in the same bed countless times with him together, like Lize and Marlene, or were like the carefree Anne who didn��t care about others. It was especially so for the seemingly meek, honest, and quiet type of women. Even now, Rhode had chills all over his body whenever he recalled the time Lapis answered him ��shyly�� in the Darkness Capital. Fortunately, he always did good deeds. If not, he would have angered Lapis and cause her to detonate the Plane Destruction Bombs, so as to be with him forever. And that would be the worst ending of all.


    Luckily, Lapis didn��t bash her head against a brick wall��


    ��I mean to look for our daughter.��


    Upon realizing his awkwardness, his younger sister stopped teasing him, let out a chuckle, and spoke. After hearing her words, Rhode returned to his senses, nodded, and gazed at the young lady playing in the flower field ahead with complicated emotions.


    ��Frankly�� I��m not mentally prepared yet����


    ��Me too����


    The moment Christie was mentioned, Rhode and his younger sister seemed torn and the reason for that was simple. Even now, they didn��t know how to explain to Christie where she came from and that they were her real parents. Rhode had a hard time explaining his side of the story. On the other hand, his younger sister initially decided to acknowledge Christie as her daughter, but after hearing from Rhode about Christie��s horrible encounters, his bewildered younger sister began to hesitate about her decision.


    The reason why she sent the unborn spirit to Christie using her final power was so she could produce a child that was the result of her love with her big brother. His younger sister always thought that it wasn��t tough to acknowledge their relationship later. But in the end, upon learning that Christie suffered so much after being born and wasn��t healthy even now, his younger sister was at a loss for words. Just like Rhode, she was afraid that Christie would hate them after learning the truth. After all, they brought her into this world, but weren��t there for her when she needed them, leaving her to suffer on her own instead. That was why it wasn��t entirely impossible that Christie harbored some hatred toward her biological parents. And that thought of their biological daughter expressing disgust toward her, not even Rhode or his younger sister, who was a former Void Dragon, would be able to accept it. Even though the seven deity wardens were also created by his younger sister as dependents, dependents were still different from a life born from love, after all��


    That was why both of them were depressed at the thought of facing Christie. Even though Rhode and his younger sister were in a favorable relationship with Christie, they were still lacking in confidence�� To a certain degree, Rhode felt like he and his younger sister were a pair of foolish parents.


    ��I��ll go.��


    Rhode let out a helpless sigh, stood up, and headed toward the flower field.


    As Rhode stepped onto the flower field, he heard Christie��s and Anne��s crisp, melodious laughter right away. At a glance, the two young ladies were picking colorful flowers and seemingly making a wreath, while Bell and Lesa sat silently beside them. Bell and Lesa were more quiet compared to the lively Christie and Anne. However, perhaps after spending a lot of time with Christie, Bell tried to help a little. Meanwhile, Lesa put aside her silver staff and looked at the three of them having fun as her adorable face remained expressionless. Upon seeing Rhode��s arrival, Lesa��s eyes glinted. She lifted her head and looked at him in silence.


    ��Ugh����


    Rhode couldn��t help but feel awkward upon detecting her gaze. Ever since that night in the Darkness Capital, Lesa kept following him around without making a noise. According to her, psychics existed to serve the Creator Dragons, and the previous ��ritual�� was the equivalent of Rhode acknowledging her identity. Therefore, as a qualified psychic, Lesa had to stay by his side to satisfy his desires at all times, so to speak.


    Judging from this, Anne and Lesa were somewhat similar. However, Anne was active, while Lesa was passive. The latter followed Rhode around and as long as he wanted it, she wouldn��t reject. But after that incident in the Darkness Capital, Rhode didn��t lay hands on her again. As for the reason�� After all, things happened for a reason back then, and Rhode wasn��t only thinking using his lower body.


    ��Christie, how are you feeling?��


    After raising his arm and waving to Lesa, Rhode turned to Christie. Upon hearing his voice, Christie looked up hurriedly and revealed a gentle smile.


    ���� Rhode�� Good�� I��m happy�� That everyone is accompanying me����


    ��Great.��


    Rhode nodded with a smile as soon as he saw hers. But at that moment, his heart grew bitter. Christie��s smile grew happier, and it made it even harder for Rhode to tell her about her true background��


    Must I keep it from her forever?


    At that moment, Christie stood to her feet, raised her arms, and scuttled toward him with an excited grin. Rhode saw two small, nifty wreaths in her hands.


    ��Big Sister Anne and I�� made this together�� I want to give it�� to you�� and Big Sister����


    ��Thank you, Christie.��


    After accepting her gift and pinning it on his hair, Rhode stroked Christie��s head tenderly. The young lady narrowed her eyes in blissfulness upon hearing his praise, and Rhode let out an inward sigh.


    Looks like this can wait. It won��t be too late to tell her the truth after we transmigrate the Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system.

 Chapter 1288 - Everyone’s Will

    After spending some time with Christie and the rest, Rhode turned around and left. It seemed like the young ladies were elated that they got the chance to have fun today. Although Anne and Lesa kept hinting to Rhode that he could join them for more ��fun�� activities, considering the fact that his younger sister and the innocent Christie and Bell were around, he wasn��t willing to educate his daughter in the wrong stuff.


    After taking a stroll by Christie��s side, Rhode went to look for Mini Bubble Gum. Earlier, he stayed with his younger sister mainly to accompany her. Now that he was done with his younger sister and daughter, he naturally had to care for the rest since they were his supportive wings most of the time. Since his harem was so huge, it went without saying that the most capable people had to do the most work.


    But what left him speechless was that those two clowns were still fishing!


    Can those two even catch a fish while screaming and jumping by the shore?


    ��How��s the catch?��


    Upon reaching the lake, Rhode swept a glance at the turquoise water before him and asked. But, in fact, he knew without asking that these two clowns didn��t catch a single fish. Although he sensed the presence of several huge fish in the lake�� Not even the most foolish of fish would take their bait while they screamed like they were in a karaoke room.


    ��Hahaha, Leader, we caught none!��


    ��Yea, yea! Not even one!��


    It was often said that people with similar personalities were either close friends or enemies. And now, these two Bubbles were apparently ��joined at the hip�� like a single person. The fact that they were in a frenzy together made Rhode shake his head. And as a matter of fact, there was indeed not even one fish in their bucket. But the look of those two laughing as though they were cracking a joke left him utterly speechless.


    ��Why? I thought you two were having a contest?��


    Rhode remembered clearly when the two Bubbles said to compete in a fishing contest and ridiculed each other for being worse than the other. Not only that, but they also grabbed their fishing rods and said to treat everyone to a feast of 100 braised, stewed, and fried fishes. But it didn��t take long for these two rascals to become drunk buddies in a karaoke room?


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Bubble No. 2 giggled and said.


    ��That was what happened, Leader. We were going to settle our argument, but after some thought we changed our minds. Wasn��t this place crushed to smithereens by us? Think about it. There were corpses everywhere and the fish in the lake are so huge. Who knows whether they fed on the corpses? What if we discover human bones in the fish stomachs when we grill them? Can you imagine how disgusting it would be? So for the sake of everyone��s appetite, we decided to give it up!��


    ������


    The corner of Rhode��s eyes couldn��t help but twitch.


    What a surprise that these two rascals are actually so considerate for the rest. Well, this isn��t too bad, anyway. If they were to catch a huge bucket of fishes, cook them, and then discuss how many corpses the fishes fed on, perhaps everyone would really lose their appetites�� Seems like they have learned to hold back a lot already.


    ��Where��s Little Icy?��


    ��She ran off as soon as we started discussing the problem.��


    Earlier on, Icy Snow looked reluctant as she was dragged over by them to be the contest judge. No wonder Rhode didn��t see her around. But what surprised him was that she was, in fact, scared off by both of them. Frankly speaking, he suspected whether the two Bubbles had actually planned to disgust Icy Snow when they pulled her over in the first place. Judging by the lack of integrity in them, it wasn��t entirely impossible.


    ��So what exactly are both of you discussing?��


    As the saying ��one woman equaled 500 ducks�� went, there were actually 1000 ducks here with the two Bubbles around. Earlier on when Rhode came over, his head almost exploded just by hearing their squabbles.


    They can��t have been discussing how many corpses the fishes fed on for so long�� Although they are delusional, they shouldn��t be that insane, right?


    ��We are discussing the ensuing issues after heading back, Leader.��


    It was the original Bubble who answered this time.


    ��Leader, didn��t you say to bring the Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system? We��re discussing whether we should head to Earth to have fun or teach them a lesson so they won��t look down upon us. Or maybe we can set up a secret organization on Earth like those guys in comics where they manipulated the world in secret. Isn��t that a nice touch?��


    Upon hearing their gibberish, Rhode finally understood what was going through their heads. It seemed like they were considering how they should go about getting along with planet Earth after the Dragon Soul Continent was transported to the solar system. But due to their personality, they couldn��t come up with any good ideas. They would either dispatch troops to dominate Earth or establish a secret organization to manipulate the planet. Anyway, those were only bits and pieces that would come out of comics, books, and movies.


    But��


    So they do feel anxious too, huh?


    Rhode couldn��t help but let out an inward sigh at the sight of the two excited young ladies. He had indeed neglected what others thought. As days went by, almost everyone felt nervous. It was just like counting down to the college entrance exam. Whenever one saw the ��X Days Left Until The Exam�� on the board, one would more or less feel a sense of urgency. And now, the two Bubbles were as though discussing which university they would get into and lead a nice life before taking the college entrance exam. In fact, things hadn��t even begun to take shape yet.


    After giving Rhode a brief idea of their intentions, the two Bubbles turned around and continued to sketch their ��Earth Domination Program��, from how to build a base for a secret organization, their recruitment, how they would spread their beliefs, and how to control authority at the top�� Rhode could only say that those two had watched too many animated films.


    At that moment, Rhode also agreed with his younger sister that giving everyone a break was a decent choice. All this while, they were on edge. After all, one had never attempted to transmigrate their continent to another plane. Even his younger sister and the rest just transmigrated in their spirits and didn��t transmigrate alongside the entire continent. Even if the likelihood of success was calculated theoretically, no one knew what would happen until it succeeded. Maybe the entire continent would crumble or the transmigration would fail. No one could be sure of anything. Everyone did their best, but even so they were still unsure about the future. If Rhode didn��t let them take a breather, there was a good chance that they would collapse at the most critical juncture later on due to stress. When that happened, things would be even more dire.


    It seemed like after Rhode headed back, he should also let the rest of his subordinates take a break. If not, it would be too late for him to regret it if they broke down during critical battles.


    Looks like they are already discussing the off-topic issue of how they should lead the army against the United Nations Command. [1]


    Rhode shrugged. He knew that this was a method for them to relieve some stress, which was why he stopped caring, turned around, and sauntered toward the other direction.


    Meanwhile, under a huge tree near the lake, the two Canarys and Marlene sat and read books silently. Icy Snow, who was disgusted by the two Bubbles, also hugged a heavy book and started reading. Upon witnessing Rhode��s arrival, the young ladies projected their gaze at him. Icy Snow even extended her arm and waved at him.


    ��Ah, Big Brother����


    ��How��re things?��


    Gazing at Icy Snow and the others, Rhode nodded and asked. Icy Snow nodded in response.


    ��Hmm, this place is really quiet�� and so comfortable�� But Big Brother, what are we having for lunch? Let me make it clear. If we��re having any fish from Bubble, I will not touch them����


    ��Pigs will fly when they��re able to catch fish. Don��t worry, Little Icy. Lize and the rest prepared lunch already.��


    ��Phew�� Okay����


    Upon hearing Rhode��s response, Icy Snow stretched out her arm, placed her hand on her chest, and let out a long sigh of relief. The repulsive topic that the two Bubble talked about was unbearable for her. Unlike those two rascals, Icy Snow was a much more innocent young lady. After hearing the two Bubbles discussing how huge the fish could grow after feeding on corpses and organs, the terrified Icy Snow ran away in the blink of an eye. While Icy Snow heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing Rhode, she also made up her mind to never touch any fish if the two Bubbles were to serve them.


    ��So how are the three of you feeling right now?��


    After answering Icy Snow, Rhode turned to the other three young ladies. He had thrown the thought of searching for the Book of Life to the back of his head for now. Since this place was so huge, they wouldn��t be able to find it in a short while. And since it was rare for everyone to come out for a break, he let them relax, clear their minds, and not think about unnecessary and trivial matters. That was why he stopped urging them to look for the book.


    Unlike Mini Bubble Gum, Canary didn��t have much attachment to Earth. As for Rhode transmigrating the Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system, the two Canarys didn��t have any objections. But judging from their behavior, it seemed like they wished to never return to Earth in their lifetime. Facing his question, the two Canarys shook their heads, said nothing, and gestured to the side at the same time. It was at that moment that Rhode noticed that Marlene had fallen asleep. She leaned on the thick trunk with an open book on her knees. The young lady tilted her head as she fell into a deep slumber.


    Looks like she��s got enough on her plate too.


    Gazing at the face that appeared a little haggard from being busy for days on end, Rhode extended his arm and arranged her messy, long hair. During this period, Marlene was busier than him because she had to keep an eye on the specifics of the entire Void Territory, as well as ensure the stable operations of Grandia. Due to the huge scale of this migration, it was almost like migrating people from several countries, so a lot of politics and economics were involved. Of course, not everyone was willing to cooperate. Some people from the Country of Light were itching to get punished after entering the Void Territory and Munn Kingdom. They demanded Rhode and Lydia provide them with more benefits and special treatments. After being ignored from Rhode and Lydia, those fools actually had the nerve to gather people to protest and wreak havoc in the city. Now was a time of crisis, so how was it possible that Rhode would tolerate such disturbance in his own territory? Without saying a word, Rhode sent out men to arrest the instigators, hanged them on the streets like street lamps, and forcefully shut down the demonstration. Meanwhile, it went without saying that Lydia also wasn��t soft-hearted. Soon after, she captured and buried those instigators in the back of the mountain to serve as fertilizer.


    After getting cleaned up several times by Rhode and Lydia together, those guys finally learned what it meant that beggars couldn��t be choosers. They finally obeyed orders and stopped asking for ��special treatment��. For that reason, Marlene was finally free and had the time to join this ��treasure hunt�� in Casabianca with Rhode and the rest. If not, perhaps she wouldn��t even have the spare time.


    Meanwhile, Lilian and Sonia went to an entirely different place.


    ��Casabianca�� Looks like we��re back, Sonia.��


    Staring blankly at the palace that had collapsed and was buried before her, Lilian couldn��t help but speak with a complicated expression. Right before her, the palace that she lived in for so long had crumbled with broken walls everywhere. At a glance, lush, unrestrained saplings were peeking out from the ruins, while fresh green vines shrouded the debris. This place seemed just like a green ocean.


    Looking at this scene, Lilian couldn��t help but recall a certain memory. Back then, she was like a mascot, loved and worshiped by all in the palace. But in fact, she was nothing more than a puppet: a manipulated being. She didn��t have the authority to express herself and couldn��t do whatever she wanted. To Lilian, this palace was like a white cage, and she was the bird trapped inside it. But now, she finally broke free, expanded her wings, and soared into the sky.


    ��Hey�� You know, Sonia? Last time, a minister once suggested to me in private that I should build another Casabianca as my empire. They thought it wasn��t appropriate for the ruler of the nation to lodge under someone else��s roof.��


    Lilian said and couldn��t help but force a smile. Upon hearing her words, Sonia who followed behind her remained silent. Just like Lilian, Sonia had already made a clean break with her past self. Her family suffered greatly when Rhode bombarded Casabianca earlier. Her remaining family members weren��t even as powerful as some of the smaller and newer families. The once glorious and huge financial groups in the Country of Light also went missing. Everything changed.


    ��But I don��t think it��s any bad. I like Big Brother Rhode. I like Grandia. I like everyone here. To me, this is my home. Even if I were to leave Grandia one day and rebuild the empire in the Country of Light, I would not treat it as my home�� I want to continue living this way. The current Casabianca no longer belongs to us����


    Lilian said and closed her eyes.


    ��Do you think Big Brother Rhode��s plan will work? The power of Chaos is so strong. Honestly, when I was influenced by Chaos earlier, I felt like my entire self was resisting a tidal wave. My powers were so weak that they didn��t take any effect. All I could do was watch as Chaos corrupted my body and soul. If it weren��t for Big Brother Rhode and the big sisters, perhaps I would have ended up like His Majesty Ion, turning into a puppet of Chaos.��


    ��I think�� Master��s plan will not fail, Your Majesty.��


    At that moment, Sonia finally spoke.


    ��He is always the winner. No matter what he does, he always succeeds. Back then, even when you were struggling against Chaos, he never once gave up. I think�� This time he will also definitely succeed.��


    ��You��re right.��


    Upon hearing Sonia��s reply, the corners of Lilian��s lips perked up into a smile. Her adorable face unveiled a gentle and blissful smile.


    ��I believe Big Brother Rhode can do it. I heard from Big Brother Rhode and Big Sister Bubble that their world is an interesting place and there are many amazing gadgets. When the time comes, I will surely explore that place called Earth.��


    Lilian said, extended her arm, and reached for a golden key from the fold of her clothes. She gazed at the key. Her expression became gradually solemn.


    ��So, are you ready, Sonia? According to Big Sister, this time, it is my turn to do the hard work.��


    [1] Unified command for the multinational military forces, established in 1950.

 Chapter 1289 - Summoning the Book of Life

    As the saying went, fun times were always short.


    After playing happily for a day and enjoying a sumptuous meal in the ruins of Casabianca, everyone felt rejuvenated. The next morning, they wasted no time and searched readily for the Book of Life for Rhode. According to Lillian, the Book of Life was enshrined in the temple near the Light Palace, so Rhode and the rest searched for it within the vicinity of the ruins. But unfortunately, it seemed to be harder than Rhode imagined.


    ��Say, how much longer are we going to search for it, Leader?��


    Mini Bubble Gum, who was as though on drugs the day before, looked really restless now. She turned over the pile of rocks and ridiculed in a boring tone.


    ��As of now, I found a lot of skeletons, but I don��t even see a single living person, not to mention a Book of Life�� Ah, here��s another one. Seems like this one got its neck shattered. How unlucky. This sucks. It��s as though we��re picking up litter after our field trip. How boring.��


    ��Picking up litter is necessary. We need to protect the environment. Teacher taught us that we can��t just throw our litter everywhere.��


    Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s complaints, Icy Snow on the other side couldn��t help but knit her brows and reply. After hearing her response, Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips lazily, apparently disregarding her words.


    ��Yea, yea, yea. That��s a model student right there. Anyway, I��m low on awareness and the worst of mankind�� Tsk, you think everyone is like you? If it weren��t for Leader needing your help, would you even try so hard? If you were given an order by a balding old man with a military belly, perhaps you wouldn��t wait to hide.��


    ��I won��t do that!��


    Icy Snow jumped like a cat with its tail stepped on.


    ��Be it a task given by Big Brother or someone else, I will still accomplish it seriously!��


    ��Look at your dumb self. I think you would even count money for your kidnapper after you��re sold. After Leader brings the Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system, you��d better find time and see if your original self has been sold to some valley as a child bride. Really. So what if your results are good? You will still get tricked after you go out into society and don��t understand the ways of the world. Just look at those college girls who store all that book-knowledge in their pig brains and end up not knowing that they were abducted. I wonder what in the world their brains are made of. Seems like you��ll certainly be one of them after you grow up�� Well, forget it. Sooner or later, you will be kidnapped and sold. I shall let you off the hook since I��m not like you. I am a very ��mature�� adult already.��


    Mini Bubble Gum said, puffed out her almost pitiful and unworthy chest, and turned around to continue with her business, leaving Icy Snow gnashing her teeth and glaring at her from behind. The undaunted Mini Bubble Gum enraged her. Icy Snow stared at Mini Bubble Gum��s back and after a few moments, she let out a grunt, stomped her foot, and turned around to go about her business.


    ��Sigh����


    Gazing at the two rivals who reentered their daily bickering again, Rhode couldn��t help but shake his head. He wasn��t that foolish to find trouble for himself, which was why he acted as though he didn��t witness their quarrel and continued to look for clues about the Book of Life��s existence in his personal fief.


    According to Lilian, the temple where the Book of Life was enshrined wasn��t a property of the church, but was always within the jurisdiction of the Light Parliament. Rumor had it that the Light Parliament used this temple as a warehouse, where they stored quite a number of precious magical devices and equipment. And as a matter of fact, Rhode did find some valuable items. But�� They were all in fragments.


    It wasn��t surprising since it didn��t matter how powerful magical equipment was. As long as it wasn��t in the caliber of godlike equipment, it would definitely shatter in the magical cannon blasts. And quite unfortunately, the area of this temple was located right next to the Light Parliament. And as a result, it was also the place where Rhode bombarded the most when he attacked Casabianca. It could also be said that after the place was trampled on and blasted by the undead army and cannon blasts, there was almost nothing left except for broken walls and steps that emerged from time to time, showcasing the past glories and secrets of this place.


    ��Seems like this isn��t working����


    Rhode put his arm down and along with this action, the summoning ritual enveloping his surroundings vanished. He initially decided to summon the holy sword spirits to search for the spirit hidden within the Book of Life. But he didn��t expect Karin��s seal to be so powerful that even his senses and the holy sword spirits couldn��t come into contact with the Book of Life��s spiritual presence. Without a choice, Rhode could only take this manual approach and take his time to find it. Although he summoned the holy sword spirits to continue his search, he didn��t gain any result�� This looked like a really tall order.


    ��How��s the situation on your side, Little Icy?��


    ��Sorry, Big Brother, I didn��t find any clues����


    Facing Rhode��s question, Icy Snow revealed a difficult expression. Even though she used her space searching ability to scan the vast ruins, she didn��t discover any presence similar to the Book of Life. This result left Rhode concerned. It didn��t matter even if they couldn��t find it now. At the very most, they could spend more time looking for it. But if it were as he expected, where undead creatures took it with them or it was blasted to bits by his magical cannons, things would get real troublesome�� But Rhode didn��t believe that he was that unlucky. Back then, Karin swore in confidence that the Book of Life wouldn��t be the slightest bit damaged even if the magical cannons were to fire directly at it.


    In that case��


    ��Ah, Leader, come and take a look. Anne found a strange thing.��


    While Rhode pondered, Anne��s voice suddenly sounded and interrupted his thoughts. Upon hearing her voice, Rhode perked up immediately, lifted his head, and turned toward her. At that moment, Anne stood above a pile of debris in the distance, waving her arm excitedly at him. Upon witnessing her action, Rhode strode toward her quickly.


    After arriving beside her, Rhode saw the ��strange thing�� that Anne mentioned. It was a statue. Judging from its appearance, it should have been buried in the mud before Anne dug it out. It was around two meters in height and at its bottom was a base that was more than three meters tall. It should have been erected on the ground, but perhaps due to the magical cannon blasts, it fell headfirst toward the ground and was buried deep in the mud and debris of the ruins. If it weren��t for Anne who cleared the place, perhaps Rhode wouldn��t have realized its existence.


    ��Interesting.��


    Rhode couldn��t help but twitch his brow at the sight of this statue in ��perfect condition��. It felt really odd because Casabianca was flattened and razed to the ground by the magical cannons. Not only that, but the broken columns and walls next to it also showed what kind of harsh treatment they suffered from. What shocked Rhode was that even so, the statue was still in perfect condition. Even after Anne wiped the white stone statue, he couldn��t find a single trace of damage. Judging from this point, this statue was considered really bizarre.


    The statue piqued Rhode��s curiosity. He gestured for Anne to step back, extended his arm, and along with this action, a faint magical brilliance emanated on his right hand. He stretched his arm before him, clenched his fist in front of the statue, and lifted his arm skyward.


    Boom!


    Along with this action, the white stone statue laying in the mud and debris stood upright abruptly on its own. Shortly after, Rhode used his spiritual power to blow away the dust, mud, and fragments on it. In just a few seconds, the buried white stone statue revealed its true form.


    ��This is����


    After witnessing the statue, Rhode couldn��t help but be taken aback. The back of the statue was facing him earlier, which was why he didn��t know what was strange about it. But when he set it upright, he instantly discovered just how odd it was.


    It was a statue of a really beautiful woman. Her head was raised, and she gazed at the sky and held her hands on her chest as though she were saying her prayer. It wouldn��t raise many questions if that were the only case. On the other hand, what was bizarre was the woman herself.


    The woman had a pretty face, and there was nothing ugly about her. But the problem was that there wasn��t just one face.


    That��s right, the statue of this woman had three faces in total. The first face had her eyes opened, looking up to the sky with a certain longing, as if seeking some kind of protection and blessing. The second face was on her chest. But unlike the first, her head was lowered and eyes were tightly-shut as though she were praying and chanting. As for the third face, it was at the midriff and unlike the first and second, she frowned and stared straight ahead with an expression that left one feeling unsettled. It was as though she were glaring at her father��s murderer. Not only that, but this woman��s body was also really unusual. She wasn��t any different from ordinary humans from above her abdomen, but lacked a pair of legs on her lower body. On the contrary, her lower body was as though the shape of burning flames, wave currents, violent hurricane, or crumbling earth. All in all, it just didn��t look like the lower body of an ordinary person.


    ��What is this?��


    Rhode was dumbfounded. He tried recalling the scene when he led Starlight and slaughtered his way into Casabianca. But back then, this temple didn��t leave a significant impression on him. Despite that, he was certain that he didn��t notice this statue. If not, just this bizarre design alone wouldn��t have made him forget about it.


    ��Woah, what in the world is that, Leader? Don��t let Christie see that or she can��t fall asleep tonight.��


    At that moment, the group that was searching the surroundings was also attracted by the extraordinary statue. They gathered over and upon seeing the statue, Mini Bubble Gum curled her lips and spoke. But without the need for her reminder, this statue definitely felt weird to them after scanning it for some time.


    ��What exactly is that? Why do I feel like she��s somewhat familiar, but I just can��t remember?��


    ��She is the Light Goddess.��


    And just after Bubble raised the question that was hovering in everyone��s mind, a gentle voice answered. Then, Rhode��s younger sister strolled out from the side with a smile and stood beside the statue. After taking a closer look, she nodded.


    ��That��s right, this is undoubtedly the Light Goddess. This is the statue of the ruler of the light elemental plane. I suppose you��ve heard rumors about the Light Goddess in the game, right, Big Brother?��


    ��I�� did hear something about her.��


    Upon hearing the younger sister��s question, Rhode thought for a while and answered. The Light Goddess was the ruler of the light elemental plane. Rumor had it that she was benevolent, but merciless against evil. She spent her days watching over creatures under the brilliance of light, silently praying for their protection while striking ruthless blows at enemies that encroached on the realm of light.


    Weren��t the rumors about these three faces of the Light Goddess?


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but lift his head and look at the statue again.


    ��Ah��! I remember now!��


    All of a sudden, Mini Bubble Gum smacked her head and yelled.


    ��When I advanced in my class to become a ��holy maiden��, I think I did come across such a thing!��


    Such a thing��alright then, we can only hope Madam Light Goddess is magnanimous enough to disregard this rude little rascal.


    ��You are also a dominator of the light element. Didn��t you meet her when you underwent training?��


    Upon seeing Mini Bubble Gum��s expression, Canary who stood beside her couldn��t help but ask in curiosity. During the training for players to awaken their individual ��supreme privileges��, they would meet lords of their respective domains and complete challenges or missions to gain ��supreme privileges��. Since Mini Bubble Gum was a ��holy maiden��, she had definitely passed the job advancement, so she couldn��t have possibly missed the Light Goddess. Facing Canary��s question, Mini Bubble Gum lowered her head awkwardly, extended her arm, and scratched her head.


    ��Oops�� The dazzling light realm hurt my eyes. Back then I was determined to finish the mission and didn��t notice much. Besides, this fella has three faces and was so ugly that I wasn��t interested in looking at her for much longer. That was why I took a while to recall her����


    Okay, let��s hope Madam Light Goddess is magnanimous enough to not find trouble with her.


    ��I think this should be what we��re supposed to find, right?��


    At that moment, Rhode sensed the powerful energy contained in the statue, which definitely surpassed an level of ordinary power. Even though the Book of Life wasn��t inside the statue, this statue might offer some other benefits. After all, this statue could be considered a miracle to not have a single trace of damage on its surface after being blown up by the magical cannons. But the problem was that�� How should they go about opening it?


    ��Do you need me to blast it up?��


    At that moment, Lapis who remained silent all this way spoke up cautiously. Rhode wasn��t sure if it was his delusion, but he felt like she was eager to do it. Come to think of it, ever since that explosion in the Darkness Capital, she seemed particularly interested in blowing things up��


    ��This statue has fused entirely with the light elemental plane. Normal explosions won��t break it.��


    But shortly after, Rhode��s younger sister shook her head and denied Lapis��s suggestion.


    ��Unless we use the Plane Destruction Bomb again. But I don��t think you want to do it again, right, Big Brother?��


    ��Of course.��


    If Rhode used that thing in his own territory, it would definitely be a real pain in the butt. Meanwhile, Lapis seemed rather disappointed.


    Let��s hope she isn��t disappointed because she can��t use the Plane Destruction Bomb��


    ��But�� is there really no other way to open it up?��


    Rhode felt a little hopeless. Earlier on, he tried using his spiritual powers to create a connection, attempting to find some secrets that could activate the statue. But what left him depressed was that even though his spiritual powers entered the statue effortlessly, the inside of the statue was like an endless ocean. He searched repeatedly and couldn��t find anything related. It seemed like he couldn��t count on this stature anymore.


    ��Actually, there is.��


    But to his surprise, the younger sister shook her head and turned to the little girl beside her.


    ��Lilian, it��s your turn to shine. This is your duty as the Light Dragon.��

 Chapter 1290 - Blessings of the Light Goddess

    ��Yes, Big Sister.��


    Upon hearing the younger sister��s words, Lilian, who kept quiet, walked out of the crowd. Rhode twitched his brow at the sight of her, before shifting his dubious gaze to his younger sister. Upon detecting his gaze, the young lady smiled and shook her head gently. Rhode remained silent for a few moments and stood aside to make way for Lilian as she sauntered toward the Light Goddess.


    Everyone stopped talking. Most of them were like Rhode, unaware of what Lilian was trying to do. But they also knew that what she was about to do was important. At that moment, even Anne shut her mouth and watched with curious, widened eyes.


    Lilian seemed a little nervous under everyone��s gaze. However, she adjusted her mood quickly, walked right up to the statue of Light Goddess, and reached for a key engraved with intricate patterns from the folds of her clothes. Normally in such a situation, this key should be used to unlock something. But��


    ��Where does she put it in�� Is it from the back? This Light Goddess can��t be that perverted, right��?��


    Mini Bubble Gum mumbled under her breath as she gazed at the statue. At least from her perspective, she couldn��t find any key slot on the statue. Come to think of it, the Light Goddess was considered the lord of her realm. Was it really fine for her to not show even a little bit of respect?


    But fortunately, the Light Goddess didn��t seem to hear Mini Bubble Gum��s disrespectful remarks. Or perhaps she acted as though she didn��t hear them. No matter what, at least she didn��t send a bolt of lightning from heaven to strike this rascal who insulted the lord of her realm. At that moment, Lilian went up to the statue, held the key, and lifted it high.


    Whoosh������!


    At the next moment, along with this action, a soft, golden brilliance coalesced in the sky and a light column fell from above, enveloping Lilian and the statue. Looking at this scene, Sonia held her hands tightly and revealed some uncertainty on her expression. But after glancing at Rhode, she eventually took two steps back and didn��t say a word.


    ��Will everything be alright? Come to think of it, what exactly does this do?��


    At that moment, Rhode was also watching Lilian as the light column shrouded her. He couldn��t help but lower his voice and ask his younger sister. If this ritual was similar to Erin��s inheritance ceremony, it would be a huge problem for them. Besides, unlike Erin, Lilian didn��t possess much battle strength. That didn��t mean that Lilian wasn��t strong enough, but in terms of battle tactics, she was pretty much at the bottom of the pile right now. Even Lapis and Sonia were much more powerful than her. If Lilian were to take on the dragon soul trials like Erin, Rhode was certain that she would kneel down in defeat in a matter of seconds.


    ��Don��t worry, Big Brother.��


    Perhaps sensing the worries deep inside Rhode��s mind, the young lady shook her head with a smile, lifted her head, and looked at Lilian.


    ��Lilian will be fine. This isn��t a trial, but a ritual�� Well, to a certain degree, it��s a trial of sorts. Right now, Lilian has to connect to the light elemental plane and declare her ownership. As the Light Dragon, this is a step she has to take on her own. She needs to open up the channel to the light elemental plane using that key, interact with the Light Goddess, and gain her recognition. After being bestowed the blessings of light, Lilian can then become the true Light Dragon.��


    ��That isn��t too bad. At least, it is much more convenient than that absurd Dark Dragon��s inheritance ceremony.��


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s words, Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed like the ritual for every dragon soul heir was different. The Dark Dragon��s inheritance ceremony was extremely tormenting, while the Light Dragon simply had to gain the recognition of the Light Goddess. In comparison, the latter was much more convenient, simpler, and faster. But��


    ��This has nothing to do with the Book of Life, right?��


    ��Not entirely, Big Brother. Have you forgotten? Light brings life. If my guesses are right, the Book of Life should be hidden inside the light realm. Only Lilian is able to open up the channel to the light realm and proclaim her right to rule as the Light Dragon. Only then can we search for the Book of Life.��


    ��I sure hope that��s how it is����


    Facing the younger sister��s statement, Rhode didn��t have many objections. Since his spiritual summoning wasn��t working, it certainly proved that the Book of Life most likely wasn��t here��at least, not on this plane of existence. Besides, Lilian also mentioned that the Book of Life was enshrined in the temple, so Rhode��s theory wasn��t entirely impossible. Indeed, instead of placing something so important on the main plane of existence, it might as well be secured in other elemental planes. After all, hardly any time passed on those planes, and there would be no wars or disasters unlike the main plane�� Well, the current state of this city was the best example, wasn��t it?


    While Rhode whispered to his younger sister, Lilian, who was shrouded by the light column, had totally forgotten about what was happening around her. Apart from the brilliance that enfolded her vision, nothing else existed. She stared silently at the statue before her. As a matter of fact, she was also somewhat startled. The moment she walked up to the statue, she felt uncertain, nervous, and completely helpless. But now, in this dazzling light column, she actually felt like a fish back in water, where just standing in it felt really bizarre. It was as though the presence of all light belonged to her. She was the ruler of light, and it had to obey her command. No matter what she commanded, it would obey unconditionally.


    ��This is����


    This sudden feeling astonished her. At that moment, she felt like she was a Goddess from above, sitting on the throne and overlooking the vast land. She felt uncomfortable with that feeling because she had never felt such clear dominance in the past. All along, she just sat there earnestly and obediently, doing what others wanted her to do until Rhode rescued her from the chains of the Light Parliament. But even so, she didn��t treat herself all that seriously either. And now, this was the first time she felt what it meant to be the Light Dragon.


    ��You��re afraid.��


    At that moment, a voice rang in Lilian��s ears. It wasn��t loud and could be said to be really gentle. But even so, there was a certain, unquestionable solemnity.


    ��Why? You are the Light Dragon. You rule light. Everything that lives in your light is your follower. Why are you afraid?��


    ��I����


    Upon hearing that voice, Lilian gaped. Why was she afraid? The answer wasn��t anything surprising. It was just like how a young lady who was looked down upon all the time suddenly had attention focused on her. How could she possibly feel good? As a matter of fact, up until that moment, Lilian was still unaccustomed to the humble, respectful manner in which her own subjects treated her. She knew that she was the Light Dragon, but did she do anything to deserve this devotion from them?


    That��s right. I didn��t do anything worthy of their devotion.


    Rhode was still the most reliable person to Lilian. He resisted the Country of Darkness��s invasion. It was him who stopped the infiltration of Chaos. And now, he was searching for a method to bring the Dragon Soul Continent far away from the threats of Chaos. In Lilian��s opinion, Rhode should be the one who was most respected by everyone instead of her. But what left her dubious was that this young man who should be loved and respected by everyone was always being talked about behind his back. Lillian had heard more than once from her subjects that they wished she could leave Grandia and the Void Territory. Because to them, she was being controlled by Rhode like a rag doll. However, Lilian didn��t agree because during her days in Grandia, she didn��t feel as insecure and uncomfortable as when she was manipulated by the Light Parliament. Be it Rhode or Marlene, they never spoke a word about rebuilding the Country of Light. On the other hand, it was Lilian who often sought advice from them on how to rule a country.


    But Lilian couldn��t explain it to others because Sonia told her that even if she did, it was meaningless.


    ��They��ve predetermined your position in their heads, Lilian. To them, by being in Grandia, you have proven that you��re under His Majesty Rhode��s control. That was why no matter how hard you bring out evidence and explain your point of view, they will think that you��re being forced to and are just covering up for His Majesty Rhode. Because they don��t believe that you are speaking the truth. Or perhaps, they aren��t willing to believe it as they think it is entirely impossible. That is why you don��t need to prove anything, Lilian. You are the heir of the Light Dragon. You just have to do your part and don��t need to listen to others.��


    I just have to do my part. I don��t need to listen to others because I can��t change their minds��


    At this thought, Lilian clenched her fists. Occasionally, she grumbled to Rhode about her subjects�� displeasure and grievances against him. But back then, Rhode didn��t even bat an eyelid. He simply smiled, caressed her head, and continued with his business. Lilian realized that Rhode didn��t regard the complaints from her subjects at all. Or perhaps, the remarks of those people were like the buzzes of mosquitoes. There wasn��t a need to care at all.


    Can I ever be like him?


    ���� I don��t know.��


    At this thought, Lilian shook her head and said.


    ��I don��t like it this way. It makes me feel like some big shot, but I don��t feel like I��m one at all.��


    ���� You are the dragon soul heir of the Light Dragon. You rule the light realm.��


    ��But I don��t like it.��


    The other party repeated the sentence again. But for some unknown reason, Lilian felt fed up and resentful all of a sudden.


    ��I don��t like it this way. Also, I didn��t choose to become the Light Dragon.��


    That��s right. Lilian never felt that being the heir of the Light Dragon was a wonderful thing. She lost her parents due to this identity, and the Light Parliament raised her as a puppet. In her memories, this identity of hers only brought her pain and trouble.


    ��People don��t get to choose what they are born into.��


    Facing Lilian��s answer, the voice became more solemn. But even so, Lilian didn��t budge.


    ��I know. If it weren��t for that, maybe I wouldn��t get to meet Big Brother Rhode and the rest. But I just hate it. All I want is to lead a simple, peaceful life and not go back to those days!��


    After Lilian refuted, she seemed to recall something all of a sudden and straightened her slightly curled-up posture. She lifted her head and stared at the statue of the Light Goddess, which she normally wouldn��t do. But now, she looked straight at the statue with a calm, determined gaze, as though the earlier uncertainty and nervousness were fake. At that moment, after letting those words out, Lilian felt like a bird that had broken free from some kind of restraint, soaring high in the blue sky.


    ������


    Upon hearing Lilian��s answer, this time, the voice remained silent. After a few moments, it echoed once more.


    ���� This is your choice, and I won��t comment much about it�� Everyone has their own living preference, even dragon soul heirs. You have already made your decision, so you must be responsible�� No matter what, that is your decision.��


    Along with this statement, the light column grew ever brighter. Dazzling rays of light emanated like rushes of steam, wrapping around Lilian��s petite body.


    ��So then, sacred heir of light, I hereby bestow upon you my blessings�� I already know what you want to do and hope you can succeed. The power of Chaos is really strong. Remember how you��re feeling right now, Lilian. Without unwavering determination, even light will be stained by Chaos, fall, and go down a path that will never lead to liberation. I hope you don��t come to that����


    With that, Lilian witnessed a rich golden brilliance coalesce before her eyes. Shortly after, a large, heavy book with a pure white cover hovered in midair silently. Wrapped all around in thin, golden chains, the book was edged in silver with an ornate and intricate floral pattern. As soon as it appeared, Lilian felt a fresh and powerful aura shrouding her and making her entire body feel more comfortable.


    ��This is what your predecessor once stored here. And now, it is time for it to be returned to its rightful owner. I know about the secrets of death and the battle against Chaos. I expect you to be successful in bringing the battle between Order and Chaos to a close����


    ��Big Brother Rhode will definitely succeed.��


    Lilian gnashed her teeth and answered with firm confidence. She gazed at the Book of Life floating before her eyes, hesitated slightly, and eventually extended her arm to take the sacred, life-giving book.


    Boom!


    At that moment, right before everyone��s eyes, a pair of dragon wings flickering in a golden brilliance appeared behind Lilian��s back. It spread out majestically as if to cover the entire sky. Looking at this scene, many of them were stunned. Not only that, but Mini Bubble Gum and the rest who experienced the inheritance ceremony of the Dark Dragon also raised their guard.


    ��Goddammit. Leader, are we about to go for a second run? Count me out; I��m not going this time����


    ��I don��t think you need to worry about it����


    Rhode felt a little uneasy and replied to Bubble, absent-minded. He knitted his brows and stared at the light column that grew brighter, worried that a teleportation ritual would appear beneath Lilian��s feet and sweep her away. But fortunately, things didn��t turn out as he thought. Shortly after, the blinding light column dimmed gradually, revealing Lilian��s petite figure to everyone. At the same time, the pair of enormous dragon wings also faded away, transforming into light dust that vanished in midair.


    ��Lilian?��


    Gazing at the motionless Lilian who stood before the statue of the Light Goddess, Rhode couldn��t help but call out worriedly. He also sensed that she seemed different somewhere. But he couldn��t decipher where exactly she was different. Meanwhile, unlike Rhode, the young lady standing beside him displayed a glad smile after seeing Lilian.


    And at that moment, Lilian finally turned around, looked at Rhode, and showed an elated grin.


    ��I did it! Big Brother Rhode!��


    Lilian cheered, lifting the heavy, white Book of Life high in the air.

 Chapter 1291 - Omen of Invasion

    The world was changing.


    Sergio exhaled, gripped his spear, and stomped his foot. Three months ago, he was just an ordinary militiaman. But now, he had been sent to a deserted and godforsaken place to patrol this boring area everyday. He didn��t know what they were guarding. But he knew that the world was changing and becoming more unfamiliar each day. He heard news about the five Creator Dragons forming an alliance and working hard to change the destiny of this world. However��


    What does that have to do with me?


    Grabbing the spear, Sergio let out a helpless sigh. He was just an ordinary man who wished to find a quiet place to lead the rest of his life. The big shots often loved to come up with bothersome orders. Sergio used to live in a peaceful life in the village, but had to relocate his family just because the big shots said so. Without a choice, they left the village they had lived for a long time, arriving at this godforsaken place that was miles away. Not only that, but he had also been drafted into the army and had to patrol the area daily.


    Wasn��t it said that a peace agreement was concluded between the five Creator Dragons? In that case, there shouldn��t be any more enemies around. So what exactly am I doing this for? What is the point of standing here in the chilly winds inside this simple and crude sentry post?


    Forget it. It isn��t something people like me should know, anyway.


    At this thought, Sergio curled his lips and turned to the town in the distance. As night fell, lamps lit up in the town one after another. No matter what the five Creator Dragons were plotting, he still had to continue living his life. As long as he stood at this sentry post, everything would turn out fine. But come to think of it, during this period, a group of strange adventurers had arrived in the town and gave him a headache. Although there weren��t many of them, they made terrible rackets and also spoke in a foreign language, troubling the nearby townsmen. Sergio wondered where the adventurers came from. They behaved like mercenaries, asking anyone they met for quests for them to accomplish. However, Sergio had to admit that they were really strong. As a member of the patrol team, Sergio once joined the capture of nearby monsters. In the face of several enormous monsters, the patrols had to act cautiously. On the contrary, the adventurers merely sent out a young lady who waved her arm and annihilated them in the blink of an eye. Sergio still remembered that scene clearly in his mind. The instant the young lady made her move, the ground beneath him trembled as though the world were coming to an end. Even if Sergio was uninformed, he could see that the adventurers weren��t an ordinary bunch. But now��


    What exactly are they doing here?


    Forget it. It has nothing to do with me.


    Sergio shifted his gaze away from the town. At that moment, the adventurers must be performing amusing yet mysterious magical spells for the townsmen. He had to admit that the adventurers were truly impressive and a somewhat interesting bunch�� But now, he just wanted to lead a normal life. He had made up his mind to propose to Irina after this trouble ended.


    After wandering around on my own for so many years, it��s about time to settle down��


    ��Hmm?��


    At that moment, he realized that his hound, which was traveling around him, had come to a sudden halt. Not only that, but it also stopped over, widened its round eyes, and stared vigilantly at the night sky. Deep growls escaped its throat from time to time as though it spotted a terrifying and dangerous predator.


    What��s wrong?


    Upon witnessing its behavior, Sergio raised his guard instantly. He grabbed the leash on his hound and stared at the darkness with widened eyes. The hazy moonlight illuminated the forest before him and pitch-black shadows swayed in the gentle breeze. At a glance, it made him feel really weird. But to a patrol who was on regular night watch, that wasn��t the only thing Sergio spotted. Instead�� Something that shouldn��t be there was also lurking in the shadows.


    ��W-What is�� That����


    One, two, three��


    Scarlet lights glowed in the darkness, lined up in rows. It looked as though the shadows were given lives as they opened their innumerable eyes. The instant Sergio looked at the scarlet flashes, his hair stood on end. At the same time, the hound beside him was so terrified that it couldn��t let out a growl. It tucked its tail, curled up on the ground, and couldn��t budge as though it were shivering in the face of a menacing lion.


    Move! Damn it! Hurry up!


    Sergio stared blankly. He felt as though he were literally frozen to the spot and couldn��t shift at all. Under the moonlight, he clearly witnessed what those mysterious creatures were. Their tall, burly bodies were constructed entirely of pure steel and encased in an odd suit of armor, seemingly like a creature a mix of steel and human. And on their faces, Sergio noticed a round, scarlet eyeball swirling within the gap of the helmet. Then, the eyes stopped moving all of a sudden, locking onto Sergio.


    Oh my goodness!


    Just being stared at by those scarlet eyes almost made Sergio go crazy with fear. He tried to reach out for his whistle to sound the warning, but extreme fear had taken control over his body. He could only stand blankly on the spot and watch as hundreds upon thousands of steel troops marched toward him. Sergio knew their goal without even thinking. Apart from the town, there was nothing else here. And these creatures definitely didn��t arrive here for a tea session��


    Move! Goddammit!


    Although Sergio yelled in his head, his body just couldn��t move. He used all his strength to shift his arm, but his body was out of his control. Not only that, but he also shuddered inexorably out of extreme terror. The young guard gnashed his teeth, large beads of sweat emerging over his forehead. He wanted to survive. But he also knew he couldn��t escape death.


    No��


    ��Woof! Woof!��


    At that moment, the hound couldn��t hold on any longer. It howled, turned around, and dashed toward the back as quickly as possible. The moment the hound broke free, Sergio also regained control over his stiffened body, just like how all living creatures retaliated desperately in the face of death falling upon them. For a moment, he looked at the steel creatures before him and calmed down instead. In an instant, he reached for the whistle in his pocket and put it between his lips��


    ��������!��


    The sharp, warning signal reverberated in the silent night sky. Almost at the same time, the steel creatures who were marching ahead came to a standstill all of a sudden. Then, they turned around abruptly with countless scarlet eyes staring straight at the young, helpless guard.


    ��I��m dead!��


    Staring at the terrifying steel creatures in despair, Sergio��s heart sank. He knew he couldn��t go up against them. As a matter of fact, at that moment, he still didn��t know what they were. All he knew was that he was doomed! At that moment, he saw one of the steel creatures raise its right arm, which resembled a cannon barrel. Shortly after, a dazzling brilliance flashed. The blazing heat and explosion shrouded him completely.


    ��Huh?��


    But to his astonishment, the lethal attack that was definitely enough to blast him into powder was resisted by a golden barrier that enfolded him. Dazzling flashes and scorching flames erupted and rolled, but couldn��t overwhelm the golden barrier. Shortly after, from the corner of Sergio��s eyes, a dozen figures appeared beside him all of a sudden.


    ��I didn��t expect an NPC to put up such a fight. I only just realized the presence of these bast*rds, and they are already starting their ambush? When did those Chaos creatures learn this move?��


    ��Cut the crap. If it weren��t for you being greedy and narrowing the alert perimeter, would we even fall to the point we were almost attacked by them? If others were to know about this, they would surely laugh their heads off! Come on, get ready. Activate your buffs and finish them!��


    ��Oh, crap. What in the world are they? Did Leader trick us? We are here to deal with Chaos creatures, but why are we taking on Zakus[1] and Megatrons[2] instead?!��


    ��No matter what they are, Leader has already given the command. As long as they come from outside the Order barrier, we will spare none!��


    ��This is����


    Sergio stared blankly at the crowd. Judging from their bizarre outfits, Sergio recognized them as the adventurers who came to his town. But now, they kept their smiles and seemed much more serious. Sergio watched as they raised their arms and��


    A blinding array of magical radiances linked up as one.


    This was a view that never existed even in Sergio��s wildest dreams. As the adventurers lifted their arms, mysterious, intricate, and gorgeous magical rituals emanated beneath their feet one after another. Shortly after, lightning splashed in all directions like rolling waves that engulfed the steel creatures. The steel creature instantly came to a standstill. Their massive bodies that were two to three meters tall shook inexorably and couldn��t resist the deadly attack. A wave of lightning flashed by, but before the steel creatures reacted, yet another whistling wind blew past. Sergio subconsciously lifted his head to look at the sky. Then, he widened his eyes in shock.


    Dozens of large meteors burning in green flames penetrated the thick layer of clouds and smashed onto the ground. The land trembled and ruptured. Sergio lost his balance and flopped down on his bottom. He stared at the battlefield dazedly. The erupted green flames and shock waves from the explosions devoured the steel creatures. The barren plain had been demolished right before his eyes!


    But this wasn��t the end yet!


    Along with furious snarls, the steel creatures emerged from the conflagration. Even though they suffered gravely in this attack, those creatures of steel were completely fearless. They raised their arms and emitted scorching, powerful light beams that whistled toward the adventurers ahead. Not only that, but some of the wrecked steel creatures also raised their swords, charged through the flames, and pounced on the humans.


    ��Roar������!��


    But it was a pity that before the steel creatures displayed their might, their true enemy bellowed and showed up before everyone. Green flames surged skyward and a gigantic, human-shaped creature consisting of blazing green flames and stones strode out. With a roar of rage that sent shivers down one��s spine, it swung its arms with force at the tiny steel creatures before it.


    This is like a nightmare.


    Sergio sat on the ground and watched the battlefield enveloped in billows of smoke and blazing flames. One after another, an endless stream of creatures several meters tall walked out of the darkness. Their lower bodies were that of terrifying scorpions and spiders. If it were Sergio taking them on, perhaps he couldn��t even defeat one of them. On the other hand, the adventurers weren��t afraid at all, even in the face of enemies dozens of times their size. Sergio observed the adventurers raising their arms and reciting an ancient incantation. Shortly after, another enormous creature like the giant creature burning in flames appeared in a tornado, roaring and clashing into the army of steel creatures. The knights emanating a golden brilliance from head to toe lifted their swords and charged into the battlefield like streaks of meteor, slashing the steel creatures into halves. Screams, explosions, and snarls filled the sky from time to time, enfolding the entire chaotic battleground. Thunder rumbled, while snow fluttered. Blazing flames and the ruptured land intertwined into a scenery like the end of the world.


    Looking at this scene, Sergio felt his entire body shaking.


    Are those the enemies they��re facing?


    ��Chaos has begun their attacks.��


    Rhode leaned on the chair, crossed his arms, and narrowed his eyes at the crowd before him. A few moments ago, he received news that almost all the critical defensive borders were under attack by Chaos creatures. But fortunately, as he was well prepared, most of them were stopped. Besides��


    ��Chaos didn��t break through the Order barrier, but deployed the method of teleporting their troops over. Seems like they are just probing and harassing. Not really attacking yet.��


    Rhode said, coming to a pause and looking at the other four around him. Upon detecting his gaze, Siena nodded slightly.


    ��That��s right. Chaos is sending in troops to harass us through unstable boundaries. If they truly intend to go all-out, their attack couldn��t possibly be to only this extent.��


    ��Yes. But we can��t let our guard down either. After all, no one knows what is going through their heads. Besides���� Rhode paused. According to news from the front, this time, Chaos didn��t send out ordinary Chaos creatures, but steel creatures instead. Rhode wasn��t unfamiliar with them as he encountered them in the Darkness Capital earlier. But back then, the enemies were a mixture of undead creatures and steel. And now, they seemed like products of living creatures and steel instead. The Darkness Capital was entirely devoured by the void storm, so logically speaking, nothing should be left behind. And now it seemed like�� the mutated Chaos from Earth didn��t seem to be letting up at all. ���� It seems like they have an ulterior motive. We need to be on high alert. This is a critical period for our plan. I don��t wish to face any unnecessary problems.��


    Rhode said and couldn��t help but knit his brows. He expected Chaos to attack, but was surprised that it came so soon. Although he had already gotten his hands on the Book of Life and Book of Death, the most crucial Book of Elements was still nowhere to be found. There also wasn��t any good news from Nell and the Queen Elf. Meanwhile, Lapis also couldn��t find many records about the Book of Elements. This left Rhode depressed. Even though he had gotten Alice to use the ��Historical Tracing�� ability to search for the Book of Elements��s whereabouts, she didn��t find any results. It seemed like the Book of Elements was like the Book of Life, hidden somewhere outside of the main plane of existence, and even Alice couldn��t locate it using her ability. And now, Rhode also didn��t have any other solution. He initially hoped to retrieve the Book of Elements before the war against Chaos commenced. But it seemed like he had to redeploy his resources.


    ��Don��t worry, Rhode. We will do our part.��


    Detecting Rhode��s gaze, Erin smiled and responded. Upon hearing her answer, Rhode nodded and turned to the other side, where a young lady who shouldn��t be here for this solemn occasion sat on the seat of the Light Dragon.


    ��I will keep an eye on the Country of Light, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Facing Rhode��s gaze, Lydia stood up and answered.


    [1] A fictional line of manned robots from Mobile Suit Gundam.


    [2] A character from the Transformers franchise.

 Chapter 1292 - Whereabouts of the Book of Elements

    Chapter 1292: Whereabouts of the Book of Elements


    ��Your Majesty Rhode.��


    After the meeting ended, Lydia walked up to Rhode and gave him a dubious look.


    ��Regarding that matter����


    ��Don��t ask me. I don��t know what��s going through Lilian��s head either.��


    Facing Lydia��s question, Rhode spread his arms apart and looked at her helplessly. As a matter of fact, even Rhode was bewildered, not to mention Lydia. He didn��t know what Lilian comprehended during her ritual with the Light Goddess. All in all, after the ��excursion�� ended and the group returned to Grandia, Lilian called Lydia over and granted her dominion over the entire Country of Light in front of everyone. Meanwhile, Lilian took a back seat and stopped involving herself with the crucial affairs. This sudden change in her gave Lydia a huge fright. Not only that, but Rhode was also stunned. He wondered what was wrong with Lilian. Moreover, he realized that Lilian had also changed a lot. If she was a muddlehead in the past, now she seemed enlightened after speaking to the Light Goddess. This comforted Rhode to a certain degree.


    After all, Lilian had powers; it was just that she was overly cautious and often made others worry about her. Rhode initially thought that Lilian would be motivated and strongly determined to succeed after the ritual. But in the end, she actually called quits?! Could be it that she was traumatized by the Light Goddess saying she wasn��t fit to be the Light Dragon, which was why she abandoned herself to despair? But judging from her ��extremely positive�� attitude, it didn��t seem to have anything to do with abandoning herself at all.


    But it actually wasn��t that right to say that she called quits. Because Rhode spoke to Lilian afterward and found out that she didn��t abandon her duties completely. Instead, she only gave up her authority to ��rule the Country of Light�� and chose to follow Rhode as a sidekick. According to her, she wanted to be like Christie and Lesa, helping Rhode resist the attack of Chaos.


    It wasn��t that bad to learn from Christie. But from Lesa�� She could forget about it.


    To put it politely, Lilian was like a goddess-like being who hid behind the scenes in animated films, where unless her world was in a life or death situation, she wouldn��t show up to guide the brave to victory. But why did it not sound too right putting it this way?


    No matter what, Lydia had replaced Lilian in becoming the ruler of the Country of Light in this inexplicable situation. Even though Lydia rejected instinctively, Lilian opposed with an unprecedented forcefulness. As a result, the archangel could only obey Lilian��s order. Judging from a certain angle, Lydia was also caught in a complicated mood. She always hoped that Lilian could get rid of the shackles that were tying her down and be brave enough to make her own decisions. And now, Lilian had done it. But as for the decision itself�� It was rather intriguing.


    ��Frankly, I can��t figure out what Her Majesty Lilian is thinking����


    Lydia held her forehead and revealed an anxious and exhausted expression. She couldn��t be blamed. By becoming the true ruler of the Country of Light, not only did she need to watch over her personal fief, but she also needed to be responsible for the entire Country of Light. The Country of Light suffered gravely after experiencing the war between the Country of Darkness and Void Territory. People were exhausted and tormented by constant warfare and deaths, so they only hoped to lead ordinary and peaceful lives and couldn��t care less about who was becoming the new ruler. Even if a demon were to take over the position, as long as the demon didn��t stir any trouble, the people would probably still serve with all their hearts.


    Under such circumstances, there actually weren��t many challenges for Lydia to take over the Country of Light. Although some people expressed their displeasure, Lydia was an outstanding and powerful ruler, after all. As a matter of fact, while she ruled the Munn Kingdom, she had an easy time wiping out the Reformist Party twice. But�� As her workload increased, she also started having some complaints. Even though she was a smart ruler, it had nothing to do with doing her best and dying her last. Well, she was a hedonist, after all.


    But unfortunately, the situation was so crisis-ridden that even Lydia didn��t dare to sit back and watch the show as leisurely as she did before. She handled everything herself and that was what made her somewhat frustrated. She was also thankful that Sonia was there to help organize the affairs at hand when Lydia took over the Country of Light. Otherwise, the early stages would have been a huge mess.


    No matter what, Lydia had no choice now.


    ��In this case, it seems like I can only brace myself for it. I hope this matter comes to an end soon����


    Lydia was also aware that Rhode most likely couldn��t offer any help, and that left her somewhat helpless. In all honesty, Lydia wasn��t interested in this role in the slightest. If not, she would have manipulated Lilian as a puppet that this strength of hers, sent out troops to demolish the Light Parliament, and dominate the entire Country of Light. But now, Lilian pushed all the power and responsibility to Lydia and happily went to the back to be a puppet herself.


    ��How is Her Majesty Lilian?��


    ��She��s fine.��


    Recalling Lilian��s recent behavior, Rhode forced a helpless smile. During this time, Lillian began to learn how to fight with Christie and the others. Rhode had to admit that Lilian was indeed talented on the battlefield. Even though he didn��t know how she would perform in real battles, according to Canary and Marybelle who trained them, Lilian��s abilities in battle were improving steadily. At the very least, she wouldn��t accidentally be bitten by Chaos again like in the past.


    ��I see�� No matter what, Her Majesty Lilian has finally found her direction. I should congratulate her.��


    Although Lydia��s expression didn��t seem anywhere like she was ��congratulating�� Lillian at all, it didn��t stop the archangel from helplessly uttering those routine words as if reading a line. But Rhode didn��t see anything wrong with her reaction. As a matter of fact, Lydia indeed had the rights to grumble.


    Chaos��s attacks were starting to become more frequent.


    At first, they only attacked sporadically, but as time went on, more and more Chaos creatures crossed the blurred and distorted borders of Order and entered the Dragon Soul Continent. Although Rhode had dispatched 30,000 of his elite players to blockade most of the area, Chaos��s attacks still weren��t restrained entirely. Numbers were their best weapon. Even after the people destroyed as many Chaos creatures as they could, there were still countless more lining up as reinforcements. And since there was no such thing as death for them, it was hard for the concept of ��collapse�� to show up amongst Chaos. The people could either wipe them all out or be all wiped out by them, which was the difficult situation that they were facing right now.


    And what gave Rhode a headache was that even though so many days had passed, the Book of Elements was still nowhere to be found.


    Without the Book of Elements, it would be impossible to awaken the last three holy sword spirits. And there would be no way to create something strong enough to protect the borders of the Dragon Soul Continent. The only thing they could do was to engage in attrition and a to-and-fro tussle. After all, there was only a limited number of people in the Dragon Soul Continent, especially those who were strong enough to take on Chaos.


    If Rhode were able to manifest everyone from his guild in the game, he could still withstand Chaos��s attack. Unfortunately, even with his power, he could only manifest 30,000 players at the very most. Of course, he could also ask his younger sister for assistance in manifesting more projected players.


    However, that wouldn��t work because when transmigrating the Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system, one of them had to possess enough power of the Void Dragon to open the plane channel. If both Rhode and his young sister expended their powers now, they wouldn��t be able to open the plane channel, not to mention transmigrating the entire Dragon Soul Continent over to the solar system.


    But�� If this continued, it was only a matter of time before the defensive lines were withdrawn.


    ��We did the calculations. If we can��t find other ways to resist Chaos, I��m afraid in half a month��s time, we will need to evacuate the first line of defense.��


    Upon hearing Marlene��s report, Rhode puckered his brows. It seemed like the biggest problem now was finding the Book of Elements.


    ��No one found the Book of Elements yet?��


    Due to the urgency of the matter, Rhode didn��t choose to keep it a secret. So even Lydia knew that he was looking for an artifact called the Book of Elements, which was an important part of their resistance against Chaos. But this time, Rhode��s luck was really terrible. Although he asked the Queen Elf and Nell for updates several times, neither sides seemed to have much of a clue. But despite that, it wasn��t entirely unproductive. When the Queen Elf questioned some of the elven patriarchs about the Book of Elements, she received news that several of the elven patriarchs who were born at the end of the Creation War and survived to the present day had indeed seen the Book of Elements. However, the Book of Elements seemed to have been taken away by other elves thereafter.


    When Rhode heard this news, he was naturally overjoyed. He even took Angelina on a trip to the Dark Region himself, and after using all sorts of incomparable violence, he finally managed to pry some information out of the mouths of some dark elves from ancient families. Their ancestors had indeed seen the Book of Elements, but it seemed like it had been taken away before their ancestors left the surface��


    Well, the only definitive conclusion Rhode reached was that the Book of Elements had indeed been taken by a group of elves. But unfortunately, this group of elves were neither the elves living on the main plane nor the dark elves hiding underground because of the Creation War. In that case, could the alchemical elves be the culprits?


    ��Sir Rhode, Sir Rhode! I found my ancestors�� records about the Book of Elements!��


    Unsure if it was a coincidence or not, along with a cheerful voice, Lapis appeared before Rhode. And when he heard Lapis��s remarks, his face lit up as though there were a whole new hope.


    ��Really, Lapis?��


    ��That��s right, Sir Rhode. According to my ancestors�� records, our Behermes Family has indeed seen the Book of Elements!��


    ��Where is it?!��


    ��It����


    Facing Rhode��s question, Lapis stared blankly, before revealing an odd expression and answering with some hesitation.


    ���� Is missing����


    ������


    According to Lapis, she did look into the ancestors�� records for the Book of Elements. And what thrilled Rhode was that at that time, the Behermes entertained the idea of taking away the Book of Elements. After all, the alchemical elves evolved through modifying themselves, so the power of the Book of Elements was naturally critical to them. But it was just a pity that�� When they were about to snatch the Book of Elements, they found that it had already been taken away by other elves.


    That other group of elves sure are annoying.


    Upon hearing Lapis��s report, Rhode was so angry that he swore to find those elves and beat them to death. Fortunately, Lapis��s findings weren��t exactly all for nothing. According to her, after realizing that the Book of Elements went missing, the Behermians put a lot of effort into reclaiming it, unlike the moon elves and dark elves, sending out men to search for it immediately. After all, the Book of Elements had a considerable impact on their plans as a whole, so they were naturally unwilling to let it fall into the hands of outsiders. In the end, the Behermians caught up with the group of elves, and both sides got into a brutal fight. But the Behermians weren��t a race that excelled at fighting, after all. After they were defeated, they could only stand by and watch as the winners held the Book of Elements in hand, open a portal, and leave this world��


    Left this world��


    In Rhode��s opinion, this was one and only, most valuable piece of information from the Behermians about the Book of Elements. Since they failed, it meant that the Book of Elements wasn��t destroyed, but had literally ��left this world��. Even though the Behermians were weak in combat, in terms of magical technology, they were somewhat talented. Because they simply looked at the group of elves and knew that they had left this world. So then, where exactly was the Book of Elements brought to?


    There were just so many branches of elves in the Dragon Soul Continent. Moon elves on the surface, dark elves in the underground, and Behermians who were nearly extinct.


    As for the other elf races other than them, could they be��


    At this thought, Rhode��s eyes glinted all of a sudden.


    If it were as he thought, the true meaning of that sentence recorded by the Behermes ancestors could then be determined.


    In other words��


    At this thought, Rhode twitched his brows and asked.


    ��Lapis, are you sure that��s what the record says?��


    ��Yes, Sir Rhode.��


    Upon hearing his question, Lapis nodded with might.


    ��That is indeed what was recorded. After the group of elves defeated our Behermes ancestors, they opened the portal and left the world with the Book of Elements.��


    ���� Got it.��


    Rhode nodded in response, stood up, and walked out of the study. This sudden series of action puzzled Lapis. But she quickly stacked up her documents and followed him out of the study curiously.


    Rhode wasn��t heading to somewhere faraway. On the contrary, he strolled around Grandia��s palace and spotted his target shortly after.


    Agatha stood respectfully in the corridor right before him. Even though the current situation was becoming hectic, this ocean elf��s expression was still as expressionless as ever. She stood there quietly, doing her chores as though she were a maid. At a glance, one could see several tentacles writhing out of her lower body, rolling up the mop and rag to wipe the corridor carefully. Rhode had to admit that she was really dutiful as an ocean elf, but he felt a little complicated. He always had a feeling that if he asked her the questions he had in mind, he would very likely make a fool out of himself. But now, considering the future of the Dragon Soul Continent and his entire plan, he felt like this little bit of humiliation wasn��t a big deal. He coughed awkwardly at the thought of it. And upon hearing his voice, Agatha turned around and gazed at him curiously, while stopping what she was doing respectfully.


    ��Master, how can I help you?��


    ��I have something to ask, Agatha. I hope you can give me a clear-cut answer.��


    ��Okay, no problem, Master.��


    Even though Rhode��s voice sounded stern, the ocean elf simply nodded in response without changing her expression. Upon witnessing her expression, Rhode took in a deep breath, stared at her, and asked.


    ��Do you know where the Book of Elements is right now?��


    After hearing his question, Agatha was taken aback. She nodded instantly.


    ��Of course, Master. As a matter of fact, the Book of Elements is in the water elemental plane right now.��


    At that very moment, Rhode felt like he was undoubtedly a fool.

 Chapter 1293 - Elemental Gate

    According to Agatha, the Book of Elements was brought into the water elemental plane by a group of elves who opened the elemental gate and fled into the elemental plane a while back (Note: Never expect elemental creatures to have a good sense of time). Back then, when the elemental lords sensed the mighty power of the Book of Elements, they sealed it inside the arctic ice of the water elemental plane in order to prevent its impact on the four elemental planes. This move wasn��t too surprising. After all, the fire and wind elemental planes weren��t suitable for storing items, so only the earth and water elemental planes were left as their choices. And sealing items was the specialty of the water elemental plane.


    As one of the ocean elves, Agatha once spent some time in the water elemental plane and happened to witness the scene where the group of elves from the main plane fled to the elemental plane. And because of that, she knew where the Book of Elements was. Even though it sounded like an understatement, it left Rhode feeling powerless. Although he did consider the possibility that the Book of Elements was in one of the elemental planes, the four elemental planes were huge, after all. If one were to search aimlessly, one wouldn��t know when one would finally see results. And since there were definite clues from the elves, Rhode put all his energy into pursuing them. In the end��


    He felt like a mule following the carrot dangling before it. He had focused so much on the carrot dangling before him and ignored the fresh, green grass surrounding him.


    I��m such a fool��


    Although it was humiliating for him, he was shamelessly quick to ignore his foolishness. As long as the result was good, everything was good, wasn��t it? And if it weren��t for the clues provided by the elves, he wouldn��t have thought of the elemental plane so soon.


    Seems like I��m still a really smart person. Well, that was just a moment of carelessness and negligence on my part. After all, I��ve been really busy. Just look at Chaos��s attack. I need to take care of matters surrounding the entire Dragon Soul Continent on my own, so it is understandable that some oversights occurred. Isn��t there a saying that goes ��it��s never too late to mend one��s way��? Yes, we must learn from our mistakes. We must learn to learn from our mistakes, experiences, and strive to achieve greater and more ambitious goals�� This lesson is painful and the mistakes are profound, but we must not only look to the past, but also to the future��.


    ���� So that��s all I have to say. Is there anything else that you want to add?��


    Rhode said and caught his breath. Then, he reached for a cup of tea to moisten his throat and turned to the group which looked at him with various expressions. Facing his question, they stared blankly at him and only after a few moments, Mini Bubble Gum let out a sigh.


    ��Leader, I know people always change. Just look at you�� You said a load of crap for an hour without getting to the point. Can��t you just tell us the truth? It was actually your foolish self who forgot to ask the inhabitants of the elemental planes and made us bustle about for so long! Aren��t you tired of finding excuses for an hour? You��re acting just like that fat swine of a principal in my school!��


    ������


    Rhode��s expression stiffened at Mini Bubble Gum��s blunt accusation. Then, he took a deep breath.


    ��Of course�� For this matter�� the main responsibility����


    Rhode dragged out his sentence before shooting looks at the two Canarys seated beside him, seeking help from them. But it was a pity that both of them were indifferent. At that moment, they ignored Rhode��s call for help entirely.


    As a true lover, shouldn��t you step up to get me out of this nasty situation? Also, as a qualified subordinate, you should take the initiative to assume responsibility too. It doesn��t cost you anything to say ��Actually we are also responsible���� or something. This will make me look good and make things easier for me later�� Sigh, where��s the trust between people at?


    ���� Falls on����


    After glaring helplessly at the two Canarys, Rhode let out a long sigh and confessed.


    ���� Me����


    ��You see! That��s all you��ve got to say�� Have you also been corrupted and degraded by the sugar coating of capitalism? Making a mistake and asking you to write a reflection is like asking you to kill someone��.��


    ��Alright, alright. Let��s skip this part for now.��


    Facing Mini Bubble Gum��s grumbles, Rhode neglected her shamelessly.


    Don��t be ridiculous. Whether it��s leading a guild or starting a harem, how can one do it if one doesn��t have thick skin? A he-man should be arrogant, have an indomitable spirit, and not flinch when treated with disdain�� This sentence should be appropriate for this situation, right?


    With some self-consolation in the mind, Rhode let out a cough. He tried to liven the atmosphere up earlier. But since Mini Bubble Gum had ridiculed him mercilessly, it was time for him to go about his own business. Since he learned the whereabouts of the Book of Elements, the next step was naturally to unlock its seal. But before that, he still had one more important thing to do. And that was to open the Elemental Gate��


    The importance of the four elemental planes was self-evident. Back then, when the Creator Dragons made this continent in the first place, this world wouldn��t have taken shape without the four main elements. In this respect, the four main elemental planes were even more important than the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. After all, the Seven Fantasy Boundaries were mere existences derived from the four elemental planes. For instance, ocean elves in the Silver Ocean were originally the inhabitants of the water elemental plane.


    However, it was much harder getting into the elemental planes than the Seven Fantasy Boundaries. The elemental planes belonged purely to the elemental world, and there was no way for mortals to enter. Although the elemental planes could be said to exist everywhere, it wasn��t easy to actually find their entrance. But it wasn��t that difficult for players like Rhode; as long as he found four beings with strong elemental powers, used their powers to call upon the rules of elements, and opened the gate, he could enter the elemental world.


    Yes, four beings with strong elemental powers�� Not only that, but what was most important was that the beings must also be natives. Because natives had the closest connection to the Dragon Soul Continent. In this case, the Phantom Guardians and projected players weren��t useful anymore. But fortunately, he didn��t lack powerful beings by his side who possessed rules.


    Gillian, as the fire elemental lord, was chosen as one of the candidates to open the gate to the elemental world. As for Anne, she was chosen as the representative of the wind element. No matter what, Anne had the blood of an elemental lord cruising throughout her body and her grasp of the wind element was also really skillful. As for the water element, the little mermaid in Rhode��s possession was also sufficient to fill in the gaps. If he were to activate the Taboo Halo, the little mermaid��s water elemental power would be strong enough to be used to open the gate. And as for the final earth element��


    Rhode didn��t own any card of the earth attribute and also couldn��t remember anyone with that kind of power. But luckily for him, he had a ��godlike�� system interface. He tapped open the list of names in his territory and sorted them according to attributes and levels. Shortly after, he found the strongest person with the earth elemental attribute located at the top of the list, except that��


    After seeing that name, he realized that he was acting foolishly again. Because not only did he know that person, but he was also really familiar with her��


    ��Bell?��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, Christie widened her eyes in shock.


    ���� Rhode�� You said�� you need Bell��s help?��


    ��Yes.��


    Upon hearing Christie��s question, Rhode showed a bitter smile and nodded. He was well aware of Bell��s strength. Back then, it was he who rescued her from the underground refuge and even back then, she possessed strength of the Legendary Stage. Not only that, but she was also an Order beacon�� But what caught Rhode by surprise was that this little girl who followed Christie around all the time was actually a dominant being of the earth element. Even though Bell possessed strength of the Legendary Stage, she was too inexperienced and unfit for battle, which was why Rhode left her by Christie��s side all the time. She could protect Christie, and Rhode also hoped that Christie could help change Bell��s ice-cold appearance and behavior. And from the looks of it, being with Christie had indeed changed Bell a lot. Although she was still as quiet as ever, she seemed to be more emotional and no longer acted like a still object.


    ��Is it�� dangerous?��


    ��I won��t deny that traveling in the elemental plane can be a little dangerous. But don��t worry, Christie. We won��t be there for long.��


    In order to retrieve the Book of Elements in the shortest possible time, Rhode decided to travel to the water elemental plane with the four beings. But fortunately, one of the advantages of the elemental plane was that they had little to no passage of time. That was also why elemental creatures had a very vague concept of time. Even if he spent half a month on the elemental plane, it would only be two or three days gone on the main plane. That was also why he chose to travel to the elemental plane with them. But of course, the other reason was that the requirements were very demanding for anyone entering the elemental plane. If he weren��t protected by strong elemental powers like Gillian, Anne, the little mermaid, and Bell, the moment he entered the elemental plane, he would be obliterated. But being a Void Dragon, his attribute level was higher than the elements, so there wasn��t a need to worry about that aspect.


    For Rhode, the process was simple: lead the four of them into the water elemental plane, retrieve the Book of Elements, open the Elemental Gate again to return to the Dragon Soul Continent, and everything would be solved��.


    Yes, that was all to it, so there shouldn��t be any problem!


    ��Are you willing to come with me, Bell?��


    After explaining to Christie the situation, Rhode turned to Bell who remained silent at the side. After hearing his question, Bell hesitated for a few moments, but eventually lifted her head and nodded with might. Although she didn��t say a word, she had clearly made her point.


    There was no time to lose, and Chaos wouldn��t wait for anyone. After receiving Bell��s reply, Rhode got to work immediately. The next day, he brought Bell and the rest to the plaza located behind Grandia��s palace, where the magical ritual used to open the Elemental Gate was already prepared.


    ��Be careful, Big Brother. I wish you all the best.��


    Holding his hands tightly, Rhode��s younger sister said in a soft voice. Upon hearing her words, Rhode smiled and nodded in response. But at that moment, Mini Bubble Gum who stood beside them curled her lips, before speaking with a witty smile.


    ��Sigh, you are a natural born toiler, Leader. Go at ease. There will be no problem leaving this place to me!�� With that, Mini Bubble Gum patted her underdeveloped chest and gave him a thumbs up. ��There��s a saying, Leader; thou shalt not be concerned about thy wife, who shall support herself[1]!��


    �� Is this saying supposed to be used in this place?


    Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s remarks, Rhode twitched the corner of his eye. Shortly after, he pounded that little rascal��s head with his iron fist.


    If you want to show off your knowledge in ancient texts, go back and understand its meaning first!


    ��Alright then, we��ll be making a move now. I��ll leave this place to you.��


    After glaring at Mini Bubble Gum who crouched with her hands over her head, Rhode turned around and looked at the chuckling younger sister and Canary. Unlike the others, they certainly understood what exactly Mini Bubble Gum said, and that was the difference between gifted students and an Internet addict.


    ��Don��t worry, Big Brother. With us around, everything will be fine.��


    After hearing his younger sister��s response, Rhode finally put his mind at ease. He turned around, entered the center of the magical ritual, and gestured to Gillian with his hand. Upon witnessing his action, the fox-eared young lady who stood in one of the circles within the magical ritual revealed a relaxed smile.


    ��Wow, I never thought I��d get the chance to invite my master for a day trip to the elemental planes. So�� Are you ready? The plane is about to take off, so please put away your trays and fasten your seat belts����


    After speaking in sentences that sounded foreign to the natives, Gillian lifted her arms high.


    Along with her movement, things changed all of a sudden. The peaceful magical ritual emanated a bright glow. A dazzling flare erupted from the fox-eared young lady��s body, metamorphosing into a fire column that rushed skyward. On the other side, as if resonating with the flames, rushing gales swirled into a whirlwind with Anne in its center. Meanwhile, the ice edges frozen by the whistling cold air extended in all directions, flowing like a fountain between the little mermaid��s arms. Shortly after, it was Bell��s turn. Facing the magical ritual before her, the little girl stretched out her arm and opened her eyes. Soon, the ground trembled and a towering, stone pillar rose from the flat ground.


    The whirling elemental powers achieved peace at that moment. Shortly after, a colorful array of elemental lights erupted in the masses. All five of them, including Rhode, vanished completely.


    Just as Gillian mentioned, transmigrating into the elemental plane felt like riding an airplane. Rhode witnessed dazzling and complex flashes before his eyes as his body simply accelerated toward the front. The restraints of gravity gradually disappeared from his body. After an unknown amount of time��perhaps it was an instant or a long time��the whole world suddenly changed.


    The light that shrouded him disappeared in the blink of an eye. He stepped onto the ground once again with his weightless body. Whistling cold winds blew past his ears. At a glance, he witnessed a vast, white, snow-covered plain before him, as well as a forest that resembled ice crystals. A flurry of snowflakes blew against the face and even Rhode felt a bone-piercing chilliness.


    ��Phew�� All is well. No delays on this flight. Folks, we��ve arrived at the Ice Throne of the water elemental plane!��


    Upon hearing Gillian��s voice, Rhode couldn��t help but turn to her. In the elemental plane, everything on the outside was concealed by the inside. At that moment, it was the same for Gillian. Although she retained her original appearance, red and illusory flames could be seen burning in her body. This was exactly what the elemental plane was. On the other side, the little mermaid and Bell were the same, where the azure power of water and yellow power of earth enfolded their bodies, making them look as if they were wearing illusory and translucent luxury dresses.


    ��Alright, since we��re here, we should prepare to����


    Rhode said and swept a glance at Anne who stood near him. Then, he couldn��t help but be taken aback.


    Just like the rest, Anne was shrouded in the power of wind from head to toe. The rushing gales metamorphosed into a long dress that wrapped the young girl��s body. But despite that, it wasn��t the elemental dress that caught Rhode��s attention, but what was behind her instead.


    A totemic marker that resembled a storm appeared on her back. And as a knowledgeable player, he certainly knew what that was.


    It was the symbol of the wind elemental lord.


    [1] What Cao Cao said to Wang Hou from the book ��Romance of the Three Kingdoms�� by Luo Guanzhong.

 Chapter 1294 - Ice Throne

    Symbol of the wind elemental lord��


    Looking at the symbol on Anne��s back, Rhode couldn��t help but twitch the corner of his eye. In fact, he had already suspected that Anne was the child of a wind elemental lord. After all, her wind elemental power was clearly of the dominant class. In the past, when she consumed the awakening potion, Gillian mentioned to him that the blood flowing in Anne��s body should be that of the wind elemental lord. Besides, when Rhode communicated with the Sky Whale earlier, the latter also mentioned that the wind elemental lord did have a child on the main plane. At that time, Rhode had pretty much confirmed it, except there was one most important condition that Anne didn��t have, unfortunately. According to the Sky Whale, the child had a symbol of the wind elemental lord on its back. But it was a pity that after heading back, Rhode stripped Anne naked and searched over and over, but just couldn��t find the said symbol. Rhode couldn��t help but feel puzzled. After all, in every other way, Anne actually fit the bill, didn��t she?


    But it was a pity that despite her fitting the bill, she was like a Cinderella who couldn��t fit into the glass slippers. Without the symbol on her back, it was all meaningless.


    Rhode had already given up, but never expected to find the hidden symbol of the wind elemental lord in this situation.


    Yes, the symbol is indeed on her back, but it only manifested after Anne entered the elemental plane�� Would it kill you to be more explicit?! Would it?!


    Seems like it would��


    ��Hmm? What��s wrong, Leader? Is there something on Anne��s back?��


    Upon seeing Rhode��s expression, Anne skipped to his side and asked curiously. After hearing her doubt, Rhode turned around, shrugged, and caressed her head.


    ��It��s nothing much. Well, let��s get ready to move out.��


    ��Okay, Leader!��


    Facing Rhode��s response, the simple Anne accepted all of it without the slightest hesitation. And seeing that this topic was left out, Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. Although it was good news that he coincidentally discovered the symbol of the wind elemental lord on her back, their priority now wasn��t to search for her parents since that could wait. After transmigrating the Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system, Rhode had all the time to bring Anne around to search for her parents. But now�� It was better to get down to business soon.


    The chilly winds howled.


    The elemental plane had no concept of time, but fortunately there was still the concept of space. And now, Rhode and the others could only choose to brave the cold wind blowing in their faces. However, they were lucky enough to be transported to the Ice Throne, where it was located at the heart of the water elemental plane and was also the elemental lord��s dwelling. The next step was to find the water elemental plane, unseal the Book of Elements, and bring it back to the main plane. Then, everything would be solved. As for its direction, as an inhabitant of the water elemental plane, the little mermaid naturally became the guide for everyone.


    However��


    ��Leader, it��s like we��re thieves right now. Are we here at the water elemental plane to steal back that Book of Elements?��


    Stooping over and following carefully by Rhode��s side, Anne asked softly. Upon hearing her question, Rhode shrugged and remained silent. He also looked at the little mermaid in front of him with some confusion. After returning to the water elemental plane, the little mermaid no longer needed to stay and hide in the water ball. At that moment, she was just like a released bird, flying freely in the sky of the water elemental plane. Her petite body swam in the air as if it were water. But�� Instead of looking like a soaring bird, she was more like�� a startled bird.


    The little mermaid was obviously a water elemental creature, but she acted so strangely in the water elemental plane. She moved forward slowly only after carefully looking at her surroundings and would immediately hide behind Rhode��s back in fear as soon as there were any strange occurrences. Even though she was leading the way, she led Rhode to more hidden and safer places most of the time, so it wasn��t surprising that Anne asked this question. And now, being led around by the little mermaid also felt as though they weren��t here to retrieve something, but rather to steal something instead��


    As a matter of fact, Rhode could be less careful with his identity. Because even if he encountered any water elemental creatures, as soon as he revealed his identity as the Void Dragon, the water elemental creatures would respectfully lead him to the water elemental lord. Then, he could negotiate with the water elemental lord and if everything turned out well, he could get his hands on the Book of Elements.


    Why are we even sneaking in like thieves right now?


    However, Rhode didn��t grumble much. Although none of the paths the little mermaids took were just and honorable, they didn��t waste much time as they headed straight to the core area of the Ice Throne. Despite that, Rhode also realized the reason why the little mermaid seemed to be taking the safer routes was out of fear of meeting other water elemental creatures��


    That was indeed odd. As Rhode��s card spirit, the little mermaid was definitely a creature of this plane, just like how it wasn��t strange for a water elemental creature like Agatha to be an inhabitant of this plane. However, the little mermaid��s ��guilty conscience�� made him curious. As far as he could remember, the inhabitants of the water elemental plane were usually either meek or indifferent. Either way, they weren��t the type that would start an argument with anyone. On the other hand, Rhode watched the little mermaid��s growth. She was usually a timid but obedient and sensible child. He refused to believe that she had caused a lot of trouble in the water elemental plane. In that case, what exactly was she so afraid of?


    Squeak, squeak, squeak��


    The thick layer of frost and snow beneath everyone��s feet made a slight sound, before being completely muted by the whirling blizzard. Rhode was also fortunate that his group possessed strong elemental manifestations; otherwise, they would have been completely frozen to death by now. The temperature outside of the Ice Throne was comparable to that of Neptune��s, where ordinary creatures would have been turned into ice sculptures in an instant. Only people like Rhode, Gillian, and Anne, who had pure and mighty elemental powers could walk here unharmed.


    The entire Ice Throne was, as its name suggested, an island formed by a huge piece of iceberg floating on the surface of the water. As far as the eye could see, the whole Ice Throne seemed to have nothing but white snowfields and crystals that reflected chilly lights. But Rhode knew that it was just an illusion. The water elemental plane was just as the name implied. All creatures here could move about as freely as the little mermaid, which meant that if one were lucky enough, one could see a whale flying in the sky�� Which wasn��t entirely impossible.


    ����!��


    Suddenly, the little mermaid in front of the crowd was startled. She turned around and shuttled across the air like a fish. Rhode��s vision dazzled and before he knew it, the little mermaid had hidden behind him. She reached out, held his shoulder, and peeked out with a pair of bright, aqua eyes that were filled with bewilderment and unease.


    ��What��s wrong, Snow?��


    Rhode knitted his brows at the sight of the terrified little mermaid and shifted his gaze to where she was staring at. Shortly after, he narrowed his eyes immediately.


    Boom������!


    A deep sonic boom erupted and all of a sudden, an enormous, pitch-black shadow appeared out of thin air. It was a giant octopus that was over ten meters long, suspended in the air, while its huge body descended slowly as though it were being lowered into the deep sea. At the same time, the giant octopus waved its tentacles, lashing out at a group of beings near it. The group of beings weren��t just ordinary creatures. And although they were standing quite a distance away from Rhode, it only took an instant before Rhode saw who they were. A group of mermaid warriors had surrounded the giant octopus, wielding tridents, and were wrestling with the giant octopus bravely.


    Looks like it��s another ambush from a stray monster��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode twitched his brows. He wasn��t unfamiliar with the four main elemental planes, so he naturally knew some of their rules. The elemental plane itself wasn��t a peaceful place. It was a place where all elemental creatures lived, and naturally, there were some violent ones among them. The water elemental plane had fewer such creatures, but it wasn��t completely devoid of them. The giant octopus before them was a good example. It was obvious that this giant octopus had drifted to the Ice Throne from somewhere, and the mermaid warriors who were guarding the place tried to expel it. But unfortunately��


    ��Oh-no-no, it doesn��t look like it��s going to work.��


    Narrowing her eyes at the battlefield in front of her, Gillian wagged her tail and said with a smile. And it was just as Gillian mentioned. There were only a dozen mermaid warriors encircling the giant octopus, and they didn��t stand a chance against it. In the blink of an eye, two more mermaid warriors were struck away by the giant octopus. Although the remaining mermaid warriors were grasping at straws, raising their tridents to attack the giant octopus, it was a pity that their attacks inflicted little to no damage.


    This can��t go on.


    Gazing at the mermaid warriors who fought bitterly, Rhode took in a breath and gestured to his group.


    ��Gillian, come with me. Anne, stay here with Snow and Bell and protect them; understood?��


    While it would be a good idea to get into battle together, Bell��s combat experience was still lacking, while the little mermaid��s abilities weren��t effective against the giant octopus, who held the same water attribute as her. Moreover, Anne��s abilities were also useless in this situation, which was why Rhode left her behind as well. When Anne heard his order, she nodded and took out her shield in one hand.


    ��Don��t worry, Leader. Anne promises to protect them!��


    ��I��ll leave it to you then.��


    After nodding to Anne, Rhode turned around and flew toward the battlefield with Gillian.


    By the time Rhode and Gillian arrived on the battlefield, the mermaid warriors seemed to have completely run out of gas. Facing the tentacles that whipped at them, they could only summon an ice barrier to resist it. Just as Rhode and Gillian arrived, they heard a loud whoosh and the giant octopus��s tentacle crushed the ice barrier effortlessly in a loud bang! Not only that, but the tentacle also grabbed for one of the mermaid warriors, bound her tightly, and dragged her toward it. At the same time, the giant octopus opened its mouth that was full of trembling razor-sharp teeth, which were as though they were telling their owner that they were famished!


    ��������! ������!��


    The mermaid warrior caught in the tentacle struggled hard and let out a clear, miserable scream like a lark captured by an eagle. At that moment, the other mermaid warriors below charged ahead to rescue their companion. But unfortunately, none of them were able to save their companion as they were forced to retreat by the giant octopus�� attack. The mermaid warriors at the bottom watched grudgingly as their companion was about to turn into food for the giant octopus, disappearing entirely into its huge mouth.


    Swish!


    But at the moment, a burst of flames lit up the menacing tentacles. In the face of this sudden agony, the giant octopus screeched. It instinctively loosened its grip around the mermaid warrior and waved its tentacles around unceasingly in an attempt to extinguish the flames. But unfortunately, its movements weren��t able to eliminate the flames that were entwined and blazing on the tentacles. On the contrary, sparks and flares scattered from the burning flames due to its flustered movements, as though a heavenly maiden were sprinkling sparks at it. Flames were the natural enemy of water elemental creatures, and this giant octopus was naturally no exception. Although ordinary flames were unable to burn in the water elemental plane, it depended on who was releasing the flames.


    ��Oh-no-no, I wonder if this huge octopus tastes good roasted.��


    Gillian chuckled and floated in midair. She stared at the giant octopus in pain before her, but didn��t have the slightest intention of stopping. Instead, she stretched out her arm and pointed forward. And with this action, hundreds of fireballs erupted from behind her all at once, enfolding and overwhelming the giant octopus.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Along with a series of explosions, the giant octopus shuddered in the sizzling flames that it was so terrified of. The kind of pain was literally like acid dripping onto its skin and eating away at its flesh without any mercy. Under Gillian��s attack, the giant octopus retreated. But even so, it didn��t seem willing to give up the delicious meal it almost devoured earlier. After letting out another bellow, the giant octopus shot out its tentacles at the mermaid warrior who was thrown out by it earlier.


    ����!��


    Staring at the deadly tentacle headed straight for her again, the frightened mermaid warrior turned ashen. Just when she clearly saw the rows of suction cups on the inside of the tentacle and thought she could no longer escape, all of a sudden, she felt an arm pulling her by the waist and dragging her out of the tentacle��s attacking range. Immediately after, from the corner of her eyes, the mermaid warrior witnessed a bright, dazzling blade ray that sliced the tentacle into two like tofu.


    ��������!��


    The traumatized octopus finally gave up its intention to attack, forced itself to give up the delicious treat, and shrank its entire body instantly. Shortly after, it spewed out a dense cloud of black ink from its mouth that enveloped its enormous body. There was an instant where even the sky and surroundings dimmed at this move. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the giant octopus turned around in a hurry, flew backward, and fled. It was very simple-minded. As long as it could leave this place alive, it would be a victory!


    But�� Would Rhode let it leave so easily?


    Since it has already shown up, it could forget about leaving.


    Gazing at the barrier of pitch-black ink, a glint flashed in Rhode��s eyes. At the next moment, in the blink of an eye, the sword in his hand metamorphosed into a lightning bolt that penetrated the middle of the dark cloud of pitch-black ink. The mighty impact along with whirling gales erupted, wiping out the black ink instantly. And now, along with another miserable shriek, the giant octopus��s body was punctured thoroughly, leaving a huge round hole in the middle. Blood sprayed everywhere from the wound, spreading, mixed with black ink. The giant octopus shuddered uncontrollably, but that was just its deathbed struggle.


    ��Goodbye, little octo~ Remember to turn into an octopus ball in your afterlife!��


    Along with Gillian��s hearty laughter, a sudden burst of flames instantly engulfed the octopus��s body.


    The mermaid warriors on the side were dumbfounded, completely unresponsive to the scene before them. After all, just a moment ago, they were trying to stop and defeat that terrifying monster with the belief that they would die. But they didn��t expect the situation to turn around in just a split second. As these two strange beings showed up, the battle situation turned around drastically. The deep sea octopus was a creature that even a powerful group of mermaid elites had a hard time eliminating. Despite that, those two actually killed it so effortlessly?


    But then again, who are they?

 Chapter 1295 - Daughter of the Sea

    Rhode put away his sword after witnessing the unfortunate giant octopus burning into ashes in the flames. At the same time, he let go of the mermaid warrior he dragged away from danger earlier. The mermaid warrior also seemed to be dumbfounded by the fighting power that Rhode and Gillian displayed as she drifted blankly in midair. It wasn��t until a moment later that she took a few steps back as if awakening from a dream, looking at Rhode hesitantly, and giving a respectful bow.


    ��Thank you so much for your help. Erm, may I know who you are����


    The mermaid warrior asked, while looking at Rhode and Gillian with suspicion. It wasn��t surprising of her reaction as it was too unusual for two foreign and powerful beings to show up here. Fortunately, since Rhode made the move to save them earlier, the mermaid warriors didn��t have any hostility toward him and his group. Despite that, they were still more or less confused and uncertain. And in response to the mermaid warrior��s question, Rhode raised an eyebrow and spoke.


    ��I am the Void Dragon, and this is my subject. We have come to the water elemental plane to discuss something important with the water elemental lord. If you can, please pass the message for me.��


    ��Your Majesty the Void Dragon?!��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s self-introduction, the mermaid warrior flustered. She bowed solemnly and hurriedly once more, before replying in trepidation and sincerity.


    ��My apologies. Please pardon my rudeness, Your Majesty the Void Dragon. I didn��t expect you to come to the water elemental plane�� Please wait for a moment.��


    Perhaps sensing that she couldn��t say anything warmly welcoming, as the somewhat young and inexperienced mermaid warrior finished her sentence, she turned around and scrambled back to the other mermaid warriors immediately. She seemed to be speaking to one who looked like the leader of their group, and upon hearing her words, the other mermaid warriors also turned to Rhode��s group in bewilderment as though they were very surprised. But it was no wonder that they reacted this way. Although the entire Dragon Soul Continent was theoretically governed by the Creator Dragons, places like the four main elemental planes were rarely associated with the main plane. Besides that, normally one wouldn��t encounter a Creator Dragon visiting the elemental planes. But now, the Void Dragon was actually here, so it was hardly surprising that the mermaid warriors were so astonished.


    After a few moments, the young lady who seemed like the leader ��swam�� toward Rhode and gave a solemn bow.


    ��Greetings, Your Majesty the Void Dragon, thank you so much for the assistance. Without your help, we wouldn��t have been able to repel the intruders so efficiently����


    ��It��s nothing. I just happen to witness your battle along the way.��


    Upon hearing the mermaid warrior��s greetings, Rhode answered and waved her aside with an airy gesture. The mermaid warrior knew that Rhode had no intention of wasting too much time, which was why she said nothing and gave a gesture of invitation.


    ��The lord��s palace is right there. Please come with me����


    ��Alright����


    Rhode wasn��t mindful of the somewhat indifferent response from the mermaid warrior. Most creatures in the water elemental plane were gentle souls and rarely passionate about anything in particular. That was why Rhode didn��t expect to receive any VIP treatment here. It was great enough for things to be this way. He wasn��t unnecessarily picky, and nodded instead. Then, as though he recalled something, he asked.


    ��By the way, I have three companions over there. Let��s wait for them.��


    The mermaid warrior had no intention of objecting, which was why Rhode beckoned to Gillian to bring the other three over. Gillian went to the back quickly and brought them here in no time. But��


    ��Where��s Snow?��


    Gazing at Anne and Bell, Rhode knitted his brows. Upon hearing his question, Anne spread her arms apart and showed a helpless gesture.


    ��Anne doesn��t know, Leader. That little fella was still watching your fight with Anne earlier. But after your fight ended, she ran off in a whoosh as though she were chased by something. Anne wanted to look for her, but didn��t see where she ran off to.��


    Anne replied and looked rather depressed. She was speechless at the thought of that scene. She was excited and decided to pull Bell and the little mermaid to cheer for Rhode and Gillian together. In the end, before Anne managed to grab Snow, the latter ran off far away. After Anne realized what happened, the little mermaid was nowhere to be seen anymore.


    What��s going on?


    After hearing Anne��s reply, Rhode didn��t say much, but deep inside, he was really confused. Snow was usually obedient and sensible, and had always been great in battle. But this time, she acted strangely upon arriving at the water elemental plane and behaved like a thief as though she were afraid of being discovered. And now, she actually ran away again. Rhode more or less guessed that she probably didn��t want to meet the mermaid warriors. But he couldn��t figure out the reason why. After all, she was also a mermaid, so naturally, she was born and raised on the water elemental plane. As a matter of fact, Agatha could also be the one leading them to the water elemental plane. However, she wasn��t really strong in her abilities, and Rhode also intended to bring the little mermaid back to her hometown to visit her family, which was why he eventually chose the little mermaid.


    But the little fella��


    ��Forget it, let��s get going����


    As his spirit card, Rhode had no problem locating the little mermaid. After questioning Anne, he immediately found the whereabouts of the little mermaid with some effort. But what made him caught between laughter and tears was that the little mermaid was now hiding in the snowy plains behind them, digging a hole to bury herself In it. In all honesty, this was the first time Rhode learned that mermaids could actually dig holes!


    ���� She will catch up with us.��


    Even though Rhode could easily summon the little mermaid to his side, he didn��t force her, since she didn��t want to show herself. He also knew that she must have something going on in the water elemental plane, or else she wouldn��t be acting so sneakily. But it also didn��t seem like it involved killing someone, so Rhode simply let her off on her own.


    ��Is anything the matter, Your Majesty Void Dragon? Do you need our help?��


    ��It��s fine����


    Upon hearing the mermaid warrior��s question, Rhode returned to his senses.


    ���� It��s just a trivial matter. Let��s go.��


    ��Okay, Your Majesty.��


    Although the mermaid warriors were somewhat puzzled by Rhode��s response, water elemental creatures were rarely meddlesome. Since Rhode wasn��t going to talk about it, the mermaid warriors didn��t pester him any longer. They nodded and headed toward the heart of the Ice Throne with Rhode and his group. But soon, Rhode realized that the mermaid warriors seemed to be just as wary of Anne as Snow was, despite Anne looking in all directions casually. On the contrary, they weren��t too wary of Bell. Could it be that they smelled the scent of a carnivore from Anne��s body?


    Led by the mermaid warriors, Rhode��s group had a much easier time. After all, this was the water elemental lord��s palace, and defensive precautions were really tight. Moreover, the fact that Rhode and his group were non-water elemental creatures made them stand out like sore thumbs along the way. From time to time, high-ranking guards from the Ice Throne stepped out to interrogate them, but with the mermaid warriors around, Rhode��s group wasn��t hampered too much and entered the heart of the Ice Throne unimpeded.


    But what surprised Rhode was that the little mermaid who followed far behind them actually also entered the palace. Rhode originally thought that the little mermaid would be discovered in no time by the countless guards around the Ice Throne. There were times when he was even ready to step out and explain the situation for her. But what he didn��t expect was that although the little mermaid was following him from afar, she had actually escaped the interrogation of all the guards. Not to mention the mermaid warriors protecting his group, even the elite guards defending the Ice Throne hadn��t noticed her presence!


    That little fella sure is familiar with the Ice Throne.


    The thought of Snow leading them along the edge of the Ice Throne undetected piqued Rhode��s curiosity as to what her true identity was. He initially thought that Snow was just an ordinary creature amongst the mermaids. But now, it seemed like things were different. Otherwise, how would she be so familiar with the Ice Throne? From the way she led them, perhaps even without the help of the mermaid warriors, Rhode��s group could still pass through the heavily guarded area secretly to meet the water elemental lord.


    But it was a pity that they didn��t come to the water elemental plane to be thieves��


    ��This is the place, Your Majesty the Void Dragon.��


    While Rhode let his imagination run wild, he arrived at the palace gate. Gazing at the entrance that was entirely frozen in ice, Rhode gathered his thoughts immediately. After all, the most important thing right now was the matter at hand. As for Snow, he could wait until later.


    ����������


    The frozen gate opened gradually. Shortly after, an ice-cold chilliness struck them, but it didn��t affect them much. On the other hand, Gillian was the only one who let out a grunt of displeasure. Well, she couldn��t be blamed since she was the fire elemental lord. This was the core region of the water elemental plane. Water and fire were incompatible, in the first place, so as a fire elemental lord, she didn��t feel exactly comfortable here.


    Sauntering forward and against the icy-cold winds, Rhode reached the center of the Ice Throne with his group. The first thing that caught his eyes was the huge throne in the middle, which was a large chunk of hard-cold ice that was four to five meters tall and carved into the shape of a throne. The floor was laid with smooth ice crystals, while the vast ocean could be seen through the translucent walls on both sides of the palace. The Ice Throne looked like a large aquarium, making one feel as though one were in an underwater world. As far as the eye could see, one could find seaweeds drifting in the ocean and all kinds of fish swimming leisurely in it. Accompanied with the shimmering glow, the view was particularly captivating.


    ��Woah����


    Looking at this scene, Anne couldn��t help but exclaim. Bell also widened her eyes and sized up her surroundings curiously. After all, this scenery was too dreamy and unbelievable for them.


    And at that moment, an ice-cold, yet gentle voice sounded.


    ��Welcome to the Ice Throne, Your Majesty the Void Dragon.��


    A common characteristic of water elemental creatures was that their speech was always smooth, quiet, soft, and with little to no emotion. It felt the same with this voice. Although it wasn��t filled with passion or other intense emotions at all, it felt like a comfortable spring breeze to Rhode and his group, and the discomfort from the chilly winds vanished in an instant. Along with that voice, a slender figure appeared in front of them.


    It was a beautiful woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties. Her skin was as white and delicate as snow, and her soft, long hair was made entirely of ice: pure, flawless, and reflected a soft glow. Not only that, but her azure eyes were also as eye-catching as the deep sea. The water elemental lord was donned in what looked like a translucent robe. She stood up and gazed at Rhode��s group, which just entered the Ice Throne. Facing this lovely woman before him, Rhode stretched out his hand and gave a bow. He knew very well that this woman in front of him was the water elemental lord, the Queen of Ice, Audrey.


    ��Greetings. Nice to meet you, Queen Audrey.��


    ��It��s nice to meet you too, Your Majesty the Void Dragon. I��ve heard what happened from Agatha. I never thought that you would come to the Ice Throne in person. It seems like the Book of Elements is indeed really important to you.��


    ��That��s right. This time, I am indeed here for the Book of Elements.��


    Audrey went straight to the point, and Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. Although the flow of time on the elemental plane was different from the main plane, it was still best to save as much time as possible. Besides, he also didn��t wish for any trouble to occur, such as hearing news that the Book of Elements was stolen while they attended a banquet that Audrey invited them to. Even though the possibilities were low, players had experienced enough quests that ended with all kinds of strange development in the plot. For instance, the NPC they escorted went to commit suicide by taking on the BOSS. The players could only watch as the NPC dropped their precious reward into the river, and the players had to go down to search for it later��


    And now that Audrey got right to the point, Rhode didn��t have to maintain his social disguise any longer.


    ��The Book of Elements is essential for us. I heard it is in the water elemental plane, which was why I came here.��


    ��You��re right about that. The Book of Elements is indeed here.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s response, Audrey revealed a smile and said.


    ��Earlier, a group of elves from the main plane opened the Elemental Gate and fled to the water elemental plane to avoid the scourge of war. And in return for our protection, they gave the Book of Elements to us for safekeeping on their behalf. But as the power of the Book of Elements was too strong and out of control, we sealed it beneath the Ice Throne after some discussion among us, the elemental lords. That decision was to prevent the Book of Elements from causing extensive damage to the elemental planes. And since you��ve personally come here, Your Majesty the Void Dragon, I will pass the Book of Elements to you with no questions asked. But before I get to that����


    Audrey said and blinked. Then, she lifted her head and looked behind Rhode��s group.


    ��My child, aren��t you going to come out? How long do you want to hide?��


    ������


    As the Queen of Ice spoke, the little mermaid emerged from the shadows outside the main entrance slowly. She entered the palace of the Ice Throne hesitantly with her hands interlocked, before scampering to hide behind Rhode as though using him as a shield. She was like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, as if it were safe if it couldn��t see anything�� But eventually, under the gaze of the Queen of Ice, the little mermaid peeked out from behind and whispered a greeting.


    ��Greetings�� Mother����


    ������


    Upon hearing Snow��s words, Rhode was slightly taken aback, but wasn��t exactly surprised. He knew from the little mermaid��s earlier behavior that her identity in the water elemental plane must be unusual. And now, it was just a confirmation of his thoughts. On the other hand, Anne was shocked to hear the news and exclaimed.


    ��Ehhh? Snow, you are the daughter of this big sister?��


    ���� Yes, Snow is my daughter.��


    Facing Anne��s question, it was Audrey who answered instead. Snow remained silent, but nodded in affirmation. Looking at Snow��s reaction, Audrey seemed to be a little disappointed. But in the end, she didn��t say anything. She let out a subtle sigh, went up to Rhode, and made a gesture of invitation.


    ��The Book of Elements is over there. Please come with me, Your Majesty the Void Dragon.��

 Chapter 1296 - Sealed Elements

    Led by the Queen of Ice, the crowd headed deeper into the depths of the Ice Throne. As they went farther, the scenery around them changed gradually.


    The crystal passageways on both sides became more transparent and bright glows emanated within the dark underwater world. At a glance, one witnessed a school of small, glowing fish swimming along the crystal walls. Not only did Anne widen her eyes and stare in curiosity, but Bell, who was always quiet, also strolled along the wall and focused her attention on the mesmerizing scenery. There was just too rare of an opportunity for them to witness this view.


    ��Please pardon my rudeness, Your Majesty the Void Dragon. Actually, I was hoping to send someone to deliver the Book of Elements to the main plane after getting Agatha��s report�� But for the sake of prudence, I decided to guard the Book of Elements here while awaiting your arrival���� the Queen of Ice said softly as she sauntered deeper into the crystal corridor. She looked over at the little mermaid who followed behind Rhode, and her eyes glinted in a flash. Then she sighed and continued. ���� Perhaps you are unaware, but it hasn��t been peaceful in the elemental plane lately either. We also know what has been happening on the main plane. I have to say, it��s a real shame�� But the elemental plane has its own troubles despite it being harder to breach than the main plane. Chaos still has an effect on creatures in the elemental borderlands, such as the deep-sea octopus you fought earlier. It was influenced by Chaos, which is why it attacked us.��


    ��I see����


    Upon hearing Audrey��s words, Rhode nodded without commenting as he understood the situation. The elemental planes were stronger than the main plane due to the fact that they were purely elemental worlds. They could even be said to be the last and safest layers of barriers. But that didn��t mean that the elemental planes were a paradise as they were also threatened by Chaos. And the threat of Chaos wasn��t always in the form of erosion. Instead, it was the insidious, mental attacks of Chaos that were the most threatening and unpreventable. The best example of this was Ion, a calm and collected dragon soul heir. But even so, he was still driven crazy by Chaos. It wasn��t uncommon for Chaos to use this kind of ��mental contamination�� to achieve their goals and sometimes, it was even more effective than their erosion. And now that the Chaos army had surrounded the entire Dragon Soul Continent, the four elemental planes were naturally also affected to some degree. So it was normal that such things happened.


    Speaking of which, Rhode had felt there was something not quite right about that deep-sea octopus earlier. And now it looked like his guess was right.


    ��The elemental plane is fine, right?��


    Even though he knew the answer, he asked this casual question for the sake of caution. And in response, Audrey nodded and replied.


    ��Not much of a problem, Your Majesty the Void Dragon. We have evacuated as many of the water elemental beings in the border areas as possible and dispatched patrols. Should anything unexpected happen, we will be informed straight away and respond immediately. Besides, the elemental planes are traditionally hard for Chaos to invade, so there shouldn��t be any problem.��


    ��That said�� It isn��t really that simple����


    Rhode responded and couldn��t help but feel uneasy as he recalled the mutated Chaos that escaped from Earth. It was commonly known that the elemental planes were difficult for Chaos to invade because they possessed pure rules of Order. But now, twisted Chaos mutants were able to use its own bizarre characteristics to invade Order, which was how Lillian and Ion consequently fell into the trap. Frankly, Rhode didn��t know what stage the mutated Chaos had reached�� if it were to invade the elemental planes, Rhode wouldn��t have much of a solution. Rhode pondered for a moment and finally decided to speak the truth to Audrey.


    ��As a matter of fact, the situation is more complicated than that, Queen Audrey. Chaos isn��t as simple now because amongst them, mutants of Order exist����


    Rhode said and began explaining the news of the mutated Chaos to Audrey. According to his observations, the influence of Chaos seemed to be really aggressive toward creatures of pure attributes, like the undead creatures of the Country of Darkness. It was because they were purely undead in their attribute that they were contaminated by Chaos extremely quickly. Although Rhode wasn��t sure of the specific reason, he decided to inform Audrey just to be on the safe side. One could never be too careful. If something went wrong by then, it would be too late.


    ��What?��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, Audrey��s expression changed slightly. Due to the overlap between the elemental planes and main plane, the elemental creatures knew most of the things that happened on the main plane. They were naturally aware of the changes in the Country of Darkness. But despite that, the water elemental plane was never a place that would meddle in others�� affairs. So even if they were aware, they didn��t make any special effort to investigate. At that moment, the Queen of Ice felt a little uncertain. This type of mutated Chaos was just too weird, so much so that even she had never heard of it before. Audrey showed some uneasiness, came to a standstill, and looked behind her.


    ��Snow, come here.��


    ��Yes�� Mother.��


    Hearing Audrey��s call, the little mermaid hesitated, but eventually went up to her mother��s side. Audrey promptly retrieved a piece of crystal from her pocket, placed it on her forehead, and closed her eyes. After a few moments, she raised her head and gave the crystal to the little mermaid.


    ��Place this telecommunication crystal in the Resonance Hall and activate it. I want all water elemental beings to get this message at once, got it?��


    ��Yes, Mother.��


    Upon hearing Audrey��s instruction, the little mermaid nodded somewhat timidly, took the crystal, and turned around to leave quickly. Judging from her reaction, it seemed like she couldn��t wait to get as far away from her mother as possible. Looking at this scene, although Rhode knew that the situation was urgent, he couldn��t help but give a gossipy look at Audrey. He had to admit that he was quite interested in such private family affairs, especially when it involved his own summoning spirit. Upon sensing Rhode��s gaze, Audrey knew what was going through his mind. The Queen of Ice, however, wasn��t quite embarrassed as she just smiled and spoke.


    ��My apologies, Your Majesty the Void Dragon. This daughter of mine is a little mischievous. If there��s anything that bothers you, please don��t take it too seriously����


    ��Ugh����


    Rhode was dumbfounded.


    Snow? Mischievous?


    No matter how much he recalled, he never remembered seeing the naughty side of the little mermaid, at least not when he was around. The little mermaid had always been a classic example of an obedient and timid girl. Was she even capable of being mischievous too? This was so hard to understand��


    But soon, Rhode learned the truth of the matter from Audrey. It turned out that a long time ago (the ��long time ago�� in the elemental plane usually referred to at least a thousand years), the little mermaid slipped out of the Ice Throne out of curiosity for the outside scenery. Then, something unknown happened and the little mermaid was engulfed in a maelstrom of the water elemental plane. The Queen of Ice sent out creatures to search for the little mermaid several times, but to no avail. In the end, the only news she received was that the little mermaid should be swept by the maelstrom to the main plane, which wasn��t under Audrey��s jurisdiction, and she could no longer search for her whereabouts.


    Of course, the little mermaid paid a terrible price for her ��mischievous�� trip by being reduced to her original form of a pure water elemental spirit and slumbered deep within the ice. If Rhode hadn��t defeated the boss in order to complete the guild mission and awakened her, perhaps she would still be sleeping until the end of the world.


    Well�� In a way, the little mermaid was indeed mischievous.


    After hearing this story, Rhode finally understood why Snow looked so guilty when she saw Audrey. For most people, although hundreds of thousands of years had passed, to the little mermaid who was swept into a maelstrom, entered the main plane, and fell into a slumber, it was perhaps just a few short days. She was like a runaway child returning to home again, so it was understandable that she was so timid and uneasy. It was fine if she ran out to play nearby, but to head to the maelstrom and have fun�� She really had a talent for being mischievous.


    It was at this moment that the crowd arrived at the end of the corridor under Audrey��s lead. However, what was surprising was that at the end of this corridor, there was neither a doorway nor any entrance that could be entered. On the contrary, what appeared before everyone was a fountain against the wall. Seawater surged unceasingly outside the transparent barrier, metamorphosing into a raging waterfall that spilled onto the pond from above. It looked like some sort of a special landscape rather than a place meant to seal important items.


    ��This is it.��


    Audrey said, extending her arm and waving gently.


    ������


    Along with her action, the rushing waterfall parted on its own, while the seawater at the back also retreated. Shortly after, a wall of ice appeared on both sides, blocking the gushing seawater. The currents within the circular pond also separated to both sides. Then, along with trembles in the ground, a huge ice crystal emerged from inside slowly.


    ��This is����


    Looking at this scene, even Rhode was taken aback. The only thing that was sealed in the huge, thick crystal of ice was a book with a scarlet cover. Even though it was sealed within the ice, Rhode felt a surging elemental power from the book like a strong, furious wave crashing toward him. But at that moment, the book was sealed firmly within and unable to move an inch.


    What a powerful line-up��


    Looking at the seal in front of him, Rhode marveled at the fact that apart from being encased in the enormous ice crystal, a cage formed by tough obsidian could also be seen at the bottom, taking shape into thick, pitch-black chains that bound the ice crystal tightly. Apart from that, Rhode also witnessed lightning and winds flashing within the ice crystal from time to time. On the outside, blazing flames transformed into scarlet runes, forming three circles that shrouded the ice entire crystal. This could be said that all four major elemental seals were in place at once. If others were here instead of Rhode, perhaps they wouldn��t be able to unlock such a powerful seal.


    But to Rhode, this seal was nothing because he was the Void Dragon. And he also knew very well that Audrey brought him here in order for him to personally undo the seal. If he couldn��t even do that, this Void Dragon was simply a counterfeit.


    The Void Dragon was the creator who opened up space and created the entire Dragon Soul Continent. It went without saying that its authority over elemental domination was naturally greater than the other Creator Dragons. And now, watching as the Book of Elements lay in the ice crystal silently, waiting for him to retrieve it, Rhode took a deep breath to calm down. He stretched out his arm and grabbed for the seal before him. Looking at this scene, Anne, Bell, and Gillian, who were focusing their attention on admiring the scenery, turned around and looked at Rhode with various expressions.


    Rhode extended his right arm and soon, a dark, illusory spiritual radiance emanated on his hand. Then, his fingers touched the fire elemental seal on the outermost layer. In the sound of a soft pop, the fire elemental halo wrapping around the huge ice crystal cracked open. As he continued to push his fingers forward, the obsidian chains that bound the ice crystals tightly were also untied on its own. However, Rhode didn��t lower his guard. Staring at the ice crystal before him, he placed his hand on it.


    ��Open.��


    Rhode said in a deep voice.


    In that instant, as though responding to his call, the ice crystal that encased the Book of Elements suddenly cracked and opened up like a blooming flower. Bursts of whistling, cold air blew along with the scattered ice fragments, making the scene before them somewhat dreamy. Looking at this scene, Anne and Bell gasped in disbelief. However, Rhode didn��t falter at all. He looked at the Book of Elements before him once more, reached his arm forward, and spread his fingers.


    The flashing thunder storm surrounding the Book of Elements swirled as soon as Rhode approached, as though it intended to strike his hand away. But Rhode wasn��t fazed in the slightest. Facing the bolts of thunder, he hesitated for a moment, reached out his hand swiftly, and gripped the Book of Elements. The moment he grabbed the book, the thunderstorm vanished instantly in a puff of smoke.


    ��Phew����


    It was only when the Book of Elements was entirely in his hands that Rhode let out a sigh of relief. He was thankful that there was no mishap. In fact, even though Rhode remained expressionless, he was actually really nervous and afraid that this would turn out like one of those annoying quests in the game. For instance, when the player was finally about to complete the quest, an earthquake suddenly occurred and the player had to finish yet another series of quests�� But now, the Book of Elements was in his hands and he was finally relieved. At that moment, he examined the book.


    Just by holding it in his hands, Rhode felt a powerful and incomparable elemental aura exuding from it. The appearance of the book was almost like a replica of its seals. Its cover was fiery red, so much so that Rhode sensed the presence of flames. On the other hand, the pages were in an ice-cold white. From time to time, cold, chilly air was released from the pages, giving him a strange feeling like it was two worlds apart. The shining thunders formed a sacred and ancient rune on the cover, while the flickering chains with metallic luster locked the book in place just like the other two books.


    It looks the same as the other two books�� That said, the search has finally ended.


    Placing the Book of Elements into the fold of his clothes, Rhode��s expression, which had been somewhat serious, relaxed for a moment. Then, he turned and nodded to Audrey next to him.


    ��Thanks for your help, Queen Audrey.��


    ��You��re welcome, Your Majesty the Void Dragon. I, as the lord of this land, am supposed to do my part as a host. But����


    ��There��s no need for that. We appreciate your good intentions, but unfortunately we don��t really have time to waste on that. So I can only apologize for that.��


    Upon hearing Audrey��s words, Rhodes interrupted hurriedly. And after listening to his words, the Queen of Ice also nodded and didn��t speak anymore. After all, to Rhode, the most important thing now was to open the Elemental Gate, return to the main plane, awaken the three books, and activate the enchanted field.


    But at that moment��


    ��Master! Mother! It��s bad!��


    With a panicked scream, the little mermaid emerged from the other end of the corridor.


    ��We��re under attack!��


    ��By Chaos?��


    After hearing her report, Rhode��s heart sank.


    Are my hunches really that accurate?


    But to his surprise, Snow shook her head with might.


    ��It isn��t Chaos, but the water elemental creatures instead. We have been ambushed by them!��

 Chapter 1297 - Unstable Borders

    Upon hearing the little mermaid��s yells, Rhode was shocked. What he was afraid of had finally happened. Previously, he was worried that such a problem would happen, which was why he specifically warned the Queen of Ice. But he never thought that it would actually happen. It seemed like he was one step too late. He wondered what would happen to the water elemental plane after they faced this ambush.


    But soon, with the little mermaid��s narration, Rhode learned what occurred. It turned out that when the little mermaid was on the way to the Resonance Hall with the telecommunication crystal, she heard several loud bangs before she activated the telecommunication crystal. When she peeked out in curiosity, she saw a number of water elemental creatures attacking the perimeter of the Ice Throne. She was flabbergasted. She activated the crystal hurriedly to send out the Queen of Ice��s message and scuttled back to the group to report the news. But to the surprise of Rhode and the Queen of Ice, the water elemental creatures that attacked the Ice Throne, in fact, consisted of large groups by the border, which were rarely seen. Generally speaking, the large groups of creatures that roamed the borders wouldn��t enter the core area. After all, apart from the Ice Throne and mermaids, there were many other water elemental creatures gathered here. If they were to accidentally run into the habitats of other water elemental creatures, they would likely be in deadly trouble.


    ��All in all, let��s go take a look first.��


    Upon seeing the Queen of Ice in deep thoughts, Rhode also frowned and suggested. And hearing his advice, the Queen of Ice hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. Shortly after, the group left the palace and headed outside.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Right after leaving the palace, Rhode heard some loud roars from the outside, which sounded like the battle had become really intense and definitely wasn��t a small fight. The water elemental plane didn��t only have the Ice Throne, so since the water elemental creatures were able to charge all the way into the Ice Throne, it proved that they weren��t weak at all�� But�� After taking a closer look at them, even Rhode couldn��t help but twitch the corner of his eye.


    ��I never thought�� I would run into an old friend so soon����


    The ��old friend�� that he mentioned was none other than the invaders that were battling the guards in the distance outside the Ice Throne. In a way, Rhode and the invaders indeed weren��t total strangers because just a few moments ago, he and Gillian had roasted one of them to perfection.


    In the distance, a large group of octopuses were clashing with the guards, lashing their flexible tentacles and charging forward with their massive size. The mermaid warriors before them also raised their weapons high in the air, retaliating against the giant octopuses.


    But compared to the mess they were in before, the mermaid warriors were now able to hold their ground. After all, they were caught off guard earlier and after that ambush, the Ice Throne beefed up their security, not to mention the fact that the Void Dragon was still here. The water elemental plane had no pitiful desire to embarrass itself in front of outsiders.


    ��They��re all creatures from the border��.��


    While carefully surveying the enemies before him, Rhode nodded and narrowed his eyes. He noticed that besides the giant octopuses, golden electric eels and deep-sea nagas were also attacking the Ice Throne. They were elemental creatures that lived on the edges of the water elemental plane for a long time. Compared to other water elemental creatures, they were closer to the border areas and main plane. Even though these creatures were considered to be harmful and dangerous, they didn��t dare to get too close to the core area. They would have never attacked the Ice Throne in large numbers in normal times. But unfortunately, the current situation wasn��t ordinary by any means��


    It seems like the influence of Chaos has already taken place.


    Gazing at the water elemental creatures that were battling the guards in the distance, Rhode didn��t comment much. It wasn��t that he hadn��t thought about this situation, but it was that the elemental plane was an area that was out of his reach instead. Although he could send players to the elemental plane for a concerted defense, it was a pity that he lacked numbers now. He simply didn��t have enough people to spread out for defense. Otherwise, he wouldn��t need to resort to coming here in person.


    But�� The current situation wasn��t anywhere better either.


    Even though the water elemental creatures tried their best, they still failed to charge into the Ice Throne. However, Rhode could tell that the Ice Throne��s defensive line was becoming unstable, which would be a huge problem. If this clash didn��t occur, Rhode could have taken the Book of Elements, turned on his heel, and left. But now, with this situation in the water elemental plane, he couldn��t leave just like that. If something unexpected happened and impacted the water elemental plane, the main plane would also be affected heavily. When that happened, it would be a complete loss for him.


    ��Let��s help them.��


    At this thought, Rhode said. And when the Queen of Ice heard his words, she was stunned. It seemed like she didn��t really want him to interfere in the water elemental plane��s affairs. But soon, the Queen of Ice took another close look at the defense line before her, lowered her head, and sighed. Then, she replied.


    ��I��m sorry to trouble you, Your Majesty Void the Dragon.��


    While deep down, the Queen of Ice seemed reluctant to let Rhode get involved in disputes within the water elemental plane, the current situation didn��t allow her to think about saving face. It was apparent now that there was really no way that her subjects could hold on much longer. Even though the border areas of elemental planes were remote, the elemental creatures that inhabited them were sometimes the toughest. Besides, not even the Queen of Ice was aware of exactly how many of them there were. Although she could also gather other water elemental creatures for defense and attack, it wasn��t something that could be done immediately. It more or less required some time.


    ��You don��t need to apologize. The elemental planes are also part of the Dragon Soul Continent. And I don��t want anything to go wrong with my plans.��


    Upon hearing the Queen of Ice��s apology, Rhode waved her aside with an airy gesture. Honestly, if it were only him, Gillian, and his group taking on the water elemental creatures, perhaps it would be impossible to resist them all. After all, this was the water elemental plane, which suppressed Gillian��s fire attribute to a great extent. Even though her fire attribute was the nemesis of the water attribute, it would be considered great if she were able to bring out half of her powers in this place. As for the other three, the little mermaid was a separate matter, while Anne and Bell had no experience in dealing with elemental creatures, so Rhode wouldn��t rashly send them to their doom. Even though it was easy enough to deal with one or two water elemental creatures, the problem was that�� There were hundreds of them!


    But you know what they say; if you can��t beat them alone, you can beat them together��


    At this thought, the corners of Rhode��s mouth grew into a smile. He stretched out his arm and soon, along with this movement, a white light emanated on his hand, metamorphosing into a glowing card. He threw it into the air. At the next moment, the silver-whitish card turned into a petite human-shaped figure. As the white light disappeared gradually, Lesa emerged from within.


    ��Master����


    Upon meeting Rhode, Lesa didn��t look surprised at all. She bowed to him respectfully, raised her head, and waited quietly for his command. Rhode wasted no time. He pointed to the back, indicated to Lesa to observe the battlefield in the distance, and ordered.


    ��I need help with defense. Water and fire attributes. Around 300 of them����


    ��Yes, Master. I got this.��


    Upon hearing his order, Lesa nodded, lifted the silver staff in her hand high, and struck down hard on the ground.


    Clang!


    With this crisp sound, hundreds of light columns descended from the sky all of a sudden, followed by silhouettes emerging from the glow, one after another.


    That��s really convenient��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode couldn��t help but feel impressed. In his honest opinion, Lesa was one who assisted him the most in battles. Just her ability alone to summon troops out of nowhere was enough to turn around the entire battle. Moreover, she also functioned as a ��battlefield communications center�� and possessed decent offensive power��self-defense wasn��t an issue for her either. Furthermore, she didn��t cause any trouble with her docile personality. She could be considered to be the best subordinate��


    Hmm�� Of course, these praises can��t be heard by others.


    Hundreds of players soon emerged from the light columns along with Lesa��s summons. Clearly, the players weren��t as obedient as Lesa because the moment they appeared, many began to yell and grumble.


    ��Holy crap, what the hell? How did we get transported to the water elemental plane?��


    ��Leader, can you please give a warning before summoning me out of the blue? I was chasing a girl and about to confess to her. You don��t understand how hard it is to make her trust me. She was finally about to be fooled by me�� No, to fall in love with me and you did this to me? Do you even have a conscience?��


    ��Alright, cut the crap.��


    Rhode��s head hurt upon listening to the players bustling about with nonsense. He didn��t bother saying anything in response, but waved his hand, pointed to the battlefield, and gave a quick, simple command instead.


    ��You guys are responsible for helping the guards defend the Ice Throne and drive out the invaders! I don��t want any unnecessary issues. Remember, on my mark, move fast and move hard! Kill them all and leave no one behind!��


    ��Got it, Leader!��


    The pressure on the mermaid guards was lessened by a lot as soon as the players jumped into battle. After all, these players were at the level of ��Supreme Privileges��. Not only that, but Rhode also specifically requested for players with the water and fire attributes to support the battle. In just a few moments, he witnessed flashing, chilly aura and whistling flames emerging above the battlefield. The players who fought under his orders were also incredibly brave. In just the blink of an eye, they crushed the water elemental creatures that invaded the defensive line.


    But even so, the water elemental creatures had no intention of leaving. On the contrary, they seemed to behave crazier as they suffered grave losses from the retaliation. In the end, they simply rammed into the defensive line without considering what their actions ensued.


    Under their desperate and insane ramming, the originally stable defensive line was in a somewhat precarious state again.


    ��That��s strange����


    Wielding his sword and splitting the brazen giant octopus that sneaked up on him into two, Rhode gazed at the water elemental creatures at the back again. Although they weren��t as endless as Chaos creatures, there was a constant stream of them charging toward the Ice Throne. But he found it a little strange that these water elemental creatures were attacking too fiercely, so much so that it felt a little fake to him. It was as if they weren��t extremely ruthless, but were putting on some sort of show to attract the attention of his group��


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but sweep a glance at his surroundings. However, he didn��t notice anything odd. The ice crystal barrier outside the Ice Throne was still strong, while everything was normal on the inside. With the Queen of Ice keeping watch, there shouldn��t be any major issues. As for the water elemental creatures that were besieging the outskirts of the Ice Throne�� Why did he feel like something was wrong?


    ��Everyone, slow down and retreat.��


    Without the slightest hesitation, Rhode gave his command. Upon hearing his order, the players retreated swiftly. However, as the water elemental creatures were pouncing too aggressively, most of the players were still caught in their attacks and unable to disengage from the battle line.


    Something is really wrong.


    Looking at the scene, Rhode was fully convinced of his judgment. And at that moment, a bolt of lightning flashed all of a sudden, and a golden electric eel appeared behind him, widening its mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, biting down hard at him. But at the next second, Rhode flourished his sword and pierced its body, splitting it into half in the blink of an eye.


    ��Those who broke away from the battle line gather here. Remember, pay attention to your surroundings and inform me immediately if you find out anything!��


    After taking out the golden electric eel, Rhode leaped backward, a trail of afterimages left in the air, disengaging himself from the battlefield. At that moment, Anne and Bell, who had been waiting for him at the back, went up to him hurriedly.


    ��Leader, what��s wrong? Why did you retreat?��


    Upon seeing Rhode, Anne asked anxiously. After all, it was tough for her to follow his order to stay in the back and stare blankly at others fighting in full swing. Unfortunately for her, this time, Rhode strictly ordered her to stay behind and protect Bell, so she had no choice but to obey. However, after witnessing the battle ahead, she felt a little confused.


    ��Something isn��t right.��


    Upon hearing Anne��s question, Rhode shook his head and said. He scanned the battlefield around him quickly again, before narrowing his eyes. Although the battle situation looked unchanged, not only did the deep-seated uneasiness in his heart not diminish, but it also grew stronger. He had a gut feeling that there was an even more disturbing presence hiding behind the attacks of these water elemental creatures. He originally thought that the water elemental creatures lost their minds from the influence of Chaos. But now, it seemed like the situation wasn��t as simple as he thought��


    ��Leader, over there! What��s that thing!?��


    While Rhode pondered deeply, Anne��s sudden cry startled him. He raised his head and looked over to where she pointed hurriedly. Then, his expression changed slightly.


    All of a sudden, a gigantic octopus that was nearly 100 meters long appeared over everyone without any warning. It fluttered dozens of thick, pillar-like tentacles, striking down from above.


    ��Holy crap. It��s not like we��re filming Deep Rising[1]!��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode couldn��t help but grumble. Of course, he knew what this creature was. It was the famous creature of the water elemental plane, Tentacle Orbis. In the game, Rhode had once led his guild to fight against it. This octopus was quite a tough creature to deal with. Besides, it was aggressive and vicious by nature, and could be considered a dominant behemoth on the water elemental plane as well. It could be said that it was as strong as Lydia and the other archangels, and not even the Queen of Ice would be able to overwhelm it completely. And now, it seemed clear that this octopus was also influenced by Chaos, which was why it crawled out of its lair and launched an attack on the Ice Throne.


    Immediately after, Rhode witnessed the giant octopus extend its tentacles, wrap around the Ice Throne��s ice crystal barrier, and attach its huge body to it tightly. Not only that, but it also injected a mysterious, deep purple ink into the ice crystal barrier from its mouth. Shortly after, the ice crystal barrier changed color as if it were being contaminated! Its usual water elemental brilliance dimmed all of a sudden, and turned into the gloomy hue of deep purple with a sickening glow.


    ��Sh*t!��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode was stunned. If he wasn��t quite sure what these crazy water elemental creatures wanted to do before, now he finally understood. But he was well aware that the Tentacle Orbis had a move that could erode and destroy any existence completely. And judging from this action, it was clearly injecting its own venom into the ice crystal barrier. And in doing so, not only was the ice crystal barrier contaminated, but the Ice Throne was also affected!


    These bastards are trying to destroy the entire Ice Throne!


    [1] A 1998 American action horror film.

 Chapter 1298 - Each Their own Battlefield

    ��The underground has been invaded by Chaos. Miss Nell is trying to deal with it now.��


    Upon hearing Marlene��s report, the young lady who sat tight in her chair didn��t even raise an eyebrow. She, who looked exactly like Rhode, appeared to have a softer and more beautiful expression and wore an incredibly calm expression. Even after hearing such tense news, her expression didn��t change much.


    In a way, she really does look like Rhode��


    While examining the young lady before her surreptitiously, Marlene thought to herself. Honestly, her feelings were somewhat complicated when she met this young lady. On the one hand, as one of the seven deity wardens, she was naturally thrilled and elated at the return of the original Creator Dragon. But when it came to the identity of being the woman by Rhode��s side, her attitude toward the young lady became a bit conflicted. These days, due to Rhode��s absence, it had been the young lady who was in charge of the entire territory. Marlene originally thought that something might more or less go wrong, but to her surprise, nothing had gone wrong.


    On the surface, the siblings seemed to have completely different personalities. And in Marlene��s opinion, Rhode was stronger and more aggressive. He always took the initiative and did things personally in order to avoid accidents and make sure that everything went according to plan.


    But compared to her older brother, the younger sister had a calmer and gentler temperament. And if Rhode were one of those ��if the Earth doesn��t turn, then I��ll push it�� type of person, the younger sister would be the ��if the mountain doesn��t move, the water will still move, but it doesn��t matter how the water does it�� type of person. She rarely cared about the progress of everything like Rhode did, but was more like standing in the clouds, looking down and watching everything on the continent, and driving their behaviors through little changes. Rhode was good at ��change��, while the younger sister was good at ��guidance��.


    But soon, Marlene realized that she was simply wrong. Siblings would always be siblings. Perhaps both of them seemed a little different from their appearance�� But, as a matter of fact, they were both really similar. For instance, it was hard to tell what was going through their heads from their facial expressions. Rhode had a deadpan expression all day long and would only show an unusually bright smile whenever he came up with some devious ideas. It was impossible to fathom his temperament on a normal day. And compared to Rhode, his younger sister, though always putting up a gentle smile on her face, didn��t look like she was being perfunctory in the least. However, Marlene still couldn��t figure out what she was really thinking. Like Rhode, it seemed like no matter what happened, the younger sister��s expression wouldn��t change much, as if those things couldn��t affect their emotions at all.


    What a pair of siblings��..


    ��How��s it?��


    ��Huh��?��


    Upon hearing the young lady��s voice, Marlene couldn��t help but feel astonished. The young girl, on the other hand, didn��t seem to feel anything wrong at all as she gazed at Marlene with a soft and calm smile, as though it wasn��t trouble that Marlene was reporting, but routine and trivial affairs instead.


    ��How��s it? Miss Marlene, will Miss Nell��s side be able to hold up?��


    ��Ah�� For now, based on her reports, the Dark Region isn��t having much of a problem, since it isn��t where Chaos is ravaging, after all. But having to deal with devils gave her a bit of a headache, though it wouldn��t be too much of a problem. Her Majesty Erin has already sent some of her men forward to provide assistance. Miss Angelina also went along with them.��


    Due to the void storm created by Rhode that separated the boundaries of Chaos and Order, the border areas of the Country of Darkness that were once the most dangerous had now become the safest places instead. And as the ruler of darkness, it went without saying that Erin wouldn��t let go of her jurisdiction over the underworld. And now that she had the time and manpower, she certainly wouldn��t make the same mistakes as her big brother. Of course, she wasn��t planning to seize Rhode��s control over the underworld, but being the Dark Dragon gave her an apparent and bigger advantage down there. Anyway, Rhode didn��t care, and they were one big family now, after all.


    However, the current situation of the Dragon Soul Continent wasn��t looking great. Although things were good overall and the various forces that had prepared for Chaos��s all-out aggression were still able to withstand their attack, if things continued to persist this way, no one could be certain how things would turn out in the end.


    ��With Miss Erin around, there shouldn��t be too much of a problem over in the Dark Region then.��


    Upon hearing Marlene��s reply, the young lady pondered for a moment and spoke.


    ��Inform Miss Nell to be more careful in terms of consumption. The number of underground creatures on her side isn��t many to begin with, and she can��t win by fighting recklessly. If she really can��t stop them, she can simply block the tunnel completely. Chaos is most helpless to the presence of Order in the lands. It is still the same even if they have mutated Order. As long as we can determine the timing of the blockade, it should be enough to support us until we activate our defenses.��


    ��Noted.��


    Marlene nodded and recorded her commands. No matter what, the younger sister was in charge of the main plane now, so Marlene only needed to follow orders. That was why the latter had no hesitation and recorded the younger sister��s orders quickly, before flipping over the intelligence in her hands.


    ��As for Her Highness Lydia, everything is under control. But due to the constant warfare earlier, be it the Muun Kingdom or Country of Light, their fighting power has been weakened greatly. They are currently in the midst of regrouping, so perhaps it might be hard for them to send out anything useful against Chaos for now.��


    ��Even if they aren��t useful, what we need now is time. The longer we delay in the early stages, the better it will be for us. Please tell Miss Lydia to make sure there are enough people to carry out the protection of the plane transmission beacons. At all costs.��


    ���� Noted.��


    Upon hearing the younger sister��s reply, Marlene was shook. She wasn��t a fool, so it went without saying that she knew what her sister really meant by the phrase ��at all costs��. It meant that even if Marlene were to push civilians to their deaths on the battle line in order to delay Chaos�� attack for just one more moment, it would still be beneficial and worth it. She had to admit that at such times, the younger sister showed as much determination as Rhode. And Marlene could imagine that if Rhode were to learn of this, perhaps he would also put on a wry smile and say: ��It is also time for those people to contribute to the continent that gave birth to them and raised them. They don��t have anything to lose. They still have their lives, don��t they?��


    However, Marlene didn��t comment much. In fact, that was how cruel the truth was now. Without sufficient quantity, quality was meaningless. Even sacrificing more than half the lives of the entire continent was worth it to ensure the safety of the plane transmission beacons. After all, as long as life existed, they could reproduce again. But if they were completely defeated by Chaos, everyone would be heading down a road to ruin. And at that point, nothing could save them anymore.


    ������


    And at that moment, Marlene noticed that the young lady��s brows were knitting subtly. The face that had been displaying a calm, soft smile dwindled and became much more serious. The young lady stood up and looked up at the sky above.


    ��Did something happen?��


    Looking at this scene, Marlene couldn��t help but ask. After all, it had to be something with significant impact to be able to bring changes to the siblings�� faces. When the young lady heard Marlene��s question, she was taken aback. She shook her head slightly and when she turned around again, her heavy expression disappeared from view. The soft, calm smile once again appeared on that stunningly beautiful face.


    ��It��s not a big deal, Miss Marlene�� But even if it is, we can��t offer any help�� A few moments ago, I felt the elemental plane being ambushed.��


    ��The elemental plane?!��


    Upon hearing her remarks, Marlene was stunned. She wasn��t a fool. It was self-evident how important the elemental planes were to the Dragon Soul Continent. And now that even the elemental planes were under attack, things could be said to have reached a really dangerous point! Marlene became agitated. She looked at the young lady and said.


    ��Madam, I think we should�� Ugh����


    Marlene said and came to a realization that it was just as the young lady said; even if they wanted to, they couldn��t offer any help. How could she send troops to the elemental plane when even the main plane was now stretched to its limit? Moreover, the elemental plane was a unique environment where only formidable beings could enter. In that case, ordinary people were completely useless. And now that manpower was limited, where was Marlene going to find and send a group of powerful beings to send to the elemental planes as reinforcements? The only thing they could do now, perhaps was to observe the situation and pray that the elemental planes would be able to withstand the attack.


    ���� Don��t worry too much, Miss Marlene. Big Brother and the rest are on the water elemental plane now. The other three elemental planes aren��t in bad shape either. And with the nature of the elemental planes, it isn��t easy for Chaos to actually contaminate them, so there isn��t much danger. All we need to do is to focus on our duties.��


    The young lady said and withdrew her gaze.


    ��We have our own battlefield. This is not just for the sake of big brother, but also for the rest of us. It is a war that we can��t lose.��


    It is a war that we can��t lose.


    ***


    It was the same for Rhode as well.


    ��All those who disengaged from the battle, gather up and follow me. The rest of you keep up your defenses and beat those damn octopuses back to where they came from!��


    While the giant octopus bound itself around the ice crystal barrier tightly, Rhode had drawn his sword and dashed toward it. At that moment, dozens of players who promptly pulled back from the battlefield also followed suit, rushing toward the huge creature along with Anne, Bell, and the rest.


    ��Such a huge octopus; I really wonder how it tastes roasted.��


    The first to make a move was Gillian. She had been following Rhode for a long time. When Rhode gave his command, she naturally knew her role. She stretched out her arm and soon, along with this action, a burst of scorching flames appeared out of thin air, whistling through the air and striking the enormous body of the octopus.


    In an instant, flames spread in all directions, while streams of white steam rose from the octopus��s body. Upon feeling the burning sensation and damage of the fire element, the Tentacle Orbis let out roaring shrieks. No matter what, it was a water elemental creature, and Gillian was a fire elemental lord, whose flames were far more terrifying and powerful than ordinary. Under her attack, the Tentacle Orbis trembled uncontrollably, while several of its tentacles that were binding the ice crystal barrier lifted instinctively and flourished at Gillian and the rest. It was obvious that the Tentacle Orbis was going to eliminate this fox-eared young lady who was causing its suffering, before going on with its business.


    But Rhode obviously wouldn��t let it have its way.


    ��Anne, block it!��


    ��Got it, Leader!��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s command, Anne, who was eager to jump into battle, shouted. Her hands were already itchy as she watched the battle from the rear. But it was a pity that Rhode didn��t let her join the fight. And now, after hearing his order, she had no intention to continue watching the show anymore. She reached out and picked up the heavy shield beside her. In a click, razor-sharp blades like claws of wild beasts sprang out of the gap in the shield. Anne yelled and hurled the heavy shield into the air.


    With the addition of the wind element making Anne��s heavy shield attack more threatening than before, her attack cut through the sky with an arc-shaped wind blade that resembled a huge scythe. The wind blade struck from above, deflecting the tentacles that headed for Gillian.


    At the same time, the players also joined the battle. Shortly after, spells with the flame attribute burst into the sky, enveloping the giant octopus along with Gillian��s flames.


    ��Form a smaller team to enter the ice crystal barrier and deal with the toxin! The rest of you stay out here and keep the attack going. Watch out for your safety! I��ll take the lead. Follow me, Bell, Snow!��


    Rhode gave his order quickly and before they responded, he already held his sword and zoomed into the ice crystal barrier in a flash. He was well aware that the trouble with this Tentacle Orbis wasn��t simply its size, but the toxin it injected��it would not only erode the ice crystal barrier, but would also create disgusting toxic creatures. Not only were physical attacks useless against them, but their attacks were also toxic, where one bad move could leave one poisoned. The toxin was also difficult to disperse and couldn��t simply be dealt with by ordinary people.


    As expected, the moment Rhode entered the ice crystal barrier, he saw deep purple liquid flowing out of the opening and coalescing on the ground to form jelly-like creatures. Those were exactly the toxic creatures!


    ��You guys know how to deal with them. Snow, use your blizzard! Bell, on my command, after Snow freezes those creatures into ice, you must strike and shatter them right away. Then, return immediately and don��t stop moving, understand? Now, follow me!��


    ����!��


    Bell didn��t respond to Rhode��s command, but nodded silently instead. But judging from the way she gripped her daggers, it was apparent that she felt really nervous as well. Meanwhile, the little mermaid obeyed his command and raised her hands high. Shortly after, an ice-cold, whirling blizzard spurted out from her hands, enveloping all the toxic creatures before her. Soon, the ground was covered with a layer of white frost. The toxic creatures became much slower in their movements and eventually, they froze into ice sculptures one after another under the roar of the blizzard.


    ��Now��s the chance. Go!��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode gave his order immediately and dashed ahead. The sword in his hand erupted in a series of dazzling lights, forming a huge net of blade rays that enfolded the dozens of toxic creatures along with strong, whistling, and razor-sharp gales. At the next moment, as blade rays flashed, the frozen toxic creatures shattered and crumbled onto the ground.


    Meanwhile, Bell wasn��t idle either. Although she was still young and wasn��t able to match up to Rhode in terms of combat skills, since Rhode brought her here, he was naturally confident in her fighting abilities. While glaring blade rays erupted from his blade, the young lady disappeared in a flash, leaving only fluttering snowflakes to prove her existence. At that moment, Bell launched her attack.


    In the blink of an eye, the young lady��s petite figure appeared on the other side of the toxic creatures, slashing down the two daggers in her hands like the salivating mouths of ferocious beasts. In a series of swishes, several cold trails of light flashed around her, and the toxic creatures cracked and collapsed to the ground.


    ��Come back now!��


    Just as Bell decided to continue her assault, she heard Rhode��s ringing voice. Upon hearing his command, the young lady turned around without hesitation, leaping across the battlefield before returning to his side once again. It was only then when Bell was surprised to find that the frozen toxic creatures began to move again. They seemed to have broken through the restraints of the cold and intended to launch their attacks again. Not only that, but what also astonished Bell was that the fragments of the toxic creatures that fell to the ground started moving on their own to merge and fuse with their main bodies again!


    ��Okay, time to wrap things up.��


    On the other hand, Rhode wasn��t as surprised as Bell. After all, he knew that these creatures were so disgusting�� But despite that, he still had ways to deal with them. The moment he witnessed the sliced toxic creatures ��resisting stubbornly��, he didn��t say a word, but gestured to the side instead. The mage who was ready by the side raised his staff and at the next moment, whirling flames erupted from the tip of his staff and enfolded the toxic creatures. In seconds, their fragments evaporated into a green smoke that disappeared without a trace.


    All is well��


    After witnessing the toxic creatures being eliminated, Rhode heaved a sigh of relief. He scanned his surroundings and realized that the situation inside the Ice Throne wasn��t too bad��at the very least, it wasn��t under pressure. However, it would be a problem if this continued. Besides, Rhode had warned the Queen of Ice not to use her power unless absolutely necessary. Because Chaos might just be waiting for her.


    So then, all that��s left is that huge freak right there.


    At this thought, Rhode turned to the huge and ugly mouth of that giant octopus and revealed a vibrant smile.


    Be prepared to die.

 Chapter 1299 - Battle End

    At that moment, the battle all around the Ice Throne reached a white-hot state. Perhaps due to the emergence of the Tentacle Orbis, the water elemental creatures attacked the Ice Throne more insanely, so much so that the mermaid warriors and players couldn��t resist them any longer. Although the Tentacle Orbis struggled in the constant attacks from the players led by Gillian, the Ice Throne was the core of the water elemental plane, after all. The fire element was so much more contained in this place that even Gillian couldn��t defeat the Tentacle Orbis entirely. If she were in other places, she could annihilate the Tentacle Orbis using her power as an elemental lord alone. But it was a pity that they had to be in the water elemental plane��


    Well, one had to be humble when trapped in an inferior situation.


    Meanwhile, the battle was just as fierce inside the ice crystal barrier as the toxic creatures filled the area like raindrops. Although Rhode��s group wiped out the toxic creatures on his side quickly, the battles elsewhere still hadn��t subsided. Looking at the battles, Rhode couldn��t do much about them. After all, his side was already outnumbered. The trouble with the toxic creatures was that even though they could be easily frozen and smashed, if they weren��t evaporated quickly enough, their fragments would continue fusing with their main bodies. Not only that, but when one used the fire element to evaporate the toxic fragments, one also had to stay far away, or else the evaporated toxic gas would be strong enough to seize one��s life. And in the water elemental plane, the regeneration speed of these toxic creatures was two times faster than on the main plane. On the other hand, even though the mermaid warriors were still able to deal with the toxic creatures, they were unable to eliminate them completely. This made the battles even trickier. If this continued, as a last resort, perhaps they could only rely upon the Queen of Ice��s ultimate move.


    The only way to win was to cripple the giant octopus!


    But it wasn��t as easy as it seemed��


    Looking at the giant octopus��s huge mouth before him, Rhode frowned. The nastiest thing about this mollusk was its ability to resist strikes. Besides, the rate of its self-recovery was also really fast in this elemental plane. Although Gillian and the rest were here to contain it, it still wasn��t enough from them. Ultimately, there were still too few people on Rhode��s side, which consisted of less than 30 players who had managed to disengage from the battlefield earlier. Not only that, but more than half of Rhode��s forces were split up into smaller groups. The remaining half of them followed Gillian��s lead and relied upon her elemental halo to boost their strength in battles. Otherwise, with their own damage, perhaps there was no way to threaten the giant octopus at all.


    But now, inside the ice crystal barrier��


    Rhode waited quietly for a while and didn��t rush over to the BOSS right away. However, it wasn��t that he was waiting for its health to drop to red in the game. Instead, the timing just wasn��t right yet. Even though it had been bashed up miserably by Gillian and the others, and most of its attacks were blocked by Anne, Rhode knew very well that it was stronger than this. And if Rhode were to rush in with the rest, the giant octopus was likely to flee without looking back. That was why he had to wait patiently, giving the giant octopus the misconception that it could still win the fight if it stuck around. And as long as it took the bait, no matter how Rhode dealt with it later, he would be victorious.


    That said, it still wasn��t time yet��


    ��Let��s go and help the rest. Don��t consume too much power!��


    After glancing at ugly mouth of the giant octopus at the top of the ice crystal barrier, Rhode gave his orders immediately and led the crowd to assist the mermaid warriors who were brawling with the toxic creatures.


    With Rhode and the players joining them, the stalemate gradually came to an end. The reason why the mermaid warriors were unable to inflict too much damage to the toxic creatures was because they weren��t experienced in dealing with them. But after witnessing how Rhode and the players fought against them, the clever mermaid warriors quickly figured out the secrets. After Rhode and the players wiped out a few waves of toxic creatures, the mermaid warriors also launched themselves forward. Although they couldn��t cast fire elemental spells like the players, they also had their own unique set of skills. They used an AoE ice attack to freeze the toxic creatures. Then, without the need to roast them like Rhode��s group, they used s special ability of theirs.


    Frozen World!


    This was one of their most powerful skills. If they were in the main plane, this skill would only be a widespread freeze. But in the water elemental plane, the strength of this attack was enough to freeze and also shatter all creatures enveloped in it into powder. The toxic creatures crumbled like fallen sand sculptures shortly after. This terrifying ability that froze even atoms made Rhode twitch his brows a little. If the little mermaid was also capable of this ability, what was there for him to be afraid of? Wouldn��t Chaos be doomed in the face of this Frozen World? But it was a pity that the little mermaid wasn��t that powerful yet. Besides, there wasn��t enough water element on the main plane to support this attack��


    Rhode watched as the mermaid warriors adapted to dealing with the toxic creatures efficiently. Meanwhile, he remained silent and slipped away with his group. In the blink of an eye, not even the mermaid warriors knew where those humans who fought alongside them had gone to.


    ��Oh-no-no, how can you do that, Master? I��m still giving my all here.��


    Gazing at the ice crystal barrier below, Gillian grumbled. Despite that, her hand movements didn��t stop. This time, no one noticed that as she spoke, her gaze became fierce. She extended her arms and along with this action, a burning scarlet card appeared between her slender fingers.


    Then, flames erupted.


    Spell of the Red Lotus.


    Rumble��


    In the sound of explosive thunderclaps, the crowd in battle couldn��t help but look at the sky curiously. This was the water elemental plane and not the main plane, so there shouldn��t be thunderclouds at all. But now, the rumbles caught everyone by surprise. Shortly after, they witnessed thick layers of white clouds emerging from the horizon and shrouding the battlefield.


    Wait�� Those aren��t clouds!


    ��Ssss��!��


    Along with this odd sound, a scarlet radiance poured out from the clouds, splashing onto the giant octopus like a waterfall crashing from 3,000 feet above. At first glance, it looked like a stream of scarlet blood, but the boiling white steam that evaporated the heat around the waterfall clearly told everyone that it wasn��t blood, but lava instead!


    Boom!


    ��������!��


    The giant octopus also seemed to realize the danger. It loosened its tentacles for the first time to evade this attack from Gillian. However, it was one step too late. Perhaps because it was too focused on the battle inside the ice crystal barrier, it didn��t notice the hot lava and water vapor that jetted from above. It was caught off guard and splashed in the face by the scorching lava. In an instant, bursts of white steam rushed skyward as if they were nuclear explosions.


    The giant octopus couldn��t hold on any longer to this deadly attack from Gillian. It waved its tentacles in rage, at the same time shrouding itself in clouds of dark, cold, and damp mist that erupted from its body. Along with this bone-piercing chilliness, the lava flowing down in waves finally seemed to be resisted. At that moment, the giant octopus withdrew its body swiftly, intending to escape. And as it no longer injected toxin into the ice crystal barrier, the fierce battles inside it were no longer active. After having their source of power cut off, the toxic creatures died one after another and could no longer go against the mermaid warriors.


    At that moment, the giant octopus hesitated whether to continue the battle. But shortly after, it made its decision.


    Shing������!


    An eye-catching, silver blade ray struck like a bolt of lightning in the night sky, ripping apart the mist enfolding the giant octopus. Rhode, who disappeared from the battlefield earlier, showed up behind the giant octopus like a ghost, blocking its retreat. Not only that, but the blade ray he struck also revealed the giant octopus to the crowd again.


    At that moment, the giant octopus��s body could be said to look rather nasty. After having lava poured on it, the surface of its otherwise smooth, moist body was now covered in disgusting, ghastly burn wounds that oozed deep blue liquid. Not only that, but its flesh was also ripped from its body, which was an appalling view. The giant octopus that was under attack once again blew its top. Earlier on, it almost went crazy after being battered by Gillian and the players. Gillian was also a cunning one. She cast her skills from far away and whenever the giant octopus extended its tentacles at her, Anne was there to cut them off. After losing two to three tentacles, the giant octopus no longer dared to retaliate and could only focus on attacking the ice crystal barrier. And now, another group of people actually arrived to bully it further!


    Ssss������!


    Upon hearing Rhode��s voice, the Tentacle Orbis��s enormous eyes glinted in a ferocious and brutal flash.


    I can��t hit those damn bast*rds who are far away. But what makes you think I can��t hit those who are near?


    At this thought, the giant octopus hesitated no more. It roared, raised its tentacles, and grabbed at Rhode!


    Three enormous tentacles sealed off Rhode��s retreat. As Rhode charged ahead and sliced off the mist surrounding the Tentacle Orbis, the three tentacles arrived by his side. Almost in the blink of an eye, he was about to be caught and squashed into bits. But it was a pity that there was always a difference between imagination and reality.


    Swish!


    The moment the three tentacles were about to seize Rhode, he dove, evaded the attacks, and brushed passed the huge suction cups under the tentacles. Shortly after, not only did he not flee, but he also turned around immediately and slashed a dazzling blade ray from the tip of one of the tentacles.


    Slash!


    In a swift sound, the thick tentacle was sliced into two from the middle. Upon sensing the immense pain, the Tentacle Orbis bellowed. This time, it couldn��t tolerate it any longer!


    Swish������!


    Along with the snarls, ice-cold, chilly winds blustered in all directions. Everyone including Rhode came to a standstill right away as the air seemingly froze at that moment. Everything seemed to be covered in countless layers of ice. At the same time, the crowd felt as if 1000 pounds were weighing them down. The Tentacle Orbis zoomed past swiftly as if it were swimming in water, showing up before Rhode and widening its mouth to reveal its terrifying, razor-sharp teeth. It pounced on him, attempting to devour him entirely��


    However, the giant octopus didn��t notice that at that moment, a petite figure flashed by its eyes.


    As the figure was too petite, so much so that it was about the size of a toothpick before its eye, it was seemingly impossible for it to cause any damage. But shortly after, the immense pain from its eye, as well as the pitch-black darkness that enfolded its vision, interrupted its attack.


    Bell had leapt into midair.


    As a holder of the earth element, she wasn��t as affected by the water element as the rest. Even though her attacks weren��t boosted in the water elemental plane, the attributes of the earth element ensured that she wasn��t overwhelmed by the water elemental power. At that moment, while the rest were shrouded by the Tentacle Orbis��s blizzard, the young lady dodged nimbly like a ghost and punctured the two daggers in her hands mercilessly into the giant octopus��s huge eyes.


    Octopuses were octopuses, after all. Even an octopus in the water elemental plane and a BOSS-sized one strong enough to attack the Ice Throne, it was still an octopus, ultimately. As an octopus, one of its most unevolved body tissues was the eyes.


    Boom!


    The huge, round eyes ruptured in this ruthless attack by Bell. Putrid blood spurted out from the wound and sprayed into the sky. At that moment, the giant octopus could no longer handle the pain. Its massive body shivered, while its tentacles fluttered aimlessly. The immense pain stripped its ability to think. It instinctively wanted to leave this battlefield.


    But it was a pity that Rhode wouldn��t let it off so easily.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Countless flames erupted along with Rhode��s hand gestures, striking heavily on the giant octopus. At that moment, its massive body swayed like a battleship struck by cannon fire. It struggled to flee, but eventually, in an unwilling shriek, it collapsed into the sea of snow and stopped moving.


    This signified the end of this battle.


    After the giant octopus died, the water elemental creatures that were attacking the defensive line in a frenzy abruptly returned to their senses and stopped their assault. Shortly after, they tucked tails, fled in a fluster in the attacks of the players and mermaid warriors, and disappeared from sight. Up until that moment, the battle that threatened the Ice Throne finally came to a close.


    ��Well done.��


    Rhode nodded in satisfaction at Bell and revealed a smile. Previously, it was his decision to make Bell ambush the Tentacle Orbis. As an experienced player, it went without saying that he knew what the Tentacle Orbis��s skills and weaknesses were. As a matter of fact, on any other day, attacking its eyes wouldn��t deal any harmful damage. After all, it was one of its biggest weaknesses, so it would undoubtedly protect them at all cost. But after using the blizzard, things changed entirely. All in all, the blizzard was its ultimate skill that utilized all of its stored water elemental power. And when it used the skill, it was entirely defenseless. As long as players resisted this attack, they could seize the opportunity to attack its lethal weakness. Most of Rhode��s subordinates here were of the fire attribute. who were held back to a great extent. Moreover, the little mermaid��s attack also wasn��t enough to shatter the Tentacle Orbis��s defense, so only Bell, whose earth element wasn��t affected, was left.


    As a matter of fact, Bell completed the mission that Rhode gave her perfectly.


    Upon hearing his praise, Bell revealed a blush and lowered her head in silence. And just as Rhode was about to say something, another voice sounded from the side.


    ��Hey, Master, you can��t be so biased, okay? We also gave our all. Don��t you think so, Little Anne?��


    ��Yeah, yeah! Leader, Anne also worked hard!��


    ��You girls did well.��


    After hearing Gillian��s words that sounded almost like a grumble, Rhode forced a helpless smile. He extended his arm, stroked Bell��s hair, and said to the two young ladies who ran toward him. Upon hearing his words, Gillian and Anne displayed satisfied smiles. However, he didn��t know whether they meant what they said earlier or not.


    ��Thanks for your help, Your Majesty the Void Dragon.��


    At that moment, the Queen of Ice finally showed up. Frankly, she was somewhat nervous earlier, but after witnessing Rhode��s group defeating the enemy, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    ��This time, the water elemental plane owes you a favor.��


    ��You��re welcome. Besides, this is also for our sake.��


    Upon hearing her gratitude, Rhode waved his arm airily, at the same time feeling somewhat worried about the other elemental planes. But now that the situation turned out this way, he had no other options. Rather than worrying about whether or not the other planes would be able to resist Chaos, it was better for him to hurry up with the awakening ritual, repel Chaos, and open the teleportation channel. That was his top priority at that moment.


    ��Well, the situation is really urgent. We��ll need to take our leave now.��


    Rhode said and nodded at the Queen of Ice. Then, he turned around and faced his group.


    ��Alright, all settled. Let��s head home.��

 Chapter 1300 - Lifted Seal

    ��I��m finally back����


    Once again stepping on familiar ground, Rhode finally relaxed his tense body. Unfortunately, he didn��t have time now to take things easy and enjoy the holiday sunshine and peaceful afternoons on the beaches of Hawaii. The battle in the water elemental plane made him realize that the current situation wasn��t going to allow him to continue to be at ease. Since a battle against Chaos occurred in the water elemental plane, it meant that the other elemental planes might not be any better. But then again, Gillian was the fire elemental lord, so why wasn��t she worried about the fire elemental plane at all?


    ��Don��t worry, Master. Even if something happens, it won��t be anything huge.��


    Facing Gillian��s confidence, Rhode couldn��t comment much. Anyway, he couldn��t possibly let her open the elemental channel and head to the fire elemental plane to ��put out the fire��. Since even Gillian said so herself, Rhode no longer cared about such trivial matters, but focused immediately on the next important issue ahead.


    After recovering the Book of Elements, all three books were finally in Rhode��s hands. Next, he needed to awaken the spirits hibernating in the three books and turn them into his card spirits. According to his younger sister, as long as the ten holy sword cards were collected, he could activate the enchanted field and fight against Chaos.


    However, Rhode still had a hard time imagining how he would go about fighting Chaos with the ten holy sword cards. He understood their abilities better than anyone. After all, he had been using them ever since he transmigrated to the Dragon Soul Continent. He was also certain that they were powerful, but that was about all. After removing the remaining seals, and in addition to the boost of his Taboo Halo, the holy sword card spirits could battle alongside level 85 peak players, but that was about it. They weren��t as powerful as the seven deity wardens and compared to an archangel like Lydia, they were about the same. So how would they be able to go against Chaos with this level of strength?


    Anyway, Rhode didn��t have any way to turn them into even more terrifying beings. In his perspective, the seven deity wardens that were so godlike and qualified to even become game masters of the game still covered their heads and sneaked away like rats in the face of Chaos. Some of them reincarnated, while some fled home. In that case, what sort of powers did the holy sword card spirits possess that made them strong enough against the invasion of Chaos?


    But no matter what, since the younger sister said this was the only way without the Order Star, Rhode was left without a choice.


    ��We finally reached the next step of the plan����


    Looking at the three, heavy, and different-colored books before him, Rhode lowered his head, opened his eyes, and gazed at his surroundings. Currently, the holy sword card spirits had manifested and were looking at him quietly. And one by one, he swept glances across their faces, from Celia, who was the first to follow him around, to Celestina, who often disobeyed his commands, though was subdued by him later. There was also Gracier and Madaras, who went with him everywhere and never expressed their opinions. Shira, who was exceptionally dangerous, was always at the forefront of the battlefield. Little Five, who was indifferent and rarely said a word. Last but not least, the plan creator of the holy sword card deck and the only human among them, Karin.


    The seven holy sword card spirits stood there, looking at him silently. Celia seemed as steady as ever, albeit revealing some anticipation and concern. Celestina crossed her arms and looked away with an occasional arrogant look, trying to act as if she didn��t care about what was going on. Gracier and Madaras were still the same as always. They held hands and stood at the side without making a noise, while long hoods covered half their faces. However, the slightly upturned corners of their mouths displayed their excitement. On the other side, Shira leaned on her longsword uncharacteristically, showing her usual, broken grin, staring at the three books with crazy, murderous eyes. Drifting beside her, Little Five gazed into the void with her ethereal eyes. No one knew what she was thinking about. As for Karin��


    ��Inspection complete, Master. All three books are in perfect condition. Theoretically speaking, there should be no problem in removing the seals.��


    After inspecting the seals of the Book of Elements, Book of Life, and Book of Death, Karin lifted her head and spoke with a solemn expression.


    ��Come to think of it, why are they the only ones who require additional seals, Karin? Are they really that strong?��


    At that moment, Rhode finally asked the question from deep inside his mind. As for why Karin used this unique method to seal the three card spirits, no one knew exactly what happened. No matter if it was Marlene who restored the memories of a deity warden or Celia and the rest who became card spirits or his younger sister, no one knew the reason. Because in the first place, the younger sister simply gave the orders, while the rest executed them. As long as everything turned out fine, the process wasn��t within her concern.


    ��That isn��t the case, Master. Strictly speaking, even though the three big sisters are indeed much stronger than us, compared to the rest���� Karin said, shifting her gaze to Marybelle, Marlene, Alice, and the rest so the subject of comparison was clearly self-evident. ���� They aren��t actually that powerful. As a matter of fact, if you didn��t gather us, the other seven holy sword cards, there would br no need to go through all this trouble. If you received these three cards in the first place, you could have summoned them directly, Master.��


    ��Oh? Why is that so?��


    Upon hearing Karin��s words, Rhode was taken aback. He considered the possibility of being unable to remove the seals of the three cards without gathering the other seven. But now, according to Karin, he could remove their seals straight away if he only received the three cards without gathering the rest?


    What kind of logic is that?


    ��Due to resonance, Master.��


    Karin, on the other hand, wasn��t annoyed in the least. Shortly after, she explained to him in detail.


    ��If you look closely at our attributes, you��ll see the reason why.��


    ��Attributes?��


    Rhode was stunned. Then, as though he recalled something, he turned to the crowd�� It was at that moment when he realized that with the addition of the three card spirits sealed within the books, he could form three small, unique groups. One group would be led by Celestina and Shira, representing darkness. The other would be led by Gracier and Madaras as the nature group. The last group would be of the light attribute guided by Celia and Little Five (Perhaps it might be unimaginable for many, but, in fact, a specter was an existence of the light attribute). If Rhode were to carefully sort the three groups and awaken the card spirits, he would realize that the three books happened to rule over the darkness, light, and elemental attributes respectively. In this case, the ��resonance�� that Karin mentioned would also be comprehensible. The same attribute would resonate and provide a boost in strength, which was basic knowledge to players. There was no need for Karin to explain further because this time, Rhode finally understood what she meant.


    As a matter of fact, the three card spirits acted as resonance. As soon as they were activated, they would resonate with those of the same attributes as them, leading to an outburst of increased power. This source of energy was undoubtedly powerful, which was why Karin sealed them in the books. If Rhode were to receive the three card spirits without gathering any of the other card spirits, he would lose the resonance of the same attributes, so they wouldn��t cause too much damage even if they were awakened.


    But on the other hand, if only one of the light, darkness, and elements was awakened and the remaining two attributes weren��t present to hold down the other two sides of the triangle, the triangle of balance would collapse. When that happened�� Although Karin didn��t say it outright, it was definitely not something that they could dismiss with a smile.


    In that case��


    ��Karin, what about yours?��


    If Rhode were to split them into groups, Karin would be in an odd position. She wasn��t a being of a certain, specific attribute, but was a human instead��


    ��I am the essential core that coordinates and removes seals and consciousnesses.��


    Yeah, I thought so.


    Upon hearing her response, Rhode more or less understood his younger sister��s thoughts now. If the card spirits were gathered, they happened to make up the entire ecosystem of the Dragon Soul Continent. Souls and angels represented life and light. Undead creatures and demons represented death and darkness. White elves represented nature, while humans lived within the continent. This was a complete system with its own ��Order��. It seemed like this was perhaps the key to resisting the invasion of Chaos.


    ��Let��s start.��


    At this thought, Rhode said without any hesitation. Upon hearing his words, Karin nodded, turned around, and gestured to the other six card spirits. After witnessing her hand gesture, the six card spirits went up to him and spread out. After they stood in place, Karin confirmed their position, lifted her head, and nodded at Rhode.


    ��We can begin now, Master.��


    ��I got it����


    Upon hearing Karin��s words, Rhode restrained his expression. His face, devoid of expression, became increasingly heavier. He extended his arm and along with this action, a summoning ritual flickering in magical brilliance emanated on the back of his hand. Magical threads spread out comfortably, coalescing into an enormous ritual that shrouded everyone.


    ��Hmm?��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode couldn��t help but exclaim in surprise. This wasn��t his first time casting a summoning ritual. Be it in the game or reality, he had seen countless of such intricate and gorgeous summoning rituals. But at that moment, when he gazed at the summoning ritual under his feet, he was stunned to discover that it actually fit perfectly the positions occupied by the seven holy sword card spirits within the respective circles. In the past, he didn��t know what purpose the circles within the summoning ritual served. He thought they were simply part of the design pattern. But now, it seemed like they were reserved for the rightful holy sword card spirits.


    However, now wasn��t the time to consider such things. Rhode collected his thoughts, stretched out his arm, and waved it forward. Along with his movement, the three books that were lying still before him floated in midair as if guided by something and drifted into the three remaining circles. As soon as that happened, dazzling, colorful light pillars shot up from the circles all of a sudden, enveloping the seven holy sword cards spirits and the three sealed books.


    At that moment, a system prompt that Rhode couldn��t be more familiar with appeared before his eyes.


    [Detected resonances. Confirm to awaken?]


    [Warning: Strong resonances detected. Increase in power is overpowering and likely to cause damage to a certain extent. Confirm to continue?]


    Yes.


    Gazing at the system prompt, Rhode nodded. These three cards were truly outstanding. This was the first time the system prompt gave him a warning during the summoning process��


    Boom!


    The instant Rhode nodded, he heard a thunderous rumble. The light pillars that shrouded the ten holy sword card spirits flickered in an array of colorful brilliance. The light pillars enveloping Celia and Little Five shone in a pure whiteness filled with vitality. On the other hand, the light pillar enfolding Celestina and Shira shone in a mysterious darkness and deep purple hue, where visible waves of darkness and death exuded from within and extended in all directions. Both light and darkness bit, rotated, and resisted each other like gears. A war between light and darkness seemed to be on the horizon, like a fight between these two sides was inevitable.


    But at that moment, the elemental brilliances flickered.


    It was like a combination of rushing waves, whistling hurricanes, bursting flames, and rumbling lands. The pure, unparalleled elemental power was forcefully thrust between light and darkness, blocking and easing both sides that had begun to collide intensely. Shortly after, under the intrusion of the elemental power, the light and darkness that seemed like two head-to-head bulls came to a standstill. They gradually merged under the elements to form a whole new existence�� It looked simply like the reproduction of the creation of the Dragon Soul Continent!


    Just as this thought cropped up in Rhode��s mind, the light pillars became increasingly dazzling. A series of flashing lights erupted and even he had to squint his eyes. But even so, he could still clearly hear the system prompts ringing in his ears.


    The land trembled, air reverberated, and deep eruptions like thunderclaps rang out from time to time. Not only was Rhode caught in the middle of it, but the rest who were watching from afar were also forced to turn away from this powerful energy. It was so strong that even Rhode was a little worried that he would be swept away and crushed to his demise. Now, he finally understood why Karin specifically warned him about the increase in power of the three cards.


    Others might not be aware of it, but Rhode, who was stranded in the middle of it, sensed the surging power of light and death circulating, and the solid power of elements was his only barrier. He felt like he was standing on the top of a lone rock, while roaring storms and whirlpools swarmed him from all directions. He couldn��t move a muscle and could only wait in helpless silence. As a matter of fact, none of the three powers were actually strong at first. But soon after, he realized that, along with the responses of the other six holy sword card spirits, the powers exploding out of the three books multiplied!


    Rhode didn��t notice that the steel chains sealing the three books had shattered entirely. The powerful force crushed them over ruthlessly, turning the seals into nothingness. The three thick, different-colored books opened up and their pages flapped swiftly in the winds. Shortly after, a colorful array of lights metamorphosed into a lightning bolt that jumped out from the gaps between the pages, bursting and coalescing in the surroundings��


    Boom��!


    The ground shook once again. This time, the entire world had as though lost its colors and brilliance. Everything stopped like the crowd falling into a deep silence before the opening of a stage play.


    This scene didn��t last for long. it could also be said that it lasted for only a split second before the brilliance dissipated.


    When Rhode opened his eyes again, he spotted three unfamiliar beings in front of him.


    They were the last three holy sword card spirits.

 Chapter 1301 - The Big Three

    Rhode finally met the last three holy sword card spirits. They left a deep first impression in him. Even though there were only three of them, Rhode felt as though he were facing the auras of the commander-in-chiefs of thousands of troops and horses. Not only that, but the three card spirits were also unique.


    Standing before Shira and Celestina was a young lady wrapped in a black, loose-fitting, and tattered cloak. Her face was concealed under the pitch-black hood. The only thing visible was her two eyes that were glinting in spiritual radiances. She wielded a massive, razor-sharp scythe blazing in blue flames in her hands. Unlike the others, this young lady dressed like the Grim Reaper floated in midair. Besides, judging from the snowy skin under the cloak riddled with holes, this young lady wasn��t clad in any underclothes and was completely bare on the inside.


    But after learning a lesson from the past, Rhode didn��t have much to comment about this Grim Reaper. He also knew that this era didn��t have the various sorts of underclothes on Earth. The underclothes that females wore in this world were really simple. For rich noble young ladies like Sonia who received formal education, they wore something called a corset, which was similar to a brassiere and was more of a troublesome type (Troublesome in terms of unhooking, according to Rhode��s evaluation). On the other hand, a mercenary like Anne wouldn��t pay particular attention to it. After all, mercenaries relied upon battle for food, which was why many female mercenaries wore either cloth or something similar to keep from getting in the way. Anne might be a cheery and outgoing young lady, but regarding this aspect, she knew to take care and protect herself.


    The most unconstrained ones were clerics and spell casters like Lize. After the incident with Lesa, Rhode discovered that most young ladies in the spell-casting class disliked wearing underclothes. They preferred to put on baggy, comfortable clothes because to them, sense of self was the most important factor during battles. If one were to feel restrained during an incantation, things would get dicey. That was why most spell casters would rather wear extra coats to hide embarrassing ��bumps�� and other issues and not bind themselves up. They mostly wore some sort of an ��undershirt�� as a layer of concealment. Of course, some of them simply went without any��


    This was also something that Rhode learned from Lize. Back then, Lize was so embarrassed that her face turned burning red��


    However, this kind of gossip just went through his head for a moment. Right now, he wasn��t concerned about such a small issue.


    On the other side and in contrast to the Grim Reaper was a knight covered in white, shiny armor. She had four pairs of wings on her back that were formed and outlined by the cohesion of pure light elements. The elegant wings swayed gently in midair as though they were drifting in water. Like the Grim Reaper, this knight of light also wore a white cloak and its hood covered her face entirely. Fortunately, her entire body wasn��t glowing darkness like the Grim Reaper. The dim brilliance she emanated vaguely accentuated the beautiful curves of her face. But unlike the Grim Reaper, the armor she wore had no risk of exposing her body.


    Light Angel��


    Gazing at the perfect pairs of wings coalesced from pure light elements on her back, Rhode nodded in satisfaction. Light Angels weren��t beings of the main plane. As a matter of fact, they were natives of the light elemental plane. It could also be said that any angels with wings, including an archangel like Lydia, were considered ��main plane knock-offs��. However, Light Angels, just like its name implied, were created entirely of the light element, which was why they weren��t powerful in the main plane. For instance, the ��Frozen World�� ability of the mermaid warriors that could freeze even nuclear bombs in the water elemental plane couldn��t even deal damage that was anywhere close on the main plane. Every race had its favorable and unsuitable environments. Elemental creatures that were created by pure elements naturally wouldn��t be as powerful in the main plane where all sorts of creatures gathered.


    For that reason, Light Angels were actually rather rare��somewhat rarer than mermaids. There weren��t many of them and all of them were waiting silently in the core of the light elemental plane. Even for players, unless they entered the light elemental plane, they seldom had the chance to meet one.


    And now, the fact that this Light Angel appeared in the main plane meant that she was stronger than the other Light Angels. However, Rhode didn��t have a rough idea of just how much stronger she was. In the past, he always thought that the 10 holy sword card spirits would be almost equivalent in strength. Take Celestina, for instance; even though she had an arrogant personality and was often overwhelmed by Shira, Rhode knew that it wasn��t due to the fact that Celestina couldn��t beat Shira. They just had conflicting personalities, like how even the most powerful people had their nemeses. Celestina wasn��t great at dealing with someone like Shira, in the first place. Moreover, their strength was similar. In that case, it felt as though Celestina were being overwhelmed by Shira. However, if reasons surrounding personalities were eliminated and Shira and Celestina were to fight head-on, their chances of winning were 50-50.


    Karin was even weaker because she was a pure human. It could also be said that if she were to fight Little Five or Shira, it would be useless even if she could defeat them 10 times. Because whether she could eradicate them entirely was a totally different issue.


    Despite that, she was inferior to the big three of the holy sword card deck and still ranked the fourth. Besides, it also seemed like the insane Shira never objected to anything she said.


    That was why the rankings of the holy sword card deck weren��t sufficient to prove the level of strength they possessed. However, the three of them were different. Judging from the fact that Karin had specially sealed them in the books, it went to show that these three holy sword card spirits were really powerful.


    Rhode couldn��t help but shift his gaze to the last holy sword spirit.


    Unlike the other two who followed ��mysticism�� and wrapped themselves up entirely, this holy sword spirit standing before him wasn��t as mysterious as them. Or rather, she wasn��t wearing too much, but too little instead. Even if the Grim Reaper was naked on the inside, at the very least, she wore a thick, baggy black cloak, so much so that not even dancing to disco music would make her expose herself. On the other hand, this holy sword spirit�� Rhode��s eyes were immediately drawn to her chest the moment he shifted his gaze to her.


    It wasn��t that Rhode was perverted, but that her attire was just�� How should he put it?


    Yes. Shameless!


    Standing before Rhode was a young lady who was slightly taller than him and looked like a perfect berserker. She wore a shoulder pad on her right arm. Both of her hands were wrapped in heavy leather gloves and she wielded a large weapon that resembled a chainsaw more than a sword. She had also put on a pair of steel combat boots. Well, it didn��t seem like anything strange according to these descriptions.


    But the problem was that apart from these few pieces of equipment, she didn��t put on anything else.


    Even for Rhode who was bombarded with online information on Earth, he was stunned when he saw her. He simply couldn��t bear to look at the large area of nudity. And at the very least, even though her teats and lady part were barely covered by small patches of cloth like a tiny bikini, apart from that, everything else was exposed.


    Rhode had only seen such dress ups in adult magazines on Earth, and even in one of those leaflets, this scene would be hidden from the public. This went to show that the shamefulness of this costume was such that even the adult magazine industry in the business of pleasing readers knew not to display it in public!


    Is this considered a blatant display of indecency?


    After looking at the young lady, Rhode couldn��t help but twitch his lips and come up with this thought immediately. His reaction wasn��t surprising. After all, no matter how most people liked it, there was still a limit to things. Rhode also loved conducting intimate activities outdoors. His favorite pastime was to pull Anne or Lize to a deserted place and have a quickie, in turn enjoying the thrill from not being discovered. But despite that, he would never in his lifetime do something like that in public where everyone was watching.


    And now, it was the same for this young lady��s bikini. In private, men would definitely stare all they wanted. But no matter how perverted men were, they would still turn away with a blush and anxiety if they saw this in public!


    ��Shameless!��


    And now, staring at the young lady, Mini Bubble Gum spat immediately. As her ��younger sister��, the other projected Mini Bubble Gum also nodded in agreement.


    ��That��s right, only prostitutes dress up like that! We must watch carefully. What should we do if Leader were to bring her to our bed?!��


    The two Canarys who stood at the side turned around hurriedly as though they didn��t witness anything. At the same time, they didn��t forget to cover Icy Snow��s eyes. Unlike Mini Bubble Gum, Icy Snow was a precious, innocent young lady and could never be tainted. Even though the rest didn��t say anything, upon seeing Marlene��s and Lize��s blushes and Anne��s widened eyes and mouth, it was obvious that they were just as thunderstruck.


    ��Woah�� That must feel so cooling. Anne wants to try it too����


    ��No, Anne! You can��t do that!��


    Lapis lowered her head, pulled Anne away as much as she could, and said with a flushed expression. Her resistance to such things was already poor, to begin with, and she felt like she almost passed out just by looking at that!


    But strictly speaking, this young lady wasn��t considered a human.


    Because Rhode quickly found out the biggest difference between her and humans. This young lady wasn��t so much a human, but was more like a hominid instead. Although she wore very little, she didn��t have fair, delicate skin at all. A thick layer of short fur similar to the fur on a leopard��s body covered her body instead. It could also be said that other than her face being that of a human��s, she looked more like a werewolf that failed its transformation. And just like a leopard, spots and patterns could be seen on her body, making the bikini actually dispensable. If it had been someone else, a human face matched with such an animal body would look disturbing. But surprisingly, this young lady looked so perfect as if she were meant to look like that. Not only that, but Rhode also discovered that her race was a little odd. Judging from her appearance, she should be a half-beast or beast lord like Anne or Gillian. As a matter of fact, her leopard-looking body did prove it. But strangely, he was surprised to find that she didn��t just possess the characteristics of animals. Generally speaking, whether she was a half-beast or beast lord who could transform into a human form, she should have some special features like Anne and Gillian. Anne, being a hybrid, had the upper hand on the human side and unless she unleashed all her power, she wouldn��t turn into a half-beast. As for Gillian, not to mention anything else, just those pair of fox ears and big fluffy tail were enough to make people realize her true identity.


    However, this young lady before them was entirely different. Her body showed features of a leopard, but had a tiger tail wagging behind it. Not only that, but Rhode also witnessed a pair of bull horns on her forehead.


    What exactly is she?


    Even Rhode couldn��t figure out her true identity. She looked exactly like a hodgepodge of many animals.


    And there, he got it. The last three holy sword cards. And also the three strongest ones.


    Dark Harvester��Eleanor.


    Chant of Light��Catherine.


    Elemental Controller��Dona.


    They were the last three members of the holy sword card deck. And now, along with their return, Rhode��s collection of the 10 holy sword cards was finally completed.


    ��My lord, it��s nice to meet you.��


    Shortly after, the Light Angel nodded at Rhode. She raised her sword with dignity, saluted, and introduced herself.


    ��My name is Catherine.��


    Meanwhile, the body of the Grim Reaper on the other side twitched. Then, she nodded under the hood.


    ��Eleanor����


    Even though the ghostly voice of death that sounded from under the dark hood wasn��t loud, it clearly gave Rhode a bone-chilling sensation. At that moment, he realized that while she wasn��t as striking as the Light Angel, as soon as he noticed her presence, he felt a chilliness in his gut. It was just like how one deduced the coming of winter when one witnessed dried, withered leaves in autumn. She stood there like a shadow. The mere sight of her presence made him realize the inevitable fate to come, the shadow of death that loomed over all things.


    ��Dona.��


    The last half-beast didn��t speak much. She drew a pattern in midair with her longsword and introduced herself simply. It could be seen that they were exceptionally confident in themselves and couldn��t care less about how others viewed them. Looking at this scene, Rhode nodded at them.


    ��I am Rhode.��


    This self-introduction was so simple that even the other card spirits felt weird. Celia knitted her brows at Rhode, gaping her mouth as though she were about to speak. But eventually, she didn��t say a word. While on the other side, this was the first time Celestina puckered her brows. She swept a careful glance at Eleanor and turned to Rhode to shoot him a meaningful and secretive look, before shifting her gaze away quickly. Upon realizing her gaze, Rhode had a change of heart. It was at that moment when he figured that even though the holy sword cards were fully gathered, the atmosphere felt rather odd. Although he didn��t meet these three holy sword card spirits before, apart from Karin who stood at the back and Little Five who was the latest member, the other seven card spirits had spent quite some time with him. That was why he understood them to a certain degree. But judging from their reactions, they didn��t seem elated to be reunited with their comrades, but looked a little worried instead.


    ��Alright then. Get prepared for the final test.��


    Karin was the only one who put up an indifferent expression. She spoke and extended her arm. Shortly after, along with this action, the sword in her hand metamorphosed into steel threads that spread out like a spider web, isolating Rhode and the three of them swiftly!


    ��Big Sister Karin. Erm, we should�� Let Master prepare himself first, shouldn��t we?��


    Looking at this scene, Celia finally couldn��t help but speak up. After all, she spent the most time with Rhode and was one of the most used holy sword cards. At that moment, Celestina on the other side also let out a snort.


    ��Wait, Big Sister Karin, there��s no need to be in such a hurry, right? The three big sisters have only just awakened. What��s the point of rushing like this?��


    What��s going on?


    Upon hearing Celia��s and Celestina��s remarks, Rhode scanned the surroundings swiftly, only to discover that the other holy sword spirits were separated to the side in the shape of a circle that surrounded him, Eleanor, Catherine, and Dona.


    ��Those are the rules. Besides, Master��s strength does need to be reevaluated too. This is also the reason why we set the rules in the first place.��


    Facing Celia��s and Celestina��s objection, Karin explained plainly without looking at them. She turned around, looked at Rhode, and perhaps noticing his confusion, she finally said.


    ��Perhaps you are not aware of this, Master; we have a special ritual where, after you awaken all the holy sword cards, you will face a challenge from our three big sisters. And only after you defeat them will you be able to gain recognition from all of us holy sword spirits.�� At that moment, Karin paused for a moment, before continuing to speak.


    ��Apologies for not informing you beforehand, but these are our rules and rules must be followed strictly. Despite that, you don��t have to worry as we will not let our three big sisters take you on at once. You can choose two partners to face this challenge against them. And of course����


    Karin said and looked meaningfully at Mini Bubble Gum and Canary.


    ��Those who have unique spiritual connections with you are not permitted to join the battle.��


    It was apparent that this was the polite way of telling Rhode that the Phantom Guardians weren��t able to fight alongside him.


    Okay, I didn��t actually expect there to be such rules��


    After hearing Karin��s words, Rhode wasn��t all that surprised. As a player, he had encountered this kind of ritual several times�� But this time, it was indeed somewhat tricky�� If he possessed the power of the Void Dragon now, he would have no issue taking them three at once. But now, the situation was different�� Since the Phantom Guardians couldn��t join him, it meant that Canary and Mini Bubble Gum who always followed him around were banned from the battle.


    In that case, who should I choose instead?

 Chapter 1302 - Unexpected Partners

    Facing Karin��s words, Rhode paused and subconsciously turned to his younger sister and Marlene. But it only took an instant before he diminished that thought. Of course, if he chose Marlene, who was one of the seven deity wardens, and his younger sister, who was the former Void Dragon, to help him, the three holy sword spirits would definitely be crushed no matter how strong they were. After all, they were just card spirits of the holy sword deck and weren��t beings as powerful as the seven deity wardens and Void Dragon. But�� This wasn��t what he hoped for. The goal of this battle wasn��t just to be victorious, but to gain the recognition of the holy sword card spirits instead. If he used power to overwhelm them, not even he would be convinced of that win. That was why he gave up the idea of picking his younger sister and Marlene.


    But it was also at that moment when he realized that if he didn��t choose his younger sister and Marlene, he would be in real trouble for this battle!


    Even though there were only three of them as his opponents, they represented the light, darkness, and elements respectively, which included almost all of the major common attributes in the Dragon Soul Continent. Although he didn��t know anything about their battle skills, whether they were experts in long-range or close-combat, just their attributes alone were tough enough for him to handle. Same elemental attributes would cancel out each other and counteract a whole lot of power. If he didn��t rely upon his younger sister, Marlene, as well as Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, who else could deal with the three holy sword spirits?


    Anne? Yes, she was strong and had great instincts in battles. However, she possessed the wind elemental attribute and if Rhode wasn��t mistaken, Dona should be a type of the berserker class, which was least afraid of violent assaults. Her beast form was even stronger than Anne��s and judging from this point, it was obvious that Anne wouldn��t be able to resist her power. Even if Rhode didn��t assign Anne to deal with Dona, the other two holy sword spirits, Catherine and Eleanor, were also ones not to be trifled with. Anne��s wind elemental attribute was definitely no match for the penetration from light and darkness attributes.


    As for Lize�� She only possessed some skills that she learned from Mini Bubble Gum, so he couldn��t count on her too much. If Nell were here, perhaps she would be rather useful. But it was a pity that she was miles away in the Dark Region, so he couldn��t rely upon her for any assistance��


    Who should I pick then��?


    At this thought, Rhode scanned the crowd from Canary, Bubble, Icy Snow, to Marlene, Alice, and Cassidy�� He had a hard time picking out anyone.


    At that moment, he spotted the cowering silhouette of a young girl from the corner of his eye. She hid behind everyone and peered out at him with wide-opened eyes. She presented an anxious and uneasy expression, and at a glance, she looked just like a shivering squirrel. Looking at this young lady, a thought cropped up in his mind. He reached out his hand and gestured to the crowd before him swiftly.


    ��Lapis, come here.��


    ��Huh?!��


    Upon hearing his words, not only did Lapis let out a shriek, but the others around her were also bewildered. They knew what situation Rhode had gotten into and were all wishing that he would pick them to fight alongside him. But they didn��t expect him to actually choose Lapis who was seemingly the weakest among them!


    ��Huh? Sir, me?��


    Even Lapis was in disbelief. She looked to the left and right as though she were finding the other person named ��Lapis��. Only when she confirmed that she was the only ��Lapis�� did she extend her arm and point at herself in a daze, asking in uncertainty.


    ��That��s right, you.��


    Looking at her reaction, Rhode didn��t speak much, but ordered quickly instead. Upon hearing his command, Lapis nodded and walked out of the crowd hesitantly, before scuttling to his side and gazing at him. She eventually didn��t say a word, but stood beside him docilely instead.


    ��Lapis��?��


    Facing this decision, not only was Lapis stunned, but the rest were also flabbergasted. Even though Anne grumbled as to why he didn��t select her, as she had a close relationship with Lapis, she was rather worried upon seeing Lapis being chosen.


    ��Can Lapis do it? Anne has never ever seen her fight. Will she be able to defeat those three strange girls?��


    ��I��m�� not too sure either.��


    Facing Anne��s question, Marlene and Lize exchanged puzzled looks with each other and shook their heads. Marlene and Lize spent the most time with Lapis apart from Anne. But in their impression, Lapis didn��t have much experience on the battlefield. Although Rhode brought Lapis along when he sneaked into the Darkness Capital earlier, Lapis only served as a backend technician and basically didn��t get the chance to fight. She normally also holed herself up in the workshop like a tech geek. Although the threats of the alchemical weapons she produced were recognized by the rest, her threats as a fighter�� Not even Anne believed in her strength.


    Of course, the rest surely were more confused about something that not even Anne, Marlene, and Lize understood. Even the younger sister also twitched her brows in surprise and looked at her elder brother curiously. However, she didn��t say a word, but withdrew her gaze after looking at him quietly instead. She trusted her elder brother a lot. Since he had chosen Lapis for this battle, she knew that he had his reasons for it.


    No matter the discussion of the crowd, Lapis was still the one standing by Rhode��s side. This also astonished the other holy sword spirits. After all, they followed him for a long time and more or less knew the capabilities of this alchemical elf. Just that��


    ��Master, you��re not sending her to her grave, right? This fool can��t even defeat my demons, so what did you even pick her for? As a meat shield, huh? Well, that isn��t a bad choice then. Anyway, the big sisters surely wouldn��t be too vicious against her.��


    It was apparent that Celestina didn��t think highly of Lapis. In her impression, this alchemical elf had always been the one rescued by her master and was entirely worthless. According to the sayings of demons, such a life was only meant to be used and thrown away as trash. In other words, not worthy of a mention at all.


    Upon hearing Celestina��s grumbles, Celia puckered her brows and instinctively tried to rebut. But the moment she opened her mouth, no words left her throat. It seemed like she also didn��t have anything better to say.


    As for the other partner��


    ��Miss Stefania, can I ask you a favor?��


    After confirming his decision, Rhode turned around helplessly, gazing at the young lady who had little presence. As usual, she was donned in a black and baggy cloak, smiling and watching the bustling scene from afar. She was the plane merchant whom he met in the Seven Fantasy Boundaries, Stefania.


    Ever since Rhode brought this unfortunate plane merchant, who couldn��t leave this continent due to the existence of Chaos, back to Grandia on his return to the Dragon Soul Continent, most of the time Stefania was missing and no one knew what she was up to. Despite that, she did seem to adhere to the principles of being a plane merchant and never interfered with Rhode��s side of things. Even in the face of trouble like Chaos, Stefania seemed to only watch the drama unfold from across the river.


    But Rhode also knew that he couldn��t force her to do anything. On the surface, even though it seemed like Stefania really couldn��t leave, the truth was that she couldn��t leave in the ��normal�� way. It was just like when one couldn��t find the key to the door, the door wouldn��t be able to open. But on the other hand, if one were to break down the door, wouldn��t the door still be opened no matter if it was unlocked by the key or broken down? However, as the risks were too huge, just like the Creator Dragons opening up the plane channel teleportation door and transmigrating, none of them knew where they would be swept to. And this was Stefania��s only trouble.


    She didn��t belong to this world to begin with, which was why whatever happened to this world had nothing to do with her. By sticking around, she would have the chance to leave this world using a proper channel. If the Dragon Soul Continent were to fall to Chaos, she could simply open up a crack in space and leave right away; it was just that she wouldn��t know where she would end up.


    So there was no need for her to live and die with the Dragon Soul Continent. In that case, she also wouldn��t possibly do anything to help Rhode.


    This time, Rhode was left without a choice. The three of them on the other side encompassed all the major attributes of the Dragon Soul Continent. If he didn��t consider the power suppression on his side, he wouldn��t have many chances of winning. It was the same even for the original selves of Canary and Mini Bubble Gum because even though they came from Earth, their classes were still the native classes of the Dragon Soul Continent. Canary was an elemental mage, so it went without saying that she would be overpowered by their opponents. Meanwhile, Mini Bubble Gum didn��t have it any better either. After all, she was just a cleric and would be caught off guard by the light attribute. All the spiritual spells of a cleric were also of the light attribute, so how was it possible that she wouldn��t be countered? Perhaps her skill that could smash an entire army would only bring an itch to Catherine.


    In order to deal with them, Rhode had to send out surprise troops that disassociated from the three main attributes of light, darkness, and elements.


    In that case, Icy Snow would actually be a good fit because her time and space abilities coincidentally fell under none of the three main attributes. But unfortunately�� She was one of Rhode��s Phantom Guardians and wasn��t available.


    That was why Rhode could only do the very opposite and find someone who basically didn��t participate in battles for help.


    Anne and the rest didn��t know what Lapis��s abilities were, but Rhode knew. As a matter of fact, he didn��t witness her fights before, but within the system itself, he scanned through her specializations, attributes, skills, etc. Judging from the data, he believed that Lapis would do just fine in battles.


    However, Rhode never dared to send her into battle, not even in the Darkness Capital. The reason was simple. He was afraid of death. Not the death of Lapis, but if he were to be swept into her attacks, it wouldn��t be worth losing his life at all.


    But now�� With the younger sister, he wouldn��t die that easily, right?


    So then, the other partner would have to be Stefania. She was just like him. They arrived at the Dragon Soul Continent from another world. Besides, according to Rhode��s observations, Stefania had an odd battle style. As a solo plane merchant, she definitely had some tricks up her sleeves. Moreover, she also seemed to be almost on par with his holy sword spirits in terms of strength. With her assistance, there shouldn��t be any issue. But��


    ��Sure, but Your Majesty Rhode, you should know that we, plane merchants, don��t do business at a loss. How about this? Let me choose a young lady here to bring back with me����


    ��I will need to refuse that. Name another.��


    What gave Rhode a headache was that Stefania was fine as a person, but she tended to be a little bothersome to handle at times. She seemed to have a special fondness for cute girls. Every time Rhode planned to make a deal with her, she made the same offer, which left him entirely helpless. Frankly speaking, if that condition of hers didn��t exist, Rhode wouldn��t even need to be so nervous in defending against Chaos. Stefania had everything, even Star Destroyers[1]. If Rhode could get his hands on them, what could Chaos even do to him? Chaos would undoubtedly be blasted to bits.


    But if he had to exchange his harem for them�� Forget it.


    ��In that case, how about that crystal with unlimited spiritual powers? With one of that size, I can make do with it and let you hire me for half a day. Of course, for the record, I��m only here to help you fight, Your Majesty Rhode. If you want me to go elsewhere with you for any other ��activity��, you��ll have to excuse me.��


    ���� Do you have to guard against me so tightly?��


    ��This is Grandia, Your Majesty Rhode. I don��t think anyone needs to say much about your romantic affairs.��


    With a plane merchant��s signature and passionate smile, Stefania accepted the finger nail-sized Illusion Crystal that Rhode passed over and swept a subtle glance at the crowd. Looking at this scene, Rhode was speechless. Indeed, he had so many young ladies in his harem. It would be impossible for her to not guard against him as a woman.


    But come to think of it, upon hearing Stefania��s words, her harem itself also wasn��t small in size��


    ��That is why I know exactly what you��re thinking, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    ��Ugh����


    Facing this statement from her, Rhode was at a loss for words.


    No matter what, his partners were finally decided. It was just that no one understood the reasons behind his decision except for him. Stefania was a mysterious being and no one was familiar with her. As a matter of fact, she rarely showed up before everyone. She spent most of her time roaming the Dragon Soul Continent, gathering interesting and unique treasures before the continent was eliminated by Chaos. However, some had witnessed her strength in the past, which wasn��t considered weak at all. As for Lapis�� Would she be fine?


    ����Three-on-three, huh? So what are your plans, Your Majesty Rhode?��


    Stepping to Rhode��s other side, Stefania asked casually. It seemed like she didn��t regard the three holy sword spirits highly at all.


    ��Choose your opponent first.��


    ��In that case, I shall pick the angel lady. Also for the sake of nostalgia.��


    ��Nostalgia?��


    ��Yes, her name is similar to someone I once met who was also an angel. But�� Sigh, the thought of it breaks my heart. I wonder how she��s doing nowadays. Miss Caroline was a really difficult master to work for.��


    While Stefania sounded completely incomprehensible, she reached out her fair, jade-like right hand, turned it gently, and lowered it back into her pitch-black robe.


    ��What about me, Sir Rhode?��


    Lapis gazed at Rhode with some anxiousness and asked softly. Facing her question, Rhode pondered and as if with great determination, he spoke.


    ��I will lure the attention of the remaining two. Then�� Fight all you want. Protect yourself and remember to attack with all you��ve got and don��t worry about anything else, got it? It doesn��t matter even if it hurts us, so just use your strongest attacks!��


    It wasn��t too challenging for Rhode to take on two opponents alone. Even though he didn��t know what fighting styles Eleanor and Dona had, he was a veteran player, after all. After looking briefly at their clothes and equipment, he guessed their fighting styles pretty much to a tee. Even if he took both of them alone, he was confident that he wouldn��t lose.


    ��Will it be alright, Your Majesty Rhode?��


    Upon hearing his words, even Stefania was a little surprised. Facing her question, Rhode nodded sternly.


    ��Don��t worry, Stefania. Lapis will do just fine�� You need to be careful too. And watch out for their attacks.��


    ���� Okay then.��


    Stefania knitted her brows dubiously. She felt like there was another meaning to his sentence. But she didn��t read too much into it and nodded instead.


    Then, under Rhode��s lead, the trio stood before the three holy sword spirits.


    The dagger in his hand was the one that Lapis gave him for self defense. Even though he could also summon card spirits in this battle, the holy sword cards were unavailable and he didn��t have any more handy weapons in his possession. He wouldn��t go into battle empty-handed because without a weapon, his battle strength would be weakened by half.


    On the other hand, Stefania displayed a warm smile beside him. She was as calm as usual as if she didn��t regard this battle highly at all. Meanwhile, Lapis hid behind them. According to Rhode, he and Stefania were going to be the main tankers of the battle, and were also in charge of luring the opponents�� attention while Lapis only had to focus on attacking�� Although Rhode��s description sounded a little odd to her, she understood what he meant.


    �� I just have to fight with my all, huh?


    At that moment, only the three holy sword spirits, Rhode, Stefania, and Lapis occupied the entire plaza. The others had already stepped far away. In an instant, the atmosphere became heavy and serious. However, Karin swept a glance and announced as though she didn��t notice the change in the atmosphere.


    ��Alright then, let��s begin.��


    As soon as she announced, the dagger in Rhode��s hand unleashed its power as he dashed forward and struck at the Grim Reaper, Eleanor!


    [1] Capital ships in the fictional Star Wars universe.

 Chapter 1303 - Lapis, Towering on the Ground

    The moment Rhode attacked, Stefania also made her move. The black, loose-fitting cloak on her body inflated abruptly. At the next moment, two thick, pitch-black, long whips shot out from the openings of the cloak, lashing at Catherine.


    Facing Stefania��s attack, the Light Angel reacted swiftly by turning around and dodging the attack. However, Stefania apparently had no intention of letting her off. The moment Catherine evaded her attack, she lashed the whip in her hand again from above. The whistling whip narrowly brushed past Catherine and struck the ground in a heavy blow.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A string of explosions rumbled. The instant Stefania��s long whips landed on the hard cobblestone pavement, it was pounded like it was blasted by cannons. Smoke and dust sprayed out like a cloud of dragons soaring skyward. Looking at Stefania��s battle style, it was completely impossible to link her to the profession of a merchant, which was supposed to make peace and money. Logically speaking, using whips as weapons was usually a feminine choice. But watching her pressurizing and unyielding battle style, it was clear that she wasn��t giving the opponent a chance to live at all. The long whips in her hands were like two giant hammerheads. Perhaps this analogy might sound a little odd, but it was actually true. In the face of Stefania��s attack, Katharine was like a mole in whack-a-mole, except she was dealing with two huge and heavy hammers of steel. If she were hit by one, she wouldn��t just be making an adorable, wailing shriek, but would turn into minced meat instead. But even so, the plaza had been blasted by Stefania with dozens of deep holes. Her whips swung down hard, smashing the hard cobblestone pavement in an incomparably powerful force and impact. The solid ground seemed to cave in and spread out like a soft sponge to the sides. Whirling dust and stones exploded from the flat ground, scattering in all directions. Absolute strength and power; that was how Stefania fought. In a nutshell, no wimping out and only attacking!


    ��Miss Stefania is really powerful����


    Looking at this scene, the crowd in the distance whispered. This was also the first time they watched Stefania��s battle at such close quarters. As a plane merchant, Stefania was still a peace-loving businesswoman, after all. That was why she avoided confrontation as much as possible and it was rare to see her fighting personally. But at that moment, after witnessing her attacks, many people, including Marlene, were stunned. It seemed like they would have to reevaluate this plane merchant who was always smiling and ��collecting junk�� everywhere she went.


    But at that moment, Rhode didn��t have the time to be concerned about Stefania. He was facing two opponents at once and�� They were trickier to deal with.


    Whoosh��!


    The ghostly, icy-cold scythe grazed Rhode��s hair. At that moment, he witnessed several strands of his hair flying in midair. After dodging this attack, he lunged forward, only to split into three with his shadow clones and attacked Dona and Eleanor who were in front of him.


    In the early stages of the fight, both sides coincidentally chose to engage with skills rather than their own means. Rhode didn��t summon his card spirits, while Dona and Eleanor didn��t use any strange powers. Both sides were simply relying on swordplay in their sparring. It was just like what Rhode expected. Dona was a complete berserker with terrifying speed and strength. Rhode remembered a slogan from a cartoon he watched when he was a kid. The slogan was the perfect way to describe Dona.


    Eyes of an eagle, ears of a wolf, speed of a panther, and strength of a bear.


    Eyes and ears aside, Dona��s speed and strength were much faster and stronger than most half-beasts. The first time Rhode collided with her, he sensed a powerful force flowing in the blade of her longsword. In addition to her massive strength, if it weren��t for his experience on the battlefield to react and disengage in time, perhaps he would be struck away in one hit.


    Not only that, but Dona��s speed was also terrifying. Logically speaking, most double-handed sword wielders were unrestrained in thoughts and actions. For instance, Shira was a prominent example, always damaging the opponents at the cost of her allies. However, Dona��s attacking style was completely different. The huge longsword in her hands was more flexible and versatile than one-handed swords. There were several times where Rhode couldn��t find an opening in her defenses.


    Moreover, Eleanor was also glaring at him like a tiger from the side. The scythe in her hands was a huge trouble for him. The attacking trajectories of such an odd weapon was different from ordinary weapons. Furthermore, she was also an expert in that weapon, where she sneaked up from behind from time to time and caught Rhode off guard. Not only that, but her skills in wielding the scythe were also entirely different from the rest.


    Swish!


    Clang!


    In a cold flash of light, Eleanor flipped her scythe around and negated the attack from Rhode��s shadow clone. At the same time, with the aid of his shadow clone that also forced away Dona��s attack, Rhode thrust his sword again, stabbing at Eleanor��s chest. With this swift assault, Eleanor seemingly had no chance of retaliating. But in fact, that wasn��t the case. Just as Rhode��s sword was about to tear through her black robe that was riddled with holes, she turned her arms around and swung up the scythe to strike his sword with an unerring blow. In a sharp rasp, Rhode��s blade deviated from its original path and brushed past her instead. Shortly after, Eleanor gripped the scythe and struck forward ruthlessly, startling Rhode into withdrawing his sword to defend himself. He flipped his right hand over and the sword that brushed past her returned with a curved, moon-shaped arc, slashing at the oncoming blade heavily. But the moment he blocked this attack, he heard a whistling wind and the ice-cold flash of the scythe reappeared in his face.


    Is this the way of the Shaolin Lo Han staff[1]**?


    Rhode never expected a scythe to be flourished as a staff. But now, he didn��t have any other choice. All he could do was to evade. But at that moment, Dona also arrived from the other side.


    After losing most of his power of the Void Dragon, he was at his limit fighting to a draw against two opponents using his sword skills. But the problem was that�� He wasn��t fighting alone. He still had Lapis!


    �� Come to think of it, where is she?


    At this thought, Rhode swept a quick glance toward the back and what he saw almost made him faint. Lapis stood on the same spot and stared wide-eyed at him and Stefania. She didn��t seem to have the intention to attack in the slightest. Meanwhile, Dona, Eleanor, and Catherine didn��t attack her either. After all, this alchemical elf was too weak to begin with, and just standing there motionlessly was enough for them to witness ��I��m weak. Don��t bully me�� written all over her face. Against such a weakling, the three strongest holy sword card spirits weren��t that shameless to find trouble with her.


    But��


    I didn��t ask you to come here and enjoy the match from a VIP seat!


    Rhode almost vomited blood out of rage.


    This is just like in the game. I play my role well in luring monsters as the main tanker, only to turn around and find the DPS chit chatting away instead of attacking�� What is this bullsh*t?!


    ��Lapis! What are you waiting for? Hurry up and attack!��


    While Rhode resisted the pincer attack from Catherine and Eleanor, he yelled at her. Fortunately for him, Stefania was much more reliable. In a few frontal clashes, she managed to contain Catherine entirely. If not, perhaps he wouldn��t be able to take on three opponents at once. However, if Lapis continued to be a drag, things would turn out differently for sure.


    ��But Sir Rhode, I��m�� scared����


    Upon hearing his scream, Lapis seemed somewhat hesitant. She grabbed the edge of her clothes and gazed anxiously at him.


    ��What��s there to be afraid of?! Go all out. You have my permission to do whatever you want!��


    ��Really?!��


    All of a sudden, Lapis widened her eyes in shock. Rhode and Stefania had their backs facing her, so they didn��t notice the glint that flashed in her eyes. Yes, a glint of unparalleled excitement.


    I��m allowed to do it!


    Upon hearing his command, Lapis became rather agitated and nervous. She extended her trembling right arm and reached for a metallic object from her spatial bag. Then, she clutched it in her hands.


    Almost at an instant, Rhode felt an unknown sense of danger all of a sudden. It felt so strong as though one had struck an ice pick into his spine. He hadn��t encountered this feeling of imminent death in a long time since becoming a Creator Dragon. Even at the very beginning when he was being chased down the street by a demon lord, he hadn��t felt such danger and fear. But now�� His instincts were warning him that death was closing in on him!


    Without any hesitation, Rhode rolled on the ground, before leaping to the back in a fluster. He didn��t know what exactly was threatening him, but the feeling was so strong that he didn��t even have the time to consider whether it was all just an illusion. At that moment, he finally witnessed the source of danger.


    Shing������!


    A dozen billows of smoke bursting with flashes of light dazzled past his face. It was so fast and close that for an instant, he felt as if they brushed against his cheeks and left behind burning pain.


    And at the next moment��


    Flashes and rumbles enfolded his world.


    Since Rhode dodged at the very last second, Dona and Eleanor didn��t have it any better. They were also surprised by his sudden retreat. And it was this moment of hesitation that brought upon a world of difference in their predicaments.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Constant artillery fire suppressed the entire square densely. At that moment, Rhode turned to Lapis and was instantly taken aback��


    ��Holy cr*p. This is����


    Standing right in front of him, Lapis had completely changed into a different person. The shy young lady from before was gone. At that moment, her entire body was encased in a huge, steel armor-like gadget, and even her head was protected by a steel helmet. Dozens of magical runes spiraled and wrapped her body tightly. It wasn��t her costume that surprised Rhode, but the huge steel barrels sticking out from her arms, shoulders, and back that were aiming ahead instead!


    This is��


    Of course, Rhode remembered that downsizing of the magical cannons was always one of Lapis��s main research topics. Previously, Marlene��s family produced a batch of lightweight and portable magical cannons. However, the only problem was that they were too expensive to be mass-produced, so the project was ultimately abandoned. Thereafter, Rhode handed the project over to Lapis, and of course, she didn��t disappoint and mass-produced the portable magical cannons successfully. But after Rhode considered the consequences of the proliferation of firearms, he finally decided to put this research project on hold temporarily. Despite that, he didn��t expect her to actually make it work. Not only that, but she also��


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The whistling cannon fire interrupted his thoughts. At that moment, Lapis was no longer a person, but a fortress with full gunfire. What made Rhode even more speechless was that this was the first time he knew that Lapis was actually an enthusiast for multiple cannon barrels like himself. Right now, this young lady had four cannons as thick as steel pipes under her arms. There were also two cannons on her shoulders and dozens of densely packed cannons on her back like feathers of angel wings standing upside-down. The constant whirring of the magical brilliance tore through the open space and enveloped the land, covering the plaza in a mere blink of an eye.


    Rhode almost didn��t react in time, not to mention Dona and Eleanor. The berserker and Grim Reaper were instantly devoured by the gunfire. On the other side, Catherine and Stefania also scrambled from the ambush and even Rhode also couldn��t keep it classy any longer. He also tried to dodge Lapis��s gunfire desperately like everyone else.


    As the saying went, an inexperienced person defeated a master by throwing out the rules of traditions. In this case, it wasn��t an unreasonable thing to say. At that point in time, Rhode would rather hope that Lapis was trained as a professional combat shooter like Icy Snow, so that he could predict and dodge the trajectories of her shots. But the problem was that she was simply firing blindly and haphazardly right now with her eyes closed. What made matters worse was that her artillery fire was still strong enough to leave him and the others in a fluster and confused as to where to hide.


    ����������!��


    The land shook. Roaring explosions and rumbles shrouded half of Grandia. Everyone else standing outside the plaza was bewildered. They didn��t know how Lapis did it. They merely saw her pull something out of her spatial bag. The item flashed a golden light that wrapped around her and she became like this��


    ��Well, that works I guess. Big Sister, Lapis isn��t thinking of killing Leader, right?!��


    Looking at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum widened her eyes in shock. She saw with her own eyes that just a moment ago, Rhode had a hard time escaping from the curtain of barrage. But almost immediately after, another wave of even more ferocious gunfire pinned him right down mercilessly. If she hadn��t known that Lapis was firing blindly, perhaps she would suspect that Lapis was planning to take this opportunity to murder her ��husband��!


    Whoosh������!


    Just as the intensity of the cannon fire gradually decreased, the Grim Reaper flew out and dispersed the thick smoke all of a sudden. Her robe that was already tattered was now covered in burn marks. It was apparent that she suffered a ton in that wave of gunfire by Lapis. But now, she was getting serious. She brandished her scythe at Lapis abruptly!


    ��Stay away!��


    Upon witnessing her appearance, Lapis was alarmed. She took a step back hurriedly and crossed her arms in self-defense. Along with this action, the runes metamorphosed into a shield before her, resisting the Grim Reaper��s scythe. Then, at the next moment, an amazing scene occurred.


    Swish!


    Before the Grim Reaper could swing her scythe again, the cannon barrels that made up the shape of wings behind Lapis fell off on their own like feathers. In the blink of an eye, they hovered in midair and fired. Shortly after, yet another string of magical brilliances erupted, shooting straight at the Grim Reaper.


    Looking at this scene, even Rhode was stunned.


    ��Floating cannons?��


    [1] One of the skill sets of the Shaolin Sect in the MMORPG, JX Online 3

 Chapter 1304 - Chaotic Battle

    Rhode really wanted to take the fight seriously. But honestly, sometimes there were a lot of things that he couldn��t do even if he said so because he needed someone else to make it work. And now, the problem was that�� It didn��t matter who was the one saying what.


    Because the battlefield was in complete chaos now.


    Apart from Lapis, everyone else had hidden from the artillery fire, be it Rhode, Stefania, Catherine, Dona, or Eleanor. Right now, the most important thing was to stay away from this overwhelming bombardment. Rhode had to admit that this downsized version of magical cannons produced by Lapis was really successful. Even after she shrunk their size, she managed to keep their original might.


    Keep their original might.


    Keep their original might.


    It was so important that it had to be mentioned thrice.


    ��This is ridiculous!��


    While dodging the artillery bombardment that had no discernible pattern, Rhode screamed inwardly. This wasn��t just a normal headache, but a really huge one instead. Even at his level, it wasn��t like he wouldn��t flinch when the magical cannons blasted his body. As for Stefania, she wasn��t having it any better. In fact, her lack of knowledge of Lapis��s battle style caused her to take a direct hit from the artillery fire. Fortunately, this plane merchant had a lot of strange gadgets in her possession. In the face of the artillery fire, she whipped out something called a ��banshee��s veil�� and wore it over her head. At the next moment, a transparent shield flickered around her and she held her whip to continue finding trouble with Catherine.


    And for the three card spirits, they faced the same trouble. The projectiles fired from the magical cannons were pure magic and as such, an attribute-less attack that none of them was immune to. This, in turn, forced them into the same predicament as Rhode and the others.


    If an exact analogy were to be made, both sides were now literally dueling against one other in a whirling storm. And what was more depressing was that it was not raindrops nor hailstones falling from the sky, but sharp knives instead. One wouldn��t be in any better state even if one survived after being struck by it. But only God knew what would become of one after being hit a few more times.


    Thereafter, the three-on-three battle turned into a complete scuffle in just the blink of an eye. There was just no way for both sides to duel properly. Moreover, Lapis had also released several floating cannons that tracked and chased the three card spirits to their deaths. Just like her own attacks, these floating cannons looked like they had escaped a mental hospital, where their blasts had no accuracy to speak of. However, with an overwhelming amount of artillery barrage, it still brought upon an inexplicable sense of menace.


    It felt just like one being trapped in an endless whirlpool and having to worry about whether or not one would suddenly be devoured by the terrifying jaws of a shark. Of course, it wasn��t as if Dona and Eleanor hadn��t thought about eliminating the threat directly at the source. But the problem was that Rhode wasn��t someone to be trifled with either. He dodged the artillery barrage, while keeping a wary eye on the two in front of him. As soon as they attacked Lapis, he would have a chance to sneak an attack from the side. With his formidable strength, the two of them didn��t dare to neglect his presence, so it became a fight of sneak attack and counter-sneak attack in the middle of a storm. To use one sentence and describe this situation in a nutshell��


    What is this all about?!


    Rhode rolled over to dodge the bombardment again and lamented helplessly deep down. The battle had begun to move in a direction that he hadn��t expected in the slightest the moment Lapis opened fire. While it was true that he had already known through the system what she was capable of, reading and experiencing it firsthand were two completely different things. There was almost nothing he could do right now under the almost unrelenting bombardment of this area.


    Lapis is totally high right now.


    At first glance, Lapis looked like she held up the cannon barrels and fired them. But the truth was that she was simply waving her arms haphazardly, yelling, and launching her attacks instead. At a glance, one would think that she was just confused and nervous in the face of the ambush from her opponents. But Rhode clearly heard the joy and excitement hidden within her screams, just like how the high-pitched screeches of a girl on a roller coaster were definitely not a sign of negative energy.


    But despite that, Rhode couldn��t tell her to stop. The current situation was considered the best out of all his unexpected circumstances. Lapis wasn��t great at frontal combat to begin with. As one could see from the ��battle��, the retaliation that she came up with was to turn herself into a fire-powered tortoise shell, where no one could hurt her, but she could hurt everybody else. That was exactly what rookies would think. But the problem was that when a rookie had great creativity, unimaginable ideas would only become more frightening.


    Because they had the potential to be realized.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The deafening explosions in Rhode��s ears made his body tremble slightly. The scattered smoke in burning waves of heat from all directions gave one the illusion of being trapped in the middle of a fire pit. But even so, Rhode didn��t let down his guard. He stooped over, looked at Lapis, who fired the cannons to her heart��s content, in the distance and swept his eyes to the side. At the next moment, he vanished into thin air, leaving behind only flashes of smoke from the explosions.


    ��Leader should be fine, right? Lapis is really going all-out.��


    The crowd, including the holy sword card spirits, watching the battle from outside the plaza was stunned. They had never seen this attack from Lapis, where the plaza of hundreds of meters wide had turned into another place entirely. No, perhaps it wasn��t even a plaza anymore. It was now full of shattered stones and pits of various sizes. Flickering magical radiances constantly formed circles on the ground that expanded and exploded one after another. It was indeed a pleasing sight from afar. But when the blooming flowers of flame were strong enough to harvest life, it was a totally different story.


    Not only did Marlene, Lize, and Anne widen their eyes, but Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Icy Snow also began to feel uneasy. Icy Snow even used her ��space scouting�� ability to search for Rhode��s location. But with this kind of artillery bombardment, it was just as difficult as finding the baby��s father in the shelling of Operation Overlord[1].


    ��������!��


    All of a sudden, a trembling shrill resembling that of a demon��s sounded even in the loud, deafening bombardment. Shortly after, in the eyes of the crowd, a pitch-black, ghost-like shadow emerged in the glow of the gunfire, lurching forward and charging at Lapis!


    After being ��bullied�� by Lapis for so long, the three holy sword card spirits finally decided to get serious!


    ��Whoa!��


    Upon witnessing the shadow of death looming over her, Lapis cried out in fear. She held out her hands hurriedly and along with this movement, hundreds of magical guiding lights erupted instantly, charging straight at the shadow ahead. It only took a moment for the lights to completely melt the shadow to the point where not even a scrap was left. But before Lapis reacted again, the land rumbled all of a sudden. The ruptured land that was bombarded by the artillery barrage rippled and swirled like ocean waves. Dozens of stone spikes broke out of the ground and stabbed at Lapis. Almost at the same time, along with whistling gales, a bright column of light that broke through the layer of clouds like sunlight shot at Lapis under the Light Angel��s guidance!


    Apparently, after being tormented by Lapis for so long, the holy sword spirits were finally focusing their attention on the ��weak�� elf young lady. And now, they were about to give her a special treatment that even Rhode wasn��t entitled to.


    They were going to join forces to deal with her first!


    It was clear that the Grim Reaper was luring Lapis��s attention earlier, while Catherine and Dona were the main attackers instead. Whether this diversion fooled anyone else was still a matter of opinion, but Lapis had clearly fallen for it. It wasn��t surprising, considering her lack of combat experience. If she didn��t fall for it, Rhode would have suspected whether she was actually possessed by someone or some special force��


    Lapis was attacked more than once in such a short period. Due to the cover of her ��artillery fire��, Rhode and Stefania also weren��t able to save her each time. But now, since she stood strong, she naturally had a way to survive.


    Shing! Shing! Shing!


    The moment stone spikes that were sharp enough to skewer a bunch of people broke through the ground and struck at Lapis, the floating cannons drifting around her turned around and aimed at them swiftly. And soon, several streaks of magical beams sliced through the air and headed toward the stone spikes. In a string of explosions, the bulky and huge stone spikes were completely shattered under the magical attack without leaving behind a single piece of debris. At the same time, the spinning and twisting rune shield before Lapis once again emanated a dazzling glow that transformed into an oval shield that encased her entire body.


    Boom������!


    Soon after, a dazzling light column descended from heaven, striking Lapis like the fiery breath of a mighty dragon. However, the rune shield that flickered brightly was like a dam stopping the strong, rushing torrent. The light column split into two from the middle immediately and not only that, but the mechanical wings behind Lapis also lifted and fired an overwhelming barrage at the Light Angel again!


    ��Hmph!��


    Facing this counterattack, Catherine snorted involuntarily and seemingly had no intention of avoiding it. On the contrary, a glowing light flew across her armor like running water, enveloping her entire body and armor. With a sword in hand, the Light Angel metamorphosed into a mesmerizing flash of light and brandished her blade at Lapis. On the other side, no one knew when the Grim Reaper had sneaked up on Lapis. She took advantage of the opportunity as the floating cannons took aim at Catherine. The Grim Reaper raised her scythe high in her hands and swung it down with force. The dark aura that wrapped around the razor-sharp blade metamorphosed into a substantial beast that roared at its prey. Not only that, but as the two of them attacked, Dona, whose entire body was wrecked badly by the storm, also lifted her longsword and shuttled out of the dusty smoke. She slashed the giant blade in her hands straight at Lapis.


    In the face of the trio��s assaults, it was naturally impossible for Lapis to react in time. The alchemical elf stood foolishly on the spot, staring at the Light Angel who dashed toward her, as well as the terrifying berserker who lifted the longsword and intended to slice her into half. Fortunately, Lapis was aware of her weaknesses. Impromptu reactions were never her strong suit, which was why the alchemical equipment she created was fully automated. Even though she could still control them, in times she couldn��t respond promptly, the alchemical equipment would act on her behalf.


    Besides, Rhode and Stefania weren��t incompetent either.


    Shing������!


    As the Light Angel zoomed toward Lapis, the smoke and dust beneath the former parted all of a sudden. In the blink of an eye, thick, massive, black tentacles flew out of the ground and bound the Light Angel��s ankles. The force was so strong that even the Light Angel who charged with all her heart and soul halted at that moment. Along with the sound of whistling whips from the back, the Light Angel was hurled heavily into the smoke and dust.


    Boom! In a loud collision, smoke and dust burst into the sky along with strong air currents.


    Stefania turned her body over. Her baggy cloak fluttered out of the smoke and like a ghost, she arrived at the side of the Light Angel. Upon seeing the young lady beside her, the Light Angel had a fixed look in her eyes. She swung her sword immediately, attempting to repel Stefania away. However, she didn��t expect Stefania to move faster than her. Right before the Light Angel raised the sword in her hand, she witnessed Stefania turning her right wrist around. Along with a loud buzz, a cylindrical, scarlet lightsaber flew out of her cloak all of a sudden and struck the Light Angel��s wrist. As soon as the Light Angel sensed the burning heat penetrating her armor, she couldn��t help but loosen her grip on the sword. At the same time, Stefania stretched out her left arm, clenched her hand in midair, and the Light Angel��s sword whooshed into her hand as if attracted by a magnet. Then, Stefania held the lightsaber against the neck of the Light Angel.


    ��Phew�� It��s finally over. I��m exhausted�� As expected, I��m still not fit for battles�� Thank the Force[2]. Otherwise, there��s no telling what would have become of me.��


    Stefania let out a sigh of relief and turned around at the same time. Meanwhile, on the other side, the battle between Rhode and the other two was also coming to an end.


    Just as the Grim Reaper brandished her scythe, Rhode appeared like a ghost from her side and stabbed her with his sword without hesitation. And in the face of yet another ambush from Rhode, the Grim Reaper also didn��t stall in flicking the long hilt over and striking down heavily at him. But this time, her attack failed to achieve its goal. Because Rhode had turned his left hand over and a card emerged between his fingers. Just as the card flickered and disappeared, his shadow trembled and soon after, dozens of tentacles sprang out from his shadow and bound the Grim Reaper��s scythe.


    ��Huh?��


    Perhaps not expecting to encounter such resistance, the Grim Reaper who had been silent finally exclaimed. However, she wasn��t all so surprised. On the contrary, as the tentacles wrapped around the scythe, she darted away to the other side, extended her right hand, and struck the air abruptly.


    ������


    In just a quick moment, the tentacles wrapped around the scythe withered and disappeared, before shattering piece by piece under the whistling cold aura of death and turning into nothingness. Despite that, Rhode wasn��t astonished. Since she was dressed as the Grim Reaper, she must be decent at using the power of death. In that case, the reason he summoned the Nether Tentacles was naturally not to use them as a trump card against Eleanor. On the contrary, he did it simply to buy a little time for himself.


    And now, the time had been fully bought by him.


    Swish!


    While the Grim Reaper broke free of the tentacles, Rhode arrived before her. But facing the young lady in front of him, he didn��t launch his attack. Instead, he reached his arm out and wrapped around her slender waist!


    ��Huh?!��


    Faced with this gesture from him that seemed almost like sexual harassment, the Grim Reaper couldn��t stay calm any longer. She raised her scythe and instinctively hacked down at him. However, Rhode didn��t give her the chance. On the contrary, while grabbing onto her waist, he picked up speed abruptly to the maximum, leaped over Lapis with the Grim Reaper in his arm, and charged at Dona.


    Completely unaware that Rhode would actually use Eleanor as a meat shield for his assault, Dona��s attack came to a pause abruptly. That imposing attack from her came to a standstill at that very moment.


    And that was the opportunity that Rhode had been waiting for!


    Bam!


    The moment Dona withdrew her sword, Rhode threw Eleanor at her. Then, an ice-cold flash shimmered from the blade in his hand as he stabbed straight at Dona��s neck!


    [1] Codename for the Battle of Normandy, an allied operation during World War II.


    [2] A metaphysical and ubiquitous power in the Star Wars fictional universe.

 Chapter 1305 - Holy Sword System

    Bam!


    The Grim Reaper slammed into Dona and it was too late for the latter to do anything else. If this were a life-and-death battle, she could simply ignore her companions and slash straight down at Rhode instead. But the problem was that this wasn��t a life-and-death battle, after all, and nobody had a reason to fight for their lives. That was why Dona had no choice but to dodge to the side and watch as Rhode��s sword enfolded her vision.


    The chaotic battle finally came to an end.


    ��You��re actually alive, Leader.��


    ��Yeah, I��m surprised myself.��


    Facing Mini Bubble Gum��s sarcasm, Rhode didn��t have any intention of refuting in the slightest. He inhaled heavy breaths and looked at the three holy sword spirits standing before him in silence. However, he didn��t look victorious at all. Just like the three of them, his clothes were also riddled with holes and stained by filthy black smoke. He basically didn��t look any different from the three of them covered in dirt.


    Well, all of this was thanks to someone.


    In fact, Mini Bubble Gum wasn��t exaggerating either. After the battle ended, one could see that the entire plaza had disintegrated with scorched blast marks and broken rocks were scattered everywhere. The smell of burning smoke also assailed their nostrils. This place had become horrendous. At one glance, this plaza was as if bombarded by heavy bombers hundreds of times.


    After replying to Mini Bubble Gum, Rhode gazed at the three holy sword spirits before him. Honestly, the battle wasn��t exciting at all, and from the moment Lapis opened fire, the whole battle entered a disorderly abyss. It was like two teams playing soccer. Both sides expected a great tactical match, but instead, they witnessed 20 men chasing a football around like a rugby game and scoring a goal before they even knew what was happening. It was natural to feel disappointed when something like this happened. At that moment, Dona didn��t look good, while Catherine seemed a little better. As for Eleanor on the other side�� What fine weather today��


    Detecting the disgruntled gaze from under the dark hood, Rhode whistled to the sky as if he were admiring the beautiful scenery of the azure sky. As a matter of fact, he was indeed innocent. Well�� What he did was just accidentally touching Eleanor��s thighs and buttocks when he rushed over to lift her up earlier. But�� He couldn��t be blamed for her not wearing any underclothes. Even though the cloak was wide enough to prevent her from exposing herself, wouldn��t it feel similar to the touch? Of course, Rhode certainly wouldn��t admit to touching her inner thigh to stop her counterattack. How was it possible that he would do something so despicable? He always loved his people like his children and never done anything inappropriate to his card spirits.


    If you don��t believe me, you can ask Celestina. Will she dare to say no?


    Wait�� Something doesn��t sound right here.


    But despite that, Eleanor��s skin was so smooth to the touch that Rhode almost slipped his hand deeper�� Ugh, fortunately for Lapis��s gunfire, no one should have noticed that.


    ��We lost, Master.��


    Although the loss was a bit baffling, Dona was clearly not the calculating type. She looked at Rhode and admitted defeat sincerely. Upon hearing her words, the Grim Reaper grunted softly, obviously a little less than pleased with the result. Despite that, she didn��t comment much, since a battle was ultimately a battle. Since it wasn��t a duel, it was reasonable for the opponent to use whatever tactics they had. There was no point in making up any more excuses for her loss, which was why she gave a light snort to express her displeasure and didn��t speak again. As for the other holy sword spirits, they showed relieved expressions after hearing Dona��s answer. It was clear that they were also quite nervous and anxious about the outcome of this match. Now that Rhode had successfully defeated the three holy sword spirits and gained their recognition, the others were naturally glad with the result.


    At that moment, the crowd outside the plaza ran in and surrounded Stefania and Lapis in excitement. At that point in time, Rhode was as though snubbed by them. Well, it wasn��t too surprising since it was clear to everyone what he was capable of. Even if he were to destroy the world, no one would be bewildered. On the other hand, the strength that Stefania and Lapis displayed was really shocking to them. It was especially so for Lapis. No one expected this delicate young lady with such a weak combat strength to actually possess such formidable firepower. If one were to end up as Lapis��s opponent, one would believe that they would have a hard time dodging her artillery fire. So, how about fixing the problem at the source? It wasn��t entirely impossible. But the Light Angel��s all-out strike was resisted by Lapis��s rune shield, so�� Who knew what else would happen?


    ��Lapis, you��re really good, I didn��t think you had it in you. I think you should just become Char��s Zaku II[1]! There��s a whole lot of future ahead of you if you become a Zaku[2], instead of a Gundam[3]. Gundams are just a bunch of useless protagonists who are nothing without their SEED mode[4]. How about that? I will show you the details later; I promise you��ll like it!��


    At that moment, the two Mini Bubble Gums jumped up and down around Lapis in excitement, screaming and urging her to strengthen the alchemical equipment they witnessed earlier. According to them, they wanted to equip hundreds of Zakus so that they could feel stronger and better in fights! In a word, no wimping out and just attacking.


    Gundam is just a pretty boy who gets what he wants and only Char��s Zaku II is the way!


    Whether Lapis would listen to their advice was secondary to the fact that, on the other side, Stefania just received an invitation from Marlene. And truth be told, if Marlene didn��t put too much hope in Stefania earlier, this battle made her witness the true strength of this plane merchant. Thus, Marlene also seemed uncharacteristically enthusiastic and expected a long term partnership with Stefania. Unfortunately, Stefania wasn��t much interested in such things, which Rhode knew by heart. Plane merchants loved roaming between planes. Apart from the plane where they were born, they rarely got emotionally involved in other planes. That was why it wasn��t realistic for Marlene to rope in Stefania. If it were so easy, Rhode would have already succeeded and she would have undoubtedly played a huge part in his major project. After all, no matter what, there were many new, amusing, and powerful items in other planes. If he were able to get his hands on those items with the help of this plane merchant, everything would be much more convenient.


    ��Congratulations, Big Brother, it looks like you made it.��


    It was at that moment that a voice that he couldn��t be more familiar with sounded from the side. Upon hearing her voice, he turned around and looked down, seeing an almost identical face. His younger sister stood quietly beside him, watching him with a grin on her face.


    ��Yeah����


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s reply, he nodded in a rather complicated mood. Although the process was a little strange, the outcome was good. Since he succeeded, there was no need to say anything more. However, at that moment, another voice sounded all of a sudden.


    ��Your Majesty, I��m sorry to interrupt you, but Chaos has once again started its attack.��


    Alice��s voice wasn��t too loud, but her words silenced the originally bustling crowd as they turned around to look at the ��History Deity Warden��. As the chronicler of history, there was almost no one in the Dragon Soul Continent who had a more accurate grasp of intelligence than Alice. Since she said that Chaos had started an attack, it was obvious that Chaos had indeed done so. But judging from Alice��s tone, it sounded like things weren��t just as simple as an attack.


    ��According to the report, undead skeletal dragons have appeared amongst them.��


    Upon hearing that statement, Rhode��s good mood from the victory vanished.


    Anything that could go wrong will go wrong. Ever since hearing from that fool, Ion, that he actually sold his family��s graves and corpses to Chaos, Rhode had been worried about when the undead dragons would make a comeback. He was also certain that Chaos would contaminate the corpses, forcefully convert their hibernating souls, and turn them into undead creatures with Chaos traits. In that case, it would bring too much pressure to the Dragon Soul Continent. Hundreds of undead skeletal dragons definitely weren��t what the current high-level beings could deal with. Aside from the Country of Light that had been in the middle of a military war during this period, even though the twin dragons promised that they would send rule wyverns to assist the situation, it was an entirely different matter as to how many rule wyverns there were. And now��


    Clearly, this war was inevitable for Rhode.


    The undead skeletal dragons came aggressively.


    As Chaos cleared out once again, several gigantic bone dragons appeared at the front lines at the same time. Their roaring dragon breaths burned down everything in sight. Although the players fought hard, it was still tough for them to inflict much damage to them. It wasn��t that they couldn��t beat them, but they not only had to deal with the dragons, but also defend the entire defensive line. And now, the endless Chaos was speeding up and emerging above the distant horizon, heading toward the defensive line again.


    This looks bad.


    When Rhode arrived at the first line of defense with Mini Bubble Gum, Canary, and the others, all he saw was a crumbling defensive and overwhelming pitch-black dragon breaths spurting down from the sky, bombarding the defensive line heavily. And under this menacing attack, the defensive line that was strong enough to withstand a thousand armies shook, collapsed, and shattered into ruins. Chaos creatures swarmed ahead, pouncing on any openings in the defensive line. Meanwhile, a series of shining magical lights erupted. With the coordination of the players and natives, they delayed the openings from being filled up like a dam blocking the torrents. But that was only temporary. If they didn��t come up with any solution soon, the entire defensive line would be punctured with holes and the situation would get even more troublesome.


    ��Notify the twin dragons and tell them to dispatch the rule wyverns to the weakest defensive areas! None of our defenses must be penetrated. We must hold on!��


    After giving the order out loud, Rhode turned to look at the sky above him again. The Chaos in the distance emanated a strange glow and was approaching gradually. It looked as if it were determined to dominate the continent this time. But it was a pity that he had no intention of giving up the resistance.


    ��Though it��s a little rushed, it doesn��t look like there��s a better way to do it now.��


    Gritting his teeth, Rhode gazed at the 10 holy sword cards that lay silently on his right palm. Then, he recalled his younger sister��s words from before.


    ��It��s still a little too early for you to use the Holy Sword Barrier right now, Big Brother. Perhaps you haven��t noticed, but the entire set of holy sword cards has an unique amplification system. If you don��t have a way to grasp the spirits entirely, the barrier will be flawed even after it unfolds. When that happens, there will be no way for us to make improvements to it anymore. So even though time is running out, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the existence of the holy sword spirits before activating the Holy Sword Barrier�� Of course, I have another suggestion for you, Big Brother. You can give it a shot and use this battle as a sandbox�� Like what I said before�� I think you will be interested in that.��


    Seems like I can only give it a shot now.


    At this thought, Rhode sulked, lifted his head, and looked at the sky. At the next moment, he leaped into the sky in a dazzling flash, soaring toward the undead skeletal dragons.


    ��Roar������!��


    Upon detecting his presence, the skeletal dragons turned around, brandished their claws, and pounced on him. Compared to the enormous skeletal dragons, Rhode seemed so small and yet, he didn��t feel the slightest bit nervous. Instead, facing the four to five skeletal dragons that rushed at him, a strange glint flashed in his eyes, and he stretched out his right hand.


    [Holy Sword System������Activate]


    Shing������!


    The instant he extended his right arm, 10 uniquely colored brilliances erupted from his palm in the shape of a circle, shrouding him and the skeletal dragons. Soon after, dazzling streaks of magical radiance spread toward the position of each holy sword and metamorphosed into an incomparably gorgeous ritual.


    Then, Rhode disappeared in a flash.


    Along with this movement, 10 holy swords erupted in their unique colors and brilliances. Their shining light intersected and enveloped the enchanted field, enfolding the skeletal dragons within it. And it was until that moment when the skeletal dragons felt something incomparably bizarre. The strong power of Order shone ragingly. A light full of vitality and warmth tore through their souls while death with its piercing coldness entered their hearts and the surging, violent elements crushed them from all directions overwhelmingly, binding everything as one.


    The moment the skeletal dragons realized that something was amiss, Rhode arrived at the side of one of the holy swords, extended his arm to grip its hilt, and swung forward.


    ��������!��


    The blinding flash of light penetrated the ice-cold, enormous bodies of the skeletal dragons. Even the blue flames and darkness of Chaos that shone within them crumbled under the shining light. However, Rhode didn��t stop there. After the flash of light, he reached out, wielded another black magical sword, and flitted across the sky.


    Shing! Shing! Shing!


    Pitch-black thorns appeared out of thin air, binding the struggling bodies of the skeletal dragons as if they were vampires greedily sucking the murky, black fog. Soon, the black fog and spiritual flames that crumbled in the earlier attack became much weaker. Not only that, but the skeletal dragons also felt their powers being quickly drained away! They howled in rage, trying to break free of the thorny shackles. But it was at that moment that Rhode darted out, tossed the black magical sword aside, and spread his arms apart widely. Along with this movement, two shimmering daggers appeared in his hands.


    The two blade rays intersected like lightning blazes, slashing through the bodies of the skeletal dragons again, inflicting lethal damage to their already weakened bodies. But this was still far from the end.


    Roars of death and shining souls filled the sky�� Continuous blade rays flooded the entire battlefield almost in the blink of an eye. After just a few moments, the skeletal dragons that were flaunting in the sky earlier were now weakened.


    This was the true power of the Holy Sword System. When they assembled, the barrier constructed using the holy swords as its base formed a whole new world, tearing through darkness with the power of light, devouring darkness with the power of darkness, converting Chaos with the power of Order, and destroying enemies with the power of elements. A complete system of Order and Chaos was formed at that very moment. And the skeletal dragons were just prey in the spider��s web and no longer a threat to them!


    [1] A Mobile Suit featured in the Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin manga.


    [2] A fictional line of manned robots from Mobile Suit Gundam.


    [3] A Japanese military science fiction media franchise/media mix


    [4] Represents the ability for a Gundam with the SEED factor to enter a state of enhanced awareness and peak physical ability.

 Chapter 1306 - Shattered Defenses

    That��s the last one!


    Observing the pain-ridden skeletal dragons around him, Rhode didn��t say a word. On the contrary, he raised his right hand high and as if responding to his action, the three dazzling light spheres above the enchanted field brightened and erupted. The power of light, darkness, and elements coalesced at that very moment.


    Seconds after, the powers surged toward the prey caught in the spider��s web, devouring them completely.


    ��I see����


    Gazing at the glowing light and Chaos that was gradually disappearing in it, Rhode frowned and muttered to himself. If he didn��t quite understand what the Holy Sword System was all about earlier, now, he sort of understood the meaning behind it. Just as he thought, the entire Holy Sword System was an assemblage of the Dragon Soul Continent. His younger sister once used it as a replacement for the Order Star. But now, after experiencing it for himself, he realized that he was wrong. Although he had never seen the Order Star, according to his younger sister, the Order Star was actually like a solar generator and Chaos was the sunlight. The Order Star absorbed sunlight that shone on the panel and created energy for Order. It was an outward process. But this wasn��t the case with the Holy Sword System, which had little resistance to external invasion as it preferred to resolve issues from the inside instead. It was more like a stomach, and Chaos was the food that entered it. As soon as Chaos got within the boundaries of the Holy Sword System, they were automatically shattered, bound, weakened, and absorbed by holy sword cards, before the remainder was blasted into scraps.


    Rhode finally understood why it was necessary to set up three layers of defenses to guard the signal tower. It could delay Chaos from attacking it and stall their progress, allowing the Holy Sword System to digest and destroy Chaos. However, there was also a limit to it and it wasn��t entirely beneficial and harmless. As soon as the barrier expanded, there would be a never-ending war against Chaos. When that happened, both sides could no longer retreat. If Rhode couldn��t transmigrate the Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system, the only thing that awaited them would be the influence of infinite Chaos and inevitable destruction.


    But for now, the power wasn��t yet mature. At this point, Rhode still hadn��t grasped the essence of this system and was just using his power to activate the holy swords one by one. When the barrier actually unfolded, it would definitely be impossible for him to do the same. After all, when that happened, the 10 holy sword cards would be enveloping the entire continent in different regions. Even if Rhode were to be as fast as the Flash[1], he couldn��t possibly flee in disarray to activate the holy sword cards for every battle. Perhaps he would die of exhaustion from that first.


    Looks like I should keep practising.


    He finally understood why his younger sister wanted him to practice on his own for now, rather than simply activating the barrier. The most important thing about this barrier wasn��t regarding his control, but his need to grasp each holy sword card in the shortest possible time and form a regular, autonomous network through mental and spiritual connection. This ensured that the barrier could operate normally. The barrier would be really demanding for its holder, so he had to make sure that every part of the holy sword cards was managed well. But it wasn��t an easy task. After all, it required considerable familiarity between him and the holy sword cards, even to the point of commanding authority. This would ensure that any crisis would be dealt with in the shortest possible time, so that the barrier of the Holy Sword System wouldn��t collapse.


    However, it was still a little difficult for him now. Celia and Celestina were the two cards that he wasn��t concerned about. He summoned them on innumerable occasions and was already incredibly familiar with them. The same went for Gracier and Madaras, and Shira wasn��t too bad either. But the remaining Little Five and Karin, as well as the three latest holy sword cards that he received recently, were rarely used. As Karin��s role was like a technician, she was often assigned tasks at the backend, so he didn��t have many chances to interact with her. On the other hand, he wasn��t familiar with Little Five due to the short duration he had gotten her for, so he didn��t have much time to practice. As for the remaining three holy sword cards, there was even less of a need to talk about them. It had been less than a day since he had gotten them, so what was there to say?


    It was like playing a strategy game. One had to learn the features of different troops under one��s command in order to be able to make targeted placements and responses. Troops with higher defenses would lead the way. Troops with a longer range of attacks would be more suited for harassment from a distance. Troops with a wider field of vision could be used as scouts. Troops with unique skills could infiltrate the enemy lines. It was only after one understood these features that one wouldn��t make the same mistake of sending a bunch of scouts to hold the high ground, or sending a bunch of robots with no air-defense skills to go up against an enemy stealth plane.


    In fact, during the final guard, Rhode found himself a little unable to grasp the power of the three holy sword cards. But fortunately, Karin reacted swiftly and coordinated the situation, which saved Rhode from making a fool of himself. Otherwise, as soon as he lost control of the power of the three holy sword spirits, he might also be covered in dirt with the skeletal dragons. Luckily, Karin��s coordination was great enough to help ease some of his burden. Despite that, he couldn��t rely upon her for this sort of thing forever. She was just a coordinator, while the true master was still him. If he didn��t try his best, it would still be useless no matter how hard Karin coordinated the situation on his behalf.


    But now��


    Rhode looked up at the defensive line before him. Even though the previous attack by the skeletal dragons left the place a little run-down, the formerly crumbling defensive line was finally held by the players and natives who were stationed here after Rhode got rid of the skeletal dragons. At the moment, the players and natives were desperately patching up holes, while the Chaos creatures retreated after they attacked a long time without success. This was also a trait of Chaos��impatient. Inhabitants of Order could gnash their teeth and not give up until the last moment, but Chaos didn��t have that kind of determination and perseverance. They didn��t need such things in the slightest. Because in many cases, the number of Chaos creatures alone was enough to trample on and crush everything.


    But this was also a weakness of Chaos. Once Chaos lacked the quantity to crush their enemies, they rarely had the patience to continue attacking, even if they possessed the strength to fight a protracted battle. That was why Rhode quickly witnessed the Chaos creatures that were attacking the defensive line retreating. And those that didn��t fall back were soon surrounded and wiped out by the players. Soon after, the immediate crisis was considered to be averted. Despite that, Rhode didn��t let his guard down. He puckered his brows and stared at the battlefield in front of him cautiously to ensure there were temporarily no attacks from Chaos. He gave a hand gesture and upon witnessing his intention, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, who were originally in charge of directing the players below, as well as Icy Snow, rushed to his side.


    ��What��s wrong, Leader?��


    ��I need a little more practice, but there isn��t quite enough time for me at the moment�� Little Icy, do you know any place that is in a battle right now?��


    ��Please wait a moment, Big Brother.��


    Upon hearing his question, Icy Snow paused for a moment. Then, she lifted her head, looked into the void with her black, glistening eyes, and began her investigation. At times like this, her skills really came in handy.


    Before departing, Rhode learned from Alice that Chaos had attacked again and the defensive line at this area was in the most precarious state, which was why he came here. He wasn��t that worried about other places since there were others around to hold down the fort. After all, it was most important to deal with the matter at hand first; as for the other matters, he could wait until this matter was dealt with. And now, after taking care of this side of the battle, he finally shifted his attention to other battlefields.


    It wasn��t that he had nothing better to do, but after the earlier experiment, he realized that he still had a lot to learn about the holy sword cards. The best method was to join actual battles to learn the most about their performance and characteristics in the shortest period possible. And now that the battle over at his side ended, he had experienced the advantages and disadvantages of the Holy Sword System firsthand. The next step was to coordinate with the holy sword cards in battles. Time was running out and he didn��t have any time to waste hanging around now.


    ��All is well on the battlefield in the Country of Law. But for the Munn Kingdom�� There are some troubles on the northern border of the Country of Light. Currently, Her Highness Lydia is leading her troops in battle, but it seems like they are in a stalemate and there isn��t much progress.��


    ��Got it.��


    Upon hearing Icy Snow��s report, Rhode nodded. He wasn��t that concerned about the Country of Law. On the other hand, he knew that Lydia wasn��t able to support the Country of Light on her own. Even though Lillian said she was on call for official battles, with the kind of half-*ssed battle skills she possessed right now, they should feel thankful that she didn��t add to the nuisance on the battlefield. As for expecting her to fight against Chaos, Rhode was terrified that she would once again be influenced by Chaos. When that happened, the situation would get even tougher. Also, the Country of Light lacked strong forces, so even with Lydia as backup, it was still a bit of a headache. Rhode had already dispatched most of the players he had on hand to assist Lydia as much as possible. Currently, the Country of Light was stretched to the limit in the face of Chaos, where even he couldn��t help but feel a little regretful attacking the Country of Light too viciously before. If he didn��t kill so many powerful beings of the Country of Light, perhaps there would at least be some cannon fodder blocking the way now!


    But it was a pity that what was done couldn��t be undone. Rhode also didn��t find a way to travel back in time. So now, he could only rely upon his own strength.


    ��Little Icy, come with me. Canary, Bubble, you two are in charge of gathering up the survivors here and keeping an eye on Chaos��s movements. No one knows if those bast*rds will get hot-headed and run headlong into us. To be on the safe side, put yourself on alert for now, and let me know immediately if anything happens.��


    Shortly after, Rhode gave his order, before metamorphosing into two streaks of light with Icy Snow and vanishing into the sky.


    Meanwhile, in the border areas of the Country of Light, war was spreading wildly.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Brilliances erupted from the magical cannons lined along the edge of the magic warships. The massive skeletal dragons ahead howled and crashed onto the ground amidst the artillery fire. However, facing this scene before her, Lydia��s expression wasn��t relaxed in the slightest. Instead, she frowned and stared anxiously at the smoke in front of her. Sure enough, after a few moments, the thick smoke dispersed all of a sudden and gigantic skeletal dragons surfaced again. Although their bodies of white bones were scorched black from the bombardment of the magical cannons, at least from the looks of it, they were neither cracked nor shattered. Looking at this scene, Lydia knitted her brows even tighter.


    ��Your Highness, we��re backing down now.��


    Standing quietly by Lydia��s side, Gaya spoke with a slightly heavy expression. Her face was equally as pale and even had a hint of a sickly red hue. Facing the attack of the skeletal dragons earlier, she had expended most of her strength. Not only that, but the magic warships that the Munn Kingdom was proud of were also at the end of their ropes now. Although the flagship was still intact and the skeletal dragons weren��t able to do any catastrophic damage to the magic warships due to them being contained by the battle angels, it couldn��t hide the fact that the battle angels were also retreating at a steady pace. And without the support of air defenses, the situation for the ground defenses was slowly turning chaotic. Lydia also witnessed that many of the Country of Light��s soldiers were scared out of their wits in the face of the Chaos creatures. They turned around and fled right away. Looking at this scene, Lydia could only sigh helplessly. What else could she say? The elite troops of the Country of Light had already been sacrificed in the battles between the Country of Darkness and Void Territory. And most of those that remained were ordinary soldiers and new recruits. For them to be able to hold on for so long before fleeing when the defensive line was about to collapse was already very competent of them. However��


    ��Ahhhh!��


    Looking at the Chaos creatures swarming in like locusts from below the city wall, one of the soldiers screamed in fright. The extreme fear was unbearable for him. He yelled like a madman, tossed his sword at the Chaos creatures, and scrambled down the stairs behind the city wall.


    ��Goddammit! This bunch of worthless trash can��t be trusted at all!��


    Watching the soldier flee for his life, a mage player shook his head, grumbled, and waved his hand abruptly. Shortly after, a layer of frost spread along the city wall. In the envelopment of cold air, the tumultuous Chaos creatures stopped their actions instantly. Their pace slowed down and they gradually turned into hundreds of ice sculptures.


    ��You know, this is the Country of Light. How can you even expect them to fight bravely? Haven��t we been screwed hard enough by them before?��


    In response to his comrade��s complaints, the other archer player was clearly unconcerned. Well, it wasn��t too surprising, since Rhode originally recruited the core player base of Starlight from the Munn Kingdom, who had been screwed with by the Country of Light countless times. That was why most players simply didn��t regard these soldiers of the Country of Light highly. Perhaps it was a little disappointing for Lydia to not witness these soldiers fighting to the death for their country, but it wasn��t any astonishing for these players to see these soldiers fleeing from the battlefield. If the soldiers were to shout ��let��s fight in the bloodbath until our death!�� instead, perhaps the players would suspect whether these soldiers were truly people of the Country of Light��


    And now, well��


    ��How long do you think we��ll be able to hold on?��


    Gazing at the Chaos creatures freezing into ice sculptures before his eyes, the archer asked and didn��t stop his hand motions. He held up his pitch-black crossbow that was flickering in the brilliance of runes, aiming at the sea of Chaos creatures. Then, he released several glowing arrows from his crossbow and blasted the enemies. In a string of explosions, the densely packed and frozen Chaos creatures were blown to pieces and swept away. But shortly after, those in the back pounced once again, filling up the gaps ahead.


    ��Who knows? We shall see. With Her Highness Lydia commanding this time, she probably won��t retreat at the first sign of trouble�� But there��s no telling, ��cause those dragons are really too annoying.��


    As the mage groaned, he stared in displeasure at the skeletal dragons hovering overhead and battling the magic warships. In fact, with their strength, it wouldn��t be a big problem for them to deal with the skeletal dragons with the magic warships. But now, the problem was that the defensive line couldn��t handle the pressure any longer. Those useless soldiers that were only experts in fleeing made the players exert their full power to keep the defensive line from collapsing to Chaos. In that case, the players didn��t have the time to deal with the skeletal dragons and could only watch helplessly. No wonder these players criticized those soldiers so badly for fleeing for their lives.


    ��What a bother, it seems like we��re going to have to retreat as well�� Hmm�� Huh?��


    The mage grumbled, but was bewildered by the scene before him all of a sudden. He stared in shock because at that moment, he witnessed a dazzling blade ray emanating from the back and piercing the skeletal dragon in front of him. The instant the shining blade ray came in contact with the skeletal dragon, it split into five, surrounded the skeletal dragon from five directions, and stabbed violently. The next thing the mage saw was the skeletal dragon shattering, falling, and crumbling into pieces.


    ��That��s�� Leader, right?��


    [1] A costumed superhero with the power to move at superhuman speeds.

 Chapter 1307 - Restless Crisis

    Rhode glided across the sky. The shimmering blade rays around him enveloped him in a perfect halo. He looked at the battlefield with a stern expression. Frankly, he wasn��t surprised that the soldiers of the Country of Light were utterly defeated. If they didn��t retreat in this bloodbath, he would be even more astonished. Besides, the quality of those soldiers was also questionable. That was why, from the start, Rhode didn��t have high expectations of them. But now�� This defensive line couldn��t be abandoned. It was currently just a prelude, and if any layer of defense was lost at that point, it would be a very unsettling factor for their plans.


    That was why they had to secure this defensive line at all costs.


    Rhode collected his thoughts, looked up, and took his eyes off the body of the fallen skeletal dragon to the obstacle in front of him. There were about five to six skeletal dragons that attacked this defensive line. Their massive bodies erupted with a gloomy, blue spiritual fire, while black fog wrapped around their bodies. Although there was no telling what Chaos had done to these skeletal dragons, judging from their wild, scarlet eyes, it was apparent that they had completely lost their minds and were turned into frenzied beasts. After witnessing Rhode kill one of them, the remaining skeletal dragons turned around and pounced on him with their razor-sharp teeth and claws.


    ��Inhale����


    Looking at the skeletal dragon closest to him, Rhode took a deep breath and flipped his right hand around. Soon after, a stack of cards appeared between his fingers. He narrowed his eyes, aimed at the skeletal dragons, and flung his right arm forward. At the next moment, a bright, glowing light escaped his hand. It was a sharp blade coalesced from pure light.


    The light blade whistled ahead.


    ��������!��


    In the face of this attack, the skeletal dragon let out a furious roar, raised its head, and snapped its jaws open. At the next moment, a roaring spurt of flames sprayed out of its gigantic mouth, blasting at the light blade.


    Shing������!


    The moment its fiery breath collided with the light blade, the light blade dispersed all of a sudden. It seemed at first glance that it shattered in the dragon breath. However, that wasn��t the case. The instant the light blade clashed with the dragon breath, the light blade split into five, spread out in all directions, and formed a circle that surrounded the skeletal dragon. Looking at this scene, Rhode��s expression remained unchanged. Instead, he held his right hand forward in an empty grip and made a downward chopping motion.


    Swish!


    The moment he made that action, a light blade behind the skeletal dragon jumped up and expanded in size. In the blink of an eye, the holy sword glowing in a divine brilliance heavily slashed the skeletal dragon��s body. With a loud bang, the skeletal dragon��s body tilted and an endless source of holy power bombarded its body, shattering the dark fog that had enveloped its body completely.


    Upon sensing the blazing holy power, the skeletal dragon howled in wrath and agony, instinctively extending its claws and swinging backward to strike the sword away. But at the same time, another scarlet longsword flew out and whirled from the other side, hacking at its menacing claws. In the sound of a crack, the skeletal dragon��s strong, enormous claw shattered in this ambush by Shira like fragile pieces of glass. Not only that, but half of its right arm was also demolished.


    Feeling the intense pain, the skeletal dragon shuddered, swinging its head and attempting to get away from the holy swords. However, its resistance was futile. The moment it turned around, its head shook abruptly. At the next moment, its neck was cut by a criss-cross stroke and almost imperceptible blade rays, to which a stark wound appeared. Shortly after, along with a dazzling thunder, a huge, serrated, chainsaw-like blade also stabbed the wound.


    Roaring thunder, exploding flame, ice-cold frost, and collapsing air current proliferated within the skeletal dragon��s body in an instant. The crowd witnessed its huge body expanding like a balloon, before blowing up into pieces, while the murky, black fog was also shredded in the whistling winds. Soon after, the skeletal dragon that was completely sliced to pieces collapsed onto the ground, joining its lifeless companions from before.


    Something doesn��t seem right.


    Looking at the dark fog dissipating before his eyes, Rhode stretched his wrist. His attack this time wasn��t just as simple as just destroying the enemy anymore. He also needed to determine which attributes worked together more effectively and how he should get them to work together to pose the strongest threat. But now, with two attacks in a row, he didn��t feel satisfied yet. This time, he used five holy swords in this attack. First, Celia��s holy power overwhelmed the undead power that enfolded the skeletal dragon. Then, Shira coordinated with Gracier and Madaras in attacking the skeletal dragon. In the end, it was up to Dona to finish things off with a fatal blow.


    However, this combination didn��t seem to be very effective. It wasn��t surprising because Rhode hasn��t even figured out the attributes, attacks, and effects of these cards so far. And the ones he was most familiar with were Celia, Celestina, Gracier, and Madaras. He didn��t use the other holy sword cards as much. Besides, there were many differences between being in sword form and physical form. Rhode could work with them while they were in physical form to conduct battles. But after they returned back into their sword form, they needed to rely more upon his control of the battle to be able to use their powers again. This was also something new to him as he had no prior experience in this field as a Spirit Swordsman. Spirit Swordsman was a class that summoned spirits and displayed swordsmanships to perform powerful combinations and attacks. And now, it was rare for him to be in a situation that required him to fully control the battle as the lone swordsman.


    I need more practice.


    At this thought, Rhode turned over and projected his gaze at the other skeletal dragons that rushed toward him. Upon hearing their bellows, the corners of his lips perked up into a smile.


    All I have is time for now.


    The outcome of the battle had been determined upon Rhode��s arrival on the battlefield.


    Although the fleeing soldiers of the Country of Light had put the defensive line into perilous danger, after Rhode devastated the skeletal dragons crisply, Lydia didn��t miss the chance to call forth the magic fleet and battle angel army to take on the Chaos creatures again. After facing the strong resistance, the Chaos creatures stopped persisting, but turned back and left the battlefield quickly instead. In the end, the safety of this defensive line was guaranteed.


    However, although they were victorious, not a single person showed a relaxed expression; instead, everyone, including Rhode and Lydia, looked grave.


    ��Thanks to you, Your Majesty Rhode. If it weren��t for your help, this first line of defense would have most likely collapsed.��


    Looking at Rhode in front of her, Lydia revealed an expression of helplessness and relief. In fact, she also knew that if he didn��t show up, she would be the only one fighting it out. But this wasn��t a really good idea to her, and more importantly�� As a matter of fact, her current situation wasn��t looking exactly great.


    Rhode didn��t know that while Lydia gained rule of the Country of Light under Lillian��s appointment, that didn��t mean she earned the heartfelt acknowledgement of its people. Aside from the fact that the Country of Light had been tarnishing the reputation of the Munn Kingdom for so many years, Lydia��s image had long been deeply rooted in their hearts. Moreover, after the continuous battles between the Country of Light and Munn Kingdom, as well as the Country of Light and the Void Territory, the people of the Country of Light had deep and unfavorable impressions of Rhode and Lydia. That was why most of them were still more or less resistant to them.


    Previously, they were willing to accept Lillian��s rule because Lillian was born and raised in the Country of Light and considered one of their own. The people believed that she would make the right decision for them. But what about Lydia? She was the archangel of the Munn Kingdom. And now that the Country of Light was in her hands, would she be able and willing to give them good lives ahead?


    It seemed like the people of the Country of Light knew that they had bullied Lydia back then�� And now, they were feeling nervous about karma.


    For that reason, the people of the Country of Light were actually quite wary of Lydia��s rule and management. They had so much fun tarnishing her reputation at first. But now, she became their biggest boss. According to the rumors, this archangel was a murderer who didn��t bat an eye whenever she killed someone, so it was hard to guarantee that she wouldn��t settle old scores. What if she hit on the idea of sending the people to the front lines as an excuse, but actually meant to send them to their deaths? Wasn��t she capable of doing that? Well�� It was hard to say.


    With these thoughts from the higher-ups, the soldiers below had even more ideas. None of them were willing to be scapegoats, much less letting someone else drag them to their graves.


    Back then, you were the one shouting for joy out there in the first place. We��re just ordinary soldiers, so why must we die for the conflicts between higher-ups like you?


    In fact, Lydia knew all about this, which explained her awkward expression when she saw Rhode. But honestly, she couldn��t be blamed for that. People were selfish by nature. Even now��so what if it concerned the existence of the entire world? How could one expect everyone to hold such a high level of consciousness to abandon their past differences and strive for the Dragon Soul Continent? Hahaha, how was that possible? Not to mention, in order to avoid causing a panic, Rhode and the rest didn��t tell the truth to the general public. After all, there were only two choices: either succeed or die. Just think about it. Imagine if some scientist on Earth suddenly made an announcement to the world claiming to have discovered that the sun would soon explode and destroy the whole solar system. Humans would either choose to move the Earth out of the solar system or accept their fate and die. What would the reactions be?


    Perhaps some might resign themselves to fate, but panic and riots were certainly inevitable. It was already unavoidable on Earth, which was a planet that was technologically-advanced and had a higher literacy level per capita. In that case, how could one expect this continent that was pretty much medieval, aside from magic and civilization, to have high awareness? Moreover, this wasn��t even a natural disaster, but a man-made one instead. While his troops were dealing with Chaos, Rhode wasn��t willing to waste his energy dealing with riots possibly arising from internal conflicts.


    That was why the soldiers actually didn��t know what they were facing, as well as the consequences, which explained why they had no pressure fleeing from the battle.


    Frankly, even if Lydia were to tell them the truth, they would perhaps even suspect if she had made it up just to send them to their deaths��


    The soldiers didn��t trust their commander, so how was it possible to rely upon them to fight properly? Wasn��t it ridiculous?


    On the other hand, Rhode didn��t give it too much thought. After all, as a player of the Munn Kingdom, he was sick and tired of watching the soldiers of the Country of Light fleeing. That was why, like the players, he didn��t particularly look into them. Anyway, fleeing from battle was considered a talent of the people of the Country of Light, in his opinion.


    Despite that, his expression was still as solemn. It wasn��t about the problem surrounding the Country of Light, but that he realized that the defensive line that he had crafted himself seemed to have a hard time holding out against Chaos��s attacks for long.


    According to his predictions, the first three defensive lines were enough to last until he finished building all the signal towers. Besides, Chaos��s attacks shouldn��t be able to get through the defensive lines that quickly. Of course, only ground enemies were considered when he previously made this call, and he didn��t expect the skeletal dragons to show up. After all, skeletal dragons were too uncommon. Even though they weren��t as strong as Erin, they were still ancestors of the night wyverns and considered powerful creatures. In addition to the influence of Chaos, their strength had risen, which was why extra manpower had to be deployed.


    But the lack of high-end forces was nothing new for the Dragon Soul Continent�� Otherwise, Rhode wouldn��t have used his power to summon tens of thousands of players. But even so, the number of players still wasn��t enough. Despite that, he no longer had sufficient power to create additional high-end players. He could only hope for quality to offset quantity. Anyway, Chaos creatures were difficult to deal with in the eyes of average people. But in the eyes of high-end players, except for creatures at the caliber of Chaos Lords, the rest was still easy to annihilate.


    But with the addition of the skeletal dragons�� Things were different.


    The reason why Rhode was able to wipe out the skeletal dragons was due to the addition of the holy sword cards. If he didn��t have the holy sword cards, he would need to group up a squad of five to take on these skeletal dragons, at the very least. The highest level for players was level 85, so they weren��t invincible. And although these skeletal dragons didn��t have particularly strong moves after being influenced by Chaos, as dragons, they were powerful enough on their own to be a fairly huge threat. Coupled with Chaos creatures on the surface, it would be an even tougher fight.


    If the skeletal dragons didn��t show up, Rhode would be confident in withstanding the attack of the Chaos creatures. But he didn��t expect that as soon as the skeletal dragons appeared, the defensive line on his side, which was able to hold on, would immediately waver like fragile straws swaying in a storm as if they would completely snap at once. This left Rhode in displeasure. This was just a front line battle. If he couldn��t even win one, what could they do if Chaos were to come all-out? The skeletal dragons weren��t a benchmark of Chaos��that honor belonged to the Chaos Lords instead. Now that the Chaos Lords hadn��t even shown up and his side was already struggling�� If they couldn��t even withstand this level of attack, wouldn��t they all pop after being poked by the Chaos Lords?


    Sounds rather wrong using that description�� Well, forget it.


    The main problem now was whether they could defend against Chaos successfully. This time, Rhode relied on himself and finally won. But the crumbling defensive line caught him by surprise. If this were to happen a few more times, he couldn��t guarantee that the two defensive lines at the back would be able to handle the pressure. Even though strategic turnarounds and retreats were the exact same thing at times, the meaning would be different if the phrasing was different.


    If one were to say that it was a strategic necessity, which explained why they abandoned the defensive line, it would definitely sound classy and endowed with the extraordinary intelligence of the superior Zhuge Liang[1].


    If one were to say that their defensive line collapsed and they had no choice but to retreat to the defensive line at the rear, their morale would definitely take a huge hit. When that happened, perhaps the soldiers would be on the edge of their seats and the last two defensive lines wouldn��t be able to hold on for much longer. Even if Rhode were to set up the Holy Sword Barrier, no one knew how long he would last.


    That was why this problem must be solved soon.


    ��We need more manpower.��


    Rhode tapped the map that displayed the after-battle report in his hand with dissatisfaction. This time, the defenses on the side of the Country of Light had lost about one-fifth of their manpower (with the exception of players, of course). It could almost be considered the most costly of all the losses. It wasn��t that surprising, though. Even though Rhode introduced the rule of resurrection to this world, the prerequisite for it was that the victim had to be a devout believer of the dragon soul heir in order to be resurrected. That was why this was a good cycle as seeing people come back to life from the dead would make one be in awe of the power of the dragon soul heir and thus have more faith��


    But it wasn��t necessarily the case that things would head in that direction. There was also the worst case scenario, which was to see that the people didn��t come back to life from the dead. Thereafter, people would start having doubts about faith from deep in their minds and thus deny it. This made it even less likely that they would be resurrected, and that they would doubt and deny the entire thing again. Right now, the Country of Light was trapped in this vicious cycle. Since they didn��t have much respect for the Light Dragon in the first place, most of them weren��t able to enjoy the benefit of the great resurrection spell after their deaths and would actually die in battle.


    This was also the reason why this defensive line suffered the most as compared to the rest.


    ��But we don��t have any more manpower to spare, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    Lydia was also helpless about that. And that was the truth, as a matter of fact. She could be considered to have recruited every qualified person in the Country of Light. As for the rest, they couldn��t be trained to form a strong fighting force within a short period. Besides, they really didn��t have the strength to fight, to begin with.


    Even though Lydia considered sending out soldiers from the Munn Kingdom for defense, it still wasn��t enough for this long battlefront.


    ���� That��s indeed a problem too.��


    Rhode bit his lip and knitted his brows. This was an unavoidable problem and currently, he hadn��t come up with a good solution yet. However, as he and Lydia were troubling over it, a voice sounded from beside them all of a sudden.


    ��Your Majesty, can��t you summon demons? If I recall correctly, didn��t you open Hell��s Gate and summon armies of demons to raze Casabianca to the ground? If we have them by our side, there shouldn��t be much problems.��


    Rhode and Lydia were taken aback. They turned to Gaya, who stood silently at the side. At that moment, the young lady didn��t seem anxious or nervous about her question. On the other hand, Lydia felt a little awkward about seeking help from demons. But Gaya, as a human, didn��t feel any pressure asking for assistance from the demons. Besides, judging from the current situation, this was indeed a solution. But��


    ��I��ve thought about it too. But I won��t do it unless it is absolutely necessary.��


    Facing Gaya��s suggestion, Rhode shook his head. Honestly, from the very start, he never thought of relying upon the power of hell. In fact, he had already decided to abandon hell as part of his transmigration projection. After all, it was the solar system and Earth that they were heading to. Although he wasn��t sure if there would be any problems between completelyDragon Soul Continent and Earth, he was certain that if the hell plane was also brought to the solar system, those demons would definitely not leave Earth alone. Rhode wasn��t about to scourge his homeland�� at the very least.


    That was why he didn��t mention a word about this transmigration project to the demons. The people who learned about his plan were those he trusted and wouldn��t inform the demons. But if he were to seek help from the demons, with their craftiness, they might read his thoughts. When that happened, side issues might arise and cause even more trouble.


    Upon hearing Rhode��s answer, Gaya fell into silence again. Shortly after, as though coming up with an idea, she said.


    ��Your Majesty, I think I may have another solution����


    [1] A Chinese politician, military strategist, writer, engineer, and inventor.

 Chapter 1308 - Angel and Dragon (1)

    Rhode��s concerns were grounded in reality because at that moment, the forces of the main plane had largely been tapped into by him. From elves to dark elves, dwarves to half-beasts, there was basically no race that he hadn��t touched on. That was the reason why he had no other choice left. Because this time, Chaos attacked on all fronts, so it was impossible for him to summon beings from other planes for help. Although Christie and Gillian mentioned that they could ask the Seven Fantasy Boundaries and elemental planes to help out the main plane, he considered the proposal over and over, but eventually refused. The two previous experiences in Erin��s trials and his subsequent trip to the water elemental plane taught him that the other planes also weren��t in safe hands. Every place needed sufficient strength to defend against the influence of Chaos. If they mobilized forces from other planes, even if the main plane was defended, other places would still collapse. It was especially so for the four main elemental planes that were crucial for the continent.


    But now, Rhode was stunned that Gaya actually said she found a group of forces that were strong enough to go against the skeletal dragon. However, facing his question, Gaya didn��t explain further, but stated that she needed to make some preparations and left. In this situation, apart from exchanging looks with each other, Rhode and Lydia had nothing else to comment.


    But come to think of it��


    ��Your Highness Lydia, do you know where Gaya has gone to?��


    Rhode put down the teacup and gazed curiously at the archangel. After the battle ended, Rhode stayed at the front lines by the border of the Country of Light temporarily. After all, this defensive line was weaker than others and the soldiers were the most worrisome. Rhode could do something that Lydia couldn��t do here: if one were to flee in battle, he could slaughter one�� And he wouldn��t feel any pressure doing it at all.


    Another thing worthy of a mention was that most of the soldiers who couldn��t withstand the pressure and fled were caught and stationed at the forefront under the supervision of the players. Meanwhile, those who fought until the end were transferred to the second defensive line instead. If the soldiers dared to escape once more, they wouldn��t be the only ones killed. Their whole families would also be annihilated. Rhode couldn��t be bothered to console those fools. Since they were that afraid, he might as well let them be more terrified. If they resisted, Rhode also had a choice to not kill them all. He wasn��t sure about Lapis, but he knew that Sara needed a lot of experimental products for her undead spells. If those soldiers were really that naive, they would all be forcefully converted into specters, which would be more obedient than humans.


    In order to stop Chaos and make his plan work, Rhode couldn��t care less about how much blood they spilled. As long as he could succeed, he would do it at all cost.


    This was the kind of thing that Lydia and the battle angel army couldn��t achieve. And while Lydia was a ruthless person, she only targeted and punished those who sinned severely. Angels had different values from humans and viewed ��sinfulness�� from a different perspective. That was why there was a misconception of Lydia as a cruel person.


    But Rhode was different. He adopted a collective punishment system similar to the army. Whenever one person made a mistake, the whole squad would go down together. In a critical situation like this, as soon as one did something wrong, everyone associated with one was out of luck, whether they had something to do with one��s action or not. Rhode also knew that this wasn��t a permanent solution, but he wasn��t going to make it one either. As long as the defensive line could hold strong, it was enough. That was the difference between him and Lydia. While Lydia didn��t really agree with his doings, looking at the bigger picture, she didn��t comment much. After all, she also knew very well that things wouldn��t work if they continued this way. And if she couldn��t do this sort of thing herself, she could only rely upon Rhode.


    ��I��m not very sure either, Your Majesty Rhode. To be honest, I��ve never cared much about the Eastern Plains.��


    In response to Rhode��s question, Lydia revealed a helpless, bitter smile and gave her response. As she stated, the Eastern Plains was enclosed and pretty much trouble-free, which explained her lack of meddling with their affairs. Besides, there were also many secrets in that place. Although she had been in power in the Munn Kingdom for several years, she knew very little about the secrets of the Eastern Plains. In fact, even Rhode didn��t dare say that he knew all their secrets because it was simply too mysterious.


    Moreover, the mysteriousness wasn��t the kind that made players even more curious. On the other hand, it was the kind that was unintentionally hidden in everyday life, where some players couldn��t guess at all. In some cases, unless they said it themselves, players would be foolish enough to think it was just part of their daily activities�� Rhode, however, remembered clearly that in the Eastern Plains, there was a ritual around the mountain named the ��Path of Discovery��. Players had to walk from the foot of the mountain to the top with a handful of incense. Basically, all players saw this as a boring daily task in the game. In the end, due to a random mistake, that was when they found out that the incense was used to seal the ghosts of the nearby ancient battlefield��


    That was why even though Gaya said there might be a way in the Eastern Plains that could solve this problem, Rhode didn��t know what she was referring to. For now, the fighters in the Eastern Plains had been mobilized. As the Munn Kingdom was unlikely to be attacked by Chaos due to its safe location between the Country of Light, Country of Darkness, Country of Law, and the Void Territory, Lydia gathered all fighters of the Munn Kingdom and sent them to the border of the Country of Light to help defend with Rhode and the players. Logically speaking, there shouldn��t be anything special hidden in the Eastern Plains.


    But since Gaya said so�� Perhaps��


    ��Seems like we can only wait for her findings. Let��s hope Chaos doesn��t find trouble with us anytime soon.��


    Since Lydia also wasn��t sure, Rhode didn��t continue pestering her for an answer. Instead, he shrugged and poured himself another cup of tea. At that moment, he noticed her gaze felt a little abnormal.


    ��Is anything the issue, Your Highness Lydia?��


    ��Oh, it��s nothing important�� Just that���� Lydia replied and winked her bright eyes at him playfully. She looked at him and the corners of her mouth perked up into a mysterious smile. ���� I��m not sure if it��s an illusion, but you seem to get along really well with Erin, Your Majesty Rhode.��


    ��Oh��?��


    Rhode raised an eyebrow and responded without moving a muscle. His relationship with Erin did, in fact, change after he used the Plane Destruction Bomb to destroy Chaos outside of the Country of Darkness and create the void storm. Thereafter, Erin mobilized most of the remaining guards of the Country of Darkness to other regions that were under attack by Chaos. Of course, with the favorable relationship between Lydia and her, they frequently contacted each other.


    Due to the fact that this matter required coordination from all Creator Dragons, Erin didn��t have a lack of chances to meet Rhode. After the trials, Erin��s and Rhode��s relationship was never actually finalized as they were really busy, so naturally, they didn��t have time to even talk about love. But Erin was a young lady who was eager to get her first taste of love, after all. Moreover, facing such troubles at that moment, everyone was under a lot of stress and needed to let off steam.


    That was why Erin sought Rhode out for a few ��sessions�� in private, to which he welcomed every time. But on the surface, he didn��t show any special care for her, not because he was afraid that their relationship would be exposed and whatnot, but because he needed to consider the harmony of his harem. After all, everyone was busy right now, doing their best for his plans. While Erin certainly needed to be taken care of, the others weren��t robots either. If Rhode only treated Erin well and ignored the rest, there was no guarantee that he wouldn��t leave the impression of him being bored with the old.


    And if he didn��t want that to happen, he had to treat everyone equally. But the problem was that he had so many women in his harem that if he really wanted to treat them equally, perhaps he would exhaust himself to death before Chaos destroyed the Dragon Soul Continent.


    Right now, his power as the Void Dragon was already scattered, leaving behind only the attributes belonging to him as a player. No matter how strong his waist was, that wasn��t the way to torment himself.


    That was why he had no choice but to try to downplay his relationship with Erin, at least to the point where they weren��t in a honeymoon period and had to stick together all the time. Erin was no fool either and naturally knew that now wasn��t the time for such things. That was why she held back a lot and because of that, with the restraint from both sides, not many people actually took notice. But what Rhode didn��t expect was that Lydia seemed to be aware of their relationship?


    No way. After having an intimate relationship with Erin, he clearly remembered meeting Lydia with Erin less than five times. He thought he acted normal in front of others, so how was he actually exposed? Could it be that this archangel could read minds?


    However, Rhode wasn��t sure why this archangel mentioned this topic now. That was why he didn��t respond quickly, but decided to adapt to the situation instead. He observed what Lydia was building up to before commenting further. Upon hearing his response, Lydia didn��t continue speaking. She smiled and turned to look outside the window instead.


    In an instant, both of them fell into silence. This tea session that Lydia invited Rhode to wasn��t held on the ground, but in their flagship instead. After all, the surface was full of devastation and was unsuitable for admiration. However, the floating magic warship was different. Even though the commander of this flagship was Gaya, the real owner was Lydia, which was apparent from its extravagant decorations. The tea table was rosewood, with a beautiful ceramic tea set, and a soft, cooling breeze blew from the outside through the open glass. The floor was covered with a soft, comfortable fur rug. As far as the eye could see, this place looked less like a captain��s room and more like a VIP lounge.


    None of them said a word. He would respond right away if this question were asked by one of the women in his harem. After all, it was related to all of them. But with Lydia��s identity, it wasn��t that simple for him to respond. Even though he knew that Lydia was considered bosom friends with Erin, besties were besties, after all. Since Rhode and Lydia hadn��t been in the same bed before, he wouldn��t let her get away with it so easily when it came to his personal privacy. So in the face of the archangel��s hint, he pretended to know nothing and didn��t intend to talk more about it. After all, the more he spoke, the more wrong he would be. The less he spoke, the less wrong he was.


    ��I��m surprised that Erin actually became the Dark Dragon. Frankly, I never thought she would be where she is today.��


    After a few moments, Lydia broke the silence. She gazed out the window quietly. Her beautiful face grew with some melancholy, while her fair, slender fingers caressed the edge of the teacup. Upon hearing her words, Rhode shrugged.


    ��But aren��t you the same, Your Highness Lydia? Even though you didn��t become the Light Dragon, you still hold the power of the Country of Light.��


    ��Yeah, this is also something that I��ve never imagined����


    Lydia said, turning around and looking straight at Rhode.


    ��Your Majesty Rhode, ever since I met you, you��ve given me many surprises. If it weren��t for your help, Erin wouldn��t have become the Dark Dragon. Without your support, perhaps Her Majesty Lilian wouldn��t have made such a decision����


    ��I��m just trying to do what I can, Miss Lydia�� But sometimes, I do want to call it quits.��


    Unknowingly, Rhode addressed Lydia as ��Miss�� instead of ��Your Highness��. In fact, when he heard her words, he also let out an inward sigh. He recalled the days when he first transmigrated to this world. Back then, he simply wanted to live and help the Munn Kingdom change its fate of being destroyed. Then? What would it be like later? Back then, he couldn��t have thought about it at all. But now, everything was different.


    Not only had he become the Void Dragon, but he also had the fate of the entire Dragon Soul Continent on his shoulders. If someone said this to him at the beginning of his journey, he would have thought that person was a psychopath. After all, even in the later stages of the game when he transmigrated to this world, their goal was to only defeat the Void Dragon and prove that Starlight was deservingly the number one guild in the Dragon Soul Continent. As for what the future of the Dragon Soul Continent was�� Not even he thought about such a distant question.


    But now, he had unknowingly become the leader of the entire Dragon Soul Continent. He was even going to transmigrate the entire continent to another world to find a safer and more peaceful life. Such a change in identity had never occurred to him before.


    Besides, he didn��t only change his own fate, but the others�� too.


    Lize didn��t die in the crash of the floating boat. Marlene was freed from her original fate, even awakening to become one of the deity wardens. Erin went from being the moon princess to the moon queen. Anne went from being an ordinary mercenary to the child of an elemental lord. The destinies of the people around him changed one by one. He had never thought about this before, but this time, after feeling rather moved by Lydia��s words, he suddenly found out that he had done so much more without realizing it��


    If he treated this entire journey as a huge mission, did that mean the mission would be over after he successfully transmigrated the Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system?


    But would things get easy for me after this mission is over? The threat of Chaos may be gone, but what about the future of the Dragon Soul Continent?


    At this thought, Rhode felt somewhat bored all of a sudden. He could imagine that even if he transmigrated to the solar system, it didn��t mean that the Dragon Soul Continent would be able to live in peace and tranquility for the rest of its life. Maybe he would have to deal with Earth as the Void Dragon sooner or later. He felt a little unmotivated. This kind of feeling�� was similar to the struggles of having to finish finals and deal with piles of holiday homework before one even had the time to relax.


    ��The sapling will someday grow into a towering tree, but it will also bear fruits and scatter its seeds on the ground. Mr. Rhode, I don��t think you need to be in such a hurry�� Do you know what I mean?��


    ��Hmm?��


    Upon hearing Lydia��s words, Rhode felt a little dubious. He lifted his head and looked curiously at her. Even though he was used to her poetic speaking style, this time, he realized that she actually meant something behind her words.


    ��Miss Lydia, I don��t really understand what you mean.��


    ��You will know it one day, Mr. Rhode.��


    Facing his question, Lydia smiled.


    ��Well, no matter how big an ancient tree is, its presence can��t shroud the entire land. Its seeds, on the other hand, will drift and spread in the wind, eventually growing into a forest. So I think you might not need to worry too much about that.��


    Lydia said and came to a pause. Then, she said something totally irrelevant.


    ��Recently Erin doesn��t seem to be feeling too well.��


    ������


    Upon hearing her remarks, Rhode��s eyes glinted.


    Because at that moment, he recalled something.


    Even though his dragon soul powers were scattered, he was still the Void Dragon in terms of race. On the other hand, Erin, as the dragon soul heir, had the race of the Dark Dragon, to begin with��


    Since we are dragons and Lydia is beating about the bush��


    At this thought, Rhode was bewildered.


    It can��t be��!

 Chapter 1309 - Angel and Dragon (2)

    If this were a television program, Rhode definitely would have heard this opening: ��Spring is here. Snow and ice are starting to melt and everything is coming back to life. It��s mating season. In the Dragon Soul Continent, wyverns from the land of darkness and dragons from the Void Territory came all the way here for the flourishing of the races����


    But��. This wasn��t Animal Planet[1]!


    Rhode was skeptical about Lydia��s words. After all, she didn��t explain it clearly and was the kind of person who always liked to bring in similes in her speeches, which sounded particularly ambiguous when listened to closely. But he knew that she must be hinting something towards him since she and Erin were best friends. Rhode was also well aware that they shared gossip that couldn��t be said to a man with each other. It had nothing to do with how close they were, but it was simply a difference in identities. It was just like how Marlene and Lize often whispered secrets between themselves. Well, he didn��t know what they were talking about and, of course, even if there wasn��t anything about him, it would be embarrassing if their private conversation was overheard by him. Beyond everything, girls were also really bold when it came to private communication. If Lize and Marlene were discussing whose body Rhode lasted longer in, wouldn��t he be asking for trouble if he were to hear it?


    Erin and Lydia were best friends, not to mention the fact that in order to coordinate with the troop movements of the Country of Darkness and Country of Light, both sides must have contacted each other a lot. It would be reasonable to say that during this period, they must have exchanged some private talks.


    But even so, Rhode didn��t understand the true meaning behind her words. At least, for the time being, news about Erin feeling unwell was certain. Of course, he didn��t react too agitatedly or nervously. Even though he was bewildered at that possibility, he was still calm in front of Lydia. He merely inquired a few more questions about Erin��s health and Lydia also didn��t seem to be dwelling on it, so the topic was considered to have ended for now.


    But after the tea session was over, Rhode apparently couldn��t keep his cool any longer after returning to his room. Fortunately, he was already prepared�� Didn��t Angelina remain in the Country of Darkness for this?


    Angelina was like a fish back in water after returning to the Country of Darkness. Even though she adapted well in the Void Territory, she had never forgotten about restoring the pride of her vampire family. Rhode didn��t disagree with her, but wasn��t supportive either. Because the reproduction method of vampires was different from other races. Perhaps one should say that the reproduction method of undeads was distasteful to other races. No matter what, the Void Territory was a nation full of mortals. Angelina wasn��t foolish either, which was why she kept her intention only to herself. After Rhode sent Angelina over to aid Erin, it was considered the perfect timing and opportunity for Angelina.


    Comparing the Country of Darkness to other countries, the biggest advantage for Angelina was the difference in their values. Other countries might have poor systems in place, but mortals regarded their lives highly. But the Country of Darkness was different. After hundreds and thousands of years of brainwashing, humans in that country wholeheartedly accepted their lowly ranks and status. If it were humans in other countries, they would definitely not offer their lives to undead creatures and whatnot. Meanwhile, humans in the Country of Darkness would be as joyous as striking the lottery upon hearing that they were the ��lucky ones�� chosen to be converted into undead creatures.


    It was a supreme honor and also a Cinderella story to them. Losing their lives wasn��t the end, but a new beginning instead. If undead creatures were willing to resurrect their human corpses, it was considered the best reward for humans in the Country of Darkness. This was the result of thousands of years of brainwashing in the Country of Darkness. If not, how would humans, as mortals, possibly live an honest life in a nation of death until this very moment?


    Such twisted values were deemed insanity in the eyes of foreign mortals. Despite that, it was apparently better for Angelina. Besides, Erin also needed to strengthen her forces, which was why she supported Angelina��s movement. Furthermore, Angelina had been thinking of restoring her family��s glory for centuries, so she definitely had a plan in mind. In the past, she was weak and had no strong background. But after she became a supporter of Rhode and Erin, regardless of whether she was willing or not, she performed well like a fish back in the water. With each passing day, she grew in individual strength. Of course, she knew how to please Rhode too. According to her, she searched for plenty of young, beautiful female vampires as ��gifts�� for him in the future. Even if the vampires couldn��t work under him or enter his harem, he could still have some fun if he wanted to.


    One had to admit that as a subject, Angelina was rather talented at reading Rhode��s mind.


    ��Master, is anything the matter?��


    Rhode called out for Angelina through the spiritual communications. Upon hearing his calling, Angelina seemed a little surprised as he seldom contacted her. At the very most, he would inform her to pass a message to Erin to meet up and such. As for the relationship between Rhode and Erin, Angelina naturally noticed it. But she was happy to see it happen since it was also beneficial for her. Even though Angelina was considered one of his useful subordinates, she knew that he actually ranked her at the bottom and didn��t care much about her.


    But Erin was different. Three of the four legendary generals were dead, leaving Garcia to bear the brunt of the disaster. Angelina��s return was also considered her becoming Erin��s right-hand man. Her position in Erin��s mind was far higher than in Rhode��s ranking. Angelina also knew that with her identity and strength, it was impossible for her to be fighting for affection with the young ladies around him, which was why she might as well forget about it and focus on other matters. And now, upon seeing Erin and Rhode walking so close together, it meant that she had a good opportunity. As long as Erin were able to occupy an important position in Rhode��s heart, Angelina would also rise in power�� But now, it was rather bewildering that Rhode actually looked for her instead.


    ��Angelina, how is Erin doing?��


    ��Her Majesty Erin?��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Angelina was surprised and soon, she quickly recalled the recent happening.


    ��Her Majesty Erin has been staying in Moon City all this while and handling important affairs of the Country of Darkness, as well as the mobilization of troops����


    ��What about her health? How is she feeling?��


    ��Her health����


    Angelina fell into silence and knitted her brows. Frankly, undead creatures weren��t particular about health because the dead wouldn��t fall sick, and it was the same for Angelina. Apart from feeling uncomfortable under sunlight, undead creatures wouldn��t fall ill to flu, fever, and whatnot. That was why she didn��t notice too much earlier. But now that Rhode mentioned it��


    ��Her Majesty Erin has been eating less recently����


    Angelina wasn��t sure. But she clearly remembered that Erin had indeed eaten much less. But this wasn��t surprising of Angelina since undead creatures didn��t need to consume three meals a day. That was why since Erin didn��t have three meals a day, it was considered ��eating less��, in her perspective.


    ��And?��


    ��Come to think of it, Her Majesty Erin seems to be feeling unwell too����


    ��Hmm����


    At that moment, Rhode completely didn��t consider how ridiculous it was to ask an undead creature about the health of someone. Meanwhile, Angelina also wasn��t willing to let him think that she was a useless subject. Fortunately, she had been following Erin around everyday, so even if there was a misunderstanding�� It shouldn��t be far off.


    After hearing Angelina��s narration, Rhode finally got a grasp on Erin��s situation. Unsure if she was just overly exhausted, she seemed to be really busy and ate much less than usual. She merely grabbed two bites and became unwilling to move. Not only that, but she was also dazed at times and often revealed uncomfortable expressions. However, she had high self-control in this regard, where only Angelina who followed her around all day like a personal maid noticed it. If it were anyone else, perhaps one wouldn��t have noticed any problems with her at all.


    However, even though Rhode received some information about Erin from Angelina, he was still hesitant. Frankly, he spent countless nights with different women, but Canary was the only one who got pregnant. Although he had a child with his younger sister, the child wasn��t conceived from his younger sister, but was born through the merging of their souls. If not, with the younger sister��s weak body that was under examination in the hospital all day, her pregnancy would have been discovered a long time ago.


    Of course, considering his younger sister��s age back then�� It didn��t seem likely to happen.


    After transmigrating to the Dragon Soul Continent, Rhode slept with even more women and yet, none of them got pregnant. Although the Dragon Soul Continent was different from Earth and didn��t have a care in the world about contraception, currently no one had been impregnated by him. According to Christie, this was because Rhode��s dragon attributes were too strong and ordinary races wouldn��t be able to withstand his strength. That was why it was hard for them to get pregnant. Of course, it wasn��t entirely impossible. There were dragon hybrids among the half-beasts; it was just that the probability was like one in 10,000, so he hadn��t become a father yet.


    That was why his concept of pregnancy was pretty much the same as any other man��s��women would mostly begin to favor eating sour food, vomit at times, and show other common pregnancy signs. But the thing was that they were humans, while he was surrounded by basically no human bedfellows other than Mini Bubble Gum and Canary. Lize was an angel hybrid, Anne was a half-beast, Marlene was a deity warden, Lapis was an elf, Gillian was an elemental half-beast, Nell was a dark elf, Angelina was a vampire, Celestina was a demon, and Erin was the Dark Dragon��


    Come to think of it, would pregnancy be the same for dragons and humans? A deeper question was�� Would it be an egg or a fetus?


    All of these were tough questions��


    Rhode had never imagined that he would actually have to seek out information on this. But now, he had to resolve this matter on its own. Erin hadn��t told him about it, probably because she wasn��t certain herself, which wasn��t entirely impossible. From what he observed, the Dragon Soul Continent was downright backwards when it came to sex education. The average woman simply didn��t have that knowledge. Anne, for instance, was still convinced that all children in this world popped out of rocks and were picked up by someone else later. Rhode was speechless at that, especially considering her origins�� And like Marlene and aristocratically educated ones like Lize, while they weren��t as naive as Anne, their knowledge of this topic was simply that this behavior could create a child, but the symptoms of pregnancy weren��t really taught to them. That was why it was common that many people didn��t know they were pregnant. So it was also possible that Erin hadn��t noticed it herself, but Lydia sensed the possibility and was just beating around the bush to remind him.


    Another possibility of Erin not informing Rhode was that perhaps she realized the symptoms, but wasn��t too sure herself. Because in this world, there weren��t pregnancy kits or maternity hospitals for her to do checkups. That was why she might not be aware of it, but mentioned this issue to Lydia during their private talks. After all, a chat between best friends was often most relaxing. After hearing Erin��s words, Lydia raised this matter to Rhode, which wasn��t entirely impossible.


    Of course, all of this was established on the fact that Erin was indeed pregnant, which Rhode hadn��t even figured out the truth yet.


    This was the first time Rhode found Lydia��s bourgeois prose to be a real pain in the butt. And if she expressed herself properly, she could save him a lot of grief. But with the metaphors and analogies�� It wasn��t like they were doing reading and reflections! Should he empathize with the feeling of agony and frustration of the author just from the description of falling leaves and flower petals? Should he feel the sadness of a devastated country during times of upheaval? Maybe the author simply wrote it without much thought after seeing a falling flower petal out his window! Who knew!


    Of course, it was too late now for him to head back and demand Lydia explain herself. After all, this was his personal problem and would make him seem a little on edge.


    But he wasn��t entirely out of ways to find the answer.


    After all, he had someone around him who was knowledgeable in this field.


    ��Child?��


    Upon hearing his question, the younger sister blinked curiously, before looking dubiously at him.


    ��Didn��t we already have Christie, Big Brother? Why are you suddenly bringing this up?��


    ��It��s just one of my thoughts when I��m bored����


    It went without saying that he wouldn��t tell his younger sister the truth. Even though his younger sister didn��t stop him from having a harem, he wasn��t that foolish to spread this news. But come to think of it, when he raised this doubt to the younger sister, he suddenly realized that he might need to consider this issue seriously. After all, if he were to become a father, there would be more than one potential mother��


    ��Don��t you worry about getting pregnant with a baby when we haven��t even done any safety measures here? Besides, your body right now��.��


    Upon hearing his words, the young lady revealed a gentle smile. She extended her arm, caressed her belly, and spoke with a smile.


    ��Don��t worry, Big Brother. I��ve completely restored my strength and health. Even if I��m pregnant, my body will not be hurt.��


    The younger sister came to a pause with some hesitation. But eventually, she continued.


    ��Besides�� I think even if I do get pregnant, you don��t need to consider this problem now, Big Brother.��


    ��Why?��


    Upon hearing her response, Rhode was taken aback. Logically speaking, shouldn��t she consider how she should take care of herself after being pregnant?


    ��If we were humans, things might indeed be so. But Big Brother, we are dragons now, and a dragon child will have a different birth cycle. If I were to conceive your child in a human body, I will indeed give birth to the child in nine months. And even after the child is born with characteristics of a dragon, the child will still grow up like a normal human just like Christie�� But I��ve restored my identity as the Void Dragon. So even if I bear your child, I won��t give birth as quickly as humans. Besides, the child will also take longer to grow up than humans do.��


    ��I see����


    Upon hearing the younger sister��s response, Rhode nodded. He had never expected something like this to happen.


    ��So how long do dragons need to give birth to a child?��


    ��Hmm�� About����


    Facing his question, the younger sister pondered for a few moments before showing a wide, gentle smile.


    ��30 to 50 years, at the very least.��


    She replied.


    [1] An American multinational television channel.

 Chapter 1310 - Angel and Dragon (3)

    ��At the end of the day, I still made my way here.��


    Gazing at the castle bathed in the moonlight, Rhode couldn��t help but scratch his head and mutter to himself.


    Based on the news from his younger sister, it seemed like a pregnant dragon needed 30 to 50 years to give birth to her child, which explained the low birthrate of several powerful races. The process of conceiving a child was more than half of the human lifespan. Moreover, even after the child was born, the child also required a long, long time to grow from a young age. Take Erin, for instance. She lived for four to five centuries since she was born, and despite that, she looked like a 16 or 17 years old. This went to show how slow dragons grew, which kind of put Rhode��s mind at ease a little. Because even if Erin were really pregnant with his child, she didn��t need to fight against Chaos with a big belly. After all, no matter how busy his side was, the situation wouldn��t last more than a year or two. And according to the younger sister, even if Erin did conceive his child, the effects on her would be basically zero. After all, a dragon��s body was still really strong and healthy, and normal injuries wouldn��t affect the child too much either.


    But even so, Rhode eventually came to the Moon City. Although he wasn��t sure about Erin��s pregnancy, those words from Lydia also weren��t entirely not reliable either. However, since Lydia mentioned about Erin��s weak health, there had to be no doubt about it. That was why after serious considerations, Rhode finally decided to check on Erin. Even if he didn��t discuss anything about her pregnancy, he had to care for her in terms of her identity as the Dark Dragon. After all, the combined strength of the five Creator Dragons were needed to open the plane channel in the future. If Erin were to get into a mishap like her big brother, things would be much more troublesome.


    As the Darkness Capital had been demolished into scraps by Lapis��s Plane Destruction Bombs, it was inevitable for the Country of Darkness to move its capital. In the end, Erin chose the Moon City, located in the southwest and in the middle of the Moonlight Forest, as the new capital city of the Country of Darkness. This land was Erin��s, to begin with, and could also be considered her villa. Although it was a bit out of place to be used as a capital of a country, the Country of Darkness itself had also lost a large chunk of territory, so it was like a perfect match��


    But after witnessing the Moon City for the first time, Rhode had an inexplicable feeling of d��j�� vu.


    In the shimmering moonlight, the white, towering castle by the sea glowed softly against the darkness of the night and seemed incomparably bright in comparison to the pitch-black ocean under the night sky. For some reason, upon seeing the Moon City, Rhode couldn��t help think of the Munn Kingdom��s Golden City. Although the geographical locations weren��t quite the same, both cities felt equally beautiful and mesmerizing. The Golden City was as dazzling as the sun, while the Moon City was as bright and crisp as the moon. Looking from a distance, the Moon City was built on a peninsula surrounded by a dark ocean, glowing brightly like a full moon in the night sky. No one could ignore its brilliance.


    It seemed like it wasn��t without reason that Erin and Lydia were so close with each other.


    ��Master, you��re here.��


    With Rhode��s identity, he didn��t need to inform of his arrival beforehand. As a matter of fact, before he arrived, he had already informed Angelina through spiritual communication. At that moment, Angelina stood at the entrance of the Moon City, ready to welcome him. Upon seeing his arrival, she stepped forth and bowed immediately. She intended to hold a grand welcome for him, but he wasn��t interested in such formalities in the slightest. Besides, it would also waste his time, so he rejected her idea. This time, only Angelina was here by the entrance to invite him in.


    Despite being a city of undead creatures, the Moon City was much more livelier than other cities. After all, this was Erin��s fief, and she was quite fond of humans. For that reason, there were more humans in the Moon City as compared to other cities. According to Angelina, this place was also a territory shared between her and Garcia. However, she was in charge of the east, while Garcia watched the coast in the west. That was because undead creatures disliked the ocean, which was the opposite of humans. Come to think of it, Rhode was really curious as to how these people were going to fish a land of eternal darkness. That would be a problem too, wouldn��t it?


    But this time, he didn��t come to the Moon City to explore their customs.


    ��Where��s Erin?��


    Following Angelina into the Moon City, Rhode sized up the castle around him and asked casually. He had to admit that this place was really made to Erin��s liking. At a glance, one could see expensive artwork hanging along the corridor. And in addition to the paintings, there were also some unknown, ancient artifacts dug out from the ruins that were very pleasing to the eye under the illumination of luminous pearls. Rhode estimated that if all the treasures in this corridor were to be recovered, they would be worth enough to buy half of Casabianca.


    ��Her Majesty Erin is handling some government matters right now, but it is also about time for afternoon tea.��


    Angelina said, leading Rhode further down the corridor. Along the way, beautiful young ladies in maid costumes bowed to them. But what astonished Rhode was that he sensed that they were mostly ordinary humans and not undead creatures at all. This felt rather strange because earlier, judging from the information that Angelina gave him, it sounded like her forces had clearly expanded. But now�� It seemed like she wasn��t as successful as he had thought.


    ��What��s with the maids?��


    ��Her Highness Erin still prefers humans more, and because of what happened to His Majesty Ion before, Her Highness Erin isn��t really that fond of vampires anymore. That��s why I didn��t get my subordinates to serve Her Highness Erin. My subordinates are responsible for foreign diplomacy and intelligence reconnaissance at the moment. The maids here are all dispatched by Sir Garcia. In terms of loyalty, there is no problem.��


    ��I see.��


    Upon hearing Angelina��s explanations, Rhode nodded. He had also gotten Angelina��s report about the dealings between Ion and the vampires, so naturally, Erin must have also witnessed that scene as well. It made sense that she wasn��t very fond of vampires. If it weren��t for the fact that Angelina had always been on good terms with Erin, it would have been impossible for her to get the support she received from Erin now.


    But looking at the indignant way Angelina talked about Garcia, it was clear that she felt rather upset, which was quite a normal reaction. To put it bluntly, the Country of Darkness was a nation of death, and mortals had no place here. Even amongst the four legendary generals, the one with the lowest status was, in fact, Garcia, not Ashvril, the reason being that Garcia was human. That was why Angelina was unhappy with Garcia. Although Garcia, being one of the four legendary generals, was powerful and wasn��t going to live less than 100 years like an ordinary human, he couldn��t be compared to long-lived undead creatures. Despite that, he was still valued highly by Erin, so it wasn��t surprising that Angelina felt a little depressed about that.


    However, it wasn��t something of Rhode��s concern. He roughly guessed that Erin was doing this to check and restrain the power of her men. But this was an internal matter of the Country of Darkness, and he had no right to interfere. It was also true that Angelina��s desire for power was a bit too strong. If she didn��t restrain herself, it would be hard to guarantee that she could achieve her goal of becoming one of the four legendary generals.


    On the other hand, Angelina also didn��t seem to have the intention of letting Rhode put in a few good words to Erin for her. Angelina casually mentioned this topic, but their conversation quickly returned to the right path.


    ��How is Erin feeling lately?��


    ��I don��t think there��s anything wrong with Her Majesty Erin�� She isn��t acting strangely from before, so everything should be fine.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Angelina hesitated for a while and eventually answered. As a matter of fact, after Rhode looked for Angelina and inquired about Erin, Angelina volunteered to be Erin��s personal servant again. Of course, with her identity, she couldn��t possibly be by Erin��s side 24/7. But in response to her master��s expectations, Angelina bit the bullet and gave Rhode the answers he wanted.


    ��I see����


    Rhode responded plainly to Angelina��s reply.


    �� She��s got nothing on her end. Looks like I can only rely upon myself then.


    And the moment this thought came up in his mind, Angelina gaped with a difficult expression, pondered for a while, and said.


    ��Erm�� Master, although Her Majesty Erin is fine, she did face some trouble recently.��


    ��What trouble?��


    Rhode asked with a twitched brow. Upon hearing his question, Angelina thought about it, but eventually continued.


    ���� According to my investigation, there seems to be someone chasing Her Highness Erin����


    ��Oh?��


    Facing this surprising answer, Rhode��s eyes glinted in a cold flash. Who was so daring to grab food from his mouth? Erin was his woman. Even though no one was aware of their relationship except for themselves, even without this matter, wouldn��t Erin��s identity as the Dark Dragon stop every suitor? Someone was actually so brave to chase the Dark Dragon?


    ��What exactly happened? Who is so daring? Is he sick of living already?��


    ��Hmm����


    Angelina revealed an awkward expression.


    ���� I heard it��s someone of the same race as Her Majesty Erin����


    ������


    Facing Angelina��s response, Rhode twitched his brow, but eventually said nothing.


    Just like that, under Angelina��s lead, both of them arrived outside Erin��s study. Then, Angelina raised her arm and knocked the door gently.


    ��Her Highness Erin, His Majesty Rhode is here.��


    ��Please come in.��


    Upon hearing Erin��s reply, Angelina opened the study door and gestured an invitation to Rhode respectfully. Without saying a word, he walked straight into the study. This was the first time he had been in Erin��s study. Unlike Lydia��s splendidly atmospheric and luxurious-looking room, Erin��s study was more chic and beautiful, decorated with a pure white sofa, scarlet velvet curtains, pale yellow carpet, and mahogany bookshelves. With the burning fireplace at the side, the study felt warm and comfortable. It wasn��t until he entered the room that he deeply felt the difference between the living and the dead. Although Erin was the Dark Dragon, she was a living creature, after all. Instead of making her study like the ice-cold catacombs of undead creatures, it was filled with a homely warmth.


    It gave a deep-seated sense of peace and tranquility, especially under this eternal night sky in a country filled with coldness and death. Not only that, but it also gave him an illusion of wanting to lie and rest here forever.


    ��Mr. Rhode.��


    Upon seeing him, Erin stood up from her desk with a grin, walked over, and greeted him. It was obvious that she was happy about his arrival. Even though she spent secret nights rolling in bed with him, her status was on the line, after all. Marlene and Lize could keep him company, while Anne could climb into his bed whenever and wherever she wanted. On the other hand, Erin wasn��t that ��fortunate��. As the Dark Dragon, she spent most of her time on the Country of Darkness. Not to mention, the entire country was in a mess because of what happened to Ion. Not only that, but she also spent a lot of time appeasing the restless undead creatures. That was why she had minimal time to meet him. They even had to race against time to carry on a clandestine love affair, so it was impossible for them to even have time for proper romance.


    That was why Erin was delighted to see Rhode show up all of a sudden.


    ��Why are you here? How is the front line? I heard from Lydia that the previous battle wasn��t too great.��


    ��There��s been no problem as of late. Chaos doesn��t look like it��s planning to attack soon after we drove it away last time. That��s why I came over to see you���� Rhode paused briefly, sized up Erin, and stopped his gaze at her abdomen. But to his relief, there didn��t seem to be any significant bump as her figure was still smooth and gracefully curvy. Of course, many women��s bodies were so well maintained that they didn��t look pregnant at all, except during the last few months. If it were before, Rhode would have been a little worried. But after learning from his younger sister that it would take at least 30 to 50 years for a dragon to give birth to a child, he was much more relaxed, and Erin didn��t realize anything wrong. After scanning her body for a few moments, Rhode withdrew his gaze and asked ���� By the way, I heard from Lydia that you��re not feeling well lately? What happened?��


    ��I just overworked myself a little. It��s nothing to worry about, Mr. Rhode.��


    In response to his question, Erin responded frankly and didn��t seem to be hiding anything. Her expression was still as soft as ever, showing a calm smile, while a deep attachment and happiness could be detected from her eyes. It did seem as if there was nothing worth caring too much about.


    ��To be honest, I��ve always been reluctant to do these jobs in the past. So when Big Brother forbade me from getting involved in politics, I didn��t have any objections. After all, these things are such a pain. I didn��t expect myself to be doing them now. It really gives me a bit of a headache����


    Erin said and held her forehead as though she were really dejected.


    ��If I could, I would prefer to return to my leisurely and carefree life so that I can follow you around, Mr. Rhode. But unfortunately, it looks like I��m not so lucky.��


    ��You should rest more if you��re tired. Look at Lydia; she has been a duchess for so many years and solves most troubles by sending out her subordinates. You don��t have to do everything yourself. Just leave some matters to people you trust���� Rhode replied and couldn��t help but look at Angelina, who was standing respectfully beside her. ��Anyway, unlike you, they won��t be overworked. So make the most of them.��


    Just like that, Rhode sold Angelina out in front of her face.


    Rhode didn��t notice that when he mentioned Lydia, Erin��s eyes glinted with an odd smile. After Rhode finished his sentence, the smile in Erin��s eyes disappeared immediately, which was why he didn��t realize anything strange. Facing his words, Erin forced a bitter smile.


    ��I would like to do that if it were possible, Mr. Rhode. But the Country of Darkness is in a terrible shape now. Besides, I��ve been having a little trouble lately����


    Knock knock knock.


    As Erin spoke, someone knocked on the study door all of a sudden. Upon hearing the knocks, Erin let out a subtle, helpless sigh and said.


    ��Who is it?��


    ��Reporting, Your Highness Erin, Sir Kolt is here to ask for an audience.��


    ��Sigh����


    Upon hearing the maid��s report, Erin let out a long, powerless sigh. Then, she lifted her head and winked playfully at Rhode.


    ��This is my other trouble, Mr. Rhode. It gets really troubling to have such an admirer, don��t you think?��

 Chapter 1311 - Angel and Dragon (4)

    ��Admirer?��


    Upon hearing Erin��s sigh, Rhode twitched his brow.


    ��During this period?��


    ��Yes, it is precisely due to this period. Sigh�� What a headache.��


    Facing Rhode��s doubt, Erin spread her arms apart helplessly and explained to him. The cause that started everything was her brother, the former Dark Dragon, Ion. Although he was killed by Rhode and Erin, he left behind quite a few troubles. Among them, the one that gave Erin the biggest headache was the Dragon Cemetery of the night wyverns.


    For Erin and Rhode, the trouble Ion caused didn��t really have much to do with them per se. Ion had only gone mad after being influenced by Chao. Even if he had taken the Dark Dragon��s status as a dragon soul heir by less than honorable means, it had been his own doing. Erin was a complete outsider. But it didn��t look that way to the night wyverns. Both Erin and Ion were a family, anyway, and as far as the night wyverns were concerned, it was a matter created by them. Moreover, the fact that Ion actually took the ancestors�� corpses and sold them to Chaos enraged the night wyverns further. Although Ion was dead and Erin had solemnly apologized to the night wyverns, in the words of Earth, what was the point of having police around if an apology would suffice?


    The dragon race had always taken the issue of corpses very seriously, not to mention the fact that Ion sold them to Chaos, and among them were many ancestors of the night wyverns. It was impossible to put the matter to an end with just an apology. So even though Erin apologized to the other dragon races, she didn��t receive any favorable responses. And because of that, she was unable to mobilize the night wyverns at all. Even though she had now become the true Dark Dragon, where she had all the power to make the night wyverns, who were her dependents, do things for her, if she really did that�� The night wyverns would definitely revolt. That was why until now, the night wyverns hadn��t participated in the war in the slightest.


    Of course, it wasn��t that Erin hadn��t told them about the consequences of the Chaos invasion, but with this kind of conflict, the night wyverns naturally refused to believe her words. Ion had already lied to them once in the past, so who knew if the younger sister would follow her big brother��s lead and trick and send them into their deaths? That was why Erin had no choice but to put the night wyverns aside for the time being and let them be. Right now, Erin would count her lucky stars as long as the night wyverns didn��t mess things up for her. She was also not expecting much of them to help anymore.


    And it was in this situation that Kolt launched his pursuit of Erin. On a normal day, he wouldn��t dare to do so. But things were different now. Ion had sort of ruined their family��s credibility, and Erin couldn��t come up with anything trustworthy and reliable to reassure the night wyverns, so they finally decided to strongly support Kolt. This way, if Erin accepted Kolt��s pursuit and both of them got married, it would be considered as Erin��s proof of allegiance for the night wyverns and they would be relieved with this Dark Dragon.


    It wasn��t surprising that the night wyverns thought of it this way. As Rhode��s and Erin��s interactions were private, or rather really secretive, where only Angelina more or less knew (whether Lydia knew was another matter), Erin was still single in the eyes of outsiders. So it didn��t seem like a big deal for Kolt to chase her. Of course, Kolt didn��t do it to gain power because even if he married her, he wouldn��t be able to become the Country of Darkness��s ruler. But he didn��t care about that as night wyverns themselves were of the same tradition.


    In the dragon race, it was the task of the male wyverns to build nests, store treasures, and whatnot. They had to work hard to hone their fighting skills, build a larger and more ornate lair, and store more wealth, which was the only way to attract the opposite sex. And in the dragon race, females were always the strongest, and males couldn��t match them in any way (Ion wouldn��t be able to defeat Erin without the dragon soul power). That was why even if they got married, they would simply be storing up wealth in the nest and bringing up kids, while external affairs were managed by females. So Kolt didn��t care if he gained any power or not in return because in the dragon race, males didn��t have much power and status to begin with��


    ��Tsk, how boring.��


    After hearing Erin��s narration, Rhode finally understood the whole story and the reason why even though she became the Dark Dragon, there was not a single night wyvern on the battlefield fighting against Chaos. Even though there were only a small number of night wyverns, they were still really powerful. The twin dragons had dispatched the rule wyverns into battle. With Erin��s personality, she couldn��t possibly stand idly by. And now, Rhode finally learned that it wasn��t that Erin didn��t want to, but that she simply couldn��t summon the night wyverns.


    It was actually really simple to resolve this matter. As long as Rhode announced to Kolt that Erin was his woman, the matter would be settled. No matter what, night wyverns were just night wyverns, who definitely knew to retreat and not steal the Void Dragon��s woman.


    But�� Rhode couldn��t do that now.


    If it were any other woman, he would just open his mouth and say it. But Erin was different; she was the Dark Dragon. And if Rhode declared in public that she was his woman, he was certain that in a few days�� time, this news would spread throughout the entire Dragon Soul Continent. By that time, the higher-ups of various territories would likely be concerned and he would get into a lot of trouble. Because Erin wasn��t the only one in his harem. If he were to announce it in public, apart from Anne who didn��t care about anything, the other discreet young ladies like Canary, Marlene, and Lize would inevitably feel depressed or something.


    It was certain that if Rhode announced the news, most people on both sides would want them to get married soon. But that was never going to happen for him, not to mention the fact that it involved a first come, first served basis for the other women in his harem. If he didn��t announce this news to his harem first, but announced that Erin was his woman directly to the entire Dragon Soul Continent, it was bound to be a recipe for disaster. He had already seen the consequences of almost picking the wrong route once with Lapis, and he wasn��t prepared to experience it again. Not to mention, as much as he liked Erin, she was definitely not the first in line in terms of ranking.


    In his mind, his younger sister was always his top priority. If he really wanted to get married, surely it would be a wedding between him and his younger sister before everyone else. Of course, the best thing to do would be to simply hold a mass wedding and everyone would just show up together. But now that Chaos was here�� With Rhode and his harem busy fighting Chaos, they didn��t have time for one. According to him, it was best to wait until the Dragon Soul Continent had transmigrated into the solar system. After everything settled down, he would then take care of these bothersome issues. In any case, these young ladies had followed him for a long time, so credit had to be given where it was due. The weddings must also be grand, which would show his attitude and sincerity.


    Rhode initially decided to bring his harem back home and marry them after this war�� But why did this flag seem so red?


    Of course, Erin was aware of his troubles, so she never thought of bringing this out in the open. Moreover, they didn��t have the luxury of time for that either. The Country of Darkness was in ruins, and aside from the fact that its citizens were more obedient than the Country of Light��s, Erin had no less trouble than Lydia. Even though Lydia wasn��t popular with the people, it wasn��t easy for the people to rebel since most of their powerful beings were dead. But things were different on Erin��s side. The undead creatures that sensed that something was wrong and survived until now were all converted human spirits. It wasn��t that easy to make them willingly do things for Erin. It was also too late for her to get a headache now, so where even was the time for her to gloss things over?


    According to Erin, Kolt was pretty stubborn, where he wouldn��t leave until he met her almost every day, leaving her with quite a headache. What was worse was that if he didn��t see her, he wouldn��t cause trouble, but would stand outside the city and wait without saying a word. But no matter what, the Moon City was still Erin��s city, so how appropriate would it look for a man to wait outside her city all day? Without a choice, Erin had to find time to meet and entertain him a little. On the other hand, that guy was also somewhat tactful. As soon as he saw Erin, he would say his goodbyes and leave soon after, which left her completely speechless.


    ��Hmph, what a boring trick.��


    Upon hearing Erin��s complaint, Rhode let out a snort. Erin might not understand it, but Rhode clearly knew what was going on. It seemed like this guy named Kolt was a real piece of work. The method he used to chase Erin might seem stupid and inconspicuous, but it was obvious to Rhode, who had read the minds of numerous women. Sometimes, it was such clumsy and sloppy methods that worked best. Didn��t Erin meet him helplessly without a choice? Although it was just a routine meeting that happened every day, it would become a habit over time and as soon as that guy disappeared all of a sudden, it might capture her attention. It wasn��t an issue of whether Erin was worried about him, but was more about her instinctive response as a living creature. If this continued, there was no guarantee that he wouldn��t get away with it someday.


    It was a pity that even though this method might be useful on others, it was meaningless against Rhode��s woman. The number of women around him was enough to form a platoon. He was the master of attracting women��s attention and winning their hearts.


    How dare this Kolt teach his grandmother how to suck eggs!


    At this thought, the corners of Rhode��s mouth perked up to reveal a gentle smile.


    ��So what are your plans, Erin?��


    ��What else can I do? I will just meet with him and send him away like before. Sigh, if it weren��t for the sake of his mother, who is the matriarch of the dragon race, I would think that Lydia��s idea of hitting him with a stick isn��t that terrible����


    �� That archangel sure is dangerous, from every aspect.


    Of course, as a matter of fact, Rhode actually agreed with Lydia��s suggestion. But now�� He had a better idea.


    ��Alright, Erin, go and meet with him then. By the way, keep him here for a cup of tea this time. I��ll be right back.��


    ��Huh? Okay then�� Mr. Rhode.��


    Facing Rhode��s response, Erin was obviously really surprised. She didn��t expect him to keep Kolt around. Frankly, she felt a little nervous. She knew that Rhode had a ruthless temperament. Although she would be glad to see his plans happen if Kolt was just an ordinary person, he was the son of the matriarch, after all. Even though male wyverns had no high status in the family, Kolt��s mother held a pretty decent position among the night wyverns. If Erin were to let Rhode kill Kolt off, the situation would be considered best if the night wyverns didn��t rebel in the slightest��


    That was why Erin felt nervous when she heard Rhode��s response. But as to what he was up to, she didn��t pursue further. She knew that he was a calm and smart man. He must have already analyzed the pros and cons from what she said, and presumably wouldn��t do something that hot-headed. That was why she didn��t say anything and simply nodded in agreement. Upon seeing her reaction, Rhode nodded in pleasure, reached out his hand, and gently patted Erin��s shoulder.


    ��Alright, head over there now, I��ll be right back�� Angelina, get me one of the finest guest rooms!��


    ��Ah. Okay. Please follow me, Master.��


    Angelina, who was also baffled by his order, locked eyes with Erin in confusion. Eventually, she nodded in agreement, left the study with Rhode, and headed deeper into the hallway. While Erin was puzzled as to what exactly Rhode was up to, she knew it wasn��t nice to have a guest waiting outside, which was why she put the questions aside for the moment and headed down the other side of the hallway.


    When Erin arrived at the parlor, the first thing she witnessed was Kolt seated on the sofa. This young man who belonged to the same dragon race as her immediately put on an enthusiastic smile after seeing her. Then, he stood up and bowed respectfully.


    ��Greetings, Your Majesty Erin. I��m so sorry to bother you while you��re busy����


    ��It��s fine, Mr. Kolt.��


    Upon hearing his speech, Erin criticized in her mind since he came everyday despite knowing that she was busy. However, even though she was displeased, she still showed a gentle smile as though nothing happened.


    ��Although I am busy with my affairs due to the arrival of Chaos, I can still afford to spare some time.��


    With some subtle sarcasm in her words, Erin sat down on the master seat. It wasn��t until Erin sat down that Kolt also sat respectfully across from her. One had to admit that although Kolt was an annoying pest, he didn��t come to pester Erin with nothing. Although both of them were in their human form rather than dragon form, Kolt��s human form wasn��t ugly and could even count as handsome. With his robust posture, he even looked a bit like a general who had experienced many battles.


    Technically, they didn��t really have much to talk about. In the past, Erin always wandered in front of him casually and left without even a greeting. On the other hand, Kolt was also quite interesting. He felt satisfied as long as he saw her, and he didn��t ask for anything more. And today, after learning from the maids that Erin actually invited him to have tea together, he was elated.


    It seems like my pursuits have finally moved this young lady!


    However, Kolt wasn��t aware of Rhode��s arrival. After all, the latter always kept a low profile and there was no one welcoming him to this city with fanfare. Angelina was the only one who welcomed him, and even if she had bumped into several servants in the Moon City along the way, they didn��t know of Rhode��s true identity. That was why Kolt was also unaware that the Void Dragon was actually here. Otherwise, he couldn��t have possibly stayed here looking so undisturbed.


    Even though it was a simple tea session, Kolt was a pain in the butt for Erin, which was why she listened and responded with perfunctory courtesy to his nonsense. Although she seemed to be listening earnestly on the surface, she was actually quite puzzled as to what Rhode was planning to do. After all, it seemed to her like no matter how much Rhode intervened in the matter, nothing good would come of it with his tall identity. But it was also rather interesting to see that confident side of him. At the same time, she felt a little anxious waiting for the show to begin, to see what exactly he was going to do about this troublemaker.


    Knock knock knock.


    As wild thoughts ran through Erin��s mind, someone knocked on the door. Upon hearing the knocking, Erin arranged her thoughts and said.


    ��Please come in.��


    Along with her words, the door to the parlor squeaked as it opened, and Angelina showed up before her. She swept a glance at Kolt, before bowing respectfully to Erin.


    ��Your Majesty Erin, sorry for the long wait. Miss Elizabeth has arrived.��


    Miss Elizabeth? Who��s that?


    Upon hearing Angelina��s words, Erin was astonished. But fortunately, her expression remained unchanged as she said with a soft smile.


    ��I��ve been waiting for a long time and thought she wasn��t coming. Please invite her in.��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty Erin.��


    After hearing Erin��s reply, Angelina smiled, turned around, and made a gesture of invitation respectfully.


    ��Please come in, Miss Elizabeth.��


    ��Sorry for the wait, Erin.��


    In the sound of an ethereal, soft, and beautiful voice, an attractive young girl with pitch-black, long hair and donned in a pitch-black dress walked into the parlor.

 Chapter 1312 - Angel and Dragon (5)

    Erin and Kolt were stunned at the sight of the young lady. She had a head full of pitch-black, silky hair and a gorgeous, black dress wrapped around her curvy body. Her delicate and elegant facial features were like works of art. The smile across her face brought a few touches of charm, so much so that even Kolt couldn��t help staring in a stupor. After all, this young lady was equally as beautiful as Erin. But unlike the latter��s soft, gentle, and moon-like aura, the former was more like a thorny rose in full bloom, where one couldn��t help but desire her, at the same time being worried about getting pricked by its sharp thorns.


    Is that�� Mr. Rhode?


    Not only was Kolt bewildered, but Erin was also speechless. She sized up the ��young lady�� before her and recognized some features of Rhode from her face. During her days in Grandia, Erin spent a lot of time with Rhode��s younger sister, so she wasn��t unfamiliar with this pair of siblings. And now, this young lady appeared to be the adult version of Rhode��s younger sister. Just that�� The change of her overall charisma was too huge.


    Rhode wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses that came from nowhere. His smooth and long hair spread out behind him, making him look like a smart, capable, and graceful woman. Frankly, if Erin didn��t know that Rhode had gone to prepare himself for this tea session, she definitely wouldn��t have guessed that this young lady was his disguise. While it was a bit of a stretch for protagonists in comics to turn into an entirely different person with just a pair of glasses, for Rhode to transform his charisma and aura into that of another person was totally unprecedented to Erin. But fortunately, she was mentally prepared. After being in a daze for a few seconds, she stood up, padded toward ��Elizabeth�� to hold her hand passionately, and smiled as she spoke.


    ��It��s fine, Elizabeth. I was bored, anyway, so it��s fine.��


    Despite not knowing who exactly this ��Elizabeth�� in Rhode��s setting was to her in person, Erin spoke casually. She wasn��t a fool; she knew that she couldn��t possibly discuss with Rhode about his disguise right in front of Kolt. Besides, she also didn��t have a spiritual connection with him like his card spirits. That was why she could only do as he told her, at the same time figuring out his intentions. She believed that since he had done this, he must have prepared a countermeasure.


    ��Oh-no, you can��t say that, Erin. You have been busy all this while. Now that you finally have the time for a gathering, I don��t want to waste your time.��


    ��Elizabeth�� revealed a gentle smile, extended her arm, and held Erin��s hand in return, before sitting down on the sofa intimately with her. Not only did Erin gasp in wonder at ��Elizabeth��, but Angelina, who stood at the side, was also dumbfounded. Honestly, Angelina was stunned by Rhode once in the past. But now, she discovered that this master of hers was flawless in every way! He behaved just like Erin��s closest friend right now.


    Facing the looks from Kolt and Angelina, Rhode, however, didn��t look uneasy in the slightest. It was Erin who felt a bit uncomfortable instead. Frankly, even though she knew this young lady was Rhode, the intimacy between them was, after all, the intimacy between a man and a woman. Now that the situation had turned into this�� She felt a bit awkward because she wasn��t even as intimate with Lydia. And just as she was about to say something, Rhode winked at her, turned around, and looked at the man who sat across Erin.


    ��By the way, this is��? Are you two discussing something important?��


    ��He is Mr. Kolt, son of Matriarch Bronis of the night wyverns.��


    Upon hearing the question, Erin gathered her thoughts and gave a serious introduction to Rhode. And after listening to her response, Rhode snorted, stretched out his fingers to push up his glasses, and scanned Kolt from head to toe. Aware of his gaze, Kolt bowed to her respectfully, not knowing who exactly this ��Elizabeth�� who showed up all of a sudden was. But it seemed obvious that her relationship with Erin wasn��t ordinary. Although Kolt had never heard of this person being around Erin, it seemed like Elizabeth and Erin were indeed close with each other. The interactions between them were also natural as though they had known each other for a long time. Since he wanted to marry Erin, it was only right that he should be more polite to her closer friends.


    ��Oh? What is he doing here? By the way, Erin, I heard you lack manpower, so could it be that this fella is here to help?��


    While sweeping a glance at Kolt, Rhode asked. And upon hearing his question, Erin and Angelina chuckled inwardly. Of course, they knew Kolt would be much more embarrassed after hearing this remark. After all, the night wyverns had no intention of sending troops to help Erin. And his daily trips to see Erin had nothing to do with that at all. But now that Rhode asked, Kolt had a hard time responding. If Kolt didn��t admit that he was here to help, he might piss off ��Elizabeth��, and the gap between him and Erin might widen. But what if he admitted? Erin was a real piece of work and meanwhile, as the son of the matriarch, Kolt��s status wasn��t too low either. If he were to admit it, wouldn��t he be in trouble if Erin took his words to his mother?


    ��My sincere apologies. I came to discuss something else with Her Majesty Erin. It��s not for a trivial matter like that����


    ��Trivial matter?��


    Upon hearing Kolt��s answer, Rhode let out a grunt and stared at him with narrowed eyes.


    ��Erin has been busy all day working on this and you think it��s a trivial matter?��


    ��No, I mean����


    Faced with Rhode��s taunting, Kolt was dumbfounded and speechless. Honestly, he couldn��t figure out who this Elizabeth was. She definitely wasn��t one of the night wyverns��that he was certain of. After all, there were only so many of them, and even if they were old and dead, at the very least, they knew one another��s names. But Elizabeth was a name that he had never heard of. Despite that, he was really puzzled because he unmistakably sensed a dragon aura exuding from the young lady. This clearly explained that she was just like him: part of the dragon race. But if she wasn��t a night wyvern, which dragon race was she? Could she be a rule wyvern instead? She didn��t look like one.


    ��Oh, don��t make things difficult for him, Elizabeth.��


    Gazing at Kolt��s embarrassed expression, Erin felt pleased. After all, this guy was really annoying. But due to his identity, she couldn��t beat him up like Lydia had suggested. At that moment, witnessing the awkward look on his face, Erin was instantly in a much better mood. The bitter and lingering annoyance that pestered her for days were wiped off cleanly. That was why she displayed a genuine smile and spoke.


    ��Mr. Kolt is just here to chase me. Right, Mr. Kolt?��


    ��Ah�� Yes, that��s right.��


    Upon hearing Erin��s words, Kolt finally arranged his thoughts. No matter what, he was still someone of a high identity and that was just a momentary lapse of judgment on his part. After he returned to his senses, he restored his usual calmness.


    ��Your Majesty Erin, I swear that I��m truly in love with����


    ��Oh? For this kind of trivial matter?��


    However, before Kolt finished his sentence, Rhode interrupted harshly. At that moment, Rhode crossed his arms and glared coldly at Kolt. Then, the corners of his mouth lifted into a taunting smile as he stared in disdain.


    ��So you��re here to chase Erin, huh�� Interesting. In other words, your nest is prepared and ready for Erin��s acceptance?��


    ��That��!��


    ����!��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s remarks, Kolt was flabbergasted. The expression that he struggled to restore earlier turned ashen instantly. On the other hand, Erin couldn��t help but stare at Rhode. It wasn��t that Rhode said something wrong, but he happened to mention one of the strictest and oldest traditions among the dragon race.


    Dragon��s nest.


    The dragon race was a female supremacist race, which was evident from the fact that most of the inheritors of the dragon soul powers were females, like the twin dragons, Erin, and Lilian, who all fell into this category. Rhode was an exception, but the root of it all was his body and soul that shared his younger sister��s power, which allowed him to inherit the power of the Void Dragon. Erin��s mother didn��t inherit the power of the dragon soul, so Ion, who stole the dragon soul power, was unable to kill her and could only imprison her in the underground prison and manipulate her as the converter of the dragon soul power. This showed just how powerful female dragons were.


    However, among the dragons, it wasn��t their strength that made them the most powerful. As stated before, male dragons had a low status in the dragon race (at least relatively), and if they wanted to pursue the opposite sex, they would need to go through the trouble of preparing their nests for marriage. And for that, not only did they need to dig their nest large enough, but the nest must also be beautiful, magnificent, and have amassed enough wealth. That was why females among the dragon race occasionally roamed, while male dragons were mostly unseen. They were busy accumulating wealth.


    It was just like those poor men in Rhode��s world who worked their butts off just to buy a high-rise apartment downtown and renovate it in order to be considered qualified to ask for a girl��s hand in marriage. Meanwhile, the otherworldly males weren��t much better in that regard. It was just that male humans were still luckier than male dragons. If their arrangement didn��t please the female, the worst that could happen was a breakup. It wasn��t strange at all to get a marriage certificate today and a divorce certificate tomorrow. In that high-intensity and high-paced society, even though it wasn��t a par for the course for couples to get married soon after meeting and get divorced shortly after marriage, it was still commonly seen.


    Yes, the worst that could happen was just a breakup, which wasn��t really a big deal.


    But for the dragon race, it was a matter of life and death.


    Female dragons were extremely arrogant and picky, especially when it came to their peers. Of course, if it was another race that fell in love with a female dragon, there would be no problem. Because dragons had longevity and were near-immortal, any other race that fell in love with a dragon would die earlier than them. But it was different in the case of love between dragons because they would spend an eternal life with each other. It could also be said that once they married, the two dragons would be bound to the earth until the end of the world. And for that reason, the dragon race couldn��t be more picky when it came to settling down with a partner.


    Of course, it was usually the female dragons that were entitled to pickiness.


    In this context, before a male dragon built his nest and chased the target of his fancy, it was important to carefully consider whether the nest he built was to the other party��s liking. If the nest itself wasn��t to her liking, she might find the ugly, shabby nest insulting. In such cases, the female would be perfectly justified to kill the male!


    That��s right; kill the male right away. Not even a trial was needed. It was an immediate death penalty.


    And what left one speechless was that this kind of slaughter was a law that the dragon race recognized among themselves. In other words, even if the female killed the male, she didn��t have to take any responsibility. Because in the dragons�� mindset, if the male dragon was killed, it must be that he didn��t do a good enough job on his nest. It wasn��t the female being unreasonable. That��s right. They definitely wouldn��t recognize the concept of ��unreasonable behavior��.


    With such a ��custom��, it wasn��t difficult to understand why the fertility rate of the dragon race was so low��


    While Kolt��s pestering might seem like perseverance and ingenuity to humans, from the perspective of a dragon, he was just sending himself to his grave. He was also fortunate that Erin never agreed to his request. But what if she agreed to his marriage proposal, went to visit the nest he made, and killed him on the spot?


    The night wyverns weren��t reasonable in the slightest because it was a tradition of the dragon race and one that defended females, so much so that the matriarch couldn��t refute no matter how much she loved her son. If she denied Erin��s right to kill her son, then she, the matriarch, could forget about keeping her role forever.


    Kolt was bewildered because he didn��t expect this ��Elizabeth�� to be so ruthless. He did, in fact, risk his life by chasing Erin, but it wasn��t because he was overwhelmed by love. On the contrary, he had done a thorough investigation of Erin and learned that she lived in the Country of Darkness since she was a child and never returned to the territories of the dragon race, which explained why she wasn��t knowledgeable of their customs. Not only that, but Erin was also gentle and kind, which was considered really rare (yes, really rare) among the female dragons. That was why Kolt had the audacity to keep pestering her. However, everything went well until someone threw a wrench in the works and he had to go back to the drawing board.


    What surprised Erin was that Rhode was so familiar with the secret customs of the dragon race. This also explained why he showed up in the disguise of a young lady. If he had passed himself off as another man, according to the rules of the dragon race, he wasn��t allowed to speak to Erin in principle. It was the same as a slave in human society instructing a great nobleman, which was an utterly disrespectful behavior. But things were different since Rhode showed up as a female�� And a female dragon at that. That was why no matter how close Lydia and Erin were, there was no way Lydia could have inserted herself into the matter as an archangel.


    ��Pardon me. May I know who you are? I don��t remember seeing such a beautiful young lady like yourself among the night wyverns����


    At that moment, Kolt had no choice but to dwindle his expression and examine ��Elizabeth�� seriously. He didn��t know who she was and was really suspicious of her real identity. Because in this world, the only remaining dragon dependents were the night wyverns and rule wyverns. Kolt was sure that there was no dragon named ��Elizabeth�� among the night wyverns. As for the rule wyverns, although he didn��t know much about them, judging from the dragon aura emanating from the young lady in front of him, he could tell that she wasn��t a representative of Order and rule. In that case, he was highly suspicious of this Elizabeth who showed up here.


    Upon hearing Kolt��s question, Erin began to feel a little nervous. After all, the circle of dragons was really small. No matter how elaborately Rhode explained, it was true that ��Elizabeth�� didn��t exist. As long as Kolt carried out an investigation, he would soon find out this truth. So then, what exactly would Rhode say?


    ��Me?��


    After hearing Kolt��s question, Rhode raised a dangerous eyebrow. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly with a somewhat playful smile as he gazed at Kolt.


    ��How dare a male of the main plane interrogate me.��


    ��Ssss��!��


    As soon as Rhode responded, the air in the surroundings changed drastically all of a sudden. The dark night sky and dazzling stars enfolded the entire parlor as a dragon aura exploded and proliferated from Rhode��s body. In an instant, the bright parlor was enveloped in a dark curtain, while multiple spots of starlight revolved around him like a river of stars. Not only that, but on his back, a pair of dragon wings was outlined and brought together by illusory starlight as it slowly unfurled.


    Staring blankly at this scene, Kolt was baffled.


    ��Star Dragon?!��

 Chapter 1313 - Angel and Dragon (6)

    It wasn��t without reason that Kolt��s expression changed dramatically. In fact, the moment he heard ��Elizabeth�� calling him a ��male of the outer plane�� in a contemptuous tone, he realized that her identity was really unusual. Dragons were a long-lived race. Although Kolt was slightly older than Erin, he was considered to be knowledgeable, where basically only natives of outer planes and plane travelers would speak to him in such a contemptuous tone.


    Star Dragons were one of them. They weren��t native to the Dragon Soul Continent, and there were even rumors that they were born much earlier than the dragon race of this continent. They traveled through various planes and roamed the worlds at will. It could even be said that the Star Dragons were the ancestors of the dragon race of many worlds. Of course, dragons in the Dragon Soul Continent were all dependents of the five Creator Dragons and had no relation to them. But in the face of a true Star Dragon, Kolt��s heart couldn��t help skip a beat.


    Looking at Kolt��s expression, Rhode smiled proudly. As an expert in the Dragon Soul Continent who was familiar with all sorts of information, he certainly knew that if he made up these words, it would definitely raise Kolt��s suspicions. When the time came, Kolt could simply investigate and know the truth of the matter. Despite that, Rhode wasn��t entirely helpless. It went without saying that he knew about the legend of the Star Dragons, which was exactly what he was using to cover things up. As a creature of the outer plane, the Star Dragons always came and went without a trace and were basically loners. Even if Kolt were lucky enough to encounter one, it was almost impossible for him to ask for any information about Rhode from the Star Dragon.


    And even if there were any issues, Rhode could look for Stefania, who was a true plane merchant. As long as Rhode had her around, he could resolve any confusions easily. Of course, in all fairness, Rhode really didn��t want to bother Stefania. After all, it would cost him a lot of money to get her help.


    On top of that, Rhode��s attributes as the Void Dragon also happened to help him with the task of disguising as a Star Dragon. The manifestation of the Void Dragon, on the spiritual level, was quite similar to the Star Dragons��, so he didn��t need to worry about being exposed. But the question was whether Kolt would recognize his true self. The Void Dragon had left after creating the Dragon Soul Continent. And now, there were only him and his younger sisters as the two Void Dragons in the entire continent. If this night wyvern were able to recognize him as a Void Dragon, Rhode could only admit his bad luck.


    But now, it looked like things were moving in the direction he hoped.


    Sure enough, in the face of the authentic (of course it was authentic) dragon��s prestige exuding from Rhode, Kolt felt rather uncomfortable. Kolt realized the mighty dragon��s prestige wasn��t one that he could compare with. Although it was considered a trait in the dragon race for females to be more powerful than males, Kolt couldn��t remember meeting such a powerful female dragon in his life, where perhaps even his own mother wasn��t as strong as ��Elizabeth��!


    At that point, Kolt��s head started aching. And as one of the night wyverns, he certainly knew that nothing good would come out from a gathering of a few women. While it was up to him to decide whether or not his dragon lair was satisfactory, the opinions of the ��girlfriends�� also shouldn��t be underestimated. Kolt, who grew up in the gathering place of the night wyverns since birth, naturally understood this point well.


    The reason why he was brave enough to pursue Erin was that apart from the fact that she grew up in the Country of Darkness and was unfamiliar with the customs of the dragon race��this made it quite a bit easier for him to get hold of her��she also didn��t have other dragon companions due to her unique identity. Even though the intelligence reports stated that Erin had a best friend, that best friend was Lydia, an archangel, after all, and she couldn��t possibly interfere in the marriage of the dragon race. That was why Kolt didn��t take it to heart in the slightest. But now, he didn��t expect this ��Elizabeth�� to show up and seem even closer to Erin than Lydia, which left Kolt feeling even more depressed.


    But even so, Kolt stared at the ��Elizabeth�� before him, gnashed his teeth, and asked after a moment of silence.


    ��In that case, Miss Elizabeth. May I ask�� What is your relationship with Her Majesty Erin?��


    Although this question sounded rather rude for Kolt��s status, he still gritted his teeth and asked. After all, this was a very important question for him as well. This young lady named Elizabeth hadn��t appeared at all in the intelligence he gathered. And if she would only show up occasionally, it wasn��t like all hopes were gone for Kolt. He heard that creatures of the outer planes loved to roam freely, so it was unlikely that Elizabeth would stay with Erin for too long. He also knew that Erin was a person who liked strange beings and artifacts, which probably explained why they were so close with each other. If that were the case, he still had a fighting chance��!


    ��Relationship?��


    Upon hearing Kolt��s hopeful question, the corners of Rhode��s mouth curled up slightly into an odd smile. He turned over and looked at Erin who sat beside him and gazed at her curiously. Then, he reached out his right arm and lifted Erin��s chin gently.


    At the next moment, he pressed his lips against Erin��s soft, pink lips that emanated a seductive aroma.


    ��Mmm��!��


    Upon being hit by this ambush, Erin stared in surprise. Although she and Rhode were loving and affectionate in private, where they did things several times bolder, to do such a humiliating act publicly in front of an unfamiliar third party embarrassed her. But even so, she shuddered slightly and had no intention of pulling away. Instead, she closed her eyes and responded to his kisses.


    ��Mmm�� Mmm����


    Soon, Rhode pried open Erin��s teeth with his tongue and with an incredibly fierce momentum, he advanced deeper to wrap around her sweet little tongue. Their tongues tangled and secreted saliva that blended together, leaving behind a warm sensation in each other��s body. As if she were melting in the flame, Erin couldn��t help but let out soft moans.


    If one were to look at this scene from the perspective of a third party, this would undoubtedly be an incomparably beautiful picture scroll of blooming lilies. The black-haired young lady in the long black dress leaned on the sofa, lifting the chin of the other girl with one hand, while the other hand hugged her slender waist and limbs. She looked as though she were greedily savoring the food as she claimed the other young lady��s fragrant kisses. The other young lady fell weakly into her embrace. Her body was closely attached to the black-haired young lady��s. Unsure if this was too intense, Erin��s complexion was flushed. Her breathing quickened and her chest could be seen rising and falling unceasingly. This scene was like a lily in full bloom coming up against one��s face. One simply couldn��t look at it directly.


    ��Mmm����


    After some time, both of them separated reluctantly. The silver thread of saliva connecting between them extended as they pulled away, adding some heartwarming flavor to the scene at hand. At that moment, Erin��s eyes had lost focus completely. Her moving eyes that used to shine brightly were now covered with a faint layer of mist, revealing her unmistakable anticipation.


    ��So do you understand what kind of relationship we��re in now?��


    Rhode stretched out his arm and stroked Erin��s cheek gently. He turned around and looked at Kolt with a victorious smile, while the latter who witnessed the entire scene was dumbfounded. Honestly, it wasn��t uncommon for dragons to be lesbians (after all, due to the tradition of the dragon race, male dragons were relatively wimpier). Well, female dragons also had needs, after all. Since male dragons were gutless, female dragons had to find other ways to have ��heart-to-heart talks��. And with the dragons�� pride, it was rare for them to lower themselves and fall in love with another race. But if they were of the same race, there would be no worries. But even so, Kolt had no idea that Erin belonged to ��that side��!


    No, no, no, none of that matters. What matters is that if that is really the case, what is the point of me doing all this painstaking work for so many days?


    ��Hmph, seems like you understand the situation now.��


    Looking at Kolt��s odd expression, Rhode licked his lips as if he were reminiscing the soul-satisfying taste of what he savored. Then, he grabbed the unresisting Erin into his arms, lifted her chin to look at him, and turned to Kolt with a provocative and mocking look.


    ��This is why there��s no place for you to be here, so get out! A coward who doesn��t even dare to go to the battlefield tries to win over Erin��s heart? You won��t be able to do that even after another century. Hmph, what��s the big deal about being a night wyvern? Without Erin, what do you guys even have? You may leave now, Mr. Kolt.��


    ���� Apologies. Goodbye.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, Kolt turned ashen and was at a complete loss. Not only were those words harsh and unpleasant, but they were also devastating. At that moment, Kolt didn��t know what kind of mood he was in anymore. However, he bit his teeth and spoke word by word, before turning around and leaving without looking back. And looking at this scene, Angelina was also filled with great pleasure. But she was a follower, after all, so as soon as Kolt left, she hurried over and sent him out.


    ��Phew����


    It was only after the parlor door was closed that Rhode heaved a sigh of relief and bobbed his head about. The mocking, but confident smile on ��Elizabeth�� vanished swiftly. And it didn��t take long before he restored his usual ��dead face��. He looked at Erin in his embrace, reached out his arm, and patted her buttocks gently.


    ��All settled. I guarantee you that guy won��t dare bother you again, Erin.��


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode. I��m sure he won��t come here anymore. How could he after being scared to that extent?��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, Erin revealed a bit of a wry smile. Of course, she knew that after Rhode said that, Kolt would definitely not step foot into this place again. Although the relationship between females wasn��t ��protected by law�� among the dragon race, it was commonly known by convention. Now that Rhode had declared his relationship with Erin, if Kolt were to pursue Erin again, Rhode could transform into ��Elizabeth�� and take care of him. Even if Rhode didn��t kill Kolt, it was still no problem for him to beat him to near death.


    Moreover, Rhode��s final taunting and sarcastic remarks were a fatal blow to Kolt. Indeed, as Rhode mentioned, the Country of Darkness was facing the danger of war right now. Forget it if he wasn��t here to offer help, but how could he come and cause trouble for Erin? Wasn��t he asking for death?


    Anyhow, this trouble with Kolt was considered settled entirely. Erin believed that it was impossible for him to complain to the matriarch after he went back. After all, who would be that shameless to humiliate himself by saying it outloud. However��


    ��Is that really fine, Mr. Rhode? We��re short-staffed right now, and if the night wyverns are willing to help����


    Although deep down, Erin was happy about Rhode��s move, she still asked with some concern. It wasn��t a case of picking up the slack. Erin was by all accounts the ruler of the Country of Darkness, and the current Dark Dragon��one of the five Creator Dragons. Not only did she need to think at her own level, but also on the level of her country and the continent as a whole.


    Even though she didn��t accept Kolt��s advances, she also didn��t follow Lydia��s suggestion to club him out because she valued the power of the night wyverns. If the night wyverns were to head into war with them, they would undoubtedly bring a boost to Rhode��s defenses. That was why Erin had no choice but to deal with Kolt patiently, while finding a way to get the support of the night wyverns as her troops.


    But now�� Since Rhode had made his decision, perhaps she couldn��t rely upon the night wyverns anymore. Unless they were prodded by Rhode to head into battle, the possibilities were too unlikely. Even if Kolt were angered by Rhode, the other night wyverns still wouldn��t agree to join them. That was why, in Erin��s perspective, the road to seek help from the night wyverns was pretty much blocked completely after Rhode made such a fuss.


    ��It doesn��t matter.��


    But Rhode, who should have been having a headache over this, shrugged in boredom and acted as if he didn��t care at all.


    ��While it��s true that the situation is quite a bit of a problem right now, it��s not like you can��t get things done without them. Hmph. Even if those night wyverns were to join us, I��m concerned that they wouldn��t listen to our commands. Besides, Gaya has gone to figure out a way. But if it still doesn��t work�� Then I��m not too sure myself.��


    Rhode said, hesitated for a moment, and eventually said.


    That��s right, he still had one more insurance in place. Back then, when he designed the three defensive lines, he had prepared for all kinds of situations. That was why he had already considered the possible tensions on the defensive lines and made corresponding plans, which were simple and weren��t complicated or difficult at all.


    Take the Country of Darkness, for instance. It became the first point of contact against Chaos after being disassembled from the Dragon Soul Continent. But why were the borders of the Country of Darkness the safest and no Chaos could overcome them? Because the void storm was present��a terrifying storm that could sweep away everything including Order and Chaos, turning them into nothingness. Even Chaos didn��t dare cross the border by one step, or it would head down a road to ruin.


    And the void storm wasn��t a natural occurrence, but was created by the blast of the Plane Destruction Bombs.


    In that case�� This plan was on the point of being disclosed.


    If it was really impossible to resist Chaos��s attack, Rhode had decided to use the Plane Destruction Bombs to create void storms in several remote border areas of the Country of Light. This way, he would lose a part of the Dragon Soul Continent while gaining a natural barrier that would keep Chaos out forever, which was quite a good deal.


    However, it was a last resort. After all, one could see just how dangerous the void storm was from the fact that Chaos didn��t even dare to cross it. Rhode could certainly set up Plane Destruction Bombs on all sides of the Dragon Soul Continent and create a natural barrier that wrapped around the continent from end to end, so as to eliminate the threat of Chaos.


    But unfortunately, this approach would only hurt themselves. The void storms didn��t know who the enemy was, and if Rhode did that, the Dragon Soul Continent would be like the eye in the center of the tornado. The eye might be able to remain calm in the center of a whirling, violent tornado. But if the tornado shifted and reeled in the innocent, they would be torn to shreds by the violent gales. Moreover, Rhode still had to open up a channel to the solar system through the Door of Akasha. And if the void storm were to block the way, he would be totally powerless.


    So unless it was absolutely necessary, Rhode didn��t want to use this strategy. But if he made up his mind, nothing would stop him in doing so. After all, this plan was indeed dangerous, but the benefits it would bring were just as great. Just look at the present situation: the Country of Darkness was spreading its forces to strengthen the other defensive lines due to the natural barrier of the void storm, which eased a lot of pressure for them. Otherwise, the situation would have been much worse. So if Rhode really carried out this plan, the remaining defensive forces could also help out elsewhere, wasn��t it?


    And now, after learning that Rhode had some ideas, Erin didn��t need to worry anymore. But��


    ��Mr. Rhode, I think that��s fine too����


    Laying in his embrace, Erin lifted her head and winked playfully at him. Then, she extended her arms and wrapped around his neck.


    ��Hehe�� Miss Elizabeth. How fun�� Hmm�� Can you continue where we left off with that identity? Frankly, I can��t hold it in anymore����


    ��Of course.��


    Upon hearing her words, Rhode showed a gentle smile and transformed back to ��Elizabeth�� soon after.


    ��I will let you have a taste of something entirely special.��


    ��Elizabeth�� spoke, stretching out her arms and holding Erin down on the sofa. Then, she lowered her head.


    Along with this action from ��Elizabeth��, Erin��s groans resounded throughout the parlor once again��

 Chapter 1314 - Flesh Hunters

    After having some fun with Erin, Rhode returned to the front lines soon after. Fortunately, nothing much happened and he didn��t waste too much time. It had only been three to four days since all this tossing and turning and during this time, Chaos had been really generous in not messing with him, which made him heave a sigh of relief. In the end, although he didn��t get whether Erin was really having a child out of her, since his younger sister said there wasn��t a need to worry about this question for the time being, he put it aside for now. Anyway, even humans could engage in intimacy while being pregnant. Moreover, even if the stomach had gotten bigger, the man could still enter from the back��


    Well, enough of this nonsense. After Rhode settled the trouble at Erin��s place and returned to the front line of the Country of Light, Gaya, who had left earlier, also returned safely. And with it came a wonderful news: the ��solution�� that she mentioned was finally in place!


    Upon hearing this news, Rhode was naturally excited. Although he seemed indifferent in front of Erin, as a matter of fact, he didn��t want to use his own final means if possible. Now that Gaya found a useful solution, it could also be said that he looked forward to seeing if there were more secrets that he hadn��t discovered in the Eastern Plains. However, when he witnessed the ��secret�� that Gaya said, he was stunned.


    ��Are you sure you��re not mistaken?��


    Although Rhode had seen many strange and awesome things in this world, what Gaya brought over was still out of his expectations. He gazed at the pack of hounds ahead that were sprinting around wildly before him. He knitted his brows and swept a glance at Gaya in confusion. Meanwhile, the black-haired young lady stood quietly at the side, holding her harp that never left her arms and looking calmly at the scene.


    The hounds were much smaller than the hounds that Rhode usually saw. Strictly speaking, they were like fluffy and adorable masses of fur and looked like pet dogs instead. But this world wasn��t a game, after all. And it wasn��t like cuteness could instant-kill an enemy. Otherwise, if Rhode had a group of pandas, wouldn��t he be an almighty killer already?


    But he quickly discovered that these ��hounds�� behaved differently. Their eyes were as scarlet as precious jewels and even though they had different fur colors, similar red patterns of flame could be seen covering their bodies. And although their actions and behaviors seemed cute and obedient, they somehow brought a bizarre sense of menace.


    I may be charming and lovely, but I bring death�� Where did these lyrics come from again?


    ��They look like creatures from the fire elemental plane, but with the aura of the lower planes����


    There was no one more sensitive than Lydia in sensing evil. Moreover, Rhode also felt the faint scent of the lower planes emanating from the hounds�� bodies, so it wasn��t surprising that Lydia noticed it too. She gazed at the hounds before her, but her face didn��t show much disgust. On the contrary, she was just like Rhode who had put on a curious look, sizing them up.


    ��Alright, I acknowledge your victory, Gaya. Now, can you explain yourself?��


    After examining the hounds, Rhode had no choice but raise his hands in surrender. He was certain that these hounds weren��t a species from hell, but neither were they elemental creatures. Rather, they were genuine creatures of the main plane. But what astonished him was that the aura of hell and fire elemental scent on their bodies was so strong. The only thing that could explain this was that they had the blood of certain demonic creatures flowing in their bodies. However, it seemed so unorthodox.


    In the Dragon Soul Continent, the main plane was a place that suppressed the characteristics of other planes, as well as their creatures, to a certain extent. It wasn��t only in terms of strength, but also in terms of bloodline. One of the characteristics was that if those creatures gave birth to children, the children wouldn��t look any different from normal people in appearance, but they would still have an overwhelming advantage in terms of bloodline.


    For instance, Lize and Anne belonged to this category. The angel bloodline and beast bloodline in their bodies was definitely stronger than its human counterparts. However, their bloodlines were concealed in their bodies until they were awakened. Although there were a lot of half-beasts roaming the continent, they only gained their power after being awakened through various means. And this was also true for humans and animals. Even Christie, who was equipped with the power of the Void Dragon, was the same. As the ��other Christie�� chose an ordinary human as her mother, Christie was born as an ordinary human. She was also physically weaker, and it seemed completely impossible for her to inherit any power��


    This was a major feature of interracial marriage on the main plane. But of course, if both parties were of the same race as each other, it wouldn��t affect anything.


    But these hounds that appeared before Rhode were all creatures that had awakened the power of their bloodline, which was really odd. Because even if they were half-beasts, not all half-beasts were able to be awakened. Of course, due to the large number of half-beasts, it was a matter of chance. However, it didn��t seem like a matter of ��chances�� for these hounds; they seemed like they were ��mass-produced�� instead.


    ��They��re Flesh Hunters.��


    Perhaps feeling satisfied after witnessing Rhode scratching his head, Gaya didn��t make things difficult for him and introduced the hounds.


    ��Flesh Hunters?��


    The name sounded brutal, but didn��t exactly seem like a good match for the small hounds�� Just imagine a panda being called a ��wolf��. Off-putting, wasn��t it?


    ��Yes, Your Majesty Rhode, Your Highness Lydia. They came from the Eastern Plains and are our�� ��specialty��.��


    For some reason, before Gaya said the last word of the sentence, she paused for a while, which seemed really strange to Lydia and Rhode. He thought he had a good understanding of the Eastern Plains. Back then, in the game, he had a high reputation and favorable relationship with the Eastern Plains, so why didn��t he ever hear about this specialty? Even if he were unlucky enough to not encounter them, shouldn��t one of the many players in the game have encountered them before? Moreover, these creatures were rather unique. Regardless of power, they were fluffy and absolutely adorable. Rhode was sure that they would be considered a great gift for girlfriends, at the very least. But he didn��t remember seeing anything like them even on the forums, which meant that no players discovered them. Combined with the fact that Gaya hesitated with her words, something strange must be going on here.


    ��Specialty? I��ve never seen them before����


    ��Of course, Your Majesty Rhode. They were sealed by the elders and are never released unless in times of critical necessity. If it weren��t for this emergency, I wouldn��t want to release these creatures.��


    In response to Rhode��s question, Gaya didn��t have the slightest intention of hiding the truth. However, her words still left Rhode and Lydia rather surprised. After all, from the looks of it, these little hounds were lovable. But after listening to Gaya��s words, it felt as if she guarded against them as though they were vicious aliens. But perhaps she also witnessed their confusion, which was why she didn��t wait for them to ask and quickly gave an explanation instead.


    ��I think you have already noticed the aura of purgatory from them. In fact, that��s exactly what they are. They were originally creatures from the lower planes����


    After Gaya explained, Rhode and Lydia were finally able to understand the history of these creatures, which was quite a melodramatic story.


    It was a long, long time ago (though the exact years can��t be verified), a great demon from hell sneaked up to the main plane, changed his appearance, and entered the Eastern Plains as an outsider. As for the reason why this Hell Lord chose the Eastern Plains, there was no way to prove it. What was known was that apart from using his humorous personality and charming looks to capture the hearts of many young ladies in the Eastern Plains, he also relied upon his clever words and evil magical spells to manipulate innumerable villages, turning innocent young ladies into his slaves.


    Despite that, none of the others knew anything about it. It was only until one of the young ladies became pregnant and gave birth to a half-human, half-dog baby that it came to everyone��s attention. A long investigation ensued, and it was only then that people discovered the outlander��s true nature. But it was too late because by then, the Hell Lord had established an evil sect in the Eastern Plains and swindled many young ladies into joining him. Then, he ��spread seeds throughout his land�� and made the young ladies pregnant.


    They gave birth to many disturbing, dog-headed children with human bodies. And like their father, the children were lustful and greedy. They also seized young ladies of villages back as their slaves. And such despicable acts were, of course, intolerable, so the Eastern Plains, along with the battle angel army, took on the Hell Lord��s evil sect. Their attacks eventually succeeded in wiping out the sect, and the Hell Lord, who was the main culprit, was annihilated entirely.


    But it didn��t end there, for after destroying the evil sect, the people realized that the Hell Lord had used a secret technique to bind the bloodline of his children to that of the people in the Eastern Plains. Not only that, but the Hell Lord also used the power of this bloodline to unleash a curse, that as long as there were people in the Eastern Plains, his heirs would never be killed. That was why after countless unsuccessful attempts to kill and purify the sinister children, the elders of the Eastern Plains had no choice but to seal up these creatures and imprison them in the depths. After all, according to the Hell Lord��s curse, they would need to kill all their people in Eastern Plains in order to completely destroy his heirs. But�� How could they bear to do that!


    It was only natural that Rhode wasn��t aware of this story because it was deemed humiliating and disgraceful in the eyes of the Eastern Plains. That was why after sealing the creatures, people kept their mouths shut on this matter. After so many generations, except for the elders of the Eastern Plains, everyone else basically knew nothing.


    ��I see����


    Upon hearing Gaya��s explanation, Rhode nodded in understanding. Of course, he also knew why she was unwilling to release these creatures unless absolutely necessary. But��


    ��What about their strength? They can��t be that weak, right?��


    The story sounded nice, but could these fluffy-looking, adorable little hounds fight against those skeletal dragons soaring in the sky? Even with their ��undead�� attribute alone, it was impossible, right?


    ������


    Facing Rhode��s question, Gaya didn��t provide an explanation. On the contrary, she extended her arm and caressed her harp��s strings gently.


    ��������!��


    As a musical note filled with murderous intent abruptly burst from the harp strings, the adorable hounds playfully rolling on the ground suddenly stopped their movements, turned to look at Gaya in attention, and widened their mouths to let out ferocious growls. Not only that, but their bodies also began to transform.


    Just like monsters in movies, the small stature of the ��cute little hounds�� expanded and deformed, and their bodies grew to more than two meters long. But at that moment, although they grew larger, the fur attached to their body didn��t increase in length, but ripped open to reveal scarlet muscles underneath the skin instead.


    In the blink of an eye, the lovely little hounds turned into creatures that were more than two meters tall, and their entire body was covered in scarlet flesh, reeking of a scary and evil aura. Not only that, but their heads were even more terrifying. Beneath the torn and turned flesh was a long, pointed mouth like a wolf��s. Razor-sharp teeth stuck out of their mouths, emanating an icy-cold radiance. A pair of blood-red eyes glinted like that of a beast��s in a deadly flash. Just looking at them made one��s heart skip a beat.


    Furthermore, scarlet flames blazed on their bodies. The scorching heat alone was enough to make one wince.


    The creatures stared at Gaya, letting out deep growls in their throats. Shortly after, a scarlet spear appeared in their hands one after another. They bent over and were about to attack Gaya. But the moment they moved��


    ��Hmph.��


    Along with this snort from Rhode, a mighty dragon aura burst out of his body, enfolding the creatures in front of him. And upon sensing the powerful dragon aura, the restless and menacing creatures gave up encircling Gaya and turned around to glare at Rhode instead. Facing this powerful aura, they didn��t back down. They shivered and resisted to the death.


    ��Interesting����


    Gazing at the creatures before him that cowered to his powerful aura, Rhode didn��t think too lowly of them, since it was the power of the Void Dragon that they faced. If he were serious at intimidating others, even Gaya wouldn��t be able to resist, not to mention these creatures. If Gaya were to face his dragon aura head-on, perhaps she wouldn��t have resisted any better. However, the creatures had indeed piqued his interest about their strength. In terms of power, they didn��t seem weak at all. Even though they weren��t as strong as Lydia and Erin, they were only slightly weaker than Gaya. In that case, coupled with their ��undead�� attribute, they would stand a chance against the skeletal dragons. But��


    ��Is there no way to control these guys?��


    Looking at the hundreds of Flesh Hunters before him, Rhode looked at Gaya with a frown. But in response to his question, the black-haired young lady shrugged without any sense of responsibility.


    ��The only way is to imprison them in an enchanted field or tie them to blessed shackles like now. Other than that, I��m afraid the only way is to bring that Hell Lord back to life����


    It seemed like Gaya was indeed out of options. And perhaps that was why she seemed rather reluctant to release them from the seal. After all, if no one paid attention to these creatures and let them roam freely, they would only add to the disorder. When that happened, Rhode��s people would suffer, not to mention them defeating the enemies. But now, he could only brace himself to accept them. After all, Gaya only found and released them after he made the request. As for how to make full use of them, he had to be the one thinking.


    If there were really no way, he could only give them up. However, he wasn��t completely helpless yet.


    Indeed, it would be impossible for him to do it if he were in charge himself. He had limited time, after all. And he couldn��t be on the front line at all times, or else he wouldn��t need to find solutions like these creatures to help defeat the skeletal dragons. That was why he had to find someone who could keep the creatures in check and naturally, Lydia was out of his options as those creatures were heirs of a Hell Lord. As an archangel, Lydia had shown him a lot of ��face�� by not already slashing them down with a sword.


    In that case��


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but turn his hand around, and a pitch-black card appeared in his hand.


    Looks like she��s the only one who can��

 Chapter 1315 - Bloodstained Front (1)

    Shattered Tooth: the eastern defensive border of the Country of Light.


    The devastation caused by the Chaos creatures in the past was still visible. The towering walls were dented and filled with various holes. Shattered, collapsed walls seemed to fall to the ground like wounded beasts. The armies of players and battle angels that were previously stationed here had all been evacuated. However, the place wasn��t completely uninhabited. The silhouettes of heavily-armed soldiers could be seen vaguely beneath the shattered walls. However, they weren��t very serious or tense. Instead, almost everyone wore an expression of fear, unease, and confusion on their faces. It wasn��t surprising because they weren��t ordinary soldiers. But rather, they were the ones who gave up their positions and fled in the previous battle against Chaos.


    After that battle ended, all of those guys were captured by the players sent by Rhode. Although they tried to resist capture, they were no different from little pigs against the formidable players. Moreover, the players were also very upset that the soldiers abandoned them and fled on their own, resulting in them having to face a larger number of Chaos creatures themselves. Dissatisfied with the situation, it was only natural that great efforts were made to capture these deserters.


    It was due to this reason that these unfortunate deserters were able to be recaptured in such a short period. In fact, they were baffled as to why they were captured. They could only blame themselves if they were discovered. As a matter of fact, there were actually quite a number of soldiers who had chosen to enter deep, uninhabited forests and wilderness to hide their tracks. But to their amazement, no matter where they hid, pursuers who seemed to fall from the sky appeared before them in the shortest possible time, knocked them unconscious, and took them away without a second thought. And when the soldiers woke up again, they found themselves sent back to the front line��the same place they had escaped from in the first place��once again.


    Of course, they didn��t know what was going on. But Rhode had put a lot of money into catching these deserters. This rout of the Country of Light��s soldiers was arguably the most unpleasant part of his plan and was demoralizing as well. Such behaviors were contagious and once the rest of the world knew that they were working hard against Chaos while those idiots in the Country of Light fled to safety, it definitely wasn��t good for their morale. Not only that, but in order to prevent such a situation from happening again, Rhode had also chosen to punish an individual as an example to others. If he didn��t let others witness how harsh the punishment was for deserting, this would continue to happen again and again.


    That was why, this time, Rhode was considered to have put in a considerable amount of effort. As for hunting down the deserters themselves, it was much simpler. After the battle was over, Rhode found Alice and used her ��Historical Tracing�� ability to search for all of the deserters�� names. Since the History Deity Warden held records of history in this world, Rhode was able to determine who fled at the beginning of the battle, who shook the army, and who held on until the very end. That was why he was certain that he wouldn��t wrong a good man or spare a bad man. Of course, this was all based on the basis of Alice��s historically accurate records. But for Rhode, her historical records ��must�� always be accurate.


    Or rather, ��had to�� always be accurate.


    There were nearly 5,000 deserters gathered here and they were the first and second in Rhode��s classification (in other words, soldiers who fled first and those who fled second). As for the soldiers who fought to the end and ran away when there was no hope was in sight, though Rhode also captured them, he didn��t punish them severely. After all, in a situation like that, where their comrades were being hindrances, it wasn��t unforgivable for them to retreat. But even so, they were still subjected to rather serious punishments. Thereafter, the soldiers who were recaptured were sent by Rhode to the second defensive line to be in charge of the front line��s patrolling and preparations. In other words, if the battle spread to the second level of defense, they would be the first to come into contact with the enemy. This was already an unimaginably cruel punishment for those soldiers who had experienced firsthand how terrifying the Chaos creatures were.


    However, if they knew what happened to their comrades, they probably wouldn��t be bemoaning how unlucky they were.


    As for those soldiers who fought with the players until the end, Rhode gave them very generous rewards. Not only did he give them a considerable amount of wealth, but he also elevated their status and even allowed soldiers who had lost their ability to fight after the battle to leave the front line. This brought a renewed surge of confidence for those soldiers who were stationed and stuck to the front line of battle. After all, merit should be rewarded; this was Rhode��s creed.


    Of course, so was punishing soldiers for their wrongs. At the same time, while conducting merit commendations of the brave soldiers, Rhode didn��t spare the deserters any punishments. To be on the safe side, he withdrew all the battle angels and players stationed here. Although the Shattered Tooth was the closest point to the front line in the first level of defense, it wasn��t the only one, after all. So even if this place was occupied by Chaos, it wouldn��t affect the entire defensive line too heavily. Of course, he wouldn��t let this place fall so easily either. Because he had already prepared enough ��soldiers�� on his side.


    As for the other point, the scene of punishing the soldiers wasn��t suitable to be seen by anyone else.


    One could imagine the surprise on the soldiers�� faces when they woke up from unconsciousness and opened their eyes, only to find themselves back on the battlefield they had escaped from before.


    ��What��s going on here? How did we get back here?��


    ��What the hell is going on here?!��


    Upon opening their eyes and seeing the familiar and almost frightening scene before them, many soldiers stood up almost immediately, staring at their companions with disturbed gazes. Although many of them belonged to different legions, they still knew one another well. In just a few moments, they became aware of their current situation and the true identity of those people around them, which instead made them even more uneasy.


    At that moment, the soldiers were in the drill ground of the Shattered Tooth, which was normally used for training, so accommodating these deserters naturally wasn��t an issue. The soldiers remained as they were when they were unconscious, and even their weapons hadn��t been taken away from them. Not only that, but they were also stunned to find that the entire drill ground was devoid of people other than themselves. There were neither the heavily-armed guards that they expected, nor nobles in flashy clothes. On the contrary, the entire fortress looked so deserted that there seemed to be no one around. The black windows and ajar doors seemed so hollow that they made some soldiers shiver instinctively. For a moment, they thought there were no living beings except for themselves in this world.


    But just at that moment, a proud voice echoed.


    ��Finally woke up, huh? What a bunch of losers. How dare you make me wait for so long.��


    Upon hearing this voice, the soldiers instinctively looked in the direction the voice sounded and were taken aback.


    Seated above the towering city wall was a beautiful young lady with maroon eyes and long, black hair, donned in a pitch-black dress. At that moment, she crossed her hands, narrowed her eyes, and put up an expression as if she were staring at garbage. She swept an unsentimental glance at the bewildered crowd, which was at a loss for words. And upon sensing her stare, many of them felt a chill running down their spine. Her maroon eyes were so ice-cold that they felt as if a snake were slithering down their back.


    ��Who are you?! What do you want to do to us?!��


    Perhaps after realizing that it was a delicate-looking young lady who appeared before them, a few courageous ones shouted in rage. Although the situation before them was absolutely bewildering as anyone could tell, perhaps due to them owning weapons, they became a lot bolder. And along with their furious cries, the other soldiers also gathered and looked around with wary and uneasy gazes.


    ��You scum have no right to know my identity.��


    In the face of the angry screams, Celestina snorted and raised her head high and proudly spoke, staring at the soldiers before her. Celestina had no kindness for these deserters, and the punishment for defectors in hell made them hate themselves for not fighting to their death in the first place. And now, with Rhode��s authorization, Celestina planned to revive hell here.


    Celestina��s eyes glinted with a cold flash. Then, she spoke with a smile.


    ��Listen up, lowly deserters. You have turned your backs on your duty and fled the battlefield where you belong. And now, it��s time to punish you incompetent fools. By order of Master, from now on, all of you will be on guard duty here. No one will be allowed to leave without permission, or you will be killed on sight���� Celestina came to an odd pause before revealing a smile of anticipation. ��Now, do you understand?��


    ��You��ve got to be kidding me!��


    Although Celestina��s proclamation stunned the soldiers, perhaps due to the fact that there were no armed guards around or powerful beings to suppress them, and only Celestina, who appeared just like an ordinary noblewoman, was around, the soldiers erupted in anger and displeasure after hearing her words.


    ��You want to lock us up here?! We��re not going to get ourselves killed. We��re just humans; there��s no way we can deal with those monsters! It should be a monster��s duty to deal with monsters!��


    ��That��s right! Those officials are always hiding in the back while putting us on the front lines against enemies that are impossible to defeat. They just want us to die and buy them some time to live! Why do we have to die for those guys! If they are that capable, they��ll go to the front lines themselves!��


    ��Yeah! We��re not that dumb to do it! Kill us if you��ve got the guts������


    But that was the end of their complaints.


    At the next moment, a flaming spear punctured the arrogant, screaming soldier. Shortly after, a huge, dog-headed demon strode out of the flames that rose from the ground. At the sight of the flaming spear that penetrated the soldier who was wrought in agony, the dog-headed demon smiled grimly, pulled out its spear, and the soldier collapsed heavily to the ground.


    ��D-Demon!!!��


    Upon seeing the demon before them, many of the soldiers cried out in shock. And it was at that moment that they realized that they were surrounded in bursts of flames. Soon after, a more strange and terrifying-looking dog-headed monster with a flaming spear in hand stepped out of the flames one after another. It only took the blink of an eye for them to surround the crowd completely. The abrupt change in the situation baffled them. The soldiers instinctively drew their weapons and stared nervously at the monsters around them. And at that moment, Celestina��s voice rang out again.


    ��Isn��t it easy enough to kill scums like you? But I won��t let you have an easy time, huhuhu�� I would like to see what else you are capable of.��


    ��Brothers, go all-out against these demons! Kill ��em!��


    Although the dog-headed demons were powerful, there were only around 100 of them surrounding the entire drill ground. Meanwhile, there were thousands of deserters, so it was unclear whether it was out of fear or their number advantage that their confidence was boosted. Shortly after, a number of soldiers drew their weapons in anger, turned around, and rushed toward the entrance outside the drill ground. Upon witnessing this scene, Celestina narrowed her eyes and let out a soft grunt.


    ��Bunch of scum. Since you��ve already made your choice, there��s no need for me to say anything more.��


    Celestina said, stretching out her hand and snapping her fingers lightly.


    Shing������!


    Along with this action, a scarlet magical ritual appeared on the empty ground, emanating an odd and sinister aura. Shortly after, a thin black flog exuded and the soldiers didn��t even have time to react. Their movements gradually became slower as if they were drunk. They stood for a while before slumping weakly to the ground.


    ��W-What��s going on?!��


    One of the soldiers looked at the sword in his hand in bewilderment. At that moment, he felt really strange. Even though he lay on the ground powerlessly like a drunk man, his mind was still incredibly clear. Although he struggled to move his body, he couldn��t even budge. But soon, he had no time to think of such trifles, for at that moment, with the sound of heavy footsteps, dog-headed demons burning with flames all over their body had arrived at his side. Detecting the ruthless excitement in the eyes of the demons, the soldier trembled from head to toe. He looked up in fear at the demons, gaped, but couldn��t make a single sound. And almost at the same time, Celestina��s pleasant, beautiful voice sounded in everyone��s ears again.


    ��Master said to kill anyone who tries to escape, so�� Be good and die, scums. Please me with your howls and screams!��


    With those words, a dog-headed demon raised its flaming spear and pierced the stomach of the soldier in front of it. Then, the demon swung up its spear and slashed open the soldier��s abdomen, while blood and internal organs flew out and scattered on the ground. If it were a normal day, after being treated like this, the soldier would have already passed out from the pain. But it was completely different now. Although he felt agonizing pain, his mind was incomparably clear. There wasn��t the slightest hint of confusion, and for that, the pain of the disembowelment overwhelmed his brain. The unfortunate soldier could do nothing but open his mouth and scream miserably.


    ��Ahhhhh!��


    Horrifying screams filled the fortress. The dog-headed demons strolled along the soldiers, brandished their flaming spears and cut open their bodies cruelly and excitedly, enjoying the unparalleled,miserable, and tragic scene before them. And for those soldiers, it was the most cruel punishment. They had never encountered anything like this before. Obviously, their bodies were slashed open and penetrated, while their limbs were cut off and burned. But there was no way for them to escape. The incomparable suffering of their limbs reached their heads vividly, where apart from enduring the torment, they could do nothing else.


    ��N-No. I beg you. Please let me go!��


    ��No! Help��!��


    Listening to the pleads of the crowd, Celestina closed her eyes and showed the same ecstasy as if she were listening to a moving symphony of beautiful melodies. Her right hand beat time to the screams as if they were a beautiful song. She raised her right hand and slid it across the air gently.


    ��Alright then, let��s begin�� O�� eternal darkness and death, heed my call and grant these scums eternal pain and torment!��


    At Celestina��s call, the dark fog grew thicker as it tumbled to envelop the soldiers who had fallen to the ground, making them disappear in the blink of an eye.

 Chapter 1316 - Bloodstained Front (2)

    Autumn had arrived.


    The days went on. Although everyone was busy with their own affairs, they still carried them out in an orderly manner. With the passage of time, people gradually became familiar with their new lives. In the beginning, even though many of them across the entire Dragon Soul Continent couldn��t accept this large-scale migration project, they slowly accepted the lifestyle and resumed their day-to-day work in their new home and land. Despite many losing their loved ones in the face of the black smoke and death in the many previous wars, they still had to go on with their lives, after all.


    Furthermore, in this ��world��, it wasn��t easy to die for real.


    However, on this very peaceful day, the news surprised many. It was rumored that their ruler actually had dealings with the demons! Not only that, but he also teamed up with demons to turn all soldiers who weren��t willing to go to battle into evil and horrible monsters!


    This rumor worried many people whose families were fighting on the front lines. Even though this was only a rumor in the marketplace, it still caused a certain degree of panic. Of course, most people didn��t actually trust it as it was basically unsubstantiated and had no sense of truth to it. It also had the same value as those so-called ��once-upon-a-time�� stories that were passed down orally. However, as the saying went, it was better to think of the worst case scenario and be pleasantly surprised. When such a rumor spread so widely, it would inevitably make people anxious. After all, Rhode and the other dragons didn��t tell the public the truth in the first place, but told them that it was Ion��s foolish actions (since nothing was more convenient than pushing the blame to a dead man) that resulted in the Chaos creatures invading the Dragon Soul Continent. In order to repel the Chaos creatures and keep the people safe, they had to relocate to the inland core region.


    This theory was accepted by quite a lot of the people of the Country of Light. If it were in the past, the people would surely pay little regard to it. But after suffering the war, they were in no condition to demand for more. Moreover, it was also true that continuous invasions of the Country of Darkness left a terrible and scary impression of Ion, who was seemingly the sinister BOSS to the people of the Country of Light. Even if it were said that Ion planned on destroying the world, those people would definitely believe that it was his true intention. Therefore, these people from the Country of Light were considered to have accepted Rhode��s statement wholeheartedly. For that reason, none of them put up any resistance when Rhode and Lydia sent their soldiers to the front lines to fight against the Chaos creatures. But now, in the context of this rumor, many people were getting a little worried. Although it was just an unsubstantiated rumor, Rhode and Lydia weren��t considered good people in the Country of Light��s people��s impression. It was especially so for Rhode, who single-handedly destroyed Casabianca and annihilated everyone within the Light Capital in the first place. In the hearts of the Country of Light��s people, Rhode was no better than Ion. So if it were said that Rhode and the demons were in collusion, it wasn��t completely unreasonable. Moreover, during the demolition of Casabianca, there was already a rumor about Rhode communicating with the demons and summoning a demon army to destroy Casabianca. In that case, it wasn��t entirely out of the question for something like this to happen again, wasn��t it?


    For that reason, this rumor was rather widespread in the Country of Light, which instilled fear in many people in an instant. They were afraid that their loved ones on the front lines would also be captured by that horrible demon and made into some kind of monster.


    But what made it strange was that in that situation, Lydia didn��t deny or try to stop the rumor. On the contrary, she publicly released a proclamation while the rumors spread wildly. In this proclamation, she harshly condemned the actions of certain soldiers on the front lines who fled from the battlefield, causing the defensive line to nearly crumble. At the same time, she acknowledged that harsh punishments were given to these deserters and didn��t fail to warn soldiers elsewhere to take this as a stern warning, where whoever was found to commit similar acts would not be spared the severe punishment either.


    Although this announcement from Lydia was only issued to the military and not to the general public, this news was still spread through various channels and caused uproars among the people. Even though Lydia��s announcement didn��t specify what kind of punishment was given to those deserters, she also didn��t deny turning them into monsters. For that reason, after this announcement was made, the anxious storm continued to brew instead of subsiding.


    ��Is that really fine, Your Majesty Rhode?��


    Slumping into the soft chair, Lydia put down the documents in her hands and looked up at Rhode who sat in front of her. As a matter of fact, she knew very well what he had done. Back then, it was Gaya who brought the Flesh Hunters here in the first place, and she also knew that Rhode had Celestina, a high demon, as his subject. However, Lydia was no pedant as an archangel. She was also aware that there was nothing more important than the safety of the Dragon Soul Continent, so as long as Rhode didn��t seek help from demons to spite her on purpose, she was happy to pretend she didn��t know.


    When this rumor first started spreading, Lydia was tempted to eliminate it. However, Rhode stopped her from doing so and through that, she knew that he must have leaked this information by some means of his own. Even she had to admit that this was a risky move for him. Indeed, after hearing the threatening news, the soldiers from other regions would likely give it a little more thought before fleeing for safety in the next battle. But at the same time, it would also create instability in her country. In fact, she had already received several letters from the Country of Light��s officials stating their displeasure and witnessed people taking to the streets to protest, demanding that they reveal the truth about the war on the front lines. Although these were only small-scale protests, Lydia was well aware of their behaviors. If they didn��t receive answers, they would cause even more ruckus. And conversely, even if they received answers, the objection would likely get bigger if the answers weren��t able to satisfy them. And Lydia was sure that if they learned the truth, the situation would get worse�� Though she wasn��t quite sure what the truth was, that is.


    ��Don��t worry, just keep it that way, Your Highness Lydia. There will be no problem as long as you make sure these rumors only circulate within the Country of Light.��


    In response to Lydia��s question, Rhode looked really calm. And looking at this scene, the former raised her eyebrows. Although Rhode didn��t say it outright, she could almost guess what he was thinking. Perhaps this time, he was about to pull his best tricks.


    Lydia thought she knew a lot about him. The first time she heard of the young man, she had paid attention to him covertly. In her opinion, he was neither the best at fighting nor strategy or tactics, but his ability to spread his bizarre conspiracies and schemes seemed to top all. According to Rhode, it seemed like his strategy was called ��pull the masses to fight the masses��, which Lydia had already witnessed in the Midsummer Festival. At that time, Rhode won the tournament in arguably the most controversial way possible. There was a lot of anger and accusation.


    Back then, Lydia wondered what Rhode would do about it, though with Lydia��s ability to silence such voices, it wasn��t like she couldn��t keep them down. But still, she wanted to see how he would handle the crisis. What she didn��t expect was that afterward, he changed the direction of public opinion cleverly and subtly. Not only did he easily reverse the entire situation, but he also turned those who were discontent with him into his most loyal supporters.


    This unexpected turn of events surprised Lydia. Of course, she knew what he did there, but she just didn��t think that the effects would be so immediate. And now, upon seeing him smear his name by himself once again and have absolutely no intention of pulling out of it, Lydia knew that perhaps he was planning to play that trick again. Or else he wouldn��t have made her limit the range of rumors to the Country of Light only.


    Although it was easier to restrict the freedom of speech in this era without the Internet and other fads, the word of mouth was, as a matter of fact, always the fastest way to deliver news, and not even the high-speed network could compare to its wild spread. Therefore, it wasn��t really easy to limit the spread of rumors. However, Lydia was well aware that while it wasn��t that straightforward in other regions, it was still relatively easy to keep the rumors within the Country of Light only.


    Reason being the xenophobic nature of the Country of Light.


    One had to admit that Rome wasn��t built in a day, a leopard couldn��t change its spots, and bad habits were hard to change. Even if Rhode had blown up Casabianca and killed hundreds of thousands of people from the Country of Light, the cold and noble spirit within them still hadn��t dissipated.


    Even though they could tuck their tails between their legs and act like obedient dogs in front of Rhode and Lydia, they acted superior before everyone else. Perhaps it was absolute arrogance that led to such absolute inferiority, or maybe deep down, they simply despised foreigners. So even though Rhode and Lydia had relocated the people of the Country of Light to the Void Territory and Munn Kingdom, they formed their small social circles that rarely came into contact with people from other places.


    This was especially the case with people from places like the Void Territory and Munn Kingdom that they had previously looked down upon. The people of the Country of Light were like those who were once of noble birth, but later fell and entered the slums to lead the rest of their lives. Although there was seemingly no difference on the surface, on the inside, they were different from those who had been beggars for generations. Because they were all high-class nobles!


    Rhode was aware of that. And perhaps that was why he deliberately allowed the rumor to spread. As he had mentioned, one��s position determined one��s views and behavior. In the eyes of the people of the Country of Light, Rhode was a monster who slaughtered hundreds of thousands of their compatriots, while Lydia was the tyrant who oppressed them. The people of the Country of Light surely had endless terrible things to say about both of them.


    But the treatment was different in the Munn Kingdom and Void Territory. Lydia was an outstanding leader in the Munn Kingdom. People under her rule lived in prosperity, peace, and harmony. She also led the army to hold off repeated attacks from the Country of Darkness, which was in stark contrast to the scenes of the Country of Light, where the defenseless people crumbled and fled when under attack, resulting in the continuous conflagration of their homes.


    And Rhode? To the people of the Void Territory, he was the beacon of light in this chaotic world. He was the one who personally led the development of this land and gave shelter to those who were displaced by the war. Many of these people were mercenaries who had retired to enjoy their old age after following him into exploring and opening up the land of Chaos. In their spare time, they also bragged to those around them about the days they pioneered the land of Chaos with Rhode. As such, Rhode��s position in the Void Territory was about the same as Lydia��s position in the Munn Kingdom.


    In that case, the people of the Country of Light aggravated the situation by bad-mouthing Rhode and Lydia with baseless gossip (After all, Rhode only targeted the deserters of the Country of Light. And while it wasn��t like there weren��t any deserters in other regions, the occurrence wasn��t as common as those in the Country of Light, which was why Rhode had double standards).


    Under that situation, some believed the rumors spread from the people of the Country of Light. But most of them definitely wouldn��t believe them, so Rhode didn��t have to worry about the rumors causing internal strife and whatnot, after all. Even if there was chaos, chaos would only be within the Country of Light and had limited impact on other regions. Moreover, Rhode was already fully prepared for it. Compared to the entire Dragon Soul Continent, he didn��t need to worry about the little bit of people in the Country of Light.


    ��Since you��ve said so, I won��t do anything more. But Your Majesty Rhode, please be a bit more careful and don��t go too far. After all, the current situation�� Isn��t very favorable for us as well.��


    ��I��m well aware of that, Your Highness Lydia.��


    In response to Lydia��s reminder, Rhode replied with a smile. He knew that Lydia didn��t really like him doing this kind of thing. At any rate, she was an archangel. Even if she were able to take the bigger picture into account, it didn��t mean that she was able to easily accept Rhode��s actions. To stand idly by and not do anything was already a great honor to Rhode. Besides, that was under the basis that everything he did was for a reason and not to satisfy his personal desire. Otherwise, she wouldn��t have let him off the hook so easily. But Rhode was also well aware of that, so he responded to her reminder with a serious attitude. When Lydia heard his answer, she also smiled and stopped speaking about this topic.


    However, this wasn��t the main reason why the two of them were here drinking tea and chitchatting. The reason why they were here was, as Lydia said, because Chaos was acting a little strange. It wasn��t that they were acting out again, but on the contrary, they were overly quiet. After the previous battle, the Chaos creatures hadn��t shown up before everyone again. For that reason, Rhode and Lydia even sent patrols deep into the battlefield to check Chaos out at the edge of the boundary. But the news they received was quite surprising. According to reports from those patrols, the Chaos creatures had actually disappeared and there was no sign of them even at the edge of the boundary!


    Such an abnormal behavior naturally caught Rhode��s attention. He had fought Chaos longer than anyone else and was experienced in dealing with them. And now, aside from his younger sister, the seven deity wardens, and his holy sword cards, he considered himself to understand Chaos more than anyone. Right now, something was definitely up with their odd disappearance. It was especially so after having a conversation with that Chaos crimson eyeball earlier. He always felt as if Chaos were up to something all this time and the previous attacks were just a test. It might not be long before these terrifying creatures attacked the Dragon Soul Continent once again. But now, they had nothing to do other than wait for their assault.


    ��What strategy do you think Chaos will use this time, Your Majesty Rhode?��


    In response to Lydia��s question, Rhode shrugged and spread his arms apart helplessly.


    ��I��m not too sure about that, Your Highness Lydia. After all, Chaos uses all sorts of strange tactics and anything can happen. All we can do is to prepare for their advances and����


    Rumble��!


    However, before Rhode finished his sentence, a deafening thunderclap sounded all of a sudden, interrupting him. Upon hearing the thunderclap, both of them were taken aback.


    What is going on? Why is it thundering?


    The land guarded by the respective dragon soul protection had a close connection to the mood of the dragon soul heir. In the past, Lillian hadn��t retrieved her power, so she couldn��t control it yet. But now that she had gotten all her power back and became the true Light Dragon, her feelings would also affect the land under the Light Dragon��s soul protection. Of course, it didn��t mean that all her emotions would trigger the weather; it was just that emotions that were particularly intense would cause an effect similar to the one right now. However, she had been emotionally stable, and the weather was pretty normal all this while, so what was the cause of this sudden thunder?


    At this thought, Rhode got up hastily, went to the window, and looked out. Almost at the same time, along with another deafening thunderclap, a red lightning bolt struck down from the distant sky, hitting the land heavily. When Rhode witnessed this scene, his expression changed slightly.


    ��That is��!��

 Chapter 1317 - Bloodstained Front (3)

    Blood-red bolts of lightning exploded across the sky. The originally clear, azure sky darkened as if it were tainted by cloudy sludge. At that moment, Rhode and Lydia tensed up and darted out of the room. In an instant, they vanished to nowhere. Because they were clearer than anyone what this scene meant.


    The encroachment of Chaos had arrived yet again.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    Rapid alarms wailed. The peaceful defensive line entered a state of uproar like hot boiling water, with soldiers running up the city walls as fast as they could after putting on their armor and grabbing their weapons. Above them, the floating warships were all lined up, while the soft, dazzling brilliance of the Holy Maiden Statues descended from heaven like a waterfall, linking with the lands to form a strong barrier. Angels fluttered their wings and soared into the sky. Apart from the armored soldiers below them, many players were also seen.


    Soon, the red lightning became increasingly vivid. A series of scarlet flashes surfaced in the horizon, while thick, dark clouds once again spread across the sky. Not only that, but along with furious roars, countless shadows also emerged, churning and tumbling forward like a fierce river. The air became tense for an instant. At that moment, the invisible air seemed to have turned into a boulder of a thousand kilograms weighing down on their shoulders. As a matter of fact, many soldiers indeed turned pale. But even so, they insisted on standing upright on the city wall and didn��t move a muscle.


    ��Looks so much better than before.��


    Standing above the floating warship and looking down, Rhode nodded in praise after sweeping a glance at the people on the defensive line. It wasn��t surprising that he said so because in the earlier battle, the soldiers froze to the spot upon seeing the arrival of Chaos. Although Rhode admitted that whoever witnessed Chaos creatures gliding down from the sky would be petrified of their aggression, it didn��t mean that the soldiers should escape on the spot.


    But back then, they were really at a loss. Perhaps because it was their first time taking on Chaos head-on, many broke down mentally before contact was even made. Fortunately, there were indeed quite a number of angels and clerics on his side. With the support of a whole bunch of spiritual spells, he was able to stabilize the battle line. Otherwise, perhaps the moment the first line of defense he had painstakingly built came into contact with Chaos, it would collapse completely.


    But now, perhaps after experiencing war and becoming more familiar with the characteristics of Chaos, the soldiers didn��t seem as flustered as before. Although their expressions seemed a little tense, they were still in control of themselves. What terrified one the most was to face something that one couldn��t understand the true nature of at all. And once the true nature was revealed, be it aliens or Godzilla[1], they were nothing more than ��enemies�� to humans.


    The same went for these soldiers. Most of them had no idea what those so-called Chaos creatures were until now, or how terrifying they were, and whether or not they could be defeated. That was why they were naturally filled with fear. But after having fought each other in a war earlier and realizing that Chaos wasn��t as invincible as they had thought, they became more confident in their chances. Of course, there was no denying the deliberate ��conniving�� announcement that Rhode made. But at that moment, it was clear that Rhode was simply ignoring the situation.


    ��Well then, Your Majesty Rhode, I��ll leave this place to you. I��ll head to the western defenses to check on the situation.��


    ��Leave it to me, Lydia.��


    Upon hearing Lydia��s words, Rhode waved his hand airily. Of course, he knew why she left him here. But since she didn��t want to say more, he wouldn��t be that foolish to expose himself. That was why he nodded slightly and watched as she left, before connecting with the others through his spiritual communication.


    Due to the need to familiarize himself with the Holy Sword Barrier, Rhode didn��t split the holy sword spirits and send to the other defensive lines this time. Instead, he found others to take their place. Of course, they were ones who had spiritual communications with him, such as Angelina, the projected Mini Bubble Gum, Canary, Icy Snow, and Lesa and the rest. To be on the safe side, they were also split up by him and sent to different defensive lines.


    Even though they seemed to be assisting the defensive lines, as a matter of fact, it was just a way for Rhode to have a few more eyes out there to check in on the situation on all fronts so he could respond promptly. While many of the systems in the Dragon Soul Continent had been gamified, it was a shame that the communication system that players needed the most couldn��t allow them to connect with Rhode all the time. So there was no way for Rhode to form parties like in the game and chat from the ends of the continent. Therefore, it was fair to say that this decision was his only approach.


    Incidentally, the original selves of Mini Bubble Gum and Canary also participated in the upcoming battle. In fact, in the beginning, Rhode didn��t want them to risk their lives. Although after arriving at the Dragon Soul Continent, their power attributes had returned to their original levels through some tuning, and there was a possibility for them to be resurrected, Rhode didn��t dare take any chances. That was why he initially arranged for them to stay in the safety of the back line. However, they didn��t want to stand idly by and not offer any help.


    Without a choice, Rhode had to leave them in the care of their respective projections. He also gave the projections a strict order to protect their original selves. Although their personalities were more or less the same, wasn��t it always said that one knew oneself best? With the two projections in place, it shouldn��t be possible for anything bad to happen to their original selves.


    And after Rhode asked around, he found out that this time, Chaos wasn��t launching an all-out attack either. The border that Canary and Lesa were stationed in didn��t look like it was under attack at all. The underground world where Angelina and Nell were assigned to seemed to be safe as well. On the contrary, over in the border of the Void Territory, Mini Bubble Gum and Icy Snow sent back some news of Chaos��s attack. But Rhode didn��t find it that surprising since the Void Territory was the newest territory to be explored compared to other territories, which was why it was relatively close to Chaos itself.


    Ever since Chaos attacked the Dragon Soul Continent, attacks on the Void Territory had been really common. However, with the seven deity wardens and magic warships on the battlefield, Rhode felt rather relieved. But for that reason, he couldn��t spare too many people to support elsewhere. Otherwise, he wouldn��t have chosen to rely solely on a group of players and the magic warships of the Munn Kingdom to defend the territory. After all, in terms of power, his magic warships were stronger. Unfortunately, the borders of the Void Territory were only a little longer than the Country of Light��s. He could be considered to have given his all to protect his borders from the invasion of Chaos. Meanwhile, it was impossible to mobilize manpower and strength to help the Country of Light.


    Of course, aside from these objective reasons, Rhode wasn��t without ideas himself. After all, the first line of defense was always bound to be abandoned. But even if he gave it up, there was still a first come first serve basis in place. Sacrificing the defensive line over at the Country of Light so that their men could retreat smoothly was better than sending reinforcements over and accompanying them to their graves.


    At this thought, the corners of Rhode��s mouth curled up slightly into a wry smile. At the next moment, he metamorphosed into a white light and vanished quickly. And when he reappeared, he arrived at a broken city wall.


    ��Master, you��re finally here.��


    An arrogant voice echoed as Rhode appeared. Celestina emerged from the darkness with her head held high, walking toward him. Upon seeing the demon young lady, the true identity of this line of defense was also known. That��s right. This was precisely the ��Shattered Tooth�� where Celestina ��buried�� those thousands of deserters ��alive��.


    ��The situation seems alright here.��


    Rhode said, sweeping a glance at the soldiers standing quietly above the city wall. But in the face of his gaze, the soldiers seemed completely unresponsive as they stood upright with ashen faces and lifeless eyes. But if one were to feel it, one would discover that inside the bodies of these soldiers, there was a certain evil stench. It was apparent that this was Celestina��s doing.


    ��Are you sure you can really keep this place safe with them? Although I was the one who came up with this idea in the first place, if they can��t do it, I can still deploy some players over.��


    Due to the peculiar nature of this place, Rhode let neither ordinary soldiers (after all, although rumors were spreading wildly, there was still a big difference between witnessing real evidence and just listening to gossip) nor players nor the battle angel army get close. It could also be said that if Rhode were to defend this place, he could only rely upon himself, the holy sword spirits, these soldiers modified by Celestina, and the Flesh Hunters.


    After Gaya brought the Flesh Hunters over, Rhode summoned Celestina and had her sign a contract with them. And to his relief, although the Flesh Hunters were considered mutants, the demon��s bloodline in their body was still the real deal. Even though they dared to threaten Gaya, they behaved like obedient dogs and trembled in fear in the face of Celestina. It could be seen that hierarchy between demons was still very strict and this trait was deeply integrated into the minds of the Flesh Hunters. Meanwhile, Celestina was also rather satisfied with this arrangement. According to her, she had long wanted a team of personal guards. Upon hearing Rhode��s question, she twitched her lips and gave a proud reply.


    ��Don��t worry, Master, these lowly scums have been modified by a secret technique of mine. They are my most loyal, obedient, and powerful pets and survive by devouring flesh and death. They should be fine resisting a bunch of Chaos creatures.��


    ��Great if that��s the case.��


    Upon hearing Celestina��s proud reply, Rhode nodded in satisfaction. After all, Celestina had fought against Chaos creatures in the Creation War in the first place. She had extensive knowledge of Chaos creatures, so her words had a certain degree of credibility. Since she said that there should be no problem, Rhode could most likely trust her. But even so, he didn��t let his guard down. This time, he was so particular about this side of the situation because he wanted to witness the true combat power of the Flesh Hunters that were ��modified�� by Celestina. If they were strong enough to satisfy Rhode, they could become a hidden trump card against Chaos in the future��


    While Rhode and Celestina exchanged a few words, the Chaos creatures, on the other side, ran wildly toward the defensive line. At the same time, flashes of magical brilliance emanated from all directions. Coupled with the brilliant fire of the magical cannons, the first wave of Chaos creatures were annihilated by an overwhelming storm of attacks. Despite that, it was nothing more than child��s play for the Chaos creatures. Although they were torn apart, they continued to cry and pounce ahead without hesitation. Their bodies froze in magical brilliance and shattered from the gunfire over and over, but even that didn��t stop them. On the contrary, they plunged forward savagely. That was what was most frightening about Chaos and the reason why their defenses crumbled most of the time. When the defenders knew there was nothing they could do to stop the attack no matter what, they knew that only despair and death awaited them.


    ��There doesn��t seem to be any difference����


    Frowning and staring at the Chaos creatures before him, Rhode mumbled under his breath. He always felt like things weren��t this simple. Chaos had been oddly silent for so long and this time, so its ambush shouldn��t only be at this level. But even so, he didn��t stop his hand motions. On the contrary, gazing at the Chaos creatures, a glint flashed in his eyes. He twitched the fingers of his right hand and three pure white cards appeared between them. Along with this movement, the pure white cards flickered in unique colors. Soon after, he flung his arm at the Chaos creatures. The three cards with glowing trajectories flew out of his fingers in a swish. And in the mere blink of an eye, they disappeared into the murky ocean of creatures, never to be seen again. One might wonder if the holy sword spirits were completely devoured by Chaos. But soon, along with his action, everything changed.


    ��Go!��


    The moment the three cards sank into the ocean of Chaos creatures, Rhode shouted and raised his right arm. Along with this action, the three cards exploded in three pillars of light. The dazzling brilliances broke through the restraints of the Chaos creatures and outlined a triangular pattern. Upon sensing the triple spiritual undulations, Rhode��s face turned much more composed as he stared gravely at the pillars of light before him. He clenched his right hand tightly and made a downward-pulling motion.


    All of a sudden, the connected triangle shook and descended from the sky like a heavy structure. The shimmering lights fell from above with a bang, landing in the middle of the triangle. Immediately after, a halo of light expanded in all directions, overwhelming the Chaos creatures within its range and leaving them howling and screaming in agony. They waved their limbs vainly to escape the light that bound them. With the diffusion of aura, the Chaos creatures that were enfolded by the light suddenly looked as if they were placed in a scorching oven. Their bodies began to emit smoke and even their movement became much slower. As the aura swept past them, they turned into remnants that were blazed in high heat.


    ��Good.��


    Rhode nodded at this sight, extended his right arm again, and the three cards returned to his palm along with this action. At that moment, within the hundreds of kilometers in front of him, the Chaos creatures were completely wiped out. Not only that, but the Chaos creatures by the rear also became slower after being lit up by the holy light. Soon, the players seized this opportunity to attack the Chaos creatures and repress their fierce aggression.


    I��m getting more familiar with the Holy Sword Barrier.


    Sensing the spiritual undulations on his palm, Rhode nodded in satisfaction. After this period of constant battle, he became rather handy in the use of cards with the same attributes. The next thing he had to grasp was a mix of attributes and lastly, using them all at once. As soon as he could master the control of all 10 holy sword spirits at the same time, he could easily set up the barrier.


    The only problem that��s left is��


    ��Grrr��!��


    While he pondered, deafening roars reverberated and interrupted his thoughts. He lifted his head and turned in the direction of the menacing snarls. Then, he twitched his brow and revealed an unsurprised expression.


    The skeletal dragons showed up again.


    [1] A fictional monster that originates from a series of Japanese films of the same name.

 Chapter 1318 - Bloodstained Front (4)

    Along with the furious roars of the skeletal dragons, their massive bodies appeared in Rhode��s vision. Looking at this scene, Rhode wasn��t all that surprised. Ever since Chaos influenced and awakened the corpses and souls of the night wyverns, they became the most powerful and indispensable of all the Chaos armies. According to Rhode��s calculations, ever since Chaos launched their attack, his side had cleaned up about a dozen skeletal dragons. But it clearly wasn��t enough.


    Compared to the nearly a thousand night wyverns that existed in the past, this was only a very small portion of them. And for that reason, the defensive line was able to barely stop them. Otherwise, if more than a thousand skeletal dragons attacked the defensive line at the same time, it would be a huge trouble for Rhode as well. But what was astonishing to him was that Chaos didn��t actually do that. It was very likely that they hadn��t been able to influence all the skeletal dragons, but rather sent to the battlefield the ones they managed to influence. Considering the amusing nature of Chaos, this possibility wasn��t entirely impossible. Of course, if that were the case, it would simply be the most desirable situation for Rhode to be in.


    I wonder how long this desirable situation will last��


    At this thought, Rhode collected himself, raised his head, and gazed at the group of skeletal dragons with a grave expression. Judging from the number, there were around 14 to 15 skeletal dragons attacking this defensive line on the Country of Light��s border. Looking at this scene, he twitched the corner of his eye. There were only four to five skeletal dragons that attacked this place at the beginning. But now, there were actually 14 to 15 of them. Rhode hoped that this number was the total amount after gathering the skeletal dragons from other front lines and wasn��t due to the fact that the rate of Chaos��s influence and conversion was becoming faster. Otherwise, perhaps Rhode��s ��good times�� would indeed be coming to an end soon.


    If this were the previous defensive line, maybe they would struggle against these skeletal dragons. But now��


    ��Celestina, are you ready?��


    ��Of course, Master. Everything is in place. Please enjoy the show from your first class seat.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Celestina raised her head proudly, extended her arm, and snapped her fingers.


    Snap.


    ��Roarrr������!��


    Along with this action by Celestina, a series of wolf-like howls echoed from the surface. Shortly after, Rhode witnessed the shadows by the defensive line twisting and turning, followed by a string of scarlet flames that erupted from them. Hundreds of Flesh Hunters let out chilling shrieks, flying out from the flames like exploding meteors and dragging long trajectories behind them as they headed toward the skeletal dragons. However, they looked uglier and even more terrifying than before. Apart from their muscular stature, they also had a pair of pitch-black, bat-like wings. At that moment, the demons flapped their wings strongly, roared, and pounced onto the skeletal dragons.


    In the face of the massive skeletal dragons, the Flesh Hunters were nothing more than food the size of sheepdogs. Glaring at the enemies pouncing toward them, the skeletal dragons came to a halt almost simultaneously and the spiritual flames burning inside their pitch-black eye sockets grew even brighter. They snapped their jaw open and whistling gales gusted and coalesced in their mouths. At the next moment, energy gathered and metamorphosed into a turbid torrent of death that spurted straight at the Flesh Hunters.


    Bam! Bam! Bam!


    In an instant, the heavens and earth darkened. A mysterious, cloudy light beam consisting of the power of Chaos tore apart Order and swept across the land and sky without mercy, leaving behind deep fissures in the ground. Not only that, but the sky also wasn��t able to escape this terrifying blow. The azure sky turned gloomy and even the sun became seemingly pale and dim as if it had lost its luster and became dull and listless.


    The Flesh Hunters who bore the brunt of the attack were no exception. Under the spray of the Chaos dragon breath, the scarlet flames burning on their bodies were extinguished in an instant. Shortly after, a great flood of light tore through them so mercilessly that Rhode witnessed one of them being sliced in half. At the same time, almost all the Flesh Hunters that charged at the skeletal dragons were annihilated. It was highly likely that the ones that survived would be doomed in the next wave of attack. But this was also within Rhode��s expectations.


    The Flesh Hunters were on about the same level as Gaya, so how was it possible for them to resist the skeletal dragons�� attack? Furthermore, these skeletal dragons were ancient night wyverns, so their mighty spiritual powers were undoubtedly tough to deal with. Not to mention, they were also influenced and awakened by Chaos. Even though Chaos wasn��t given any privileges of Order, they were quite significant in terms of power enhancement. For that reason, the skeletal dragons became much harder to deal with compared to when they were alive. If the Flesh Hunters were able to reach the side of the skeletal dragons effortlessly, it could be considered a waste of time for Gaya and Lydia to personally guard this place all this while.


    That was why this wasn��t what Rhode was concerned about. Instead, what he was more interested in was the other ability of the Flesh Hunters��


    ��Roarrr������!��


    Under another bombardment of the dragon breaths, hundreds of Flesh Hunters were instantly enveloped and about to end up dead. But at the next moment, another series of wolf-like howls penetrated out from the dragon breaths. Along with the disappearance of the dragon breaths, the Flesh Hunters that should have died sprang out of the smoke and charged at the skeletal dragons!


    Not bad.


    Looking at this scene, Rhode nodded in satisfaction. This was what he expected to see. According to Gaya, the bloodline of these Flesh Hunters was connected to the bloodline of the people of the Eastern Plains due to their curse. Unless all of the people of the Eastern Plains died, these Flesh Hunters would never truly die. And now it seemed like their ��immortality�� was indeed quite helpful.


    But this wasn��t the only reason why Rhode chose to let the Flesh Hunters fight against the skeletal dragons. Even if they couldn��t be killed, their strength was still much weaker than the skeletal dragons. Take ants, for instance. Tens of hundreds of ants were no match for humans even if they gathered. Even if they couldn��t be killed, they could still be imprisoned (this was what the battle angels and Eastern Plains had done in the past). If that was all there was to it, the Flesh Hunters would still be nothing more than pieces of rocks in the skeletal dragons�� path even if they possessed immortality. They had no way to stop the skeletal dragons from making large strides. However, Rhode had chosen them clearly for his own reasons.


    Staring at the Flesh Hunters that were supposed to be destroyed in their dragon breath darting over again, the skeletal dragons were stumped. It was apparent that even they were confused by this scene before them. But even so, the skeletal dragons were still experienced in battle, after all. Upon witnessing the dog-headed demons pouncing toward them, they flapped their wings and flew skyward, distancing themselves quickly. Shortly after, the skeletal dragons raised their heads and spurted out dragon breaths that enfolded the dog-headed demons.


    The skeletal dragons also seemed to learn from their previous lesson. This time, their fiery breaths spread out in a fan-like shape and under the bombardment of a dozen dragon breaths, all the dog-headed demons were shrouded in the blink of an eye. By all accounts, even the battle angels would have suffered considerable injuries if they didn��t die under this strike. No matter what, this attack also contained the aura of Chaos, so there was absolutely no way that even a battle angel could fully withstand such a powerful attack.


    Whoosh������!


    However, at the same time the skeletal dragons spat their Chaos dragon breaths, streaks of dazzling, fiery red brilliance flashed past and split apart their attacks forcibly. Soon after, several stripes of burning light flew across the air and struck the skeletal dragons�� skulls.


    Boom!


    In a series of exploding flames, even the skeletal dragons were unable to withstand such a fierce attack. They stopped spitting their breaths and retreated in all directions hurriedly. But this time, they weren��t able to back down, for as they retreated, the dog-headed demons that dashed out of the dragon breaths screeched and brandished their flaming spears at the skeletal dragons.


    If one were to take a closer look at the demons�� bodies, one would be surprised to find that they weren��t hurt by the Chaos dragon breath in any way. On the contrary, the skin that revealed their bloody flesh after being ripped apart became flat and smooth. Under the radiance of the flames, one could also clearly see pieces that resembled dragon scales!


    ��Awesome. Looks like Gaya didn��t lie to us.��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode nodded in satisfaction, turned to Celestina, and commented. Upon hearing his words, Celestina nodded with great pleasure. It was obvious that she understood what Rhode was trying to say.


    ��Of course, Master. If I were able to get my hands on these slaves earlier, we would have stood a higher chance of defeating those damn skeletal dragons. But they aren��t too bad either. Even though there are some troubles and weaknesses in these slaves that the worthless Hell Lord created, judging from this situation, they aren��t all that useless.��


    Just like what Celestina said, apart from their ��immortality��, the Flesh Hunters also had an outstanding trait��the ability to regenerate. But this form of regeneration wasn��t simply a matter of restoring their flesh; rather, in the process of regeneration, the Flesh Hunters would become immune to the properties of the attacks that injured them previously. Not only that, but they would also be able use that power as their own. After being bombarded and swept away by the Chaos dragon breath, not only were the Flesh Hunters resistant to it now, but during the process of regeneration, they also received the power and defense of the dragon race! That was why their bodies were now covered in dragon scales. It was precisely during the previous attack that they absorbed the skeletal dragons�� power.


    And that was also why the battle angel army failed to eliminate these demons and had no choice but to imprison them in an enchanted field. In the battle between the battle angel army and the Flesh Hunters, the latter absorbed the formers�� powers. As a matter of fact, the burnt bat wings on their backs were actually angel wings due to the conflicting energy between angels and demons. However, the Flesh Hunters couldn��t specify which power to absorb into their body, which was why the contradiction between just and evil attributes led to them becoming strange-looking creatures. For that reason, not only did the Flesh Hunters not become stronger, but they were also weakened instead, which was why the battle angel army was eventually able to lock them up. Otherwise, if the Flesh Hunters could absorb any form of power, they would basically be invincible.


    But it was a pity that all things counteracted with one another.


    However, the current situation was completely opposite. Not only were the Flesh Hunters�� defense increased to that of the dragon race after absorbing their power, but their strength was also raised quite a bit. In that case, the skeletal dragons�� earlier attack on them, in turn, became the best way to strengthen the Flesh Hunters. Fortunately, no matter how the Flesh Hunters grew, they were still demons in essence. Even though in most situations, this explanation wasn��t a convincing one, Rhode wasn��t worried at all.


    Since demons respected the strict hierarchy among themselves and he had a high-class noble demon like Celestina, who was naturally superior to them, around, they wouldn��t disobey her orders no matter how powerful they became. Moreover, even though the Flesh Hunters seemed to possess strong abilities like a holy knight that intimidated one, it wasn��t like there wasn��t anyone who could stop them. After all, it was only their strength that was increased and they still weren��t capable of defying the erosion of rules. Therefore, even if they were powerful enough to break free from Celestina��s restraints in the end, as long as Rhode got the Presence Deity Warden, Marybelle, to wave her magical staff and make them disappear, he didn��t need to worry about nurturing a tiger and inviting calamity.


    At that moment, the Flesh Hunters had gotten in a brawl with the skeletal dragons. In the beginning, although they were ripped apart and bitten by the skeletal dragons from time to time, they became much stronger now and the power they gained allowed them to regenerate and put up some resistance. Right now, these dog-headed demons were already comparable to the skeletal dragons in terms of defense alone. In addition to their smaller size and higher numbers, they managed to overwhelm the skeletal dragons and keep them occupied.


    In fact, if the skeletal dragons were ordinary undead skeletal dragons, it wasn��t as if they didn��t have the power to resist the Flesh Hunters. As mentioned earlier, the Flesh Hunters only grew in strength and didn��t have any particular resistance in other areas. Even if the skeletal dragons were undead skeletal dragons, with their mastery of spiritual rules, it would still be effortless for them to extract the souls from the Flesh Hunters�� bodies or seal them into soul crystals. When that happened, it would be useless even if these Flesh Hunters could live forever.


    But it was a pity that the influence of Chaos made the undead skeletal dragons lose their grasp of the Order rules. Even though they were powerful, that was only in terms of brute strength, after all. Although there was a saying that went ��one force subdued ten wise men��, it was unfortunate that the skeletal dragons hadn��t reached the point where they could push through whatever obstacles in front of them. That was why in the face of the Flesh Hunters, they didn��t have many countermeasures and seemed to succumb to their attacks instead.


    Seems like all is well.


    After making sure that the battle was settled, Rhode��s mind was finally at ease. With the characteristics of the Flesh Hunters, there shouldn��t be much of a problem in dealing with these skeletal dragons. Unless there were too many skeletal dragons to deal with, they should be able to completely hold the line of defense.


    In that case, the next step is��


    At this thought, Rhode shifted his gaze to the pale soldiers who stood on the city wall like lifeless corpses. According to Celestina, these soldiers had undergone her ��transformation�� and were now fully capable of facing the attack of the Chaos creatures. Although he didn��t know what exactly she did, from the look in the soldiers�� eyes, he saw that their souls were still forcibly bound to their bodies despite their physical bodies being completely dead.


    This wasn��t done through the soul-binding practice of undead creatures, but was more of a sinister and horrible curse that bound the soul to the body. Living creatures lost their sense of pain after transforming into undead creatures because their bodies were nothing more than vessels for their souls. But the souls of these soldiers were still bound to their flesh by the evil curse of death, which meant that they would still feel pain when their flesh was harmed.


    What was more terrifying was that such pain was unavoidable.


    ��Please enjoy, my dear Master.��


    Upon detecting Rhode��s gaze, Celestina revealed a proud smile, swung her arm, and the black whip in her hand struck the city wall heavily. After hearing the loud and crisp crack of the whip, almost all the soldiers trembled.


    ��Attack, you slaves! Now is the time for you to offer up your useless selves to me!��

 Chapter 1319 - Under the Watchful Eyes of Chaos

    Swish!


    The light arrow penetrated the defense ahead, effortlessly puncturing the skeletal dragon��s eye socket that was burning in spiritual flames. Shortly after, a dazzling brilliance emanated, while explosion of airwaves and power of light overturned the skeletal dragon��s skull. In the blink of an eye, the skull shattered into bits and the spiritual flames dissipated instantly. After losing its spiritual power, the massive skeletal dragon collapsed to the ground before letting out a cry, cracking into fragments of bones and losing its awe-inspiring authority.


    ��Phew����


    Gazing at the skeletal dragon that crumbled onto the ground, Icy Snow heaved a long sigh of relief, before leaping off the roof of the tower and landing stealthily on the city wall like a nimble cat. Her ears twitched slightly and she lifted the white jade longbow in her hand. Along with this action, she released yet another arrow that disappeared in a quick whoosh. In just a few seconds after the arrow resurfaced, another skeletal dragon dropped from the sky all of a sudden, crashing onto the city wall and scattering bone fragments everywhere. Meanwhile, Icy Snow shuttled across the falling, disintegrated bones, sprung over the city wall, and extended her arm again. She squinted her right eye as if aiming at a target in the sky. Then, she lifted her right arm slowly, pulled back the arrow on her bowstring, and released her fingers.


    Boom!


    Before Icy Snow did anything else, a white light beam comparable to a dragon breath erupted from the city wall below her, whistling across the sky with a thunderous momentum. At the area the white light beam struck, Chaos creatures fell one after another and even the gigantic skeletal dragons were as though hit by an iron bar after being swept by the attack. They let out blood-curdling screeches and crash-landed on the ground lifelessly. Looking at this scene, Icy Snow didn��t cheer like the other soldiers on the city wall. On the contrary, she held her forehead and let out another long sigh. Almost at the same time, an annoying voice she couldn��t be more familiar with blared in her ears.


    ��Gee, that won��t do, Little Icy. AoE is the way! What can you even do hitting those Chaos creatures one by one? Hit them all at once if you gotta do it! Isn��t that much better than wasting time like you?!��


    ��Aren��t you in charge of the other side, Bubble?!��


    Upon hearing Bubble��s voice, Icy Snow turned around and glared like a furious kitten.


    ��It isn��t your turn to tell me what I should do. On the other hand, what are you doing on my side? Leader put you in charge of the other side of the defensive line. If you slip away now, whose fault will it be if something bad happens over there? Chaos hasn��t retreated yet. Can��t you be more wary? Really, you always behave this way whenever Leader isn��t around!��


    ��Gee, does it even matter? I��m just joking around, anyway. You lose if you take it so seriously.��


    Facing Icy Snow��s accusations, Bubble pouted and showed an unconcern look. Upon seeing her reaction, Icy Snow shook her head helplessly and didn��t say anything more. She also knew that Bubble had such a personality. And no matter how much more she said, she couldn��t change this fact. As a matter of fact, in the beginning, Icy Snow didn��t want to be stationed here with Bubble. The entire guild knew that Bubble only listened to Rhode��s orders. Whenever Rhode wasn��t around, Bubble would be the biggest boss on her own and no one could lecture her except for Canary.


    As a result, due to the aggressive attack of Chaos this time, Rhode had no choice but to split them up and post them in their respective defensive lines. Originally, Icy Snow wanted to defend with Canary. However, she was just an archer without much defensive means, so the original Canary might get hurt if only she were around. On the other hand, someone needed to watch over the original Bubble. And as a result, Rhode pondered over and over and finally arranged for both Canarys and the original Bubble to take charge of the other side of the Void Territory��s defensive line. Meanwhile, Icy Snow was quite frustrated to be left here with the projected Bubble. But she also knew that this was the best possible arrangement.


    After all, the original Canary and Bubble were both humans and it would be a real problem if they were hurt. And with Bubble��s personality being the way it was, she would do anything without someone watching. Icy Snow had also heard Bubble bragging about how she once followed Erin and made a huge mess of the moon base. Back then, Bubble wasn��t as powerful as she was now and still dared to do something so brazen. And now, if no one watched her, perhaps she would really stir trouble. But with the two Canarys around, Bubble wouldn��t be able to cause any problem no matter what.


    But this way, Icy Snow had a headache on her side�� Unlike Bubble, Icy Snow was the most obedient with Rhode. And now, upon seeing Bubble once again leaving her post without permission and coming to her side to brag, Icy Snow was completely speechless. She was a smart and dutiful young lady who didn��t know much about sarcasm and all she could do regarding Bubble��s disregard for orders was to complain to Rhode. Meanwhile, Bubble was apparently immune to this tactic of hers already. All the words that Icy Snow said went in one ear and out the other, which left Icy Snow even more frustrated.


    ��You��!��


    ��Oh? Hey, it��s sneaking in from there!��


    Just as Icy Snow was about to retort, Bubble suddenly yelled and pointed in exaggeration to the battlefront on the other side. Icy Snow glared at Bubble fiercely, raised her longbow, and shot an arrow without even aiming. Along with this action, a thunderous boom erupted and yet another skeletal dragon with its skull shattered collapsed and crashed onto the city wall.


    ��See. If I weren��t here to remind you, I��m sure you wouldn��t have stopped it.��


    ��If it weren��t for you bothering me, how would I even overlook it?!��


    The fact that Bubble shook her head in a ��you��re nothing without me�� gesture made Icy Snow even more furious. In the earlier battle on the floating warships, when she successfully used the Arrow of Time and Space, she felt as if she gained more mastery over this skill than ever before. As of that moment, she could be considered to be able to use the Arrow of Time and Space freely. For that reason, she coordinated with her time and space abilities and created a brand-new battle style.


    Even though she seemed a little relaxed while she stood on the roof of the tower, gazing in all directions, as a matter of fact, she was scanning the battle progress with her ��space�� ability. Therefore, without the need of eyes, she could detect enemy locations and determine which ones were the most dangerous. However, this interruption by Bubble caused Icy Snow to make a mess of the situation she already had a hard time sorting out.


    Without a choice, Icy Snow had to use her ability to rescan the place again. Despite that, the culprit was still immensely pleased with herself and put up a smug look. The longer Icy Snow looked at Bubble, the more she wanted to shoot an arrow at her. But now, the task that Rhode assigned her was what mattered the most. So even though Icy Snow was infuriated, she didn��t continue arguing and supported the defensive line again.


    ��I��m busy right now. You should also hurry back, Bubble. Things will be bad if anything happens!��


    Using her ��space�� senses, even though Icy Snow knew that the defensive line that Bubble was in charge of was secure and nothing terrible happened during her absence, it made Icy Snow even angrier. Well, Bubble was a cleric, after all. Clerics were a class that excelled in ��buff�� spells. With Bubble��s capability, it wasn��t surprising for her to cast a buff over the soldiers, and they could last for one to two hours without issues. On the other hand, Icy Snow couldn��t do that. Her ��buffs�� as an archer weren��t as long lasting as Bubble��s. Besides, the ��time�� and ��space�� abilities were very demanding on her and couldn��t enhance a large group of soldiers. That was why Icy Snow had to be on her toes at all times.


    But it wasn��t like there was a way around it. Clerics were a class that would outshine the rest whenever it involved casting ��buff�� spells on a larger group of people. There was simply no comparison to an archer class like Icy Snow, which placed emphasis on individual heroism.


    ��Wow, you��re so slow. Let me show you how it��s done!��


    After seeing Icy Snow shoot down another skeletal dragon, Bubble curled her lips and displayed a bit of an evil grin, before raising her arms high up. Shortly after, along with this action, a dazzling golden brilliance burst through the cloud and shrouded her entirety. Bubble made a few complicated gestures with her hands, extended her arms, and pointed ahead abruptly.


    ��Ssss��!��


    Along with this action, the sky, which was initially covered by thick clouds, suddenly turned extremely bright. Soon after, dazzling golden brilliance sliced through the clouds like sharp blades and enveloped the battlefield. The Chaos creatures trembled under the golden light, emitted white smoke from their bodies, and vanished without a trace.


    For a moment, the battlefield that was packed with Chaos creatures could be seen riddled with holes on the ground. Looking at this scene, the soldiers who guarded the city walls painstakingly let out joyous screams as though they couldn��t keep quiet any longer. Besides, perhaps an ordinary army would have collapsed a long time ago after being attacked all over the place and getting their formation torn apart.


    However, the number of Chaos creatures was endless. In just a few moments, the openings that were blasted by Bubble were filled up by the Chaos creatures in the back again. But even so, the soldiers were still pumped up, proving that this move from Bubble was indeed a great morale booster. It was just like in many animated cartoons when the decisive battle was about to be won: the scene where ��the clouds parted and the sun was revealed�� and the heavy and oppressive feeling of the clouds dispersed, while dazzling sunlight emerged. For ordinary people, it was really a kind of encouragement. And upon hearing the cheers of these soldiers, Bubble also waved her tiny fist in excitement, raised her eyebrows, and swept a glance at Icy Snow proudly.


    ��Hmph!��


    Upon seeing Bubble��s gaze, it went without saying that Icy Snow knew why the former demonstrated this move before her. The fact that the soldiers who were on her side actually cheered for Bubble stirred up Icy Snow��s sense of confrontation. Moreover, these two young ladies were always bumping heads. Facing Bubble��s provocation, Icy Snow snorted, raised the longbow in her hand seriously for the first time and pulled back her hand. Along with this action, ten arrows coalesced from light took shape in her hands. Then she aimed at the sky and released her hand abruptly.


    Swish������!


    In an instant, the ten light arrows whistled in all directions as if missiles drawing long trails behind them and spreading out in a fan-like shape. In just a few moments, the arrows enveloped the entire battlefield and countless light beams formed by glimmers poured down like a rainstorm along with the trajectories of the light arrows, puncturing the Chaos creatures like they were razor-sharp blades.


    If it were said that the Chaos creatures were pitch-black and filthy, the ten light arrows shot by Icy Snow were like the rags that wiped them clean. In the blink of an eye, the Chaos creatures that attacked the front were swept away, leaving behind only specks of dust drifting in the wind.


    ��Oooooh!��


    Looking at this scene, the soldiers cheered in excitement. Apart from the soldiers of the Void Territory, there were also many players of Starlight among them who knew of the fights between Bubble and Icy Snow. One had to admit that these two adorable young brats were really affectionate. Many soldiers treated them as their own children. At that moment, while watching them bickering like kids, the soldiers also learned and joined in with the players who were cheering. In an instant, the intense atmosphere of the battlefield became much more relaxing.


    ��Hu�� Hu�� How��s that?��


    Putting down the longbow in her hand, Icy Snow couldn��t help but gasp for air. Judging from her pale face, it was apparent that this move consumed a lot of her strength. But even so, she stared at Bubble unconvincingly and put up an expression as though saying: ��What more do you have to say about that?��. However, Icy Snow didn��t expect Bubble to not give any response this time. On the contrary, Bubble turned around quickly.


    ��Looks like the situation is good now. I should get back to work. Continue working hard and don��t embarrass Leader.��


    ��You��!��


    Upon seeing Bubble��s cheeky face pretending as though she didn��t witness anything earlier, Icy Snow almost vomited blood out of anger. This time, she finally snapped and shouted with a disgruntled glare at Bubble.


    ��Why must I listen to you! I don��t wanna!��


    ��Hahaha, why shouldn��t you? Oh! Right!��


    In response to Icy Snow��s questioning, Bubble, however, was apparently unconcerned. On the contrary, she seemed to recall something and slapped her palm with force. Then, she turned around and looked at Ice Snow with a wry smile.


    ��By the way, Little Icy, since you��re so obedient, you will surely listen to Leader, right?��


    ��Of course I will listen to Big Brother! And I won��t ever listen to you!��


    Even though Icy Snow didn��t know what Bubble was trying to say, the former responded quickly. However, she didn��t expect Bubble to reveal a proud smile upon hearing her answer.


    ��That��s the way! Since you listen to Big Brother, it means that you must also listen to me. Because I am considered your big-sister-in-law!��


    ��Big-sister-in-law?��


    Icy Snow was taken aback.


    ��You aren��t even married to Big Brother, so why must I call you that?! Besides, Big Brother won��t ever want to be with you.��


    ���� Hehehe����


    In response to Icy Snow��s complaints, Bubble smiled and proudly puffed out her chest that was almost flat.


    ��Don��t say that, Little Icy. Even though we��re not husband and wife on paper, we��re still husband and wife in reality. Hahaha, how about that? Well, so be it if you��re not convinced. Big Sister Canary is also the same as me. I have gotten in bed with her too! Heh, heh. You can��t beat that! Little brat!��


    ��Husband and wife in reality? What are you talking about��?��


    Faced with these bizarre words, Icy Snow was stumped. She was a really simple and innocent young lady and had barely come into contact with such matters. The moment she heard what Bubble said, she was baffled. But perhaps it was a woman��s intuition, so even if she didn��t know what Bubble was saying, she knew that it definitely wasn��t something nice.


    Looking at Icy Snow��s expression, Bubble let out a chuckle.


    ��Well, it means����


    Boom!


    However, before Bubble finished her sentence, an ear-deafening rumble sounded from the surface and interrupted her words. Both of them were taken aback. They lifted their heads and looked in the direction of the sound immediately. Then, they were stunned.


    At the back of Chaos, the first thing that came into view was flickering red lightning in the sky. Not only that, but a scarlet eye that was as big as the sun opened from the void and stared at the battlefield below it.


    What in the world is that?!

 Chapter 1320 - : Chaos Eye

    Along with the emergence of this scarlet eye, the atmosphere of the entire battle changed dramatically. Even though it was just an eyeball, at a glance, it made one feel as if one were above an incredibly small chessboard and being looked down upon by a giant. It definitely didn��t feel good. Not only did Icy Snow and Bubble realize that something was wrong, but the soldiers and players also felt that terrible things were about to happen.


    Under the gaze of the scarlet eye, the sky and land changed in color as though they were smeared in a layer of red blood. As far as the eye could see, everything was drenched in a red that left one dazed and nauseous. Not only that, but under the illumination of the red brilliance, the Chaos creatures also grew larger like inflated balloons. Meanwhile, the soldiers and players on Icy Snow��s side seemingly lost their courage all of a sudden and even became dispirited.


    ��Hmph. What the hell is that!��


    Bubble and Icy Snow had followed Rhode into battle for many years in the game, so they had encountered all sorts of situations. And now, upon witnessing this strange scene, Bubble let out a cold snort. She stretched out her right arm, drew a circle in midair in a swift motion, and clapped her palms together. And along with this action, a pure white aura suddenly expanded in all directions with her in the middle. In the blink of an eye, the white aura shrouded the entire front. The soldiers who were enveloped by the aura were stunned. But soon, they felt the nauseousness that struck them earlier receding instantly. Not only that, but their spirits were also seemingly lifted by a cool, refreshing breeze, and they felt even more courageous. At that moment, they even had the courage to gaze at and battle the endless stream of Chaos creatures!


    ��This thing sure is spooky. I��m gonna check it out!��


    After casting a spiritual spell to banish the effects of that scarlet eyeball, Bubble stared at the scarlet eyeball with an unkind expression. She was aware that something wasn��t right. Based on her personality, when she encountered something so strange, she would definitely want to check things out for a bit.


    On the other hand, Icy Snow frowned upon hearing her remarks. Icy Snow knew that the scarlet eyeball was precisely the Chaos Eye and that it had appeared in the past and even spoken to Rhode. Back then, Icy Snow and Bubble were also present, so they knew that the Chaos Eye definitely wasn��t an ordinary foe.


    However, not even the king could stop Bubble when her curiosity took over. Besides, they didn��t have any experience dealing with the Chaos Eye in the past. As a player, Bubble was more inclined to fight first and talk later, while Icy Snow was apparently more cautious than that.


    They were warned by Rhode to be careful of these strange existences and Bubble naturally disregarded his warnings. Icy Snow obeyed all his words and now, upon seeing the Chaos Eye not only appearing before them, but also launching an attack, she felt like something must be wrong. At that moment, upon seeing Bubble planning to charge ahead with her fists, she reached out and pulled her back hurriedly.


    ��Wait, Bubble! Big Brother said we must be careful when dealing with the Chaos Eye! We must act cautiously!��


    Upon hearing Icy Snow��s dissuasion, Bubble curled her lips in disdain.


    ��Why should we wait? That fella is already at our doorstep! Are you sure you can defend the place by waiting?��


    ��That����


    Facing Bubble��s words, Icy Snow was taken aback. At that moment, her ��space�� ability had enveloped the entire battlefield, so even though she saw that the soldiers were enfolded in the safety of Bubble��s halo under the scarlet brilliance, the Chaos creatures had become much stronger and also rammed into the walls in droves. Although players were around to assist and they were able to defend against Chaos for now, the Chaos creatures seemed much more dangerous now and harder to resist.


    ��Should we ask Big Brother first����


    ��Where are you gonna find the time to do that! Go and ask if you want to! I��ll take care of that stupid eyeball first!��


    At that moment, Bubble was clearly disinterested in listening to Icy Snow��s words any further. She shook off Icy Snow��s hand and flew across the sky like a meteor in a dazzling white trajectory, heading straight for the huge, scarlet eyeball in the distant sky. Upon witnessing this scene, Icy Snow became increasingly anxious. And while she called out to Rhode through the spiritual communication, she stared at Bubble uneasily.


    No matter how powerful Icy Snow was, she was just an archer, after all, who was inferior in close combat. That was why Bubble could cast a buff on herself and turn into a solid tank, while Icy Snow could only stand in the back and watch helplessly.


    Although Bubble was reckless, she wasn��t a fool, after all. She had prepared herself well before charging at the scarlet eyeball. A radiance as blinding as the sun��s erupted from her body and metamorphosed into a light barrier that expanded in all directions, making her presence and attributes of the ��holy maiden�� known to everyone. Along with the extension of the light barrier, the Chaos creatures were forcibly separated to both sides after ramming into a seemingly transparent wall. The Chaos creatures that couldn��t evade in time were swept into the light barrier and shredded into minced meat as if they entered a giant meat grinder.


    At that moment, the scarlet eyeball seemed to sense Bubble��s hostility as well. It turned around and stared at the meteor of light that flew toward it. Before one realized what it did, the scarlet brilliance that originally enveloped the entire battlefield suddenly coalesced into a huge light beam that shot toward Bubble!


    ��I dare you!��


    Looking at the light beam, Bubble rejoiced instead of growing angry. She hovered in midair and clenched her right fist. Along with this action, the white radiance before her coalesced into an elegant ritual circle that spun constantly. Shortly after, along with her snarl, she thrust her right fist forward!


    Boom������!


    With this attack from Bubble, a blinding meteor beam comparable to the blood-red light beam exploded from the ritual circle, shooting straight at the blood-red beam ahead. In the blink of an eye, everyone present witnessed the beams of red and white clashing with each other. At the next moment, a deafening explosion swept the entire battlefield.


    ��������!��


    Mighty winds blustered and everyone felt their eardrums trembling as though they were covered and could no longer hear anything. Not only that, but strong gales also struck their bodies mercilessly. For a moment, they couldn��t even stand firmly on their feet. But luckily for them, Bubble wasn��t the only cleric present. Upon realizing the situation, a woman donned in a white cleric robe frowned, swung her right arm up in midair, and threw it to the side. Soon after, a barrier flickering in a shining, golden light appeared out of thin air and shielded everyone from the wild storm.


    Bubble and the Chaos Eye were in the middle of the messy battlefield now. The devastation of the two colliding light beams was comparable to that of an exploding nuclear bomb. As far as the eye could see, billows of black smoke and filthy dust rose into the sky, while the ground had fissured in ripples. On the other hand, the Chaos creatures were also swept entirely into the explosion. They weren��t that lucky to have the help of players to protect them. Just the aftermath of the clash alone was enough to turn them into powder. Bubble had gone all-out, so in an instant, the whole battlefield trembled in the battle between her and the Chaos Eye.


    ��Bubble! You idiot!��


    Icy Snow cried out in displeasure upon seeing Bubble going head-to-head with the Chaos Eye. Icy Snow was also one of the top players, so she naturally understood the power of Chaos. A contest of strength against Chaos was the most unwise decision for a player. It was especially so when the other party was also the Chaos Eye: a high-level existence of Chaos, according to Rhode.


    The power of Chaos must be endless, while Bubble had limited power as a player. Without the need to look, one knew that Bubble��s spiritual power was declining rapidly at that moment. Even if she held on, how long could she last? One day? Two days? A year? Two years? Was it even possible?


    At this thought, Icy Snow was so anxious that she couldn��t even bother to contact Rhode again. Instead, she stared at Bubble with wide eyes and uncertainty. The look of worry in those dark pupils was unmistakable.


    It turned out just as she feared. A few moments later, the white light beam that erupted from Bubble couldn��t withstand the impact of the red light beam and got pushed back gradually. Looking at this scene, Icy Snow was both furious and nervous. But unfortunately, she couldn��t offer much help now. Although there were other players on the defensive line, in terms of strength, not many of them could compare to Bubble.


    As Rhode��s personal cleric, Bubble wasn��t a slouch either. It went to show how extraordinarily powerful she was for being able to hang around in Starlight, which was full of elites and had no one capable of shaking her position. Even players of the same level as her were rarely able to compete against her. The fact that she was now able to fight against the Chaos Eye was also a proof of her strength. Of course, a cleric like Bubble who played offense and reached great heights was peculiar, to begin with.


    And it was at that moment that Bubble could no longer confront her opponent head-on. The white glow in her hands was being gradually engulfed by the red light beam, leaving only the root of her attack to barely support her. However, anyone could tell that if she continued to hold on this way, it would only be a matter of time before she was completely devoured by the red light beam.


    However, Bubble was Bubble, after all. Back then, she had never been afraid, even when she was besieged by so many players in the Dragon Soul Continent, be it in the game and forum, so how was it possible for her to fear a huge eyeball now? At that critical moment, she flipped her hands around and along with this action, a white light beam erupted from the ground all of a sudden and formed a straight barrier that rushed into the heavens. The barrier of light that extended to the sky stopped the red light beam from encroaching. Soon after, Bubble turned around and retreated swiftly!


    However, the Chaos Eye wasn��t an easy opponent to deal with either. As soon as it saw Bubble attempting to flee, it squinted. And along with this action, the red light beam coalesced and turned narrower. In just the blink of an eye, it pierced through Bubble��s barrier of light and swept toward her.


    Upon realizing that she couldn��t avoid the red light beam, Bubble gnashed her teeth and cast several spiritual spells to envelop her body, providing layer upon layer of protection. It was apparent that she knew it was too late to dodge this attack. In that case, she might as well resist it!


    And looking at this scene, Icy Snow��s heart grew heavier. Although she and Bubble quarreled whenever they met, there was a saying that went ��the one who knew you best would always be your enemy��. At the sight of Bubble deciding to resist the enemy��s attack, one could tell that she was so ruthless and determined to inflict pain on the enemy even if it meant her death. At that moment, Icy Snow couldn��t wait any longer. She stared at Bubble, and no one noticed two clock hands-like radiance in her eyes. At the next moment, the clock hands glinting in her eyes ticked all of a sudden.


    Tick.


    ��Come if you dare! Scum!��


    Staring at the red light beam, Bubble wasn��t terrified in the slightest. On the contrary, she was like a vicious wolf with red eyes, glaring at the red light beam that was coming for her. The white spiritual radiance on her body shone ever brighter. She knew earlier that she couldn��t escape in time the moment the Chaos Eye shattered her barrier.


    However, she was ruthless in nature; she was tough on others and tougher on herself. She was the one who spent time chasing down and repeatedly killing a guy for simply saying something rude to her, so much so that she made him delete his gaming account. In this dangerous situation, rather than making her stand back, it aroused her fierce nature instead.


    In the face of a life-threatening attack, not only did she not think of running away, but she also cast several spiritual spells that raised her defense and could reflect some of the attack. This way, even if she were dead after being struck by the red light beam, she could still inflict some damage to the Chaos Eye. This was her belief: to return the favor to those who wanted her dead!


    However, the moment the red light beam was about to devour Bubble, a petite figure appeared before her all of a sudden.


    ��You��! Are you sick of living already? You idiot��!��


    Although it was only a quick glimpse, Bubble instantly recognized who stood in front of her. She was baffled as soon as she saw her. She reached out her hand instinctively and tried to cast a protection barrier on the other party. But at that moment, the other young lady had already extended her arm and grabbed hers.


    At the next moment, everything turned upside down.


    When Bubble returned to her senses, she was above the city wall again. Looking at this scene, she was stunned. She sprang up to her feet hurriedly and glared fiercely to the side.


    ��No one asked you for help. You����


    But before Bubble finished her sentence, she was shocked to see that Icy Snow was standing on a nearby tower, raising her longbow, and aiming at the scarlet eyeball. The clock hands in her eyes ticked once again.


    Tick.


    At the next moment, the red light beam broke through Bubble��s light barrier, whistling as it devoured the air and slammed heavily onto the battleground. However, its original target had already left that place. Not only that, but the moment this red light beam landed, Icy Snow also suddenly released her right hand. Then, Bubble witnessed the white jade longbow��s string tremble violently. In an instant, the space centered around Icy Snow rippled like a pool of water.


    Agonizing bellows echoed.


    The Chaos Eye that had emitted the red light beam slammed itself shut and writhed in agony. With Bubble��s capability, it was naturally easy for her to see tainted blood flowing out of the tightly closed slit of the Chaos Eye and dripping onto the ground like raindrops. Immediately after, the large eye twisted and disappeared into the darkness. And along with the disappearance of the Chaos Eye, the strange atmosphere that had previously enveloped the battlefield vanished as well.


    Bang!


    But at that moment, Bubble saw Icy Snow fall head first off the tower roof, seemingly losing all consciousness and rolling down the eaves. At the sight of the young lady about to plunge into the ground from the tall tower, Bubble darted over in a flash, stretched out her arms, and made a hand-grabbing motion at Icy Snow.


    In the blink of an eye, several bands of light emanated all of a sudden in the shape of a huge hand, seized Icy Snow, and brought her to the safety of the side. Then, Bubble extended her arms and cast another spiritual spell that shrouded Icy Snow entirely. Upon sensing the brilliance of the spiritual spell, the pale Icy Snow let out a groan and opened her eyes slowly.


    Bubble heaved a sigh of relief after seeing Icy Snow coming back to her senses. But shortly after, she knitted her brows and glared in displeasure at Icy Snow.


    ��Really! You haven��t mastered your skills yet?! Aren��t you afraid that Leader will scold you for that?��


    Upon hearing Bubble��s grumbles, Icy Snow also stared in anger.


    ��If you weren��t that reckless, would I even have done that?!��


    The two young ladies stared at each other before looking away quickly.


    ��Hmph!��

 Chapter 1321 - Full of Misgivings

    ��You two�� Sure are reckless.��


    Gazing at Mini Bubble Gum and Icy Snow, Rhode let out a helpless sigh and shook his head. He was in quite a shock because when Icy Snow reported to him the situation through the spiritual communication earlier, it got cut off all of a sudden. He thought of rushing back to the Void Territory to check on the situation, but was afraid of the emergence of the Chaos Eye on the other defensive line, which was why he had no choice but to hold back his deepest insecurities.


    It was only after combing through all the fronts and making sure there were no problems and Chaos had retreated again that he eventually headed back. Fortunately, the loss in contact happened the same moment Icy Snow became unconscious. She immediately regained contact with him after she was rescued by Mini Bubble Gum, which put his mind at ease. Otherwise, he might not have been able to wait for Chaos to retreat before returning.


    At that moment, Icy Snow and Bubble stood in front of Rhode with their heads lowered as if they were reflecting upon their mistakes. Rhode couldn��t help but feel like he was caught between laughter and tears. Honestly, he wasn��t particularly angry at them. After all, when he made this arrangement, he knew that accidents were bound to happen. It was normal for things to go wrong with Bubble��s temperament and the fact that Icy Snow wasn��t able to control her. Besides, everything turned out well in the end, so he didn��t reprimand them further. But still, he put up a face and lectured them. Bubble was already used to his lectures and naturally didn��t react. On the contrary, Icy Snow seemed really upset. She had always listened to his words obediently since she was a child and never did anything wrong. But this time, Bubble implicated her to be scolded by Rhode and that left her rather aggrieved. But she lowered her head in silence and didn��t push the responsibility to Bubble even when Rhode chided them.


    ��Well, this time you guys made up for your mistakes. It��s considered a great achievement to injure the Chaos Eye, so I won��t punish both of you.��


    ��Haha! I knew it!��


    After hearing Rhode��s words, Bubble shed her ��good-girl�� disguise instantly and jumped up with her hands held high in joy. And although Icy Snow wasn��t as exaggerated as her, she also stretched out her hands to hold her chest and let out a long breath. For Icy Snow, she was rarely scolded for such matters. She also wasn��t as cheeky as Bubble. Even though Rhode only said a few words, Icy Snow felt wronged and tears had already welled up in her eyes. Rhode looked at her aggrieved expression and let out an inward sigh, before extending his arm and patted her head gently.


    ��Alright, Little Icy, don��t be upset. You did well this time. But you must be more wary. I��ve told you earlier that your space and time abilities are really demanding. Before you master them, you��d be better off not doing anything risky like that again.��


    Of course, Rhode knew how Icy Snow rescued Bubble. Ever since her first successful attempt in using the Arrow of Time and Space from the floating warship, Icy Snow had become more masterful in it. Therefore, she naturally began thinking about how to use the ��time�� and ��space�� ability. After listening to her ideas, Rhode had to admit that her concepts were indeed really clever and at the same time, threatening.


    Icy Snow��s ��time�� ability could make all affected objects appear, while her ��space�� ability could send selected targets to another place at will. In other words, if it were theoretically possible, she could project herself from ��0.1 second ago��, ��0.1 second later��, ��0.2 seconds ago��, and so on. If Icy Snow possessed sufficient powerful strength, she could rely upon her time and space attributes whenever she launched her attack and the enemies could possibly face up to tens of thousands of Icy Snow at the same time.


    Besides, unlike Rhode��s shadow clones, all the other Icy Snows on the same time line were real. In that case, her power wouldn��t scatter, but would be superimposed on one another instead. If Icy Snow mastered this ability, her strength would surely go up another level. As the time and space attributes were rather rare, once she mastered it, perhaps no one would be able to defeat her except for the seven deity wardens, Rhode, and his younger sister.


    But it was a pity that it wasn��t easy for Icy Snow to master this move. It wasn��t just a matter of how much power it required, but a matter of many profound disciplines involved multi-dimensional space, for instance, which Icy Snow wasn��t familiar with. No matter how smart she was, she was just the best student in her age group and it wasn��t like she was a genius who skipped grades to go to college straight away.


    Meanwhile, even though Rhode and Canary were university students, they were humanities students and didn��t have much understanding in that field. Although Rhode had become the Void Dragon, his ��space�� ability was different from his younger sister��s. That was why regarding Icy Snow��s ��time�� and ��space�� abilities, he couldn��t come up with too many suggestions and could only let Icy Snow figure things out herself.


    Of course, Rhode watched a lot of sci-fi movies and knew that this field was rather dangerous. That was why after a discussion with his younger sister, he advised Icy Snow to be more cautious, lest ending up like the tragic heroes in those sci-fi movies. On the other hand, Icy Snow was really obedient too. If it were Mini Bubble Gum, she wouldn��t hold back before crashing into a brick wall. Of course, with Mini Bubble Gum��s personality, she had a higher chance of smashing through the brick wall.


    Previously, Icy Snow was the one who saw the urgency of the situation, which was why she used her unpracticed time and space skill in a hurry to project herself from a few minutes ago to travel through space and save Mini Bubble Gum. A few minutes later, she aimed and attacked the Chaos Eye. As she used her abilities three times in a row and overloaded herself, she eventually passed out. It was also fortunate that the effect of Bubble��s spiritual spell was impressive and if she weren��t around, there would have been no way for Icy Snow to run and jump around like she was now.


    These two little rascals��


    Gazing at Bubble, who had already taken off and escaped, and then at Icy Snow in front of him, Rhode shook his head with a bitter smile. Of course, he knew why Bubble left. If Icy Snow weren��t present back then, Bubble would definitely be dead. But if Bubble also weren��t there, Icy Snow wouldn��t have recovered so quickly. Moreover, they were unpleasant in each other��s eyes and now that they had this whole thing going on, it wasn��t surprising they didn��t want to meet each other.


    ��Alright, Little Icy, don��t blame yourself. It��s not your fault either. You just lack the experience.��


    Looking at Icy Snow, who was still lowering her head in silence before him, Rhode offered some advice. Of course, he knew what the real problem was. The disagreement between Icy Snow and Bubble was only one of the reasons and not the most important one. The reason they had gotten into such a situation this time was precisely because neither of them had any experience in commanding battles.


    Bubble was Rhode��s dedicated cleric, so she had little to no experience in large group battles other than following him around. Furthermore, she preferred to fight solo, or at most join smaller parties, which was why it was still too hard for her to command an army.


    Meanwhile, Icy Snow was also in a similar situation. She was an archer who was proficient in long-range attacks like a sniper. If the mission involved getting a special force to carry out an assassination of some sort, she would naturally be a very good choice.


    But if the two armies were engaged in a head-on battle, her abilities wouldn��t be of much use, unless it required a shot to assassinate the opposing commander. Even so, what honorable commanders did the Chaos creatures even have? Although the shot could take out Chaos Lords, the Chaos creatures were unconcerned in the slightest and would simply treat it as if nothing happened. Moreover, Icy Snow was young, after all. And it was only natural for her to be overwhelmed by such situations.


    Looks like we��ll have to find someone to sit in��


    Rhode shook his head at that thought. Players were mostly brave, but they were rarely capable of being commanders. That was why Starlight was able to fight invincibly under the command of Orchid Heart. It was that most players were ordinary people, where not many of them had the talent to command. And even Rhode wasn��t good at leading an army in battle either. In this world, he left the affairs of the army to experienced generals and commanders, while he stuck to leading elites to infiltrate, destroy, and flank. In fact, in the past, he used to be curious as to why Orchid Heart was so talented in this field. In the end, after transmigrating back to Earth, he found out that she was precisely in this line of work and commanded real armies in battles. The commanding standard of players in the game as if ��playing house�� was naturally unworthy of a mention to her.


    But it was a pity that there were too few talents like Orchid Heart. Although Rhode was also interested in promoting a few generals from the natives to lead his army, he was worried that the players wouldn��t obey orders. The cohesion of the Starlight was strong, but the stronger it got, the more troublesome it became.


    Most of the elites who followed Rhode in Starlight had a sense of pride. Moreover, Starlight was famous for hacking NPCs under his leadership, and the natives�� orders were almost useless to them. That was why Rhode matched each front with a few of his own henchmen, just in case those players got arrogant and wouldn��t listen to commands. On the other hand, the players more or less listened to the orders of people like Erin and Lydia, who had a high reputation among them. However, they didn��t care about the other commanders in the slightest.


    It was easy raising an army of 1000 men, but tough to find a good general. This saying had been passed down since ancient times, so naturally there was a reason for it.


    At this thought, Rhode shook his head and stopped thinking about the matter. He didn��t have a good solution right now. At the very most, he could transfer Lesa over for the time being. Although she was just a psychic and never experienced war, with her presence, Icy Snow and Bubble wouldn��t quarrel. In that case, things should be fine once they worked with the natives and his player army.


    But what concerned Rhode was what the sudden appearance of the Chaos Eye meant. Could that be a prelude to the final battle? If that were the case, things would be bad. According to Bubble and Icy Snow, the Chaos Eye weakened their men and increased the power of the Chaos creatures at the same time, which made the battle simply impossible.


    After all, not everyone had the ability to cast a single buff on their entire army like Bubble. Although Icy Snow managed to batter the Chaos Eye, Rhode couldn��t be sure of how many Chaos Eyes there were in total and to what extent that particular Chaos Eye was wounded. What if it were just a test and soon, it would cooperate with the Chaos creatures and skeletal dragons to launch a full-scale attack on them?


    Even though Rhode successfully grasped the battle style of the three attributes of the Holy Sword Barrier, it would be too demanding for him to fuse all the 10 holy swords together. After all, his strength was weakened now and most of his power was spent on the player projections, which would inevitably be more or less problematic in terms of controlling the holy sword cards.


    Rhode couldn��t help but knit his brows, look at Icy Snow, and ask.


    ��Little Icy, is that Chaos Eye strong?��


    ��It��s very strong. Bubble can��t handle it either�� Back then, she used up a lot of her power and couldn��t evade its attack in the end. If it weren��t for that personality of hers����


    Icy Snow said and curled her lips, apparently dissatisfied with Bubble��s reckless battle style. But now, Rhode wasn��t concerned with these trivial matters, but more important issues instead.


    ��Did you injure the Chaos Eye�� badly?��


    ��I��m�� not too sure either.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Icy Snow puckered her brows and pondered for a few moments, before shaking her head helplessly.


    ��Big Brother, that Chaos Eye is really hard to deal with. I only managed to hit it with my arrow while it was fighting Bubble. If it weren��t for Bubble who attracted its attention, perhaps I wouldn��t even have had the chance to attack.��


    ��I see. Okay then, I understand now.��


    Upon hearing Icy Snow��s reply, Rhode nodded again. It seemed like it was purely coincidental that Icy Snow managed to injure the Chaos Eye and it couldn��t be replicated. After all, her arrow crossed over space and time to attack the Chaos Eye. Meanwhile, the rest didn��t have the ability to strike over such long distances.


    Seems like we need to think of another way to do it.


    At this thought, Rhode smiled at Icy Snow, reached out his hand, and gently stroked her hair.


    ��Alright, Little Icy, you must be tired; go and have a good rest. I don��t think Chaos will return anytime soon. By the way, I��ll send Lesa over during this period. With her providing support, your defensive line shouldn��t face much of a problem.��


    ��Lesa is coming? Great. It��s too much of a headache for me to deal with Bubble by myself!��


    When Icy Snow heard the news, she displayed an excited smile. She got along well with Lesa. Perhaps due to the fact that Lesa also seemed like a good girl, Icy Snow was closer to her than she was to Bubble. She was also glad to hear that Lesa was coming. Unlike Icy Snow, who would still be fooled by Bubble, Lesa was as steady as a rock and wouldn��t react to Bubble��s teasing. From that perspective, she was considered Bubble��s natural enemy.


    Just as Icy Snow fantasized about how Bubble would make a big fuss over Lesa, she suddenly recalled something, lifted her head, and looked at Rhode curiously.


    ��By the way, Big Brother, I have something to ask you.��


    ��Hmm, what is it about?��


    As a matter of fact, Rhode spoiled Icy Snow a lot. After all, she grew up with him and his younger sister and was considered a childhood friend. That was why he had always been good to her. The moment he heard that she had a question for him, he was prepared to tell her everything he knew. Upon hearing his response, Icy Snow stared at him with wide, curious eyes.


    ��Bubble asked me to call her a big-sister-in-law earlier. She also said that even though you and her aren��t husband and wife on paper, you two are husband and wife in reality. What does that mean, Big Brother?��


    ��Pfff����!��


    Upon hearing Icy Snow��s innocent words, Rhode spat out a mouthful of tea before he had the chance to swallow. At a loss for words, he looked at the young lady who gazed at him curiously. He immediately realized that Bubble was definitely up to no good.


    Unlike Icy Snow, Bubble learned many terms on the Internet. Rhode was certain that if Bubble were to tell Icy Snow the truth, she would surely describe the situation using words that Icy Snow was embarrassed to hear. And now, for Bubble to actually use such erudite words to tease Icy Snow, it was obvious that she deliberately set her up!


    ��Big Brother, what exactly does that mean!��


    Staring at Rhode, Icy Snow revealed a curious and determined expression. Facing her innocent gaze, he felt a sense of guilt. He knew that he shouldn��t speak of something like this so indiscriminately, especially toward her.


    Although it wasn��t that he hadn��t laid hands on young ladies with smaller stature, they had all given consent, after all. For Angelina, who lived for centuries, such happenings were common occurrences for her. Meanwhile, Lesa, as a psychic, was cultivated in this direction and naturally incredibly knowledgeable about it. However, Icy Snow was different from them. He was better off leaving the heavy responsibility of sex education to his younger sister.


    ��It��s�� too hard for me to explain. You should ask Big Sister.��


    In the end, Rhode decided to use another means to prevent his own loss and left the responsibility to his younger sister. Anyway, Icy Snow also had a close relationship with her. So if something happened, the younger sister could take care of it. Well, he couldn��t possibly take the blame for everything, right? But what he didn��t expect was that this time, Icy Snow didn��t nod her head like he thought she would, but continued to stare at him with wide eyes instead.


    ��Big Brother, why don��t you tell me? Bubble even said that it was a secret between you and her. What kind of secret is that exactly? Can��t you tell me what it is?��


    If it were any other matter, Icy Snow might have listened to his words. However, she wasn��t willing to lose to Bubble just like that. Although she didn��t understand what Bubble meant, the thought of Bubble acting all superior earlier as though she scored full marks, looking down upon her who scored 99 marks, made her furious.


    No matter what, I can��t let Bubble surpass me!


    At this thought, a thought cropped up in Icy Snow��s head as she recalled another statement that Bubble said.


    Could being husband and wife in reality mean sleeping together? Bubble and Big Brother slept together? Yeah. Mom and Dad sleep together too. Could it be that sleeping together makes us husband and wife?


    At this thought, Icy Snow lifted her head, looked up at Rhode, and said.


    ��Big Brother, I want to sleep with you!��

 Chapter 1322 - : Listen to Big Brother

    ���� What��s going on, Big Brother?��


    Looking at Icy Snow in her pajamas and sitting on the bed with a pillow in her arms, the younger sister blinked and turned back to look at Rhode in confusion. In response to her gaze, he let out a helpless laughter. In fact, even he didn��t know what to say.


    In Rhode��s country, there was a tradition of turning over cards in the ancient harem to determine who the emperor would sleep with that night. However, there was no such tradition in the Dragon Soul Continent. Therefore, in his harem, everyone basically came and went freely. In the beginning, because of the lack of tacit understanding among them, they would often visit him at night and accidentally came across one another, which was rather awkward at first. But after a few ��runs��, members of the harem formed a ��tacit understanding�� with one another. Even without communication, they knew whose turn it was on a particular night. Fortunately, timekeeping in the Dragon Soul Continent wasn��t the same as on Earth, so everyone managed to get their turn. If it were based on the seven-day system, there was no telling what trouble would arise.


    Of course, most of the girls in his harem were relatively easy to get along with. Among them, Lize and Lapis were relatively shy and preferred to communicate with him alone in private. However, Bubble and Anne were the type who preferred to sleep with more people and have fun together. There were many times when several women were in his bed at once, but always with the exception of one: his younger sister.


    Canary knew the most about the relationship between him and his younger sister. On the other hand, Bubble also more or less knew about them. And although Marlene and the others had never heard about it from Rhode, after his younger sister��s resurrection, they noticed the feelings between the two siblings through observing their interactions. That was why when Rhode and his younger sister spent the night together, the others wouldn��t disturb them. But it wasn��t too much of a surprise for them, since the younger sister��s identity as the original Void Dragon was something that made the situation rather awkward. This fact alone made others tense up in front of her, not to mention getting into bed with her. Of course, Anne was an exception. But after several persuasions from Marlene and Lize, she stopped heading over to cause trouble.


    This was naturally something that Rhode was happy to do. And while he had no desire to rank his harem, he did want to make the others aware of who was less important. His younger sister always came first in his heart, and no one could ever challenge that. He was initially worried that he would have to use some means to make the others realize that. After all, although this would ensure his younger sister��s status, it would also break the hearts of others.


    All of them were young ladies. Even if one knew that it wasn��t the truth, one still wouldn��t enjoy hearing one��s partner telling one that ��you��re not as good as the rest in my heart��. It was a thin layer of window paper. It was enough that everyone knew it in their hearts. As soon as one talked about it, it would spoil the harmony. And now, since the young ladies around him understood this point, Rhode was also glad to not become the villain. As long as the most crucial key was in his hands, the other issues wouldn��t be a problem.


    There were a few exceptions to this, though. For instance, Christie, Bell, and Icy Snow. They had never spent the night in his bedroom. In the case of Christie, whenever he had the time, he would basically be in her room telling her bedtime stories and lulling her to sleep like a dutiful father. Since Bell and Christie lived together, the former was also treated the same way. After all, they were still children and went to bed early every night.


    That was why Rhode had to spend plenty of time waiting until they fell asleep before returning to his own bedroom to do what he had to do. On the other hand, Icy Snow was a thoughtful young lady who didn��t need him to worry about her at all. She went to bed early every night, so she was even less likely to spend the night at his side.


    But now��


    ��Ah, Big Sister! I want to sleep with you two tonight!��


    Upon seeing Rhode��s younger sister, Icy Snow waved her hand at her excitedly. She was the most familiar with the younger sister apart from Rhode. After all, the three of them grew up together. Moreover, whenever Icy Snow��s parents were away for long periods, she was left in the care of Rhode and his younger sister. During that period, she also often slept with the younger sister, so the relationship between the three of them was really close.


    Just that�� It wasn��t exactly the same as before now.


    Icy Snow didn��t feel like she did anything wrong for wanting to be with the younger sister. On the contrary, she felt like this might be the truth of what Bubble said. After all, Bubble proudly told her that Canary and her had slept with Rhode together.


    Maybe it is just like the three of us together now? I sleep with Mom and Dad too, so is this what Bubble meant by husband and wife in reality? Does the three of us sleeping together like a family count as one? But�� This isn��t too bad either.


    ��What��s going on here, Big Brother?��


    Upon seeing the excited look on Icy Snow��s face, the younger sister rolled her eyes, before turning around to look at Rhode in silence. Detecting the look in her eyes, Rhode spread his hands apart helplessly.


    ��Come on, don��t look at me like I��m scum�� I don��t want to do this either. After all, Little Icy is still young����


    ��Is it? But it isn��t like you�� haven��t done it with someone around her age.��


    ��Say, can we not talk about this����


    Rhode had no choice but to throw up his hands in surrender at his sister��s jealousy, which was like a wolf in sheep��s clothing. After all, siblings were connected by heart (a phrase that couldn��t be more appropriate for the two of them). He knew that his younger sister was teasing him, so he didn��t say anything more to defend himself, but quickly told her the whole story of this matter instead. And after listening to his grumbles, his younger sister also showed a helpless look.


    ��So that��s why you brought her here?��


    ��Yeah, I��m more relieved that you��re here�� If it were Anne and Bubble, it would be a different story. How about you go and explain to her what ��husband and wife in reality�� is all about?��


    ��Why don��t you do it?��


    Upon hearing his words, the younger sister glared at him. Rhode spread his hands apart in a righteous manner in response to her question.


    ��If I were to tell her, it would be considered sexual harassment to a certain extent, I guess.��


    ��That����


    Upon hearing his response, the younger sister was stunned. She turned around and looked at Icy Snow who was excitedly hugging her pillow and scanning Rhode��s large bed. She looked like she was having a sleepover at a classmate��s house. Besides, she really was unaware of what that whole thing meant. Upon seeing her innocent and anticipative look, the younger sister gaped, but nothing left her mouth. She simply shook her head in despair.


    ��Okay then�� Looks like I don��t have a choice, Big Brother.��


    Of course, the younger sister couldn��t possibly tell Icy Snow the truth. This situation was as though a little girl dressing herself up as a princess and looking forward to a trip to Disneyland, only to be told that the so-called fun trip was actually them heading to a nightclub to drink, dance, and chill.


    How can someone do something so cruel?


    At this thought, the younger sister sighed and looked at Icy Snow with a gentle smile.


    ��Alright, let��s head to bed.��


    The young lady said.


    The dark night sky replaced the extinguished magical glow that enveloped the bedroom with bright moonlight spilling through the windows. Looking out of the window, one could clearly see the beautiful white moon hanging above. The most important thing for Rhode wasn��t the beautiful night scenery, but the two people sleeping beside him right now.


    Icy Snow wore a white nightgown and lay between Rhode and his younger sister. She closed her eyes and had a calm and satisfied smile on her face. After all, she was just a child. After lying down on bed, she fell asleep in just a few minutes and looking at her sleeping face, Rhode and his younger sister were deeply touched. It was especially so for Rhode as he felt like he had neglected her too much in the past.


    Icy Snow was different from Bubble and Canary. She was a great daughter who was attached to her family. Bubble hated her family with a passion, while Canary had broken off all ties with her parents. However, Icy Snow didn��t suffer the same bitterness and hatred as they did. Even though she knew that she was just a projection and not her true self, she still missed her parents; it was just that she never mentioned it. This time, the reason why she made this request to Rhode was perhaps because she wished to recall the homely warmth.


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but let out a sigh. It seemed like he had been so busy all this while that he neglected her feelings. But now, this was also a form of compensation to her.


    ��Being together like this reminds me of something that happened a long time ago, Big Brother.��


    Focusing on Icy Snow��s sleeping face, the younger sister whispered to Rhode. She smiled and reached out her hand, gently tidying her hair that appeared to be a bit disheveled. Upon hearing her sigh, Rhode withdrew his gaze and nodded in agreement. That��s right. They, as siblings, together with Icy Snow, made him reminisce his years with his younger sister as children. Thinking back, their relationship wasn��t this close at first, as a matter of fact. Back then, he disliked his younger sister, but everything changed after they eventually grew up. He was surprised that after all that happened, it was as if they were back to square one��


    ��While being nostalgic is a sign of old age, I do miss that period of time�� Honestly, I had no idea that things would turn out this way���� Rhode chuckled softly, before shifting his gaze to the sleeping Icy Snow who was sandwiched between them. At that moment, she turned over and leaned into the younger sister��s embrace as if she were a small child. Looking at this scene, Rhode showed a bitter smile. ��This feels like we��re a family of three����


    ��Family of three��.��


    Upon hearing these words, the younger sister��s face suddenly became a little grim. As close siblings, Rhode naturally knew that this sentence reminded her about Christie again. One had to admit that women had maternal instincts, not to mention that Christie really was the younger sister��s child. Although she felt a little regrettable that she couldn��t give birth to Christie herself, Christie was still her flesh and blood, after all. Looking at Christie��s life, though there was nothing unsatisfying about it, the younger sister still expected her to receive the happiness and warmth of a normal family as well.


    ��Big Brother?��


    ��Hmm?��


    Upon hearing the younger sister��s voice, Rhode responded. Although his younger sister hadn��t spoken yet, he already knew what she wanted to say. Sure enough, he soon heard the younger sister speak after some hesitation.


    ��Well�� Next time, let Christie sleep with us, okay?��


    ��Sure.��


    After hearing her question, Rhode smiled, reached out his hand, and held his younger sister��s soft hand over Icy Snow. Frankly, Rhode also thought it would be nice to have a quiet night like this once in a while. Although it was true that ��wild nights of intimacy�� did help relieve fatigue, for Rhode, he still wished to have peaceful nights sometimes too. At this thought, he closed his eyes and relaxed himself.


    Tomorrow would be a brand new day. The battle against Chaos would continue, but at least for this night, he would be able to get some rest, wouldn��t he?


    The night passed uneventfully, and when he opened his eyes again, it was already the next morning.


    Icy Snow obviously felt satisfied to sleep with Rhode and his younger sister. She blushed when asking Rhode if she could come over to sleep with him more often in the future. Rhode naturally promised her. And of course, he didn��t desire Icy Snow in that respect. After all, he wasn��t a beast who pushed down anyone who stood beside his bed.


    It was especially so since he and Icy Snow were so close with each other. Moreover, with her personality, he didn��t want her to think too much about her parents. In fact, he kind of regretted how he projected her in the first place. After all, she was still a well-behaved child and very attached to her family. He didn��t think too much about it when he summoned her. Now that he thought about it, he realized he didn��t consider the situation too carefully. So as compensation, he naturally wouldn��t refuse this small request from her.


    After fulfilling her wish of ��sleeping together to become husband and wife in reality��, Icy Snow was satisfied. Of course, with her character, it was impossible that she would proudly announce it to Bubble. Besides, Rhode also didn��t want her to tell anyone about it. After all, although he had a clear conscience, just like how his younger sister said sarcastically�� It wasn��t his first time doing it with a young lady who was almost the same age as Icy Snow��. If others learned about this, perhaps they would think otherwise.


    After a quiet and peaceful night, Rhode once again threw himself into his busy work. The appearance of the Chaos Eye made him increasingly vigilant. He dispatched Lesa to the border defense of the Void Territory to fill the gap between Bubble and Icy Snow. And while Icy Snow was obviously welcoming of Lesa��s arrival, Bubble looked a bit bummed out. It was apparent that she was frustrated and bewildered by the lack of response from the indifferent Lesa. But at that point, Rhode couldn��t care less about Bubble��s feelings. After all, the integrity and unity of the defensive line was of paramount importance to him.


    Shing������!


    In a flash of white light, Rhode stretched out his right arm. Along with this action, the 10 holy sword cards transformed into pillars of light that spread out in all directions with him in the center, before transforming into a huge circle. At the next moment, the 10 pillars of light that erupted from the holy sword cards burst deep into the clouds. A colorful array of lights emanated from the pillars, interlacing and overlapping to form a beautiful barrier. The colorful brilliance flickered rapidly and along with explosive radiance, the barrier disappeared swiftly, and the 10 pillars of light that erupted from the cards also vanished as well.


    ��Looks like you��ve familiarized yourself with them a lot more now, Big Brother.��


    Quietly watching as Rhode summoned the cards back into his hand, the younger sister said with a smile. Upon hearing her words, Rhode, however, frowned and shook his head.


    ��No, it still isn��t enough.��


    Although Rhode was close to success in the proficiency of the holy sword cards, he wasn��t satisfied with the result. Because up until now, he still hadn��t been able to properly grasp the connection of the 10 holy sword cards. He became really efficient at using the three types of attributes individually. But whenever it involved using the 10 cards at the same time, it remained a tough challenge for him. And the problem with that lay in the most important card of all.


    Heart Piercer����Karin.


    In the beginning, Rhode was puzzled as to why there was the ��human�� attribute in the holy sword card deck. But now, after using the 10 holy sword cards to construct a barrier at the same time, he finally understood the importance of Karin. She was like the most important bridge to communicate and balance the three respective attributes. Once his grasp and usage of Karin were incorrect, the three attributes would clash and erupt, causing the entire barrier to fail.


    What exactly went wrong? Rhode couldn��t figure it out. He tried really hard to be in tune with Karin and could also feel that she was responding to his adjustments and doing her best as well. But in the end, the results were still unsatisfactory no matter what. In that case, where exactly went wrong?

 Chapter 1323 - Path to Awakening

    ��What exactly went wrong?��


    Not only was Rhode puzzled by that, but the holy sword cards were confused as well. Celestina crossed her arms and frowned as if she were thinking hard. Celia shook her head in silence. Gracier and Madaras also weren��t smiling, which was uncharacteristic of them, and they stood quietly at the sides. Shira looked the same, standing beside them with a wry smile while swaying her body. Eleanor, Dona, and Catherine, on the other hand, lowered their heads and exchanged a few words with one another. But it was clear by the looks of them that they hadn��t come to any useful conclusions.


    ��Is it due to the fact that you rarely used her?��


    Eventually, it was Canary who stood at the side who broke the silence. Rhode shrugged in response. It wasn��t like he hadn��t thought about that aspect of it either. But then again, if that were the case, it would be a real problem. Because time was the only problem that couldn��t be solved. The ones that Rhode used the most often were Celia, Celestina, Gracier, and Madaras. He barely used the other holy swords. At the very most, he would occasionally use Shira.


    Rhode had rapport with the four mentioned, but his rapport with the remaining holy swords was a different story, especially in regards to Karin. Due to the fact that there was a real lack of technicians under Rhode, this holy sword spirit mostly served as a logistical technician after being summoned by him. For instance, tasks like building magical warships and whatnot were all completed by her, Lapis, and Marlene. Among them, Karin was in charge of the basics, which was the most important, so much so that although Rhode had summoned her early on, it was as though he didn��t use this holy sword at all. He initially didn��t think that this was going to be a problem. But now, he didn��t expect this issue to come knocking on his door.


    In fact, Rhode also felt like every time he used Karin, her reactions were slightly out of sync. It was like two people in a whirlpool, desperately trying to hold each other��s hands. But after several attempts, either one side was faster or the other was slower; there was no tacit understanding to speak of. And it wasn��t a lack of effort from Karin either. He felt like she also tried hard, but no matter how hard they tried, it was simply a waste of effort if they couldn��t match up.


    ��That means you don��t have a good understanding of her yet, Leader. Drag her to bed and that will resolve everything! You two need to know each other better by going deeper!��


    Mini Bubble Gum was apparently the classic case of one who wished for the whole world to be in chaos. Of course, Canary reached out her arm and slapped the gloating Bubble on the head. Icy Snow and Christie were watching from the side. Bubble didn��t know how to be cautious with her words; not everyone was as precocious as her, after all.


    ��Indeed, Big Brother. You have too little interactions with the other holy sword cards. You don��t know one another well enough yet.��


    Upon hearing Bubble��s words, the younger sister nodded slightly. Apparently, she also ��partially-agreed�� with Bubble��s remarks. In fact, even if the younger sister didn��t say a thing, Rhode was aware of the problem. But this was the only problem that wasn��t as easy to solve as the others. Because some things could only be solved with time. But now, even if he were to coordinate with the holy sword cards 24/7, it wouldn��t be the slightest bit beneficial.


    So if this was really the problem, it would be a really difficult one to solve.


    It was like falling in love. Falling in love was a gradual process of getting to know each other better out of mutual admiration. And after the two parties became familiar with each other, enough to be able to handle each other��s flaws, marriage was just a matter of course.


    But what about a blind date? It was for the purpose of getting married in the first place and there was no basis for a relationship. It was only when one felt like it wasn��t good to continue being single that one would go on a blind date. For both parties on a blind date, marriage was like a task rather than a recognition of each other from the heart. So after the blind date, as long as the other person was superficially acceptable, the two parties could get married. But because of that, the problems in each other weren��t revealed. This was one of the reasons why so many blitz marriages and divorces happened. In the first place, there was no deeper understanding between them, so naturally, conflicts would occur after marriage.


    If one were to use this as an analogy for the relationship between Rhode and the holy sword cards, it would be as if someone ordered them to get along and understand each other like passionate lovers in the shortest time possible, which would feel odd no matter who put it out there. So even if both sides knew it should be done, there was no shortage of mental resistance between them. Moreover, emotions were the hardest to express and easiest at leaving repercussions. Perhaps even if both sides had an affinity with each other, their hearts might still long to be somewhere else, which tantamount to tossing in vain.


    ��I don��t think there��s any other better idea.��


    After some consideration, Rhode finally shook his head helplessly. At least for now, he believed that this problem couldn��t be resolved in a short time. And as for Bubble��s remarks about dragging Karin to bed for a round or whatever, he only treated it as a joke. He knew that he would be a loser if he took the joke seriously.


    ��It��s not like there��s no way around it.��


    However, what surprised him was that his younger sister interrupted him with a smile on her face all of a sudden. Upon hearing her words, Rhode couldn��t help but turn to her. Sensing his gaze, the younger sister smiled and winked at him.


    ��Big Brother, haven��t you ever wondered why I created the holy sword cards?��


    ��What you meant is����


    Upon hearing his sister��s question, Rhode was taken aback. However, he responded quickly. Indeed, if it were just about creating the Holy Sword Barrier, there was actually no need to use the holy sword cards to awaken it as there were many measures and pieces of equipment meant to protect spirits in the Dragon Soul Continent.


    The younger sister could also use equipment to seal them up without binding their souls, but it would be too restrictive, where only Spirit Swordsmen could awaken the holy swords and no other profession could. And now, with his younger sister suddenly mentioning this, he was stunned. He returned to his senses shortly after.


    ���� Awakening?��


    ��Not bad, Big Brother.��


    Upon hearing his answer, the younger sister chuckled. Rhode twitched his brows at her reaction.


    Awakening was an essential and dedicated ability for every Spirit Swordsman. But for the most part, it was rather useless. The awakening in this context wasn��t referring to Spirit Swordsmen becoming Super Saiyans[1], but rather awakening of cards instead. The cards of Spirit Swordsmen were actually much like those unique cards purchased with in-game currency on mobile games. And after the card spirit reached max level, one could choose whether or not to awaken it.


    If the awakening was successful, the entire card would emit a golden glow and have a few more patterns on its surface. Along with the awakening, the appearance of the card spirits would also change. But�� That was about it. It was just like spending money on a hero skin; one wouldn��t be able to increase the hero��s offensive and defensive ratings or anything like that just because one changed its skin. As for Spirit Swordsmen, the point of awakening was for its appearance��s sake for outsiders. After all, card spirits looked gorgeous after awakening, regardless of whether their strength had increased or not. At the very least, the beautiful card spirits were enough to attract a lot of people��s attention after being summoned.


    Of course, it wasn��t surprising that when the winds howled around the highest peaks, they were often instant-killed in group battles.


    That was why many experienced Spirit Swordsmen, including Rhode, wouldn��t choose to awaken their cards. Because if the awakening succeeded, the card spirits would certainly become incredibly gorgeous. However, if the awakening failed, the card��s loyalty and attributes would drop across the board. Not only that, but the success rate of awakening also seemed to be random. So unless one happened to be lucky enough to get some flashy card spirits that could be used for appearance��s sake, the average Spirit Swordsmen wouldn��t use this skill. And now that his younger sister brought it up to him, the only thing he could think of was awakening.


    But this skill��


    ��The awakening skill may seem flashy and unrealistic in the game, but it actually isn��t that simple. It was originally set up so that the card spirits and the holder could get to know each other better���� The younger sister said, raising her right hand and making a gesture. ���� Just like you and Karin right now, Big Brother. Although both of you know that you should work better together, deep down. you still subconsciously resist it. This is something you may not be aware of subjectively, but it does exist. The so-called awakening is to project your spirit into the subconscious of the card spirit and make them accept you. That way, when you succeed, the issues with value will not be a problem.��


    ��I see����


    Upon hearing the younger sister��s explanation, Rhode nodded. He finally understood why the loyalty and attributes of the card spirits would fall after this skill failed in the game. Because the Spirit Swordsmen failed to make his card spirit accept him, which was why it naturally rejected him. And even if it succeeded, card spirits were just data, after all. It was impossible for them to appear in tune with the player��s feelings or anything (of course, it was important to not invest emotionally in virtual characters). So, naturally, there wouldn��t be any other changes except for the card spirits becoming more gorgeous.


    But reality and the game world were different, after all.


    ��So, in other words, all I have to do is use the awakening skill on Karin, pass through her subconscious, and I��ll be able to handle this tricky situation?��


    That was good news for Rhode; at least, it was better than both of them having a hard time getting to know each other on a blind date.


    ��Yes. But Big Brother, I think you��ve also realized that it isn��t that simple�� And besides���� The younger sister paused for a moment, looked at the crowd, and revealed a mysterious smile. ���� Big Brother, I was hoping that you would use the awakening skill on all the holy sword cards at once.��


    ���� Huh?��


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s words, even Rhode was stunned. But soon, he reckoned that this was indeed a good idea. In fact, in the midst of practice, he also found out that not only Karin, but he and the other holy sword cards also weren��t that compatible. However, their problems were within permissible limits, while Karin��s issues directly affected the construction of the barrier itself. That was why Rhode brought up Karin specifically. And if he could get through the subconscious of all the holy sword card spirits and get them to accept him, he could create the perfect barrier.


    But��


    ��Is this going to take a lot of time?��


    ��The flow of time in the mental world is different from reality, Big Brother. It may feel like time passes very quickly in the mental world, but it actually moves really slowly in the real world. That is why even if you feel as if you��re spending years in the mental world, in reality, it��s only for a moment.��


    ��I see����


    Upon hearing her explanation, Rhode couldn��t help but nod and instinctively sweep a glance at Lize, who stood next to him. When she sensed his gaze, her face turned red instantly. Of course, she knew why he looked at her. Although she wasn��t his card spirit, she was the only one whose mental world was entered by Rhode. That happened a long time ago. Back then, Lize hadn��t confessed to him, but deep down, she was jealous of the intimacy between him and Anne. This led to her falling prey to the Mind Devil, sucking Anne and Rhode into her mental world. She also got so angry at them. However, Rhode managed to gain two cards in her mental world, which was a dark history that Lize could never forget. So up until that moment, Rhode didn��t use those two cards unless necessary. Or else, Lize might hang herself in shame when she saw the two card spirits.


    Of course, awakening the holy sword cards wasn��t as simple as awakening the spirits of the card spirits because the holder��s spirit had to be projected into the spirit��s subconscious. That was why, during the process, Rhode was entirely defenseless and this sort of thing naturally couldn��t be done in full view of the public. As a result, he decided to do it at night in his own bedroom.


    His younger sister would watch over him to ensure that his spirit wouldn��t be damaged or affected in any way. Of course, this would also require the consent of all the other holy sword card spirits. And if they disagreed, he wouldn��t have the permission to enter their mental worlds and would simply be ejected. Therefore, it was also very important for him to seek the opinions of the card spirits. Fortunately, everyone was well aware of what was at stake, so they didn��t complain much on that front, but quickly nodded in agreement instead.


    And so, as night fell, the awakening ritual was about to begin.


    ��Are you ready, Big Brother?��


    Looking at Rhode, who lay on the bed, as well as the 10 holy sword card spirits who were suspended in the air around him, the younger sister hesitated for a moment, before asking softly. And upon hearing her question, Rhode nodded.


    ��Yes, I��m ready.��


    Under his younger sister��s narration, he also understood the entire process of awakening. The reason why she proposed to use the awakening skill on the 10 holy sword card spirits at once wasn��t solely for insurance purposes. It was due to the fact that the mental worlds of the 10 card spirits were interconnected. So by using the awakening skill on them at the same time, Rhode would be able to freely travel through their mental worlds without having to deal with them one by one.


    Of course, in addition to that, the most important thing to note was that in the mental world, he would encounter more than one projection of the card spirits. Not only that, but the spirit projections would also have no memory of him at all. This meant that his existence was completely foreign to them. Only when he was fully acknowledged by the spirit projections would their memories be linked to their external body, thus restoring the part of their memory about him. And only after dealing with the spirit projections in the mental world, Rhode would be considered to have officially obtained the recognition of the holy sword card spirits and completed the entire process of awakening.


    ��I hope you can remember, Big Brother, that the spirit projections are likely to have a completely different personality from their actual selves. So you��d better not treat them with the same attitude. The mental world is the spirit projection��s home turf and if you infuriate them too much, there��s a good chance you��ll do damage to your own spirit. So you need to be careful to protect yourself and not get hurt or let anyone else get hurt.��


    Even though the younger sister didn��t explain too much, Rhode knew exactly what she meant. The mental world was a fragile thing. Whether it was his own spirit projection or that of the card spirits, if his spirit projection was harmed, he would be hurt as well. If the card spirits received damage to their mental worlds, they would also face issues. In that case, any slight instability would most likely turn into factors that would cause irreparable damage to their original selves.


    That was why this proposal from the younger sister could be said to be a beneficial, yet risky one. And if Rhode were able to complete the test flawlessly, the situation would naturally be perfect. But if something went wrong with him, no matter where the problem occurred, it was conceivable that the Holy Sword Barrier would basically be out of luck.


    Despite the risks, Rhode agreed to his younger sister��s suggestion. Because he was absolutely confident in himself.


    ��Let��s start.��


    After making sure that he was completely ready, Rhode took a deep breath, turned to his younger sister, and said. When she heard his words, she simply nodded, walked to the side, extended her fair, slender finger, and pointed at the holy sword card spirits in midair. Along with this action, a bright light emanated from the holy sword card spirits. In the blink of an eye, the brilliance connected the 10 of them, all of whom surrounded Rhode. Upon looking at this scene, Rhode muted his facial expression, continued to lay on the bed, and closed his eyes.


    Shortly after, dazzling magical rays of light erupted with him at the center, forming a revolving summoning ritual circle that enveloped all 10 holy sword card spirits. Then, a blinding radiance flashed.


    At the next moment, the entire room restored its serenity.


    [1] An advanced transformation assumed by members and hybrids of the Saiyan race in the Dragon Ball franchise.

 Chapter 1324 - City of White (1)

    Entering the subconscious could be said to be both a short and long process for Rhode. It was like a dream, where one felt like it had happened for a long time, but, in fact, it had only been a moment. This was one��s mental world, which was not always about the person themselves. It wasn��t entirely unreasonable to say that the person who knew themselves the least was often themselves. Even if one were as sane and indifferent as one could be, one couldn��t completely grasp one��s mental world. Even robots could make logical errors due to various incidents, not to mention humans whose minds were a thousand times more complex.


    After an unknown amount of time, Rhode finally felt his feet setting foot on solid ground. He opened his eyes and the blurry scenery before him became clearer. Although he had already prepared himself mentally, after looking at the scenery before him, he couldn��t help but stare with curiosity.


    What appeared before him was an endless grassland, as well as an azure sky, which didn��t seem to be out of the ordinary. The problem wasn��t this beautiful scenery either, but something that appeared amongst it��a white city.


    Of course, if it were just an ordinary city, Rhode wouldn��t be so surprised. As a matter of fact, instead of a city, it looked more like the scribbles of a child. There were heavy, crooked black lines, square windows that were clearly not drawn neatly, a gate made of childish-looking fruit candies, cookie-paved roads, rivers flowing with fruit juice, and walls that looked like they were made out of marshmallows�� And a sweet aroma of appetizing food lingered in the air.


    ��Have I entered Lilian��s mental world?��


    Looking at this scene with an odd expression, Rhode reached out his hand and scratched his head. He would totally accept the explanation that this childish and crooked ��candy city�� before him belonged to Lilian��s inner landscape. But unfortunately�� According to the order, he should have entered Celia��s inner world instead.


    ��Celia?��


    Rhode swore to God that he never thought that the battle angel who was always calm and quiet would have such a childish side. This was really surprising to him. But despite that, it was the truth that he had entered the deepest part of her mental world, and the most unknown side of her. Perhaps even Celia didn��t even know that she possessed such a mental world.


    No matter what, this mental world seemed rather peaceful and wasn��t as sinister and evil as he had imagined. The reason why there were so many issues in Lize��s mental world was mainly due to the fact that she was taken advantage of by the Mind Devil, which unrestrictedly amplified the negative emotions within her. But this time, through his younger sister��s guidance, Rhode entered the card spirits�� mental world peacefully, so there wouldn��t be any troubles as evil or dangerous as the Mind Devil.


    Rhode��s curiosity about Celia��s mental world lasted for only an instant and soon after, he lowered his guard. Since this place wasn��t dangerous, all that was left was to complete his mission. Although everyone��s mental world was full of bizarre happenings, there were always things in common. And now, he was going to find the ��real Celia�� in this mental world and earn her recognition. Of course, he couldn��t come up with anything just by standing here, so he had to take this one step at a time.


    At this thought, Rhode lifted his head and strolled toward the white city.


    While the grassland and sky around him appeared normal, everything started to become strange when he arrived at the bridge built of biscuits. He stared at the gate before him, which was made entirely of fluffy cream cake and considered how he should open it. He extended his arm and pushed the gate, only to end up sinking his entire arm into it.


    ��Who��s there!��


    And at that moment, along with the sudden yell, two figures flew down from the city wall from the left and right and arrived in front of Rhode. Upon meeting them, Rhode was stunned. They looked undoubtedly like Celia, wearing the set of battle angel armor Rhode remembered, and their expressions were no different from the Celia he knew. The only difference was that there were two of them standing before him right now. They were like twins, exactly the same without any visible differences in the slightest. They held spears in their hands, gazing at him sternly as if he were an odd visitor. As long as he acted suspiciously, they would stab him with the spear and teach him a lesson.


    Forget about whether or not they could cause any harm to him; since the two spears in their hands were made entirely of candy sticks, they must taste really nice.


    ��Greetings, I am a traveler from the outside world. My name is Rhode.��


    In response to the two Celias�� question, Rhode didn��t explain himself, but quickly introduced himself instead. He knew that this was Celia��s mental world. But even so, they wouldn��t recognize him. Because this was the most secret area of Celia��s innermost heart, where even she wasn��t aware of its existence. That was why it was natural that this place didn��t know anything about Celia��s outside world, and it was normal for them not to know him. If they did know who he was, it would then be really strange instead.


    ��Traveler from the outside world?��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s introduction, the two Celias exchanged puzzled looks with each other. Shortly after, as though recalling something, they revealed warm, passionate smiles.


    ��Oh, I see. You must be here for Her Majesty Honey Queen��s annual Sugar Pot Extravaganza too, aren��t you! We��re so delighted that word of our grand event has finally spread to the outside world�� Welcome, traveler from the outside world, I��m sure you��ll enjoy yourself to the fullest here.��


    ��I��m looking forward to it.��


    After hearing their words, Rhode didn��t say too much. He pretty much figured out what was going on here. Since they had already said so, he was happy to go along with them since it was quite troublesome to explain his situation, anyway. Since they found a good reason for him, it would be a waste if he didn��t use it. That was why he kept quiet and went along with what they said. As expected, after hearing his answer, the two Celias grinned


    ��We��re sure you��ll be pleased, Traveler. We promise that our Sugar Pot Extravaganza will not disappoint you.��


    With that said, the two Celias held out their hands in an inviting gesture to Rhode. Then, they put a knife and fork into his hand.


    ��This is����


    After looking at the knife and fork in his hand, Rhode shifted his gaze to the two of them with some confusion. Upon sensing his puzzlement, the two Celias smiled warmly, stood on both sides, and made an inviting gesture to him as if they were welcoming guests.


    ��Please.��


    ������


    Upon hearing their response, Rhode looked once more at the knife and fork in his hand, before gazing at the gate in front of him, which was made up of fluffy cream cake. He twitched his eyes in disbelief. This gate must be almost two meters thick, right?


    Fortunately, the two Celias weren��t going to let him finish the whole of the cake gate, but just let him eat his way in. But even so, that was more than enough for him to take. He wasn��t a girl, after all, and his liking for sweets wasn��t really that strong. Like most men, he only occasionally had sweets. But this time�� He felt as if he were about to swallow the amount of cake that he would have in his entire lifetime. Even though he only had to eat a one-man-sized entrance for himself through the two-meter-thick cake gate, it still gave him quite a headache. And if it weren��t for the two Celias watching from the side, he would have just thrown all of the cake into the river of juice to destroy it. Of course, in the end, he finished the cake on his own will and as for how he felt�� Well, that was another story.


    ��Phew����


    After ��eating�� into the gate, the two Celias turned around, flapped their wings, and left in satisfaction. After Rhode witnessed the two Celias leaving, he let out a sigh of relief and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead. Oh, Lord. He would rather go out and fight Chaos 300 more rounds than take another bite of cake again.


    But soon, he found out that his difficulties were more than just cake. After entering the city, he realized that this city wasn��t as deserted as he thought it was. On the contrary, it was just as lively as a city in any other world. Drivers handling their wagons, vendors selling their goods and merchandise, and working civilians�� Everything was no different from an ordinary city.


    The only problem was that all of them were Celia.


    Taking a stroll down the street, Rhode saw different Celias dressed as a groom, farmer, elegant noblewoman, and enthusiastic vendor�� It literally felt as if she were ��cosplaying�� and Rhode didn��t know how to tell the difference between them. All in all, he just felt like his eyes were completely confused.


    ��This is going to be a problem����


    Looking at the dense number of Celias in front of him, Rhode knitted his brows. He was sure that Celia��s true projection of herself was among them. He thought that finding her wouldn��t be so difficult. But now, it didn��t look easy at all. Although this ��candy city�� resembled a child��s world and seemed more like a small, simulated city in a children��s play area, there were hundreds of Celia around and it would take a lot of time for Rhode to find the real Celia and earn her acknowledgment, not to mention the fact that he couldn��t even figure out how to spot the real her.


    Which is the real Celia?


    At this thought, Rhode frowned. He pondered for a moment, but eventually shook his head and walked down the avenue toward the palace. According to the two Celias from before, they would inform Her Majesty Honey Queen of his arrival. Originally, Rhode didn��t know who that Honey Queen was, but now it seemed like it was probably another Celia. In terms of status, that Celia should be the true one.


    Among the many ��Celias��, Rhode��s appearance was naturally quite eye-catching, where almost everyone looked at him curiously. But in the face of these gazes, he remained calm and walked along the only street in this city of candy until he reached the front of the palace.


    Although it was said to be a palace, it was nothing more than a three-story building stacked from biscuits. Just like a children��s candy house, the walls were made of biscuits, while the pillars were cakes, and the steps and floor were flakes of candy. The whole palace had a sweet and delicious scent to it. If any girl were to witness this scene, she might not be able to stop drooling. But Rhode didn��t feel this way at all. Instead, he looked at the biscuit palace in front of him with a bitter and pained expression. The taste of the cake that he forced into his stomach and had a hard time forgetting once again resurfaced in his head��


    ��Candy house, huh�� I wonder if there are any man-eating old hags living there.��


    Rhode soliloquized and shook his head, forcing himself to forget the painful memories from before. The cake itself tasted great, but if one were forced to eat several cakes and could still manage to keep a straight face, that would be a problem.


    Unlike the ��bustling�� city, there was no one on this side of the ��palace��. From the moment he walked through the entrance of the palace to the atrium, he hadn��t seen a single person. Only when he came to the stairway did he see the two ��Celias�� who greeted him at the entrance of the city, and the only reason why he recognized them was because they wore the same armor as before.


    ��Greetings, Traveler. We have reported your arrival to Her Majesty. She is very pleased to have a traveler attending the Sugar Pot Extravaganza. She wishes to meet you and personally show you how to enjoy this feast. So please follow me, Her Majesty is waiting for you.��


    ��It is my great honor.��


    Upon hearing the words of two guards, Rhode saluted and let out a long breath. If there were no mistakes, this queen should be the real Celia he was searching for.


    At this thought, Rhode��s spirits lifted, and he followed the two guards up the stairs and arrived at the entrance of the hall located on the second floor.


    ��Your Majesty, the traveler has arrived.��


    ��Let him in.��


    Celia��s voice, which had a hint of arrogance and pride, sounded from behind the candy door. Upon hearing that voice, Rhode couldn��t help but feel a little amused as the corners of his mouth perked up. After all, the Celia he knew was a meek, peaceful, and somewhat rigid person. And now, after hearing her tone of voice that sounded like she was imitating Celestina, it was rather interesting. Despite that, Rhode also felt like this voice didn��t seem to be the same as the Celia he remembered, but sounded a bit childish instead.


    But before he could think about anything else, the door had already opened. He threw those nonsensical thoughts to the back of his head and entered the hall, only to meet the owner of that voice. However, after seeing the figure before him clearly, he stood dazedly on the spot.


    Sitting on the luxurious throne made of pudding and honey embellishments was a little girl in a gorgeous dress, who looked about six or seven year old. Her curly, blonde hair framed her small face of baby-fat and she looked exceptionally adorable. At that moment, behind her was a pair of small wings fluttering and waving along with their owner��s movements. But it was obvious that they weren��t of much use. The little girl let out a cough as soon as she saw Rhode strolling into the hall. She reached out her tiny hands and fiddled with the crown on her head, which seemed to be made from egg rolls. Then, she crossed her arms and looked at him with a smug look.


    �� That��s Celia?


    Looking at the little girl in front of him, Rhode tried his best to not burst out laughing. Fortunately, an expressionless face was his natural disguise. If not, seeing this girl in front of him who acted as if she were playing a game of kings, Rhode would have been seen laughing already. And for a moment, he even instinctively touched his pocket to see if he had brought his phone with him. It would be funny if he took a picture of Celia in this form to show the rest!


    But this was only a fun thought of his. After all, this was a mental world and also the most private of all places. Whatever happened here shouldn��t be made known to others.


    ��I��ve heard from the guards. Welcome to my kingdom, traveler.��


    The loli version of Celia said and nodded to Rhode while pretending to be very dignified.


    ��As the first traveler to attend my country��s grand ceremony, the Sugar Pot Extravaganza, I will bestow upon you the highest honor, and you will join me in enjoying the most magnificent and delicious desserts and cakes at this ceremony!�� With that said, the loli version of Celia raised her right hand and held it out to Rhode. ��Come, traveler, to my side! Let me give you a good taste of our kingdom��s grand event!��


    ��As you command, Your Majesty.��


    In response to her invitation, Rhode bowed respectfully.


    Seems like this is the only way to continue my search for now.

 Chapter 1325 - City of White (2)

    When Rhode followed the loli version of Celia to the balcony of the ��palace��, the streets and scenery below had changed completely. It was now decorated with bright lights, reflecting the atmosphere of a feast. Even the balcony was also filled with a variety of sumptuous desserts. Really, there were only desserts.


    Rhode wasn��t too surprised since this was just how the mental world worked. As long as one wanted to change something in one��s mental world, it would transform in just the blink of an eye. But when he saw the pile of desserts in front of him, he couldn��t help but feel a little nauseous. His stomach was still stuffed with the chunks of cake he ate at the gate. He didn��t know what would become of him if he had more slices. On the other hand, he remembered the times he went out with his girlfriends on dates. No matter which one of them, their eyes were wide-opened whenever they saw cake or dessert. Although most of them didn��t really eat much due to fear of gaining weight and other reasons, he could see that they were capable of devouring much more dessert, than him. This made him wonder. His appetite was clearly much bigger than theirs, so why was it the other way around when it came to dessert? Could it be like what Canary said, that desserts were stored in a woman��s second stomach?


    The loli version of Celia wore a gorgeous robe and walked rather imposingly with her feet splaying outward. Rhode followed behind her, but tried his hardest to not laugh out loud. Right now, Celia was as if a little kid who was learning how to be an adult. It was especially so when she looked truly like a child, which made her actions look even more adorable.


    Shortly after, the little queen stepped onto the balcony, stretched out her hand, and beckoned. The two guards next to her skillfully took out two boxes made of biscuits. The little queen stood on the boxes, smiled proudly, and waved to the people in the square below. Upon witnessing the appearance of the queen, all the Celias in the banquet square stopped whatever they were doing and cheered loudly. Hearing the cheers of her ��subjects��, the little queen showed a satisfied look, waved her hand at her ��subjects��, and announced.


    ��My people! The great annual celebration, Sugar Pot Extravaganza, is here again! On this day, the most delicious desserts and juices are served and everything is in unlimited supply! There are no limits, so take as much as you want!��


    ��Oooooh!��


    Upon hearing the queen��s speech, all her ��subjects�� let out loud cheers, to which Rhode couldn��t help but shake his head and laugh bitterly on the inside. He never thought that Celia was as naive as a child despite looking so collected on the outside. Being able to eat sweets without restriction? Perhaps only a child would have such desires. And now, it seemed like this candy kingdom might be the embodiment of Celia��s innermost childlike side?


    And just as these thoughts flashed through Rhode��s mind, the voice of the little queen rang in his ears once again.


    ��Not only that, but this time, a traveler from out of town has also come to our grand event. So let us give a warm welcome to our guest!��


    ��Oooooh!��


    After hearing the little queen��s announcement, the ��subjects�� shouted all at once. And upon seeing their expressions, Rhode could only smile, arrive at the balcony, and wave a greeting to the crowd below under the anticipative gaze of the little queen. When the crowd saw his response, they were also really enthusiastic in their cheers. Probably due to the fact that his actions made the little queen really satisfied, she didn��t say anything more, but jumped down from the box with the help of two guards and declared the official start of the ceremony.


    Along with the cracking fireworks, the candy fest had officially kicked off. A band (consisting of all Celias, of course) came out from nowhere and played musical instruments made of ginger candy. Meanwhile, the crowd spread themselves out and ate the desserts placed on the table with great excitement. For some reason, this scene made Rhode feel as if he were at the opening of some self-service bakery. A mountain of sweets and treats piled up all over the banquet hall, filling the place with the scent and aroma of candies. Sure, it might be heaven for women with a sweet tooth, but not so much for him. Unfortunately, he wasn��t able to turn around and leave just yet. Because right now, the little queen was holding his hand and sitting at the table, personally picking sweets for him.


    ��Here, traveler, try this cake. This fruit candy is delicious too. And this cookie! I love the honey on top. And this�� This�� This���� The little queen had lost all her disguise as an adult before Rhode. She was like a real child offering treasures to an adult, putting everything she liked on his plate. Meanwhile, Rhode sat helplessly in front of the table with a somewhat twitchy smile as he stared at the variety of desserts stacking up on his plate. Oh, Lord, he had no doubt that if he ate all of them, he would definitely throw up. As the saying ��there was a limit to everything�� went, it was fine having desserts once in a while. But if one were to eat it all the time, even someone who loved sweets probably couldn��t stand it, not to mention Rhode, who disliked eating them in the first place. This was tantamount to torture for him.


    Fortunately, apart from the dessert, there was also fruit juice. Rhode took a sip and although he didn��t know what kind of fruit the juice was made from, it was refreshing and appetizing. If he had more of these drinks, he might actually be able to swallow the pile of sweets that gave him a headache just by looking at it.


    Come to think of it, was there such a thing as tooth decay in the mental world?


    ��Reporting, Your Majesty! Something bad happened!��


    Just as Rhode pondered about this strange question to escape the reality before him, an anxious voice shattered his thought. He raised his head, turned toward the direction where the voice sounded, and saw one of the two guards fluttering her wings and gliding over in midair hurriedly. She looked anxious and terrified as she rushed in front of the little queen. Upon seeing her guard in such a desperate state, the little queen was obviously dissatisfied. She tensed up her little face immediately.


    ��What happened? Don��t be so panicky. Watch yourself in front of the guest!��


    It was indeed quite amusing that a small child like her was telling someone older than her to watch herself, especially after considering the fact that both of them were actually one person. Although the little queen looked young, she seemed to hold quite a lot of authority. The guard calmed down a lot after hearing her disgruntled complaints. But even so, the heavy look on her face didn��t change too much.


    ��It��s bad, Your Majesty. That giant monster is at it again!��


    ��What?��


    Upon hearing the report from her subject, the little queen was taken aback and her little face turned white. She stood up and stared at the guard before her in astonishment. Looking at this scene, Rhode also raised his eyebrows. It was obvious that he could tell that there was indeed a problem. So, what exactly was it about?


    Rumble��!


    However, before Rhode finished his thought, he felt the building and ground beneath him shaking, followed by a deep rumble. At that moment, the banquet hall was no longer as lively as before. The ��subjects�� who had been enjoying dessert in the banquet square happily were now running around in panic, scattering as if they were fleeing. Not only that, but the musicians also tossed their instruments aside and turned around to leave. In the blink of an eye, the bustling banquet hall became deserted. And when the little queen saw this scene, her expression became incomparably ugly. Despite that, she didn��t say anything more, but turned around and looked at Rhode immediately instead.


    ��Take our honorable guest down to the shelter immediately! Move fast!��


    At that moment, the little queen finally showed her reliable side. Or rather, when Rhode saw this side of her, he nodded inwardly. Although Celia looked completely different now, she was still Celia, after all. This was just the way she reacted whenever she became serious. But it was no surprise, after all, since they were all the same person. It wasn��t like two souls inhabited one body. It would be even stranger to say that their personalities were different.


    But unfortunately, it was too late now. When the guard heard the little queen��s command and about to bring Rhode away, along with the trembling ground, a tall shadow rose and enveloped the palace before it. And after seeing the true face of that shadow, even Rhode was shocked.


    It was also Celia, but she was much taller than the rest and even several times taller than the city walls. She was nearly ten meters in height and looked just like a giant. Not only that, but she was also completely naked. Rhode watched as this Celia strutted to the wall, reached out her arms, grabbed the soft walls, and forcefully stuffed it into her mouth.


    ��Damn it! It��s that wretched monster who��s come to rob us of our treasures again. We mustn��t let her get away with it this time! Onward, my guards, destroy this monster!��


    Upon seeing the giant Celia feasting on the wall in front of her, the little queen was apparently fuming. She waved her hands in exasperation, stomped her feet hard, and glared at the giant with angry eyes. Then, she stretched out her hands and gave orders to her guards. As soon as they heard the little queen��s order, the two guards immediately raised their spears high in their hands, flapped their wings, and flew over to the giant. Along with their actions, dozens of guards who were dressed similarly and lifting their own spears made of candy also flew toward the giant.


    ������


    Looking at this scene, Rhode twitched the corner of his eye. He was almost certain how things were going to turn out next. Despite that, he didn��t want to offer help because up until that moment, he hadn��t been able to figure out exactly which Celia was the one he was looking for. Previously, he thought that the little queen was the true Celia. But now, he was a little confused. After all, such things on a mental level were the hardest thing to differentiate, so he had no choice but to hold down his inner thoughts and focus on the ��fight�� before him.


    And just as he thought, the guards�� attacks were of no effect on the giant at all. To the contrary, the giant waved her arms and struck the guards away. The spears they held that were made from candy were naturally bitten and devoured by the giant. After losing their weapons, although the guards continued attacking the intruder unyieldingly, their actions were simply in vain. The giant didn��t even look at them for more than a second. Instead, after eating her way through the walls, she strolled into the city, reached out her arms, grabbed the houses that were made from a combination of cookies and desserts, and feasted on them.


    This scene looked as though a child breaking into a model house built of candy. When one saw cakes decorated with exquisite flowers, houses made of dark chocolate, as well as fruits arranged around them, wouldn��t one be impressed by the beautiful, art-like desserts in front of one?


    As the houses were being demolished and eaten by the giant, the house owners ran out in panic, screaming and fleeing in all directions.


    At that moment, they were finally reminded of the horror and humiliation of having a block of houses that they worked so hard to build eaten in their faces��


    ��Damn it! You villain! I curse your teeth to decay! You baddie!��


    Looking at her city being destroyed, the little queen stood on the balcony and stomped her feet in wrath. However, that giant seemed to have gotten used to her yelling as she simply ignored and tore down more houses, while feasting on the debris. After making a mess out of the entire city, the giant finally seemed satisfied. She patted her round belly, turned around, and left, leaving behind an ugly mess��


    The candy city right now was totally unlike what it looked like when Rhode first arrived. If it were said that the candy city looked like a fairy tale castle in a child��s scribbles before, it looked like a wreck now after being swept away by a powerful whirlwind. Looking at this scene before her, the little queen stood silently on the balcony. Rhode also noticed that as the little one stared at the devastated city, she also bit her lip and showed an unwilling expression. Soon, her eyes turned red and glistening tears welled up in her eyes, before sliding down her cheeks.


    ��This�� This�� Your Majesty, please don��t be sad. We��re lucky that nobody is hurt, aren��t we?��


    After witnessing the little queen sobbing, Rhode didn��t want to say anything. However, there was no one else around him, so he could only go and comfort the little fella. It would be fine if he didn��t say a word because as soon as he spoke, the little fella cried even louder.


    ��Boo-Hoo������! I��m so sorry, Big Brother. I wanted to let you enjoy our banquet, but I didn��t expect it to be ruined by that villain. I��m sorry. So sorry����


    ��Okay, okay. Don��t cry. It looks a little messy back there, but I still feel your passion and understand your intention. So, don��t cry, okay?��


    Looking at the little queen who wiped her tears and apologized, Rhode had a bad headache. That was why he had no choice but to grab the candy beside him while comforting her with kind words. After all, the little one was just a six or seven-year-old child. Under his kind words of comfort, she finally stopped crying. But even so, her face was still red. She sobbed, clenched her hands, and displayed an unconvinced look.


    ��B-But�� This isn��t the first time it happened, Big Brother. That monster always comes and messes with us while we��re hosting a party. But my guards can��t do anything with her�� Our weapons can��t hurt her either����


    Of course their weapons didn��t hurt her. Rhode had never heard of candies inflicting more lethal damage than weapons�� Apart from some bizarre ones.


    And just as Rhode criticized inwardly, he suddenly saw the eyes of the little queen lighting up before him. Then, she reached out and grabbed his clothes, staring at the sword hanging from his waist.


    ��Big Brother, that��s a sword, right? It��s a sword!��


    ��Yes, it is one����


    Although he didn��t know what the little queen was trying to say, Rhode nodded in agreement. And upon hearing his answer, the little queen jumped up in excitement.


    ��Yes! This is awesome!��


    While she cheered, she held her hands up high and stared at Rhode with a bright twinkle in her widened eyes.


    ��The stories say that the brave with the sword is capable of slaying the monster. Big Brother, can you help us kill that monster?��

 Chapter 1326 - City of White (3)

    What exactly is this situation?


    Looking at the wilderness before him, Rhode stretched out his arm blankly to scratch his head. After he agreed to the little queen��s request, she sent someone to escort him out of the city. Later, he didn��t even know what happened. He simply witnessed a flash in his vision and was transported to this deserted wilderness the next second. Everywhere was empty. The candy city from before was nowhere to be seen. But that didn��t surprise him much, since this was how it was in a mental world. And if one were to make sense of everything, perhaps it would be meaningless other than confusing one even more.


    ��Alright then, looks like I��ll need to defeat that giant next, huh?��


    Reaching out to hold the sword hilt at his waist, Rhode forced a smile. Even though he brought the sword along with him just in case, the truth was that he never thought of using it. Because the mental world was a very sensitive place, where everything was a projection of its owner��s innermost mind. If one were hurt or killed, it would leave a profound impact on the owner��s mental world. His younger sister had also warned him solemnly that in the mental world, the amount of strength one had was useless.


    The most important thing here was to rely on the mouth. Whoever could convince the other party would be the boss. Using brute force was the most unwise choice, so even if the little queen wanted Rhode to destroy that giant, he couldn��t just foolishly run up to her and swing his blade. Since the giant appeared in Celia��s appearance, it meant that the giant was also a part of Celia��s innermost mind. And if Rhode destroyed her, perhaps his task would fail completely. That was also why the guards around the little queen held weapons made of candy.


    This was Celia��s mental world. If she set her heart on it, even steel and laser swords would surely be at her disposal. But that would cause damage, after all, so she subconsciously wouldn��t use them. It was like how one would resist instinctively even when one wielded a dagger and tried to stab oneself in the heart. But if one were to hold a plastic toy sword, one would be fine no matter where one hit. The same went for the candy weapons around the little queen.


    But even so, Rhode nodded and agreed to the little queen��s request, before heading to have a negotiation with the giant version of Celia.


    ��Come to think of it, I don��t really understand them at all.��


    Strolling on the wilderness and recalling the scene earlier, Rhode couldn��t help but mumble to himself. Up until that moment, he recalled that he indeed didn��t know much about the holy sword card spirits, not even Celia, who had followed him the longest. He didn��t know what their true identities were when they were still alive because whenever he talked about this topic, the card spirits hummed and hawed, which was why he didn��t pursue the question further. And now, it didn��t seem like it was just due to a lack of skill that he couldn��t work well with the holy sword card spirits.


    Take Celia, for instance. All he knew about her was that she was a battle angel and that she used to be of high status. But as for what exactly she did, how high a status she possessed, exactly what kind of status she had, and what feats she had once performed, Rhode had no idea at all.


    Celestina was also the same. He didn��t understand her as well as Celia. The only thing he knew was that Celestina was a great demon of hell and that was all. Of course, due to the ��intimacy�� between them in the past, Rhode had a much better grasp of her psychological activities and personality than Celia. But other than that, he knew nothing about Celestina. For instance, although she was a great demon from hell, in his opinion, she didn��t actually have the tactfulness and composure of one. In that regard, she was a complete amateur. In that case, Rhode was certain that she didn��t grow up in hell. Or else with a character like hers, she would have been really lucky to not be sold out. Though on the surface, she seemed evil and loved death, killing, blood, and corpses, this was a demon��s nature, after all, and it was impossible to change. But apart from that, Rhode didn��t notice any areas that could be nurtured by the environment. In that case, it could only prove that Celestina wasn��t raised in hell, but grew up on the main plane instead.


    As for Gracier and Madaras, his knowledge of them was only limited to their status. This time, Rhode didn��t embarrass himself any further. At the very least, he knew that they were once princesses of the elves. But unfortunately, that was all he knew. Their background was even trickier than the previous two. And for Celia and Celestina, he was still able to make inferences from the information both of them revealed inadvertently. But Gracier and Madaras never said a word, so it was hard getting any information out of them.


    As for Shira with the crazy mind, ordinary people had no way of understanding her. For instance, if it weren��t for Celestina��s slip of the tongue, Rhode wouldn��t know that Shira, who looked like a sadist on the outside, was actually a complete masochist on the inside, which didn��t match her at all.


    Rhode couldn��t understand these cards that he often used well enough, not to mention the likes of Little Five and Karin. Little Five and Karin were really just ordinary card spirits with a superior-subordinate relationship to him. And now, even in Celia��s mental world, he found himself getting caught unprepared. What would happen to him after he entered the mental worlds of the rest?


    At this thought, he shook his head and threw his worries aside for later. At least for now, his most important goal was to take care of that giant in front of him. If there were no way to deal with that giant, he didn��t even need to consider the next. Moreover, he was aware of the heavy burden he was carrying. Celia was the one who had been with him the longest and saved his life more than once while he was in danger. If he couldn��t even get her acknowledgement, wouldn��t it be even more ruinous for Karin, Little Five, Eleanor, Dona, and Catherine, who he had basically nothing to do with?


    According to the younger sister, she had used her power to connect the mental worlds of all 10 of them together. Although there was no way to communicate and view the situation in front of them through a spiritual connection like in his system, any fluctuations in one��s mental world would be noticed by the others. If Rhode were able to successfully gain Celia��s acknowledgement, the rest would also be at ease. But if he failed�� How would the rest of them feel comfortable letting him into their mental world?


    But the most important thing for him now was to focus on his current task before worrying and discussing other issues.


    ��Snore�� Snore����


    Right after Rhode calmed his mind and stopped thinking about the troublesome matters, he focused his attention on the wilderness in front of him again. This time, he heard some snores from deep in the wilderness. As he walked toward the area where the sound was coming from, it wasn��t long before he saw the giant.


    At that moment, the ten-meter-tall giant was lying in a clearing and snoring away. She wasn��t wearing any clothes and only white wings wrapped her huge body. It looked like this giant was more like a primitive person. She seemed to know absolutely nothing about shame and had no concept of enjoyment. Rhode, on the other hand, stood beside her, knitted his brows, and carefully examined her. Honestly, although she had wrapped her body with her wings, she was a giant over 10 meters tall, so she couldn��t cover her entire body. In that case, he was able to get a closer look at her ��erotic side��. Come to think of it, Rhode had never teased Celia, though he had even gotten Celestina into bed with him. Maybe it was that this battle angel was too meek and honest, which made him feel a lack of sense of conquest?


    Rhode admired Celia��s body curiously. He had seen quite a few naked women, and it wasn��t like they weren��t any better than Celia. That was why seeing her naked body didn��t make him blush or become excited. On the other hand, it did pique his curiosity. This was the first time he had seen a female body enlarged to this extent. But perhaps it was because Celia was an angel, so even though her body was magnified several times, it didn��t look all that scary, such as hairy arms or something��


    ��Hmm��?��


    Even though Rhode didn��t say a word, the giant seemed to notice his gaze that was sizing her up. She woke up from her sleep, opened her eyes, and let out a confused grunt. After turning over and looking at him, she widened her eyes in shock, sat up, and stared at him.


    ��Who are you?��


    Her voice was literally like a thunderclap echoing in his ears. But it also seemed like the giant didn��t have a particularly clear idea of him either. Rhode expected her to scream and jump up after seeing him just like any other women. After all, she wasn��t wearing any clothes. But to his amazement, she didn��t have any reaction to it, like a child who liked running around naked and was oblivious to the gaze of others. The giant supported herself with her hands on the ground as she sat up. The two huge lumps on her chest the size of a hill dangled in front of his eyes. She didn��t even seem to be aware that her private parts were exposed to him. She just stared at him curiously as if looking at some rare specimen that she had never seen before.


    ��Greetings, I��m Rhode. I am a traveler from the outside world.��


    Facing the giant, Rhode introduced himself again. Upon hearing his introduction, the giant��s eyes glinted instantly.


    ��You came from the outside world? No wonder I don��t remember seeing you before�� Is the outside world fun? What are you doing here? Did you come here for something interesting?��


    At that moment, the giant was like a curious baby, asking question after question. And in the face of her questions, Rhode patiently answered one by one. Celia didn��t seem to care much about the situation in the outside world. Instead, she was curious about why Rhode showed up here. When she heard that he was here to participate in the candy feast, her eyes brightened up.


    ��Oh, you love sweet things too! I have some with me�� Here you go!��


    The giant said, turned over, and reached her hand into a cave to grab a bunch of candies and biscuits, before laying them out in front of Rhode one by one.


    ��This is really tasty�� This isn��t too bad either�� Yes, this is wonderful����


    As Rhode watched the giant presenting her candies and stacking them in front of him like she was offering treasures, he suddenly felt as if this scene was d��j�� vu all over again.


    ��Why did you wreck the Honey Queen��s ceremony?��


    Looking at her exuberant appearance, Rhode pondered for a while and finally took the opportunity to ask. Of course, he didn��t intend to kill her right away. If it were said that he didn��t clarify things yet, now, after some interactions with her, he was convinced that there was no difference between the giant and little queen; they were both naive children. It seemed like there was no unbreakable hatred between them and that the little queen was just saying things out of spite when she said she wanted him to kill her. And now, Rhode was thinking about how to unravel the conflict between both sides. Disputes between children could be huge or small and if there was no particular or deep hatred, the conflict would resolve itself over time.


    ��Ugh����


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, the giant, who had been in high spirits a moment ago, suddenly pouted and revealed a dissatisfied expression.


    ��I didn��t want to do it either. But�� But�� I was hungry�� I eat everyday, but I don��t feel full at all�� And there is also no food in other places�� It wasn��t like this in the past����


    Although the giant��s narrative was somewhat incoherent, by Rhode��s analysis of the situation, he finally understood the whole story. It turned out that she was born in this wilderness and was a giant since birth. But the fruits of the wilderness couldn��t fill her belly at all, so she shifted her attention to the candy city. At first, she went to the candy city just to ask for some food. But perhaps due to her size, she scared the people, and the little queen and her guards also chased her away. After trying for a few times to no avail, she became a little discontent.


    In her opinion, she just wanted some food. And if one didn��t want to give her food, there wasn��t a need to drive her away. That was why she became angry and ��power grew from within���� Perhaps this phrase shouldn��t be used here, but, as a matter of fact, she returned to the candy city and robbed the city again, taking advantage of her huge size. Previously, she was just a cowardly person and didn��t dare to confront them. But now, she was angry, which was why she naturally retaliated against them. And in the face of her attacks, the guards wielding candy-weapons couldn��t stop her at all, thus letting her pillage a whole lot of candies and desserts with ease.


    Thereafter, she, who had gotten a taste of sweetness, decided to start living this way. She spent her days in the wilderness eating candies and desserts that she had stored up. Once her supplies were emptied, she would head to the candy city to ��replenish�� her stocks and bring them back as reserves. And up until that moment, she had pillaged the candy city for up to four times��no wonder the little queen was so annoyed. If one were in her shoes, one would surely be furious for having one��s city broken into and having things snatched away.


    ��I see����


    Upon hearing her words, Rhode nodded. After pondering for a moment, he asked.


    ��So, if the Honey Queen allows you to indulge in sweets in the candy city from now on, will you stop bothering them?��


    Facing Rhode��s question, the giant nodded.


    ��Of course. I was just hungry����


    ��Got it.��


    Rhode replied and narrowed his eyes.


    He had already come up with an idea to resolve this issue.


    After bidding farewell to the giant, Rhode once again returned to the candy city. Just like before, he had no idea how he headed back. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he was once again transported to the entrance of the city. However, to his surprise, the little queen actually stood there with an anxious look on her face as if she were waiting for him. As soon as she saw Rhode, she scuttled toward him and held his hand worriedly.


    ��How was it, Ttaveler? Have you gotten rid of that annoying giant?��


    Looking at the complicated gaze in the little queen��s eyes, Rhode seemed to detect something. He answered with a smile.


    ��That��s right, Your Majesty. I��ve followed your orders and slaughtered that giant.��


    ��What������!��


    Upon hearing his reply, not only did the little queen not reveal a happy expression, but she also turned pale and showed a sorrowful look. She looked at Rhode and asked.


    ��Did you really kill her?!��

 Chapter 1327 - : City of White (4)

    Faced with the little queen��s panicky question, Rhode didn��t answer her straight away. Rather, he stared curiously at the little one in front of him, shrugged, and asked.


    ��By the way, Your Majesty, I still don��t know what happened between you and her. Can you tell me about it?��


    ��I����


    Upon hearing his question, the little queen revealed a somewhat terrified expression. Her eyes wandered to the left and right, staring at the scenery on both sides. She subconsciously pointed her fingers at each other. At that moment, anyone could tell that the little one looked like she was guilty of a crime. And upon seeing her expression, Rhode kind of figured out the situation. Earlier, it was indeed out of spite that the little queen wanted him to kill the giant. After calming down and remembering her words, perhaps she was regretting it.


    If this was Celestina��s mental world, maybe Rhode would be facing the cunningness of a demon. However, Celia was an angel, so no matter what her mental world was like, the fact that her essence was an angel wouldn��t change. So in the end, the little queen chose to confess to him honestly.


    ��Actually�� It��s not that big of a deal. It��s just that she came to us for food at first, but we didn��t have that many sweets to give her, so we refused her. We didn��t expect her to return and stir trouble a few times, so we tried to chase her away. But later, she took things too far and actually attacked us, so that��s why I wanted to�� Teach her a lesson and keep her away from our place����


    The little queen��s voice became softer toward the end. It was obvious that she knew that what she was saying was a little too far from what she had asked him to do. That was why the little one felt a little guilty. Upon hearing her confession, Rhode felt relieved. It seemed like there wasn��t any resolvable conflict or misunderstanding between them. What he was most afraid of was misunderstandings. Sometimes, misunderstandings were more troublesome than anything else. One might think of things one way, while the other party might think of things the other way. Even if one were to explain the situation, the other party might believe otherwise, and so forth. And now, it seemed like both parties knew where the problem was. Judging from this situation, Celia was indeed an angel. Humans in most situations like these would try to downplay the mistakes they made, before highlighting the wrongs of others. However, Rhode didn��t see this problem in either of the Celias. They both complained about what they did to each other, but also knew their own problems and that made things easier for him.


    ��In that case, why don��t you keep her around? Even though she��s huge, there are some benefits she can offer, right? For example, when building a house, she can easily put them up, can��t she?��


    Speaking of which, Rhode remembered the story of the Lilliputians in Gulliver��s Travels[1]. And now, this was like another otherworldly version of that story. By all accounts, if both sides could do what was done in that story, where the Lilliputians sewed clothes and made food for Gulliver, while Gulliver helped Lilliputians with things that he could easily do as a giant, wouldn��t that be a win-win situation for them?


    ��Uh�� It does work that way����


    Upon hearing Rhode��s suggestion, the little queen put on a difficult look, pondered deeply for a moment, and murmured to herself. And looking at her embarrassed look, Rhode raised his eyebrows.


    Is there something that I��m unaware of?


    At this thought, he asked quickly.


    ��Are there more problems?��


    ��This was what happened, traveler.��


    Upon hearing his question, the little queen said.


    ��It��s not that we don��t want her to live with us, but we really don��t have enough ingredients to make the food we give her every day.��


    ��Oh, really?��


    After hearing her explanation, Rhode couldn��t help but feel interested. He originally thought that the mental world was a place where everything was available to them, where desserts, candies, and feasts were all just a matter of thought. If one in the mental world could have whatever one wanted, there would be no need for the giant to come to the candy city and destroy it just for food. And in response to his question, the little queen nodded.


    ��Yes, traveler, all the ingredients we use to make desserts come from Candy Mountain. In the past, we had enough ingredients to prepare food for her. But now, Candy Mountain has been taken over by a group of outsiders. Although we fought against them several times, the results weren��t good. In the end, we��re only left with this small piece of land���� The little queen said, curling her lips. It was apparent that she felt really dissatisfied. But after looking at her expression, a thought cropped up in Rhode��s mind. He seemed to have a grasp of the core problem in Celia��s mental world.


    ��How about this, Your Majesty? I will go and talk to her to see if she can help you reclaim Candy Mountain. If she can, will you make her a resident here as well in the future?��


    ��Are you willing to do that for me?��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s proposal, the little queen stared at him with wide eyes and excitement. But shortly after, she frowned and shook her head with force.


    ��You��d better not, traveler. The ones who occupy Candy Mountain are powerful. We can��t beat them. Even though she��s huge, she can��t fight that many enemies alone����


    ��In that case, how about you two work together?��


    In response to the little queen��s melancholic reply, Rhode offered his advice with a smile. This was his way of doing what he could in someone else��s mental world without doing anything. He would rather rely on his words to guide the inhabitants of the mental world to make their own decisions and take actions. It was like two villains in a person��s head fighting each other; it was okay for them to fight on their own. But it wouldn��t be good if there were a third party influencing their views. That was why he decided to act as a guide and use his words to gain victory in the mental world. In this regard, he was really confident. At the very least, he had relationships with a number of women in the past. Back then, he was neither the Void Dragon nor noble. He had nothing to do with being a rich young man and was just an ordinary college student. Even though he had a beautiful face, which woman would be willing to sleep with a boring man who couldn��t sweet-talk?


    The kind of guy who didn��t even speak more than 10 sentences in a day, smiled only at his computer and yet, had a pretty girl knock on his door, clean up his messes, cook for him, and warm his bed would only be suitable to be a NTR protagonist. While he enjoyed the times when his childhood sweetheart was supposedly making a loving lunch box for him and immersed himself in the forums, he didn��t know that his childhood sweetheart and his optimistic best friend had, in fact, opened a room in a small hotel not far away from home. Yes, this was the direction where reality was headed. They no longer showed on TV how a childhood sweetheart would stay with a geek forever�� By the way, plots with polyamorous relationships were all over TV nowadays��


    Due to Rhode��s expressionless face, he was often mistaken for a silent geek. In fact, he had a lot to speak of, but it depended on the occasion��


    And now, since swords were useless in the mental world, he would have to rely on his mouth to save the world.


    The little queen was also moved by his proposal. After thinking about it for a moment, she finally nodded in agreement that if the giant version of Celia could help them repel the enemies of Candy Mountain and allow them to retake it, they would be willing to accept the giant as a member of their country and would also be willing to prepare enough desserts and sweets for her. As for Rhode��s previous statement that he had killed the giant��he lied to the little queen, of course.


    After getting the confirmation from the little queen, Rhode quickly went to find the giant and explained the proposal to her. And when the giant heard that the candy city was willing to accept her, she was quite thrilled. She nodded and agreed to the proposal quickly. As long as she was able to help the candy city and the little queen reclaim Candy Mountain, this dispute would all be over.


    And Rhode would also be able to get away with this headache-inducing fairy tale�� Of course, he would never admit that it was due to the fact that he had had enough cakes and desserts.


    There was no need to prepare anything in the mental world. Soon after an agreement was reached, the giant and little queen joined up and headed to Candy Mountain together. After arriving at Candy Mountain, Rhode realized that the massive mountain in front of him was, in fact, made of real ��candy��.


    As far as the eye could see, one could see all sorts of sweet treats everywhere: candies in the shape of flowers and grass, tree trunks made entirely of chocolate, a canopy of fluffy white marshmallows, and cream instead of fruit juice flowing in the river bank. Not only that, but a sweet scent also assailed their nostrils, enchanting the little queen and giant.


    As for Rhode, he was about to pass out from the sweet aroma that rushed straight into his brain.


    Despite plenty of sweets here, the little queen looked really serious.


    ��Be careful, those guys are scary. We need to be wary!��


    On their way here earlier, Rhode heard from the little queen about these enemies that had taken over Candy Mountain. They were so powerful that there was no way for the guards of the candy city to drive them away. Not only that, but the number of these invaders was also increasing, and eventually, the little queen had to evacuate with her subjects. They were only able to gather some ingredients from around Candy Mountain to make food, which was why they didn��t have enough food to share with the giant. After all, the giant��s appetite was too large for an average person to handle.


    ��Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!��


    Just as the little queen��s voice sounded, all of a sudden they heard sharp squeaks. Shortly after, Rhode was surprised to see nearly a hundred huge mice running down from Candy Mountain and blocking their path. They were like personifications of animals in fairy tales, wearing human-like clothes, and having sharp claws on their two front paws that glinted icy-cold light. They squinted their small eyes at the group of people before them, and one of them who seemed like the leader screeched.


    ��Get out, get out! This place is ours, ours! Everything here belongs to us!��


    In response to the mouse��s squeaks, the little queen took two steps forward, puffed out her chest, and raised her head to glare at them in discontent.


    ��Well, you��re the ones who should leave! This place is ours. You stole our land and we won��t let up!��


    As the little queen said, she raised her hand and swung it forward with force.


    ��Onward, my loyal guards! Defeat these invaders and take back our Candy Mountain!��


    ��Oooooh!��


    Upon hearing the little queen��s words, the guards behind her yelled immediately. They raised their candy spears and charged at the mice in front of them. Soon, both sides entered a battle. Although they fought fiercely, the battle wasn��t realistic at all. Rhode was initially a little worried that there would be spraying blood and flesh like in reality. But soon, he found out that Celia��s mental world was still a childish place, after all. And although it looked like both sides were fighting fiercely, no lives were taken at all. The mice��s claws, which looked sharp enough to tear through delicate skin as if they were made of film, didn��t rip through at all. And naturally, the angels�� weapons made of candy didn��t hurt the mice much when they hit them. And those who were defeated didn��t turn into corpses, but just disappeared with a soft bam�� At that moment, Rhode finally understood why the little queen hadn��t driven the nest of mice out of Candy Mountain yet. With this kind of fight, it would be strange if they could defeat them��


    But this time, the little queen had a secret weapon. After seeing that her subordinates couldn��t support her any longer, she crossed her arms and shouted loudly.


    ��Come on out!��


    Boom!


    With the little queen��s call, the giant came out from the back. According to Rhode and the little queen��s plan, they hid the giant in the back for the finale. And now, when the giant heard the little queen calling for her to make an appearance, she didn��t hesitate in the slightest. She sauntered forward and entered the battlefield quickly. Upon seeing the towering giant in front of them, the mice were bewildered. They had never seen such a huge person. At that moment, the mice weren��t as ferocious as before anymore.


    The battle reversed instantly. In the face of the giant, there was nothing the mice that were as tall as a full-grown man could do. And every time the giant raised her arm, she swept away a large nest of them. After a short while, the mice retreated hurriedly, never to be seen again.


    ��Yay!��


    Witnessing the mice leaving Candy Mountain desperately, the little queen raised her hands high in excitement and cheered. And along with her action, the guards around her also raised their arms and celebrated the victory. After their cheering, the little queen didn��t forget who helped her to victory. She ran up to the giant, gazed at her with a smile and bowed.


    ��Thank you very much. If it weren��t for your help, we wouldn��t have been able to reclaim Candy Mountain at all. I declare that from now on, you are a citizen of our country! An honorable citizen!��


    ��Really? That��s great!��


    Upon hearing the little queen��s words, the giant cried out in excitement. Looking at this scene before him, which was like the end of a fairy tale, Rhode felt relieved.


    It should end now, right?


    But when this thought cropped up in Rhode��s head, a dazzling brilliance flashed by his vision.


    ��������!��


    A bright and dazzling light streaked across the sky like a meteor, before striking the giant heavily. The giant didn��t expect this ambush in the slightest and fell to the ground immediately. This scene stunned the cheering little queen and guards and left them at a loss. Just as everyone was bewildered, a serious and earnest voice sounded all of a sudden.


    ��It ends here! You guys are taking it too far!��


    Along with this voice, an angel wielding a sword of light and clad in golden armor that was shrouded in glorious brilliance slowly descended from the sky. With a serious expression, she gazed at the crowd below her. Her entire body exuded an incomparably strong and substantial aura that was almost overwhelming to them.


    Celia.


    The moment Rhode saw the battle angel, he confirmed that this person was truly the Celia that he knew.


    It looked like the rightful owner finally made her appearance.


    [1] A 1726 prose satire by the Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan Swift.

 Chapter 1328 - City of White (5)

    Unlike the naive-looking little queen and primitive giant, the battle angel version of Celia before Rhode was almost exactly the same as the original Celia. Whether it was her serious and earnest temperament, or her calm demeanor, there was no difference between her and the Celia from his memory. No, perhaps he should say that there was still a difference; this battle angel possessed an incomparably powerful aura like a tall mountain moving toward him head-on, giving him a heavy sense of pressure.


    Rhode, who noticed this, was shocked. Because in reality, he had never felt such a powerful aura from Celia. Although she was somewhat rigid on a regular basis, she was still a meek and honest young lady. Unlike now; the aggressive aura from this battle angel made him want to lower his head, kneel on the ground, and bow down before her.


    Could she be the real Celia instead?


    ��I can��t take this any longer. Don��t all of you have more important things to do? It��s so boring to watch you argue over such trivial matters!��


    With a flap of her wings, the battle angel landed in front of the two. Compared to the naked giant and the little queen clad in a magnificent dress, the third Celia was dressed in a way that caught Rhode��s eyes even more. At that moment, she wore a platinum armor; her entire body was wrapped in a golden glow. An armor and cape embellished with gold on the edges accentuated each other. And paired with her flowing, blonde hair, in an instant, her presence felt even stronger than Lydia��s, where even the archangel didn��t have such an imposing presence as her. Rhode also noticed that the sword in her hands wasn��t the one wielded by the original Celia. Instead, it was a sharp blade coalesced from light. Other than the solid hilt, the other parts of the sword were made of light�� It seemed more like the weapon of a Jedi[1] in Star Wars[2].


    Faced with the arrival of the battle angel, both the little queen and giant took a few steps back, clearly wary of her presence. But the battle angel seemed completely unconcerned. She simply swept the crowd in front of her with a cold glance, before letting out a snort. Then, she looked up at the giant before her.


    ��As a girl, how can you not wear any clothes? How disgraceful! Put on some clothes now!��


    As the battle angel yelled, she pointed her lightsaber at the giant. In a dazzling, golden flash of light, the giant, who was naked before, was suddenly covered in a plain outfit. And after doing so, the battle angel looked at the little queen on the other side with dissatisfaction. When the little queen witnessed her stern gaze, she, who had been jumping around like a lamb being stared at by a tiger, let out a yelp, retreated hurriedly, and hid behind Rhode. She peeked out from the back and stared at her as if Rhode could completely resist the razor-sharp gaze of the battle angel. Despite that, the battle angel didn��t even look at him, but stared at the little queen and spoke with displeasure instead.


    ��As the ruler of a country, you have many things to do. But you actually wasted your time over such a trivial matter; how unruly! Now, get out of here right now and go back to your country to do what you��re supposed to!��


    ��Trivial matter?!��


    Upon hearing those words, the little queen was clearly unconvinced. She had even forgotten her fear toward the battle angel and instead, rushed out from behind Rhode with her hands on her hips and glared menacingly.


    ��I��ve just made a deal with that giant lady! It��s part of our agreement! She helps us reclaim Candy Mountain and I��ll make her a citizen of our country! How can that be considered trivial?��


    ��Agreement?��


    Upon hearing the little queen��s response, the battle angel frowned, turned around, and looked at the giant, who was staring at her in amazement nearby. The battle angel shifted her gaze back to the little queen and replied resolutely.


    ��You can��t even manage your own country and you want to make an agreement with an outsider? I declare this agreement null and void! She can live in Candy Mountain, but she will not be a citizen of your country!��


    ��What��?!��


    Upon hearing her words, both the giant and little queen squealed in unison. On the contrary, Rhode didn��t react in the slightest. Instead, he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes to carefully examine the three Celias in front of him. Judging from the interactions between them, he seemed to gradually realize what sort of relationship the three of them had with the original Celia.


    ��Why? What does this have to do with you? Why do you want to kick her out? She��s obviously a very nice person!��


    Upon hearing the battle angel��s remarks, the little queen clearly disagreed with her. She jumped, pointed her finger, and reprimanded the battle angel. And after hearing the little queen��s retort, the battle angel raised her eyebrows and put away her sword. She reached for a logbook from inside her cape and flipped it open.


    ��I judge that you don��t have the strength to handle and command her. As a giant, she is very powerful and doesn��t know how to control herself. Can you guarantee that she will not make any trouble in your country? She has robbed you of food more than once in the past and even destroyed your city. You were unable to do anything about her and now, you want to make her a citizen of your country? Can you guarantee that you can manage her? Can you guarantee that the people of your country can accept her? What if she destroys your city again?��


    ��T-That����


    Faced with a series of rhetorical questions from the battle angel, the little queen was too stunned to say a word. It was apparent that she hadn��t considered these questions at all. And at that moment, the giant, who was originally standing beside her, raised her hands in great dissatisfaction and waved them vigorously in protest after hearing those questions.


    ��I wouldn��t do anything like that! I was just too hungry before, and I��ll never do it again!��


    In the face of the giant��s protests, the battle angel, however, looked really calm. She just swept a glance at the giant and spoke in a harsh tone.


    ��So you won��t do it just because you said so? What if you get hungry later and can��t find anything to eat? Wouldn��t you break the agreement?��


    ��I����


    Faced with this interrogation from the battle angel, the giant was completely speechless. The latter stood there pitifully and gaped, but didn��t know what to say. She didn��t understand much about this subject to begin with, and at that moment, it was almost as if the giant couldn��t understand many of the words the battle angel said. For a moment, the atmosphere became much more awkward along with the silence of the giant and the little queen. Seeing that both sides stopped protesting any further, the battle angel cleared her throat and handed down the final judgment like a judge.


    ��In that case, I shall make the decision. The giant can live in Candy Mountain, where she has enough food without worrying about going hungry; it��s also not a violation of the agreement between the two of you. If you want to visit her later, you can always come to Candy Mountain. What do you both think of this proposal?��


    ������


    Faced with this proposal from the battle angel, the two were unable to refute in the slightest. After all, from any perspective, this was the most reasonable choice. And in fact, Rhode also admitted that this proposal was beneficial to either party. But obviously, it wasn��t something that everyone could accept. Because it was at that moment when the little queen��s voice broke the silence again.


    ��I��m not going to listen to you! I��ve decided that she��s our honorary citizen and I��m going to build her a nice, tall house in the city! What do you say? That��s a good idea, isn��t it?��


    The little queen yelled and turned to look at the giant on the other side. And in response, the giant stretched out her hand to scratch her hair with some embarrassment, before revealing a bitter smile.


    ��I�� Think anywhere is fine as long as there��s enough food. Besides, I think this place isn��t that bad either.��


    ��You��!��


    Upon hearing the giant��s reply, the little queen puffed up her cheeks and soon, her large eyes glittered with crystal-clear tears. At the next moment, the little one stamped her foot hard and turned away. Then, one could hear her sobbing voice from afar.


    ��Go wherever you like! I don��t care about you! Hmph!��


    ��Ah����


    Faced with the little queen��s departure, the giant looked somewhat worried. She gaped, but in the end, her extended hand dropped weakly. And upon looking at this scene, the battle angel nodded, before turning to the giant.


    ��It��s all settled then. This is your home from today onwards.��


    ��But�� She����


    Although it was definitely a good thing for the giant to live in Candy Mountain, her expression, at that moment, didn��t appear excited at all. On the contrary, she stared blankly in the direction where the little queen had left and had a complicated expression on her face. And upon seeing her expression, the battle angel gave a light snort and said.


    ��Why? Do you still want to go back now?��


    ��N-No, it isn��t about that����


    After hearing the battle angel��s question, the giant waved her hand in a fluster. But even so, she continued to gaze somewhat reluctantly in the direction the little queen had left in. The giant was at a total loss.


    And at that moment, Rhode, who watched indifferently from the side, finally figured out the existence of those three. They were more like the physical embodiments of Celia��s inner spirit. The giant was much more naive and innocent, curious about everything, and didn��t understand much about human emotions and what to say. She was supposed to represent the most primitive part of Celia��s ��instincts��.


    On the other hand, the little queen was more self-centered, so she was the proof of Celia��s ��ego��. As for the battle angel, it was obvious that she was the symbol of Celia��s ��rationality��. Judging from the relationship and status of these three parties, ��rationality�� was her strongest point, while ��ego�� was her weakest flaw. This was also in line with Rhode��s impression of Celia.


    In fact, there were many things he did that Celia disliked. For instance, he once summoned the undead army to massacre innocent civilians during the war in the south. And later, he caused confusion and disorder in the border cities of the Country of Light and also bombarded Casabianca. All of these were hard for Celia to accept. In the end, she didn��t voice her objection openly, but at the very most contributed with reluctance.


    At this thought, Rhode shook his head. Was this how Celia struggled whenever she faced his decision? Like now; perhaps she didn��t like it and her instincts were against it, but in the end, her ��rationality�� overrode everything and made her choose to remain silent. Rhode wouldn��t change his ways for anyone, or he would have already done so. But he thought that he would be able to communicate better if he could. And if Celia had to struggle like this every time she was faced with an order that went against her will, he wouldn��t be able to feel at ease at all.


    It seemed like this trip to the mental world wasn��t the slightest bit in vain�� Rhode had never expected to be able to discover the hidden issues within Celia��s heart in a world that seemed like a childish fairy tale. Perhaps this was what was necessary for the holder and card spirit to have an inner communication for awakening.


    But now wasn��t the time for that. Rhode sensed that the key was how to deal with the conflicts between the three of them. The battle angel was too sensible and mature, while the giant was too naive and innocent. She could have clearly not said those words earlier, but she still said them and ended up angering the little queen. And it was true that the little queen was devoted to the giant��s good and also wanted the giant to be a citizen in her country. However, the little queen was just thinking from her own point of view and not the other��s, so naturally she would be dissatisfied with the giant��s choices and statements. Despite that, the battle angel wouldn��t pay attention to this contradiction. She saw her decision as the best way, so she wouldn��t abandon it just because there was a conflict between the two sides.


    A fairy tale-like mental world sure has a lot of trouble.


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help shaking his head. This was Celia��s mental world, but what would happen if he were in Celestina��s instead? She had always been at odds with him. Although he used the ��bullying�� method to force Celestina to change, he couldn��t be sure that he could figure out the demon young lady��s inner thoughts.


    And when he returned to the candy city, the world had taken a completely different look.


    The bustling city was now cold and cheerless. The azure sky was covered by thick, dark clouds with rain pouring down and enveloping the entire city in a torrential downpour. This scene wasn��t too strange to Rhode. This was Celia��s mental world and the little queen, as one of the representatives of Celia��s personality, would naturally affect it. And now, it seemed like she was clearly in a bad mood. Not only was the rain pouring down, but thunder was also clapping as if the world were reaching its end.


    Rhode entered the royal palace again, and this time it was dead quiet. The two battle angels who guarded the place before were also nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, upon hearing the vague sound of sobbing, he managed to find where the little queen was. He had to admit that it felt rather creepy to be alone in this deserted, fairy tale-like castle, hearing the echoing cries of a little girl among the heavy downpour, flashes of lightning, and thunderclap that was going on on the outside��


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Rhode stopped in front of a door made of candy apples. He reached out his hand and knocked lightly on the door. Soon, along with this action, the crying from behind the door stopped. After a few moments, the little queen��s sobbing voice rang out.


    ��Who is it?��


    ��It��s me, Your Majesty. Rhode.��


    ��Mr. Traveler?��


    When the little queen heard Rhode��s response, she responded plainly before paddling her way to the closed door. The door opened slowly and the little queen appeared in front of him in pajamas. He could tell that she was in a bad mood and had just cried buckets. Her eyes were still red and listless. Upon seeing her current state, Rhode sighed inwardly, looked at her, and revealed a charming smile.


    ��May I come in for a seat?��


    ��Yes�� You may����


    Facing his question, the little queen nodded, pulled the door open, and let him into the room. The two of them sat down on the chairs by the window. Looking at the little queen in front of him, Rhode shook his head and said.


    ��Are you upset?��


    ��Yes�� Mr. Traveler. I thought things through for her, but I never expected her to say something like that. It��s so disappointing!��


    As the little queen grumbled, she clenched her fists again. It was clear that she was really disappointed with the giant��s answer.


    ��So you just gave up?��


    ��But�� That annoying person was also right����


    ��Of course, I know she��s right.��


    Rhode smiled as he interrupted the little queen. At that moment, he already knew how to handle the relationship between the three of them.


    ��But at many times, not being wrong doesn��t make you right. Your Majesty, you��ve indeed considered a lot for her. But those are your thoughts, after all. Why don��t you listen to what she has to say?��


    ��That����


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, the little queen couldn��t help but feel surprised.


    ��Is that really fine?��


    ��I guess you can give it a shot, Your Majesty.��


    Facing the little queen��s doubt, Rhode revealed another gentle smile.


    ��I think as long as you try your best, you��ll get somewhere.��


    [1] Leaders and peacekeepers in the Star Wars universe.


    [2] An American epic space-opera media franchise.

 Chapter 1329 - City of White (6)

    In the end, Rhode convinced the little queen to speak to the giant again, and the little queen also accepted his suggestion. He initially thought that no matter how much he spoke, it would be hard to change the little queen��s mind. Because to the little queen, he was just a passing traveler, and this was her country and not his, after all. The little queen represented Celia��s ��ego��, so it should be hard for her to listen to others. However, Rhode didn��t expect her to agree with what he said without any hesitation. It seemed like the real Celia still had a certain amount of deep-seated trust in him. This was what affected the three different Celias at the mental level. If not, no matter what Rhode said, perhaps Celia��s inner instincts would resent it, let alone accept it.


    And when the little queen, who had been convinced by him, arrived at Candy Mountain again, she was surprised to find that the giant was also looking miserable. It was apparent that she was now living on Candy Mountain and there was no lack of delicious sweets and desserts everywhere, where she could eat as much as she wanted. But now, the giant looked so sad as though the world were coming to an end. Upon seeing the arrival of the little queen and Rhode, the giant poured out all her troubles as though she met her lifesavers.


    It turned out that although the battle angel allowed the giant to live here, the former also set a lot of rules for her. The giant initially thought that she could eat whatever and as much as she wanted since she lived in Candy Mountain now. But it turned out not to be the case at all. Not only did the battle angel restrict her to three meals a day, but the amount in each meal was also strictly limited. Furthermore, the giant also had to wear this ��particularly uncomfortable�� set of clothes.


    This made the giant feel as if she was in hell. She used to be free, so how could she possibly be bound by such limitations? The battle angel watched her closely, ensuring that she followed the rules accordingly. And now, the giant was already regretting her decision to agree with the battle angel��s condition as even starving in the wilderness was better than this treatment�� For the giant, there was nothing more important than being free and doing as she pleased. But now, being monitored so closely by the battle angel left her incredibly depressed. At that moment, when she saw the arrival of the little queen and Rhode, she opened her mouth and complained to them unceasingly.


    ��In that case, wouldn��t it be better to leave? That fella is so annoying anyway. It definitely isn��t good staying here any longer!��


    After hearing the giant��s complaint, the little queen waved her fists and made her decision with pride. And upon hearing her suggestion, the giant also nodded as if she really intended to take action. But just as they were about to turn their thoughts into action, Rhode, who kept quiet beside them, let out a light cough, looked at the two of them, and asked.


    ��So�� What about the problem with food in the future?��


    ��Huh? About that����


    Upon hearing Rhode��s question, both the giant and little queen stared at each other in astonishment. However, they didn��t know what to say. It was only after a moment when the little queen gnashed her teeth and replied.


    ��No problem, I can give it to her! Hmph, aren��t they just candies and desserts? Now that Candy Mountain is mine, I can get her some candies and desserts every day!��


    ��But what if she wants to eat whenever she wants? Will you be able to keep enough food on hand for her?��


    ��Ugh����


    The little queen was speechless at Rhode��s further questions. She frowned and pouted, pondering hard for a few moments.


    ��But�� But�� But����


    ��We don��t necessarily need to come up with a new approach.��


    Looking at the distressed expressions of the little queen and giant, Rhode shook his head and got straight to the point.


    ��Personally, I also think that the battle angel��s suggestion was actually really good. But the problem is that she doesn��t care what either of you think. While it is true that she is looking out for your best interests, this isn��t the right thing to do. Both of you haven��t embraced her intentions in a heartfelt way, and neither of you are used to it. So I think what is needed now is not to come up with a new approach, but to improve on the battle angel��s suggestion����


    ��That��s right. Improve, improve!��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s explanation, the little queen, who was pondering bitterly, raised her hand in excitement as if she discovered a new continent like a drowning person finally grasping a life-saving straw. She widened her mouth and shouted in unparalleled excitement. And when the giant heard her cheers, she also raised her hand in delight. But just as she was about to respond to the little queen, a serious and earnest voice rang in their ears all of a sudden.


    ��Haven��t you two given up yet?��


    ��������!��


    Upon hearing that voice, the little queen and giant tensed up instinctively. They raised their heads to the sky and soon, spotted the battle angel fluttering her wings and descending from the sky. The battle angel stared at the two of them, and her sharp gaze emanated an ice-cold and majestic aura. Feeling the imposing presence of the battle angel, the giant whimpered and curled her huge body into a ball like a frightened puppy. The little queen also took a few steps back. But perhaps after being reminded of her duty, she forced herself to hold her chest up and look at the battle angel before her. Then, she grunted.


    ��Of course not! You��re the only one who accepted what you said before and none of us have! This won��t work! I demand an�� improvement! That��s right, improvement! At least make your conditions acceptable to all of us!��


    ��Acceptable?��


    The battle angel furrowed her brows slightly in the face of the little queen��s words.


    ��I don��t see what��s so unacceptable to you. I��m merely suggesting according to your individuality. It will benefit you two as well. In the end, it is the both of you who will ultimately benefit from it. It may sound a little harsh, but without rules, nothing can be done. How can you sustain if you can��t keep your agreement? Both of you don��t����


    ��Aaaahhhh! I��ve had enough!��


    But this time, before the battle angel finished her sentence, she was interrupted by the little queen who jumped up fiercely and placed her hands on her hips, before pointing at the battle angel in rage.


    ��Every time, every time, every time! You��re always the one who says what is the right and wrong thing to do! I��ve had enough! I don��t care if you��re right or wrong, but this is unacceptable! I��m not afraid of you! Hmph! Whether you��re right or not, I just don��t like it!��


    ��What you��re doing is futile.��


    In the face of the little queen��s ��resistance��, the battle angel��s voice became deeper, and the chilly air that exuded from her body almost turned into a substantial cold breeze that froze the entire world around her. Meanwhile, the little queen, who finally stood upright and bravely after gaining the support of Rhode, no longer cowered in the face of the battle angel like before. Instead, she looked ahead and showed complete disdain for the battle angel��s imposing presence.


    ��It is not up to you to decide whether or not it is beneficial for us! It��s up to us to decide! I don��t like it, and I don��t think it��s good! And the same goes for her. What��s wrong with saying what we like out loud!��


    ��Y-Yeah����


    As if responding to the little queen��s words, the giant beside her, who didn��t dare to speak up earlier, cautiously peeked and spoke up. Right now, the conversation between the three of them was somewhat puzzling to Rhode. It was obvious that the issue they were discussing now seemed to have become more than just the home of the giant; it wasn��t strictly about how this matter should be handled. It had been skewed to a completely abnormal track.


    Although Rhode didn��t show any signs of panic, he was, in fact, getting increasingly nervous as he watched the three of them arguing in front of him. The more unharmonized their words were, the more intense the three different mental states they represented were, which would lead straight to the core of the problem. Judging from this point, what the three of them were discussing now wasn��t about cream and cake at all, but rather the true feelings that were hidden deep within Celia��s heart, ones even she wasn��t aware of.


    ��This isn��t right! No matter how you look at it, I don��t think this is going to end well! All we have to do is maintain the status quo!��


    ��But I don��t want to maintain the status quo! I don��t think this is good at all! I��m one of the parties involved and I have the right to voice my opinion and views!��


    ��I really like it, so why can��t I just do what I like?��


    ��This just isn��t right! You two will only bring trouble��!��


    Without realizing it, the three of them began to argue. And along with their argument, the original scenery vanished, only to be replaced by a sticky white mass. At that instant, Rhode noticed a black void appearing beneath his feet. At the next moment, the heavens and earth turned upside down. As if being caught in the white whirlpool, Rhode was surrounded by the whirlpool and began to spin wildly. The arguments of the three in his ears became increasingly louder, to a point where it was almost impossible to hear their words clearly.


    And after an unknown amount of time, the noise in his ears finally vanished. The world in front of his eyes changed yet again. Right now, what was in front of him was no longer the fairy tale-like world, but a pure white field instead. At that moment, he stood on a stone plate that looked like a huge circular plaza. As far as his eyes could see, there was nothing but the color white everywhere. The battle angel, on the other hand, half-knelt on the ground in exhaustion as if she had just been through a war.


    ��This is����


    Looking at the world in front of him, Rhode was bewildered. It seemed like this was the core of Celia��s mental world. But�� Why now?


    Come to think of it, what the hell just happened?


    ��Mr. Rhode�� Why did you do that?��


    And at that moment, the battle angel finally spoke. For some reason, Rhode noticed that this Celia wasn��t as cold and rigid as before. On the contrary, he heard a strong resentment from her tone�� Resentment? This sentiment was a rare one for her. Not only that, but it was also the first time she had called out his name. Before this moment, she had never spoken with him, as if he didn��t exist at all.


    But now�� The situation didn��t seem good either.


    ��You shouldn��t have come here, Mr. Rhode. This has nothing to do with you. I think that��s the best judgment as no one gets hurt that way. It might be a little hard to accept, but considering the end result, I think it��s acceptable��! Why? Why did you do that? You just don��t understand!��


    ��Yes, I really don��t.��


    Rhode was quick to acknowledge her speech.


    ��But it��s precisely that I don��t understand, which is why I��m doing it�� No matter what, I��m bound to make a choice since I��m here.��


    ��As expected�� This has always been your style, Master����


    With those words, Celia raised her head slowly. Her expression turned increasingly serious, angry, and ice-cold. Almost at the same time, a huge golden bird cage suddenly appeared out of nowhere, descended from the sky, and shrouded them within. Not only did she change the way she addressed him, but her outfit also transformed. Soon, the gorgeous and heavy white-golden armor vanished, only to be replaced with the armor that Celia wore in her daily life. It could even be said that the current battle angel finally returned to being the original Celia.


    ��But I don��t like it, Master�� It should have been me first. Why did things end up this way?��


    ��Celia?��


    Celia��s speech became even more confusing, leaving Rhode at a loss. However, he raised his guard instinctively as the tension in the air and the level of danger he felt were far above the level of the previous fight between the three mental entities. Right now, the atmosphere was filled with dense murderous intent. And the moment he raised his guard, a blade ray flashed past his eyes.


    Clang!


    If he hadn��t raised his guard in time, perhaps the blade ray would have pierced right into his body. But in the face of this ambush from Celia, Rhode was able to block her attack and took the opportunity to draw a distance away from her. But even so, his eyes glinted in an unbelievable flash.


    ��Celia?��


    It wasn��t surprising that he was stunned. Celia was one of his most loyal subordinates. But now, she seemed like she was going to annihilate him!


    What have I done to make her hate me so much? I neither toyed with nor threw her aside, so what��s with this?


    ��Master, since you want me to say it, I will do so����


    As Celia spoke, she raised her sword and aimed at him.


    ��I have always been very unhappy with what Master has done!��


    Swish!


    Along with those words, another blade ray swung down at him. Rhode dodged in a swift maneuver, but that didn��t stop her. Instead, she continuously brandished her sword at him. Not only that, but she also didn��t stop yelling.


    ��Why did you sacrifice so many innocent people? While they may have gone too far with things, many innocents were implicated! Master, you care too little for their lives! You��ve gone too far! I don��t like that! And you��re always plotting against people with some nasty scheme! Don��t you think it��s evil? I wish my master were more upright! Why do you have to do those nasty things when you obviously have a resolute side on the battlefield?!��


    Along with her accusations, she flourished her sword at Rhode unceasingly. Fortunately for him, this was a mental world, so his attributes weren��t restricted by the outside world. He maintained the strength of a Void Dragon, so even though Celia��s attacks were fierce, it was still easy for him to dodge them. However��


    Seems like Celia has a really big grudge against me.


    Hearing the accusations from her, Rhode was speechless. He knew that Celia definitely disliked what he did. And as the holy sword card that had followed him for the longest time, she could be said to have witnessed his journey from the beginning until now. And no one knew better than Celia what he had done��


    Up until that moment, everything seemed normal. But it was only later when her complaints deviated from the norm.


    ��Master, you are so unruly! Even with all the pretty girls around you, you��re still messing with others! And to do that kind of outrageous and shameless thing to so many girls, you��ve gone too far! And you obviously didn��t even spare Big Sister! Why don��t you care for me?! You like girls so much, but you��ve never looked at me. Am I no better than Big Sister?!��


    ��Huh?��


    Rhode was taken aback by her confessions.


    What in the world is going on?

 Chapter 1330 - City of White (7)

    Rhode had a lot of forethought about Celia��s psychology. But honestly, no matter how much he pondered, he never expected her to hold such feelings for him. Strictly speaking, although it wasn��t completely impossible for her to fall for him since she had followed him since the beginning and it wasn��t surprising that she had grown fond of him over time, he hadn��t considered this direction in the slightest. In fact, he never reciprocated such feelings for her all this while. The reason was simple.


    He knew that there was a conflict between them, and it wasn��t the kind that could be solved by just talking about it as it involved their standpoint and morals. Celia was bound to follow a certain level of principles, fairness, goodness, and justice, which were the embodiment of a battle angel. But Rhode was different. He would do whatever he needed to achieve his goal without considering ruthless sacrifices. He had also designed several traps to capture the entire family of the innocents in the past.


    For him, the result was always more important than the means, which was an irreconcilable conflict between him and her. He might seem like the kind of guy who welcomed everyone but, as a matter of fact, those who accepted him truthfully and were accepted by him had almost no problems with him in this regard. For instance, Anne had a joyful and outgoing character, and to some extent, she and Rhode were the same kind of people: both seeking the ends and not the means. However, Anne��s ��means�� wasn��t as evil as his. And as a mercenary, she was very open-minded about life and death, so she neither agreed or disagreed with his approach. It was the same for Lize. If it were in the past, as a princess, she might have a slight problem with his actions. However, after being a mercenary for some time, Lize tasted the cold and warmth of the world, so she never interfered with his decisions.


    And Marlene, as a noble descendant, to whom the wisdom of Thick Black Theory[1] came as an almost occupational gift, understood both sides of the story better than anyone. Controlling a country and territory was sometimes the same as managing a family. One had to play the role of a hero, while the other had to play the role of a villain. Rhode took on responsibility for being the hero, while letting Marlene handle being the villain. She was well aware of that but didn��t show much resistance.


    Meanwhile, one shouldn��t be deceived by Erin��s elegant and quiet appearance and forget that she destroyed half of a city on Earth without blinking an eye. This ��achievement�� was nothing in her eyes. That was why what Rhode had done was also ��nothing�� in her perspective.


    As for Sonia, she had been trained by him to be devoted to him, not to mention stopping him from doing anything out of the ordinary to her, if she could please him, she might even help him on her own accord, just like the riots she had caused in Casabianca.


    As for Canary and Mini Bubble Gum, there was no need to talk about them. They looked at the world in the same way as he did and didn��t treat the natives as equal. Canary was relatively better off, while Mini Bubble Gum was a bit of a dilettante as everyone knew, so there wasn��t a need to clarify it further. That was why what Rhode did to the people here wasn��t really much different for them than a guild war in the game and slaughtering people.


    In that respect, Celia had always been out of Rhode��s consideration because there was an irreconcilable conflict between them. Lapis might be unaware of it, while Lize pretended not to see it. However, Celia couldn��t be like Lize and not say a thing. Just like the three-way-fight inside her earlier; absolute ��rationality�� overruled ��ego�� and ��instincts��, which was what made Celia remain silent about what Rhode did. Meanwhile, she couldn��t pretend that she didn��t see or take things personally like the others did. If she were able to be as unconcerned about petty things as Lydia, it would be possible for Rhode and her to talk things out.


    But the problem was that she had the typical angelic personality, where she thought about the big things and also wouldn��t let go of the small matters. That was dictated by nature and no one could change it. Moreover, it was also impossible for Celia to be as ignorant as Lapis because the former was his holy sword card spirit. She followed him around at all times, and no matter what he did, the reality happened right before her eyes. So even if he were to appease her with a lie, it wouldn��t last long. His lies would be seen through very easily. Once she saw through his lies, their relationship would definitely turn out worse than before, which would make the problem even more difficult.


    That was why while Rhode chose to tease Celestina or even say some dirty jokes to Shira, he would never mess with Celia. After all, Celestina always clapped her hands gracefully and admired him as he slaughtered others, while Celia would sulk in silence. That was why when he did the killing, he basically didn��t send Celia into battle and would use her as a sword at the very most.


    In that case, for him to consider being together with Celia�� Even if she were willing, he definitely wouldn��t. Because as soon as they became a couple, it meant that he had to be responsible for her. Rhode was a man of principle, and if he really wanted to have this kind of relationship with Celia, it meant that he had to consider her feelings. But then again, he wouldn��t be able to do whatever he wanted to do, and he wasn��t a man who wanted to begrudge himself.


    That was why he had never thought about her in that aspect. And he didn��t expect her to have such thoughts about him in that regard either. After all, what he did was so different from her values that they were nowhere close. Rhode counted himself lucky that she didn��t curse him to death in her heart, so how was it possible that she even liked him?


    Seems like I still don��t understand women�� Sigh, women�� Even though Celia is a battle angel, she is still a woman, after all. It is so true that women��s hearts are just like a needle at the bottom of the ocean.


    But now wasn��t the time to lament ancient sayings. And honestly speaking, upon hearing Celia��s confession, Rhode��s head started hurting instantly. He didn��t believe that this was an impulsive remark from her. Rather, it was clearly a thought that she had been hiding deep within her heart for a long time. But it would be harder than hell for him to accept her feelings. As mentioned before, he wasn��t a person who liked to begrudge himself. And his principle was to treat his women better, so Celia, a battle angel, who had a certain degree of purity and persistence in this regard, wasn��t in the scope of his choice of women.


    But if he were to reject her outright, the result would definitely not be any better. His trip to the mental world of the holy sword card spirits was to get them to accept and acknowledge him. Without mentioning whether the rest would accept him, If he were to reject her now, this journey to their mental world would end right after it started. A broken heart wouldn��t feel good for anyone and Celia was no exception. Had he known that, he wouldn��t have tried to encourage her ��ego�� and ��instincts�� earlier. But unfortunately, this world didn��t offer any medicine for regret either. Since he had already done it, his only choice left was to continue on. But now, his biggest question was��


    How should he respond?


    ��You always look at your Big Sister with those lustful eyes! And yet, you rarely look at me. I��m obviously the one who has been following Master, but why are you so cold toward me!?��


    At that moment, Celia, however, became increasingly agitated. She shouted as though she were venting her frustrations. At the same time, she waved the sword in her hand even faster and more frantically, slashing blades at Rhode one after another. He was fortunate that he dodged quick enough; otherwise, he would have been hacked several times by her even in the mental world. By the way�� What exactly was this situation?


    ���� Hah�� Hah�� Hah����


    After some time, Celia finally stopped, sweating profusely and panting unceasingly. But even so, the battle angel held the sword in her hands tightly, her two eyes staring at him like she was looking at her father��s murderer. Looking at her expression, Rhode couldn��t help but remember a phrase that was rather appropriate for this situation in front of him: love well, whip well. Rhode felt his head aching even more. If he were to reject her outright, it would be tantamount to failure.


    Is there any other way to solve this problem? What should I do?


    At this thought, Rhode��s eyes glinted all of a sudden.


    He recalled news he read when he was on Earth about a baby that was taken and raised by a she-wolf. When people found her again, she had completely turned into a wolf child. She couldn��t speak the human language at all, and didn��t know how to communicate with people. After a long period of education, she finally returned to society and gained humanly wisdom and etiquette. Although this matter was almost unrelated to the situation that he was facing now, for some reason, he saw his own way of correspondence from it��


    Even though he didn��t know if it was reliable and whether it would work, he didn��t have any better ideas now. Or perhaps to say, he had to succeed. And if he couldn��t, it meant that his entire plan was likely to fail. So in that regard, he had to do his best to make it work.


    At this thought, Rhode looked up with a feeling of openness, sensed Celia��s measuring gaze, and nodded.


    ��I��ve come to understand where you��re coming from, Celia. Honestly, I never thought you would actually feel that way about me. After all, not everything I do is acceptable to you.��


    ��That��s right, Master; I really don��t like what you��re doing.��


    In response to Rhode��s words, Celia was also quick to make a firm reply. At that moment, she was no longer confused, but seemed rather shaken instead. Or perhaps, the part of Celia that was suppressed by ��rationality�� was gradually being revealed, venting the frustrations she had been hiding toward him so far.


    ��I don��t like your dastardly tactics, and I don��t want to see you slaughter those innocent civilians. I cannot comprehend your thoughts, Master. You are now the Void Dragon, so do you really need to do things using such means? I really, really dislike it, but Master, you keep moving forward and everyone trusts you. I don��t want to say much, but I don��t know why I fell in love with you, Master. When I found out, I was already in love! For that reason, what you did became more unforgivable! Master, why must you do this?!��


    ��I����


    Upon hearing Celia��s frustrations, Rhode was completely stunned. This speech was really upside down and completely knowing. On the other hand, after hearing her question, he suddenly remembered a movie that he watched when he was bored, in which the male protagonist was a vicious mafioso, while the female protagonist was an ordinary woman who initially hated the male protagonist when she witnessed him killing someone. Despite that, she inexplicably fell in love with him later. But even so, the female protagonist still didn��t like to see him kill others and even stopped him during the act, resulting in him being injured.


    Later, the villain who was originally oppressed by the male protagonist learned that the latter was injured and sought revenge. Then, the female protagonist helped him defeat the villain. The male protagonist abandoned his profession and they lived happily ever after�� Frankly, after Rhode watched this movie, he thought it was absurd. And It was also simply unbelievable that it won an Oscar with a script like this. But what he didn��t expect was that he had to face such a script himself now!


    Am I also going to abandon my profession and retreat into the woods? What kind of international joke is this?


    ��I understand now.��


    Rhode shuddered at that thought and nodded at Celia. It sure looked like he needed to use this method. No matter what, it was much better than abandoning his profession and retreating into the woods!


    After making his decision, Rhode put away his sword and walked right up to Celia, gazing at her quietly.


    ��I��ve understood your feelings, Celia. I��m really surprised and happy that you like me. Because I��ve always thought that your feelings toward me are pretty average. After all, I don��t do a lot of things that match your hopes and expectations, but the fact that you��re actually able to like me makes me really happy����


    Rhode said and paused a little, before looking up at Celia again with a serious and earnest expression.


    ���� But even so, I won��t change myself for you. Will you still be able to accept me? I like you, but I won��t change myself for you. If something dangerous were to happen, I would still make the choice you dislike. Will you still be willing to accept me?��


    ��I-I don��t know. I don��t know. I really hate what you��re doing, Master. But I really like you and I don��t know�� No�� It��s not like that! I��m not asking you to do anything for me. I just want you to know that I����


    ��I understand, but I can��t act like I don��t, Celia.��


    Before Celia finished her sentence, Rhode interrupted.


    ��This is your mental world, and you won��t lie to yourself. And I am not going to lie to you either. If you are going to be my woman, I will not change my ways by accommodating you. I want you to remember this, Celia. I can accept your feelings, but I cannot give you a corresponding response. In that case, can you accept it? I��m not going to accommodate you, but I need you to be able to gradually accept what I��m doing. Can you agree to it?��


    ��No, I��m not����


    Upon hearing his questions, Celia��s expression grew even more panicked. She shook her head vigorously, as if she were afraid of something.


    ��I didn��t intend for you to accept me, Master. I just�� I�� No, I didn��t want to�� All I want is�� No! Master, you shouldn��t have forced me!��


    ��Say what you really think, Celia!��


    Facing Celia, who looked like she was about to break down, Rhode didn��t have the slightest intention of pitying her. Instead, he stared coldly at her and yelled in a deep voice. Upon hearing his scream, Celia was shocked. She closed her eyes and her body shuddered.


    ��No, Master! I hate you! Why can��t you change! You��re just that stubborn, that is why I������!��


    Along with Celia��s scream, she raised the sword in her hand high once again, drawing a bright, dazzling arc in midair and striking down at Rhode. This time, in the face of her slashing blade, Rhode neither dodged nor hid. He stood there quietly and looked at Celia before him.


    The sword swung down.


    The sharp blade stopped right in front of his eyes. If it went down just a little bit more, it would be enough for his blood to spill. But at the very last second, Celia held back, which was the only thing that kept him from being split in two.


    At the next moment, Rhode felt Celia��s soft, tender body falling into his embrace. Shortly after, he heard a sobbing tone in her voice.


    ��Master, you��re always so stubborn. That is why I hate you�� But�� It is also the very reason that I fell in love with you����


    Celia lifted her head and pecked him on his lips, catching him off guard. However, he extended and wrapped his arms around the battle angel young lady.


    The pure white space shook. Soon after, as though a piece of mirror shattering, the colors of the scenery in this world changed. The pure whiteness turned into an azure blue sky, while the path paved by layers of white clouds underneath Rhode��s feet stretched into the distance.


    ��Even though I knew it all along, after hearing you saying it personally, I feel like�� This is indeed your style, Master.��


    Raising her head rather shyly from his embrace, Celia looked at him with a blush and spoke.


    ��But, thank you, Master�� At least I won��t be hesitant and feel lost again.��


    Upon hearing this statement from Celia, Rhode knew that he finally succeeded.


    [1] A philosophical treatise written by Li Zongwu (1879�C1943)

 Chapter 1331 - Dark Palace (1)

    ��All settled.��


    Standing at the edge of the high clouds and looking at the pitch-black door ahead, Rhode let out a long sigh of relief. In the beginning, he thought that Celia��s mental world would be relatively easy to deal with. But now, he finally understood that none of the so-called mental worlds were pleasant, where even Celia, who was the most docile and obedient, actually had so many problems deep inside her. It seemed he wasn��t going to have any fewer trouble with the rest of the holy sword card spirits. If he didn��t take a risk at the final juncture, perhaps he would have failed.


    Judging from that, it went to show that the adventures in the mental world could be even more terrifying than in the real world. In the real world, if one encountered a problem, one could rely on powerful strength to suppress and break through the obstacles. But in the mental world, no matter how powerful one was��even if they had the strength to destroy the world��there was no way to fight against one��s innermost consciousness. But now, Celia��s problem was finally solved and of course, Rhode knew that it was happening in Celia��s mental world, and she had no knowledge of this at all.


    This situation was just like Lize��s. Back then, she was manipulated by the Mind Devil. Rhode and Anne entered her mental world and the experience was as unreal and unrealistic as a dream to her. She only had a vague memory of it and had a hard time recalling the details. This was the nature of the mental world.


    The same went for Celia. Even though she said a lot of things to Rhode, she wouldn��t treat him too differently after his return. She also wouldn��t have any memory of her confession because that happened in the deepest part of her mental world. On the other hand, changes would surface on an even more subtle form, which was why Rhode didn��t take further actions in a rash decision. For him and Celia, the distance between them now was within the range of ��just right��. If it were too far out of bounds, it wouldn��t do either party any good.


    As for the next��


    Gazing at the pitch-black door in front of him, Rhode felt rather conflicted. Celestina was unlike Celia. In a way, the former was a lot trickier to handle. The reason why he finally dared to venture inside Celia��s mental world was solely because her nature was that of an angel��s. And no matter what, this fact wouldn��t change, which was why he dared to take the risk. As for Celestina, she was a demon through and through, and her mental world would definitely display behaviors that a true demon possessed. As for how he should go about dealing with this demon, it would be his problem to handle.


    No matter what, when the ship reached the end of the bridge, it would go straight. It wasn��t a good idea to stay here any longer. Fortunately, Rhode had a good rest in Celia��s mental world after the series of events and was full of energy now. He had to admit that adventuring in the mental world was even more exhausting than in the real world. Physical exhaustion wasn��t the issue, but mental exhaustion was really problematic. It was especially so as soon as he recalled the huge chunk of cakes he swallowed earlier. In an instant, he felt sick again��


    Argh�� I��ve to stop thinking about it.


    At this thought, Rhode barely managed to hold down the unpleasant feeling in his stomach. He stretched out his right hand and held the pitch-black door in front of him. At the next moment, the door slowly opened and soon after, he felt a little giddy. Then, his entire body was sucked into the gap of the pitch-black door. In the blink of an eye, he was completely gone.


    Just like after entering Celia��s mental world, Rhode found himself standing on flat ground after a dizzying teleportation. But before he opened his eyes to check out the situation around him, burning heat struck his face, declaring its presence.


    ��It��s so hot����


    Rhode groaned and opened his eyes. The first thing he felt was strong waves of hot air that seemed to be pounding on his face and body, bringing a burning sensation that almost scorched him from the inside-out. This suddenly reminded him of the scene in hell, where there was also eternal burning heat and flames. Everything blazed in never-ending flames and there was no end in sight. That was hell and here�� Was exactly the same.


    In the midst of adjusting to the high heat, Rhode sized up the mysterious place around him. But unlike what he imagined, what was around him wasn��t an endless red wilderness and sky like the scenes in hell. On the contrary, it was a pitch-black and spacious stone corridor paved by stone slabs made of obsidian, while both sides of the walls had beautifully-carved murals. Not only that, but he also witnessed something similar to exhaust vents at the edges of the walls, from which streams of white, sparkling steam emitted. That was the source of the burning heat. Coupled with the flaming torches hanging on both sides of the walls, the entire corridor was enveloped in a dark and oppressive atmosphere, albeit filled with a certain majesty.


    In a way, this place was pretty much in line with Celestina.


    After taking a good look at the pitch-black corridor in front of him, Rhode reached out his hand to straighten his clothes before sauntering forward.


    The silent corridor was empty. Unlike Celia��s lively and fairytale-filled world before, the only thing Rhode felt as he strolled down the corridor was the stillness. He could hear his own footsteps echoing down the corridor before vanishing into the darkness. Other than that, there were no other sounds in the entire corridor. There seemed to be nothing here. This corridor was also as though extending to the end of the world��


    ��Whew�� This is quite a problem.��


    After walking for an unknown amount of time, Rhode finally came to a stop. At that moment, even he felt rather dejected as he looked at the pitch-black and seemingly endless corridor ahead. At first, he was able to kill time by admiring the murals around him. But with the passing of time, he began to feel increasingly glum. What made him even more so was that it would be fine if the corridor was an ever-looping maze. But ever since he started ambling along, the murals never repeated themselves. From that, it could be seen that this corridor wasn��t a torturous, infinite loop, but rather one that kept extending ahead instead�� From a certain aspect, this was also considered a true hell.


    ��If this goes on, perhaps I can��t get out without spending a few years.��


    Rhode mumbled to himself and lifted his head to gaze ahead. Under the illumination of the torches, the vaguely-seen shadows that were constantly swaying in the dark corridor blended in with the obsidian slabs and gave him a strange sense of beauty. And at that moment, he noticed a petite figure peeking out from the corner, seemingly looking over at him.


    That is��


    Upon seeing the petite figure, Rhode was taken aback. At that moment, she also seemed to notice that he had discovered her. She turned around and in a series of quick, light steps, she vanished in front of his eyes. Upon looking at this scene, Rhode no longer hesitated. He dashed ahead, following in the direction of the petite figure��s escape.


    Thud, thud, thud��


    The sound of hurried footsteps echoed clearly in the dark and quiet corridor, so Rhode was able to follow the petite figure closely. However, there was no way for him to go further. The corridor, which was originally a straight path, began to split up with various corners, turns, and crossroads appearing in front of him one after another. The pitch-black corridor was more like a maze than a corridor now. But even so, he didn��t stop, but continued to dart forward instead, trying to capture the fella who was playing hide-and-seek with him.


    ��Is this it?��


    Arriving at an intersection yet again, Rhode stopped and looked at both paths ahead of him. Then, out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of a shadow flitting across on his left. Upon noticing the shadow, he turned to the left corner without hesitation and ran toward the petite figure.


    However, the moment he moved, the vent holes on the black stone walls slid open in a sudden whoosh. Also, in a loud bang, flames erupted from both sides and enfolded his entire body. Roaring flames sprayed out unceasingly, blazing the entire corridor in scorching heat. Not only that, but the obsidian path, which was originally dark and cold, also turned bright red under the licking of flames. The blaze lasted for dozens of minutes before coming to an abrupt stop and the entire corridor reverted to darkness and silence once again.


    ���� Hah�� Hah�� Hah����


    At that moment, Rhode leaned against the stone wall on the other side, looking on with lingering fear at the corridor that burned red. He was no longer as calm as he was a moment ago. Stains of smoke and flame could be seen all over his body. Although he reacted the instant the flames erupted and rushed through the corridor as fast as he could, he still wasn��t able to escape the heat. Fortunately for him, his mental self inherited the characteristics of the Void Dragon, so the flames did almost negligible damage to him. However, his clothes were entirely out of luck�� They looked tattered and torn like the clothes of a refugee.


    ��Hehehe�� Hahaha����


    And at that moment, laughter as clear and crisp as bells rang in his ears. As soon as he heard the laughter, his face sank. It was apparent that the other party was making a fool out of him! That was a true demon for him, behaving exactly the same even in such a cunning and annoying place.


    ��Hmph!��


    With a soft grunt, Rhode dashed toward the area where the laughter sounded from. And upon seeing him coming after her, that petite figure turned away hurriedly, disappeared down the corridor, and turned a corner again. But this time, after seeing the petite figure in action, Rhode��s lips curled up slightly and a smiley glint flashed in his eyes.


    All of a sudden, the sound of footsteps disappeared entirely. The entire corridor once again returned to its original peace and silence. Aside from the shadows caused by the burning flames, there was no other presence here. After some time, along with a nearly imperceptible rush of footsteps, the petite figure returned to the earlier corner again. She looked around suspiciously as if she were searching for Rhode. But what astonished her was that there was not the slightest sign of his presence as far as the eye could see. It was as if he had completely vanished from this world. The puzzled petite figure walked to the corner cautiously and poked her head out to look at the other side. However, she didn��t find anything.


    Then, she raised both her hands to her mouth.


    ��Ah������!


    Along with this scream, the petite figure hid once more, while her scream echoed deep in the corridor. But even so, Rhode didn��t appear. This left her even more confused. She stepped out from around the corner and took a few steps forward as if she were investigating the situation. But all of a sudden, as though recalling something, she retreated instinctively. But unfortunately, it was too late.


    ��Caught you!��


    In the sound of a gust, Rhode leaped down from the ceiling, seizing the petite figure with gripping hands like that of an eagle��s talons. And upon sensing his touch, the petite figure panicked and struggled. But unfortunately, she wasn��t as strong as him. Rhode��s hands were like iron pincers imprisoning her, where she couldn��t even move one bit.


    ��Alright, little rascal. You��ve caused me so much trouble. Now, it��s time for me to see your true colors!��


    Rhode said and revealed a proud smile. Since the entire corridor was only lit up by the faint light of the torches, he was only able to faintly see her silhouette. Although he was certain that this petite figure was, in fact, Celestina��s mental self, judging simply from her silhouette, she was much smaller than the Celestina he remembered. Could it be that this was also Celestina��younger self?


    However, while Rhode was about to get a glimpse of her face, the petite figure that seemed to figure out what he was trying to do screamed out loud.


    ��Let go of me, you pervert!��


    With that, the petite figure stomped her foot onto him violently. At the next moment, the solid ground beneath his feet suddenly disappeared and he fell into the abyss of darkness along with that petite figure.


    The sound of the whistling wind blew past his ears. There was only darkness around him. But even so, he still had a firm grip on that petite body and didn��t let go despite how hard she scrambled. It was clear that this little fella was the key to Celestina��s mental world. Rhode had no doubt for a second that if he were to let her escape, he would fall into this darkness for eternity.


    Bam!


    Finally, after some time, Rhode found himself crashing onto a soft object. And surprisingly, the impact of the fall from that height didn��t hurt him at all. Instead, he felt like he had jumped onto a comfortable bed. And almost at the same time, a bright glow once again emanated before his eyes.


    ��This place is����


    Rhode looked up and saw that he was now in a lavishly-decorated bedroom, surrounded by all sorts of luxurious decorations and furniture. He was in the center of this bedroom, on a bed that was a full two to three meters wide. Crimson drapery hung down from the ceiling, exhibiting a graceful and luxurious atmosphere. And at that moment, a young voice sounded from below him.


    ��Let go of me, you pervert! Lecher! Rogue!��


    ��Hmm?��


    Upon hearing the voice, Rhode looked down.


    And a petite little girl came into view.


    She was undoubtedly Celestina. But compared to the Celestina in his memory, this Celestina was much smaller in size and about the same age as Mini Bubble Gum. Not only that, but her gorgeous black dress was also disheveled from the struggles she put up. The little girl��s slender legs wrapped in black garter belt stockings stuck out of her messy skirt, kicking him hard. Even though her arms were grabbed tightly by Rhode, she didn��t seem to have the intention of giving up yet. On the contrary, she glared at him, her adorable face revealing unmistakable wrath.


    ��Get out of my way, you pig! How dare you hold me down! Do you know what crime this is!��


    The little fella grumbled and wrestled as she twisted her body. However, there was no way for her to break free from Rhode��s restraint. One had to admit that looking from a distance, this scene was as if Rhode were about to violate the girl. It was filled with a certain unspeakable criminality.


    But��


    This feels exciting.


    Looking at the girl struggling desperately in front of him, Rhode��s mind, however, came up with a rather dangerous thought.

 Chapter 1332 - Dark Palace (2)

    Come to think of it, something similar has also happened before.


    Looking at the warm, petite, and constantly-wriggling body under him, Rhode couldn��t help but curl his lips slightly and recall that similar moment between him and Celestina. Back then, Celestina looked down on him and even provoked him, so Rhode immediately seized the opportunity to let her have a taste of his power. Thereafter, she looked at him as if he were her father��s murderer. However, he ignored her and occasionally came up with new tricks to force her into compliance.


    In the beginning, she held a non-cooperative and abusive attitude, but as time passed, her attitude softened gradually and she became one who, though insisting on rejecting his advances, remained very honest with her bodily reactions. Once in a while, she would shun away from her sisters and make out with him. Rhode wasn��t a roundworm in her stomach, so naturally he couldn��t read her thoughts. But he was certain that her attitude toward him leaned more toward the positive side. Otherwise, she wouldn��t have sneaked in and taken the initiative to make out with him.


    Honestly, he was more interested in Celestina��s mental world. And now, this petite version of her was clearly as much a part of her mental projection as Celia��s was in her mental world. However, he had yet to figure out which part of the original projection this petite version of her embodied. After all, demons and angels were different, and it wasn��t surprising that Celia held childish innocence within her heart. But if Celestina were to also hold such childish innocence, it would be a totally different story. Despite that�� He couldn��t be too sure either.


    Anyway, I will know the answer after going for it.


    At this thought, Rhode curled up the corner of his lips. He extended his right hand and seized her slender leg that kept stamping on him. He had to admit that even though the kicks didn��t hurt one bit, she was really vicious, where almost all of her kicks targeted his ��manhood��. She looked so aggressive and fierce as though she was determined to turn him into an eunuch.


    Despite that, Rhode was no pushover either. If she were someone ordinary to him, he would have perhaps crippled her on the spot. But as the Void Dragon, his constitution was also naturally much stronger than most people��s, so no matter how much force she put into her thrusts, they felt nothing more like massages to him. Not only that, but instead of them feeling like a form of resistance, it was more appropriate to say that her soft foot was seducing him even more��


    ��Let me go, you pig! Pervert! Disgusting man! Bast*rd! Rogue! Lecher! What are you trying to do to me?!��


    But at that moment, the little Celestina didn��t notice that danger was coming. Although her hands were firmly grasped by Rhode, she couldn��t stop twisting her body and struggling to try to get away from him. Her pair of slender legs just couldn��t stop stomping on his crotch. At the same time, she glared at him with her scarlet eyes burning in unyielding, intense anger. But upon seeing her furious eyes, he had no intention of letting go of her at all. On the contrary, he smiled, freed his left hand, and slammed it downward, grabbing her soft and sleek foot in one hand.


    ��Yelp������! Pervert! Lecher! Let go of me! Hurry up and let go of me! What are you doing?!��


    ��What am I doing? What do you think, Miss? I almost turned into roasted meat because of you earlier, and as a form of courtesy, I should thank you properly for that, shouldn��t I?��


    ��That��s because you��re too stupid. How can an average person fall for that? That is the rightful consequence for a human as stupid as you! Hmph! I am very powerful! If you don��t let go of me, I��ll show you how great I am! When that time comes, I��ll make you regret it completely!��


    Although a frightened expression appeared on her face, the little Celestina was still incomparably stubborn. She gnashed her teeth, raised her head willfully, and glared at Rhode. But as soon as he sensed her gaze, Rhode, however, revealed a meaningful smile.


    ��Is that so? Then I shall see how long you can hold out on me.��


    ��Hmph, I will not be afraid no matter what you do! You are just a human, so don��t get too cocky!��


    Celestina, whose leg was grabbed by Rhode, resisted more violently now. However, the latter also lay on top of her, suppressing her resistance entirely. Soon after, his left hand climbed up her perfectly-curved leg that was wrapped in the black garter belt stocking. And upon sensing his touch, the expression on her face began to change from being furious to overwhelmed and dazed. Not only that, but Rhode also spotted some fear and anxiety in her eyes.


    Her struggles weren��t as intense as before not because she resigned herself to her fate but because the sudden and unknown sensation made her lose the ability to think. She had no idea what to do in the face of this assault that was beyond her knowledge and experience. But at that moment, Rhode��s left hand had already found its way up her smooth, soft thigh and into her skirt.


    ��No! Stop!��


    Feeling the extraordinary thrill, the little Celestina yelled out abruptly. She wriggled her waist to avoid his fingers, but there was no way for her to escape his ambush. At that moment, a layer of mist had even permeated from her scarlet eyes. It was obvious that although she was Celestina��s mental projection, knowledge in this area clearly wasn��t shared with her by the original self. Otherwise, she wouldn��t have been able to show such an expression.


    Just by looking at her expression before him, Rhode was certain that she was still a virgin. In this regard, women��s expressions couldn��t escape his eyes. The first experience was always very precious to them, and this wasn��t just the line of a moralist, but was a fact instead. Some women might be able to fake their first night to deceive men who had little experience with women, but in front of the experienced Rhode, their acting skills were ineffective in the slightest. That was why he could tell at a glance that this little Celestina was deeply fearful and uneasy about what he was doing to her. It was just something that could be disguised. It could also be said that from this aspect, this little Celestina was almost as pure as the little queen inside Celia.


    But�� It was also kind of odd to describe a demon as being pure and whatnot.


    Upon looking at the little face before him that almost broke into tears, Rhode had a hard time adapting to her reaction. When he first met Celestina, he realized that she was really good at using her charm to seduce mortals, where even at the beginning, she conspired to turn him into her faithful servant. But thanks to his experience in dealing with demons in the game, he quickly exposed her scheme. Although the fact that Celestina was a virgin surprised him, other than that, he didn��t have a problem with her because he knew it was the demons�� nature to seduce mortals. To put it bluntly, a high demon like Celestina had already learned to seduce, corrupt, and subjugate mortals even when she was still in her mother��s womb. This was how it was with the demons, not to mention a high demon like Celestina, which wasn��t any more surprising.


    That was why upon seeing this Celestina who resembled a pure angel in the mental world, Rhode was all the more uncomfortable.


    As for how exactly she behaves, I shall see what happens��


    With this thought, not only did Rhode not stop his action in the face of her struggle, but he also went further and caressed her instead. His fingers slithered between her legs, rubbing rhythmically without stopping. And upon feeling his actions, the little Celestina��s face showed a troubled and shocked expression.


    ��Wait, you pervert! Pervert! Where do you think you��re touching?! Help, Father! There��s a pervert doing strange things to me! Stop right now! Let go of me..! Mmm�� It��s so itchy. Why is it so itchy�� W-Wait. What are you doing?! You bast*rd! Don��t�� Touch there. I feel really�� Mmm����


    Along with Rhode��s actions, a blush appeared across her originally fair and delicate cheeks. Her body wriggled as she also held and rubbed his fingers instinctively.


    ��What��s going on with this feeling? It��s so hot�� So unbearable�� And yet so comfortable�� Mmm�� No, you can��t touch there. It feels so weird like something is coming out�� No, no, no��! Ahhhhh!��


    With a deep and loud moan, Celestina��s petite body shuddered all of a sudden, her slender waist thrusting upward before falling heavily onto the bed. Soon after, a clear, viscous liquid trickled down her thighs, leaving a trail of water stains on the otherwise clean, soft bed. And upon looking at the girl who collapsed on the bed weakly with dazed eyes like a doll whose strings were cut off, Rhode smiled triumphantly. Then, he withdrew his left hand, only to see on his fingers glistening with body fluids reflecting vaguely in the light of flames.


    ��How��s that, little rascal?��


    ��Mmm�� Mmm����


    The little Celestina, who just returned from her daze, heard Rhode speaking proudly. In response, she blushed with shame and indignation, staring at him with wide eyes of dissatisfaction. She opened her small mouth, but as it was too intense earlier, she couldn��t say a word. And upon seeing her in this state, Rhode felt even more amused.


    The reason why he dared to do such a thing to her was that in reality, the connection between them was strong enough. Earlier, he was overcautious in Celia��s mental world because the connection between them still wasn��t deep enough. Meanwhile, he and Celestina had a rather connected and intimate relationship, so in her mental world, he was naturally bolder and more open. But now, after seeing the little Celestina who gave him a completely different impression and actually showed such an adorable reaction, he couldn��t help but feel a little interested.


    For the little Celestina, the thrill was indeed a little too much for her to handle. After a short while, she climbed up from the bed, while tears welled up in her scarlet eyes as she stared at him in displeasure and anger. Despite that, Rhode was rather thick-skinned as he didn��t say a word. And upon seeing his reaction, the little Celestina became increasingly furious.


    ��Scram, get out of here!��


    Along with her bellow, Rhode felt as if an invisible hand had grabbed him and at the next moment, along with winds whistling past his ears, the scenery before his eyes changed abruptly. It was only after a moment that he finally stood firmly on the ground. But now, what appeared in front of him was no longer the luxurious bedroom from before, but the stone corridor that he was tired of looking at earlier instead. At that moment, the corridor still seemed as endless as before, as though extending into eternal darkness.


    ��Oops, I didn��t expect her to get so angry.��


    Rhode wasn��t too surprised at the treatment he received. And he was also well aware that Celestina hadn��t really banished him. It was apparent that she was bewildered. Otherwise, she could have just kicked him out like this long ago when he first laid hands on her, instead of waiting until he was done with all the manhandling. Judging from that, it could be seen that the little Celestina harbored some feelings for him. The mental projections in this world might not be aware of who Rhode was, but they inherited the trust they had toward him from their original selves.


    ��Either way, it looks like I have to keep walking.��


    Of course, Rhode wasn��t going to just stand here and wait. After all, he still hadn��t confirmed which side of Celestina that little Celestina represented in reality. Was she an embodiment like the little queen in Celia��s mental world? Or a completely new mental projection? The mental world was just this complicated. And everyone��s unique personalities caused their mental worlds to be entirely different as well. For instance, Celestina��s mental projection earlier was somewhat confusing for Rhode. Although he had prepared himself mentally, he didn��t meet the Celestina he expected, at least for now. It was true that the little Celestina was a bit cunning, but through his experiment earlier, he determined that she lacked the ferocity and violence of a demon. In that case, it meant to him that the most dangerous part of this journey in the mental world had yet to come.


    But now, it wasn��t the time to think about that. Soon after, Rhode collected his thoughts and ambled along the pitch-black, stone-made corridor. Unlike before, this time the corridor showed a noticeable change. Not only was there no more of those complicated intersections and corners, and the murals were also gone. Instead, along with his advancement, what appeared on the sides of the walls was more weapons as well as torture props.


    Looking at the bloody torture props hanging on the walls, Rhode��s relaxed mood became heavy. Moreover, as he advanced, the originally scorching place turned much colder at some point. White, bone-chilling mist replaced the flames and heat that shrouded the world around him. There was even a faint layer of frost that surfaced on the ground and walking along this path made him feel as though he were walking in a chilly morgue.


    Shortly after, a door made of steel appeared before him. It was rusty and stained with blood all over. The large, razor-sharp teeth made it look like the tightly-closed mouth of a monster. As soon as it opened, it would mercilessly devour all life.


    Seems like this is where my next trouble is at.


    Looking at the steel door in front of him, Rhode remained silent for a moment, before walking forward, reaching out his hand, and pushing the door open. Along with this action, the rusty door creaked sharply and opened slowly. It was so dark inside that no traces of light were seen. But even so, he pushed the door open and entered the room. As soon as he entered the room, the steel door closed behind him in a whirring sound. He was enfolded by the boundless darkness.


    Soon after, he heard a click. And a dazzling light filled his vision all of a sudden.


    An ice-cold, melodious voice sounded in his ears.


    ��Oh, my, a strong man is here as a guest this time. How interesting. Let me see what you��re made of, human.��

 Chapter 1333 - Dark Palace (3)

    The moment Rhode heard that voice, he tensed up and raised his guard instantly. Although the voice that rang in his ears was still Celestina��s, it was in a completely different tone this time. If it were said that the voice of the little Celestina, who had just been toyed with by him, sounded as refreshing as an ice-cold spring, her voice now was like a glass of strong, aromatic wine. Before the wine entered one��s mouth, one could feel the hot and spicy scent hitting one��s face, seizing control of one��s nerves almost instantly.


    Rhode entered a state of trance as soon as he heard the voice. He felt as if there were a naked, gorgeous woman standing behind him right now, stretching out her soft arms to gently caress his body and tease his nerves. The alluring fragrance that was as strong as poison assailed his nostrils, almost succeeding in stealing his consciousness. There was a moment when he simply wanted to lie down and let the other party do whatever she wanted; as long as he could fall into a heavenly dream, everything else was irrelevant!


    But fortunately for him, this wasn��t his first time dealing with Celestina. He relaxed his mind a little and soon woke up with a start. He frowned and collected his thoughts quickly. He had to admit that this was difficult for him as well. He was as though one who slept in when it was time for one to get up, feeling frustrating and reluctant. His instincts longed to just fall into a dreamland and never wake up again. However, he used his senses to instinctively pull himself back from the edge of danger.


    Just this single statement from her brought such a terrifying charm upon him. Rhode knew right away that this ��Celestina�� was a demon in Celestina��s mental world��that��s right, Celestina was still a demon at heart, so it wasn��t surprising that there was a ��Celestina�� in a pure demon form in her mental world. After all, it was a part of her nature that could never go away no matter what. And though she might be able to hold it back, it would never go away. It was just like how humans were essentially humans.


    As expected, when Rhode looked in the direction of the voice, he quickly saw the Celestina he expected. Unlike the brat from before, this Celestina in front of him looked exactly the same as the original Celestina. However, their clothes were quite different. Even though the original Celestina was also attractive, the clothes she wore were basically gorgeous, western-style dresses. Because in her opinion, this was the only way to show off her status as a high demon. She had more than once shown her dissatisfaction toward the Lustful Demons, sarcastically criticizing them as lowly wh*res of hell, who had no other uses apart from relying on their bodies to seduce a herd of rutting male pigs. That was also why Celestina basically never acted similarly to them.


    But now, the Celestina that appeared in front of Rhode was basically no different to those ��prostitutes�� that she described. She wore a one-piece, tight leather suit, which could be said to be really bold. It revealed her white, smooth belly and more than half of her breasts were exposed on the top. Not only that, but the plump base of her thighs were also exposed completely. At that moment, she was dressed like a queen in an SM club, wearing jet-black riding boots and black leather gloves that extended over her elbows. And in her hands, she held an equally black leather whip, making her look like a genuine queen.


    Rhode looked at Celestina who sat on the middle of the throne with her legs crossed and showed an odd smile at him. Her gaze was so strong and aggressive as if he were just an innocent little boy. He would have already passed out under her gaze by now, but unfortunately, he wasn��t an innocent little boy at all. Facing her gaze, he remained unmoved and didn��t avoid it. He also took advantage of this opportunity to scan the room around him carefully.


    It was only at that moment that he discovered that the room was built entirely of steel plates. And as far as the eye could see, be it the ceiling, walls, or floor, all of them were heavy steel plates. Icy-cold air blew from all directions, mixed with the hardness of steel and distinct scent of blood. On these thick steel walls, blood was stained everywhere. Hard shackles could also be seen, as well as a variety of torture props that sent chills down one��s spine just by looking at them. This room seemed just like a torture chamber, while Celestina was the mistress. And upon observing the torture chamber, Rhode felt a bit of a headache. It seemed like this Celestina was even more difficult to deal with than the previous one. She made him almost lose his mind with just one sentence. And although it also had something to do with the fact that Rhode was in a bit of a trance, if she were to continue using that kind of method to influence and manipulate him, this would become a very difficult and dangerous test.


    ��What��s wrong, human? Come here and let me get a good look at you.��


    Looking at Rhode��s appearance, Celestina smiled proudly. She changed her sitting position and leaned forward as if she were tempting him. Those scarlet eyes, glowing in brilliances that were more glorious than jewels, stared straight at him as she stuck out her tongue, licked her lips lightly, and leaned back in her chair.


    ��Come here, human, let me take a good look at you. Tell me who you are and how you got here. Come here. Come closer to me����


    Celestina said, stretching out her right hand and grabbed at Rhode. Although Rhode was prepared for it and dodged as soon as she struck, it didn��t seem useful at all. He felt tightness in his chest, while the scenery around him flew backward all of a sudden. Soon after, he appeared right in front of Celestina. Not only that, but at the same time, he also found that he lost the strength to resist her. It was as if his body were completely bound and couldn��t budge in the slightest. Upon realizing that, he could only helplessly shake his head and show an inward bitter smile. There wasn��t much that he could do. This was Celestina��s mental world. Unless he really wanted to resist, there was no way he could stop her. Just like the little one who threw him out of the room before; she wasn��t very strong at all and was unable to put up any strong resistance though she was held down by him. This was the mental world, where will was everything. And no matter how strong his strength was, it was useless. After all, if one resisted too much here, it could cause irreparable damage to the owner of this mental world.


    ��That��s interesting�� I like you, human.��


    While Rhode thought hard about how to face this situation, Celestina, on the other hand, grabbed the whip in her hand, lifted his chin, and gazed at him. Her scarlet eyes emanated a faint glow, which was also the ability of the high demon. As long as a mortal was enveloped by the demon��s eyes, the mortal would be completely lost in her charm. But Rhode was obviously prepared for this. Facing her ��flirtation��, he let out a light snort and didn��t do anything strange.


    On the contrary, he was pondering over how he should deal with the Celestina in front of him. For him, this Celestina was even trickier and more difficult to deal with than the little brat from before. And judging from the way she gazed at him, he perceived that she was a true demon. Celestina in this form was the most troublesome to handle because even if Rhode were to use his strength to make her give in, it would be impossible to really gain her acknowledgement. She would keep lurking, like a viper waiting for the right time to bite him, so that she could eventually turn over to the top.


    There wasn��t much that he could do about this version of her. The only idea he could think of right now was to rely on Celestina��s other mental projections to hold back this demon. After all, from the Celestina that he knew, although she also possessed the same demonic characteristics, she didn��t really display that side of her. That was why he was certain that a third mental projection must still exist within Celestina. After all, he refused to believe that the little brat had any ability to suppress this purely demonic Celestina.


    ��Why don��t you talk? Am I so ugly that you don��t even have the desire to open your mouth, male? Come on, tell me. Am I pretty? What do you think of when you look at me? Tell me and I��ll bring you on a journey that you��ll never forget���� While whispering softly, Celestina reached out and stroked her fingers gently along Rhode��s cheek, neck, and chest. She held her hand on his chest and squinted at the same time.


    ��Your heart is beating so fast, male. And I can feel the life force contained within your body burning so wildly�� I think we might be able to communicate even better about this? What do you think, human? Come on, let��s introduce ourselves first. Tell me your name����


    ��I don��t think I need to tell you my name, Celestina. And if you don��t know who I am, then I don��t think we need to have any more interactions between us for the rest of our lives.��


    This time, in response to Celestina��s teasing, Rhode finally responded. The corners of his mouth curled up in a mocking smile.


    ��And I must say, Celestina, that you��re full of confidence for speaking about beauty in my face.��


    ��You������!��


    Upon hearing his mockery, Celestina sulked right away. Indeed, even though she was considered an outstanding beauty, she couldn��t compete with him at all. Rhode��s face that was identical to his younger sister��s was capable of making even his harem feel bad about themselves most of the time, not to mention Celestina. Although Celestina was considered a beauty among demons, it would be both hilarious and ridiculous if she showed her satisfaction with her beauty in front of him. For that reason, her expression changed abruptly after hearing his jeering. After all, this was a huge slap in the face by him, so much so that she was left entirely speechless.


    Rhode initially didn��t intend to do that either. But now, the situation was critical and he had to take advantage of it. Something worthy of a mention was that as much as he resented being judged on his looks, he had no psychological barrier if it were up to him doing the judging. That was why he would mess with one when one judged his looks and yet, didn��t mind dressing up as a woman. Wasn��t that how cool it was to make use of double standards?


    ��Hmph! How dare you talk back to me when you��re just a human! You��re asking for death!��


    Celestina retorted and lashed out the whip in her right hand. Almost at the same time, with the slightest switch of Rhode��s thoughts, the invisible object binding his body dissipated. In the blink of an eye, he flitted across and in the sound of a whistling wind, the long black whip flew past his body and slammed onto the ground in a loud, resounding crack. Celestina, on the other hand, raised her eyebrows slightly after missing her assault. She stood up from her throne and stared at him with a teasing smile.


    ��Interesting, human. I didn��t expect you to be so capable. In that case, I shall see how long you can continue hiding from me!��


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    Immediately after she yelled, Rhode felt a series of shadowy whips striking him from almost all directions. He stretched out his hand instinctively to pull out the sword at his waist, but ended up grabbing only air. It was only until then when he realized that the sword at his waist had somehow made its way to Celestina��s left hand. It must have been stolen when she caressed his body earlier.


    What a bothersome fella.


    Upon seeing her smug smile, Rhode criticized inwardly. However, revenge was a dish best served cold. At that moment, he didn��t do anything else, but darted across to evade her attacks continuously. And upon witnessing this scene, Celestina��s smile grew wider and wider.


    ��That��s right. That��s right, cute little mouse, keep running hard. Heh, heh����


    Along with Celestina��s coquettish laughter, long shadowy whips once again sliced through the air and swept past toward Rhode. And in the face of her attacks, he had no other solutions apart from dodging them for now. Although he thought of taking advantage of the openings in her attacks to take her down, he tried several times and realized that at some point, a solid and transparent protective barrier would appear in front of her and he was blocked no matter where he rushed over from. It seemed like this Celestina also realized his thoughts, which was why she prepared the barrier in advance. There was nothing that Rhode could do about it. This was Celestina��s mental world. If she didn��t want him to get close to her, no matter how hard he tried, he would end up like a clown��


    Smack!


    The moment Rhode was distracted, a stinging pain landed on his wrist, which made his heart sink. But it was a pity that it was too late. The instant the long whip wrapped around his arm, he lost the ability to move his body. And at the same time, Celestina also looked satisfied as if she had enough of the game. She tugged on the long whip and gazed at the prey in front of her with a smug look.


    ��That��s amusing�� human, I haven��t had this much fun in a long time. How about you stay here with me, become my pet, and let me love you well? Heh, heh, you look like you��re not going to give in, huh? Good, I think we��ll have plenty of time to discuss this issue����


    With that, Celestina strolled over to Rhode��s side, pressed her body up against his, stretched out her tongue, and gently licked his earlobe as she whispered in his ear.


    ��I��ll show you what eternal pleasure is. I��ll make you the most faithful slave of all; until then, resist as much as you can, my little darling. Heh, heh, I can��t wait for the time I see you surrender to me and crave my gifts����


    Argh, she��s so annoying!


    Upon hearing her words, Rhode was at a complete loss. He was also really unlucky to meet this version of Celestina in her mental world. It seemed like if things didn��t turn out better, he would have no choice but to use his strength to deal with her. Otherwise, if he were really trapped here by this demonic Celestina, how was he going to gain the acknowledgement of the next holy sword card spirit? Rhode felt like it was unlikely that using force would make this Celestina yield, but it was still better than letting her torture him, wasn��t it?


    Bam!


    However, just when he was about to take action, suddenly, a deep crashing sound came from the closed iron door. And in a loud bang, the iron door was blown out. Immediately after, a voice filled with pride emerged and rang out from the smoke.


    ��What��s going on here? Why is there an ugly human here? Damn it, what are you up to this time?! Didn��t I tell you that you��re not allowed to do that kind of nasty business here? You slut! Are you trying to mess around again while I��m not watching?��

 Chapter 1334 - Dark Palace (4)

    Along with that angry voice, Rhode saw a third Celestina storming into the torture chamber. Her outfit looked rather similar to the original Celestina: gorgeous but not arousing at all. At the sight of the demonic Celestina and Rhode, the young lady who strode in frowned with a clear and unmistakable display of bone-deep disgust.


    ��Bloody hell, how many times have I told you! We are high demons; be worthy of who you are. Don��t behave like one of those cheap wh*res. Just look at you! Hell, you��re no different than some hellish demon who sticks up her *ss at the sight of a male! You��re a disgrace to us! Look at what you��re wearing; you might as well be in a beggar��s outfit!��


    The missy glared at the demon in front of her. But in the face of the proud and noble-looking lady, the demonic Celestina curled her lips into a charming smile. She moved her body away from Rhode slowly and blinked a provocative gaze at the missy. Upon sensing her provoking gaze, the missy��s eyes grew sharper and angrier as if she were shooting daggers. But unfortunately, the demonic Celestina��s skin was apparently as thick as a city wall��s. She acted as though she were totally unaware of the sharp gaze by the other party.


    ��Oh no, my adorable missy. Why are you so annoyed? We may be demons, but we��re also women, aren��t we? Since we��re born with such beauty and a magnificent body, it would be a shame not to take advantage of it. Say, stop nagging like an old hag. Why don��t you enjoy your life? Is there anything more important in this world than enjoying life? Take a chill pill. Nothing bad is going to happen�� Indulging yourself doesn��t mean the end of the world����


    ��I��ve had enough of your nonsense! Just who is this man? Where did he come from? Why is he here? This is not the place for him!��


    Upon hearing the demon speak, the missy gave a vicious glare. It seemed like this wasn��t her first encounter with a demon��s enticement. As for how to deal with demons, she seemed to be really experienced. As for the demon��s words, the young lady couldn��t even be bothered to entertain them. She waved her arm quickly and at the next moment, Rhode felt the ground beneath his feet vanish. Soon after, his vision was once again engulfed by the darkness.


    When he regained consciousness, he found himself at another location yet again. This time, he was unmistakably in what seemed to be a jail cell. It could be seen from the thick iron door, heavy walls, and rough furnishing that this place was used to hold prisoners. It was apparent that the missy had imprisoned him in this cell after she seized him from the demonic Celestina.


    ��Why do I feel like I��m always locked up after coming into a mental world?��


    Sitting in his chair, Rhode shrugged, mumbled to himself, and showed a helpless and bitter smile. First, he was locked up in the bedroom by the little Celestina, next he was tied up in the torture chamber by the demonic Celestina, and now he was locked up in a cell by the third Celestina�� Life was tough for him.


    But now wasn��t the time to feel sorry for himself. Taking this opportunity, Rhode calmed down and thought carefully about the issues regarding Celestina��s mental world. First of all, just like Celia, the personalities of the three mental projections of Celestina��s had different emphases. In Celia��s case, it was ��rationality�� that prevailed. But here, in Celestina��s mental world, it was clear that ��self-esteem�� dominated. In other words, the missy, who was the third Celestina, was the most important and core presence in Celestina��s mental world.


    Honestly, even to this day, Rhode couldn��t understand why the nobility��s self-esteem was so high. After all, there was no such aristocratic system in his country anymore, plus the fact that he was just an ordinary person in the first place. Therefore, it was hard for him to understand the approach of trying every possible way to restore his family��s glory like Angelina. He also didn��t understand Celestina��s self-esteem, which was so arrogant that no one was allowed to touch it.


    But this was different from Celia.


    In Celia��s mental world, Rhode united her ��instincts�� and ��ego�� to retaliate against ��rationality��, achieving victory in the end. That was because he didn��t think Celia needed to shoulder so much burden all the time, but should be more relaxed and outgoing. And with her temperament, even a little bit of ��ego�� wouldn��t cause any problem. That was why he chose that method to resolve the issue.


    But here in Celestina��s mental world, he wouldn��t choose to overthrow his pride. Because based on the current situation, putting aside the little Celestina, the demonic Celestina also didn��t flip out solely to the missy��s high self-esteem. In other words, in Celestina��s innermost consciousness, self-esteem and honor were far more important than instinct. Besides, she was also dismissive of such instincts, which was naturally a good thing for Rhode. After all, if Celestina also instinctively screwed around like those demons, it would be big trouble for him.


    Well, the best thing to do would be to unite the missy and the little brat to handle the demon��s ��instincts��. Rhode would love to do that because if he could partially strike down the demon��s instincts, it would be good for both Celestina and him.


    But what should be done to put that demon in order?


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but frown and ponder the problem. He thoroughly experienced firsthand just how powerful projections in the mental world were. In this place, Celestina was the omnipotent god, while he was just a passerby. Although he could forcefully break through her restraints if he wanted, that would cause irreparable damage to her mental world. That was why he didn��t retaliate at that moment. If that was the case, his resistance wasn��t really a threat. Even the little brat could throw him out of the room in an instant, so it simply wasn��t realistic for him to deal with anyone in the mental world. It was especially so if the other party was still the owner of this world; it really wouldn��t be good for him to do so.


    But now, Rhode couldn��t find much of an opportunity. And so far, the only information he was able to get was that in this mental world, Celestina��s ��self-esteem�� dominated. And her world was�� Depressing.


    That��s right, depressing.


    Celia��s mental world was always filled with blue skies and white clouds and seemed really soothing. But here, in Celestina��s world, there were countless labyrinths and oppressive dark corridors. And no matter where one looked, all one saw was darkness. It wasn��t surprising that Celestina, being a demon, had such a mental world. And it would be most frightening for Rhode if her mental world became as fairytale like Celia��s. Sometimes, dark fairytales were more frightening than horror stories.


    As for her self-esteem�� Rhode couldn��t find a good solution for the time being. After all, he had too little contact with the ��self-esteem�� part of her.


    At this thought, he suddenly recalled the little Celestina he met at the very beginning. Come to think of it, it was really strange. Up until that moment, he still hadn��t understood what exactly that little brat represented in Celestina��s mental world. Was it ��naivety��? No, she didn��t seem naive at all. Besides, she must hold a great importance in Celestina��s mental world to be able to take shape inside it. But even now, Rhode hadn��t figured out exactly what she represented.


    ��Hmm?��


    At that moment, Rhode caught a glimpse of a shadow flitting across the corner of his eye. And when he turned around, he saw a petite figure like a terrified rabbit scurrying away. And upon seeing this scene, he couldn��t help but twitch his brow. This scene felt so familiar��


    After a few moments, the petite figure appeared in front of him again. And this time, he clearly saw that it was the same little Celestina he initially encountered. The little one lay on the window of the cell door, staring curiously at him, who was locked up in it. The two of them exchanged looks. After a few moments of silence, the little one finally asked in curiosity.


    ��Who exactly are you?��


    ��I��m Rhode.��


    Rhode gave a quick answer and continued to stare at the little girl in front of him. But soon, he noticed that the little girl was somewhat different from before. At the very beginning when he met her, the latter was very mischievous. But looking at her now, she wasn��t acting as high-and-mighty. On the contrary, she was more curious and somewhat inexplicably closer to him. And just when he hadn��t figured out who the little one in front of him really was, she spoke up.


    ��Rhode? Is that your name? I��m Celestina. What are you doing here? What did you do to get locked up by Big Sister? You didn��t do something bad, did you? Hahaha. It��s funny. It��s the first time I��ve seen an outsider apart from the other fella locked up by Big Sister.��


    That��s interesting.


    Rhode clearly recalled that she didn��t want to talk to him half the time before. But now, she kept asking him questions like a curious baby. This piqued his interest. And it was also a good opportunity for him to communicate with her. After all, he still hadn��t figured out who this little one was yet.


    ��I don��t know. I just happened to be discovered by that missy, and then she locked me up here.��


    Facing her question, Rhode answered ambiguously. He neither told the truth nor lied. And when the little one heard his response, she blinked curiously. Just as she opened her mouth, intending to reply to him, all of a sudden, her ears perked up as if she heard something. Then, she fled and disappeared into the darkness without a trace.


    What��s going on?


    Before Rhode figured out what was going on, he heard a series of footsteps and what sounded like high-heeled boots. Soon after, the third Celestina appeared before him. She knitted her brows, scanned the place, and turned around to look at him.


    ��Human, I don��t know how you got here, but this isn��t a place you can just walk in and out of. And with that annoying fella around, I��d like you to get out of here as soon as possible.�� The missy said and came to a pause as if she was considering her wording. But shortly after, she shook her head again, throwing what she was going to say to the back of her mind. She lifted her head, staring at the man before her with scarlet eyes.


    ��Do you have any questions, human?��


    ��Seems like I have no other choice.��


    In response to her words that sounded no different from expulsion, Rhode appeared really calm and didn��t oppose her directly. On the other hand, he shrugged and forced a smile, spreading his hands apart in a rather helpless manner. He knew very well that this missy��s self-esteem was really high, and the self-esteem of the so-called nobility would never allow others to defy her.


    He witnessed Celestina on more than one occasion berating others for defying her. And he knew that if he were to oppose her, she would likely throw him out of her mental world without saying a word. She was indeed capable of doing such things, so in the face of her question, Rhode chose to comply sensibly.


    ��Good.��


    As expected, Celestina nodded in satisfaction after seeing his obedience.


    ��Then I��ll go ahead and handle the other side of the problem. Once I��m done with that annoying fella, I��ll let you leave this world. Until then, you will stay here and remember; don��t leave no matter what happens, or I can��t guarantee the safety of your life.��


    ��Got it.��


    Rhode nodded in response to her warning. He realized that this projection was also the same as Celia��s; perhaps neither of them knew him, but they accepted his existence subconsciously. Otherwise, with Celestina��s character meaning what she said, there was no need to wait for her to finish dealing with other things before kicking him out. As long as she was willing to just wave her hand, no matter how reluctant he was, he would need to leave. And now, it looked like things weren��t completely without a turn of events.


    At this thought, Rhode��s eyes glinted.


    ��I have a question, Miss Celestina.��


    ��What question do you have?��


    Upon hearing his question, Celestina frowned and asked. And in response to her gaze, Rhode thought quickly before speaking his mind.


    ��Do you have a younger sister?��


    ��If you��re referring to that wh*re in oestrus, then no, she is the furthest thing away from being my younger sister. It��s always been the two of us here. But she was always unwilling to do my bidding and is a problematic scum!�� Celestina grumbled and let out an angry snort. Then, she turned around and walked into the darkness with the same graceful steps she came in with. This time, however, Rhode didn��t show any worrying expression. On the contrary, as he looked at Celestina��s departure, he showed a meaningful gaze. Judging from the answer she gave him, Rhode noticed a problem.


    It seems like she is totally unaware of the existence of that little Celestina.


    Was it really possible for such a thing to happen? This was the mental world: Celestina��s subconscious. And now, to say that there was a being in the mental world that even she didn��t know about or wasn��t aware of? This was an unlikely possibility. But if that were the case, it only meant that something was seriously wrong. One had to know that the projection in Celia��s mental world that represented her true self was still aware of the existence of ��instincts�� and ��ego��. But now, it seemed like Celestina��s ��self-esteem�� wasn��t even aware that there was a little one running around in her mental world.


    As he pondered this question, all of a sudden, a petite shadow shuttled across in front of his eyes again. Shortly after, he saw the little Celestina lying on the window of the cell door once again, staring at him curiously. She looked to her left and right as if to make sure no one else was around and whispered to him.


    ��Rhode, do you want to come out? I can let you out.��


    ��Of course.��


    Upon hearing the little Celestina��s question, Rhode hesitated for a moment and eventually nodded. He discovered that the key to his success this time was probably this little one. And although he had yet to figure out what was going on with her, he was certain that she was the key to his victory in Celestina��s mental world. When the little one heard his answer, her face brightened up. She jumped down with a flip and soon after, he heard a click from the door. The locked door opened quietly and the little one peeked out from the opening with a smug smile, beckoning to him.


    ��Come with me, Rhode. I��ll take you to a nice place that they��ll never find!��

 Chapter 1335 - Dark Palace (5)

    Following the little Celestina, Rhode once again arrived in the complex corridors. He didn��t even know where he was right now, and the complicated maze left him a bit dizzy. However, Celestina was apparently really familiar with this place as she effortlessly led him into the depths, tunnel after tunnel.


    ��Why do you want to help me?��


    Looking at the little girl��s back, Rhode couldn��t help but ask curiously. Honestly, the first meeting between them wasn��t exactly peaceful. He was almost thrown into a living hell by her. Thus, in order to seek revenge, Rhode did something literally criminal to the little one, which made her so furious that she threw him out. But now, looking at her, she didn��t have that furious expression she had before. On the contrary, he felt like she seemed to have grown closer to him. What was that about? Stockholm syndrome? But he didn��t lock her up and teach her a lesson, so how could something so unrealistic happen?


    ��Because I think you��re interesting, Rhode.��


    And in response to his question, the little one answered without turning back, carefully coming around a corner, peeking out to look to the left and right, and beckoning at him. Shortly after, she turned and jumped into the shadows beside her and continued strolling.


    ��I�� have always been alone here. It��s boring. It has been like this since a long time ago�� It has always been just me�� Everyone was nice to me, but it��s different, after all���� The little Celestina confessed, looking somewhat depressed. Upon hearing her words, Rhode was taken aback and knitted his brows. He figured out the issue in her words. It was obvious that the ��everyone�� she referred to wasn��t the other two Celestinas. ���� I know I��m different from all of them. And even though they��ve been nice to me�� I still don��t feel the same. So since a long, long time ago�� I��ve been alone����


    The little Celestina��s soft voice echoed in the quiet corridor. Rhode easily heard the loneliness and moodiness in her tone. Obviously, this wasn��t that little Celestina communicating with him, but Celestina��s mental world interacting with him instead.


    Could it be that this little brat is the core of Celestina��s mental world?


    Rhode looked at her lonely back and suddenly recalled something. He felt strange earlier as Celestina��s behavior was completely different from those demons in hell. She didn��t look like a demon born and raised in hell; otherwise, she wouldn��t have such ��innocence��. After hearing her words, Rhode became more certain that Celestina grew up in the main plane.


    If that were the case, the emergence of this little Celestina was understandable. As a demon, Celestina clearly couldn��t blend in with the rest. Because the tendency of the main plane was still toward goodness and neutrality, and as a demon, she obviously had a rather miserable time in it.


    Rhode saw the reflection of Mini Bubble Gum in this little Celestina. Mini Bubble Gum was a close example to Celestina, who was also very unhappy with her family, which, combined with her flawed personality, made it difficult for her to get along with others. The only ones who could get Mini Bubble Gum to behave were Canary and Rhode, while everyone else was like an enemy to her, even Icy Snow.


    When anyone other than Canary and Rhode tried to get close to Mini Bubble Gum, she would immediately shrink up like an irritated hedgehog and give a wary stare. And if they approached her, even if it was just a kind gesture with their hands, she wouldn��t hesitate to stab them. And if they were full of malice toward her, she would even use her terrifying fighting power to defeat them.


    Mini Bubble Gum was a typical example. Ever since she entered the game, Rhode realized that she had always been fighting. From the start, against the Country of Darkness, Mini Bubble Gum didn��t hesitate to spend a whole lot of real money. In the very early stage, Rhode was in need of financial support to build a strong guild. For that reason, she spent thousands of hundred thousands without even blinking an eyelid. She wasn��t even worried that he would cheat her out of her money. Because for Mini Bubble Gum, as long as she could wipe out the Country of Darkness once and for all, it didn��t matter if she spent millions! Because to her, the Country of Darkness was an enemy that invaded her territory and disrupted her peaceful gaming life. In her perspective, the enemy had to be destroyed, no matter what the cost.


    Thereafter, other players became enemies of her after mocking and questioning her offensive style for clerics and the ��treating foes as friends�� strategy that she had invented. For Mini Bubble Gum, they were enemies who hurt her, so naturally, they must be destroyed at all costs.


    That was why she was against everyone, tapping into the clerics�� violent and insidious offensive tactics, tirelessly hunting down those who mocked her, making them delete their gaming accounts in desperation. She also forced them to have no foothold on the forums.


    Perhaps to the rest, Mini Bubble Gum was simply insane for spending a great deal of money, time, and even energy dealing with ordinary people who had nothing to do with her at all. Sometimes, some players might have just passed by her and said a few words or blabbered while watching from the side. But in the end, they were bitten by her until their deaths. It would be strange to say that Mini Bubble Gum was mentally sound.


    Now that Rhode thought about it, he realized that Mini Bubble Gum and Celestina did have a lot of similarities, such as the fact that they were strong, self-centered, and rarely listened to the advice of others. Mini Bubble Gum was forever haughty and looked down upon people except for Canary and Rhode. Meanwhile, Celestina was also quick to rage and taunt at Celia. They were also very aggressive in their fighting styles, so if one were to mess with them, one could only pray hard for the survival of one��s entire family.


    However, Rhode had never put the two of them together before. In his opinion, Celestina was a demon, so it was actually normal for her to be filled with such evil desires. On the contrary, it wasn��t good for Mini Bubble Gum, as a human, to be close to a demon. But now, after hearing an unintentional confession from Celestina��s mental projection, he was able to connect the two of them.


    At least for now, it seemed like both of them were quite similar. Or rather, in this aspect, they were almost identical. And if one were to think about it, the possibility indeed wasn��t small. Although Rhode didn��t take psychology as an elective in college, facing a problem of this magnitude, he was confident he could still grasp the other party��s inner form well. But after playing in the field for a long time, he perhaps would have gotten into trouble if he weren��t capable of settling issues involving reputation��.


    ��But don��t you have a Big Sister?��


    Looking at the little one in front of him, Rhode raised a question with some confusion. If it were said that Celestina��s distrust of the outside world had created this personality, he wasn��t too surprised. But she actually avoided even the projection of her personality in her mental world, so it could be seen that she was also considered isolated to a certain degree.


    ��She can��t, Rhode. Both Big Sisters are weird. And I know they wouldn��t want to see me. Even if they did, they��d have me arrested just like you, Rhode. But I don��t like that and�� I��m not alone now. Huhu�� Come with me here, Rhode, and no one will be able to find you no matter what.��


    The little Celestina spoke and reached out her hand all of a sudden, grabbing onto Rhode��s hand. For some reason, while holding onto the cold and soft little hand of hers, he felt a little uneasy. Although he couldn��t pinpoint exactly what was wrong with this little Celestina, who seemed very kind to him, he simply felt uncertain. His instincts, honed by hundreds of battles between life and death, told him that something very bad was about to happen. But before he figured out exactly what it was, he saw the little Celestina stretch out her hand and along with her action, a door appeared on the empty wall. The little one pushed the door open and pulled him into the room.


    What came into view was the bedroom that he and the little Celestina initially fell into together, which seemed like her residence. And it was also obvious that the little Celestina was relying on this means to avoid detection by the other two, living here by herself. At a glance, this magnificent bedroom appeared rather beautiful, hazy, and dreamy under the candlelight.


    And with that, the little girl led him to the bed, pulled him to sit down, and stared at him with a cheeky smile. But when he noticed the meaningful gaze in her eyes, he felt even more dubious. But soon, he saw the little Celestina leaning over, pushing her petite body tightly against his, and saying.


    ��Rhode�� Stay here with me, will you? Just be by my side forever and ever. For the sake of me and to be with me. Okay, Rhode?��


    The little Celestina requested, extending her hand and pressing on his chest gently. Her eyes glowed brighter, emanating a certain seductive glint. If they were seen by someone, perhaps one would indulge in them the moment he or she looked, before swearing eternal submission to the little Celestina.


    ��Huh?��


    Upon hearing her words, Rhode was stunned. But before he reacted, he saw the little Celestina take and move his hand under her skirt. Then, the little one lifted her head, her eyes emanating a glow that was as mesmerizing as wine.


    ��The things you did to me before�� It made me feel really good. I tried many, many times myself, but nothing came close to what I felt��joy as if I was about to fly high into the sky and forget everything�� It felt really good, Rhode, will you do it for me again? It doesn��t matter what you do to me, as long as you can make me feel that pleasure again����


    The little Celestina spoke, laying almost her entire body on top of Rhode��s. Her beautiful eyes had as though turned into fragrant wine, where just looking at it intoxicated one. And in the face of her innocent request, he felt his body getting heavier and heavier. He couldn��t help sweeping a glance at the wall nearby, only to be surprised to find that the door had completely vanished without a trace. And now, there was no other entrance or exit to the place; he was completely trapped.


    At that moment, she took off her western dress and revealed her translucent, white inner-wear. Her long, soft black hair draped behind her shoulders, while her slender legs in black stockings straddled him. The faint candlelight illuminated her snow-white skin, so much so that he felt like she was overly flirtatious.


    How did I forget��


    It was only at that moment when Rhode revealed a bitter smile. Perhaps it was because the little Celestina acted way too innocent before, so much so that he forgot that she was essentially Celestina and that her nature would always be that of a demon��s. And the greed, lust, and evil of demons would never, ever change. Even this seemingly pure and immaculate little one in front of him retained a demon��s nature in her bones, but in an almost undetectable form.


    It was apparent that Rhode was held captive by her yet again, and for eternity this time. This also explained why he felt so uneasy a few moments ago. No matter what kind of personality the demons had, one should never forget that they were ultimately demons.


    ��Come on. Tell me, Rhode�� What did you do to make me so happy that time����


    The little one lowered her head and whispered in his ear. She gripped his right hand with both her hands and actively rubbed between her legs. Her eyes became even more mesmerizing and seductive.


    ��Hurry up�� I can��t help it anymore�� I��ve been craving that feeling since you left�� That comfortable feeling�� Give it to me�� Rhode����


    Along with her actions, Rhode felt his fingers gradually becoming moist. It was obvious that the little one was really sensitive, where just the stroking was enough to make her feel quite a lot. But meanwhile, Rhode��s eyes glinted.


    He finally found a way to crack Celestina��s inner labyrinth.


    At this thought, he no longer hesitated. He rolled over and pushed the little Celestina��s petite body down on the bed. Upon feeling his rough treatment, not only was the little Celestina not terrified and didn��t resist, but she also opened her eyes wide and looked at him with an expectant look as if she were eager for his further actions. Upon looking at her face, Rhode smiled.


    ��Alright, I��ll teach you everything as it is. Are you ready, Celestina?��


    Darkness continued to exist, but the scene in front of him changed.


    ��Haaah�� That feels so great�� No, Rhode, slow down�� I can��t take it anymore�� I can��t�� I����


    The little Celestina whimpered and fell into his embrace. Meanwhile, Rhode breathed deeply and nibbled at her ear. Upon feeling it, the little one once again groaned subtly. Rhode, with a smile, whispered softly in her ear.


    ��How was it, Celestina? Comfortable?��


    ��Mmm�� Yes����


    Celestina barely had the strength to respond. She was almost mumbling to herself in response to his question. And upon seeing the exhausted Celestina above him, the corners of his lips perked up into a smug smile and he continued to speak in her ear.


    ��Let��s keep it going, shall we?��


    ��Mmm�� Sure�� Rhode����


    ��But we can��t be together anymore if we are discovered.��


    ��Discovered��?��


    Upon hearing his words, Celestina��s eyes, which had been confused, seemed to become a little clearer.


    ��Discovered�� Big Sister won��t find this place�� Rhode�� You��re worrying too much�� We can just keep going on like this forever and ever and ever����


    ��But there��s a chance that we will be found out. After all, you got me out of there, and now I��m sure she knows you exist. Maybe she��ll come looking for you. Do you really think it��s okay to keep hiding here?��


    ��I�� I don��t want�� I want to be with Rhode�� I don��t want her to find out����


    The little Celestina seemed to still be immersed in the aftertaste and answered almost instinctively to his question. This was exactly what he hoped for. Otherwise, why would he waste so much energy just for the sake of this honey trap?


    ��In that case, I have an idea.��


    With that said, Rhode licked her ear gently. A bit of a smug expression appeared in his eyes before he embraced the exhausted Celestina and whispered in her ear.


    ��If you don��t want to hide away like this, then go ahead and defeat them. Once you become the master of this place, you can do whatever you want, can��t you?��

 Chapter 1336 - Scepter of Victory

    Rhode��s words eventually moved the little Celestina to reconsider her decision. And she finally decided to challenge her two big sisters and gain the status and power she desired. Rhode was glad about the result and even snickered a little as soon as he discovered Celestina��s weakness.


    That��s right, be it the arrogant missy, this seemingly naive little girl, or that SM queen in the sexy outfit, they all shared the demons�� most lethal weakness��the desire for power. It was apparent for the missy, but the little one was also the same. A demon��s characteristics were sinister, cunning, selfish, and full of desire for power. This was the most vividly embodied even in that little Celestina. But due to her age, it made her cunningness seem a little adorable. But despite that, its nature would never change.


    Well, Celestina was still a demon, after all.


    At that moment, Rhode hid in the corner, watching the little Celestina sneak back from the edge of the wall. The little one was also a somewhat straightforward person. As soon as she decided to deal with her two sisters, she took actions immediately and left her hiding place along with Rhode. She was afraid that they would capture, do terrible things to, or send Rhode away while she was gone. That was why she brought him along and went after her two sisters. After all, she was Celestina too, and held a certain degree of dominance in the mental world. However, she didn��t go straight to stir trouble with her two sisters, but took Rhode for a sneaky walk instead, before slipping away and returning to his side after a while.


    ��What have you been up to?��


    Looking at the little Celestina who crawled up his arm with a grin as soon as she returned, Rhode inquired curiously. Although this little one was equally as dangerous as her two sisters, fortunately for him, after she tasted the sweetness he gave earlier, she was a little more attached to him than the others. Perhaps to her, Rhode was like a useful toy that could satisfy her and she just couldn��t put him down. It was also normal for a child to keep their favorite toy with him or her and not let go.


    Upon hearing his question, the little Celestina winked proudly and spoke with a smile.


    ��I went to help my big sister who was locked up.��


    ��Help?��


    ��Yeah, my other big sister doesn��t like her, so I helped her unlock the cell door. Perhaps by now����


    Boom!


    Before the little one finished her words, they heard a loud bang as if something was blown by a strong gust and shattered upon crashing onto the floor. Shortly after, Rhode heard the high-pitched laughter of the SM queen from nearby.


    ��Wahahaha! I never thought I��d be able to get out again! Hahaha, I��m not going to lose to you this time! I��ll show you who the real owner of this place is!��


    Soon after, Rhode heard a whistling wind in the distance of the corridor that lasted for mere seconds, before vanishing entirely. Looking at this scene, he was bewildered. It was only when the little Celestina chuckled and tugged his hand that he returned to his senses. He lowered his head and couldn��t help but look at her with a somewhat complicated expression. As expected of Celestina. Even if this little one behaved innocently and purely, the evilness and cunningness of demons was deep-seated in her bones.


    ��Come with me, Rhode, we��re going to see a good show.��


    The little Celestina had no idea what was going through his mind, or maybe she didn��t care in the slightest. She chortled, grabbed his hand, and turned into another intersection along the corridor. The little one reached out her hand and knocked on the wall. Soon after, a door appeared on it again. Then, she pushed the door open and led Rhode into what seemed to be another corridor.


    During this period of following the little Celestina, Rhode became somewhat aware of her abilities. To put it bluntly, she was like a little mouse capable of digging holes anywhere and at any time. He witnessed more than once her fumbling with an otherwise empty wall, creating a door and proceeding to enter another corridor. Perhaps that was why she was able to get away for so long in the mental world without ever being discovered or caught by others. After all, with her abilities, it was apparently easy for her to avoid detection by the other two Celestinas. And it looked like this little one also had her own map radar. No matter how powerful a BOSS was, it couldn��t capture a target who could activate a map and teleport away anytime, could it?


    Unlike before, this corridor wasn��t as pressurizing and gloomy as the ones he encountered. On the contrary, it looked like a suspension corridor built around a cliff. Through the open space on the left, Rhode clearly saw the opposite cliff, as well as scorching lava spewing down from above like a waterfall. The burning heat waves were somewhat suffocating.


    ��This way, Rhode.��


    Carefully walking to the railing of the corridor, the little one peeked out, looked down, and seemed to notice something as she beckoned to Rhode with a smile. And when he saw her signal, he rushed to her side hurriedly and followed her gaze down the corridor. He witnessed two figures fighting each other at the bottom of the lava waterfall. Unsurprisingly, they were the missy and the SM queen.


    At that moment, they lashed their whips at each other, battling above the pool of boiling lava. The demon who finally regained her freedom was undoubtedly in an uncontrolled excitement. She flourished the long whip in her hand continuously in a fierce attack at the enemy before her. Meanwhile, the missy was a real piece of work too. As Celestina��s ��self-esteem��, she was more concerned about her nobility than anyone else, and as a superior being, her strength was naturally greater than most. The fact that she was able to dominate in Celestina��s mental world was an explanation to the problem itself.


    Thus facing the demon��s attacks, the missy looked more than capable of handling them. Although the demon��s attacks were unceasing, it still wasn��t a problem for her. It wasn��t her first time fighting this demon either, so she was quite familiar with her fighting style. Right now, however, she didn��t seem all that relaxed. Instead, she sulked and looked stern. This wasn��t because of the demon��s attack, but rather, she realized that something was happening in her world that she wasn��t aware of. This worried her greatly. It first started with Rhode��s disappearance; she began to feel that something was wrong because this was her mental world and she was the owner of it. It could be said that there was no way for Rhode to leave his cell without her permission. But it was a fact that he had left, so that meant that someone had opened the door for him. But how was that possible? There was only Celestina and the demonic Celestina in this world. The latter was locked up by her, so it wasn��t possible for her to help Rhode escape.


    But before the missy figured out the reason, she was stunned to find the demon escaping from her cell and even attacking her. It wasn��t shocking that the demon challenged her. Instead, what astonished her was�� How did she escape from her cell? One had to know that when the missy locked up the demon back then, one was only allowed to enter but not leave. That was why Rhode was able to enter easily, but it was almost impossible for him to get out. But now, not only did the demon escape, but she also attacked again? Something must be wrong!


    ��Who let you out!��


    At this thought, the missy couldn��t help but tremble. This was her mental world. It was imaginable how horrible she felt when she found out that something completely unexplainable happened in a place she was supposed to know everything about. It was like one who lived in a house for decades and suddenly realized that the house was haunted. Similarly, lingering fear struck her. However, in response to her question, the demonic Celestina laughed heartily, waved her hand, and flung out her whip, snapping at the prey before her again.


    ��How would I know?! But I��m sure she��s a nice person. Hahaha, how about it? Missy, I never thought you��d be here today! Who let me out? I won��t tell you even if I knew. If you want the answer, you need to defeat me first!��


    ��Hmph!��


    In response to the demonic Celestina��s words, the missy turned grim, grunted, and flew across the air to elegantly dodge the attack. She stretched out her hands and soon, two long whips sprouted out of her sleeves, criss-crossing as they swept toward the demon. This time, the demon burst into laughter and turned around to evade the assault. But compared to the missy, she was obviously much weaker because she only had one long whip instead of two. Judging from that alone, one could also see that the missy��s presence was dominant in the mental world. The weapons in her hands were also the closest to the original Celestina��s. The demon, on the other hand, was more of a weakened version of Celestina and had no advantage over the missy at all.


    ��This doesn��t seem like it is going to end well.��


    Looking down at the battle between them, Rhode couldn��t help mumbling under his breath. He pretended not to care as he swept a glance at the little Celestina who stood beside him. Judging from the battle, it was obvious that the demon was no match for the missy and it would only take a few more moments before she was defeated. Clearly, the battle wouldn��t end up in the draw and give the little one a chance for a quick bargain. That was why Rhode deliberately said those words and observed the little one��s expression. Sure enough, her face paled slightly after hearing his comment. But soon, a complacent smile appeared on her face.


    ��Don��t worry. Watch me, Rhode.��


    After saying those words, the little one winked at him and jumped over the fence with a flip. Soon after, she expanded her wings and flew straight toward the two in battle. At the same time, she stretched her arms forward and along with this action, Rhode heard a whoosh. At the next moment, two black leather whips appeared in her tiny hands. Not only that, but two sharp, scythe-like blades also appeared at the tip of the whips. Just like that, the little one waved her hands abruptly and flung the two whips at the target in front of her.


    The two who were focused in their fight weren��t expecting the interference of a third party in the slightest. Despite that, the missy handled the ambush better in comparison. She had already suspected that there was a high chance that another person was hiding in her mental world, which was why she was prepared for a surprising turn of events. Meanwhile, the demon was completely ignorant and hadn��t figured out the situation yet. Although all of them were essentially demons, she was obviously more of an instinctual being, which was why she sought revenge against the missy right after escaping the cell, pursuing a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger.


    Hence, facing the ambush of the little one, the two of them responded in different ways. The missy raised her hands and blocked the attack with a staggered swing of her whips. On the other hand, the demon��s situation wasn��t as favorable. Although she managed to react in time, she wasn��t able to escape the blade on the tip of the whip that struck her wing. Not only that, but the little one also tugged and ripped out the blade from the wing, leaving a deep gash. The demon let out an agonizing shriek to this grave injury and flew over to the other side hurriedly. In any case, she was still Celestina. Although she didn��t react to the ambush in time, she still turned around and deflected the subsequent attack in order to avoid further misfortune.


    But even so, she was still badly hurt.


    ��Who are you?��


    Upon seeing the little one that appeared out of nowhere, the missy put up a serious expression. She finally knew that in her mental world, there was actually someone who she didn��t recognize at all! This was a really tricky problem! And now, she ran out just like that��


    Could she be��


    ��That��s right, I��m going to defeat you! I��m going to make this world mine! Big Sister, I��ve had enough of the days of hiding away from you! Now, it��s time for me to take control and own it all!��


    In response to the missy��s question, the little one chuckled lightly and responded. Then, she flourished her whip at the former again. And upon witnessing her action, the missy snorted coldly and so, the battle evolved into a three-way scuffle.


    At a glance, even though the missy was somewhat dangerous, Rhode, who had been observing the battle closely from above, was clearly aware that even if the little one and the demon joined forces, it was impossible for them to defeat the missy. Because the missy was Celestina��s core personality. Meanwhile, the demon was an existence of repressed instincts and the little one was a personality born from Celestina��s subconscious, where neither of them were supported by the core personality.


    Celestina was strong in this regard, unlike Celia, who dilly-dallied and fought an inner battle in her mind each time, which explained why the little queen and giant were nurtured and stronger. On the other hand, there was no place for the other two personalities in Celestina��s mind, which explained their weaknesses. It was especially so for the little one. Although her abilities were strange and rather useful, it was a pity that she seemed more like an assassin in Rhode��s opinion. She would be decent in assassination, but in terms of going head-to-head with a fighter in a battle, she would undoubtedly be killed instantly.


    That was precisely why Rhode encouraged the little Celestina to attack��


    As Rhode pondered, the three-way battle below had begun. The little one wasn��t able to form a united front with the demon against the missy because her ambush caused the demon to be wary of her moves. On the other hand, the missy was apparently much calmer. Earlier on, she felt uneasy because she didn��t know who the other party was. But now that the truth had come to light, she was more relaxed in dealing with them. She waved the two long whips in her hands across the heat waves of the lava, launching a violent attack on the two of them.


    In the face of her all-out assault, the little one and demon clearly sank into a tough battle. Taking on the terrifying long whips that almost struck them into the pool of lava below, they could only gnash their teeth and hold on bitterly as though they were up against a wild storm.


    But unfortunately, they weren��t able to hold on for long.


    Boom!


    As expected, a few minutes later, with a loud bang, a huge explosion rumbled. Rhode witnessed the tumbling lava waves surging and splashing in all directions. A whistling hot wind brushed his cheeks, forcing him to close his eyes. And when he opened his eyes again, he saw the missy standing in front of him, while beside her were the silent little one, as well as the unconscious demon whose clothes were riddled with holes. Both of them were bound tightly by the leather whips of the missy and couldn��t budge at all.


    ��We meet again, Rhode�� No, Master. As expected, you are still the same: despicable and shameless.��


    Celestina looked at him and said.

 Chapter 1337 - Twin Dream (1)

    ��I��m flattered.��


    In the face of Celestina��s taunts, Rhode, on the other hand, seemed really honest. As a matter of fact, the moment he saw the little Celestina, he already knew how to get out from deep within Celestina��s mind. He wasn��t trying to unite the two of them to defeat Celestina��s ��self-esteem��, nor was he trying to turn the little one into the ruler of the mental world. Instead, his mission was simple. He only needed to make Celestina��s ��self-esteem�� discover her hidden third personality and it would count as a victory for him.


    And it was just as he predicted. As soon as Celestina discovered and defeated the projection of her third personality, she reverted back to her original form. Along with those words from Celestina, a blood-red mist emanated from her body and shrouded her and the two other Celestinas who were caught in her whips. After a few moments, the mist dissipated and Celestina returned to her original form, just like Celia had before. However, the other two Celestinas vanished completely. It seemed like they were completely absorbed by the original self. The current Celestina, on the other hand, gazed at Rhode with an apparent smile, wrapped her arms around herself, and grunted helplessly at him.


    ��Really, Master, I didn��t expect you to use such a way�� Never mind, it��s my own mistake anyway, and it��s pointless to complain to you any longer. But you should know, Master, whatever happens here stays here. You have to keep it a secret�� I may not remember it, but if you dare to mention anything, I won��t be so easy on you!��


    ��I��d like to see how badly you��re going to treat me.��


    Upon hearing Celestina��s words, Rhode raised his eyebrow, before shifting his threatening gaze from her ample chest to between her legs as though he were scanning through her clothes. When she felt his gaze, she couldn��t help but blush and cover her body with her arms hurriedly, glaring back at him in displeasure. But it was a pity that Celestina��s complaints and discontentment were clearly ineffective against him.


    ��It seems like you got a little too carried away, Celestina.��


    ��Ugh����


    After hearing his words, Celestina��s expression stiffened slightly. However, she came back to her senses quickly and summoned up courage to let out a loud snort, before turning her head away from him as if she didn��t hear what he said. Soon after, she stretched out and waved her hand, only to see the flowing lava beside her separating itself. Along with a loud rumble, a huge steel door emerged from the pool of lava and opened slowly. It was then that Rhode witnessed countless obsidian slabs hidden underneath the lava pool flying into the sky and suspending in midair to form a new path.


    ��Alright, alright. Master, I know you��ve passed the test, but there are still eight sisters left. Keep up the good work, though I really don��t know if you��ll be able to hang on until the end����


    ��Well�� Celestina, do you have any tips?��


    Upon hearing Celestina��s words, Rhode went silent for a moment. But in the end, he asked shamelessly. Honestly, throughout his journey in her mental world, he finally understood how troublesome it was to be unfamiliar with other people��s past. If he could know a little bit about Celestina��s past, he would have been in a better position to face the little Celestina, instead of waiting for her to give him an answer on behalf of Celestina��s mental world. He finally realized Celestina��s mental state in hindsight. On the other hand, if he had known a little more about Celestina��s past, he wouldn��t have made such a mess of being continuously imprisoned.


    That was why he didn��t want to make the same mistake over and over again for the rest of the trip.


    ��Hmm����


    Upon hearing his question, Celestina frowned, thought for a moment, and gave her answer.


    ���� Although I can��t reveal much to you about Big Sister Gracier and Madaras, you just need to know that they were once the last princesses of the white elves and were really powerful. Of course, you also understand their temperament. But according to my judgment�� You might get into trouble, Master. Because their mental world is most likely different from the rest of ours. And perhaps if you aren��t careful, you��ll fall into a bitter struggle.��


    ��Different from the rest?��


    After hearing her response, Rhode subconsciously swept a glance around his surroundings. And upon sensing his gaze, Celestina jumped up like a kitten who had its tail stepped on.


    ��W-What I said was true! Not only are they different from me and Celia, but they are also unlike the rest! I think even Big Sister Shira��s mental world is more normal than theirs! Master, don��t think that I��m spouting nonsense, or you��re going to have a hard time after entering their mental world!��


    ��I see�� In that case, can you tell me the specifics?��


    After hearing her reply, Rhode abolished his contemptuous attitude. After all, Celestina made a plausible statement and even mentioned Shira, whom they both knew to have abnormal mental health. Besides, Celestina was also one of Shira��s victims in the past. Hence, it made it harder for Rhode to take in the information that Celestina said about Shira��s mental world likely being more normal than Gracier and Madaras��s. After all, in his opinion, Gracier and Madaras were more normal than Shira no matter in which aspect. Could it be that this was actually the opposite of what Celestina saw? That shouldn��t be right. But Celestina also didn��t seem to be lying. After all, she was afraid of all three of them. There shouldn��t be any doubt that she wouldn��t deliberately belittle or smear their reputation. So in that case, what exactly did Celestina mean by all of that?


    And in response to his question, Celestina was taken aback. Then, she shook her head.


    ��Hmm�� I can��t since it��s just my guess. But Master, there��s something that I must remind you of. You seem to be familiar with the Carlesdines, so if you��re having trouble in their mental world, you��d better think more about their characteristics�� Alright, alright, that��s all that I��m gonna say. It would be a foul to say any more. The rest is up to you now, Master!��


    After saying her piece, Celestina looked at the surroundings hurriedly and waved goodbye as if she were afraid of something. At the next moment, she metamorphosed into a gale and vanished before Rhode��s eyes. When he looked at the surroundings again, he could only shrug helplessly. It seemed like Celestina didn��t want to talk about it. But even so, Rhode raised his guard. After all, for her to tell him such things, it only explained that she definitely knew something about Gracier and Madaras that he didn��t. But it was apparent that she chose not to tell him the truth. Perhaps she felt like it wasn��t appropriate to do so, or that there were other reasons. No matter what, this was a matter that Rhode had decided on anyway.


    When he got out of here, he would summon Celestina and torment her for three full nights to ��repay�� her for her imprisonment.


    I��m someone who reciprocates. Since you dare to lock me up so many times, I shall pay you back. Isn��t there a saying that went ��one must repay every kindness with a drip of water��? As an outstanding young man of the new generation, how can I go against the teachings of our ancestors?


    Celestina, you��d better get cleaned up and wait for me�� In every sense of the word.


    There was no point in staying here any longer. Celestina��s mental projections had already unified and most likely wouldn��t come out and meet him again. Rhode had no choice but to follow the obsidian path into the pitch-black door before him. Shortly after, he felt that dizzying feeling once again��


    But after two similar teleportations in a row, he was used to it already. This time, he recovered from the dizziness quickly, opened his eyes, and took a serious look at the scene before him. After all, with Celestina��s warning, he was heavily on guard this time. But after seeing the surroundings, he was astonished.


    What displayed before him were dreamy, beautiful woods, with gentle sunlight shining on lush green trees, giving him a sense of tranquility. The hazy fog of the early morning drifted through the woods, while in front of him was a small river. On its left and right were two identical bridges suspended across the river, connecting the islands on both sides.


    Identical bridges?


    At this thought, Rhode rubbed and widened his eyes, scanning the place as if he were playing a game of ��spot the difference��. Soon after, he discovered that this world seemed to be symmetrical on the left and right. Whether it was those bridges, the shape of the islands, or even every leaf of the trees, the left and right sides were completely symmetrical. After spending some time on a game of ��spot the difference��, he had no choice but to throw up his hands in surrender after failing to find anything different.


    But where do I go from here?


    Looking at the identical bridges on the left and right, Rhode hesitated for a moment. Then, he randomly decided on the bridge on the left and stepped onto it.


    But the moment he stepped onto the bridge, an odd feeling surfaced from his heart all of a sudden. It was as if the moment he stepped onto the bridge, his entire body was suddenly split in two. It was obvious that he had chosen the left side of the bridge, but he felt like he had also stepped onto the right side of the bridge at the same time. This feeling was too unpleasant, which was why he grunted and stepped off the bridge instinctively. Soon after, he felt his two separated selves merging back into one again.


    ��Whew�� What in the world is going on?��


    Holding onto his hands and bobbing his head, Rhode couldn��t help but frown and mumble to himself quietly after making sure everything was fine with him. Did he take a wrong turn? It didn��t look like it either. But despite his doubts, he turned around and walked up to the bridge on the right. And similarly, the moment he stepped onto the bridge, he felt like he was split in two yet again and the world in front of his eyes became two parts. It was as if one were being forced to play a game of two perspectives, a feeling that really wasn��t comfortable at all.


    Do I really have to go on like this?


    Backing off again, he puckered his brows at the two bridges in front of him. Although he wanted to bite the bullet and make it across, the feeling was just too disturbing to him. One could imagine how it felt when one turned left and had to also turn right at the same time, or as one moved forward, one had to consider taking another right. If this continued, Rhode wondered if he would even remember how to walk properly after he crossed the bridge.


    Is there no other way?


    After retreating again, Rhode circled around the edges of the two bridges for a while, looked at the clear water ahead, and his eyes glinted. Then, he turned back and gazed at the wooden bridges to the left and right. This time, he didn��t hesitate at all. He took off his clothes, took a few steps backwards, and sprinted ahead with his arms opened wide, jumping and plunging into the river between the two bridges in a loud splash.


    Sure enough, after he dove into the river, that odd feeling, though faint, was nearly gone. And upon realizing that, he nodded in satisfaction and swam forward as fast as he could. Although he hadn��t fought much naval warfare since he transmigrated to this world, he still knew how to swim, which was why he wasn��t helpless against this small river. Moreover, he also found that if he deviated from the middle, the feeling of him gradually being split in half again would resurface. Aas soon as he returned to the middle of the river, that feeling would disappear entirely.


    Thus, he swam strictly down the middle of the river, based on the feelings he got. He sensed that both bridges must have been traps, or even if they weren��t, they were just a test for him. If he really were so foolish as to choose a bridge and walk across it, he believed that he would be in even more trouble. That was why he eventually chose not to take the usual route and swam across the river instead. And now, it seemed like his gamble was clearly the right decision.


    Splash!


    The river wasn��t that wide and he made it quickly to the other side. No matter which side he ended up on, once he was on shore, he didn��t feel the disturbing feeling again as if his whole body were split in two. He couldn��t help but nod at his right decision. It looked like he had clearly made the right choice. Not only that, but he was also aware of one thing from this test��


    ��Huhuhu����


    ��Hehehe����


    Suddenly, two almost identical chuckles rang out from the foggy woods. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw two petite figures shuttling across the openings in the woods, before disappearing from sight. Rhode turned around to catch up, but as soon as he entered the woods, he could no longer see the two little ones. The only thing that echoed in his ears was their crisp, overlapping chortles.


    And at that moment, he was sure that he wasn��t going to face one of them, but would be taking on the mental worlds of both Gracier and Madaras at the same time.


    Could this be the trouble that Celestina mentioned?


    Their chuckles echoed through the woods, while Rhode followed closely as if this were a replica of the game of hide-and-seek he played in Celestina��s inner labyrinth. However, he felt like something wasn��t quite right. Because every time he followed the chuckles, he did find both of them. But just as he was about to catch them, they vanished from sight and reappeared behind him as though they teleported, continuing an endless game of hide-and-seek. Although he tried waiting for them to show up like he did with the little Celestina, unfortunately, Gracier and Madaras weren��t as naive as their younger sister.


    What made him feel even stranger was that after chasing in the woods for so long, he looked around and saw that the scenery on the left and right side were exactly the same. Be it flowers, grass or trees, they were as symmetrical as reflections in a mirror. Not only that, but he also noticed that those two fellas didn��t feel normal to him. How should he put it�� He felt like they were more like illusory shadows instead of physical beings. He felt their presence but when he extended his arm to capture them, they dissipated like a cloud of smoke. In this regard, Rhode was mentally prepared. After all, as the most outstanding assassins, these two little fellas�� abilities in hide-and-seek were definitely the best in the continent.


    ��Whew�� This can��t go on. I should take a break.��


    After giving chase for a few moments, he finally gave up his pursuit. He felt like that this was as much of a test as the previous two bridges. However, there was something even more crucial that bewildered him.


    From his experience in the previous two mental worlds, there were about two to three mental projections of different perspectives. But all that he encountered since he entered this mental world was just the two of them and he didn��t meet any other forms of Gracier and Madaras. What was the reason behind that?


    At this thought, he suddenly recalled Celestina��s tip.


    Carlesdines?

 Chapter 1338 - Twin Dream (2)

    ��Whew�� This can��t go on. I need a break. This is impossible����


    Rhode had never felt so tired. He didn��t know how long this game of hide-and-seek had gone on for. The only thing he was sure of was that he wasn��t able to catch Gracier and Madaras. He also lost count of how many times he circled the woods. All in all, there were only two things that he was sure of now. First, he couldn��t catch the two girls. Second, he never saw a third mental projection other than them. Indeed, as Celestina mentioned, the mental world of these two seemed a lot trickier than the rest.


    After all, even now, he didn��t have a clue as to what he was supposed to do. At least earlier on, he took quite a few measures to capture them, but to no avail. And he couldn��t catch the two little ones no matter how hard he tried. The situation was too strange because this was a mental world, so by all accounts, his attribute power was that of a Void Dragon��s. And with his speed, it shouldn��t be difficult for him to catch up to them. However, he just couldn��t handle them in the slightest, even with his near-instantaneous movement speed. This filled him with frustration.


    He exhausted almost all of his tricks, but the two of them hid themselves away from him, which was a situation beyond his imagination given their attitude toward him in reality. This actually did hurt his feelings a little. In reality, although he barely communicated with them (or maybe it was impossible to communicate at all), they were still always around to take care of and help him. He knew that very well. They had helped him more than once. And if they weren��t favorable toward him, he wouldn��t think that they would do that.


    But what is with this situation now? Is it possible that these two little ones are just being nice to me on the surface, but deep down, they hate me so much that they don��t even want to see me?


    ��Whew����


    At this thought, Rhode reached out his hand to rub his forehead, feeling somewhat frustrated. Although he knew that the mental world was different from the outside world, where spending a year and a half here equated to only a few minutes on the outside, he would definitely go crazy if he spent so much time here despite knowing that.


    Wow, I survived Celia��s and Celestina��s mental worlds and now, I can��t believe I��m going to fall prey to the most harmless-looking Gracier and Madaras?


    ��Think carefully about what��s going on�� what exactly to do����


    Mumbling to himself, Rhode closed his eyes to carefully recall Celestina��s tip. It seemed like her tip was right that the mental worlds of Gracier and Madaras were unusual. It wasn��t as simple as him not being able to catch both of them, but he discovered that no matter from which angle he looked, the view was symmetrical on the left and right. This kind of world was abnormal enough on its own. In comparison, Celestina��s obsidian corridor was more ��humane��.


    ��Speaking of which�� Celestina said she wanted me to think about the characteristics of the�� Carlesdines�� Hmm?��


    At this thought, Rhode was taken aback. He sat up abruptly and almost at the same time, a terrible thought flashed through his mind and almost gave him a taste of unprecedented ��fear��.


    The Carlesdines were assassins of the elf race; a profession only the white elves could take up. They were almost unbeatable in the Creation War and were popularly known as beings ��who could kill even Gods��. But this profession wasn��t invincible; all of them died after the end of the Creation War. Not only that, but their names also weren��t remembered and not even their graves were left behind.


    But why?


    It was because of the Carlesdines�� ��Stealth�� ability. The white elves signed a contract with the world using their power and bloodline and erased their ��existence�� thereafter. For that reason, when the Carlesdines activated their power, they would no longer exist in this world. That was why all attacks against them were in vain, where not even attacks in the Legendary Stage were effective. Due to that reason, they were able to take enemy heads among thousands of troops as if it were nothing and kill whoever they wanted and as much as they wanted.


    But the price for that was also really high. Their existence was erased from the world. Be it enemies or allies, none of them remembered their existence. Even the current moon elves only remembered the existence of the profession of Carlesdines. As for what kind of outstanding beings emerged from that profession and what sort of legends were passed down, when these stories were erased from existence as ��individuals��, they naturally disappeared from other people��s memories at the same time. When the Carlesdines were alive, they more or less were able to exist in the memories of other people. But when they died due to various causes, the only remaining sense of existence they had would naturally disappear without a trace.


    After deducing from that, Rhode came to a terrifying conclusion.


    And that was, the existence of Gracier and Madaras was probably neither strong nor weak. Because they were Carlesdines; their existences were erased from the world. Did that mean their personalities were also weakened as a result? The Celia and Celestina that he met earlier had strong personalities. No matter who they were, both of them were loud and lively in their mental worlds. This also proved that their personalities were distinct, which was why they had such problems.


    But in comparison, the mental world of Gracier and Madaras was as tranquil as a pool of stagnant water! Not only that, but after serious thought, Rhode discovered that the two shadows he pursued were really just ��shadows��. Or perhaps they were like moving images condensed from fog. At the very least, he didn��t sense a distinct ��presence�� in them.


    So if one came to a conclusion following this reasoning, the result would be obvious.


    The existences of Gracier and Madaras were likely really weak, so much so that they couldn��t create subsidiary and core personalities. They maintained their existence through the fusion and mutual support of their two mental worlds. That was already the limit for them, which was why Rhode didn��t find anyone else here. Because with this mental state of theirs, where they didn��t even have a core personality, it was useless thinking of their sub-personalities.


    The reason why he couldn��t catch them was obvious. He simply chased after phantoms who had no physical presence like a person trying to catch a shadow with his bare hands; it was impossible to achieve any result with this futile attempt. At the thought of him chasing someone else��s shadow like an idiot, Rhode couldn��t help but reach out and cover his face in shame. Fortunately, he was the only one who knew what was going on here; otherwise, if word got out, how would he still be able to hang around in the future?


    But now wasn��t the time to reflect on his humiliation. If that were the case, he would face a huge obstacle because the problem with Gracier and Madaras didn��t come from them, but from the pressure of the world. The erasure of their existence weakened their core personality, making it impossible for them to form a normal mental projection.


    This wasn��t something that Rhode could fix from the inside. Frankly, it was like a piece of machinery; if some parts were broken, one could climb in and repair it so it could be used again. But if the machine itself was inherently substandard and fell apart right away, it was pointless to hone one��s repair skills to a master level for it, wasn��t it?


    After some consideration, Rhode thought that was probably why he had such a hard time catching them. Besides, the situation would only backfire if he kept this up. But the more he tried to catch them, the less they wanted to be caught. In that case, the core personalities of those two would dissipate, and in the end, their existence would disappear completely, ending up worse off.


    ��Gracier! Madaras! Do you girls hear me?��


    In desperation, Rhode had no choice but to call out their names. But his voice was quickly swallowed up by the faint fog-filled woods. After a while, he vaguely heard a crisp, bell-like laughter. But just like the owner of the voices, the two little ones had no intention of showing up at all.


    It seems hopeless.


    Faced with the scene before him, Rhode was completely speechless. Right now, he was in a dilemma, even more so than he was in Celestina��s mental world because what he needed to do was to neither capture nor find nor destroy anyone. It was about who to ��create��.


    Right now, the existences of Gracier and Madaras were incomplete. If Rhode wanted to fix and leave this world, the first thing he had to do was to make sure that their original mental personalities could manifest and become real. But he didn��t know if he could succeed because the current state of the Carlesdines was actually quite similar to the so-called ��non-existent�� realm in some martial arts novels. For instance, one couldn��t even feel oneself, so others couldn��t feel one another either, and it was up to one to use a secret technique or something��


    But if Rhode were to build up their existence, would he break their agreement with the world? After all, Gracier and Madaras obtained their extraordinary ability by erasing their existence. And if he were to cultivate them, it might, in turn, disarm their abilities. In that case, Gracier and Madaras would no longer be the feared, legendary assassins. Although they might still be strong, erasing their existence from the world would remove their godly ��Stealth�� ability.


    At this thought, Rhode hesitated.


    Do I really have to do that?


    But now, it seemed like there was no other way out. At least, if this continued, he would be stuck in this place forever. It was unlikely that Gracier and Madaras without an overly independent sense of self would exist to help him open the door through the mental world. So it seemed like that was the only way to go.


    ��Sigh����


    Rhode sighed at that thought, standing up and looking to both sides. What came into view was the usual, symmetrical scenery, where even the angle of light was the same. This world could already be considered strange beyond measure. There was obviously not much he could do about it, but��


    ��Give it a shot then.��


    As Rhode said that, he stretched out his hand, looked into the emptiness before him, and closed his eyes.


    ����������


    Along with his movement, the void before his eyes trembled. Soon after, the vague shadows of a city shifted, coalesced, and took shape in the void. At that moment, he opened his eyes, staring at the world around him with a somewhat uneasy gaze. Fortunately, along with the emergence of that modern metropolis, this side of the world didn��t show any signs of trembling or collapsing in the slightest, which was a relief to him.


    As one looked around, one could see skyscrapers, shining neon lights, all sorts of advertisements and propaganda appearing on huge electronic screens, as well as hear the sound of loud music from afar. The entire city looked like a scene of prosperity and bustle. He wasn��t unfamiliar with this city. This was exactly where he was born and raised. Although he spent a long time in the Dragon Soul Continent, it was still impossible for him to forget his hometown. After all, it was the place he was born and raised, not the Dragon Soul Continent. And now, looking at the city in front of him blankly, his mind was filled with nostalgia. Honestly, he never thought that he would summon such a world.


    ��It looks like it worked. I just don��t know if it��s going to go in the direction I expect.��


    As Rhode shook his head, he turned back and looked into the woods not far away. But at that moment, there were still no changes. Looking at this scene, he shrugged and didn��t say a word. He turned around, stepped onto the escalator that appeared along with the city, and sauntered to the city in front of him.


    It certainly wasn��t a real city, but rather, his own mental world. Technically, this was his dreamland, which was also based on an advice he received from his younger sister before entering the mental world. If he really couldn��t find any ways to crack the puzzle of the other party��s mental world, he could open up his own mental world.


    It was naturally impossible for him to gain the other party��s acknowledgement this way in reality. But in the mental world, he could at least manifest his dream. Of course, he was also very cautious about it. According to his younger sister, even if it was just a world in the dream, a sudden connection with someone else��s mental world would create quite an impact. That was why he had never done this before. And now that he was facing Gracier��s and Madaras��s mental world, there was absolutely nothing else he could do, which was why he wanted to give it a try. Fortunately, perhaps it was due to the fact that the little ones�� existence were so weak that their mental worlds put up little resistance, allowing them to connect to his world without trouble.


    With this step done, what is next?


    Rhode wasn��t sure. But now, there was nothing else he could do but take a stab at it. Moreover, he was also very concerned about his dreams. Although he was also a mental projection now, he seldom remembered his dreams. In the past, he certainly had many weird dreams, but they were long forgotten by him. Honestly, he didn��t know what his dreams were all about. Anyway, now that he was idle, he should simply go and check it out for himself. If he could rely on this dream to lure the two little ones over, he might be able to find a way to solve the current situation. Furthermore, what made him a little curious was that his dreamland turned out to be an actual modern city.


    Did I really have some other interesting dreams too?


    With that thought in mind, Rhode went up the escalator and entered the city in front of him.


    ��Huhuhu����


    ��Hehehe����


    Of course, Rhode didn��t notice that shortly after his departure, the laughter of Gracier and Madaras surfaced yet again in the clearing he had just been in. And along with a string of crisp laughter, the two petite girls fully wrapped in white robes appeared out of thin air, holding hands as if they were dancing gracefully as they fell from the air to the ground. They turned over and looked at each other.


    ��What��s that place? It seems like a lot of fun����


    ��I don��t know. It looks really crowded there����


    ��Let��s take a look����


    ��Let��s take a look����


    ��Huhuhu����


    ��Hehehe����


    After engaging in an enigmatic session of question and answer, the two petite girls became illusory and distorted, before metamorphosing into clouds of mist. Then, they followed the direction that Rhode left in and entered the colorful and vibrant city before them.

 Chapter 1339 - Twin Dream (3)

    Rhode was initially curious about his mental world as well, but immediately regretted after he walked into it.


    It wasn��t that he hadn��t thought about what his mental world looked like. After experiencing Celia��s and Celestina��s, he randomly thought about what his mental world was like. It was just that after entering the city, he felt depressed rather quickly. Because what was in front of him was simply a dead city.


    On the surface, the city was no different from an ordinary one; soft music played everywhere on the streets and alleyways, traffic lights flashed from time to time, the big screen in the center of the square showed advertisements and idol propaganda. But despite all that, there wasn��t a single person. Rhode thought that his world would be as crowded as Celia��s, but now it seemed like it wasn��t as ��crowded�� as he had imagined. The streets were lined with running trams and flashing electronic vending machines, and the platforms in the subway showed arrival and departure information repeatedly. But all of that was pointless because there wasn��t a single person in the entire city. And to be honest, under such circumstances, it wouldn��t be surprising if a bunch of zombies ran out from nowhere.


    ��Whew�� How should I put it? It��s just so boring.��


    Pushing open the door into a convenience store, Rhode casually picked up the magazine on the shelf next to him, flipped through the pages, and tossed it aside again. But shortly after, he froze and picked up the magazine again quickly. He stared at the cover of a dark-haired ��young lady�� who jumped on the stage in a gorgeous and cheerful idol costume. And on the side of the cover, a few huge lines of words were printed: ��Dream Singer! Miss Rhode shall present a paradise of joy! Let��s head to the Mega Dome on the 15th to enjoy the concert of the world��s greatest female singer!��


    Not only was the title in bad taste, but what also made him twitch his eyes was the unacceptable outfit he wore on the magazine cover in front of him. Not only did he wear an audacious bikini-like performance outfit on the upper half of his body, but he also wore a short skirt and a pair of white silk stockings on his bottom half?!


    ��What in the��?!��


    Rhode flipped through the pages and swept glances at them, before violently tossing the magazine on the ground. This was the first time he showed such anger on his face. Not only that, but he also pushed open the door of the convenience store furiously and sized up the surroundings in rage. At that moment, the square with a large screen above broadcasting advertisements suddenly flickered and transformed into a dazzling, magnificent stage. And on top of the stage was a ��young lady�� who wiggled her waist. Under the stage, countless glow sticks flashed and danced along with the rhythm. The song happened to come to an end. The young lady skipped to the front of the stage, waving in excitement to her fans below.


    ��Hello������everyone! Thanks for coming to my concert~~~! How was that? Was it great?!��


    ��Ohhhhhh��!��


    With the young lady��s question, deafening cheers sounded from under the stage. And when she heard their positive voices, she revealed a charming smile, placed her hands on her hips, and raised her hands.


    ��Alright, the concert has just begun�� Tonight, I won��t let any of you sleep! Kiss~!��


    ��F*ck-! This can��t be tolerated!��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode couldn��t stay calm anymore.


    How in the world is she my mental projection? Why do I have such a bizarre projection? And I even blew them a kiss? How is that tolerable? This must not be tolerated��! No, I will never allow this kind of humiliation in my mental world!


    At that moment, Rhode threw the matter regarding of Gracier and Madaras to the back of his head and ran out to the street like he was on fire, jumping onto the skyscraper next to him and flying over to the huge circular building in the distance. At that moment, he was utterly embarrassed. And if it weren��t for the fear of destroying his mental world, he would have demolished the entire stage with a mouthful of dragon breath! But now�� He could only take one step at a time and see what he could do with that ��young lady��!


    After he left in exasperation, two illusory figures followed his footsteps silently and arrived at the empty square. Then, they curiously turned their heads to scan the place and shifted their gaze to the huge screen where the ��live�� concert was being broadcast. Soon after, the clear sound of laughter reverberated again. However, Rhode didn��t notice them. Along with the laughter, the indistinct figures gradually became clearer as if a blurred draft being traced and colored. Shortly after, the white cloaks fell off their bodies and were replaced by two beautiful, white robes that were inlaid with golden lace patterns. The two girls raised their heads and looked up at the screen in front of them, and a glint flashed in their golden eyes.


    ��Want to�� sing����


    ��We also want�� to stand there�� and sing�� for everyone����


    Looking at the scene in front of them, Gracier and Madaras murmured between themselves. At the next moment, they disappeared with the wind blowing past them. Almost as soon as they disappeared, the large screen that was broadcasting the concert switched off and there was no more signal.


    Bam!


    Rhode kicked open the door of the concert hall in a fury. The loud music and bustling clamors created an almost materialistic heat that he couldn��t bear. As he looked around, he saw glow sticks shining everywhere in the massive concert hall, while his other ��self�� stood on the catwalk jumping excitedly in a shameless costume.


    Goddammit. Do you really think you are a pop idol now?


    Rhode didn��t know such a mental projection existed deep inside his mind. Oh God, he could have sworn to his younger sister that he was never interested in singing. He only sang casually at karaoke sessions with his friends and was never a mic-hog. It wasn��t like no one advised him to become an idol in the past. After all, he had an outstanding appearance and accompanied with his identity as the number one player in the Dragon Soul Continent, profits would surely pour in after some promotion as a competitive video game idol.


    However, he was genuinely uninterested in having a profession that put on a show to amuse others. Of course, the most important thing for him was not having privacy after becoming an idol as the damn paparazzi would be after him. Would he even be able to sleep with any woman when that happened?


    And yet, there was an idol singing and dancing inside of him? What was that all about?


    Looking at the scene in front of him, Rhode blew his top. Although these so-called ��audience members�� were just shadows, the surface seemed to be filled with real people. But if one were to look closely, one would find that they didn��t have faces or clothes on and were simply a group of shadows. Besides, he didn��t care about these ��onlookers�� at all. He dashed in a string of afterimages toward the T-shaped platform. When his other self saw his arrival, not only did the former not avoid him, but he also winked at him with ease. Looking at this scene, Rhode was even more furious from the bottom of his heart. He didn��t even hesitate to pull out his sword and swing down hard at his other self in front of him.


    Whoosh!


    Even though Rhode went all-out, his other self wasn��t one to be trifled with either; the latter turned around nimbly and evaded the attack. Moreover, even though Rhode��s sword struck the ground, it didn��t even shatter the ground apart from letting out a deep clang. It went to show that his mental world was equally as solid and uneasily destroyed.


    ��YAHOO������! Looks like we got a new guest! Everyone, let��s cheer!��


    ��Cheer my *ss! Stop this embarrassing concert right now!��


    Hearing his other self speak, Rhode almost fainted to anger. He grunted and swung his sword once more at his other self. However, his other self dodged and upon looking at Rhode��s furious expression, he knitted his brows and revealed a discontent look. But compared to the ice-cold man, he was more like putting on a show.


    ��Oh no, it��s rare to have such a magnificent stage, so why don��t you cherish this experience? To come up here and fight is just too much! Then again, this is still my territory, and you��re trespassing and interrupting my concert! This is too much; at least I��m still one of your doppelg?ngers! I can��t believe you��re doing this to me!��


    ��I don��t have such a shameless doppelg?nger like you.��


    Once again, sizing up the ��magnificent�� costume on his other self, Rhode raised his sword with an ice-cold expression, while his eyes emanated an unmistakable murderous intent. When the other self sensed the murderous intent, he spread his arms apart helplessly and put on a ��you��re hopeless�� look.


    ��That��s easy for you to say; you don��t really want to destroy me, My Core. I��m still one of your doppelg?ngers. Do you really think you have what it takes to get rid of me? It doesn��t matter though, a concert needs a bit of an unexpected performance to be exciting. So, let me see your power!��


    The other Rhode smiled, turned around again, and looked to the audience in front of him. He waved his hand strongly and called out loudly in a clear, pleasant voice.


    ��Everyone����we��re going to put on a new performance��! Please welcome our special guest����


    ��Ohhhhhh��!��


    ��Are you done yet?!��


    Rhode flew into a rage. Previously, he wasn��t even this furious when he saw his other self after entering a land of Chaos. Back then, although his other self that was summoned was his avatar in the game, both of them had the same personality. But now, looking at this ��idol�� clad in an extravagant costume and acting like he was addicted to acting like an innocent young girl idol, Rhode had the urge to destroy him completely. However, he wouldn��t really do it. After all, in the two previous times, neither Celia nor Celestina said that they would completely destroy their personality. Instead, their different personalities fused after they were defeated. However, as the saying ��touch pit, and one would be defiled�� went, he saw through the unknown parts of Celestina and Celiam and in the end, he didn��t expect to face his very own mental projection now�� What karma.


    For that reason, even though Rhode knew it was useless, he still swung his sword and attacked his other self. Even if he couldn��t destroy his other self, if he were able to beat this guy up, it would be considered a breath of fresh air for him. Otherwise, how could he accept such a mental projection existing inside his mind! It was the only thing that he would never admit to!


    Facing Rhode��s attack, the idol also wasn��t willing to be outdone. The latter stretched out his arm and soon, the microphone in his hand transformed into a long, black sword, swinging back at Rhode. The two men exchanged blows on the stage and as if attracted by the lively scene, crowds in all directions cheered once again. In an instant, the stage was set ablaze with lights, the big screen emanating a charming glow and intense music booming as if it were the background music of their battle. As a projection of Rhode��s mental world, the idol wasn��t a weakling either. And although he couldn��t match up against Rhode in terms of strength, his agility was on a similar level. Even though Rhode was relentless, the idol was able to evade his every assault. Not only that, but while dodging Rhode��s attacks, the idol was also singing.


    ��Hey! You guys on the left and on the right! My youth is in the holy sword~ La, la, la~


    ��Look at me, and let me give you a declaration of love! This world is made of love and peace~ La, la, la~��


    ��Goddammit, shut the hell up!��


    Upon hearing the lyrics coming out of the mouth of his other self, Rhode blew his top. If Rhode��s anger could manifest, perhaps his entire mental world would have been burned down along with him. And it wasn��t just the shameless lyrics that made him angry. It was that what his other self sang wasn��t nice at all! Rhode admitted that even though he wasn��t tone-deaf, at the very least he didn��t sing out of tune! But now, this ��idol�� in front of him was way out of tune!


    If you want to be an idol, can��t you do it seriously? I wasn��t even this unprofessional whenever I dressed up as a woman!


    And while Rhode fought his other self in a prolonged battle, he suddenly heard whispers in his ears.


    ��La�� La, la����


    It sounded as if one were humming. And by all rights, it was impossible for one to hear such hums under the circumstances at hand. After all, the noisy background music and the booming cheers of the audience had enveloped the entire hall. But to Rhode��s surprise, amidst all that noise, the soft humming was so clear and pleasing to his ear that even his heart, which was so ashamed of this damned mental projection, seemed to have calmed down a lot.


    ��La�� La, la����


    Swish!


    After forcing his other self back with the swing of his sword, Rhode turned around to look at where the voices came from. To his surprise, he saw two petite figures standing in front of the stage. The two young ladies lifted their heads, letting their beautiful, long, and pure white hair flow and reflect the lights shining on the stage. At that moment, they had already taken off the familiar assassin outfits from Rhode��s memory��they were replaced by beautiful gowns with floral patterns. They stood at the front of the stage and raised their hands high. As if chanting a hymn, they kept their eyes closed, softly humming that nameless and peaceful melody.


    ������


    Upon looking at this scene, the other Rhode stretched out his hand and snapped his fingers hurriedly. Shortly after, accompanied by his movement, the loud music vanished and the cheering crowd also became silent. Soon, the entire concert hall was only filled with the echoing and singing voices of the two petite elves.


    ��This is����


    Rhode listened to the white elves with some astonishment. He couldn��t understand what Gracier and Madaras were singing, but it was clearly a pleasant and relaxing song. The moment he heard their singing, Rhode felt as if he were lying on the soft grass, bathing in the warm and comfortable sunshine, feeling the cool breeze��s caress. He felt extremely relaxed. At that moment, it was as if he had become an inseparable part of nature and could never leave for the rest of his life.


    ������


    The singing slowly stopped, and at some point, the audience that filled the entire concert venue also disappeared gradually. It was only at that moment when Rhode saw the two young ladies turned around and stared at him with a smile on their faces. Unsure if it were his illusion or not, he felt like Gracier and Madaras appeared smaller than he remembered. But before he figured out what was going on, he saw the smiles on the two petite elves, extending their hands toward him: one to the left and one to the right.


    ��Greetings, my master.��


    They said in unison.

 Chapter 1340 - Garden of Seclusion (1)

    ��I finally get to see you two.��


    Gazing at the two smiling young ladies in front of him, Rhode let out a long breath. That wasn��t sarcasm, but the truth instead. He had pursued their shadows for an unknown amount of time before finally succeeded in luring them out. Honestly, it was a bit of a lucky break for him. After all, elves were born singers; they started singing from birth until their death. With that, it wasn��t surprising that Gracier and Madaras could sing and also loved singing�� But as Rhode thought about it, he turned around and gave a hard stare at his other mental projection who shook his head beside him. Even though Gracier and Madaras restored their original form, Rhode still needed to get rid of his other self. He forbade his other self to sing and dance in his mental world��


    ��We��re the same, Master. Thanks to you, we finally remember the past once again�� Treasures that we had forgotten, treasures that we once thought would never come back to us. We thought we had lost them forever, but never expected to recall them again.��


    The two young ladies smiled and spoke with one voice. Soon after, like reflections in a mirror, they placed their outstretched hands on their chests and closed their eyes as if reminiscing about the past. Along with this action, the lights shining from above the stage became increasingly dazzling, where even the ground trembled slightly. And just as Rhode was being illuminated by the blinding lights, he couldn��t help but squint and a voice he hated so much rang in his ears again.


    ��Oh-no-no, it seems like the curtains have come down on my show. Now that the superstars are here, this little idol concert of mine has also come to an end. Goodbye��!��


    ��Hey, you bast*rd��!��


    Upon hearing his remark, Rhode turned around hurriedly. However, dazzling light enfolded his vision and at the next moment, the splendid stage and tall concert hall disappeared along with the city. Not only that, but the azure sky, warm sunshine, and turquoise grasslands also showed up in front of him. But unlike before, what originally looked like a humble bridge turned into a gorgeous and exquisite elven structure. A lovely carpet of flowers stretched out into the distance, while birds soared in the air, chirping pleasantly as if they were singing.


    ��Synapse, our homeland; land of the elves. We still remember the wonderful chirping, the refreshing air, and the sea of flowers like a picture����


    Looking at the scene in front of them, Gracier and Madaras showed a nostalgic expression, looking with a broken-hearted gaze at the elven city formed by a sea of flowers. Although this elven city was similar to Rhode��s city where there was no one except for them, compared to his city that looked as if it suffered from an outbreak of biological crisis, this place felt more tranquil and peaceful.


    But�� Synapse?


    Upon hearing the name, Rhode knitted his brows. If he recalled correctly, Synapse was the home of the first generation of elves, as well as the place where the first elves lived. At that time, the elves were still united as one race. But after the war broke out, most of them either fled or died, and it was said that Synapse was completely demolished in the process. According to the historical records dug up by players on Rhode��s side, Synapse wasn��t originally a city on the surface, but rather a floating island that got caught up in a three-way scuffle during the Creation War and ended up disappearing into a crack of void. Of course, with the devastation of the void storm, perhaps Synapse was entirely done for after being swallowed by it.


    Rhode knew that these two white elves were definitely extraordinary, but didn��t expect them to be natives of Synapse. Synapse was the ideal nation for all elves, and those who lived here were elves with the highest status. Moreover, with Gracier��s and Madaras��s identity as royal white elves, it wasn��t all that surprising that they once resided here.


    ��Thank you, Master.��


    After quietly admiring the scenery around them for a while, Gracier and Madaras turned around and gazed at Rhode who stood before them. Soon after, the two of them smiled softly at him, and along with some gentle laughter, their beautiful gowns dissipated and metamorphosed into white religious robes that wrapped their bodies. And at the same time, the scenery around Synapse also vanished, reverting to the bland woods that Rhode witnessed when he first arrived here.


    ��Sigh����


    Looking at this scene, Rhode let out a sigh. He supposed he figured out the situation already. After all, the agreement signed between Gracier and Madaras and the world couldn��t be erased. The reason why they were able to restore themselves earlier wasn��t that the stage and concert awakened their memories, but because at that time, they entered Rhode��s mental world and briefly left theirs. As a result, the contract they made with the world became temporarily ineffective. With these two forces in effect together, it restored Gracier��s and Madaras��s memories of the past.


    However, after they came out of Rhode��s mental world, they reconnected with their original world, which was why they reverted to their current appearance. Looking at this scene, Rhode felt somewhat melancholic for no apparent reason. After all, he believed that memories were the most important existence of a person. But now, in order to fight, Gracier and Madaras abandoned their past and even themselves. Judging from the way they looked at Synapse earlier, he unmistakably sensed their attachment and sadness. But even so, they still chose to accept their mission and destiny.


    At this thought, Rhode reached out his hands and caressed their heads. Upon feeling his touch, neither Gracier nor Madaras avoided him anymore. Instead, they let out a string of crisp, bell-like chuckles, before reaching out their hands and tugging his sleeves from the left and right. Soon after, along with this action, a wooden door appeared above the grass in front of him. It opened slowly, revealing a deep and dark tunnel behind it. Looking at this scene, Rhode knew that his days in their metal world were over. And although this mental world gave him a headache at first, it was nice seeing how things unfolded in the end. To a certain degree�� It wasn��t actually too bad.


    But��


    Shira should be next.


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but gnash his teeth. If his trip into the mental world of Gracier and Madaras could be said to be a bit of a surprise, Shira��s mental world would surely turn out to be absolutely abnormal. Honestly, he couldn��t even imagine what her mental world would be like because she was such a crazy psychopath. Frankly, out of all the women he had been in an intimate relationship with, Shira was the one he was most hesitant about because he just couldn��t handle her sick plays.


    On several occasions, she had even asked him to play some extremely violent ��games�� with her, such as looking into her eyes before cutting off her head and so on. Even though she was excited about her sick plays, Rhode decisively rejected her absolutely unreasonable requests after considering his personal sexual proclivities. After all, she wasn��t the only woman around him. In case he went too far and took a liking to her sick plays, which other women could handle him? Of course, even if he refused, it didn��t seem to matter to Shira. To her, as long as he could ejaculate inside her until her bottom was full, that would be supreme pleasure for her. Of course, Rhode could never understand how Shira managed to put up that expression when she was clearly in pain and yet, looked as if she were so aroused.


    That was why Rhode only summoned Shira a handful of times. Her mental health was also clearly abnormal to the point where she could barely communicate properly. Usually, even someone like Celestina would say something personal to him after spending an intimate night together. But Shira simply raved and her response to him was completely bullheaded. Although she said a lot of things, Rhode wasn��t able to find any clues about her identity and past from her words. The only thing he confirmed was that she was an undead puppet and that was about it.


    And now, the thought of entering Shira��s mental world made him flinch. He was almost angered to death by the previous mental worlds, so how would Shira��s mental world turn out for him?


    The mental world of a madwoman��


    Rhode didn��t even dare to think about it. The scenery would be so ��beautiful�� that he couldn��t bear to look at it directly. But now, with Gracier and Madaras watching from the back, he had no choice but to move forward. As he looked into the tunnel in front of him, he shrugged, calmed his nerves, and reached out his hands again to pat their heads. Then, he turned around and sauntered into the tunnel.


    Thud�� Thud�� Thud��


    Unlike before, this time, Rhode didn��t feel the same dizziness from the teleportation. On the contrary, he strolled down the tunnel and soon, along with his progress, the glow above him disappeared without a trace. But despite that, the tunnel wasn��t in complete darkness as the icy-blue spiritual fires suspended on the sides of the walls brought an incomparably bizarre atmosphere. He felt as if he were heading deeper into a graveyard and would eventually be buried alive there.


    Undead creature, huh�� Could Shira��s mental world be in a graveyard?


    At this thought, Rhode forced a helpless smile. If it were really a graveyard, it would be a good match for her, wouldn��t it?


    But it was a pity that even though he had prepared himself to see a graveyard full of corpses or an exit-less labyrinth like Celestina��s in Shira��s mental world, after he exited the tunnel, lifted his head, and looked at the surroundings, the scenery made him stare in amazement. It left him utterly speechless.


    It was an incomparably magnificent and elegant Gothic three-story building with dense creepers climbing all over the walls and windows that reflected soft light. Illuminated by the bright, full moon, the entire building emanated a dark and decadent beauty. It felt more like the kind of dark and elegant structures that vampires lived in, and if it weren��t for the fact that he was certain that Shira��s mental world was next, he would have thought that he had entered Angelina��s.


    ��Then again, how are things so illogical? I didn��t expect Shira��s mental world to look like this����


    Looking at the small building in the middle of the lake, Rhode couldn��t help but criticize. At a glance, green fields and a dense forest could be seen under the illumination of the moonlight. It was apparent that there was nothing else in front of him except for this three-story building. In that case, the building must be where Shira resided.


    But how can I get over there?


    As soon as this thought cropped up in Rhode��s mind, all of a sudden, a mysterious, gentle black light shone before his eyes. Soon, a silhouette of a man whose entire body was shrouded in a black robe appeared in front of him. The man held a long bamboo pole in his hand and stood at the end of a tiny boat; rather similar to those ferrymen on the River Styx. Not only that, but the man in a black robe also rowed the boat toward Rhode, bent over, and made a gesture of invitation.


    ���� Is that an invitation to go aboard?��


    Glancing at the man in the black robe in front of him, Rhode didn��t hesitate the slightest and stepped onto the boat. Shortly after, the man in the black robe held up the bamboo pole in his hand, turned the boat around, and rowed toward the island in the center of the lake. Looking at this scene, Rhode became increasingly curious. Frankly, he was even prepared to face zombies and sicker stuff in this mental world. But now, it seemed like�� This place was more serene and peaceful than Celestina��s mental world.


    Did I really enter Shira��s mental world? I didn��t head down the wrong path and enter Little Five��s, did I? Little Five��s a specter and isn��t considered an undead creature. In that case, it isn��t surprising for such a scenery to appear��


    While Rhode was imagining things, the boat docked at the island in the lake. Rhode stepped out of the boat and went up the stairs in front of him. Soon after, he arrived at the entrance of this small building. And at that moment, a soft and lovely voice sounded in his ears all of a sudden.


    ��Greetings, my guest. May I ask what you are doing here?��


    ��This voice is����


    Upon hearing this voice, Rhode was stunned. He turned around and the next thing he saw was a young lady sitting quietly on a chair in a nearby garden. She wore a dark, luxurious dress with a long skirt, and her hair, which looked like she spent a lot of time taking care of, hung down to her waist. The young lady lifted the teacup and placed it by her mouth elegantly. Her pair of bright eyes remained motionless, curiously examining the uninvited guest in front of her. She looked just like a quiet and aristocratic young lady, where even Rhode, after looking at this odd and unfamiliar young lady, was stunned. He stretched out his hand and bowed to the girl.


    ��Greetings, Miss. My name is Rhode; I��m a traveler from the outside world.��


    ��A traveler from the outside world? That��s rare. I never thought we��d have guests here�� Ah, how rude of me.��


    The young lady responded. She placed the teacup on the table, stood up, lifted the hem of her skirt, and gave a slight bow.


    ��Nice to meet you, I am Shira, the owner of this manor�� Welcome.��


    ���� Huh?��


    Upon hearing her introduction, Rhode was flabbergasted. He lifted his head and sized up the young lady in front of him carefully. But even so, he couldn��t believe what he just heard.


    She��s Shira? The undead puppet who wears rags and goes crazy all the time?


    But upon closer inspection, the young lady in front of him did bear some resemblance to Shira. Her dress was indeed the same one that Shira wore; it was just that the one on the latter was so tattered and stained with blood that it was almost unrecognizable. Shira also didn��t seem to care about her hair in the slightest, so her clothes were riddled with holes and her hair looked disheveled all day long.


    However, not only was this young lady before him dressed cleanly, but she was also attentive to her own maintenance. She looked completely like a well-bred, aristocratic lady with etiquette that was more perfect than Marlene. Besides, she also didn��t put up that crazy grin, but had a calm, soft, knowing, and gentle smile full of intellectual beauty instead.


    Is she actually so girlish on the inside despite her behavior as a lunatic?


    At that moment, Rhode was utterly confused.

 Chapter 1341 - Garden of Seclusion (2)

    Although the contrast between the two Shiras was ridiculous, after experiencing the mental world of four holy sword card spirits, Rhode considered himself to be immune to such absurdity. Even though he criticized inwardly how illogical Shira was to be so quiet and elegant, on the surface, he accepted her invitation to walk up the steps and arrived at the garden, sitting down and across from her. The young lady seemed to be having tea (or a late-night snack?) as the table was full of delicious cakes and piping-hot black tea. For some reason, Rhode felt like something was wrong with this ordinary scene. Or was it because the Shira in front of him seemed so abnormal? No, maybe it was that Shira appeared too normal.


    ��Would you like to have some?��


    Upon sensing Rhode��s gaze, Shira asked with a smile. And when he heard her question, he waved his hand hurriedly.


    ��It��s fine, Miss Shira, I don��t particularly enjoy desserts.��


    Rhode wasn��t speaking nonsense because after suffering from ��trauma�� in Celia��s mental world, the sight of sweets and desserts made him nauseous. So despite the cake looking delicious, he couldn��t take a single bite out of it. Honestly, he doubted he would have any interest in desserts for the rest of his life even after leaving the mental world. Come to think of it, it was also somewhat hilarious. He survived the mental worlds of Celestina, Gracier, and Madaras, but it was Celia��s that left the deepest psychological scar on him. He was completely speechless at this thought.


    ��I see����


    Upon hearing his reply, Shira smiled and didn��t say anything more. She stretched out and turned her hand over elegantly, only to have a teacup appearing out of nowhere in front of him on the table. Soon after, she picked up the teapot and poured a cup of aromatic black tea for him. Facing her kind gesture, Rhode no longer refused. He accepted her gesture, lifted the teacup in front of him, and took a sip.


    The tea wasn��t as delicious as the ones he normally drank. Among the black teas he had, the best was the one that Lydia served. Of course, even though Agatha and Marlene were also experienced in the art of tea, only Lydia��s black tea was so tasty that Rhode felt like he almost ascended to heaven after taking a sip. On the other hand, this black tea prepared by Shira felt odd. It was neither good nor bad, but had a sour aroma as if it were brewed from expired tea leaves. Not only that, but he also smelled a weird scent. In short�� It was really hard to describe.


    Despite that, Rhode didn��t say much, but took a sip and put down the teacup in front of him instead, before gazing at the young lady. Facing his gaze, the smile on Shira��s face didn��t change the slightest. On the contrary, she blinked and gazed at him with curiosity.


    ��It��s the first time I��ve met a traveler from the outside world, Mr. Rhode. I��m sure you��ve been traveling and had a lot of wonderful encounters. I��m wondering if it��s convenient for you to share them with me?��


    ��I����


    Looking at the quiet and courteous Shira who gazed at him with curious eyes, Rhode didn��t know what to say. Ever since he had gotten her, he never had a good conversation with her. It wasn��t that he didn��t want to, but she was always spouting nonsense and he couldn��t get any valuable information from her. This was why when he met such a ��reasonable�� version of her, he was stunned and didn��t know how to communicate with her. Meanwhile, after noticing the slight hesitation on his face, Shira smiled in response.


    ��Right, I forgot about that; you must be tired from your long journey. You can rest here for the night and we can talk about it again tomorrow. What do you think?��


    ��Sure.��


    Upon hearing her words, Rhode nodded without hesitation. In fact, he was considering exactly how he should respond to her. After all, he was rather flustered after meeting this side of her. If he could have a good rest, it would also help him collect his thoughts to consider how he should go about dealing with Shira. Also�� according to his previous experiences, perhaps more than one Shira would show up. After all, she wasn��t a Carlesdine, so there was no way that she would only have a broken and incomplete core personality like Gracier and Madaras.


    Clap. Clap.


    After hearing his reply, the corners of Shira��s mouth lifted into a smile. She extended her hands, clapped twice, and soon after, a ghost-like figure in a maid��s outfit drifted toward them. As expected by Rhode, the maid was also Shira, though completely different from her original self in terms of personality. She was calm and expressionless as if she were dead. She arrived at the side of the noble young lady and bowed respectfully.


    ��What may I do for you, my lady?��


    ��Prepare a fine room for our guest, and let him have a good rest.��


    ��Yes, my lady.��


    Upon hearing the noble lady��s instruction, the maid nodded, turned around, and looked with emotionless, glass bead-like eyes that reflected an image of Rhode. She looked at him and spoke softly.


    ��Our guest, please follow me.��


    Led by the maid, Rhode sauntered into the three-story building located in the center of the lake. But to his surprise, not only was the small building gorgeous and beautiful on the outside, but its inside was also decorated luxuriously with crimson carpets, velvet curtains over windows, and statues and plants in the corners. Matched with the bright lights on the ceiling, everything looked soft, comfortable, and graceful. It was simply a model of an ancient noblewoman��s manor house.


    This surprised him quite a bit. He thought this small building had a gilded exterior, but was shabby and ruined on the inside, where broken limbs and bones were scattered across the floor or cobwebs and dusty junk piled up like a haunted house. He didn��t expect it to look so decent in the slightest.


    The maid didn��t say a word or have the decency to look back and check on him. She was like a robot with instructions inputted, walking straight to a guest room located on the left side of the second floor. She opened the door of the guest room, made an inviting gesture to him, and right after he entered the room, she bent over for a bow and took her leave quickly. Along the way to the guest room, she didn��t even utter a single word. Her expressionless face lacked a single hint of smile. Rhode was certain that she would surely be unqualified for a job as a hotel waitress��


    ��Whew����


    Collapsing onto the soft bed, Rhode breathed a sigh of relief. After going through four mental worlds, he was finally able to rest and relax a little. Technically, although he wouldn��t be physically fatigued from the mental worlds and could have gone all the way without sleeping, eating, or drinking, he would still be mentally exhausted. Not to mention that previously in Celestina��s and Gracier��s and Madaras��s bizarre mental worlds, he had already been dog-tired. And now that he was here, although he was certain that Shira��s mental world wasn��t that safe either, at least he felt relaxed in this current environment��


    Alright, I shall get some rest then��


    At this thought, Rhode closed his eyes and quickly fell into a deep sleep.


    Clang. Clang. Clang.


    After a while, the deep ringing of a bell woke him up. He opened his eyes and found his room illuminated by warm, soft lights, while he still lay comfortably on the soft bed. Nothing changed. Honestly, he was prepared to wake up and find himself lying in a cemetery or even buried in a coffin, or that everything around him was just an illusion and the whole house reverted to a haunted house or something. But now, everything seemed normal and nothing seemed to be different. He guessed that he might have been thinking too much�� Maybe this was how Shira��s mental world was supposed to be all along?


    Anyway, it��s a good thing that no accidents happened.


    At this thought, Rhode got up from the bed, strolled to the window, and looked outside. It was still the same deep and dark night. The only difference was that the moon that hung in the sky earlier had disappeared. He used the indistinct shadows in the distance to determine where the lake, land, and forest were. He had no idea exactly how long he slept for, but could feel that his mind was very clear and refreshed��


    So then��


    At that thought, he turned around and sized up his surroundings. He didn��t know how long he had slept for or what time it was now. But he guessed that perhaps there was no such thing as ��daytime�� here because Shira was a native of the Country of Darkness, where eternal night loomed over the nation and the sun was non-existent. Perhaps ever since she was born, she didn��t have any impression of what ��daytime�� was at all.


    Well, gonna head out for a while.


    With that in mind, Rhode turned around and left the room.


    Everything seemed perfectly normal. The moment he left the room, there was no incident like back then, where Celestina locked him in the room and didn��t let him out. Instead, he left the guest room effortlessly and proceeded to wander around the manor house. He also decided to use this time to properly investigate Shira��s inner world. After all, there was no way for him to decipher the thoughts of that insane undead puppet. That was why he could only try his best to dig up any clues like a detective who lost contact with the outside world and tried to find out the murderer and motive through deduction in a secret room.


    But it was a shame that after he strolled around half of the manor house, he hadn��t gotten any particularly helpful clues. Everything here was simple and very ordinary. On the surface, it looked like a noblewoman��s manor house. Be it the furniture, placements of plants, or paintings hanging on those walls, he didn��t find anything abnormal or out of place. This left him somewhat frustrated. But it wasn��t too surprising since in reality, which detective could solve cases so easily?


    Come to think of it�� No one has died yet, so there��s no case to begin with!


    But it wasn��t like he didn��t find any odd occurrence at all. For instance, he searched for a long time but hadn��t seen any sign of that noble lady or earlier maid. He initially thought that they were also resting in their respective rooms, but after opening all the unlocked doors, there was no trace of them. As for the locked doors, he knocked on them one by one but didn��t get any response. Rhode, with the belief that ��there must be some hidden mystery in all stories��, went to rummage through the basement of this western-style manor house. But he found nothing. All he saw was a hill of wine barrels, a kitchen, and a room where food was stored. Everything else was normal. There were no secret rooms, hidden white bones, or strange presences.


    Except for the fact that there was no sign of the noble lady and maid.


    But as Rhode returned to the living room, his doubt was resolved. At that moment, the noble lady sat elegantly on the sofa, sipping the black tea, while the maid stood behind her as quietly as ever. Upon seeing Rhode��s arrival, a gentle smile appeared across the face of the noble lady. She stood up and smiled at him.


    ��Hello, Mr. Rhode. Seems like you had a good dream; you look refreshed now. Where have you been? I got my maid to look for you and you weren��t in your room����


    ��I was just taking a stroll.��


    Rhode responded quickly to her words. Then, he stared and surveyed the two of them, before pretending to speak in a casual tone.


    ��By the way, I was looking for both of you, but I didn��t manage to����


    ��Maybe it��s because the time wasn��t right.��


    In response to his words, the noble lady seemed as if she hadn��t noticed at all and spoke with a gentle smile. And after hearing her reply, Rhode raised his eyebrows, instinctively sensing that something seemed to be wrong. But before he pondered, Shira continued speaking.


    ��And it��s a good thing you didn��t head out, Mr. Rhode, since it��s raining now. If you had gone for a walk in the garden, you would have been drenched.��


    ��Raining?��


    Upon hearing her words, Rhode��s heart skipped a beat. He turned around to look outside the window instinctively. Sure enough, he heard the sound of falling rain.


    What��s going on?


    He was sure that it wasn��t raining when he woke up earlier. Otherwise, he would have realized it. But now, it was clearly raining, and it was a downpour at that.


    Why didn��t I notice it before?


    It was only a small episode. Afterward, Rhode began chatting with Shira. Of course, he told her some of the things he did in the past, which the noble lady was interested in hearing. Both sides could be said to have had a lively and enjoyable day. Not only that, but Shira also invited him for dinner, which he eventually accepted.


    But just like the black tea before, although the food looked appetizing, he had a strange sourness in his stomach after taking a bite as if the food had passed its shelf life. That was why he had little interest in the food and only took a few bites out of courtesy. Meanwhile, Shira didn��t seem to mind. And so another day passed, and once again, Rhode was sent back to his room by the maid to rest. This time, however, he didn��t stay put to have his rest.


    ��It��s about time.��


    Once Rhode confirmed that the maid left the corridor, he reached out to open the door before tiptoeing out of the room. He didn��t come here for a vacation. If he didn��t figure out what was going on and find clues in Shira��s mental world to communicate with her, everything would be for naught. He searched for clues and found nothing earlier, so this time, he decided to stalk them and hoped to find something unexpected.


    After all, the oddest place seemed to be where that big sister and maid were before. If his memory didn��t fail him, he had knocked on every door in this manor house in the morning, but there was no sign of the two of them at all. And they seemed to know nothing about him either. Judging from this point, perhaps that was the only place that was questionable. Either they had another secret room, or there was something else that was wrong that he hadn��t found out yet.


    ��Alright, let��s begin then.��


    Gazing at the maid who turned the corner ahead, Rhode blended into the shadows and followed her stealthily.

 Chapter 1342 - Garden of Seclusion (3)

    The maid was neither walking fast nor slow. Rhode followed far behind her and watched as she descended the stairs and entered the parlor. She lowered her head and spoke to the young lady respectfully, who sat on the sofa and sipped on the tea.


    ��My lady, the guest has gone to rest.��


    ��Well, it��s late now. We should get our rest too.��


    After hearing the maid��s words, the noble lady smiled, put down the teacup, and walked out of the parlor. Soon, Rhode observed as the maid and noble lady arrived at a room located on the other side of the second floor. The maid opened the door, set up the bed for the noble lady, and served her to rest. Shortly after, she walked out of the room quietly, went into the bedroom next door, and closed the door. It was just that simple. She didn��t head to any weird places like Rhode thought she would nor turn into some weird and mysterious figure. Everything was normal�� No, not exactly everything.


    Rhode lurked in the shadows, staring at the doors in front of him. He clearly remembered that those two doors were the ones he hadn��t opened in the morning. Back then, he kept knocking on them but no one responded. This was apparently abnormal because according to the noble lady, she had been sleeping in the room all night, while his ��knocks�� on her door were almost equivalent to smashes, where perhaps even the dead would be woken up by him from the coffin. But even so, she didn��t respond, which seemed rather strange.


    However, Rhode didn��t act rashly. On the contrary, he remained hidden in the shadows, and even though he was confident that he hadn��t been discovered by them, for safety��s sake, he didn��t move out immediately but waited silently for a few moments instead. After nearly an hour and a half, he emerged from the darkness and arrived in front of the two doors, which didn��t seem to have anything fishy about them but looked very normal instead��


    At this thought, Rhode stretched out his arm and took hold of the door handle.


    Kacha.


    As expected, the door was locked and couldn��t be opened. But this time, Rhode didn��t give up. On the contrary, his body shifted, metamorphosed into a thin shadow and slowly merged with the shadow through the gaps of the door. In the blink of an eye, he used the power of shadows to sneak into the tightly-locked door. Fortunately for him, his abilities were available, and there wasn��t any mysterious enchanted field enfolding the room either, which was why he entered so effortlessly. Despite that, he didn��t find anything unusual in the room. The maid lay on the bed like a corpse; her chest didn��t rise and fall like a breathing human and she looked as if she were dead. As a matter of fact, Shira was actually dead, to begin with.


    Rhode strolled closer and observed her cautiously. After a few moments, he reached out his hand, grabbed her neck, and pulled her up abruptly. But even so, she wasn��t startled awake. On the contrary, along with his action, her body ��clattered��, and with the illumination of the moonlight spilling through the window, he clearly witnessed the radiances reflecting off her joints. This maid who lay on the bed wasn��t a true human, but a puppet who resembled a human instead!


    Bang!


    Rhode hurled the puppet in his hand and slammed it heavily to the ground. However, there was still no reaction from it. Looking at this scene, he curled his lips, reached out his hand to grab the puppet again, and threw it back onto the bed, setting it up the way she was asleep earlier. But even then, nothing changed.


    ��Something seems to be really wrong.��


    Gazing at the incomprehensible scene before him, Rhode shook his head and mumbled under his breath. He was the best judge of whether or not Shira was a puppet. After all, he had made love with her several times and disliked doing it in pitch-blackness the most. Even though Shira wasn��t vain, Rhode would still clean her from the inside-out to make her visually attractive before doing the deed. That was why he was certain that Shira was definitely not a puppet.


    Technically, even though her race was the ��undead puppet��, the ��undead puppets�� weren��t man-made objects to begin with. The reason for the creation of ��undead puppets�� was that the Dark Dragon attempted to produce an undead race with the ability to reproduce (though the premise itself was often criticized). That was why it was safe to assume that ��undead puppets�� created by the Dark Dragon possessed living signs of life. And if Rhode recalled correctly, he was certain that apart from the fact that Shira didn��t need to breathe and had no heartbeat and body temperature, she was basically the same as other ordinary life forms, be it on the outside or inside.


    But now, this maid��


    Rhode might have some idea as to why she was so aloof. Perhaps it was that this puppet itself was as emotionless as a robot, which made it a habitually silent being? But now, it was apparent that nothing could be investigated here, which was why after taking a glance at the maid, Rhode returned to the shadows once more. Soon after, he passed through the thick wall and arrived at the neighboring bedroom. Likewise, the noble lady also lay on the bed and had fallen into deep sleep. Although Rhode caused a racket next door, the noble lady looked like she was completely unaware of it. And with the earlier experience, this time Rhode had no hesitation at all. He strode over to the noble lady and carefully groped her from head to toe. Unlike the puppet earlier, this young lady was entirely a human body. After some probing, he was sure that ��her�� body was complete and there was nothing strange about it. But just like the previous puppet, the noble lady also resembled a corpse and didn��t react to his manhandling.


    ��What the hell����


    Tossing the noble lady, who Rhode had grown tired of playing in his hands, back onto the bed again, he extended his hand to touch his chin and curled his lips with some dissatisfaction. He was getting a little impatient now. He always felt as if he were stuck in some kind of trap that he couldn��t get out of, but this time, it was different from the traps of the previous mental worlds. Celestina��s mental trap was active, while Gracier��s and Madaras��s were passive. And despite that, he was still able to detect their presence and respond in the shortest possible time.


    But now, this trap made him feel like a frog trapped in a pot of warm water. What left him depressed was that although he expected that things wouldn��t turn out normal, he still hadn��t found a way to jump out of the pot. And now, the two Shiras might be mental projections, but they certainly couldn��t be projections of Shira��s original self because her mental health was much more abnormal than Celestina��s. He was certain that there must be a third, strongest, and most terrifying mental projection besides these two. However, where exactly was she? Why did he never meet her once?


    ��Argh����


    At that moment, the noble lady who was thrown back onto the bed by Rhode groaned. Upon hearing her voice, Rhode was shaken; he shifted back into the shadows hurriedly. And along with the noble lady��s groan, someone knocked on her room door. Immediately after, the maid opened the door and entered the room, arriving by the noble lady��s side and calling out to her softly.


    ��My lady, please wake up. It��s time for breakfast.��


    ��Ugh�� Is it? I didn��t expect it to be so soon����


    Watching as the noble lady opened her sleepy eyes and replied to the maid as if she just woke up from a dream, Rhode couldn��t help but feel a little weird. Clearly, he just confirmed that she was in deep sleep and had even manhandled her. He never expected her to not realize it at all. Judging from her reaction, she seemed to have really just woken up from her sleep.


    And that caused the uncertainty in Rhode��s heart to grow stronger. For some reason, he suddenly remembered a movie from a long time ago called ��The Truman Show''[1]. He had a bizarre feeling like he was similar to the protagonist in that movie��


    The next was the same as before; the noble lady ordered the maid to wake Rhode up, while Rhode followed the maid to the parlor again after putting up a disguise. Then, under the hospitality of the noble lady, they spent another peaceful day; everything was no different from yesterday.


    But such peaceful days made him sick. He would rather be caught up in some bizarre event than stay idle all day long. He had pretty much turned the place upside down but hadn��t found even the slightest trace of anything odd. Of course, the only two suspicions for him were that the noble lady and maid were as though corpses after they fell asleep, which also gave him the impression that they were both command-controlled robots that would only act after inputting commands. After the commands were completed, they would return to their original state.


    For that, Rhode purposely repeated the story that he told yesterday and found that they didn��t have any memory as if it was their first time hearing it. Not only that, but he was also stunned by the fact that in the impression of these two people, he wasn��t a guest who stayed here for two days, but one who just moved in yesterday instead. In other words, to these two people, no matter how long he lived here, he would always be ��a traveler who just moved in yesterday��.


    This is literally an infinite loop!


    This can��t go on.


    After once again watching the maid escort him back to the guest room and left in exactly the same manner as yesterday, Rhode made up his mind to find out the key to this mental world. Now, he was aware of the fact that these two mental projections perhaps had no hold on Shira herself at all. Because he could neither see the elegance of a noble lady nor the respect and obedience of a maid in Shira. In that case, it meant that maybe the personalities of these two mental projections were formed by Shira a long time ago and were later abandoned, which was, in fact, a normal occurrence in everyone��s growth.


    It was like all teenagers in elementary school fantasizing about being able to turn into Ultraman[2] and save humanity. However, no one would ever see a man in his thirties wearing a suit and holding his right hand up in anticipation and screaming: ��Transform!��. That was what normal meant and Shira��s ��growth�� probably fell into that category as well. That was why Rhode was sure that nothing good would come out of the situation if he stayed here any longer.


    But�� Since there are no clues inside, the only thing to do next is to go outside and look for them.


    Rhode clearly remembered the noble lady warning him that it was dangerous on the outside and it was best not to head out. And before that, Rhode was just focused on the indoors only. After all, most secrets were carried out in shady places like this. But now, since he had no luck in the western-styled manor house, he had no choice but to go outside and take a look.


    Squeak��


    The heavy entrance door wasn��t locked as he had expected, so he pushed it open effortlessly. He walked out of the hall quietly and took a look outside. The place had barely changed from when he arrived earlier; the bright moonlight shone on the woodland and lake around him, as well as the forest in the distance. Everything seemed so peaceful and serene. There were neither mysterious monsters haunting the area nor wolves or dogs heard howling and barking.


    But now, there was nothing he could do but to continue his exploration. In the spirit of movies where the culprit would either be in the secret chamber or back garden, Rhode first went to the latter, which was overgrown with weeds, to check things out. But to his disappointment, although there was indeed a dilapidated shed that looked like a clue to the case, after digging around in the dust and dirt, he found to his dismay that it was really just a dilapidated shed with nothing hidden in it, and there was also no strange presence around. As a result, his efforts were in vain after searching for clues for half a day. What made him even more depressed was that at that moment, rain also began to pour.


    Pitter-patter��


    Upon hearing the sound of the rain pouring on the outside all of a sudden, Rhode sighed helplessly, pushed open the door of the shed, and walked out. But at that moment, he raised his eyebrow and looked toward the place where the sound of rain came from. Then, an incomparably bizarre scene appeared before his eyes.


    Half of the manor house was enveloped in a rainstorm, including the location of the parlor, while the rest of the place was devoid of even the slightest trace of water. Even the shed where he stood was the same; it was dry, and there was no sign of rain at all!


    ��This is��!��


    Upon looking at that scene, Rhode remembered the noble lady mentioning that it was raining heavily outside. But he recalled when he woke up, he didn��t feel any traces of rain at all. And now, it seemed like this was all because of the ��location�� as the guest room was located on the other side, so he didn��t notice the heavy rain in the slightest. In addition, the soundproofing of the western-styled manor house was also wonderful, so much so that he didn��t notice anything unusual before.


    But now��


    Rhode raised his head, looked at the direction of the rainstorm, and saw an incomparably massive watering that covered the entire sky. At that moment, the watering can poured water out of its spout from above, creating a rainstorm-like presence that drowned the manor house. Upon witnessing this scene, Rhode was speechless. He went silent for a moment, before taking a few deep breaths and yelling out.


    ��I know you are there, Shira!��


    ��Shira����


    ��Shira����


    Rhode��s call echoed far away and vanished quickly. But at that moment, the ground rumbled, and immediately before his eyes, a bizarre scene appeared. A gigantic female head, occupying half of the sky, emerged from the other side of the horizon. She widened her mouth into a fanatical smile. Her messy and disheveled hair draped over her shoulders, while her pair of eyes were filled with wildness and insanity.


    Along with the emergence of this massive head, Rhode felt the scenery around him changing quickly. In just the blink of an eye, the deep, dark night was gone, while the bright moon turned into a fluorescent pebble. The entire manor and its island transformed into a small and delicate model, and he became a part of it. As he looked up, he saw a dilapidated, cobweb-stained tomb, as well as piles of white bones around it. Clearly, this was the place that fit the image of Shira.


    ��Hoo-hoo-hoo�� Hoo-hoo-hoo�� Is this fun, Master?��


    Just like that, Shira opened her mouth wide and raised a question to Rhode.


    [1] A 1998 American psychological science-fiction comedy-drama film.


    [2] A fictional superhero and the first ��live-action film�� hero launched by the Ultra Series.

 Chapter 1343 - Garden of Seclusion (4)

    ��Sss����


    Looking at the enormous Shira in front of him, Rhode sucked in a cold breath of air. Although he knew that the one occupying the core personality in Shira��s mental world was definitely strong, he never expected the core personality to manifest itself in such an exaggerated form. No matter how strong Celestina��s core personality was, it was only capable of capturing her two other personalities. But now, Shira actually imprisoned her other personalities in such a sandbox-like world, watching them perform like a monkey show.


    She held a much more superior attitude toward her other personalities compared to the previous mental projections in Celia��s and Celestina��s mental worlds�� Rhode considered whether or not he should deal with his mental projections in a similar way. Especially after recalling his other self who infuriated him in the city earlier, he suddenly thought that it was a good idea.


    And now, since the core personality was found, the next thing to do was��


    ��Hahaha. Looks like Master hasn��t had enough, huh? Actually, I haven��t had enough either. Hahaha����


    Laughing like a broken doll, Shira��s behavior made Rhode increasingly worried. One should know that she was a lunatic, whose intelligence and logic was simply not on the same page as normal people��s. Although Rhode admitted that he also wasn��t on the same page, at least he was much more normal than her! As for the question of what exactly was going through Shira��s head, he reckoned it to be comparable to Goldbach��s conjecture[1].


    But now, he once again discovered that he couldn��t understand her at all.


    In his opinion, perhaps this was the end of this mental world, though the situation wasn��t really that dangerous for him to go back and forth and felt more like a mystery game, where he couldn��t find any evidence and was left scratching his head. Now that he finally found the core manifestation of Shira, the next step would be to pack up and head back, right? But no, he realized that he underestimated the situation�� With Shira��s way of thinking, it wasn��t possible for her to let him go so easily. And as expected, the moment this thought cropped up in Rhode��s head, he detected some weirdness and danger in the tone of her laughter. Soon after, Shira stretched out her arm and a tattered doll appeared in her hand, and she spoke immediately after.


    ���� This isn��t fun, Master. It��s not fun at all. It��s really boring, don��t you think? They��re so useless. What a pity. Hahaha�� Hahaha����


    Upon hearing the laughter that sounded like the grinding of broken gears, Rhode instinctively sensed that something was wrong. But before he reacted, he witnessed Shira hurling the doll with all her might, smashing it on the sandbox model in front of her. Then, she lifted her head and burst out laughing.


    ��In that case, they��re useless! Hahaha. After playing with them for so long, they��re not even as fun as Master, so what��s the point of keeping them? Hahaha. I shall bite my little cuties, drink their blood, and let them die in eternal agony!��


    What in the world!


    Upon hearing her words, Rhode was stunned. And if it were someone else who said it, he might wonder if it were just a show to test himself. But this lunatic always kept her word. When she said to kill someone, she would surely do it!


    At this thought, Rhode sulked and dashed toward the manor house in front of him instantly. Honestly, he had a favorable feeling toward the noble lady. And after spending a long time in contact, he sensed that she might also be the core personality of Shira.


    After all, the undead puppet was also a dependent of the Dark Dragon. Judging from the other dependents like Erin, Lydia, Gracier, Madaras, and even Celestina, despite not knowing their true selves, they were all polished and behaved like high-class races.


    Meanwhile, although Shira usually behaved this way, Rhode could see that if she dressed up and maintained herself well, she would also possess an outstanding aura of the upper class. In the past, Rhode met the original Dark Dragon on his trip to Earth and the Dark Dragon didn��t seem like the kind of lunatic who smiled in the face of others, while enjoying torturing people in secret, so Rhode was certain that the noble lady was actually Shira��s original core personality.


    But he just didn��t know what happened that caused the core personality to be suppressed by other personalities and dominated by the crazy personality. Or perhaps the two personalities were created much earlier than the crazy personality.


    After all, judging from Rhode��s observation, the maid might have been what Shira looked like when she was first created, while the noble lady was apparently her manifestation after the undead puppet gained self-consciousness. However, Rhode had no idea what caused the insane personality of Shira. He perceived that something huge must have happened to her to turn her into this manner.


    Well, it wasn��t all that surprising. The modern world was information-rich, so naturally, he knew that many people, who used to be mild-mannered, changed their temperaments drastically due to major events in their lives such as the death of their entire family, et cetera��


    Considering the fact that she was created during the Creation War, where brutality was everywhere, it wasn��t entirely without reason for her to behave this way. Besides, Rhode also remembered Celestina mentioning that even Shira��s mental world was more normal than Gracier�� and Madaras��s. This proved that the other holy sword sisters had more or less some information about Shira.


    But now, Rhode didn��t wish for Shira to kill the other two personalities. The doll was bald and old. Apart from the tattered rag on her body, her joints were all exposed. Not only that, but her head also wasn��t full of hair like normal dolls. On the contrary, there were just a few strands of hair, making it look really terrifying. The doll let out the same, eerie laughter as its owner, striding toward the manor house.


    ��Mr. Rhode, what��s going on?��


    After Rhode rushed into the manor house, he saw the noble lady who gazed at him in a fluster. And right behind her, the maid, though still as expressionless as ever, seemed as if she was also bewildered. Rhode didn��t have time to explain too much to her. He grabbed the noble lady and maid by the hand.


    ��It��s too dangerous for you girls to be here. Come with me!��


    Rhode yelled and without waiting for their response, he dragged them out of the manor house. If it were someone else, he wouldn��t have been so nervous. But Shira was different; he was really afraid that she would become even crazier after killing her other two personalities.


    Although the current Shira was already insane, the other two personalities might still be able to more or less restrain her. If she were to kill the two personalities, who knew what would become of her. Not to mention, Rhode also preferred the other two personalities to hold that crazy Shira in check. So now, his only choice was to drag them along and flee as far away as they could.


    Rhode was fast, but the doll wasn��t slow either. Even though it seemed to be moving slowly, that was only an illusion due to its massive size. As soon as Rhode dashed out the door with the noble lady and maid, the doll followed closely and effortlessly crushed the manor house to debris like a child stamping on toy blocks. The sound of the collapsing manor house and rushing air currents in his ears flustered Rhode.


    He looked over his shoulder, only to find the doll extending its arms toward him with a peculiar smile as if she wanted to seize him. At that moment, he hesitated no more. The instant the doll reached out its arms, he grasped the noble lady with his right hand, while grabbing the maid in his left. After yesterday��s experiments, he was convinced that their bodies were really strong, so much so that he wasn��t worried that his forceful grabs would hurt them. As with the previous mental worlds, he had absolutely no intention of destroying the bizarre-looking doll. His idea was simple: if he could lead the escape with the two of them, he could flee from the grasp of that crazy Shira!


    At this thought, Rhode leaped and dodged the doll��s sweeping palm. Soon after, a pair of dragon wings appeared on his back and he soared into the sky with the noble lady and maid in his arms. And in the face of his escape, the doll that pursued him relentlessly let out an odd shriek, jumped, and grabbed at them again.


    Although Rhode flew up really quickly, the doll was released by the enormous Shira, after all. Rhode and the two young ladies were only 1:30 scale models in the eyes of the massive Shira, while the doll was almost like a giant to them. And upon seeing the giant grabbing at him again, Rhode sulked and widened his mouth��


    He took in a deep breath of air.


    Boom������!


    A dazzling light beam like a river of stars erupted from his mouth. As the Void Dragon, it went without saying that Rhode possessed the ��Dragon Breath�� skill. However, he thought that this move was too cheap, so he never used it. But now, facing the doll who chased him persistently, he didn��t feel the need to show mercy any longer. The damage to the mental world was a problem for an average person, but in his opinion, it might be a good thing if he could ��calm down�� the berserk Shira. Besides, his arms were occupied now, so he had no choice but to resort to using the dragon breath to ��entertain�� this uninvited guest.


    In the blink of an eye, the blinding dragon��s breath bombarded the doll. Although Rhode deliberately held back and didn��t completely destroy the doll in front of him, the powerful force still succeeded in pushing back the doll. Meanwhile, the doll apparently didn��t expect him to have a way to fight back while his hands were occupied. And as a result, it couldn��t respond in time at all.


    Along with this assault, the doll screeched, collapsed to the ground, and the earth and lake in the surroundings were also blown to pieces. The manor house and island weren��t spared either. However, Rhode didn��t have the time to lament the destruction of the manor house that he had spent days in. On the contrary, as the doll fell, he sprang up with the help of the reaction force, flying into the sky again. But he wasn��t fleeing aimlessly either; instead, he took the noble lady and maid with him and lunged in the direction of the giant Shira.


    ��No, I don��t want to leave this place! No!��


    And just at that moment, the noble lady, who lay quietly in Rhode��s arm, put up fierce resistance, struggling and wriggling her body to break free. This was the first time she showed such a frightened and uneasy expression. Despite that, her gaze wasn��t focused on the gigantic Shira. Instead, she stared at the void in front of her with dazed and bewildered eyes. All of a sudden, memories filled with ice-coldness and death flowed into Rhode��s mind. And right before his eyes, a scene came to life; from when Shira was created by the Dark Dragon to the time she learned under the Dark Dragon��s tutelage of all kinds of knowledge, combat skills, and etiquette. During that period, the mindless puppet gradually realized her soul and became an erudite undead puppet who also possessed elegance, discipline, and also held unparalleled combat skills. But for Shira, it was also the beginning of her nightmare.


    Rhode didn��t know if the Dark Dragon was really stupid or just hadn��t thought about it. Generally speaking, simple-minded ones would apparently battle more effortlessly and conveniently because those who considered too much faced all kinds of situations. Under the Dark Dragon��s training, Shira had certainly acquired a considerable amount of knowledge and etiquette. But because she possessed them, it caused her to harbor questions and pain about the brutal war between Order and Chaos.


    This pain reached its apex when she was sent into battle: a battle in which the undead army was wiped out in the face of Chaos. However, Shira was spared. She remained ��alive�� indefinitely due to her undead property no matter how much the Chaos creatures tore her apart, destroyed, and killed her. And this agony caused her to finally reach her limit.


    In order to protect herself, she eventually created her last personality; the insane Shira. In the end, this personality erupted with the most powerful strength of the undead puppet and killed everything on the battlefield. Whether it was Chaos or her allies, everything turned to blood and corpses under her slaughter. This thrill and excitement eventually broke her and since then, she had been hiding in the deepest part of her mind, allowing that crazy personality of hers to take control as the master of the body.


    I can��t believe this happened��


    After viewing Shira��s memories, Rhode couldn��t help but let out a powerless sigh. He never thought that this crazy young lady would actually be a sentimental one like Lin Daiyu[2]. After all, this was so contrary to the image of Shira in his memories that he couldn��t relate her to the noble lady. But for that reason, he finally understood why this noble lady was so resistant to leaving this place.


    Perhaps for her, the memories of the outside world were still stuck in that cruel, terrifying, world of killing; a place she should have taken responsibility for, but eventually gave up on. And because of that, she became weaker and eventually became a prisoner of this tiny world.


    But��


    ��One has to face the past someday, Shira. Do you think you can continue to muddle through by being crazy?��


    Looking at the noble lady with fear in her eyes, Rhode sighed in frustration. He stared motionlessly at the noble lady in his arm, while the noble lady who tried to break free stopped struggling when she detected his gaze. The young lady opened her eyes wide and stared at him, gaping but entirely speechless. And upon seeing her reaction, the corners of Rhode��s mouth lifted into a smile and he pulled her closer with force, lowering his head and whispering in her ear.


    ��No matter what, you have to face what you��ve done. It is what you have to go through, and since you aren��t willing to, let me help you then.��


    Rhode said and swung his arm abruptly. Along with this action, the noble lady let out a scream as she flew across the air, slamming onto the crazy Shira who was caught off guard. The noble lady��s petite body struck the giant in her forehead and a dazzling brilliance erupted between them. At the next moment, the entire world was like a shattered glass bottle, disappearing completely and turning into an entirely different existence.


    [1] One of the oldest and best-known unsolved problems in number theory and all of mathematics.


    [2] One of the principal characters of Cao Xueqin��s classic 18th-century Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. She is portrayed as a well-educated, intelligent, witty, and beautiful young woman of physical frailness who is somewhat prone to occasional melancholy.

 Chapter 1344 - City of the Decisive Battle (1)

    ��Ugh�� I��ll be heading off now.��


    Gazing awkwardly at Shira, who giggled and chucked beside him, Rhode shifted his gaze to the noble lady in front of him. The noble lady, who didn��t seem any different, blushed and lowered her head. Rhode didn��t know what was going through her mind.


    After he tossed her out, he pretty much passed the test. At first, he thought it was that crazy Shira who locked the noble lady up on that sandbox island. But after viewing her memories, he was surprised to find that the latter was the one who locked Shira up in the sandbox island instead.


    Meanwhile, the reason why the noble lady had repeating memories was because she wasn��t willing to face the ��present�� and ��future��, but was only concerned about the ��past��. That was why her memories only retained the period when she became a noble lady and the part of her fighting on the battlefield was separated, which formed the third Shira. Since the core personality chose to stay home and play The Sims[1], the unsupervised third personality naturally became the young, unwanted goatherd.


    That was how Rhode came to understand how Shira cultivated her bizarre interests. As the saying ��life was like r*pe, where one must learn to enjoy if one can��t resist�� went, Shira��s third personality was another version of that saying. For the third personality that was born into war and death, not only did pain and agony become a habit for her, but she also learned to enjoy it as well. So much so that now, after her personality had been completely twisted, she essentially became a crazed masochist. She used cruel and terrifying means to make her life more comfortable while confirming her existence.


    As for the crazy things that Shira did, the noble lady didn��t know them in the past. The latter locked herself up and immersed herself in her world, not caring about what that crazy personality was doing with her body. But this time, Rhode smashed the memory barrier and caused the noble lady��s and crazy Shira��s memories to fuse. Thus, she learned what the crazy Shira had been doing on the outside.


    The noble lady was bewildered as soon as she learned of the ��heroics�� of the crazy Shira. It was also mentioned that she was under the tutelage of the Dark Dragon and considered a sentimental person like Lin Daiyu. And now, as soon as she knew that her third personality did so many ��unspeakable�� things with her body, she was considered mature for not continuing to lock herself up and refusing to face reality. After all, if one were in her place, perhaps one would have considered hanging oneself after learning that one had done such shameless things.


    But Shira had the intention of doing such a thing. She was an undead puppet, after all, and even though she was ashamed and tried to escape with death, she would eventually be resurrected. Perhaps that was the main reason why she had such a bizarre mental world.


    For that reason, the noble lady looked at Rhode with some awkwardness, and the latter felt the same. Technically speaking, the relationship between them wasn��t as good as his with Celestina, where they had a closer spiritual connection at the very least. Moreover, Shira was entirely about the pursuit of physical pleasure (or was it pain?), which was naturally easy to handle if he were to face that lunatic side of her. But now, it was too hard for him to accept this aristocratic and artsy young lady if she did the same. Fortunately, through the memories, she learned that Rhode was her master; if not, there was no telling what would happen.


    But even so, the noble lady was speechless. Hence, in the face of his words, she forced a smile and nodded.


    Right now, they were neither on that sandbox island from before nor in that cold, dark graveyard. Instead, they were located on a grassland, where the soft, bright light of three full moons shone and illuminated everything in the world with exceptional clarity. Rhode was able to accept the presence of this world, for he remembered that the Country of Darkness had precisely three moons, which was also the real landscape in the heart of the core personality before him.


    And in the face of Shira��s embarrassed expression, Rhode didn��t say much. After all, there was nothing to speak of between them. If she were Celestina instead, they would more or less have a particular spiritual connection and emotional foundation. But Shira was different. Although Rhode did consider closing the spiritual distance between them while physically pulling her closer, he didn��t have much of a choice in the face of that crazy Shira, did he?


    And now, facing the gaze of the noble lady, Rhode felt like the current plot was like a prince who rode to the castle to save Sleeping Beauty[2]. But after finding the beautiful sleeping woman, he was aroused and took advantage of her. Later, she was resurrected and opened her eyes. After looking at the white, turbid liquid all over her body, the Sleeping Beauty saw the prince who displayed a soft smile and said, ��I am the prince who saved you from the evil witch���� Well, that could ruin a childhood.


    But frankly, Rhode was also quite curious about what would become of Shira after he left her mental world. After all, this contrast was so huge. And based on his experience in the previous mental worlds, he found that the core personalities didn��t change. But Shira was different. She was like an old, overthrown king regaining power and position. Besides, that crazy Shira��


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but glance at the crazy Shira who giggled and drooled while standing behind the noble lady. Frankly, for some reason, Rhode always felt like this crazy young lady didn��t seem as dangerous as he thought. He also had a feeling that this crazy one brought the core personality out deliberately. But that was just a feeling that he had. He waved his hand at Shira, turned around, and headed down the cobblestone path in front of him, sauntering toward the door that was metamorphosed by long, twisting vines.


    ��Phew����


    Walking to the front door, Rhode couldn��t help but take a deep breath. Deep within his heart, he was more or less apprehensive because he knew very well that he would be facing the key of his major project: Karin. Compared to the rest, this time he wasn��t allowed to fail, or else it would bring a huge problem. And unlike the rest, he barely knew any of the card spirits after Karin, which meant that their relationship was even more distant than his with the previous few. At the very least, he had physical contact with Shira in the past, but for the rest�� He hadn��t even figured out their personalities yet.


    No matter what, everything will turn out well and there will always be some ways��


    At this thought, he made up his mind and entered the door.


    Shortly after, the dizziness from the teleportation he felt before struck again. And when he regained his senses, he had left Shira��s mental world and arrived at a rather strange place. Or perhaps, it felt very familiar. At that moment, he stood on a white disc suspended in midair. As far as the eye could see, he spotted a vast ocean in the distance, while below him were numerous high-rise buildings that looked like the skyscrapers on Earth.


    But soon after, he discovered that the ��skyscrapers�� were, in fact, magical towers. Their appearance looked somewhat similar to those futuristic buildings that he watched in science fiction movies. They were long, triangular, and carved with various mysterious patterns. Looking at the scene, he was a little surprised. And just when he was about to observe what was going on, suddenly, a familiar voice sounded in his ears.


    ��You��re finally here, Master.��


    ��Huh?��


    Upon hearing the voice, Rhode turned around, only to find a young lady standing behind him. Her short, platinum hair glowed under the sunlight. And upon sensing his gaze, she lifted her hand, pushed up her glasses, and stared at him with her azure eyes. After seeing the young lady, Rhode was taken aback. But soon, he returned to his senses.


    ��Karin?��


    ��Yes, Master, I have been waiting for you for a long time. Since you were able to reach here through the previous tests, I think you should be ready to face the next challenge.��


    ��That��s for sure. But�� You know who I am?��


    Sizing up Karin from head to toe, Rhode spoke with an incredulous tone. In the previous mental worlds, no matter which personality their mental projections were, they had no memories of him at all. Since it was a subconscious space, it was normal for them to have no memories. But the fact that Karin had memories of him was really surprising. In the face of his surprising question, Karin was very calm. She extended her arm to hold her glasses before looking at him and speaking.


    ��Of course, Master. Although this is my subconscious mind, I unify everything I know to ensure that my mind isn��t disturbed in any way, both externally and internally. Thus, even my subconscious self possesses the same knowledge as my true self, so it isn��t surprising that I would know of your existence.��


    ��Alright then, what��s my next challenge?��


    In response to her words, Rhode spread his arms apart and shrugged helplessly, before looking left and right at the surroundings. According to information he received from the previous mental worlds, generally speaking, when a subconscious personality recognized him, it meant that they had already made a connection with their core personality. That was how Rhode was able to determine whether it was ��Game Clear�� or ��Game Over�� for him. But now, he didn��t expect Karin to be so powerful as to share the memories and personality of her main consciousness with her mental self. But this also fit the impression that Karin left on him: a human-computer.


    In that case, the rules of the ��game�� were changed. And since Karin��s subconscious mind knew of his existence, there would be some issues if they weren��t able to match perfectly. Now, Rhode didn��t know how to solve that problem, but it didn��t mean that Karin was entirely helpless about it. Otherwise, she wouldn��t be here in the first place. Just as Rhode expected, after hearing his question, Karin gave her answer without any hesitation.


    ��Of course, Master, given the unique circumstances, we must correct the error at hand. In the meantime, after a discussion with my other two selves, we have made certain arrangements for the immediate situation as well as����


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    However, before Karin finished her sentence, a deafening explosion rang out from nearby. The next things Rhode saw were rushing flames and dazzling energy beams that burst skyward. In the blink of an eye, several towers crashed down, raising huge clouds of dust and smoke. But it was a planned attack because soon, he heard the cries of battle echoing from within. Soon after, more energy beams and the brilliance of magical power ripped through the smoke and bombarded the back. Upon witnessing this scene, Rhode didn��t react immediately, but stared at the odd smoke for a moment before puckering his brows, turning back to Karin, and speaking with some hesitation.


    ��If I��m not mistaken����


    ��I was about to state my conclusion, Master. After a discussion between the three of us�� We believe that the reason we can��t have trust in you is because of your attitude toward all the holy sword card spirits. Although the feedback we��ve received from Celia, Celestina, and the rest was quite reassuring, we can��t confirm whether you have a certain degree of prejudice against other card spirits. That is why we don��t feel comfortable resonating with you, and that may be the main reason.��


    Karin came to a pause. After a moment, she continued to speak.


    ��Thus, after our discussion, we thought it would be best for us to confirm with our own eyes your attitude towards all the other card spirits.��


    ��And?��


    Upon hearing her words, for some reason, Rhode suddenly had a bad feeling. And as expected, at that moment, Karin looked at him quietly before speaking without changing her expression.


    ��Hence, we have transformed our own mental world and incorporated all the mental projections of the remaining four card spirits into this realm. I think you are also well aware, Master, that this is their subconscious selves, and themselves have no knowledge of strangers as we do. To them, this is an entirely unfamiliar place, while the rest are also unfamiliar beings. I think you understand what this means�� And after experiencing the previous few mental worlds, Master, you should know very well that in the mental world, not every mental projection has the same fighting ability as their true selves����


    ��Yes, I��m aware, but by doing so�� Will everything turn out fine?��


    After hearing her words, Rhode turned pale instantly. Of course, he understood how things would turn out. It was true that not every projection in the mental world possessed the same combat power as their original self. Not only that, but also based on his experience in the previous mental worlds, the personalities of the mental projections were even more difficult to handle than the person herself because they were ��purer�� and wouldn��t ��compromise�� or ��consider�� further.


    Each and every one of their personalities and tendencies was extremely distinct. In that case, all three personalities in one were likely to be problematic. According to what Karin said, she would be pulling in all personalities from the previous four mental worlds to fight one another. It was imaginable just how chaotic and fierce the situation would become as soon as they got into a fight!


    Furthermore, he never expected Karin to bring in all the other mental projections and leave it to him to handle.


    Come to think of it, how exactly should I deal with them? What will happen to the mental projections if they are hurt in the battle?


    Mental projections were incredibly fragile. Of course, Rhode was clearly aware of that. As a matter of fact, even Karin was risking her life. By bringing in all the mental projections into her mental world, it would cause relatively huge damage to her as well. That was why Rhode was cautious when it came to using his own mental world to connect with Gracier and Madaras before. But now, looking at Karin, it seemed like she was planning to play a big game and didn��t even care about her own safety.


    ��Of course, we are well aware of the consequences, Master. But if we are unable to complete the task given to us by Mother, neither our lives nor ourselves matter to us anymore. That is why we can only ask for your help, Master����


    Karin spoke and held out her hand. Shortly after, along with her movement, the disc beneath Rhode��s feet descended and landed on the ground shortly after.


    ��I hope you can stop the battle between them with your power and gain their acknowledgment.��


    ������


    Upon hearing her words, Rhode��s expression changed slightly.


    I��ve been to too many PvE dungeons in the past. Seems like this is forcing me to go full PvP!


    [1] A series of life simulation video games developed by Maxis and published by Electronic Arts.


    [2] A 1959 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney.

 Chapter 1345 - City of the Decisive Battle (2)

    ��Perhaps I have made a bad decision.��


    Walking down the street and looking at the broken walls around him, Rhode sighed helplessly. He hadn��t noticed it before, but after arriving in the city, he found that this place was no different from a war zone; shattered, crumbled walls and ruins were everywhere. He initially thought the war hadn��t started but now, he realized that the war had already begun, where the lower buildings were destroyed.


    Karin told him that the towers weren��t simply magical towers; instead, they were the pillars of her mental world. If all of them collapsed, her mental world would crumble entirely. These mental pillars were also considered the last insurance of her mental world, which troubled Rhode quite a lot. It seemed like this wasn��t only a PvP map, but also one with a time-limit, which was quite problematic. Also, he learned from Karin that the city was quite huge, where it would take a long time for him to walk through it. Thus, finding 12 people in such a vast city wasn��t an easy task at all.


    Not only that, but what left him speechless was that after he stepped into the city, Karin left right away. At the end of the day, he wasn��t able to figure out which personality of Karin��s was the one who just spoke to him. But now, he didn��t care about that. The most important thing for him was to consider what Karin said.


    According to that Karin, there were now 12 mental projections in the city, including those of Eleanor, Catherine, Dona, and Little Five. Like everyone else, each of them had three mental projections respectively. In other words, in this place, apart from the three Karins who were natives, Rhode had to face a total of 12 mental projections. Moreover, according to Karin, to avoid accidents, they were all separated upon arriving at this place. In other words, even Karin wasn��t aware of who they would encounter. As for Rhode, he had an even lesser intelligence advantage.


    And that wasn��t the only trouble for him. Most importantly, he didn��t know much about the remaining four card spirits. Even toward Shira, he was able to easily recognize which of the mental personalities was more alike to the core personality. After all, he spent quite a lot of time with the core personalities, so he more or less had an understanding of the other personalities.


    But it was totally different for the rest. Although Rhode received Little Five for a while, he barely used her. Meanwhile, the other three card spirits hadn��t even been with him for more than three days. Under these circumstances, it was hard for him to tell which one of them was the core or sub-personality. This situation would be equivalent to fighting in a completely unknown situation, and if he were to make a wrong decision, how things would turn out��only God would know.


    But come to think of it��


    Looking at the ruined streets, cars on fire, and wreckage of tanks, Rhode couldn��t help but twitch the corner of his eyes. Then, he once again recalled the things that Karin told him earlier.


    ��For them to get to know their master in the shortest time possible, we have, thus, added dreams belonging to you to the scene, Master. We believe that through this way, you will get to know one another better, Master.��


    Know one another better, my *ss!


    At this thought, Rhode felt his head throbbing. In other words, apart from this place being Karin��s mental world, his dreams were also mixed in as well. Although he didn��t know how Karin did it, he was aware of the fact that everything was possible in the mental world, which was why he didn��t dwell on it any longer. The most important thing for him now was to look for the mental projections and�� Ugh�� See what he could do.


    The city before him was eerily silent. All he heard was his footsteps and the sound of the wind blowing through and nothing else. At the very least, large advertising screens and bustling music were playing on the streets of his dream world. In comparison, this city was truly dead and lifeless. The fierce battle earlier had completely died down; there was no more movement and no way to know precisely who had fought with whom and what had become of it.


    At this thought, Rhode had no choice but to embrace himself and head over to where he saw the battle take place. After all, there was at least some activity just now, so he might be able to find some clues if he went over there. In any case, it was better than wandering around like a headless fly as he was now.


    The area where the earlier battle took place was just ahead, so he only crossed a few streets and found the battlefield without much effort. Although he knew that the battle was intense, after witnessing it with his own eyes, he was still astonished. The entire ground was as if bombarded by artillery fire and filled with potholes everywhere. The towers collapsed onto the ground in a massive mess of debris scattering everywhere. Although the specifics of the battle were unknown, one could tell that this place had experienced a great battle. Both sides were also compelling and it could almost be said that they were fighting at full strength without mercy. Otherwise, they wouldn��t have let these towers with magical protection meet their end in such a tragic way.


    ��This is just����


    Looking at this scene, Rhode shook his head and began his investigation. Judging from the wreckage, it was apparent that there should be two people fighting here. However, their fight didn��t start here because according to the wreckage ahead, which seemed to be crushed by gigantic monsters, it could be deduced that the two people actually fought their way over here. Then, they used their ultimate moves and it seemed like one of them suffered defeat, while the other left after achieving victory. However, Rhode had no idea where the winner went.


    ��Sigh�� What a bother����


    Rhode took another look at the ruins of the collapsed towers in the distance. It could be seen that the other party had definitely dealt a rather powerful blow, while the other person wasn��t able to block it, so she got blown right into the tower. And because the impact was so great, the tall and sturdy tower crumbled entirely. As for that unfortunate one, perhaps she was buried in the ruins now.


    Come to think of it, can she even die just like that? If that��s the case, wouldn��t that make me fail the challenge already? Then again, I won��t be that unlucky, right?


    Boom!


    While Rhode pondered, a blue light beam erupted out from the ruins all of a sudden. Along with the sound of whistling winds, debris from the thick walls scattered in all directions. Soon after, he saw a petite figure crawling out of the large hole that was blown out of the ruins. Looking at this scene, he felt relieved. It seemed like no matter what, his challenge wouldn��t be implicated by their death.


    At this thought, he stepped forward with large strides and arrived next to the petite figure, staring at her curiously.


    It was a translucent young lady crawling out of the wreckage. She looked like she was 12 or 13 years old, and on her back was a sword shrouded by wind. Perhaps due to her translucent body, Rhode wasn��t able to have a good look at her equipment, but judging from its outline and appearance, she should be wearing a long skirt. At that moment, she crawled on the ground without the slightest majesty. To put it bluntly, she looked like a abused puppy at first glance��


    ��Are you alright?��


    At that moment, Rhode confirmed that this young lady was precisely the mental projection of the Queen of Blades, Little Five. After all, she was the only card spirit to emerge in the form of a pure soul. And he remembered that Little Five and Shira had a fetish for ��killing each other lovingly��. What he also recalled most clearly about Little Five was the scene where Angelina complained to him; it was a terrible past that the poor vampire hated to recall�� Well, her body was hacked into chunks countless times by Little Five, after all.


    And now, this Little Five wouldn��t have the same interest, right?


    At this thought, Rhode raised his guard, stared cautiously at the young lady, and asked. Of course, he also felt a little puzzled since Little Five was in a spiritual form but despite that, she was still ��buried�� under the debris, which didn��t make much sense. But now wasn��t the time for that. After finally encountering one of the mental projections, Rhode naturally had to get some valuable information from her.


    ��Argh�� Who are you?��


    The Little Five, who hugged her head and appeared somewhat upset, lifted her head after hearing Rhode��s question and gazed curiously at him. After hearing her doubt, Rhode replied with a smile: ��My name is Rhode. I am a traveler����


    But before Rhode finished his sentence, Little Five jumped up all of a sudden, reaching out her hands to grab Rhode��s collar and pulling him toward her. She widened her eyes in shock and stared at him with a look of utter amazement.


    ��T-Traveler? Are you also like me? Did you find yourself here all of a sudden after opening your eyes?��


    ��Ugh�� I guess.��


    Upon hearing Little Five��s question, Rhode twitched the corners of his mouth and nodded in response. Of course, he didn��t intend to lie to her. After all, he did find himself teleported to this place after opening his eyes�� Meanwhile, she didn��t find anything odd with his answer. Instead, she let out a long sigh of relief, released her right hand that gripped on his collar, and patted her chest lightly.


    ��Whew�� As expected. I knew there had to be someone else here besides me and that woman!��


    ��That woman?��


    ��Yes, Rhode. Just a minute ago, I was over there with her����


    Little Five extended her arm, pointed at where the battle began in the distance, and pouted.


    ��I had a conversation with her and found that she also arrived here unknowingly like me. That was why we agreed to work together to find out the secrets of this place and exactly why we were sent here. But I never expected her to be an enemy! I was too careless! I can��t believe I overlooked that! We ended up fighting hard, but I didn��t expect her to be so powerful. If it weren��t for my quick reflexes, I would have been dead by now!��


    But you��re already dead��


    Looking at the spiritual form of the young lady before him, Rhode criticized inwardly. Then, he gazed at her curiously and realized that she wasn��t defensive against him at all, which was considered somewhat odd for someone who was just defeated in battle. However, he wasn��t going to dwell on that. Instead, he sized her up and asked.


    ��By the way, why are you sure that the woman was your enemy?��


    ������


    Upon hearing his question, Little Five��s face sank, and a murderous intent erupted from her body. And after feeling her ice-cold aura, Rhode couldn��t help but feel his heart tremble. He thought that there could be an ending where everyone got along in harmony. But now, it didn��t look like things would be so easy. As a fighter with hundreds of battles under his belt, he keenly sensed that the murderous intent emanating from her was genuine. He was sure that there must be an unresolvable conflict between her and that mental projection! And while he was concerned, he saw Little Five gnash her teeth and yell.


    ��During our conversation, I realized that woman ate watermelon with sugar on top! Can you even eat watermelon without salt?! In the end, she mocked my style of eating! How can this be tolerated! How can this be endured?!��


    As she grumbled, she clenched her fists and looked up at Rhode with seriousness.


    ��Mr. Rhode, what do you think about it!��


    ������


    In response to her question, Rhode remained silent for a long while, before extending his hand and holding her shoulder heavily. Then, he lifted his head, his dark eyes glinting with an unwavering will, the never-changing steadfastness even in the face of death and courage to march on in the face of the king��s path. He took a deep, long breath and gave his answer.


    ��Long live the salt party; the sweet shall die.��


    After having a common topic, an incomparably deep bond was formed between them. They had a robust, detailed, and lengthy pleasant exchanges, and finally reached a peaceful and friendly consensus on the belief of ��long live the salt party; the sweet shall die��. Thereafter, Rhode invited Little Five to ally. For the latter, who had a hard time finding one in the same trench as her, was delighted to accept his invitation. The two of them took up companionship and headed toward the direction where that woman had left, as stated by Little Five.


    In the process of chatting with Little Five, Rhode somewhat figured out the true identity of that ��woman��. If he weren��t mistaken, that woman who fought with Little Five should be Eleanor. However, Rhode didn��t expect a Grim Reaper and a specter who had the same attribute to fight over this ��issue��.


    This went to show that the conflicts between the salt and sugar parties were not only in terms of taste, but also involved a deeper influence on society and families�� And here, Rhode called upon everyone to set aside differences in parties and fight for a peaceful and better future. People shouldn��t smear one another for their own selfish interests and all parties should live in harmony with one another.


    And of course, tofu must always be eaten salty!


    In the meantime, Rhode wormed facts out of Little Five. It turned out that she was just like the other mental personalities; she only had a vague understanding of the other personalities in her mental world and didn��t even know who they were. Judging from that, it could be seen that this Little Five was definitely not the core personality. Of course, Rhode wasn��t sure of that judgment. After all, he and Little Five basically had minimal contact, so he could only rely upon the impression in his head to reason. Of course, if this Little Five enjoyed chopping people up into chunks as soon as she showed up, Rhode could almost be certain that she was the core personality�� But he also wondered if this method would be too unreliable.


    ��Someone seems to be ahead!��


    After the two of them walked down the streets where Eleanor went, Little Five suddenly came to a halt and spoke with a frown. In fact, Rhode had already noticed a powerful aura from around the corner. That was why he slowed down his pace and at the same time, stretched out his hand to press the hilt of his sword at his waist, keeping a vigilant eye on the street corner ahead.


    Soon, under their gaze, a glowing figure emerged before their eyes.

 Chapter 1346 - City of the Decisive Battle (3)

    The moment Rhode saw the glowing figure in front of him, he confirmed her true identity. It was apparent that the only one who could shine like a huge light bulb in a place like this was the Angel of Light, Catherine. And after making sure of her identity, Rhode scanned Little Five beside him, as well as Catherine, who stood opposite her. At that moment, Catherine also noticed Rhode and Little Five. She came to a halt, sauntered toward them, and gave a solemn bow, before asking with a puzzled expression.


    ��Excuse me�� What is this place?��


    ��I have no idea either.��


    After seeing that Little Five had no intention of answering Catherine, Rhode quickly acted as the role of a communicator between them. He wasn��t exactly sure how this situation would turn out. As a matter of fact, he found that Little Five seemed rather unenthusiastic about Catherine, or rather, her attitude toward Catherine was far from that between her and Rhode.


    By all accounts, this was the first time Little Five met Rhode and Catherine. But toward Rhode, Little Five quickly let down her guard and chatted with him. Meanwhile, when Catherine stepped forth and raised a question, Rhode noticed that Little Five took one step back. Even though her expression didn��t change much, it was evident that she wasn��t willing to speak to Catherine. That was why he took over the responsibility and began conversing with Catherine instead.


    Unaware if it were due to the fact that it was easier for mental projections to trust others, Catherine had no hesitation to Rhode��s plain reply and also gave her response soon after. According to this Catherine, she was the same as Little Five; she opened her eyes and found herself here. But unlike Little Five, Catherine didn��t encounter them until now. Other than that, she also didn��t meet anyone. Judging from that point, Catherine was rather more tragic than them. Perhaps it was for that reason that Catherine went up to them for a conversation.


    After a talk, Catherine accepted Rhode��s invitation to join their party. In fact, be it Rhode, Little Five, or Catherine, none of them knew what they should do next. Even Rhode only knew vaguely that he had to handle the 12 personalities of the four holy sword card spirits at once. But as to how exactly he was supposed to do it, Karin didn��t instruct him.


    And now, the problem also couldn��t seem to be solved by fighting. Otherwise, Karin could have given the mental projections a task such as defeating everyone they encountered before they could leave this world. This kind of setup was something that he commonly read in novels.


    Meanwhile, Karin was so smart that it was impossible for her to not come up with such a simple idea. That was why the possibility of a civil war was absolutely possible. But apart from that, wandering around aimlessly�� Didn��t seem to be a good solution either. Rhode believed that Karin must be waiting for some kind of opportunity. After all, she had made it quite clear earlier that this challenge was the biggest test for him and it definitely couldn��t be ended with just a few easy steps.


    It wasn��t unreasonable for him to think so; they hadn��t met anyone else since meeting Catherine. He also noticed that Catherine and Little Five didn��t seem to talk to each other much. Although the trio had a friendly chat as they strolled, Rhode played his usual ��traveler�� role and told them a few stories of his own, to which both of them listened very attentively to, and they seemed to have a good time.


    But as a matter of fact, they weren��t because Rhode soon discovered that there was no peace between the two of them. Or rather, the problem was with Little Five. Catherine acted with goodwill and took the initiative to speak to Little Five. On the contrary, Little Five seemed to turn a deaf ear to her and responded in a couple of sentences at most. If Catherine were someone else, perhaps she would have stopped after hitting a brick wall. But Catherine stubbornly insisted on her own ideas and spoke non-stop to Little Five. Fortunately, Rhode switched the topic in time or Little Five might pick a fight with her.


    Of course, Rhode was observing them in the process. Based on his first impressions of these holy sword card spirits, he thought that this Little Five and Catherine he encountered might not be the core personality because this Little Five didn��t seem to like chopping people up and also lacked enthusiasm for battle. The same also went for this Catherine. After just a few conversations, he found that she was simply too weak, where one could even say that she was a complete pacifist.


    She didn��t want to rely on battle to solve everything and seemed rather hesitant in that regard. This was different from the Catherine that he met in the previous battle. The Angel of Light was very decisive and brave when fighting; thus, he deduced that the two personalities should only be subsidiary rather than the core personalities.


    But even so, that was all to the results of his observations. The trio continued to wander aimlessly. Rhode initially considered letting Little Five lead the way to find Eleanor. In the end, they lost track of Eleanor after roaming the place and were left wondering where she had run off to. Despite that, the trio was rather patient. Even though they kept walking in circles, they weren��t anxious or impatient at all. After all, they were mental projections�� And didn��t need to eat, drink, or sleep.


    ��Ooo��!��


    As the trio roved, a sudden, deep and odd sound took them by surprise. They looked in the direction of the sound, and it was only then that Rhode discovered that the strange, ear-piercing sounds emitted from the speakers of a nearby tall building. After a moment, the sounds gradually died down. Immediately after, a voice very familiar to Rhode rang out.


    ��Greetings, contestants. I suppose you��ve found your respective teammates; the competition can officially begin now.��


    ��Huh? What��s going on? What happened?��


    Catherine seemed rather astonished by the unexpected voice. She looked around and stared with confusion and curiosity at the sounding speaker in front of her, unsure of how to handle the situation at hand. On the other side, Little Five curled her lips and displayed a look of disdain. But even so, she raised her head and focused her attention on the speaker ahead. As for Rhode, it was apparent that he had already prepared himself mentally. He guessed that Karin would definitely not let him roam the city until the end of time and without a goal. And now, this situation was certainly unsurprising to him.


    ��I suppose you are all wondering how you arrived here. Unfortunately, we cannot answer that question. And even if you ask any other questions, we wouldn��t have the authority to answer them�� So we don��t need to waste time on that sort of thing. The only thing we have to explain here is what this competition is about.��


    Along with those words, Rhode noticed the bright, dazzling sky darkening, as if it became nighttime in the blink of an eye. Soon after, he discovered that at the top of a tower nearby, something was shining vividly like the beacon light of lighthouses amongst the darkness, illuminating the city that turned dark and dusky due to nightfall.


    Not only that, but also along with the descent of the dark curtain, a distinct atmosphere of danger began spreading in the city. This felt different from before, not because of the emptiness and darkness of this city, but due to something more substantial instead. According to Rhode��s sense, it felt like the same kind of tension that pervaded after some violent beast was released from its cage.


    ��The competition is very simple. We��re sure you witnessed the bright lights located at the top of the tower right now. They are known as mental crystals. If you can gather all of them, you will be able to open the path to the Dream Summit. And after passing the test of the Dream Summit, you will be able to leave and return to your respective worlds. Of course, you will also learn the reason why you were here.��


    Karin��s speech was as calm, monotonous, and mechanical as ever. But as soon as Rhode heard her words, he puckered his brows. This was just like what he thought and now, he almost guessed what exactly was on Karin��s mind. As expected, the instant this thought popped up in his mind, the flat, emotionless voice like that of a computer sounding through the speaker switched up abruptly.


    And this time, as if blustery cold winds metamorphosed into a fresh, rushing stream, the voice turned soft and lively.


    ��Of course, since it��s a competition, there have to be rules. There are a total of 12 mental crystals and only when each person gets at least three mental crystals will they be able to open the door to the Dream Summit. I��m optimistic about all of you. So, contestants, work hard to win this race�� Huhuhu����


    As the soft laughter filled with apparent ill-intentions faded away, Rhode��s party also fell into silence.


    ��I knew it����


    After hearing the rules of the competition, he stretched out his hand to hold his forehead helplessly. As Karin mentioned, the rules of the competition were really simple; as long as one could gather three mental crystals, one could open the door to head back to one��s own world. But the problem was that there were a total of 12 mental crystals in this city. If everybody needed to get at least three mental crystals to clear the level, it meant that only four of them would be able to pass this test, while there was no hope left for the rest.


    But it was apparent that no one would just stand idly by. In that case, it was predictable what would happen next; someone would surely go out of one��s way to steal mental crystals from others. And that was the problem that Rhode had to face.


    At this thought, Rhode sighed, turned around, and looked at the other two following behind him.


    ��What do you girls think?��


    ��Well�� I think we should think it through����


    ��What else is there to consider? Let��s go, Mr. Rhode! If we act slowly, what if someone else steals the crystals?��


    In response to Rhode��s question, Catherine spoke up with some hesitation. But before she finished her words, she was interrupted by the impatient Little Five who stomped her foot hard. Along with that action, a vivid burst of soul brilliance scattered, looking exceptionally bright on the dim street. Or perhaps it wasn��t considered that bright because the light bulb next to them was much brighter than her.


    ��But�� Plundering isn��t a good behavior����


    After hearing Little Five��s words, Catherine clearly felt uneasy. Catherine was about to continue her sentence, but Little Five didn��t seem to have any intention of listening to her explanation. The latter turned around and stared intently at Rhode who stood in front of her.


    ��Mr. Rhode, what do you think?��


    ��Seems like that is the only way.��


    Rhode nodded in response to Little Five��s question. Then, he raised his head, swept a glance at Catherine beside him, and said.


    ��I think we��d all like to get the hell out of this place and go back to our own world. In that case, there��s no reason for us to hesitate now, Miss Catherine. I know you dislike fighting and I also don��t wish to steal anything from anyone else if I can help it. But now, the mental crystals are unclaimed, so as long as we get them before anyone else does, it��s not considered a plunder.��


    ��But�� Others need them too����


    ������


    Facing this Catherine who raised thoughtful questions before him, Rhode was completely speechless. He had almost figured it out now: this Catherine should be the personality of the Angel of Light. To put it bluntly, she was an extremely selfless and saintly person. She was so kind that she wouldn��t even kill a chicken and would always put others before herself. Rhode didn��t dislike such people but especially in situations like these, he couldn��t say that he enjoyed having one on his side. Only two words were needed to describe her��incompetent teammate.


    And at that moment, Little Five, who stood next to her, finally lost her patience and blew her top.


    ��Ah! I��m sick and tired of this! You can stay here all you want, but that doesn��t stop me from going back! Oh, how about you just kill yourself instead! Let��s go, Mr. Rhode, don��t bother yourself with such people!��


    ��Sigh����


    Rhode sighed helplessly as he looked at the furious Little Five storming away and shifted his gaze to the pale Catherine. Honestly, he was frustrated. He had felt like something wasn��t quite right before and now, this scene in front of him proved that his deep-seated hunch was correct. He was confident that the reason why Karin started the competition at that very moment was because everyone had already assembled teams like him. Otherwise, she would have started the competition long ago when Rhode and Catherine first met.


    Although he had no idea of his competition, he guessed that they were also in groups of three. In that case, if he didn��t have enough people on his side, it might be difficult for him to achieve the final victory. And now, he was faced with this problem within his team. As for Little Five, needless to say, her strength wasn��t all that excellent judging from the fact that Eleanor thrashed and buried her under the wreckage. Meanwhile, Catherine was a damned pacifist. Not only that, but as soon as the competition started, his team also faced the threat of splitting up��


    Sigh, why am I so unlucky to have them as my teammates?


    But he knew that complaining was meaningless now. More importantly, perhaps this was purely a competition to the rest. But for him, this wasn��t only a competition but was also a battle with the other personalities. Hence, there was absolutely no way for him to gain victory by eliminating them. In other words, he would not only have to be victorious but also had to gain recognition from each of the personalities. That would require him to not only defeat them, but also turn them into friends��


    But the problem was that, if he looked at the situation according to Karin��s rules, there could only be four victors. It was conceivable that even if he were so powerful that he took in all the 12 personalities, it also wouldn��t be possible for him to��


    Hmmm?


    At this thought, Rhode was taken aback. Soon after, he seemed to connect the dots.


    12 mental crystals�� Up to four victors�� Could it mean��


    At that moment, Catherine��s voice sounded in his ears, disrupting his deep thoughts.


    ��Mr. Rhode, she����


    As soon as he heard her voice, he lifted his head and what caught his eyes was Catherine��s face, which looked as if she had made a huge mistake and was reflecting on it. And after seeing her expression, he shrugged and spread his arms apart.


    ��No matter what, let��s catch up with her first, Catherine. Forget about the competition for now. I think the city is a bit more dangerous now and isn��t as peaceful as before. I��m worried about what might happen to that little one, but all in all, let��s head over to her first.��


    ��Okay.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, Catherine seemed somewhat embarrassed. But in the end, she nodded and followed him.

 Chapter 1347 - City of the Decisive Battle (4)

    As the competition unfolded, darkness spread throughout the city. Although darkness wasn��t Rhode��s enemy, as of now, he didn��t think that his team was in a favorable situation in the slightest. Because whether it was Little Five or Catherine, both of them looked like moving light bulbs that glowed in the darkness. Using the logic of the deep-sea fish, it would only be strange if they didn��t attract attention while striding through the pitch-black city. And as it turned out, Rhode was entirely correct.


    ��What are they?! So annoying! Damn it, go to hell!��


    Swish!


    Along with Little Five��s complaint, a green blade ray flashed across the air, splitting the twisting, black slime-looking monsters into half. Immediately after, the carcasses of those monsters crumbled and disappeared, while the high-rise that was full of clamors restored its peace.


    ��Phew����


    Looking at this scene, Rhode put away his weapon. He lifted his head and looked around him; although there weren��t any sources of light other than the huge light bulb of the glowing Catherine, he was able to see the view. To be honest, although the outside of the high-rises looked just like magical towers, the moment he entered, he found that the inside was simply the layout of typical office buildings he remembered from Earth.


    There was a reception desk in the lobby, elevators and offices on both sides, desks in rooms, and all sorts of decorations. Not only that, but all the entertainment rooms and bars that one could think of were also here. Rhode wondered where Karin retrieved all these memories. But he could tell that she seemed to have no understanding of how these things worked and just treated them as decoration like furniture.


    Currently, Rhode, Little Five, and Catherine had entered one of the high-rises. Of course, they didn��t pick this high-rise randomly; it was due to the fact that the first mental crystal was right at the top of it. For that reason, Rhode brought the two young ladies here and after reaching their destination, they were attacked by these bizarre and shadowy, slime-looking monsters.


    He wasn��t surprised that they were attacked since he more or less figured out what was going through Karin��s mind. On the surface, it seemed as though this challenge was to familiarize Rhode with the card spirits�� mental projections. But perhaps there was also an underlying reason for them to get to know each other better.


    Either way, there had to be an external force that forced them to unite; otherwise, even if they formed teams, they would likely split up in pursuit of their individual interests. And when that happened, instead of promoting mutual understanding and trust between them, Karin��s idea would surely make things worse and more troublesome.


    But after some observations, Rhode discovered that although these mental projections didn��t recognize anyone else perhaps due to them being dominated by their original selves, they were still concerned for others. For instance, even though Little Five just finished a fight with Catherine and couldn��t wait to let her die by herself, after seeing Catherine follow her, she just curled her lips, warned her not to be a drag, and didn��t say anything more.


    Meanwhile, Catherine didn��t fight back at all. If she were Mini Bubble Gum, she might not stop until she forced Catherine to jump off a building. However, Little Five was apparently not as unreasonable as Mini Bubble Gum. Although Rhode found that she disliked getting along with Catherine, she still didn��t direct malicious abuse at her. It seemed like this was just a really simple personality crash for both sides.


    Despite that, Catherine��


    Looking at Catherine beside him, Rhode was truly completely speechless. Earlier on, he was only guessing. But now, he was certain that this Catherine was definitely one of the most non-existent personalities or perhaps one that the Angel of Light abandoned. She could be said to carry pacifism to the extreme. And although she possessed great power, she didn��t even have the slightest intention of fighting.


    There were so many times when she was just surrounded by those shadowy monsters that could easily bite her neck off and yet, didn��t even move an inch. She looked like she would rather die than to not follow through her non-violent and non-cooperation ideologies to the end.


    Rhode and Little Five were left speechless. But even so, they didn��t intend to let Catherine die. After all, this Catherine was also one of Catherine��s personalities and it was also hard to determine if it would be a good thing for her if she lost this personality. And aside from this extreme pacifism, this Catherine was easy to get along with.


    Although Rhode thought that her personality was extremely saintly, she still seemed to understand the reason and didn��t find trouble waiting for others to save her like many other Mary Sues. On the contrary, she followed Rhode and Little Five closely, but despite that, her sad gaze as she watched the monsters perish left Rhode at a total loss. To be honest, he should be glad that the real Catherine didn��t have such a saintly personality; otherwise, how could they accomplish bigger things together in the future?


    ��That��s pretty much what it looks like now.��


    Rhode said and took a careful look around him. The shadowy monsters that ran out of the darkness had disappeared entirely. But he believed that this wasn��t the end. Although the three of them had experienced many battles on their way here, the closer they got to these towers, the greater the resistance that they encountered.


    Judging from that, the shadowy monsters should have been set up by Karin to protect the mental crystal. These monsters were also getting increasingly stronger. Although there was no pressure for Rhode, it was a different story for Little Five. She wasn��t a core personality, so she naturally didn��t inherit much power. Just like the three Celestinas from before, even though the little Celestina and demonic Celestina possessed the original��s abilities, in front of the core personality, they were beaten without even the slightest ability to fight back. There was nothing else they could do except to cry and run home to their moms.


    The same went for Little Five. In Rhode��s perspective, her strength now was similar to Celia��s in the past and not comparable to the awakened Celestina and Celia in the slightest. Fortunately, as a specter, Little Five didn��t have to worry about injury and death, and her spiritual trait made her immune to physical attacks. In that regard, it also kind of made up for the fact that she wasn��t strong enough to fight.


    ��What should we do next, Mr. Rhode? Do we have to climb all the way up?��


    After hearing Rhode��s answer, Little Five asked with a frown. It wasn��t entirely without reason that she asked. Because it wasn��t until they arrived at the bottom of the building that they realized Karin used some method to forbid the option of ��flying��. So even if Rhode activated his Void Dragon attributes, he wouldn��t be able to fly and this meant that everyone could only walk up the stairs. Of course, it wouldn��t exactly be tiring because this was the mental world. But�� These towers were hundreds of meters high! Climb the stairs? Only God knew how long it would take to reach the top.


    ��Of course not. I suppose we have other ways.��


    After hearing Little Five��s question, Rhode turned to her and replied. At that moment, Little Five was still in her spiritual form with her long sword hanging on her back. However, what left Rhode unable to restrain a smile was that she held a bag of fries in her arms, munching on them and looking very satisfied.


    It was only a moment when Rhode found out that this young lady was quite a chowhound. In the previous battle, she accidentally hacked the refrigerator in the room in half. Rhode wasn��t that concerned about the damage; it was just that he didn��t expect Karin to do such a good job in restoration. Not only the refrigerator, but the snacks inside it were also restored. Meanwhile, Little Five��s curiosity piqued as soon as she noticed the snacks.


    It was especially after learning from Rhode the methods of eating them, where she fell in love with them almost immediately. Thus, wherever they went, the first thing she looked for was a refrigerator and sliced it open for snacks. Even though Rhode wanted to correct her on the proper way of opening a refrigerator�� He couldn��t be bothered to lecture her after seeing her eating so happily.


    After taking a glance at Little Five who munched on fries, Rhode turned away to look at the hall in front of him. The previously clean hall was ruined after Rhode and Little Five fought against the shadowy monsters. The smooth marble floor looked like it was bombarded with holes and the front desk was split into several pieces. The vending machines at the side also weren��t spared either, with all kinds of fragments scattered over the ground. But these weren��t part of Rhode��s concerns; what he cared about were the two heavy iron gates located on both sides of the navigation platform.


    I wonder if Karin has figured out exactly how to use them��


    At this thought, Rhode strolled to one of the iron doors. He extended his arm and pressed the triangular button beside it.


    Ding������!


    Along with a crisp tinkle, suddenly, the top of the dark iron door emanated a soft glow. And upon seeing the glow, be it Little Five who was munching on snacks or Catherine who followed behind her with a handful of snacks like Little Five��s mobile shopping cart, both of them were stunned. But after seeing that Rhode had no intention of fighting, they calmed themselves down and went up to his side curiously.


    ��Mr. Rhode, what is that?��


    Looking at the massive iron gate that flickered with light, Catherine asked curiously. Along the way, they gained quite a lot of knowledge from Rhode. They learned that the vehicle with four wheels was called a car; the vast, black screen was called a TV; and the compartment that stored a lot of delicious food was called a refrigerator�� Of course, it wasn��t like they didn��t ask him how he knew about these things. In the face of a foodie and a fool for peace, Rhode blindsided them easily without letting either of them delve deeper into the issue.


    ��This is called an elevator. I was just going to give it a try, but it looks like it��s working. If nothing is wrong, we should be able to ride this thing to the top of the tower.��


    Ding������!


    At that moment, along with his words, the door of the elevator opened. Soft, bright lights emanated from the interior and illuminated the otherwise dark and gloomy space in front of them. Upon observing the ��elevator�� before them, Little Five and Catherine put up apparent, uneasy expressions. After all, in their perspective, this tiny and narrow space didn��t seem safe.


    Besides, in case of any attacks and other troubles, perhaps they wouldn��t be able to flee to safety. But after seeing Rhode enter the elevator, they knew they couldn��t comment much and followed him inside quickly. After the three of them entered the elevator, Rhode reached his hand out and pressed the button that would bring them to the top. The door slowly closed, and along with a mechanical click and sense of levitation, the elevator rose toward the top.


    ��Mr. Rhode, is this thing safe? Will those monsters ambush us again?��


    Little Five was considered quite alert. Although she indulged in the fries, she hadn��t forgotten that battles would occur at any time. On the contrary, Catherine leaned against the wall after entering the elevator, staring blankly at its design as if she were in a reverie. However, Rhode and Little Five were already used to that behavior of hers. After all, Catherine wasn��t much of a fighter in the first place. Even if she weren��t in a daze, she would still be standing on the spot and getting beaten up without retaliating. Thus, there was no need for them to remind her to be wary of the situation.


    ��Well�� I can��t say for sure, but let��s be careful; I don��t think it��s as simple as we think it is. Since it was announced that this is a competition, surely we won��t arrive at our destination so easily. It��s better to be more cautious, just to be on the safe side.��


    It also wasn��t unreasonable for him to say that. So far, although things went well for them, to say that they would be able to go smoothly to the end, even Rhode didn��t believe it. In movies, TVs, and games, if the protagonist were to take a shortcut, he or she would certainly be punished; either by an elevator blackout, monster attack, or having to run up and down several levels of the maze to turn on the power and retrieve the key card, before killing the boss to get into the core area.


    Frankly, Karin was considered to have decent moral principle for not designing this place so that people like Rhode��s team would have to go to the basement to obtain kerosene, head to the generator room on the first floor to turn on the power, run to the administrator��s room on the third floor to extract the password for the guard room on the first floor, take the password back to the first floor to open the guard room door to get the key card, and finally swipe the elevator��


    But Rhode didn��t think that Karin would let them get through the hall on the first floor without experiencing some hindrance. He was sure that there would be a considerable obstacle waiting for them ahead��


    Boom!


    As it turned out, at the same time this thought cropped up in Rhode��s head, a deep explosion rumbled all of a sudden. Immediately after, the elevator shook violently before coming to a complete stop with a sharp creak. Soon after, the elevator lights that illuminated the interior vanished at that moment and everything was shrouded in darkness��


    ��W-What��s happening?��


    The first to break the silence was Catherine. Even though she seemed endearingly silly, she also sensed that something went wrong, not to mention Little Five and Rhode who were mentally prepared that ��something would happen��. When he heard Catherine��s question, he didn��t answer immediately. Instead, he closed his eyes and listened to the sounds below.


    It wasn��t only one explosion��after the elevator stopped, they heard continuous explosions coming from below. If Rhode wasn��t mistaken, the explosions sounded somewhat familiar. If he recalled correctly, it seemed similar to the explosions that he and Little Five created earlier�� Not only that, but they also heard the faint howls of shadowy monsters from below.


    In other words, there��s someone below us?


    At this thought, Rhode puckered his brows. A very bad thought cropped up in his mind. Come to think of it, he didn��t know how far the other mental projections were away from him, but because he didn��t encounter anyone else for so long, he subconsciously believed that they were probably very far away. But now, it seemed like this wasn��t the case.


    It was apparent that his team was coming for this tower, while the rest also seemed to have spotted this tower as well, which wasn��t really all that surprising. Based on what he observed, the distance between the 12 towers wasn��t that far. But also for that reason, he was optimistic that there were most likely no other challengers on his side. But now, it seemed likely that in the process of retrieving the mental crystal for the first time, his team was about to face some competition��


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but feel a few drops of cold sweat appearing on his forehead.


    My luck can��t be that horrible, right?

 Chapter 1348 - City of the Decisive Battle (5)

    A series of explosions blasted, but despite that, it could be heard that the shadowy monsters weren��t actually going up the stairs fast enough. Rhode reckoned that was since they didn��t even consider boarding the elevator. Well, it wasn��t too surprising since one wouldn��t be particularly interested in two big metal doors if one weren��t aware of the existence of an elevator.


    Similarly, if it weren��t for Rhode, perhaps Catherine and Little Five might not even consider using the elevator earlier. Meanwhile, the enemies pursuing them seemed to intend on relying upon their feet to climb the building that was hundreds of meters tall. When Rhode heard the explosions, he was slightly tense.


    But afterward, he realized that the enemies didn��t understand technology and it wasn��t possible for them to use the elevator to transport them up and down the building. Not only that, but they must have also messed something up which caused the elevator that Rhode��s team was in to come to a halt. In that case, even if they were to meddle with the buttons on the elevator, it would likely be unable to start up again.


    ��Hurry, let��s get out of here.��


    With that in mind, Rhode made a quick decision. He looked up at the elevator display panel and felt pleased at the existence of high tech. They were already two-thirds of the way to their destination in such a short time. As for the remaining one-third, they could run their way up. He didn��t hesitate any longer and immediately opened the elevator doors in front of them.


    Fortunately, they were currently situated right at the entrance of one of the upper floors. The three of them ran out of the elevator, rushing toward the emergency exit with Rhode leading the way. The sound of rapid footsteps echoed through the quiet corridor, but it was at this moment that the danger that had been hidden in the darkness seemed to awaken, opening their eyes to the prey that barged into their territory.


    ��Coo-coo-coo����


    The instant the three of them dashed out of the elevator, Rhode once again heard some strange noises. Shortly after, borrowing the radiance of the ��huge light bulb��, Catherine, he clearly witnessed shadows in the darkness coalescing into mysterious substances. It was apparent that only the elevator was a ��safe zone�� in this tower. And after stepping out of it, Rhode��s team began to attract monsters.


    ��Let��s go, don��t mess with any of them! Keep going, and don��t stop!��


    Upon seeing Little Five wielding her sword and about to put up a fight, Rhode gave his order hurriedly. If it were a normal situation, it wouldn��t take long for them to defeat these monsters before heading on with their journey. But now, the situation was different; there were still other people below them, so the moment they got into a battle with the monsters, the people below could hear every one of their movements and commotions.


    After that happened, the situation would be much more complicated. Thus, Rhode grabbed Little Five and ran over to the emergency exit as fast as he could. Although the people below were still far away from them, wasn��t that what ��the tortoise and the hare�� was all about? After the rabbit became lazy, the tortoise would eventually catch up with it.


    Upon hearing Rhode��s command, Little Five didn��t say a word, but quickly put away her sword and brought out a packet of potato chips, munching while following behind him. Looking at this scene, Rhode sighed with sorrow. Despite having a foodie and pacifist in his team, at least they obeyed his orders and weren��t too much of a hindrance. Now, he only hoped that the mental projections in other teams would be more incompetent and it would be best if they could also be more of a drag!


    It was always better to rely on oneself for everything, and expecting the other teams to be as unlucky as him wasn��t something he counted on much. Every one of them had up to three mental projections of personalities, and according to his experience, there was at most only one ��foolish�� personality. To a certain extent, these two with him were in a way��


    Argh, forget it.


    At this thought, Rhode felt crushed.


    ��Don��t attack, just stay behind me and be wary! Don��t make too much noise!��


    In terms of sneaking around and scouting, Rhode was still more experienced than the others. After all, the strict standard of ��backstabbing�� was meant to ensure that they were undetected until they reached their destination. And naturally, he was incredibly familiar with it. But apparently, Little Five and Catherine lacked this kind of experience, which was why he asked them not to retaliate at all.


    Not only that, but he also sprinted ahead of them to the emergency exit and ran up the stairs. Faced with the pitch-black shadows that hindered him, he did little to deal with them. He just waved his sword to split them apart, before pulling Little Five and Catherine and shuttling through the gap. For Rhode, entanglement was the last thing on the agenda, especially in this situation.


    Shing! Shing! Shing!


    The glow of his sword metamorphosed into incomparably dazzling and brilliant blade rays that flickered in the dark space one after another, illuminating and tearing through the coalescence of deep darkness.


    However, the shadows of darkness didn��t give up just yet. Instead, they twisted and winded their bodies, attempting to restore their original form. Rhode was already used to the responses of these monsters. It was very difficult to defeat them completely, so he didn��t pay much attention to this aspect at all. On the contrary, after ripping apart their bodies, he darted across their wounded bodies. Although the combat power of these shadowy monsters wasn��t weak, they were nothing in the face of his strength.


    Rhode��s team progressed swiftly and after being reminded by him, Little Five didn��t go on a rampage like before, which could be said to have saved some time for them. After a short while, the three of them arrived on the highest floor. The moment they stepped onto the rooftop, Rhode swung his sword without blinking an eye. Along with his action, the rooftop behind him collapsed, sealing the exit and blocking the path of the shadowy monsters that chased them relentlessly. It was only at this moment that Rhode scanned the place and of course, the first thing he did was to look for the mental crystal that his team worked desperately to get here for. But the instant he saw the mental crystal, he couldn��t remain calm any longer.


    Before arriving at the top floor, Rhode��s mind was occupied with thoughts of those shadowy monsters below them and didn��t ponder much about the mental crystal. And now, he found that he had overlooked a legitimate problem. First of all, the tall buildings were hundreds of meters high and even though he stood on the top floor, he saw that the light emanating from the mental crystal at the top of the tall building also illuminated the night sky. There were only two possibilities; it was either extremely huge or extremely bright.


    And now, this mental crystal was right in front of him, being both huge and bright!


    Its brilliance wasn��t blinding, and even if he were to look directly at it, he wouldn��t feel any discomfort. However, its size was very problematic to him. The crystal itself was nearly seven or eight meters tall and resembled a cylindrical light bulb. He wouldn��t be able to carry even one of them, not to mention carrying 12! It wasn��t a matter of strength, but totally an issue with size! But who knew? Maybe the mental crystal could shrink in size on its own?


    With this thought in mind, Rhode approached the mental crystal, knocked, and touched it repeatedly. But unfortunately, no matter what he did, there were no changes in it as if it were completely unresponsive. Moreover, he also let Little Five and Catherine touch it again, but the result remained the same. In that case, this could only mean one thing: none of the methods he used to trigger it was correct��


    ��Where exactly did we go wrong?��


    Rhode had yet to find an answer to this question. He carefully investigated the areas around the mental crystal, but found neither enchanted fields nor magical rituals that could trigger it. He didn��t find any switches or buttons that he was familiar with from memory, but was also certain that Karin didn��t put such a large piece of mental crystal here just to tease him. It was apparent that there must be some secret in this crystal that he hadn��t discovered, which was why it wasn��t activated. And now, his main task was to find this secret in order for it to not be seized by others.


    ��What the hell is going on with this thing? Do you want me to try slashing it with my sword?��


    Looking at the unresponsive mental crystal in front of her, Little Five was the first to lose her patience. She once again drew her sword, eager to make a leap of faith. This time, however, Rhode didn��t stop her. On the contrary, he knitted his brows and remained silent for a moment, before nodding in agreement. And after receiving his approval, Little Five revealed her excitement and complacency, tossing the empty packet of snacks to the side. At the next moment, she stretched out her hands with the sword in hands, her entire body metamorphosing into a green hurricane and slamming onto the mental crystal in front of her. Soon after, the sword in her hands, which was almost as long as her body, sliced through the air and struck the mental crystal heavily.


    Clang������!


    The moment her blade hit, the mental crystal that emanated a shining glow suddenly dimmed and let out a bell-like ring. Along with this crisp sound, a halo erupted from its cylindrical body and shrouded the entire top floor in a shining barrier of light! Soon after, a splendid and eye-catching magical ritual emerged and rotated gradually.


    ��Watch out!��


    Upon looking at this scene, Rhode was stunned. He gripped his sword in his right hand and frowned at the scene in front of him. Meanwhile, Little Five was also bewildered. Although she was a reckless eater, she wasn��t a fool. The instant she witnessed this scene, she felt like something had definitely gone wrong. Thus, she raised her long sword and leaned against Rhode��s side, keeping a wary eye on the surroundings. But at that moment, Rhode and Little Five discovered a rather serious problem; along with the activation of the magical ritual, a strange power suddenly appeared out of nowhere and imprisoned the two of them!


    What��s going on?


    Rhode stared in astonishment at the magical runes that rotated and circled his limbs and body constantly. It was clearly a kind of confinement spell. Could this be a trap? Or a countermeasure? Was it used against those who tried to destroy the mental crystal? Logically speaking, it wasn��t impossible. But��


    ��Mr. Rhode, what happened to both of you?��


    Not everyone was caught in the magical ritual. Catherine stood where she was, gazing at the two of them who were trapped in the confining spell with a clearly terrified expression. And what was most amusing was that even then, her hands were still wrapped around the various snacks and lollipops that Little Five scavenged from the refrigerators earlier, which seemed quite hilarious when paired with her expression that looked as if she were an abandoned puppy. But unfortunately, it was clear that neither Rhode nor Little Five were in the mood for a laugh right now.


    ��Are you alright, Catherine? Be careful, this place is����


    Swish!


    Before Rhode finished his sentence, he heard a soft sound, followed by a flash of white light. At the next moment, a figure that was also enfolded by golden light from her head to toe like Catherine appeared in front of the three of them. She held a sword in her hand and gazed around with a serious face as if she had just ended a fierce battle. And the moment Rhode and Little Five saw her, they immediately recognized that this young lady was also Catherine.


    But even though both of them were Angels of Light, there was still a difference between them. The armor that the Catherine in Rhode��s team wore was more akin to a combination of leather and cloth. She was also arguably unarmed, and Rhode and Little Five hadn��t seen any presence of weaponry on her body at all. Coupled with the fact that she looked like a young, melancholic literary woman at all times, she simply couldn��t be more recognizable.


    On the other hand, this Catherine who suddenly showed up was entirely different. She wore a platinum armor similar to a battle angel like Celia. She also wielded a shining sword and her entire being exuded an austere aura, which was a stark contrast to that fool who stood by with snacks in her arms and put up a bewildered expression. The difference was so huge that even though they looked the same, their temperament and quality were distinct enough for others to tell them apart.


    The Catherine who appeared here all of a sudden was also stunned. Just like Rhode and his team, she sized up the surroundings cautiously, before pausing her gaze at Rhode and Little Five, puckering her brows, and gazing at the glowing cylinder before her. It was apparent that she also heard Karin��s broadcast, so she recognized what was in front of her at first glance.


    ��Mental crystal?��


    She muttered and strode toward the mental crystal. Of course, she also observed Rhode and Little Five and after reckoning that they seemed to be imprisoned by an unknown force, she became more cautious as well. But even so, she didn��t come to a halt. After all, Karin had made it clear that the only way to leave here and return to their world was to obtain the mental crystal. And no matter which Catherine it was, neither of them were interested in staying here. Thus, it was only natural that they wished to obtain mental crystals and leave. However��


    The Angel of Light came to a standstill.


    What surprised Rhode and Little Five was that it was precisely their Catherine who stopped the Angel of Light, standing hesitantly in front of her other self. Although Catherine looked much less aggressive and the packet of snacks in her arms made her look undignified, she still summoned the courage to stand in front of her other self.


    ��D-Don��t come any closer. This mental crystal belongs to Mr. Rhode and us����


    Looking to her other self, Catherine spoke hesitantly.


    ������


    Upon hearing Catherine��s words, it wasn��t just the Angel of Light who showed a surprised expression, but Little Five and Rhode were also stunned. To be honest, they didn��t expect much from Catherine who saw the ��non-violent and non-cooperative�� ideologies to the end. In the face of the shadowy monsters, she almost ended up like a martyr. No one expected her to step out and defend them at such a moment.


    ��But it doesn��t look like the crystal has acknowledged them.��


    The good thing about angels was that they kept order, so even if it was another Angel of Light in their way, they didn��t start a fight right away, but replied very calmly instead. And upon hearing her answer, Catherine hesitated, but finally stood there with gnashed teeth and didn��t retreat in fear.


    ��But we��re the ones who came here first�� By rights, this crystal belongs to us. Besides, even though Mr. Rhode and her have indeed met with an accident�� I��m still around, isn��t it?��


    ��That��s true.��


    Upon hearing Catherine��s words, the Angel of Light nodded, swung her sword, and pointed it at the former.


    ��In that case, we shall have a duel right here. The victor will gain dominion over the crystal, how about that? Do you have any objections?��


    ��Huh�� Huh?!��


    Faced with this blade pointed at her, Catherine clearly showed an expression of helplessness. She turned to look at Rhode who stood beside her as if waiting for him to give her an idea. But in the face of Catherine��s gaze, Rhode didn��t say a word. Instead, he knitted his brows and observed the scene in front of him.


    A barrier that enveloped the entire rooftop�� Two Catherines who move about freely�� And the mental crystal��


    At this thought, Rhode finally understood what everything was about.

 Chapter 1349 - City of the Decisive Battle (6)

    ��M-Mr. Rhode����


    Looking at the blade pointed at her, Catherine was clearly at a loss for words. With a terrified expression, she looked to Rhode at the side, expecting him to give her an idea. But now, Rhode, who had already noticed the secret behind the 12 mental crystals, apparently knew what he should do. Thus, facing Catherine��s gaze that was begging for help, he, however, shook his head slowly.


    ��I��ll leave it to you to decide, Catherine.��


    He looked at Catherine and said.


    ��As she said, since you two are the only ones who can move, it means that this crystal has chosen either one of you. As for who gets to keep it, it is up to you to decide. Whether you plan to throw it away, give it to someone else, or keep it for yourself, it��s all up to you. And no matter your decision, we��ll support you unconditionally. So you don��t have to worry, just go ahead and do it with confidence.��


    ��Huh? But�� How can I�� I-I can��t����


    After hearing his words, Catherine��s face turned pale. She hadn��t expected Rhode to throw this problem back at her directly, which gave her quite a headache. It was as if one who was against war seeking to use war to solve an immediate life and death situation. But looking at Catherine��s expression, Rhode and Little Five Lori put up expressions as if they were watching a good show instead. After all, even Little Five had also figured out that it looked like the mental crystal had nothing to do with them in the slightest and it would be quite an interesting show to see what kind of choice Catherine would make in front of them.


    After all, Catherine didn��t attack once and was basically useless other than serving as a mobile snack shopping basket for Little Five. On the other hand, the Angel of Light was apparently a belligerent personality. A battle between an extremely non-belligerent personality and an extremely belligerent personality�� Oh my, it wasn��t that Rhode felt like this battle wasn��t a big deal. But if one were to look at things from his standpoint, how was it possible for one to not enjoy a good show!


    ��I�� I����


    Upon seeing that Rhode clearly had no intention of making a decision for her, Catherine hesitated and was left speechless. She looked at Little Five for help but this time, Little Five was apparently on the same side as Rhode. Or perhaps, Little Five was using this opportunity as a form of revenge for Catherine standing leisurely and doing nothing at the back, while both of them took on the shadowy monsters tirelessly. After all, one wouldn��t feel great when one was as tired as a dog and there was another person standing idly by in the back, wasn��t it?


    ��Argh����


    The lonely Catherine finally realized her situation. She let out a soft grunt like an abandoned puppy, turned in fear, and swallowed her saliva as if she had made up her mind. The moment she was about to speak to her other self, she curled up her body again with a groan after noticing the latter��s razor-sharp gaze.


    Looking at this scene, Rhode and Little Five sighed in unison and the same thought flashed through their minds.


    What a good-for-nothing��


    ��Erm�� Fighting isn��t right����


    As Rhode expected better from Catherine, she finally spoke up with lingering fear. But at that moment, perhaps making up her mind, she straightened her curled up body. Although her expression still looked weak, it carried a bit more determination now. And just like that, the timid young lady became courageous enough to raise her head and gaze at her other self, stating her opinion.


    ��I, for one, think we shouldn��t be fighting it out in this way. Because it��s just too sad; fighting means that one side must lose. Wouldn��t that be too disrespectful to the other party? Obviously, we have all put in the same amount of effort to reach here, but having to give up just because one isn��t strong enough�� That is too cruel for me�� E-Even a weak person who is completely powerless to fight back has the power to choose!��


    ��Tsk��!��


    In response to Catherine��s words, the Angel of Light didn��t say a word, but on the other hand, Little Five gnashed her teeth in displeasure and lowered her head to let out a grunt. And upon noticing Little Five��s reaction, Rhode swept a glance at her, before withdrawing his gaze quickly and recalling the moment they first met each other�� Yes�� Right now, Catherine was attacking Little Five indirectly with her words!


    Come to think of it, aren��t you a pacifist, Catherine? Can��t you see that Little Five��s heart was just pierced by a million swords from you?


    ��So you��re not going to get out of the way, then?��


    Faced with Catherine��s speech, the Angel of Light didn��t react much. It was only natural since manifested personalities were extreme existences. It would be the wildest thing to imagine if one were to expect the manifested personalities to be easily persuaded. In order for words to work, one had to get a hold of the weaknesses and deal a critical blow to them in order to maximize the power of words. Just like earlier, if Catherine��s words weren��t targeted at her other self but Little Five instead, perhaps Little Five would have sprung up like a cat whose tail was stepped on.


    Wait�� Something doesn��t sound right here.


    ���� Yes.��


    In the face of the sword that was raised before her face again, Catherine shrunk a bit, but nodded firmly. In terms of stubbornness, this pacifist wasn��t any worse than the battle fanatic. Rhode suddenly felt like the Catherine on his team wasn��t entirely useless. He imagined himself being angered to death if he were to face a stubborn foe who only fought using words and refused to give up. Fortunately, this Catherine was on his side and he didn��t need to have a headache about it. On the other hand, he got to see how others dealt with this bothersome young lady. Judging from this point, this Catherine really wasn��t entirely worthless, it seemed?


    Or that no matter how harsh the environment was, one had to find the good and the fun in life, wasn��t it��?


    ��In that case, let��s fight!��


    Compared to Catherine, the Angel of Light was clearly bad with words; or rather, she trusted the sword in her hand more than words. Thus, after making sure that Catherine wouldn��t get out of her way, she swung her sword right away and brandished it at the young lady in front of her. Along with a shimmering blade ray, Catherine was entirely shrouded by bright lights. Facing this ambush, Catherine didn��t react in the slightest. Even though the Angel of Light had clearly declared war, Catherine would be considered quick if she could return to her senses after three minutes based on her slow reaction.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    In just an instant, Catherine was completely enveloped by the assault. The whizzing and roaring explosion of sword lights scattered before everyone��s eyes. And looking at this scene, Rhode and Little Five puckered their brows. Based on the attack they witnessed, they could tell that the Angel of Light was definitely much stronger than Little Five in combat and even just slightly weaker than Rhode himself. In all fairness, if it were Rhode standing before her, he would need to put in quite a lot of effort to defeat her. But now, could that Catherine, who barely had any sense of retaliation, be able to resist such an intense and deadly attack?


    Soon, the smoke cleared.


    ��Huh?��


    After gazing at Catherine, not only did Little Five shriek in surprise, but Rhode also stared in amazement. They couldn��t believe their eyes. Catherine remained on the same spot unscathed, though her expression was still full of terror. The Angel of Light didn��t knock Catherine down with her sword like both of them had expected. On the contrary, that seemingly full of momentum and indestructible sword was now a distance away from Catherine��s chest, blocked by a layer of faint golden radiance. And although the Angel of Light looked like she had gnashed her teeth and used all her strength, she still wasn��t able to penetrate it an inch.


    ��Huh? What?!��


    Up until that moment, the Catherine with scarily-slow reactions finally responded to what happened and retreated hurriedly in shock, waving her arms around uncontrollably. For that reason, the snacks that were in her arms scattered to the ground. Looking at this scene, Little Five, who was watching the bustling show, sulked instantly. She tried to extend her arms to grab her ��treasures��, but it was a pity that she couldn��t budge after being imprisoned. But even so, she gnashed her teeth and glared at Catherine, yelling at the top of her lungs.


    ��Hey! You fool, don��t throw my snacks on the floor!��


    ��Whoa! Sorry, I��m sorry!��


    Little Five��s roar startled Catherine. The latter lowered her body instinctively and picked up the snacks that scattered on the ground. After all, she was used to being ordered around by Little Five all this while. Thus, as soon as she heard Little Five��s order, her first reaction was to immediately do what she commanded. Despite that, this definitely wasn��t an experiment of Pavlovian theory[1].


    And just as Catherine lowered her head and was about to bend over to pick up the snacks, the Angel of Light returned to her senses. And this time, Rhode and Little Five finally witnessed what they hadn��t seen clearly just now. Catherine was engrossed in picking up the snacks scattered on the ground. Meanwhile, the Angel of Light flourished her sword repeatedly with great vigor, and from the momentum alone, each of her strikes could split the tower in front of her in two. The force from each swing was lethal and powerful.


    But what surprised Rhode and Little Five was that such an attack didn��t work at all against Catherine. Rather than saying that the attacks were blocked, it would be more appropriate to say that they were directly erased. Rhode felt the spiritual power contained in the sword that the Angel of Light lifted. But after it erupted to attack Catherine, it seemed to completely disappear as if it turned into a gust of wind.


    I didn��t know Catherine had that kind of ability��


    At that moment, Rhode was considered to finally put his mind at ease. Indeed, for a personality like Catherine��s to survive until now could be considered a fluke, just like those singers who ran to the battlefield to offer condolences and do public service. If there weren��t any backstage supporters behind them, wouldn��t they have already been kidnapped or simply shot by a terrorist organization or the enemy? And if an absolute pacifist like Catherine, who couldn��t fight or curse back, didn��t have an ace up her sleeves, perhaps she would have died long ago.


    ��I, I don��t think that��s right. Fighting doesn��t bring any good; it only brings sorrow����


    The scene before them was like a comedy. The Angel of Light had fought to the point of literally going crazy and attacked Catherine repeatedly, but Catherine was completely unresponsive to her. She didn��t even try to hide, but was simply absorbed in picking up snacks, while communicating her philosophy to her other self. It reminded Rhode of a certain movie he watched a long time ago, where an undefeatable monk talked his enemy into a mental breakdown. Although Catherine��s language skill wasn��t as strong as the monk��s, her repetition of the same words over and over again was, in a way, like cutting flesh using a blunt knife.


    ��Haa�� Haa�� Haa����


    After some time, perhaps a few minutes, a dozen minutes, or a few hours, the Angel of Light who attacked incessantly finally stopped. At that moment, she was completely fatigued and could only half-kneel on the ground and breath heavily. On one hand, she consumed too much strength in the previous battle, and on the other hand, Rhode believed that she was also mentally exhausted. After all, whoever listened to Catherine��s constant nagging that


    ��fighting isn��t right; we should get along with each other peacefully�� and yet, couldn��t hurl even a punch on her, was an extremely fatal and frustrating torture.


    But Rhode believed that what Catherine was saying wasn��t nonsense; or rather, while it sounded like nonsense to others, it wasn��t to herself. Let��s not forget that this was the mental world, where mental power was greater than anything else, and the will to influence reality was hard evidence of that. Catherine didn��t want to hurt anyone, so she didn��t do it. But on the other hand, she wanted others to not hurt themselves either.


    To put it bluntly, Catherine wanted a world where people didn��t hurt each other anymore. And this trait of hers reacted to the fact that while no one else could bring her down, she also couldn��t defeat others. And the decision to fight with brute force like the Angel of Light was, in fact, the stupidest. If it were Rhode, he would have chosen to confuse Catherine with his words, before going up against her. As long as he didn��t give Catherine the chance to be firm in her beliefs, her ability would be rendered ineffective. But unfortunately, it looked like the Angel of Light clearly didn��t know anything about it, hence why she had fallen for it��


    ��Alright! Go! Hit her! Now��s the chance! Catherine! Beat her up!��


    Looking at the panting Angel of Light, the most excited person was actually Little Five. It wasn��t surprising since the Angel of Light had attacked the snacks on the ground in order to force Catherine to fight with her. Even though Catherine did her best to protect them, some of the snacks that Little Five loved the most were still crushed ruthlessly. This left Little Five in displeasure. If she weren��t imprisoned now, perhaps she would have rolled up her sleeves and fought the Angel of Light herself.


    ��That�� Isn��t too nice����


    Upon hearing Little Five��s grumbles, Catherine was clearly hesitant. She looked at the Angel of Light who had fallen to her knees, looking as exhausted as a dog, and turned to both of them. It seemed like Catherine was clearly disinterested in Little Five��s words. And upon seeing her reaction, Little Five sighed in frustration, blinked, and smiled all of a sudden as if she came up with a good idea. Then, she continued to speak.


    ��It��s fine even if it means going up there and patting her! You won, anyway.��


    ��Okay then����


    After Little Five urged Catherine on, the latter nodded with doubt. But soon after, she walked up to the Angel of Light, came to a standstill, stretched out her finger, and tapped the Angel of Light��s forehead lightly. Unsure if it were due to the Angel of Light being too exhausted or because she was entirely speechless to the point of giving up on Catherine��s ability to be immune to her own attacks, she didn��t resist or dodge in the slightest.


    ��Don��t do that again, okay?��


    For some reason, Rhode felt that this move was the most deadly strike to the Angel of Light instead.


    ��������!��


    And the moment Catherine��s finger touched the other party��s forehead, suddenly, the mental crystal once again burst out with a dazzling glow. Soon after, two halos within the crystal expanded and shrouded Catherine and the Angel of Light together. The radiance became brighter and shortly after, it enfolded everything in sight.


    And when Rhode opened his eyes again, the rune that bound him and Little Five had vanished, while the mental crystal, too, was gone. In front of them, there were only the two Catherines who were suspended in midair. Soon, a glow between their bodies began to flow and then, both of them began to overlap each other.


    In the end, they metamorphosed into the same person.


    Upon looking at this scene, the corners of Rhode��s mouth curled up slightly.


    Looks like that��s what the mental crystal is for.


    [1] A learning procedure that involves pairing a stimulus with a conditioned response.

 Chapter 1350 - City of the Decisive Battle (7)

    ��What in the world is this place?!��


    Gazing at the lush, green forest around her, Little Five stomped her foot in displeasure. Meanwhile, Rhode and Catherine, who stood beside her, were also at a loss. It wasn��t surprising that they reacted this way. Right after the two Catherines fused into one, the magical ritual that enveloped the entire roof spun and teleported Rhode��s group to a godforsaken place before they could even respond. Although they didn��t know where this place was, judging from the glow of the shining mental crystals around them, it was apparent that they had been transported to another area.


    ��This looks like a park����


    Looking at the fountain and benches ahead, Rhode was quick to reply. At the same time, he was also certain that this area was definitely not the place they were before. After all, along the way, he observed their surroundings carefully and didn��t notice any parks or similar places. Judging from that, it could be seen that they were now in a completely new area. And from here, Rhode finally figured out the rules of this competition. The 12 mental crystals weren��t just placed there for contestants to snatch away as they liked. Come to think of it, the 12 mental crystals corresponded to 12 personalities.


    When the crystals were activated, the corresponding personalities would be transported to each other for a battle, and the winner would decide who could keep the crystal. This process was repeated three times. After the three personalities fought to determine the winner, they were reunited as the core personality. However, in order to avoid a situation where everyone was focused on strategy, Karin also designed this random teleportation rule so that there was no way for one to obtain all the mental crystals at once. After teleporting to an unfamiliar area, they had to help others, as well as rely on others, to reach their destination. This way, no matter how much they couldn��t get along with one another, they would still develop some sort of connection and friendship.


    But Rhode also found that it wasn��t that simple.


    The disappearance of a mental crystal meant the disappearance of a personality. And the teammates that were supposed to team up would also be missing one as a result. Karin would definitely not overlook this problem. As a matter of fact, such random teleportations might also serve the purpose of disrupting teams from regrouping after losing their member. And perhaps the reason why Rhode��s team didn��t lack one member was due to the fact that they were the winner of the earlier battle. After all, the Catherine on his team absorbed the other personality and not the other way around.


    In that case, Rhode, Little Five, and Catherine would, in turn, face tougher obstacles ahead. It was likely that the other teams would unite against them; no matter how strong a dog was, it wouldn��t be able to stand up to a pack of wolves. And now, Rhode had just figured out the rules of the entire game and hadn��t yet worked out how the mental crystals worked. Were the personalities they represented fixed? Or were they random? If they could handle one��s mental crystal, could someone else handle theirs the same? It wasn��t entirely impossible for Little Five and Catherine to be teleported to other places throughout their battles, was it?


    ��All in all, let��s move on and see what happens.��


    Speculation would always remain speculation. And to avoid speculation becoming reality, the best way was to strike first and gain the upper hand. Although Rhode didn��t know what this place was, there was ultimately one destination for the three of them: the towers with mental crystals; anything else was completely out of Rhode��s scope and consideration. Thus, he waved his hand, beckoning to the two of them, and walked out of the park along the side path, heading toward the nearest tower. But he soon realized that something wasn��t quite right as soon as he stepped out of the park.


    ��What��s�� going on?��


    Little Five wielded a sword in her right hand and licked a lollipop in the other hand, staring at the scene before her with an astonished gaze. Not only her, but Catherine also widened her eyes uneasily. The instant the three of them exited the park, what appeared before them was a broad avenue. But that wasn��t the main thing. The main thing was the masses of what looked like pitch-black stains. At first glance, they looked like grease stains. But Rhode was able to tell that they were the same shadowy monsters they fought earlier.


    However��


    ��These things�� should be dead, right?��


    Rhode stepped forward and cautiously touched the corpses of the shadowy monsters on the ground which looked as if they were punctured and deflated balloons: smooth and cold to the touch. However, he didn��t care about such a trivial matter. Instead�� Did the shadowy monsters they defeated earlier also leave their corpses behind? The answer was no.


    In the previous tower, his team resisted several ambushes from the shadowy monsters. And whenever they were about to die, they would let out a miserable screech and crumbled to the ground. Their body then became as thin as shadows and disappeared into nothingness. But now, this scene was entirely different. The shadowy monsters were clearly dead with their corpses left behind. Not only that, but when Rhode touched them, he also sensed the ice-cold aura of death emanating from their bodies. This wasn��t just a matter about them being defeated but rather, they were completely annihilated by someone, so much so that Rhode��s team didn��t face any obstruction upon arriving here.


    ������


    Something isn��t right.


    Rhode frowned and rose to his feet, scanning the area with wary eyes. The only light source on the broad avenue before him was the dim glow of street lamps that flickered from time to time and illuminated everything in sight. But that made him shiver involuntarily as if he were standing in a cemetery, where cold, lifeless air shrouded him and almost penetrated his skin and bones. This was the first time he had ever felt this sort of mysterious aura of death. It was as if everything around him was ��obliterated��.


    ��Let��s head in a different direction instead.��


    After much consideration, Rhode gave up walking on this path. After all, the situation was just too bizarre for them. This path led to the closest tower to them and the traces of battle on the path indicated that another team had already passed through here long before his team arrived. It seemed like the other team was definitely strong and Rhode had no choice but to become a pursuer.


    He wasn��t interested in stepping into ambushes by initiating offensive battles. Hence, after some consideration, he selected a relatively distant path instead. On the other hand, Little Five and Catherine didn��t object to his decision. Now, Rhode was like their leader, while they also didn��t have much of an opinion. As long as the orders given by him weren��t particularly outrageous, they wouldn��t refuse and would obey them.


    But as Rhode turned around and left, he didn��t notice a figure wrapped in a black cloak watching him silently from the top of a nearby tower. After observing his decisive departure, that figure let out a low grunt of dissatisfaction, turned around, and a pair of eyes that shone with spiritual flames emanated brightly in the darkness.


    ��Your plan failed. They didn��t take the bait.��


    In the face of the black robe��s words, a crisp, bell-like laughter sounded in the darkness. Then, a figure appeared like a faintly discernible firefly.


    ��I knew it wasn��t that simple. After all, they won the previous battle.��


    Along with a voice that sounded like the cold wind blowing above the grave, the presence of that indistinct figure became increasingly clearer. Soon after, a young lady whose entire body emanated a spiritual glow appeared in front of the figure in the black robe. If Rhode were to meet that young lady, he would definitely be rather surprised because she was precisely Little Five.


    But unlike the teenage foodie following him around, this young lady was around 17 to 18 years old. What appeared on her ghostly face was a smile full of confidence and cunning, which was completely different from the Little Five in Rhode��s memory.


    ��A team that obtained a mental crystal in such a short period is definitely stronger than we thought. It is especially so for that human. If it weren��t for him, the other two wouldn��t even notice anything out of the ordinary here. But�� Eleanor����


    The specter young lady spoke and gave a helpless sigh, before turning to look at the figure wrapped in the black robe with some dissatisfaction.


    ��If it weren��t for the problem with your abilities, perhaps they wouldn��t have noticed the peculiarity so early. That��s why I said, as much as possible, please don��t act rashly for the time being����


    ��Hmph, I don��t care. I simply enjoy doing it. And if you��re not happy about it, just get ahead of me next time and kill all those bast*rds!��


    Upon hearing the specter young lady��s complaint, the black-robed Grim Reaper paused slightly, before eventually letting out a snort and speaking with some displeasure. And in the face of the Grim Reaper��s response, the specter young lady spread her hands apart helplessly and forced a smile. But before she said anything more, another voice echoed from the darkness.


    ��Alright, there��s no point in you guys bickering here. Since they already sensed the problem, it��s useless for us to continue waiting here. We��re better off continuing our mission according to plan. As long as we obtain sufficient mental crystals, we will be able to secure the final victory. Leave them alone for n-����


    ��Leader.��


    And just before the person hidden in the darkness finished her sentence, all of a sudden, another spirited voice interrupted and spoke in an enthusiastic tone as if she were watching a bustling show.


    ��Dona spotted another team rushing toward that human��s team. Shall we head over and see what��s going on?��


    ��Another team?��


    Upon hearing this remark, not only did that person hidden in the darkness pause for a moment, but the eyes of the specter young lady and Grim Reaper also glinted as if they were eager to check the situation out. But eventually, the voice in the darkness coughed and spoke.


    ��Don��t bother. We��re better off taking care of our own business�� There��s not much time left.��


    As soon as she finished her speech, another tower collapsed with a thunderous crash. And looking at the scene before them, the mysterious figures gathered on the rooftop went silent for a moment, before disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    Rumble��


    Rhode lifted his head and looked toward the direction that let out deafening rumbles. Due to the tall buildings around him, he couldn��t see what happened at the back. But judging from the trembles he felt on the ground, he could tell that another tower must have collapsed. But�� Why? Logically speaking, even though the fight between two teams would cause damage to the tower, the damage should only be limited to the area around the mental crystal and its surroundings. Could it be that there was something else he wasn��t aware of?


    Swish!


    While Rhode pondered whether there were any undiscovered issues, a whistling gust of wind suddenly came barreling toward him. If he hadn��t reacted in time, this punch alone would have been enough to blow his brains out. But he was someone not to be trifled with either. The instant the punch was hurled at him, he came to an abrupt standstill and slanted his body to the side.


    Almost instantly, he unsheathed his sword from his waist and slashed a dazzling blade arc. Facing this retaliation, the ambusher withdrew its fist and set up a criss-cross stance with its arms against the deadly blade. Soon, in a loud collision, Rhode struck away the ambusher in the darkness.


    But the threat didn��t end there. While Rhode was ambushed, Little Five and Catherine were also under attack. The ghostly sword and spinning scythe slashed at them from behind. Although this ambush happened swiftly, Little Five wasn��t a fool either. The instant she realized that Rhode was attacked, she drew her sword and spun around to protect herself. As for Catherine, it also wasn��t easy to break through her ��invulnerable�� defenses, despite her doing nothing.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    After the collisions of weapons, Rhode noticed three shadowy figures retreating and vanishing in a flash. Perhaps sensing the failure of the ambush, the ambushers fell back quickly instead of continuing the zealous fight. They were so fast that Rhode only witnessed the shadows flitting across his eyes. And just when he wanted to take a closer look at them, they had already turned around and fled decisively, disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    ��Arghhh, who are these bast*rds! What do they want!��


    Little Five initially decided to engage in a good battle with them, but she didn��t expect these ambushers to escape quicker than a rabbit. And before she reacted, they were already gone from her sight, leaving her so furious that she stamped her foot on the ground. Meanwhile, Catherine hugged the snacks in her arms with a bewildered expression, completely unaware of what just happened.


    ��How despicable! Shameless! What��s the point of sneaking up on someone? Come out and fight us face to face if you dare! Cowards!��


    Although Little Five screamed in rage, no one responded to her. The only thing the three of them saw was the cold, silent alley, as well as the uninhabited dark city. Whistling winds blew across the place, lifting a few leaves from the ground. But they didn��t hear any other noise except for Little Five��s echoing snarls.


    ��Shame on you for sneaking up on us! Mr. Rhode, let��s find those guys and beat the crap out of them!��


    ��Do you know where they ran off to?��


    ��I����


    After hearing Rhode��s question, Little Five was left speechless. In fact, she didn��t know where they fled to because the pace of their ambush was too quick, where apart from Rhode, none of them noticed. Little Five instinctively relied upon her experience in battles and managed to resist the ambush. But she couldn��t mention any details of the attackers even if she wanted to. Despite that, she didn��t give up on her opinion.


    ��But are we going to just let those bast*rds continue following us? Their ambush failed, so they��ll definitely come back to find trouble with us again!��


    Upon hearing the little one��s refutation, Rhode couldn��t help but knit his brows. He had to admit that Little Five wasn��t entirely unreasonable. The ambushers were clearly engaging in guerrilla warfare with them, which was something that Rhode was really experienced in and understood it more than anyone else.


    He also had to admit that this current environment was indeed suitable for guerrilla warfare. However, he couldn��t understand the reason why they attacked his team. If the number of mental crystals was scarce, their motive would be understandable. But now��


    The corner of Rhode��s lips curled up slightly, revealing a hint of a smile. Indeed, in terms of objective, although it was apparent that the ambushers came here for them, his team would surely be in trouble if this continued. Fortunately, not only did he know how to attack, but he also knew how to defend. Since the ambushers used this strategy to put pressure on him, he wasn��t entirely out of ideas to counter them��


    At this thought, Rhode twitched his brow, narrowed his eyes, and said.


    ��No, let��s keep moving toward our target and leave those guys alone.��


    ��Huh������?!��


    After hearing his reply, both Little Five and Catherine were stunned.

 Chapter 1351 - City of the Decisive Battle (8)

    It wasn��t entirely unreasonable for Rhode to make such a decision. Even though the other party might have a certain advantage in terrain, he was still better than them. Because not only was he really familiar with the buildings, he was also clear about what purpose they served. This was something that the other team was absolutely inferior to, so he was confident enough to shake them off and teach them a lesson that they would never forget. After all, it wasn��t a matter of reciprocity and he couldn��t always be the one suffering, right?


    And as a matter of fact, Rhode was really about to teach them a lesson.


    ��I don��t understand why we didn��t take the main road, but came here to climb the stairs instead.��


    While grumbling and following behind Rhode, Little Five squeezed through the one-man gap in front of her. Facing her complaints, Rhode swept a glance at her quietly. He finally discovered her third attribute besides being a foodie and a battle fanatic: a chatterbox. She talked endlessly along the way, and although she got serious whenever necessary, she spoke non-stop under normal circumstances. Even if no one responded to her, she soliloquized for a long while and not even snacks could stop her from talking. Rhode didn��t know where she got so many things to talk about, but that wasn��t his main concern right now.


    Just like what Little Five complained about, on the way to the second tower, Rhode��s team was attacked several times in a row by the same other team. They were very cunning; they left immediately whenever they missed their assault. However, due to the continuous attacks, Rhode noticed that the group of three was likely made up of another Little Five, Eleanor, and Dona. In terms of average strength, they were slightly stronger than his team. But he couldn��t confirm whether the three of them were the core personalities or subsidiary personalities like the ones in his team.


    Besides, he also couldn��t figure out their unpredictable thoughts. As a result, his team had to be wary about ambushes, so their progress was naturally hindered. And judging from this pace, the other team could have reached the second tower before him since they must have also noticed his target. But instead of rushing ahead of him, they wasted time attacking him, which was rather puzzling.


    It was like a long-distance race, where apparently A could reach the finish line earlier than B to set a new record, but in the end, A slowed down to block B rather than to run ahead to the finish line. This struck Rhode as really odd. And to be on the safe side, he had even adjusted his route to prepare to head for the third tower, which was obviously an indication of him giving up the second tower. However, the other team continued following him without a care in the world. Faced with this kind of completely unpredictable behavior, Rhode was at a total loss. Could it be that he was so attractive that they couldn��t leave him alone?


    But no matter what the other party was thinking, Rhode had to do something about them. Otherwise, if things continued this way, perhaps there was no possibility of him getting any more mental crystals later on, not to mention the second mental crystals.


    That was why he deviated from the route and led his two teammates to a tower located in an alley. This was neither a place where mental crystals were placed nor was there anything particularly strange here. But for him, this was exactly the most convenient place to plot against those annoying foes.


    But meanwhile, he didn��t notice that just behind them, three pairs of eyes hidden in the darkness were scanning them. Those eyes glowed with an icy-cold glint and a fiery desire to fight; they looked full of contradiction and yet, they left one tremble in fear. Soon after, the three of them who were hidden in the darkness exchanged looks with one another, before dispersing swiftly and surrounding Rhode��s team silently from three directions.


    Rhode seemed to be completely unaware of that. Not only that, but he also led Little Five and Catherine around the dim and dark corridor, knocking on something from time to time. Little Five complained about the building being entirely different from what she imagined, where the decorations weren��t luxurious or splendid or interesting enough. As usual, Catherine followed them with snacks in her arms, but her seemingly overwhelmed face was no different than before. They weren��t even aware that there were three ��vipers�� slowly but steadily approaching them from the back.


    Soon, the three indistinct figures arrived close behind Rhode��s team. And at that moment, Rhode happened to turn a corner with Little Five and Catherine, heading deeper into the depths. As soon as the three of them disappeared from view, the ��vipers�� lurking in the darkness finally snapped their jaw open, revealing their fangs, and surged forward!


    Ding, ding, ding������!


    All of a sudden, a sharp and loud alarm sounded, causing the ambushers to freeze on the spot, exchanging looks with one another and wondering what the problem was. Were they discovered? Or was it a trap? What was that sound? Where did it come from?


    Splash!


    However, before they reacted, they witnessed jets of water spraying out of the ceiling, flooding everything like a downpour. Not only that, but almost at the same time, a heavy, iron door dropped from above abruptly, landing on the floor and separating them from Rhode��s team in just the blink of an eye.


    ��Oh no!��


    Up until that moment, the ambushers realized that their whereabouts had most likely been exposed. At this thought, they no longer had anything to worry about anymore. Soon after, along with a dazzling blade ray, the iron and heavy fireproof door was cut open and the three of them darted through it swiftly. But they soon discovered another tough problem: everything in front of them was completely sealed off, while Rhode��s team had disappeared from their view.


    ��It worked.��


    But at that moment, the three rather-flustered figures were completely unaware that within the shadows of another tower nearby, Rhode was smiling and watching them. He didn��t know the art of divination, so naturally, it was impossible for him to know when they would attack him. However, he knew very well that the place he chose was very suitable for countering ambushes, so if the other party had been watching him as he expected, there was no way he would let go of such an opportunity to stop them.


    That was why he decided on that place to launch a counterattack, and it turned out that his decision was correct. Those ambushers had indeed hid themselves and prepared to attack just as he predicted. And the only place they failed was that they weren��t familiar with the facilities here. Although the outside was built according to the look of the tower that Karin was familiar with, the inside was laid out exactly as Rhode remembered it.


    That was why they didn��t know what he knew. If they were in another place, they probably wouldn��t have been caught off guard. But the architecture in Rhode��s world was different from the Dragon Soul Continent, and one of the biggest differences was that in his world, everything was standardized.


    No matter how bizarre the appearance of the building, even if it was the first time when one entered, one should know that high-rise buildings must always have elevators, emergency exits, fire escapes, isolated iron gates, and firefighting facilities. This was standardized, but there were no such rules in the Dragon Soul Continent, which was why the buildings here were more unconstrained and depended entirely on the owner��s subjective will to build something like a secret passage or chamber.


    It was the first time Rhode��s and the other team were here, so naturally they couldn��t know what kind of mysteries were hidden here. And it was in this state of mind that the other team chose to follow Rhode, because even if he wanted to use the terrain to do something, it would be difficult to pose a threat to them.


    However, they didn��t realize that Rhode was much more familiar with the situation here than they were, so they accidentally fell into his trap. Of course, they didn��t know that in Rhode��s world, all buildings had strict safety and security regulations in place. That was why he deliberately turned on the alarm and activated the emergency measures to seal the entire building. So even if they weren��t behind him at that time, they would still be sealed off in another area. It could be said that they stepped into a spider��s web while following him into this place and any struggle would allow him to detect their presence in the shortest period. Even if they concealed it well before, it was meaningless in front of him now.


    In that case, the attacking and defending side finally swapped over. Gazing at the shadowy figures, Rhode wore a smug smile. Now that they couldn��t find him, it was impossible for them to follow him like they did before. Previously, he was caught off guard by them. But now that he knew that there was such a group of people who were specifically looking for trouble, he couldn��t fall in the same place twice, could he?


    Rhode snorted at this thought, before turning around and quietly disappearing into the pitch-black shadows.


    After trying to find a way to bring both sides back to the same starting line, Rhode stopped paying attention to those three and instead, darted toward his destination with Little Five and Catherine. He had no more time to waste on them after going one huge round just to set up this trap. And now that the problem was solved, he shouldn��t continue wasting time. In fact, it wasn��t like he didn��t have any intention of fighting back against them. But Catherine was unwilling to fight, resulting in the fact that he would be outnumbered in a battle against the three of them, so it would be hard to gain the upper hand. Thus, he sped up and dashed toward the direction of the second mental crystal.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Just as his team arrived at the location of the second tower, he heard another series of loud rumbles in the distance. He frowned and gazed toward the place where the sound came from, only to discover that two more towers had collapsed. Not only that, but also nine out of 12 mental crystals were left. In other words, three mental crystals, including his, were activated; it was just that he didn��t know what was going on with the other teams. Upon hearing the rumbles, Little Five curled her lips and grunted.


    ��Here we go again. That��s really����


    ����!


    However, before Little Five finished her sentence, a magnificent magical ritual suddenly unfolded above them. In the blink of an eye, bright halos enveloped Little Five one after another. At the next moment, her entire body metamorphosed into a golden light that rushed toward the magical ritual above.


    ��Sh*t! Let��s get out of here!��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode��s heart sank.


    Looks like we��re too late.


    It seemed like someone was ahead of them in activating the mental crystal. What made him feel even more uneasy was that Little Five was actually chosen. According to Catherine��s previous encounter, it was likely that there was another Little Five among the people who activated the mental crystal. Unrelated people would be imprisoned after the mental crystal was activated. In the mental world where talking was better than fighting, as long as the usage of mouth was great enough, it would be sufficient to convince and please the opponent even without having to do anything�� Hmm? Why did it sound a little wrong?


    But now that Little Five was transported up to the magical ritual, Rhode and Catherine naturally couldn��t stand idly by and watch the show. Thus, in the face of this unexpected situation, he returned to his senses quickly and beckoned to Catherine, before pushing open the door in front of him and rushing into the tower. However, the moment he entered the entrance, a scythe shimmering in an icy-cold radiance was brandished at his neck. If he hadn��t react in time, perhaps his head would have fallen to the ground already.


    Clink!


    Facing the sudden emergence of the scythe, Rhode responded immediately. He lifted the sword in his hand and deflected the scythe, stopping its momentum. Not only that, but the moment he resisted the assault, his sword also metamorphosed into a silver snake that bared its fang at the other party. Along with this action, a figure wrapped entirely in a black robe drifted across the air in a whoosh, evading his counterattack.


    Eleanor!


    This time, Rhode finally witnessed the other party��s face clearly. And at the same time, his heart sank yet again. He had fought against Eleanor in the past and knew her strength. Not only that, but her weapon was also very tricky to take on; the scythe was an odd weapon and its angle of attack was always unpredictable. He had a hard time taking her on previously outside of the mental world. If it weren��t for Lapis��s usage of explosive bombardments, perhaps Eleanor would have been even tougher to deal with. And now, he was finally about to have another confrontation with her.


    While this thought cropped up in his head, Rhode had no intention of stopping his attack. Right after making contact with Eleanor, he launched another round of attacks at her again. The silver-whitish sword in his hand metamorphosed into a bolt of lightning, stabbed at her wide, black cloak and forcing her to retreat.


    Eleanor was also quick to react to his attacks. She spun the huge scythe in her hands around, forming a solid shield that blocked him repeatedly. In a series of collisions and sparks, the Grim Reaper drifted in midair, while Rhode followed her closely without any intention to let her escape.


    ��Catherine, board the elevator and head to the top floor and help Little Five! You should know how to use an elevator!��


    After a quick glance and not spotting anyone else, Rhode decisively gave an order to Catherine. When Catherine heard his command, she hesitated for a moment. Then, she nodded, turned around, and ran over to the elevator door on the first floor. Rhode had explained in detail to Little Five and Catherine about the elevator. After all, in this place where flight was prohibited, one definitely had to use the elevator to reach the highest floor in the shortest time.


    Upon seeing Catherine��s departure, Eleanor, however, chuckled and swung her scythe to slash her down, trying to intercept the Angel of Light. But before Eleanor flourished her scythe, Rhode had already shown up in front of Catherine, brandishing his sword at the scythe once again and repelling another attack from Eleanor. In the face of his retaliation, Eleanor wasn��t annoyed. Instead, she snickered and drifted far away. But despite that, Rhode felt that her eyes were firmly locked onto him.


    She isn��t one of the three from before!


    Up until that moment, Rhode confirmed that this Eleanor before him wasn��t a member of the trio that ambushed him earlier. Although there was also an Eleanor amongst the trio, she gave him an eerie feeling like she was an elusive Grim Reaper. Meanwhile, this Eleanor had a certain playfulness and litheness in her fighting style that was unique to a young lady. Rhode was very sensitive to this aspect, so he was sure that the ones who activated the mental crystal were definitely not the trio that attacked him before.


    But no matter who they were, Rhode had only one goal now.


    Defeat them and gain victory.

 Chapter 1352 - City of the Decisive Battle (9)

    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    A series of rasps rang out in the clash of blades. Sparks after sparks splashed and illuminated the dim hall. The two figures collided heavily with a shimmering scythe and sword in hand, sending airwaves rushing in all directions.


    ��Hoo-hoo, Human. I didn��t think you were this skillful.��


    After letting out a crisp, bell-like chuckle, Eleanor dodged Rhode��s attack again as if she were weightless. In the face of her remarks, Rhode swept an unpleasant glance at her. At that moment, he realized that besides her odd scythe, her body was the most troublesome to deal with. Logically speaking, although this young lady supposedly owned a human body, the problem was that she was like a deep sea mollusk; whenever she moved, her body was so soft and flexible as if she had no bones.


    There was once when Rhode stabbed at her and she abruptly bent backward into an inverted ��L�� to avoid his attack. That wasn��t impossible to achieve. After all, one who practiced gymnastics could also bend back that far. But the problem was that he was dashing ahead at that time, while she was also backing off. What was even more bizarre was that after she bent backward, she suddenly leaped back to change from an inverted ��L�� to a straight line with her body to draw a distance away from him as if she were swimming backward in the sea. After looking at this scene, Rhode was stunned. And he was almost killed by her scythe.


    He finally understood that ��Grim Reaper�� wasn��t actually a title, but a race instead. Judging from her flexibility, she was the true definition of ��as soft as a bone��. Not only that, but she was also quick in battle like a fish swimming in the sea and could do anything she wanted. Combined with the scythe��s lethality, it made it impossible for Rhode to secure a win anytime soon.


    ��You too, Miss Eleanor.��


    In response to her exclamation, Rhode responded sincerely. As the previous ��test�� was messed up by Lapis, they weren��t really serious in dueling with each other. Of course, Eleanor didn��t show such traits back then, which was normal as under the overwhelming bombardment of Lapis, even if she were to dance around happily, she would still be blown to pieces.


    ��It was Catherine who went up earlier, right? I didn��t expect her to turn out this way�� Hoo-hoo����


    The Grim Reaper said, covering her mouth to chuckle as if she were feeling relaxed. And upon hearing her words, Rhode raised his eyebrows. He finally knew which team was standing in front of him now. It was a team of three made up of the serious Catherine, lively Eleanor, and another Little Five. However, when they fought for the first mental crystal earlier, their Catherine was absorbed by the Catherine on Rhode��s team. Rhode initially thought that the two remaining members of that team would split up, but never did he expect them to stick together. Not only that, but they also went ahead of him to activate the second mental crystal, which was out of his calculations.


    But now, it seemed like this Eleanor also wasn��t the core personality. After all, even though she was the Grim Reaper, her smiley personality gave him an impression of her being a rather frisky character. If that was the character of the core personality, Rhode would definitely have an impression. On the other hand, the Eleanor who ambushed him earlier was filled with the aura of death and fitted the image of the core personality more. But in terms of who had given him the better first impression, this smiling Eleanor was more endearing to him.


    At this thought, Rhode narrowed his eyes and lay down the sword in his hand. Upon seeing his action, the Grim Reaper blinked curiously. Despite that, she didn��t put away her weapon. Instead, she continued gripping the scythe and looked at the young man cautiously.


    ��Do we still have to keep fighting, Miss Eleanor?��


    ��Hmm?��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, Eleanor was taken aback. Soon after, that soft, cheery smile that was characteristic of a young lady appeared on her face once again.


    ��It isn��t like we don��t have to, Mr. Human. Little missy (Little Five) asked me to help her stop someone here. After all, you can��t fall twice in the same place, can you? Just in case, we��ll have to be prepared for that too. Besides, there��s nothing to do up there anyway, so it��s good to pass the time here, don��t you think?��


    ������


    Upon hearing Eleanor��s reply, there was nothing that Rhode could do. However, he keenly realized a hidden message in her words. It seemed like Eleanor and Little Five knew who that mental crystal belonged to, which was why one of them activated the crystal, while the other stopped intruders. Otherwise, if they didn��t know who the mental crystal belonged to, they would have gone and activated it together, wouldn��t they?


    ��In that case����


    At that thought, Rhode didn��t say anything more but raised his sword instead. He didn��t want to destroy the Eleanor in front of him. After all, this was also one of the Grim Reaper��s personalities, so it would be a problem if he killed her. But then again, there were still benefits for strengthening the communication between him and her.


    Rumble��!


    But what Rhode didn��t expect was that just as he lifted his sword to ��communicate�� with Eleanor again, a series of deep rumbles sounded all of a sudden. The stable tower trembled as if an earthquake of magnitude 10 struck. The solid ground rose and fell like ocean waves. A crack appeared like a spiderweb on the wall, gradually extending in all directions. From time to time, gravel dropped as if the building were on the verge of collapsing.


    What? The battle up there has ended already?


    Realizing that possibility, Rhode shifted his gaze to the top floor in astonishment. It would be a lie if he said that he wasn��t worried. Even players who randomly teamed up for a dungeon raid would add one another as friends as long as they didn��t get along too badly, not to mention that Rhode had teamed up with Little Five and Catherine for a while and got along well.


    At that moment, he was a little concerned about whether it was Little Five or her other self who won the battle. But unfortunately, he was unable to confirm who the winner was because while the building crumbled, a glow that he couldn��t be more familiar with enveloped his vision. At the next moment, his world plunged into the same pitch-blackness as before once again.


    ��Argh�� Here we go again����


    Before Rhode opened his eyes, he already felt the damp and moist air around him and heard the sound of waves crashing onto the shore. Hence, without even looking at his surroundings, he was somewhat certain of where he was. As a matter of fact, right after he opened his eyes, the first thing that came into sight was a deep and dark ocean. At his feet was a small observation platform with a spectacular view.


    The moment he confirmed his position, he turned around and looked at the nearby tower immediately. Only seven mental crystals were left. The mental crystals were getting fewer and fewer, which also meant that time was running out. Of course, in addition to that, the amount of time needed to search and obtain the crystals were also limited. However��


    ��Looks like it��s just me now.��


    Unlike before, this time there were no Catherine and Little Five around. Rhode couldn��t help but let out a sigh. But as soon as he muttered those words, he heard a soft and somewhat familiar voice from behind.


    ��Gee, Mr. Human, you can��t say that; I��m with you, aren��t I?��


    ��Huh?��


    Upon hearing that voice, Rhode turned around and gripped his sword instinctively, only to find that Eleanor, the Grim Reaper he fought earlier, ��floating at the edge of the observation deck and looking a little terrifying and eerie. But shortly after, she let out a string of laughter that diminished the bizarre atmosphere. Staring at Eleanor, Rhode felt nervous at first. But soon, he felt more relaxed.


    ��Oh, it��s Miss Eleanor����


    Rhode finally considered himself to have completely figured out the rules set by Karin. At the end of the day, the teleportation wasn��t randomized, but depended on who was closest to him at the time of teleportation. When he was about to activate the mental crystal, perhaps Eleanor��s team was fighting below them. And after he activated the mental crystal, the Catherine from Eleanor��s team was teleported directly to the top floor to start a one-on-one duel just like the Little Five on his team.


    Meanwhile, the other two members in the team had to tragically climb the stairs. But before they climbed to the top floor, the fight on Rhode��s side ended. Hence, Rhode and his team were randomly teleported to another location. And naturally, Eleanor and Little Five below them were also teleported away. And this time, he and Eleanor were below them, so that meant that the Little Five and Catherine above should also be teleported to another place.


    ��What are your plans, Mr. Human?��


    Despite being separated from her companion, Eleanor appeared rather calm. She sat on the railing and gazed at Rhode with her hands resting on her cheeks, wearing a playful smile. Judging from her reaction, it was as if she wasn��t an enemy he just fought with, but a friend he hadn��t seen for a long time. This Grim Reaper had a likable personality though, or at least was very thoughtful. And since the young lady was so kind, Rhode naturally wouldn��t be petty about trivial matters.


    ��I��m going to look for the other mental crystals to check on the situation. If it��s possible, would you like to come with me, Miss Eleanor?��


    After hearing Eleanor��s question, Rhode extended an invitation to her instantly as if it were someone else��s head that was about to be hacked off by her earlier. Upon hearing his words, Eleanor giggled, drifted down from the railing, and went up to him.


    ��Sure, Mr. Human. I have nothing better to do anyway. Besides, I feel that if I follow you, I��m sure I��ll encounter something interesting.��


    ��Please don��t call me Mr. Human; it sounds really awkward. I have a name too. I��m Rhode����


    ��Yes, Mr. Rhode!��


    ������


    Rhode was speechless in the face of this vivacious Grim Reaper. Little Five was also talkative, but she simply enjoyed chatting, with others and with herself. But this Eleanor was clearly not that kind of person. In terms of atmosphere, she was more like Anne to Rhode.


    Even if Eleanor didn��t specifically do anything, as long as she was around, she would lighten the atmosphere with an unexplainable sense of joy and cheerfulness. It was imaginable that if this young lady went out as the Grim Reaper, one would be glad to give one��s life to her�� Perhaps?


    Rhode commented about her lively personality inwardly and didn��t give much thoughts. Besides, he didn��t hate teaming up with this Eleanor. After all, she seemed to have a decent personality. Not only that, but he also felt like she was stronger than Little Five after their exchange in blows.


    As for the problem with the other Little Five, Rhode didn��t mention it again. Although he was a little worried that she would be defeated in the earlier battle, he would be a fool if he discussed this question with Eleanor. Since Eleanor was all too wise not to ask him of his teammate��s situation, he certainly wouldn��t bring it up either.


    ��So Miss Eleanor, where do you think we should head to?��


    Although he had no intention of touching the sensitive topic, he still asked this question without batting an eyelid. In fact, he hadn��t given too much thought about it earlier, but after two consecutive battles, he developed an unprecedented suspicion. Despite that, he didn��t show his doubt, but pretended to be quite a gentleman and asked Eleanor the question instead.


    When she heard his question, she didn��t state anything. On the contrary, she squinted and pondered for a moment, before reaching out her hand and pointing to a nearby tower with a mental crystal located by the sea.


    ��How about there, Mr. Rhode? I can feel it; the mental crystal has my aura on it.��


    ���� Huh? You can feel the aura on the mental crystal?��


    After hearing Eleanor��s answer, Rhode was taken aback. Not to mention anything else, her answer was indeed unexpected. Upon hearing his question, Eleanor gave a matter-of-fact nod.


    ��Of course, Mr. Rhode. Otherwise, why do you think we met twice in a row? My team chose to head there because Little missy��s (Little Five��s) and Miss Catherine��s mental crystals were relatively close to each other. Just that I didn��t expect our luck to be so bad�� But that��s fine too����


    What in the world!


    After hearing Eleanor��s words, Rhode twitched the corner of his eyes. He didn��t detect any aura from the mental crystals at all. But what Eleanor said wasn��t completely unreasonable, or else he wouldn��t be able to explain why they ran into each other twice in a row. But�� Why didn��t the Little Five and Catherine on his team mention a word if they were able to feel the aura on the mental crystals?


    Rhode didn��t think that they were tricking him because from the very beginning, the two of them always listened to him and hadn��t made any comments about that at all. One had to know that there were mental crystals belonging to four people in this world. And chances were Rhode could find the right mental crystals for both of them, too. Wouldn��t they be wasting time if they ended up targeting and retrieving mental crystals belonging to Dona or Eleanor?


    After giving it some thoughts, Rhode felt like the biggest reason was most likely that they didn��t care too much, though they were aware of it. After all, based on his observation, that foodie, Little Five, basically didn��t care about anything but the snacks in her hands. On the other hand, Catherine was a taciturn person. So even if they sensed something, they wouldn��t take it too seriously.


    Of course, this also had something to do with Rhode being too strong. After all, he was always the one who made the decisions and those two barely commented. But�� It wouldn��t kill them to give their input!


    At this thought, Rhode felt like weeping, but had no tears. He didn��t expect to be burdened terribly by incompetent teammates in a place like this�� But fortunately, things changed for the better; this Eleanor seemed much more reliable than Little Five and Catherine; it was just that he didn��t know how those two could survive without him.


    ��Eleanor, can you sense the aura in the other mental crystals?��


    With that in mind, Rhode looked to her again to ask the question. But this time, she shook her head.


    ��I��m sorry, Mr. Rhode, but I can only feel the aura of my mental crystals; I can��t sense the aura of anyone else��s.��


    ��Is that so����


    After hearing her response, Rhode sighed. He initially decided to let Eleanor take him to the other mental crystals to keep watch over them. But it looked like it was hopeless now. However, he wasn��t that mindful. After all, those two young ladies weren��t that stupid (perhaps?), so they should be able to handle troubles themselves. As for Rhode, since he teamed up with Eleanor, it would be better to follow the Grim Reaper to see what was going on, which was much better than scurrying all over the field himself anyway.


    At this thought, Rhode made up his mind quickly.


    ��Let��s go.��

 Chapter 1353 - City of the Decisive Battle (10)

    Shing! Shing! Shing!


    Blade rays shuttled across the air at top speed. Little Five drifted through the air leisurely and in front of her, the blustering shadowy giant split apart, howled, and collapsed to the ground in pieces. Soon after, the giant��s shadowy fragments scattered on the ground, disappearing like melting snow. At that moment, Little Five nodded in satisfaction, flipped the sword over her back, and sheathed it. Then, she walked up to Catherine, who stood at the side blankly, pulled out a lollipop from the armful of snacks, and licked it all over. Catherine swallowed her saliva as she had watched the battle earlier and didn��t move an inch.


    ��This is so boring, and those monsters are so stupid to block our way�� Hey, Catherine, what do you think we should do now? Mr. Rhode ran off somewhere and we��re the only two left now. There are also those troublesome monsters everywhere, and we can hear those����


    Rumble��


    Before Little Five finished her sentence, a thunderous explosion boomed in the distance and the earth trembled. Soon after, they witnessed the tower shaking, debris falling like rain, and another tower collapsing onto the ground. And at that moment, Little Five pulled Catherine away hurriedly, which was how they avoided being crushed. But even so, they were covered in dust and sand that raised from the ground. Fortunately, they fled into the next alley in time, which kept their clothes from looking like the rags of refugees.


    ��Cough, cough�� What a sick world�� I miss my little nest�� Then again, where the hell is Mr. Rhode? Really, why didn��t you bring him along when you ran up the stairs? Why did you have to go up there all by yourself? Besides, wouldn��t it still be useless even if you went up alone? Never mind, you��re my shopping cart now anyway, so everything��s good. Hold the snacks properly, especially the blue bag; I had a hard time finding it.��


    ��Ahahaha����


    After hearing Little Five��s complaints, Catherine nodded with a forced smile and didn��t say anything more. Rhode didn��t know how Little Five won her fight, but Catherine was well aware of it. In fact, when Catherine first witnessed the fight, she was concerned. The opposing Little Five didn��t talk much, but she attacked fiercely and looked quite strong. But perhaps due to the fact that Catherine had arrived at the top floor, Little Five didn��t want to embarrass herself or knew that things wouldn��t end up well if she continued to avoid fighting, so she rose up and fought back against her other self. But eventually, she still covered her head and sneaked away like a rat.


    But when God closed a door on one, he also opened a window at the same time. Little Five didn��t have much talent in terms of battle. But in terms of chattering, her talent was at its peak. So even though she was being beaten up and fleeing, her mouth wasn��t idle at all. Unlike Catherine��s nagging, Little Five grumbled, mocked, and scolded her other self. She was apparently running away from her opponent and yet, she mocked her opponent for not knowing how to fight in the slightest, which was simply asking to be beaten up. Meanwhile, her other self, who wasn��t good with words, got so furious that she stomped her foot.


    As a result�� Her other self accidentally revealed her weakness after she was mocked too much by Little Five. In an instant, Little Five, who was jabbering on like 3000 quacking ducks, flourished her sword and punctured her other self, thus emerging as the winner. The plot twist was so drastic that it surprised even Catherine. If Rhode were here, he would certainly lament that summoned spirits were indeed summoned spirits; be it how unreliable they appeared, their attacks were still lethal whenever they were serious.


    However, this move by Little Five was considered a deadly and indiscriminate AoE weapon that simply ignored the targets. In that battle, even Catherine who stood at the side also felt giddy from her constant babbling, not to mention Little Five��s other self. What was worse was that Little Five wasn��t only making a din, but her complaints were all clear and distinct. Unless one were deaf, otherwise one couldn��t possibly ignore her.


    Perhaps that was why Little Five didn��t take this approach earlier. On one hand, the shadowy monsters couldn��t understand the human language and on the other, maybe Rhode would have slashed her with his sword before the shadowy monsters were even dead. One could only wonder where on earth she got all that talk from.


    ��It is noisy and messy all around, Mr. Rhode is nowhere to be seen, and I don��t know what��s going on with the others. This is just awful�� Things will get worse if those guys are on our tail. By the way, Catherine, let��s go over there!�� Little Five said and clapped her hands together as though she recalled something. Then, she pointed at the tower with a mental crystal emanating at the top.


    Upon seeing her action, Catherine nodded without saying a word. Even though they had absorbed one personality each, their personality didn��t change greatly. Thus, as usual, Catherine let Little Five make the call just like how she let Rhode do it. Now that Rhode wasn��t around anymore, she could only rely upon Little Five.


    It could also be said that�� Both of them didn��t grow at all.


    Fortunately, Rhode didn��t know about that. Otherwise, he would be entirely speechless. And now�� He didn��t have the time to care about Little Five and Catherine any longer. Because he was also facing the same problem.


    ��These guys are everywhere.��


    Looking at the trio that surrounded him and Eleanor, Rhode couldn��t help but curl his lips. This was already the fifth ambush and he didn��t know where this team found such patience or hatred to target him for so long. And he also didn��t know if it was due to the fact that his team had fewer members than them, but they no longer fled after failing their ambush like they did in the beginning.


    On the contrary, they shamelessly opted for a siege, attempting to make him and Eleanor expend their energy. Unless absolutely necessary, they would never leave. Rhode also realized that these three mental projections had no intention of retrieving any mental crystals either. Instead, they seemed to be stalling for time, which felt quite strange.


    Logically speaking, all mental projections would choose to attain their three rightful mental crystals in the shortest amount of time possible. However, these three seemed to be oblivious to that and had no similar thoughts or plans at all, which Rhode found to be a bit strange. No, really strange. He even wondered if they had some inside information that compelled them to do this. But no matter how he asked, they just wouldn��t say a word. Left without a choice, he could only continue his actions. After all, that was the only thing he could do.


    At this thought, Rhode collected his scattered thoughts and exchanged a subtle glance with Eleanor who leaned on his side. Then, he dashed ahead abruptly, flourishing mighty blade rays across the air that glowed like a large, blooming flower. The massive blade ray transformed into a violent storm that slashed his targets. Facing this attack from him, Dona, who stood opposite him like a wild beast, advanced instead of retreating. In a loud bellow, she extended her claws and pounced on Rhode.


    Cling! Cling! Cling! Cling!


    Although Dona was unarmed, she waved her arms cleverly to resist the thrust-out sword from Rhode, forcibly stopping his assault. But Rhode wasn��t a fool either. After his attack was nullified, he pulled back his sword and withdrew all the blade rays, coalescing them into a solid barrier, which he dragged downward. At that moment, the weapon in his hand didn��t look like a sword at all, but rather a hammer that came down at Dona heavily.


    And although Dona reacted promptly, she couldn��t match his speed. Perhaps in the game, a level 85 player could be as quick as him, but in the mental world where he had the attributes of the Void Dragon, even the deity wardens couldn��t match up to him, not to mention card spirits. So even if Dona dodged well in advance, Rhode��s increased speed of attack stabbed at her chest accurately. In this menacing strike, Dona let out a grunt, flew off, and slammed onto the wall heavily, before collapsing to the ground.


    The confrontation between them lasted for only a moment. The instant Dona withdrew from the battle, the Grim Reaper and Little Five also attacked from both sides. One of them was full of ghostly aura, and the other one was like an elusive specter. But even so, they weren��t able to gain any advantage over him. After all, there was another person beside him.


    ��Apologies, this path is closed.��


    With a playful laughter, Eleanor swung her scythe across the air, stopping Little Five��s rapid assault. Then, the former turned her slender body to the side, deflected the sword in Little Five��s hand, and struck the long handle of her scythe on Little Five��s body. Even though Little Five was immune to physical attacks to a certain degree, perhaps due to the fact that both of them had the ��death�� attribute, Little Five wasn��t able to dodge Eleanor��s attack entirely and was struck away.


    Despite that, she didn��t end up as miserable as Dona. She somersaulted in midair to counteract the impact. Meanwhile, on the other side, the other Grim Reaper on her team chose to give up after witnessing two of her teammates suffering defeat. Almost in the blink of an eye, they quickly lifted Dona, who hadn��t gotten up from the ground, up and disappeared from Rhode��s and Eleanor��s sight.


    ��Sigh�� What a headache.��


    Neither Rhode nor Eleanor had the intention of chasing after them. Because they were well aware that it wouldn��t serve any purpose. If they weren��t within the range of the mental crystal, such battles were meaningless. Of course, it also wasn��t entirely so. As long as they captured, knocked the three of them unconscious and brought them to the respective mental crystals, they could secure the victory without having a fight there. But no one knew if that would work. Besides, the trio fled so quickly that Rhode didn��t wish to waste time pursuing them. Not only that, but he was also starting to feel a little annoyed.


    Based on so many encounters with them, he realized that those three personalities belonged to the ��instincts�� of their respective mental world, which was the toughest personality to deal with. As the saying ��a leopard never changes it spots�� went, nothing was harder to deal with than one��s instincts. But�� What exactly were they trying to achieve?


    While Rhode pondered, he didn��t know that the trio that fled from him and Eleanor had already flown past buildings after buildings. They still didn��t communicate with one another and were not even making a sound at all; they simply flew across the air like they were being pulled by an unknown force.


    After a few moments, the trio arrived at the roof of a tall building, which didn��t have a mental crystal and was just an ordinary high-rise. But they didn��t seem to care about the crystals at all. They stayed quietly on the rooftop as if waiting for something. Shortly after, they heard a squeak. The heavy iron door on the side of the rooftop opened and a figure appeared in front of them. When they saw that figure, they neither attacked nor approached it. On the contrary, they took a few steps back like fierce beasts as though facing some kind of enemy. Not only that, but their eyes were also filled with vigilance and hostility as they glared at the figure.


    ��Jeez, I thought I��d get better treatment.��


    The person who appeared in front of the trio was the one who started this competition, Karin. But unlike the Karin Rhode remembered, this young lady displayed a wry smile. She had her hands around her shoulders and squinted unpleasantly as if she were sizing up some experimental animal.


    ��Never mind�� I knew it would turn out like this. It looks like you guys seem to be in a mess, but that��s not surprising, though. According to the estimation of my core, Mr. Rhode��s strength is at a pretty high level. If he wanted to, he could beat the three of you without any difficulty. But I didn��t expect him to not have any reaction in the face of your repeated attacks. I wonder if it��s because you, Big Sisters, are really bad at it or there are some other reasons behind it�� Forget it, that��s enough for this topic���� Karin came to a pause as she unmistakably sensed the hostility surging in them. But even so, she didn��t look threatened in the slightest. ���� Let us continue then, Big Sisters. You don��t have much time left. If you don��t want the core to awaken, you need to give all your strength. Right now, on the outside����


    Rumble��


    It was at that moment when another loud collapse sounded. Karin stopped speaking, narrowing her eyes as she stared at the slowly-collapsing tower. A dangerous smile flashed in her eyes.


    ��There��s not much time left. Everything is going according to plan. I hope that you will continue to work hard, Big Sisters. If you don��t want to be eaten after the core awakens, you should try to seize the present and grab the opportunity for your existence. But you must also be careful; my two other selves seem to notice that something is wrong. Jeez, I don��t want to be exposed. At the very least, it��s still meaningful to me now that the experiment isn��t completely over.��


    Karin spoke, lifting her head to look at the dark, gloomy sky and curling her lips slightly. Although her smile seemed gentle and soft, it gave one an unsettling and pressurizing feeling. And perhaps sensing this feeling, the three of them backed up once again. Upon realizing their reaction, only then did Karin withdraw her gaze on the void and smile at them as if she were looking at her satisfying experimental subjects.


    ��Alright, now that the stalling mission has been accomplished, you can follow the previous plan to activate the next mental crystal. But be careful, don��t meet people you shouldn��t, or even I won��t be able to help you.��


    With that said, Karin gently lifted the hem of her skirt and bowed to the trio in front of her. She smiled softly, stretched out her fingers, and snapped. Along with that action, a white, flawless card flew out from her hands. In the face of the card that Karin flicked out of her fingers, Dona reached out her hand and received it silently.


    ��It seems like this is the limit to your abilities. But don��t worry, I��ve also prepared my trump card. The next time you fight against Mr. Rhode, activate this card if you encounter a tricky situation beyond your grasp. I think it will give you a big surprise. Alright then, I��ll take my leave now�� Hoo-hoo����


    Bang.


    Along with the laughter, the heavy iron door closed itself. At that moment, the rooftop of the high-rise was empty.

 Chapter 1354 - City of the Decisive Battle (11)

    So what��s going on now?


    Rhode crossed his arms and gazed at the mental crystal in front of him. Eleanor, who stood beside him, also leaned against the wall, looking somewhat bored as she stretched out her hand and tapped the wall helplessly. It wasn��t an illusion, but reality instead. At least for now, they hadn��t encountered another attack and soon arrived at the third mental crystal that emanated Eleanor��s aura. But what happened next was depressing to Rhode because�� Nothing exactly happened.


    That��s right, nothing happened. Although Eleanor went up, touched and even tapped the mental crystal a few times, it didn��t react in the slightest. It was as if it had malfunctioned and there was nothing either Rhode or her could do about it. And the fact that they expected another Eleanor to appear and fight them didn��t happen either. In one sentence, things took a weird turn.


    Rhode stood at the edge of the tower, looking out into the distance. He always felt as if something wasn��t quite right as the rules seemed to be changing all the time and weren��t very logical. The rules that he predicted in the beginning were somewhat different from the ones they faced later with Eleanor and the rest. And now, they were no longer somewhat different, but entirely different instead.


    It was like a track and field race, which at first was thought to be a hundred meter dash before turning into a middle-distance relay run. And now, it was as if they were going for a long-distance marathon. Even though it wasn��t impossible for that to happen in the mental world, Rhode felt like based on Karin��s character, she shouldn��t have made such a mistake. After all, as a ��researcher��, Karin was strict with herself. If she had such a casual side in her work, Rhode would need to check if there were any hidden technical issues with the magical warships after he returned.


    What��s next?


    The first thing to do was to inform the GM after noticing a bug in the game. But now�� Rhode looked to the left and right, before shifting his gaze above. He spread his arms apart and shrugged helplessly. It seemed like the ��game�� system wasn��t well set up. He couldn��t reach a customer service team to complain about the issue. However, he believed that Karin should be monitoring the process and that even if he didn��t do anything, she would respond soon.


    As expected, when Rhode and Eleanor were so bored that they almost decided to brew a pot of tea to appreciate life, a pillar of light descended from the sky and Karin appeared from it. However, unlike before, Karin��s face was ice-cold and serious, with anxiety in her eyes that couldn��t be concealed. However, after meeting Rhode and Eleanor, her expression softened a little.


    ��Mr. Rhode, seems like you��re doing fine. That��s good to know����


    ��Did something happen?��


    Sweeping a glance at Eleanor, who had closed one eye and behaved like she was trying to sneak an observation at Karin who suddenly appeared, Rhode responded to Karin, walked up to her side, and they started whispering to each other. Meanwhile, Eleanor saw his meaningful glance and knew not to follow him. Instead, she leaned against the mental crystal and admired the night view boringly.


    ��Yes, Master. The situation is a little abnormal. This was what happened����


    After listening to Karin��s narration, Rhode quickly learned what the true problem was. Just as he expected, the rules of the game that he predicted at the beginning were actually correct. After all, this was a competition, and in order to avoid unnecessary mutual annihilation, Karin and her personalities considered the rules well before setting them. But soon, they realized that something went wrong. Like all programmers, if someone pointed out that there was a bug in the program, the programmers would just look at that idiot and wonder if that idiot was the one who made a mistake instead. And all of the Karins were no exception either.


    They didn��t think there was anything wrong with their seemingly perfect rules at first, but thought that the contestants themselves hadn��t figured out the rules of the game yet. In addition, those mistakes were also within the permitted limits, so all the Karins were patient and silent, waiting for the contestants to get on the right track. But that was exactly what made them lose the best timing to adjust the rules, causing it to become unmanageable by the time they realized something went wrong.


    ��You must have heard the rumbles and collapses, right, Master?��


    ��Yes, I heard them.��


    After hearing her question, Rhode nodded. However, the collapsing sounds were regular and sounded every once in a while. Although Rhode was also curious as to what was going on, he didn��t raise any questions. Even though it wasn��t that he didn��t want to head over to check out the situation; the problem was that there was no pattern to the collapsing locations and he couldn��t possibly predict beforehand where it would happen and run over there to wait for it.


    Thus, in the end, he didn��t do anything about it and left the rest up to the Gods. It would be best if his team could encounter one, and if they couldn��t, It didn��t matter. It wasn��t supposed to be his problem, was it?


    ��Earlier, we thought they were just the aftermaths from the battles between teams.��


    Karin��s expression remained calm, but Rhode caught a hint of ��that definitely wasn��t an excuse on our part for not noticing the anomaly�� from her face.


    But since she was so adamant about it, he wasn��t that evil to expose her. At any rate, this was also a matter of reputation. The technical staff would be especially sensitive in this area. Since they already knew that they were wrong, Rhode saved them some face by not criticizing them further. And watching as Rhode nodded, Karin��s eyes were filled with some strange emotion. But she eventually coughed and spoke softly.


    ��It was only later that we noticed that something wasn��t quite right�� Perhaps you didn��t realize, Master, but your team is the only team left to be able to truly complete the mission to acquire all the mental crystals.��


    ��What you meant is����


    After hearing her words, Rhode instinctively froze for a moment. Then, he realized what she meant.


    ��Only Catherine and Little Five obtained the mental crystals? But the number of mental crystals left are�� No, one more crystal is gone now.��


    Lifting his head to glance at the city in front of him, Rhode noticed that the radiance of yet another mental crystal had dimmed. And upon looking at that scene, Karin frowned and showed a troubled and nervous expression. But soon, she regained her composure.


    ��Yes, we made a mistake in the design. In fact����


    At that point, Karin paused for a moment uncharacteristically as if she were hesitating whether or not to tell Rhode the truth. In the end, however, she bit the bullet and voiced the biggest problem.


    ����The mental crystals were snatched by the other mental projections.��


    ���� Huh?��


    Upon hearing those words, Rhode was taken aback. After Karin explained with gesticulating hands, he finally understood what she meant. As a matter of fact, there weren��t just three projected personalities in each of them. Generally speaking, the reason why the mental world projected only three personalities was that they were the most powerful. But that didn��t mean that there weren��t other personalities present; it was just that those personalities were too lacking, such as a lack in ego, discipline, or some other traits.


    In short, it was as if everyone had a variety of innermost situations. And if the emotions of happiness, anger, and sadness were refined into mental projections, there would be hundreds of them.


    In the beginning, all the Karins dragged the most mature of personalities into this world and closed the mental channels. But recently, they discovered that someone was secretly opening the mental channels to allow entry to less-mature projections. This surprised all the Karins greatly. The paths leading back to the various mental worlds were still sealed without a doubt, but they overlooked one thing.


    The boundary was like the railing in a prison. In order to stop prisoners from escaping, the boundary would definitely not let the prisoners fit their bodies through. But the gaps between the railing were able to let out a cat or mouse without any issue. This was the problem with the current boundary around the mental world that all the Karins faced. And while the railing was tight enough to stop mature personalities, they were of no hindrance to the less-mature ones.


    So by the time they realized something was wrong, a number of ��less-mature�� personalities were already here. The towers collapsed as a result, not because of fighting, but because the mental world��s instinctive reaction was to resist the appearance of foreign objects. And now, the problem in front of Karin was a massive one. Even if she were to open up the mental channels to let the other personalities go back to their respective homes, it would be useless.


    Unless she got all the personalities back, even if she just got three core personalities back, after cutting the mental channel, the other personalities would be more or less damaged as a result. Some might even lose the ability to show emotions. After all, Karin still couldn��t confirm exactly how many less-mature personalities were mixed into the competition.


    ��So what��s next?��


    Hearing this was quite a headache for Rhode. He also felt troubled at the thought that there were an unknown number of less-mature personalities roaming around here. And it wasn��t like it didn��t affect him at all. After all, these personalities were all personalities of his card spirits, and missing one of them could potentially cause mental turmoil. Although it was still unknown who did such a thing, it was certain that this was definitely not a scenario he wanted to see.


    ��There��s only one way. According to our design, we can sense the mental projections around the mental crystals and fuse them altogether. Hence���� Karin spoke, gesturing to a nearby mental crystal. The mental crystal vanished and reappeared in her hands. Along with the movement of her fingers, the mental crystal shrunk instantly into the size of a bracelet in just the blink of an eye. She handed the bracelet to Rhode.


    ��As you have already noticed, these crystals are each made according to the card spirits themselves, so they can sense the aura of their kind. After some discussion, we have decided to temporarily change the use of the mental crystals so that as long as your companion wears the bracelet, she can sense the location of all the mental projections of her kind throughout the metropolis. Now, we want you to be able to absorb all of these personalities before the remaining mental crystals are taken away.��


    ��This is definitely a huge project����


    Upon hearing her explanation, Rhode reached out his hand to hold his forehead. Then, he quickly remembered something.


    ��Wait, aren��t the mental projections only able to absorb other personalities of their kind? I only have Eleanor with me, while Little Five and Catherine are nowhere to be found. I haven��t met another Dona either, so if I am to run into any other personality, I wouldn��t be able to absorb them.��


    ��That is something we have also noticed. In fact, earlier on, my two other selves and I were seeking out personalities that qualify for the mental crystals and giving them the same instructions. And that is what I am giving you now, Master.�� As Karin spoke, she reached out her hand and pointed to a neighborhood park not far away. Then, she blinked and continued.


    ��Please head there at the shortest time possible. The other mental projections will meet you there. Do note that mental projections who wear the bracelet will not be absorbed even if they are defeated in battle. The only mental projections that can be absorbed are those who are not wearing the bracelet. And, just to be on the safe side, we will guard the final passage. This is all. Please excuse me����


    ��Wait.��


    After hearing her narration, Rhode widened his mouth to call out to Karin who was about to turn around and leave. When Karin heard his voice, she came to a standstill and turned back around.


    ��May I ask if there is anything else?��


    ��I suppose you have already found a clue about the dark side of this conspiracy, Karin.��


    Staring into the eyes of the young lady in front of him, Rhode spoke calmly. It wasn��t too surprising. After all, this was no small matter, and they were also in Karin��s world. Since all the Karins had realized the issue, it was impossible that they couldn��t even understand the root cause of the problem. After all, this place was like the inside of the human body; no one knew better than the person concerned how painful it was to have something go wrong. But in the face of Rhode��s question, Karin fell into an unexpected silence for a moment.


    ��I��m sorry, but as of now, we don��t have enough evidence or clues to confirm the true masterminds. But rest assured, I will inform you if I have any definite information.��


    After saying her piece, Karin disappeared into the darkness completely while Rhode, on the other hand, gazed quietly and didn��t say a word. He had a feeling that Karin actually knew exactly who was responsible for this. But out of some consideration, she didn��t explain to him.


    Even if she didn��t clarify his doubt, he could still guess a little bit. After all, in this mental world, there was only one person who could do it right under Karin��s nose without her finding out. But now��


    It looks like I don��t have the chance to play the famous detective��s game any longer.


    At this thought, he turned to Eleanor, who was staring at him curiously at the side, smiled, and handed over the bracelet in his hand to her.


    ��Miss Eleanor, would you be interested in playing a game of hunting?��


    After hearing what happened from Rhode, Eleanor nodded in agreement and accepted his invitation. After all, she was no fool and knew that things were rather strange, so she agreed to his offer without any question. Then, Rhode ran off with her in the direction of the neighborhood park that Karin pointed out earlier. After all, according to Karin, several other core projections would be joining him there as well. This was normal, since it was always better to head into battle with more people.


    Although Karin didn��t specify, Rhode was well aware that the other core personalities also probably understood the implications. It would have been fine if the secondary personalities were simply fooling around. But since they actually did something to the mental crystal, it meant that they probably desired to grow stronger and take over as the core personality.


    Perhaps Eleanor was also aware of this fact and that was why she agreed. Ultimately, no one wanted their position to be replaced by another, let alone being replaced by a personality that was supposedly irreplaceable. There was a good chance that the loser would be chewed up without even a scrap left; something that no one would smile and accept wholeheartedly�� Perhaps.


    With Rhode leading the way, the two of them soon arrived at a neighborhood park. Unlike before, the shadowy monsters had completely disappeared and didn��t show up to stop them. Rhode wondered if it was due to the fact that Karin had removed them to avoid accidents, but one less obstacle was always better for him.


    ��Now it seems like we��re the only ones who��ve arrived early. I wonder what the situation is like for the others.��


    Gazing at the empty neighborhood park, Rhode mumbled under his breath. He had already asked Eleanor to sense their presence and she found that there were around seven to eight of her mental projections in this competition venue. Although this wasn��t a small number, it was still acceptable compared to hundreds or thousands of them. It was just that even Eleanor had almost 10 mental projections, so perhaps the others also didn��t have too many either mental projections��


    ��Ah, Mr. Rhode, I��ve finally found you!��


    While Rhode pondered, he suddenly heard a familiar voice that interrupted his thoughts. And without the need to turn back, he guessed the owner of the voice. As expected, the moment he turned to the voice, he saw two figures he couldn��t be more familiar with.


    Little Five and Catherine.

 Chapter 1355 - City of the Decisive Battle (12)

    ��Then? All of a sudden, that person named Karin said she��s changing the rules, so at the end of the day, we��re just running around for nothing? How can you tolerate that, Mr. Rhode? I was about to catch that fella and give her a good beating, but she slipped away quicker than you; gone in the blink of an eye. This is infuriating, isn��t it? But come to think of it, fortunately we didn��t head the wrong direction. It is all thanks to me. If it weren��t for me thinking that I would meet you if we head this way, we wouldn��t have met. Now that I think about it, my instincts sure are accurate. Oh, but then again����


    ������


    Looking at Little Five who spoke incessantly, Rhode couldn��t help but twitch the corner of his eyes. Although the attribute of her being a chatterbox was one that he had known for some time, she had been talking endlessly since the beginning of the meeting as if she were under some kind of stimulus. This gave him a huge, incomparable headache.


    Judging from this point, even though he was sure that the final victory would definitely belong to the Little Five on his side, he always felt like she seemed to talk a lot more than when she was with him and Catherine than she did before�� Anyway, it wasn��t time to be concerned about such a minor issue.


    ��Sigh����


    Rhode sighed, pushed Catherine in front of him to bear the brunt of Little Five��s jabbering, and turned to look at the other side. At least for now, it seemed to him that the core personalities were right there.


    Like Rhode��s side, the other team also had the same team of four: Little Five, Eleanor, Dona, and Catherine. Although this was the first time Rhode met them, he sensed that they were probably the closest to the core personality. Even though, by all rights, it was impossible for them to know each other as mental projections, he keenly detected a subtle harmony in their team as if four pieces of a puzzle of different sizes managing to fit together perfectly into a single drawing board. However��


    I��m still missing one person on my team.


    At this thought, Rhode swept a glance at Dona, who was standing in the other team, and puckered his brows. Up until now, he��d only met one Dona, and according to Karin, she was one of the less-mature personalities. So there was also no telling what was going on with the other three core Donas. But now, it was apparently not the time to discuss it.


    ��I suppose you��ve heard from Karin as well.


    With that in mind, Rhode let out a sigh and walked up to the group of four for interactions. And upon hearing him speak, the four of them looked at each other, and soon, Dona stepped forth and nodded at him with a smile.


    ��That��s right, we��ve gotten information on the matter from the lady called Karin. To be honest, we thought something wasn��t quite right and now, it looks like things are getting really serious. So, you��re that human? Hmmm�� Interesting. Although, according to our positions, we should be slaughtering each other right now, considering the current situation�� What are your thoughts, human?��


    ��My opinion is the same as Karin��s; no matter what exactly is wrong between us, what we need to deal with at the moment are those�� rats that sneaked out.��


    After hearing Dona��s question, Rhode replied quickly, meanwhile ascertaining the reactions of the four of them. After listening to his answer, however, Dona nodded with a smile, apparently agreeing with his suggestion. Not only that, but the feeling she gave him also wasn��t too different from the original Dona; it was just that he didn��t know if it was due to him being overly concerned, but he always felt as if there was something missing from the current Dona. Perhaps because she hadn��t finished mending her personality so far?


    As for Eleanor, she snorted after listening to his words. Unlike the Eleanor on his team, the feeling this young lady gave him was more like an execution frame with no emotional life to speak of, wielding the butcher��s knife to reap lives equally, regardless of whether the person was guilty or not. For that reason, there was an ice-cold and soulless atmosphere shrouding her entirety that was simply impossible for one to approach.


    As for Little Five, she appeared more normal, but also held a green sword in her hand, narrowing her eyes and staring at him. Judging from her stature, she was no longer the petite young lady that he knew. It was apparent that this personality should be the form of Little Five after she grew older. Although her expression was calm, Rhode felt something bizarre in her narrowed eyes. And it didn��t feel good.


    Meanwhile, this Catherine was just as silent and serious as the original. She stood at the side dutifully as if she were a guard. If it weren��t for the cowering Catherine in his team who was being drowned by Little Five��s saliva now, Rhode would think that this Catherine��s personality was completely mended.


    �� But come to think of it��


    At this thought, Rhode couldn��t help but sweep a glance at the Little Five behind himself, who was snacking and chuckling away, as well as the panic-stricken Catherine who forced a smile at her and hugged snacks in her arms�� Frankly, Rhode felt like even though the composition of his team was ridiculous, he actually preferred seeing them causing a ruckus. Perhaps because he was used to the clamors of players in the game and the lively atmosphere whenever they were about to head onto a new adventure, he was, in fact, rather resistant to teams that were too serious. Even though he had his own elite squad that was serious during battles, he was still used to them making occasional mistakes and bustling with activities. He just couldn��t react to people being overly stern.


    Sigh��


    This was the first time he felt like things were a bit of a shame. He didn��t know how long his team could hold on in a fight against the core personalities. Would they be able to defeat the core personalities? The possibility was definitely small, but wasn��t entirely impossible. After all, in Celia��s mental world, Rhode joined forces with the little queen and giant to launch a counterattack against the battle angel, who was the core personality, and eventually succeeded.


    But he wondered if there was any possibility of him repeating something similar here. After all, this competition in Karin��s mental world wasn��t some peaceful fairytale type of thing�� Not only that, but with such situations happening now, what exactly would it look like in the end?


    Now that the target of the battle was determined, the next step was much simpler. With the help of the mental bracelet, the crowd quickly figured out the number of mental projections currently in the entire metropolis. The total number added up to around 50 or so, which of course, in a way, was a lot of trouble. And the trouble itself wasn��t just the amount of them. After all, they were all less-mature personalities and it was possible that they weren��t reliable in their self-perception. In terms of combat power, though, the Little Five on his team was perfectly fine to take on 10 at a time. But the problem was��


    Space.


    That��s right, the space created by all the Karins was so large that the 50 or so less-mature personalities were like ants running into a garden, where trying to find them all was tougher than anything else. Even though they were able to lock onto aura, there was no way to instantly move and fly toward their target, meaning they had to rely entirely on themselves. The mental world also became extremely unstable due to the intervention of abnormal existence. And if they were to forcefully bring changes to the venue, it would be like a rocking building block that would completely collapse. Thus, there was no choice but to maintain the status quo and continue with it.


    But�� Rhode wasn��t entirely out of ideas yet.


    Vroom������!


    The loud and deep revs of an engine echoed on the wide street. Shortly after, a red bolt of lightning zoomed past the road and swept up all the fallen leaves on the streets.


    ��Whoa! Go, go, go! Mr. Rhode, go! This is so cool, YEAH!��


    Little Five, who sat in the passenger seat, waved her hands high in excitement as if she were on a roller coaster. It was apparent that she was very much interested in such a bizarre transportation tool. On the other hand, Catherine, who sat in the back, was all ashen, holding the snacks in her arms and closing her eyes as if she were about to step onto the execution ground.


    ��Mr. Rhode, please go�� Slower����


    ��Slow is no fun. Speed up, speed up! Ohhhhh, this is so much more fun than riding a horse!��


    That��s right, since this city was created by Karin using Rhode��s memories, there was definitely no shortage of cars among them. The reason why Rhode hadn��t chosen this kind of transportation before was that there were still shadowy monsters at that time, and driving on the road under those circumstances was as though a death sentence to them. But now, Karin withdrew the shadowy monsters that were in the way, so he didn��t mind having some fun. Even though there was still no way to match the pace of the rest dashing at full speed, it would always be more tiring running on their legs, after all. And with driving, there was no such problem.


    ��How is it? Fun?��


    With his hands on the steering wheel and eyes looking straight ahead, Rhode curled up his mouth slightly into a proud smile.


    ��I��m the best at this; I have always gotten first place whenever I drove in Need for Speed[1]! I��m not afraid to tell you that even I am afraid of myself when I drive! I still haven��t gotten my driver��s license yet, but driving in the game is about the same as driving in reality! Alright, let��s do this! MUSIC START!��


    Rhode was quite proud of himself for playing the game, but as a college graduate from a middle-class family who couldn��t afford to spend the rest of his life looking for a job after graduation, it wasn��t surprising that he didn��t know how to drive and own a car. But he didn��t care about that; at least in the game, he was able to drive smoothly! And that was enough for him!


    After saying those words that could leave one pale, Rhode reached out his arm and turned on the stereo. Soon after, accompanied by the deafening music, the red sports car picked up speed again, drifting away from the road in a long arc, plunging forward and scurrying past the tower wreckage that littered the ground.


    ��Ahhhhh! Mr. Rhode, watch out the front! We��re going to hit the front! Ahhhhhh!��


    Catherine, at the backseat, was so frightened that even her wings had instinctively stretched out and wrapped around her body. Eleanor, who sat beside Catherine, however, wore a breezy smile, but God knew what was on her mind.


    ��Watch out!��


    After turning the crossroad, Rhode yelled with twitched brows. Upon hearing his scream, Little Five, who sat in the passenger seat, stood up and stared at the whistling wind with eyes shining like stars, gripping the green sword in her hands. Soon after, she flashed past and a green whirlwind erupted from the red sports car. The ghostly blade ray streaked across the air and in the blink of an eye, a green blade arc hacked down from above.


    The instant Little Five attacked, a green, illusory figure suddenly flew up among the wreckage right ahead as if trying to evade her. But Little Five, who had already locked onto her target, wouldn��t let her prey escape so easily. She clenched the sword in an upward-raising stance in midair.


    At the next moment, she zoomed ahead nearly a hundred meters to arrive behind the green, illusory figure, puncturing her sword through the other party without mercy. In the face of her ambush, the illusory figure didn��t react in time. She shrieked and transformed into a hazy light that was sucked into Little Five��s bracelet on her right hand. And after confirming that everything had ended, Little Five made a backflip and dropped securely into her passenger seat of the red sports car that sped under her.


    ��Hahahaha, that was great! Mr. Rhode, this feels so much more relaxing than before! Keep going, keep going! This iron wagon is so powerful!��


    I wonder how much time is left.


    Listening to Little Five��s shouting next to him, Rhode pondered as he stepped hard on the accelerator. He didn��t have a mental bracelet, so naturally he couldn��t sense the presence of aura like the others. But since earlier, the Little Five and Eleanor on his team had each killed three to four of their own projections, and just as he expected, the less-mature personalities didn��t form their own projections at all.


    It could even be said that a few of the less-mature personalities looked as if they were shadows of themselves without facial features or anything. Their strength was also so weak that even the weakest combatant among them, Little Five, could kill them with a single slash of the blade, not to mention Eleanor. Perhaps the only one who would be in some trouble wasCatherine, but maybe Rhode and the rest were lucky enough because they hadn��t seen Catherine��s less-mature personalities so far.


    But��


    Squeak������!


    At that moment, a shadow suddenly flashed in front of Rhode��s eyes. However, he reacted swiftly, turned the steering wheel, and the drifting red sports car let out a sharp screech from its tyres, raising a series of smoke rose from the ground. Soon after, he changed the direction of the red sports car and a powerful burst of wind erupted from the side of the vehicle. Not only did it tear the solid ground open, but the back of the building was also struck by it, exploding in a bang as if it were hit by a missile and collapsing entirely.


    ��Who��s there?!��


    Rhode leaped out of the stalled red sports car. He sensed that the attacker this time was different from the ones that attacked them previously, but possessed the same powerful strength. Not only that, but he also felt like there was clearly more than one of them!


    The instant Rhode dodged the attack, he felt another strong gust of wind charging at him. In an instant, he flipped and raised the sword in his hand. Along with this action, the flat ground that was like sticky dough suddenly rose to form a barrier that blocked the other party��s attack.


    Boom!


    However, the hurriedly-erected barrier was completely destroyed in the blow. Almost at the same time, the clanging of weapons could be heard in the surroundings. After a few moments, Rhode, Eleanor, Little Five, and Catherine stood back-to-back, vigilantly wielding weapons in their hands and staring in front of them.


    Who exactly are they?


    Rhode gripped his sword and frowned, sensing the aura around him. He sensed more than one person lurking around his team. But yet for some reason, his senses seemed to be interfered with, and he was completely unable to figure out the number of people on the other side. Moreover, the ambush felt somewhat familiar too��


    ������!


    At that moment, dazzling lights suddenly shone, illuminating the broken wall in front of Rhode. Immediately after, a ��young lady�� clad in an idol miniskirt and holding a microphone jumped from the scene, waving her hand as if she were performing a concert.


    ��Hi������Everyone! Do you remember me? I��m the most talented and adorable star of tomorrow; a little flower blooming on the ceiling, and everyone��s favorite idol, Rhode��! Come on, let��s sing and have a wild and fun LIVE concert!!!��


    ������


    Looking at that figure, Rhode was entirely speechless. And now, there was only one thought in his mind.


    Goddammit�� Karin, can you choose mental projections properly?


    [1] A racing video game franchise published by Electronic Arts.

 Chapter 1356 - City of the Decisive Battle (13)

    Rhode was unaware of what the card spirits thought about his other personality. Anyway, he didn��t have any thoughts other than wanting to strangle the projection of his other personality. Even though he had no idea how his other self came here, it was still rather depressing for him to see. And what made him even more speechless was that he wasn��t the only one who saw his other self, but the rest met him as well.


    Gazing at his other self who stood on the ruins with a slutty face, Catherine��s expression became rather complicated. She scanned him from head to toe and for some reason, he suddenly felt a little uncomfortable upon witnessing her gaze. It felt especially like the gaze of a kitten who was drenched in the rain.


    As for Eleanor, she was respectful and didn��t comment much�� But her act would be more convincing if she didn��t look at Rhode with a serious expression while sneaking a glance over her shoulder at his other self. And what upset Rhode the most was naturally the Little Five. This chatterbox just wouldn��t shut up at all. And of course, that was exactly the case now��


    ��Whoa�� Isn��t that Mr. Rhode? Why are you wearing such a fancy dress? That skirt is so short that your thighs are showing�� Come to think of it, can a guy even wear a dress? But it makes sense since Mr. Rhode looks so pretty, so wearing a dress suits him a lot�� Say, what are you trying to do? Sing? I��ve never heard Mr. Rhode��s singing. Is it good?��


    ������


    For the first time, Rhode found it quite annoying for Little Five to say something like that.


    ��Hmph!��


    But now wasn��t the time for that. Facing his other self, Rhode grunted and rushed over with his sword. Previously, he wanted to annihilate his other self but unfortunately, Gracier and Madaras coincidentally found their true selves and that forced him out of his mental world. He didn��t expect the world to be this small that his other self came looking for him on his own to get killed! At this thought, Rhode no longer hesitated, but attacked his other self immediately instead. It was especially so since his other self wore such ridiculous clothes. He was determined to teach that bast*rd a lesson on what ��asking for death�� meant!


    Shing! Shing! Shing!


    The instant he attacked, the shadowy figures around his team also took actions, assaulting Little Five, Catherine, and Eleanor. However, Rhode wasn��t that concerned since Little Five and Eleanor were strong, while Catherine had absolute defense. Not only that, but Little Five also gained strength after absorbing her other self. At least for now, she wasn��t considered the weakest among them.


    Even though Rhode didn��t know how his other self found these shadowy figures, he was certain that they couldn��t match up against his team. Thus, he flourished his sword and attacked his other self right away.


    ��Jeez, why get so agitated! I��m you, Rhode! Don��t you wish to be noticed and loved like an idol?��


    ��I stopped wishing for it a long time ago.��


    Rhode responded without hesitation. He wasn��t sure what was wrong with himself that he actually created such a personality, but who didn��t actually consider being highly regarded by others? But the problem was that he was already in the limelight, where he was the leader of the number one guild in the game of Dragon Soul Continent, as well as a leader of the virtual e-sports world.


    In a society of network and virtualization, not even world-class athletes were as popular as him. It could also be said that among the people walking down the streets and up to the age of 50 or 60, those who didn��t know him were a true minority. After all, during his time, it was an era where even the elderly grew up with the Internet. In addition to the popularity of the virtual world, it really made him popular as an Internet sensation. However, the only thing was that the gaming company used his in-game avatar for publicity. After all, in this era, no one thought that there were still people who deliberately transformed their looks. Of course, for Rhode, it was also a good thing that he was able to avoid being exposed.


    Wait, is this other self of mine actually my desire to appear in front of the public in my true identity? I��ve made up my mind. Kill him!


    Boom!


    His whistling blade tore through the darkness, and the strong gust and pressure split the huge ruin in front of him in two. At that moment, the other Rhode, who stood on top of the ruin, slipped away quickly. In fact, ever since Rhode became the Void Dragon, it had been a while since he wanted to destroy someone. But now�� It was an entirely different matter.


    ��Hoo-hoo, you don��t really think you can destroy me, right, Rhode? You didn��t even do it before, so how are you going to do it now?��


    Perhaps because his other self was mentally prepared, he dodged Rhode��s attack quickly. Immediately after, he chuckled and flung up the back of his hand. Along with this action, a sword that shone with a pitch-black glow emerged from his hand and the two blades clashed, sending a series of flickering silver radiance flying across the darkness. From time to time, intense sparks erupted from the rasping blades. After a few moments, the two of them separated suddenly.


    And it was only then when Rhode knitted his brows and looked with confusion at his other self who smiled proudly at him. Rhode was aware that the situation seemed somewhat abnormal. In the previous mental world, which was also the home turf of his other self, they fought each other. But even so, his other self wasn��t able to defeat him and was almost killed. That was because Rhode was the core personality and it was common sense that the core personality was the strongest in the mental world. But now, after a round of battle, he discovered that his other self became much stronger, which wasn��t logical at all. Rhode attacked with an intention to kill and spared no mercy in the slightest.


    This wasn��t surprising since any man who saw himself in women��s clothing, or in front of the public whining and ��sluting�� would definitely be filled with murderous intent. But what astonished him was that after a round of battle, his other self displayed strength beyond his expectations. He originally thought that he would be able to kill that guy instantly. But now, it seemed like that wasn��t the case at all�� The strength of his other self seemed to have increased by a lot.


    How is that possible? This is the mental world and he is a mental projection. It��s not like he can kill monsters and level up, so what did he rely on to increase his power?


    At that moment, Rhode didn��t notice that in the nearby shadows, a pair of eyes emanating a mysterious light was staring at the battlefield. Upon seeing Rhode��s reaction, the hint of a smile was unmistakably revealed in those eyes.


    ��Everything is going as planned. I wonder if you can pass this test, Master?��


    While Rhode was occupied, the rest weren��t standing idly by either. It was especially so for Little Five and Eleanor, who were exceptionally busy. That was because Rhode had apparently charged at his other self, leaving behind four opponents for them to deal with. Moreover, Catherine wasn��t partaking in the battle, so the situation could be said to be two versus four. But even so, Little Five and Eleanor weren��t defeated. Of course, apart from the fact that they were powerful, Catherine also provided essential contribution.


    Just that her ��contribution�� was a little odd.


    ��Get over there!��


    Turning around to avoid the menacing bite of the beast-like Dona, Little Five grabbed Catherine who stood by her side without hesitation, and pushed her over to the other direction. At that moment, Catherine, with an extremely-slow reflex, stood blankly on the spot and didn��t react to Dona��s punch in the slightest, and Dona��s fist was about to crush her face. If it were a normal situation, this fist alone would have been enough to blow her head off.


    But unfortunately, this time Dona wasn��t able to achieve her goal. Her fist stopped a few inches away from Catherine��s forehead as if she struck a transparent wall. And at that moment, Catherine seemed to return to her senses, letting out a shriek and crouching on the ground with hands over her head. Before she knew it, Little Five��s green blade came flying over from the back in a whoosh.


    Despite that, Dona��s reaction wasn��t slow either. She raised her arms before her in a criss-cross stance and resisted the assault. However, Little Five apparently wasn��t affected. After failing her strike, she raised the sword high and launched another attack at Dona. Of course, her mouth also didn��t stop jabbering.


    ��Really, I thought they would be easy to deal with, but I didn��t expect them to be so troublesome. Why are these guys so much stronger than before? That��s odd. They also don��t look very smart, do they?��


    Little Five��s complaint wasn��t entirely unreasonable. She noticed that there was a connection between the combat power of these mental projections and their intelligence. The smarter they were, the higher their combat power was. And the dumber they were, the lower their combat power was.


    The Dona in front of her looked like a projection of an incomplete and instinctual personality like an angry beast. But her combat power was so strong that even Little Five had to use Catherine as a shield to stop her attack. The situation didn��t look right at all. However, Little Five was just talking and still had to follow up on her own.


    On the other side, Eleanor��s battle also wasn��t stopping soon. Unlike the somewhat miserable Little Five, Eleanor��s battle was more elegant and relaxed, not tense or rushed in the slightest.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    Two heavy scythes collided in the air, before separating silently. A smile rolled up on Eleanor��s face. Facing the hideous face of the person who clearly looked exactly like her, she seemed completely unresponsive as if the other party with her mouth wide-open and drooling wasn��t her at all. Using the impact of the clash, she turned around abruptly and flew backward as if to evade the other party��s ensuing attack. But at the next moment, she swung the handle of her scythe swiftly to the side. In a loud clang, the enemy Angel of Light who flourished her sword was struck away, falling heavily to the ground.


    And at that moment, Eleanor finally displayed her prowess as a Grim Reaper. Almost immediately after the Angel of Light flew toward the back, Eleanor, whose body was also flying backward, suddenly turned ninety degrees like an octopus in the deep sea and dashed toward the helpless Angel of Light. In a dazzling flash of light, the huge scythe that looked like the teeth of a fierce beast penetrated the Angel of Light��s body mercilessly.


    ��������!��


    Unlike the Catherine in Rhode��s team, this Angel of Light clearly didn��t have that kind of invincible shield. The scythe ripped through her body effortlessly with blood spraying out from the gashes. The Angel of Light with her chest punctured widened her eyes in despair. But before she spoke a word, her body transformed into bright, dazzling light dust that fluttered and coalesced into a bracelet onto the hand of the Catherine who stood motionlessly beside her.


    After harvesting a life, Eleanor didn��t have any slightest change. On the contrary, she smiled at Catherine, who was freaked out over killing someone for the first time. Then, Eleanor turned around abruptly to dodge an attack from her other self, lowered her body all of a sudden, and swept her scythe forward like a spear and struck her other self. Upon being hit by this deadly attack, the other Grim Reaper let out a howl and bent over in agony.


    But it was a pity that her life also came to an end at that moment.


    The moment she bent down, she saw the scythe in Eleanor��s hand lift swiftly as if it were a bouncing ball. Catherine, who stood beside Eleanor, witnessed an ice-cold flash and before she knew it, the enemy who attacked crazily earlier was decapitated by Eleanor. And rightfully so, the corpse also instantly turned into black mist that wrapped around and was absorbed into Eleanor��s bracelet. After all, the victim was also considered as one of Eleanor��s personalities.


    On the other side, the opposing Dona and Little Five projections didn��t escape death either. Although the Little Five on Rhode��s team wasn��t as strong as Eleanor and couldn��t defeat her opponents with as much ease, she had an invincible meat shield with her, after all. If she still couldn��t destroy the two incomplete beings with the help of this meat shield, she could forget about surviving. However, she managed to succeed.


    Soon after Eleanor defeated her opponents, the battle over on Little Five��s side had also ended. Apart from the fact that she didn��t know where Dona��s mental fragments went after turning into a pillar of light, the rest of the battle went pretty well.


    And almost at the same time, Rhode shuttled across the battlefield and showed up in front of the crowd again.


    ��All settled?�� he asked and looked at the three of them in front of him. In fact, without them answering, he knew how their battle went. Besides, he was confident in his team as well. Right now, it looked like Little Five and Eleanor gave their best. But as for Rhode��s side of the battle��


    ��Yes, we��ve got it all covered, Mr. Rhode. These guys look capable, but they were useless against us. Besides, we��ve got Catherine on our side, so even if we can��t defeat them, we can still push her forward and that will resolve everything. Heh, heh, doesn��t that make things interesting? By the way, Mr. Rhode, I saw you went to look for your other self�� in the dress����


    Upon hearing Rhode��s inquiry, Little Five gesticulated and explained to tell him about the things that happened. But just when she was about to finish her sentence, she stopped talking uncharacteristically. Because at that moment, Rhode suddenly reached out his hands, held her shoulders, and smiled warmly at her.


    Although he smiled beautifully, at that moment Little Five felt as if she were about to be devoured by some fierce beast and her entire face turned ashen. Rhode, on the other hand, seemed to be completely unaware of her reaction. He simply gazed at her with a smile and slowly, word for word, he asked.


    ��You girls�� Didn��t see anything, right? I just went for a stroll earlier, remember?��


    Rhode said, sweeping a glance to Catherine and Eleanor at the side. Upon detecting his gaze, Catherine, who finally managed to stand up firmly, shrieked in terror and plopped down on the ground again. Eleanor��s smile stiffened, while Little Five turned as white as a ghost, grinding her teeth and looking at Rhode blankly as if he were a foreign and scary monster.


    ��You girls didn��t see anything, right?��


    Rhode looked at Little Five and asked the question again. This time, she returned to her senses and nodded vigorously.


    ��T-That��s right, Mr. Rhode; we didn��t see anything earlier. We definitely didn��t see you singing and dancing in a skirt, Mr. Rhode. Everything was an illusion. Yes, an illusion����


    ������


    Facing her reply, Rhode��s face twitched. But before he was about to continue speaking, all of a sudden, a string of deep explosions boomed. Soon after, a splash of blood-red brilliance emanated in the dark, gloomy sky.


    What��s that?


    Rhode lifted his head and looked at the scene in shock. Then, he sulked.


    Because at that moment, in the deep night sky, a massive scarlet eye was staring at him.

 Chapter 1357 - Problem and Truth

    The moment Rhode saw the scarlet eye, he had a really bad feeling. Because he knew very well what that scarlet eye was. However, why did it show up here?


    ��������!��


    As the scarlet red eye widened, Rhode felt the incomparably powerful pressure of Chaos exploding into the surroundings as if an invisible mountain were bearing down on everyone. And at that moment, he no longer had the time to consider what was happening. Even though it was true that the Chaos Eye could appear anywhere, the fact that it was now inside Karin��s mental world was in itself a serious matter.


    It was until now that Rhode realized what the problem was. Earlier, he felt like something wasn��t quite right with this competition of Karin��s and was also rather messy. And now, it seemed like this mess indeed wasn��t something that Order could create. But to the camp of Chaos, such was their nature!


    Could Karin��s body be influenced by Chaos?


    As soon as this thought came to mind, Rhode couldn��t stay calm any longer. Honestly, if that were the case, there would be a lot of trouble. He and the others were in the mental world, and a bad situation could turn into a huge problem if Chaos hurt them. Moreover, the Chaos Eye appeared in Karin��s mental world, and Karin was also the one who first proposed to enter the mental worlds for coordination with the card spirits.


    Could it be that she had already been influenced by Chaos when she raised the proposal, which was why she used this method to harm him? That wasn��t entirely impossible�� was it?


    Thinking back, however, Rhode calmed himself down. He didn��t quite believe that Karin was influenced by Chaos and plotted this to hurt him because the holy sword card spirits were interconnected with one another. If there were anything unusual about Karin, it was impossible for Gracier and the others to not discover it. Moreover, when Karin made this decision, Rhode��s younger sister, as well as Marybelle were also present.


    If Karin were truly influenced by Chaos, his younger sister and Marybelle would surely notice. Back then, when Lillian was a bit influenced by Chaos, Marybelle was already determined to send her to the afterlife once and for all. If Karin were really influenced by Chaos, Marybelle would most likely point her magical staff at her and eliminate her from the holy sword card deck.


    Did the Chaos Eye simply appear out of nowhere? It doesn��t seem quite right.


    It did seem capable of appearing anywhere. but this was the mental world, after all. In the game, Rhode didn��t remember having a similar experience, so in the face of this Chaos Eye, he wasn��t sure if this was premeditated or happened on a whim (which was also the most frustrating part when it came to judging the actions of Chaos Creatures). Whichever the case was it, by the looks of things, the Chaos Eye clearly came with ill-intentions.


    ��Hmph!��


    Upon sensing the overwhelming pressure, Rhode��s expression changed slightly. He glared at the Chaos Eye in front of him and grunted. The aura of the Void Dragon erupted, pushing back against the pressure of the Chaos Eye. Rhode wasn��t like Mini Bubble Gum and Icy Snow; his current attributes were that of the Void Dragon. In terms of aggression, there was definitely no reason for him to lose to the Chaos Eye. Otherwise, wouldn��t the Dragon Soul Continent be swallowed by Chaos already?


    ��������!��


    Along with his outburst of aura, the pressure released by the Chaos Eye dissipated a lot. This made Little Five, Eleanor, and the rest, who were also under the pressure of the Chaos Eye, feel much better. But before they reacted, they felt the solid ground beneath their feet crumbling, and under the confrontation between Chaos and Order, the pressure and force brought an unimaginable blast to them.


    And now, as the clash between Rhode and the Chaos Eye intensified, the mental world that was already on the verge of collapse faltered even more. It was like an already tattered board of wood having to bear loads of unparalleled pressure, almost to the point of breaking.


    Boom!


    Neither Rhode nor the Chaos Eye had any intention of backing down. The vast land fissured due to the massive collision between both sides. Countless high-rise buildings crashed to the ground in just the blink of an eye. At a glance, powerful winds blew across the ruins and created wreckage in their path as if a tornado sweeping everything into it and sparing none.


    Except for the tornado eye.


    At that moment, Rhode crossed his arms and stared with a gloomy look at the scarlet eye floating in midair. Little Five and Eleanor couldn��t bear the horrifying pressure of the wind and hid behind Catherine. Fortunately, Catherine��s trait made her immune to this level of attack; otherwise, they would have been blown away.


    It was no longer possible for Rhode to stop his attack. The moment the Chaos Eye appeared in front of him, he knew that it was forcing him to make a decision. Although destroying Karin��s mental world would bring a certain level of risk, if he couldn��t resolve this issue with the Chaos Eye in front of him, there would be nothing to talk about in future.


    If it really can��t defeat the Chaos Eye��


    At that thought, a trace of apology flashed in Rhode��s eyes.


    If it were impossible to eliminate Chaos, he could just erase Karin��s memories and spirit and manipulate her completely as a doll. After all, the reason why Rhode and Karin didn��t get along was because the latter couldn��t match up with the former. And in the current situation, it was the only thing to do. As long as the resistance of one side could be eliminated, everything would be much easier for the other side.


    The 10 holy sword spirits had deep feelings for one another. If Rhode were to erase Karin��s memories and turn her into a doll, they surely wouldn��t like it. Even if that could save the emergency, it would still cause potential problems in the future. But now, Rhode didn��t have the luxury to ponder about the future. The Chaos Eye was coming in strong. If he didn��t solve this problem, perhaps even he would end up dead here!


    And at that moment, Rhode suddenly witnessed the Chaos Eye blinking abruptly and emanating a red beam that swept across the air. Along with the shining red beam, the wall of tornado around them ripped open and several figures appeared on the surface. Rhode wasn��t familiar with them, but they weren��t total strangers either. They were precisely the other group of four that he met with in the square earlier.


    However, they didn��t look great. Not only were they covered in bruises, but they also looked like they were exhausted from battle. Rhode never thought that they would be able to find this place with the mental world collapsing. Looking at this scene, he was apparently surprised. It seemed like the strength of these core personalities was far beyond his imagination.


    Willpower determined the reality in the mental world, so even if all the earth collapsed, it was impossible for one to fall into the Bottomless Abyss. But despite that, it was still tough to counteract the pressure created during the battle between him and the Chaos Eye. And now, these people had not only killed their way out, but were also able to get here, which proved that they were capable. But��


    At this thought, Rhode let out an inward, helpless sigh. With them being spent forces, staying here would only make things worse!


    As expected by Rhode, the moment the exhausted personalities appeared, the scarlet eye that was still confronting him suddenly shifted its attention and squinted at them. Soon after, it emanated a dazzling red beam that swept across the air again, charging straight at the four of them. The four of them who had a hard time breaking through the tornado earlier apparently lacked the strength to resist it. In the face of the assault, only Catherine, who led the group, raised her arm. Along with her action, a dazzling shield of light emanated in front of her, forming a solid barrier that enveloped the four of them. The instant she cast her shield, the red beam bombarded it mercilessly.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The powerful strength of Chaos blasted against the shield of Order, exploding with a force that was no weaker than the aftermath between Rhode and the Chaos Eye. But it was a pity that Catherine wasn��t as capable as Rhode. After hanging on for a while, she almost crumbled to her feet. Rhode looked at the scene sternly. He wanted to provide assistance, but didn��t expect the Chaos Eye to react so quickly, where not only was it confronting him, but it also divided its effort to attack the group of four.


    In an instant, Rhode couldn��t react in time. And when he returned to his senses and took action, the Chaos Eye used its finishing blow. In that case, even if Rhode were able to annihilate the Chaos Eye while it was distracted, the group of four wouldn��t be able to defend themselves. For that reason, he had no choice but to stop his actions and think of other ways.


    And at the same time, suddenly, a silvery light drifted in front of Rhode��s eyes. And upon seeing the light, his narrowed pupils dilated all of a sudden. Although he couldn��t say that he was familiar with each and every one of his card spirits, at least he wasn��t totally unfamiliar with them; he still knew a lot about their fighting styles. And now, the one that appeared in front of him was precisely��


    ��Karin!��


    Whoosh������!


    Along with Rhode��s scream, three young ladies appeared out of nowhere, forming a triangular formation that surrounded everyone. At that moment, the three Karins raised their arms and innumerable silver threads spread out in all directions like spider webs.


    In just the blink of an eye, the silver threads formed countless intricate and magnificent magical rituals that rotated slowly and interlaced with each other like mechanical gears. The moment these magical rituals were created, the power of Chaos that bombarded the group of four was as unresponsive as a chicken with its neck grabbed. Not only that, but Rhode also felt like most of the overwhelming pressure from Chaos earlier were diminished by half as well.


    ��Hmph!��


    Even though he didn��t know how Karin did it, he naturally wouldn��t let go of the chance of beating a drowning dog so easily. Moments ago, the Chaos Eye already had a hard time dealing with Rhode and the group of four. And now, the appearance of three Karins overwhelmed it and broke the balance.


    Meanwhile, Rhode seized the opportunity. He raised his head and at the next moment, a mighty, enormous dragon bellowed and soared into the air, striking the Chaos Eye with its sharp claw. The Chaos Eye apparently didn��t expect him to engage in physical combat so domineeringly. It also howled, flew backwards, and at the same time, emanated countless red beams of light yet again, blasting the people below it like a rainstorm.


    If it were before, Rhode might need to more or less watch over the rest. But now, Little Five had Catherine as an invincible meat shield with her, while the three Karins, who appeared out of nowhere, were defending the other side. Moreover, the Chaos Eye came with obvious malicious intent. And since it was here, it could forget about escaping. If Rhode didn��t defeat it this time, he would have his name written backwards in dishonor!


    As a Void Dragon, his speed definitely wasn��t slow. With just a flap of his wings, he closed the distance between him and the Chaos Eye swiftly. And at that moment, he finally got a closer look at the Chaos Eye. Previously, he wasn��t able to have a clear view of it due to the darkness in the distance. But all in all, it looked like a moon with an eye; it was just that the moon was scarlet and decayed. And of course, it wasn��t as huge as the real moon.


    But even so, the size of the Chaos Eye was huge. While Rhode was also enormous in the form of the Void Dragon, the Chaos Eye before him was at least half of his size. Furthermore, the disgusting tentacles fluttering behind its body made it hard for him to look straight at it.


    In the face of Rhode��s attack, the Chaos Eye also launched a frantic counterattack. But unfortunately, head-on combat wasn��t its strong suit. The Chaos Eye was more like a cleric like Mini Bubble Gum, which was fine for casting buffs and such. But if it were to fight an enemy head-on, it would only end up dead.


    Its light beam was quite threatening, but Rhode gnashed his teeth and pounced on it. He knew that he had finally gotten such an opportunity and shouldn��t put it to waste. After all, the Chaos Eye was overly mysterious, so much so that it was impossible to find it on a normal day. Not only that, but it also fled so fast that it couldn��t be caught. But now, things were different. Even though the Chaos Eye could appear anywhere, it still had its limitations, after all.


    Previously, Rhode couldn��t capture it because it was very cunning and refused to appear in a defined space. As soon as it was discovered, it could return to Chaos by leaving the Dragon Soul Continent right away. That was also the reason why Mini Bubble Gum and Icy Snow couldn��t catch it earlier.


    But now, the situation was different since it entered Karin��s mental world. This was one��s mental world, which meant that this space was enclosed. If this happened on a normal day, the Chaos Eye might have been able to escape. But today was a whole different story. Rhode was the Void Dragon, who held authority over space. Although he couldn��t pass through planes of existence freely like his younger sister, the authority to control space itself was still available to him. And no matter how powerful the Chaos Eye was, it naturally couldn��t match up against a Creator Dragon.


    Hence, the moment Rhode encountered the Chaos Eye, he immediately thought of leaving it behind in this world. However, due to the urgency of the situation and Karin��s mental space also collapsing entirely, it occupied his mind and he couldn��t find a good solution for the time being. After all, he was in defense at that time and the Chaos Eye could just leave freely, while he couldn��t chase after it. After all, he still had to clean up this mess.


    But now it was different. With Karin��s help, Rhode switched from defense to offense and sealed the space around it. At that moment, the space turned into a prison that one could neither enter nor exit. Thus, even though the Chaos Eye watched as Rhode launched an attack on it, it couldn��t escape, and could only embrace itself and engage in a counterattack instead. However, it was no match for Rhode. He endured the bombardment of a light beam and clawed the Chaos Eye, striking it down to the ground.


    The moment the Chaos Eye crash-landed onto the ground, the magical rituals in Karin��s hands spun rapidly and constantly around it. The Chaos Eye struggled, but in only a few moments, its scarlet brilliance dulled. When Rhode landed back onto the surface, the lifeless Chaos Eye had been enclosed in a huge crystal, showing no threat at all.


    ��Phew����


    At that moment, Rhode let out a sigh of relief, turned to the three Karins who approached him, and asked.


    ��I suppose you can tell me what��s going on now.��

 Chapter 1358 - Back to Reality

    Soon after, Rhode learned the whole story from all the Karins. Upon hearing his question, all the Karins confessed everything. But after hearing their answers, Rhode broke out in cold sweat because it was too ruthless.


    In fact, in the beginning, the plan for them to battle in the city was real. And it was also true that all the Karis wanted to use this plan as a way to enhance the coordination and understanding between Rhode and the card spirits. Thus, they laid out a venue based on his memories but soon, realized that something wasn��t quite right. And there was one reason for that. The venue was too large.


    If they were any other mental projections, perhaps they wouldn��t have this awareness at all. But Karin was different. The three personalities inside her broke through the subconscious barrier and shared thoughts with the core. It could also be said that compared to the mental projections who couldn��t recognize one another despite looking exactly the same, the three Karins were like supercomputers that were connected to the Internet. If there were any errors in their values, they would immediately spot the issue.


    But at first, all the Karins were confused. They were like an antivirus software reporting an issue after encountering an unknown software, analyzing the software, and figuring out whether it was a Trojan virus or whatever. All they cared about was the initial error, but they weren��t too concerned because they needed to send all the other mental projections into the mental world, which in itself took up a certain amount of ��memory�� in a limited capacity. Hence, if the others wanted to force themselves in, an expansion of space was needed.


    Otherwise, Karin wouldn��t have to create a dueling metropolis and could start a war on her turf right away. It was like installing a software on a hard drive and having to expand the hard drive if one didn��t have enough space.


    But in the process, all the Karins noticed that these problems seemed to be more than just other personalities entering their mental world. Rhode had felt like the place was so huge that he might not be able to walk out even if he walked for three days. And all the Karins also discovered this particular problem, which was why they decided that something unknown must have been added into the mix.


    In fact, other Chaos creatures might also make their way in without being discovered so soon. However, the Chaos Eye was too huge. The situation was like one installing 10 5GB software programs on a 1TB hard drive. And during the process, a 30GB Trojan virus sneaked in and a total of 80GB space was used up at once. No matter how sneaky the virus was, this would surely raise some eyebrows. On the other hand, if the size of the virus was just a mere 5MB, perhaps it would take a while before being detected.


    In fact, if that were the case, Rhode didn��t find it problematic. After all, he was a player who grew from level one to the top, so there were almost no dungeons or BOSS that he didn��t encounter. He could tell the traits and weaknesses of a BOSS from its footprints, but there was no way he could figure out what was finding trouble with him after it appeared out of nowhere. It wasn��t that he didn��t have a clue, but that there were too many clues.


    On the other hand, Karin was different. These card spirits survived in the era the Creator Dragons and deity wardens fought against Chaos. The situation was like a plainclothes cop who witnessed one rubbing up against another on the street. The cop��s first instinct was that one was about to steal from the other person. And upon sensing that things were starting to get out of his control, all the Karins�� first instinct was to assume that there was the presence of Chaos in here somewhere.


    But the problem was that it was too late. The Chaos Eye was so cunning that it took actions that were in sync with the three Karins�� actions. It made it so that by the time Karin and the rest confirmed there was an issue, Rhode had also arrived in the mental world and started his operation. At that moment, all the Karins were out of ideas. After a discussion, they determined that the Chaos Eye was definitely coming for Rhode. Hence, they took the liberty of not telling Rhode about it yo let him handle the situation himself.


    After all, the Chaos Eye hid itself so deep that the three Karins were convinced that they had no way of catching it. That was why they simply ��lured the snake out of hiding��. Anyway, Rhode possessed the power of the Void Dragon in the mental world and a Chaos creature was no threat to him. Besides, the three Karins were research staff even in the mental world and held weak combat power. They weren��t passionate about fighting an opponent head-on, but enjoyed stabbing an enemy in the back like Rhode to solve a big issue with little effort instead.


    That was why they observed secretly and didn��t make a move. One of the Karins had even placed several less-mature personalities to confuse the Chaos Eye. Of course, there was also an intention to force the Chaos Eye to show itself. After all, Karin wasn��t a fool. After a while, they began their search for the Chaos Eye.


    And judging from the result, the three Karins were obviously successful. The Chaos Eye didn��t notice any problems at all. Also due to that reason, the Chaos Eye sensed that something was wrong on Karin��s side, so it generously showed up with the intention of attacking Rhode. However, it didn��t anticipate Karin to be waiting for it to show up.


    In terms of strength, the Chaos Eye wasn��t as strong as Rhode. In terms of intelligence, it also wasn��t as smart as Karin, which was why it was ��left behind�� in this world by her.


    Despite the situation sounding really simple, Rhode was well aware of how big the risk was. As a player, he had dealt with more or less the same amount of Chaos creatures compared to Karin. Although the situation was over and whatever Rhode said to criticize it was too late, he knew how risky it was for Karin. Because the biggest characteristic of Chaos creatures was that they were unstable and never played by the rules. Perhaps what one did in the eyes of the Chaos creatures meant the exact opposite to them. If the Chaos Eye ��misunderstood�� and went berserk, Karin��s plan would be tantamount to a total waste. Not to mention��


    ��Will things be fine this way?��


    Gazing at the pitch-black void as if it were bombarded by nuclear bombs over 1,800 times, the buildings and ground were completely torn apart in the clash between Rhode and the Chaos Eye. Apart from the ��tornado eye�� underneath his feet which looked somewhat flat, nothing else survived unscathed. Rhode was unaware of what the rest of the mental world looked like, but it seemed like the confrontation between him and the Chaos Eye caused a great deal of damage to Karin��s mental world, and the impact would definitely be huge.


    When the three Karins heard his question, they looked at one another. Then, the Karin who stood in the middle came up and nodded to him quietly.


    ��Please don��t worry, Mr. Rhode, this isn��t exactly our mental world, so even if it suffers some damage, there won��t be any problems. On the contrary����


    Karin spoke, raising her head slightly and beckoning to the side with her hand. At that moment, Rhode witnessed a group of four. Led by Dona, the group of four arrived in front of him. Meanwhile, Little Five, Eleanor, and Catherine of his team followed behind them.


    Looking at this scene, Rhode was speechless, puckering his brows and looking here and there. It was especially so after meeting the eyes of Little Five and Catherine; he didn��t know what to say. The three of them were all sub-personalities. None of them behaved the same as their original selves in the outside world. Despite that, he had built favorable relationships with them. But it was impossible for these sub-personalities to take over as the core��


    But as soon as he hesitated, the other Karins standing beside him spoke up.


    ��Mr. Rhode, things have come to an end. You may leave now.��


    ��Leave?��


    Upon hearing her words, Rhode��s expression sank.


    ��I suppose things aren��t completely settled between us yet, are they, Karin?��


    ��Of course, but the ensuing questions are up to us. Since it started with us, it will naturally end with us. Please be assured that there aren��t any mistakes.��


    ��No.��


    However, right after Karin finished speaking, Rhode shook his head firmly and dismissed her opinion. He turned around and looked at Little Five who munched away on a chocolate bar, Catherine who hugged onto the remaining snacks in her arms, and Eleanor who stood at the side with a breezy smile on her face. Then, he turned back around and gazed quietly at Karin.


    ��Since we��ve teamed up as one, I��ll leave after they finish looting the BOSS and get their rightful equipment.��


    ��Why, Mr. Rhode?��


    When Karin heard his remarks, she was clearly stunned. Although she didn��t exactly understand what ��looting�� or ��BOSS�� meant, the general idea was still understandable. It was apparent that Rhode was waiting to see what kind of result his team would receive. And without seeing the result, he wouldn��t leave. Facing her question, he raised an eyebrow in response.


    ��No matter what, I��m a team leader who has to take care of my members who obeyed my commands. Regardless of whether they are sharing the equipment by DKP or ROLL points, there has to be a result. I won��t leave until the result is out.��


    After saying those words, Rhode gazed silently at the young lady in front of him. Honestly, he knew why the three Karins wanted him to leave by himself. He had experienced so many mental worlds and certainly knew the problems within. And now, it seemed like he had passed the ��test��, but perhaps an ultimate winner must still emerge from all the personalities. Analyzing the situation based on his memories, the sub-personalities in his team were perhaps the weakest in combat power among all the personalities and would be beaten up without a doubt.


    He couldn��t be too sure about Eleanor, but Little Five and Catherine surely couldn��t match up against the core personalities. Judging from Karin��s words, he reckoned that after his departure, the three sub-personalities would have to ��exchange roles�� with the core personalities. After all, it wasn��t possible to allow the sub-personalities to take over the core, was it?


    Of course, he could pretend that he didn��t know anything and walk away. But he couldn��t. As he mentioned, Little Five, Catherine, and Eleanor were, at any rate, his teammates who followed him up until that point. Since they made him the leader of the team, he would have to do his duty as one. Regardless of whether or not the equipment was looted or distributed, as the leader of the team, he had to see things through to the end. Even if it was the team��s disbandment, he had to be the last one to leave.


    This was his duty and obligation.


    Upon looking at Karin��s calm, glassy eyes that reflected his gaze, she blinked after a few moments, turned around, and looked at the other two Karins. The three of them didn��t speak a word, but looked at one another in silence.


    Rhode noticed that their eyes flashed like shooting stars from time to time as if they were resonating in the same tune. After a while, without knowing what kind of communication the three Karins had, they turned around and pointed at the empty field before them in unison. Soon, along with this action, the bodies of the other four mental projections that stood quietly beside them emanated a dazzling, golden light. In just the blink of an eye, four golden pillars of light burst into the sky. Upon looking at this scene, Rhode finally understood how they should leave this place.


    ��This is your will.��


    Karin said a simple sentence and nothing more. Meanwhile, Rhode didn��t respond. He turned around and gazed at the three of them beside him. Upon sensing his gaze, Eleanor chuckled and came forward as if she were dancing.


    ��Don��t mind me, Mr. Rhode. It��s been a pleasant time with you����


    ��Me too, Mr. Rhode.��


    At that moment, Little Five also skipped to his side. And after taking a satisfactory bite on the last piece of chocolate bar on her hand, she licked her fingers with a somewhat regretful expression and looked at Rhode with a grin.


    ��I didn��t expect to eat so many delicious and interesting foods while following you around. Well, it��s quite boring laying in the cemetery by myself and a pity that I didn��t get to see the TV you mentioned. Sigh, I should have gotten myself a TV along the way back. Mr. Rhode, you don��t know just how boring my place is. If I didn��t speak to the tombstones all day, I wouldn��t even get to talk to anything����


    Unlike before, this time Rhode didn��t interrupt Little Five, but quietly listened to her speak repeatedly until she closed her mouth. Then, he reached out his hand and caressed her head. He hadn��t even been this close to her core self as far as he could remember.


    ��When we have the time in the future, I��ll take you to my hometown. There are plenty of snacks to keep your tummy full.��


    ��Really? Mr. Rhode, you can��t go back on your word, okay? I��m going to have the most delicious snacks and that chocolate cake you talked about. And also that gassy soda����


    ��As long as you��re not afraid of having a bad stomach ache, feel free to eat everything.��


    ��No problem! Don��t you ever forget it, Mr. Rhode!��


    After hearing his assurances, Little Five cheered and skipped to the other side with her hands up high. She came to a halt before one of the light pillars, turned around, and waved at Rhode again, before walking into the pillar of light. Along with the disappearance of Little Five, one of the light pillars also vanished. And at the same time, Eleanor nodded to Rhode with a smile, turned around, and strolled into another light pillar. Upon seeing the two light pillars that disappeared continuously, Rhode let out an inward sigh, lowered his head, and looked at Catherine in front of him. The corners of his mouth couldn��t help but twitch slightly because at that moment, Catherine was still hugging a pile of snacks in her arms.


    ��The little one��s gone, Catherine.��


    ��I know, Mr. Rhode.��


    Upon hearing his words, Catherine couldn��t help but lower her head. She didn��t seem to behave any differently. However, this was also the first time he heard a hint of determination from her submissive tone.


    ��I-I want to bring her food again next time, or she��ll complain that I didn��t look after them.��


    ������


    At that moment, Rhode revealed a smile. He extended his arm and patted Catherine��s shoulder.


    ��I��ll leave that to you then.��


    Upon seeing Catherine disappearing into the light pillar, only then did Rhode closed his eyes and took a deep breath, turning around and gazing at the three Karins standing nearby.


    ��It seems that your methods are effective.��


    ��We are sisters, after all.��


    ��Yes, after all, we are sisters.��


    Rhode didn��t say much in response to their flat responses, but only let out chuckle instead. He turned around and entered the last light pillar, before waving his hand at the three of them without looking back.


    ��Alright, this is goodbye then, Karin.��


    ��Goodbye, Master. And please be sure to be mentally prepared.��


    ��Hmm?��


    Upon hearing her words, Rhode was stunned. He instinctively felt like something wasn��t quite right. However, he had stepped into the light pillar in front of him and a dazzling light enveloped his vision soon after.


    ����������


    When he opened his eyes again, the morning sunlight spilled through the window and onto his body. The holy sword cards that surrounded him before had disappeared. He shook his head, sat up, and saw his younger sister��s smile.


    ��Welcome back, Big Brother; looks like everything went well.��


    ��Indeed�� You can say that, I suppose.��


    After hearing his younger sister��s words, he smiled in response. But soon, he noticed something abnormal in his younger sister��s eyes. Although he felt like she was glad that he returned safely, as siblings who were ��connected by heart��, the moment he saw his younger sister��s smile he felt like she was rejoicing in his misfortune.


    ��What��s wrong?��


    ������


    In response to his question, the younger sister, on the other hand, shifted her gaze to the window and spoke, glancing sideways.


    ��I��m sorry, Big Brother, I never knew that you actually had such a dream��.��


    ��Dream?��


    The younger sister��s reply took him by surprise. Then, he lowered his head.


    And when he saw the mini-skirt and idol costume on his body, he sulked instantly.

 Chapter 1359 - Journey

    Rhode was glad that his younger sister was the only one keeping watch, or else his life��s work would be over. He forgot the fact that the core projections would absorb the sub-personalities after killing them, which meant that he would also take in his other self after slaughtering him. But what he didn��t expect was for his other self to manifest after being absorbed. This left Rhode feeling helpless and upset.


    Well, these were trivial matters, after all. The most important thing was the relationship between him and the holy sword card spirits. Even though this experience lasted only one night, to his subjective consciousness, he felt as if months had passed. Thus, after exchanging pleasantries with his younger sister, he couldn��t wait to send her away. But when he saw her smile before she left, he knew that this would become part of his dark past��


    But at least she��s my younger sister, so she can��t possibly use that against me, can she?


    Rhode had faith in his younger sister. Thus, after feeling frustrated for a moment, he ripped off the disgusting costume, put on his clothes, and sensed the holy sword cards.


    To his relief, it seemed like his trip to the mental world wasn��t in vain. Through his senses, he found that the level of resonance between him and the holy sword cards had increased. If this were in the past, the connection between them was only at the level of ordinary broadband. But now, it upgraded to a 100G fiber-optic with doubled efficiency.


    He also attempted to connect with Karin and didn��t face any particular problems. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. The next step was just a few more experiments and it would almost be time to officially expand the barrier.


    But what felt a little strange to him was that the one who was most cooperative with him in this journey was Dona. He thought that Dona would be a little unreliable. After all, in the dueling metropolis, they passed by each other and didn��t engage in any battle. He was more or less worried about Dona��s side of the situation, but wasn��t particularly concerned. In fact, the main problem at that time was with Karin. And after Karin��s problem was solved, the efficiency of the other holy sword card spirits improved and the biggest issue could be considered to be resolved.


    As a matter of fact, Rhode wanted to communicate with his card spirits more. But after some hesitation, he gave up that idea. Since it was their subconscious that he entered, the card spirits had no memory of what they did with him in their mental world, other than Karin who broke through the mental barrier to reach a resonance with her core. Hence, there was no point for him to do anything.


    This made him feel somewhat upset. He finally understood how great the mental quality of psychiatrists was. And now, his situation was as if he had gotten some information after hypnotizing a patient, but unable to give her a clear explanation after she came back to her senses. This feeling was indeed unpleasant. And even if he explained to the card spirits, they wouldn��t know what happened. Thus, he knew he couldn��t explain much. He gave up on communicating with the card spirits and focused on going about his own business instead.


    What left him frustrated was the time difference between the mental world and reality. He felt like he had been in the mental world for months and hadn��t seen Marlene and the rest for a long time. But for Marlene and the others, it was only one night that they hadn��t seen him, so even if they missed him, it wasn��t as if they hadn��t seen each other like it was years apart.


    In the end, Rhode looked for Christie for comfort, intending to take her out for a walk. He was also exhausted from being in the mental space for so long, and even if the situation with Chaos was somewhat urgent, it wouldn��t hurt taking a day or two off for vacation.


    Upon hearing his invitation, Christie was delighted. Although her current strength almost reached the level of a deity warden under the guidance of the other ��Christie��, it wasn��t stable enough. That was why she hadn��t experienced many battles, but stayed in Grandia all day instead.


    As Rhode didn��t have time to be with her because he was busy elsewhere, she was more or less bored. And when she heard from him that he wanted to bring her out shopping, she raised her hands in excitement. Not only that, but she also pulled Bell, Lillian, and Icy Snow along. Mini Bubble Gum didn��t come along because she had to fulfill her duty. On the other hand, as Icy Snow happened to be off duty, she was thrilled to be able to join them.


    Of course, ��shopping�� didn��t mean going for a walk around Grandia. Christie and the girls spent their days wandering around in Grandia, so the place was no longer interesting to them. Hence, after some consideration, Rhode decided to bring them to the various towns in the Void Territory.


    On one hand, the young ladies could take a break, and on the other, he wanted to check out the situation under his territory. After all, although this was during a war, it was equally important to care for the stability of the rear. Although it was impossible for Marlene and the others to disobey him, Rhode, who was once a commoner, knew very well that oftentimes superiors were more concerned about the top than the bottom.


    After becoming a Void Dragon, his main concern was how to deal with Chaos and open the channel to the solar system. He didn��t care about the various towns in his territory and unless there was a huge disaster involving the deaths of many people, he didn��t have the thought and intention to care about them. If this were to happen on Earth, many people would certainly curse the officials of taking high salaries and not doing their part and only showing up when accidents happened��


    Of course, Rhode did care for them occasionally. Even though he was also from a civilian background and understood the troubles among them, a lot of the time it was hard to understand the situation without being in his shoes, and the higher the position, the more things there were for one to care about.


    To be a good leader was even tougher. Not only did one have to care about civilians, but one also had to deal with coordinating the relationships between nobles and financial groups. Lillian was so fed up with such matters that she pushed the mess to Lydia and gave away her authority, before spending leisurely time with Christie all day.


    Of course, Rhode couldn��t say anything about her. Given Lilian��s experience at her age, it wasn��t surprising that she disliked or even shunned such power. After all, she had been a mascot for so long, was almost killed, and had to face all the power struggles, so it went without saying that she was tired of it. Moreover, Lillian was still a child, so she wasn��t mature enough for such affairs. On Earth, there weren��t many people in their teens who were capable of running the government skillfully. Well, unless they were puppets.


    Right now, among Rhode��s subordinates, there weren��t particularly-strong middle-level forces. This was because his top echelons were too powerful, where the seven deity wardens could destroy a country by themselves. No matter how ruthless one was, one didn��t dare to be ruthless against them.


    Moreover, the war against Chaos was also very tense and most of the mercenaries and soldiers who were promoted to form forces were ones who followed Rhode a long time ago. Most of the mercenaries were sent as military officers, and many of them also became lords of various towns. Under the pressure of Chaos, everyone was still able to put aside their preconceptions and be unanimous.


    Rhode believed that when the new world was free of external pressures, it wouldn��t be long before there were internal strife. Of course, perhaps the top tier wouldn��t have any conflicts since the relationship between the deity wardens and Rhode was clear-cut. But the ones below them would be much more problematic.


    After all, it was easy to share the pain, but hard to share the happiness.


    As for the future of the Void Territory, Rhode didn��t particularly care too much about it for now.


    At that moment, Rhode strolled down the street with the four young ladies, enjoying the scenery and bustling crowd around them. After leaving Grandia, Rhode took them for a casual detour and ended up in a small town called Carraza, located in the south-central part of the Void Territory. It was a quiet and harmonious town established by the first refugees who moved from the Land of Atonement into the Void Territory. Although it didn��t rely upon Rhode��s system interface to build high-rises in the blink of an eye, after all this time, it grew and expanded rather decently.


    Sauntering down the street, the group checked out the small town. Although the current battle situation was still tense, these civilians located in the rear of the territory weren��t as anxious and uneasy as Rhode thought they would be. He was initially concerned that these refugees would be panicky like it was the end of the world. But in the end, he found that they led their lives normally, leaving him scratching his head.


    It sure looks like humans are a species that is strong in adapting for survival.


    He remembered the time the Middle East was enveloped in the flames of war when the government and opposition were in conflict. But despite that, the children stared at the raining bullets while continuing to attend school�� To a certain extent, things would be fine as long as one was used to them. These refugees had been through so many wars, so perhaps this war between Chaos and Order wouldn��t affect them as badly.


    The group walked around town leisurely. Christie, who rarely went on a trip with Rhode, was incomparably excited, pulling him around to look at even a tiny flower. Bell was, as usual, following her quietly, allowing her to pull her hand around. On the other hand, Lillian took in the buildings around her curiously, which was new to her. Previously, she was the ruler of the Country of Light and had trouble even getting out of Grandia, let alone wandering around like this.


    On the contrary, Icy Snow was much calmer. As a player, she had been to such a place thousands of times. Hence, she followed Rhode everywhere quietly.


    And just as everyone arrived at the square, they encountered a minor problem. Rhode noticed a fight between some guards and merchants at a market ahead and the conflict seemed to be worsening. Looking at this scene, his expression sank. Even though he didn��t know what was going on, this fight was still considered causing trouble on his turf. Thus, he had the responsibility to check out the situation. After glancing at the young ladies who were choosing jewelry, he hesitated and said.


    ��I��ll go over and check out the situation. You girls stay here.��


    Upon hearing his words, Christie and Lillian nodded. Both of them weren��t interested in such a disorderly scene. On the other hand, Icy Snow was the only one who raised her eyebrows. She walked to his side, tugged his sleeve gently, and asked in a soft voice.


    ��Do you need me to go with you, Big Brother?��


    ��It��s just a little bit of trouble. I��ll check it out myself. Stay here and protect Christie and the rest. Inform me immediately if you need any help.��


    With that said, Rhode patted Icy Snow��s head, walked out of the jewelry store, and over to the crowd in the distance.


    As he went to check out the trouble, the young ladies also picked out the jewelry they desired. Christie chose an emerald gemstone carved in the shape of a leaf. Lillian picked out a pair of ruby earrings. As for Bell, though she had no interest in jewelry, Christie still selected a hairpin for her. And Icy Snow, who was shrouded by the joyous atmosphere of the other three, casually picked a silver ring with magical resistance +3. Well, players looked at attributes over appearance, after all.


    Women were fond of shopping and Christie was no exception. After browsing the jewelry store, she wanted to go to the clothing store next door. According to the jewelry store owner, the clothing store was run by a royal tailor from the Country of Light who had wonderful craftsmanship and made beautiful clothes. Christie was instantly tempted, while Lillian was also curious, so she dragged Icy Snow and Bell along to see if there were any pretty clothes. Icy Snow didn��t object since she was a phantom guardian and all she had to do was to inform Rhode through the spiritual connection. Hence, she followed the elated Lillian and Christie, and ran over to the clothing store next door.


    ��I told you that I want it done within three days!��


    And just as Christie arrived in front of the clothing store and was about to push the door open, the door swung open all of a sudden and a luxuriously-dressed young man snarled and stormed out in large strides. As he had turned around and screamed, he didn��t notice Christie and Lillian at the entrance.


    If Christie were an ordinary child, perhaps this young man would have kicked and trampled her on the ground. However, after studying with her other self for so long and as Rhode��s favorite child, she was equipped with all kinds of magical equipment. Thus, just as the young man was about to kick her, the badge on her chest suddenly emanated a bright, dazzling glow. At the next moment, a translucent barrier appeared in front of her, stopping the young man who apparently didn��t expect this to happen. He kicked at the barrier, howled in pain, and rolled down the steps.


    ��Ah! S-Sorry!��


    This scene frightened Christie. But she was a good child, after all. After seeing the young man rolling down the stairs miserably and even soiling his clothes, she apologized hurriedly. The young man apparently didn��t have a good temper. And when he heard her apology, he threw up his hands viciously, stood up, and glared at the four young ladies.


    ��Sorry? Sorry doesn��t mean sh*t. Why don��t you watch where you��re�� Hmm?��


    At that moment, the young man finally got a good look at Christie and the rest. He raised his eyebrows and swallowed his furious words. Although Rhode mentioned that this trip was a private visit to the towns, the clothes of Christie and the rest were naturally beautiful and luxurious as if they were from noble families. Not only that, but they were also sweet and lovely looking. Looking at this scene, the young man swirled his eyes, calmed himself down, and smiled at Christie.


    ��It��s fine, lovely young lady. I was just careless and a little impatient. Please forgive me.��


    ��Ah�� It��s okay. I didn��t take it personally.��


    Upon hearing the young man��s apology, Christie didn��t think much of it and waved her hands. She was about to turn around and enter the clothing store when suddenly, the young man went ahead and blocked her way. Looking at this scene, Lilian sulked, while Icy Snow also raised her eyebrows. However, that young man seemed completely unconcerned with their expressions, but spoke with a warm smile instead.


    ��I��m Bambi Clandor, a member of the Carraza Trade Association. You��re not from around here, are you? How about I show you around?��


    ��It��s fine, we��re just looking around. We��re also waiting for someone.��


    In the face of this solicitous man, Icy Snow reached out her arm, pulled the helpless Christie to her side, and answered plainly. She had met such ��NPCs�� several times in the game, so she knew how to respond to them. After hearing her reply, the young man narrowed his eyes. A cold glint flashed in his eyes and he smiled once again, nodding his head.


    ��In that case, please pardon me for being rude.��


    With that said, the young man made way for them. At that moment, Icy Snow held Christie by the hand as they entered the clothing store. After the four young ladies went away from his sight, the young man dwindled his smile and revealed an evil expression, stretching out his hand and snapping his fingers. Soon after, a young man with the appearance of a thief emerged from the shadows of a nearby alley and came to his side.


    ��What is your order, my lord?��


    ��Investigate those girls. Find out their background.��

 Chapter 1360 - Evil Clutches in the Dark

    To Christie and Lillian, the past was over, and that young man was nothing more than a random stranger they encountered on the street. Icy Snow was the only one who felt like there was something fishy about him. It wasn��t due to her strong observation skills, but purely that of her intuition as a player.


    After hanging out in the Dragon Soul Continent for a long time, players learned to appraise NPCs at a glance and figure out whether they held any hidden quests. It was especially so as the Dragon Soul Continent was made entirely different from past RPGs, where even a passerby was created remarkably true to life. And in that case, it became a necessary skill for almost all players to detect if something was up with an NPC.


    The moment Icy Snow saw the young man, her instincts as a player kicked in, telling her that there was definitely a ��quest�� involved with him. But this was reality and not the game, after all. She was also way past the phase where she had to rely upon quests to gain EXP and level up. Hence, she gave it some thought, but didn��t say anything more.


    If she were Mini Bubble Gum instead, maybe she would follow the young man for a good show. However, Icy Snow was always obedient. Since she was tasked with the duty to watch over Christie and Lilian, she wasn��t too distracted by him.


    While Christie ran around picking out nice dresses, the young ladies didn��t know that there were some sneaky figures in a sealed hut nearby, whispering into one another��s ears.


    ��Outsiders? Of course I know they are outsiders. Do you have more details?��


    Sitting in the middle was a skinny, middle-aged man with a face that resembled a monkey. He pulled a long face, tapping his fingers on the tabletop endlessly. On the other hand, three thin men clad in dark robes that concealed their faces and bodies stood in front of him. Inside the dimly-lit room, they looked even more bizarre. At that moment, upon hearing the middle-aged man��s question, one of the black robes spoke up.


    ��According to the guards, those girls entered the town in the morning.��


    ��In carriages?��


    ��Erm�� I think they walked.��


    ��Walked?��


    The middle-aged man looked surprised. In his impression, noble ladies usually preferred riding in carriages. After all, the dirt road was filthy and difficult to navigate, and these little girls looked no more than 10 years old. In that case, how far could they even walk for?


    ��Just the few of them?��


    ��I heard there was another guy with them, making a total of five of them. They looked like they were out for fun.��


    ��Hmm����


    Upon hearing his response, the middle-aged man stroked his chin and frowned in contemplation. Looking at his reaction, another black robe cautiously raised his head and spoke.


    ��My lord, why don��t�� we look for someone else since we don��t have any information about their background? It just feels too strange for them to wander around the streets without guards as if they are either lacking in mind or fearless. Besides, outsiders like them also look like some big shots. If we cause trouble with them����


    ��Don��t you think I��ve considered that already?��


    The middle-aged man glared at the black robe in front of him and let out a grunt.


    ��The problem now is that His Holiness has taken a fancy to those little girls and gave strict orders to capture them! If we can��t, you could imagine what will happen to us! Sigh�� We can only blame those little girls for being unlucky to cross paths with His Holiness.��


    The middle-aged man sighed, pondered with knitted brows, and stretched out his hand to retrieve a small vial from the fold of his clothes. Upon seeing the vial, the three black robes shuddered. Although there was no way to see their faces, judging from the heavy atmosphere in the room, it was apparent that they weren��t feeling great. After a moment, the black robe standing at the very edge of the room gave a gasp of astonishment and spoke.


    ���� My lord�� You don��t have to go so far as to use the holy water on those little girls, do you?��


    ��What else can I do? His Holiness wants them tonight. Those little girls are also from the outside, so they might leave the town first thing tomorrow morning. How are we going to capture them if we don��t use the holy water?!��


    At that moment, the middle-aged man stretched out his hand to rub his forehead. He had a throbbing headache. Although he was extremely respectful of the High Priest, he found it hard to accept his preference for little girls. There were clearly so many beautiful women, but he just had to take a liking for little girls. The middle-aged man had taken the time to observe the little girls and found that they were indeed adorable, which explained why the High Priest set his heart on them.


    It wasn��t that they hadn��t done something similar in the past. But back then, it all happened in the main town where there were high officials who backed them up, while the High Priest held unsurpassed prowess. Most of the nobles revered the High Priest and were overjoyed when the High Priest graced their daughters.


    If it were according to the previous rules, these little girls wouldn��t be a big deal. But the middle-aged man was no fool. He secretly observed Christie and the others for some time and thought that things were really odd. From the looks of them, although they were no different from those noble ladies he saw on a regular basis, it was really strange that they didn��t have a guard by their side.


    Logically speaking, ladies born of noble birth like them would have dozens of guards protecting them. But the middle-aged man didn��t spot any of them after observing for some a while. It also wasn��t accurate to say that the guards had blended themselves into the crowd because he scouted every corner of his private quarters and didn��t see any fresh faces.


    Could those little girls come out to play on their own?


    At this thought, the middle-aged man nodded. He inquired about how the High Priest met the little girls face-to-face. It was apparent that those girls wore a lot of precious magical equipment. And if that were the case, it wasn��t surprising that they would come out on their own, or maybe even sneak out of their homes. After all, a lot of nobles loved doing that. After reading lots of novels about knights, it was likely for them to fantasize that they were also heroes in adventure stories who sneaked out to travel around the world or whatnot. In that case, it would make things much more convenient.


    The middle-aged man nodded again and beckoned to the three black robes.


    ��Inform Captain Duran of the guards that����


    The middle-aged man said in a lowered voice. And upon hearing his instructions, the three black robes nodded in agreement. After a moment, the four of them stood up and disappeared silently into the darkness as if they were ghosts.


    Christie and the others didn��t know that someone was targeting them. On the contrary, after strolling around the streets, they were still not satisfied. At that moment, Rhode just finished watching the fun and turned around.


    All in all, the merchants weren��t a good bunch, and the same went for the guards which were a group of bast*rds. Rhode couldn��t be bothered with such a conflict. As the Chinese proverb ��heaven was high and the emperor was far away�� went, he was the Void Dragon, after all. The downside of having a position too high was that very few people knew who he was, at least on this side of the territory. Even if he came out himself, it would be useless.


    Hence, he followed the onlookers in shaking his head and watching the two sides fight for a while, before heading back after receiving news from Icy Snow that Christie and the others had finished shopping. This went to show that Rhode was definitely not there to administer justice, but was there enjoying a good show instead.


    After taking a stroll in the entire afternoon, Christie and Lilian were more than satisfied. Even though Bell and Icy Snow didn��t enjoy shopping as much as them, they seemed to have a relaxing time too. Rhode lamented that ��shopping�� was indeed the natural talent of all women, while men could never possess it. However, he wasn��t standing idly by either. While he watched the merchants and guards clashing it out earlier, he also inquired about the best tavern in town and brought the young ladies over for a meal.


    Any problem that money could solve wasn��t considered a problem in the slightest. And with a few dozen gold coins sweeping up on the counter, even the coldest of tavern owners would serve up the warmest of smiles. The tavern owner arranged for the cleanest and most scenic room on the top floor for Rhode and the young ladies. Not only could they savor delicious food, but they could also enjoy the beautiful scenery.


    Christie rarely had the chance to step out of Grandia. But now that she had Rhode accompanying her too, she was in a great mood. Furthermore, the food was delicious and she sang non-stop like a lark. The same went for Lillian. The two little ones chatted and laughed, while telling Rhode about the places they had gone to and the things they bought.


    Meanwhile, Rhode smiled and listened to them talking away. Honestly, he felt like this kind of leisurely life suited him better. It was exhausting for him to be busy and occupied all day. Now that he had this chance to relax himself, things couldn��t get any better.


    Bang!


    At that moment, the group heard a loud din from downstairs and were stunned. Christie, who was talking endlessly, closed her mouth and turned toward the sound in astonishment. At the same time, they saw a young, raggedy beggar flying across and out of the tavern, crashing onto the street heavily. At the same time, the door of the tavern swung open and several armored guards strode out and glared at the young beggar.


    ��You little bast*rd. How dare you come here to steal! Are you tired of living already?!��


    ��Please, I just want some food����


    ��Shut up! Brothers, punch him to death!��


    Before the young beggar finished his sentence, the captain of the guard bellowed and the guards went up to him a good beating. Although there were many bystanders, none of them went forward with the intention to help. Soon after, the young beggar��s screams became softer as if he were almost dead.


    Looking at this scene, Christie revealed a worried expression, and even Lillian��s eyes were filled with sympathy. On the contrary, Rhode swirled the wine in the wineglass with a calm expression, narrowing his eyes at the one-sided fight below without saying a word. Upon seeing that the young beggar was about to be killed, Lillian couldn��t help but stand up, intending to go and stop the atrocity. But at that moment, a small hand reached out from the side and pulled Lillian��s hand.


    ��Big Sister Icy?��


    To Lillian��s surprise, the one who stepped in to stop herself was none other than Icy Snow. At that moment, Icy Snow also narrowed her eyes like Rhode and gazed at the scene below carefully. However, there was no sympathy on their faces.


    ��Wait a minute, Lillian, something isn��t right.��


    ��Something isn��t right?��


    As soon as Lilian heard Icy Snow��s words, the former froze for a moment, before taking a closer look below again. Despite that, she still didn��t notice anything suspicious. And it was at that moment when Rhode put down the wineglass and said.


    ��Pay close attention to the faces of the bystanders.��


    ��Bystanders����


    Lillian was surprised by his words. She followed his instructions and observed the bystanders. Previously, she only stared at the miserable young beggar who was beaten up by the guards and ignored the rest. But now, she discovered that even though there were all kinds of bystanders surrounding the young beggar, none of them had any sympathy to speak of, and even the farmers also shouted in excitement.


    It was at that moment when Lilian realized that something was indeed wrong. Strictly speaking, the four young ladies around Rhode might seem unaware of the dangers of the world. But, in fact, with the exception of Icy Snow, each of them had encountered hardships.


    Christie had been regarded as a demon since childhood and grew up in scolding and discrimination. Hence, she was all too familiar with such happenings on the streets. As a refugee of the shelter, Bell survived in the harsh environment so she wasn��t naive either. Even Lillian, who had been on the run with Sonia for a long time, tasted the ups and downs of life. Besides, she also wasn��t a foolish person either.


    Upon hearing Rhode��s words, Lilian also noticed that the expressions of the bystanders seemed rather odd. Perhaps one or two of the bystanders gloating in the misfortune of the young beggar was due to their radical trait or could be explained as nobles simply disregarding lowly civilians, but the situation was apparently too bizarre that even farmers, merchants, mercenaries, and nobles were also rejoicing at the fact that the young beggar was being beaten up.


    ��Well, this isn��t going to end well. And we will also lose our appetite after seeing his dead body. Little Icy, I��ll leave it to you.��


    Rhode swept a glance at the scene again, before withdrawing his gaze and speaking plainly. And when Icy Snow heard his command, she nodded, stood up, and disappeared before their eyes in a flash.


    ��Stop at this instant.��


    While the guards enjoyed themselves in thrashing the young beggar, Icy Snow��s clear voice rang in their ears. Soon after, everyone felt their vision blurred as a petite young lady appeared before their eyes. Upon seeing the sudden appearance of the young lady, the guards were stunned. They retreated hurriedly.


    Icy Snow, on the other hand, swept a glance at them with puckered brows and turned to look at the young beggar in front of them. At that moment, the young beggar had curled up on the ground with his hands over his head, whimpering and groaning as if he were half-dead.


    ��Who are you?!��


    Upon seeing Icy Snow, one of the guards snarled. However, after following Rhode for a long time, she wasn��t that easily terrified by an ��NPC��. Thus, in the face of his bellow, she took a step back with a rather difficult expression.


    ��I��m just a guest of the tavern. You people fighting here are disrupting our mealtime, so I came down to give you a warning.��


    ��Little brat, how dare you meddle in the affairs of us, guards!��


    Looking at Icy Snow in front of him, a guard pulled a long face, bellowing and stretching out his hand to grab her. But Icy Snow wasn��t a fool either. Besides, how could a player at the maximum level of 85 be seized by an NPC that was weaker than level 30? The moment the guard reached out his arm, she also extended her right hand and patted his arm gently. In the blink of an eye, the tall and burly guard fell to the ground with a thud.


    ��Hmph�� Let��s go!��


    Looking at this scene, the other guards were bewildered. Their captain snorted, waved his arm, and soon after, the guards turned around and left the scene. And along with the departure of the guards, the crowd of bystanders also dispersed. It was only at that moment when Icy Snow looked at the young beggar, only to see him crawling to his feet and looking at her with a thankful gaze. And just as he was about to say something, Icy Snow had already turned around and disappeared entirely from his sight.


    Upon seeing her disappearance, the young beggar stared in surprise. But soon, he revealed an anxious expression and walked in circles by the entrance of the tavern, before finally stomping his foot and turning around to leave. Judging from his agile movements, he didn��t look like one who was just beaten up brutally. And shortly after he left, Rhode witnessed squad after squad of heavily-armed guards marching toward the tavern. And in just a moment��s time, they surrounded the tavern completely.


    And it was at that moment that Rhode withdrew his gaze.


    ��Looks like you girls are being targeted. What happened earlier? Tell me about it.��

 Chapter 1361 - Breaks Between Boredom

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Over something so trivial?��


    After listening to Icy Snow��s story, Rhode raised his eyebrows and slouched against the back of the chair. Meanwhile, Christie and Lillian couldn��t seem to understand the situation. Honestly, even if Rhode asked them, they didn��t know what kind of trouble they had gotten themselves into.


    Fortunately for them, they had Icy Snow by their side. Even though Christie and Lillian didn��t have much personal experience in this aspect, Icy Snow was a veteran. To players, being approached by trouble-stirring and anti-noble hooligans was a run-of-the-mill occurrence. Thus, even though the other young ladies weren��t aware of it, the moment Icy Snow witnessed so many guards, she knew that a ��quest�� had been triggered.


    ��W-What should we do��?��


    If it were before, the young ladies might have been at a loss for words. But now, Rhode was right beside them, so despite them feeling panicky, they calmed down shortly after. And upon hearing Lillian��s question, Rhode shrugged and gave a breezy smile.


    ��What does it matter? Going out shopping and stomping on people is also a part of leisure and entertainment. Since we��ve nothing on after this meal, let��s treat this as a postprandial activity�� Lilian, I��ll leave them to you then.��


    ��Huh? Leave them to me? B-But Big Brother Rhode�� I����


    After hearing Rhode��s words, Lillian, who sat beside him, jumped up like a terrified rabbit. She stared at him with widened eyes, apparently dumbfounded. And upon looking at her frightened expression, he couldn��t help but laugh and wave his hand airily, interrupting her speech.


    ��I didn��t mean for you to attack them; it will be too humiliating for people on our level to fight with a bunch of guards. But don��t forget about your original self, Lillian. As the Light Dragon, there are many ways you can take care of those guys without relying on force. Of course, don��t make them feel too comfortable either. One will only remember and appreciate the pain after being spanked, do you understand? By the way, if you don��t do it right, you��ll just have to let me teach them a bloody lesson.��


    ��Ugh����


    Upon hearing his words, Lillian bit her lip and ended up not saying anything. She was also well aware of Rhode��s personality. He swept a city the size of Casabianca away without even blinking an eye. If he were to attack, perhaps none of these guards who surrounded the tavern would survive. At this thought, Lillian was determined to do this right, or at least not get them killed.


    Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!


    The moment Lillian made up her mind, she heard heavy and rapid footsteps coming from the stairway. Soon after, more than a dozen heavily-armed guards strode up the stairs swiftly. They appeared to be well-trained and quick because in just a blink of an eye, they surrounded Rhode and the young ladies. Shortly after, a man who looked like the captain and had an imposing built strode over. He was clad in a suit of high-end armor, gripping the hilt of his sword with one hand, staring at the five of them with eyes as huge as light bulbs, snarling.


    ��Who obstructed the guards who were enforcing the law earlier?!��


    No one answered. Rhode leisurely swirled his wine glass, squinting and admiring the scenery outside without speaking a word. Icy Snow and Christie, on the other hand, munched on the delicious food in front of them quietly. They had to admit that the food was rather flavorful, so they were able to divert their attention away from the captain. Meanwhile, Bell sat next to Christie and gazed into space. Looking at this scene, Lillian knew that she couldn��t count on her playmates anymore. She sighed inwardly, stood up, and gazed at the captain of the guards before her.


    The moment the captain sensed her gaze, he felt his knees weaken and an urge to kneel down before her. It was especially so after looking into the soft glow emanating from her golden, unfathomable eyes. At that moment, the captain felt like it wasn��t a little girl standing before him, but was more like a towering mountain that he had to lift his head to look up to. He turned pale instantly. As the captain of the guards, he fought several battles. But even so, he was overwhelmed by the presence of the little girl in front of him and at a total loss. And just at that moment, Lillian��s voice reached his ears.


    ��Your guards have gone too far. How could so many of them beat up a child at once? Shouldn��t all of you be protecting civilians from harm instead? Look at what you did!��


    ��Sigh����


    Although Lillian sounded righteous, Rhode shook his head and sighed inwardly. He felt like she was still too inexperienced. With her status, there was no need to bother with these yokels in terms of reasonableness and morality. She could insist on whatever she thought was right and they just had to shut up and listen. However, she didn��t know how to express that. Even if she were to behave like an unruly child, it would still yield better results because children didn��t need reasoning. But she just had to reason with them when they were obviously here to pick on her, so what was the point of reasoning even if she were right?


    As expected, it was fine when Lillian didn��t speak. But after she vented her frustrations, the captain felt the pressure on him diminished a lot��at least it wasn��t as overwhelming as before. At that moment, he revealed a smile and replied.


    ��Miss, you may not know, but that brat is a famous and shrewd rascal around here. Although he seems young, he is full of sneaky tricks. A few days ago, I heard that an old man was pushed into the river after he didn��t give that rascal toll. And that old man almost drowned to his demise. People like that bast*rd deserves to die. Even if he were beaten up, no one will even bat an eye!��


    ��Ugh�� But����


    Upon hearing the captain��s words, Lillian fidgeted. She wasn��t blind; she clearly witnessed the expressions of the bystanders when the young beggar was being bashed up, so she knew that he was definitely a troublemaker. Now that she heard the captain��s frustrations, she was convinced that this was indeed the truth. But now, she knew she wasn��t in a good position to speak anymore. She bit her lips, stole a glance at Rhode, and felt regretful over the things she said earlier. If she didn��t say all those things before, the situation would have been better, wouldn��t it?


    But children are children, after all. Even though Lillian was stumped by his words, she stomped her foot on the ground fiercely.


    ��Whatever it is, hitting someone is just wrong! Besides, you did it in front of all those people!��


    ��Hahaha, you��re right, Miss. We��ll be sure not to do it again.��


    At that moment, the captain��s complexion seemed better than before. Previously, he rushed over without hearing the advice of his subjects. But now, all he could see was that these people were dressed luxuriously and elegantly. At a glance, it was apparent that they weren��t ordinary civilians and not quite the same as those rich merchants.


    The Void Territory ran in a system whereby officials of various towns managed their own, while Marlene and the rest on the higher level had to ensure coordinated deployment and correct general direction. Hence, there were many times the officials only met acquaintances in their areas and rarely encountered outsiders and higher-ups. At that moment, upon sensing that these people were a tough bunch, the captain��s tone softened a lot. But since his superior ordered him to bring the outsiders back to the headquarter, he had to keep trying no matter what. Thus, after exchanging pleasantries with Lillian, the captain spoke up again.


    ��You have a point, but we don��t really understand what happened, after all. So if it were possible, would the few of you please come with us?��


    ��This����


    Upon hearing his question, Lilian sneaked another glance at Rhode. And as expected, Rhode didn��t respond to her pleading gaze. After seeing his non-response, Lilian couldn��t say anything more. She puckered his brows, turned around, and stopped looking at the guards.


    ��I have nothing more to speak to you guys, so let��s stop here. We��re just here for a walk. We don��t want to go anywhere. You can leave now.��


    ��This����


    After hearing Lillian��s reply, this time it was the captain��s turn to be left in an awkward situation. Frankly, he didn��t want to provoke these people with unknown identities. But the top had given a strict order and if he were to head back without them, he could imagine his position being replaced by others. Therefore, after some consideration, the pressure from the top prevailed. Anyway, it was the superiors who gave the order, so if there were any trouble, they would have to deal with it and not him. But if he didn��t bring these people back, he would be entirely out of luck.


    At this thought, the captain restrained his facial expression and snorted coldly.


    ��In that case, don��t blame us for being rude. My sincere apologies. I know that all of you are of honorable identities, but we are on official business. Please understand our position!��


    The captain announced and waved his arms.


    ��Men, capture them. Bring them back!��


    ��Yes, Captain!��


    Upon hearing the captain��s order, the guards acted immediately, reaching out their hands to pull Christie and Lillian away from the table. After witnessing their actions, the anger in Lillian surged. After all, everyone had their temper. She stood up abruptly, glared at them, and let out a grunt.


    ��Get lost!��


    Along with her grunt, the mighty dragon��s prestige erupted all of a sudden. In the blink of an eye, the guards who surrounded the group flew back as if an invisible hand fanned them away. They fell off from the second floor of the tavern and landed heavily on the ground.


    ��L-Let��s go!��


    At that moment, no matter how stupid that captain was, he knew that he had messed with the wrong bunch. He looked at the group of people on the second floor, crawled up from the ground, and fled right away, leaving the guards under his own command where they were. The captain figured out that he wasn��t powerful enough to provoke them and decided that he might need the mayor��s help.


    ��Hmph!��


    It was only after watching the guards crawl away that Lillian exhaled and plopped back onto her seat. After seeing her reaction, Rhode, however, shook his head and couldn��t help but chuckle.


    ��Lillian, it is indeed time for you to come out and walk around more. Look at you; you were almost captured by that slicker. I reckon if I were to let you out, without the power of the Light Dragon you would have been kidnapped and sold.��


    ��How can that be my fault, Big Brother Rhode!��


    Upon hearing his remarks, Lillian became anxious instantly. She turned around to look at him with exasperation.


    ��Those people were obviously the ones who shoved false arguments down people��s throats. It was their fault in the first place! But I just can��t help it that they��re too quick-witted! It��s not that I wasn��t trying, but they��re just too crafty!��


    ��Pfft������!��


    After hearing her response, Rhode couldn��t help but spurt out a mouthful of wine.


    And while Rhode teased Lillian, on the other side of the town, the wretched captain of the guards returned to the town hall, knocking on the door with an apprehensive feeling.


    ��What��s the matter?��


    Upon seeing the arrival of the captain, the mayor��s expression turned gloomy. Despite that, he was considered quite polite. He was born as a soldier and had performed outstandingly in the strategic battle in the Land of Atonement��s fortress, which was how he became the mayor of this town. He took good care of his men and now, when he saw their miserable faces, he knew that they must have gotten into trouble.


    ��This was what happened, Sir. We received a report that someone was obstructing law enforcement. We planned to catch the offenders and interrogate them for clarifications, but we didn��t expect those little girls to be so powerful. Before we reacted, we were thrown out of the tavern����


    ��What?��


    Upon hearing his explanation, the mayor��s expression changed slightly. He lifted his head and frowned at his subordinates.


    ��Those little girls threw all of you out?��


    ��Yes, it was really bizarre. They look like nobles and unlike mages����


    ��How many of them?��


    ��Four�� No, five.��


    Upon hearing the mayor��s inquiry, the captain replied. But after some careful thoughts, he added another count.


    ��The four girls seemed really young. But there was also one in her 20s�� Ugh�� Yes, she should be a young lady, I suppose����


    ��Wait!��


    The mayor who sat on the chair stood to his feet abruptly and stared sternly at the captain.


    ��Are you sure that was a lady?��


    ��Erm�� She should be. It isn��t common to find such a beautiful young lady. But her dress wasn��t that of a common noblewoman����


    ��Y-You����


    Upon hearing the captain��s words, the mayor turned pale instantly. He extended his arm and pointed at the captain with a trembling finger as if he couldn��t wait to cut him down with a sword. But in the end, he took in a deep breath and asked.


    ��By the way, where are they right now?��


    ��They are still in the tavern. I got my men to watch over them, so they shouldn��t be going anywhere soon.��


    ��You��ve even gotten your men to surround them?!��


    Hearing this, the city lord��s voice was almost an octave higher close to screaming, and his two eyes stared as wide as a brass tomb as he glared angrily at the guard captain in front of him. And seeing his city lord looking so abnormal, that big black guard captain was no fool, and immediately spoke carefully to ask.


    ��Erm�� Sir, did I do something wrong?��


    ��Y-You�� bast*rd! G-Get los-�� No! You��re coming with me! Prepare the hors-�� No, no, no! I��ll go with you now. We need neither horses nor carriages! Hurry up and follow me, or I��ll kill your whole family!��


    At that moment, the mayor blew his top, so much so that he stammered. He grabbed a coat along the way and dashed out of the town hall as if his butt were burning. Looking at his reaction, the captain��s heart sank. But now that there was no other way, he could only embrace himself and follow the mayor.


    When the mayor arrived at the tavern��s entrance, Rhode had already eaten his fill, gave Lilian a profound lesson about ideology, and was about to head back to rest. As Rhode��s group walked out of the tavern��s entrance, the mayor who ran all the way from the distance was as white as a sheet. He ran in front of Rhode, fell to his knees, and stumbled over his words.


    ��Y-Your Majesty! I didn��t know you were coming�� I�� I����


    Unlike his bunch of idiotic subordinates, this mayor had spent some time in the Land of Atonement and was very familiar with Rhode. Or rather, the people who followed Rhode in the early days all knew that the most important characteristic of this powerful man was that he couldn��t be distinguished between a man and woman.


    He had an appearance of a stunning beauty and yet, was a man through and through. Moreover, he hated to be called a woman, which couldn��t be clearer to the soldiers who fought against the undead army at the Land of Atonement��s fortress alongside him. After Rhode opened up the Void Territory, he rarely roamed the streets due to the change in his identity.


    That explained why the number of people who met him personally declined drastically and they didn��t know what the Void Dragon looked like exactly. Of course, the veterans who followed him didn��t speak much about his appearance. On one hand, it was a taboo to speak about higher-ups, and on the other, it was a matter of politeness. So by far, most of the people living in the Void Territory didn��t realize the most apparent feature of their greatest lord.


    However, this mayor was clearly aware of it. In fact, when he learned that some little girls threw his subordinates out of the tavern without making a move, his heart pounded hard. After all, as an ex-soldier of the Land of Atonement, he knew who Mini Bubble Gum was; that violent maniac tortured all soldiers in the Land of Atonement in the name of ��training�� back then. And if he were to hear that a teenage girl in the Peak Legendary Stage showed up in his town, the first thing that would come into his mind would surely be the people around Rhode. The moment the mayor saw Rhode, the former confirmed his suspicions. He perspired profusely, rushed up, and sought forgiveness hurriedly.


    Looking at the mayor who was drenched in sweat and confessing his sins, Rhode didn��t say anything much, but waved his hand airily instead.


    ��Alright, get up.��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    After hearing Rhode��s words, the mayor stole a glance at him and felt relieved the instant he saw the expressionless face. If Rhode were smiling, perhaps that would be his last living day��


    ��I��m really sorry, Your Majesty. I didn��t know�� That this could happen����


    ��It��s fine. I��m not looking into it.��


    Upon hearing the mayor��s explanation, Rhode waved him aside. But at the next moment, he narrowed his eyes and looked at the captain of the guards.


    ��But I do want to know who sent them over.��

 Chapter 1362 - Holy Sword Barrier

    Rhode didn��t comment much on the matter. Just like every other ruler who traveled incognito, they had to return home after his identity was revealed, while leaving the rest of the matter to court. This time, however, Rhode left Lillian behind and went to investigate what exactly was going on. This could also be considered an attempt for him to keep Lillian occupied before the great war.


    He was certain that Chaos would launch a counterattack against the Dragon Soul Continent along with the unfolding of the Holy Sword Barrier. However, he didn��t want any more troubles in his hinterland and this was a good opportunity for Lillian to gain experience.


    Even though she was no longer the ruler of the Country of Light, she more or less needed to get her emotional intelligence up. When she was on the run with Sonia earlier, she got into a huge trouble as she was at too great a disadvantage in terms of human interaction. If it weren��t for Rhode who came to her rescue, the mighty Light Dragon would probably have been betrayed by a common town guard.


    On the other hand, Rhode also didn��t teach her any sneaky tricks, but it was always good to have a little more practice. After all, there was a proverb that went ��refrain from hurting others, yet guard against those trying to hurt you��.


    Of course, Rhode won��t leave Lilian behind alone. Apart from Sonia who would help her, as usual, Icy Snow would temporarily be responsible for her side of the work. Besides, Rhode also hoped that Lillian wouldn��t simply investigate and retaliate. She must learn that in any time of war, there would always be screw-ups in the rear, which was why he asked her to manage its ��stability and unity��. Even if riots or conflicts were to occur, with the power of the Light Dragon, she could eradicate them in a matter of minutes, saving Rhode from having to deploy other forces.


    Lillian nodded in agreement to this assignment by Rhode. Although she didn��t like political dealings, this time in front of Rhode and Christie, she managed to hold her ground after being challenged by the captain of the guards. As Rhode mentioned, she was the Light Dragon, after all.


    Even though she used to be a mascot, she sat on the throne in Casabianca and wrestled with the Light Parliament. She just couldn��t accept being fooled by the guards. Hence, she patted her chest, which was just beginning to develop, and vowed to Rhode that she would find out who was behind the trouble.


    Looking at her action, Rhode was a little afraid that she used too much force that would sink her chest in�� However, it was good that she was so attentive. No matter what, he had no intention of letting her stay idle forever either. This was a crucial moment and everyone would have to contribute for the future of the Dragon Soul Continent, wouldn��t they?


    The reason why they left Icy Snow behind was because she was obedient, sensible, and worked well with Sonia. This was also the reason why Rhode had no plan to ask Mini Bubble Gum over. If she were here, perhaps she would cause even more trouble with that personality of hers that was motivated by a desire to see the world in chaos. Thus, after some consideration, Rhode decided to let Icy Snow stick around, while leaving Mini Bubble Gum to continue showing her passion in the front line.


    After taking care of the internal matters, Rhode led Christie and Bell back to Grandia. And this time, he would be starting the final activation of the Holy Sword Barrier. After all, Karin��s problem was solved entirely. She was a holy sword spirit, and her sub-personalities shared consciousness with her core. She was aware of what Rhode had done in the mental world and acknowledged his strength completely. The previous strife they had with each other was no longer there.


    Rhode had to admit that with regards to such a ��creative project��, only a local tyrant like his younger sister was most effective in its management. When she first created the Holy Sword Barrier, she had everything planned out. In fact, what Rhode was doing now was basically the same as what she had planned in the earliest days: build beacon towers to unite the power of the Door of Akasha.


    In that case, when the beacon towers were activated, they would be the first to be attacked by Chaos. And when that happened, the Holy Sword Barrier was essential to protect the beacon towers in all regions. The Holy Sword Barrier would use the combination of the 10 cards that were almost equal to a complete integration of the entire Order rules in the Dragon Soul Continent into one. When Chaos attacked the beacon towers, the power of the holy sword card spirits would explode, helping the defenders of the beacon towers resist Chaos��s attack.


    Previously, Rhode failed to harmonize the balance between the holy sword cards. But now, after wandering in their mental worlds, his relationship with them improved greatly. Not only did the card spirits that were previously on good terms with him have a better relationship with him, but the card spirits that were on average terms with him also became significantly closer to him.


    Seems like�� Those trips to their mental world weren��t entirely useless.


    ��I suppose all of you are ready?��


    Looking at the card spirits in front of him, the corners of Rhode��s mouth curled up in a smile. After getting through the previous challenge, the next and final step was to activate the Holy Sword Barrier. Rhode had given orders for all fronts to be prepared to counter Chaos��s invasion. And now that the front lines that Erin, Lydia, Nell, Mini Bubble Gum, and the rest were in charge of were completely in place, the only thing left was for him to expand the Holy Sword Barrier and activate the Door of Akasha.


    Celia��s behavior wasn��t much different from usual. But compared to the formerly serious and principled battle angel, her expression seemed more laid-back and relaxed and didn��t seem to be as serious and tragic as before as if she were always sacrificing herself for the world. Upon hearing Rhode��s question, Celia smiled and nodded in response.


    ��Yes, Master. We are ready.��


    ��That��s right, Master. Even though I don��t know what you��ve done, we��re all feeling pretty good right now.��


    At the same time, Celestina leaped to his side like a kitten, reaching out her hands to grab his arm in an affectionate manner and whispering in his ear. Perhaps Celestina didn��t notice yet, but he realized that she was behaving exactly the same as the little Celestina in her mental world.


    On the contrary, Gracier and Madaras stood quietly beside each other, looking at Rhode hand-in-hand and nodding slightly as a response. There was really nothing more that he could do about this pair of sisters. Their problems couldn��t be solved through a single trip to the mental world, which was an issue with the profession Carlesdine itself. If he wished for them to return to their ordinary daily lives, it would require depriving them of their abilities as Carlesdines. But based on the current situation, it was clearly something that couldn��t be done.


    ��I assure you, Master, that nothing will go wrong.��


    The one who changed the most among the card spirits was Shira. At that moment, the undead puppet was completely devoid of its previous insanity. After the core personality was freed from her self-imposed captivity, she was as though reborn a brand new person. Not only were her clothes no longer tattered, but her disheveled hair also became silky-smooth and neatly-combed. She didn��t look any different from the missy that Rhode met in her mental world.


    As expected, the rest were also bewildered by the dramatic change in her. But despite that, they behaved pretty calmly and Rhode could also see that some of them were glad of the ��positive changes�� in Shira. Just like what he expected, all the card spirits knew how Shira used to be like in the past and were concerned about her madness. But now, after she restored her usual self, they were undoubtedly happy for her.


    As for Little Five and Catherine, they didn��t say a word. But when Rhode saw Catherine holding bags of snacks in her arms and also feeding Little Five, he knew that there wasn��t a need for him to comment anything�� Perhaps not every card spirit had subjective consciousness about the things that happened in the mental world, but it would still make drastic changes in how they themselves felt.


    At this thought, Rhode took a deep breath, gathered the complicated thoughts, closed his eyes, and once again rethought the activation of the Holy Sword Barrier. Over the past few days, he calculated several times on how it should be activated. But even so, when it came to the actual moment, he still felt tremendous pressure on his shoulders.


    Because this wasn��t just a mission for him, but it also involved the life and death of the Dragon Soul Continent. Hence, he pondered repeatedly. But this time, what the others didn��t know was that apart from the activation of the Holy Sword Barrier that occupied his mind, the problem about fleeing in case of failure was also a huge issue. Although he was responsible for the Dragon Soul Continent, it didn��t mean that he would live and die with it.


    On the contrary, he was the typical representative of ��where there��s life there��s hope��. And strictly speaking, the Dragon Soul Continent wasn��t the place where he was born and raised, so he wouldn��t be so foolish as to lose his life over it. In fact, he had prepared himself. If he failed in the end, he would take Lillian, Lydia, Erin, and the other higher-ups, as well as loyal subordinates like Angelina and Nell and flee directly. The worst case scenario was to escape to the solar system and find a random planet to live in.


    Since he had the power of the seven deity wardens and Creator Dragons on his side, there was nothing they couldn��t do, wasn��t it? Not to mention building another Dragon Soul Continent out of thin air, what would be so difficult for him to hollow out Mars and transform it into a Sith Empire? At the very most, he could find some ways to gain money, before buying another Death Star from Stefania�� Come to think of it, the plane merchant seemed to also have a whole set of fleets ready to be sold to him at a discount��


    But now, Rhode couldn��t count on Stefania. Plane merchants wouldn��t commit themselves until success was certain. And now, things hadn��t even begun to take shape yet. Of course, if he were willing to trade a beautiful woman for it, Stefania would surely welcome with open arms. But whether he was willing or not was another matter.


    ��Let��s begin����


    After a moment of silence, Rhode shook his head and put behind him the scene of five Creator Dragons flaunting in space with an imperial fleet. It was just too awkward to look at a scene that didn��t seem scientific or magical in the slightest. Of course, he could still fantasize about it later. But if he didn��t activate the Holy Sword Barrier now, there wouldn��t even be a future to speak of.


    At this thought, Rhode opened his eyes and extended his right hand.


    ��������!��


    Along with his action, a dazzling summoning ritual flashed on the back of his hand. Soon after, light pillars rose up into the sky and enveloped the holy sword spirits. The holy sword spirits within the light pillars closed their eyes tightly and hovered quietly in midair. And at that moment, a line of long-lost system prompts appeared in front of Rhode��s eyes.


    [Holy Sword Card Deck completed. Activating special skill��Holy Sword Barrier]


    Swish������!


    The moment this line of system prompt appeared in front of Rhode��s eyes, the 10 light pillars coalesced into 10 spheres of light. And almost instantaneously, the holy sword spirits encased in the light pillars returned to their original card form and dispersed in rapid succession to form three triangular magical rituals. At the top were Catherine, Little Five, and Celia. In the middle were Dona, Gracier, and Madaras. At the bottom were Eleanor, Shira, and Celestina.


    As the three layers of magical rituals spun, the atmosphere around them turned heavy. Soft, dazzling golden light of the sun emanated, intertwining and reflecting a vibrant hue of green that was full of vitality, while below them, shadows like a dark tide surged unceasingly.


    But it was no longer just a problem in front of Rhode at the moment. Along with the eruption of the card spirits, the sky darkened. Thunder and bolts of lightning roared within the clouds from time to time. Blustering winds rose from the ground and swirled into the clouds. The land trembled as if the world was coming to an end, so much so that civilians in various regions were bewildered after witnessing these bizarre, heavenly phenomena.


    It was especially so for the people of the Country of Light, where they knelt on their knees in fear and prayed for the blessing of the dragons. It wasn��t too long ago when the angered Lilian erupted her dragon soul power which led to the disasters that devoured the Country of Light. But now, who angered the Light Dragon again?


    [Holy Sword Barrier Infusion Progress����65%����66%����67%]


    Rhode didn��t pay any attention to the surreal phenomena at all. Instead, he stared at the progress bar that was inched forward slowly, at the same time heightening his senses to the extreme as a Void Dragon. He sensed that the Chaos surrounding the Dragon Soul Continent also realized the abnormal situation inside the continent. And now, Chaos was bubbling like boiling water. He believed that in a short while, as soon as Chaos realized the seriousness of the situation, it would swarm and attack the Dragon Soul Continent on all fronts. If Rhode couldn��t open up the Holy Sword Barrier by then, he would have to lose quite a bit of manpower.


    [89%����90%����91%]


    ��Leader! Chaos is about to attack! They��re opening the gaps!��


    Upon hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s report, Rhode��s heart sank immediately. However, he gnashed his teeth and didn��t give an order.


    As long as the Holy Sword Barrier is activated, based on this progress it should be able to envelop the entire Dragon Soul Continent before the all-out war begins�� As long as the Holy Sword Barrier is activated��


    At this thought, Rhode also sensed that Chaos was attempting to break through the defenses of Order and launch attacks on the Dragon Soul Continent. But now, he had no other way. This situation was like a player who built a fortress in the game. Due to the lack of offensive power, he could only hide in the fortress and take a beating, while watching the durability value of the fortress decrease. All he could hope for was to upgrade the fortress faster than the speed of the fortress��s decreasing durability, praying that the upgrade was completed before the fortress��s destruction. This was the same for Rhode. Although he was under a lot of pressure, the infusion of the Holy Sword Barrier forced him to hold on.


    ��Tsk!��


    It was at that moment when Rhode sensed that Chaos broke through the Order barrier in more than one area. The Chaos creatures passed through the Order barrier and were about to attack!


    [98%����99%����100%]


    [Holy Sword Barrier Injection Complete. Please activate the core module]


    Finally!


    Upon witnessing the flash of information in front of him, Rhode was relieved. He extended his arm abruptly and grabbed the pure white card floating before him silently. And along with this action, the [Heart Piercer] shattered into light dust. Tens of thousands rays of light erupted from it as if they were guiding light that extended in all directions. At the same time, the other nine holy sword cards that were constantly spinning suddenly transformed into nine light pillars, flying in all directions, and disappearing into the sky in the blink of an eye.


    ��Whew����


    Rhode let out a long breath. The sweat on his back soaked his clothes. But now, he couldn��t care less about that. Because the moment the nine holy sword cards flew away, he sensed that Chaos also realized the problem and launched their deranged attack on the Dragon Soul Continent!

 Chapter 1363 - Door of Akasha

    ��It has begun.��


    Standing on a high platform, the young lady looked at the pillars of light roaring in the distance, as well as the sky that changed its colors gradually. A hint of emptiness appeared over her face, but soon, her expression became heavy and serious. She turned and looked at the pitch-black doorway in front of her. She reached out her hand and gently touched the ice-cold, hard stone pillar, feeling the power surging from within.


    The original plan was for Rhode to activate the barrier and open up the channel on his own. But now that his younger sister was by his side, he didn��t need to be distracted by dealing with them alone. Thus, he only had to take charge of defending the Dragon Soul Continent with the Holy Sword Barrier, while the younger sister was responsible for activating the Door of Akasha to open the channel to the solar system.


    Since she had previously opened a channel to an alternate world, she was more experienced than Rhode in this regard. Moreover, her attributes as a Void Dragon was perfect for creating a channel. On the other hand, Rhode��s void power was more inclined to flattening, sealing, and integrating. In other words, if the younger sister were a pioneer, Rhode would be the equivalent of a builder. After the younger sister explored the territory, he would then build on it. As the saying ��an art form had its specialties�� went, now that the younger sister had fully recovered her power, proceeding separately was naturally a safer choice for them.


    As a Void Dragon, the younger sister also sensed the completion of the Holy Sword Barrier��s activation. She couldn��t help but let out a sigh of relief. But soon, she collected her thoughts, stretched out her right hand, and held the center of the Door of Akasha. She closed her eyes and called out in a soft voice.


    ��Open. Door of Akasha.��


    ����������


    As if responding to the young lady��s call, the center of the pitch-black and profound Door of Akasha emanated spots of light like stars emerging from the night sky. In the blink of an eye, with her palm at the center, thousands of light specks shone, rotating slowly as if they were nebulae. At that moment, the young lady opened her eyes. Her dark eyes focusing on the nebulae in front of her, and even the soft and clear radiance reflected in her eyes. Around the dark and huge doorway, bolts of lightning appeared out of thin air, crackling and enveloping the surroundings of the Door of Akasha. Even the colors became much dimmer.


    The younger sister��s face grew more solemn with the emergence of the lightning bolts. Those weren��t ordinary bolts of lightning, but were ruptured and shattered cracks from the plane of existence. Like a prelude to the void storm, this was the most important part of opening the plane channel.


    In fact, the essence of a plane channel was torn space, which would be used to expand into a channel. But it wasn��t easy and held high risks. If one didn��t get it right, it would collapse entirely. As a matter of fact, Rhode had already done something similar in the past.


    That was when he went to the Darkness Capital and used Lapis��s Plane Destruction Bombs to destroy the capital. The process itself was the same as opening the plane channel. If he were able to control the power of the bombs, it would be as though he opened a plane channel. But if he lost control of the power, it would blow everything up.


    What the younger sister was doing to open the plane channel was basically the same as continuously tossing in Plane Destruction Bombs, using their power to ��blow up�� a path of blood. At the same time, she used her power of the Void Dragon to stabilize the channel that was blown open so as to achieve the goal.


    The advantage of such a plane channel was that the void storm on the outer plane was sufficient to resist the intrusion of Chaos. Even if Chaos was endless, it would still be torn to shreds the moment it entered the void storm. This would at least ensure that the channel wouldn��t collapse from an infiltration. But the downside was that it had to be stable the entire time.


    And the Dragon Soul Continent, as a place that needed to withstand the onslaught of Chaos, had to ensure that at least two-thirds of it was uncontaminated by Chaos before entering the solar system. Otherwise, Rhode would have to abandon the entire Dragon Soul Continent and take his people far, far away. In any case, it was impossible for them to bring Chaos to the solar system. That previous time was an accident, but once was enough. One simply couldn��t fall in the same place twice, right?


    ���� Will of Akasha, the root of all things, respond to my call and hear my plea. In the name of the Void, open the door to the otherworld!��


    Boom������!


    In an instant, a pitch-black and dusky pillar of light shot up into the sky from the Door of Akasha. Immediately after, an unusual, oval-shaped halo of darkness expanded slowly. As the halo spread over the sky, the earth trembled.


    ��It has begun����


    At that moment, the younger sister revealed a look of relief in her eyes. After activating the Door of Akasha, she was left with the task of maintaining and expanding the plane channel to envelop the entire Dragon Soul Continent. If she were on her own, she would still need to worry about the invasion of Chaos. But now��


    ��I��ll leave the rest to you, Big Brother. I hope that this time, we will be successful.��


    Mumbling to herself, the younger sister raised her head with complicated emotions and looked at the Door of Akasha before her, before closing her eyes once again. Almost immediately after, countless light dust scattered like fireworks from the pitch-black light pillar that burst through the dome flying out in all directions to the Dragon Soul Continent.


    At the same time, the battle against Chaos had begun.


    ��They��re back.��


    Canary stood on the city wall and frowned at the overwhelming presence of Chaos before her. As a player, even though she was pretty much familiar with battles against Chaos, this time, it was different�� It was the first time she ever participated in one like this. At this thought, Canary reached out her arm and held her hand to her chest, feeling her pounding heart. An inexplicable and unprecedented pressure weighed down her body, making her gasp for air.


    On the other hand, the true Canary, who wasn��t a phantom guardian, wasn��t supposed to be on the battlefield. In principle, Rhode disallowed her and Mini Bubble Gum to fight against Chaos because this time, the situation was different from the game. In the game, they were individually capable of fighting Chaos on their own. But now, Chaos was raging and perhaps there were no less than hundreds of lord-level creatures on the battlefield.


    In that situation, it was easy for all sorts of accidents to occur. Moreover, Rhode wasn��t certain if he could resurrect the true Canary and Mini Bubble Gum if they were dead. Hence, he expected them to stay in the rear, but both of them stubbornly opposed to his opinion. In the end, considering the extra strength and assurance they provided, he reluctantly agreed to let them go into battle.


    However, to be on the safe side, he didn��t place them at the front line; they were also each entrusted to someone he trusted to watch over them. Of course, Mini Bubble Gum was the focus of it.


    ��Are you worried, Miss Canary?��


    Upon hearing the gentle voice, Canary felt her inexplicable tension had eased. She turned around and looked at Lydia who strolled toward her with a smile, before nodding lightly with some embarrassment.


    ��Yes, Your Highness Lydia. I��m more or less concerned�� Honestly, this is my first time experiencing a battle of this scale����


    Canary replied and fell into silence for a moment. As a matter of fact, she was somewhat worried. Unlike the fearless Mini Bubble Gum, Canary had always been cautious. It was especially so after her miscarriage, where she became reluctant to act too aggressively.


    Previously, it was unpreventable that she followed Erin and the others around the moon base. As a matter of fact, she still wished to lead a peaceful and quiet life if she could. But this time, it was different. For some reason, after learning about the problem that Rhode was facing, Canary stepped forward without hesitation.


    Now that she had the same powerful strength as she had in the game, she needed to do something for her loved ones instead of just watching from the sidelines. She was also aware that the old days of just sitting quietly and waiting for someone to help her were over.


    From now on, whether it was for the sake of Rhode, or to gain a high spot in his ever-growing harem, she must make contributions. Perhaps Rhode didn��t care about that, but unless Canary was a woman who was willing to be ��provided for�� all her life, she would always have a purpose.


    As these thoughts cropped up in her head, Canary became even more determined. Her understanding of Rhode was second only to the younger sister and Icy Snow��even Mini Bubble Gum was inferior to her. Thus, Canary was well aware of how much Rhode loved her. However, she couldn��t just sit back and do nothing. No matter what, she had to pay him back in some way.


    At this thought, Canary��s expression became firm.


    ���� But I will do my best. No matter what, I will do what I can; only then will I be able to have a clear conscience.��


    ������


    Upon hearing Canary��s words, Lydia was stunned. She narrowed her eyes and surveyed the young lady in front of her. A few moments later, the archangel nodded to Canary with an appreciative look.


    ��The earth nourishes the growth of all things and not everyone recognizes that. But no matter what, they will eventually return to the warm embrace of the earth�� Miss Canary, I admire your courage and conviction. Springs that show up in the desert are even sweeter because they are scarce. But do remember that while birds that return the favor are to be admired, they must be equally careful of the talons of the eagles that soar in the sky.��


    ��I understand. Thank you for the reminder, Your Highness Lydia. I have no intention of giving up my life easily either,�� Canary said, clenching her fists and gazing ahead unflinchingly. ��I will do my best to live on. This time, I will never leave his side again.��


    ��Reporting, Your Highness! The enemy has broken into the range of our defensive line!��


    At the same time, a loud and stern report broke the dull atmosphere in the flagship. Upon hearing the report, Lydia smiled and stepped forth, as if the countless Chaos creatures in front of her were non-existent. With a soft and gentle smile, she arrived on the balcony. Facing the black and overwhelming presence of Chaos, the archangel raised her right hand high.


    ��Let��s begin. Everyone, this is our final battle with Chaos!��


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The moment the archangel pointed her right hand forward, golden magical beams spurted out from the magic warships�� turrets one after another along with the thunderous sound of cannon fire. The assault was like an omnipresent storm pressurizing the Chaos army ahead. Along with innumerable, dazzling golden beams streaking across the sky like meteors, explosions of flame and air currents flattened the ground.


    From time to time, the blinding lights tore, devoured, and destroyed the Chaos creatures that attempted to pounce on them. For a moment, the rolling waves of darkness seemed to be stopped in their tracks by this embankment of gunfire. But that only lasted for a moment before Chaos once again advanced, seemingly unhindered in the slightest. For them, neither death nor destruction were an issue, for nothing was defined and bound.


    However, that didn��t mean that their enemies were only the towering walls in front of them and the magic warships cruising in the sky.


    ��Amau������Sausn����


    Standing on the deck, Canary raised and stroked her arms like a musical conductor of a symphony orchestra. Along with her movements, magical runes emerged in midair one after another and flowed downward like a waterfall, twisting and spinning into a statement filled with magical power. The elements in the air surged. The air within a radius of hundreds of meters with Canary at its center also flickered with scarlet and green brilliance.


    ��This����


    Looking at this scene, Lydia��s expression changed slightly. Of course, she knew what sort of power Canary possessed. However, knowing was one thing, while seeing it was another. At that moment, Canary had completely abandoned the burden on her heart and brought out 100 percent of her strength, something she had never done in the game. Although she was aggressive in her attacks, she always held back some of her powers. But this time, she was no longer holding back anything because she was giving everything she had for the one she loved.


    ��������Killy, Sange!��


    At the peak of the elemental coalescence, Canary yelled and made a gesture with her hands in the air, before pushing forward.


    And along with this action, the elemental waves that were bound tightly finally erupted.


    The air roared and the tempests were no exception either. The winds that were strong enough to take on magical warships couldn��t survive the onslaught of the sea. All the clouds in the sky scattered in the winds. The greenish hue enfolded the top of the firmament as far as the eye could see. In full view of everyone, wind elements rushed from the other side of the horizon, and then like a huge rainbow, or a flood that rushed through the floodgates, it struck headlong into the Chaos creatures in an arc.


    The roaring barrier of wind stopped the further attacks by the tens of thousands of Chaos creatures. Winds snarled and tore like a meat grinder ripping apart anything that was swept into it. The earth crumbled, while red, scorching hot magma spewed out from its cracks and burst skyward along with the massive whirlwinds. For a moment, the fiery whirlwinds were like walls of flame rising from the ground and leaping to a height of nearly a thousand meters and even the magical warships had to avoid them.


    But this wasn��t the end.


    ��Argh����


    Canary gnashed her teeth and clenched her hands. Her arms were covered with circuit boards-like magical rituals, shining with alternating green and red brilliance. At that moment, she was the ruler of wind and fire, and there was no one here who could compete against her!


    The young lady��s slender arms couldn��t stop trembling. Even with the strength of a top player, Canary��s body was still made of human flesh, after all. She was almost at her limits from withstanding so much pressure, as well as manipulating two types of elements at the level of elemental lords. She gnashed her teeth and pushed the wall of wind and fire forward. The Chaos creatures that pounced on her weren��t spared at all. They were either torn to pieces by the razor-sharp winds or engulfed by the flames. However, there was also a limit to that.


    ��Go����!��


    It was at that moment when Canary suddenly widened her eyes, spread her arms apart, and swung them to the sides abruptly.


    ����������


    At that instant, everyone shut their eyes.


    The magical warships trembled unceasingly in the gushing air currents. The blistering heat gave one the illusion of sticking one��s head into a blazing furnace. The air around one��s ears seemed to expand at that very moment, so much so that one couldn��t hear the sounds of explosion clearly. When everyone opened their eyes again, they were bewildered.


    As far as their eyes could see, the earth had cracked and was scorched pitch-black. The mighty presence of Chaos had vanished entirely. Not only that, but if one were to look to the side, one would also find traces of fire rings that were slowly dissipating.


    That one strike wiped out all the enemies on the battlefield, leaving not even a scrap behind.


    ��Whew�� Whew����


    Canary breathed a sigh of relief and looked forward. She wasn��t proud of her attack because at the same time, Chaos emerged again.


    However, she also had reinforcements on her side.


    ��They��re back.��


    Along with Lydia��s words, Canary caught a glimpse of a shining, meteor-like glow that streaked across the sky and flew toward them.

 Chapter 1364 - Tyrant of the Sky

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The brilliance was so dazzling that the moment the meteor flew past, it was as if a giant searchlight flashing through the sky and enveloping everyone. At the next moment, the meteor flew toward the beacon tower that shone like a pillar of light. An overwhelmingly bright radiance enfolded the entire world and soon after, the figure of a battle angel emerged from it.


    ��Miss Celia!��


    Canary widened her eyes and stared at Celia in some astonishment. Of course, she had met Rhode��s holy sword spirits and was familiar with Celia. And now, upon seeing Celia standing there so casually, Canary felt rather surprised. Not only that, but Canary also noticed that Celia��s outfit seemed different than usual.


    Her armor of the battle angels was gone, only to be replaced by a pure-white, shiny, and high-grade-looking set of armor. Furthermore, the sword in her hand was no longer what it used to be; it looked more like a lightsaber coalesced from light now. Upon hearing Canary��s voice, Celia lowered her head and nodded to her and Lydia. Shortly after, she gripped the hilt of her sword with both hands and gazed forward calmly and sternly.


    Something isn��t right!


    At that moment, Canary sensed the problem. Previously, due to her over-consumption of power, her perception had weakened. And now, upon witnessing Celia��s odd reaction, Canary discovered the source of the problem. She turned around and looked ahead hurriedly, only to witness from the far side of the horizon, a cloudy fog was spreading at a rapid pace.


    Where the fog was coalescing, one could clearly see the scorched earth turning muddy as if it were washed away by a rainstorm. Not only that, but layers of filthy green also emerged from the burnt soil as if a pigment had fallen into the water and spread throughout. Soon after, large tracts of land turned green. But the green wasn��t that of the vibrant plants. Instead, they were full of distortion as if some kind of disgusting, sticky existence. Just looking at them made Canary nauseous.


    ��Chaos Lord.��


    ��It is about time for them to show up as well. Seems like everything is as His Majesty Rhode predicted.��


    Despite that, Lydia seemed unaffected about the emergence of the Chaos Lords. In fact, this was something that Rhode had already reminded everyone of earlier. In the previous attack on the Country of Darkness, there had been several Chaos Lords attacking them at once, so it was expected that they would do it again here. Besides, this time was different.


    Back then, it was the fool, Ion, who commanded the attack. On the other hand, with the nature of Chaos, they objected to this type of battle the most. That was why as soon as something went wrong, the Chaos Lords fled the battle immediately. But it was different now. Chaos launched an all-encompassing and spontaneous attack on the Dragon Soul Continent. Thus, the Chaos Lords surely wouldn��t escape like before.


    ��There��s two of them��companion-type Chaos Lords.��


    In terms of strength, Canary might not be as strong as Lydia. But in terms of knowledge of Chaos, she was no less than Rhode. In the blink of an eye, Canary was certain that two Chaos Lords appeared in front of her. One in the form of a fog, while the other was a green lump over the ground. Although she didn��t know their attributes, she was able to recognize them at a glance, which showed that her fundamentals were strong.


    ��I never expected two Chaos Lords to be here.��


    Lydia didn��t have any doubts about Canary��s judgment. She also knew very well that in this regard, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were considered experienced fighters with hundreds of battles under their belts and definitely knew much better than herself. Hence, Lydia didn��t comment much, but held down her hands instead. In the blink of an eye, two beautifully decorated swords like art pieces appeared in her hands. The archangel looked at Canary and smiled.


    ��Well then, leave the rest to me, Miss Canary. As the owner, it��s not always a good idea to watch from the sidelines, is it?��


    Lydia said and winked at Canary playfully. The latter witnessed a flash and at the next moment, Lydia disappeared before her eyes. When Canary turned around, all she saw were two blade rays that almost split the sky apart.


    The archangel flapped her wings and soared into the azure sky. The brilliant sunlight shrouded her body and she emanated an incomparably holy light. And under this dazzling radiance, the expanded dense fog let out a high-pitched scream that was enough to make one faint, before tumbling backward to retreat hurriedly and allowing the green earth to be exposed to the sun. And just as the fog retreated, the big, green lump like a muddy ground suddenly rose up in a violent rage. In an instant, Canary witnessed the land stretching like dough, turning into huge, thick tentacles that struck at Lydia.


    But the archangel was clearly not one who could be killed so easily. The instant the green land moved, Lydia chuckled, fluttered her wings, and darted to the side. At the same time, she swung down the sword in her left hand.


    Canary didn��t witness any rippling blade airwaves. The only thing she saw was that the instant Lydia attacked, the land split apart. Without any warning, the huge, pitch-black gorge extended across the land like a spiderweb. The tentacle that leaped up to entangle Lydia was also sliced in two at that moment. Lydia held the sword in her right hand and swung it horizontally. Soon after, the thick, massive tentacle was chopped in midair, before shrieking and crashing to the ground.


    ��������!��


    As the ear-deafening screech echoed, scarlet eyeballs appeared over the green ruptured land one after another. They were eyeballs of bugs, humans, and animals emerging like bubbles and glaring at Lydia evilly. Under the ferocious gaze, Canary couldn��t help but shiver. However, Lydia didn��t seem to sense their ill-intention at all. On the contrary, the moment the eyeballs showed up, Lydia raised her arms and criss-crossed the two exquisite swords in her hands before her. Soon after, sunlight blasted from above.


    Even though Canary witnessed this attack once on the moon base, she still couldn��t help but be astounded after seeing it again. The instant Lydia lay out her swords, the harmless sunlight that enveloped the land suddenly became ��substantial��. Under her control, the innocuous brilliance transformed into bullets.


    It was imaginable just how even the toughest creatures would fall in this constant barrage of bullets. At that moment, the Chaos Lord suffered the same. After Lydia summoned the power of the sun, its gigantic and incomparably strong body covering the land became its most lethal weakness. Sunlight penetrated into the ground and shattered the green, muddy surface into bits.


    It was apparent that the Chaos Lord was completely unaware that Lydia possessed such strength. At that moment, it was like a soldier facing heavy German artillery fire during the invasion of Normandy1 with no possibility of escape. Although it waved its tentacles repeatedly and emanated Chaos beams in its eyes in an attempt to fight Lydia, the sky was entirely Lydia��s home turf under the enveloping sunlight.


    The tentacles that just coalesced were immediately torn apart before they struck. The Chaos beams that emanated vanished before they even reached Lydia. The earth crumbled like a sandpit and amidst the roaring and shattering explosions, the size of the sandpit also expanded. The Chaos Lord tried to use the power of the earth to consume Lydia��s attack. But it didn��t expect her strength to exceed the limit of what it could take. And now, it was apparent that it was too late for it to retreat.


    At that moment, upon seeing his ��comrade�� insulted, the other Chaos Lord, who was the fog, let out an odd shriek and made a comeback. The pitch-black fog gathered to form thick layers of cloud in the instant they covered the sky. Although no one knew what the clouds were made of, it was apparent that they weren��t substantial. Because under the cloud cover, the dazzling sunlight grew faint. And along with the emergence of the cloud cover, the power of the sun weakened. Soon after, the endless, powerful strikes became ineffective, while the land that was bombarded with huge holes coalesced and refilled themselves as if it was planning to start over again.


    ��This looks like trouble.��


    Lydia raised an eyebrow and looked at the thick clouds above her. The clouds spread so fast that in just a few moments, they covered almost two-thirds of the sky. If it weren��t for the fact that Canary��s line of defense was blessed with the protection of the Holy Maiden Statue, perhaps the entire world would have already plunged into darkness by now.


    The situation was disadvantageous for Lydia.


    Canary also frowned. Of course, she knew how strong Lydia was. But no matter how powerful her skills were, she still needed to rely on sunlight to unleash them. Not only that, but she would also consume a lot of power by doing so. In the game, the reason why Lydia died in battle was that she lost the power of sunlight and expended too much of her strength. And now, even though she could still defeat the two Chaos Lords before her at full strength, there were still more Chaos Lords at the back. What if they were waiting at the rear and preparing to strike?


    Do I have to do it myself?


    The moment Canary clenched her fists and about to summon the power of wind and fire to spar against the enemies again, she stole a glance at Celia, who stood beside her, out of the corner of her eye. The battle angel stood firmly at the top of the beacon tower, not moving an inch. Canary and Lydia knew very well that the main goal of Rhode��s holy sword spirits was to protect the beacon tower from being destroyed��at least for now. However, facing the battle before her, Celia couldn��t stand idly by any longer.


    Celia gripped the hilt with both hands and raised the sword high above her head. Along with this movement, her elegant wings trembled constantly and soft rays of light emanated from the gaps of the feathers, glowing in all directions.


    Does she have a way?


    This scene piqued Canary��s curiosity. She didn��t understand the strength of Rhode��s holy sword spirits. But according to her projected self and Mini Bubble Gum, the holy sword spirits seemed to be slightly weaker than players. Of course, after learning about their mental worlds, Canary also knew that the abilities the holy sword spirits displayed perhaps wasn��t their true strength. But even so, Canary still wasn��t certain of Celia��s abilities. Lydia was already struggling against the two Chaos Lords, so how could Celia be able to take them on at once?


    Soon after, Celia proved it to Canary with her actions.


    Celia lifted the sword in her hand slowly. Her movement was so steady that it seemed to Canary that it wasn��t a lightsaber in Celia��s hands, but some kind of terrifying existence that weighed more than Mount Tai1 Not only that, but Canary also observed that the higher Celia lifted the lightsaber, the brighter the brilliance in the gaps of her feathers, so much so that the moment she raised the sword over her head, her wings turned completely into two wings of light without physical presence!


    Immediately after, Celia gripped the sword of light in her hand and swung down with all her might!


    The world turned white at that moment.


    There was no other color. Shadows vanished and everything was devoured by whiteness, leaving behind silhouettes accentuated by dark outlines. At a glance, everything was like a simple stroke that brushed the outline. Pure white light shrouded and swallowed everything in sight as if it were the instant the sun rose from the horizon. Nothing could stop a brilliance of such extent.


    The blinding glow lasted for only a moment. But to Canary, it was as if a long time had passed. She didn��t know when the light disappeared, but the moment she came back to her senses, the two Chaos Lords were no longer in sight. Lydia was the only one hovering silently in midair, gazing at the clear sky and earth.


    It��s over.


    Looking at this scene, Canary let out a long breath and shifted her gaze to Celia with complicated emotions.


    Is this the true power of the holy sword spirit? The true power of light that not even Lydia can match?


    Although Canary witnessed Celia��s power with her own eyes, the former didn��t put her mind at ease. But instead, she grew worried. After all, with such amazing powers like Celia��s, just how strong was Chaos the that caused Rhode and his younger sister to be worried about not being able to guard the beacon power?


    At that moment, as if responding to Canary��s doubts, a thunderous roar echoed in the sky.


    Upon hearing the loud rumble, Canary was bewildered. She turned hurriedly to the area where the sound came from and soon, her expression changed dramatically. Right before her eyes, the sky was obscured.


    But this time, it wasn��t the thick fog earlier, but an even more massive and terrifying existence that covered one-third of the sky. A Chaos Lord like a gigantic whale peeked out from the clouds and fog. His scarlet eyes were filled with death and madness overflowing with killing intent as he stared at his enemies.


    Not only that, but the moment the whale appeared, Canary also saw millions of Chaos creatures resurfaced behind it as if responding to the calls of its lord. Even after suffering defeat from two waves, the Chaos creatures didn��t seem to be afraid at all. On the contrary, they crowded ahead wildly, letting out ear-piercing screeches and devouring everything ahead of them. Countless creatures twisted their bodies, revealed their snowy and razor-sharp teeth and advanced frantically.


    At that moment, Lydia had returned to the floating magical warship, watching the scene in front of her solemnly. Shortly after, she raised her hand and snapped her fingers. Along with this action, battle angels appeared from the floating warship one after another. They gripped their weapons tightly and their faces turned serious as they stared at the enemies ahead.


    Even though the presence of Chaos was massive, so much so that it could crumble one��s mind into despair, there wasn��t a single hint of abandonment in the eyes of the battle angels. There was only perseverance in them. They would use their bodies to build a wall to hold back Chaos�� assault on Order. The air froze and the atmosphere from the pre-war filled the battlefield to the point where it left one breathless.


    And at that moment, Canary clearly understood that the war between Order and Chaos had just begun.

 Chapter 1365 - Role of an Act

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The war had just begun.


    Rhode lifted his head and wiped the cold sweat on his forehead. The 10 halos around him flickered and rippled like shock waves. Even though it seemed like Rhode, who sat on the throne, was indolent and the strongest man in the world, he knew what kind of torment that was. At that moment, he felt his head swelling in pain. But even so, he didn��t relax his demands, but continued to feel the battlefield in all directions instead.


    That��s right, torment. As a Void Dragon, he didn��t have enough power to fight the enemies head-to-head. But he also didn��t need to do that. According to his younger sister, as long as the stability of the Holy Sword Barrier was maintained, he could strengthen the power of the Order of the Dragon Soul Continent from the inside-out, thus suppressing and resisting Chaos.


    It might sound easy, but it certainly wasn��t that simple for Rhode. Because this meant that he had to constantly supply power to the 10 holy sword spirits. That was the equivalent of one having to adjust 10 monitoring screens at the same time and also making sure that the firepower in those areas was enough to defeat the enemy, so that they wouldn��t be overwhelmed.


    Although the holy sword spirits were considered to have regained their original strength after clearing up the connection to their mental world, Rhode was still cautious with his decisions. Just like Canary thought, this time Chaos was raging and going all-out, which wouldn��t be that easy to resist. If Rhode made a careless mistake, everything would be over.


    Not to mention, the holy sword spirits also needed to guard the beacon towers, so the power emitted from the beacon towers would guide the Dragon Soul Continent to overlap with the plane channel. Only then could the Dragon Soul Continent ��fly�� into the plane channel on its own initiative and teleport into the Solar System.


    Hence, the status of the holy sword spirits was the most important thing to pay attention to. If Rhode were distracted or defeated, the beacon towers would also be destroyed and the Dragon Soul Continent would be in grave danger.


    It was at that moment that Rhode deeply felt how annoying the offense of Chaos was. In the past, whether it was in the game or in reality, although he faced the Chaos army more than once, he was never so shaken. Because back then, he could turn the Chaos creatures into lone soldiers by severing the connection between Order and Chaos, in which case even the most powerful Chaos creature would die.


    But this time was completely different. It was impossible for him to sever the connection between Chaos again, and Chaos��s attack was much stronger than before. The reason why the earlier presences of Chaos were repelled was that they didn��t particularly care about the Dragon Soul Continent. They were like a cat teasing a mouse, but once the mouse bit back, Chaos would immediately retreat. But this time, the mouse planned to escape the cat��s clutches and flee to safety, which was something the cat would never allow. That was why this was a declaration that the previous game had ended and the cat would use all its strength to obliterate the mouse now.


    Although it was somewhat pathetic to think of himself as a mouse, it was the truth, after all. In fact, Rhode preferred the Dragon Soul Continent to be the mouse instead so that he would have a chance to transmigrate the entire continent through the plane channel. But now, it seemed obvious that things weren��t going as smoothly as he hoped.


    As he expected, the progress of the underground, Country of Light, and Void Territory were all going well. Order and Chaos were natural enemies, while Light was the natural enemy among all enemies. Even though having three holy sword spirits of the light attribute and Holy Maiden Statues as a barrier wouldn��t make them invincible against Chaos, there was still no problem in resisting their attack.


    As for the Void Territory, the magical monster nests residing in it also began to display their power. And with the assistance of the magical warships, there wouldn��t be any problems for a while. Although the underground was relatively weak, as the place where the rules of Order were the tightest and most difficult to be penetrated by Chaos, the threat was also the lowest.


    Thus, although Nell and Angelina weren��t considered top combatants, under their command and with the cooperation of the dark elves and vampires, as well as the unique terrain, there was still no big problem for them in delaying the time.


    On the other hand, the situation over at Erin��s and the elves�� side was a bit worrisome. Undead creatures were supposed to be the best vanguard against Chaos. But after Ion was influenced by Chaos, most of the combat power of the Country of Darkness was converted into Chaos. The remaining forces were still strong, but it was too hard for them to compete with the endless sea of Chaos.


    Elves, on the other hand, were naturally sparse in numbers and the countless Chaos was also a nemesis and natural enemy to them. If it weren��t for the fact that Rhode sent Gracier, Madaras, and Cassidy over, considering that the elves weren��t strong enough to fight head-on, the elves would have been the first to collapse��


    Rhode��s strategy was to have all the holy sword spirits stationed at the center of the beacon tower of the first level of defense, before dispatching the seven deity wardens on rotation to ensure that they could withstand Chaos�� endless attacks and stall for time.


    This strategy was rough, but even his younger sister said that there was no other way. After all, the two sides had dropped all pretense and entered the hostile stage immediately. All conspiracies and plots were meaningless. It was a war to see who had the most perseverance, could survive the longest, and have the last laugh.


    Something worthy of a mention was that after the war began, Lapis had been very enthusiastic in asking Rhode to allow her to go to the front line to install Plane Destruction Bombs. But considering all aspects and dangers, he didn��t grant her request for now. After all, he wasn��t yet at that point where he had to let her do it.


    ��Whew����


    Although he dismissed Lapis��s requests time and time again, deep down, he was actually considering it, as a matter of fact. Chaos�� offense was too aggressive. Despite looking calm, Rhode had considered more than once about whether to give up a few areas and create a void storm to stop Chaos. Only two days had passed since the war began, but to him, the extent of battle was almost equal to two years.


    Endless Chaos was simply too much to handle, and even if one launched an AoE attack on the entire map and cleared them all at once, they would fill up the openings in just a few minutes. Honestly, it did require a certain degree of mental preparation to face such a scenario without feelings of despair. Fortunately, it was a walk in the park for most of the players. They were familiar with the attacking style of Chaos.


    As for the natives, some of them thought of fleeing in the face of the ferocious battles. But after they witnessed how the barrier troops were ordered by Rhode to kill all deserters, they hesitated whether to ��die honorably in the war against Chaos�� or ��be killed by barrier troops during their desertion��. They eventually made the choice to gnash their teeth, embrace themselves, and continue charging forward.


    It was with this background that Rhode chose to continue waiting. After all, his younger sister warned him that it was best not to detonate the Plane Destruction Bombs when the plane channel was unfolding. Otherwise, the sudden emergence of the void storm might possibly cause irreversible damage to the plane channel. Thus, even if he wanted to lose a pawn to save a castle, he could only do it after the plane channel took shape and stabilized itself.


    ��Master, you didn��t sleep for two days. Do you need to take a break?��


    Upon hearing his sigh, Karin, who stood in front of him and focused her attention at the fast-jumping data quietly, turned back and asked. As the core and balance of the holy sword spirits, Karin was the only one that remained here. She wasn��t only responsible for coordinating the balance of power of the other nine holy sword spirits, but she also had to keep an eye on the status of the plane channel opening on Rhode��s younger sister��s side. Hence, it could be said that in terms of busyness, she and Rhode were almost on the same level.


    ��I��m fine for now. I used to play games for a few days straight without feeling sleepy. Although this situation is tougher, I��m still able to hold on.��


    In response to Karin��s question, Rhode replied and turned curiously to Karin, who had turned back around and continued her work.


    ��What about you, Karin? Are you all right?��


    It wasn��t for no reason that Rhode asked. The reason why he was able to hang on until that moment without feeling much fatigue was purely due to his Void Dragon constitution. He was able to battle it out with Anne endlessly in bed, so naturally he wouldn��t feel sleepy just because he stayed up for two days. However, Karin was different. She was purely human, and although the work she had to do was easier, it wasn��t much better. Under such circumstances, Rhode felt strange that she could still be as calm as a robot.


    ��Please don��t worry, Your Majesty. I suppose you already know that my core consciousness and subconscious coexist. I am now dealing with issues along with the projections of my subconscious personality, which isn��t a difficult thing for us to do.��


    I see.


    When Rhode heard Karin��s answer, he shrugged. Of course, he knew that Karin had the special ability to break through the barrier of subconsciousness and coexist with her projections. This meant that there were four of them handling all information at once and the burden on her was shared among them. Thinking further ahead, maybe she had two personalities working at once, while the other two were resting. She would rotate them around so there wasn��t a need for her body to take a break in the slightest. After all, card spirits could only get mentally tired and not physically.


    In a way, this was a skill that Rhode wanted.


    ��Chaos is relentless.��


    Collecting his thoughts, Rhode once again focused his attention on the battlefield and his complexion turned slightly pale. At that moment, nearly a hundred Chaos Lords had been killed, which wasn��t a small number even in the game world. Despite that, the deaths of these Chaos Lords still weren��t enough to stop the Chaos army in its tracks at all. It could be said that what Lydia, Erin, and the others had done was basically useless.


    The only thing that mattered was to buy time. Maybe that was the only motivation that supported all those fighting on the front lines. They had to continue fighting until the plane channel opened. But no one knew whether or not it could be achieved.


    We still lack manpower.


    At that thought, Rhode shook his head helplessly. If he were able to project all of Starlight, there would be no problem in stopping the Chaos armies. These current player projections were still able to resist Chaos��s attacks, but they weren��t able to do that skillfully.


    Rhode sensed through his spiritual connection that quite a few of the player projections were starting to feel exhausted. That was also why he felt rather tired. After all, fatigue was something that was as contagious as yawning.


    But for now, Rhode remained strong. He closed his eyes and soon, Christie��s face appeared in his mind.


    ��Is anything the matter, Your Majesty?��


    ��Get Marybelle to take over for Alice; the latter��s almost at her limit.��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s command, Christie, who was one of the seven deity wardens, nodded and disconnected the spiritual communication immediately. And it was at that moment that Rhode raised his head and leaned back on the headrest of the chair. The cold touch at the back of his head cooled his burning mind. He continued to close his eyes and let out a soft sigh.


    Seven deity wardens.


    Despite claiming to be the seven deity wardens, Rhode was only surrounded by the Fate Deity Warden��Christie, Wisdom Deity Warden��Marlene, History Deity Warden��Alice, Contrast Deity Warden��Cassidy, and Presence Deity Warden��Marybelle. The remaining two deity wardens were nowhere to be found. It wasn��t that Rhode hadn��t thought of finding them before the war began, but that he didn��t have the time to do so. As a matter of fact, he and his younger sister had gotten the deity wardens to look for their remaining companions. But unfortunately, there was no good news.


    If all the seven deity wardens were here, it might be a little easier on Rhode��s side. The only ones who were great at battles were Christie, Cassidy, and Marybelle. Strictly speaking, Marlene and Alice weren��t considerably strong in combat. Previously, Rhode sent Alice to help Erin and the former, as the History Deity Warden, had indeed shown her impressive skills.


    Unfortunately, due to professional incompatibility, history wasn��t meaningful to Chaos. Thus, despite Alice doing her best, she was only able to hold off the counterattack of the Chaos army. That was when Rhode decided firmly to replace Alice with Marybelle. After all, the Presence Deity Warden was simply one in a million in terms of her ability to slaughter on a wide scale.


    But Rhode didn��t know that as he was busy deploying his army, a secret conversation was unfolding in a dark, narrow room.


    ��It looks like the information we got was correct. Even Alice was sent into battle�� Her abilities aren��t suited to fighting Chaos head-on, though.��


    Under the illumination of the candlelight, the slender, petite figure sitting at the seat of honor could be vaguely seen. She wore a maroon robe, and an odd, white mask with weird patterns painted on it. She sat on a chair that was twice the size of her body, looking rather comical like Alice in Wonderland1 who took a shrinking pill.


    ��I can sense the wave motions from the Door of Akasha. Her Majesty is serious this time.��


    And in the darkness opposite that petite figure, a dull and indistinct voice like a muffled thunder sounded, echoing unceasingly in the silent room. However, the petite figure didn��t react to it. Instead, she lazily stretched her waist and laid down on the table in front of her without any grace.


    ��Yeah�� The plane channel is opening�� But I don��t think it will go smoothly this time either. Her Majesty failed previously and this time, although she has the assistance of her big brother, I��m still not feeling too optimistic.��


    ��Don��t you intend to report this information?��


    Facing the grumbles of the masked young lady, the other individual asked in astonishment. Then, the masked young lady waved her hand lazily.


    ��There��s no use reporting it now. That big brother has lots of suspicion. Besides, even if they trust the intelligence I provide, they can��t send anyone to do anything for now. They��re sending Alice to the front lines, so do you think Big Sister Christie will come��? Ugh�� The possibility isn��t out of the question, though����


    ��So I would advise you to think better of it. Big Sister Christie isn��t one whom we can handle once she gets angry.��


    ��Of course I know that. But now isn��t the time yet�� If anything were to go wrong before it achieves its purpose, all of our efforts over the years will be completely wasted. As for Her Majesty�� Since they��ve gotten back Big Sister Marybelle, I think we can still hang on for a while.��


    The masked young lady, who lay on the table in an unsightly posture, spoke and lifted her head again. Her eyes behind the white mask emanated a mysterious, blue glow.


    ��I��ll leave it to you then.��


    ��Sure.��


    Upon hearing the masked young lady��s words, the voice in the darkness echoed again with unwavering determination.


    ��This time, we��ll not fail.��

 Chapter 1366 - Under the Eternal Night

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The loud explosions rang in her ears.


    Erin opened her eyes, gazed blankly at the ceiling, and shook her head. Shortly after, her unfocused vision regained its clarity. She stood up and walked to the window. In the distance, the continuous artillery fire didn��t seem to be stopping anytime. She watched as the brilliance that shone through the sky interlaced to form a dense net.


    ��Beautiful�� But so cruel����


    Erin whispered to herself while closing her eyes as if she didn��t want to look at the never-ending battle in front of her. Like Rhode, Erin also felt the terrifying power that pounced on her when Chaos went all out.


    Eren though she was prepared for it, she still felt a considerable amount of pressure, which was a heavier and more overwhelming burden than before, and she could barely breathe. Although with the Dark Dragon��s power, Erin didn��t require much effort to deal with Chaos, she would eventually tire out if Chaos continued to harass them infinitely.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    At that moment, she heard some pounding on the door. Before she responded, the bedroom door was pushed open roughly and two petite figures scurried in.


    ��Big Sister Erin! Wake up! It��s time to move out. Give those Chaos bast*rds a taste of our power!��


    ��That��s right, Big Sister Erin! Come on, come on! Why are you still dazing by the window!��


    It was precisely the two Mini Bubble Gums who burst through the door without the slightest hint of politeness. After some careful consideration, Rhode decided that the real Canary should follow Lydia, while the two Mini Bubble Gums were sent along with Canary��s projection to take charge of the defense of the Country of Darkness.


    Of course, it wasn��t without reason for his decision. He realized that the projected Canary was a stronger deterrent to the two Mini Bubble Gums compared to the real Canary. Perhaps this was because back then, the part of Canary in his memories which could control Mini Bubble Gum had been strengthened when he projected her. As a result, the projected Canary had an easier time handling the two troublemakers. For that reason, Rhode arranged for the two Mini Bubble Gums and Canary to help the front at the Country of Darkness.


    Rhode had to admit that the two troublemakers worked well together. Besides, their tyrannical and desperate style of offense restrained Chaos successfully. Moreover, with Eleanor who was in charge of guarding the beacon tower around, the projected Canary to assist them, and together with Erin and her undead army, they were still able to stop Chaos from attacking.


    As a matter of fact, the undead army of the Country of Darkness didn��t have any significant advantage against Chaos. One edge they had was having the same trait as Chaos creatures: they didn��t know what ��exhaustion�� was and could continue fighting without resting. But in other aspects, the undead army was no different from a human army.


    The undead army��s specialty was converting death to undead, but Chaos creatures didn��t understand the concept of ��life and death��. All Chaos creatures knew was the difference between destroying and being destroyed, so even necromancers and lichs couldn��t recover any corpses to turn them into undead creatures. In fact, the undead creatures were quite wary of getting entangled with Chaos after Ion��s lesson. And if they were accidentally influenced by Chaos like Ion, they would be in huge trouble.


    Hence, in this regard, undead creatures were instead more vulnerable than ordinary life forms, as their undead nature itself made them more susceptible to Chaos��s exploitation. Fortunately, after Erin asked Rhode for help, she was able to solve the problem.


    ��Where��s Miss Canary?��


    Upon hearing the screams of the two Mini Bubble Gums, the fatigued look on Erin��s face was swept away instantly. She turned around to look at them with a soft smile. It wasn��t that she pulled herself together for their sake. But rather, although they were noisy, they succeeded in lifting her spirit back onto the battlefield.


    After all, on the battlefield of the Country of Darkness, the undead creatures were lifeless and lacked any enthusiasm. For that reason, the strong, positive energy and atmosphere of the two Mini Bubble Gums made Erin feel more comfortable. The sense of accomplishment of spurting over a mouthful of dragon��s breath as the two little ones cheered her on was far greater than a group of silent undead creatures.


    ��Hurry up, Big Sister Canary is waiting for us outside, Big Sister Erin. That bunch of Chaos is asking for it. Miss Marybelle gave them a good beating before and they��ve forgotten all about that. But we can��t always let her have the limelight all the time. It��s about time for us to show Chaos what we��re made of!��


    ��Alright, I��ll be right there.��


    Sometimes, Erin felt a little envious of Mini Bubble Gum��s spirit. Honestly, even she couldn��t figure out why they were always so high-spirited. One had to know that Chaos��s aggression was so strong that even Erin felt overwhelmed. And with the strength of the two Mini Bubble Gums, there was no way they couldn��t see that Chaos was infinite.


    But even so, the two of them didn��t display any worry, deep thoughts, or frustration at all. On the contrary, they lived happily everyday without a care in the world�� Erin was concerned that it was due to the fact that the two of them suffered trauma in the past, which was why they had a nervous breakdown. But now, it seemed like that wasn��t the case.


    But anyway, it was indeed more relaxing to have two carefree little ones with her while she was under such heavy pressure.


    With that in mind, Erin collected her thoughts, turned around, and walked out of her room, following the two Mini Bubble Gums to the outside.


    The roaring became incomparably clear the moment they stepped out of the building. At a glance, tens of thousands of magical cannons constructed on the city walls fired unceasing and dazzling brilliance splashed over the land, repelling the advancing Chaos creatures entirely.


    Unlike Lydia��s side, which relied entirely on individual force, on the side of the Country of Darkness, the undead army, which relied on the human wave attack to win, uncharacteristically adopted mechanized warfare. Rhode made a great deal of effort to distribute most of the Illusion Crystals, handing them over to players who specialized in manufacturing to create a huge number of magical cannons on the city walls.


    With the Illusion Crystals providing energy for firepower, the magical cannons wouldn��t run out of power and become worthless steel. They could be fired indefinitely, and the undead creatures also wouldn��t feel exhausted. Hence, by having a being at the level of a death knight control the magical cannons, they could be guaranteed to be able to bombard the Chaos creatures continuously for 24 hours. Meanwhile, the rest of the job was left to the players and liches. When the Chaos Lords appeared, it would be the home turf for Mini Bubble Gum, Canary, and Erin. With the assistance of Alice and Marybelle, the battlefield of the Country of Darkness was doing fine for now.


    Of course, the main reason is��


    At that thought, Erin couldn��t help but look at the pitch-black statue erected not far behind the city walls. It was a statue of a half-naked young lady with her head hanging low. Her long skirt slid down her legs, while her entire body exuded a mysterious and seductive aura as if she were seeking the affection of some man. But most importantly, the young lady��s entire body also emanated a dim glow. Under the artillery fire, one could easily feel a dark barrier connecting as if it were a bowl upside down, merging together from the sky to earth.


    This was exactly the secret structure that Rhode summoned using the system after listening to Erin��s request��Fallen Banshee. It was the complete opposite of the Holy Maiden Statue. The Holy Maiden Statue relied on pure holy power to shut out undead creatures and Chaos, while the Fallen Banshee relied on negative energy to erase all existences. If it weren��t for the fact that this world was transformed by Rhode and his younger sister into a very ��systematic�� one, and that Mini Bubble Gum and Canary were immune to ��friendly-fire��, perhaps they would be drowned in a world full of negative energy right now.


    They would be committing suicide if the friendly-fire mode was off.


    And under the massive spread of negative energy, Chaos that wasn��t recognized as an ally naturally couldn��t mix in. Even if Chaos took this opportunity to influence some undead creatures, discomfort would still occur. And if the others found out, they would basically be heading down a path of destruction. In this regard, undead creatures were much more principled than humans. At least there wouldn��t be a melodramatic scene in which a harmless protagonist was spared out of compassion, only to return to seek revenge years later.


    ��Your Majesty Erin.��


    Upon seeing the arrival of the three of them, Angelina scuttled over and gave a solemn bow to Erin. Even though Angelina recovered her original strength and logically became one of the four legendary generals, she was aware that this power of hers didn��t stand a chance against Chaos. Thus, the only thing she could do now was to act as a supervisor to keep an eye on the battlefield and make sure there was no trouble.


    ��It��s been hard on you, Angelina. Is anything wrong?��


    ��After Madam Marybelle took out two Chaos Lords earlier, there were no more sightings of Chaos Lords for now. Madam Celestina is still stationed at the beacon tower, and everything seems to be fine. Currently, the Chaos creatures are still attacking, but no Chaos Lords have been seen. But I suppose it should be about time.��


    Angelina said, swept a glance at the two Mini Bubble Gums standing beside Erin, and shivered instinctively. She couldn��t be blamed for overreacting as she was tormented by Mini Bubble Gum in the past. Not to mention, Rhode also brought back a second Mini Bubble Gum (the real one). With the intention of enjoying blessings and enduring misfortune together, the projected Mini Bubble Gum introduced Angelina to the real Mini Bubble Gum as a fun ��toy�� previously. Hence, to this pitiful vampire, perhaps the end of the world was already here.


    ��Where��s Miss Marybelle?��


    Upon hearing Angelina��s reply, Erin widened her eyes and looked around curiously. However, she didn��t find Marybelle anywhere. But even so, Erin had to admit that Marybelle��s strength was unparalleled. She still remembered that moment Marybelle didn��t move an inch as she faced the massive Chaos Lord earlier. Marybelle stretched out her right hand and pointed her finger at that Chaos Lord. In an instant, the Chaos Lord, who flaunted its power, crumbled and shattered into dust. Such a swift battle left even Erin gasping for air. It just wasn��t something that anyone could do.


    ��������!��


    However, just as this thought cropped up in Erin��s mind, a deep roar boomed all of a sudden. She turned around and saw the gunfire that covered the land bulging like a bubble. At that moment, the undead creatures also realized the problem. The overwhelming beams of the magical cannons exploded, attempting to massacre the existence that was about to be born. But magical beams were of no use. Instead, under the flash of flames, the swelling existence could be seen growing larger as if it were a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.


    ��Chaos Lord!��


    Upon witnessing this scene, Erin returned to her senses quickly. She gave Angelina a hand signal before turning around and dashing over to the place where the gunfire erupted. But before she ran over, the ��cocoon�� in the midst of the artillery fire cracked open. Along with a bizarre roar, a monster that resembled a giant scorpion burst out from the bombardment, waving its two gigantic pincers and clamping down on her!


    ��Hmph!��


    Erin sulked and let out a grunt. Boundless darkness shrouded her body in an instant. At the next moment, along with a brilliance that was as clear as the bright moon, the massive Dark Dragon flapped its wings down and slammed the twin pincers.


    ��Whoa, Big Sister Erin is still as brutal as ever����


    The two Mini Bubble Gums gaped at this scene. Erin was usually considered a model of quiet elegance. But the most unimaginable thing about her was that after transforming into her dragon form, this moon princess��no, moon queen��loved engaging in physical combat. With the Dark Dragon��s massive body and almost unstoppable strength, an average Chaos Lord was no match for her.


    Of course, she transformed with the intention of ending this battle quickly. After all, Chaos Lords weren��t as precious and indomitable as the five Creator Dragons. So if she didn��t get this battle over quickly, more and more Chaos Lords would appear. When that happened, even a tiger couldn��t stand up to a pack of wolves.


    ��Good job, Big Sister Erin! Crush them! Looks like we should also����


    Before the two Mini Bubble Gums finished their sentence, the gigantic scorpion that wrestled the Dark Dragon shuttled to the side all of a sudden. In the blink of an eye, another enormous and heavy serpent-like monster that was nearly 100 meters long emerged from the darkness and widened its mouth at Erin. If she weren��t fast enough in dodging, she would have been ripped apart by it.


    But fortunately, Erin wasn��t just a nobody. Besides, she wasn��t fighting alone.


    Boom������!


    The moment Erin dodged the attack, a series of red lotus flames erupted from the serpent��s body. The giant serpent that didn��t react the slightest to the magical beams earlier let out a miserable howl and retreated hurriedly. But it was a pity that before it hid in safety, two beams of white, holy light blasted through the darkness and struck its body mercilessly.


    The two Mini Bubble Gums had transformed into two shooting stars that streaked across the sky. At the same time, a white, fast-spinning magical ritual appeared under the serpent. Soon after, countless white light beams that appeared out of thin air coalesced into chains and wrapped around its body.


    ��With that horrendous strength of yours and you want to sneak up on Erin? You must be tired of living! Go to hell!��


    In terms of violence, Mini Bubble Gum was much more ruthless than Erin. Not to mention that there were two of them now. As soon as the serpent was tied up, the two little ones arrived in front of it from the left and right. They yelled and waved their fists, smashing them hard into the serpent��s body.


    Along with the blast of holy power, the giant serpent in front of them bayed and fell on its back. Although its head was dozens of meters in size, and even the entirety of the two Mini Bubble Gums combined was only the size of a few of its scales, power wasn��t determined by the size of its holder. Thus, when the serpent was struck by them, it shuddered and collapsed.


    But this wasn��t the end.


    ��Be careful!��


    After the two Mini Bubble Gums attacked, Canary, who watched from the side, was stunned to witness two incomparably massive arms suddenly appear and extend toward Erin and the two Mini Bubble Gums. The pair of arms opened their palms and grabbed at Erin and the two Mini Bubble Gums. This scene bewildered Canary. She flourished the flames in her arms hastily. But this time, her flames failed to stop the assault. On the contrary, after being agitated by the flames, the pair of arms grew larger in size!


    ��Oh no!��


    Upon witnessing this scene, Canary realized the gravity of the situation. But before she reacted, a dazzling radiance flashed before her face. Soon after, the two enormous arms were severed entirely from the elbows and crumbled in a loud rumble.


    Then, Canary noticed a petite figure clad in a red robe and white mask emerging from the brilliance.

 Chapter 1367 - Ever-changing Phantom

    That is��


    Upon seeing the masked figure, Canary was stunned. In her memory, there were only a tiny number of people who could kill a Chaos Lord so effortlessly, and even players were rarely able to do so. On the contrary, this mysterious young lady slaughtered the Chaos Lord who sneaked up on Erin and the Mini Bubble Gums in the blink of an eye. Besides, judging from the looks of Erin and the two Mini Bubble Gums, they didn��t seem to notice the young lady��s presence.


    Who exactly is she?


    This question flashed through Canary��s mind in an instant. But as she gazed over, she was surprised to find that the young lady had vanished as if she weren��t there at all. The giant arms that she hacked off earlier were blown to pieces by the artillery bombardment and nowhere to be seen.


    ��I����


    The scene before Canary was so bizarre that she was at a loss for words. She stared dumbly at the battlefield, and the young lady was no longer there. The two Mini Bubble Gum and Erin, on the other hand, continued battling the two remaining Chaos Lords and seemed to be unaware of what just happened.


    It wasn��t surprising since they had their backs facing that Chaos Lord. Besides, it also looked like that Chaos Lord concealed his scent well. Otherwise, there wouldn��t have been a complete lack of reaction from them when he coalesced his arms and launched the ambush. Although the scene felt like it took a long time, as a matter of fact, it took less than five seconds from that Chaos Lord��s ambush, to Canary��s attack, and to the appearance of that mysterious young lady.


    To be able to slaughter an enemy so quickly in such a short period, the young lady was clearly stronger than players. However, Canary couldn��t recall any information about NPCs of this magnitude either.


    The masked young lady shuttled past Canary��s vision so quickly that she wondered if she was hallucinating and had recognized the wrong person. After all, anything was possible on this fierce battlefield, and it wasn��t impossible to be seeing things due to the artillery fire�� Perhaps?


    While Canary was puzzled, Erin and the two Mini Bubble Gum finished off the two Chaos Lords and returned to the rear of the battle line. And when Canary asked about the mysterious young lady, as she expected, all three of them were confused. It was apparent that they didn��t feel her presence at all��neither that Chaos Lord��s nor the young lady��s. This left Canary feeling really strange��


    ��Could you have mistaken someone for her, Big Sister?��


    Mini Bubble Gum didn��t have much of a problem with Canary��s statement. Upon seeing the unconcerned look on the former��s face, it was apparent that she thought that Canary was seeing things. With Erin��s and their abilities, how could they be attacked from behind by a Chaos Lord and not notice? Even if that Chaos Lord had a special ability that could eliminate his presence, it wasn��t like he could eliminate another person��s presence either. Not to mention, they had to fight Chaos and fighting would inevitably lead to conflict. It would be surreal if Mini Bubble Gum and Erin weren��t aware to this extent.


    ��Maybe����


    Canary wasn��t a very persistent person to begin with, and the young lady appeared so briefly that Canary wondered if her vision was dazzled back then. If her other self was around, maybe they could testify to each other for a conclusion. But now, relying on her alone to remember what happened and in such a short period of time�� After being told so by Mini Bubble Gum, Canary pondered if she was just making up the battle plan in her head or something. Her memory was also fuzzy as to whether she did release her spells earlier.


    For that reason, Canary continued to be a little confused in the ensuing battles and her mind also wandered off a few times. Fortunately, there weren��t any more Chaos Lords, so the situation was still rather peaceful. But��


    ��Big Sister, if you��re really tired, you should take a break.��


    Mini Bubble Gum, who dodged a burst of fireballs, wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and turned back to look at Canary with a sincere gaze. Earlier, Mini Bubble Gum was about to go up and stomp on the Chaos creatures. But she didn��t expect the moment she charged ahead, Canary released a fireball that almost struck her.


    Luckily for the projected Mini Bubble Gum, her real self noticed the severity of the situation and pulled her away. Otherwise, she would have had a layer of her skin sizzled even if she weren��t dead. Canary��s mastery of the fire element was of the dominant level. Even if it were Mini Bubble Gum, she would still suffer when caught unprepared by her fireball.


    ��Ah�� Okay����


    Canary, who realized that she made a mistake, blushed in awkwardness and uncharacteristically, didn��t retort. It wasn��t too surprising. After all, the incident left too deep of an impression on her, while the others hadn��t noticed it at all. If they were a bunch of careless people, perhaps Canary would have let this matter pass. But Canary was different. She was thoughtful and had the tendencies of a perfectionist. So the more she thought about it, the more she figured that something was wrong. As a result, she screwed herself over and just couldn��t concentrate on the battle.


    ��Erm, yes. I think I should take a break.��


    At that thought, Canary put up a helpless smile to the three of them, turned around, and left the battlefield. Honestly, the sound of cannon fire on the battlefield annoyed her as she wasn��t able to think clearly. Although she was worried about whether Mini Bubble Gum would take advantage of the opportunity to make mischief after her departure, considering Erin who was around, there shouldn��t be any problem. In that case, Canary calmed herself down, left the battle line, and returned to her residence located in the rear.


    Like Lydia, Erin was equally greedy for pleasure, and even in times of war, nothing had changed. But unlike Lydia, Erin didn��t have a luxurious floating battleship that she could take with her at any time. Despite that, this Dark Dragon wasn��t a worry-free person either. She commandeered a manor located behind the battle lines as her temporary residence. Of course, the people who lived here, besides herself, were Mini Bubble Gum, Canary, Angelina, and Alice, who was in charge of guarding the front lines.


    ��Whew����


    After closing the door, the sound of cannon fire outside was silenced by quite a lot. Due to the soundproof barrier, Canary couldn��t hear any clamors no matter how close it had been from the battle lines. This quiet atmosphere relaxed her tense nerves. She let out a long breath before collapsing on her bed and staring at the ceiling.


    Why am I so bothered about that young lady?


    Canary was dying to figure out the reason. Taking a step back, even if this person existed, she was clearly on her side, so there was no need to worry about her causing trouble. However, Canary felt as if there was something not quite right; like her instincts were telling her that she must find out who this girl was.


    At this thought, Canary closed her eyes and recalled what happened earlier. She remembered the residual presence of magical energy on her hand and the magical attack she unleashed at that moment. And after she carefully recalled it several times, she confirmed that it was definitely not an illusion, but a reality instead.


    But then again, the same question arose: why didn��t Erin and Mini Bubble Gum detect her presence?


    It wasn��t entirely impossible if the young lady was at a higher level and stronger than the two of them. In fact, Canary tried to keep an eye on the young lady, but her vision was dazzled. The young lady disappeared almost immediately afterward. Unlike the real Canary, the projected Canary wasn��t a human, and thus didn��t have the physical limitations of a human.


    In this situation, she was unable to lock onto the young lady, so that meant that the young lady was indeed more powerful than herself. Moreover, the young lady appeared without any warning. If it weren��t for Canary, who stood at the back and had a clear view, perhaps she would be like Mini Bubble Gum, unable to detect her presence at all.


    But even Erin couldn��t detect her presence�� Was there an existence in this world that was more powerful than the five Creator Dragons?


    That was the part that worried Canary the most. The young lady was mysterious, and Erin was unable to detect her presence. This proved that at the very least, both sides were evenly matched in strength. The young lady was able to evade Erin��s detection, so what about next time?


    Since the young girl showed up here, it was apparent that she was paying attention to the battle between Order and Chaos. It was fine to appear here, but what if she went looking for Rhode? Right now, Rhode was only at the level of a top player and didn��t have the power of a Void Dragon��


    Bang!


    At that moment, Canary heard someone opening a door loudly. Soon after, she heard a soft hum and series of footsteps, followed by some clanging and clacking that interrupted her thoughts. Upon hearing the clamors, Canary sighed in frustration. She got up from the bed, opened the door, and stepped onto the corridor. Sure enough, she saw Mini Bubble Gum on the other side of the corridor, searching a cabinet.


    ��Bubble, what are you doing?��


    ��Ah, Big Sister!��


    Upon hearing Canary��s question, Bubble, who seemed to be searching for something, raised her head and waved her hand at Canary.


    ��Nothing, Big Sister Erin asked me to retrieve a document for her. She said she wanted to look at the current problems on the battle lines�� So she asked me to look for it in this cabinet��.�� Bubble lowered her head and continued searching. ���� How annoying. I hate these kinds of old documents, but Big Sister Erin sure loves them�� Aha, found it!��


    With that, Bubble picked up a document and waved it in front of Canary with a smile. Then, she left the corridor with the document in hand, humming a melody. And upon looking at the mischievous Mini Bubble Gum, Canary smiled helplessly and shook her head, before turning around, about to return to the room. But at that moment, she suddenly came to a standstill and looked at the end of the corridor with a puzzled expression. Erin��s room was right there. And before Mini Bubble Gum left, she closed its door. But somehow, there seemed to be something wrong to Canary��


    ��Am I overthinking things?��


    Canary mumbled to herself and shook her head. But in the end, she hesitated for a moment, turned around, and walked over to Erin��s room. With that, she arrived at the door, reached out her arm, and pushed it open. Soon, everything in the room was revealed in her eyes. At first glance, the room hadn��t changed at all. Everything was nicely stacked in every corner, and the intelligence on the desk was neat and tidy and wasn��t cluttered in the slightest�� Wait, neat and tidy?


    At that moment, she finally realized what the problem was. She knew very well that with Mini Bubble Gum��s character, she wouldn��t have any afterthought. If Mini Bubble Gum retrieved something, she would have tossed the place all around to get what she wanted and leave right away. Logically speaking, if it were really Mini Bubble Gum who took the document, the desk in front of her should have been an unbearable mess.


    Canary always cleaned up Mini Bubble Gum��s mess, so she was well aware of this bad habit of hers. A few moments ago, she also witnessed Mini Bubble Gum messing up the cabinet and that was indeed her character. But�� not only was this table neat and tidy, but it also didn��t look any different from before?


    Bang!


    All of a sudden, there was another loud bang on the door. Canary turned back and soon after, heard the voice of Mini Bubble Gum.


    ��Jeez�� We��re finally back for a break. Those damn Chaos creatures are so disgusting! Monsters that don��t drop equipment or gold are the most boring! It made me want to go AFK! Then again, we really need Big Sister Canary around. Just relying on the two of us for AiE attacks isn��t promising at all. It really is true that there are specializations in the arts. Seems like the ��maiden class�� is still necessary in order for us to have some fun facing those impossible monsters.��


    Upon hearing those words, Canary knitted her brows, held back her anxiety, and slowly walked to the stairway to look down. As expected, she saw the two little rascals with tired faces, sprawling on the couch as if they were almost dead. Looking at this scene, Canary��s chest tightened. However, she forced a smile and continued descending the stairs.


    ��Bubble, you��re back already?��


    ��Ah�� Big Sister Canary. Yes, we��re back�� Big Sister Erin has the ghost fleet up there with her. Since there aren��t any Chaos Lords, we came back to take a break����


    ��I see����


    Canary nodded in response. Then, she looked at Mini Bubble Gum quietly and asked in surprise.


    ��By the way, have you delivered the document that Her Majesty Erin asked for?��


    ��Document?��


    At that moment, the two little ones crawled up from the couch, exchanged dubious looks, and turned to Canary.


    ��Big Sister Canary, what document are you talking about? Big Sister Erin got us to retrieve something for her? When was that? Why are we unaware of that?��


    ������


    Upon hearing their response, Canary��s heart sank to the bottom, and even her complexion turned pale. At that moment, the two Mini Bubble Gums seemed to realize something wrong with her. They went up to her worriedly and gazed at her curiously. But soon, Canary took in a breath and said.


    ��Bubble, get Her Majesty Erin here right away. I have something important to tell her.��


    Someone had sneaked into the front lines.


    This news came to Erin and Mini Bubble Gums like a bolt from the blue. Even though there were only a few of them living in this estate, it was secured with many layers of enchanted fields from the inside-out. They were allowed to enter and leave, while others couldn��t even get close. After all, these were the enchanted fields that Erin set up with her dragon soul power, and even Canary and Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t lift it and enter without her permission. But now, someone had disguised as Mini Bubble Gum and entered the manor house? Not to mention, she also searched Erin��s desk openly!


    Although the documents were intelligence on military movements and such, it was basically of little value to non-Chaos beings (after all, with the respect for the strict hierarchy of the undead army, absolute control was held in Erin��s hands). But it still wasn��t a good thing to be looked over by someone like this. Not only that, but what surprised them was that after checking, Erin also found that she hadn��t lost any of the documents at all. So the document in Mini Bubble Gum��s hand that Canary witnessed earlier was most likely a copy.


    Who that was and why the intelligence was taken weren��t the main points. On the contrary, it was how she got past the strong defenses, showed up in front of Canary in a form indistinguishable from the real Bubble, and walked away openly without raising any suspicion? Just how powerful was that person?


    Of course, when Canary thought about it later, she realized that the other party wasn��t without flaws. For instance, although her tone of voice was no different from Mini Bubble Gum, Mini Bubble Gum��s biggest characteristic was that she always mixed reality with games, and spoke using all sorts of gaming and delusional terms.


    The person who disguised herself as Mini Bubble Gum apparently didn��t know that, so her way of speaking was too normal to be Mini Bubble Gum. And this was what raised Canary��s suspicion and why she went up to check things out. Otherwise, she would have been fooled without knowing.


    And now, the biggest question for them was��


    Was it necessary to report this matter to Rhode?

 Chapter 1368 - Presence of the Sixth

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    It didn��t take long for the news to reach Rhode��s ears. The reason was simple: the entire front broke into an uproar.


    Over at the side of the Country of Darkness, after Erin��s investigation, they were surprised to find out that such an incident had happened more than once. Not only did it happen to Erin, but the players in charge of the factories for the magical cannons also encountered something similar.


    The method was the same: the other party disguised themselves as Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, or Erin, and inquired details and information. Since it wasn��t too big of a deal to begin with, and the other party didn��t reveal any flaw, so no one gave much thought about it.


    If it weren��t for Erin, Canary, and Mini Bubble Gum, who were certain that they hadn��t been in the specific places at those times, even they would have wondered if they had misremembered. But after careful investigation, including inferences of time and everyone��s recollection, they confirmed that someone had disguised as them to steal information.


    But what was most frustrating was that the other party apparently disguised as Mini Bubble Gum a lot more as opposed to Canary and Erin. It seemed like the other party also knew that Mini Bubble Gum was a delusional brat, and no one would comment anything even if she didn��t make sense in her words.


    If the other party disguised as Canary or Erin, perhaps more suspicions would arise. On the other hand, everyone was aware of Mini Bubble Gum��s character. It wasn��t surprising to see her get carried away by a whim. Hence, disguising as Mini Bubble Gum and retrieving information was deemed as the little rascal being mischievous as usual and there was nothing to be concerned about.


    After all, if Mini Bubble Gum were to learn that one spoke behind her back, she would definitely give one a hard time. Besides, there were two Mini Bubble Gums around, so even if a third were to appear, it wouldn��t arouse any suspicion.


    It turned out that the other party had a clever mind. However, timing wasn��t on their side as they just had to disguise as Mini Bubble Gum and let Canary encounter her. One had to know that Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were closer to each other than most sisters.


    Moreover, it seemed like the other party was able to copy Mini Bubble Gum��s appearance, but failed to duplicate her memories. Furthermore, Mini Bubble Gum loved speaking nonsense, so even if the other party disguised her appearance perfectly, they wouldn��t be able to speak about EXP, AoE, and whatnot like a true player.


    On the contrary, the other party speaking too normally was the main reason why Canary felt dubious. Because unlike the others, Mini Bubble Gum had a sense of superiority as a ��player��. It was like a person from a developed country coming to a developing country and watching the group of people speaking in a native dialect and fiddling in amazement with things that they were already sick of looking at.


    The feeling of superiority was over the roof. Besides, the situation was also like when two people were in a foreign country, hearing a native accent always made them feel more intimate and familiar. In front of Canary and others, Mini Bubble Gum behaved the same as chatting in the game. Sometimes, she would even say some abbreviations like ��LOL�� or ��LMAO�� on a whim, just to bully the natives who couldn��t understand what she was saying.


    One had to admit that such childishness was her trademark and no one could learn it. Hence, although the other party learned her mannerisms and tone perfectly, the Martian language couldn��t be learned. This was what caused Canary to be suspicious; otherwise, she wouldn��t have thought about it.


    Of course, the two Mini Bubble Gums stamped their feet in rage after they heard this news and swore to find and pull out the bones of that bast*rd. However, everyone knew that they didn��t really mean it. For one to be able to pass through the dragon soul enchanted field set up by Erin and escape the detection of Canary, they were definitely not on a level the two Mini Bubble Gums could handle.


    At the same time, similar news came from several other places as well. The dark elves had a fuzzy relationship with the Country of Darkness. But now, Angelina was considered Nell��s superior, so after the former gave an order, the latter and the dark elves noticed some movements in this regard using their incredible means of investigation, which weren��t inferior to the Country of Darkness.


    The only issue was that the other party kept a low-profile in the underground (or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that no one was more delusional than Mini Bubble Gum in the entire Dragon Soul Continent). In the middle of the investigation, if it weren��t for Nell discovering that the other party disguised as her and headed to the war room while she was having a break, perhaps she wouldn��t have noticed any problem.


    As for Lydia��s side, things also turned out the same. After all, Lydia and Erin were best friends, so after hearing Erin��s reminder, Lydia also traced back quickly and was surprised to find that her side had been infiltrated too. However, the other party didn��t use Lydia��s appearance much. It also seemed very clear to them that the archangel��s high profile apparently wasn��t suitable for the job.


    Thus, Gaya was the one who was unlucky. She was the commander in chief of the floating fleet, so inspections all-over were indispensable. Besides, she and Lydia were very close, so it didn��t raise any suspicion even if she were to investigate anything at Lydia��s side. As a result, this left Gaya feeling incredibly frustrated.


    As for the Void Territory, the situation wasn��t any better. Anne, Lize, and Marlene were responsible for the front line of the Void Territory. Anne was the first to hear about this news. She yelled about catching the spy and brought Lapis with her to investigate since Lize was busy. As a result, Lize was astounded to find that her side was also infiltrated. The other party disguised as Anne and herself and had wandered around the front line for days! On the other hand, the other party didn��t disguise as Lapis, perhaps due to the fact that she rarely headed out, so it wasn��t easy for them to take advantage of her.


    Although these investigations were done privately, the leaders on all sides were well aware. Thus, after summarizing the situation, the entire front broke into an uproar instantly. Although an investigation had been conducted so far, it could be seen that the other party had at least gotten all of the important information about the layout, rotation, and supplies of the defensive lines. It could also be said that most of the secrets on their side were no longer secrets.


    But fortunately, based on the results of the investigation from all sides, the operation was apparently run by only one person since the timing of the investigation was also sequential. At first, while the battle was chaotic, the mysterious person sneaked into the battle line of the Void Territory. After the battle stabilized, the person slipped into the Country of Light, followed by the Country of Law, and then the Country of Darkness. The results of the investigation on the side of the Country of Law weren��t out yet. But all parties agreed that it was definitely impossible for the Country of Law to be spared.


    What puzzled the crowd was who that person was and what exactly he or her was planning to do with the information. No one thought that the person belonged to the camp of Chaos. After all, the invaded places were top secret areas of the various fronts like Erin��s manor with the dragon soul enchanted field she set up personally.


    Even if Chaos broke through the defensive lines, her manor would be the last to fall. Order and Chaos opposed each other, so even if the person were a Chaos mutant from Earth, it wouldn��t be possible for him or her to be so godlike under the power of pure Chaos. Therefore, that person could only belong to the side of Order and was a very powerful existence.


    But even so, this still couldn��t explain why that person was secretly gathering information. And now that almost all the forces in the Dragon Soul Continent had been mobilized, there was basically no such thing as a sect that had been hidden for a thousand years or whatnot. So what was this person trying to do by gathering this information?


    Things had come to such a point that it was difficult to not let Rhode know about it. Everyone knew that he was currently supporting the Holy Sword Barrier and mustn��t be distracted, which was why no one told him yet. Despite that, Rhode was used to multitasking and naturally sensed the commotions on all the battlefronts.


    After learning the situation, his heart sank. After all, this matter was too strange. Putting aside who that person was, the fact that he or she was able to pass through the defenses freely was worrisome enough. Gracier��s and Madaras��s ��Stealth�� was powerful, but it was impossible for them to conceal their presence from beings at the level of Creator Dragons. Otherwise, the white elves wouldn��t have become extinct in the Creation War.


    With that said, this mysterious person was stealthier than the Carlesdine��s ��Stealth�� and went undetected before the eyes of Erin, one of the Creator Dragons. In the end, Canary didn��t discover anything odd due to the person��s strength and aura, but solely due to the ��telepathy�� she had with Mini Bubble Gum. This was too ridiculous. If that person was so powerful, would his side still be safe? The only thing Rhode was certain of was that the person didn��t disguise as Karin. But what about the rest of the people?


    Currently, Rhode and his younger sister couldn��t get away; one of them was responsible for the Holy Sword Barrier, and the other had to use the Door of Akasha to open the plane channel. However, there was no need for him to worry, because since they dared to focus on their task with full attention, they must have someone to fall back on. And it wasn��t like the seven deity wardens existed for nothing.


    Thus, after learning about this matter, Rhode immediately threw this matter to Christie.


    But what exceeded his imagination was that the matter was resolved faster than he had thought. On the second day after he handed the case to Christie, he learned the answer.


    ��Deity warden?��


    Upon hearing the answer, even Rhode was slightly distracted. But fortunately, it didn��t affect the Holy Sword Barrier too much. And after seeing his expression, Christie nodded with a smile.


    ��Yes, Master. If we��re not mistaken, the one who appeared on the battle line earlier should be our lovely younger sister, the Variety Deity Warden, Eloise.��


    ��Variety Deity Warden?��


    Hearing the name, Rhode was stunned. Of course, he knew that there were seven deity wardens to begin with. Among them, Christie, who appeared to be the smallest, was the eldest of the seven sisters. And so far, he only knew about the Fate Deity Warden, Contrast Deity Warden, Wisdom Deity Warden, Presence Deity Warden, and History Deity Warden. As for the remaining two deity wardens, the younger sister hadn��t told him their title or name. But now, it seemed like this Variety Deity Warden was also one of them.


    Soon after, Rhode finally heard the ins and outs from Christie.


    Earlier on, the deity wardens weren��t aware of what the people were busy with. Although the deity wardens were responsible for watching over the front lines, their main task was to protect Grandia, while Rhode and his younger sister took care of the Holy Sword Barrier and plane channel.


    Hence, on the other side of the front line, as long as the Chaos Lords didn��t break through the final defense line, they wouldn��t care too much. Of course, when investigating the incidents, Erin and the others also didn��t inform the deity warden. After all, they didn��t want to wash dirty linen in public��


    When the matter was brought to Rhode��s side and taken over by Christie, they quickly realized what the problem was. The seven deity wardens were created by the Void Dragon to maintain the world of Order entirely. They represented the world of Order, and it just so happened that among them, there was indeed a deity warden who could do such a thing.


    And it was the Variety Deity Warden, Eloise.


    Of course, before that, Christie tried ways to confirm the identity of the other party. And her approach was also very simple. Indeed, it was almost impossible to distinguish the authenticity of Eloise��s ability. But she had no way of escaping the ��history�� of the record.


    So after identifying the possibility of Eloise, Alice used her ��Historical Tracing�� to search the entire records. Soon after, they found that during the period in which Canary headed back to rest, history recorded that ��the two Mini Bubble Gums were at the front line, fiercely battling the Chaos creatures��.


    At the same time, it was indicated that ��() went to Erin��s residence and took a document��. And the vacant () was a sign of contradiction. The reason for that was because each individual was unique with A being A and B being B. However, if one used the identity of A to create another A, there would be two A��s that weren��t sequential in the timeline.


    The contradiction was that the person who borrowed the identity would be judged as non-existent, which was represented with (). It was through this that Christie was able to determine that the mysterious person was indeed Eloise.


    The deity wardens were at the pinnacle of power in the world of Order, where not even the Creator Dragons could compare. But not everyone was great at combat. For instance, History Deity Warden, Alice, wasn��t nearly as good as Cassidy.


    The same went for the Variety Deity Warden, Eloise, who was impressive at only one thing: she could ��borrow�� the identities of others. In other words, when Eloise was interested in a certain target, she only needed to use this ability to ��borrow�� the person��s identity and immediately change her appearance to the same as that person��s, including their tone of voice and temperament.


    The only difference was that she couldn��t copy the other person��s memories, which was also for her own sake and wellbeing. Otherwise, after ��copying�� different people��s memories repeatedly, she would fall into an eternal riddle of ��Who am I? Who exactly am I?��


    In fact, according to Christie, Eloise could disguise herself not only as someone else, but also as all sorts of things, including animals, plants and even rocks. She could do so effortlessly. And for that reason, it was even more difficult to capture her than the others. However, Eloise still preferred taking the form of a human. After all, it was much more interesting��


    Due to this trait that, among the seven deity wardens, Eloise was in charge of gathering intelligence on Chaos.


    ��Gathering intelligence on Chaos?��


    Upon hearing her words, Rhode was astounded. It might not seem like a difficult task to others. But as a player, he was well aware of how difficult it was to gather information on Chaos. Because Chaos had no sequence and oftentimes, the information gathered turned out to be completely useless. Besides, the information one gathered the first time might not even be relevant the next time one encountered Chaos.


    One had to know that during Rhode��s era as the top player, there were millions of players and over a hundred million forum posts. With so many people working together to collect intelligence on Chaos, they still weren��t able to completely figure out what was going on inside Chaos.


    It was like the Astral Telescope, Door of Akasha, and things related to Chaos that his younger sister mentioned in the past. Many of the players heard about them by hearsay, and there wasn��t any practical proof.


    Eloise could actually do something that so many players couldn��t handle on the Internet by herself? If she was really strong enough to gather intelligence on Chaos, Rhode would respect her so much.


    Like the other deity wardens, after the previous Void Dragon transmigrated and disappeared and the Void Territory had been invaded by Chaos, Eloise was also nowhere to be found. But now, it seemed like Christie and Eloise fled from disaster in the past and sneaked back again.


    As to when exactly Eloise returned and why she had gone to steal information from the battle lines, Christie had no idea. She could only say that this younger sister was really mischievous�� And also, using such an ability to mess with others seemed rather amusing. After seeing how Mini Bubble Gum stomped her foot in anger, who knew whether Eloise transformed into another identity and laughed at Mini Bubble Gum from the corner��


    If Mini Bubble Gum knew about this, perhaps it would cause a lot of chaos.


    As for why Eloise didn��t come back to reunite with her siblings, Christie didn��t have an answer. But she knew that although her younger sister was naughty, she believed in the principle of ��know the enemy, know yourself, and in every battle you will be victorious��.


    As a matter of fact, Christie always did that. But back then, the seven deity wardens were fused as one, so they would use her intelligence whenever she got it. But now, even Rhode had no idea what thoughts were running through Eloise��s mind.


    But in the end, Rhode decided to leave her alone for the time being. After all, since she was one of the seven deity wardens, ordinary people wouldn��t be able to touch her and it would be a waste of energy to go looking for her. And since she showed up here, perhaps she had something to do with his battle.


    However, before Rhode could put his mind at ease, he learned a disturbing piece of news from his younger sister.

 Chapter 1369 - Initiate an Attack

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The plane channel had slowed down.


    Rhode felt a sudden headache when he got this news from his younger sister. It was apparent that this wasn��t good news.


    The reason they fought against Chaos head-on was to buy time for his younger sister. He didn��t expect that despite his side being able to hang on, there was actually a problem on his younger sister��s side. Honestly, this surprised him. But what astonished him more was that the problem was on his younger sister instead.


    Although Rhode thought that his younger sister was the best sister in the world who was talented and clever, he had to admit that even the most perfect younger sister couldn��t handle some things. For instance, this plane channel, which was a technical job in itself.


    In fact, while it was said to be a plane channel, it wasn��t really a passage that allowed his younger sister to penetrate a world��s surface because it was simply impossible. It was like launching a spaceship from Earth across the entire universe. One needed to know how big the entire universe was. Even if the spaceship was traveling at the speed of light, perhaps it still wouldn��t be able to touch the edge of the universe without spending thousands of years.


    1


    If one measured it foot by foot, one might not be able to measure the radius of the universe in a lifetime. That was why scientists use all kinds of data to make inferences, rather than foolishly tying a fishing line to a rock and throwing it down the sea to measure how deep it was. In the past, Rhode��s younger sister created the plane channel with the purpose to use it as a radar. It looked for a loophole between the planes of existence, locked on to the area, used powerful energy to bombard the area, and transmigrated over along with that loophole.


    And this time, it was even simpler than before. Because his younger sister had the coordinates of Earth, which was the same as having a course in the vast ocean. And with enough patience, one could see the rainbow after the storm. Thereafter, it was just a matter of time, which was what his younger sister originally thought, so she showed a rather optimistic attitude. Moreover, it did go well in the beginning just as his younger sister thought, so she didn��t mind too much.


    But soon, she realized that something was wrong. Because Chaos was starting to obstruct the plane channel.


    In front of a power stronger than Plane Destruction Bombs, the little resistance of the Chaos creatures meant nothing. Despite that, it still caused a considerable degree of impact. It was a pianist playing a piano piece on stage and from time to time, someone in the audience whistled to disrupt the performance. It was fine if it happened once or twice. But if it were to happen over tens or hundreds of times, it would surely affect the pianist. At the end of the day, perhaps the whole piece would be ruined, not to mention the impact.


    The ultimate reason for that was still on his younger sister. Chaos lacked order, but it didn��t mean that they were fools. In the past, the Void Dragon had opened up the plane channel once. What was that saying again? Yes, the same trick wouldn��t work twice��


    Perhaps Chaos didn��t notice any problems in the beginning. But as time went by, they discovered that the Void Dragon was planning to open the plane channel a second time, which they couldn��t tolerate any longer. Hence, Chaos began to obstruct the plane channel and instantly caused his younger sister to cry out in distress.


    As a result, the speed of the plane channel slowed down. But it wasn��t just as simple as slowing down either. The plane channel was like tides with its ups and downs. If it was a rising tide, it would be easier to get through. But if it was a falling tide, it could take much longer. It didn��t involve a day or two, but might take an extra half a year if there were any accidents.


    The thought of having to persist for an additional half a year gave Rhode a massive headache. Although a long war that might last eight to 10 years was possible and considered normal, even the enemies needed to march and rest and both sides could play for time. But the problem was that Chaos didn��t have such demands. To them, they could continue fighting from decade to decade and even for centuries.


    Fortunately, the top combatants in the Dragon Soul Continent were equipped with AoE attacks, so they were able to wipe out large areas in one attack. If they were on Earth instead, Rhode guaranteed that Earth would be destroyed in minutes. Putting it bluntly, perhaps the surface of Earth would be rolled up like carpets by Chaos and even the Mariana Trench would be flattened. Not anyone could resist such a formidable enemy.


    But even so, Rhode knew that it was absolutely impossible to resist Chaos for half a year more. According to his younger sister��s deduction in the past, he had already prepared for the worst. If this war were to last for another half a year, he would need to deploy emergency measures to stand a chance.


    ��So, what can we do about this problem? Then again, it��s also true that the cr*p incident before was pretty troublesome too����


    Rhode puckered his brows after listening to his younger sister��s explanation of the current situation. He knew that this was definitely not a good thing to do. Otherwise, his younger sister wouldn��t have complained to him. In fact, the two of them could only communicate with each other.


    If this matter was leaked out, maybe the military would falter immediately. After all, the pressure of Chaos was already so huge and hearing such negative news would make things worse. It was like studying hard just for those few days of an entrance exam and being told that the entrance exam would be extended to once every day for a month. Wouldn��t that be crazy?


    Besides, Chaos was deadly and even many of the projected players were killed or wounded in battle. Fortunately, Lesa was there to cast several great resurrection spells and they were able to hold down the defenses.


    Meanwhile, Rhode heard back from Sonia regarding the incident involving Lilian in the town. Back then, the embarrassed Lilian made a determined effort, and with the help of Icy Snow and Sonia, they found out the troublemakers behind the scenes. As a matter of fact, it was a huge problem.


    Just like how some soldiers surrendered in war, there was a group that was formed in the Dragon Soul Continent. They believed that the Dragon Soul Continent was definitely no match against the powerful Chaos forces. Hence, who knew what they did to mess around with a group of Chaos creatures.


    They ended up forming a religious organization under the Chaos creatures�� compulsion in the name of contributing to Chaos and whatnot�� As for the previous kidnapping incidents, it all occurred out of the personal hobby of a higher-up with the title of High Priest. He loved little girls like Christie and Lillian, so when he saw Lillian and the others outside the clothing shop before, he had some evil thoughts. It just so happened that he had a network of members.


    Back then, he thought of luring these girls for his pleasure, but didn��t expect to be exposed soon after. After Lilian learned the truth, she blew her top. She crushed the High Priest into ashes with a wave of her arm and ordered her subjects to capture and punish this group of horrible people. Of course, this was Sonia��s euphemism when she reported to Rhode. As for the grisly details like slaughtering the whole family of those people, it didn��t require the concern of a superior like him.


    ���� Sigh. That guy sure is a beast. He didn��t even spare those little girls!��


    Rhode criticized, sweeping a glance at the battlefield in front of him and revealing a righteous and indignant expression. In his opinion, Lillian was still a child, and only an animal would lay hands on such an innocent and budding flower! And when his younger sister heard his complaint, she coughed lightly and said.


    ���� Big Brother, back then�� I was younger than Lilian, wasn��t I?��


    ��How could that be the same?��


    Upon hearing the younger sister��s words, Rhode waved his arm casually.


    ��That was true love between us, and true love knows no age, gender, or race! You��re my younger sister. If I don��t love you, who will? Didn��t I still love you even though you were as flat as a board back then?��


    ������


    Upon hearing his words, the younger sister fell silent. It was true that her health had always been poor, so her body grew much later than the others. And although Rhode��s words moved her as well, for some reason it just didn��t sound too right��


    ��Forget it, we��ll talk about this next time.��


    Rhode threw such trivial matters to the back of his mind immediately. He knew that he was a man with a clear conscience and never forced women to do things they disliked. He had so many girlfriends on Earth, but none of their relationships ended horribly. Although his taste changed after transmigrating to this world, he wouldn��t be that sick to do it to children.


    As for Mini Bubble Gum and Angelina, although they were petite in size, Mini Bubble Gum was barely 16 years old and Angelina had lived for hundreds of years, which was more than the sum of Marlene, Anne, Lize, and Lapis��s age. Angelina also wasn��t an innocent little white sheep who knew nothing about the world. No matter what, they were legal young ladies and couldn��t push the blame to the world for their petite size, could they?


    One could only wonder whether Mini Bubble Gum and Angelina would fight him if they knew his thoughts. One of them was a projection, while the other was a vampire, so they couldn��t exactly be blamed for not being able to grow�� But after seeing that the real Mini Bubble Gum didn��t seem to grow at all, perhaps the problem was really with her?


    ��What do you think about the situation with the plane channel?��


    Rhode asked his younger sister. And upon hearing his inquiry, his younger sister gave up dwelling on the previous matter and focused on the main topic. In response to his question, she pondered for a while, before letting out a sigh.


    ��If we don��t put more pressure on Chaos, I��m afraid the problem will become more serious.��


    ��Put more pressure����


    Upon hearing her response, Rhode knitted his brows. He wasn��t a fool. He knew what his younger sister meant by ��putting more pressure��. It was apparent that as Chaos was attacking their defenses now, Chaos had the upper hand. If Rhode wanted to turn around from defense to offense, he would need to force them around.


    Even though it sounded simple, it was actually a huge pain in the butt. This was all the people he had on the battle lines and they weren��t looking too stable against the crazy number of Chaos creatures. Besides, their defense could work in favorable locations. But if they were to take the initiative to attack, they would be seeking death. Furthermore, he and his younger sister couldn��t move away now��


    ��Your Majesty, I can be in charge for the time being if you need to be away.��


    Sensing Rhode��s hesitation, Karin spoke up. As the core of the Holy Sword Barrier, it was originally her who was responsible for the resonance of the other nine holy sword spirits. And now, Rhode was primarily responsible, while she was in charge of the insurance. So if Rhode weren��t around, it wasn��t like she couldn��t take over for a bit. As long as there weren��t any problems that were too outrageous, they would still be safe.


    ��What��s the point of me leaving? I��m only at level 85 right now.��


    Rhode clearly didn��t accept Karin��s answer. If he were the Void Dragon, he would still be useful to a certain extent. But now, he had distributed his power, so he wouldn��t be playing any determining role even if he left. Besides, in terms of deploying troops, Orchid Heart was more familiar with it than him. She managed the Void Territory in an orderly manner. Hence, there was no need for him to cause any more trouble.


    But in this situation, he didn��t feel comfortable if he didn��t keep an eye on the situation himself. Of course, he could put the other four Creator Dragons in charge of launching a counter-attack, but it wasn��t something that was easily doable. With that crippled line of defense in the Country of Darkness, Erin definitely couldn��t leave and Lillian was even less likely to go to the front lines.


    The twin dragons were insurance, but the side of the Country of Law was even worse. The number of elves was minimal, and the Country of Law would have been even more screwed if it weren��t for the twin dragons supporting it. Perhaps the moment they launched a counterattack, the entire defense line would collapse and elves would be history.


    And at that moment, he suddenly heard his younger sister��s voice.


    ��Big Brother, I do have a way to restore you to the level of a Void Dragon. And as for the Holy Sword Barrier, there is no need for you to worry too much either. Because originally when I created the Holy Sword Barrier, I had considered this problem and Karin will be able to handle it.��


    ��Is that so����


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s reply, Rhode was astonished. But on second thought, when she created the Holy Sword Barrier, she definitely didn��t expect there to be two Void Dragons at once. This meant that not only did the Void Dragon need to activate the Holy Sword Barrier, but the Door of Akasha also had to be activated to open the plane channel. If there wasn��t any insurance, perhaps they would be done for if he continued to be distracted.


    ��How are you going to do it?��


    At this thought, Rhode asked. But for some reason, after hearing his question, the younger sister chuckled, pondered, and took her time to answer.


    ��It��s simple, Big Brother. I can temporarily transfer my power to you as we are blood-related. You and I also have a spiritual connection with each other, so it won��t be too much of a problem for me to transfer my power to you. Also, the power is less likely to be rejected.��


    ��Transfer your power to me? But what will happen to you? Maintaining the plane channel is the top priority now, isn��t it?��


    ��Of course, my power will be weakened as a result. But you don��t need to worry about any accidents, Big Brother. If there is a situation on my side where I need to use my power, I will use the spiritual connection between us to immediately take back the power I lent you just in case. So please don��t worry, Big Brother; there won��t be any problems on my side. It��s not my power that��s needed to open the plane channel, but the power of the Door of Akasha instead. As long as I��m still here, and as long as my ��space�� trait hasn��t disappeared, I can continue the extension of the plane channel, and the plane channel won��t be affected by this in any way. On the other hand, the problem with Chaos must be resolved as soon as possible. Otherwise, even if I possess the power of the Void Dragon, we may not be able to buy enough time.��


    ��I see����


    Upon hearing her explanation, Rhode nodded. It seemed like his younger sister had already thought about it. And he didn��t think that she would hide anything from him. After all, he also experienced the power of the Door of Akasha in the past. And if it was really according to what his younger sister said, then there shouldn��t be any problem for the time being even if she lent her power to him.


    As long as he settled the issue of the power on his side, leading the Void Territory in launching a counterattack against Chaos shouldn��t be a big problem. Besides, as the younger sister mentioned, scattering Chaos��s attack was the main priority. If they couldn��t get it done, even if she had the power of the Void Dragon, it still wouldn��t mean much. But at this thought and just to be on the safe side, Rhode asked dubiously.


    ��Are you sure everything will be fine?��


    ��Don��t worry, Big Brother. I promise there won��t be any problems. It does require a small sacrifice on your part, though.��


    ��Small sacrifice?��


    Upon hearing her reply, Rhode��s heart skipped a beat. She was clearly his younger sister whom he trusted, but why did he instinctively feel like something bad would happen? He frowned at the thought and asked cautiously.


    ��What sacrifice?��


    ��Rest assured, Big Brother. As your younger sister, I wouldn��t screw you over, would I?��


    ������


    As a man with a sister complex, what else could he say? As long as the younger sister said a word, he would climb a mountain of swords or plunge into a sea of flames without question. At this thought, he puffed up his chest and a look of determination appeared on his face. He stretched out his hand and gently combed his hair, before speaking in a calm tone.


    ��I always trust you, Younger Sister.��


    ��So please continue to trust me, Big Brother.��

 Chapter 1370 - Regroup on the Front Line

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Void Territory.


    The large conference room was full of people. Not only were Anne, Marlene, Lize, Lapis, and Orchid Heart here, but Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Icy Snow were also present. It was quite lively having this bunch of young ladies getting together in a huddle. It wasn��t surprising since they were always like a family.


    Since the invasion of Chaos, they had been sent to various fronts. Apart from feeling tremendous pressure, they also felt rather lonely with most of the people they knew dead. It was especially so the real Canary and Mini Bubble Gum. After all, unlike their projection, they never experienced a war of such scale. The days of fighting Chaos were a huge test for them and a day dragged on like a year.


    Thankfully, Rhode had the foresight to let Erin and Lydia watch over the two of them. Erin and Lydia were thoughtful and comforting. Under their care, Canary and Mini Bubble Gum didn��t suffer from any war-related trauma�� Or perhaps not yet.


    The entire hall was bustling. Everyone hadn��t seen each other for a long time, so they checked on one another and whined about feeling exhausted, though they weren��t really complaining. However, Chaos was indeed tough to deal with. Even Rhode had a headache over it, not to mention these young ladies.


    But what puzzled everyone was why they were called back to the front lines of the Void Territory by Rhode despite them being the backbone of the other fronts. Besides, Cassidy and Marybelle of the deity wardens also turned up, so it was apparent that there was something important to announce. However, when they asked the two of them curiously, Marybelle shook her head, while Cassidy knew nothing about it. It was apparent that they also weren��t aware of what was going on this time either.


    ��Is there something wrong with the front line? Is it about the previous����


    Lize blinked and asked uneasily. Everyone was stunned after the investigation report of Eloise��s crimes was made known. Moreover, they also didn��t know how to stop her. The only solution they had was to let Alice keep an eye on her actions all day, but this also wasn��t a permanent method. Thereafter, Rhode announced to them that there was no need to worry about the situation. He informed them that the suspect had left and it wasn��t necessary for them to raise their guard any longer. Otherwise, he was concerned that some of the young ladies might overthink the situation.


    Women always had a lot on their mind. None of them was basically a fool to be able to survive with Rhode for this long. He was concerned that they would overthink the situation, so a decisive action by him was the right move in this complex situation.


    ��Anne doesn��t think that Leader would be so idle to investigate it thoroughly. Besides, didn��t Leader also say that the criminal has escaped? Everyone��s so busy right now, so how is it possible for us to come here for someone whom we don��t even know the appearance of? What about the other areas? Chaos is still hitting them pretty hard.��


    Upon hearing Lize��s question, Anne was rather unconcerned. Although she wasn��t great at treating people with respect, when it came to her fighting instincts, she was a thousand times better than Lize. After hearing Anne��s answer, Lize couldn��t comment.


    Even though she had grown after experiencing so many events, there was still a gap between her and a purely military person like Anne. Moreover, what Anne said was reasonable. This group of young ladies gathered here were the elites of all battlefronts. With them taking the lead in resisting Chaos, the rest by the rear could rotate to take breaks.


    Hence, withdrawing them from the battlefronts would cause huge troubles. But despite that, they were still called back by Rhode, leaving only Erin and Lydia behind to bear the brunt. Fortunately, Erin and Lydia were very reliable. On the other hand, the Country of Law didn��t send any manpower over as they were already lacking. Not only that, but Rhode had also sent over several elite squads to assist them. Moreover, there was no one there that he needed, so since he couldn��t use the holy sword spirits, he could only mobilize the others.


    This was a personal notice from Rhode. Everyone was familiar with him and knew that he wouldn��t do this kind of thing out of boredom. But as for the exact reason why called for them, no one was aware because he notified them through Alice. With her ability of historical record, everyone got the news and gathered almost immediately. Inside the notice, Rhode mentioned briefly that they needed to assemble instantly for an important matter. As soon as they heard it, they put on a serious attitude and rushed back.


    But after they arrived, they found that Rhode wasn��t around. So what in the world was going on?


    As the crowd was confused, suddenly, a figure flashed by. At the next moment, Alice appeared in front of everyone without warning. And along with her emergence, the tumultuous crowd settled down quickly.


    It wasn��t that Alice��s reputation was that high. As a matter of fact, she was still inferior to Christie. After all, ��Christie�� looked exactly the same as the little Christie and Rhode. She was also the head of the seven deity wardens, and highly revered by everyone. Compared with her, Alice was more like a homebody who spent all day in the library without moving a muscle. The crowd seldom met with her, so it went without saying they didn��t feel much of a connection with her. But now�� The problem wasn��t with Alice, but the child in her arms instead.


    That��s right, a child.


    The child was about five or six years old, wearing a plain jacket and looking plump and adorable. But that wasn��t the point; the point was that the child in Alice��s arms looked very similar to Rhode. Or rather, very similar to Rhode, his younger sister, and Christie. At that moment, the child snuggled up in Alice��s embrace as if he had fallen into a deep sleep.


    After meeting the child, everyone was bewildered. At the next moment, the entire hall broke out into an uproar like a volcano eruption.


    ��Who is that? Who is that?! What a cute little child!��


    Upon seeing the adorable child, Anne skipped to Alice��s side instantly, sizing up the sleeping child curiously. On the other hand, Lize and Marlene looked at each other, not knowing what to say at all. The genetic inheritance of Rhode��s family was simply too insane. It was as if they weren��t born but cloned instead, so much so that it was impossible for them to misidentify the child.


    Of course, it wasn��t like everyone was unprepared for the fact that Rhode would have a child. After all, many people here had an intimate relationship with him, and it was normal to conceive a child in this era without contraception. But the question was�� Whose child was that?


    ��Tell me! Whose child is that?��


    Mini Bubble Gum was the first to dash out of the crowd and stare at the others with her two widened, round eyes. Meanwhile, Canary, who stood at the side, put up a complicated expression. Honestly, she had some mixed feelings when she saw the child. If nothing terrible happened to her baby, perhaps her baby would have grown up to look like this child. But it was a pity that fate loved playing tricks on people��


    ��Not mine! Not mine!��


    ��Not mine either!!��


    ��Don��t look at me, Madam Bubble. I��m a vampire����


    Upon sensing Bubble��s murderous gaze, the young ladies disassociated themselves from the child. As a matter of fact, the child wasn��t theirs. And on the other hand, Angelina was really unfortunate. She only came here to report on her work, and it was precisely Bubble who dragged her into Rhode��s bed in the past. If vampires could give birth to children, she wouldn��t still be in such a mess now. Despite that, she was still bullied by Bubble��


    Come to think of it, what��s with you always picking on me!


    ��Not any of you, huh? In that case, did Leader find himself a new woman?��


    Upon hearing their responses, Bubble curled her lips and spoke. And when the young ladies heard her response, they were shook. Honestly, the likelihood of Rhode having a woman outside of his harem wasn��t only low, but very high instead. But most of them here were all over him and didn��t care about that. They knew him well enough to think that he wouldn��t be messing around with another woman at a time like this. Moreover��


    ��Okay, Bubble, be quiet. That child is around five to six years old, so the child wasn��t just born by any means.��


    On the contrary, the projected Canary was relatively calm. Perhaps due to the fact that she was the perfect image of Canary in Rhode��s consciousness, she appeared to be calm about this shocking event. And upon hearing her words, the crowd also returned to their senses.


    Indeed, it had been less than three years since Rhode came to the Dragon Soul Continent. Even if he were to have a child, the child wouldn��t be at this age. As for Canary��s side, although she used to be pregnant with his child, the child would be three years old at most and not five or six years old. Rhode and his younger sister did have a child, but Christie was still well and alive.


    Thus, the child��s presence was very suspicious.


    But compared to the others, Cassidy and Marybelle seemed indifferent. But it wasn��t that surprising. After all, they didn��t have that kind of relationship with Rhode. And as deity wardens, they weren��t in a position to question the Void Dragon��s moral principle. The same went for Alice as well. She didn��t say much, but whispered in the child��s ear instead.


    ��Your Majesty, we��re here. Wake up.��


    ��Ugh����


    Upon hearing Alice��s voice, the child raised his head and stretched out his hand to rub his sleepy eyes. Then, he opened his big, vivid eyes and looked at his small, fair hand. After a moment, the child let out a long sigh and spoke.


    ��Put me down.��


    ��Yes, Your Majesty.��


    Upon hearing the child speak, Alice remained calm and gently placed the child in her arms on the ground. The crowd in front of her was silent. They stared at the endearing child and was totally speechless. They also clearly heard the conversation between Alice and the child. In the entire Dragon Soul Continent, there were only two people whom the deity wardens addressed as ��His Majesty�� and ��Her Majesty��: Rhode and his younger sister. They knew that his younger sister was in charge of the opening of the plane channel. In that case��


    ��Leader?��


    Anne crouched down and looked at the little child in front of her curiously. And upon sensing her gaze, the child went silent for a moment, before nodding helplessly. In fact, there was only one thought in his mind right now.


    I don��t think you should mess with your big brother like that, my dearest younger sister.


    The reason why he became a child was due to the exchange in power. According to his younger sister, she could give her power to him, but it required a certain sacrifice from him. Of course, he also kept his wits about her and specifically asked if his gender would change.


    In response, his younger sister shook her head firmly and looked at him with the clearest, simplest, and most sincere eyes, vowing that he would always be her big brother and she would never let him become her big sister. Since his younger sister had said so, Rhode was willing to risk his life and soon after, they exchanged power. In the end, Rhode discovered that�� even though he didn��t become a big sister, he turned into a younger brother instead��


    According to his younger sister, his body was unable to withstand the double dragon soul powers. In fact, this little Rhode was a split body formed by his younger sister using the fusion of his will and her power. This way, he could manipulate two parts of the dragon soul power by himself. In this way, it was also convenient. If anything were to go wrong, he could immediately return to his original body by just dissolving the split body.


    As for why he showed up as a child, according to his younger sister, the bigger the body, the easier it was to waste dragon soul power. After all, concentration was the essence, which was why she gave him this split body. Anyway, if he were to engage in a fight, he would definitely return to his original body of the Void Dragon, so it was best to save the dragon soul power as much as possible since it wasn��t infinite.


    But�� He didn��t know whether that was the real reason.


    ���� In short, that��s how it is.��


    Rhode explained to everyone helplessly. He couldn��t help but shiver as he looked at the ferocious gazes of the young ladies in front of him like a pack of hungry wolves.


    Are you kidding me? I��m just the size of a child and not a real child. No matter how much you girls like me, don��t show such straightforward expressions of wanting to do something to me please.


    At that moment, Rhode was regretful. According to his younger sister, he was no different from a five or six years old in order to ensure that the dragon soul power wasn��t wasted. Otherwise, he wouldn��t have let Alice carry him over. And what was more humiliating was that he also fell asleep halfway. He knew that all the authority he built up over such a long time was gone with the wind��


    My dearest younger sister, you really shouldn��t do this to your big brother��


    ��Okay, let��s get down to business����


    ��Leader, you��re so adorable!��


    Right after Rhode explained the situation, Anne screamed, pounced on him, and hugged him tightly. At that moment, the rest of the young ladies also gathered around quickly, touching his head and rubbing his face. It was especially so with Canary, where the motherly look of her caressing his head made his hair stand. It would be just fine if he were really a five or six year old. But the problem was that he wasn��t really a five or six year old!


    What a joke. I really don��t understand the mentality of those novel protagonists who chose to be reborn back as children. I absolutely can��t stand this!


    ��Stop! Stop! Stop!��


    Although Rhode tried his best to show his authority by stretching his arms and legs, it was a pity that he really didn��t have any authority to speak of in his current state, where even Mini Bubble Gum dared to come up and ravage his chubby little face. As for Lize and Marlene, they were even worse��


    After a few moments, it was Alice and Marybelle who rescued him from everyone��s ��embrace��. After all, this was a critical time and not a period for them to play with him. The younger ladies who satisfied their addiction of violating him stood to the side obediently.


    At that moment, Rhode felt like he had gotten back a little bit of his dignity. Shortly after, he told everyone the whole process he discussed with his younger sister. And after listening to his speech, everyone, including Anne, frowned. It was apparent that launching a frontal attack on Chaos was much more important to them than Rhode becoming a cute little boy.


    ���� Leader, do you really intend to do that?��


    ��We have no other option now. And while that side is still holding on strongly, if we don��t manage to diffuse the pressure of Chaos, the formation of the plane channel will be delayed. When that happens, the situation will be even more problematic. The reason why I chose this side was also because it��s relatively safe.��


    What Rhode said was the truth. Compared to the front lines with Erin and Lydia and the twin dragons, the Void Territory was indeed as stable as a mountain. Credit had to be given to Orchid Heart��s command and the mighty power of the magical warships.


    Unlike the Munn Kingdom��s floating fleet, the magical warships were more destructive, to the extent of being able to annihilate the Chaos Lords. And even if a troublesome Chaos Lord appeared, Orchid Heart only needed to unleash all the spells she collected at once. Even if the Chaos Lord wasn��t dead, it would still be crippled at the very least.


    Moreover, with the Holy Maiden Statue and teams of elite players, the Void Territory had the strongest defenses, which was why Rhode chose his own front as the breakthrough point. After all, even if he couldn��t beat Chaos, he could still retreat and defend, unlike in other places where he wasn��t certain of his chances.


    ��All right, that settles it then! Get ready to launch the attack in three hours!��


    This was the last thing Rhode said in the hall, standing on a chair and waving his little fist.

 Chapter 1371 - : Open the Way

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Although the matter was of great importance, the plan was simple: launch a powerful attack on Chaos, inflict damage, and retreat. As a matter of fact, this was common, even in Hollywood movies where the protagonist��s method to save the world was also through destroying, killing, turning off a switch, and whatnot. If one were to run around like in the game, one would die sooner than one thought. Most movies nowadays needed only 90 minutes to destroy Earth, so who was one trying to scare with turning on a switch and using secret weapons?


    The plan was easier said than done though. Because just like how Rhode��s younger sister opened the plane channel the first time, what exactly did it mean for Chaos to feel pain? Their numbers were infinite, and there was no point in destroying them. So what was the point even if they killed a few more Chaos Lords? How could they call that a beating? Even Chaos didn��t care much about that.


    Fortunately, none of this was without a solution. In such a case, the Chaos Eye played a huge role.


    After capturing the Chaos Eye from the mental world, it wasn��t as if Rhode hadn��t interrogated it. But unfortunately, it was clear that it wasn��t willing to cooperate. No matter what Rhode asked, the Chaos Eye would rather die than give in. Rhode had no choice but to let go for the time being. But since the Chaos Eye was really precious, he wondered if he should use it to make a specimen or something, which could be considered an achievement at the very least. But he also didn��t expect that he would have to use the Chaos Eye��s power in this matter.


    According to his younger sister, all the Chaos Eyes were connected to the core of Chaos. As to where the core of Chaos was, it went without saying that she wasn��t sure. However, she was certain that as long as Rhode used the power of Order to influence the Chaos Eye, it would open up a path to the core of Chaos.


    When that happened, as long as he displayed his fierce aggression as if he were ready to fight to the death, Chaos would undoubtedly be aware of his presence. And if done correctly, he could successfully gather the attention of the Chaos that was currently besieging the plane channel. The next thing he needed to do was to make sure that he attracted all their attention. Then, he could retreat leisurely and wait for the full unfolding of the plane channel.


    Frankly speaking, this was like the other-worldly version of ��besiege Wei and rescue Zhao��. But he had to admit that the likelihood of success was quite high. The reason was that Chaos had no order and only relied on its senses. Once it sensed that its core was in danger, it would do whatever it could to rescue it, thus holding back its attacks in other areas.


    Although there was an infinite number of Chaos, there was still a finite amount of space. It was like filling a teacup to the brim with water. If one poured more water into it, it would overflow. No matter how much Chaos there was, only a handful of them would be able to attack Rhode (based on the overall number), so he could easily attract the attention of all of Chaos. If he was able to escape before it was too late, the plan was considered complete.


    Of course, it wasn��t like this plan didn��t have its difficulty. First of all, Rhode had to penetrate deep enough as if he couldn��t get Chaos to clearly sense that it was in peril, it wouldn��t be effective. Secondly, during the retreat, Rhode would have to return as fast as he could.


    The plan was that when his younger sister opened the plane channel fully, everyone would immediately abandon the first two layers of defense and head straight to the third layer, before blowing up the rest of the Dragon Soul Continent to ensure that Chaos couldn��t get in. If Rhode couldn��t make it back in time, he would be spending the rest of his life with Chaos. Of course, if luck was on his side, it wasn��t impossible for him to build another shelter in the Dragon Soul Continent��


    But whether or not he wanted to was another matter.


    ��Okay, the preparations are almost ready. We can begin to get started.��


    Standing on the city wall and looking at the battlefield in front of him, Rhode sighed helplessly and ordered. Although the battle hadn��t begun, he looked burnt out already as if he had just fought several battles. But in fact, in a certain aspect, his reaction wasn��t exaggerated. Because he was indeed in several ��wars����


    �� Regarding the distribution of manpower.


    Because this was a dangerous mission, he didn��t intend to bring everyone along. As a result, the young ladies weren��t willing to accept his arrangements. He initially decided to take a break before moving off. But in the end, he spent three hours trying to convince his harem, which was even more tiring than a real battle with Chaos.


    First of all, there was Anne; the unstable one who clearly got the ��even if I die, I will die with Leader�� attitude. Or maybe she already came up with the thought of ��as long as I can cover Leader��s retreat, it doesn��t matter even if I die��. Since she had more than one previous conviction, Rhode didn��t dare to risk taking her along. But Anne was extremely stubborn and insistent. No matter what he said, she persisted in following.


    So without a choice, he got Marybelle to lock her up, so that she wouldn��t sneak off with him again. This time was different from the previous occasions as it could really kill her. Rhode��s original idea was to only bring along the three phantom guardians��Mini Bubble Gum, Canary, and Icy Snow��and the three deity wardens��Alice, Marybelle, and Cassidy��and three magical warships to clear the path of the plane channel. That way, if one of them was sacrificed, he could use the system interface to summon them again.


    But the system interface wouldn��t work for the rest. Marlene insisted on following, while Lize knew that she would only drag the team back so she didn��t say much. As for Anne, if Rhode hadn��t asked Marybelle to lock her up, she wouldn��t have left his side.


    If it were a normal day, Rhode��s speech would have certain influence and impact. But now that he turned into a child, his authority had shrunk as much as his height. Even though he stared at them and spoke seriously, they couldn��t feel any boldness from him in the slightest. Besides, what frustrated him even more was that Canary was as if stroking his head out of motherly love, which made his hair stand on end. It wasn��t like Canary hadn��t stroked his head before, but it was completely different between lovers and between mother and son, okay?!


    But no matter how much Rhode protested, there was absolutely nothing he could do to change their minds. Not only that, but Anne also shouted ��how adorable!�� from the side, which was absolutely not the main reason he wanted Marybelle to lock her in.


    Yes, absolutely not.


    It was so important that it needed to be mentioned twice.


    ��Okay, after we launch the operation, Lapis, you��re going to work on the installation of Plane Destruction Bombs. You should know the specifics.��


    After taking a deep breath and tossing the painful thoughts to the back of his head, Rhode looked at Lapis who stood beside him and ordered. In this plan, her Plane Destruction Bombs played the most critical part because only its damage could demolish Chaos once and for all.


    Not only that, but in the process of passing through the plane channel, his younger sister would also activate the Door of Akasha, which would purify the presence of Order in the entirety of the Dragon Soul Continent. In other words, after she activated the power of the Door of Akasha, all Chaos within the Dragon Soul Continent would be wiped out. Of course, it didn��t mean that the natives would turn into robots. Rather, like a sterile room, it would filter out all the harmful germs.


    On the external side, the parts of the Dragon Soul Continent that were corroded by Chaos would be completely destroyed in the blast of the Plane Destruction Bombs. And to some extent, apart from Rhode and his younger sister, Lapis held the most important role in this transmigration plan, which perhaps no one could have imagined.


    ��I-I got it, Your Majesty.��


    Perhaps it was because Rhode was in the form of a child, Lapis became less afraid of him. Despite that, she still felt a little nervous. She might be an innocent young lady, but she was in no way a fool. She knew how important this mission that he gave her was, which was why she felt rather worried. But at any rate, she had followed him for so long, and fighting Chaos on the front lines these days also strengthened her mentality, making this timid elf much braver than before.


    ��Alright, let��s begin!��


    After making sure that everything was in place, Rhode put on a stern expression, looked forward, and stood up. Soon after, along with his movement, a dense, pitch-black shadow erupted from his body. In the blink of an eye, the overwhelming shadow coalesced into a dragon that covered the sky. The Void Dragon fluttered his wings, lifted his head, and snarled.


    ��������!��


    Along with this roar, a bright light beam burst out of the enormous dragon��s mouth, streaking across the air. Soon after, the light beam distorted and trembled, transforming into an azure eye that was as large as the moon. Immediately after, one could see the huge, azure eye rotating and looking in the direction Chaos surged.


    At the next moment, an incomparably dazzling white brilliance emitted from the eyeball, transforming into a conical pillar of light that pierced into the distant depths of Chaos. Along with the appearance of the light pillar, the oceans of Chaos came to a standstill. All of a sudden, they exploded with hoarse, miserable screeches and retreated frantically. At the same time, the center of the turbid wave of Chaos also rotated as if a black hole being revealed.


    ��Attack!��


    Along with Rhode��s command, the pitch-black, gigantic magical warships erupted with dazzling blue magical lights that shot deep into the black hole.

 Chapter 1372 - : Advancing Path

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Space trembled.


    The explosive airwaves and sparks extended along with the magical beams, mercilessly turning everything in its path into ashes. The surging tide of destruction blasted ahead like a pair of invisible hands, ripping apart the wound that had barely recovered and exposing the bloody flesh within. The spiral, empty hole widened, while the azure pillar of light guided the way like a beacon. Meanwhile, Chaos sensed that something was amiss. They stacked up and swarmed toward the magical warships, attempting to destroy the existence that threatened them.


    ��Bunch of scums.��


    Standing quietly at the top of the magical warship and overlooking the mass of Chaos like a black cloud, Cassidy snorted. The young lady reached out her hands and grasped the hilt of the sword at her waist. Soon after, as a bright, golden glint flashed in her eyes, she pulled up the sword with both hands and slashed it diagonally downward.


    With this single swing of the blade, heaven and earth reversed.


    The disorderly Chaos changed in an instant as if it were completely decomposed from its essence. It was like a puff of smoke becoming solid, water turning into flame, and medicine changing into poison. In the blink of an eye, the Chaos creatures that pounced forward crumbled and shattered. The glow of Order that spread forward from the tip of her sword merged the disorderly Chaos, forming an impregnable sword of Order that pierced into the depths of Chaos.


    The shimmering sword of Order plunged straight into the depths of the mass of Chaos creatures, and the Chaos creatures under attack burst out in cries of anguish. However, this wasn��t a bugle call for retreat, but a sign of danger to come instead. The ferocious Chaos creatures trembled and stared furiously at the Void Dragon in front of them.


    In the face of boundless Chaos, even the massive Void Dragon that covered the sky was nothing more than an eagle soaring in the air. The dark, murky energy coalesced, swirling like a hurricane and engulfing everything in it. The thick barrier of wind rose to the sky, and as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but palpable darkness.


    Marybelle leisurely at the top of the magical warship leisurely. In the face of Chaos��s counterattack, her expression remained ever so calm and gentle. She extended her arm, lifted her wand, and tapped the air before her lightly. Soon, the Chaos creatures that pounced forward shattered into a dark cloud of dust, swept into the whirlwind, and disappeared without a trace.


    ��Hmph!��


    Upon witnessing Chaos��s retaliation, Cassidy scoffed. Her complexion appeared a little pale and her hands that gripped the hilt of her sword also trembled. But even so, she had no intention of retreating. On the contrary, the moment Chaos attacked, she raised her sword high and struck down at the tide of Chaos before her with might.


    The instant she waved her blade, a miracle happened.


    In an instant, the vast, endless sea of Chaos was forcibly divided. No matter how hard the surrounding Chaos creatures swarmed to fill up the gap between them, they were unable to cross that invisible barrier. And at the same time, under the leadership of Rhode, the magic warships sailed into the sea of Chaos.


    This scene was like a nightmare because as far as the eye could see, writhing, repulsive creatures were everywhere. Their furious howls turned into ear-deafening clamors, and their combined power caused the shields enfolding the magical warships to create a rippling vibration. But even so, Rhode didn��t retreat. Or rather, there was no way for him to fall back.


    In the current situation, all he could do was to advance constantly, all the way until he reached the core of Chaos; a place where even his younger sister had never been to. And now, in order for the plan to work, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and head deeper into the lion��s den.


    ��Hmm?��


    At that moment, Rhode turned around and looked to the side all of a sudden. He squinted at the Chaos creatures that were stopped by the invisible barrier, and a puzzled glint flashed in his eyes. Because just a moment ago, he felt a gaze that was sizing him up, but when he turned around, that gaze vanished instantly. This made him wonder. Although there were so many Chaos creatures around, and indeed many of them glared at him, that specific gaze was unique.


    And even though he couldn��t tell the difference between the gazes, he just felt like something wasn��t quite right�� But unfortunately, the moment he thought that something was amiss, the other party also seemed to realize the same. Thus, when he turned around, the other party had already withdrawn its gaze.


    I hope it isn��t anything problematic.


    At this thought, Rhode stopped thinking about it anymore. He knew that he couldn��t afford to waste time on that matter. If he failed to pass through this passage and reach the core of Chaos quick enough, things were going to get even more troublesome!


    Soon after Rhode moved off, a mysterious shadow shuttled across, twisting, rotating, and growing larger in size within the sea of infinite Chaos creatures. A few moments later, a petite girl appeared in the shadows. Like a seal peeking out of the water, she turned around and looked at the Void Dragon��s enormous body silently, while a bright golden glint flashed in her eyes behind the mask.


    ��I didn��t expect Her Majesty to actually do that�� She sure is bold�� But�� this is also within our expectations����


    The young lady commented, before falling into silence again. Immediately after, the dark, mysterious shadow plunged into the waves of Chaos once more, only to merge with them in the blink of an eye, becoming indistinguishable from one another.


    Rhode didn��t know what just happened behind him. In fact, the battle at hand was more important to him than anything else.


    ��Roar������!��


    Along with a thunderous bellow, the enormous Void Dragon stretched out his claws and crushed the eight-legged snake that just crawled out of the dark abyss underneath. Immediately after, before Rhode made any more moves, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, who flew beside him on both sides, extended their arms and grunted at the same time.


    Seconds later, a shining holy light struck the eight-legged snake like a hammer, smashing the hard scales on its body to bits. The blade made of flames pierced mercilessly into its body and red lotus flames erupted in an instant, blazing the unfortunate Chaos Lord from the inside-out in the blink of an eye. But that wasn��t the end of it.


    The instant the flames erupted, another Chaos Lord that looked like a two-headed eagle flapped its wings and screeched as it dove from above, talons outstretched at Rhode. But this time, before Rhode made a move, the roaring cannon fire of the magical warships around him erupted, blasting the pitiful Chaos Lord and giving it an agonizing beating. Before it responded, Rhode swung his body around and slammed his thick, huge tail onto the two-headed eagle so heavily that it shattered from the middle of its body.


    ��Whew����


    Rhodes shook his head and sighed helplessly. As expected, the path to the core of Chaos wasn��t that smooth sailing. Aside from Marybelle and Cassidy who tried their best to maintain the entire passage, even the magical warships and phantom guardians were under heavy attack by the Chaos Lords. Of course, Chaos��s primary target was the Chaos Eye, which was currently being manipulated by Rhode. It seemed like Chaos knew very well that if they could destroy the Chaos Eye, the path to the core would be closed. And when that happened, Rhode wouldn��t be able to move an inch.


    This went to show that be it a traitor or idiot, neither was welcomed anywhere.


    Almost there!


    Rhode had never been inside the core of Chaos and the thick aura of Chaos around him caused him to shiver involuntarily. The distinct and perilous feeling was as if one were standing in front of a burning furnace with the heat waves pouncing on one��s face constantly.


    And now, what was in front of him was precisely such flames that would burn the entirety of the world to the ground. They devoured everything in their path greedily, burning everything away to enrich themselves like a real flame. That terrifying heat had even surpassed the boundaries of solidity and reached the realm of the soul.


    ��Master, just ahead! We can��t hold on any longer!��


    The Chaos aura grew denser and it was clear that Marybelle and Cassidy weren��t coping well. After all, this was the territory of Chaos rather than Order, and for them, this was simply no different from fighting against Chaos alone. As they advanced, they clearly witnessed the gap within the sea of Chaos shrinking constantly!


    ��Leave it to me!��


    Looking at this scene, Rhode also knew that there was no time to waste. He raised his head hurriedly, gazed at the path that was guided by the beacon before him, and widened his mouth. Then�� he took a deep breath.


    ��������!��


    Rhode spurted out a stream of light as bright as a river of stars that gushed forward like a flood that broke the floodgates. In an instant, heaven and earth changed color. A blinding white light enveloped everything in sight, devouring the pitch-black Chaos creatures as they disappeared entirely. And when the radiance receded, all that was left was an empty pitch-blackness like the remains of glass fragments with brilliance flickering within them. That was also where the beacon ended.


    ��Get inside now!��


    Rhode yelled, flapped his wings, and flew into the dark crack in front of him.

 Chapter 1373 - Chaos Core

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The eye of a typhoon was always the calmest place to be. And this description was equally appropriate when used to describe Chaos.


    The instant after Rhode painstakingly broke free from the restraints of Chaos and arrived at the core, everything around him changed abruptly. The clamoring and deafening Chaos creatures earlier became silent. Those that crowded toward them, baring teeth and claws, also came to a standstill.


    At a glance, the densely-packed Chaos creatures could be seen fusing with one another as their bodies lost all boundaries. As far as the eye could see, there were innumerable wide-open scarlet eyes and opened mouths filled with countless teeth, merging and forming a hollow sphere. And at the center of this sphere was a huge, scarlet, bizarre piece of flesh that writhed unceasingly like a heart.


    ��Wow, this thing really fits the traits of a final boss, Leader.��


    Looking at this scene, Mini Bubble Gum couldn��t help but whistle in excitement.


    ��Chunks of flesh and worms are the best choice for the final boss of any civilization-based RPG. Let��s go and kill it!��


    ��Are you sure you can kill it, Bubble?��


    Upon hearing Bubble��s ramblings, Canary sighed helplessly, while Icy Snow who stood beside her swept a quiet glance. Indeed, as Bubble said, if the scenario of a game or movie was coming up next, Rhode would only need to lead these people to destroy the Chaos Core to save the world. But�� The premise was that there wasn��t as much difference between the two sides as it seemed.


    That��s right. One must think twice before ��destroying�� a hunk of flesh the size of Jupiter. In fact, its mere presence was enough to leave one shuddering. And if one were a mortal, one would go insane at the sight of this gigantic lump of flesh and its turbid, messy, viscous, and vein-like parts extending from its body and connecting to the surrounding walls of Chaos.


    The air became heavy and murky, making it impossible for one to breathe at all. The invisible air around them had as though become something tangible like water under the infection of Chaos. And the more one moved forward, the more one felt massive pressure. The speed of the magical warships also slowed down considerably. Not only that, but the protective barrier that enveloped the magical warships also flickered incessantly. The pressure of Chaos became a realistic threat as if it were a vicious beast that would completely crush, distort, and destroy all existence of Order.


    ��������!��


    The instant the overwhelming pressure approached the crowd, Rhode let out a mighty roar and expanded his wings. Along with his action, the invisible wall of Order unfolded in all directions, stopping the invasion of Chaos. Almost at the same time, along with the unfolding of the Order barrier, the Chaos Core apparently sensed the presence of Rhode and the others.


    In a hoarse, sharp screech like nails scratching against a blackboard, a gigantic eye surfaced on scarlet flesh. It didn��t seem any different from the Chaos Eye that had been monitoring Rhode and the others outside. The only difference was that it was even larger and more terrifying.


    ��Attack!��


    Upon sensing the movement of Chaos, Rhode didn��t hesitate to give the order to attack. In fact, the instant he saw the Chaos Core, he was convinced that he would never be able to kill this terrifying behemoth. It wasn��t just its humongous size, but he felt like the power of Chaos wrapping around the scarlet meat planet was as scary as a furious wave instead. Not only that, but the Order barrier that he worked so hard to unfold was like a tiny boat tumbling in a storm in the face of the power of Chaos.


    Moreover, his men barely reached the edge of the core and already had this disturbing feeling. If they went further, they might not even have a chance to escape later. Thus, without the slightest hesitation, Rhode gave his command, seeking to strike before the Chaos Core reacted. Otherwise, when the Chaos Core attacked, it would be too late!


    ��Sanga!��


    The first to attack were the Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Icy Snow, who were like-minded with Rhode. As players, they knew how important it was to disrupt the momentum of the battle. Hence, the instant Rhode yelled the command, Mini Bubble Gum grunted and raised her hands high. Soon after, countless rays of light coalesced and shrunk between her hands.


    Dazzling holy brilliance exploded. Three huge, sun-like spheres appeared out of nowhere above her head, spinning ceaselessly to form a gorgeous and elegant halo. The flickering holy radiance shredded the Chaos aura like sharp blades, illuminating the enormous Chaos Core.


    Seconds later, in an ear-deafening snarl, the part of the Chaos Core��s body that was shone by the light emitted white smoke as if it were scorched. Although it was just a small part of its enormous body, it was apparent that one would still feel pain if one stepped on the fire barefoot.


    The Chaos Core shuddered violently after being ambushed by the holy light. Soon after, a huge and dense, pitch-black fog sprayed out from one of the openings on its massive body of flesh, wrapping itself entirely and turning it into a strong shield to block Mini Bubble Gum��s further assault.


    However, at that moment, Canary also made her move.


    Along with a crisp and lively chant, the young lady waved her hands around as if she were dancing lithely. Air swirled around her fingertips, while flames coalesced in her chant, rushing straight ahead like a drill and striking the surface of the fog barrier mercilessly like a blazing tornado.


    Along with sparks splashing everywhere, the pitch-black fog that encased the Chaos Core gradually thinned. But even so, the fog didn��t seem to be fading away entirely. On the contrary, after it was swept away by the fiery tornado, it started all over again. However, that momentary opening was more than enough for the attackers to take advantage of.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    The moment the fog scattered, ten streams of light as bright as meteors streaked across the air. In a series of violent explosions, the fog that was merging dispersed once again. And it was at that moment when Icy Snow lowered the longbow in her hand. Her eyes that could see through time and space reflected only images of darkness and Chaos.


    Following closely behind, the magical warships and deity wardens also began their assault. Cassidy swung her sword, slashing a dazzling blade ray that sliced through the exterior of the Chaos Core from top to bottom. With this flickering blade ray, the pitch-black fog that was cut through changed color instantly. However, that was only for a moment.


    Even though the deity wardens had powers that allowed them to dominate the world of Order, they didn��t have much power to speak of in this lair of Chaos. The pitch-black fog that was altered in form by Cassidy existed for less than a minute before it was completely crushed in the ensuing stream of Chaos.


    Marybelle also waved her wand uncharacteristically-fast, tapping it around in midair. Along with her action, huge patches of pitch-black fog that surrounded the Chaos Core collapsed one after another. The roaring bursts of magical beams released from the top of the battleships penetrated the boundary of darkness and Chaos, striking the huge body of the Chaos Core ruthlessly.


    To the Chaos Core, the attacks from Rhode and the others were like a mouse scaring an elephant, but it wasn��t entirely ineffective. Because if a mouse were to keep nibbling on the foot of the largest elephant non-stop, the elephant would eventually fly into a rage. And as expected, after being attacked constantly by Rhode and the others, the Chaos Core trembled greatly.


    The surrounding Chaos creatures that fused together separated themselves and scattered. Soon after, countless, overwhelming Chaos creatures darted out of the opening of the Chaos Core��s body, rushing toward the brazen enemies like a swarm of bees.


    ��It has begun. Hang on!��


    Upon witnessing the innumerable Chaos creatures ahead, Rhode yelled out again. He finally set his heart at ease because this scene was panning out the way he had planned. The Chaos Core changed its direction of attack to ensure its safety. At the same time, the Chaos creatures that realized that the Chaos Core was under attack also assaulted Rhode��s group. Rhode sensed that along with the increase in Chaos creatures on his side, the number of Chaos creatures on the periphery decreased rapidly.


    The next thing they had to do was to resist Chaos��s attack until the plane channel was completely open!


    ��Big Brother����


    And at that moment, the young lady in Grandia raised her head and looked toward the distant sky with a worried expression. Like Rhode, the younger sister also sensed that the Chaos creatures that were choking the plane channel were leaving speedily. And along with the departure of the Chaos creatures, the plane channel once again restored its usual speed and got back on track.


    ��I hope all of you will be safe.��


    The young lady prayed softly. She opened her eyes and looked at the Door of Akasha before her.


    ��This time, we��ll definitely succeed.��

 Chapter 1374 - Bitter Struggle

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    Although Rhode expected the battle to be tough, it was, in fact, much tougher than he had imagined.


    Innumerable, undaunted Chaos swarmed and surrounded Rhode and the others in all directions. Facing such a terrifying scene, just stopping Chaos��s attack was enough to consume all of their strength, not to mention attacking the Chaos Core again.


    However, Rhode��s group wasn��t foolish either. None of them were silly enough to annihilate the Chaos creatures just so that the Chaos army could replenish their troops again. As for the weaker Chaos creatures, Rhode left them alone since they weren��t too powerful and couldn��t easily break through the defenses of the magical warships.


    On the other hand, if they were powerful Chaos Lords, perhaps his group would have been in trouble in a single encounter. Fortunately, the Chaos creatures didn��t massacre one another. The chaotic nature of Chaos was most evident at that moment. They only cared about swarming on each other and didn��t give a damn about what was happening in the slightest.


    If Rhode were leading them, perhaps he would have ordered his men to cut down one another if it was necessary to stabilize Order. However, Chaos didn��t have such awareness at all. They were like a swarm of headless flies that only knew that Rhode and the rest were posing a danger to the Chaos Core, and they needed to destroy this threat as soon as possible. As for the rest of the affairs, nothing else mattered to them.


    ��Chaos is retreating.��


    Standing on the city wall, the ashen Marlene couldn��t help but watch as Chaos gradually retreated. Just a moment ago, she had contacted Angelina and Nell through her spiritual connection, and learned that no matter which front they were on, the number of Chaos creatures had decreased drastically. It was apparent that this wasn��t because Chaos was defeated, but that they had a new target.


    As for the target of their attack, it went without saying who it was.


    In fact, upon realizing that, Marlene knew that Rhode was facing big trouble.


    She had to admit that the plan that Rhode and his younger sister came up with was indeed great. However, there was still a fatal flaw in it, and that was that they failed to predict the reaction of Chaos. Since Chaos had no order to speak of, whatever they did wasn��t surprising in the slightest. Thus, from the very beginning, Rhode��s and his younger sister��s plan was to ��adapt to every situation��. But now, it seemed like this situation was a bit too far beyond the scope of everyone��s imagination. It was true that Marlene and the others, including Rhode, expected the Chaos creatures to ��return to the palace to save the Emperor��, but none of them expected them to ��disregard the big picture�� to this huge extent, where they withdrew from every single battlefront!


    The retreat of Chaos was naturally good news for the front lines that fought for several days. No matter the Country of Light, Country of Law, Country of Darkness, or Void Territory, they were already exhausted from taking turns in fighting and tiring Chaos out. At that moment, upon witnessing their retreat, the country rulers arranged for their men to rest. Due to the secret measures that Rhode carried out, no one other than Marlene and his trusted aides knew where he went and what he was up to.


    As to why Chaos suddenly retreated, the subjects didn��t give much thought to it. At most, they assumed that Chaos was also fatigued at times. But no matter what, Chaos��s retreat still allowed them to have some time to rest. If they didn��t seize this time to relax, maybe they wouldn��t be able to hold on in the next battle.


    ��Why is Chaos retreating?! How gutless! They��re not gonna trouble Leader again, are they? Big Sister Marlene, do you want us to go and help Leader?��


    At that moment, witnessing Chaos��s retreat, Anne jumped around anxiously at the side. She didn��t give up urging on Marlene to bring her along to assist Rhode. But unfortunately, it was useless even if Marlene was touched by her proposal. Because the Chaos Eye was the key to open the path that led them to the core of Chaos, and the Chaos Eye had already been taken by Rhode. Even after Marlene gathered men and headed over to help, it would be pointless if she couldn��t open the path to the core.


    ��It��s useless, Anne. Without the Chaos Eye, we can��t reach the core. It��s the same no matter where we go����


    At that point, Marlene sighed softly, closed her eyes, and contemplated for a moment. Then, as if she made up her mind about something, she turned to look at Lapis, who stood beside her, and called out her name.


    ��Lapis.��


    ��Um�� Yes, Miss Marlene? Is anything the matter?��


    When Lapis heard Marlene��s call, the former returned to her senses and turned around in surprise. And upon looking at Lapis��s confused gaze, Marlene��s heart sank. But soon, she gazed at the young lady and said.


    ��Now that Chaos has retreated, you should also start to����


    ������


    Upon hearing Marlene��s words, Lapis turned pale instantly and took two steps backward involuntarily as if the Marlene standing in front of her was a vicious beast about to devour her. And after looking at her ashen face, Marlene felt helpless deep down. But even so, she braced herself and looked at Lapis, speaking.


    ��You know what to do, Lapis. That was Rhode��s order to you. Now that Chaos has retreated, there��s no better time than now. We shouldn��t waste the time Rhode bought us. You must fulfill your mission in the shortest possible time. Do you understand?��


    Before the operation began, Rhode had already assigned Lapis her task. He knew that after he attracted the attention of the Chaos Core, the amount of Chaos attacking the defensive lines would decrease dramatically. Thus, he requested Lapis to strike at the right time and plant the Plane Destruction Bombs.


    That way, when he returned, she could activate the Plane Destruction Bombs right away to stop the Chaos that was trailing him, at the same time sealing Chaos entirely on the outside, ensuring that they wouldn��t invade their world. However, Lapis didn��t expect that she would have to fulfill her mission so soon.


    ��Are we really going to����


    ��We��re running out of time, Lapis. Don��t forget that it��s Rhode��s orders!��


    Marlene knew what Lapis was hesitant about. One of the features of the Plane Destruction Bomb was that it couldn��t be dismantled after installation. Due to this feature, it was like putting a nail in the wall of ��space�� after installation. Moreover, there was no way to remove the nail and it could only be detonated. Not only that, but also the longer it was left in space, the more unstable it would be.


    According to Lapis��s calculations, even if it wasn��t timed after the installation, its stability period was only 24 hours at most. After 24 hours, space would instinctively reject foreign objects, and the affected Plane Destruction Bombs would become increasingly unstable and might explode at any chance.


    Back then, in the Darkness Capital, Rhode and the others were around to guard the place and everyone was together within the safe time. That was why Lapis wasn��t worried. But it was different now. Rhode was nowhere to be seen. No one knew when he would get out of the core. If she were to plant the Plane Destruction Bombs and he hadn��t returned after 24 hours, things would get perilous. Who knew; maybe he finally broke free from Chaos and the Plane Destruction Bombs detonated at the same time. In that explosion�� Things would surely be lively.


    That was why Lapis was extremely reluctant to carry out the order. She was hoping that she could at least contact Rhode and install the Plane Destruction Bombs after hearing back from him. This way, at least he would be able to escape safely. As for the Plane Destruction Bombs, Lapis could control them except for the countdown timer. As soon as she saw Rhode��s return, it was possible for her to detonate them by remote control.


    But that also meant that Rhode had a 24 hour buffer. If he didn��t return within 24 hours, he would face the threat of the detonated Plane Destruction Bombs.


    ��No, Miss Marlene. There��s no word from Sir Rhode yet. If I were to plant the Plane Destruction Bombs now, it would be too dangerous for him!��


    What surprised Marlene was that this time, Lapis was determined to disagree with her approach. Of course, Marlene also knew that it was dangerous for Rhode. But the problem was that she had other considerations of her own. The interference from Chaos was too great that she couldn��t contact him using spiritual communication. If Rhode still couldn��t be contacted on his way back, wouldn��t it be too late to reach him after he entered the Void Territory?


    Both sides had their own reasons. It wasn��t that Marlene was unconcerned about Rhode but these were his orders. And while Lapis knew that, she trusted her own judgment more. Now that Chaos was in full retreat, a fool would also know that Rhode wouldn��t be able to make it back as easily as he predicted. Not to mention, the amount of Chaos he would encounter on his return alone would be several times greater than expected.


    This might prolong the time required on his return as well. On the other hand, Lapis had her own reasons too. Previously, when Rhode created the plan, he didn��t predict that Chaos would retreat all at once, so the plan had to be changed now. As a technician, she was responsible for the technical aspects of the whole plan. She wouldn��t do anything that could potentially be dangerous to him.


    ��Yawn����


    At that moment, a yawn broke the tense atmosphere. Everyone turned around and saw Orchid Heart, who leaned against the wall, yawning and looking helplessly at the others.


    ��My junior sure is loved by everyone�� Lapis, your views are right. But Marlene, you aren��t wrong either�� Tell you what, Marlene. I��ll contact Rhode. Even though it will take some time, it shouldn��t be too much of a problem. If nothing surprising happens, I am 80 percent sure that I will be able to reach him. Lapis, in the meantime, you and Marlene will go ahead and set up the Plane Destruction Bombs for other areas and wait for my orders.��


    ��Huh?��


    Upon hearing her words, everyone was stunned.


    ��Miss Orchid Heart, you are able to contact Rhode?��


    It wasn��t surprising that Marlene asked this question. Although she was Rhode��s card spirit, there was no way for her to contact him through the spiritual communication. In that case, it was even more impossible for Orchid Heart, who was a phantom guardian, to reach him. But why was she so confident of her chances?


    ��Should be fine.��


    In response to Marlene��s question, Orchid Heart yawned once more, before looking at the crowd with a lazy smile.


    ��After all, we��re members of the same guild. So at least�� The guild mailbox should still be working.��

 Chapter 1375 - Evacuation

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��A mail was received in your guild mailbox.��


    The ice-cold, electronic sound crossed the distance of space and reached Rhode��s ears in an instant. And after hearing the system prompt, Rhode, Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Icy Snow were shocked. It wasn��t that the notification came like a bolt out of the blue, but that they were too confused.


    The guild mailbox was a special mean of distributing messages within the guild and could be considered a type of group chat. In the guild, whenever Rhode needed to gather men, he would send a group message and everyone would receive it. However, after arriving in the Dragon Soul Continent, he didn��t touch the guild mailbox at all.


    Firstly, no one else had this function. And secondly, he could summon those who were connected to him directly by using spiritual communication, so over time, he didn��t bother with it. And for that reason, they were at a loss after hearing the system prompt and only reacted after a good while.


    ���� Big Brother! It��s a message from Big Sister Orchid Heart! She said all of Chaos is retreating and they��ve begun setting up Plane Destruction Bombs!��


    ��Big Sister Heart?! Holy cr*p! I didn��t even know this trick existed!��


    At that moment, Mini Bubble Gum returned to her senses and shouted in excitement. In fact, there was a bug in the setting of the guild mailbox that wasn��t supposedly a bug. And that was the mailbox itself. Because in the setting, the guild mailbox was something that everyone in the guild would possess. Not only could it be used to send and receive guild information, but it also served as a personal mailbox.


    But it was also where some players noticed a problem: whenever one sent out mails to all guild members, no matter where the recipients were, even in places like the arena where communication with the outside world was strictly forbidden, they would still receive the message. However, the cool-down period for sending out one guild mail was three hours and the content of each mail itself couldn��t exceed 30 words. That was why this bug wasn��t really of much use, and as a matter of fact, the authorities never bothered about it.


    On the contrary, players discussed with great relish about the principles of the guild mailbox. There were even some who claimed that the guild mailbox might be some kind of spatial projection, and the mailbox everyone possessed was an independent product located in a mysterious space or whatnot�� But no matter what, it was awesome news for Rhode��s group that they received this mail despite losing contact with the outside world due to Chaos��s disruption.


    ��Everyone, retreat! Canary, have all members of the first and second warships board the third warship now! We��re leaving!��


    Rhode gave his orders immediately. He had his means to deal with Chaos and wasn��t that foolish to send his men to the grave. After hearing his orders, members of the first and second warships gathered and boarded the third warship swiftly. Immediately afterwards, they witnessed Rhode waving his wings abruptly, and in a deafening dragon��s roar, the two magic warships in front of them exploded with unprecedented power that whistled ahead. Upon seeing the two magic warships charging toward them, the Chaos creatures pounced immediately, identifying them as the main targets of the attack.


    Of course, he wouldn��t let the Chaos creatures annihilate his bait so effortlessly. The reason why he led the three magic warships here was to attract the attention of Chaos. He knew that there was no way to get rid of the relentless Chaos creatures, so his initial plan was to send all three magical warships straight into the core as sacrifices, while the rest climbed on his body and left together with him.


    After all, the Void Dragon that reverted its original form was enormous enough that a mere two to three hundred men wouldn��t take up much space on his body. But now, after learning from Orchid Heart that Chaos retreated, Rhode changed his plan and left the third magic warship behind. Thus, even if something unexpected happened during the evacuation, it would serve as a backup.


    At that moment, when he witnessed the Chaos creatures swarm frantically toward the two magic warships that he used as baits, he raised his head and let out a fierce growl. Soon after, violent, tyrannical, and invisible airwaves burst ahead and repelled the Chaos creatures. But in the face of the Void Dragon��s overwhelming pressure, the Chaos creatures lunged forward crazily instead of retreating. Rhode��s response made them aware of the approaching danger. In a series of continuous flashes, the surging power of Chaos struck the Order barrier that Rhode created like a wild storm.


    This was exactly what Rhode wanted to see. The best thing about the Chaos creatures was that they didn��t have any priorities. As soon as they identified their target, they wouldn��t turn back. At that moment, Rhode merely baited the Chaos creatures and they swarmed forward like a cat being teased, attacking the two magic warships in a frenzy.


    After Rhode withdrew the Order barrier enveloping the two magical warships, the crazy influx of Chaos creatures surrounding the two magical warships in front of them were immediately like hooked fish. But at that moment, Rhode didn��t turn around to leave immediately. Instead, he closed his large wings and wrapped himself and the rest around him.


    ��Everyone get ready!��


    Upon hearing his scream, everyone was shocked. Cassidy lifted and withdrew her sword abruptly, erecting the scabbard in front her. Along with this action, a barrier made up of hexagonal crystals shrouded her entirely. At the same time, Marybelle raised her wand and tapped the air gently. Shortly after, the void around her rippled like flowing water, wrapping around her and Alice.


    Not only them, but Mini Bubble Gum also raised her hands high and chanted a mysterious spell in a soft voice. Along with her chant, a string of golden runes shone and emerged from her hands, protecting her, Icy Snow, and Canary. The magical warship beneath their feet also emanated an extraordinary halo of protection. The multicolored halo swirled and spread out constantly, forming a translucent barrier over its massive hull.


    The crowd lowered their heads and assumed a defensive stance in unison. At that moment, the dense, omnipresent Chaos creatures snarled and charged forward, attempting to devour all of them.


    The world of Chaos seemed to return to its original state once more, while the earlier troublemakers were gone completely. However, it was only for an instant. At the next moment, a bright, dazzling white light penetrated the densely-packed Chaos creatures and exploded outward. Immediately afterward, the explosion that resounded throughout the space and erupted blinding radiance scattered in all directions.


    ��������!��


    For the first time, the Chaos Core felt threatened. It let out an ear-piercing bellow and the blood vessels connected to the surrounding trembled wildly. Soon, another burst of thick, pitch-black fog sprayed out from its body. But unfortunately, it was too late.


    The power of the Plane Destruction Bombs tore through the limits of space and time mercilessly. The Chaos creatures didn��t even put up a fight and were completely caught in the cracks in space. Even though there was an infinite number of them, they were meaningless in the turbulence of broken space.


    In a mere blink of an eye, the Chaos creatures that swarmed the magical warship were swept away. But this wasn��t enough to stop the collapse of space. The originally-empty space now seemed to have turned into a tangible entity, peeling away in layers and extending in all directions like a smashed mirror. And within the breach, a deep purple light surged and devoured everything wantonly.


    Void storm!


    ��Retreat! Leave them to their own demise!��


    Rhode, who successfully detonated two Plane Destruction Bombs, turned around to guard the others and flew away instantly. The void storm was his trump card and not even Chaos could ignore its power. Although he didn��t know if the Chaos Core had a way to handle this move from him, there was only a dead end for him if he continued staying there. Hence, he reached out his claws, seized the last magical warship, and soared to the opening he had entered from.


    The attractive force of the void storm was really strong, so much so that despite Rhode using all his strength, he could still feel the powerful suction of the void storm behind him. Moreover, the size of the Void Dragon was so huge that it was also under a considerable degree of pressure. Although he tried his best, he was only able to resist the void storm��s tearing. The others, on the other hand, laid on his back and couldn��t do anything apart from gnashing their teeth and waiting helplessly.


    ��Leader, you can do it! You can definitely get away at times like this like those Hollywood blockbusters! Don��t be a letdown to the theme!��


    While gripping onto Rhode��s scales, Mini Bubble Gum didn��t forget to encourage him�� Just that it was an entirely different matter as to whether or not it was effective.


    ��If you have time for nonsense, why don��t you watch my back for me!��


    Dodging the Chaos creatures that were dragged away and torn apart by the void storm, Rhode didn��t forget to criticize her. The power of the void storm was indeed too strong, where even several Chaos Lords were pulled into it without a fight before being shredded into nothingness. Although he didn��t know if his ��space�� attribute as the Void Dragon would be effective against the void storm, it was apparent that he didn��t intend to experience it himself.


    But unfortunately, blessings never came in pairs, and misfortune didn��t come singly. While Rhode struggled against the void storm, Canary screamed all of a sudden.


    ��Rhode! The gap is closing!��


    ��What?!��


    Upon hearing her words, Rhode was bewildered. He lifted his head and looked up hurriedly, only to see the gap where they came in from slowly shrinking!

 Chapter 1376 - Escape From Danger

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    It seemed like the Chaos Core wasn��t foolish. Although the Chaos creatures relied upon their instincts to act, the Chaos Core had apparently sensed the main culprit. The fact that the gap out there was gradually shrinking was the best proof of that. The Chaos Core was clearly planning to trap Rhode and the rest here forever!


    To think it only thought about this now!


    Rhode inwardly criticized how dumb the Chaos Core was. From the start, the Chaos Core only dealt with Rhode and didn��t care about the opening. If it blocked the opening from the beginning, even Rhode would have to tuck his tail obediently and wouldn��t be able to return to where he came from. But he wasn��t facing a good situation now either. At that moment, he was still some distance away from the opening. If he couldn��t leave before the Chaos Core closed the opening completely, he would never be able to leave this godforsaken place in his entire life.


    At this thought, he flapped his wings hard, struggling against the void storm, while trying his best to fly toward the opening. Honestly, he originally didn��t have the intention of setting off Plane Destruction Bombs at such a close distance. However, after receiving an answer from Orchid Heart, he decided to leave this place immediately and had no choice but to detonate them. However, his correspondence wasn��t too terrible. At least for now, the Chaos creatures�� attention were grabbed by the void storm, so they didn��t hinder his escape.


    But�� Why does it feel like the power of the void storm is weakening?


    Rhode clearly felt the spatial force pulling onto his body diminishing. But without the need of him confirming it, Mini Bubble Gum had already given him an answer.


    ��Leader, the cracked space is merging!��


    Gazing at the huge spatial crack in the back, even Mini Bubble Gum was startled. One had to know that once the void storm collapsed, it could be the collapse of the entire space. The spatial crack would only expand, and at most, stabilize when it reached the tipping point of expansion. But not only did this spatial crack stop expanding, but its size also slowly shrunk. The power that was pulling on everything also seemed to be weakened.


    Seems like this Chaos Core isn��t all that useless; it can merge even broken space. What a troublesome one to deal with!


    At that moment, Rhode finally knew why the five Creator Dragons, including his younger sister, had no way of dealing with the Chaos Core in the first place. One had to know that shattered space was something that even the Void Dragon had to avoid. However, the Chaos Core was able to restore shattered space back to its original form, and that alone was terrifying. In that case, it made sense why the five Creator Dragons could only create the Dragon Soul Continent as a shelter on the outside and never thought of retaliating.


    But fortunately, they were about to part with this headache forever!


    Rhode was well aware that it wasn��t an appropriate time to criticize the situation. Although the void storm��s force that was pulling him was weakened, it also meant that the power of the Chaos Core was recovering rapidly. Meanwhile, it also distributed its power to suppress the spatial crack, which meant that this was Rhode��s final chance!


    At this thought, Rhode fluttered his wings with might and glided forward. Along with the weakening of the void storm, his speed increased, and in just the blink of an eye, he flew to the entrance of the opening. As long as he passed through the opening, he would be halfway to victory!


    However, the moment he stretched out his claws to seize the opening and was about to fly out of it, suddenly an abrupt mental shock wave erupted from the back and engulfed everyone.


    ��������!��


    Even the mighty Rhode felt giddy and suffering as if one had picked up a hammer and smashed his head heavily. Not only that, but what followed was also a stabbing pain that came from the surface of his brain. It didn��t feel pleasant at all. Since even Rhode couldn��t resist the mental shock wave from Chaos, the people on his back didn��t have it any better. After letting out a muffled grunt, Icy Snow let loose of her hands that were holding onto Rhode��s scales and flew backward.


    ��No, Little Icy�� Argh!��


    Upon seeing Icy Snow��s fall, the flustered Canary reached out her hand to grab the young lady beside her. However, the sudden sting in her head stalled her instinctively and she failed to grasp the young lady��s outstretched arm. At that moment, Icy Snow was also in a state of shock as she extended her arms blindly, attempting to hold onto something. However, she wasn��t successful.


    Meanwhile, Marybelle, Cassidy, and Alice also noticed her danger. But under the raging void storm, even they couldn��t protect themselves. What��s more, the distance between them was far too great, making it impossible for the deity wardens to make a move.


    ��Big Brother��!��


    The faintest of cries disappeared into the whirling storm in an instant, and all Icy Snow could do was to widen her eyes and stare at everything that was whizzing by. She felt her body being seized by the power of the void, and now that Rhode was struggling to move forward, there was no way he could stop and wait for her. But�� She was just a projection, anyway�� Even if she disappeared into the void storm, he should still be able to bring her back��


    At this thought, Icy Snow closed her eyes and plunged into darkness.


    Just think of it as sleeping. Yes, that��s right. Think of it as sleeping��


    Smack!


    The tremendous force that struck her arm made her open her eyes in shock, only to find the frowning Mini Bubble Gum rubbing her forehead with one hand and pulling her with the other. Mini Bubble Gum rested on the protruded scale of Rhode��s spine for support, struggling to grip Icy Snow��s arm.


    ��Bubble, you����


    ��You��re too old to be sacrificing yourself for love! You haven��t even been on Leader��s bed and are still a virgin, so why are you in such a hurry to die?! The female lead in movies always have sex with the male lead before her death�� Argh, what the hell am I talking about? A brat like you won��t even get to be the female lead. You can only act as a lolita at the very most! All right, cut the crap! Hurry up! How long do you want to let me pull you; my hands aren��t made of iron!��


    ��It��s clearly you who��s been speaking crap! And talking about ridiculous things!��


    After hearing Mini Bubble Gum��s sputter, Icy Snow pulled herself together and glared at the other young lady in displeasure. But soon after, she used her other hand to grab Mini Bubble Gum��s arm, before sinking downward with her entire body. Meanwhile, a dazzling glint flashed in Icy Snow��s eyes and she disappeared into thin air at the next moment. Almost at the same time, her petite body emanated a soft and bright radiance, before reappearing beside Mini Bubble Gum. After seeing Icy Snow, Mini Bubble Gum snorted in disdain.


    ��Tsk, what in the world? I forgot about this ability of yours. I shouldn��t have saved you just now, since you��d be fine, anyway.��


    ��I just forgot for a moment!��


    Faced with Mini Bubble Gum��s complaints, Icy Snow wasn��t willing to be outdone and retaliated. As a matter of fact, Icy Snow was well aware that if Mini Bubble Gum didn��t pull her up in time, giving her a buffer and a fixed anchor point, she wouldn��t have been able to use her ��space�� ability. But the two of them didn��t continue bickering. On the contrary, they looked at each other and turned away with a ��hmph�� at the same time.


    ��Alright, everyone hold on tight!��


    At that moment, Rhode spoke in a resonant voice. No one knew better than him as to what just happened. Icy Snow didn��t see it, but he witnessed Mini Bubble Gum��s heroics clearly. The instant Icy Snow was being swept away by the void storm, Mini Bubble Gum let go of her hand that was grabbing onto his scale and launched out like a cannonball toward Icy Snow. Then, she grabbed Icy Snow��s arm, dragged her back, and slammed onto his scale again. Fortunately, she cast several defensive spells on herself. Otherwise, she would have suffered a lot more from this collision.


    Well, this is true love, no doubt�� These two brats sure are giving their all.


    Gazing at the two young ladies who had turned their heads around, but had their hands still holding each other��s tightly, Rhode let out an inward sigh. But this apparently wasn��t the time to be teasing them. The fact that Icy Snow was also swept away from him made his heart skip a beat. But since she was rescued by Mini Bubble Gum, he didn��t have any hesitation.


    With just a flap of his wings, he arrived at the entrance of the opening, stretching out his two front claws and grabbing onto the edge. At that moment, the Chaos Core seemed to realize that he was trying to escape, and erupted another mental shock wave that exploded like a tidal wave from behind.


    Fortunately, Rhode was much quicker. He extended his two front claws, gripped the edge of the opening, folded his wings, and propelled his entire body outward with force. His enormous body slipped through the hole like a slippery loach and he successfully returned to where he came from. Almost at the same time, the outburst of a mental shock wave came right after, striking the wall heavily. However, Rhode was no longer there.


    ��We��re finally out!��


    After escaping from the Chaos Core, the crowd was relieved. After all, the amount of Chaos creatures that swarmed from all directions was too overwhelming for them. Now that they finally escaped, they were overjoyed.


    But for Rhode, the situation was far from being favorable yet.


    Because in front of them, the countless Chaos creatures had transformed into dark clouds and pounced on them.

 Chapter 1377 - Guiding Beacon

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��How much time left?��


    Marlene stood on the wall, clenching her fists and looking out over the landscape, her brows furrowed.


    ��Three hours!��


    Lapis gripped the golden pocket watch in her hand and stared at the second hand running on it. She wished she could make time pass slower. But unfortunately, no matter how powerful the alchemical elf was, she couldn��t reverse the flow of time. Thus, she could only watch as time passed by and not do anything else.


    Rumble��


    A thunderous roar came from the distant sky. And soon, the people on the city wall noticed a shining, flickering light emerging in the distant border of Chaos. That was precisely Rhode��s dragon roar that crossed the border of Chaos and Order, announcing his existence to the whole world. The moment the people witnessed the dragon, they revealed an expression of relief. But soon after, their expression became serious again.


    Ever since Chaos retreated, there had been no more attacks on the battle lines. But during this period, Marlene and the others also weren��t idling around. They liaised with Erin, Lydia, Nell, and the rest, requesting them to take advantage of Chaos��s retreat to evacuate everyone in the first battle line to the final safe zone.


    Due to Chaos��s full retreat, the first front that served to resist the invasion became useless. Thus, the commanders withdrew their forces. Everyone worked hard to stop Chaos�� attack on the first line of defense, but the line was in a terrible condition after suffering the assaults. Even though Chaos retreated and didn��t return for a long time, only a fool would choose to repair the defensive line again. It was better to give up and head to the second defensive line to regroup their forces.


    For that reason, Lydia, Erin, and the twin dragons started withdrawing their forces, leaving very few people on the first line of defense to obstruct and scout out Chaos. As for the Void Territory, there was still a fair amount of manpower left on the first line of defense. Of course, the main reason was because the magical warships were too powerful for ordinary Chaos creatures to resist. And with the support of other races, the defensive line on the Void Territory was more complete and safer than the others.


    However, this group wasn��t here out of safety reasons.


    ��Why isn��t Leader here yet��!��


    Anne jumped up and down and couldn��t stop running around restlessly. As early as eight hours ago, Orchid Heart received a reply from Canary through the guild mailbox, learning that they escaped the Chaos Core and were on their way back. But the thing that everyone was most worried about also happened: there were too many Chaos creatures, so much so that it made Rhode��s return a difficult challenge.


    No one was certain as to when exactly he would return to the Dragon Soul Continent. At the very beginning, everyone was optimistic. But now, they were becoming increasingly anxious. Time was ticking, and the Plane Destruction Bombs were installed. In just three hours, they would pass the stability period. When that happened, even Marlene and the others had to evacuate the place, not to mention Rhode. But it was a pity that there was still no news from Rhode��s side. Although Orchid Heart intended to inquire through the guild mailbox again, the cool-down for it was three hours. Even if she used it now, it would take another three hours before Rhode��s side could reply.


    But fortunately, everyone knew what the problem was. Only the guild leader and vice-leader had the authority to send out mass messages using the guild mailbox. Orchid Heart didn��t send a message, while there was no response from Canary��s side. The rest could only wait for the results helplessly. But even so, their facial expressions were still heavy and tense. After all, there hadn��t been any news from Rhode��s side.


    Except for the flashes of light and explosions from time to time, declaring his presence to them.


    ��Rhode����


    At that moment, Christie and Lillian had also rushed over, watching anxiously at the distant sea of Chaos. There was no major problem within the Void Territory, but they were also nervous since he hadn��t returned. If it weren��t for the fact that the battle on Rhode��s side was still ongoing, perhaps they would have headed over and checked on the situation.


    ��Two hours left!��


    Lapis��s tone of voice sounded more like a scream. Her knuckles that held onto the golden pocket watch turned pale with overexertion. She bit her lip tightly, staring ahead as if that would allow her to see Rhode and the others through the thick fog of Chaos. Upon hearing her words, the others looked uneasy and restless, and even Marlene raised her eyebrows and her eyes glinted with anxiety.


    ��Big Sister Marlene, do we really have to keep waiting? Anne doesn��t think it��s a good idea to wait any longer!��


    At that moment, Anne, who still hadn��t given up, urged on Marlene again. After all, Marlene was the supreme commander right now. But apparently, she wasn��t feeling as confident as before. Although she showed her calm side in front of the others, in fact, she wasn��t as calm as the yawning Orchid Heart beside her.


    After hearing yet another request from Anne, Marlene knitted her brows and glanced around her hesitantly. As a matter of fact, without needing to look at the people around her, be it Lize or Lapis or anyone else, it was apparent that they weren��t willing to sit idly by. Marlene was also uncertain.


    Honestly, she thought about giving Rhode a hand, but there was no Order present amongst the Chaos fog. Of course, she could certainly use her power to form part of Order to eradicate the disruption of Chaos. But if they couldn��t find Rhode in time, they would suffer a double loss, where Rhode couldn��t return and they also weren��t able to make it back. But if Rhode was within reach and yet, they never reached out to help and only watched him perish��


    At this thought, Marlene didn��t dare to think about it anymore. Even though she was calm and intelligent, she was still a young lady, after all. If that really happened, she would never be able to take it!


    And at that moment, an indolent voice sounded from beside her.


    ��Don��t worry, be good and wait here.��


    ��Miss Orchid Heart?��


    Upon hearing her words, everyone shifted their gaze to Orchid Heart who stood at the side. At that moment, Orchid Heart looked like she was half asleep and lifeless, casually leaning against the wall and gazing at the people in front of her.


    ��There��s no point for you girls to go�� It��d just be a waste of time. Although Rhode��s current situation isn��t favorable, it��s still not entirely hopeless����


    ��Is waiting here our only choice?��


    This time, it was Lillian who spoke. It was evident that she couldn��t stand waiting like this any longer. Upon hearing Orchid Heart��s words, Marlene also let out an inward sigh. In fact, intellectually, Marlene knew that this was probably the only way. Facing this crucial situation, the most frightening factor was hesitation. Since Rhode wanted them to hold fast to his order, they just had to do it. If they were to send someone out to find his group while holding on, the result might be hard to predict.


    Marlene was his lover, and from her standpoint, of course she couldn��t be that unmoved. But Orchid Heart was different. Her relationship with Rhode wasn��t that of a lover��s, but that of a senior and junior, so there was no pressure for her to say that at all.


    However, the following words that Orchid Heart said caught Marlene by surprise.


    ��We certainly don��t need to wait here�� Christie, I��ll leave it to you to open a path for Rhode.��


    ��Huh?��


    After hearing Orchid Heart��s words, Christie was stunned. Soon after, a glimmer of hope flickered in her eyes and the crowd also finally responded. That��s right, it was indeed hard for them to look for Rhode, but that didn��t mean it was the same for the others!


    ��Okay����


    The young lady��s voice wasn��t loud and was somewhat as plain as usual. But this time, it had a hint of determination. After hearing Orchid Heart��s order, Christie took two steps forward and raised her right arm. Along with her movement, a golden feather pen appeared in her hand and countless lights gathered before her, coalescing, expanding, and turning into a white canvas scroll.


    ��Lilian, help me!��


    ��Yes, Christie!��


    Upon hearing Christie��s words, Lilian didn��t hesitate in the slightest. She raised her hands and stretched them forward. Almost at the same time, golden, brilliant sunlight descended from the sky, penetrating the layers of pitch-black fog and illuminating the entire land. And under the radiance of the sun, the thick fog of Chaos dispersed immediately like melted snow!


    At that very moment, the feather pen in Christie��s hand landed silently on the scroll.


    Then, the world changed.


    The turbid, cloudy fog that shrouded everyone��s vision scattered rapidly. As Christie waved her tiny hand across the white paper, a cloud path appeared out of nowhere. The sun��s brilliance lit up the path like a guiding beacon, at the same time dispelling the dark fog.


    The path opened, stretching onward endlessly.


    Christie was apprehensive as she didn��t know where Rhode was. Indeed, her power as a deity warden could translate imagery into the reality of the world. Despite that, she felt overwhelmed. She sensed how much Chaos was affecting Order. Even though she was drawing tiny strokes with the feather pen in her hand, she felt as if there were many people holding her hand and forcing her off the path she set. That was why she needed Lillian��s help, and even with the Light Dragon��s assistance, Chaos was still a hindrance that couldn��t be underestimated.


    I want to see Rhode�� Rhode�� will surely be back!


    Gnashing her teeth and enduring the pressure of Chaos, Christie finished the last stroke on the scroll.


    In an instant, a path appeared in front of everyone. As the fog dissipated, they witnessed a dark, enormous figure emerging from it.


    The mighty dragon spread its wings and soared across the sky.

 Chapter 1378 - : Final Countdown

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    ��Hurry up and get out of here!��


    Upon seeing Rhode, no one jumped forward to welcome him. On the contrary, along with Marlene��s order, the people who were still on the city wall retreated quickly. They weren��t fools. They knew that this wasn��t the time for a love affair. Rhode had a hard time slaughtering his way out, and if they were to waste time here, his efforts would be for naught.


    Thus after seeing that Rhode was safe and sound, everyone activated their teleportation ritual. In a series of magical brilliance that flashed by their vision, the people on the city wall vanished entirely, leaving behind only Lillian and Christie who were holding onto their spot.


    It was so close yet so far. Even though at first glance, it seemed like Rhode had broken out of danger and returned, Christie knew clearly that it was just an illusion caused by his enormous size as the Void Dragon. Currently, Rhode had just found a path that led to the land of Order in the Dragon Soul Continent, but wasn��t able to return yet.


    Of course, the others were also aware of that. But they knew they couldn��t be of much help, so they were relieved to have Lillian watching over Christie instead. Although Lillian was still young, she was a Light Dragon, after all. Hence, she would be able to respond in case of an emergency. But others didn��t possess her abilities. If an accident were to happen, it would only add to the chaos. At such a critical moment, not being a hindrance was the biggest help they could offer.


    And now, Rhode was also doing his best to get out of trouble. As Marlene and the rest expected had earlier, there were too many Chaos creatures, and once again, Rhode had a taste of what ��a tiger was no match for a pack of wolves�� meant.


    In terms of absolute strength, although the Chaos creatures were no match for him, the human wave attack overwhelmed him and made him feel mountainous pressure. At first, he used his dragon��s breath to clear the way, but found that it was time-consuming and exhausting. Hence, he simply rushed forward with his head lowered. Since he had the Chaos Eye serving as a beacon and marker, he didn��t need to worry about heading the wrong way.


    But this way, the rest with him had a bitter time. Not only were the three deity wardens exhausted, but Canary and Mini Bubble Gum were also worn out. What��s more, their strength wasn��t infinite, and although they withstood the onslaught of Chaos, they also reached the point of collapse.


    Christie��s support could be said to be a timely help for everyone. With Lillian��s support, Christie��s power was maximized. And for the first time, Order overwhelmed Chaos and forcefully opened a path across Chaos for Rhode. Judging from this point, Christie��s ability of ��creating reality and destiny�� wasn��t inferior to that of the Void Dragon��s.


    However, she had too much to do and a weak constitution. Not only that, but also as the head of the seven deity wardens, the other Christie had to remain in the Seven Fantasy Boundaries to ensure that the connection between the four main elemental planes and the main plane wasn��t disrupted. Thus, it was only at that moment and in the face of the dangerous situation that Christie finally took action.


    Meanwhile, Rhode was no fool either. Upon witnessing the path of Order that Christie opened up for him, he pulled himself together and flew toward the direction of the Dragon Soul Continent. Although the Chaos creatures were still shrieking and pouncing to stop him, they were unsuccessful. The empty air seemed to have transformed into the toughest barrier, blocking the way of the Chaos creatures.


    Christie was giving her best, so Rhode wouldn��t let her down. He spread his wings and pushed his speed to the limit. The whistling winds struck his body like knives, but at that moment, he was unconcerned about such a trivial matter. To him, nothing was more important than making it out alive!


    Christie helped Rhode solve the biggest problem and the latter didn��t hold her back. In a few moments, he emerged from Chaos and returned to the Void Territory. At that moment, Christie couldn��t hold on any longer. Even though she inherited both Rhode��s and his younger sister��s power, her constitution was still too weak. Even with the help of the other Christie, it still wasn��t easy for her to keep going.


    Earlier, she gnashed her teeth and held on, but after seeing Rhode flee safely from the Chaos creatures, she felt relieved. She plopped to the ground and along with that, the golden feather pen in her hand dissipated instantly. The power of Chaos that regained control of itself erupted all of a sudden. The patterns on the pure white scroll shattered, turning into spots of light dust that scattered in the air.


    ��Christie, let��s go!��


    At that moment, Lillian withdrew her power hastily and looked at the Chaos fog in the distance. After breaking free from Christie��s control and Lillian��s power as the Light Dragon, Chaos bellowed like a pouring torrent. It pursued Rhode closely with a frantic screech as if a shadow of the Void Dragon that couldn��t be shaken off.


    Looking at this scene, Lillian was stunned. She held Christie��s hand hurriedly and a dazzling bright light erupted from her petite body instantly. Seconds later, the Light Dragon emanating a blinding radiance appeared out of nowhere, spreading her wings and flying high in the sky. Christie, on the other hand, sat quietly atop the Light Dragon, looking at Rhode behind her with a pale face.


    ��Lillian, you girls leave this place with Canary and the others. I��ll deal with the rest!��


    At that moment, Rhode spotted the large Light Dragon and gave his orders without hesitation. And upon hearing his commands, Lillian nodded and left quickly. She was, after all, a Light Dragon, and her exertion of power in the Void Territory wasn��t as great as Rhode��s. Previously, Rhode was cut off from Order because he was within the range of the Chaos fog, causing him to lose his position and influence. But now, after returning to his own territory, the Void Territory, he instantly became the master instead!


    ��Got it, Big Brother Rhode!��


    Lillian knew what was at stake. She was less nervous after Rhode returned to her side. When she heard his order, she responded hurriedly. She looked forward, and her golden eyes emanated a hazy glow. Soon after, the golden hazy light coalesced on Rhode��s back. A dazzling mass of light sliced through the air and flew to Lillian��s side in seconds. It was only then that the group led by Canary and Mini Bubble Gum emerged from the light. Without any hesitation, Lillian grabbed the crowd, turned around, and flew toward the back.


    And after witnessing Lillian��s departure, Rhode turned around and stared at the Chaos fog in front of him. Then, he spread his enormous wings��


    Countless, flickering bright lights flowed down the edges of his wings like rivers of stars, spreading out in all directions. In an instant, the stars in the night sky seemed to shine like diamonds. And soon, a thunderous roar reverberated throughout the clouds.


    It has started!


    Upon hearing the thunderclap, the young lady raised her head. And for the first time, an excited expression appeared on her delicate and beautiful face. She watched as the dark towers towering into the clouds, located in all directions of Grandia, gradually changed colors. The stars in the sky flickered and the pitch-black towers trembled. Soon after, pure white pillars of light erupted and burst into the sky.


    At the next moment, the stars in the sky linked up. A pure white barrier that enfolded the heavens merged into one with the passage that erupted from the Door of Akasha. Soon after, a gap appeared in it. And upon seeing the gap, Rhode��s younger sister��s eyes glinted with excitement. It was exactly what she wished for; the only hope of leaving this Chaos-infested place! A marker from another world!


    It has begun!


    Upon sensing the constant, fluctuating signals generated from the beacon towers, Rhode couldn��t help but feel tense. He widened his eyes and at that moment, his vision was completely free from his body, gradually pulling outward like a lens. Soon, he saw the Void Territory, Land of Atonement, Munn Kingdom, Country of Light, Country of Law, Country of Darkness�� followed by the entirety of the Dragon Soul Continent.


    The surging power of Order roared like powered engines, each doing their job, spreading and resonating the waves of Order through the beacon towers, forming a perfect and flawless barrier that separated the boundaries of Order and Chaos. The earth trembled and rose upward, reaching toward heaven and transforming into a solid, tangible barrier.


    Immediately afterward, Rhode sensed a wave of power erupted from the central point, instantly enveloping the entirety of the Dragon Soul Continent.


    At the next moment, heaven and earth changed abruptly.


    Space ruptured, and the exploding brilliance of the plane of existences shrouded the whole of the Dragon Soul Continent. The crumbling and shattered earth and space fell mercilessly from the solid world, scattering and being engulfed by the cracks in the void. The Chaos fog shrieked and faded into the void storm as if it were swept into a whirlwind.


    In the mere blink of an eye, one-fifth of the vast Dragon Soul Continent cracked and split apart, disappearing in an instant. The Plane Destruction Bombs tore through the barriers of space and time cruelly, bringing everything into nothingness.


    ��I hope our sacrifice is worth it this time.��


    Looking at the disintegrated earth, a few glints flashed in Rhode��s eyes. But soon, he raised his head once again and looked into the sky.


    He saw the void growing inexorably larger, as if it were a ring that fell onto the land from the sky and was about to envelop the entire continent within it.

 Chapter 1379 - The Final Battle

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    For the inhabitants of the Dragon Soul Continent, this scene took them by surprise.


    They were accustomed to constant fighting, and while the war with Chaos was spearheaded by the Rhode��s players, the civilians weren��t completely uninvolved in the war. After experiencing mass migrations, they also felt the effects of large-scale warfare firsthand. But now, to the people of the Dragon Soul Continent, nothing was more shocking than the scene in front of them.


    The pitch-black night sky suddenly became as clear as day. This wasn��t just limited to the Void Territory, but also the Country of Light, the entire Dragon Soul Continent, including the Country of Law and Country of Darkness, also turned incomparably bright at that moment.


    This left the people anxious. They walked out of their homes, gazing at the sky with fear and confusion. And soon, a deafening, thunderous roar echoed, and then the earth, which turned barren due to winter, transformed before their eyes. A bizarre phenomenon unfolded.


    Fresh, green grass broke through the cold, thick layer of frozen soil, breaking out into a vast grassland in the blink of an eye. Dried tree branches swung in the winds, bright green leaves emerged from their branches, and flowers bloomed, adorning the world around them and repackaging everything that was wrapped in dusk and war in a brand new appearance.


    Looking at the beautiful scenery, many people were stunned. But before they reacted, they witnessed everything change before their eyes yet again. Scorching winds rose from the flat ground, and the sun that provided comfortable warmth became blazingly hot. Dense, dark clouds enveloped the sky, while a storm came down with rain and lightning.


    This sudden change frightened the people who stepped out of their home to check out the situation. They rushed back to the safety of their home, closed the door shut, and looked at the rainstorm through the window. But the moment they closed the door, the rain suddenly stopped. Cold winds blew, and the exuberant grasslands turned yellow under the sun��s rays. The dead leaves on the branches drifted away with the wind, leaving only large fruits hanging on the branches.


    Why�� Why is it autumn already?


    In an instant, the people looked at one another at a total loss. But before they figured out what happened, icy-cold winds rose from the ground and snow fell from the sky, covering the earth in whiteness. If it weren��t for the layer of snow that wasn��t too thick, one might even think that everything that happened earlier was simply their own delusion!


    What exactly is going on? Is the world coming to an end?


    The scene before them was completely beyond their comprehension. The only thing they could do was shiver and hide in the safety of their homes , waiting in fear and anxiety. They didn��t know what was going to happen, nor did they know what would become of them. There was nothing they could do other than continuing to wait.


    Days and nights alternated, while seasons cycled.


    After an unknown amount of time, the sky, which flickered in black and white, restored its peace. The raging, blistering winds, and blizzards also disappeared silently. Not only that, but the pitch-black sky above them was also no longer there. On the contrary, as the people looked up, they saw a plane channel shining in brilliant colors. The Dragon Soul Continent was like a spaceship that entered a subspace voyage. The thick, vast earth was the ship��s hull, and the top of the firmament was the ship��s windows.


    ��It worked����


    At that moment, Rhode lowered his hands and let out a soft sigh. He looked around and saw the relieved expressions of Lillian, Erin, and the twin dragons. The civilians didn��t know what happened, and only the five Creator Dragons knew what was going on. Right now, the five Creator Dragons, led by Rhode, were working on the final adjustments of the Dragon Soul Continent as if synchronizing the respective hands of a clock.


    And soon, they finally finished the adjustments.


    ��Now, we��ll just have to wait for the Dragon Soul Continent to leave. There shouldn��t be any problem.��


    Lillian clenched her hands and stared somewhat uneasily at the sky. The light that shone in all directions made her nervous. Although she knew that this was a normal reaction before a spatial teleportation, her little face still tensed up. However, no one teased her.


    After all, Rhode and the other Creator Dragons were well aware of how dangerous space travel was. Just one person transmigrating could cause problems, not to mention the whole Dragon Soul Continent, which would be more worrisome. If any movements or trouble were to occur, it would be too late.


    ��Nothing should go wrong, right, Miss Stefania?��


    While comforting Lillian, Rhode looked at the plane merchant who stood quietly in the shadows. The young lady in front of him was the only one who had the right to be here other than the five Creator Dragons. After all, when it came to experience in adventuring through the planes of existence, not even 100 Creator Dragons combined were as knowledgeable as Stefania. That was why Rhode invited her here. After all, one had to make the most of what one had, and since Stefania wasn��t willing to contribute to the battle against Chaos, the least she could contribute was some knowledge and experience.


    ��As of now, the space channel seems very stable. There should be no problem reaching your destination.��


    And upon hearing Rhode��s question, Stefania nodded with a smile and responded quickly.


    ��However�� as for how long it will take, I can��t guarantee. After all, your idea is too whimsical, and I��ve never seen such a thing as transmigrating a continent before. So I can��t predict how long it will take to reach your destination. If you��re lucky, perhaps a few days. If you��re unlucky, you might not be able to get out for a hundred years�� Although you have indeed opened the Order barrier to shield the Dragon Soul Continent��s influence on the plane channel to the maximum extent possible�� Who knows����


    Stefania didn��t make herself clear, but Rhode understood what she meant. The larger the plane channel, the more difficult it was to open. And even if it was opened, no one knew how far it could go. It was as if they were speeding through a huge ventilation duct. If their ��vehicle�� were fine, they could follow the duct to the exit. But what if there were bumps in the process, or if there was a problem with their ��vehicle��? There was a good chance that the vehicle would end up ruptured, or they would burst out of the pipe; either end would be fatal to the Dragon Soul Continent.


    At that moment, Rhode felt like this transmigration plan was totally suicidal.


    But one would still die without committing suicide, so it actually didn��t matter that much.


    Boom������!


    Suddenly, the ground trembled. The crowd who put their minds at ease raised their guard once again. Although it was normal for the earth to shake during the war, they were in a period of peace and stability now, after all. And when an earthquake occurred at such a time, for some reason, Rhode had a very bad feeling about it. But before he went to investigate, his younger sister��s anxious voice sounded in his head.


    ��Big Brother, it��s not good�� I detect strange movements underground����


    ��Strange movements?!��


    Upon hearing her words, Rhode was bewildered. But before he said anything else, Angelina��s scream had as if crossed the limits of space as it erupted in his ears.


    ��Master! Those creatures from before are back!��


    ��Those creatures from before? What creatures?��


    After hearing Angelina��s report, Rhode��s heart sank. Although Angelina seemed like a child, she wasn��t actually young. She had also been calm and composed in her day-to-day life. And Rhode was also well aware that in order to leave a good impression on herself, she also did her best, and a frightened scream like this was definitely bad news!


    ��The ones in the Darkness Capital that His Majesty Ion�� Nell and I couldn��t stop them!��


    ��What?!��


    Rhode couldn��t help but exclaim. He finally understood why Angelina was so flustered. It seemed like she and the rest were facing the same creatures that were influenced by the mutated Chaos in the Darkness Capital!


    But weren��t they already killed? Where did those bast*rds come from?


    ��What exactly is going on?��


    ��We don��t know! These guys suddenly appeared out of nowhere and attacked us. I commanded the undead creatures to fight but they failed. Now I��m relying entirely on the dark elves for support! Master, we can��t hold out much longer. We can��t kill those guys at all. They are attacking like madmen����


    ��Appeared out of nowhere?��


    Upon hearing her words, a light flashed in Rhode��s mind. He finally understood what was going on.


    What Rhode and the Creator Dragons did earlier wasn��t just as simple as reorganizing Order. It also had a function to destroy Chaos. After all, after the Dragon Soul Continent reached the solar system, it wouldn��t want its archenemy, Chaos, to come along with it. Thus, before entering the solar system, it was only natural to ��disinfect�� everything. In order to avoid any accidents, that was why Rhode and Creator Dragons joined hands to reorganize the rules of the entire Dragon Soul Continent, so that those Chaos creatures would die out.


    However, Rhode didn��t expect that there was still a group of them hidden underground. In short, they escaped from the Darkness Capital and hid deep below the surface. If there were no accidents, these creatures would also be brought to the solar system without Rhode and the others knowing about it.


    Fortunately, Rhode was exceptionally cautious and decided to reorganize and disinfect the entirety of the Dragon Soul Continent, which was a huge blow to the mutated Chaos creatures. Perhaps it was due to this reason that the mutated Chaos creatures stormed up from their hiding places and attacked the nearest enemies.


    But that wasn��t a bad thing too�� Since disinfection could remove potential dangers��


    Fortunately, now that the Chaos in the outside world was completely isolated by the plane channel, the Holy Sword Barrier could also be deactivated. Rhode didn��t need to rely on his younger sister��s ridiculous method to maintain his dragon form anymore.


    At this thought, Rhode made up his mind immediately.


    ��I��m going over right now. Don��t retreat! No matter what, you must hold on!��

 Chapter 1380 - Path to the Future

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The shrieks of the Chaos creatures echoed through the dimly-lit underground. Twisted, hideous creatures snarled and moved their limbs about like cockroaches as they darted across the floor. They opened their mouths wide, revealing sharp, beast-like teeth that glowed coldly in the darkness and pounced on the prey before them.


    Soon, in a roaring explosion, a series of fireballs erupted before them. Powerful streams of air and scorching flames surged and exploded, engulfing the Chaos creatures. Shortly after, one of the Chaos creatures whose entire body was blazing in flames rolled out of the airflow. Its whole body had ruptured and only charred flesh and white bones were left. But even so, the Chaos creature let out a screech, crawled to its feet, and darted ahead. At the same time, its ghastly wounds regenerated swiftly, and its body restored its original form.


    ��These damn bast*rds are so annoying!��


    Angelina grumbled and stretched out her hands. Soon after, scarlet, dazzling fireballs coalesced between her hands, before whirling forward. In a string of vibrating explosions, the rushing waves erupted and created a high-temperature barrier that resisted the attack from other Chaos creatures.


    ��These things are relentless, and more disgusting than those zombies in the movies that Madam Bubble put on!��


    Looking at the Chaos creatures that burrowed into the flames and charged forward persistently despite their entire body being scorched, Angelina couldn��t help but gnash her teeth. Watching as the creatures were about to break through the flame barrier, the middle-aged player, who stood silently at the side, took a half step forward with a staff made of a tree branch in his hand.


    He widened his eyes at the flames and struck the staff on the ground. At the next moment, the solid ground turned muddy, and the dusky, deep soil turned into a pungent, green swamp. The creatures that rushed into the swamp slowed down drastically, before coming to a sudden halt. Not only that, but when they tried to lift their limbs, they also found that their limbs had corroded. The leading creatures collapsed into the swamp. Their flesh decayed and broke, while their white bones dissolved like melted ice, leaving behind trails of white aura.


    But not even the strong acid was able to stop these chaos monsters, they just turned around and attacked the target in front of them once more.


    ��We can��t stop them, Angelina!��


    Gazing at the dark elves that were gradually retreating, Nell frowned, turned to look at Angelina, and yelled. Upon hearing her words, Angelina gnashed her teeth. But her blood-red eyes revealed an unwavering look.


    ��You must stop them even if you can��t! There��s a beacon tower right behind us. If our defense crumbles, who knows what these creatures will do to it. Now that the entire Dragon Soul Continent has entered the plane channel, if the beacon tower is destroyed, the continent will be in grave danger. Do you want to let your master��s efforts go to waste?��


    ��I����


    Upon hearing Angelina��s response, Nell had nothing more to say.


    Although Nell was also Rhode��s subject, there was a difference between her and Angelina. Even though Nell followed Rhode��s orders as well, she was more inclined to defend herself in times of danger. But Angelina was different. She knew very well that her position and future depended entirely on the strength of her efforts to please Rhode, which explained why she never spared any effort to carry out his orders. To put it bluntly, Angelina spared no effort to flatter him, seeking to do her best at all times. This way, she could raise her rank and obtain a higher status and power.


    For that reason, Angelina would do everything even at the cost of her life.


    Although her objective was overly utilitarian, Angelina could be said to be in a realm of her own to be willing to lose her life over it.


    But fortunately, Angelina wasn��t the kind of person who was blinded by fame and fortune and didn��t know what was beneficial for her. Hence, after realizing that the defenses on her side would most likely crumble, she informed Rhode instantly through the spiritual communication. She also knew very well when to be greedy for merit and when to report the situation immediately. If the beacon tower were destroyed, perhaps Mini Bubble Gum would demolish her before Rhode could�� Well, Angelina wanted to live longer, after all.


    ��I��ve already informed Master. I think he��ll have a solution! Get up there! Keep these damn creatures out of the second level of defense at all cost!��


    ��Got it!��


    The underground defenses were built by a combination of dwarves and players, and played a considerable role in defending against Chaos��s attacks. In fact, the underground experienced the least penetrations from Chaos as Order was most stable there. The dwarves�� construction skills were also great enough to withstand the attacks.


    Moreover, the underground had limited space, unlike on the surface where Chaos could attack from all directions. That was why Nell and Angelina were calm when facing the Chaos creatures. But now, with the appearance of the bizarre, mutated Chaos creatures, they couldn��t remain calm any longer.


    The mutated Chaos creatures were even more terrifying than they had imagined. They had the advantages of Chaos and Order, could think, and would even use ways to evade the attacks of Angelina and the rest. In fact, Angelina and the rest had a hard time resisting their attack until now.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    A series of roars echoed and the earth trembled. Angelina puckered her brows and soon, she witnessed the roof of the cave in the distance collapsing. Chunks of rock fell and flooded the swamp of strong acid that was created after a long struggle. And in the midst of the flying dust, the dark creatures pounced again.


    ��Damn it����


    Looking at this scene, Angelina couldn��t help but stomp her foot in rage. She lacked manpower. The dark elves weren��t good at attacking head-on, and the number of players on her side were too few. The only thing they could rely on now was the barrier built by the dwarves to withstand the assaults. But Angelina didn��t expect the mutated Chaos creatures to be so cunning to come up with countermeasure so quickly�� And just as she gnashed her teeth and about to give her orders, suddenly, an arm reached out from behind her and held her shoulder.


    ��All right, Angelina, you��ve done well. Leave the rest to me.��


    ��Master!��


    Upon hearing Rhode��s voice, Angelina turned around and looked at him in surprise. Upon sensing her gaze, Rhode nodded at her.


    ��You��ve done well. Now, I want you and Nell to lead the rest and leave this place immediately. But none of you will use your abilities. You can only run out on your two feet! Got it? Remember, you can��t use your abilities, and you should never blend into the ground!��


    ��Yes, Master.��


    Although Rhode��s order was a little strange, Angelina nodded quickly and gestured to Nell. The two of them turned around and left quickly. And soon after, the deep sound of the bugle reverberated. The dark elves who fought on the front lines scattered and disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving behind the players who stood on top of the walls built by the dwarves to fend off the Chaos creatures. In fact, the players were the main force. After all, the power of the dark elves and dwarves wouldn��t be enough to deal with the mutated Chaos creatures.


    ��Okay�� Let��s get started. This is the final battle.��


    After ensuring that Angelina and the rest had evacuated, Rhode took a glance around him. At that moment, he stood on the last barrier around the beacon tower. At a glance, one could see the steep mountain walls on both sides, and the entire fortress looked as if it were suspended from a giant chandelier with only one side connecting to the path outside��only dwarves possessed such ingenious craftsmanship.


    To Rhode, though, it was nothing to marvel at.


    ��The final battle����


    Rhode mumbled under his breath and stretched out his hand. Soon after, along with his action, a floating, glowing green card appeared between his fingers. And at the same time, he closed his eyes. The back of his right hand emanated a burst of dazzling white light. The summoning ritual flickered and rotated constantly with him as the center. Then, the other nine holy sword cards appeared in pillars of light.


    Unlike before, this time, they didn��t show up in their card form, but turned into pillars of light the moment they emerged and fused into the card between his fingers. Not only that, but at the same time, those players, who stood on the walls and fended off the attacks of the mutated Chaos creatures also vanished one by one. It was as if they shattered like bubbles and disappeared, forming a colorful magical brilliance that flew towards Rhode��s direction and fused into his body.


    These players relied on Rhode��s power to manifest and were completely different from phantom guardians. And now, they regained their original power and returned to his body once again.


    ����������


    The air became heavy, and even the mutated Chaos creatures that were attacking wildly earlier came to a standstill, looked at one another and the young man in the distance with fear and confusion. They felt like something wasn��t quite right. The land surrounding them didn��t seem to be as stable and kind as it was a moment ago. On the contrary, it seemed to have turned into a meat grinder, as if revealing its razor-sharp teeth of steel, in an attempt to tear apart the prey before them.


    And it was at that moment that Rhode opened his eyes.


    He extended his right arm forward, stretched out his fingers, and clenched them hard. And with this action, the green card shattered and emanated a strange glow, before coalescing between his fingers again, transforming into a strange weapon��a scythe.


    At a glance, the scythe didn��t seem extraordinary. It had a long hilt and a curved, crescent-shaped blade that shone with an icy-cold light. The breath of death coalesced into a substantial chilliness that lingered by the edge of the blade, and even its vivid colors were now dull. The instant this scythe was unsheathed, it was as if everything in the world had come to an end. Everything lost its vitality and could only tremble and wait for the arrival of the moment of final extinction.


    Squeal��������!


    At that moment, the mutated Chaos creatures sensed that some kind of danger was approaching. They cried out frantically while retreating as fast as they could. This retreat had nothing to do with a battle strategy. Instead, it was an instinct from the depths that warned themselves that an existence they couldn��t resist against was about to show its unprecedented power. The only thing they could do was to flee.


    ��Looks like the aura of death is rather useful. But unfortunately, I don��t intend to let you leave.��


    Along with those words from Rhode, a bright, dazzling golden glow shone in the dark cavern. The flat, uninspiring rocks had as if turned into diamonds, while the soil seemed like it had turned into shining gold. The dim underground changed colors all of a sudden, and the mutated Chaos creatures were horrified to find their power diminishing quickly, so much so that their speed also slowed down! The Chaos creatures that looked like ghostly apparitions before were now as if shackled and could do nothing at all.


    But all of this was meaningless to Rhode. He faced the void in front of him and stared at the end of the glowing light.


    Meanwhile, on the surface, the other four Creator Dragons��the twin dragons, Lillian, and Erin��infused their pure dragon soul powers into the earth, dispelling the mutants that were attempting to contaminate and assimilate. At the same time, the four Creator Dragons forced out the creatures that were hidden in the shadows back into the illuminating light. The dragon soul powers stretched out in all directions, and eventually, came into contact with the dead that hid in the deepest depths of darkness.


    ��������!��


    Miserable and blood-curdling screams reverberated in the underground. But Rhode, who heard the scream, only looked slightly moved. He held the scythe in his hands, raised it high, and gazed ahead calmly. Soon after, he swung his arms downward along with the icy-cold light on the curved blade.


    At the next moment, the earth crumbled.


    On both of his sides, the steep cliffs shattered and a long trail of cracks fissured from the top to bottom through the underground ceiling, thick ground, and steep stone walls. The earth shook. Right in front of him, a dark abyss emerged from the flat ground that was torn apart.


    If one looked from afar, one would see that the earth beneath the Dragon Soul Continent was cut open entirely as if a knife were used to slice through the bottom layer of a cream cake. The ground crumbled. Rocks fell from above and even debris the size of a mountain tumbled into the plane channel, before being engulfed by the twisting and shattering void storm.


    ��������!��


    The high-pitched screams grew louder, but Rhode was unmoved. He held the scythe in his hands and stared quietly at the scene before him. The mutated Chaos creatures had to be annihilated. That was why he would rather cut off nearly one-fifth of the Dragon Soul Continent to ensure its overall safety. Soon, the shattered earth disappeared before his eyes, and in its place was an empty void, where shining beams of light flowed from both sides like rivers.


    For Rhode, however, what he was focused on at that moment was the monster beneath the earth that resembled a giant fetus. Its body was entirely pitch-black, while its pair of scarlet eyes blinked continuously. Like the Chaos Core, countless blood vessel-like parts unfolded the fetus��s body, deeply implanted into the Dragon Soul Continent. However, they were already shredded. The power of death had ended its life, bringing them to the end of eternity.


    This was the difference between pure Chaos and mutated Chaos. If it were pure Chaos, Rhode wouldn��t be able to deal with it in any way because Order was an unnecessary existence to Chaos. On the other hand, mutated Chaos was entirely different because it implied some sort of Order. Indeed, mutated Chaos could rely on such traits to erode Order. But in turn, Rhode could also use it to destroy them.


    At that moment, that terrifying and ugly monster reached out fearfully and grabbed at Rhode in desperation. But of course, it didn��t catch anything.


    ��No��������


    ��This is it. The war between us�� has ended.��


    Rhode��s expression remained unchanged in the face of its struggle. He raised his hands again and swung them down.


    At the next moment, the dark, rotten fetus tumbled and fell, disappearing entirely at the end of time and space.


    And it was at that moment that Rhode closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    It finally ended.


    The war between Chaos and Order had come to an end.


    And for Rhode, a new life was just about to begin.

 Chapter 1381 (END) - A Brand New Start

    Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios


    The early morning sunlight spilled gently into the room through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows.


    Rhode opened his eyes and looked at the white ceiling above him. He raised his hand to his forehead to shield his eyes from the blinding sunlight.


    Looking out the window, he saw the azure sky and woods. The distant clamors echoed with the singing of birds, creating a unique symphony. The sight of white clouds drifting freely across the sky left one pleased and relaxed.


    It was an incomparably beautiful scenery that made one feel refreshed just by looking at it.


    But at that moment, that was clearly not what Rhode was focusing on.


    ��Hoo-hoo-hoo�� I can��t believe you��re up so quickly�� What a surprise����


    Rhode heard a chuckle, as well as a voice speaking from his waist. Upon feeling the sensation that came from below his abdomen, he couldn��t help but knit his brows and let out a helpless sigh. Then, he lowered his head and said.


    ��Hey, aren��t you done yet? You should let me take a break.��


    ��No I��m not. Let��s do it again, shall we? Look, the weather out there is perfect. Shouldn��t we be enjoying times like these?��


    Upon hearing his complaint, Lydia, who was between his legs, looked up with a wry smile. Then, she reached out her hand to tuck her fallen blonde hair behind her ear gracefully, before continuing her service.


    ���� Will you stop making up excuses, Lydia? It��s about time already�� Wasn��t the whole of last night enough?��


    ��No can do. You and Erin have done it so many times together. So as her best friend, you can��t favor one and discriminate against the other. Last night I gave you to Erin, so it��s about time for my turn.��


    ��Oh? You can��t say that, Lydia.��


    At that moment, another warm, tender, and snowy body appeared from behind Rhode like an octopus. Erin stretched out her slender arms languidly and embraced his body, pressing her soft breasts against his back. Erin smiled gently and looked at her best friend.


    ��Well, yesterday��s moonlight was really beautiful, wasn��t it? So isn��t it normal to do something romantic together under the beautiful moonlight?��


    ��Anyway, it��s unlikely that you can still get up in this state, huh?�� Lydia asked, spreading her legs apart and straddling Rhode��s waist. She chuckled and reached her arms out to hug his neck.


    ��Hurry up and get it on with. Don��t keep your lovely younger sister waiting.��


    ��Of course I know that.��


    Looking at Lydia��s pretty face with a smug smile, Rhode rolled his eyes. Then, he extended his arms, wrapped them around the young lady��s toned waist, and held her down.


    ��Whoa����


    Feeling the hot, intense pleasure, Lydia couldn��t help but groan softly. At the same time, Rhode held the slender young lady in his arms tightly and began his ��battle��.


    After it ended, Rhode walked out of the bedroom. It was already noon.


    ��Good morning, Big Brother. You seem to be in good spirits����


    The younger sister who sat on the couch turned around and stared at Rhode with an ironic smile. In the face of his younger sister��s gaze, Rhode snorted helplessly, before wiggling his somewhat sore back, plopping onto the couch, and staring at the young lady with dissatisfaction.


    ��As my younger sister, is this how you��re supposed to treat your big brother?��


    ��As your younger sister, I think it��s only right to pretend that I didn��t see anything. Besides, you were the one who caused the trouble anyway, so it is only right that you deal with it yourself, Big Brother.��


    ��Where are Christie and the others?��


    ��Bubble has taken them out shopping. Since they rarely come over, it��s only right that they enjoy a good time. Don��t worry, I��ve already informed Canary and Bubble of the meeting place and time.��


    ��That��s good to hear.��


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s reply, Rhode nodded and squinted at the large screen in front of him. A glint suddenly flashed in his eyes that were overcome with boredom.


    ��What? Is there a problem?��


    In response to his question, his younger sister didn��t respond immediately. On the contrary, she picked up the remote control and turned up the volume of the TV. They heard the host��s startled voice.


    ���� According to the investigation of the satellite, Telescope One, astronomers have unexpectedly discovered a brand new planet at the edge of the solar system, which has a unique orbit of its own. It��s a new discovery, and there��s no conclusive answer from the scientific world as to how it came to be or how it formed at present. But according to the inference, there is a high probability that there is life on this planet. Multiple nations are currently exploring the possibility of launching satellites to conduct scientific research and investigations on it and are hoping to find the mysteries of this new planet����


    ��We should be fine, right?��


    Looking at the news report, Rhode raised an eyebrow. His younger sister nodded in response.


    ��Don��t worry, Big Brother. The barrier we set up outside the continent is capable of stopping their invasion. No matter what kind of detector they send, they will definitely be destroyed if they enter the outer asteroid belt. With the current level of human technology, it will not be possible to break through our barrier protection for another 200 years. Of course����


    At that moment, an inscrutable smile appeared on his younger sister��s face.


    ��When that time comes, whether or not it will still be necessary for Earth to send a detector over is another matter.��


    Upon hearing his younger sister��s reply, Rhode waved his hand in boredom. But at that moment, he seemed to recall something and said.


    ��We��ll talk about that when it comes. Anyway, there��s still another 200 years to go, so I don��t think the situation��s too terrible for us. And with Earth��s current situation and thanks to Stefania��s help, they can forget about sending a joint investigation fleet to look into the continent�� Come to think of it, how are the magical warships and the rest of the stuff now?��


    ��The warships, ��Autumn Breeze�� and ��Normandy��, have entered a trial period, thanks to the control system ��Shipwoman�� that Miss Stefania gave us as a complimentary gift. Otherwise, it would be a real headache for us to operate the warships. After all, mages in the Dragon Soul Continent aren��t experts in the field of mechanical operations. As for the other warships, Lapis is still leading a team of researchers and doing investigations, so it shouldn��t take too long.��


    ��Is that so����


    After hearing his younger sister��s reply, Rhode fell silent again. He leaned back on the couch and stared at the sky out the window.


    ��As much as I��d like to say that time passed so quickly, the truth is that it seems like only three or four years have gone from when I transmigrated to that world to after I came back to Earth�� If I had the choice to work in real life during that period, I��m afraid I would still be struggling to get ahead in life.��


    ��The meaning of time is judged by existence itself, and I��m sure you��ll do well in everything, Big Brother����


    Knock knock knock.


    At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Then, the door opened with Angelina walking in. After seeing Rhode and his younger sister, she was slightly surprised. However, she quickly lowered her head and bowed to the two of them.


    ��Master, Your Majesty the Void Dragon, it is almost time.��


    ��Alright, let��s get going then.��


    Upon hearing Angelina��s words, Rhode nodded, stood up, and straightened his black suit. The younger sister also stood up at the same time, came to his side, and reached out to fix his tie.


    ��You��ve got a lot of nerve, Big Brother. Honestly, if Mom and Dad were still alive, I don��t see how you��d be explaining this to the two of them�� Well, this is something that requires a long explanation.��


    ��And that is why I��m on my way to do that now.��


    Rhode replied, extending his hand and pinched his younger sister��s cheek.


    ��Don��t act like you��re innocent. You��re also in on it!��


    The car whizzed down the highway and sped off into the distance. Rhode leaned against the window and stared out at the city. Towering buildings, a transportation network that surrounded the entire metropolitan area, as well as trains that hurtled by�� Everything seemed so familiar that he even had some doubts as to whether it was just a dream, one that lasted up to four years, and that he had finally woken up. However�� Gazing at his younger sister sitting beside him, he knew very well that this wasn��t a dream or delusion, but reality instead.


    It had been three months since the Dragon Soul Continent arrived in the solar system.


    During this period, Rhode and the others could be said to have been constantly busy. They created protective enchanted fields around the continent, using dragon soul powers and an asteroid belt to create a safe and complete defense network.


    This way, even if there was any trouble, they could stop it in an instant. On top of that, the authority framework of the Dragon Soul Continent also needed to be reworked. The current authority framework of the continent had continued from the Creation War. But now, it no longer held any meaning. Hence, under the efforts of Rhode and his younger sister, the entire continent formed a complete unity.


    Of course, within the authority framework, Rhode and the others continued to use the original structure. For instance, the Light Dragon was still responsible for the Country of Light, the Dark Dragon was in charge of the Country of Darkness, and Rhode and his younger sister still ruled the Void Territory. The only advantage of joining forces was that there would be no more war between them. And the main reason for that, of course, was Rhode.


    Most of the Dragon Soul Continent didn��t change. Under Rhode��s cautious measures, ordinary people were completely unaware that there was another civilization on another planet not far from them. Of course, with the level of civilization in the Dragon Soul Continent, it never occurred to them the possibilities of exploring the world beyond the sky.


    But there were some whose lives changed as a result.


    ���� Next up, we present to you the rising star of tomorrow. Currently sitting at the No. 1 spot on the pop star charts and having won the Rising Star Idol Award last month��enjoy the song, ��Stars��, sung by Anne~!��


    Soon after, the lovely and cheerful singing erupted from the car stereo, echoing in the vehicle.


    ��Anne sure is capable. I didn��t think she could actually sing����


    ��To be honest, I think this look suits her better.��


    Gazing at the middle of the screen, where the blonde young lady bounced on the stage with a splendid smile, the corners of Rhode��s mouth curled into a smile. The current Anne no longer needed to wield a shield and fight enemies on the front lines to the death. Instead, she had an identity and profession that suited her better��singing on stage as an idol. It was apparently more suitable for her than swinging a shield on the battlefield.


    Everyone had their own lives and now, they were able to put aside the burden of fighting and start doing what they wanted to do. It wasn��t that difficult for Rhode. And although he was still a Void Dragon, he wasn��t completely powerless on Earth.


    ��I didn��t think she��d be able to adapt and do this well.��


    Watching Anne running and jumping on the screen, Rhode couldn��t help but recall that moment she tried to drag Lize along with her to form a duo. Back then, Lize turned ashen at that proposal. Unlike Anne, who always liked to stand out, Lize didn��t like the idea of being noticed by tens of thousands of people in public.


    ��But this isn��t too bad. In fact, it��s much better than those two misfits.��


    Rhode said and couldn��t help but let out a snort. The thought of Erin and Lydia gave him a headache. According to his original plan, things would have been fine if the two young ladies simply managed their territorial affairs in the Dragon Soul Continent.


    However, he didn��t expect that they, who loved enjoyment and prosperity, would be more interested in life on Earth instead. Not only did they go over to Earth every other day to hang out, but they also reached a cooperation agreement with the original Creator Dragons. They became special guests of B&M company, and occasionally helped with the promotion of the <<Dragon Soul Continent>> game. Due to their outstanding looks, and the fact that they looked exactly like the characters in the game, the two became hugely popular among players.


    An online game promoted and marketed by its very own archangel and moon queen�� The thought of it sure was bizarre��


    The car left the highway and entered a relatively quieter and more peaceful path. Soon after, lush trees and tall grasses shaded their view from the modern city, and natural scenery came into sight. The car drove along the path, before stopping in a nearby clearing.


    ��Alright, let��s get going then.��


    Patting his younger sister��s hand, Rhode stepped out of the car and headed for the clearing in front of him. And there, waiting for him, was a person who he couldn��t be more familiar with.


    ��Ah, Leader��! Why did you take so long, Anne has been waiting all day!��


    Anne, who wore a mini-skirt, grinned and waved at Rhode. Lize, who stood beside her, also didn��t wear her usual cleric��s robe and put on a long, plain dress that brought out her innocence and cuteness as a young lady. One had to admit that in terms of clothes, Earth had a much better range and selection than the Dragon Soul Continent.


    ��Alright, alright, Anne. Rhode has other arrangements too.��


    Marlene, who stood on the other side, reached out her hand and patted Anne��s shoulder gently. Unlike Anne and Lize, Marlene��s outfit was more of a professional woman��s. Honestly, those long, slender legs paired with black stockings were refreshing to Rhode. After all, she didn��t get to dress like this in the Dragon Soul Continent.


    ��What��s there to shout about? We have serious business to attend to this time, so can��t you behave yourself? This isn��t a wedding; can you stop making a din? It��s making my head spin.��


    Mini Bubble Gum stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Anne with a disgruntled, pouty face. Meanwhile, Canary stood beside her with a smile, whispering something to Christie. Christie opened her eyes wide and listened intently to Canary, nodding from time to time.


    As for Lydia and Erin, they stood on the other side and also whispered to each other. No one knew what they were saying.


    ��Master, it��s ready.��


    And at that moment, Sonia came over from the side, spoke softly to Rhode, and handed over a large plastic bag she held in her hand. Rhode reached for the plastic bag and nodded to her.


    ��Thank you,�� Rhode said, turning to the crowd and beckoning to them. ��Let��s go.��


    He turned around and walked deeper into the woods. Upon seeing his movement, the rest stopped fooling around and followed behind him and his younger sister quietly.


    The woods were silent, with only the sound of footsteps echoing through it. Soon, Rhode crossed the forest path in front of him and arrived in the depths of the woods.


    The beautiful river, with crystal clear water flowing downstream, made a crisp and pleasant sound. The green lawn was decorated with beautiful flowers, and the sound of birds chirping in the woods made this place look like a paradise.


    The most striking thing, however, was the black tombstone within it.


    ������


    Upon seeing the tombstone, everyone closed their mouths and stopped talking. Rhode and his younger sister held hands and arrived in front of it. Then, they opened the plastic bag, from which they took out one offering after another and placed it respectfully in front of the tombstone.


    The offerings were bland, unexciting, and nothing worth wondering about. There were grilled chicken wings, dumplings, fruits, cooked food, and some snacks, no different from what the others brought whenever they visited a tomb. The younger sister took out plate after plate quietly, arranging the food in front of the tombstone.


    Earth and the Dragon Soul Continent were different.


    If they were in the Dragon Soul Continent, there would still be a day when the spirit of the dead could be found and resurrected, whether it was at the end of eternity or in hell. But Earth was different. Earth didn��t have the power, rules, and the Order of the Dragon Soul Continent. Here, after one passed away, one would be buried under a pile of yellow dirt. Perhaps in a few tens of hundreds of years, after the top beings of the Dragon Soul Continent integrated perfectly with the rules of this world, the Order of Earth would change.


    But the time hadn��t arrived yet.


    While Rhode and his younger sister were busy, the others stood quietly in the back. Most of them had already heard about this tradition from Canary and Bubble, and Rhode had indicated that he wouldn��t let them come forward to help. Even Marlene and Sonia, who hesitated for a moment, returned to the group that stood at the back.


    Soon after setting up the offerings, Rhode took out a bottle of white wine and poured two glasses in front of the tombstone. Then, he poured the rest of the wine in the shape of a circle before retrieving a piece of yellow paper and lighting it on fire.


    After that, Rhode and his younger sister each took three incense sticks and knelt respectfully in front of the tombstone, bowing their heads.


    ��Dad, Mom, we��re here to see you.��


    Looking at the tombstone in front of him, Rhode��s expression remained calm and unchanged.


    ��You guys must be surprised. But well�� For some reason, Younger Sister came back to life again and I��m also back to give my respects. I said before that I would come and take a good look at both of you when it is all over. And now that the trouble that plagued your son is over, I��ve also brought Younger Sister back with me�� Please rest assured that all is well with our health. We��re still quite well off. We have a home, car, and����


    With that said, Rhode looked over at Christie who stood a short distance away and looked somewhat uncomfortable.


    ���� Yes�� Our child is doing great too. Everyone��s healthy and safe����


    As Rhode chattered away, he kowtowed thrice and inserted the incense sticks into the censer, before taking his younger sister��s hand and standing up. Then, for the first time, there was a somewhat subtle, disturbed look on his face.


    ��And�� Perhaps the two of you are a little surprised, but as I��ve promised����


    Rhode continued, turning around to gaze at the young ladies quietly.


    ���� I will introduce you to the family members who have been with me and are most important to me. I will tell you everything about them�� As well as what I��ve been going through all this time����


    (The End)